As expected, BOC Governor Stephen Poloz and his gang of policymakers decided to sit on their hands for the time being, keeping the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.50%.
In their official statement, central bank authorities acknowledged that some of the downside pressures on core inflation have been offset by the recent depreciation of the Canadian dollar. Policymakers also noted that solid household spending and the firm recovery in the U.S. are supporting Canada's economic prospects. In other words, the folks over at the BOC don't seem to be too concerned about a potential slowdown just yet.
As I've mentioned in my RBNZ statement preview, the central bank was widely expected to announce back-to-back rate cuts. And that's exactly what they did!
After lowering the official cash rate (OCR) from 3.25% to 3.00% in July, RBNZ head Graeme Wheeler decided to take it down to 2.75% in this week's policy decision. While Wheeler also said that the Kiwi's depreciation is helping mitigate some of the effects of falling commodity prices, he emphasized that export activity still remains feeble.
How do I make forex profits from all this?
Excellent question! As you've probably learned from our School of Pipsology on Fundamental Analysis, you can be able to ride forex trends by pairing a relatively strong currency with a weaker one. In this case, you've got the BOC suggesting that no further rate cuts are likely while the RBNZ hinted that additional easing is possible, which means that the Loonie has a much stronger footing compared to the Kiwi.
If you've already thought of shorting NZD/CAD during all this, give yourself a pat on the back! But if you've missed the sharp forex selloff following the BOC and RBNZ policy announcements, there might still be a chance to catch a potential breakdown.


Our main terminal and headquarters are located in Houston, Texas with another terminal in Beaumont, Texas. Being in the heart of the energy industry affords us great experience and allows us to operate efficiently across the entire United States with high safety standards and unique solutions. We serve transportation needs for the lower 48 states with a concentration in the Gulf Coast and Southeast regions.


text:
Parailia congica és una espècie de peix de la família dels esquilbèids i de l'ordre dels siluriformes.

Morfologia
 Els mascles poden assolir 10 cm de longitud total.

Reproducció
És ovípar i els ous no són protegits.

Alimentació
Menja principalment insectes terrestres petits i aquàtics.

Hàbitat
És un peix d'aigua dolça i de clima tropical (23 °C-26 °C).

Distribució geogràfica
Es troba a Àfrica: conca del riu Congo.

Referències

Bibliografia
 . Base de dades de la col·lecció de peixos del Museu Nacional d'Història Natural (en anglès). Smithsonian Institution, 2001.
 Anònim, 2002. Base de dades de la col·lecció de peixos del Museu Americà d'Història Natural. Museu Americà d'Història Natural, Central Park West, NY 10024-5192 (Estats Units).
 De Vos, L., 1992. Schilbeidae. p. 432-449. A: C. Levêque, D. Paugy i G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Tom 2. Faune Tropicale núm. 28. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren i O.R.S.T.O.M., París.

 Paugy, D., K. Traoré i P.S. Diouf, 1994. Faune ichtyologique des eaux douces d'Afrique de l'Ouest. p. 35-66. A G.G. Teugels, J.F. Guégan i J.J. Albaret (eds.) Biological diversity of African fresh- and brackish water fishes. Geographical overviews presented at the PARADI Symposium, Senegal, 15-20 de novembre de 1993. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 275:177 p.

Enllaços externs
 AQUATAB

congica

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
March 30, 2014 meganchristi	Leave a comment
Just Say I Love Him ….
bluesjazzmusicNine Simoneold schoolpoetry
I Wish I Knew How…
Nine Simone …. I wish you could know what it means to be me ….
Some old school to listen to and feel …
black musichistorymusicNine Simoneold school
BOONDOCKS Season 4th airs April 21st, 2014
Is returning without the creator Aaron McGruder….
The Boondocks is set to return to Adult Swim with season four on April 21, 2014. This animated series which is based on creator Aaron McGruder's comic strip will return without any involvement from McGruder. Many are wondering how this will affect the fans in lieu of McGruder being the show's main creative force.
This is a show created by a young black man who's creative mind has been able to touch issues within the black community at the hands of the white man.
With the main characters Huey Freeman, Riley Freeman and their grandfather Robert Jebediah Freeman, big brother Huey is always voicing his conscious thoughts for the audience to soak in. Along with his excelled mindset, he is skilled in martial arts and can kick anyone's butt!
In an age of glamorized ignorance and liking to material things only, Huey sheds a light on the issues which is paralyzing a large portion of our community. This is the complete opposite of his brother Riley who shows rejoice in these exact things Huey critiques.
Riley tries to appear as that hard black male who only wants to be as thuggish as possible, with no remorse or thought to what may be in his future due to his actions. This is all thanks for the popular culture of reality shows and romanticized music filled with foolery which is unfortunately fueled by white male executives who sign artists to feed the masses bull-ish.
Boondocks shows both sides of the black community – Conscious and the misled.
It is not quite clear why McGruder will not be a part of this season… Hopefully it meets all expectations without it's creator.
Aaron McGruderadult swimblack newsBoondockscartoonscomicsentertainmenttelevision
Leon Ford
March 24, 2014 meganchristi	1 Comment
https://www.change.org/petitions/allegheny-county-district-attorney-stephen-a-zappala-jr-drop-the-bogus-criminal-charges-against-leon-ford-jr
On November 11, 2012, our lives were forever changed upon receiving the most devastating news parents can receive, news that an officer with Pittsburgh Bureau of Police shot my son during a routine traffic stop. Shocked and confused over the news, we rushed over to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital only to be denied an opportunity to see our son; this ban lasted for over seven days as we waited in a state of shock and confusion as police worked behind the scenes to come up with a narrative of what they would later say happened.
Police dash-cam video of the incident would later reveal that our 19-year-old teenager was detained by three police officers on a dark road for almost twenty-five minutes during what was supposed to be a routine traffic stop. My son properly provided officers with his driver licenses, vehicle registration and proof of insurance while they harassed him over the legitimacy of his identity. Even more painful to watch is the heartbreaking sounds of our youngest child being shot five times by a police officer who decided to jump inside my son's vehicle. While we are not sure how the car shifted into gear once the officer jumped inside the vehicle, we are sure that our son was in mortal fear for his life as police harassed, threatened and hurled racial slurs towards him.
The police officers are now trying to justify their actions by claiming that they saw a barrel of a gun in my son's waistband, but we know our son and it was no surprise that a search following the shooting revealed no gun and no contraband of any kind. Leon is a good kid, who is very intelligent, hardworking and athletic. Simply put, the Pittsburg Police officers mischaracterized our son and profiled the wrong kid.
And even though Pittsburgh police shot my son five times and left him paralyzed, to add insult to injury, they have charged him with bogus criminal charges which could put him in prison for over 20 years. These charges are based on the officer's allegations that my son dragged them down the street with his car.
Pittsburgh Police officers tried to lie about my son and the way things happened the night they shot him. In an attempt to cover up the truth, the officer lied by claiming a fellow officer was standing in front of Leon's car when it moved. They hoped that he would die that night, but thank God, he lived and can now tell the truth. But don't just take our son's word for it. The video backs up everything that he said happened.
We are calling for Allegheny County District Attorney, Stephen A. Zappala Jr., to drop these bogus charges and asking that the officers who took our sons ability to ever walk again, be held accountable. As a mother and a father, it breaks our heart to see my son in his current condition but we must be strong for him because that's what parents do.
Latonya Green and Leon Ford Sr.
The parents of Leon Ford Jr.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SPREAD THE NEWS.
black newsbrutalityjusticeleon fordpitssburgpolicepoliticsracismshootings
TDE's SZA
She's got talent! – And she is a brown skinned beauty.
TDE Music has an artist I am patiently waiting to see all that she has to bring to the music world's table. SZA is one of the artists signed to TDE and the musically inclined line-up they have seems to be legit.
I am glad to see young black artists creating a space for them to show off true talent. The future seems to be bright for TDE!
black entertainmenthip hopmusicr&bSZAtdetop dawg entertainmenttop dawg music
Fakebook? What's The NSA Up To Now?
"Top-secret documents reveal that the National Security Agency is dramatically expanding its ability to covertly hack into computers on a mass scale by using automated systems that reduce the level of human oversight in the process.
The classified files — provided previously by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden — contain new details about groundbreaking surveillance technology the agency has developed to infect potentially millions of computers worldwide with malware "implants." The clandestine initiative enables the NSA to break into targeted computers and to siphon out data from foreign Internet and phone networks.
The covert infrastructure that supports the hacking efforts operates from the agency's headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, and from eavesdropping bases in the United Kingdom and Japan. GCHQ, the British intelligence agency, appears to have played an integral role in helping to develop the implants tactic."* The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down.
*Read more here from Ryan Gallagher and Glenn Greenwald / The Intercept:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/
Via: https://www.facebook.com/TheYoungTurks
edward snowdenfacebookinternetnewsnsapoliticstechnologythe young turksunited stateswhistleblower
Free Speech TV
Free Speech TV is an independent, 24-hour television network and multi-platform digital news source with news, stories and perspectives you won't find anywhere else. A non-profit, public interest network, FSTV is publically supported by its viewers and by philanthropic foundations. Television broadcasts are commercial-free.
NEWS THAT MATTERS!
https://www.freespeech.org/
http://www.thomhartmann.com/
americablogcapitalismclimate changeeconomicseducationfree speechgovernmenthealthcarejournalismkpfkmedicaidmedicarenewspoliticspovertyradiosocial securitythom hartmanntvunemploymentunited statesvotingwealth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Solpugyla umtalica är en spindeldjursart som först beskrevs av Hewitt 1914.  Solpugyla umtalica ingår i släktet Solpugyla och familjen Solpugidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Skorpionspindlar
umtalica


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Role of DJ-1 and Apo A1 as biomarkers in Parkinson's disease: an observational case-control study
Ritu Shree1, Missamma Mulagala2, Sahil Mehta1, Apurva Sood3, Manish Modi1, Manoj K Goyal1, Gunjan Goyal4, Bikash Medhi2, Bhagwant R Mittal3, Vivek Lal1
1 Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
2 Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
3 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
4 Department of Medical Parasitology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
Dr. Sahil Mehta
Level 1, Room Number: 13, Department of Neurology, Nehru Hospital, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector 12, Chandigarh.
DOI: 10.4103/AOMD.AOMD_23_19
AIM: Premotor phase in Parkinson's disease (PD) begins many years before the onset of motor symptoms. Despite advancement in the understanding of this common neurodegenerative disease, clinical diagnosis is still the gold standard. Various fluid- and tissue-based biomarkers have been postulated to play a role in the pathogenesis of PD. We aimed to study the role of serum DJ-1 and apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1) in PD. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Neurology, in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacology. Cases of PD and healthy controls were recruited over 1 year with written informed consent from all the participants. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All cases underwent detailed neurological examination, Hoehn and Yahr staging, and MDS-UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS (Movement Disorders Society–Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale) scoring. Serum of all the cases and controls were collected for the estimation of DJ-1 and Apo A1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Serum DJ-1 and Apo A1 levels were compared between cases and controls using Mann–Whitney test. Correlation of characteristics was carried out using Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The study cohort included 77 cases of PD and 69 healthy controls. Serum DJ-1 and Apo A1 levels were found to be significantly lower in cases compared to controls (P < 0.001). However, no correlation was found with age of onset, duration of disease, and severity of illness. A negative correlation was observed between DJ-1 levels and cognitive impairment and bladder dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Low levels of DJ-1 and Apo A1 are found in patients with PD of Indian origin. However, correlation of these biomarkers with progression and severity is needed to be explored in future randomized controlled trials with a large sample size.
Shree R
Mulagala M
Mehta S
Sood A
Modi M
Goyal MK
Goyal G
Medhi B
Mittal BR
Lal V
Apolipoprotein A1
idiopathic Parkinson%26#8217;s disease


text:
Blu-ray: Worth a Look
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Review Date May 15th, 2013 by David Krauss
Overview - As John Barrymore reckons with the ravages of his life of excess, he rents an old theatre to rehearse for a backer's audition to raise money for a revival of his 1920 Broadway triumph in Richard III.
Technical Specs: BD-50 Blu-ray Disc
English Descriptive Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround
Special Features: Documentary
Movie Studio: Image Entertainment
The legendary name still commands respect and sounds as elegant and distinguished today as it surely did during its heyday in the first half of the 20th century. Barrymore. Though contemporary film fans may only know of Drew, her lineage ranks among the most impressive in the history of acting. Relatives Maurice, Lionel, and Ethel all enjoyed successful, lengthy careers, but it was her dashing grandfather, John Barrymore, who garnered the lion's share of attention...and notoriety. Devastatingly handsome (he was famously known as "The Great Profile"), blessed with superior talent (his robust interpretation of Hamlet revolutionized the role), and dogged by demons galore (severe alcoholism chief among them), Barrymore rose to the apex of his profession in the 1920s, then began a slow but inexorable decline. Unable to remember lines, he eventually relied on cue cards on movie sets, and by the time he died at the age of 60 in 1942, he was almost a caricature of his former self.
Fifty-five years after Barrymore's death, Christopher Plummer portrayed the faltering star in a virtual one-man show on Broadway, and won a Tony Award for his bravura performance. And 14 years after that, a modified film version of the play gave Plummer, at age 82, the chance to reprise the part and immortalize it. The simply titled 'Barrymore' takes the audience inside John's tattered psyche during his last months. He muses about life, shares anecdotes, recalls triumphs, rues mistakes, and valiantly struggles to revive his all-but-dead career. "A man isn't old until regrets take the place of dreams," he says, and over the course of the 83-minute drama, we get equal helpings of both. Set on a sparsely dressed stage, the premise is a mock audition, and with only the disembodied voice of a stage manager to work off of, Barrymore, the self-anointed "clown prince" of theater's royal family, reminisces about his drunk, abusive father, makes fun of his own faulty memory, and pontificates on the so-called art of acting.
It's all very good, but is it really Barrymore? Though I'm far from an expert on the star, I do know a lot about him, and I found this treatment to be a more generalized portrait of a washed up actor rather than a specific profile of Barrymore himself. More details about the Barrymore family and stories about his personal life and career would have made this a more intimate, informative, and satisfying study. There's no doubt Barrymore was foggy and unfocused at the end of his life, but this play mirrors that scattered train of thought too closely, and often feels disjointed.
Plummer is superb, but again, is he really playing Barrymore? While I understand he didn't seek to do an impersonation of the actor, I don't feel he quite captured his essence either. Everyone can't be Meryl Streep, of course, but her portrayals of Julia Child and Margaret Thatcher made us believe she was those characters. Plummer's work requires much more blind faith. He beautifully performs Hamlet's famous soliloquy, but is it Barrymore's interpretation or Plummer's? As I watched 'Barrymore,' I continually admired Plummer's acting, but felt detached from the play because I didn't fully believe he was anyone else but himself.
Age is also an issue. At 82, Plummer is far too old to portray a man who died at 60. When he first tackled the role in 1997, Plummer was 68, putting him well within the boundaries of believability, but the intervening 14 years further removed him from his subject. On stage, an actor has a better shot at blurring such age discrepancies, but the unforgiving eye of the camera, especially in close-up, doesn't lie. Yes, alcoholics like Barrymore age badly, but I found Plummer, despite his vigor, couldn't successfully sell himself as the man he is playing. And as the drama wears on, this became, at least for me, a nagging preoccupation.
So if you're looking for a great performance by a great actor, don't hesitate to pick up 'Barrymore.' Plummer will not disappoint, and the play itself possesses a lovely lyricism and delicate poignance that often transcends its artificial dramatic devices. Director Erik Canuel inventively brings the piece to the screen, maintaining its theatrical feel, but adding welcome cinematic touches to broaden its scope and enliven its presentation.
On the other hand, if you're seeking an incisive profile of one of America's most famous actors, I don't think you'll find it here. Plummer provides fleeting glimpses of Barrymore and projects his inner turmoil, but the performance - and the play - aren't specific enough to fully capture and fittingly salute this towering thespian who, like so many, had it all and threw it away.
The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats
'Barrymore' arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC and default audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu with music immediately pops up; no previews or promo precede it.
BD-50 Blu-ray Disc
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround
Theatrical productions shot in high-def usually look glorious, and 'Barrymore' is no exception. The 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC transfer features stunning clarity, well-pitched contrast, and plenty of fine detail. The spotless source material is free of any specks, marks, or scratches, and no noise disrupts the crisply rendered image. The black-and-white sequences sport a lovely antiquated texture, and though 'Barrymore' isn't a particularly colorful production, the hues on display look vibrant and true. Background elements are easy to discern and shadow delineation is quite good, thanks to the expert lighting design. Black levels are solid and rich, and Plummer's tan fleshtone appears natural despite the use of stage makeup. Though all aspects of this transfer earn high marks, close-ups take the prize, exhibiting fantastic levels of detail. Every crease and wrinkle on Plummer's weathered face and every fiber of his mustache and eyebrows are strikingly defined, lending further immediacy and impact to the portrayal.
No digital enhancements, such as noise reduction or edge sharpening, seem to have been applied, and no defects mar the smooth presentation. Like the best theatrical transfers, this strong effort from Image provides viewers with a front-row seat and a superior vantage point to fully absorb every aspect of a great actor's excellent performance.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track supplies well-modulated, clean sound without any noticeable hiccups. Because this is largely a one-man theatrical performance, surround activity is quite limited, but some stereo separation up front allows the off-stage voice of the stage manager the proper directional feel it requires. Applause from the audience and sparingly employed scoring nicely envelop, and a bit of theatrical echo reverberates across all channels enhancing the live atmosphere of the piece.
Of course, few actors enunciate with as much precision as Plummer, so every syllable is clear and comprehendible, but the track also handles the modulation of his voice extremely well. Throwaway comments, wistful ruminations, bold orations, and angry outbursts all come across without sounding muffled or distorted. The subwoofer stays quiet, except on rare occasions when the stage lights are abruptly shut off, providing a welcome jolt, as well as a clever artistic transition.
Though the audio here can't compete with more active, dimensional tracks, its intimate nature and the nuances that distinguish it shine through. The sound may not be flashy, but the quality is evident from beginning to end.
Only one extra is included on the disc, but it's almost as substantial as the main feature.
Documentary: "Backstage with Barrymore" (HD, 59 minutes) – This surprisingly lengthy, in-depth documentary mainly celebrates Plummer and his extraordinary talent, but it also offers a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at how this film was mounted. Esteemed grande dame actresses (Helen Mirren, Julie Andrews, and Zoe Caldwell) rhapsodize about Plummer's genius in general and his performance as Barrymore in particular, and the man himself talks extensively about tackling the role, reviving it 14 years later on screen, and how he views this cinematic incarnation as a fresh take and new challenge. Playwright William Luce discusses the changes and rewrites required to translate 'Barrymore' to a new medium, and original stage director Gene Saks notes the play is better today than when it was first written. The technical aspects of shooting are also addressed, director Erik Canuel talks about his interpretation of the piece and relationship with Plummer, and plenty of rehearsal and backstage footage provides a flavor of what it was like to be on set. This is a thoughtful, reverent, and well-produced documentary that fans of Plummer and theatre aficionados should certainly check out.
I didn't get a lot of John Barrymore from this one-man tribute to the legendary star, but I did get a heaping helping of Christopher Plummer, which was just as good. The highly lauded and immensely gifted actor makes 'Barrymore' well worth watching, and his finely etched portrayal showcases the cantankerous nature, sizable ego, playfully devilish attitude, foolish optimism, and regretful despair of an icon on his last legs. If you know a lot about Barrymore, you might be disappointed by the lack of specifics concerning his life and career, but if you're more interested in simply seeing a great performer tackle a colorful role, then you'll certainly appreciate this meticulous production. Strong video and audio transfers make the theatrical setting come alive, and the disc's sole supplement is meaty enough to satisfy those with a craving to learn more about Plummer and this unique movie treatment. While I appreciated the artistry on display, I can't say this snapshot of a fading idol captured my fancy, but for Plummer alone, 'Barrymore' is definitely worth a look.


Iowa has a very well-developed system of career schools, ready to cater to the career objectives of students everywhere. These career schools provide excellent vocational training for careers as diverse as agriculture, health care, business, information technology, and industrial technology. Whatever your career plans, Iowa's career schools are likely to have something for you. Like many other states, several of Iowa's vocation training programs are offered online, enabling you to get your certificate in your own time. If you would like to give your career a lift or are simply in search of a new career, Iowa's career schools can give you the necessary vocational training.


It is clear from even the most casual observation to see that the funds now being invested in product development are at a rate not seen for a decade. As much as I applaud this turnaround it seems that although the factory is running at 100% capacity the marketing strategy as to which customers should be buying the output and more importantly why they should be buying which piece of the output seems to have gone walkabout. Looking on at a distance, how all the pieces fit together within an 'over arching' structure frankly seems completely absent.
I see his point entirely. There's a great Lotus strategy presentation -- I've been using it in part or in whole for the last eight weeks at customer meetings and events -- but it sits at a higher level, looking at the entirety of "collaboration". There's a great Lotus "bringing it all together" demonstration, centered around how the Lotus Notes 8 client delivers on the notion of the "desktop of the future, today". Between these two, though, I agree that more around the current and future strategy of what Lotus stands for needs to more clearly -- and broadly -- articulated.
This is why I am enthusiastic about new GM Bob Picciano's background in sales and marketing. If ever there was an opportunity to have a Lotus leader address the perennial perception of Lotus marketing and awareness lagging, that time is now.


text:
Blackhawks' scoring drought cause for concern
By By Scott King and Special to the Tribune
Nov 03, 2014 | 7:31 PM
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville on his team's struggles as of late.
Can anybody out there hum the "Chelsea Dagger" song? Seems like forever since Blackhawks fans have heard it.
Remember those drop-to-one-knee-and-pump-your-fist celebrations after a spectacular scoring play? Or those leaps into the boards to punctuate a big goal in front of a jubilant hometown crowd? Remember when the Fratellis' best-known song was in heavy rotation at the United Center?
Some of the sights and sounds that have become synonymous with Blackhawks hockey have been surprisingly scarce in the first 12 games of the season, because the Hawks just haven't been scoring goals the way they usually do, in number or in style.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Hawks have ranked among the NHL's top scoring teams — their 267 goals in 2013-14 were most in the league, and their 155 goals in 48 games the year before were second only to the Penguins' 165. With 29 goals so far in 2014-15, they are averaging just 2.25 goals per game compared to 3.18 last season.
The Hawks lost both of their back-to-back contests over the weekend, 3-2 to the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday and 1-0 to the Jets on Sunday at the United Center. Perhaps more alarming, they've been shut out twice in a row at home. The last time that happened was October 2006.
The goal shortage has become a cause for concern because, as coach Joel Quenneville noted after Sunday's game, the slump seems to have affected the entire lineup, not just a handful of players.
"It's just something that we haven't seen before with the lack of production. It's contagious right now across the board," Quenneville said. "Mention any name right now, we're not getting the production we're looking for."
Patrick Kane has been held without a goal in seven straight games since scoring twice on the power play against the Flyers on Oct. 21. Ditto for Brandon Saad, whose most recent goal came in that same game. Andrew Shaw doesn't have a goal in the last six games, and Patrick Sharp has gone five games without a goal.
"It's frustrating, but what are you going to do? You have to work through it," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said after Sunday's shutout. "You have to find a way to break out of that funk."
The lack of offensive production could stem from the Hawks' need to create traffic in front of the net to bother the opposing goaltender. Simply put, despite consistently outshooting their opponents, the Hawks have been making it too easy for the other goalies.
Despite ringing two posts, the Hawks didn't make Jets backup goalie Michael Hutchinson too uncomfortable with their 33 shots against him in Sunday's loss.
It's clear the Hawks, who travel to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Tuesday, aren't suffering from a lack of talent or effort.
"We do play well, it's just kind of in spurts," Toews said. "It's not consistent enough. We'll keep working hard and the small details will take care of themselves."
Latest Chicago Blackhawks
Joel Quenneville's return to the United Center sends Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane down memory lane: 'You just didn't think things would ever change'
Breaking down Patrick Kane's milestone points, from No. 1 to No. 1,000
4 takeaways from the Blackhawks' 5-2 win over the Jets, including the bench-clearing celebration for Patrick Kane's 1,000th career point
Blackhawks getting contributions from all over the lineup, including unsung Slater Koekkoek: 'He's made it impossible for us to take him out'
Will Patrick Kane — currently at 999 — earn his 1,000th career point tonight? He'd be the 90th NHL player to reach the milestone.
On the positive side, the Hawks' defense and goaltending have been sound, allowing just 1.92 goals per game. This is despite using three starting goalies — Corey Crawford, Antii Raanta and rookie Scott Darling — in 12 games.
Crawford knows to take the good with the bad regarding the scoring drought.
"We're not getting frustrated, we're upbeat in the room," he said. "We're not getting down on ourselves or getting down on each other. Just got to battle through. No one said it was going to be easy."
No one expected it to be quite this hard, either. But with the goaltending and defense in familiar form, it could just be a matter of time before the offense finds its footing and gets everyone reacquainted with that catchy "da-dada-dum, dada-dum, dada-dada-dum" song once again.
Joel Quenneville


Opti-Light 6350400 Lighting - Fire detection Lavastica International | Your supplier of systems and spare parts.
The Opti-Light 6350400 is an explosion-proof Hand-lamp. Lightweight, shockproof, handy and reliable. The Opti-Light 6350400 can be used in dangerous areas where there can be gas and dust explosions. The Opti-Light 6350400 is equipped with a protective film over the tube.
The Opti-Light 6350400 explosion-proof Hand-lamp can be used in dangerous areas where there can be gas and dust explosions.


text:
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THIS EBOOK CANNOT BE PRINTED
Estimated Tax: £0.00
Comprehensive 122 page guide to the Immigration Act 2016 covering illegal working offences, offences for landlords and employers, enforcement powers, appeal right changes, immigration bail and more.
Once, the "hostile environment" was for terrorists. Then it was for serious and organised crime. Now, it is for migrants. In this respect, the Immigration Act 2016 builds on the poisonous foundations of the Immigration Act 2014.
This ebook runs through the 2016 Act section by section, providing an explanation of the changes made, setting out amended versions of relevant legal provisions and providing examples of how new provisions might work in practice.
The most notable innovations include the new offence of illegal working, new offences for landlords and employers, extensive new enforcement powers for immigration officers, extensive new maritime enforcement powers, extensive new powers of detention and coercion associated with the new concept of immigration bail, further evisceration of appeal rights and asylum support and extensive new money raising powers. These are all intended to create a hostile environment for migrants in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, immigration officers have increasingly wide police-like powers, but with less training, less experience and with no tradition of policing by consent underpinning their work.
The Act can be seen as a trend towards what might be termed coercive justice. The powers that are conferred on immigration officials are discretionary and draconian and it would be impossible for them to be enforced equally against all, irrespective of class, gender and race. Instead, the powers should be seen as additions to the toolbox available to immigration officials when they encounter a person considered undesirable. It will be the young, the black, the male and the working class who are more likely to find themselves on the receiving end of this "justice". That is not to say that others are unaffected, just that certain groups are disproportionately affected.
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By TU5211 on 11 January 2019 at 12:01 pm
Excellent clear and easy to understand.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Immigration Act 2016 ebook
By Lex on 19 September 2018 at 7:37 pm (Verified Purchase)
Excellent. Helpful and comprehensive. Essential reading for all concerned in immigration.


No doubt about it, times are rough for independent developers. While no simple strategy works, especially with the current turbulence, one word continually kept popping up from developers.
"[Studios] have to be able to diversify," O'Leary said.
If it's true that focusing on a single platform or only on traditional boxed games will no longer work for independent studios, what should they do? All options must be explored, according to O'Leary, who noted n-Space looks outside the box and self-funds projects today.
Beck absolutely agreed, stating that "Diversification is really how WayForward has insulated itself and survived. Would it surprise you to know that in some circles [WayForward is] known as the leader in the field of EEG biofeedback games?" he asked. "I'm not kidding. No really, I'm not kidding."
"WayForward is also a leader in kids' educational content. Bet you didn't know that. We have probably done more educational content over a longer period of time than any other independent in the industry."
O'Leary also said specialization could be an option, albeit a risky one.
"[Studios] have to be super focused on making one game of one type for one platform and be the absolute best in the world at that," he said.
Collier believed specialization with an established franchise could work and would have helped Bizarre as a second party.
"In retrospect, I think Bizarre would have benefited from being put to work exclusively specializing on a core established racing franchise rather than a new IP," said Collier. The studio was shuttered after its first title for Activision, Blur, failed to find an audience.
But for many, that's not the best strategy, according to Chico. He reinforced agility and diversification. A team that is agile can bounce back and search for the next patch of blue ocean, he added.
O'Leary attributed his versatile team for n-Space's quick rebound, which happened within a week. He said it helped tremendously to have great personnel and to be in the right place at the right time.
And once back up and running, n-Space started to diversify immediately. While the studio continues to develop quality titles for Nintendo platforms -- like Square Enix's upcoming Heroes of Ruin and Atari's Rollercoaster Tycoon for 3DS -- it's also working on two Kinect titles and within the Facebook and iOS spaces.
O'Leary said these developments are on top of two recent releases, which are smaller-scale, noncore gamer titles: Jaws: Ultimate Predator for 3DS and Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure for Kinect.
"Both [games] were done with new partners and released under our imprint Checkpoint Games, a newly-formed brand exclusively for these kinds of business opportunities," O'Leary explained. "We've even supported the simulation and training industries some this year filling in the nooks and crannies of our development capacity to create additional profit, stability and opportunity."
Not only did n-Space rebound through diversification, but the studio continued to move forward with this strategy in hand. O'Leary noted co-funded and self-funded games also are important to the company's future, though "nothing has clicked just yet."
With the state of flux of the gaming industry, it's a wonder whether the middle market and independent game studios will survive. While n-Space and WayForward continue on, many others face a difficult road. Recently, Silicon Knights and Team Bondi have endured major staff losses and closed up shop, respectively.
But the ever-changing creature of the industry, as Chico called it, also acts as hope for the middle market and independent studios. Boccieri shared the same hope.
"I would argue, however, that there is probably a new way for development investment that would lead back to mid-tier development agreements whilst mitigating risk," he said.
Chico added that along with new markets and middle grounds, it's important to look at history, too. PC was king, declared dead in the early 2000s and now arguably reigns supreme with Facebook and free-to-play games, he said.
In the meantime, the ability to diversify will play a major role for all independent studios, as well as second-party studios, as the landscape continues to shift.


I noticed awhile back that it's been ten years since the passing of Robert Jordan. I was surprised to see that it had been that long. I guess I'm getting to that point in my adult life where things that happened ten years ago still feel like they only happened yesterday as opposed to the eternity that would've seemed when I was younger.
I was super obsessed with The Wheel of Time when I was a teenager. I'd chatted with a few people who were obsessed with it over ICQ, which is another line that's dating me, and I eventually decided to pick up The Eye of the World near the end of my sophomore year of high school. I still remember going out to dinner with my family one Friday night when I was near the end and instead of going in shopping with them like I usually did after dinner I sat flipping pages in my mom's car reading by the dome light and having my mind blown as I finished EotW.
Jordan's work was a revelation at the time, and I think it's one of those things where he was so revolutionary and there were so many people who moved to copy him after the fact that a lot of people look at Wheel of Time now and find themselves wondering what the big deal is.
It's difficult to describe if you weren't around the fantasy fandom at the time, but it was nothing short of amazing. Strong female characters. A subtle depiction of a world where women hold the power. I always found it endlessly amusing that people criticized Jordan's female characters by calling them shrill, shrews, commanding, demanding, etc., and never once do the people leveling these criticisms seem to have the introspection to ask themselves if they would level the same accusations at their fantasy heroine if she was a hero.
Jordan had a well thought out world that felt lived in. He had an intricate magic system where, as he said in a signing I attended, the magic is their technology. He took familiar fantasy tropes and turned them on their ear.
Sure the books start to plod after about book five. Sure it felt like the plot was spiraling out of control with new characters being introduced when you wondered why he wasn't just wrapping the damn thing up. Sure some of the descriptions can get a little samey after awhile, and he had an obsession with fashion that was a bit odd.
But I still think they're wonderful books that are well worth exploring. They were groundbreaking in their day, but even these days they're still a fun read. Maybe skip Crossroads of Twilight since nothing of consequence really happens in there.
I had an opportunity to meet Robert Jordan when he was on tour for Knife of Dreams. I'm so glad that I took the time to go to that book tour because it turns out that was the last one he'd ever go on. He had a presence that filled the room. A severity and an attitude that said he'd been on enough of these tours and dealt with enough fans trying to get him to reveal something that he wouldn't put up with nonsense, but he still made the room laugh.
At the signing he said he was planning one more book in the series, and that he would make the publisher put it on the shelves even if it was a foot long. Which is a little ironic in hindsight considering they ended up splitting the book into three after his death. He did a rundown of how to pronounce the names, and deftly handled a Q&A where it was clear there was a room full of fans who were eager to get him to reveal something or catch him in a "gotcha" question.
When it came time for the signing itself everything was brief. We got up and I bought hardcover copies of Eye of the World and Knife of Dreams for him to sign. I could kick myself, because once we got to the signing I saw other people there who'd brought giant bags full of their hardcover collections for him to sign. I'd been building my own hardcover collection from used bookstores at the time and I had everything but The Dragon Reborn at that point. Of course the signing was a good three hours away from where I lived so there was no way I'd be able to go back and get those books, and while he was happy to sign more than two books the people who did that had to wait until the end of the night so it's not like it would've been workable.
When I got up to his table he hit me with a look that I can only describe as piercing and severe, but not unfriendly. I stammered something out about how much I enjoyed his books, nothing profound from me meeting this particular hero, and then he signed the books and it was over.
One other thing we remarked on at that signing was how thin he looked. He was definitely more gaunt than he appeared in his book covers, but my friend and I who made the drive out there assumed he'd been losing weight for health reasons or something. It wasn't until after the tour that his diagnosis was announced and the world realized how bad it was.
I still remember sitting in a computer lab in college browsing Digg, another tell as to what an old fart I am in Internet years, when I read the news that he'd passed. It was a surprise as they'd been optimistic and upbeat in all the updates, but not a huge surprise since his disease didn't have a great prognosis.
The fantasy world lost one of its giants that day. I still wonder what might have been if he'd been allowed to finish the series. Brandon Sanderson did a wonderful job of tying up a series that had too many dangling threads to count, but fantasy fans are always going to be left wondering how Jordan's take would've turned out.
To Robert Jordan. One of the greats. I'd say he was gone too soon, but it seems like he lived a long and fulfilling life and will be remembered fondly by fans and those who knew him, and can you really ask for more than that once you've shed this mortal coil?


text:
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namespace Application\Infrastructure\Repository;

use \Domain;

class DoctrineProduct implements Domain\Repository\Product
{

    private $entityManager;

    public function __construct($entityManager)
    {
        $this->entityManager = $entityManager;
    }

    public function persist($entity){

        if ($entity->getId()) {
            $this->entityManager->merge($entity);
        } else {
            $this->entityManager->persist($entity);
        }

        $this->entityManager->flush($entity);
    }

    public function getById($id){
        throw new Exception('Not implemented');
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Wadalba is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the  local government area.

It contains Wadalba Community School as well as a Woolworths supermarket, Coles supermarket and shopping centre (including Chemist, Medical Centre, Newsagent, Indian/Kebab takeaway, Chinese restaurant and bakery cafe), McDonald's family restaurant, Seven Eleven service station, Rural pet supply store, childcare centre and liquor store.

References

Suburbs of the Central Coast (New South Wales)


text:
National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article
Travis M. Dumont, Anand I. Rughani
Object. Several randomized trials have emerged with conflicting data on the overall safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in comparison with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The authors hypothesize that changes in national trends correspond to publication of randomized trials, including an increase in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CAS (for example, Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study [CAVATAS] and Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy [SAPPHIRE]) and decrease in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CEA (for example, Endarterectomy versus Stenting in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis [EVA3-S] and Stent-Supported Percutaneous Angioplasty of the Carotid Artery versus Endarterectomy). Methods. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was obtained for the years 1998-2008. Individual cases were isolated for principal diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis or occlusion undergoing CEA or CAS. The percentage of CAS for all carotid revascularization procedures was calculated for each year. Perioperative inpatient morbidity, including stroke or death, were calculated and compared. Results. The percentage of patients undergoing CAS increased yearly from the start of the observed period to the end, with the exception of a decrease in 2007. The peak utilization of CAS for carotid artery revascularization procedures was 15% of all cases in 2006. The stroke or death rate was consistent at 5% among all patients undergoing CEA for all years, while the incidence of stroke or death decreased among patients undergoing CAS from 9% in 1998 to 5% in 2008. Conclusions. The practice of CAS in the US is expanding, from less than 3% of all carotid artery revascularization procedures to 13% in 2008. The utilization of CAS was seen to correlate with publication of randomized trials. Utilization nearly doubled in 2005 after publication of the CAS-favorable SAPPHIRE in 2004, and decreased by 22% after publication of the CEA-favorable EVA-3S and SPACE in 2007. With the publication of Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the authors predict a resultant increase in the rate of CAS for carotid artery disease in the upcoming years.
https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
Carotid artery stenosis
Endarterectomy
Nationwide Inpatient Sample
Stent
10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
Dive into the research topics of 'National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Carotid Arteries Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Carotid Endarterectomy Medicine & Life Sciences 42%
Publications Medicine & Life Sciences 35%
Endarterectomy Medicine & Life Sciences 30%
Angioplasty Medicine & Life Sciences 24%
Carotid Stenosis Medicine & Life Sciences 13%
Inpatients Medicine & Life Sciences 9%
Dumont, T. M., & Rughani, A. I. (2012). National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article. Journal of neurosurgery, 116(6), 1251-1257. https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery : Clinical article. / Dumont, Travis M.; Rughani, Anand I.
In: Journal of neurosurgery, Vol. 116, No. 6, 01.06.2012, p. 1251-1257.
Dumont, TM & Rughani, AI 2012, 'National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article', Journal of neurosurgery, vol. 116, no. 6, pp. 1251-1257. https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
Dumont TM, Rughani AI. National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article. Journal of neurosurgery. 2012 Jun 1;116(6):1251-1257. https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
Dumont, Travis M. ; Rughani, Anand I. / National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery : Clinical article. In: Journal of neurosurgery. 2012 ; Vol. 116, No. 6. pp. 1251-1257.
@article{63d480b47656416a8e99756ef1e6841d,
title = "National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery: Clinical article",
abstract = "Object. Several randomized trials have emerged with conflicting data on the overall safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in comparison with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The authors hypothesize that changes in national trends correspond to publication of randomized trials, including an increase in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CAS (for example, Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study [CAVATAS] and Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy [SAPPHIRE]) and decrease in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CEA (for example, Endarterectomy versus Stenting in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis [EVA3-S] and Stent-Supported Percutaneous Angioplasty of the Carotid Artery versus Endarterectomy). Methods. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was obtained for the years 1998-2008. Individual cases were isolated for principal diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis or occlusion undergoing CEA or CAS. The percentage of CAS for all carotid revascularization procedures was calculated for each year. Perioperative inpatient morbidity, including stroke or death, were calculated and compared. Results. The percentage of patients undergoing CAS increased yearly from the start of the observed period to the end, with the exception of a decrease in 2007. The peak utilization of CAS for carotid artery revascularization procedures was 15% of all cases in 2006. The stroke or death rate was consistent at 5% among all patients undergoing CEA for all years, while the incidence of stroke or death decreased among patients undergoing CAS from 9% in 1998 to 5% in 2008. Conclusions. The practice of CAS in the US is expanding, from less than 3% of all carotid artery revascularization procedures to 13% in 2008. The utilization of CAS was seen to correlate with publication of randomized trials. Utilization nearly doubled in 2005 after publication of the CAS-favorable SAPPHIRE in 2004, and decreased by 22% after publication of the CEA-favorable EVA-3S and SPACE in 2007. With the publication of Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the authors predict a resultant increase in the rate of CAS for carotid artery disease in the upcoming years.",
keywords = "Carotid artery stenosis, Endarterectomy, Nationwide Inpatient Sample, Stent, Vascular disorders",
author = "Dumont, {Travis M.} and Rughani, {Anand I.}",
doi = "10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320",
journal = "Journal of Neurosurgery",
publisher = "American Association of Neurological Surgeons",
T1 - National trends in carotid artery revascularization surgery
T2 - Clinical article
AU - Dumont, Travis M.
AU - Rughani, Anand I.
N2 - Object. Several randomized trials have emerged with conflicting data on the overall safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in comparison with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The authors hypothesize that changes in national trends correspond to publication of randomized trials, including an increase in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CAS (for example, Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study [CAVATAS] and Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy [SAPPHIRE]) and decrease in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CEA (for example, Endarterectomy versus Stenting in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis [EVA3-S] and Stent-Supported Percutaneous Angioplasty of the Carotid Artery versus Endarterectomy). Methods. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was obtained for the years 1998-2008. Individual cases were isolated for principal diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis or occlusion undergoing CEA or CAS. The percentage of CAS for all carotid revascularization procedures was calculated for each year. Perioperative inpatient morbidity, including stroke or death, were calculated and compared. Results. The percentage of patients undergoing CAS increased yearly from the start of the observed period to the end, with the exception of a decrease in 2007. The peak utilization of CAS for carotid artery revascularization procedures was 15% of all cases in 2006. The stroke or death rate was consistent at 5% among all patients undergoing CEA for all years, while the incidence of stroke or death decreased among patients undergoing CAS from 9% in 1998 to 5% in 2008. Conclusions. The practice of CAS in the US is expanding, from less than 3% of all carotid artery revascularization procedures to 13% in 2008. The utilization of CAS was seen to correlate with publication of randomized trials. Utilization nearly doubled in 2005 after publication of the CAS-favorable SAPPHIRE in 2004, and decreased by 22% after publication of the CEA-favorable EVA-3S and SPACE in 2007. With the publication of Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the authors predict a resultant increase in the rate of CAS for carotid artery disease in the upcoming years.
AB - Object. Several randomized trials have emerged with conflicting data on the overall safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in comparison with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The authors hypothesize that changes in national trends correspond to publication of randomized trials, including an increase in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CAS (for example, Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study [CAVATAS] and Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy [SAPPHIRE]) and decrease in utilization of CAS after publication of trials favorable to CEA (for example, Endarterectomy versus Stenting in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis [EVA3-S] and Stent-Supported Percutaneous Angioplasty of the Carotid Artery versus Endarterectomy). Methods. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was obtained for the years 1998-2008. Individual cases were isolated for principal diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis or occlusion undergoing CEA or CAS. The percentage of CAS for all carotid revascularization procedures was calculated for each year. Perioperative inpatient morbidity, including stroke or death, were calculated and compared. Results. The percentage of patients undergoing CAS increased yearly from the start of the observed period to the end, with the exception of a decrease in 2007. The peak utilization of CAS for carotid artery revascularization procedures was 15% of all cases in 2006. The stroke or death rate was consistent at 5% among all patients undergoing CEA for all years, while the incidence of stroke or death decreased among patients undergoing CAS from 9% in 1998 to 5% in 2008. Conclusions. The practice of CAS in the US is expanding, from less than 3% of all carotid artery revascularization procedures to 13% in 2008. The utilization of CAS was seen to correlate with publication of randomized trials. Utilization nearly doubled in 2005 after publication of the CAS-favorable SAPPHIRE in 2004, and decreased by 22% after publication of the CEA-favorable EVA-3S and SPACE in 2007. With the publication of Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the authors predict a resultant increase in the rate of CAS for carotid artery disease in the upcoming years.
KW - Carotid artery stenosis
KW - Endarterectomy
KW - Nationwide Inpatient Sample
KW - Stent
KW - Vascular disorders
U2 - 10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
DO - 10.3171/2012.3.JNS111320
JO - Journal of Neurosurgery
JF - Journal of Neurosurgery


The cheapest time of year to fly to Copenhagen from Brisbane is October. The most expensive is December.
The fastest flight from Brisbane to Copenhagen takes 25h 30m.
There are no direct flights from Brisbane to Copenhagen. Popular non-direct route for this connection is Brisbane - Kastrup Copenhagen.


Jan. 13, 2019 11:28 a.m.
After a good year for business, there are a lot of award-worthy companies on the Island.
The Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards announced this past week 85 finalists across 17 categories. Winners will be revealed at a gala event Jan. 24 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo.
"2018 was another good year for business on Vancouver Island. Each year, the quality and quantity of companies that take part in these awards is outstanding" noted Mark MacDonald of Business Examiner, coordinator of the Grant Thornton LLP Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, in a press release.
Campbell River – Beach Fire Brewing, VI Creature Teachers, Grey River Netting Inc., Island Fever Travel and Cruise, and Waypoint Insurance.
Cobble Hill – Merridale Cider and Distillery.
Coombs – Coombs Junction Furniture.
Comox Valley – Grannies on the Go, J. Zsiros Contracting, Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa, Living Room Pharmacy, and the Update Company.
Duncan – Arbutus Farms, Cowichan Auto Repair, Fitstop Gym, Plante Custom Homes ,and Taiji Brand Group.
Langford-West Shore – Fountain Tire Langford, Langford Original, The Lab Yoga and Fitness, Serious Coffee Millstream Village, Tumblebums Play Centre and Top Shop, Clark's Taekwondo, and Dr. Joslin and Dr. Morin Associates.
Nanaimo-Lantzville – Get My Kit, 250 Plumber, Coco Café, Flying Fish, Good Life Juice, Island West Coast Developments, Ivory Design Company, J.E. Anderson, Longwood Brew Pub, Mazzei Electric, Meat Craft Island Butchery, NYLA Fresh Thread, Pheasant Hill Homes, Quarterway Pub, St. Jean's Cannery, Tectonica, Vancouver Island Expedition, VMAC.
Parksville-Nanoose Bay – Sartori Custom Homes, M&N Mattress Shop, McGorman MacLean, and Tigh-Na-Mara Resort.
Port Alberni – Alberni Aquarium and Stewardship Centre, Electron Metalworks, Jim's Clothes Closet, Naesgaard's Farm Market, and Twin City Brewing.
Saanich – Bayshore Home, Focus Hair Design, and McTavish Academy of Art.
Saanichton-Sidney – Peninsula Co-op, Trich Analytics, and All Care Canada.
Sooke – D&H Woodworks, Sooke Brewing Company, Westcom Plumbing and Gas.
Tofino – Crystal Cove Beach Resort, Surf Sister Surf Shop, the Factory Tofino, and Tofino Food Tours.
Victoria – Canadian Tire Hillside, Comfort Keepers, Compass Electric Ltd., Cornerstone Properties, Horizon Contracting, Il Covo Trattoria, Inn at Laurel Point, Juan de Fuca Veterinary Clinic, Linda Mackie Photography, Luv-A-Rug Services Inc., NZ Builders, Oakcrest Park Estates Ltd., Orian Construction, Pizzeria Prima Strada, Reliable Controls Corporation, Russell Books, the Truffles Group, Urban Bee Honey Farm, Urban Smiles Victoria, Vecima Networks, Inc., and Waymark Architecture.
Black Press is a platinum media sponsor of the Business Excellence Awards.
Tickets to the event cost $125 and can be purchased online at www.businessexaminer.ca/events.


The Chinese New Year festival falls at the beginning of February this year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, it is the Year of the Pig, which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal. Families in China typically enjoy a hearty meal together at home to celebrate the new year.
Miami University will celebrate the Year of the Pig with stars and an array of student performers. This event is free and open to the public. It serves as an opportunity to learn about China and Chinese culture.
The Confucius Institute at Miami University (CIMU) and Chinese American Cultural Association, along with the Performing Arts Series, co-sponsor the Chinese New Year Gala.
Let us know you're coming via Facebook!
First-year student, Jingjing Luo, will be taking over the Miami (@MiamiUniveristy) Snapchat and/or Instagram account(s) during this event.


text:
A&E WWE Sweepstakes 2021
Added on Monday, April 19, 2021 in Collectible Sweepstakes, Single Entry Sweepstakes
A&E WWE Sweepstakes 2021 at aetv.com/WWEonAEContest is your chance to win a virtual tour of the WWE warehouse with WWE archivist Ben Brown and a WWE Championship Replica Title Belt.
Eligibility : This A&E Sweepstakes 2021 is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry and are physically located in the United States at the time of entry.
Sweepstakes Period : The WWE Most Wanted Treasures Sweepstakes begins on April 4, 2021 and ends on May 2, 2021.
Enter At : www.aetv.com/WWEonAEContest
Limit : Entrants can submit one (1) Submission during the Contest Period.
Prizes :
Grand Prize: One (1) winner will receive: (i) a virtual tour of the WWE warehouse with WWE archivist Ben Brown, and (ii) a WWE Championship Replica Title Belt (2014). The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is Four Hundred Twenty-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Nine Cents ($429.99).
Secondary Prizes: Four (4) winners will each receive a Triple H "25 Years" Limited Edition Collector's Photo Set (ARV: $99.99).
Tags: A&E Sweepstakes 2021


Putting out a top list of wines is not so much an exercise of commendation as it is a look back at an amazing year of tasting and writing about wine.
Last year I chose to highlight wines that fell into the under $15 niche. A subsequent column focused on the $30 threshold as the next level to make picks for wines of the year. In retrospect that made it very difficult for wines in the consumer sweet spot, the $15-20 set, to make it onto either list. So, $20 is the over/under this time around.
Ontario is well represented here, taking up five of the 20 spots. If prohibitionist Canada, and especially Ontario would FreeMyGrapes and allow us to taste more than just a handful of Canadian wines produced beyond these borders, I have little doubt that other provinces would have made an appearance here, especially British Columbia.
Countries conspicuously missing are Italy, Argentina and the United States, whereas Portugal, South Africa and Chile are represented twice and Greece once. Value is always found in wines that are good and original, unfortunately the parts that are good are not always original.
Putting out a top list of wines is not so much an exercise of commendation as it is a look back at an amazing year of tasting and writing about wine. It's a retrospective view, a compilation to sum up the pulling of words like taffy until they become something altogether more pliable and palatable. Just like the swirled, sniffed and tasted wines they describe. While tasting notes are so often chewed and spit out as amphibological waste, the process of formulating them is base and necessary to the culture. Without them we would all just be drinking.
The wine agents that move thousands of diverse wines through our provinces face Herculean tasks to get their wines to the public. It is through their generosity that I am able to taste so many in a calendar year. I'd like to thank Robin Sirutis and Julie Hauser of the Licensee program along with Kelly Taylor, Jim Sheridan, Douglas Webster and team for allowing me into their LCBO home to sample 1000′s more wines from the bi-weekly and shop on-line VINTAGES releases. Not to be forgotten are the many world-class sommeliers who give so much of their time to offer memorable wine experiences, no matter the effort required. So, thanks to all of you, here is my list of top 20, under $20 wines in random order, tasted and reviewed in 2013.
This entry was posted in 20 Mile Bench, Alsace, Australia, Barossa Valley, Beamsville Bench, Beaujolais, Bourgogne, Canada, Casablanca Valley, Chile, Colchagua Valley, Crémant De Loire, Dao, Douro, Four Mile Creek, France, Greece, Hawkes Bay, Languedoc, LCBO, Loire, Midi, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Naoussa, New Zealand, Niagara, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Portugal, Rosewood Estates, South Africa, Sparkling Wine, Stellenbosch, Vinemount Ridge, VINTAGES, VINTAGES Releases, WineAlign, Wines Tasted and tagged 2027 Cellars, André Blanck, Boutari, Bruce Springsteen, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, canada.com, Chardonnay, Chateau D'Angles, Chenin Blanc, De Westhof, Domaine Manoir Du Carra, Dr. Hermann, FreeMyGrapes, Gamay, Grenache, Imagined Dragon, Jaen, Jean Renoir, Journey's End, Lailey Vineyard, Marc Brédif, Marechal, Mark Knopfler, Merlot, Michael Godel, Mourvedre, Paul Pender, Pearl Jam, Quinta Dos Carvalhais, Red Wine, Riesling, Riesling Spätlese, Robertson, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sonny Rollins, Syrah, Tasting Notes, Te Awa, The Foreign Affair, The Rolling Stones, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tscharke, Via Wines, Vouvray, White Wine, Xinomavro.


With the rise of online writing and image editors, it was just a matter of time until developers started thinking of themselves. PHPanywhere is a new Croatian startup providing a web based IDE (integrated development environment), or in other words – a web based code editor. This way, you can work on your code from anywhere on any computer. With over 3000 active users in a few months and a modest launch, the developers are keen on the web apps' future.
PHPanywhere lets you connect to the FTP server where you're hosting the php files you want to work on. The built-in FTP explorer is a true FTP application, letting you edit and delete files or folders, as well as set permissions. Letting 3rd party applications access your files raises security concernes, but PHPanywhere's Ivan Burazin says they're addressing these issues. Passwords are no longer stored in PHPanywhere by default and the application is going to have a SSL certificate within a month.
When connected, you can edit and browse the files using the built-in editor that includes tabs, syntax highlighting, etc. While the application is made for php developers, it also works well as a basic html editor.
The service is free, supported by ads, with a limit of 1.5 GBs of monthly FTP bandwidth. The future Pro version will offer unlimited FTP traffic, remove the ads and SSl, will set you back $5-10 monthly per user.
PHPanywhere doesn't have any real direct competition, at least not at first glance. While projects such as Coderun also offer development editors, they also host the code you edit. On the other hand, distributed version control systems such as Git and Subversion have been around for a long time, sparking the likes of GitHub for example. SVN support is in PHPanywhere's development plan, although the team couldn't give us an exact release date.
PHPanywhere basically gives another you another option when doing development remotely. While the team has gotten requests to create an install-based version, Burazin says they're sticking with SaaS, at least for the time being. Whether developers adopt PHPanywhere will also depend on the success of version 2.0, which will include themes, code auto competion, etc. If the security concernes are dealt with as promised, and the user base continues to grow, we may yet see the next version shine.


I recently traveled to New York City for a combination of business and fun. It's amazing how certain landmarks can bring back memories from long ago. I walked past the famous Russian Tea Room – not far from another favorite destination, Carnegie Hall. I was instantly transported back to the year 1985.
No, I didn't run into Doc Brown from "Back to the Future," nor did I jump into the DeLorean time machine with Biff clutching a sports almanac. Instead, I recalled a group celebration I attended there after three days of intense marketing research training. Colleagues, great food, vodka, Russian folk dancing, more vodka, camaraderie – and more vodka. Well, you get the picture. While the worst hangover ever still haunts me to this day, it also reminds me how learning and training have changed so much in 30 years.
Back then, training was an expensive, time-consuming endeavor. We traveled to the city, stayed in a hotel, attended three days of instructor-led training in a stuffy hotel conference room, and lugged huge binders of printed materials home. I'll also add that the content was presented on slides and foils on an overhead projector. No digital content – not even PowerPoint.
Although I now attend and work at multiple conferences for SAP to learn from and engage customers and experts, I can't remember the last time I attended an in-person instructor-lead training event. My marketing research training in New York City is increasingly a thing of the past. As a self-professed lifelong learner, I practice what I preach. Most of my learning is done online either through live interactive sessions with an instructor or self-paced, on-demand e-learning.
We have a great system for this at SAP, and we've implemented and used our own learning management system to deliver training to more than 75,000 employees worldwide. SAP Education has evolved our business model and continues to do so. Content is now entirely digital. Talk about a massive change in a relatively short amount of time and a fundamental transformation of an entire industry!
It's obvious that this is a big change – but how big is it? According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the worldwide e-learning market is currently US$26.2 billion. The majority of this spending is devoted to content, followed by infrastructure and services. Content consists nearly two-thirds of the total share and is almost equally split between IT-related spending and non-IT expenditures. While e-learning is growing at a rate of about 6% per year and content at a higher rate closer to 7%, the non-IT part of content is growing nearly twice as fast.
These findings do sound similar to the world of enterprise cloud solutions, where line-of-business growth exceeds that of IT and adoption of cloud technology outpaces on-premise solutions. And for good reason: The future of learning is in the cloud.
To help businesses prepare for this emerging future of learning, I am very pleased to host the first episode of our new SAP Global Service & Support thought-leadership Webcast series: Simplifying the Future of Learning. Join me and SAP Education experts Kerry Brown and Jan Meyer as well as Deloitte Consulting's Jody Payette on Thursday, November 19, at 11:00 a.m. EST as we explore this topic and perspectives from some of today's best subject-matter experts. Click here to register.
As a bonus, I highly recommend checking out the blog authored written by my colleague and good friend Alwin Gruenwald: How Learning Transformation Can Boost your Chances for Success in the Digital Economy.
Having just celebrated "Back to the Future Day" last month, not everything we envisioned in 1985 has come true. I don't go to work in a flying car, and I don't wear self-tying Nikes – at least, not yet. But when it comes to education, training, and e-learning, the future is very much here.
The next time I walk past the Russian Tea Room, I'll be sure to take note of how far we've really come. And who knows? I may finally, after 30 years, have the guts to actually go back inside and have a drink or two again.


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Business News Education & Events
Youth Music calls on government to allow children to study music they actually like
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 23 May 2019
Music charity Youth Music has called on the UK government to instigate an "urgent transformation" to music education in schools "to shake up the way [the subject] is perceived and taught".
The charity, which earlier this year said that music educators needed a much wider definition of music making, has now published a report with Birmingham City University. The university's researchers monitored the progress of Youth Music's Exchanging Notes programme, which saw the organisation invest in ten partnerships between community music organisations and school music departments.
The research found that children's experience of music at school is "often disconnected from their musical lives" outside the lessons. In a large part this is because they are taught in a way that does not connect with the music they're actually interested in. The projects supported as part of the Exchanging Notes programme gave students the autonomy to decide the type of music they would study.
Off the back of this, Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths has now written an open letter to Education Minister Nick Gibb, and also the panel who are putting together a new (optional) model curriculum for teaching music, calling for changes to the current curriculum.
"Through effective partnership working between the schools and charities, young people participated in a music curriculum which reflected their diverse interests and existing lives in music", writes Griffiths. "This contributed to their personal development and emotional well-being as a result of regular music-making. An important factor was that the type of music explored in the curriculum wasn't imposed on them – it was instead decided and delivered with them. We urge you and the panel to take these research findings into consideration as you put together a model music curriculum".
He goes on: "Exchanging Notes tells us that this 'model' has at its core a creative, participatory and social approach to music that gives young people the opportunity to shape their own curriculum – driven by the music they are passionate about. By re-imagining the music curriculum in this way and scaling up the findings of Exchanging Notes across the country, music in schools has the potential to re-engage young people in education across all subjects, develop their confidence, resilience and self-belief, and create a more positive attitude to learning".
Download the full Exchanging Notes report and read Griffiths' open letter here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Youth Music


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2019 Texas Rangers Fan Fest set for Jan. 26 at Globe Life Park
January 24, 2019 Mark Lane Rangers, Sports 0
The 2019 Texas Rangers Fan Fest Presented by Dasani will take place this Saturday, January 26 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Admission to the 2019 Texas Rangers Fan Fest Presented by Dasani is $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for season ticket holders, and $5.00 for children 13 and under. Advance tickets can be purchased at texasrangers.com/fanfest, and tickets can also be purchased at the Globe Life Park First Base Ticket Office beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. The First Base and Home Plate Gates at Globe Life Park will open at 8:30 a.m. for fans to enter Fan Fest. Parking at Globe Life Park is available in Lots J, B, and C and is free for the event.
2019 Fan Fest Presented by Dasani will feature autograph sessions with current and former Texas Rangers players and announcers with individuals signing in the Capital One Club, Batter's Eye Club, Jack Daniel's Club, and Texas Rangers Visiting Clubhouse (service level). The list of participants includes 2017 National Baseball Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez.
A special highlight of this year's Fan Fest will be the opportunity for fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at the construction progress on the new Globe Life Field, scheduled to open in March 2020. A Viewing Area will be set up on what will be the main left field concourse of the new park, providing a great sightline to see the construction progress, especially on the seating bowl and roof areas. The Viewing Area will be accessible from Texas Rangers Plaza adjacent to Texas Live! and will require a Fan Fest ticket for admittance. The Viewing Area will be open from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., the same hours as Fan Fest.
In addition, fans will have the chance to see the model of the new park in the Globe Life Field Sales Center during Fan Fest. The Sales Center will be accessible through the Globe Life Park entrance on the right field concourse throughout the day. The Hilti Observation Deck on the upper right field concourse will also be open, and there will be several Globe Life Field Question and Answer sessions during Fan Fest.
Other highlights of the 2019 Texas Rangers Fan Fest Presented by Dasani:
–Interactive Question & Answer sessions with Rangers executives, players and announcers in the All You Can Eat Porch
–Whiffle ballpark and inflatables on the concourse
–Free tours of the Rangers clubhouse and dugout
–Free play in the Rangers Kids Zone and autographs by Rangers Captain
–Rangers Baseball Foundation Sale
–Food and beverages on sale at The Short Stop Grill, The Chipper, Rebecca Creek Saloon, and other Ballpark concession stands
–Merchandise on sale at the Grand Slam Gift Shop in centerfield and Pro Shop at Home Plate.
— Free access to the batting cages
In addition, 2019 Texas Rangers season ticket and mini-plan packages will be on sale.
For more information, please call 972-RANGERS or visit texasrangers.com/fanfest.
2019 FAN FEST AUTOGRAPH GUIDELINES
(Please note that the guidelines have changed for 2019)
*The first 6,000 fans in attendance are eligible to receive a winning autograph ticket for a specific autograph session.
*All autograph sessions will require a winning autograph ticket, which can be located in the center of the event program.
*Photos and personalized autographs are not permitted.
*Players will sign 225 autographs per session. Players will not sign be on their allotted time.
*The main scoreboard and concourse televisions will post who is signing during each session 1 hour prior to the start of that session.
* Prior to the 2019 Fan Fest, All Autograph Passes were sold online at texasrangers.com and guests who purchased the All Autograph Passes will have the opportunity to skip to the front of each autograph session. A limited number of All Autograph Passes remain for sale.
The schedule of individuals appearing on Saturday is as follows. PLEASE NOTE THE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Any updates to this schedule can be found at texasrangers.com/fanfest.
Rangers Players/Alumni/Announcers Signing Autographs: Steve Buechele, Matt Bush, Willie Calhoun, Zac Curtis, Delino DeShields, Ryan Dorow, Demarcus Evans, Joey Gallo, Nick Gardewine, Rusty Greer, Tom Grieve, Jose Guzman, Ronald Guzman, Toby Harrah, Taylor Hearn, Scott Heineman, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jose Leclerc, Lance Lynn, Chris Martin, Nomar Mazara, Zach McAllister, Mark McLemore, C.J. Nitkowski, Rougned Odor, Darren Oliver, Tyler Phillips, Ivan Rodriguez, Jeff Russell, Connor Sadzeck, Adrian Sampson, Drew Smyly, Jeffrey Springs, Jose Trevino, Patrick Wisdom, Chris Woodward
Individuals Participating in Question and Answer Sessions: Jon Daniels, Joey Gallo/Nomar Mazara, Ivan Rodriguez, Chris Woodward, Rangers TV/Radio Announcers, Story Time with Emily Jones and Eric Nadel, Globe Life Field Updates with Jack Hill and Rob Matwick.
Gallo homers, leaves with injury in Rangers' 6-2 win over KC Gallo, Choo homer as Rangers avoid sweep in San Francisco Gibson throws 4-hitter as Rangers edge Astros 1-0
State Gas Price Average Inches Closer to $2 Per Gallon
Bryant, UAB snap North Texas' 14-game home win streak, 52-49


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Devotion/Teaching
Democrats' Impeachment Army: $110 Million, 1000 Staff, 2000 Volunteers
Posted by Marsha West ∙ August 1, 2018 ∙ In News ∙ Liberalism, Politics, Trump Donald ∙ Bookmark permalink
Photo credit: Mark Dixon
Democrats who are pushing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump will have $110 million to spend on the cause, thanks to the efforts of left-wing billionaire Tom Steyer.
(Joel B. Pollack – Breitbart) Steyer's organizations, NextGen America and Need to Impeach, will also have a combined 1,000 employees and 2,000 staffers as they take the case for impeachment to voters in November, according to Politico. Though House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has discouraged impeachment talk, grass roots Democrats favor the idea.
Tom Steyer plans to spend at least $110 million in 2018, making the billionaire investor the largest single source of campaign cash on the left and placing him on a path to create a parallel party infrastructure with polling, analytics and staffing capabilities that stand to shape and define the issues the party runs on in November.
Steyer is building out an operation that's bigger than anyone's other than the Koch brothers' — and the billionaire and his aides believe the reservoir of nontraditional voters he's already activated could become the overriding factor in House and other races across the country. View article →


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Presently, do not need to actively practice racism to
Presently, the term "racism" appears frequently both in themedia and political, as well as in the everyday discourse. The debates openedby this concept cannot be ignored by the scientific approaches, even more asthe term generated many controversies, and the developed – more or lessscientific – theoretical perspectives were used to support or justify practicalaction and controversial political interventions. Compared with theinvestigation of other ideologies, the approach of racism is more complex,precisely because the terms on which it is based and on which it relies, inparticular those of "race" and "races classification/ hierarchy" are debatableand objectionable. This essay will address the conceptual and theoreticalproblems of Cultural racism, succinctly put, is "negative ethnic stereotypingthat leads to racist effects," 13 such as social exclusion or violence.
Unlike traditional racism, which constructs a 'self' and 'other' group usingbiological features (such as skin colour) as the main signifier of groupdifference, cultural racism constructs groups from perceived ideologicaldifferences such as culture, religion, or 'way of life' in general. The term "racism" is one of the most controversial andambiguous concepts in the social sciences (see Mac Ghaill, 1999; Sow, 2008;Koller, 2009; Fredrickson, 2011). According to Taguiff (2002) and other scholars(see Goldberg 1993: 90 & 98) a generic definition and cause for racism doesnot exist, it is largely determined by historical specificities andsociotemporal specificities. Although an overall consensus gained from several definitionsis that it is a system which forms a hierarchy out of racial groups placingsuperiority of one group over another, the complex power relations are based onthe notion a groups social condition depends on racial characteristics (garner,2011). the complex hierarchical structure of racism permeates social andinstitutional practices and discourses, people do not need to actively practiceracism to be beneficiaries of the system (Shohat & Stam 1995, p.19). The termis often expressed imprecisely, and as a result of being misrepresented it hasbecome almost banal due to its political usage and overloading in mass media (Taguieff,2005c). However the effects of racism are enduring and continue to exist insociety in new forms and discourses The most notable form of racism used in the past used biologicaldifferences as the bases of discrimination, it was supported and perpetuated bystate and law in countries in the past, clear examples being the nationalsocialist government in Germany, racial separation laws in the AmericanSouthern States up to the 1960s, and the regime of apartheid in South Africa.
Althoughthese practices have been abolished that does not mean racism is a phenomenonof the past (Fredrickson, 2011). The practices of discrimination and prejudicein society have taken a different form It is now a matter of attitudes and behavioursof rejection and that does not necessarily rely on biology in order to underpinthe subordination of some people or groups of people. Instead, theethno-cultural origin is absolutized to discriminate, marginalize, segregate,exclude, or exile (Taguieff, 2005: 499). Theseattitudes and behaviours are called cultural racism (Taguieff, 2005).
The accidental. The initial movement for environmental justice occurred
The and racist expression arise …Racisms involve promoting exclusions…"(Goldberg
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Racism in a world that still has hate for
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Home›Travel›Japan for Foreign Tourists
Japan is an interesting travel destination. It is a country composed of different smaller and bigger islands near the eastern borders of Russia and South Korea.
Japan is a very popular tourist destination that often notices record visits. Millions of travelers from different corners of the Earth are always willing to come to the country and explore these magnificent things.
The data are different for every year, however, it is quite clear Japan always attracts serious attention. For example, 4.12 million tourists visited this country , and over 1 million travel visa was issued in 2020. It is quite a big figure, comparing information from other countries. However, the Covid crisis has sharply decreased the number of visitors so the figure was significantly higher in previous years.
In 2019, Japan was visited by almost 32 million travelers from every corner of the Earth. It was probably one of the most visited destinations in the entire world. The country, therefore, held the top position when it comes to popularity, and there are certainly many reasons for such an outcome.
Japan is also a pretty populous country. There are over 120 million citizens. It has, however, quite a small territory, comparing those numbers. That means many people live in large metropolises, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and others.
Attractive Tourist Destinations
These locations are also very popular tourist destinations. You can, therefore, often find many more people within the territory of the city's areas.
Tokyo is, for example, a capital city in Japan. It is the main financial and infrastructure center of the entire country. There are the biggest airports, train stations, and other communication centers that connect the whole territory of Japan. The city is, therefore, the first station of most foreigners. They usually arrive through international airports in the city, and that's the first Japanese destination they visit.
However, Tokyo itself has a lot more to offer when it comes to tourism. Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Sensoji Temple, Meiji Shrine, and Ueno Park are just some of these. The city has approximately 10 million residents. It is also very big territorially so it is quite a serious challenge for foreign visitors. You can hardly explore this city in a day, and it requires much more time if you want to find different interesting details about the place.
Japan has a great tradition, and Tokyo, as the main center, can present it to foreign travelers in the most appropriate manner. That means you can explore a national cuisine and different cultural manifestations while in the city. Today is also well-known for its great nightlife so there are many clubs, pubs, and bars where you can explore this side of Japan.
High Living Standard
The country has a high living standard and developed economy. The salaries also follow such a trend so Japanese can afford good living. There are, therefore, many luxurious and elite places in the city and the entire country. These include great hotels and restaurants. You can definitely expect a VIP service in such locations. Only your budget has to meet the standards of these places, and there is nothing else to worry about.
Despite its importance, Tokyo is just one of the great locations in the country and Japan definitely has a lot more to offer. There are other great and popular cities as well as unique locations spread all over the territory. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are cities many want to see. These were entirely destroyed during World War Two when two atomic bombs hit the areas. It was an unprecedented event in the world's history and something humanity will remember forever. The traces of bombings are still visible in the territory of the cities so the places provide a remarkable travel experience to foreign visitors. They are unique historic localities, and you cannot see anything similar anywhere else in the world.
Natural Beauties
Japan also has a lot to offer when it comes to natural attractions. The tourists should definitely explore that side of the destination. There are places, such as Mount Fuji, Jigokudani Monkey Park, sand dunes in Tottori, Kabira Bay in Okinawa, the bamboo grows in Kyoto as well as many others.
Old Buildings, Monuments, and Localities
Japan is full of historical locations as well. These sometimes date to a distant past. Yasukuni Shrine, Kiyomizudera, and Todaji-ji are some of the locations of that kind. There are, of course, many more of these, and they all provide a remarkable and amazing travel experience. Japan is, therefore, not to miss the tourist experience so you should definitely immerse yourself in such a traveling opportunity as soon as possible.
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Football is one of the most popular sports in America, and the fast-paced action of the NFL is even gaining traction across the pond in England. It's a truly exciting and diverse sport with fans ranging from blue collar workers to secretaries to personal injury attorneys. For parents whose kids want to play football, though, this beloved sport can also seem scary. After all, injuries are commonplace on the football field.
Thankfully, no one has to miss out on the fun of football just because they're worried about injuries. Football players of all ages can protect themselves and their fellow players by following a few simple safety guidelines. Of course, there's no completely foolproof method to prevent injuries. If faulty equipment or a negligent coach have caused an injury, it's a good idea to talk with a personal injury attorney.
Football is a violent sport by nature. Defensive players are trained to pursue offensive players, who are often smaller than the folks tackling them. It's just not a football game without these big collisions, but they're also a major source of injuries. Keeping players at all levels safe means accepting that football is a rough sport and finding good strategies to lessen bruises, broken bones and concussions.
Players should always wear modern helmets that meet current safety standards. Athletes who wear glasses will need to talk with their doctors about shatterproof glass and plastic options.
In addition to wearing the right gear, football players can avoid an unnecessary trip to the ER or personal injury attorney with conditioning and stretching. Football is a physically demanding sport, so it's important to do off-the-field exercises such as running and weight lifting to stay in shape. It's also important to stretch before every practice or game.
During games and practices, football players should make a point of staying hydrated. Keep water or an electrolyte-rich beverage on hand. Of course, one of the best ways to stay safe is to follow the rules of the game. Certain types of hits and blocks are illegal because they can cause serious injuries. Remember that listening to the refs and rules is the best way to enjoy football without calling on the help of personal injury attorneys.


At Artemis Financial Advisors, it's common practice for founder and CEO Leigh Bivings to personally work on client finances. "It's a choice I made born out of a desire to work directly with clients, not just manage a firm of folks who did all the work," Bivings says.
In the late 1990s, Leigh Bivings and her husband found themselves in need of a good financial planner and sound investment advice as they were trying to determine how much they needed to accumulate for retirement and how to invest their savings appropriately. Bivings quickly learned she was not going to get the objective, informed guidance she was seeking from the traditional brokerage model. Several years later, motivated by this experience, Bivings decided to start a wealth-management firm of her own. Now, armed with experience in the field and a doctorate in applied economics, her Boston-based firm Artemis Financial Advisors helps successful professionals ages 45 to 60 plan their retirement and achieve their financial goals.
Artemis has maintained an important founding principle: if a person hires your firm, you will work on their finances yourself. Why do you make it a point to do this?
It's a choice I made born out of a desire to work directly with clients, not just manage a firm of folks who did all the work. This doesn't mean I do all of the work, indeed, I absolutely leverage my employees to work together with me on client finances. I wanted to be the lead adviser on most if not all of the clients of the firm. And this was something that I found missing in the brokerage firms. I recognize that my desire to be the lead client-service person with my clients is a growth-limiting choice, but I'm very comfortable with this choice. I'm not trying to build a billion-dollar shop. I'm really trying to provide top-flight service to a manageable number of families.
It certainly involves some sort of client interaction from answering an e-mail query to having a meeting or preparing for one. I really encourage my clients to reach out to me anytime. I don't charge by the hour. There's no meter running. I want my clients to come to me when they have a financial question. So that's part of my day. It also typically involves studying some aspect of the markets and monitoring clients' investment performance.
How did you grow your company?
Like many firms, it starts with your friends and family: you let everyone know you're in the business. And then I soon reached out to my broader personal and professional networks and started to get referrals. I've been active in marketing. I provide educational content to my network to stay in touch with them. I launched what I call The Artemis Brief series. It is a one-to-three page piece written by me that answers a question that clients typically have. For example, this month I'm writing about what is the value of active management and that's a key question in my field. So people can in the space of 15 minutes get an answer to hopefully a question that is of interest to them. Another key thing is I've been a member of the National Association of Professional Financial Advisors, or NAPFA.
What obstacles did you have to overcome as you were growing your company?
Really the biggest obstacle that I have faced, and I'm not alone in this, is educating potential clients. Many do not know what an independent, fee-only, wealth-management firm is and how and why it differs from the traditional brokerage model. Independent firms, by definition, do not have any financial relationships with any brokerage firms or money managers and so are not obligated to favor, nor compensated to push, any firm's proprietary investment products.
Few brokers are trained to provide comprehensive financial planning support, nor are their firms set up to provide personalized support. It is not uncommon for a single broker at a large institution to manage 100 to 200 accounts. In contrast, we limit our services to a select group of clients in order to provide comprehensive advice in the context of close, long-term relationships.
What advice do you have for others looking to build a successful career in this field?
Finding a mentor is helpful. I didn't go out searching for one, but I ended up with one and then I realized the value of that. I would strongly encourage them to join NAPFA. This organization has been unbelievably helpful to me from business setup, practice-management training, generating leads, to how to write good financial plans.
And then I would counsel them to never forget that the business is about much more than the numbers. It's not just about investment returns. It's really about counseling individuals to make tough decisions about how to achieve their financial goals. It's a real relationship advisory business.