text:
IOT/Telematics
In America, insurtech is big business: KPMG
By Nathan Golia February 15, 2019, 5:12 a.m. EST 1 Min Read
As a segment of the larger fintech revolution, the insurtech phenomenon is truly global. But it's in the U.S. where it really shines, according to KPMG.
The firm's newest "Pulse of Fintech" report, a twice-yearly look at financial services digital transformation, notes that insurtech "matured significantly as a sector" in the second half of 2018. There were 13 deals over $100 million over the course of the year, while insurtechs looked to more platform-based approaches to offer white-label services and plug into various distribution networks and payment systems.
Though insurtech deal volume declined in terms of dollars year over year ($10.3 billion to $5.7 billion), there were still more than 240 insurtech deals over the course of 2018, only about a dozen behind 2017. (From 2016 to 2017, deals jumped from a high of 165 to 258.) That indicates that "interest is persisting, but check sizes have taken a breather" as late-stage investors and companies willing to pay a premium become tapped out, KPMG says, citing Pitchbook data.
In the U.S., however, investment in insurtech grew "substantially" in 2018, the company reports. Health insurtechs Oscar and Devoted Health led the way, but usage-based insurance company Root and home and renters' Hippo both clocked in near $100 million.
Outside the U.S., KPMG highlighted work being done between insurtechs and auto companies in Israel as a trend to watch. And, the Monetary Authority of Singapore is working to help develop blockchain solutions for insurance within that country. In fact, Asia is likely to see big insurtech growth, KPMG predicts, "in part by U.S.- and Europe-based traditional insurers looking to use Asia to test alternative offerings" thanks to its lower regulatory requirements, the company says.
Nathan Golia
Editor-in-Chief, Digital Insurance
AmFam
American Family acquires Bold Penguin
Terms were not disclosed. Employees including Bold Penguin founder Ilya Bodner will remain with the company.
By Nathan Golia
Ex-Ameriprise advisor launches special-needs focused indie practice
Advisors may sometimes overlook clients with special needs, despite the size of the community and available tools like ABLE Accounts.
Lincoln Financial CIO on post-COVID, remote work plans, Agile
The company is accelerating what it's been doing over the past four years to meet rapidly changing customer needs, says Ken Solon
By Matthew Josefowicz
MORE FROM DIGITAL INSURANCE
4 ways COVID has changed insurance for 2021
To help insurers better understand COVID-19's impacts, TransUnion recently conducted a survey of U.S. consumers with active auto, homeowners, renters and/or life insurance policies.
Mark McElroy
EVP and head of insurance business
More blackouts loom with fire threat returning to California
After a respite of several days, dry winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour will sweep through Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
By Mark Chediak and Brian K. Sullivan
Generali banking on value of digitalization amid shakeup
CEO Philippe Donnet is seeking to overhaul the top ranks to accelerate the insurer's digital transformation, integrate management of insurance portfolios and boost the asset management business.
By Tommaso Ebhardt and Sonia Sirletti
5 digital transformation opportunities for insurers to thrive post-COVID
Has insurance's 'noble purpose' ever been more relevant to society than now?
Sophia Yen
Principal, Americas Insurance Strategy and Innovation Leader
Patent study: IBM leads in quantum, Ford in driverless
Artificial intelligence, quantum computers and autonomous vehicles are among the fastest-growing areas of technology, according to a new study of U.S. patents issued over the past five years.
By Susan Decker
GM plans electric vans, fleet management for commercial buyers
A new wholly owned company called BrightDrop plans to sell electric pallet movers this year and an electric cargo van next year.
By David Welch
2019 Women in Insurance Leadership
A group of leaders combining top-shelf innovation, team-building, and forward thinking for the awards' 15th year.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sydney England '22 has been named a Semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. High school juniors across the country entered this year's scholarship competition by taking the PSAT qualifying test last fall. As one of the highest-scoring entrants in Arkansas, Sydney joins the group of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists – representing less than one percent of the Class of 2022 nationwide – that has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million being offered next spring.
Steps in the 2021 Competition
About 15,000 seniors will be announced as Finalists in February. To advance to the finals of the scholarship program, students must show a record of consistently high academic performance and extracurricular involvement throughout high school while also earning SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performances on the qualifying test. They must also write an essay and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
Congratulations to Sydney!
This entry was posted in Accolades, School News on September 15, 2021 by MSM.


Potomac, Maryland is located along the shores of the Potomac River, just outside of Washington, D.C. This is a wonderful location for potential homebuyers that are looking to stay close to Washington, D.C., but want to get away from the trappings of a large city.
Potomac has a population of 44,000 people, who reside in 16,000 houses and apartments. The vast majority of homes, 87%, are owner-occupied. Also, Potomac homes tend to be larger than homes found in other areas, with four or five bedroom homes being very prevalent. These homebuyers have enjoyed some of the highest appreciation rates in all of America. In the last year, appreciation rates exceeded the national average. Over the last ten years, appreciation rates averaged approximately 80%, which is significantly above the national average. These homes were built primarily between the 1970s and 1990s. Homes are primarily located in suburban settings and more densely populated, urbanized locations.
Currently, there are 205 houses for sale in Potomac. The median sales price of 183 recently sold homes is approximately $956,000. This works out to about $347 per square foot. There are also a number of condominiums for sale in Potomac ranging from the mid 150s to the high 400s. Several foreclosures are available for purchase in Potomac, ranging from the mid 400s to the 700s and up. If you're not looking to purchase a house or condo in Potomac right now, there are also a number of affordable rental options available in Potomac. The average gross rent is about $1500; however, rent will vary greatly depending on location.
Forbes Magazine listed Potomac as the 7th most educated small town in America. Therefore, it is no wonder that the caring parents of Potomac have insured an excellent future for their children through some of the best schools in America. The Montgomery County Public School District serves the residents of Potomac. Students are able to attend either Winston Churchill High School or Thomas Wotton High School. Newsweek Magazine selected Wotton as the 17th best high school in America. U.S. News also selected Churchill as one of the top 50 high schools in America and in 2007 the schools received the Maryland Blur Ribbon of Excellence. Parents need not worry about which one of these excellent schools their children attend; overall students of the Montgomery County Public School District outscore their peers throughout Maryland with respect to reading and math proficiency.
Potomac offers its residents hundreds of retailers and restaurants throughout the area. There are several shopping areas: Potomac Village Shopping Center, Cabin John Shopping Center and Mall, and Potomac Place Shopping Center. Potomac Village is the central shopping center, offering a variety of upscale shopping options for patrons. These are just to name a few of the excellent shopping centers in Potomac, and that's not even mentioning the thousands of retailers located just a short distance away in the neighboring towns and cities.
Potomac also offers residents a wide variety of dining options. Of course, Potomac is located just a short distance away from Washington, D.C., so heading downtown for a world-class meal is always an option. But, don't overlook the charm and sophisticated culinary options located just a few minutes away in Potomac. Old Angler's Inn is widely considered to be one of the best restaurants in Potomac and a contender for one of the best restaurants in the Washington, D.C. Metro Region. Open since 1860, this charming inn offers diners a wide variety of first-class fare involving superb selections from the sea and land. This is not one to be missed. Other favorites include Normandie Farm Restaurant, Bezu, and Amici Miei Ristorante. If you do happen to stop at Normandie Farm Restaurant be sure to try a "popover". Exquisite in its simplicity these muffin-like concoctions, originally from England, are sure to keep you coming back for more.
Located just a few minutes away from Potomac are a variety of museums, free concerts, and festivals. Perhaps the one event that is most uniquely associated with the area is Potomac Day. For over 30 years, Potomac Day has celebrated all the great things about Potomac through parades, business fairs, and a variety of rides and games. The event also fosters a sense of community through the selection of "business of the year" and "youth citizen of the year", which typically recognizes an outstanding community volunteer.
Potomac is located just minutes away from dozens of walking, hiking, and biking trails, along with numerous recreation centers. A local favorite for decades has been Great Falls National Park. Located where the Potomac River begins to narrow, Great Falls offers spectacular views of rushing rapids. Two popular trails offer unparalleled views of the Potomac River. Great Falls also offers numerous other activities including rock climbing, hiking, white-water rafting, and kayaking. Great Falls is also part of the C & O Canal National Historic Park. The C & O is a nationally recognized park located throughout Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, that offers excellent views of the Potomac, while allowing hikers, bikers, and walkers views to the former C & O Canal. Potomac is also home to the Blockhouse Point Conservation Park. Sitting along the Potomac River, Blockhouse offers over 600 acres of parkland along with a unique opportunity to view ruins left from the Civil War Era. Another local favorite is the Pennyfield Lock. As part of the C & O Canal Park, Pennyfield is a favorite spot for launching small boats into the Potomac and for fishing.
Potomac is located close to Interstate 495, allowing for a quick commute to Washington, D.C. and neighboring communities. In fact, a large majority of Potomac residents work in Washington, D.C. Residents are also just a short distance from the Rockville Metro Station and the Bethesda Metro Station. The Rockville location allows residents to park and hop onto the red line. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation also runs two bus routes though Potomac, which both connect with the Bethesda Station.


text:
package org.kairus.kairusTeam;

import org.jbox2d.common.Vec2;
import org.kairus.api.Robot;
import org.kairus.api.Team;
import org.newdawn.slick.Color;
import org.newdawn.slick.Graphics;

public class BeserkerModule extends RobotModule {

	BeserkerModule(int robotNumber, Team team) {
		super(robotNumber, team);
	}

	@Override
	int assessUtility(Team team) {
		//go into defense if they are closer to the ball than us
		double lowestDistance = 99999;
		double lowestEnemyDistance = 99999;
		Robot[] myRobots = team.getRobots();
		Robot[] enemyRobots = team.getEnemyRobots();
		for (int i = 0;i<3;i++){
			double distance = MathFunctions.distance(myRobots[i].getPosition(), team.getBallPosition());
			if (distance<lowestDistance)lowestDistance=distance;
			distance = MathFunctions.distance(enemyRobots[i].getPosition(), team.getBallPosition());
			if (distance<lowestEnemyDistance)lowestEnemyDistance=distance;
		}
		//System.out.println(lowestDistance-lowestEnemyDistance+0.1);
		int toReturn =(int) -((lowestDistance-lowestEnemyDistance)/5);
		//if (toReturn < 20) toReturn = 20;

		float ballx = team.getBallPosition().x;
		if (team.getTeamNumber() == 0 && ballx<SCREEN_WIDTH/3 || team.getTeamNumber() == 1 && ballx>SCREEN_WIDTH*2/3)
			return 0;

		return toReturn;
	}

	double tolerance = 0;

	double idealX;
	double idealY;
	@Override
	boolean execute(Team team) {
		Robot me = team.getRobots()[robotNumber];
		Vec2 pos = me.getPosition();

		Vec2 goalpos = new Vec2(team.getTeamNumber()==0?SCREEN_WIDTH:0,SCREEN_HEIGHT/2);

		Robot[] others = team.getEnemyRobots();
		Robot closest = null;
		double closestDist = 99999;
		for (Robot r:others){
			if (MathFunctions.distance(goalpos, r.getPosition()) < closestDist){
				closestDist = MathFunctions.distance(goalpos, r.getPosition());
				closest = r;
			}
		}
		idealX = closest.getPosition().x;//ballPos.x;
		idealY = closest.getPosition().y;//ballPos.y;

		// To get the optimum vector to stop, we neutralize our velocity, then point to the position. ie VecPosition-vecVelocity
		double vecX = (idealX-pos.x);
		double vecY = (idealY-pos.y);

		float angleOffset = (float) MathFunctions.headingDifference(me, pos.x+vecX, pos.y+vecY);

		team.SetSpinInput(robotNumber, (float) (angleOffset>0?1:-1)/100);
		float speed = (float) (1-Math.abs(angleOffset))+0.25f;
		team.SetSpeedInput(robotNumber, speed/5);
		idealPosition = new Vec2((float)idealX, (float) idealY);
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	void render(Graphics g) {
		Robot me = team.getRobots()[robotNumber];
		Vec2 pos = me.getPosition();
		Vec2 goalpos = new Vec2(team.getTeamNumber()==0?SCREEN_WIDTH:0,SCREEN_HEIGHT/2);
		g.setColor(Color.white);
		g.drawLine((float)pos.x, (float)pos.y, (float)idealX, (float)idealY);
		g.setColor(Color.blue);
		g.drawLine((float)pos.x, (float)pos.y, (float)goalpos.x, (float)goalpos.y);

	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides US persons certain beneficial estate planning opportunities. Below are a few highlights of the Act that impact estate planning.
For any US individual dying after December 31, 2017, the Act increases the federal estate tax exemption amount to $11.18 million (from $5.49 million in 2017). The exemption amount is expected to be adjusted annually due to inflation from 2019 onwards.
The Act provides that the higher exemption levels are effective through 2025, and will revert to prior law (with the exception of retaining the formula for computing the inflation adjustment) on January 1, 2026.
Unless the tax law changes between now and then, the exemption amount per US individual will revert back to $5 million plus the inflation adjustment, on January 1, 2026.
This is retained under the tax reform. This means that upon a married US individual's death, any unused Estate Tax exemption can be passed to his or her surviving US spouse.
In 2018, a US individual can gift up to $15,000 per individual ($30,000 per individual for married couples). Any gift made over these limits will count against the $11.18 million lifetime gift tax exemption amount which is the same as the Estate Tax exemption.
There is a "generation-skipping transfer tax" applied on wealth transfers that skip a generation and exceed an individual's "GST tax exemption" (under the tax reform – $11.18 million). An asset transfer from a grandparent to a grandchild, for instance, would be subject to a 40% tax on transfers over the exemption amount. The Act increases the exemption for transfers made after December 31, 2017 to $11.18 million which will be adjusted for inflation from 2018 to 2025.
For 2019, the $11.18 exemption amount for Estate/Gift/GST will increase to $11.4 million.
Now may be an ideal time to establish a Dynasty Trust, given the higher gift and GST exemptions. A Dynasty Trust is an irremovable trust that allows wealth to grow and compound free of federal gift, estate and GST taxes for multiple generations. The longevity of a Dynasty Trust varies from state to state.
Please contact a member of our team for help with estate planning.


Grind herbs and spices to maximize their flavor with this durable mortar and pestle set.
Grind herbs and spices to maximize their flavor with this durable mortar and pestle set. Made of double-walled, brushed stainless steel. It won't retain old odors or colors from earlier usage. Mortar has non-skid base for ease of use and pestle has rounded end for comfortable grip.
very nice, easy to use.


"Hair in the Air–Previously featured in an exclusive, models Reinaldo Berthoti and Lucas Kittel reunite for Drew Editorial. This time around joined by Bruce Machado, the models are photographed by Daniel Rodrigues. Wearing the bright colorful printed fashions of Icarius, the long haired trio are a vision as styled by Cesar Valdivieso. / Makeup by Silvia Ileana Stella. Hair by Hannette Woods. Photo assistance by Alessio Zini. Makeup assistance by Andrea Ballone. Special thanks Studio C16."
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 11:02 PM 0 What Do You Think?
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 11:01 PM 0 What Do You Think?
"Robbie's Moment–After appearing in numerous magazines such as Man About Town, Fusion model Robbie McKinnon stars in a new story for British magazine Grit. Shot by photographer Winter Vandenbrink, Robbie poses for new images with a streetwear influence. Highlighting his youth and unique features, Vandenbrink captures Robbie in sporty fashions from the likes of Adidas as styled by Isabella Kavanagh. Makeup by Maria Papadopulou. Hair by Yuko."
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 10:58 PM 0 What Do You Think?
Its a treasure of modeling porportions as photographer Nick Knight has released some vintage footage of Kate Moss from one of their first shoot way back in 1995.
Coinciding with our Kate Moss month on Tumblr, Nick Knight releases a fashion film that explores and unpicks society's obsession with images of celebrities and our voyeuristic tendencies when it comes to icons.
The film was shot in 1995 during Knight's first ever session working with Moss, who was twenty years old at the time and fast becoming a worldwide star. It features footage from security cameras - a nod to the debate and controversy that surrounded surveillance culture at the time of filming - and presents Moss going about a normal day, from waking up to visiting a Madison Avenue studio to returning home. It is only as the film progresses that the viewer realises he is watching Moss from a stalker's perspective in a sinister play on anonymity, fame and privacy. The work was edited at the time by friend and collaborator Jason Evans.
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 1:43 AM 0 What Do You Think?
The Maya Rudolph Show Is All Show!
Talk about a breath of fresh air! The Maya Rudolph Show premiered this week and boy were we in for a show of comedic porportions. The NBC variety show is a first for the SNL star but she is no stranger to performance such as her memorable Beyonce skits on SNL. Check out the 5 minute opening below with some guest star to ring in the 41 year old comedic actress' premiere.
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 1:35 AM 0 What Do You Think?
Its a pedestrian affair for Kylie Minogue's second single from her album Kiss Me Once, "I Was Gonna Cancel."
The video is directed by Dimitri Basil and choreographed by Rafael Bonachela in Melbourne, Australia and is a and sassy like the pint size singer. Kylie describes thge video as "It's an abstract look at pedestrian life and how we're all just trying to get through and rise above everyday challenges."
Go, go, go, gi-i-irl below!
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 4:50 PM 0 What Do You Think?
Created by ItsNotYouItsMe at 4:43 PM 0 What Do You Think?


text:
This Man's Viral Obituary Might Just Be The Funniest Way...
by Edward Stockwell
25 People Share The Moment They 'Decided' To Be Gay...
Emilie Clarke Reveals That A Piece Of Her Brain 'Actually Died' After Second Aneurysm
by Masha Fante
Last month, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke penned an essay in the New Yorker detailing her experience with several life-threatening brain aneurysms.
The actress revealed that after the first season of Game of Thrones wrapped in 2011, she was rushed into urgent surgery after having been diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage—a stroke that one-third of patients can die from. She was just 24 years old.
"I'd never experienced fear like that — a sense of doom closing in. I could see my life ahead, and it wasn't worth living. I am an actor; I need to remember my lines. Now I couldn't recall my name. In my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug. I asked the medical staff to let me die. My job—my entire dream of what my life would be—centered on language, on communication. Without that, I was lost," wrote Clarke.
"I told my bosses at Thrones about my condition, but I didn't want it to be a subject of public discussion and dissection. The show must go on! Season two would be my worst. I didn't know what Daenerys was doing. If I am truly being honest, every minute of every day I thought I was going to die."
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Clarke spoke more about her near-death experiences and shared never-before-seen photos from her hospitalization.
"I was in the gym, and the most excruciating pain, like an elastic band just went like snap in my head and an enormous amount of pressure suddenly," Clarke said to CBS correspondent Tracy Smith. "And then very, very, very quickly I realized I couldn't stand and I couldn't walk. And in that moment, I knew I was being brain-damaged."
The photos were taken during Clarke's recovery from her first brain aneurysm in 2011.
Clarke returned to work only six weeks after undergoing invasive brain surgery to film Season 2 of Game of Thrones. "It's like, 'Hey, thanks for giving me the job. Super appreciate it. I just had a little thing. It's fine. I'm fine,' and so I was pretty much fine," she joked.
Clarke went on to reveal that she suffered a second aneurysm two years later, and this one almost cost her her life.
"With the second one, there was a bit of my brain that actually died," the actress explained. "If part of your brain doesn't get blood to it for a minute, it will just no longer work. It's like you short circuit. So I had that. There was a deep paranoia. I was like, 'What if something has short-circuited in my brain and I can't act anymore?' I mean, literally it's been my reason for living for a very long time."
The actress added that while the journey to recovery was far from easy and she "definitely went through a period of being down," returning to work and being able to play a badass character ultimately "saved" her from thinking about her own mortality.
(Check her Targaryen phone case!!!)
"You go on the set, and you play a badass character, and you walk through fire and you speak to hundreds of people, and you're being asked to work as hard as you possibly can. And that became the thing that just saved me from considering my own mortality."
Watch the full interview below:
h/t USA Today
Lili Reinhart Trashed The Petition To Remake 'Game Of Thrones' And Now Fans Are Divided
Angry Fans Have Sabotaged 'Game Of Thrones' Writers By Having Their Pics Show Up When You Search 'Bad Writers'
Bran Stark Is The Lord Of Light And Jon Snow Is His 'Fire Wight' According To This Reddit Theory
10 'Game Of Thrones' Characters Who Are Definitely Dying In The Next Episode
Latest 'GoT' Theory Hints That Melisandre Is In Winterfell And We All Missed It
Posted by Masha Fante
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Designed with the Queensland lifestyle in mind, this spacious and well maintained home offers fantastic indoor/outdoor living and takes great advantage of the elevation and stunning district views on offer.
Step through the wide entrance door to discover a generous open plan lounge, dining and kitchen. Crisp contemporary colours and finishes combine with an extensive use of windows to provide for a great sense of space full of natural light - a home that you will just love coming home to.
Ideal for the modern family, upstairs delivers a further separate living area giving everyone plenty of room to spread out and live comfortably. There are four bedrooms, all generously proportioned and with ceiling fans.
Located in thriving Mitchelton just 9kms from the city and moments away from Brookside, trendy Blackwood Street cafes and a selection of school and public transport options - position is perfect.


text:
// Copyright 1998-2015 Epic Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

#include "Core.h"
#include "CoreMisc.h"
#include "ImageCore.h"
#include "ImageWrapper.h"
#include "ModuleInterface.h"
#include "ModuleManager.h"
#include "TargetPlatform.h"
#include "TextureCompressorModule.h"
#include "PixelFormat.h"
#include "GenericPlatformProcess.h"

// increment this if you change anything that will affect compression in this file, including FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE
#define BASE_FORMAT_VERSION 34

#define MAX_QUALITY_BY_SIZE 4
#define MAX_QUALITY_BY_SPEED 3
#define FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE 4

DEFINE_LOG_CATEGORY_STATIC(LogTextureFormatASTC, Log, All);

/**
 * Macro trickery for supported format names.
 */
#define ENUM_SUPPORTED_FORMATS(op) \
	op(ASTC_RGB) \
	op(ASTC_RGBA) \
	op(ASTC_RGBAuto) \
	op(ASTC_NormalAG) \
	op(ASTC_NormalRG)

	#define DECL_FORMAT_NAME(FormatName) static FName GTextureFormatName##FormatName = FName(TEXT(#FormatName));
		ENUM_SUPPORTED_FORMATS(DECL_FORMAT_NAME);
	#undef DECL_FORMAT_NAME

	#define DECL_FORMAT_NAME_ENTRY(FormatName) GTextureFormatName##FormatName ,
		static FName GSupportedTextureFormatNames[] =
		{
			ENUM_SUPPORTED_FORMATS(DECL_FORMAT_NAME_ENTRY)
		};
	#undef DECL_FORMAT_NAME_ENTRY
#undef ENUM_SUPPORTED_FORMATS

// ASTC file header format
#if PLATFORM_SUPPORTS_PRAGMA_PACK
	#pragma pack(push, 4)
#endif

	#define ASTC_MAGIC_CONSTANT 0x5CA1AB13
	struct FASTCHeader
	{
		uint32 Magic;
		uint8  BlockSizeX;
		uint8  BlockSizeY;
		uint8  BlockSizeZ;
		uint8  TexelCountX[3];
		uint8  TexelCountY[3];
		uint8  TexelCountZ[3];
	};

#if PLATFORM_SUPPORTS_PRAGMA_PACK
	#pragma pack(pop)
#endif

IImageWrapperModule& ImageWrapperModule = FModuleManager::LoadModuleChecked<IImageWrapperModule>(FName("ImageWrapper"));

static int32 GetDefaultCompressionBySizeValue()
{
	// start at default quality, then lookup in .ini file
	int32 CompressionModeValue = 0;
	GConfig->GetInt(TEXT("/Script/UnrealEd.CookerSettings"), TEXT("DefaultASTCQualityBySize"), CompressionModeValue, GEngineIni);

	FParse::Value(FCommandLine::Get(), TEXT("-astcqualitybysize="), CompressionModeValue);
	CompressionModeValue = FMath::Min<uint32>(CompressionModeValue, MAX_QUALITY_BY_SIZE);

	return CompressionModeValue;
}

static int32 GetDefaultCompressionBySpeedValue()
{
	// start at default quality, then lookup in .ini file
	int32 CompressionModeValue = 0;
	GConfig->GetInt(TEXT("/Script/UnrealEd.CookerSettings"), TEXT("DefaultASTCQualityBySpeed"), CompressionModeValue, GEngineIni);

	FParse::Value(FCommandLine::Get(), TEXT("-astcqualitybyspeed="), CompressionModeValue);
	CompressionModeValue = FMath::Min<uint32>(CompressionModeValue, MAX_QUALITY_BY_SPEED);

	return CompressionModeValue;
}

static FString GetQualityString(int32 OverrideSizeValue=-1, int32 OverrideSpeedValue=-1)
{
	// convert to a string
	FString CompressionMode;
	switch (OverrideSizeValue >= 0 ? OverrideSizeValue : GetDefaultCompressionBySizeValue())
	{
		case 0:	CompressionMode = TEXT("12x12"); break;
		case 1:	CompressionMode = TEXT("10x10"); break;
		case 2:	CompressionMode = TEXT("8x8"); break;
		case 3:	CompressionMode = TEXT("6x6"); break;
		case 4:	CompressionMode = TEXT("4x4"); break;
		default: UE_LOG(LogTemp, Fatal, TEXT("ASTC size quality higher than expected"));
	}

	switch (OverrideSpeedValue >= 0 ? OverrideSpeedValue : GetDefaultCompressionBySpeedValue())
	{
		case 0:	CompressionMode += TEXT(" -veryfast"); break;
		case 1:	CompressionMode += TEXT(" -fast"); break;
		case 2:	CompressionMode += TEXT(" -medium"); break;
		case 3:	CompressionMode += TEXT(" -thorough"); break;
		default: UE_LOG(LogTemp, Fatal, TEXT("ASTC speed quality higher than expected"));
	}

	return CompressionMode;
}

static EPixelFormat GetQualityFormat(int32 OverrideSizeValue=-1)
{
	// convert to a string
	EPixelFormat Format = PF_Unknown;
	switch (OverrideSizeValue >= 0 ? OverrideSizeValue : GetDefaultCompressionBySizeValue())
	{
		case 0:	Format = PF_ASTC_12x12; break;
		case 1:	Format = PF_ASTC_10x10; break;
		case 2:	Format = PF_ASTC_8x8; break;
		case 3:	Format = PF_ASTC_6x6; break;
		case 4:	Format = PF_ASTC_4x4; break;
		default: UE_LOG(LogTemp, Fatal, TEXT("Max quality higher than expected"));
	}

	return Format;
}

static uint16 GetQualityVersion()
{
	// top 3 bits for size compression value, and next 3 for speed
	return (GetDefaultCompressionBySizeValue() << 13) | (GetDefaultCompressionBySpeedValue() << 10);
}

static bool CompressSliceToASTC(
	const void* SourceData,
	int32 SizeX,
	int32 SizeY,
	FString CompressionParameters,
	TArray<uint8>& OutCompressedData
)
{
	// Always Y-invert the image prior to compression for proper orientation post-compression
	TArray<uint8> LineBuffer;
	LineBuffer.AddUninitialized(16384 * 4);
	uint32 LineSize = SizeX * 4;
	for (int32 LineIndex = 0; LineIndex < (SizeY / 2); LineIndex++)
	{
		uint8* LineData0 = ((uint8*)SourceData) + (LineSize * LineIndex);
		uint8* LineData1 = ((uint8*)SourceData) + (LineSize * (SizeY - LineIndex - 1));
		FMemory::Memcpy(LineBuffer.GetData(), LineData0, LineSize);
		FMemory::Memcpy(LineData0, LineData1, LineSize);
		FMemory::Memcpy(LineData1, LineBuffer.GetData(), LineSize);
	}

	// Compress and retrieve the PNG data to write out to disk
	IImageWrapperPtr ImageWrapper = ImageWrapperModule.CreateImageWrapper(EImageFormat::PNG);
	ImageWrapper->SetRaw(SourceData, SizeX * SizeY * 4, SizeX, SizeY, ERGBFormat::RGBA, 8);
	const TArray<uint8>& FileData = ImageWrapper->GetCompressed();
	int32 FileDataSize = FileData.Num();

	FGuid Guid;
	FPlatformMisc::CreateGuid(Guid);
	FString InputFilePath = FString::Printf(TEXT("Cache/%08x-%08x-%08x-%08x-RGBToASTCIn.png"), Guid.A, Guid.B, Guid.C, Guid.D);
	FString OutputFilePath = FString::Printf(TEXT("Cache/%08x-%08x-%08x-%08x-RGBToASTCOut.astc"), Guid.A, Guid.B, Guid.C, Guid.D);

	InputFilePath  = FPaths::GameIntermediateDir() + InputFilePath;
	OutputFilePath = FPaths::GameIntermediateDir() + OutputFilePath;

	FArchive* PNGFile = NULL;
	while (!PNGFile)
	{
		PNGFile = IFileManager::Get().CreateFileWriter(*InputFilePath);   // Occasionally returns NULL due to error code ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION
		FPlatformProcess::Sleep(0.01f);                             // ... no choice but to wait for the file to become free to access
	}
	PNGFile->Serialize((void*)&FileData[0], FileDataSize);
	delete PNGFile;

	// Compress PNG file to ASTC (using the reference astcenc.exe from ARM)
	FString Params = FString::Printf(TEXT("-c \"%s\" \"%s\" %s"),
		*InputFilePath,
		*OutputFilePath,
		*CompressionParameters
	);

	UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("Compressing to ASTC (%s)..."), *CompressionParameters);

	// Start Compressor
#if PLATFORM_MAC
	FString CompressorPath(FPaths::EngineDir() + TEXT("Binaries/ThirdParty/ARM/Mac/astcenc"));
#elif PLATFORM_LINUX
	FString CompressorPath(FPaths::EngineDir() + TEXT("Binaries/ThirdParty/ARM/Linux32/astcenc"));
#elif PLATFORM_WINDOWS
	FString CompressorPath(FPaths::EngineDir() + TEXT("Binaries/ThirdParty/ARM/Win32/astcenc.exe"));
#else
#error Unsupported platform
#endif
	FProcHandle Proc = FPlatformProcess::CreateProc(*CompressorPath, *Params, true, false, false, NULL, -1, NULL, NULL);

	// Failed to start the compressor process
	if (!Proc.IsValid())
	{
		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Error, TEXT("Failed to start astcenc for compressing images (%s)"), *CompressorPath);
		return false;
	}

	// Wait for the process to complete
	int ReturnCode;
	while (!FPlatformProcess::GetProcReturnCode(Proc, &ReturnCode))
	{
		FPlatformProcess::Sleep(0.01f);
	}

	// Did it work?
	bool bConversionWasSuccessful = (ReturnCode == 0);

	// Open compressed file and put the data in OutCompressedImage
	if (bConversionWasSuccessful)
	{
		// Get raw file data
		TArray<uint8> ASTCData;
		FFileHelper::LoadFileToArray(ASTCData, *OutputFilePath);

		// Process it
		FASTCHeader* Header = (FASTCHeader*)ASTCData.GetData();

		// Fiddle with the texel count data to get the right value
		uint32 TexelCountX =
			(Header->TexelCountX[0] <<  0) +
			(Header->TexelCountX[1] <<  8) +
			(Header->TexelCountX[2] << 16);
		uint32 TexelCountY =
			(Header->TexelCountY[0] <<  0) +
			(Header->TexelCountY[1] <<  8) +
			(Header->TexelCountY[2] << 16);
		uint32 TexelCountZ =
			(Header->TexelCountZ[0] <<  0) +
			(Header->TexelCountZ[1] <<  8) +
			(Header->TexelCountZ[2] << 16);

//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("    Compressed Texture Header:"));
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("             Magic: %x"), Header->Magic);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("        BlockSizeX: %u"), Header->BlockSizeX);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("        BlockSizeY: %u"), Header->BlockSizeY);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("        BlockSizeZ: %u"), Header->BlockSizeZ);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("       TexelCountX: %u"), TexelCountX);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("       TexelCountY: %u"), TexelCountY);
//		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Display, TEXT("       TexelCountZ: %u"), TexelCountZ);

		// Calculate size of this mip in blocks
		uint32 MipSizeX = (TexelCountX + Header->BlockSizeX - 1) / Header->BlockSizeX;
		uint32 MipSizeY = (TexelCountY + Header->BlockSizeY - 1) / Header->BlockSizeY;

		// A block is always 16 bytes
		uint32 MipSize = MipSizeX * MipSizeY * 16;

		// Copy the compressed data
		OutCompressedData.Empty(MipSize);
		OutCompressedData.AddUninitialized(MipSize);
		void* MipData = OutCompressedData.GetData();

		// Calculate the offset to get to the mip data
		check(sizeof(FASTCHeader) == 16);
		check(ASTCData.Num() == (sizeof(FASTCHeader) + MipSize));
		FMemory::Memcpy(MipData, ASTCData.GetData() + sizeof(FASTCHeader), MipSize);
	}
	else
	{
		UE_LOG(LogTextureFormatASTC, Error, TEXT("ASTC encoder failed with return code %d, mip size (%d, %d)"), ReturnCode, SizeX, SizeY);
		IFileManager::Get().Delete(*InputFilePath);
		IFileManager::Get().Delete(*OutputFilePath);
		return false;
	}

	// Delete intermediate files
	IFileManager::Get().Delete(*InputFilePath);
	IFileManager::Get().Delete(*OutputFilePath);
	return true;
}

/**
 * ASTC texture format handler.
 */
class FTextureFormatASTC : public ITextureFormat
{
	virtual bool AllowParallelBuild() const override
	{
		return true;
	}

	virtual uint16 GetVersion(FName Format) const override
	{
		return GetQualityVersion() + BASE_FORMAT_VERSION;
	}

//	// Since we want to have per texture [group] compression settings, we need to have the key based on the texture
//	virtual FString GetDerivedDataKeyString(const class UTexture& Texture) const override
//	{
//		const int32 LODBias = UDeviceProfileManager::Get().GetActiveProfile()->GetTextureLODSettings()->CalculateLODBias(Texture.Source.GetSizeX(), Texture.Source.GetSizeY(), Texture.LODGroup, Texture.LODBias, Texture.NumCinematicMipLevels, Texture.MipGenSettings);
//		check(LODBias >= 0);
//		return FString::Printf(TEXT("%02u%d_"), (uint32)LODBias, CVarVirtualTextureReducedMemoryEnabled->GetValueOnGameThread());
//	}

	virtual FTextureFormatCompressorCaps GetFormatCapabilities() const override
	{
		FTextureFormatCompressorCaps RetCaps;
		// use defaults
		return RetCaps;
	}

	virtual void GetSupportedFormats(TArray<FName>& OutFormats) const override
	{
		for (int32 i = 0; i < ARRAY_COUNT(GSupportedTextureFormatNames); ++i)
		{
			OutFormats.Add(GSupportedTextureFormatNames[i]);
		}
	}

	virtual bool CompressImage(
			const FImage& InImage,
			const struct FTextureBuildSettings& BuildSettings,
			bool bImageHasAlphaChannel,
			FCompressedImage2D& OutCompressedImage
		) const override
	{
		// Get Raw Image Data from passed in FImage
		FImage Image;
		InImage.CopyTo(Image, ERawImageFormat::BGRA8, BuildSettings.GetGammaSpace());

		// Determine the compressed pixel format and compression parameters
		EPixelFormat CompressedPixelFormat = PF_Unknown;
		FString CompressionParameters = TEXT("");

		if (BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_RGB ||
		  ((BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_RGBAuto) && !bImageHasAlphaChannel))
		{
			CompressedPixelFormat = GetQualityFormat();
			CompressionParameters = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s %s -esw bgra -ch 1 1 1 0"), *GetQualityString(), /*BuildSettings.bSRGB ? TEXT("-srgb") :*/ TEXT("") );
		}
		else if (BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_RGBA ||
			   ((BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_RGBAuto) && bImageHasAlphaChannel))
		{
			CompressedPixelFormat = GetQualityFormat();
			CompressionParameters = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s %s -esw bgra -ch 1 1 1 1 -alphablend"), *GetQualityString(), /*BuildSettings.bSRGB ? TEXT("-srgb") :*/ TEXT("") );
		}
		else if (BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_NormalAG)
		{
			CompressedPixelFormat = GetQualityFormat(FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE);
			CompressionParameters = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s -esw 0g0b -ch 0 1 0 1 -oplimit 1000 -mincorrel 0.99 -dblimit 60 -b 2.5 -v 3 1 1 0 50 0 -va 1 1 0 50"), *GetQualityString(FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE, -1));
		}
		else if (BuildSettings.TextureFormatName == GTextureFormatNameASTC_NormalRG)
		{
			CompressedPixelFormat = GetQualityFormat(FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE);
			CompressionParameters = FString::Printf(TEXT("%s -esw bg00 -ch 1 1 0 0 -oplimit 1000 -mincorrel 0.99 -dblimit 60 -b 2.5 -v 3 1 1 0 50 0 -va 1 1 0 50"), *GetQualityString(FORCED_NORMAL_MAP_COMPRESSION_SIZE_VALUE, -1));
		}

		// Compress the image, slice by slice
		bool bCompressionSucceeded = true;
		int32 SliceSizeInTexels = Image.SizeX * Image.SizeY;
		for (int32 SliceIndex = 0; SliceIndex < Image.NumSlices && bCompressionSucceeded; ++SliceIndex)
		{
			TArray<uint8> CompressedSliceData;
			bCompressionSucceeded = CompressSliceToASTC(
				Image.AsBGRA8() + (SliceIndex * SliceSizeInTexels),
				Image.SizeX,
				Image.SizeY,
				CompressionParameters,
				CompressedSliceData
			);
			OutCompressedImage.RawData.Append(CompressedSliceData);
		}

		if (bCompressionSucceeded)
		{
			OutCompressedImage.SizeX = Image.SizeX;
			OutCompressedImage.SizeY = Image.SizeY;
			OutCompressedImage.PixelFormat = CompressedPixelFormat;
		}
		return bCompressionSucceeded;
	}
};

/**
 * Module for ASTC texture compression.
 */
static ITextureFormat* Singleton = NULL;

class FTextureFormatASTCModule : public ITextureFormatModule
{
public:
	virtual ~FTextureFormatASTCModule()
	{
		delete Singleton;
		Singleton = NULL;
	}
	virtual ITextureFormat* GetTextureFormat()
	{
		if (!Singleton)
		{
			Singleton = new FTextureFormatASTC();
		}
		return Singleton;
	}
};

IMPLEMENT_MODULE(FTextureFormatASTCModule, TextureFormatASTC);


text:
Connie Schultz | Every College Student Should Own a Passport
Most of us have favorite movie scenes, for any number of reasons. One of mine is the exchange between a mother and her son in the 1979 movie "Breaking Away," a classic coming-of-age story about four teenage boys in Bloomington, Ind. In this particular scene — played to perfection by Barbara Barrie and Dennis Christopher — Mrs. Stoller is trying to encourage her son, Dave, to imagine a bigger life for himself. So she reveals a secret.
Connie Schultz ,
Most of us have favorite movie scenes, for any number of reasons.
One of mine is the exchange between a mother and her son in the 1979 movie "Breaking Away," a classic coming-of-age story about four teenage boys in Bloomington, Ind.
In this particular scene — played to perfection by Barbara Barrie and Dennis Christopher — Mrs. Stoller is trying to encourage her son, Dave, to imagine a bigger life for himself.
So she reveals a secret.
Their exchange goes roughly like this:
Mrs. Stoller: Did I ever show you this?
David: It's a passport.
Mrs. Stoller: Quite cheap you know. A real bargain. I carry this with me all the time. Someday there'll be a new girl at the A&P, and when I want to cash a check, she'll ask me for my identification, and I'll take out my passport and I'll say, "Here!"
Her son hugs her, newly emboldened to see beyond the boundaries of his small hometown.
I was 20 when I first saw the movie, and the memory of that working-class mother's passport has stayed with me ever since. In 1979, I was a small-town, working-class kid who had traveled only to Canada and three other states. Until that moment, that scene, it never had occurred to me to own a passport. Just because.
Because one day I might want to visit another country.
Because every day I should see myself as someone who could.
As with most life-changing moments, the biggest leap is cerebral.
This summer, one of the largest state universities in the country — Ohio State — is launching a new program to encourage every incoming freshman to get a U.S. passport. The program, "Gateway to the World," is designed to encourage the roughly 6,600 freshmen — 30 percent of whom are first-generation college students — to get used to the idea that their community is a global one.
"A passport is their driver's license for the 21st century," OSU's Dolan Evanovich told me. "We want each of them to consider studying abroad at some point during their time at Ohio State. Right now, about 20 percent of our students do that. We want to double that number with this class."
Evanovich is OSU's vice president for enrollment. He also was the first in his family to go to college, so he understands the reluctance of some working-class parents to embrace globe-trotting lives for their children.
"I'm from the Pittsburgh area," Evanovich said. "It was a big deal for us to drive to Cleveland."
Evanovich made his first trip abroad as a college basketball player. He returned a different man.
"Here I was, this little kid from a steel mill town in Pennsylvania, exposed to different languages and cultures. It changed how I saw myself and my role in the world."
OSU is encouraging, but not requiring, entering students to get the passports. Part of the reason is cost. U.S. passports are not cheap for a lot of families. They cost about $100, which does not include the price of required photos. Evanovich said OSU is exploring ways to help those students in need, with passports and studies abroad.
I hope that OSU figures this out sooner rather than later and that other colleges and universities across the country follow suit in starting their own passport programs.
We already have a good idea of what America will look like in two decades. Diversity is a trend, and it's irreversible. There aren't enough fences in the world to change that.
What I'm trying to imagine is an America where, in that same time, every college graduate owns a passport and the expectations that come with it.
Barriers crumble.
Boundaries evaporate.
That's what happens when we open our minds.
Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and an essayist for Parade magazine.
Copyright 2010 Creators.com
Connie Schultz
Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and an essayist for Parade magazine. She is the author of two books, including '…and His Lovely Wife,' which chronicled the successful race of her husband, Sherrod Brown, for the U.S. Senate.


It seems like 1/2 of forever since I have posted. I had a large overtime project for work, my husband and I each had our turn with the flu/stomach virus, of course there were the holidays, which thankfully included visits from our children, and then my mother-in-law fell and broke her hip. Basically, in the last 6 weeks, life happened. We all have times like these in our lives and it was our turn. It's times like these that this week's focus verse at Word Art Wednesday really come to mean a lot to us. Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the lord which made heaven and earth." When life happens all at once, it can be a bit overwhelming. But I have found, when you call on the Lord and ask Him for His help and strength, He is always there to provide just what you need exactly when you need it. We have seen Him work in our lives and in the lives of our family to accomplish things that only He could have done. He's given us peace, encouragement, wisdom and strength, just when we needed it. Truly, our help comes from the Lord.
As you know, I love fancy-fold cards. Even though I've been out of my craft room for weeks, I have managed to watch a few YouTube videos. When I saw this Double Z Fold Card video by Dawn Griffith of Dawn's Stamping Thoughts, I couldn't wait to give it a try. Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp (SSS). I used my favorite color SSS cardstock, Audrey Blue. When I was trying to come up with a 2nd patterned paper for the design, I didn't have enough of any of the papers that went with this floral. Then I remembered the SSS Gingham Background stamp and used it with their Audrey Blue ink. Problem solved!
My mother-in-law is still in rehab and will be having her 80th birthday this Thursday. Therapy is TOUGH so I thought this verse might be an encouragement to her. I like that this card design will stand up on it's own.
This bird's eye view shows the double-z aspect of the card.
Since we'll be hand-delivering this card, I didn't have to worry about bulk and used some beautiful paper roses and a scattering of bling. If you decide to make this card, and you really should, it's not hard at all, decorate all your panels (except for adding the paper roses) before putting the two panels together. I didn't do that and had trouble with the Happy Birthday sentiment. I think it's still a little crooked. I am now the happy owner of the original sized MISTI. For the first time, I've been able to stamp the gingham background as straight as I wanted it and without all the uneven spots. Being able to re-ink and stamp multiple times was a lifesaver on the background and on the sentiments. I used Spellbinders Petite Oval Small and Petite Scalloped Oval Large dies for the front sentiment panel. Apparently these dies are now discontinued. I'll link similar dies below.
Thank you for visiting with me. Hopefully, I'm back to a normal posting schedule. Please be sure to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see projects from the rest of the Design Team and to pick up your free digi. Don't forget to visit our sponsor, Simon Says Stamp. They are a fantastic one-stop-shop. If you are on Instagram or Facebook, we'd love to have you post your projects so we can see them there. Use the #WAWchallenge on Instagram.
I've linked the products I've used below. Affiliate links are used where possible. Shopping through these links earns me a small commission at no cost to you.


You have just found the easiest way to move data between a USB device and Allen-Bradley PLCs like ControlLogix, CompactLogix, PLC 5s, SLCs and MicroLogix. Effortlessly move data from any USB HID or Printer device like barcode readers, weigh scales, RFID Scanners or printers into your PLCs data table. Sure lots of companies offer gateways for these kinds of devices, but nobody offers one quite like this.
The 435USB is a USB to PLC gateway that, in Direct Tag Mode, writes data from USB devices directly into the data table of your Allen-Bradley PLC. It's simple in function and easy to use by design. If you don't agree this is the easiest and quickest way to move ASCII data into an Allen-Bradley PLC, we will buy the unit back.
Even though Ethernet is the standard, there is still an awful lot of ASCII devices and now those devices don't have a serial port—THEY HAVE A USB PORT. These low cost scales, barcode readers, RFID devices and a multitude of other units generate ASCII data that you need in your process. You know how to set them up, how to make them work and that they're reliable. Plus, you can probably get them at a really good price since they don't have all the fancy features of the Ethernet models. With the 435USB you can effortlessly integrate these devices with your Allen-Bradley PLCs.
What Exactly Makes Our Gateways the Best Around?
There is no message instruction or IO tree to deal with. In Direct Tag Mode you simply define one PLC tag for sending and one for receiving and you're done. It's that simple.


text:
What Is Columnaris in Goldfish?
By Robert Boumis
Columnaris is an infection that hits goldfish, as well as other pet fish. This infection has several very obvious signs and symptoms, which can be used to rapidly distinguish it from other goldfish illnesses. Colunaris infections can quickly kill a goldfish, so treatment must be rapid and address both the infection itself and the conditions that promoted it.
Naming Confusion
Columnaris has a very confusing set of names. It is commonly called "mouth fungus." However, a bacteria, not a fungus, causes this illness. The bacterial colonies look fuzzy, hence the nickname. The bacteria belongs to the species Flavobacterium columnare and was formerly classified as F. columnaris, so columnaris became another of the common names.
Columnaris infection presents in goldfish as a fuzzy, wool-like growth on the goldfish's mouth. The growth is usually off-white or gray, but it can appear brownish. It generally grows in patches. The infection will generally start on the mouth but can spread to the gills and the rest of the face as it progresses. Infected fish may appear lethargic and refuse to eat. Sometimes, the fungus can cause red ulceration on an infected fish's mouth and head.
The bacterium that causes columnaris lives in most aquariums. However, it can cause infections only under certain circumstances. In order to harm a fish, columnaris has to be present in a poorly maintained aquarium. Goldfish are often kept in tanks that are too small for them, leading to poor health. A goldfish needs at least 30 gallons to thrive. Goldfish kept in smaller tanks and bowls tend to foul the water quickly and are more prone to infections like columnaris.
In addition to improving aquarium conditions, quick action is required to save the goldfish. Columnaris bacteria are susceptible to gram-negative antibiotics like kanmycin. In the United States, you can purchase aquarium antibiotics at pet shops, but in the United Kingdom, you may need a vet's prescription to pick up antibiotics for aquarium fish. It's a common belief that the addition of salt can help cure columnaris; unfortunately, the amount of salt required would probably harm a goldfish.
FishChannel.com: Aquarium Fish Fungus
FishChannel.com: Aquarium Fish Mouth Fungus
FishChannel.com: Goldfish, Koi and Stocking Levels
The Impact of Cotton Mouth in Fish
Why Does My Fish Float on Its Back When It is Alive?
How to Treat Ich in Freshwater Fish
Fungus on Betta Gills
Will a Fish's Tail & Fin Regrow?
Plecostomus Diseases
How to Get Rid of Fish Fungus With Sea Salt
Cichlid Eye Disease
White Bumps on Aquarium Fish
What Happens When Your Fish Gets Dropsy?
What Happens When Your Fish Lose Their Tails?
How to Help Betta Fin Regrowth
Can a Gourami's Pelvic Fin Regrow?
My Fish Has Shiny Metallic Spots
Oxytetracycline for Aquarium Fish


Before we get to the revisions, here is an interview with Levitt, Siegel and Poole on the Paulson Plan.
These are grand ideas that cannot be executed. There will be one stumbling block after another. I am very leery of jumping in with emergency measures like this.
I do not think you can precisely value the assets. All of the steps if carried to their extreme could have severe unintended consequences.
Paulson is acting decisively and I think heroically. Is he taking a risk? You bet he is taking a risk.
Short selling is a terribly valuable tool. But right now abuse by hedge funds which are totally unregulated, I think that something has to be done. We have to get to the core of the problem which is what's going on at these hedged funds.
Seigel and Levitt were both arguing strongly for the bailout measures even while presenting strong warnings about unintended consequences.
Poole is the only one of the three that made any reasonable statements.
In less than a day, a stumbling block on the short selling ban is forcing the SEC To Consider Revising Shorting Ban in Options Market.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may revise its ban on short sales to add financial companies and carve out an exemption for brokerages that pair off brokers in the $1.6 trillion U.S. options market.
"If they don't fix it, there just won't be an options market on Monday," Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse LLC, the Chicago-based online brokerage unit of options trading firm PEAK6 Investments LP. "If they have an exemption for market-makers that they're allowed to sell stock short, then they can provide a market in the options."
Options market makers would have been prohibited from making short sales starting next week under the ban adopted today to keep speculators from driving down stock prices. The Options Clearing Corp., which guarantees all trades exchange-listed options, said a ban would have proved "disastrous."
Market-makers, accounting for about 40 percent of trades, are obliged to quote prices at which they'll buy and sell securities so investors are able to complete trades.
"Either you had to change the rules or you had to halt options trading," said Henry Schwartz, president of Trade Alert LLC, a New York-based provider of options market analytics. "This is the better choice. You couldn't have left it as it is because options market makers were refusing to quote without the ability to hedge."
Prices for options today show that market-makers were already seeking to compensate for the added risk by widening the difference between their bids and offers, according to Peter Bottini, an executive vice president of Chicago-based online brokerage OptionsXpress Holdings Inc. The wider spreads make it more costly for investors to buy or sell options.
"For our retail customers, the costs of adjusting their portfolio has gone through the roof, because the bid-ask spreads have gone through the roof," said Bottoni, a former market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
Options trading is one source of shorting (including naked shorting). When someone buys PUT options, the market makers short stock as a hedge. And as noted above, if the market makers cannot short, the options trading market would cease.
So who is doing much of the shorting everyone is harping about? Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS), two of the very firms seeking protection against short selling. Ironically, Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer John Mack says "short sellers are using abusive tactics to attack companies."
Mack needs to look in a mirror to see who is responsible for most of the so-called "abusive" shorting.
Barry Ritholtz at the Big Picture is on NPR discussing the short-selling ban.
Here is a partial transcript.
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are screaming about short selling now. I can tell you from anecdotal stories and actual data that when Bear Stearns was going down, the two biggest shorting houses of the stock were Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.


Americas ports and marine operations manage the largest fleets in the world including inland tank barges and towing vessels. Best Tech creates products that provide fuel economy and improve performance efficiency in your marine fleet. We offer diesel and gas Superfuel additives and Synergyn® Engine Treatment lubricants that save operational dollars and protect and extend the operating life of the equipment you depend on to deliver profits to your corporation.
Synergyn Marine Diesel & Gasoline Superfuel System Additives are advanced, multi-functional formulations that speed up combustion, releasing more of the heat and energy in the fuel at an optimum timing, resulting in significant reduction in fuel consumption and hazardous exhaust emissions. Independent laboratory test have demonstrated impressive fuel economy improvement in diesel engines ranging from 5 - 20%.
The introduction of the Synergyn Super Fuel System reduces diesel fuel consumption in Marine vessels by a measurable amount demonstrated in this test case. Cruising speed fuel consumption dropped from an average of 14.74 gph to 14.03 gph, for a savings of about 5%. At full throttle, consumption dropped from 18.63 to 17.54 gph or 6%. Also, at the full throttle condition, maximum RPM increased from 2240 to 2265 RPM. Since the driven load is a propeller, more horsepower had to have been produced to cause this increase (the propeller law, or RPM vs. power for a propeller, is roughly a cubic function). Therefore, if the fuel consumption is corrected for this increase, the corrected figure is 16.97 gph for a 9% improvement in fuel consumption.
Although fuel consumption was only measured at two specific engine speeds, fuel saving may have varied with load. During the entire day of testing, the engine fueled with the Synergyn Super Fuel burned 41 gallons of fuel whereas the engine without the Synergyn fuel burned 51 gallons. These values were measured at the fuel dock. According to the vessel owner's fuel history report, before fueling the two engines burned roughly equal amounts of fuel. Although this observation is not scientifically based, it represents a savings of fuel throughout the entire operating range of roughly 20%.
The vessel's engines were well-tuned naturally aspirated models so visible exhaust smoke was practically non-existent. An exhaust gas analyzer was not available for the test, but there was a detectable difference in exhaust smell between the engine which had the Synergyn Super Fuel and the one which did not. The exhaust from the engine with the Synergyn fuel smelled cleaner and didn't have the wet oily aroma of the other exhaust. This leads one to conclude that black smoke, a sign of incomplete combustion, could be reduced or virtually eliminated from engines using Synergyn Marine Super Fuels.
The engine fuel filters were also examined. Visually contaminants were not detectable, as expected if the system is separating contaminants from the fuel, in the filter on the engine burning the Synergyn Super Fuel, after approximately twenty hours of run time.
Our test procedures also included examination of U.S. Coast Guard regulations to determine manufacturing and/or material restrictions which may apply to various types of vessels. All Synergyn raw materials and ingredients met or exceeded the Coast Guard fuel requirements.
Using Synergyn® Marine Diesel SuperFuel and Oil Additives, the Executive Director of Maintenance of Frasal Marine fishing fleet in Santiago Chile recorded tests in fuel economy results in a range of 10.2% - 12.3% . The vessels tested, are powered with Cummings diesel motors ranging between 380-600 HP engines.


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Electrical and Rail Engineering Pioneer, Toni Hankins, Becomes Executive Chairman
Friday 19 June 2009 PDF Print
Toni Hankins, the joint founder of Rowe Hankins stepped back from the business on June 7 to become executive chairman. In a busy career, Toni has taken his company from a back bedroom to a £5 million turnover, 60 employee business, with world wide connections.
After studying for his BSc in Electrical Engineering at Salford University, his career began in quartz crystal oscillator and filter development for Salford Electrical Instruments (SEI). Moving on to technical sales in 1984 he set up the precursor to Rowe Hankins to distribute the Heinemann range of Swiss circuit breakers. To exploit this opportunity he formed Rowe Hankins Components in 1986 in partnership with fellow sales engineer Roger Rowe.
Rowe Hankins also holds the UK distribution franchises for various other safety related rail products. These include on-train monitoring and recording systems – black boxes – from HaslerRail; power transformers, contact breakers and high speed DC circuit breakers from Sécheron and point's sensors from LEM. All three companies are Swiss.
In addition to distributing systems for the rail industry, Rowe Hankins has developed in-house design, development and manufacturing capabilities. The most significant part of this is the production of devices that are used for precise monitoring of speed and distance. These are in use in rail propulsion systems throughout the world including Washington, Moscow, Hong Kong and most recently Shanghai, as well as London Underground and the UK rail network.
Toni has been a passionate advocate for the use of wheel flange lubrication in the UK rail industry. This technology saves energy, reduces wheel and rail wear, improves availability and avoids the squeal that arises with dry flanges. Substantial research and investment has been made in developing a system specific to UK needs. This has been rewarded with pioneering trials in Merseyside and Manchester. "The main legacy I want to see to my rail engineering career is Rowe Hankins Intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication in use on every train in the UK," Toni commented.
Five years ago, the company launched their Cudis Division to market domestic consumer units, circuit and sockets under their own brand – CPN. These products are designed and tested by Rowe Hankins in the UK, but are manufactured under contract in China by various partners selected and qualified by Rowe Hankins. Terry Walker the sales manager for Cudis, who has made a major contribution to this growth, also retired earlier in the year.
Toni's son Michael continues the family tradition. As assistant managing director and company secretary, working alongside managing director Amanda Jones he also has special responsibility for the development of the Cudis business. "I am happy that I have built a strong team and am stepping away from a sound and successful business that will continue to grow and prosper," commented Toni.
Toni and his wife, Linda, plan to travel and devote more time to their garden. Tony will continue to have an involvement in business, however, as chairman of Bury Enterprise and Loan Company, a local business support company, and with several non-executive directorships.
A joint celebration for Toni and the recently retired sales manager for Europe, Peter Michalke, was held by the company on June 7 at Ramsbottom cricket Club.
Mike Hankins, Tel. +44 (0)161 765 3000 Fax. +44 (0)161 763 1421
E-mail: sales@rowehankins.com Web: www.rowehankins.com
Rowe Hankins Ltd, Power House, Parker Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0RJ, UK
High/low resolution images are on the web at www.ainsmag.co.uk/rh109/4697rh1a_toni_hankins.htm
This press release was distributed by ResponseSource Press Release Wire on behalf of Ainsworth Maguire in the following categories: Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy, Transport & Logistics, for more information visit https://pressreleasewire.responsesource.com/about.
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adrianm@ainsmag.co.uk
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Growing up, I never enjoyed or liked the dentist. Experience was quite painful most of the time. Signature Smiles and Dr. Charland have been extraordinary. No painful fillings or crowns. Am always met with smiles from all the staff and made to feel that I am important to them. If you lived anywhere near the area and don't go to them, you are missing out!
I've been going to Dr. Charland and her staff for about 10 years and I LOVE them! Not only do they do a superb job at cleanings, well check ups, fillings, etc, but they have become like friends. I don't dread the visit to a dentist anymore, I actually look forward to them! Highly recommend!
Dr. Charland has a great personality and her office is beautiful with a caring and fun staff. I have been very impressed with this office. Highly recommended!
Professional & personable, educational without any guilt, and a relaxed, calm & happy atmosphere--so grateful we have such an awesome dentistry team right here in Rindge!
Dr Charland is truly amazing! I've had dental trauma from a couple dentists in my past, and was always terrified of even having my teeth cleaned. Over the course of several years of seeing Dr Charland and her staff, I've become much more relaxed. This is a practice that is as pain-free as dentistry can be, I think. I'm so grateful I found them, even if I have to drive nearly an hour to get there. Worth it!
After I got out of the Marine Corps I had not been to the dentist for a couple of years. (I know that was bad) One day I had some pain in my mouth. I called the dentist were my wife is going in Jaffrey and they said they could take me in 3 days. I again said I have pain yet the earliest they could squeeze me in was 3 days. That was when I called Signature Smiles and they took me right away. I have been happily going there ever since. I hate going to the dentist and I am a big baby and I know it. I have the worlds worst gag reflex also. My dental hygienist at Signature Smiles is THE BEST. I know I am not a good patient but she treats me like I am.
As a mom of 2 boys, 2 &5, I thoughtfully made their appointments the same day. I also dreaded them.
The boys were happy campers at the end, and even got to pick from the oh so famous Treasure box for a surprise. Thank you!
Signature smiles has given me my smile back. The whole team are compassionate and caring people who listen to their patients and supply all options. I have had quite a bit of work done and I can tell you that every one whom I have seen is gentle and genuinely concerned about patient comfort. They have taken the fear of going to the dentist away for me. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of a dentist. I won't go anywhere else ever again. Thanks to everyone at signature smiles. You have allowed me to smile again.
I have been a patient of Dr. Charland's for the last five years and I would highly recommend her and her staff. When I first went to the practice I had had a problem with a local dentist and she not only solved my immediate problem, but put together a comprehensive treatment plan that has spanned 4 years. I had put off doing the work that I knew was needed, but the cost was spread out over the 4 years and now I have a beautiful smile again. My old fillings full of mercury, which where over 30 years old, have been replaced and I am delighted to have a healthy mouth once again.
I have been a patient of Dr. Charland for just about 6 yrs. I had many dental problems and was so relieved for all her professional work and advice on my procedures. She is caring and so easy to talk with. Her staff reflects the same values.
Thanks to her I'm smiling in N.H.!
Great Facility, EXCELLENT staff! Thorough and compassionate.
I have gone to this dental office for a few years now. For the first time in my life I am comfortable with having dental work done. Dr Charland and her staff are kind and gentle. I have never felt like anything less than a member of the family. The women that work here are genuinely concerned for my well being and care about ME! I have had to make some difficult choices with regards to my teeth but I have ALWAYS been given choices as to what would be needed. Sometimes I have had to choose a less expensive option because times are tough but Dr Charland and her staff understand this and work out arrangements and offer financing that allows for work to be done.
Jennifer Charland and her staff are First Rate. I was so nervous to have a crown put in. I hadn't needed any dental work since I was a teenager. I was actually crying in the dental chair because I was scared. She reassured me and made me feel at ease. She was 100% correct about the procedure. Yes, there are other things I'd rather do then be drilled in a dental chair but it was so much better than I imagined. And did I mention the girls are so personable? I almost feel like they are my friends. I do not dread (can't say look forward) coming back for the completion of the crown and other dental work that I need. Thanks girls for taking an anxious situation and making it more than bearable.
I am so glad I found Signature Smiles with Dr. Jennifer Charland. I have always dreaded my dental check-ups until now. The whole office puts you at ease the minute you walk in. My dental hygenist couldn't have been nicer or gentler, and she explained everything she was going to do in advance. Dr. Charland went over my x-rays -- pointed out what was good and what was bad. She advised me what should be taken care of sooner rather than later, but there was no hard sell or pressure. I love her chair-side manner -- felt that I was in extremely capable hands. Very pleased with the whole experience!
This was a great dental pracrice. Thorough but also kind and patient. I like having one location that does well with children but also treats aults.
Great people, excellent service and takes any fear of the dentist away. If you haven't been to a dentist in a long time, this practice will understand and work with you to get your teeth healthy once again.
I have had bad experiences with dentists in the past, but my mouth needed tending to. I went to Signature Smiles Dental and was quite pleasantly surprised. The staff was understanding of my dental anxiety and also my health issues. They found a solution that works great for me and I no longer fear going to the dentist. I have had extensive work completed and my mouth is getting back to normal.
I absolutely love the environment and every single person who is part of Signature Smiles. I am normally terrified to go to the Dentist and I have always felt very comfortable and at ease since I started going here a few years ago. They are always very willing of giving amazing advise and unlike others they give truthful and honest advise on what to do and are not just there to make money, They actually care about you as a person and that to me is worth every single penny. Trust me when I say, this is the best Dental office in the area and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it's true, I actually look forward to going to the dentist now. Thank you to Dr. Charland and everyone who works at Signature Smiles Dental, you guys are amazing!


Stronger activity in Mumbai during India Diamond Week, with foreign buyers looking for goods before Nov. 7 Diwali break. Solid US orders for 1 ct., G-J, VS-SI diamonds. Chinese cautious and shifting to SI-I1 clarities. Small stones slow, but VVS stars and melee better. Small-scale manufacturers under pressure from currency depreciation, tighter bank lending and high rough prices. Reserved outlook for Diwali as rupee-based gold prices rise.
-1 point: Very good demand: $300-$650 whites.
-2 point: Fair demand: $250-$400 whites and $150-$200 white Natts.
2-7 point: Fair demand: $250-$400 whites and $150-$200 white Natts.
20 points: Fair demand: +$500 whites.
25 points: Good demand: +$500 whites.
50 points: Good demand: +$1000 whites.
1 carat+: Good demand: +$2000 whites and lower colors.
-6 point: Fair demand: $400-$550 whites.
+7-18 point: Fair demand: $500-$800 whites.
75 point: Good demand: $900-$1300 whites.


The Leche Trust is a registered, grant-making charity (225659) founded and endowed by the late Mr. Angus Acworth CBE.
The Trustees' main grants programme supports projects in two areas: performing arts and conservation. Please read our detailed Funding Guidelines carefully before making an application.
The Leche Trustees offer grants in two areas: performing arts and conservation.
Trustees will consider grants up to £5,000. In 2017 they awarded 83 grants totalling £172,400. The average grant was £2,077.
Applicants must be UK registered charities, public authorities or public institutions. We do not accept applications from Community Interest Companies (CICs) or individuals (except overseas PhD students – see separate guidance).
Organisations that have received a grant will not normally be considered for a further grant until 24 months have elapsed since the date of the meeting at which the previous grant was awarded.
development of young, professional artists aged 18 or over.
projects that have been completed.
The Trustees support projects to conserve historic objects, collections and features of buildings and landscapes which date from the Georgian period or earlier, i.e. pre-1830s.
Projects may include acquisition costs (for objects) and conservation surveys as well as remedial work. Trustees are inclined to give grants to smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where their contribution can make a greater impact.
In the case of churches, Trustees will consider supporting the conservation of such features as monuments, wall paintings, stained glass, and historic furniture and fittings.
bell restoration projects, unless the bells and their fittings are substantially pre-1830s in date and the aim is to conserve these as far as possible, consistent with safe use.
Heritage Lottery funded projects that are subject to a two-round process should normally have secured second round approval before application to the Leche Trust.


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UC Berkeley Announces Add/Drop Deadline Revenue Will Fund Zipline Down Bancroft
By: Tyler Goldstein Posted on September 15, 2020 May 6, 2021
BERKELEY, Calif. — Confirming everybody's long-held assumptions that most extraneous university fees are driven by greed, UC Berkeley announced this morning that the thousands of dollars in revenue generated from dropped classes will fund the construction of a massive zip-line down Bancroft Way, sources who just dropped their DeCal reported.
"When students take a tour of UC Berkeley, they don't even get to see half of its campus because it is so large. This is partially because I instruct all tour guides to spend half of the tour talking about the epicenter of a national protest movement that now is represented by a coffee shop, but I still wish visitors got to see more of campus," explained Director of Undergraduate Admissions Olufemi Ogundele while crudely doodling a "CAL ROPES COURSE" blueprint on the back of a napkin. "The zip-line will allow them to easily experience everything the #1 Public University has to offer without making their legs sore. The pure joy from the zip-line will also make up for the boring tour guides. Most guides have no ability whatsoever to show any enthusiasm about the campus, but those that do will be so ridiculously enthusiastic that parents will assume they are on ecstasy during the tour."
The student body also voiced excitement over the addition of the zip-line.
"Before classes were fully online, it was incredibly annoying walking all the way to the north side of campus for class," said Claire Kim, a junior living in the Warring apartments. "Each morning I would wake up freezing, put on a sweatshirt, and next thing I knew, by the time I got to lecture I was sweaty from the walk. I never took the 51B because even though I've been at Cal for three years, I still haven't ever seen it come to the bus stop on time. That's why I'm so excited to take the zip-line. It'll always be there, it's eco-friendly, and will make going to class each day a literal thrill. I don't know why they didn't think of this sooner."
The Bancroft zip-line is estimated to save 20 broken bones and 500 wrecked shoe treads from scooters and skaters once erected.
Categories: Berkeley Tags: Add/Drop Deadline, Bancroft, Berkeley Fees, Berkeley Transportation, Public Transportation, Tyler Goldstein, UC Berkeley, Zip-line
Campus Cuties! Kiwibot Replaces Adorable Robot Labor With Adorable Child Labor
President Trump Endorses Eighth Grader's COVID-19 Fart Test


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5 Tips to Stand Out When Selling on an Online Marketplace
David Kalt
CEO of Reverb.com and Chicago Music Exchange
The advent of online marketplaces, led by eBay nearly 20 years ago, has become a boon for small businesses. Whether they're brick-and-mortar stores or single entrepreneurs operating from home, sellers around the world have been aided in finding customers as never before. New niche marketplaces, as exemplified by Etsy, are bringing exciting new opportunities for growing businesses.
As the popularity of online marketplaces increase, small business owners and online shop creators may find it harder to stand out in the crowd. Customers are more knowledgeable and higher-quality goods are being sold online.
To overcome these challenges, follow these five best practices to make the business and its products stand out in a competitive environment:
Related: Sotheby's Joins Up With eBay to Bring Rarefied Fine Art to Digital Masses
1. Take great (and unique) photos. High-quality photography is critical. Airbnb, one of the best-known online marketplaces, relies on professional photography.
For product photography, many experts endorse plain white backgrounds with detailed shots of each item. In fact, Amazon recently received a patent on a very particular setup for its take on white-background photography. As ridiculous as that patent may seem, it shows how critical photography has become when listing products online.
While white backgrounds can make a listing look professional, this factor on its own does not amount to a particularly distinctive aesthetic, so a photo with just this characteristic might not stand out against the competition. A more unique photography style -- used consistently for all products -- will make images instantly recognizable. The listings will look more professional and leave a lasting impression on customers.
Use as much "negative space" around each image as possible since this makes it easier for the site to spotlight the content in marketing efforts.
Related: How 3 Companies Use Storytelling as Advertising
2. Tell a story. To build an identifiable brand, company owners need to tell stories, for example, why they started a business, what are the brand's values, what was the owner's inspiration. Most online marketplaces will let companies create homepages to post corporate information, photos and videos. That's where the story should start.
Next, tell a story for each individual listing. Why is a particular product meaningful? What makes it exceptional? How will a customer feel after buying it?
The power of a story is perhaps best demonstrated when people buy vintage items, whether they are fine art, antiques or an iconic guitar, such as the ones sold by my company, Reverb.com. Also relevant: the story of the people who owned or made the object -- something called the provenance. Not every item has a deep history. Indeed some objects are brand-new. But if an item comes with a story, this imparts a greater and deeper value.
3. Throw in a little something extra. Customers love it when a favorite company goes the extra mile to show its appreciation. Companies should always add a little extra flavor, whether a simple thank-you note or a small gift packed into a shipment, to give their customers something unexpected so they want to return again.
For example, I have seen sellers toss in small items -- free guitar picks, branded cables, logo stickers -- and customers eat them up. These extras can make buyers feel special.
Related: How This Startup Is Disrupting Social E-Commerce
4. Know the community and get involved. To increase their popularity and recognizability, companies should tap into the online community surrounding an online marketplace and interact with buyers and other sellers as much as possible. Social media is a natural avenue for this sort of engagement, and some basic ideas include the following:
Tweet a "thank-you" to a customer.
Share the listings from other businesses on Twitter or Pinterest.
Engage with customers who post pictures of your products on Instagram or Pinterest.
Connect with influencers on Twitter by following, retweeting and sending direct messages.
Share buyers' and sellers' blog posts on Twitter and Facebook (but always include their social network handle so they will know).
Offer to write guest posts for community members who have blogs.
5. Clearly state the company's policies. Companies must have clearly defined policies and protocols in place to make their customers confident that their buying experience will be fun and painless.
When companies clearly outline policies for shipping and handling, returns and customer service, customers know that they are dealing with a serious business that is honest, diligent and trustworthy.
Related: 10 Tips to Craft a Sizzling Ecommerce 'About Us' Page
How to Massively Grow Your Amazon Business in 8 Steps
Online Grocery Recommendations Are Lacking. 3 Young Entrepreneurs Have Created an AI-Powered Solution.
Getting Into Subscription Ecommerce? Don't Try to Be Amazon
Build Your Own Online Store With This All-In-One eCommerce Solution
6 Steps to Building a Successful Online Drop Shipping Business


Aban Bana is a trained Waldorf teacher and Eurythmist. She started "Anthroposophical Initiatives in India", along with her sister ad she travels with her to promote Anthroposphy in India and South Asia. She writes articles and gives talks on subjects related to Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education.
She met Anthroposophy almost 40 years ago and has traveled widely to many parts of the world. She worked as a teacher in the Basel Steiner School in Switzerland during the early part of her career and later went on to help in bringing Waldorf Education to India, in the nineties.
Nirmala Diaz (56) was born and brought up in Tamil Nadu she studied in good shepherd convent Chennai and Stella Maris college, Chennai leading to her post graduation in English.
Her professional career in advertising began with a stint as trainee copy writer, went on to work with various national ad agencies in Chennai and Hyderabad as senior writer and Copy Chief. She along with her husband started their own ad agency, Reachout communications, handled several national accounts.
Nirmala along with her husband and another friend are the founder trustees of Sloka- Hyderabad Waldorf school- India's first full fledged Waldorf School which opened in 1997. Nirmala has had links with anthroposophy over the past 30 years. She was initiated into anthroposophy by Angelika Mandaiker in Chennai. She was one of the prime movers of the Rudolf Steiner group, Hyderabad – which was set up in 2004, during Asia Pacific Conference which they hosted.
Dr. Swapna Narendra completed her undergraduate studies in Medicine from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad in 1982. She obtained a Diploma in Homeopathy from the British Inst. of Homeopathy, operating in India. She worked at Saandeepani – a Centre for the care and education of children with spl .needs for 6 years, qualifying as a Curative Educator during this time. She is also a certified Anthroposophic Physician, having undergone the training at the IPMT over several years.
She lives in Hyderabad with her family and practices from her residence.
Jakes Jayakaran is an Indian national based in the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu . He has been the founding and active member since 1985 of an environment protection voluntary group called the Palni Hills Conservation Council based in Kodaikanal / TN . He started an Organic Fruit processing company in 1990 called Kurinji Organic Foods , and is an exporter of organic/ Demeter quality dried fruits and fruit purees . He has been trained in Biodynamics by Mr. Peter Procter , and has been practicing BD farming since 1994 .
He is now the President of the Biodynamic Association of India ( www.biodynamics.in), and does Biodynamic training programs and advisory works in India and China . He has recently founded a Community College with an NGO in Tamil Nadu , offering a 2year Diploma course in Biodynamic Farming , taught in the local language Tamil for school leaving youngsters.
After her three sons had grown up she taught grown-ups and children for 25 years at the Goethe Institute in Chennai. Shortly before she had begun teaching in the institute, she began teaching Nirmala Diaz German. Imagine her surprise when some years later Nirmala came to her and said, "I need a school for my son." Out of this conversation the Sloka Rudolf Steiner School in Hyderabad was born.
Now retired she continues her lifetime habit of reading Rudolf Steiner alone and in group.
Francis Aradhya van Rijckevorsel was born in Holland in 1962.
She studied at Emerson College ,where she completed the Foundation Year and a year of Social Development. During her ten years work in a Camphill community in Holland she completed a four years training in Curative Education. Today she is a qualified Curative Educator and Social therapist.
She and her Indian husband Anantha Aradhya started 'Friends of Camphill India" 14 years ago. Francis is mother of three children.
Francis organizes Foundation courses in Anthroposophical Curative Education and Social Therapy.She is a member of the Anthroposophical Society in Holland and in India. A member of the Christian Community and a member of the Camphill Community.
Seshadri is a Trustee and a Class Teacher at Inodai Waldorf School.
He is married to Padmini Seshadri and lives in Mumbai, India.


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Chatgilialoglu Chryssostomos
e-mail: chrys @isof.cnr.it
Office telephone: +39 051 639 8309
Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu was born in 1952 in Nikea (Greece) where he grew up and went to school until the age of 18. He went to Italy for University studies and received a doctorate degree in chemistry from the University of Bologna in 1976. In 1977, he moved to England for two years postdoctoral appointment at York University (1977-1979, Professor R.O.C. Norman) and in the end of 1979 he moved to Canada for three years as research associate at the National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (1980-1982, Professor K.U. Ingold). In 1983, he joined the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Bologna (Italy) where he has been Research Director since 1991. In March 2014 he was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the NCSR "Demokritos" in Athens (Greece) and from May 2015 he served as the vice-President of the NCSR "Demokritos". In June 2016 he moved back to Bologna, to his Research Director position at ISOF-CNR. In the end of 2019, he retired from CNR at the age of 67 years old and from February 2020 he is Research Associate at ISOF-CNR. He is Co-Founder and President of the spin-off company Lipinutragen. From February 2019, he is also Visiting Professor at the Center for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan (Poland).
He is the author or co-author of more than 310 publications in peer-reviewed journals (From Web of Science: over 11,800 citations, h-index 54), 34 book chapters, 6 patents, and 10 books (3 as author and 7 edited); Author of the monograph Organosilanes in Radical Chemistry, Wiley 2004; Co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Radicals in Chemistry, Biology and Materials (4 volumes), Wiley 2012; Co-author of the Membrane Lipidomics for Personalized Health, Wiley 2015.
For the list of publications in peer-reviewed journals, view ORCID
For the list of all publications, view ResearcherID
Research Activities:
The Chatgilialoglu's research group is active in the field of free radical chemistry addressed to applications in life sciences. In the recent years, he developed biomimetic chemistry of radical stress and related biomarkers. The discovery of endogenous formation of trans-lipids, research on cyclopurine DNA lesions and fatty acid-based lipidomics attracted worldwide attention. He is responsible for introducing tris(trimethylsilyl)silane (TTMSS) as radical-based reducing agent and for this he was the winner of the Fluka Prize "Reagent of the Year 1990".
For more information about the research activities, view chatgilialoglu-group Other info:
He had responsible functions within international projects, including Director of two NATO Advanced Study Institute on Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology (June 1989) and on Chemical Synthesis: Gnosis to Prognosis (May 1994); Chairman of the COST Action CM0603 on Free Radicals in Chemical Biology (2007–2011) and of the COST Action CM1201 on Biomimetic Radical Chemistry (2013–2016); Principal Investigator in various Framework Programs of the European Commission, comprising Horizon 2020 projects: ClickGene (2015–2018); Supervisor of more than 15 PhD students and more than 30 Postdoctoral fellows, including three Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships and three Marie Curie Research Training Networks.
He was invited as Guest-Editor for Special Issues in several scientific journals and invited speaker over 260 times at congresses and institutions.
Pingback: Eight ISOF researchers among the top 2% in the world – Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity


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Ната́ша Кац () — американский художник по свету в сфере театра. Многократный лауреат престижных театральных премий.

Биография
Наташа Кац родилась в Нью-Йорке. Образование получила в Оберлине, окончив Оберлинский колледж. Проходила стажировку у дизайнера Роджера Моргана. Первой самостоятельной работой на Бродвее стала пьеса «Сплошная ложь».

Избранные работы
Наташа Кац в качестве художника по свету принимала участие в создании следующих постановок (список неполный):

Бродвейские пьесы и мюзиклы
 1982: «Девять» (в качестве ассистента)
 1985: «Сплошная ложь»; «Разве мы не всё?»
 1986: «Ночи Хонки Тонк»
 1987: «Нарушение кодекса»; «С днём рождения, мистер Эббот»
 1989: «Цыганка»
 1990: «Кладбищенский клуб»; «Сёгун»; «Питер Пэн»
 1992: «Гамлет»
 1992: «Тот, кто будет на меня смотреть»
 1993: «Компания»; «Грандиозная ночь для пения»; «Моя прекрасная леди»
 1994: «Красавица и чудовище» (в том числе гастрольная версия)
 1996: «Ярмарка»
 1997: «Берримор»; «Алый Первоцвет»
 1997: «Кейпмэн»
 1998: «Двенадцатая ночь»
 1992: «Кольцо вокруг Луны»
 2000: «Аида»; «Сьюзикл»
 2001: «Пляска смерти»
 2002: «Сладкий запах успеха»; «Цветочная песня»
 2003: «Городской ковбой»; «Табу»
 2005: «Стеклянный зверинец»; «Леннон»
 2006: «Тарзан»; «Кордебалет» (в том числе гастрольная версия)
 2007: «Берег Утопии»
 2008: «Русалочка»; «Деревенская девушка»
 2009: «Гедда Габлер»; «Импрессионизм»
 2010: «Семейка Аддамс» (в том числе гастрольная версия); «Сборник рассказов»; «Эльф»
 2011: «Действуй, сестра!» (в том числе гастрольная версия); «Безумие»
 2012: «Однажды» (в том числе гастрольная версия); «Скандалы»
 2013: «Мотаун»; «Стеклянный зверинец»
 2014: «Аладдин» (в том числе гастрольная версия)
 2015: «Небесный свет»; «Жижи»; «Американец в Париже» (в том числе гастрольная версия); «Школа рока»
 2016: «Долгий день уходит в ночь»; «Мотаун» (в том числе гастрольная версия); «Кошки»

Гастрольные версии бродвейских пьес и мюзиклов
 2009: «Мэри Поппинс»
 2015: «Звуки музыки»

Другие работы
 1978: балет «Дон Кихот» (Вашингтон)
 1986: «Вдова Клэр» (Нью-Йорк)
 1991: «Нищие в доме изобилия» (Нью-Йорк)
 1992: балет «Петя и волк» (Сан-Франциско)
 1999: «Терраса»

Награды и номинации

Примечания

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт Наташи Кац
 Страница Наташи Кац на сайте Internet Broadway Database
 Страница Наташи Кац на сайте Playbill

Лауреаты премии «Тони»
Лауреаты премии «Драма Деск»
Выпускники Оберлинского колледжа

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Featured, Print Media, Science Communication
SARETI: South African Research Ethics Training Initiative
Research is an essential tool to secure health and wellbeing for the people of Africa and the world. Without deeply understanding the complexities of health issues, we are unlikely to develop the necessary innovations to address them. However,…
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Children, Health Sciences, Human Sciences, Media & Film, Print Media
Mapping the Gaps - Early Childhood Development
How do we go about changing the way South Africa understands and invests in Early Childhood Development? Jive Media Africa has been part of a research-process led by the FrameWorks Institute in Washington to better understand how experts,…
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Astronomy, Communications Strategies, Featured, Media & Film, Print Media, Science Communication
Jive Media Africa is excited to be working with SANSA (The South African National Space Agency) to grow Space Science and Engineering in South Africa. Did you know that we, South Africa, take over communications with NASA's rockets soon after…
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Communications Strategies, Featured, Human Rights, Media & Film, Print Media, Training Manuals
Workshops for Parents - MIET
The Media in Education Trust (MiET Africa) conducts workshops with parents of school-going children to support them to engage with their children's education. Jive Media Africa was contracted to develop a training programme for these parents,…
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Books, Print Media
Get SET, Go!
What are your options as a young scientist in South Africa? GET – SET – GO is an exciting and accessible guide to Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) careers and opportunities. Jive Media Africa is proud to have worked with the…
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Children, Comics, Featured, National Campaigns, Print Media, Science Spaza
Launching the Science Spaza newspaper at SciFest 2014
Jive Africa launched the first ever Science Spaza newspaper at SciFest Africa in Grahamstown in the week 11th to 14th March 2014. The first issue of Spaza Space offers exciting news from homework research some of the Science Spaza clubs, articles,…
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Books, Featured, Human Rights, Print Media
Men and Masculinities in South Africa
Jive Africa produced the following books for publishing by the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Community Social Action (PACSA) and Sonke Gender Justice Network, "Men and Masculinities in South Africa is a three-part series comprising stories,…
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Astronomy, Comics, National Campaigns, Print Media
Jive Media Africa has produced 4 x 8 page comic books for SKA (Square Kilometre Array) and MeerKAT (the Karoo Array Telescope). An inquisitive school girl Hannah and the young astronomer Naledi are two key characters in colourful comic books…
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Communications Strategies, Human Rights, Print Media
PACSA Communications
Jive Africa lends it's support to the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Community Social Action, managing the bulk of PACSA's communications needs e.g. Annual reports, branding, books, invitations, newsletters, etc. For more information on what…
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Children, Comics, Human Rights, National Campaigns, Print Media, Training Manuals
UNODC Everyday Heroes
Jive Media Africa designed and implemented a ground-breaking communication campaign for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in association with the National Dept of Social Development (DSD). The Everyday Heroes Comic Book…
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