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8 Tips For Staying At Disney World's Grand Floridian
Alaina Strollo
Jan.3.2020
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The Grand Floridian Resort is regarded as the most luxurious resort in all of Disney World, and for good reason. The resort has roomy suites, impressive amenities, excellent food, entertainment galore, and quick access to Disney parks, including the Magic Kingdom.
Since it is so fancy, a Grand Floridian stay does come with a hefty price tag. You're paying for luxury, so it's best to plan ahead to get your money's worth and more! We have tips from travel experts who know how to do the Grand Floridian right.
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1. Take Advantage Of Easy Transportation
One huge benefit of staying at Disney's Grand Floridian resort is access to the Disney parks we all know and love! Disney expert Victoria Yore from Disney Trippers explained that there are various ways to access the parks from the resort, including busses, the monorail, and a boat ride.
"The number one amenity at the Grand Floridian for us is the accessibility to the Magic Kingdom. Other than the amazing room, this is what you're paying for when you stay at the Grand. Being able to hop on the monorail and knowing the next stop is the Magic Kingdom is absolutely lifesaving," said expert Lisa DiNoto of The Castle Run.
You can also walk to the Magic Kingdom!
"The Grand Floridian is within walking distance to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom, which cuts down on your time waiting in lines for transportation," added Victoria.
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2. Eat Fast Or Fancy While There
The Grand Floridian has plenty of dining options. Our advice is to know your dining options beforehand, make reservations early, and take time to eat to your heart's content right at the resort! That way, you'll experience the resort to its fullest.
For breakfast, Sara Routhier from 360 Quote recommended the Grand Floridian Cafe, which was "much better than any character breakfast I have experienced before at Disney."
Another character meal is at the resort's 1900 Park Fare, which is a buffet where you can meet Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Prince Charming, and many more beloved characters!
If you're able to go all-out, Victoria and Albert's is a highly rated restaurant that you are guaranteed to love.
"Victoria and Alberts is the only restaurant in the state of Florida to receive both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star awards," said Lisa. Pretty fancy, huh?
You can dine in the main room, or you can indulge in the greatest delight offered at the resort -- a Chef's Table meal. You will be served what Disney calls a "one of a kind" feast with multiple courses. The restaurant is adults-only, and a strict dress code is enforced.
Another Grand Floridian specialty is an afternoon tea British-style at the Garden View Tea Room. Lisa said the cute cafe is a "unique and wonderful experience."
The resort has plenty of food to satisfy any appetite -- make sure to try some of it, whether you're on the go or have the time to sit down and enjoy a fancy meal!
3. Look Into The Best Way To Travel To The Resort With Kids
Your experience at the Grand Floridian completely depends on who you're going with, if anyone! Even though the resort is considered luxurious, it can be enjoyed with children, and they'll have a blast.
The Bippidy Boppity Boutique is an absolute must for the princess-to-be. Julie Elster, a Disney planner from Double Your WDW, said, "I absolutely love the Grand Floridian for the best princess experience you can find at Disney World."
Lisa shared a similar sentiment. To her, "Little girls can live out their every fantasy at the Bippidy Boppity Boutique, where fairy godmothers will treat them like royalty with incredible princess makeovers."
Kent Phillips / WDWnews.com
4. Know How To Enjoy The Grand With Your Partner Or Other Adults
If you're not accommodating little ones, there's another side to the resort that's catered to adults looking for a more luxurious experience.
Disney trips can be whatever you make of them, but frequently, travelers feel the need to do it all -- see every park, have a full itinerary, and be out in the parks from sunup to sundown. In the midst of all the fun of Disney, we sometimes forget to just relax and actually be on vacation!
The Grand Floridian's Senses Spa takes care of that for you.
Julie said, "Senses Spa offers adult princess makeovers called Character Couture makeovers. That experience was one of my absolute favorites at Disney parks. And that says a lot!"
Another expert suggestion for older crowds is the Enchanted Rose Lounge, which Lisa described as "a gorgeous space inspired by Beauty and the Beast with phenomenal food and drink."
Don't forget about Victoria and Alberts, the best place to treat yourself to a scrumptious meal. The restaurant has an extensive wine selection with over 4,000 bottles in their wine cellar -- some popular, many rare. Eat, drink, and be merry with your grown-up loved ones there!
5. Choose Your Room Wisely
Rates for a night in the Grand Floridian start at over $600. With over 900 rooms in the resort, visitors have tons of options for where they can stay, and what they'll see from their room.
There are three view options. Rooms with theme park views can include vistas of the Magic Kingdom, though these views might be partially obstructed. Rooms with lagoon views might show you peeks of the Magic Kingdom, but you will have a front-and-center view of the Seven Seas Lagoon! Garden view rooms look out over the pool, monorail, or surrounding buildings.
From some rooms, you can even see the Cinderella Castle or the nightly fireworks show!
Depending on your budget, you can upgrade your stay to Club Level, meaning you'll have extra privileges during your time at the Grand Floridian! The upgrade gets you access to a lounge with snacks, drinks both alcoholic and not, and excellent staff who will help make your trip run as smoothly as possible. The price of Club Level varies, so check out Disney's site for details on room rates ahead of time before deciding whether to invest or not.
Planning a stay at the Grand Floridian can be tricky for people who don't have a limitless budget, so Sara suggested keeping a close eye on prices.
"The best thing to do to save on rooms there is to check Disney's site for discounts constantly, or book with a travel agent who can do that for you at no charge," she said.
6. The Amenities Are Great -- Know Them Ahead Of Time
The Grand Floridian isn't expensive for no reason.
In fact, according to Victoria, "The Grand Floridian is the only Walt Disney World Resort to offer turn-down service, which includes delicious chocolate on your pillow every night. If you are looking for a luxurious Walt Disney World Hotel, the Grand Floridian is for you."
Sara stated that "the amenities at the Grand Floridian make it truly one of the best -- if not the best -- resort at Disney World. There are two pools and one incredible splash pad in an Alice in Wonderland theme. My daughter absolutely loved that area, and the zero-entry pool made it great for my son, who had just turned one year old."
Apart from the pool, the resort itself has its own magic.
"On a regular day, you can relax and enjoy the pianist or orchestra, or during the holiday season, the resort is donned with a massive Christmas tree and likely the biggest gingerbread house you've ever seen. Keep an eye out if you visit around Easter for their incredible display of chocolate Easter eggs. They are absolute works of art," Lisa said.
7. Prep For Florida Weather
Preparing for unpredictable Florida weather is key to an enjoyable stay at any of Disney's resorts, especially the Grand Floridian.
"The Grand Floridian is one of Disney's larger resorts, and all of the rooms are dispersed into different buildings with little to no head-covering. If there's a chance of rain, make sure to pack an umbrella just in case," Sara said.
Also, before you depart for your day in the parks, it's important to bring your rain gear and layers with you as well!
WDWnews.com
8. Treat The Grand Floridian As An Experience, Not Just A Place To Sleep
The most important tip of all: Remember that the Grand Floridian is not simply a place to shower up and grab a quick bite to eat.
"If you're planning on using the hotel as just a place to crash after a long day at the parks, save your money and stay at the Grand another time. Or, if you're not really that big on the Magic Kingdom, then maybe consider another deluxe resort," Sara said.
The Grand Floridian is an excellent place to stay and explore for tons of reasons! If you're traveling with your grandkids, consider our 7 tips for planning a Disney trip with the whole family. Or, if you've had your fill at Victoria and Albert's and are on the prowl for more good food, look no further than our 13 expert tips for attending Disney World's Food and Wine festival!
Alaina Strollo View Full Profile
Alaina recently graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in digital storytelling. As her major implies, Alaina is a storyteller at heart. She loves all things creative -- whether that be doodling, illustrating, or taking photos -- but she loves writing most. She's currently a writing intern at TravelAwaits and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. Read more from Alaina on her blog -- www.alainastrollo.com.
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The Freeman Pet Contest is back!
State Sen. Jen Metzger, D-Rosendale, speaks with Freeman reporter Paul Kirby during an interview at the newspaper's Kingston, N.Y., office on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019.
Tania Barricklo — Daily Freeman file
Metzger sees legislative gains in first year in state Senate
Metzger sees legislative gains during first year in state Senate
By Paul Kirby pkirby@freemanonline.com @paulatfreeman on Twitter
Paul Kirby
ROSENDALE, N.Y. — First-term state Sen. Jen Metzger, preparing to fend off a Republican challenge to her seat this year, has offered a potpourri of what she sees as her first-term accomplishments.
The Rosendale Democrat's office pointed out that 21 bills she spearheaded were made law during 2019, with "all of them passing the Senate with wide bipartisan support."
"It's important that we work together to address issues of concern to our region and state, and I'm proud that these laws were supported by both sides of the aisle," Metzger said in a prepared statement.
Metzger has represented the state's 42nd Senate District since January 2019.
"One of Metzger's most important bills was a nation-leading law creating a framework for the production, processing, and sale of hemp and CBD (cannabidiol) products," her office said.
"We have a real economic opportunity in the production of hemp and CBD products, and I am eager to see our region capitalize on this opportunity for farmers and local businesses up the value chain," said Metzger, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee. "By working together, we protect our farms and rural heritage while diversifying the economy."
Republican Michael Martucci, a part-time farmer and former school bus company owner from New Hampton, a hamlet in the Orange County town of Wawayanda, has said he plans to launch a formal campaign against Metzger on Thursday, Jan. 16.
The 42nd Senate District covers all of Sullivan County and parts of Orange, Ulster and Delaware counties.
Metzger says her legislative initiatives last year covered a range of issues, from reducing regulatory burdens on farmers to expanding electric vehicle infrastructure in New York state, and combating Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
Metzger said the 2019 session also saw passage of important "local bills" she introduced, including a bill to protect the Roscoe Central School District from losing $1.1 million in building aid because of penalties incurred for the late filing of a report. Also passed was a bill that extends the Community Preservation Act to Ulster County to help communities protect unique natural, historic, agricultural and scenic resources.
Two bills affecting the Middletown area were also signed into law. One enabled the school district to set up an insurance reserve fund and the other to relieve the city from antiquated restrictions limiting the plumbers the city could hire.
Metzger's very first bill signed into law designated a bridge in the Sullivan County town of Fremont as the "Specialist Allan Milk Memorial Bridge" in honor of the Fremont native who was killed in Vietnam, just months before his 21st birthday.
Metzger was actively involved in passing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which was signed into law last July. Metzger has also introduced a package of bills to accelerate the shift to clean transportation, as well as the Freedom from Fossil Fuels Act, which prohibits new fossil fuel infrastructure and encourages the shift to a clean energy economy.
"As we address climate change, we also create new opportunities for our rural economies through clean energy investments that create jobs in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transportation," Metzger said.
Metzger said her priorities for 2020 include legislation banning corporate donations to political candidates (a bill she also introduced in 2019); extending rural broadband and cell service coverage and creating new service quality standards for telecommunications companies; fortifying emergency management services; working to lower property taxes; and strengthening efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Recently, Metzger introduced a bill to double the farmworker retention tax credit and extend it indefinitely.
She has also introduced a new bill to require the Department of State to better inform small businesses of regulatory and legal changes affecting them through publication of an annual "small business compliance guide," her office said.
Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996.
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For some travelers finding a hotel in close proximity to an airport is a priority. If you travel to Orlando, Florida by air, you can find hotel accommodations close to the Orlando International Airport (MCO). For your convenience, nearby hotels offer 24-hour shuttle service, taking the worry out of getting to and from the airport. Some hotels even offer transportation to local attractions to make your stay worry free.
The Hyatt Regency Orlando (orlandoairporthyatt.com) is the only hotel within the terminal at Orlando International Airport. Concierge service is available to assist with transportation to and from area attractions. The hotel offers guests the option of the Respire by Hyatt -- hypoallergenic rooms that have undergone special cleaning to free them of allergens. Other accommodations include king and double rooms and suites. Rooms include refrigerators, iPod docks and work spaces. High-speed Internet access is available for a fee. Hotel amenities include an outdoor heated swimming pool and a fitness center. Guests have easy access to the airport shopping mall, located one floor down from the hotel. Dining is available in the hotel.
The Hilton Garden Inn (hiltongardeninn.hilton.com) is one mile from the Orlando International Airport. The hotel offers 24-hour complimentary shuttle service to the airport, as well as local transportation. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet service, remote printing capabilities, a work space, data ports and a 24-hour business center are available for the business traveler. Vacationers will find an outdoor pool and a kiddie water feature. For dining, the hotel offers restaurants, room service and a convenience mart with snacks, drinks and microwaveable meals.
The Courtyard Orlando Airport (marriott.com) is located 1 1/2 miles from the airport. Shuttle service to the airport is available 24 hours daily. The hotel has free wireless Internet connection and a GoBoard that provide guests with news, weather and airport conditions. Dining is available in the lobby at The Bistro. The hotel also has a 24-hour shop for sandwiches and snacks. Amenities include an outdoor heated pool, a patio and a gym. All rooms and suites at the hotel offer balconies or patios.
Hampton Inn Orlando-International Airport (hamptoninn.hilton.com) is one mile north of the Orlando International Airport. The hotel offers free 24-hour airport shuttle service. Hotel amenities include an ATM, a coin laundry and valet service. the lobby features complimentary beverage and breakfast areas. The hotel offers local transportation. Business travelers will find a business center including Fax and photocopying services. For recreation, the hotel has a fitness center and outdoor pool.
Norfleet, Michele. "Hotels Close to the MCO Airport." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/hotels-close-mco-airport-50269.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.


Blondes In Bows LLC was created by Danielle Farmer. Her inspiration for the design of the headwrap was from her daughters Emma and Harper. Since birth, she has always had a bow on their heads. She wanted to find a headwrap that was made of quality, soft, and stretchy fabric and wide enough to cover their tiny ears. She wanted it thick enough for warmth, but light enough to wear all year long. When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she decided to make her own design that we now call the designer stretch headwrap.


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In geotecnica, il rapporto di sovraconsolidazione (OCR) è un indice che suggerisce la storia di carico di un particolare terreno. Conoscere tale rapporto è dunque fondamentale ai fini di comprendere se il terreno sul quale si vuole costruire ha sopportato in passato un carico maggiore rispetto a quello che si andrà ad applicare con la nuova costruzione (come accade per terreni erosi), o se viceversa la più grande sollecitazione avverrà quando la messa in opera della nuova costruzione sarà completata. L'OCR consente di osservare indirettamente molte caratteristiche del terreno, le quali permettono uno studio più approfondito e preciso del terreno stesso.

Definizione
L'OCR è definito in geotecnica come:

;   dove al numeratore è posto il valore di sforzo verticale efficace massimo che il terreno ha sopportato nel tempo (ottenibile da una Prova edometrica), mentre a denominatore si ha lo sforzo verticale efficace che attualmente sta stimolando il terreno. Il comportamento del materiale dipende da quanti cicli di carico si considerano: nel definire l'OCR, si trascura il comportamento a grande numero di cicli.

Il terreno, in base al valore di OCR ottenuto, viene definito in diversi modi:
 OCR = 1, il terreno si definisce normalconsolidato;
 OCR > 1 , il terreno è sovraconsolidato. Al crescere del valore di OCR, cresce il grado di consolidazione del terreno: per questo, si definisce debolmente sovraconsolidato (SOC, sightly over-consolidated) un terreno che possegga OCR compreso tra 1 e 4; si definisce fortemente sovraconsolidato (HOC, highly over-consolidated) un terreno con OCR ≥ 4.
Si noti come l'OCR non possa mai essere inferiore ad 1: nel caso estremo di normalconsolidazione, infatti, il valore di sforzo attuale supererà il valore di sforzo massimo precedente, diventando lui stesso lo sforzo massimo mai registrato per quel terreno e dando come risultato del rapporto, 1. Inoltre, è possibile dimostrare facilmente come l'OCR decresce all'aumentare della profondità: a parità di carico applicato, infatti, gli sforzi efficaci verticali varieranno a seconda del peso specifico del terreno (che si può supporre costante in ogni punto) e il termine z di profondità: un incremento di essa scaturisce dunque un aumento di sforzo efficace.

Bibliografia
 Roberto Nova, Fondamenti di Meccanica delle Terre, Mc Graw-Hill
 AA.VV., Dispense di Geotecnica, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Geotecnica

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On November 2021, Piraeus Financial Holdings S.A. successfully completed the issuance of its inaugural €500 million Green Senior Preferred Bond, attracting the interest of a large number of institutional investors. With this issue, Piraeus Bank is advancing its ESG agenda, demonstrating its commitment to support the Greek economy.
In June 2021, Piraeus Financial Holdings successfully completed the issuance of its inaugural Additional Tier 1 instrument amounting to €600mn. The issue was subscribed by close to 200 institutional investors, from more than 20 countries, with a total demand reaching €2.2bn.
In late April 2021, the €1.4bn share capital increase was completed with great success, with investors' oversubscribing by more than three times.
In January 2021, the Contingent Convertible bonds issued by the Bank during the recapitalization of 2015 and held in their entirety by the HFSF, were automatically converted into 394.4mn new ordinary shares, increasing the HFSF's shareholding in the Bank's share capital to 61.3%.
In January 2021, Piraeus Bank's SA Corporate Name and Distinctive Title changed to "Piraeus Financial Holdings S.A." and "Piraeus Financial Holdings" respectively, following the demerger of the Company by way of hive-down of its banking activity sector and its contribution into a new banking entity.
In February 2020, Piraeus Bank successfully issued a €500mn Tier 2 bond with institutional investors at a coupon of 5.50%. The bond has a maturity of 10 years and an embedded issuer call option after 5 years.
Since March 2020, Piraeus Bank acting in line with its Business Continuity Plan and responsibly as per its ESG agenda, is contributing substantially to contain the spread of COVID-19, as well as mitigate the related impact.
In September 2020, Piraeus Bank S.A. and Intrum AB signed a binding commitment letter, according to which Intrum will purchase thirty percent (30%) of the mezzanine notes of the c. €1.9bn residential mortgages NPE securitisation ("Project Phoenix").
In September 2020, Piraeus Bank proceeded to the establishment of a Transformation & Business Strategy Unit, the responsibility of which is the planning and the successful implementation of Piraeus Bank's transformation plan and strategy, with the aim of creating additional value for its shareholders, its employees, the economy and society at large.
In October 2020, Piraeus Bank offered the incentive to employees who wished to focus on other personal and professional options to leave voluntarily, taking advantage of the benefits of the new Voluntary Exit Scheme.
In December 2020, the International Organization CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) ranks Piraeus Bank among the leading companies that stood out internationally for their climate change management and sustainable development activity making it the only Greek company among the 270 companies with a "Leadership A" rating.
In December 2020, the corporate transformation plan was completed according to which Piraeus Group's banking operations are hived-down to a new wholly owned banking subsidiary (Piraeus Bank S.A.). Certain non-banking sector activities remain with the parent entity of the Group (Piraeus Financial Holdings S.A.), which evolved into a financial holding company listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.


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FEDERAL FINANCIAL RELIEF / Kimberly Cambell
Did Trump kill Section 8? Here's how to prepare for the worst.
Kimberly Cambell
November 22nd
Throughout Donald Trump's presidency, there has been constant talk of cuts to federal programs that offer assistance for low-income families. Among the programs Trump is cutting is the Affordable Housing Program, which has led to fears of Section 8 ending and house cutting nationwide.
Unfortunately, these fears are founded in very real Section 8 cuts that have occurred over the past few years. Under Donald Trump, affordable housing has become less available to those who most need it. In order to understand what's going on today, let's take a look at what the program is, how it currently works, and the various measures the administration has taken has taken to get rid of Section 8.
What is Affordable Housing Program?
The Affordable Housing Program is the umbrella term for a number of grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, which is a federal department led by Trump HUD Secretary Ben Carson. These grants help state and local governments fund affordable housing for low-income residents in their neighborhoods. In addition to other housing for the poor programs, the HUD housing program includes Section 8 funding for measures like vouchers for families, new home construction, and more.
The Section 8 Policy
The Section 8 measure that people are most familiar with, and often most dependent upon, is that of the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Under HUD Section 8 regulations, voucher recipients pay a percentage of their income for rent, while the remaining amount is covered by the federal government via local public housing agencies, who are given a set amount of federal funding and are responsible for managing the vouchers.
The voucher system is designed to place more low-income families in properties under private landlords, allowing greater choice, competition, and flexibility in the housing market, and making it possible for families to move as needed without losing their housing assistance.
Problems in Section 8 and HUD
Because low-income families are often forced to spend a disproportionate amount of their income on housing, Section 8 has, for decades, been an attempt at alleviating that strain on a family's financial situation. However, because the amount of federal funding received by local public housing agencies has long been below the amount needed to subsidize the rent for every qualifying family in their community, families often find themselves on a waiting list for months or even years.
Moreover, due to the ongoing housing shortage — which has only been worsened by insufficient funding for public housing repairs and maintenance — even families who qualify for and receive a voucher may still find themselves without a place to live.
What's Next for Section 8?
Since its inception, the Affordable Housing Program has suffered from a lack of funds and, all too often, a lack of cooperation from landlords and other property owners. Thus the program, while helping some families tremendously, has failed to adequately address the problem of public housing. Unfortunately, under the current administration, these shortfalls and problems may become even worse as Trump and Section 8 continue to be at odds.
Donald Trump on Housing
Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed federal budgets that would reduce the amount of funding to HUD. The proposed Trump HUD budget for 2018 included a $7 billion cut, while the proposed budget for 2019 went even further and called for an $8.8 billion dollar cut to the federal housing aid. The budget proposal for 2020, however, has been the most drastic of all, with a whopping $9.6 billion cut to HUD funding.
The various budget proposals, in addition to words from the administration and the president himself, have made it clear that Section 8 is among the programs Trump wants to cut. The Trump housing policy has repeatedly been one of reduced funding for the affordable homes programme, including homeless shelter budget cuts, less spending across the board on various initiatives for the public housing program, and new section 8 rules to reduce the amount of assistance — and raise the stakes — for low-income households. From increased family contributions to work requirements, Section 8 has come under fire in a variety of ways.
Proposed Changes to Section 8 2018
The HUD cuts 2018, as laid out in Trump's proposed federal budget, included the Section 8 program. In addition to slashing the department's overall funding, the administration's budget outlined specific changes to the program's requirements and eligibility.
At the time, voucher recipients paid 30 percent of their net income — that is, their after-tax or take-home pay — for rent. The Section 8 budget cuts 2018 would have raised the rent paid by families from 30 percent of their net income, to 35 percent of their gross — or pre-tax — income. This has the compound effect of taking a larger chunk from a larger amount, reducing a family's take-home pay even further.
The Trump budget Section 8 also proposed — and succeeded in enacting — a minimum $50 rent per month, regardless of whether that amount would constitute more than the proposed 35 percent of the household's income.
The proposed Trump budget HUD for 2019 also included specific changes to the Section 8 program. Again, the administration proposed using a family's gross income to determine their contribution, rather than their net take-home pay, effectively making it a larger 30 percent. This change was eventually adopted in the bill passed by Congress and is now the calculation used for vouchers today.
Another drastic change proposed allowing for the institution of a work requirement for Trump Section 8 housing. This would have applied to every adult in a household who is not elderly or disabled, requiring up to 32 hours of work per week as a prerequisite for receiving a voucher.
As in previous Trump budgets, HUD budget cuts 2019 included other rollbacks to housing assistance programs across the board, including a call to eliminate Community Development Block Grants, a program that supports a variety of initiatives including public building repairs and disaster relief.
The president's 2020 budget proposal, released in March of 2019, included the most significant changes to Section 8 yet. The proposed Donald Trump Section 8 called again for a raise in family contribution to 35 percent of their gross income, having successfully moved the calculation from net to gross income in the previous year.
The budget also proposed raising the mandatory minimum rent passed in 2018 from $50 to $150 — again regardless of whether that might be more than 35% of the household's income — thus effectively tripling the rent for the many families.
Another change called for the elimination of all income deductions for medical and childcare expenses, which primarily would affect those households already being squeezed the most: seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children.
Finally, the proposed 2020 budget would allow local housing providers to impose work requirements of their own, adding yet another eligibility check for families in need of assistance.
The Future of Section 8 Housing
While many of the changes proposed by Trump on housing have not made their way into law, the administration's intent is nonetheless clear and offers a stark warning for those dependent on Section 8 funds. Moreover, it can be seen that even with regard to changes that initially fail to become law, intermediate steps are often taken to move the policy in that direction, until what was once a drastic change is seen as a more insignificant and viable step.
The 2018 proposal to set rent at 35 percent of the gross income, for example, consisted of two considerable changes — the percentage, and the income included in the calculation — and was seen as too drastic a step for lawmakers to take. By separating the change in income type from the percentage, however, Trump succeeded in moving from net to gross income type for 2019, and his call to raise the percentage for 2020 consequently sounds less severe.
Trump cutting Section 8 has been an ongoing battle throughout his presidency. Under his administration with Ben Carson and Section 8, we can expect to see further attempts to erode the program with HUD cuts and increased federal oversight of the voucher system. As Trump raises rent on the country's low-income families, evictions, homelessness, and poverty will be on the rise, contributing to a Donald Trump housing crisis across the nation.
Will Section 8 End?
So far this year, Congress has not included the more severe Trump housing cuts in their spending packages. Indeed, a package for the 2020 fiscal year passed by the Senate in October included slightly increased funding overall for affordable housing programs under HUD, though it did include cuts to certain specific programs in the department.
The Senate bill does not, however, take measures against certain HUD proposals to reduce civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and to implement rules that could lead to the separation of immigrant families. A bill passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year did include provisions against these proposals, but, as we know, a lot of changes can happen before a bill is passed by both houses of Congress and ultimately signed into law. This means that even Section 8 programs with their funding currently intact are not yet out of danger.
It has been encouraging to see lawmakers from both sides of the aisle stand up for the preservation of affordable housing in the face of Trump cutting food stamps and Section 8. Nonetheless, the protections and funding for those programs, especially HUD Sec 8, have been under constant attack in recent years. It remains to be seen whether Congress will be successful in repelling those attacks, or whether new Section 8 rules — and larger HUD funding cuts — will once again come into effect.
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Brittney Bennett
Atlanta Section 8 eligibility…you won't believe this
Boston Section 8 has some real gems. Interested?
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Posted on May 29, 2021 May 29, 2021 by Biran Online Editor
John Brinsley, Birankai Teachers' Council Chair and Chief Instructor, Aikido Daiwa
Chiba Sensei in Nagoya, November 2002
June 5 marks the sixth anniversary of Chiba Sensei's passing. While I was not his student, I was fortunate enough to train irregularly at the San Diego Aikikai for about three years. In his memory, here is a recounting of one weekend with this remarkable man.
In November 1961, O-Sensei and Kisshomaru Doshu gave a demonstration in Nagoya, Japan's industrial heartland, to inaugurate the opening of the city's first Aikido dojo. Hombu then dispatched 21-year-old Chiba Kazuo to be its first teacher.
The Tashiro Dojo was and is unusual because it jointly teaches Judo and Aikido. It was founded by Tashiro Keizan Sensei, a Judo 8th dan who became acquainted with O-Sensei and wanted his own students to learn Aikido. Chiba Sensei spent several months teaching there before returning to Tokyo, and in his wake other Hombu teachers were sent to Nagoya, including Kanai Sensei.
When Chiba Sensei moved back to Japan from the U.K. in 1976, he renewed ties with Tashiro Dojo. He taught a seminar there in 1979 and again several times in the mid-1980s after moving to San Diego. There is footage of him teaching in Nagoya during a trip he made with several of his San Diego students in 1986, with Juba Nour Sensei taking ukemi. The connection was such that several Tashiro Dojo students traveled to San Diego to practice on at least two occasions.
In November 2002, Chiba Sensei traveled to Nagoya to (belatedly) mark the 40th anniversary since he'd first taught there by giving a two-day seminar. I went down from Tokyo with Didier Boyet and a few others, including Miyamoto Sensei, who was only able to attend the Friday class. Also there were Murashige Teru and Robert Savoca, who had arrived from New York only a few hours earlier. We were warmly welcomed by Dojo-cho Wada Akira Sensei, now an 8th dan, who had begun Aikido under a very young Chiba Sensei.
Tashiro Dojo is old, musty and not large. There were probably 50 people on the tatami that night and another 10 either sitting or standing watching in street clothes, despite a complete lack of audience space. Not everyone had enough room to stretch out during Sensei's warm-up. But once training started, it didn't matter.
Most of the hour-and-a half keiko was suwariwaza. I had never seen Chiba Sensei teach in Japan before, and he was in his element. He practiced with his old students, taking ukemi as they exhausted themselves trying to move him, and was expansive in a way that was different from classes at the San Diego Aikikai or at seminars. He wore Robert and Teru out, however. Both of them had skin scraped off their shoulders from all the ikkyo ukemi, in part due to the hard tatami. Practice was in very close quarters, and the windows fogged up thanks to the steam. I got to train with Miyamoto Sensei and Wada Sensei, which was terrific. I remember looking over at Didier and seeing him grin as his partner struggled to throw him.
Saturday's keiko was in the prefectural budo center (virtually every town of any size in Japan has at least one), a much bigger space. There were at least 100 people on the mat from various dojo. Chiba Sensei taught a body arts class, focusing on aihanmi, and then did some basic bokken waza, which was new for many of the participants. Once again, Robert and Teru shined in taking ukemi. Not everyone stuck around for the second part of the class.
Then Chiba Sensei gathered everyone and talked a bit about his youth and finding Aikido. Much of what he said – as far as I can remember – echoed remarks he'd made elsewhere, but one comment stuck. "All I really wanted was a place where I could sleep, eat and train eight hours a day," he said. "Where I was very fortunate was that O-Sensei was there. I probably could have been happy doing Judo or Kendo, but he was the big difference."
Saturday night, several of us accompanied Sensei to an onsen – a hot springs inn. Unless it's for a romantic getaway, there are really only three things to do at an onsen: eat, bathe and drink. After arriving, we spent a long time in the bath, followed by a beer or two. Then we had a wonderful meal, which was probably served around 7 p.m. and lasted at most an hour or so. Which of course left the rest of the evening for two things: drinking and bathing. Did I mention drinking?
My roommates for the night were Didier, Robert, Teru and William Gillespie. My memory for some of this is hazy, but I'm pretty sure at one point either Sensei came to our room for a bit or we visited his. Either way it was nice. Things went downhill from there, particularly when the five roommates returned to the bath at some ungodly hour, and did drunken Sumo. A word of advice: never do drunken Sumo with Teru in a bath (or any other place). The long and short of it is I ended up with a nice purple eye, thanks to a blow to my face.
The next (same?) morning, looking and feeling very much the worse for wear, we straggled to the bath before breakfast. And despite our states at the time, Didier, Robert, and I all have strong memories of what we saw as we entered: Ishii-san, who had begun Aikido under Chiba Sensei four decades before as a teenager, washing Sensei's back. Public bathing remains a strong part of Japanese culture, and it's not uncommon for a younger person to wash an elder's back. But seeing it then touched me deeply as a gesture of devotion.
It also recalled another episode in Sensei's life. When Kisshomaru Doshu passed away, Chiba Sensei wrote a memorial in which he recounted how much Doshu had meant to him and the Aikido world. In it, he writes about how he quit Hombu in 1979 over some disagreements and went to live in the Japanese countryside. One day, without warning, Doshu arrived at the Chiba family's home. The two men spent the night at an inn, where they shared a meal and a bath and Sensei washed Doshu's back. "I believe he came to make sure I was all right," Sensei wrote.
That struck me as I made my way behind Ishii-san and Chiba Sensei as silently as possible, and left me ruminating while nursing my head. And it stays with me as I think about the legacy Chiba Sensei left to his students and the dedication he inspired. I hope he rests in peace, secure in the knowledge that he touched a great many people, and in so doing changed their lives.
Learn more about Chiba Sensei's life in Aikido with Power and Grace – Portrait of a Master: T.K. Chiba
CategoriesChiba Sensei, Why Practice Aikido
Previous PostPrevious Cultivating An Aikido Body, Part 3: Liveliness and Openness
Next PostNext Letter to Chiba Sensei


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
With a Pencil
The 'Villains' Podcast Is Finally Here!
On the premiere day of the highly anticipated series, our host breaks down everything you need to know about his new show
By Shea Serrano Nov 15, 2018, 6:05am EST
Share All sharing options for: The 'Villains' Podcast Is Finally Here!
Elias Stein
On Thursday, a new podcast is launching on the Ringer Podcast Network. It's called Villains. And it's my podcast. That being the case, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the structure of the series, and why we chose to do it.
First, the why we chose to do it: Because it seemed like fun, is why. I like movies. A lot. More to the point: I like villains in movies. A lot. They are, in nearly all cases, the most interesting part of whatever movie it is that they happen to be in. And beyond being just the most interesting part, they're also the most integral. And if you find yourself somehow disagreeing with that statement, consider this truth: A villain can exist meaningfully as a menace without a hero, but a hero cannot exist meaningfully as a savior without a villain (assuming we're allowed to consider non-human things "villains"). So that's why we did it. Movie villains as a subject not only seemed like a fun thing to talk about, but also seemed like something that could be talked about with a measure of discernible insight and awareness, with the flexibility to be stretched into something bigger and more substantial, which always makes for interesting listening.
Second, the structure of the series (and each episode): This part is easy. It's an eight-episode series. As mentioned, it starts Thursday. Each new episode will come out Thursday at 6 a.m. ET, with the one exception being next week's episode. Since next Thursday is Thanksgiving, we're going to post that one Friday at 6 a.m.
Each episode is structured exactly the same. It has the following parts in it:
An episode intro. It's just a few seconds long. The whole point of it is to tee up who the villain is for the episode.
An audio clip. You know that part in Con Air when the convicts are being introduced and John Cusack's character, Vince Larkin, speaking of John Malkovich's character, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, says: "This one's done it all. Kidnapping, robbery, murder, extortion. His name is Cyrus Grissom, a.k.a. 'Cyrus the Virus.' Thirty-nine years old, 25 of them spent in our institutions. But he's bettered himself inside; earned two degrees, his juris doctorate. He also killed 11 fellow inmates, incited three riots, and escaped twice. Likes to brag that he killed more men than cancer. Cyrus is a poster child for the criminally insane. He is a true product of the system." OK, that's a thing that happens in basically every movie that has a big-time villain in it. The filmmakers do it as a fun and interesting way to lay out exactly how villainous a particular villain is, and also as a fun and interesting way to establish the stakes of the movie. So that's what this section is. We're playing just the clip in each villain's movie where the villain's intro happens so as to do a little world-building for the podcast. (There are also more movie sound bites that get dropped into each podcast at relevant points.)
A quick plot recap. It's a quick plot recap.
A section called "Four Interesting Things." Prior to recording each episode of Villains, I'd spend a few days researching the villain and their movie and all the supplemental characters and so on and such. Researching is, in many ways, my favorite part of the writing process. It's just a lot of fun to dig around a bit and learn some stuff I didn't know. Often, I'll find something while researching where I'm like, "Ooh, that's very interesting." So this part of the podcast is a thing where I just go through four interesting things I found while I was rummaging through information. (One of my favorite things I learned about Hannibal Lecter that didn't make its way into the podcast is that he is one of only a handful of villains to have ever won an actor an Oscar for their performance as said villain, a very distinguished category that includes, but is not limited to, Kathy Bates in Misery, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, J.K. Simmons in Whiplash, Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men, Charlize Theron in Monster, and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds.) (A follow-up question: If all of those performances are lined up next to each other and are vying for a Super Oscar, who wins it? Does Anthony Hopkins still walk away the winner?)
A simple question. "Why is [NAME OF THE VILLAIN] scary?" I asked that question to every person who appears as an episode guest. Because it's such a direct and specific question, I knew that the answers, which were varied and almost always rooted in something very personal, were going to explain a lot about the way the respondent views all of everything. Some gave literal answers, others gave metaphysical answers, others gave allegorical answers, etc.
The first conversation category. This one is called "Worst Behavior." This is the real and actual start of the podcast, if I'm being very honest. The two guests and I try to figure out the most villainous thing a villain does in the movie. (Was it more villainous when Hannibal cut that one guy's face off and wore it as a mask or when he talked Miggs into dying by suicide? Was it more villainous when Regina George framed Cady as being the originator of the Burn Book or when she stole Aaron out from under her? Was it more villainous when Killmonger shot his girlfriend or when he choked that old woman? Things like that.) I offer up a few options (and sometimes the guests have alternate options), and so we go through them and settle on an answer. I don't think one single time in the entire series did everyone agree on one answer, which either means a great deal or means nothing at all.
The second conversation category. This one is called "Maybe They Had a Point." (Sean Fennessey, guesting on the Hannibal Lecter episode, referred to this as the Unofficial Thanos Award.) Each person tries to come up with an argument that, in one way or another, justifies why the villain behaved in the way that they behaved. It's fun, and silly, and I should tell you right now that I am extremely pro–Regina George and think that she had every right to be exactly as Regina George–y as she wanted to be.
The third conversation category. This one is called "The Jason Statham School for Rehabilitation." The guests and I try to figure out whether the villain in question can be rehabilitated—much how Jason Statham's character evolved between Furious 7 and Fate of the Furious—and turned from a villain into someone less evil and possibly even good.
A fourth conversation category. This one is called "Bonus Footage." Each of the guests talks about a thing that we know happened for sure within a movie's specific universe but that we didn't get to see that would be fun to watch. For example (and this wasn't a villain that was discussed in Season 1, but it'll work fine here), we know for sure that something happened in The Dark Knight universe that caused the Joker to have those giant scars on the sides of his mouth. He gives a couple of explanations for how they got there, but because each one is different we don't ever really get to know what the actual way that they got there was. I'd very much like to know that, and so if I was getting to pick a Bonus Footage scene here, I'd ask to see how he got the scars.
A fifth conversation category. This one is called "Overmatched, Undermatched, or Fair Fight?" Each villain was chosen because they were, in one way or another, excellent. And so the point of this part of the podcast is to spend a few minutes talking about whether the person who was acting across from the villain was able to keep up with their counterpart's performance. Was Jodie Foster as good at being Clarice as Anthony Hopkins was at being Hannibal? Was Lindsay Lohan as good at being Cady Heron as Rachel McAdams was at being Regina George? Was Chadwick Boseman as good at being T'Challa as Michael B. Jordan was at being Killmonger? Etc.
A sixth conversation category. This one is called "Regrets." This is my no. 1 favorite part of every episode. The guests and I go through a list of all of the different people who made mistakes while dealing with a villain and then try to pick out which of those people made the all-caps BIGGEST mistake. It's surprising how many people make crucial mistakes when dealing with these villains, particularly when you remember that, as was mentioned above, they almost always know exactly how dangerous a villain is before they interact with them.
If it seems like that's a lot to pack into a podcast, that's probably because it is. But it all moves quickly and has been edited in such a way (by producer Kara Hart, who has worked on a number of important and substantial podcasts) that no episode stretches anywhere too far past 45 minutes.
One last thing, and I'm excited about this: Each new episode goes up Thursday, right? So what I'm going to do between each episode is post an email address and phone number where you can either email or call and leave a voicemail asking a question about a villain. I'm going to collect the best questions and then record a short Q&A podcast (probably 20 minutes) that'll go up Tuesday. So the Hannibal episode goes up Thursday, and then Friday I'm going to post the phone number and email, and then people will submit questions (or insights or whatever) about Hannibal over the weekend, and then I'll answer some of those on a short podcast Tuesday. It's all going to be good. Or bad. Or fun. Or terrible. I'm not sure yet. But we're going to do it for the next eight weeks anyway. I hope you'll be a part of it.
Welcome to Lecter Day
'The Silence of the Lambs' Is a Perfect Valentine's Day Movie
Next Up In Movies
The Four Biggest Story Lines Heading Into the Oscars
How an Indie Film Becomes an Oscar Winner
Eddie Murphy's Balancing Act
Worst Movie Twist


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The 41st edition of the championships are being held in the town this week (7-12 August), which is the first time they have been held in the UK since 1992, when they were held at Wanlockhead, which is also in Mr Mundell's constituency.
Mr Mundell gave the opening speech at the championships which is seeing competitors from all around the world take part in the hunt for gold.
There are also children's activities on each day in the town's Hope Johnstone Park as well as live entertainment on each evening.
Commenting on the championships, David Mundell MP said: "It is absolutely fantastic for a world event to be held right herein my hometown of Moffat and I was delighted to welcome competitors from so many countries to the championships.
"With hotels and B and B's full to the brim for the week, the local economy is going to receive a major boost with those taking part and visitors also spending money in our shops, restaurants and bars.
"While I can't promise the weather that the gold panners enjoyed last year in California, what I can promise is that Moffat has a heart of gold and everyone will be made very welcome.
"The last time these championships were staged in the UK was 25 years ago in Wanlockhead so it is a real coup for Moffat to be hosting to such a prestigious event."


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Our staff includes two fellowship-trained laryngologists and three specialized speech-language pathologists. Our team treats a large variety of disorders affecting the larynx (voice box) and by using our team approach, we are able to provide treatment options to even those with the most challenging issues affecting their larynx. We also offer services to professional voice users from all walks of life.
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Phonosurgery - any surgery using the microscope in which the end goal is improvement of the voice.
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A "lump in the throat"sensation, known medically as globus, can be a symptom of either a voice or a swallowing problem. There are numerous causes for this symptom but the majority of the time, it is not an indication of a serious medical problem. However, if the globus sensation is accompanied by signs such as weight loss, neck or throat pain, choking or regurgitating, muscle weakness or an actual lump which is felt on the outside of the neck, it should be evaluated promptly by a doctor.


text:
Race to Nowhere highlights the effect of today's over-tested, over-scheduled youth. Learn about the research that supports the stories in the film and take action in your homes, classrooms, schools and communities to support the health and education of young people everywhere.
<Any>Advancement PlacementAssessment in Early Childhood EducationCheatingDepression and SuicideDisengagementHomeworkNo Child Left Behind and Race to the TopPhysical InjuriesPlay and DowntimeRemediation Rates in College and College GraduationSleepStress and Young PeopleTutoring and TestingUse and Abuse of Drugs
Remediation Rates in College and College Graduation
40 percent of college freshman have to take remedial classes.[a]
Of those who enter high school, only about 70 percent will graduate - one of the lowest rates among industrialized nations. As important, however, is the fact that, of those who do receive a diploma, only half are academically prepared for postsecondary education.[b]
While 2.8 million students enroll in some form of higher education each year, most do not proceed straight through to graduation. Only one in five of those who enroll in two-year institutions earn an associate degree within three years, and only two in five of those who start four-year colleges complete their degree within six years.[c]
[a] Alliance for Excellent Education. (2006, August). Paying double: Inadequate high schools and community college remediation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED510936).
[b] ~ "Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation", Alliance for Excellent Education, Issue Brief, August 2006
[c] Lewin, T. (2009, December 9). College dropouts cite low money and high stress. The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/education/10graduate.html?_r=1


text:
Q: Issue with pagers while Repeating Repeaters I am using the current newest ExtLibs, and a Domino 9.0.1 Server with FP3.
I am trying set up my own multi level categorized view with repeat controls that are getting data from an SQLite Database, and I am hitting a snag with the pager controls.
Structure

*

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*Inside this repeat control, I have a panel that has another repeat control for the actual data. (In some cases I put another section to create multiple levels with another repeater...)

* The problem
When I have multiple pages on the primary repeater and I start out at page one, then in one embedded pager, I select page 2, then I select a different page on the primary pager, then all embedded pagers are automatically reset to page 2. It seems to me as though the request scope variable that controls the embedded pager number is shared among all repeated instances.
What is the best way to go about solving this problem? And am I barking up the wrong tree by repeating repeaters to begin with?
******************************************* Stand alone XPage for reproduction
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            </xp:panel></xp:section>
    </xp:repeat>
</xp:view>

steps to reproduce

*

*be on page one on primary pager.

*in any sub pager, select page 2.

*Notice correctness of other pagers

*Switch main pager to page 3

*Notice all sub pagers on on page 2

A: I don't think it's a bug. It's working as designed (!)...
The problem is that the repeat does not create multiple pagers inside for each iteration. So there is basically only one pager and that pager keeps only one PagerState. That's why they are acting weird.
When you use repeatControls="true" option, repeat will not iterate only one component, instead it will really create multiple components for each iteration. However, in that case, you can't use Pager component for such a repeat, because the new repeat component does not have an iterator anymore. It will not be able to find 'pagination' and will throw 'division of zero' error.
Here, I have explained the difference between two modes of Repeat component (from slide #36):
https://speakerdeck.com/sbasegmez/engage-2015-10-mistakes-you-and-every-xpages-developer-make-yes-i-said-you?slide=36
The solution would be creating your own pager design for inner repeats.
Update:
Another approach is marking the outer Repeat as repeatControls="true" and removing the outer pager. In such a configuration you'll have multiple pager components in the component tree but you have to sacrifice the outer pager. In this configuration, you'll need to load all elements in the outer repeat (because they can't be actively manipulated anymore).
To mimic the pager behaviour you can design a custom pager and use rendered attribute for inner repeats. It will slow the page down, but will provide 'paging' feeling to the user.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Frequently asked questions about the Promised Land Resource Initiative
What is the Promised Land Resource Initiative?
The Promised Land Resource Initiative is an opportunity for all of us to join together as a church family, for the next three years, to finance the vision of bringing Life in Christ to Every Alaskan for the next decade.
What specifically will the Promised Land Resource Initiative finance?
The Promised Land Resource Initiative will finance:
The planting of up to 10 new ChangePoint campuses in communities across the state of Alaska, including 3 campuses that will be planted this year.
The construction of a Student Center that will be a launching pad for young people from all around Anchorage to hear the gospel, and be trained as disciples of Jesus.
Updates and repairs to AdventureLand, our children's ministry which has not received significant updates in the last 15 years.
Why are we planting campuses?
If we're going to bring Life in Christ to Every Alaskan, we have to think beyond the facility. All of Alaska is not going to show up on Sunday at the corner of Minnesota and Raspberry.
So why campuses instead of independent churches?
We fully support church planting. LifeSpring Bible Church started as a ChangePoint campus in Northeast Anchorage, and became an independent church – and we couldn't be happier with that outcome.
Planting an independent church is very costly and labor intensive. It comes with significant practical considerations. Who will be our new senior leadership? How will we manage children's ministry? What about branding? Do we need to hire IT staff? These are just a few of the many hurdles that need to be overcome during the early life of a new church.
By planting campuses, we will be able to "clone" many of the solutions we've developed as a church already. This will allow us to focus on gospel-centered ministry much faster than we would be able to when planting independent churches.
So, why now?
There are a number of reasons why we're choosing to plant campuses now:
Unity among the Elders – The Elders of ChangePoint have been praying and seeking God's will for many years on how God would have us accomplish our vision. The Elder's unanimously believe that this is the answer to that question.
The success of Community Life – In January 2015, we launched Community Life and re-founded Life Groups as the core of life-on-life ministry at ChangePoint. We felt very strongly that this needed to be in place before we could begin to take the gospel across Alaska. Two years later, God has richly blessed this ministry and hundreds of people are now experiencing Life in Christ through Community Life.
Advances in technology – When we moved into our current facility in 2004, we could not have imagined the advances in technology that would arrive over the next decade (there was no such thing as an iPhone, and almost no one had Wi-Fi in their house). Advances in technology have made it possible to truly be one church, in many communities in a rich and meaningful way.
The success of the campus model across the United States – In 1998, there were 100 multi-site churches in America. By 2014, that number had grown to more than 8,000. Gospel ministry is important, and we don't want to be a church that jumps on fads. This is now a proven model, and we can learn from both the successes and mistakes of other churches across the country.
Why are we planting a campus at Tikahtnu?
Over 100,000 people live in Anchorage North of Tudor and East of the Seward Highway. Another 30,000 live in Chugiak and Eagle River, and 6,500 live on JBER. Tikahtnu Commons has provided us with an incredible location for access from these communities. ChangePoint has long had a desire to better serve both JBER and Northeast Anchorage.
Why are we planting a campus in the Mat-Su Valley?
The Mat-Su valley is Alaska's fastest growing population center. 14% of Alaska now lives in the Mat-Su, more than 100,000 people. Fairbanks is still officially Alaska's second largest city, but taken together the communities of the Mat-Su have roughly three times the population of Fairbanks. The geographic proximity to Anchorage will also allow us to test our multi-site systems in our own "back yard."
Why are we planting a campus in Kotzebue?
God has been on the move in the Kotzebue area. We received word that one of our Outreach Partners had done an evangelistic tour of that area, and more than 500 people had professed faith in Jesus. This pastor reached out to us for support in discipling all these new believers. Through that process, we discovered this pastor's vision of building a ministry hub that would spread the gospel throughout rural communities across Alaska. It was obvious that God was calling us to step in to that vision. We hired that pastor, Lance Kramer, to be the Campus Pastor of ChangePoint Kotzebue.
Why are we building a Student Center?
25% of Anchorage is younger than 18. That's 75,000 people. Research has repeatedly shown that two-thirds of all Christians accepted Christ before their 18th birthday. Any plan to bring Life in Christ to Every Alaskan must include a plan to reach the next generation.
Since we arrived in our current facility, ChangePoint has never had a purpose-built space for students. They're currently meeting in a double-wide hallway upstairs that you may not even know exists. That space has created a hard cap on the number of students we can host and minister to.
The new Student Center will triple the capacity of the current "Student Loft," and make it possible to minister to thousands of young people from across Anchorage in the coming years. It will be purpose- built to facilitate discipleship.
Why are we improving AdventureLand?
For all of the reasons mentioned above, bringing Life in Christ to the next generation is absolutely essential. We built AdventureLand 15 years ago and it has served us very well – allowing us to minister to thousands of children over that time. Now there are two investments we can make that we believe will carry that momentum forward into the future.
First, there are several areas of AdventureLand that are aging. We intend to replace or upgrade these areas. Second, we intend to finish the rest of the rooms that were never decorated or provided with A/V equipment to support instruction.
And no, we're not getting rid of the boat, or the Big Slide.


.ie Is Ireland's Internet address, if you want to target the Irish market, it's the only address worth talking about.
.ie Lets customers know that you are Irish, thus provide your customers with the security that you are who you say you are.
To have a .ie domain name you must prove a real and substantive connection to Ireland. Confidence comes with traceability and a .ie can help to ensure that your customers know exactly who they are dealing with.
.ie is one of the safest domains in the world, with lower instances of cybercrime and cybersquatting than other domains. Have peace of mind knowing that your domain is safe.
In 2013 .com had thousands of domain name dispute claims filed, .ie had seven. This alone gives you peace of mind and making the choice of .ie easier.
There is a good chance that the domain name you want is still available with a .ie address, chances are a .com has already been registered with the name you want.
If a person uses a search engine extension that is based in Ireland (e.g. google.ie) there is a greater chance that your website will be listed on the first page of the results.
Every application for a .ie domain name is checked to ensure that the applicant has a real connection with Ireland and a legitimate claim to their chosen domain name. Including this information with your application will allow us to process your application without delay. If you are not sure, don't worry we are here to help you.


Many of us in the St. Cloud area know that when we have questions on ADHD one of our leading physicians to go to for answers is Dr. Gary A. Snead who is a pediatrician at St. Cloud Medical Group NW. Dr. Snead has 25 years of practice experience treating children and adults with ADHD and other mental health disorders. He has an impressive medical background. He attended medical school from 1983-87 at AT Still University – Kirksville College of Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. He then had a general internship from 1987-88 through Tulsa Regional Medical Center Tulsa and Idabel, Oklahoma. Dr. Snead completed his medical training in a Pediatric Residency through Michigan State University – College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lansing, Michigan from 1988-1991.
We are pleased to be a co-sponsor of this workshop. Dr. Snead is recognized for his many presentations in our community on ADHD and the related issues that often accompany the disorder and has been a frequent presenter for Resource® Training & Solutions over the years. He was a key organizer, promoter and leader in the development of A-D-A-MSM (Attention Deficit Awareness of Minnesota, Inc.). Dr. Snead served as the chair of A-D-A-MSM from 1995 to 2005 and worked tirelessly to help build it into the organization it is today. He was a key supporter of the publications of two editions of the Community Resource Directory (CRD) in 1995 and 1996 which were comprehensive listings of providers and services in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties for those who have ADHD. He is a true champion for all kids, adults and families who live with ADHD!
As the volunteer coordinator with the nonprofit, I have had the good fortune to work alongside Dr. Snead for many years in researching and addressing the needs of those in our service area who have ADHD and daily face the many different challenges it can present.
I hope this brief Q&A with Dr. Snead motivates you to attend our workshop on Saturday, October 8th to hear more from him about working with kids and adults with ADHD. October is National ADHD Awareness Month and an evening of listening and learning on ADHD is always time well spent.
You have been working with ADHD families for 25 years. All the experts in the field say it is very important that parents, adults with ADHD and the families educate themselves on the disorder and all the related issues. Why is this an important part of the treatment plan?
Parents/spouses and family members are living with the person(s) in the family with the ADHD diagnosis. Their comprehension and acceptance of ADHD and the issues that make up the diagnosis for that family member, helps provide a safe environment that can support them and help them learn the behavior shaping plans they will need in school/team/work/or other settings. They can be safe mirrors for the person to see what they are actually doing, saying, or not doing or saying, as well as models of patterns of healthy behavior and interaction. Their efforts allow the ADHD child or adult to learn how to be their own advocate to let others know what works and doesn't work for them. They can be a better participant in physician visits, counseling sessions, 504 or IEP review meetings, etc.
No parent wants to give their child medication if they don't have to and the question on whether or not to use medication as part of the treatment plan for ADHD can be controversial. How do you discuss this option with parents?
I first try to hear their ideas on the impairing issues related to the diagnosis for the person involved. Then I request that they tell me what they know, what they've heard about the medications available, and if they know anyone who has taken any and what happened. Then I explain the neurobiological facts about the diagnosis and the consequences of not treating. I discuss what research has shown about treating with waiting, counseling by itself, medication by itself, and with the combination of home and outside of home plans, counseling, and medication.
How do you come up with a treatment plan for those families who opt out of using medication?
I just take medication out of the above last sentence, while focusing on "how we will know what is working" by connecting the impairments that led to the diagnosis with the possible interventions.
What should parents do to help their child learn to be their own advocate and case manager for their ADHD and what age do you start to train them?
I go back to the points I made in the first question and the importance of the parents/spouse and family members. Ideally the person learns from the first time I meet them how to become more and more of an advocate for themselves.
How do you work with your teen patients to manage their recheck appointment with you?
I try to empower my pre-teen, teen, and young adult patients to track how they think they are doing. I ask them to tell me what they are doing that helps them cope. I encourage them to listen to those around them, peers, teachers, authority, parents, family to understand from outside themselves how they are doing.


text:
Jobs Archive
Climate change and livelihoods is disasterprone coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal
Walk-in-interview will be held on 08 November 2019 at 12:00 noon at Agricultural & Ecological Research Unit (AERU) Seminar Room (2nd Floor, Kolomogorov Bhawan) in the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata for recruitment of (a) one (01) Project Assistant and (b) one (01) Research Assistant purely on temporary basis in the Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, 033-2575-3220.
Download Jobs Form
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Developing Training Modules from Survey Based Research for ISS Probationers
Walk-in-interview will be conducted on 01 November 2019 (Friday) from 10:30 a.m. at Sampling and Official Statistics Unit (SOSU), 2nd floor of the C.D. Deshmukh Bhavan of the Institute for the recruitment of five (05) Project linked persons purely on temporary basis in the Sampling and Official Statistics Unit (SOSU) of the Institute Kolkata.
Contact Person: Sampling and Official Statistics Unit, 033-2575-2017
Networking on Data Science and Machine Learning" and "Co-ordination of Cluster Projects under Data Science Research
Walk-in-interview will be conducted on 01 November 2019 at 11:00 A.M. for recruitment of three (03) Project linked Junior Research Fellows and one (01) Programme Manager to work in the Center for Soft Computing Research of the Institute Kolkata.
Contact Person: Center for Soft Computing Research, 033-2575-2040.
Project linked Visiting Scientist
Walk-in-interview will be held on 13 November 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in the Central SQC Office, Kolkata (7th Floor of Platinum Jubilee Bhavan) for the recruitment of One (01) Project linked Visiting Scientist on purely temporary basis to work in a sponsored research project at Central SQC Office of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Central SQC Office, 033-2575-3363.
Development of GPGPU base parallel algorithms for land cover classification of remotely sensed big data
Walk-in-interview will be conducted on 30 October 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Machine Intelligence Unit (MIU), 3rd floor of the Platinum Jubilee Academic Building (PJAB) of the Institute for the recruitment of one (01) Project linked person purely on temporary basis in the Machine Intelligence Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Machine Intelligence Unit, 033-2575-3100
ADVERTISEMENT FOR FACULTY RECRUITMENT FEBRURARY 2021
Proforma for Application (WORD file)
Notification for Written Test for Recruitment in Various Categories of Posts
(Advertisement No.: REC-6/2021-3,KOL Dated: 30.06.2021)
Recruitment for the position of Research Associates
Applications are invited for the recruitment of twelve (12) Research Associate (RA) positions purely on temporary basis at the Theoretical Statistics and Mathematics Division (TSMD) of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). The selected candidates would be placed in Category I, II and III depending on the qualification and experience as per the DST OM No.SR/S9/Z-08/2018 dated 30 January 2019.
Recruitment to the post of Visiting Scientist
Applications are invited for the recruitment of one Visiting Scientist position purely on temporary basis at the North-East Centre of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Tezpur.
Recruitment to the positions of Project linked person
A walk-in-interview will be conducted on 22 August 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with maintaining all preventive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Global Pandemic as directed by the Government of India at the Machine Intelligence Unit (MIU), 3rd Floor of the Platinum Jubilee Academic Building of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata for the recruitment of two (02) Project linked persons (one for each project) purely on temporary basis to work for the following projects titled (1) "Multi-Omics Data Integration for Cancer Subtype Discovery" and (2) "Judgement Analysis on Multi-dimensional Crowd Opinions" in the Machine Intelligence Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact person: Machine Intelligence Unit, (033)-2575-3100
Recruitment to the position of Project linked Senior Research Fellow
A walk-in-interview will be conducted on 24 August 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with maintaining all preventive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Global Pandemic as directed by the Government of India at the Machine Intelligence Unit (MIU), 3rd Floor of the Platinum Jubilee Academic Building of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata for the recruitment of one (01) Project linked Senior Research Fellow purely on temporary basis to work on the project titled "Design and Development of an AI-Based Electrical Impedance Tomography System for Respiratory Function Studies using Machine Learning Techniques" funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and to be carried out at the Machine Intelligence Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Partial modification of the advertisement No.PU/507/ADV/449 dated 10 August 2022.
Recruitment for the position of Project linked persons
Recruitment to the post of Project linked person
Merit Lists of the shortlisted candidates for SKILL TEST for the posts of Engineer (Electrical) 'A', Engineering Assistant (Electrical) 'A', Engineering Assistant (Civil) 'A' and Electrician 'A'
View this month Jobs archive


text:
import {ModuleResolutionHostAdapter} from '@angular/compiler-cli';

import {CompilerHost} from 'typescript';

export class ResourceResolver extends ModuleResolutionHostAdapter {
  constructor(private compilerHost: CompilerHost) {
    super(compilerHost);
  }

  readResource(s: string): Promise<string> {
    try {
      if (this.compilerHost.fileExists(s)) {
        return Promise.resolve(this.compilerHost.readFile(s));
      }
      return Promise.resolve(require(s));
    }
    catch (e) {}

    return super.readResource(s);
  }
}


text:
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Flying Over Fire
By Holly Gilbert Stowell
Print Issue: March 2018
About four years ago, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) saw a video clip, likely shot illegally, of a gas explosion in Harlem. The video was captured by a camera on a drone.
This aerial view over city buildings sparked an idea for the department: what if it could have similar drone video during every fire it responded to—as the fire was being fought?
"The incident commander is on the ground like a general calling all the shots. He's got people in the building doing searches. He's got people on the roof. He's the guy making decisions with the most information," says Tim Herlocker, former director of the FDNY Emergency Operations Center. Enhancing that commander's situational awareness with a drone would allow him to safely navigate a team of firefighters in and around the fire, especially on those hard-to-see rooftops.
When a fire strikes in the middle of the night, "some of our most senior chiefs have to start making decisions—'Do I have to go to the fire? Do I have to respond back to our headquarters?'" Herlocker notes. "And being able to actually see what it looks like—the color of the smoke, the volume of the smoke, the flames, whether they're trying to save it from moving to an adjacent building—all those things require experience honed over years as a firefighter."
The FDNY had been streaming helicopter video to the incident commanders for a number of years under contract with the New York Police Department and local news stations. "All of the options were good, but as technology progressed, we knew that we needed constant, persistent aerial surveillance of fire events," Herlocker says. Drones would provide much more flexibility, like the ability to hover directly over a fire or focus on a particular part of the blaze.
With the proliferation of drones, obtaining the right unmanned aerial vehicle was possible, but the department ran into another obstacle. "About 65 percent of the airspace in New York City is what's called Class B airspace," Herlocker explains, "and it's the most restricted airspace in the country." Under federal airspace rules, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not allow drones to fly within five nautical miles of any U.S. airport. New York City is within that range of three major airports: LaGuardia Airport, J.F.K. International Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Because of FAA rules, "we realized the program wasn't going to work, so we shelved it," he says. However, about six months later, the department approached the FAA with a new idea. "We went back to the FAA, and we said, 'We need to fly in your restricted airspace and we need to do it day and night on short notice, but we're going to mitigate the threat to your airspace by tethering our drones to the ground,'" he says.
The FAA agreed to the idea, and the FDNY began looking for a vendor that could meet its technological requirements. "We went searching for technology. We had a rough idea of what we wanted. There truly are only a handful of vendors that do purpose-built tethered devices," he says.
The FDNY wanted a unit that was not only tethered by a thin cord to a power source on the ground, but that could deliver instantaneous, high-definition or infrared video.
Most battery-operated drones are too lightweight to remain in flight for longer than a few minutes, so the tether would be a continuous power source. This would allow the drone to hover for hours on end. The FDNY also wanted the drone to remain directly over the anchor port where the drone takes off, but without using GPS. In an urban environment like New York City, metal structures and magnetic fields can throw off the vehicle's navigation system. "GPS signals can bounce off buildings, and the drone can chase a [wrong] signal and get out of position—so it's a tough environment to fly in," Herlocker says.
The FDNY selected Hoverfly Technologies of Orlando, Florida, which provided an eight-pound drone with a thin tether cord. The department began a pilot phase of the program, which lasted six months. "We've done a lot of testing, we've made a ton of mistakes, we've corrected technology," he says. The program began flying missions in March of 2017, and had flown 26 fires as of December 2017.
The department currently has three drones, which are deployed for second alarm or greater fires (the number of alarms indicating the severity of the fire). Video of the fire from the drone's HD and infrared cameras is streamed to the incident commander and other senior leaders in the department via a video recording network. The users receive the video directly to their smart devices by clicking on an encrypted link sent from Amazon's cloud.
FDNY firefighters who show interest or have a background in drones are trained as pilots. "We put them through an online training session that teaches the FAA standards, then at some point, when they have enough time on the device under supervision, we certify them." While it doesn't take much technical skill to pilot the drones, Herlocker notes, it does take a sound sense of judgment. "You have to decide, is it safe to put the drone up, is there too much wind, are there too many overhead obstacles, or is the fire worth the risk of putting it up?" he notes.
The drone is used in each mission to keep firefighters away from danger, show first responders where to direct water hoses, help them create vents in the roofs of buildings, and more.
The drone also helps with ladder placement. In the spring of 2017, the department was fighting a five-alarm fire at a large apartment building. "The drone hovered in place for three hours at 130 feet. The firemen were using the drone to move ladders around and hit different hot spots on the roof," with a precision that helicopter video would not have provided in the past, Herlocker explains.
Herlocker notes the department's relationship with the FAA has also become an asset to fighting fires. The department is required to call and clear each drone flight in advance. Recently, the FDNY had to put through an emergency request when a fire was within one mile of LaGuardia airport. "We couldn't even finish the sentence before the FAA operator said, 'We were wondering what took you so long—you have permission to go.'"
In the future, the FDNY hopes to expand the drone program to include several vehicles with ready-to-deploy drones that nest on top. The department is also looking into free-flight drones to fly inside of burning buildings, with the ability to make tight turns and assist in rescue operations.
While Herlocker says it's hard to measure exactly what the drone program has prevented, including injuries to firefighters and buildings from destruction, it has undoubtedly benefited the department. "We want the incident commander to have just a little bit better view to make safety calls and to fight the fire more efficiently," he says.
For more information: Lew Pincus, [email protected], www.hoverflytech.com, 407.985.4500
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