text:
Wombles set for Channel 5 return
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are to return to the small screen, in a new Channel 5 series made using computer-generated animation.
Based on the adventures of the loveable London litter-pickers, the 52, 11-minute shorts will air on the channel's pre-school segment Milkshake in 2015.
"The time is right for it to gain a whole new following," said Jessica Symons, Channel 5's head of children's.
Narrated by Bernard Cribbins, the original series first aired in 1973.
Uncle Bulgaria, Orinoco and the rest of Elisabeth Beresford's characters were revived on ITV in 1998.
"There are audiences of new children and international audiences who missed The Wombles the first time around," said Mike Batt, who gave the characters chart success in the 1970s.
The new-look Wombles: (l to r) Bungo, Wellington, Alderney, Madame Cholet, Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory, Tomsk and Orinoco


text:
Twitter functions for serverless arch

https://www.twilio.com/functions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Vontobel, in association with Asia Risk, is delighted to announce the 2nd annual Wealth Management Leadership Forum, an exclusive event for private banks, wealth managers, family offices and independent asset managers.
Vontobel, in association with Asia Risk, is delighted to announce the Wealth Management Leadership Forum, an exclusive event for private banks, wealth managers, family offices and independent asset managers.
Taking place on October 2nd in Singapore and 4th in Hong Kong, the half-day forum features a forward-looking agenda and presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discuss the evolution of the private banking client, changing business models and how wealthy families and asset managers can manage their portfolio of assets to achieve their desired outcome.


text:
From angels to biblical ingredients
Is there a vicar in the house? A bit of a puzzle as to how to make a cake
Historical Cookery and Mayhem
The Annual Christmas Spectacular
Lichfield Garrick
MASTER CHEF Simon Smith and Prof Roland Rotherham and their culinary double act are becoming a bit of a festive tradition at Lichfield Garrick with their mix of fact and fable from the Prof and culinary skills from Simon.
Among his tales of legends, history and royals the Prof has his own outlook on the world which he shares with the audience with such nuggets as his view that Paris Hilton is "as much use as elbows on a kipper".
Along with the demonstration of making potted venison - one of Mrs Beaton's classics - there was a potted history of Fortnum & Masons - the creators of Scotch Eggs and the first stockist in the country of Heinz baked beans - Queen Anne's eating and drinking habits and the history of the Christmas Tree.
We also have a royal court still in mourning for Queen Anne and a royal household still in mourning for Prince Albert.
Other recipes demonstrated in Simon Smith's own way were Spekelatius, Mediaeval German Christmas biscuits, a walnut stuffing from the time of Queen Anne, nutty plum crumble, which was a favourite of Prince Albert and another royal favourite, King Edward;s Angels on horseback which differs from the normal angels on horseback - oysters wrapped in bacon - by the addition of Patum Peperium.
CLOSELY GUARDED
For those who don't know Patum Peperium, or Gentleman's Relish, was created in 1828 by John Osborn and is a mixture of anchovies, butter, herbs and spices with a recipe which is a closely guarded secret has been handed down through the years.
Elsenham Quality Foods are the only company licensed to make it.
More modern are Hesther's Cheese Straws which is the recipe used by Hesther who was the 1st Te Lady in the Coffee Room when Prof Rotherham was in the Royal Household - and very tasty they are to.
There were Normandy partridges from the 17th century in a recipe including bacon, apples, cream and Calvados.
Most interesting though was a puzzle cake which is a tradition from the 15th century. The recipe, reproduced above, dates back to around 1450 and comes via Lincoln Cathedral. The ingredients for recipe are found in verses of the bible such as 3 of Jeremiah xvii 11 (eggs) or a pinch of Leviticus ii 3 (salt).
The duo provide both historical snippets, entertainment and no small measure of cooking ideas and recipes. Smith, who runs Thrales restaurant in Lichfield, is a refreshing change from celebrity TV chefs. As the show is live not everything always goes to plan but he manages to joke his way through They appear several times a year at The Garrick featuring different aspects of historical cookery and on February 18 are back in their more usual lunchtime spot in the studio covering the historical cookery of the South Seas Islands and New Zealand. This is a charity show to raise funds for Help for Heroes.
All the recipes from this year's show as well as last year's offerings, plus a review of the pair's historical cookery book, Simmering Through the Ages can be found here
Home Lichfield Garrick Reviews A-Z Reviews by Theatre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.better.alarm.view;

import android.content.Context;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.AttributeSet;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.ImageButton;
import android.widget.LinearLayout;

import com.better.alarm.R;

public abstract class TimerSetupView extends LinearLayout implements Button.OnClickListener, Button.OnLongClickListener {

    protected int mInputSize = 5;

    protected final Button mNumbers[] = new Button[10];
    protected int mInput[] = new int[mInputSize];
    protected int mInputPointer = -1;
    protected Button mLeft, mRight;
    protected Button mStart;
    protected ImageButton mDelete;
    protected TimerView mEnteredTime;
    protected final Context mContext;

    public TimerSetupView(Context context) {
        this(context, null);
    }

    public TimerSetupView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
        super(context, attrs);
        mContext = context;
        LayoutInflater layoutInflater = (LayoutInflater) context.getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
        layoutInflater.inflate(getLayoutId(), this);
    }

    abstract int getLayoutId();

    @Override
    protected void onFinishInflate() {
        super.onFinishInflate();

        View v1 = findViewById(R.id.first);
        View v2 = findViewById(R.id.second);
        View v3 = findViewById(R.id.third);
        View v4 = findViewById(R.id.fourth);
        mEnteredTime = (TimerView) findViewById(R.id.timer_time_text);
        mDelete = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.delete);
        mDelete.setOnClickListener(this);
        mDelete.setOnLongClickListener(this);

        mNumbers[1] = (Button) v1.findViewById(R.id.key_left);
        mNumbers[2] = (Button) v1.findViewById(R.id.key_middle);
        mNumbers[3] = (Button) v1.findViewById(R.id.key_right);

        mNumbers[4] = (Button) v2.findViewById(R.id.key_left);
        mNumbers[5] = (Button) v2.findViewById(R.id.key_middle);
        mNumbers[6] = (Button) v2.findViewById(R.id.key_right);

        mNumbers[7] = (Button) v3.findViewById(R.id.key_left);
        mNumbers[8] = (Button) v3.findViewById(R.id.key_middle);
        mNumbers[9] = (Button) v3.findViewById(R.id.key_right);

        mLeft = (Button) v4.findViewById(R.id.key_left);
        mNumbers[0] = (Button) v4.findViewById(R.id.key_middle);
        mRight = (Button) v4.findViewById(R.id.key_right);
        setLeftRightEnabled(false);

        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
            mNumbers[i].setOnClickListener(this);
            mNumbers[i].setText(String.format("%d", i));
            mNumbers[i].setTag(R.id.numbers_key, new Integer(i));
        }
        updateTime();
    }

    public void registerStartButton(Button start) {
        mStart = start;
    }

    public void updateStartButton() {
        boolean enabled = mInputPointer != -1;
        if (mStart != null) {
            mStart.setEnabled(enabled);
        }
    }

    public void updateDeleteButton() {
        boolean enabled = mInputPointer != -1;
        if (mDelete != null) {
            mDelete.setEnabled(enabled);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        doOnClick(v);
        updateStartButton();
        updateDeleteButton();
    }

    protected void doOnClick(View v) {

        Integer val = (Integer) v.getTag(R.id.numbers_key);
        // A number was pressed
        if (val != null) {
            // pressing "0" as the first digit does nothing
            if (mInputPointer == -1 && val == 0) return;
            if (mInputPointer < mInputSize - 1) {
                for (int i = mInputPointer; i >= 0; i--) {
                    mInput[i + 1] = mInput[i];
                }
                mInputPointer++;
                mInput[0] = val;
                updateTime();
            }
            return;
        }

        // other keys
        if (v == mDelete) {
            if (mInputPointer >= 0) {
                for (int i = 0; i < mInputPointer; i++) {
                    mInput[i] = mInput[i + 1];
                }
                mInput[mInputPointer] = 0;
                mInputPointer--;
                updateTime();
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onLongClick(View v) {
        if (v == mDelete) {
            reset();
            updateStartButton();
            updateDeleteButton();
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }

    protected void updateTime() {
        mEnteredTime.setTime(-1, mInput[4], mInput[3], mInput[2], mInput[1] * 10 + mInput[0]);
    }

    public void reset() {
        for (int i = 0; i < mInputSize; i++) {
            mInput[i] = 0;
        }
        mInputPointer = -1;
        updateTime();
    }

    public int getTime() {
        return mInput[4] * 3600 + mInput[3] * 600 + mInput[2] * 60 + mInput[1] * 10 + mInput[0];
    }

    public void saveEntryState(Bundle outState, String key) {
        outState.putIntArray(key, mInput);
    }

    public void restoreEntryState(Bundle inState, String key) {
        int[] input = inState.getIntArray(key);
        if (input != null && mInputSize == input.length) {
            for (int i = 0; i < mInputSize; i++) {
                mInput[i] = input[i];
                if (mInput[i] != 0) {
                    mInputPointer = i;
                }
            }
            updateTime();
        }
    }

    protected void setLeftRightEnabled(boolean enabled) {
        mLeft.setEnabled(enabled);
        mRight.setEnabled(enabled);
        if (!enabled) {
            mLeft.setContentDescription(null);
            mRight.setContentDescription(null);
        }
    }
}


text:
Brooks Koepka Injury May See ...
Rhein Gibson Apologizes to Caddie ...
Brooks Koepka Injury May See Him 'Miss' Majors
U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka is set to miss the opening third of the 2018 season with a wrist injury, and may not be back in action until the Masters at Augusta in April.
Koepka shot to prominence with a dominant win in the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, posting a tournament record equalling a low of 16 under par to beat fellow American Brian Harman by four shots. It was a first major for the 27-year-old Koepka, but also—he hoped—the first of many.
Having been troubled by an injury to his left wrist for the second half of the 2017 season, Koepka sought medical advice. But, check-ups with specialists and subsequent X-rays showed nothing untoward in the wrist.
However, further medical examinations have deemed that Koepka actually has a partial tear to the ECU tendon—stifling his plans for what was going to be a busy 2018. The upshot is that he faces up to 10 weeks on the sidelines to rest the wrist and allow the tear to heal naturally before he can return to the course.
Sitting on the sidelines
That rules him out on the remaining tournaments in January as well as ones in February and March. By the time he regains full fitness to contest tournaments on the PGA TOUR, it could well be the Masters at Augusta in mid-April where we next see Koepka in action.
"I am frustrated that I will now not be able to play my intended schedule," Koepka said in a statement. "But I am confident in my doctors and in the treatment they have prescribed and I look forward to teeing it up at the Masters."
It was at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii—the season-opening event played by winners on the previous year's PGA TOUR—that Koepka realised he had not allowed enough time for his wrist injury to heal. He finished last of the 34 invitees on 13 over par, a staggering 37 shots behind winner Dustin Johnson.
A persisting injury
During the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, he described the pain as feeling "like someone is jabbing a knife in my hand", prompting him to return to his doctors for a solution to the problem. A month of rest was clearly not enough; Koepka will now need two-and-a-half months on the sidelines for rest and therapy.
While off the course, Koepka will miss planned appearances in the Phoenix Open, the Honda Classic, two WGC events, the Dell Technologies Match Play and the Pebble Beach Pro-am.
Koepka entered the top 10 golf world rankings after his victory in the U.S. Open. He reached a high of number seven in the world after winning the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan prior to his injury. He is now ranked eighth in the world, but is expected to drop out of the top 10 in the coming weeks.
See also: Sergio Garcia Signs Deal With Callaway
Rhein Gibson Apologizes to Caddie Over 'Meltdown'
Sergio Garcia Signs Deal with Callaway
New Program To Benefit Young Golfers
Young Scottish golfers will benefit from a new program, developed by Scottish Golf, which aims ...
Essential Golf May 3, 2017
Patrick Reed's Masters Win 'Overshadowed' by Family History
Patrick Reed's parents were onlookers as he claimed his first major success in the ...
James Matthews April 13, 2018
Is Patrick Reed a Cheat?
Patrick Reed has been accused of being a cheat by fellow professionals after being ...
James Matthews December 9, 2019
How Did Brittany Lincicome Make Golf History?
Brittany Lincicome is the latest female golfer to create history by taking on the ...
Golf Hit by "Backstop" Row
Golf has been hit by a so-called "backstop" row after professional golfer Jimmy Walker ...
James Matthews September 6, 2018
Olympic Games Golf Format to Remain the Same in 2020
The Olympic Games golf format will remain the same in 2020 after it was ...
Annalisa D'Alessio March 29, 2018


Since Toyota introduced its "TPS" (Toyota Production System) back in 1975 with its performance and success, the term "lean" spread rapidly around the world. Now applies not only in production or in industrial environment but also in companies and organizations of all kinds.
It is actually an integrated system that includes a philosophy and practices. The basic principles and philosophy have earlier origins, in 'JIT' (Just in Time), 'Kaizen', quality circles, autonomous production cells, high performance teams, and other techniques or tools.
Overproduction. Production not needed, usually resulting from production to stock, to optimize capacity and optimal batch sizes.
Timeouts, including materials or resources that are usually waiting for controls, lack of existence, downtime etc.
Transportation. Avoiding all kinds of unnecessary transport.
The process itself. Generally parts of the production process, routines or non value operations. Often due to poorly designed or over engineered production processes.
Inventories. Stock in inventories such as components, raw materials, work in process or final products in stores or parts of the distribution.
Defects. All quality incidences, rejections or threads caused by them.
The removal of all or most of these wastes produced spectacular results. Whether that was the launching pad of philosophy 'Lean' worldwide and its application in almost all countries and all industries. Subsequently, also used in non industrial sectors and organizations.
The result in a vast majority of cases was an increase in quality and reduced cycle times and costs. Consequently, additional capacities were always generated, together with a large reduction in inventories and a more effective and economical production flow.
• Respect for people. Working together and create high performance teams must be based on respect for the other, understanding each other and building trust and credibility. This teamwork, and above all, in multifunctional teams is critical to superior performance.
• A long term vision. Management decisions are based on long-term development primarily, sometimes even contradicting goals or short-term financial results.
Continuous review of flow in processes, for problems to surface.
Use the "pull" system to avoid overproduction. I.e., the production is exclusively driven by demand. From here derives the entire methodology of "Kanban".
Create a culture of quality. First, stop everything to solve a problem. Review the process to know what produces it. A correct process must provide the required quality to the first. That means eliminate rework and the majority of quality controls at the end.
Empower workers with processes and tasks structured and reliable.
Always use visual controls, avoiding the unseen.
Use only reliable technology and thoroughly tested.
• Solving the problems continuously. Solving problems from their root causes, the organization learns and people are formed and developed. Not only internal but also external staff, the 'partners', suppliers etc.
• Bring out the value, by separation of the tasks adding value to the customer from the other. But before that, it's necessary to determine what 'value' is. Eliminating or reducing non-value activities significantly, cycle times are reduced and increased what is called 'speed' of the processes.
In summary, we understand "Lean" processes, those to which a systematic analysis from "Lean" principles and tools have been applied.
• The structure and flow identification throughout the process.
• The definition of value in the process. What value it provides and for which the customer is willing to pay.
• Value analysis of each of the tasks.
• Redesign of the process according to the above.
Consequently, the process has been redesigned and simplified, so that we can speak of a process without "waste", free of tasks that do not add value or are not necessary.
The term "lean" suggests some fat-free, light, and therefore free from unnecessary weight. The term "agile" is similar, but additionally has a certain connotation of movement, speed or ability to acquire speed, i.e., light and with good acceleration capabilities.
The agile company has made an important effort of processes acceleration. Not only, but some more: As a result of the 'lean' methodology increased quality and reduced cycle times and controls were achieved.
Then, with the additional capacity that has appeared, the company must make a decision: Apply these results only to reduce resources with the effect of cost reduction. Or, using the additional resources and capabilities obtained to do more things, in this case, obtaining flexibility and income generation capacity.
The company gains agility when you choose to use spare capacity to do something new, that is, when an innovation is made, in this case internal innovation.
Thus, the agile enterprise is one that has managed its priorities, because firstly has gained 'velocity' in all processes and second by a totally proactive approach i.e., not satisfied with the "status quo", has taken advantage of synergies.
Agility is the quality of being light, quick, and speedy. It is said of a person or animal. In the sense most commonly used in the business context, would mean the ability to be flexible in a proactive manner. Not only react quickly to changes and events, but proactively seek opportunities and how to reach them more quickly and effectively.
We talked about the agility of the acrobat, the dancer or agility in the fingers of a pianist. All are fruit, not from responsiveness and improvisation, but from long hours of training and habit formation. It's not the result only of flexibility, although this is a necessary quality. Can a company act as an acrobat or a dancer? If the word implies the possibility of a risk and long hours of training, the word may even seem appropriate. Can a company behave like the fingers of a pianist?
If the word carries the sense of acquiring habits of excellence, and the application of these habits and the speed and flexibility of interpretation, it seems also appropriate.
Lightness. It comes from the absence of "charges". In the sense of a light structure or organization, uncomplicated, neither authoritarian, nor bureaucratic. In any case, has made an application of 'lean' techniques to all processes, including innovation.
Velocity. Not in the sense of doing everything quicker and running. It means that all processes are optimized and using measures of 'velocity' in them. Cycles have been reduced by the elimination of waste, repetitive or useless tasks from the point of view of value.
Speed. Indicates that waiting times have been eliminates, the processes are realised in a continuous flow, with appropriate responses at all times, even in discontinued operations. Decisions and responses are taken, not in fire fighting way, but responding to created and structured patterns.
Elasticity. Associated also be to flexibility. Flexibility to adapt quickly to different changing needs and elasticity to know in each case the required position.
Dynamicity. It is the opposite side to the static or stationary. The dynamic company or organization is the one that moves constantly evolving to improve and adapting to changing requirements. It also includes the concepts of prediction and anticipation, without which it would be very reactive to events, while the dynamicity expressed the will to influence these events, cause and anticipate change.
• Being able to detect and / or create the same changes to existing paradigms.
In a book written back in 1998, Michael Fradette and Steve Michaud, defined the concept of "corporate kinetics,"[ii] describing the ideal company, able to adapt, to renew, to reinvent itself again, in a constant and permanent. They had already defined the way of survival for the modern enterprise, as their ability to discover, achieve, live and finally, "to be" unexpected. And therefore be able to understand customer needs and serving them to "zero time".
To build this type of behaviour, structures and business processes, they need first of "agility", as opposed to the "rigidity" that characterizes them in many cases, strengthened and supported by a flood of rules, regulations and controls framing all activity.
Jacques-Antoine Malarewiwicz, theoretical and practical of change and systems analysis,[iii] said, that change is a process to transform the impossible or unpredictable to possible. What better definition of agility in the enterprise to survive and thrive because of its ability to innovate. But he set one condition: not to be "locked" in procedures that make the structure rigid, but rather, establish processes (procemolles) light and flexible, rather great rules of behaviour (a client calls them "metarules"), (others prefer something more general and still refer to "values") that frame the steps, preserving the rapid adaptation to the context and promote agility.
Be "agile" is much more to be "flexible", but the flexibility agility shares the notion of "lightness", however, is limited to the "adaptation", which is quite remote and less strong than the "reconfiguration" .
Flexibility is defined as much resilience and thus to cope with minor changes, planned or sometimes recurring. It is what allows a company to customize a product or service adapted to your client, or in another aspect, volumes fit unexpected changes in demand or on an occasional basis.
Flexibility is a necessity in today's environment is a real need for companies because it allows adapting the routine without compromising efficacy. Something closer to continuous improvement. But not enough on innovation where reconfiguration is needed to meet future or emerging needs.
• Difference with reactivity or responsiveness.
The reactivity or responsiveness, as desired by the leaders of many companies, which make a fundamental value, in this case would be a quality third level being reactive is knowing how to react to events to avoid being late and missing an opportunity or stop giving bad service. The reaction becomes synonymous with acting too late.
Agility is often a cultural change in the company or organization. As in all cases of cultural change must be careful with people and with perceptions that the project is received.
With the theme of the process acceleration, people who are best placed to distinguish the tasks that add value or not, are often the workers themselves. You better adapt bottom-up initiatives with the vision, support and facilitation of management.
The direct operators of each process should therefore work in multifunctional teams to identify and improving all processes. To effectively implement agility in the enterprise, teams must become real self-directed, so that the people required solving problems, are designated by the same team, not by management.
It is necessary that members of management or middle management act as motivators and facilitators, helping to create and extend the strength and perseverance.
There are a couple of additional changes in which management can contribute: the first is to modify the strong focus on functional departments to devote the same priority or more focusing in processes. This is essential to unlock the waste that always seems to be generated at the interfaces between departments.
The second is to educate and designing cascade training to achieve understanding and lead to new behaviours. For years, management has focused on improvements around the organization of work and tasks, but in reality that really add value to the entire process often represent only between 3 and 5% of the total.
The education and training program for people and teams can be coordinated by the head of human resources, but should be part of the project activity, ensuring that training is directly related and applied in the work environment.
Keeping what has been achieved is difficult, going back is easy. This happens with all new philosophies, implementations and changes. It is often due to lack of management commitment, lack of communication and alignment with the target, lack of understanding or training, or that the project's goals really were not consistent with the strategy of the company. Hence the great importance of beginning, the first step.
Ongoing communication, continuous effort with not giving up and passion for the project, are required. This means continued long-term commitment that can only be achieved by changing habits and culture, so as not to accept more 'waste' or worthless tasks in business processes.
Another important aspect to keep what has been achieved is to have in place or implement an appropriate system of indicators to measure outcomes of processes, including measures of velocity.
This can bring enormous benefits to any organization or company, whether in production, services or government. Success can be achieved if there is a real commitment at the highest management level and that the company recognizes the need for change.
[iii] Jacques-Antoine Malarewiwicz, Systemique et Enterprise. Village Mondial, 2005.


text:
#include <aws/wellarchitected/model/LensStatus.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/HashingUtils.h>
#include <aws/core/Globals.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/EnumParseOverflowContainer.h>

using namespace Aws::Utils;

namespace Aws
{
  namespace WellArchitected
  {
    namespace Model
    {
      namespace LensStatusMapper
      {

        static const int CURRENT_HASH = HashingUtils::HashString("CURRENT");
        static const int NOT_CURRENT_HASH = HashingUtils::HashString("NOT_CURRENT");
        static const int DEPRECATED_HASH = HashingUtils::HashString("DEPRECATED");
        static const int DELETED_HASH = HashingUtils::HashString("DELETED");
        static const int UNSHARED_HASH = HashingUtils::HashString("UNSHARED");

        LensStatus GetLensStatusForName(const Aws::String& name)
        {
          int hashCode = HashingUtils::HashString(name.c_str());
          if (hashCode == CURRENT_HASH)
          {
            return LensStatus::CURRENT;
          }
          else if (hashCode == NOT_CURRENT_HASH)
          {
            return LensStatus::NOT_CURRENT;
          }
          else if (hashCode == DEPRECATED_HASH)
          {
            return LensStatus::DEPRECATED;
          }
          else if (hashCode == DELETED_HASH)
          {
            return LensStatus::DELETED;
          }
          else if (hashCode == UNSHARED_HASH)
          {
            return LensStatus::UNSHARED;
          }
          EnumParseOverflowContainer* overflowContainer = Aws::GetEnumOverflowContainer();
          if(overflowContainer)
          {
            overflowContainer->StoreOverflow(hashCode, name);
            return static_cast<LensStatus>(hashCode);
          }

          return LensStatus::NOT_SET;
        }

        Aws::String GetNameForLensStatus(LensStatus enumValue)
        {
          switch(enumValue)
          {
          case LensStatus::CURRENT:
            return "CURRENT";
          case LensStatus::NOT_CURRENT:
            return "NOT_CURRENT";
          case LensStatus::DEPRECATED:
            return "DEPRECATED";
          case LensStatus::DELETED:
            return "DELETED";
          case LensStatus::UNSHARED:
            return "UNSHARED";
          default:
            EnumParseOverflowContainer* overflowContainer = Aws::GetEnumOverflowContainer();
            if(overflowContainer)
            {
              return overflowContainer->RetrieveOverflow(static_cast<int>(enumValue));
            }

            return {};
          }
        }

      } // namespace LensStatusMapper
    } // namespace Model
  } // namespace WellArchitected
} // namespace Aws


text:
No more routine Covid checks for green and amber airport arrivals – report
The change is aimed at reducing queue times at airports
PA Reporter
Chris Attridge
Passengers line up for passport control in the UK Border area of Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport (Image: PA Images)
Passengers from green and amber list countries may no longer face Covid checks when arriving into England, it has been reported.
Leaked instructions to Border Force staff, first reported by The Guardian, said border and customs officials will no longer routinely verify if returning travellers tested negative before departure or completed a passenger locator form.
The change, which reportedly came into effect on Monday, is aimed at reducing queue times at airports.
Under the current rules, all passengers into the UK must provide a negative Covid test taken before departure, regardless of where they are travelling from.
They must also conduct another test two days after their arrival, and complete a passenger locator form with details such as an address.
Global Covid-19 cases and deaths (Image: PA Graphics)
Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border immigration and customs staff in the UK, told the BBC the leak was accurate.
She told the broadcaster: "Ultimately this is a political decision.
"Certainly, it will reduce queue times significantly and hopefully also the level of verbal abuse to which Border Force staff are subject.
"That is welcome to us. The impact on the UK's Covid security is ultimately a scientific determination."
A Government spokesperson told The Guardian: "Our utmost priority is protecting the health of the public and our enhanced borders regime is helping reduce the risk of new variants being transmitted.
"All passenger locator forms are still being checked by carriers, as they are legally required to do, and to suggest otherwise is wrong. This legal requirement on carriers is underpinned by a robust compliance regime, which is overseen by regulators.
"Compliance with these rules is essential in order to protect the population from new variants of Covid-19, and so there will be tough fines for those who do not follow the rules."
New Covid slogan as Government dumps Hands, Face, Space
11 people have drowned in heatwave as police find boy, 15, in canal


Hello everybody hope the sunshine is lifting you all on this glorious Sunday....i fancied joining another challenge for Penny Black Saturday challenge aslo its their 1st birthday so happy birthday toyou....tra la la tra la......im not the best stamper in the world and therefore i dont have many stamps but this gal is one i bought a while ago so hope it fits the bill..off to put the washing out...and maybe just maybe sit for a while and watch the garden grow....weeds in my case as im not a gardener either lol!!!!
Hi Sassy super card she does look very happy maybe its HER B/day...LOL great card.
This is great Sassy, I love this colour combo!
I am going to do this challenge too. I don't have any Penny Black stamps but I have a couple of images that a friend sent me a while ago so I will use one of them :) I must buy some though, they are so cute.
Oh my you have been busy, so many gorgeous cards I love them to bits.
Wecome to my blog please feel free to browse awhile at my work and please leave a message just so i know when you called... please repect my work and not to copy or post it or use it as your own they are copyrighted to me .thanks.......I am dedicating my work and some choice of songs to my darling mum who passed away before christmas .love and miss you soo much it hurts.
This blog is pure giggleness.


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Fake check leads to police chase
Lauren Baheri
A Charlotte man lead police on a chase after he attempted to pay with a fake check at a Denver Walgreens Tuesday night.
Police allege Valentine Herbert Smith, 45, of 6322 Hidden Forest Lane, Charlotte, was trying to buy more than $230 worth of items from the Walgreens at 7385 N.C. 73. When the check would not process the clerk called 911.
When deputies arrived, Smith fled the scene, police said. Smith fled north on N.C. 16 in the wrong lane toward oncoming traffic, according to police. When the car turned into a development on Smith Cove Road in Denver, a resident told deputies the car had driven towards a dead end.
Deputies located Smith in his vehicle talking on his cell phone and took him into custody.
He is charged with uttering a forged instrument, obtaining property by false pretense, resisting arrest, speeding while attempting to elude and fictitious information on registration application.
He was jailed in a $10,000 secured bond.
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Here Comes KitTea, San Francisco's First Cat Cafe
by Rose Garrett Jan 22, 2014, 7:12am PST
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A cat cafe in Seohyeon, South Korea. [Photo: Chantelle/Flickr]
Japan is ahead of the curve on a lot of things: caretaker robots, vending machines for nearly everything, and yes, cat cafes where humans come to snack, sip tea and play with a "staff" of felines. Now, local duo Courtney Hatt and David Braginsky are planning to open up their very own version of a cat cafe right here in San Francisco. Called KitTea, the new spot would bring cat-lovers their feline fix in a relaxed, zen-like environment, complete with gourmet tea and snacks.
The idea came to Hatt after reading an article about cat cafes, which provided a stark contrast to her experience as a harried coffee-shop patron. She teamed up with software engineer Braginsky to turn dreams for a human and cat oasis into reality, which they hope to do after they find the perfect location (with lots of sunlight and near the Mission or Hayes Valley, most likely) and raise money through a crowdfunding campaign. Once that's in place, they'll design a space that's both people- and cat-friendly (think an eclectic mix of tables, floor seating and couches with a relaxed lounge atmosphere).
They've worked carefully to ensure that KitTea will be safe and enjoyable for both humans and cats, and are working on a set of behavior guidelines (no picking up cats, for instance), as well as talking to the Health Department about how to incorporate food and drinks into the equation. Braginsky says they'll resolve any health-code issues by separating the cat lounge and the food and drink station into two distinct areas, but that patrons can choose to take their snacks and tea into the cat lounge if they like. So far, they know that they'll be sourcing a streamlined menu of organic teas from a local provider, and serving a combination of Asian and American snacks (think mochi and chocolate truffles).
Ideally, they'd like to work with a local pet adoption or rescue organization to allow cafe patrons to adopt cats that they bond with during their visits, but the logistics of that process are still to be figured out. With a lot more to work out, Braginsky is targeting a summer opening date for KitTea, but he stresses that this is not a money-making enterprise. Instead, he sees it as a way to create community around cats and a more thoughtful, contemplative cafe culture.
We'll keep you posted, but avid cat-lovers can follow KitTea's progress on Facebook or on their website.
· All Coming Attractions [~ ESF ~]


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Sports Cricket 04 Dec 2021 Despite Omicron scar ...
Sports, Cricket
Despite Omicron scare, BCCI set to clear Indian team's travel to South Africa
Published Dec 4, 2021, 11:50 am IST
Updated Dec 4, 2021, 11:50 am IST
The tour comprises three Tests, three ODIs and four T20 Internationals and is scheduled to start on December 17 at the Johannesburg
The players will remain in a water-tight environment during the near seven-week tour. (AFP)
Mumbai: Indian cricketers will travel to South Africa later this month despite the threat of new COVID-19 mutant Omicron as the BCCI is convinced that the bio-bubble being created by the CSA will be safe and secure for the players.
The tour comprises three Tests, three ODIs and four T20 Internationals and is scheduled to start on December 17 at the Johannesburg.
The players will remain in a water-tight environment during the near seven-week tour.
"We are going to South Africa and that's confirmed," a senior BCCI official, privy to development, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
It is understood that the stamp of approval will be given by the general body during Saturday's BCCI AGM as India's FTP tour is one of the topics on the agenda.
The Indian team might leave a bit late rather than the scheduled departure immediately after the home series against New Zealand.
The matches are likely to be held behind closed doors but for Cricket South Africa, their financial health depends on the India team's visit as multi-million dollar TV rights are at stake.
For BCCI, one of the biggest positives has been India A team's ongoing tour of South Africa, where they are engaged in three-match Test series.
"The information we received is that the bio-bubble created by CSA is safe and secured. Also there hasn't been a lot of data available as of now as to how severe and detrimental it could be. Also we have not received any communication from the government on not going ahead with the tour.
"The team will enter the bubble shortly and travel by a charter flight. Even if there is a delay, it will be bubble to bubble transfer and hence no hard quarantine will be required," the source said.
However the issue that BCCI will have to deal with is what happens to the squad on their return from South Africa. The Indian government have specific rules for passenger returning from the Rainbow Nation.
Rahane's Test Vice-captaincy may be in jeopardy
Ajinkya Rahane's poor run of form which saw him getting dropped from the Test XI against New Zealand in Mumbai also puts his vice-captaincy in doubt.
Once KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma comeback into the fld and Virat Kohli already back and Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal all among runs, Rahane no longer remains an automatic choice.
There is every chance that he might not get a start in South Africa even if he makes the cut. In this scenario, the vice-captaincy candidates are white ball skipper Rohit Sharma and his T20 deputy KL Rahul, who are now automatic choices.
CVC Capital set to get IPL nod
It is understood that BCCI will give the letter of intent to CVC Capital which successfully bid for the Ahmedabad franchise. The BCCI had kept their letter of intent on hold after it was found that they are into business of sports betting in some other countries.
Tags: bcci, indian cricket team
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have topped a list of ideal Christmas guests people would want to invite to their family dinner.
The new parents, who will spending the holidays with the Royals at Sandringham, have been voted the perfect dinner guests to spend the festive holidays with in a poll conduced by Personalise.co.uk.
Prince William and Kate held off stiff competition from Harry Potter author JK Rowling, Stephen Fry and Hollywood actor George Clooney.
This Christmas, the Duke and Duchess will be enjoying their first Christmas with son Prince George who was born in July.
The royal couple will spend Christmas Day with the Royal Family including the Queen, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.
This Wednesday the British royal family gathered together for the Christening of Prince George, and delighted the press with a collection of official family photos. The royals, headed by the 87-year old monarch Queen Elizabeth II, are notoriously camera-shy and when it comes to big events like this, they tend only to employ their own professional photographers. Following the Christening of the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which took place at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace, official royal family photos were taken in the Morning Room at Clarence House in London.
Baby Cambridge now has a name! Prince William and Kate Middleton announced Wednesday they have named their 3-day-old son George Alexander Louis. His official title is His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. He is third in line to the throne behind dad Prince William and grandfather Prince Charles.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son George Alexander Louis. The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," reads a statement released by Kensington Palace.
Kate Middleton and Prince William don't plan to hand off baby duty to a nanny, according to insiders. Although the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will reportedly employ a part time nanny for when they need to attend to royal duties, they plan to take on the majority of caring for their first child themselves. A part-time nanny will also enable the Duchess to continue with her charity work.
"They want to be as hands on as possible," a source tells Us Weekly magazine.
Middleton's pregnancy was announced on December 3 after she was hospitalized for acute morning sickness. The 30-year-old made her first official public appearance since the announcement at BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Awards on Sunday. She helped David Beckham present Lifetime Achievement awards to Lord Seb Coe, Jessica Ennis and Bradley Wiggins.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are really getting dolled up for the first anniversary of their royal wedding.
Mattel Inc, the U.S. maker of Barbie dolls, said this week it will release a special two-doll set in April to mark the one-year anniversary of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding at Westminster Abbey.
The figures, part of Mattel's Barbie Collector series, will come dressed up in outfits duplicating those the couple wore in a ceremony that was viewed by an estimated 3 billion people worldwide.
For Kate, that means a miniature of the traditional white dress and veil she wore, as well as a teeny-tiny tiara just like the diamond-studded original she borrowed from Queen Elizabeth.
The price for the two-doll set is $100 and Mattel is taking pre-orders at http://www.barbiecollector.com.
The royal couple joins others in Mattel's Barbie Collector, including country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as TV stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.


Are you interested in learning the success strategies of highly sought after entrepreneurs. Do you want to know what it takes to establish highly successful and profitable companies like Jose Hawilla?
Jose Hawilla is a renowned entrepreneur and he works hard to meet the needs of consumers. His aim is to build businesses that cater to the needs of his clients and customers. Jose Hawilla takes appropriate steps to ensure that he has qualified professionals on his team.
When it comes to starting a business, or investing in a lucrative opportunity, it is advisable to learn from those who have established successful enterprises. Starting a business without adequate knowledge of your industry, or the specific area you're interested in, is not a good idea.
In Brazil, Jose Hawilla is highly regarded due to the advice and guidance he provides to ambitious individuals and other entrepreneurs. Jose Hawilla has been building profitable businesses and organizations for a long time and he is well recognized throughout the world.
If you want to achieve success like Jose Hawilla or other highly successful entrepreneurs, it is imperative that you take the time to find out how they handle business situations. How do these successful entrepreneurs react to adversity? What do they do when they encounter obstacles or setbacks?
If you study Hawilla and the way to runs his group of companies, you will certainly find out that he has confidence in his ability to get things done, no matter how tough the situation may be.
Successful people do not give up when obstacles or challenges show up. Instead, they review the situation and come up with a better approach to getting what they want. They remain focused and get back on track.
Successful people let go of what isn't working, take the time to reevaluate, implement a new strategy, and keep moving towards your goal. It is important to learn from your failure or mistake and move forward.


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Ukrainian Army continues its offensive in the east of the country
Photo: AFP
The conflict in eastern Ukraine continues in tense situation after the Army rejected the possibility of a truce and aims to gain control of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
On early Sunday Kiev continued the offensive in the vicinity of Donetsk, to tighten the noose around the main stronghold of the pro-Russian uprising, the press service of the organization reported.
"We hit the main bases of the enemy," said a statement from the military command in Facebook, according to EFE. The insurgents suffered casualties without specifying the number of deaths or injuries as a result of the offense, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the rebels reported to the agency Interfax that the Ukrainian Army opened fire yesterday in the suburbs of Kirovski district, Donetsk at 04:00, leaving a total of 19 power substations damaged in the district Adminposiólok, reported the City Hall of the locality in a statement.
Figueroa and his team still enjoy the precautionary measures by the IACHR
Iran approves law that prohibits vasectomies to increase birth rate
Why is inflation so low in Latin America and what does it say about the region's economy


The Bank of the United States' charter is due to be renewed, and Taney advises Jackson to let it expire, which is exactly what Jackson wants to hear. Two consecutive Secretaries of the Treasury, Lewis cLane and William J. Duane, support the bank and refuse to remove federal money from it. Jackson finally appoints Taney as Secretary of the Treasury because he trusts Taney to help him kill the bank. Taney will obligingly do so.
Carl Brent Swisher, Roger B. Taney (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1935), 160-255.
How to Cite This Page: "Roger Taney becomes Secretary of the Treasury due to the Bank War," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/14194.


Acupuncture treatments for Sports Athletes, Injuries, Causes, Why all athletes should use Acupuncture Medicine?
All athletes and coaches are involved in an ongoing search for ways to improve performance and gain a competitive edge over their rivals. Many are finding that acupuncture can often provide that edge.
By following the principles of Oriental medicine, an acupuncture treatment can strengthen body function and restore internal harmony and balance. Professional sports teams and top athletes regularly have an acupuncturist on staff to treat injuries and keep them performing at their peak.
Chinese swimmer, Wang Qun, was photographed doing some last minute training in Beijing with round marks on her back from a traditional Chinese medicine treatment. The marks on the swimmer's back were caused by cupping. Cupping is a technique in which a glass cup or bamboo jar is suctioned onto the body. It is used to relieve muscle pain, especially back pain from stiffness or injury; and to clear congestion in the chest, which can occur with common colds and influenza.
A study published in the January, 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine examined the effects of acupuncture on cyclists. Twenty young (between 18 and 30 years of age) male cyclists underwent three tests per week, riding a stationary bike for 20 kilometers as fast as possible. The volunteers were divided into three groups that either received acupuncture, sham acupuncture or no acupuncture.
Acupuncture points were chosen on the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine and administered immediately before cycling. Sham acupuncture was shallow needling of known acupoints. Not only did the study show that the group that received acupuncture had a higher RPE scores compared to the other tests. The men receiving the real acupuncture treatments completed their cycling tests at a higher acceleration than the others. Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in reducing most types of pain, including sports-related injuries.


Looking for a comforter for warmer climates? This comforter is what you are looking for! Sewn through construction helps to keep down in place. Comes with duvet loops to secure the comforter. Soft 230 thread count down proof cambric cotton and 600 fill power white down fill creates a luxurious sleep experience.
Queen- 4 Pieces/Box, 23 lbs.
King- 4 Pieces/Box, 26 lbs.


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Christianity in Europe Was a Religion Of, For, and By the Elite.
(Christianity = Marxism-Postmodernism)
"All roads lead to Rome.
Christianity in Europe was a religion of, for, and by the elite. For example Catholic Mass was given in Latin until 1963. Did peasants speak, read or understand Latin? Not 12th century french peasants that is for damn sure. The elite nature of the church goes back to the original legitimacy of kings. When the Roman Empire collapsed there was a huge power vacuum in the conquered territories. The very small and very young Catholic Church held onto its dominance in Europe by holding onto the power of the ancient Pontiff Maximus. Kindling the ancient legitimacy and glory of Rome the Pope was the origin of authority in Christendom.
Here we have to interject a distinction between the Eastern and western Roman empires. In the Orthodox and Eastern Church the High Priest did not trump the authority of the Kings/Emperors. But, in the West the Pontiff (Pope) did trump the authority of kings. This traditional distinction between the two could go back to Caesar being Pontiff Maximus before being Emperor. And later Constantine being King who appointed priests.
Remember when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor? This was to signify that he stands over the authority of the pope. First off what we know today as France was not completely unified during the Middle Ages. It was actually a diverse place with a Normans, Franks, Goths, Anglo-Germanic peoples, and who could forget the Swiss.
If we start with the two hundred years between Charlemagne and the Norman invasion of Great Britain (East Anglia) in 1066 as a measure we can be assured that peasants in Europe were still very pagan. Charlemagne (crowned by the Pope) spread the authority of the Holy Roman Empire with a sword. Charlemagne is basically the ultimate Christian warrior king for Christ. If you do some digging you will find much of his kingship was spent on horseback spreading the word by spilling blood. He traveled collected taxes and asserted his and the Churches legitimate authority.
In Early Christian France alone there is a very very diverse group of peoples living together. So basically the average peasant would only know what they are told by the Church i.e. the divine nature of the king, the dominance of the Christ, the meaning of the divine birth, and the meaning of Christ's death. What is interesting is the degree of which the early church in Europe actually adapted the rituals and practices of the people in Europe.
For exapmle we even today still celebrate, May first (Beltaine), Christmas (Saturnalia), Easter(Roman New Year), and Holloween (Samhaine). Have you ever played around a May Pole? Have you ever kissed under Holly? What about drinking at the modern New Year? All of these holidays (Holy Days) were originally pagan holy days. Is it not interesting how we still celebrate them? Did you know the puritan colony of Massachusetts had laws prohibiting all of the aforementioned Holy Days on the grounds that they were in fact Pagan!
So basically the early church appealed to the native religions of Europe by adapting their practices. Because remember, Europeans were the first conquest of the cross they had to be slowly integrated because there were far to many pagans to kill.
So in a TLDR answer to your question a peasant in early christian France would most likely still know about the ancient religion of their forefathers. They would be practicing Christians but the practices of villages across France would be markedly different. If you ever visit France you will notice village saints or church relics across the country. The peasants would know relatively know nothing outside of their small worlds. Being illiterate and with feudal system laws in place tying people to the land there was little opportunity for people to learn much about the world out side of what the local authority figures said. Those saints were once either pagan gods or heroes now forgotten and adapted by the Church. Those relics therein were once pagan relics. This was the only way the early church was able to survive in the Pagan stronghold of Europe. Through a conquest of integration built off of the once Omnipotent authority of the Roman Empire.
Remember Beowulf was written down in the 11th century the line between pagan and christian was still fairly thin well into the renascence. There are some, like Colin, who have even theorized that the Druids, and Pagan Kings went underground joining the church in an attempt to keep their ancient traditions alive."
Edit: sources:
Viola, Frank and Greg Barna: Pagan Chritianity (2008)
González, Justo L. (1984). The Story of Christianity: Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Reformation. San Francisco: Harper.
Grabar, André (1968). Christian iconography, a study of its origins. Princeton University Press.
Morris, Colin (1989). The papal monarchy : the western church from 1050 to 1250. Oxford: Clarendon.
The Mistake Was Combining It with The Militia.
The Cheapest of Slaves


My Mio Alpha worked with the runtastic app. Now I want to switch to MapMyTracks but I can´t connect the watch using the android app (oneplus one). Watch not supported? Me stupid?
Hay una versión en español de este sitio? mi inglés es limitado.


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Dustin Johnson opens with 64 at Pebble
Dustin Johnson takes a drop from an unplayable lie in the rough on the 10th green in the third round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. Johnson birdied the hole despite the penalty. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) - photo by Associated Press
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Dustin Johnson wanted to make sure he got off to a good start as the defending champion of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He succeeded Thursday because of a phenomenal finish.
Johnson overpowered the par 5s on a pristine day at Pebble Beach and closed with five consecutive birdies to tie the tournament record with a 30 on the back nine. He finished with an 8-under 64 and was atop the leaderboard.
Charley Hoffman had a 6-under 64 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula, the newcomer to a three-course rotation that opened to rave reviews and scenery to match.
"One of my favorites now on tour," Phil Mickelson said after a 68 at Monterey Peninsula.
The best round might have belonged to David Duval, who played bogey-free until the final hole for a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill, traditionally the toughest course of the bunch. The average score at Spyglass was 71.52, compared with a 70.89 at Pebble Beach and a 69.97 at Monterey Peninsula.
So who's leading?
"No one," Duval said, laughing. "All the courses are so different. It's hard to tell until after the third day."
J.B. Holmes finished eagle-birdie at Pebble Beach for a 7-under 65, an unusual streak that began by holing out an 8-iron on the par-4 eighth hole over the edge of the Pacific Ocean. K.J. Choi also had a 65 at Pebble Beach.
The most famous of the three courses was the best place to be in such serene conditions. If wind and rain is in the forecast — anything is possible in these parts — it's best to get Pebble out of the way.
"It's one of the best places you want to be when it's good weather," Johnson said. "It's so pretty, too. It's a fun place to be."
It's always good to have length, and Johnson used that to his advantage.
He reached the front edge of the green on the 573-yard 14th hole, setting up a chip and a putt to start his birdie run. Johnson was worried momentarily when he pulled his 3-wood toward the out-of-bounds stake, safe by some 20 feet and leaving him a sand wedge that he hit inside 6 feet. Johnson finished with another big drive that left him only a 3-iron to the middle of the par-5 18th green.
But it was a 7-iron that left him the most pleased.
Johnson had 169 yards to the hole, typically an 8-iron. But with the pin to the back right, he tried to protect against too much spin down the slope. Instead, he hit what Johnson called a "chip 7-iron" that settled about 6 feet away.
"One of the better swings," he said.
Johnson missed a 30-inch par putt on the fifth hole, but that's not unusual at this tournament, with soft, damp greens that get plenty of footprints considering the 156 players each have an amateur partner.
Holmes also missed a par putt about that length on the par-3 seventh hole, but he bounced back better than he could have imagined. The 8-iron over a corner of the ocean to a tough green at No. 8 covered the flag and landed about 10 feet behind the cup before it spun back into the hole. He followed that with a 40-foot birdie putt on the ninth.
"That's one of those rare occasions when you make one and you actually hit it perfect," he said of his 8-iron from 175 yards.
Holmes has been working with Dave Stockton over the last month, and the first instruction was to ditch the belly putter. Stockton wanted Holmes to putt the way he did as a kid — similar to the advice Stockton gave Mickelson— and Holmes learned quickly that it was tough to make a forward press with the end of a putter jabbed into his gut.
"That was a pretty quick decision," Holmes said. "I had been wanting to go to the short putter, anyway."
The celebrities were at Monterey Peninsula, and the antics were at a minimum. Most of them — whether it's Bill Murray or George Lopez or Andy Garcia — pace themselves for the third round Saturday at Pebble Beach.
The best golf out of Mickelson's group belonged to Brian Gay, who shot a 68. Mickelson made the turn at 3 under, but he missed a short par putt on the 14th and played his final eight holes in 1 over.
One similarity to Pebble — along with the Pacific scenery — is that it's best to play Monterey Peninsula on a calm day. Half of the holes run along the coast, making them exposed to the wind.
"We caught it on a pretty calm day, and I thought that there were some low rounds to be had out there," Mickelson said. "But you've got to make some putts. That was the one area that I didn't quite do."
Hoffman's highlight was an eagle at the par-5 sixth with a hybrid that cleared the bunker and stayed on the top shelf, some 18 feet away. His green-and-black shoes were no match for the "Gumby & Smurf" pairing of 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa, dressed all in green, and 21-year-old Rickie Fowler, dressed all in blue.
Fowler wound up with a 67, while the Japanese teen had a 72.


Neverwinter featured some outdated Founder's and ZEN packs that the devs finally decided to substantially rework in Module 15. Some packs are now much cheaper, and all come with extra goodies. In this article we want to dish out some guidance for those that do not yet own the packs and ask themselves whether it's worth investing the ZEN. Despite some similarities the packs feature slightly different content and picking the one with the most value might not be that easy. So let's get through the choices and figure it all out!
The core contents of the packs didn't change, it's just that their names now put more focus on the included races. All packs are available for 6,000 and feature different reward tiers. The first one contains a race (for race packs), character slot, race reroll (for race packs) and one month of VIP. The second tier basically consists all the content of the former packs and is account-unlocked. It means that all characters on an account, present and future ones, can claim the package. This especially make the mounts and companions more valuable the more characters you have. Last but not least, the third tier is a one-time claim and mostly features an Adventurer's Support Pack, Epic Insignia Choice Packs, and Bonding Runestones.
While discussing the packs below, I'll focus on the differences and features that are worth mentioning. Stuff like the "Ring of Violet Luminescence" for example is just a visual gadget that holds little value and no gameplay relevance.
The Moon Elf Pack is a classic example of a pack which generates most of its value from the unique contents. The best item might be the Sylph Companions, and its glory days in PVP thanks to the strong control resist bonus are long gone. I personally wouldn't spend 6,000 on it, but I know some fellas like unicorns a lot! But the race doesn't offer me enough and the rest of the pack is fairly common as well. As always the included items are of much greater use when you're still a new player, but if you do not absolutely want Moon Elfs, I'd much rather invest my money in another pack.
The same can unfortunately be said about the Defender of Neverwinter Pack. The mount and companion are only useful to fill your slots, and the Greycloak weapon only serviceable on low levels. Probably because there is no race included, this pack features a few more one-time claims. But it's hardly enough to warrant the 6,000.
The former Hero of the North Pack received the most substantial price reduction, going from 20,000 to 6,000. Just like the Moon Elf Pack it's nice to add a the Renegade Drow to your options of races, but I'm not sure it's actually superior for some builds. With its debuff trait it fits support toons, but the normal Drow has a stronger one. The Heavy Giant Spider is a little bit better than other mounts because it has Power as equip bonus. But other than that, the pack doesn't stand out or fall off in any category.
That doesn't apply to the Dragonborn Race Pack, which offers considerably more than other packs. It comes with an account-unlocked artifact, a ring that scales with your level, and a bag with 30 slots instead of just 12. Add that the race features great bonuses for DPS and you get why this pack has been a fan-favorite even before the rework. Even the companion is somewhat useful. Augments are not as strong as Bonding Runestones for the endgame, but they present a very convenient way to set up alternate characters.
Overall I think 6,000 is a steep price for what the packs offer and you definitely want to wait for a discount to grab them. As often you slightly overspend for unique looks and items that do not give you equal gameplay value back. The one exception is the Dragonborn Race Pack, which adds a lot more convenience to your account, especially if you're an "altoholic". You can set up new characters with a mount, augment companion, sizeable bag, scaling ring, and artifact. That's something no other pack can offer. So if you're looking to buy any pack, then it would be the Dragonborn one. Actually I'd recommend getting it at some point anyway for the mentioned reasons.
What's your favorite from the reworked packs? Share your thoughts on our social channels, in the comments below, or visit our message board!
"fellas like unicorns" outside of deadpool, this is actually a thing?
And the Dragon-born pack is clearly best as the account-wide bag alone makes it worth getting on sale.
The fishing has been seriously messed up!
It's now no longer worth bothering with sadly!
For new players, I think comparing the 6,000 Zen pack price with the cost of 3,500 Zen for an Epic Mount, Account-Wide, and an Epic Companion, 2,500 Zen, Single purchase is a valid analysis. That's 8,500 Zen for your two free characters, and you won't get any of the races, fashion and other stuff.
Of course, if you know what you are doing, you would probably want to buy two Chultan Tigers, not a Sylph, Black Panther or Black Dragon Ioun stone. It's very rare to find decent companions on the Zen Market, most come from lock boxes (or green ones from Trade Bars). And the Heart of the Red Dragon artifact is not bad for a tanky class like GF or OP.
When you consider that most things are claimable by all characters forevermore, the packs are more attractive to new players who want to play multiple characters then they are for old timers and BIS end-game players who may now focus on one or two, with Alt Armies doing professions.
The more characters you have the better the value of the packs, especially the DB pack. But for new players who may want to buy an extra 6 character slots to roll one of each class, it's one of the best if just for the bags. Especially as it now includes a an Epic Mount and one of the best Epic Ioun Stones, in addition to the race, the fashion and the artifact.
A friend of mine said he got the Zero of the North pack in beta as mounts were single purchases back then. And Wanderer's Fortune on an Epic, account-wide mount is a good thing now. I have heard that the normal Drow racial bonus does not work, but he says the Menzoberranzen Renegade has always worked. Others will have to test that. But $200 was a ludicrous price.
And now these packs get 3 epic insignia and 3 rank 7 bondings as well.
Or is it 3 rank 8 bondings?


text:
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Some Thoughts about Change, Innovation, and Watching Paint Dry
Let's face it, in the U.S. change is far sexier than stability. Words like "innovation," "revolution,""disruption,"and, of course, "reform" have replaced the 19th century common word of "progress." With so much evidence about war, civil war, torture, poverty, in the world, the concept of "progress" is a hard sell. But not the idea of change. Especially, technological change. From iPhones to Chromebooks to driverless cars to controlling all home appliances with clicks on smart phones, Americans will line up outside stores days in advance to buy the next new thing.
Stability, continuity, day-after-day routines hardly excites Americans or makes films (except perhaps Andy Warhol creations). Stability is, you guessed it, ho-hum, prompting open-mouth yawns. No pizzaz, no cheerleaders, no drum rolls accompany calls for more stability in daily routines or in life. Political leaders from U.S. presidents to local school board members promise to turnaround the status quo. Particularly, when the topic is tax-supported, compulsory public education for children and youth ages 6-16 across the U.S. For the past thirty years, civic, business, and philanthropic leaders have targeted U.S. public schools for their mediocrity, as compared to international economic competitors. Calls for "transformation" of school governance, curriculum, organization, and instruction have rolled off the tongues of politicians, CEOs, and superintendents. What policymakers, practitioners, parents, and researchers too often overlook or ignore is the dual purposes (and paradox) of compulsory public education in a democracy. Tax-supported public schools are expected to conserve and change.
Consider public opinion polls on what schools should do for U.S. children and youth. One illustrates the rich array of collective and individual purposes that parents and taxpayers expect schools to achieve. In order of importance, the top five purposes were as follows:
*Prepare youth to become responsible citizens;
*Help young people become economically sufficient;
*Ensure a basic level of quality among schools;
*Promote cultural unity among all Americans;
*Improve social conditions for people.[i]
The numerous and competing goals would not have surprised education scholars who have documented these public expectations for children attending schools. In the late 1970s, John Goodlad and associates conducted a major study involving 38 urban, suburban, and rural schools in seven states across the country. Their "Study of Schooling" examined the historic goals of U.S. schools and those they found stated in district, state, and school documents. There were 62.[ii]
Of course, I do not need to lean on public opinion polls to assert that public schooling's socializing role remains a powerful expectation among parents and taxpayers since schools historically have been agents of preserving civic and moral values. Go into any preschool or kindergarten classroom and see how the teachers train young children to take turns, wash their hands before eating, to talk things through rather than hit one another–you get the picture. For older students, what they should learn in class has prompted battles over school prayer and ugly spats over whether "creationism" or "intelligent design" should be taught in high school science courses.
Historically, public schools have been expected to both conserve community values and traditions while simultaneously giving children and youth the knowledge and skills to make changes in their lives, communities, and yes, in those very values and traditions they absorbed. Some commentators see this as the ongoing conflict between the school's traditional purpose of transmitting the dominant culture and the purpose of becoming a modern institution in step with the ever-changing society. That dual purpose of public schools has been often lost in current and past reformers' enthusiastic embrace of schools becoming modern change-agents solving grave national problems.
This conflict in values prizing both continuity and change help explain the laundry list zealous reformers and ardent supporters of the traditional purposes have compiled about change and stability in public schools.
*Schools are resistant to change;
*Schools adopt one fad after another
*Schools change at a glacial pace;
*Schools move at warp speed in embracing innovations.
The contradictory complaints go to the paradox of what parents, voters, policymakers, and practitioners expect of schools and what seems to happen after reform-driven policies are adopted. Even after many changes are introduced into districts and schools, abiding routines and practices persist. Some social scientists call this phenomenon "institutional stasis" and "dynamic conservatism" where the Siamese twins of change and stability keep the organization in balance. In public schools it is not change or stability; it is both at the same time. Coping with this paradox of reform requires policymakers and practitioners to recognize the conflict embedded in the two-fold function of tax-supported public schools and then to—I use a metaphor here–master the art of jiu-jitsu in bringing opposites into harmony in a gentle, supple, and gradual way, a task that few policymakers achieve.
Educators often get flummoxed when they are expected to preserve community and national values while simultaneously being asked to make changes in school organization, curriculum, and instruction in order to solve larger economic and social problems harming the nation. Repeated criticisms of public schools over decades arise from this misunderstanding among fervent reformers of the public school's basic role to both conserve and change.
Transmitting the dominant values and beliefs in the culture is far less sexy a proposition–more like watching paint dry–than "disrupting," transforming," and "revolutionizing," public schools.
[i] Lowell Rose and Alec Gallup, " The 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools"Phi Delta Kappan, September 2000, p. 47.
[ii] John Goodlad, A Place Called School (New York: McGraw Hill, 1984), pp.50-56.
Filed under dilemmas of teaching, Reforming schools
Tagged as dilemmas of teaching, school reform
15 responses to "Some Thoughts about Change, Innovation, and Watching Paint Dry"
drext727
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
Thanks for re-blogging post on stability and change.
JoeN
Stability is one of the least understood and most powerful characteristics of genuinely excellent schools. It is one of the main reasons many of the world's most entrepreneurial and wealthiest citizens, place their children in UK boarding schools. It is also accounts for why some of these schools have been so successful exporting their model of schooling abroad.
http://www.reptondubai.org
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http://www.haileyburyalmaty.kz
Unfortunately, as you point out Larry, stability also has minimal appeal to either policymakers or politicians, usually of the liberal left, who regard such schools not as the models of excellence they really are: but as barriers to progress.
Thanks for a view from UK, Joe, on stability and change.
Wilson Lambert
I don't know what to say! I mean I am speechless? I always have more to say than I need to. But that comment "watching the paint dry" has me in serious reflection. And I want to tell you, that in deep reflection I am not a proponent of charter schools, but it is time to dismantle public education as we know it. If one is on the front lines of a public school and urban public schools in particular, then one has a clear and acute understanding of the systemic processes and abundance of school structure that actually inhibits learning. It is my firm belief that a majority of "peculiar" phenomenon associated with the public school house has it's origins in the bureaucracy of school administration and their refusal to teach in the classroom. And I do not mean an AP Class, or an honors class, but have to teach some classes as part of their workload in a high needs classroom. It is within the confine of this arena where one can truly separate fact from fiction. Thank you again Larry……………….
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Wilson.
Dave aka Mr. Math Teacher
"If one is on the front lines of a public school and urban public schools in particular, then one has a clear and acute understanding of the systemic processes and abundance of school structure that actually inhibits learning. It is my firm belief that a majority of "peculiar" phenomenon associated with the public school house has it's origins in the bureaucracy of school administration and their refusal to teach in the classroom. And I do not mean an AP Class, or an honors class, but have to teach some classes as part of their workload in a high needs classroom. It is within the confine of this arena where one can truly separate fact from fiction."
I could not agree more, Wilson. My opinion extends from the secondary and elementary school system to teacher preparation programs in higher education. As with anything in life, the further you are from the action, the less timely and less informed your decisions. Simple and true. If anything, this fact seems to support the teacher led school model.
I would like to know more about the teacher led model? I have read some articles/very little on the subject and their is not a lot of research on the topic, but when examining the historical role of public schools (e.g. superintendent) these are positions that were created over time in response to politics. I am in support of teacher led school models but I would like to add that it needs to go a lot further in regard to policy/school governance. School boards as we know them need to be changed significantly. This could happen through the introduction of new legislation in this regard. It is my firm belief that school boards need to be comprised of educators that serve for a certain length of time. Most school boards are comprised of parents with axes to grind, and special interest groups within the community with self-serving hidden agendas. By implementing boards of education comprised of licensed educators within a district a lot of the politics can be eliminated, and the business of improving student achievement and school experiences of students can begin. Thanks for sharing…
I do not have any specific research on teacher-led schools, however, I never let that stop me. Google is my best friend, as is JSTOR, when I have access. I believe boards of ed need former teachers, a current student or two, parents, and community members as members in the spirit of our founding fathers.
teachingbattleground
Reblogged this on The Echo Chamber.
Thanks for re-blogging post on change.
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