text:
ALBANY – A federal judge dismissed a challenge to New York's soon-to-take-effect law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses, ruling Friday that the county clerk who filed the lawsuit didn't have standing to sue.
The 32-page ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford of Rochester allowed New York's "Green Light Law" to stand but did not rule on the merits of Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns' lawsuit, which argued that the state law approved this year conflicts with federal immigration statute.
Instead, Wolford's ruling found Kearns, the lead plaintiff, did not have legal standing to file the suit because he didn't adequately show he has been harmed by the law, a constitutional requirement.
"In other words, while (Kearns) may strenuously disagree with the Green Light Law, he is not the proper party to challenge its legitimacy because he has failed to establish an injury that is recognized under the law," Wolford wrote.
From August:Monroe County files suit over law that allows driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants
Major win for supporters
The ruling was a major victory for supporters of the law, which was approved by the Legislature and signed by Cuomo in June.
New York became the 13th state to allow undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses.
The law is scheduled to take effect Dec. 14, at which time immigrants will be able to use valid, foreign-issued documents — such as a passport — to prove their identity while applying for a driver's license.
But a second lawsuit filed by Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola, a Republican, remains pending in Albany federal court, and Kearns could choose to appeal Wolford's ruling. Either legal action could result in a court putting a pause on the law.
Columnist (From July): Undocumented workers toil on our farms, we should allow them to get a license
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican who lost her bid for re-election Tuesday, also filed a challenge to the law in state Supreme Court.
Both lawsuits were filed against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat whose administration will oversee the implementation of the law.
State Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office defended against the lawsuit, touted Wolford's decision Friday.
"Today's decision reinforces our position all along — the Green Light law is legal and enforceable," she said in a statement. "The law aims to make our roads safer, our economy stronger, and allows immigrants to come out of the shadows to sign up as legal drivers in our state."
Kearns, a Democrat who ran on the Republican line, criticized the decision, calling it a "hollow" victory for James because the judge didn't rule on the merits of his arguments.
He said he is examining an appeal.
"If a county clerk can't bring this lawsuit, then who the hell can?" Kearns said in a statement.
The New York Immigration Coalition, which helped push for the Green Light Law, criticized Kearns for pursuing the lawsuit, calling it a "useless political stunt."
"With Judge Wolford ruling that Kearns lacked standing to even bring the case in the first place, maybe now he'll be quiet, put his personal hatreds aside and do what he was elected to do — follow the law of the land when it goes into effect on Dec. 14 and begin issuing driver's licenses to everyone deemed qualified," said Steven Choi, the group's executive director.
Kearns said he won't be issuing driver's licenses to immigrants in the country illegally, regardless of the ruling.
"If folks who are present in the Country illegally want to come to Erie County for a driver's license, let me save them the trip: I will not be issuing a driver's license to illegal immigrants," he said.
Dairy workers:The dangerous, desperate and lonely lives inside New York's dairy industry
More:Should New York let undocumented immigrants get driver licenses?
More:Immigrant siblings discuss why they want a New York driver's license


Here's a new post concept I'm trying on for size: a download from my brain into yours. I have so many eco-vegan thoughts swarming through my mind all day and not enough time to write long posts on each topics, so why not give you a quick summary in hopes you'll be inspired? It's kinda like a journal of what I read, researched, ate, and want to do in the future. Since I'm testing this idea out, let me know what you think in the comment section - do you benefit from reading this?
I've convinced a friend to try being a vegetarian (mostly vegan) for a week. He asked me to plan out his meals for each day, so once I finish that he'll be ready to roll! We're going to do some videos so you can see how it goes - stay tuned!
Making my own saline solution ~ I've been using Clear Conscience cruelty-free contact solution for years, but it comes in a plastic bottle and is kinda expensive ($11-13). So I'm curious if it's safe to make my own...When I did a web search I came across a ton of information that I've yet to read into. Have you ever considered making your own contact solution? If so, what was the result?
Tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, salt & pepper ~ a perfect snack. Enough said.
Açai Topper at Jamba Juice ~ after a friend mentioned how much he loved açai I couldn't get it off my mind and found myself at Jamba Juice a few hours later buying a bowl of it. It's very rare that I go there because they're not organic, they use a ton of sugar, and I don't like using plastic containers. The Açai bowl wasn't really worth it (tasted too much like banana and blueberry), but I'm glad to know it's fully is vegan (no honey in the granola).
Zucchini, Carrot, Tomato Curry with Coconut Milk ~ I found this recipe after searching for something to make out of the zucchini and leftover coconut milk I had, and it was fantastic. Super easy with few ingredients, and resulted in a tasty Indian dish.
I've been reading snippets of "Love, Sanae " a macrobiotic book by Sanae of SEED Kitchen in Venice. This book is so informational and inspiring. I'm learning about how to control the energy that goes into and out of food while cooking it - really interesting concept.
The Living Kitchen ~ this is my ideal kitchen, and one of the coolest eco things I've ever seen. "There's beauty in its practical simplicity."
You may have read that Glee's Lea Michele teamed up with PETA to boycott horse carriages in NYC, but have you seen the trailer for Blinders?
Dairy-Free Ice Cream Mochi at Trader Joe's! ~ Whenever I go to TJ's (which is rare) I stare longingly at the mochi, wishing it was vegan. Guess I don't have to do that anymore!
Dairy-based Plastics ~ hmmm...interesting from a green standpoint, but as a vegan I'm not comfortable with this.
A New Way to Rent Movies: A USB Drive Kiosk ~ wave of the future! Although, why do this when we've got iTunes, Netflix, and Hulu?
Exercise! Isn't that everyone's goal for everyday? Probably. I want to do situps everyday, even if just for a few minutes, and do the alignment exercises my Cranio Sacralist assigned to me last year.
Reading books ~ I'm at the computer most of the day, writing and reading, but I really missed making time to lay in bed and read a book. My boyfriend inspired me to schedule it into my day when he gave me his favorite sci-fi book for Christmas - now I read 30 mins to an hour every day and it feels great!


Back in college, my mom and I made the duvet cover below. This was thick upholstery fabric. It didn't really fit in my dorm room, but it was so regal looking. I felt like Shirley Temple in The Little Princess after the guy brings her that plush comforter. Not that my dorm room was nearly as bad as the attic where they put her, but you get the idea.
Anyhow, the upholstery fabric was rather thick and not so comfortable. Now that I'm a bit older, my tastes have changed and I prefer lighter, more comfortable fabrics, but this was a king size comforter so I couldn't let the fabric go to waste.
What sort of Cambie to make?


The Automatic ROPP Capper is built to thread aluminum roll-on pilfer proof (ROPP) caps onto containers. ROPP cappers are most commonly seen in the wine and distilled spirits industries, but the capper is ideal for any product that requires evidence that the container has been sealed and no tampering has occured. A capping head for plastic caps is also available for the ROPP Capper. Automatic ROPP capping machines can roll up to a power conveyor and use one or more heads to seal bottles as part of a full packaging system, or they can be used as a stand alone capping station.


There's few things I anticipated this summer more than orientation. It's a magical time when you'll finally meet people from college and pick your schedule; essentially, your life will fall into place. Right? Well, not so much. And it had nothing to do with my group or our orientation leader. We had a great vibe, there was a memorable twitter war, and we even made a Facebook group to stay in touch. Orientation was great - just not what I was expecting.
Orientation made everything real. When you enroll for fall semester, you have daydreams about the perfect study spot that's never taken or all the effortless, lifelong friendships you'll make. But that's not always real; the fifteen minutes that I need to book it from Calc to Psych is real. The question of whether or not I can handle a job first term - or get one - is real. The amount of credits I'm taking is definitely real. Consider my daydreams officially revoked.
But that's the thing; reality checks aren't supposed to be pretty. They're meant to open your eyes to the facts before life makes sure you never forget them. Fact: I'm broke. Fact: There's. So. Many. Options. There is nothing more paralyzing than a plate full of choices. Fact: I'm not going to be friends with everyone (even though I'll try) and that's okay. The clouds in daydream-world are nice, but Living in Candyland is all fun and games until you have to make an appointment for a root canal.
There is one important fact I walked away with: I'm not doing it alone. There were plenty of offices and groups that were literally designed to help me career-wise, academically or with just finding my niche in campus. I found two separate places on campus to print for free (score!). Chances are there are places like these on your campus, too. Once you're willing to let go of your preconceptions and know what you're looking for, you'll find it.
Orientation wasn't what I thought it was going to be because it made my freshman year look different than I thought it was going to be. It's like getting your heart set on how a Polaroid will turn out based on your first glimpses as it's developing; first impressions aren't always the best angle to view a situation through. The good part is that once you get comfortable with that picture, the details starts to filter in. You can see the intramural you want to join in the background or the sharpness of your school colors in the crowd on homecoming day. Leaving orientation, I have a good image of how my freshman year could look. But pictures are snapshots of time; I intend to make the most of the life in between them.


text:
Barcelona Metropolis
Is there a women's city?
Marina Subirats
Marina Subirats is a sociologist specialized in the sociology of education and of women. She was the director of the Women's Institute of the Spanish Ministry of Social Affairs from 1993 to 1996. She has served on the Barcelona City Council as counsellor of Education, as the president of district councils and as fifth deputy mayor.
It seems that not only have we failed to win the universal right to take part in the design and the construction of cities, we've even failed to win the right to use them, to simply inhabit them. Some cities —Barcelona is certainly one of them— are ceasing to be "home", a place to live our lives, and are becoming commodities.
From a feminist perspective, cities need to respond to the human need to inhabit, not to accumulate wealth. They need to allow people to live where they were born and to access the type of housing they need at each stage of their lives, and to facilitate interaction, coexistence and a collective bond. It isn't a question of improving the setting for our lives, it's about improving life itself.
It's been 50 years since Henri Lefebvre created the concept of a "right to the city", which involves much more than just the right to live there; it means that in a democratic society, everyone needs to be able to influence the very nature of the city, its future, how it's organized and how it operates. In medieval cities, spatial distribution was determined by power. The city layout showed who each person was according to how centrally placed their home was, and each guild and each estate had a well-defined territory. Democratic cities, on the other hand, can't be based on a preestablished order, because they can't accept a preestablished, unmovable hierarchy of power. The city needs to be designed and built through a pact between different groups and interests. Everyone needs to be able to participate in its construction, offering their point of view and their varied resources. At the same time, everyone has to point out the needs and demands that may be specific to one group and not another, but to which the democratic city needs to respond nonetheless.
We're still a good way away from such a city, and such a city has never existed before. No democracy has ever achieved a society based on egalitarian pacts between its different social groups, either. As a matter of fact, it seems that not only are we failing to draw any nearer to it, we're getting farther and farther away from it each day. The "right to the city" demanded by so many authors is a response to this suspicion: in the mid-20th century, cities became battlegrounds between the desire for gain and the human need to inhabit. Lefebvre reminded us of our right as humans to take part in this battle, to intervene to keep our cities from being devoured by a capitalism that was no longer satisfied with the gains generated through the production of objects. Rather, it was marching on to areas like the savage speculation of real estate or the conversion of housing into one of its juiciest businesses.
50 years later, these trends have continued and have even accelerated in spite of enormous efforts to stop them. It seems that not only have we failed to win the universal right to take part in the design and the construction of cities, we've even failed to win the right to use them, to simply inhabit them. The global trend towards urbanization, the appearance of a globalized hierarchy that greatly increases the pull of certain cities and a rise in population all clearly explain the current pressure on urban spaces, especially in the highest-ranking cities in this new global market. Some cities —Barcelona is certainly one of them— are ceasing to be "home", a place to live our lives, and are becoming commodities. They're just another product in a market that transforms everything into "brands" that are subject to prices and willing to sacrifice it all for a good spot in a glamorous ranking.
The current expulsion of our young people is good proof of how, when subjected to the devices of capitalism, cities are faced with a series of imbalances that bring about a decadence that can even include a drop in inhabitants. Living in the city is starting to seem like a privilege beyond the reach of many social groups; not just young people, but the unemployed, immigrants or poor workers are all being expelled, even though many were born here.
Still, all of this can't keep us from demanding our right to the city in full. There's the basic, unquestionable right to inhabit it: just like the earth, cities are the common heritage of humans, forged over thousands of years of hard work by our ancestors. No one should be able to privatize this heritage. But that's not all: we need to continue to demand our right to a democratic city that carries the stamp of its entire population, of all its social groups. In a world like ours, dominated by individualism, people are increasingly solitary and family ties are severed. Increasingly, so are the bonds of work: more and more people live alone, work alone; the obligatory social bond —the structural bond, let's say— weakens. Humans are social by nature; we've survived and advanced thanks to the collaborative nature of our efforts and our cultural creations. Still, at this point in history, that community aspect has begun to lose some of its elements: today, the city is the most powerful bond tying us to our common project.
Improving life as a goal
The feminist city isn't about improving the setting for our lives, it's about improving life itself (Sara Acuña)
Of the many groups that have long been denied their say in the city, one is especially important. It isn't a minority, it's half —or maybe even a little more— of society and of the city itself. As a result, the exclusion of this group is especially shocking. Some would say that as compensation for being denied their right to the city, women have been granted another (domestic) space, where they are supposedly the "queen of the house". Everyone knows this is false: women have never been able to design their own domestic spaces, and they've never had any to themselves.
Virginia Woolf's great discovery in demanding a room of one's own is still a powerful cry. Before then, many women had probably longed for a space of their own to take refuge from the constant responsibility of attending to the rest of the family, but they hadn't dared to express it. A woman's primary duty is to always be available, according to our gender's millennia-old commandment, and the room of one's own requires a separation, something that proves that our commitment to others isn't total, that a woman still has some part of her life, some space, some moment to herself.
As women we don't possess space, be it private or public. Not only are we not trained to possess it, to feel that we have the right to use it, we're taught just the opposite: to give it up, knowing it isn't ours. Any incursion into public space is, in a certain sense, a punishable transgression. In the '60s, musical group Els Setze Jutges sang the Cançó de la taverna, the Tavern Song: "they're all men, there are no women, they're afraid to go in." It may seem like we've overcome this, but every rape trial works to convince us that the fault is our own, that if we hadn't gone out, nothing would've happened.
As women, we're gradually conquering our right to the city as far as the use of public space goes, but only slowly. Elsewhere, I've spoken a great deal about what goes on at schools, how playgrounds have been colonized by sports (in other words, by boys), and how girls look on from the fringes. The bottom line is the same, in spite of some undeniable victories. Still, if our right to the city means not only using space but also taking part in designing it, in its symbolic and physical construction, then women are still totally excluded. As the patriarchy is swept away in the laws with which parents once excluded and subjugated women, it becomes more visible elsewhere: in androcentrism. This principle organizes the world, associating the masculine point of view with what is possible, and eliminates the possibility of even imagining other configurations.
I've been thinking about it for years: what would a city of women be like? Not a city exclusively for women, mind you; a city for everyone, reflecting the needs and desires of women, in an ideal situation in which female desire hadn't been nipped in the bud. I've spoken with plenty of women; I've asked them, I've tried to make them feel free enough to express a desire that wasn't subject to the immediate borders of the dominant reality. What would your city be like if you were a goddess whose wishes became reality? It's proven a tough question and has gotten only a handful of brief responses defined by what we don't want, not by possible alternatives: I'd want a safe city with well-lit streets, wide sidewalks where I could walk comfortably, plenty of public transportation, ramps for carts and strollers, with trees, benches… A city where essential things —work, stores— were nearby, where children could play in the streets…and not much else. So far, we can say what upsets us, but we're unable to imagine a space of our own where we could apply a gynocentric project, let's say, or at least an androgynous one.
As women we don't possess space, be it private or public. Not only are we not trained to possess it, to feel that we have the right to use it, we're taught just the opposite: to give it up, knowing it isn't ours. Any incursion into public space is, in a certain sense, a punishable transgression.
Right now, I feel like there isn't a clear design for the city of women. It's no surprise: the domination of one group over another doesn't just mean imposing a way of life, but also crushing the capacity to imagine other ways of life. Inequality even manifests itself in the ability to organize things according to our own interests. So far, we don't even have the utopia of a feminist city, if it's through feminism that we can conceive of an alternative world. And when I say "alternative", I really want to insist: I don't mean inhabited only by women, or made only with women in mind, because the central tenant of feminism is always the struggle for a shared world. When I ask feminist women about all this, they describe the society they wish for, not the city. The city is the embodiment of a specific society within a space and, in the words of Sara Acuña (who I've already mentioned), a feminist city isn't about improving the setting for our lives, it's about improving life itself. Here, a feminist alternative does exist: egalitarian, androgynous, peaceful, collaborative, that places the value of life before everything else, far from economic value as a way of measuring everything. This is what's being proposed by the feminist economy, for example, which rejects the current conflict between capitalism and life as opposing forces. This need isn't specific to women, it's a general need to which we women, as a result of a series of historical matters regarding our traditional gender, are more sensitive.
Does all this mean that we still can't help to design cities, to express our needs and desires? Not at all. There are a series of changes that we may consider "reformist", to put it one way, and that have already been clearly expressed, because they correspond with what we already know we don't want: an androcentric city. But, beyond all this, we're starting to gather the materials we need to put together a more ambitious project: a project in which cities respond to the human need to inhabit, not to accumulate wealth. A project that allows people to live where they were born, to access the type of housing they need at each stage in their lives, a project that facilitates interaction, coexistence, and a collective bond.
In cities, the need for freedom becomes solitude, rootlessness, a lack of meaning in life. Our societies long for community at the same time as they destroy it. We need to search for a type of community that doesn't involve too much social control, that allows us to develop individual abilities without giving up on interaction, our collective project. We need to build our cities according to human needs; and in this, a woman's criteria is essential.
Forjar un hombre, moldear una mujerAresta, 2013
Barcelona: de la necessitat a la llibertat. Les classes socials al tombant del segle XXIEls llibres de l'Avenç, 2012
Citizenship and inclusion
Feminism and women
Urban planning and infrastructures
N109 - Oct 18 Index
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À. Lorena Fuster Peiró
Abilio Estévez
Ada Castells
Alba Gómez Gabriel
Alba Sabaté
Amadeu Recasens i Brunet
Amalia Gómez Casillas
Amparo Lasén Díaz
Ana Belén Jarrín
Andreu Barnils
Anna Ballbona
Anna Pacheco
Antón Costas
Areti Markopoulou
Arnau Monterde
Astrid Ortiz
Belén Barreiro
Blanca Cia
Blanca Llum Vidal
Brenda Chávez
Carlos Zanón
Clàudia Rius
Cristina Monteys Homar
Daniel Innerarity
Daniel Venteo
David Miró
Ekaitz Cancela
Elena Albareda Fernández
Elisenda Rentería
Emilio Santiago Muíño
Enric Gomà
Ernesto Ayala-Dip
Esteve Miralles
Esther Izquierdo Martínez
Estrella Montolío
Eva Blanch
Eva García Chueca
Fàbrika Gràfika
Félix Ortega
Fernando Broncano
Francesc Bombí Vilaseca
Francesc Ginabreda
Francesca Bria
Gabi Martínez
Gemma Galdón
Gemma Tarafa
Gerardo Lertxundi
Guillermo López Linares
Guillermo Willis Sánchez
Gunnar Knechtel
Ildefonso Marqués Perales
Imma Merino
Irene Solà
Isabel Sucunza
Ismael Blanco
Izaskun Chinchilla
J.M. Martí Font
Jaime Palomera
Joan Bramona
Joan Burdeus
Joan Safont Plumed
Joan Tomás
Jordi Bianciotto
Jordi Nopca
Jordi Puntí
Jordi Rabassa
José Ángel Montañés
José Fernández-Albertos
José María Lassalle
José Moisés Martín Carretero
Josep Bohigas
Júlia Mas Maresma
Karles Torra
Kiko Amat
Laia Pineda Rüegg
Laia Rosich Solé
Leo García Méndez
Lilian Neuman
Liliana Arroyo
Lluís Cabrera
Lluís Reales
Lolita Bosch
Lourdes Delgado Fernández
Lourdes Nicolich
Maite Pérez
Manel Ferri Tomàs
Mar Galtés
Marc Andreu
Marc Dalmau i Torvà
Marc Pradel
Marga León
Marga Pont Algueró
Maria Coll
Maria de la Fuente
Maria Favà Compta
María Palacín
Maria Palau
Marina Vinyes Albes
Mariona Lozano
Mariona Tomàs Farnés
Marisol García Cabeza
Marta Orriols Balaguer
Marta Peirano
Marta Roqueta-Fernández
Marta Salicrú
Matthew Tree
Mayo Fuster Morell
Mercè Sibina
Mercè Vila Rigat
Michele Catanzaro
Miqui Otero
Míriam García García
Míriam Juan-Torres
Mohamed El Amrani
Mònica Boixader
Mònica L. Ferrado
Nick Srnicek
Nicolás Barbieri
Núria Moliner
Olga Ábalos
Olga Subirós
Oriol Bartomeus
Oriol Estela Barnet
Oriol Nel·lo
Òscar Guayabero
Pau Joan Hernàndez
Pere Jódar
Pilar Aymerich
Quim Brugué
Ramon Alcoberro Pericay
Ramon Sangüesa
Remedios Zafra
Renata Ávila Pinto
Ricard Gomà
Rosa García
Rosa Rodríguez Bailón
Roser Cabacés
Santi Ibarra
Santiago Alba Rico
Sebastián Bonilla
Sergi Capellas
Sergio Porcel
Sílvia Marimon
Tania Adam
Teresa Costa-Gramunt
Teresa Hoogeveen
Tomás Díez
Víctor García Tur
Xavier Casals
Xavier Martínez-Celorrio
Xavier Theros
Yayo Herrero
Yochai Benkler
Begoña Román Maestre
Bernat Puigtobella
Blanca Garcés-Mascareñas
Carlo Ratti
César Rendueles
Consuelo Bautista
David Fernàndez
Gerardo Santos
Ignacio Sánchez-Cuenca
Irene Pujadas
Jaume Coscollar Casamayor
Joan Subirats
Matthew Claudel
Milagros Pérez Oliva
Montse Frisach
Richard Sennett
Ricky Burdett
Sebastià Portell
Tània Juste
Valèria Gaillard

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Five runs in the third inning led East Ridge past South Sumter 9-1 on Friday. Megan Yurchick, Kelly Dwyer, and Samantha Guider contributed to the big inning with RBI's.
Isabella Hernandez pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and one run while striking out three and walking one.


text:
Q: Does Execute extension throw DbUpdateException? I'm adding a new method in my generic repository to delete a record directly from the db, instead of going through the DbConext and then calling its SaveChanges.
So I did:
    public virtual void Delete(int id)
    {
        var connection = dataContext.GetDatabase().Connection;
        var query = string.Format("DELETE FROM {0} WHERE id = {1}", tableName, id);

        connection.Execute(query);
    }

My current code that deletes entities using the DbContext handles DbUpdateException, and this exception bubbles up to the client.
Does Dapper's Execute extension also throws this exception?

A: *

*no it doesn't; if you want that, you should be doing things like select @@rowcount after the delete in the tsql, using ExecuteScalar<int>, and checking that the number returned is 1. If you want timestamp checking, you would include that in the where clause and as a parameter

*never, never, never concatenate inputs into the data part of SQL; it creates a SQL injection risk, and destroys all query / operation caches - the first reason is all you should ever need, though. There is a bit of a caveat here around things like table names, but you should be white-listing there. Note that dapper supports full parameterization (easy parameter handling is one of the main reasons to use it!)
For example, I would be doing something like:
public YourType(string tableName) { // constructor
    WhiteList.AssertValid(tableName); // throws if not allowed
    deleteCommand = $"DELETE FROM [{tableName}] WHERE id = @id; SELECT @@ROWCOUNT;";
}
private readonly string deleteCommand;
public virtual void Delete(int id)
{
    var connection = dataContext.GetDatabase().Connection;
    int count = connection.ExecuteScalar<int>(deleteCommand, new { id });
    if(count != 0) throw new DbUpdateException();
}

Alternatively, use an add-on tool like dapper-contrib that does all this stuff for you.

A: I know this is not an answer to actual question but imho, you should go for
Finding the reason for DbUpdateException
That way, you can override Execute method, get to the root cause and solve it for good.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Abbottsville Crossing will offer extraordinary value in an inspiring variety of home styles from Village Homes, 2-Storey Towns, to 30', 36' & 43' Detached Homes. You can choose your architectural preference from a mix of Colonial, Contemporary, Craftsman and Victorian designs. Near to many recreational destinations, Abbottsville Crossing puts you near high-tech employers, convenient shopping and entertainment.


text:
class AddPicToMembers < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def change
    add_column :members, :pic, :string
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A baby cannot survive outside of the womb prior to 21 weeks.
At 23 weeks, it has a 10-35% chance of survival with significant intervention.
At 24 weeks, it increases to the 40-70% range.
At 25 weeks, it's 50-80%.
At 26 weeks, it's 80-90%.
Anencephaly. Bilateral renal agenesis. Severe spina bifida. Severe heart and lung defects.
Yet only 1.2% of all abortions are performed after 21 weeks in the United States.
Do you think that I would choose to end this pregnancy for some selfish, frivolous reason?
After having coming so far?
Only to decide to end this pregnancy because I don't realize the sanctity of life?
Do you think that I don't feel the weight of this life inside of me?
Do you trust me to understand what it would mean to end my pregnancy at this point?
Or do you think that I need laws to keep me in my place?
Do you trust me to carry this life?
Do you really care about my child?
Does your concern for the well-being of my child end once it's in my arms?
Would you do an about-face once my child is born and tell me now it's your responsibility, not the government's?
while I recover from the stretching, the pushing, the tearing, the leaking, the constant waking, the weeping?
Does your heart break like mine does when I have to return to work just six weeks later?
If we want to respect the sanctity of life, that means respecting the mother who carries that life as well.
It means not turning up your nose when someone bemoans our nation's lack of guaranteed, paid maternity leave.
It means not decrying the fact that your taxes are used to pay for programs like Medicaid, WIC, Head Start, food stamps, and subsidized childcare.
It means not demonizing clinics like Planned Parenthood, which millions of women rely on for their health care services.
It means that you don't flag down a store's security guard to report that a woman is breastfeeding her child in public.
To me, the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" don't completely encapsulate what we're talking about.
What is "life" without health?
Who "chooses" death over life?
These are the questions that the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" evoke. And I think they entirely miss the point.
I believe and will always believe that pregnant women feel the weight of the life inside of them.
But I don't think that pregnant women feel nothing.
To characterize the need for second trimester abortion restrictions as a way to "keep women from killing children" does a great disservice to what many of these mothers and fathers face when they walk out of the doors of their 20-week ultrasound.
Reeling from the worst possible news.
Wondering if they will be expected to "explain" to family, friends, co-workers, and even acquaintances why they are ending the pregnancy.
Waiting for judgment to fall on them.
Absolutely. Women today are in an especially different position than women who lived just 100 years ago. Today, we can know 20 weeks ahead of time that a baby has a terminal diagnosis. 100 years ago, women would not have that knowledge that far in advance. They would miscarry or give birth to a baby that would die. But they wouldn't be put in the position to have to make a decision about whether or not to end a pregnancy. But now that this is where we are with technology, it seems to me that the conversation needs to change.
I love this. I often wondered before I got pregnant if I would change my mind about abortion once I did become pregnant some day. As it turns out, it's only reinforced my belief that it absolutely SHOULD be legal. And yes, the hypocrisy of the pro-life movement is appalling.
Once upon a time, I was very "pro-life." My rationale went something like "that's cruel" and "women should pay the price of they get pregnant." I wouldn't say that out loud, but it's what I would think. Of course, those thoughts are completely divorced of the context surrounding the pregnancy. Time and conversations with actual people who have been through tough situations has done a lot to mellow me out. I understand that staunch pro-lifers want every life to have a chance. But until we create a culture that welcomes and cares for those vulnerable lives, born to mothers who are not ready to have them, I think it's unjust to tell women to have children that they cannot afford. And, goodness, paying for a child (especially childcare!) Is very, very expensive.
Amen! I couldn't agree more with every word you said. I used to feel the same way but over time my feelings have changed.
People are not well educated on this topic. I know I wasn't. Untill, I was twenty-three-weeks pregnant. My water sacs broke, gushing more than water, a fever and about three heart surgeries prior. When you tell people the story, which I don't they still can't and don't embrace the situation. I appreciate the way you defined pro-life and pro-choice by saying they don't completely encapsulate what's going on. I understand the empathy behind, people who can't seem to find the grey area. I've been on both sides. As painful and shameful it is to say this: I don't know where myself or my family would be without "the right to choose" This was informative, thank you for your bravery.
Yes. And many of them are passionate about their feelings. But when you combine passion without empathy and/or experience, you end up in many of the vitriolic conversations that complete strangers have with each other on social media. It's frustrating, but I find comfort in knowing that I'm raising my daughter to have empathy for others. And that carries on and on.
I know, its frustrating, sad and know one gives anybody any leeway.
I feel the same with you. My son had passed away 2 weeks ago. He had multiple congenital anomaly. I felt awful to know his multiple congenital anomaly when he was born. I did everything for him to be survive with surgery. But God only give me a chance to look after him just only 5 months.
I'm so sorry for your loss… Sending you prayers as you process and move through this time of grief.


Hi, Kimberly, and welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
California Grill is one of my family's favorite dinner spots at Walt Disney World Resort. I've heard fabulous things about its brunch, but I haven't experienced it yet. It does look like there aren't any reservations available for Sept. 22 right now, but I wouldn't give up hope! I had a hard time booking reservations at California Grill at our 180-day window last time we went, but I was able to get a prime spot less than a week before our trip.
When I encounter an attraction or a restaurant without availability, I just occasionally check using the My Disney Experience mobile app to see if something has become available. In the more than seven years I've been making dining reservations, there have only been a few times when I wasn't eventually able to get what I was looking for.
If the California Grill brunch doesn't work out for you this visit, I would recommend 1900 Park Fare's brunch at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, or any of the brunch options at Disney Springs. Trattoria al Forno at Disney's BoardWalk serves its Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast until 12:05 p.m., too. Each of these offers a different experience than California Grill, but each is special in its own right.
I hope your first choice works out for you, Kimberly, but you can't go wrong with any of the alternative options!


Contrary to first impression, an "executive dashboard" is not found in a CIO's car. Rather, an executive dashboard, also known as a manager dashboard, executive cockpit, or digital cockpit, is a child of what in the 1980s was referred to as the Executive Information System (EIS). These systems, and their web-based progeny, all have the same goal: bringing critical information to decision makers and improving the performance of a business.
An executive dashboard (referred to as "dashboard" for the rest of this article) is an intranet for a select group of users. These users tend to be executives—VPs and above, the people who are the main decision-makers in the company.
However, not all new dashboards are for executives and their ilk. As organizations push to become more nimble (and hence more competitive), dashboards are now being developed for managers of all stripes. When developing a dashboard, don't be surprised if you hear phrases such as: "Every employee a CFO." These reflect a realization by companies that faster decision-making helps them succeed. This means giving managers the ability to make decisions on their own. Companies are finding it's much better to allow a manager to make an immediate decision in response to a market opportunity than to force him to wait for the CFO, or some other executive, to be alerted to the opportunity and then make a decision.
It answers fundamental questions about the business or business unit.
Did I reach my sales numbers this month?
How many widgets did we sell in China last year?
How many widgets are we producing per month at the Chicago factory?
How often do employees call in sick at our Miami store? On what days are they most likely to call in sick?
Is revenue growing on a month-to-month or week-to-week basis?
How am I doing in comparison to my competitors?
These sorts of questions can often take a full-time administrator and several spreadsheets to answer. Currency of information is important, but not as important as having the right information.
Each particular executive or manager will have their own statistics (called Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs) that are important to them, but often companies will also have a standard set of measures that has been applied across the organization. This eases comparison of managers and executives to one another. Basic KPIs can be combined to form a scorecard, and organizations that have a scorecard likely will want it to be a part of their dashboards.
It alerts the user to issues or problems in such areas as production, sales, and revenue.
A product defect rate is going above an acceptable level.
Absenteeism is becoming a problem at a particular store or factory.
Average delivery time is falling below normal.
Operational expenses are growing beyond an acceptable rate.
Every dashboard needs to have an alert system that communicates when a critical figure has been passed or is about to be passed. In this case, currency of information is extremely important.
It helps make decisions that impact the business.
Do I increase or decrease production?
Do I need to change my product mix to be more competitive?
Should I close shop in Des Moines?
Do I need to hire more salespeople?
Why is the business not growing as fast as planned?
These types of questions require the ability to explore a series of KPIs. Also, they require drilling down into figures based on time or region, or selecting and comparing variables. In this case, it is important that the information is presented in a way that helps the executive or manager come to a conclusion about the issue they're confronting, and construct a rationale to support the decision they make.
These measures can be financial or operational, but at the very least they should say something important to the user about the business. KPIs are most often presented in tables, charts, and graphs. Different executives and managers will need different KPIs to support their views of the business.
For any project, understanding the technology is important. For a dashboard project this is doubly so. My advice is: become good friends with your technologists and understand as much as you can about what they're doing.
Which system or database will provide the data?
How the data will be abstracted from that system?
Will it be moved to a data warehouse or some other environment where it will be cleaned up and analyzed?
Will a person need to review the data before it can be disseminated?
How will the data be pulled into tables and graphs?
The source data will often be kept in a variety of places. Some of these will be operational systems, such as SAP or PeopleSoft, and some will be data warehouses. It is important for information architects to understand where the data is coming from, and how it is getting into the dashboard. Data accessibility will have an impact on how the dashboard is designed.
As a side note, companies have also used dashboards in recent years as a way to tell Wall Street that their CEO and executive staff are aware of the financial state of the company.
CEOs are now expected to be responsible for the financial integrity of their company, and dashboards have been touted as a way to ensure that the CEO is aware of all financial aspects of the company.
During the requirements-gathering phase of the project, executives and managers will voice the need for different KPIs. Also, based on their level within the organization, some information may have to be protected from some users. Information architects should have a clear understanding of these limitations to ensure that the right data is delivered to the right people.
Users will also want to customize the dashboard. The dashboard's interface should also allow users to pick which KPIs they see first, as well as set their own alert levels. Users' interests may change over time, and alert levels can change depending on the business environment. Pre-set alert levels should be programmed into the dashboard, if these are known, but unless the business requirements state otherwise, users should be allowed to change these to suit their situations.
Finally, the more robust portal servers will allow integration of other business systems into the dashboard, such as email, news feeds, and so on. These should be included, if possible, since they will only increase the value of the dashboard and the likelihood that the user will, in fact, use it.
Since not everyone is interested in the same set of KPIs, and since the structure of the company may require that some information is screened from particular users, a good portal server will be required, or a server platform that can provide similar functionality. If the company already has portal software, then it would be wise to take advantage of this.
Dashboard projects can sometimes move a bit slower than other projects because the target audience—executives, mostly—are harder to schedule time with. If the dashboard is for senior executives (the CEO, for example), then it will be very unlikely you will be able to interview your users (with the likelihood decreasing as the size of the company increases). Usually, at this point, the client will appoint someone to identify the needs of the senior executives, and he or she should be able to provide you with most of the information you need.
Interview administrative assistants and technical support staff.
These people respond to the needs (and whims and desires) of executives on a daily basis. They will be able to inform you of how the executives like to get their information (print vs. screen vs. PDA, etc.) as well as what other sources of information the executive uses. Keep note of any failed information systems (there are usually a few) that were supposed to make the executive's life better, but were accessed only once or twice for demonstration purposes and are no longer used.
What are their lines of business?
How do they report revenue?
Is the company is growth mode or managing for profitability?
What is the company's overall business strategy?
If the company is public, read the annual report, or go to Yahoo! Finance and review the company information. Since executives are usually striving to please shareholders (and increase the stock price), it's important to understand how investors look at the company, and what the major issues are, such as problems with debt or flagging product sales. This will help give context to the KPIs executives will ask for.
Be aware of similar but different KPIs.
You should be aware that, especially in large organizations that are the result of several mergers, a KPI may have been created in one group that is similar to, but not exactly like, a KPI generated in another group. For each KPI it will be important to know how it was generated, how long it has been around, and the exact formula used to generate the KPI. If you are merging two KPIs into one, understand how the KPIs are similar or different, and what the effect of losing one of these will have on an executive or manager.
Balancing these needs can be politically tricky, but should be manageable.
Access issues are important to consider especially when creating a site for users who are almost always pressed for time, as executives and senior managers generally are. To ensure your dashboard gets used, spend some time during the requirements-gathering phase to understand how executives currently get the information that will be newly presented in the dashboard. Understand what they like and dislike about how they get the information.
Choose an effective delivery system.
A dashboard can have amazing information design, a smoothly functioning back end, and can satisfy every whim and desire of the executive, but it still may not be used because the executive or manager travels so much they only use their wireless handheld, or because they're used to reading everything on paper, or because their administrative assistant doesn't know how to find it and therefore doesn't open it up for them.
Also, don't underestimate the power of having reports hand-delivered. For people who have an enormous amount of information to look at, printed reports is one way of controlling that flow. When interviewing an executive's administrative assistant, ask them about the best way to deliver the dashboard to ensure it gets used by the executive.
Given the type of information that is being displayed, security will play a big role in the development and design of the site. There will be two aspects of security you will need to confront: who gets to see what; and how is the site protected. Personalization will allow you to control who sees what (see above), but controlling access to the site also needs to be considered.
The best is to take advantage of a current Single Sign On (SSO) solution, if one has been developed, or use the network login, if that is possible. Otherwise, one is faced with having to generate a new set of user names and passwords for users to memorize. Given that most of these users are pressed for time and already overwhelmed with systems that are supposed to help them, a new set of user names and passwords can severely hamper the success of a new dashboard.
Balancing security concerns and ease of access concerns may confront you with some tough decisions. Try and resolve these issues as soon as possible in the project.
A large part of ensuring the success of a dashboard project will be getting the technology right. As an IA, you will probably not be expected to manage this part of the project, but it will be critical that you understand the possibilities and limitations of technology. The following are some things to keep in mind.
Business Intelligence (BI) is an area of technology that is concerned with gathering and analyzing financial and operational information. Most likely, the systems from which data will need to be extracted are BI systems. It is also likely that there will be other BI projects with which the project team will have to coordinate. These projects are normally managed through the technology department.
There are many companies that provide systems and software for the BI space, and they all offer a variety of features. Some of the players currently develop systems to manage business information, such as SAP, PeopleSoft, and Siebel. Others develop data warehouses and analytic tools such as data-mining tools. Some of the players here are Oracle, Hyperion, Cognos, and Business Objects. This is by no means a complete list, and each vendor offers a different set of capabilities. Most have some sort of dashboard offering that is tied into their own system.
However, the information needed to create an effective dashboard rarely lives in just one system or database. Most organizations use a variety of these systems and may even have a few home-grown solutions as well, including Excel spreadsheets. On a recent project, the client captured much of their financial information in Hyperion Essbase, operational information in SAP, and sales information in Siebel.
Moreover, many of these systems are not known for their ease of use. Often they present too much—or too little—data, and sometimes they are not customizable by the user. The graphs themselves may be confusing.
At some point you will have to define what you mean by real-time data. Very rarely will this mean instantaneous data. Often, data is exported out of one system and into another on a daily or weekly basis. Financial figures are revised often, and sometimes only reported on a weekly basis. Sometimes there is data manipulation that needs to occur to bring the data into the right format. Almost always, companies are tinkering with their data systems in an attempt to improve or consolidate them. All of this will have an effect on the accessibility of data, and how current it will be when it is abstracted.
Understanding exactly what information the executive or manager needs, and why they need it, will help you make a decision on how current the data needs to be on the dashboard. Sometimes data that is a little older may even be better, since the executive or manager will have more faith in its reliability.
Before designing functionality for the dashboard, it is best to understand which charting software will be used and how it will impact chart and graph design. Many BI systems will export tables and graphs that can be pulled into a dashboard. Crystal Reports is a popular charting option, but there are many other providers of charting software such as JFreeCharts, Big Charts, and Object Planet's Easy Charts. All of these charting programs have benefits and drawbacks, and all of them will place some limitations on chart and graph design.
Once charting software is chosen, you might perform a test to help clarify its limitations. Design one chart or graph, and then try to generate that using the charting software. You may find that you can't make the font as small as you would like, or that other design elements cannot be represented as you intend. It's better to find this out sooner rather than later.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all reporting software generates charts on the fly. Especially if charting is a part of a BI system, be sure you understand how often charts are generated, as some BI charting applications generate charts on a daily basis, rather than on demand.
You should keep in mind that dashboard projects often come about because of frustration with existing systems. Often, the current BI systems have not been stitched together in a meaningful way (there are too many of them, or they are not integrated), or the systems are less than useful because the information is presented in a way that is not immediately comprehensible or useful.
For an information architect (at least for me) this is the most exciting challenge: Organizing data in a way that is meaningful for the user, as opposed to reflecting how the systems collect and manage data. It is the essential Tufte challenge: how to take massive amounts of data and clearly tell the story inherent within it.
Most KPIs, if not all of them, will be displayed using tables, charts, and graphs. Most reporting software packages offer the basic graph options—pie charts, column graphs, bar graphs, and line graphs—and then some. These should be enough to represent the KPIs you've selected for the dashboard. However, even within these basic types, there are variations you should be aware of. Review Information Graphics by Robert L. Harris for a complete exploration of data displays. You should be able to find the appropriate table, chart, or graph from this book.
When using reporting software, be wary of options that look great, but don't tell the story you'd like to communicate. For example, 3-D options may look nice, but they add a lot of excess "chartjunk" and detract from the story you're trying to tell. For the busy executive, quick comprehension outweighs a pretty picture every time.
There are two important dimensions to data that the executive or manager must be allowed to explore: time and scope.
The user must be able to compare the data to either the past or the projected future. Incorporating past data will help give the executive or manager perspective on current data. Incorporating projections will help the user see where they are headed if the current state remains unchanged. Almost every KPI should have some time element incorporated into it for these reasons.
Scope refers to the ability to drill down into data, or roll up data. For example, if an executive is experiencing extreme growth for his or her business unit, they will want to know who or what is responsible. Giving them the ability to drill down in data based on geography, or sub-group, or some other variable, will help provide them with answers to their critical questions.
The ability to navigate along these dimensions will improve the value of the dashboard immeasurably.
The steps one follows to build an executive dashboard are not too different, if at all, from the steps one would follow to build a "normal" website (if there is such a thing). However, the target audience, and the types of information being presented, place demands on the project which are different from the average web project. It may also require the Information Architect to spend more time worrying about technology than he or she is used to.
But, putting these issues aside, designing an executive dashboard presents an almost pure data-design challenge-one of the few an IA can find in the web world. It gives the IA an opportunity to understand specific questions, and then try to answer those questions using data presented in tables, charts, and graphs. As an IA who also considers himself an information designer, this is a wonderful opportunity indeed.
Betts, Mitch (April 14, 2003). "Management Dashboards Becoming Mainstream:" ComputerWorld.
Krell, Eric" (March 1, 2003). "Gauge Performance by the Dashboard:" Internet World Magazine.
Orlov, Laurie M. (December 2002). "Use Business Intelligence To Manage Velocity:" Forrester TechStrategy Report.
Tedeschi, Bob (July 29, 2002)."E-Commerce Report; Digital cockpits are a faster, much closer way of tracking performance in a corporation's every corner:" New York Times.
Harris, Robert L. (1999). Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engine.
Norton, David P. and Kaplan, Robert S. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action: Harvard Business School Press.
Alex Kirtland is a Senior Information Architect and Experience Lead and is currently working as a freelance consultant. He has worked with a variety of companies and organizations, including Kodak, Verizon, Avaya, Western Union, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He has experience with a diverse set of project types, from executive dashboards to metadata strategies to recipe finders. Most recently he has helped the Rodale Press redesign their online magazines, including MensHealth.com. If you want to learn more about him please visit his website www.alexkirtland.com.
Alex Kirtland provided permission to archive this article at DSSResources.COM on December 5, 2005 and he received permission from boxesandarrows.com where it was initially published. This article was originally published 11/24/2003 at URL http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/executive_dashboards. This article was posted at DSSResources.COM on January 20, 2006.


ITR Motorsport is the South African importer and distributor for Healtech Electronics a European manufactor of high quality electronic performance products for all brands of motorcycle / ATV's. We carry full stock range of Healtech products.
We also represent various well known brands such as ARAI helmets, Pirelli tires, Renthal sprockets, D.I.D chains, JT sprockets, Domino grips, PUI .
On our PRODUCT ADVISER page, you will be able to insert your motorcycle brand/model/year and all HEALTECH products available for your motorcycle will be displayed including the part numbers for each item.
Where two part numbers are listed such as (iQSE 1 + QSH P4A) refers to Quickshifter + Bike specific connecting harness being the two items you need to complete the system. Where one part number is listed only then thats a complete system.
Please note prices are VAT excluded.
This is not a Online Store at this stage but a showcase of our products where you can peruse our products at your own leasure.
This site only provides a quote on items chosen.
ITR Motorsport will email you a response the same day.


text:
Catherine of Genoa
Catherine of Genoa, Mystic and Nurse, 1510
The Collect:
Gracious God, reveal to your church the depths of your love; that, like your servant Catherine of Genoa, we might give ourselves in loving service, knowing that we have been perfectly loved by you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Catherine of Genoa (Caterina Fieschi Adorno, 1447 – 15 September 1510) was an Italian Roman Catholic saint and mystic, admired for her work among the sick and the poor and remembered because of various writings describing both these actions and her mystical experiences. She was a member of the noble Fieschi family, and spent most of her life and her means serving the sick, especially during the plague which ravaged Genoa in 1497 and 1501. She died in that city in 1510.
Her fame outside her native city is connected with the publication in 1551 of the book known in English as the Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa.
Catherine was born in Genoa in 1447, the last of five children. Catherine wished to enter a convent when about 13; however, the nuns to whom her confessor applied on her behalf refused her on account of her youth, and after this Catherine appears to have put the idea aside without any further attempt. After her father's death in 1463, aged 16, she was married by her parents' wish to a young Genoese nobleman, Giuliano Adorno. The marriage turned out wretchedly:
After ten years of marriage, she was converted by a mystical experience during confession on 22 March 1473. This marked the beginning of her life of close union with God in prayer, without using forms of prayer such as the rosary. She began to receive Communion almost daily, a practice extremely rare for lay people in the Middle Ages, and she underwent remarkable mental and at times almost pathological experiences.
She combined this with unselfish service to the sick in a hospital at Genoa, in which her husband joined her after he, too, had been converted. He later became a Franciscan tertiary, but she joined no religious order. Her husband's spending had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to live in a large hospital in Genoa, and to dedicate themselves to works of charity there. She eventually became manager and treasurer of the hospital.
Towards the end of her life a Father Marabotti was appointed to be her spiritual guide. He had been a director of the hospital where her husband died in 1497. To him she explained her states, past and present, and he compiled the Memoirs.
She died in 1510, worn out with labours of body and soul.*
*The Lectionary, via Wikipedia - http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Catherine_Genoa.html
Join us tonight, Wednesday night, September 15, for Evening Prayer and to learn more about Catherine of Genoa.
Zoom Evening Prayer
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86781577595?pwd=VjNnZTZnUFFadkJPc3VOVTh3K21Idz09
Passcode: 530
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799
Out & About!
Thanks Doug!
Thanks from Grandma!
Saint Michael and All Angels
Paula and Eustochium
Euphrosyne/Smaragdus
Ordination Day
Sergius of Radonezh
Anna Ellison Butler Alexander
Thecla of Iconium
Philander Chase
Saint Matthew
John Coleridge Patteson
Edward Bouverie Pusey
Summer's Last Sunday
Hildegard of Bingen
Ninian
From Our Bishop Today
Holy Cross Day
Cyprian of Carthage
Alexander Crummell
The Martyrs of Memphis
Kassiani
This Sunday - Labor Day Weekend
The Martyrs of New Guinea
David Pendleton Oakerhater


Phew~ I almost forgot to update a little news on the Dragon Nest. Although this is not a guide post or what-so-ever, I find it to be interesting for others to know what I have been up to. There isn't any huge changes in the game, except having new stages in theme park and more nests.
Apart of releasing level 40 cap, there are new dungeons available for better grinding spot and loots. Unfortunately, the dungeons are getting bigger than the rest. Not only players have to spend more time in the dungeon, the creeps are having greater super armor. Thanks to AikawaKazu's guide, things are getting easier and funnier. Click HERE to read interesting guides from him.
It's a wilder version of manticore compared to the level 24 manticore. This Black Manticore sure does a lot of deadful damages if one does not know about his attack patterns.
Too bad, it's not a zombie Apocalypse, but it's this, a head. A head with tentacles, which is a little bit of disgusting. Do check out the video on killing the uber big head boss. Do have lots of running and watch out for the tentacles!
It's not that easy to survive in the Apocalypse nest, since I'm pretty "taufu" and I will die just by two hits from the boss. So, it's time to gear up and probably start to slack and having some random posts regarding activities could be done in the game (except for PVP-ers).


text:
Miami researchers discover process to sustainably produce psilocybin - a drug candidate that could help treat depression
Members of the research team are: (L to R) Andrew Jones, Lexie Adams, Tom Wei, Nick Kaplan, Alexis Enacopol, Chantal Monnier, John Brinton
A team of undergraduate students author published article
Junior Alexandra (Lexie) Adams is the lead author in a published article of their findings in a scientific journal.
By Carole Johnson, university news and communications
Andrew Jones at Miami University and his team of students may have developed a research first.
Through metabolic engineering, they discovered a way to sustainably produce a promising drug candidate to help patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Their findings are published in the journal Metabolic Engineering titled, "In vivo production of psilocybin in E. coli."
Psilocybin is now in clinical trials, and medical professionals see promising results for its use in treating addiction, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in humans.
Jones, assistant professor in Miami's department of chemical, paper, and biomedical engineering, believed he could come up with a process using genetically engineered bacteria to produce the drug candidate.
The chemical, psilocybin, is naturally found in a specific mushroom, Psilocybe cubensis. Jones said to mass produce psilocybin from its natural mushroom host, it would require extensive real estate and time. Currently, alternative synthetic chemical production methods are used but are very expensive. Jones, the principal investigator of this research, wanted a solution that maintains biological integrity and reduces production costs.
Andrew Jones' idea sparked a research path where he guided students as they conducted experiments.
Finding an optimal organic host
Through metabolic engineering, which finds ways to increase a cell's ability to produce a compound of interest, his team of students developed a series of experiments to identify optimal psilocybin production conditions. The recently published article describes their work to optimize the production of psilocybin in the Escherichia coli bacteria. The team is using a well-known E. coli strain that is engineered for safe lab production.
"We are taking the DNA from the mushroom that encodes its ability to make this product and putting it in E. coli," he said. "It's similar to the way you make beer, through a fermentation process. We are effectively taking the technology that allows for scale and speed of production and applying it to our psilocybin producing E. coli."
Their end result is a significant step toward demonstrating the feasibility of producing this drug economically from a biological source.
"What's exciting is the speed at which we were able to achieve our high production. Over the course of this study we improved production from only a few milligrams per liter to over a gram per liter, a near 500-fold increase," Jones said.
He gives much credit and praise to his students who designed many of the experiments performed during the 18-month-long study.
"A big part of my job is training undergraduates to do this work. The basic idea was mine, but much of the experimental design fell on the students. Early on, I would help guide them in the experimental design process. Toward the end, they were becoming more independent. That's the type of student we want as they near graduation," Jones said.
Undergraduate students help mentor other students on the basics of working in a scientific laboratory.
Learning to run laboratory experiments
Lead author Alexandra (Lexie) Adams, a junior chemical engineering major, became a member of the research team her freshman year, just as the Jones Lab was getting started. Patient and meticulous, Jones worked with the admittedly nervous Adams on the basics of laboratory research. It paid off.
The initial work was done in the summer of 2018 as Adams and another undergraduate student co-author, Nicholas Kaplan, took part in Miami's Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program. The program provides funding to students for undergraduate research.
Both students, working on separate studies, learned the ins and outs of research, gaining confidence and learning lessons as the summer progressed.
Kaplan, a junior chemical engineering major, studied the feasibility of cyanobacteria as another potential metabolic engineering host. His findings showed mixed results, and it was decided that the lab team would focus on Adams' psilocybin in E. coli project.
Celebrating a research breakthrough
Adams remembers when they saw the breakthrough in their research. Their goal was to transfer the DNA from the mushroom and see activity in the E. coli host.
"Once we transferred the DNA, we saw [a tiny] peak emerge in our data. We knew we had done something huge," she said.
Other members of the team included: graduate Zhangyue 'Tom' Wei (Miami '19), graduate John 'Jack' Brinton (BS Miami '17, MS Miami '19), junior Chantal Monnier, senior Alexis Enacopol, and staff member Theresa Ramelot, instrumentation specialist.
Both Adams and Kaplan continue to work with Jones. The students are leading projects that build on the recent success of the psilocybin work. Each of them is starting to pass down what they have learned in the lab by mentoring new undergraduate students that join the Jones Lab.
"It's important for [the new students] to understand the big picture so they see the reasons for the different steps of the experiments," Kaplan said.
Jones is pursuing the next phase of this research by studying ways to make the E. coli bacteria a better host — the next step toward enabling sustainable production at levels required by the pharmaceutical industry.


The two Pembroke Pine's baby bald eagles have mostly lost their baby fuzz and are almost covered with dark feathers as they hang out in their nest in Pembroke Pines Thursday morning. The Pembroke Pines eagles, which were discovered about seven years ago, are considered an indication of the recovery of a species that had almost disappeared from FloridaToday there are about 1,500, with the largest numbers in Osceola, Polk and Lee counties, as well as the Lakes region of central Florida and the Charlotte Harbor area, said Michelle van Deventer, eagle plan coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In Palm Beach County, 11 bald eagle nests were known to be active, according to surveys done in 2011 and 2012.