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STATEMENT on Proposed 2017 RI Budget
June 8, 2016 /in Brookings, Budget and Spending, Commentary, Featured, Occupational Licensing, Recent Posts/by RI Center for Freedom
STATEMENT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RI Families Once Again Left Out of State Budget
Multiple Special Interest & Corporate Welfare Programs Outweigh Few Relief Provisions
Lawmakers Adopt Center's Recommendation to increase EITC in lieu of Minimum Wage hike
Providence, RI — With nothing bold to address the massive structural budget deficits, its dismal business climate, or the state's 48th ranking on the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity's Jobs & Opportunity Index, Rhode Island lawmakers are once again advancing a special interest laden agenda that offers little relief or hope for new opportunities for the average Rhode Island family.
"What does the average family have to cheer about in this budget? The few provisions that offer minor relief to some are overwhelmingly outweighed by the massive special interest and corporate welfare spending that will continue drag-down our state economy," commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. "Only when the total relief package is bigger than new spending can we claim that Rhode Island is heading in the right direction."
While recognizing the reductions in retiree income taxes, the corporate minimum tax, and trucker registration and beach parking fees, the Center notes that these cuts are themselves narrowly targeted and are more than offset by the increases in corporate welfare, new Uber and marijuana taxes, pre-K funding, and new special-interest bond initiatives.
The Center maintains that major broad-based tax reforms are required to jump-start the Ocean State's stagnant economy and jobs market.
Also according to the Center, the continued funding of the unethical legislative and community grant programs, despite the mirage of reform, can only be seen a perpetuation of a corrupt, status quo insider culture.
As help to low-income workers, the Center praises lawmakers for adoptng the Center's March 2016 recommendation to hold the minimum wage steady and, instead, increase the Earned-Income-Tax-Credit (EITC), which rewards work without risking job losses.
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Jobs Opportunity Index (JOI) is a Better Metric than Unemployment Rate
April 28, 2016 /in Featured/by Mike Stenhouse
There is no JOI in Mudville … Ocean State strikes out – ranking 48th – in in the Center's new Jobs & Opportunity Index of economic well-being, despite recent celebrations of traditional unemployment rate. JOI was designed to help lawmakers craft better policy.
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Stop the HPV Vaccine Mandate & Preserve Parental Rights
August 19, 2015 /in Featured, Health Care, Regulatory Environment, Transparency, Youth Issues/by Mike Stenhouse
REGULATORY DESPOTISM? To view our press conference videos, photos, media links, and for more info …
Go to our HPV home page
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2015 Ed Choice Legislation – The Way of the Future!
March 4, 2015 /in Education, Featured/by Mike Stenhouse
If enacted, the Bright Today Scholarship and Open Enrollment Act of 2015 would become the most innovative and universal school choice program in America! Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are the way of the future.
[button url="https://rifreedom.org/?p=13364″ target="_blank" size="medium"] Read the ESA policy brief here [/button]
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Will RhodeMap RI Lead to Demolished Neighborhoods in RI?
December 5, 2014 /in Featured, Property Rights/by RI Center for Freedom
The San Francisco Bay area regional authority, similar to the "Urban Redevelopment Authority" that the controversial RhodeMap RI plan would create, plans to demolish 169,000 single-family homes, despite the outrage and objections of residents.
[button url="https://rifreedom.org/?p=13267″ target="_blank" size="medium"] Read the full post here [/button]
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RI General Assembly 2014 Session Freedom Index
October 15, 2014 /in Blog, Featured, Political Philosophy, Recent Posts/by Justin Katz
Download: Freedom Index 2014 Scorecard; legislator votes, bill explanations, and rankings
Go to main Freedom Index page.
NOW LIVE! Interactive Scorecard
2014 Freedom Index Findings
Ninety-nine (99) different pieces of legislation (counting companion bills once) were evaluated. The Center judged 76 of them as having a negative effect on freedom.
The average legislator index score of -49.4 indicates that the General Assembly moved Rhode Island in the wrong direction, and that Rhode Islanders are less free than they were in 2013. That result does represent a modest improvement from -56.6 the previous year. (The lowest possible score is -100.) However, it's important to remember that it's only an improvement in that the General Assembly is harming Rhode Island at a slightly slower rate. Actual improvement has yet to be made.
This index underscores our Center's view that the RI General Assembly continues not to positively address the dire business climate of our state and that a Constitutional Convention may be the only way to move the Ocean State toward growth and an improved standard of living.
Other findings include:
Average House index of -51.0 (up from -58.6)
Average Senate index of -46.7 (up from -52.4)
Average House Democrat index of -53.8 (up from -63.1)
Average House Republican index of -19.1 (down from -7.1)
Average Senate Democrat index of -48.5 (up from -56.1)
Average Senate Republican index of -38.0 (down from -33.2)
Average Regulatory Environment index of -47.1 (up from -67.5)
Average Tax & Budget index of -56.4 (down from -37.2)
Average Constitutional Government index of -4.8 (up from -61.6)
Average Public Sector Labor index of -69.5 (down from -44.0)
Average Education Reform index of -23.1 (up from -86.4)
Description & Methodology
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April 28, 2014 /in Blog, Featured, Political Philosophy, Recent Posts/by RI Center for Freedom
Click Here For The Main Freedom Index Page
The second-annual General Assembly Freedom Index by the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity scores Ocean State lawmakers on their level of support for principles of freedom as proven by their votes on the floors of the House and Senate. In response to IRS proposals that would limit the activities of non-profit groups like our Center, the Center released its initial version with legislators names redacted, identifying them only by chamber, party, and district (Read related commentary here). The full, non-redacted version is now released.
The index examines legislators' votes in terms of their likely effect on the free market, the size and scope of government, the balance of residents' interests against those of public employees and beneficiaries, and the constitutional structure of a divided government with limited power over the people whom it represents. The Center reviewed every bill that received a roll-call vote by the full membership of either chamber and selected 96 that fit its understanding of these criteria. (Companion bills only count once.)
The resulting scores give a detailed sense of each legislator's priorities beyond a few high-profile issues.
The Center further divided the bills into five categories:
Tax & budget: bills that affect the tax structure in Rhode Island and/or that relate to government expenditures, just driving or relieving the pressure on taxation
Regulatory environment: bills that make it more or less difficult to live and do business in the state by imposing regulations
Constitutional government: bills that affect the structure of the government, as well as the scope of government in its authority over residents' lives
Public sector labor: bills related to the relationship between its employees and itself and the electorate
Education reform: bills that advance or impede the reform of the state's public education system, in terms of both cost and quality
Most legislation has implications for more than one of these categories. For the purposes of this index, we applied our subjective sense of the area of core effect and sorted the bills accordingly. If, for example, a bill having to do with education seemed to us intended to secure the role of public employees, we classified that bill as Public Sector Labor, not Education Reform.
One hundred and sixteen (116) different pieces of legislation (counting companion bills once) were evaluated. The Center judged 93 of them as having a negative effect on freedom.
The average legislator index score of -56.6 indicates that the General Assembly moved Rhode Island in the wrong direction, and that Rhode Islanders are less free than they were in 2012. What's more, that result is down from -25.4 the previous year. (The lowest possible score is -100.) In other words, legislators aren't even trending in the direction of the right direction. This index underscores our Center's view that the RI General Assembly continues not to positively address the dire business climate of our state.
Other findings include;
Average House index of -58.6 (down from -24.1)
Average Senate index of -52.4 (down from -27.9)
Average House Democrat index of -63.1 (down from -32.2)
Average House Republican index of -7.1 (down from 28.8)
Average Senate Democrat index of -56.1 (down from -36.3)
Average Senate Republican index of -33.2 (down from 1)
Average Regulatory Environment index of -67.5 (down from -49.0)
Average Constitutional Government index of -61.6 (down from -9.1)
Average Public Sector Labor index of -44.0 (down from 16.7)
Average Education Reform index of -86.4 (there were no bills in this category last year)
Index Overview
The Center selected legislative bills for inclusion in the Freedom Index if they were deemed to have an effect on free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles, with each bill assigned a positive or negative weighting based on the criteria listed below. Weighted points for each bill were given to each legislator based on his or her roll-call vote on it.
Each legislator's final Freedom Index was calculated as his or her score's percentage of the total possible points. A positive score indicates a 2013 voting record that generally protected individual and economic freedoms, while a negative score reflects the opposite.
Disclaimer: It should be noted that the total Freedom Index score generated for each legislator is a direct reflection of the perspective of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity when it comes to the weighting of each bill. The Freedom Index is not an absolute measure of a legislator's merit and does not constitute any endorsement or individual criticism. The Freedom Index is a tool designed for general research and for accountability, giving voters some quantitative metrics for their own assessments as to their elected legislators' performance.
1) Determine weighting: Each selected bill received a weight ranging from +3 to -3, as determined by the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity. Negative weights indicate legislation that creates or expands an agency, government program/function, or tax; creates new regulatory burdens; is hostile to constitutional principles; or otherwise conflicts with the principles that guide the Center. Positive factors were assigned to bills in line with those principles. Companion bills in the House and Senate were weighted identically. To determine the weightings, the Center requested reviews of all chosen legislation from a half dozen engaged Rhode Islanders with similar principles and combined the range of results for a final weighting.
2) Determine vote: Each legislator received a +1 or -1 vote factor, depending on whether he or she voted FOR or AGAINST a particular bill, respectively. If a legislator did not vote on a bill, he or she received a +0.25 if the bill passed or a -0.25 if the bill failed. Legislators who abstained from voting received a +0.75 or a -0.75 vote factor depending on if the bill passed or failed.
3) Calculate weighted vote: Multiplying the weighting factor and the vote factor produced a weighted vote score for each legislator for each bill.
4) Calculate the legislator score: The cumulative score for all bills for each legislator determined that legislator's overall score.
5) Calculate Freedom Index: Dividing each legislator's total score by the maximum possible for the appropriate chamber provided his or her Freedom Index, or a percentage of the best possible score he or she could have achieved. In 2012, the "perfect" scores are 143 for the House and 133 for the Senate.
For example, consider a bill that would increase the regulatory burden significantly in Rhode Island and that the Center therefore weighted as a -2. Legislator A voted for the bill. His or her weighted vote would be calculated as follows: -2 x 1 = -2. Conversely, the weighted vote for Legislator B, who voted against the bill, would be: -2 x -1 = 2.
If Legislator A, in the House chamber, earned a total legislator score of -33, his or her Freedom Index would be calculated as: -33 ÷ 143 x 100 = -23.1. If Legislator B in the Senate had a total score of +23, his or her Freedom Index would be calculated as: 23 ÷ 133 x 100 = 17.3.
To rank the legislators, the Center sorted them by their Freedom Index scores and then, in the cases of ties, by their scores in each category, in the following order: Regulatory Environment, Tax & Budget, Constitutional Government, Public Sector Labor, and Education Reform. When legislators' results were still identical, the Center adjusted them in order of their apparent stature and power within their chambers.
In determining each bill's weighting, the following questions were considered:
Does the bill create or eliminate an agency, program, or function of government?
Does it give the government new or expanded power to prohibit or restrict activities in the free market? Examples may include licensure and other restrictions on legal business practices.
Is it unconstitutional or does it do violence to our concepts of federalism or separation of powers? Does it restrict property, speech, gun, or other constitutionally recognized rights or freedoms? Conversely, does it restore balance between the state and federal government, resume state authority over an issue under the 10th Amendment, or remove restrictions on constitutionally protected rights?
Other considerations were also brought into question:
Does the bill redistribute wealth or use tax policy or other incentives to reward specific interest groups with special favors or perks? Conversely, does it eliminate special favors and perks in the tax code or public policy?
Does it perform a function that can and should be performed by the private sector or restore functions to the private sector?
Does it grow or shrink the regulatory scope of an agency?
Does it directly or indirectly create/reduce taxes, fees, or other assessments?
Does it increase or decrease control of the private sector through rules, regulation, or statute?
Does it increase or decrease long-term debt or override or restore statutory or constitutional protections against long-term debt?
Does it give or reduce special benefits for government employees or politicians?
Does it promote government transparency and openness or does it restrict access to information that should be in the public domain?
It should be noted that the complexity not only of the law but of political theory in general can make assessments of the sort described above subjective and very difficult. People reviewing the index should consider the results to be the best judgment of the Center, given our collected experience and expertise.
Each legislator received a +1 or -1 vote factor, depending on whether he or she voted FOR or AGAINST a particular bill, respectively. If a legislator did not vote on a bill, he or she received a +0.25 if the bill passed or a -0.25 if the bill failed. Legislators who abstained from voting received a +0.75 or a -0.75 vote factor depending on if the bill passed or failed.
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Spotlight on $pending Report
March 31, 2014 /in Budget and Spending, Featured, Taxes/by RI Center for Freedom
OVER $220 MILLION IN WASTEFUL SPENDING detailed.
When the political class says it can't be done … this is how to pay for tax and other reforms!
Click Here For The Full Report!
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School Choice Essay Contest Winners
July 30, 2013 /in Education, Featured, News, Recent Posts/by RI Center for Freedom
Read Tiffany's essay here … Read Bryan's essay here … Listen to Tiffany and Bryan on the Helen Glover Radio Show 920WHJJ-AM
Media Release: July 31, 2013
Providence, RI — In celebrating "Friedman Legacy Day 2013", the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity will award prizes today to Tiffany Rezendes and Bryan Morillo, the top two essayists in a private essay contest it conducted with the youth-run empowerment organization, People United For Change, based in the Wiggins Village section of Providence.
Friedman Legacy Day is an annual celebration of the life and work of Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize winning economist and one of the early pioneers of school choice in America. Today would have been Friedman's 101st birthday.
Tiffany Rezendes and Bryan Morillo were announced as the top two essayist in the 2013 Milton Friedman Legacy Day Essay Contest celebration. Thanks to People United for Change for partnering with our Center.
Essayists were asked to write about how school choice has, or may have, made a difference in their lives or in someone they know. Both winners attended Providence district schools and each will receive an IPad donated by a Board member of the Center.
"A major assertion of Milton Friedman was echoed as a common theme in the personal essays we received; namely, that poor families are most affected by a lack of school choice," said Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the Center. "He believed that residents of low-income neighborhoods, more than any other population, are disadvantaged as to the quality of schooling they can get for their children."
Rezendes, 20, wrote about how one of her closest friends dropped out of high school due to a lack of a challenging curriculum in her Providence school, with no option to choose a school that was better suited to her interests, and how "she just gave up once she found out she wasn't accepted into Classical because all her hopes of having a great education had to be lowered to settle for a below average school experience."
Morillo, 17, discussed how lack of choice in schools "condemned the students of providence (sic) to an attitude of 'sit at home and collect a check' … " because of a curriculum that left many "unprepared for the real world", and "making it easy to simply go through the motions …"
People United for Change is a youth-run organization based at Wiggins Village in Providence, focused on empowering people to bring about positive and meaningful change, through unity, to the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island.
Read Tiffany's essay here …
Read Bryan's essay here …
The School Choice Essay Contest asked students to write about how school choice could have positively affected their life, or someone close to them. Essays were scored from 1-10 in each of four categories: emotional appeal, realism, defense of school choice, and quality of writing. Each of the five judges read and scored each essay.
Dr. Angela Dills, PhD – Economics Professor, Providence College. Doctor Dills has championed school choice for several years through research and speaking.
Matthew Fabisch – Attorney, Stephen Hopkins Center for Civil Rights. Matt has worked extensively on the legality and principles surrounding school choice.
Creusa Michelazzo – Providence-based small business owner. Macremi specializes in PR, production, and community/business development.
Akash Chougule – Outreach Coordinator, RI Center for Freedom. Akash conducts the Center's youth outreach to state and national liberty organizations.
Tyler Tassinari – Student, Arizona State University and Center Intern. Tyler is spending his summer doing school choice research for the Center.
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RI Medicaid Abuse Puts New Spin on "Laundering" Taxpayer Dollars
March 27, 2013 /in Blog, Featured, Labor, Recent Posts, Transparency/by RI Center for Freedom
MEDIA: NBC- Channel 10, ABC Channel 6
The State of Rhode Island has developed a new spin on the idea of "laundering" money, as part of the cycle of taxpayer dollars that end up in the pockets of the special few, according to a follow-up post today on The Ocean State Current, the journalism wing of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity.
According to the post by Justin Katz, some unionized laundry workers at the Eleanor Slater Hospital, and throughout the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), routinely double or even triple their salaries to take home over $123,000 per year, due to suspiciously high overtime payments.
The post follows an investigative article published yesterday in The Ocean State Current about six-figure overtime payments to government employed nurses and psychiatrists.
These new laundry worker revelations depict the waste and abuse in the laundering scheme where local and national taxpayer dollars are recycled first through the government via collection of taxes, then, in the Eleanor Slater case, sent to state-run facilities in the form of excessive Medicaid payments, with the money then further cycled directly into the pockets of privileged union employees – in this case, to laundry workers via exorbitant overtime payments.
Result: our hard-earned taxpayer dollars legally recycled to lavishly benefit government workers.
The data for The Current's article and post was collected by the Center, as part of its transparency effort.For more information about salary and overtime payments made to other state employees, please visit our popular transparency website, www.RIOpenGov.org.
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Tag: Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances
MacKinnon Report endorses Jason Kenney's political agenda, doesn't fix Alberta's big revenue problems
19 Comments on MacKinnon Report endorses Jason Kenney's political agenda, doesn't fix Alberta's big revenue problems
Janice MacKinnon
The report and recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances, known widely as the MacKinnon Report, after the panel's chairperson – former Saskatchewan cabinet minister and history professor Janice MacKinnon – was released yesterday.
The report is an endorsement of the United Conservative Party government plan to implement deep cuts to public sector funding, a wide-range of drastic changes to how Alberta's public services are delivered (or delivered at all), and the use of legislative tools to interfere with the collective bargaining process.
When reading the panel's report and recommendations, it is important to remember this is not a neutral or academic document. The MacKinnon Report is very much a political document written by political people who were appointed because they share the government's vision.
Despite her past political affiliation as an NDP cabinet minister in Saskatchewan, MacKinnon's fiscal conservative views make her more likely to feel welcome in the UCP or the Fraser Institute than in a party led by Rachel Notley or Jagmeet Singh. For decades MacKinnon has been a champion of fiscal conservatism and more recently provided an enthusiastic endorsement that was prominently displayed in the UCP's election platform.
The MacKinnon Report calls for funding freezes or cuts to public services across the board, including increased privatization of health services, changing the funding formula for Alberta schools (and likely introducing more private and charter schools), increasing government control of post-secondary institutions and lifting the current freeze on tuition fees, and downloading more infrastructure costs on municipalities.
In yesterday's press conference announcing the report, MacKinnon suggested that "fewer hospitals" could be a solution to cutting the health care budget, which should raise giant red flags in rural communities across Alberta. During her time as Saskatchewan's finance minister, 52 rural hospitals were closed as a result of budget cuts.
The report's suggestion that the government scale back capital investments could also spell trouble for the much-needed new hospital in southwest Edmonton, which was announced by the previous New Democratic Party government in 2017.
The recommended cuts and creation of legislative mechanisms to interfere with the collective bargaining processes are likely designed to create strife with public sector unions whose members would be directly impacted by these cuts – a group that the UCP is eager to pick fights with.
For anyone who grew up or lived in Alberta in the 1990s, it may feel like deja-vu.
When premier Ralph Klein and treasurer Jim Dinning imposed drastic cuts on public services, Albertans were told that balancing the budget and paying down the provincial debt was necessary to get Alberta's fiscal house in order. At the time, a young anti-tax crusader named Jason Kenney cheered on those cuts, going so far as to tell the Western Report that "Education will be the toughest area to cut, but it will also be the most important. If the government backs down on this one, then the entire Klein revolution will fail."
Successive governments, both Progressive Conservative and NDP, spent decades trying to fix the damage those short-sighted cuts had on Alberta's communities, public infrastructure and public services.
The "blue ribbon" panel was created to provide an endorsement of Premier Kenney's political program, and, if its recommendations are adopted, could be the most radically ideologically conservative agenda Albertans have seen in decades. It is a far cry from the technocratic conservative agenda meticulously implemented by former prime minister Stephen Harper, who Kenney served dutifully in Ottawa.
Unlike Harper, there is no indication that Kenney is interested in half-measures or incrementalism.
Alberta still has a big revenue problem
The narrow mandate of this panel was a missed opportunity to actually address the fiscal challenges facing Alberta, which includes issues with revenue ranging from low taxation and over-dependence on oil and gas royalty revenues.
The report briefly mentions that over-dependence on unreliable natural resource revenue is an issue, but the panel was specifically told not to provide recommendations to fix the revenue problem – only spending. Both MacKinnon and Finance Minister Travis Toews repeated the government's well-used talking points during yesteday's press conference – that Alberta has a spending problem and not a revenue problem.
The report frequently compares public sector spending in Alberta with British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, but only when it comes to government spending. The big problem with comparing Alberta with our provincial counterparts on the spending side is that our revenue – generated through taxes – is significantly lower than every other province.
If Alberta had the same level of taxation as BC, which is the second lowest in Canada, then Alberta could have no deficit and could be collecting billions of dollars in additional revenue each year.
By not addressing the revenue challenges faced by the Alberta government, the MacKinnon Report shows it was created to justify the spending cuts and privatization of public services that the UCP was likely already planning to implement. Remember, this is a political document.
It's hard to criticize the MacKinnon Report without also laying some criticism at the feet of the past PC and NDP governments who did not fix Alberta's revenue problems when they had the chance. Had the NDP been as aggressive in fixing Alberta's long-standing revenue problems as the UCP will be in attacking government spending, we might not be reading the MacKinnon Report today.
Tags Alberta NDP, Alberta PC Party, Alberta Revenue Problem, Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances, Fraser Institute, Jagmeet Singh, Janice MacKinnon, Jason Kenney, Jim Dinning, Rachel Notley, Ralph Klein, Stephen Harper, Travis Toews, United Conservative Party, Western Report
Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances, NDP critics, and auf Wiedersehen, Derek
7 Comments on Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances, NDP critics, and auf Wiedersehen, Derek
It has been a busy week in Alberta politics and here are a few of my thoughts on some recent developments:
Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances
Premier Jason Kenney and Finance Minister Travis Toews appointed a "Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances" with a mandate to recommend changes limited to Alberta government spending. As others have already pointed out, the narrow mandate is a missed opportunity to actually address the fiscal challenges facing Alberta, which includes issues with revenue ranging from low taxation and over-dependence on oil and gas royalty revenues.
That Kenney, who started his political career as spokesperson for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would want to focus purely on spending is not a shock. But it is only part of the challenge facing Alberta.
Appointing an arms-length panel to make these recommendations is politically smart and will give cover to a United Conservative Party government that is already inclined to make significant cuts to funding of public services. The NDP made similar political moves when they appointed arms-length panels to recommend changes to the natural resource royalty structure and to recommend action on climate change, which included the creation of the carbon tax, which Kenney has pledged to repeal.
Kenney's appointment of history professor and former Saskatchewan New Democratic Party cabinet minister Janice MacKinnon and former Alberta Liberal MLA Mike Percy was a clever move that on the surface mildly disarms its critics. But despite their past political affiliations, both MacKinnon and Percy have in the decades since they left elected office been welcomed in conservative circles because of their fiscally conservative views. MacKinnon was even prominently quoted in the UCP election platform.
Albertans need leaders who will look at the big picture, not just a slice of the problem. Judging by its narrow mandate, it is hard to imagine the blue ribboned panelists recommending anything but cuts, cuts, and more cuts.
NDP critics to be named next week
The 24 Alberta NDP MLAs who will make up the Official Opposition will be sworn-in on May 13 at the Legislative Assembly. Unlike their UCP colleagues, who will be sworn-in before the Speech from the Throne on May 21, the two dozen NDP MLAs will have an 8-day jump start with access to their Legislative offices and time to prepare for their first week of Question Period. And with a caucus mostly hailing from Edmonton, NDP MLAs will have a hometown advantage of not having to regularly travel long-distances to work in the capital city.
The NDP critic line-up is expected to be announced shortly after NDP MLAs are sworn-in. With 9 cabinet minister in its ranks, the NDP opposition will be well-equipped to question the cabinet of mostly rookie UCP MLAs. There could be a natural temptation to appoint the former cabinet ministers as critics for the ministerial offices they previously held, but it could also compromise the credibility of those critics who in some cases would be watching much of their 4-years of work be dismantled by the UCP.
Look for Official Opposition leader Rachel Notley to place Edmonton-Glenora MLA Sarah Hoffman, Lethbridge-East MLA Shannon Phillips, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview MLA Deron Bilous, Edmonton-North West MLA David Eggen, and Calgary-Buffalo MLA Joe Ceci in key critic roles.
The NDP will be tempted to continue their relentless campaign against the UCP on social issues, but treating the post-election period as just an extension of the 2019 election could be a strategic mistake. The NDP need to prepare themselves for how to respond effectively to the aggressive legislative agenda Kenney is expected to implement in the "Summer of Repeal" and to a fall provincial budget that could include deep and short-sighted budget cuts.
auf Wiedersehen, Derek.
Former Wildrose Party and UCP MLA Derek Fildebrandt resigned as leader of the Freedom Conservative Party last week after his party's electoral poor showing and his failure to win re-election in Chestermere-Strathmore in the April 2019 election. Fildebrandt, also a former spokesperson for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, is succeeded by interim leader David White, a former paramedic who ran for the party in Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin.
Say what you want about his political views and personal behavior, but Fildebrandt has been one of the most consistently colourful characters in Alberta politics since he burst on to the provincial scene in 2012.
The Freedom Conservative Party is the latest name of a tiny right-wing populist and sometimes separatist party that has existed since 1999. It took its latest form in June 2018 when the Western Freedom Party was renamed the Freedom Conservative Party. The party was originally formed as the Alberta First Party in 1999, renamed the Separation Party of Alberta in 2004 and again renamed the Alberta First Party in 2013 before it became the Western Freedom Party in April 2018.
Tags Alberta Election 2019, Alberta First Party, Alberta NDP, Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta's Finances, Calgary-Buffalo, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Chestermere-Strathmore, David Eggen, David White, Derek Fildebrandt, Deron Bilous, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, Edmonton-Glenora, Edmonton-North West, Freedom Conservative Party, Janice MacKinnon, Jason Kenney, Joe Ceci, Lethbridge-East, Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin, Mike Percy, Rachel Notley, Sarah Hoffman, Saskatchewan NDP, Separation Party of Alberta, Shannon Phillips, Summer of Repeal, Travis Toews, United Conservative Party, Western Freedom Party

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Are We Running Out of Oil?
NCPA.org
David Deming
Scaremongers are fond of reminding us that the total amount of oil in the Earth is finite and cannot be replaced during the span of human life. This is true; yet estimates of the world's total oil endowment have grown faster than humanity can pump petroleum out of the ground.
The Growing Endowment of Oil.
* In May 1920, the U.S. Geological Survey announced that the world's total endowment of oil amounted to 60 billion barrels.
* In 1950, geologists estimated the world's total oil endowment at around 600 billion barrels.
* From 1970 through 1990, their estimates increased to between 1,500 and 2,000 billion barrels.
* In 1994, the U.S. Geological Survey raised the estimate to 2,400 billion barrels, and their most recent estimate (2000) was of a 3,000-billion-barrel endowment.
By the year 2000, a total of 900 billion barrels of oil had been produced. Total world oil production in 2000 was 25 billion barrels. If world oil consumption continues to increase at an average rate of 1.4 percent a year, and no further resources are discovered, the world's oil supply will not be exhausted until the year 2056.
"Oil shales may hold another 14,000 billion barrels -- a 500 year supply."
Additional Petroleum Resources.
The estimates above do not include unconventional oil resources. Conventional oil refers to oil that is pumped out of the ground with minimal processing; unconventional oil resources consist largely of tar sands and oil shales that require processing to extract liquid petroleum. Unconventional oil resources are very large. In the future, new technologies that allow extraction of these unconventional resources likely will increase the world's reserves.
* Oil production from tar sands in Canada and South America would add about 600 billion barrels to the world's supply.
* Rocks found in the three western states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming alone contain 1,500 billion barrels of oil.
* Worldwide, the oil-shale resource base could easily be as large as 14,000 billion barrels — more than 500 years of oil supply at year 2000 production rates.
Unconventional oil resources are more expensive to extract and produce, but we can expect production costs to drop with time as improved technologies increase efficiency.
The Role of Technology
With every passing year it becomes possible to exploit oil resources that could not have been recovered with old technologies. The first American oil well drilled in 1859 by Colonel Edwin Drake in Titusville, Pa. — which was actually drilled by a local blacksmith known as Uncle Billy Smith — reached a total depth of 69 feet (21 meters).
* Today's drilling technology allows the completion of wells up to 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) deep.
* The vast petroleum resources of the world's submerged continental margins are accessible from offshore platforms that allow drilling in water depths to 9,000 feet (2,743 meters).
* The amount of oil recoverable from a single well has greatly increased because new technologies allow the boring of multiple horizontal shafts from a single vertical shaft.
* Four-dimensional seismic imaging enables engineers and geologists to see a subsurface petroleum reservoir drain over months to years, allowing them to increase the efficiency of its recovery.
New techniques and new technology have increased the efficiency of oil exploration. The success rate for exploratory petroleum wells has increased 50 percent over the past decade, according to energy economist Michael C. Lynch.
Hubbert's Prediction of Declining Production
Despite these facts, some environmentalists claim that declining oil production is inevitable, based on the so-called Hubbert model of energy production. They ignore the inaccuracy of Hubbert's projections.
Problems with Hubbert's Model.
In March 1956, M. King Hubbert, a research scientist for Shell Oil, predicted that oil production from the 48 contiguous United States would peak between 1965 and 1970. Hubbert's prediction was initially called "utterly ridiculous." But when U.S. oil production peaked in 1970, he became an instant celebrity and living legend.
"Environmentalists now tie their predictions of declining energy supplies to M. King Hubbert's model of energy production -- which has been consistently inaccurate."
Hubbert based his estimate on a mathematical model that assumes the production of a resource follows a bell-shaped curve — one that rises rapidly to a peak and declines just as quickly. In the case of petroleum, the model requires an accurate estimate of the size of the total oil endowment. His best estimate of the size of petroleum resources in the lower 48 states was 150 billion barrels. His high estimate, which he considered an exaggeration, was 200 billion barrels.
Based on these numbers, Hubbert produced two curves showing a "best" estimate of U.S. oil production and a "high" estimate. The claimed accuracy of Hubbert's predictions are largely based on the upper curve — his absolute upper limit.
* Hubbert set the absolute upper limit for peak U.S. oil production at roughly 3 billion barrels a year, and his best or lower estimate of peak future U.S. crude oil production was closer to 2.5 billion barrels.
* As early as 1970, actual U.S. crude oil production exceeded Hubbert's upper limit by 13 percent.
* By the year 2000, actual U.S. oil production from the lower 48 states was 2.5 times higher than Hubbert's 1956 "best" prediction.
Production in the 48 contiguous states peaked, but at much higher levels than Hubbert predicted. From about 1975 through 1995, Hubbert's upper curve was a fairly good match to actual U.S. production data. But in recent years, U.S. crude oil production has been consistently higher than Hubbert considered possible.
"U.S. oil production has been higher than Hubbert thought possile."
Hubbert's 1980 prediction of U.S. oil production, his last, was substantially less accurate than his 1956 "high" estimate. In the year 2000, actual U.S. oil production from the lower 48 states was 1.7 times higher than his 1980 revised prediction.
In light of this, it is strange that Hubbert's predictions have been characterized as remarkably successful. While production in the United States is declining, as Hubbert predicted, it is doing so at a much slower rate. Furthermore, lower production does not necessarily indicate the looming exhaustion of U.S. oil resources. It shows instead that at current prices and with current technology, less of the remaining petroleum is economically recoverable.
Hubbert's Prediction for Natural Gas.
In 1998, Peter McCabe of the U.S. Geological Survey showed that energy resources do not necessarily follow Hubbert-type curves, and even if they do a decline in production may not be due to exhaustion of the resource.
For example, Hubbert also predicted future U.S. natural gas production. This prediction turned out to be grossly wrong. As of 2000, U.S. natural gas production was 2.4 times higher than Hubbert had predicted in 1956.
Experts highlight oil supply problems
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'Peak Oil' Gathering Sees $100 Crude This Decade
Global energy demand and capacity building in the ...
Experts hear oil depletion fear
Gas goes up; thinking cap goes on
Road hauliers must look at underlying causes of ri...
Bartlett Gets It; Bush Doesn't
Peak oil a focus of 35th annual Earth Day


text:
The Changing Landscape of Remuneration and Fees for Insolvency Practitioners
Over recent times there have been indications from a number of public groups that there needs to be a level of reasonableness adopted by Insolvency practitioners on the issue of remuneration and fees, taking into account the specific nature and circumstances of each insolvency job. From recent decisions it appears that the Courts have taken notice, with some judgments being issued that all insolvency practitioners need to take note of and it seems that more are on the way
In a recent Supreme Court decision from Brereton J in the matter of AAA Financial Intelligence Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) ACN 093 616 445 (No2) [2014] NSWSC 1270, his honour identified three main issues that were before him:
Whether the liquidators should be permitted to recover their remuneration and expenses from trust funds;
Whether the residue of trust funds after payment of the Liquidator's remuneration and expenses should be between the beneficiaries equally; and
The quantum of the liquidator's remuneration and expenses.
His honour was satisfied that the liquidators were entitled to their reasonable and proper costs and expenses from the trust assets, but only in relation to work that was referrable to administration of the trust assets.
Turning to the issue of the quantum of the liquidator's remuneration and expenses, his honour allowed the majority of the expenses incurred by the liquidators, however on the issue of remuneration, this was reduced on the basis that the remuneration cannot be assessed solely on the quoted standard hourly rates to the time reasonable spent. At paragraph, 30 the issue was outlined as follows:
"I do not doubt that substantially all the work in respect of which remuneration is claimed was performed, and took the time claimed. Nor do I doubt that the liquidator's standard rates are within the range of those charged by similar professionals for similar work. If the cost of the Liquidators' services for the time spent at their standard quoted rates is the correct measure of remuneration, then their claim for remuneration is justified. The real issue is whether the costs of their services, so calculated, is a reasonable fee in all the relevant circumstances – including the nature and value of the property in question. Alternatively put, does the formula of time reasonably spent at standard hourly rates provide the proper measure of reasonable remuneration?"
It was clear that if the liquidator's full remuneration was allowed then it would have exhausted all the trust funds, leaving no return to beneficiaries and accordingly the remuneration claimed was reduced by his honour to reflect 20% of the trust assets realised.
In the recent Supreme Court of New South Wales matter of Hellion Protection Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) [2014] NSWSC 1299, his honour Brereton J was once again required to decide on a matter whereby the liquidator was seeking to review the remuneration that had previously been fixed at a creditor's meeting. In essence, the liquidator's remuneration for a creditor's voluntary winding up had been fixed at $25,000.00 and he was seeking to have them reviewed and increased to $47,399.00 plus GST.
In the matter, his honour referred to his decision in the case of AAA Financial Intelligence Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) ACN 093 616 445 (No2) [2014] NSWSC 1270 ("AAA matter") and once again highlighted the difficulties with time/cost approaches to liquidations, especially smaller liquidations. At paragraph 5 of his reasons, his honour outlined:
"..I referred to authorities which supported a percentage –or commission – approach to a liquidator's remuneration and to cases which indicated ranges that might be appropriate, starting from the statutory $5,000.00 where no amount is otherwise approved; to the bankruptcy scale commencing from 10 percent of realisations in smaller bankruptcies; to cases which had commented; in the liquidation context, that 5 percent on realisations and 5 percent on distribution was a very high allowance."
In the case, his honour ultimately rejected the application by the liquidator outlining that there was no need to disturb what had already been approved and that there was no basis to increase the remuneration above the cap that had been approved.
Ultimately these cases demonstrate the need for insolvency practitioners to take precautions when deciding / adopting a method for which expenses and remuneration will be claimed from a job. It will not be sufficient in all matters for liquidators to adopt a time based approach where the value of assets in a job will not support such a method. Perhaps Brereton J summed up the position best in the AAA matter at paragraph 36:
"…liquidators are under a fiduciary duty to protect, get in and realise assets and property belonging to creditors or beneficiaries and pass it on to them, and in doing so are expected to exercise proper commercial judgment in carrying out their duties and to account both for the way in which they exercised their powers and for the property dealt with. Where the sole or dominant beneficiary of a liquidation is not the creditors but the liquidator, that fundamental purpose has not been achieved."
What this means is that each insolvency matter needs to be dealt with taking into account the specific nature and circumstances of the matter in determining the reasonable remuneration and expenses to be paid to liquidators. Some matters have different complexities than others whereby liquidators are forced to obtain specific advice or seek other services from outside professionals in determining the best steps to be taken in the matter for the benefit of the creditors. There will also be instances where despite proper attempts by liquidators for the recovery of assets, such a return is unsuccessful and will not be greater than the reasonable remuneration and expenses of the liquidators. The Courts have advised that these matters need to be monitored closely and may not always allow for full the remuneration and expenses claimed by liquidators.
It can also be noted that as a result of the Court's recent approaches taken to reviewing the remuneration and expenses of insolvency practitioners, that more reviews will be on the way. Interestingly, Justice Antony Siopis of the Federal Court in Perth has previously ordered an inquiry into the remuneration and expenses claimed by the receivers and managers of the three businesses related to Burrup Fertilisers, which was placed into receivership in 2010. It is noted that the receivers and managers are disputing the basis for the inquiry and are seeking to have the proceedings struck out.
On the basis of the underlying principles coming to effect from such recent cases, it can be expected that further review and scrutiny will be adopted by Courts in moving forward in the future. It is important not to lose focus on preserving the nature of the liquidators' duties in protecting the interests of creditors whilst also being paid reasonable remuneration and expenses for undertaking such duties.
JHK Legal is well versed in dealing with all forms of insolvency matters. We have previously acted on behalf of creditors, shareholders, directors, insolvency practitioners and other professionals involved in the insolvency process. If you have any enquiries or require any assistance with any insolvency matter you may be involved in, please don't hesitate to contact our office.
Author: Patrick Hanrahan, Legal Practitioner Director


text: Q: How do you convert a MySQL query into an object in Python? For example, in Python I have the object "user", which has the attributes "id", "name", "password", and "score". I have a users table in MySQL that has these columns. However, I cannot figure out how to parse the results of a select statement (like "SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = 'FRED') into a python object, so that all of the attributes of Fred's info in the database becomes the attribute of an object. Is it possible to do this?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


For the past year, I have traveled around the world and throughout the United States photographing birds. Many were exotic, a few were rare, and most species were new to me. One of the fascinating places I visited was Churchill on Hudson's Bay in Manitoba Canada. Churchill's Boreal climate gives it long, cold, harsh winters and brief, cool summers. Many bird species migrate long distances to breed in this subArctic region during the brief period of warmer weather before returning to more temperate climes. As I reviewed photographs from my June trip to Churchill, Canada I came a across a photograph I'd forgotten. I did not expect to find this rather mundane bird in my collection. It is a House Sparrow, known as an old world sparrow, a bird that is not native to North America. It hitched a ride to the new world from Europe in the middle of the 19th Century where it spread out across the continent and it is now common everywhere. I have seen them for years in my West Coast garden. As a non-native species, it is not protected by the Miratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and it is despised by many as invasive. But, there he was, in full breeding plumage, peering at me from a willow branch in Churchill, a male House Sparrow, neither exotic, rare, nor new to me.
This entry was posted on August 26, 2017 by Carol Smith. It was filed under Uncategorized .


text:
The 'Blower' Bentley
4 ½ LITRE SUPERCHARGED – THE 'BLOWER' BENTLEY
For many enthusiasts, the imposing 'Blower' Bentley is the iconic racing Bentley of the pre-war years, forever linked with the image of its driver, the dashing Bentley Boy Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin. Ironically, the 4 ½ Litre Supercharged was the least successful of all the Cricklewood Bentleys in competition – and founder W.O. Bentley bitterly opposed its development. But while it lasted, the 4 ½ Litre Supercharged went like a rocket, earning Bentley a legion of fans at every race it entered.
The quest for more power
By 1928, it had become clear that the 4 ½ Litre was reaching the end of its development and that competitors were closing the gap fast on Bentley's racing supremacy. For W.O. Bentley, the answer was simple; increase engine capacity. His highly successful 6 ½ Litre Speed Six was the result, winning Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. But Tim Birkin preferred the supercharging option, based on the four-cylinder 4 ½ Litre.
In 1929 Birkin commissioned the production of a series of 4 ½ Litre Bentleys, powered by a supercharger developed by independent engineer Amherst Villiers. Power increased from around 110bhp to 175bhp with the supercharger installation. To meet the requirements of racing rules of the period, 50 production 'Bentley Blowers' had to be made; funding for Birkin's team was provided by the wealthy heiress the Hon. Dorothy Paget.
W.O. opposed the idea, saying the supercharger would 'pervert the engine's design and corrupt its performance', but Birkin persuaded Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato to approve the project. W.O. Bentley was overruled.
Birkin's eccentric patron
The daughter of Lord Queensborough and American heiress Pauline Whitney, Dorothy Wyndham Paget was one of Britain's best-known racehorse owners, winning 1,532 races with a number of trainers. She was also highly eccentric; in later life she became entirely nocturnal, eating breakfast at 6.30pm, lunch at 10.00pm and a large dinner in the early morning. But as a young woman in the late 1920s, a visit to Brooklands kindled her interest in motor racing. She took driving lessons from Tim Birkin and, it's claimed, competed under the pseudonym 'Miss Wyndham'. Birkin described her as one of the finest women drivers of fast cars he had ever come across. Without her sponsorship, the Blower Bentley would never have entered racing legend.
The Blower at Le Mans
The duel between Mercedes-Benz driver Rudolf Caracciola and Sir Tim Birkin at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hour race has passed into legend. As with many legends it's hard to separate fact from fiction. For the race, Bentley fielded three team Speed Sixes as well as Birkin's independent team of supercharged 4 ½ Litre Bentleys. From the start Birkin and Caracciola ran neck and neck, Birkin famously passing the SSK Mercedes on the Hunaudières straight with two wheels on the grass. Neither car lasted the distance, leaving Barnato to take victory with Glen Kidston in a Speed Six, 'Old Number One'.
Later Bentley encouraged the myth that Birkin had deliberately overextended the Mercedes with a 'tortoise and hare' strategy in the 'Blower', leaving the team Speed Sixes to take the win. It's more likely that Birkin was aiming for the win and only knew one way to drive – flat out. The reason for the Blower's failure in endurance racing was perfectly summed up by Nobby Clarke, Bentley's Racing Manager; "The Blower eats plugs like a donkey eats hay".
Heroic drives
The Blower's finest hour arrived in the 1930 French Grand Prix at Pau; amid a field of Bugatti Grand Prix cars, Birkin wrestled the huge Bentley to a heroic 2nd place. At a startline weight of over 2 tonnes, Birkin's Blower was almost certainly the heaviest car ever entered in a grand prix, a roadgoing tourer among purpose-built racing cars.
Another of Birkin's Blower Bentleys, registration UU 5871, was converted to a single seater with faired-in radiator for racing on the banked circuit at Brooklands. With the engine now delivering 240bhp, Birkin recorded a lap record at Brooklands of 137.96mph in March 1932, his car often airborne due to the poor quality of the concrete banking.
In the words of engineer and automotive historian Laurence Pomeroy, "the spectacular feats of driving by Birkin, and the magnificent and imposing appearance of these cars, have contributed to give them a heroic and legendary fame."


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text:
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the United States and the New World Order
Par Robin Philpot
Région : sub-Saharan Africa
Thème: United Nations
The genocide in Rwanda was one hundred percent the responsibility of the Americans. Boutros Boutros Ghali Nov. 21, 2002.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali had the unfortunate role of being secretary general of the United Nations just when the United States proclaimed the New World Order. In ordinary language, that meant the US World Order, where one superpower decided on everything. Mr. Boutros-Ghali still believed in a multipolar, or at least a bipolar world. Here is how the former secretary general described the behaviour of the United States in a 2002 interview.
They didn't want someone who would question their decisions. They wanted everything, and everything at once! You know, when people have power … I have worked with absolute rulers all my life. They cannot accept discussion; they cannot accept even a minimum of contradiction. I want that! And that's all. What? You want to discuss the issue? I am the God of Gods, and I will have what I want. And you're saying that you would like to think about it for a while? [1]
Boutros-Ghali began his mandate as secretary general of the United Nations in January 1992. He was the first African to hold the position. Among the most serious challenges during his mandate was the war in Rwanda that reached a climax in 1994. Washington so disliked Boutros-Ghali, whom US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called "Frenchie," that they engineered a coup to have him removed and imposed their veto on a second term. He was replaced by Kofi Annan in 1996.
Washington offered Boutros Boutros-Ghali the sort of honours offered to other leaders who they remove. President Clinton promised to receive him at the White House, American Universities would grant him honorary doctorates, and more, but in return he had to step down as Secretary General of his own volition. Boutros-Ghali replied that he did not accept tips.
With his departure it is worth remembering what he said about the Rwandan tragedy:
"The genocide in Rwanda was one hundred percent the responsibility of the Americans."
Is it a wonder that he was so unceremoniously removed as secretary general of the UN?
[1] Robin Philpot, Rwanda and the New Scramble for Africa, From Tragedy to Useful Imperial Fiction, p. 224
Copyright © Robin Philpot, Mondialisation.ca, 2016
Articles Par : Robin Philpot


text:
Q: Silverlight FTP file upload not work in server I have create a file upload project in silverlight
using FtpClient by following this link
(https://github.com/dittodhole/sharpLightFtp).
It works well in local development(visual studio) and local
iis server also.But when I host this into my server i get following problem.
var success = ftpClient.BasicConnect();
success becomes false.What may be the reason for this?

A: Actually I am the author of this library.
Did you read the README file? It explains the steps:

You need to follow this awesome tutorial to enable elevated trust in-browser, which is needed for socket-programming.

So, my guesses:

*

*Missing signing/Missing reg-entry for the CA

*or missing policy-file


Partnership between humans and computers has a significant potential to extend the ability of humans to address complex design problems. This paper presents a decision-making process for computers to effectively collaborate with humans in the solution of complex problems under dynamic competition. In the proposed process, the computers learn strategies and objectives from prior experimental data and provide strategy suggestions to a human collaborator. The study integrates clustering and sequential learning methods from machine learning with a differential game formulation based on model predictive control to find dynamic Nash equilibrium solutions to zero-sum games. The application of the proposed approach is demonstrated on the real-time strategy game Starcraft II that offers a dynamic competitive problem comparable in complexity to real-world applications. The results show that the proposed approach can successfully identify a variety of opening strategies in the experimental data for the initial phase of the process. The game-theoretic strategies in the later phases provide useful suggestions for low-performing players but are unnecessarily conservative for high-performing players which suggest a need for human intuition to assess the value of the suggestions.


text:
We have limited Portuguese content available. View Portuguese content.
Zero-based Redesign Puts a MedTech Leader on a Path to Sustainable Growth
A spectacular multi-year run fueled both by organic growth and acquisitions had placed MedTechCo* among the giants in the medical technology field. However, in one of the multi-billion dollar company's most important markets, a key line of business that supplies equipment to universities, research labs, industrial companies and other clients faced significant disruption. Multiple forces were eroding profit margins and leaving MedTechCo operating at near break-even levels. New leadership partnered with Bain, intent on making sure that growth and profitability went hand in hand.
60 Approximate number of savings initiatives identified
20-30% Identified savings of addressed SG&A across all functions
MedTechCo's rapid expansion had a negative impact on its profitability due to a perfect storm of disruptive forces:
The rolling up of multiple acquisitions posed organizational challenges, as many of the acquired companies continued to run on their old IT systems, maintained separate sales forces, and were run by managers who failed to conform to MedTechCo's goals. Lacking a lean and flexible organizational structure, taking costs out was proving to be extremely challenging.
Meanwhile, "the Amazon effect" was having a pronounced impact on customers, who increasingly preferred an ecommerce model that enabled them to gather information and place orders directly. Capitalizing on this new preference, ecommerce players entered the market, introducing more competition.
Finally, MedTechCo had launched a previous cost-transformation effort that failed to achieve its objectives, but which left a trust deficit in its wake. Incremental cost improvements made a modest impact, but margins remained razor-thin.
Adding to those challenges, MedTechCo's investments in sales and marketing did not map to the profit potential of its various customer segments. The university market, for example, yielded considerably less profit margin than the industrial market, which would argue for spending more on the latter, but MedTechCo was not taking that into account.
Needing a blank-sheet approach to these core issues, the company turned to Bain, which has deep expertise in cost transformation, including a leadership position in zero-based redesign (ZBR). Over the course of a five-month engagement, MedTechCo made remarkable strides in reinventing its business model, reducing costs, and improving productivity. Roughly a year and a half later, the company had not only significantly reduced its SG&A expenditures but had also increased sales and EBITDA, with the potential for further gains as it scales its new approaches across other parts of the company.
MedTechCo's operations in this key region were complex, and its efforts to rein in costs were plagued by intra-country disputes between leaders. The Bain team knew that zero-based redesign could not only achieve the necessary expense reductions but also foster trust and collaboration between senior executives. Bain worked closely with MedTechCo to identify and take action on several initiatives:
Build an activities-based factbase. While the more traditional approach would be to build a cost factbase, Bain worked with MedTechCo to focus on the costs of various activities, such as serving a customer for a given product in a specific country, understanding the marketing costs of a customer journey, assessing supply chain costs, and so on. This provided essential data for regular meetings designed to diagnose the critical steps needed to return to strong profitability. In conjunction with this effort, the Bain team assembled approximately 20 of the company's leaders at an offsite as a way to strengthen relationships and build trust, an invaluable exercise that enabled them to evaluate activity spend cubes, work systems and processes, and agree on appropriate cuts and adjustments. This enhanced transparency helped individual teams make better decisions about high- and low-value activities.
Clarify customer profitability and adjust service levels. Another key component of the ZBR effort was to develop a deep understanding of customer, product and regional profitability, and determine what products and levels of service to offer. The goal was to prioritize what actually sells, and remove long-tail products from inventory. As part of that effort it was imperative to redesign certain activities by, for example, shifting away from a high-touch, high-overhead sales model that overserved some customers in favor of a more efficient e-commerce model.
Execute multiple pilot projects. The Bain team designed a series of "launch and learn" pilot projects in the commercial and fulfillment business segments—for example, deploying sales reps on new selling patterns in one geography (which entailed scaling back monthly visits to quarterly for certain customers, but increasing the frequency of visits for other, higher-profit customers) and replacing certain long-tail products on the web site with higher-selling alternatives. As customers responded favorably the company was able to deploy these new approaches more widely, giving MedTechCo's senior leaders confidence to pursue additional cost reduction and streamlining initiatives as they began to drive the execution on their own.
Develop a transformation road map. Armed with data from Bain's diagnostic and analysis efforts regarding MedTechCo's product and service profitability levels and relevant operations and activities, its leaders were reassembled to refine that understanding into a transformation road map. The road-mapping session resulted in an ambitious two- to three-year plan to transform a broad array of expenses and business processes, and encompassed a high-level timeline of activities, priorities, and definitions of success.
Bain's ZBR expertise helped MedTechCo substantially transform its financial health. Working closely together, MedTechCo and Bain were able to:
Implement a bottoms-up approach that identified more than 60 possible savings initiatives across functions, leading to a prioritization effort that focused on those that would generate the most value. That led to approximately 20% lower spending in addressed SG&A
Re-establish of trust in the cost transformation process
Develop a five-year plan to implement further savings and profitability measures
* We take our clients' confidentiality seriously. While we've changed their names, the results are real.
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text:
Aleksandra Mihajlović Bijelić
Secretary of Associations in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republic of Srpska
She is born on August 17, 1971 in Sisak, Republic of Croatia. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Banja Luka in 1995. She started career in a private company for designing and marketing computer equipment "Dialogue" in Belgrade on foreign trade affairs. After that, she was employed at the Chamber of Commerce of the Banja Luka region as a professional associate for economic relations with foreign countries, and since 1999 she has been working in the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Srpska, performing various tasks as an independent expert for economic cooperation and Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic Srpske. For the past 14 years she has been working as the Secretary of the Association of Textile, Leather and Footwear, Association of Graphic and Information Services, and the Council of Exporter of the Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska.
In addition, as a representative of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Srpska, she was additionally engaged in the field of education, and she actively participated in various trainings and conferences on dual education in the country and abroad. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Srpska, she is a member of the Tripartite Advisory Council at the level of Republika Srpska, whose competence is regulated by the Law on Secondary Education, which is the link between secondary vocational education and the labor market.
All Sessions by Aleksandra Mihajlović Bijelić
Day II
Panel 7 - Dual Education - concept for acceleration of economic development
"Digital" Hall
IN ORGANIZATION
Association of Economists of the Republic of Srpska
SWOT RS
Dragiše Vasića 13
78000 Banjaluka
email: info@swot.ba
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1/4 cup home-made lard : Click picture to see video Other options, unsalted Butter (best from grass-fed cows) or coconut oil.
1 & 1/2 cup mixture of Sonora white flour, "Bob's Red Mill" or "Wheat Montana" unbleached organic NON-GMO white flour.
Blend starter and water. Cut cold lard into flour, as shown. Mix in salt. Add starter/water mix in and kneed a bit. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap. Let sit 2 to 24 hours. Kneed just a bit. Cut into 6-8 equal size pieces. Flat to small rounds on lightly floured surface. Roll out. Uncooked tortillas can be stored between wax paper sheets. Store, longer than a few hours in the refrigerator, longer still in freezer in sealed container. Bring to room temperature before cooking. To cook heat a cast iron skillet or grill on medium. Place tortilla on skillet. Cook until bubbles come up, flip cook a shorter time on other side. Remove and keep in warm towel, serve asap. Click on the last 3 pictures to see a few recipes I make with these beautiful tortillas.


I was proud to see that our stand alone blog was recognized by the Texas Bar Journal in their March issue. It is not very often that the Texas Bar Journal recognizes a small law firm especially one that practices Criminal defense work. It is satisfying that my work over the years does not go unnoticed. I truly feel that by writing consistently about criminal law issues in Texas I have become a better lawyer and most importantly a better communicator. I also enjoyed that several of my fellow criminal lawyers in Harris County, Texas acknowledged seeing the piece. The lawyers in my fantasy baseball league may know now where I get a lot of my information after reading the piece. I even had some of my civil friends call me that I have not spoken to in years after they saw the piece. I should have known better that despite talking to the Journal for close to a hour they will print so little about me and my law firm. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the recognition.


text:
Мігас (,  — «крихти») — страва в іспанській та португальській кухнях. Ця ж назва використовується для різних страв в мексиканській та текс-мексичній кухнях.

Піренейські мігаси

Іспанський мігас
Мігас — традиційна страва іспанської кухні. Спочатку це була страва на сніданок, в якій використовувалися залишки хліба або торти. Мігас зазвичай подається як перша страва на обід або вечерю в ресторанах Іспанії.

В різних провінціях Іспанії інгредієнти мігаса відрізняються один від одного.

У Естремадурі ця страва складається з одноденного хлібу, змоченого у воді, часнику, паприки та оливкової олії, містить шпинат або люцерну, часто подається зі смаженими свинячими реберцями.

У Теруелі, Арагон, мігас включає чорізо і бекон, і його часто подають з виноградом.

У Ла-Манчі мігас манхегас є більш досконалою стравою, і складається в основному з тих інгредієнтів що і у арагонському мігасі.

У Гранаді, Альмерії та Мурсії, на південному сході Іспанії, мігас схожий на північноафриканський кускус, готують використовуючи борошно та воду, але без хліба. Страва зазвичай містить різноманітні інгредієнти, включаючи рибу. Андалузькі міги часто їдять із сардинами у вигляді тапа, та у вигляді смажених сухарів. У деяких місцях страва складається з матанзи (м'яса тварин) і подається з тушкованим рагу, включаючи згущену кров, печінку, нирки та інші субпродукти, які традиційно їдять відразу після в'ялення свині, вівці чи кози. Мігас часто готують над відкритою плитою або вугіллям. У Гранаді та Альмерії традиційно роблять мігаси, коли йде дощ.

Португальські мігаси
Мігас є традиційною стравою і в португальській кухні. Зазвичай його виготовляють із залишкового хліба, або пшеничного хліба, який традиційно асоціюється з регіоном Алентежу на півдні Португалії, або кукурудзяного хліба, який виготовляють і вживають у Бейрі. В Алентежу мігас також можна робити з картоплею (migas de batata), однак хліб не включається в склад страви.

Постійний інгредієнт мігаса. — це часник і оливкова олія. Інші інгредієнти, такі як крапельне м'ясо зі свинини, дика спаржа, помідори, приправи, паста з червоного перцю та свіжий коріандр, зазвичай включаються в «Алентежу», тоді як в Бейра до інших інгредієнтів зазвичай входить зварена капуста, нарізана в стилі кальдо-верде, варена квасоля (пінто, чорноокий горошок або проста квасоля), а іноді і варений рис.

Мігас зазвичай супроводжується вживанням м'яса або інших основних страв.

Північноамериканські міги

Мексиканський мігас

У різних районах Мексики мігас — традиційна страва для сніданку, що складається зі смужок кукурудзяної тортили, обсмажених на сковороді або на грилі до майже хрусткого стану, до яких потім додаються яйця для створення яєчної / смаженої суміші тортили. Цей препарат використовує затверділі кукурудзяні коржі, що залишилися від попередніх страв. Хілакілес — це схожа страва, яка замінює сальсу яйцями під час варіння. Обидва — ситні, недорогі сніданки робочого класу.

У Мехіко також є своя версія мігаса. Виглядає він як часниковий суп, загущений нарізаним білим хлібом. Його зазвичай ароматизують невеликою кількістю свинячого м'яса та кістками, шинкою, епазотом, орегано та різними видами інших сушених перців. Подається теплим, і окремо в кожну тарілку зазвичай додається сире яйце, при цьому шанувальники страви мусять почекати доки воно повільно приготується теплим супом. Це дуже популярна страва в центрі міста Мехіко, особливо в Тепіто.

Текс-мексиканський мігас
Існує також текс-мексиканська варіація мігаса. Сюди входять додаткові інгредієнти, такі як нарізана кубиками цибуля, нарізаний червоний перець, нарізаний кубиками свіжий помідор або сир, а також різні спеції та приправи (наприклад, сальса або піко де галло). Ще одна поширена варіація — додати чорізо до стандартних інгредієнтів.

Мігас, як правило, подається з обсмаженою квасолею, а кукурудзяні або борошняні коржі можуть використовуватися для складання всіх інгредієнтів в тако. Такі сніданки Migas популярні в Техасі.

У деяких районах його, можливо, традиційно їли і під час посту .

Див. також

 Хілакілес, ще одна мексиканська страва на основі приготування коржів
 Fit-fit або ялиця
 Гачас
 французький тост
 Парота Коту,
 Панзанелла
 Тако

Примітки

Джерела

 Рецепт текс-мексика міг
 Традиційний рецепт міга.
 Смакуйте в Андалусії, Іспанія

Національні страви
Іспанська кухня
Португальська кухня
Мексиканська кухня
Сторінки з неперевіреними перекладами

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
May 14, 2020 May 15, 2020 RedCrossNW
The day in May -40 years ago- when Mount St. Helens blew up
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted violently — killing 57 people, producing significant changes in the landscape and providing a vivid reminder that Washington state is home to some of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. To help mark the 40th anniversary, May has been designated as volcano preparedness month.
This article is the first of two. It tells the Mount St. Helens story, and talks about volcanoes in general. A companion story, with tips from the American Red Cross on how to stay safe in volcano country, will appear shortly.
The Cascade Range is a 1,300-mile-long string of volcanic mountains stretching from California to British Columbia. It is part of the Ring of Fire, the chain of volcanoes that circles the Pacific Ocean. The fire comes from molten rock seething below the earth's crust. When volcanoes erupt, millions of tons of molten rock are thrust out — suddenly and often explosively.
The rock may return to earth as volcanic ash, scouring everything it touches, or it may flow out of the volcano as molten lava. The sudden melting of snow and ice on the volcano can produce lahars — massive mudslides that bury everything in their path.
Visit the USGS Volcano Hazards webpage to see the latest activity.
Given its place along the Ring of Fire, Washington is home to five active volcanoes — Mount St. Helens in Skamania County, Mt. Rainier in Pierce County, Mount Adams in Yakima and Skamania counties, Glacier Peak in Snohomish County and Mount Baker in Whatcom County.
That a volcano is listed as active isn't quite as ominous as it sounds. It simply means the volcano has erupted within the past 10,000 years. But all of the state's volcanoes are capable of erupting, and all are considered extremely dangerous.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) compiles the National Volcanic Threat Assessment — measuring the danger each U.S. volcano poses. Most dangerous is Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island. The second most dangerous is Mount St. Helens, while Mount Rainier is third. Mount Baker is 14th and Glacier Peak is 15th. Mount St. Helens is high on the list because it has remained active, off and on, since the 1980 eruption.
Mount Rainier has erupted at least four times in the past 4,000 years — the last time in 1894-95. While it seems quiet now, Rainier is high on the list because should it erupt, the results could be catastrophic. There is more snow and ice atop Mount Rainier than on all the rest of the Cascades put together. Should it suddenly melt, the resultant lahar could be devastating. More than 150,000 people live in valleys below the peak, carved out by lahars.
Fortunately, volcanic eruptions — unlike earthquakes — seldom come without warning. The volcano may emit clouds of smoke and gas, or there may be rumbling sounds. You won't know exactly when the volcano will erupt, but you will be alerted that trouble could come.
Visit RedCross.org for additional volcano safety tips.
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was shocking because the mountain had not erupted since 1857. Still, Mount St. Helens did send out warnings before it blew. As the USGS explains it, "the picturesque conical volcano had been rumbling for months."
But these warning rumbles did not foretell how sudden or how dramatic the eruption would be. Says the USGS, "Fifty-seven people lost their lives as a result of the eruption, and dramatic changes to the landscape occurred and will continue long into the future." The headline of the USGS article is "Earth's Inner Fury Uncorked."
The eruption began the morning of May 18, when the entire north side of the mountain collapsed in what the USGS calls "one of the largest debris avalanches in history." The collapse was followed by a blast that leveled trees over 200 square miles and sent an ash plume 16 miles into the sky. The resultant lahar filled the North Fork of the Toutle River valley for 13 miles to a depth of 600 feet. Mount St. Helens was 9,677 feet high before the eruption, and 8,363 feet afterwards.
Nor has Mount St. Helens remained quiet since 1980. The build-up of ash and snow on the crater floor formed Crater Glacier — the newest and only expanding glacier in the Cascade Range. The mountain erupted again in 2004, and remained almost continuously active for the next four years.
Scientists continue to monitor the state's string of active volcanoes. You can assume you will get advance warning before there is another substantial volcanic eruption. The companion story will offer advice on how to prepare should there be news of another volcanic blast heading your way.
Mount St. Helens
Previous Preventing kitchen fires – a sequel
Next How to be a Red Cross lifesaver – safely
Staying safe in a state filled with dangerous volcanoes – American Red Cross Northwest Region says:
[…] let's put the volcanic risk in context. A recent article in this blog talked about the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 — the most destructive eruption in […]


This easy-to-make chicken dinner has it all: crispy skin and juicy meat simmered in a luscious paprika-infused lemon butter cream sauce that you will want to pour over absolutely everything – plus plenty of greens, which means you don't have to make a separate side dish.
2. Season the chicken thighs or breasts with salt, pepper, paprika, and toss to coat.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large oven-safe skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it's golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. Drain the pan, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in there.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant – about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
5. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and add the baby spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the sauce has thickened slightly – about 3-5 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon juice, thyme, and lemon zest (if using). Return the chicken to the skillet, and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. Serve warm.


text:
Q: PHP mail adds www subdomain to From address I'm using the PHP mail function to send an email. Here's my code:
<?php
    $_SESSION['name'] = "My Name";
    $_SESSION['email'] = "myname@domain.com";
    $headers = 'Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1' . "\r\n";
    $headers .= 'From: ' . $_SESSION['name'] . ' <' . $_SESSION['email'] . '>' . "\r\n";
    $headers .= 'Cc: Someone Else <someone_else@domain.com>, ' . $_SESSION['name'] . ' <' . $_SESSION['email'] . '>';
    $msg = "Bar.";
    mail("recipient@domain.com","Foo",$msg,$headers);
?>

I've used an echo statement to confirm that $_SESSION['email'] is definitely set to myname@domain.com, but for some reason when it shows up in an inbox it claims its from myname@www.domain.com.
Why is it adding the www subdomain? Is there a way to prevent this?

A: I had a similar problem, and it turned the problem was in Postfix's main.cf file.
The file had:
myorigin = /etc/mailname

I changed that line to:
myorigin = $mydomain

then I did a reload of the postfix config file and it resolved the issue.


Anjali Kumar does a wonderful job explaining her experience; as someone who feels spiritual but still checks the same "none" box, it is refreshing to hear someone's journey on the path of finding spiritual community. She sprinkles in plenty of humor for a topic that is often so serious and difficult to discuss. I hope you enjoy!
Do you consider yourself spiritual? Have you experimented with other religious communities?


text:
Rediff.com » News » George Michael
News for George Michael
Indian-American student sexually assaulted, strangulated in Chicago
A 19-year-old Indian-American student was sexually assaulted and then strangulated to death in Chicago, police said about a brutal murder that has shocked the community in the United States.......
No defence against the false patriot who peddles slogans
'The facts have become unimportant and useless.''What is important is the constantly shouting of patriotism even as one undermines the interests of the people.''And the abusing of rivals as being......
Trump names US hostage negotiator as new NSA
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday named his chief hostage negotiator Robert O'Brien as the new National Security Adviser to replace John Bolton, who was fired last week. O'Brien,......
'What it's like to be living in the times of the Trumps and Modis'
'What it is like to be heckled and hassled for speaking your mind and heart.''Writers don't need to join the mob, but rather reflect on it.'Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Amitava Kumar......
'US does not want India, Pakistan to go to war'
'Washington is telegraphing here is its willingness to support a low-grade, limited use of force meant to send a strong message to Pakistan.''Perhaps something along the lines of the surgical......
Nobel Laureate Raghuram Rajan? We will know on Monday
Though Nobel Prize nominations have been a secret for 50 years, speculation abounds over the contenders for this year's prize in economics. A look at the possible winners. Colin......
A Hungarian invention that helped the British in WWII
Tracing the early life of the humble ballpoint pen to its present. IMAGE: Modern folks would not even think of the ballpoint pen as an innovation. It seems to be an inexpensive writing instrument,......
Golden Globes 2020: Renee Zellweger wins
The 77th Annual Golden Globe awards have been announced. There were a few surprises and some expected nods. This year's Carol Burnett Award was presented to Ellen DeGeneres and the honorary Cecil B......
We won't see the likes of Aretha Franklin again
'To say Aretha ticked all the boxes when it came to voice technique is like calling Cristiano Ronaldo an efficient footballer,' says Kanika Datta. IMAGE: Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul,......
Met Gala 2018: Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna scorch the red carpet
This is as dramatic as it gets! The fashion industry's top-billed event, the annual Met Gala, is an invitation-only fundraiser held for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.......
Ready Player One Review: Spielberg's love song is a thumping joyride
In Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg returns to an arena he predominantly parented with the optimism of a kid who hasn't forgotten what it's like to be an audience, notes Sukanya Verma. Steven......
'We all have stories to tell and projects we need financed'
Keeping it short and so sweet at the 90th Annual Academy Awards. Host Jimmy Kimmel may have made sure the speeches remained short this year -- the shortest speech would win a Kawasaki jet......
Indian Soccer: Clinical ATK punish Mumbai; Churchill on top of table
IMAGE: ATK draw level on points (21) at the top of the table with FC Goa while Mumbai City are placed fourth (16). Photograph: ISL Media ATK brought Mumbai City FC's six-game unbeaten......
EPL PHOTOS: Reds continue march towards title; United down Newcastle
United down Newcastle after Saints stun Chelsea on a dramatic night in the English Premier League. Here are Images from all the English Premier League matches on Thursday. IMAGE: Liverpool's......
EPL PICS: Leicester beat Villa to break club record
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday IMAGE: Leicester City's Jonny Evans celebrates after scoring his team's third goal against Aston Villa at Villa Park in......
Hamilton storms to final pole of the Formula One season
IMAGE: Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates after qualifying in pole position. Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters World champion Lewis Hamilton stormed to the final pole position of the......
Buzz: Kiwi pacer Boult to have scan on injured ribs
IMAGE: New Zealand's Trent Boult. Photograph: Rob Jefferies/Getty Images New Zealand opening bowler Trent Boult is an unlikely starter for the second Test against England. Boult was ruled out of......
Videos for George Michael
Web results for George Michael
'He is damaging his team,' Kagiso Rabada slammed by Michael Holding, Kevin Pietersen...
SA vs ENG: The South Africa fast bowler pleaded guilty to a level one breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct because of... ...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/south-africa-vs-england-he-is-damaging-his-team-kagiso-rabada-slammed-by-michael-holding-kevin-pietersen-after-celebration-ban/story-TqWi9udIMzCWqt6RsQP4HL.html
Renee Zellweger wins
The 77th Annual Golden Globe awards have been announced. There were a few surprises and some expected nods. This year's Carol Burnett Award was... ...
http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/golden-globes-2020-phoebe-waller-wins-best-actress/20200106.htm
Clinical ATK punish Mumbai; Churchill on top of table
IMAGE:�ATK draw level on points (21) at the top of the table with FC Goa while Mumbai City are placed fourth (16).�Photograph: ISL Media ATK... ...
http://www.rediff.com/sports/report/indian-soccer-atk-punish-mumbai-churchill-on-top/20200104.htm
George Michael's sister Melanie Panayiotou passes away
George Michael's sister Melanie Panayiotou passes away ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/music/news/george-michaels-sister-melanie-panayiotou-dies/articleshow/73008719.cms
Reds continue march towards title; United down Newcastle
United down Newcastle after Saints stun Chelsea on a dramatic night in the English Premier League. Here are Images from all the English Premier... ...
http://www.rediff.com/sports/report/epl-pix-spurs-rally-to-sink-brighton-kane-webster-alli/20191226.htm
Faith (George Michael song)
George Michael discography
Artist Discography
George Michael Wickens
Amazing (George Michael song)
Faith (George Michael album)


As you may remember, a little while ago The Waveform Transmitter informed you about the C.A.R. release Strange Ways. Well, the DIY video for the single is out NOW.
C.A.R. is Chloe Raunet, a purveyor of the unearthly side of electronica, producing 80s, post-punk infused synth pop.
This latest video joins a library of previous video releases to support singles such as Laika, hijk, and Idle Eyes. In this DIY video release of Strange Ways, we find Chloe's words and human emotion come to the fore with a simple but effective visual trip through nostalgia and memories. The words are driven home with expressive moves and nifty subtle camera work.
If you liked the song give it a watch. If you haven't already, get onto the link and check it out.
Strange Ways EP is available exclusively on the C.A.R. Bandcamp now. Check the video out, below.


text:
'use strict';

var Gaia = require('gaia-js'),
    DHT_Sensor = require('gaia-js-dht-sensor');

var sensor = new DHT_Sensor({
	name: 'Humidity_Zone1',
	model: 22,
	pin: 4
});

sensor.addOnUpdateValuesCallback(function(temperature, humidity) {
	Gaia.Logger.log("DHT", "temperature: " + temperature);
	Gaia.Logger.log("DHT", "humidity: " + humidity);
});

Gaia.device(sensor);

Gaia.start();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Rent and deliver baby gear to traveling families and build a successful business at home. We are the leading baby gear rental platform in the US and Canada.
Are you looking for a side gig to earn extra income, supplement your full time job, or do you want to build a business as a stay at home mom? If so, we're glad you're here! BabyQuip provides the infrastructure and platform for you to build a successful baby equipment rental business. Think of BabyQuip like AirBnB but for baby gear! BabyQuip Independent Quality Providers (QPs) delight traveling families by delivering everything they need while traveling. As a provider, you get to work from home, set your own schedule, build relationships with customers, and be your own boss.
It seems that every day there is a new extra income opportunity that requires you to spend time in your car driving around. Whether it's driving people, delivering food or groceries, it seems that many new independent work opportunities mean that you will be driving all over town meeting strangers.


On September 3-5, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol attended the European Geoparks Conference in Oulu, Finland, where he gave a presentation on the International Appalachian Trail and its connection to Global Geoparks. The IAT crosses 12 Global Geoparks and Aspiring Geoparks in Canada, Western Europe and Morocco.
The 3-day event was held at the University of Oulu and the nearby Rokua Geopark, and was attended by over 400 representatives from European, Canadian and other Global Geoparks and Aspiring Geoparks.
followed by a variety of themed presentations by geopark, tourism and conservation organizations.
while the IAT presentation - entitled International Appalachian Trail partners with European Geoparks - introduced the IAT and its potential connection between Geoparks found along the IAT route, and was given in association with Carlos Neto de Carvalho and IAT partner Naturtejo Geopark of Portugal.


For over 40 years, College Pharmacy has provided healthcare practitioners and patients with high-quality formulations and outstanding customer service. Our experienced pharmacists collaborate with patients and healthcare practitioners to provide innovative solutions for health and wellness success. It is our compounding process, attention to detail, and quality of the compounding components that continues to make our formulations exceptional. We are proud to be a leader in the compounding pharmacy industry.
Our compounding expertise includes: bioidentical hormone replacement, natural thyroid formulations, environmental medicine and chelation therapy, autism spectrum disorder sensitive formulations, mesotherapy, age management and aesthetic medicine formulations, pain management, discontinued medications, and veterinary compounding.
As a comprehensive compounding pharmacy, we work closely with healthcare practitioners to provide innovative solutions for health and wellness success.
Nothing is more important than your health and wellness. Whether you need a healthcare practitioner referral, more information about a compounded formulation, or want to learn more about our comprehensive services, we are here to help. For your convenience, we have provided many resources about bioidentical hormone replacement, natural thyroid formulations, autism spectrum disorders, chelation therapy, and specialty dosage forms.