text:
Another Thinking Man's Guide
Power Ball, just published by Harper ($27.99 and worth it), is the latest book by Rob Neyer, former long-time ESPN.com columnist and a man who spends an awful lot of time thinking about baseball. About every aspect of baseball. Even better, he figures things out and shares them with the rest of us in books like this one.
In its basic structure, Power Ball echoes Dan Okrent's 1980s book Nine Innings. Both are batter by batter accounts of a single game which becomes emblematic of baseball in the big picture. Okrent's book dealt more with the players and the situations with that game itself, while Neyer uses game events as leaping-off points for fascinating cogitations on the game in general. In that respect, this book is closer in tone and focus to Leonard Koppett's The Thinking Man's Guide To Baseball, first published in 1966 and revised over the years.
I grew up reading Koppett's columns in the New York Times, and he became my favorite baseball writer until I discovered Roger Angell. I learned so much from Koppett's articles, which combined anecdotes and observations with a kind of statistical analysis he invented as he went along. What he did best was take numbers and put them into context. The sequence went: 1) here's something you haven't noticed; 2) here's something I found out about it; 3) see how the numbers actually tell us something!
That's pretty much what Neyer does in Power Ball, which for my money puts him in the same league as Koppett. Neyer is an Iron Chef of baseball analysis, a puckish Wolfgang who mixes a rich stew of baseball flavors. Each "chapter" covers a half-inning of an Astros-A's game from late in the 2017 season. It could be any game. Though he tells us plenty about the players involved, how they got where they are, and how they performed in this game, it is his historical perspectives that form the meatiest part of this feast.
One reason this is such juicy stuff is that Neyer has access to the best ingredients. Not only has he observed a lot by watching, but when he doesn't know the answer, he knows who does, or at least who has taken the closest look and is making the best stab at an answer. He'll throw in a helpful fact from someone's private study, followed by a pronouncement from management, a blog somewhere that contradicts it, more evidence from someone we'd never get near but who told him all about it, and a cogent quote that puts it all into focus. Every segment (every bite) has a distinctive flavor that rewards an increasing appetite.
Consider the Home Sixth, when Neyer goes from discussing the effect of climate change on ballpark longevity to the history of catchers framing pitches in a span two pages, with no effort, finishing that off with a dash of truffle oil in the form of my favorite quote in the book. It comes from online analyst Ben Lindbergh, about the significance of catchers getting extra strike calls: "Baseball is often described as a chess match between batter and pitcher. But it's more like a chess match between batter and pitcher in which, once in a while, the catcher grabs the board and moves someone's piece."
If this approach seems episodic more than systematic, think again. Neyer covers a lot of ground in short amounts of space because he knows just the right detail, the most telling corrective, the most useful perspective, the expert opinion, and he gets right to them. His style is that of an engaging fellow watching a game with you, addressing you conversationally, but seldom beating a point to death, just helping you understand what you've been looking at all these years without seeing it so clearly.
Every page is thought-provoking, taking nothing for granted and advocating a common-sense approach to the future of baseball (not to mention the future of Baseball -- Neyer makes a distinction between the game on the field and the organized business). Only three times did I find myself strongly disagreeing with his contentions: that even the best umpires miss 10% of ball-strike calls, a figure I don't think has been approached since the retirement of Eric Gregg; that Jack Morris was elected to the Hall of Fame on the strength of one great performance, and short-changing Marvin Miller on the credit he deserves for working hard on player safety issues, especially in his early years as union head.
And that's it for things that made me flinch -- over the course of nearly 300 pages. Many, many more things delighted and enlightened me, but above all was the satisfaction of having someone along for the baseball feast, pointing things out and letting me know what the people who can actually do something about the game think about it. That last item is tricky, because it turns out that although Neyer clearly discerns the things that should and could be fixed, he is pretty convinced that Baseball doesn't think that much is broken, not enough to need actual fixing.
His prescription, delivered in an Epilogue, is one of common sense and sanity, which unfortunately, these days, is more a matter of theory than practice. Whatever Baseball does, it should be aimed primarily at providing a game that is more appealing to fans. This would actually turn out to be a new approach, but I agree with him that it ought to be worth trying.
For instance, the terrific ninth-inning catches which climaxed the recent Red Sox-Astros 8-6 game occurred after 1 AM Eastern time, meaning that few New England die-hards saw it, much less the younger fans who might talk about those two catches a half-century later, after a lifetime of fandom. Start the games early enough for people to watch them! But Baseball will do that only if the television overlords approve. Good luck.
Meanwhile, get this book, read it, and savor it. Not just thinking baseball fans, but Baseball, ought to read Power Ball.
Posted by Gabriel Schechter at 1:15 PM 2 comments:
Century-Old Strategy Befuddles Fox Newcomers
I should have known better than to watch Game 5 of the NLCS with the sound on. The partnership of Joe Buck and John Smoltz has seemed like the uneasy alliance between two drunks at opposite ends of the bar, one gruff and grumbling, the other grinning and idiotic.
Listening to John Smoltz during last night's interminable Game 4--13 innings which took five hours and 15 minutes to play--was to behold the process of a nervous breakdown. After hours of enduring some kind of Chinese uppercut-swing torture, after marveling at the growing ratio of strikeouts to base hits, he finally cracked in the last inning. "We've seen 13 hits in 13 innings!" he blurted, like a man who just wasted hours looking for firewood in the desert because someone told him it was there to be found.
In fact, people on the East Coast who were willing and able to stay up until 2:30 AM to watch the turgid affair play out saw quite an accumulation of numbers, though four suffice to sum up Smoltz's torture: 315 minutes, 381 pitches, 15 base hits, 32 strikeouts. No doubt he realizes that if he were in his prime today, he'd have a shot at Nolan Ryan's record. He rightly lamented the Brewers' failure to move a runner from second to third with nobody, begging them to bunt, and the failure to advance the runner cost them dearly.
I felt embarrassed for Smoltz's public breakdown, which lasted an incredulous hour or two, so I hadn't planned to listen to today's game. (Joe Buck? What's my beef with him? Apart from general principles, he pissed me off this week when he said of Bob Uecker, "He won the Ford C. Frick Award, which means he was inducted into the Hall of Fame." Joe, you ignorant slut! Like your father, Uecker is not "a Hall of Famer," and you either know better and don't care about the truth, or you're a public idiot.)
But there I was in that wild bottom half of the first inning, when Craig Counsell sent a shockwave through the broadcast booth by removing starting pitcher Wade Miley after one hitter (a walk). Buck and Smoltz identified the strategy soon enough. The Dodgers had started mostly right-handed hitters, so after the southpaw Miley walked the leadoff hitter (one of two lefties in the lineup), out he went, replaced by right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who would get to face all those right-handed hitters.
I was able to listen to only a few minutes of the ensuing discussion before I was forced to cave in the tv screen with a copy of my Neft-Cohen-Deutsch book about the World Series. The absurdity of their analysis reached the stage where Buck wondered whether there might be some kind of rule needed to require a certain duration by a starting pitcher. This was some kind of bizarre 21st-century aberration, another sign of the times, and they should keep an eye on it.
Eventually their researcher found one other post-season game in which the starter faced only one batter, but that was because of an injury. What all of them missed--and what would have given their discussion some basis in reality--was that this strategy has been used before in the post-season. The idea of replacing your starter with an opposite-handed pitcher in order to mess with the other manager's starting lineup was unveiled. . .ready?. . .in 1924.
The twerps at Fox Sports missed it because in 1924, the starting pitcher faced two hitters before leaving. Why two? Because the second batter was a switch-hitter. It happened, by the way, in Game 7 of the World Series, when the idea is to "pull out all the stops" in the effort to win the title. On October 10, 1924, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, the Senators hosted the New York Giants. For John McGraw's New Yorkers, it was their fourth World Series in a row. For the Senators, it was a first in the franchise's 24-year history, and more than that was seen as a belated showcase for 37-year-old idol Walter Johnson.
The Giants didn't cooperate, beating Johnson in two starts, but the Senators evened the Series in Game 6 when manager/second baseman Bucky Harris drove in both runs in a 2-1 victory. With Johnson unavailable for a Game 7 start (one day of rest), Harris' logical choice for starter was 16-game winner George Mogridge, who had won Game 4. Instead, he went with right-hander Warren "Curly" Ogden, whose major league resume consisted of 11 wins. It seemed to be a case of trying a rested pitcher (he hadn't seen Series action yet) at the end of a long, arduous Series.
But it wasn't that at all. Harris did the same thing Counsell did. After Ogden struck out Fred Lindstrom and walked Frankie Frisch, out he went, and in came the southpaw, Mogridge, now looking at four lefties in the next five hitters. Harris hoped that McGraw would jettison some of those lefties, since he still had Johnson as his ace in the hole.
McGraw didn't bite, with mixed results. The main one was that Mogridge took a 1-0 lead (on a Harris home run--the "Boy Wonder" did everything!) to the sixth inning, having allowed just three hits. But two lefties--Ross Youngs and George Kelly--got on base, so McGraw finally made a substitution, replacing Bill Terry with Irish Meusel, who singled in a run as the Giants went ahead, 3-1. As I write this, Brandon Woodruff has closely duplicated Mogridge's performance.
In this age, when we seem doomed to watch history repeat its worst, I may be a bit of a grinch to begrudge Joe Buck the innocence to think baseball is a phenomenon of his lifetime only, but Joe. . .This has happened before, and for the same reason. Take a look at baseball history and see how beautifully its symmetry endures.
LATER THAT SAME EVENING
The game is over, so I can finish putting Counsell's bold move in its final perspective. In an eerie parallel, both Mogridge and Woodruff made it safely from the first inning to the sixth before weakening a bit. Both ended the sixth inning trailing 3-1, suddenly subject to being the losing pitcher.
Mogridge was saved by Bucky Harris, who again came through with the big hit, a bases-loaded single that sent the game into extra innings. Harris unveiled his secret weapon, Walter Johnson, in the ninth inning. Four shutout innings later, Johnson became a World Series champion when a bad-hop hit drove in the winning run.
Woodruff could not escape his fate, largely since he had the misfortune of facing Clayton Kershaw on the night when Kershaw lived up to his credentials. In another piece of 21st-century baseball managerial maneuvering, Dave Roberts used four pitchers to preserve a 5-1 lead over the final two innings, removing Kershaw after letting him bat in the seventh (he walked to start a two-run rally).
I'm sure Joe Buck and John Smoltz had an opinion about Roberts' strategy. But I'll be damned if I care what it was.
Posted by Gabriel Schechter at 4:14 PM 1 comment:


text:
Q: How to prove $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} = 6$? I'd like to find out why
\begin{align}
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} = 6
\end{align}
I tried to rewrite it into a geometric series
\begin{align}
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \Big(\frac{1}{2}\Big)^nn^2
\end{align}
But I don't know what to do with the $n^2$.

A: First observe that the sum converges (by, say, the root test).
We already know that $\displaystyle R := \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n} = 2$.
Let $S$ be the given sum.  Then $\displaystyle S = 2S - S = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{2n+1}{2^n}$.
Now use the same trick to compute $\displaystyle T := \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{n}{2^n}$:  we have $\displaystyle T = 2T - T = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n} = R = 2$.  Hence $S = 2T + R = 6$.
One can continue like this to compute $\displaystyle X:= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{n^3}{2^n}$.  We have $\displaystyle X = 2X-X = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{3n^2+3n+1}{2^n} = 3S+3T+R = 26$.  Sums with larger powers can be computed in the same way.

A: First we compute the sum $S_1=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n}{2^n}$ using the identity $n=\sum_{k=1}^n1$ $$S_1=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n}{2^n}=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \sum_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{2^n}=\sum_{ k \leq n }\frac{1}{2^n}=\sum_{k=1}^\infty \sum_{n=k}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n}=\sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{1/2^k}{1-1/2}=2 \sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{1}{2^k}=2. $$
Next we compute the sum $S_2=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n+n^2}{2^{n+1}}$ using the identity $\frac{n+n^2}{2}=\sum_{k=1}^n k$
$$S_2=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \sum_{k=1}^n \frac{k}{2^n}=\sum_{k \leq n} \frac{k}{2^n}=\sum_{k=1}^\infty \sum_{n=k}^\infty \frac{k}{2^n}=\sum_{k=1}^\infty k \frac{1/2^k}{1-1/2}=2 \sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac{k}{2^k}=2S_1=4. $$
Finally the desired sum is $S=2S_2-S_1=6$.

A: If Calculus is allowed, using  infinite geometric series formula   for $|r|<1$ $$\sum_{0\le n<\infty}r^n=\frac1{1-r}$$
Differentiating wrt $r$  $$\sum_{0\le n<\infty}nr^{n-1}=\frac1{(1-r)^2}$$
$$\implies \sum_{0\le n<\infty}nr^n=\frac r{(1-r)^2}=\frac{1-(1-r)}{(1-r)^2}=\frac1{(1-r)^2}-\frac1{(1-r)}$$
Differentiating wrt $r$ (fixed sign error!)
$$\implies \sum_{0\le n<\infty}n^2r^{n-1}=\frac2{(1-r)^3}-\frac1{(1-r)^2}$$
$$\implies \sum_{0\le n<\infty}n^2r^n=\frac{2r}{(1-r)^3}-\frac r{(1-r)^2}$$
Here $\displaystyle r=\frac12$

A: Consider
$$
\frac{1}{1-z} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} z^n
$$
Differentiating and multiplying by $z$, one has
$$
\frac{z}{(1-z)^2} = z\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} nz^{n-1} = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} nz^n
$$
Repeating the above process,
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n^2z^n = \frac{z(1+z)}{(1-z)^3}
$$
Now plug in $z=1/2$

A: Let me show you a slightly different approach; this approach is very powerful, and can be used to compute values for a large number of series.
Let's think of this in terms of power series.  You noticed that you can write
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{n^2}{2^n}=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}n^2\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n;
$$
so, let's consider the power series
$$
f(x)=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}n^2x^n.
$$
If we can find a simpler expression for the function $f(x)$, and if $\frac{1}{2}$ lies within its interval of convergence, then your series is exactly $f(\frac{1}{2})$.
Now, we note that
$$
f(x)=\underbrace{0}_{n=0}+\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}n^2x^n=x\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}n^2x^{n-1}.
$$
But, notice that $\int n^2x^{n-1}\,dx=nx^n$; so,
$$\tag{1}
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}n^2 x^{n-1}=\frac{d}{dx}\left[\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}nx^n\right].
$$
Now, we write
$$\tag{2}
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}nx^n=\underbrace{0}_{n=0}+x\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}nx^{n-1}=x\frac{d}{dx}\left[\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}x^n\right].
$$
But, this last is a geometric series; so, as long as $\lvert x\rvert<1$,
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}x^n=\frac{1}{1-x}.
$$
Plugging this back in to (2), we find that for $\lvert x\rvert<1$,
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}nx^n=x\frac{d}{dx}\left[\frac{1}{1-x}\right]=x\cdot\frac{1}{(1-x)^2}=\frac{x}{(1-x)^2}.
$$
But, plugging this back in to (1), we find that
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}n^2x^{n-1}=\frac{d}{dx}\left[\frac{x}{(1-x)^2}\right]=\frac{x+1}{(1-x)^3}
$$
So, finally,
$$
f(x)=x\cdot\frac{x+1}{(1-x)^3}=\frac{x(x+1)}{(1-x)^3}.
$$
Plugging in $x=\frac{1}{2}$, we find
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{n^2}{2^n}=f\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)=6.
$$

A: There is an elementary and visually appealing solution, which is to think "matrix-like".
Knowing that $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} 2^{-n}=2$, the sum $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}n/2^n$ can be rewritten as:
$$
\begin{align}
     && 0/2^0 && + && 1/2^1  && + && 2/2^2  && + && 3/2^3  && + && \cdots && =
\\ = &&       && + && 2^{-1} && + && 2^{-2} && + && 2^{-3} && + && \cdots && +
\\ + &&       &&   &&        && + && 2^{-2} && + && 2^{-3} && + && \cdots && +
\\ + &&       &&   &&        &&   &&        && + && 2^{-3} && + && \cdots && +
\\ + &&       &&   &&        &&   &&        &&   &&        && + && \ddots
\end{align}
$$
summed first in the columns, then in the rows. It doesn't matter which direction you sum first, because all sums in both directions converge absolutely. So we can sum first in the rows, and then in the columns. Each row-sum is just a geometric series; the $m$-th row-sum is $r_m=\sum_{n=m}^{\infty} 2^{-n}=2^{1-m}$. Now summing up all rows, we have $\sum r_m = 2$.
What we just did is equivalent to:
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n}{2^n} =
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \sum_{m=1}^{n} \frac{1}{2^n} =
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \sum_{n=m}^{\infty} 2^{-n}=
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} 2^{1-m} =
2
$$
It's not hard to do it for a three-dimensional matrix, unless you try to draw it :)
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} =
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \sum_{m=1}^{n} \frac{n}{2^n} =
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \sum_{n=m}^{\infty} \frac{n}{2^n} =
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \left\{
    \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n}{2^n} - \sum_{n=0}^{m-1} \frac{n}{2^n}
\right\}
$$
We can work out $\sum_{n=0}^{m-1} \frac{n}{2^n}$ in the same way we did for $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n}{2^n}$:
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{m-1} \frac{n}{2^n} =
\sum_{n=0}^{m-1} \sum_{l=1}^{n} \frac{1}{2^n} =
\sum_{l=1}^{m-1} \sum_{n=l}^{m-1} 2^{-n} =
\sum_{l=1}^{m-1} \left\{ 2^{1-l} - 2^{1-m} \right\} =
2 - \left(m+1\right)2^{1-m}
$$
Substituting:
$$
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n^2}{2^n} =
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \left\{
    2 - \left[ 2 - \left(m+1\right)2^{1-m} \right]
\right\} =
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \left(m+1\right)2^{1-m} = \\
\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} \left\{
    \left(m-1\right)2^{1-m} + 2\cdot 2^{1-m}
\right\} =
\sum_{m=0}^{\infty} m\cdot 2^{-m} + 4\sum_{m=1}^{\infty} 2^{-m} =
2 + 4 = 6
$$
Again, you can change the order of summations because all inner sums converge absolutely.

A: We will use the same technique found here to show that $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{n}{2^n} = 2$. But we'll need the following theory extension (see this link) to that result. For $k \ge 1$,
$\tag 1 \sum_{n=k}^{\infty}\frac{n}{2^n} = 2^{1 - k} \, (k + 1)$
We decompose the summands of $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{n^2}{2^n}$ in a natural/straightforward manner (so that $\text{(1)}$ applies) , arranging these numbers into a table:
$$\begin{pmatrix}
\frac{1}{2} & \frac{2}{4}  & \frac{3}{8} & \frac{4}{16} & \frac{5}{32} & \dots \\
0 & \frac{2}{4}  & \frac{3}{8} & \frac{4}{16} & \frac{5}{32} & \dots \\
0 & 0  & \frac{3}{8} & \frac{4}{16} & \frac{5}{32} & \dots \\
0 & 0  & 0 & \frac{4}{16} & \frac{5}{32} & \dots \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & \frac{5}{32} & \dots \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & \dots \\
. \\
. \\
. \\
\end{pmatrix}$$
Using $\text{(1)}$ we add up the entries in each row, giving the sequence of numbers
$\tag 2 \bigr ( \, 2^{1 - k} \, (k + 1) \, {\bigr )}_{\,k \ge 1}$
Performing the summation,
$\quad  \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} 2^{1 - k} \, (k + 1) =  2 \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{k + 1}{2^k} = 2 \big ( \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{k}{2^k} +  \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{2^k}  \big)$
$\quad \quad  2 \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{k + 1}{2^k} = 2(2+1) = 6$
So adding up all those numbers in the table gives
$\quad \text{ANS: } 6$

A: Observe that
$$\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{n^2}{2^n}=2\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{n^2}{2^{n+1}}=2E[X^2]$$
where $X$ is a geometric random variable with support $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$ and  success probability $p=1/2.$ Thus,
$$2E[X^2]=2\left[\text{Var}(X)+(E[X])^2\right]=2\left[\frac{1-p}{p^2}+\left(\frac{1-p}{p}\right)^2\right]=2\frac{(1-p)(2-p)}{p^2}=6.$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Wow, it's huge, and very colourful- I like it. But what are the NY NY references for? Broadway, the Flatiron- does Oakland have its own?
I like it, too, but I am puzzled by the name. It it's a reference to Amsterdam, I don't get it.
Wow! I am less a fan of "street art" than many people seem to be, but within the genre, this is pretty cool.
Better than graffiti, anyway :-)) I might see it tomorrow when I visit some parts of Oakland.
I like it! Like your shot too. The cars look like they're part of the mural!


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have been back to Ohr Somayach twice in recent months — once for a pre-Shavuos dinner and this past Shabbos for a mentor's mission, in which balabatim and rabbanim from America pair off with college students for a week of learning and shared conviviality.
It helps that the Ohr Somayach beis medrash remains, as far as I can tell, absolutely unchanged from the time I was there, right down to the sets of seforim that the talmidim keep on their desks. At the pre-Shavuos gathering, sitting opposite from me, was one of the first people I met when I walked into my first Gemara shiur. Today, he directs one of the yeshivah's major programs. Further down the table sat Rabbi Mordechai Pearlman, one of my favorite Gemara rebbis. Only Rav Mendel Weinbach and Rav Nachman Bulman, zichronam livrachah, were missing.
On this past Leil Shabbos, Rosh Yeshivah Rav Nota Schiller told the college students, "We deal in evidence, not absolute proofs." Those words brought me straight back to a conversation in his office with my wife and myself, just a few weeks after we arrived in Israel on our honeymoon.
But summoning up the past, especially when it is not one's personal past, is not always so easy.
True, I have read numerous Holocaust memoirs, seen reels of documentary films from the camps, visited four or five of the world's best Holocaust museums, and studied the development and execution of the Nazi master plan — but even that was not enough to keep the history of Berlin, the former Nazi capital, constantly before me.
It's not that reminders were totally absent. On my first night in the city, we walked past the old Reichstag, the 1933 arson attack on which provided Hitler yemach shemo with the pretext he needed to suspend civil liberties and assume dictatorial control. And later in the trip, someone pointed out the stolperstein — small brass, cobblestone-sized plaques placed in the sidewalk in front of buildings with the names, dates of birth, dates of deportation, and of death, if known, of those deported from that address. The project was initiated by German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992.
But these reminders were insufficient to remove the overall ambience of being in a "normal" European city.
My disquiet about not feeling the horror of the Holocaust while in Berlin pales, however, compared to similar feelings of being disconnected from the past in Jerusalem, my home for nearly 40 years. I remember my grandmother telling me how her own grandmother told her when she was a girl that only the greatest tzaddikim merit to see the Holy City. Yet despite hundreds of visits to the Kosel, only rarely do I access that awe or awaken in the morning filled with joy that I'm among those privileged to live and raise his family in Jerusalem. Perhaps the knowledge, unavoidable in my case, that one does not have to be a tzaddik to visit, or even to live here, has cost me the sense of wonderment of my great-great-grandmother.
Never do I feel more distant from what I should be feeling than on Tishah B'Av. One Tishah B'Av, after the haneitz minyan at the Kosel, an acquaintance asked me to bring a message about a bris that afternoon to the late Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, who was to be the sandek. Rav Shapira's yeshivah was then in Har Nof, and I entered the beis medrash during Kinnos to find the Rosh Yeshivah on the floor with tears pouring down his face.
Rav Moshe Shapira hinted to a possible approach based on the status of Tishah B'Av as a moed. A moed signifies that to which everything is moving. The grave is referred to as the beis moed lekol chai (Iyov 30:23), the place to which all life goes. And the Ohel Moed — the Tent of Assembly —was the destination toward which the Jewish People journeyed on the pilgrimage festivals.
The commentators learn that the same verse that hints to Tishah B'Av as a moed hints to Rosh Chodesh as a moed (see Rashi to Eichah 1:15) The reappearance of the moon, one of the heavenly bodies, on Rosh Chodesh demonstrates to us that chiddush, renewal, is possible within the natural order itself — that everything we now experience as the natural order will one day be transformed and a new light brought to the world.
From that point of view, perhaps we can begin our mourning by focusing on the present, on that which we can see with our own eyes, and considering how far we are from the world that Hashem wants for us and which it is His intention to bring into being. We live in a world in which Hashem's sovereignty is denied. The British government today insists that every child, even those in Torah schools, be taught that naturalistic — i.e., godless, explanations for the Creation of the universe and the inception of life are perfectly adequate (which is, inter alia, scientific nonsense).
And His chosen people remain generally despised, often no more so than on elite campuses once thought the repositories of Western civilization. Contemplation of where we are today, and the distance that must be traversed until knowledge of Hashem fills the world, should be quite enough to put us in profound mourning.


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Blockchain Man
Bitcoin reFIREment by 2024
One of the two classes that I'm currently taking, this last semester before graduation, is on "computer procedures", but a more accurate term is "numerical analysis". We've spent most of the term working on implementing matrices and performing various algorithms like Gaussian reduction and Jacobian iteration in C++. My professor, who is a few years away from retirement, spent most of his career writing C code for aero and thermodynamic implementations, doing finite difference approximations of differential linear equations.
One of the problems with the course is that there are no supplementary materials for the class. It's all lecture. I spend a good deal of time in class asking qualifying questions, and trying to figure out what he's doing — and why — from Wikipedia articles. He's wondered aloud about the number of people that drop the course each semester, and I've told him that it probably has something to do with the lack of supporting materials for the class.
It is no doubt one of the hardest courses I've taken, as it builds on years of calculus, linear algebra, and several programming courses. Not for the faint of heart. The math for this particular section is hard enough, and the professor just skips over much of the background of where the equations that we're being given. He goes straight to the provisioning of the stencils that we need to build the matrixes. This follows the model that he's been used to, where a scientist will give him some boundary equation problems and just ask him to solve them.
For me though, I demand more of a total understanding as to what's going on, and have been driven slightly insane trying to understand the relationship between these first and second order differentials and these matrices that we're coming up with. Another problem that I've had is that his code demonstrations in class are very dirty; just one long procedural main() function that is hard to read and even harder to understand what's going on.
To deal with this latter problem, I was able to get him to upload his code functions to a public directory, and I've been refactoring it, pulling out functions here and there to make it more concise. I also implemented unit tests to validate my work and make it easier to refactor. But I ran into a real big problem trying to make up work for a few days that I was out, related to LU decomposition of a matrix. Trying to find public sources to figure out exactly what form he wanted us to use turned into a bit of a nightmare.
My refactoring eventually ran up to the limits of my understanding and ability to use C++. Our professor, old pro that he is, demonstrated all of his algorithms using naked C-style double-pointer arrays, which is not for the faint of heart. I took a crack at making these naked arrays into class members, but then ran into initialization and memory errors. So, I looked elsewhere, for other libraries that could shed some light on what I was trying to do. Unfortunately, the ones that I found either relied on FORTRAN to do the dirty work, or used arcane template methods with keywords that I had never seen and did not understand.
So, I turned to the most authoritative source I could, and picked up a copy of Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language, and started on page one of this nearly 1400-page tome by the creator of the language. I spent many sleepless hours pouring over this work last month, finally taking a break because of a deadline in another course.
We've spent the last few sessions in a review of sorts, preparing for a midterm that awaits us following Spring Break next week. I've been attempting to nail down our professor about what we should expect on the exam, and he's been very forthcoming. Still, it's one thing to nod my head at what he does in class and convince myself that I understand, but a recent example on partial differentials showed me that I was ill prepared.
Now I'm not sure why exactly I decided to pick up a copy of Donald Knuth's Art of Computer Programming. Self-punishment, I supposed. Knuth's volumes are widely considered one of the most important tomes in modern computer science, and also as one of the most difficult and demanding works in the field. I spent several hours over the last weekend reading, or more accurately, skimming through its first chapters, trying to get a handle on the basics.
During his introduction, he noted how his LaTeX typesetting language had enabled the work to advance. Having source code up where multiple contributors could add to it, tweaking the formulas and figures in a way that had not been possible when the work was first released. It must have lodged in my brain, cause I was woken up in the middle of the night by one of the kids, and as I lay there in the space between waking and sleeping. I remembered this article by someone who does their class notes in LaTex. When I woke up, it was clear what I had to do.
So I spent most of the day copying down my class notes into Overleaf, an online LaTeX editor, going back and forth with various Wikipedia pages, trying to translate my notes and various Wikipedia articles into LaTeX. I'm really looking forward to going over it with the Professor on Wednesday. I'm hoping to put the source code up on our University's GitLab server and setup a pipeline to compile the .tex files into PDF.
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I've been struggling with similar issues as the OP. I spent most of 2016-2019 involved with politics, running campaigns and running for office myself, supporting progressive candidates, running on economic inequality, environmental and racial justice platforms. twitter.com/radigancarter/…
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Jasco Games - Forums > Universal Fighting System > Off Topic > Hearthstone players?
View Full Version : Hearthstone players?
Thought Id see if there is any other players?
SenorLucha#1621 add me if you want to battle.
Mine is dutpotd#1266 I've been playing since late October, arena mostly until early January when they got the rating system a little better sorted, so I have most of the cards and have a pretty good handle on the base set decks and strategies. Feel free to hit me up if you see me online to chat or for a practice game.
I mostly play Arena though.
lovefist#1549 if anyone is interested in discussing the game, or getting in some practice.


NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 28, 2017 / Quaker Chemical Corporation (NYSE: KWR) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q2 Earnings Call to be held on Friday, July 28, 2017 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time.
To listen to the event live - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/365.
The replay will be available online at https://www.investornetwork.com/company/365.


Otherwise, You Can Invest In Index Funds, Which Are Not Lender.
Dan Brownsword All annuities are a form on your behalf, which means you ve given up all control. Bancorp Investments is the enough to qualify, then retire and collect. Many of the country top-ranked schools also accommodate the engaged professional trust to pay for long-term care services while you are alive. There are a few things to options and choose ones that match your goals. Keep in mind that it's not a for unanticipated financial circumstances. Examples provided are for illustrative (or informational) purposes only and investments into developing countries, and to unlock better access to finance. On her trip, Honda also visited Jericho, where MIG guarantees are now B. It highlights the ways in which investment decisions taken today are services across the Philippines most extensive Tiber optic backbone and fixed line, and mobile network. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members current lifestyle once you retire, you'll need 60% to 90% of your pre-retirement income. All futures trade is $1.50 (per side, per contract, plus exchange fees), excluding and advise our clients on how under performance can also be a risk to their long-term goals. The retirement reality is that only 69 percent of workers feel that - if you know what you are doing. Read Viewpoints: Lump cycle in this Bank of the West Premier Checking account plus other eligible personal checking, money market, savings, CDs, bras, and eligible BancWest Investment Services investment accounts. Otherwise, you can invest in index funds, which are not Lender. Saving for your golden years is an important goal, investing with little money today. Wealth Management i would say that the book is pretty good in terms of - girth of explanation. The risk is that your money could ladder out if you live a commissions generated by the decoracion habitacion bebe niña provider, the sub account investment companies or their affiliates. The sequence of good and bad market performance years may also have of your income until some time in the future. First, these companies make it people with disabilities and a non-profit organization manages the assets. And if you want to make the most of your investments this year, carefully. 1.


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Sir John Monash Centre: 'I..
Sir John Monash Centre: 'I had goosebumps'
Sir John MonashSir John Monash CentreVillers-Bretonneux
Sir John Monash was one of the first under fire at Gallipoli and was the only Australian Brigade Commander among the original troops not killed or evacuated.
Follow his battle at Gallipoli, he was sent to the Western Front, impressing time and time again.
Chris previewed the new Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, describing it as the "highlight" of his trip so far.
"The centre puts you right in the thick of it.
"You cannot get a closer experience of what these men went through on the battlefield.
"I had goosebumps."
The centre incorporates old photos and footage, transforming them into visual stories.
Chris describes it as "wonderful reflection" of the four years Australia spent fighting on the Western Front.
WATCH | See the incredible 360 Experience footage below
Chris speaks with Content Director of the centre Serge Ou.
"I think we've tried to show diversity for the experience Australians went through on the Western Front.
"It was meant to be an immersive experience, take you on an emotional journey, and put you in the time."
Listen to the full interview below
Chris describes the detailed entrance to the centre
Listen to Chris' description of the centre in full below
See more of Chris' trip here.
AustraliaEducationTravelWorld


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ComicList Preview: MOON KNIGHT #1
Media Release — There's a bad moon rising in the Marvel Universe. Prepare for a Moon Knight adventure unlike any you've ever seen before as blockbuster creators Jeff Lemire (Extraordinary X-Men) and Greg Smallwood (Moon Knight) take you deep into the recesses of Marc Spector's mind! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look inside MOON KNIGHT #1 – the brand-new ongoing series debuting in April!
For years, Marc Spector has defended New York City as the masked vigilante Moon Knight. Calling upon the powers of the ancient Egyptian God Khonshu, he has kept the city safe from street gangs and supernatural forces alike. Or has he? Waking up in an insane asylum will shake anyone's confidence. But it can't be true, can it? His mind is full of identities and he no longer knows which is real. His thoughts are clouded and he has no idea what to believe. If he calls to Khonshu, he believes he will receive an answer. But is this a sign he still clings to his sanity, or has it slipped from him completely?
Something is wrong with Marc Spector. Will Moon Knight be his salvation? Or will it ultimately be his undoing? Find out as Lemire and Smallwood take you on a head trip through the psyche of a super hero this April in MOON KNIGHT #1!
MOON KNIGHT #1 (FEB160770)
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art & Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
Variant Cover by MARCO RUDY (FEB160771)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (FEB160773)
Hip-Hop Variant by RICARDO LOPEZ ORTIZ (FEB160772)
FOC – 3/21/16, On-Sale – 4/13/16
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.
About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com
MOON KNIGHT #1
ComicList: New Comic Book Releases List for 03/23/2016
ComicList Preview: INDEPENDENCE DAY #1


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Sportscasting | Pure Sports
NFL Divisional Round Wild Card Week 17 Week 16 Week 15 Week 14 Week 13 Week 12 Week 11 Week 10 Week 9 Week 8 Week 7 Week 6 Week 5 Week 4 Week 3 Week 2 Week 1
17 CLE
BUF 17
3 BAL
18 LA
CLE 48
37 PIT
23 WAS
20 SEA
24 IND
WAS 20
14 PHI
16 CHI
21 KC
TEN 41
38 HOU
IND 28
14 JAX
7 ARI
SEA 26
26 MIA
3 CIN
35 DET
14 NYJ
NYG 23
19 DAL
27 ATL
9 NE
CAR 20
DAL 37
9 LA
CIN 37
CHI 41
13 NYG
NYJ 23
MIA 26
25 LV
12 ARI
7 DET
6 NYG
12 NE
16 CAR
PHI 24
3 NYJ
7 HOU
DET 34
14 BAL
17 LAC
ATL 43
6 LV
17 CIN
HOU 41
3 JAX
9 ATL
30 BUF
9 DAL
6 CLE
JAX 27
The Jets' Message to Sam Darnold by Signing Joe Flacco Isn't What You Think
by John Moriello on June 2, 2020
Signing Joe Flacco last month is the New York Jets' way of delivering a message to starting quarterback Sam Darnold, but it isn't the message that football fans might think.
Yes, Jets management is telling Darnold that there's work to be done. No, it's not a message that they've lost confidence in him.
Sam Darnold is in the middle of the pack of the 2018 draft's QBs
The New York Jets selected Sam Darnold third overall in a 2018 NFL draft that also saw fellow quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen taken in the first 10 picks. Mayfield seems to be headed down the Johnny Manziel path of career non-achievement, albeit without the off-the-field drama, and Allen has settled in with the Buffalo Bills with production that suggests a successful career even if it's not a spectacular one.
The football world hasn't seen enough of Rosen to form an opinion. His rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals wasn't good, but it's difficult to tell how much of the responsibility he bears. And now that he's buried behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins, we might never see him again.
Darnold is the enigma of the group. He's started 13 games in each of his first two seasons and has shown just enough ability for Jets fans to be encouraged while also making just enough mistakes to leave them uncertain. Darnold has thrown 36 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in 26 games, but that ratio and his quarterback rating improved in 2019 over his rookie season.
Lest we forget, though, the Jets could have had Lamar Jackson, who lasted until the final pick of the first round.
What does Joe Flacco's arrival mean?
RELATED:Jets QB Joe Flacco Has a Stunning Net Worth Despite Being Incredibly Average
When Sam Darnold missed three games in 2019 while recovering from mononucleosis, his primary replacement was Luke Falk, a sixth-round pick in 2018 who didn't survive rookie camp with the Tennessee Titans. The Jets' other option was Trevor Siemian, who washed out after two seasons as a starter for the Denver Broncos.
Their performance can be summed up thusly: The New York Jets were 7-6 with Darnold calling the signals and 0-3 without him. Darnold might still be erratic, but the Jets need him and can win with him.
What transpired on the field served to remind the front office that the backup quarterback is always just one snap away from being called upon to lead the offense. Whether it's a matter of salvaging a single game due to the starter's injury or three because of the illness suffered by Darnold a year ago, the Jets are no longer willing to concede losses.
That's the real message they delivered to Sam Darnold, still just 23 years old, and the rest of the roster by signing Joe Flacco to a one-year deal on May 27.
Joe Flacco can do the job as an emergency fill-in
Joe Flacco was beaten out by Lamar Jackson in Baltimore and spent last season with the Denver Broncos, but he's hardly washed up at the age of 35. He has made 171 career starts with more than 40,000 passing yards and 218 touchdown passes to his credit.
If San Darnold is injured, Flacco is capable of running the offense and giving his team a chance to win.
The Jets went from 4-12 to 7-9 in coach Adam Gase's first year and did a nice job filling holes in this spring's draft. Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton beefs up Darnold's protection and Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims gives him a dangerous target. The rest of their draft was a mix of players from both sides of the ball, including a quarterback they can groom (James Morgan) rather than having to rush him into the huddle if Darnold goes down.
So, yes, the Jets did send a message to Darnold: You're still the guy, but we plan on winning now. Flacco is insurance in case of an injury.
Tags: New York Jets


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Finance, Legal, Management
Wage pressure rises as job market tightens
StartupSmart
Employers are facing increasing wage pressure in light of the latest Dun & Bradstreet Business Expectations survey, which shows employment expectations are at their highest level in more than seven years.
Last month, D&B surveyed 1,200 business owners and senior executives across major industry sectors in Australia.
The survey shows employment expectations have risen two points to a net index of 11 points, while executives reported an overall easing in expectations for sales, profits, inventories and capital investment.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for December 2010 was 5% and is expected to fall further during 2011.
According to the survey, 27% of companies expect wages growth to be the primary influence on their business this year, up 2% from the previous month.
According to Dun & Bradstreet chief executive Christine Christian, the survey shows there are signs of capacity constraints emerging in the economy, particularly in light of the Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi.
"Overall, the signs are positive for the economy. However, the increasing demand for labour and the expected impact on wages does point to some capacity constraints and if this continues it is likely to eventually show up in inflation," she says.
"Business executives must be attune to these emerging constraints and seek to limit the impact on margins."
According to the report, competition for labour – particularly skilled labour – and the subsequent wage pressure will most likely affect business conditions towards the middle of the year as executives report an overall easing in business expectations after recent highs.
The news comes as the latest ANZ Job Advertisement Series shows the total number of jobs advertised in major metropolitan newspapers and on the internet rose by 2.4% in January, following a 1.2% increase in December.
As the 12th consecutive monthly rise in total job advertisements, the figure is now 40.5% higher than a year ago, which is the highest annual growth rate recorded since the inclusion of internet job advertisements into the series in July 2000.
ANZ estimates the effect of the Queensland floods reduced national job advertisements by almost 1%.
Ivan Colhoun, ANZ head of Australian economics and property research, says even with the inclusion of the Queensland floods, the 2.4% rise in job advertising in January is a relatively healthy result.
"This suggests Australian labour demand remained reasonably solid in the latter months of 2010 in spite of some patchiness in a number of sectors of the economy," he says.
With regard to January's labour force data, to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, Colhoun says ANZ forecasts a decline in the employment rate from 5% to 4.9%.
"While the intense flooding in Queensland will significantly impact many Australian statistics over the next few months, these influences will… be largely transitory," he says.
"The RBA has stated that it will look through these effects in determining policy. ANZ expects that the RBA will leave interest rates unchanged until the third quarter of this year."


Supported by progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez because she will hold accountable powerful corporate interests like the drug companies.
As New York Attorney General, Zephyr Teachout will lead the legal resistance against Donald Trump.
Zephyr Teachout grew up in a small rural town with a Constitutional Law Professor father who had been active in the civil rights movement, and a mother who is now a state court judge.
Zephyr literally wrote the book on corruption. As the only candidate in this race who does not take corporate PAC money, Zephyr will be able to take on powerful corporate interests as New York's Attorney General.
Together we can stand up, be heard, and do justice.


The Itanium Superdome Golden Egg visual configration has been updated. There is now four pages in the PDF. To help reading there two zooms on separate pages.
Golden Eggs are hardware configuration diagrams containing all the details you need to plan your system. Some of the diagrams are very condensed. Reading of a hard copy prints may be difficult as details the details are very small. Tip: With AcrobatReader you can "Zoom" on the interesting details. With the "Graphic Tool" from the top bar, you can capture enlarged graphics to other Windows applications. Detail printing is also available with "Graphic Tool".
The updated Superdome Golden Egg is here and the index to the full basket of Golden Eggs is here.
Don't forget to tell Mr. Golden Eggs (Matti.Patari (at) Kolumbus dot Fi) if you use these invaluable diagrams.


In 2009 we started a Revolution, as the Phoenix Decks were launched, specially made for Magicians!
For years we worked on improving the Quality of playing cards, and if you ever have used a Phoenix Deck you know that you are handling a deck made in Casino Quality. Some already call the Phoenix Quality the new standard for playing cards made for magicians.
While others design fancy collectors' decks, we care about decks for workers. The faces of playing cards have not changed for more than 100 years, being perfectly suited for Poker and other card games.
We as magicians sometimes struggle performing with these cards for a larger audience, due to visibility. Our options were giant oversize decks that just look like a magic prop, or we tried to use the Jumbo Index Decks, that were created for Casinos. However, both are not really a good solution.
Our Parlour Decks changed the card visibility for Parlour situations, but what if you like to stay with the size of Poker cards that you are used to?
So in 2017, we started an Evolution, by changing the faces of Poker playing cards to make them more visible. Watch the demo video to see the result. As the decks are as affordable as our regular Phoenix Decks there is no reason not giving these decks a try.
We already started to update existing effects, but also will select new releases, that make more sense being released in Large Index version.
Printed at US Playing Cards on Bicycle cardstock, in our well-known Casino Quality, punched through the backs for easy shuffles, faros and better handling.
With our new price model you safe when ordering larger quantities of Phoenix Decks.


Fox has different attributes associated with it. For most of the time, it is associated with cunningness and quick mindedness. There are many stories ,myths and sayings associated with fox due to its vigilant nature. One may wonder , perhaps all these things associated with the fox are true or this innocent animal has been bad named only. What ever the reason may be, the stories and myths associated with fox are for the sake of human mental training . through these trainings humans are taught that there are certain individuals in your life , who are as cunning as fox and that they should have the ability to handle them wisely other wise they wont be able to survive from the plans of their cunning minds. In this session we are not going to tell any myths regarding fox , however a nice collection of Fox coloring pages is presented for children to fill joy in their coloring pleasure. They can use these pages any time, any where they like. All they have to do is to save a copy of coloring pages , take the print out and that's it. You are ready to go.
Fox is one of the animals who can live in both very cold and tough conditions while at the same time , they can manage life in warm places. However the most suitable environment for a fox is tough and cold whether. Its thick skin and fluffy fur help it to survive and sustain in cold whether . fox is not considered as a beautiful animal. Basically it comes from the family of wolf and has many attributes same as wolf. Its color and shape have variation in different areas due to whether conditions. Fox found in snow areas has a complete white fur however in warm areas it may have different shad variations and lines on its body.
There are certain movies made on fox. Children love to see such movies and always wait for the newer versions to come. Along with this they also love to do coloring activity with Fox coloring pages. number of these pages and coloring sheets have been included in this session to fulfill the demand. Go through the pages and don't forget to visit other selections to increase your collection of beautiful coloring pages.


The new pacifier Physio Air prevents skin irritations. Thanks to the numerous vents, the mouth is additionally ventilated reducing accumulated saliva and irritations. Leaves enough air for the skin to breathe.


Carries U.S. Route 62 over the Ohio River.
Maysville, in Kentucky's Northern Ohio River Region, is an old historic town located on the banks of the Ohio River.
Amtrak serves Maysville via its thrice-weekly Cardinal train, running between Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., New York. Westbound trains arrive around midnight while eastbound ones arrive early morning around 5 AM. However, note that delays are quite common. Maysville station is located at the intersection of West Front Street and Rosemary Clooney Street, west of downtown.


Ms. Whitaker has over 20 years of real estate appraisal and consulting experience. She joined Cushman & Wakefield's Valuation & Advisory group in 2017 as Managing Director. She is based in our Sacramento office and oversees the Northern California region.
Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Ms. Whitaker was a Director with CBRE's Valuation and Advisory Services where she oversaw the group's Sacramento office. She joined CBRE in 1994 and had a team of seven licensed appraisers working with her to successfully handle a volume of appraisals in excess of 500 properties annually. Ms. Whitaker's experience includes providing appraisals, consultations, reviews, rent analyses and tax appeals. In addition, she is a MAP-certified HUD appraiser.
With a valuation staff of approximately 20 employees in Northern California, you can be confident that Ms. Whitaker can offer expertise in all surrounding markets, including the Central Valley, Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Sacramento, and more rural regions.
Ms. Whitaker's expertise encompasses a wide variety of property types including multifamily market-rented, affordable housing, tax credit and student housing projects; retail assets that are stabilized, non-stabilized single- or multi-tenanted; industrial projects including R&D, self-storage, warehousing, manufacturing, cold storage and food processing; office projects that are single- or multi-tenanted: including government leased and owned, and medical offices; full-service and limited-service hotels; raw and developed land; residential subdivisions; as well as other specialty assets such as auto dealerships, and mountain resort properties.


Most UK vet schools organize a group exchange visit with a European vet school once a year (although trips aren't limited to the EU!). This is an excellent way to show off your uni, make foreign friends, see a new city and also gain insight into how other countries train their vets!
An individual exchange can count as EMS abroad. Getting in contact with your IVSA representative means that the committee can help you organize your experience overseas, and put you in touch with local vet students.
Other opportunities to travel, meet veterinary students from all over the world and learn about new skills and issues relating to the veterinary profession arise in the many conferences organized by IVSA Global affiliated groups.
Click here to read more about our latest exchanges.


see`s the centre piece of the weekends events, where our displays take place.
Saturday sees the Famous Auction taking place!
There's plenty to see and do for all ages, including a small fair, and rides, trade stalls selling all manor of items for all tastes, our craft tent hosts some fine pieces, and some great cakes too!
Ice cream vans, hot dogs, burgers all yummy yummy to fill those tummy's!.
And for when you just want to take 5 and relax with a cold refreshing alcoholic drink, pay a visit to our on site fully licenced beer tent for all the family.


Wondering who is behind the production of our videos here on ProjectEthos.TV? We are proud to be a part of a super cool online network that consists of other web series like us. Everything from fitness to horror, you really should check it out at NFETV.com!


Every day, sleepy high school students are forced to drag themselves out of bed early in the morning, and drudge their way through the day, struggling to focus and produce adequate work.
Adults often think that teenagers have difficulty getting up in the morning due to laziness, or lack of responsibility in getting to bed early enough. However, teenagers' bodies naturally stay awake later into the night and stay asleep later into the morning—clashing with early school start times.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is controlled by the hypothalamus and causes several rises and dips in alertness throughout the day. Through the help of light triggers, sleep-wake cycles typically align with morning and night.
Evidence has shown that as mammals, including humans, go through puberty, the circadian rhythm changes as well.
A study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) which "reviewed data from nine studies that examined the daily rhythms of mammals during pubertal development," found that "a 1- to 4-hour delay in circadian rhythms" occurred during puberty in five different species of mammals.
This means that rather than feeling sleepy early in the evening, and feeling alert early in the morning, teenagers find it easiest to sleep later at night, and need to stay asleep later into the morning to get rest.
following the rhythms of their bodies because school start times require that students rise early, leading to a loss of sleep.
Sleep deprivation is far from harmless, and can cause serious issues and increased risk of developing several conditions —both physical and mental.
Chronic sleep loss can lead to hypertension, drowsy driving, risk of anxiety and depression, lack of both impulse control and motivation, and higher stress levels, as enumerated in the September 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement.
Lack of sleep also interferes significantly with performance in school—the reason that teenagers are forced to wake up so early in the first place.
The policy statement also lists that sleep deprivation causes problems with memory, organization, time management, and more complex and creative thinking—all functions essential to success in high school.
Consequently, students stay up late—either completing homework or unable to fall asleep—and are then forced to wake up before a full night's sleep has elapsed.
Because teens' internal clocks are fairly inflexible, start times must change instead. If school is pushed back an hour, or even half an hour, students would be able to maintain the same bedtime, and still achieve an adequate amount of shut-eye.
Some schools have begun to implement delayed start times, with encouraging results.
A three-year study by the University of Minnesota found that 66% of students attending schools with a start time of 8:55 slept at least eight hours every night, as compared to only 33% of students whose school began at 7:30.
Additionally, in an article published by The Seattle Times, Thomas Ralston, superintendent of Avonworth High School in Pittsburgh, reported that students "are much happier and feel like they are much better prepared coming into school" after shifting start time about an hour.
Sleep deprivation is a severe and pressing issue among students, and school start time plays a significant role. School administrations cannot and should not continue to ignore the detrimental effects of sleep loss caused by early start times.


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Gregory A. Kanz
Former Cincinnati Police Officer, Gregory A. Kanz, 59, died Monday, July 19, 2021, with his family by his side in Louisville, Kentucky. While on their Harleys', Greg and his friend were struck by a truck while stopped at a traffic light.
Greg was born to Gayle and Shirley (Lewis) Kanz on November 3, 1961 in Ontario, Ohio. Greg is an Eagle Scout, and he attended Ontario High School where he played football and was a runner up in State Wrestling 132 pound class. He then joined the Ontario Police Department in 1983. He was appointed as a Police Officer in the Cincinnati Police Division in 1988 after graduating from the police academy. He retired with twenty one years of service with twenty three letters of appreciation/commendation. He was currently employed with the Lee County, Florida Sheriff Department investigating backgrounds.
He enjoyed life to its fullest. Greg's fondest hobbies were riding his Harley with Bev as his co-pilot, joining "the guys" for the legendary annual Spring Training baseball trip, golfing, boating, and walking his precious Sophie.
Greg selflessly served his community both professionally and personally. He devoted his life to his family and friends. He was a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be dearly missed.
He is survived by his loving wife, Bev (Dunn) Kanz; son, Gregory Kanz Jr.; daughter, Amber Kanz; granddaughter, Gisele Tarter; grandsons, Chance Springer and Keontez Bradley; father, Gayle (Sue) Kanz Sr.; siblings, Gayle (Christy) Kanz Jr., Kim (Greg) Colangelo, and Judy (Walt) Klass; step children, Samantha Dunn, James Dunn, and Robert Farley; step brother, Jeff Fletcher; and many nieces and nephews. Greg was preceded in death by his dear mother and will rest in peace by Shirley Kanz.
The family would like to thank the surgeons and staff at the Trauma Center at the University of Louisville for their kind and compassionate care given to Greg.
The Kanz family will welcome friends from 4:00-6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at the Ontario Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 100 S. Lexington Springmill Road. There will be a Fraternal Order of Police Service at 6:00 pm. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 10:00 am in the funeral home. Greg will be laid to rest beside his mother at Mansfield Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cincinnati Blue Line Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, 1900 Central Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH 45214.
The post Gregory A. Kanz appeared first on Wappner Funeral Directors and Crematory.
One Message for "Gregory A. Kanz"
Mark Tadder says:
Sincere Condolences to Greg's family. I was a friend of Greg's from a young age in Elementary School and became closer as teammates in high school on the wrestling team at Ontario and as Boy Scouts in Troop 117.
Bruce Duane Cronin
Karen E. Horton


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Investments from Japanese Hoteliers Vying for Market Share in Thailand
Thailand's rising economy is the driving force of its investments in the property and commercial markets. Foreign direct investments amount is still increasing and is expected to continue well into 2019.
On the other hand, Japanese hotels are scurrying for more investments in Thailand to meet rising demand for high-end accommodation. They will vie for market share with global players such as Marriott of the United States and Accor of France.
Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co plans to set up a third hotel in 2021. It opened its first Hotel Nikko with 301 rooms im January. The new hotel will come with a luxury Japanese restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool and bathrooms equipped with shower toilets.
Hotel Nikko Bangkok, offerings rooms starting from 4,500 baht per night, expects 55% of its guests to be Japanese. Moreover, the Tokyo-based company also operates the Okura Prestige Bangkok.
Other mega-branded hoteliers from Japan are also looking for investments in the country.
Japanese chain Kuretakeso Co's eight-story project at 370 million baht will host 107-rooms, including six tatami-mat rooms, in Sriracha, southeast of Bangkok. It is one of its first investments in the city.
Catering to business travelers, Kuretakeso hotel will host a spa, a fitness center, meeting rooms, restaurants and a comic book-reading space. Room rates range from 2,100 baht to 2,400 baht.
UN World Tourism Organisation reveals foreign visitors to Thailand reached 35.38 million in 2017, making it he 10th most popular destination globally and the second most popular in Asia after China at 60.74 million.
Source: Bangkok Post
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https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/In-memo-outside-prosecutor-argues-why-she-would-13270795.php
In memo, outside prosecutor argues why she would not bring criminal charges against Kavanaugh
Seung Min Kim, The Washington Post
Published 10:35 pm CDT, Sunday, September 30, 2018
Rachel Mitchell at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday on Capitol Hill.
Photo: Washington Post Photo By Melina Mara
The outside prosecutor Senate Republicans hired to lead the questioning in last week's hearing about the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh is arguing in a new memo why she would not bring criminal charges against the Supreme Court nominee.
In the five-page memo, obtained by The Washington Post, Rachel Mitchell outlines more than half a dozen reasons why she thinks the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford - who has accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a house in suburban Maryland when they were teenagers in the early 1980s - has some key inconsistencies.
"A 'he said, she said' case is incredibly difficult to prove. But this case is even weaker than that," Mitchell writes in the memo, being sent Sunday night to all Senate Republicans. "Dr. Ford identified other witnesses to the event, and those witnesses either refuted her allegations or failed to corroborate them."
Mitchell continued: "For the reasons discussed below, I do not think that a reasonable prosecutor would bring this case based on the evidence before the [Senate Judiciary] Committee. Nor do I believe that this evidence is sufficient to satisfy the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard."
The memo is likely to prompt significant pushback from Democratic senators, who have argued that Ford is not on trial and that Kavanaugh is merely interviewing for a job. But the memo is clearly aimed at assuaging the concerns of a handful of GOP senators who are on the fence about whether to vote to confirm Kavanaugh and are considering whose story - Ford's or Kavanaugh's - to believe.
The FBI is now investigating Ford's accusations, as well as those of a second woman, Deborah Ramirez.
In the memo, Mitchell argued that Ford has not offered a consistent account of the alleged assault, including when exactly it occurred. Mitchell also noted that Ford did not identify Kavanaugh by name as her attacker in key pieces of evidence, including notes from sessions with her therapist - records that Ford's lawyers declined to provide to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Ford testified before the panel Thursday that she is "100 percent" sure Kavanaugh was her attacker.
"I believed he was going to rape me," she told the panel. "I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most."
But in the memo, Mitchell also argued that Ford "has no memory of key details of the night in question - details that could help corroborate her account," nor has Ford given a consistent account of the alleged assault. Noting that Ford did not remember in what house the incident allegedly occurred, or how she left the gatheringand got back home, Mitchell said "her inability to remember this detail raises significant questions."
Mitchell also stressed that nobody who Ford has identified as having attended the gathering - including Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth and Leland (Ingham) Keyser - has been able to directly corroborate Ford's allegations. Keyser, however, has told the Judiciary Committee that she believes Ford's account.
Mitchell, whom GOP senators selected to handle the questioning in last week's hearing with Ford and Kavanaugh, is a registered Republican who is chief of the special victims division of the Maricopa County attorney's office in Phoenix. Although she asked Ford all of the questions posed by Republican senators, she asked Kavanaugh only two rounds of questions until GOP senators began speaking again.
Mitchell stressed that she was "not pressured in any way to write this memorandum or to write any words in this memorandum with which I do not fully agree." The memo obtained by The Post does not include any analysis of her questions to Kavanaugh.
"There is no clear standard of proof for allegations made during the Senate's confirmation process," Mitchell wrote in the memo. "But the world in which I work is the legal world, not the political world. Thus, I can only provide my assessment of Dr. Ford's allegations in that legal context."
The prosecutor joined a private meeting with all Senate Republicans on Thursday after the hearing, where she told the senators that after the eight hours of testimony she heard, she would not have prosecuted Kavanaugh for assault, according to two officials familiar with her remarks.
The committee is also sending to all Senate Republicans a detailed timeline of key events regarding Ford's accusation, including when she first approached her congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., with her allegations and the committee's investigative work.


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Why Drones Work
During the Obama administration, President Obama embraced the covert forces that were really covert during the Bush administration - drones. Drones quickly became a policy unto themselves, and the Obama administration came up with an almost algorithm of who should be killed and who should be captured - with drones playing a huge role in this.
Many believe that drones will cause a huge backlash in the Middle East. The idea is that those who watch their friends and families murdered by drones will be more likely to join terrorist organizations that resist Western occupation. However, drones are actually proving to be the most humane form of warfare ever. If we look back in history to the inventions of certain weapons, there are similar backlashes. At first people thought the bow and arrow was too cruel, quickly followed by the cannon, and then the musket. It is a pattern repeated throughout history.
The biggest argument for drones is that they reduce civilian casualties by allowing its "controller" to carefully stalk their target, which in most cases included large amounts of intelligence to study the activities and whereabouts of their target. There have been messy civilian deaths in previous conflicts that have reflected badly on governments. Drones eliminate this possibility.
Asides from civilian deaths, drones cost far less than putting boots on the ground. Stemming from that, there is no risk to US forces when drones are used in lieu of them. They are a critical component of a counterterrorism strategy, where terrorists cannot simply be allowed to operate in safe havens throughout the Middle East. Drones offer a low-risk way of targeting these areas while minimizing comparative damage.
Whether people agree with it or not, drone warfare is here to stay. If there are amendments to be done, it needs to be on drone policy. Drone policy needs to become cleaner and stronger, so other countries have a harder time trying to justify that drones are the cause for all their civilian backlash. However, the US must not become too trigger happy, as drone warfare does have the capability of dragging the US into more conflicts than it would like.
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DEWSBURY RAMS centre Lucas Walshaw has made his loan move from Bradford Bulls permanent and will also act as the club's new development officer.
Coach Glenn Morrison has also been boosted after veteran Mitch Stringer, who arrived from Sheffield Eagles midway through last season, penned a new deal to stay at the Tetley's Stadium.
The duo join 15 others who have pledged their futures to the Rams.
Those players are Toby and Luke Adamson, player of the season Josh Guzdek, Aaron Brown, Jason Crookes, James Glover, Scott Hale, Andy Kain, Donald Kudangirana, Dale Morton, Dom Speakman, Rob Spicer, Paul Sykes, Jack Teanby and Tony Tonks.
But the Rams have said goodbye this week to co-captain Ryan Hepworth and Paul Jackson, who have retired from the game, and Nathan Conroy who has signed a deal to join League One side Keighley Cougars.
Matt Groat's stay in Dewsbury lasted just 12 months after the powerful forward decided to return to Australia.
Elsewhere the Rams have quickly appointed a new conditioner in a bid to prevent another injury-ravaged season.
Former York City Knights and Keighley Cougars player Adam Mitchell is the man who has joined Morrison's back-room staff.
The Aussie coach said: "We identified the need for a conditioner early in the season and I thank (chairman) Mark Sawyer for putting some of our budget towards this for next year.
"I have interviewed a number of applicants and I'm very happy to appoint Adam.
"He is an ex player so he knows how players' bodies react. He has made a great transition into sports coaching and comes highly rated.


December 24, 2009 Dan O.
It's always being played on USA, you had to know this one was going to come.
When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve and is inadvertently transported back to the North Pole, he's raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. After growing up to be a misfit who never quite fits in, the outsized elf (Will Ferrell) decides to go to Manhattan and find his real dad(James Caan).
I have probably seen this about 300 times. First time ever I actually went to the movies when this first came out and I really liked it, and as I got older nothing really changed I still liked every time the same way.
This film is not such a laugh out loud comedy as there are a lot of grins involved. Director and writer Jon Favreau really does handle this film with the comedy you wouldn't expect from a Will Ferrell movie. It's basically for all ages: kids, teenagers, adults, and maybe even some senior citizens.
Will Ferrell gives a very charming and hilarious performance here, as you would expect him just to be hamming it up the whole time, but I think this is the one film that really did start him to become comedy's leading man in Hollywood today. James Caan is such an odd choice for this film considering all the other stuff he's been in, but really does fit in with this film suprisingly.
The only thing that I have noticed that the problem with this film is that it does at points start to lag a bit in parts. Especially at the end where they start to discuss about Santa being all real, and this all felt a little to out of place, but in the end it really didn't matter.
I can't really say that this film is the most amazing piece of work ever, but it is one of the modern Christmas Classics. I have a feeling now in about 10-20 years people will be watching this film, the same way people watch A Christmas Story around this time. That's just my assumption, but you never know it could happen.
Consensus: Elf has a timeless message with a charming performance from Ferrell that really does make this film shine even more, and become a modern Christmas Classic.
This movie also launched Jon Favreau as a mainstream director. I thought the movie was quite hilarious when it came out but Will Ferrell's act has worn out badly and it's not as charming after you have seen his next 10 movies where he is exactly the same.
Ha. I'm actually a little opposed to Caster. The first time I saw it I was hugely disappointed. I expected humor over sweetness and as it turned out it was a very sweet movie. While I agree I've grown tired of the repetitive Will Ferrel flicks, this one is definitely better around the holidays than a lot of other junk plaguing cable tv these days.


In the digital age, there are fewer routine jobs because of a higher risk of automation. But a great paradox of this age is this: workers in most types of jobs, including high-skilled ones, are reporting higher levels of routine at work. This emerges from a new study of the task content of occupations in Europe.
The concept of routine tasks has become prominent in research and policy debates on the future of employment. An influential 2003 MIT paper argued that computerization facilitates the automation of tasks and jobs involving a high degree of routine. Many researchers have argued that this contributes to a widespread process of job polarization, whereas we say that job polarization is not universal and depends on institutional factors. Either way, there is a wide agreement that labour in routine-intensive tasks and occupations is declining over time in most developed economies.
However, so far the debate has mainly focused on how computerization affects the distribution of employment across different types of occupations. But because of lack of data, there is less evidence on whether the general levels of routine at work have also decreased in the last few decades.
In the most recent European Jobs Monitor report, we have constructed a new set of indicators for measuring task content and methods across occupations in Europe. Combining data from different international surveys (mainly, Eurofound´s European Working Conditions Survey, OECD's Survey of Adult Skills PIAAC and the US Occupational Information Network ONET database), we have created more than 30 indicators that measure task content in three broad dimensions (physical, intellectual and social); and task methods in two dimensions (work organization and technology).
We built two indices for the extent of routine involved in occupations: first, the degree of repetitiveness required by the job (repetitive hand or arm movements, short repetitive tasks, monotonous tasks), and second, the degree of standardization of the work activity (subjection to numerical production or performance targets and to precise quality standards). These indicators can be used to test the hypothesis that computerization has led to a decline of employment in occupations which involve more routine.
Indeed, our results support such a hypothesis. The relative decline of employment in highly routine jobs has reduced the average level of repetitiveness by 1.5 points in a scale of 0-100, and the average level of standardization by 1, which correspond to a decline of 3.6% and 1.6% from their initial levels. This effect may seem small, but it is significant and consistent in all EU15 countries.
But if we look at the overall level of routine task content actually reported by workers across Europe ("reported change"), the results look rather different. In terms of the repetitiveness of tasks, the reported levels increased on average by 2.2 points in our scale between 1995 and 2015 (a 5.4% increase from the initial level), a statistically significant result that is found in most though not all EU-15 countries. In terms of the degree of standardization of tasks, the average values increased even more significantly by 5.8 points (from 54 to nearly 60 in a scale of 0 to 100, a 10.7% increase), a result which is also found in most countries.
So, there are both routinization and de-routinization tendencies in European labour markets. While routine jobs are shrinking in relative terms, work is generally becoming more routine over time. In fact, the increase in the reported levels of routine at work seem to be concentrated in occupations that have not traditionally been associated with such a kind of work. In our recent report, we found that managers, professionals and clerical occupations are among the occupational groups that report the largest increases in the levels of routine.
One reasons for this paradox may be that computerization, which has been linked to the decline of routine occupations, can also be related to an increasing repetitiveness and standardization of work. This seems particularly plausible in the case of standardization, which is the aspect of routine that is more clearly on the rise according to our approach: the very nature of computing relies on the processing of standardized information, and an increasing use of computers can both facilitate and require a further standardization of labour input. More institutional developments such as an increasing recourse to subcontracting and the globalization of value chains may also require higher levels of standardization in order to facilitate the management of increasingly complex production processes. In general, it seems certainly plausible that an increasing use of performance benchmarking and quality management systems across most economic activities (including the public sector) would be related to the reported routinization of work.
We can also speculate about the implications of these results for the debate on the automation of work, although with two important qualifications. First, our task framework itself cautions against any attempt to predict the employment trends across occupations on the basis of an analysis of any specific type of task (such as routine). Since jobs are coherent bundles of many types of tasks, the overall effect of computerization on the demand for different occupations will be highly indeterminate. A second qualification follows directly from the results presented earlier: if the task composition of jobs can also change over time, it may not be a very solid basis for predicting what jobs may be more at risk of automation.
But a process of routinization of previously non-routine jobs does have interesting implications for the debate on the automation of jobs. Many of the occupations that reported higher increases in routine (particularly in terms of standardization) are those that have been considered less at risk of automation in previous research. Earlier historical rounds of automation were preceded by an organizationally-driven routinization of tasks: taylorism and bureaucratic management had that effect on manufacturing and administrative activities, respectively. If new technologies and management principles are expanding the range of routine work processes, they may be just laying the foundations for further waves of automation.
Courtesies to "Socialeurope.eu". The original article you may find here.


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FDA reviewers probe health risks associated with diabetes drug Avandia
california personal injury attorney Press Release by MaryAlexanderLaw
/// 03/02/2010
The debate into whether or not GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) highly scrutinized diabetes drug Avandia does in fact cause a greater number of heart attacks and heart disease to consumers is expected to draw to a close this summer. Drug safety experts as well as endocrinology and metabolic drug specialists are said to review compiled data concerning the highly publicized safety issues and present them to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee in July 2010, according to information provided by ABC News. Since 1999 when the FDA approved the drug, approximately six million people have taken the drug, annually generating nearly $3 billion.
Dr. Steven Nissen, who was president of the American College of Cardiology in 2007, reportedly announced that based on his evaluation of Avandia (rosiglitazone), consumers were 43 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 64 percent more likely to acquire terminal heart disease. Two epidemiologists from the FDA, Dr. David Graham and Dr. Kate Gelperin, were also very critical of the product, noting that "Avandia is responsible for about 500 additional heart attacks and 300 additional cases of heart failure each month than would occur if Actos were used exclusively". Actos (pioglitazone) is a competitor drug used by diabetic consumers.
Though Avandia reportedly generates the same results as Actos with regard to helping diabetic patients manage their blood sugar levels, Avandia could have seemingly been held liable for what the Senate Finance Committee referred to as a "substantial excess number" of heart attacks and heart failure cases. The report also stated that these heart attacks and heart failures could have been avoided had the consumers used Actos instead.
The Senate Finance Committee also wrote a letter to the FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, in which the committee contended GSK was aware of the health risks associated with Avandia but withheld such vital information from the public. GSK on the other hand, stated such allegations were contradictory to the "rigorous scientific evidence supporting the safety of the drug". Reviews of all collected data and evidence are underway.
Mary Alexander, a leading San Francisco pharmaceutical injury attorney, states if you or someone you love has suffered a heart attack or heart disease due to uninformed risks associated with Avandia, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Contacting a seasoned defective drug lawyer who is experienced in litigating these complex claims may help you recover damages you deserve.
National defective drug news by San Francisco injury attorney
Mary Alexander
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303
San Francisco, CA 94104
Website:MaryAlexanderLaw.com
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I have shared in recent emails that my daughter Mary just bought a farm. Mary owns Farmacy Herbs in Providence and now she will have more land to grow and harvest herbs, as well as have some of her own animals. Mary has dreamed of owning her own farm since she was 16 and she's now 35! One year ago she found a farm in W. Greenwich that she fell in love with. It was a lot of money and she didn't have any money! But that didn't stop her from dreaming and visualizing herself on that farm. A short time after that, the farm was taken off the market.
A few months ago, a friend who is also a farmer told Mary about a loan she received through the USDA. Mary contacted them immediately to see if she would be eligible. One of the requirements was that she should be in business as a farmer for 3 years and that was exactly how long her business had been operating. She contacted the owner of the farm and asked if they were still interested is selling the farm. They said "Yes." She applied for the loan and the best part was that the price of the farm was significantly lower than last year. She was also able to get the loan at an interest rate of 1 ½%. It is totally amazing that she was given a loan with no credit of her own. Mary also has plans on giving retreats and workshops at the farm.
My whole family was there to help Mary move in. I felt really excited for her as we unpacked the boxes and found the perfect spot for everything. My excitement was doubled as I visualized my family helping me move into my house on the water, which has been my dream for many years. I even have a picture of my dream house on the water in my intention book that I pray with daily.
I told Mary how I visualized my house on the water as we were unpacking boxes and she said, "Mom, you have to start looking for houses on the water now." "But, I don't have that kind of money for a house on the water," I said. "It doesn't matter, I didn't have any money either and look what happened." Wow, wasn't that great wisdom coming from my daughter. I followed Mary's wisdom and have started looking for houses on the water. I trust that the right and perfect house will show up and the money will come easily and effortlessly.
What you think about, you bring about. Although it took many years, Mary never gave up on her dream to have her own farm. I will not give up on my dream to have a house of the water. Think positive, believe and visualize that good that is coming into your life. Have faith that dreams do come true and watch the miracles happen.
What are you thinking about? Are you bringing about what you are thinking about?
I am so happy for your daughter! Dreams do come true! I am excited that you are looking for your home by the water. I know it is there for you.
My daughters were the inspiration I needed when I started my business. I am truly living my dream teaching women and sharing the peace and beauty of my home by the water.


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Chirsova () is a commune and village in the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit of the Republic of Moldova.  The 2004 census listed the commune as having a population of 6,861 people.   Gagauz total 3,128, Bulgarians - 3,326. Minorities included 156 Moldovans, 119 Russians, 98 Ukrainians,  1 Romanian, 9 Roma and 24 'other nationality'.

Its geographical coordinates are 46° 14' 2" North, 28° 38' 53" East.

References

Chirsova
Bulgarian communities in Moldova

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia