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LOCARNO CRITICS NOTEBOOK #1
by Adam Cook
in Festivals & Events, Filmmaking
on Aug 6, 2012
Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, Berberian Sound Studio, Boy Meets Girl, Bradley Rust Gray, giallo, Holy Motors, Jack and Diane, Leos Carax, Locarno Film Festival, Mekong Hotel, nick love, Olivier Père, Peter Strickland, ray bradbury, ray winstone
The Locarno Film Festival has carved out a role for itself since Olivier Père took over three years ago, in which it offers the best of all festival worlds. Acting as perhaps the best cross-section of contemporary cinema—or something very close to it—available on the festival circuit, it has often been described as one of the true "cinephilic" fests. Additionally, in order to make this possible, Locarno still needs to be something of a hotspot, and the "glamor" that makes such a reputation possible is also a key component. However, Locarno manages to avoid being an industry-driven media frenzy like Cannes. Essentially, you get to have your cake and eat it too; plus: the view. As one of eight members of the Critics Academy this year (young film critics chosen from around the world to cover Locarno), I'm lucky enough to be able to take in the wonderful and astonishingly diverse lineup and the laid back yet classy atmosphere—and, of course: the view. This year, at the 65th edition of the festival, things got off to a shaky start, but one that was quickly corrected.
The opening film at the Piazza Grande—Locarno's key venue, an astonishing outdoor cinema that seats 8000 people—was Nick Love's by-the-numbers The Sweeney. Based on the 70s British TV cop show of the same name, it set the bar very low. Starring Ray Winstone, and directed with autopilot indifference, it's almost shocking the film is a project seven years in the making. On to better and brighter things, the next couple of days offered some memorable films that have already debuted at Cannes. Namely, Léos Carax's understandably divisive but wholly genius Holy Motors and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's minor but nonetheless impressive moyen-métrage Mekong Hotel, both of which comprise two of the most notable highlights of the early going here in the south of Switzerland.
Both Apichatpong and Carax are here at the festival, Apichatpong as president of the Concorso Internazionale jury, and Carax to receive the Pardo d'onore Swisscom awarded each year to "a master of contemporary cinema." Each of them held a public conversation at the Spazio Cinema Forum, an intimate spot attended by press and fans alike. Known for his timid behaviour, Carax offered Locarno a rare opportunity by openly discussing the world and cinema for an hour with Père. His new film was, of course, a main topic of discussion, but Carax spoke about movies in a broader sense as well. When describing his approach to filmmaking, he said "a film is like a misunderstanding. I feel like I'm searching for one viewer, someone up there…someone missing." Though Carax was not all of a sudden a professional orator, his usually reserved personality seemed somewhat more at ease—especially in comparison to his press conference at Cannes back in May—making the occasion very special. On the other hand, Apichatpong was unsurprisingly eloquent when interviewed by fellow jury member Hans Ulrich Obrist about his career. Much of what was discussed was previously tread territory, but the Thai filmmaker did reveal details of his next project, which will be about a group of people who come down with a sleeping sickness in which they can only stay awake two hours a day. Apichatpong is interested in looking at how this disease affects these characters' minds. Needless to say, it sounds like yet another in a series of great ideas. Perhaps the most memorable part of the conversation had to do with his unrealized film Utopia, a sci-fi elegy that was to star various genre stars, including old Star Trek actors, in which the Starship Enterprise is discovered dying in the snow. Apichatpong revealed that he met with Ray Bradbury about the film and that he had 30 minutes to speak with him at his home. Apichatpong fondly spoke of how the conversation veered away from his project and towards cats, a particular area of interest for Bradbury. Once it registered in Bradbury's mind that a kid from Thailand had cared so deeply about his stories, he began to cry. Apichatpong movingly referred to this as "a key moment."
Directors Bradley Rust Gray and Léos Carax chat at the Locarno Film Festival (Photo: Adam Cook)
The programming at Locarno is also full of restored classics and opportunities for new discoveries of old films. In the broad and impressive Histoire(s) du Cinéma section—a new addition to the festival—there's a range of lesser-known films that deserve some attention. I was able to catch a screening of three short films from the 1930s by German artist Hans Richter. It was one of those ideal festival situations: walking in without any prior knowledge of the films and coming across great cinema. Richter's Die neue Wohnung is particularly of note, a film commissioned to demonstrate the qualities of modern architecture that actually goes much further, entering Tati-esque territory in critiquing the oppressive forces of objects and restrictive space.
As far as films from the main competition, there will be more to discuss in the coming days. For now there are two films to bring up, firstly Bradley Rust Gray's Jack & Diane, a disappointing follow-up to The Exploding Girl (2009). Though anchored with a strong lead performance from Juno Temple, it suffers from a tonal messiness and an awkward and transparent metaphorical gimmick involving stop-motion animation and creature effects—Temple turns into a "monster" as her sexuality activates her conflicting desires and vulnerability—to communicate the emotional confusion of the characters. Secondly, the far better Berberian Sound Studio from Peter Strickland, the director responsible for the excellent Katalin Varga from 2009, screened to an enthusiastic audience on Saturday night. While not a great film, it's an effective homage both to Giallo films from the 70s and 80s as well as in a broader sense to working with analog equipment. Toby Jones stars as Gilderoy, a British sound engineer hired to work on an Italian horror film. The socially impotent protagonist is alienated by this strange environment of difficult collaborators, screaming actresses, and the constant projecting of gory, unspeakable acts. The film's most interesting decision is to never show any footage from the film being worked on—titled The Equestrian Vortex—instead focusing on the sounds, and the process of creating those sounds. It's easy to link Berberian Sound Studio to a film like Blow Out, another movie (admittedly a far superior one) interested in the blending of reality and cinema—specifically with sound—and using the psychological imbalance of its protagonist to create a sense of unease and foreboding.
The most instructive viewing of the festival so far was my first: a screening of Carax's debut feature, Boy Meets Girl (1984). I walked in without realizing it wasn't subtitled. Instead of giving up, I decided to pay special attention to the images, and ended up with a greater understanding of Carax, his use of physicality, and his obsession with motion—both within the mise en scène and with the camera itself. I became especially attuned to every gesture, every visual detail. It prepared me for the rest of the festival, which will surely bear more such surprises and challenges.
"Black Life Has Always Been Better Than Black Cinema": Documentary Makers Speak at Full Frame's "Black Frame: New Voices of Documentary" A&E IndieFilms Speakeasy by Lauren Wissot in Festivals & Events
The Gotham Announces New Joel Schumacher Mentorship Award by Scott Macaulay in Festivals & Events
Nomadland, A Thousand Cuts, Time Take Top Prizes at a Virtual 2020 Gotham Awards by Scott Macaulay in Festivals & Events
Apocalypse School: John Huddles on After the Dark By Brandon Harris on Feb 7, 2014
Werner Herzog on Tom Cruise and Harmony Korine By Scott Macaulay on Dec 21, 2012
New Mexican Films Shine at the Zurich Film Festival By Brandon Harris on Oct 10, 2013
Paul Mazursky Loves Talking To Women By Stacie Passon on Jan 14, 2013


North Dakota Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Board has included ARMRIT certification as a requirement to be eligible for a License to practice MRI Technology. ARMRIT MRI Techs working in the State of North Dakota can now apply for their MRI License. Visit the North Dakota Board of Medical Imaging website:https://www.ndmirtboard.com/documents/PHRG_5.1_NDAC_TITLE_114_Adm_Rules_Stakeholders.pdf See pages 10 & 22.


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Federal and State Lawmakers Demand Accountability and Action to Preserve Integrity of Illinois Elections
With early and absentee voting set to start on February 6, U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville), and Illinois State Representatives Tim Butler (R-Springfield), Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville), Mike Murphy (R-Springfield), Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) and CD Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) are demanding accountability and immediate action to preserve the integrity of the March 17 primary election.
On December 18, 2019, the Illinois Secretary of State's office notified the State Board of Elections that a "programming error" led to well over 500 non-citizens being registered to vote over a 17-month period. The letter was not made public until last week.
"I am disappointed to see a program with such good intentions be so poorly administered," said Congressman Rodney Davis, Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, which has oversight authority of federal elections. "Automatic Voter Registration has the potential to encourage more voter participation, but as we've seen, if it's not carefully administered, it can have can have major consequences on the integrity of our elections. This egregious error further highlights the need for states to regularly update their registration rolls and how H.R. 1, which federally mandates processes like Automatic Voter Registration for every state, can have serious issues for states with even less infrastructure than Illinois. I'm planning to convene a listening session through the Committee on House Administration where I hope to hear from the Secretary of State about how he intends to solve this error and reassure Illinois voters that non-citizens are not being registered to vote."
Upon learning of the error, Assistant Republican Leader Tim Butler and other House Republicans who serve on the House Executive Committee sent a letter to Speaker Mike Madigan asking for an immediate hearing of the House Executive Committee to investigate the situation and hear testimony directly from those involved with the improper implementation of Illinois' automatic voter registration law.
"This is an egregious mistake," said Butler. "The right to vote is our most important right as Americans and protecting the integrity of the voting process is vital to preserving its value and credibility, particularly with the threat of foreign meddling that exists today. Considering that the non-citizens who were improperly registered did the right thing by self-identifying themselves, we need clear answers about how this failure happened and definitive solutions to prevent it from ever happening again."
According to the State Board of Elections, during the 17-month period when non-eligible voters were added to the rolls, 19 ballots were cast by the individuals registered in error.
"Democrats have said election security is a major concern, yet when there are real instances of non-citizens voting, House Democrat leadership is silent," said Assistant Republican Leader Avery Bourne. "This is a major problem that needs to be resolved immediately. The Automatic Voter Registration program should be suspended until comprehensive reforms and safeguards are put in place, even if it requires action by the General Assembly. Our constituents deserve to know that we are doing everything we can to protect the integrity of our elections."
Labels: featured

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Every day, a perfect pile of unpeeled peanuts is placed at North Gate. Since our office is located just north of campus, we've taken note.
Drake is a rapper in his own league, and so are we, as students at the No. 1 public university in the world. So cheers to champagne papi and our fine selfs!
When is it acceptable to take an Uber to class?


Autotk.com offers accurate information on Maserati GranTurismo 0-60 times and quarter mile from trusted sources. You may also keep track of how 0-60 times of Maserati GranTurismo changed across years and check out the model's competitors with the same acceleration performance.
Our mission is to present an easy-to-read and comprehensive information on Maserati GranTurismo 0-60 mph and quarter mile for the devoted geeks, as it is an essential indicator of the vehicle power.
Granturismo stands at the top of the Maserati's line-up. It is a lovely, classy and expensive toy. The model comes as either a massive coupe or convertible, with Ferrari V8 engine.
The truth is, the GranTurismo has changed much in the last decade, and it seems everyone wants it to be like that. Its alluring Ferrari engine design makes it stand out on the road.
Starting the Granturismo engine reminds one of the models from 2008. It begins with inserting the key into the ignition and turning the tumbler.
The crankshaft is cross plane, which gives a powerful V-8 a unique rip. That is muted mostly in the normal mode, and it is not noisy when you open the exhaust by pushing the press button.
It's quite tiring to run this car to 7500-rpm redline since the turbocharging does not keep in touch with the expected acceleration.
Most cars in the range of the coupe's price of $134,625 can easily outrun the Granturismo due to the forced induction. The Maserati GranTurismo convertible is sold at $152,265.
The brand records state Granturismo makes 0-60 times in 4.5 seconds. Compared to Porsche 911 Carrera, it's 0-60 was slower, as the Porsche accelerated from zero to sixty in just 3.1 seconds.
Away from the 0-60, which is disappointing. The interior is plush, spacious and comfortable to stay. The leather is fantastic, and the wood is simply superb, Ferrari can take care of the carbon fiber and the Alcantara. The gauges come in deep, bright blue.
Few signs make you think of the car's age, like the vintage steering wheel, climate controls, and switchgear. They stick out like sore thumbs, unfortunately."
Unlike in the convertible, you may detect some amount of cowl shake. It is not all bad, the infotainment system is top notch, and it works a lot better than the old unit, with quick response to inputs.
After ten years on the road, the GranTurismo remains virtually unchanged, which can make it stand out. The car offers a good driving experience, not metrics. Although it's possible that it quickly accelerates and goes around a corner very fast, however, several cars can pull that stunt.
In this era, when everything is done on the Nurburgring and attest to by cold and hard numbers, there is a need for a car that can go beyond the ordinary limits.
Although, most drivers don't spend their time on the racetrack, or drive recklessly like an angry teenager, each time we are behind the wheels.
For those who can afford this car, it is a sure bet for a time to pump some adrenaline. It is a fantastic experience, which is not competing to be the quickest in the market; but Maserati GranTurismo offers memorable moments that can only be from a supercar.
Granturismo presents joy in daily driving, since no matter what car you buy, there will always be someone faster, therefore, riding a GranTurismo is not a bad choice.


text:
Q: How to manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a'? I was trying to remove Adobe flash player and then install again but terminated the process. Later when I tried to repeat, it doesn't allow me to sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-installer.
I get this message:
dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem

How do I resolve this?

A: Open a terminal window and enter
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Note the results, and post here if problems recur and you can't afterwards run
sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-installer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Last night I powered off my laptop, I got into work and powered it on, and to my disliking I discovered that it would turn on, the lit wifi buttons and volume controls would turn on, but the pc would not boot up. To add to the mystery of this the num lock and caps lock lights keep flashing. Anyone have any ideas as to what is wrong with my laptop?
problem resolved, my CPU went bad.
Making HP Pavilion dv4 1465dx notebook faster?


In yet another example of a busy-body local government harassing a law-abiding citizen, officials in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, are trying to prohibit a farmer from allowing a disabled friend to stay overnight on his property in an RV. The farmer wanted to give his friend and guest an opportunity to go hunting on his 86-acre farm.
County officials claim that the use of the RV constitutes an unauthorized "campground" in violation of local zoning ordinances. An avid outdoorsman, farmer Joseph R. Ferguson frequently hosts hunting excursions on his heavily wooded property, which, like much of the surrounding area, is zoned agricultural. Predominantly rural Isle of Wight County is located in southeastern Virginia; it lies to the west of Norfolk.
Ferguson thought nothing about allowing his disabled friend to park his Outback RV Trailer on the property. After all, the parking space was located 170 feet from the public road abutting the farm, and Ferguson assumed that having a guest stay overnight on his farm and engage in the legal activity of hunting were covered under the rights of property ownership. But he didn't count on the bullies in the county courthouse.
After appeals to the county Board of Supervisors went unheeded, attorneys for the Rutherford Institute intervened, filing suit against the county in circuit court on the grounds that Ferguson's placement and use of the trailer did not violate the law because the noncommercial use of the trailer did not constitute establishment of a "campground," and the temporary occupancy of the trailer did not constitute use of the trailer as a "residence." Rutherford attorneys are also seeking a declaration from the court that Ferguson has a right to use his property for occasional camping by himself, his family, and his friends.
When do we get to hear the story of how the county officials and whoever made the complaint in the first place got what was coming to them ?
Start oiling your weapons and stacking your ammo. Hell is about to break loose.
Why don't you ever publish the names of these heroic politicians and what town they are from ?
people in positions of power, especially people who get there for whom they know rather than what they know tend to be very arrogant, mean spirited. what is the point of having power over a small part of government rulership when you cant exercise it in some way even if it means harassing and throwing your weight around by interpreting the regulations how you see fit?
Yay – you CAN fight city hall when Rutherford is there to help! God bless 'em! How about some punitive damages to put a little fear of God in these tinhorn bureaucrats?
The county hired an outside lawfirm to fight the landowner. I assume they are then using tax money to keep this landowner under their thumb. Nice. Why do they even have a county attorney? What does he do all day?


(HealthDay News) — Practitioners are continuing to invest in electronic health records, specifically to improve access for patients, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
The author of the article, Donna Marbury, reports on the initial findings of an ongoing survey by the consulting firm Software Advice. The results indicate that 35% of electronic health record (EHR) users report investing more money in patient portals in 2014. More resources are being invested in patient portals than in any other application, including e-prescribing, lab integration and health information exchanges.
According to Marbury, almost half of the respondents surveyed by Software Advice are from practices with three or fewer physicians; 26% are from practices with four to 10 physicians; and 27% are from practices with 11 or more physicians.
Other findings include that a growing number of users utilize mobile and portable devices to access their systems. Additionally, respondents rated challenges less highly than they did benefits.


As if it knew that the annual meeting of the Garden Club of America were beginning in Baltimore this week, the Davidia involucrata (dove tree or handkerchief tree) has bloomed for the second time since it was planted. Welcome, GCA! We look forward to seeing about 30 delegates in our garden the day before meetings start.
Kurt Bluemel, the late and renowned plantsman and designer, who transformed our garden, found this Davidia for us in 2010. As a blog on the Barnes Foundation website states, it "is rare in home gardens." Kurt found three: one for us, one for a dear friend, and one for his wife Hannah.
Although the Davidia normally does not bloom for ten years after it's planted, our prized tree bloomed the first time after only five. Kurt died in 2014, and our tree bloomed the following spring in May 2015.
To look at its gossamer white bracts fluttering in a gentle spring breeze, reminds us of his artistry and his passion for rare plants. The movement of its leaves and blooms bespeaks the New American style that Kurt, Jim van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme pioneered in the American landscape.
The Davidia is a perfect entrance plant, perched at the edge of our woodland garden, which was Kurt's last big project here. It stands sentinel above undulating swaths of hostas, hellebores, Solomon's seal, ferns, and other perennials.
We feel the same way about ours on Walnut Hill. It bloomed prematurely just months after Kurt's death and now for a second time two years later, several weeks ahead of schedule. We hope its seemingly intuitive powers override the unseasonable heat of the past weekend. May our Davidia's delicate blooms not turn to parchment before the GCA visit.


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Personal Assistant and Concierge Devon Cornwall
Personal Administrator
Home and Property Manager
Relocation to Devon or Cornwall
Amanda's Journal
Home Penzance and its Art
Penzance and its Art
Amanda Williams Amanda's Journal, Places to Eat in Devon and Cornwall, Places to stay in Devon and Cornwall, What's On in Devon and Cornwall
I was introduced recently to The Hypatia Trust in Penzance, a charity which supports and promotes women's achievements through research and documentation, exhibition and publications.
Named after Hypatia (pronounced hy-Pay-shuh), an eminent mathematician, astronomer and philosopher born in fourth-century Alexandria, Egypt, the Trust is home to the Hypatia Collection of books, artefacts and archives which give recognition to the achievements of women in all aspects of their lives (the library is pictured above). There's a particular focus on the literary, artistic and scientific works of women and their contributions to society and culture.
It's perhaps no surprise that the Trust is in Chapel Street, the heart of Penzance, a town which has a thriving literary as well as artistic scene. With the Newlyn School of Art just down the road, as well as the Newlyn Art Gallery plus The Exchange in town, alongside a wealth of galleries and exhibitions, the town's artistic heritage is well known. What I hadn't appreciated was the extent of the flourishing literary scene in the area but take a look at the Piccolina, the monthly poetry newsletter for Cornwall, and you'll discover just how vibrant it is.
One artist whose work embraces both the written word and visual art is Diana Dixon, a poet and sculptor. Diana's clay work is being exhibited at The Hypatia Trust with a 'Mother and Child' theme. The show is partly retrospective, partly introducing new work created over the winter. In the late '70s Diana met Henry Moore who spoke to her about recurring themes and the role of inspiration. "True to his teaching I have sculpted the human form, especially mother and child, for over forty years – with one major innovation: Henry Moore's work has a very solid base, my work…has exploited the natural force of gravity." When she was young Diana lost her balance on a cliff top and fell in to the sea and "the sensation of falling between one element to another has prevailed" through her work.
Diana has also been writing poetry almost her entire life. When she moved to Penzance over twenty years ago she started to perform her work and for the last couple of years she has focused on local readings and performance. She describes her work as reflecting the "warp and weft of living. Sometimes they are sad and painful, often they are humorous. Always they seek our vulnerability and mortality – hopefully with a gentle 'eye' – whilst I explore the themes of loss, love, illness and death".
You can see Diana's work at The Hypatia Trust from 11th May to 14th June. Well worth a visit.
And if you need somewhere to stay try the Chapel House just down the road at the end of Chapel Street. Set in a beautiful Georgian building the hotel has six rooms, some with views out to sea. Take a stroll along the seafront and through the exotic Morrab Gardens, maybe take in the Exchange and stop off for a bite to eat at the nearby Mermaid Alley.
Heirloom Teddy Bears Made By Danni Welcome to Salcombe, Devon – Sunny, Stylish and Sassy
Amanda's Journal, Places to stay in Devon and Cornwall, Some of the Things I Do...
Linea: a Holiday Hideaway With Dramatic Sea Views in North Devon
Amanda's Journal, What's On in Devon and Cornwall
What's On in Devon and Cornwall September 2020
Amanda's Journal
Life After Covid-19: Making That Move To Devon Or Cornwall
Amanda's Journal (68)
All Things Foodie in Devon and Cornwall (14)
Festivals in Devon and Cornwall (6)
Film and Theatre in Devon and Cornwall (6)
Let Me Introduce You To… People I Know in Devon and Cornwall (8)
Music and Gigs in Devon and Cornwall (2)
Places to Eat in Devon and Cornwall (11)
Places to stay in Devon and Cornwall (12)
Shopping in Devon and Cornwall (6)
Some of the Things I Do… (14)
The Natural Beauty of Devon and Cornwall (12)
What's On in Devon and Cornwall (25)
Christmas in Devon and Cornwall (7)
Linea: a Holiday Hideaway With Dramatic Sea Views in North Devon 20th November 2020
What's On in Devon and Cornwall September 2020 7th September 2020
Life After Covid-19: Making That Move To Devon Or Cornwall 8th June 2020
Isolation Portraits 2020: Lockdown Art in Devon 12th May 2020
Welcome to Salcombe, Devon – Sunny, Stylish and Sassy 15th May 2019
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Finely crafted by Rees Kenyon Design in Devon, England.


With The Creative Group growing, we're very excited to announce that Danielle has joined us as a Junior Marketing Executive! So, we took the time to get to know her a little better.
Working with The Creative Group so far has been great - the team have been really welcoming and there's a great office atmosphere. There's lots to learn and get stuck in to, so I'm looking forward to cracking on!
I studied English and Creative Writing at university, before starting at a tech company where I helped clients to maximise their online presence, as well as writing for the company's health and beauty blog. I'd been there for just over three years before joining the Creative Pod team.
I've a huge fear of spiders and heights, but also like to face my fears… which I've now done by holding a tarantula, and going paragliding (not at the same time, of course).
My mother is the strongest woman I know, so she's always been a great influence in my life!
Keep up to date with all of the latest news and updates on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn channel.


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CADE's General Superintendence suggests the condemnation of Anesthesiology Societies and Cooperatives
by assint — published Mar 27, 2014 — last modified Apr 20, 2016 10:24 AM — filed under: anticompetitive conduct, condemnation, anesthesiology, rio grande do norte, paraíba, maranhão, mato grosso do sul, administratif proceeding
The conducts would affect the market for the provision of anesthesiology services of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Maranhão and Mato Grosso do Sul
Located in Press Releases
CADE signs agreements with medical associations to avoid boycotts and withdrawal
by assint — published May 25, 2015 — last modified May 02, 2016 03:16 PM — filed under: tcc, cease and desist agreement, supplementary health, administratif proceeding, pecuniary contribution, maranhão, espírito santo, monopolization
Through the TCCs signed with CADE, besides the pecuniary contribution to the Diffuse Rights Fund (FDD, in its acronym in Portuguese), the associations committed not to force the adoption of CBHPM by hospitals and health insurance plans


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Is Uber Set to Become Your Cannabis Dealer?
News•Industry•
Uber — the world's most successful taxi platform — is eye-balling cannabis delivery under the condition of federal legalization, Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's CEO, confirmed for CNBC.
According to Khosrowshahi, Uber will certainly organize their entry into the cannabis business once they feel that the roadblocks for the legalization of recreational marijuana are beginning to loosen up on a national level.
The context behind the statement is as interesting as the remark itself — a conference for the acquisition of Drizly — an alcohol delivery service.
With the addition of alcohol, it seems that cannabis deliveries will be just the thing Uber needs to complete its ever-expanding offer.
Namely, Uber Eats is already delivering groceries in Latin America and Canada, and Uber Health Service started transporting prescription medicines last summer.
That said, cannabis delivery for adults over the age of 21 years is already available in California, Nevada, Oregon, and New York State, after recently becoming a recreational marijuana state.
Today, only 15 American states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. Still, after the "weedtastic" Presidential Elections of 2020, more companies are expected to make the legal leap by the end of the year.
But the road to national legalization is still quite a long way ahead and filled with numerous failed attempts; like the MORE act in December that never passed the Senate.
This motivated some senators like Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, and Ron Wyden, who announced joining forces to promote the cannabis reform in Congress.
If Uber decides to take a slice of the "cannabis cake," it will become a one-stop shop for all your needs, delivered right to your very doorstep.
Marija Kovachevska
Marija is a content writer, biochemist, and communications associate for several nonprofit organizations. After earning her bachelor's, she worked as a scientific writer before engaging in the world of nonprofits—first as an English translator and an activist, and later, as head of communications. In content writing, she finds the perfect stimulus for her curiosity and aptitude for research, as well as a way to deploy her linguistic creativity for the purpose of better understanding.
Sarah Silverman to Promote Gender Equality in the Industry
US Adolescents Giving Up on Alcohol to Smoke Cannabis
Cannabis Smell Reveals Cannabis Farm in the Heart of London
America Has Spoken: Medical Cannabis Is Essential
New Study Reveals Cannabis May Help Treat COVID-19
Japanese Government Likes Investing in Cannabis Stocks


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USS Swallow (MSC(O)-36/AMS-36/YMS-461) was a  built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally laid down as PCS-1416, and, when renamed later in her career, became the third U.S. Navy ship named for the swallow.

History
Swallow was laid down as PCS-1416 on 8 June 1943 by Stadium Yacht Basin, Inc., of Cleveland, Ohio; redesignated YMS-461 on 27 September 1943; launched on 8 January 1944, and commissioned on 22 June 1944.

YMS-461 departed Cleveland on 3 July and sailed down the St. Lawrence River. She made stops at Montreal, Quebec, and Halifax, before arriving in Norfolk, Virginia, on 22 August. She completed shakedown training out of Norfolk on 2 September and began patrolling the U.S. East Coast under the command of the Commander Eastern Sea Frontier. She patrolled for enemy submarines and escorted coastal convoys until mid-March 1945.

On 17 March, she got underway from Norfolk and sailed south, stopping at Miami, Florida, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before transiting the Panama Canal at the end of the first week in April. She stopped at San Diego, California, from 20 to 27 April, and at Pearl Harbor on 6 May, then continued on to the Central Pacific Ocean. After brief stops at Eniwetok and Guam, she arrived off Okinawa on 27 June and served there for almost two months.

Late in August, she moved to Tokyo Bay and, for the next few months, operated in that area. In February 1946, she returned to the Marianas, at Saipan, then continued east via Eniwetok to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 14 March. She reached San Francisco, California, on the 26th, remained there in overhaul until 20 October, and then shifted to San Diego. On 16 November, YMS-461 headed back to the Far East. She stopped at Pearl Harbor, Johnston Island, and Eniwetok Atoll, before entering Apra Harbor at Guam on 9 January 1947. On 18 February 1947, she was named Swallow and redesignated AMS-36.

Swallow served in the Far East, operating out of Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan, for the remainder of her career which included minesweeping duties during the Korean War.

In October 1950, Swallow was part of a group consisting of , , , , , , , , four Republic of Korea minesweepers, and a helicopter from  that cleared the heavily mined port of Chinnampo in less than two weeks.

On 7 February 1955, she was redesignated MSC(O)-36. She was decommissioned on 16 April 1955 and loaned to Japan. She served the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force as Yugeshima (MSC-660) and was later redesignated YAS-41.

On 1 May 1968 she was returned to the custody of the United States Navy; and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day. Her hulk was sold to Kitajima Choke Co., of Sasebo, Japan, on 5 September 1969, for scrapping.

Awards and honors
YMS-461 earned three battle stars for World War II service.

References

External links

PCS-1376-class minesweepers
YMS-1-class minesweepers of the United States Navy
Ships built in Cleveland
1944 ships
World War II minesweepers of the United States
Korean War minesweepers of the United States
YMS-1-class minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Hood among those ready to step up
By Teresa Varley
Without Aaron Smith in the lineup first-round pick Ziggy Hood will get a chance to prove what he can do. While Hood hasn't been tabbed as Smith's replacement, that job will be shared by Travis Kirschke, Nick Eason and Hood, he will definitely see more playing time.
"This is his time to step in and show everybody why they drafted him so high and the good player he is," said Farrior. "I am sure Ziggy is going to take heed to what Mike Tomlin is saying and he is going to bring it."
Hood knows he still has a lot of work to do to get his game where he wants it to be, but he has made a lot of progress since training camp and improves weekly.
"I feel pretty good for right now," said Hood. "There is a lot more to work on. With time it will grow. As games go on I will pick it up more and start to develop my own skills and techniques where it helps me on the field."
Smith's absence is going to be felt by his teammates who count on him not just for leadership, but for being an anchor for the defense.
"He is one of the best players on the team," said Farrior. "Our defense goes where he goes. Everybody has to pick their game up and rally around Aaron being out of the game. No matter who goes in the game our expectations don't change. We have been like that around here for years and years, before I even got here so we don't expect anything to change."
Hood has relied heavily on Smith's leadership and advice, learning from him daily, and knows that even though Smith won't be on the field with them for the remainder of the season, he still will provide plenty of guidance.
"It's hard to replace somebody like Big A because he is a leader on the line," said Hood. "We are losing a crafty vet who knows a lot about the game. With him gone, he will be on the sidelines helping us in case he sees something. He may see something or call something we may not have and aid us when we need it."
The Steelers lost two games this season, Chicago and Cincinnati, by giving up leads late in the game, and had to fight off late surges by San Diego and Detroit to come away with two wins.
It's not something that the players are used to, and it's not something they are happy about.
* "*I think we have to pick things up as a defense period," said linebacker LaMarr Woodley. "These last few weeks letting teams score on us in the fourth quarter, we can't do.
"It's a little frustrating because we allow teams to stay around and to play with us in the fourth quarter, having a lot of mistakes throughout the game. You let teams stay around in the fourth quarter and it makes it a close game."
The defense is used to protecting the lead and being a dominant force, especially after leading the league last year. It's something they are hoping to fix soon.
"It's frustrating as a defensive player to know when we have the lead at the end of the game we are supposed to win," said Farrior. "We haven't always done that this season. We won a couple, but teams have been scoring on us. It's a concern, but as long as we get the win it's something we can go back and look at. But when you lose games at the end it becomes a concern."
Polamalu returned to practice on Wednesday, going full strength for the first time since he suffered an MCL injury in the season-opener against the Titans.
"I feel good, thank God," said Polamalu, who is eager to play on Sunday against the Browns, and hopes to it all goes well in practice.
Polamalu has been a spectator the last four weeks, something he admitted wasn't as tough as he thought.
"I really enjoy watching my brothers play out there," said Polamalu. "I really feel like I am out there anyway. I ride the emotional rollercoaster of wins and losses if I played or didn't play.
"Of course I want to play. I really enjoy being out there. But my role just changed a little bit, trying to help those guys on the sidelines rather than on the field with them."
Running back Willie Parker (toe) returned to practice on Wednesday as well. Trai Essex (ankle), Farrior (elbow), Andre Frazier (thigh) and Kirschke (back) did not practice.
Steelers position-by-position: Wide receivers
Johnson, Pickens give Steelers a nice one-two punch
Rookie Recap: George Pickens
Pickens was a human highlight reel his rookie season
Teammates making a difference
The Steelers honored local high school football players who stood out as leaders this past year


I was in need for a strengthening program, which would not aggravate my pelvic floor dysfunction. I'd tried working with physical therapists, but I did not tolerate any lower body or core strengthening exercises. Teresa was willing to work with me in an unconventional way, utilizing exercises she created specifically for me. The main difference between Teresa's style and the styles of other PTs I worked with (aside from the fact that Teresa was resourceful, creative and willing to work slowly and patiently) was her emphasis on mindfulness and body awareness training.
I have fibromyalgia. After many years of working with physical therapists and personal trainers and failing miserably because my body did not tolerate any exercise, I finally found Teresa, who knew exactly how to work with patients like me. I have never worked with anyone who would be as patient and as knowledgeable as Teresa. Initially, she was teaching me very simple movements, combined with breathing and for the first time in my life I wasn't accused of being a lazy wimp. And I actually could do Teresa's exercises without flaring up pain. As we went along, I was able to tolerate more and more activity. Now I have a customized exercise program, which I enjoy and which my body tolerates and I do it every day. I am so grateful to Teresa because I believe that my daily exercise routine helps me manage my debilitating condition.
I worked with Teresa on development of an exercise program, which I could perform at home. I had never liked sports, so I wanted to create exercises which would combine dance, yoga and Pilates. I am very happy with the result s of our work. I do my exercises every day and, for the first time in my life, I enjoy my daily workout.
Teresa saved me from back surgery! I had a bad sciatica due to multiple herniated disks in my back. I had scheduled surgery, but decided to give physical therapy another chance (I was treated in other physical therapy clinics, but with no success). Teresa's approach was different from what I had received in other clinics. She did a lot of manual therapy and taught me different, not conventional exercises. And her treatment worked! My pain was gradually decreasing and eventually resolved, so I did not need surgery after all. To this day, I continue the safe exercises I learned when working with Teresa. I am so grateful to Teresa for all her help.
Teresa helped me unlock my body, utilizing non-traditional movement patterns and mental concentration.
I worked with Teresa on development of a personal exercise program. Because I had difficulties with motivating myself, we also did hypnosis to increase my motivation and find pleasure in physical movement. I am now exercising daily on my own and I love it!


The Tacx Neo Smart trainer is one of the most advanced, and most striking, trainers on the market today. The sleek design packs some serious technology to give you the most efficient, toughest, and realistic training you'll find on any trainer. The Neo Smart is a "wheel off" trainer, meaning that you remove the rear wheel, and mount the bike directly to the trainer, using a cassette (not included) mounted on the fly wheel. This allows for a direct drive that bypasses any form of transmission for the most direct input and output, giving you an uninterrupted power flow and the most accurate training possible. The disc uses 32 magnets revolving around 30 coils to precisely control the resistance. The Neo Smart uses an on board computer that does 1000 calculations per second to perfectly simulate the road, and give you the most realistic feel you'll ever get from a trainer. The Neo Smart is also ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart enabled, so the trainer can connect easily to Tacx apps or third party software, including smartphones, tablets, bike computers and sports watches. This lets you tailor your workout to power output, heart rate, or your own personal preferences. The max power for the trainer is 2200 watts and can also simulated a 25% slope. When plugged in or connected to a smartphone, tablet, or cycling computer, the Neo acts as a fluid trainer, with a smooth and progressive resistance that feels natural and easy to engage. And since the unit is self-powering, you can use it anytime, anywhere.


Sri City, January 28, 2018:- M/s Redstar Plastick Private Limited inaugurated its production unit in Sri City on Sunday. Mr. Parameswaran, AGM of Karur Vysya Bank administered the ceremony and declared the unit inaugurated, in the presence of a host of dignitaries.
The unit, set up at an initial investment of Rs.10 crores, will create job opportunity for about 100 persons. The plant will produce PVC edge banding tapes. These tapes are widely used by modular furniture manufacturers in the country, for elegant appearance and protection of furniture. Besides catering to the domestic demand, the company plans to export its products.


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Here Are The "Grey's Anatomy" Moments That Will Forever Annoy Us All
It's just too much ghost sex for one hospital.
by Casey Rackham
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community which Grey's Anatomy moments annoy them the most, and here are some of the best results:
1. When, you know, Meredith pulled the plug on Derek without even telling his family before she did it.
"What the fuck Meredith? What the fuck?"
—annastiinap
2. When Izzie had full-blown ghost sex with Denny.
"IZZIE HAVING SEX AND BASICALLY A FULL-BLOWN RELATIONSHIP WITH DEAD DENNY! How and why did it go on for so effin' long before she figured out something was wrong? YOU'RE A DOCTOR. YOU LIVE WITH DOCTORS. YOU'RE DATING A DOCTOR. YOUR BFF'S BF IS A LEAD NEUROSURGEON!"
—janessiamariep
3. When Arizona cheated on Callie and straight-up blamed her for amputating her leg...even though it saved her life.
ABC / Via pinterest.com
"I could understand if they worked some resentment in there, but she 110% blamed Callie for the whole thing. She neglected her daughter, and she blamed Karev for absolutely no reason. And all of this wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that ARIZONA WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST KILLING CALLIE. She was the one who took her eyes off the road. And not ONCE did Callie, or anyone for that matter, ever (rightfully) blame her. So for her to turn into a monster because she was so obsessed with keeping the leg that was killing her when she literally almost killed her wife and their daughter made me honestly hate her."
—zoer48c959dcd
4. When — yes, we have to talk about it — the musical episode happened.
"Grey's Anatomy is NOT the kind of show that can pull off an episode of only singing. It seemed very abrupt and unneeded, and, if you just think about it plainly, singing and a show about medicine and death don't really mix."
—izdevitaa
5. When Cristina didn't win a Harper Avery award because of the hospital's connection to the Averys, BUT then Meredith got the same award years later even though she's in the EXACT SAME situation.
ABC / Via noisyaudience.blogspot.com
"Cristina was denied her well-earned Harper Avery award because of the Avery Foundation's ownership of the hospital. They even had doctors leave the hospital because they wouldn't have a chance to win the prestigious award. But then a few seasons later, Meredith wins with no issue? Still confuses me."
—lilam4aa7abd29
6. The entire Eliza Minnick storyline.
"The entire character and plot line was just infuriating! She came in trying to turn everything around all at once without making a smooth transition. We don't take well to outsiders rushing in to change everything! And making her a love interest for Arizona just didn't make sense! There was no real chemistry, and Arizona can and has done so much better."
—amberc40f13f184
7. When Erica Hahn repeatedly prevented Cristina from being picked for cardio procedures.
"She completely judged Cristina and didn't really get a chance to see that the reason Burke gave Cristina so many cardio surgeries previously was because Cristina was freaking phenomenal at them, not just because they were together."
—greysfan220
8. When Izzie and George became a thing.
"That made me so mad cause they had ZERO chemistry, and it made Izzie look really bad because George was married to Callie."
—jordans43125d2f3
9. And then when Meredith and George hooked up...and she cried during sex.
"Like what?!?"
—randomgirl948
10. When the show brushed right over the immediate aftermath of the plane crash.
"Can we all just be collectively pissed at how they basically ignored the aftermath of the plane crash? You can't just make me invest emotional time and energy into Lexie and Mark to go, 'You know what? We'll just give you one episode to grieve, name the hospital after them, and wash our hands of this mess. Moving on.' No. Just no. I wanted to be emotional DESTROYED, DEVASTATED FOR EPISODES, and you let me down, Grey's."
—erikah466c98908
11. And then when we didn't get a chance to see the aftermath of Derek's death.
"I hated how they handled the aftermath of Derek's death. They skipped over it and took us to a year after it happened, giving us no insight on how everyone else at the hospital handled it. Since he was such a big part of the show, I feel as if it was just a big cop out. It could've been handled so much better and in so many different ways than the one they chose."
—sarahp46a9a4444
12. When Izzie cut Denny's LVAD wire.
"Dr. Webber let her come back to her job like it was no big deal."
—cristinamoraesf
13. When we were deprived of seeing Meredith and Derek's wedding and just got a dumb Post-it instead.
"WE. DESERVED. A. WEDDING."
—caseyrackham
14. When Derek died after stopping in the middle of a freakin' winding road.
"Not just that Derek died, but HOW he died. You're telling me that a world-class, highly educated surgeon is going to stop perpendicular on a curved road to reach for his phone? (Which didn't even have reception during the episode.) Absolutely ridiculous and an injustice to his character!"
—chelseaj41a167100
15. When Owen — not once, but twice — didn't ask either of his wives if they even wanted to have kids...he just assumed they did.
"He doesn't have the need to ask a woman if they want children BEFORE marrying them. Honestly, it's just plain dumb...AND HE DID IT TWICE!!!"
—samp444aa0c28
16. Everything that had to do with the custody battle over Sophia.
ABC / Via previously.tv
"Why drag us through all the drama of their custody battle just to be like, 'Haha, never mind, she's still going to New York with Callie.' UGH."
—abbyl4b935fbd9
17. Which means, yes, we have to talk about freakin' Penny and how Callie literally took off with the woman who indirectly killed Derek.
"CALLIE TORRES LEFT WITH THE FREAKING MURDERER OF DEREK SHEPHERD."
—backonthehorse
18. And finally, a more recent one, the fact that Maggie and Jackson are apparently a thing, now.
"Jackson with Maggie? Even if they're just related by marriage, it's still awkward. Also Maggie is my favorite character, and I love her and want better for her."
—Steph Pavlic, Facebook
Want to be featured in similar BuzzFeed posts? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.


Top Line: The Shape Finder is an optical scanning device designed to be integrated in the Mei Tecnocam programming platform. The device enables operators to avoid typical errors produced by standard camera-based units.
Close Up: The camera lens set and the lighting system have been designed to emphasize the edge profile, to eliminate the perspective effects and field distortion.
The Tecnocam software interacts directly with The Shape Finder interface to align the lens and extract the different shapes starting from the outer main shape and converting them in a standard TRX file.
Detection of any kind of edge on any kind of lens, clear, dark mirrored, without the need of pencil to highlight the edge.
Detection of step-back profile while marked with pencil.
Detection of notches and automatic generation of the different edging shape considering the tool diameter.
File export in DXF/OMA/TRX format.
Vital Stats: The Shape Finder can significantly reduce the time needed to import a sport lens shape, as well as to detect the holes in rimless demo lens. The camera system creates a TRX or OMA file with a few simple steps, eliminating the need of edging test and size and shape adjustments. Through the optically engineered lens set, The Shape Finder provides high resolution images for the optimized Mei Software detection system. By combining state-of-the-art optics and sub-pixel images detection techniques, The Shape Finder can get precisely defined shapes ready to be used into the Tecnocam programming environment.
Top Line: OptiSource International has developed a universal camera-phone adapter for all conventional slit lamps.
Close Up: Instead of having to purchase expensive equipment to produce high-quality photographs of the anterior segment, the user can now attach an adapter to the slit lamp and obtain high resolution images using their smartphones. The adapter is an inexpensive solution that allows eyecare professionals to use their mobile device to upload, store and share their slit lamp clinical findings with other professionals.
Top Line: Optical Lab Software Solutions, Inc. (OLSS) is releasing Optuitive, a cloud-based lab management software (LMS) with an exclusive Smart User Experience designed for maximum usability and performance.
Optuitive provides the sophisticated Smart User Experience that empowers labs with a user interface fully optimized in function, features, flow, content, and visual appearance. Operators can perform all customer-related queries quickly and efficiently in real time from one screen impressively equipped with memory type-aheads, interactive screen widgets, and job status alerts keeping important information at their fingertips. "We leveraged all the familiar software usability concepts of popular internet apps and smartphones, along with input from our advisor board, and created an efficient and intuitive user interface that we believe is superior to the competition," explained Morris.
Vital Stats: Optuitive scales easily from small to large labs in retail and wholesale environments and can manage single and multi-site locations. Lab managers, customer service teams, and system admins can view, edit, manage, and report activities in a single lab or network of labs, in real time from any remote location.
Optuitive is fully internationalized with multi-lingual, multi-currency, and multicultural capabilities and is able to support labs and users throughout the world adapting the user interface to support the regions local language, cultural conventions, and currency notations.
Top Line: DAC Vision is introducing Digitall, a precision engineered advanced polish that delivers exceptional removal and finish for all lens materials on all digital and traditional equipment platforms.
Close Up: Digitall provides excellent clarity, less haze and improved surfaces for superb AR coating results, according to DAC Vision. Its robust formula provides Baumé stability and excellent polish life.
Vital Stats: Digitall is easy to mix, stays in suspension and cleans easily off all lens substrates and equipment. It is available in one gallon and five gallon pails.


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« Fossils
Black archeologists are not translated »
Archaeologists in Peru have managed to make a remarkable discovery: they dug up the room in which priests allegedly burnt sacrifices and communed with the higher powers. The building, built five thousand years ago is probably the most ancient sanctuary in the region.
Peruvian archeologists have discovered the ruins of stone buildings, which in ancient times, in all probability, served as a temple. The ruins of religious buildings situated in the side wing of the main pyramid at El Paraiso, forty kilometers North-East of the capital of Peru, Lima.
In the middle of the temple premises was a place for kindling the sacred fire and the altar for ceremonial burning brought gifts. Archaeologists have given this building called the "Temple of fire". According to the Ministry of culture of Peru, on fragments of stone walls from the inner side are remains of yellow clay, which thin layer covers the walls of the room. Somewhere on the stones of the masonry and clay scientists found traces of red paint.
The area of the fire Temple small – about 56 square meters (about 7 to 8 meters). Interestingly, the entrance to Hambil very narrow (48 centimeters), so that freely pass through it could only lean, narrow-shouldered man. Researchers believe that in this room, mostly, burned sacrificial gifts. "Inhaling smoke from burning sacrifices, the priests, probably addressed to the gods, asked about vital matters, then listened to the will of the gods," said Marco Hillje, head of the archaeological expedition, which produces excavations in the territory of El paraíso.
The excavations El paraíso occupies 50 hectares in the valley of the river Chillon. The complex of buildings consists of ten different stone buildings, already cleared from a thick layer of stones and sand. Archaeologists suggest that the settlement is actually one of the earliest in the Andes.
In the heart of Mexico city, in the temple, "Temp-lo Major" on the territory of the city of Tenochtitlan, under a layer of earth lying near the wall sacrificial stone. The archaeologists Estibaliz Aguayo and Berenice Jimenez, from the National Institute of anthropology and history (INAH) reported on first results of a sacrificial stone from "Templo Mayor".
Stone served as a solid base when performing bloody rituals of the Aztecs. He was found a few months ago, next to the wall of the temple. This unusual arrangement of the sacrificial stone surprised the archaeologists. According to experts, he was unable to be there when performing rituals, because the so-called stones "teckal", usually installed in open places, quite far from buildings.
Archaeologists suggest that the flat stone was brought to the "Templo Mayor" five hundred years ago. Man, the sacrifices, laid on the stone "teckal" on the back. Then the priests with a sharp knife of obsidian cut through the victim's chest and tore his heart out. In this cruel and disgusting ritual has emerged a lot of blood.
In the laboratory, National Autonomous Institute of Mexico exploring the surface of a sacrificial stone in search of blood evidence. Right under the stone in the pit were several human skulls. ***
Sands of Egypt, no doubt, still retain many unknown monuments of ancient Egyptian culture including pyramids and unknown. Belgian archaeologists from the universities of Brussels and liège was opened in the new Luxor pyramid. The pyramid was built more than three thousand years ago to the highest dignitary by the Pharaoh Ramses II.
Building erected on a low hill. As a building material used was Adobe brick (from clay neobeguea). The original height of the pyramid was 15 meters and the length of the base – about 12 meters. After laying the surface of the pyramids were plastered and whitewashed. Pointed top of the pyramid is built of stones. From the imprint on the brick Belgian scientists have learned that the "pyramid belonged to a vizier of Upper and Lower Egypt named khay, who held this high office for 15 years during the reign of Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty of Ramses II (1279-1213. BC)".
In VII -VIII centuries Coptic Christians partially used the pyramid for the construction of the monastery. During the construction of the monastery a large part of ancient Egyptian culture Christians destroyed.
The high dignitary was known by many Egyptologists documents long before the discovery of his pyramid. He was one of the most important persons in the state and mentioned in the reports of the celebrations to mark the anniversary of the accession of the Pharaoh to the throne. Hai was also named as a chief warden for the workers on the construction of tombs in the Valley of the pharaohs. ***
Where and how people lived, which the Incas sacrificed? These are the questions answered American anthropologist, Haagen Klaus of Utah valley University. He shared his research on 33 mummies found in Northern Peru, at the archaeological complex of Chotuna-Chornancap. All these people died in the period between 1450 and 1532 ad In the collagen of bone and keratin in the hair of mummies researcher was looking for information about how these people lived during the last months of life, how they happened and what they ate. He took samples from the bone edges and from hair preserved on the heads of mummies. The results are about the same as the results of other studies of ritual sacrifices of the Incas: from 33 victims, 30 were female, and most girls have not reached 15 years of age and some were younger than nine years.
All sacrificed people died as a result of the application of complex injuries in the neck. Young men destined for sacrifice were usually brought from different places and for several months been feeding special food. At least the Incas did in various other regions.
The so-called "girl from Llullaillaco" – mummy, was found on the side of a volcano on the border of Chile and Argentina – more than a year before the ritual death received a special, protein-rich foods. But girls sacrificed in Chotuna-Chornancap, not imported from afar, were born in this country, and until the end of his short life eating the most ordinary food.
The researcher came to the conclusion that in every region, obviously, had its own customs, and in every place the Incas in different ways to choose the victim for the ritual and prepared them for death.
Posted in ancient, archaeologist, excavation, history, king, new, people, place, search, story, time, work, year, Название категории
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Will Trump presidency disrupt current health IT policy?
Healthcare IT executives are anxiously looking for a sense of how HIT policy will turn under the Trump administration.
Some of the president-elect's positions on healthcare are well-known, such as his stated intent to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with health savings accounts, and working with Congress to create a "patient-centered healthcare system that promotes choice, quality, and affordability."
But, when it comes to Trump's approach to health IT, little is known about the kinds of changes and policy prescriptions he would bring to the White House.
Nonetheless, if the political platform adopted in July at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland is any indication, a Trump administration will seek to further the positive impact that health IT has had on the healthcare industry.
"We applaud the advance of technology in electronic medical records while affirming patient privacy and ownership of personal health information," states the 2016 Republican platform.
"The nice thing about health information technology is that, for the most part, it is a bipartisan issue," says Robert Tennant, director of Health IT Policy at the Medical Group Management Association.
However, Tennant warns that a top priority of the new Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress will be repealing the Affordable Care Act, and Tennant suggests that "could have the effect of reducing the willingness of congressional Democrats to engage across the aisle on healthcare issues."
Still, Jeff Smith, vice president of public policy for the American Medical Informatics Association, does not anticipate that the incoming Trump administration's policies would "do much to deter the trajectory of health IT use in our healthcare system."
At the same time, Smith observed that when it comes to the Obama administration's national research priorities—such as the Cancer Moonshot and Precision Medicine Initiative, which heavily leverage HIT— "it's completely unclear as to whether they will be given the time of day in a Trump administration."
However, from a HIT perspective, "both parties recognize the roles that health IT and interoperability that leads to information exchange play in securing healthcare transformation," says Tom Leary, vice president of government relations at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Leary, who leads the organization's public policy initiatives and outreach to Congress and federal agencies, contends that the industry's transition from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement requires universal adoption and use of electronic health records to achieve delivery system reform and better patient outcomes—that reality is recognized by both Democrats and Republicans.
According to Leary, health IT is now "woven into the fabric" of the nation's healthcare infrastructure, with more than 95 percent of hospitals and nearly 80 percent of physician offices using certified EHR technology.
"Data sharing and particularly quality data reporting will be a very important component" of the success of providers in navigating the challenges of "moving from volume to value," he adds. "In order for the new Quality Payment Program known as MACRA to be successful, we have to continue the focus on interoperable health IT solutions."
Given MACRA's strong bipartisan support in Congress, Leary does not foresee a rollback in either the legislation or the use of health IT by a Trump White House.
Still, he does anticipate that Trump's focus on reducing burdensome government regulations could result in a review by his administration of the Enhanced Oversight and Accountability Rule, which was released last month by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
The final rule codifies modifications and new requirements under ONC's Health IT Certification Program, intended to protect public health and safety, as well as strengthen the accountability and transparency of certified HIT.
"Some organizations feel like it's a regulatory overstep," says Leary. "Given the fact that Mr. Trump has talked about reviewing regulations, I would think the rule might be reviewed early on in his administration."
Also See: ONC releases final rule for Health IT Certification Program
"As with every administration, much of the healthcare activity will occur at the regulatory level," observes Tennant. "We will be watching closely to see who president-elect Trump nominates as HHS secretary and as heads of the key HIT-related departments such as ONC, CMS and (the HHS Office of Civil Rights)."
Tennant believes that the scope of reporting for programs such as Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) could pique the Trump administration's interest in addressing provider burdens in complying with those requirements.
Leslie Krigstein, vice president of congressional affairs for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, says it is a top priority for both Democrats and Republicans to pass the 21st Century Cures Act legislation into law this year during the lame duck session. The 21st Cures Act is a package of biomedical innovation bills that, among several other provisions, seeks to improve health IT interoperability.
"It's the No. 1 priority, and Republicans in the Senate have promised to move forward on Cures, but the question is whether it maintains its priority status for the lame duck session," adds Leary.
AMIA's Smith sees strong bipartisan support for health IT in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. The Senate health committee, in particular, has a well-deserved reputation for bipartisanship in this technology area, he believes.
In that spirit, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) chairman of the Senate health committee and ranking member Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) issued a joint statement in late September committing to finishing their bipartisan work this year on a Senate version of the 21st Century Cures Act.
"We've been working for a year and a half on behalf of patients and scientists, and we are committed to getting a result this year that will lead to lifesaving medical breakthroughs and advance President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative and Vice President Biden's Cancer Moonshot," stated Alexander and Murray.
"As we've seen with the Cures bill and other recent efforts, HIT as a lever to drive improved care and decreased cost is an issue that both Dems and Republicans can rally around," adds MGMA's Tennant.
According to Smith, the co-sponsorship of the Improving Health Information Technology Act (S. 2511) by Sens. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), which included provisions for a government-sponsored HIT rating system, is also a good example of how Democrats and Republicans work well together on technology issues.
HITHealthcare-related legislationValue-based care


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Print Map
There are over 20,000 kilometres of river systems in the Fitzroy Region. Freshwater rivers hold, transport and release water along their journey to the coast. Rivers provide habitat and aquatic refuge for a number of species including fish such as the Fitzroy golden perch and prehistoric-looking saratoga. Freshwater systems provide water for a wide range of uses including drinking water, industries including grazing, and provide scenic, recreational, social and cultural values. Some feeder streams are ephemeral, which means they dry up during the dry season and then come alive in the wet season, channelling water into the system.
While some freshwater habitats remain in good condition, many have been degraded by historical and continuing land use practices.
There are 28 dams and weirs across the basin. The Connors River is the only tributary within the Fitzroy Basin that is not directly impacted by major dams or weirs; indirect impacts still occur in the form of downstream barriers to aquatic fauna passage.
Dams and weirs change the natural flows and patterns of wetting and drying that are important for some of the ecosystems and to the basin's biodiversity. Many of the freshwater habitats of central Queensland have evolved to be seasonally dry (ephemeral) but also periodically flooded.
To see the trending health condition of the Fitzroy go to this page for a report card.
Click on the thumbnails below for a larger image
Southern Saratoga
Fitzroy River Turtle
Fitzroy Golden Perch
Fitzroy River


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Q: Labeling issues for rpart in decision tree in R I am trying to do a tree for a large dataset that I have. I can run the tree fine and receive no error. However, when I look at the labels for the tree they are very messy and not legible. Additionally, I feel the results are not correct. (FYI, I took out some of the variables in the code below so not just scrolling through all the variables, the problem happens with many or just a couple of variables)
For example,the EMPLOY1 split is on =j, but the values in the variables are "unable to work", "retired", etc.  Any thoughts what I am doing wrong with the tree output?
Code:
library(rpart)
fit <- rpat(poorhealth_cat ~
SCNTWRK1+
SCNTLWK1+
SCNTMEAL+
SCNTMONY+
SCNTPAID+
SEX+
SLEPTIM1+
SMOKE100+
SMOKDAY2+
STRENGTH+
TOLDHI2+
USENOW3+
WEIGHT2+
WTCHSALT+
FRT16+
, method="class", data=cdc) # grow tree
printcp(fit) # display the results
 plotcp(fit) # visualize cross-validation results
summary(fit) # detailed summary of split

# plot unpruned tree
plot(fit,uniform=TRUE, main="Classification Tree for poorhealth_cat")
text(fit, use.n=TRUE, all=TRUE, cex=.8)

!

A: I encountered the same issue. Still not sure why but I "fixed" it by using the following instead.
#install
install.packages('rattle')
install.packages('rpart.plot')
install.packages('RColorBrewer')

#load
library(rattle)
library(rpart.plot)
library(RColorBrewer)

#plot
fancyRpartPlot(fit)

Labels are right.


text:
Q: How to use Elapsed Real Time in Android? I want to develop an app. The app has a spinner dropdown. The dropdown has 3 option (30min, 1h, 2h). When for example 30min is pressed I want to start an elapsed Real Time for 30min and after that I want to turn off wifi, that means after 30min the wifi should be turned off.
The logcat shows me a NullPointer Exception.
Here is my code
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlarmManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.SystemClock;
import android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener extends Activity implements AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener {

    @Override
    public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long
        if(parent.getItemAtPosition(position).toString().equals("Zeit auswählen") || parent.getItemAtPosition(position).toString().equals("Select Time")){
            onNothingSelected(parent);
        } else if (parent.getItemAtPosition(position).toString().equals("30min")){
            Intent intent = new Intent(SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener.this, ConnectionManager.class);
            PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener.this, 0, intent, 0);
            long firstTime = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
            AlarmManager am = (AlarmManager)getSystemService(ALARM_SERVICE);
            am.setRepeating(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME, firstTime, 5000, pendingIntent);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> parent) {
        // Wenn es einen ElapsedRealTimeAlarm gibt, soll er gecancelt werden
        // Ansonsten nichts
        ;
    }

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.widget.Toast;

And in this class the wifi should be managed (turned on/off)
public class ConnectionManager extends BroadcastReceiver {

    /**
     *
     * @param context The Context in which the receiver is running.
     * @param intent  The Intent being received.
     */
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        Toast.makeText(context, "I'm running", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
}

Error of the logcat:
07-24 17:35:17.503    5430-5430/com.falkenherz.abusufean.batterycooler E/AndroidRuntime﹕ FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.falkenherz.abusufean.batterycooler, PID: 5430
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at android.content.ContextWrapper.getContentResolver(ContextWrapper.java:104)
        at android.app.PendingIntent.getService(PendingIntent.java:522)
        at com.example.ali.turnoffwifi.SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener.onItemSelected(SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener.java:42)
        at android.widget.AdapterView.fireOnSelected(AdapterView.java:956)
        at android.widget.AdapterView.access$200(AdapterView.java:49)
        at android.widget.AdapterView$SelectionNotifier.run(AdapterView.java:920)
        at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:157)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5356)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1265)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1081)
        at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

The error is on this line:
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(SpinnerTimeOnItemSelectedListener.this, 0, intent, 0);

How can I fix this problem?
Thanks

A: Here is little bit concept problem:
elapsedRealtime() and elapsedRealtimeNanos() return the time since the system was booted, and include deep sleep. This clock is guaranteed to be monotonic, and continues to tick even when the CPU is in power saving modes, so is the recommend basis for general purpose interval timing.
check : http://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/SystemClock.html

and here your task you can done with the Chronometer class. You can bind it to SystemClock.elapsedRealtime() using setBase(). Another way could be if you use Handler inside an Activity and using the sendEmptyMessageDelayed() method with value 1000*60*30(30 minutes) to update your timer.
Or if you Want to use pending intent Then you have to
1)getcurrenttime in Millis using calenderinstance
2)convert 30 minutes to millis and
3) Total millis =currenttimeinmillis+30minutes in millis
then set your Total millis to alarm manager object

also check :android service using SystemClock.elapsedRealTime() instead of SystemClock.uptimeMillis() works in emulator but not in samsung captivate?
Thats it....


text:
Ghislaine Maxwell Requests New Trial After Juror Interviews
NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell has formally requested a new trial, less than a month after her conviction on sex trafficking charges. In a Wednesday letter to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan, Maxwell lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said the motion for... Ghislaine Maxwell Requests New Trial After Juror Interviews (910 Media Group)
NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell has formally requested a new trial, less than a month after her conviction on sex trafficking charges.
In a Wednesday letter to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan, Maxwell lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said the motion for a new trial had been filed under seal and requested that all submissions related to "Juror No. 50 remain under seal until the Court rules."
The motion for a new trial had been promised by Maxwell's lawyers, who had raised concerns about media interviews following the verdict in which the juror said he had been sexually abused as a child. The anonymous juror told The Independent and The Daily Mail that his experience helped him convince some jurors that a victim's imperfect memory of sex abuse doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Nathan had set a Wednesday deadline for Maxwell's lawyers to file for a new trial, and said prosecutors should reply by Feb. 2.
Maxwell, 60, was convicted in late December of conspiring to recruit and groom teenage girls to be sexually abused by her longtime companion Jeffrey Epstein. Her sentencing date has yet to be set.
Maxwell's lawyers had previously said the request for a new trial would include all known undisputed remarks of the juror, along with recorded statements and the questionnaire all jurors filled out. Potential jurors were asked to fill out a questionnaire asking: "Have you or a friend or family member ever been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual assault?"
Quoting from the press reports in a letter, prosecutors said the juror asserted that he "flew through" the questionnaire and didn't recall being asked if he'd been a victim of sex abuse. Prosecutors called for any juror investigation to be "conducted exclusively under the supervision of the Court." The juror himself has retained a lawyer.
Maxwell has maintained she's innocent, and her family promised an appeal of her conviction. Her lawyers vigorously fought the charges against her during trial, arguing that she was being used as a scapegoat by prosecutors determined to hold someone accountable for Epstein's crimes after the financier and convicted sex offender killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019.


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Six Democratic US senators on Tuesday said it was "unacceptable" that Yahoo only last week announced a 2014 hack into 500m user accounts and asked embattled CEO Marissa Mayer for more information about the company's investigation into the data breach.
Yahoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter.
Yahoo has faced mounting questions about exactly when it knew about the 2014 cyber-attack that exposed the email credentials of users, a critical issue for the company as it seeks to prevent the breach from affecting a pending takeover of its core business by Verizon.
The internet company has said it detected the breach this summer after conducting a security review prompted by an unrelated hack claim that turned out to be meritless. Yahoo has not given a precise timeline explaining when it was made aware of the 2014 attack, or if it knew of the breach before announcing the deal with Verizon in late July.
The senators requested a briefing from Yahoo to explain the company's investigation into the breach, its cooperation with law enforcement and national security authorities, and plans to protect affected users. The letter was signed by senators Patrick Leahy, Al Franken, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Wyden and Edward Markey.
The senators asked Mayer for a timeline of the hack and its discovery and how such a large breach went undetected for so long. They also asked what Yahoo was doing to prevent another breach in the future, if the company had changed its security protocols, and whether the US government had warned of a possible hacking attempt.
The letter came a day after Democratic senator Mark Warner asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Yahoo and its senior executives fulfilled obligations to inform investors and the public about the hacking attack, which Yahoo has blamed on a "state-sponsored actor".
Meanwhile, security experts have warned that data released by the breach could be used by criminals using a technique known as "credential stuffing", in which leaked username and password combinations are used on a series of websites in an effort to break in. Software makes the trial-and-error process practically instantaneous.
Credential stuffing typically succeeds between 0.1% to 2% of the time, according to Shuman Ghosemajumder, the chief technology officer of Mountain View, California-based Shape Security. That means cybercriminals wielding 500m passwords could conceivably hijack tens of thousands of other accounts. "It becomes a numbers game for them," Ghosemajumder said in a telephone interview.
Ghosemajumder said he didn't see a surge in new breaches so much as a steady increase in attempts as cybercriminals replenish their stock of freshly hacked passwords.
The first hint that something was wrong at Yahoo came when Motherboard journalist Joseph Cox started receiving supposed samples of credentials hacked from the company in early July. Several weeks later, a cybercriminal using the handle "Peace" came forward with 5,000 samples – and the startling claim to be selling 200m more.
On 1 August, Cox published a story on the sale, but the journalist said he never established with any certainty where Peace's credentials came from. He noted that Yahoo said most of its passwords were secured with one encryption protocol, while Peace's sample used a second. Either Peace drew his sample from a minority of Yahoo data or he was dealing with a different set of data altogether. "With the information available at the moment, it's more likely to be the latter," Cox said in an email on Tuesday.
The Associated Press has been unable to locate Peace. The darknet market where the seller has been active in the past has been inaccessible for days, purportedly due to cyber-attacks. It is not known why a state-sponsored actor, which Yahoo has blamed for the breach, would have an interest in passing its data to people like Peace.
Yahoo users who recycle the same password across the internet may still be at risk. While people can always change their passwords across all the sites they use, Yahoo's announcement that some security questions were compromised too means that the risks associated with the breach are likely to linger. A password can be changed – but your mother's maiden name can't.


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text:
Sunny Dunny's Blog
Dunbar-based writer and editor Colin Will
← Colin does computing
2020; a personal review of the year
Posted on December 30, 2020 by sunnydunny
I used to keep a diary, just for myself. I wrote down what I was thinking and feeling, not with any purpose in mind, but for the sake of recording my thoughts as time went by. The other evening it occurred to me to restart it. I had the idea of recalling my personal recollections and thoughts about the events of 2020, which has been pretty momentous for so many people. I opened the diary and went back to the last entry in it.
It dated from June 2019, and recorded that we had returned from a short trip to Mull, Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Islands the previous evening. There was a garbled and almost inaudible message on our phone from brother-in-law David, about his COPD and hospital, and his sodium levels being low. This started alarm bells ringing with me, as I know that low sodium levels can be a sign of cancer. I recalled his previous diagnosis of pancreatitis and the subsequent removal of his gall bladder. I suspected pancreatic cancer.
Jane phoned him that morning, and discovered that he was actually still in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. We drove in to see him, and he did not look good. For the remainder of June, and for the whole of July and August, we visited him in ERI and later in St John's, Livingston, where he died on the 28th of August from cholangiocarcinoma – cancer of the bile duct. I put the diary on the shelf and somehow never got round to looking at it until now.
So 2019 was a traumatic year for us, but that was on a personal level. We had no idea of the upheavals that 2020 would bring, and on an international scale.
Having worked in scientific institutions for 30 years, I've always kept up-to-date with developments in science. My PhD in in the Department of Information Science at Strathclyde was a study of the communication process in science, so it had me researching epistemology – the study of knowledge itself, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. I had come across the work of an epidemiologist who described parallels between knowledge models and epidemiological models, so it was natural that I would still follow developments in epidemiology, even 30 years after gaining my PhD.
It was in January 2020 that I first read reports of a previously unknown virus which had led to the rapid spread of a disease in a province of China. As the year went on, news reports of the virus itself – SARS-Co-V2, and its related disease, Covid-19 – would become ubiquitous.
In February the city of Wuhan, where the virus had first been recognised, described, categorised and sequenced, was subject to a form of city-wide (later region-wide) quarantine. The word 'lockdown' was introduced, disseminated and bandied about by commentators. Pockets of infection were popping up in other Chinese cities, so internal transport was shut down, and the first international spread was acknowledged. At the end of the month, our long ago booked holiday in Tenerife looked close to cancellation when an Italian family staying at the hotel we were due to go to developed the illness, and the hotel was quarantined. Jet2 changed our destination to a different destination on the island and a different hotel. We debated it, and on the balance of probabilities decided to go ahead. It was fine; the hotel was excellent, and we enjoyed our break in the sun, the first trip since our Mull trip the previous June.
We arrived home in the early hours of the 10th of March, the day after Italy declared its first lockdown. I was infuriated on hearing the government's Chief Scientific Adviser talking about herd immunity. The guy obviously doesn't understand epidemiology. For herd immunity to work effectively, somewhere between 60 and 80% of the population would have to be infected. For the UK that would work out at around 45 to 60 million. The mortality from covid-19 is between 1 and 2%, so that would imply, taking the lowest of both figures, a death toll of at least 450,000. Simple arithmetic. No politician could possibly find that number 'acceptable', and eventually, they decided against that strategy (but the guy is still in his job). Johnson, that inept Upper-Class Twit of the Decade, dithered, but was forced into declaring a UK-wide lockdown from 23rd March.
Everything closed, apart from shops selling essentials. Near the beginning I said I'd do all the shopping, and for a couple of weeks I did. Then Jane tried it – we were supposed to shop alone – and it freaked her out. So I kept on doing the shopping, until we were allowed to shop together as a household. That was better. Now it's fine. I've never considered having groceries delivered.
We walked together, a lot, down by the sea or inland. It was great. More than great, it was wonderful. The spring flowers were opening, the resident birds were establishing territories, and the weather was good. There was hardly any traffic noise, because there was hardly any traffic. The air smelled good for the same reason. The skies were spectacular, because there were very few aircraft polluting the atmosphere. Best of all, the golf course was closed, so we could walk along the shore at the edge of the rough, without having to keep out of the way of golfers. We watched the shore birds, the waders, ducks and swans. We found a previously unvisited wood, its floor strewn with wild garlic and primroses.
The gym closed, but I had my allotment, so I had my permitted exercise there. The ground had never been so thoroughly prepared before, and I could still buy vegetable seeds locally. May was wonderful, warm and sunny, although June was cooler. In July the first easing of the pandemic rules took place, and for the first time I realised, as did many others living in Scotland, that our nation could do things differently from the way things were done in Englandshire, and that the outcomes were better. Our First Minister was someone I felt I could trust and respect, unlike Boris the Balloon and his incompetent, dishonest, corrupt and crooked cabinet colleagues. In my view they are arrogant, stupid, uncaring, unscrupulous, and mendacious, a government vile and rotten to the core.
July was when Nicola said we should wear masks, and that made a lot of sense to me. Naturally Dumbo Johnson was late to the party, but even he, with his useless advisors, eventually joined in.
Further lockdown easing took place, and then the inevitable second wave started in September. Lockdown levels were introduced, and they've fluctuated back and forth since then. In late October we had our own sobering close shave. One of our friends had invited us to join her for coffee at a café in Midlothian, at a time when that was permitted, subject to distancing, masks and hand cleaning. We had a very pleasant hour with her, catching up on news. That was on a Thursday. By Saturday our friend had developed a cough, and she was advised to go for a covid test. The positive result came through the following day, and she phoned us to tell us, and to say that she had reported us as two of her contacts. On the Monday the NHS Scotland app on my phone alerted us, and said we had to isolate for 14 days from the date of contact. So we stayed at home, taking our temperatures daily. They remained normal, and we did not develop symptoms. We regarded it as a lucky escape. Our friend has recovered.
By December all four administrations agreed a five-day Christmas break from the most stringent rules, and that was a stupid decision, soon rescinded as infectivity levels soared. As Christmas neared, rates increased in our own county of East Lothian as a result of people breaking the rules by travelling in to Edinburgh for Christmas shopping. The Christmas break was reduced to one day – Christmas Day itself, which meant our planned family get-together on the 23rd had to be cancelled. Our son came through on Christmas Day to join us for lunch, but he couldn't stay, as he was due to prepare the Christmas lunch for his own family.
So it was mostly just the two of us, as it has been all year. We have supported each other, made each other laugh, kept ourselves going. And we've talked. All the time. I can't remember a time when we've talked to each other so much. Oh, it's not always lovey-dovey and cheerful – we have had the occasional falling-out, but in nearly 55 years of married life we've learned the best ways of dealing with that. We'll get through this, and we have the vaccinations to look forward to. And since we're both over 75, we'll be vaccinated earlier than most.
I am acutely aware that it's been easier for us to get through 2020 because we're a couple, and because we're both healthy and reasonably fit. Many of our friends and neighbours live on their own, and I can appreciate how hard it is for them to face their fears and insecurities in isolation. I am very sympathetic. Also, both our sons and their partners are working, and dealing with the complications that brings. As pensioners, we don't have these pressures.
But still, there are very real risks associated with the virus, particularly for the elderly, like us. There is a chance that we might not both make it unscathed. We mitigate these risks by being as careful as we can be. We stick to the rules, because they seem to us to be appropriate and sensible. But that might not be enough. I worry about the consequences if one or other, or both of us, become seriously ill. But I don't dwell on it.
Here's to 2021 being a better year.
About sunnydunny
Poet, publisher, gardener
View all posts by sunnydunny →
2 Responses to 2020; a personal review of the year
John Barker says:
Thanks Colin, a well observed view of 2020. I think Boris might sue if he ever reads the comments about himself!
sunnydunny says:
A previous draft named names, but I decided against that.
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Colin Will
2020; a personal review of the year December 30, 2020
Colin does computing October 4, 2020
Writing in lockdown July 7, 2020
Writing and Speaking in Scots April 30, 2020
What's happening now? March 25, 2020