In honor of International Women's Day, the National Rural Assembly is highlighting rural women across the United States who are making a difference in their communities.
When I think of women I admire in rural America, my heart beats for the women of The Arts Center in Athens, Tennessee. Lauren Shepherd, Lindsey Kimball, and Jennifer Nunley -- all women under 40 -- direct, organize and manage arts programming for our little town of 14,000 residents. It's a powerful thing to have 3 young women at the helm of such an essential institution in a small, southern community.
I'm honored to serve alongside them as a volunteer, and among us, we are raising four daughters, Lucy (6), Susannah (3), Sloane (2) and Taylor (20 mos).
Judy Bourg is an amazing rural woman living in Douglas, Arizona, on the US-Mexico border. She is a tireless advocate for social justice, particularly through her work with immigrants and our neighbors on the border.
This is a short video in which she talks about the plight of migrants who have lost their lives crossing the border and the work she leads to help remember these people.
Shanique "Shay" Wilson served two AmeriCorps terms with Virginia Service and Conservation Corps. In addition to helping her crewmates with maintenance and improvement projects across multiple Virginia state parks, Shay became her crew's unofficial social media manager. The photos, blogs and videos she created raised awareness about the Corps and brought so many new followers to the Facebook page for the Breaks Interstate Park that the Breaks worked with the Southern Appalachia Tourism Authority to create a digital media job just for Shay. She now uses social media to educate people about the beauty and tourism opportunities in rural Southwest Virginia.
Sharon Gulick serves as the Director of Community and Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Missouri Extension. Mainly focused on rural communities, Sharon also served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Rural Partners and as an advocate for rural communities in her state. In addition to her roles in Missouri, Sharon has also been involved in Rural Development on a national level, participating in the Rural People Rural Policy networks as a member of the Networks United for Rural Voice, and member of the National Rural Assembly Community Change Working Group. Sharon seeks out ideas and solutions and through collaboration, takes action to make it happen!
Carey Portell tells the obstacles and joys that she faces daily as a cattle producer. She loves her job, despite multiple surgeries after a collision involving a drunk driver seven years ago. She continues to care for her family and her cattle using adaptive devices and skills learned through Missouri AgrAbility Project and Vocational Rehabilitation.
Her blog, "Stronger Than Yesterday," tells the tale of her joys in farming as she makes a bold impact on others. She speaks to groups about her journey.
Missouri AgrAbility Project director Karen Funkenbusch improves the lives of farmers and ranchers with disabilities by educating them on services and resources available to them. Her efforts over several decades have helped farmers and ranchers with disabilities continue to farm.
She also works with women, minority groups and returning veterans to help them enter farming or improve their operation. Her work with the Brain Injury Association earned her statewide recognition. She leads the University of Missouri Extension's health and safety efforts and teaches at MU. Her passion for agriculture is fierce and bold.
University of Missouri Extension agriculture journalist and former newspaper owner Linda Geist tells the story of rural America through her articles and social media. The daughter of a lifelong farmer, Geist lives on a Century Farm on weekends and writes from Columbia, Mo.
She is passionate about feeding the world, especially the low-income and homeless, and maintaining rural quality of life. A single mother, she worked her way through MU School of Journalism and worked more than 40 years as a small-town journalist before returning to Mizzou to educate others about agriculture through the media.
University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine graduate Imogene Latimer is available to northeast Missouri livestock producers night and day. A dedicated cattle farmer herself, Latimer has been among the first in the state to try timed AI, participate in the Show-Me Heifer Replacement Program and use innovative technology in a rural setting. She shares her experiences with other producers, 4-H and FFA members.
Julie Garreau is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and is the executive director of the Cheyenne River Youth Project. She has served as CRYP's director since the organization's 1988 inception, volunteering in the position for 12 years. The Cheyenne River Youth Project has become an essential youth and family services organization, integral to the Cheyenne River Reservation's support system, in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. With over 369 family memberships reservation wide, Julie's vision for a new future for Native youth and families highlights the power of local solutions for local concerns.
University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel leads Missouri's Women in Dairy program. Her enthusiasm and understanding of dairy women-only 1% of dairy operators in the U.S. are women-allows her to connect with women and men in dairy to improve the quality of their herds. She also understands that dairy is time and labor intensive and can lead to social isolation. She organizes women dairy farmers to provide regular learning and socialization activities. She also teaches about dairy cattle and forage at Women in Agriculture events.
Chyenne Smith (@JLazySAngus) is a first generation rancher in Carmen, Idaho that speaks and shares her life to help boost how people perceive agriculture positively. She also started a separate twitter account @AgOfTheWorld to help other agricultural tweeters get their story out by letting them host the account for a week. All while working full time beside her husband on their ranch, raising two daughters and driving school bus.
"A girl approached me during a collaborativeproject with both art and STEM subjects. In her high, apologetic voice, she explained to me that she attempted to learn to weld the project by watching her team from the corner of the metal shop, while the boys (and the teacher) ignored her. She asked, 'Can I weld? I think I know what to do… I watched them do it…" I said, "Yes. But you must do the following: Respect their space and knowledge; make sure they can hear and see you; and never apologize. Ever.'"
Heidi Jeub is an artist who paints in the studio, create public art for small communities, and teaches creativity in (mostly) rural Minnesota schools. She brings her love for the arts into collaborations in STEM fields, because that just seems to make the most sense.
Connie Loden is inspired by working with rural communities, finding the character of these communities to be unique, inviting and filled with spirit. Connie learned, through working with people in these rural communities, that a community is not a collection of buildings, it is a spirit of people that binds and creates a synergistic energy for common good. Loden has received numerous awards for her work with rural communities, including the Partners for Rural America coveted, Ron Shaffer Award, for her leadership in national rural development efforts. Serving as President of Wisconsin Rural Partners, Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program, and the Community Development Society, she coordinated numerous national rural convenings, and helps facilitate the National Rural Assembly Community Change Working Group. She is also a rural entrepreneur investing in rural communities.
Mandi Chasey is the Director of Business and Economic Servicesfor Ogemaw County in Michigan. She grew up in a small town in the very small town (There was ONE blinking light in town. It's now a full red, green, yellow light. It still does not have a hospital, car dealership, movie theater, or even McDonald's!) of White Cloud, Michigan. She moved to the West Branch area in 2011 and it immediately felt like home. She is incredibly passionate (a fierce "Mama Bear") about her community because she thinks of the opportunities she wants her son to have and knows that all parents want the same for their children. By extension, she think of everyone as being part of her family. She wants everyone to have a job that can support their family or be able to start a business there. Those opportunities are very hard to come by, but we have come a long way. More resources are definitely needed.
The Benedictine Sisters of Yankton and the Presentation Sisters of Aberdeen both came to Dakota Territory in the late 1800s with a mission to serve settlers through education and health care. Back then, sisters were nurses at the bedside. With fewer members today, that's not reality anymore. But their influence on rural health care is just as profound, ensuring that Avera Health reflects the principles rooted in its Catholic foundation. Maintaining this mission in a financially viable way isn't easy, but their focus on rural health care is unshakable as they train lay people to continue their mission.
Tyler Owens (Gila River Indian Community) and Jalene Herron (Yup'ik) are doing work for Native communities in the Northwest and Southwest US -- empowering Native youth and supporting healthier futures!
Dr. Malia Villegas (Alutiiq/Sugpiaq) and Dr. Deana Around Him (Cherokee) are both national advocates for tribal sovereignty over research. Sarah Pytalski serves as the Policy Research & Evaluation Manager for the National Congress of American Indians. Her current projects reflect how research partnerships, data infrastructure, legal and ethical protections can enhance the health and sovereignty of tribal nations.
What a phenomenal group of women!
Rachael Sherard is a tireless advocate for rural health and champion for the most underserved and isolated patient populations in the Midwest. She's dedicated to improving rural health care and shepherding rural facilities through tumultuous changes that threaten their very existence. In South Dakota, Rachael led the development of Avera's American Indian Health Initiative and works passionately, dedicated to improving the health conditions for American Indians. She spearheaded initiatives and chaired organizations focusing on rural youth, rural economic development and supporting rural entrepreneurs. Every day, Rachael lives her passion for rural and makes real change in her community and state.
Becky Brun, Hood River City Council Member, Writer and Innovator or Nonprofit Leader, is a thoughtful and inclusive big-picture thinker as well as a doer whose impact on the local economy and culture of the Columbia River Gorge is apparent, especially in Hood River, where she serves on City Council and as the President of Gorge Owned, a nonprofit she founded in 2010. Under her leadership, solar panels have proliferated, a new curbside composting program is underway, a clean energy plan for the region is under development, a plastic bag ban is in effect, and GO! Local stickers abound, reminding people to support local businesses. Becky loves being out mountain biking, hiking, paddling and more in the Gorge, especially with her husband Jonathan and her dog, Dufur. She lives her values each and every day, and our community is better for her.
Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald is Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund's Southern Regional Office, and also serves as the Regional Administrator for the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative for Economic & Social Justice. She leads an effort to empower more than 2500 rural black women to engage in policy development and their engaging policymakers to take a stand for themselves and their rural children. She recently led efforts to convene 200 rural black women in the capitols of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Her efforts have led to a number of rural black women in the Black Belts of Alabama and Georgia, and the Mississippi Delta seeking elected offices i.e. school boards, city and town councils, rural water associations, and electric cooperatives.
When Terry Keim went through Incident Information Officer training, they were told to contact the mayor and city administrator to ask where they wanted them to house the wildland firefighters, etc. One teacher added that what they'd really need to do is find the woman in town everyone listened to. She might not hold an official position, but she would be the one who'd know how to get things done quickly. Later, when she moved to a rural town, that held true for other things. There is that group of women who know the history of the place, who put that knowledge to use in the present to keep things working well.
The board members of Fitness on Main in Burke, South Dakota, are making major waves in rural public health. This all female Board has undertaken major grant writing and construction to make sure that affordable and accessible health and wellness opportunities are a reality for everyone in our communities. We offer an average of 20 free and open to the public group fitness classes each month. Our classes and instructors are all body-positive and committed to empowering rural citizens through fitness, nutrition, mental health and addiction services. Our board members (from right: Kelsea Kenzy Sutton, Valerie Van Metre, Cheryl Schonebaum; not pictured: Megan Heyden) are all volunteers with varying backgrounds (plus full-time jobs and families!).
Naomi Schliesman and Michele Anderson run Springboard for the Arts' rural office in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where they provide resources that help artists make a living and a life, and have led several nationally recognized creative placemaking initiatives, including Hinge Arts at the Kirkbride, a community development and artist residency program which activates cultural programming related to the historic Fergus Falls State Hospital, or the "Kirkbride Building." They also collaborate with the Center for Small Towns at the University of Minnesota, Morris on the biennial Rural Arts and Culture Summit, which is coming up June 6 - 8, 2017. In their spare time, they are also both practicing artists - Naomi is a visual artist and sculptor, and Michele is a writer and musician.
Send us 100 words, a photo with a short caption, or a 1 minute video telling us about the impact women and girls are having in rural America. You can tell your own story or give an example of rural women who is strengthening their community.
You can post here or email to karen@ruralstrategies.org.


Whether this is your first experience in higher education or you are considering furthering your knowledge of China, XJTLU's Diploma in China Studies offers a great opportunity to develop your professional skills and experience first-hand what China has to offer. This is an XJTLU accredited Diploma.
Students enrolling for the full year typically take four modules in each semester, of which one will be a Chinese language module and three will be China studies. The eight modules over the academic year lead to the XJTLU Diploma in China Studies, awarded at the successful completion of the study year.


Stanford signee Grace Connolly from Natick High School (MA), offers juniors advice on the recruiting process. She breaks down the official visit process, and how she picked out which schools she wanted to visit and more. Check out the interview above.
0:00 -- 00:30 -- Don't stress about a specific timeline.
00:30 -- 2:17 -- Keep your options opened.
2:30 -- 4:00 -- What the official visit process was like.
4:00 -- 5:00 -- Her mindset on the official visit process.
5:15 -- 6:15 -- What she is excited for about once shes on campus at Stanford.


What with learning to sell stuff on eBay, taking a course from home, budgeting my finances with a monthly income normally meant for one person over 2 weeks, having a baby to contend with, a part time Dad throwing issues into the mix, trying to forge some kind of social life/love life.. OO errr Ooo err.... I really haven't paid this blog as much attention as I had hoped. But, in part of my re-organisation spree, perhaps it will get factored in a little more. I really would like to be able to splurge a little more of my head space forth into the interweb!
Anybody got any scheduling/routine tips?
I find myself running out of hours in the day recently, and still don't feel like I've got half of what I intended to done. :-/ I hate that. Especially in my flat, I look around and even though I've been tidying, it looks messier than when I started?!! How does that even work?
Labels: clearing up organsed chaos timekeeping.


This open concept 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhome is conveniently located within a quiet riverfront community and ready to move in! Minutes away from I-4, I-75, and US Hwy 301 for an easy commute to Brandon, New Tampa, or downtown. You will also be within close proximity to amenities such as Lettuce Lake Park, Hilltop Dog Park, Hard Rock Casino, and Busch Gardens. A two car garage and a paved driveway offer parking options for you and guests. Tons of natural light, stone-look tile, and 9-ft high ceilings are just some of the wonderful features this townhome has to offer. The generously sized kitchen includes granite countertops, stainless steel Samsung appliances, and oak-colored cabinets with lots of storage. The kitchen also overlooks the family room and dining area which is perfect for entertaining. The home upgrades include decorative ceiling fans and light fixtures, LED lighting, one touch cordless blinds, new Craftsman garage door opener, and an energy efficient air conditioning unit with Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat. The master bathroom features beautiful granite with dual sinks, a garden tub, spacious shower, large walk-in closet, and a private balcony overlooking the Hillsborough River and the community. The additional bedrooms are located on the second floor along with a full bathroom with dual sinks, tub/shower combo, and water closet. Terrace River Landings townhome community provides surveillance cameras monitoring the community 24/7. Dont miss your opportunity to land this low maintenance property!


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Mariners Pick Up Great 3-2 Comeback Win At Rutgers-Newark In 2017 Season-Opener
Rutgers-Newark
Merchant Marine (1-0) 25 25 24 25 15 3
Rutgers-Newark (0-1) 22 27 26 20 9 2
K: Kate Lefler - 14
B: Tichina Carmon - 5
D: Myckenzie Toler - 24
SA: 2 Players (#8, #12) - 3
K: Comfort Akinbo - 14
B: Rebecca Ford - 3
D: Sue Riley - 49
SA: Cassie Luken - 7
Box Score – HTML / XML
NEWARK, N.J. (Sept. 1, 2017) – The USMMA women's volleyball team rallied from down 2-1 in the match and 18-12 in the fourth set to come back and defeat Rutgers-Newark, 3-2, on the road on Friday night in the 2017 season-opener.
The match was close throughout, as the Mariners won the first set, 25-22, and were a point away from winning both the second and third sets, but the Scarlet Raiders rallied to take a 27-25 win in the second and a 26-24 triumph in the third to go up 2-1 in the match.
The Mariners answered with a 25-20 victory in the fourth to even up the match at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth set. In the fifth, Merchant Marine jumped out to an early lead and extended it to a 9-4 advantage before Rutgers started chipping away at the lead. The Mariners were able to hold off the rally and took the fifth set, 15-9.
Three different Mariners recorded double-doubles on the night, as junior Kate Lefler (Norman, Okla.) tied for the match-high with 14 kills while also picking up 15 digs, senior Dominique Pope (Silver Spring, Md.) had 13 kills and 14 digs and sophomore Kyleigh Kappas (Parker, Colo.) led all players with 42 assists to go along with 15 digs.
A total of six players registered double-digit digs for USMMA, as senior Myckenzie Toler (Prunedale, Calif.) tallied a team-high 24 in her first collegiate match, while classmates Kayla Gleason (Sound Beach, N.Y.) had 19 and Alex Miller (Stevensville, Mich.) recorded 17 (also in her first collegiate action). In the middle, senior Tichina Carmon (Greenville, N.C.) notched a match-high five blocks on the night.
Rutgers-Newark was led offensively by sophomore Comfort Akinbo, who tied for the match-high with 14 kills, while junior Cassie Luken added 10 kills. Freshman setter Karly Gregoire recorded a double-double with 32 assists and 14 digs and senior libero Sue Riley picked up an amazing 49 digs over the five sets, with classmate Morgan Schweitzer adding 20 digs defensively.
The Mariners return to action on Monday night, Sept. 4, for a Labor Day home-opener against Pratt beginning at 7 p.m. at the Liebertz Gymnasium. Live stats and a live video feed of the match will be available with links on the USMMA Volleyball Schedule Page.
Receive USMMA Women's Volleyball News Right To Your E-Mail!
If you would like to receive the latest news on the USMMA women's volleyball team, including all press releases, send an e-mail to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Joe Guster at gusterj@usmma.edu with the subject "Women's Volleyball E-Mails."
Follow USMMA Athletics On Social Media!
Be sure to follow USMMA Athletics on social media to get up-to-the-minute updates on your favorite teams! Start following today on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On June 3 the White House hosted a National Conference on Mental Health to draw attention to this important topic and to reinforce support for increasing access to effective services. President Obama also used that venue to launch a "National Dialogue on Mental Health" initiative.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will sponsor a series of events to continue the dialogue and help coordinate and highlight the activities of other groups and associations. CSWE has agreed to be a contributing partner to those efforts.
During the next month CSWE will highlight what its program member institutions are doing to increase awareness of mental health issues, promote mental and emotional health, and identify local strategies to reduce negative attitudes and help individuals in need access treatment. Descriptions of the activities will be posted on the CSWE website to generate ideas and collaboration between programs, and an update will be reported in the August issue of CSWE Full Circle.


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Cardinals Sweep The Eagles 59-48
Deanna Belcher-Zalaznik
Heather Ranta, a senior, goes to shoot free-throws in game @ Solon Springs.
The Indianhead Conference this year has been a bit of shock compared to previous years. On average, there are one to two teams who dominate the conference. This season, in both the girls and boys' conferences, the wins and losses are reasonably spread out between each of the teams. For the girls' conference, the top two teams are neck and neck, and well above the rest of the teams. In 1st place is Bayfield with an 8-0 record. Closely following the Trollers are the Washburn Castleguards with a record of 9-1. However, from there on, each team is one win or loss from changing their ranking. Currently, Ironwood sits at 3rd place with 4 wins and 2 losses, South Shore is 4th, eeking out just one more win than their number of defeats with a record of 6-5, Solon Springs in 5th with equal numbers of wins and losses. Their record comes up double nickels, 5-5. Hurley is in 6th, taking more hits on the scoreboard than wins, 4-5, but tied for a number of wins with Butternut, who are in 7th, as they've racked up more losses than the Midgets with a record of 4-6. Mellen is in 8th, with a record of 3-7, Drummond is 9th with 2-6, and Mercer rounds out the top 10 in 10th with just one win on the books, 1-9. The Cardinals have some big games left in the season that could completely determine their fate in the conference and their seeding for Regionals.
The Cardinals had one of those "fate-deciding" games last night, Jan. 25th. The team traveled to Solon Springs for an earlier game at 6:00 p.m. as Solon was not playing a junior varsity team. This was the second time the Cardinals faced the Eagles. The first game against the Eagles was at home earlier in the season, on Dec. 15th. The Cardinals handily beat the Eagles 64-50, with Chloe Sipsas scoring 13 points and Signe Branham, Myla Lahti, and Rylee Nicoletti all scoring 10 points. Now the Cardinals knew they had to take care of business and defeat the Eagles for the second time. Heading into the game, the Eagles had one more win over the Cardinals, ranking fourth in the conference. This game would determine if the Eagles would retain their fourth place spot on the charts or if they would fall. And so began the battle for fourth.
The Cardinals actually started out the game on a rough note. They seemed a bit out of it at first, turning the ball over quite often and missing shots. About halfway through the first half, the Cardinals were struggling, down by 11 points. Although it took the Cardinals a while to get into a groove, they went for a run towards the end of the half, closing their point deficit to only 5 points. The Cardinals knew they played a bad first half on the court and had to pick up the intensity to win the game. With this mindset, the Cardinals crushed their point deficit within three minutes, gaining a slim lead of 5. The Cardinals were soon up by 10 and kept that lead no matter how hard the Eagles tried. The Cardinal defense played a big part in the team's comeback. Signe Branham, a senior, had two assertive blocks in the second half denying the Eagles a basket. Heather Ranta, a senior, also had a few clean and hard blocks. Turns out, the Eagle guards were no match for the Cardinals posts. The Cardinals came back and won the game handily, 59-48. The top scorers for the Cardinals were Chloe Sipsas with 13 points, Heather Ranta with 12 points, Myla Lahti with 9, Rylee Nicoletti with 8, and almost every other player on the team pitching in some points as well. Overall, it was a defining win for the Cardinals, and proves how hard working and driven they are.
The Cardinals will next face the Mercer Tigers tonight, Jan. 26th, for a doubleheader at home. Good luck to the girls' team on the rest of their season! Keep up the hard work!


The San Luis Obispo County auditor-controller will conduct a review of the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District's financial records—specifically related to a conflict of interest alleged by the county grand jury.
On June 2, the grand jury issued a report titled "The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District" that alleged John Wallace, founder and president of the Wallace Group, has a conflict of interest because of his dual role in the district as both administrator and engineer.
On July 12, SLO County supervisors are scheduled to accept a report from County Auditor-Controller Gere Sibbach responding to the grand jury's determination that the county has some oversight of the district. The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District provides sewer services to the Five Cities and is not a county agency.
The grand jury, however, determined that the county has some mild powers to audit the district's finances. Though Sibbach concluded in a preliminary response to the grand jury that his office has limited auditing authority, he also responded that the office could conduct its own financial review of the district because there wasn't yet an audit on file for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
"I will assign staff from our audit division to perform a limited review of internal financial controls at the district, with a specific emphasis on possible conflicts of interest between the district administrator and district engineer," Sibbach's response states.
Work on the audit is scheduled to begin within the next six months.
Sibbach said a full audit would not be "cost effective or necessary" because the district plans to rotate its principal auditor in compliance with grand jury recommendations, and the district is revising the administrator and engineer contracts to remove potential conflicts.


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Fakultet for naturvitenskap (NV)
Institutt for biologi
Evolutionary consequences of seed banks and seed dispersal in Arabidopsis
Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen
Institutt for biologi [1646]
In most plant species, seeds after dispersing from the mother plant (primary dispersal) may undergo secondary dispersal, either in time by remaining dormant in the soil and forming a seed bank, or in space by movement to other locations. Seed bank and dispersal in space are bet-hedging strategies that minimize the extinction risk and aid to population stability and persistence in temporally variable environments. The ability to establish seed bank via depositing a fraction of seeds into the soil may also increase the potential of early stage adaptation into new habitats. A persistent seed bank preserves genetic diversity and buffers populations from the loss of genetic variants due to random drift. Although theoretical studies have highlighted the role of seed banks in elevating effective population size, little information exists regarding the evolutionary potential of seed banks in natural populations.
In this thesis I studied inter- and intraspecific variation in genetic composition of seed banks and its significance in natural populations of two closely related species in the genus Arabidopsis. A. thaliana is an annual self-compatible plant whereas A. lyrata is perennial and self-incompatible. The potential contribution of seed banks to effective population size (Ne), generation time, genetic variation, and population dynamics has been addressed. The pattern of dispersal over time and space was investigated by monitoring of natural populations over five consecutive years in A. thaliana. In addition, regional differences in seed bank, genetic composition and structure in A. lyrata were investigated between three contrasting regions in northern Europe.
The results showed that both species form persistent seed banks throughout their Norwegian distribution range. Seedling density was lower in A. lyrata than A. thaliana, as would be expected from a perennial. Moreover, the seed bank contributes to total effective population size in perennial A. lyrata, though not to the same extent as in A. thaliana. In A. lyrata both seed bank and above-ground individuals seemingly have a similar contribution to the total Ne.
Monitoring A. thaliana populations over multiple years revealed that in most populations two or more distinct multilocus genotypes were present, which often varied in frequency between years, leading to variation in within-population diversity. Although most of the distinct multilocus genotypes within each population were genetically similar, probably due to historical mutation and recombination events, in some cases multiple colonization events due to migration from other populations were evident. Many geographically closely situated populations shared common multilocus genotypes and expressed low differentiation compared to distant ones. The results show evidence dispersal in time, i.e., persistence of dormant or ungerminated seeds in ten populations in which 29% of seeds descended two or three years before present, on average. Additionally there are signs of seed and pollen immigration from other populations in almost one fifth of the studied cohorts, reflecting an effective migration rate of 1.8% per generation. Migration through pollen and seeds in A. thaliana is therefore common, and the seed bank plays, at the same time a substantial role in overall population dynamics.
Comparing natural populations of A. lyrata in different regions revealed that soil seed banks are either absent or small in Icelandic populations and average density of seed bank is 2.5 fold smaller than what was observed among Norwegian populations, though the overall differences between regions was not statistically significant. The level of genetic variation in Icelandic was similar to Swedish and significantly higher than what found in Norwegian populations. In addition population differentiation on Icelandic was significantly lower than what found in Swedish and Norwegian populations. When comparing similar distribution areas in the regions, the effect of habitat structure was found to be less important to explain the differences in genetic structuring. Immigration rate over time was similar between regions that show variable population differentiations. The results suggest that relatively low differentiation among Icelandic populations is more likely due to large historical effective population sizes compared to Scandinavian populations, rather than immigration per se.
Består av
Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen; Lundemo, Sverre; Agren, Jon; Stenoien, Hans K.. GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF SEED BANKS IN THE PERENNIAL HERB ARABIDOPSIS LYRATA SUBSP PETRAEA (BRASSICACEAE). American Journal of Botany. (ISSN 0002-9122). 98(9): 1475-1485, 2011. 10.3732/ajb.1100021.
Falahati-Anbaran, M; Lundemo, S; Stenøien, HK. Quantifying dispersal in time and space in northern European populations of Arabidopsis thaliana. .
Falahati-Anbaran, M; Lundemo, S; Ansell, SW; Stenøien, HK. Contrasting patterns of genetic structuring in natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. petraea across heterogeneous regions in Northern Europe. .
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Fakultet for naturvitenskap og teknologi, Institutt for biologi
Doktoravhandlinger ved NTNU, 1503-8181; 2011:260


As one of the fastest growing Australian superannuation fund, the SMSF is becoming very popular among the Australians mainly because it provides many benefits, while giving you the power to control your own super. The SMSF is the only superannuation fund that allows you to invest in properties, shares and other valuable assets. Such investment decisions cannot be made with other superannuation funds.
As you can see the decision to set up self managed super fund is very important and requires skills and knowledge. This is a lifetime decision, so you need to be careful and consider all available options because not getting it right can cost you a lot. The decision to set up self managed super fund is huge, and you will need enough skills and knowledge in order to run the self managed super fund properly and successfully.
If you decide to set up self managed super fund, you become a director or a trustee of the fund. This way you have the power to manage your SMSF according to your own specifications as long as it is in compliance with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) laws and rules. You will need to follow the conditions stated in the trust deed of your SMSF. The main idea is to run your super in the best way that will provide great retirement benefits to all SMSF members.
The most important things you need to consider are how to control your assets, and where to invest. If you don't have enough skills to set up self managed super fund and to run it correctly, you will need to find a professional SMSF adviser who will guide you throughout the whole SMSF set up process. Consulting with a professional SMSF adviser before you start your self managed super fund is essential even for the experienced investors because even the smallest error can negatively affect your finances.
The professionals who can help you set up self managed super fund usually are administrators, tax agents, financial advisers and lawyers. Thus, hire a professional to set up self managed super fund. The SMSF expert can help you invest, manage and to control your fund in the best way that will benefit all SMSF members.


The puzzles all involved the cube. The solutions are below.
A. Arrange the numbers 1-8 on the corners of a cube so that the 6 faces have magic sum 18.
B. Arrange the numbers 0-7 on the corners of a cube so that the connecting edge always has a prime sum.
C. Arrange the numbers 1-12 on the edges of a cube so that faces and parallel edges have magic sum 26.
D. Arrange the numbers 1-12 on the edges and (0,1,2,3,4,7,9,12) on the corners of a cube so that each edge gives the difference between the corners it connects.


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Produce Business
Marketing • Merchandising • Management • Procurement
Home Departments Fresh Cut Marketing
Savvy Merchandising Key to Non-Produce Tie-Ins
Photos Courtesy of Spartan Nash
Posted By: Sophia McDonald October 1, 2016
Balancing freshness and convenience can increase sales.
Companion products can increase sales if merchandised correctly — and distract if they aren't.
The resounding argument for why produce departments should carry non-produce tie-ins, or non-produce items in general, is because they make money.
"Cross-merchandising with non-produce products is an effective vehicle to increase a shopper's basket size, and in turn, grow profitable sales for your produce department and store," says Brian Haaraoja, vice president of fresh merchandising for SpartanNash in Grand Rapids, MI. The company operates 160 grocery stores under banners such as Family Fare Supermarkets, No Frills, Econofoods and Dan's Supermarket.
Companion products, as they're also known, can also make the shopping experience more convenient for consumers and introduce them to new foods. But Haaraoja cautions that they can also distract from the department's mission and appearance if not handled correctly.
"It can be easy to get carried away with the amount of tie-ins throughout a produce department, which can have a negative effect on your business," he says. "A produce department with too many tie-ins will appear cluttered. That can take away from the 'fresh' perception of your customers, which is vitally important."
"Keep in mind that we sell produce," says Jay Schneider, produce sales manager with Acme Markets, a Malvern, PA-based chain with more than 110 stores throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. "Even though you can get some incremental sales, you still want to keep more of a fresh image with a balance of tie-ins."
Common Companion Products
Beside salad dressings, some of the most popular non-produce tie-in products include croutons, salad toppers, fruit and vegetable dips, pre-made shortcakes, olives, cheeses and snack items. Some ready-to-eat products, including packaged soups, juices and smoothies, are also showing up in produce departments.
Tofu is another common tie-in product. House Foods America, a manufacturing company headquartered in Garden Grove, CA, sells water- and vacuum-packed tofu, plain and marinated tofu and tofu meal kits. The company's Shirataki noodles (a thin, translucent noodle made from konjac yams), egg roll, and wonton wrappers are sometimes merchandised in produce as well.
Seasoning packets that can be used to create produce-centered dishes, such as guacamole, salsa, smoothies and banana bread, make good companion products. Departments also carry utensil merchandise such as melon ballers, vegetable peelers and sticks for making caramel apples.
Pros And Cons
Paul Eastman, House Foods America's senior sales manager, says the advantage of carrying tofu in the produce department is that it offers a rare protein option.
Companion products are appropriate for produce, because they encourage consumers to buy more, says Mary Beth Cowardin, director of brand marketing for the T. Marzetti Company, a specialty foods company that was founded in 1896 and is based in Columbus, OH. Cowardin says salad greens can look more appetizing if consumers see interesting toppings or croutons to go along with them. A mother may be more inclined to purchase apples if she sees caramel dip, or strawberries if she can buy shortcakes instead of having to make them.
"The benefit for consumers is having meal solutions all in one location," says Cowardin. "Everyone is time-pressed. Everyone wants to get in and out of the store." If a shopper needs to make a veggie tray for a party, as an example, it helps to have the salad dressing in the same place as the carrots and broccoli.
Paul Eastman, House Foods America's senior sales manager, says the advantage of carrying tofu in the produce department is that it offers a rare protein option. Consumers with plant-based diets — who are inclined to spend most of their time in produce anyway — will appreciate the convenience of having the tofu available.
"Many of our ShopRite stores have team meetings about their promotions, and they often talk to one another about ways to cross-merchandise with other departments. Management also often looks at the circular to determine the best tie-in opportunities."
— Derrick Jenkins, Wakefern Food Corporation
"Non-produce tie-ins add interest and variety to the produce department," says Samantha McCaul, marketing manager for Brockton, MA-based Concord Foods, which supplies retail food products and custom ingredients to supermarkets, manufacturers and foodservice operators. "Shoppers will spend more time in the produce department. As a result, more time and money is spent in the store." In addition, there is little to no shrink with tie-in products.
The biggest risk with carrying non-produce items is they'll become an eyesore, says Schneider. "If they're not merchandised correctly, they can 'junk up' the department and take away from your fresh presentation."
There may be times when merchandising companion products in produce will confuse consumers. Eastman points out many natural food stores merchandise tofu in dairy. Shoppers may expect to find other items, such as cheeses and olives, in the deli department.
Choosing Products
With all the quality products competing for space in produce, it can be hard to choose the ones that will be the best fit. But non-produce items shouldn't be added to a department willy-nilly. One of the keys to ensuring the right mix of tie-in products is to track how well they're selling.
"These items should have assigned planograms to better ensure stock levels and the item mix are consistently maintained," says Haaraoja of Spartan Nash. "Planograms will also allow for better tracking of item movement and known loss, and will help to maintain product space allocation and determine future SKU rationalizations."
Two of the best resources for finding the right products are store and grocery managers. "Store managers are on the front lines and they understand what our customers want," says Derrick Jenkins, vice president of the produce/floral division at the Wakefern Food Corporation, the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Stores in the Keasbey, NJ-based company are operated under the ShopRite name and located in nine East Coast states. "They can identify a sales lift very quickly on a non-produce tie-in."
"Team meetings are a great way for department managers to share information and collaborate," he says. "Many of our ShopRite stores have team meetings about their promotions, and they often talk to one another about ways to cross-merchandise with other departments. Management also often looks at the circular to determine the best tie-in opportunities."
Haaraoja has a similar opinion about the value of collaboration with other departments. However, he shares this word of caution: "It should be understood throughout the store that the store manager and/or produce manager have the final say when determining the items and how many. That will prevent a 'free-for-all' of non-produce items being displayed throughout the department."
Rotating tie-in products seasonally can help departments boost sales of produce and non-produce items. "We like to position fruit dips near the apples in the fall," says Jenkins. "You might see a non-food item like a steamer being sold next to asparagus in early spring."
When selecting tie-in products, "focus on items with high sales volume and velocity, such as bananas and avocados," says McCaul. That increases the likelihood consumers will pick up extra items during shopping trips.
Displaying Tie-In Products
The size of displays varies depending on the size of the department and what products it carries. Eastman with House Foods America says 8-foot displays are ideal. Schneider gives a general guideline: "Make sure the produce does not looked overpowered by tie-in products."
What matters more than the size of the display is how products are displayed. "We found the retailers with the best sales will merchandise the non-perishable tie-in and the relevant fresh produce item together," says McCaul.
That's the consensus among produce managers. "Refrigerated dressings and dips should be displayed in between the salad and cut vegetable sections," says Haaraoja. "Croutons and other salad toppers should be displayed on the backs of tables near your packaged salads. Put guacamole and salsa mixes by your avocado display; powdered smoothies near fresh tropical fruits and berries; and hollandaise sauce kits next to asparagus."
Similar products should be kept together as much as possible. "With regard to tofu specifically, we like it to be kept together to highlight the different varieties and flavors," says Eastman.
That being said, "there are ways to cross-promote even if items can't be physically located next to each other," says Cowardin with the T. Marzetti Company. "We sometimes work with retail partners to offer discounts; for example, a free bag of lettuce if you buy one or two jars of dressing."
In terms of the actual displays, "we do not recommend displaying any of the tie-ins on top of produce display tables or bins," says Haaraoja. "Shippers and/or side-stacks next to your fresh produce displays are encouraged if shelving is not available. Clip strips can be very useful when displaying different seasonings and baking mixes."
"I find that having a shipper tastefully displaying products on the side of your fresh display, rather than on the display itself, works better," says Acme Markets' Schneider. "You get to keep the fresh look of the display without having any of the product on it. I find with berry displays, bakery products can easily overtake the display, because the products are large."
No matter what options a produce department chooses for displays, "make sure you stick to the planned merchandising layout, and keep the displays full," says SpartanNash's Haaraoja. "It doesn't take long for a produce department to become cluttered with half-empty displays of kitchen gadgets and grocery products unless you have the proper planning and execution in place."
Opportunities for cross-promotion between produce and non-produce items abound. "It can help with sales while also helping customers by giving them a practical meal solution or recipe idea," says Wakefern's Jenkins. "Our produce manager might, for example, position Mozzarella cheese between tomatoes and fresh basil in our produce aisle. Shoppers see that, and they get an idea for serving fresh Mozzarella and basil with some wonderful Jersey Fresh tomatoes."
Eastman offers another suggestion for cross-merchandising: "We recommend displaying tofu with a packaged stir-fry vegetable medley to make a complete meal."
Developing a quarterly promotional calendar that includes ways to connect companion products with seasonal produce promotions will help increase sales. "Promotions are a great way to let your customers know what you have to offer," says Haaraoja. "After a promotional plan is assembled, put together your merchandising plan for the department, and be sure to update it on a monthly basis."
"We've done successful promotions such as coupon offers, demos and contests with fresh items," says Concord Foods' McCaul. "In particular, instantly redeemable coupons work very well for our products. When we launched a blueberry muffin mix, we gave a discount on the purchase of fresh blueberries and our mix. This offer encouraged product trial for our new item and also sold a lot of blueberries."
Another important opportunity for promoting non-produce tie-ins is to let foodies know when the department is carrying something really different. "People are looking for new flavors and new items, so having a balance of the tried and true with new and unique flavors gives consumers an opportunity to mix up the products they're using," says T. Marzetti's Cowardin.
"My advice to managers is to get to know the non-produce tie-in products on their shelves," says Eastman. "Try them at home, so when their customers are looking for recommendations, they can offer suggestions based on their experience."
TOPICS:conveniencefreshnessmerchandising
Packaging Is Merchandising Tool
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Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups (Hardcover)
By Stephan Thernstrom (Editor), Ann Orlov (Editor), Oscar Handlin (Editor)
Belknap Press, 9780674375123, 1104pp.
List Price: 230.50*
From Acadians to Zoroastrians-Asians, American Indians, East Indians, West Indians, Europeans, Latin Americans, Afro-Americans, and Mexican Americans--the Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups provides the first comprehensive and systematic review of the many peoples of this country. It should excite all Americans about their nation.
Informative and entertaining, this volume is an indispensable reference work for home, library and office. It establishes a foundation for the burgeoning field of ethnic studies; it will satisfy and stimulate the popular interest in ancestry and heritage. It is a guide to the history, culture, and distinctive characteristics of the more than 100 ethnic groups who live in the United States.
Each ethnic group is described in detail. The origins, history and present situation of the familiar as well as the virtually unknown are presented succinctly and objectively. Not only the immigrants and refugees who came voluntarily but also those already in the New World when the first Europeans arrived, those whose ancestors came involuntarily as slaves, and those who became part of the American population as a result of conquest or purchase and subsequent annexation figure in these pages. The English and the Estonians, the Germans and the Gypsies, the Swedes and the Serbs are interestingly juxtaposed. Even entries about relatively well-known groups offer new material and fresh interpretations. The articles on less well-known groups are the product of intensive research in primary sources; many provide the first scholarly discussion to appear in English. One hundred and twenty American and European contributors have been involved in this effort, writing either on individual groups or on broad themes relating to many.
The group entries are at the heart of the book, but it contains, in addition, a series of thematic essays that illuminate the key facets of ethnicity. Some of these are comparative; some philosophical; some historical; others focus on current policy issues or relate ethnicity to major subjects such as education, religion, and literature. American identity and Americanization, immigration policy and experience, and prejudice and discrimination in U.S. history are discussed at length. Several essays probe the complex interplay between assimilation and pluralism--perhaps the central theme in American history--and the complications of race and religion.
Numerous cross-references and brief identifications will aid the reader with unfamiliar terms and alternative group names. Eighty-seven maps, especially commissioned, show where different groups have originated. Annotated bibliographies contain suggestions for further reading and research. Appendix I, on methods of estimating the size of groups, leads the reader through a maze of conflicting statistics. Appendix II reproduces, in facsimile, hard-to-locate census and immigration materials, beginning with the first published report on the nativities of the population in 1850.
Not Currently Available for Direct Purchase


In this prelude, a steady, moderately fast jogging tune in the treble is followed at a close distance by similar material in the bass. The fugue has a radically different character: a slow, rising three-note figure creeps in, repeats with shorter note values after a pause, and gradually forms a more elaborate, stately theme. Bach makes excellent use of those rests in the principal subject, for when the theme enters in the second and third voices, the countersubject gets underway only at the beginning of the first rest, and the listener can discern the separate voices at play more readily than in some of Bach's busier, non-stop fugal subjects.
Source: Allmusic (http://www.allmusic.com/composition/prelude-and-fugue- for-keyboard-no-14-in-f-sharp-minor-wtc-i-14-bwv-859-bc -l93-mc0002405329).
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created this Arrangement of the Fugue in F# Minor (BWV 859 No. 2) for Woodwind Quartet (Flute, Oboe, English Horn & Bassoon).


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Experience from SHARE, REACH and the Urban Sanitation Research Initiative
Delivering high-quality research can be challenging. But achieving research uptake – impact on policy or other aspects of the "real world" – is enormously challenging. In low-income contexts the barriers to achieving change can seem profound, in view of economic and capacity limitations. In fact, achieving policy change may not necessarily be more difficult in low-income contexts than in wealthier contexts (for example, Rwanda and Kenya outlawed plastic bags almost overnight, whereas even the most ambitious EU countries set targets 3-5 years into the future). Nonetheless, it's clear that using research to drive meaningful change is far from straightforward.
This Discussion Paper considers the experience of three ongoing research-into-use programmes: we identify the major challenges we have faced in achieving research uptake, and discuss strategies we are using (or that we might use in future) to overcome those challenges.
All three programmes are core-funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
Research, Urban Sanitation Research Initiative, WASH
Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Zambia
New guide to make toilets better for women and girls by WaterAid, WSUP and UNICEF
Natasha Abraham 6 Nov 2018
The requirements of women and girls are too often ignored in the planning and design of toilets, leaving them unable to use the toilet where and when needed. Women have different sanitation requirements, for instance during menstruation, pregnancy and after menopause, that should be considered when designing and building public toilets. Of particular importance is […]
The female-friendly guide written by WaterAid, UNICEF and WSUP, is designed primarily for use by local authorities in towns and cities who are in charge of public and community toilets. It's also useful for national governments, public and private service providers, NGOs, donors and civil society organisations who play a role in delivering these services.
The guide explains why toilets must be female-friendly, before detailing the essential and desirable features needed to make them so. It also suggests ways to increase gender sensitivity in town planning on sanitation.
The guide draws the recommendations and practical steps from existing literature, expert opinion and analysis of pioneering experiences from around the world.
Community management, Gender, Health impact, Hygiene, Planning, Public/shared toilets, Sanitation, WASH
Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Mozambique
How to improve sanitation across an entire city: the case of Visakhapatnam
Natasha Abraham 4 Sep 2018
The Skoll Foundation has published a blog on WSUP's highly successful project in Visakhapatnam and how its experiences can inform future work towards achieving universal access to sanitation in India. By Neil Jeffery, Chief Executive, Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) Half of the one billion people in the world who still defecate in the […]
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has launched its own policy and operational guidelines to facilitate implementation of Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) activities within the city. GVMC intends to foster FSSM sector, among others, to achieve universal and safe environmental sanitation leading up to outcomes on public health and environment.
Faecal sludge management, Sanitation, Tools and guidance, WASH
Join us at World Water Week in Stockholm
Steve Metcalfe 28 Aug 2017
World Water Week takes place in late August in Stockholm – a focal point for the world's water issues. This year, the theme is "water and waste: reduce and reuse", and WSUP will be there to share its experiences of improving services for low-income customers in developing country cities. Join us at the following sessions: Reaching […]
Don't neglect shared latrines in drive for sanitation for all, agencies warn
Steve Metcalfe 3 Jul 2017
WSUP joins WaterAid, World Bank and leading academics in urging donors, policymakers and planners not to neglect shared sanitation Where private household toilets aren't yet an option, safe, well-managed shared toilets are a crucial step to further improvement Funding for safe, shared toilets in fast-growing developing-world cities is at risk of neglect from donors, policymakers […]
News, Research
New research programme to focus on sanitation in Bangladesh, Ghana and Kenya
Steve Metcalfe 20 Apr 2017
What is innovation and where does it come from? It's not just about good ideas – after all, when it comes to international development, plenty of strong concepts don't translate into widespread sector change or (crucially) improve the situations of those we are trying to help. Truly innovative ideas are those that transform into workable […]


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HOME page / compare / Renault Clio 0.9 12v TCe vs Toyota Yaris 1.0 12v VVT-i
2007 Toyota Auris 2010 Toyota Auris 2013 Toyota Auris 2015 Toyota Auris 2000 Toyota Avensis 2003 Toyota Avensis 2006 Toyota Avensis 2009 Toyota Avensis 2012 Toyota Avensis 2015 Toyota Avensis 2001 Toyota Avensis Verso 2003 Toyota Avensis Verso 2005 Toyota Aygo 2009 Toyota Aygo 2012 Toyota Aygo 2014 Toyota Aygo 2018 Toyota Aygo 2016 Toyota C-HR 2001 Toyota Camry 2018 Toyota Camry (XV70)1999 Toyota Celica 2002 Toyota Celica 2000 Toyota Corolla 2002 Toyota Corolla 2004 Toyota Corolla 2007 Toyota Corolla 2010 Toyota Corolla 2013 Toyota Corolla 2016 Toyota Corolla 2018 Toyota Corolla (E210)2002 Toyota Corolla Verso 2004 Toyota Corolla Verso 2012 Toyota GT86 2017 Toyota GT86 2005 Toyota Hilux 2011 Toyota Hilux 1997 Toyota Hilux 2015 Toyota Hilux 2009 Toyota IQ 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser (J150 restyle II)1998 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 2000 Toyota Previa 2003 Toyota Previa 2000 Toyota Prius 2004 Toyota Prius 2006 Toyota Prius 2009 Toyota Prius 2011 Toyota Prius 2015 Toyota Prius 2019 Toyota Prius (XW50 restyle)2000 Toyota RAV4 2003 Toyota RAV4 2006 Toyota RAV4 2010 Toyota RAV4 2013 Toyota RAV4 2016 Toyota RAV4 2018 Toyota RAV4 (XA50)2009 Toyota Urban Cruiser 2007 Toyota Verso 2009 Toyota Verso 2013 Toyota Verso 2010 Toyota Verso-S (Ractis)2015 Toyota Verso-S (Ractis)1999 Toyota Yaris 2003 Toyota Yaris 2005 Toyota Yaris 2009 Toyota Yaris 2011 Toyota Yaris 2014 Toyota Yaris 2017 Toyota Yaris 1999 Toyota Yaris Verso 2003 Toyota Yaris Verso
Yaris (hatchback - 5 door)Yaris (hatchback - 3 door)
Toyota Yaris 1.0 12v VVT-iToyota Yaris 1.33 Dual VVT-i	Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D-FToyota Yaris 1.5 Full Hybrid
Yaris 1.0 12v VVT-i
Daihatsu / Toyota
1.0 1KR-FE
Well, these are two pretty similar cars we have here! It's only details that could potentially make the difference. Considering they both belong to the city car segment and utilize the same 5-door hatchback body style and the front wheel drive system, it all comes up to the specific petrol engine choice they offer. The first one has a Nissan-engineered powertrain under the hood, a 3-cylinder, 12-valves 90hp unit, while the other one gets its power and torque from a 3-cylinder, 12-valves 69hp engine designed by Daihatsu.
A starting point here would be to take a look at the results from European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) tests which were performed on both of the cars, with the same number of safety stars gained in the process. That aside, let's consider some other aspects which affect safety. Both vehicles belong to the city car segment, which is generally not a very good thing safety-wise, but it doesn't do much to help us decide between the two. Furthermore, if we'd like to consider vehicle mass in this context too, which we definitely should, the French car offers a marginal difference of 6% more metal.
Manufacturers have been building their reliability reputation for decades now and, generally speaking, it appears that both brands display similar results in faults and breakdowns, all the models observed together. These are the official statistics, while our visitors describe reliability of Renault with an average rating of 4.1, and models under the Toyota badge with 4.6 out of 5. Some independent research have also placed Clio as average reliability-wise, and Yaris is more or less at the same level.We should definitely mention that owners of cars with the same powertrain as the French car rank it on average as 4.6, while the one under the competitor's bonnet gets 4.5 out of 5.
Renault is way more agile, reaching 100km/h in 3.1 seconds less than its competitor. In addition to that it accelerates all the way to 182 kilometers per hour, 27km/h more than the other car. When it comes to fuel economy the winner has to be the Japanese car, averaging around 4.1 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (69 mpg), in combined cycle. We can't ignore that 20% difference compared to the French car.
Toyota appears just a bit more reliable, although the difference is truly marginal. The most important thing when deciding between any two vehicles should always be safety, both passive and active. In my opinion, everything taken into account, the French car offers slightly better overall protection and takes the lead. It all continues in the same direction, with Renault outracing its opponent in any situation possible, making it better choice for boy racers. It does come at a cost though, and that's the fuel consumption... At the end, as much as I'd like to give you a winner here, it's simply a pure tie if you ask me. Nevertheless, let's not forget that people have different preferences and needs, so what really counts is your personal feel. I'm only here to help. I suggest you spend two more minutes in order to find out which car, based on your needs and budget, would be picked by the virtual adviser™, among more than 12.000 different ones in our database.


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What is the funkiest funk song?
Here are the best funk songs to get your guests onto the dance floor.
One Nation Under A Groove – Funkadelic.
Ain't We Funkin' Now – The Brothers Johnson.
It's Your Thing – The Isley Brothers.
Shining Star – Earth, Wind & Fire.
Super Freak Pt.
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars.
Brick House – Commodores.
What is 70s funk music?
Funk, rhythm-driven musical genre popular in the 1970s and early 1980s that linked soul to later African-American musical styles. Like many words emanating from the African-American oral tradition, funk defies literal definition, for its usage varies with circumstance.
What was the first funk tune?
papa's got a brand new bag
Late 1960s James Brown recorded a song in 1965 called "papa's got a brand new bag" which is considered the first funk song. Other musical groups copied the rhythms and musical style developed by James Brown and his band. A band called The Meters played funk music in New Orleans.
What is a funk song?
Funk music is a style of popular music that emerged in the late 1960s as an outgrowth of R&B (rhythm and blues). Funk features strong bass lines, or music lines played by low-pitched instruments and has a heavy syncopated beat, meaning a beat with emphasis changed from strong beats to off beats and accents.
What's a funky song?
Something that's funky has a strong musical rhythm or beat, and a deep bluesy sound. You might practice some funky bass lines before auditioning for your school's jazz band. Funky tunes have some of the spirit of the 1960s-era music genre called funk, a branch of R&B that's influenced by soul and jazz music.
Is funk a bad word?
However, the modern sense of a musical genre and the Black English term funky for something excellent both derive from the surviving American sense of funk for a bad smell. Whatever its origins, funky was later transferred in Black English to refer to somebody or something objectionable or worthless.
Why is funk called funk?
The word funk initially referred (and still refers) to a strong odor. It is originally derived from Latin "fumigare" (which means "to smoke") via Old French "fungiere" and, in this sense, it was first documented in English in 1620.
What does P Funk stand for?
Parliament-Funkadelic
Members. See "Members" Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American funk music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s.
Which is the greatest funk song of all time?
Criteria: The 100 greatest funk records of all time. Songs are based on impact, influence, and popularity. 1. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine) Part I – James Brown
Where can I find old school funk songs?
Welcome to BrownPrider Funk, YouTube's hub for old-school funk, hip-hop, soul and R&B songs! We aim to provide our fans a continuous stream of high-quality classical music for your listening pleasure. An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later.
When did Funk become part of urban music?
From its stylistic origins in the 1950s, to its electrification in the early 1980s, to its rebirth in the '90s, Funk has been a part of America's urban music landscape for over half a century. Numerous funk songs have become legendary, through radio, television commercials, movie soundtracks, and by being covered by other artists.
Who are some important people in funk music?
Important pioneers include James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, The Meters, and Dyke & The Blazers. During the 1970s and early 1980s, some disco and funk music shared blurred lines. This list excludes purely disco records and includes funky psychedelic soul, go-go, Afro-beat via Fela Kuti,and jazz funk.
What causes swelling in face hands and feet?


Pictured here with her fiancé, Matthew Murakami, she got married last weekend.
Her maiden name? Sue Yoo.
And what does she do for a living? She is a lawyer.
Anyway, snickering aside, I wish Mr. and Mrs. Murakami a long and happy life together. I suspect this will be a case where she will very happily take on her husband's name and not do like a hyphenated thing.
Is the Mandate Necessary and Proper to Carry Obamacare into Execution?
Strap yourselves in, kiddies, because this is going to be a long one.
Congress shall have Power… To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
This means that so long as it doesn't violate any other part of the constitution, Congress can do things not specifically authorized, in order to accomplish certain goals. So, even if the mandate is not itself something that congress can do under the commerce clause, some part of this bill is clearly constitutional, and thus the mandate is necessary and proper to carry out the parts that are constitutional. Or so the argument goes.
And let me pause and say something about the meaning of words, here. Like it or not, John Marshall's opinion in McCulloch declared that "necessary" is not the same as "absolutely necessary" and thus he defines the term down to mean, more or less, useful. Feel free to disagree with that interpretation but it is how it has been for over two hundred years and it's not likely to change anytime soon.
I've had a chance to read Judge Hudson's opinion, and it seems to me it has a fairly obvious and quite significant error. Judge Hudson assumes that the power granted to Congress by the Necessary and Proper Clause — "To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers" — does not expand Congress's power beyond the Commerce Clause itself.
So, Kerr's reasoning goes, the judge failed to understand that the Necessary and Proper Clause could reach beyond the bounds of the commerce clause. And then Kerr believes that the Necessary and Proper argument is "straightforward" from there. If Kerr has articulated his reasoning, I haven't seen it. But, on the surface, there is some appeal to using the Necessary and Proper Clause. As I have said, and the Feds have argued, if the mandate is struck down and the rule on pre-existing conditions and similar provisions are retained, then this would implode the health insurance business. So that seems kind of necessary, right? But we will see in a moment, that isn't enough.
The law for the first time gives the federal government the authority to regulate the food sold at local schools, including in vending machines.
In other words, we can't just leave it to the parents to teach their children how to behave when the parents aren't around. Nor (and this is really the issue) can we leave such issues to the control of the benighted locals. At such times, it is necessary for the benevolent federal government to step in. "I'm from the [federal] government and I'm here to help." That's ten terrifying words, Ron; I added one.
Now if you'll excuse him, he has a party to get to. He has been keeping the First Lady waiting.
Obama said that if he called that quote ridiculous he'd be sleeping on the couch.
Thanks to a loyal reader.
Wow and that costs only about $178. You know, all I can say is that if you are a man and you meet a woman willing to dress up like this for free, marry that girl.
[T]he idea that buying health care coverage does not amount to "economic activity" seems preposterous on its face.
The Commonwealth maintains that the failure, or refusal, of its citizens to elect to purchase health insurance is not economic activity historically subject to federal regulation under the Commerce Clause.
Now normally I am very tolerant of a lay person's ignorance of the law, but I can't excuse this. The language about what the issue was, was pretty plain. And in fact, in the current version of this post, he links to an article from a fellow TPMer who discusses exactly this legal issue at length. And yet even then it doesn't dawn on him that he is fundamentally misunderstanding what the case is about?
So the first line asserted, lamely, that no one took the arguments that won yesterday seriously a year ago. Now obviously that is BS (any honest lawyer would tell you that it was unprecedented and problematic even under expansive interpretations of the commerce cause), but I don't want to focus on the BSitude of it, but on what he is trying to suggest, that somehow this decision was out of the mainstream. Then he makes that preposterous "preposterous on its face" assertion. What is the purpose of that? To further characterize this viewpoint as somehow illegitimate. And finally notice the insinuation then that this was the result of Republican "court packing" with "activist judges." Again, it's BS, but don't focus on that, but what he is trying to do with that BS. He is trying to argue that this is nothing more than crazy activist Republicans gone off the reservation.
And you want to tell me he has no idea that this entire paragraph is BS? Well, I don't believe it.
But even if you did believe that he was innocently mistaken, isn't the result the same? If he really believes what he was shoveling, then he is so blinkered by his partisanship that his ability to perceive reality has been compromised. Which means 1) you shouldn't trust him anymore, and 2) he should find some other line of work.
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April 11, 2018Best-selling author Gavin Crombie offers Virtual Reality Recovery Program for those with suicide tendencies or who suffer from depression, addiction or anxiety.
April 11, 2018The Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) announced its 2018 award winners in conjunction with its Annual Convention and Trade Show held in Portland, Oregon March 21-24, 2018.
April 10, 2018Continuing a global, long-term engine tooling and technical commitment for decades to come.
April 10, 2018An industry leader in stylish and durable gym bags has discounted its products for first-time customers.
April 10, 2018Meet with our label experts and learn how to maximize your brand and drive sales!


text:
Q: import sixImportError: cannot import name 'six' from 'django.utils' by Django Taggit Django-taggit not working in Django 3.0,It works fine in previous versions like django-2.2.
Because it depends on six library which is not there in django.utils in 3.0

A: All you need to do is:
pip install django_taggit==1.2.0

reference: https://stackoverflow.com/a/59400171/11652661

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Situation: As of Friday, 24 April, there are 2,735,979 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide – just over 141,000 more cases than Wednesday. This data includes 192,125 deaths and 752,148 recoveries. A total of 185 countries are reporting confirmed cases. Vaccine trials are under way in the U.S., Europe and China, but will take 12-18 months to be fully developed and released to the public
WHO said Thursday, that half of all deaths across Europe were in nursing homes.
Spain records 367 new deaths, lowest daily number in over a month.
Poland extends school closures until 24 May.
Russia's defense ministry is building 16 new hospitals across the country to meet needs of the outbreak. Expected to be ready by mid-May. Russia has almost 70,000 confirmed cases and 615 deaths.
Singapore reports 897 new cases –largely among migrants living in dormitories. Now has 4th highest infection rate in Asia behind China, India and Japan.
India sees highest single-day case jump on Thursday since 19 April with 1,680 as state of Maharashtra saw a surge in cases with 778 of those cases.
o PM Modi states that the biggest lesson from the pandemic is that the country must be self-sufficient in meeting its own needs and that it cannot afford to have to look outward to handle a future crisis of this magnitude. India has been importing PPE, medical supplies and ventilators from China.
91 crew members test positive on an Italian cruise ship docked in Japan for repairs. Ship has no passengers, only 623 crew members on board.
Indonesia has 436 new cases in a single-day record jump and pushing total over 8,200. Death toll adds 42 more.
o Hundreds gather in ultra-conservative Aceh province mosque for prayers at beginning of Ramadan despite Covid-19 concerns.
Malaysia reports 88 new cases for 8th consecutive day of double-digit numbers. One new death brings total to 96.
Hong Kong reports no new cases or deaths.
Philippines infection total pushes past 7,000 with 211 new infections and also 15 more deaths.
o Government extends lockdown in Manila until 15 May, while planning to ease restrictions on lower-risk areas. International and domestic flights will remain suspended until mid-May as well.
South Korea reports no new deaths for first time in a month and only six new cases.
Japan sees highest daily death toll Thursday with 29. Total stands at 341 total, including 13 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
China reports no new deaths for 9th consecutive day on Friday. Six new cases, 2 of which imported.
Iran's death toll rises by 93 to 5,574. Total number of cases reaches 88,194 with 3,121 of those in critical condition.
Pakistan's numbers continue to climb as government starts using its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) service – originally used against terrorism – for tracking and tracing people who have been in contact with positive Covid-19 cases.
Qatar reports 761 new cases in highest daily increase yet. Over 8,500 cases and 10 deaths.
Djibouti now reporting the highest prevalence of cases in Africa as the population has not been complying with social distancing measures imposed by the authorities. 985 cases - and 2 deaths – are a 7-fold increase in cases in just 2 weeks and a prevalence of 98.6 cases per 100,000 people.
Venezuela protests turned deadly after a protester was shot dead in a southern city. People took to the streets in provincial cities protesting the rising prices of food and essentials. Venezuela is currently reporting 311 confirmed cases and 10 deaths.
At least 44 attacks against medical workers have been reported in Mexico since mid-March, from being struck to having scalding liquid thrown on them to being discriminated against by neighbors and threatened with violence if they didn't leave their neighborhoods. Mexico is reporting 11,633 confirmed cases and 1,069 deaths.
Total number of cases pushes past 43,000. Canada's public health authority reporting that some one million N95 respirators from China have failed to meet with federal Covid-19 standards and cannot be used in hospitals.
U.S. cases rose to 869,172 confirmed cases, 49,963 total deaths and 80,934 recovered. U.S. recorded highest daily death toll with 3,332 deaths in 24 hours.
Dr. Fauci says it would "not be surprising" to see 100,000 deaths in U.S. from the coronavirus. Compared to the 2017-2018 flu season, which killed 60,000 in the U.S., stating that this virus is "clearly worse". High end projections put number of U.S. deaths at around 200,000.
Please note changes to the following chart: Numbers in ( ) reflect ranking of country in the previous report on 22 April for comparison. New countries to reach the top 25 and data are inred. New numbers are inredand numbers from last report are in black.
* In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.
DEMONSTRATIONS ALERT - SOUTH KOREA
Election Unrest Alert - Malaysia
RISK MITIGATION EPISODE 8: HOW TO DO A CYBERSECURITY AUDIT


text:
/**
* Used to draw sprites onto a render target
* @param {GraphicsDevice} graphicsDevice
* @constructor
* @extends SpriteBatch
* @ignore
*/
function SpriteBatchSL(graphicsDevice) {

	SpriteBatchSL.baseConstructor.call(this, graphicsDevice);

    //List of sprites and their draw commands
    this.textures = [];
    this.drawOptions = [];
}
Utils.extend(SpriteBatchSL, SpriteBatch);

SpriteBatchSL.frontToBackSort = function (a, b) {
	return b.depth - a.depth;
};

SpriteBatchSL.backToFrontSort = function (a, b) {
	return a.depth - b.depth;
};

/**
* Called before drawing any sprites to the render target
* @param {SpriteSortOrder} sortOrder
* @param {boolean} restoreState - if true then any state modified by the draw calls
*                  will be restored at the end of the draw calls
*/
SpriteBatchSL.prototype.begin = function (sortOrder, restoreState) {
	this.sortOrder = sortOrder;
	this.restoreState = restoreState;
    this.textures.length = 0;
    this.drawOptions.length = 0;
};

/**
* Draws a sprite into the render target with the specified draw options
* @param {Texture2D} texture The texture containing the sprite
* @param {SpriteDrawOptions} drawOptions The options to use to draw the sprite. Note: Do
* not reuse drawOptions instances for multiple draw calls if you change properties of the
* drawOptions instance, since these instances are not copied by just referenced from the
* sprite batch class.  Sharing one drawOption instance across multiple draw calls is fine
* as long as all draw calls have the same values.
*/
SpriteBatchSL.prototype.draw = function (texture, drawOptions) {
    this.textures.push(texture);
    this.drawOptions.push(drawOptions);

	//Is this evil or acceptable?  Need an index into the textures
	//so that if the drawOptions is sorted we know which texture
	//should be associated with it.
	drawOptions.spriteBatchTextureIndex = this.textures.length - 1;
};

/**
* Signals the end of a batch or sprite rendering
*/
SpriteBatchSL.prototype.end = function () {

    var commands, i, currentOption, rotation;

    //TODO: Be smarter with texture sort

	//TODO: Sort is not working in Firefox
    if (this.sortOrder === SpriteSortOrder.frontToBack) {
        this.drawOptions.sort(SpriteBatch.frontToBackSort);
    }
    else if (this.sortOrder === SpriteSortOrder.backToFront) {
        this.drawOptions.sort(SpriteBatch.backToFrontSort);
    }

	commands = '';
	for (i = 0; i < this.drawOptions.length; ++i) {
		currentOption = this.drawOptions[i];

		rotation = currentOption.rotation;
		if (rotation === null) {
			rotation = 0;
		}

		commands += this.textures[currentOption.spriteBatchTextureIndex].platformData + ',' +
		            currentOption.position.x + ',' + currentOption.position.y + ',' +
		            currentOption.scale.x + ',' + currentOption.scale.y + ',' +
					rotation + ',' +
					currentOption.alpha + ',' +
					currentOption.origin.x + ',' + currentOption.origin.y;

		if (i < this.drawOptions.length - 1) {
			commands += ',';
		}
	}
    this.graphicsDevice.drawSprites(this.restoreState, commands);
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sizes We Consign – New Women's Consignment Boutique featuring LUXURY, upscale, high-end designer brand name, clothing, bags, shoes & accessories, coming to Alpharetta, GA in February 2018! Posh Possessions, Luxury Consignment Boutique!
The following is a guideline for the sizes we accept to consign. Remember, this is just a guideline. We do go outside the box if the item is amazing!


This entirely new book is written collaboratively by experts on different regions of Oceania. It presents a unique tool for instructors and general readers who wish to become more familiar with the peoples of the Pacific and for scholars looking for an analytical conspectus on this part of the world. Oceania combines surveys of prehistory and history with careful discussions of cultural patterns and problems arising out of contemporary political and economic change.
General discussions on specific islands or sub-regions are followed by wide-ranging studies that bring together classic themes and recent, pertinent issues. Readers will find the book easy to understand, and instructors will find the layout of the materials simple to set into course syllabi.
Each section of the book probes issues that are significant for the study of the peoples of Oceania. These issues range from the contemporary interpretation and manifestation of traditional concepts such as "aloha" ("pity," "love," "affection," "sympathy," or "empathy") to the development of ethnicity and political conflict between local and national levels within the state, to the long-term influence of forms of Christianity and their intertwining with indigenous religion and ritual.
Throughout Oceania, the authors emphasize the vitality and adaptability of Pacific Islanders in their rapidly transforming world, while analyzing their culture and cultural issues in a style and format accessible for students and interested readers alike.


The country is truly changing its views about using cannabinoid (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are the two most well-known compounds in marijuana, to treat many conditions.
In fact, 30 states have already legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. With this change has come many advances in patient care, some of which are changing how doctors and patients treat symptoms from illness or injuries.
In Florida, medical marijuana doctors have been using CBD oil to replace opioid medications with astounding success. The overall impact of this switch may not be felt for years, but with Florida's history with opioid abuse, it is a welcome change for the state.
From 2007 through 2012, Florida experienced an explosion of prescription medication abuse and was eventually dubbed "the pill mill state." Relaxed laws and thousands of doctors willing to prescribe opioids aggressively to treat pain, ultimately contributed to the epidemic.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted special research on why opioid abuse was so high, and how pain clinics could dispense so many opioids. They concluded that tens of thousands of patients were prescribed opioids for pain related injuries. Florida law allowed for an MRI to serve as diagnosis-worthy data on patients.
Plus, in Florida, doctors and pill dispensing facilities could be connected and patients would go in one door with pain and out the other with an array of opioids.
Finally, in 2012, the government stepped in, closing the loopholes allowing this corruption and, consequently, the pill mills were shut down.
How Can CBD Oil Treat Opioid Addiction?
Since pioneer states like California and Colorado were becoming experts in marijuana, people started to realize that CBD oil, especially, had an astounding effect on addiction. Shortly thereafter, scientific research and clinical studies were conducted by well-known doctors and researchers.
One of these doctors is Dr. Sanjay Gupta M.D., the medical director and contributor at CNN. He recently finished a 5-year study on CBD oil to treat opioid addiction, and the results were nothing less than shocking.
Dr. Gupta did a 5-year study and used high CBD doses to treat pain, anxiety, and the symptoms from withdrawal. He found that CBD was able to naturally regulate his patient's systems on a molecular level. Regulated CBD dosage allowed these people to successfully withdraw from opioids, and to treat associated symptoms, both short and long-term.
CBD also helped with depression, which many people addicted to opioids experience even years after they stop taking them. Their anxiety, pain and depression were drastically reduced using CBD oil, and many people in the study were able to successfully replace opioids with CBD oil.
Florida Doctors Recommend CBD Oil?
Since November 2016, medical marijuana was legalized in Florida through Amendment 2. Although you do not need a prescription to buy CBD oil, doctors didn't really begin to utilize CBD until medical marijuana was legalized.
According to state-certified physicians in the Sunshine State, their approved patients are literally replacing opioids with CBD oil for pain relief and more.
Dr. Berry with Vital Care Medical Center explains that many pain management patients can benefit from using CBD oil instead of opioids.
CBD works with the body in the endocannabinoid system and helps regulate many functions that contribute to overall health. CBD oil doesn't mask symptoms like opioids do.
On the contrary, CBD helps the body overcome these symptoms by performing better, naturally.


Here is a list with all the Greek ferry companies that we cooperate with.
Learn more information about these nautical companies, including their history, destinations and the characteristics of their vessels.
Here are all the ferries destinations in the Greek islands, the Greek mainland, Italy and Turkey.
You will find specific information on each island as well as information on the port and the ferry connections with other islands.
We offer Ferries to Greece, Greek islands, Italy & Turkey. We offer Support via phone, e-mail & social media.
SMS notifications about any change of your ferry departure.
You can buy tickets online, from a travel agent in Greece, or you can get your tickets when you arrive at the port. There are usually enough tickets to the islands even up to the time of departure but if you are traveling in the busiest time of the year (mid July to the end of August) you should book ahead especially if you are traveling with a car.
AnekSuperfast and Minoan Lines ferries depart from Ancona to Igoumenitsa, Patras and Corfu.
Minoan Lines offers the route Corfu – Trieste.
The ferry company Anek Lines / AnekSuperfast offers the connections from Venice to Igoumenitsa and Patras.
Superfast Ferries / AnekSuperfast travel on the routes from Bari to Igoumenitsa and Patras and from Bari to Corfu.
Anek Lines, AnekSuperfast, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Nel Lines, Seajets.
Ferries to Greece from Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt.
Crete itself is a small state where each region has something special to showcase.
Most of the tourists go directly to the islands. but the interior of mainland Greece is full of culture, history and many beautiful landscapes. The real Greece is the mainland.
With beautiful beaches and interesting sights to visit, the Dodecanese islands offer something special to their guests.
Surrounded by rich vegetation, Sporades offer the visitor moments of relaxation and quiet away from the intense rhythms of everyday life.
There are 39 islands, of which 24 are habitable, all known by the whitewashed churches that dominate majestically in every tourist print, creating a contrast to the deep blue of the sky and the sea.


text:
Remove this filter Infectious disease: Leptospirosis
Table 1. Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: numbers and rate per 100 000 population, EU/EEA, 2010–2014
Table - 30 Jan 2017
Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: numbers and rate per 100 000 population, EU/EEA, 2010–2014
Figure 1. Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: number of cases, EU/EEA, 2014
- 30 Jan 2017
Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: number of cases, EU/EEA, 2014
Figure 2. Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: rate per 100 000 population, EU/EEA, 2014
Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: rate per 100 000 population, EU/EEA, 2014
Figure 3. Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: rates by age group and gender, EU/EEA, 2014
Graph - 30 Jan 2017
Reported confirmed leptospirosis cases: rates by age group and gender, EU/EEA, 2014


I cover the conflict between drug cartels and the authorities. I also love urban photography – playing with light or the lack of it.
Police stand around a trash can holding the body of a dead woman in the historic centre of Ciudad Juarez.
My earliest memory of photography? I remember a photograph of a starving child with a vulture sitting in the background by Kevin Carter. I saw it as a poster, attached to the side of a food delivery truck for the poor.
I was 18 years old and my sister, who is a journalist, asked me one day if I wanted to go along with her on an assignment. I went with the photographer and that very day, when we finished, I quit my job as a part-time waiter in an Italian restaurant. Then I bought myself a Nikon S1 and, after I graduated from senior high school, I started working at the same newspaper where my sister was employed.
Covering drug violence has definitely made the biggest impact on me. At one point, up to 25 people a day were dying in different locations around the city and I went to cover almost all of them, every day. Now, when I drive my car through the city, with my family, with my friends or on my own, I remember the dead wherever I drive because every corner was once a crime scene. I still see them; I can't forget them.
One day, several police units on patrol were attacked at the same time but in different locations around the city and I went to take pictures of the dead officers at different crime scenes. When I arrived at one spot and got out of my car, I suddenly felt red laser sights on my head. The surviving police officers were aiming their guns at me. They yelled at me that I should get down on the ground and I thought that was it – any one of those guys could just pull the trigger. Several minutes went by and they let me go. But since then, I'm never the first one to a crime scene, I keep my head cool and my feet on the ground and I only go when I know the area is secure.
I like to follow up the stories of people who were killed, the wakes and the funerals, the human drama.
I respect my father, because he has always been an example to my siblings and myself. He works hard and respects everyone. He has taught me to treat everybody equally, with respect and love, and to make a living by my own means.
I've been working as a photographer for ten years now, and you never know what you are going to get. You never stop learning.
Jose Luis Gonzalez photographs crosses that represent women who have died in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.


Growing up, we read Psalm 95, out loud, every week or two in church. I can say it in my 'church voice' without looking at the book. This is not a brag: it's thanks to other people. I wasn't the one who brushed my teeth and combed my hair and tied my laces every Sunday. And my parents didn't choose Psalm 95.
Psalm 95 has been part of the standard Morning Prayer service so long, William Shakespeare had to read it in church (we've tweaked the wording since then). Catholic priests use it too, which makes me think it's even older. We still say it together at our 8 am service here at CCM.
Colossians 3:16-17 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This week at church, let's share the wisdom that the gospel gives us. Let's be grateful that God has saved us through Jesus Christ, and let's sing that thanks together. Let's sing out to the Lord, and let's shout in triumph to the rock of our salvation.
And let's do that so that this week outside the church building, we'll do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.