Timetable for the CMT course 2019 comes soon.
The Certification program 2019, leading to the Certified Master Teacher exam of BiP™ is a one year further training process (see the requirements below for participation and certification). Primarely the 2019 course is aimed for students in classical singing or CCM-singing. Both parts of the CMT program will follow the same lectures. Students interested in the CMT program for speaking voice is asked to be in touch with the BiP™ CMT course administration.
BiP™ Voice Training, developed by Ritva Eerola, Finnish voice teacher and speech pathologist, is applicable to both speaking voice training aswell as classical- and CCM- singing voice training. Exersices used in BiP™ are meant to raise awareness about the psychophysical function in the body and enhance the body-mind-connection to accomplish a free and expressive voice.
BiP voice Training program is a very suitable method for voice therapy. In speaking voice program the student is trained to get an easy and economically produced voice by using the body's natural "cause and event" chain as a tool.
By enhancing the speaking voice level in singing voice exercises the student is trained to establish the suitable subglottal pressure through the expressive words and thereby find the voice and the interpretation instead of trying to do them.
This way of approaching voice technique is a well-functioning pedagogy which improves dynamics and strength and provides a tool to reach the deep art in communication.
Anatomical and physiological education in the body functions necessary in voice production; breathing muscles, larynx, etc.
both in participant's own body and in his/her student's body.
The CMT student is required to have his/her own "test" student to train. The progresses of the "test" student will be discussed and evaluated.
To participate in the program the student is required to have the adequate background of basic theoretical studies in anatomy, physiology and acoustics in voice production, or for classical and CCM genres, five years of practical experience.
To understand the researches and the theories that form the base for BiP™.
To understand, in details as well as a whole, the training program in theory and practice.
In exercises, prove that the practical handling is based on the theoretical knowledge and thought models of parts 1-3.
To show the balance in phonation in one's own voice production/singing.
To develop and master the sufficient audiokinestetic ability in voice training.
To show the understanding of the different parts of BiPTM with one's own client/student in real voice therapy or in a teaching situation.
To have the ability to estimate and evaluate the progress of a client/student audiokinesthetically.
These skills for Balance in Phonation -methodTM are gained through an intensive and prolonged Certification process, leading to the Certified Master Teacher exams.
During the course period the CMT student is required, on a regular basis, to train his/her own student. The progresses of the "test" student will be valued.
To achieve the certification of BiPTM the gained skills will be tested in one theoretical exam and two practical exams; the first one in practical teaching of an unknown student and the second one by audibly analyzing voice functions.
After receiving the certification the CMT is required to regularly do a 60 minutes check up with one of the Certified Course Instructors. The first check up the second year after the certification and further every fifth year.
Balance in Phonation-Voice Training has been gradually developed over the years by Ritva Eerola, speech pathologist and voice teacher. Its aim is to discover everyone's personal, unique voice quality and how it works easily in its' best when there is balance in the vocal fold vibration and in the whole body. Originally there has been a stimulus to combine vocal physiological and acoustical researches to the training details, so that they could give the basic facts for exercises. When the different functional parts connect to each other and form the seamless wholeness, this leads naturally to Balance in Phonation. It shows as a positive result of all functional details.
The functional details in the voice production influence in many ways to the vocal fold vibrations. And nowadays it is quite easy to examine the function of the voice. How the vocal folds close, how even are shimmer or jitter, how thick or thin is the mass of the vocal folds etc. Is there a balance in phonation? However nothing can take the ear's place. No equipment can replace the human sensitive ear.
Balance in Phonation-term has been used in the book Ihmeellinen ihmisääni (The Wonderful Human Voice 1999) by Anne-Maija Laukkanen and Timo Leino. Balance in Phonation means a suitable relation between the adduction of the vocal folds and the subglottal pressure. When this is happening, vocal folds begin to vibrate with smaller pressure and at the same air pressure can be achieved larger vibration and more volume in the voice. Vocal fold adduct faster and glottis closes tighter. The onset of the voice starts softer and there is no hard attacks in the words that begin with vowels.
5. the functional separation of articulation and phonation.
To recognize the function level of the brain in speaking and singing (the conscious – cortical level or the uncouncious – subcortical level).
The timing of the different functional parts in communication. The mainline of thinking model and timing in training: Excitement of expression – words – voice. This helps the sound to start reflectively and free.
To recognize the functional directions in the body. The basic direction should be sensed inwards and with this idea the subgottal pressure dimishes and sound starts smoothly. The functional directions in the body form a wide triangle. Its strongest corner is in pelvis (even down into legs) going to the base of skull by opposite stretch and the third corner is under the collarbones.
b) thoughts and feelings: the vowels are filled by emotions that live inside them and expand the torso sidewards creating expressive colour scale.
These form the timing of function and help the reflexive onset of the voice.
A. the excitement of the expression prepares automatically the body to expand into the prephonatory state. When we want to express something, this will wake up the whole torso specially inhalation muscles. The torso is expanding and the diaphragm descends and causes tracheal pull, which draws the larynx a bit down for more favourable state for phonation. This expansion causes negative pressure and air comes in automatically. When breathing happens this way, there is enough amount of air for the sentence or frase.
B. the energetic words are combined with the muscles, fascias and the bones in the body so that feelings move and stretch the inner walls in the body.
C. the voice comes like a syncope and reflex and it always stays freely above the ears somewhere, not fixed anywhere.
This BiP™-Voice Training program is based on the scientifical researches about the physiological and acoustical facts and those are used to arise the psychophysical function in the singer's body. When comparing with other voice training systems this method does not concentrate in the voice or how it sounds or make the sound, but gives different kinds of thought models and directions connected to the tools (vowels and consonants) to accomplish a free and expressive voice. In this method the main concentration is how to combine the technique and expression into the text, words and phonemes. They should be united with the body by will power and emotions. When the voice is left sort of outside working automatically, the voice quality will be functionally mixed voice and it eliminates the register problems. The passaggio goes smoothly and the whole range is functionally even.
The essential part of Balance in Phonation™-Voice Training is ABC-evaluation method™ of the vocal function developed by Ritva Eerola. This is based on auditory kinesthetic ability that helps the listener to feel a speaker's or singer's function in the body what she/he hears – like muscle sense. This helps to analyze the relations between reason and consequences in the unbalanced vocal function and gives the ground for the exercises to find out the balance in the energy of voice production. This ABC-evaluation method was presented at the IACT Congress in Auckland 1994 and at a workshop in Las Vegas October 2012 (PAS 6 Conference). BiP™-Voice Training was presented at the ICVT congress in Stockholm, August 2017.
Tapahtuma on avoin kaikille ja suunnattu ammattilaisille ja harrastajille puhetyöläisistä laulajiin.
Huone 6: 13:00-14:00 Meri Metsomäki: Kysy ja kokeile! Avoin klassisen laulun klinikka. Tervetuloa testaamaan ääniharjoituksia ja kysymään BiP™:stä yksin tai yhdessä (ilmoittautuminen paikan päällä).
Huone 6: 14:00-15:00 Meri Metsomäki: Kysy ja kokeile! Avoin klassisen laulun klinikka. Tervetuloa testaamaan ääniharjoituksia ja kysymään BiP™:stä yksin tai yhdessä (ilmoittautuminen paikan päällä).


Organic gardening is a goal many people have but simply never actually try to accomplish.
Use climbers to cover walls and walls. Many climbers are so robust that they can cover the wall or fence in as little as one growing season.They can grow through shrubs and trees, or you can train them to cover your arbor. Some need to be tied to a support, and others will attach themselves to any surface using their twining stems or tendrils. Some dependable types include honeysuckle, jasmine, jasmine, climbing roses, and wisteria.
Bulbs will give you wonderful flowers that you can enjoy spring and right through the summer. Different types of bulbs bloom at different times, so choosing appropriately, you may have blooms early spring to later summer.
Moisture on plants is a sure way to attract disease and disease. Fungi commonly afflict a number of gardening. It is possible to control fungi with sprays, but it's better to spray at-risk areas before fungi appear.
If you are going to grow peas, begin the plantings inside instead of outside. The seeds will grow better in your home if you start them indoors. The seedling sprouts will be heartier, which means that they can better resist disease and attacks from pests. You can transplant the seedlings outdoors after they become better established.
If you're a new gardener, it is important that you follow all of the instructions on all of your tools and chemicals. If you miss this easy step, you expose yourself to safety hazards or a risk of experiencing adverse reactions. Keep your health intact and follow directions.
Don't use pesticides for your garden. These pesticides will also kill any beneficial insects that eat your pests. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to toxic pesticides than their annoying counterparts, so if the good bugs are eliminated, the bad pest population may grow. This can lead to needing even more pesticides to eradicate the problem.
Gardening should be a relaxing hobby. There are numerous ways to seek personal comfort and relax. Gardening is a great way to pursue this goal. It does however require a small monetary investment of money but has numerous returns. The best thing you will get out of it is peace and happiness knowing that you can grow your own.
Protecting your knees while gardening is very important.Many people experience back pain and stiffness from bending over and working in the garden for long periods of time. Kneeling allows you to reach your plants easily and is healthier for your back stress. You can use knee pad for you to rest on so that your knees are at ease on the ground.
By using the following tips in the above article, you will find organic gardening to be simple. If you make proper use of the advice you have learned, you will soon be able to reap a bountiful harvest from your organic garden.


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Australia | Destinations | Melbourne | Oceania | Williamstown
Gem Pier, Williamstown: A Pier of Many Names
Gem Pier is the oldest pier in Williamstown, one which took its final name from its most notable ferry boat.
Built in 1938, it has been used by customs boats, ferries and steamers and is now the berth of Williamstown's most famous ship the HMAS Castlemaine.
It is the first place many people set foot in the town and has been for nearly 200 years, which means it holds special memories for many.
In this post, I share some of the history of Gem Pier, as well as looking at the current services which use it.
The Old Jetty
The earliest record of a pier here is in 1838 and was originally known as 'The Jetty', in 1853 it was renamed 'Old Pier' following the construction of the 'New Pier' (or the Ann Street Pier).
The Old Jetty, whilst barely more than a few felled Sheoaks, was the mooring point for Williamstown's first steamer the Firefly. Firefly was the first steamer to run from Melbourne to Williamstown, with fares set at 2/8 each way and goods 8/- per ton. Its first trip was on the 28th October 1838 and it became a regular daily ferry up and down the Yarra.
The New Pier
The original stone jetty was extended in 1849 and in October of that year a tender advertised for timber pile and planking to be added.
This work was completed during 1854 by which time the jetty had been re¬named the Old Pier due to the Ann Street Pier being constructed and named the New Pier.
Gem Pier
Through the 1860s and 1870s, New Pier became know as Steamboat Pier, due to the number of steamboats that ran from it, the most famous of which ended up giving the pier its final name
A ferry service began to be provided between Port Melbourne and Williamstown, principally by the paddle steamer Gem, which gave its name to Gem Pier. The Gem, led by Captain Robert Watson, crossed Hobsons Bay from 1868 until 1911 and connected directly with the Port Melbourne railway.
Gem Pier Renovation in 1992
In Gem Pier underwent a complete redevelopment to replace both the piles and planking.
The original piles had lasted over 140 years but these would only last 28, with a further refurbishment needed in 2020.
The project cost £1.4m to complete.
Two of my favourite cafes in Williamstown are within a two minute walk of Gem Pier.
Check out the full list 'Williamstown Cafes: 7 of the Best [From a Local]'
Ferries & Ships That Leave From Gem Pier
Gem Pier has been the main entry point to Williamstown from Port Philip Bay many generations and it remains that way today.
There are a number of services that leave from the pier which I've listed below.
Enterprize Tall Ship
The Enterprize is a replica of the ship that in 1835 sailed from Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) up the Yarra before mooring at the present day William Street and setting up camp. These were the first white settlers in Victoria.
It's possible to join a short cruise with The Enterprize on the third Sunday of each month for three trips out into the bay. They also run sunset sails on select Saturdays during daylight savings.
SAILINGS: Third Sunday of every month: 1100, 1230, 1430. Select Saturdays 1800.
COST OF ENTRY: Adults $35. Kids $20
WEBSITE: Enterprize.org.au
The Yarra Cruise
The Yarra Cruise takes passengers up the brown Yarra river for a tour of the riverside sights of Melbourne. It takes about an hour to get to the city passing by the Melbourne Star Wheel, the Polly Woodside and Flinders Street Station.
You can go for either a one hour trip for $24 and get the train back to Williamstown from Flinders Street station, or take the two hour return cruise ($35) which will bring you back to Gem Pier.
St Kilda Ferry
The St Kilda Ferry has been running a single boat since 2016 to St Kilda, and in 2018 added a stop off in Port Melbourne.
They are a locally owned business, with the route they offer giving easy access to the far side of the Bay, which means quick routes in to the city by tram or a chance to hang out in St Kilda, or wander up to Albert Park.
TIMETABLE: Available here
PRICES: Williamstown to St Kilda $18 one way/$27 return ($9 & $13 for kids)
Williamstown to Port Melbourne $15 one way/$23 return ($8 & $11 for kids)
WEBSITE: StKildaFerry.com.au
HMAS Castlemaine
The first thing you're going to see when approaching Gem Pier is the imposing grey hull of the HMAS Castlemaine.
The HMAS Castlemaine was a minesweeping ship that was built in Williamstown's very own dockyards and served throughout World War Two. It completed nearly 200,000 kilometres around the coast of Australia and amongst the South Pacific Islands.
It has now been fully restored to become a museum ship and is the only one of its kind that is still floating. You can access her at the weekends to get an idea of what it would have been like to serve on one of these ships.
Gem Pier Seafood
Gem Pier Seafood is a 5th Generation fishing family that sells fresh seafood from their barge beside Gem Pier.
They are open 0800-1400 every Saturday and Sunday and sell whatever's been caught over the previous couple of days, so follow their Instagram page (below) to see what's on offer.
My personal favourites are the crayfish or the homemade lobster rolls. Yum!
This SUNDAY is our LAST DAY OF THE SEASON! We are closing up for winter but will be back better than ever in Spring. Because it is our last day for a few months, we will have a big special on all of our freshly frozen fish, so you can keep eating Gem Pier Seafood fish throughout the winter! Watch this space for more updates on what we will have this SUNDAY 9am-3pm!✨🙌🏼😻 #gempier #williamstown #seafood #market #boatlife
A post shared by Gem Pier Seafood (@gempierseafood) on Jun 12, 2018 at 7:16pm PDT
Crays, Garfish
Gem Pier On Screen
Gem Pier has featured in a couple of movies over the years was also included in the background of some filming by Sky Sports for the Formula One Grand Prix in 2019.
The independent movie Blood Vessel was shot at the pier and I believe the HMAS Castlemaine was used for a number of the boat interior shots.
I also read that the 1959 movie On The Beach which starred Eva Gardner and Gregory Peck featured Gem Pier, but after watching this video it looks more likely that it was Gellibrand Pier that is slightly further along the coast.
What is the Best Place to Visit in Victoria?
What is the best place you have visited in Victoria?
You can only vote once, but please add to the list if your favourite isn't there.
The Great Ocean Road
Melbourne Laneways
Victorian High Country
Healesville & the Yarra Valley
Wilsons Promontory National Park
Note if the other answer is filled, it will be considered as a vote and will ignore the checked answers.
Things To Do in Williamstown: 25 Ideas (From a Local)
Jawbone Marine Sanctuary: The Best Place to Visit in Williamstown?
Australia | Destinations | Oceania
Australia Travel Guide
On this simple page you'll find links to all my articles about Australia. Australia Information Living in Australia Long-Term Australia…
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Australia | Destinations | Mornington Peninsula | Oceania | Victoria
Moonlit Sanctuary Honest Review [We've Been Twice]
We completed our second visit to Moonlit Sanctuary last week on our trip to the Mornington Peninsula. The last time…
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Destinations | England | Europe | York
Things to do in York: 13 Awesome Places to Visit over a Long Weekend
Planning a visit to York? You're in the right place. You probably don't need me to tell you it's a…
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1 Month Sabbatical Ideas | Brazil | Sabbatical Destinations | Sabbatical Inspiration | Sabbaticals | South America
The Rosemary Dream Retreat, Brazil: A 1 Month Sabbatical to Reset Your Body and Mind
Nestled in the hills overlooking the ocean and surrounded by mountains, Rosemary Dream is a one of a kind experiential…
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Asia | Bangkok | Destinations | Photography | Thailand
Pak Khlong Market | A Sensory Overload & Photographer's Dream
Pah Khlong Talat Market is located only a few minutes walk away from the touristy heart of Bangkok, but it…
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Destinations | England | Europe
Lansdowne Monument & Cherhill White Horse
The Lansdowne Monument can be seen from miles around perched atop Calstone and Cherhill Downs. Alongside it is the wonderful…
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Пятидуб () — село, Зеленковский сельский совет, Недригайловский район, Сумская область, Украина.

Код КОАТУУ — 5923581706. Население по переписи 2001 года составляло 10 человек.

Географическое положение
Село Пятидуб находится в 1,5 км от правого берега реки Ольшанка.
На расстоянии в 0,5 км расположены сёла Лекаревщина и Мерки, в 1,5 км — село Тимченки.
По селу протекает пересыхающий ручей с запрудой.

Примечания

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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About Works Reviews Appearances Contact
Print Edition Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million Indiebound Powell's Target Walmart
eBook Edition Amazon Barnes & Noble ebooks.com Google Play iBookstore Kobo
Audio Edition Amazon Barnes & Noble Audible audiobooks.com audiobookstore.com Downpour
A novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive.
"The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. Bound together since basic training when Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for.
In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes actions he could never have imagined.
With profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home, The Yellow Birds is a groundbreaking novel that is destined to become a classic.
Praise for The Yellow Birds
Prix littéraire du Monde (roman étranger) for (novel in translation)
2013 PEN/Hemingway Award for first fiction
The Guardian First Book Award
Finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction
Co-recipient of the 78th Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction
Sue Kaufman Prize for first fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
"The All Quiet on the Western Front of America's Arab wars."
"The Yellow Birds is harrowing, inexplicably beautiful, and utterly, urgently necessary."
"A remarkable first novel…The Yellow Birds is brilliantly observed and deeply affecting: at once a freshly imagined bildungsroman about a soldier's coming of age, a harrowing story about the friendship of two young men trying to stay alive on the battlefield in Iraq, and a philosophical parable about the loss of innocence and the uses of memory…Extraordinary."
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
"This is a novel I've been waiting for. The Yellow Birds is born from experience and rendered with compassion and intelligence."
—Alice Sebold
"Kevin Powers' The Yellow Birds is written with an intensity which is deeply compelling; every moment, every memory, every object, every move, are conjured up with a fierce and exact concentration and sense of truth."
"Compelling, brilliantly written, and heart-breakingly true, The Yellow Birds belongs in the same category as Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried and Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead. Thus far the definitive novel of our long wars in the Middle East; this book is certain to be read and taught for generations to come."
—Philipp Meyer, author of American Rust
"A novel about the poetry and the pity of war…Powers writes with a rawness that brings the sights and smells as well as the trauma and decay of war home to the reader."
"Reading The Yellow Birds I became certain that I was in the presence of a text that will win plaudits, become a classic, and hold future narratives of the war to a higher standard….a superb literary achievement."
"Kevin Powers has delivered an exceptional novel from the war in Iraq, written in clean, evocative prose, lyric and graphic, in assured rhythms, a story for today and tomorrow and the next."
—Daniel Woodrell
"Powers has created a powerful work of art that captures the complexity and life altering realities of combat service. This book will endure. Read it and then put it way up on that high rare shelf alongside Ernest Hemingway and Tim O'Brien."
—Anthony Swofford
"We haven't just been waiting for a great novel to come out of the Iraq War, our 21st century Vietnam; we have also been waiting for something more important, a work of art that illuminates our flawed and complex and striving humanity behind all such wars. At last we have both in Kevin Powers' The Yellow Birds."
"Thoughtful and analytical, the novel resonates as an accurate and deeply felt portrayal of the effects of post-combat syndrome as experienced by soldiers in the disorienting war in Iraq. "
—Library Journal, starred review
"This moving debut from Powers (a former Army machine gunner) is a study of combat, guilt, and friendship forged under fire….Powers's style and story are haunting."
International Editions of The Yellow Birds
Australia/UK Edition
Dutch Edition
French Edition
German Edition


Mohawk hardwoods collection offers you an incredible array of stylish options for your home, with some unique features like Scotchgard™ for stain-resistance, ArmorMax and DuraBeauty for durability protection, and Uniclic® Technology for a glueless locking system. Mohawk also features Strand Woven Bamboo, a renewable alternative to traditional hardwoods combining exotic beauty with supreme durability.
To satisfy all of your unique design needs, we have rounded out our extensive hardwood collection with many other engineered and solid wood brands, including LM flooring, Anderson, Mannington, WE Cork, Mercier, Ark, and Triangulo.


Hope Story partners with local churches and faith-based organizations to empower communities to provide basic care, education and community outreach that strengthens communities, inspires hope and transforms lives.
Our partnerships and projects vary in each country where we serve as we work to meet locally-defined needs in order to produce long-term, sustainable impact. A list of the projects we partner with is listed below.
Our mission is to help orphans and vulnerable children reach their full potential in Christ. We hope you will join us in seeing this mission realized.


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HomeGistsGoogle Pixel Buds (2020)
Google Pixel Buds (2020)
Quick access to Google Assistant
Background hiss in audio
Occasional sound cutouts
No EQ
Google's new Pixel Buds are comfortable true wireless earbuds built with the company's voice assistant in mind. They feature one-touch Google Assistant access and live translation capabilities, as well as long Bluetooth range and decent battery life. But they fall short on audio performance—especially at $179—with wobbly, slightly hissy sound that lags behind similarly priced competitors like the Jabra Elite Active 75t.
The Pixel Buds have a big, circular face leading to a driver that fits snugly in your ear canal, with a little rubber wing that helps keep them in place. They're currently available in off-white, with black, green, and orange models coming down the road. An IPX4 rating means the earphones are protected from sweat, so they're safe for exercise, but they aren't fully waterproof, so you shouldn't run them under the faucet to wash them off.
A little wing helps keep the Pixel Buds in place
The Buds come with three sizes of eartips, and their flat profile means they're less likely to fall out of your ear than, say, Apple's AirPods. They don't have the drooping stem that AirPods do, and they block your ear considerably more, which may or may not bother you. I found them to be very snug and comfortable, even for long periods, as a "spatial vent" meant my ears didn't feel plugged up.
The included egg-shaped charging case is adorable, and the top opens and closes with a satisfying click. The case charges via USB-C or Qi wireless charging.
Pixel Bud caseThe Pixel Buds case charges via USB-C
An Ideal Android Software Experience
The Buds technically work with any Bluetooth 4.0 device (which includes iPhones), but you really only want to use them with phones running Android 6.0 or greater, as their real differentiator is software—specifically, their deep integration with Google Assistant. On a recent Android phone, pairing is super-easy: You flip open the case and the headphones alert your phone to pair. You don't need to enter a code, and reentering pairing mode is as simple as pressing a button on the back of the case.
A companion app displays the individual Buds' battery life and settings. Using the app, you can locate lost Buds, or change tap controls (single tap, double tap, triple tap, or swipe) to do various things on your phone. The tap controls are responsive and not too twitchy.
Tap and hold a Bud to ask Google Assistant things like, "how's the weather?," or, "send a message to Sascha Segan." As with most Assistant-based products, the Buds can access email and calendars in Gmail accounts, but not G Suite accounts. Google Assistant is quick and responsive.
Google also pitches translation features associated with the earbuds, but it actually works better socially to just use the audio mode for Google Translate on your phone. To use translation, you have to use the Translate app on your phone for audio input and output anyway, and in my experience it takes some explanation and pointing, and I don't want to have my ears plugged up.
The Pixel Buds have spectacular connection range, but like with other true wireless earbuds, connections stutter sometimes. I got 70 feet of distance from a Pixel 4 before the connection started to significantly drop—that's terrific, as most other Bluetooth devices have around 40 feet of range. But walking down the street with a hat on, I found that the left earbud would stutter and cut out for a second or so occasionally.
Pixel Buds case closedThe case holds four extra charges
Google says the Pixel Buds have five hours of listening time, with 24 hours worth of charge in the case—but that battery life is halved on phone calls. I found slightly longer battery life than the 2.5 hours promised, around 3 hours of conversation. That's still shorter than I'd like, but it's up to the promised levels.
Audio: Not the Greatest
I'd describe the audio quality here as treble-focused. There isn't a ton of bass, which doesn't bother me, and the same is true of the AirPods. There's no EQ or other way to alter the sound, however, which is something you get with many new pairs, including the aforementioned Jabra Elite Active 75t.
See How We Test Headphones
Listening to music, voices are definitely pushed up and emphasized, with drums lacking bone-thumping deep bass and things sounding just a touch compressed, but not enough to be muddy—just so that the extreme edges of the sound seem a little shaved off and flattened. Left-right separation is emphasized, giving pieces that start out with a natural sense of space even more of one.
There's one noticeable problem, though: a slight underlying hiss or static whenever my connected phone is actively transmitting to or from the earbuds. This slight static kicks in for a few seconds when I sent a text message, for instance. Hit play on music, and then pause, and the static once again remains for a few seconds; you can hear it under Google Assistant's voice, too. I got the static using two different phones, a Pixel 4 and a OnePlus 8 Pro, and I didn't hear it when using another pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Pixel Buds micNoise-canceling mics promise more than they deliver
That static really irritates me, especially when it's sitting under quiet music. I know at least one other reviewer has heard this hiss as well, but it doesn't bother him as much as it does me, which throws this whole thing into the realm of subjectivity.
Google acknowledges that, "All Bluetooth earbuds create some amount of noise at certain frequencies when components turn on...Some users may be more susceptible than others to hearing noises at these frequencies."
On the bright side, a Google spokesperson told me, "We're continuing to work on software improvements to further reduce the volume of these noises for listeners that may be impacted."
Rather than active noise cancellation, what you get here is "adaptive sound," which automatically steps the volume up or down based on background noise. I found it distracting when the sound on the Pixel Buds would unexpectedly turn itself up or down. Luckily this feature is easy to turn off.
Voice quality is fine. Like most true wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds don't do a good job of cancelling loud or complex background noise; for that you need a better voice headset, preferably one with a boom mic.
In quiet settings, voices sound nice and sharp, and don't drop out. The Buds canceled out a relatively distant lawnmower in testing, but buses and trucks going by within about ten feet were clearly audible.
HD Voice calling definitely helps your voice rise above background noise, but remember, that's network-dependent. On a call between AT&T and T-Mobile, without HD Voice, a truck drowned out my voice, while on call from T-Mobile to T-Mobile, with HD Voice, there was still some high-pitched noise but my voice was much more audible.
My go-to Bluetooth headphones include a Plantronics Voyager Focus UC, with big earpads and a powerful boom mic, and the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2, which wrap around the back of my neck. I've used Samsung's Galaxy Buds for a while, but I demand better noise cancellation than most true wireless sets have to offer, so that's where I'm coming from here.
Google's Pixel Buds are attractive and comfortable, and their software integration is sharp, but audio just isn't their strong point. For $20 more, Jabra's Elite Active 75t earphones beat the Pixel Buds on nearly every metric, including longer battery life, a better durability rating, and most importantly, superior and more customizable sound with much stronger bass. Or you can spend far less and still get better audio quality in the form of Anker's $80 Soundcore Liberty Air. Ultimately, the Pixel Buds put Google Assistant first, audio second.
Google Pixel Buds (2020) Specs
Type Wireless
Wire-Free Yes
Phone Controls Yes
Connection Type Bluetooth
Water/Sweat-Resistant Yes
Removable Cable No
Active Noise Cancellation No
Boom Mic No
Product Category Bluetooth Headsets


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On Saturday morning I set out relatively early on to the patch with the hope that fresh air would cure me of a hangover.
I was rewarded in that, within 20 minutes, I had added a new bird to patch list for 2015. Whilst navigating my way around a number of dead frogs (don't ask me why) on the fringes of a pond known as Cat and dog, I flushed a snipe (Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago). The long-beaked wader put up in the air in a blur of russet and khaki camouflage and flew over the Flats (where it was later seen by other birders).
A little while later I heard my first warbler of the year, and probably my first summer migrant. A Chiffchaff sang out its name from the island on Alexandra lake.
I then took directions from Nick and Josh to go and look for my 65th species of the year, Teal. I had all but given up seeing this common winter duck on the patch as I thought they might have all returned to Siberia.
I walked South, sandwiched between the City of London Cemetery and the little river. On the other side of the water, golfers swung, hacked, and FORE!'d their way around the fairways of Ilford course while the steady hum of traffic on the North Circular served to remind us all that we were contained within the capital's boundaries, where busy roads serve as walls.
I crept around vainly looking and listening for water rail in the reeds, whilst a few metres away people wearing purple and orange (what is it about golfers and fashion?) hit small white balls around manicured parkland. I was struck almost simultaneously by the sense of both the ridiculousness and the wonderfulness of hobbies (I used to, and occasionally still do, play golf very badly myself – my crap scores must be on account of the drab colours I wear). As silly as many hobbies are, it was at that ludicrous moment that I felt very sorry for anyone who doesn't have a pastime to indulge in.
I often say – to anyone who will listen – that hobbies satisfy many of mankind's ancient and primal urges to hunt and gather. In our increasingly plastic and sanitised world, some of us seek to retrace the steps – albeit through heavily ritualised and modernised (often safe) means – of our ancestors. I contend that birding satisfies the spirits of hunter (tracking down wild animals) and gatherer (the list element and need to 'collect' as many species as possible) that still occupy us.
Ignoring the fact that our long-dead friend, Ethel, seemed determined to make an enemy of punctuation and grammar, I love how she writes to her friend/sibling/lover/relation daily whilst on holiday (?) in a nearby part of London. Polly/Pollie lived in Islington just a few miles away (I actually know the street in the address as I used to live nearby and know that any house she lived in was destroyed in the war or demolished to be replaced with flats).
The Roding is a small river. It often flows under bridges un-named and unmarked. It eventually seeps slowly into the Thames anonymously or, rather, under the title of 'Barking Creek'. But this belies the fact that the Roding is an ancient and important water source. The fifty-mile long river – once entirely located within Essex, until London grew – is believed to be named after a Saxon chieftain, Hrodas, and his people, the Hrodingas, who came to Essex and subdued (read 'slaughtered') the local pagan tribes.
I would love to see the Roding follow the lead of its western cousin, the Wandle, and become a second London home to wild brown trout.
Not many Londoners – I am quite sure – could name the Roding correctly, and yet there exists an even smaller, sorrier river, a tributary of the Roding, that has a place in this rather lengthy story/post, the Alders brook.
The earliest extant reference to this stream is from the 16th Century. But now, I can find nowhere to tell me where this brook's source is – other than the admirable – and hopefully correct guess of Mr Ferris in his excellent online resource of all wild matters locally.
I trampled brambles to look at the heavily algae-clogged (if not stagnant) brook and then saw, far up stream, a pair of Teal. They saw me too and swam effortlessly around a bend and behind the locked gates of some allotments.
But I regretted nothing. Had I not gone in search of Teal in the inaccessible narrow waterways of East London, I may never have set foot on the narrow banks of the shamefully forgotten Alders Brook.
… and completely forgot about my hangover.
This entry was posted in Bird watching, Birding, fishing, Flora, history, London, philosophy, wildlife and tagged Alders Brook, Chiffchaff, Hrodas, Hrodingas, London rivers, River Roding, Teal, Wanstead Park, Wasntead birder on March 17, 2015 by iago80.


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You are at:Home»News»Defense»Edwards testing facility hosts first Canadian Air Force plane
Edwards testing facility hosts first Canadian Air Force plane
By Anthony James on 16th June 2016 Defense
For the first time, a Royal Canadian Air Force plane has entered Edwards AFB's Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), a state-of-the-art center for electronic warfare testing.
A team of engineers, operators and defense scientists from Canada are wrapping up electronic warfare testing of a CC-130J Hercules transport plane at the facility in southern California.
Canada is updating its fleet of legacy CC-130H aircraft with the J model, which is the same as the US Air Force C-130J and is used for the tactical airlift of troops and supplies.
The team has conducted multiple tests in the past few weeks focusing on the ALR-56M radar warning receiver and its integration with the rest of the Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite and aircraft mission computer.
"The BAF is the closest thing to actually flying the aircraft in [a radio frequency]threat environment," said Emil Poliakov, a Canada Department of National Defense radar warfare engineer. "The chamber allows us to execute multiple test objectives in a controlled-repeatable manner and collect data to evaluate the radar warning receiver's technical performance and effectiveness."
The isolation from outside interferences enables testers to determine the electromagnetic compatibility of the CC-130J's systems.
The test team designed all the emitters the BAF is going to generate around a fictional threat area.
The electronic warfare data collected during this testing will be shared with partner nations as part of the Multinational Test and Evaluation Program agreement signed last year between the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.
RAF uses SAF for the first time in air-to-air refuelling


Are you a diabetic? Are you performing your exercise routine regularly or cheating on it and dumping it? If you are one among those who are cheating with your exercise routine, then set your hearts on to know the bitter truths about the cons of skipping an exercise routine, especially a diabetics.
This is because diabetes is all about fluctuations in our blood sugar levels and proper working out will help you maintain good insulin levels in blood and thereby keep the blood sugar levels in control. Not just that, regular working out also helps in maintaining a good balance of weight and reduces the risk of getting prone to the problem of obesity.
So here we are presenting you with few absolutely worth to workout exercises for diabetics. Before getting started to consult your primary care doctor and make sure if it is okay for you to perform the workouts that we are going to suggest you. One more thing doesn't get over excited all of a sudden and overdo the workouts.
Walking is a regular workout that most of the people prefer to do as it is a way too simple to form of workout for the body without spilling much of the sweat, but most of the people are unaware about proper walking that in a gunshot hits the right button to reduce your weight. In order to get the best of simple walking, you have to need walking shoes that are comfortable to wear and a comfortable place that is worth to walk.
Walking is the most suggested workout for diabetics by the doctors because it is a null intense workout. Brisk walking is one such forms of walking that have a great and good effect on diabetic health. Try to make a schedule in such a way that you go for a brisk walk at least three times in a week for about 50 minutes.
Tai Chi is an ancient form of exercise that has a great effect on diabetics. Done for 30 minutes, it will yield the best results by controlling diabetes and also works as a stress buster. Regularly practicing it will help in keep you fit and also keeps you away from getting prone to nerve damage.
Weight Training is all about maintaining good muscle mass. Weight training helps not just the diabetics, but also people who are non-diabetic in several ways. Bodies muscle mass is very important to fight against few diseases. Lacking in muscle mass can make you weak to maintain good levels of blood sugar.
If you want to keep your blood sugar levels in control, then try to inculcate weight training in your workout regimen at least twice in a week to achieve best results.
Don't assign yourself with more than three days of weights training regimen. Make sure you rest the alternative days of workouts.
Try to inculcate five to 10 different types of weight training exercises that mainly focus on major muscle groups in your body. Try to do them in sets of multiple repetitions to get most of them.
Day by day increases the amount of time you workout and don't try over intense activities with excitement. Go for simple, but effective forms of workouts.
Yoga is a workout that is an asset that we got from our ancestors. It has scores and scores of benefits not just for diabetics, but also for people who are willing to stay away from such issues. It is simple, but effective in its own way. It helps in burning the fat that is stored in different places of our body.
Every part has a form of asana in order to bring it into perfect shape. Not just that, it also fights insulin resistance and also improves the functioning of nerves. Yoga is a public form of exercise that comes with a huge golden nugget of benefits.
Yoga, which is interlinked with meditation, is a great stress buster. It gives peace of mind and improves your concentration levels. The highlighting thing about yoga is that there are no bounds and limitations on how much time to do it and to what extent it should be done. Simply, everything is positive with yoga. That is it.
Swimming is yet another form of workout that helps a great deal for diabetics. It is a form of workout that does not put pressure on your joints. As it is a form of entertainment activity, you can enjoy, workout as well as relieves your stress at the same time.
As both shoulders and legs are used in swimming, they will gain more strength from it. It relieves the stress from of the foot. As it is well known, diabetic patients should take care of falls and wounds. Even a small wound can lead to huge surgery. There are shoes specially designed for the diabetic patient to use in the pools to avoid falls and slips.
Time for you to hit the gym. Take an unmovable ride on a stationary bicycle at the gym to fight back diabetes. It comes with aerobic exercises. Stationary bicycling makes you heart and lungs stronger than they are so that they are less prone to diseases.
You no need to run to the gym in order to do it or search for a peaceful place to go for a walk. Just place your stationary bicycle in a corner and start riding on it. It is more than enough as a workout for you to get benefited in more than one way. It improves the blood flow in the legs, which helps a great deal for diabetics.
These are the best workouts for diabetics that can help control the blood sugar levels and thereby reduces the risks of diabetes and its side effects.


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Q: Approximate mean from .25, .5, .75 percentiles If I have median (.5 percentiles), and the .25 and .75 percentiles, what is the best guess of the mean?
If the .25 and .75 percentiles are in the middle of a probability mass with weight .5 (.25 on each sides) and the median has .5 on each of its sides,
does it makes sense to approximate the average with:
(`.25 pctile` + 2*`median` + `.75 pctile`) / 4

I do not have more granularity as in this case.
I would like to avoid fitting a distribution in some parametric sense as in here

A: Without imposing some kind of assumption, we can say almost nothing.
It's possible for the population mean to be anything at all - any value on the real line... or possibly infinite, or undefined.
If the underlying distribution is symmetric and unimodal and more or less normalish, your formula would do reasonably well, but symmetry is a pretty strong assumption.
To see that you can get any finite mean at all - even with a sample - consider a sample consisting of five each of the values 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and one additional value.
The estimator you propose should always be 3 no matter what the 26th value is. To get any finite mean $m$, choose a value for $m$ and make the additional value $26(m-3) + 3$.
That said, for reasonably symmetric distributions whose mean exists, your suggested estimator (the trimean) often performs quite well as an estimate of the mean; it does well at the normal, and typically better for cases with more of a peak/heavier tail.
If you expect your population distribution to be close to normal, equal weight to the three quartiles is slightly more efficient [1]. If you think it could be substantially more peaked (but still symmetric, like a $t$ or a logistic for example), the trimean will generally be an excellent choice.
[1] Doyle, John R. and Chen, Catherine Huirong, (2009)
"On the efficiency of the Trimean and Q123"
Journal of Statistics and Management Systems,
12:2, pp319-323

A: Without knowing anything about the distribution your percentiles are coming from, I do not think you can tell much about the mean. What you can do is regard the three points you have as your data and calculate the weighted mean, which is what your formula describes.
I would not consider this measure as the mean of your original data though. It might be the best approximation, but the relationship between the mean and the median is heavily dependent on the distribution and the two quartiles don't contribute much to your knowledge.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


WORLDBEX 2011 is an international fair that provides a platform for exhibitors to interact with significant customers and key decision makers from the Philippines and all over the world. It will also showcase a wide range of products and services representing the entire spectrum of construction industry.
Philippines is becoming the most appropriate venue to a wider and comprehensive business interaction. The country is becoming competitive and resilient. Tarrification and reduction in tariff rates over the past six years have significantly opened the economy. Most importantly, Philippines is being recognized as the fastest growing region of the world today and the pace of growth within the Southeast Asia- primarily the ASEAN region ?continues to quicken and is respectably above global averages, making the Philippines an attractive- and safe- business destination.


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Review: Pulling Leather by LC Chase
Title: Pulling Leather (Pickup Men #3)
Author: LC Chase
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Pages/Word Count: 177 Pages
Blurb: The toughest ride of his life is all in his head.
Bull rider Scott Gillard has a reputation for quick fists and harsh words. What no one knows is where that anger comes from. After a shocking incident sends him into a tailspin, he knows he needs help: he's been fighting a battle he could never win. Now he's trying to navigate a new life and embrace his true self, but some days are easier than others.
Pickup man Cory Ackerson has suffered his share of harassment, but his light still burns bright. He doesn't let anything or anyone keep him down, so when he meets the rugged cowboy with a battered chip on his shoulder and regret in his dark eyes, all he wants to do is help.
As their unlikely friendship grows into something deeper, Scott must overcome his past to be the man Cory deserves, or lose his best chance at his own happily ever after.
Review: It's no real secret that I have been a fan of this series from the very beginning. So that means that I have been there since the first book, and I got to see the horrible person that Scott was. When I found out that he was going to get his own story, I just couldn't fathom how LC Chase was going to be able to redeem the irredeemable. How in the world could an author take a man like Scott Gillard and make me like him, let alone make him worthy of a HEA? Well, I have to say that LC Chase not only made me love Scott, but she had me rooting for him and yeah, he totally deserved his HEA.
When we last saw Scott Gillard he was being led away in handcuffs for the questioning in the assault and near murder of Tripp Colby. With his homophobic words and actions, we all believed they had found the man who beat and almost killed Tripp. It seems there was more than meets the eye going on at the time, however, and that is where this story picks up.
After Tripp almost died, Scott realized the road he was traveling was a dangerous one. He also realized he hadn't been happy in a very long time. He decides that he needs to change his ways and that is exactly what he sets out to do.
After a long period of therapy, and a lot of honesty with himself, Scott begins the long road of making amends. He starts with Tripp and Marty. He is not surprised at the hostility and doubt he receives when he shows up, but what does surprise him is the olive branch offered to him by Tripp to work with him at the gay rodeo.
Even though Scott has come a long way with self-acceptance, and he still has a long way to go, he does accept Tripp's offer. When he shows up at the rodeo, he meets what could very well be his entire future.
Cory Ackerson has never been in the closet, and he doesn't have much tolerance for the men who live their lives that way. When he first meets Scott he is completely enamored with him and ends up feeling very protective of the man everyone else hates. His very over protective big brother does his best to keep Cory away from Scott, but one thing Cory isn't is the type to give up easily.
Scott and Cory form a friendship even though both men are wildly attracted to one another. Scott still has a ton of issues to work through, but he finds working through them with Cory at his side is much easier than going it alone. When their friendship turns into more, Scott finds himself fighting his true nature. Cory believes that if Scott faces his past, he will be able to build a future. There are definitely setbacks, but eventually these two men get it together, and it is absolutely a HEA.
As I said before, I didn't know how LC Chase was going to accomplish making Scott into an MC that we could like and root for, but I wholeheartedly believe she did it and did it well. Scott's struggles were real and wholly believable.
There weren't a lot of smexy times for the men, but I feel that led to the realism of the story. Scott had way too many hang-ups with is sexuality for him to be comfortable enough to be out there having sex all willy nilly.
Through her writing, LC Chase has opened up the world of the rodeo and the hearts of these men. I hope there will be more to the series, but if there isn't, I think Scott's story was truly the gem of the bunch. I highly recommend this title and the entire series.
You can buy Pulling Leather (Pickup Men #3) here:
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3 thoughts on "Review: Pulling Leather by LC Chase"
Nikki Reader (@NikkiReader) says:
I love this series too! I disliked Scott so much in the first two books that it almost skipped this one! But I'm glad I read it because Scott turned out to be a pretty decent guy. I love all three book covers as well.
jackiemckenzie says:
I totally agree Nikki. I was intrigued to see how LC Chase would redeem Scott. I am so glad you liked it as much as I did. Also totally agree that the covers are pretty great for the series. I am just waiting to see what she has in store for us next.
Pingback: Audio Review: Pulling Leather by L.C. Chase – Narrated by Dorian Bane – The Novel Approach Reviews


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Water/sewer rates raised for fourth year in a row; two or three more to come
By Ralph Echtinaw on June 18, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )
St. Louis residents will pay 10.65 percent more for water and sewer beginning Sept. 1, as city council voted Tuesday to raise rates for the fourth year in a row.
A residential customer who uses 4,000 gallons a month now pays $37.79 for water and $46.37 for sewer.
After the new rates kick in the same customer using the same amount of water will pay $42.37 for water and $50.75 for sewer.
Water and sewer rates are expected to increase by about 10 percent a year for two or three more years before the fee is where the experts say it should be.
The water and wastewater billing comes in two parts. A "readiness to serve" charge is paid by every homeowner and business regardless of how much water they use. A "commodity" charge is based on how much water a customer uses.
Sewer rates have risen more than water rates, going from a $7.26 readiness to serve charge in 2017 to $23.81 this year. The commodity charge for wastewater (5.84 per 1,000 gallons) is only slightly higher than it was in 2017 ($5.66).
Water rates have risen less dramatically, going from a readiness to serve charge of $19.84 in 2017 to $23.81 this year. But the commodity charge for water has gone from $3.24 per 1,000 gallons in 2017 to $4.64 this year.
To see how much water and wastewater you're being billed for, look at the water and sewer lines on your city bill and move your finger across to the Usage column. That is how many hundreds of gallons you used during the billing period.
Convert that to thousands of gallons by moving the decimal point one place to the left and multiply by the commodity charge, then add the readiness to serve charge. The result should match the dollar amount on your bill.
In case you're wondering if watering your lawn in spring and summer increases your wastewater bill, it doesn't. The city takes an average of your water use from Sept. 21 through May 19 and used that to calculate what you owe for wastewater from May 20 to Sept. 20.
Once the new rates take effect the city should bring in about $3,461,000 a year; up from $3,101,140, said City Manager Kurt Giles via email.
The money is needed to bring the city's water and sewer infrastructure up to date.
For example, a project to replace water lines, sewer lines and pavement on Center from Mill to Pine and on Pine from Center to M46 is expected to cost $768,500.
Another project to replace the water main under M46 from Watson to Pine is expected to cost $393,500. The administration hopes to begin construction as early as next year and as late as 2024.
The additional money coming in from the water/wastewater rate increases will help to pay off bonds that must be sold to fund the work.
Unfortunately, the rate increases don't stop with water and wastewater.
Councilmen also raised the charges for solid waste collection ($15.51), yard waste collection ($13.71) and hazardous waste collection (45 cents) by 5 percent.
Collectively, these items appear under the heading "REFUSE" on your bill. It's $28.26 now and will go to $29.67 beginning July 1.
The night of rate increases hit a snag when electric rates came up. The administration recommended a revenue neutral plan where commercial users get a 0.5 percent decrease and homeowners get a 2 percent increase. This would have been the third and final year of a rate adjustment that balanced what residential and commercial customers are paying with the expense of maintaining their service. "The idea is that one customer class can be subsidizing another," Giles said. He also noted that St. Louis electric rates "are considerably less than Consumers Energy, even with these minor increases."
But councilmen were silent when a motion was called for to approve the new electric rates. "We have to keep in mind we are owned by the taxpayers, and so we have to be favoring them," said Councilman George Kubin.
So "the current rates remain in effect until such time as a resolution is adopted by council to change rates," Giles said via email.
Lack of interest in lifeguard jobs keeps city swimming pool closed for now
City's electrical workers get massive wage increase in new 3-year contract


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Пай гоу покер (, также дабл хенд покер ()) — карточная игра, где игрок, используя семь карт, старается составить две комбинации из пяти и двух карт, которые по рейтингу покерных рук будут сильнее, чем у противника. Пай гоу покер позаимствовал часть названия и общий принцип от китайской игры пай гоу (Pai Gow), в которой для игры используется китайское домино.

Пай гоу покер был изобретён в начале 1980-х годов в США Фредом Вольфом и быстро стал очень популярным. Фреду Вольфу принадлежит патент на эту игру и ещё целый ряд других игр казино. По другим данным автором игры является Сэм Торосян (), владелец Bell Card Club.

Правила игры

Игра ведётся при помощи стандартной колоды в 52 листа плюс один джокер. За столом может быть до шести игроков плюс дилер, игроки играют против дилера. Игроки делают ставки, разрешённые лимитами стола.

Каждому из участников игры сдаётся по семь карт в закрытую. Эти карты игрок должен разделить на две части — «верхнюю» () и «нижнюю» (). На верхнюю руку идёт пять карт, на нижнюю — две, комбинации выкладываются в открытую на отмеченные на столе места. При этом комбинация на нижней руке не может быть сильнее, чем на верхней (то есть нельзя вниз положить пару, а вверх — просто старшую карту). Если вы не соблюдаете это правило, вы автоматически проигрываете. После того, как все игроки сделали свой выбор, дилер также выкладывает свои карты (дилер следует фиксированным правилам разделения карт) и происходит сравнение комбинаций.

Сравнение верхней комбинации идёт по обычному покерному рейтингу рук (от роял-флэша до старшей карты), сравнение младших рук тоже основано на покерном рейтинге, только комбинаций возможно лишь две — пара или старшая карта. Если обе руки крупье бьют игрока, игрок проигрывает. Если одна из рук игрока бьет руку крупье, а вторая уступает, объявляется ничья, и игроку возвращается ставка. Если обе руки игрока бьют карты крупье, игрок выигрывает 1 к 1 за вычетом 5 % банковских комиссионных. Если на одной из рук получается ничья, то она обычно трактуется в пользу дилера (игрок эту руку проигрывает).

Отдельно необходимо сказать о джокере. Джокер может заменить любую карту в пятикарточной комбинации (или в семикарточной комбинации, если поставлена ставка на бонус) для составления стрита, флэша, стрит флеша или ройал флеша. Если эти комбинации составить не получается, то джокер считается тузом. На нижней руке джокер всегда считается тузом.

Оптимальная стратегия

Оптимальная стратегия заключается в правильном разделении карт между верхней и нижней руками, в большинстве и онлайновых, и реальных казино игрок может попросить дилера, чтобы его карты были разделены по правилам заведения, которые довольно близки к оптимальным. На самом деле таблица оптимальной стратегии для пай гоу покера весьма сложна и велика, однако есть ряд несложных правил, которые приближены к оптимуму:
 Нет комбинации: старшую карту оставить на верхней руке, две последующие — на нижнюю.
 Одна пара: пару оставить на верхней руке, две старших из оставшихся карт — на нижнюю.
 Две пары:
 Не разделять, если у вас сумма очков девять и менее при короле или тузе;
 Не разделять, если у вас сумма очков пятнадцать и менее при тузе;
 Исключение: разделять семерки и двойки при короле и выше;
 Исключение: разделять королей и двойки при тузе;
 Исключение: разделять валеты и четверки при тузе;
 Исключение: не разделять семёрки и восьмёрки (девятки) при тузе,
 Где очки соответствуют номиналу карт (2 — для двоек, 11 — валет, 12 — дама, 13 — король, 14 — туз, то есть валеты и четверки дают сумму очков 4+11=15).
 Три пары: старшую пару — на нижнюю руку.
 Тройка: тройку оставить наверху, две старшие карты — на нижнюю руку, за исключением трех тузов: два туза остаются на верхней руке, один — на нижнюю.
 Две тройки: из старшей тройки пару — на нижнюю руку.
 Стриты и флеши: оставляем стриты и флеши, если нет двойной пары, иначе разделяем по правилам двух пар.
 Фул-хаус: разделить на тройку и двойку (если есть две пары или две тройки — вниз кладём старшую пару).
 Каре: каре от двойки до шестёрки — не разделять; каре от семерки до десятки — разделять, если нет короля или выше; каре от валета до короля — разделять, если нет туза или выше; тузовое каре — разделять, если нет другой пары.

Следуя этой стратегии, вы получите математическое ожидание игры порядка −2,7 %.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Правила и оптимальная стратегия Pai Gow покера

Азартные игры
Игры в казино
Разновидности покера


text:
The Handmaids
St Raphaela Mary
Day of Prayer
Ignatian Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats
Themed Retreats
Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (19th Annotation)
30-Day Spiritual Exercises
Silent Directed Retreats
Vocation Discernment
Women's Weekends
Seasonal Days of Prayer
Group Guidelines
Wills and Living Trust
St. Raphaela Center is a ministry of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a worldwide religious community whose mission is to celebrate God's unconditional love by promoting wholeness, peace and reconciliation. The Eucharist is at the center of our life and mission. For the Handmaids, "the Eucharist is what the root is for the tree". As Eucharistic women, our passion is to work with Christ to bring healing to people's hearts and peace to their relationships with God, with one another, and with the whole of creation. At the Center, we offer a sacred time and place for people of all faiths and walks of life to be embraced and cherished by the lovingkindness - hesed - of our God through prayer, retreats and spiritual programs.
Our mission of reparation calls us to a Eucharistic conversion that:
cares for the whole person
desires that all may know and love God
embraces social justice
shares God's special care for the smallest and most forgotten
The Handmaids' foundress, St. Raphaela Mary Porras, came to understand the specific way that God spoke to her and within her, and grew to identify her own desires with those of Christ's. She responded generously - and joyfully - with her whole life. Her belief and description of the Handmaid mission, "Love of Christ in the Eucharist and the concern of His Heart for the salvation of all," remains a present-day reality for the Handmaids throughout the globe.
Handmaid Ministries around the world
Contact Us Policy Page Subscribe Directions
© Copyright 2010-2020 - Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
St. Raphaela Center, 616 Coopertown Road, Haverford, PA 19041 Tel: 610-642-5715


Published: Mar 22 at 3:09 p.m.
Updated: Mar 23 at 1:30 p.m.
Islanders can donate their old smartphones to help individuals who are blind or partially sighted, thanks to a partnership with P.E.I. Public Libraries, the CNIB Foundation P.E.I. and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council.
Phone It Forward is the first program of its kind worldwide that refurbishes used smartphones, putting them directly in the hands of people with sight loss to transform lives.
For people who are blind, smartphones are a game-changer – a portable, all-in-one communications and accessibility solution.
In the hands of someone who is blind, a smartphone becomes more than most people can imagine – a critical tool that opens a world of opportunity and independence.
However, for too many, smartphones are out of reach.
Forty-six per cent of Canadians who are blind don't own a smartphone – or not one that's advanced enough to assist them in daily living.
The unemployment rate for persons with sight loss is triple the Canadian average, making affording a mobile device difficult for many.
Visit phoneitforward.ca for a list of participating libraries under the "Get An Envelope" section, then visit one of the 26 participating public libraries to pick up a Phone It Forward postage-paid envelope and to donate used smartphone(s).


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Top quality manufacturers have been highlighted in this comprehensive source of industrial information. A broad range of GEARS: HERRINGBONE & HELICAL manufacturers has been compiled in this industrial directory designed to provide information on leading, quality oriented manufacturers .


The Westin Virginia Beach - Marketing Specifics, Inc.
The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center Residences are 119 upscale condominiums and penthouses. The sales environment was designed to showcase the amenities of the development such as their 24 hr concierge, state of the art fitness center and roof top entertainment lounge. This urban retail sales center in the heart of Virginia Beach included interactive media and hospitality areas to appeal to the affluent 35 year old and above target market.
Lifestyle wall with seating area for informal conversations.
Hospitality Bar for wine tastings and gatherings.


text:
China industrial profits quicken in May, seen fading as finance costs rise
BEIJING (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial companies surged 16.7 percent in May from a year earlier, accelerating from 14 percent in April in spite of expectations of a slowdown as borrowing costs rise and the property market cools.
A general view of Shanghai's financial district of Pudong is seen in Shanghai, China April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song
For the first five months of the year, profits reached 2.9 trillion yuan ($424 billion), up 22.7 percent from the same period of last year although the growth pace was lower than the 24.4 percent annual rate for January-April 2017.
"The quickened growth of China's industrial profits was partly due to a low-base effect at the same time a year earlier, which marked the second slowest growth over the course of last year," statistics bureau official He Ping said in a statement on Tuesday.
Operating costs as a proportion of operating revenue rose on an annual basis for a third consecutive month in May, which He said needed to be closely watched.
Profit growth at private enterprises and foreign enterprises fell to 14.0 percent and 18.9 percent respectively in the year to May, from 14.3 percent and 19.8 percent in January-April.
Nomura analysts this growth noted was driven by "increased investment gains" and "net non-operating incomes", terms often used to refer to property profits.
"Our concerns over growth quality remain," they said.
Profits at China's state-owned firms enterprises (SOE) were up 53.3 percent at 652.04 billion yuan in January-May, compared with a 58.7 percent rise in the first four months.
"The low base is likely to support high profit growth of SOEs for a few more months," Nomura said.
PRODUCER PRICE INFLATION China's factory gate inflation eased for the third straight month in May on sagging prices for raw materials, signaling a broader cooling in economic activity as profits are squeezed by slackening domestic demand and rising financing costs.[L3N1J42YF]
"The return of PPI deflation should also lead to lower industrial profit growth," Nomura said.
Concerns about China grew after Moody's Investors Service downgraded its credit rating last month. The agency said it expects Chinese financial strength will erode in coming years as growth slows and debt continues to rise.
China's statistics bureau said this month that economic performance in the January-May period laid a solid foundation for achieving the full-year growth target of about 6.5 percent.
China's strong growth prompted the International Monetary Fund this month to raise its 2017 growth forecast to 6.7 percent from 6.6 percent.
Capital Economics, which forecast last year that China's economic rebound would run out of steam early in 2017 as policy support was withdrawn, said last week that the predicted slowdown would be "mild" with growth dropping back towards "a sustainable pace".
Still, with half a year left to go, the economy is expected to handily meet its annual growth target without hitting too many bumps, good news for President Xi Jinping ahead of a major political leadership reshuffle later this year.
The data encompasses companies with annual operating revenue of more than 20 million yuan from their main operations.
($1 = 6.8399 Chinese yuan)
Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Eric Meijer


text:
Explore 33 Interesting Facts about the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
If you are a pyramid junkie, test your knowledge with these 33 baffling facts about Egyptian pyramids!
By Kashyap Vyas
Wilhelm Joys Andersen/Flickr
Pyramids always remained a mystery to man. Even in 2018, we are discovering more about these ancient man-made marvels. Much to surprise, with every discovery we are realizing that there is more to uncover than ever before!
Here's the list of some of the most interesting pyramid facts that you might not know:
The Engineering Wonder!
Source: Jorge Láscar/Flickr
The Pyramid of Giza was built 4500 years ago in Egypt, yet it remained as the tallest man-made building until the 19th century. That means it stood its place as the tallest building for 3800 years!
The baffling thing about these ancient pyramids is the Egyptians ability to build something so gigantic with prehistoric building methods!
More in Number Than You Think!
Source: Tim Kelley/Flickr
On the subject of pyramids, which number crosses your mind if we were to ask you: how many pyramids are still standing on the earth? 5 or 10? No, the number is well more than 5000!
Though the real purpose of these Egyptian pyramids is highly debated, it is astonishing that such mighty structures were constructed 4000 years ago.
Stones that Weigh More Than Elephants
Source: HoremWeb/Wikimedia Commons
Imagine a time with no advanced machinery, when there were no cranes or forklifts. It was during this time when the Egyptians erected these pyramids with stones that weigh about 5-10 tons per piece!
All of these stones were hoisted and laid one by one on top of each other. We can only imagine how the processes were carried on.
Researchers are still working on figuring out how they achieved such a feat.
The Intricate Tunnels
Another startling pyramid fact is that there exists an intricate web of passages, shafts and chambers under the pyramids. These tunnels behold hundreds of years of history and thousands of artifacts.
Although the Egyptian authorities have excavated and got hold of most of the found commodities, the details are not available to the common public.
The Slave Hoax
Source: James Padgett/Wikimedia Commons
It was widely believed that slaves were tasked to build enormous pyramids. This was later contradicted and found out that it was paid workers who were the ones tasked with the construction.
Workers from around north and south, respected for their work, worked tirelessly. The worker tombs were discovered much around 2010; the body is preserved in the dry sand along with jars of beer and bread for the afterlife.
Ancient Air conditioner
Source: zolakoma/Flickr
Another interesting fact about these extraordinary structures is that despite the harsh fluctuating temperatures of day and night, the great pyramids maintain a constant inside temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Say Hola to the mother of ancient air conditioning.
A Pyramid Around the Coffer
Source: Derek Meyer/Flickr
Inside the main chamber of Giza is a coffer that is way too large to be brought in through the narrow entrance passage.
This realization led the archaeologists to believe that the great pyramid was built around the coffer and not brought in after construction.
How were They this Accurate 4500 Years Ago?
Source: Jason Wesley Upton/Flickr
The Egyptians used two constellations to align their pyramids in a north-south direction. One was big dipper and the other is the small dipper.
The tombs are aligned in north-south with an accuracy of up to 0.05 degrees. This happened in an era where modern-day precision tools were not even imaginable!
The Mystery Mortar
Source: Shawn Clover/Flickr
There is an old Arabic proverb which translates to "Man fears time, time fears the pyramids". Pyramids are one of the oldest standing wonders.
The reason is the super adhesive mortar made to fix the stones in place. The mortar used in the construction of these pyramids has been analyzed over and over again.
But the exact combination of the ingredients is still a mystery. Almost 5,00,000 tons of mortar was used, and the strength is more than the stones itself.
The Lightest 20-ton Swivel Door
Source: Fred Hsu/Wikimedia Commons
There exists a total of 3 swivel doors in the pyramid of Giza. One of the enormous doors is a 20-ton swivel door in the great pyramid and is so well balanced that it can be opened from the inside with just one hand!
When it is closed, the fit is so perfect that it blends in with the wall, making an impression that it is not even there!
They Glittered Like Gold!
Source: David Stanley/Flickr
At the time of construction, these ancient Egyptian pyramids were covered with a well-polished casing of limestone. The limestone, when laid on the pyramids sparkled literally like diamonds when the sun would shine.
This shine made the structures visible from miles away.
Alignment with The Orion
Source: Anirban Nandi/Wikimedia Commons
The three pyramids of Giza are aligned exactly to be in line with the three stars of Orion belt. While creating a faithful mimicry of the Orion belt, the three pyramids of Giza actually point directly towards Orion's belt.
Early Flat Pyramid
Source: Rüdiger Stehn/Flickr
Did you know that there exist pyramids with flat tops!? YES, many of the early pyramids around the world were made with the top flat.
In fact, the first pyramid constructed by the Egyptians at the site of Saqqara around 4700 years ago, did not have triangular sides. It was the tomb of the Egyptian king, Djoser and had a flat roof, which led archaeologist to believe that the first-ever pyramids were indeed flat.
Many similar pyramids from the past exist even today.
The Mastabas Purpose
Source: Oesermaatra0069/Wikimedia Commons
Mastabas were tombs for the people who did not have high ranks and their tombs were built in special chambers inside pyramids. Historians believe that the only reason for the Mastaba tombs being around would be that the souls inside them may continue to serve the king in their afterlife.
The Guard of Khafre
Source: Cyndy Sims Parr/Flickr
The huge statue of Sphinx was built near the great pyramid around 4500 years ago. It has the body structure of a lion and the head of a pharaoh.
The sole purpose of the Sphinx was to guard the pyramid of Khafre at Giza.
Multitalented Imhotep
Source: Hu Totya/Wikimedia Commons
Imhotep was one of the earliest master architects of Egypt. He is known as the inventor of pyramid. His skillsets don't end there as he was a physician, astronomer, high priest, etc.
RELATED: MYSTERIES OF THE GIZA PLATEAU - THE PYRAMIDS
He was a minister of Djoser, and after his death, he was worshipped as the God of Medicine.
Whopping Weight of Great Pyramid
Source: Karen/Flickr
The Great Pyramid of Khufu weighs a whopping 5750000 tons! If you want a comparison, the Burj Khalifa weighs only a 500,000 tons!
The Great Pyramid is made of an estimated 2.3 million blocks of stone, and each block weighs 2267.96 kilograms (2.5 tons) approximately. Do the math!
The Location Theory
Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center/Flickr
In 1877, Dr. Joseph Seiss found an interesting discovery. He showed that the pyramid of Giza is located exactly at the intersection of the longest line of longitude and longest line of latitude.
Or we can put it in this way- the great pyramid in the exact center of all landmass on planet Earth. Interesting right?
An Attempt to Destroy Pyramids
King Al-Aziz, son of Saladin, a Kurdish ruler, planned to destroy the pyramids in the 12th century. Thankfully, he gave up because the job was too big of a task, even for a king!
Though the attack left a gash on Menkaure's pyramid.
Average Time Taken for 1 Pyramid
Source: Umberto De Peppo Cocco/Flickr
Though highly sophisticated in terms of accuracy and architecture, the Great Pyramid of Giza took almost 23 years to complete. Most of the pyramids were built simultaneously.
Pyramids are one of the marvelous examples of engineering from ancient history, which still remain a subject of research and curiosity.
The Hieroglyphics Mystery
Source: LBM0/Flickr
Everyone associates hieroglyphics with pyramids. Although visitors won't find hieroglyphics inscribed inside, in 2011, researchers found hieroglyphics inside the secret chamber of Giza pyramid with the help of a robot.
Astonishing Number of Workers
Source: Tyler/Flickr
The figures about the number of workers vary. Historians take into account various factors including how many men it might have taken to lift one block.
One such account suggests that there might have been almost 60000 men outside the structure and 30000 inside it, requiring a jaw-dropping 90000 workers to build the pyramid.
The Face of Sphinx
Source: Sigurd Gartmann/Flickr
The Sphinx was constructed to guard the pyramids. In the records of many, it is noted that the face of the Sphinx is much to the likeness of Pharaoh Khafra.
It is 241 feet long and is facing towards the rising sun.
Burial Goods
Source: Einsamer Schütze/Wikimedia Commons
Also known as Grave goods, Egyptians believe that Egypt was the best place God could have created for any human to live. They believed that once a person is dead, he/she enters a similar mirrored world like Egypt.
The only difference they imagined was the absence of grief or sorrow. They believed that one might need things in another life just like one need things when alive.
So they buried a body with necessities, and in case of kings in the Pyramids, they used to bury gold and other valuable commodities with the body.
All the precious artifacts found in pyramids are with Egyptian authorities.
Count Them Again!
Though pyramids may give an impression that they have only 4 sides, Pyramid of Giza has 8 sides. Each of the four sides of the pyramids is evenly split from base to tip.
The discovery goes back to 1940 when a pilot named P. Groves noticed the strange site of 8 sides while flying over it.
The indentations are visible from above only with appropriate light.
Descending Passage and Alpha Draconis
Source: NASA/HST/Wikimedia Commons
In the Great Pyramid of Giza, the descending shaft or passage was aligned exactly to the polar star 'Alpha Draconis' when it was built in 2141 BC.
The polar star comes in alignment with earth once in 25920 years. When the pyramid was being built, the architect used the alignment of Alpha Draconis to determine the direction to the true north.
Logic of Ikhet
Source: vpzone/Flickr
The word "Ikhet" means glorious light. When Pyramids were constructed, they were cast in limestone which used to sparkle in the sunlight.
This light was the reason why pyramids were called Ikhet. The limestone casting eventually faded or got destroyed and what was left was just mortar and gigantic stones.
The Sapphire Drill
Source: future15pic/Flickr
Khafre's coffer was drilled out from solid black granite, which required bronze saws 8 to 9 feet long with teeth of Sapphire.
Analysis of the coffer reveals that it was carved out by a single-point drill, which used hard jewel bits and a drilling force of almost 2 ton.
No Shadow Time
Pyramids are one of the most extensively studied structures in the world. The mystery around its construction still haunts researchers.
Among many properties of the pyramid, one was of being a Sundial. It was one of the most sophisticated Sundials found across the globe, which indicated solstice and equinox.
At noon, during the spring, the Great Pyramid of Giza casts no shadow.
Correlation with Pi
Source: Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr
Researchers have proposed the idea that Pi might have been incorporated into the design of Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. John Taylor discovered that if one divides the perimeter of Pyramid by its height, the resultant value is equal to 2Pi.
He further suggested that Perhaps Great Pyramid was deliberated to represent the earth, the height is analogous to the radius joining the center of the earth in the North Pole, and the perimeter is analogous to earth's circumference at earth's equator.
The Enigma of the Building Process
Source: Lynne Hand/Flickr
The Pyramids have been talked about for centuries. They leave us mesmerized with how accurate the architecture was back then. But not much is known about the building process.
For instance, we can only guess how the blocks were lifted so high and what other processes were included.
The researchers are still looking to recreate the mortar, and the web of interconnected tunnels was only recently discovered.
Enough to Build a Wall Around France
Source: European Space Agency/Flickr
The Quarry of Aswan is the place which supplied stones for the construction of the pyramids.
It is suggested that the blocks from these three pyramids are actually enough to construct 10 feet high, and one-foot thick wall around all of France.
The One Stone Coffer
Source: Clock/Wikimedia Commons
There is a mysterious coffer in the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is made out of a single stone Granite. The Huge Granite block has been drilled and converted into a coffer.
The coffer is inside the king's chamber within the pyramid and it was put in before the ceiling was constructed.
People believe that the coffer has magical properties.
Via: Ancient Code, Britannica, News Scientist, Curiosity
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text:
Q: Check for a key in a map and the value is not null using streams I would like to know if using streams, if the following code can be refactored.
BiFunction<ClassA, ClassB, Boolean> function = (a, b) -> {
    Map<String, String> theMap   = a.getMap();
    String              theKey   = b.getKey();
    String              theValue = theMap.get(theKey);
    return !StringUtils.isBlank(theValue);
};

thus:

*

*First we get  map from object a

*Then we get a key from object b

*We check if there is a value for the key in the map

*The value is not blank

something like (not real code):
BiFunction<ClassA, ClassB, Boolean> function = (a, b) -> {
 return a.getMap().entrySet().stream()
    .map(Entry::getKey).filter(b.getKey()::equals)
    .map(Entry::getValue).filter(!StringUtils::isBlank);
};