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Autistic Girl, 12, Illustrates Mother's Book About Condition With Beautiful Drawings Of Fairies and Goblins
Rosie King, 12, has Asperger's Syndrome and has illustrated a fairy tale written by her mother Sharon about autism
By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 9:16 PM on 16th December 2010
An autistic schoolgirl has teamed up with her mother to create a fairy story to teach children about her condition.
Rosie King, 12, has drawn pixies, fairies and goblins for her mother Sharon's book The Daily Journal of Arabella Crumblestone.
Mrs King, 40, wrote the story for children because most books about autism tend to be too factual for youngsters.
Rosie came up with the illustrations when her mother was working on the book and Mrs King was so impressed that she decided to use them.
The book tells of a fairy called Arabella who lands on Earth and has to find her way home. She comes across two children, one who has autism, and they help her.
The characters are based on Mrs King's three children, who all have different physical or emotional problems.
Two years ago Rosie diagnosed herself with Asperger's syndrome when she recognised her symptoms in a book about disabilities, which she was reading to understand her younger brother's condition.
She is the inspiration for the story's character Faith, one of the children who befriends the fairy.
While Rosie has been diagnosed with a mild form of Asperger's – an autistic type disorder characterised by difficulties with social interaction – her brother Lenny, eight, has classic autism. His book character George is also autistic.
Ten-year-old sister Daisy – characterised as the cheeky water fairy Dot – has Kabuki syndrome. This is a rare condition that produces developmental abnormalities, such as physical disfigurement, as well as learning and behavioural difficulties.
Mrs King, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, who is married to Richard, a 45-year-old civil engineer, said: 'In reality, Daisy is not able to speak, but in the book I have given her the words that I feel reflect her fun-loving "big splash" personality.
'I feel honoured to call these children my own. They have taught me so much about what life really means.'
Mrs King said Rosie began drawing the characters as she tested the storyline out on her daughter.
She said: 'Rosie is such a good artist and I'm so happy that we collaborated on this book together.'
The book was published three weeks ago and 400 copies at £5 each have been sold, with £1 of each sale going to the National Autistic Society.Â
The book is available at www.sharonkingbooks.co.uk
Read in Full:Â
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1339201/Autistic-girl-12-illustrates-mothers-book-condition-beautiful-drawings-fairies-goblins.html?ITO=1490


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Q: Incorporate product of main and auxiliary variables in objective function This is a follow-up question to a previous post.
The problem I'm trying to solve is to find the largest combination of cells at the intersection of company and category with an average above a certain threshold.  Additionally, if I include 3 categories for a certain company, then in order to include another company, all 3 categories of that company must also be included.
I am incorporating disjunctive reasoning into my optimization problem.  I set a constraint where at least 2 of the 3 companies (columns) and all three categories (rows) have to be non-zero.  I create zero_comp_vars and zero_cat_vars for this.  In order for the optimization to incorporate this, I want to multiply the decision variable matrix by these, but element wise  (e.g. so if the zero_comp_vars is [1,0,0] we multiply the first column of the decision variables matrix by 1 as a scalar and the second and third columns by 0 as a scalar. However, I believe doing this makes the function non-linear.
I can use vstack and hstack to convert zero_comp_vars and zero_cat_vars to matrices, but then encounter the DCP violation.
import numpy as np
import cvxpy as cp
import cvxopt

util = np.array([[0.7, 0.95, 0.3], [2, 1.05, 2.2], [4, 1, 3]])

# The variable we are solving for
dec_vars = cp.Variable(util.shape, boolean = True)

zero_comp_vars = cp.Variable(util.shape[1], boolean = True)
zero_cat_vars = cp.Variable(util.shape[0], boolean = True)

# define constraints
zero_comp_constr = cp.sum(dec_vars, axis=0) >= 2 * zero_comp_vars
zero_cat_constr = cp.sum(dec_vars, axis=1) >= 3 * zero_cat_vars
# need the following two constraints, otherwise all the values in the zero_comp_constr and zero_cat_constr vectors can be 0
above_one_non_zero_comp = cp.sum(zero_comp_vars) >= 1
above_one_non_zero_cat = cp.sum(zero_cat_vars) >= 1

# min tin array
min_comp_array=np.empty(dec_vars.shape[0])
min_comp_array.fill(2)

min_comp_constr = cp.sum(dec_vars, axis=1) >= min_comp_array
tot_avg_constr = tot_util >= 2.0 * cp.sum(dec_vars)

temp = cp.multiply(util, dec_vars)
# realize as it's written, it's trying to do element-wise multiplication, and dec_vars has shape (3,)
temp2 = cp.multiply(temp, zero_comp_vars)
temp3 = cp.multiply(temp2, zero_cat_vars)

tot_util = cp.sum(temp3)

cluster_problem = cp.Problem(cp.Maximize(tot_util), [zero_comp_constr, zero_cat_constr,
                                                     above_one_non_zero_comp, above_one_non_zero_cat,
                                                     min_comp_constr, tot_avg_constr])

cluster_problem.solve()

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text:
Netflix Film Don't Look Up Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Fremont, CA – February 17, 2022 – Netflix's "Don't Look Up" follows two academic astronomers who, after discovering a comet destined to destroy the Earth within six months, must go on a giant media tour to warn humankind. The film was directed by Adam McKay with cinematography by Linus Sandgren FSF, ASC. The film was graded by Matt Wallach at Company 3 using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.
Wallach had primarily focused on dailies color in recent years working with many top cinematographers, including Sandgren who likes Wallach's approach to color and asked that he do both dailies and final color for his previous film "No Time to Die." Sandgren prefers to shoot film negative whenever possible, as opposed to digital acquisition, and to treat digital color grading with an eye for always preserving the filmic look of the images. He also likes to approach color in ways that hold to the feel of photochemical work.
On "Don't Look Up," Sandgren shot with a range of formats, in addition to film, which added to the complexity of the grade. "It was predominantly a 35mm show but there was some anamorphic, some spherical, some Super 8 and a little bit of 16mm," said Wallach. "There was also a lot that was shot with digital broadcast cameras in a studio type space for when characters are appearing on TV."
Wallach suggested an approach for grading those scenes. "The idea that I presented was when they come to the broadcast portions, we should go for this hyper saturated look, almost like you're walking through an electronics retailer and you see all these TVs in 'display mode,' where it's just really bright and vivid, and there's something a little uncomfortable about it," he explained.
The challenge with these elements was the lack of a log file for grading, which can make a more intense look harder to achieve. "The broadcast footage wasn't scans of raw files. It was shot in Rec. 709 color space, and it sort of is what it is," added Wallach. "I initially approached it similarly to the rest of the material using offset and printer lights. Then once everything was balanced, we pushed the contrast and saturation and used several different curves within Resolve to see how far we could go until the image started to deteriorate."
Additional challenges included the large number of VFX in the film, not simply big CG shots but also subtle work not as obvious to the viewer. "There were quite a few shots that may not have been VFX shots to begin with but became VFX shots because of the pandemic," said Wallach. "There were limits to how many people could be on the set at any given time, including actors, so some setups became multi shot composites."
The VFX team provided CG crowds, and with 2D locked off elements and volumetric capture, the scene could be expanded from the available 25 or 30 extras on set to a crowd of 100 or more in the frame. "For some shots, like in the concert and the rally scenes, there was a lot of digital crowd replacement to make them look full," explained Wallach. With the use of mattes in DaVinci Resolve Studio, Wallach was able to balance the elements to ensure the dynamic lighting that splashes across the audience seamlessly matched between elements and looked natural.
Wallach appreciated the tools available in DaVinci Resolve Studio, which helped him be more efficient when managing the grade. "I used the color warper tool, especially when matching in stock footage. I could have combined other tools to do the same work, but the color warper was very efficient for collaboration because I could change different parameters at the same time and show Linus how the image was affected in real time. When we were cutting back and forth between the film and the TV studio material, for instance, if we wanted the reds in the TV parts to be in a certain place, I could just grab those reds and push them in the right direction in a single move. I could make a global change more quickly than if I tried to do the same thing with keys or curves."
Netflix gave the film a theatrical release alongside its distribution globally on the service. This meant access to both high dynamic range (HDR) and DCI-P3 finishing tools. "I used the HDR wheels within Resolve quite a bit for the HDR passes of the film as opposed to using log wheels and curves to help control highlights," concluded Wallach. "It really made up for the HDR trim process since the theatrical P3 was our hero grade. There's a flexibility with the HDR wheels of being able to set the affected range for each zone and then just control the exposure of those zones individually. I think that the HDR wheels help you get to the desired place for your HDR versions in a simpler way than was possible previously."
"Don't Look Up" is streaming now on Netflix.
About Company 3
Company 3 is a post-production company founded in 1997 and provides post-production, color grading, in-house and location dailies and editorial suites; visual effects; and online editorial services for feature film, episodic television and commercial work. Known for its creative color artistry, pioneering technology and global reach, Company 3 is trusted to consistently deliver high-quality results for its clients.
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world's highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design's DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company's Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com
Previous Award Winning Audio Post Facility 3H Sound Studio Installs Multiple Fairlight Advanced Consoles
Next Phillip Noyce's Feature Film Thriller The desperate hour Shot With Ursa Mini Pro 12k
Zach King's Stranded 2 Shoots and Finishes with Blackmagic Design
Cannes Film Festival Short Devil Bean Shot on Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
ATEM Switchers Installed at e-Create Space Esports Streaming Studio
Streaming Video Shift to Put Consumer–Not Content–First
New Live Action Film xxxHOLiC Captured with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Used to Film Shell V-Power Racing Team Supercars Experience
Leo AR Launches its First 3D AR NFT Collection

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Kevin Durkin represents the family of Samya Stumo, a woman who died on board Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. He says the 737 MAX was never safe, and accuses Boeing of installing an unfit system on the plane to make its plane more marketable to airlines.
Durkin's lawsuit says Boeing and the FAA have too cozy a relationship, and the FAA enlisted under-trained employees to oversee MAX safety certification. The FAA has publicly refuted that, but told Newsy, "we don't comment on lawsuits." Boeing says it is committed to fixing its planes.


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The M-Clip V series falls into the latter category. If you're looking for a money clip, you can do no better. More than just a simple folded piece of metal, the V series has an opening mechanism. To add or remove something, you just slide the lever bars back, making the clip look a bit like a clothes pin. You pinch them to open the clip, and when you're done, slide them back down to close it. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1b/f2/b3/1bf2b358f1eb34b8de398070708e9a18.jpg
Now that I travel with the family and I carry quite a bit. I carry not only my passport but my kids' passports, my wife's passport, multiple tickets, you know, baby pacifiers – no, actually they don't fit in this. But you can see this is my big travel wallet. And it looks nice. It holds a lot of information – credit cards, passports. It got zippers. So if I want to carry some loose change or I've got, you know, something small – I actually… https://i.pinimg.com/236x/60/91/4c/60914c3007c594003c5dc03492a50a39--thirty-one-bags-thirty-one-gifts.jpg
We believe in crowdfunding. Thanks to two successful Kickstarter campaigns, we have been able to introduce LensRacks camera gear storage system and LensPacks quick change camera lens caps to photographers around the world. Our backers are very important to our business. Without them, Ansix Designs would not have been able to bring these products to the market. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/8f/72/c0/8f72c09c22f4d94973ff4be547f2ab65--my-thirty-one-thirty-one-gifts.jpg
But now here you can see my billfold — or I'm sorry, my money clip. And what I've got here of course is my money and I got my driver's license and a credit card. And this goes in my front pocket and it won't appear right there, it stays out of the way, it doesn't have much for profile. And that's the best way to not get a mark on the back of your pants because you do not want to have the George Costanza wallet. Just do a search you're going to see the image of the George Costanza wallet. No. You do not want that. What you want is a classic wallet. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fd/f6/b5/fdf6b57deb5c1fe5f36a79ee01e89295.jpg
A wallet is a personal thing. Not only does it literally hold your identity but it speaks volumes about who you are as person—organized, messy, prepared? So when it's time to replace a billfold, it's important to know what to look for. To aid in the pursuit, we tapped Sam Huff, co-founder and creative director of the leather-accessories maker Tanner Goods, to give us six tips for picking the right wallet. https://i.pinimg.com/400x300/b5/e6/0f/b5e60f130bfde385653db3fabcf294aa.jpg
Tyvek® is a highly versatile material perfect for creating slim wallets- it looks like paper but acts like a fabric! While our minimalist wallets can be folded, bent, shaped, and sewn, Tyvek® is incredibly strong and difficult to rip or break. This superior level of durability ensures that your slim wallet or Tyvek bag will last through any challenge life throws at you. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/45/aa/d8/45aad89f98493a29065791cac2123613.jpg
Every woman needs at least one bag that she can depend on: a sturdy, fashionable, useful purse to carry all her essentials wherever she may need to go. Thirty One, a company started to help women own and build their own businesses, offers a wide variety of purses, tote bags, and accessory purses, along with wallets and other key accessories. Varying in size from beach totes and bucket-sized to smaller night-on-the-town models, there is a purse to suit every shopper's personality and wardrobe. Thirty One bags come in many different styles and designs; for example, you can pick out a simple coin purse, a wristlet with room for money, cards, and a phone, organizing cosmetic bags, eyeglasses bags, jewelry bags, and more. Even picking out a simple Thirty One wallet offers the shopper choices in pattern, size, and design. To find Thirty One bags that offer the most functionality to the user, look on eBay to find new, used, and refurbished products. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/74/32/1e74328b29929e1aa78a9d51a66cb8ab.jpg
But now here you can see my billfold — or I'm sorry, my money clip. And what I've got here of course is my money and I got my driver's license and a credit card. And this goes in my front pocket and it won't appear right there, it stays out of the way, it doesn't have much for profile. And that's the best way to not get a mark on the back of your pants because you do not want to have the George Costanza wallet. Just do a search you're going to see the image of the George Costanza wallet. No. You do not want that. What you want is a classic wallet.
The M-Clip V series falls into the latter category. If you're looking for a money clip, you can do no better. More than just a simple folded piece of metal, the V series has an opening mechanism. To add or remove something, you just slide the lever bars back, making the clip look a bit like a clothes pin. You pinch them to open the clip, and when you're done, slide them back down to close it. https://i.pinimg.com/280x280_RS/f6/f9/cf/f6f9cf6fbd27922fd2cdb7883cf66704.jpg
Nowadays, I pretty much use, again, this wallet right here, my money clip. And occasionally, when we travel, I use this one. I will say these big wallets though, you've got to be careful because you're going to find that you're not used to using something this big and you may, and I've done this numerous times, I've left it on the ticket counter, walked away, probably got — and I don't know, maybe feet and I realized, "Oh my gosh." I left the wallet, ran back. Everytime it's been that, I've been very fortunate.
One nice thing about the Rogue Industries wallet is that it's available in a ton of different styles. There are several different kinds of leather, including bison and alligator, and it also comes in nylon. Many of the choices come with an RFID-blocking material integrated into the construction. Once you've settled on a material, there are plenty of color options, too. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d0/47/5c/d0475c370a8aa6907455ebc76063bbf2--my-thirty-one-thirty-one-gifts.jpg?b
The M-Clip V series falls into the latter category. If you're looking for a money clip, you can do no better. More than just a simple folded piece of metal, the V series has an opening mechanism. To add or remove something, you just slide the lever bars back, making the clip look a bit like a clothes pin. You pinch them to open the clip, and when you're done, slide them back down to close it. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/db/85/74/db8574aff5a0390c57d4ef61a2e08333--forever---ideas.jpg?b


text:
What weapons will Russia get before 2025?
Nikolai Litovkin
Sergei Sevryugin
Western sanctions and the current economic crisis are likely to significantly limit the Russian Defense Ministry's ability to expand the country's military hardware, experts believe.
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
The Russian military will have fifth-generation fighters, new intercontinental ballistic missiles, and possibly even the world's first hypersonic missiles. However, the current economic crisis and Western sanctions significantly limit the Defense Ministry's disposable funds and procurement appetites, experts believe.
Russia's current rearmament program, worth 22 trillion rubles ($392 billion), will be completed by 2020, when 70 percent of weapons systems available to troops will be modern.
The military procurement program for the next seven years is due for adoption later this year. A report by the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies suggests that the new document will focus on precision weapon systems and nuclear deterrence. The Russian military is pressing for a procurement budget of 30 trillion rubles ($536 billion) for the period, but experts doubt the Kremlin has the ability to allocate such a sum because of the economic crisis.
Andrey Frolov, editor-in-chief of Eksport Vooruzheniy (Arms Export) magazine, predicts that some of the current program's procurement targets will be included in the plans - particularly the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter jet.
"The government did not have the money to procure 50 of these aircraft as envisaged before the current crisis, so the order will be for a smaller number," Frolov notes. "Apart from the T-50, the country's front-line aviation will get [Sukhoi] Su-34s and Su-30SMs."
The military will also bring in Tupolev Tu-160M2 strategic bombers and 30 Tu-20M3 long-range bombers upgraded to Tu-22M3M standard.
"The Defense Ministry is also planning to finance the development of the [Tupolev] PAK DA next generation strategic bomber, but deliveries of this type are unlikely to begin until the end of the next decade at the earliest," Frolov says.
New ground systems
The bulk of the equipment to be procured for ground troops will based around various vehicles using the universal Armata chassis, principally the T-14 next-generation main battle tank, experts believe. No specific procurement figures have yet been defined.
A T-14 Armata main battle tank on display at the "Russia Arms Expo 2015" exhibition in Nizhny Tagil. / Photo: Donat Sorokin / TASS
The T-14 reportedly costs 250 million rubles ($4.5 million). The standard version is fitted with a 125-mm gun, but the tank can be upgraded to carry a 152-mm version.
The Т-14 has a fire rate of up to 10 rounds per minute and an effective firing range of up to 4.3 miles (7 km). By comparison, the U.S. military's M1 Abrams tank can fire rate just three rounds per minute with a range 2.8 miles (4.6 km).
New missiles
Strategic missile troops will get new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles (ISBM). Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Arsenal Otechestva (Arsenal of the Fatherland) magazine, believes deliveries may start within five years. At least 46 Sarmat missiles are on the Defense Ministry's shopping list.
Apart from the Sarmat, work to develop the Barguzin rail-mobile combat missile system is due for completion by 2020.
The system relies on the use of Russia's railway system, with each unit carrying a payload of six Yars ICBMs on board.
Naval cuts
The crisis will particularly affect the navy, which will get fewer new warships and submarines. Dmitry Litovkin, a military analyst with Izvestia, says the military has to prioritize its procurement targets, so no new warships will introduced in foreseeable future.
"Most likely, Russia will have to abandon the Project 23560 Lider-class destroyer program and postpone until the 2030s construction of the Shtorm [Project 23000E] aircraft carrier, which is expected to carry around 90 fighters, including the naval version of the fifth-generation fighter," Litovkin says.
The new 'Shtorm' aircraft carrier, Project 23E000E. / Photo: Artem Tkachenko
He adds that this year the Russian navy will receive several warships and Project 955 Borey-class submarines that have already been built.
Hypersonic weapons
The defense industry has indirectly confirmed that work is in progress to develop hypersonic missiles, and equipping Russia's forces with such weapons could begin within a few years.
A report on the Defense Ministry's website reads that the arms program for 2018-2025 calls for "completion of the development, and delivery to troops, of fundamentally new hypersonic weapon systems, intelligent robotic systems, weapons utilizing new physical principles, and a number of next-generation conventional weapon systems and military equipment".
During recent tests, Russia's newest Tsirkon anti-ship missiles achieved a speed of 5,625mph (9,000 km/h). However, neither TASS news agency, which broke the story, nor the Defense Ministry has disclosed any details. In fact, there has been no official confirmation of the sensational news.
Experts say that if the report is accurate, the Tsirkon will become the first missile to have broken the sound barrier. Litovkin comments that hypersonic technologies are the key issue in the unofficial arms race between Russia and the U.S.
"The first country to develop missiles capable of traveling at eight to 10 times the speed of sound will have a weapon impossible to detect by contemporary radar," Litovkin explains. "Systems capable of intercepting such missiles do not exist, nor are they going to appear anytime soon."
Read more: Why Russia can, but will not fire nuclear shells from an Armata tank
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
military Sanctions against Russia missiles RBTH Daily Sanctions against Russia


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Hi there! I hope the beginning of your year has been a smashing success and that you are getting into the groove of things. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite activities for teaching story elements, particularly in grades 3+! It's one of the first concepts we cover in reading since it's key that they understand story elements in order to move on to more complex topics like main idea and theme!
Every year, we start by watching movie trailers on Youtube. I pick movie trailers that I know 99% of the kids will be familiar with (Shrek, Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid, etc.) since the trailers don't show the solution and we will need to know it to talk about it! We talk about each of the story elements in the movies. They LOVE this!
Then, we move on to our anchor chart and interactive notebook entry so that we have some good notes to reference and we can anchor our learning.
I decided to use a puzzle comparison to talk about story elements. Every story has just about every single one of these elements, so it's important to remember every piece of the puzzle!
Like always, they create a similar journal entry. On the templates, I have included one without definitions so that you can make them your own or if you prefer to have kids write the definitions, they can do that.
You can download the Story Elements Puzzle Template for FREE HERE!
Then, we use another story that almost all students are familiar with, The Three Little Pigs, and we brainstorm the story elements and put them into our puzzle. Most of the time, we don't even read the story, we just complete the puzzle based off of memory. They love this, and it's a great way to get started. They are solidifying the concepts before they have read anything!
But of course, we are doing all of this with the purpose of preparing them to apply it when they are reading, so we move on to very BRIEF passages to review story elements in texts. We play a game of SCOOT with my multiple choice Story Elements Task Cards so that they can get in a lot of practice identifying the different story elements in a short amount of time. Since they are multiple choice, they are perfect for a game of whole-class SCOOT.
You can purchase the Multiple Choice Story Elements Task Cards HERE!
Next, it's on to our Story Elements Match Up! I have two different versions of this, one that includes basic one liners for the problem and solution and the other that is more of a paragraph describing the problem and the solution. They use fun fairytale and pop culture themes. You can use both sets to differentiate or you can use both sets with all students to scaffold!
You can download the Story Elements Match Up for FREE HERE!
After all of this work, they usually are starting to cruise! Once they have a solid grasp of the concept, I give them one of the extended Story Elements Task Cards to do on the left side of their notebook. There are two versions of this, so for the kids who truly understand it, I give them the version shown below. For students who need a bit of extra help, I give them a simpler version with basic identifying questions about each story element.
I usually have them complete several more of these cards as homework, in centers, as morning work, etc. They are great for review throughout the year as well. You can throw one on the document camera and complete it as a whole class, too!
You can purchase these Extended Differentiated Story Elements Task Cards HERE!
At any given time during our units, we are always working on a novel. During our story elements unit, one of the culminating assignments I have them complete is a story elements tree map from Thinking Maps. Here's an example of one of the tree maps my students made.
You can purchase the Story Elements Reading Response Task Cards HERE!
FINALLY, before I leave you with MANY more Story Elements activities from around the World Wide Web, I want to share with you a book project for Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I fell in love with this book, and I absolutely can't WAIT to have my students read it and complete this yearbook project! I'd love to hear feedback about it and see final pictures. I'll post pictures of ours soon, but I know a lot of teachers teach this as one of their first books, so I wanted to offer it up now if it might help others!
Wonder is also a fantastic book to use to story map the story elements since there is a pretty clear overarching problem and solution as well as several main events. This project also lends itself well to identifying the story elements within the writing that the kids will do.
You can download the WONDER Book Project for FREE HERE!
And now, here are even MORE awesome activities for teaching Story Elements! Click each image to read more.
LOVE this Story Elements Box! What a great idea.
These Story Cubes would be a great culminating activity for story elements!
Story Sticks are the best! You could use regular popsicle sticks to make it a game, where students have to figure out if each stick is a problem, solution, setting, etc.
Here is a fantastic lesson for when you are ready to dig a little bit deeper into plot structure!
Here's another take on the story elements cube-- but it's a story elements kite!
How fun is this Follow the Yellow Brick Road Story Telling Map? Excellent to get kids up and moving!
What a FABULOUS idea for an anchor chart to keep up and keep reusing all year long! You can use sticky notes to change it for each story.
Here's another stellar Story Elements Anchor Chart that shows connections between settings and characters. Her entire blog post about story elements is great, too!
It's the perfect time of year for these Plot Pumpkins! Lovely!


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The Sloane Letters Project
Tag: Abraham Meure
An Eighteenth-Century Love Story
Posted on February 13, 2014 by Lisa Smith - Early Modern History, Gender History, Hans Sloane, History of Medicine, Patients
The Newdigate family became Hans Sloane's patients around 1701, starting with Lady Frances Sedley (née Newdigate), her husband, and father-in-law. By 1705-6, Sloane was treating Elizabeth Newdigate (b. 1682) for colic, hysteria and fever (BL Sl. MS 4076, 1 July 1705, f. 173; 4077, 21 December 1706, f. 164). But Elizabeth's complaints went far beyond the medical.
A letter of 1 November 1706 detailed her illness, penury, and unhappy family situation. Specifically, she blamed the "distruction of my health if not to the loss of life" on her brother and sisters who were "miserably unkind" to her. This was partly financial, as her brother Dick
wou'd not help me to one peny of money when I was sick in London but forsed me to borow of strangers.
Dick had apparently even written to "all my Relations [that] I unjustly demanded mony of him when he was not in my debt".
But the siblings were being unreasonable in another way, too. They had dismissed her illness, telling everyone "that I was distracted and had no illness but that of being in love". She swore innocence in the matter, insisting that she had not even really spoken to the man.
Theodore Lane, A young woman escapes down a rope of sheets, intending to elope with her lover, n.d. Credit: Wellcome Library, London.
Of course, she must have done… or perhaps her siblings had put the idea of an unsuitable match into head. A year later, she married Abraham Meure, the son of a Huguenot schoolmaster–self-styled a "Gent." in the marriage contract of 3 September 1707 (Warwickshire County Record Office, CR 136 C2734).
For a woman from a good gentry family, this was a bad choice of husband. A torn-out page from the family Bible makes clear that Elizabeth had "married herself" (WCRO, CR 136/B830). Her father made the point again in the marriage settlement, promising "That for and notwithstanding the consent and good likeing of the said Sr Richard Newdigate is not obtained", he would still pay her portion. Abraham, nonetheless, does appear to have been a man of some means. Not only did he renounce his claim on and interest in Elizabeth's portion, "out of the great love and affection" he had for her, but he would provide an annuity of £300.
Elizabeth's letter reads like a cry for pity. Perhaps, by playing upon her defenselessness, she hoped to persuade Sloane to mediate on her behalf. Given her eventual success in marrying Abraham, it is entirely possible that Sloane did help. Sloane certainly continued on as physician to the Newdigate and Meure families. And over time, Abraham became a close member of the family, helping his brother-in-law William Stephens during financial difficulties.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth and Abraham's match was short-lived. Elizabeth died on 9 July 1710, just two weeks after giving birth to their son John.
Tags: Abraham Meure, Elizabeth Newdigate, elopement, love, marriage
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Date:October 8, 2020
Caterpillar expands online machine sales, with set pricing, further into lineup
All U.S. Cat dealers are now offering online retail-pricing on several Cat machines throughout its lineup, the culmination of a two-year initiative the company first revealed last fall.
Cat says it's offering retail pricing—which offers customers a specific, set price on a machine—through its dealers on aga-parts.com.
Initially created as a compact equipment initiative, retail prices are now displayed for select machines in most of Cat's major lines. Beyond the compact machine stable of compact track loaders, skid steers, mini excavators and compact wheel loaders, the website is offering retail pricing on a limited number of excavators and wheel loaders, in addition to one backhoe, compactor and utility vehicle.
Still absent are dozers and articulated trucks.
Retail offerings are dealer-specific. For most large machines, after you select a machine category — say excavators — you must first enter your location to view offers. You are then redirected to your local dealer's website.
In one search, we were directed to Altorfer Cat's site, which listed three GC models of excavators (Cat's value machine offering): the 313F GC, listed for $155,525; 320 GC ($187,625), and the 320 GC Tool Control ($194,025). Pricing was also displayed for buckets ($6,752) and hammer bundles ($57,050 unassembled).
On the larger machines, most offerings appear to be limited to GC models. One exception is the 420F2 backhoe, listed at $119,142.
As would be expected, pricing varies by location. The 950 GC wheel loader went for $225,824 in Seattle (NC Machinery) to $235,440 in Houston (Mustang Cat) to $239,837 in both Alabama (Thompson Cat) and New York City (H.O. Penn). Both NC Machinery and Mustang Cat listed their prices as discounts from the original price of $239,837, however.
On the compact side, the retail offerings on shop are more extensive than on the large machine side, although they do not include the full lineup that Cat offers. For example, shop.cat.com offers five compact track loaders, ranging from the 239D3 at $48,067 to the 299D3 at $86,422, and includes cab and canopy versions of the 259D3. The full Cat CTL lineup has eight models plus the 257D3 multi terrain unit.
Again, there are variances in pricing among dealers. NC Machinery, for example, lists the shop.cat.com prices listed above as the starting point, and then shows a monthly payment price as a discount ($1,359.78 on the 299D3, as an example).
Cat says the site also offers machine specifications, product videos and features. Buyers can also choose from different levels of extended protection plans (EPP), attachments, financing options and special financing deals.
The site also offers a monthly payment calculator based on machine configuration, selected EPP and financing options, so customers know the dealer acquisition price and monthly payment. Cat Financial offers financing online, leaving the final paperwork upon machine delivery, Cat says.
"The equipment needs of our customers are immediate, and they typically conduct machine searches while balancing the demands of the project site," says Alex Stokman, Caterpillar North America retail development manager. "This is just one more step in Caterpillar's transformation to deliver a faster-paced sales process. Our dealers are committed to being a one-stop shop for machines, attachments and service solutions."
Categories:Shopping & Product Reviews Comments:0 Author:thveperx
How for you to Defeat a new Holdem poker Bot within On-line Texas holdem poker


and Gemstone solid surface materials for a whole host of different applications.
Its UK based marketing and purchasing teams are continuously researching new decors and materials to keep in the forefront of new and upcoming trends and thus bringing ranges packed with the latest colours, designs and textures. The company supplies product-only and supply-and-fit surfacing solutions for a wide range of residential and commercial projects right across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
While Wilsonart UK manufactures all of its products in the UK, as part of a global Wilsonart Group under their US parent company, Wilsonart UK benefits from sharing technologies and new product development insights with its Europeanbased sister companies, Polyrey in France and Resopal in Germany.
The company's Zenith range is a collection of solid compact worktops available in three distinctive ranges: Zenith Classic, Zenith Pure and Zenith Revolution. At just 12.5mm thick, Zenith is made up of a solid core available in one of three colours, black, white and grey, and creates a contemporary and cuttingedge design statement.
Zenith's solid core offers complete design flexibility and the 100% waterproof surface is ideal for any kitchen or bathroom design. There is a multitude of realistic styles and sensual surface textures to choose from. Zenith Classic is the original collection from where it all started. This collection of solid laminate worktops has a solid black core, combined with innovative surface designs and textures.
Zenith Pure offers an elegant ultra-matt finish and comes in solid decors: black, white and grey. The Pure collection also benefits from anti-fingerprint technology and has solid monochrome tones.
Zenith Revolution aims to change the way we look at design with a collection of next generation's decors, from striking marbles to fossils and sediment stones. Revolution signifies a huge leap forward for solid core, ultra slim surfaces, says the company.
Business manager Gemma Barratt, who is responsible for trend tracking and research, explains: "Thin remains the driving influence in worktop trends. As the first to market we needed to make sure we had the next massive thing in our armoury.
"The three Zenith collections we now have available allow designers even more creativity with innovative, hardwearing surfaces that replicate luxury brands and materials at a fraction of the cost". Earthstone work surfaces are a stylish and practical alternative to quartz or granite work surfaces. Bridging the gap between laminate and granite, Earthstone work surfaces are engineered to meet the everyday demands of the kitchen environment all the while providing a stunning surface appearance. There is a selection of 10 distinct designs.
The full collection is available in a combination of sizes from work surfaces to breakfast bars, all supplied semi-finished, ready for installation.
The key benefits of Earthstone: it's a fraction of the cost of quartz, almost as easy to install as laminate and, unlike real stone, has virtually indistinguishable joints and can easily be repaired if chipped or scratched over time, says the company.
Traditionally, tiles have always been the number one choice for finishing the walls surrounding the kitchen area. However designers are beginning to realise the benefits of incorporating splashbacks or upstands into the kitchen design as they can play a key part in the overall look and feel of a kitchen, as well as providing day-to-day maintenance benefits.
These complementing accessories are available throughout Wilsonart's kitchen worktop collections, including Synergii, Earthstone and Gemstone, to name a few. Splashbacks provide a continuous run of the worktop design up the wall, creating a seamless finish, and are available in 1200mm heights to allow flexibility to cover the entire wall.
Upstands are the perfect alternative to the bold statement of a splashback but still offer the seamless continuation of the worktop design.
UK producer of laminate work surfaces is Wilsonart's sister company Bushboard which has introduced a new Omega collection. Launched using the existing Omega brand, the entire range has been reconsidered to include genuine innovations in edging design, new finishes and decors as well as new profiles.
Neil Horton, commercial director UK and Europe for Bushboard said: "Omega has been much envied and replicated over the years. We have ensured the new Omega collection holds true to its original design integrity and values and advanced it with new decors and textures. New end-grain detail on edging strips to coordinate with the oak finishes really enhances the completed installation".
Bushboard has recently launched Evolve, which comprises ultra-slim solid core work surfaces. Made from a 100% solid core laminate which is just 12.5mm thick, the new surfaces come in a choice of 15 dual-faced, contemporary designs and feature five complementary core colours: white, cream, light grey, dark grey and extra black. And finally there's Wilsonart's visualiser tool which allows the company's range of surface materials and designs to be applied in real-life environments, from work surfaces within residential kitchen spaces to countertops in a commercial retail space.
It also offers the flexibility to change aesthetic elements to create the perfect design that can be saved, printed and shared. The incomparable matt fish of the Pure monochrome collection of laminate worktops is best reflected by Gemma Barratt in setting trends for 2018: "Across many cosmetics, cars, consumer electronics, matt is the dominant look. We are seeing a clear steer away from high-gloss and not just for work surfaces but for cabinetry, flooring, and wall coverings too. Combining the light-enhancing colour-free beauty of Pure with striking marbles, rich woods or opulent statement colours creates a sleek look that works for all kitchen design themes".


In today's economy and job environment, no one's safe or secure. Job security has become a serious concern for everyone, and no one's safe from getting laid-off at a moment's notice. It's pretty bleak, as companies are involved in heavy business restructuring and jobs are, for instance, being outsourced to places where it is cheaper for companies to do business and get work done.
As a consequence, no one's job is completely safe and everyone's replaceable.
Or is that really the case? Are there ways in which we can make ourselves important assets to a company? Ways in which we can ensure that we remain in the company no matter what happens – ways through which we can make ourselves indispensable to our employers?
Show that you are willing and capable to go the extra mile at work. This means that you do a little more than what's expected of you, if you have the time, means and resources to do so. You over-deliver. You add a bit more value to the work that you do. Not only do you get the job done, you go above and beyond of your job description. You take on responsibilities that no one expects you to, and work on things no one else wants to work on.
As the saying goes 'it's not what you know, it's who you know.' Being connected and building and nurturing relationship with people who matter can not only make you indispensable at work, but can take you a long way. Some keys to success when it comes to building strong work relationships include listening to people, giving them your time, being a good communicator, giving and taking feedback, and finally, being trusting and more empathetic towards people.
USP is short for Unique Selling Proposition, a refers to something that you have or possess that no one else does – for instance a particular skill. Being a specialist who's in possession of a skill that no one else does, and one that is valuable to your organization. Make sure that you're the only person there who know how to use his/her skills to get a particular task or job done. And make sure that you advertise your USP.
Having a USP that is unique to you – as well as expanding your skills – will guarantee that you are indispensable at work.
For example CopyBlogger is known for their awesome copywriting articles. Pat Flynn and his blog SmartPassiveIncome.com are known for his "be everywhere" motto.
Look for ways in which you can save your employer money. For instance is the company looking to upgrade it's hardware or software systems, and are you aware of cheaper alternatives or methods that could save the company some money? Do your homework and then go ahead and make the recommendation. Save your bosses some money and you will become one of their core, most-trustworthy employees by default.
For example, you can use coupon sites like RetailMeNot to get coupons and learn about deals from tons of retailers. If you want to save on internet marketing tools and services, bookmark the site IM Discount Bonus and take advantage of the discounts and bonuses that they offer.