text:
HomeSportsChina silent on tennis star Peng Shuai despite growing concern
China silent on tennis star Peng Shuai despite growing concern
Eighteen-time Grand Slam winner Chris Evert on November 14, 2021, became the highest profile member of an increasingly concerned tennis community to raise the question of Chinese player Peng Shuai's safety and whereabouts. — AFP pic
BEIJING, Nov 15 — China kept silent today over growing concern for tennis star Peng Shuai, who has not been heard from since accusing a powerful politician of sexual assault — the first time the #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of the ruling Communist Party.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) called yesterday for Peng's claims to be "investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship", and current and former players have taken to social media to express fear for the safety of the former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion.
Asked to respond to the mounting questions, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: "I have not heard of the issue you raised."
He added that "this is not a diplomatic question" and made no further comment on the fate of the former world number one doubles player.
Details of Peng's reported accusations, made earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her, remain scrubbed from China's Internet. Searches for their names on key portals come back empty.
Searches for her account on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform also returned no results, although the account was still accessible via a direct web link.
China's national tennis association did not respond to AFP requests for comment.
In its statement, the WTA's chairman Steve Simon said the events concerning Peng were "of deep concern" and called for her claims to be "treated with the utmost seriousness".
"Our absolute and unwavering priority is the health and safety of our players. We are speaking out so justice can be done," the statement said.
Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam winner, became the highest profile current or former player in tennis to join social media expressions of concern that have given rise to the Twitter hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Evert called the situation "very disturbing".
"I've known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe? Any information would be appreciated," Evert tweeted.
Earlier this month, Peng, 35, reportedly wrote on social media that Zhang — who is in his seventies — "forced" her into sex and said they had an on-off relationship lasting several years.
The Weibo post appeared to have been deleted quickly and AFP was unable to verify the authenticity of screenshots containing the allegation or substantiate the claims made in them.
China's online censors moved rapidly to erase evidence of the reported allegations and Peng has not been heard from since. — AFP
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Sony has revealed that the new slimmer, lighter PlayStation Vita Wi-Fi model will finally make landfall stateside early next month. The handheld console, already available in Europe and Japan, will arrive as part of a bundle that also includes a copy of Borderlands 2 and an 8GB memory card.
If you aren't up to speed, the new PS Vita Slim features 1GB of internal storage, an all-new LCD screen, improved battery life and a revamped design that is said to be easier to hold. Borderlands, meanwhile, is an immensely successful game that's already shipped more than 7.5 million copies and is on track to becoming the best-selling title developer 2K has ever released.
In addition to Borderlands 2, the bundle also includes six add-on packs for the game including Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, the Psycho and Mechromancer character classes, the Ultimate Vault Hunter's Upgrade pack and the Collector's Edition pack.
It's also worth pointing out that the game is cross-save compatible with the PlayStation 3 version should you also happen to own that.
According to a blog post on the matter, the Borderlands 2 Limited Edition PlayStation Vita Bundle will be available as of May 6 priced at $199.99. The game sans bundle will hit the PlayStation Store for download a week later on May 13 for those not looking to replace their existing Vita.


Today is a Sunday, so that means it's a Xander day! Since becoming a mom I've really had to work on keeping work separate from home. I made a decision to make weekend days home days, but yesterday that didn't quite work out. Work doesn't come home with me anymore, and I only start on blog stuff after he's gone to bed. Today I'm determined to focus on my little love.
We've kinda made a tradition of going to my parent's (Gran Mammie and Grandpa) house on Sundays. My dad always cooks something delicious for lunch, and Gran Mammie loves seeing Xander. It's a nice change of pace to get out of the house, and have some family time. Plus I get to relax a bit while Gran Mammie takes over (I can't get him away from her!).
Today also happens to be my brother-in-law's birthday, so we'll have double family time since my in-laws (Big Poppa and Nana Barb) will be coming to our house this afternoon for the party. It's going to be a very busy day!


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'Filthy and hate-laced': Donald Trump renews attack on 'The Squad' amid race row
It follows a day of arguments between four Democrats and the president over their stance on issues such as immigration.
By Chris Robertson, news reporter
Tuesday 16 July 2019 20:14, UK
Image: 'The Squad' have been repeatedly attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump
Donald Trump has insisted "I don't have a racist bone in my body" as a race row between the president and four Democrat congresswomen escalates.
Referring to tweets he had sent on Sunday where he said the women should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came", Mr Trump came out today to defend himself.
Who are 'The Squad'?
The four women are in the firing line of President Trump, but who are they?
"Those Tweets were NOT Racist," he said.
"I don't have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show 'weakness' and fall into their trap.
"This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat Congresswomen, who I truly believe, based on their actions, hate our Country. Get a list of the HORRIBLE things they have said."
The president went on to list how each congresswoman is polling, before signing off: "See you in 2020!"
It comes after the president stepped up his war of words with the four women, accusing them of saying "filthy and hate-laced things".
US Capitol riots: Police break silence on 'brutal, medieval style combat'
NRA: US gun advocacy group files for bankruptcy
COVID-19: Joe Biden unveils $1.9trn plan to help US fight coronavirus
Dr Dre 'safe and looking good' after hospital stay, says Ice T
Insurrection, impeachment, inauguration
Over the last two days the US president has been engaged in a feud with the foursome known as "The Squad".
Last night, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib held a news conference to urge Americans "not to take the bait", with Ms Pressley adding that Mr Trump's insults were "simply a disruption and a distraction from the callous chaos and corrupt culture of this administration".
Donald Trump has decided he does not want to be President of the United States.
He does not want to be a President to those who disagree.
And he'd rather see most Americans leave than handle our nation's enshrined tradition of dissent.
But we don't leave the things we love. 🇺🇸
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 16, 2019
Hitting back at "The Squad" this morning, Mr Trump tweeted: "The Democrat Congresswomen ave been spewing some of the most vile, hateful, and disgusting things ever said by a politician in the House or Senate, & yet they get a free pass and a big embrace from the Democrat Party. Horrible anti-Israel, anti-USA, pro-terrorist & public...
"...shouting of the F...word, among many other terrible things, and the petrified Dems run for the hills. Why isn't the House voting to rebuke the filthy and hate laced things they have said? Because they are the Radical Left, and the Democrats are afraid to take them on. Sad!"
.....shouting of the F...word, among many other terrible things, and the petrified Dems run for the hills. Why isn't the House voting to rebuke the filthy and hate laced things they have said? Because they are the Radical Left, and the Democrats are afraid to take them on. Sad!
If you come after the President, the Country, the Flag - he's going to defend himself. What the squad doesn't like is that Donald Trump is enforcing the very laws that are on the books that were put there by Congress." Jason Chaffetz. Also, buy Jason's great new book, POWER GRAB!
Responding to the president, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said: "Donald Trump has decided he does not want to be President of the United States. He does not want to be a President to those who disagree.
"And he'd rather see most Americans leave than handle our nation's enshrined tradition of dissent. But we don't leave the things we love."
Hey Mr. President, remember when you bragged about sexually assaulting women, talking about feeling their breasts and genitals, because "when you're a star they let you do it?"
And then you imposed DOE policies to make it harder for sexual assault survivors to report assault? https://t.co/Y2sa2TUcbl
"The Squad" have all been long-time critics of Mr Trump's immigration policy and have criticised the treatment of immigrants in border camps and crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Though Mr Trump suggested they "go back" and later said "you can leave", all four women of colour are US citizens.
Just one, Ilhan Omar, was born outside the US.
Prime Minister Theresa May said Mr Trump's comments were "completely unacceptable", while US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said they showed the president's plan was to "make America white again".
Ocasio-Cortez: Trump can't defend policies so he attacks us
Despite many established Democrats in the US previously appearing to distance themselves from the group, they have now rallied around their colleagues in the face of the president's remarks about them.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
.ai és el domini territorial de primer nivell (ccTLD) d'Anguilla. Està administrat pel govern d'Anguilla.

És popular entre les empreses de la indústria de la intel·ligència artificial (artificial intelligence, AI).

Registres de segon i tercer nivell
Els registres amb off.ai, com.ai, net.ai i org.ai estan disponibles sense restriccions a tot el món. A partir del 15 de setembre de 2009, els registres de segon nivell amb .ai estan disponibles per a tothom a tot el món.

Els dominis costen 100 dòlars per cada període de dos anys. A partir de desembre de 2017, el registre .ai admet el protocol extensible de subministrament (Extensible Provisioning Protocol, EPP). Ara molts registradors venen dominis .ai. Des de llavors, el .ai ccTLD també ha estat popular entre empreses i organitzacions d'intel·ligència artificial.

Registres en el TLD
El .ai TLD destaca per tenir un registre MX, que permet enviar el correu directament a @ai, ja que http://ai és un domini registrat.

Referències

Vegeu també
 Arxius amb extensió .ai
 Domain Name System (DNS)
 Domini de primer nivell territorial

Enllaços externs

Dominis de primer nivell territorial
Anguilla

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Zero: Take Care of Yourself, before anything else.
Drink plenty of water (avoid sodas, and other sugary drinks). Eat. Take your medications. Hold your spouse's hand. Hug your children.
One: Identify Tasks that you can accomplish, to completion, in no more than 1.5 hours.
Making Lists? Focus on the contents of just one room, or on one side of a single room.
Moving damaged contents? Deliberately pick a room, or an area that you want to move in the allotted time. Estimate the time, and do just that area.
Buying replacement clothing? If this looks to be a day long affair, break it into manageable parts.
Looking up replacement costs online, or at a retailer? Focus on a narrow range of items: Dining room table and chairs, living room furniture. Bedding and bedding accessories.
If you find your tasks are taking too long, break them up into smaller parts. Remember, always define a small task that you can accomplish in the approximate time span.
In the beginning, you might want to start with tasks lasting 30 minutes to 1 hour. While you may be tempted, over time, to define tasks that take longer that 1-2 hours, avoid it.
Two: Do one task at a time, and complete it.
Identify the task to yourself before you start it -- know how long you expect it to take, and when you expect to finish it. Then, focus on it, alone, and complete it.
After completing a task -- with each and every one -- take a break.
Pace yourself -- if tasks are taking too long, or you are working too hard, divide the tasks into subparts, and do them one at a time.
During a break, take a few minutes or more. Walk away from the house. Sit under a tree. Walk around the block. Say hello to your neighbors. Then come back, and pick another task.
No matter what, always identify tasks that can be completed in no longer than 1-2 hours, and complete each one before moving on.
At the end of each day, do something completely different. If you can, see a movie. Take sandwiches to a local park, and picnic. Read. Ask your spouse and children how they feel; you don't have to say anything, just listen.
Over time, you may discover that these small breaks get shorter, and you take longer breaks after completing a collection of tasks. No matter what, always stop, relax, and regroup after each task.
Removing and replacing your damaged contents from your house, after a flood, fire or tornado, can be an emotional roller coaster. Because you have to individually identify each thing, as you make lists, take pictures, and price out replacements, you will be flush with emotion and sadness.
There will many things to do, and you may feel overwhelmed. But you can reduce the stress of the complex task ahead, and you can finish and return your life to normal.
These simple rules to reduce the stress, and handle the emotion, of returning your life to normal while you go through the remains of your home and its contents to prepare your property and contents claims.
These rules will provide you a sense of accomplishment, a sense of moving forward each day. They will also preserve your sanity.


text:
Q: Is it possible to setup SSL for AWS public DNS EC2 instance I'm newbee with AWS. I have EC2 instance (windows server + IIS). Does it possible to assign SSL certificate to AWS public DNS (xxx-xx-xxx-xx-xx.eu-central-2.compute.amazonaws.com) ? Can I do that without load balancer ? (OpenSSL for example)
Tried to find  something, but all what I've found
 - use custom domain
 - let's encrypt blocks aws public hosts
I need https for testing purposes and don't want to break brain with DNS changes on hosting.
Thanks

A: Since the certificate is tied to the domain name it would be better to use either your dns provider and create a cname record for the server you are testing with and generate a cert based on that cname or forward your domain to route53 ( after you set it up ) and manage domain mapping within aws with aws route 53 (dns server)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Tae Kwon Do means the way of the hand and foot. It is a traditional Korean martial art that not only provides major physical benefits, but also offers a positive, healthy way of releasing everyday stress and tension.
Paramount Martial Arts Center provides karate for children, teenagers and adults. We pride ourselves on fun, structured classes, taught in a safe and positive environment by professionally trained instructors. Our carefully structured programs go far beyond punching, blocking and kicking. We use the Martial Arts as a means of teaching Life Skills, in order to help improve all aspects of a student's life.
Master Barb Hauger, Began her Tae Kwon Do training in 1983. She quickly realized that the martial arts are much more than blocks, punches, and kicks.
She found that not only did she learn how to defend herself, but her confidence soared and her overall happiness increased.
Now, as an instructor & owner of Paramount Martial Arts Center, Master Hauger strives to give back to students – helping them realize the positive impact of the martial arts. Barb's goal has always been, to help improve as many lives as possible.
1st Degree Black Belt, 1986 from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, World Tae Kwon Do Association.
2nd Degree Black Belt, 1988 from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, World Tae Kwon Do Association.
3rd Degree Black Belt, 1992 from Grandmaster Duk Sung Son, World Tae Kwon Do Association.
Master Certificate, 2010 from American Tae Kwon Do Academy and the Black Belt Promotion Review Board in Valley Forge, PA.
Providing Tae Kwon Do, Korean Karate & Self Defense for kids/adults/families in Somerset County of PA including: Acosta, Addison, Berlin, Boswell, Central City, Champion, Confluence, Davidsville, Fairhope, Friedens, Garrett, Glencoe, Gray, Hidden Valley, Hollsopple, Hooversville, Jenners, Jennerstown, Jerome, Listie, Meyersdale, New Baltimore, Quecreek, Rockwood, Shanksville, Sipesville, Somerset, and Stoystown.


Providing support for a person who has AIDS can be a stressful and emotional experience. You may feel frustrated if the person doesn't want to take all of the medicine prescribed or if he or she doesn't get better despite your efforts. To help manage feelings of frustration, share your feelings with others, including other caregivers, counselors, clergy, or health professionals. Call your local AIDS service organization for support.
Remember that you are not alone. There are others like you who have gone through this experience before. You can gain knowledge and strength from what they can tell you.
When caring for a loved one who is sick, it is important not to ignore your own needs. If you don't take care of yourself, you will not have the inner resources to care for anyone else.


text:
Banff, Aberdeenshire
Town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Human settlement in Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Banbh
Coat of arms of Banff
Location within Aberdeenshire
4,000 (mid-2020 est.) [1]
NJ688642
• Edinburgh
121 mi (195 km)
• London
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Banffshire
Post town
Postcode district
Dialling code
Banff and Buchan
Banffshire and Buchan Coast
List of places
57°40′01″N2°31′26″W / 57.667°N 2.524°W / 57.667; -2.524 Coordinates: 57°40′01″N2°31′26″W / 57.667°N 2.524°W / 57.667; -2.524
Banff (Scottish Gaelic : Banbh) is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron. It is a former royal burgh, and is the county town of the historic county of Banffshire.
Attractions and architecture
Notable residents
The origin of the name is not certain. While it may be derived from the Scottish Gaelic banbh meaning "piglet", a more likely origin is the name being a contraction of Bean-naomh, Gaelic for "holy woman", as this would tie in with the burgh's coat of arms which features the Virgin Mary. [2] William J. Watson writes: "It is true that Banff is Banb in the Book of Deer and Banbh in modern Gaelic—one syllable. On the other hand, banbh, a suckling pig, is not appropriate—one might say it is impossible—as the name of a place or district." [3]
Banff's first castle was built to repel Viking invaders and a charter of 1163 AD shows that Malcolm IV was living there at that time. [4] During this period the town was a busy trading centre in the "free hanse" of Northern Scottish burghs, despite not having its own harbour until 1775. The first recorded Sheriff of Banff was Richard de Strathewan in 1264, and in 1372 Royal Burgh status was conferred by King Robert II, who had a established a Carmelite priory near Banff in 1321. (The priory was destroyed by arson in 1559). [5] [2] By the 15th century Banff was one of three principal towns exporting salmon to the continent of Europe, along with Aberdeen and Montrose.
There was a great deal of lawlessness in seventeenth-century Scotland, and some of the worst offenders were members of the nobility. According to records kept by historian William Cramond, the tolbooth (courthouse and prison) of Banff was, in 1628, the site of an altercation between Lord Banff and James Ogilvie, his relative. Reportedly, he struck James Ogilvie upon the head with a baton during a court hearing. Twenty of his friends and followers then attacked Ogilvie with swords before chasing him into the street and finishing him off with a pistol shot. [6]
Banff and Macduff are separated by the valley of the River Deveron. This unpredictable river was finally tamed by the seven arched bridge completed in 1779 [7] by John Smeaton. An earlier bridge had been built in 1765, but was swept away in 1768. The old ferry was brought back into use, until it was lost in a flood in 1773.
A public meeting was held in 1800 and passed a resolution for the building of a turnpike road between Turriff and Banff as the existing road was in a sad state of repair. Later 19th century transport improvements included the building of two railway lines, from Macduff to Turiff in 1860 and the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway in 1859 which connected to the main Aberdeen to Inverness line. [6]
During the 19th Century the Banff Fishery District (comprising the ports from Crovie to Sandend) was important to the herring trade, with production peaking in 1853 at more than sixty-thousand barrels, of which nearly thirty-four thousand were exported; [8] however, by 1912 production had declined to just over eight thousand barrels.
Currently, the languages spoken in the town and in its vicinity tend to be the Doric dialect of Scots, and English.
Banff Town House
The modern-day town has a golf course (Duff House Royal), beaches, and was home to the Colleonard Sculpture Park, which was relocated to Aviemore.
COAST Festival of the Visual Arts is an annual festival of weekend-long events and attractions in both Banff and Macduff. It runs over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May each year.
The townscape, which is one of the best-preserved in Scotland, has many historic buildings, including fragments of the former royal Banff Castle, a pre-Reformation market cross, a tolbooth, many vernacular townhouses, and a museum donated by Andrew Carnegie. (The market cross has been moved several times, before finding a permanent home on the plainstanes, the elevated stone pavement in front of Banff Town House on Low Street. The crucifix is upon a 1627 shaft.) [9] Close by is Duff House, designed by William Adam in 1730, and one of Scotland's finest classical houses. It is open to the public as an out-station of the National Gallery of Scotland. Also open to the public are the Wrack Woods, due south of Duff House. The woods contain an old ice house, a mausoleum, and a walk to the secluded Bridge of Alvah, a single-arch bridge spanning the river Deveron. The Deveron is known for its salmon and trout fishing.
Low Street
The Town House was built in 1797, designed by James Reid and John Adam. The adjacent spire, named the Steeple, was built in 1764 as a freestanding structure, designed by Adam. The master mason was John Marr. [9]
Wilson's (57–59 Low Street) dates to 1835. It is made of ashlar stone, heading the northern view up Low Street. [10]
A classical triumphal archway leads to the New Market, erected by Provost George Robinson in 1831, celebrates the market's move into the centre from its previous shoreline location. [10]
Tolbooth Hotel (53–55 Low Street) dates from 1801. After the construction of the Town House, the old tolbooth became redundant and was replaced by this hotel. [10]
49–57 Low Street was a Clydesdale Bank in 1837, designed by William Robertson. [11] As of 2020, it is still a Clydesdale Bank.
Carmelite House, at 28 Low Street, was built in 1753 for Admiral William Gordon. [11]
Across the street, the Bank of Scotland building at 29 Low Street was built in 1891. [11]
The Fife Arms Hotel once stood at numbers 8 to 18. Now flats, the hotel replaced the Black Bull Inn, to accommodate visitors to Duff House. [12] The adjacent buildings to the south, numbers 2 and 4, date from the mid 18th century and are in the "older style", with crowstepped with skew putts and harled wings to the rear. [12]
At 1 Low Street is the Court House and County Hall, built late in his life, between 1870 and 1871, by James Matthews. [13] It was built on the former site of the home of Katharine Innes, Lady Gight, who was periodically visited by her grandson, George Gordon (later Lord Byron). [13]
An "excellent, long, narrow street penetrating the heart of the town as the principal entrance from the east," [12] Bridge Street is a collection of 18th-century buildings, many on the north side dating to 1770. [12] McKean also asks visitors to note the Victorian cast-iron columned shop at number 46, the cast-iron pillared shop at number 38, the pilasters and elaborate capitals, circa 1835, on numbers 43–53, the crowsteps on number 23, and the "genteel elegance of number 6", which has a rusticated ground floor and architraved doorway. [12]
Many of the nearby villages also contribute to tourism in the area; in particular Gardenstown and Pennan. Banff's Tourist Information Centre opens during the summer and can be found by St Mary's car park adjacent to Banff Parish Church on Banff's High Street. Their audio tours provide an insight into the town, its history and architecture.
Though no longer a commercial port, the harbour has been subject to redevelopment during the latter half of 2006 and now has a marina which serves leisure traffic and small fishing boats. The newly constructed marina was only accessible +3hrs mlw due to heavy and rapid siltation. By 2012 the silting problem had been resolved and the entrance is kept dredged to Chart Datum which makes it accessible over longer periods of the tide, especially to boats of a metre or less draft.
Institution Terrace
The Old Academy (originally called Wilson's Academy, later Banff Academy) was built in 1837 by William Robertson, financed by money left by James Wilson (d. 1799). [12] It combined the school with the Museum of the Banff Institution for Science, Literature & the Arts, founded in 1828. The Academy is fronted by a wide pedimented portico of six Ionic columns and two shallow end pavilions "with even shallower twinned Corinthian pilasters". The Museum passed into Town control in 1875, and replaced the ancient Turrets building in High Street in 1902. [14]
Back Path
"A beautifully scaled street focused upon the Doric portico of the former Fife Arms Hotel at the bottom," writes Charles McKean. [15] Houses feature crowsteps, but the only individually distinctive one, McKean notes, is number 8—a harled, crowstepped house with the inscribed panel: George Malsie ... Elspet Morison ... 1739 ... God's Providence is our Inheritance. [15]
Banff Parish Church, pictured in 2018
Airlie Gardens, still present, formerly stood to the east of Airlie House, built by the Lords Banff in the late 17th century. Airlie House was displaced by Duff House, before being demolished. [12] Today the gardens are also known as Duff House Gardens.
Banff Parish Church, the parish kirk, was built in 1778 by Andrew Wilson. Its tower and spire were added by Thomas Mackenzie in 1842 to an earlier design by William Robertson. Its chancels and apse were added in 1925. [16]
St Andrew's Church was built in 1833 by Archibald Simpson, while its rectory was built twenty years later by A & W Reid. [16] [17]
St Brandon's, a town house of Sir George Abercromby of Glassaugh, built around 1760. [16] It was built on the site of an earlier townhouse of the Bairds of Auchmedden. It was added to an earlier, late 17th-century harled two-and-a-half-storey block. It was extended further in 1867. [18]
County Hotel, at 32 High Street, was built in 1770 for George Robinson. [16]
Numbers 1–5 High Street—"three substantial houses"—were built between 1760 and 1764. The largest of the three, to the north, was the town house of Lord Banff. They are differentiated by their doorways. [16] Numbers 31–39 pre-date these by a couple of decades. They were reconstructed as four houses with freestone window margins in 1988. [19]
At 45–47 High Street is Shoemakers' Land, built in 1787 and so named, it is believed, due to its use as a Trades Hall. It was reconstructed, in 1975, as three houses for the Banff Preservation Trust. [19]
Forbes House, a tall town house at 77–81 High Street, was built in 1741 for the Forbes of Boyndie. [19]
Boyndie Street
Boyndie Street was the ancient route west to Cullen. [19] Numbers 5–7 date to the 18th century, while, next door at number 9, Boyndie House was built in 1740, its "delicately shaped Dutch-gable to the street. A carved armorial panel is inscribed with IGMS 1740. [19]
The Town & County Club town house, built in 1772, stands at number 11. It is one of the largest provincial town houses in mid-18th-century Scotland. It was built for the George Robinson, and was converted into the club in 1881. Robinson and his son were Provosts of Banff between 1784 and 1831, with only two short interruptions. [19]
Banff has an oceanic climate, with mild temperatures year round.
Climate data for Banff (27m asl, averages 1981-2010)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
13.5 11.3 12.8 11.2 9.9 9.2 10.2 10.4 13.2 12.2 14.8 13.1 141.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours
40.3 64.0 104.4 138.2 189.4 152.2 143.0 147.8 108.5 85.5 47.8 27.1 1,248.2
Source: [20]
Banff railway station (the GNoS line) in 1961
Banff was served by the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway (BPSR) from 1857 (to Banff Harbour station), and the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway belonging to the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) from 1860. The latter went to Banff & Macduff station, almost one mile (1.5 kilometres) from Banff. The GNSR later took over operation and then ownership of the older BPSR line.
In 1872 the line to Banff & Macduff station benefitted from replacement stations closer to the town centre of Macduff; Banff Bridge opened near the bridge between Banff and Macduff, on the Macduff side of the river, with its line then continuing into Macduff railway station. The original Banff & Macduff station closed on 1 July 1872.
All the lines suffered from mid-20th century railway cuts, with Banff Bridge station closing by the end of 1951, and Banff Harbour (known simply as Banff from 1928) closing on 6 July 1964. The nearest open stations are Huntly and Keith, both around twenty miles (thirty kilometres) away.
Banff and surrounding areas have a local Highland League football team, Deveronvale F.C., Junior football club Deveronside JFC, and a rugby team, Banff RFC.
Duff House Royal Golf Club course is bordered by the River Deveron and Duff House.
The town has sports pitches at Canal Park. There are plans to sell the land for construction of a Morrisons supermarket, despite most participants in public consultations opposing the sale. [21] [22] [23]
Thomas Ruddiman (1674–1757), classical scholar, printer and publisher
Walter Ruddiman (1719–1781), printer, publisher and newspaper proprietor
George Duff (1764–1805), British naval officer
James Milne Wilson (1812–1880), Premier of Tasmania 1869–1872
Thomas Edward (1814–1886), naturalist
William Brodie (1815–1881), sculptor
Margaret Catherine Blaikie (1823–1915), Scottish temperance reformer
William Bankier (1870–1949) bodybuilder and strongman
Richard Gordon (1947–2009), author
Sandi Thom (born 1981), singer-songwriter, born in Banff
James McManus (born 1986), rugby league player for the Newcastle Knights in Australia's National Rugby League
Banff and Buchan is a committee area of the Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. It has a population of 35,742. Fishing and agriculture are important industries, together with associated processing and service activity.
Rosehearty is a settlement on the Moray Firth coast, four miles west of the town Fraserburgh, in the historical county of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The burgh has a population of approximately 1,300 with about 25 per cent of pensionable age.
Aberchirder known locally as Foggieloan or Foggie, is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the A97 road six miles west of Turriff.
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement, with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. It is the biggest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landings by UK vessels, according to a 2019 survey.
The River Deveron, known anciently as the Dovern, is a river in the north east of Scotland. The river has a length of 60 miles (97 km), and has a reputation for its Atlantic salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing. In its upper reaches peaty water flows over a bottom of shingle and rock and is fast flowing.
The Frasers of Philorth are a Scottish lowland family, originally from the Anjou region of France. Castle Fraser, their family seat, is in Sauchen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Since the time of Alexander Fraser, 11th Lord Saltoun, the heads of the Philorth family are the Lords Saltoun. The current head of the Frasers of Philorth is Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun, who is Chief of the Name and Arms of Clan Fraser since 1 May 1984, by decree of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The family's arms are "azure, three cinquefoils argent"—three silver strawberry flowers on a field of blue. The heraldic cinquefoil is a stylized five-point leaf; the cinquefoils which appear on the Fraser of Philorth coat-of-arms are specifically strawberry flowers. Only the Lady or Lord Saltoun is permitted to display these arms plain and undifferenced.
Macduff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Banff across the estuary of the River Deveron. Macduff is a former burgh and was the last place in the United Kingdom where deep-water wooden fishing boats were built.
Buchanhaven is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, dating to around 1739. It is one mile north of Peterhead town centre, and near to the mouth of the River Ugie. It has its own school, Buchanhaven Primary School, which caters for children in Buchanhaven and the nearby Waterside estate. It is also the home of Buchanhaven Hearts F.C.
Cornhill is a small village close to Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) to the south of Portsoy. The village was originally a burgh of a feudal barony and is now a farming community.
Sandend is a small fishing village near Banff and Portsoy, Scotland, typical of the area. It was "a considerable seatown as early as 1624".
Inverkeithny is a village in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies near where the Burn of Forgue flows into the River Deveron, 7 miles (11 km) west of Turriff and 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Aberchirder. In 1990, it was described by Charles McKean as "near-deserted".
Fordyce is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that is slightly inland from the point where the Burn of Fordyce meets the sea between Cullen and Portsoy. It has existed since at least the 13th century. In 1990, Charles McKean wrote that Fordyce was "a sheer delight to discover, concealed as it is from the passing eye by hills and rolling countryside".
Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire. It stands by the River Philorth and was originally known as Philorth Castle. The 17th-century Philorth Castle, an L-plan house consisting of a sizeable crow-stepped block, was demolished after a fire in 1915.
Pitsligo Castle is a ruined castle half a mile east of Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Modified in the 1570s by the Forbes of Druminnor, it was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of North-East Aberdeenshire. It is listed by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.
The Reform Monument is a Category B listed monument on Broad Street, at its junction with Longate, in Peterhead, Scotland, built in 1833. A Roman doric column, it is surmounted by arms of Earl Marischal, inspired by the gateway of Inverugie Castle.
Peterhead Town House is a municipal structure in Broad Street, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building, which was the headquarters of Peterhead Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.
Strichen Town House is a municipal structure in High Street, Strichen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building, which was the meeting place of Strichen Parish Council, is a Category A listed building.
Macduff Town Hall is a municipal building in Shore Street, Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The structure, which was the meeting place of Macduff Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.
Cruden Bay Hotel was a hotel in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Following the success of the Palace Hotel in Aberdeen, it was built between 1897 and 1899 by the same owners. It closed in 1932 and was demolished between 1947 and 1952.
Banff Town House is a municipal building in Low Street, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building, which is used as a customer service point and job centre, forms part of a complex consisting of a steeple, completed in 1767, which is a Category A listed building, and a town house, completed in 1797, which is also a Category A listed building.
↑ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
1 2 W. Crammond, The Annals of Banff, Vol. 1, Aberdeen, 1891. (retrieved from Google Books)
↑ The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland (Edinburgh and London, 1926, repr. 1993 by Birlinn Limited), p. 232.
↑ McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 9. ISBN 185158-231-2.
1 2 Cooper, Alan (1999). Old Banff and Macduff. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenalake Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 9781840330854.
↑ "Banff Bridge". Engineering Timelines. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
↑ "Annual Statistics". www.scottishherringhistory.uk.
1 2 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 10. ISBN 185158-231-2.
1 2 3 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 12. ISBN 185158-231-2.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 185158-231-2.
↑ McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 185158-231-2.
1 2 3 4 5 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 185158-231-2.
↑ A & W Reid - ScottishArchitects.org.uk
↑ Aberdeenshire HER - NJ66SE0074 - ST BRANDON'S CLOSE - Aberdeenshire Council
1 2 3 4 5 6 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 20. ISBN 185158-231-2.
↑ "Banff climate information". Met Office. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
↑ Wylie, Kathryn (8 February 2021). "Major supermarket chain eyes up new north-east store as park sale plans take a step forward". Press and Journal. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
↑ Walker, David (21 April 2021). "What do you think of plans to build a new Morrisons supermarket in Banff's Canal park?". Press and Journal. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
↑ Hendry, Ben (11 August 2021). "Councillors urged to sell Canal Park for new Banff Morrisons despite majority opposing plans". Evening Express. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Banff (Scotland) .
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article " Banff ".
COAST festival
A collection of historic maps of Banff from the 1590s onward at National Library of Scotland
Settlements and places of interest in Banff and Buchan, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements
Aberchirder
Gardenstown
Inverallochy and Cairnbulg
Macduff
Portsoy
Rosehearty
Sandhaven
Whitehills
Other settlements
Boyndie
Broadsea
Cornhill
Crovie
Crudie
Fordyce
Gordonstown
Memsie
Netherbrae
New Aberdour
New Byth
Pennan
Rathen
Sandend
Tyrie
Duff House
Findlater Castle
Kinnaird Head Lighthouse
House of Memsie
Memsie Cairn
Areas and primary settlements in Aberdeenshire
(see also: Aberdeen City)
in Banff and Buchan
in Buchan
Boddam
Crimond
Cruden Bay
Fetterangus
Longside
Mintlaw
New Deer
New Pitsligo
St Combs
St Fergus
Strichen
Stuartfield
in Formartine
Balmedie
Cuminestown
Fyvie
Oldmeldrum
Pitmedden
Potterton
Rothienorman
Tarves
in Garioch
Insch
Kemnay
Kintore
Newmachar
in Kincardine and Mearns
Drumoak
Inverbervie
Johnshaven
Laurencekirk
Luthermuir
Newtonhill
St Cyrus
in Marr
Aboyne
Braemar
Lumphanan
Tarland
Torphins
MusicBrainz (area)


Rating: 4 out of 5 beans.
This is a fantastical book about two latch-key siblings, an eleven year old boy, Gregor, and his two year old sister, Boots, who accidentally slip through a portal and plunge into a vast underworld. This strange land is inhabited by humans as well as giant cockroaches, bats, spiders, and rats that each present their own challenges. Gregor soon discovers he must reluctantly participate in an Underland war in order to solve his personal quest to find his missing father. Gregor comes off as a likable multi-dimensional character as he contends with internal struggles, strengths and weaknesses. This is an action-packed,fast-paced,creative adventure that will intrigue those who like to read fantasy series, but crave more complex characters and themes in them.


The Loki Casino affiliate program offers competitive rates. It gives key services affiliates need and adds a little extra to make the experience of working with the casino much better.
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You can use these methods whenever you get your payments every month. This happens once a month, anytime from the first to the seventh. Keep in mind also that affiliates can request for Bitcoin payments if their referred players have set up a positive balance in Bitcoin. You can clearly make money with Bitcoin casino with this program.
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Dyckia brevifolia is a small, clump-forming, terrestrial bromeliad, with somewhat succulent leaves. The individual plants are up to 8 inches (20 cm) wide. The leaves are green with small spines around the margins. The small spikes of beautiful, yellow flowers rise above the foliage.
Dyckias are not technically succulents, as they do not store water in their leaves like true succulents. They are xerographic and survive long periods without water by going dormant. Their rosette of thick succulent leaves will eventually wilt, but recovery is rapid when watering is resumed.
Most of the plants survive in warm regions with heavy rainfall for half the year and very dry conditions the rest of the time. This makes Dyckia care slightly challenging, as getting the right balance of moisture to keep the plant happy may be difficult. The growing conditions in their natural setting should be mimicked as much as possible.
Dyckia brevifolia is endemic to Brazil.
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So far in his career, Justin Upton has made 6,808 plate appearances. Upton has been worth 35.1 Wins Above Replacement and 13.3 Wins Above Average.
After adjusting for length of schedule, catchers, and relief pitchers, the 35.1 WAR becomes 35.1 adjWAR. Then, WAA is adjusted by ignoring negative seasons (thus, truly capturing a player's peak seasons) and making similar adjustments for catchers and relief pitchers. After these adjustments, the 13.3 WAA becomes 15.3 adjWAA.
Then, the adjWAR and adjWAA are combined, but with extra weighting given to adjWAA. This gives Upton 62.6 wWAR. wWAR is then converted to Hall Rating. A Hall Rating of 100 represents the Hall of Stats borderline (similar to OPS+ or wRC+, where 100 represents league average).
Justin Upton has a Hall Rating of 59, meaning he would not be in the Hall of Stats if his career ended today.


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Saudi Aramco signs 10 deals during the Saudi-Korean Investment Forum
DP World withdraws from the offer for the purchase of the port of Haifa
The competent authority for privatization in Israel said the Dubai Ports World Company has withdrawn from a joint offer with an Israeli company to privatize the Israeli port of Haifa.
Israel is selling its state ports and building new private ones in an effort to encourage competition and cut costs.
DP World has entered into an agreement with Israel Shipyards Industries to collaborate exclusively in the privatization of the port of Haifa, one of the two main Israeli ports on the Mediterranean.
But in a statement released late Thursday evening, the Israeli State Corporation Authority said DP World has called for an end to its partnership in this offer, adding that Shipyards Industries asked to go it alone.
Dubai Ports has not made any comments yet.
The joint bid was one of several projects between Israel and the UAE that followed the two countries' agreement to normalize relations last year.
The winner of the tender for the privatization of the port of Haifa is expected to be announced by the end of 2021.
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Adolescence on the Horizon
Embrace the changes and dole out more responsibility to help your child rise to the occasion.
By Scholastic Parents Staff
Every child handles the changes that come with growing up differently. Starting in middle school, you'll witness your child tackling independence in all walks of life, adding new responsibilities at school, at home, and with friends. While it can be a rocky road, there are some sweet rewards on the way.
The adjustment to middle school can be quite a wake-up call. In fact, most kids this age handle the changes much the way they react to a blaring alarm clock: they either groan, hit the snooze button, and roll back under the covers, or jump out of bed right away and rise to the challenge. Your middle schooler may need an extra nudge to accept new schoolwork responsibilities. Without pushing too hard, talk about his goals for school and even his career. These will change over time, but doing his work well now will help him with whatever his future ambitions may be. Some middle schoolers avoid homework because they aren't sure how to handle the new workload. Offer organizational ideas such as an essay-writing plan or a research-report outline.
With encouragement, tweens often will blossom and show increased interest in extracurricular activities. One mom from Fairfield, Connecticut, recalls that sports improved her son's independence: "When motivated by the sports he's involved in, he's very responsible about getting himself up early and arriving on time at practices and games — even getting up early on weekends and in the summer!" It's a joy to watch your child pursue his passions; be sure he knows how proud you are.
What happens around the house as your child takes on middle school? Though tweens are capable of greater responsibility, their busy schedules (and newfound defiance) mean they may balk at new household duties. Assess your child's past habits to help form your expectations for what he can handle. Set guidelines about what needs to get done before he can go to a friend's house or participate in after-school events. Be clear, firm, and fair. If he wants to enjoy his independence, he must earn it by taking on responsibility. Try chores parallel with rewards: if he does his own laundry, you increase his clothing allowance, for example.
For most kids, peer pressure comes on very strong in middle school. So when it comes to your child's social life, seeing him make good decisions can be incredibly rewarding. What kind of rules should you set, and how much freedom should you give?
"Early adolescence is a time for risky behaviors, so parents should be vigilant about standards," says Allan Tasman, M.D., professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. "Kids are going to try things, which may lead to fights, but give clear boundaries and be adamant about the consequences of breaking those boundaries." And yet — here's where it gets tricky! — you don't want to go too far. "Parents sometimes impose too much during a period where kids are creating distance," says Tasman.
As you watch your child move forward into the world of middle school, stop and take notice. See how he rises to accept the responsibilities ahead of him. This new independence will continue evolving — so if there are bumps in the road, you'll be there to help steer him towards adulthood.
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Making plans for your tween is a summer essential.
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Is your child tuning you out? Avoid discipline problems by tweaking old tactics to fit new circumstances.
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Creating board games involves kids in researching, reading, creative thinking, logical thinking, and experimenting.
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Get advice from a veteran educator on how to help your child succeed in middle school and beyond.
5 Tips for Building Self-Confidence Through Spelling Bees
Empower your children to feel confident in their spelling abilities.
Dazed and Distracted
Help your preteen cope with the enormous changes in her life so her schoolwork doesn't suffer.


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Guide for Reintegration of Returnees in Armenia (Armenian)
The Guide describes the role and functions of State and non-State bodies in reintegration of returnees; covers the various issues related to reintegration such as citizenship, residence, return documents, entry to Armenia and registration; pensions and benefits; economic and social reintegration;… Read More
Guide for Reintegration of Returnees in Armenia
IOM Armenia Factsheet 2010 (Armenian)
The factsheet accounts on IOM's programme activities and operations in Armenia. It describes IOM's main achievements in Armenia in the following fields: Technical Cooperation on Migration, including policy reform and Capacity Building in Migration Management; Labour Migration; Combating… Read More
IOM Armenia Factsheet 2010
Referral Guide for Reintegration of Returnees in Armenia
Reintegration is an important element for ensuring the sustainability of return. The Referral Guide for Reintegration of Returnees in Armenia was developed to serve as referral mechanism for all the bodies involved in reintegration of returnees.
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Profile of Potential Labour Migrants: Analytical Report on a Sample Survey Conducted in Armenia (Armenian)
The needs assessment was administered to 300 potential migrants in Armenia to measure the demographic characteristics, social description of potential migrants, their migration preferences, as well as to identify the sources of information for the migrants. The findings of the needs assessment… Read More
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Assessment of health related factors affecting reintegration of migrants in Armenia (Armenian)
The report assesses the relevant laws, policies, services and infrastructures available in Armenia for returning migrants with acute health problems and their degree of implementation. It identifies the gaps in health care system for migrants and returnees with medical problems and suggests… Read More
Assessment of health related factors affecting reintegration of migrants in Armenia
Challenges in the Reintegration of Return Migrants with Chronic Medical Conditions
This report provides insight into the lived reality of voluntary returnees with chronic medical conditions who returned to Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ghana, UNSC resolution 1244-administered Kosovo, Mongolia and Morocco. The report was developed in the framework of the IOM project Measures… Read More
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The Amazon Picking Challenge 2016 was held during RoboCup 2016, the famous international robot competition which is held from 29 June to 3 July in Leipzig, Germany. During this challenge, robots autonomously retrieved a wide range of products from a container and put them on the shelves.
This competition was to build their own robot hardware and software that can attempt simplified versions of the general task of picking items from shelves. The challenge combines object recognition, pose recognition, grasp planning, compliant manipulation, motion planning, task planning, task execution, error detection and recovery.
This was the second annual Amazon Picking Challenge, first one was held at ICRA 2015 and Team RBO was the winner.
The challenge 2016 was divided into two separate finals – picking and stowing finals: during the 'stow task' the robots, equipped with grippers, had to autonomously retrieve a wide range of products from a container and put them on the shelves. With the 'pick task', it was the other way around: the robot had to retrieve items from the shelves and put them in a container. The full rule of challenge can be read here.
Team Delft won the stow task finals by collecting 214 points. Second came NimbRo Picking (186 points) and the team from MIT ended third (164 points).
The pick task finals proved to be nerve wracking. Both Team Delft and the Japanese team PFN collected 105 points. What followed was a 'photo finish', whereby the jury analysed the first pick of the two teams. The fastest team would win. With a difference of about half a minute, that proved to be Team Delft. NimbRo Picking ended second.
The team built a flexible robot system based on industry standards. The system is equipped with a robot arm with seven degrees of freedom, high-quality 3D cameras and an in-house developed gripper.
To get the job done, the robot needs to deal with unsolved problems for automation. "The robot needs to be able to handle variety and operate in an unstructured environment. We are really happy that we have been able to develop this successful system", says Carlos Hernández Corbato from TU Delft Robotics Institute.
Kanter van Deurzen from the company Delft Robotics points out some of the key success factors of the team's preparations, "We built a very robust system that hardly makes any mistakes in picking the products, thanks to our expertise in bin picking". In addition, the robot chooses the maximum of points that can be scored for each product to pick.
Team Delft was one of 16 finalists for the Amazon Picking Challenge, and is a collaboration between TU Delft Robotics Institute and the company Delft Robotics. Team Delft is supported by RoboValley and the EU project Factory-in-a-Day.
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Multiple Award Winning Author Dr Nicole Announces All 8 Children's Books In The Felix And Booboo Series Have Received 5 Stars Readers' Favorite Reviews And Are Available In French And English
Mar 30, 2018 | Art
Dr. Nicole is a multi-award winning best-selling author, based in Quebec. She writes children's books that educate, inspire and teach valuable life lessons.
WILMINGTON, NC, March 30, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ — Multi-award winning children's book author Dr. Nicole has announced eight new children's books in the Felix and Booboo series. The full series of books is available in both French and English. All of the books in the series can be used by educators and medical professionals to help kids understand that some medical conditions are normal and are not to be feared or avoided. All of them received 5 stars review from Readers' Favorite.
The eight English books in the Felix and Booboo series include:
Amy Has A Rash – Chickenpox
Lea Does Not Feel Well – Gastroenteritis
Maya Visits Her Doctor – Vaccinations
Maya's Head Is Itching – Lice
Special Food For Sam – Allergies
Felix Is Curious About His Body – The Human Body
Lucas Has An Earache – Otitis
Charles Hurt Himself Playing – Broken Arm
"Writing children's books is a way for me to give back and be a positive resource to the community. It is a way that I can positively express myself while having some fun and at the same time be a positive role model for both children and caregivers. I am very proud to receive the highest review from Readers' Favorite for my books. Next month, Publisher's Weekly will publish a Q and A on my work."
In the traditions of Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss, Dr. Nicole breathes life into inanimate objects and wildly entertaining characters that engage children in powerful ways. Through the parent/child interaction, her works develop a love for reading while helping children develop the most important skill of all – critical thinking. If a child can master the art of critical thinking, nearly everything else falls into place.
Dr. Nicole's books have won a large number of international awards. A full listing of the awards can be found on her website.
All of Felix and Boobo books have received highly favorable reviews. In a recent review for one of the books, Vernita Naylor, a reviewer for Readers' Favorite stated, "Children have a lot of questions and the books in the Felix and Booboo Series have the answers. To keep your child engaged in learning, Dr. Audet has posed questions for your child to help gauge their understanding of the subject, while giving advice to parents as well." Mamta Madhavan added: "Dr. Nicole Audet's Felix and BooBoo series is a must-have in all homes and school libraries as the author discusses falling sick and visiting the doctor in a fun way, and her characters in these books make the stories interactive for young readers."
Dr. Nicole also received recognition as one of Quebec's Top 10 Women by the Maman Dion Foundation. The Maman Dion foundation was founded by Thérèse Tanguay-Dion, known as Maman Dion, a television personality and the Céline Dion's mother. The Maman Dion Foundation is an educational foundation that provides support to underprivileged children in the form of clothing, eyewear and school supplies.
Dr. Nicole has sold over 150,000 books in her career. She is highly regarded for her work with children's books and a health guide for families. Her goals are to create in children a love for reading and to create interaction and engagement.
No-charge copies of any of her books are available for University teachers, journalists and members of the media who provide email, website, mail address and phone number.
Dr. Nicole is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below. Journalists who wish to receive a copy of the books for review or might wish to schedule an interview can email [email protected]. All of her English and bilingual works are available on Amazon, AuthorHouse, and other quality book retailers. Free coloring pages are available upon request by sending an email to the author. More information is available at her website at http://www.DrNicoleBooks.com.
Dr. Nicole Audet holds a Master degree in medical education. She is a professional writer and an engaging speaker. She has worked in Clinical Practice (emergency, family doctor office, University of Montreal affiliated teacher and Lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics of McGill University). She has been the Editor in Chief of the French medical magazine 'Le Médecin du Québec'. She has presented at many international, national and provincial medical congresses and has managed medical teaching clinics, medical magazines and medical research in computer science. Her books have received many international and national awards.
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Managed Security Services and Penetration Testing have gained increased visibility and importance due to the increasing severity, damage, frequency, and expansiveness of large-scale cyberattacks. Enterprises in all spaces, but especially in SaaS and security-related services, are concerned about security penetrations and data breaches. Their planned investments in these categories are necessarily increasing. Aside from the reputational hit and disruption, such security failures can severely impact the value of the company, as well as cost considerable sums for remediation and potential claims.
Looking back to the 2013 Target data breach, it cost Target $18.5M[i] to settle the case. But the true cost was incalculably more, with some low estimates starting at $300M due to damage to their brand, as buyers, uncertain about the safety of their data, stayed away for a long time. More recent examples include Marriott (2018), Equifax (2017), and Yahoo! (2016), each of whom averaged costs of $347 million for legal fees, penalties, and remediation. Beyond just legal fees alone, Marriott uncovered the breach while seeking GDPR compliance and the company was fined $912 million under that rule.[ii]
Over the last two years, we have received an alarming number of reports of companies who have been hacked. Some were mere disruptions, for example, in a wholesale distribution business. Conversely, for others in the SaaS and managed security verticals, the damage has been severe—almost end-of-life—for some companies. Mergers and acquisitions have been canceled because of security breaches. Company values have been severely damaged. We have even observed companies forced to consolidate or merge because of the damage that has been wrought.
In one example, the security team petitioned for more funding to invest in improving their security apparatus. Unfortunately, the request fell on deaf ears, based on their company's budget priorities. Sadly, several months later this company was significantly damaged from an attack that might have been prevented had the original request for funding been approved. This attack caused enough damage that the company ended up being sold to another company, under a different brand. These potential issues are pervasive and can affect the future of these enterprises.
The heightened level of awareness has become even more acute with the highly-visible recent hacking activity that has affected myriad companies and governmental organizations like the US Commerce Department.[iii] [iv] Accordingly, enterprises are giving more attention to their security systems and reducing risks. However, all businesses have myriad competing priorities that also need to be addressed. So, while the problem is known, it is still a challenge to obtain appropriate funding in the face of competing priorities.
One possible solution that we've observed with many of our clients: As a result of the cost savings that AIQ projects deliver, many CFOs will reinvest a portion of the savings back into the business for critical initiatives, while also using the balance of the savings to improve the company's EBITDA financial results. The portion reinvested into the company helps create better alignment with the business. For important cases such as reinvesting into security infrastructure, reinvesting savings is a reasonable measure that can be taken to improve your company's security profile. Even though the demand for increased penetration testing has been increasing, AIQ still finds significant opportunity to reduce the per unit cost for the service. This is because there is an expansive list of qualified, well-recognized service providers who have an appetite to expand their market share.
Since AIQ predicts savings at a 95% confidence level ahead of engagement, AIQ projects enable the enterprise CFO to anticipate and budget for the savings that AIQ projects deliver. For example, by collaborating with AIQ, you could reduce your current per-unit cost for penetration testing—or any other ongoing service—without reducing quality or quantity, and reinvest the savings into improved security. Since it takes an enterprise a while to assess needs, plan, and execute, you can do that work ahead of time with the knowledge that you will have budget within a few months to invest based on "found money" from an AIQ savings project. Typically, AIQ produces savings of around 40% in over 100 categories of technology service-related spends. So, depending on your enterprise's current expense, there may be significant latent savings, and therefore budget, available to improve your threat resistance. For example, you may be able to invest in additional testing or additional security systems, such that you can further secure your enterprise beyond what could have otherwise been supported with existing budgeting and investment limitations.
If you have any questions or you'd like to talk to AIQ, please do get in touch. Our contact information is below:
This article was authored by Brad B. Buxton, CEO, and Bruce A. Hallberg, Principal, of AIQ.CO
AIQ relied on data from the AIQ knowledgebase and first-hand knowledge for this article. AIQ is careful to only discuss market data and trends in the aggregate, engages exclusively under Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreements, and never discloses personally identifiable or client information. © AIQ, 2021
[i] Reuters (2017, May 24). Target Settles 2013 Hacked Customer Data Breach for $18.5 Million. NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/target-settles-2013-hacked-customer-data-breach-18-5-million-n764031
[ii] Zurkus, Kacy (2019, May 15). Companies' Stock Value Dropped 7.5% after Data Breaches. Infosecurity Magazine. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/companies-stock-value-dropped-1/
[iii] Fung, Brian and Marquartdt, Alex for CNN (2020, December 14). US agencies investigating hacking of government networks. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-agencies-investigating-hacking-of-government-networks/ar-BB1bTJjv
[iv] Bossert, Thomas (2020, December 16). I was the Homeland Security Adviser to Trump. We're Being Hacked. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/opinion/fireeye-solarwinds-russia-hack.html?smid=em-share
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Max Ulrich Rapold (* 3. Februar 1925 in Rifferswil; † 22. September 2006 in Schaffhausen; heimatberechtigt in Rheinau ZH und Zürich) war ein Schweizer Journalist und Verleger.

Leben
Rapold wuchs bis zum Beginn des Zweiten Weltkrieges in Stuttgart auf, wo er die Schulen besuchte, ehe die Familie in die Schweiz übersiedelte. Hier besuchte er die Schulen in Hausen am Albis und Zürich. Von 1943 bis 1945 absolvierte er das Oberseminar in Zürich. Nach der Offizierschule studierte er an der Universität Zürich Jurisprudenz und wurde 1958 mit einer Dissertation über «Demokratie und Wirtschaftsordnung», die er bei Hans Nef verfasste, promoviert. Danach erwarb er das Anwaltspatent.

1960 trat er in den Verlag Meier + Cie AG in Schaffhausen ein und wurde Assistent und Stellvertreter des Verlegers und Chefredaktors der vom Verlag herausgegebenen Schaffhauser Nachrichten, Carl Oechslin. Nach dessen Tod war er 1971 bis 1994 sein Nachfolger als Verleger und Chefredaktor, 1971 bis 1999 Vorsitzender der Geschäftsleitung und 1971 bis 2005 Verwaltungsratspräsident der Meier + Cie, danach bis zu seinem Tod Ehrenpräsident.

Rapold setzte sich bei der Mehrheitsaktionärin des Unternehmens, der Carl-Oechslin-Stiftung, deren Präsident er von 1971 bis 2006 war und die er zusammen mit Marianne Oechslin gegründet hatte, für die Eigenständigkeit und liberale Grundausrichtung der Schaffhauser Nachrichten ein und trat als Gegner des EWR- und des EU-Beitritts der Schweiz auf.

1980 bis 1992 war er Präsident des Schweizerischen Verbands der Zeitungs- und Zeitschriftenverleger (heute Verband Schweizer Medien), danach bis zu seinem Tod Ehrenpräsident. 1988 bis 1994 war er Mitglied des Verwaltungsrates der Schweizerischen Depeschenagentur (SDA). Er war langjähriger Sekretär und Stiftungsratspräsident der Vereinigung für freies Unternehmertum.

Rapold starb nach langer Krankheit im Alter von 81 Jahren.

Privates
Seine Eltern waren der Lehrer und spätere Tenor und Gesangslehrer in Stuttgart August Rapold und Emma Rapold, geborene Bär. Einer seiner Brüder war der Generalstabsoffizier Hans Rapold. Rapold war seit 1954 mit Connie Houwert, geborene Sigg, mit der er vier Söhne hatte, und seit 1972 mit Eve Welters verheiratet. Er war Mitglied der FDP.

Publikationen
 Unternehmerische Impulse für die Welt von morgen. 6 Vorträge, gehalten an der 34. Wintertagung der Vereinigung für freies Unternehmertum vom 24. Januar bis 26. Januar 1986 in Engelberg. Herisau 1986.
 Demokratie und Wirtschaftsordnung. Ein Beitrag zur sozialwissenschaftlichen Grundlagenforschung. Polygraphischer Verlag, Zürich 1959 (zugl. Diss. Univ. Zürich).

Literatur
 Norbert Neininger: Zum Gedenken an Max U. Rapold. In: Schaffhauser Nachrichten. 27. September 2006, S. 17.

Weblinks

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Einzelnachweise

Zeitungsjournalist
Journalist (Schweiz)
Chefredakteur
Herausgeber
Person (Schaffhausen)
Schweizer
Geboren 1925
Gestorben 2006
Mann
FDP-Mitglied (Schweiz)


You too can grow mushrooms at home. It's easier than you think!
Buy a mushroom cultivation kit: If you are a beginner, buying a kit really helps you get a feeling for how mushrooms grow. See our Cultivation Supplies links page for kits.
Purchase spawn: From a local or online supplier and inoculate your own substrate, for example straw. This part is easy.
Make your own mushroom cultures and spawn: This is challenging. You will need a sterile workplace and a means of sterilizing agar and grain. For a sterile work area you will need glove box or for sterilization you will need a pressure cooker or autoclave.
Oyster Mushrooms are the easiest species to grow.
Beginners should start with Oyster mushrooms.
Obtain a culture started from spores (e.g. a clean spore print) or by cloning a fresh mushroom.
Beginners should proceed to step 3 and purchase ready-made spawn from a supplier.
Obtain spawn for your species of choice.
Purchase spawn from a mushroom cultivation supplier.
Decide what material (called the substrate) that you want to grow you mushrooms on. See page on Commonly used substrates.
Treat your substrate of choice. Treatments include pasteurization, sterilization, lime bath, peroxide bath and "cold fermentation." See page on Preparation of Substrates.
Inoculate your substrate with the spawn.
When the little mushrooms (called "primoidia") first appear (called pinning), put the substrate with primoidia in an environment with the recommended conditions to promote fruiting. This will mean controlling temperature, light, humidity, and air flow that your chosen species likes.
Harvest your mushrooms! Ideally, just before spores are released.


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Facebook: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts
URL: https://www.facebook.com/
Founded: February, 2004
CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California
Employees: 10,955+
Facebook Statistics
Total Number of Monthly Active Users: 2.23 billion
Total Number of Mobile Monthly Active Users: 1.74 billion
Total Number of Desktop Daily Active Users: 1.47 billion
Total number of Mobile Daily Active Users: 1.57 billion
Facebook Stories Daily Viewers: 150 million
Facebook Advertising Statistics
Facebook has over 5 million advertisers as of 2017.
93% of marketers use Facebook advertising regularly.
Images account for 75-90% of Facebook advertising effectivity/performance.
20% of Facebook's mobile ad revenue comes from Instagram.
The Average CPC for Facebook Ads Is $1.72, Average CTR is 0.9%, and Average CPM is $7.92.
Facebook's share in the global digital advertising market is 19.7%.
Facebook Demographics
Facebook users are 53% female and 47% male.
83% of all women & 75% of all men who use the internet are on Facebook.
The average Facebook user has 155 "friends".
62% of online users aged 65+ are on Facebook.
72% of online users aged 50-64 are on Facebook.
82% of college graduates are on Facebook.
72% of online users of income more than $75K are on Facebook.
85% of Facebook's daily active users come from outside the US/Canada.
The largest population on Facebook is from India with over 270 million users, followed by 210 million from the US.
Brazil and Indonesia both have around 130 million users.
Asia has 894 million Facebook users.
Europe has 376 million Facebook users.
Facebook Fun Facts
Facebook accounts for over 42% of monthly social media visits.
5 billion comments are left on Facebook pages monthly.
42% of customer service responses happen during the first 60 minutes.
The Facebook like button has been pressed 1.13 trillion times.
As of January 2016, 100 million hours of video has been watched on Facebook Daily.
The average time spent on Facebook per visit is 35 minutes, up from 20 minutes previously.
Every 60 seconds there are: 317,000 status updates; 400 new users; 147,000 photos uploaded; and 54,000 shared links.
More than 85% of daily active users are outside the US and Canada. This number has grown from 75% in the previous year.
Facebook gets over 8 billion average daily video views.
85% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound off.
Captioned video ads can increase video view time by an average of 12%.
80% of users are annoyed when videos auto-play sound, and it gives them a negative impression of your brand.
350 million photos are uploaded every day, with 14.58 million photo uploads per hour, 243,000 photo uploads per minute, and 4,000 photo uploads per second.
20% of videos are Live Broadcasts.
Every 20 minutes, 1 million links are shared, 20 million friend requests are sent, and 3 million messages are sent.
55 million status updates are made every day.
Facebook is available in 101 languages with over 300,000 users helping in translation.
Please link back to this page when referencing any of these statistics.
If you have any more interesting facts or statistics, please share them with us, and you will be credited with a free do-follow backlink.


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Label Craft is a manufacturer of self-adhesive labels in Dublin, Ireland. They proudly boast of being able to supply a complete innovative label solution for any business. Naturally time is critical in delivering products and services to their clients, so they turned to a Gypsol's thin TS-20 screed to provide the solution to their print room floor refurbishment.
The client's Production Manager, Mr John MacDonald confirmed the printing machine "has to be level otherwise the machine won't work" and in early September, Gypsol TS20 Screed was poured on a Saturday morning providing a flat level and very thin layer to the existing uneven surface. Part of the external wall was removed to allow for safe moving of a Heidelberg printing press weighing 6 tonnes.
Due to the physical strengths and rates of drying of Gypsol's TS20 screed and the very speedy un-bonded installation, the client was able to minimise production delays and re mount the press onto the freshly screeded floor after just two weeks. Paul O' Kane (pictured lower left) from Green-House said the screed was "fantastic and the job worked out extremely well".


PHARAOH was right. He did not know the Lord; therefore, how could he hear and obey God's voice? I have never heard the voice of the Lord. Never, that is, in the same way I am able to hear others when they speak to me. However, I am convinced that I have heard God in many ways -- mostly quiet ways. God speaks from the pages of the Bible, from pulpits, in friendly conversations. And our Creator's voice speaks to us from the magnificent outdoors and splendors above.
We may also hear God's voice in a newborn baby's cry as it alerts us to its promise as God's child and calls us to consider the paths it must walk on the way to becoming the person God foresees. God's voice speaks out beneath the noises of the day when listening is most difficult, as God slips in quietly through the din.
Pharaoh would not obey the voice of someone he did not know. We are blessed that we can hear and know God's voice.
Gracious Lord, you have given us ears to hear and hearts to receive. Now we pray for the will to obey your voice that we know and trust. Amen.


In recent weeks, we have seen a flurry of "studies" on the No Child Left Behind Act that seem to conclude that it is a wonderful thing. I suggest it is time we look behind the headlines.
The latest study, commissioned by the Educational Testing Service, concludes that when the public learns more about this federal law, they tend to like it better. ("To Know NCLB Is to Like It, ETS Poll Finds," June 20, 2007.) Now, far be it from me to suggest bias here, but one must ask: Who has benefited the most from No Child Left Behind? Would it be the teachers, who have faced pressures complying with regulations that bear little relationship to sound educational practice? Perhaps it is the children, who have seen their classroom studies narrowed to allow for more time for testing and test preparation? No, so far the greatest beneficiary of this law is the testing industry, which has had more business than it can handle. This has led not only to higher profits, but also to inaccurate results and huge errors in scoring and reporting.
For more discussion on this topic, read the edweek.org blog, NCLB: Act II.
So, a testing-industry study that shows that a law which requires massive testing is a popular thing seems unworthy of the coverage it has received.
The proponents of the No Child Left Behind law are fond of pointing out that whatever gets tested gets taught. True. And whatever does not get tested gets left behind. There is little doubt at this point that NCLB has narrowed the curriculum and focused on test results to the exclusion of a broader educational experience. And there is little doubt that overemphasizing results on a standardized test leads to more standardization and less innovation and creative expression—the coins of the realm in the global race for success.
Having the testing industry study the results of a massive program of testing is like having the cigarette industry do a study of lung cancer.
The AASA dug deeper, underneath the bumper-sticker goals of No Child Left Behind. We asked whether it was a good idea to emphasize testing so much that it takes away time for learning, whether testing kids in English who don't speak English was reasonable, and whether it made any sense to treat a school that had fallen down in one area the same as another that had failed in all areas. The conclusion by the public was that it didn't.
In another recent NCLB study, the Center on Education Policy, which at least has no dog in the fight, found that after five years of placing a huge emphasis on testing, test scores have gone up. I am sure. Put pressure on the teachers and administrators in our public schools to produce higher test scores and they will do that. Ask them, however, whether the children actually know more and they will tell you that this isn't the case.
An educational program built around tests has the same validity as a nutritional program built around Twinkies. Twinkies provide instant gratification, but it is hard to build a case that they provide the same nutritional value as a balanced meal. Some might even argue that the sugar and calories have a deleterious effect on one's health.
The No Child Left Behind Act is currently undergoing reauthorization by Congress. People who have a vested interest in seeing that the law is renewed are lining up to ensure that it is approved with as few changes as possible. Many have no clue as to what broad effects this legislation has had on our nation's children or our ability to compete internationally. Perhaps before building a case for No Child Left Behind, we need a conversation on what we really want from our educational system—higher tests scores or children who can fulfill their possibilities. Those are not necessarily one and the same.
Paul D. Houston is the executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, in Arlington, Va.
"To Know NCLB Is to Like It, ETS Poll Finds," June 20, 2007.
"State Tests Show Gains Since NCLB," June 6, 2007.
"NCLB Seen as Largely Ineffective, PDK-Gallup Poll Finds," August 30, 2006.