The importance of art… Especially after a brain injury!
If you're reading this and thinking to yourself 'I can't draw' that doesn't matter, Art is so much more than that! Especially after a brain injury. Experiencing Art after a brain injury becomes more about you, how you choose to express yourself, how your mind opens up, how you relax, how ideas slowly bloom, how you find a new confidence within yourself because of the things you're creating and how you learn new things.
I've also found that experiencing Art after a brain injury becomes more fun. It becomes a positive, inspiring, hands on experience that brings people together.
I've recently started working at Headway Glasgow where I run the morning Art Group and help out in the afternoon one. We've gotten nice and messy with charcoal, spilled ink while making beautiful patterns, made collages with paper cut outs of our hands, made flowers out of our hands, made self portraits using magazines, closed our eyes while drawing, not looked at the paper while drawing, turned scribbles into drawings and I've even found myself being inspired by nature and picking leaves up to paint later because of all of their beautiful colours.
As long as you're happy and expressing yourself that's all that matters.
Onto the scientific part of Art now; it contributes beautifully to cognitive rehabilitation. It helps to improve focus and concentration, visual perception, motor skills and even problem solving. It turns your brain on while also turning it off to all the distracting thoughts that can overwhelm you at times.
Do you go to any local Art groups? How have you found Art since your brain injury?
Next Post #BrainQA, Question 21: What are the positives since your brain injury?


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RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF ADDICTION
Overdose Death
OCTOBER 27, 2020, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm AZ Time
Join Dr. Michel Sucher and Stephanie Siete from Community Bridges as they inform us of the signs of addiction and substance abuse.
THIS IS A FREE ONLINE EVENT; YOUR LOVE DONATION IS APPRECIATED!
YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION UPON REGISTRATION
MICHEL A. SUCHER, MD DFASAM
Dr. Sucher was educated at Wayne State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1968 and a Medical Degree in 1972. Dr. Sucher's internship was at Sinai Hospital of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan and he underwent residency training at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 1974 through 1994 Dr. Sucher practiced emergency medicine and served as emergency department director at two Honor Health facilities in Scottsdale (Osborn and Shea). He served as President of the Medical Staff of Scottsdale Healthcare (now Honor Health) Osborn during 1994.
He practices addiction medicine and served as the medical director of the physician health program/professional health programs for the Arizona Medical Board and the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners from 1992 until November, 2019 when he transferred those programs to Community Bridges, Inc. He was also President of the California Physicians Health Program from its founding in 2008 until May 2020. He has served as the President of the Nevada Professional Assistance Program since August 2017. Additionally, he serves a consultant in addiction medicine to most other healthcare regulatory agencies and boards in Arizona.
He has served as the Acting Medical Director of the Division of Behavioral Health at the Department of Health Services, State of Arizona (2005-2006). Additionally, he served as the Acting Medical Director of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services at the Department of Health Services, State of Arizona (2002-2004). He served as the Chief Medical Officer for Community Bridges Inc. which is a community substance abuse and mental health treatment program in the greater Phoenix area and throughout the state of Arizona from 2002 until April, 2020. He was appointed to the CBI Board of Directors in April, 2020 upon his retirement as CMO.
He also served as the medical director for Community Medical Services from 2011-2016, which is the largest opioid treatment program in Arizona and also has programs in Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Alaska.
Presently, as a consultant to Community Bridges, Inc. he serves as senior medical director of the CBI Professional Medical Monitoring Program and as Program Director of the CBI/Honor Health Addiction Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Sucher directed the formation of the first Addiction Medicine Fellowship program in Arizona in 2018 as a collaboration between CBI and Honor Health.
As of June, 2019, he became the Executive Medical Director of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare which is a nationally known treatment facility for substance use disorders, sexual compulsivity and trauma. In that role he also is the medical director of Broad Beach Recovery Center, a wholly owned Meadows Behavioral Healthcare facility in Malibu, California. He also currently serves as an attending addiction medicine physician with Community Medical Services. In 2019 he was appointed to the Advisory Board of True Mobile Health, Inc. headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Dr. Sucher is a member of the medical staffs of Honor Health Osborn, Shea and Thompson Peak as well as Banner Behavior Health Hospital all in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the medical director of physician health for Honor Health and the consultant for physician health for the Banner Health system. He holds teaching positions throughout the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Dr. Sucher is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He was granted Diplomate Status by the American Board of Addiction Medicine in 2009. He is also certified as a Medical Review Officer by ASAM. Additionally, he is a Past President of the Arizona Society of Addiction Medicine. He is a nationally known speaker on addiction medicine and professional health issues.
From January, 1995 through July, 2001 Dr. Sucher served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Rural/Metro Corporation. His responsibilities included oversight and management of all medical issues of the corporation including education and training, quality improvement, corporate compliance, government relations and business development. From early 2000 until July, 2001 he served as CEO of Rural/Metro Latin America which provided services in Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. Rural/Metro Latin America was a $ 55MM annual revenue business unit of Rural/Metro Corporation. Rural/Metro Corporation was, at that time, the 2nd largest ambulance company in the United States.
Stephanie Siete | Public Information Officer
Stephanie is a passionate speaker about the impact of drug abuse on American culture today.
As an educator and motivator, she prides herself on having the most up-to-date data and trend information so people can recognize why they need to "be in the know" about these pertinent life issues. She works tirelessly so attendees understand the effect of drugs on communities and then challenges them to take action to assist in prevention and save lives.
Over her 20-year career, she has conducted trainings for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), International Narcotics Interdiction Association (INIA), Arizona Chief of Police (ACOP) Association, Arizona School Resource Officer Association (ASROA), various High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) teams, as well as local law enforcement and fire departments, school districts, community coalitions, parent groups, churches, universities and more.
Stephanie graduated from Illinois State University with degrees in Health Education and Mass Communication. She is the co-author or WTF: Why Teens Fail and the recipient of the 2017 Sierra Tucson Hope Recognition Award and the 2016 FBI Director's Community Leadership Award.
By Marianne Gouveia|2020-10-03T01:12:53+00:00October 27th, 2020|0 Comments

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After much research, discussion, and waiting, the new roof was installed at St. John the Divine on November 19, 2013. The weather, on the two preceeding days was terrible -- windy, winter-like -- but that Tuesday was a perfect day to install a roof -- sunny & mild. A crew of 18 men from Elite Roofing worked all day. Take a look!


The Excalibur Program has come a long way since its inception, but there still remains a great deal of work to be done. Excalibur needs YOU! People like yourselves, who can volunteer their time and effort to work on various aspects of the Excalibur Program or those who can contribute materials, service, or funds. The Western New York Community can take pride in what they have already accomplished.


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JBA long tube headers are the number one choice for maximum performance gains and high RPM efficiency.
These long tube designs are dyno and race proven to deliver the greatest possible increase in horsepower and torque throughout the RPM range. All JBA long tube headers feature large mandrel-bent stainless steel primary tubes, oversized exhaust ports, extra thick 3/8" one piece flanges, and patented JBA Firecone®* merged collectors for smooth flow.
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Each system includes high quality hardware and thorough instructions for a professional no-leak installation.


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Automotive Supplier Continental AG Invests in California Lidar Developer AEye
【Summary】Automotive supplier Continental AG has made a minority investment in California-based lidar and computer vision developer AEye Inc. Continental will utilize AEye's patented lidar technology to develop an automotive grade perception sensor for automated highway driving.
Eric Walz Oct 28, 2020 11:45 AM PT
One of the world's biggest automotive suppliers Continental AG has made a minority investment in California lidar and computer vision developer AEye Inc. Its another example of a major auto supplier investing in a tech startup to jumpstart the development of advanced technology for the world's automakers.
The two companies did not disclose the amount of the investment, but they will work together to compete for contracts from automakers to equip future vehicles with lidar-based perception systems designed for automated highway driving.
AEye was founded in 2013 and headquartered in Dublin, California. The company is backed by leading investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Taiwania Capital, Hella Ventures, LG Electronics, Aisin, Intel Capital, Airbus Ventures, and others.
Most self-driving vehicles today rely on three primary technologies for navigation, which are cameras, lidar and radar. While many companies are developing standalone lidar, cameras or radar units for the auto industry, AEye has developed a way to combine camera and lidar data together at the hardware level.
The company's lidar technology is unique, as it combines computer vision technology with artificial intelligence to more closely mimic how a human eye focuses on objects.
"The existing infrastructure for driving was built for the human visual cortex," said Allan Steinhardt, Chief Scientist at AEye. "As it relates to making cars smarter, we do not see it as a competition between cameras and LiDARs, but rather an opportunity to merge the strengths of both technologies to allow vehicles to visualize better than humans."
In addition to autonomous vehicles, AEye's perception system is designed to support today's advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), acting as an extra set of eyes for the driver.
AEye developed lidar technology that combines an amplifiable 1550nm wavelength laser with a patented feedback-controlled Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) scanner. The lidar system can be configured via software, so it's adaptable to meet the specific requirements of different automakers or individual vehicle models.
AEye was recently awarded 17 new patents for its technology, bringing its total number of granted patents to 32, with more pending. In June, AEye announced its latest solid state lidar unit called "4Sight" that can be manufactured for low cost at scale.
The 4Sight lidar unit is the fifth-generation sensor from AEye. The software driven sensor incorporates a single laser, one MEMS, one receiver, and one SoC. The patented design of AEye's MEMS allows a mirror that is less than 1mm in size.
The word "lidar" is an acronym for "light detection and ranging" and is considered an important part of any autonomous driving system. Lidar is used to create a 3D view of a vehicle's surroundings by bouncing a laser beam off objects. Measuring differences in return times and wavelengths in the lightwaves that's reflected back off objects is used to make a 3D representation of the road ahead and a vehicle's surroundings.
Lidar is used to render a 3D representation of the road ahead for safer navigation.
AEye's lidar offers high performance for passenger and commercial vehicle applications because it combines high resolution with long-range detection. Vehicles can be detected at a distance of more than 300 meters and pedestrians at a distance of more than 200 meters. AEye's perception system even has the ability to detect objects as small as a brick at a distance of 160 meters. This extended range gives autonomous vehicle software more time to react to hazards.
Germany-based Continental has accumulated over 20 years of expertise in LiDAR sensors alone. Continental will utilize AEye's lidar technology and industrialize the sensor to deliver an automotive-grade product for automakers.
As one of the world's biggest auto suppliers, Continental also works with other companies on advanced perceptions systems for ADAS and autonomous vehicles.
Last month, Continental and Silicon Valley chipmaker Xilinx Inc. announced the first production ready 4D radar for autonomous vehicles. The new advanced radar sensor from Continental is called the "ASR540" and it was built on the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale multiprocessor system on a chip (MPSoC).
The first series production of a lidar system from Continental incorporating AEye's technology is scheduled for the end of 2024.
A Closer Look at Tesla's New 4680 Cell Battery Pack
General Motors to Boost Investments to $27 Billion for the Development of New Electric Vehicles as the Company Transforms for the Future
American Interest in EVs Rising During COVID-19 Pandemic
Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' Beta Coming This Week
Elektrobit Unveils an Industry First Software-based Vehicle Architecture Platform for Next-Gen Vehicles
Drivers Are Too Trusting of Partially Autonomous Vehicles Claims IIHS Report
The Electric Mercedes-Benz EQA Crossover Will Make its Global Debut on Jan 20
Self-Driving Truck Startup Locomation Demonstrates its Truck Platooning Technology for State Regulators


The goal of this project was to create a permeable shell around a light source. The shell would allow light to escape in specific voids in the shell. What remains is a horizontally oriented shell where the void and occupied space are dimensionally equal. The maple strips are joined on the corners by angle iron go give the corners definition. The light fixture is held by a frosted acrylic sheet rabbeted into the wood.
Very cool effect!! Nice job on the box!!


The Night of the AdEaters is a show that runs in more that 40 countries worldwide dedicated to showing the production of advertising among 60 different nationalities on the big screen and in a crazy atmosphere.
The event, created in 1981 by Jean Marie Boursicot, started in France, and quickly conquered the rest of the world. The tour included Japan since 1999, and its dates include Maebashi as well.
The event, which is scheduled for March 22 at the Gunma Kaikan (Otemachi 2-1-1), will show about 200 commercials selected from all over the world for their imaginative power and originality.
There will be two showings, from 1pm to 4pm, and from 6pm to 9pm. Tickets are priced between 2500 and 3000 yen.
For information please contact the MAGMA2010 commission at cmfes_2010@6mt.co.jp or give them a call at this number: 090-3239-4561.


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Lawyers1 year ago
Tom Macharia Ranked One of the Top Dispute Resolution Lawyers in Kenya
Macharia's experience in dispute resolution spans over 25 years of significant engagement in complex dispute resolution on behalf of national, regional and international clients. In that...
Judith A. Guserwa: Kenya's Pre-Eminent Employment & Labour Relations Lawyer
According to the Chambers Global Guide 2021 Edition "Judith Guserwa maintains a notable reputation in the country for her handling of disputes on behalf of employees and trade...
Dr. Kariuki Muigua Ranked Among Kenya's Leading Arbitrators in 2021 for the 4th Year
Chambers Global Guide in its 2021 Edition recognized Dr. Kariuki Muigua as one of the top arbitrators in Kenya based on recommendations of in-house counsel, other third-party experts and private practice...
Prof. Tom Ojienda, SC: The All-Round Star Lawyer & Scholar with Midas Touch
Prof. Tom Ojienda and Associates Advocates is the best living proofs that Prof. Ojienda SC is not just a great lawyer, he is a transformative leader...
Allen Gichuhi: The 48th LSK President Described as "Second to None" Litigator
Chambers Global Guide 2021 noted that Allen "enjoys an excellent reputation for his arbitration and litigation experience in complex commercial issues and the recognition of peers...
Gad O. Ouma: The Litigation Rising Star & Face of Legal Disruption in Kenya
Gad O. Ouma is a leading name in commercial litigation circles with a repertoire of complex and precedent-setting matters successfully handled in the areas of Arbitration,...
Eric Mutua, OGW: The 46th LSK President and an Outstanding Litigator
Eric is the founding and Managing Partner of the E.K. Mutua & Company Advocates, a medium-size corporate and commercial law firm established with a reputation of...
James Aggrey Mwamu: A Truly International Lawyer & Champion of Rule of Law
The highlight of Mwamu's career as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and as a lawyer's leader was his election and service as the...
Nelson Andayi Havi: A Great Legal Force Committed to Better LSK
Havi is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a brilliant legal mind of 18 years good standing having signed the Roll of Advocates...
Jotham Okome Arwa: The Law Guru Leading Kenya's Most Respected Litigation Firm
Arwa is more than just a leading lawyer: He is a law intellectual, law consultant, law author, law manager, law interpreter and law practitioner.


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Q: Unexpected synthetic property @transitionMessages found with standalone compoent angular 15 I am migrating the angular application to the standalone component. Removed the ngModule and app.module.ts file
main.ts
bootstrapApplication(AppComponent,{
  providers:[importProvidersFrom(FalconCoreModule.forRoot(environment)),
             importProvidersFrom(RouterModule.forRoot(routes))]
}).catch(err => console.error(err));

app.component.scss
@Component({
  selector: 'app-root',
  templateUrl: './app.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./app.component.scss'],
  standalone: true,
  imports:[RouterModule,FalconCoreModule]
})
export class AppComponent {}

auto-complete.component.ts
@Component({
  selector: 'app-auto-complete',
  templateUrl: './auto-complete.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./auto-complete.component.scss'],
  standalone: true,
  imports:[FalconCoreModule,CodeGeneratorComponent,HighlightModule,CodeButtonComponent]
})
export class AutoCompleteComponent
  extends BaseFormComponent<string>
  implements OnInit {}

Error
core.mjs:9229 ERROR Error: Unexpected synthetic property @transitionMessages found. Please make sure that:
  - Either `BrowserAnimationsModule` or `NoopAnimationsModule` are imported in your application.
  - There is corresponding configuration for the animation named `@transitionMessages` defined in the `animations` field of the `@Component` decorator (see https://angular.io/api/core/Component#animations).
    at checkNoSyntheticProp (vendor.js:138357:11)
    at DefaultDomRenderer2.setProperty (vendor.js:138340:22)
    at elementPropertyInternal (vendor.js:67372:14)
    at Module.ɵɵproperty (vendor.js:70152:5)
    at MatFormField_div_17_Template (vendor.js:112220:61)
    at executeTemplate (vendor.js:66899:5)
    at refreshView (vendor.js:66783:7)
    at refreshEmbeddedViews (vendor.js:67903:9)
    at refreshView (vendor.js:66806:5)
    at refreshComponent (vendor.js:67948:7)

If I import BrowserAnimationsModule to auto-complete.component.ts
imports:[FalconCoreModule,CodeGeneratorComponent,HighlightModule,CodeButtonComponent,BrowserAnimationsModule]

Exception
 Uncaught (in promise): Error: Providers from the `BrowserModule` have already been loaded. If you need access to common directives such as NgIf and NgFor, import the `CommonModule` instead.
Error: Providers from the `BrowserModule` have already been loaded. If you need access to common directives such as NgIf and NgFor, import the `CommonModule` instead.

A: You're missing the animations:
bootstrapApplication(AppComponent, {
    providers: [
      provideAnimations()
    ]
 })

A: I also faced with the same issue, afler using Angular 15. An error message was:
Error: Unexpected synthetic property @transitionMessages found. Please make sure that:
- Either `BrowserAnimationsModule` or `NoopAnimationsModule` are imported in your application.
- There is corresponding configuration for the animation named `@transitionMessages` defined in the `animations` field of the `@Component` decorator (see https://angular.io/api/core/Component#animations).

Adding of BrowserAnimationsModule importing given other issues.
To resolve this you need import 'provideAnimations'
import { provideAnimations } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';

And to add the provideAnimations provider to bootstrapApplication function:
bootstrapApplication(App, {
  providers: [
    provideAnimations()
  ]
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sirisena Hits Out At Judiciary: Says Head Monk Of Village Temple Dictating Terms To Chief Prelate Of Chapter
Hitting out at the interim order issued by the Court of Appeal which prevented purported Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government from functioning in office, President Maithripala Sirisena likened the decision to a head monk of a village temple dictating terms to the chief prelate of a chapter. "නිකායක මහානායක කෙනෙක් කරන්න ඕන වැඩක්, විහාරාධිපති කෙනෙක් දේශනා කරලා.. he said in Sinhala.
By making this statement, Sirisena implied that the Court of Appeal had overstepped its boundaries when issuing an interim order against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his purported government.
Addressing the SLFP Convention held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, a short while ago, Sirisena said there were diverse opinions about the functioning of the judiciary. "Some say the judiciary is highly independent while some allege its conduct is partial. Nevertheless, I respect the judiciary" Sirisena added.
In his speech, Sirisena criticized ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for not only destroying the UNP but also destroying him. "Ranil Wickremesinghe destroyed the spirit of good governance," Sirisena added, describing the UNP Leader as a "political curse."
"I don't have a personal problem with Ranil Wickremesinghe. But his politics does not suit the country. His line of thinking does not suit the country. He is divorced from our identity. He doesn't respect our culture and traditional values," Sirisena added.
He also said he did not worship foreign embassies, hitting out at the diplomatic missions engaging with all political parties to resolve the current crisis. "I worship only people," he added.
Sirisena also promised to resolve the current political crisis in a week. "I promise everyone that I need only seven days to resolve the crisis. Take my word for that."
However, Sirisena yesterday held a meeting with the Tamil National Alliance and assured that the current political crisis would be resolved in 24 hours.
If You Want Elections, Come To Parliament And Present Motion: Ranil Tells UPFA
RTI Commission Orders President's Office To Disclose Ranil Wickremesinghe's Assets Declaration
Roger / December 6, 2018
Sirisena has proved that he is not fit to be the President of this country. He has to be kicked out.
Amarasiri / December 6, 2018
Sirisena ,
Liar, Liar, your balls are on fire, fire.
The appeals court fired your Fake PM, MaRa MaRa ChaTu MaRa AmaNa MaRa DhushaNa MaRa HoRa MaRa.
ananda Markalanda / December 6, 2018
The president's powers are limited in the system of checks and balances. As the leader of the executive branch, the president ensures the enforcement of the laws in our country.. In order to limit the powers of the president, the house must approve the people chosen to fill these jobs and its expenses. Remember Judiciary is the balancing leg.
Ravi.Perera / December 6, 2018
President Sirisena should take some of the blame for the current situation. In January 2015 appointed a Back door Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe who only had 42 members of parliament instead of dissolving the parliament and go for general election immediately.He prevented
bond scam report being published before calling for general election in August 2015.He had ample opportunity before this complex 19A amendment passed in the the parliament to take action.He appointed Presidential commissions only to delay in taking action. It took only 40 days for the administration led by Ranil Wickremasinghe to rob the people.It is a well known fact most politicians in Sri lanka whether they belong to Slfp or UNP or any other party is corrupt.That will not change in a while in Sri lanka. It is what you achieve during the period you are in power counts.
We are still waiting for that Volks Wagen factory to start building cars in Sri Lanka. Have all the people in Colombo have free Wi fi. I am surprised if Ranil can even run a Chook raffel .Ranil has lost
29 consecutive elections. There are lot of young capable willing people in UNP to take the leadership and make this country a great country.There for it will best for UNP and the country to
Ranil to resign and hand over the leadership to young person with a new vision
Vanguard Legal / December 6, 2018
I am guessing the SC will ask parliamnent to take a vote on dissolution, and if that fails ask parliament to follow procedure outlined by AG which decribes how to act if the President violates the constitution.
Just guessing but seems like the best idea so far.
The main issue is the legality of removing PM. Impossible to guess what the SC will say. They might be conservative and say the 19th was intended to prevent removal of PM.
Yaha Palanaya / December 6, 2018
This is not what a head of a country should utter!!!!!!!
Enough is Enough!!! Don't 'mess with the Judiciary
Mr Sirisena has committed contempt of court
Soam / December 6, 2018
Goodness gracious! Does not this President know that the LAW is above all. Yes, the parliament enact the legislation/s and it is up to the Law court to uphold the same . In a true democracy, you do not change according to your urges.
Puvana Chandra / December 7, 2018
Please note the hand gesture of the President and the SLFP logo behind him.
This has become quite evident in many of the meetings held by the president,even in his office!!!
hubert / December 7, 2018
To a monkey who jumped onto the roof and start removing tiles
Henry Fernando / December 8, 2018
For goodness sake please leave the religion alone, President's wise crack does not hold water, whether it is Nayaka Thero or Anu-nayaka Thero both will advise according to Buddhist teaching. As the President is deeply entrenched in a political cesspit he is unable to distinguish which is which. Gift of the gab is not a substitute for knowledge. Wonder if he has heard the good old saying "silence is Gold". The Way MS is conducting himself no political party will ever propose him for a second term. Any way let's wish him good luck.


text:
161. 2021 Podcast Highlights
What does it mean to live a good life? Over the past few years I have tried to answer that question by interviewing nearly 200 guests from all walks of life. Each week I invite an author with a unique perspective to talk about the subject of their book and share their thoughts on what it means to live a good life, as well as their tips for getting books written and published! I also run each guest through my Enlightening Lightning Round, a series of 9 quick questions regarding all aspects of life, from travel and finances, to health and relationships.
This video is designed to celebrate the diversity of my guests, as well as to showcase the new video format of my interviews. I hope that this short video will help to introduce you to my mission here at the School for Good Living, and get you excited for my upcoming episodes! Be sure to subscribe as well so you can be the first to know when my new episodes launch!
https://media.blubrry.com/goodliving/p/storage.googleapis.com/sglpodcasts/161_Promotional_Episode_Final.mp3
160. Dennis Rebelo – Story Like You Mean It: How to Build and Use Your Personal Narrative to Illustrate Who You Really Are
Dr. Dennis Rebelo is the author of a book called "Story Like You Mean It: How to Build and Use Your Personal Narrative to Illustrate Who You Really Are". Dr. D is a professor, speaker, a career coach. He's the creator of the peak storytelling model, a research-based method for crafting the narrative of who you are, what drives you, and why. His method has been used by not only former professional athletes, guidance professionals, and advisors, but also nonprofit leaders, as well as entrepreneurs and CEOs around the world. This book and this approach provide structure to really identifying what are those key moments of your life that you can share when you meet others, whether it's for an interview, making a first impression, or simply running into somebody you haven't seen in a long time.
We often have the chance to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself", which can be one of the simplest yet most difficult questions to answer. In this interview, Dennis joins Brilliant to discuss why that's so hard, how to do it well, and why it really matters. Dennis has made the connection between understanding our personal identity with our ability to tell our own story accurately and mindfully. Through this interview, we learn not only how to tell our own stories but also how it is essential to good living.
"Put the work in and your story works out."
How understanding your story is an essential Key to Good Living
Answering the age old question "Tell me about yourself"
Why is it so hard to tell our own life stories
Our hero side, our collaborating side, and our virtuous side
Identity and telling your story
How to make sure your writing is conveying your story
Deciding what message to give to the world
DrDennisRebelo.com
Connect With The Guest:
Dennis Rebelo
https://media.blubrry.com/goodliving/p/storage.googleapis.com/sglpodcasts/160_Dennis_Rebelo_Audio_Final.mp3
159. Rachel Harris – Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety
I've traveled many places around this globe and talked to many people, some of whom have very interesting views. Today's guest is one of those people. Rachel Harris has written a book called "Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction and Anxiety". Over her thirty-five years of experience as a psychologist and 10 years of scientific research, she's received multiple awards from the National Institutes of Health and published more than 40 scientific studies in peer reviewed journals.
Rachel joins Brilliant to talk about her book and about ayahuasca, the benefits that it might have for humanity and what the potential risks are. As a disclaimer for this interview, this substance is currently illegal in the United States. While this subject may not appeal to everyone, there is a lot to be learned from Rachel and her perspective on how this substance has helped her and others on their quest to good living.
"You know, this is outside the Western world view and it's very threatening."
What Ayahuasca is, where it comes from, and how for some people it is a Key to Good Living
Rachel's background in Psychology and Research
Rachel's expansion from psychological work to both psychological and spiritual work
The potential benefits of Ayahuasca
Why Ayahuasca is currently illegal in the United States, what the potential associated risks of using it are, and whether it has addictive qualities
Rachel's journey to becoming a writer and publishing her book
Listening to Ayahuaska: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety
ListeningtoAyahuaska.com
https://media.blubrry.com/goodliving/p/storage.googleapis.com/sglpodcasts/159_Rachel_Harris_Audio_Final.mp3
Posted on August 10, 2021 August 6, 2021
158. Adii Pienaar – Life Profitability: The New Measure of Entrepreneurial Success
Adii Pienaar is someone who uses his strengths, gifts, and talents in a variety of ways to solve real problems for others. He has been able to implement self-expression into his career of building successful companies. He's a family man, a seeker, and a learner. He's also a founder of Cogsy, Conversio, and WooCommerce; which shows he knows a thing or two about building and growing a successful business from the ground up. One of the things that sets Adii apart is his ability to balance creating these successful businesses with the things he values most in life.
In addition to his success in the business and tech worlds, he is also a writer. His latest book is called "Life Profitability: The New Measure of Entrepreneurial Success". He's also written a book called "Rockstar Business", another called "Branding", and even a book of poetry. He's been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Startups.com. He's a native of South Africa, where he lives in Cape Town with his wife Jeanne and their two children. You can learn more about him and the work he does at Adii.me.
"Like the age-old question, what is the meaning of life? We should answer that question. And I don't think you find those answers exclusively by building a business."
Being the best versions of ourselves
Using labels positively to define our focus
Finding the true meaning of the work we do
Privilege and how we should approach it
Being successful as an entrepreneur – both in business and in life
How to create a community for building a business or a following
Life Profitability: The New Measure of Entrepreneurial Success
Adii Pienaar
https://media.blubrry.com/goodliving/p/storage.googleapis.com/sglpodcasts/158_Adii_Pienaar_Audio.mp3
157. Sadhguru – Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Creating Your Destiny
Sadhguru is a yogi, a mystic, and an author of many books. His most recent book, as mentioned in this interview, is A Yogi's Guide to Creating Your Destiny. He is no stranger to public speaking, having been an invited guest to the United Nations, Harvard, MIT, World Economic Forum, and so many more. In his work, Sadhguru has devoted himself to the betterment of mankind and this planet as both a humanitarian and environmentalist.
For today's short interview, we focus in on Sadhguru's new Green Earth Initiative; a group focused on informing the world of the facts regarding environmental decline, and it's hopeful reversal. We discuss the importance of this planet, it's fragile ecology, and the surprising cause of it's decline. We also talk about the importance of soil, and how it is the root of all life. Lastly, we discuss his tips to writing a book and where to look for inspiration.
"Everything that's happening to you…is entirely your making because human experience comes from within"
The purpose of life here on this planet
The human experience
Action over inspiration
The degradation of our soil
The next steps
Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny
https://media.blubrry.com/goodliving/p/storage.googleapis.com/sglpodcasts/157_sadhguru_final_audio.mp3


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Beginning Monday, February 11, 2013 and continuing until July 31, 2013, one side of the sidewalk underneath the Hegenberger Road for the Snell Street and access road to the BART parking lot at Coliseum Station will be closed at various times while work is done on columns supporting Hegenberger Road. Pedestrians will be directed to use alternate routes.
Please see the map on the passenger bulletin (.pdf) for the locations.
You can get BART Service Advisories (BSA) on your phone. To sign up for BSAs, please visit us on the web at www.bart.gov/alerts. You may also text "BART go" to 468311 or call 511 to get up-to-date service information.


text:
Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán is found guilty on all counts
By Ray Sanchez and Sonia Moghe, CNN
Updated 4:59 AM EST, Wed February 13, 2019
See all the dramatic evidence in 'El Chapo's' trial
New York CNN —
Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, who once headed a criminal enterprise that spanned continents and triggered waves of bloodshed throughout his native Mexico, was found guilty Tuesday of all 10 federal criminal counts against him.
The vast Brooklyn, New York, courtroom fell silent as the verdict was read. Jurors did not look at the defendant, who pocketed nearly $14 billion as the decadeslong head of the murderous Sinaloa cartel.
There was no visible reaction from Guzmán, whose conviction on the top charge of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise carries a mandatory term of life in prison. He will be sentenced on June 25.
"It is a sentence of which there is no escape and no return, " US Attorney for the Eastern District Richard Donoghue said.
US District Judge Brian Cogan confirmed the verdicts with each of the eight women and four men on the jury, telling them later their conduct on the panel "made me very proud to be an American."
One of Guzmán's lawyers described him as "extremely upbeat" after the verdict.
"He's a fighter," defense attorney Michael Lambert said. "He's not done yet by far."
chapo juicio nueva york reveles periodista pena nieto narcotrafico crimen organizado entrevista perspectivas mexico_00010722.jpg
El Chapo's prosecutors bring out guns and kingpin's own words in closing arguments
After jurors left the room, Guzmán waved and smiled at his wife, Emma Coronel, a former beauty queen and courtroom regular who smiled back and touched her hand to her heart.
What the 'El Chapo' verdict means for the powerful Sinaloa cartel
"Good, thank you," she said in Spanish when asked how she felt after the verdict.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 19, 2017: In this handout provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal authorities announced Friday that Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases including, âEl Chapo,â? will face charges filed in Brooklyn, New York, following his extradition to the United States from Mexico. Guzman Loera arrived in New York under heavy escort by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other authorities. (Photo by Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images)
Handout/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
'El Chapo' Guzman accused in court documents of having sex with young girls
The partially sequestered and anonymous jury deliberated roughly 34 hours over six days.
Over 2½ months, they sat through testimony about unspeakable torture and ghastly murders, epic corruption at nearly every level of Mexico's government, narco-mistresses and naked subterranean escapes, gold-plated AK-47s and monogrammed, diamond-encrusted pistols.
"We are obviously disappointed with the jury's verdict in the trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera but are respectful of the process and the jury's decision," defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said. "We were faced with extraordinary and unprecedented obstacles in defending Joaquín. …"
Another member of the defense team, Jeffrey Lichtman, said they waged a vigorous defense against an "avalanche" of evidence and cooperating witnesses. They plan to file an appeal on a number of issues.
"He was bringing our spirits up, which was surprising. Usually it's the other way around," Lichtman said of his client after the verdict. "He's always been a gentleman, always been supportive, always been happy and appreciative of all our efforts."
Donoghue said the case represented a victory for the American people, for Mexicans who had lost loved ones in drug wars, and for every family who has lost someone to drug addiction.
"There are those who say the war on drugs is not worth fighting. Those people are wrong," he said.
The case, Donoghue said, pulled back the curtain on international drug trafficking in a way no trial ever has, revealing the endemic corruption that allowed the Sinaloa cartel to operate.
"This is a day of reckoning, but there are more days of reckoning to come," he said.
Gold-plated AK-47s and diamond-encrusted pistols
Guzmán, 61, was convicted of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms.
He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the remaining drug counts.
Federal prosecutors said they will seek a forfeiture judgment for billions of dollars constituting the cartel's illegal drug-trafficking proceeds.
dia 4 deliberaciones sin veredicto juicio chapo guzman nueva york lkl yilber vega_00015523.jpg
El Chapo jury deliberations will stretch into a second week. Here's why jurors may be taking their time.
The prosecution's case featured 200 hours of testimony from 56 witnesses. Fourteen of those witnesses – mostly admitted drug traffickers and cartel associates – cooperated with prosecutors in hopes of reducing their own prison sentences.
There were also surveillance photos, intercepted phone calls and text messages involving Guzmán, as well as exhibits of blingy firepower and bricks of cocaine that dropped with the force of potato sacks.
In contrast, defense attorneys called just one witness and focused on undermining the credibility of cooperating witnesses. Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said these witnesses had "lied every day of their lives – their miserable, selfish lives."
Guzmán, once listed on Forbes' Billionaires List, has long been a slippery and near-mythical figure. He escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 in a laundry cart and again in 2015 through a tunnel. After he was recaptured in 2016, he was extradited to the US to face American federal charges.
El Chapo lawyer calls prosecution's case a scripted performance by 'lifelong liars'
The high-profile trial centered on the struggles and actions of El Chapo, who came from humble origins in the heart of Mexico's rugged three-state Golden Triangle to become its most infamous native son.
The 12-week proceedings were conducted in part during the partial government shutdown over funding for a border wall. It showed that such fortification would have failed to stop tons of drugs the cartel moved from Mexico to the United States via fishing boats, trains, tractor-trailers, radar-evading airplanes, passenger cars at legal ports of entry, submarines, oil tankers, cocaine-laden cans of jalapeños and cross-border tunnels.
It included stunning testimony of corruption at nearly every echelon of Mexico's government, from police and military commanders to local and state officials to former presidents who vehemently denied the allegations.
The courtroom drama drew celebrities and so-called narco-tourists attracted to the Latin American soap opera atmosphere of the proceedings. Guzmán appeared in a suit and tie each morning, delivering a wave and smile to Coronel in the second row.
Under El Chapo, the Sinaloa cartel smuggled narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York.
About noon Tuesday, the court learned there was a verdict.
Some court-watchers had suggested the longer jurors considered the case, the better the chances they would acquit Guzmán or hang on any of the 10 counts. Others said jurors seemed simply to be doing their due diligence, sifting through hundreds of hours of testimony.
Still, Guzmán's plainclothes visits to the courthouse and his interactions, however minimal, with his allies had lightened his mood these last months, defense attorney Michael Lambert said. It was in sharp contrast with solitary confinement, with little to no human interaction for as many as 23 hours a day.
"Once the trial started, he seemed a little happier, a little more engaged," he said. "Just sitting there in a suit without handcuffs on is a privilege in itself. It makes him feel human."
Guzmán's capture in 2016, extradition one year later and conviction on Tuesday has not – and will not – diminish the power and reach of the Sinaloa cartel, according to experts.
CNN's Maria Santana and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.


text:
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/*jslint onevar: true, undef: true, nomen: true, eqeqeq: true, bitwise: true, newcap: true, immed: true */

// Minimal Amazon S3 driver for PUT requests of the not enormous variety.

/*
Copyright (c) 2010 Brett Stimmerman <brettstimmerman@gmail.com>

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.
*/

var crypto = require('crypto'),
    http   = require('http'),
    url    = require('url');

function S3(accessKeyId, secretAccessKey, options) {
  this.options = options || {};

  this.accessKeyId     = accessKeyId;
  this.secretAccessKey = secretAccessKey;
  this.storageType     = this.options.storageType || 'STANDARD';

  this.hostname = url.parse(this.options.urlBase).hostname;
}

S3.prototype.put = function (path, headers, body, callback) {
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  headers.Date              = (new Date()).toUTCString();
  headers['Content-Length'] = body.length;
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  headers.Host              = this.hostname;
  headers['x-amz-acl']      = headers['x-amz-acl'] || 'private';
  headers['x-amz-storage-class'] = this.storageType;

  headers.Authorization = this.getAuthorization('PUT', path, headers);

  var amazon  = http.createClient(80, this.hostname),
      request = amazon.request('PUT', path, headers),
      self    = this;

  request.on('response', function (response) {
    if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
      if (response.statusCode === 403) {
        return callback(new Error('Amazon S3: Authorization failed (HTTP 403)'));
      }

      return callback(new Error('Amazon S3: PUT request returned HTTP status ' + response.statusCode));
    }

    callback(null, self.options.urlBase + path);
  });

  request.end(body, 'utf8');
};

// -- Protected --------------------------------------------------------------

S3.prototype.getAmzHeaders = function (headers) {
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      regex      = /^x-amz-/i,
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      amzHeaders.push(header.toString().toLowerCase() + ':' + value);
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  return amzHeaders.sort().join('\n');
};

S3.prototype.getAuthorization = function (verb, path, headers) {
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};

S3.prototype.getSignature = function (verb, path, headers) {
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      stringToSign = this.getStringToSign(headers, verb, amzHeaders, path);

  return crypto.createHmac('sha1',
      this.secretAccessKey).update(stringToSign).digest('base64');
};

S3.prototype.getStringToSign = function (headers, verb, amzHeaders, path) {
  var resource    = '/' + this.options.bucket + path,
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      md5         = headers['Content-MD5'] || '',
      date, stringToSign;

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  stringToSign =  '' +
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};

// -- Exports ----------------------------------------------------------------

exports.create = function (accessKeyId, secretAccessKey, options) {
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


SINGAPORE // Eugene is one of a handful of creative pioneers who, in the mid-1980, set in motion what is widely known in the industry as the 'Asian Creative Revolution', which began in the iconic Ogilvy Singapore agency, before spreading north to Hong Kong, Thailand and India.
His 25-year career with Ogilvy includes stints in London, Los Angeles and across Asia. In 2009, he was elected to the Ogilvy Worldwide Board and Worldwide Creative Council. In the same year, he was appointed Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy's Asia Pacific network. In 2013, he took on the additional responsibility of running the Singapore creative department.
Under Eugene's leadership, Ogilvy Asia Pacific continues to rise through the regional and global creative rankings and was crowned 'Creative Network of the Year' in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 by Campaign Brief Asia.
He is the author of The Eternal Pursuit of Unhappiness, a slim volume on the creative culture of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.
Eugene is recognized by the D&AD Copy Book as one of the 50 best copywriters in the world. In 2016, he was the most awarded creative in The One Show.


text:
Ice-watch's "steely" resolve to conquer the men's affordable market
By Mr. E
The accessible brand is known for its easy-to-buy and easy-to-wear sporty chic watches. For this summer it introduces the new ICE steel collection with a specific focus on the male demographic.
We in the press do our fair share of reporting on luxury watches, many of which come with price tags upwards of five, six, or even seven figures. Of course that is only one - seemingly shrinking - segment of the watch market.
But there is also plenty of creativity and good value to be found in the entry-level market. Whether it's someone buying their very first watch, or buying their second, third, or even tenth (yes, some of us have problems), it's not all to difficult to justify spending a couple hundred dollars or Swiss francs on a new timepiece.
The latest ICE collection in steel
That slice of the market is precisely where you'll find Ice-Watch. The Belgian fashion watchmaker is known for producing bold and highly affordable watches for over a decade now, and their growth curve seems to be going in the right direction.
Now, I can already hear some of you say that Ice watches are usually worn by twenty-something females that care more about accessorizing than they do about watch mechanics.
And I would say that you'd be partly right. Yes, Ice-Watch is one of the main competitors to the ubiquitous plastic watch offerings by Swatch. But the brand is increasingly appealing to a broader demographic by diversifying its product offering.
Take, for example, the new ICE steel collection. The name alone already indicates the brand's intentions: make a powerful looking watch, target the male demographic.
I would actually argue that the ICE steel works as a unisex watch, since it is also offered in a "medium" sized case of 43mm in diameter, along with the "large" 48mm case. Nevertheless, the brand has gone to lengths to appeal to the male demographic with this release.
The new ICE steel in green
Case in point is the fact that the ICE steel is made of steel, which adds to the durability. Brushed or polished, the case comes with a screw-down back and a graduated rotating bezel, making it look like a proper diving watch. Water resistance is 100m, which is decent all things considered.
As always with this affordable brand, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to colours. Iridescent or matte dials are available in black, navy blue, grey or forest green. Some of them have an additional pop of colour with a red seconds hand, and all sport a date function thanks to the quartz movement inside.
Ice-Watch seems to be chanelling the "pepsi" look of classic divers
But the best part is probably the price of the ICE steel collection, which ranges between 119€ -149€ (roughly 139 - 179 Swiss francs). At that price, what you get is essentially a more durable version of the ICE sixty nine - which retailed for, you guessed it 69€ - but was not available in steel.
The question still remains whether to opt for one of these stylish ICE steel models, or something like a Seiko SKX009. The latter is a bit more expensive, it's true, but it comes with the tried and tested Seiko automatic engine inside.
But for those simply looking for a nearly guilt-free purchase of an affordable and sporty-chic watch for the summer, the ICE steel could be a fine option.
TAG Heuer: the return of the Night Diver
TIME.KEEPER TAG Heuer enthusiasts will recognise the name "Night Diver", which was first introduced in the mid 1980s. Today's Aquaracer Professional 300 collection picks (...)
Emile Chouriet: new colours for the Challenger (...)
TIME.KEEPER Taking on the striking and naturally colors often found in tropical marine life, these new Challenger Deep watches are clad in bright orange and yellow (...)
Norqain launches the Adventure Neverest line
TIME.KEEPER The Swiss brand introduces a new sub-collection in its Adventure family: Neverest. These are the first timepieces in the Adventure collection to be fitted (...)
Zenith unveils the Defy Extreme Glacier
Following the Defy Extreme Desert launched in 2021, Zenith is going to the opposite kind of landscape for the second edition: meet the Defy Extreme (...)


Whether you're a local, seasonal local or just visiting for a few days, a Prescott horseback riding trip should definitely be on your "To-do" list if you haven't already experienced this unique way of exploring Prescott's beautiful countryside. Prescott, AZ is proud of its authentic cowboy culture and most everyone interested in spending time in Prescott would certainly get enjoyment from this type of experience. From casual scenic strolls to steep, rocky hills, through the flowing water of the Verde River - there's a ride for you. Some stables are very comfortable with beginner riders ranging in age from children to seniors, while others offer horseback riding trips for advanced, experienced riders.
You're in the country now - so don't expect everything to run on a perfect time schedule or exactly as described on the tour's website. Weather, trail conditions, complications from a trip before yours, etc. are all pretty typical variables that make slight changes on a pretty regular basis. Be patient with your horseback riding trip guides. If you happen to have to wait while trip guides scurry to get ready for your ride, take a minute to enjoy the contrast of everyday life versus the adventure you're about to experience. Slow down. That's part of what all this is about.
If you can, go for an earlier ride. Your guides are awesome, informative, entertaining and love what they do. But as with everyone, people (and horses) can get tired towards the end of the day. Plus, other guests on the trips before yours could delay or require a lot of attention from the guides before your ride. The earlier you go on your ride, the smoother your overall trip tends to be. This is not a fact, just an overall anecdotal conclusion based on stories and reviews.
Drink a lot of water (bring some, too!) and go to the restroom before your trail ride. Especially if you're not comfortable with squatting! There typically are no outhouses or port-o-potties on the trail. If you're not comfortable going out in nature, make sure to take care of your business beforehand.
The length of your trip that you reserve usually includes time for signing waivers and introduction stuff. If you sign up for 3 hour trip, expect to ride closer to 2 hours. There's a few things your guides need to go over in order to keep you safe, while also getting to know you, your riding abilities and expectations for the trip. They shouldn't have to do this on their time, so it's on yours. We seem to think that's pretty fair to everyone.
Don't forget to tip your guide! If you've enjoyed your guided horseback riding trip, please tip your guide well. The trip guides certainly do this for the love of sharing the experience with others and not to get rich. A monetary thank you for their time, experience, hard work and information is very much appreciated.
Have fun! Cowboys are pretty much the All-American icon. Even more so than baseball players and superheroes. It's one the most American things you can do, and so few people in this country actually get to experience it! So enjoy this authentic piece of our heritage and cross one more thing off your Bucket List.


You are exactly right. I do not. And I've long since unsubscribed to the assinine notion of 'there are many others going through much worse than you'.
Really? Firstly, how do you know that? Firstly again…that doesn't mean jack squat to someone who's going through tough times.
Pain is pain…pal. Thinking someone might be experiencing worse trials than you does NOTHING to make you feel better, does it?
Just like she 'had to do what she's gotta do'.
Guess what? You don't 'gotta' do anything. You DECIDE to. YOU decide if you'll let these things define you, or not.
Easy? No. But the universe doesn't care whether it's easy or not. You either deal with trouble in your life with the blinders ripped off…or you do not.
At some point you better find a way to get over it IF you want some measure of fulfillment.
You better find a way to get over it…or be sentenced to strife and pain.
And that my friends goes for me as well.


text:
Slappers and Stats
Do the Rangers play worse offensively in front of Lundqvist than his backups?
Published on April 27, 2016 April 27, 2016 by slappersandstats
For at least the last two years, the idea has been floated around that the New York Rangers play two different games: one when Lundqvist is in the net and one when he isn't. That idea goes on to posit that the New York Rangers who show up when Lundqvist is off the ice is a much better team. Those Rangers create more offense knowing that they can't just grind out low scoring, one goal games, and they play a tighter defensive game knowing that the King can't just bail them out when they misstep. Overall, they play a better game of hockey without their safety net.
In this article I intend to begin looking into the notion that a team plays differently depending on who the goalie in net is. I will do so by examining something less directly tied to the goalie position. I will be looking at the GF60 and CF60 rates of three separate teams split based on whether their franchise goalie is in the net or not.
The Narrative Behind it All
Lundqvist being attended to by the Rangers' medical trainer after being struck in the throat by a shot.
This idea isn't without some cursory evidence. The Rangers were without Lundqvist for a sizable stretch in the 2014-15 season. A puck to the neck caused Hank to miss all of the Rangers' games between Feb. 4th and March 26th, which was a 26-game stretch. Cam Talbot went on to shoulder much of the weight as the interim starter and ultimately he put up a great 0.926 performance. However, an early story line was the unexpected goal support from the Rangers for Talbot. From Feb. 10th to Feb. 22nd, the Rangers logged 33 goals in 7 games. And while they came back to earth shortly thereafter, the goal support still seemed to be there more for their goaltenders who aren't named Hank. Talbot and MacKenzie stood in net for 38 games where the Rangers put up 3.04 GF60. Lundqvist received the slightly lower goal support of 2.89 GF60 over the course of 46 appearances. That came out to an extra 5.2% goals for Talbot and MacKenzie, which is an extra goal every 7 or so games.
Less Narrative, More Data and Graphs
I began by pulling 5v5 TOI, GF, and CF data for the New York Rangers' goalies' individual seasons from 2010-16, excluding 2012-13 (because the sample size is small for the lockout year). The data for guys besides Lundqvist were merged into a composite for each year.
The differences between the totals over these five seasons ended up being much larger than I expected. The Rangers scored an extra 0.23 GF60 in 5v5 play and generated 2.4 CF60 extra in 5v5 play when Lundqvist was on the bench or otherwise not playing. And in fact, the GF60 and CF60 data on a year-by-year basis was higher for the backups in 4 of the 5 seasons. The 5-year TOI totals were 16,202 min with Lundqvist and 5,758 min without. On a year-to-year basis, the TOI ranged from 2,225 to 3,088 min with Lundqvist and 743 to 1,785 min without. So the samples are decent in size.
Now, I do think this is compelling evidence that for some reason the Rangers are generally performing slightly better without Lundqvist in net. However, it is not possible to discern a reason from this data. Perhaps the players actually are more motivated to generate offense because they do not have their safety net. Perhaps the team's coaches have made measurable changes to their personnel choices, such as decisions that are meant to try and keep the puck in the attacking zone. Perhaps the goalies themselves have significant contributions to the production, such as through stick handling.
To try and learn more about this apparent phenomenon, I investigated whether this situation has arisen on other teams. I chose to look at Nashville with Pekka Rinne and Chicago with Corey Crawford. Nashville, I thought, would provide a close parallel to the Rangers as both teams has generally been centered on an elite workhouse goaltender with a below average offensive team to support him. Chicago was to provide a stark contrast where I felt that Crawford was only depended upon to consistently deliver acceptable results and was infrequently leaned on to steal games. The Blackhawks tend to depend more on their offensive capabilities than the Rangers or Predators do, meaning that goaltending need not be as prized in Chicago.
The results were quite contrary to my expectations. The Predators, who seemingly would need to emphasize offense more without their star goaltender in net instead have mostly faltered in Rinne's absence. Chicago, on the other hand, ramped up their production when they didn't have their starter in net. It seems that the Blackhawks seek to capitalize more on their scoring opportunities to help support their backups.
Below is another look at the data. These graphs give direct year-by-year comparisons of the data for all three franchises with and without their starting goalie:
The GF60 data seems really noteworthy. For all three teams, 4 of the 5 dots fall on one side of the line. In the case of the Rangers and Blackhawks, they fall above the line, where offense is up when the starter is out. The Predators see a dip in production on all but one year when Rinne is off the ice.
The CF60 data mirrors the trend for the Rangers and Predators. However, the Blackhawks see their CF60 drop in 3 of the 5 years without Crawford in the net. This is starkly different than what was seen in the GF60 data.
Closing Statements
I intend to investigate this idea further with other teams that have had a consistent starter across the past six-year period (e.g., Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Dallas, etc). I will avoid teams that have significantly switched their starters in that period to try and avoid adding yet another set of variables into this analysis. Even someone like Lehtonen will be pushing it as he has effectively gone from being the #1 goalie in Dallas to a 1A/1B goalie this past year.
I know the Rangers better than I do any other team in the league so they would be the best team for me to dig deeper on this matter. I have a suspicion that personnel choices by the coaches may be a significant driver of what was observed for the Rangers. However, failing that I can also look into "puck luck" in those games. It is possible that what we're seeing is just an aberration by pure chance.
Ultimately I think something like this could be an important part of understanding how a major roster change could affect a team in indirect ways. There could be an argument made that moving Lundqvist for a slightly above goalie could be a better change than would be expected than just by the GA60 and salary cap impacts. There is evidence that that a slight GF60 bump could occur, which would in part mask a rise in GA60.
Categories Analysis, Stats•Tags Analysis, Chicago Blackhawks, hockey, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Stats
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California college students relieved after Obama signs loan bill
By Megan Messerly on August 9, 2013 at 2:57 PM
News that President Obama signed a bill into law on Friday to restore lower interest rates for student loans was met with relief by many undergraduate students in California.
On July 1, Stafford loan interest rates doubled to 6.8 percent after Congress was unable to reach a compromise to keep rates at 3.4 percent. The new legislation, the product of bipartisan compromise after prolonged negotiations, links student loan interest rates to the financial market.
Shawn Kim, an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, is one of about 11 million students this year who are expected to have lower interest rates on their federal student loans as a result of the legislation.
Kim, who will enter his junior year in the fall, said he is "grateful" for the legislation because he and his family have had to take out all the federal student and parent loans offered to them for his first two years of college.
"Unless my parents hit the lottery, we're going to be taking more loans for my next 2 years of college," Kim said.
For the immediate future, the bill should prove a boon to Kim and his peers — the government currently borrows cheaply, meaning students can, too. But if the economy improves, the costs of government borrowing will increase, driving up federal student loan interest rates.
"With my sister entering college this semester, even the smallest increase in interest rates could affect my family in the future," said Kim, whose sister will begin her freshman year at UCLA this fall. "It could mean piles of debt upon graduating or extra jobs for me and my sister."
Next year, undergraduates will be able to borrow at 3.9 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized loans; graduate students can borrow at 5.4 percent; and parents can borrow at 6.4 percent.
UC Berkeley junior Tram Nguyen's tuition is completely covered under the campus' Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan — which guarantees all California residents' tuition will be covered if their family earns less than $80,000. She still takes out about $5,000-$6,000 in federal student loans per year to pay for transportation, books and housing expenses.
"I know a lot of students had to give up the opportunity to go to UCs and instead go to community colleges because their families couldn't afford it or the school didn't provide enough financial aid," she said.
In the wake of the new law, legislators are continuing to look for ways to make higher education more affordable for students and will continue to do so in the fall, when they will take up a rewrite of the Higher Education Act.
"(The legislation) might not change much for me since I'm halfway through my college career," Nguyen said. "But it will definitely benefit incoming college freshmen in the future."
Megan Messerly


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Peak Phosphorous Isn't Really the Problem
Food scarcity is emerging as one of the defining issues of a new era.
According to the UN, about 815 million people (roughly 10% of the global population) currently live undernourished.
By 2050, the global population is expected to reach almost 10 billion. And the planet's food supplies will be under far greater stress.
Water shortages, pollution, rising energy costs, urbanization, and geopolitical instability are just a few well-discussed issues in the conversation of feeding the future.
But there's one major hurdle that goes mostly ignored: phosphorous shortages.
Phosphorus is essential to all living things. It's the backbone of DNA, playing a vital role in the way plants and animals convert energy into usable energy.
In plants, phosphorus makes photosynthesis possible. It works with other nutrients (including nitrogen and potassium) that are naturally found in soil that make plants grow.
But farmers often find that those nutrients are not plentiful enough to grow healthy plants or have been depleted by previous crops. That's when they turn to fertilizers.
Fertilizers add or replace soil nutrients like phosphorous. They're a critical component to agriculture and world food output.
But there's a big problem: The world is eventually going to face shortages of irreplaceable ingredients that go into modern fertilizers, most notably phosphate rock.
Phosphate rock is a sedimentary rock that contains high concentrations of phosphorus. And it's what is used to produce the modern fertilizers that feed the world.
It's not a stretch to say phosphate rock is among the most essential natural resources to humanity, rivaled in importance only by clean water and energy.
However, like all other natural resources, phosphate rock is finite. And nonstop extraction will eventually lead to complete depletion, which would be utterly devastating for humanity.
This led to numerous studies that concluded in warnings about a "peak phosphorus" that will occur sooner or later.
In 2009, one such study by researchers in Australia and Sweden projected global phosphate rock production would peak around the year 2033.
But other estimates of global phosphate rock depletion range from 30 years to 400 years. Here are the main features of the most notable studies:
So even though phosphate rock is incredibly important, we're fine for the next century, right?
Well, there's one thing none of the models used can predict: geopolitical instability.
Unlike gold or precious metals, phosphorous isn't rare. In fact, it's the 11th most common element in the Earth's crust. The USGS estimates the Earth contains 300 Gigatonnes (Gt) of phosphate ore. But only a fraction of that is mineable.
Phosphorus-bearing ores are not commonly found in concentrations high enough to make economic extraction feasible. So there are only a few places in the world to find them.
The United States, China, Russia, and areas of North Africa have a bit of phosphate ore reserves. In the United States, much of the phosphate mining is located in Florida.
But the lion's share of world's phosphate reserves is located in one single country: Morocco.
The North African nation is home to 70% of the world's phosphate reserves. That's good for Morocco. But it puts the rest of the world in a shaky position because such a concentration of reserves creates grounds for significant bottlenecks that could disrupt production and the world's supply of this critical resource.
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First there are probable diplomatic implications, particularly considering relationships between Western nations and the Arab world.
There already exists long-term conflict between these worlds, and continued future deterioration of diplomacy could easily lead to trade disputes or outright export bans.
Fortunately for the United States, Morocco has been an ally for a long time. In fact, Morocco was the first country in the world to formally acknowledge the United States as an independent nation in 1777. And the United States has some phosphate resources of its own anyway.
But the other Western nations, which are at odds with the rest of the Arab world, are not so lucky. And diplomatic deterioration between Morocco and any nation (not just the U.S.) could lead to higher phosphate prices.
Then there's revolution...
The Arab Spring in 2010 affected phosphate rock mining as production dropped in several important producing nations in North Africa.
Although Morocco was not significantly affected by the Arab Spring, there have been recent strikes and protests over unemployment and wealth equality. So there are grounds for potential future internal instability.
On top of that is the Western Sahara conflict.
Depending on who you ask, Morocco is actually two countries. The Moroccan government has occupied the area known as Western Sahara since 1975. And it has been a disputed territory for just as long.
Today, Western Sahara is partially controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and partially by the Moroccan government.
As it turns out, Western Sahara is very rich in phosphate resources. Could you have guessed?
And there are already organizations drawing attention to what they call the "exploitation" of their resource. One such group, the Western Sahara Resource Watch, says:
The illegally exploited phosphate rock is an important source of income for the Moroccan government, which holds large parts of the Western Sahara territory under military occupation, contrary to international law. Representatives of the Saharawi people have been consistently outspoken against the trade, both in the UN, generally, and to specific companies.
The dispute between Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Moroccan government could balloon naturally and disrupt exports. Or the dispute could be incited by outside agents seeking greater control of the area's phosphate resources. Any number of things could set off instability in the area that would lead to supply disruptions. And that could cause a severe phosphate supply crunch in the future.
For now, Morocco remains only the second largest producer of phosphate rock, behind China. But with depleting supplies, the future will become more and more dependent on Moroccan phosphate resources.
And potential bottlenecks stemming from internal or external geopolitical instability with or within Morocco could lead to significant supply shortages in the future.
In conclusion, the world is not running out of phosphate. But the stage could be set for major supply disruptions in the future with Morocco's near-monopolistic grip of phosphate rock resources.
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Billions Being Spent on Global LNG Projects
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) market has emerged as the hottest sector in the energy industry right now. Billions of dollars are being spent on developing LNG facilities all over the world.
The "Secret" Permian Basin
The United States' foreign oil dependence is at a 30-year low, and it's all thanks to the development of tight oil and gas resources in states like Texas. But did you know that there are other undeveloped basins in the same area as the Permian? Energy and Capital editor Luke Burgess has answers...


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Б Плюс | Plays like The Spider are the reason one goes to the theater. If you see just one FringeNYC play, see this one.
Plays like The Spider are the reason one goes to the theater. If you see just one FringeNYC play, see this one.
Last weekend kicked off the 17th year of the New York International Fringe Festival (aka FringeNYC), which runs through August 25. As with any such festival, when you choose what shows to see, you're really rolling the dice. This two-week-long feast of all things performative offers shows by 185 theater troupes and dance companies from 13 countries and 17 U.S. states. The total number of performances is an overwhelming 1,200, and it all takes place in 20downtown Manhattan venues.
This was my first attempt to see 10 Fringe events in a little over 48 hours. (In case you're wondering, I'm very tired, and my legs are sore.) The measure of the festival's success is probably not how many stellar shows there are but rather the ratio of pretty good ones to godawful bores. To the credit of FringeNYC, most of the performances I saw were of the former variety, and a couple were truly outstanding.
The most important thing, which I learned immediately, is that you should never, ever, under any circumstances arrive even one minute late to these things. FringeNYC is a well-oiled machine, with none of this leisurely holding the house open for an extra 10 minutes that you find on Broadway. If you arrive late—actually, if you don't arrive early—you are S.O.L. Take note.
My weekend of theatrical madness began, perhaps appropriately, with Manic Pixie Dream Girl: A Graphic Novel Play at The Celebration of Whimsy (or the C.O.W.). The comedy by Katie May uses familiar graphic novel clichés (like big "Pow!" sound effects for bodily contact) to tell its story of Tallman, a frustrated artist who finds a muse in a mysterious mute woman who wanders into a bar and comes home to live with him. This title character, Lily, is explained as a "trope," ironically, by the best-friend-in-a-bar stock personality functioning as the voice of reason: A "manic pixie dream girl" is a quirky girlfriend character that one knows nothing about "outside of the relevance to the dude's life." Think Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. However, what seems like a script constructed of such tropes takes a surprisingly poignant turn when Lily's origins are revealed. A Starburst wrapper serves as an unlikely metaphor for a shift in perspective that's as revelatory to the lead character as it is to the audience.
Another piece that relies on conventional characters and situations—but forgivably so—isThe Awful Truth, a '40s-style radio play presented at The Connelly by Gotham Radio Theatre. In this campy farce, five actors take on more roles than are even listed in the program in a silly I Love Lucy-esque romp about marriage and infidelity. The sound effects are created live onstage, and the cast should be applauded for their tightness as an ensemble as well as for their individual vocal versatilities.
By contrast, Clown Play (at The C.O.W.), written by Paul David Young and directed byRobert Lutfy, is completely unconventional. The dark comedy begins with an existential monologue by a woman named Maria (Carol Lee Sirugo), who compares herself to "the indirect object," the "acted-upon." Following this, a motley crew of four burglar-clowns-turned-squatters assembles in an abandoned house. Their physical shenanigans at gunpoint are equal parts whimsy, perversion, and absurdity (several members of the cast are formally trained clowns). The script is intelligently bizarre: It's Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejectsmeets Marcel Marceau, and ultimately connects its disorienting components into an ode to clowning and the pain it sometimes masks.
Talk to Me About Shame is a one-man show created and performed by Julian Goldhagan at Los Kabayitos. Wearing only a diaper (and eventually nothing), Goldhagan shares some of his own experiences with shame as well as recorded interviews with people discussing their feelings on the topic. He engages the audience in lighthearted participation and then opens the floor for what became, at this performance, a very honest confession by an audience volunteer. Goldhagen is warmly engaging, often hilarious, and fearless in his vulnerability. Few performers could achieve his intended goal of creating a safe and open space where strangers feel comfortable revealing protected emotions; he undoubtedly has a gift for connecting with an audience.
In the spirit of shameless honesty, I will admit that The Skype Show or See You in Augusttook an hour and a half of my life I wish I could get back. Written by Jody Christopherson (who plays herself), based on Skype conversations she had with Michael De Roos (who plays himself), this is a self-indulgent if well-intended chronicle of a long-distance relationship (reenacted live via Skype) of an American woman whose creative and romantic partner moves back to the Netherlands when his student visa expires. It is almost embarrassingly painful to watch Christopherson hanging on to a dwindling romance with a man who appears to be stringing her along with halfhearted intentions to return to the U.S.—until De Roos physically appears in the theater at the end of the play. Call me cynical; I experienced the foregoing 85 minutes as an exercise in codependency inoculation by immersion rather than a tale of star-crossed lovers.
The 3rd Gender, at The Connelly, is a futuristic sci-fi drama written by Peter Zachari. The premise: In the year 2397, being transgender is considered the highest evolution of humanity; cisgender humans (those whose gender identities match their anatomy) are given up to 20 years of treatment in an effort to make them trans in "spirit." If the treatments fail, they are abandoned to "The Zone," a fate close to death. The problem with this play—apart from lead actor J.P. Serret's distracting, hyperactive mannerisms—is that in its attempt to address a nonbinary view of gender, the characters nevertheless exist in a gender-polarized world. While there is homosexuality, acknowledging a sexual-orientation spectrum, there is no spectrum of gender, only "spiritual" poles of male or female gender residing within opposing physical "conduits" (bodies). In this play, there are no "two-spirit" (or androgynously identified) beings or intersex beings, only binaries within binaries. Thus, the script fails to fully explore the very concept its title suggests.
One of the refreshing delights of the weekend was Peter Pan & Stardust Dancers, a dance concert choreographed by Eva Dean, presented at the Theater at the 14th Street Y. (To my astonishment, the YMCA has one of the largest, best-air-conditioned black box theaters downtown—with very comfy seats!) For an audience of parents with shockingly attentive young children, a company of seven dancers performed a short pantomime of Peter Pan set to music. But the real treat were the pieces that followed, creatively using glowing balls hanging from string, juggling on Rollerblades, and incorporating other props in fun, gracefully executed dances. At 45 minutes, it was exactly the right length, a joy from start to finish.
Playwrights generally regard two-person plays as being among the most difficult to write. How do you keep the action moving forward—and the audience invested—when there are just two characters? In Still Life, by Zeke Blackwell, the characters are two grapes hanging on a vine, so they have little choice but to talk to each other. They pass the time by debating everything under the sun, from semantics to linguistics to astrophysics. Most of the play is heady argument and wordplay with little emotional depth beyond Orley the Grape's optimism and Donald the Grape's pessimism. For this reason, the characters feel thinly written (more like the playwright arguing with himself) for three-fourths of the overlong 90 minutes, until Donald makes a pivotal decision to jump off the vine. That said, actors Gabe Greenspan and Tommy Bazarian carry the script with admirable energy. Greenspan in particular is superb: relaxed, natural, and lightning-quick.
For another take on the two-person play there isThe Spider at The C.O.W., an intense, hour-long drama from Bulgaria about a pair of adult conjoined twins (one male, one female) on the eve of their separation surgery. Actors Penko Gospodinov and Anastassia Liutova speak in rapid Bulgarian, but the depth of their brave, raw performances transcends language. The text appears in English subtitles on a screen behind them, and the script—by Dimitar Dimitrov and Yordan Slaveykov, who also direct—is economical and profound as it excavates the core relationship, one that is only as freakish as it is intimately relatable. Plays like The Spiderare the reason one goes to the theater. If you see just one FringeNYC play, see this one.
My weekend ended with Pilot Fish, a satire of pilot season in Los Angeles, when actors, writers, and producers are clamoring to be "attached" to a fledgling TV show. Superficiality, sexual coercion, and plagiarism seem to be the stuff these prime-time sitcom dreams are made of. A hysterical masturbation monologue by actor Tom Coiner is a highlight, and Liam James Daniels stands out as he morphs between playing a jaded stand-up comic and various bit roles with the chameleonic skill of a great character actor. The script by Patrick Kennedyfeels like an insider's take on Hollywood; beyond earning the laughs it aims to deliver, it will make you glad you live in New York.


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