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Pet Paradise — the New Life of the Original Facebook Pet Society Game
By Victoria Turner July 23, 2020 555 views
To know about the game in question first, we have to know about the Pet Society. After the pet society game was discontinued for many years, the developers introduced the new mobile version of the game, which is Pet Paradise. The original game was a social-network platform game that was developed by a game developer named Playfish that and the Pet Society game was available for playing on Facebook.
The old version of the Pet Paradise game was launched on August 8 in the years 2008. With its launch, the game became very popular and was having around 50 million players every month. Moreover, apart from playing, the game was also making approximately 100,000 dollars a day just by selling the in-game stuff. However, despite its initial success, the original developer that was Playfish was bought by the company named Electronic Arts back in 2009. The new owners decided to discontinue the game on the selected date of June 14, 2013. However, the game was ultimately shut down on June 18 of the same year.
After the original Pet Society game was discontinued in 2013, the new developers introduced the latest version of the game, which is the Pet Paradise mobile version. Also, don't forget to check my reviews on other Facebook games on my website, such as The Criminal Case and Dragon City.
The History of the Original Pet Society Game
The history of the original Pet Society game goes back more than a decade to the year 2008. This initial version of the game that was launched in 2008 was a social-network game and was available on Facebook for playing.
The developer of the original 2008 game was Playfish. Since its launch in 2008, the game became of the top games in the next few years and the most played game on Facebook.
The game was pretty simple. In the game, the players had to could design their pets. They could choose the names, colors, appearances, and even the gender of their pets. Moreover, the players could also interact with their pets. They could wash them; clean them, brush them, and feed them. The game also had other features where they could build and decorate their home.
The game had kinds of stuff like drags and dropped to add in your room. The game also had a garden when you could plant the seeds and grow food to feed the pets. Moreover, since the game was based on social media such as Facebook, naturally it had the feature where you could visit the society of your friends and see their pets. The game had an added element of a map where you could hunt for treasure and find rare things that will help you with the development of the game and increase the levels.
However, even though the game was viral, it was discontinued in the year 2013 because of some internal problems that we will discuss later.
The King is Dead. Long Live the King
The older version of Pet Paradise was declared dead in 2013. The developers of the game named Electronic Arts and Maxis announced this on 14th June 2013. According to their announcement, several Facebook games, including Pet Society, were to be taken offline permanently that year.
The decline in user activity as of 2013 was given as the prime reason for the shutdown by Electronic Arts (EA) and Maxis. At the beginning of the game, where millions of users logged in to play the game, the number kept falling in the later years and was very low by the year 2013.
EA and Maxis further said that it was not the first time that something of this sort happened. Such occurrences are common in the gaming world, and people who are familiar with the internal workings of the industry will not be surprised by this. The community forums for the game were finally closed down on June 14th in 2013.
The Simple Good-Old Mechanic is the Key to the Success
The simple and easy game mechanics had always been the critical factor of the enormous success it received back in 2008. And now, like the older version of the game, in the new version as well Pet Paradise has maintained this simplicity.
When the developers first posted the trailer of the new game on Facebook, the video gained more than 1.7 million views. This is enough to show the popularity it still has among players. They developers of the game also announced that the new game will be released on the 4th of July and will be available for download on app stores by 25th July.
The new Pet Paradise mobile also has the same proper old mechanics that is enough to remind the players of the older version of the game that they once loved to play. Similar to the older version, the new game allows the players to customize their pets. In the customization, they could select the names, the colors, the overall appearances, and the gender of their pets. Moreover, just like the old simple version, in Pet Paradise, too players have to do different jobs such as washing; cleaning, combing and feeding the pets. There is also the feature of the building house for pets. The players can decorate their homes.
In the Pet Paradise review, players said that they are playing the game on the phone and an iPad now. And they are very excited about the fact that the new game seems like the old game that they used to play years ago.
How to Start Playing and What do You Need to Play
The new Pet Paradise tricks for the game-play are similar to the old version. In the original game, all you need to do it similar to its name; you have to create a virtual paradise for your pets.
You have to customize and create your virtual pets in the game. You have to name them; you have to dress your pets attractively with the thousands of combinations available. You have to feed them and take proper care of them. In short, you have to do all those things that you do for a real pet.
Pet Paradise also has a feature where you can build your house and decorate it with different elements. You can navigate between different rooms! They're free to decorate with drag and drops. Moreover, you can also go outside your house and navigate between different shops that are available in the game city. You can buy different kinds of stuff from the shops that are necessary for you and your pets. You can also buy collectible items.
The game further has a garden where you have to plant seeds and properly water them and take care of them to let them grow and harvest fruits. This harvest will be necessary to feed your pets.
Pat Paradise game-play also has other additional features where you can go fishing, dig for treasure with the help of a treasure map and get exciting rare rewards and items.
Tips and Tricks to Be the Best at the Game
Before you start playing, there are a few Pet Paradise tips and tricks related to the boosters and the PC set up that you might want to know.
Boosters Tips for Pet Paradise
In the game, always use diamonds to unlock powerful boosters. The process is much easier that way.
The second Pet Paradise tip to remember is that the Boulder Bubbles in the game change when they are between rocks and the normal bubbles.
Always use a super aim. It will help you with difficult shots.
Remember that extra Bubbles in the game will give you three added shots.
You simply can not match Rock Bubbles in the game. Hence, drop the Rock Bubbles by popping more bubbles in the surrounding areas.
You can use Fireballs to blow up all the bubbles around.
Use Third Bubble. It will insert an added bubble to the launcher you are using.
Pet Paradise Tricks for PC Set-Up
To install the PC set-up, you must have an Android emulator such as Bluestacks.
Secondly, you have to go to Google Play Store and set up your account now and look for the game in the store.
Download the game when you find it in the play store. You can also download the APK of file from a third-party APK provider.
The Pet Paradise game had many ups and downs. It had a fantastic beginning that any game would dream of having. The game had 50 million monthly players, making 100000 dollars per day. But, by the year 2013, the game had lost its former glory and had to take to the decision of discontinuing it. Now with its new version, the game is standing up again. It is trying to regain the place it once had. The developers have retained the simple old game mechanics that once attracted millions of players every month. And now looking at the amazing and positive Pet Paradise review we can say that the game is advancing towards a bright and popular future.
If you enjoy Pet Society and Pet Paradise, you will love our free games! It's time to help some flightless fellows escape Penguin City, where the mighty Emperor Penguin is keeping his minuscule underlings as slaves in his dastardly food emporium! Play now and get free spins!
Victoria Turner
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UPDATE: Flat Fire in Trinity County contained at 100 acres
UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. Thursday
The Flat Fire is now 100 percent contained at 300 acres, Cal Fire said.
The agency reported the progress at 5:29 p.m. on Twitter.
UPDATE, 11 a.m. Saturday
Firefighters made substantial progress Friday in building a hand line and reinforcing containment lines to bring the Flat Fire up to 19 percent containment.
The acreage remained at 300 acres as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports its "aggressive attack from both ground and air resources has kept the fire from progressing significantly."
Staffing was increased to include a total of 1,148 personnel, 83 engine companies, 36 fire crews and 39 water tenders. Eight helicopters are working the fire along with 10 bulldozers.
"Difficult access, challenging topography and forecasted weather remain significant concerns," Cal Fire said.
There are no evacuations and no road closures in effect. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been destroyed nor damaged.
The Flat Fire grew to 300 acres as of Friday morning with no containment, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports.
The wildfire is burning in extremely steep terrain that's making it difficult for firefighters to access.
The fire was reported at 6:39 p.m. on Thursday at Blanchards Flat and Reading Creek roads on the southeast side of Douglas City in Trinity County. That area is about 45 minutes west of Redding.
Seven helicopters and four air tankers were being used to fight the flames for a second day, Cal Fire officials said. Crews on Friday were working on fire access and reinforcing containment lines.
As of Friday morning, there were no evacuation orders nor road closures.
A total of 68 engine companies were assigned to the fire along with 34 fire crews, 20 water tenders and 10 bulldozers for a total of 934 personnel.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Caring Ministries – The Intercom, April 2017
by Communications | Apr 2, 2017 | Publications | 0 comments
Friendship Club
Julie O'Connor of Hidden Treasure Estate Sales will be the guest presenter at the April Friendship Club. Julie will explain the services she offers to help people get a home ready to sell. Bring a friend or two to Friendship Club on Tuesday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m., in the Friendship Room, followed by lunch in The Gathering Place.
Here We Walk
Here We Walk: A Reformation Journey with Martin Luther will begin on Sunday, April 9. Pick up a map of significant places in Luther's Germany, then follow in his footsteps by keeping track of your physical activity—walking, swimming, yoga, aerobics…anything that gets you moving counts! If you exercise 30 minutes every day, you will complete the journey in six weeks. Maps are available in Caring Ministries.
OSL's Ask the Expert is an informal gathering in which anyone may share questions and concerns with experts from across the community. Ask the Expert meets at 10:00 a.m. in Caring Ministries unless otherwise noted.
On April 23, Allison Houg will speak on the Benefits of Mindfulness and Yoga, in preparation for the upcoming series integrating Yoga and the Lord's Prayer. Meets in the Friendship Room.
On April 30, Priscilla Thornton, Active Generations nutritionist, will speak about Meals on Wheels, a valued community service that OSL has participated in for many years.
Yoga and the Lord's Prayer
All are welcome to Yoga and the Lord's Prayer, taught by Gretchen Borgum, a certified yoga instructor who leads regular classes at First Lutheran Church and other locations in the community. Class will meet on Mondays,
April 24, May 1, May 8, and May 15, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., in the Labyrinth Room. Cost (supplemented by Thrivent) is $5 per class. No pre-registration required. Bring your own yoga mat if possible; a limited number of mats will be available.
Our Savior's has a number of ongoing health ministries that meet on a weekly or monthly basis. Feel free to join any of the following sessions. For more information, contact Michelle Anderson, Faith Community Nurse, 336-2942, ext. 48, or mianderson@oslchurch.com.
Footcare Clinic
Cost is $25 per person. Wednesday, April 5, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call the Church Office, 336-2942, to schedule your appointment.
Hope for Living with Illness or Cancer
Every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. in the Friendship Room. People and their families who have or are experiencing the challenge of cancer are welcome. If you cannot attend, but would like to be on our prayer and devotional mailing list, contact Michelle Anderson, 336-2942, ext. 48, or mianderson@oslchurch.com.
Knitting/Crocheting Ministry
Learn how to knit or crochet prayer shawls (to be given to people to remind them of God's presence and love in their lives) and mittens and scarves (for missions).
Wednesday, April 12 and 26, 9:30 a.m., Sonshine Rm.
2nd Saturday Knitters, April 8, 9:30 a.m., Sonshine Rm.
Recent Loss Group
Wednesdays, March 15 through April 12, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the Chapel. Contact Michelle Anderson, 336-2942, ext. 28, or mianderson@ oslchurch.com, to preregister. OSL Community Supper is available before the meeting, at 5:00 in The Gathering Place.
Every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in Room 103. For anyone dealing with loss and crisis in life.
Memory Care Support Group
Saturdays, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Room 103. For caregivers of those with Alzheimer's and dementia, a place to share and to receive understanding and empathy. Contact Caring Ministries, 336-2942, for information.
OSL-sponsored Pickleball: Mondays,
8:00 a.m. to noon and 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Tuesdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon; Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Thursdays, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Can You Hear Me Now?, by Margot L. Nelson
Remember a few years ago when cell phone reception was less reliable than it is now? One of the cell phone network vendors tried to illustrate the superiority of their network by showing the customer of a competitive network struggling to gain reception, climbing higher and higher on a hill, for example, and asking frequently, "Can you hear me now?" Although cell phone reception has improved, sometimes we're not so sure about our communications with each other and with God—either face-to-face or by way of an electronic device. Does God hear us when we pray? Do we hear God's voice, or the voice of the Holy Spirit?
It may be hard to confirm that our communication with God has been heard, that our communication network has sufficient power to convey our voices. There is really no indicator, like the number of bars on our cell phones, to let us know the line is open. And God's answer may not be audible or visible. But that's because prayer is a relationship of faith, defined in Hebrews 11 as the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. The Bible tells us God is there, he is listening, and he is involved in our everyday lives. And as Hebrews says, by having faith in that, we can be certain of what we cannot see…or hear.
So how can we know that God hears us? Friends tell me that sometimes there's a quiet, inaudible "voice" inside them that prompts them to do something. Others describe it as feeling a gentle nudge. Some people say they experience some sort of sign—as simple as a song that comes on the radio—that gives them solid confidence that God is speaking. Others sense God's presence in nature. There are also times when the Holy Spirit answers in the form and voice of a human being—referred to by some as angels in our midst. They may be friends, family members, Stephen Ministers, pastors, or even strangers. We all have opportunities to be witnesses to our fellow human beings, to reveal the presence and love of God, to increase the number of bars in the communication system, to assure that God can hear them now.
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10
OSL Women of the ELCA
Freed in Christ through Faith, by Tami Skorczewski
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit."
Galatians 5:22, 25
Bible Study. Christian freedom is the theme Paul has been building toward throughout
Galatians. In this chapter, Paul begins encouraging the Galatians to put their faith to work in service of others. ((Source: gathermagazine.org.)
Sweets for Your Valentine Update. WELCA's first fundraiser of the year was held on Sunday, February 12, in The Gathering Place. Thank you to the WELCA women who provided the yummy treats, and a big thank you to OSL members for supporting this sweet fundraiser. We collected $422, which will go toward the 2017 Unit Mission Project, "OSL WELCA Has it in the Bag." Our first project will be Comfort Bags, to be given to patients going through cancer treatment.
Upcoming Events: All women and their daughters are cordially invited to WELCA's Annual Mother/Daughter Luncheon on May 13, beginning at 11:00 A.M., in The Gathering Place. The speaker will be Valerie Echter, a holistic health and lifestyle coach. Look for additional information in the weekly bulletin announcements. Tickets will go on sale in mid-April.
Words Matter, by Anne Rieck McFarland
Anne Rieck McFarland, OSL member and CEO of LifeScape, wrote this editorial for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March. It appears here with her permission.
Although this isn't a new topic, it continues to be an important one: words matter. They impact how we think, feel, act, and ultimately, how we relate to one another. March is Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. I am using this as an opportunity to ask you to pause and critically think about how you react and respond when you are around a person with a disability. How do you describe the person to others? Do you feel bad? Are you uncomfortable and unsure of what to say or do? Would you prefer to avoid the person altogether?
My purpose in asking is to invite you to consider replacing your own discomfort with an openness to engage and understand the person you are meeting. I also invite you to consider the words you use in talking about another. A person with a disability is a person. They are not the disability and that disability should in no way define who they are. People who have a disability should be offered the same respect as anyone else. Slang terms that are sometimes used are hurtful and disparaging.
I am honored to work with people with disabilities every day and this is what I know to be true: they are my friends. They are there for me when I am happy and when I need support. They are people of different ages and interests. Some enjoy art and others enjoy sports. Some use words to communicate, and others are better suited to using gestures, expressions, and communication styles other than words. Each of my friends is unique and interesting. They have feelings and they know when someone genuinely cares about them.
Let's use Intellectual and Developmental Disability Awareness Month in March to learn more about respectful language and to have more meaningful interactions with those around us. When we put the person first, we acknowledge their humanity first—and let's ask ourselves—does the disability need to be mentioned at all?
People with disabilities, no matter what age or what disability they may have, are people first. Like each of us, they have individual personalities, interests, abilities, and needs. To learn more, visit LifeScapeSD.org/IAm. You'll find downloadable flyers on People-First Language and Disability Respect and Etiquette. I hope you'll find this information useful in your everyday interactions—in your businesses, classrooms, churches, service groups, or families. We are all people first!
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Excuse me for being a total noob, but how on earth do you go about making day trips for fun by plane? I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, if only I know how to do it and which destinations are most attractive (i.e. allow most time in situ) when traveling from BRU, so go on and share your experiences to a novice like me.
I did quite a number of day trips, trying indeed to spend a maximum of time at destination. Therefore I select flights, often on different airlines and sometimes with a connection in a foreign airport. I also try to find cheap flights of course. On legacy airlines a return trip on the same day is often very expensive: buy your two tickets separately!
Thanks for the tip on booking two separate tickets instead of a return ticket. I never would have thought of that, because I never would have considered it woud make any difference, but I checked with a VLM flight from Antwerp to Aberdeen and 2 separate tickets are indeed cheaper.
What is the best way to book tickets for these day trips? Do you go straight to the airlines' websites, or to a travel agent's website?
Daytrios are Fun but don't spend that much on your flights, it's more Fun thé chraper you can get them..
I agree. Book directly from the airline. Two separate tickets. Otherwise, a website like skyscanner.com or kayak.com can be useful for finding days when tickets are cheaper.


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Pair of Gym Devils Look to Shine Spotlight on Arizona State Gymnastics Program
College Sports Journal NCAA Division I Sports
April 16, 2021 April 16, 2021 by Ray Maloney
FORT WORTH, Texas – The future of women's gymnastics in the Valley of the Sun is burning bright and it appears to be only a matter of time before Arizona State makes that final pass and joins the ranks of the elite programs in the nation.
The Sun Devils get a chance to have their name known this weekend when Cairo Leonard-Baker and Hannah Scharf represent ASU at the NCAA national championship meet in Fort Worth, Texas.
Eight teams will by vying for the team title, including top-ranked Florida and defending national champion Oklahoma. Utah will also be competing in the meet for an incredible 39th consecutive time in school history.
The Red Rocks, which the gymnastics team at the school is known, have been a part of every NCAA championship meet. Utah also competed in six straight AIAW national meets prior to the NCAA assuming control of women's athletics in 1982. Overall, this will be Utah's 45th straight trip to the national championship meet.
Leonard-Baker, who will be competing in her third consecutive NCAA championship, and Scharf are among 20 athletes who will be competing individually after their teams fell short of a top two finish at the recent regional meets. Leonard-Baker will compete on bars, while Scharf will challenge for a national championship in the all-around.
"We are super excited to watch Cairo and Hannah showcase what they can do," ASU coach Jay Santos said on Wednesday shortly after arriving in the Lone Star State to begin preparations for the final competition of the year. "I think they are both coming off their best meet of the year. They both bring an incredible amount of energy into their routines and it's going to be fun watching to see what more they can accomplish."
Leonard-Baker won the bars title at the recent regional meet in Salt Lake City after posting a 9.950. She shared the crown with Utah's Maile O'Keefe and Kentucky's Reania Worley. O'Keefe and her Utah teammates won the team title at the regional meet to advance to Fort Worth, along with LSU, which placed second in the final team standings. Worley joined Leonard-Baker as an individual qualifier in the event for the national meet.
"(Bars) is arguably her best event," Santos said of Leonard-Baker, who earned honorable mention all-conference honors on the event this season after scoring a 9.875 at the conference meet.
That continued her long line of success in the event. She earned titles on bars in five meets during the regular season after winning five meet titles on bars last season before the national championship was cancelled.
Leonard-Baker, a two-time Junior Olympic national qualifier prior to her arrival at Arizona State, was a second-team All-American on bars after posting a 9.900 at the national meet in 2019. Only two competitors scored higher at that meet.
Leonard-Baker opened her collegiate career in a big way in 2018 and was voted the PAC-12 freshman/newcomer of the year after winning four bars titles, three floor titles and four titles in all-around during the regular season. She was a regular season All-American, as chosen by the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches, in the allowed after her freshman season of 2018 and was named ASU's most valuable gymnast that same season.
She was ASU's first individual qualifier since 2016 when she advanced to the 2018 national meet by posting a 39.200 in all-around at the regional meet to punch her ticket to the national meet for the first time in her career.
"She is very dynamic on bars," Santos said. "Her dismount is nothing short of spectacular with the way she gets sky high off the bars.
Leonard-Baker was taking a calm approach, at least on the surface, as she prepared herself for competition this weekend on the biggest stage.
"It's simply a matter of focusing on one event and continuing to put together all the things I have been working on and making them come together at the right time," she said.
Scharf, meanwhile, is coming off perhaps her best performance of the season and is looking forward to the opportunity to compete in Fort Worth. She is ranked No. 16 in the nation heading into the meet.
"I'm really excited," said Scharf, a sophomore from Ontario, Canada, who will be making her first appearance at the national championship meet. "It is really an honor to be able to represent Arizona State."
Scharf posted a 9.925 on floor at the recent regional meet in Salt Lake City and finished just behind four other competitors who shared the title with 9.950s. It was the seventh time this season Scharf scored at least a 9.9 on the event.
Scharf was first-team all-conference this season in the all-around after scoring a 39.350 and added a pair of second-team all-conference honors (vault, floor) to become the first ASU gymnast to earn three conference honors in the same season since 2006.
She scored at least a 9.9 on all four events this season, including floor, which Santos believes is Scharf's best event.
"She has some big tumbling passes and she puts a lot of fun and excitement into her routine," the ASU coach said. "And when she's locked in on beam her routine is beautiful,"
Scharf has seven all-around, five floor and team beam titles to her credit this season for the Gym Devils
Scharf placed 10th at Elite Canada in 2018 and added a second 10th-place finish that same season at the Canadian Championships after being in fourth place after the first day of competition.
A native of Bismarck, N.D., Ray is a graduate of North Dakota State University where he began studying athletic training and served as a student trainer for several Bison teams including swimming, wrestling and baseball and was a trainer at the 1979 NCAA national track and field championship meet at the University of Illinois. Ray later worked in the sports information office at NDSU. Following his graduation from NDSU he spent five years in the sports information office at Missouri Western State University and one year in the sports information at Georgia Tech. He has nearly 40 years of writing experience as a sports editor at several newspapers and has received numerous awards for his writing over the years. A noted sports historian, Ray is currently an assistant editor at Amateur Wrestling News.
Arizona State Sun Devils Women's Gymnastics Division I NCAA Women's Gymnastics
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HomeDatabasesGlobal SCP Projects DatabaseSustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment (SAFE) Platform [AFFILIATED]
Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment (SAFE) Platform [AFFILIATED]
The SAFE Platform, comprised of frontrunner private sector participants, donors, and non-governmental organizations, creates and supports projects that seek to transform these landscapes and demonstrate that producing 100% sustainable coffee and cocoa is possible.
This initiative, managed by Hivos, leverages existing knowledge, expertise, and resources from all its members and implements projects that seek to scale up innovative approaches in four main strategic areas.
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Committee on Sustainability Assessment
Agricultural and Fishery, Environmental Services, Water
Capacity Building & Implementation, Other
Business Sector
34000000 US$
Juan Pablo Solis
SAFE Platform Manager
SAFE was created with the mindset that through strategic partnerships and the implementation of projects in Latin America, resources, and experiences dedicated to promote, design, and implement sustainability practices can be optimized and have a greater impact in transforming coffee and cocoa landscapes. Our structure allows us to work on local, national, regional, and international stages addressing the specific challenges and opportunities present at each level. Workshops with coffee farmers in Nicaragua on gender equity, local-government backed actions to harvest water in coffeelands across three countries, and work with cooperatives to understand and develop price risk management strategies on a regional level are only a few examples of how we are addressing the challenges that we face in creating more sustainable food systems. A fundamental component of our Platform is that we facilitate the sharing of information and tools with all people interested in learning more about sustainable environments.
Knowledge resource and technical tool
Coffee Barometer 2018
Global / All regions
It is widely perceived that in the global value chain of coffee, profits are made in industrialised countries, at the expense of environmental and social problems in the coffee producing countries. Coffee is a buyers-driven supply chain, where roasters, retailers and traders maintain a high level of opacity enabling them to capture most of the gains. In sharp contrast with the margins made by farmers in developing countries, the multinational food giants and investments funds in the USA and EU expect to capitalise on growing demand in the coming decade. Billions are spent in countless acquisitions and mergers, positioning famous coffee brands in new markets. As the global coffee industry consolidates, it cuts costs to optimise profits causing additional downward pressure in the value chain, which is increasingly felt by the producers at the farm level. Trouble is brewing in the sector. A wide variety of complex and systemic issues -environmental, social and economic- jeopardises the future of coffee production. Price volatility, climate change and recurring outbreaks of pests and diseases threaten the global supply of good quality coffee, while consumption and therefore demand is expected to increase. In this new edition of the Coffee Barometer, we pinpoint some gaping holes in our collective knowledge that urgently need to be tackled. For example, coffee production has been growing by over 20% (+26 million bags) since 2010, we do not know how much forested land has been converted into farm land used for coffee production. Furthermore, it is assumed that 20-25 million smallholder farmers produce 70% of the coffee globally, an estimate that stands unchallenged in the last 15 years. The coffee harvest therefore depends on millions of farmworkers; an important but invisible group of stakeholders. They remain largely voiceless in the discussions about a sustainable coffee sector
The Coffee Barometer 2018 has generated a lot of buzz within the coffee industry. It has been referenced in several specialized magazines and new publications on coffee sustainability. It has helped raise awarness on the importance to shift current practices in the coffee sector, into more multi-actor approaches. This has been the fifth edition of the Coffee Barometer, and although previous versions have been well received, the conversations that this edition has generated has had an unexpected impact. Gathering data was a challenge, as not all companies are willing to share their data. Nonetheless, after the publication, several companies that were previously reluctant to share have now indicated interest in being part of the next edition.
Gender Project Methodology
Cofffee Quality Institute's Partnership for Gender Equity
The PGE Project Methodology (PM) provides a framework and serves as a step-by-step guide to plan, manage, and evaluate a PGE field level project to promote gender equity within a coffee supply chain. The PGE PM guides engagement with three levels of the supply chain including farmer households, producer organizations, and end market partners. Working within these three levels of the supply chain, the PM offers specific tools and provides action steps that project implementers can follow in order to ensure all relevant stakeholders can successfully carry out a PGE field level project and meet expected outcomes.
PGEs gender project methodology have been endorse by many actors in the coffee industry.
Poster Presentation during the V Science Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture
The Sustainable Agriculture, Food and the Environment Platfrom (from here on, SAFE Platform or Platform) is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together key value chain actors who share a common vision for meeting the challenges of sustainable agriculture and the inclusion of smallholder farmers in global value chains.
Beneficiaries of SAFE projects are small-scale farmers with an average age of 48 and a land size of 1.8 hectares. These people live in rural areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. SAFE has reached over 19,000 direct beneficiaries (39% women / 22% youth) and 143,000 indirect beneficiaries. SAFE has 22 active members and is collaborating with 95 different organizations from producer organizations, to certifiers, lenders, buyers, governments, and NGOs in nine Latin American countries. SAFE projects are divided into two main categories: Individual Projects, which are large-scale initiatives with approximately $1 million in funding by the IDB Group, and Complementary Operations: small initiatives in scale, budget, and duration that are overseen and managed by Hivos. To date, SAFE's portfolio consists of five Individual Projects and 12 Complementary Operations, summing a total of $20.1 million allocated throughout these projects. Of these over $20 million, partner funds total $12.3 million, with the IDB providing the other $7.8 million. The first year of SAFE's implementation focused on building trust between partners and creating the project portfolio. Project implementation took off the second and third years. During 2019, SAFE has been able to harvest results from these interventions. A few insights clarify how the projects have transformed these coffee communities. In 2016, producers in El Salvador had an average productivity of 246 kgs GEB/ha before joining the Blue Harvest project. This number has tripled and is now surpassing 900 kgs GEB/ha, with a similar situation in Nicaragua. The average income has doubled in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Workshops, continuous support to these producers, and highly involved partners and local governmental actors have been key in reaching these levels, as these were communities that have struggled to recover from the Roya (leaf rust) outbreak earlier this decade. SAFE has supported several publications, including a magazine, produced 12 videos and 7 podcasts, and backed a documentary on gender in coffee, all of which are publically available and used by industry leaders to stimulate a thoughtful debate on issues such as sustainable sourcing, demographic changes, climate-smart agriculture, and financial inclusivity.
Outcome level
SCP monitoring and reporting
SAFE's Data capturing Tool
The COSA
The data capture Ttool is divided in two, on one side Project Management Reporting System (simplified as activity report) and Performance Monitoring System (simplified as performance report) Project Management Reporting System enables decision-makers to evaluate their projects on the basis of cost per farmer, per hectare, and per kilogram of coffee produced. The evaluation is based on data that describes project inputs (e.g. time and money spent to deliver the training), activities (e.g. both projected and actual trainings by topic), and outputs (e.g. number of farmers trained). When linked with Performance Monitoring and Impact Assessment data, it can be used to optimize sustainability investments. The Performance Monitoring System helps managers of sustainability projects more easily and affordably measure the performance of their programs and investments. The resources can be used throughout the implementation of a program or in any supply chain to track progress, identify areas for corrective action, improve service delivery, and provide learning about programs and investments.
The data capturing tool, enables SAFE members to understand better the behavoiur and patterns of their projects, compare project to each other and have a set of common indicators that facilitate decision making process
As of Jan 2019, the projects, located in 10 Latin American countries, have benefited over 143,490 farmers (39% women / 22& youth). Total investment at the moment is 20.1 million in projects that will help transform coffee and cocoa landscapes.
For any questions or comments, you can send an email to info@safeplatform.org
http://www.safeplatform.org/


Promote, develop and implement non-conventional, renewable and alternate energy devices and technologies.
Take concrete steps for conventional energy conservation measures in industries, commercial establishments and domestic sectors.
Assist the Government of India and Government of Maharashtra in renewable energy programme implementation.
Evolve suitable alternatives to meet the burgeoning energy demand.
Install demonstration power projects with own investment to instill confidence in new entrants and private investors.
Pursue power projects based on renewable energy with large-scale private investments in commercially viable projects by creating suitable policy environment.
Information dissemination and public awareness through training programmes, publications, exhibitions, seminars and conferences.
Support large-scale distribution and marketing of stand-alone renewable energy devices by participating in field viability and commercialization exercises through innovative financing mechanism and creating investment opportunities.


text:
By historical standards, Greater Boston has added a lot of housing in the last few years. But it is adding even more jobs. And that's a key reason why living here keeps getting more expensive.
So says a report released Thursday by the real estate website Apartment List, which found that since 2008 the region has added 2½ times as many jobs as it has housing units — an imbalance that's greater only by the San Francisco Bay Area among large metro areas nationwide.
"It's pretty striking," said Chris Salviati, housing economist at Apartment List. "Especially over a 10-year period. That's an extended time of not building enough new housing to keep pace with job growth."
Since the 2008 recession, Greater Boston's economy has added about 275,000 jobs, many of them in well-paid industries like technology and life sciences. At the same time, it has added 108,000 apartments and condos, mostly in Boston and a handful of nearby municipalities. That ratio — about 2.5 new jobs for every new home — isn't enough to keep up with job growth, said Salviati, who added that a healthier ratio is one or two jobs for every new home.
It's Economics 101, he said: "This really just comes down to supply and demand. If those two things are out of whack, prices go up. And that's what you're seeing in Boston."
Indeed, home prices in the state hit record highs in June, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. The median price for both single-family homes and condominiums in Greater Boston now tops $600,000.
Apartment rents have climbed steadily, too, fueled by waves of twentysomethings who stay in or move to Boston for work.
There have, at times, been signs of the rental market cooling, especially in new higher-end buildings that essentially compete with their neighbors for tenants. But rents have grown fast in less-expensive older buildings, and even new units that are slightly less pricey are moving quickly.
The developers of One Beachmont, a building that opened in January in Revere with one-bedroom apartments priced at about $2,500 a month, said last week that 194 of the 195 units had been rented.
A major Boston landlord, Mount Vernon Co., said its newest building, the 132-unit Radius Apartments in Brighton, is more than 90 percent leased just a few weeks after opening earlier this summer.
"We're doing great," said Mount Vernon's chairman, Bruce Percelay, who pointed to his building's amenities, including an entire top floor of common space, as a key selling point. "Our rate of pre-leasing was more than twice the conventional rate."
Percelay noted there is a lot more housing in the pipeline.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh wants 69,000 new units in the city by 2030.
Just in Allston and Brighton in the vicinity of Radius several big developments are in the works, including a nearly 900-unit project at the Stop & Shop along the Massachusetts Turnpike, and Berkeley Investments' recent deal with Harvard University to build on five long-unused acres on Lincoln Street.
"I've never seen as much housing going in as I'm seeing right now," Percelay said. "It wouldn't surprise me if that relationship with job creation is pretty fluid."
But even as Boston adds housing, it's creating a massive amount of office space.
Roughly 8 million square feet of office and lab buildings is under construction, according to the real estate firm Newmark Knight Frank, most of it in downtown Boston and East Cambridge.
Companies looking for room to grow have signed a string of enormous leases in recent months — including Foundation Medicine's recent deal for a 16-story building in the Seaport District — and office developers are starting construction on more buildings even without tenants lined up.
Some of those projects are large-scale mixed-use developments, with approvals in hand for big blocks of both housing and office space. For now, at least, those developers appear to be opting to build office space.
At Cambridge Crossing, a 43-acre project where Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville meet, owner DivcoWest has launched three office buildings — all of which are fully leased — but no new housing since it bought the site in 2015.
A DivcoWest spokeswoman declined to comment.
WS Development, which owns the Seaport Square complex in Boston's Seaport District, has an office building underway for Amazon, and will soon start one for Foundation Medicine, but none of the 3,200 units of housing that were approved when WS updated the project's plans in 2017 are being built yet.
Yanni Tsipis, who's leading Seaport Square for WS, noted that nearly 2,000 apartments and condos were built in earlier phases of the 23-acre project, including 717 in the Echelon building, now under construction. That housing, he said, is helping to drive demand for office space in the project, as is a general trend among companies to move closer to the core of the region.
"We certainly saw momentum toward more-urban workplaces," Tsipis said. "And because Seaport Square had come out of the gate mostly with housing first, we thought places to work would be of great interest."
They have been, so far, though Tsipis said the jobs those tenants bring may create even more demand for housing, perhaps swinging the pendulum back toward residential development.
Salviati agreed — to a point. The supply-and-demand equation tends to balance itself over time, he said, and builders will go back to housing if they decide it's more profitable. But zoning laws often intervene, he said, especially in municipalities wary of housing but eager to supplement their tax bases with commercial development.
There's another way the market could self-correct, he said: If Greater Boston's tight and expensive housing market simply proves too much for some people, they will eventually move elsewhere..
"I don't think there's going to be a mass exodus," Salviati said. "But over time, you'll see growth slow down, and that'll have an effect."
Tim Logan can be reached at tim.logan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bytimlogan.


Join NYC Basketball Kids on Monday, October 9th and let New York's best coaching staff teach your kids what it takes to raise their game! Located at St George Academy (215 E 6th St, New York, NY 1000), door to door transportation will be available if you are unable to bring your kids yourself. Make sure your kids are ready to play as we will be teaching in small group drills, games, contests, and plenty of smiles throughout.
Kindly emailchris@nycsportsleagues.com for any questions or to request more information.


Letter - 8.50" x 11"Legal - 8.50" x 14"A4 - 8.30" x 11.70"A5 - 5.80" x 8.30"B5 - 6.90" x 9.80"Statement - 8.50" x 5.50"Executive - 7.25" x 10.50"Com10 Envelope - 4.80" x 9.50"DL Envelope - 4.30" x 8.60"C5 Envelope - 3.37" x 9"Monarch Envelope3.90" x 9.80"3.50" x 5"
Color imageCLASS MF733Cdw The all-in-one, Canon Color imageCLASS MF733Cdw offers feature rich capabilities in a high quality, reliable printer that is ideal for any office environment. Print, scan, copy and fax capabilities help you accomplish all necessary tasks with just one machine. Easy to use features such as the intuitive 5-inch color touch LCD panel, various mobile solutions, generous paper capacity and a single-pass, duplex scan feature, your business will have the support and efficiency it deserves. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF733Cdw, MF731Cdw, MF634Cdw and MF632Cdw models come with a 3 Year Limited Warranty. Enjoy peace of mind with expert assistance for every level of experience and uncompromising dedication to product reliability, service and support. Your professional quality color documents are printed at speeds of up to 28 pages per minute in both color and black and white with a quick first print time of 9 seconds or less. Get high quality, crisp and bold color business documents as well as photos using V (Vivid and Vibrant) Color Technology, which increases image sharpness and color vibrancy. Eco-conscious, all-mode duplexing saves you time, paper, and related costs, as well as limits interruptions so you can print, scan, copy and fax with ease. The intuitive 5-inch color touch LCD panel allows you to navigate through the menu seamlessly. The wide screen and color display is user friendly and easy to read. You can also customize the settings to access the features you use most. The MF733Cdw has wireless connectivity, increasing your productivity and allowing you to print from almost anywhere in your home or office. The device also has built in Wi-Fi® Direct Connection capability, enabling easy connection to mobile devices without a router. Pairing your mobile device just got easier - simply scan the QR Code function on the MF733Cdw using the Canon PRINT Business app to connect wirelessly. Enjoy a variety of easy to use mobile features for printing on the go using your compatible mobile device, such as Canon PRINT Business Apple® AirPrint®, Mopria Print Service and Google Cloud Print. Using the Canon PRINT Business app, you can also scan hardcopy originals. The MF733Cdw has NFC capability, so you can simply "tap and print" using your compatible Android mobile device. Manage device usage and color access for up to 300 IDs, using password protected Department ID Management. USB Direct Print allows you to print from and scan to that USB in JPEG, TIFF and PDF formats. With ID Card Copy, you can easily create copies of identification cards or other small documents on a single page. The MF733Cdw provides generous, expandable paper capacity to keep up with your fast paced business output needs. With the front-loading 250-sheet paper cassette, 50-sheet duplexing automatic document feeder, 50-sheet multipurpose tray, and optional 550-sheet paper cassette, your paper handling requirements are covered. The single-pass, duplex scan allows you to scans both sides of your document in a single pass through the duplex, automatic document feeder. The MF733Cdw uses less than 1 W of energy in USB, wired, and wireless Energy Saver Mode, helping you save money on energy costs. The Single Cartridge System combines the toner and drum into 1 unit, making replacement of cartridges simple. High-capacity toner options keep you printing longer, with limited toner replacements so you can keep pace with your busy output needs. The MF733Cdw uses Canon GENUINE Toner, Cartridge 046 (CMY yields 2,300 sheets / K yields 2,200 sheets, ISO/IEC standard) and Cartridge 046 Hi Capacity CMYK (CMY yields 5,000 sheets / K yields 6,300 sheets, ISO/IEC standard).


text:
Q: Expand list when mouse click on list I have created drop down menu using list item. The list is expanding when the mouse hover, but I need do when the mouse click on list the list should expand.
CSS:
.top-level
{
 background:#999;
 width:100%;
 line-height: 25px;
}
.top-level li
{
 border-bottom: #fff solid;
 border-top: #fff solid;
 border-width: 1px;
}
.top-level li:hover
{
 background: white;
 text-decoration: none;
}
.top-level li:hover >ul
{
 background: white;
 text-decoration: none;
 display :inline ;
}
.second-level
{
 background:#999;
 width:100%;
 line-height: 25px;
 list-style: none;
 display: none;
}
.second-level > li
{
 display: inline-block;
 border-bottom: #fff solid;
 border-top: #fff solid;
 border-width: 1px;
 background:#999;
}
.second-level > li:hover
{
 background: #fff;
 text-decoration: none;
}
.second-level li:hover >ul
{
 background: white;
 text-decoration: none;
 display :inline ;
}

HTML:

 Test - A

 Test - A1

 Test - A2

 Test - A21

 Test - A21

 Test - A21

 Test - A21

 Test - A3

 Test - A4

 Test - A5

 Test - B

 Test - C

 Test - D

Above is my test coding for CSS and HTML. Please look at this code and give me the solution for mouse click event.

A: You can use jQuery and apply a click event to the top-level li.
Something like:
$('.top-level').on ('click', function (){
 $('.top-level > li').css ('display', 'block');
});

I am not entirely sure of what your HTML looks like, but this is the general idea.
You will also need to come up with a function to close the menu.
There are plenty of resources on the internet for examples and tutorials on writing jQuery.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
You are here: Home » Events » Connor Baxter wins the Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge, stop 1 of the World Series
Connor Baxter wins the Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge, stop 1 of the World Series
March 18th, 2013 by davi
Monday 18 March
Connor Baxter powers to victory in Puerto Natales, Chile
Connor Baxter (Starboard) puts every last shred of energy into a tiebreaker to claim the overall victory here at the Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge. With Kai Lenny (Naish) taking the win in the long distance, Connor knew that it was all or nothing on the final day of action here in Puerto Natales, and that he had to put it all on the line to take down arch rival and the reigning World Series Champion.
He went onto win the sprint racing component, forcing a tie-breaker that would prove to be one of the most nail biting yet on the Stand Up World Series. In the end, after a rail and paddle clashing duel, it was to be Connor's day, just edging ahead of Kai to take the victory and a $9,000 check here at Stop 1 of the 2013 Stand Up World Series.
Kai Lenny remains equal first in ratings, 2nd in event
Although both athletes receive equal points for tying at stop one of the Stand Up World Series, Kai Lenny (Naish) has to settle for 2nd place overall for the event itself. With a dramatic win in the long distance and such a close finish in the sprints and tie breaker, the young Champion has to be happy with his result here at Stop one of the Stand Up World Series.
However it is becoming clear that the Kai / Connor rivalry is only intensifying and that the Title will be to the bitter end this year as these two young Champions will will no doubt push each other to their physical and mental limits to take the Title in 2013
Casper Steinfath finishes 3rd, showing speed & stamina
Casper Steinfath put on a stellar performance here in the Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge, as he made his way through the fiercely contested heats in the sprints, battling with Kai Lenny, Connor Baxter and Zane Schweitzer for the lead throughout the sprints and coming in an impressive 3rd place. This coupled with his 3rd place in the long distance secured his 3rd overall – a great start to the season for this ever impressive Viking as he is continues to demonstrate staggering form this year.
Zane Schweitzer finishes 4th at Stop 1 on World Series
Zane Schweitzer put on another great performance in the sprint racing in Puerto Natales: with a real strength in this discipline given his acceleration and board turning skills, Zane battled for the top spot, finishing 4th in an incredibly stacked and fast final. This has been a great start to the year for the young talent from Maui and he has demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with in the 2013 season in both racing and surfing.
World Series course allows for performance paddling
With the World Series Sprint racing course consisting of 3 buoys, set in front of the dramatic landscape that never ceases to amaze here in Magallanes, the sprint racing was both action packed and intense. With plenty of buoy turns and short fast legs on the course that kept the racing right on the shore, the stars rose to the top, but there were strong performances across the fleet.
After a strong finish in the long distance race on Day 1, the young Brazilian had great speed in the sprints, powering off the start lines and challenging the World's very best. Finishing in 5th place overall, he can feel strong coming into stop 2 of the World Series that will take place at home for him, in Brazil. Also looking strong and battling to the end was Arnaud Frennet, the Belgian / Chilean resident, keeping up with the young crowd and finishing strong in the sprints and the long distance.
The Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge makes history
The Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge presented by Stand Up Latino and powered by Big Foot Adventures brought a whole new kind of 'adventure race' to the Stand up World Series: set against one of the most dramatic backdrops imaginable, the racing was only part of the adventure, as the athletes traveled through Magallanes and were able to experience a true taste of this unique region in South Chile.
From intimate mountain lodges in the Glaciers, journeying across country and relaxing and celebrating in the expansive luxury of the Remota Hotel, to traditional Patagonian meals served in a transformed arboretum on a quaint farm in the country, traditional music and dance and exploring uncharted territory, the event was an adventure to remember and has once again demonstrated just how far stand up paddling can go and the diversity of its applications and playing fields. The images from the event will tell a thousand stories and the adventure will remain vivid in the minds of all those who made it to Magallanes. Stay tuned for highlights and more photos of this incredible adventure right here at www.standupworldseries.com.
Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge: an annual event
With a confirmation from the region, the authorities and the Title Sponsor for the next 2 years, it seems as though this incredible adventure will open the World Series each year in dramatic fashion. Details on next year's Patagonian adventure will follow soon on www.standupworldseries.com.
In the meantime, a big thank you goes out to our Title sponsor, Aragas, our presenting partner Stand up Latino, our logistics partner Big Foot Adventures and our supporting sponsors LAN airlines, Remota Hotel, Sernatur, the City of Puerto Natales, Conaf, FechSurf and the Chilean Navy. We are honored to have held our World Championship Series Opener in this maginificent region in South Chile.
Next up: the Abu Dhabi All Stars invitational: 3 – 7 April
Coming up next, the Abu Dhabi All Stars Invitational presented by the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club and UAE SUP, in association with Wadi Adventure will provide a dramatic cultural and landscape contrast to the Glacier event, as a selection of the world's best will journey to the United Arab Emirates for this invitational event to take place in the wave pool and in front of Abu Dhabi's striking city skyline.
This event will be live broadcast at www.standupworldtour.com, so stay tuned for the Waterman League's next dramatic global adventure.
A big thank you to our World Tour & Series Patrons
World Series season is officially open as the first stop in Chile lights up
The Aragas Magallanes Paddle Challenge to kick off this week with record prize-money
History to be made at the Magallanes Paddle Challenge, Chile
Connor Baxter Wins The Stand Up World Series Season Opener On The Epic Iceberg Lake
Kai Lenny wins the Overall World Series Title at Huntington Beach
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Tapestry Backpack: A sturdy and unique backpack!
Tapestry Backpack (15H x 11L x 8D) The main compartment is sized for large books and can store a bunch of anything. Front compartment has multiple pockets for pens, calculators, coins, rulers, etc. and opens wide for easy access. Hand handles as well as backpack straps.


A beautiful design, sensible mileage, decent performance, all the latest safety tricks, enough space and few nice innovations. Forget that Lambourghini I always wanted, give me one of these!
The linked page has a video test drive and a look around the factory. The car will be limited to California to start with, but Aptera reckon that they are profitable based on the orders they have already received.
Vista is going down so badly that the computer manufacturer Dell, amongst others, has reverted to offering Windows XP on their systems instead of Vista.
Because Vista is a more recent operating system than XP, an up-grade should be changing from XP to Vista. However, because Vista has so many user problems, this writer regards returning to XP from Vista as being an upgrade.
" "R not I," quipped one fellow who grew up in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. That is, "robots, not immigration." The average Japanese would rather have his bedpan changed by an iron creature comprised of nuts and bolts than by a Chinese or Filipino nurse, he explained.
"The country sees robots doing the type of work that Japanese describe as the three Ks (translated as three Ds in English): kiken (dangerous), kitanai (dirty) and kitsui (demanding).
"Honda remains a player: its robot, Asimo, can carry books and serve drinks. In July Mitsubishi showed off androids called Wakamaru that work as receptionists. Standing three feet tall, they recognise faces and have a 10,000-word vocabulary (as well as an off-putting, perpetually perplexed expression). Subaru built a robot that clears landmines.
"Lind works with aircraft morphing technology and runs a facility called the Center for Morphing Control. One goal of the PLUS program is to create a small UAV that seems to disappear by morphing into a shape that doesn't look out of place on a power line. So Marshall and McKinley asked Lind to join their efforts in 2006.
" "He made a small UAV look like a Coke can," Marshall recalls.
"The researchers stationed a 2-foot-tall robot called QRIO (pronounced "curio"), and developed by Sony, in a classroom of a dozen toddlers aged between 18 months and two years.
The orginal paper in .pdf format.
QRIO Movies - Many interesting movies from SONY's QRIO - eighteen in all.
Another robot, RUBI, who can express emotions with its eyes and eye brows and 'hair' that changes colour, is placed with children to learn communication.
This is a step to making programs that imitate brain sub-functions possible.
One of the most beautiful aircraft ever built, the Vulcan bomber was grounded by the UK government as being too expensive to maintain, after over thirty years of public service.
However, one still lives, restored by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust. The restoration cost £6.5 million, donated by about 20,000 people worldwide. There is a video from the BBC of the restored Vulcan XH558 test flight made recently at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. For our readers we have a video over 8 minutes long of Vulcan XH558 flying at Biggin Hill in 1992.
Then, there is the worlds largest passenger aircraft - airliner, the Airbus A380. This two-minute video gives some idea of its relative size, and its interiors, furnishings and equipment (with Singapore Airlines, anyway).
"That admirable Instrument the MICROSCOPE has opened to us of these latter Ages, a World utterly unknown to the Ancients. There are very few Substances, in which it does not shew something curious and unexpected; but for the Sake of such Readers as are unacquainted with that Instrument, I shall set down some of the most remarkably entertaining Objects, upon which actual Observations have been made.
"1. The Globules of the Blood, which are computed to be almost a two thousandth Part of an Inch in Diameter, each consisting of six small Globules, each of which again probably consists of six smaller, and so on. The Circulation of the Blood is to be seen very distinctly in the Tail of a small Fish, the Web of the Foot of a Frog, etc. and the Globules to split and divide, before they can enter the smallest Vessels.
"2. The Bones of all Creatures, sliced extremely thin, afford an entertaining Object for the Microscope, consisting of innumerable Perforations, and Ramifications, disposed in an endless Variety of Forms.
"3. The Flesh of all Land and Sea Animals dried, and cut into very thin Slices, gives a beautiful View of the various Fibres, and their Convolutions. The Brain, the spinal Marrow, and even the Hairs of Animals, exhibit different Curiosities.
"4. The human Skin, by the Help of the Microscope, is found to be covered over with an infinite Number of Scales lying over one another, as in fishes; and it is probably the same in other Animals. It has been computed that a Grain of Sand will cover two hundred of these Scales.
"5. All Sorts of Feathers, especially those of the Peacock, afford a surprizing View in the Microscope. It is supposed that a single Feather contains no less than a Million of different Parts.
"6. Flies are found by the Microscope to be produced from Eggs laid by the Mothers, from whence they are hatched in the Form of Maggots, or small Worms, which are afterwards transformed into Aurelias, and these into perfect Flies. This is the Process most of the winged Insects go through in their Production. They have a great Number of Eyes fixed to their Heads, so that they see on all Sides around them, without turning their Heads or Eyes. A common Fly is supposed to have eight thousand, and a great Drone Fly no less than fourteen thousand Eyes, with a distinct optic Nerve to each; and each Eye appears through the Microscope, tho' magnified many hundred thousand Times, more exactly shaped, and more curiously polished, than human Art could finish an Object as large as the whole Cluster, containing seven thousand distinct ones. The Wings of Flies, especially of the Moth and Butterfly Kind, are found to be contrived with admirable Art, to answer their Use, and with inimitable Beauty and Ornament. The Dust, which sticks to the Fingers, when we handle them, is found to be Feathers; each of which has its Quill and vane Parts as compleat as that of a Fowl or a Goose, and are inserted in the Film of the Wing, with the utmost Regularity of Arrangement. With the Microscope, the Stings of Moths and Bees appear to be Instruments finished to the highest Perfection; their Points, and saw-like Teeth, being perfectly polished and sharp; whereas the Edge of a Razor appears like that of a Butcher's Cleaver, and the Point of a Lancet like an iron Spike just come from the Anvil.
"7. By the Help of the Microscope the innumerable and inconceivably minute Animalcules in various Fluids are discovered, of the Existence of which we have no Reason to suppose any Mortal had the least Suspicion, till last Century. In the Melt of a single Cod-fish ten Times more living Creatures are contained, than the Inhabitants of Europe, Asia, Africa and America, taking it for granted, that all Parts of the World are as well peopled as Holland, which is very far from being the Case. Of a certain Species some are discovered so extremely minute, that it has been computed, three Millions of them, or three Times the Number of the Inhabitants of London and Westminster, would not equal the Bulk of a Grain of Sand. Of Animalcules, some Species resemble Tadpoles, Serpents or Eels, others are of a roundish or oval Form, others of very curiously turned and various Shapes; but in general they are extremely vigorous and lively, and almost constantly in Motion. Animalcules are to be found (besides those in the Bodies of Animals) in the Infusions of Pepper, Senna, Pinks, Roses, Jessamin, Tea, Rasberry Stalks, Fennel, Sage, Melons, sour Grapes, Wheat, Hay, Straw, and almost all vegetable Substances; in the Water, that is in the Shells of Oysters, Cockles and other Shell-fish, in the Foulness upon our Teeth, and those of other Animals, in our Skins when affected with certain Diseases; in Vinegar, and Paste, and so on infinitely. In each of these Substances, when exposed to the Air some Time, Multitudes of living Creatures, beyond the Reach of Numbers, are discovered, of which many Hundreds of Species are already known, as different from one another as those of the largest Animals, and very probably there are many more yet unknown. As it is certain, that in the above mentioned Fluids few or no Animalcules are to be found, when covered from the Air, but when open to the Access of the Air, their Numbers are beyond reckoning; it is hardly to be doubted, but that either the Air is replete with infinite Multitudes of living Creatures too small for Sight, which come and deposite their Eggs in Places proper for the Nutrition of the Young, or that their Eggs are floating every where in the Air, and falling promiscuously every where, only those are hatched, or come to Perfection, which fall upon Places fitted for them, and the other perish. However it is, the countless Numbers of those living Creatures, the Profusion of Life every where to be observed is above Measure astonishing, and shews the Maker to be an infinite Being.
"8. By the Help of the Microscope, we find that the Scales of almost every different Fish are different from those of others, in internal Texture; and that all of them are wrought with surprising Art and Beauty.
"9. By Means of this noble Instrument we find, that the Seeds of almost all Manner of Vegetables contain in them the Stamina of the future Plant or Tree, and that their Production from the Seed, and their Growth to Maturity is only the Swelling and Enlarging of the Stamina by the Addition of nutritious Juices. It is probable the Manner of Production and Growth of Animals is analogous to this. The Fertility of some Plants is almost beyond Belief. One particularly is said by Naturalists to produce annually a Million of Seeds from one. The Farina of Flowers is found by the Help of the Microscope to be a regular organized Body, and not a meer Dust, as it appears to the naked Eye, and is reasonably supposed to be necessary to Fertility in Plants and Trees.
"10. By the Microscope have been discovered many singular Properties of that most unaccountable of all Creatures the Polype, which is found at the Bottom of Ditches, and standing Waters; whose Manner of Production, Feeding and Digestion, are different from those of all other Animals. The young ones come out of the Sides of the old, like Buds and Branches from Trees, and at length drop off perfect Polypes. They do not seem to be of different Sexes. They take in Worms, and other Sustenance, by Means of a Sett of long Arms or Antennae, which surround their Mouths, and after keeping them some Time in their Stomachs, throw them out again the same Way. The Animal's Body consists of a single Cavity, like a Tube or Gut, and what is wonderful, and almost beyond Belief, is that it will live and feed after it is turned inside out, and even when cut into a great many Pieces, each several Piece becomes a compleat Polype. They are infested with a Kind of Vermin, as are almost all Animals from the largest down to Bees and other Insects. These Vermin of the Body of a Polype, after which, if it be cleared of them, it shall have the devoured Parts grow up again, and become as compleat as ever. Some Polypes have around their Mouths a Sort of Plume, which they whirl round, and making with it an Eddy in the Water, draw in their Prey, and devour it.
"11. By the Microscope it is found, that neither the Wood, the Bark, the Root, the Leaves, the Fruit, nor even the Pith of the meanest Vegetable is a Mass of crude or indigested Matter; but that every different Species is different in its internal Structure, and all curiously and delicately wrought. A Bit of Cork, cut extremely thin, a Slice of Oak or Fir, or a Bit of Elder Pith, in the Microscope, are so many curious Pieces of Mosaic Work. Even a Bit of Charcoal or burnt Wood appears with the Microscope an admirable Object.
"In theory, positronium atoms - electron-positron pairs - should also be able to pair up to form molecules, just as two hydrogen atoms form H2. Because the mass of a positron is just 1/1836 that of a proton, positronium molecules are much lighter than hydrogen.
"Di-positronium, as the new molecule is known, was predicted to exist in 1946 but has remained elusive to science.
Because of poor streetlamp design, as well as the use of high-powered floodlights to supposedly provide greater security, the world at night no longer is dark.
"The problem of light pollution is an unintended consequence of poorly designed outdoor lighting fixtures and ill-conceived lighting practices in the later part of the 20th century. Rather than direct light towards the ground where it is required, many lighting fixtures allow excessive amounts of light to spill sideways and up into the night sky. This causes the artificial sky glow that hangs over populated regions that in turn washes out humanity's greatest natural wonder -- our view of the Universe. For the first time in history, inhabitants of major cities are being cut-off from the beauty of the night sky.
"Astronomers require observations of extremely faint objects that can be made only with large telescopes at sites free of air pollution and urban sky glow. For example, scientists interested in how the universe was formed may study the light of galaxies and quasars at enormous distances from Earth. These images offer information about faraway corners of the universe, helping us understand how our own world was formed. Yet, after traveling countless lightyears, the light from these objects can be lost at the very end of its journey in the glare of our own sky.
"Space-based telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, offer one way around the problem. However, large telescopes on the ground will always be used, if only because they are accessible and cost much less to build and operate. Our experience over the past decades has shown that rather than decreasing, our need for ground-based telescopes, even in an age of telescopes in space, has greatly increased. But only if they can be protected from the encroaching light pollution.
The usual way to reduce streetlight pollution is to install lamps that do not spill light upwards and outwards. Alin Tolea gives examples of good and bad street lamps.
Bad, light-polluting street lights - left to right: 30-50%, 30%, 30%, 75% pollution.
The two central lamps make sideways light pollution.
Good, non-light polluting street lamps.
The right lamp has an receded bulb, so only makes 5% pollution.
Lights Out San Francisco, a citywide energy conservation event, will be held on Oct. 20, 2007.
"[...] a technique that uses a powerful X-ray source to create a three-dimensional image of an iron-inked document.
A flash slideshow of 14 images.
The slides in the thumbnail array with this symbol will change as you view them.
The eye of a frog at rest, showing its nictitating membrane.
as well as providing further camouflage at other times.
end note: Derivation of the word nictate, which is confused with nictate, and vice versa. From nictare [Latin] - to wink.


Before getting into this techniques, it is helpful to think about what polarization is exactly, how it works, and what applications this technique is useful for.
This excerpt from https://www.explainthatstuff.com/microscopes.html describes polarization nicely, as well as the basics for how microscopes work in even broader terms (follow that link if you're curious to know more).
A basic optical microscope uses one or more lenses to bend the light bouncing off (or traveling through) a specimen… [The Foldscope uses a single lens].
Ordinary light consists of waves that vibrate in every direction. If we pass light like this through a grid-like filter, so the waves can vibrate in only one direction (plane), what we get is called polarized light (or, sometimes, plane-polarized light).
If you shine polarized light through an ordinary piece of glass, it bends in the usual way through the process of refraction (or refringence, as it was once known). We can compare the amount by which light bends in different materials using a measurement called the refractive index.
So far so good. But other solid materials, including ice, calcium carbonate, quartz, plastics (such as cellophane), stressed plastics, and various other crystals, change light in different ways when it travels through them in different directions. If you pass light through these materials, something much more interesting happens: it splits into two separate waves that bend by different amounts. In other words, unlike glass (which has a single refractive index), these materials have two refractive indices; that's why this effect is called birefringence (in effect, double refraction). If you collect the two waves coming out of a birefringent crystal and pass them through another polarizing filter, called an analyzer, which is set up at right angles to the first polarizing filter, they recombine, interfere with one another, and produce colorful patterns that change as you rotate the specimen.
Geology—for example, studying the mineral components of a particular rock.
Crystallography—for identifying crystals in everything from forensic science to art conservation.
Materials science—such as studying the stress on certain mechanical components using photoelasticity.
Medicine—including urinalysis (diagnosing medical problems from the substances in someone's urine).
To try polarization with a Foldscope, all you need are polarization filters, which can be purchased online or even re-purposed from 3D glasses. We are lucky enough to already have a tutorial video for this technique made by a super-user, Lakshminarayan Iyer!
Numbered below are the simple steps you to follow to polarize the light hitting your sample.
1. Place one polarization filter between the light source and the sample.
You can do this by taping the filter directly over the light source, as shown in the photo on the right, where the filter is taped to a LED light module.
If you plan on using natural light or a lamp as your light source, tape the polarizing filter to the back of the Foldscope over the area where light enters.
2. Place another polarization filter between the lens and the eye/camera.
Tape the filter onto the front of the Foldscope directly over the lens.
3. View the sample. Try rotating one of the filters as you view and observe how the interactions change.
Here is a gallery of brilliant polarization images with Foldscope, taken by Mitali Patil. These images are all from a series of incredible posts (links below) in which Mitali explores a variety of samples with this technique.


text:
Camera IconMinister Angus Taylor says his indirect interest in Jam Land did not need to be formally declared.
No Jam Land declaration by Angus Taylor
Paul OsborneAAP
August 1, 2019 1:45PM
Cabinet minister Angus Taylor has not formally declared his interest in a controversial family company in the new members' interest register published this week.
The Labor opposition is pursuing Mr Taylor over his interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd, linked to an investigation into alleged illegal land clearing.
Its pursuit centres on a 2017 meeting with environment department officials and the office of then-environment minister Josh Frydenberg.
It was held while investigations were underway into the alleged poisoning of 30 hectares of endangered grasslands on a NSW property Jam Land owned.
The latest MP register, published on the Parliament House website, shows Mr Taylor declared Gufee Pty Ltd and two other companies noted as "via Gufee" - Maclaughlin River Pastoral Pty Ltd and Growth Farms Pty Ltd.
But there is no mention of Jam Land.
Mr Taylor defended the move under Labor questioning in parliament on Thursday, arguing his indirect interest in Jam Land did not need to be formally declared on the register.
"I have declared my interests in accordance with the rules," he told parliament on Thursday.
"If Labor is proposing to change the rules it would require many changes in disclosures including from those opposite."
Attorney-General Christian Porter backed in his cabinet colleague.
"He discloses trusts and nominee companies in exactly the same way that all the members opposite do."
Labor's efforts to set up an inquiry into the matter fell short one vote in parliament this week.
The opposition also queried why Mr Taylor had not added to his new register a company he was involved in when he entered parliament.
Between 2004 and 2015 Mr Taylor was a director and a shareholder in a company called JRAT International, along with an associate, John Roberts.
However it did no business and earned no income.
Mr Taylor told AAP in a statement in May he should have declared the company, however "given this company conducted no business during the time I was associated with it, it clearly presented no possible conflict of interest during my first two years in the parliament".


text:
The Miyamoto Musashi Budokan (a budōkan (武 道 館) is a dōjō (道場) where budō (武 道) is practiced, the word kan (館) means "house") built in the province of Mimasaka in Ōhara-Cho cradle of Miyamoto Musashi (March 12, 1584, Ōhara-Chō - May 19, 1645) was inaugurated on May 20, 2000 for the anniversary of his death. This budokan is dedicated to the official martial arts of Japan. It brings together all the saber and kendo traditional schools. All Japanese martial arts are called to this precinct, the heart of traditional Japan. This budokan achieves the unification of martial disciplines not only in practice but also historically and culturally. The inauguration took place in the presence of many Japanese officials including Sensei Tadashi Chihara guarantor and tenth of the line of Miyamoto Musashi (who was at the initiative of the building), the mayor of Ōhara-Cho Fukuda Yoshiaki, Élisabeth Lamure mayor of Gleizé, and several saber and kendo schools representative of traditional and contemporary Japan.

Infrastructure
The main arena on the first floor can receive six kendo courts. The second floor contains 838 spectator seats. International kendo competitions are regularly organized there.

 Main arena 1,376 m2 (42 m x 32 m), (139 ft x 105 ft)
 6 kendo (11 m x 11 m), (36 ft x 36 ft)
 2 volleyball
 1 basketball
 8 badminton

 Room dedicated to Budo 322 m2 (23 m x 14 m), (75 ft x 46 ft)
 2 Kendo (9 m x 9 m), (29 ft x 29 ft)
 2 Judo

Auxiliary facilities: training room, meeting room, fitness room, health / physical consultation room, rest room, equipment depot, changing rooms, shower rooms, room dedicated to broadcasting, offices

Architecture
The project was designed by Sensei Tadashi Chihara guarantor and tenth of the line of Miyamoto Musashi. The architectural design of the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan was entrusted to Wataru Numata.

The structure of the main arena surrounded by two floors above the ground is made of reinforced concrete. The total floor area is 6049 m2 (the first floor of 4252 m2 and the second floor 1797 m2). The building has been certified by Heart Building.

This Budokan represents a samurai helmet or kabuto symbol of the Okayama prefecture and recalls the label as well as the central personality of the Japanese culture and native of the country, Musashi.

The delivery took place in May 2000 preceding the inauguration of May 20, 2000, in memory of the anniversary date of Miyamoto Musashi (March 12, 1584, Ōhara-Chō - May 19, 1645).

Access by transport
Chizu Express, Chizu Line, Miyamoto Musashi Station 10 minutes on foot.

References

Dōjō
2000 establishments in Japan
Miyamoto Musashi
Mimasaka, Okayama

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Marvin Bagley is expected to miss the remainder of the Summer League with a bruised pelvic bone.
Although Bagley had plenty to critique, he was exciting to watch and it's a bummer that his Sunmer League is cut short due to injury. The MRI revealed a bone bruise and he's expected to miss 1-2 weeks so it's only a minor setback.