OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe quantitatively the effect over time of unemployment on food purchase behaviour and diet composition.
DESIGN: Longitudinal data from 2008-2012, with monthly food purchase data aligned with register data on unemployment measured as a dichotomous indicator as well as a trend accounting for the duration.
SETTING: A household panel which registers daily food purchases combined with detailed nutritional information and registration of the duration of unemployment at individual level. The structure of the data set facilitates the detection of effects or associations between duration of unemployment and diet composition, purchase behaviour in terms of food expenditure, and share of food purchased on offer and in discounters while controlling for important confounding factors.
SUBJECTS: Danish households of working age (n 3440) adjusted to household equivalents. We use fixed-effects econometric methods to control for unobserved heterogeneity.
RESULTS: In the short run, unemployment led to substitution in favour of discount stores and increases in food expenditure and in consumption of saturated fat, total fat and protein due to increased consumption of animal-based foods. In the medium run food expenditure declined together with consumption of fresh animal-based foods and saturated fat, total fat and protein. In the even longer run these nutrients were substituted by carbohydrates and added sugar.
CONCLUSIONS: Unemployment has a substantial influence on diet composition, but effects vary with duration of the unemployment period, which may have potential health implications. This ought to be taken into consideration in evaluations of existing reforms and in future reforms of welfare systems.


The architect's worst nightmare realized, believe it or not, has nothing to do with The Fountainhead constantly being brought up to them as a means to relate, but rather, the funeral pyre of a precious emblem of human promise as only two hundred years of construction could convey. Anne-Sophie L'Accumule had studied those centuries that it took to create the final product of Notre-Dame de Paris. Her zeal for the edifice had nothing to do with Victor Hugo, though she was constantly at war with his statement, "Certainly there is matter here for many large volumes, and often the universal history of humanity in the successive engrafting of many arts at many levels, upon the same monument. The man, the artist, the individual, is effaced in these great masses, which lack the name of their author; human intelligence is there summed up and totalized. Time is the architect, the nation is the builder." The nation is the builder. This pleased and vexed her at the same time. Offered her comfort in the capability of humanity, but made her balk at her own impotence as an individual. She knew that much of her profession was a collaborative process, as opposed to a singularly executed one involving a lot of floor plans and riches as the movies liked to convey. Yet she wanted to create something on her own that could make people weep as Notre-Dame did.
It was, in fact, her eventual boyfriend she would find weeping inside, beneath the rib vaults of the nave, alternating between looking upward and hanging his head. As she got to talking to him, asking him if he was all right, she learned that John was a student of architecture at Pratt Institute School of Architecture and had decided to come to Paris for the summer. It was his first time, and only hours off the plane, he came to Notre-Dame, said it was his lifelong dream to see it. Anne-Sophie probably knew right then that she loved him. Or loved him as much as a rational egoist could. They continued to explore the church together, she doing most of the talking and he soaking up everything she said. She was in her last year of school at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (she wasn't about to go to École nationale supérieure de Paris-Belleville just because it was "edgier"–she was an aestheticist, after all). John seemed impressed by this and asked if she wouldn't mind showing him some of her designs. So it was that their summer romance was struck up under the auspices of that bastion of French Gothic architecture, starting as a fling, continuing as a long-distance relationship and then culminating in John moving into her small flat in the sixth arrodissement (still an adequate enough walking distance to Notre-Dame). He might have even persuaded her to get married for the benefit of his citizenship, but ended up getting a work visa in the nick of time. For Anne-Sophie didn't really want to tie herself to him in that way. Not because she wasn't fond of him but because she knew the shackles of marriage were just as binding on a literal level as they were a figurative one. She knew, in short, that a piece of paper really could change everything. Just as that missive his workplace gave for a visa did.
And while John began his new job, Anne-Sophie still struggled to find steady employment. Her "style" was commended at most places, but deemed "unsuitable" "in practice." Visionless cochons all, she thought. John agreed with her, encouraging her to "stay the course," remain committed to her convictions as opposed to employing the more utilitarian ones he was forced to do, relegated to a team strictly responsible for the bathroom's construction. Oh how he loathed the specificity of his trade sometimes. He spewed as much to Anne-Sophie as they walked once more past the flying buttresses at the front of the church, throwing a cursory glance to the Last Judgment depiction taking up the entire entrance and making their way to the garden at the back of the building to sit on one of the benches. Notre-Dame was so integral to both of them at this point that there was no need to remark upon its majesty and mysticism. Its near pyramid-like construction (at least in terms of the marvel of human accomplishment when endless resources of money and slave labor combined).
It was only a week after this visit that the fire would break out, seeming to mirror the tension that had been mounting between Anne-Sophie and John as they made digs at each other for varying reasons of frustration. Anne-Sophie couldn't seem to remove her bitterness about John's success in her country, while John admired that Anne-Sophie had refused to sell out as he was forced to. He yearned to further work on an idea for a modernized version of the apse that Notre-Dame had naturally inspired. Anne-Sophie was the one to message him while he was at work to tell him of the disaster. She had seen the plumes of smoke rising in the air above the Luxembourg Gardens just as the news blast on her phone clinically announced, "Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral is on fire." She felt as though her heart stopped for a split second before she told John, asked him if he had heard. Buried in his work, of course he hadn't. He left the office without bothering to tell anyone, rushing to meet with Anne-Sophie in the gardens. They walked together toward the river, getting as close as they could to see how the fate of the cathedral might play out. The Île de la Cité had been evacuated and cordoned off, but they could still see all they needed to from their vantage point on the bridge. It was like watching a part of themselves–the identities so rooted in this structure and what it meant–crumble as well.
A purer, less corrupt emblem of Catholicism than the Vatican, there was something that exuded the unbridled existence of sheer evil in this world as one watched the overhead view of the cross-shaped ceiling blaze with the same rages of hell. And there, overseas, you had the American president offering "helpful" suggestions one would expect to come from the dim mind of the Hunchback himself.
As the spire collapsed, a plume of smoke more massive than the others rose up anew, invigorated, as though orgasming over the destruction. Maybe the shocking number of people (ahem, American tourists) who pronounced it "Notur Dayme" finally sent the building over the edge, and it just had to go up into flames to get people to show it some goddamn respect again. Anne-Sophie and John remained watching for about hour before somberly returning home.
Despite assurances to rebuild and offerings of donations from French millionaires to help with that reconstruction, John knew the integrity would never be reestablished. Anne-Sophie, surprisingly, was the more optimistic of the two of them, reminding him of how many ills the church had suffered and overcome in the past. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, she emphasized to him, had been written during a time of the cathedral's neglect and disrepair, and ominously predicted, "The church will, perhaps, itself soon disappear from the face of the earth." On an ordinary evening in mid-April, it essentially did. Yet Anne-Sophie couldn't help but drum her fingers together when she heard Macron mention they would be enlisting the best of the best architects to help build it back up again.
The architect's worst nightmare realized, believe it or not, is becoming as ruthless as Howard Roark. Watching the flames of Notre-Dame fan out at the same time as she stabbed John in the back by deciding to present his ideas for the apse as her own upon getting an interview to be hired for the restoration.


text:
Upcoming Palin/GOP Primary Events/Schedule….Open Thread
Courtesy of Rubegonia, here is a schedule of upcoming events for Governor Palin and the GOP primary. The Governor has an October 7th speech in St. Louis, Missouri, an October 8th speech in Lynchburg, Virginia at Liberty University, and an October 11th speech in South Korea.
You'll want to tune in to Stephen Bannon's radio show tomorrow evening on KABC as he'll be interviewing Andrew Breitbart about Joe McGinniss' e-mail.
Sign the petition to fire Bill Maher.
It's not too late.
L. Ron Paul and Mitch Daniels would like to see the Governor enter the contest.
The Democrat Party is now hilariously claiming the fact that McGinniss' book and other anti-Palin books have bombed is bad news for the Governor. Under this logic, John Edwards has a great political future ahead as Andrew Young's book did incredibly well.
Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll and Colorado moved up its caucus date to one day after the Iowa caucuses. I still don't think Bachmann will drop out before her book comes out in November.
What else is going on today?
Ian Lazaran
Ian Lazaran(2550 Posts)
YNet News | Mahmoud Abbas: "We shall not recognize a Jewish state"
Carolyn Baum | Obama Gets an F in Economics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Taliban militant group has rejected a call by the Afghan government for formal peace talks next month in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Taliban leader announced on Sunday that the group's representatives would meet US officials in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah for the fifth round of talks within the next few days but not the representatives of the Afghan government.
Representatives from the Taliban, the US, and regional countries met for the fourth time earlier this month in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan, but the militant group's representatives refused to talk to the Afghan negotiating team.
The office of Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said Kabul was aware of the whole process of peace talks and that Washington sought to provide the condition for direct talks between government and the militant group.
The Taliban's five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end with a US-led invasion in 2001; but 17 years on, the militant group continues to be active on much of Afghan soil. The Taliban have strengthened their grip over the past three years, with the government in Kabul controlling just 56 percent of the country, down from 72 percent in 2015, a recent US government report showed.
US President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the withdrawal of some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan. The figure accounts for about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the country.
But a later White House announcement has cast doubt on reports about Trump's order.


LTL Shipments typically weight between 151-5,000 pounds. These items are collected then consolidated at a terminal or hub for delivery to end users. LTL shipments must be banded to skids or crated to ensure proper handling between the auction site and the end user.
Hoff Online Auctions can build crates or consolidate small items onto skids for efficient LTL service. For larger items, we will contact a rigger to palletize these items on your behalf. The cost for this service varies and is based on the quantity and type of items.
If you have any questions about LTL shipping, please feel free to contact us at (612) 521.5500 or info@hoffonlineauctions.com.


text:
Trump considers irrevocable change to Chinese relations
Play of the day: Chinese hurdler doesn't care
China Concerned about Trump
by Caroline Mortimer
Donald Trump has questioned whether the US should continue its support for the "One China" policy unless Beijing makes concessions on trade and other issues.
"I don't want China dictating to me", he said while defending his recent phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he said: "I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'One China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade."
The President-elect was responding to a question about his phone conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which represented a break with decades of US diplomatic tradition that recognises Beijing as the sole representative of China.
Mr Trump said he had only a few hours notice that the call was coming and that reports it had been prearranged by his team were false.
The "One China" policy means Beijing and Washington both consider Taiwan a part of China.
Mr Trump went on to claim China was also a currency manipulator and needed to do more to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
He said that as North Korea's main patron, China "could solve that problem" but "they're not helping at all" and also criticised China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
The billionaire said it would have been disrespectful not to take the call from Ms Tsai, who had congratulated him on his victory.
He said: "It was a very nice call. Short. And why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call?"
The "One China" policy grew out of the ending of the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s when the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek was overthrown by the Communists, forming the People's Republic of China, and fled to the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) - where they formed the Republic of China
At the time the Nationalists vowed to return to Beijing and for many years Western powers recognised them as the official rulers of China.
But the US first formally adopted the "One China" policy in 1972 when President Richard Nixon opened up relations with China under the ailing Chairman Mao Tse-tung - despite continuing informal relations with Taipei.
The People's Republic of China had replaced the Republic of China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council a year earlier.
In recent years a movement has grown in Taiwan calling for the government to declare official independence from the Chinese mainland - something Beijing fiercely opposes.
china donald trump editors picks
Entertainment Girl power on show as Mykaela Jay releases brand new single in support of debut...
Sport Murwillumbah trainer Matthew Dunn's notched another winner at the 2021 Ballina...


FBb double. .468" bore. 12.25" medium throated hand hammered yellow brass bell. .310 venturi of yellow brass. Tapered hand lapped valve rotors. Brass branches and bows with solid nickel silver connecting ferrules. Slides are solid nickel silver inside and outside.
Key of FBb. .468" bore. 12.25" large throated, hand hammered yellow brass bell. Tapered, hand lapped brass rotors. .310" venturi of nickel silver. Solid brass branches and bows with nickel silver ferrules. Slides are solid nickel silver inside and out.
Key of FBb double. .468" bore. 12 14" large throated, hand hammered, red brass bell. .310 venturi of nickel silver. Tapered, hand lapped brass rotors. Solid brass branches and bows with nickel silver ferrules. Solid nickel silver slides inside and out.
Holton H650 Holton H650 Key of Bb, string linkage An easy blowing and responsive single horn, the Collegiate model H650 allows clean execution of notes due to its smaller taper in the mouth pipe and venturi and its short stroke rotary valve action. A fine horn for introductory students.
Holton H651M Holton H651M Holtons H651M Student French horn is proportioned perfectly for the younger or smaller player. Featuring a balanced, comfortable, centered feel and quick response, it gives the learning player confidence, permitting clean execution of difficult passages.


Which communication channels are supported?
Can I create my own mix of communication channels and add other channels?
Should I migrate from the Chat API to Programmable Conversations?
Does the Conversations API give automatic access to Whatsapp for Business?
Does Conversations support audio, video, chat, image and location-sharing?
Programmable Conversations currently supports WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram, WeChat, Messenger and Line. You'll be able to connect to a growing directory of communication channels as they become available including Voice, Slack, Twitter, RCS, Apple Business, Chat, Amazon Alexa, Sendgrid, Weibo, Kakao Talk and Video.
Please take into account that supported features can vary per channel.


The highest pagoda in all of Japan. It stands at 187ft.
Toji Temple in Kyoto, Japan has got to be one of the most beautiful places we have ever been to. I just had to share this picturesque, absolutely zen place with you. I am sure you noticed that there was no post last week. Truth be told, we were having too much fun in Tokyo and Kyoto before that. I had tried to write ahead, but l was so excited about the trip that l couldn't concentrate. We had also gotten the tickets rather cheaply, thanks to an error fare, so l was afraid the airline would realize their mistake and cancel our tickets. If l had made it public knowledge, then had to cancel, l would have looked like a schmuck..and would have been very angry :-) . I promise to fill you in on the trip once l am over the jet lag and can focus a bit. In the meantime, enjoy the postcard. This picture is from the gardens of one of the most famous temples. The Toji Temple in Kyoto. My goodness, there is a ton of them all over this little city. A ton! Temples and Shrines. It was impossible to fit more than two or three into our three night visit to Kyoto. The only sucky part of the trip was that we missed the cherry blossom season in Japan. I was so looking forward to the burst of colors, but wouldn't you know our timing was wrong :-( . I had read the best time to see them was early April, but those suckers bloomed starting March 21, so there was very little of them still around. We got to see some, but it would have been nice to see the full on bloom. As it was, my allergies were killing me, so maybe it's just as well. Sayonara for now! :-) .
Any cherry blossoms in your neck of the woods? If so, did you enjoy them..or do you have allergies like yours truly?
Wow! That looks amazingly peaceful!
Beautiful Kemkem, I was wondering how the trip was going – especially after hearing about the earthquake in Japan.
Look forward to your posts, it's on our list for later this year.
I think I want your life. Looking forward to the posts.
Just looking at that photo brought me inner peace! Can't wait to hear the trip details! AND SO happy to hear this trip had good vibes around it (a positive airfare mistake) rather than the one to Majorca! Guess goods and bads have to even out!
Haha! It was definitely much better than the failed trip :-) . It sis have to even up didn't it?? I am glad it did. You're right, it was easy to feel peaceful in that garden. Really blissful :-) .
Aahh…I've been wanting to go to Japan. Beautiful postcard and looking forward to more of your Japan posts! By the way, it's hard to read your site from the homepage because whenever the slide changes, the page shifts to a different spot.
We had it in the back of our minds and it resurfaced when writing the wish list for 2016. When the opportunity arose, we had to pounce.. :-) . Thanks for letting me know about that. I will remove the slider. I thought it was just on my iPad, and found it annoying… :-) .
Gorgeous picture, it must have been so relaxing there. Japan is top of my list and I can't wait to hear more about your trip. We have some cherry trees in blossom at the moment, but nothing as spectacular as what they have there in Japan. Sorry your allergies are playing up, this time of the year can be hard with the pollen count being high.
It was worth the allergy attacks :-) . I too wish we had seen the full bloom, damn the pollen count :-) . I have to admit, it was really relaxing. Federico did not want to go in at first, but l insisted and once inside, he got the most spectacular pictures and really enjoyed the gardens. He admitted that he had been wrong..haha! Love it when that happens.
I can't wait to read all about Japan. I've never been, and only know two people who have and both of them live next door to me and are young German lawyers lol!
Lovely temple photo by the way but shame about the allergies. Sadly, I know what you mean, as I'm asthmatic which is why I prefer cooler weather or destinations near water…..!
You know, l never think about the allergies when l think of places to go. Imagine that l had been hoping to see the full on cherry blossoms. I read how hard it was to get your medications in that l didn't even think to bring the inhaler which would have made life a whole lot easier..haha! Had l known we would like it so, l think l would have made it longer than 12 days. One of my older sisters was just telling me about her visit 33 years ago!!!! She loved it too then..imagine..she remembers the niceness and the kindness of the people most of all.


text:
'14 Need To Knows: Alpine Skiing
By Paul D. Bowker | March 14, 2013, 11 a.m. (ET)
Proving they truly are "best in the world," all six members of the U.S. women's alpine skiing speed team -- Stacey Cook, Julia Mancuso, Alice McKennis, Laurenne Ross, Leanne Smith, Lindsey Vonn -- finished on the podium in the 2012-13 World Cup season.
Maryna Daniel Gasienica of Poland competes in the women's giant
slalom during the FIS Alpine Skiing European Cup Finals at
Rosa Khutor Alpine Center on March 14, 2013 in Sochi, Russia.
U.S. alpine skiers will be chasing after more Olympic medals when they head to Russia less than a year from now for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort will greet them with long courses, fast speeds and, most likely, moderate weather. The United States' alpine skiers grabbed eight medals (two gold, three silver, three bronze) at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and have enjoyed a strong 2012-13 World Cup season, including three gold medals won by Ted Ligety at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships.
Alpine skiing had its Olympic berth in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. World Cup events are still held there. The only event that year was a combined event of downhill and slalom. At the St. Moritz 1948 Olympic Winter Games, separate downhill and slalom events were added to the Olympic program. In 1952, giant slalom was added. And at the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games, the super-G became a part of the Olympic program.
Speed is the essence of a downhill skier. The world's best downhillers will hit speeds of 120 kilometers per hour (74.5 mph) in Sochi. Poles are specially designed for downhill skiers so that they are curved to provide wind resistance and are longer than other poles to provide more stability at high speeds. The goal is simple: Get to the finish line as quickly as you can. The fastest times win the medals.
BEWARE THE GATES
In every other alpine event, there will be gates on the course, which has different lengths for men and women. Skiers must maneuver between multiple gates to have a clean run. The super-G, or super giant slalom, is a spectator favorite because it is a race that combines the speed of downhill with the turns and accuracies of a giant slalom race, which features widely spaced gates. The slalom features a series of gates positioned closer together, requiring athletes to successfully complete shorter turns and twists around the gates. Unlike the one-run downhill, the slalom winners will be determined by the combined adjusted time over two runs. In giant slalom, the spacing between the gates is more distant. Olympic officials expect there will be up to 70 gates in the giant slalom for men, and up to 58 gates on the women's course.
ABOUT ROSA KHUTOR
Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort is certainly a new ski area, having been constructed just 10 years ago. The resort is situated on the northern Aibiga Ridge, near the small Russian town of Krasnaya Polyana, and the entire area has undergone a transformation in advance of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort will accommodate 7,500 spectators for the alpine skiing competition. When the first alpine test event was held there in February 2012, only two hotels were open and most of the shops and restaurants that will be open for the Winter Games were still under construction at that time. The courses were designed by Olympic champion downhill skier Bernard Russi of Switzerland. Russi won a gold medal in 1972 and the silver in 1976. He also designed the Birds of Prey downhill course in Beaver Creek, Colo. The resort is expected to open up to the public following the completion of the Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.
A LONG, LONG RIDE
Olympic skiers will discover that the length of the downhill course at Rosa Khutor will be much longer than the course at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The course measures 3.495 kilometers, which is about 500 meters longer than Vancouver. "The track is very, very, very long, that's the most remarkable thing about it," U.S. Olympic champion Ted Ligety told RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency. "The course is never super technical. The race is steep, but it's just so long, it's really the (hardest) part about it." All of the ski courses at Rosa Khutor measure a combined 20 kilometers.
This Russian town is located about 60 kilometers from Sochi. Temperatures may rise into the 40s during the day during the Winter Games and back into the 30s and 20s at night. There have been times during test events that warmer weather conditions have produced soft runs on the courses. It is located in the Caucasus Mountains, just 600 meters above sea level. The town has about 4,000 permanent residents with more than one million visitors each year when there isn't a Winter Games going on.
Lindsey Vonn takes first place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski
World Cup women's super-G on Dec. 2, 2012 in Lake
Louise, Canada.
THE COMEBACK STORY
Lindsey Vonn's journey to Sochi will be one of the biggest stories to follow leading up to the Winter Games. On Feb. 5, 2013 — exactly one year and two days before the Opening Ceremony is scheduled to take place in Sochi — Vonn tore both her anterior cruciate ligament and her medial cruciate ligament and fractured her tibia during a super-G run at the World Championships in Austria. The four-time overall World Cup champion and 2010 Olympic gold medalist has vowed she will be back in time for the 2014 Winter Games. Vonn is no stranger to pre-Olympic injury. Leading up to Vancouver, she severely bruised her shin yet she was strong enough to become the first U.S. woman to win the Olympic downhill title.
YOUNG SPEED RACER
Mikaela Shiffrin turned 18 on Wednesday but has proven she is skilled beyond her years. She competed in her first world championships this year and left as the slalom world champion. This Saturday, she has a shot at winning the slalom World Cup title as she trails Slovenia's Tina Maze by just seven points entering the season finale in Switzerland. Should Shiffrin win that title, she will be the first American to do so since 1984.
GOING FOR FIVE
Bode Miller will attempt to become a five-time Olympian at age 36 at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. He is already a five-time Olympic medalist, including winning a gold, silver and bronze at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A four-time world champion and two-time World Cup overall champion, Miller said he took the 2012-13 World Cup season off so that he could fully recover from knee surgery and be ready for a run at Sochi.
Ted Ligety takes first place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World
Cup men's giant slalom on March 9, 2013 in Kranjska Gora,
Slovenia.
LIGETY SPLITS
Ted Ligety has been on quite a roll this season, winning three world titles and five giant slalom World Cup events en route to the giant slalom title. The giant slalom title marked his fourth. He won in 2008, 2010 and 2011. He has skied in two Olympic Winter Games, in Torino and in Vancouver and he won a gold medal in the combined event in 2006.
THE MEDALS
Thirty medals will be awarded in alpine skiing in Sochi, 15 to women and 15 to men spread out over 10 disciplines (five for women and five for men). Of all the skiing sports, only biathlon will have more days of competition, with 11.
AIMING FOR 22
The United States can receive up to 22 quota spots in alpine skiing, and Team USA plans on qualifying for all 22 spots. Those spots are determined by having enough athletes being ranked within the top 500 in their respective events on the Olympic FIS Points List. The ending point for that ranking period is Jan. 20, 2014. The Olympic qualification period began last July. Team USA can have up to 14 athletes of either gender and may have a maximum of four competitors in an event.
QUALIFYING FOR THE WINTER GAMES
There are no actual trials for alpine skiers hoping to make the cut for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team. Instead, performances on the FIS Alpine World Cup will determine the roster spots. In addition to Olympic veteran Miller and newcomer Mikaela Shiffrin, top U.S. contenders include two-time Olympian Ted Ligety, a three-time winner at the 2013 FIS World Championships; Lindsey Vonn, a three-time Olympian and women's downhill winner at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games; two-time Olympians Marco Sullivan and Steven Nyman, and three-time Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso. The qualification period opens in October 2013 and closes Jan. 28, 2014. The 2013-14 World Cup events include one being hosted by Beaver Creek in November 2013.
Rosa Khutor also will be the venue for the alpine skiing portion of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Competition will be held from March 8-16 in the same five disciplines as The Olympics. Among the U.S. medal contenders: Laurie Stephens, who won gold in women's downhill sitting and bronze in super-G sitting at the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Spain, Stephen Lawler, who claimed a silver in the downhill sitting event in Spain and Alana Nichols, who scored four medals in Vancouver including gold in downhill sitting and women's giant slalom.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor for TeamUSA.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.
Meet Alpine Skier Laurenne Ross March 13, 2013
Ligety Locks Down Giant Slalom Title March 10, 2013
Alpine skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety, cross-country sprint duo Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins earn U.S. Olympic Committee's February honors March 08, 2013
Gallery: Alpine Skiing Women Go Six-For-Six March 04, 2013
Laurenne Ross Makes It 6-For-6 March 03, 2013
'14 Need To Knows: Sochi's New Sports Feb. 25, 2013
Lindsey Vonn Makes Like The Terminator: I'll Be Back Feb. 22, 2013
'14 Need To Knows: Sochi Feb. 05, 2013
Ted Ligety
Bode Miller
Marco Sullivan
Steven Nyman
Julia Mancuso
Sochi Games 101


Song of the Day: "Gravity"
Coming this fall to, I don't know, let's say Starz, THE WORLD'S GREATEST GIRLS' BASKETBALL COACH AND CARPOOL DRIVING DAD: The Brett Kavanaugh Story.
He coaches their basketball team.
Song of the Day: "Holy Arp"
New music from The Crystal Method, where The Crystal Method is now a solo project (I guess they're down to just one Dust brother--not to be confused with The Dust Brothers).
And not to be confused with these DJ brothers.
By the way, Baskets is a pretty morose show--I'm loving it now.
Song of the Day: "Let Me Live"
It will seem like a complete non sequitur, but it's not, when I say that Macklemore is really, like, the worst. All you need to do is click this and listen to his collaboration with Rudimental from earlier this year. Commence eye rolls.
Macklemore: he makes 2014 music (which that 2018 song sounds like) bad.
Song of the Day: "Probably Up"


WASHINGTON — Google parent Alphabet Inc. outspent all other companies on lobbying Washington bureaucrats and politicians in 2017, a year in which it and other tech giants were hauled before legislators probing Russian influence in the 2016 election.
The search giant doled out $13.6 million on lobbying firms like Prime Policy Group and Gephardt Group, edging out the $13.2 million spent by AT&T, which is facing government opposition to its takeover of Time Warner Inc. for $85 billion. The figures were compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Lawyers from Google, Facebook and Twitter were grilled by lawmakers the week of Nov. 1 for not preventing abuse of their platforms by Russian agents masquerading as Americans.
Alphabet's spending actually fell 12 per cent compared to 2016, but AT&T also cut back.


What would you do if your child or your pet cat sick? Well the answer to that question is quite simple. You would probably go to the doctor right away. This is pretty much the same thing you need to do when it comes to your house. You need to make sure that it stays completely healthy. After all you are working really hard every day in order to make sure that you maintain it as good as possible.
As soon as you have a problem like termites you know take care of it right away. Termites are literally an illness. And they will leave your house from inside out. You need to make sure that you treat this particular problem as soon as possible. But, under no circumstances must you ever treat this problem on your own. You could actually make matters worse and you do not want that.
The best solution for you would be to hire the professional services of a company. A company that will be professional, experienced, qualified, licensed and able to provide you with the best results possible. If you do have a termite problem what you need is a company that will be able to provide you with one or many different treatments for the termites infecting your house.
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In its resolution 2000/31 of 28 July 2000, entitled "Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan", the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, through the Council, a report on the implementation of the resolution. The General Assembly, in its resolution 55/209 of 20 December 2000, also requested a report. The annexed report, which has been prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), is submitted in response to the two resolutions.
1.	In its resolution 2000/31, adopted on 28 July 2000, on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, the Economic and Social Council stressed, inter alia, the importance of the revival of the Middle East peace process on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978, and the principle of land for peace as well as the full and timely implementation of the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people. In the resolution, the Council reaffirmed the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan to all their natural and economic resources and called upon Israel not to exploit, endanger or cause loss or depletion of those resources. It also reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan, were illegal and an obstacle to economic and social development.
2.	In its resolution 55/209 of 20 December 2000, the General Assembly reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land and water; and called upon Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, to cause loss or depletion of or to endanger the natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. In the resolution, the Assembly recognized the right of the Palestinian people to claim restitution as a result of any exploitation, loss or depletion of, or danger to, their natural resources, and expressed the hope that the issue would be dealt with in the framework of the final status negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
3.	The delays in the implementation of the agreements reached between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the fact that those agreements have not been fully implemented and the delay in reaching a final status agreement intended to settle all outstanding claims between the two parties continue to have an adverse effect on the living conditions of the Palestinian people. Moreover, these delays and Israeli practices, particularly with regard to settlement expansion and the closure of passage routes, were among the primary causes of the outbreak of current tensions and violence, with thousands of people, including children, killed or wounded.
4.	As a consequence of the crisis, restrictions on the mobility of the Palestinians have increased. For most of the period since October 2000, mobility between the West Bank and Gaza, and between the occupied Palestinian territory and the rest of the world, has been severely impeded. Travel for Palestinians between the West Bank and Gaza via the "safe passage" route has been blocked by Israeli authorities since 6 October 2000. As a consequence, students from the Gaza Strip have been unable to attend classes in the West Bank and relatives unable to visit one another; financial ties between the two areas have been damaged. According to the Oslo Accords, two routes were to be designated as safe passages. Israel is entitled, for security reasons, to close one of them or to alter the terms of entrance but must ensure that one of the passages is always open. 1/ Today there is only one safe passage, thus obliging Israel to allow Palestinians to use it to travel between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
5.	The Gaza International Airport and the border crossings at Rafah and the Allenby/Karameh Bridge have been closed for extended periods. Palestinian foreign trade has also been affected. Imports and exports trans-shipped through Israeli ports have been delayed or blocked completely for most of this period, while the commercial crossings at Rafah and the Allenby/Karameh Bridge have been closed about 70 per cent and 12 per cent of the time, respectively, between 28 September and 26 November 2000.
7.	During its 34-year occupation, Israel has established a range of civilian and military installations throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. Civilian Israeli settlements have been built at some 200 sites seized by civilian and military bodies representing the Government of Israel as well as by Israeli civilians empowered by Israel to undertake such activity. The land under exclusive Israeli control amounts to 59 per cent of the West Bank (Area C) and 20 per cent of the Gaza Strip. In addition, 30 per cent of the area of East Jerusalem is under effective Israeli ownership.
8.	Israel has established approximately 170 settlements in the West Bank with a civilian population of approximately 200,000. Approximately 180,000 Israelis reside in East Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip, 7,500 settlers live in 16 settlements.
10.	The Government of Israel granted building permits for 1,184 housing units during the first 10 months of 2000. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Construction and Housing indicate that 529 of those units were in the greater Jerusalem area. However, many permits were also granted in settlements far from Israel. They included permits for 59 units in Kedumim, 13 in Talmon and 18 in Psagot.
20.	The scope of Israeli control of the critical water sector did not significantly change as a consequence of the Oslo-related agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, according to the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem. Israel's control is evident in its power to veto any new water project for Palestinians, both through the Joint Water Committee and through the Civil Administration.
41.	According to the Wye River Memorandum, agreements on the southern "safe passage" route should have been concluded within a week of entry into force of the Memorandum, and operation of this route should have begun as soon as possible thereafter. The southern route was opened on 25 October 1999. Passage of Palestinians, however, is effectively restricted by Israeli security protocols. 39/ There has been no agreement regarding the opening of the northern passage. Opening the port of Gaza has been similarly delayed owing to security demands made by Israel, although work on the three-year project commenced in 2000. The international airport in the Gaza Strip, under joint Israeli and Palestinian Authority supervision, opened to limited traffic in late 1998. Israel has shut down the facility for extended periods since the outbreak of violence in September 2000. The continuing restrictions on the operation of the airport have contributed to its failure, until now, to make a recognizable contribution to the Palestinian economy.
53.	Since the beginning of the crisis, there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of people living below the poverty line, estimated by the World Bank at $2.10 per person per day in consumption expenditures (less than 9 new shekels per day). The number of poor people has increased from about 650,000 to 1 million. The poverty rate has increased from 21 per cent to 32 per cent. 52/ Thus, the occupation and the ensuing crisis have had deleterious effects on the welfare and quality of life of the Palestinian people.
1/	Oslo II Accords, Appendix 1, para. (c) (4)X.
2/	United Nations, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator, The Impact on the Palestinian Economy of Confrontations, Mobility Restrictions and Border Closures, 28 September-26 November 2000, February 2001, http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/mepp/unsco/nov00/ nov00.html, p. 1.
4/	Ha'aretz, 16 January 2001; 5 March 2001.
5/	See A/55/84-E/2000/16, para. 3.
6/	Hatzofe, 16 March 2000, p. 10.
7/	Jad Issac, "The Environmental Impact of the Israeli Occupation", Centre for Policy Analysis on Palestine, Information Brief, No. 27, 14 March 2000.
8/	Palestinian Affairs Department, Annual report, 2000.
9/	Ramattan Daily, cited in Hear Palestine, 24 January 2001.
10/	Report, "Settlement Timeline", vol. 10, No. 3, May-June 2000.
11/	Ibid., No. 4, July-August 2000.
12/	B'Tselem, "Thirsty for a solution: the water crisis in the occupied territories and its resolution in the final status agreement", July 2000, p. 59.
14	/	Ibid., p. 95.
15	/	Palestine Report, "Building Palestine", vol. 6, No. 5, 28 July 1999.
17/	Report, "News Shorts", vol. 7, No. 1, 21 June 2000.
18/	Ha'aretz, 12 March 2001.
19	/	Hear Palestine, 23 January 2001.
20	/	B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, Position Paper entitled "Thirsty for a solution: the water shortage in the Occupied Territories and its solution in the Final Status Agreement", July 2000, p. 7.
21	/	Report, "News Shorts", vol. 7, No. 21, 18 June 2000.
22/	Ibid., vol. 6, No. 35, 23 February 2000.
23/	Hear Palestine, 13 July 2000.
24	/	Jad Issac, Information Brief, No. 27, 14 March 2000.
25	/	Ha'aretz, 13 February 2001.
26/	The Independent, 18 November 2000 (according to mayor Hassoun Daoud in Hares).
27/	Jordan Times, according to a report of the Palestinian Ministry of Environmental Affairs, 22 November 2000.
29	/	The solid waste project is an initiative undertaken by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), a German service company in international development cooperation, and KFW, a German promotional bank.
30	/	Report, "Building Palestine", vol. 7, No. 35, 21 February 2001.
31/	Jad Issac, Information Brief, No. 27, 14 March 2000.
34/	The Independent Palestinian Information Network, 30 November 2000, http://www.infopal.org.
35	/	Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), MAS Economic Monitor, No. 1 (1997), pp. 2-3.
36	/	Submission to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-sixth session by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, under item 8, Human rights violations in the Palestinian territories. The submission was presented on behalf of the following organizations: Fédération Internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme, the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, Arab Organization for Human Rights, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Arab Lawyers' Union, World Federation for Democratic Youth, South-North Organization, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
39	/	Allegra Pacheco, "Closure and apartheid: seven years of peace through separation", The Centre for Policy Analysis on Palestine, Information Brief, No. 26, 6 March 2000.
40	/	"Palestinian document on economic losses due to Israeli siege — 1st installment", 16 November 2000, Jerusalem, Al-Quds (in Arabic), 16 November 2000, p. 14.
41	/	The Palestine Report, "Building Palestine", vol. 7, No. 29, 10 January 2001.
42/	UNSCO report, February 2001, p. 3.
43	/	UNSCO, summary report (1 October 2000-31 January 2001), 17 February 2001.
44	/	UNSCO report, p. 1.
45	/	Domestic output and income amount to $388,000,000 and labour income from Israel amount to $117,010,080. Thus, total income losses would amount to $505,010,080. For further information refer to UNSCO report, February 2001, p. 2.
48	/	UNSCO, summary report, 17 February 2001.
51/	"Uprooting Palestinian trees and leveling agricultural land", The Fourth Report on Israeli Land Sweeping and Demolition of Palestinian Buildings and Facilities in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Hear Palestine, 26 January 2001.
52	/	UNSCO, summary report, 17 February 2001.
53	/	Golan Heights Information Server, www.golan.org.il.
54	/	Report, 27 March 2000, vol. 10, No. 4, July-August 2000, p. 6.
55	/	Report, 28 March 2000, vol. 10, No. 4, July-August 2000, p. 6.
56	/	Report, 14 April 2000, vol. 10, No. 4, July-August 2000, p. 7.
57	/	Report on Israeli practices against human rights of Syrian citizens in the Occupied Syrian Golan, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Syrian Arab Republic, May 2000 (mimeo) (in Arabic), pp. 15-16.
58	/	Ibid., pp. 16-20.


text:
Q: Numpy method for "getting argmin per group" I'm trying to find an efficient, numpy-looping (as opposed to python-looping) way of doing the getting the indices of the lowest-cost data point per group.  Something like what np.minimum.at does but with the "argminimum" instead of the minimum.  (and np.argmin.at does not exist).
The following demonstrates what I'm looking for:
    names, groups, costs = zip(*[
        ('a', 0, 2.0),  # no (d is lower cost)
        ('b', 1, 3.),  # yes (tied but first)
        ('c', 2, 3.),  # yes (only one)
        ('d', 0, 1.2),  # yes
        ('e', 3, 3.),  # no (k is lower)
        ('f', 4, 3.),  # no (j is lower)
        ('g', 5, 3.),  # yes
        ('h', 1, 3.),  # no (tied but not first)
        ('i', 0, 4.),  # no (d is lower)
        ('j', 4, 2.3),  # yes
        ('k', 3, 0.6),  # yes
        ('l', 5, 7.),  # no (g is lower)
    ])
    mask = get_minimal_unique_index_mask(arr=np.array(groups), values=np.array(costs))
    selected = ''.join(c for c, m in zip(names, mask) if m)
    expected = 'bcdgjk'
    assert selected == expected, f"Selected: '{selected}'.  Expected: '{expected}'"

I'm trying to find an efficient implementation of get_minimal_unique_index_mask.  I know I could easily do this with dicts and python loops:
def get_minimal_unique_index_mask(groups: Array['N', Any], values: Array['N', float]) -> Array['N', bool]:
    min_ixs_vals = {}
    for i, (group, val) in enumerate(zip(groups, values)):
        if group not in min_ixs_vals:
            min_ixs_vals[group] = i
        else:
            min_ixs_vals[group] = i if val < values[min_ixs_vals[group]] else min_ixs_vals[group]
    argmin_per_group_mask = np.zeros(len(groups), dtype=bool)
    argmin_per_group_mask[list(min_ixs_vals.values())] = True
    return argmin_per_group_mask

... The above works, but loops in python and thus will be slow.  I'm wondering if there's a clever numpy-way to do the same.

A: Well, I figured out how to do it with Pandas.  Not sure if the looping is in efficient C-code though:
def get_minimal_unique_index_mask(groups: Array['N', Any], values: Array['N', float]) -> MaskArray:
    ixs = pd.DataFrame({'groups': groups, 'values': values}).groupby('groups')['values'].idxmin().values.astype(int)
    argmin_per_group_mask = np.zeros(len(groups), dtype=bool)
    argmin_per_group_mask[ixs] = True
    return argmin_per_group_mask

Thanks to Marcos from this answer

A: Turned out the pandas version was slow.  It's 60x faster to just loop in python, which is probably still slow compared to implementing in C++
def get_minimal_unique_index_mask(groups: Array['N', Any], values: Array['N', float]) -> MaskArray:
    group_to_min_ix_val = {}
    for i, (g, v) in enumerate(zip(groups, values)):
        g = str(g)
        if g not in group_to_min_ix_val:
            group_to_min_ix_val[g] = (i, v)
        else:
            _, vmin = group_to_min_ix_val[g]
            if v < vmin:
                group_to_min_ix_val[g] = (i, v)

    argmin_per_group_mask = np.zeros(groups.shape, dtype=bool)
    for i, _ in group_to_min_ix_val.values():
        argmin_per_group_mask[i] = True

    return argmin_per_group_mask

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Previous / Algarve European F3: Felix Rosenqvist leads Prema Powerteam 1-2-3 Next / Indy Lights winner Serralles to make F3 return in Zandvoort Masters
SMP F4 champion Niko Kari nearing European F3 graduation for 2016
Finnish single-seater powerhouse Koiranen GP is confident that its new SMP Formula 4 champion Niko Kari will step up to the Formula 3 European Championship in 2016
, Peter Mills
Marcus Simmons
Kari, who turns 16 next month, clinched the title in the inaugural SMP F4 series recently with one round to spare, the Finn landing the €350,000 prize to graduate to Euro F3.
Koiranen boss Afa Heikkinen, whose organisation centrally runs the SMP F4 series (which has races in Finland, Russia and Estonia), told AUTOSPORT: "Niko has some sponsors, so I am pretty sure he will be able to make up the difference in budget.
"We have some links to some teams - I will recommend a few that he will probably test with, but the decision will be his.
"I think he will probably test for three or four teams, then make his mind up, but it's his call."
British teams T-Sport and Double R Racing, both of which have historically strong links to Finnish motorsport, are both keen to at least test Kari.
T-Sport technical director Alan 'Skelly' Woodhead, who worked with SMP F4 driver mentor Mika Salo in his British F3 days, said: "Afa's a mate and there's quite a bit of dialogue going on [about Kari] at the moment.
"He's only got good things to say about him - he reckons he's the real deal, so we'd love to give him a run after the Macau Grand Prix and see where he's at in an F3 car."
Double R chief Anthony 'Boyo' Hieatt, whose team was co-founded by Kimi Raikkonen, said: "I've just got off the phone to Afa!
"We still have strong links with Finland and we would love to give him [Kari] a test and see how he goes.
"It will be interesting to see what the level is in that F4 championship, which is another reason why we'd be keen to give him a run."
Algarve European F3: Felix Rosenqvist leads Prema Powerteam 1-2-3
Indy Lights winner Serralles to make F3 return in Zandvoort Masters
Autosport 70: Why Portimao is the right home for the Portuguese GP
FV8 3.5 race winner Orudzhev switches to title-winning AVF team
How the post-Renault 3.5 series is shaping up
Why the Formula 3 benchmark's 2022 season hinges on qualifying
Prema Racing has long dominated FIA Formula 3, taking the teams' title in two of the past three seasons. But its start to 2022 has been trickier than usual, and the answers lie in its qualifying performance
How the ultra-tight F3 title fight is taking shape
With just five points separating the top five after two rounds, FIA Formula 3 looks set for another thrilling season in 2022. But who stands the best chance of pulling away from that pack, and who are the contenders bubbling under?
The F3 newcomer making good on his unusual career path
Joining the FIA Formula 3 grid as a rookie with a team new to the series could prove daunting for most, but then there aren't many drivers who have the extensive experience Franco Colapinto brings from his time racing sportscars. The Argentinian explains how his LMP2 experience is already helping him in 2022
The British trio hunting for F3 title glory
The 2022 FIA Formula 3 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain. British trio Zak O'Sullivan, Ollie Bearman and Jonny Edgar have all become proteges of Formula 1 teams, and are talents to watch this year
How an outsider demolished a rank of F1 juniors
By Haydn Cobb
His career has been a slowburner but Gregoire Saucy trounced a collection of F1 juniors in Formula Regional by Alpine last year, and now he's preparing to do it again in FIA F3. Here's how the Swiss caught the world by surprise in 2021 and how he plans to do it all over again
Ranking the top 10 F2 and F3 drivers of 2021
With a veritable feast of feeder series talent in 2021, FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 produced some of its most exciting racing yet. Although Prema Racing drivers once again dominated the respective series, drivers from other teams also stole the limelight to mark themselves out as stars of the future, or validate their highly-regarded standing


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text:
Castleford Tigers' James Clare faces FIVE game ban
Leeds Rhinos' Blake Austin: Warrington Wolves shafted me, it's time to get revenge
Newcastle United v Huddersfield Town - Battered but unbowed Terriers plan to get off the canvas
JONATHAN HOGG has likened Huddersfield Town's Premier League struggles to a boxer who is taking beating after beating.
Saturday, 23rd February 2019, 5:30 am
Defiant: Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg.
But the club's longest-serving first-team player remains convinced the Terriers can still rise off the canvas and land a few knockout blows of their own.
Yorkshire's sole top-flight representative head to Newcastle United today on the back of a truly horrendous run that has left the club 14 points adrift of safety.
The fat lady from old proverb fame may not quite be ready to launch into song just yet but she is definitely warming up ahead of what looks like being Huddersfield's relegation back to the Championship.
Hogg, into his sixth season with the club, admits this season has been hard for everyone at the John Smith's Stadium.
"It is like being a boxer," said the 30-year-old to The Yorkshire Post about a run that has seen Town take just a solitary point from the last 13 games.
"You train every day and go into a fight, but you can't win and you get battered every time.
"This season has been hard because we have not had many wins. Heart-breaking in many ways and so hard to take.
Huddersfield Town manager Jan Siewert. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA
"We have always been on the back foot. We need to change that and get on the front foot. Start believing again."
Town's trip to St James' Park is the first of three games for the Terriers in the next eight days that Hogg admits may well be the club's last lifeline.
"This is the point when it has to change," he said about a trio of fixtures that sees Town host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday and then make the long trip to Brighton & Hove Albion a week today.
"We have three massive games inside a week – and three games on paper that you look at and think, 'We have a chance'. We need to work our socks off. Leave everything we have got out on the pitch and try to take the points.
"Newcastle is like a Cup final, really – and it is winnable. St James' Park is certainly one of the places where the fans can turn within half-an-hour if you do keep the home side quiet.
"We must keep the ball moving and hold on to possession. If the home fans can see they are not at it then that is something we can use to our advantage."
A casualty of a run that saw Town lose eight games in a row following the 2-0 victory at Wolves that closed November was David Wagner.
The man who allowed a club who had previously been trundling around the lower echelons of the Championship to truly dream quit in the wake of the Terriers' goalless draw at Cardiff City.
Hogg is no stranger to managers coming and going. He was, after all, in the Huddersfield team who lost Mark Robins just one game into the 2014-15 season.
But the Middlesbrough-born midfielder admits to keenly feeling the departure of Wagner.
"For me, it was a massive loss," he said. "David had worked miracles for the club, not just individuals.
"He made some average players into decent players at this standard. That is credit to him. But he has now moved on and we have to look forward."
Jan Siewert's arrival in the West Riding is yet to have an impact on results, the German having lost his first three games as head coach.
But there has been a noticeable change in ambition under the 36-year-old, who clearly wants Town to be much more attack-minded than in the final year or so under Wagner.
"It has been good," added Hogg about the new face in the Terriers dugout. "His style of play is a lot different to what David was used to.
"People's positioning is different and it is more direct in the sense of when we get the ball, we attack straight away. Whereas David liked to get possession and make sure we controlled the game.
"Jan is a bit different because he would rather we got forward a lot faster and create a chance, as once teams are set at this level then they are hard to break down.
"He is trying to catch them off guard and, hopefully, it works for us."
Hogg, as one of just two players in the Town squad that kicked off last season with previous experience of the Premier League, appreciates more than most the prestige that comes with plying his trade in the top flight. It is a standing he does not plan to surrender lightly.
"We are definitely desperate to hold on to our Premier League status," added the midfielder, who made five Premier League starts for Aston Villa early in his career.
"This is where everyone wants to play and where everyone wants to be.
"It has been tough this season but we still have a chance. Why not? It only takes one win to get things to click in this league. To get the ball rolling and the confidence lifted. Then we can start believing. I am not saying we don't believe now but a win will help.
"Sometimes we have not had the rub off the green. The penalty decision at Cardiff (when Lee Mason overturned his own decision to award Town a spot-kick) was huge. That could have turned our season – and, after that, David went.
"We have been fighting a losing battle but we need to try our best to stay positive and look forward. We just need to get that win and turn the corner – and then march on.
"People know what is at stake. The opportunity to play in the Premier League does not come around too often.
"When you have the chance, you have to grab it with both hands and make sure you keep it. Is it going to be possible for next year? We won't know until the end but we keep fighting until it is mathematically impossible."
Leeds Rhinos' Blake Austin: Warrington Wolves shafted me, it... Sport
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text:
George Ogden Abell, mult mai rar: Georges Ogden Abell (n. 1 martie 1927- d. 7 octombrie 1983) a fost un astronom la Universitatea California din Los Angeles.

Biografie

Activitate profesională
George Ogden Abell a fost admirat în calitate de astronom cercetător, profesor talentat, administrator, purtător de cuvânt în domeniile științei și în educație, precum și ca detractor al pseudoștiințelor. Abel și-a obținut B.S., în 1951, M.S., în 1952 și Ph.D., în 1957 la California Institute of Technology. Și-a început cariera de astronom în calitate de ghid de vizite la observatorul Griffith din Los Angeles.

În calitate de astronom, George O. Abell este cunoscut pentru catalogul roiurilor de galaxii pe care l-a întocmit în timpul muncii sale de observator la Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. Analiza acestor roiuri de galaxii, pe care a făcut-o, a contribuit la înțelegerea mai bună a formării și evoluției lor. A demonstrat că roiurile de al doilea nivel existau, respingând, fără drept de apel, modelul ierarhic emis de Carl Charlier. A arătat și faptul că luminozitatea roiurilor putea fi utilizată drept scară de distanță.

Catalogul Abell este o listă aproape completă de peste 4.000 de roiuri conținând fiecare cel puțin treizeci de membri până la un redshift de z = 0,2 (Vezi Lista roiurilor de galaxii). Catalogul inițial al roiurilor din Emisfera nordică a fost publicat în 1958. Catalogul extins, care include și roiurile din Emisfera sudică, a fost publicat postum, în 1989, în colaborare cu Harold G. Corwin și Ronald P. Olowin.

Abell, împreună cu Robert G. Harrington, a descoperit cometa periodică cunoscută sub denumirea
52P/Harrington-Abell. Împreună cu Peter Goldreich, el a stabilit, în mod corect, că nebuloasele planetare provin din stele gigantice roșii.

Abell s-a consacrat învățământului și a fost, timp de peste 20 de ani, membru al corpului profesoral la Summer Science Program dedicat studenților din învățământul superior. Programul îl omagiază încă prin bursa școlară care îi poartă numele. A fost implicat în producerea de seriilor TV educative Understanding Space and Time (în română: "Înțelegerea Spațiului și Timpului") și Project Universe (în română: "Proiect Univers").

George Abell a fost un detractor înverșunat al tezelor pseudoștiințifice, precum cele ale lui Immanuel Velikovsky. A fost unul din cofondatorii Committee on Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) și scria articole pentru revista lor, The Skeptical Inquirer.

În 1977 împreună cu Paul Kurtz și Dennis Rawlins Abell a calculat și el Efectul Marte descris de neo-astrologul  Gauqelin.

Abell a fost președinte al comisiei de Cosmologie al Uniunii Astronomice Internaționale și președinte al Astronomical Society of the Pacific. A fost ales membru al Royal Astronomical Society în 1970. A fost președinte al departamentului de astronomie al UCLA din 1968 până în 1975 și președinte al comitetului pentru educație al Societății Americane de Astronomie. În momentul decesului său, Abell trebuia să devină editor al Astronomical Journal, începând cu 1 ianuarie 1984.

Este autorul mai multor articole profesionale și al cărții "Exploration of the Universe".
Abell a murit în urma unui atac de cord, la 56 de ani, în Encino, California.

Viața de familie
Georges Abell a fost prima oară căsătorit în 1951; a avut 2 copii; s-a recăsătorit în 1972.

Descoperiri

 În 1954 Palomar 1 un roi globular din constelația Cefeu.
 În 1955 Abell 39 o nebuloasă planetară din constelația Hercule.
 În 1958 Abell 2142 un roi de galaxii în Coroana Boreală.
 Abell 2151 sau Roiul din Hercule se compune din 100 de galaxii în constelația Hercule. A nu se confunda cu Messier 13 care este un roi globular.
 Abell 426 sau Roiul din Perseu (în constelația Perseu).

Onoruri
Asteroidul 3449 Abell îi poartă numele, ca și Observatorul George Abell al Open University de la  Milton Keynes din Anglia.

Note

Necrologuri
 JRASC 77 (1983) L85
 QJRAS 30 (1989) 283

Bibliografie
Abell, George, "Exploration of the Universe", Holt, Rinehart and Winston (Copyright 1964)
 Abell, G.O., Morrison, D., and Wolff, S.C., Exploration of the Universe, Saunders College Pub; 6th/Rev edition (February, 1993) ISBN 0-03-094666-2
 Abell, G.O., Wolff, S.C., and Morrison, D., Realm of the Universe, Saunders College Publishing; 5th ed., 1994 edition (January, 1994) ISBN 0-03-001664-9

 Abell, G.O., A catalog of rich clusters of galaxies, American Astronomical Society (1989) ASIN B000726Y06

Legături externe
 Abell, George la Astro-databank
 Despre catalogul Abell

Nașteri în 1927
Nașteri pe 1 martie
Decese în 1983
Decese pe 7 octombrie
Astronomi americani
Descoperitori de comete
Pedagogi americani
Eponime ale asteroizilor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
My British Cycle Quest
British Cycle Quest is organised by Cycling UK (formerly CTC / Cyclists' Touring Club), and requires a cyclist to visit six checkpoints in each of the traditional counties of the UK, plus some of the islands.
My quest began back in 1981 when it was known as the Touring Explorer's Award. Touring much of southern England with my father during my teens, by 1989 I had completed the southern region. In 1996 my father became the third of only six people to complete the whole of the UK under the TEA scheme.
Following a break of 25 years, I picked up the challenge again in 2014 under the BCQ scheme and I'm now more than half way through the checkpoints. Follow my progress here!
My Cycle Quest Progress
Zoom in on the map to see the exact locations of the checkpoints.
Click on a map pin to see further details about a checkpoint.


Take a journey to the world of wine, immerse yourself in the wine tourism experience and enjoy our wine culture.
Bodegas Luzón opens its doors to all wine lovers and their families to enjoy a different day. We invite you to enter the world of the senses by making guided tours. All visits include a tour of the winery, processing and warehouse, nursery, bottles, the sanctuary where they are kept and custodian as real treasures the last bottles of each vintage.
The wines of Bodegas Luzón are the result of the variety, soil, climate, vinification and aging well harmonized in order to obtain the personal character of our land. Finesse and power well conjugated in the desired ratio by type of wine for the enjoyment of our consumers.


The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon OSHA has released a new publication focused on Personal Protective Equipment. This is an important safety area growers need to pay close attention to.
Follow the link below to download a PDF of this publication or print out copies for your operation.
Farming is an inherently risky occupation and we all need to keep safety a priority in our work practices.


Why you should be excited about OSU's latest hire.
Mike Gundy got a little crafty with his latest poaching job from the Ivy League ranks to get offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson.
Gleeson wasn't a well-known name before OSU announced his hiring on Sunday, no Graham Harrell, no Todd Monken. But among coaching circles and the scouting community, Gleeson is a hit name who has drawn rave reviews calling plays the last two seasons.
"Oklahoma State, get ready to have some fun!" said Dan Casey, a well-known Xs and Os guru on Twitter who also coaches high school.
It's true that Sean Gleeson is not the big name, insta-splash hire that will wow fans — apparently Kliff Kingsbury was taken — but that shouldn't tarnish the quality of hire. Here are five reasons to be fired up about OSU's new play-caller.
I'm not an Xs and Os guru by any stretch, but some YouTubing showed me that Gleeson has the goods to coordinate a terrific offense. From pop passes — SWOON! — to wheel routes in the red zone (!) and more, he's obviously imaginative with how he controls the sticks. Just imagine Spencer Sanders pulling up from ten yards out to do this next season.
Princeton running a jet motion pop pass.
Don't sleep on Ivy League Offensive Schemes!
Princeton consistently pushed the boundaries of play-calling in the Ivy under Gleeson, and that should continue on at OSU with the talent level he'll be able to work with.
2. Princeton put up some points!
A stats-based point: Princeton was the Oklahoma State of the Ivy League.
In his first season calling plays in 2017, Gleeson's Tigers went on to record the No. 2 passing offense, No. 4 scoring offense, and No. 4 total offense at the FCS level. He followed that up in 2018 by coordinating the highest-scoring offense in Ivy League history, and the Tigers didn't lose a game.
Gleeson's 2017 offense was led by quarterback Chad Kanoff, a 6-foot-4 gunslinger who was primarily a pro-style prospect. He threw 388 passes and completed 284 in his lone season with Gleeson calling plays, a 73.2 percent completion percentage, and tossed 29 touchdowns to 9 interceptions.
A year later, Gleeson completely remade the offense with a different player. Though Kanoff only ran 28 times the year before, his successor, John Lovett, ran a team-high 141 times for 972 yards rushing in 2018. Lovett was a good passer, too, completing 66.1 percent of his attempts for 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but his strength was running — and Gleeson made that strength shine through.
That should bode well for Spencer Sanders — or Dru Brown, or Brendan Costello — or whoever takes over quarterbacking duties in 2019. The fact that he's shown himself capable of switching up schemes and being successful with widely different personnel is a big win for OSU.
There's no need to re-litigate Tylan's Biletnikoff snub. He definitely got snubbed. But in any case, OSU's somewhat developed into WR-U since Dez Bryant, with Justin Blackmon winning the Biletnikoff, awarded to the best pass-catcher, twice, and James Washington winning it once. That trend should continue under Gleeson, as receivers have thrived in his schemes.
In 2017, in a more pass-happy scheme, Jesper Horsted led the team in receiving with 92 receptions, 1,226 yards receiving, and 14 touchdowns, and Stephen Carlson had 71 receptions, 935 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. A truly dynamic duo.
In 2018 their numbers took a dip a bit because the offense was run-heavy — Horsted had 1,047 yards receiving, 13 touchdowns, and Carslon had 683 and 5 — but they remained heavily involved throughout. Because OSU is always going to skew more pass-heavy, I believe OSU will almost always have the personnel that fits a scheme more closely resembling what Gleeson was able to do in 2017 at Princeton. It's a really good fit.
There's not a robust index online about what Sean Gleeson pulls in annually, but it couldn't have been more than $100,000, and I'm probably being generous. Before Princeton he was at a Division III school.
So not only is OSU getting Gleeson on a relative discount well within OSU's budget, but it almost certainly engenders some loyalty on the part of Gleeson to Gundy. He's going to be grateful for getting called up to the bigs and, in return, he might stay on staff for more than a half-decade as Mike Yurcich did.
This is, of course, risky — Gleeson might stink, and it might lead to Gundy ousting him — but there's a lot of positive feedback and tape on Gleeson showing that doesn't appear to be a likely outcome, and that OSU has a young up-and-comer calling plays that will rejuvenate the offense in Stillwater.


We are renowned for our stunning hand printed linings. Designed by Redcrest and made for us in India, these linings offer something unique to our clients.
Redcrest will tailor the marquee to suit your theme and colour scheme as we have a variety of colours and patterns available including traditional Ivory, Gold, Pink, Blue, Green Ivy, Jasmine, Orange Bedouin and Starlight. Each lining brings the marquee alive and transforms your venue into something spectacular.


I joined Corpus in 2007 to study History and Politics, after taking a gap year in which I worked and travelled, learning valuable skills for university life.
I was very nervous before I began, I didn't know what to expect as there are so many stereotypes and myths about Oxford and I didn't know what to believe. It all worked out great. I really enjoyed Corpus life. I chose it largely due to the friendliness of the people I met on an Open Day, the location, and facilities. It did not disappoint. The tutors made studying challenging and stimulating, and the 24-hour, well-stocked library facilitated the many essays there were to write! The close-knit community made it a home from home, and the thriving cultural and social activities such as jam sessions, pub quiz nights, and movie screenings, led to a fun-filled three years.
I was heavily involved in JCR life at Corpus. I was the Equal Opportunities Officer, and then JCR President. That was an exciting year; we won University Challenge and then had our title taken from us (!), we won the annual tortoise race and it was televised on beloved kid's show, Blue Peter. We also restructured the JCR Committee to make it more representative for ethnic minority students and gender minorities. I still use my experience as JCR President as an example of leadership, communication and team-working skills in job interviews.
I have just finished a two-year Erasmus Mundus master's degree in International Development and Public Policy. Soon, I will move to Indonesia to be a Co-Director for an educational centre for a year, and then I plan to continue working on education and youth projects and policies in developing countries. My experience at Corpus has certainly shaped this career choice, as a good education can be a transformative experience, so I want to help increase opportunities and access to education for youth worldwide.


Washington, Apr 19 (ANI): A US lecturer has been accused of showing what critics are labelling as a pornographic film in her "Introduction to Human Sexuality" class.
Peggy Gish, listed under Fresno State's College of Health and Human Services, showed the video titled "Advanced Sexual Techniques, Volume One" to her students last week, according to the Fresno Bee.
The film's product description says it "discusses how to increase your sexual knowledge, increase pleasure, and heighten intimacy" while promising to "take you on an explicit sexual journey."
This led Oliver Darcy, self-identified as the co-founder of Exposing.Leftists.com, to bill the film as pornographic on the blog campusreform.org.
Gish told the school's newspaper 'The Collegian' that all the media attention has been "overwhelming."
"It's been kind of tough just having to worry about certain things and be misrepresented - accused of something that wasn't accurate," LA Times quoted her as saying.
Gish defended the video to the paper, saying it was meant to educate students about relationships and communication.
She told The Collegian her syllabus states that sexually explicit material will be shown in the course and that students have the opportunity to step out of class if they are uncomfortable.
Fresno State's dean of the College of Health and Human Services, Andrew Hoff, defended the course and the video along similar grounds, telling the Bee the class is not required.


You can ask people to trade. Play battles with them.
This is for Xbox one only.
Warning TOXIC PLAYERS ARE NOT WELCOME IN THE SERVER if your toxic you will be banned!!
There are also gonna be ranks for top player of the discord server and 5 people will be picked every week.
I'll start picking people in late march!


If you want to grow your business and get your products, services or accomplishments noticed, you need to know the right way to get the media's attention. Press releases are a key marketing and public relations tool to build brand recognition, boost sales and gain credibility in your industry.
Whether you are a business owner, work in PR or marketing, or volunteer at a non-profit, this online course can help you write a successful press release, build solid relationships with journalists, and get published by prominent media outlets.
How to write an effective press release.
Press release template and examples.
Industry pro tips for content and format.
How to target the right audience.
Using press releases as a marketing tool.
Increasing brand visibility through press releases.
Using social media for promotion.
Press releases are an essential element of any public relations and marketing strategy. A press release can get your company, product or service publicity in print or online media, and even TV or radio.
A Press Release is a one or two page document stating newsworthy information about a company, product, or high profile person which can be distributed through different media channels. It is used both as a public relations and a marketing tool.
In a nutshell, the purpose of a press release is to inform the media and the public about noteworthy information that has the potential to entice readers to want to find out more.
Identifying your target audience will help you craft a press release they will be eager to read, thus increasing the success of your press release.
Press releases should be a fundamental part of your marketing strategy. When done right, press releases are a very effective way to market your company, promote your brand and sell products with a small cost to your company.
Being able to monitor the success of a press release is very important because you need to know whether your marketing strategy is working, and you need to figure out how you can improve it.
Before writing about your product, you need sufficient product knowledge in order to communicate effectively with your customers.
Irrespective of the size of your company or PR team, writing a press release should be seen as a team exercise.
In order to spread your news as far and wide as possible, it is crucial to get your press release published.
When contacting editors and journalists, you need to get it right on the first attempt. You should use this checklist before sending your press release to editors and journalists.
The regular publication of press releases can bring many benefits to your company, financially and in terms of its reputation and popularity.
Branding should be a constant component of your marketing strategy. Press releases are a great tool to build your brand credibility.
There are five aspects you absolutely have to include to make your press release an effective marketing and branding tool.
When it comes to getting ready to write an outstanding press release, everything you need to do falls under the big umbrella of research.
To write an excellent press release, there are four additional aspects you need to research.
Writing a professional press release is crucial to increasing your chances of standing out among the many press releases that flood journalists and editors each day.
The formatting of a press release needs to convey professionalism and follow industry standards in order for it not to be dismissed outright.
Press releases are not a typical SEO tool. However, if you optimize SEO strategically, press releases can contribute to your marketing strategy.
The timing of a press release is crucial to its success. Timing will increase both the odds of getting your press release approved for publication and the readership of your press release.
It's crucial to nail the headline, as that alone will determine whether people decide to read on.
If written appropriately, the boilerplate has potential for both branding and marketing your company.
Press releases can be a very effective crisis management strategy. Inadequate response to a crisis can make stakeholders and customers lose faith in the company, so responding adequately to crises is a must.
There are different types of crisis management statements depending on the stage of the crisis: the most common types are holding statements and reactive statements.
Once you have established your target audience, it will be easier to determine your communication channels because these two factors are related.
It is important to examine how other companies have dealt with crises in the past and draw conclusions from the outcomes of their choices.
If you want to ensure your press release gets approved, published and circulated, having an influence with as many reputable journalists as possible is a must.
Becoming a journalist's ally means that you make their job easier, which in turn will help you by increasing your chances of getting your press release published.
Here are a few final considerations that you will need to make when tackling the task of writing a press release and distributing it.


Original Australian Daybill Movie poster approximately 13" x 30" folded as issued, very good condtion, additional creases, edge wear with small edge tears (see enlarged photo for condition).
Roy Rogers (Roy Rogers), Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette), Gabby Whittaker (George 'Gabby' Hayes) and the Sons of the Pioneers (Sons of the Pioneers) undertake to protect the ranchers of Cherokee City from unjust charges levied against them for transporting their cattle to the stock yards of the packing houses. Trucking executive Ross Lambert (Edmund MacDonald) doubles his rates and Roy decides to try and convince old Colonel Silas Popen (Walter Catlett) to run his riverboat as far as Cherokee City and transport the cattle that way. Roy and his friends plan a "western" welcome for Popen and his daughter Mary Lou (Ruth Terry), but James Barabee (Paul Harvey, head of the cattleman's association, sends Roy a wire warning him that Popen hates and fears anything smacking of the "wild west." Lambert and his henchman Cully Bronson (William Haade) intercept the wire and start a campaign to make Cherokee City appear lawless and wild, so that Popen will refuse to bring his steamboats up the river. They also set fire to the steamboat and rustle all the cattle, hiding them in an underground cave covered by a waterfall. Mary Lou discovers the lair and Roy and his friends shoot it out with the Lambert gang.


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Why personas & scenarios are so important if you want to design a great product — excerpts from the online course "How To Develop & Document Personas & Scenarios". See www.theteamw.com/course-personas for more info about the course.
Susan Weinschenk has a Ph.D. in Psychology and over 30 years of experience as a behavioral psychologist. She applies research in psychology to predict, understand, and explain what motivates people and how they behave. Her work includes training, presenting, and consulting in communications, customer experience, user experience, and usability. She is a consultant and keynote speaker for Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, non-profit agencies, educational institutions, and conferences. Her clients include Walmart, Disney, The Mayo Clinic, Charles Schwab, and Best Buy.
Dr. Weinschenk is the author of several books, including How to Get People To Do Stuff, 100 Things Every Presenter Needs To Know About People, 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, and Neuro Web Design: What makes them click? Her nickname is "The Brain Lady", because she applies research on the brain and neuroscience to design. She is the founder of the Weinschenk Institute.


Strahan, is a harbourside village on Tasmania's wild West Coast. Here, nature is a powerful presence – in dense rainforests, dark rivers, wide horizons and the endless ocean.
Strahan is home to incredible wilderness experiences such as The Bonnet Island Experience, the West Coast Wilderness Railway and Gordon River Cruises.


The University of Illinois is home to a large population of international students and visiting scholars, and we want to help you feel at home! We offer a variety of programs to help international friends explore our community and make new connections. Wesley is a welcoming space to learn and grow, and a perfect place to share your experiences with others.
People from all over – currently China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Turkey, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Ecuador, Columbia, India, and more! – have participated in Wesley programs and events. There's a place for you, too, so come and join us as we welcome the world!
Wesley offers a casual English class for beginning through advanced students every Friday during the semester from 3:00-4:00 p.m. It's free and there's no need to register – just join us in the conference room at Wesley! Each class explores different aspects of American culture, traditions, and people, including food and holidays. We also practice pronunciation and develop our listening and comprehension skills. Wesley's ESL class is a fun place to learn and a great place to meet new friends!
The ESL class meets in the conference room every Friday from 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. and is followed by the International Coffeehouse.
Wesley's ESL Class will resume August 31st for the Fall semester.
International Coffeehouse is a gathering of domestic and international students, visiting scholars, friends, and family members. Everyone is invited to join us as we enjoy coffee, snacks, and conversation as we practice English, play board games, and make new friends. It's also a great place to learn about other countries, cultures and traditions. Where else can you go and experience the world sitting around your table?
International Coffeehouse is held every Friday during the academic semester from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. in the Etc. Coffeehouse. International Coffeehouse resumes for the 2018 Fall semester on Friday, August 31st.
Join us in the coffeehouse for lunch with friends! It's a great way to celebrate the end of the week and the start of your weekend! Friday with Friends is hosted in the Etc. Coffeehouse from 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. every week. Lunches begin August 31st and run throughout the semester.
Wesley offers occasional field trips for international students and visiting scholars, as well as a summer movie series. We also enjoy a canoe trip on the Sugar Creek river in Turkey Run State Park every Labor Day (follow this link to get more information or to register for the trip). Visit our Chinese Ministry page for more information about Chinese programs at Wesley. Stay tuned for new international programs at Wesley!


"The most essential element of successful Business strategy is that it derives its success from the differences between competitition with a significant advantage to the one that knows the other's behavior".
You may ask yourself why you need to do a Competitive Analysis (CA) for your marketing or how will helps you create a Marketing Plan. You know which companies are direct or in-direct competitors, but not much more than that. You may be subscribed to the Competitions' newsletter or even follow them on Social Media, but there's so much more to understand. You need to know what your Competitors are doing and how they differ from you.
What's your Competition Up To?
This article is going to focus on the marketing aspect of the Competitive Analysis and how you can benefit from learning about what your Competition do off & on-line to find new opportunities. Whether it's a Website you can reach out to for a Back-Link or a way to get inspired for your next Ad copy, it's important to always be on top of what your competitors are doing.
All startups operate in a very competitive & fast-paced environment. A competitor does not just do exactly what you do, where you do it, nor how your operation works.
If they "target" the same Audience & solve the same Problem, they're a Competitor.
It doesn't matter if you have different features or user interface – you are competing with that company for the user's time & attention to perform the identical activity. Companies that gain strong knowledge about their competition & their activities can make better decisions in their marketing strategies.
Prepare an Online Competitive Analysis.
Before starting to create a Marketing Plan, prepare an online Competitive Analysis to act as a bench-mark and help build your marketing & sales strategy.
AhRefs [AR] is a tool that tracks Back-Links, SEO keywords & Mentions of your competitors. Their service is quite comprehensive and includes several services in 1 product. Unlike other tools on this list, you can't really try AR for free. You'll be asked to your enter billing info before being able to see anything (your short free Trial). Because it's so comprehensive, it can be a bit of an over-kill if you don't have a dedicated person on your team for SEO or marketing and you can make do with the other tools on the list.
A Good Ratio has to be Smaller than 1.2 (TF/CF). This is a great tool for you as well to check that you are not linked from Spammy low-quality websites. If you see you are linked in ways you don't want to be known for, you can use Google's Disavow Links tool (carefully) and remove them.
BuiltWith (BW, not BMW) BW gives you inside information on all the tools your Competitor uses on their website. Entering your competitor's URL, you can see A/B testing, then use the results to help your company. Do they use Email marketing? Which analytics did they set up? This inside information is both useful marketing-wise, (if your competitors use one channel, maybe you should consider using it too). It can help you decide which technologies to implement on your website. Look at TechCrunch, for example. You can see they're using dozens of different analytics tools, advertising tools, etc. I sometimes like using BuiltWith when approached by a company for a partnership, just to see if the company uses its own product.
Majestic shows you all the referring websites & Back-Links your competitor has. It also has a unique feature of showing you Trust vs. Citation – meaning, what is the ratio between the number of times your competitor has been cited and the number of trusted websites it has been cited it. Why is this interesting? Well, this way, you can tell if your competitor has links from reputable & "legit" websites or if it applies a Spammy SEO strategy.
Moz' Open Site Explorer (OSE) Moz OSE is a comprehensive business intelligence tool. By entering your competitor's URL, you can see their inbound links, which pages on their website are top performing ones, anchor text used to link to their website & overall SEO metrics of the URL. The free version provides you with the top results and if you need more, you can sign up for a 30-day trial. By using OSE, you can get a plan which determines which pages you should have on your Website that would work best. Consider reaching out to them as well, see which anchor text they use (keywords linked to the website, which indicates and SEO strategy) and more.
Wayback Machine [WM] is the internet's archive. Using it, you can see when your competitors replaced their Home Page and how long they had a certain version for. The more reputable the website is, the more it's being sampled. Look at CNN.com for example.
What Runs Where [WRW] is your Ad spy. It is a paid service, but if you run many display or text paid campaigns, it could be great intelligence tool for you. Their pricing is a bit steep for a startup, but you can start with the free trial and see if it's worth your budget to continue. The company cruises the Web and can show you the Ads your competitors run on both mobile & desktop. Let's just say that if you see a competitor running an Ad for a long period, it's probably an Ad that works and from which you can gain value for planning your next Ad.
Comments: Do you know any other good Tools for Competitive Analysis?
For more Info, click on Competition, Marketing.