text:
Major events

Események
 Az Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences negyedik alkalommal tartotta meg az évenként megrendezett Interactive Achievement Awards díjkiosztóját. John Carmack az id Software-től bekerült az AIAS Halhatatlanjai közé.
A British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) megtartja a negyedik éves BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards-ot a multimédiás technológia számára. A 21 díjból 15-öt videójátékok vittek el.
 Március 21 – A Game Boy Advance kézben fogható változatát kiadta a Nintendo. Szintén kiadták a  Super Mario Bros. 2 felújított változatát.
 Május 17–19 – Megtartották a 7. Electronic Entertainment Expot (E3); 4. alkalommal osztották ki a Game Critics Awardsot az E3 legjobb résztvevői között.
 Június 23 – A Sonic the Hedgehog 10 éves lett.
 Július – Az IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) megtartja 2. éves vezetői gyűlését.
 A Gama Network megtartja 3. éves Independent Games Festival (IGF) fesztiválját.
 A Game Developers Conference első ízben tartja meg évessé váló Game Developers Choice Awardsát.
 Tavasz – A Reuters jelentése szerint a Dreamcast konzolnak nagyjából 800.000 felhasználója van online.
A  Sony összedolgozott az AOL-lal, hogy az internetes lehetőségeket beépítse a PlayStation 2 konzolba. Ebben már volt böngésző, e-mail kliens, és lehetőség volt azonnali üzenetváltásra is.
 Augusztus – A 2. éves Dreamcast Championships (melyen szerepelt a Crazy Taxi 2 videójáték is.)
A Nikkei News jelentése szerint a Phantasy Star Online-nak (Dreamcast) az év közepére már 300.000 bejelentkezése volt az év közepéig.
 Szeptember 14 – A Nintendo kiadta a GameCube-ot és az ehhez tartozó első játékot, a Luigi's Mansiont.
 November 15 – Bemutatták a Microsoft Xboxot.
 November 18 – A Nintendo Észak-Amerikában kiadta a GameCube-ot.
November 23 – A Game Park bemutatta a GP32 vezeték nélküli, többjátékos multimédia, kézben tartható konzolját Dél-Koreában.
 December 31 – Jez San megkapta a OBE rangot az újévi kitüntetéskor, ezzel ő lett az első, aki kimondottan a videójátékok miatt részesült ebben.
December – A Panasonic kiadta a Game Cube-alapú Q multimédia konzolt.

Üzleti élet
 Megszűnt vállalatok: Indrema, Dynamix, Sanctuary Woods, SNK.
 Miután a Dynamixot (1984–2001) a Sierra Vivendi Universal alatti restrukturálása miatt bezárták, a stúdió több veteránja összefogva megalapította a GarageGames-t.
A Sega bejelentette, hogy a továbbiakban nem gyért otthoni konzolokat, ehelyett a játékfejlesztésre koncentrál. A Dreamcast gyártását májusban befejezték, de továbbra is adnak ki olyan játékokat, mint a Sonic the Hedgehog.
Az Activision megvette a  Treyarch Invention LLC-t.
A PCCW Japan (Pacific Century CyberWorks Japan Co., Ltd.) megvette a VR1 Entertainmentet.
A régóta árkádokat fejlesztő Midway Gamesvállalat bejelentette, hogy kivonul erről a piacról.
Augusztus – A Loki Software belső pénzügyi problémák miatt csődöt jelentett,  majd következő januárban abbahagyta a működést. Erre válaszul Michael Simms a Tux Games kiskereskedelmi vezetője, a Loki volt játék tesztelője megalapította a Linux Game Publishingot október 15-épn, hogy a Linuxra továbbra is jelenjenek meg játékok.
Október – Az Infogrames bejelentette, hogy ismét feléleszti az Atarit, mint az Infogrames almárkáját. Az Infogrames, az MX Rider és a TransWorld Surf volt az első három játék, melyek megkapták ezt a márkát.

Perek
Sega of America Inc. v. Kmart Corporation; A Sega beperelte a Kmartot, mivel az több mint 2 millió dolláros adósságot nem fizetett még ki
Uri Geller v. Nintendo; Geller beperelte a Nintendót, mivel Pokémon karaktert csináltak belőle.

Nevezetes megjelenések

Jegyzetek


Hands-on practice to enhance your skills and comfort level working in the system, ina relaxed, supportive atmosphere. Bring your laptop.
Adding care team members, recording encounters, creating goals and tasks, assigning a Lead Care Coordinator, and more.
Receive at-the-elbow support to walk through system and workflow questions.


text:
layout: post
title: bacon/bacon-qr-code
---

## Installation

In order to use this provider, you will need to install the library at version 2 (or later) and its dependencies

```
composer require bacon/bacon-qr-code ^2.0
```

You will also need the PHP imagick extension **if** you aren't using the SVG format.

## Optional Configuration

Argument            | Default value
--------------------|---------------
`$borderWidth`      | `4`
`$backgroundColour` | `'#ffffff'`
`$foregroundColour` | `'#000000'`
`$format`           | `'png'`

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Published on July 26th, 2016 | by Brandon
The KBMOD Podcast is finally back this week to deliver the PC gaming goods and an exciting new promotional video.
In our news this week, Nintendo becomes worth more than Sony in light of recent Pokémon Go success, Nvidia unveils the new powerhouse Titan X, and Team Fortress 2 launches a new competitive playlist that isn't as easy to join as you may think. We catch up on the weekly Valve and CS:GO gambling drama, two new Sonic the Hedgehog games get announced at the franchise's 25th anniversary party, Overwatch adds a new playable character, and after 40 years of production, the last remaining VCR maker has…wound down. We also discuss some of the new content on our site, including reviews of three hot new indie games, a review of the impressive GTX 1060, and more in the coming weeks!
Our viewer questions pit dessert beverages against each other, inquire about the future of esports in traditional media, and have us try to guess the most popular social media pages.
Remember that you can catch the podcast live every Sunday night at 10pm ET on twitch.tv/kbmod. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes!
http://media.blubrry.com/kbmod/p/archive.org/download/KbmodPodcast/KBMOD_Podcast_Episode_243.mp3
KBMOD Podcast on Google Play Music

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sun Star Courier
North Royalton resident starts 'Molly's Mission' to help pet owners cover cost of veterinarian care
Updated: Aug. 30, 2010, 11:24 a.m. |
Published: Aug. 30, 2010, 10:24 a.m.
Sara Hill, Sun News
View full sizeDiane Pellow, of North Royalton, founded "Molly's Mission" following the death of her dog Molly in 2009.
NORTH ROYALTON Molly Pellow lumbered, drooled and passed gas. The Shar Pei Mastiff mix was the furthest thing from a lady. Despite these traits, Molly was the glue that held her family together.
She died in May 2009 from complications of a canine mast cell tumor, but her legacy lives on through a commemorative fundraiser named "Molly's Mission."
When Molly was diagnosed with canine skin cancer, her owner, Diane Pellow of North Royalton, realized how quickly veterinarian bills add up. A patient of Dr. Adam Hechko of North Royalton Animal Hospital and Boarding Facility, Molly would receive weekly chemotherapy treatments and steroid shots.
"I sat in Adam's office every week surrounded by animals suffering with diabetes, cataracts, kidney problems and types of cancer," Diane said. "Sometimes a diagnosis means a pet owner has to make a judgement and I'd hate to see a pet owner make a judgement because of finances."
As the local economy continues to tumble, Pellow noted it is getting increasingly difficult for pet owners to afford even the basics for their pets including shots, spaying and neutering. Treatments for disease can escalate into the thousands.
"I thought 'let me contribute,'" Diane said.
In turn, Diane founded "Molly's Mission," a local fundraiser that nets all proceeds directly to North Royalton Animal Hospital to subsidize treatments and pet owners' bills.
"It's amazing how many people write checks on the spot," Diane said. "Molly became my 401K. Molly was a drain. I have absolutely no regrets, but the treatment of ill and ailing pets can add up quickly."
"Molly's Mission" is affiliated with The Natural Pet Enrichment Center, 8715 Ridge Road. When the business owners travel to area events and shows, a portion of their display table is dedicated to spreading the word about Diane's fundraising efforts. Diane also fundraises at local events including the "Pet Carnival" held Aug. 8 on North Royalton's City Green.
"When you live with illness, it doesn't matter if it's a person or a pet, you do what you can do," Diane said. "I realized how costly it can be. Molly's diagnosis was an aggressive cancer, but we felt we to at least try. After seven months, Molly knew it was her time. Molly was the bond, the unconditional love."
For more information on "Molly's Mission," contact the North Royalton Animal Hospital and Boarding Facility, located at 9027 Ridge Road, at (440) 237-7691 or visit nrah.vetsuite.com/Templates/PawPrints.aspx.


February 19, 6:00 PM - March 11, 7:00 PM @ Multiple locations, please see flyer.
All county Fit Testing must be completed prior to March 21, 2019 when the machine will be placed OUT OF SERVICE for maintenance. Contact Chief, Roger Wilson at rwilson@orangecountyva.gov with any questions.
Did you find a new guitar under the tree? Want to learn how to use it? OCPR is offering youth acoustic guitar lessons! Classes will be held in the Sedwick Building upstairs conference room (this is the same building as the OCPR office and the Orange Public Library) on Wednesdays, Jan.9-Feb.7, 2019. Classes will be held from 5:30-6:15pm. The registration fee is $80. Students should provide their own guitar, but other materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Registrations received after the 12/28/18 deadline will be charged a $10 late fee. An adult class is also available, please visit our winter adult programs page for details.


to serve the country with right intent and honesty. I hope through this I can make some meaningful difference to the lives of my people.
Former Cricketer Gautam Gambhir meets Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah. He joined the party in the presence of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad today.
Will Gautam talk to Imran to defuse Indo-Pak volatile relation, another lurking question with Navjot S Sidhu failing in an effort but making kartarpur a reality.
BJP briefing as Gautam Gambhir is inducted into the party by Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Gautam Gambhir soft spoken and an intelligent to core with business acumen the opening inning cricketers understand each subject to its core has entered politics shall be an asset for BJP and may contest Parliamentary seat from Delhi.


Styled with keyhole blouse .
These shorts are made with TENCEL® lyocell — an ultra-soft fabric made through an environmentally friendly process. The pull-on elastic waistband and drapey fit make for a comfy fit that's equally as flattering.


Solar cycle 24 has been relatively quiet for the last few weeks but a huge coronal hole has opened up over the last few days - see www.spaceweather.com July 11th. The weather is already warm. Is it about to get warmer over Europe and North America? An interesting post on this subject is at https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/07/05/the-solar-harbinger/ .. which is a guest post by David Archibald, one of the people who think a lack of sun spots is going to result in a cooling of the earth system.
At www.thunderbolts.info/wp/2017/06/19/history-of-electric-comet-theory-an-... ... by Hannes Tager, is an enlightening piece of research as it lists a number of scientists that in the 17th and 18th centuries were theorising about electricity in the solar system and its bodies. These include William Gilbert (1544-1603), Otto von Guericke (1602-1686), Thomas Gray (who died in 1736) and Hugh Hamilton (1727-1805). The latter was a mathematician, natural philosopher, and at the same time a Church of Ireland Bishop of Ossory in Dublin.
William forwarded this back in October 2016 - a link to a book at www.mikamar.biz/book-info/tes-a.htm#Author ... which provides some history concerning Hannes Alfven, and his book, 'Cosmic Plasma' - published in 1981 but largely ignored by astrophysicists. However, the electric universe people have gone back to basics - resurrecting some of Alfven's ideas (and science).Hannes Alfven, and his book, 'Cosmic Plasma' - published in 1981 but largely ignored by astrophysicists.
It's the19th of May and we are told at www.spaceweather.com that Earth is the path of a plasma stream emanating from a coronal hole - striking the upper atmosphere today and tomorrow. Auroras are expected in high latitudes.
Robert Maglione has written a book, 'The Legendary Shamir' which should interest various members of SIS as the question of what was shamir has cropped up on several occasions over the last 30 years. It is 416 pages long and has 8 colour plates, 51 figures, and 9 tables. The author has investigated the possible sources of radioactivity used by Moses, and then by Joshua, during the wandering of the Hebrews in the desert, and has found it in the legendary Shamir, presumably some kind of stone but just the size of a barleycorn.
At https://malagabay.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/indian-impacts-hammerhead-geo... ... which is a great post by Louis Hissink, an unconventional geologist from Australia. He begins by quoting Fred Hoyle who said that one of the reasons scientific problems persist was because scientists involved tend to think with one or two ideas, which infers the possibility of getting at the truth was limited.
The Tokomark ST40 fusion reactor is being developed in Oxfordshire. It hopes to be able to compete with the Americans and the Chinese, generating electricity from plasma. Go to www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/137847/uk-reactor-takes-frst-step-toward... ... and the claim is that it is being financed solely from private venture capital (with no government subsidies at all).
Laurence also sent in the link https://watchers.news/2017/03/23/birkeland-currents-stronger-in-the-nort... ... which is another discovery by ESAs Swarm Mission. It has discovered a seasonal variation of Birkeland currents - strong electrical currents in the upper atmosphere (which is not the same in the north and south polar regions).


Ideal for both beginners and experts, The Stag has hollow ground blades for crisp smooth cutting action with razor sharpness.
With the ergonomic shape and off-set handle The Duke sits naturally in your hand for comfort and excellent control.
Ace sums it up, the scissor has been crafted with ergonomics and comfort in mind combined with finer response and power.
For a limited time only, presenting the Ace of Spades Black Edition. Experience accurate response and effortless power.
Superior materials to ensure consistent performance and durability.
Deliver your top-of-the-range service without suffering from RSI.
Experience scissors that offer comfort throughout your whole day.
Hunt and Hustle was conceived from the desire to revolutionise the barber scissor. Barbering has come a long way over the last few years with techniques and hairstyles demanding a superior scissor for your work. Hunt and Hustle scissors are crafted from Japanese steel, provide a smooth sweeping action and the hand honed blades deliver an extremely sharp edge. They are a joy to hold and to work with. They are the only choice for the professional barber. They are that good we guarantee them.
I highly recommend the ace of spades, great balance and super keen edge.
They Really are a good scissor. Comfortable and real quality, awesome value too.
Hunt & Hustle is the only place to get this kind of quality.


text:
Pakistan Observer
Home Kashmir APHC expresses concern over detainees' plight in jails
APHC expresses concern over detainees' plight in jails
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has expressed concern over the plight of illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists languishing in different jails of India and the territory.
The APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the Kashmiri political detainees were being deprived of medical facilities and adequate food and access to lawyers during detention.
He said during winter, Kashmiri detainees become sick due to non-provision of medical facilities. He said many political detainees are suffering from various ailments in their respective jails.
He reminded the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres that the long-pending Kashmiris' right to self-determination has been forgotten and the Modi regime was treating the Kashmiri people, especially Muslims, like slaves.
The spokesman said that in the eyes of Indian rulers, Kashmiri Muslims have no importance and India has not given any importance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Geneva Convention and even the UN Human Rights Commission's 2018 and 2019 reports on Jammu and Kashmir.
He urged the United Nations to send a team to IIOJK to assess the dilemma of the oppressed people and plight of illegally detained Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders and activists.
Meanwhile, APHC-AJK information secretary Imtiaz Wani in a statement in Islamabad urged the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take notice of the plight of illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists languishing in different jails of India and the occupied territory.—KMS
Previous articleModi regime intensifies crackdown to seize Kashmiris' properties
Next articleCambodia collects 6.1 bln USD in taxes this year
Two persons injured in road accident in Srinagar
Mirwaiz Foundation launches Hijra calendar in Srinagar
Indian colonial measures can't change Kashmir's disputed nature: APHC
Aryna Sabalenka wins the Australian Open January 28, 2023
Maryam Nawaz arrives in Lahore from London January 28, 2023
Pakistan24070
Top News21986
Karachi15937
Lahore15131
Islamabad14879
© All rights reserved | Pakistan Observer


text:
Harold William Philpott was killed in action on 15 September 1916 aged 25 while serving with the 1st/7th Bn., London Regiment. His is among the 72,195 names of men who died in the Battle of the Somme with no known grave who are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
Harold was born at New Barnet in 1891. He enlisted at Sun Street, Finsbury Square, in the City of London. He was a first cousin of Randal Harwood and this family connection must explain why his name is to be found on our War Memorial. His parents were William and Louisa Philpott, who were married at New Barnet in 1890. William was born at Codicote in 1864, and his sister Sarah Alma (Randal Harwood's mother) was born there nine years earlier.
In the 1911 census William and Louisa Philpott were living at Clifton Cottage, Victoria Road, New Barnet, together with three sons and four daughters. Harold (aged 19) was the eldest of the seven children. William worked for the Barnet gas company and Harold was employed by the Great Northern Railway. His parents were living at Clifton Cottage at the time of his death.


Before we got married we were bombarded with advice — some good, some bad, some relatable, some questionable. One thing I heard a lot of is that the first year is the hardest, but to be honest I didn't feel that way at all. And it's not because "nothing changed but a piece of paper" because we went through the most changes a relationship can have. I mean…hello, we brought home a baby and if that isn't the biggest change of them all, IDK what is.
Anyways, this past Sunday we celebrated our first anniversary and I would love to share with you some things I have learned throughout our first year of marriage! I'm mainly writing this so I can look back in a few years and remember how knowledgeable I became within the first year. Kidding. But it will be nice to reflect on what I thought was "important" and if any of this follows you into your own relationship than that's even more of win for me!
I have learned to respect our differences. I wake up early. He likes to sleep in. He is more of a homebody, I'm not. We are pretty different in a lot of ways so for us it was better to find a balance than to try and adjust to be the "same".
I have learned that love is supportive. Most of you probably know, my husband has been on American Ninja Warrior 3x and plans on competing..…forever. If he wants to take the weekend to travel for a competition, that's okay with me. If I have to pick the baby up from the rock climbing gym after work so he can get an extra hour of training in, that's okay with me. This is very important to him and I am committed to supporting him.
I have learned to make time for myself. Some people may find this strange but we do not go to bed together and we do not wake up together. I enjoy waking up earlier in the morning to drink coffee and have my alone time and he will stay up an hour later at night to have his alone time. This wasn't necessarily intentional, but it's what works for us. I feel that having that alone time is crucial.
I have learned that you don't have to communicate immediately. Communication. The key to marriage. And yes, it is soo important. If there's an issue then 10000% you need to address it. However, for me, I have found that it's better if I take a moment, an hour, or even a day to figure out my exact thoughts before I start blurting out emotional nonsense to try and get my point across.
So far, marriage has been so wonderful! Writing this little synopses kind of makes me want to do a reflection each year. So, maybe if you stick around with me until next year I'll have some more things I have learned to share with you. I'd love to read what you learned throughout your years of marriage or relationship. Share with me in the comments!


Nicholas Kirkwood's 'Beya' style is one of its most popular – the design is comfortable yet elegant and perfect for so many different occasions. These flats are handmade from supple textured-leather with a flattering pointed toe and set on the brand's signature sculpted gold heel. Wear yours with everything from cropped jeans to mini skirts.


At Elder, we provide high-quality private live-in care for the elderly and those in need throughout Maidstone.
If you are concerned about a loved one, who may have started to need 24/7 care but is adamant that they do not want to leave the home they love, Elder's live-in care service could be the perfect care home alternative for them. They will receive 24-hour care and companionship, meaning you can rest assured your loved one is both comfortable and sufficiently supported.
Contact our care advisors today for some more advice and guidance about live-in care in Maidstone, anytime from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week.
Why choose live-in care instead of a care home in Maidstone?
Perhaps the most appealing part of live-in care is the ease of implementing this kind of help. If your loved one is happy and content in Maidstone, has a good network of friends and family around them and are settled into their own routine but they begin to require more support, the thought of moving to one of the care homes in Maidstone could seem like a huge disruption.
With live-in care, the carer moves in with your relative, helps them to retain their normal routine and independence and gives you the peace of mind that they aren't suffering in a strange new environment.
This is especially helpful when it comes to recipients living with dementia. The care may be more complex but all our carers are adequately trained to deal with the higher level of help should your loved one need it.
Elder provide live-in carers throughout Kent.
Why is Elder the best care solution in Maidstone?
Elder take the time and effort to pair your loved one with not only a professional able to fulfil their care needs but also someone who will get along well with the care recipient. We match people by looking at their hobbies and interests to ensure that both can live together harmoniously. Then we create a plan to outline exactly where help is needed.
The care plan is carefully tailored to fit both your loved one's lifestyle and care requirements. They are encouraged to keep active and healthy, which is more likely to happen naturally when you remain in your own home while having the security knowing should they need help, someone is on hand to provide it.
Home help also dramatically benefits pet owners who could not bear to be parted from their deeply adored animals. If your loved one were to go into a care home, they would have to be separated from their pets which would make the situation even more stressful.
Our caregivers are happy to care for both your relative and any furry friends they may have, gladly taking over duties your loved one may now find tough.
With live-in care services in and around Maidstone, we can ensure that one of our highly skilled carers can be there to help you around the clock in as little as 24 hours.
How can live-in care ensure that your loved one remains as safe and comfortable as possible at home in Maidstone?
We believe that simply because an individual needs care, this should not make them housebound. Elder's carers will discuss your loved one's favourite activities and hobbies with them, and depending on their situation, support them to continue to enjoy outings or shopping trips, for example.
The local area has many opportunities for an older person to enjoy days out with their carer. If they enjoy shopping, there are the Newnham Court Shopping Village or Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre where they can enjoy a meal and browse their favourite retail outlets.
Leeds Castle and Maidstone Museum are both within easy reach, and if your loved one enjoys the fresh air, a visit to Mote Park is a lovely way in which to spend a few summer hours.
A live-in carer will support your loved one in visiting friends and enjoying their local community safely to their maximum ability.
A unique care plan, tailored to your loved one's individual needs will be created so that their one-to-one carer can provide the support necessary to keep them as comfortable and safe as possible.
Your loved one will be able to choose which areas of daily life they would like help with and how they want their carer to support them. The care plan will be flexible and will be updated if there are any changes in your loved one's circumstances.
The live-in carer will provide as much assistance with personal care as is needed, so if your loved one needs help to get up and dressed in the mornings, this will be done at the time they choose.
Our carers in Maidstone and surrounding locations such as Eccles, Wateringbury and Snodland will also help their care recipients with prescriptions, ordering them and collecting them from local services such as Paydens Pharmacy.
If your loved one needs to attend an outpatients appointment at Maidstone hospital or another clinic, their carer will accompany them and ensure that they understand any instructions or advice they are given.
How much does live-in care in Maidstone cost?
Elder's costs for the live-in care service is £795 per week. This works out to up to 30 percent less than a care home and an even higher percentage if care is required for a couple.
All costs are inclusive, and there are no hidden fees. Elder's service is competitively priced, but we ensure that we pay our carers above industry rate so that we attract and retain the best, most experienced carers throughout the UK.
Whether you're paying privately with savings, using local authority direct payments, or NHS personal health budgets, we can help arrange the care your family needs.
We are passionately committed to providing the highest standards of live-in care for older people. We ensure that the interests of the care recipient are matched to the caregiver so there is plenty of common ground between the two.
Why not contact our care advisors without obligation to discuss your individual situation and find out how Elder could make life better for your loved one.
Provides many support services for older people and their carers. Also hosts events and activities such as exercise classes and a dementia-friendly walk and offers advice and information on all aspects of ageing.
When live-in care just isn't an option, give your loved ones the support they need with a choice of the top local care homes in Maidstone.
Support for older people, including the Take a Break group that meets each Monday at 2pm for social activities and refreshments.
Helps older people by providing advocacy from trained volunteers if they need support in sorting out problems, filling in forms or negotiating care services.
Offers independent support to help people find the services they need and organises events and activities.
Involve Kent brings older people together through social activities, providing advice and information and practical support from volunteers.
The council website offers information for carers about getting social care support, provides care advice and financial advice and offers volunteering opportunities.


I asked 13 experts for their opinions on this.
Before you read their replies, let's look at results from a study by Social Bakers, which examined how Facebook engagement correlates hashtag use.
So going from 2 to 3 hashtags caused a significant drop in engagement!
Does this mean too many hashtags are bad for business?
If so, what's the best ways to use hashtags in your Facebook marketing strategy and still see great results?
Let's see what some experts had to say.
Ready to kick your Facebook engagement up a notch? Take our ultimate 30 Day Challenge and grow a thriving Facebook Page before the month is over!
Should businesses use hashtags on Facebook?
A business should use hashtags if they are used correctly. It's completely pointless adding loads of hashtags for the sake of it or adding hashtags that no one is going to monitor or care about.
Use hashtags (1 or 2 only) when they make sense and when you use something relevant that people can filter on to find more relevant conversation. If I wanted to create conversation around social media tools I would start including a hashtag #socialmediatools and then I'd encourage conversation around this.
Facebook creates a unique URL for the hashtags used so I can point people to the conversation to encourage more people to use the hashtag and create more relevant conversation. So please don't hashtag #everything (example of a pointless hashtag).
Embrace hashtags but don't go crazy with them.
Hashtags connect your content with other people talking about the same thing or looking for information about something. So, if you write an article about using Facebook for Business and use the #FacebookTips hashtag, more people will find your content.
This can extend your Facebook content past your own audience. That is one of the only ways to do this on Facebook without paid media.
I recommend industry specific hashtags and creating your own if they will be relevant to your audience. Three or four relevant hashtags could make all the difference in busting through Facebook's EdgeRank and finding your ideal audience.
When sharing content on Facebook, use industry specific hashtags or create your own relevant ones.
It's an ongoing question...."Do hashtags matter on Facebook?" I've got 6 people who say it matters and a half dozen that say they don't! It's a toss-up at this time really for immediate impact for sure.
If your audience is socially savvy, then hashtags can come into play and be of value. If your audience is not steeped in the depths of social media use, then a hashtag can be a foreign symbol to them that makes no difference whatsoever.
One key, though, is that you can't really go wrong by using them. If your audience isn't socially savvy they just skip over them (unless you use too many), but by using them, someone who is deep into social may find your post as they search and scroll through hashtags.
Do I use them on Facebook? Sometimes. I likely should more often but in the speed to post I overlook them at times. I don't overlook them on Twitter or Google+ as they are more central to those networks. Bottom line: if used appropriately it should only help.
If you are currently using hashtags in a campaign on Twitter or Instagram, start including those hashtags in your Facebook content.
This makes it easier to integrate all your social channels as one.
The hashtag is supposed to be a win-win-win situation, marketers have the opportunity to expand their reach to an interested prospect, users can discover content, products, offers, and the platform generates more advertising opportunities.
Hashtags let marketers expand their reach and help users discover content, products, and offers.
For some reason, Facebook hashtags have no significant impact so far, at least for marketers, and this has been backed up by data in a study conducted by EdgeRank Checker.
Should businesses use hashtags? I think they can be useful in very specific cases like an event or a promotion, with the proper support of other media, but I'm not sure it's moving the needle when it comes to regular content.
Hashtags can help your posts be more searchable on Facebook. I always like how Kim Garst uses hashtags in her posts.
She uses the hashtag #BizTips for her short business tips, but she also participates in Internet traditions like "Throwback Thursday" or "Fanpage Friday".
So on Fridays she encourages other page owners to promote their own page by posting it to the comments. These posts are popular, as you can see from the numbers.
Kim uses multiple hashtags for Facebook Friday, so she must expect lots of traffic after searches.
What cause is relevant to your audience? You might want to use it in your posts as a hashtag!
I don't believe the general public has grasped the use of #hashtags on Facebook in the same way they have on Instagram, Twitter and other platforms. But with the integration of Instagram, hashtags are brought over to Facebook much more than before and I believe their use is growing.
Should businesses be using hashtags on Facebook? Why not? What if you had one person specifically searching for what your business offers and you gained an extra fan, lead or sale from that? It would be worth that extra step, wouldn't it?
1. Use relevant keywords to your business and the audience you are trying to target. (If you are a local business, use the name of your city too).
Don't put your #hashtag in the middle of the #sentence. That makes #reading the sentence #annoying. See?
I think you SHOULD use hashtags on your business Facebook page, but let me explain why and how.
As it mentions on the "How do I use hashtags?" help page on Facebook, the hashtag feature isn't fully available to everyone right now. I believe this is going to change and that the hashtag system will be as powerful as Twitter or Instagram's when it is fully ready and available.
But, even though hashtags are not the same on Facebook right now, I do think there is still a good way to use them. As a business, cross social platform branding is important. Since users might follow your brand on several social networks, I think it's good to use your "branding style hashtags" on each to keep them familiar.
Cross social platform branding is important. So, use "branding style hashtags" on each of your platforms.
Here's an example: if you're doing a promotion that uses a hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, you will "brand" that hashtag to the users better if they see it being used on Facebook as well. This will encourage them to use it no matter what social network they are engaging on and will convert to more success on Twitter and Instagram.
You don't want to go overboard using hashtags on Facebook, like you see on Twitter and Instagram. But, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the day Facebook does make their feature more similar to Twitter and Instagram.
The biggest thing I LOVE about hashtags is the curation side, which I think many people miss. If you really want to make an impact with your social media marketing, sharing other people's great content is the way to do it.
If you want to make an impact on social media, sharing other people's great content is the way to do it.
By using the # you can identify what people are sharing, what they are saying about the subject and even make new connections that you might not have made before!
I feel page owners should still use hashtags in their posts.
Although we associate hashtags primarily with Twitter and even Instagram, they can still be used on Facebook to help increase visibility of your posts.
I would avoid linking the same posts for both Twitter and Facebook as the language being used on both will be very different and would not have the same effect or results.
If you are thinking about using hashtags for your content, one of the best ways to find out if the hashtag has any traction is to simply do a hashtag search using Facebook graph search. Type the desired hashtag into your Facebook search bar to reveal all the posts associated with the word.
Along with using hashtags with your content, it can also be a great way to cross promote webinars or live events across your other social networks. This makes it easier for page admins to monitor the conversations on Facebook as well as other social channels under one key term.
YES... and NO. If you're not going to use them correctly, then please stay away! But if you are, well... bring 'em on!
1. Hashtags have seeped into the way we communicate. It's a fun way to communicate without writing complete sentences!
2. If your brand piggybacks on popular hashtags, you could increase your visibility and reach.
3. Hashtags are GREAT for social monitoring. If you have a hashtag specific to your brand or event, you can quickly check what others are saying when they use the hashtag. This could help you measure positive, neutral, and/or negative sentiment.
Hashtags are GREAT for social monitoring. Use them to measure positive, neutral, and/or negative sentiment.
But of course, there is a WRONG way to use hashtags too and that would simply be... overuse! Like many other things, use hashtags in moderation. The last thing you want is for your brand to be perceived as a hashtag spammer.
Hashtags on Facebook have not caught on like they have on other social sites. A study from EdgeRankChecker even shows that there may be some decrease in reach when a page uses hashtags.
But with all studies and general recommendations, you should do your own testing. Try an experiment where you put one or two relevant hashtags into your posts during a week. Then have the same number and type of posts the next week and compare your reach and interaction.
Also, make sure you check the hashtags to see what the current conversation is around that hashtag on Facebook.
The bottom line is they aren't as effective on Facebook as other social sites, but you should test to see what results you get in your niche with your audience.
I haven't fully tested the effectiveness of hashtags on Facebook yet, but I have witnessed posts that seem to be using them for the sake of using them. Every strategy you test and measure in your business needs to have a specific objective or you may find it backfires.
So as with anything, start with the end in mind. If you're going to use hashtags, answer this important question first: What's my objective?
Is it to make my brand more searchable? Is it to launch a product or service? Is it to monitor my brand presence? Is it to cross promote over other sites? Is it to get involved in or to incite conversation?
Knowing precisely what you want to achieve will help determine how you use hashtags, will ensure there is consistency in your brand message and won't confuse your audience. Whatever you do, don't just slap up a few hashtags that you think are keywords people might search for.
Knowing precisely what your objectives are will help determine how you use hashtags.
This could end up hurting your brand rather than helping it.
So what do you think? Do you use hashtags on your business page?
Now that you got your Facebook hashtag groove on -- what about your Facebook engagement? Want more likes and shares? We gotcha covered!
Grab your copy of our free Ebook and take our 30 Day Challenge. You'll grow a thriving Facebook page befpre the month is over!


Taking Saramakan genre banamba and the annual Banamba Dance Contest as a case study, this chapter considers the often-controversial role that competition culture plays in establishing new spaces, meanings, and uses for traditional performance practices in urban and cosmopolitan contexts. After outlining aspects of banamba's historical discourse and performance practice in Paramaribo during the early 2000's, Campbell demonstrates how talent competitions like the Banamba Contest aim to isolate and elevate a traditional performance practice, while simultaneously investing in the conditions for its proliferation in fragmented, hybridized forms. Ultimately, a successful contestant must master a skill set that has more to do with performing tradition in a contemporary urban context than with aptitude in the dance form alone. While the format and methods of adjudication of the competition bestow and affirm participants' credentials as professionals, audiences' critical feedback holds judges and organizers' authority in check, while perpetuating an animated discourse concerning authentic practice, performance aesthetics, and the limits of adaptation.


text:
Monday, 3rd September, 2018 6.00 pm
Printed minutes PDF 71 KB
Venue: Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3UY
Contact: Deniz Musa on 01424 451486 email dmusa@hastings.gov.uk
Minute Number
100 – Site at West Marina
Prejudicial – He is good friends with one of the developers.
Personal – She has a beach hut near this site.
Minutes of the Special Cabinet Meeting held on 23 July 2018 PDF 59 KB
RESOLVED that the minutes of the Special Cabinet meeting held on 23 July 2018 be approved as a correct record.
RESOLVED the chair called over all items on the agenda. No items were agreed without discussion under Rule 13..
Medium Term Financial Strategy PDF 246 KB
Appendix A - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019-20 to 2022-23 , item 99. PDF 890 KB
Peter Grace, Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues, presented a report on the Medium Term Financial Strategy. This report came to cabinet as the council looks to forecast its financial position over the medium term in order to ensure it can align corporate objectives with available resources. The Medium Term Financial Strategy seeks to identify the financial risks that will affect the annual budgets for each of the next 4 years (2019/20 to 2022/23) in order that key priorities can be matched to expected funding.
The Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues stated that the Council accepted the government's offer for a four year settlement in order to provide some certainty on part of the Council's funding stream – 2019/20 being the final year. The government's Spending Review is due to take place in 2019 (SR2019) and as such in the meantime there is very significant uncertainty on what the future holds for local government funding as a whole and for borough and district councils in particular.
In readiness for 2020/21 the results of the Fair Funding Review and retention 75% of business rates should be announced by December 2019. There may well be impacts on other income streams, such as New Homes Bonus and Discretionary Housing Payments. The retention of more business rates transfers added risk and volatility to Council income streams in the future.
He advised that government funding reductions continue in 2019/20 - a £650,000 reduction being predicted. Costs of Waste Collection and Street Cleaning look set to increase by potentially £1million p.a. from 2019/20. Income generation projections, whilst providing very significant additional resources, are having to be revised downwards over the period of the strategy. The projected budget deficits as a result are £1.1m in 2018/19, £2.1m in 2019/20, £2.9m in 2020/21, £3.2m in 2021/22, £3.3m in 2022/23.
He stated that the Council has had a very good record of making budget savings since 2010/11 but strongly advised that it now needs to take further robust action to identify efficiencies, income generation opportunities and service cuts as part of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 budget processes. He advised that the Transition Reserve was insufficient to meet the budget deficit now predicted for 2019/20 unless budget savings were identified and implemented.
Councillor Chowney proposed approval of the recommendations which was seconded by Councillor Fitzgerald.
RESOLVED (by 6 votes for, 2 against) that:
1. Approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy.
2. The Council take the robust actions necessary in this financial year and throughout the 2019/20 and 2020/21 budget processes to achieve a sustainable budget.
Reasons for Recommendations:
The council matches its available resources to its priorities across the medium term.
The report provides the opportunity to assess the council's resources to assist the review of corporate priorities given the continued reductions in funding and the need to continually ensure limited resources are properly aligned to targets.
Site at West Marina PDF 217 KB
Peter Grace, Assistant Director, Financial Services & Revenues presented a report on the site at west Marina. This was to determine a preferred bidder and agree the way forward in order to make a recommendation to cabinet in the autumn to accept or reject a developer for the site.
He stated that at Cabinet on 2 November 2015 it was agreed to add the site to the Land and Property Disposal Programme and to appoint agents to market the site.
Full marketing commenced in June 2017 and the deadline for the first round of informal tenders was 2 March 2018. A total of four bids from three developers/joint developers were received by the required deadline.
After analysing the bids it was agreed to proceed to a second and final round of bidding with Charterhouse and Countygate/Sunley. The bidders were invited to submit bids on the basis of a Capital sum or alternatively revenue streams based upon the Council retaining ownership of some parts of the development. The option remaining that the Council further invests its own monies for housing acquisitions as identified in the current Capital programme.
1. To reject the offer from Charterhouse; and
2. To agree County Gate/Sunley are the preferred bidder and to instruct our agents to negotiate further to agree Heads of Terms in order to make a recommendation to Cabinet.
The reasons for these recommendations were:
The site has been vacant for some 30 years and the Council has looked to develop the site a number of times over the period. In the last few years, with changing economic circumstances, improvements to property values, and a number of reports and investigations to de-risk the site, the opportunity is available to develop the site and provide a mixed development including 152 residential units (25% affordable) as identified in the local plan.
The actions taken over the last three years have managed to identify, engage and retain the interest of major development companies resulting in a viable and attractive proposition to transform the West Marina site into a destination point in line with the objectives of the seafront strategy, provide enhanced leisure opportunities and see much needed investment in the area. The Council's agent, Carter Jonas, recommends proceeding with the offer from County Gate/Sunley.
Confidential Business
Councillor Fitzgerald proposed a motion for the exclusion of the public from the meeting, seconded by Councillor Rogers.
Unit 1 Bexhill Road Retail Park
View the reasons why item 101. is restricted
View the background to item 101.
Peter Grace, Assistant Director, Financial Services & Revenues presented a report on Unit 1 Bexhill Road Retail Park. The purpose of this report was to advise Cabinet on the outcome of the rent review.
There was urgency in doing this as otherwise it could have been referred to third party determination which would have incurred costs and the outcome may not have been as positive. The decision was made in accordance with the Council's Special Urgency Provisions.
This is an increase in annual revenue to the Council. The new rent is backdated to March 2018.
Councillor Chowney proposed approval of the recommendations which was seconded by Councillor Lee.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that:
1. To note the rent review has been settled at the sum as detailed in the part two report.
The reason for this recommendation was:
The Council's Financial Rules require Cabinet to determine rent reviews over £100,000. In this instance a decision was taken under Special Urgency Provisions in conjunction with the Leader of the Council and is being reported to Cabinet as required.


text:
Cloverdale's unofficial mayor Selma Williams knows no stranger
Krista Johnson
When he walks in, Selma Williams plops his belongings down near the pale green couch inside Cafe Louisa's lobby before heading to the counter, with his own cup, to have it filled with decaf coffee.
He doesn't need to tell the baristas what he wants, because they, like most people that come into the Cloverdale coffee shop, have come to know Selma very well.
He's been coming to Cafe Louisa each day since before it moved to its current location.
In several ways, Selma is a creature of habit — he follows a rigid routine, with the conversations he sparks while out and about being the biggest variances from it.
Each morning he rises about 6 a.m., turns the music up and lifts his weights. He leaves his apartment by 7:30 a.m., always sporting some sort of button-up vest, and he starts his walk to the cafe, two lunch pails in tow.
One holds his coffee mug and the spoon he brings to the Trinity Presbyterian breakfast he attends each Tuesday (because he doesn't like to eat with forks). The other pail, slightly unzipped, carries the portable radio he was recently gifted after his old one broke. If you ask his friends at Cafe Louisa, music is among his favorite topics to discuss. Football and current events rank high, too.
"There's no one to talk to at home. I get tired of sitting at home alone," Selma said about why he comes to the cafe every day, and why he has used his time there to get to know so many different people. He's lived alone since his mom died, with a niece that checks on him frequently and a sister that prepares his meals in bulk.
Aside from the cafe, he also goes to Trinity for dinner on Wednesdays and for Sunday School. His consistent attendance three days a week has ensured most know his name there, too.
The crowd that gathers around the couch, coffee table and neighboring chairs with Selma most mornings alters slightly, but everyone who walks through the door knows his name.
"He doesn't meet a stranger. He knows everyone, and everyone knows him," said Jodi Smith, a soccer coach at Alabama State University who started coming to Cafe Louisa about eight years ago. Selma is a big part of what makes the historic neighborhood good, Smith said.
What is unique about Selma, as attorney Jay Hinton put it, is that he lacks any preconceived notions about others — a lesson we could all benefit from.
An innocent and sweet-spirited guy, Selma is an icon in Cloverdale, Hinton said.
"I would liken him to a canvas on which other people paint their care and concerns and love," he said.
Bill Stone has known Selma for over 30 years, and used to employ him to do yardwork. Keeping his own yard tidy is among Selma's favorite pastimes, raking most days after leaving the cafe.
Pointing to that iconic status, Stone and others from the cafe decided to gift Selma the title of mayor of Cloverdale a few years back. Stone considers him the neighborhood's goodwill ambassador, too.
"He's always been a part of the old Cloverdale community," Stone said. "He's always been a wonderful person who has an ability to know and make friends with everybody he sees."
When Arnie and Jane Burris met Selma nearly 10 years ago at the old Cafe Louisa location on the south side of the neighborhood, Jane said Selma was a big part of why they kept coming back.
"He always wanted to talk," she said. "Young, old. Black, white. It didn't matter."
His ability to remember people's names, and even the kind of car they drive, stuck out to her.
"He just seems to take a sincere interest in the people that he knows," Jane said.
Over time, she has become Selma's go-to helper when he finds or is gifted new radios. She'll help him switch out the old batteries, when needed.
"He never asks for much else," she said.
Last year, she and Arnie found out that Selma had never been to a Waffle House, so they took him for his birthday. They'll celebrate at Waffle House for the second year on Monday, with Selma turning 76. Hinton is bringing a cookie cake, and Stone and Smith will join them, too.
"He's our friend. We look out for one another," Arnie said.
Simply put, Selma, he said, is a vital part of their community.
Call Montgomery Advertiser reporter Krista Johnson at 334-303-9019 or email her at kjohnson3@gannett.com. You can also follow her on Twitter here.


text:
Summer auction highlights
It's bronze-o-rama this month. Really great bronzes rarely come up for sale, but this month there are three in London. My favourite is by the greatest sculptor of small bronzes, Giambologna. The Dresden Mars (£3m-£5m, above) is a heart-stopping masterpiece. Exquisitely detailed and with beautiful patina, it's also a consummate summary of mannerism with its subtle and not-so-subtle distortions. The massive foreshortened hand is marvellously expressive with detailed veins and an exaggerated radius bone that looks almost like a ganglion cyst. The calf muscles are over-sized, and more distortions become evident when you study it. But the effect is artistic rather than awkward.
Sculptures are hard to display. They need protection from curious hands, but they can't really be appreciated in vitrines. Sculptures are often seen as the poor relations of paintings, and don't get the same curatorial attention. That's why auction viewings are so worthwhile. The auctioneers do a much better job of showing their wares, and you can really appreciate the quality of this masterpiece. It's a logical acquisition for the Getty, which has developed a choice collection of sculptures. I hope they get it, because they display their collection so well.
Christie's also leads with bronzes. There's a great group of Hercules overcoming Achelous by Tacca, an artist in Giambologna's studio. A gilt version of this is in the Wallace Collection, and comparing the two really emphasises the quality of the Christie's bronze. Estimate is 'on request', circa £5m. They also have a magnificent rediscovered masterpiece by Giradon, a large bronze of Louis XIV on Horseback (£7m-£10m).
The picture that grabbed my attention was this outstanding Portrait of a Man against a green background, plausibly attributed to Dürer. I don't know if it's by him or one of his close followers like Schongauer, but whoever it's by, it is a masterpiece. Condition is clearly compromised; the background looks horrible. It might have been overpainted and then cleaned. But the face itself is well-preserved and fabulous quality. This kind of picture is rare outside Germany and the estimate of £300k-£400k is modest, reflecting its small size and the diminished impact from damage to the background. The excellent catalogue entry gives more background on disputes over its attribution, which is welcome. Continuing with the northern Renaissance, Sotheby's also has a rare picture by one of my favourite artists, Hans Baldung. The Holy Family with Five Angels (£2.5m-£3.5m) is rather worn in the key parts, but other elements are still finely preserved. And they almost never appear for sale. Hugo van der Goes is another rare and prized master. The Adoration of the Magi at Sotheby's is only by a follower, but I like it a lot. And over 2m wide, it's unusually large and is good value at the estimate of £200k-£300k.
Speaking of attribution disputes, Rubens was enormously prolific and pictures by him and his studio often appear at auction and there's sometimes a fine line between the master and his school. The best this time is a fine Portrait of a Venetian Nobleman at Sotheby's (£3m-£4m), which looks even better in the flesh, with an ambiguous sense of swagger and vulnerability. Christie's has a newly-attributed portrait with a slightly higher estimate (£3m-£5m), which I don't love. Christie's also has a fine large studio version of a lion's den, derived from the Washington Daniel in the Lion's Den, without the lions (£25k-£35k).
At Christie's there's a fine large Zanobi Strozzi Last Judgment which represents Fra Angelico's beautiful style (£2-£4m) and a superb early Spanish masterpiece by Miguel Ximénez, also of the Last Judgment (£600k-£800k). My favourite is a small Virgin and Child in a Walled Garden by the Master of the Triburtine Sibyl (£400k-£600k, above).
A tiny Jan Brueghel the elder, A Wide Village Street in summer with carts, villagers and gentlefolk (the title says it all) reminds me that he's a really great artist (£2.5m-£3.5m, Sotheby's). Not all his pictures rise to this level, and weaker ones appear at auction quite often. It's a beautiful and easily appreciated picture, but it's also a sophisticated image. Perspective is cleverly distorted; compare the trees on the left and the right. It's a trick used by Rubens, but on a tiny scale. When you see lots of pictures of this type you come to appreciate how hard it is to integrate those seemingly-random figures into a harmonious whole. It's a really great picture.
Sotheby's has a sleeper in reverse. This Ecce Homo is described as Venetian School, early sixteenth century, with an estimate of £30k-£50k. The catalogue note doesn't mention that it was previously offered in New York in 2009 with full attribution to Lorenzo Lotto, endorsed by Keith Christiansen of the Met, with estimate of $400k-$600k. It's still a fine, unusual picture. I wonder if it would have been better marketed without the initial Lotto attribution, encouraging the trade to bid it up as a sleeper.
There's a dearth of great drawings at this week's sales, but each auction house has a few spectacular things. There's an overwhelming early Fuseli at Christie's, The Faerie Queen appears to Prince Arthur (£150k-£250k, above). The most fascinating is a twenty-foot panorama of London just after the Napoleonic Wars, by Pierre Prévost (£200k-£300k at Sotheby's).
These are the big-money highlights, though not so big compared to contemporary art. I'll write a separate post tomorrow about the day sales and antiquities sales, where there are some really good pictures with really modest estimates.
Labels: Art market, Auctions, Christie's, Old master drawings, Sotheby's
Contrasting Rubens portraits at London auctions
Auction bargains


Paul, who writes the "Resting in Awareness" blog has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger award. I'm startled and delighted when people are touched enough to thank me in this way. Life is full and varied, and I'm hardly at my computer these days to write, much less to read… but I'll try to fulfill the request of this award. Nominating others will simply take some time, as I find other blogs that touch me.
Thank the person who gave them this award, and link to their blog.
Each of these people has touched my life in different ways. I thank all of them.
Thanks! But it's so much work!
Skye, thanks for the nomination. It does look like a lot of work. I'll see what I can do. You might not be aware that I have three other active blogs, http://www.childlessbymarriage.blogspot.com, unleashedinoregon.blogspot.com, and writeraid.wordpress.com. So that's one thing. I like your blog. There's a wonderful refreshing feeling about it.
my understanding is you just do what you can do. Not to sweat about it.
I'll check out your other blogs!
Thanks for the plug! Also for some of the links. It's fun to see what the neighbors are reading. this unlit light is a find. Happy Mother's day!
Thanks for the mother's day wishes! I picked blogs that will rarely be found, and a few of them (friends from grad school, or the U where I worked from 2009-2011) have nothing to do with spirituality at all.
Thank you, Amrita. I just replied to your comment on my blog,but I also wanted to come here to thank you. I may be poor at fulfilling the duties, but I thank you for thinking of me! I'll be back here, now that I have bookmarked your blog.
Hi Skye! I know you sent me an email, but I can't find it now, and don't quite remember what it said… except about your blog (which is, of course, lovely as its author) and something about playing with IW puppies.
Does the puppy litter owner need any more help socializing the little ones? I would love to snuggle some puppies. One of my girls is off with the breeder for some professional showing, and breeding in November. I'm hoping to have puppies early in 2013 (!) and would love to talk with someone local about what to expect, whelping box size, etc etc… I've birthed 35+ jack russell puppies, but I'm sure that IWs are a whole different experience.
Also, doesn't your lovely Deerhound want to come and play with a very lonely Wolfhound? With Molly gone, Maggie has taken to moping and 3X daily mournful howling (a very different song than their joyful chorus practice).
All of this should have been in a reply to your email, but… well, there you have it!
Longer message at UO address!!
PS perhaps I can put you in touch with my IW breeder–she's been raising wolfhounds for over 35 years, I think.


text:
Tennis Rules & How to Play Tennis
Tennis which traces its roots to ancient Greece and is related to the French handball game, the 'Paume" (palm) has evolved over the years to become one of the most celebrated sports in the present era. The physically intensive sports have about 17.96 million professional players worldwide, that number has continued to rise. Intensive and adrenaline-driven tennis tournaments which attract the big wigs in the game of tennis have brought a spotlight to the sport. The emergence of several young players who cause a surprising upset in tennis tournaments have made tennis gain more fans worldwide, thus begging the question; what are tennis rules? In clear and broad terms, we review the rules as well as how to play tennis.
How to Play Tennis
In the game of tennis, the primary objective of the tennis players is to win as more points as possible by playing the ball in such a way that opponent can not return the ball to their half of the court.
Tennis is played in a tennis court with various surfaces ranging from clay, carpet, grass and hard surface. As stipulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tennis courts have various dimensions depending on the type of match to be played.
For a singles match, a tennis court measures 78 feet long and 27 feet wide, for a Doubles match, a tennis court measures 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. A net is placed at the centre of the court, the net demarcates each player half of the court. The net is drawn at full width on the tennis court and is 3 feet 6 inches high at the post but 3 feet high at the centre of the court. 21 feet from the centre net is a service line. A 60 feet wide and 130 feet long space is left around the court for players to run in order to play overrun balls. The baseline indicates the boundary in which the ball must bounce on for it to be active play. The nature of the surface for a tennis court in a tournament is chosen at the onset of the tournament and used throughout the tournament.
To begin a tennis game, the player who serves first is determined by a toss which can either be a coin flip or racquet spin. The player or team who calls the toss correctly serves first, while the other player or team picks the side of the court they wish to play.
During serve players must remain on the baseline, players also are not allowed to step in the court or in the centre mark, players who fail to do this commit foot fault. If a player fails to play the ball in the opponent service centre two times during a service, he has completed his first service and will move to the second service, where if he fails to successfully serve the ball in the opponent service centre will lead to loss of point.
Players commit an out if the ball hits the net, an exception to this, occurs when the ball hits the net and lands on the other player's ball during a rally which is the successive play after a serve.
Depending on the sort of match being played, either singles or doubles, the number of players on the court is decided. In a singles match, one player is on each side of the court, while in a doubles match, two players are on each side of the court.
Tennis Equipment. (Photo credit: all-free-download.com)
Equipment needed in a tennis match includes a racquet which can either be wooden or an alloy with handle, and strings in a weaving pattern. A racquet should measure about 32 inches long and a handle 12.5 inches in width. The surface of a racquet 15.5 inches long and 11.5 inches wide. The tennis ball is usually bright yellow in colour is required for tennis matches, usually 2.5 – 2.625 in diameter. Headband, wrist bands for sweat absorption, tennis shot and tennis shorts and shirt or dress often made from polyester is needed.
A tennis match contains 5 sets for men and 3 sets for women. A set has six games. In a game, a player is required to be two points ahead of his opponent to win a game. A game begins at the love which is zero points, the first point equals 15 points, the second 30 and the third 40, before a final point called game point seals the victory. Points are earned when an opponent fails to return the ball to his opponent court or plays the ball past the baseline. When a game is tied at 40-40 points, this is known as a deuce, a player must win two successive times to win a game. If a game ties at 6-6, this is known as a tie-break, a player must win with 7 points with at least two points lead over his opponent.
A player with the most sets emerges the winner. For a tennis match which involves male player, players with the most wins in 5 sets emerge Victor while in a female tennis match, players with the most win in 3 sets win the match.
Tennis match begins with a toss, which involves either a flip of the coin or spin of the racquet to determine the player to serve first and players choice of the court.
A server foot must be on the baseline during serves. The foot of the server must not move past the baseline before he hits the ball.
If a server fails to play the ball within their service area of the opponent court in the first two serves, they can try the second service where if they fail, it will be counted as a double fault and result in loss of point.
If a served ball touches the net before it moves into the service area of his opponent, a let is called and he takes the service again. If a served ball touches the net but does not go into his opponent service area, an out is called and the service is a loss.
A receiver of service can stand wherever he wishes to stand to receive the serve.
Once a service has been successfully made, the successful play between both player is unlimited until a side fails to play the ball within the baseline or the ball hits the net without entering the opponent court.
The first point equals 15 points, the second point equals 30 points and the third point equals 40 points.
Four points are required to win a game. In the event of a deuce (40-40) player are required to score two successive points to win the game. When they score the first extra point they are in advantage, if the opponent scores, they return back to deuce.
To win a set, a player must play 6 games, winning the games by 2 or more than his opponent. If they tie the game, 6-6, a tie break is played, which is a 7th game which a player must win by two or more points.
Players lose a point if they touch the net or distract their opponent.
The ball must touch the line or the area within the line to be called in, if the ball lands outside the baseline, it is an out.
Every 6 games, the ball used is replaced.
Players lose a point if they hit the ball outside the baseline or if the ball touches the net without entering the opponent court or if the ball bounces twice in their court before they return the ball.
During odd-numbered games, players must switch sides.
A Penalty is given if a player engages in verbal abuse or if the racquet leaves a player's hand.
At sportytell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. If you have concerns about something that doesn't look right in this article about Tennis Rules & How to Play Tennis, please don't hesitate to contact us.


We Write Cards To Help Spread Positivity Worldwide.
We want to help make the world a better place, and it starts with you! The Positivity Project allows you to purchase a postcard filled out with a positive message, hand-written and shipped by our business, with the goal of inspiring others and spreading positivity around the world, with all profits going to charity! We know how much time, money, and effort it can take to make an impact, and we want to make it easy for you!
Negativity is such a big problem in our society, and what's even worse is that trying to combat that with positivity has become harder and that's not right! Trying to send a physical meaningful message to my friend who had suffered from mental illness far away from where I lived was so difficult because how expensive, time-consuming, and difficult it all was to make it happen, and I wanted to change that. I wanted to make it easier for people to send positivity to anyone around the world and not have to worry about the problems they would face like I did, and be able to change people's lives forever! We need to make the world a better place and fight the negativity out there, and I need your help!
"Positivity Is Something That We All Need More Of In Our Lives"
"In A World Where Responsibilities And Stressors Just Seem To Add Up, Moments Of Positivity Can Speak Volumes"
"Knowing I Have The Power To Brighten Someone's Day On The Other Side Of The World Is Amazing"
"I Believe That This Is The Start To Make The World A Better Place"
"A Business Allowing Customers To Truly Change The World"
"Our Words Have The Power To Truly Change Someone's Life"
Now It's Your Turn To Help Make The World A Better Place!
Learn more about how we operate and inspire positivity. Find out how we make these cards and how they are shipped worldwide .
Ready to buy a card? Send a card to someone you know, someone you don't, or to our Spotlight Of The Month! All proceeds will be donated to charity!


text:
Arrest Logs
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Bruce Porter: Santa Barbara County needs new leadership to change energy direction
"In the same way I served in the Army and as a member of the local school board, I will serve as county Supervisor as a solemn duty to all our residents to make our county a better place. I will work hard to find equitable solutions on the tough issues we face, such as fee-to-trust, pressures on agriculture and ranching, maintaining our rural character and quality of life, re-prioritizing government spending, shortfalls in water and other infrastructure, protection of habitat and environment, and regulatory burdens that challenge all of us. I'll use my engineering and financial backgrounds to work with all sectors of the community to ensure decisions are based on sound economics, common sense and practicality; not ideology or extremist politics."
Recent developments in the Middle East remind us that California is the only state that still relies on foreign energy sources. While the rest of America is self-sufficient, we still import the majority of our energy — that is, oil — from mostly dictatorships in the Middle East and South America.
We in Santa Barbara County are famously proud of kickstarting America's environmental movement ... but we are in reality guilty of being among the ugliest of America's carbon polluters as we import and consume foreign oil.
I want to make Santa Barbara County the world's leader in the transition to renewable energy. But it will take a change of leadership to make that happen.
Self-described environmentalists on the county Board of Supervisors have focused on flowery resolutions, proclamations, and edicts. But they have not walked the talk: emissions of greenhouse gases in Santa Barbara County have actually increased over the last several years, more foreign oil tankers than ever are traversing the Santa Barbara Channel, and there has been only a single utility-scale renewable energy project built in our county, ever.
Please call 877.286.1686 to upgrade your subscription.
Our county has vast potential to harness solar, wind, and ocean wave resources to provide almost unlimited energy for residents and industry. But county rules and regulations make it almost impossible to implement alternative energy solutions. Utility-scale alternative energy projects are currently allowed only in the Cuyama Valley and the county is only now taking baby steps to address self-imposed and self-defeating regulatory impediments.
We must effectively manage the transition from legacy energy to renewable energy.
We will have some need for fossil fuels for several decades to come, and even longer for uses such as pharmaceuticals and paving. We need to shape fossil fuel sources, refining, and usage to make them as safe and clean as possible.
Currently we mostly rely on the most dangerous and destructive oil: that which is produced in a foreign dictatorship; shipped across thousands of miles of ocean through the Santa Barbara Channel on its way to Long Beach, spewing noxious nitrous oxides into our air (the largest source of air pollution in the county), killing and disrupting whales in their migratory paths; and finally loaded onto trucks in Long Beach and trucked across the length of Santa Barbara County to a refinery to the north. We can cut the greenhouse gas footprint of that process in half, and ensure a cleaner environment, by using locally sourced, locally regulated, "farm-to-table" petroleum.
We should immediately begin to "pre-zone" every existing energy facility to facilitate the transition from legacy to renewable energy. Our county's famously bureaucratic and expensive permitting process cannot be allowed to needlessly hinder and stunt the transition. For example, eventually the owners of an existing oil field will want to transition to solar arrays; a gas station operator will want to transition to electric charging stations. We need to implement county processes that responsibly encourage the transitions, not punish the transitions through a county permitting process that takes years and costs a prohibitively large amount of money.
A portfolio of locally sourced renewable energy and locally sourced petroleum — combined with a thoughtful, reasonable set of regulations and programs — will allow us, as a county, to manage our own transition efficiently and in the best interests of the health and safety of our residents and environment.
Bruce Porter is a Santa Ynez Valley resident and a candidate for Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor.
Brendan Rawson: New gig worker law is disrupting music industry, threatening all performing arts
California has overreached in its effort to address the challenges in today's tech platform gig-work economy.
Mark James Miller: San Simeon's elephant seals find a way
"If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained … Life will find a way."
Victoria Juarez: Santa Barbara County students continue to impress
Recent headlines regarding academic achievement among U.S. adolescents have been indisputably grim, but don't let that color your impression of Santa Barbara County students.
John R. Lausch Jr.: Congress, don't allow the ban on fentanyl-like drugs to expire
In 2018 alone, nearly 32,000 American men, women and children fatally overdosed on a synthetic opioid. One of the deadliest synthetic opioids …
RONA BARRETT'S GRAY MATTERS: When a joke is funny ... until it's not
There are a lot of "you know you're old when ..." jokes out there. Here's some you might chuckle at.
Dan Walters: The politics of slow population growth
COMMENTARY During the first decade of the 21st century, demographers in California's Department of Finance and those in the U.S. Census Bureau found themselves in a genteel conflict.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Donald J. Boudreaux, Adam C. Pritchard: On Prohibition's 100th anniversary, should we expect the same fate for marijuana?
COMMENTARY What lessons do the demise of alcohol prohibition provide for modern-day marijuana advocates? The circumstances are not as similar as you might think, and we should not expect a federal marijuana policy reversal in the near future.
What Iranians think of the US and their own government
Santa Maria Times
Santa Ynez Valley News
© Copyright 2020 Lompoc Record, 3200 Skyway Drive Santa Maria, CA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


text:
15 June 2011 3080 Views
Super 8 Viral Wraps Up
Tomorrow we'll have our extensive recap and review of the Super 8 viral campaign, but before we can do that, there's one more update to give. When we last left Josh Minker, son of alien liberator Dr. Woodward, he had possession of a testing device seen in the S8 Editing Room video. Sarah was helping him find his dad, but she was kidnapped and held for ransom by the unknown group (probably a secret division of the government) in exchange for the device. Now we know her fate and what Josh's dad was really hiding.
A new entry on the print out on the Scariest Thing I Ever Saw website shows a bag with needles, syringes, and some chemical, along with a statement from Josh. He says that Sarah is fine. He went to her and the people after them were killed instantly by an energy. The item Dr. Woodward was hiding for Josh to find was one of the alien's cubes. The top of the text shows "D: 1912", which implies that the device number is 1912. When you enter "1912" into the command window on STIES, you get the last message from Mysterio, which explains that Josh's dad is buried in Lillian, Ohio behind the toolshed [of the cemetery], a location that plays a major part in the film's story.
Super 8 is in theaters now. Check out our Super 8 Hub for our coverage of the film.
Josh MinkerSuper 8
2011 MovieViral Awards Winners!
2011 MovieViral Awards: Vote For Your Favorites!
Trailers Weekly: Michael's Top 10 Trailers of 2011


text:
Characterizing Patterns of Methylphenidate Abuse in Pediatric and Adult Populations
Gary Rothbard
Skyrocketing use of methylphenidate has raised concerns about it's long-term safety and efficacy.
A French pharmacoepidemiological study characterized different patterns of incident use of methylphenidate in children and adults, finding long-term use with few co-medications in the former group, and higher frequency of use for a variety of indications, including possible misuse/abuse in the 25- to 49-year-old age group, as well as more co-prescriptions in the latter. The report was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Methylphenidate is often prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but skyrocketing use globally has raised concerns about its long-term safety and efficacy, as well as questions about how different age groups are using the medication. The researchers sought to analyze and describe variations in age-related usage patterns in southern France.
A retrospective observational cohort study examined methylphenidate prescriptions and use between 2010 and 2013 in more than 4 million French residents using data from a national drug database. Patients were divided into 6 age groups (children age 1-5, 6-11, and 12-17; adults age 18-24, 25-49, >50) and assessed for total quantities dispensed, doses prescribed, median treatment duration, methylphenidate retention rates, and concomitant medication use.
Initially, there were 3534 individuals (66% children) identified as incident users, which resulted in a 7% increase in the annual incidence rate between 2011 (27 per 100,000) and 2013 (29 per 100,000). More boys used methylphenidate (2:1 ratio), but usage was evenly distributed among adults.
There were 2621 (75%) participants who filled at least 2 methylphenidate prescriptions and were included in the remaining analysis. Median treatment duration and methylphenidate retention rates both decreased with age, while average daily dosages increased with age, peaking in the 25- to 49-year-old group, which averaged 89.6 mg/d. In terms of concomitant medication use, individuals in the 25- to 49-year-old group also took more benzodiazepines (67%) and antidepressants (40%) than others, and individuals ≥50 took more antidepressants (58%) and antiparkinsonian medications (26%) than other individuals.
The elevated dosages and frequency in 25- to 49-year-olds, along with increased use of additional medications, raises concerns that methylphenidate was being used off-label and/or potentially abused by this group. The fact that 34% of new users were adults despite methylphenidate not generally being indicated in this age group supported such concerns.
Study Results Challenge Concerns About ADHD Medication and Seizure Risk
Behavior Therapy Reduces Tic Severity, But Less for Youth with ADHD
Increased Risk for ADHD in Offspring of Parents With Type 1 Diabetes
Study limitations included unavailability of methylphenidate indication, illness severity, or socioeconomic patient information; not considering refills after 90 days for the treatment retention analysis; inability to determine reasons for treatment interruptions; non-inclusion of self-employed people; and uncertainty regarding the generalizability of results to the whole of France and beyond.
Future investigations should attempt to carefully explore these apparent patterns of use (and possible misuse), with an effort to determine the causes of such massive increases in methylphenidate prescriptions, particularly in the 25- to 49-year-old population. Clinician awareness of this issue is essential in order to continue providing effective treatment while attempting to reduce abuse of these prescription drugs.
Pauly V, Frauger E, Lepelley M, Mallaret M, Boucherie Q, Micallef J. Patterns and profiles of methylphenidate use in both children and adults [published online March 7, 2018]. Br J Clin Pharmacol. doi:10.1111/bcp.13544
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Next post in ADHD
Prevalence of ADHD Relatively Stable Over Time Despite Increase in Diagnoses
Close more info about Characterizing Patterns of Methylphenidate Abuse in Pediatric and Adult Populations


text:
01. So Sure
02. Ritual
03. Burning Oil
04. The Wind Blows
05. And I
06. 11:15
07. Waiting Here
09. Black Ju Ju
10. Woman And Child
11. Lies (original demo)
SKELETAL FAMILY
[engl] This record is a pure death-rock gem ! It was originally released in 1984 on Red Rhino Records, and is now available again on vinyl, with the original demo song « Lies » as bonus track ! SKELETAL FAMILY formed in 1982 in keighley, UK. After a debut 7'', the band signed a record deal and entered studio to record 10 tracks for a debut album called «Burning Oil» which remained in the top 10 of the UK charts for several months. Stan Greenwood superb melancholic guitar leads and Anne-Marie Hurst haunted voice made the band become a major Death-Rock / Gothic Rock act. They are very often listed as a big infuence by the new generation of post punk bands. High quality vinyl repress housed in black inner sleeve, thick outer sleeve and including insert sheet with band pictures. First orders get limited smokey orange color vinyl !!
ArtistsSSKELETAL FAMILY
LabelsRRestless Empire
Katalog Wave - Postpunk
Mehr von »SKELETAL FAMILY«
Futile Combat
[engl] Skeletal Family remain one of the most adventurous & best-loved of all the bands associated with the 80s Goth scene; originally released in 1985, the 'Futile Combat' sessions featured Anthony
Mehr vom Label »Restless Empire«
PUNK AND DISORDERLY - Chaos in the Streets
CHRON GEN
Chronic Generation
[engl] Limited reissue of the well respected second wave UK PUNK band, this debut album was originally released in 1982. Clever lyrics, sophisticated melodies, catchy and powerful songs. The reissue features
[engl] this hardcore punk classic is 40 years old ! in 1981, vancouver based d.o.a. released a monumental album who would change the punk rock scene for ever. hardcore 81 is a key stone, considered to be
[engl] First time reissue of this classic mini album since its original release in 1983. This version features 4 bonus tracks, songs from both early single 7" "Repulsion" & "Caged". 1919 is a post-punk band
Only Theater
Zeige alles vom Label »Restless Empire«


text:
Sonic Breakdown: The Hell You Say — 'Einhorn'
The Look Back: Revisiting Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle
A conversation with Jeff Mueller of June of 44
Trumped! When is it time to leave your country?
Noche, The Church Of Mexican BBQ
No egg for foam? No problem
Spreading Roots
The community-driven nonprofit that brings fresh produce into the city's food deserts is expanding
By April Corbin
In the past, when Shawnee resident Mary Montgomery wanted fresh cucumbers, lettuce or onions, she crossed the bridge into New Albany or drove to the East End to buy it. She had mostly given up on the grocers nearest her, frustrated by produce she describes as rotten or close to it.
"I don't think that's right," she says. "I shouldn't have to leave my neighborhood."
Her complaints echo the sentiments of other west Louisville residents, who have long voiced concerns over food access and food quality disparities between largely low-income, African-American neighborhoods and more affluent, predominately white parts of the city.
Two years ago, the nonprofit New Roots began to address this so-called "food desert" by connecting local farmers to underserved residents in Shawnee, Old Louisville, and Newburg. Their model allows individuals to pool their money in order to buy wholesale from area farmers during growing season, which usually runs from June through September. The shares of produce are delivered at weekly, biweekly or monthly "Fresh Stops," where local chefs volunteer their time to demonstrate how to prepare or cook any unfamiliar vegetables.
A week's share might include collard greens, kale, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, lettuce greens, and more. The shares are designed to feed two to four people, and many stretch the food as far as they can.
"I stockpile like a squirrel so I can make it last through the winter," says Montgomery, a participant and volunteer at the Shawnee stop from its inception.
The Fresh Stop program has largely been successful, and this summer it is expanding to include a fourth Fresh Stop, at Wellington Elementary School on Kaufman Lane in southwest Louisville.
Unlike the first three branches, which grew their program by taking advantage of the built-in network of people found at the local churches and community centers that host the Fresh Stops, the new Wellington Elementary School stop was chosen to complement the work of another nonprofit, the Food Literacy Project. (The school also boasts one of Jefferson County Public Schools' health and fitness magnet programs.)
The Food Literacy Project brings children and families, many from low-income neighborhoods, to Oxmoor Farm to teach them about natural food. While some groups visit just once, many, including students from Wellington, visit several times throughout the year to create a continual experiential learning experience.
"Many have never interacted with food in its natural state," explains Angelique Perez, the program director at Food Literacy Project. "Some come thinking, 'Yuck. I don't like vegetables.' Ninety-nine percent of the time they find something they like."
But roadblocks often arise once those excited children return home to neighborhoods where a large percentage of households don't have a full-service grocer within reasonable walking distance. For anyone without access to a car, that dramatically limits access to healthy food, increasing the reliance on nearby fast-food chains.
"The effort has been to build demand, and we've done that in these youth. We've instilled passion," Perez says, "but they have nowhere to go after that."
Food Literacy Project and New Roots organizers believe the Fresh Stop at Wellington will give these children's families a chance to incorporate fresh foods into their everyday lives and continue the conversation that began in the classroom and at farm field-trips.
"We also wanted to reach younger families," explains New Roots founder Karyn Moskowitz. "People say young families don't know how to cook, but I don't think that's true."
It isn't true for Patrice Harris. The west Louisville resident says she got serious about cooking with fresh food after she had her first child five years ago. During the summer, she participates in the Shawnee Fresh Stop. During other seasons, or when she needs something not provided in her share, she makes the trek to Whole Foods. She says her young son loves veggies, and she can already see him forming healthy food habits.
"He will still choose to eat cookies, but he recognizes that it's unhealthy," White says. "He even came home the other day and told me there was no protein in his juice. He had read the label. I read labels; now he is grasping the concept."
The immediate impact of this undertaking is obvious — putting fresher, healthier food onto the plates of residents who want it. New Roots' larger, loftier goal is to show farmers, developers and others that fresh produce is important to all Louisville neighborhoods — not just the most affluent areas.
"The food system here was created and maintained by outsiders," Moskowitz says. "They've made choices." Those choices led to an imbalance where, as one prominent 2006 research study found, there was one full-service grocery store for every 25,000 residents in west Louisville, as opposed to one per 12,500 residents in Jefferson County as a whole.
Since that study, attempts to address food access issues have produced mixed results. For example, several farmers markets were established but ultimately disbanded because they lacked a customer base able to pay retail prices, or because some farmers were reluctant to do business in certain neighborhoods.
More successful was a partnership between the YMCA, Department of Public Health and Wellness, and Center for Health Equity to create "Healthy in a Hurry," a program to assist small corner stores in low-income neighborhoods in building the infrastructure needed to sell produce and accept payment from food-assistance programs. However, inflated prices and the sale of non-organic or non-local products have presented problems at some of the participating stores.
The advocacy group Louisville Grows is overseeing another attempt to improve food access through the creation of a community garden in Shawnee and one in Portland.
Cassia Herron, board chairwoman for the Community Farm Alliance, believes the answer is tied to economic development and growth. "Customers are becoming more vocal. They're saying people of color do eat healthy and locals want to be connected to that," Herron says. "Now how do we empower them with capital? How do we move from a service-based solution to a market-based solution? How do we get small businesses resources?"
Showing that grassroots efforts are worthwhile investments requires better measuring tools for predicting their potential long-term impacts. That can be difficult to do, which makes expressing concerns over food injustice and proving there is a demand for better produce even more important.
Late last month, New Roots held its second annual Strawberry Jamm Festival to kick off the local growing season and celebrate the start of their Fresh Stop drops, which run 11 weeks. Within 40 minutes of the listed start time, organizers had run out of strawberries for selling and could only hand them out to people who'd pre-ordered.
It was an ironic moment not lost on New Roots volunteer and board member Myrna Marshall Brame: "I guess even we didn't realize people loved strawberries so much."
In other fresh food news …
Ron Smith, owner of The Root Cellar in Old Louisville and Germantown, last month raised more than $11,000 through Kickstarter to open a "mobile market" — essentially a food truck from which he plans to sell locally sourced produce, meats and cheeses in west Louisville. The goal, he says, is to do real-time market research and identify a block or area that could sustain a brick-and-mortar location.
Response has been mostly positive, says Smith, who also hopes the truck will raise awareness of Louisville's food access issues.
"People who come into my store already from west Louisville have suggested places I should go. They are excited," he says. "Of course, there are some people who see it as a bad thing and think I am just another well-meaning white guy. I see where they are coming from, but the bottom line is: I own a food store, I have a very specific product, and I want to offer it wherever I can. If it works? Great. If it doesn't? Well, it won't be the first bad idea."


Join us in Brussels on 29-31 January to learn about the foundations of project financing and market facilitation.
If are working for an energy agency and you haven't attended or applied to the ManagEnergy Master Classes, now is the time to do so. Indeed, the last Master Class on Module 1 will take place on 29-31 January 2019 in Brussels.
Module 1 sets the foundations of project financing by focusing on Market Facilitation and Project Aggregation. Among others, participants will learn how to define the main concepts related to project finance; what is the role of banks and their criteria for lending to sustainable energy projects; and how to services to support sustainable energy project investment in their regions and cities.
Module 2 and 3 go further in private financing and financial instruments. Skills acquired from Module 1 are needed to attend Module 2 and 3. Consequently, you are encouraged to apply now for this Master Class in order to be selected for the next ones.
All modules entail lots of group work, engagement activities and guest speakers, including EU representatives and people from the banking sector. As there are only 25 places available, you are encouraged to apply early. Financial support for attending is available.
The ManagEnergy team looks forward to receiving your applications. If you have any questions, feel free to contact them at info@managenergy.eu.
For more information, visit the ManagEnergy website.


Description: Candidate will participate in the Systems Engineering "Early Career" program which is focused on development of key Systems Engineering skills applicable to the company's product portfolio. Candidate will perform a variety of Systems Engineering tasks and assignments that will promote the development of their technical and strategic engineering, leadership and interpersonal skills in a structured framework within the engineering disciplines, such as Mechanical, Electrical, and Systems.
● Must have good communication skills, be able to effectively work in a team environment, capable of solving complex problems, and be able to focus on the complete product and the full life cycle of the product. Interest in weapon system development or fire control development and a proven track record of leadership.
● Proficiency in programming languages such as C and C++ is desired. Strong background in mathematics and proficiency in MATLAB or a related simulation tool is preferred. Course work or related experience in control theory and/or electro-optics, requirements development, system architecture and design, system analysis, radar pattern recognition, image processing, aerodynamics, guidance and navigation, modeling and simulation, integration and testing of hardware and/or software components is highly beneficial.


Gordon & MacPhail's "Connoisseurs Choice" range is surely one of the most enduring and well-recognised series of IBs out there, with some amazing bottles going back over the past 50 or so years. The range underwent a facelift recently, and has since seen a number of impressive (and impressively-aged) bottles released.
When G&M sent me a sample of their 70yo 1948 Glen Grant "Private Collection", the package contained a sample of these two as well - a 30yo malt from the "Beast of Dufftown" (Mortlach) and a 28yo Grain from North British.
I always love trying an IB take on Mortlach, not to mention well-aged Grain, so these two were right up my alley.
Nose: Stone fruits and spice. Stewed peaches and toffee at first, then some honeycomb.
Palate: Stewed apples, pears, candied ginger and cardamom. Robust and full-bodied, with spicy and sweet fruity notes working together nicely.
Finish: On the shorter side, with a slightly herbal bitterness and some ginger notes.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100.
Nose: An initial matchhead flintiness gives way to sweet, BBQ meaty notes with a touch of pepper.
Palate: Sweet red berries at first, then grapes. It's intense, rich, oily and mouth filling, with lots of the sherry notes we've all come to know and love (dried fruits, pot pourri, leather). Then it gets sweeter, turning to Crème Brûlée and milky sweet Vietnamese coffee. Water turns up the sweetness again.
Finish: Long, sweet roasted coffee beans.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Intensely sherried, but if you like that sort of thing (I do) you'll probably like this dram, especially if you like a little sweetness too.