text:
"Unleashing the Power of Your Voice: A Guide to Breaking into the World of Voice Acting."
byCreatiVoices - January 18, 2023
Have you ever been mesmerized by a virtual assistant's voice or lost track of time in a game because of the excellent voice acting? Opportunities for voice performers to showcase their talents are expanding as the field of voiceover expands into new mediums. The question is how to enter such a competitive and fast-paced industry. From locating voice acting jobs and casting calls to developing your first demo reel, we cover all you need to know to launch your career in voice acting.
Let's start out by discussing the meaning of the term "voiceover." Voiceover, often known as voice acting, is a style of performance in which just the voice is used to depict characters or to offer a narrative. Voice actors can be heard in a broad variety of media, including advertising, video games, animated TV shows, audiobooks, films, documentaries, and more. Though the terms are commonly used interchangeably, voiceover refers explicitly to the practice of employing an unsighted speaker to provide narration or explanation.
We've established what voiceover is, so now we can talk about the various forms of voice acting. While the voice acting is most commonly associated with cartoons, it actually encompasses a wide range of media. Audiobooks, documentaries, advertising, video games, and even virtual reality all use voice acting in a variety of forms. One of the most prevalent types of voice acting is in animated television, which is widely consumed by both children and adults through shows like "BoJack Horseman" and "Bob's Burgers" on networks like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and PBS. Thanks to digital platforms like Audible, there has been a significant uptick in the popularity of audiobooks, with many productions using voice actors to portray different characters and bring the plot to life. Voice actors like Andy Serkis, who played Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," are increasingly being cast to provide the voices of CGI characters as CGI technology improves.
Expert voice actors add a measured cadence, precise pronunciation, and dramatic chops to documentaries on TV and film, which are highly reliant on voiceover talent. Don't forget about commercials, though; they frequently have narrated explanations of products. Finally, video games, which have risen in prominence and are as buzzy and anticipated as the year's biggest blockbusters, especially those that employ talented voice actors to bring the characters to life.
Do you have to go through voiceover training in order to work as a voice actor? If you want to work in voiceover, the quick answer is yes: you need training. Mic placement, timing, and inflection are all technical components of voice acting that need to be mastered. The Certified Voice Artist Program and VoiceWorx, Basic Voice Acting and Dubbing Workshop are just two examples of the various voiceover training programs available, many of which are taught by seasoned pros in the field.
You'll require some tools and training to get going. You'll need a high-quality microphone, a peaceful place to record, and some sort of computer or recording device to create a demo reel that sounds professional. When applying for voice acting gigs, it is essential to have a sample reel that showcases your greatest work.
Getting a job is obviously important, but how do you go about doing so? Attending industry events, becoming active in online voiceover forums, and keeping an eye out for casting calls and job advertisements are all great ways to expand your professional network and get voiceover employment. Auditioning for a voice acting role is quite similar to auditioning for any other role; the actor will read from a script and be judged on their performance.
Finding a voiceover agent is the next logical step after gaining some experience and creating a high-quality demo reel. An agent is a person who will help you get voice-acting jobs, negotiate contracts, and manage the business side of things so you can focus on being a great actor.
The voice should be warmed up before going into a recording session. Exercises like lip trilling, humming, and tongue twisters can help with this. The producer or director of the recording session will most likely coach you, providing clues on how they want the lines to be read.
So, how does one go about becoming a voiceover celebrity? First, get some formal education, then record a demo reel, then network to obtain work, then get an agency to represent you, then get yourself warmed up for recording sessions, and finally, always strive to get better at what you do.
An interesting and dynamic career as a voice actor is within reach of anyone willing to put in the time, effort, and study required to get into the industry. Everyone has a place in the world of media, whether they prefer animated television, audiobooks, movies, or video games.
JSON Variables


Join us in our mission to keep land for all to enjoy here in the beautiful Berkshires.
There are plenty of ways to help! Are you a trail-lover, a photography enthusiast, or are you really great at rallying a team and organizing others? We need you!
Listed below are ongoing volunteer opportunities.
Click here for upcoming volunteer workdays.
Click or tap to expand for details.
Do you want to help Berkshire Natural Resources Council but mud and bugs are not your strong suit? We need indoor Landkeepers too.
Come in and help us with mailings, organizing files, labeling pictures, etc. When there is a task, we'll let you know so you can come in and help!
Mailings and other office volunteer roles come up at various times throughout the year. We'll put out a call, and you can give us as much or as little time as you want until the job is done!
• The satisfaction of helping us keep the Berkshires for all!
Do you have a knack for photography or just like to take pictures? Join us on hikes and events and take pictures for us! Having quality pictures of what we do on a daily basis helps people understand and appreciate the hard work that we do as Landkeepers. It also helps our fundraising efforts and goes a long way to foster community support.
Attend our events or join us on the trail with your camera ready for action!
Join us when it fits your schedule. Come for either 15 minutes or the whole day, enjoy the event or just snap a few photos to share with Berkshire Natural Resources Council later.
• Enjoy the satisfaction of helping us keep the Berkshires for all!
We have close to 55 miles of trails and wood roads to maintain! Trail Stewards help us literally keep up with the land as our "eyes and ears" out on the trails.
Stewards walk a trail or trails that we choose together to suit your available time and location. The Stewards then report back on the trails as well as perform small maintenance tasks along the way.
We ask trail stewards to check on the trails once every six weeks. Depending on the trail and the conditions, this could take an hour or all day.
We also ask that Trail Stewards come along and help on hikes or work days Berkshire Natural Resources Council might hold on the trail you are steward of.
• The knowledge that you've provided a valuable service: Trail Stewards save us $350 for every mile of trail that you help steward!
We actively keep and preserve over 22,000 acres throughout Berkshire County. With only two staff members for all our Stewardship work, we need your help to properly care for these properties.
The Volunteer Stewardship Team helps with various projects: building trails, installing signage, marking boundaries, and others. Several times a year, we will contact one or all members of our Stewardship Team to help with these projects.
Being part of the Stewardship Team offers you a wide range of options. You can come out once a month or once a year, whatever your interest level and schedule allow. You choose the project you want to help out on!
• Your work allows us to keep more land. Plain and simple!
• You get to have a great hike!
We will provide supervision of projects and all tools and safety equipment. All you need to do is show up with water and lunch! Boots and pants are required for the majority of these projects.
Don't see something that fits or do you have more questions? Email Mariah at mauman@bnrc.org or call the BNRC office at 413-499-0596.
Click on the workday title for more information.
Volunteer Sign Up - Be A Landkeeper!
See descriptions at left (scroll up on mobile). Choose as many as you like!
May we send you monthly emails of upcoming events?


This past Thursday I returned from my first and one of the biggest trade shows: SEMA. SEMA, otherwise known as the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association, is held each year in Las Vegas. As the biggest show for the auto aftermarket industry, I have helped clients prepare but have never been able to attend.
Getting ready for the show was a bit stressful as I wasn't sure how to pack or what to expect. I'm here to pass on my wisdom (little as it may be), so you can be a bit more prepared for your first trade show.
I thought I was covered by bringing a large purse that could hold my laptop. I was wrong. When you're at a trade show you'll likely need to carry your laptop, laptop charger, cell and cell charger, briefing binder, print outs, etc. No matter how big the purse, you'll want to have something else with you, if for no other reason than to save your shoulders.
We were told to wear black shoes in our booth. I brought a pair of black flats that I survived in, but when you're standing for eight or more hours a day tennis shoes are your safest bet. Don't worry if they don't go the best with your outfit. Everyone who's been to a trade show knows the drill, and they won't think you're underdressed.
Perhaps part of it was Vegas, but those huge convention halls are really dry. Add that to the fact that you'll be doing a lot more talking than you're used to, and you're bound to get a bit horse. You probably won't be allowed to eat and drink in the booth, but having a bottle of water stashed in your backpack will allow you to sneak a drink every so often. Trust me, it helps.
There are a lot of logistics to keep track of while you're on the floor. Chances are you'll be using your phone. A lot. If you have an iPhone like me, you know how fast the battery drains. Always bring your charger. There will most likely be somewhere in the booth where you can plug-in for a couple minutes. If you can't find an outlet, you can always use your laptop.
Originally I was going to fly in the afternoon before the show started. I'm really glad we decided to fly in a night earlier. There are always last minute adjustments and fires to put out, and it's better to have extra time as opposed to running around like crazy the first day of the show.
Ship everything to the business center and keep your tracking numbers!
Not only will this save you tons of money in bag fees at the airport, but it makes things so much easier! If you're staying at a hotel that deals with conventions they will be well equipped to handle last minute requests and packages. Just remember to keep your tracking numbers in case something goes wrong. It will also help you check off your list, to make sure you've received everything.
This is something I could have done a better job of. There's nothing worse than running to the business center at 8 a.m. to e-mail and print off 50 copies of your news release 30 minutes before your press conference. Save yourself the headache, and try to do as much of that as possible at the office. Remember, you can always ship it to the hotel.
One of the hardest parts was figuring out what to pack. My advice: pack clothing that you can mix and match. You need to be able to go from work to client dinner to drinks pretty seamlessly. When in doubt, a lot of black pieces are always a safe bet. And, of course, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed.
You're in Vegas, baby, or some other fun city. You should try to go out and enjoy it. Chances are you'll probably be taking clients out at least one night. Have fun, but keep it professional and don't overdo it with drinks. Some people will tell you not to drink at all. I think that's silly. By now you're a grown up. You know your limits and when you're feeling tipsy. Pace yourself and stop drinking if you think you're getting to the breaking point. There's no shame in ordering a diet Coke. It's OK for a client to show up hung over the next day. It's not OK for you.
From my experience, there's one thing missing from trade shows. Sleep. You have to wake up early in the morning, stay on your feet all day and often don't get to bed until late. So, if you have an opportunity to go to bed at a reasonable hour, take it. You'll thank yourself as the week wears on.
That's it. Good luck! And happy trade show going.


We are a growth-oriented Delaware limited partnership formed by Diamondback in July 2018 to own, operate, develop and acquire midstream infrastructure assets in the Midland and Delaware Basins of the Permian, one of the most prolific oil producing areas in the world. Immediately following this offering, we expect to be the only publicly-traded, pure-play Permian midstream operator. We provide crude oil, natural gas and water-related midstream services (including fresh water sourcing and transportation and saltwater gathering and disposal) to Diamondback under long-term, fixed-fee contracts. The assets Diamondback has contributed to us include 528 miles of pipeline across the Midland and Delaware Basins with approximately 216,000 Bbl/d of crude oil gathering capacity, 589,000 Bbl/d of SWD capacity, 740,700 Bbl/d of fresh water gathering capacity, 36,000 Mcf/d of natural gas compression capability and 150,000 Mcf/d of natural gas gathering capacity. In addition to the midstream infrastructure assets that Diamondback contributed to us, we also have an option, subject to certain conditions, to acquire equity in a long-haul crude oil pipeline, which will run from the Permian to the Texas Gulf Coast.


text:
Gouji Toyokawa
OA 13 - Immuno-Biology (ID 677)
Type: Oral
Track: Immunology and Immunotherapy
Moderators:Hiroyuki Suzuki, Scott N. Gettinger
Coordinates: 10/18/2017, 11:00 - 12:30, Room 301 + 302
OA 13.06 - Co-Expression of IDO1 and PD-L1 Indicates More Aggressive Features of Lung Adenocarcinoma (ID 9672)
11:00 - 12:30 | Author(s): Gouji Toyokawa
Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) serves as an immunosuppressive effector and it is closely related to the prognosis in several types of cancer. We herein aim to elucidate the clinicopathological features and prognoses in patients with IDO1-expressing lung adenocarcinoma, and especially, show its correlation with the expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).
The expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1 proteins in 427 patients with surgically resected primary lung adenocarcinoma were evaluated by immunohistochemical analyses and any associations identified between IDO1 and the clinicopathological features, the prognosis and co-expression of IDO1 with PD-L1 were investigated. The expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1 at the protein and mRNA levels in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were examined by an Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay, flow cytometry, and reverse transcription and real-time PCR analysis, respectively.
IDO1 was expressed in 260 patients (60.9%) at a 1% cut-off and in 63 patients (14.8%) at a 50% cut-off, respectively. PD-L1 was positive for 145 patients (34.0%). A ultivariate analysis showed IDO1 positivity (1% cut-off) to be significantly associated with a higher tumor grade, the presence of vascular invasion, and the expression of PD-L1. IDO1 and PD-L1 proteins were co-expressed in 123 patients (28.8%), and the patients whose tumor expressed both proteins exhibited significantly higher malignant traits than those whose tumor expressed only one protein or none. According to a multivariate analysis, the co-expression of both proteins was significantly associated with a shorter disease-free survival and overall survival. The expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1 in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were elevated by treating them with interferon-γ and transforming growth factor-β.Figure 1
The findings of this study suggest that the co-expression of IDO1 and PD-L1 may indicate more aggressive features of lung adenocarcinoma. Combination therapy targeting both of these proteins may therefore improve the clinical outcomes in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.
Only Members that have purchased this event or have registered via an access code will be able to view this content. To view this presentation, please login, select "Add to Cart" and proceed to checkout. If you would like to become a member of IASLC, please click here.
P1.07 - Immunology and Immunotherapy (ID 693)
P1.07-002 - The Expression of PD-L1 Protein as a Prognostic Factor in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ID 7345)
Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway-targeted immunotherapy has become the standard option of care in the management of lung cancer. The expression of the PD-L1 protein in lung cancer is expected to be a prognostic factor or to predict the response to PD-1-blocking antibodies. However, the association between PD-L1 positivity and the clinicopathological features and patient outcomes in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) remains unclear because the definitive cut-off value for the expression of PD-L1 protein remains to be established.
The expression of PD-L1 protein in 205 surgically resected primary lung SCC patients was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with the antibody clone SP142. We generated a histogram to show the proportion of PD-L1-positive carcinoma cells as described in the figure below, and set the cut-off values as 1%, 5%, 10% and 50%. Moreover, we examined the proliferative capacity of these tumors using Ki-67 immunohistochemistry.Figure 1
The samples from 106 (51.7%), 72 (35.1%), 61 (29.7%) and 37 (18.0%) patients were positive for the expression of PD-L1 protein at cut-off values of 1%, 5%, 10% and 50%, respectively. Fisher's exact test showed that, for almost all of the factors, PD-L1 positivity was not associated with the clinicopathological features with any of the four cut-off values. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses revealed that the PD-L1-positive patients only had a poorer prognosis than the PD-L1-negative patients at the 1% cut-off value. The Ki-67 labeling index in the PD-L1-positive patients was higher than that in the PD-L1-negative patients.
The expression of PD-L1 protein was associated with a poor prognosis in lung SCC patients. The 1% cut-off value for PD-L1 might become a better predictive marker than the other cut-off values, and notably, even minimal expression of PD-L1 protein may have a negative prognostic significance.
P1.07-014 - Association of Preoperative Serum CRP with PD-L1 Expression in NSCLC: A Comprehensive Analysis of Systemic Inflammatory Markers (ID 8909)
Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have been approved as a standard therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although PD-L1 expression serves as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of immunotherapy, there are no established biomarkers to predict the expression of PD-L1. The inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were recently shown to predict the efficacy of nivolumab for NSCLC patients. Therefore, here we investigated the potential association of PD-L1 expression with systemic inflammatory markers, including CRP, NLR, lymphocyte-monocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio.
We retrospectively examined tumor PD-L1 expression in 508 surgically resected primary NSCLC cases by immunohistochemical analysis (cut-off value: 1%). The association of PD-L1 expression with preoperative systemic inflammatory markers was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. We generated a PD-L1 association score (A-score) from serum CRP level (cut-off value: 0.3 mg/dl) and smoking status to predict PD-L1 expression.
Among the total 508 patients, 188 (37.0%) patients were positive for PD-L1 expression at the 1% cut-off value and 90 (17.5%) had elevated serum CRP level. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that that PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with advanced stage, the presence of vascular invasion and high serum CRP level (P=0.0336, 0.0106 and 0.0018, respectively). Though not significant, smoking history tended to be associated with PD-L1 protein expression (P=0.0717). There was no correlation with other inflammatory markers. Smoking history with elevated CRP level (A-score: 2) was strongly associated with PD-L1 protein expression (odds ratio: 5.18, P<0.0001), while it was inversely associated with EGFR mutation (odds ratio: 0.11, P<0.0001).
Our results indicate that among all systemic inflammatory markers examined, serum CRP level could be a helpful biomarker for PD-L1 expression that is easily determined and available worldwide.
P1.07-044d - Positive Conversion of the PD-L1 Expression after Treatments with Chemotherapy and Nivolumab (ID 8693)
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression serves as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Some concern exists regarding the analysis of the PD-L1 expression, specifically with respect to the type of samples, i.e. archival or fresh tumor samples. Some studies reported about the conversion of PD-L1 with treatment; however, there were few reports about detailed clinical course of that. In this translational study, we investigated alternation of the PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before and after chemotherapy and nivolumab.Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression serves as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Some concern exists regarding the analysis of the PD-L1 expression, specifically with respect to the type of samples, i.e. archival or fresh tumor samples. Some studies reported about the conversion of PD-L1 with treatment; however, there were few reports about detailed clinical course of that. In this translational study, we investigated alternation of the PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before and after chemotherapy and nivolumab.
We retrospectively examined the PD-L1 expression in the resected specimen and in the re-biopsy specimen patients with NSCLC by an immunohistochemical analysis. Re-biopsy was performed if disease progression was observed during the treatment.
Four patients were performed re-biopsy after the treatment. Of those, three patients showed positive conversion of the PD-L1 expression. The first case was a 76-year-old male smoker with postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. The PD-L1 expression was negative in the resected specimen; however, after the treatment (first-line: platinum-based pemetrexed; second-line: nivolumab; third-line treatment: docetaxel), a re-biopsy of the recurrence lesion (axillary lymph node) showed a positive PD-L1 expression (expression of the tumor-cell membrane [TCM]: 25%). The second case was a 60-year-old male smoker who was diagnosed with carcinosarcoma. Approximately 36.2 months after the first-line (carboplatin+paclitaxel+bevacizumab), second-line (cisplatin+S-1+RTx [60Gy/30Fr.]), third-line (docetaxel), and fourth-line treatments (nivolumab), a relapse of the pulmonary lesion was observed. The PD-L1 expression was negative in the resected archival specimen; however, a re-biopsy of the pulmonary lesion showed a high PD-L1 expression (expression of TCM: 60%). The third case was a 70-year-old male smoker with postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. Although the resected specimen showed weak positivity of the PD-L1 expression (expression of TCM: 5%), after the treatment (first-line: platinum-based pemetrexed; second-line: docetaxel; third-line: gemcitabine+navelbine; forth-line: nab-paclitaxel; fifth-line treatments: nivolumab) and palliative radiotherapy (30Gy) for rib metastasis, a re-biopsy of the rib metastasis showed a stronger positive PD-L1 expression (expression of TCM: 30%).
The current three cases are the suggestive cases of the positive conversion of PD-L1 expression after the treatment including nivolumab, suggesting that PD-L1 expression must be assessed in not only the resected specimen but also in the re-biopsied ones, even if PD-L1 protein is not observed in the archival sample. However, whether or not the treatment-induced PD-L1 expression reflects the efficacy of immunotherapy should be clarified.
P2.05 - Early Stage NSCLC (ID 706)
Track: Early Stage NSCLC
P2.05-017 - Prognostic Impact of the Clinical T Descriptor in the Eighth Edition of the TNM Staging System of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ID 9494)
The diameter of the solid part of the tumor in a computed tomography (CT) image determines the clinical T descriptor of the new TNM staging system in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the appropriateness of the clinical T descriptor (cT) in respect to postoperative prognosis.
This retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent complete resection in Oita University Hospital between 2006 and 2014 and those who underwent complete resection in Kyushu University hospital between 2003 and 2012. The complete clinical data of 1061 NSCLC patients were available for prognostic analyses. The whole tumor size (TS) in diameter and solid-part size (SPS) in diameter were measured by the thin-section CT image before surgery. The tumors with SPS/TS ratio (STR) = 0, those with 0 < STR < 100, and those with STR = 100 were defined as pure ground glass tumors (GGT), part-solid tumors (PST), and solid tumors (ST), respectively. The survival curves were estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier method and were assessed by the log-rank test.
The tumors included 809 adenocarcinomas (Ad), 197 squamous cell carcinomas, 31 large cell carcinomas, 18 adeno-squamous cell carcinomas, and 6 other types of tumor. The 5-year survival rate of patients according to the new cT descriptor (version 8) were cTis, 97.6%; cT1mi, 90.7%; cT1a, 87.8%; cT1b, 81.5%; cT1c, 72.8%; cT2a, 69.6%; cT2b, 55.6%; cT3, 55.0%; and cT4, 23.4%. In analyses of Ad patients, the 5-year survival rate of patients according to the whole tumor size were >0 -10 mm, 89.9%; >10 -20 mm, 89.1%; and >20 -30 mm, 84.1%, and that according to the solid part size were 0mm, 97.6%; >0 -10 mm, 91.9%; >10 -20 mm, 84.8%; and >20 -30 mm, 80.8%. The new cT descriptor predicted patient prognosis more effectively than the old cT descriptor of whole tumor size. Postoperative 5-year survivals of the GGT, PST and ST of Ad patients were 97.6%, 89.0%, and 76.3%, respectively (P<.0001). In analyses of the small-size PST (≤ 3 cm), the new cT descriptor did not adequately predict patient prognosis (P=.458).
The new cT descriptor is a better prognostic indicator than the old cT descriptor in NSCLC. However, patients with small-size PST had a significantly better prognosis than those with ST Ad. Additionally, the new cT descriptor failed to adequately predict the prognoses of the patients with small size PST adenocarcinoma.
P2.09 - Mesothelioma (ID 710)
Track: Mesothelioma
P2.09-005 - The C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio is a Novel Significant Prognostic Factor in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (ID 7375)
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a devastating neoplasm. However, some patients show a good response to chemotherapy or multidisciplinary therapy. It is therefore important to investigate the factors that can be used to select patients who will benefit from such treatment. The C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) has been used to predict the prognosis in other diseases. The aim of this study was to elucidate the prognostic utility of the CAR in MPM patients.
The data of 83 patients, who were treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or multidisciplinary therapy at National Kyushu Cancer Center between 1995 and 2015, were analyzed in the present study. The CAR was calculated as C-reactive protein value divided by albumin value using the results of blood examination just prior to starting the treatments. A cut-off value of CAR was set to 0.58 according to the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for 1-year-survival.
Thirty of the 83 (36.1%) patients were classified into the high CAR group. Twenty-seven (32.5%) and 56 (67.5%) patients underwent surgery and only chemotherapy, respectively. The ROC curve showed that the CAR had good diagnostic ability with 78.9% sensitivity and 68.0% specificity (AUC=0.761). A high CAR group was significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage (III/IV) (p=0.002) and chemotherapy alone (p=0.005). The high CAR group had significantly poorer overall survival (OS) (p<0.001) and disease or progression free survival (DFS/PFS) (p<0.001). The clinical stage and the CAR were independent predictive factors for the OS (I/II and III/IV, p=0.008; ≤0.58 and >0.58, p=0.034, respectively). The clinical stage and the CAR were also independent predictive factors for the DFS/PFS (I/II and III/IV, p=0.031; ≤0.58 and >0.58, p=0.019, respectively). In the subgroup analysis of the patients who underwent only chemotherapy, the high CAR group showed significantly poorer OS and DFS/PFS compared with the low CAR group (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). However, the difference in OS and DFS/PFS of the patients who underwent surgery was not apparent between the high and low CAR groups (p=0.061 and p=0.187, respectively).
The CAR was an independent predictor of a poor prognosis in the MPM patients. The high CAR group showed a significantly poorer prognosis in patients with MPM treated by only chemotherapy. This score provides useful information for selecting patients who will benefit from treatment, especially chemotherapy. These findings should be validated in further prospective studies.
P3.16 - Surgery (ID 732)
Track: Surgery
P3.16-003 - The Clinical Significance of Immune-Nutritional Parameters in Surgically Resected Elderly Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ID 7403)
The world's population is rapidly aging, and the age of patients with lung cancer will increase as well. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT), and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) are useful parameters for evaluating immune-nutritional status. We aimed to perform a multicenter retrospective study to investigate the correlations of these immune-nutritional parameters with postoperative comorbidities or surgical outcomes of elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
We selected 272 consecutive patients with NSCLC aged >75 years treated from January 2005 to December 2012 and evaluate three preoperative immune-nutritional parameters as potential predictive factors of postoperative comorbidities or as prognostic factors for surgically resected elderly patients with NSCLC.
Both PNI and GNRI as well as sex and preoperative respiratory comorbidities, were significantly associated with postoperative comorbidities (P =0.0287, 0.0443, 0.0191 and 0.0177, respectively). Multivariate analyses showed that preoperative GNRI (P = 0.0161) as well as sex (P < 0.0001), preoperative serum carcino embryonic antigen levels (P = 0.0128), preoperative serum cytokeratin 19 fragment levels (P = 0.0125), pleural invasion (P = 0.0214) and lymphatic vessel invasion (P = 0.0165) significantly affected overall survival (OS). Abnormal GNRI was significantly associated with histology (P = 0.0419) and outcome (P =0.0077). In Kaplan–Meier analysis of OS by preoperative GNRI, the abnormal GNRI group had significantly shorter OS than the normal GNRI group (5-year OS, 45.15% vs. 64.10%, P = 0.0007, log-rank test). CONUT score did not have any correlation with postoperative comorbidities or surgical outcome.
Preoperative GNRI is a novel preoperative predictor of postoperative comorbidities as well as a prognostic factor that may identify high-risk elderly patients with NSCLC.
P3.16-033 - Significance of Spread through Air Spaces in Resected Pathological Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma (ID 9182)
09:30 - 16:00 | Presenting Author(s): Gouji Toyokawa
Spread through air spaces (STAS) is a novel invasive pattern of lung cancer, which spreads within air spaces beyond the edge of the main tumor, but not necessarily accompanying stromal invasion. In the current study, we investigated the significance of STAS in patients with pathological stage I adenocarcinoma.
STAS was assessed in a total of 276 patients with resected pathological stage I adenocarcinoma. STAS was classified as either no STAS, low STAS (1-4 single cells or clusters of STAS), or high STAS (≥5 single cells or clusters of STAS) using a 20x objective and a 10x ocular lens. We evaluated the association between STAS and the clinicopathological characteristics and postoperative survivals.
Among 276 patients, 123 (44.6%), 48 (17.4%) and 105 (38.0%) were classified as having no, low and high STAS, respectively. Fisher's exact test demonstrated that positivity for STAS was significantly associated with a larger radiological tumor diameter (P=0.008), a higher consolidation/tumor ratio (P<0.001), a higher maximum standard uptake value (P<0.001), a pathologically larger tumor size (P=0.004), the presence of pleural invasion (P=0.027) and a histologically invasive type (P<0.001), while STAS was not significantly associated with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations or programmed death ligand-1 expression (P=0.129 and P=0.872, respectively). Patients with the STAS had significantly shorter recurrence-free and overall survivals than those without (P<0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). According to a multivariate analysis, positivity for STAS remained an independent prognostic parameter for both the recurrence-free and overall survivals.
STAS was associated with clincopathologically invasive features and was predictive of a worse survival. Figure 1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Active COVID-19 cases: 74,735 | Recovered: 601,401 | Deceased: 17,720 | Total: 695,197
Complete coverage at CTVNews.ca/Coronavirus
COVID-19 NEWSLETTER
Receive the most important updates in your inbox
Track the number of people in Canada who have received doses
'Don't forget about us': Ontario gastroenterologists who work outside hospitals frustrated by vaccine schedules
Christy Somos CTVNews.ca Writer
@C_Somos Contact
Published Wednesday, January 13, 2021 3:36PM EST Last Updated Wednesday, January 13, 2021 9:08PM EST
TORONTO -- Some of Ontario's gastroenterologists who do procedures outside of hospitals say they are frustrated after not receiving a straight answer from the province as to when they can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccines – as their backlog of high-risk procedures and patient appointments mounts due to the pandemic.
"My nurses and my anaesthetist and I are in the respirator masks and N95 the whole day, like eight hours a day with the hairnet, and double gowns," said Dr. Justina Sam, a gastroenterologist operating in Toronto, in a telephone interview with CTV News.ca Wednesday.
Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox
"We basically don't eat the whole day, but we're still not being prioritized. We're not even being invited by the hospitals to attend their vaccine clinics," she said.
Sam said she "completely" agrees with the priority to inoculate the most vulnerable -- the elderly in long-term care facilities and front-line workers -- in the very first phase of the vaccination rollout in the province. But her "main concern" is that there seems to be no way for hospitals to reach out to doctors working in the community, nor any invitations to get them in the queue for the inoculations.
"It's been frustrating because we hear about other people who are not patient-facing staff who are getting their vaccines earlier," Sam said, adding that the "need for speed" in getting the vaccine out is part of the issue.
"But those of us that don't have [hospital] courtesy privileges or who aren't associated with the hospitals have no way to even access to vaccines."
"I'm worried that the hospitals are forgetting about those of us who are doing procedures that are actually higher risk in the community," she said.
"Scoping," as it's colloquially referred to in procedures where tubes are inserted down the throat or up a rectum, is a big part of Ontarians' health care.
Gastroenterologists and medical professionals performing endoscopies are in close contact with patients and perform procedures known as aerosol generating medical procedures (AGMP).
As COVID-19 is known to spread in droplets through the air, this puts an added risk to what are normally routine procedures.
"A lot of the international guidelines have said quite clearly that that upper scopes [in the throat] are considered an aerosolized and aerosol generating procedure," said Dr. David Morgan, President of the Ontario Association of Gastroenterology, in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca Wednesday. "In Ontario, the infectious disease groups have recommended that they're not an aerosol generating procedure. But if…you've ever seen one, people are coughing and spluttering. There's also concerns that stool also contains coronavirus."
Out in the community
"Gastroenterology is done essentially in two places in Ontario," said Morgan. "There's gastroenterologists that work only in a hospital, and they may be associated with a university if it is a teaching hospital," he said. "But there are 67 out-of-hospital facilities in Ontario where they do procedures and clinics."
Morgan noted that for places like Barrie, Ont., out-of-hospital clinics were essential because hospitals cannot handle the volume of patients.
Morgan said the association has noticed a very high rate of appointment no-shows during the pandemic, as people feel "nervous" to go to a hospital while COVID-19 case counts are so high.
"We've had a delay of over 100,000 colonoscopies this year compared to previous years," he said.
Sam said the testing for colon cancer screening, which was on hold for many months earlier on during the pandemic, has started again. She has been working seven days a week, including five days of virtual care and scoping on the weekends.
"I diagnosed quite a few cancers in the last number of months…these are necessary procedures. If someone has lost 10 kilograms and has rectal bleeding, this is a necessary procedure, we can't shut down. You have to do these procedures," she said.
That fear of catching COVID-19 in hospital pushes patients towards the clinics where they may feel the risk is lower than in-hospital procedures.
But that means potentially more exposure for the doctors, nurses and assistants who work there.
Morgan recalled a gastroenterologist in Scarborough being told that he "was at the same level of the hospital administrator of procurement" when it came to vaccine prioritization.
"That doesn't make a lot of sense," he said.
"The worry is that if these guys get sick, then they're not going to be available to work in the clinics and there's not going to be that safety net to care for patients out of hospital," Morgan said.
"I hope the hospitals don't forget about those of us that are doing some high risk procedures," Sam said.
"I think there needs to be a more centralized system where we can perhaps log in and inform the ministry that we do this procedure so that we can be prioritized appropriately in the queue for the vaccine."
The Ontario Ministry of Health told CTVNews.ca in an emailed statement Wednesday that the framework for prioritization is based on guidelines from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
"Currently, we are prioritizing the vulnerable population and those who care for them in high-risk settings such as long-term care homes and hospitals," the statement said. "Other healthcare workers who don't fall into Phase 1 category will be able to be vaccinated in Phase 2."
They added that the ministry "cannot speak to individual situations," and that "local decisions are being made."
Ontario's vaccine rollout
The province previously said it would vaccinate all health-care workers and long-term care home residents in the four priority regions –Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex- by Jan. 21
Now Ontario has released new deadlines and criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, saying Wednesday it hopes to administer the first dose of the vaccine to residents, staff and essential workers at Ontario long-term care homes and "high risk retirement homes" no later than Feb. 15.
The province also released details on its expected move into phase two of the vaccination plan by mid-April.
The five groups listed as recipients for phase two are seniors over the age of 80, those living and working in high-risk congregate settings, essential workers (beginning with front-line essential workers) people with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers and other communities "facing barriers related to the determinants of health."
Phase three is expected to begin in August 2021, when "remaining eligible Ontarians" will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
With files from CTV News Toronto Natalie Johnson, Katherine Declerq, and Alexandra Mae Jones
File photo. (CTV)
Second year of pandemic 'could even be tougher': WHO
In 29 days, Canada has given enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover 1 per cent of population
Government won't forgive CERB repayments over net-gross problem despite messaging mix-up
Front-line health workers push for vaccine priority after some researchers, PR exec received shot
Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine on track for March rollout: exec
Surveys suggest half of cannabis users have increased habit amid COVID-19 pandemic
Canadians worried about the mental health of their co-workers, report finds
What you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Ontario reports increase in COVID-19-related deaths and fewer than 3,000 new cases
Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations surpass 1,500 with 2,071 new cases
Chinese COVID-19 vaccine far less effective than initially claimed in Brazil, sparking concerns
Why some hospital PR executives and staff on leave have received COVID-19 vaccines before front-line staff
More coronavirus coverage
How do Canada's provinces rank against American states?
COVID-19, flu, cold or seasonal allergies? How to tell the difference between symptoms
How do I know if I have COVID-19? A guide to symptoms
How long can the novel coronavirus live on different surfaces?
Cases in Canada
B.C. adds 509 new cases to surpass 60,000 total cases
382 new COVID-19 cases in Sask., 4 more deaths
Truth Tracker
Fact check: How accurate are PCR tests for the novel coronavirus?
Can brushing your teeth prevent the spread of COVID-19? Not exactly
Twitter flags Trump's false claim about his COVID-19 immunity
How does it affect me?
Canadians reporting more anxiety, depression than ever, poll finds
Experts say shot won't offer 'free pass' for socializing right away
WATCH:Doctor issues grim warning about state of hospital ICUs
Coronavirus Top Stories
VIDEO EXPLAINERS
WATCH:Dr. Marla answers questions about new COVID-19 variants
WATCH:Do you need to wear a mask outdoors during the winter?
WATCH:Enforcement of Ontario's new stay-at-home order limited
WATCH:Brain damage found in some who died from COVID-19: report
Finances during the crisis
Pattie Lovett-Reid: Pandemic aid will need to be included when you file your taxes
Vacationers will not be able to claim sickness benefit to quarantine: PM
CRA admits 'unclear' CERB communications led to mistaken applications
Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Editorial Standards and Policies


text:
"Give Me You" é uma canção da artista americana Mary J. Blige, lançada como o terceiro single do seu quarto álbum, Mary em ambos os Estados Unidos e a Europa.

A canção foi mais bem sucedida do que os outros dois singles anteriores, "All That I Can Say" nos Estados Unidos e "Deep Inside" no Reino Unido.

No Reino Unido, o remix de Niño serviu como a versão principal tocada no rádio. O álbum Mary foi então relançado lá com o remix de Niño na lista de faixas.

Eric Clapton toca a guitarra na canção.

A lenda da NBA, Michael Jordan, faz uma participação especial no videoclipe.

Lista de faixas
UK CD 1
"Give Me You" (Niño Radio Mix) - 3:34
"Give Me You" (Extended Niño mix) - 6:39
"Give Me You" (Club Path (Boris Dlugosch) mix) - 5:52
"Give Me You" (Royal Garden's R&B Mix) - 3:42

UK CD 2
"Give Me You" (single mix with orchestral intro) - 4:10
"Give Me You" (Royal Garden's Discopop extended) - 7:52
"Sexy" (featuring Jadakiss) - 4:47

Paradas musicais

Canções de 1999
Singles de 2000
Canções gravadas por Mary J. Blige
Canções de R&B

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Bankman-Fried's attorneys said the car struck a fence outside the home
A car with three occupants recently drove into a fence outside the California home owned by the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried, an apparent attempt to gain access to the property. which holds the foundation of the crypto exchange FTX.
Bankman-Fried's attorneys announced this in a letter written Thursday to US District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is presiding over the criminal case against Bankman-Fried. He is facing charges that he defrauded investors and stole customer deposits on his cryptocurrency trading platform, using some of the money to make large donations to US politicians.
Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty last month, and was released on $250 million bail pending trial at the parent's home in Palo. Alto, California. Lawyers responded to a request by several media outlets to release the names of two people other than Bankman-Fried's parents who agreed to sign the document.
The lawyers, Mark Cohen and Chris Everdell, in part argue that the court should not release the names because doing so may endanger the safety of individuals. As evidence, they cited an incident in which a black car drove into a metal fence built outside Bankman-Fried's home. According to the lawyer, three men got out of the car and told a police officer "something like: 'You can't keep us out.'"
The three men got back into the car and drove off. Neither the men nor the car were identified, said the lawyer.
"Because of the popularity of this issue and the interest in the media that it receives, it is reasonable to assume that the (two signatories of the agreement) will also deal with important privacy and security concerns when revealing their identities," the lawyers wrote.
Eight media outlets, including the Associated Press, said the names should be released because of the seriousness of Bankman-Fried's crimes and because there is a legal precedent for releasing the names of bail bondsmen. .
"However, the public is eager to know who gave Mr. Bankman-Fried a financial support after this great accusation of fraud and politics, especially because of the closeness of Mr. Bankman-Fried and financial industry leaders, investors. , prominent Silicon Valley billionaires, and elected officials," the outlet wrote in a letter to Judge Kaplan on January 12.
Categories Loading Tags business, court, Criminal, Fraud, general news, Legal Procedure, Privacy, Technology
How did a group of fish commit credit card fraud?
Ridge Stone Capital Announces Financial Education Seminar on Lending and Leasing for US and Canadian Businesses
Farm Insurance cancels policies for 300+ homes in Tierrasanta
SBF's Alameda seeks to recoup $446 million in loan payments to Voyager
Mr. Memphis, attorney discusses the meeting with the SCORPION unit
Shreveport transgender doctor fights for pay with insurance companies


text:
package org.camunda.bpm.dmn.engine.impl.hitpolicy;

import org.camunda.bpm.model.dmn.BuiltinAggregator;
import org.camunda.bpm.model.dmn.HitPolicy;

/**
 * Represents the hit policy and the aggregator of a decision table.
 *
 * @author Askar Akhmerov
 */
public class HitPolicyEntry {

  protected final HitPolicy hitPolicy;
  protected final BuiltinAggregator aggregator;

  public HitPolicyEntry(HitPolicy hitPolicy, BuiltinAggregator builtinAggregator) {
    this.hitPolicy = hitPolicy;
    this.aggregator = builtinAggregator;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean equals(Object o) {
    if (this == o) return true;
    if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;

    HitPolicyEntry that = (HitPolicyEntry) o;

    if (hitPolicy != that.hitPolicy) return false;
    return aggregator == that.aggregator;

  }

  @Override
  public int hashCode() {
    int result = hitPolicy != null ? hitPolicy.hashCode() : 0;
    result = 31 * result + (aggregator != null ? aggregator.hashCode() : 0);
    return result;
  }

  public HitPolicy getHitPolicy() {
    return hitPolicy;
  }

  public BuiltinAggregator getAggregator() {
    return aggregator;
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


northwest Illinois Farmer's Markets: Find a local farmer's market near you in northwest Illinois for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins, organic foods,local produce and more!
Looking for a local, true farmer's market in northwest Illinois? Scroll down this page and you will see the farm markets, farm stands, roadside stands, produce markets, even garden fruit and vegetable stands and seasonal community farmer's markets in northwest Illinois, sorted by county. Markets offering organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name. If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website.
1240 S. Alpine Road, Rockford, IL 61108. Phone: (815) 398-3350. Open: See their website or call for hours. Directions: call for directions. Includes fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, pottery and baked treats.
1639 N. Alpine Road, Rockford, IL 61107. Phone: (815) 871-1557. Open: See their website or call for hours. Directions: call for directions. Sometimes has local musicians, too.
2715 S. Main Street, Rockford, IL 61102. Phone: (815) 965-8146. Open: on Mondays only. Directions: call for directions.
222 - 7th Street, Rockford, IL 61104. Phone: (815) 961-1269. Open: call for hours. Directions: call for directions.
1416 N. Main Street, Rockford, IL 61103. Phone: (815) 962-1234. Open: See their website or call for hours. Directions: call for directions. There is a city parking lot behind the market.
Perryville Rd. & Mill Road, Rockford, IL 61108. Phone: (815) 229-3000. Open: call for hours. Directions: located just south of E. State Street.
YMCA of Rock River Valley , 200 Y Blvd., Rockford, IL 61107. Phone: (815) 964-6221. Open: See their website or call for hours. Directions: call for directions.


At the Trustech exhibition in Cannes, a global event dedicated to secure payment and identification technologies, Famoco, the leading French company for secure professional terminals, announces in collaboration with the IDEMIA group, the leader of trusted identities in an increasingly digital world, the integration of fingerprint readers within its secure Android devices.
The digitalization of payment methods is shaking up the sector. Security and traceability needs have never been greater, the demand from emerging countries is growing rapidly, and the convergence between identity and payment is now a reality. At the heart of all these changes, the French company, Famoco, leader of secure professional terminals, already at the origin of the next-generation transport ticket validator, in partnership with Keolis, presented its FX100 and FX200 terminals with a fingerprint reader, designed in collaboration with the IDEMIA group, at Trustech.
Currently, biometrics is one of the preferred technologies to meet security, traceability and identification requirements. According to a study by Marketwired, the global market for biometric technologies will increase from $ 14.9 billion in 2015 to $ 41.5 billion in 2020. By authenticating people with fingerprint, iris or facial expression, biometrics ensures a high level of security while allowing quick and unique identification of users.
This French innovation allows the reading and recording of fingerprints from a FX Series terminal running a secure and remotely controlled Android system. This state-of-the-art technology offers the ability to quickly identify a person and is particularly suited to markets in emerging countries where the need for banking and identification are growing.


text:
Frontier Communications announces Nick Jeffery as next CEO
December 16, 2020 December 15, 2020 by Talent4Boards Team
– USA, CT – Frontier Communications Corporation (OTC: FTRCQ) today announced its intention to appoint Nick Jeffery as the next President and CEO, effective March 1, 2021, succeeding Bernie Han, who will step down as President and CEO on March 1, 2021.
Robert Schriesheim, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board, said, "We are pleased to commence the next phase in our ongoing transformation as we prepare for emergence from Chapter 11 by announcing our intent to name Nick Jeffery as our next CEO. As part of a leadership transition, we previously announced that John Stratton would be named Executive Chairman upon emergence from Chapter 11. Concurrently, the search committee was already fully engaged in evaluating the management needs of Frontier. We are now at a point of a natural evolution in our transformation and, following a rigorous process, the search committee concluded that Nick is the right CEO to lead Frontier through its next phase of investment and profitable growth. On behalf of the Finance Committee and Board, I want to thank Bernie for his leadership in executing Frontier's operational turnaround while managing the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernie has demonstrated his world-class skills as a CEO operator, managing large-scale complexity with a relentless focus on driving performance and emphasizing accountability. His contributions have helped to reposition Frontier as a stronger, more resilient business, and we appreciate his willingness to guide the CEO transition and remain on the Board through transition."
John Stratton, incoming Executive Chairman of Frontier's Board upon emergence, commented, "Since becoming a Board Observer of Frontier in May 2020, I've developed strong confidence that the Company can emerge as one of the nation's leading broadband providers in the markets it serves. Our search process identified Nick Jeffery as the ideal CEO to take Frontier to the next level. Throughout his career, he's demonstrated a keen ability to revitalize the organizations he leads, delivering operational and financial improvement while relentlessly focusing on the needs of his customers. These skills will be critical on Frontier's path to drive operational efficiency, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and achieve profitable growth. I look forward to collaborating with Nick as I assume my duties as Executive Chairman."
Mr. Han will remain on the Board of Directors and guide the CEO transition until emergence from Chapter 11, at which point Mr. Jeffery will join the Board.
Mr. Han said, "It has been an incredible experience leading Frontier. Throughout the challenges over the last year, our Frontier colleagues have continued to support one another and our customers, and through their commitment, we have made substantial progress strengthening Frontier's financial and operational position. There is still important work to do in unlocking Frontier's full potential, and I am excited to facilitate the transition and pass the CEO baton to someone with Nick's outstanding track record. I want to again thank the entire Frontier team for their support as we see the chapter 11 process through to completion."
About Nick Jeffery
Mr. Jeffery brings nearly 30 years of operational expertise and leadership in the telecommunications industry. Most recently, he served as CEO of Vodafone UK, a leading wireless and wireline operator, overseeing one of Vodafone Group Plc's largest businesses through a successful four-year customer-centric turnaround and transformation. During his tenure, Vodafone UK returned to revenue and market share growth and achieved improvements to its net promoter score, churn, and wider customer and employee satisfaction. Vodafone UK also reduced its operating expenses, delivered significant EBITDA growth, increased its free cash flow, and became the fastest-growing home broadband provider in the UK. Mr. Jeffery also spent over a decade at Cable & Wireless, one of the world's largest wireline companies, where he led the UK and international markets business units.
Mr. Jeffery commented, "I am honored to be appointed Frontier's next CEO, and I am excited to lead the Company in its next phase. Frontier owns a unique set of assets and maintains a competitive market position. My immediate focus will be on serving our customers as we enhance the network through investments in our existing footprint and adjacent markets while building operational excellence across the organization. I am committed to delivering world-class customer service. I look forward to speaking and meeting with our employees while working with Bernie, the Board, and the leadership team to ensure a seamless transition."
Mr. Jeffery was appointed CEO of Vodafone UK in September 2016 and has held numerous positions at Vodafone Group, the world's second-largest international cellular operator, the largest home broadband operator in Europe, and the second-largest TV distributor in Europe, since joining the company in 2004. Notably, Mr. Jeffery served on Vodafone Group's Executive Committee since 2013, as CEO of Vodafone Group Enterprise from 2013 to 2016 and as CEO of Vodafone Group's acquired Cable & Wireless Worldwide operations from 2012 to 2013. During that time, he demonstrated a proven ability to grow the business through the launch and successful scaling up of new service lines, both organically and in-organically, including Internet of Things, Cloud, Security, and Group Carrier Services. Before Vodafone Group, he served as Head of Worldwide Sales and European Managing Director at Ciena Inc. from 2002 until 2004. He began his career with Cable & Wireless Plc (Mercury Communications) in 1991 where he led the company's UK and international markets business units.
Mr. Jeffery currently serves as a non-executive director of Dialog Semiconductor plc. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick.
About Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications Corporation offers a variety of services to residential and business customers over its fiber-optic and copper networks in 25 states, including video, high-speed internet, advanced voice, and Frontier Secure digital protection solutions. Frontier Business offers communications solutions to small, medium, and enterprise businesses.
For more information: https://frontier.com/
Frontier Communications appoints Bernie Han to its Board of Directors as CEO
Frontier Communications announces Rob Schriesheim and Mike McDonnell to its Board of Directors
MyFitnessPal welcomes Tricia Han as CEO
Categories Board - USA / Can., Board Listed/Public Companies Tags Board of Directors, CxO nomination, Fortune500, OTC, T4B listed, Telecommunications, USA
Barclays appoints François Baroin as Chairman, Barclays France
Menhaden Resource Efficiency announces Barbara Donoghue Vavalidis to its Board as Non-Executive Director
Marlowe announces addition of Gillian Kent to its Board as Independent Director
Liontrust Asset Management welcomes Emma Howard Boyd to its Board as Non-Executive Director


An Elkader man is sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for a crash that killed two teenagers.
Twenty-one-year-old Kory Doeppke pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the February 16 crash near Edgewood. Police said Doeppke was driving drunk when he ran a stop sign and his car was hit by a pickup.
The impact split Doeppke's car in half and killed two of his passengers, Brady Edwards of Greeley and Izaiah Drinkwater of Manchester, who were both 16.
Doeppke was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison.


St. Luke's Hospital Lab Services offers convenient, outpatient walk-in lab services at multiple locations. No appointment is necessary, so bring in your physician-ordered lab tests and insurance information when it is convenient for you.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our services, please call the Main Laboratory at St. Luke's Hospital at 314-205-6984.
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hours: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hours: Monday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
No appointment necessary. Lab samples at Urgent Care Centers taken until 5 p.m.
Hours: Seven days a week 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Visit our Urgent Care page for more information on all of the St. Luke's Urgent Care Centers.


text:
Report: Despite Controversial Israel Policy, Chuck Hagel Is Frontrunner for Defense Secretary Position
by Zach Pontz
Chuck Hagel. Photo: Wikipedia
CNN is reporting that Sen. Chuck Hagel has met with both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden and is the front runner for the Secretary of Defense position soon to be vacated by Leon Panetta.
One Democratic source familiar with the process told CNN Hagel is "the frontrunner." Another Democrat with knowledge of the process told CNN Hagel's nomination is "almost a done deal."
As The Algemeiner reported last month, Hagel's policy towards Israel has been roundly criticized .
"He is one of the most hostile critics of Israel that has ever been in the Senate," Morton Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America told The Algemeiner bluntly.
California School District Investigating Photo of Students With Swastikas on Their Chests
The Wheatland Union High School District in Yuba County, California, is investigating a social media post showing a group of...
A few years ago the NJDC outlined Hagel's record on Israel:
In August 2006, Hagel was one of only 12 Senators who refused to write the EU asking them to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
In October 2000, Hagel was one of only 4 Senators who refused to sign a Senate letter in support of Israel.
In November 2001, Hagel was one of only 11 Senators who refused to sign a letter urging President Bush not to meet with the late Yasir Arafat until his forces ended the violence against Israel.
In December 2005, Hagel was one of only 27 who refused to sign a letter to President Bush to pressure the Palestinian Authority to ban terrorist groups from participating in Palestinian legislative elections.
In June 2004, Hagel refused to sign a letter urging President Bush to highlight Iran's nuclear program at the G-8 summit.
And here's what the anti-Israel group, CAIR wrote in praise of Hagel: "Potential presidential candidates for 2008, like Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Joe Biden and Newt Gingrich, were falling all over themselves to express their support for Israel. The only exception to that rule was Senator Chuck Hagel…" [Council on American-Islamic Relations, 8/28/06]
An article posted to the Republican Jewish Coalition's website last week details Hagel's murky Israel record (keep in mind that Hagel is a Republican). The article stated that "for the President to elevate Hagel to a position of trust would be construed as a gesture of indifference – if not outright contempt – toward Jewish Americans and every American who supports a strong U.S.-Israel alliance."


Happy Wednesday! We are halfway through the week, yay! The weather here has been nasty and yucky....and all Sweet Pea and Tutti Frutti has longed for is playtime outside. I must say so have I, *sigh* But, one great thing about being inside so much is it leaves a lot of time have lots of hands on fun!
February is Dental Health month so of course I couldn't let this month go by and not have a study on teeth :) We started of our study of teeth at our weekly homeschool library group. Sweet Pea and Tutti Frutti made "Healthy Mouths" by cutting out healthy foods from magazines and gluing them in their "mouths".
Tooth Decay and Cavities by Dr. Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein and Laura Silverstein ~ This is a great non-fiction educational book about the anatomy of teeth, care and cause of cavities. Lots of wonderful illustrations and glossary in back.
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Dentists! by Fiona Macdonald ~ This book is written in a cartoon style but, don't let that fool you! It is packed with lots of great facts and tips about teeth. It also includes a history of dentistry and previous methods used.
Vera Goes to the Dentist by Vera Rosenberry ~ A cute story about a little girl and her trip to the dentist. It describes what will happen at the visit and how dentists help. It helps to take away fear and anxiety about going to the dentist.
Dad, Are You the Toothfairy? by Jason Alexander ~ Gaby overhears some kids saying the toothfairy is only make believe of course he goes straight to his dad to find out the truth!
Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement ~ Grandpa's teeth are missing! In this mystery, Grandpa believes anyone who isn't smiling is a suspect. Very entertaining!
To go along with our teeth unit we had several hands on activities. I have to say this has been a favorite study in our house!
For this I traced out a tooth, dentin, and gum. We used yarn for the nerves and veins. I typed up labels in word. Super Simple, right?
Before, starting our science experiments I got out our handy dandy scientific method flash cards. You can never go over the method too much!
Sweet Pea and Tutti Frutti were totally disgusted with this experiment, but once they seen the results they forgot how grossed out they were!
First, we filled each jar with 1 cup of warm water and labeled each jar with a line and what it contained.
Then, each jar received 2 teaspoons of yeast. Only the sugar jar also received 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Sweet Pea and Tutti Frutti completed a Plaque Attach observation sheet. You can get your free printable from here Plaque Attack. We let it sit in a warm, draft free place for about thirty minutes and voila we have plaque!
To complete learning about plaque we brought out the microscope and collected plaque from Sweet Pea and Tutti Frutti's mouths.
How Are Eggs Like Teeth?
First, we filled our jars about half full.
Then, we carefully placed each egg in the jars.
The jars were labeled and we let them sit overnight.
Here are our eggs. It's a great example of how what we drink affects our teeth. The egg in the vinegar solution represents the acid. It was nothing but a yellow blob! We talked about if we don't brush our teeth they turn yellow and fall out.
We recorded our results on these great Science Experiment sheets.
Is it a horror story when your kids have to go to the dentist? Fortunately, mine have never minded going. What are you reading this week? I would ♥ to hear your thoughts!


Let Vaco serve as your advocate in presenting you to our top clients who are looking for accounting professionals. Our clients have immediate opportunities for Senior Accountants; don't let your resume get lost in the shuffle - let us work for you! At Vaco, we give you an advantage over your competition! Our recruiters have direct relationships with accounting managers, so they can connect your work experience to the open job-promoting your strengths to the manager while preparing you for that specific interview.
Our recruiters will provide you with great insight about trends in the industry - keeping you up to date on compensation expectations, company culture, and growth opportunities. If your background is in accounting as an Senior Acountant, and you want to partner with the best, apply today!


This is a placeholder page for Brandy Monroe, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Brandy Monroe.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Brandy Monroe. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Brandy Monroe. We created this page automatically in hopes Brandy Monroe would find it. If you are not Brandy Monroe, but are an alumni of Mckinley High School Baton Rouge, LA, register on this site for free now.


Dakota Semler and Giordano Sordoni. Photo courtesy of Thor.
The hipness of your average cocktail bar stands in stark contrast to the unglamorous reality of what it takes to move tons of product along the beverage supply chain every day. It's been done the same way for years—with pollution-spewing diesel trucks traveling along roadways, their drivers battling traffic for hours on end.
But that scenario is about to change.
The vehicles that drive the beverage industry are about to get a major revamp, one that might just bring a touch of genuine high-tech hipness to what has until now been a pretty staid part of the business. A new breed of transportation entrepreneurs are testing fully electric and even self-driving trucks to tackle some of the beverage industry's most pressing problems, including driver shortages, high maintenance costs, volatile fuel pricing, and safety concerns.
While hybrid-electric trucks have been around for some time, these new, fully electric versions represent a leap forward. The Los Angeles–based manufacturer Thor Trucks, for example, has designed a fully electric Class 8 semitruck, the ET-One, a sleek-looking vehicle straight out of the future. Thor doesn't refer to itself as a trucking company but as a "transportation lab tackling fleet management problems." And its two founders, Dakota Semler and Giordano Sordoni, stress their "passion for clean fuels" and "positive social impact" as much as anything else.
Thor joins the likes of Tesla, Nikola, Workhorse, the Chinese company BYD, and others in developing this next generation of electric and self-driving trucks. Even trucking industry veterans like Peterbilt, Daimler, and Cummins are announcing their own electric models.
The sheer size of the beverage alcohol industry, along with the unique challenges of beverage distribution, makes it especially attractive to this new wave of trucking entrepreneurs. And it helps that the current limitations of electric-truck battery technology fits the nature of beverage distribution quite well.
"Electric trucks also provide a more efficient solution in routes that have many starts and stops and [in which there's] a lot of idling. Beverage routes fit this [scheme] well," Sordoni says. Part of the reason for that is a feature of electric vehicles called regenerative braking—every time the driver puts his foot on the brake, some of that energy is transferred back into the battery instead of just being wasted, as it is in a traditional truck.
Sordoni adds that for short-haul distribution, Thor's electric trucks offer "dramatically lower maintenance and fuel costs and zero diesel compliance headaches. Going electric," he says, "offers a significantly lower total cost of ownership, in addition to being friendlier to the environment." Sordoni says that Thor is also currently conferring with a number of beverage alcohol companies and has secured orders for its trucks from a variety of grocery and beverage distributors.
Gary Thompson, the executive vice president and general manager of Powers Distributing in Orion, Michigan, has been using hybrid electric trucks since 2009. He says he is now "very eager" to try the new, all-electric tractors.
Beverage manufacturers are also quite interested in the new technology. Anheuser–Busch, for example, ordered 40 of Tesla's electric semitrucks in 2017, followed in May of this year by an order of 800 hydrogen-fuel-powered Nikola trucks.
But if self-driving trucks eventually become a reality, A-B will be remembered for an historic milestone. In 2016 the company made the first beer shipment with such a vehicle. It used an Otto self-driving truck to deliver thousands of cans of Budweiser from an Anheuser-Busch facility in Loveland, Colorado, to the company's wholly owned distributorship in Colorado Springs—a distance of 100 miles.
A-B will start testing the Nicola trucks in the first half of 2019 and expects them to be integrated into its dedicated fleet by 2020. And the company continues to work with Tesla to establish the an infrastructure plan to support electric trucks; Soeters says A-B is excited to see the progress Tesla has made since the two companies' agreement in 2017.
A-B is not alone in betting on the future of autonomous trucking. Ryder, one of the largest transportation and logistics providers in the U.S., is actively engaged in testing such future technologies as self-driving trucks. It has leased some of its trucks to Starsky Robotics, which has upfitted them with autonomous driving technology, and has gotten clearance to test them on runs across highways in Florida, says Melvin Kirk, the chief technology officer for Ryder System's Fleet Management Solutions.
Kirk says that according to one early-stage deployment scenario, a beverage truck is dropped off by a human driver at a highway way station. There, the autonomous capability would take over for the length of the smoother highway drive. A human driver would then take control of the truck for the final leg of the trip, through the more complicated urban driving routes.
Aside from improved safety, advocates say that autonomous trucks would help the beverage industry with an ongoing driver shortage that's driving up labor costs—if the distributor can find drivers at all.
Many details must be ironed out before these futuristic trucks become widely used. For autonomous trucks in particular, government regulations and insurance policies must be established. For electric trucks, a charging infrastructure must be built out.
Chris Nordh, the senior director of advanced vehicle technology and energy products for Ryder's Fleet Management Solutions business segment, emphasizes the need for charging infrastructure to be installed where the trucks are parked or where they reside overnight.


Some of the major LED Lighting makers are switching their focus as the LED lighting technology matures. Increasing competition, lower prices, and decreased profitability are to blame. For example, Cree is switching its focus away from general lighting to markets with better prospects including power electronics and RF.
Osram is now focusing more on Automotive LED lighting, and 3D identification technology for smartphones, and advancing the Internet of Things. The best example of shifting business priorities has to be Osram. Osram has decided to sell its luminaires business as part of this refocusing. In recent months the company officially started a joint venture with Continental, Osram Continental to provide Automotive lighting. The company also acquired startup Vixar, which specializes in the technology for 3D identification.
Additionally, Osram took over BAG Electronics, which uses LED lighting to offer IoT applications. In another investment in what Osram believes to be a growing field, the company purchased horticultural LED lighting firm, Fluence Bioengineering.
Similarly, Philips Lighting renamed itself Signify. While not specifically mentioned this may be a move to distance the company from the more profitable businesses.
Consumer electronics giant, GE is also in the process of selling its lighting business as profits shrink with increasing competition.
Current powered by GE, an off-shoot of GE's lighting business, now supplies lighting and lighting infrastructure solutions, which can include providing IoT connectivity. Also, in another example of switching focus away from general lighting, Current by GE recently announced a collaboration with Jones Food Company on one of the biggest indoor farms in Europe.
Overall, such diversified tech companies with lighting businesses apparently see a profitable future in IoT. Some such as GE and Osram are also now working on horticultural LED lighting. Additionally, these companies are looking to increase their revenues in new technologies including autonomous and electric vehicles as well as smartphone 3D identification measures.
In the short term, these companies expect to reduce profits in general lighting but gradually grow profits in other technology sectors. This trend will likely continue, with or without added U.S. trade restrictions and tariffs.


Members of the Society often attend local shows and meetings to help raise awareness of bees and beekeeping. We have a 'virtual hive' which enables people to have a clear view of the interior of a hive and the bees, without any of the worries of being stung!
Details of forthcoming meetings, where members might be willing to help or where members of the public might be interested to talk to us, will be listed in this section.
If you are organising an event and would like to enquire about the possibility of us attending, please contact the Secretary.
Please contact Don if you would like to help.
Please contact Don if you would like to help here.


text:
Stormi Webster Hilariously Impersonates Pregnant Mom Kylie Jenner in New Video: 'It's Me, Kylie Jenner!'
Sep 17, 2021 10:45 am·
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Stormi Webster did a hilarious (and spot-on) impression of her mom, Kylie Jenner, via Instagram Stories on Thursday, September 16.
While the former Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 24, who is expecting baby No. 2 with boyfriend Travis Scott, was trying to promote her new swimwear line, Kylie Swim, the precious toddler, 3, popped her head in and asked to do "funny faces." Of course, Kylie obliged! "Hi, it's me, Kylie Jenner!" Stormi giggled. Based on the background of the video, it looks like the mother-daughter duo was flying on Kylie's private jet.
Courtesy of Kylie Jenner/Instagram
Although the pregnant A-lister skipped the 2021 Met Gala in New York City, Kylie definitely isn't hiding her baby bump this time around. In fact, the soon-to-be mother of two flew to NYC for New York Fashion Week earlier this month, where she was photographed grabbing dinner at celebrity hot spots like Carbone and even attended a Revolve event.
While Kylie was pregnant with Stormi, who was born on February 1, 2018, the California native managed to keep her condition out of the spotlight for over nine months. To this day, Kylie's famous family, most notably sister Kendall Jenner, believes it was the "greatest decision" she could have made.
"This is obviously a theory — I've never been pregnant, and I'm sure [there are] studies on this — but I think that the more at peace you are when you are pregnant, that goes into your child," Kendall, 25, explained to host Andy Cohen during the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion special in June. "I think it's a reflection of even her daughter today, and how amazing and beautiful she is, is just because Kylie was so at peace in her pregnancy."
Even if Kylie isn't hiding her pregnancy this time around, she certainly still seems at peace — and ready to start nesting! The almost billionaire "has already started designing the nursery," a source previously told Life & Style, noting Kylie is "spending an absolute fortune" on the baby's room.
"She's buying the latest baby gadgets; everything will be designer … the best of the best," the insider assured. "She wants it to be just perfect."
Stormi Webster


Twin villas now available in Lindsford! This 1519 sq ft Open floor plan features a large great room, a den, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a 2 car garage. This home has many upgrades including level 2 42 inch cabinets, granite counter tops, stainless appliances and an extended lanai. Lindsford is centrally located in Fort Myers near Downtown, 75, shopping, dining and entertainment. Lindsford offers amazing amenities including beach entry resort style pool, spa, very nice gym with locker rooms, community room, basketball, tennis and bocce ball. Don't miss out on this great home.
Take I75 to exit 136, go west on Colonial Boulevard for approximately 3 miles and make a right on Winkler and Lindsford is approximately 1.5 miles on the right side.
Sign up to view market trends and price history for 4254 Dutchess Park Rd.
I am interested in 4254 Dutchess Park Rd, Fort Myers, FL 33916.


Game Protocol, a new gaming ecosystem built using blockchain technology, has entered into a strategic partnership with Bancor, the world's largest decentralized solution for token conversions.
Game Protocol offers a crowdfunding platform where game developers issue in-game cryptocurrency tokens. Game Protocol is challenging traditional fundraising mechanisms within the gaming industry by providing game developers with the tools needed to get funding directly from the community.
Game Protocol simplifies the process for game developers to raise funds via a token sale, through its smart contract generating mechanism. Once developers have sold the necessary stake of their own newly created game tokens to finance their vision, they can integrate the game protocol SDK in their game. This SDK connects the game directly to the Ethereum blockchain, and to Bancor's liquidity network, meaning each game specific token is always backed by a Game Protocol token balance. The Bancor liquidity network provides Game Protocol the ability to guarantee instant liquidity for any game-specific token, at any time.
All the tokens issued by game developers on Game Protocol are utility tokens that are exchangeable for virtual goods, in-game content or other tokens. Through Game Protocol, players are able to pay directly in the game using their credit-card which exchanges into blockchain transactions, completely behind the scenes.
Game Protocol will receive advice from the Bancor team on related topics such as best practices in term of security, architecture, marketing and other aspects of running a successful blockchain operation.
Game Protocol intends to have a $30M USD token sale with the pre-sale starting on the 1st of June.
"We are glad we got the opportunity to cooperate with the Bancor team . We strongly believe in their vision of user-generated currencies, and we believe we can apply this model to gaming. I'm certain this is the beginning of what will prove to be a strong collaboration, as both parties are aimed at further developing the blockchain ecosystem," Game Protocol CEO Jonathan Swerdlow said about the deal.
"Game Protocol is pioneering a new form of token-based exchange in the gaming industry. We are very excited about this use-case of the Bancor Protocol and we will do our best to support the team as they expand liquidity for game creators and their users." said Bancor Co-founder Eyal Hertzog.
The Bancor Protocol is a standard for the creation of Smart Tokens, cryptocurrencies with built-in convertibility directly through their smart contracts. Bancor utilizes an innovative token "connector" method to enable formulaic price calculation and continuous liquidity for all integrated tokens, without needing to match two parties in an exchange. Smart Tokens interconnect to form token liquidity networks, allowing user-generated cryptocurrencies to thrive. To convert tokens instantly, visit the Bancor Web App or join the Bancor Telegram group for more information.


text:
Home / 2010 / June / 30 / Teachers gather for Summer Institute at UBC's Okanagan campus
Teachers gather for Summer Institute at UBC's Okanagan campus
By Jody Jacob on June 30, 2010
On Monday the Faculty of Education at UBC's Okanagan campus will welcome dozens of teachers from around the province and beyond for this year's Summer Institute.
The institute, which runs for nine weeks from July 5 through September 3, offers 35 week-long seminars. Each provides credit toward senior-level Education courses covering contemporary educational issues, practice and leadership. The credits can be used for professional development, teacher qualifications, or even completion of an Education degree or graduate degree.
"In addition to attracting local teachers we have a number of students coming from the lower mainland, and are expecting to have teachers from the Kootenays and Alberta joining us," says Robert Campbell, Dean of Education. "Also, a cohort of teachers from Canadian schools in China will be taking courses."
Subjects range from an introduction to the solar system with UBC astronomy professor Erik Rosolowsky to a course on Interculturalism and Diversity in the Classroom taught by Stacy Daley, a UBC graduate student whose research interests focus on interculturalism and its impact on the teaching and learning process. In addition to the many Okanagan educators, a number of instructors are coming to teach courses from universities in Western Canada, China and the Caribbean.
"A new feature this summer is the Summer Institute Series, which provides opportunities for institute instructors to give lectures or performances that are open to the general public -- two performances are scheduled for July," says Campbell. "We see the Summer Institute Series as a way to enliven the campus while showcasing the talent of the artists and academics who instruct at the institute. The admission is free and the talent is great."
On July 15, Mohyna Ragoonaden, who offers a Summer Institute seminar on storytelling though dance, will perform a fusion/Kathak dance piece called Voice. As well, Trevor Salloum, who teaches the world drumming seminar, will bring his Arabic music group Altarab to the stage on July 22 to play fusion and traditional Arabic music.
Both performances take place at UBC's Okanagan campus from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in ADM 026.
For more information on the Summer Institute or the free public events visit http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/education/postbacc/sie.html.
-- 30 --
Jody Jacob
Assistant Communications Coordinator
E-mail: jody.jacob@ubc.ca
See other posts by Jody Jacob


1. LIVE and WORK to reach others each day as if you knew the world was going to come to an end next Sunday night. Think of that feeling of urgency and priority! (Read 2 Peter 3:1-12).
3. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. Make a list of the things you are thankful to God for and thank Him for them one by one, as you pray in your closet. This will help you to be grateful (Philippians 4:6). It will also help you to realize your dependence on God (Acts 17:24-25, 28; John 15:5).
4. MAKE& MAINTAIN A LIST OF YOUR FAULTS. In addition, pray for forgiveness and help to overcome them as you truly strive to overcome them. This will help us see that we are really not as good as we think we are and how very much we really do need Christ for Savior. It will also help you to sympathize with the faults of others (James 5:16; Galatians 6:1).
5. KEEP A QUIET TIME. Set aside 30 minutes every day to spend with God in prayer, Bible study, and meditation. If you really love someone or a game, you want to spend some time with them. Just so, if you truly love God you want to spend some time alone with Him (Psalm 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1). First century Christians kept an "hour of prayer"(Acts 3:1).
There are 168 hours in a week. If you were to attend Bible Study, morning worship, and evening worship on Sundays and Bible study on Wednesday, and 30 minutes 6 days a week in Bible reading, prayer, and meditation, and conduct an hour long study once a month, you would be giving God less than 10 hours a week, leaving you 158. Remember the song: "Take time to be holy"?


text:
Outgoing McKenzie hails Racing Industry Act
Dean McKenzie. Photo: Race Images South
Dean McKenzie believes his time at the helm of New Zealand racing reform is ending on a high with the passing of the Racing Industry Act.
An accomplished administrator both within and outside of racing, McKenzie was appointed chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee when it was established by Racing Minister Winston Peters in 2018 following the release of the Messara Report.
McKenzie was then made chair of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) in July 2019, and he became executive chair when RITA took over from the New Zealand Racing Board at the beginning of this year.
Reforming a struggling New Zealand racing industry was always going to be a formidable challenge – made even more so by a global pandemic.
"It's been a pretty interesting 18 to 20 months," McKenzie said. "Covid-19 was the ultimate curveball for all of us.
"But despite the challenges, I think the reform programme has gone extremely well. We were delighted to get both pieces of legislation through Parliament and passed into law.
"The Racing Industry Act was held up a bit, which was understandable considering Parliament was effectively in recess during the lockdown. All of the business as usual operations, such as select committee hearings for legislation that's on its way through, were obviously delayed.
"To still be able to get it passed before Parliament rises for the election cycle was a fantastic result. I think the Minister and the Government should be applauded for what they've done to make it happen. In the end we were only slightly behind where we thought we'd be – we thought it would take effect on July 1, but it'll be August 1.
"Getting that legislation locked and loaded is an integral part of the reform process for our industry, and it'll make our recovery from Covid a lot more doable as well."
The Racing Act will result in RITA being dissolved and TAB NZ established as the commercial betting operator, while administrative functions will be devolved to the three racing codes.
There will be someone new in charge, with McKenzie quick to rule himself out of contention for the job of chief executive of TAB NZ.
"It's been well documented that I wouldn't be putting myself forward for that job," he said. "We first advertised the role before Christmas. In my position as chair through this process, it was important to make it clear that I was not a candidate. The market needed to see that the process was completely transparent."
The recruitment process was well underway when it was halted by COVID-19 earlier this year.
"Applications closed in February, and we were down to a short list when COVID-19 hit," McKenzie said. "That prevented us from advancing it any further. It was very hard to conduct any kind of recruitment process during that time, when domestic travel was impossible and border restrictions were imposed.
"Everything was on hold after that, and it still is. But it's a high priority to get it done, and we're reviewing it virtually weekly at the moment to see what progress we can make. It's just not something we can completely close the loop on just yet.
"It's an incredibly important decision, and the process needs to be thorough and robust to ensure that the best candidate is selected.
"We also need to think about the upcoming election. The current board is in a place-holder role, appointed by the Minister. It's possible there will be a new Minister post-election, and they will then have oversight of these sort of appointments."
One of the key recommendations of the Messara Report was the outsourcing of the TAB's commercial activities to an international operator. McKenzie reported that RITA has made moves in that direction.
"It's one of the great urban myths of the New Zealand racing industry that outsourcing has been taken off the table – that's never been the case at all," he said.
"Partnering with or outsourcing to another operator was a major part of John Messara's review, and also of the Minister's letter of expectations for us when we were appointed.
"Discussions have continued to advance this year. Firstly, we had to establish whether the industry was willing to entertain that possibility as a way forward. Then we needed to get the Racing Industry Act through, strengthening our ability to do it.
"We've already met with a number of potential partners. In our last meeting prior to the lockdown, we had an in-person presentation from one of those prospective partners.
"Now that the Act has been passed and the process has been clarified, we can proceed further down this path. I'd expect the new TAB board to continue to advance it once their feet are under the table."
While some may be concerned about the potential for adverse effects on Trackside, McKenzie said TV coverage will remain a major focus for the reformed TAB.
"The golden rule of wagering is that anyone who puts a bet on something is going to want to be able to watch it," he said. "Broadcasting is going to continue to be a key part of the TAB's operations.
"The TAB's role is to promote betting and maximise returns to the industry through its profits. That's not going to change.
"There have been some differences lately in the way Trackside coverage has been delivered, and that's been brought about through current circumstances and the need to operate as efficiently as possible.
"But a punter's ability to watch what they've bet on is a key component of the business and always will be."
The Racing Industry Act will also secure a revenue stream from offshore betting agencies through its Betting Information Use Charges (Racefields).
"For most of this year, we've already had 80 percent of the Australian digital market on board, with these major operators entering into substantial voluntary agreements with us," McKenzie said. "The Racing Industry has now enshrined that framework and their obligations into law.
"Discussions are well underway with those operators who haven't been on board with voluntary agreements to date. We've made excellent progress in that space over the last 12 months, and that will continue to be advanced by the new TAB board.
"The revenue stream from this area will be a significant part of the industry's ability to, at the very least, maintain prize-money around its current levels." – NZ Racing Desk
Dean McKenzie
Racing Industry Bill


text:
Imam the State Kept Out of Domineque Ray's Death Chamber: 'This Was Just Politics'
TMO
February 21, 2019 by TMO
by Dr. Maha Hillal
This article was originally published on the Daily Beast.
The Supreme Court overturned an appeal court that had ruled, "If Ray were a Christian, he would have a profound benefit; because he is a Muslim, he is denied that benefit."
Domineque Ray's death in an Alabama prison this year would have gone mostly unnoticed had it not been for his desire to have an imam by his side as he was executed.
When the Supreme Court refused to stay his execution to grant his request, his case made national headlines—highlighting the rarely discussed religious rights of Muslim death row prisoners and the embedded Islamophobia and anti-blackness of the court.
Ray was convicted in the murder of three people and sentenced to receive the death penalty in 1995 after having already been sentenced to life in prison. However, as some have noted, that decision was terribly flawed— which isn't surprising considering how much higher the odds are for black people of being wrongfully convicted, and how much higher the odds are for black people who have been convicted of being executed.
At the end of Ray's life, the debate was not about his conviction but his religious freedom claims. His case showed how his right to religious freedom was no right at all. In their 5-4 ruling vacating the stay on Ray's execution, the Supreme Court's new conservative majority relied on process and timing to deny his claim and reverse the decision of the Appeals Court that had explicitly recognized Ray's religious rights were being fundamentally violated, stating that, "If Ray were a Christian, he would have a profound benefit; because he is a Muslim, he is denied that benefit."
But, as Justice Kagan argued in her dissent, Ray was only notified of the execution protocols five days prior to when he filed the claim. Moreover, if a white Christian in Alabama had made the same claim to be executed with a chaplain of his same faith, he would have died in the presence of Reverend Chris Summers, who has been present in most executions since 1997 in Alabama.
Some have argued that this case cannot possibly be anti-Muslim, because the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Muslim rights in the past, including one permitting a Muslim prisoner to grow a beard. But this ignores the host of other Islamophobic policies that the court has recently upheld—most significantly the Muslim Ban.
Back to the Alabama case, was Reverend Summers the only chaplain at the prison? No. I talked to Imam Yusef Maisonet, who had been screened as a chaplain at Holman prison, where there are nine Muslim prisoners currently on death row, since 2015. According to Imam Maisonet, there were 10 Muslim prisoners on death row—now nine as of last week.
Hours prior to his execution, Ray had requested a Quran for his cell adjacent to the death chamber but prison officials refused, even though it had already been screened and vetted by the prison, Imam Maisonet told me. It was only when the imam came to the prison to bid Ray farewell that the prisoner was allowed to keep his copy of the Quran.
The imam told me that he had never been asked to receive the necessary training to be present in the execution chamber, and that after Ray's execution prison officials had said that it would have been a security threatto let someone in who wasn't an employee. Imam Maisonet, who watched Ray's death through a glass wall, dismissed that claim. "All of this was just politics," he said, noting that "they locked me in a cell with 10 death row inmates" with no security concerns at all.
Ray's last conversation with the imam was about dying as a Muslim and asking Allah for forgiveness, though Ray had told the imam that he was innocent. They parted ways with the Islamic greeting Assalamu Alaikum.
Fifteen minutes after he was lethally injected, Ray was declared dead. His last words in the death chamber room, according to Imam Maisonet, were La Illaha Il Allah Muhamad Rasul Ul Allah (There is no God, but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger). Though the state sought to erase Islam in that moment, they could not erase it from Ray's heart.
Few people will learn what religious freedom means when faced with death, and while Ray was ultimately denied this right, he claimed what he could in his final moments.
Green Shoots?
Re: Hijab Abuse in Tunisia, by Yvonne Ridley (Vol. 9 Iss. 29)
Shock Win for Galloway in London
Ramadan: Raising Spiritual and Financial Stocks?
By Fahad Faruqui Stock returns are nine times greater during Ramadan than the rest of the year, a recent study…
11 month ago351 views
Independent UK Reporting that "Victory" Against Cult Leader was Actually a Disguised Massacre
Egypt In Political Clinch As Economic Cliff Looms
President Trump Declares National Emergency to Build Border Wall Bernie Sanders Announces Second Presidential Bid