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ICC announces highest number of female match officials for inaugural U19 Women's T20 World Cup
Corona VirusCricketHockey
New Delhi : The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced that nine out of 15 match officials will be present for the warm-up matches and group stage of the inaugural Under 19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.
It makes the tournament, starting from January 14, have the highest number of female match officials to be appointed for an ICC event. In all, 12 umpires and three match referees will officiate in the tournament, which will be played across four venues in the two host cities: Benoni and Potchefstroom.
Former Sri Lanka women's team captain, Vanessa de Silva leads the ICC International Panel of Match Referees which includes former Bangladesh international cricketer Neeyamur Rashid and Zimbabwe's Owen Chirombe.
The tournament will also see four members of the ICC International Panel of Umpires – Wayne Knights, Ahmad Pakteen, Virender Sharma and Shahid Saikat officiate in different matches.
Members of the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires who will officiate include former Sri Lanka woman batter Dedunu de Silva, Kerrin Klaaste, Maria Abbott, Sarah Bartlett, Jasmine Naeem, Lisa McCabe, Sarah Dembanevana and Candace la Borde.
"We are pleased to announce the match officials who will be officiating the historic ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup. We are delighted that this group of officials reflects the work we have been putting in to advance women in our sport as part of the ICC's global development strategy."
"Every appointed official has steadily made a good name for themselves in the cricket ecosystem and we look forward to watching them as they play their part in the history that will be made in South Africa.
We wish them the best of luck and know that they will do an excellent job," said Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, in an official release. The appointments for the tournament semifinals and final will be made at the end of the League phase.
In the 16-team tournament divided into four groups, the top three teams from each group will progress to the Super Six round, where teams will be pooled into two groups of six.
The top two teams from each group will then progress to the semi-finals, which will be played on January 27 at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom. The final will take place at the same venue on January 29.Match Officials for the ICC U19 Women's T20 World CupMatch Referees: Vanessa de Silva, Neeyamur Rashid, Owen Chirombe.
Umpires: Sarah Bartlett, Jasmine Naeem, Lisa McCabe, Kerrin Klaaste, Maria Abbott, Sarah Dembanevana, Dedunu de Silva, Candace la Borde, Wayne Knights, Ahmad Pakteen, Virender Sharma, Shahid Saikat.
BatswomanBowlerCricketCricketerICCInternational Cricket CouncilPlayerSports News
Chile reach Bhubaneswar for FIH Men's World Cup 2023
IND v SL : Dropping Yuzvendra Chahal for Sundar would be a huge call, says Wasim Jaffer ahead of Pune T20I


Today Tanya and her friend, Phern, traveled to Su-ngai Kolok, a town on the Malaysian border. It is Tanya's third trip and Phern's second, to help Kylie Hobern and her team do some outreach for Christmas.
Two and a half years ago Tanya came to live with us, just after she had finished high school. Her mother was at The Well, but they were not doing well together. Tanya was depressed, and despite being a good student, had not applied to a single college. With the help of See, our staff counselor, we convinced Tanya's mom to let her join our family for a while.
I could brag about a lot about Tanya but won't embarrass her since she might read this. Suffice it to say that it's been a joy having her in our home, and not only because she's a great Thai cook. When she came, we sat down to lay out expectations. "We don't know how long you'll be here," we said. "A month, a year, we don't know. But while you're here, we'd like you to be willing to be accountable and let us teach you as a daughter." Tanya agreed, and has fully followed through. She's now in her third year of an English major, doing very well.
Phern and Tanya were best friends in high school. Phern is studying English and Humanities in Chiang Mai. When we asked Phern about her dreams, she said, "I want to bring justice and opportunity to the poor." We can work with that. Both Tanya and Phern are personable, hardworking and ready to initiate: we expect exciting news from their work this week.
On Saturday I sat down with Yean, 18, and had a conversation in English. He would like to take a gap year, or at least have an English immersion experience in the U.S. I haven't written yet about Dao and Bpop in this month-long project, but those who have followed The Well over the years know that Dao, whose name means "star", is indeed a hero to us. Her four children, Dear, 23, Yean, 18, Dis, 17, and Burchet, 15, have all been blossoming into very impressive young adults. Yean is in the top ten of his class of 400, and would like to study electrical engineering. Dear is in her third year of a psychology degree, and is equally impressive; a quiet, conscientious worker.
We are talking with folks in the U.S. who might like to host amazing young people like these for work and or ministry internships, ranging from two weeks to ten months. It is a way that you can impact Thailand long-term tremendously through these budding leaders. Please contact us if you are interested.


After the very beautiful and successful launch of Balenciaga Paris, the new Fragrance of Balenciaga, now the brand has "Beauty Ambitions". They are launching 3 products under a very timeless luxury theme: Black & White.
If we say Balenciaga is a very chic, timeless brand, we can not agree more.


We all love a good film. We all hate a bad film. What makes them different? These are my three requirements to a good film and a checklist to have before you start making your own.
It sounds simple enough, but the script is the starting point of every film. This is where the idea starts and is the launching point of each major decision to be made for that film. A script will decide the budget of the film, the required equipment, the amount of crew… But beyond that, a script will be the reason you are making this film. Is it a story with passion, terror, drama, excitement…does it open people's minds…does it keep them on the edge of their seats…does it allow them to forget about the real world, if only for a short time?
Having a good script is a really important place to start. If you don't have a believable, entertaining, moving or epic story, why are you even making this film? We all have our favorite films to quote, but it doesn't matter how great an actor delivers a line if they don't have a great line to deliver.
Script writing is something anyone can sit at their laptop and crank out, but a good actor who can deliver the line with emotion and believability is a lot rarer. This is why actors get paid the "big bucks". When you are on a budget, it may be tempting to grab any local actor who will take the part but this would be a major mistake. A good actor knows how to deliver lines the way a director wants, hit their marks, do an identical take, etc. It's been said that if you're going to spend money on a film, spend it on what shows up on the screen. Acting is one of the biggest examples of that.
You've heard me say this before, and I'll say it till I'm dead…lighting is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking. If you can't afford a good DP (director of photography) than this is the first skill you should devote your time to learning. Lighting does many things. It helps portray 3 dimensions in a 2 dimensional medium. It helps properly expose the film/sensor. But most importantly, it helps to tell your audience how to feel. A hard key with a blue kicker is an edgier, intense emotion. Soft, warm lighting is lighter and friendlier. This is all controlled by lighting.
Sound is half of video. One of my favorite quotes has been, "Audio without video is radio. Video without audio is dead air." Poor audio quality will quickly ruin any film. This can be tricky since you may not be able to record clean audio in every location. But if you want to have the best quality film, you will need to focus your energy on the audio. Since the set of a film can be a rather noisy place, most of the dialogue you hear in movies is actually re-recorded in a studio. Get some good mics and get a good audio engineer who knows how to best utilize them.
As I said before, you don't need to own the top camera gear out there, but you do need to know how to incorporate movement in your filmmaking. A slow dolly in when a character is realizing something…a tilt down from the sky to reveal a picnic in the park…a rising jib shot as the character drives away into the sunset. These all add a great deal to each scene and your film can feel empty without them.
Those are just a few factors of good production. Others can include computer graphics, color grading, editing, music, etc. When good production comes together, it allows the story and the acting to shine through.
What happens when a film is missing one of these requirements? I think it can still stand up and be a decent film. Take the Transformers films for example. Amazing production value, great acting, okay script. Still an entertaining movie for most. There are times when having only two of the requirements will still allow a film to be good.
What happens when you only have one? Well that's when a film usually falls apart. Take G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for example. Great production, unbelievable characters and story. Nothing could save that film.
So when you're ready to shoot a good film, find a great story and develop it into a good movie script…find talented actors who can embody the characters with believability and charisma…and learn to use the gear at your disposal in the best possible ways to make the movie visually come alive.


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Q: How to display results globally, rails3 We wanted to include a global announcements module in our rails3 application that's displayed on all pages when a user's logged in to the system.
I've created an announcement controller and, to test, put the following in to display the last active message:
@latest_announcement = Announcement.where(:active => true).order("created_at").last

What I was trying to do was display the result of @latest_announcement on every page (in my application layout) and I tried to put this in my application controller.
However, this didn't really work out for me.
Is there a simple way to do this without having to put the above in every controller?

A: if you have shared notification across the system and need to put it on the every page, you can do:

*

*put the method inside a module or applications_controller.rb

*add before_filter in applications_controller to populate the instance variable

*add an extra partial app/viewes/shared/_latest_announcement.hmtl.erb

*include the partial into the main layout applications.html.erb

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Maximilien, a member of Talon's inner council, is the focus of the next event.
Blizzard Entertainment continues to tease Overwatch's next Archives event, Storm Rising. Set in Havana, Cuba, players will have a chance to arrest Maximilien, a financially powerful Omnic who serves Talon's inner council. The latest teaser showcases Maximilien on the streets, likely en route to the Havana Sea Fortress.
Despite being relatively relegated to comic books and other lore, Maximilien is actually a very important figure. He assumed the void in power after Blackwatch took out Antonio (which was the focus of the Retribution event last year). With Tracer, Genji, Winston, and Mercy involved, how will Overwatch nab Maximilien?
Overwatch's Storm Rising event will start on April 16th and last until May 6th. Previous Archives events like Uprising and Retribution are expected to return. We'll also likely see new cosmetics like Legendary skins, emotes, sprays, and whatnot that can be unlocked via loot boxes during the event. Stay tuned for more details and save those Credits in the meantime.


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Moov Financial raises $27m in Series A funding round
Open source platform, Moov Financial, has raised $27 million in a Series A funding round led by venture firm a16z.
Moov has raised $32.5 million since 2017
The round featured participation from existing investors Bain Capital, Canapi Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, and Gradient Ventures.
Angela Strange, General Partner at a16z, and Matt Harris, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, are joining Moov's board.
Moov plans to use its new capital to boost its team and develop its enterprise software offerings.
The firm claims its systems allow banks to "quickly deploy basic financial service solutions".
Moov started as an open-source movement in 2017 from Wade Arnold and Bob Smith, veteran fintech founders of Banno (acquired by Jack Henry).
The Series A is Moov's second funding round, after an August seed round which brought in $5.5 million.
Matt Harris, partner at Bain Capital Ventures, said back during the seed round that the industry has been looking for a "common need for a modern, portable, embedded money movement infrastructure".
Related: Retail rewards platform Fetch raises $80m in venture funding
Previous Paysafe to list via Bill Foley-backed SPAC at $9bn valuation
Next Modularbank lands €4m to set up UK commercial operations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Say hello to the future of cooking. Project Foodie is an app that teaches you to chop, broil, and bake through real-time, chef-guided videos. Unlike other cooking apps on the market, this one allows the user to cook alongside the chef without ever hitting pause. Every detail of this highly-functional and thoughtful app is designed to further understanding, build confidence, and celebrate food in a fun, effortless, and rewarding way. Project Foodie was created with the passion and personalities of its founders infused into every aspect. With that in mind, we brought their playfulness into the brand identity. With a hand drawn illustration style and lively typography that departs from its fellow cooking app competitors, every UI touchpoint and curated video reinforces the ethos behind the brand. It's these personal touches that keep users engaged and coming back again and again.


There are many different kinds of headache, but Dr. Ross Ramsey has experience with a wide variety of headache pain: cervicogenic, stress, auto injuries, and migraine.
At Superior Chiropractic & Testing, we've helped many patients in Oakdale, Louisiana recover from headache pain and disability.
Watch our video on headache and chiropractic, and then give our office a call at (318) 335-1000 to see how we can help you get out of pain.


Welcome to The Callista, downtown Durham living at its best. Full website coming soon.
A boutique condominium building designed to meet the needs of those who desire the convenience of condo living, but the privacy of home owners, all in the thriving downtown area of BullCity.
Pre-sales available beginning February 1, 2019. Construction completion targeted April 2020.


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More than 1,000 Ontario schools have a case of COVID and 47 schools closed
Nearly 23 per cent of schools in Ontario now have a reported case of COVID-19.
By Urbi KhanStaff Reporter
Wed., Dec. 15, 2021timer3 min. read
Ontario is reporting another 1,808 COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths, according to its latest report released Wednesday morning.
Ontario has administered 127,613 vaccine doses since its last daily update, with 24,711,702 vaccines given in total as of 8 p.m. the previous night.
According to the Star's vaccine tracker, 12,033,585 people in Ontario have received at least one shot. That works out to approximately 85.9 per cent of the eligible population five years and older and the equivalent of 81.9 per cent of the total population, including those not yet eligible for the vaccine.
The province says 11,340,162 people have completed their vaccinations, which means they've had both doses. That works out to approximately 80.9 per cent of the eligible population five years and older, and the equivalent of 77.1 per cent of the total population, including those not yet eligible for the vaccine.
The provincial data now includes a cumulative number of people who have received booster doses. In Ontario, 1,322,001 people have received three doses of any Health Canada approved vaccine.
Hospitalizations by vaccines status
The province includes data that reflects hospitalizations and cases by vaccination status. Ontario warns that the new process may cause discrepancies between other hospitalization numbers being collected using a different process, and that the data may not match daily COVID-19 case counts.
The province reports 625 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in unvaccinated people, 39 were partially vaccinated, and 1,046 cases in fully vaccinated people.The province says even with a highly effective vaccine, cases may occur among vaccinated individuals due to a larger proportion of the population being vaccinated than unvaccinated. Again, the province warns the data may not match daily COVID case counts because records with a missing or invalid health card number can't be linked.
The province says that data on hospitalizations by vaccination status won't be updated on Sundays and Mondays due to incomplete weekend reporting.
COVID in schools
The province is also including data on COVID-19 in schools as part of its daily reporting.
There are 1,094 schools with a reported case of COVID out of 4,844 schools in the province, or 22.58 per cent.
There are 384 new cases reported Wednesday for a total of 10,486 reported school-related COVID cases in Ontario.
The province says 47 schools have closed due to outbreaks or operational considerations. It does not include regional closures in a local public health unit area.
To find out if there are COVID cases at your child's school, use the Star's tracker tool to search.
The seven-day average is at 1,514 cases daily.
The province says 44,726 tests were completed the previous day, and a 6.0 per cent positivity rate.
There are 357 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the province, including 136 patients in intensive care testing positive for COVID-19. There are 96 people on ventilators.
Locally, Ontario reports 343 news cases in Toronto, 149 in York Region, 134 in the Kingston region, 132 in Peel Region, 117 in Ottawa and 112 in Halton.
COVID in long-term-care
Meanwhile, the province is reporting that there are no new deaths in long-term-care so the number of residents who have died stays the same at 3,829, in the latest report released by the province.
Ontario is reporting no new long-term-care homes in outbreak, for a total of 11 or 1.8 per cent of LTC homes in the province.
This data is self-reported by the long-term-care homes to the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Daily case and death figures may not immediately match the numbers posted by the local public health units due to lags in reporting time.
There are 660 more cases of the Delta variant first detected in India, for a cumulative total of 12,675 cases.
There are 31 more cases of the Omicron variant first identified by South Africa, for a cumulative total of 126 cases.
Urbi Khan is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star. Reach her via email: urbikhan@thestar.ca


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Q: Pass object to custom angular bootstrap ui tooltip Im trying to pass and object to a custom angular-ui bootstrap tooltip component.
My code so far is a new directive:
angular.module('ui.bootstrap.korv', [ 'ui.bootstrap.tooltip' ])
.directive('korvPopup', function () {
    return {
        restrict: 'EA',
        replace: true,
        scope: { title: '@', content: '@', placement: '@', animation: '&', isOpen: '&', species: '='},
        templateUrl: 'korv.html'
    };
})
.directive('korv', [ '$tooltip', function ($tooltip) {
    return  $tooltip('korv', 'korv', 'click');
}]);

and the the template:


Today we finished a business Christmas video for the Canary Wharf Group. They wanted not just to spread festive cheer, but also to recognise their achievements over the last year. We suggested a countdown based on the carol 12 Days of Christmas. The organisation chose 12 statistics that illustrated the hard work they'd done, and we hung them around a virtual Christmas tree. The clip was then shared by email with staff and clients.
10% of the profits from this project went to the Dogs Trust, as part of our Christmas Promotion.


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Trump Administration Restricts Chinese Students
Finally, America confronts a massive espionage operation.
Tue Dec 25, 2018
Michael Cutler
On December 2, 2018 Voice Of America (VOA) published a news report, US Considers New Restrictions on Chinese Students.
This is certainly welcome news. The actions of the Trump administration to restrict Chinese students studying in the United States has been long overdue given the outrageous conduct of the Chinese government in its massive spying program against the United States; which has been so pervasive that it has come to be sarcastically referred to by the American intelligence community as "Chinese Take-Out!"
Here is how the VOA article began:
The administration of American President Donald Trump is considering new restrictions on Chinese students entering the U.S.
U.S. officials say increased concerns over spying and the loss of new technologies are among the reasons.
In June, the U.S. State Department shortened the length of stay for visas given to Chinese graduate students studying in several fields. The fields include flight, robotics and some kinds of manufacturing. Visas were shortened from five years to one.
At the time, the officials said the goal was to limit the risk of spying and of the loss of intellectual property that is important to national security.
Now, the Trump administration is considering whether to carry out additional investigations of Chinese students attending U.S. schools.
Reuters news agency reported that officials want to examine student phone calls. They also are considering looking at students' personal accounts on Chinese and U.S. social media sites.
Since taking office, President Trump has refused to follow the well-worn path of previous presidents who failed to put the interests of America and Americans first. This includes how the U.S. deals with China.
For decades, the relationship that the United States has had with China frequently defied comprehension and logic. Consider that China enjoys Most Favored Trade Status, even while it has manipulated currency, has engaged in large-scale espionage and in the wide-spread hacking of U.S. computers that belong to our military, government agencies, corporations and even private citizens–in identity theft.
We must not lose sight that China, first and foremost, is governed by a totalitarian communist government that routinely and profoundly violates the rights of its own citizens.
Nevertheless, many American companies have moved their production lines to China providing China even greater opportunities to steal intellectual property from these U.S. companies. This illustrates just how far CEOs of major companies will go to lower the cost of labor and overcome regulations while undermining the future of their own companies. This practice is not a matter of corporate executives suffering from myopia but utter blindness, calling into question, not only the vision of those American executives, but their sanity as well.
Meanwhile for years, the United States has admitted hundreds of thousands of Chinese STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students and provided them with first-rate educations.
Chinese engineering students often take advantage of the expanding _"Optional Practical Training"_ opportunities in the United States to work in U.S. companies that were of interest to the Chinese government to spy on, and acquire new technology.
Then these newly-minted engineers, computer programmers and other high-tech professionals return to China with their newly acquired skills to help build up China's military. When China rattles its sabers at the United States and other countries around the world, frequently those sabers were designed by those engineers who received their education in the United States.
Furthermore, indeed, all too frequently China also shares stolen technology with adversaries of the United States.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SEVP manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)–the web-based system DHS uses to maintain and manage information on the non-immigrants, whose primary purpose for coming to the United States is to study.
Every other year ICE issues a report about the enrollment of foreign students in the United States. Here is the link to the latest such report: SEVIS By The Numbers: Biannual Report On International Student Trends April 2018.
It disclosed, among other facts that:
Forty-nine percent of the F and M student population in the United States hailed from either China (377,070 students) or India (211,703 students), and interest continues to grow. Over the reporting period, both China and India saw proportional growth between 1 and 2 percent, with China sending 6,305 more students and India sending 2,356 more students. It is this level of participation from China and India that makes Asia far and away the most popular continent of origin. In fact, 77 percent of all international students in the United States call Asia home.
F student visas are for students enrolled in academic programs while M students are enrolled in trade schools.
While the report did not disclose how many Chinese students are enrolled in STEM courses of study, in years past, more than half of all Chinese students enrolled in STEM courses of study.
On December 10, 2018 Forbes Magazine published commentary by Arthur Herman, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Huawei's (And China's) Dangerous High-Tech Game. His piece focused on the implications of the December 1, 2018 arrest of Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada, allegedly because Huawei's Hong Kong shell company, Skycom sold products to Iran that contained U.S. components in violation of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
Here is an important excerpt from the piece:
What makes this arrest such a landmark isn't just the fact that Meng is heir apparent to the Chinese tech company her father founded and which has gained nearly $100 billion in revenue in 2018; or because Huawei is currently the world's biggest supplier of telecom network equipment and number two cellphone producer (Apple is third); or even the fact this arrest falls in the midst of a declared 90-day truce in the on-going trade battle between China and the Trump administration.
Instead, this is a shot across Beijing's bow in a much bigger struggle, the one for high-tech supremacy between the U.S. and China—the one that will decide the fate of the 21st century. Meng's arrest sends the message that Huawei, and its Chinese Communist Party puppet masters, are playing a dangerous game, if they think they can win this high-stakes struggle by any means fair or foul.
Three days later, on December 13th Herman wrote a followup piece, A Death In Silicon Valley 'With Chinese Characteristics' that reported on the suicide of the distinguished Chinese quantum physicist, venture capitalist, and Stanford University professor Zhang Shoucheng that took place on December 1, 2018, the same day that the CFO of Huawei was arrested in Canada.
Although Shoucheng was a naturalized U.S. citizen, he maintained disturbingly close links with the Chinese government.
Consider these excerpts from the article:
"Despite being a naturalized U.S. citizen, Zhang maintained close contact with the Communist regime in China (the head of ShanghaiTech, for example, is the son of former party leader Jiang Zemin). His company Digital Horizon Capital, known by the acronym DHVC, has been identified as part of a major Chinese infiltration effort into Silicon Valley, according to the U.S. Trade Representative Richard Lighthizer's latest report on China—a report released just days before Zhang's death."
"Lighthizer's report specifically named Zhang's DHVC as part of the "web of entities" set up in Silicon Valley "to further the industrial-policy goals of the Chinese government." Zhang's DHVC, as it turns out, is heavily back by the investment arm of an entity called the Zhongguancum Development Corporation (ZDG), a Chinese government state-owned firm, which revealed on its website during DHVC's launch that Zhang's outfit was going to focus on innovative technology being fostered at Stanford and elsewhere in Silicon Valley, for the benefit of ZDG."
I addressed my concerns about Chinese aggression in three recent articles that were published earlier this year:
Fears About Chinese 'Trade War' Are Late And Dumb
China has been waging economic war against the U.S. for decades.
China Ratchets Up Its U.S. Spying Programs
American Universities and financial institutions are at risk.
Chinese Citizen Arrested By FBI For Spying On U.S.
A case that highlights the nexus between immigration and espionage.
On December 20, 2018 the DOJ issued a press release, "Two Chinese Hackers Associated With the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaigns Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information."
On September 10, 2018 Newsweek reported, "China's Role In Russia's Largest War Games Shows Beijing-Moscow Ties Are Strengthening, Experts Say."
On September 13, 2018 Newsweek reported, "Will China Bail Out Venezuela? Maduro Heads To Beijing Amid U.S. Invasion Rumors."
As the article reported:
China has sent more than $50 billion to Venezuela over the past decade in the form of oil-for-loan deals, according to Reuters. These have allowed Beijing to secure much-needed fuel for its growing economy while supporting a vehemently anti-American government in South America.
Furthermore, as I noted in my recent article, Caravan Of 'Migrants' - A Crisis Decades In The Making, The President of Guatemala has claimed that cash-strapped Venezuela has provided funding to the "Caravan of Migrants."
It is possible that China and/or Iran have provided cash to Venezuela that was then used to subsidize at least some of the costs of organizing and transporting thousands of aspiring illegal aliens who sought to enter the United States by whatever means possible.
On September 14, 2018 Newsweek reported, "Chinese Deal To Take Over Key Israeli Port May Threaten U.S. Naval Operations, Critics Say."
My dad taught me that bullies could intimidate me only if I permitted them to intimidate me.
President Trump is demonstrating a clear lesson to the thugs and bullies of the world that finally America will no longer be pushed around.


So since I have to save all of my vacation and sick time for when I have the baby, my husband and I decided to just go away for the weekend instead of the usual week or so. We don't have fancy jobs, our paychecks go to bills and groceries and that's about it with a little bit of savings. I'm a very guilty shopper, I will buy stuff for my husband or my son but I have a very hard time buying for myself. Usually I'll pick something up I like and either return it or put it back before I check out. Yesterday we went to the outlets to walk around and there was a maternity store I really wanted to look at just to see if they had bigger sales because of it being an outlet. Being a plus size woman it's hard to go into regular stores and find stuff. I tried some stuff on and of course loved it but knew it would be too much money, while I was in the back looking my husband took everything up to the front a bought it for me. Granted we got some very good deals compared to normal pricing (3 pants, 3 shirts, and a pair of capris for $170) but when we got back to the car I just lost it and started ugly crying. Of course my husband was reassuring me and told me he just wanted me to be happy and it's stuff I needed and would be able to use my whole pregnancy. He got upset because he thought I was mad but I told him I was very appreciative and I just felt bad to spend that on myself and that I never got stuff like that when I was pregnant with my son (he's not the biological father) I just had to buy stretchy pants from Walmart. I'm not a materialistic person but he has really shown me how great he truly is going through this pregnancy with him. He shares the same joy and excitement every day with me.
Sorry it was so long!
Aww what a sweet guy!! It sounds like you're both being financially smart and you deserve this :). Enjoy your clothes!
For one mom, the gigantic hospital bills of an elective C-section outweighed the anxiety she felt about giving birth vaginally.
"My six-month-old gets really angry when she's strapped in the car seat or when she can't reach a toy. Is it normal for babies to have such a temper?"
HI ladies..just had my first emotional breakdown at the fact my beautician refused to do my eyelash extensions!Anyone else had a breakdown over something so insignificant?
I am so emotional with this pregnancy. I seem to have a breakdown about the smallest things. I dont remember feeling this like with my first born! is this just first trimester hormones?


She is exactly what we need on the BOE: A good critical thinker who takes a reasonable approach to working with everyone, even though views may differ.
Dueppen has long been an advocate for students and education, serving as a bit of a citizen watchdog on government transparency and school-related issues. Her platform of making decisions that are student-focused and empowering the voices of students would create a student body that is more engaged in their own education, and also would get the BOE back on track focusing on the kids rather than buildings. Dueppen also has good ideas on making curriculum more rigorous and experiential.
Muri is a passionate and intelligent advocate for schools.
It is without hesitation that I endorse Muri Dueppen for a seat on the Board of Education. Muri has long been a steadfast advocate for the school system. She is a thoughtful and intelligent leader. She understands our school system, its strengths and challenges, and brings her own ideas to the table. I have no doubt that she will always put the interests of our students first, and that is why I will be giving her my vote!
I am 100% behind Muri Dueppen for Carroll County Board of Education. She is intelligent, well-spoken, and conducts in-depth research when examining an issue. She is sensitive to individual experiences while also considering issues from a systems perspective that takes into consideration the multiple factors at play. I strongly believe that her excellent communication skills and her evidence-based approach to problem solving will be an asset to the Board.
Muri is incredibly thoughtful and cares deeply about our children and education for all. And she is familiar with the very complex issues facing our county. She will make an excellent board member!
She is just what we need -smart, level-headed and reasonable with the best interest of the kids at heart.
I have known Muri Dueppen for a number of years, and not only do I value her opinions, I have come to depend on her for accurate information. I don't know how she does it, but she has kept track of education in this county accurately. If I have a questions about the budget or the workings of a previous group, she provides the information I need to educate myself. Muri keeps track, and Muri cares.


VPAP / BIPAP Therapy | SleepWorks Medical Inc.
VPAP (Variable Positive Airway Pressure) & BIPAP (Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure) devices, like CPAP, use patient-specific pressures to keep the airway open. BIPAP uses an inspiratory pressure and a slightly lower expiratory pressure to assist the client in exhalation. BIPAP is usually ordered by a physician for patients who require higher CPAP pressures.
The S9 VPAP Adapt is an adaptive servo-ventilator (ASV) specifically designed to treat central sleep apnea (CSA) in all its forms, including mixed sleep apnea, complex sleep apnea and periodic breathing such as Cheyne–Stokes respiration (CSR). The device continuously monitors and adapts to the patient's breathing pattern throughout the night to ensure they're receiving the right pressure at the right time.
The S9 VPAP Adapt is quick and easy to set up, resulting in fewer patient callbacks and reduced setup time. And with its advanced clinical features and patient management options, the S9 VPAP Adapt allows you to closesly monitor patient progress.
The S9 VPAP Auto is an auto-adjusting bilevel model that delivers comfortable therapy to treat OSA patients who may need higher pressure support. Based on the enhanced AutoSet™, the VAuto algorithm adjusts to the baseline pressure so breathing feels natural and comfortable.
The S9 VPAP Auto also offers a fixed bilevel therapy mode for those who are suited to the set EPAP level. It is quick and easy to set up, resulting in fewer patient callbacks and reduced setup time. And with its advanced clinical features and patient management options, you're able to ensure treatment efficacy for a wide range of patients.
Features enhanced Vsync technology, which compensates for possible leaks to provide excellent patient–ventilator synchrony, as well as TiControl™ (Ti Max/Min) to accommodate individual respiratory conditions.
Easy-Breathe motor reduces sound to a whisper, so the patient and bed partner's sleeping environment remains quiet and restful.
User-friendly controls, intuitive interface and a bright color LCD guide patients through the setup process, making it simple for them to navigate menus and customize settings.


The Rossville native continues her musical growth with her national tour "Still Keepin' It Country."
Lauren Alaina visited NBC's TODAY Show Thursday in support of her new single titled "Road Less Traveled."
The Ringgold native continues her musical growth with her national tour "Still Keepin' It Country."
In 2011, Lauren Alaina finished as runner-up to Scotty McCreery in the 10th season of "Amercian Idol."


The incomparable JOE ROBINSON laying down tracks at Blueman Studios in Nashville for Jesse James, I Won't Remember You, and Mary Alice. Joe studied with the great Tommy Emmanuel in his younger days and won Australia's Got Talent for his guitar virtuosity when he was only 13! Joe now lives in Nashville and tours world wide.
To all of you Patrons and Silent Partners who so generously supported the "Who Cares" project please accept my heartfelt THANK YOU!
David G Smith Art Corner!
YOU CAN PURCHASE ANY STORE ITEM BELOW BY CHECK, CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL!
New release! Once again visionary producer, Blue Miller was at the helm. Features a fresh batch of songs to include one inspired by the life of Robin Williams, a co-write with my buddy Blue, and a duet with my friend and Grammy nom, Mary Gauthier (go-shay)!
Produced by Blue Miller (India.Arie, Joss Stone). Guest appearances by Keb' Mo' & Mary Gauthier! Songs: Fear, Ocean Soul, First Love, Nightlife in the Stix, Lost in You, Questions, I Can't Tell, In The Silence, I Got it All, Carrie.
This CD includes a 12 page booklet with the lyrics to all 13 songs, player and credit information, and a few extra pics.
Recorded live at Nashville's 3rd + Lindsley (a classy venue where folks like Bruce Cockburn, Jonatha Byrd, Jonell Moser, the Wooten Bros and many other cool folks play + congregate). Features the Family Smith: Ed J, Danny Ray, Dillon T. and the songs of David G from his Non-Fiction CD plus a bonus track not available elsewhere called: One House!
This is a digital EP purchase. Give me an email and I'll send you the 8 tracks that comprise this performance: no muss, no fuss, no shipping charges! You can't find it anywhere else! My two brothers, Danny Ray and Ed J, and I opened for Justin Townes Earle at the Ellen Kennedy Fine Arts Center in Eastern Iowa. An amazing 435 seat venue. Listen to the crowd. Thanks to my very talented brothers we got a standing ovation!
THAT'S All 6 CD'S FOR $60! And I'll pay the postage (within the US)!
"Imagined By Sharon" design! Each one unique...cloth covered with creative stitching with a button from my mother's button collection sewn on.... and a Hey Dave Music pen. Features a David G Smith lyric!
Hey Dave Music Sport Cap!
I like the outdoors: I run, bike, hike or play tennis almost every day. I also like hats and I've got one that'll fit you perfectly! Unisex. Lightweight & wicking 100% Poly-E with one-size-fits-all adjustable velcro strap, vents & reflector feature built into the bill. "Hey Dave Music" printed discreetly on one side. Colors: White & Cool! CLICK ON A HAT TO SEE IT UP CLOSE!
Give us your email and we'll give you a song!


Chevening develops talented individuals from around the world who demonstrate the qualities of leadership and the potential to grow into positions of influence.
The programme creates a network of influencers and decision makers who have a lasting positive disposition towards the UK and its universities, and partnerships enable closer connections to be developed between the partner organisation, the FCO and this extensive Chevening Alumni network.
Increase your global impact through Chevening's worldwide reach; we have a physical presence in more than 160 countries and territories, our website and our other digital channels reach millions of people each month.
Some of our partners, and alumni who have worked with our partners, have been kind enough to share their experiences of being involved in a Chevening Partnership. Have a read.


Washington, DC (December 1, 1995) – It's difficult to determine just what percentage of the Internet's mushrooming population is represented on the thousands of Internet mailing lists; but mailing lists have become an integral part of many Internauts' online experience.
It's ironic, then, that the enormous popularity of these lists has led some providers of mailing list services to abandon their list-hosting programs, leaving hundreds of lists – and their related cyber-communities – without a home.
Some providers did not assess their costs accurately, charging a flat fee (and in some cases, not charging at all) for lists of unlimited volume. Other providers, perhaps because of inexperience with the dynamics of list management, used inefficient tools that did not scale up gracefully as demand increased, needlessly overtaxing their systems.
As a result, many providers concluded that the service of hosting mailing lists isn't economically feasible, suspending or altogether eliminating a service that allowed Internauts to establish virtual communities based on common interests. As this policy becomes more widespread, hapless list owners scramble to find a new home for their lists, only to find themselves out on the street again within months.
In an effort to provide an affordable and stable haven for these non-commercial lists, L-Soft international, Inc., purveyor of the LISTSERVTM mailing list software and operator of the largest mailing list site in the world, is adding a new level to its EASESM list hosting service. Starting as low as $8 per month, the "EASE Home" service has been created to meet the needs of individuals who want to operate low-budget non-commercial lists: a fast, dependable, no-frills, low-cost mailing list service using the authentic LISTSERVTM software.
With over 1.6 million messages delivered every weekday, L-Soft has the lowest unit costs in the market – and the know-how to operate a large, scalable mailing list service. In contrast, most other mailing list providers deliver fewer than 50,000 messages per day.
"Many providers now realize that there are inevitable costs involved in hosting lists, but with the right software and the right equipment a service like this has enormous potential," says L-Soft's Susan Lowell. "Most of these homeless lists belong to hobbyists who just want to bring their communities together. We've reduced as much of our overhead as we reasonably could in order to provide an affordable option for continuing the lists. And, since we know exactly what it costs to run a large mailing list service, people don't have to worry about sudden price changes."
"This market is much too large to be mined by any single company. We're hoping that in the future more Internet service providers will give their customers the option of having their own LISTSERV lists," Lowell adds. "In fact, we're now implementing special licensing options to make it easy for ISPs to do that."


Ladbrokes Tip: The Theo Marks Stakes is a good lead-up to the Epsom Handicap Trifecta.
The Theo Marks Stakes is a Group 2 race held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on Run To The Rose Day in September during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Contested on the same day as the Group 2 The Run To The Rose and Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes – both for three-year-old horses – the Theo Marks is open to horses aged three-years-old and over and is run under quality handicap conditions over 1400m.
Offering a total of $200,000 in prize money, the race makes a nice lead-up to tougher spring features like the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick the following month. The last horse to complete the Theo Marks Stakes – Epsom Handicap double in a single season was Winx (2015).
This year the Theo Marks Stakes runs on September 8, 2018.
The Theo Marks Stakes field features a line-up of strong spring types, many heading towards Group 1 runs in Sydney later during the carnival. Horses may contest the Theo Marks Stakes first-up, or come off an earlier run in a race like the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick the month before. In 2017 Deploy completed the Show County Quality – Theo Marks Stakes double.
After running in the Theo Marks Stakes horses usually head towards a run in the Epsom Handicap via a race like the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) a fortnight later. In 2014 Ninth Legion ran third in the Theo Marks and Shannon Stakes before an Epsom Handicap fourth to He's Your Man. That same year Bull Point ran third in the Show County and second in the Theo Marks before heading to Melbourne where he finished third in Caulfield's Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
In 2013 Solzhenitsyn was runner-up to Riva De Lago in the Theo Marks Stakes before a third in the Sir Rupert Clarke and a win in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m). The 2011 Theo Marks Stakes winner Master Of Design also ran third in that year's Sir Rupert in Melbourne next start.
Before Winx (2015) who completed the Theo Marks – Epsom double, the best result of a Theo Marks winner in the Epsom Handicap was Ambidexter (2nd) in 2012.
The Theo Marks Stakes betting markets are usually led by horses that ran well at Rosehill the start before in a race like the Show Country Quality, or first-up performers that have a strong fresh record.
While favourites in the Theo Marks Stakes odds have a strong recent record notable upsets include Riva De Lago ($11 in 2013) and Master Of Design ($13 in 2011).
Good Theo Marks Stakes tips include looking for the best out of the Show County Quality the month before, proven Sydney performers and horses with good form over the distance.
The Theo Marks Stakes form guide features all the must know information for punters like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.
The Theo Marks Stakes form has stacked up in better spring races a number of times in recent years like Winx (2015) who went on to win the Epsom Handicap and Melbourne's Cox Plate. The 2015 Theo Marks runner-up Sons Of John also backed-up with an Epsom Handicap third.
The Theo Marks Stakes results have been dominated by class gallopers and future Group 1 winners in the past decade. Notable recent Theo Marks Stakes winners include Winx (2015), More Joyous (2010) and Racing To Win (2006 and 2009).
The official Theo Marks Stakes 2018 results and race finishing order will be known and published below when the event takes place on September 8, 2018.


LETS stands for Local Economic Trading System. Instead of cash, traders use an elctronic currency to trade for goods and services. Some LETS systems use an alternative paper currency. It doesn't matter if you're cash-poor; with LETS you can turn your skills into buying power. LETS is non-profit. Think of it as your community currency. LETS lets people put their skills to work in their community for real bargaining power and a financial future. Some day there will be a LETS in every community.
Text and code by cdm, Jan. 17, 1997. Last updated Jan. 17th, 1997.


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Home » Newton Hires Connects Employees to Newton Employers
Metro, Newton
Newton Hires Connects Employees to Newton Employers
By Ashley Emanuel
November 14, 2021 Updated November 14, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Newton Hires, a program that aims to attract employees for Newton employers using cash bonus incentives, participated in a virtual career fair on Nov. 2 in an effort to involve more people in the program.
"We really hope that people will take a look at the program and try to participate," Devra Bailin, Newton Economic Development director, said. "Our goal is to get as many people employed in Newton as we can, and we feel that this incentive is actually really helpful to people, especially over the holiday season."
The program is a collaborative effort among the city, MassHire Metro South/West, and the Charles River Regional Chamber, where Bailin serves on the board of directors. A portion of the funding Newton received from the American Recovery Plan will fund the program, according to Bailin.
Newton Hires connects employees with prospective employers in an effort to make the job search easy and efficient. The program uses a monetary bonus to incentivize people to find and remain in jobs, Bailin said.
While Newton Hires was first available on Aug. 9, anyone who met the requirements by Aug. 1 can retroactively register, Bailin said.
"What's interesting about the program is that an employee can start with an employer and then find out about the program and they can both then retroactively apply," Bailin said. "We've made it as simple as possible for people to grab hold of the incentive bonus."
Bailin had a booth at the fair to answer questions and was available to help resolve any issues, and she said was able to witness how employees responded to the program.
"As I participated in the job fair, I can say that I thought it was a very successful event and hope that many of those people who were participating get jobs," Bailin said. "It was a platform that was very easy to use … and I think it created a very open environment for people to feel free to ask their questions."
According to Bailin, 88 individuals pre-registered for the fair and 41 attendees and 30 employers participated. The program has had positive feedback so far, though employers seem to be more eager than potential employees, Bailin said.
Over 65 employers have identified vacancies through the program. Though there have been a lot of inquiries and interest, only 27 unemployed individuals are fully registered on the MassHire website and 10 of those job applicants have earned their first bonus by working at least four weeks, according to Bailin.
Qualifications to apply for the program, according to the MassHire website and Bailin, include being 18 years of age, currently underemployed or unemployed, registering with MassHire Metro South/West, and securing employment of 20 hours per week and providing documentation of being employed. Qualifications for employers include being based in Newton and registering their business and job openings with MassHire. Newton Hires is also limited to the first 200 people who are hired in Newton and stay employed.
Some of the participating employers include Solomon Schechter School, the Suzuki School, and Boston Showcase, according to Bailin.
Over 3,400 vacancies were reported in the city between April 15 and July 15, according to the city's website. Bailin said this reflects the labor shortages and difficulty to retain workers in Newton, but also at the state and national level.
Employers are not only having issues finding employees, but also retaining workers for extended periods of time, Bailin said. To encourage long-term employment, the program offers the bonus only after employees remain with their employer for four weeks and offers another bonus if they stay through Dec. 20, according to Bailin.
"Under the program if you work for four weeks you get $500," Bailin said. "If you're still working as of December 20, you would get another $500 after January of 2022—so it's a $1,000 bonus."
Boston Showcase exemplifies the issue of employee retention, as Bailin said the company was able to find employees but was having trouble incentivizing them to stay.
"That was one of the reasons for doing this sort of incentive bonus," Bailin said. "A lot of people were showing up for a day or two of work and then they'd go on to something else and that obviously is a problem for employers … so we wanted to encourage people to be employed here in Newton, but also to stay employed here and allow companies some stability in their work staff."
While this program is new to Newton, it has been implemented in a similar capacity in other Massachusetts communities and is based loosely off of Salem's Hospitality Employee Incentive Program, Bailin said. This program also offers monetary benefits, in the form of Visa gift cards, to employees who maintain a certain number of hours of work on a weekly basis, according to the Salem website. Bailin said she, along with other city officials, determined Newton could benefit from a similar program.
Aside from the job fair, Bailin said she has also publicized Newton Hires in Mayor Ruthanne Fuller's community update emails, on social media, and in the Charles River Regional Chamber's newsletter.
"The difficulty is it is not just people in Newton who are unemployed that qualify, but anybody who takes the job in Newton," Bailin said. "So trying to get the word out in a broader market is much more difficult."
While the program is expected to end after the last bonuses are given out in January 2022, Bailin said she would love to continue the program in the future.
"At some point, those people will need to get back to work and my hope is that we can sort of incentivize them to come our way, but right now the plan is the program will end at the end of this year with final payments being made early next year," Bailin said.
Featured Image by Keara Hanlon / Heights Senior Staff
Newton Hires MassHire Metro South/West Charles River Regional Chamber
Ackerly: Nevermind Expanding the Playoff, Just Get Rid of It
Meet Four of Boston College's Afghanistan Veterans
HEIGHTS NEWSLETTER


The great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II tells 5 live Breakfast Germany was not solely to blame for the outbreak of World War One.
Philip Kiril von Preussen tells Nicky Campbell the responsibility for the war was on "more than one side."
Wilhelm was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia ruling from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918.
This clip is from 5 live Breakfast 2 May 2014.


A classic pattern is rediscovered in the Federal Gold Dinner Plate. Bands of shimmering 24 karat gold adorn white bone china in a perfect image of grace and luxury. This dinnerware is a timeless choice for every table.


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FINA World Short Course Championships 2021 - Swimming Day 2
Ten British swimmers will take to the blocks at Yas Bay's Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi over 15-21 December 2021, including swimmers based / trained in Somerset.
Watch live on All Aquatics. Heats are at 5.30am and Semi-Finals & Finals from 2pm will feature bespoke coverage and expert commentary from Andy Jameson and Jazz Carlin.
Men's 200m Freestyle - Duncan Scott and Tom Dean
Women's 100m Freestyle - Lucy Hope and Freya Anderson
Men's 100m Butterfly - Ed Mildred
Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay - Great Britain
Here's what @Dunks_Scott had to say after finishing fourth in the 200m free final at the @FINA21AbuDhabi Worlds earlier today..
Fair to say he's looking forward to a well-earned Christmas break after an Olympic history-making year.@britishswimming | @ScottishSwim pic.twitter.com/gUkKVY45d7
— Nick Hope - the athlete's journalist (@NickHopeTV) December 17, 2021
Click on a panel heading below to view reports when available or to close an open panel.
Day 2 Finals
Duncan Scott's busy year continued with a close-run final in the Men's 200m Freestyle. The six-time Olympic medallist became Team GB's most successful athlete from any sport at one Games when he won one gold and three silvers this summer, including silver in the 200m Freestyle and the Olympic title as part of Britain's Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay quartet.
Having qualified third-fastest for a packed final, the University of Stirling man Scott did his customary surge down the final 50m before being narrowly touched out of the medals, finishing fourth with a slightly-improved time of 1:42.27 on his semi-final effort. Not that the time was the focus for Duncan, who said afterwards: "I wasn't too bothered about the time, I just wanted to get in and race, and I did that pretty well. I know what shape I'm in here (after a chest infection) - it won't sum up my year, I've had a pretty good year. I don't know how many more swims I'll have this year, but I wanted to continue my international medal [run]. I think I've won one at every international I've been to. That might be that, I'm a little bit gutted to finish the year like that but we'll wait and see.
"I'll be happy, and it's been a year of mixed emotions for me. I reckon a fourth-place really sums up the way some of my emotions have been this year, but I've got to have my head held high, as I got four Olympic medals and a best time in all my individual finals, so I've got to be pleased with that. Then my short-course season has been really consistent, and I'm pleased with that as well. I'm delighted with the way the year has been. Now it's just looking forward to the next cycle and a bit of rest."
G-S-B went to Hwang Sunwoo (KOR, 1:41.60), Aleksandr Shchegolev (RSF, 1:41.63) and Danas Rapsys (LTU, 1:41.73).
Scott's Stirling training partner Lucy Hope was one of two Brits involved in the Women's 100m Freestyle semi-finals at the Etihad Arena pool after promising showings in Thursday's heats. Olympic champion Freya Anderson was the other, with the David McNulty-coached swimmer improving her heats time of 53.02 with another strong finish down the final 25m for 52.67, only to miss out on a final berth by a mere 0.08s.
Sarah Sjostrom (SWE, 51.53) and Siobhan Bernadette Haughey (HKG, 51.82), Katarzyna Wasick (POL) and Kayla Sanchez (CAN) tied on 52.28 are the four fastest qualifiers.Marie Wattel (FRA, 52.59) is through eighth fastest.
Hope, meanwhile, came 16th overall clocking 53.41 and bettering her prelim time by 0.08s, as preparations for the busy 2022 long-course season continue to gather momentum - and the opportunity to improve areas in the shorter form of the sport has also been a valuable one.
"The whole reason to come here was to get some short-course experience. I think in Britain we are focused a lot towards the Olympics and long course, but with the new ISL and everything, people are tending to focus on short course a little more. I think it's a great opportunity to practice all the little things you're not the best at but can work on," she said. "It's been a long season off the back of Tokyo, and it's kind of run right through to now, so I'm looking forward to some time off at Christmas. If anything, 2022 will probably get busier! It's put us in good stead for next year, because with the Olympics being delayed, it has pushed other events to be crammed in. Racing is great, it's so much fun and it's why we do it, so we can't really complain. You can only do the sport for a limited time, so you just have to enjoy it while you're in it."
Sweden (1:42.38) - Louise Hansson (25.91), Sophie Hansson (29.07), Sarah Sjostrom (23.96) and Michelle Coleman (23.44) - led throughout the Women's 4x50m Medley Relay and equalled the World and Championship Record which USA set in 2018 in Hangzou. USA (1:43.61) and NED (1:44.03) completed the podium places.
G-S-B in the Men's 100m Backstroke went to Shaine Cacas (USA, 49.23), Kliment Kolesnikov (RSF, 49.46) and Robert Glinta (ROU, 49.60) respectively.
World Record holder Ilya Shymanovich (BLR, 55.70) proved he is still the man to beat after controlling the Men's 100m Breaststroke final and breaking Cameron van der Burgh's 2018 Championship record by 0.31s. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA, 55.80) and Nic Fink (USA, 55.87) claimed silver and bronze leaving Arno Kamminga (NED, 56.06) fourth.
Ireland's Mona McSharry (29.59s) missed out on a bronze medal in the Women's 50m Breaststroke by 0.04s finishing fourth. The podium places went to Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR, 29.34), Benedetta Pilato (ITA, 29.50) and Sophie Hannson (SWE, 29.55).
Louise Hannson (55.20) made Sweden's day even better, beating Kylie Masse (CAN) to Women's 100m Backstroke gold by 0.02s. Katharine Berkoff (USA, 55.40) claimed bronze.
All teams in the Mixed 4x50m Freestyle swam MMFF and Canada swimming in lane 1 pulled out a 1:28.55 as Maggie MacNeil's anchor swim overhauled Netherlands (1:28.61) and Russian Swimming Federation (1:28.97) who finished with silver and bronze.
The Men's 100m Butterfly semi finals saw Egypt's Youssef Ramadan (49.60) qualify third fastest behind Matteo Rivolta (ITA, 49.07) and Chad le Clos (RSA, 49.56).
Day 2 Heats
Duncan Scott (1:42.58) got the British action underway on day two by qualifying third fastest for the 200m Freestyle final behind Fernando Scheffer (BRA, 1:42.42) and Hwang Sunwoo (KOR, 1:42.43).
Solid swims from Brits Freya Anderson (53.02) and Lucy Hope (53.49) enabled them to progress to the 100m Freestyle semi-finals, ranking sixth and eleventh respectively from the prelims. Loughborough alumna Marie Wattel (FRA, 53.32) qualified in seventh. Fresh from setting the World Record over 200m on day 1, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey (51.97) leads the qualifiers ahead of Sarah Sjostrom (SWE, 52.21) and Kayla Sanchez (CAN, 52.38).
Ed Mildred (51.26) gained more valuable international experience, ranking 26th overall in the 100m Butterfly in which five swimmers went sub 50s, with the two fastest being Noe Ponti (SUI, 49.49) and Andrei Minakov (RSF, 49.60). Chad le Clos (RSA, 50.47) qualified in eleventh.
Top 3 progressing in the Women's 200m Butterfly are Svetlana Chimrova (RSF, 2:05.12), Zhang Yufei (CHN, 2:05.73) and Anastasiia Markova (RSF, 2:05.97).
Top 4 to progress in the Women's 800m Freestyle are Li Bingjie (CHN, 8:10.08), Summer McIntosh (CAN, 8:13.37), Isabel Gose (GER, 8:13.61) and Simona Quadarella (ITA, 8:14.10).
Top 3 qualifiers in the Women's 4x50m Medley Relay were USA (1:44.50), Canada (1:45.17) and Italy (1:45.48).
Top 3 qualifiers in the Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay were RSF (1:29.84), ITA (1:30.44) and NED (1:30.50) who all swam MMFF.
And here's what Olympians @LucyHope_ & @freyaandersonn had to say after the 100m freestyle SF's @FINA21AbuDhabi Worlds earlier..@britishswimming | @ScottishSwim pic.twitter.com/nph9wGN7oZ


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Oh No, Billie Joe!
Published: Sept. 25, 2012, 6:09 a.m.
Though you wouldn't think so from his crazy spiked hair and torn clothing, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is considered a polished professional, simply playing the part of punk rocker to his grungy fans, but always remaining calm and in control. That is why his complete meltdown at the iHeart Radio Festival was so shocking. Sure, he sings and looks like a rebel, but most of the social insubordination he feels is reserved for his lyrics, and not his actions. So, when he became incensed during his set at the festival, I thought it was another theatrical element to the performance. Only when he didn't come back on stage did I stop to think, wait, what just happened here?
Armstrong apparently misinterpreted a cue from organizers at Clear Channel as one urging him to wrap it up and get off the stage. In true punk rock fashion he responded to this by glaring angrily through his eyeliner, going on an heated tirade, defiantly smashing his guitar on stage, and flipping off those in charge. Likely thinking that this is just the "punk" part of punk rock, fans cheered at the singer's display of anarchic musicianship as he snarled, "Let me f****ing tell you something, I've been around since f***ing 19-f***ing-88. And you're going to give me 1 f***ing minute? You've got to be f***ing kidding me. I'm not Justin Bieber you mother f***ers."
In a twist (and smartly executed business move), rather than shaking their black nail-polished fists at the Man along with him, the rest of Green Day issued an official apology to those at iHeart Radio and stated that in fact, their set was not cut short by the music conglomerate, Clear Channel. The apology came in conjunction with an announcement that Armstrong was going to be "seeking treatment for substance abuse."
All of this mayhem was the explosive prelude to the group's release of ¡Uno!, the first of three new records, which comes out today. Though they had to cancel some of their promotional stops, Green Day got more publicity about their albums after Armstrong's tantrum than the "postponed" autograph signing at Tilly's in Burbank ever could have given them.
As another testament to the group's business acumen, fans can download a copy of the record for only 5 bucks off of Amazon this week.
By: Darianne Dobbie
Rock The Weekend 10/5/12-10/7/12
The Script Breaks Even At The Greek
Imagine Dragons Roar At Club Nokia
Rock The Weekend 9/28/12-9/30/12
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Get A Little Help From Their Fans
Rock The Weekend 10/12/12-10/14/12
LA Times' THE TASTE: A Food & Drink Journey
The Lumineers Lit Up The Fonda With Folksy Charm
Bud Light Debuts Fantasy Football League Just In Time For The Season
Rock The Weekend 8/31/12-9/2/12
Clint Eastwood Steals The Show At Republican National Convention


There is an old axiom that the only thing constant is change. Why is it, then, that so many people get so concerned when changes happen or, in the case of politics and bureaucracy, are proposed? The Department of Homeland Security has announced several proposed changes to the H-1B Visa program.
Some of the proposals are still in the idea stage, so no details are available.
At American Corporate Services, Inc. we continually advise our clients to seek out details diligently before jumping to conclusions. In fact, one of our priorities is to ensure that our readers and clients can understand how changes may – or may not – affect them.
The changes are only proposals at this point.
Some proposed changes could become law.
Possible H-1B candidates and visa holders should review reliable news sources over the coming months.
Concerned individuals should contact us directly to ensure they have a clear understanding of the facts.
What Are the Proposed Changes for H-1B?
There is a proposal to change the wording to focus less on the degree and more on the finding the best and brightest available foreign nationals to fit the position to be filled.
The definition of the employer-employee relationship may change.
Some consider the current definition too broad in its scope, allowing for unintended loopholes. Although not yet explicitly stated, the language may change to more specifically describe a mandatory, direct relationship between employer and employee.
Some changes may be forthcoming regarding wages.
These revisions may provide additional protection for immigrants as well as their U.S. coworkers by ensuring that both are being paid wages appropriate for their employment.
The current cap of 65,000 visas per fiscal year may be adjusted by the implementation of an electronic registration system.
Indirectly, there is mention of potential new requirements for employing foreign national students on F and M visas.
These changes will likely reflect an emphasis on students engaged in STEM fields of study. This would be copasetic with the focus on the best and brightest referenced earlier in this article.
One additional point of change may reflect no difference at all from a practical perspective. That is concerning potentially rescinding the International Entrepreneur Rule. We may devote some further commentary on this in the future. However, what is essential to understand at this time is that the IER, originally scheduled to take effect in July 2017, has been slowed by the change in administration. If canceled, it should have a minimal impact.
Change is inevitable. Some modifications may come to the H-1B Visa program. Not all change is bad. We should not suppose that any or all change to the H-1B program will be good or bad until we know to a certainty what those changes are and how and when they will be implemented.


Each year, in Idaho, an average of 2,005 students graduate with credentials in business. There are 11 business schools in Idaho if you are interested in pursuing credentials in the field of business. You can expect to pay an average of $6,675 per year in tuition for a degree in business in Idaho state.
The largest business school in Idaho, by student population is Brigham Young University-Idaho. It is located in Rexburg. Approximately 330 students graduated with a business degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2009, which is 16% of the total state business graduates for that year. In 2009, tuition at Brigham Young University-Idaho, was approximately $3,580 per year.
A majority of those with an education in business pursue a career as a business professional. If after graduation, you are planning on working in Idaho, it is important to know that the job outlook for business graduates in the state is not very good. An estimated 13,620 business professionals are in Idaho state. The government expects, by 2018, for this number to increase by 6%, or to 14,440 business professionals.
In Idaho, as a business professional, you can expect to earn a salary of anywhere from less than $36,953 per year to more than $121,685 per year. In Idaho, business professionals make an average of $66,728 per year.


By Michael Wong | November 26, 2018.
Sell or trade in used video games, gaming consoles, accessories, and consumer electronics for cash or trade credit in any of GameStop's 3,900+ stores across the United States.
GameStop may accept damaged or non-functioning items for lower trade-in credits.
You can get cash or credit for your trades, but cash gets you 20% less.
GameStop Corp., is a $1 billion publicly traded company (http://c1ick.us/gamestop-nys).


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Sassen – Going Beyond the Minimum
Going Beyond the Minimum
By Shannon Gleeson – May 6, 2016
This month both California and New York passed path-breaking legislation to increase the minimum wage, up to $15 by 2022 for California and by 2018 for the slightly more ambitious Empire State. Opponents, especially in low-wage industries, decried the negative impact the change will have on their purportedly slim profit margins. Meanwhile, advocates praised the move, citing widening inequality and soaring corporate profits as evidence of needed change.
Some advocates are critical, calling the change too little, too late and too slowly phased in; they note the higher wage is still far below a living wage in many of the most expensive housing markets in these states.
But there is far too little discussion on how exactly this change, which at least labor leaders agree is moving in the right direction, will be implemented on the ground. Wage theft – the phenomenon of people not getting paid for their work – is ubiquitous and, some argue, the epidemic that no one is talking about. A 2009 study of low-wage workers in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City found that minimum wage violations were one of the most commonly reported worker complaints, with 26 percent of workers surveyed paid less than the legally required minimum wage and 60 percent reporting underpayment of at least $1.
In my own study of low-wage workers contesting workplace abuse in the San Francisco Bay area, I found that over a third of all survey respondents, and 59 percent of undocumented claimants, reported having experienced a wage and hour violation, which also includes lack of overtime and missed breaks that are mandated by the state.
What evidence do we have that an increase in the legal minimum wage will translate into actual benefits for the most vulnerable workers – including temp workers, day laborers, domestic workers, janitorial staff, berry pickers and those in food service – and what can we do to move toward this reality?
The last four decades have seen what University of North Carolina sociology professor Arne Kalleberg describes as a "rise in polarized and precarious employment systems," full of "bad jobs" characterized by "low pay, few benefits and high levels of workplace violations." Many of these bad jobs have little effective government oversight, are rarely unionized, have unpredictable schedules and offer little upward mobility.
Part of the problem is that not all workers have equal access to the law and the benefits that new rights and protections afford. University of Nevada Las Vegas law professor Ruben Garcia points to these "marginal workers" as those who face particular challenges in realizing their rights under U.S. labor and employment law – including undocumented immigrants, women and racial and sexual minorities. Undocumented workers, in particular, have limited remedies for injustice under the law and live under the constant threat of deportation.
While much of the advocacy efforts have focused on essential outreach and education, to inform workers of their rights, even workers in the know can face major barriers in realizing those rights. Indeed, filing a claim is not cost-neutral. Workers in my study valued their time, but had little to spare; even those who initially came forward often walked away from their claim, or found that they had only a slim chance of winning. Workers cited the inability to take time off of work to chase down lawyers and government agencies, family obligations and childcare and the emotional toll of battling a seemingly broken bureaucracy.
In a perfect world, a single bureaucracy would examine the multiple injustices that low-wage workers are subject to on a daily basis. However, our labor standards enforcement system is sprawling and messy, much like our work lives. Federal and state bureaucracies seldom coordinate with one another, and it is often left up to the claimant and his or her legal advocate to decide which route to take and where to invest limited energies in this web of enforcement.
Access to legal counsel is often an optional part of the claims process, but can be crucial for those workers with limited education and English proficiency, or who are simply unfamiliar with how the bureaucracy works. Access to pro bono or "low bono" legal counsel is limited, and unlike in the criminal arena, civil law generally provides no right to counsel. Workers' rights clinics and other worker centers across the country are doing amazing work, with very limited resources and capacity. Private attorneys often have little to gain from a typical wage and hour claim and are unlikely to take one on.
While wage theft by all accounts creates unfair business competition and ignores the true costs of "high road" employment, it is actually quite common. That is why as we create new laws to increase rights for workers, we should invest in mechanisms to make them a reality. This includes local ordinances that would revoke the business license of employers who refuse to pay, and institute criminal penalties to noncompliant employers.
It also means pouring resources into building worker power and addressing global inequality. This includes investing in worker advocacy and fully functional enforcement agencies. We must also consider how to empower workers, both through traditional labor unions and new forms of alt-labor, to fight for dignity and justice. Let's also refuse to turn a blind eye to the many predatory systems that disadvantage low-wage workers and that define what Columbia University sociologist Saskia Sassen describes as the "brutal logic of contemporary capitalism."
Wage theft is a symptom of the imbalance of power between workers and employers who often operate with impunity. It is also, however, a reflection of the race to the bottom in an era where on-demand labor can be outsourced. As we tinker with laws that bring us to the outer edge of a meager living wage, let us consider what it will take to get there and beyond.


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John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He was known for an often humorous style of original music that has elements of protest and social commentary.

Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at age 14. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs first as a hobby and then as a club performer.

A member of Chicago's folk revival, a laudatory review by critic Roger Ebert built Prine's popularity. Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson heard Prine at Steve Goodman's insistence, and Kristofferson invited Prine to be his opening act, leading to Prine's eponymous debut album with Atlantic Records in 1971. The acclaim Prine earned from his first LP led to three more albums for Atlantic. He then recorded three albums with Asylum Records. In 1981, he co-founded Oh Boy Records, an independent label where he released most of his subsequent albums.

Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs with social commentary and songs that recollect sometimes melancholy tales from his life. According to Nobel laureate songwriter Bob Dylan, "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. . . . All that stuff about 'Sam Stone', the soldier junkie daddy, and 'Donald and Lydia', where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that." In 2020, Prine received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early life
Prine was the son of William Mason Prine, a tool-and-die maker, and Verna Valentine (Hamm), a homemaker, both originally from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Maywood. In summers, they would go back to visit family near Paradise, Kentucky. Prine started playing guitar at age 14, taught by his brother, David. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, and graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois. He was a U.S. Postal Service mailman for five years and was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War era, serving as a vehicle mechanic in West Germany before beginning his musical career in Chicago.

Chicago folk scene
In the late 1960s, while Prine was delivering mail, he began to sing his songs (often first written in his head on the mail route) at open-microphone evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue in Chicago.  The bar was a gathering spot for nearby Old Town School of Folk Music teachers and students. Prine was initially a spectator, reluctant to perform, but eventually did so in response to a "You think you can do better?" comment made to him by another performer. After his first open mic, he was offered paying gigs.  In 1970, Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert heard him by chance at the Fifth Peg and wrote the first review Prine ever received, calling him a great songwriter: After the review was published, Prine's popularity grew. He became a central figure in the Chicago folk revival, which also included such singer-songwriters as Steve Goodman, Michael Peter Smith, Bonnie Koloc, Jim Post, Tom Dundee, Anne Hills, and Fred Holstein. Joined by such established musicians as Jethro Burns and Bob Gibson, Prine performed frequently at a variety of Chicago clubs. He was offered a one-album deal of covers and with a few of his original songs, by Bob Koester from Delmark Records, but decided the project was not right for him.

In 1971, Prine was playing regularly at the Earl of Old Town. Steve Goodman, who was performing with Kris Kristofferson at another Chicago club, persuaded Kristofferson to go see Prine late one night. Kristofferson later recalled, "By the end of the first line we knew we were hearing something else. It must've been like stumbling onto Dylan when he first busted onto the Village scene."

Recording career

1970s
Prine's self-titled debut album was released in 1971. Kristofferson (who once remarked that Prine wrote songs so good that "we'll have to break his thumbs") invited Prine and Goodman to open for him at The Bitter End in New York City. In the audience was Jerry Wexler, who signed Prine to Atlantic Records the next day. The album included Prine's signature songs "Illegal Smile" and  "Sam Stone", and songs that became folk and country standards, "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise." The album also featured "Hello in There", a song about aging that was later covered by numerous artists, and "Far From Me", a lonely waltz about lost love for a waitress, which Prine later said was his favorite of all his songs. The album received many positive reviews, and some hailed Prine as "the next Dylan". Bob Dylan himself appeared unannounced at one of Prine's first New York City club appearances, anonymously backing him on harmonica.

Prine's second album, Diamonds in the Rough (1972), was a surprise for many after the critical success of his first LP; it was an uncommercial, stripped-down affair that reflected Prine's fondness for bluegrass music and features songs reminiscent of Hank Williams. Highlights of the compilation include the allegorical "The Great Compromise", which includes a recitation and addresses the Vietnam War, and the ballad "Souvenirs", which Prine later recorded with Goodman.

His subsequent albums from the 1970s include Sweet Revenge (1973), containing such fan favorites as "Dear Abby", "Grandpa Was a Carpenter", and "Christmas in Prison", and Common Sense (1975), with "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard". The latter album was Prine's first to chart on the U.S.
Top 100 by Billboard and reflected his growing commercial success. It was produced by Steve Cropper. Bruised Orange from 1978 is a Steve Goodman–produced album that gave listeners songs such as "That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round", "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone", "Fish and Whistle", and the title track.

In 1974, singer David Allan Coe achieved considerable success on the country charts with "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", co-written by Prine and Goodman. The song good-naturedly spoofs stereotypical country music lyrics to create what it self-describes as "the perfect country and western song". Prine refused to take a songwriter's credit (stating he was too drunk when the song was written to remember what he had contributed) and Goodman received sole credit. Goodman bought Prine a jukebox as a gift from his publishing royalties.

In 1975, Prine toured the U.S. and Canada with a full band featuring guitarist Arlen Roth.

The 1979 album Pink Cadillac features two songs produced by Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, who by this time rarely did any studio work. The song "Saigon" is about a Vietnam veteran traumatized by the war ("The static in my attic's gettin' ready to blow"). During the recording, one of the guitar amplifiers blew up (which is evident on the album). The other song Phillips produced is "How Lucky", about Prine's hometown.

1980s
In 1981, rejecting the established model of the recording industry, which Prine felt exploited singers and songwriters, he co-founded the independent record label Oh Boy Records in Nashville, Tennessee. His fans, supporting the project, sent him enough money to cover the costs, in advance, of his next album. Prine continued writing and recording albums throughout the 1980s. His songs continued to be covered by other artists; the country supergroup The Highwaymen recorded "The 20th Century Is Almost Over", which had been written by Prine and Goodman. Steve Goodman died of leukemia in 1984 and Prine contributed four tracks to A Tribute to Steve Goodman, including a cover version of Goodman's "My Old Man".

1990s
In 1991, Prine released the Grammy Award-winning The Missing Years, his first collaboration with producer and Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein. The title song records Prine's humorous take on what Jesus did in the unrecorded years between his childhood and ministry. In 1995, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings was released, another collaboration with Epstein. On this album is the long track "Lake Marie", a partly spoken word song interweaving tales over decades centered on themes of "goodbye". Bob Dylan later cited it as perhaps his favorite Prine song. Prine followed it up in 1999 with In Spite of Ourselves, which was unusual for him in that it contained only one original song (the title track); the rest were covers of classic country songs. All of the tracks are duets with well-known female country vocalists, including Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Dolores Keane, Trisha Yearwood, and Iris DeMent.

2000s
In 2001, Prine appeared in a supporting role in the Billy Bob Thornton movie Daddy & Them. "In Spite of Ourselves" is played during the end credits.

Prine recorded a version of Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" in 2004 for the compilation album Beautiful Dreamer, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2004.

In 2005, Prine released his first all-new offering since Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings, the album Fair & Square, which tended toward a more laid-back, acoustic approach. The album contains songs such as "Safety Joe", about a man who has never taken any risks in his life, and also "Some Humans Ain't Human", Prine's protest piece on the album, which talks about the ugly side of human nature and includes a quick shot at President George W. Bush. Fair & Square won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album contains original songs plus two covers: A.P. Carter's "Bear Creek Blues" and Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons".

2010s
On June 22, 2010, Oh Boy Records released a tribute album titled Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine. The album features members of the modern folk revival including My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lambchop, Josh Ritter, Drive-By Truckers, Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg, Justin Townes Earle, Those Darlins, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.

In 2016, Prine was named winner of the PEN/Song Lyrics Award, given to two songwriters every other year by the PEN New England chapter. The 2016 award was shared with Tom Waits and his songwriting collaborator wife Kathleen Brennan. Judges for the award included Peter Wolf, Rosanne Cash, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, and Bono, as well as literary judges Salman Rushdie, Natasha Tretheway, and Paul Muldoon. In 2016, Prine released For Better, or Worse, a follow-up to In Spite of Ourselves from 1999. The album features country music covers spotlighting some of the most prominent female voices in the genre, including; Alison Krauss, Kacey Musgraves, and Lee Ann Womack, as well as Iris DeMent, the only guest artist to appear on both compilation albums.

On March 15, 2017, the American Currents exhibit opened at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The exhibit featured a pair of cowboy boots and jacket that Prine often wore on stage, his personal guitar, and the original handwritten lyric to his hit, "Angel From Montgomery". The American Currents Class of 2016 showcased artists who made a significant impact on country music in 2016, including, Prine. Prine won his second Artist of the Year award at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards after previously winning in 2005.

On February 8, 2018, Prine announced his first new album of original material in 13 years, titled The Tree of Forgiveness, would be released on April 13. Produced by Dave Cobb, the album was released on Prine's own Oh Boy Records and features guest artists Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Dan Auerbach, and Brandi Carlile. Alongside the announcement, Prine released the track "Summer's End". The album became Prine's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200.

In 2019, he recorded several tracks including "Please Let Me Go 'Round Again"—a song which warmly confronts the end of life—with longtime friend and compatriot Swamp Dogg in his final recording session.

Posthumous releases
The last song Prine recorded before he died was "I Remember Everything", released on June 12, 2020, alongside a music video. It was released following the two-hour special tribute show, A Tribute Celebrating John Prine aired on June 11, 2020, which featured Sturgill Simpson, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Bonnie Raitt, Rita Wilson, Eric Church, Brandi Carlile and many other country artists and friends. On the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Prine singing "I Remember Everything" was the soundtrack to the COVID-19 memorial video.

Personal life
Prine was married three times. His first marriage was to high-school sweetheart Ann Carole in 1966. The marriage lasted until the late 1970s. Prine was married to bassist Rachel Peer from 1984 to 1988. Prine met Fiona Whelan, who later became his manager, in 1988. She moved from Ireland to Nashville in 1993, and they were married in 1996. Prine and Whelan had two sons together, Jack and Tommy, and Prine adopted Whelan's son, Jody, from a previous relationship. Prine had a home, and spent part of the year, in Kinvara, Galway, Ireland.

Health problems
In early 1998, Prine was diagnosed with squamous-cell cancer on the right side of his neck. He had major surgery to remove a substantial amount of diseased tissue, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. The surgery removed a piece of his neck and severed a few nerves in his tongue, while the radiation damaged some salivary glands. A year of recuperation and speech therapy were necessary before he could perform again. The operation altered his vocals and added a gravelly tone to his voice.

In 2013, Prine underwent surgery to remove cancer in his left lung. After the surgery, a physical therapist put him through an unusual workout to build stamina: Prine was required to run up and down his house stairs, grab his guitar while still out of breath, and sing two songs. Six months later, he was touring again.

Death
On March 19, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Prine's wife Fiona revealed that she had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had been quarantined in their home apart from him. He was hospitalized on March 26 after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. On March 30, Fiona tweeted that she had recovered and that John was in stable condition but not improving. Prine died on April 7, 2020, of complications caused by COVID-19 at the age of 73.

In accordance with Prine's wishes as expressed in his song "Paradise", half of his ashes were spread in Kentucky's Green River. The other half were buried next to his parents in Chicago.

Influence
Prine is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He has been referred to as "the Mark Twain of songwriting".

Johnny Cash, in his autobiography Cash, wrote, "I don't listen to music much at the farm, unless I'm going into songwriting mode and looking for inspiration. Then I'll put on something by the writers I've admired and used for years—Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Guy Clark, and the late Steve Goodman are my Big Four ..."

Roger Waters, when asked by Word Magazine in 2008 if he heard Pink Floyd's influence in newer British bands such as Radiohead, replied, "I don't really listen to Radiohead. I listened to the albums and they just didn't move me in the way, say, John Prine does. His is just extraordinarily eloquent music—and he lives on that plane with Neil [Young] and [John] Lennon." He later named Prine as among the five most important songwriters.

Prine's influence is seen in the work of younger artists, whom he often mentored, including Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Tyler Childers, and Robin Pecknold.

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards
Prine won four Grammy Awards out of 13 nominations, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other accolades
In 2005, at the request of U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, John Prine became the first singer-songwriter to read and perform at the Library of Congress.
In 2016, Prine received the PEN New England Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award.
In 2019, Prine was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with a speech by Bonnie Raitt.
Over his career, Prine received six awards from the Americana Music Honors & Awards: the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting (2003), Artist of the Year (2005, 2017, 2018), Song of the Year for "Summer's End" (2019), and Album of the Year for The Tree of Forgiveness (2019).
On June 30, 2020, Illinois's Governor J.B. Pritzker posthumously named Prine the honorary Poet Laureate of Illinois.

Discography
The week after his death, Prine hit number one on Billboards Rock Songwriters Chart because his singles ("In Spite Of Ourselves", "Angel from Montgomery", "Hello In There", "When I Get To Heaven", and "That's the Way the World Goes Round") all charted in the top 25 of the Hot Rock Song Chart.  On the Billboard 200, his 1971 debut album re-entered the chart at 55, and his last album, 2018's Tree of Forgiveness, re-entered at 109.

References

External links

  (Notes by John Prine about the inspirations for several of his songs)
 A Literary Evening with John Prine and Ted Kooser. March 9, 2005. The Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress.

1946 births
2020 deaths
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
American folk singers
American male singer-songwriters
American country singer-songwriters
United States Army soldiers
American country guitarists
American bluegrass guitarists
American acoustic guitarists
American folk guitarists
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
Folk musicians from Chicago
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Mail carriers
Old Town School of Folk musicians
People from Maywood, Illinois
Singer-songwriters from Illinois
Guitarists from Illinois
American male guitarists
Country musicians from Illinois

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Xinjiang takes up 1/6th of China's total land mass, broken up by three mountain ranges: the Altay Mountains to the north, the grand Tianshan Mountains, and the Kunlun Mountain Range in the south. Xinjian also has the longest inland river in China, the 2,100-kilometre-long Tarim River.
Xinjiang is blessed with good weather, wonderful water, and excellent soil. The combination allows crops in Xinjiang to grow not only healthily, but rapidly as well. Cotton, tomato, cantaloupes, pears and grapes are a few of the many products grown here.
Xinjiang has a rich ecosystem with over 1000 wild species of flora and fauna protected in the lakes and 23 nature reserves scattered throughout the region.
Due to its vast area, wonderful climate and millennia-long settlement by humans, Xinjiang also has its fair share of unique historical and culturally rich areas to visit. The Kizil Thousand Buddha Grottoes, the oldest artistic monument to Buddha in China, are a series of centuries-old cave murals. The Jiaohe Ruins is the best-preserved old town in the country, a town that was already centuries old when it was destroyed in the 1300s.