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Looking to the Future: What Are the Core Pieces of the 49ers Future?
With seventeen of twenty-two starters returning, 2020 was supposed to be all about taking advantage of a Super Bowl that was opened by a 13-2 season and a run to the big game. Instead of ransacking their way back to the Super Bowl on a "Revenge Tour," the 49ers had to seek temporary refuge in the home of a division rival thanks to a global pandemic and wound-up quarantining with the injury bug.
The 49ers are 5-8 with three weeks left in an all-but-lost season. When it ends will it also be the end of the team's championship window?
For the first time since the salary cap was implemented in 1994, the cap is scheduled to be lower than it was the year before, which could create some issues for the Niners who have 33 players under contract for the 2021 season.
The brain trust that is the 49ers front office will have their work cut out for them this off-season identifying and holding onto the players that will comprise the core of the team for not just the coming season but for years to come.
Among the team's 39 unrestricted, restricted and exclusive rights free agents, Trent Williams is priority number one. The 49ers traded a fifth-round pick in 2020 and a third-round pick in 2021 for Williams in order to replace the retired Joe Staley. Williams, who turned 32 in July, is on the short list of top offensive tackles in the NFL and needs to be one of the core pieces for the next three to four seasons.
A desire for Williams to spend the rest of his career in a 49er uniform appears to be something that both Williams and the team have in common.
A newly signed Williams would join George Kittle and Nick Bosa as core members of the team under contract for at least the next three seasons (Bosa is slated to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 if the team does not pick up his fifth-year option).
Fred Warner's rookie contract expires at the end of the 2021 season, so an extension for Warner, so that he can join Kittle, Bosa and hopefully Williams as a member of the long-term core, should be priority 1-b. Warner, a third-round pick out of BYU, has earned the respect of his teammates and opponents, playing his way to the top of the heap for NFL linebackers. Warner is set to become the league's highest paid player the position whether he inks a new this off-season or next the only question is: how much will it cost? The longer the 49ers wait, the more Warner's price will go up.
A trio of players on their rookie contracts are among the core players the Niners will be building around going forward: wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw.
Samuel, in his second year out of the University of South Carolina, is a true tone-setter for the offense with his versatile and physical play. The difference in the 49ers' offense when Samuel is in the lineup versus when he has missed games is apparent to the naked eye, no analytics are needed. The only thing that would keep Samuel from being a core piece going forward will be injuries.
Brandon Aiyuk, who turned a lot of heads in training camp with the number of passes that were thrown his way, was considered a reach by some when the 49ers traded up to the 25th selection to take him, but after a slow start Aiyuk is within reach of Jerry Rice's team record for receiving yards by a rookie, needing 267 yards in the final three games. Aiyuk, whom Kyle Shanahan compared to Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce, is on track to be the true wide receiver one that the fans have been clamoring for since Terrell Owens left.
Javon Kinlaw came into this season with unfortunate task of having to directly fill the shoes of DeForest Buckner, who was a cornerstone of the 49ers defense a year ago, and all the expectations that come along with it. Kinlaw, who has tremendous physical gifts but is also raw in terms of his technique, has steadily progressed throughout the season. While it may still be too early to anoint Kinlaw at this point, he is bull-rushing his way towards being a big part of the team's future.
Conspicuously absent from this discussion of the core pieces of future 49er teams has been the quarterback. All signs point to the starting quarterback of the 2023 49ers not currently being on the roster. Jimmy Garoppolo's contract has two years remaining on it, but his struggles with consistency and injuries have cast doubt on his future with the team. After the 2020 season the Niners can move on from Garoppolo with a small dead cap charge of $2.8 million and a net cap savings of $24.1 million. The fact that the 49ers did not restructure Garoppolo's deal to give themselves more cap space, especially in a season in which they ran out of cap space, speaks more loudly than some are willing to acknowledge. Until the 49ers find a quarterback worth putting at the center of the solid core they have amassed, the core will be incomplete.


Egypt has said that Israeli humanitarian gestures to Palestinians are meaningless and that the Jewish state needs to accept and begin implementing a "road map" for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Speaking on Sunday after talks in Cairo with the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, said: "The measures that have been announced today are rather insignificant." He did not say to which gestures he was referring.
The United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, was due to meet the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, yesterday.
Mr Maher said Israel must adopt the road map and also make the lives of Palestinians easier - mirroring a demand Mr Powell made in talks in Israel on Sunday.
Israel said the Palestinians could expect nothing more than modest humanitarian gestures until a new Palestinian government cracked down on militants spearheading an uprising for independence.
Mr Maher said more steps were required to build confidence for the peace plan to advance.
Mr Solana said the Palestinians had already taken "important measures and sometimes difficult measures", such as restructuring their government.
Meanwhile, Mr Powell said Syria would find itself "on the wrong side of history" if it tried to destabilise postwar Iraq or continue harbouring radical Palestinian groups. He told Israeli TV that the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, should have "every incentive to respond" to issues he raised in talks with him in Damascus a week ago addressing strategic change in the Middle East after the fall of Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
After meeting Mr Assad, Mr Powell said Syria had taken measures to rein in Palestinian militant groups with offices in Damascus by carrying out "some closures".
Syrian officials said later that the groups' offices served as media outlets and that none had been shut down. They said they were interested in dialogue, not ultimatums from Washington.


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Philippine Crocodile
North American Cooperative Conservation for the Philippine Crocodile: Staff from the Department of Herpetology work with the Philippine government and the Philippine National Recovery Team to coordinate a cooperative effort to support in-country efforts to protect and reclaim habitat for the critically endangered Philippine crocodile. With only an estimated 200 adult animals remaining in the wild, several other North American institutions have committed to assist with captive rearing of offspring produced at Gladys Porter, as well as to help support the long-term captive conservation of the species.
$193 Donated
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Galapagos Tortoise Research
Determination of the Origin of Captive Galapagos Tortoises: A great number of the Galapagos tortoises that are currently in captivity were taken off of various islands in Galapagos early in the 20th century
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North American Cooperative Conservation for the Philippine Crocodile: Staff from the Department of Herpetology work with the Philippine government and the Philippine National Recovery Team
Local Wildlife
Putting Wildlife Back: The Animal Health Department at the Gladys Porter Zoo is the principal wildlife rehabilitation unit for the Rio Grande Valley. Wildlife rehabilitation involves caring for injured, ill and orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing
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Iguana Conservation
International Iguana Foundation: The Zoo's General Curator, Colette Hairston Adams, serves as a member of the Board of the International Iguana Foundation (IIF), whose mission is to actively support conservation,
International Rhino Foundation: Gladys Porter Zoo's Director Emeritus, Don. D. Farst, D.V.M., serves as a member of the Board of the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), whose mission is to contribute to rhino conservation
Saving the American Ocelot
The Animal Health Department at the Gladys Porter Zoo is actively involved in assisting US Fish and Wildlife Services with ocelot health monitoring at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR).
Kemp's Ridley Project
Of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, the Kemp's ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered. It is also the smallest sea turtle and the only species that nests primarily during the daytime.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Earlier this year, a new book looks at 12 Step outcomes. It's called, If You Work It It Works! The Science Behind 12 Step Recovery by psychologist and award winning author, Joe Nowinski PhD. It is a jargon-free look at how, 12 Step modality help alcoholics/addicts.
and many others (the majority) have outside help in term of professional counselling, via places of worship, meditation centres, retreats etc etc so it may be better to say that people primarily do this with some of this. In the US there is a recent trend for many to go to 12 step as well as to other support groups – always good to keep an open mind. I find utility in many different approaches.


An annuity contract is created when an insured party, usually an individual, pays a life insurance company a single premium that will later be distributed back to the insured party over time. It traditionally provides a guaranteed distribution of income over time, until the death of the person or persons named in the contract or until a final date, whichever comes first. However, the majority of modern annuity customers use annuities only to accumulate funds free of income and capital gains taxes and to later take lump-sum withdrawals without using the guaranteed-income-for-life feature.


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Ascot and Sunningdale
Ascot outdoor cinema-goers to be offered COVID-19 tests
09:24AM, Friday 04 December 2020
Film fans who visit a drive-in outdoor cinema in Ascot will also have the chance to take a COVID-19 test while watching their favourite Christmas flicks.
The Luna Cinema, which opens on Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday, December 9, has teamed up with UK tech company Synoptic to deliver up to 600 15-minute tests to its visitors each day.
When guests book their tickets to see Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, Frozen 2 or one of many other films on show, they will also have a chance to book a rapid antigen test, which costs £18 per person.
On the day of the showing, attendees would be given the test which can be completed inside their car, overseen by a medical professional.
Visitors will also be given access to a Synoptic app, where they can log their results. In the event of a positive test, a network of contacts can then be contacted via the app.
The cinema will be open at the racecourse until Monday, December 21.
George Wood, CEO of Luna Cinemas said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Synoptic on this project to offer our winter Luna Drive In Cinema audiences in Ascot the chance to access an innovative software platform and testing capacity, whilst enjoying their favourite Christmas film on the big screen.
"2020 has been an undeniably challenging year for the events and hospitality industry; it is crucial that the private sector develops innovative solutions around how we can continue to offer services that allow people to enjoy cultural experiences out of the home, whilst at the same time embracing the changes to everyday life that help to ensure safety.
"Testing is an obvious solution that enables people to confidently meet up with family members or those outside their bubble when they are able.
"This project provides a model to achieve this, offering testing in accessible, secure settings whilst enabling access to easy-to-use technology which is so important for risk management".
To book tickets, visit www.lunadriveincinema.com/berkshire-ascot-racecourse-1
Future seasons of Netflix's Bridgerton could be shot near Ascot
Veterans enjoy drive-in concert for Christmas
Outline plans approved for hundreds of homes at Ascot waste facility
Ascot recycling centre could be turned into 131 homes
Ascot pupils rally round to spread Christmas cheer to Maidenhead care home
COVID-19 vaccination centres could open in Windsor and Maidenhead 'before Christmas'
Police renew appeal for witnesses following death of cyclist in Ascot
Six arrested and £10,000 worth of drugs seized in police searches
Deck the Borough with Christmas lights to win £250
Ascot purple poppies remember war animals
Slough and Windsor schools 'happy' to stay open during lockdown


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William Berkley
TEXAS (USA): MAN EXECUTED FOR RAPE, MURDER
April 22, 2010: William Berkley, convicted of the 2000 rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman, was executed in Texas by lethal injection, the state's sixth execution this year, prison officials said.
Berkley, 31, who was convicted in 2002 of the rape and murder of Sophia Martinez, was pronounced dead at 18:18 (23:18 GMT).
Born in Germany, where his father was serving in the military, Berkley was arrested in 2000 for the kidnap, rape and murder of Martinez. Her body was found the day after her murder in the desert, with five bullet wounds to the head.
Days before his execution, Berkley told local media he was innocent.
But Texas prosecutors said Martinez's car keys were found at Berkley's house, the bullets used against her came from a gun belonging to Berkley's father, and his DNA was found on Martinez's body.
Nine more executions are scheduled in Texas in the next three months. Berkley's execution was the 14th in the US this year. (Sources: AFP, 22/04/2010)
IRAN SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH
TAIWAN: DEATH PENALTY RETURNS, 4 EXECUTED
IRAN: MAN HANGED IN ARDEBIL
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
TEXAS (USA): SAMUEL BUSTAMANTE EXECUTED
THAILAND: COURT ISSUES DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG DEALING
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
UAE: TWO GET DEATH FOR MURDER COMMITTED AS MINORS
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAB MILITANTS EXECUTE MAN ON MURDER CHARGES, CUT OFF THIEF'S HAND
IRAN: TWO EXECUTIONS IN MASHAD
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN DECAPITATED FOR MURDER
UTAH (USA): GARDNER CHOOSES DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD
IRAN SENTENCES ETHNIC KURDISH CITIZEN TO DEATH
DR CONGO COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE FOR NORWEGIANS
LEBANON: DEATH SENTENCES FOR TWO PALESTINIANS AND SYRIAN
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING COLLEAGUE IN ROW OVER PHONE VOLUME
NIGERIAN GOVERNORS APPROVE EXECUTION OF CONVICTED PRISONERS
TAIWAN: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR MURDER
IRAN HANGS MAN FOR RAPE
HAMAS: WE'LL CONTINUE CARRYING OUT EXECUTIONS IN GAZA
IRAN: FOUR HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
IRAN HANGS TWO RAPISTS
SAUDI ARABIA: OFW SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING LANDLORD
DRC: TROOPS GET DEATH FOR KILLING REPORTER
CHINA: WOMAN GETS DEATH FOR CHILD TRAFFICKING
IRAN: WOMAN PROTESTER SENTENCED TO DEATH
GAZA: FIRING SQUAD EXECUTES TWO 'COLLABORATORS'
IRAN: THREE CONVICTED RAPISTS PUBLICLY HANGED
UAE: ANOTHER MULTIPLE DEATH VERDICT GIVEN IN SHARJAH


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Phil Davis (actor)
For other people named Philip Davis, see Philip Davis (disambiguation).
Phil Davis (left) and James D'Arcy at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema 2016
Philip Davis
(1953-07-30) 30 July 1953 (age 67)
Highgate, London, England
Actor, writer, director
Eve Matheson
(m. 2002)
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize its key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (August 2019)
Philip Davis (born 30 July 1953) is an English actor, writer, and director.
1 Early life
5 Filmography
6 Recording career
Davis was born in Highgate, London, and raised in Thurrock, Essex. His father worked for Procter & Gamble in a soap factory and his mother was a hospital dining room supervisor. From the age of eight, he was interested in acting. He attended Ockendon Courts County Secondary School in South Ockendon, Essex, where he was distracted in class but enjoyed school plays. He was also a member of both the National Youth Theatre and Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop.[1]
In 1977, he was cast in the lead role of the play Gotcha! about an under-achieving student who holds two teachers hostage on his last day at school. An early film role was as Chalky, a mod who is knocked off his scooter by a rocker in Quadrophenia (1979). So taken by the Mod lifestyle, Phil founded a mod group called Strawberry Jam in which he recruited Peter Weller, Bruce Forsyth and Ricky Butcher. These 3 left to form pop combo The Jam who had many hits. Phil's song, 'Down in the tube station at about a quarter to midnight' was re-written by Weller . He then landed the role of midshipman Edward "Ned" Young in The Bounty (1984); co-star Daniel Day-Lewis later rated him as one of his greatest inspirations. He appeared in the TV series To Have and to Hold with Amanda Redman. He began a long association with Mike Leigh with roles including Cyril the motorcycle courier in High Hopes (1988) and as Stanley, the husband of the abortionist in Vera Drake (2004).[1]
He has also made numerous television appearances. More recent roles have seen him mainly cast as disreputable characters, including the mean money lender Smallweed in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House (2005), as Jeff Hope, a murderous cab driver in the first episode of Sherlock (2010), as crime family solicitor Micky Joy in Silk,[1] as Jud, the malevolent servant in Poldark (2015)[2] and as DI Tom Piper in crime drama Black Work.[3]
In 2013 he starred as the human incarnation of the devil in the 5th and final series of BBC Three's Being Human. He also starred alongside Rupert Penry Jones in the TV series Whitechapel. From November 2017 until February 2018, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in David Edgar's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Davis married actress Eve Matheson in Hackney, London in 2002. They have a daughter, Amy Elisabeth (born 2002). Davis also has a son, Hugo (born 1996), by a previous partner.[4]
1996 Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films – Won – Audience Award for: I.D. (1995)[5]
2001 Royal Television Society – Nominated – Best Actor – Male for: North Square (2000).[6]
2001 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – Won – Best Actor for: North Square (2000).[6]
2004 British Independent Film Awards – Won – Best Actor for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
2004 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards – Won – Best Supporting Actor for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
2005 BAFTA Awards – Nominated – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
2005 London Critics Circle Film Awards – Won – British Supporting Actor of the Year for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
1972 The Canterbury Tales second homosexual lover uncredited
1973 Orson Welles Great Mysteries Johnny Sheeham
1974 Death or Glory Boy
1975 The Old Curiosity Shop Tom Scott
1977 Target Ray
1978–1982 Rumpole of the Bailey Tony Timson
1978 The Professionals Billy Turner
1979 Quadrophenia Chalky
1979 Scum
1980 Grown-Ups Dick
1981 Bergerac
1982 Pink Floyd—The Wall Roadie
1984 The Bounty Midshipman Edward "Ned" Young
1985 The Doctor and the Devils Billy Bedlam
1985–1986 Robin of Sherwood Prince John
1986 Comrades
1987 Truckers Cowboy
1987 High Hopes Cyril
1989 The Firm "Yeti"
1989 Skulduggery director and writer
1992 Inspector Morse episode "Absolute Conviction"
1992 Alien 3 Kevin
1993 In the Name of the Father
1994–1995 Moving Story
1995 ID director
1996 Secrets & Lies
1996 Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment director
1996 Different for Girls
1997 Photographing Fairies
1997 Face
1998 Real Women director
1999 Births, Marriages and Deaths
1999 Hold Back the Night director
2000 North Square
2002 Fields of Gold
2002 Nicholas Nickleby
2002, 2004–2005 Rose and Maloney
2002 White Teeth
2002 The Safe House
2004 Wall of Silence
2004 The Baby Juice Express
2004 Vera Drake nominated for a BAFTA film award in a supporting role
2005 Casanova
2005 Bleak House Smallweed
2005 Like Father Like Son Paul Barker
2005 Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky Ernest Eccles
2006 Agatha Christie's Marple: Sleeping Murder
2006 Notes on a Scandal Brian Bangs
2007 Secret Life
2007 Five Days
2007 Cassandra's Dream Martin Burns
2007 Midsomer Murders
2007 Inspector George Gently
2007 All About Me
2008 Lark Rise to Candleford
2008 Ashes to Ashes Chas Cale series 1 episode 6
2008 The Curse of Steptoe Wilfrid Brambell
2008 Doctor Who Lucius Petrus Dextrus episode "The Fires of Pompeii"
2009–2013 Whitechapel DS Ray Miles
2009 Dead Man Running
2009 Desperate Romantics
2009 Collision
2010 Sherlock Taxi Driver (Jeff)[8] "A Study in Pink" (pilot 2009, episode 2010)
2010 Another Year Jack
2010 The Big I Am Stubbs
2010 My Family Carl
2010 Brighton Rock Spicer
2011 Outside Bet Threads
2011 Merlin Gleeman
2011 Case Histories Theo Wyre episode 1
2012–2014 Silk Mickey Joy
2012 Fast Girls
2012 Borrowed Time
2013 Being Human Captain Hatch
2013 Having You directed by Sam Hoare[9]
2014 Death in Paradise episode 8
2014 New Tricks episode 7
2015 Age of Kill Bill Weybridge
2015 Mr. Holmes Inspector Gilbert
2015–2016 Poldark Jud Paynter
2015 Dough Mr Cotton
2015–2016 Mad Dogs Lawrence 10 episodes
2015 Black Work DI Tom Piper
2016 Golden Years Brian credited as Philip Davis
2016 Undercover Jimmy
2017 Riviera Inspector Jukes (INTERPOL)
2017 Hampstead Fyfe
2017- Who Do You Think You Are? Narrator
2017 We Can Be Heroes Grandad Evans
2018 Juliet, Naked Mayor Terry Barton
2019 Pegasus Bridge Bernard Montgomery (post-production)
2019 The Rapture Sir David (post-production)
2019 Deus Vance (post-production)
2019 Silent Witness Mick season 23 episode 4
2020 Inside No. 9 Bill Ryland Season 5 episode 5 "Thinking Out Loud"
Recording career
In 1980, Davis recorded "Blown It", which was released on the Elton John-owned label The Rocket Record Company.[10]
^ a b c 'An Actors Life For Me' at Essexlife Retrieved 20 April 2015.
^ 'The New Poldark I have only one complaint' at The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
^ Black Work at Radio Times Retrieved 27 June 2015.
^ "Births and Marriages England and Wales 1984–2006". findmypast.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
^ "Awards for I.D."
^ a b "Awards for North Square".
^ a b c d "Awards for Vera Drake".
^ Staff (24 January 2009). "Exclusive: Gossip from city filming of BBC drama Sherlock". South Wales Evening Post. Northcliffe Newspapers Group.
^ "Having You - Sam Hoare - United Kingdom | Euro Cinema | English". Eurochannel. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
^ "Phil Davis _ Blown It". Www.45cat.com. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
Philip Davis on IMDb


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Reading & Berkshire News
Pride of Reading
Meet the fundraising mum behind one of Reading's most popular charity events
Stephanie Awbery organises the Berkshire Motor Show each year and has no plans of slowing down
Joseph Dexter
Stephanie Awbery (Right) has been fundraising for over 14 years
It's no small feat organising one of your town's largest events, especially when the proceeds all go to charity.
The Berkshire Motor Show is one of the top family friendly attractions around Reading, from the exciting fun fair to the wide variety of vehicles on display there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Each year the motor show raises funds for a local charity and it is all meticulously organised by Stephanie Awbery.
Nominated for Fundraiser of the Year at the 2019 Pride of Reading Awards by her daughter Tara, she could not have been more proud of the work she does.
"My mum, Stephanie is a hard working lady who does what she can to help out different charities year after year" Tara says.
"The Berkshire Motor Show being one of her main events and I know she is planning on many more to come.
Pride of Reading Awards 2019: How to nominate a person or business
"Stephanie shows dedication in all she has done and will continue to do and I feel she deserves something back."
Stephanie, from Burghfield Common, has been fundraising for more than 14 years and started the Berkshire Motor Show in memory of her late parents, Jim and Irene Devine.
The Berkshire Motor Show will offer trophies for some of the most outstanding vehicles throughout the day
Still very much at the heart of what she does, Stephanie says: "My mother had MS and other issues and was disabled, we had to rely a lot on the community for help, then my father had a stroke at 90 years old.
"Everyone in the community hospital was a great help so to give something back to the community I said I would fundraise for different charities each year, so this is what I have done."
Pride of Reading 2019
The street bringing back community
Putting town's talent in the spotlight
Care home's 'invaluable contribution'
Turning £1.5k into a £1.5m company
How to nominate a person or business
Inspirational teenager
This year's charity of choice is South Central Ambulance Service, with the show taking place at Prospect Park in Reading, Berkshire on Sunday, July 7.
The work doesn't stop here for Stephanie as she is soon on to her next project.
"I take a break for a week and start again" Stephanie says.
The Berkshire Motor Show is one of the most popular family events with the money raised going to charity
"Contacting businesses to see if they would like to have a stand at the event or would like to sponsor things like flyers or posters.
"I am then non-stop on the phone, emails and meetings each and every day, even on the day of the event I'm on the phone booking people in!"
Stephanie relishes the challenge and refuses to slow down as she is back on the next event for that charity before giving them their final cheque for the year.
The Fundraiser of the Year Award is sponsored by Cream.
Meet the sponsors of the Pride of Reading Awards 2019
Nominate your local hero for a Pride of Reading Award
To nominate a person or business for a Pride of Reading Award fill out the form below and wait for our reporter to be in touch.
Please note there is no need to send in multiple nominations for the same person or organisation.
The judges' decision on whether a nominee is shortlisted is based on each individual story – rather than the number of nominations each person or organisation receives.
If you can't see the nomination form above please click here
Celebrate where you live as Pride of Reading Awards launched for 2019
Burghfield Common
Burghfield
Reading Town CentreMan died after being told to leave Reading hostel, inquest hearsHis inquest has been heard


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Obama prepared to work with Putin to broker Syria transition
Week in Review October 4, 2015
Despite widespread condemnation of Russian airstrikes in Syria, signs of progress on UN-brokered talks on a political transition; Iran's ties with Saudi Arabia and Egypt; the trend toward counterterrorism; United States should not treat Iraq as a "weak partner."
US President Barack Obama extends his hand to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 28, 2015.
Lavrov: "There must be political change in Syria"
Although Russia's airstrikes in support of the Syrian military provoked widespread condemnation from the United States and its coalition allies, there may also be traction for a new phase of UN-brokered talks on a political transition in Syria.
US President Barack Obama warned Oct. 2 that Russia's actions could lead Moscow into a "quagmire" in Syria, and that indiscriminate attacks on "moderate" armed groups opposed to both the Islamic State (IS) and the Syrian government is a "recipe for disaster."
But Obama also offered to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a political transition in Syria that does not seem to precondition Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's imminent departure.
"In my discussions with President Putin, I was very clear that the only way to solve the problem in Syria is to have a political transition that is inclusive — that keeps the state intact, that keeps the military intact, that maintains cohesion, but that is inclusive — and the only way to accomplish that is for Mr. Assad to transition, because you cannot rehabilitate him in the eyes of Syrians. … I said to Mr. Putin that I'd be prepared to work with him if he is willing to broker with his partners, Mr. Assad and Iran, a political transition — we can bring the rest of the world community to a brokered solution — but that a military solution alone, an attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire. And it won't work," Obama said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sept. 30, after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that while "we don't have yet a resolution with respect to some critical choices in that political solution, we think we have some very specific steps that may be able to help lead in the right direction. That needs to be properly explored."
While making clear that fighting terrorism is his country's top priority and "we cannot condition fighting [IS] by changing the political system in Syria," Lavrov also offered hints at how the US and Russian positions on Assad might be bridged. The Washington Post's Edith Lederer reports that Lavrov acknowledged that "Yes, there must be political change in Syria," and that "parallel with this [fighting IS and terrorism] — not after — but parallel with this, many things could be done on the political front." The Russian foreign minister, Lederer reports, went on to say that "the entire spectrum of Syrian society must agree on the key outlines of a secular state with democratic elections and the rights of all ethnic groups and religious minorities, and a constitution. He said the opposition Free Syrian Army and other 'Syrian patriotic opposition individuals' must be part of the political process. If a deal is reached and endorsed by the UN Security Council, and Syrians can see that the constitution protects their rights, 'I think that the problems of one or another personality would be much easier to resolve,' Lavrov said. He said that is what he discussed with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Gulf ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting."
Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid Moallem said in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Oct. 2 that while his government gives urgent priority to battling terrorists, it is also committed to the "political track" and will participate in the "brainstorming" committees to be organized by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in order to "mainly exchange ideas and conduct unbinding preliminary consultations whose agreed-upon outputs can be used to prepare for the launching of Geneva 3," as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Laura Rozen reports that there may be an emerging consensus to apply the P5+1 (the permanent five members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) negotiating model to engage Iran and other countries to address the conflict in Syria: "'We have had some discussion on Syria … especially on the fact that we managed to achieve something … so important for the world through dialogue and diplomacy in this format,' [European Union foreign policy chief Federica] Mogherini told journalists at the UN in New York following the P5+1 Iran ministerial meeting. 'This could be also a useful format for other things,' Mogherini said. 'And obviously we will explore [this more] in the next days.'"
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mentioned several times during his brief stay at the UN General Assembly in New York that the P5+1 format could be a useful model to address Syria and other regional crises, as Barbara Slavin reports.
Perhaps most significantly, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir hinted at a possible shift in the kingdom's position on a transition in Syria. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, Jubeir on the one hand conveyed a hard line, openly discussing a "military solution" that would lead to the overthrow of Assad, and that support for the Free Syrian Army and other "moderate" Syrian armed groups opposed to Assad "would be intensified."
Nonetheless, Jubeir did not rule out talks with Iran, which he described as an "occupying force in Syria," including in the context of a meeting among the United States, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Perhaps most telling was that Jubeir appeared to inch closer to the emerging US and Turkish positions that while Assad must eventually leave power, the Syrian president's departure could take place in the context of a yet to be defined transitional period.
"Sometime between the formation of this council and elections [as per the 2012 Geneva agreement outlining a political transition in Syria], the theory of this is that — whether it's a day or a week or a month, I don't know — Assad would sail into the sunset, Jubeir said. If Assad accepts the political process where he transitions out of the country, I think we can get somewhere," as reported by Lederer for Stars and Stripes.
Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
The perhaps thin reed of an opening on Syria comes as Saudi-Iranian relations otherwise went from bad to worse last week. Ali Hashem writes about how the tragedy of the estimated 464 Iranian pilgrims killed in the stampede during the hajj on Sept. 24 may have been a lost opportunity for progress in Saudi-Iran relations. Rouhani cut short his trip to New York for the UN General Assembly to return to Iran to address the crisis over the Iranian deaths at the hajj. The Saudi government has reported that 769 pilgrims died and 934 were injured during this year's hajj, although the overall death toll may actually exceed 900.
While Saudi-Iran relations have soured over Syria and Yemen, Saeid Jafari examines how the Syria war has resulted in a modest reset in Iran-Egypt ties, as both Tehran and Cairo are wary of the expansion of radical Salafist groups that threaten the region.
Al-Monitor on Iran-Iraq-Syria axis
The Russian airstrikes in Syria were preceded by news that Moscow had brokered an intelligence-sharing alliance among Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria. This column has, since January 2014, backed a US-led regional initiative for a more assertive regional counterterrorism alliance. One year ago, in September 2014, we wrote that the United States should leverage the emerging Iran-Syria-Iraq counterterrorism axis in the battle against IS, acknowledging that while "the United States and Iran cannot formally link arms in Syria … the trend to watch is the tentative emergence of what may be a truly regional counterterrorism coalition, with potential for a transformation in regional security, if managed carefully."
US, Iraq need reset
Mustafa al-Kadhimi reports that US-Iraq relations are in crisis, requiring a reset by both Baghdad and Washington in order to address the fight against IS: "Iraq would have to move toward making independent and muscular decisions as a US partner to further both countries' common interests, especially the fight against terrorism. The United States would have to adapt a new approach to Iraq and no longer treat it as a weak partner that can be neglected or abandoned as in the past. Iraq's geopolitical importance requires that its international partners, foremost among them Washington, not ignore it or deal with it based on the political wills of influential regional powers."
Found in: syria civil war, sergey lavrov, is, counterterrorism, bashar al-assad, barack obama
Russia / Mideast
Can Libya be turned around and become Russia's 'second Syria'?
As Russia mediates Syria-Turkey talks, can new Idlib truce hold?
How Moscow is positioning itself as broker amid Mideast tensions
How Russia is reading the killing of Qasem Soleimaini
Intel: How Trump has laid the legal groundwork to strike Iran after Iraqi militia attacks
Critics say Assad unlikely to suffer under Caesar sanctions


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Flames Dancers
Smith Named In MOL Magnificent Seven
dragons.com.au
Fri 17 Jul 2015, 09:00 AM
St George Dragons halfback Billy Smith was honoured for his prowess on the field by being named in the Men of League Foundation's Magnificent 7 on Thursday.
Smith is regarded as one of the most talented and tenacious halfbacks in post-war rugby league and made 234 first-grade appearances.
The local St George junior won four Premierships for the Club (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966) as well as representing Australia internationally on 26 occasions.
The Men of League Foundation's Magnificent 7 identified the seven greatest halfbacks, as voted by the Australian rugby league public, to have strapped on football boots at an elite level in Australia since 1961.
Fourteen nominees for the Men of League's Magnificent 7 were hand-picked by an expert panel comprising Wayne Bennett, Neil Cadigan, Phil Rothfield, Tim Sheens and Warren Smith.
The rugby league community were then invited to select their Magnificent 7 from the nominees.
After more than 2,400 votes were cast by the rugby league loving public and a long, diligent count the final results are in and we can unveil the Men of League's Magnificent 7:
Andrew Johns
Allan Langer
Tommy Raudonikis
Johnathan Thurston
Chairman of the Men of League Foundation, Ron Coote said "It is my privilege to acknowledge these players as one of the Magnificent 7 halfbacks.
"Their exemplary commitment to the game of rugby league via their skill, dedication and flair has, according to the rugby league public, counted them among the best on record since television broadcasting began in 1961.
"It is my pleasure to have had the opportunity to watch these great players play.
"Their ranking as one of Men of League's Magnificent 7 is testament to their ability to lead their team in a pivotal role on the field and to provide the rugby league community with both inspiration and entertainment.
"On behalf of the Board of the Men of League, congratulations to these Magnificent 7 on a brilliant career and this worthy recognition of your contribution to rugby league."
Excitement grows for Illawarra sports bushfire appeal golf day
Wiliame hoping for case of second-time lucky
Three Dragons make NRL.com's Women's Team of the Decade
Fuimaono eager to make an impact
Follow the Dragons


Get this Elf Shoe Gift Card Holder SVG File to make a quick and cute gift card holder. Gift card fits nicely in the bottom portion of the holder and top slides over to hide the card. You can always attach the gift card to the top piece with a glue dot, so it is attached when top shoe portion is removed. Make a different type of Christmas gift card for your friends this Holiday season, for Christmas or just because.
Add a tag with recipient's name or write on back.
This is a digital file, not a physical product. Upon checkout, you will be granted access to download the SVG file in ZIP format. See included PDF file for SVG file and assembly instructions.


The city of Albuquerque can get quite warm, especially in the height of summer when temperatures reach triple digits, but fortunately, there are several water parks and spray pads in the area where you and your family can cool down.
If you're visiting Albuquerque and are looking for a cool way to spend the day, you can either visit a free park or spend a little bit extra to enjoy some of the region's best aquatic-themed amusement parks. While some are open year-round, all of these great destinations are open at least from mid-June through late August.
There are also a number of great ways to keep your kids cool in Albuquerque without getting wet, including bowling, going to the movies, grabbing some shaved ice, and indoor ice skating. No matter what you decide to do on your trip, make sure to drink plenty of water and stay cool this spring, summer, and fall.
The water park at Cliff's Amusement Park has slides, buckets of water, waterfalls, and plenty of splash areas and shallow pools for kids called the "Lil Squirts" area. There's a grassy area to sit and a snack bar with ice cream and other cool treats.
The best attraction, however, is Mega Water Monkeys—one of the area's largest splash areas. A visit to Cliff's includes entry to the water park, making this kid wonderland even more appealing. The park opens Memorial Day weekend and offers discounts every weekend all summer long.
New Mexico's only indoor water park is at Hotel Cascada, and it's open year-round to hotel guests and regular customers alike. Surf n' Slide Water Park features a tipping bucket, waterfalls, a lazy river, basketball hoops, slides, a surf machine, wading pools, and an arcade.
Thrill seekers will love FlowRider, a fast-moving surfing ride that pumps 32,000 gallons of water a minute. Parents will love the indoor/outdoor spa and the outdoor beach area with lounge chairs. When it's time to eat, you can also grab a bite at the snack bar or one of the two restaurants inside the hotel.
This Albuquerque public indoor pool is open year-round and offers a full schedule of activities and open swim hours for a small fee. There are tables inside for storing stuff and taking a rest and special discounts for kids, seniors, and veterans at the pool.
Bernalillo County also operates the nearby Alameda Spray Park, the Los Padillas Aquatic Center, the Paradise Pool, and Water Slide, and the South Valley Pool, which all operate on seasonal schedules year-round.
The Los Padillas Aquatics Center has a splash pool that is great for young waders. There are giant mushrooms that squirt water as well as slides, tubes, other assorted squirt features, and a 25-yard lap pool that is five feet deep.
There is no grass, but several tables allow families to spread out and have picnic lunches. The facility has cement walkways and paved areas that make it handicap accessible and offers discounts for kids, seniors, and veterans as well. This public facility is only open early June through early August.
This Albuquerque water spray park at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center offers families a place to get wet, relax in shaded areas, or have a picnic. The Manzano Mesa Spray Park, however, is only open during the summer months.
There is no lifeguard on duty, but the staff monitors the grounds during operating hours, and children are required to have an adult member to be admitted. Additionally, members can enjoy breakfast and lunch at the facilities at any time, but lunch reservations are required a day in advance.
It isn't every zoo that offers summer refreshment in the form of a spray park. Located along the Rio Grande River near downtown, the zoo has all the great exhibits you've come to expect along with this surprising aquatic feature.
Kids will enjoy the splash area and the multi-tiered climbing structure where water spurts up in a random pattern from panels on the ground. Admission is covered by the regular zoo admission, which includes discounts for seniors, kids, military, and state residents.
This open-air, pedestrian-friendly shopping center has a small squirt park at Fountain Plaza during the summer. The plaza, south of California Pizza Kitchen, has seats where the family can relax while the kids get nice and wet. Sometimes musicians perform children's music, and both the performances and access to this splash spot are free to enjoy.
The West Mesa Aquatic Center has an indoor water park open year-round with special summer and winter hours posted on their official website. You'll find a wading pool, spray fountains, water toys, and a water slide. There's also an indoor pool with a massive waterslide and an outdoor pool with two slides as well as an Olympic-sized pool. The facility is handicap accessible and offers discounts to students, seniors, military service members, and state residents.
This spray pad has special water features that make it a huge draw for kids, but not a lot of fun for kids over the age of 12. The spray park is open daily except for Sundays from June through August and located behind Van Buren Middle School in Albuquerque.
This Albuquerque water spray pad is located at the Wells Park Community Center and is free for public use. Much like the Cesar Chavez Spray Pad, the Wells Park water attraction is only open from June to August each summer and has tall spray features that little kids will enjoy.


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California Voters Approve Most Local Tax Measures
November 8, 2018 Geoffrey Neill
Local tax and bond measures performed surprisingly well up and down the state this election. Voters appear to have passed more than three-fourths of them, including 19 of 28 county measures, according to a preliminary analysis by local finance expert Michael Coleman.
The success of local measures was especially pronounced among majority-vote general taxes and 55% school bonds. Of the 187 majority-vote taxes on the ballot, 79 were for cannabis-related business license taxes. For counties, 15 of 19 general taxes appear to have passed, while only 4 of 9 two-thirds vote measures did.
Among the highlights for counties:
San Benito County has joined the ranks of self-help counties by passing a transportation sales tax, although the margin is still small with plenty of votes still to count.
Seven out of nine sales tax measures passed.
Of the six counties seeking increases to their hotel tax rates, at least four succeeded, and one more is within a few votes of passing.
All majority-vote cannabis tax measures passed (seven), except those that were tied to legalizing or regulating cannabis (three, including two competing measures in one county). See detailed article here.
The success of tax measures seemed to be unrelated to whether counties were rural or urban, traditionally conservative or more liberal.
Additional details about county measures, as well as those in cities, special districts, and schools, are available in Michael Coleman's preliminary analysis (pdf).


D&D DM Dice Tower by Aenthralled is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
A dice tower I modeled for my DM. There are two paths: a large number of dice can be rolled through the top, and one die at a time can be rolled through a channel in the balcony on the left (when looking at the window). The right balcony is just big enough for a 1 inch miniature to stand.
This is a BIG tower at nearly 30cm tall. It is split for my Flashforge but may require additional cutting down for smaller printers. It could probably also be scaled down to about 60% of the current size while still being functional (though the wiring channels may not be at the smaller size).
Print the window and use it to cut out a circle of clear plastic.
Use stained glass paints to paint the plastic and color the window.
Cover the inside of the window hollow in the tower with tinfoil or another reflective material.
Wire a 3mm clear bright LED into the hole at the base of the window hollow so that it is just poking up into the main hollow. Wires can be fed through channels into the hollow at the base of the tower where a battery can be placed.
Once wiring is finished glue the window pane over the top.
Torches are created from two red (or amber) 3mm LEDs. There are channels built into the model for running the wiring.
Use modeling clay (I used an epoxy sculpting putty) to sculpt the base of the torches around the wires. Make sure when doing this to keep the wires separate and avoid shorts.
Coat the entire interior of the bottom half of the tower with a layer of 2mm craft foam and another of felt. Extend this up the side dice channel. Use felt to line the inner part of the door, and the floor of the balcony with the side channel. This channel should be below the level of the DM screen and dice rolled through it make very little sound.
This is designed to eventually work with the Wyrmwood Gaming personal dice tray though at the moment the dimensions are a bit of a guess. I will probably update the model once I have had the chance to test it with an actual tray. For this current iteration of the tower the tray slot should start at no more than 37mm high and be at least 54mm wide. For silent roll use a craft foam and felt base and a felt edging in the tray.
The tabaxi mini seen on the balcony is one of the ever amazing MZ4250's models (https://www.shapeways.com/product/TK6993THQ/catfolk-shadow-sorceress) printed for one of our players.
Say thanks by giving Aenthralled a tip and help them continue to share amazing Things with the Thingiverse community.
Say thanks and help Aenthralled continue to share amazing Things with the Thingiverse community.
You'll need a PayPal account to tip Aenthralled. Click the button below and you will be redirected to PayPal. Once the payment is complete, you'll be brought back to Thingiverse.


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Big Data's Potential to Foster Transparency and Accountability in Government
Transparency is one of the bedrock principles of democracy, as TDV has written. In government of, by and for the people we, as citizens, have a right to know.
Unfortunately, transparency, though a worthy political goal, is often illusive. This is especially true in these days of extreme political dysfunction.
Donald Trump refuses to make his tax returns public, or disclose the names of visitors to the White House. Are we surprised? No. Those damned Democrats would use the information against him!
And that is exactly the point: the taxes and work related actions of government officials, elected and appointed, should be able to withstand public scrutiny. If those officials, including Donald Trump, cannot be transparent, they should be disqualified from serving.
But the issue of transparency is bigger than just Donald Trump. Government agencies are not transparent often because full and complete disclosure can hurt some people, or make others look bad. If the aggrieved person happens to be, say, a senior member of Congress who serves on an appropriations committee, well, maybe your funding won't be there next year.
For its part, TDV frequently mines government data. The good news is a lot of the data already exists. The bad news is the data is often so fragmented across multiple agencies, in many different formats, that it is often difficult if not impossible to make sense of it in a comprehensive way.
Enter Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Someone with a net worth of more than $20 billion. As reported in the New York Times, Ballmer is funding a non-profit, "USAFacts.org", which collects government data from multiple sources and puts that data on the internet in an accessible and consistent format. A beta version, available to the public, was launched this past Tuesday (April 18).
And, oh by the way, those tax breaks for the rich we talked about? According to USAFacts.org, middle income taxpayers earning between $31,000 and $61,000 receive tax breaks averaging about $2,400 per filer (individual or household).
Meanwhile, the top 1%, earning more than $711,000 per year, get tax breaks averaging about $48,000 per year, which is more than the total most average taxpayers earn.
Good to know – we are finally getting a platform that makes government data available in an accessible format – and it has the potential to reveal some areas in need of reform – like excessive tax breaks for the wealthy.
Thank you Steve Ballmer for helping strengthen our democracy.
Media	Big Data, Steve Ballmer, Strengthening Democracy, Transparency
The Gorsuch Confirmation, Polarization and the Hollowing of the American Middle Class
Here We Go Again – More Supply-Side B.S.


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MESSENGER Spacecraft Prepares for Final Pass by Mercury
Messenger at Mercury. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington NASA's Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft known as MESSENGER will fly by Mercury for the third and final time on Sept. 29. The spacecraft will pass less than 142 miles above the planet's rocky surface for a final gravity assist that will enable it to enter Mercury's orbit in 2011.
Determining the composition of Mercury's surface is a major goal of the orbital phase of the mission. The spacecraft already has imaged more than 90 percent of the planet's surface. The spacecraft's team will activate instruments during this flyby to view specific features to uncover more information about the planet.
"This flyby will be our last close look at the equatorial regions of Mercury, and it is our final planetary gravity assist, so it is important for the entire encounter to be executed as planned," said Sean Solomon, principal investigator at the Carnegie Institution in Washington. "As enticing as these flybys have been for discovering some of Mercury's secrets, they are the hors d'oeuvres to the mission's main course -- observing Mercury from orbit for an entire year.
The spacecraft may observe how the planet interacts with conditions in interplanetary space as a result of activity on the sun. During this encounter, high spectral- and high spatial-resolution measurements will be taken again of Mercury's tenuous atmosphere and tail.
"Scans of the planet's comet-like tail will provide important clues regarding the processes that maintain the atmosphere and tail," said Noam Izenberg, the instrument's scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, in Laurel, Md. "The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer will give us a snapshot of how the distribution of sodium and calcium vary with solar and planetary conditions. In addition, we will target the north and south polar regions for detailed observations and look for several new atmospheric constituents."
As the spacecraft approaches Mercury, cameras will photograph previously unseen terrain. As the spacecraft departs, it will take high-resolution images of the southern hemisphere. Scientists expect the spacecraft's imaging system to take more than 1,500 pictures. Those images will be used to create a mosaic to complement the high resolution, northern-hemisphere mosaic obtained during the second Mercury flyby. The first flyby took the spacecraft over the eastern hemisphere in January 2008, and the second flyby took it over western side in October 2008.
"We are going to collect high resolution, color images of scientifically interesting targets that we identified from the second flyby," said Ralph McNutt, a project scientist at APL. "The spectrometer also will make measurements of those targets at the same time."
Two spacecraft maneuvers will improve the ability of the spacecraft's Neutron Spectrometer to detect low-energy neutrons sensitive to the abundances of iron and titanium on Mercury's surface. These two elements absorb neutrons and are critical to an understanding of how the planet and its crust formed. A combination of day and night measurements will enable scientists to test the influence that planetary surface temperature has on the neutron population. The data are important for interpreting measurements that will be made after the probe is in orbit around Mercury.
An altimeter will make a topographic profile along the instrument ground track of Mercury's surface. The data gathered will provide additional topography of Mercury's surface features for ongoing studies of the form and structure of its craters and large faults. The information also will extend scientists' equatorial view of Mercury's global shape and allow them to confirm the discovery made during the first and second flyby that Mercury's equatorial region is slightly elliptical.
The spacecraft has completed nearly three-quarters of its 4.9-billion-mile journey to enter orbit around Mercury. The trip includes more than 15 trips around the sun. In addition to flying by Mercury, the spacecraft flew past Earth in August 2005 and Venus in October 2006 and June 2007.
The project is the seventh in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, scientifically focused space missions. The spacecraft was designed and built by APL. The mission also is managed and operated by APL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about the mission, visit:
› NASA's MESSENGER Mission Page
› Information and briefing materials on MESSENGER's third flyby
Messenger team
NASA Headquarters/Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab


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Why being called 'quiet' is your secret superpower
Hate leaving voicemails, making small talk at the hairdressers or speaking up during meetings? This one's for you...
By Gemma Askham
Why are you so quiet? Whether you've grown up asking it, or ever been told to speak up, the message has always been the same – quiet is bad. To the socially confident, quietness was something unnerving, boring, lacking personality. To the socially floundering, quietness was the birthmark you wished you could erase. Well, it was. Call it the 'Eleven effect' – the name of the often-silent character in Stranger Things, whose solitary disposition we collectively embraced – but quiet is officially in.
Proof? The 11th-most-watched TED Talk of all time is called The Power Of Introverts. Googling, "Why am I so awkward?" – a search term that spiked in 2011 and hasn't dipped since – has allowed the internet to bring like-volumed people together. Take Twitter's funny #introvertproblems, or Gemma Correll's witty cartoons on social anxiety ("Hell is other people before coffee"), which have earned her 420k Instagram followers. Even science has the quiet person's back. Introverts (who prefer their own company and call an Uber the second someone shouts "group karaoke!") were once criticised for making less effort than extroverts (who socialise big and enjoy those ear-pounding exercise classes with lasers and garage music). Now, we know it's actually down to our nervous systems. Introverts' systems are more sensitive to surroundings, so they crave quiet; extroverts' systems react less, so they crave stimulation – psychologist Hans Eysenck found that if you place lemon juice on your tongue, highly reactive introverts will actually produce more saliva. Which suddenly makes being quieter seem less like a defect and more like a superpower.
With even the chattiest among us being drowned out by fake news and social-media spambots (nothing says genuine friendship like 'gainlikes_137936699'), socialising is moving from an extreme sport to a generation of happy part-time talkers – and even noise fans are catching on…
Saying no to noise
You only have to listen to a politician's speech to know that what isn't said (think of Obama's silky pauses) can be more impressive than what is (something about a wall). "There's so much 'noise' in life that we may pay more attention when someone provides a better-quality response, rather than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind," says Dr Laurie Helgoe, a clinical psychologist and author of Introvert Power. We've had the buzz-phrase 'reach out' drummed into us, but Dr Helgoe believes there's also merit to holding back. "A quieter person can be a refreshing alternative to quick-paced conversations that don't go anywhere. They listen. They respect privacy, so are good secret-keepers. They are also, as my extroverted sister tells me, great at coming up with the witty observation that no one else thought of because they let themselves sit back, take in all the information and respond when they're ready."
Sitting alone was once the pity seat; now, it's a 'table for won'
And the benefits of interacting quietly aren't just being trailblazed by the naturally quiet – now, the loud want in, too. "People are claiming their quiet space – the trends for yoga and wearing noise-cancelling headphones reflect this. Society has become so ambitious and on-the-go, asking members to be 'on' all the time, that even extroverts feel it's too much," explains Susan Cain, the speaker behind the aforementioned 16 million-viewed TED hit. Anyone who's ever longed to be louder likely knows her name. Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking, her debut book normalising the less chatty among us, has topped best-seller lists since its 2013 release; and its 2016 sequel, Quiet Power, is spreading the quiet-is-OK assurance to teenagers.
A look in your local café shows many are already on board, though. "People are drawn to the quiet coffee shop where you can be by yourself and not look weird; where you can enjoy being with people you don't have to talk to," adds Dr Helgoe. Like apart-together relationships – where couples deliberately spend weekdays apart or prefer living separately – we're now long-distance socialising, where we flit between verbal contact and friend-ing over Wi-Fi. Sitting alone was once the pity seat; now, it's a 'table for won'.
Flexing your quiet muscle
While some of the world's biggest stars build their careers around verbally under-sharing – Kate Moss, FKA twigs, Victoria Beckham, even the Queen – quiet has traditionally been the wrong professional label. "My most surprising criticism has been the reaction to my success," explains Samantha, 26, a publicist. "I moved out when I was 18, got a degree in political science and then went to do my master's at New York University. But the common reaction was, 'Wow, quiet Samantha? Really?' To me, just because I was a bit reserved didn't mean I didn't have potential to do big things." It's this outdated 'charisma bias' towards the loud – research shows that charismatic CEOs are paid more, but don't deliver better results – that led Cain to launch Quiet Revolution. It's an organisation that teaches companies how to harness the best of the 30-50% of us who are quiet employees. "Tech culture was one of the first forces to nudge us in this direction. Look at the great engines of technological development and you see quiet people. Microsoft's Bill Gates is the perfect example – he's a quiet figure and a powerful one," she says.
Now, corporations are increasingly aware that they'll miss out if they only favour the loud. "Some companies still don't get it, but many understand that to make the most of quiet employees' hearts and minds they have to rethink: how do I design the office, how do I structure meetings, what space can I give them to put their heads down? All of this I see changing."
72% of 18 to 25 year olds feel more comfortable using emojis than words
In fact, some people are even carving careers out of their quietness. Fed up of feeling "damaged" for being quiet, Jenn Granneman, a former teacher, started blogging about her experiences. "Growing up, classmates would say, 'Why don't you talk more?' Teachers would tell my parents I needed to raise my hand more. When I joined the workforce, I felt like I was quietly slaving away, making valuable contributions, but the extroverts around me got more glory." So, instead, she quietly earned her glory. Her website, introvertdear.com, struck such a chord that she gets 600,000 page views a month and has a debut book, The Secret Lives Of Introverts, coming out in August. Further evidence that you don't need to be loud to be heard.
The low-volume future
In many ways, we've been lowering our offline volume for a while. For one, our crippling discomfort at leaving a voicemail. Second, even back in 2015, Bangor University found that 72% of 18 to 25 year olds felt more comfortable expressing themselves using an emoji than words. Psychologist Ty Tashiro, author of new title Awkward: The Science Of Why We're Socially Awkward And Why That's Awesome, believes we're part of a new wave of openly socially shy. "I think that twenty- and thirtysomethings will be the fulcrum point for a cultural shift," he says. "Young adults have grown up at the forefront of the social-media age and a brazen reality-television era. They've grown weary of so many people shouting for their attention, and are looking for a more genuine experience with others." Whereas volume once attracted us, "drawn to people's ability to take command of situations or social groups", Tashiro now believes "fairness, kindness and loyalty are weighted far more heavily".
A quieter, less intense way of interacting is also transforming traditionally 'loud' activities – restaurants that let you order via interfaces rather than face-to-face; hair salons with a quiet seat to skip the chatter; tech-free holiday retreats, where you don't even have the noise of your phone's notifications. If you're dating and are bored of hearing the "What do you like on Netflix?" opener, London's Shhh Dating organises silent speed-dating events where you play non-verbal games and gaze into each other's eyes. Their organisers believe that without words – without the hard sell – you can see who someone really is.
The heart of the quiet movement is this acceptance that it's OK to step away from the 'saleswoman' ideal, which we've long been told is the only way to be. "In the 20th century, Western culture made a shift to accommodate the needs of businesses to sell products, and the needs of the entertainment industry to present larger-than-life figures. There was this imperative to go out, live among people you didn't know well, and sell yourself. We went through a shift from what cultural historians call the culture of character to a culture of personality," explains Cain. "Today, it's beginning to change." And part of that change is giving ourselves space to think, to listen, to recharge. It's rediscovering that what makes us powerful isn't our volume, it's what's in our minds, even when the volume is on mute.
How to put yourself out there – quietly
Susan Cain's tips on making people listen without being loud
Speak early in meetings. The ideas submitted first are called 'anchoring ideas'. Other people direct their attention towards you and you psychologically feel part of things. Wait, and you slope to the margins.
Try tactical silence. Making a complaint? Negotiating a bill? If you make your point and then deliberately stay quiet, most people will likely say anything (hopefully, a helpful compromise) to fill the uncomfortable silence.
Have a listening limit. Dinner for two turning into a monologue for one? A simple: "I've loved hearing about X. That reminds me, I must tell you about X." It shows interest, but also that you want to make them a part of your news, too.
Say it with a gesture. If someone butts in before you've finished speaking, Cain says using a hand motion, such as slightly raising your palm, to alert them that you're still going, is more effective than trying to out-volume an interrupter.
Believe what you say. Someone who speaks less frequently but with conviction – not just conviction about any old ill-considered idea, but about something that makes sense – can end up having a lot of power in a discussion.
TopicsCareersMental HealthMagazineJune 2017 Issue


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VOULKOS
$1000 - $10,000
Born in Los Angeles, artist Betye Saar is one of the most important of her generation. As one of the artists who ushered in the development of Assemblage art, Betye Saar's practice reflects on African American identity, spirituality, and the connectedness between different cultures. Her symbolically rich body of work has evolved over time to demonstrate the environmental, cultural, political, racial, technological, economic, and historical context in which it exists. Saar's work can be found in the permanent collections of more than 60 museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Museum of American Arts, New York; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
To find out more about any of the artwork for sale, or to purchase, please contact ISC Executive Director Johannah Hutchison, 609.689.1051 ext.304 or johannah@sculpture.org.
Return to Sculpture.org
1633 Connecticut Ave NW 4th floor


text:
require 'simplecov'
require 'coveralls'

if ENV['CI']
  SimpleCov.formatter = Coveralls::SimpleCov::Formatter
else
  SimpleCov.formatter = SimpleCov::Formatter::HTMLFormatter
end
SimpleCov.start 'rails'

# Configure Rails Environment
ENV["RAILS_ENV"] = "test"

require File.expand_path("../dummy/config/environment.rb", __FILE__)

require 'alchemy/seeder'
require 'alchemy/test_support/auth_helpers'
require 'alchemy/test_support/controller_requests'
require 'alchemy/test_support/integration_helpers'
require 'alchemy/test_support/factories'
require 'capybara/poltergeist'
require 'capybara/rails'
require 'database_cleaner'
require 'rails/test_help'
require 'rspec-activemodel-mocks'
require 'rspec/rails'

require_relative "support/hint_examples.rb"
require_relative "support/transformation_examples.rb"

require 'alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples'

ActionMailer::Base.delivery_method = :test
ActionMailer::Base.perform_deliveries = true
ActionMailer::Base.default_url_options[:host] = "test.com"

Rails.backtrace_cleaner.remove_silencers!
# Disable rails loggin for faster IO. Remove this if you want to have a test.log
Rails.logger.level = 4

# Configure capybara for integration testing
Capybara.default_driver = :rack_test
Capybara.default_selector = :css
Capybara.register_driver :poltergeist do |app|
  Capybara::Poltergeist::Driver.new(app)
end
Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist
Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.infer_spec_type_from_file_location!
  config.raise_errors_for_deprecations!
  config.run_all_when_everything_filtered = true
  config.filter_run :focus
  config.include Alchemy::Engine.routes.url_helpers
  config.include Alchemy::TestSupport::AuthHelpers
  config.include Alchemy::TestSupport::ControllerRequests, type: :controller
  config.include Alchemy::TestSupport::IntegrationHelpers, type: :feature
  config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods

  config.use_transactional_fixtures = false
  # Make sure the database is clean and ready for test
  config.before(:suite) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean_with(:truncation)
    Alchemy::Seeder.seed!
  end

  # All specs are running in transactions, but feature specs not.
  config.before(:each) do |example|
    Alchemy::Site.current = nil
    ::I18n.locale = :en
    if example.metadata[:type] == :feature
      DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :truncation
    else
      DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :transaction
    end
    DatabaseCleaner.start
  end

  # After each spec the database gets cleaned. (via rollback or truncate for feature specs)
  # After every feature spec the database gets seeded so the next spec can rely on that data.
  config.append_after(:each) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean
    if RSpec.current_example.metadata[:type] == :feature
      allow(Alchemy::Seeder).to receive(:puts)
      Alchemy::Seeder.seed!
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
$10,000 reward posted in murder of six people at California home
Law enforcement officials in California on Tuesday offered a $10,000 reward and asked for the public's help in solving the "deliberate, intentional and horrific" murders of six people at a home in the state's Central Valley.
Investigators believe a gang or drug cartel targeted the family, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told a news conference. Deputies had conducted a drug-related search warrant at the same home recently.
Among the dead in the 3:30 a.m. shooting on Monday were a 17-year-old girl and her 10-month-old son.
"We believe the 17-year-old girl and her infant were actually running from scene. The shooters stood over top of a that 17-year-old mother and fired rounds into her head," Boudreaux said. "It was deliberate, intentional and horrific."
Also killed were a 72-year-old grandmother, two men and a woman.
Authorities had previously listed the girl's age as 16 and her son 6 months old but said they had received updated information.
Sheriff's deputies responding to reports of gunshots at the home in Goshen, a small farming town roughly 220 miles (350 km) southeast of San Francisco, found multiple victims both inside and in the street. Three people survived the attack.
"It's shocking for the nation, shocking to our county, shocking to our state, and I have to tell you I'm receiving phone calls from across the country," Boudreaux said.
Police were searching for at least two suspects, Boudreaux said, but said they had not yet been identified. The $10,000 reward was being offered by law enforcement agencies for information that moved the investigation forward.
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Home » Audio Sources - Full Text Articles » ,000 reward posted in murder of six people at California home


text:
from __future__ import unicode_literals

from django.db import migrations, models

class Migration(migrations.Migration):

    dependencies = [("election_snooper", "0005_auto_20170628_0749")]

    operations = [
        migrations.AlterField(
            model_name="snoopedelection",
            name="status",
            field=models.CharField(
                choices=[
                    ("election", "This is an Election"),
                    ("rejected", "Not an election"),
                    ("duplicate", "Duplicate"),
                    ("out_of_scope", "Election out of scope"),
                ],
                default="new",
                max_length=100,
            ),
        )
    ]


text:
package ru.vyarus.guice.persist.orient.db.scheme.initializer.core.util;

import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.object.ODatabaseObject;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.metadata.schema.OClass;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.sql.OCommandSQL;
import edu.umd.cs.findbugs.annotations.SuppressFBWarnings;
import org.slf4j.Logger;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Scheme initialization utils.
 *
 * @author Vyacheslav Rusakov
 * @since 04.03.2015
 */
public final class SchemeUtils {

    private static final String V = "V";
    private static final String E = "E";
    private static final String VERTEX = "vertex";
    private static final String EDGE = "edge";

    private SchemeUtils() {
    }

    /**
     * Resolves model class hierarchy (types recognized by orient).
     *
     * @param type model class
     * @return class hierarchy
     */
    public static List<Class<?>> resolveHierarchy(final Class<?> type) {
        final List<Class<?>> res = Lists.newArrayList();
        Class<?> current = type;
        while (!Object.class.equals(current) && current != null) {
            res.add(current);
            current = current.getSuperclass();
        }
        return res;
    }

    /**
     * Assigns base class in scheme for provided model type (for example, to make class vertex type
     * it must extend V).
     *
     * @param db        database object
     * @param modelType model class
     * @param target    target super class to assign
     * @param logger    caller specific logger
     */
    public static void assignSuperclass(final ODatabaseObject db, final Class<?> modelType, final String target,
                                        final Logger logger) {
        // searching for first existing scheme class to check hierarchy and avoid duplicates
        final OClass existing = findFirstExisting(db, modelType);
        final String modelName = modelType.getSimpleName();
        if (existing != null) {
            if (existing.isSubClassOf(target)) {
                return;
            }
            validateGraphTypes(modelName, existing, target);
        }
        if (existing != null && modelName.equals(existing.getName())) {
            logger.debug("Assigning superclass {} to {}", target, modelName);
            // adding superclass, not overriding!
            command(db, "alter class %s superclass +%s", modelName, target);
        } else {
            logger.debug("Creating model class scheme {} as extension to {}", modelName, target);
            command(db, "create class %s extends %s", modelName, target);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Calls schema change sql command.
     *
     * @param db      database object
     * @param command command with string format placeholders
     * @param args    string format placeholders args (important: not query args!)
     */
    public static void command(final ODatabaseObject db, final String command, final Object... args) {
        db.command(new OCommandSQL(String.format(command, args))).execute();
    }

    /**
     * Drops named index. Safe to call even if index not exist.
     *
     * @param db        database object
     * @param indexName index name
     * @see com.orientechnologies.orient.core.index.OIndexManagerProxy#dropIndex(java.lang.String)
     */
    @SuppressFBWarnings("RV_RETURN_VALUE_IGNORED_NO_SIDE_EFFECT")
    public static void dropIndex(final ODatabaseObject db, final String indexName) {
        // Separated to overcome findbugs false positive "RV_RETURN_VALUE_IGNORED_NO_SIDE_EFFECT" for dropIndex method.
        db.getMetadata().getIndexManager().dropIndex(indexName);
    }

    /**
     * @param db        db connection
     * @param modelType model type to examine
     * @return first class in provided model type class hierarchy which is registered in orient
     */
    private static OClass findFirstExisting(final ODatabaseObject db, final Class<?> modelType) {
        Class<?> target = null;
        if (!db.getMetadata().getSchema().existsClass(modelType.getSimpleName())) {
            final List<Class<?>> hierarchy = resolveHierarchy(modelType);
            for (Class<?> type : hierarchy) {
                if (db.getMetadata().getSchema().existsClass(type.getSimpleName())) {
                    target = type;
                }
            }
        } else {
            target = modelType;
        }
        return target == null ? null : db.getMetadata().getSchema().getClass(target);
    }

    private static void validateGraphTypes(final String modelClass, final OClass existing, final String target) {
        final boolean isVertex = V.equals(target);
        if (isVertex || E.equals(target)) {
            Preconditions.checkState(!existing.isSubClassOf(isVertex ? E : V),
                    "Model class %s can't be registered as %s type, because its already %s type",
                    modelClass, isVertex ? VERTEX : EDGE, isVertex ? EDGE : VERTEX);
        }
    }
}


text:
package helloworld.commandhandler;

import helloworld.domain.Greeting;
import helloworld.domain.Person;
import helloworld.infrastructure.OutputAdapter;

public class GreetPersonWithName implements Runnable{
  private Person person;
  private OutputAdapter outputAdapter;

  public GreetPersonWithName(Person person) {
    this.person = person;
    this.outputAdapter = new OutputAdapter();
  }

  @Override
  public void run() {
    greetWithName(person.getName());
  }

  private void greetWithName(String name) {
    String greeting = Greeting.forUserWithName(name);
    outputAdapter.showMessage(greeting);
  }
}


text:
Q: Show that u is a limit point for the set. Let $a_1, a_2, a_3$,.... be a sequence so that $a_1<a_2<a_3<...$ and so that the sequence is bounded. (The set of points is bounded.) Let $u$ denote the least upper bound of ${[a_n]}$ from n=1 to infinity. Show that $u$ is a limit point of the set of points  ${[a_n]}$ from n=1 to infinity.
Since $u$ is the least upper bound and I want to prove that u is the limit point,  I know need to prove that $u$ is not in the set. I just am unsure of how to begin.
Let M= ${[a_n]}$ from n=1 to infinity.
First, I will assume that $u\in M$. (Proving by contradiction.)
I also know that I want to show that the points in the set "limit" to $u$, I'm just struggling.

A: To prove that $u$ is not in the set, assume the opposite. Then $u = a_n$ for some $n$. Then $u < a_{n+1}$. So $u$ is not an upper bound. Contradiction.

A: Use the definition of limit point and supremum!
For $u=\sup_n a_n$, it means that this is the smallest upper bound of the sequence.
Let $\varepsilon>0$ be arbitrary, then the interval $(u-\varepsilon,u+\varepsilon)$ must contain elements of the sequence $a_n$, because otherwise $u-\varepsilon$ would be a smaller upper bound.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I am just a voter. I have only one vote to cast for those I choose to support.
I am not privy to any of the Machiavellian workings of the GOP . I don't receive the internal memos . Mr. Steele has never called me up to ask my opinion, though I have sent it to him from time to time.
I haven't put in long hours of phone calls and letter stuffing as so many have. And let me say that I respect all that have worked for candidates that they support.
I haven't donated thousands of dollars to the party or to candidates.
I am just a voter.
I don't get paid lots of money to voice my opinion like O'Reilly and Limbaugh. I am willing to give it freely, though many wish I wouldn't.
I haven't gone to college to study political science or sociology. I have lived for nearly fifty years though, and have tried to seek out knowledge from as many sources as possible.
I don't move among the political movers and shakers on the cocktail circuit.
I have never been asked, nor have I sought to run for an elected office. And since the art of politics is compromise, and since compromise is not my best suit, it's just as well.
I am sure that to be an elected official, is a great and heavy responsibility. I am not sure that it is one that I could myself fulfill.
But I am just a voter, and as a voter it is my responsibility to be informed. As a voter I should be aware of current events. I should know the basic meaning of the Constitution.
As a voter it is my duty to know what each candidate really stands for. I should know how incumbents have voted on key issues in the past.
As a voter I should be willing to hold my elected officials accountable for their positions and votes as they exercise their duties.
As a voter I should never turn a blind eye towards an elected official simply because they happen to be of the same party affiliation as myself.
Voting is the greatest privilege that we enjoy in this nation, we should never take it for granted. Voting is our voice, it is our statement, many times it is our one chance to make a difference within our government.
I am just a voter. I have only one vote to cast for those I choose to support. I will cast it intelligently.
2 Comments on "Just a Voter"
I to am just a voter, who resents the likes of linbaugh oreiley,hannity,norquest the nra and so many others who appear to control are grand old party with all there bloviating never risking a run at an elected office. i to am just a republican but i am not sure for how much longer. indendents are certently looking good.
Joe Mack, don't give up, there is a movement to reach out and grab the pendulum and stop it from swinging too far to the right. We need all Republicans to remain Republicans to do this. We can't be a one faction party, but we must be able to work together. Keep working and voting for the most conservative candidate, that is how we change the game.


Chimpanzee Tea Party: The End of "The Minimalist"
I'm not much of a minimalist myself, so I haven't cooked a huge number of Bittman's recipes, but I've always enjoyed his writing. Don't worry, he's not leaving the Times nor quitting writing about food. You can read his farewell column here.


text:
Flight history for Iberia Express flight I23916
FROM Madrid (MAD)
TO Palma de Mallorca (PMI)
05 Feb 2023 Madrid (MAD) Palma de Mallorca (PMI) 32Q — 21:40 — 22:59
More than 7 days of I23916 history is available with an upgrade to a Silver (90 days), Gold (1 year), or Business (3 years) subscription.


As the tui feeder is our most popular product this page is solely devoted to it.
It was about a year ago ( March 2009) that I set about making this liquid feeder for tui that were visiting our garden. Little did I know then how popular they would become. After a few months word began to spread and the inquiries poured in.
From Whangarei to Invercargill and everywhere in between. We even received an order from London, Christmas present for his mum in Titirangi.
There appears to be many Kiwi's (not the birds) out there who derive as much pleasure as we do from feeding these amazing birds. This feeder is also suitable for other nectar eating birds: eg bellbird, waxeyes and even the occasional sparrow. The sparrows have to take a very hurried drink as they are quickly spotted by the unappreciative tui who swoop in to chase them away.
"Nine days ago I hung one of your feeders in our apple tree and today a pair of tui visited for the first time. I am thrilled with this invention. It is giving us so much pleasure. The wax-eyes began using it first. They are great to watch too ..." Raewyn .. Hibiscus Coast.
"Having seen tui around our property we decided we would like to encourage them to stay. After reading the NZ Gardener we noticed tui feeders advertised. After a phone call or two to Rodney Dunn of Just Add Worms we decided to buy one of their pole mounted deluxe models".
"It arrived in good time and was super easy to put together. We placed it on our fence maybe 2 metres from our house, put the sugar water in it and waited!! Just 3 days and we had our first tui feeding. When buying this feeder we thought it would be great for the grandchildren and it is! It's also a constant source of pleasure for the grandparents to use".
Photo immediately below shows tui on Pat and Di's deluxe two way feeder.
The images below show the range and colours of the tui feeders currently available.
"To avoid disappointment when ordering a tui feeder for that special someone's birthday or Christmas gift please give us plenty of notice, 12 working days is ideal".
Unfortunately last Christmas (2010) we were unable to satisfy a number of clients as they left their orders to the last few days.
If you wish to order a tui feeder click here or go to "Garden Shop" in the menu above.
"Deluxe multi purpose tui feeder" can be hanging or pole mounted (available as from 11th March 2011) means you can attract a wide variety of birds including tui.
Below … the deluxe two way tui feeder is the latest addition (6th Oct 2011) to our range and is already proving to be extremely popular. Available in hanging, pole mounted and combo versions (includes a suet feeder). This model replaces our previous deluxe model which is shown in the photo above.


text:
Low Testosterone Levels & COVID-19
A recent study has found that males with low testosterone levels are at greater risk of death from Covid-19. As we face the storm of this global pandemic and are constantly tossed new information on a daily basis, one thing has remained constant which is that certain age groups and those of 'underlying issues' are at far greater risk. Having low T levels can be an underlying issue and can be cause for concern. Low testosterone is closely aligned with the body's immune system and when levels are too low, the immune system is at greater risk.
Read more on the study here:
"Watch the news and you will hear that many of the coronavirus patients that have died, had some type of underlying issues. Some of the medical issues were known, but some not. What happens when males suffer from low testosterone and contract COVID-19? According to German research, researchers found that a vast majority of men admitted had low testosterone levels fueling cytokine storms. We know that testosterone works hand in hand with the body's immune system and when low, questionably low testosterone levels can lead to a cytokine storm within the body, which can sometimes prove fatal.
Male coronavirus patients with low testosterone levels are MORE likely to die from COVID-19, German hospital finds:
Men with low testosterone levels that contract COVID-19 are at far greater risk of dying from the virus, a study has found. A recent study found men are twice as likely to die from the coronavirus, but clinicians have been unable to determine why this is. But a study from a German hospital of 45 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care reveals the male sex hormone testosterone may play a key role.
The hormone is known to help regulate the body's immune response but when a man has low levels of testosterone, the immune system is not kept in check and can go haywire following infection. This leads to a so-called cytokine storm which happens when the immune system goes out of control as it tries to kill the pathogen.A cytokine storm eventually begins damaging the body itself and, if left unchecked, can be fatal.
The researchers assessed the first 45 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Thirty-five were men and ten were women, with seven patients requiring oxygen and 33 of them needing ventilation. Nine men and three women died. Hormone levels of each patient were assessed on their first day in ICU, before they had received any invasive procedures. Samples from the COVID-19 patients were tested for 12 hormones, including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone is key in how the body initiates and regulates various immune responses, including fighting viral infections. It plays a particular important role in men's immunity as it is the main male sex hormone.
SARS-CoV-2 trigger's the human body into producing vast amounts of cytokines, chemicals which flood to the site of infection and begin fighting the pathogen. They can also signal to the body to send more immune cells to mount a defence against a foreign invader. It is a key part of healing in humans but a common issue for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 is their immune system responds too aggressively.This can lead to this process getting out of control as it tries to defeat the invading pathogen. It leads to an enormous immune response called a cytokine storm. This is a hyperinflammatory condition itself and can lead to severe lung damage, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death.
Ali Daneshkhah, a postdoctoral research fellow at Northwestern University who was not involved in the study, explains: 'This is what seems to kill a majority of COVID-19 patients, not the destruction of the lungs by the virus itself. It is the complications from the misdirected fire from the immune system. Professor Gabriel adds:
'It seems that testosterone has a dampening impact on the virus induced cytokine storm, which finally leads to death in both cohorts. Men with normal testosterone levels do not present a cytokine storm and thus are more likely to survive.'
Writing in their study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed and scrutinised by independent academics, the medics say:
'With SARS-CoV-2 continuing to infect humans worldwide, it was repeatedly reported that men with COVID-19 are at higher risk to develop severe and even lethal outcome compared to women, independent of age. Thus, it has become of utmost importance to understand why men are more likely to die from COVID-19 than women.The latest research builds on separate research, which Professor Gabriel was also involved in, which found men are also more likely to die after becoming infected with Avian influenza A (H7N9). Both these diseases are zoonotic — jumped into humans from animals — and are cytokine inducers, turning the body's immune system against itself. The current hypothesis is that this "cytokine storm" inhibits steroid synthesis leading to low testosterone levels in men,' says Professor Gabriel.
Of the male COVID-19 patients sent to ICU at the German hospital, more than two thirds (68.6 per cent) recorded low levels of testosterone. In contrast, the majority of female patients (60 per cent) had elevated testosterone levels. While low levels of testosterone can not control the immune response in men, the study found that in female COVID-19 patients, higher testosterone levels were linked to a more significant inflammatory response.
Professor Gülsah Gabriel from the Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology in Hamburg, who was involved in the research, told MailOnline:
'The majority of male COVID-19 patients had low testosterone levels. Of those male COVID-19 patients who died, the majority also had low testosterone levels. Thus, low testosterone levels in men seem to be a risk factor for severe and even fatal disease outcome in men upon infection with so-called "cytokine inducing" respiratory viruses.'
To get testosterone levels tested, schedule an appointment with the Low T Center nearest you today. To find that location > LOCATIONS
WHAT IS THE CYTOKINE STORM KILLING COVID-19 PATIENTS?
Devastating lung inflammation triggered by the so-called 'cytokine storm' is thought to be what ultimately kills the sickest coronavirus patients. Cytokines are a group of cells involved in the immune system's response to injury or infection. They race to the site of a problem and signal to the body to send more immune cells to mount a defense against a foreign invader. It's a crucial part of how the body heals itself – but when it goes haywire it can lead to devastating damage. The influx of immune cells causes inflammation which, when persistent, and go awry and start killing cells in the very tissues the immune system is trying to protect. When overabundant signaling cytokine cells stay switched 'on' for too long inflammation can continue out of control. This inflammation overwhelms the lungs of coronavirus patients, sending them into respiratory failure and ultimately killing many of them if this inflammation can't be stemmed."
If you have experienced some of the common symptoms of low testosterone, call Chicagoland Men's Health for a free consultation.
#chicagolandmenshealth
The 5 Biggest Myths About Building Big Arms
11 Year Evidence on Testosterone Treatment and Weight Loss


text:
Expert insights Investing Pyrmont Office building sold for $143 million
Pyrmont Office building sold for $143 million
| Nov 28,2018
An A-grade Pyrmont office building has sold for $143 million to AEW.
JLL and Colliers International managed the deal for 19 Harris Street on behalf of a private client of UBS Asset Management, AEW who purchased the property on behalf of its Value Investors Asia fund series.
An international expressions of interest campaign was launched in July 2018 for the seven story building, which garnered interest from local and offshore investors.
"Properties such as 19 Harris will benefit from significant rental growth in this sub-market as leases reach their expiry," JLL's James Aroney said.
"The high calibre of tenants, the quality of the asset and the vibrant city fringe location made it an attractive investment opportunity."
The building is set to benefit from the redevelopment of the Bays Market District, less than 1km away in Blackwattle Bay, which will add to the area's retail and social amenity.
Thomson Reuters is the anchor tenant of 19 Harris Street, and L'Oreal Australia is also among the 12 occupants of the fully leased asset.
The building has a net lettable area of 12,568 sqm and campus-style flexible floor plates of around 2000 sqm.
The deal represents a sale rate per square metre of $11,378 and a passing yield of 4.87 per cent. The weighted average lease expiry (WALE) is five years.
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Home values still on the rise but lost steam in April
How do dwelling values compare with previous highs? Eliza Owen
Rental demand reducing, but remains higher than last year: REA