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Bark of a salmon gum in the Australian Outback
Various Artists: The Ultimate Guide to English Folk (Arc Music)
Graham Reid | Jan 23, 2017 | <1 min read
For anyone with an interest in British folk music, Elsewhere can highly recommend Electric Britain: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music by Rob Young which appeared in 201`0. But be warned, Young is such a persuasive writer he'll have you scouring the internet or record stores for dozens of albums.
He set Elsewhere back a pretty penny.
This double disc collection of 35 songs with useful biographical notes refines to focus down to English artists but its reach is wide, from archival material by the traditional unaccompanied voices of the Copper Family and the Watersons through many familiar names (Steeleye Span, the Unthanks, Martyn Carthy, Oysterband, Maddy Prior with June Tabor, Nic Jones, Bellowhead,) and a number of more recent artists who explore the traditions.
Even if this kind of folk is a hard haul for some you have to admire the inclusiveness of this, and like Young's book, it will have you in search of more by certain artists.
A job well done.
The X-Rays; Booze'n'Speed (Cargo/Southbound)
Umm, you can perhaps guess the sound of the contents here from the album title alone, but if you need more clues then here are some of the titles of the 26 flat-tack, lo-fi songs: Nitro Burnout,... > Read more
RECOMMENDED REISSUE: Various Artists: AK 79 (Flying Nun)
In the Eighties and Nineties, EPs or appearing on compilation albums were the key currency for most young post-punk bands. Hard to know where we'd be without collections like the student radio... > Read more
Manu Katche: Third Round (ECM)
This album under the name of mutli-culti French drummer Katche (who has worked with Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, Al Di Meola, Sting, Tori Amos, Tomasz Stanko, Peter Gabriel... > Read more
10 UNUSUAL ECM ALBUMS OF THE EIGHTIES I OWN (2019): But there's no pattern to the pattern . . .
When Manfred Eicher founded his record label ECM (Editions of Contemporary Music) in 1969 it was, he told Elsewhere in a 1992 interview, with a view to recording jazz at the same high quality... > Read more


Golf, like most everything, has been revolutionized, dominated, and overrun by the emergence of technology. There are positives and negatives to the state of today's game versus the game our grandfathers and their grandfathers played.
Technological advancements in equipment have undeniably made the game easier and more enjoyable for most players. The ball flies longer and straighter, woods are larger yet lighter, and irons use perimeter weighting to ensure the toe-ball you just hit still carries the junk. At golf courses, technology has allowed conditioning to reach new levels. Golfers have grown to expect immaculate fairways and greens, and bunkers raked to perfection. Rangefinders give us the exact yardage, not only to the hole, but to lips of traps and branches of trees.
In the same breath, technology has taken away from the experience of golf. Smartphones have made avoiding a phone call, text, email or tweet virtually impossible. When the pace of play is slow, it's easy to open the social media of your choice and start scrolling. One way or another, we often rob ourselves of the full experience of golf.
Never before have I experienced pure golf as I did this fall at San Francisco Golf Club. It's a true golf club; there is no pool, no tennis courts, and a strict no cell phone policy. It keeps the distractions away and the focus on golf.
Entering SFGC feels like entering a time machine.
The inconspicuous entrance leads through the trees to a small parking lot. The men's locker room features a wood-burning fireplace that is aflame before 7 a.m. and original, wooden lockers from 1915. It feels as if A.W. Tillinghast himself could round the corner to greet you at any moment.
As you would guess, there are no carts available. Even further, caddies are mandatory. At SFGC, the game is meant to be played as it was in 1915. It means rangefinders are not allowed, and your caddie won't have one either. If you think that's tough, wait until you come to realize that there are no distance markers on the course – none at all. The caddies are familiar with the course and will eyeball the yardages for you and tell you how to play the shot (this gets more confusing if you haven't dealt with the San Francisco marine layer, which makes the ball go considerably shorter). The caddies will tell you everything you are used to getting from your rangefinder. Are they as accurate? Of course not, but this is how the game was played when this iconic track was constructed, and the club has preserved the guesswork, feel, and player-caddie relationship that is now absent in other courses.
Playing without exact yardages at a course you have never seen is significantly more difficult than I could have imagined. My playing partner, Ryan, and I estimated it was a full three shots more difficult, especially because SFGC happens to be very hilly. The elevation changes, coupled with the fact that it is a strategic masterpiece (meaning well-placed bunkers on the inside of doglegs, amongst other things), meant that we had to put serious thought into every shot. There were no easy decisions as every shot presented its unique risks and rewards based on your angle of entry. San Francisco GC isn't insanely difficult (73.6/133 from 6,836 yards), yet I cannot remember playing a golf course that required more thought than this one. It rewards good strategy and execution and punishes the opposite. Is that not how golf is meant to be?
I could write thousands of words about the excellence of San Francisco Golf Club's design. It was strategic, featured no weak holes, had immaculate conditioning and left nothing to be desired. The artistic bunkering looked like Tillinghast had Alister MacKenzie hanging over his shoulder during construction. Somehow none of these aspects were my most vivid takeaway from San Francisco Golf Club. I learned, or perhaps relearned, what made me fall in love with the game of golf. While on the course, nothing outside of it had to exist for the time being. It was just my group and the golf course.
I only worried about how much club to take, only had to find answers to questions like how I could two-putt from over a massive ridge, and only feared that the round would eventually come to an end. While walking a golf course that looked like it belonged to the land rather than forced into it, my only distraction was the conversation with a good friend that I met through – you guessed it – golf.


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Q: Bootstrap collapse has TypeError: $(...).offset(...) is undefined I added some code to make the page scroll to top of active (open) accordion panel (Bootstrap 4 accordion).
$('.collapse').on('show.bs.collapse', function(e) {
var $card = $(this).closest('.card');
var $open = $($(this).data('parent')).find('.collapse.show');

var additionalOffset = 0;
if($card.prevAll().filter($open.closest('.card')).length !== 0)
{
      additionalOffset =  $open.height();
}
$('html,body').animate({
  scrollTop: $card.offset().top - additionalOffset
}, 500);

});
This works great for the bootstrap accordions. However, when I now use other collapsibles like buttons or navbars, I get the error: TypeError: $(...).offset(...) is undefined
I'm using the scrollTop function and calling the parameter card as scrollTop. Since, scrollTop is also a jQuery function, I guess, scrollTop is already calling jQuery.
I there a way to define card so that it's specific for scrolling to the top of an open accordion panel and doesn't interfere with other collapsibles?
Or do I have to redefine jQuery? FYI, I'm not an expert in jQuery.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The genesis of bone, the palimpsest of the evolution of man, remains to this day undetermined and a subject of much controversy. This controversy involves not only the fundamental problems of the chemical processes of ossification but also its histogenesis. Without established knowledge of the rôle (if any) played by tissue cells in the laying down of bone and of the specialization required of cells for such a function, the part played by such tissues as the periosteum, endosteum, cartilage and granulation tissue can only be conjectured. However, I have presented experimental results which indicate that the periosteum is particularly conducive to the deposition of new bone on its cambium surface.


Dhawan was traded from the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Capitals ahead of the auction.
All the major stats and numbers recorded during the rain-affected game in Centurion.
Azhar and Sachin proved to be poor captains Down Under.
Herschelle Gibbs tops the list of taking most runs in an over in ODIs.
Virat Kohli completed 1000 Test runs in Australia when he reached five in the second innings.
Rohit also managed to score his 4th T20I hundred during the game.
Kohli scored his 38th ODI hundred in the third ODI against Windies in Pune.
All the major stats and numbers recorded during the thrilling game between India and Afghanistan.


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Tambourine Bay is a bay located in between the suburbs of Riverview and Longueville in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, NSW, Australia. The bay and its adjoining creek is a northern tributary of the Lane Cove River, a ria that joins Sydney harbour to Greenwich and Woolwich. The bay's foreshore and surrounding park areas are managed by the municipality of Lane Cove.

History

Tambourine Sal
Tambourine Bay is named after a local woman known as Tambourine Sal. It is suggested that her real name is Sarah Leadbeater, the wife of the explorer and surveyor William Lawson. Sarah Leadbeater would frequently play her tambourine in the streets of Sydney, hence the name Tambourine Sal. Judy Washington, an author for the North Shore Times, first suggested that Sarah Leadbeater would evade the law by hiding in the remote bushlands of Tambourine Bay in a hut on the western foreshore. On 23 March 1812 Sarah Leadbeater was married to William Lawson and settled on a farm in Prospect, New South Wales, where she later died on 11 July 1850 aged 48.

Aboriginal heritage

Tambourine Bay is an area of the North Sydney foreshore once populated by the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation. The Cammeraygal peoples' semi-nomadic hunter gatherer lifestyle depended on Sydney's North Shore tidal mangrove forests and abundance of wildlife to live. In these coastal environments, fishing was a common practice along the harbour foreshore. The Lane Cove River named 'Turranburra' by the local Indigenous population accommodated a variety of fish, crustacean and shellfish species. Instruments such as multi-progoned fishing spears named 'fizz-gigs' by British colonists and hook lines were used proficiently by men and women on canoes or from rock platforms. Although only smaller marine animals were caught through these methods, larger marine mammals such as dolphins and whales would occasionally beach themselves in the harbour during their northerly migrations in winter. Bones of a Dugong (Dugong dudgeon) in Sydney's Sheas Creek, near Alexandra Canal in 1896 showed evidence of butchering from Aboriginal axes. Separate evacuations around Sydney have discovered other animals including the Green Turtle (Chelonia mynas) and Australian Fur Seal (Artocephalus pusillus).

The Cammerygal peoples' locality to Sydney Harbour provided dense coastal bushland to live and shelter. Sandstone stratums along the foreshore and rivers were used as rock dwellings. Reminiscent of concentrated human activity in these areas can be determined by the high volume of rock prints, axe grindings and stone carvings surrounding the shelters. Similar to many other Aboriginal tribes, rock art for the Cammeraygal people was an expression of their spiritual connection to the land. Notably, rock carvings depicting fish and people in many sites in the Lane Cove area indicates indigenous peoples' spiritual relationship to environment they lived in. In total the Aboriginal Heritage Office estimates there are approximately 4,500 Aboriginal Archaeological sites in the Sydney basin.

Many rock shelters were later destroyed by European settlers who extracted phosphates from the rock to be used in manure as agriculture rapidly spread west of Port Jackson. Diseases foreign to the Aboringal population such as smallpox also devastated the inhabitants along Sydney Harbour. In the 2016 Census, 0.3% of residents in Lane Cove identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. However these residents have not been confirmed to be of Cammeraygal descent.

Environment

Flora

Native

Lane Cove Council's targeted bush regeneration programs in Tambourine Bay's bushland, notably Warraroon reserve has seen the eventual re-population of native species in the area. Mangroves (Aegiceras corniculatum and Excoecaria agallocha var. agallocha) as part of the bay's native species grows in the coastal saline water, dominate much of the northern and western foreshores. Eucalyptus varieties cover much of Tambourine Bay's bush land, resting several meters above sea water. Species include the Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and Rusty gum (Angophora costata). Smaller native plants in the bush land include the Australian Wattle (Acacia terminalis subsp. Glabrous) whose sweet flowers attractive a variety of native fauna such as possums and lorikeet species.

Invasive

Invasive plant species are also common to the bay's foreshore. Bush regeneration is the primary method used to mitigate the potential harms invasive species have on the natural environment. Through the Lane Cove Council's bush regeneration project, large zones of vegetation were eliminated from Tambourine Bay by weeding or spraying herbicides. Some species to be introduced to Tambourine Bay have become naturalised. Dominating much of the forest floor is Fishbone fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia). The fern is endemic to Australia's east coast extending from Queensland to Northern regions of New South Wales, and more recently as a weed into the Sydney region, thriving in the damp coastal soils in Tambourine Bay.

Fauna

Birds
A variety of native bird species nest and forage in the wet sclerophyll forest that borders the bay. Common species such as Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), and Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) depend on the forest's abundance of seeds, leaf buds and blossoms primarily from eucalyptus and wattle varieties for food. Raptors or birds of prey are also contingent on a wealth of food in the bay. Species such as the Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) feed largely on insects and worms found in the forest's detritus or crustaceans located in the inter-tidal mangrove forest. The Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), another species native to the Sydney basin has also been increasingly successful in Tambourine Bay. According to Dr John Martin, wildlife ecologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney says 'They're considered abundant, however they are declining in some habitats, and they are increasing in other habitats.' Observations of the ibis' population in Sydney following a study conducted by the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage Office's annual report on the species, shows the actual population of the species in 2015 to be more than double the 'natural range.' Due to the parkland's increasing use as a place of recreation and ecological appreciation, the birds have benefited from an abundance of food and protection of roosting locations that have largely contributed to their growth in numbers.

Terrestrial
Due to the bay's highly urbanised surroundings, only a select few terrestrial animals inhabit the area. Typically, they are docile and nocturnal to contend with the dense human population regularly encroaching on the ecosystem. The Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), a nocturnal Australian marsupial feeds on a variety of leaves and sap available in Tambourine Bay's eucalyptus trees. Similarly, the Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) thrives in the river systems around Sydney harbour, capitalising on the nutrient dense coastal fruits and seeds when feeding at night.

Invasive
Similar to the broader Sydney region, invasive species continue to threaten the already fragile natural ecosystems among the urbanised city. The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that populates much of the Riverview peninsula included Tambourine Bay is classified as one of the 'top five widespread terrestrial pest animals that threaten native fauna and flora' (Coutts-Smith et al. 2007). As a grazing herbivore, the European Rabbit consumes native flora in any stage of growth, disrupting the cycle of germination for many species. The rabbits' burrowing behaviours further disturbs native flora species, as deep roots can be destroyed and soil moisture around ideal growing positions can be altered. Another invasive species of fauna prevalent in many environmental areas in Tambourine Bay is the Common or Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis). This small sparling species closely resembles the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), a native Australian bird that is regularly pressured to compete with the more aggressive introduced Common Myna. According to the Lane Cove Council, Common Myna birds 'take over tree hollows and plug up nest sites they are not using, forcing possums and birds out and ejecting nestlings and eggs from their nests.' In efforts to prevent further damages caused by the bird, an eradication program has been established around Lane Cove Plaza as a measure of reducing numbers in the broader area.

Water quality
According to the State of Beaches 2017-2018 Sydney Region, water quality in Tambourine Bay is rated good. Assessment of the bay's water has been conducted from December 2015 to April 2018. Over this monitoring period, the beach grade status has improved as levels of enterococci decrease steadily. Levels of the enterococcus bacteria are low enough in the bay so that swimming is suitable most of the time. However, after rain "potential faecal contamination from stormwater and discharge from the Lane Cove River" exceeds the safe swimming limit.

Infrastructure

Tambourine Bay Baths
Tambourine Bay baths was a concrete lined pool originally build around 1930. The pool was primarily used by students of St Ignatius' College Riverview for both competitive swimming training and recreation. After increasing sanitation issues in the tidal pool's water, maintenance and subsequent use of the pool ceased. The pool was eventually demolished in 2015. However, the bay's water quality continues to improve since the pools closure according to The State of Beaches Report 2017-2018 by the NSW government, indicating it is safe to swim in the bay's water once again.

Foreshore park
Following the demolition of the Harbour Pool in 2015, construction of the Tambourine Bay foreshore park was built immediately in its place. Such action was discussed and eventuated from the 2011-2013 Lane Cove Council 'Consultation Comments for Draft Community Strategic Plan.' The primary objectives of the new foreshore development were 'to maximise the opportunity for all the community to participate in active recreational activities and events' and 'to prioritise programs for the maintenance upgrade of recreational facilities.'

Due to the site's access constraints and high sensitivity as an environmental space, a barge was used to reach the site by water. This method of construction was in the compliance with the Lane Cove Council's Development Control Plan (DCP 1), first outlined in their annual report 1994/95-1999/2000 to 'control development adjacent to bush land.'

The park includes four benches and two tables, encouraging visitors to use the area for prolonged periods of time. Plants including Lomandra confertifolia and Baumea Rubiginosa among other native Australian species were planted to blend into the surroundings both aesthetically and ecologically.

Tambourine Bay Well
Tambourine Bay Well was built in 1883 by Thomas Duckworth. The well was used to collect fresh water from the natural spring below. In the late 19th century people from surrounding areas such as Longueville and Hunters Hill would visit the site when necessary. The original structure was dug out of 1 metre of sandstone and later filled in after its redundancy. The site was later rediscovered in 1991, however iron feeding algae has affected water purity.

Recreational activities

Bushwalking
Approximately 740 metres of bush track extends from the St Ignatius' College rowing shed on the western side of the bay to southern end of Tambourine Creek and into the Warraroon Reserve Walk along the bay's foreshore.

Events
Lane Cove's Food and Wine by the River is an annual festival held in Tambourine Bay Park in November. Since its inception in 2015, the event promotes the cold-climate food and wine of the Orange region. An animal farm display is also brought to the park as a way of showcases nuances of the region to visitors.

Dog Park
Tambourine Bay Park is a registered off leash dog park. This area is one of 17 off-leash spaces in the municipality of Lane Cove that was established with the aim of allowing 'pets enjoy the great outdoors with their owners' whilst 'native birds, lizards and mammals are not harmed' (Lane Cove Council).

References

Bays of New South Wales

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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From Iceland — Capturing The World
Capturing The World
Hreinn Friðfinnsson's House Project returns home
Hreinn Friðfinnsson
Some works of art take longer to finish than others. And some are perhaps never finished. Hreinn Friðfinnsson's House Project is a case in point. The story begins a hundred years ago, in the summer of 1912. That summer, a character in Þórbergur Þórðarsson's novel 'Íslenskur aðall,' ("Icelandic Aristocracy," published in 1938), built a house inside out. The character, Sólon Guðmundsson, is based on a real person who lived in Ísafjörður, but "we know next to nothing about him," Hreinn Friðfinnsson told me over the phone from Amsterdam, where he has lived for the past forty years. "He was a common worker at the start of the twentieth century, an eccentric outsider, but in Þórbergur's mind outsiders were the Icelandic aristocracy."
Building a house inside out
What captured Hreinn's attention was the house, called Slunkaríki. "A house built inside out—that was the concept I wanted to play with," he told me. "You could say that in this way you turn the whole world on its head." And that is what Hreinn did in the summer of 1974, when he built a house inside out in the lava fields near Hafnarfjörður. "It's a small wave to Sólon," he says, and then recalled the building process in more detail. "This was when I didn't really have a penny to my name and needed to borrow all over the place. So, when I had scraped enough money together, I found a professional carpenter and we drove into the lava fields; it was important to build the house where no other man-made structures were visible. We left the car and hadn't really walked that far before we were all of a sudden at the edge of this crater—and we knew this was the place."
After the house was built, it was photographed, and this became the real artwork. "It was built to be photographed," Hreinn says. "So we built it, took pictures, and then we just let it be, and it has just stood there, abandoned." Hreinn himself didn't visit it again until the early 2000s. "By that time there were a number of holes in it. They were gun-made; a shooting association had a cabin nearby," Hreinn says. Otherwise it was in pristine condition until the turn of the century; no vandalism had been committed.
Returning it outside in
The little house in the lava would however not be his last house. In 2009, Hreinn was asked to build a second house in a French sculpture park, and this time it would be different. "I had long toyed with the idea of turning the house back around, into a normal state. The house had been open to the world so long, so when you turn it inwards, it takes with it all its history," Hreinn says.
"The first house itself never became a sculpture or official work of art; it was just a house hidden in nature where random travellers might encounter it," he says, "but in France the house became a sculpture in a sculpture garden. You can't enter it, but you can look around it, and you can look through the windows and see what's inside. There are pictures on the walls and a copy of the first house as well as a model of a third house. There is also an unusually big asteroid found in Argentina, in Campo del Cielo." Hreinn explains: "By having the asteroid there I reach as far as I can to take something from the outside world and put it inside the house."
Finally, the model of his third house, which could be seen floating around in the second house, premiered at Hafnarborg in Iceland this month. It has no walls. It's simply a 3-D graphic—an outline of the original house in the original size, at the place where the original house stood. "Those boundaries between inside and outside have served their purpose. It's sort of a question; it doesn't have walls, there is no shelter, and you can be both inside of it and outside of it. You can ponder it; unlike the first, this house makes no statement," he says. And what statement did the first house make? "It captures the whole world, except for itself. It turns the world on its axis."
I wonder if the ghost houses left behind by the bubble years have altered the meaning of his house, but he brushed that suggestion aside: "There are no political connotations. Perhaps there is a philosophical meaning, threads that can be spun in all directions." And thus concludes the story of the three houses—for now. Or five, if you include the original that Sólon built and the fictional one Þórbergur wrote about. And now those houses will return to a book published by Crymogea, and an exhibition in Hafnarborg, an art gallery in Hafnarfjörður.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sticky Capital Controls
12 Jul 2020Working Paper Summaries
by Miguel Acosta-Henao, Laura Alfaro, and Andrés Fernández
One of the legacies of the 2007–2008 global financial crisis has been a reassessment of the potential for restriction of capital flows policies. This paper documents a set of stylized facts on capital controls along their intensive and extensive margins for emerging markets and document them to be "sticky." We then rationalize them through a model that includes fixed cost of implementing such policies, which lower the welfare gains of implementation.
There is much ongoing debate on the merits of capital controls as effective policy instruments. The differing perspectives are due in part to a lack of empirical studies that look at the intensive margin of controls, which in turn has prevented a quantitative assessment of optimal capital control models against the data. We contribute to this debate by addressing both positive and normative features of capital controls. On the positive side, we build a new dataset using textual analysis, from which we document a set of stylized facts of capital controls along their intensive and extensive margins for 21 emerging markets. We document that capital controls are "sticky"; that is, changes to capital controls do not occur frequently and, when they do, they remain in place for a long time. Overall, they have not been used systematically across countries or time, and there has been considerable heterogeneity across countries in terms of the intensity with which they have been used. On the normative side, we extend a model of capital controls relying on pecuniary externalities augmented by including an (S, s) cost of implementing such policies. We illustrate how this friction goes a long way toward bringing the model closer to the data. When the extended model is calibrated for each of the countries in the new dataset, we find that the size of these costs is large, thus substantially reducing the welfare-enhancing effects of capital controls compared with the frictionless Ramsey benchmark. We conclude with a discussion of the structural interpretations of such costs, which calls for a richer set of policy constraints when considering the use of capital controls in models of pecuniary externalities.
Working Paper Publication Date: April 2020
HBS Working Paper Number: NBER Working Paper Series, No. 26997
Faculty Unit(s): General Management
Laura Alfaro
Warren Alpert Professor of Business Administration
→ More Articles
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms


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The Long Cosmos
Imprint: Corgi
2070-71. Nearly six decades after Step Day and in the Long Earth, the new Next post-human society continues to evolve.
For Joshua Valienté, now in his late sixties, it is time to take one last solo journey into the High Meggers: an adventure that turns into a disaster. Alone and facing death, his only hope of salvation lies with a group of trolls. But as Joshua confronts his mortality, the Long Earth receives a signal from the stars. A signal that is picked up by radio astronomers but also in more abstract ways – by the trolls and by the Great Traversers. Its message is simple but its implications are enormous:
The super-smart Next realise that the Message contains instructions on how to develop an immense artificial intelligence but to build it they have to seek help from throughout the industrious worlds of mankind. Bit by bit, byte by byte, they assemble a computer the size of a continent – a device that will alter the Long Earth's place within the cosmos and reveal the ultimate, life-affirming goal of those who sent the Message. Its impact will be felt by and resonate with all – mankind and other species, young and old, communities and individuals – who inhabit the Long Earths…
Inspired . . . something of the poetry and visionary wildness of an author such as Jeff VanderMeer . . . enthralling and thought-provoking in equal measure.
Ned Denny, DAILY MAIL
Intricately described . . . gently immersive . . . Baxter's scientific grounding will make you dwell once more on that chilling quantum idea that to exist is to be observed . . . if you've been following the series from the beginning, this last chapter will make you cry, all on its own.
Jenny Colgan, GUARDIAN
One of the unexpected delights of the later Pratchett career . . . a novel that comes across as a love letter to science fiction itself, one suffused with a Clarke-like optimism about the future. Baxter, you'd guess, is saluting two old friends here.
Jonathan Wright, SFX magazine
A fine and fitting testament to the work of one of our greatest and much-missed writing legends, and a reminder that in the likes of Stephen Baxter, British science fiction remains in safe-hands.
David Barnett, THE i NEWSPAPER
The Time-travelling Caveman
Raising Steam
Terry Pratchett: The BBC Radio Drama Collection
Father Christmas's Fake Beard
Mark Beech
The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner
The Shepherd's Crown
Laura Ellen Andersen
I Shall Wear Midnight
Wintersmith
A Hat Full of Sky
Laura Ellen Anderson
Small Gods
Ray Friesen
The Long Utopia
Seriously Funny
The Discworld Atlas
The Discworld Emporium
Shaking Hands With Death
Dragons at Crumbling Castle
A Slip of the Keyboard
The Long Mars
Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal, as well as being awarded a knighthood for services to literature. He died in March 2015. terrypratchett.co.uk
Stephen Baxter is one of the UK's most acclaimed writers of science fiction and a multi-award winner. His many books include the classic Xeelee sequence, the Time's Odyssey novels (written with Arthur C. Clarke) and Time Ships, a sequel to H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, a Doctor Who novel, The Wheel of Ice, and most recently the epic, far-future novels Proxima and Ultima. He lives in Northumberland.
What job would you have in Dodger's Victorian London?
Victorian London; a mysterious metropolis blanketed in fog, made up of an eclectic mix of people playing the part that life has assigned them...
Make some star-shaped biscuits from The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner
Get the party started with a batch of bewitching star cookies. Witches and wizards will hoover up these tasty star cookies inspired by The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett.
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Tiffany wants to be a witch when she grows up. A proper one, with a pointy hat. And flying, she's always dreamed of flying (though it's cold up there, you have to wear really thick pants, two layers). Read an extract from The Wee Free Men, the first book in the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett.


text:
Ford Government to Fix Hospital Funding Formula
Northumberland Hills Hospital to receive $3.79 million in additional funding, addressing shortfalls of previous government and helping end hallway healthcare
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, ON – Ontario is taking further action to end hallway healthcare by making increased investments in the Province's hospitals.
Today, David Piccini, MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South, announced that Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) will receive $3.79 million in additional funding. This funding sends a clear message that the Ministry has identified long-standing funding shortages in medium-sized hospitals and that they are committed to fixing these inequities.
"Our government is continuing to support our local hospitals by ensuring they have the resources they need to meet the growing needs of our community," said MPP David Piccini. "I look forward to continuing to work with the professional, hard-working team at Northumberland Hills Hospital as they deliver high-quality, patient-centered care to the residents of Northumberland."
"This announcement is a turning point in the evolution of Northumberland Hills Hospital," said Linda Davis, President and CEO. "We know all too well what our priority needs are. We have—until now—been unable to fully invest in them. At the top of our to-do list is the redistribution of medical-surgical inpatient beds across both 2B and 2A units. In 2016 NHH made the difficult decision to consolidate medical/surgical inpatient care onto the 2B side in order to gain needed efficiencies. Shortly thereafter patient volumes surged and what was envisioned as a manageable 36-bed 2B unit swelled dramatically to a 52-bed unit. This has not been ideal for patients, their families or NHH staff, but with our previous funding, we were unable to re-open 2A. Today's announcement will allow us to do this, and return our 2B and 2A medical/surgical units to appropriate sizes better able to care for the high volumes of patients that we are now seeing while still—and this is key—maintaining a balanced budget. It will also permit us to plan for much needed improvements in our ED, mental health and ambulatory care programs, all of which will contribute to easing hallway healthcare for our community."
"The health system funding reforms of the past decade disadvantaged medium-sized community hospitals like our own, at precisely the same time that patient needs were on the rise. It was, in many respects, the perfect storm," said Pam Went, NHH Board Chair. "Today's announcement acknowledges a point our Board had made for many years: that NHH is an efficient hospital, and it simply cannot meet today's patient needs or the needs of tomorrow without net new investment. Most important, I understand that these new dollars will be added to our base funding—meaning that the days of struggling with one-time funding allotments that have impeded our Board's ability to plan sustainably for the future are at long last behind us. On behalf of the Board, I thank the Government for this new stability."
[HOLD FOR QUOTE ACTING WARDEN]
"Ontario has a comprehensive plan to end hallway health care," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "Working with our hospital partners, we are fixing long-standing issues with how hospitals are funded that disadvantaged small- and medium-sized hospitals. We have listened to patients, frontline staff and key stakeholders to determine how we can fix historical inequities to provide financial stability and relief to hospitals, regardless of their size."
Across Ontario, the provincial government is investing an additional $68 million to support small- and medium-sized hospitals who face funding challenges. This funding includes a province-wide increase in funding of one per cent for 66 small-sized hospitals, 1.5 per cent for 23 medium-sized and multi-site hospitals and targeted funding to assist with unique situations and historical funding challenges. This new investment is on top of the $384 million more that Ontario's hospitals received this year as part of the province's 2019 budget.
This investment will:
Help ensure that families in Northumberland continue to have access to high-quality care;
Help put an end to hallway health care;
Address sector challenges and previous funding model inequities;
Promote the sustainability of hospital operations; and
Protect existing core services in communities across the Province.
Ontario will invest $27 billion over the next 10 years in hospital infrastructure projects across Ontario, including adding 3,000 new hospital beds.
Improving Health Care in Ontario
Ontario's Government for the People to Break Down Barriers to Better Patient Care
Building a Connected Public Health Care System for the Patient
Hallway Health Care: A System Under Strain
Tracy West, Advisor
Office of MPP Piccini
E: david.piccinico@pc.ola.org


7 Días Juntos* is the brilliant new single/video from LA BIEN QUERIDA and JOAN MIQUEL OLIVER, one of my favourite artists at work today, again displaying the ability to effortlessly combine the mainstream and avant garde. Here's a funny (or not so funny thing) – we had asked Ana for an interview last year when we were called "Few" and we (with a lot of help) had written the questions in Spanish. We switched to "SWIT" last year and I thought I had not received a response. Today, when listening to the new single I searched the old mailbox and lo-and-behold there were the responses from May last year. Well I'm mortified and can only offer my sincere apologies. We'll publish soon, the great lost interview. I really am a muppet.


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Thunderpick Adds TRON Payment Option To Site
1 What Is TRON?
2 Has Justin Sun CEO Of The Tron Foundation Just Quit?
3 What Does This Mean For Thunderpick Customers?
In the world of social crypto betting, Thunderpick is one of the emerging names in this fast-growing niche market of esports and betting.
And customers at the company can now avail themselves of a new way to fund their account thanks to the news that Thunderpick has now adopted the TRON payment option (TRX) onto the site.
The move means that with Thunderpick, you can now deposit using Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether, Bitcoin Cash, XRP and now also TRX, offering customers another way to pay for their cryptocurrency casino gaming.
What Is TRON?
TRON is a cryptocurrency that was founded by the Tron Foundation in Singapore back in 2017. Founder Justin Sun has served as the CEO of the company over the last few years and the aim of the company was to create a cryptocurrency where its ecosystem was strong and decentralised enough for it to be run by the TRON community.
What did this goal actually mean? Well it meant rather than having one CEO controlling key elements of the TRON blockchain, as is customary in a number of other cryptocurrencies. Mr Sun's dream was instead to decentralise his TRON currency so that he could effectively disown the currency, data and blockchain and let it be run within the community itself.
Image Credits | Thunderpick
The aim was to allow the community of TRON decide who it wanted to appoint as its 'super-representatives' in order that the cryptocurrency become decentralised in full.
While that set up for the parent company and its overriding aims was unusual, the actual Tron cryptocurrency (TRX) has become one of the more popular cryptos in use. It's current value of 0.076235 is a drop from its recent high of 0.106877 on the 21st November, but in the volatile world of cryptocurrency, such rises and falls are not uncommon.
It is this 'decentralisation' of the cryptocurrency and the web itself that have been the driving force for the company over the years and in recent times, it has reached a satisfying conclusion.
Has Justin Sun CEO Of The Tron Foundation Just Quit?
The TRON Foundation issued a Tweet on the 18th December which revealed that its CEO Justin Sun had written an open letter to TRON followers and customers announcing that he was set to leave as CEO of the company.
Mr Sun had accepted a post as the Ambassador and permanent representative of Greneda to the World Trade Organization.
The reason that he has made that decision is that as per his wishes, the TRON platform is now officially a decentralized autonomous organization. A self-sustainable, autonomously governed community that is run by the 27 super-representatives previously mentioned.
His move to an ambassador for Greneda at the WTO is not unlinked to his role in developing systems for the blockchain. In his open letter, My Sun explains that he aims to "forge closer collaboration between the blockchain industry and international sovereign states."
What Does This Mean For Thunderpick Customers?
Mr Sun's decision to decentralise the platform and move to Geneva to work at the WTO won't affect the deal with Thunderpick as the TRX cryptocurrency is now well-established and will continue to offer customers of the site an exciting new cryptocurrency to utilise moving forward.
EsportsBets.com > Esports News > Thunderpick Adds TRON Payment Option To Site


This is a guest blog post written by a third party. The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the views of AT&T.
The cost of virtual reality (VR) headsets keeps dropping as more companies bring creative designs to the market. Two years ago, VR early adopters were faced with limited choices. The HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift occupied the high end of the market for head mounted displays (HMD), requiring expensive computer rigs and some level of technical expertise to operate. At the bottom end of the market were cheap virtual reality headsets like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, both of which offered stripped-down VR experiences. The former could cost more than $2,000 to get up and running, while the latter was often handed out free at trade shows or with a new cell phone purchase.
However, times have changed, and there are a wealth of inexpensive VR headset options now available to the public or on the way. And, as these technological advances transform the VR landscape, the value, price, required tech, and consumer expectations concerning all this newly accessible hardware are changing too.
Part of what's driving down the cost of VR is the sheer number of companies attempting to get into the space. In addition to those innovative manufacturers—like HTC, Facebook, and Sony — who entered the VR headset arena early, traditional PC manufacturers, such as Dell, Acer, and HP are now offering the hardware as well. Google and Apple have both invested heavily in the space (though of the two, only Google has a product to show). And, as concerns emerge regarding the preservation of market share, even companies like Mattel and Disney are getting in on the HMD action.
A common assumption among VR newbies is that they need to have a powerful computer before even considering an HMD. While it's true that high-end VR headsets like the Vive and the Rift do require high-performance "gaming" PCs in order to run VR effectively, consumer options in the space are changing. Sony's PSVR, for instance, requires only a Playstation 4 gaming console (not a computer), shaving quite a bit off the price of entry.
At the very low end of the market are HMDs like the Archos VR glasses, Mattel's View-Master VR, and the Fiit VR 2S, all of which require a smartphone running Android or iOS. Occupying the middle ground are a new generation of devices led by Facebook's Oculus Go and Lenovo's Mirage Solo. Both products are stand-alone devices that keep prices down by finding a compromise between cutting-edge graphics and an enjoyable, tether-free experience.
As these companies and others continue to look for the right mix to take VR headsets mainstream, they keep experimenting with materials, processing power, and feature sets. Materials can include different types of plastic, foam, rubber, and accents (like leather), each of which can radically change the quality of the build. It's safe to say that, for the time being, the look and feel of the VR HMD remains fluid.
VR headsets all come with the ability to view a computer-generated world though the device. Beyond that characteristic though, functionality varies wildly. Top of the line headsets may include location tracking, stereo sound, higher-quality optics, a wider field of views, and more processing power. Manufacturers of the current generation of wireless headsets often build VR HMDs with chips originally intended for cell phones, which means the devices draw less power but deliver lower-quality graphics.
Businesses are leaning toward full-featured HMDs, like the HTC Vive, for in-store installations like the Macy's VR Showroom, which rolled out nationwide this year. For consumers, it is currently the PSVR that possesses the most appeal. Sony holds this distinction for two reasons: one, it has a lower cost of entry; two, the company has an already-existing user base of 10s of millions of Playstation owners who need only the HMD to get into the virtual world.
In conclusion, there is no shortage of options for anyone in the market for a VR HMD — whether they're looking for a cheap VR headset or something at the high end of the market. See for yourself in the extensive list below.
Interesting breakdown of all the VR headset options available right now. Available content helps–I had a much better experience with HTC than the Google Cardboard. But some of the ultra-inexpensive headsets are fun if you've never experienced VR before. It's great that there are so many options available.
Very cool and interesting read. I love it!


Daniel graziotin received his phd in computer science, software engineering at taglia nike calcetto the free university of bozen-bolzano, italy. his research interests include human aspects in empirical software engineering with psychological measurements, asus fonepad 7 prezzo unieuro web engineering, and open science mediaworld dal 18 luglio al 4 agosto vacanze hi-tech? Par ti con media world. dr.
His asus fonepad 7 prezzo unieuro research interests include human aspects in empirical software engineering with psychological measurements, web engineering, and open prezzo woolrich arctic parka nuovo science mediaworld dal 18 luglio al 4 agosto vacanze hi-tech? Par ti con media world. s9 plus 128gb prezzo dr. daniel graziotin received his phd in computer science, software engineering at the free university of bozen-bolzano, italy.


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Home College South Florida's Mitchell Wilcox Made Most Of His Shrine Bowl Week; FIU's...
South Florida's Mitchell Wilcox Made Most Of His Shrine Bowl Week; FIU's James Morgan Embraces Pat Tillman Award
By Tom Layberger -
East tight end Mitchell Wilcox, of South Florida, before the East West Shrine football game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Second day of the NFL draft? Third day?
What we do know is the team that selects former South Florida tight end Mitchell Wilcox will be getting a first-class individual in every sense.
That team will also get a versatile player. Wilcox, listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, spent this week at East-West Shrine Bowl practices and in Saturday's game lined up as an F-back, what some might refer to as an H-back. Either way, think in terms of a hybrid fullback/tight end lining up just off the line of scrimmage, such as in this video from Tuesday's practice.
Wilcox, who was among 12 players participating in the Shrine Bowl that played collegiately in the Sunshine State, also lined at receiver split wide left in addition to the traditional tight end alignment.
"They felt comfortable putting me in some different spots and I thought that was good," said USF's all-time leading receiver (receptions and yardage) among tight ends, following his East squad's 31-27 win in the longest-running (1925) college all-star game.
Wilcox, whose lone catch came in the third quarter and went for six yards, felt comfortable during a productive week at Tropicana Field, about 30 miles south on I-275 from USF.
"It was a great learning experience," said the Tarpon Springs native and product of Tarpon Springs High. "I learned so much from the pro coaches this week. I am thankful to have been on the same field with some of my teammates, and the competition was great."
The Bulls certainly had their ups and downs during Wilcox's time in the program. Regardless of what their standing might have been in the American Athletic Conference or what was reflected on the scoreboard any given game, Wilcox always put forth a supreme effort while improving every facet of his game.
"This past year I tried to put it all together and I am working on becoming the best, well-rounded tight end I can be," he said.
A fun note is that Wilcox's roommate during the week was former War on I-4 opponent Adrian Killins. The do-it-all running back at UCF had seven receptions for 92 yards, both game highs. He carried the ball only once, for no gain.
"We've been going against each other the last four years, but he is such a nice guy and I can't speak highly enough about him," said Wilcox. "We talked a lot about our programs, how everything went for us over the years. He is one heck of a player and he had that one long run today. Boy, he is so shifty. It was great to get to know him."
It's been great for USF fans to get to know Wilcox the past few years.
The Killins run that Wilcox referred to took place in the fourth quarter and with the East at their own 33 yard line.
Killins caught a screen from former Mississippi State and Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens that turned into a dazzling 37-yard play. Running out of real estate on the right sideline, Killins cut across the field and turned up into West territory before being pushed out of bounds at the 30.
Five plays later former Charlotte running back and the game's offensive MVP, Benny LeMay, was in the end zone for the decisive score with 1:57 remaining.
Former FIU quarterback James Morgan, who transferred from Bowling Green and spent the past two seasons running the Panthers' offense under Butch Davis, marched the East squad down the field on the game's initial possession. The 10-play, 77-yard drive was capped by his nine-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marcus Bradley, who played at Louisiana.
On the day, Morgan completed 9-of-14 passes for 116 yards. The performance capped a memorable week.
"One of the best things about this week is that it was about more than football," said the 6-foot-4 Green Bay native. "I didn't really quite realize that coming in, but spending time at (Tampa's Shriners Hospital for Children) with the children was fantastic and very inspirational for me."
Each year the East-West Shrine Bowl presents the Pat Tillman Award to recognize the player who best exemplifies intelligence, sportsmanship and service. Morgan, who threw for 5,375 yards and 40 touchdowns in his two seasons at FIU, was this year's recipient.
"I am absolutely honored and humbled to be mentioned with an award with his name on it given everything he did for our country," he said. "Giving up the football dream, the football dream that we have been living here this week to compete for a job in the NFL, he gave that up to go serve our country. I cannot say enough about how much that means to me."
Former Miami linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney were among five East players to lead the squad with five tackles. Pinckney had two tackles for loss….A pair of former Florida receivers caught a pass. Josh Hammond's reception went for 32 yards and Freddie Swain's was good for 13.
Adrian Killins
East-West Shrine Bowl
Mitchell Wilcox
USF Bulls Football
Tom Layberger
Tom Layberger has been a sports writer and editor since 1990. Among the companies he has worked for are Beckett Publishing, The Topps Company and Comcast. In addition to being a contributing writer for sportstalkflorida.com, Tom also writes for forbes.com and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine. A native of the Philadelphia suburbs and a University of South Florida grad, Tom is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation. He resides in Tampa.


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Site Name: Mendnhal
Added: April 21, 2020, 6:24 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2022, 11:32 p.m.
Location: Greensboro (Kirkwood), NC
Greensboro (Kirkwood) NC, US: 36.109006, -79.802314
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I would say it's that time of the year where germs abound. But the truth is - with our busy summer days at the pool, playgrounds and amusement parks, all year round is 'germy' for us.
And when washing our hands with soap and water isn't an option, Purell is a great option.
I wish I'd received this Purell pack a few weeks go!
Lil Man and I have been under the weather once school has started. I think we got a little lazy with keeping our hands off or our faces if you know what I mean. So I've definitely upped our nutrition along with hand washing and using wipes and hand sanitizer.
So far they have been gentle enough not to cause any irritation. We both have sensitive skin.
And since Lil Man is back in preschool, I've been spending a lot of my time on-the-go. So these on-the-go packs are great. I have one attached to my book bag, my gym bag, and even my yoga bag. Seriously, I'm over the cold germs!
Hopefully we are on the mend and can stay that way. I encourage you to use some germ prevention techniques: wash your hands with soap and water when possible, use antibacterial wipes or hand sanitizer when hand-washing isn't available, and keep your hands off of your face/eyes/mouth/nose.


A recent article in Echonews.com.au highlighted the construction boom that Lismore is poised to undergo in the near future.
Apparently developers in Lismore are planning a number of projects as the city benefits from the enormous public sector investment into the Lismore Base Hospital, in addition to a number of other projects.
City council manager for economic development Mark Batten said the council had welcomed investment and launched the Lismore Prospectus last year.
If you're planning on making the most of this booming construction sector in the area, whether you reside in Lismore currently or not, you must first complete general construction safety training and obtain a White Card as proof of having done so. This accreditation is nationally recognised, so once you complete the training online, the white card issued can be used in all states and territories.


Breathtaking views of the city & bay from this residence sitting way high on the 39th floor. Large 1 bedroom plus den & 2 full baths that boasts 1,100 sq. ft. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows, gorgeous flooring throughout & electric blinds. From a large terrace that can be accessed from every room you can enjoy views of the Miami Skyline & ocean. The master suite w/ a fabulous master bath w/ Jacuzzi & separate shower. The den has a customized murphy bed that includes beautiful cabinetry & shelving. With its unparalleled location, the Blue Diamond is one of Miami Beach's most sought after addresses. Enjoy luxury beachfront living with five-star resort-style amenities, including 24-hr security, tennis court, pool, club house w/ top of the line fitness equipment & spa, beach services & more.


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Up to University - Bridging the gap between schools and universities through informal education
A digital highway from secondary school to university
The next generation digital learning environment has started making its way into secondary schools, thanks to the Up2U project. Objective: facilitating students' acclimatisation to university tools and methodologies.
© YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV, Shutterstock
Excitement around learning management systems (LMSs) has not even died down, yet educators are already looking forward to the next big thing: Next generation digital learning environment (NGDLE). Unlike LMSs which are primarily built around the needs of instructors, an NGDLE is an educational ecosystem where all aspects and actors of e-learning are interconnected seamlessly. An NGDLE could be such a great step forward for students, in fact, that the EU-funded Up2U (Up to University – Bridging the gap between schools and universities through informal education) project is using it as a basis for its attempt to bridge the gap between secondary school and higher education. "We realised that the lack of digital skills is one of the main reasons why students drop out of university. After graduating, they enter tertiary education without the necessary background to cope with their new educational environment. Up2U is meant to help them develop their digital skills and make the transition from secondary education to university much smoother," says Erik Kikkenborg, Media Services Manager at NORDUnet and coordinator of the project. Up2U therefore aims to bridge the technological and methodological gap between secondary schools and universities. It does so by means of an NGDLE ecosystem which facilitates more open, effective and efficient co-design, co-creation and use of digital content, tools and services. This ecosystem has been specifically built to deliver personalised, collaborative or experimental learning. With Up2U, the LMS is no longer the central tool. The ecosystem works like a marketplace where users can pick the LMSs they need, knowing that they all integrate which each other and that achievements and progress can be transferred from one to another without ever compromising on user experience. The content is open and reusable by both teachers and students. As Gyongyi Horváth points out: "Up2U is a portable, open, pedagogy-driven digital ecosystem built with the learning community in mind."
Tested in five Member States, with more to come
The marketplace approach is particularly valuable when it comes to adapting to different contexts. The schools in our Up2U pilot countries – Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal – had varying levels of technology use and access. One of the prerequisites to project success was therefore to propose a system where all necessary components are integrated into a single platform, while also allowing some schools to use only those parts they don't have already. "This leads to the requirement that software components be kept as loosely coupled as possible while still being integrated from a user experience perspective," says Horváth. "The next challenge was then to convince schoolteachers to work with the Up2U ecosystem and to use it with their students in classrooms. To accomplish this, we developed the Continuous Professional Development methodology (CPD)." The CPD is split into three modules: teacher training by the national training team, introduction of Up2U by teachers to their students, and knowledge sharing from level 2 teachers to level 1 teachers. "By using this CPD methodology, we speed up in-depth adaptation to the Up2U ecosystem inside pilot schools," says Horváth. Most of the pilot countries have already committed to running a national programme for the Up2U ecosystem after the project ends. Meanwhile, Israel and the UK have kick-started online education based on CPD methodology, and the first non-project partner pilot has started in Slovenia. "We have received interest from more European countries like Armenia and Finland to start pilots in their countries. We support these pilots with the Get Started! course, an online training course based on the CPD methodology," Horváth explains. Up2U is scheduled for completion at the end of May 2020. The final phase of the project will focus on analysing the results of the pilots and implementing the sustainability plan for after the project's end.
Up2U, university, transition, secondary school, methodology, NGDLE, LMS, digital skills, ecosystem
Up2U
Start date 1 January 2017
End date 31 May 2020
GEANT VERENIGING
This project is featured in...
RESEARCH*EU MAGAZINE
Infusing the digital into European education
NO. 91, APRIL 2020
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Last update: 2 April 2020
Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/415745-a-digital-highway-from-secondary-school-to-university


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Suspension ends for Delran Emergency Squad
State shut down Delran squad in July 2018
Suspension ends for Delran Emergency Squad State shut down Delran squad in July 2018 Check out this story on courierpostonline.com: https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2019/01/23/delran-emergendy-squad-resumes-activities-nj-department-health/2644851002/
Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post Published 11:24 a.m. ET Jan. 23, 2019 | Updated 1:59 p.m. ET Jan. 23, 2019
The Delran Emergency Squad, which had its license suspended by the state last summer, is back in operation. (Photo: Jim Walsh, Staff photographer)
DELRAN - The Delran Emergency Squad, which was suspended last summer after a state investigation, is active again.
The squad "went back into operation at 6 a.m. Monday," Jeffrey Hatcher, Delran Township's business administrator, said Wednesday.
The squad, which serves Delran and Riverside from its Chester Avenue station, resumed operations under an agreement signed with the township earlier this month.
It previously reached an out-of-court settlement with the state Department of Health, which had shut down the squad in July.
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"We are excited at this opportunity and want to get back to what we do best, take care of our community," Josephine Hubbs, the squad's president, said Wednesday.
The agreement with the township requires that all ambulances "be staffed with personnel who will, at the least, be certified to the level of Emergency Medical Technician."
In addition, the township can conduct periodic audits of the squad's services and finances.
State regulators closed the squad on July 9, saying its then-chief lacked an EMT certification and had tried to thwart an investigation.
The former chief, Donald Horner of Cinnaminson, was charged in October with multiple crimes, including insurance fraud, terroristic threats and tampering with witnesses.
Donald Horner, former president of the Delran Emergency Squad, is accused of insurance fraud and other crimes. (Photo: Photo provided)
He is accused of altering reports on squad assignments "to conceal the fact that an uncertified EMT participated in those transports," the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said in announcing the charges.
It alleged the altered reports allowed the squad to bill for services that would otherwise have been declined by insurers.
The state Department of Health also alleged the squad's training program had "serious violations and deficiencies" that put "public health and safety at risk."
Personnel from other squads in Burlington County served Delran and Riverside during the suspension.
The Delran squad agreed to implement a corrective action plan under a Nov. 14 settlement with the state agency.
The squad initially will "provide management and oversight … as we cotinue to restructure our organization," she said.
The squad will seek its own license in 2020, according to its agreement with the township.
Jim Walsh: @jimwalsh_cp; 856-486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com
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Read or Share this story: https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2019/01/23/delran-emergendy-squad-resumes-activities-nj-department-health/2644851002/
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Water shortage plans affect Puget Sound's major cities!
Yelm fighting for more water
Salmon in-crisis in too-warm Columbia River
"Sockeye salmon battle their way upstream
as part of their annual migration"
Photo credit: Alex Mustard/Solent News/REX
– "Seattle, Everett, Tacoma activate water shortage response plans"
"Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma issued a joint statement on Monday, saying that all three will activate water shortage response plans.
The first stage is advisory.
In mid-July, nearly of Washington state was reported to be in severe drought, but there are not mandatory water restrictions. Additionally, after the hottest June in recorded history, higher-than-usual water consumption and record-low stream flows into storage reservoirs, Seattle Public Utilities changed its water supply outlook from good to fair," quoting KIRO-TV 7 news in Seattle.
Editor's note: And the City of Yelm keeps spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees to preserve more than doubling of the city's water rights just to build more homes here?
Wazzup with that?
What about taking care of what we currently have with adequate Police staffing, as an example?
– "Sockeye Salmon in Columbia River Dying"
"Half of Columbia River sockeye salmon population dead or dying due to hot water in basin."
"More than a quarter million sockeye salmon returning from the ocean to spawn are either dead or dying in the Columbia River and its tributaries due to warming water temperatures.
Federal and state fisheries biologists say water that is 5 to 6 degrees warmer is wiping out at least half of this year's returning population of the cold-water species.
Ritchie Graves of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says up to 80 percent of the population could ultimately perish," by Keith Ridler, Associated Press.
– "Dry conditions could persist into next year"
From KIRO-YV 7 News in Seattle
Click here for the video.


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Home Articles NXT Superstars I Hope Win Championships in 2021
NXT Superstars I Hope Win Championships in 2021
Anthony Mango
Everyone has their expectations for 2021 to be a much better year than the mess we had in 2020. People set New Year's resolutions (which we've already covered) and personal goals all the time, especially in pro wrestling.
Inevitably, one of the things you hear about from WWE superstars is that they hope at some point in the year, they'll win a championship. Sometimes, it's a specific belt in mind (ie, "I want to be world champion") while others just want to take a step up in their careers with more gold to their names.
We don't have access to control WWE Creative, nor can we influence any particular performer's pros and cons, but we as fans can at least set our own expectations and hopes for these people in comparison. That's what I'll be doing here.
Instead of an article predicting who I think might win championships in 2021, I decided I'd switch it up a bit and open the floodgates. Let's talk about who we WANT to win championships this year.
Since I've already talked about this similar topic for the main roster on B/R, I wanted to write a companion piece here that focuses on the stars from NXT and NXT UK. I invite you all to do the same with your own lists in the comments below!
Without further ado, let's just start naming some superstars.
Josh Briggs – North American Championship
Admittedly, I've only seen a few matches of Josh Briggs', but from what I did see, I was a fan. He seems like the type of guy who could come into NXT with a bit of a name already attached to him, rather than some totally random entity that has to be molded from nothingness.
I say give him a push straight to the midcard title. Allow just enough time for him to get his bearings with a starter feud and then move him into the title picture.
Look. If Leon Ruff can call himself a former NXT North American champion, why can't Briggs? He's a bigger athlete, so it's easier to see him beating someone rather than having to do a fluke thing like with Ruff. But it's also not too far up the card where he's destined to fail from being pushed too fast. He still has room to grow.
I could see Briggs being a good foil for Cameron Grimes, maybe a heel Bronson Reed (more on him later) and others, including this next guy…
Austin Theory – Triple Crown
I feel like Austin Theory is the type of guy you can give a Randy Orton type of push toward, where we know he's rock solid already and can be trusted with a lot early on.
For my money, make him a tag team champion alongside Johnny Gargano. Eventually, when Gargano drops the North American Championship, Theory could be one of the next in line, if not the next person to win the title from Gargano or from the person who beats Gargano.
Then, if there's still time in the year and it makes sense, I could see him being NXT champion, too. A triple crown in one year would be something very noteworthy for his future as he could always tout "In my first year, I wrestled at WrestleMania. In my second year, I became a triple crown champion in NXT." That's monumental.
Noam Dar – NXT UK Heritage Cup +/ Cruiserweight Championship
For being as good as he is, Noam Dar continually gets overshadowed. I'm surprised he never won the Cruiserweight Championship back when 205 Live was less of an afterthought (a shame that happened).
Let's rectify that. I'd rather have him as champion right now than Jordan Devlin. Not only do I prefer to watch Dar cut a promo, I think he's arguably better in the ring (although that's a tougher contest) and it wouldn't hurt Dar to get a boost to his credibility so when he's being so cocky, he has something to back it up.
But let's assume the cruiserweight title doesn't stay in NXT UK forever and it sticks with the current interim champion, Santos Escobar, instead. That would be my ideal scenario, by the way, even more than Dar winning the cruiserweight belt.
Instead, the other option would be for him to win the Heritage Cup. I think he should have been the winner from the very start, mind you, rather than A-Kid. I don't get much out of watching A-Kid that I feel needed to be given the stamp of approval for the future with that honor, so I'm fine with him losing it soon enough to someone like Dar.
That is effectively the midcard title of NXT UK and since Dar isn't going to beat WALTER any time soon, this is the next best option.
NXT Women's Championship
Let's lump all these superstars together, as I have basically the same thoughts about each one.
Dakota Kai's been on the sidelines long enough. I don't think I'd have her be the one who beats Io Shirai, but I'd like to see her win the title at some point instead of just never reaching the top. However, I'll also shout out an idea that she and Raquel Gonzalez become women's tag team champions. That would do, too. But in an ideal world, Kai could win the title and drop it to Tegan Nox to see the end of that storyline culminate in the nicest way possible. That's likely never, ever going to happen, though.
Mercedes Martinez is someone I imagine will never win the belt, but I'm hoping I'll be proven wrong. She's too good not to, but she's older than WWE tends to focus on. My guess is she's brought on to work with everyone else and stay just strong enough that it matters when she's fighting someone, but never actually reach the top. I think if she were to win the title, even for a short reign, being a former champion would help her in that mission to put over younger talent while being a nice feather in her cap.
Let's also give the belt to Toni Storm—who should beat Io Shirai—and then Shotzi Blackheart (Breakout Star of the Year award winner) should be the one who beats Storm. If need be, that's your year, with Storm holding it until the summer and Blackheart winning it then and carrying it into 2022.
Imperium – Heritage Cup & NXT UK Tag Team Championship
If WALTER is going to hold the NXT UK Championship forever (which I'm not even entirely opposed to), maybe it'd be nice to see the rest of Imperium hold titles, too.
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Location: Chase Field, in Phoenix, Arizona


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A Swinging 60s Mop Top Wig.


All hail the emperor of Rome, these chants were heard before every gladiator fight, but not this one! There will be no blood and glory here, but hopefully fortune will follow the Gladiator of Rome instead. Created by 1×2 gaming you will find lots of similarities to other games from their library, but will it stand out or fall behind other roman themed games?
Gladiator of Rome is a 5-reel, 20 fixed pay line slot that offers a healthy RTP of 97.32%, which seems to be the norm for 1X2 Gaming slots. There's not much going on in the background design really, just sand and sky as far as the eye can see and the reels spin transparently above.
Bet Amounts – Betting begins at 20p per spin and can be increased to the maximum of £25 per spin. To amend your bet amount, you can change the coin value or the coin level which are found to the left and right of the screen.
Wild Symbol – A single gladiator is your wild symbol in Gladiator of Rome and he will substitute for all other symbols except the bonus.
Bonus Symbol – Two gladiators fighting each other is your bonus symbol. Landing 3 of these anywhere in view will trigger the bonus spins. Your bonus symbol will only appear on reels 2, 3 and 4.
Other Symbols – Gladiator of Rome has lots of symbols relating to the theme, the higher paying ones are represented by various gladiators, a shield, Caesar and an eagle. Your lower paying symbols are depicted by the card values A, K, Q, J and 10 which are all encompassed in golden wreaths.
Bonus Spin Feature – Having landed 3 or more of the bonus symbol, you will be allocated 30 spins to play through. During the bonus round the bonus symbol and the J are removed from the reels. This means that despite not being able to retrigger the bonus spins, you are in with higher chances of creating winning combinations.
But that's not all that Gladiator of Rome has to offer in this round. The win multiplier will increase every so often and you can see the progress at the top of the screen.
X3 multiplier on final 10 spins.
Gladiator of Rome is an easy to play slot, not much by way of extras and features but wins come along easy enough despite this. Triggering the bonus spins is where the big money is at for players and luckily that isn't too hard. Also, let's not forget that increasing multiplier too. On the whole the game itself can get a bit samey and therefore players will tend to switch off. But, if you are looking for a game that doesn't take too much concentration, then this will be right up your street.


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Palestine Unity
Palestinian reconciliation: Why is it likely to succeed now?
Azzam Tamimi
Published date: 5 October 2017 11:29 UTC | Last update: 5 years 3 months ago
A weakened Hamas, Gaza public opinion in favour of any deal and a chronic security problem in Egypt's Sinai are why Palestinian reconciliation efforts will succeed this time
For a change, all parties concerned seem to be eager to see Palestinian reconciliation succeed. Each player has its own reasons, of course. Yet, it would not have been possible to come this far so quickly had it not been for the deepening humanitarian crisis inside the Gaza Strip and the growing predicament Hamas, which controls Gaza, finds itself in as a result.
There is no doubt that the siege imposed on Gaza by Israel and Egypt has achieved its objectives. Life has become so unbearable that public opinion within the Strip is overwhelmingly in favour of any deal that is said to promise easing the pressure. This has prompted Hamas to express readiness to make concessions that had until recently been inconceivable.
The full extent of these concessions is unclear and the deal under discussion is shrouded in ambiguity.
What is known thus far is that Hamas has agreed to disband its own administrative committee in charge of the Gaza Strip in a prelude to handing over control to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PNA), whose Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah arrived in the Strip on Sunday. As part of the new arrangement, Hamas is expected to relinquish control over the crossings with Egypt and Israel.
People are not only exhausted because of the siege and want to see it end but are also tired of remaining prisoners of old rivalries
While some Hamas leaders have maintained that the movement's military force is not for negotiation, Fatah spokespersons insist that reinstating the PNA in Gaza would have to mean an end to all military manifestations outside the control of the PNA. It is inconceivable that the Americans and the Israelis, who are said to be in favour of the current reconciliation effort, will settle for anything less than dismantling Al-Qassam, Hamas' military wing. This is believed also to be the position of the government in Cairo.
A new leadership
The other important factor that brought about a shift in Hamas' position was the election of a new leadership. Over the past decade, Hamas developed a complex organisational structure that consisted of three regional administrations – one for Gaza, a second for the West Bank and a third for the diaspora – and an overarching one.
In February 2017, a new leadership for the Gaza region was elected, with Yahya al-Sinwar, a freed war prisoner, as its head. A few months later, Ismail Haniyyah was elected as the new head of the overarching leadership. Both men are based in Gaza.
In the past, decision-making within Hamas was a laborious process. The head of the political bureau had to consult with the leadership of every region as well as with his comrades in the overarching structure. When former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal once violated this norm by individually consenting to a proposed arrangement with PNA President Mahmoud Abbas without consultation, he was severely criticised, particularly by Hamas figures inside Gaza.
Photo: A policeman stands guard as Palestinian children wait for the arrival of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and his government at Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, October 2, 2017 (Reuters)
Now the exact opposite is happening. Hamas leaders in Gaza are accused of not being bothered to consult with anyone. It is no longer secret that tension has been building within the movement since Sinwar decided, singularly, to meet and negotiate with his former schoolmate Mohammed Dahlan, a close associate of Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayid and an arch enemy of Hamas.
But to his credit, Sinwar seems to be consistent with the public mood within Gaza. People are not only exhausted because of the siege and want to see it end but are also tired of remaining prisoners of old rivalries. Dahlan was Fatah's main security man when war erupted between Fatah and Hamas in the Strip in June 2007, resulting in the death of dozens on both sides and with the eventual takeover by Hamas in Gaza and by Fatah in the West Bank.
Hamas may, under the new terms, revert gradually to a modified version of what it used to be before December 1987, a socio-religious movement
Today, the new leaders of Hamas want to turn over this dark page in the history of the strip. Hamas' Cairo meetings with Dahlan, who now commands the loyalty of nearly half of Fatah's members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and is a serious rival of Abbas, paved the way for what is known as community reconciliation.
With funding from the United Arab Emirates and cooperation from Egypt, Dahlan set up a fund to compensate families who are willing to be part of a programme aimed at healing old wounds. According to Reuters, each family stands to receive the sum of $50,000 in exchange for publicly renouncing demands to avenge the deaths of family members.
Finally, Hamas has been considerably weakened in recent years. Since 2008, it has been the target of three major Israeli military campaigns and numerous smaller attacks and incursions. Yet, the most devastating development has been the success of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in aborting the Arab Spring.
The 2013 military coup in Egypt was a particularly catastrophic blow to Hamas. Since then, the movement has been left deserted and under siege. Disagreement with Iran over Syria earlier cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian sponsorship of its Gaza administration not to speak of the lost military and logistical support both Iran and Syria used to provide.
Photo: Life has become so unbearable in Gaza under the siege (AFP)
Palestinian reconciliation is likely to succeed this time because all parties concerned desire to see it succeed. Egypt has a chronic security problem in Sinai and has now concluded that Gaza can be part of the solution rather than the problem. The Arab counterrevolution states, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, believe that reconciliation would pave the way for official diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
It is no secret that these Arabs are dying to go public with their Israeli ties but are barred by the lack of progress in the peace process. They believe that once Fatah and Hamas are reconciled, the PNA and Israel can resume final-status talks, and once the Palestinian Israeli conflict is fully resolved they will be able to justify ending their own public hostility toward Israel.
It is very likely, therefore, that the success of Palestinian reconciliation will mark the end of an era and the beginning of another in the history of Palestinian resistance.
If so, and if ever allowed, Hamas may, under the new terms, revert gradually to being a modified version of what it used to be before December 1987, a socio-religious movement. But will it ever be allowed? With the military in charge in Egypt it is highly doubtful.
- Azzam Tamimi is a British Palestinian academic and political activist.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye
Photo: Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah (L) shakes hands with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza city, 2 October 2017 (Reuters)
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.
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Q: Implementing Configurable Factory Pattern Existing Implementation:
I have implemented factory pattern for DB connection. I am having three DB like sql,oracle and sybase.  All three classes like sqlConnector,OracleConnector and SybaseConnector has implemented in Iconnect interface and in the factory method i have created the object of these concrete classes(sqlConnector,OracleConnector and SybaseConnector) based on switch case and returned specific object.
Scenario:
I want to modify this factory pattern and want to remove all switch case from factory method and want to configure through config file/xml and also without using reflection and spring.net. Suppose tommorow i introduce new db type , i don't want to change the code.I will make entry in the config/xml ,it should returned the object to client without changing factory.
Question:
How i can implement configurable factory pattern  means suppose tomorrow introducing new db type like "MySql", i don't want to change the code of factory.

A: This is a very broad question, but I think that the technology that will best serve you is Managed Extensibility Framework, or MEF.
MEF is an integral part of .NET that allows you to include additional components into your solution without having to know what those components are beforehand. MEF automatically discovers and includes components into your solution after your solution is built.
You define the points where your solution can be extended; each component is written to take advantage of those extensibility points; MEF ties them together automatically.
If you have used an Inversion of Control framework, like a Dependency Injection library (Ninject, Castle Windsor, SimpleInjector, etc.), then you have already done something a little like this, and the concepts should be somewhat familiar to you.
Explaining it and showing you how to use it will take a book. However, I'm reasonably certain that it will solve your problem best. There are books, blogs, videos, and many, many examples.


I wanted to learn horse riding for a long time and after a great deal of searching found a place in palace grounds quite near my house.I landed on the first day bang at six in the morning fully excited. I had to wear a protective riding helmet before mounting the horse.Then all set I mounted a big brown horse called "LAGO". he was a quiet horse and later i was to know that all starters were given this horse. I was put into the first riding camp and started on the basics learning to rise up and down in rhythm with the horse's trot. After a great deal of thumping and knee bruising , I finally managed to get the rhythm by the third class. Then onwards it was a pleasure every moment. Oh the sheer delight of riding in the early mornings with overhanging branches early in the mornings has to be experienced. no other words for it. Once comfortable with the trotting, I was encouraged to trot at a faster pace by the trainer.


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Home Land UK announces £55m contract for UK bomb disposal robots
UK announces £55m contract for UK bomb disposal robots
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has announced a contract worth up to £55 million for 56 innovative bomb disposal robots.
Following an initial £4 million demonstration phase, the robots will be purchased from US robotics manufacturer Harris under the MOD's Project Starter for use by the British Army, and will be supported by engineers at Harris EDO MBM Technology in Brighton, where the contract will sustain 10 highly-skilled jobs.
In a keynote speech, the Defence Secretary outlined how the Harris T7 robots use 'advanced haptic feedback' to allow operators to 'feel' their way through the intricate process of disarming from a safe distance, protecting UK personnel from threats such as roadside bombs.
"Equipped with high-definition cameras, lightning-fast datalinks, an adjustable manipulation arm and tough all-terrain treads, the robots are able to neutralise a wide range of threats.
The haptic feedback function is designed to provide operators with human-like dexterity while they operate the robot's arm using the remote control handgrip. The unit gives the operator physical feedback, allowing intuitive detailed control."
The announcement comes after a competition between the world's leading manufacturers, organised by the MOD, with the new fleet replacing the current Wheelbarrow Mk8b. All 56 robots are due to be delivered to the UK and in service by December 2020.
Chief Executive Officer for Defence Equipment and Support, the MOD's procurement organisation, Tony Douglas said:
"This contract has been designed to deliver future-proof, world-leading technology at the best value to the taxpayer. Innovation is central not only to the success of this remarkable system, but also to the relationships across DE&S, Industry and the frontline commands which allowed this agreement to be reached."
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval defence technology and cyber security matters.
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NEW Pirate Islands F-TOP Rewards, Maze Event, and more!
We are excited to announce our F-TOP rewards and all the updates we have made to the server over the past week. We are also excited to announce our maze event that will be taking place at 7 PM BST/2PM EST today.
After a poll in our discord server, it was overwhelmingly clear that you all wanted FTOP prizes to be implemented to the Pirate Islands this season.
From 3 PM EST / 12 PM PST today we will be giving all banned players a chance at redemption and offering everyone a free global unban and clean slate. We have decided to do this to complement the release of the first realm on our completely redeveloped server.