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In my final column for the St. Helena Star, I discuss freebies and freeloaders and what the future holds….
But I'll be posting my future columns on a regular basis on this site — so you've come to the right place!
This will be my last "Up the Valley" column for the St. Helena Star.
After writing this column since 2010, I realize that I can no longer support this labor of love. I'm not complaining — I chose to write this column for free at first, and chose to continue writing despite the publisher's unwillingness to pay for it later. But now I must choose to stop.
I'm continually amazed at the number of hours so many of us spend providing products, services and expertise for free. This widespread phenomenon is particularly prevalent in the Napa Valley where "Will Work for Wine" could be the regional motto. Perhaps we feel that we must pay the piper for the privilege of living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Maybe it's a cultural inheritance from the noblesse oblige generosity of the Valley's founding families. Or do local beneficiaries simply assume we are all retired Silicon Valley moguls leveraging our Internet-startup stockpiles to underwrite new lives as passionate unpaid laborers?
Not to go all "Gloria Steinem" on you, but we women seem to have a particularly tough time demanding payment; Sheryl Sandberg's sequel should be titled "Lean In and Leave an Invoice." Plenty of guys work gratis too. I aspire to establish the "Hairdresser's Rule," based on the principle that you wouldn't ask your stylist to do your highlights for free, so why would you ask other highly-skilled professionals for freebies? (This will probably prompt a flood of complaints from pro bono barbers, but I won't be here to hear them.)
Whatever the reason, between the pittance paid by nonprofit theaters, and the clients who offer to pay me in eggs or cabernet, I am personally feeling the pinch. When a friend recently introduced me as "St. Helena's resident lawyer specializing in pro bono work," I knew something had to change.
Perhaps I should start my own recovery center, perfectly sited here among the multiple drug and alcohol rehab facilities and only a short hop from the state mental hospital. I could call it: Pro Bono Anonymous: A 12 Step Program to stop giving away all your time and talent for free.
I suppose my own 12 Steps will include admitting powerlessness over this reluctance to charge for my time, and the belief that only a greater power — namely a bookkeeper — can restore me to sanity. Next comes a searching and fearless inventory of all the times I refused payment on the grounds that "No, I couldn't possibly …," when I really could have used the money for little luxuries like my mortgage, food, and the ability to buy a round of martinis once in a while.
And speaking of picking up the check, this newspaper's dedicated editor Dave Stoneberg tried valiantly to keep me writing this column, inviting me for coffees, plying me with pastries and press passes, while pressing my case with his bosses. But alas, small local newspapers are remote-controlled by bigger businesses elsewhere.
I thought I'd be scribbling this little column about our small town forever. And now that it's come to an end, I've started thinking — what should I write next? I'll keep posting articles on my website, compile my columns into a book, and who knows — "Up the Valley, the All-Munchkin Musical?" or "Up the Valley of the Dolls," my sex and drugs-soaked memoir (the latter being as fictional as the former).
While I hope to expand my horizons, I will never stop writing about the endlessly fascinating, sometimes cantankerous contradiction that is my home town of St. Helena. I have a stockpile of ideas, as the local humorist has only to attend Council meetings or read the fractured factual reporting of the Napa Valley Register to find inspiration. Perhaps I'll run for office or — given the departure or retirement of almost the entire City staff — operate an outsourced City Hall out of my garage. Government workers seemingly rank second only to Silicon Valley Internet-startup moguls in retirement benefits.
If you've enjoyed these columns, I really hope you'll go to laurarafaty.com, and click the "follow" button under my heavily-airbrushed photo to receive future articles via email or Twitter. If enough of you do that, I might gain sufficient followers that someone somewhere will want to pay me someday to write something. Or maybe they'll finally re-post my writings (for free) on the Huffington Post. I can't thank you enough for your reactions, anecdotes and suggestions, whether whispered in the grocery store aisle or shouted from speeding cars. You've followed my sentences through every tortured malapropism, made-up word, and structural twist-and-turn, and for that I'll follow you forever.
One downside to being a newspaper humor columnist, as opposed to, say, a television comedienne, is the lack of a farewell theme song. So I'll just fracture one of my favorites to say that I'm so glad we had this time together, just to share some laughs and fight some wrongs. Seems we just got started but before you know it, comes the time we have to say "So Long."
So Long, St. Helena Star readers, it's been bliss.
Tags: columnists, freebies, Humor, labor of love, Lean In, Napa Valley, newspaper, publishing, Sheryl Sandberg, Steinem, volunteer, writers, writing
Is attachment to inanimate objects – and their boxes – an obsession, or a future annuity on Ebay?
Today's column in the St Helena Star
There are certain aspects of personality that were as evident in us during childhood as they are at middle age. I came to this realization recently, while combing through my outdoor trash bin in the middle of the night.
As a child, my mother gave me an Easter gift of a tin wind-up rabbit with calico-pattern terrycloth overalls, which played the tune: "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." I adored this toy, playing it so many times that the tiny Easter-egg adorned crank finally broke. My mother threw the toy in the trash, and tried to stifle my sobs by buying another. But I had no interest in this replica, longing instead for my broken but best-loved bunny. As soon as my mother's back was turned, I went out to the garbage and rescued the rejected rabbit, cleverly concealing it as an obvious lump in the middle of my bedroom rug.
Flash forward 50 years. I still have this unshakable emotional attachment to inanimate objects, none more than my small glass microwave rice cooker from Japan. Dating back to my first house, it survived half a dozen moves, several makeshift repairs of its plastic parts, and hundreds of batches of flawless steaming rice. It had a little rubberized lid that popped into the pot with a satisfying "shwoomp" — like the sound of a Mercedes sedan door closing, or of one of those high-end kitchen cabinet drawers gliding smoothly back into position.
During my last house move, my little glass cooker disappeared, sending me down the rabbit hole of replacement shopping. I tried electric rice-makers, BPA-free plastic models, pre-packed boiling bags, and good old-fashioned boiled water on the stove. None brought me the joy of diving into my treasured little glass pot with its plastic paddle. Online research revealed that the Japanese manufacturer once released an identical model — but in pink, with Hello Kitty logos all over it. Pink! Hello Kitty! I want this so badly, it has become my Holy Grail, although its existence may merely be Japanese urban legend, along with safe nuclear plants, heterosexual samurai, and Godzilla.
Recently I was rearranging boxes in storage when I discovered — to my delight — my beloved rice cooker. For one glorious meal, we were blissfully reunited — the plastic paddle dipping once more into the perfectly sized glass receptacle to retrieve no-fuss fluffy rice; it was like dinner for two with a long-lost friend. But while washing the glass container in the sink, I became distracted by the shrill barking of an unruly dog-in-residence, and I dropped it — watching in horrified slow motion as it shattered into pieces.
I blamed myself, blamed the dog, blamed the gods, and threw the lot into the trash (not the box, of course — I might need its markings to find another, the rationalized retention of empty boxes being one of my particular neuroses). But at 2 a.m., contemplating a bleak future without my rice cooker, I hatched a plan. Suppose I could replace the glass receptacle? Why don't I search for something glass to fit that self-sealing lid, just as Prince Charming combed the kingdom looking for a perfectly proportioned foot to fit his favorite glass slipper? I jumped out of bed and ran outside in my PJ's to retrieve the non-glass pieces from the bin, like a raccoon raiding the trash under the cover of darkness.
The next day I pulled out a Pyrex measuring cup and — in a moment that must have resembled the day ancient humans discovered the wheel — placed the rice cooker lid on top, pushed down, and heard that familiar "shwoomp." I set the glass cup on the rice cooker's base and — incredibly — it fit! I rushed to the phone to inform my best friend of this miracle. Unfortunately she is a therapist, and my discovery did not please her. "This just reinforces your problematic tendency to hold onto material objects that weigh down your life," she opined, free of charge. It's true, but honestly — this wasn't going to change anyway. I'll always regard the empty box that once held my favorite discontinued eye cream as a historical artifact, and will collect broken pieces of my good china because — you never know — I might want to make a mosaic.
All this madness seemingly started with that damn wind-up wabbit. I wonder how today's children handle their planned-obsolescence playthings, with the computer chip playing "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" set to expire after a predetermined number of repetitions. Do preschoolers simply pop open the back and rewire the circuitry or hack into an alternate power source? Or do today's toddlers welcome disposability, knowing that yesterday's broken bunny provides an excuse to upgrade to tomorrow's iRabbit, which not only plays "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," but downloads similar songs via Wi-Fi, organizes playdate schedules and synchs with the mouth-controlled SmartTeether™ to play ringtones, text fellow tots and change the channel on the television set?
Although my tin toy rabbit is now a high-priced collectible on eBay, it's probably best to teach your youngsters to recycle their treasures. Otherwise they may be doing some moonlight dumpster diving 50 years from now.
Tags: appliances, collectibles, Easter, Ebay, Hoarding, Humor, objects, rabbit, toys
Our local leaders make an unusual proposal to protect a local eyesore: My latest column in the Star….
It is remarkable how one neighbor's eyesore can be another's architectural treasure.
In the decorous neighborhood where I grew up, one house on our street featured a lawn display adorned by plastic deer and the associated flora and fauna of an enchanted forest. For years neighbors plotted — and sometimes accomplished — the kidnapping or mutilation of Bambi & Family, but replacement creatures always magically appeared in their places.
Another neighbor's front yard contained a tranquil Japanese garden complete with bonsai-style trees, cement pagodas and cherry blossoms that, while lovely, were in distinct disharmony with the wagon wheel-adorned ranch house next door. In otherwise restrained neighborhoods, I've seen homeowners display a lifetime's accumulation of hubcaps, beer bottles and faded, burnt-bulb lawn figures re-creating Santa's Workshop year-round.
Here in St. Helena, where the town's residents rarely reach a consensus on anything, there is a building located on a busy corner of town that is so incongruous, so dilapidated and so deleterious to the landscape, its pending demolition has inspired a resounding chorus of: "It's about time."
Chiming in with dissenting voices, strangely enough, are The People's representatives at City Hall.
By way of background, let me explain that the blemish in question consists of the unsightly remains of a gas station built in the 1940s. It is a battered white metal box with a small service window, connected via tattered overhang to a platform that once supported gasoline pumps, harkening back to a time when motorists had their gas pumped and windows washed by live humans. In its day, it undoubtedly displayed a distinctly Edward Hopperesque Deco design. But today it is downright shabby, held together by peeling paint, decades of congealed grease, and plastic signs advertising smogging services.
The owners of the local hardware store — a respected and community-spirited family — purchased this old gas station property, which is adjacent to their store. They planned to replace it with a well-designed two-story commercial building, welcomed by many residents as a long-overdue overhaul of the downtown streetscape. Two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, their developmental dreams were dashed when city officials deemed the rickety relic a "character-defining element" of the downtown historic district, triggering further delays and pricey environmental impact studies.
Rather than demolishing this architectural anachronism, City Hall's planning experts are demanding that the owners relocate it to a public park several blocks away, where it can be shored-up and repurposed as (wait for it) a restroom.
Ah yes, what greater tribute could be paid to the architect's vision than to have his work permanently enshrined as a public toilet, where transients, escapees from police custody and local canines frequenting the adjacent dog park may forever seek refuge in its historically insignificant embrace.
Ironically, City Hall is itself such a ramshackle teardown that city leaders tried last year to offload it to some unwitting buyer looking to invest millions of dollars to replace it with a hotel, hoping guests would taste enough Napa Valley cabernet to sleep through the eardrum-splitting sirens of the Fire Department downstairs. City officials seemed desperate to dispose of the premises before someone discovered ancient relics buried in the basement or spotted owls nesting in the eves, or before some do-gooder came along and had the thing declared a "character-defining element" of historic downtown.
Still, this irony may present the perfect solution. Since the current occupants of City Hall seem so sentimental about this former service station, I would propose a swap. The hardware store owners should be permitted to build their new commercial building on the current site of City Hall, while city government should be relocated to the old corner gas station.
This would prove extremely convenient for everyone involved. Residents and prospective business owners could utilize this "Drive-thru City Hall" to have their permits denied without the bother of having to get out of their cars. Land-rich-but-cash-strapped locals could drop off sacks of gold, livestock or other tributes to pay their ever-rising water bills. And routine municipal services could be outsourced to overseas workers, at considerable cost savings to the city.
Imagine driving up to the window, but instead of an attendant, you encounter a giant menu and tiny speaker, just like Jack in the Box. You might select No. 1: Business License, No. 2: Building Permit, No. 3: Use Permit, and so on. A courteous Indian-accented voice streams through the speaker, saying: "We will be exceedingly pleased to help you. It is our great happiness to serve your profoundly important needs. If you will kindly give us your most excellent order and your telephone number, we will be contacting you very shortly, or never, as the case may be. Thank you for doing business with the Best Exotic City of St. Helena."
If only you could order fries with that, it would be perfect.
Tags: architecture, bureaucracy, City Hall, eyesore, gas station, Humor, Napa Valley, service station, St. Helena, teardown
Why consult a therapist when you can address your particular neuroses with a trip to the local movie theater? Today's column in the St. Helena Star Newspaper…
One benefit of living longer is being able to clearly identify patterns revealed by my behavior over time, and to diagnose my own personality disorders along the DSM/Lifetime Movie Mental-Disease-of-the-Week Scale. This allows me to rearrange my life and relationships to accommodate these compulsions and quirks because, let's face it: At this point nothing is likely to change except my dress size and pharmaceutical regimen.
For example, although I enjoy time with friends and colleagues, I've spent much of my life living and often working alone, never feeling the slightest hesitation to venture out on my own. I would regularly fly across the country to my New York apartment, often attending the theater and dining singly. It has just never bothered me — I enjoy observing life as performance art, discovering new places and people.
There are generally only three times when I mind being alone. One is when I have to take out the garbage. Don't ask me why, but while I rarely regret my failure to secure a husband to support me financially and emotionally, I curse the gods on a weekly basis for depriving me of a man to wheel the cans to the curb.
I also hate arriving at airports after flying solo. One big benefit of Homeland Security measures has been the relocation of the tear-streamed, banner-waving, flower-carrying welcome party that used to greet arrivers on all sides of me, not to mention the limo drivers holding the name signs I couldn't help but longingly scan — even while knowing that my car was in fact two long walks and a bus ride away in a lonely airport parking lot.
But probably the oddest time I get freaked out by my solitary status is at the movies. For some reason, halfway through the film, I get a panicked feeling that I'm supposed to be somewhere else. Arriving in daylight and leaving after dark is particularly upsetting.
I occasionally flee films for this reason, so if you are the director and see me rushing for the exit midmovie, it's not necessarily a reflection of your artistry (unless you are peddling Shallow Stunt-Cast Shakespeare, and that means you, Kenneth Branagh, costing me $9 to watch Alicia Silverstone's vapid Valley Girl version, so Ken, please send me $9 c/o this newspaper, as there is no statute of limitations on this particular crime, and no number of Thor-type movies you might direct starring strapping blonde musclemen in codpieces and capes that could compensate for the damages incurred).
Luckily, I have found a local movie theater able to accommodate this particular neurosis: the Cameo Cinema. The Cameo creates the perfect environment for people like me: Transporting state-of-the-art sound and video, generously buttered popcorn, and a just-the-right-size theater filled with friends and neighbors; more like a block party than a place of business.
Plus the theater's proprietress Cathy Buck seems very much like family in that she is ever-present, lavishes kindness and attention to every detail of your comfort, and is not above using the powerful one-two punch of guilt and love to get you to show up when and where she wants.
The Cameo elicits a level of loyalty from its fervent band of regular customers more frequently found among street gangs, crime families and Teamsters Locals. The scene at this year's free New Year's Day Community Film was illustrative:
Upon arrival, I was greeted by one friend, handed a complimentary flute of Champagne by another, and seated where surrounded by familiar-faced audience members. Settling in to watch "Mary Poppins," Cathy announced that a related film, "Saving Mr. Banks," would be opening soon. "If you've already seen 'Saving Mr. Banks,' then don't tell me, because you didn't see it here," she scolded with a smile, unleashing shame spirals among scores of us.
"I'm guilty!" I wanted to confess. "I did see 'Saving Mr. Banks' at that large, overpriced, soulless Cineplex on Christmas Day" (an act that made me feel as much a betrayer as Brad must have felt leaving Jennifer for Angelina). "You see, I wanted to go to a movie matinee on Christmas," I longed to explain, "but I didn't want to sit in a theater full of families watching the animated movie showing here." Instead I sank silently into my seat.
Still, I know that Cathy will forgive — if not forget — just the way any loving family member might overlook your spending Christmas dinner at someone else's table, while subtly reminding you that they very much wished you'd spent it with them instead, and you'd better show up next year.
This combination of attention and affection; of knowing that your presence or absence really does matter to someone; that you belong to a family that values your membership and is invested in the quality of your experience, is why the Cameo will always be my movie theater home. And it's why I am able to sit through almost anything there, even alone (unless Kenneth Branagh tries to makes me watch Keanu Reeves slurring Shakespeare again. That's another $9 you owe me, Ken).
Tags: Cameo Cinema, Humor, Kenneth Branagh, Movie Theater, movies, Napa Valley, psychology, Shakespeare, single women
Members of the neighborhood's animal kingdom have become my dependents. Does this make birdseed tax deductible? Is pet acupuncture covered by ObamaCare? My latest column in the Star.
Each New Year brings renewed opportunity for sober reflection and frank self-assessment. And one particularly problematic personal shortcoming stood out during this year's mirror-gazing: I've made far too many of God's creatures dependent upon my efforts.
The problem is most pronounced in my dealings with the animal kingdom. Regular readers of these scribblings may recall my beloved but brain damaged Tibetan Spaniel, my uncontrollably hyperactive mini-Aussie, and my criminal mastermind of a cat.
Each time I return home, I am accosted by all three in the cramped entryway even before I can slip my body through the door. They lunge with paws outstretched and mouths open, demanding instantaneous feeding and rapt attention. Well, the Tibetan doesn't really demand, and he couldn't quite muster a lunge. He just bumps around randomly in all directions like one of those robotic vacuum cleaners, hoping he'll run into me, then wedges himself against the door so I can't open it without clunking his head — earning himself the fond nickname among my visitors of "Doggie Doorstop."
Neighborhood pets not my own nonetheless seek my patronage, frequently presenting themselves at my doorstep requesting assistance in locating their owners. Even some baby bunnies converge on my front porch each spring, requiring temporary daycare while waiting for their irresponsible mothers to collect them at dusk.
Other representatives of the local wildlife community have declared themselves my dependents, from the songbirds and the squirrels to the homeless cats who chase them. Unfortunately, the following expenses are not tax-deductible on Form 1040 Schedule A: wild bird food, Nyjer seed, hummingbird nectar, the latest anti-ant and squirrel-resistant birdfeeders, nuts for the squirrels, "natural" repellent for the ants, microwave pads to keep a feral cat warm on a freezing night, and sterile gauze and disinfectant to treat a bite sustained while placing a feral cat on a heated pad.
And where is my tax credit for the following: dog food, cat food, the new cat food because the cat woke up today and decided to stop eating the old food, heartworm medicine, de-worming formulas, flea and tick protection, MRI's, X-rays, anal gland clearings, and newfangled fur removal products? If corporations can deduct employee training and health insurance, why can't I deduct dog training classes, cat psychologists, pet acupuncturists, and anxiety-taming Thundershirt purchases?
A creature needn't be in-residence to demand that I snap-to. One red breasted hummingbird travels from the west side of the house to the north whenever the feeder is empty, buzzing my kitchen window and staring me down until I refill it. I recognize that noted hummingbirdologists and representatives of the Nature Channel might doubt whether a birdbrain is capable of this level of thoughtful planning and execution, but as my grandmother used to say: "I know what I know."
Her tendency toward firmly-held knowledge without regard to actual fact is a genetic trait I seem to have inherited. I know, for example, that God sends me insane pets because I am a spinster with the time and inclination to care for them, while couples busily raising actual human children might regretfully consign such four-legged unfortunates to the pound or the afterlife. I also know that animal shelters use the same system, entrusting the crazed, drooling, sensitive-skinned, barking biters with irritable bowel syndrome to us singletons, while gifting the even-tempered, un-finicky, trainable, non-shedders to families with children.
I hold other unsupported but unshakable beliefs. I believe that my friend Joan can cause it to rain. I believe that by washing my car, I can cause it to rain. I believe that God sometimes makes it rain on my birthday just to mess with me. And I firmly believe that God is not going to finish me off until I'm happy, rich, thin, in love, or some combination of all four.
I also, apparently, hold the unconscious but equally baseless belief that if I take care of nature's creatures in need, the universe will take care of me. Time will tell, but so far, the universe has greeted my efforts with a resounding silence, accompanied by a plethora of bills payable and Petco rewards points.
Still, what can you do when a critter comes calling with soulful eyes, a growling tummy and a Ph.D. in the exploitation of human weakness? A recent study suggested that a cat's cry was genetically engineered to sound like a human baby's in order to trigger our protective instincts. I believe that the cat's personality has been genetically engineered to make us feel inferior, like math prodigies, swimsuit models, and members of the British royal family.
I'll doubtless end up spending my fortune maintaining my own little eco-system, living out my dotage escorting squirrels across the street, broadcasting predator warnings to baby quail, and transporting spiders, flying bugs and rainfall-stranded worms to safer territory.
And I will always believe that God recognizes and appreciates human kindness toward innocent animals, and that He or She maintains a particularly unpleasant place in Hell for animal abusers, despite a total lack of evidence to support such a theory. Because I know what I know.
Tags: animals, birds, birdseed, cat, dependents, dog, hummingbird, pets, spinster, tax-deductible


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Supercars / Breaking news
Matt Chahda controversially refused CAMS Superlicence
Andrew van Leeuwen
Matt Chahda has been refused a Supercars Superlicence by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, as he looks to complete a deal to become and LD Motorsport driver.
The Dunlop Series regular was in attendance at today's Supercars season launch in Adelaide, and was largely expected to be named alongside Alex Rullo as an LD Motorsport driver.
However, just a day after giving 16-year-old Rullo dispensation for the Superlicence, CAMS has released a statement confirming that it has refused a similar request from Chahda.
"The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has refused a dispensation for a Superlicence by Matt Chahda for the 2017 Supercars Championship season," it reads.
"This was communicated to his team yesterday afternoon.
"In considering whether to grant the dispensation, CAMS is required to satisfy itself that there are exceptional circumstances to support a decision to waive the minimum requirements. CAMS has determined that there are no exceptional circumstances to support a decision to waive the minimum requirements.
"It is the opinion of CAMS that Matt Chahda has not demonstrated the necessary driving skill and competency to support the dispensation requested.
"CAMS values the safety of competitors, officials and fans above all other considerations."
While Rullo didn't meet either the age requirement (17) or the points requirement (13), the West Australian was yesterday granted dispensation from CAMS.
But despite meeting at least the age requirement, 23-year-old Chahda hasn't been given the green light from the governing body. As it stands he has six points; four for finishing second in the 2012 NSW Formula Ford series, two for fourth in the 2014 Kumho Series, and a point each for his 22nd and 20th in the Dunlop Series over the last two seasons.
Chahda was also disqualified from last year's Sandown round of the Dunlop Series after sparking on a multi-car accident at the start of Race 2.
The controversial decision leaves a question mark over LD Motorsport's plans for the 2017 season.
Supercars renames second tier to Super2
Supercars boss calls for Superlicence review
Drivers Matt Chahda
Teams 23Red Racing
Author Andrew van Leeuwen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Anvil Points funds to be returned to Garfield County
News | May 23, 2019
Alex Zorn
The Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District has agreed to send the Anvil Points money, totaling around $7.3 million, back to Garfield County after discussing with county commissioners what to do with funds.
"I'm glad to be an integral part, and there were a lot of people that worked on this and put in hard hours, and I'm glad to see this finally be resolved," said Commissioner Mike Samson. "I'm glad that we have this money for the future for what we would deem to be the best uses for Garfield County."
In April, FMLD representatives met with the commissioners to discuss how the Anvil Points Oil Shale Trust funds should be distributed.
While the FMLD allocates funds from natural resource development on Garfield County public lands, the commissioners felt that, since the Anvil Points funds preceded the formation of the FMLD, it should just go straight to the county.
The funds were originally allocated for the cleanup of the Anvil Points federal oil shale research site. Revenue related to oil shale production on public land several decades ago, known as the Naval Oil Shale Reserves Nos 1 and 3, was held for cleanup costs for many years afterwards.
After years of negotiations and discussions, it was finally agreed to be distributed back to the counties most impacted.
The funds were distributed to Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa and Moffat counties, with Garfield County receiving 40 percent, or $6.8 million. The county also received an additional $481,609, bringing its total to nearly $7.3 million.
The funds will be returned to the FMLD by May 31, according to the press release. It will then be transferred to the county.
The funds will be saved in the county's oil and gas mitigation fund, according to the press release.
azorn@citizentelegram.com
What the BLM HQ move out West really means for Garfield County
BLM's move to Grand Junction means leaders will be closer to the 'front lines,' according to Garfield County Commissioner John Martin.
Highway 133 reopened after mudslide south of Carbondale near Penny Hot Springs
Sen. Gardner announces move of largest U.S. land agency to Grand Junction
Richard Cerise (May 14, 1930 — July 13, 2019)
Who's signing the petition to recall Gov. Jared Polis? People who feel left out in Colorado.
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The psychological reasons why we 'rage-quit' video and board games -- and it's not always because we're losing
Lindsay Dodgson
Jasper Juinen / GettyAndy Murray sometimes has a fiery temper on court.
Whether you're playing a board game with your family or you're competing with friends on Call of Duty, you're probably at risk of quitting out of frustration.
Something about the competitive nature of games makes us prone to a fit of rage rarely seen in other aspects of life. Family Monopoly at Christmas is a classic example of this.
People rage-quit video games all the time. Sometimes it's because they're losing, they died for the 39th time in a row, or their connection is bad and is messing things up.
Researchers from the University of Rochester looked into how players have higher levels of aggressive feelings, and easier access to aggressive thoughts after games. They concluded this wasn't due to the violent nature of games, which have often been blamed. Rather, it was linked to gamers' experiences of failure and frustration while playing.
Our desire to perform well plays a role.
The findings, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, showed how manipulating game play by adjusting challenges to be too demanding or making the controllers harder to work led players to experience frustrations of their competence.
"Games, like all performance and competitive activities can arouse people, and for some they can create a lot of ego-involvement and thus strong anger or aggressive feelings when the person loses or perform badly," Richard M. Ryan, Research Professor in Psychology at the University of Rochester and coauthor of the study, told Business Insider.
"We see the same phenomena in sports, board games, and other competitive activities where people's investment in doing well or in beating others leads to strong reactions when they lose or do poorly."
Ryan added that the research helps explain both why people may leave a game early, as well as post-game aggression and, perhaps, "rage-quitting."
"It also shows how much the desire to achieve and perform well is a part of many video games, with all the good and bad that can come from that," he said.
However, it's not all down to losing.
Raging out and giving up is seen as poor sportsmanship, in both sport and gaming. If you flip the game board, or storm off in a huff, you're seen as a bad sport and a sore loser. However, it might not all be down to the outcome of the game.
For example, in 2013 a blog about the online video game Dota 2 looked into what made people leave.
"Some of the factors we assumed would affect leaving didn't — for instance, the outcome of matches doesn't correlate at all to the likelihood of quitting," it reads.
"Losing a bunch of Dota 2 games doesn't seem to cause people to quit. But one thing that did stand out in the data was the amount of negative communication between players. Put simply, you are more likely to quit if there is abusive chat going on in your games."
This could be translated to other scenarios, such as in sport when you're playing against a particularly nasty opponent, or when your drunk uncle is getting on your nerves more than usual during the second round of Trivial Pursuit.
Ultimately, it seems people rage-quit games when they are no longer having fun, regardless of whether they are losing or not.
In the current age of internet trolling, you might want to think twice about what it is that's riling you up if you're online, and consider holding your head high and being the bigger person. As for whether your rage-quit makes you more or less of a loser — it's up to you.
anger behaviour games psychology research science study uk warroom-us


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8 Chiana SHS students dismissed for insulting Akufo-Addo
The post has been shared by 33 people.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed eight students of the Chiana Senior High School in the Upper East Region for allegedly insulting President Akufo-Addo.
Prior to the dismissal, the students had been on suspension.
The GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavory language against the President.
It has thus described the actions of the students as "very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana's educational system."
The GES had earlier apologized to President Akufo-Addo over the comments by students.
"We wish to inform the general public that the students in the video have been identified as second-year students of Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District.
"Management of GES wishes to extend our sincerest apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and school", says portions of the statement issued on November 14, 2022.
Source:myjoyonline.com
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Q: How to prove $\cosh(x) \ge 1$ without the $\cosh^2x-\sinh^2x=1$ identity I think it's pretty easy question, maybe even dumb one, but still I can't find a nice way to solve it.
How do you prove that $\forall x . \cosh(x) \ge 1$ , without using the identity: $\cosh^2x-\sinh^2x=1$, and not without using derivatives.
the defenition of $\cosh(x)$ is: $\frac{e^x+e^{-x} }{2}$
I already proved that using the identity, but I'm just wondering if there is another way.
sadly, I couldn't find a proof using the search engine, even though that is a very basic question.
would appreciate your help!

A: Having $\small e^x=1+x+x^2/2!+x^3/3! +x^4/4! +... $ we have also
$$\small \cosh(x)={(e^x+e^{-x})\over 2}=1 + x^2/2! + x^4/4! + \ldots \ge 1 $$ for all real x just by adding the formal representation of the series for x and for -x termwise, where the terms at odd exponents of x vanish because of the alternating sign.

A: By definition, $\cosh x=\frac{e^x+e^{-x}}{2}$. Taking the derivative, we get $\frac{e^x-e^{-x}}{2}$, which is $0$ when $x=0$, positive when $x>0$ and negative when $x<0$. So $x=0$ is a the function's minimum, and $\cosh 0=1$.

A: You have by definition that $$\cosh x=\frac12(e^x+e^{-x})\;,$$ so it suffices to show that $e^x+e^{-x}\ge 2$. But this is an easy consequence of the fact that for any positive real number $u$, $u+u^{-1}\ge 2$. To see this, note that the desired inequality is equivalent to $$\frac{u^2+1}u\ge 2$$ and hence to $u^2+1\ge 2u$, or $u^2-2u+1\ge 0$. But this is clearly true, since $$u^2-2u+1=(u-1)^2\;.$$ Reorganizing in logical order: for $u\ne 0$,
$$\begin{align*}
u^2-2u+1=(u-1)^2\ge 0&\implies u^2+1\ge 2u\\
&\implies\frac{u^2+1}u\ge 2\\
&\implies u+\frac1u\ge 2\;,
\end{align*}$$
and in particular this holds when $u=\cosh x$ for any real $x$, since it's clear from the definition that $\cosh x>0$ for all $x$.

A: Depending on your definition of $\cosh x$, we could also define $\cosh x$ as $\cos(ix)$, and now we can use Taylor series (like in Gottfried Helms's answer):
$$\cos x = 1 - \frac{x^2}{2} + \frac{x^4}{4} - \cdots$$
$$\cosh x = 1 - \frac{(ix)^2}{2} + \frac{(ix)^4}{4} - \cdots$$
When the exponent is in the form $4n$, we have $i^{4n} = (i^4)^n = 1$, and when it is in the form $4n+2$, we have $i^{4n+2} = i^{4n} \cdot i^2 = -1$, so now all the terms become positive:
$$\cosh x = 1 + \frac{x^2}{2} + \frac{x^4}{4} + \cdots ≥ 1$$

We could also use the fact that $e^x ≥ 1 + x$ for all real $x$ as mentioned in the comment by J.M. below:
$$\cosh x = \frac{e^x + e^{-x}}{2} ≥ \frac{1+x+1-x}{2} ≥1$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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About LeadersWay
Owner, President, Coach, National Speaker
Kevin Wolfe
As the founder and owner of LeadersWay for over 20 years, Kevin helps businesses win the war on talent, creating profitable and happy work environments. He is committed to making a difference in every business and person he meets and coaches, always challenging the status quo by creating thought-provoking leadership development models and training.
Senior Partner, Business Coach
Melissa Wolfe
Melissa brings over 20 years of talent development, culture improvement, and business coaching expertise to LeadersWay. Having previously held regional and national team development roles in a Fortune 500 company and at one of Canada's largest private insurance MGAs, Melissa's expertise spans processes and strategies for improving staff selection, external and internal talent assessment processes and technologies, retention, and capacity improvement strategies, and business culture and leadership development. Melissa's expertise is backed by a CPSA designation, and with DISC, PIAV, and PTSI certifications.
Charlotte Locey
Charlotte found her passion very early in life. Simply put, it's helping others reach their potential for success and happiness in life. This is her gift and one she has practiced for many decades. Charlotte was a junior high teacher for 30 years, then transitioned into a business/life coach 15 years ago. Her own two children, her students, and her coachees would describe her as a taskmaster with a huge heart. She will demand that you give your best, will teach you the strategies to succeed, and will love you through the entire process. Of course, Charlotte has the many requisite degrees and training (too many to list here) and will tell you that experience is the best training of all; that living and loving with one's whole heart is the key to your rich life.
Shandelle Steine
Shandelle brings a wide variety of experiences to her role at LeadersWay. Included in her background is experience as an operations consultant for a major Canadian food chain, insurance agent at the 7th largest broker in North America Shandelle majored in English and studied Media and Communications while enjoying her passion playing out a soccer scholarship. Through these experiences, Shandelle has an understanding of fundamental business operations, high customer service standards, and the importance of both teamwork and leadership in any kind of group setting.
How We Began
The principles of LeadersWay were shaped by the hard-earned lessons Kevin received as a young business owner. At the age of 24, he took over a successful automotive business. But despite the fact that he was making good money and the company was profitable, he was unhappy. He couldn't understand why. Why was there a disconnect between the health of his business and his own well-being? Why did he dread going to work? After careful self-reflection, Kevin realized that the responsibility lay with him. He'd been taking care of the financial side of the business, but had been failing himself and his employees by neglecting the health of his business's culture. It was a painful lesson to learn, but once he was able to diagnose the problem, he went about fixing it, making changes to prioritize the well-being of his staff. What happened next floored him: profits improved six-fold. His company became attractive to employees and investors. Suddenly, he found himself being courted by people wanting to buy the company from him.
LeadersWay was founded on the belief that Kevin could replicate his success in other businesses—that, by focusing on people, he could boost profits and employee satisfaction. LeadersWay has been fulfilling that mission for over 20 years.
info@leadersway.com
© 2022 LeadersWay. All rights reserved.


A woman has been injured in a two-vehicle crash on a street in Edinburgh.
The collision took place at the junction between Gilmore Place and Viewforth shortly before midday.
Gilmore Place was closed and traffic was diverted via Bruntsfield Place and Colinton Road around lunchtime.
The number 10 and 27 Lothian Buses services are affected.
Police Scotland confirmed there was one female injury and paramedics were attending the incident.
We will bring you more on this story as we get it. If you have been affected by this incident let us know, you can tweet us: @edinburghlive_), email us: news@edinburghlive.co.uk, leave a comment below, or drop us a message on Facebook.


Mark your calendars for our final Artist Lodge event of the year!
We'll have a variety of vendors, and a large gallery full of original ornaments, created and decorated by local artists, and all $50 and under. Hang them on your tree, hang them on your wall, give them as gifts to friends and family!
Artist Eva Lacy of Critterosity will be teaching a painting workshop at the event starting at 6pm. Workshop theme and tickets will be available closer to the event.


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Q: How to add show more and show less options for attributed text in Flutter App? In my application I need to show options for Show more and Show less for the attributed text. If there is the simple Text then I could manage the things by using .subString function for first few characters and full text.
But here in my case I am using flutter_html lib. Here if I take data using .subString then attributed text getting disturbed which creates wrong output.
For consideration my text is as mentioned below:
The system requirements are\r\n        :
*\r\n
*An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE)\r\n
*Speakers and a microphone (required in case of interactive sessions) – Built-in, USB plug-in, or wireless Bluetooth\r\n
*A webcam or HD webcam - built-in, USB plug-in (required in case of interactive sessions)\r\n
*CLICK HERE to view the System Requirements for Zoom.\r\n
Consider the image as mentioned below:

Is there something else can be done here to achieve this feature without using .subString feature!!??

A: Solution 1 :
You can try https://pub.dev/packages/readmore , this plugin.
A Flutter plugin that allow expand and collapse text.
Solution 2 :
Flutter: How to hide or show more text within certain length


Aaron Schmidt has a really great post over at Walking Paper on "How to Give a Good Presentation." It's definitely worth reading through, including many super comments.
A few months back I posted a collection of links, "Talk Good: How to Give Effective Presentations". In addition to those links though I'd like to add a few of my own thoughts to this conversation. First, let me say that I prefer to frame this as giving "effective" presentations rather than "good" ones because effective implies that you're actually trying to, well, have an effect. And I think that one of the most important elements of any presentation -- the element that makes it much more likely that your presentation will be effective -- happens before you've written one word or found one cool image for your powerpoint. The most important element is asking the question, "What do I want people to do as a result of seeing/hearing my presentation?"
Should your slides be graphic heavy? Text Free? Should you provide handouts? Should the presentation be posted, and if so in what form? Should additional information be included in the posting? My answer is, it all depends. I think it makes absolutely no sense to dictate the answers to these questions without first asking, "what am I trying to achieve?" The next question of course is, "and how can I best achieve it?" How you answer this question dictates your content and sequencing.
Who will be in the audience? Is it heterogeneous or homogeneous? Are there certain people in the audience with more influence that I would like to reach?
How large is the audience? Will I get to mingle? Am I miked, or is it more intimate?
What is their predisposition to change their behavior? Are they a friendly or resistant audience?
What is their knowledge level?
How much time will I have to present?
How much other information is being thrown at them (am I the main act, or one presentation of many?
What technology tools do I have at my disposal? Live internet? Projector? Just a microphone?
Will the presentation, or parts of it, be archived or made available online after the fact? Do I intend this to ever be seen again?
Is the presentation intended to be instructional? provocative? informative? heretical? inspiring? challenging?
I'm sure you can think of more variables that you've considered when crafting your own presentations. The important thing while preparing is to continually refocus yourself on what you are trying to achieve and critically evaluate the content and sequencing of your presentation to make sure everything supports and nothing detracts from your goal.
Share your presentation with others before you do it and get feedback to see what's working and what isn't. Inevitably, you will have written things that are clear as crystal to you, but clear as mud to others.
If it's appropriate to the presentation, try to make it as interactive as possible. Ask questions. Encourage audience members to talk to each other. Doing this early in the presentation with a provocative question can create an immediate buzz and get a lot of energy flowing.
Conclude the presentation with a challenge or a request. Ask something of the audience. Ask them to commit to doing one thing differently.
What are your tips? What's worked for you?
QandANJ.org recently launched its second commercial which premiered during the MTV Video Music Awards (and is now showing during Project Runway).
In an effort to extend the reach of the commercial, we've posted it to YouTube and to our MySpace and Facebook pages, and we've encouraged anyone and everyone to embed the YouTube version on their website. All well and good except the embedded YouTube version is pretty low resolution. I really wanted to offer a higher resolution version for embedding.
Others must want to do it.
Others must have figured out a way TO do it.


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North Coast Football Trials 2021
Emerging Skill Acquisition [ESAP]
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Home › Around the Clubs › Men's Premier League Roundup – Round 14
Men's Premier League Roundup – Round 14
By Tim Klingbiel
NORTHERN STORM 6
COFFS COAST TIGERS 0
Storm were coming off a tough to swallow 4-0 home defeat to Boambee Bombers last weekend, but looked to right the ship this time in another home game against the out of form Coffs Coast Tigers. Coach Jade Porter had designs on making a statement in this fixture, as the Thunder looked to elevate themselves back into the four and prove their finals credentials at a quite crucial juncture in their campaign.
Many anticipated this to be the match of the round, with the sides playing out an exciting 4-3 thriller last time they met at the Cove as Felipe Barrera's Tigers took the chocolates on that occasion. The men in orange and black were feeling the effects of an extended hangover though, coming into the game off the back of four straight defeats and appearing something of a rudderless ship as they endured a rapid descent down the table. Having previously been right in the top four conversation, they were now in danger of losing touch entirely as they sat above just one other club on the eight team ladder.
Key man Jamie Kennedy returned to the XI after being an unused substitute last weekend, with Michael Turner making way in a slight positional reshuffle. The remainder of the XI were otherwise identical and the only other change in the 16 man squad was the inclusion of Otis Barney on the bench in place of Keiran Clerke, though this had no material effect to the side's composition as neither player saw action in either game. For Tigers, Zack Smith returned to the starting lineup in place of the unavailable Joel Guy, with the remainder of the XI unchanged. Maryar Majak and Samson Bawiri were preferred bench options to Mi Reh and Mark Ifrah.
It became evident after just the first few exchanges that the Thunder would be a formidable obstacle for the visiting Tigers to overcome, looking a step ahead in general play and displaying a strong passing game and commitment to win the 50/50s all across the park. It was an unlikely source in defender Jeff Odgers who produced the Storm's first, early in the piece, and from there it seemed the result was already essentially a foregone conclusion.
A man who has enjoyed something of a footballing rebirth and is in the midst of what may well be the most prolific campaign of his career at the top level of local football is Beajay Wendt, and he showed why he has been arguably the Storm's most effective contributor in 2018 by popping up with a brace to take the contest out of Tigers' reach.
Experienced and reliable campaigners Jamie Kennedy and Grant Scully each found their way onto the scoresheet, while another unusual source of goals in the form of substitute Michael Turner completed the 6-0 rout after he entered the fray in the second stanza. The Thunder certainly carried the better run of form into the game, but only the most wildly optimistic Storm acolytes could have predicted such a margin, as most local pundits believed the final outcome would be decided by a much finer margin.
It was uncomfortable viewing for the travelling fans, who would now have to think that their tilt at September football is all but over, but the mood around the traps at Korora made for a striking juxtaposition as enthusiastic fans hinted at hopes for silverware later on in the season. If their favourite sons continue to produce performances like this one on a weekly basis, those prophecies may not be too far off the mark.
Porter was rightly proud of what his men had brought to the table and the way they went about their business, and said they played solid across the park – something that will be absolutely essential to reproduce if they are not only to finish in the four at the regular season's closure, but to contend with the likes of the Bombers come finals time in what looks one of the more likely permutations of the 1st vs 4th matchup at this point in time.
They will travel to Rushforth Park this Saturday evening to do battle with Grafton United, who gave the Raiders a lot to think about last weekend and should prove a tough dance partner. The three points remain absolutely essential for Storm, though, as despite their current position of fourth on the ladder with an eight goal superior difference to their nearest challenger in the Bobcats, the Bobcats have a game in hand and could well leapfrog them once all results come out in the wash.
The less said about the Tigers display at the Cove on Saturday afternoon, the better. It's been a worrying trend for the West Coffs side, whose six point gap to the top four now looks more vast than the Pacific Ocean ahead of a home fixture against Boambee this weekend – having gone down 6-0 to that opposition in their most recent meeting, round 8 at Ayrshire Park.
An extended run of games where the Polwarth Drive denizens were playing decent football without reward now appears to have taken a turn into the realm of less structured football, leaky defence and lack of potency in front of goal. They are a better group of men than these descriptors would suggest, and will want to start putting their best foot forward on a collective basis in order to salvage some pride from their campaign and prove round 14 was an aberration rather than the new normal.
COFFS UNITED LIONS 3
MACLEAN BOBCATS 1
After being declawed by the Bombers in round 11, the Lions have been steadily returning to their dangerous best and put together consecutive wins in rounds 12 and 13. Hosting the Bobcats on a cool Saturday night at McLean Street, coach Glen Williams and his men were acutely aware of the limited – or perhaps non-existent – margin for error now available in the Premiership race and thus the importance of collecting the result, no matter the quality or aesthetic appeal of the display.
Two straight strong victories over Coffs Coast Tigers and Grafton United had the Bobcats well positioned inside the four and with a game in hand, but a late bottling at Barnier Park last weekend that saw them cough up a 4-1 lead to come away with just a point was a frustrating hiccup in their campaign. That result painted the trip to Forsyth Park in a different light – they may previously have been happy enough to come away with a point and maintain their standing in the four, but now knew the three were even more important if they were to stave off the charge of the chasing Northern Storm, who had looked rampant earlier in the afternoon.
The Lions made just two changes to their XI, with starters from last week in Alik Santiago and Scott Cawley each dropping back to the bench in favour of the returning Chris Dooley and the reinstated Alex Douglass – who sat on the bench last weekend for the first time this season. Blake Townsend was replaced on the bench by Dut Garang. The Bobcats benched James Austin in favour of Riley Bender, and Jarrod Doyle returned to the fold for the unavailable Gary Burns. Piaras Marc An Lomaire, Braidy Power-Casson and Adam Penfolds all made way on the bench for Taylor Corbacho, Nick Shugg and Matt Farrell respectively.
Dennis Mavridis' men were already aware of the difficulty of the assignment in front of them, and the early play only served to underscore this as the Lions attack had them absorbing heavy pressure. Plenty of chances fell the home side's way, but the ordinarily clinical Coffs attack lacked their usual Midas touch and some imprecise finishing let the Bobcats off the hook and allowed them some breathing space. With their first sniff of a chance, the green horde made their incursion count, a mistake from Coffs custodian Brent 'Ike' Turner gifting them an opener against the run of play through key marksman Jarrod Doyle.
The home side weren't prepared to roll over after the unfortunate setback, though, and going a goal down seemed only to spur them on towards a run of even more dominant football. Williams said Caleb Lokpo was giving the Maclean defence nightmares, and on one occasion as he set off on a dangerous run into the box, he was brought down by a Bobcats defender who the referee adjudged to have used undue force in the act of impedance. Skipper Scott Goddard, ordinarily ice cool from 12 yards, has missed a couple from the spot this season, but on this occasion he made no mistake, stepping up to slot the ball perfectly in the corner and in doing so squaring the ledger for the red and black.
With the outcome hanging very much in the balance at 1-1 heading into the break, the Lions were keen to really start converting their attacking strength into scoreboard pressure. They came out from the sheds with an added swagger to their football and the fleet footed Lokpo continued to look their most threatening. Collecting the ball on halfway, Lokpo beat three or four defenders and rifled it home from the corner of the box in one of the better individual goals seen this season. The Bobcats appeared powerless to stem the flow and only keeper Alex Moffitt stood between them and a greater margin of arrears, pulling off some excellent saves.
Some excellent lead up play from Gum Mayak down the left flank allowed him to find space and deliver a cross to Chris Dooley at the edge of the box. Dooley, with his back to goal, allowed the ball to bounce and then smashed it on the turn, the ball eluding the dive of Moffitt and rocketing into the top corner. Another near unstoppable goal, and the Bobcats could do little but stand back and admire the finish. That would be the final occasion on which the scoreboard operators were troubled on the evening, as the Lions bagged an important 3-1 victory to keep their campaign on track.
For the Bobcats, defeat proved a bitter blow as they now sit just outside the top four. They headed into round 14 with a three point advantage over the Thunder and an equal goal difference of +1, but the Bobcats' two goal defeat combined with the Thunder's six goal victory means the goal differences now sit at -1 and +7 respectively, with both sides on 16 points. The Bobcats do hold a key advantage in having a game in hand, but when that game is against the ladder leading Bombers, the points are anything but guaranteed.
Another tough fixture awaits this weekend, as the men in green return home to Wherrett Park to face a Urunga Raiders side who have clocked up 75% more points than them so far in this campaign. In reality, the difference in quality between the two sides is far less, and the two previous meetings between them this season have ended in 2-1 and 1-0 wins to the Raiders that could both have easily gone the other way. Ahead of three more tricky fixtures against the Thunder and Bombers (twice), the time is undoubtedly now for the Bobcats to step up and hit their footballing peak if they are to keep their finals dream alive.
The Lions will be happy to collect the three points in a game that had genuine potential to be a banana skin in their campaign, and will back themselves to extend their winning streak to four as they face Westlawn Tigers in another home game this Saturday night. The cold hard reality for Williams' men, though, is that they will essentially need to win every one of their remaining seven games if they are to pose a true threat to the Bombers' Premiership charge, as they lie three points and one game behind the ladder leaders – who don't look ready to cough up too many points any time soon having gone thirteen games undefeated and drawing just once in that time.
URUNGA RAIDERS 1
GRAFTON UNITED 0
The finals dream wasn't over just yet for United, some feat considering their standing last season and the fact that they had already played 13 of the regular season's 21 games – close to two thirds the way through. The transformation the club have undergone in 2018 is nothing short of remarkable, and the fact they were heading into a fixture against a perennial title contender in Urunga Raiders with not only an opportunity to elevate themselves into equal fourth with a win, but a credible chance of taking points, serves to underline the shift Scott Elphic and his men have effected in the local footballing status quo.
The Raiders were in the slightly awkward position of being streets ahead of fourth spot on the ladder – twelve points – and quite some way behind first and second – nine and six points respectively. Back to back defeats to the Bombers put a strong dent in their Premiership hopes, but a solid win over Coffs Coast Tigers at the Patch last week hinted at a recapturing of form to at least some degree. All they could do at this point was keep winning games and hope the two sides above them either dropped the ball – if the Raiders were hoping to claim Premiership honours – or that they could do some more damage come finals time – if the more realistic ambition of Championship silverware was in their sights.
United recalled Joe Macari and Jack Daniels to the starting side after they each took up impact substitute roles last weekend against the Lions, with Wylie Tynan and Selwyn King going the other way. Mick Fox earnt a first Premier League appearance of the season, starting in place of Ali Irving who sat on the bench. Ryan Earp was replaced by Nathan Daniels. The Raiders named a lean 13 man squad with just one outfield substitute available. The absence of Kale Hopper, Jaxen Heward, Jordan Tree and Josh McGovern meant Scott Livingstone came in for his first start of the season, Aaron Wolfe made his starting Premier League debut, and Pablo Kastner and Jake Leslie were each recalled to the XI. Finally, Grant Homes secured a bench spot at the expense of Allen Snow and Thomas Rixon. It was a very new look Raiders lineup to say the least.
A cold, windy evening set the scene for a gruelling and physical contest at Rushforth Park. The hometown men turned in one of their most accomplished displays of the season as they ramped up the intensity and really took the game to the Raiders. Many would suggest Grafton were in fact the superior side over the opening 45, though through a combination of misfortune and finishing profligacy they were unable to make their pressure tell on the scoreboard. Going into half time with the scores level at 0-0, Grafton coach Scott Elphic had very little to tell his boys as far as tactical tweaks or changes were concerned, as he admitted even he was in slight shock at just how well they had been performing.
The inability of the home side to convert meant that the Raiders were still well and truly in the contest, and the men in maroon are so experienced at making their chances count and grinding out results even against the run of play. The blustery conditions turned what initially looked to be a relatively innocuous floating strike off the boot of the Raiders' Livingstone into a very tricky assignment for United keeper Matt McMahon, and indeed the ball eluded McMahon to nestle in the back of the net. The visitors had taken the lead in slightly fortunate circumstances, and the strength of their defence meant it would be tough for the men in purple to find a way back into the contest.
The Raiders fired up after the goal and there was a sense of belief within the side that they were going to put a shellacking on United and that the floodgates would open. United never go away quietly though, and the game became heated as heavy challenges flew in from both sides on all angles. Midway through the second stanza, Grafton's James Craig was coat-hangered in what looked to be a run of the mill NRL penalty – though certainly not a challenge typical of the footballing sphere. Bodies were colliding and players were hitting the deck with regularity – had Bill Lawry been commentating the game, he would no doubt have said it was 'all happening' as the affair briefly threatened to descend into pandemonium.
With a quarter of an hour left on the clock, United fashioned a couple of excellent chances to score and were awarded a penalty after a Urunga defender handballed inside the 18 yard box. The home side failed to find the equaliser though, keeper Lee Kennedy producing a save to deny United from the spot. Grafton skipper Brayden Jones was then sent from the field shortly afterwards to put the men in purple down to ten men, but still they continued to press and search for a chance to square the ledger.
Ultimately, the equaliser proved just out of reach and the Raiders came away from the contest with a slightly fortunate 1-0 win. Elphic lamented the fact that the scoreboard did not tell the full story of the accomplished display his men had turned in on the evening, feeling they were all over their opposition and on another day might have had as many as four. He was nonetheless proud of his men and praised Urunga for making the trip back to the sponsors after the game.
United remain at home for the fifth game straight this weekend, as they host an in form Northern Storm Thunder side in what will be another tough out. Three points in that game would put the cat right back amongst the pigeons in terms of the finals conversation once again, but impotence in the attack – statistically the weakest in the league at present with just 17 scored in 14 games – is something that will need to be quickly remedied in order to make that a possibility, as a poor goal difference is likely to sting them when the numbers are crunched at the back end of the campaign.
The Raiders remain tough to read – they have yet to drop a single point all season to a side not named Boambee or Coffs United, against whom they have picked up just one in four games, but on at least four or five occasions against lower ranked sides they have laboured to the point of barely scraping the result.
This weekend's away trip to Barry Watts Oval to take on the Bobcats offers them a chance to prove to their doubters that they can comfortably sweep aside mid-table challengers and go beyond just picking up results to a point where their displays start inducing fear into their opponents once again. Their campaign thus far has not been a failure by any stretch of the imagination, but the standards at Morgo Street are higher than most and a third place finish on the ladder and a spate of unconvincing performances isn't likely to pass muster when contrasted with pre-season expectations.
BOAMBEE BOMBERS 5
WESTLAWN TIGERS 0
The Bombers kept marching on last weekend, following up their win over Coffs and back to back wins over Urunga with a dominant 4-0 over Northern Storm at the Cove. They are not a side who look like being beaten by anyone right at the moment, but although they accounted for Westlawn Tigers by a handsome margin the last time the sides met in round 7 at Back Lane, they would need to have their wits about them as an incredible comeback against Maclean last week was evidence that the men in yellow would be more confident than ever this time around.
James Joyce's men pulled off a remarkable coup last weekend to drag themselves off the canvas and seal a three goal comeback against the Bobcats to salvage a point, having been three down midway through the second half. The display would no doubt have done wonders for their collective confidence, and they headed down to the highway with the belief that they could make life tough for the Bombers and force the home side into moving out of second gear if they were to claim a result.
The Bombers made just one change to their starting lineup in what has been a fairly consistent run for them with limited cases of injury and unavailability. Christian Penny was promoted from the bench to replace Nick 'Rooster' O'Mullane in the starting lineup, while Tom Cooper and Jack Mitchell replaced Jamie Newling and Darby Sherrin on the bench. For the yellow men, the occasion represented a rare luxury – the ability to name an identical starting side two weeks in a row. The only thing that changed was the composition of the bench – two of last week's four substitutes in the form of Dylan Lucas and Luke Shipman were replaced by Jesse Benfield and Jake Connelly respectively.
The away side looked strong in their defensive structure to start things off, and it took 15 minutes for the Bombers to find a breakthrough. Lachie Moye latched on to a through ball and raced away down the left flank, only to lose his footing when he looked home and hosed. Moye recovered quickly though and did not lose possession, carrying the ball further forward towards the byline and cutting back for James Lowe who finished neatly into the bottom right corner past Westlawn gloveman Charlie Moar.
Another quarter of an hour went by with the Tigers keeping the home side at bay, before a bouncing ball on the left was switched across goal by Brady Parker to the foot of Moye. Moye took some time to set himself, with the Tigers defence affording him ample space, and executed a deft and delicate chip with his right boot that looped over Moar and looked to be on its way in. The ball only kissed the left post and bounced back out, but Parker was on hand to collect the rebound. Parker dribbled along the byline, cut back and launched a shot towards the middle of the goal, which was well saved by Moar, but the parry fell into Moye's path once again and this time he made no mistake, converting from five yards.
With only a couple of minutes left in the half, a long throw by Parker found the head of Luke France, who glanced the ball on for Christian Penny at the edge of the six yard box. Penny was facing away from goal and attempted an acrobatic finish on the turn but could not make any contact of note. The ball kept skidding along across the face off goal and Lowe found himself in a great position to profit, lacing it home from six or seven yards to put his side three up heading into the break.
The game was a closer contest than the scoreline may have suggested, and the enthusiastic Tigers had given a good account of themselves throughout. The Bombers produced a fourth around the hour mark – as Moye sealed his brace – before the men in yellow pulled one back around five minutes later through Tom Westmann. The game highlight, however, came with around 15 minutes to go as Parker launched a sumptuous strike from way out that found its way into the top right corner. Parker himself deemed it a 'lucky shot' but in any case it will go down as one of the goals of the season – indeed, Parker has his own resumé of 'worldies' from distance that is probably more extensive in numerical terms than most players' entire career goal hauls.
By full time the score was 5-1, and the Bombers had maintained their march onwards and upwards with their eighth straight victory and sixth of the season by a margin of four or more. Their streak of two consecutive clean sheets was unfortunately ended but there will be little else for coach Shane Duncan to criticise in the performance. They will make the short trip to Polwarth Drive this weekend to face a struggling Coffs Coast Tigers side and will look to shore up the defence even further to get back to their clean sheet keeping ways – their well oiled attack seems to be taking care of itself and there have been just three games out of thirteen so far where they have scored less than four.
Despite the defeat, Tigers could undoubtedly take pride in their display and won't be disappointed in the way things played out. The result was a substantial improvement upon the last occasion they met the Bombers, as they were able to quite literally halve their opposition's attacking output while still scoring one of their own. They will look to build upon the confidence they have gained over the past fortnight as they take on Coffs United at Forsyth Park. Despite facing the top two sides in consecutive weeks, the opportunity to improve upon their prior results against the same opposition should prove sufficient incentive for strong displays.
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text:
Il fattore di montante è una funzione matematica atta a descrivere il comportamento nel tempo di una determinata legge finanziaria (e, da qui, del corrispondente regime finanziario), nella quale si suppone che sia impiegato un capitale unitario,  al fine di calcolarne, per un qualsivoglia tempo futuro, il montante e l'interesse accumulati.
Questa funzione assume importante significato nello studio delle leggi finanziarie di capitalizzazione in relazione ad un'importante proprietà comune a tutte le leggi finanziarie (vedi Legge di capitalizzazione ed anche Leggi coniugate):

Data la generica legge di capitalizzazione , deve valere la relazione:

 , per ogni

Appare allora evidente che, studiando il comportamento funzionale di  siamo in grado di valutare il comportamento di qualunque altra funzione del tipo , ove il capitale  funge da semplice coefficiente di proporzionalità.

Poiché  dipende unicamente dal tempo , si suole porre:

Alla funzione  viene dato appunto il nome di fattore di montante.

Per una presentazione delle principali famiglie di funzioni fattore di montante e loro caratteristiche principali si rimanda alla voce Legge di capitalizzazione.

Il fattore di montante è legato al fattore di sconto  dalla importante relazione:

(vedi Leggi coniugate)

Economia matematica

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia