Whilst listening to a passionate speaker at today's Harrogate meeting talking about the pronouncements of NICE on the role of Oesophageal Doppler and Early Goal-Directed Therapy (EGDT), a few poorly-connected thoughts were rolling around in my head.
No-one seems to agree on what constitutes "adequate statistical power" in these studies, and there is a general concern about type I and II errors.
In his book "How Doctors Think", Jerome Groopman reports a conversation with a Cardiology colleague, who confesses : "There are aspects to human biology and human physiology that you just can't predict. Deductive reasoning doesn't work for every case."He discusses the tendency of clinicians to disregard uncertainty and also to engage in Magical Thinking when discussing outcomes with patients. "Quasi-magical thinking" describes "cases in which people act as if they erroneously believe that their action influences the outcome, even though they do not really hold that belief".
If we're honest, we'd have to admit that we're unable to say whether EGDT is good, bad or a waste of time and effort. Perhaps when we understand the pathophysiology properly, we might begin to creep towards an effective treatment, rather than the apparent confirmation bias-fest that we seem to have reached.


After Effects power-user Tudor "Ted" Jelescu has done it again. Created a fantastic After Effects sequence using one of our plug-ins. Ted has been using our plug-ins for years to achieve results in AE that were only available in dedicated 3D programs before. He's a self-taught AE artist who started on a Flame and wanted to do the same things in After Effects. So when he saw FreeForm bundled with CS5, he tried it out, and developed some great techniques.
A bullet slow-motion created in After Effects with Newton and ShapeShifter AE.
A winning title sequence for an AEtuts plus contest. It was created using Adobe CS 5.5, FreeForm Pro, ShapeShifter AE, Trapcode Shine, Magic Bullet Looks and Particle Illusion.
Ted is also the creator of the Aqua Pack.
Watch one of his many tutorials. This one shows how to transform a 2D image into a 3D image in After Effects.
With over 20 years of experience in production and post-production, both in the US and Europe, Tudor "Ted" Jelescu has an ever increasing collection of hats he had to wear over time. VFX artist, Special Effects Director, Producer, Creative Director, and Graphic Designer to name a few. From music videos to independent film, concert graphics to commercials, corporate presentations to advertising campaigns, the path was never dull. It all began more than 20 years ago, with pen and paper, and continued through architectural studies, film, photography and electronic media degrees. An apprenticeship in vxf and motion graphics at Cutters in Chicago resulted in many nights spent at the office replicating what the masters did during the day. Ten years as Creative Director with over 200 advertising campaigns, together with many challenging vfx projects, were spent in Bucharest, Romania. Presently, the Fjords of Norway inspire him to push the envelope with the new generation of 3d plugins for After Effects. He also actively provides guidance for artists all over the world, and just has a lot of fun with his craft.
Kudos Ted, great work. Tutorials plz.
Mettle, you all just rock;-) Great products.


DQ is a high performance access protocol for wireless communications networks which reaches collision-free data transmissions by gathering the random access requests in a small time window and completely avoiding the collision of data packets. This protocol operates by using two logical distributed queues, which manage the resolution of collisions and the data transmission scheduling in parallel. The protocol achieves near-optimum performance at the link level independently of the number of devices in the network, thus making it appealing for the Internet of Things (IoT) as well as for highly-dense network deployments. This project aims to implement the DQ-protocol on Semtech DK7A433 test boards, oper- ating at 300-500 MHz, which are able to switch between FSK and OOK modulation. In order to manage the board initialization, and perform the protocol implementation, a new firmware has been created, coded in C programming language, which is based on interruptions generated by the RF transceiver over the main processor cortex M-3. Two of the key elements for the DQ system are the transmission and detection of ARS; in particular the collision detection that can occur in any of the access time mini slots is one of the main challenges to be faced when implementing this protocol in real hardware. Trans- mission and collision detection of ARS has been carried out and experimentally tested within the scope of this project, using the different available RF configurations. The worst case for collision detection has been considered using one central node and two slaves transmitting simultaneously. This case has the maximum probability of not detecting a collision and being affected by the capture effect. The tests carried out have proven that FSK modulation is not adequate for ARS trans- mission due to its strong sensitivity to the capture effect, while OOK modulation fits much better our goals at the cost of a slower transmission rate, and a shorter range. The results presented in this project constitute the foundations for the implementation of a first prototype of a wireless transmission system using DQ ever.


text:
Interview with Fredrik Ek of Brekeriet
September 29th, 2017, christian | 0 Kommentare
Brekeriet is everywhere. Literally. They must be among the most busy when it comes to participating at festivals and other events. Ironically this interview was done via Skype, but it included a tour through the new brewery location, which includes a designated sour room and a lot of space for more barrels, fermenters, and a foosball table. Read what the three brothers have been up to and how an infection got them here.
photo credit: Jeff Flindt
>> Das Interview ist in Deutsch hier.
The first question is one of two we ask everybody: Which of your beers would you have served beerhunter Michael Jackson?
The Blondette. It is a barrel-aged sour ale – we age it for eight months – and a pretty complex, elegant beer. It's like a dry white wine. I think he would have appreciated that.
Is this the one you drink so much of that barely anything goes into retail?
No [laughs]. What I drink depends on the situation, like the weather. Right now in the summer time, I like to drink the Picnic Sour with low ABV or something fruity and fresh. But in the winter time, I am looking for something with a higher ABV, like barleywines and sometimes stouts.
That kinda leads into a question I wanted to ask: While I love sour beers and can imagine drinking them throughout the year, they are not as robust as a barleywine or a stout. So in the winter, a rhubarb Berliner weisse might not sound as appealing. Sweden has long winters.
Yes. We actually tried to do some dark sours, but they didn't come out that good. We also tried to make a sour braggot. That had the complexity of a higher ABV beer on top of the brettanomyces and bacteria. So yeah, a braggot in wintertime. That works.
How about a "glühbeer", like a glög, but a beer?
No. None of us is very fond of that. They are only fun for like one glass to try.
That could then be one of the ones you don't drink but sell. But do you see it in your sales that during the winter they go down?
During that season, our sales move to other countries, mainly Spain and the US.
Brekeriet is three brothers. How is it working with your brothers?
It's really fun. It's a fun business to share with my brothers. Since we are three, there's always two that win a discussion. In that way, it's pretty easy. Plus our parents try to join us as often as they can, like by buying tickets to festivals. They support us in every way.
What do you have the most agreements and disagreements about?
The most disagreements we have about what beers we are going to brew. There's always lots of ideas. And it is actually the same what we have the most agreements about: What beers we are going to brew. We discovered that we have pretty similar palate. So our perceptions often go hand in hand.
Do you have fixed responsibilities or does everybody do everything?
In the beginning, we didn't have an division of labor, since back in 2013, only André and I were working full time. Which was good, because we now all know every aspect of the brewery. But now, Christian is the headbrewer making recipes and also product developing, André is doing logistics and he's responsible for making sure that everything is in stock. Then we have a guy hired, Amadeus, who is a brewer. I'm the administration guy, I do the paperwork and the finances.
You got the most glamorous job.
Yeah [laughs].
On the Beavertown Extravaganza page you wrote that André is going to that festival. How do you decide who gets to go where?
Well, we try to split the festivals among us, but if all three of us want to go to a festival, all three of us go. In the beginning we all wanted to go to that festival, but then I got invited to a wedding in Stockholm and I'm not sure why Christian cannot go.
For example to the Shelton Brothers, André and Christian went, but then the Brewski one, we all go. We get a lot of invitations to festivals and we have to say no to some. Because we have to brew beer as well.
How do you chose if you go to a festival or not?
We try to find out how the festival is, by talking to other brewers. At some of the festivals, you have to pay for a stand and you have to pay to get there – so you'll always make a minus. Those, for obvious reasons, are not interesting.
But does that mean that you're making a profit when you're going to a festival?
Well, the festivals we chose are more profitable in the long term, because of the advertisement value a participation has. Or the people you meet and the collaborations that come out of that.
When you go to your webpage there's this gigantic list of events that you've done. Why do you do so many events?
That's a big part of our marketing strategy. We don't spend any money on advertising and things like that, so the festivals, social media are basically our strategy of marketing.
How is it to have two locations?
Actually, since June we are only in one location. Up until then, we had the sour production with bacteria in another building and since December 2015 were brewing the brettanomyces and kettle sour beers in a new facility. Obviously, we didn't want cross-contamination, so we've built a special room in the new building, for all the barrels and sour fermentation.
You've got your bacteria via an infection that happened in the old brewery that you did not try to get rid of but instead kept. How did you bring the "infection" into the new facility?
We grew the cultures via ibc totes and then moved them to the new facility and shut the door to make sure they stay in that room. And if you go in there, you have to take a shower afterwards [laughs].
Do you know how the infection happened?
We wanted to make some cool beers for Mikkeller's CBC in 2014 and that's where it began. But we don't really know how it happened. Since the outcome was really good, we didn't really care and never tried to get rid of it.
Now we are using separate machines for everything, in order to prevent it from happening again. Plus making people shower [laughs]. We didn't do that before.
When it comes to your brett beers, do you use different strains?
It's brettbrüx that we have used since we moved here. Our own culture is a mixed culture with lactobacteria, pediococcus and brettanomyces – that's the one that's now locked away in the room.
Do you have a koelship or are you planning to getting one?
We don't. We are talking about building one. I really hope we have one in the future. We don't know if the climate would be good. We have tried with wort around the building to see what we can get outside. So we're still trying those. It might work.
What we did get is foeders: We got six of 32 hectoliters and one of 60 hectoliters.
By what I could figure out, since you started Brekeriet you increased your production by ten. How big is your latest increase?
From 2012 to 2015 we did 380 hectoliters, 2016 we did 1'100 hectoliters. And in 2017, we already did 1'100 hectoliters before we went on vacation in July. So we expect to have produced 2'000 hectoliters by the end of the year.
Apart from increasing your production, do the foeders allow you to do something that you were not able to do before?
Uhm, no. It actually even takes time away from experiments. So it means more beer, but less experiments. But we actually have to try to keep up the experiments to develop new products.
We actually decided to take a break from growing. Considering we sell all of our beer immediately, we could still grow. But would that be the right way to go forward? We don't know.
If you say you're selling everything, can you stop doing marketing?
Yeah, that's right [laughs].
We talked about events, now, you're also doing a lot of collaborations. Is that also part of a strategy?
Mainly because of the social thing. But also because we learn a lot by meeting and working with other brewers. All breweries have problems, but all breweries also have different solutions to these different problems. Therefore, it is very useful for us to work with other brewers.
And they are probably some of the few moments when you can still experiment.
Yes, almost always these collabos are experiments. But if we're doing a collabo with a brewery that has done a beer that's kind of like one that we want to make, then we try to do one of that style with them.
Is it more fun to do a collabo at your place or at their place?
It doesn't matter, actually. Both are fun. We have a ping-pong table, so oftentimes it ends with a lot of beer drinking and playing ping-pong. It's fun.
Ah, maybe you know the Swiss brewery BFM. They have a foosball table and Jérôme the owner is a beast when it comes to playing. So, get a foosball table and link up, like, when your ping-pong table has an infection or something.
What's the next collabo you're going to do?
I need to check my calendar for that: it will be during the Brewski festival week [i.e. it was in the end of August 2017 – ed.] is with Transient Brewing. They are from Bridgman, Michigan close to
Chicago. We actually met them at the Brewski festival last year, then went to Bridgman in October to do a collab at their place and now they are coming to ours.
Is there something super Swedish you make everyone do when they are coming to collaborate at your place?
Firstly, we let them get a big cup of Swedish coffee. Then we always sit down and discuss the Swedish liquor monopoly Systembolaget.
How do you get all the contacts to do a collaboration?
Mainly at festivals. That's where we meet and start discussing doing a beer together. It's really about discussing and what we could do together; what we can offer the customers. And then of course there's the fun aspect: if we like the people when we talk to them, it's easier to do a collab.
I heard that Systembolaget, the government run monopoly for selling alcohol, is encouraging you to do collaborations, because that then helps them sell beer.
It's actually the other way around: We want to do collaborations, because then it is easier for us to get on the shelves at Systembolaget. When we can do a collab with a hyped brewery, it helps. You cannot just go to Systembolaget and say: "Hey, we got this beer". For them to pick it up, it has to have selling value; it needs to be easy to sell. Which is obviously more the case, if you do a collabo with a good brewery.
Do they want to support Swedish breweries or do they have so many options, they don't need to?
They have so many options, they don't need to. Sadly. They are not easy to work with. There's a whole folder on the rules of how to work with Systembolaget.
That "bible" we got when we started our import company in 2010, to learn all the rules. It is not easy. But learning about the Swedish alcohol laws and the liquor monopoly, all the text laws for alcoholic beverages, shipping and receiving alcohol, all this administration stuff helps us now as brewers.
Do you think this government run monopoly will ever change?
I don't think so, but I hope so. Because there has been discussions for the last twenty years and things haven't changed.
Like, we are not allowed to sell beers to consumers at the brewery. If it's above 3.5%, we it has to go via Systembolaget.
What benefit do you see in the system?
We now have a lot of export customers. Systembolaget is adding a little extra to our income. While it is not so critical to us, it is to other Swedish breweries who only brew for Systembolaget.
This opinion is very much "from the outside" in. But what I find striking that in the Nordic countries with a government run monopoly, Norway, Sweden, Finland, you have a much more lively bar scene. And my hypothesis is that if getting beer for home consumption is somewhat difficult, bars are more attractive to consumers.
That might be. Another thing is that you can buy alcohol in a bar when you're eighteen. You have to be twenty to buy at Systembolaget. That could be an additional reason for why the pub or bar scene is as big as it is.
After Canada, Sweden is the country the US exports to the most beer. How did that happen?
I don't know [laughs]. Maybe because the local brewing scene has only really started within the last five to six years. When we started in 2012, there were 50 microbreweries. Today there are 300 in Sweden. In the same period, there's been more non-lager produced. So it could be that the homogeneous beer scene before has created a demand that was satisfied with importing from the US.
Now the result is that as a Swedish brewery, we are competing with the best breweries in the world for the attention of Swedes. So the result is that Swedish brewers always want to brew better beers.
Is there a beer style that's endogenous to Sweden?
No, not really. There's svagdricka, but that's not a beerstyle. It is a malt drink that's either alcohol free or low ABV.
Traditionally, people drink lager and porter. Gothenburg is a porter town. Stockholm is a lager town. Malmö is a Danish lager town.
What's gearing up to be a sour beer town?
Hopefully there will be one [laughs]. But I don't think so. But the demand is increasing. Maybe Landskrona.
The cost of things is usually cheaper abroad that in Switzerland. But we consider beer in Sweden to be very expensive. That makes me wonder how Swedish people can afford it.
It is very expensive because of the taxes, of course – we are one of the countries with the highest taxes. On top of that, if you compare to Denmark, Swedish salaries are lower. So how we can afford it? I don't know.
But it's changing: Over the last few years, people are buying less and drinking less, while putting more money into the special beers, rather than shitty lagers.
Your label artwork: In a way it's both simplistic and colorful and distinct.
They are done by Tobias, a guy in Stockholm. Some of them are pre-printed with the specials and then we can print ourselves the name of the beer.
Many names of your beers are in English. Would it be harder to sell them on the export market if they were not in English?
No, I don't think so. When we did the specials in the old place, we had Spanish, Italian, Icelandic and French names, with some Swedish names mixed in. Plus we did a Christmas beer with brettanomyces that we called Brettlehem and one Rhuboise, so that's not really any language. We have a beer called Inte Bara Java or "Not Only Coffee", which is a coffee sour. As you see, it's a mix of everything.
Why then so multi-lingual?
That has to do with our kind of humor.
Apparently, the name Brekeriet also has some humor and you tried to explain it before – to mixed results. So here's your second chance.
[laughs] We are three brothers. That's "Br". Our last name is "Ek". The brewery in Swedish is "bryggeriet". So Br + Ek + eriet.
Did you discuss other names too, or was this the one from the beginning?
We wanted to have it "Brek", but there's a chocolate in Sweden named "Break", which prevented us from using Brek.
We talked about events before and you are also doing beer and food pairing events: Are your beers particularly suited to be paired with food?
The fine dining scene in Sweden found out pretty early that our beers are easy to pair with food. Both me and André formerly worked as sound engineers and one of my gigs was at a cooking show. So when the brewery was already going and I was still working as a sound engineer, I brought the chefs in that show some of our beers and this got us the attention from fine dining restaurants.
Does selling to restaurants also go through the monopoly?
No, we are allowed to sell directly to both pubs and restaurants as soon as they can show us they have the permission to serve.
Why did you go sour? Was it to avoid competition?
No. We did brettanomyces beers first. That was because a beer we imported got infected with brett. But we loved it so much. And it actually got a prize at the Beer & Whiskey festival in Stockholm as the best Belgium ale that year. That led to Christian experimenting with brettanomyces. Back then we were the only ones in Sweden, fermenting with brettanomyces. After that we started experimenting with bacteria, both lactobacteria and pediococcus. So we became the only brewery in Sweden fermenting with brett and bacteria. And once we started doing the bacteria thing, this opened up bigger markets for exporting.
Now, there are some small breweries in Sweden that do the same that we do. But as with other brewers abroad, we don't feel like it's a competition. We try to help each other, to work out problems, as I said before.
So what's the split of export and domestic sales?
We sell thirty percent in Sweden – this goes to pubs, restaurants and Systembolaget. The rest we export. And you can check on our website, which countries we export to.
We are only four at the brewery, but it takes more than four people to run everything at the brewery. We could easily do with one or two more people to brew, bottle and keg more. Therefore we try to outsource a lot of the work, like financial declaration. Plus we have a Swedish distributor who packs almost everything we do and then sells it to our accounts domestically and abroad. So sometimes we didn't even know where our beers went to. Now, before we take on an account ourselves, we ask them if they already have one in that country.
Now, to our final question: Five beers people should drink before they die.
The Brekeriet Barrique Rouge.
Cantillon Vigneronne.
You can also say why we should drink these beers.
Okay. No. [laughs]
The 7th Sun/Brekeriet Sura Vindruvor. It's a Saison with grapes in the secondary fermentation.
I start to see a theme here.
Yeah, see! But here's a different kind of beer: Amager Hr. Frederiksen. Niepoort Edition.
Last one: Brekeriet Blondette.
Schlagwörter: Brekeriet, brettanomyces, festivals, Fredrik Ek, Landskrona, liquor monopoly, Sweden, Systembolaget

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Fox Sports' Jason McIntyre – Golden State Will Sweep the Cavs in the NBA Finals
Matt Loede
It's not official as of yet, but it looks a lot like the Cavs and Warriors are going to be doing battle a third straight season in the NBA Finals – starting next Thursday in Oakland.
There's going to be plenty of predictions about who is going to win the series, but already there's one prediction that is making waves, that being earlier today when Jason McIntyre from Fox Sports went on "The Heard" with Colin Cowherd and claimed the Warriors would win four straight over the Cavs.
"The Warriors are going to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers." — @jasonrmcintyre pic.twitter.com/9PO74xxbxX
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 24, 2017
Related TopicsCavsNBA FinalsWarriors
Matt Loede has been a part of the Cleveland Sports Media for over 21 years, with experience covering Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, the National Football League and even high school and college events. He has been a part of the Cleveland Indians coverage since the opening of Jacobs/Progressive Field in 1994, and spent two and a half years covering the team for 92.3 The Fan, and covers them daily for Associated Press Radio. You can follow Matt on Twitter HERE.
Steve Pajk
What a loser. Who even listens to Colin Cowherd?
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We will learn how to connect 12V solenoid valve to Arduino board and use it.
TIP120 Darlington Transistor datasheet is here.
The solenoid works with anywhere between 6-12V which is too high to use with the standard Arduino 5V. To get around this problem we will be using a 9V power supply – the solenoid will operate at 9V while the Arduino's built in voltage regulator will turn that 9V into the 5V that it needs to operate. To gain access to the raw voltage going into the DC barrel jack on the Arduino Uno we will use the "Vin" pin located next to the ground pin on the Arduino.
The solenoid gets constant power because we will using low side switching to turn on and off this solenoid. Low side switching means we will be interrupting the circuit between the negative side of the solenoid and the ground rather than between the power and the solenoid. This seems a little counter intuitive, but we do this because switching the high side is a lot more difficult with a transistor when the voltage being switched is higher than the Arduino's 5V logic.
The current draw of this solenoid is higher than a standard transistor can handle so we will be using a TIP120 Darlington Transistor. A Darlington transistor is actually a pair of transistors that act as a single transistor with a high current gain. The pin output is still the same as a standard transistor so (for now) just think of this as a transistor with a higher current rating.
So in this case we are going to "collect" the negative from the solenoid and "emit" it to the ground of the circuit. So let's run a wire from the solenoid negative to the middle pin (collector) of the transistor.
Connect the solenoid's negative terminal to the collector on the transistor. The collector is one side of the "switch" in a transistor, this is connected to the emitter (other side of the "switch") when the base pin is has a voltage applied. An easy way to remember what goes where on a transistor is: "The Collector collects whatever the Emitter will emit when the Base commands it to".
So in this case we are going to "collect" the negative from the solenoid and "emit" it to the ground of the circuit. So let's run a wire from the solenoid negative to the middle pin (collector) of the transistor. Connect the transistor's emitter to the ground rail on the breadboard.
if we want the solenoid to allow water to flow, set the pin high. When we want the water to stop flowing, set the pin low. In this project it will turn the water on for 1 second and then off for 1 second, looping forever (or at least until it is unplugged).
We learnt how to connect 12V solenoid valve to Arduino board and use it.
This solenoid valve could easily be used with the water flow sensor to create a system that only allows a certain volume of water to flow before shutting off.


2. Roll the pizza dough into a rectangle that covers the area of the sheet pan, leaving a 1½ inch border on all sides.
3. Place the ham, cheese and broccoli down the middle of the dough.
4. Roll the dough up jelly roll style, seal the edges and cut some vents on top, OR cut ½ inch strips on the sides of the dough with a pizza cutter, then alternatively criss cross one strip of dough from each side to make a pattern, folding the edges over on the top and bottom of the stromboli.
5. Brush the lightly beaten egg over the top and sides of the dough.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until stromboli is golden brown and cheese is melted.
7. Top with chopped parsley if desired, cut into slices, and serve.
Your rating for Ham and Cheese Stromboli has been recorded.


On the benches outside Tesco Extra in the heart of Newry city centre, several elderly couples are sitting with their shopping bags.
They are all reading newspapers, shaking their heads and talking to each other in hushed tones about the horrific events which unfolded just around the corner.
"It's sad," is the common reply when asked what they all think about the deaths of three people in the quiet complex of flats at Glin Ree Court.
You can see the top of the flats from where they sit now, the flats where 37-year-old Columbian Giselle Marimon-Herrera and her 15-year-old daughter Allison lost their lives along with an as-yet-unnamed 38-year-old man.
"No, we didn't know them. It's sad." The heads shake again.
And that is the mood of the city - the word 'sad' crops up in almost every conversation.
On Thursday MLA Justin McNulty described the murder-suicide that shook the city straddling the Down-Armagh border as casting a dark cloud over the area.
You can see what he meant, both in the skies above and on the faces of those on the ground.
The cold, the greyness and the dampness of the day permeates through the people as they huddle through the network of streets either side of the river. The mood, today at least, isn't ready to lift.
"It seems like everyone is a bit stunned," said Michael Scott, who has been editor at local newspaper The Newry Democrat for the past three years, keeping a close watch on local community issues.
"You could tell something was up without knowing," he said.
"Our office is right beside a supermarket and you can guarantee Newry High School pupils will be piling in there, all bubbly and full of chat. But they were quiet.
"You could overhear conversations. They knew the young girl. There was a shock and a real sadness in those conversations that something as awful as this could have happened right on their own doorstep, to one of their classmates. The day didn't feel normal at all.
"And the fact that there have been so few facts up until now in a relatively small place suggests there are some unpleasant details in this.
"But Newry is now a place where people tend to keep themselves to themselves."
People keeping themselves to themselves is one thing, but word, if not details, soon gets around.
In Hill Street Declan McChesney has been running Newry's oldest independent shop at Cahill Bros for the past 45 years and has seen the town grow into a city over the years.
He admitted the centre has been a sad place since the news of the three deaths broke.
"It's hard to comprehend something like this has happened in our midst," he said.
"Obviously people are talking about it, but it's difficult to find someone who really knew the people involved.
"We have people moving in and out all the time, from all parts of the world. We often don't know who is living around the corner.
"As a society perhaps we simply don't reach out to the people we live our lives alongside and I find that sad.
"Perhaps a lot of people are sitting now and thinking they should be getting to know all the people who have come to live amongst us, making them feel more at home."
A short walk through the rain, over the city centre bridge and a couple of hundred yards along Downshire Road, Glin Ree Court sits back off the main road.
The police cordon has gone and everyone is free to walk past the flat where tragedy unfolded.
No-one is around until the council chairman Mark Murnin walks up the shallow hill, accompanied by Mr McNulty and local councillor Michael Savage to lay a wreath at the front door of the block of eight flats.
The three SDLP representatives stand in silence for a moment, paying their respects to three people who came to live and work in their community.
"We want to extend a message of sympathy on behalf of the citizens of the borough," said Mr Murnin, as he moves away.
All is still and the complex returns to a hushed kind of mourning.


Ciri is compelling not only because of her strength but her realness. She struggled to survive and later said her body held on because of her child, whom she later gave birth to on the battlefield creating another important character to the series: If word gets out that her boys are not true sons the Baratheon line, she could lose everything. Most beautiful in fictional female character in history super strong and badass. While many female characters fill male fantasy check boxes, The Boss is on a different level because of her complexity, her willingness to sacrifice, and her strength. Who is the Modern Gamer?
Madelynn. i am a sociable young lady who is bundles of fun with lovely sense of humour but plenty of poise and sophistication. i am outgoing, with a lively personality and a wonderful smile.
Lyric. i'm a sophisticated woman with a lots to offer you gentlemen.
Why the hell is morrigan dead last?
Adrianna. hi there, i am a pretty 23yo girl from bucharest romania and it would be great if we could meet up while you are around.


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Texas Is The Reason
Do You Know Who You Are?
Revelation Records
J. Robbins
A unique story and influential band on emo and post-hardcore bands.
Eric Grubbs
Writer, The Dallas Observer
To help us discuss the one and only (and legendary) album Do You Know Who You Are? by Texas Is The Reason, we're joined by Eric Grubbs, fan of the show and author of Post: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore 1985-2007. We dive into the unique story of Texas Is The Reason, as well as their influences and influence on emo and post-hardcore bands that followed. And of course, we dissect one damn fine record.
Intro - Johnny On The Spot
9:56 - Johnny On The Spot
17:21 - A Jack With One Eye
Outro - Every Little Girl's Dream
One and Done Bands of the 90s
One album, that's all! Our roundtable discusses favorite, overlooked, forgotten bands and artists that only managed one album in the 1990s
The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring twist and turn pop structures to unique results on their 1997 album Nothing Feels Good
Nothing Feels Good
Tim Kasher of Cursive
Tim Kasher of The Good Life and Cursive stops by to talk about his new solo album No Resolution out on his new label 15 Passenger.
Andrew Low of The Jazz June
Andrew Low of The Jazz June stops by to talk the history of hte band, recording with J. Robbins, his current work and more.
Emo in the 90s
What is Emo? We try to figure that out by diving into the history, the bands, the unique sounds and more
We were unfamiliar with Braid and their much acclaimed 1998 album Frame and Canvas. Does it live up to the hype?
Frame and Canvas
Clarity represents musical highpoint for not only emo, but rock music at the end of the 20th Century.
Knapsack
Facebook love, or is disagreement on the horizon?
This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now
Sunny Day Real Estate
One of the most influential albums of the 1990s, Diary. Credited as a primary instigator of what would later be known as emo,
Are they punk? Are the emo? Are they pre-emo? Are they post-punk?
24 Hour Revenge Therapy


iQuasar offers 24×7 Help Desk support services to you through email, web, or phone, and on-site deployment of a technician as and when needed. The activities covered by our Help Desk capability include responding to calls, emails, and web-based requests for support, problem-solving for impacted users, deploying an on-site Helpdesk technician, and following ITIL guidelines to address routine incidents.
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Our Help Desk team is proficient in providing remote desktop support. We provide end to end support for all the hardware and software issues. Our team is highly qualified in device management, viz., desktops, laptops, servers, network attached storage, printers, mobile devices, etc.
Our Help Desk engineers take care of all your other software applications and perform related troubleshooting. We provide technical support for all your unique software applications and automation tools.
iQuasar provides network monitoring for our clients and uses tools like Avast Managed Workplace for network monitoring, patch management, updating software licenses, etc. Our Help Desk team will keep an eye on all your end-point devices and their behavior and interaction with your network.
Tier I Support acts as the front line Help Desk for our clients. All support requests via phone, email, and web are handled by this team. Our Tier I Support engineers use ITIL processes and provide excellent customer service and close most of the issues as First Call Resolution.
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Our Help Desk team can deploy an on-site engineer to the client locations, as and when needed. We have a team of on-site engineers who have worked for clients like USPTO, DoD, Comcast, AT&T, etc.


"ANTIQUE STERLING SILVER CENTREPIECE EPERGNE VASE & BOWL 1910"
An impressive and unusual Antique Sterling Silver Epergne Centerpiece with a deep blue glass liner. The Epergne has three glass lined hanging baskets around a tall central fluted vase. An unusual aspect of this Epergne is the removable bowl that fits into the top of the vase alloing for use as at the top of the Epergne or separately from the whole as a Bowl.
Made in London in 1910 by Mappin & Webb.
This Epergne is in excellent condition with no damage.


Random beautiful building on our walk.
You can rent bikes in London! These are on the campus of University College London.
Here are the rates if you're interested!
That's me 'in' the phone booth trying not to puke from the smell. I don't think anyone would use this to make an actual phone call. Oy!
A statue in the park on the campus of University College London.
This monument said "To Our Glorious Dead" on one side and then "Remember the Men and Women of the London Midland and Scottish Railway" on the other. Since they had just observed "The Day of Remembrance" (like our Veteran's Day), there were wreaths laid at the foot of the monument.
They were made of plastic discs riveted together – kinda' cool.
On our way back, we found ourselves feeling close to home at the corner of Keppel (the kids' elementary school) and Gower (a street in Hollywood).


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← Marvel Legends (Mantis Wave): Death's Head II by Hasbro
Heroes of the Storm: Sylvanas (Warcraft) by NECA →
Marvel Legends (Mantis Wave) Mantis Build-A-Figure by Hasbro
As promised, I'm back to finally kill off this wave of Marvel Legends with a look at the Mantis Build-A-Figure. Consisting of a total of six pieces, spread across a wave of seven figures, Mantis is fairly easy to cobble together, although I did have a little trouble getting her legs into the hips all the way. But wait, you're saying this petite alien chick is the BAF?
Yes, generally speaking, BAFs were created to sell waves, but also to deliver figures that were often too big or complex to do in the regular price point or packaging. As a result, people may scratch their heads at the diminutive Mantis being a BAF. Well, there has been precedent for smaller BAFs in the past. Both Rocket Raccoon and Hit Monkey were even smaller. Once, someone told me that Jubilee was even a BAF, although I have no physical evidence to support that claim. Yes, I've seen pictures, and that last remark was just a bitter dig at Hasbro's poor distribution. ANYWHO…
Here she is! Mantis! All assembled and looking absolutely fab! Mantis is a fairly simple figure, and as such, this is going to be a pretty quick review. But don't let that fool you, because one look and it's clear that Hasbro put some real love into her. The outfit features all the great sculpted detail and texturing that I've come to expect in my MCU Guardians outfits. I particularly dig the leaf-like skirt that wraps around her hips and backside. I expected this to be a belt, but its actually attached to the buck around the waist and as such looks more like a natural progression of her top.
Still, as impressive as the sculpting here is, it's the paint that makes this a stand out figure. The gorgeous emerald green paint has a striking metallic sheen to it and its used not only on her top and gloves, but also the ribbed panels running down the sides of her trousers and outlining the panels in her skirt. Under some nice lighting, it contrasts beautifully with the black.
This head sculpt is no slouch either. This time around, all the MCU Guardians likenesses have been winners, and I'd say that Mantis ranks pretty high among them. Her distinctive eyes and bendy antenna have been recreated beautifully here, as has her sculpted hair, which even curls up at her chin. Whatever you've been doing with these portraits, Hasbro, please keep doing it!
The articulation is fairly close to what I'm used to seeing in the Legends female bucks, which means she's fairly limber.
With no accessories, and not exactly weighing in as an action star in the movie, Mantis may not be the most exciting figure around, but I sure am glad we got her in figure form. Why Hasbro opted to make her the BAF is still a bit of a poser. Maybe they thought she wouldn't sell on her own? But with Gamora and Nebula in the wave, I'm not convinced that was it. It would have been cool if she got her own boxed release and Hasbro could have just given us Ego as the BAF, at least then I wouldn't have to buy a second Star-Lord to get him in that two-pack. But that's just me griping. You do whatever you have to do, Hasbro to keep these figures coming! Next week, I'll be starting to look at a new wave of Legends, but I haven't decided which yet and there's so many to choose from. Warlock? Sandman? Vulture? Ragnarok? Man-Thing? Well, I'm going to rule out Ragnarok, because I'd like to look at those figures closer to the film's release. Right now I'm leaning toward going with the either the Warlock or Sandman waves next.
By figurefanzero • Tagged baf, build-a-figure, guardians of the galaxy vol 2, hasbro, marvel legends, mcu
6 comments on "Marvel Legends (Mantis Wave) Mantis Build-A-Figure by Hasbro"
That face is near perfect!
Hasbro done good!
Not something always said in these parts, but I do like that sculpt. What would Drax say? Very ugly.
August 14, 2017 @ 11:06 pm
LOL… "Yes, you are hideous to look at!"
Stoheidy
I only grabbed Nebula and Adam W. from this wave, with no intention of building Mantis. But after seeing your review…. ;_;
It's a solid wave. I wasn't excited about picking up the MCU Guardians characters again, but in the end I'm glad I did.


I'm Annemarie. I write things, I strategize things and I want to help you and your brand create completely smart, awesome content.
A new brand identity and a new website for a Denver institution.
A 20-video project highlighting the work technology habits of cross-vertical personas.


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Each pair of Glenmorangie sunglasses has gone through a rigorous 16-step craftsmanship process here in Britain, with each cask producing about 60 pairs of sunglasses.
Scotch Whisky Glasses
It's been a year in the making and finally we can announce a very special partnership collection with Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky for 2016. For any Scotch whisky lover, our Glenmorangie sunglasses have been designed and handcrafted to display the natural character and unique grain of the original whisky casks from which these sunglasses have been made from.
Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky originates in the Scottish highlands where, at the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland, expertly matured in the finest American White Oak casks.
By re-cutting and deconstructing the staves of each of these casks, then stripping them down to fine layers and cross-bonding them against the grain, we have created a collection of sunglasses which combine strength and lightness whilst showcasing the individual character of the original casks.
Each pair of Glenmorangie sunglasses has gone through a rigorous 16-step craftsmanship process here in Britain, with each cask producing about 60 pairs of sunglasses. Just 1,843 pairs of sunglasses have been made, celebrating the year in which the Glenmorangie Distillery was founded, 1843 and each are individually numbered.
The design of the Glenmorangie sunglasses is based upon the popular Finlay & Co. Ledbury shape which is suitable for all face shapes. The sunglasses are surprisingly lightweight, yet sturdy and the temple are fitted with spring hinges to fit the size of the wearer's head.
The collaboration represents a coming together of two brands which share a deep connection to wood and also an appreciation for quality craftsmanship. The Glenmorangie collection is on sale now here and we offer free worldwide delivery. Personalised engraving is also available on Glenmorangie sunglasses for the ultimate gift.
For more on Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky click here or watch the video.
Glenmorangie and Finlay & Co. create the world's first Scotch Whisky Sunglasses from FINLAY London on Vimeo.


Enterprise for Veterans provides transitioning defence personnel, veterans, and family members of defence members with the confidence and skills they need to successfully transition to civilian life as small business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Whether you're still exploring your next career, or identify as a life-long learner, job seeker, entrepreneur, contractor, freelancer, consultant, social media influencer, or small business owner - we're here to provide the tools, networks and confidence you need to succeed.
Guided by an Advisory Council chaired by His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd), Governor of New South Wales, Enterprise for Veterans is designed to support you on your small business journey – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We offer one day workshops, and short boot camps to solidify your skills, networks and confidence.
Sign up to a one day workshop, designed to help you discover if self-employment is right for you. Held quarterly, our workshops are held in major cities across the country. We encourage anyone thinking about their next career to start their journey with us here. It's also a good refresher!
Apply for our intensive boot camp to build your business skills. This short boot camp is currently in development, but will build key enterprise skills, introduce you to business concepts, and expose you to industry networks and tools to apply to your new business.
If you'd like to be considered for our boot camps, apply below or contact us at info@princes-trust.org.au. If you need time to consider your options, stay informed and Sign up here to receive the latest updates from our team.
Check out our media centre and FAQs below, or reach out to a member of our team to confidentially chat through your circumstances.
Find out if Enterprise For Veterans program is right for you!
If answered no to any question - please contact us to confidentially discuss your circumstances.
Now in it's fourth year, The Enterprise for Veterans* program aims to enhance and enrich the lives of our Defence members as they transition to civilian life.
Who Can Apply for Enterprise For Veterans?
We offer two entry points into the Enterprise for Veterans program. We are an equal opportunity provider and welcome applications from individuals with physical injuries, mental illness or special needs.
For One Day Workshops: Defence members in transition, veterans who have completed at least one day of permanent military service, and partners or spouses of defence members are welcome to apply on a rolling basis.
For 3-Day Boot Camps: Defence members in transition, veterans who have completed at least one day of permanent military service, and partners or spouses of defence members are welcome to apply on a rolling basis.
Can I reapply if I'm unsuccessful?
Absolutely! We are strong advocates of life-long learning and understand that your business journey is unique to you. If you would like to discuss your circumstances confidentially, please reach out to a member of our team on info@princes-trust.org.au.
Attending the program is free. Unfortunately, we're unable to cover travel and associated costs to attend the workshops or boot camps.
We endeavour to make the program as accessible as possible. Please email us if you would like to confidentially discuss your financial circumstances on info@princes-trust.org.au.
For One Day Workshops: We're currently offering workshops quarterly across Australia's major cities and regional centres. For a full list of our upcoming sessions, head to our event page or Eventbrite portal.
For Short Boot Camps: Our short boot camps are currently in development with DeakinCo. We expect to launch our new program in May 2019.
For 6-Month Accredited Boot Camps: Please note we have now redesigned our program to better suit the needs of entrepreneurial veterans and their families, and no longer offer a 6-month accredited program.
If you'd like more information on our programs, visit our stall at any number of Defence Community Organisation Transition Seminars.
Can I bring my partner on the program?
We welcome and encourage partners and family members to attend our Enterprise for Veterans workshops or boot camps, either for their own business venture or to brush up on their business skills. These courses are great if you're looking to build confidence to seek further employment, help your partner run a business, or set up a sole-trading or micro business.
I don't have a small business - can I still apply?
Absolutely! We welcome attendees at all stages in their business journey! Our one-day workshops are designed to introduce you to key business skills, so we encourage you to apply if you'd like to explore an idea, interested in entrepreneurship, or looking to build your skills to seek future employment in an existing business.
Whether you identify as an explorer, life-long learner, job seeker, entrepreneur, contractor, freelancer, consultant, social media influencer, or small business owner – our programs are designed to help build your skills and confidence to succeed on your own business journey!
If you're unsure about which program is right for you, please email our team on info@princes-trust.org.au.
I'm not transitioning – can I still apply?
Thank you for your interest in our programs. Unfortunately, they are only on offer for defence members who have notified ADF of their expected transition, for veterans, or for family members of defence personnel. Please talk to a member of the team if you would like to discuss your circumstances on info@princes-trust.org.au.
All participants in our Enterprise for Veterans program have access to ongoing events, resources and networking opportunities. We're also working hard behind the scenes on an online platform and peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities to help you on your business journey, so stay tuned!
Who's on the Advisory Council?
My friend would be great for this! How can I help?
If you know of someone who you think would benefit from this program, please email us at info@princes-trust.org.au or encourage them to apply online! You can also reach us via phone on (03) 8672 9130.


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11th Meeting of India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism
India and Australia held the 11th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism at Canberra . The Indian delegation was led by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs, while the Australian delegation was led by Mr. Paul Foley, Australia's Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism.
The bilateral Joint Working Group deliberated upon the terrorist threats worldwide and in their respective regions including the problem of cross-border terrorism. Both sides welcomed the listing of Masood Azhar, leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, as a Global Terrorist by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee. India thanked Australia for co-sponsoring the listing proposal of Masood Azhar along with US, UK, France and other friendly countries.
They also discussed contemporary counter terrorism challenges such as financing of terrorism, the use of the internet for terror purposes, radicalization and Foreign Terrorist Fighters.
The two sides agreed to further deepen counter-terrorism cooperation through mutual capacity building efforts, mutual legal assistance, regular exchange of information, sharing of best practices on countering extremism and radicalization. Cooperation in multilateral fora was also discussed.
During the visit, Joint Secretary Sh. Mahaveer Singhvi also called on Mr. Tony Sheehan, Deputy Secretary (International Security), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia.
The next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism shall be held in India at a mutually convenient date.


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Vertical Integration: A Key Element of Inclusive, Effective NAP Processes
by Angie Dazé, IISD
With the Paris Agreement set to enter into force just before COP 22, attention is turning to how to implement the historic agreement: how do we achieve its commitments and how do we ramp up ambition over time?
For the first time, we have a global goal for climate change adaptation that is explicitly linked to progress on reducing greenhouse emissions to slow climate change. The Paris Agreement acknowledges that adaptation is a global challenge, but also emphasizes its local and sub-national dimensions that mean we need to enhance capacities at sub-national levels, and that we need to strengthen and support the efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples to respond to climate change. [i]
Engaging Sub-National Stakeholders in the NAP Process
Galchhi, Nepal – March 20, 2011: A group of Nepalese women gather around a water outlet to do their laundry.
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are a key tool for advancing adaptation, providing a process and framework for assessing development needs and climate vulnerabilities. Each country's NAP process is an opportunity to identify and prioritize adaptation options, implement them, and monitor and evaluate progress and outcomes.
NAP processes also represent a critical opportunity for engaging sub-national stakeholders. Adaptation planners can use the NAP process for "vertical integration": the process of creating intentional and strategic linkages between national and sub-national adaptation planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
Vertical integration is not a single step in the NAP process–it is an ongoing effort to ensure on the one hand that local realities are reflected in the NAP, and on the other hand that the NAP enables adaptation at sub-national levels, including the local level.
Principles for More Inclusive, Effective NAP Processes
Recent decisions under the UNFCCC, notably the Cancun Agreements, identify principles which should guide countries' implementation of their commitments. [ii] Applying these to the NAP process highlights the importance of vertical integration.
These principles suggest that NAP processes should be:
Participatory: Participation is more than consultation–it requires active engagement and empowerment of stakeholders at all levels throughout planning, implementation and M&E of the NAP. Sub-national authorities and local organizations are typically well-placed to facilitate participation, as they are better connected to communities and are familiar with the particularities of the context at the local level.
Undertaken with consideration of vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems: This principle recognizes that countries are not homogenous in their vulnerability to climate change or their adaptation priorities. Vertical integration enables systematic recognition of sub-national diversity, providing entry points for vulnerable groups and communities to participate in the process, as well as opportunities to consider adaptation needs and priorities at the ecosystem level.
Transparent: Transparency involves open and clear disclosure of information, plans, processes and actions.[iii] Vertical integration can contribute to transparency by enabling sharing of information between levels of government, thereby bridging the gap between decision-makers in the central government and the people they aim to support. Information sharing must be timely, accurate, relevant and accessible to enable different stakeholders at national and sub-national levels to analyze and use the information and engage with relevant adaptation processes and actions.[iv]
Gender sensitive: Vertical integration strengthens NAP teams' ability to take social diversity into account. This includes differences based on gender, recognizing that women and men experience the impacts of climate change differently, and that they have different needs and capacities for adaptation. Assessing needs and defining priorities with sub-national actors increases the likelihood that differences based on gender will be captured and that inequalities will be addressed in planning and implementation.
Moving Forward on Vertical Integration
For governments that are committed to having these principles guide their NAP process, it is crucial to invest in vertical integration.
Further, from a practical point of view, there is considerable evidence of the value of locally-driven approaches to adaptation.[v] Without attention to the implications of climate change for people's livelihoods and local development progress, efforts to promote adaptation may be ineffective, or, at worst, maladaptive.
The most effective approach to the NAP process will therefore involve a mix of top-down and bottom-up approaches, with an explicit commitment from national actors to have an inclusive and participatory NAP process.
NAP processes are iterative; adaptation efforts will be most successful if they are supported by ongoing dialogue between national and sub-national actors, and if sub-national authorities and local organizations and communities are empowered with resources and capacity for adaptation.
Angie Dazé is the lead author of the publication, Vertical Integration in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Processes, which will be launched at COP 22 at a mini-side event on November 8, 2016.
[i] CoP (2015). Adoption of the Paris Agreement: Proposal by the President (Draft Decision -/CP.21). Report of the Conference of the Parties, Twenty-first session, Paris, 30 November to 11 December 2015.
[ii] Cancun decision. Retrieved from http://cancun.unfccc.int/
[iii] Transparency International (2016). Anti-Corruption Glossary: Transparency. Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/glossary/term/transparency
[iv] Transparency Accountability Initiative (2016). Definitions. Retrieved from http://www.transparency-initiative.org/about/definitions
[v] See, for example: Ayers, J. & Forsyth, T. (2009). Community based adaptation to climate change. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 51 (4), pp. 22-31.
Any opinions stated in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the NAP Global Network, its funders, or Network participants.
Interested in joining the Network as a participant? Find out more.
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Лесото брала участь у Літніх Олімпійських іграх 1992 року в Барселоні (Південна Корея), в п'ятий раз за свою історію, але не завоювала жодної медалі. Збірну країни представляла одна жінка.

Посилання
 База МОК
 Офіційні олімпійські звіти
 www.sports-reference.com

1992

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The internet is a funny place. The rules of time just don't apply here in the same way as they do IRL.
Yet somehow I'm still surprised when something "old" starts making the rounds and going viral. I guess that sense of befuddlement may be because, being of a certain age, I've lived more of my life offline than on. Who knows.
For some reason this clip from the Jimmy Kimmel show, posted back in October of 2014 is starting to blow up and I'm now seeing it for the first time.
In it Jimmy Kimmel asks about Shia's arrest at the musical Cabaret. Those three things alone… Shia, Cabaret, and arrest… already have the makings of a funny story.
But Shia tossed in a few more elements–including Whiskey, a homeless man and leather pants–that take this story from funny to don't miss hysterical.
David Tennant reading me a bedtime story? Yes, please….


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Who was Bert de Leon and what was his cause of death? Veteran TV director passes on at 74
November 21, 2021 Holoowarsheenah Networth and Biography 0
Who was Bert de Leon and what was his cause of death? Veteran TV director passes on at 74: The news is coming from Manila, Veteran director Bert de Leon has died on Sunday at the age of 74, he has left behind some of the most memorable programs in the history of television, De Leon passed away at 4:00 am St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig according to his son Niko de Leon. Follow More Update On GetIndiaNews.com
Who was Bert de Leon?
On behalf of the family, Niko has stated that he wants to express his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has expressed their love and support, his legacy is going to live on and he is extremely proud to be his son, this has been told by Niko to ABS-CBN News, there have been endless tributes who have been flashing o different social media platforms as of this point in time.
Bert de Leon Death Cause
It seems like De Leon had struggled with a lot of health issues since the month of July for this year including cardio and pulmonary complications, from the 1970s onwards, de Leon had been associated with Tito and Vic Sotti as well as Joey de Leon for directing their TV shows which include the likes of EAT Bulaga, Todas, Iskul Bukol, Ok Ka Fairy Ako and several other TV shows.
He also directed the VIP with Vilma Santos and The Sharon Cuneta Show, he has been a profile director and has worked on numerous TV specials and the Star Awards for the movie and TV, his last work was when he directed the GMA-7 shows "Pepito Manaloto" and "Bubble Gang".
He has also been a music producer and a manager for Side A band other artists, De Leon's family has yet to finalize wake and funeral arrangements for the veteran director, he was one of the most celebrated directors and it was because he was pretty good when it comes to being a director, he is always going to be missed.
It is our humble advice to the users, not to disturb the family of the deceased as they just are going through some difficult times, it is better to give them personal space in order to provide them with time to settle a bit, it seems like tributes are just not stopping, this shows the impact he has left in hearts of everyone, his excellency in work is going to be the reason of her immortality. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the deceased.
Who Is Pabi Cooper? Boyfriend Net Worth Age Instagram
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Use the hearTV app to listen to audio streamed from your hearTV Home or hearTV Pro Transmitter, available at hearTV.com. The Transmitter connects to the audio output of your TV or cable box and sends live audio to your smartphone.
Use the app whether you're at home or at one of the many businesses that feature hearTV Pro, such as restaurants, bars, gyms, hotels, casinos, or medical offices.


It's often the case that you have a restful resource that needs to be accessible nested, and at root. For example, let's say we have a storefront with a bunch of users and products. Each user can play with their own products, and the admin users can play with everyone's products. You've got a :products resource at root, and a nested version to scope it under :users.
users.resources :products, :name_prefix => "user_"
This is definitely a step in the right direction. But we get a real good kick in the face by our ActiveRecord associations. Instead of defining user.products.new(), they went with user.products.build(), completely un-drying our :new and :create actions!
Now, this will be fixed by a simple :alias_method call in Rails 2.0, but since we're sticking with stable code for now, we'll have to do it by hand.
# This might use our alias...  or it might not...  how exciting!
# Once again, meta programming to the rescue!
This should prove even easier with all of the resource and url changes coming in Rails 2.0.


When you set out to learn a new language, you quickly realize that it is a fairly complex process. You need to learn the four basic skills of communication – speaking, listening, writing and reading – and you need to do this by learning new vocabulary, grammar rules and pronunciations amongst other things. If you want to communicate effectively in any language, these aspects become paramount. This also means that learning a new language can be a long drawn out process. Here are some tips that can speed this process along.
This is by far one of the most effective ways to learn a new language quickly. Many people advocate living in a country to learn its language. This is a fairly effective practice since, unless many of the locals speak English, you will have no choice but to learn words and phrases to be able to get around and communicate. However, this opportunity may not be available to all of us. Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways you can immerse yourself in the new language – switch your social media and cell phone to the language you're learning, find a partner who can converse in that language with you or even join a language study group. Basically, you need to put yourself in situations where you have no choice but to learn the language quickly.
Many of us attend weekend classes for a couple of hours when we decide to take up a new language. While you will learn the language, it is almost guaranteed that you will do so at a glacial pace. The best way to decrease the time it takes to learn a new language is to study it daily. Devote at least a couple of hours every day to learning the language. Repetition is key when you're expanding your linguistic skills and studying every day guarantees repetition. This way, you won't forget what you have learnt and waste time learning it again.
Whenever we learn anything that is new to us, we are bound to make mistakes. In learning a new language the biggest barrier can be fear of making a mistake. Don't let this fear get to you. We all know that making mistakes is how we learn. When learning a new language you will make plenty of mistakes. Don't let yourself be discouraged. Mistakes mean that you are trying and native speakers of the language will generally appreciate that. It is tempting to judge ourselves when conversing in the new language – don't do that! Don't worry about the failure or success of each conversation. Instead take it as the chance to learn something. If you've made a mistake figure out what phrases or words could have helped you better, what new phrases or words did you see or hear and how you could have the same type of conversation more effectively in the future.
Learning a new language can open up whole new worlds for you. Don't let insecurities get in the way. When you immerse yourself in a language you also learn a lot about the culture it comes from. Take this opportunity to expand your horizons.


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  value: true
});

var _createClass = function () { function defineProperties(target, props) { for (var i = 0; i < props.length; i++) { var descriptor = props[i]; descriptor.enumerable = descriptor.enumerable || false; descriptor.configurable = true; if ("value" in descriptor) descriptor.writable = true; Object.defineProperty(target, descriptor.key, descriptor); } } return function (Constructor, protoProps, staticProps) { if (protoProps) defineProperties(Constructor.prototype, protoProps); if (staticProps) defineProperties(Constructor, staticProps); return Constructor; }; }();

var _lodash = require('lodash.clone');

var _lodash2 = _interopRequireDefault(_lodash);

function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { default: obj }; }

function _classCallCheck(instance, Constructor) { if (!(instance instanceof Constructor)) { throw new TypeError("Cannot call a class as a function"); } }

/**
 * Transforms an Item or Metadata by applying changes to it
 */

var Transformer = function () {
  function Transformer() {
    _classCallCheck(this, Transformer);
  }

  _createClass(Transformer, [{
    key: 'transformItem',

    /**
     * Transform an Item by applying changes to it
     *
     * @param  {Item} item              An item object
     * @param  {Changes} changes        An array of changes
     * @param  {Serializer} serializer  (Optional) A serializer to be used serializing default values
     * @return {Item}                   The transformed item object
     *
     * @example
     * var item = {
     *   id: 1
     * };
     * var changes = [
     *   {
     *     change: 'column.create',
     *     projectId: '1',
     *     schemaId: '1',
     *     columnId: '2',
     *     column: {
     *       name: 'name',
     *       type: 'string',
     *       default: 'Anonymous'
     *     }
     *   }
     * ];
     * transformer.transformItem(item, changes);
     * // {id: 1, name: 'Anonymous'}
     */
    value: function transformItem(item, changes) {
      var serializer = arguments.length <= 2 || arguments[2] === undefined ? null : arguments[2];

      item = (0, _lodash2.default)(item, true);
      changes.forEach(function (change) {
        if (change.change === 'column.rename') {
          var oldValue = item[change.oldName];
          item[change.name] = oldValue;
          delete item[change.oldName];
        }
        if (change.change === 'column.create') {
          if (change.column.hasOwnProperty('default')) {
            if (serializer !== null) {
              item[change.column.name] = serializer.serializeValue((0, _lodash2.default)(change.column.default, true), change.column);
            } else {
              item[change.column.name] = (0, _lodash2.default)(change.column.default, true);
            }
          } else if (change.column.nullable !== false) {
            item[change.column.name] = null;
          } else {
            throw new Error('Error while transforming Info, new column does not have a default value and is not nullable.');
          }
        }
        if (change.change === 'column.remove') {
          delete item[change.oldColumnName];
        }
        if (change.change === 'column.typechange') {
          item[change.columnName] = null;
        }
        if (change.change === 'schema.remove' || change.change === 'project.remove') {
          item = null;
        }
      });

      if (item !== null && item._meta) {
        item._meta = this.transformMetadata(item._meta, changes);
      }

      // @todo this is a hack, move this to the store
      if (item !== null && serializer) {
        item = serializer.sortKeys(item);
      }
      return item;
    }

    /**
     * Transform Metadata by applying changes to it.
     *
     * @param  {Metadata} metadata The metadata to transform
     * @param  {Changes} changes   The changes to apply
     * @return {Metadata}          The transformed metadata
     */

  }, {
    key: 'transformMetadata',
    value: function transformMetadata(metadata, changes) {
      metadata = (0, _lodash2.default)(metadata, true);
      changes.forEach(function (change) {
        if (change.change === 'project.rename') {
          metadata.projectName = change.name;
        }
        if (change.change === 'project.tag') {
          metadata.projectVersion = change.version;
        }
        if (change.change === 'schema.rename') {
          metadata.schemaName = change.name;
        }
      });
      return metadata;
    }
  }]);

  return Transformer;
}();

/**
 * An instance of the transformer class is exported, you can use it immediately
 */

exports.default = new Transformer();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Owning your own car can give you the freedom of the open road, but there are certain costs that you'll have to pay. There's insurance, car tax, fuel and breakdown cover to consider. Only car breakdown is optional, the others are a necessity.
Car tax or road tax, as it's also known, is officially 'Vehicle Excise Duty' or VED for short. Changes were made in April 2017 and April 2018, so the amount you have to pay may have changed from what you're used to, if you've bought a new car since then or are planning to buy one. It is a tax that is levied as an excise duty and must be paid if you own a car that's parked or driven on public roads in the UK.
How much car tax will I pay?
If your car was registered before the 1st March 2001, the rate of car tax you'll have to pay will depend on the size of your engine. If it was registered on or after the 1st March 2001 but before the 1st April 2017, the rate will depend on your car's fuel type and CO2 emissions.
For cars that were registered on or after the 1st April 2017, the first-year rate is based on the CO2 emissions and then subsequent years are charged at a standard £140, if you have a petrol or diesel car. If you have an alternative fuel car then you're charged £10 less for the first year than petrol or diesel cars and then £130 a year. There are additional charges for cars over a list price of £40,000.
If you have bought a new diesel car from April 2018, you'll be charged a higher rate of car tax, if it doesn't meet the RDE emission standards.
Can I tax my car without insurance?
Unless your car is off the road and declared SORN, it legally must be insured and you must have car tax. You can tax your car without having your insurance document to hand.
In order to tax your car, you will need a reference number. You'll find this on the reminder letter sent by the DVLA (V11 letter), on a 'last-chance' warning letter sent by the DVLA, on your car's log book (V5C) or on the green 'new keeper's details' slip (V5C/2) you were given when you bought the car. You can pay online by Direct Debit or by using a debit or credit card.
If you'd prefer to pay at the Post Office, you will need your car's log book or a reminder letter and you may be asked to present your MOT certificate, as well. If you've misplaced any of these important documents, it's vital you order replacement copies as soon as possible.


Cargo Modules has experience in handling nearly every type of cargo, international or domestic, by air, sea or surface. While we handle our share of typical consignments, our clients most appreciate our personalized approach in moving cargo that has unusual handling or shipping requirements.
We can transport freight that is oversized, heavy lift, hazardous, temperature controlled, extremely valuable or fragile. We're logistics problem solvers, often able to get cargo safely to its destination faster and for less than traditional couriers like FedEx and UPS. Our clients can call us 365 days a year, and talk to a highly qualified logistics specialist who will customize a plan for their shipment and take personal responsibility for its safe transit. That's the Cargo Modules difference.
Below we've listed a few of our specialties. But we encourage you to contact us to discuss your unique situation and get a no-obligation estimate.
Trade Between Europe, Asia and the U.S.
Cargo Modules has an impressive customer portfolio consisting of European and American companies that routinely conduct trading activities between the two continents. We also have many years of experience in facilitating trading activities with Asian markets, especially China.
Our close corporate, cultural and personal ties to these markets ensure a smooth transit of goods. We feel confident in saying no other freight forwarding company understands better than Cargo Modules the specific requirements of those trade lanes.
We provide logistics services on a regular basis to reputable ship repair and maintenance companies based in Los Angeles, CA, Houston, TX and New York, NY, among others. Cargo Modules is available 365 days per year to move ship spare parts of any size and weight to or from any seaport in the world.
We have profound knowledge and experience in handling time-critical shipments for the aviation industries. For example, Cargo Modules has been entrusted with organizing transportation by air of new helicopters from the factory to customer locations across the globe and turbo prop engines from Arizona to remote locations in Siberia.
When you need specialized equipment, aviation parts or even aircrafts themselves, we will source the fastest and most reliable shipping method from origin to destination.
Our team has the experience and resources required to transport temperature- and time-sensitive products. We've handled shipments from major pharmaceutical companies as well as smaller life science companies, often involving transportation in Envirotainers (air freight) and Reefer Containers (ocean freight). Special-care products like pharmaceuticals and human blood are shipped safely under our care.
We understand sometimes deadlines creep up on you. We can arrange for delivery of your exhibition shipments at the very last minute directly to the trade show floor. If you're an international exhibitor without your own organization in the U.S. to act as "Importer of Record," Cargo Modules can step in and import your shipments for you without any complications (with or without the CarnetATA procedure).
Cargo Modules offers you transit times for your mission-critical shipment. We approach logistic challenges with a can-do attitude. Our custom shipping solutions are often faster than courier companies like FedEx or UPS. And if you need overnight service from Central Europe to U.S. destinations within 100 miles of major airports, we can often get the job done at a fraction of their cost.
Through our advanced electronic link-up to U.S. Customs and the FDA, and our remote clearance license, we can get your shipments quickly cleared through any U.S airport or seaport, usually before they even arrive at their destination.
Call us and you'll immediately connect with one of our logistics experts who will begin mapping out a plan.
critical mass, (i.e. company registration, office rent, hiring of personnel, etc.).
No need to use a middleman during the launch.
U.S. Customs duties are applied on the ex-works value of the product.
Pick, pack and ship orders to your individual customers in the U.S.
involved in the international shipping process in any way.


text:
Charlaine Harris honored at PFLAG Straight for Equ...
It's Sooki, Wait We Mean Snooki!
A Bone to Pick By Charlaine Harris
6 Of Our Favorite Fake Drugs
Kwanten a low-key superhero
C2E2 2011: TRUE BLOOD Cast Members Tease Season 4
Waiting Sucks: Jason
Charlaine Harris honored at PFLAG Straight for Equality Gala
Best-selling author Charlaine Harris (The SOOKIE STACKHOUSE series, basis for the HBO series TRUE BLOOD), who received the first-ever Straight for Equality in Literature award. Financial services leader MetLife received the Straight for Equality in Business award.
It's time to bring you another 'what if the Jersey Shore made it into comics' cover from our MTV Comics creators! Here Beowulf Jones creators David Tischman and Todd Harris take a stab at what Snooki and Deena might look like coming from the pages of the True Blood comic!
A Bone to PickBy Charlaine Harris, Berkley, 262 pages, $32.50
No one does eccentric southern Gothic quite like Charlaine Harris. Of course, Sookie Stackhouse and the vampires of Bon Temps, Louisiana, are now the stars of HBO's True Blood. But Harris's talents go far beyond fangs and fancy, and A Bone to Pick hasn't a Goth in sight. Instead we have Aurora Teagarden, librarian of the small southern town of Lawrenceton, attending three weddings and a funeral.
The funeral is for her friend Jane Engle, whom Roe knew through their membership in a local (now disbanded) crime study club. It appears that Jane has left her very substantial estate to Roe, and it includes a house with a skull hidden in the window seat. The clues fall fast in this clever little puzzle, but it's the strange characters who keep the story running.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/new-in-crime-fiction-a-guide-to-the-latest-thrillers-and-mysteries/article1944597/
V - True Blood
In True Blood, Vampire blood is the new crack/meth of the world. It plays a big part in the show as its acquisition is the center of several plots throughout. V represents the drug war in contemporary America. Its uses seem fun in moderation, but the prohibition of it causes much of its conflict. Actually, it seems characters used it subtly. WHAT? True Blood being subtle? No way. Anyway, the stuff is dangerous to posses, acquire, and consume, but it can lead to Lizzy Caplan naked so... WORTH IT.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/entertainment/9029197/kwanten-a-low-key-superhero/There is no doubt Aussie star Ryan Kwanten could have suited up as a superhero in one of Hollywood's comic-book blockbusters coming out this year and next. He is, after all, on top of the world as the star of the cult vampire series True Blood. And he suits the part. He's 34. He has boyish good looks and flashy blue eyes. He's rugged yet likable. And with solid small roles in his pocket, he's now on the verge of serious fame and fortune.
"There have been chances to audition for various superhero roles," Kwanten admits during a break from filming season four of True Blood. He won't say which roles, and one can only guess how he'd go in Spider-Man's spandex tights or The Hulk's stretchy purple shorts.
With the sharp and explicit HBO series True Blood going into its fourth season, a trio of that show's stars held court in the IGN Theater of the 2011 C2E2 in Chicago for a question and answer session. Sam Trammel who plays the coincidentally named "Sam," Kristin Bauer "Pam", and Brit Morgan "Debbie," were hosted by IGN's entertainment director Chris Carl who started the event by asking each actor about how they heard about True Blood and became part of the cast.
Sam had heard about the script when it was being tossed around Los Angeles during pilot season and fell in love with it. He met with the casting director, did a test and got the part. Kristin was also excited about the script and tried out for a different role than the one she eventually received. However, back then the time between audition and casting was so great that she went off to shoot a movie in the Philippines and completely forgot about True Blood when she got the news. Arriving back in LA almost right away she was shuttled off to have her teeth cast for vampire fangs. This caused Sam to laugh, and for Kristin to expose him of being a big fan of her costumes on the show, but perhaps only because she gets to wear clothes while Sam is frequently naked on screen. This caused a lot of laughter and hoots among the panel and the appreciative audience. Brit, who didn't get cast until the third season, claimed that she was so nervous during her first audition she started to stutter, "but by some miracle" she said, she got a second chance and nailed it.


While console login as root is permitted with LiquidFiles. That does not mean that making any changes are supported.
If you login to the console, it is assumed that you know what you are doing and are comfortable administrating Unix/Linux/CentOS systems.
If anything happens and you don't know how to fix it, you will likely have to re-install the LiquidFiles system to get back to a supported state.
Console login is only available after you've installed a valid license.
How do I login to the console in LiquidFiles?
Every system has a console, either you have a physical system to which you connect a keyboard and monitor, or you have a virtual system where the virtual system provides the console somehow. In VMware ESX for instance, there's a console tab.
After you've clicked on the console tab (or where the console is located in your virtual system), you can click F1 to get to the login prompt.
You can also use SSH with an SSH client like Putty (if you're using Windows).
If you're using LiquidFiles in Amazon AWS, you will need to login to LiquidFiles using SSH keys. The last step of setting up a Linux based EC2 image is that the installer will ask you to either generate or confirm which SSH key to use. To login to the command line on a LiquidFiles EC2 instance you will need to use this SSH key.
Depending on LiquidFiles version when you first installed LiquidFiles, the username to use when logging in would be either centos or liquidfiles (basically try one and if that doesn't work try the other).
As per the screenshot, you can limit logins to this LiquidFiles system from certain hosts, ip addresses or networks. This is very useful if you have a general open network and all admin PC's on a specific network.


text:
A Golden Weekend
June 12th, 2013 by JaimeB
In racing there are good weekends, there are great weekends, and seldom, there are the unreal golden weekends. I can't say there's been much reflecting over the last 24 hours because, well, there's hasn't been much to reflect on. I had a golden weekend, without a doubt the best weekend of my racing career, and a weekend that may never be matched by myself — or anyone — again.
Self (third from left, back row) is a proud member of the 2013 NASCAR Next roster.
The Golden Gate Racing Team has had plenty of momentum over the last year, but nothing like it has now. Coming off our win at Brainerd two weeks ago the only thing on our mind was getting back into the thick of the battle for the NASCAR K&N West Championship, and start points-racing now that we had our first win of 2013. With one of my best tracks coming up, Iowa, we knew things were looking positive, we just didn't know how positive.
In the middle of last week I got an email that ranked among the best I've ever received. NASCAR has spent the last several months organizing and planning the NASCAR Next Program, which is the next stage of the Next 9 program that has been around for the past several years. The goal of the program is to take drivers in K&N, Trucks and Nationwide and follow their careers as they blossom, giving fans an inside look at the development of a race car driver, and making them a household name before they reach the higher series. Through a voting process that included NASCAR's selection committee, and industry review panel, I had been chosen as one of two drivers to represent the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, with 11 other drivers representing the K&N Pro Series East, Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide series. Until that day one of the biggest honors of my career was in 2007 when I was selected to receive the Champ Car Rotax Scholarship. While that was the highlight of my road racing career, to receive an honor like this from NASCAR has been beyond anything I could ever dream of.
And things only got better . . .
Read the full story of Michael Self's remarkable weekend on the iRacing.com blog.


The Honewell 5000 series pressure and vacuum switches are factory set, but flexible for field adjustments. Its Kapton diaphragm offers compatibility with a wide variety of fluids. Our Ultra-Duty switches are designed for sudden pressure spikes and high system pressures.


text:
calendar icon Dec 24, 2020 9:00:00 AM
ICFsInsulationBuilding Sciencestructurestructures
Material Shortages Point to Alternative Products
Matt Power, Editor-In-Chief
As supply shortages impact lumber, hardware, and other goods, high-performance alternatives can solve some problems, but not all.
In the second quarter of this year, Home Depot, according to a presentation by company CEO Craig Menear, reported double-digit customer traffic increases over the previous year, and 23 percent higher spending. Lowes reported similar, record-breaking earnings.
As lumber prices and construction demand skyrocket, insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) look increasingly attractive from a cost and skilled labor perspective. Image credit: Amvic
But all is not well in the building supply universe, at least for the professionals who rely on the same shortlist of products, year after year. In the new normal of topsy-turvy supply chains, prices and availability of goods have become unpredictable. For small companies, especially, staying solvent may mean looking beyond the normal comfort zone, at products and systems that are well established and less volatile.
Lumber Independence?
The long isolation of quarantine at home, coupled with the initial flood of stimulus money, created a burst of remodeling activity—especially outdoor decks and patios.
In Pittsburgh, for example, the Post-Gazette reported in July on big price hikes for pressure-treated lumber, aluminum decking, and the related hardware. "Anything deck-related is up 50 percent," says Robb Ciotti, general manager of South Side-based Allegheny Millwork and Lumber. "The prices are rising so quickly, some people feel like you're price gouging."
But it's not just decks feeling the lumber pinch. It's dimensional framing, the predominant framing choice for new construction. New data from the NAHB finds that since mid-April 2020, the composite price of lumber, per Random Lengths, has soared more than 170 percent. This surge is adding approximately $16,000 to the price of a new single-family home and more than $6,000 to the average new apartment.
Meaning in the Missing
The first products to run out may reveal what experienced pros use most.
This is a ripe time for product behavior researchers to gain some insights into who's buying what and why, simply by visiting the nearest building product box store.
For example, one Home Depot had plenty of 20-minute and 210-minute joint compound (often called "hot mud" by the trades) available, but was notably short on 45-minute bags. This suggests a prosumer or trade buyer. Most won't use 20-minute hot mud for anything except hole patching. It's too unforgiving. And in most cases, a 210-minute drying time doesn't make sense for a pro. Say he or she takes all morning to mud a couple of rooms with the stuff. It will still take almost four hours to dry, so sanding or a second coat can't happen until the next day anyway.
The NAHB blames the lack of adequate lumber supply on Canadian tariffs and the fact that the mills guessed poorly about the impact of the pandemic. The owners reduced hours and staff, only to be swamped with surging business.
But for makers of other structural systems, this might be a game-changing moment. Insulated concrete forms (ICFs), for example, have not seen significant price hikes, which means they're vastly more affordable than lumber framing. In normal times, ICFs cost about 15 percent more than 2-by-6 wood framing, according to Amvic, an ICF manufacturer. But with lumber at 170 percent of the normal cost, that figure now seems irrelevant.
Of course, ICFs depend on the availability of concrete for their assembly. To date, shortages of cement (the key component of concrete) appear to be localized, and prices went up only about 20 percent over 2019. The supply is something to watch, however, as much of our cement comes from India and China. The fact that China tamed the coronavirus quickly may, despite our government's anti-Chinese rhetoric, be helping the U.S. building industry keep moving.
Other alternatives to lumber include factory-built panels and structural insulated panels (SIPs). The labor savings are clear. But these products depend on panels made with oriented strand board (OSB), which has jumped in cost by more than 100 percent in the United States. One variable is whether the SIP or panel manufacturer was able to stockpile the material in advance of market pressures.
But it's not just the pandemic that has squeezed OSB supplies. It's also climate change. For example, Norbord temporarily stopped production of OSB at one of its large plants in British Columbia because it could not obtain enough raw materials. The company blamed wildfires and severe weather conditions during the 2019-2020 winter.
The higher cost of materials alone, according to some small contractors, may not be a deal-breaker for clients. But their vulnerability is more complex. When key materials run short, there's no safety net to keep jobs in play. Their limited access to capital, along with municipal delays, compounds the damage.
"It's more about 'can we get the materials?' than cost hikes," notes Jon Stansel, of CJ's Custom Carpentry in Oxford, Maine. "We have to provide a lot more time than normal to submit drawings and get permits now, too."
That permitting lag can make or break small building firms who lack the capital to pre-purchase materials and stockpile them. Portland, Maine, for example, has a disclaimer on its permitting and inspections website:
"Due to an increase in development activity, we are experiencing high application volumes, causing longer than normal review times."
Not knowing whether a job can commence in two weeks or two months means waiting to take a deposit, waiting to purchase materials, risking a major price spike after the contractor has already given the client a good faith estimate based on stable prices. Clients may refuse to pay the new price, or simply halt the work.
"It's hard to stay ahead of it," Stansel says. When someone cancels a project in this environment, "that's the kind of email I hate," he adds, "but it's understandable."
Troubling Trends
Not every building material can simply be replaced with one that's equivalent (or better). Some can't be replaced at all. For example, take a look at appliances--especially refrigerators and freezers.
Gaps on shelves in the hardware section seem to be increasing, particularly among "staple" products such as standard door hinges—many of which are produced internationally. Will domestic manufacturers rise to replace them? If so, when, and at what cost?
Back in July, the Mercury News interviewed Martin Hartunian, CEO of ABC Warehouse. He said that the wire harnesses, switches, electrical components, and dials "are things that are manufactured overseas or in Mexico, which has slowed the production process down." He added that GE, Whirlpool, LG, and Samsung do have some assembly of appliances in the United States, "but with COVID-19, they've had to rework their production lines, which has led to a drop in yield."
A new report from NPR in early September suggests that appliances are still in short supply all over the United States. Some resellers report that they've had freezers back-ordered since March that have still not been delivered. Demand is way up, but shipments of appliances dropped by about 7 percent in the first months of the pandemic, as production slowed in response to the coronavirus.
Among most dealers in appliances, the assumption is that "as factories ramp back up," availability will increase, and supply will catch up with demand. But with COVID-19 infections back on the rise in about half of the United States, along with major surges in many supplier countries (including Mexico), how confident can we be that supply will rise to meet demand?
And it's not just appliances in doubt, as we cruise into what health experts predict will be a winter more challenging than any faced in the country in decades. There is still money to spend on remodeling and new homes. Orders are strong and demand is high.
For the moment, most contractors seem able to adjust and keep working. ICFs can readily replace 2-by-6 framing. Metal or clay or concrete tiles offer upgraded roofing if asphalt prices go even higher. Substitutions, so far, have actually led to efficiency upgrades in some cases.
But we are dependent on foreign imports of materials including steel and cement. For example, we import about 25 percent of our steel from Brazil, Mexico, and Russia, countries hit hard by the pandemic—and getting worse.
Perhaps even more troubling is the "death by a thousand cuts" scenario. If building material suppliers continue to see supplies of hinges, fasteners, and the myriad small parts of a house dry up, how long can the boom continue? The next few months will tell whether our complex, global web of building products can survive the combination of a pandemic, hostility toward trading partners, and climate change, or if the U.S. homebuilding industry grinds to a crushing stop.
High-Tech Wall Approach Reduces Lumber
By engineering walls to take advantage of spray foam's strength, manufacturers offer a hybrid that saves lumber and panels.
The BASF HP+ Wall system promises a strong wall with fewer dimensional feet of lumber, and up to 90 percent less exterior structural sheathing. According to the manufacturer, a 200 linear foot exterior wall could eliminate 50 sheets or more of sheathing.
The HP+ Wall starts with 1-1/2 inches of closed cell spray foam (BASF WALLTITE), which is sprayed on to Neopor Graphite GPS exterior insulated sheathing. Courtesy: BASF
Matt Power is an expert on building science. He has covered construction practices for nearly 30 years, winning dozens of awards for editorial excellence. As Green Builder's Editor-in-Chief for nearly 10 years, Power continues to urge builders and homeowners to new levels of performance and innovation.
calendar icon Dec 24, 2020 9:00:00 AM · Reading time 6 min read
By Matt Power, Editor-In-Chief
Veteran journalist Matt Power has reported on innovation and sustainability in housing for nearly three decades. An award-winning writer, editor, and filmmaker, he has a long history of asking hard questions and adding depth and context as he unfolds complex issues.
Sponsored Content This 2022 outdoor living trends piece highlights six ideas homeowners will...