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Q: WP7 UIElement property bound to an ObservableCollection isn't updated when an item is added or removed from the ObservableCollection In the following code: a UIElement bound to an ObservableCollection does not update when items are added or removed from the collection.
Specifically:
A Person object includes an ObservableCollection property, Links, which can contain any number of Link objects which can refer to other Person objects.
The Person and Link classes both implement the INotifyPropertyChanged interface.
public class Person: INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    // INotifyPropertyChanged implementation
    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
    private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String info)
    {
        if (PropertyChanged != null)
        {
            PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(info));
        }
    }

    // fields
    private string id = "";
    private string firstName = "";
    private string lastName = "";
    private Links links = new Links();

    // properties firing PropertyChanged events
    public string ID
    {
        get { return id; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.id)
            {
                this.id = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("ID");
            }
        }
    }
    public string FirstName
    {
        get { return firstName; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.firstName)
            {
                this.firstName = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("FirstName");
            }
        }
    }
    public string LastName
    {
        get { return lastName; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.lastName)
            {
                this.lastName = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("LastName");
            }
        }
    }
    public Links Links
    {
        get { return links; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.links)
            {
                this.links = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("Links");
            }
        }
    }

    // constructors
    public Person()
    {
        new Person("", "", "");
    }
    public Person(string id, string firstName, string lastName)
    {
        this.ID = id;
        this.FirstName = firstName;
        this.LastName = lastName;
    }

}

public enum LinkState { none, oneway, twoway }

public class Link: INotifyPropertyChanged
{

    // INotifyPropertyChanged implementation
    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
    private void NotifyPropertyChanged(String info)
    {
        if (PropertyChanged != null)
        {
            PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(info));
        }
    }

    // fields
    private Person fromWhom;
    private Person toWhom;

    // properties firing PropertyChanged events
    public Person FromWhom
    {
        get { return fromWhom; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.fromWhom)
            {
                this.fromWhom = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("FromWhom");
            }
        }
    }
    public Person ToWhom
    {
        get { return toWhom; }
        set
        {
            if (value != this.toWhom)
            {
                this.toWhom = value;
                NotifyPropertyChanged("ToWhom");
            }
        }
    }

    // constructors
    public Link()
    {
        new Link(null, null);
    }
    public Link(Person fromWhom, Person toWhom)
    {
        this.FromWhom = fromWhom;
        this.ToWhom = toWhom;
    }

}

The Links and Crowd classes are both subclasses of ObservableCollections. A Crowd object is an ObservableCollection of Person objects. A Links object is an ObservableCollection of Link objects:
 public class Links: ObservableCollection<Link>
    {

    }

    public class Crowd : ObservableCollection<Person>
    {

    }

The MainPage class of the WP7 application is a subclass of the PhoneApplicationPage class.
It contains two properties:
Crowd, a Crowd object and
Me, a Person object.
The following XAML is supposed to display:
a) The number of links from the Me object to the Person objects in the Crowd, and
b) A list of the Person objects in the Crowd.
<phone:PhoneApplicationPage
    x:Name="ThePage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:phone="clr-namespace:Microsoft.Phone.Controls;assembly=Microsoft.Phone"
    xmlns:shell="clr-namespace:Microsoft.Phone.Shell;assembly=Microsoft.Phone"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    xmlns:local="clr-namespace:PersonLink"
    mc:Ignorable="d" d:DesignWidth="480" d:DesignHeight="768"
    x:Class="PersonLink.MainPage"
    FontFamily="{StaticResource PhoneFontFamilyNormal}"
    FontSize="{StaticResource PhoneFontSizeNormal}"
    Foreground="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}"
    SupportedOrientations="Portrait" Orientation="Portrait"
    shell:SystemTray.IsVisible="True"
    DataContext="{Binding ElementName=ThePage, Path=Crowd}">

    <phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>
        <local:LinksToCountConverter x:Key="linkCount" />
    </phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>

    <!--LayoutRoot is the root grid where all page content is placed-->
    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="Transparent">
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
            <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>

        <!--TitlePanel contains the name of the application and page title-->
        <StackPanel x:Name="TitlePanel" Grid.Row="0" Margin="12,17,0,28">
            <TextBlock x:Name="ApplicationTitle" Text="MY APPLICATION" Style="{StaticResource PhoneTextNormalStyle}"/>
            <TextBlock x:Name="PageTitle" Text="page name" Margin="9,-7,0,0" Style="{StaticResource PhoneTextTitle1Style}"/>
        </StackPanel>

        <!--ContentPanel - place additional content here-->
        <StackPanel x:Name="ContentPanel" Grid.Row="1" Margin="12,0,12,0">
            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                <TextBlock  Text="{Binding ElementName=ThePage, Path=Me.FirstName}" />
                <TextBlock  Text=" has " />
                <TextBlock x:Name=LinkCounter  Text="{Binding ElementName=ThePage, Path=Me.Links,Converter={StaticResource linkCount}}" />
                <TextBlock  Text=" links." />
            </StackPanel>
            <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding .}">
                <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                    <DataTemplate>
                        <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                            <TextBlock  Text="{Binding ID}" />
                            <TextBlock  Text=" " />
                            <TextBlock  Text="{Binding FirstName}" />
                            <TextBlock  Text=" " />
                            <TextBlock  Text="{Binding LastName}" />
                            <local:LinkButton Content="Link" Click="LinkButton_Click"/>
                        </StackPanel>
                    </DataTemplate>
                </ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
            </ItemsControl>
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</phone:PhoneApplicationPage>

HOWEVER, when Link objects are added or removed from Me.Links (an ObserverableCollection) the Textblock named "LinkCounter" doesn't update, even though its bound to the ObservableCollection.
Since the Me.Links ObservableCollection is changed when a new Link is added to it, or an existing Link is removed from, I thought that anything bound to it should update.
Any help on this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

A: The databinding won't be triggered here as you are not changing the reference to the Links collection. Instead of binding to the reference and using a converter try using
<TextBlock x:Name=LinkCounter  Text="{Binding ElementName=ThePage, Path=Me.Links.Count" />

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Gun Rights Activist Weighs In On David Hogg: 'He Is Either An Ignorant Pawn Of The Establishment, Or He's A Liar'
Samantha Renck Contributor
January 21, 2019 10:30 AM ET
Gun-control activist David Hogg spoke at Penn State Friday evening. Only hours before, a group of pro-gun activists rallied in downtown State College.
Aidan Mattis organized the event for two reasons. "First of all," he said, "David Hogg as an individual is one of two things: he is either an ignorant pawn of the establishment, or he's a liar."
Mattis characterized Hogg as having an "extremist point of view on the gun-rights issue" and blamed Penn State's Student Programming Association for neglecting to bring anyone to voice the opposing viewpoint. He feels conservative students do not have the same access that the opposition does, stating, "All the political programming — all the inspirational speaker programming — is entirely left-wing."
Hogg's speech, titled "Engage in Change: Our Generation Must Own Democracy," drew an estimated crowd of more than 100 attendees. According to Penn State's Undergraduate Admissions' website, there are about 46,000 undergrad students at University Park. (RELATED: David Hogg Avoids CNN's Simple Question About Gun Control)
Tags : david hogg penn state university pro gun rights
Samantha Renck
FBI Interview Notes With Page And Papadopoulos Are Released

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
"Starlight" is a song by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It was first released as a digital single on October 19, 2018.

Background and release
"Starlight" was first teased on October 4, 2018, as part of a trailer for Babymetal's first graphic novel, Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal (2018). The song was briefly made available on the band's official YouTube channel on October 18, 2018 before being made unavailable. The song was officially released the following day, along with the official announcement of Yui Mizuno's departure from the band.

Su-metal has stated she enjoys singing the high parts in the middle of the track, linked to the choreography.

It is widely speculated by fans that the song is meant to be a tribute to Mikio Fujioka, a former live guitarist for the band who died earlier that same year.

Composition
"Starlight" was described as "pretty djenty" by Greg Kennelty of Metal Injection. Scott Munro of Metal Hammer commented that the song "starts off slowly but soon kicks into a frantic pace, complete with catchy chorus, thundering drums and slabs of crunching guitars", while Billboard called it a "ferocious and heavy melody that explores their signature hybrid of metal riffs and infectious vocal attacks".

Reception
"Starlight" debuted at number 41 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the week of October 29, 2018, with 1,150 first-week equivalent units. The following week, the song rose to number 24, with 1,637 equivalent units. Due to being released exclusively in a digital format, the song charted at number nine on the Oricon Digital Singles chart for the week October 28, 2018, with first-week downloads of 8,666 copies. In the United States, "Starlight" debuted at number seventeen and four on the Billboard World Hard Rock Songs and Billboard World Digital Songs charts, respectively, for the week November 3, 2018.

Music video
A music video was released to the official Babymetal YouTube channel on October 19, 2018. As described by Marina Pedrosa, of Billboard, the video representing "another step in the group's expanding storyline about an unknown dark side and the legend of seven metal spirits, The Chosen Seven", depicting a "post-apocalyptical scene, the band's members are seen running, dancing and screaming on a desert mountain in between flashy and kaleidoscopic visuals." However, the characters seen in the video are not band members. They are actors potentially representing Chosen 7 characters. At the very end of the video, Sumetal and Moametal do make a brief appearance signifying the continuation of Babymetal with these two as the core.

Track listing
Digital download
 "Starlight" – 3:37

Charts

Release history

References

External links
Babymetal discography at Toy's Factory

Babymetal songs
2018 singles
2018 songs
Macaronic songs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Expert TalkMusic Production
The Art Of Mastering – Expert talk with Libertree
The Art of Mastering – an interview with Libertree
Digital audio production allows for artists to home-record their songs at relatively low costs and, with the right knowledge, very high quality outcomes. Aside from the recording process, mixing your tracks yourself might be a good option, if you understand the principles of compression, EQ-ing, reverberation and the rules of dynamics. The more knowledge you gain, the better and there are countless tutorials and workshops available to foster your skills. But what about mastering? That final finishing process which rounds up your mixes and leverages them to industry standards with regards to loudness, frequencies and quality.
In the interview below, we talked with Berlin based musician, producer and mastering engineer Libertree about The Art Of Mastering!
Libertree, you are one of very few females in the engineering/mastering domain. Tell us, how did you become a mastering engineer and what makes this field so interesting to you?
Hey Katie, thank you for having me.
Well, I remember a few years back when I started releasing music and frankly didn't know much about anything or myself. And there somehow I stumbled upon this blog article where the author was referring to mastering as "the dark arts" that "nobody really understands".
Obviously, I had to get involved afterwards. It was one of these "challenge accepted" moments, you know. But all jokes aside, for me going into mastering was a process with different reasons behind it.
I am an artist myself, so when I started out I felt like learning and understanding some "music vocabulary". It´s good to know how to properly communicate your vision with engineers and other musicians.
Later on, I wanted to understand what makes a good mix that is ready for mastering. Evaluating things from different angles always helps me with the process so looking at my mixes from the perspective of a mastering engineer made sense to me.
NOTE: There is a lot of crossover in the tools used by mixing and mastering engineers, with a couple key differences. During mixing you´re balancing individual instruments. During mastering, you´re balancing complete songs and spectral content.
Simply put, a mixing engineer makes instruments sound good together. A mastering engineer on the other hand takes the stereo mixdown and both corrects and enhances sonic elements to ensure optimal playback quality across all systems and formats before distribution.
Now I feel like I´ve developed a certain fascination for being able to shape music and feelings and eventually create an aesthetic that sounds like the stuff in my head. After all mastering feels like one piece of the puzzle to me.
In very few words, what is mastering all about essentially? What is the goal of mastering?
Mastering is the last stage every record goes through. We´ve all heard mixes that are finished but still sound thin and unfinished. That´s where the mastering engineer comes into the picture. The content of your song is set at this point and what mastering does is that it prepares your art for it´s final destination. If you are working on an album for example, you obviously want the songs to belong together. The whole album should have a coherent aesthetic and at the same time you want each song to sound good on its own and "on the same level" as everything else out there.
So in short: Mastering prepares your music for Cd, Streaming Services, Vinyl, Video or Live. Every song is different though so the tools and enhancements vary a lot.
NOTE: If you want to know more about this, here´s an interesting article about the history of mastering: https://www.sonarworks.com/blog/learn/the-history-of-mastering/
The music business is probably 90% based on networking! Would you say being a woman in a male dominated field of business is challenging? Do you notice any advantages or disadvantages?
Mhm…well I´m to sure if it´s because I´m a women or because I am an artist but I feel like my approach to mastering is somewhat different to what I hear from other engineers. I don´t really believe in rules and actually do feel about mastering as an art while some people might say it´s more of a service that shouldn't add any additional color. Both approaches make sense and are legit and what sounds better eventually is probably a question of taste.
When it comes to networking & gender I´ll have to say that in my opinion the music industry is challenging to everyone, one way or the other; And since I only have my own (female) perspective, I can´t really tell you if it was easier if I were a man. But sometimes I feel like there is not enough support for independent artists or maybe even artists in general as opposed to structures and old systems, but I wouldn't pin it on gender. To be honest, my experience is that most people (male and female) think it´s kind of cool that I, as a woman, do also care and know about the technical side of music.
But yes you are right. There are very few women in this field. I hope that this changes in the future though because I actually do believe that mastering requires skills that women inherently have.
Note: According to a study WOMEN ARE MISSING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Percentages of women across three creative roles:
21,7 % of artists are female
12,5 % of songwriters are female
2,6 % of producers and engineers are female
Read the full study HERE
I agree, that the music industry is tough for anyone! Alright, all gender roles aside, tell us a bit about the most important skills a mastering engineer must bring to the table?
That´s an interesting question. A he or she that mostly masters for major labels and therefore almost always works with A&Rs and not so much with the artists themselves will probably give you a totally different answer; But I´d say a pair of good ears, a diverse & well educated taste in music, a solution-oriented mind and lots of empathy.
As mentioned before I am an artist myself and in the past I´ve worked with mastering engineers that flat out told me that they don´t like my music or just didn't really seem to care about putting their best efforts forward to understand what I was aiming at. Such insensitivities can be devastating and demotivating to artists and also harm the overall workflow on both sides.
After all, the artistic ego is a fragile thing so having empathy and a positive attitude towards other people, their art and perspective goes a long way in mastering I think.
When choosing the right mastering engineer for their projects, what should people watch out for/pay attention to?
You should look for someone that "speaks the same (musical) language" and understands what you are hearing and where you want to go. I think that communication is quite important when it comes to mastering so you should look for someone that you like, that has a similar taste in music and a sound aesthetic that you find compelling.
When mastering tracks, what are the most prominent mistakes people tend to make in your opinion?
Honestly, I myself would never use the word mistake when it comes to art. I mean of course if your master is all distorted and muddy or if you can really hear the limiter then you might profit from a second opinion but besides that – everything goes. There are no rules. Everything for the song & vibe.
But if I had to pick a "mistake" then I´d say "not being open minded enough". There are actually songs and mixes that don´t really need much of a master or enhancement. Or sometimes they benefit in unexpected ways from an unorthodox approach. That´s what´s so amazing about this. There are no one-fits-all recipes and sometimes less is more. It´s all try and taste.
Then, what makes good mastering?
You feel it when you hear it.
Great answer! What is some of the equipment, any mastering engineer should have at hands? Something you can´t live without?
Good studio monitors. Or, let me rephrase: studio monitors and probably headphones that you know inside and out. Flying blind is never a good idea when it comes to mastering.
Note: I work with Mackie XR824 (Studio Monitors) and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (Headphones). But that is a question of taste.
To refresh our minds, tell us, what requirements do radio stations have for songs to be played?
There are no standards. I mean for pitches I would use an MP3, simply because you can tag them (which you can´t properly do with WAV files) and maybe some additional information about yourself; If you prefer to send WAV files as well, you can use a service that enables you to connect different versions and formats of a song (e.g. DISCO).
But nobody really cares about the brightness of your song or how much compression you applied if that´s what you mean. It´s the same thing as with networking. People either connect with your music or they don´t. Obviously a good master can make a huge difference but I don´t think that any radio station will go like "if this song had a little bit more spread in the high end, then I´d play it". So the only requirement is probably to only send your music to people that actually care. No mass emails or spam.
Note: WAV files are lossless and uncompressed which means they lose no quality from the original recording. The biggest difference is that MP3s are compressed audio and WAV files are uncompressed audio. Compression, in this context, is the process of reducing the size of an audio file.
People discuss the pros and cons of the loudness war. How do you look at this topic?
I´d say that the loudness war is pretty much over since the streaming services started turning the loudness down (or up).
Let´s take Spotify for example. In their settings you get the option to play everything at it´s original loudness. I´ve tried it and it´s a cool feature if you prefer to listen to an album with it´s intended dynamics. But the moment you put on a playlist you will want to uncheck this.
So what Spotify and almost every other streaming service does now (to enhance the customer experience) is that they play all songs at the same perceived loudness by default. Which means if your song is a lot louder than everything else it will get turned down. Sometimes this can make your songs sound weaker and maybe even distorted. Nobody wants that. So I feel like most people master less "hot" and more dynamic now.
But when talking about loudness it´s important to add that a loud master that gets turned down sounds super different than the same track mastered more quietly or dynamic; Because the processing is different. And sometimes the louder version is simply better with regards to energy and vibe. And sometimes the dynamic, quiet version feels more authentic. It all depends on the song.
So it is a multidimensional decision when it comes to loudness. I personally feel like every song or production has it´s own sweet spot and my job as a mastering engineer is to find and freeze that moment where the song unfolds and shines.
If you want to learn more about mastering music, I warmly recommend the "Are You Listening" video series by Izotope. Click HERE.
NOTE: The loudness war (or loudness race) refers to the trend of increasing audio levels in recorded music, which reduces audio fidelity, and according to many critics, listener enjoyment.
In extreme cases, efforts to increase loudness can result in clipping and other audible distortion. Modern recordings that use extreme dynamic range compression and other measures to increase loudness therefore can sacrifice sound quality to loudness. The competitive escalation of loudness has led music fans and members of the musical press to refer to the affected albums as "victims of loudness war".
Great insights! Thank you! Last not least, how can people find you online?
You can find me and my work here:
www.libertreemusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/iamlibertree/
https://www.facebook.com/iamlibertree/
https://www.youtube.com/libertreemusic
http://smarturl.it/Libertree
Edit: I´m also curating playlists:
http://smarturl.it/ChillAndGlitch
Thank you Katie & cheers.
Thank YOU! Best to you and all your future projects!
⟵Music Books to read this fall!
Why you should believe in the impossible!⟶


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In our news wrap Thursday, the president's former adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman is out with another secretly made recording, and says it proves he tried to buy her silence. Also, the Vatican says it feels shame and sorrow over the sexual abuse documented in the Pennsylvania Catholic Church.
The "Queen of Soul," a national treasure. The death of Aretha Franklin today of pancreatic cancer has brought an outpouring of tributes from around the world.
She shot to stardom in the 1960s with classics like "Think" and "Respect". Later, she renewed her popularity in the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers." And, in 1987, she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Aretha Franklin was 76 years old. We'll look at her life and legacy later in the program.
In the day's other news, President Trump's move to revoke John Brennan's security clearance rippled across Washington. The former CIA director cast it as a disturbing power play. He wrote in "The New York Times" that it was, quote, an attempt to scare others into silence who might dare to challenge him.
The decision also divided senators, among them, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
I think there was clearly an attempt here by the president to try to make his critics go away. And if that's his goal, then he will not be successful.
Mr. Brennan has gone way over the line in my view and I think restricting his clearance, pulling his clearance makes sense to me.
Brennan charged the president is trying to protect himself from potential damage in the Russia investigation. And, in a "Wall Street Journal" interview, Mr. Trump himself linked his decision to the Russia probe. We'll talk to a former top CIA official after the news summary.
The president's former adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman is out with another secretly-made recording, and says it proves that he has tried to buy her silence. It was aired today on MSNBC. In it, Lara Trump, who was the president's daughter-in-law, offers a campaign job at $15,000 a month. But only provided Manigault Newman keeps any damaging information to herself.
— everything, everybody, positive, right?
Manigault Newman says she made the recording days after she was fired from the White House last December. In a written response, Lara Trump said she offered the job before she learned of what she called Manigault Newman's "gross violations of ethics and integrity".
The Vatican says it feels shame and sorrow over sexual abuse documented in the Pennsylvania Catholic church. A grand jury found some 1,000 children were molested by more than 300 priests, over decades, and that the church all the way up to the Vatican helped cover it up.
In a statement today, the Vatican said, quote, the church must learn hard lessons from its past.
In Genoa, Italy, officials said today as many as 20 people are still missing in Tuesday's bridge collapse. The death toll is now 38. Rescuers dug through the rubble again for a third day. And, dozens of residents had to evacuate homes near the bridge, fearing even more damage.
I managed to get some essentials. We don't live immediately under the bridge, we are about six buildings away, but they evacuated us any way. We have to get some things but we don't know how long this will last. I hope I can return and get some other things.
Italy is planning a state funeral for the dead on Saturday.
A bloody week in Afghanistan continued with yet another attack today. Two gunmen opened fire at an Afghan intelligence service compound in Kabul. The shootout lasted for six hours before police killed the attackers. Meanwhile, mourners buried victims of yesterday's suicide bombing that killed 34 Shiite students. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Back in this country, new federal figures show 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017. That's up 10 percent from the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the increase is largely due to a sharp rise in deaths from synthetic opioids.
Meanwhile, police in New Haven, Connecticut, are trying to round up a bad batch of synthetic marijuana, after 76 people overdosed within a 24-hour period. Paramedics started responding to overdoses on Wednesday morning, around a park near Yale University. No one has died, but police have made three arrests.
And on Wall Street, stocks jumped on news that the U.S. and China will hold new trade talks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 400 points, 1-1/2 percent, to close at 25,558. The Nasdaq rose 32, and the S&P 500 added 22.
Still to come on the NewsHour, fallout from the president's decision to revoke the former CIA director's security clearance. Newspapers speak out about being labeled "fake news". The last rebel strongholds in Syria, and much more.


Bichon Frises are small, smart, compact dogs with an elegant appearance, always found with a distinctive white coat. Originally bred as a merry sailor's companion, the Bichon Frise is now a popular choice of dog as a companion pet. The breed is extremely good-natured with children and needs relatively little exercise. The Bichon Frise is intelligent and quick to learn which means that training is not usually a problem. The Bichon Frise's sociable nature means they get on well with other dogs and animals but can be prone to suffering from separation anxiety.
The Bichon Frise has a loosely curled, medium length coat which can become stained and matted. They require frequent brushing and should ideally be groomed professionally several times a year to keep them in good condition. The breed lives for around 12 to 15 years, but can be affected by some health problems, so choosing a healthy bloodline is important.
The Bichon Frise belongs to the toy group and is thought to originate from Italy but can be traced as far back as the 14th century to Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in Spain. This is where its alternative name the Bichón Tenerife comes from. From here, sailors are thought to have introduced the breed to France where it was then further refined. The breeds' small size and elegant appearance meant that it rose to popularity with the nobility of the time in France, Italy and Spain and appears in several of Goya's paintings. In the 1800s, the breed became more common and was used to perform tricks.
In the 1960s, the Bichon Frise once again saw a rise in popularity, especially in Australia. Since then the breed has become a more common choice as a companion and family pet, due to its intelligent and good nature. The Bichon Frise can also be seen doing well in modern dog sports, such as agility, and remains a popular breed for showing.
The only colour permitted by the UK Kennel Club for registration of the Bichon Frise is white. This is one of the characteristics that distinguishes it from some other closely related breeds. Despite this white colouring, the skin pigmentation should ideally be dark. The coat is formed of light loose curls.
The Bichon Frise is a small, compact dog with a smart appearance. Dogs should measure between 23 and 28 cm at the withers. The neck should be carried high and is approximately one third of the length of the body, widening towards the shoulders, which are angled, and the same length as the upper foreleg. The front legs should be straight and have some substance. The breed should have a deep chest. The back should lead to a strong broad hind end, with plenty of muscle and a rounded appearance. The length from the withers to the base of the tail should be equal to the height of the withers.
The Bichon Frise should have a balanced head, appropriate for the body, with a slightly rounded skull. The muzzle should be slightly longer than the forehead and the distance from the corners of the eyes to the tip of the nose should ideally form an equilateral triangle. The jaws should be strong with a scissor bite and good quality teeth but the cheeks should not be formed by excessive muscle. The nose should be large and black and eyes should be dark and round. The ears should be well covered with hair and hang close to the skull.
The breed should move effortlessly in perfect balance, whilst covering ground. The topline should remain level and legs should move parallel to it whilst driving the dog forward.
The Bichon Frise is a happy, lively, outgoing breed, which is extremely friendly and affectionate. The breed loves company and is very sociable with other dogs. In addition, the Bichon Frise has a gentle nature and is very good with children. This outgoing and sociable nature means that the Bichon Frise can be prone to suffering from separation anxiety when left alone.
Proper training and a secure environment to ensure dogs feel safe is therefore essential from a young age to minimize anxiety levels. Their small size and companiable nature means they do not typically make good guard dogs.
The Bichon Frise is intelligent and attentive, whilst also being keen to please and quick to learn. This means that they are generally easy to train, and recall is quickly learnt, especially when training is consistent and undertaken from a young age. These qualities mean that house training is not usually an issue.
The Bichon Frise can suffer from hereditary cataracts, which causes the lens or the lens capsule to become increasingly opaque. Dogs should be checked annually, especially if they are intended for breeding purposes.
Also known as Cushing's disease, hyperadrenocorticism is when the body produces excessive levels of corticoids. Treatment options depend on the type of hyperadrenocorticism, but symptoms are similar causing a pot belly appearance, and increase in water consumption and urination, tiredness and obesity, amongst other signs.
This is an orthopaedic condition which affects the stifle or knee joint of the back leg. The patella or kneecap becomes displaced from its normal position. Either one or both cases can become affected and severe cases may need surgery.
This condition is caused by a defect in the heart at birth. Normally, this blood vessel closes soon after birth to allow blood to flow past the lungs and become oxygenated when the dog breathes. However, in dogs that are affected, it remains open, causing signs, such as coughing, shortness of breath and general weakness. To correct the defect, surgery is necessary.
Bichon Frises seem to be affected more than some other breeds by skin problems. These can be triggered by a number of causes, both nutritional and environmental and can cause irritation, discomfort, hair loss and cause dogs to lick and scratch excessively. If left unattended, irritated areas can become infected. Dogs showing obvious signs of skin problems should not be used for breeding.
This condition is caused by an abnormal communication between blood vessels. It means that compounds absorbed by the digestive system do not pass through the liver as they should do. This can affect growth, cause intolerance to anaesthetics and also affect behaviour. The treatment of choice is surgery to close the abnormal communication.
This disease is caused when the immune system attacks the body's red blood cells. If levels of red blood cells fall too low then the body's ability to transport oxygen to tissues is affected. Treatment and prognosis depend on the severity of the anaemia.
The Bichon Frise is a small breed with medium energy levels and requires around 45 minutes of walking a day to stay happy and healthy. Although dogs enjoy being able to spend some of this time off the lead, it is not essential for the breed, making them an ideal choice of breed for urban environments. Despite the fact that the breed does not need a large amount of walking a stimulating environment at home with plenty of toys helps to keep dogs happy.
The Bichon Frise has a medium length, soft, curly coat that is fine and can be trimmed for showing purposes. The breed does not shed but requires regular brushing to prevent its coat becoming matted and dirty. The white colouring of the breed's coat can also mean that it easily becomes stained with saliva and dirt and may therefore need occasional bathing.
It is recommendable for Bichon Frises to be professionally groomed to ensure their coat remains in good condition. The breed can also be more prone to skin allergies than some other breeds, so if there are any signs of irritation or excessive licking advice from a veterinarian should be sought.
Despite the Bichon Frises popularity there are few representatives of the breed in popular culture.
The Bichon Frises' in Renoir's paintings, The Inn of Mother Anthony and Confidences.
Ozzie Bichon, a Bichon Frise who has his own Facebook page.
The Bichon Frise's in Goya's paintings – in particular of the Duchess of Alba.
The Bichon Frise was favoured by French royalty as a court dog, particularly Henry III.
Molly from the Australian series Meweth.
Joe Gatto from the TV show, Impractical Jokers, owns a Bichon Frise.


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Legal Reforms And Start-Ups In India In Covid-19
The year 2020 has diversified a lot of the Indian startup industry, from manufacturing to tech start-ups, especially with the bans on Chinese products to scrutiny on foreign investments and a host of new policies and hurdles to deal with, start-ups have had an action-packed year. With the onslaught of Lockdown 1.0, many ventures and start-ups were left cash-strapped, ranging from little to none to operate with. In May 2020, the government announced relief packages for start-ups, which revved up the recovery process, however the RBI moratorium, changes in foreign investment policy and regulations brought on by geopolitics have put up numerous barriers. Covid-19 has changed the way the world works, probably in an irreversible manner.
Here are the most notable policy decisions affecting start-ups within the last year:
Agri Reform Bills and Indian Agri-tech Start-up
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation), the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) were passed by the Parliament on September 20.
Though these farm laws offer a plethora of opportunities for start-ups and entrepreneurs, one cannot ignore some of the imminent issues and there is a need of close monitoring by the authorities so that farmers can trust private entities with fair pricing and at most transparency.
India Bans Chinese Apps
In the middle of the countrywide lockdown, India banned several apps and games of Chinese origin citing reasons such as data security and data sovereignty of Indian citizens. Overall, 200 Chinese mobile apps and games were originally banned.
The bans meant that Indian tech start-ups and companies had the occasion to build substitutes to the popular banned Chinese apps. Along with the Atmanirbhar Bharat and 'Vocal for Local' campaigns, the ban on Chinese apps gave a big push to Indian tech products.
Digital Media & OTT Players
The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry brought online news portals and OTT providers under its domain as a measure to reinforce its authority over online news and content carried on OTT platforms.
As all digital media platforms, including news media and online curated content providers (OCCPs), would fall under the ministry, many that this could result in a setback for India's high-flying video OTT space. The introduction of the Intermediaries And Digital Media Rules 2021 has brought to light more qualms regarding regulations and privacy.
FDI Policy Changes In India
The government also took measures to restrict foreign influence and unscrupulous takeovers in the wake of the decline caused by the pandemic. Under the revised FDI policy, the Indian government mandated that all investments from China and other land-border nations would only be allowed through the government approval route and disabling the direct route. This made the process of fundraising more intricate for a lot of start-ups already in discussion with these foreign funds and venture capitalists.
Ecommerce Focus On 'Made In India' and "Vocal For Local"
In a to push the prospects of Indian products during the pandemic, the consumer affairs ministry passed new rules and regulations directing ecommerce players to display the country of origin for products itemized on their platforms. Amazon was also fined INR 25K for not exhibiting this obligatory information.
NDHM
With the launch of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), India took a dive towards enhancing the stretched-out healthcare infrastructure and ecosystem. The NDHM has invited healthcare providers, software providers, start-ups to co-develop health-tech products. However, the absenteeism of a sturdy personal data protection law in the country makes laws like these more vulnerable.
According to the Union Budget 2021-22, start-ups will get capital gains exemption by one more year to 31 March 2022. Start-ups also get one more year to claim tax holiday. Also proposed is provisions for incorporation of one-person companies, a move which will benefit start-ups and innovators. The paid-up capital of small firms has been increased to Rs 2.50 crore from Rs 50 lakh.
These steps are in addition to the previous start-up-focused provisions announced by the government, including broadening incentives, easing regulations, providing income tax exemptions, and setting up a Rs 10,000 crore Fund run by SIDBI. The government also recently approved the Start-Up India Seed Fund Scheme with an amount of Rs 945 crore.


This globetrotting couple knows how to travel in style.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will officially tie the knot this spring, the Prince of Wales announced on Monday. As they prepare for the big day, we're taking a look back at the grand escapes they've been on so far in locations around the world.
The duo started dating back in 2016, and since then, they've traveled to romantic locations across the world that range from sun-soaked destinations like Jamaica to remote villages in Norway. Along the way, they've stayed in everything from Airbnb rentals and posh resorts to luxurious bush camp tents, all of which you can book for your very own royal getaway.
Take a look below to see where the couple has been to so far.
After announcing they were dating last year, the couple jetted off to Norway in January 2017, staying at the remote Tromvik Loge in Tromvik, located near the town of Tromso. The lodge, which is available to rent on Airbnb for $405 a night, offers panoramic views of the surrounding ocean. The area is popular for those seeking to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights in person.
Surrounded by mountain ranges, meadows, and forests, the lodge made an ideal private escape for the couple, who spent their time watching the Northern Lights and going whale watching.
A few months later, the duo also made their way to Montego Bay in Jamaica to celebrate the wedding of Tom Inskip, who is Prince Harry's best friend.
The couple stayed at the Round Hill Hotel and Villas, a 110-acre property boasting luxury villas, boutique oceanfront guestrooms, and a spa that sits tucked away inside a tropical hillside located on a private bay.
Over the summer, Prince Harry and Markle took off to Botswana to celebrate Markle's 36th birthday. They spent their time there visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Okavango Delta, home to an abundance of wildlife and natural features that include dried crystalline salt flats that are surrounded by canyons.
Africa holds a special place for both Prince Harry and Prince William, who also proposed to Kate Middleton at a Kenyan wildlife conservatory. The three-week trip in August also included stays at the Meno a Kwena tented bush camp, where guests are treated to views of the Boteti River.
While these trips might not have been full-flung holidays the duo planned together, they've also been spotted together in Markle's hometown of Toronto. It was there that they first made their public appearance together at the 2017 Invictus Games, a multi-sport event Prince Harry created for wounded, injured, and sick armed service personnel and their associated veterans.
Markel also joined Harry at the Audi Pollo Challenge this year in Ascot, Berkshire, where she made her first appearance as a girlfriend of the royal prince.
They've also taken private tours in London, visiting attractions like the Natural History Museum, and will be residing in Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace until they get closer to their wedding date.


Over the last few years, the book industry has seen a great deal of change both in the production of books as well as in the retail sales of books. Amazon and other big chain retailers have taken to the Internet to peddle their wares while brick and mortar bookstores like Borders Books have been forced to close their doors. Through the trials and tribulations that come with an evolving book industry many intrepid independent bookstores continue to succeed and even grow. Two such independents are Mysterious Galaxy and the HugoBookstores.
In order to get a better understanding of life as an independent bookseller, Underwords interviewed both Maryelizabeth Hart from Mysterious Galaxy and John Hugo from HugoBookstores to hear about the book industry from an "independent" point of view. We offer special thanks to both of our booksellers for making the time to participate in this interview with Underwords.
For people who haven't yet discovered your store, how would you describe it?
HugoBookstores: Quirky, each [store] is very different from the others. Across the board, though, we have great book loving staff members who enjoy finding just the right book or gift for you.
Mysterious Galaxy: Mysterious Galaxy offers books of Martians, Murder, Magic and Mayhem (with occasional Masks, Matchmaking, and Munchkins). We are a specialty genre store in Southern California's Redondo Beach and San Diego, with a focus on SF, Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense, and Horror.
In a world where the big brick and mortar stores like Borders Books seem to be crumbling, what role do you see emerging for independent booksellers? How might that role evolve in the future?
HugoBookstores: There will always be a place for physical bookstores and with the collapse of Borders this opens up sales for independents again for the folks who still want to browse touch and feel real books, gifts and cards. For us, we opened our 4th location in a closed Borders location last November–if Barnes and Nobles closes there will continue to be a rebirth of local indie bookstores!
Mysterious Galaxy: Maybe it's from being a genre bookseller so long and living through the repeated declarations of the death of various genres and / or sub-genres, but while the loss of Borders was not good for anyone in publishing, from authors to publishers to other booksellers to readers, I don't think its closing is necessarily a referendum on the vitality of brick and mortar stores, indies or chains. I think the key to succeeding is providing community, whether that's in the form of hosting events, working with local schools and libraries, supporting authors at off-site events, or other interactions with readers.
What inspired you to open a bookstore? What do you love most about your job, about owning a bookstore?
HugoBookstores: I grew up in the business, ringing sales as young as 7 years old in my Father's first store in Marblehead. I'm a people person so I love working with great booksellers and talking books with the myriad of different folks who come into our stores to shop and talk books, life, local politics, etc.
Mysterious Galaxy: When Mysterious Galaxy opened our San Diego location in 1993, it was (and continues to be) a labor of love and a reflection of the books we are passionate about. Co-owners Jeff Mariotte and Terry Gilman and I believed that the fans in Southern California would welcome a store specializing in speculative fiction and mystery and suspense, the genres we love, and the community response bore that belief out.
What I love most about being a bookseller is sharing the books I read and am enthused about with other readers – and also learning about new-to-me books from them!
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an independent bookseller? How have you resolved or faced those challenges?
HugoBookstores: Amazon and eBooks are the two biggest obstacles because of the deep discounts and ease of purchase ability, not to mention the loophole that allows them to avoid sales tax. That said, the ABA recently inked a deal with Kobo, and I think once we have an eReader device to sell we will get into this market with some success. We have also added a great deal of gifts and sidelines to each of the stores to replace the 10-15 percent loss in hardcover sales that shifted to eBooks; gift purchases are all about serendipity and the margins are better than books so, in the end, we are holding our own just fine. Also, people in good communities still know and understand that if they don't shop locally they won't have the small independent stores and bookstores – so even if they do shop Amazon sometimes they still remember to give us a portion of their dollars so we can stay on Main Street.
Mysterious Galaxy: As independent booksellers we have faced a number of challenges, from deep discounting to consolidation of publishers (something that affected publishing as a whole) to finding ways to effectively offer our customers who want to purchase electronic books from us the best options. We are pleased to be in an environment where I think the average person is more aware of the benefits to buying locally and/or independent, and we are also very appreciative of the efforts of the American Bookseller Association to work very hard on behalf of its members on some of the big picture issues. One example of the latter is the upcoming partnership between Indiebound stores like Mysterious Galaxy and the Kobo ebooks program, including readers.
What can customers and readers expect from a shop like Mysterious Galaxy or HugoBookstores that an online reseller like Amazon.com or a big conglomerate retailer can't offer?
HugoBookstores: Real people, talking real books, who love the product they sell. People who aren't in it for huge corporate retail greed and have something you just might love that you never heard about before walking in the door.
Mysterious Galaxy: I think the two key elements that distinguish us are curation and connections. By focusing on the books and genres we are enthused about, we have a far broader personal knowledge of our inventory.
This is all generalizations, by the way, as nearly every chain bookstore has passionate booksellers in it; but the distinction holds for Amazon and other retailers to whom books are a loss-leader to entice customers to purchase more profitable items.
How long have you been in business? What would you say is your secret to success?
HugoBookstores: I began in 1965; I would say the secret is consistently changing with the times and continuing to offer great service and personal independence. Being blessed with great staff booksellers who passionately care about the business doesn't hurt either!
Mysterious Galaxy: Mysterious Galaxy opened in San Diego in 1993, as mentioned, so we are a few months away from our 20th anniversary. Our Redondo Beach location opened in September 2011, so has just finished its first year in business.
I don't know what our secrets to success might be, but I do want to credit my partner, Terry Gilman, in particular for helping us make sure that we pay attention to the business of Mysterious Galaxy, and also for always being willing to try different programs and ideas, often in partnership with publishers or community organizations.
Again, special thanks to both Mysterious Galaxy and HugoBookstores for participating in our independent bookstores interview. Here is a quick list of their locations. If you're in the area, be sure to stop in and check out their shelves. Supporting your local bookstore is a vital part of sustaining your local economy and keeping the book industry healthy and strong. Go forth and read!
This entry was posted in Books and Literature, Interviews, Uncategorized and tagged Bookselling, Bookstores, HugoBookstores, Independent, Mysterious Galaxy. Bookmark the permalink.


Ahh the backyard - it's served you well all summer. But now the seasons are changing and colder weather is on the way. Which means you need to prime your property from the ravages of winter. That's right, it's time to winterize!
Prep your deck. Your beautiful deck has been a source of outdoor enjoyment all summer long, so now it's time to protect your beloved structure before winter rears its ugly head again. Of course, the amount of work you have to put into winterizing your deck depends on your decking material. For example, a durable, long-lasting material such as beautiful Western Red Cedar requires the least amount of maintenance. That said, all decks require some upkeep.
So to preserve your deck's luster, start by cleaning it with a warm soapy solution and a soft bristle brush (never power wash). It's important that you remove all dirt and debris from both the surface as well as in between the boards during this process because the more ventilation your decking has through the colder months, the better it will look come springtime. Next, inspect the deck for the presence of mold. If present, wash the deck with a mild oxygen bleach solution and leave on the surface for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Finally, remove anything that might leave marks on the deck's surface from inconsistent weathering - think outdoor furniture, movable planters, door mats etc. As for finishing your deck with a fresh coat of stain etc., that's really more of a spring job (i.e. you're off the hook for another six months).
Inspect your windows. Take a stroll around your home's exterior and inspect each of your windows to see if any gaps or cracks are present. If you find some, apply caulking to the openings and this will prevent cold air from seeping through these cracks during the winter, which in turn, will cut down on your heating bills!
Protect those planters. These days, most planter boxes are made with Western Red Cedar. That's because it's naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects; and therefore, doesn't require treatment from potentially dangerous chemicals that can leach into your soil and plants. But like all garden beds, Real Cedar planters need protection during the winter months. Start by removing all soil and cleaning the boxes as you did the deck. Then if possible, store your emptied planters in a garage, shed, under the porch etc. If you can't, then cover them with a water repellant tarp to protect from moisture buildup - but make sure you don't seal the tarp. As with decks, it's very important that you allow for proper ventilation.
Guard the grill. If grilling is one of your favorite summertime activities, you don't have to abandon it just because winter's coming. A Real Cedar BBQ cover can protect you from the elements, allowing you to grill all year long. And because the cover is made from a naturally resilient wood like cedar, you'll be BBQing in all kinds of weather for years to come. You can find free plans to build your own BBQ cover in Real Cedar's outdoor section.
For extensive project plans, maintenance tips & design inspiration, visit RealCedar.com. Or if you like to "DIY on the Fly", download the new Real Cedar Mobile Toolkit app for fast and easy building facts. Available for free from Google Play Store and coming soon to iTunes.


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Dec 2 2019 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Central School, Misner Auditorium
620 Greenwood Avenue Glencoe, IL 60022
Google Map DOWNLOAD FLYER
Michele Borba, Ed.D.
Educational consultant, motivational speaker, and award-winning author of 24 books
Raising UnSelfies: How to Raise Compassionate, Courageous Kids
Character | Digital Life | Education | Family | Parenting | Relationships | Well Being | Youth
Scores of disturbing indicators tell us today's teens are forty percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. This self-absorption epidemic hurts kids' academic performance and resilience, and it can lead to sadness and bullying behaviors. Once children grow up, a lack of empathy hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate, and problem solve—all must-have skills for the global economy. Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured to yield the results we all want: successful, happy children who also are kind, moral, and courageous, and able to shift their focus from I, me, and mine to we, us, and ours.
Michele Borba, Ed.D. is the author of 24 books that have been translated into fourteen languages. In her latest book, Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World, she explains what parents and educators must do to combat the growing empathy crisis among children today—including a 9-step empathy-building program with tips to guide kids from birth through college, and beyond.
Dr. Borba is an internationally renowned educator and award-winning author who is lauded for her practical, solution-based strategies to strengthen child's behavior, self-esteem, character, and social development, and to build strong families. A sought-after motivational speaker, she has presented workshops and keynote addresses throughout the world, and she has served as an educational consultant to hundreds of schools. Dr. Borba's presentation will confront the "selfie" syndrome with a researched-based plan for parents of kids from birth to college and beyond.
As a recognized expert on character development, positive behavior change, and violence prevention, Dr. Borba has appeared over 140 times as a parent expert on the Today show. She has been a guest expert on TV and radio talk shows including The View, Dr Phil, Dateline, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, CNN, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Early Show. She has been interviewed by numerous publications including Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Chicago Tribune, The Globe and Mail, LA Times, Parenting, and Child.
Baker Demonstration School
Beacon Academy
Catherine Cook School
Countryside Day School
Family Service of Glencoe
Fusion Academy
Glencoe D35
Glencoe PTO
Haven Youth and Family Services
Lake Forest Country Day School
Regina Dominican College Preparatory High School
Rogers Park Montessori School
Roycemore School
Science and Arts Academy
The Family Institute at Northwestern University
The Kindness Connection
Winnetka D36
Wolcott School
Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.)
Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety
John Duffy, Psy.D.
Clinical psychologist and author of The Available Parent and Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety
Jan 16 2020 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
North Shore Country Day School Auditorium
Dr. Duffy will be interviewed by Heidi Stevens, award-winning "Balancing Act" columnist for the Chicago Tribune.


From planning and design to completed project, our trained and skilled tradesmen will be delighted to install your new kitchen.
We can arrange full colour design and supply of units or work to your own specification. Our complete service includes all plumbing, electrical, decoration, and flooring if required.
Whether you are installing that new kitchen you've worked hard to pay for, or simply need a replacement appliance installed; Palmer's Property Maintenance Ltd are the company for you. Being big enough to offer a wide range of trades, we are not so big that the quality of your installation will suffer. We cater for both domestic and commercial customers.


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Rose Taking Heat, Showing No Signs of Wilting
By Mike Downey
April 17, 1989 12 AM PT
Pete Rose, public enemy No. 14, is in town today, up to his shaggy bangs in investigation and innuendo. How happy he would be if the toughest question he had to answer all week had to do with sending up a pinch-hitter, or pulling a pitcher, instead of those third-degree interrogations that begin: "Where were you on the night of . . . ?"
Ask me baseball questions, Pete Rose pleads, a condemned man's last request.
On the other hand, after weeks and weeks of wild rumor and nasty humor, Pete Rose remains persecuted, not prosecuted. This may change, and soon. A decision is due any month now. So far, however, Pete Rose has been accused of everything but the Lindbergh-baby kidnapping and the ZZZZ Best carpet-cleaner scam.
"Let me tell you something," his old friend and foe, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, said Sunday. "If this guy is innocent, can you imagine the injustice that's been done to him?"
Yes, I can. If Pete Rose is innocent, I think he should take the bat he used to break Ty Cobb's record--if he still has it--and come out swinging at every single person who has soiled his good name.
Somehow, the man manages to keep managing, manages to keep his Cincinnati Reds near the top of the National League standings, while dealing with all the Rose-bashing and Red-baiting that has followed him from town to town. Charlie Hustler, they call him now. Or gag songs they write, like "Gamblin' Rose," a parody of an oldie by Nat King Cole. Ours can be a cold, cruel world, can't it?
At the same time, Pete Rose's various transgressions could turn out to be extremely serious, in which case, he could end up being inducted in the Hall of Infamy. He could end up the very way he stood his ground in the batter's box--with the short end of the stick.
All we can say is, we hope not.
"It's a simple game," Pete Rose is fond of saying. "The ball is round, and you try to hit it square."
That's all the guy wants, a square deal. If these investigators really have something on him, he must pay the price. If they don't, then somebody owes this guy an apology-and-a-half.
Through it all, Charlie Hustle has endured. He has handled himself about as well as anybody could be expected to handle the notion of people prying into his personal life, quoting his children, quoting his former spouse, quoting his friends, quoting his casual acquaintances, quoting unknown and unnamed assailants, dissecting his personal life as though he should be this week's special guest star on "America's Most Wanted."
Maybe things will turn out poorly for Pete Rose. Maybe he will be thrown out at home, caught stealing, trapped in a rundown, sent to the showers. As we say, we sure do hope not. Pete Rose has been good for baseball, as well as vice versa. He is one of those guys we hoped would stick around as long as Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra, grow old wearing short pants, be there to manage the Reds on the first Monday in April of the year 2000, be there to toss out the ceremonial first ball at the World Series of 2025.
At this season's opener, before his friends and apostles of Riverfront Stadium, the Reds had a date with the world champion Dodgers, and Lasorda had hoped to pull him aside, speak to him confidentially. Trouble was, whenever Pete Rose poked his head from the dugout, wherever he stepped on the diamond, he bumped into somebody who wanted to know if he placed bets on this, or sold this to that, or gave secret hand signals to so-and-so.
"I finally managed to whisper in his ear," Lasorda recalled. "There were all these people around, it was hard to get near him. All I told Pete was, we're all pulling for him to come out of this thing fine. We're all hoping he'll come out with his reputation not tarnished.
"All these things they say and write about Pete, they'd better be sure of their facts. I'll tell you one thing: He has to be a very, very strong person to keep doing his job the way he's been doing, because I certainly understand how demanding it is taking care of your players, your coaches, your trainers, your fans, your press, you name it. I know Pete's got a lot on his mind.
"If the guy messed up, he's gotta pay for it. Everybody knows that. But they'd better be damn sure he messed up before they accuse him of it."
And to think it was only last summer when the biggest worry Pete Rose had, or certainly appeared to have, was overtaking the Dodgers for first place. The blues got the last laugh on the Reds, hanging tough all the way through October, after the Cincinnati manager had prophesied that Los Angeles would topple somewhere along the way.
All Pete Rose wanted to think about during the off-season was ways to jump from second place to first. The biggest problem he seemed to have was staying in owner Marge Schott's good graces, and making sure he never ran over her dog with his Porsche.
Now, as Pete Rose returns to Chavez Ravine, he is fighting for more than first place. He is fighting for his baseball life. And, I will tell you something about Pete Rose. He will not go out without a fight.
You can bet on it.


A powerful partner to the dairy industry since 1893, mechanical separation technology from GEA has characterized the dairy industry from the outset and provides efficient and economic solutions to process raw milk, including clarification, skimming, bacterial removal technologies and standardization.
For a variety of reasons, milk should be clarified using separators to improve its quality. Despite the preventive hygiene measures in place, the raw milk delivered to dairies by agricultural businesses still contains a number of unwanted substances, such as udder-derived somatic cells and blood, contaminants from the air and dirt from contact with milking machines, milk lines and transport vehicles.
Clarifiers are equally suitable to clean both cold and warm milk and are simple to integrate. Almost no product is lost as a result of treatment with clarifiers and any resultant sludge can be routed straight to a neutralization or wastewater treatment plant. The loss of valuable milk constituents, such as protein, as a result of the removal of milk sludge is negligible.
Raw milk contains approximately 4% fat. To produce non-fat milk, the cream must first be separated. Whereas warm milk separation takes place at temperatures of 50–60 °C, cold milk separation takes place at temperatures of 4–30 °C. Yet, GEA supports both these processes with the procool system.
The cream skimming separators from the hyvol® proplus line set new standards of product protection and yield maximization. And, as all our separators are equipped with the hydrosoft system, we guarantee the lowest possible feed pressures, gentle product intake, low shear forces and, as a result, the highest possible separation efficiencies. The hydrosoft system uses no high-maintenance mechanical seals and requires no additional cooling water.
Bacteria, yeasts and mold spores can contaminate milk products, which makes reliable bacterial clarification all the more important. GEA's solutions range from single- and two-stage bacteria removal processes to the special bacterial clarification of milk, the targeted bacterial clarification of cheese milk and a treatment for whey concentrate. Beyond this, separators with the GEA proplus module can be used to recover valuable proteins from solid residues in conjunction with bacteria removal.
With the latest standomat system, GEA is able to offer a standardization unit for milk fat to milk protein. The system regularly measures and regulates the defined specifications during the production process. Limit values are precisely maintained to optimize resource use and, as regular sampling is no longer required, laboratory checks can be minimized. The flexible optical process used can be applied to consumer milk, standardized cheese milk, yoghurt products, standardized cream products, recombined milk products as well as condensed milk and coffee cream.
With the dairysmart, GEA now offers a skid that has been designed for hot milk/whey skimming, milk cleaning, cream fat content monitoring and automatic tank standardization. Designed for small and medium-sized dairies, as well as cheese factories, it comprises the ecocream skimming separator for milk and whey in conjunction with an intelligent production kit for smart, flexible product processing and the new IO control system from GEA.


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Valdosta State
Tallahassee Community College
Quick links... Florida State Florida A&M Valdosta State Tallahassee Community College
SportsCollege SportsVSU
Valdosta State football team secures win in season opener against Keiser University
Blazers tested against Seahawks
The Valdosta State University football team, the NCAA Division II second ranked team in the nation, defeated Keiser University, an NAIA program, 36-21 in the season opener for the host Blazers, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia.
By: Kyle Logan
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — The Valdosta State University football team defeated Keiser University, an NAIA program, 36 to 21 Thursday night inside Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
Up next, Valdosta State continues the non-conference portion of its schedule as the Blazers host fellow NCAA Division II program Virginia Union University, Saturday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. inside Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.


Congratulations to Nicky Forster and James Harper who have taken the 2002/2003 titles in the Hob Nob Anyone? End of Season Awards. This season's voting clearly shows Forster, Harper and Shorey as Reading's outstanding players.
After an excellent season up-front for Reading Nicky Forster took nearly a third of the vote to be voted Reading's best performing player of the season. Forster, Reading's leading goal scorer for 2002/2003, was well clear of James Harper with Nicky Shorey and Graeme Murty taking third and fourth place.
Harper should be pleased with his runners-up position in the player of the season but should be even more pleased with his walk away victory in the voting for most improved player of the season. James Harper took over two thirds of the vote as fans almost unanimously recognised Harper as the player that has progressed his career most this season. Nathan Tyson has also come from nowhere this season to hit the headlines and finished runner up with Nicky Shorey taking another third spot.
Reading fans were treated to some excellent victories this season - but two games stood well ahead of the others in terms of Reading performances during the season. The victories against the two sides involved in the other play-off fixture stood out, with away at Sheffield United and at home against Nottingham Forest being voted the best games. Voting was well split, as expected, for the worst Reading performance of the season. In the end the games involving the top two sides were voted Reading's worst performances - perhaps a bit harsh considered the quality of the opposition. The home defeat against Leicester was the worst performance of the season with the defeat at Portsmouth just behind.
Votes were collected between 29 April 2003 and 7 May 2003.


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I'd like to request a showing of 1843 Mayflower Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461 (MLS® #4917407). Thank you!
Listing Courtesy of Han Tang Realty Inc..


Despite the fall colors in my photo and the sausage–which I often associate with cool weather–this recipe capitalizes on one of summer's biggest boasts: peaches!
Starving after a 2 mile walk with Minnie and an hour long Pilates-Barre class (with the formidable, but lovely, Darlene Stephens at Music in Motion hear in Coastal Virginia), I wanted a quick, healty, pretty and satisfying lunch. I don't want much, do I?
Remembering that I had sausages in the fridge that needed used and hankering for peaches after having some of the best last week while visiting my family in Mississippi, I nipped into the grocery store, still clad in exercise attire, to pick up some baby kale and peaches, and dashed home to whip together this easy, flavorful lunch.
Recipe Note: Some vegan sausages taste like sawdust in a tube so find a good one. I tend to like a flavored one, say Field Roast's apple-sage.
Spread an indoor grill pan or small skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, preheat over medium-high, and grill or griddle sausages for about 6 to 8 minuts or 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on 4 sides. Remove to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add onion, a pinch of sea salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add peaches and continue sauteeing and stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir in red wine vinegar, agave nectar, and curry powder until completely combined. Add kale and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt, but is still bright green. Stir in creamer and mustard until well distributed and heated through. Serve 1/4 of compote over each sausage sprinkled with a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt.
On Good Friday, Joe and I made the pilgrimage that every self-respecting foodie must make at least once in his or her life…to the fabled Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA. Our dinner and our lodging/breakfast experience at the Foster Harris House is recounted in Coastal Virginia Magazine (July 2014). Suffice it to say that the Inn lives up to its storied reputation. And the Foster Harris House, which we chose by perusing websites when there was no room at the inn, is also on our "go back" list for both lodging and dining.
After my exquisite 4-course vegan meal, I swore that I would recreate the entree: Cauliflower Steak with Curry Bechamel and Candied Eggplant. It has taken me this long to get to it, as I wanted to devote my full attention and we are now out of school for the summer. So, at last, here it is! Wow! As elegant as this meal looks and tastes, it is ultra simple to prepare. Just be sure to make the Candied Eggplant the day before you plan to serve.
It took me two tries to get the steaks and the sauce just right, but the Candied Eggplant, adpated from MarcheDimanche Recipes, were like, well, candy from the get-go. I used the cooking method for the steaks that restaurant chefs swear by for beef: a sear followed by a few minutes in the oven. The sauce, made with a roux, is a fairly straightforward preparation, only the first time it was way too sweet. Combining vegetable stock and unsweetened soymilk with the coconut creamer, and thinning slightly with a very dry Prosecco, did the trick.
Though this version of the sauce is slightly sweet in that coconut milky way, it is a beautiful pairing with the cauliflower and candied eggplant, and is nicely balanced with a side of sauteed bitter greens or, as I prepared it, quick-pickled thinly sliced zucchini and red onion. For a garnish, you wouldn't think that you would want more sweetness, but slightly spicy candied walnuts are the way to go. However, you can simply toast the walnuts for a few minutes if you prefer.
While most of us can't visit the Inn at Little Washington even once a year, this beautiful and delicious ode to "The Inn" is simple enough to prepare once a week!
Make the Candied Eggplant the day before you plan to serve.
Slice the eggplants into 1/8-inch slices. Working in two batches, heat half the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet placed over medium high. Add half the eggplant slices, sprinkle very lightly with salt, and cook for about a minute on each side or until they are lightly browned. Add more oil if necessary to prevent burning or drying out. Remove to a a non-reactive dish. I use a 5 x 9″ ceramic bread pan. Repeat with remaining oil, eggplant, and another pinch of salt. In a 1-quart saucepan, bring the vinegar, agave nectar or sugar, water, lemon thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and cinnamon to a boil. Pour over the eggplant, cool, cover, and refrigerate over night. Heat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop before serving.
In a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable stock, creamer, and unsweetened soymilk with shallot, garlic, and nutmeg to simmering. Watch closely, as it can boil over quickly, and reduce heat as necessary to maintain a simmer for 10 minutes. In a large cast iron skillet over medium high, melt butter, whisk in flour, optional nutritional yeast, curry powder and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes, whisking continually, to make a roux to thicken the sauce. Reduce heat if necessary. Remove shallot and garlic pieces from simmering liquid and whisk the liquid into the roux, 1/2 cup at a time. Simmer, whisking frequently, for about 10 minutes or until thickened and flavors are nicely combined. Thin, if desired, by whisking in wine a tablespoon at a time. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Keep warm or reheat to serve.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large cast iron skillet liberally with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Working in two batches, sprinkle cauliflower lightly with sea salt on both sides and sear for 3 to 4 mintues on each side, adding additional spray if necessary. Remove to an oil baking sheet. Repeat. In a small cup, whisk together melted butter and olive oil. In a second cup, whisk together salt, coriander and pepper. Brush first side of steaks with half the butter mixture, sprinkle with half the salt mixture, carefully flip, and repeat. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot with curry sauce and several slices of candied eggplant, garnished with candied or toasted walnuts.


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Jonathan Kegges, Meteorologist
Published: October 14, 2021, 1:55 PM
Tags: La Nina, Tropics Tracker, Hurricane, Weather News, Weather
Tropics Tracker: What La Nina's return means for end of hurricane season
Tropics remain quiet
June 2021 sea surface temperature departure from the 1991-2020 average. (Data Snapshots on Climate.gov.)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Atlantic is nice and quiet as we venture through the middle of October. That could change in the final week or so of the month. More on that to come.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially declared Thursday that La Nina conditions are present. La Nina typically favors an active Atlantic basin during hurricane season. La Nina was declared in September of last year and the tropics unsurprisingly went crazy.
[TRENDING: Here's what Fla. is doing to solve national shipping delays | Sandwich shop closes Winter Park location | Become a News 6 Insider (it's free!)]
To be declared an official La Nina or its warmer counterpart El Nino, sea surface temperature anomalies in the equatorial Pacific have to be greater than 0.5 degrees Celsius in a specific region. For La Nina, that would be below average.
Sea surface temperature anomaly
What is La Nina?
La Nina is a seasonal ocean/atmospheric pattern that develops in the tropical Pacific. La Nina is the cool phase of El Nino Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. During hurricane season, the phase ENSO is in can strongly impact tropical development far away in the Atlantic Basin.
When El Nino, the warm phase, is present, tropical development is suppressed with increased wind shear and poor atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic Basin.
When La Nina is present, waters along the equatorial Pacific, off of the coast of Peru, are cooler than normal. This happens because the trade winds strengthen in that region, pushing warm water toward Australia, allowing cooler water deeper in the ocean to come to the surface. This is known as upwelling.
Rest of October
Indications are that there could still be development during the last week to 10 days of the month or to start November. The place to watch would be the Caribbean as large-scale features come into play to enhance development in this area.
After this entity known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation passes by, the Atlantic should abruptly shut down for the season other than a stray storm developing.
Jonathan Kegges
Jonathan Kegges joined the News 6 team in June 2019 as the Weekend Morning Meteorologist. Jonathan comes from Roanoke, Virginia where he covered three EF-3 tornadoes and deadly flooding brought on by Hurricanes Florence and Michael.


It might be Men's Fashion Week, but that doesn't mean Naomi Campbell is leaving it up to the boys to work the runway. No, the catwalk queen herself made an appearance at Givenchy's menswear show to demonstrate how it's done.
Never one to hit the runway without make a statement — whether in a voluminous ball gownor a bouquet of flowers — the supermodel once again had all eyes on her when she stepped in out in a sequin striped blazer, oversized jewelry (hoop earrings and a giant key necklace, included), black thigh-high tights/booties and a thong.
Kendall Jenner, Joan Smalls and Irina Shayk also joined the Empire actress on the runway but it's safe to say that Campbell stole the show (as one does when even Beyonce dedicates lyrics to you).


Cost is a huge factor in what kind of diapers new parents choose. Disposable diapers are cheaper up front, but cloth diapers provide a huge return on the investment in the long run. Just how much will cloth diapering save you and your family? Plug in the numbers you've been researching below to find out – we've got slots to account for all sorts of cloth diapers.
Calculate your cost savings comparing the use of disposables with cloth diapers! It's easy, just plug in the cost of the diapers you've been researching and calculate!
We hope this calculator has helped you see the cost differences more clearly, and can steer your family toward the best diapering choice for your needs!


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Home Arkansas Blog UPDATE: Martha Shoffner gets 30 months in bribery case
UPDATE: Martha Shoffner gets 30 months in bribery case
SENTENCING DAY: Martha Shoffner and attorney Chuck Banks at the federal courthouse this morning. BRIAN CHILSON
JUST IN: Brian Chilson reports from federal courthouse that Judge Leon Holmes has sentenced former Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner to 30 months in prison for taking bribes for state bond business. It will be followed by some supervised release. No fine was assessed. The 71-year-old will have to report to a Fort Worth prison in 60 days.
She faced as much as 15 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. Her attorney had asked for 12 to 18 months, with half that in home detention. U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer, who'd asked for 60 months, said he was satisfied with the outcome. Banks told reporters afterward that he thought the sentence fair. Shoffner didn't talk to reporters except to reiterate in response to a question that "yes, of course" she apologized to the people of Arkansas for what she'd done.
Judge Leon Holmes said Shoffner had netted little — he ordered restitution of $31,920 she'd kept in bribes —- but as a public official should do prison time. (She got $36,000, but $4,020 was seized by law officers on the day of her arrest, the famous pie box cash.)
From earlier:
Former Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner will be in federal court at 9 a.m. this morning for sentencing on her conviction of taking kickbacks from bond salesman Steele Stephens for state bond business. She resigned after being trapped in an FBI-recorded sting with Stephens, who's never been charged, wearing a wire.
The hearing is expected to take two hours. Her attorney, Chuck Banks, has argued for leniency for the 71-year-old defendant. A probation office report has suggested a sentence in the 15- to 20-year range. Judge Leon Holmes will decide the sentence. The hearing is estimated to take two hours.
Shoffner had no comment to reporters gathered in advance of the hearing.
David Koon reports that the judge has overruled Shoffner's objections to the government's holding of what the crimes cost the state. Shoffner's attorney argued that the only loss was $36,000 in bribes, not the value of the bond business of $1.7 million. Holmes held there were multiple payments for multiple actions and the $36,000, paid in six installments, didn't amount to a single payment, which also means a potential enhancement of the sentence. He said Stephens benefited from the bribes to the tune of $900,000 the amount by which his $1.7 million in commissions exceeded the next biggest bond dealer who did business with Shoffner.
The judge said the federal sentencing guidelines indicated 151 to 180 months in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus $31,000 in restitution (the bribes minus the amount seized by FBI). But the judge can depart from the guidelines. The hearing recessed after about 90 minutes. Shoffner is to speak in her defense after the recess. Her attorney has argued that the state repeated $26 million in profits from the business with Stephens.
MORE FROM DAVID KOON, 11:50 a.m.:
Banks asked the court to show mercy on Shoffner, saying she "made a terrible, terrible error in judgment" and characterizing her as "gullible" and "clueless." He said that she was inclined to accept the bribes from Stephens in large part because she was in a bad financial situation, having underestimated the cost of commuting on a regular basis between Newport and Little Rock.
Banks asked Holmes to consider Shoffner's "good deeds," including her work for the Humane Society. He presented the court with a picture of her dog, Fred, and said he was moved by the fact that after Shoffner was first arrested, she asked Banks to call her sister to check on Fred. He called two character witnesses to the stand to testify on her behalf.
He also said that in her capacity as treasurer, Shoffner's books consistently balanced and audits found no problems in the accounts of the office itself.
"She was in all honesty doing a pretty dadgum good job," Banks said. "I'm proud to be standing with this poor woman here at this dark hour … she really is gullible. She really is naive."
He repeatedly hammered home this point about Shoffner's supposed ineptitude, saying that she'd met with Steele Stephens and accepted another bribe even after he'd told her that he had been called by the FBI. (The FBi raided her home the next day.) At one point in her initial interview with the FBI, Banks said, Shoffner asked "do you think they're going to fine me?"
Banks said Shoffner has experienced the most public vilification that he has ever seen in his career as an attorney. He compared her haggard appearance today with a picture of her being sworn in a few years ago, to show the physical toll her ordeal has taken. He said she was now "disgraced," "broke" and "ostracized" and noted that she drove to the courthose in a 2003 Oldsmobile this morning.
He also pointed out that Steele Stephens received complete immunity from prosecution for his cooperation with the FBI. Stephens got a $25,000 fine and lost his brokers license, and "that's it," Banks said.
The attorney argued that sentencing Shoffner to a long period in jail would not serve the public interest, and urged Holmes to give her only as much punishment needed "to repair people's confidence in the office." She might not live out a harsh sentence, he said.
"I don't know how much more you can do to her. She's just had enough."
Shoffner herself also gave a brief, emotional statement. She said there were "not enough words to express the remorse I feel," apologizing to the public for her "wrong, illegal and unethical behavior" and to her deceased parents for bringing shame to her family's names.
"To this court, I ask for mercy," she concluded.
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Chuck Banks
Martha Shoffner
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Retiree helps visually impaired broaden their horizons
0 Comment(s) Print E-mail China Daily, April 13, 2018
A retired doctor in Chongqing is helping visually impaired friends "see" the world by volunteering as a travel guide.
Cai Meiqi (front) guides her visually impaired friends to visit a scenic area on the outskirts of Chongqing. Photo Provided To China Daily
Cai Meiqi, 66, who was born partially blind and has very weak vision in her left eye, has led tours around China and to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan in the past decade.
Thanks to such adventures, she has helped the sightless experience things for the first time in their lives, such as taking a plane journey, walking on sandy beaches, running through grassy fields and standing atop mountains.
Cai started her post-retirement career in 2007 after meeting several visually impaired individuals during a massage training program. She showed her managerial abilities during class activities and gained the trust of the students.
"They asked me to lead them to explore the outside world. They said that their lives are not just about survival," said Cai, who practiced traditional Chinese medicine.
China has the largest population of visually impaired people in the world, an estimated 8 million, according to the World Health Organization.
Touched by the courage and passion of others, she began to contact travel agencies. But none of them would make special accommodations for visually impaired clients at that time. She decided to organize trips herself.
"Let me be your eyes, and follow me to 'see' the world," she told them.
Their first trip was a day tour for about 40 people to the botanical garden at Chongqing's Nanshan Mountain. Cai guided them around the garden, told them what she saw and let them touch and smell cherry blossoms and other flowers.
"I was so afraid they would get lost or hurt," she said. "But I found they really cherished the chance to travel and they were so disciplined."
To ensure the safety and smooth operation of the tours, Cai has made some rules: a partially blind person must pair with a completely blind one, and no one should be left alone under any circumstances.
When traveling outside Chongqing, she takes only about 10 people with her to ensure she can look after them properly.
She usually brings two whistles to send signals to her teammates during the trips. At some crowded scenic spots, if other guides use one type of whistle, Cai will use another to differentiate her sound.
To save on costs, Cai spends a great deal of time searching for cheap transportation, accommodations and dining options.
It took her about three years to prepare for a trip to Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province. In March 2015, she finally made the trip with 13 team members.
"When I touched the trees, felt the ancient streets under my feet, heard the ocean waves, felt the wind from the mountains and heard birds singing in the forest, I seemed to really 'see' nature's beauty," said Zhang Hong, who has participated in many tours organized by Cai.
They like to ask others to take photos for them so that they can show them to their family and friends.
Cai's special travel group has attracted much attention from the public and often receives generous help from warmhearted tourists, train and flight attendants, as well as restaurant and hotel management. In recent years, a local travel agency welcomed them to join its tours at home and abroad.
"We have received so much help from others," she said. "We want to give back to society as well."
Cai has set up a volunteer team with her visually impaired friends called Light of Love. During their trips and when they have spare time, they often provide free massage services and mini concerts.
"Some of my team members are very talented musicians. Some can write songs and others have very good singing voices," she said.
For Cai and her teammates, travel has a special meaning.
"We derive confidence and dignity from our journeys," she said.
"When we come back, we can carry on with more courage."
Partially blind former doctor acts as the 'eyes' of her friends on travel adventures.


Stable intermediate states and high energy barriers in the unfolding of GFP.
Huang, J-R; Craggs, TD; Christodoulou, J; Jackson, SE; (2007) Stable intermediate states and high energy barriers in the unfolding of GFP. J Mol Biol , 370 (2) pp. 356-371. 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.04.039.
We present a study of the denaturation of a truncated, cycle3 variant of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Chemical denaturation is used to unfold the protein, with changes in structure being monitored by the green fluorescence, tyrosine fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism. The results show that the denaturation behaviour of GFP is complex compared to many small proteins: equilibrium is established only very slowly, over the time course of weeks, suggesting that there are high folding/unfolding energy barriers. Unfolding kinetics confirm that the rates of unfolding at low concentrations of denaturant are very low, consistent with the slow establishment of the equilibrium. In addition, we find that GFP significantly populates an intermediate state under equilibrium conditions, which is compact and stable with respect to the unfolded state (m(IU)=4.6 kcal mol(-1) M(-1) and Delta G(IU)=12.5 kcal mol(-1)). The global and local stability of GFP was probed further by measuring the hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) NMR exchange rates of more than 157 assigned amide protons. Analysis at two different values of pH showed that amide protons within the beta-barrel structure exchange at the EX2 limit, consequently, free energies of exchange could be calculated and compared to those obtained from the denaturation-curve studies providing further support for the three-state model and the existence of a stable intermediate state. Analysis reveals that amide protons in beta-strands 7, 8, 9 and 10 have, on average, higher exchange rates than others in the beta-barrel, suggesting that there is greater flexibility in this region of the protein. Forty or so amide protons were found which do not undergo significant exchange even after several months and these are clustered into a core region encompassing most of the beta-strands, at least at one end of the barrel structure. It is likely that these residues play an important role in stabilizing the structure of the intermediate state. The intermediate state observed in the chemical denaturation studies described here, is similar to that observed at pH 4 in other studies.


New release, no new features, but fixes for the bugs reported this week.
The last item should receive a special note: The building of reapeaks files was broken in a rather lame way in 0.9.10, resulting in mixed up mip-maps in the file. I recommend you delete all generated reapeaks files to make sure they are recreated (hopefully) correctly. Sorry about that.
Is there a tutorial to show the order of steps to creating a bank and performance, etc? A couple of examples of how to get a WAV working, from start to finish?
I can drag a bunch of .wav files to the Keymap page and set up all the splits, and use the various settings. But, I'm struggling with the whole concept of Banks and Performances and Groups and how they all work together.
It feels like a great piece of software that I'd love to use, but I'm needing a bit of help to use it properly. Thanks.
Did you read through the manual & quickstart guide? They provide at least some insight into using the plugin (I hope). Of course, suggestions on ways to make them better is much appreciated.
the voice structure is a bit confusing... I would have the performance as the top level, do away with banks.
There didn't seem to be a quickstart in the zip I downloaded. I've gone through most of it, in version 1, now, though. I've posted in the Reaper forum on a problem I ham having with regards to the root key mapping.


The JT Wise Band performs Saturday at Edgefield Winery Tasting Room in Troutdale.
If you're in the mood for festive music this weekend, make your way to the Edgefield Winery Tasting Room 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, for a holiday performance by The JT Wise Band.
"We try to get the audience engaged and having fun with us," bassist Margaret Wise describes, sharing how the band once spurred an audience to create a dance to a song called "the Wobble."
Saturday's performance will meld holiday classics with the band's signature sound of blues, rock, country and folk. Wise says their original tunes and old favorites are easy to dance to and focus on fun lyrics, vocal harmonies and good-time jams.
The JT Wise Band was founded in May 2013, with songs co-written by husband-wife duo Tim (JT) and Margaret Wise. Along with the Wises, the band features longtime collaborator Jim Stein on rhythm, slide guitars and vocals, and Ken Woodside on drums.
Guitarist Tim Wise is a Northwest Native who has played in bands since the 1970s. He attended the Musician's Institute in Hollywood and has recorded music for many Northwest bands.
Wise describes that his musical influences read like "a Clapton Crossroads Festival, with influences from Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Billy Gibbons, and Vince Gill — with (Dickey) Betts and (Jerry) Garcia thrown in as well."
"We like to mix it up," Margaret Wise says. "You might hear a little of the blues, Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. We like to jam in the tradition of the great jam bands."
Some of the Wises' current influences include Steve Earle, who recently performed at Revolution Hall in Portland, WideSpread Panic, Amos Lee, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Amy Helm, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale.
"There are many different styles of music you can go out and hear," Margaret Wise says of the Northwest music scene. "Whether you like to sit down and listen to a show or go out dancing, there are many, many options of great local musicians."
The band's tunes have been played on Local Roots Radio and Kink Sunday Night Blues with Steve Pringle. They have performed for the Cascade Blues Association and participated in the affiliated Journey to Memphis Blues Competition.
Looking ahead to 2018, The JT Wise Band hopes to compile a CD with new tracks and expand merchandise with their new band logo. Their latest release, "Rise On Up," speaks to their feelings about the current political climate and is part of their band T-shirt logo.
The JT Wise Band will be back at the Winery Tasting Room Jan. 20 and March 10. Additionally, they'll perform at The Hoppy Brewer from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 9. They also take the stage from 4-6 p.m. the last Friday of each month for a happy hour show at the White Eagle Saloon in Portland.