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AYER — In the latest of its legal battles, the town is caught in an alleged breach of contract that could end up costing the town a sum in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The town's deputy tax collector is alleging that the town breached its contract by terminating employment without the proper 30-day notice, according to a court document obtained from Town Administrator Robert Pontbriand.
K. Bolduc Enterprises, the plaintiff, was hired by the town to collect fees from motor-vehicle excise taxes and parking violations.
According to the contract attached to the complaint, the town was obligated to give a 30-day notice of termination. The notice would allow KBE to fix any problems that might have led to the end of the contract.
KBE claims that Ayer also breached its contract by failing to specify KBE's alleged default and failing to provide the termination in writing.
Pontbriand said that Town Clerk and Tax Collector John Canney has the right to appoint the town's deputy collector under state statute, and made a decision to go with a new firm in December 2013.
The complaint states that the town notified KBE of its termination only five days before, with the argument that a competitor could provide better services.
Yet Pontbriand said that Canney has consistently maintained that there is no contract between K. Bolduc Enterprises and the town of Ayer.
Pontbriand said that in January, he was copied on a letter from KBE's lawyer to the tax collector that cited the breach of contract.
"Prior to the summons even being filed on February 12, 2014, before this was even an official lawsuit, the tax collector on numerous occasions has maintained that there is no contract," he said.
KBE attorney Mark Engel said that the contract attached to the complaint has a signature of John C. Canney II.
"If what they're saying is that it's a forgery, I guess they'd have to allege that and prove that," Engel said, adding that right now he does not have any knowledge of any of the town's possible denials.
As of mid-Tuesday, representatives from both parties had not been in direct contact but had a round of phone tag, Engel said. Although the town is past its 20-day deadline to respond to the summons, Engel said he is sure the town will provide answers to the complaint.
Pontbriand presented this latest development to the Finance Committee, saying that it could cost up to six figures to settle. The selectmen met in closed executive session on Tuesday, March 4, to discuss litigation strategy.
Asked for comment, Canney referred all questions to Pontbriand.
Despite this new legal matter, Pontbriand is sticking with his original proposed town counsel budget of $85,000 — a $7,000 increase from last year. The increase is due, in part, to:
* The town has a lawsuit against Hugh Ernisse, who owns two properties in town, on Washington Street and Williams Street, over alleged violations of state sanitary code and town bylaws. The town claims that Ernisse has not kept either property "free from garbage, rubbish and debris" and has violated the Ayer nuisance bylaw by allowing "an excessive amount of junk to accumulate," according to court documents. Ernisse has failed to follow orders from the town's building commissioner and board of health agent to clean up his property, according to the documents.
Ernisse claims that he has been cleaning up his land, spending about $5,000 in the past year to work on improving both properties. He said he will continue to clean up to resolve the issue.
"Anything that I've got to do with my two homes here in town will be accomplished in the summertime," he said. "There won't be any complaints."
"They won't have to spend any more court cases for me than they already have," he added.
Although he said the issue will be resolved "quickly and amicably," he noted that the Board of Selectmen is overextending its authority by telling people what can be done on their own properties.
"They're taking the wrong approach," he said. "I have done what needed to be done and I will continue to do the things that need to be done from the point of view of a very fair citizen."
* The town has a lawsuit against Mark Velardi over issues with his property at 71 Sandy Pond Road, according to a document obtained from Pontbriand. The town alleges that Velardi does not have the proper building permit for a metal storage container that should have a permit because of its size.
The town also claims that Velardi is operating a trucking business from his home property, which requires a special permit. Velardi is allegedly breaking the nuisance bylaw with the "excessive amounts of rubbish, junk and debris" on his property, according to the document. The town claims he has not responded to any of its orders to either apply for a building permit or remove the metal storage building, clean up his property and cease the alleged business taking place from his home.
When reached, Velardi refused public comment.
* The budget increase will fund legal help needed to pursue town acceptance of new roads. Voters decide whether to formally accept certain roads throughout town at the annual town meeting. A town's acceptance of roads allows the public works department to apply for state funding for certain road maintenance projects.
Other legal issues may not account for the suggested increase, but are still a part of the town's legal bills. The town is being sued by its treasurer, Stephanie Gintner, in a lawsuit that has cost about $18,920 from September 2011 to November 2013. The issue began in 2011, when Assistant Treasurer Melissa Doig claimed that Gintner accessed her email account while she was away on vacation and deleted 15 emails. Nashoba Publishing reported in 2012 that Gintner asked for access to Doig's email account because she said it could contain evidence that would clear her of the accusation. When the town refused, the state's supervisor of records ordered the town to provide access. Although Gintner has received hard copies, she wants the electronic copies of the emails. Gintner said the electronic versions have all the material in the emails, while the hard copies have redacted information.
"I don't believe that they have given me everything," she said.
Pontbriand said that the town has provided all of the records, and to argue that it has not is preposterous. He also cited security concerns that could arise from giving mainframe access to anyone who is not directly affiliated with the town.
But Gintner is arguing that such documents are public record.
"It's part of the public records law that you can get the electronic versions, and they're not allowing that," she said.
Gintner added that the whole $18,920 figure is not solely due to the lawsuit, but also many executive sessions dealing with the issue. The first complaint alone had seven executive sessions, she said.
The fiscal 2015 budget might also be impacted by an unresolved contract with police superiors, or sergeants. Pontbriand said that employment contract negotiations have not been concluded, and sometimes if they are not resolved before July 1, the legal costs can go into the next fiscal year.
The local chapter of a firefighter's union has filed an unfair labor practice with the state's Joint Labor Relations Council against the town. Pontbriand said the town will work with the JLRC to reach a resolution for a new employment contract. Such negotiations could also flow into the legal costs of the next fiscal year.
The town's legal budget is running about two percent over as of December 2013, Pontbriand explained to FinCom two weeks ago.
Ayer is proposing the third-highest town counsel budget for fiscal 2015 out of seven nearby towns, according to the document Pontbriand distributed to FinCom. Only Groton and Lunenburg have higher proposals of $90,000 and $125,000, respectively, for legal costs.
Selectmen have requested a review of current rates from town counsel, the law firm Kopelman and Paige, with a request to discuss reducing some rates, according to the document Pontbriand handed to FinCom.
Follow Amelia on Twitter and Tout @AmeliaPakHarvey.


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The loading dock and material handling industry has evolved significantly during the last fifty years and Blue Giant has been a part of that movement since 1963. By effectively identifying market trends and recognizing product development opportunities, Blue Giant has made strategic decisions that keep the company at the forefront of innovation. Today Blue Giant is a global leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of loading dock systems and material handling equipment, including dock levelers, ground-level lifts, vehicle restraints, touch controls, dock and door guards, door seals and shelters, and HVLS fans.
Below are major milestones in our Blue Giant history, which outline the company's ability to identify industry trends and needs and successfully accommodate them.
Blue Giant was founded on May 30, 1963 by Kurt Larsen, and quickly became a leading manufacturer of dock levelers and hand pallet trucks.
Blue Giant customer base expanded so rapidly that new product offerings (electric pallet trucks and stackers, dock lifts, and scissor lifts) were introduced to supply the growing demand. Licensee partnerships in Australia and South Africa resulted in Blue Giant dominating the market in both countries.
Blue Giant primary manufacturing location in Brampton, Ontario, was expanded from 35,000 to 100,000 square feet to handle the large influx of orders. In 1985 the company signaled its future focus on product innovation by introducing the TL85, the first non-impact vehicle restraint, to the North American market.
Blue Giant global presence expanded with licensee partnerships in Mexico and Southeast Asia. Demand for Blue Giant product resulted in high-volume sales, such as the order placed by the Singapore Port Authority for 309 mechanical dock levelers. On the material handling front, the company redesigned its industrial truck line to include ergonomic handles and a sleeker, more maneuverable body. The new trucks were easier to use and more compatible with tight spaces, making them a standard feature in busy warehouses and logistics centres.
The new millennium has witnessed tremendous growth in new product development. In 2001 Blue Giant introduced the XDS Extra Dock Safety Series, the only 2-in-1 interlocked dock system that lowered the risk of forklift run-off and overhead door damage. More innovations rapidly followed: the micro-processor-based Blue Genius™ Touch Control Panel, which revolutionized 'smart' control technology; the StrongArm™ SVR303 vehicle restraint, whose patented technology and trusted performance made it a winner in Plant Engineering's Product of the Year competition in 2009 and the U-Series dock leveler platform, which reduces deck fatigue by enabling a better distributed load.
Blue Giant continues to expand its product line and global presence. Stocking locations have been opened all over North America, providing customers with quick and cost-effective access to parts and equipment. In 2011, the company entered into a strategic partnership with Big Lift LLC to exclusively distribute the Big Joe brand of AC-powered industrial trucks in Canada. In 2012, Blue Giant launched the StrongArm™ HVR303 electric vehicle restraint and the Air Cylinder Series, the industry's first air cylinder dock equipment system. Both products are environmentally sustainable, indicating the company's ongoing support for green building practices and initiatives.
In January Blue Giant launched its U.S. operation, Blue Giant LLC, and opened a new manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. This new location focuses on the manufacturing and distribution of the company's growing line of innovative dock seals and shelters, which includes fixed and inflatable seals, stationary and retractable truck shelters, full access seals, and rain shrouds. In September Blue Giant launched a premium-level Blue Genius™ that incorporates all of the powerful features of the Gold Series, but offers expanded equipment functionality.
The company Industrial Truck and Aftermarket portfolios grew substantially thanks to the addition of several exciting new offerings, and in November Blue Giant launched the VL Vertical Storing Dock Leveler, a next-generation model with unique features that add greater levels of safety and versatility to dock operations.
Blue Giant products are designed, manufactured and tested to stringent quality assurance standards. Blue Giant has memberships in several associations and directories, listed below are some industry links to organizations that deal with construction and material handling needs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Via Mediaite, effusive regrets for his Kinsleyan gaffe . Go watch the original clip at the DC if you haven't yet. He's waxing rhapsodic about the country's magnificent noble willingness to re-elect a guy who's overseen four years of grinding unemployment and exploding debt, and he just kind of wanders into the idea that that killer 'cane was really a lucky stroke insofar as it gave Obama a reason to put on his embroidered bomber jacket and look "presidential." That's a natural reaction for a hardcore O-bot in the throes of reflection; storms with death tolls come and go, but there's only one Obama. In lieu of an apology, here's all I want to know. What did Obama do over the past week to justify any significant political benefit from his handling of Sandy? Did he do something that Mitt Romney wouldn't have? After Bush and Katrina, will there ever again be a president from either party who risks the perception that he's not doing everything he can to aid in storm recovery, especially a week out from an election? We're having a snowstorm here in NYC right now and thousands of people still don't have power. Does that affect Obama's superhero status at all? Says Sonny Bunch:
I've never been a "the media is biased, zomg sort of guy." But Jebus has this cycle radicalized me. Imagine the coverage John McCain would have had to contend with if he had run for reelection after funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to donors investing in dodgy energy projects, 8 percent unemployment, a dead ambassador, and a drowning and freezing hurricane-ravaged New York City that his federal agencies were totally failing to help. It would not have been pretty.
If not for Chris Christie's paeans to Obama for perfunctorily signing a FEMA decree for New Jersey, O would have been almost totally invisible in the aftermath of Sandy. My only recollection of him apart from the press conference in New Jersey was him sitting in some sort of storm situation room, looking concerned for the benefit of the White House photographer while he silently pondered his turnout targets in Ohio. The most striking thing about his performance since last Monday, as Bunch says, is what a total, utter pass our miserable media has given him for the problems New York is facing. It's one of the most insane examples of media bias of the past four years vis-a-vis how a Republican would be treated and it arrived at a perfect moment in the campaign. It's pure corruption. Matthews is apologizing for how he handled the politics of the hurricane, but where's the apology from the rest of the press?
Update: You know, I could have handled any amount of gloating today. Liberals won big, it's natural that they'd spike the ball. But I cannot, cannot handle Bill Maher claiming with a straight face that last night was a victory for … math. Maher was once a libertarian, mind you; in theory, he should have a leg up on other liberals in understand what runaway entitlement spending means for America long term. But his job now is to essentially troll conservatives, so we get this. A perfect buffoonish exclamation point on a victory for fiscal catastrophe.


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Star Wars Battlefront II DICE Developer AMA(self)
Thank you for joining us for this AMA guys! You can see a list of all the developer responses in the stickied comment
Welcome to the EA Star Wars Battlefront II Reddit Launch AMA!
Today we will be joined by 3 DICE developers who will answer your questions about Battlefront 2, its development, and its future.
Quick summary of the rules:
Keep it civil. We will be heavily enforcing Rule #2 during the AMA: No harassment or inflammatory language will be tolerated. Be respectful to users. Violations of this rule during the AMA will result in a 3 day ban.
Post questions only. Top level comments that are not questions will be removed.
Limit yourself to one comment, with a max of 3 questions per comment. Multiple comments from the same user, or comments with more than 3 questions will be removed. Trust that the community wants to ask the same questions you do.
Don't spam the same questions over and over again. Duplicates will be removed before the AMA starts. Just make sure you upvote questions you want answered, rather than posting a repeat of those questions.
And now, a word from the EA Community Manager!
We would first like to thank the moderators of this subreddit and the passionate fanbase for allowing us to host an open dialogue around Star Wars Battlefront II. Your passion is inspiring, and our team hopes to provide as many answers as we can around your questions.
Joining us from our development team are the following:
John Wasilczyk (Executive Producer) – /u/WazDICE Introduction - Hi I'm John Wasilczyk, the executive producer for Battlefront 2. I started here at DICE a few months ago and it's been an adventure :) I've done a little bit of everything in the game industry over the last 15 years and I'm looking forward to growing the Battlefront community with all of you.
Dennis Brannvall (Associate Design Director) - /u/d_FireWall Introduction - Hey all, My name is Dennis and I work as Design Director for Battlefront II. I hope some of you still remember me from the first Battlefront where I was working as Lead Designer on the post launch part of that game. For this game, I focused mainly on the gameplay side of things - troopers, heroes, vehicles, game modes, guns, feel. I'm that strange guy that actually prefers the TV-shows over the movies in many ways (I loooove Clone Wars - Ahsoka lives!!) and I also play a lot of board games and miniature games such as X-wing, Imperial Assault and Star Wars Destiny. Hopefully I'm able to answer your questions in a good way!
Paul Keslin (Producer) – /u/TheVestalViking Introduction - Hi everyone, I'm Paul Keslin, one of the Multiplayer Producers over at DICE. My main responsibilities for the game revolved around the Troopers, Heroes, and some of our mounted vehicles (including the TaunTaun!). Additionally I collaborate closely with our partners at Lucasfilm to help bring the game together.
Please follow the guidelines outlined by the Subreddit moderation team in posting your questions.
Aesthetics I don't mind. But as soon as they start putting actual game content behind a pay wall and and adding pay to win shit, that's when I have a problem.
At least in a full-price game.
D&D Online had whole areas paywalled off, even areas reachable from the main hub, but that was the f2p model at the time.


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Model Number : TYT-6909GDA
Certification : CE/FCC
Place of Origin : China
MOQ : 1Pcs
Payment Terms : Western Union, T/T
Packaging Details : 4Pcs/Carton
Screen Size : 6.5"
Color : Black or Sliver
Car Mode : Toyota Hilux 2012-2015
Backlight : Green
Toyota Hilux 2012-2015 Centrais Multimedia Android 10.0 Car GPS Navigation Head Unit with GPS TYT-6909GDA(Black)
Applicable Model & Year :
Toyota Hilux 2012-2015
Selling Point:
Android 10.0 Operation systems
CPU: PX30 Quad-core Cortex-A35 up to 1.5GHz(RK3326 chip )
DDR3 2GB Ram, 16GB Rom /Flash
IPS Capacitive Multi-Touch screen
Support Original Car Steering wheel control
Support 3G/4G/WiFi Google Play Store and online communication Apps.
Support 1080P HD Video
Support Smartphone Mirror-link AirPlay(iPhone) and Miracast(Android)
Support Google Play Store(download android software and games Apps from the player store )
Multimedia Player
Resolution: 1024*600 RGB High-Definition TFT Screen
Music Format: MP3,WMA,AAC,RM,FLAC etc
Video Format: MPEG-1/2/4,H264,H263,VC1,RV,RMVB,DivX,Sorenson SparK,Spark,VP8,AVS Stream…
Picture Format: JPG/BMP/JEPG/GIF/PNG
With USB/SD Slot : Support Max 32GB
OSD Languages : English/ Russian/ French/ German/ Spanish/ Italian/ / Portuguese/Turkish/Thai/Polish/Hebrew etc over 20 kinds language
OBD2: It is connect via bluetooth or Wifi to receive real time date and trouble codes details from vehicle computer (OBD adapter is Option )
Mirror Link function : Support iphone & Android mobile, you can make screen mirror between car head unit and your mobile.
Apply CarPlay: Support iPhone Apply CarPlay and charger
DVR camera input: connection by USB DVR Camera/Support video recording while driving ( Extra DVR Camera device is option )
Backup camera input: Dispaly reverse image automatically while reversing ( Extra Backup Camera device is option )
Support online and offline network Navi Map Apps and support map
We preload free IGO map to the device ( support Google/Waze/IGO/ Sygic ect. )
Dual Zone: you can see navigation while listen to music or radio
Headrest Monitor: you can see navigation while back-seat passengers can watch DVD player on the headrest monitors.
Radio RDS
Radio FM/AM Tunner: ST-TDA7708/NXP6686
FM Frenqency Range: FM 87.5-108MHz
FM Increment: 0.05MHz(EU)/0.1MHz(US)
AM Frenqency Range: AM 522-1620KHz
AM Increment: 9KHz(EU)/10KHz(US)
Country: China,Europe,Eastern,Europe,Russia,USA1,USA2,Japan
Preset Stations: 30(FM 3*6, AM 2*6)
RDS: Yes
Support DAB+ (device is Option ): USB DAB Tuner uses the most advanced digital technology to deliver radio reception with outstanding, noise-free sound quality, you can enjoy top quality sound and audio broadcasting channels
Compatible with iPhone & Android mobile phone Hands Free phone call and Audio Music Streaming
A2DP (Bluetooth Stereo Music) can play stereo music through Bluetooth
PhoneBook-Download: download contacts from phone to car DVD device
Phonebook search: can use the first letter to search contact member in PB-Listings
With built in microphone ( External Microphone is option )
3G/4G/WIFI Network
WIFI : Built in Wifi module to support WiFi hot spot shoring
3G/4G: Support external 3G/4G USB Dongle:WCDMA, EVDO, TD-SCDMA( 3G/4G dongle not included )
Amplifer IC: ST-TDA7388/TDA7851
Amplifier Power Output: 4*45W
EQ Sound Adjustment: 9 Bands EQ to customize & Voice Custom, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Pop , Flat
Input Output
- 1 x Radio Antenna Input
- 1 x TV Antenna Input
- 2 x RCA Video Output
- 2 x Video input
- 1 x Audio input
- 2 x Audio output
- Sub woofer output and AUX Audio R/L Input
Package including
- 1 × Multimedia Player
- 1 × Power Cable
- 1 × USB cable
- 1 x RCA cable
- 1 × GPS antenna
1- To make sure the unit fits for your car perfectly without trouble, please tell us your car model / year and send car dashboard picture.
2- Our Unit do not include installation instruction, buyers need to ask professional technician to install the unit
Our Warranty Service
Your satisfaction is our priority, all of our products comes with a 24 month Warranty.
We will not provide repair freely for the following situation:
1. Improper repair and refit in other place expect our company admitted maintenance station.
2. Any failure and damage caused by accident and misuse.
3. Any failure and damage caused by fall-off after the customer bought.
4. Any failure and damage caused by fire, earthquake, flood,lightning strike and other natural disaster.
5. Any failure and damage caused by the products are not manufactured by our company.
6. Any failure caused by lamp blank, dust, water, direct sunlight etc.
7. Any failure and damage caused by worked long time in the place of ship or industry and commerce.
8. The details of the warranty car is incomplete or altered and removed.
9. The serial No. on the product has been removed or altered.
Toyota Hilux 2012-2015 Centrais Multimedia Android 10.0 Car GPS Navigation Head Unit with GPS TYT-6909GDA(Black) Images


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
|Virginia Beach, Va.
|Princess Anne HS
2013-14: Competed in five indoor meets and two outdoor meets ... set a personal best in the long jump at the Samford Multi & Invitational with a third-place mark of 7.29 meters ... at the A-Sun Indoor Championships, finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 14.39 meters and a fourth-place standing in the long jump with a 7.23 meters mark ... placed fifth at the A-Sun Outdoor Championships in the long jump with a leap of 7.18 meters before bowing out of competition due to injury.
2012-13: Competed in two indoor meets and five outdoor meets ... placed second in the men's long jump at the A-Sun Outdoor Championships with a wind-aided time of 7.51 meters which allowed him to advance to the NCAA East Region Preliminaries.
2011-12: Was limited in action, participating in two meets of the outdoor season... finished second in the triple jump at the Winthrop Twilight (14.36m)... took sixth in the long jump at the Clemson Tiger Qualifier (6.92m).
2010-11: Won a gold medal at the Liberty Open in the triple jump with a career-best mark of 15.13m... earned a silver medal at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championship with a mark of 14.96m... pcked up a bronze medal at the Appalachian Indoor Invitational in the long jump with a mark of 6.99m... named Atlantic Sun Field Athlete of the Week (Feb. 2).
2009-10: Won three gold medals, including two in the triple jump and one in the long jump during the season…The gold medals in the triple jump came at the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championship and Beynon Sports Catamount Classic,... took gold in the long jump at the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic with a mark of 6.77m... also picked up four silver medals and five bronze medals.
About Beaver: Was a letterwinner at Princess Anne High School … Beaver will look to contend for the conference title in both the long jump and triple jump … he has a personal best of 23-06 in the long jump and 47-02 in the triple jump.
Personal: Born June 23, 1990... son of Carl Beaver and Cheryl Gregory... majoring in interdisciplinary studies.


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Mine was... challenging.
|Wearing my big kid in our woven WC ring sling.
He's crying, which is why I turned him away
from the camera. (This photo was taken
in chilly January, but you get the idea.)
At some point this weekend—between Daniel's screaming, tears, lack of sleep, various potty issues, and intensive babywearing (preschooler-wearing?) on our parts—I remembered a video I recorded a while back of Jaymz wearing and bouncing Daniel on the ball while we chatted and joked about Daniel's (seemingly endless) fourth trimester. If you're not familiar with the concept of the fourth trimester, this article explains the theory which has been popularized by Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block.
Essentially, the fourth trimester is the first three months after birth, when an infant's nervous system isn't yet mature enough to effectively and efficiently soothe himself without help from a caregiver (a co-regulator.) The baby is most comfortable in situations which mimic the environment in utero: being tightly swaddled (or worn in a supportive baby carrier), being rocked or bounced (which mimics the motion of mama walking), hearing the sound of someone else's heart beat, suckling, etc.
Back in November, I captured this video of Daniel requiring fourth-trimester-esque soothing, as has become a routine and expected part of our life. I asked Jaymz why we should record it (because it's such a frequent occurrence for us), and his answer started our conversation:
Here's a transcript of the video, if you need it (a couple parts are quiet):
Jaymz: This is our life.
Amy: Yeah.
J: We're documenting it for posterity.
A: That's true. ... So Jaymz and I were just talking about how, even though Daniel is two-and-a-half, he [still] seems to like being in a uterus. Look! Jaymz—
J: And since I don't have a uterus—
A: Jaymz has his own uterus!
J: Strap-on.
J: Daniel, how are you feeling? Very good?
A: What did he say? "Very good?"
J: Yeah. You doing OK in there?
A: A couple minutes ago, Jaymz asked Daniel if he wanted to [stop bouncing and] go downstairs, and he said no, he just wanted to bounce in Momma's room. So that's what they're doing.
J: Middle of November, 2012. ... Yeah...
A: The air was cold. But the uterus was warm. ...And bouncy.
J: The good news is, I'm getting my workout in for the day.
A: I wonder how many hours you've done that?
J: Oh... I could probably estimate.
A: You think?
J: Yeah, I mean like: rough, back-of-the-napkin sort of thing.
A: Back of the napkin? Is that a thing?
J: Yeah, that's a thing: back-of-the-napkin calculation? Never heard of that one?
A: No.
J: Just me?
A: Yeah. Just you. ... Did you hear of that, Daniel? ...Have you heard of that? No? OK.
J: No? You haven't heard of a back-of-the-napkin calculation? Well...
A: See? Daniel and I agree. And he's pretty— pretty worldly, so...
J: What, with all the uteri he's lived in!
A: Yes. Both of them.
A: How you feeling, Daniel? ... Very good!
Here's Jaymz's conservative, back-of-the-napkin (I'm still not sure he didn't make that up ;) estimation of time spent bouncing on the ball, from Daniel's birth through the time this video was recorded:
I'm tempted to try to estimate the number of hours I have spent holding Daniel while he cried (screamed, thrashed—more often lately while kicking and/or hitting me), but... I think I'm better off solidly in the dark on that one.


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Terrible Tuesdays
Bill and Jaz are suffering from sleep deprivation, flooding, and an infestation of ants, just to name a few things. Nerves are starting to fray. Luckily, Bill Scher and State Senator Stan Rosenberg are on the phone to bring calm and order to the day's proceedings.
Also, I'm not sure why you can barely hear Bill in the first few moments, but it seemed to correct itself.
Download the show! | Open Player in New Window
Tuesday 8 March 2011
2011-03-08 » Jaz Tupelo


text:
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and Infection Control Today. All rights reserved.
A mathematical tool used by the Metropolitan Police and FBI has been adapted by researchers at Queen Mary University of London to help control outbreaks of malaria, and has the potential to target other infectious diseases.
In cases of serial crime such as murder or rape, police typically have too many suspects to consider, for example, the Yorkshire Ripper investigation in the UK generated a total of 268,000 names. To help prioritize these investigations, police forces around the world use a technique called geographic profiling, which uses the spatial locations of the crimes to make inferences about the criminal's likely anchor point – usually a home or workplace.
Writing in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, the team has shown how the maths that underpins geographic profiling can be adapted to target the control of infectious diseases, including malaria. Using data from an outbreak in Cairo, the scientists show how the new model could use the addresses of patients with malaria to locate the breeding sites of the mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
"The experts working in the field had to search almost 300 square km to find seven breeding sites, but our model found the same sites after searching just two-thirds of this area," says Dr. Steve Le Comber, a senior lecturer at QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. "In fact our model found five of the seven sites after searching just 10.7 square km. This is potentially important since there is a lot of evidence suggesting that the best way to control outbreaks of malaria is to attack the mosquito breeding sites – but it is incredibly difficult to do in practice."
The mathematical approach takes just minutes on a computer, meaning that the method could be used in the early stages of epidemics, when control efforts are most likely to be effective – potentially stopping outbreaks before they spread.
Le Comber adds, "The model has potential to identify the source of other infectious diseases as well, and we're now working with public health bodies to develop it further for use with TB, cholera and Legionnaires' disease."
Source: Queen Mary University of London


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I'm attempting to ignore the heart-wrenching stuff going on – a family crisis on top of the medical problems that meant I was late posting last month's post for Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. No real excuse then for evading this post although I'm so depressed I can't escape to my writing worlds, just into a game world where I can fight spiders and hyenas rather than injustice.
Okay, so what is this month's optional question?
May 3 Question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?
That got me thinking about all the different bits of research that I had done for my various books from my debut to novels at the first draft stage. My debut was set against the equestrian world that I worked in as a journalist so there were some minor extra questions that I had to ask or facts to check – but I had to research diabetes and sportspeople, plus PTSD. For other books, there have been how online games are produced, shamanism, Romany customs, and policing in a bilingual country. But weird or cool?
Coolest must be researching the latest developments in airships for Eagle's Passage, my alternative history set in 2020. Here and there are so many great things happening from Air Cushion Landing systems to NASA's challenge to produce a high-altitude airship. A high-tech airship called Draken Njal Migisi is the main craft in my novel and I got the chance to project many of today's design ideas, including one for SOLAR-JETS – engines powered by solar kerosene, which I also use in my post-apocalyptic novel Storms Compass. I still use solar cells as a key component.
And for anyone wondering about my airship's name, the first word is Norwegian for Dragon – as some longships were called – and for Njal Migisi visit my C is for Cristóbal Colón post in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Mind you, researching the History of Kanata has been cool – and at times weird.
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.
Please visit others in the group and connect with my fellow writers.
Let's rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
And be sure to check out our Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13/
Our revved up IWSG Day question may prompt us to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. If so, we include our answer to the question in our IWSG post or let it inspire our post if we are struggling with something to say.
The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!


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For a look that's "right now," liven up the four basic pieces with eye-popping color, clean lines and shapely accents.
1. Pick a paint with punch. Because our furniture basics are quiet neutrals, we chose Benjamin Moore's Apple Green for the walls to add a jolt of cheerful energy. A few bold accessories — bright pillows and a watermelon bubble vase — are all you need for an instant mood booster.
2. Use art that's off-the-wall. Put your style on the map — literally! This schoolroom staple is an unexpected touch that inspires travel as it knits together the accent colors. And its large-scale format fits perfectly over the sofa.
More From Good Housekeeping
3. Opt for fluid, organic shapes. A bottleneck lamp, sculptural end tables and bulbous vases (like the ones from West Elm) soften the edge.
4. Tuck away clutter. Your practical pieces can also be sleek and streamlined: The funky storage ottoman from Todd Oldham by La-Z-Boy hides mess and doubles as extra seating.
To get this updated country style, choose calming hues, soft pillows, loose-knit throws and a bunch of eclectic pieces.
1. Try blue — a perennial favorite. You can't go wrong with a shade like Benjamin Moore's Delano Waters. Blue is cool — soothing but not overwhelming. Capel's Palmer Stripe rug unites the light (Makati baskets from the Container Store) with the dark (Ethan Allen's fan-back chair).
2. Create a display that has strength in numbers. Hang different-size framed pictures together in a pleasing arrangement for the visual impact of something much larger. A collection of prints and photos provides an opportunity to make your space welcoming and warm.
3. Think "mixing" more than "matching." Don't have a pair of identical end tables? Not a problem. This room's laid-back charm comes from casual couplings like the light blue wicker end table from Urban Cottage (to the right of the sofa) and the small bookshelf (to the left).
For a timeless room, bring in these essential elements: velvety colors, layers of prints and symmetrical accents.
1. Pile on the patterns. Wallpaper has a grandeur that paint just can't achieve. The Calder Stripe paper from Ralph Lauren is striking yet sufficiently subdued, so it can be paired with the floral rug without clashing.
2. Keep everything in balance. This refined style is distinguished by harmony — note the matching set of nesting tables, the Double French sconces from Circa Lighting and the old-fashioned botanical prints.
3. Slipcover the sofa. The easiest way to make over furniture is with a well-fitting slipcover like this Pottery Barn version, which conceals the basic beige couch. The cardinal red, together with the Smith and Noble silk panels, instantly lends depth and richness to the space.
4. Add a hint of glint. To make any room look like a million bucks, give the place some sparkle! The shiny metallic finish of the accent pieces sends our basic furniture into a whole new income bracket.


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FYI All:
Lower Rio Grande Valley-Tularosa Valley-Union County-Harding County-Eastern San Miguel County- Guadalupe County-Quay County-Curry County-Roosevelt County-De Baca County-Chavez County Plains-Eastern Lincoln County-Southwest Chavez County
Wed, Oct. 27, 2010
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a freeze watch which is in effect from late tonight through Thursday morning.
• Temperatures — Lows will fall to between 26 and 32 degrees.
• Timing — The greatest threat for freezing temperatures will occur between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m.
• Local impacts — Those with tender outdoor vegetation and animals should take the necessary precautions to protect from freezing temperatures.


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Meduusat Studio
Steampunk Goggles / Silicone prosthetics / Latex free
Silicone prosthetic hand-sculpted and cast using skin-friendly and food-safe silicone.
Perfect for special effects photo sessions, Halloween, or cosplay. Soft and comfortable.
One size fits most.
The lenses come detached to prevent damage during transport! Peel off the protective film and attach them with a few dots of superglue along the edges.
The piece comes with full instructions.
It can be painted using regular makeup, body paint, or alcohol-activated paint and is reusable if handled carefully.
Applied using silicone adhesives such as Snappy G, Telesis 5/8, or Pros-Aide.
Differences between Silicone and Latex:
- Unlike latex, silicone is a practically unheard of allergy.
- Silicone is flexible and behaves much like skin, making the pieces much more realistic and comfortable to wear.
- Silicone has super thin edges blending seamlessly into the skin.
As these are hand cast, slight variations may occur.
Comes in 3 colours:
- Pale *NEW*
- Tan
- Dark
Colour may vary slightly.
Made to order; please allow 2-5 business days for production on top of shipping.
1-5 business day delivery aim for UK customers.
1-2 weeks delivery aim for EU customers.
2-3 weeks delivery aim for all other international customers.
Is it very IMPORTANT or need in QUICKLY? Update to Trackable at check out. Standard shipping is not trackable; if it's lost - it's lost.
These times are aims set by the Royal Mail and are not guaranteed.
Once the parcels have been handed over to the postal service I am no longer responsible for any delays or customs fees.
We try our hardest to be environment-friendly and therefore package our products in recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials when possible.
Are they reusable?
Silicone prosthetics are not designed to be reusable. Most of my prosthetics can be reused, but you're likely to get a more noticable edge after the first application.
How do you apply them?
Every order comes with a handy little booklet to walk you through the application.
I try my best to make all my products user-friendly, so no previous experience is required.
Do you sell adhesive?
No, because adhesives can not be shipped by air.
I recommend getting a silicone adhesive such as Snappy G, Telesis or Sil-key, or you can use Pros-Aide.
I do not recommend Spirit gum.


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The Hurdles of a Third Way for Catalonia
- Published in Articles
Written by Carles Boix and J. C. Major In its May 5 editorial, the Financial Times once again urged Spanish authorities to work on a compromise aimed at solving the Catalan question. The same point has been made more or less explicitly by other international actors. Likewise, in Madrid as well as in Barcelona, some small but influential groups realize that the territorial arrangement now in place in Spain is unworkable and are calling, each in their own way, for a negotiated solution. Only this week, some have seen in the announcement of the Spanish king's abdication an opportunity to break the present impasse. (+)


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As the official custodian of the City's archival resources, the Archives and Records Management program (A/RM) maintains records of Portland's history dating back to 1850 and consists of records created by elected officials, defunct agencies and bureau records having historical significance. Additionally, A/RM collects records closely aligned and supportive of the history of City government and projects that illustrate the growth of the city over time. The collection resides on a variety of media, including paper records, microfilm, maps and photos. It is the intention of A/RM to collect the City's historical records and house them in one location to serve as the single point for preservation and research for both citizens and City employees.
While A/RM is charged with preserving the City's archives, it is the responsibility of every employee and bureau to ensure that City records are protected from damage and inappropriate destruction. Records identified as archival have an elevated expectation and need for preservation throughout their life. This policy sets the means for collecting and preserving the city's historical records.
City Code Chapter 3.76.030 Authority and Duties of the Records Management Officer.
The City Auditor shall maintain a professional Archives and Records Management Program for the City, and shall be responsible for the care, maintenance and access of all City records. The City Auditor shall be the custodian for all permanent records for which an agency has transferred ownership to the Auditor and for all historical records.
1) The City's historical records may not be donated, sold, destroyed or otherwise removed from the City's jurisdiction without permission of the City Auditor.
2) A/RM will actively pursue the return of historical records improperly removed from the City's jurisdiction, or City records with limited or no access.
3) A/RM accessions records into the Archives through several methods:
a) Direct transfer via the Records Retention Schedules. Historical records obtained through the disposition process will automatically be accessioned into the Archives at the archivist's direction.
b) Transfer of jurisdiction from the bureau to Archives and Records Management. This agreement formally transfers the custody and jurisdiction of the records to the Archives, along with the responsibility for ongoing access and preservation.
c) Records meeting the collecting policy may be accepted via donation. A Deed of Gift is required for records accessioned from non-city sources
d) A/RM may seek to purchase selected items that both meet the collecting policy and are not offered as a donation.
4) Records accessioned into the Archives will be managed according to archival and State-mandated standards.
5) Records stored in bureau offices or other facilities owned or leased by the City shall meet the minimum environmental, access and security standards set by A/RM.
6) A/RM may require bureaus to transfer records to the Archives if bureaus are unable to meet the minimum standards for access, environment and security.
Bureaus shall:
1) Notify A/RM of records within their bureau that are more than 25 years old or records having historical significance because they document the bureau's history, major projects or have an impact on social and community history.
a) Records that are not needed for the day-to-day operations of the bureau and are determined to be historically significant by the City Archivist will be transferred to the Archives upon request.
b) Bureaus shall designate an authorized employee who may sign the Transfer of Jurisdiction.
c) Records that are needed for day-to-day operations and that are identified as being historically significant may require additional bureau measures to ensure the longevity, protection and access to the records while in the bureau's custody. A/RM will identify steps needed to comply with the standards. Bureaus may also choose to maintain copies of historically significant records needed for day-to-day operations and transfer the originals to the Archives for preservation.
d) Upon notification from Archives and Records Management, sign the Transfer of Jurisdiction form and transfer records to A/RM as instructed by the City Archivist
2) Ensure that bureau records are protected in accordance with City Code and A/RM policies.
3) Notify A/RM of City-created records that are held by individuals or non-City entities.
Archives and Records Management
1) A/RM will notify bureaus of records requiring transfer to the Archives and will complete a Transfer of Jurisdiction form to be signed by a Bureau representative.
2) A/RM will negotiate the return of records removed from the City's control.
3) A/RM will work with bureaus to plan measures for preservation and access to historical records stored in their offices.


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Capital punishment dying in California
During the past four decades, no California political issue has burned more intensely than capital punishment, but it may have ended with a whimper, rather than with a bang, last week.
Federal Judge Cormac Carney ruled that the death penalty is unconstitutional because it's rarely used — thanks largely to ceaseless legal challenges from its opponents, one should note. Another irony is that Jerry Brown — a lifelong foe of capital punishment — was governor when it dominated the Capitol in the 1970s, and he's governor again as Carney's ruling more than likely ends it.
The death penalty had overwhelming public support in the 1970s as the state Supreme Court blocked it twice and the Legislature re-enacted it twice, once over Brown's veto.
A 1978 ballot measure seemingly was the last word. But Chief Justice Rose Bird, who had been appointed by Brown, and other liberal justices blocked all 64 death penalty cases that reached them on automatic appeal.
Bird paid the price for her stubborn opposition in 1986, when voters, by a 2-1 rate, denied her confirmation to a new term and ousted two liberal colleagues. It took six more years for the state's first gas chamber execution in more than 25 years, however. And the execution of Robert Alton Harris, the killer of two 16-year-old boys, merely fueled new legal battles, with a shift of focus from the penalty itself to the execution method.
A federal court in 1994 declared the gas chamber to be unconstitutionally cruel.
State officials changed to lethal injection, which was used 11 times under three governors before a federal court ruled in 2006 that it, too, was unconstitutional.
Authorities rewrote execution protocols, but the legal sparring continued, culminating in Carney's declaration that the "dysfunctional administration" of capital punishment has "quietly transformed" it into "one no rational jury or legislature could ever impose: life imprisonment with the remote possibility of death."
The 748 men and women now on death row are much more likely to die of old age than be executed, but should any be put to death, he said, "they will have languished for so long ... that their execution will serve no retributive or deterrent purpose and will be arbitrary."
It's difficult to argue with that logic. But what might be done to respond to the decision, assuming it's appealed — not at all certain given Brown's bent — and upheld? Support for capital punishment has waned. A 2012 ballot measure to abolish it failed, but very narrowly, and afterward, Brown said he had voted for it.
More than likely, therefore, capital punishment is dead in California, more or less due to old age.
Dan Walters is a columnist for the Sacramento Bee. Reach him at email@example.com


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Sometimes my summer reading list takes unanticipated paths. . . . Here are some highlights from an older report from the UK that feels like it could have been written today!
In 2002, British academic Jake Chapman wrote a paper for Demos, a UK think tank, entitled: "System Failure: Why Governments Must Learn to Think Differently." It is based on his experiences in working with large government challenges, especially in the energy and health care sectors. In his paper, he contrasts the traditional, linear approach to problem-solving with a more holistic, systemic approach. He says it is like the difference between throwing a rock and a live bird:
"Mechanical linear models are excellent for understanding where the rock will end up, but useless for predicting the trajectory of the bird – even though both are subject to the same laws of physics."
His ideas on systems thinking helped me clarify my thinking on ways to best address complicated vs. complex policy and management issues.
The Traditional Linear Thinking Approach.
Chapman says the current model of "rational policy making" attempts to reduce complex problems into separate, rationally management components and tackle each in a rational, linear manner by:
- Clarifying objectives,
- Identifying alternative means of achieving each objective,
- Identifying the pros and cons of each alternative, and
- Weighing the consequences of each, and selecting the best alternative.
This was how I was taught to manage; I'm sure you were, too. But Chapman says today's policy environment now requires a more holistic view and that the assumptions underlying the traditional linear, mechanistic approach of reducing problems into manageable chunks "fail to reflect the way the modern world operates." And that is why so many well-planned initiatives stumble, often in unpredictable ways. This, of course, is uncomfortable to rational "reductionists!"
Chapman says the failure of the "reductionist" way of thinking in the face of a complex issue is that "the assumptions of separability, linearity, simple causation and predictability are no longer valid." He elaborates further, noting:
"The essential aspect of the reductionist approach is that complexity is simplified by dividing a problem into sub-problems. . . The process of sub-division is continued until the resulting bits are simple enough to be analyzed and understood. . . .[But] What if essential features of that entity are embedded not in the components but in their interconnectedness? What if its complexity arises from the ways in which its components actually relate to and interact with one another? The very act of simplifying the sub-division loses the interconnections and therefore cannot tackle this aspect of complexity."
Reductionist methods work well when addressing complicated policy issues. These issues are often characterized by broad agreement on the problem and what a solution might look like. They are bounded by time and the resources needed to address it are predictable.
The Systems Thinking Approach.
In contrast to complicated issues, complex issues are characterized by no clear agreement about what the problem is, and ambiguity in how improvements might be made. It is unbounded in terms of the time and resources needed to address it. Systems thinking provides a framework that has proven to be successful in tackling complexity.
Chapman writes: "Systems thinking has an alternative strategy for simplifying complexity, namely going up a level of abstraction. Higher levels of abstraction lose detail, and it is the loss of detail that provides the simplification" . . . instead of reducing problems to smaller components. "Systems thinking," Chapman notes, "is useful for tackling issues that are embedded in complexity, particularly where that includes human activity."
Systems thinking approaches are most frequently used in three broad areas:
- When assessing natural systems (biology and ecology)
- When working with engineered systems (computers, cars, nuclear power stations)
- When analyzing human-activity systems (institutions and organizations).
What's Different Under a Systems Thinking Approach?
Chapman says: "The core aspects of systems thinking are gaining a bigger picture (going up a level of abstraction) and appreciating other people's perspectives on an issue or situation." He says that learning is "the key way to handle complexity and its associated lack of predictability and control."
He goes on to say: "While the acquisition of new skills and knowledge are important, they are not central to systemic learning. Systemic learning involves practice and reflection on one's own experience. . . .Systemic learning requires people to be willing to work jointly with those who have other perspectives . . . and reflect on the outcomes of their actions and modify their behaviors, beliefs, and interventions on the basis of that reflection."
The prerequisite to moving to a systemic thinking approach is to adopt it at the personal level: reflect on your way of thinking, the assumptions you are making, and be honest about the real goals you are pursuing. To apply this approach more broadly, Chapman recommends actions where:
- "Interventions would introduce learning processes rather than specifying outcomes or targets."
- "The emphasis would be on improving general system effectiveness, as judged by the clients or users of the system."
- Engaging agents and stakeholders will be based "more upon listening and co-researching and less upon telling and instructing."
- "Implementation would include deliberate strategies for innovation, evaluation, learning and reflection."
In conclusion, Chapman observes: ". . . .in the long run it is more efficient and effective to motivate and empower than to issue detailed commands."
In addition to Chapman's recommendations, a recent IBM Center report on open system design by David Witzel offers a dozen tips on practices that can help public managers apply systems thinking in practical settings, as well.
Why Isn't Systems Thinking More Predominant?
How far have we come in the past decade since Chapman's first report? Probably not are far as he would have liked, but he did note that there are significant obstacles to learning within bureaucracies and government. These include:
- An aversion to failure, when failures are punished rather than used to learn lessons.
- The pressure for uniformity in public services
- Shared assumptions that command and control is the best way to exercise power
- The lack of time to do anything other than cope with events
- The dominance of turf wars between departments
But what has grown in the past decade in the U.S. is the use of the PerformanceStat approach, which is a learning-based leadership strategy being adopted by successful public sector leaders at all levels, to create a forum where systems thinking can occur — so there is hope!
Graphic Credit: Courtesy of Feelart via FreeDigitalPhotos


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Since 1995 we have been supporting Uzbekistan to develop education and training to boost employability, increase access to opportunity and promote social cohesion complementing the work of the EU's External Action Service.
EU development assistance concerns rural development between 2014-2020: "Skills Development for Employability in rural Areas of Uzbekistan ACA/2017/039-905". The ETF is supporting the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan in the implementation of the project. It is also supporting Uzbekistan through the Torino Process which serves as a strategic tool within the VET system and is linked to the Presidential National Development Strategy and Action Plan. The Torino Process also serves as a vehicle for policy dialogue, international cooperation, education/business cooperation and economic development. The ETF latest assessment was completed in 2020.


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Wendy Nyte Photography
My Photos
The Great Outdoors
Darlene Doll Shoot
I was born in Clearwater, FL., and I moved to Ashland, Ky., when I was 8. I found my life was surrounded by art. My Mom was a painter and I loved all styles of music. I loved animals and raised several different furry creatures from the usual dog and cat to wild rabbits (still a passion to this day) and a guinea pig or two. I also found time to fall in love with a furry headed rocker and move to Hollywood, CA., and I am still raising the rocker. Go figure ... he is allergic to furry creatures. Luckily I now live just outside of Atlanta, GA., on a few acres of wooded land with 2 creeks on the property. Needless to say I get my fair share of time with all kinds of creatures, feathered, scaled, musical and yes, even furry. I love my family, friends and camera! I make the most of my skills with Photoshop and can bring several years of experience in the arts and advertising business to create an atmosphere that can highlight either or both in a simple moment captured by the flash of my camera. You make the call ... or we'll make it together. My eyes are always focusing on the best feature. I love my view of this amazing world. A baby's 1st step, an old gentleman's struggle to open his wife's car door, a moth's desire to stay in the light's warm glow. I wanted a passion to make my soul seek perfection ... I found it from a gift. Appropriately enough, my passion was discovered by a loved one and now, it has become my life... PHOTOGRAPHY! We all have it ... that desire to capture a moment that say's to others, look at what I saw, what I thought, what I loved about that moment. What I love about life. I am lucky enough to share my vision and dreams with you! Maybe ... just maybe ... I can capture what we both need to see.. Yes... I CAN. WENDY


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- Action
- Comedy
- Crime
- Thriller
Ocean's Eight
The plan is priceless.
Adriana Francesca Lima (born June 12, 1981, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) is a Brazilian model, best known as a Victoria's Secret Angel since 2000, and as a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics from 2003 to 2009. At the age of 15, Lima finished first in Ford's "Supermodel of Brazil" competition, and took second place the following year in the Ford "Supermodel of the World" competition before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City. Since 2005, Lima has ranked in the top five of Forbes' lists of the 20 highest-earning models in the world, and in 2006 ranked No.99 on the Forbes Celebrity 100. She is married to Serbian basketball player Marko Jarić.


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Fresolimumab and Radiotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01401062
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : July 25, 2011
Results First Posted : April 6, 2017
Last Update Posted : March 5, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Metastatic Breast Cancer
|Drug: Fresolimumab Radiation: Radiation Therapy
|Phase 2
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|23 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Fresolimumab and Radiotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer
|Study Start Date :
|July 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|June 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 2014
Experimental: Arm 1 (Fresolimumab 1 mg/kg)
Fresolimumab is administered intravenously (i.v.) at a dose of 1 mg/kg on day 1 of weeks 0, 3, 6, 9 & 12 and radiation administered at 7.5 Gy/fraction in 3 fractions during weeks 1 (to lesion 1) and 7 (to lesion 2).
Drug: Fresolimumab
Other Name: GC1008
Radiation: Radiation Therapy
Experimental: Arm 2 (Fresolimumab 10 mg/kg)
Fresolimumab is administered intravenously (i.v.) at a dose of 10 mg/kg on day 1 of weeks 0, 3, 6, 9 & 12 and radiation administered at 7.5 Gy/fraction in 3 fractions during weeks 1 (to lesion 1) and 7 (to lesion 2).
Drug: Fresolimumab
Other Name: GC1008
Radiation: Radiation Therapy
- Abscopal Response Rate [ Time Frame: up to 20 weeks ]Defined as the percentage of patients who have responses (complete or partial) outside the irradiated lesions. The abscopal response is assessed at 15 weeks, and confirmed minimum 4 weeks later. The abscopal response is evaluated based on immune-related response criteria (irRC) (Wolchok et al, 2009).
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Biopsy-proven breast cancer, metastatic (persistent or recurrent).
- Failed ≥1 line of therapy (endocrine or chemotherapy) for metastatic disease.
- Min. 3 distinct metastatic sites, at least one measurable lesion which is at least 1 cm or larger in largest diameter.
Must be ≥4 weeks since all of the following treatments (recovered from toxicity of prior treatment to ≤Grade 1, excluding alopecia):
- major surgery;
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy (≥6 weeks since therapy if a nitrosourea, mitomycin, or monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab);
- immunotherapy;
- biotherapy/targeted therapies.
- >18 years of age.
- Life expectancy >6 months.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status 0 or 1.
Adequate organ function including:
- Hemoglobin ≥10.0g/dL, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1,500/mm3, and platelets ≥100,000/mm3.
- Hepatic: Serum total bilirubin ≤1.5x upper limit of normal (ULN) (Patients with Gilbert's Disease may be included if total bilirubin is ≤3.0mg/dL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤2.5xULN. If patient has known liver metastases, ALT and/or AST ≤5xULN are allowed.
- Renal: creatinine clearance ≥60mL/min.
- Prothrombin (PT) and partial thromboplastin times (PTT) <ULN.
- Negative for hepatitis viruses B and C unless consistent with prior vaccination or prior infection with full recovery.
- Patients of childbearing potential must agree to use effective contraception while on study, and for ≥3 months after last treatment.
- Understand and sign written informed consent document. No consent by durable power of attorney.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Second malignancy - unless following curative intent therapy, has been disease free for ≥2 years with probability of recurrence <5%. Curatively treated early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are allowed.
- Concurrent cancer therapy.
- Uncontrolled central nervous system (CNS) metastases, meningeal carcinomatosis, malignant seizures, or disease that causes or threatens neurologic compromise (e.g. unstable vertebral metastases).
- History of ascites or pleural effusions, unless successfully treated.
- Organ transplant, including allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
Immunosuppressive therapy including:
- Systemic corticosteroid therapy, including replacement therapy for hypoadrenalism. Inhaled or topical corticosteroids are allowed (if therapy is <5 days and is limited to systemic steroids as antiemetics);
- Cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, or sirolimus.
- Investigational agents within 4 weeks prior to study enrollment (≥6 weeks if treatment was long-acting agent such as monoclonal antibody).
- Significant or uncontrolled medical illness, e.g. congestive heart failure (CHF), myocardial infarction, symptomatic coronary artery disease, significant ventricular arrhythmias within the last 6 months, or significant pulmonary dysfunction. Patients with remote history of asthma or active mild asthma may participate.
- Active infection, including unexplained fever (>38.5°C).
- Systemic autoimmune disease (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus, active rheumatoid arthritis).
- Known allergy to any component of GC1008.
- Active thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism, hypercoagulability states, bleeding, or anti-coagulation therapy (including anti platelet agents i.e. aspirin, clopidogrel, ticlopidine, dipyridamole, other agents inducing long-acting platelet dysfunction). Patients with history of deep venous thrombosis are allowed if treated, completely resolved, and no treatment for >4months.
- Calcium >11.0mg/dL (2.75mmol/L) unresponsive or uncontrolled in response to standard therapy (e.g. bisphosphonates).
Patients who, in the opinion of the Investigator, have significant medical or psychosocial problems, including, but not limited to:
- Other serious non-malignancy-associated conditions that may be expected to limit life expectancy or significantly increase the risk of SAEs;
- Conditions, psychiatric, substance abuse, or other, that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would preclude informed consent, consistent follow-up, or compliance with any aspect of the study;
- Pregnant or nursing women.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01401062
|United States, California
|David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095-1714
|United States, New York
|New York University Langone Medical Center Cancer Center
|New York, New York, United States, 10016
|Principal Investigator:
|Silvia Formenti, M.D.
|NYU Langone Health
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Weill Medical College of Cornell University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
BC100481 ( Other Grant/Funding Number: DOD )
|First Posted:
|July 25, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|April 6, 2017
|Last Update Posted:
|March 5, 2019
|Last Verified:
|February 2019
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
metastatic breast cancer
monoclonal antibody
radiation therapy
abscopal response
Breast Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Breast Diseases
Skin Diseases


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|Discounts for all tours during Dec/Jan./Feb.
Our company offers you the opportunity during the winter months to select one of our tours with 15% discount from the prices listed in our catalogs.
Choosing a tour from the above time frames, the total price includes the transfer to and from Athens airport and any other destination in Attica.
To select a trip for two days or more, special pricing packages are offered depending on the period of lease.
For further information please contact us..


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Working families in South West Florida are standing in solidarity with Wisconsin workers today and protesting Gov. Walker's visit to Naples.
Gov. Walker is speaking at the Ritz Carlton resort in Naples, Florida as part of the James Madison Institute think-tank luncheon.
Protesters in the Sunshine State are shining a light on Gov. Walker's attacks on middle class families.
WZVN, a local news station, is reporting that:
Protestors are lined up to express their disapproval of the embattled governor… at Vanderbilt Beach and Airport Pulling. They say Walker is in town trying to raise money to defeat the recall election he faces in Wisconsin.
The timing, Wally Ilczyszyn, president of Florida's Painters & Allied Trades, is perfect.
"Walker's at the Ritz-Carlton for a $500-a-plate luncheon because he can't find enough money in his home state to fight against his recall. So he has to come here."
Brendan Fonock, a Cape Coral Fire Fighter, Local 2424 explained:
"We're here standing with our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin. Their fight there has recharged unions across the country and we're letting those (in power) know that we're looking out for the middle class and that we will not be silent to take away our rights to collectively bargain."
With six straight months of job loss and an unfulfilled promise to create 250,000 new jobs for the state, Gov. Walker has plenty of work to do right here in Wisconsin.
This week alone the Governor will be in Florida and in Washington D.C. These trips provide Gov. Walker an opportunity to fundraise with deep-pocketed, out-of-state individuals in an attempt to drown out the voices of the people of Wisconsin in the upcoming recall election.
Local News Coverage


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ST. LOUIS (AP) — A lack of rain in the United States' midsection in recent months has reduced water levels in some of the nation's biggest rivers, exposing sandbars that experts warn could be deadly quicksand.
Rivers such as the Mississippi and Missouri are typically low in August, but this year's drought has them at their lowest point in decades. The sandbars that are revealed look like beaches, inviting boaters, fishermen and hikers to venture out. Experts agree that can be a very bad idea.
Steve Barry, emergency management chief for the Corps of Engineers office in Memphis, Tenn., said the exposed sand looks dry on top but it is really saturated mud. Combined with the undercurrent of water in the fast-moving rivers, that creates a true danger.
"If it's really wet sand and there's flowing water underneath it, that's what quicksand is," Barry said. "The other issue is that as the river flows by it undercuts. You think you're on a sandbar but you're basically on a ledge. You put enough weight on it and you end up in the river."
The last time the Mississippi and Missouri were this low was 1988. There were at least seven deaths along the Mississippi blamed on drought-weakened sandbars in 1988, the Corps of Engineers said. Three people drowned that year near Natchez, Miss. And three children and an adult who tried to save them drowned near Ripley, Tenn., when they were swept into the river after a sandbar collapsed.
Earlier this month, an 11-year-old girl had to be rescued after sand swallowed her up to her waist while she and her family fished along the Mississippi near New Madrid in southeast Missouri. Firefighter Jim Russell said the girl began to sink and the more she struggled, the faster she descended.
Russell and another firefighter found a slab of concrete debris to stabilize themselves, then had to dig the girl out by hand. She was scared but unharmed.
"When you get to knee depth, you can't get out," Russell said. "It just starts sucking you down in it. It's really like heavy goo. It looks dry on top but really it's waterlogged."
Lt. Ryan Gomez of the U.S. Coast Guard said the best suggestion is to stay off sandbars. Otherwise, he urged the use of lifejackets for anyone in or near the water.


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Based on my limited experience, it seems to me that journal peer reviewing faces an interesting challenge with the increased use of Supplementary Information (and I absolutely endorse detailed SI and obviously encourage even more detailed SI). In a very non-random of articles that I know inside-out (Team journal publications), my conclusion is that, in these cases, the journal reviewers didn't even look at the SI or even verify that the SI actually exists. Whether or not this sort of flaccid reviewing extends to other journals or even to other climate science articles not involving the Team, I can't say. But I think that the observations are well supported in respect to flaccid reviewing of Team articles.
It's one thing if the SI is merely data. But combined with the use of SI to provide data, in some cases, authors use SI to derive results that are applied in the main article. In such cases, the reviewers should surely be obliged to examine the SI as an integral part of the article.
I'll discuss two examples – the MBH Corrigendum and the recent Wahl and Ammann 2007/Ammann and Wahl 2007.
We got some insight into Nature's practices with SI because we had a submission to Nature under review concurrent with the MBH Corrigendum. One of the reviewers of our submission said in respect of a Mann reply point that this methodological point was not in the original article or original SI and that it should have been included in the Corrigendum SI. Both myself and Marcel Crok pressed Nature and eventually found out that not only was the Corrigendum SI not peer reviewed, but the Corrigendum itself was not peer reviewed (it was handled by editors); the Corrigendum SI was not even examined by the editors. Examination of SI did not, in general, appear to be included in the peer review process. I must say that it seemed odd to me that Nature did not peer review the Corrigendum. I would have thought that, if they felt that a Corrigendum was warranted, then there was at least as great an obligation to peer review the Corrigendum as the original article.
In addition to providing data, the Corrigendum SI also included methodological information, which, unfortunately, remained very unsatisfactory. Given the problems with MBH replication that had already then been demonstrated, it's hard not to think that some sort of peer review wouldn't have improved the MBH Corrigendum SI, whose methodological descriptions remained evasive and unreplicable.
A second example arises with Ammann and Wahl/Wahl and Ammann. Both articles make extensive references to Supplementary Information. Wahl and Ammann 2007 makes 8 references to its Supplementary Information, while Ammann and Wahl 2007 make 6 references. The SI references are not limited to the provision of supporting data. In some cases, they refer to figures supposedly illustrating results in the text; in other cases, they refer to statistics and tables in the SI.
Key discussion in Ammann and Wahl 2007 is exported to the SI. For example, they state:
Only the MBH 1600-network is significant at a slightly lower level (89%), and the much discussed 1400- and 1450-networks are significant at the 99% and 96% levels, respectively. (See electronic supplement for further discussion and details, including code and tables with established thresholds for a variety of calibration/verification RE ratios and for the other WA scenarios examined.)
The effect of using "princomp" without specifying that the calculation be performed on the correlation matrix (an alternate argument of "princomp") forces the routine to extract eigenvectors and PCs on the variance-covariance matrix of the unstandardized proxy data, which by its nature will capture information in the first one or two eigenvectors/PCs that is primarily related to the absolute magnitude of the numerically largest-scaled variables in the data matrix (Ammann and Wahl, 2007, supplemental information).
The latter statement is a foolish assertion about tree ring networks that are already standardized to a mean of 1 (under standard tree ring chronology procedures) and which this have the same absolute magnitude. A pseudo-citation for this claim makes it seem more impressive but the pseudo-citation is not to something that itself has been peer reviewed, but to a non-peer reviewed SI.
But where is the SI? No URL is given in either publication, other than the following:
Additional information and illustrations beyond the present text are provided in an electronic supplement and on our WEB site (http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ammann/millennium/MBH_reevaluation.html).
The website http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ammann/millennium/MBH_reevaluation.html has not been updated in nearly 2 years and contains no mention of Ammann and Wahl 2007 and does currently not contain any of the promised information. This sentence specifically states that there is an "electronic supplement" additional to the UCAR website. The editor and then publisher of Climatic Change were approached about the location of the SI and neither of them knew anything about it. They said to contact the authors.
All of this strongly suggests to me that the peer reviewers did not have access to the SI – otherwise wouldn't the editor and/or publisher have had access to it in order to supply it to the reviewers?
This says something about the quality of peer review for Team articles – none of the reviewers even bothered to ask for the SI that was cited in the articles or even bothered to determine whether the SI was in existence. I have no doubt that Ammann did up some sort of SI and that the SI will ultimately see the light of day – but shouldn't the peer reviewers have considered the SI when they were reviewing the article?
BTW I contacted Ammann about this and another question . The other question was:
In Ammann and Wahl 2007, you state without a reference:
Standard practice in climatology uses the red-noise persistence of the target series (here hemispheric temperature) in the calibration period to establish a null-model threshold for reconstruction skill in the independent verification period, which is the methodology used by MBH in a Monte Carlo framework to establish a verification RE threshold of zero at the >99% significance level.
Can you please provide me with supporting references demonstrating the validity of this statement.
Ammann promptly gave a very surly response.
I must say that I find it disturbing that you don't appear to acknowledge scientific arguments as such, rather you dismiss anything we say and reduce it to below "low level authority". Under such circumstances, why would I even bother answering your questions, isn't that just lost time?
I wrote a very measured response urging him to re-consider this refusal, to which Ammann did not initially reply. I then sent a follow-up, copying Nychka, and Ammann said this time that he would answer in a few days but he had other "pressing" business. That was a few days ago, so it will be interesting to see what his response is.


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Shootout In Northern California Ends Life Of Man On Violent Rampage, Police Say
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) – Investigators are trying to determine if a suspect's path of bloodshed started with the slaying of an elderly Oregon man. They know it ended with his death in a police shootout on the Northern California coast, shortly after he killed a sheriff's deputy.
The cause of the rampage remained unclear Thursday, Mendocino County, Calif., sheriff's Capt. Greg Van Patten said as colleagues mourned one of their own. "Today is much harder than yesterday to grasp," he said.
In addition to the shootout in California, Eugene, Ore., police said Ricardo Antonio Chaney, 32, was also "more likely than not" responsible for the slaying of 79-year-old George Bundy Wasson, a retired University of Oregon anthropology instructor and Coquille Tribe elder. Eugene police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said he was found shot to death in his burning house early Wednesday morning.
McLaughlin would not divulge any more details of the slaying of Wasson, who lived alone. Chaney had been considered a person of interest by police because he knew Wasson's family.
Less than an hour after the fire was discovered, police say Chaney pulled a gun on two men in their 20s outside their home near the university's football stadium, located about five miles away, and sped off in their 2006 black BMW 330i sedan. Initially forced into the trunk, the men managed to escape in the parking lot and called 911.
Two weeks earlier, police had questioned Chaney after tracing a stolen cellphone to the location where he was living in his car next to a city park, according to the police website. After impounding the car, police searched it and found some methamphetamine, several guns, including a modified AR-15 assault-style rifle, and body armor. Chaney was booked into the jail, but released the same day without being charged.
The district attorney did not respond to an email asking why no charges were filed, but Lane County has had to lay off prosecutors due to declining funding.
About 10 hours after the carjacking, the sheriff's office received a call from an employee of Confusion Hill, a California tourist attraction along Highway 101, about 180 miles north of San Francisco, that offers train rides through redwoods.
John Mills, 55, a front-desk worker, said he had found a man — later identified by authorities as Chaney — urinating outside a bathroom in a fenced park area. When Mills told him to leave, Chaney cursed and briefly drove away, but then returned with a double-barreled shotgun, Mills said.
"Things went sideways from there," said Mills, who grabbed a baton and hit the shotgun as the attacker came through the entrance, causing the weapon to fire a round into the ground.
Mills said Chaney then pointed the shotgun directly at him. Mills said he dropped down and rolled into a kitchen door, as another round was fired.
Mills said he got a pistol from the kitchen and shot back at Chaney, who fled to his car and drove away.
"Unfortunately, my aim wasn't too good. If I had been better, then he might not have made it to do what he did later," Mills told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Chaney was spotted about an hour later by a deputy but got away during a chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph. He was encountered by Del Fiorentino in Cleone, a rural area with a mix of homes, forest and open fields, a little before noon Wednesday, about 12 hours since Wasson was found dead.
Allman said Chaney opened fire with an AK-47-style assault rifle, spraying Del Fiorentino's vehicle with bullets. Fort Bragg police Lt. John Naulty, who was searching for Chaney nearby, heard the gunfire and found Chaney going through the deputy's vehicle, the sheriff said.
Chaney fired six or seven rounds at Naulty, who returned fire, Allman said. Chaney was later found dead.
Del Fiorentino, once a wrestling coach at Fort Bragg High School, began as a deputy with Mendocino County in 1988. He spent 10 years with the Fort Bragg Police Department before returning to the sheriff's office in 2000.
The investigation was turned over to the Mendocino County District Attorney's office and it could take weeks before any findings are released, spokesman Mike Geniella said. Autopsies were scheduled for Friday.
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When you think of Star Wars fans, you probably picture an overweight individual sprawled out on a couch reaching for Cheetos with a plastic lightsaber. But apparently that image isn't entirely accurate, since you can now buy Star Wars-themed climbing wall holds.
Created by Hang Fast Adventure Structures, you can get these mountable, sturdy, fiberglass domes painted and shaped to look like R2-D2's noggin, or the Death Star complete with its superlaser indent. There's a even a hold that's loosely shaped like the Millennium Falcon—very loosely—and depending on the size and complexity they'll each set you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $63 to $243. Just be careful when climbing with them since neither include the force to catch you should you lose your footing or handhold.
[Hang Fast Adventure Structures via Geeks are Sexy]


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A twist on the traditional spinach salad recipe, with a delicious mix of grilled corn and onion.
3 ears of corn, shucked
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and pepper
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, separated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 cups baby spinach
1 red onion, sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes
Preheat the grill to high. Brush corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn, turning often until tender and blackened in places about 6 minutes. Let cool and with a sharp knife slice off the kernels. Set aside.
Toss onion with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Place the onion on the grill or in a vegetable grilling rack and cook until wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.
To make spinach salad dressing: Whisk Dijon mustard with remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and kosher salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, mix in the ¼ cup olive oil to emulsify.
Combine spinach, grilled onion, grilled corn, and cherry tomatoes. Toss with dressing and serve.