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12 Mar, 2010
At the end of its two-day assessment, the MAC reached the conclusion that "this schedule, under which First Plasma would be attained in early November 2019, appears to be technically-credible and achievable, and in line with delivery dates that the Domestic Agencies assess to be realistically achievable."
In its report to the ITER Council, the MAC writes: "The ITER Organization is invited to use the 2 November 2019 schedule as the basis for its further preparation of the overall ITER Baseline Documentation [..] with a view to its adoption at the ITER Council meeting on 16-17 June 2010."
As soon as the ITER Director-General Kaname Ikeda and his Principal Deputy Director-General Norbert Holtkamp had finished their progress reports, it became clear that there was appreciation for work accomplished. "We are pleased to see the improvements made," said Richard Hawryluk, the leader of the US delegation who was the first to comment. "We are happy to note that things are finally converging," Pucadyil Ittoop John, leader of the Indian delegation, added. Martin Drew, speaking on behalf the European delegation, voiced the opinion that "we are in a much healthier position then we were six months ago."
Gyung-Su Lee, Chairman of the MAC, showed himself satisfied with the outcome of this seventh meeting. "The objectives have been fulfilled," he stated. "This consensus on the improved Updated Schedule was an important step. But we are not yet there. Now the figures have to be added to this schedule in order to finalize the Baseline documentation for the Council meeting in June. This will be quite a challenge, but it can be done."
"With this signature, worth EUR 31.3 million, we have completed the three Procurement Arrangements for the divertor's plasma-facing components," explained Mario Merola, Internal Components Division Head. "What remains is the actual cassette body, which is the steel structure, which supports the plasma-facing components and routes the water coolant. But compared to the plasma-facing components, whose design is a real technical and engineering challenge because they have to withstand the extreme heat loads inside the vacuum vessel of up to 20 MW per square metre, this is a relatively easy task."
But before it was time to uncork the champagne and to raise the glasses, a second Procurement Arrangement was signed for the central solenoid magnet, the backbone of ITER's magnet system. Ned Sauthoff, the Project Manager of the US Domestic Agency, signed the documents alongside Kaname Ikeda. The procurement, bringing the total number of signed Procurement Arrangements up to 34, is worth about EUR 88 million.
Related stories: See this week's featured video and "Packing a Punch."
The ITER central solenoid will take advantage of every bit of space from its central position in the machine—right up to the ten millimetres of radial clearance it shares with the surrounding toroidal field magnet system—to achieve the highest value of stored magnetic energy possible.
The central solenoid is the key component that will allow a powerful current to be induced in the ITER plasma and maintained during long plasma pulses.
Two parameters that are important to obtaining maximum plasma current drive are magnetic field and the area of the solenoid. The higher the magnetic field and the larger the area of the magnet where it exists, the greater the magnetic flux, the quantity that characterizes current drive capability.
The ITER central solenoid—with a diameter of 4.3 metres and a height of 18 metres—will top the charts as the largest solenoid ever built for a fusion device. Maximum field of 13 tesla will be reached in the centre of the central solenoid. That's the strongest of all ITER magnet systems, and equivalent to 280,000 times the magnetic field of the Earth.
Solenoids are lengths of coiled wire that generate magnetic fields when electric current is passed through them. Electricity and magnetism are closely related: place two solenoids one inside the other, and the variation of electrical current in the first will produce a variation of electrical current in the second.
ITER and other tokamaks essentially act as large transformers, where the central solenoid is the primary winding, and the plasma the secondary winding.
Solenoids are responsible for driving the plasma current in all tokamak devices. At the largest currently-operating tokamak (JET in the UK), the solenoid initiates plasma currents of about 5 megaamperes (MA) for plasma pulses lasting up to 60 seconds. The plasma volume in ITER will be eight times greater than in JET, and consequently the "drive" required from the central solenoid will be much greater as well. Stored magnetic energy of 6.4 GJ in the central solenoid will initiate and sustain a plasma current of 15 MA for durations of 300-500 seconds.
But the role of the central solenoid doesn't end there. As the high-intensity current circulates within the tokamak, electrons and ions in the plasma will become energized and collide. Collisions create 'resistance' that produces heat. This heating effect, known as ohmic heating, will contribute to bringing the ITER plasma to the temperatures close to 150 million degrees Celsius necessary for fusion to take place.
The central solenoid will also assist in shaping the plasma. Physicists prefer a D-shaped plasma to a circular one; by 'tweaking' current applied to the top and bottom central solenoid modules (see below), operators will use variations in magnetic field to elongate the cross section of the ITER plasma and achieve this optimum shape.
The "central" solenoid is indeed central to the success of ITER operation. Its combination of performance parameters makes it one of the most complex and challenging magnet systems ever built. Strong team effort will be required from all parties throughout the design, fabrication and assembly process.
The "electrical ballet" of the central solenoid
In order to induce powerful current in the plasma, the ITER central solenoid will have to carry a lot of current—46 kA to be precise.
During "ramp-up" at the beginning of an experiment in ITER, voltage will be applied to the six central solenoid modules until they each reach 40 kA of current. This "pre-magnetization' period will last for approximately six minutes.
The current will then be discharged to initiate a plasma pulse. From this moment—until the end of the cycle—the six central solenoid modules will act independently, each following an individual current profile. In certain modules, current will drop to zero directly, before being ramped up again in the reverse direction; others will decrease more progressively; still others will change current directions twice. Only the two central modules, CS1U and CS1L, act as a pair. Toward the end of the cycle, maximum current of 46 kA is reached in some modules.
These variations in current between the different modules give scientists the tool they need for plasma shaping. Current variation, which induces magnetic flux variation, is the key to producing the large plasma current needed for ITER. "What we want in ITER," says Paul Libeyre, Central Solenoid and Correction Coil Section Leader, "is maximum flux variation to allow long plasma pulses."
A central solenoid with fixed current would never work. "Having the possibility of varying the current differently in each of the six modules allows a lot of different scenarios," Paul explains. "It's like allowing dancers to perform individual choreographies, instead of marching all together like in a military parade."
Operators will also use current variation in the top and bottom modules to influence the shape of the plasma for best performance.
For the duration of each 1,000-second plasma pulse during ITER operation, the ballet of increasing and decreasing voltage will continue in the modules, carefully choreographed to build the plasma current up to a plateau of 15 MA for around 400 seconds, before ramping down again to zero.
30,000 plasma pulses are foreseen for the ITER experimental campaign, during which the central solenoid will be "ramped up" to initiate plasma current and "ramped down" again at the end of each pulse.
This Friday, the ITER Organization and the fusion community commemorated two of their long-time team members: Arturo and Beatrice Tanga. The couple was killed in a car accident last December (see Newsline # 113). In order to honour their contribution to fusion research, and also to honour them as valued colleagues and dear friends, more than one hundred people congregated at Cadarache for a tribute. Many more listeners joined the ceremony via a live video link.
"He is greatly missed," ITER Director-General Kaname Ikeda said in his opening remarks, after which he handed the microphone over to Ruggero Giannella, a fusion scientist and lifetime friend of Arturo and Beatrice. In a very emotional speech—both for the family and himself—he surveyed the couple's early life and work at the University of Rome and later in Frascati. "Arturo," Giannella said, "was an experimentalist by heart." Working with Arturo was "like climbing a mountain," he continued. "It required some exercise and it could lead to exhaustion. But it was always worth it."
The afternoon's second speaker was Jean Jacquinot, Department Head at JET during the time when Arturo was in charge of the machine's operations. In addition to having a brave and creative mind, Jacquinot said, some would be surprised to learn that Arturo had managerial skills "which were not to be stopped by bureaucracy." He remembered the year of 1986, four years after the H-mode had been discovered on the ASDEX machine in Garching, Germany. Inspired by the German experiment, Arturo proposed to try something similar on JET—which would mean some serious modification to the machine. But as Arturo was "an experimentalist by heart," as Ruggero Giannella had stated before, he did not give up. The last skeptics were proven wrong when the achievements resulting from this courageous move were acknowledged as the highlight of the 1986 IAEA conference in Kyoto, Jacquinot said.
Later, Arturo broke the JET record taking the tokamak to 7 MA limiter operations, although JET was only designed to take 3.5 MA. "But," Jacquinot added, "to be fair, I have to mention that with 6.3 MA, Arturo also holds the record for the biggest disruption ever provoked on JET lifting the machine off the ground and leaving its rails dislodged." An incident that was later commented by then Director Paul-Henry Rebut as "weakness that needed to be identified and rectified."
Despite all the tears and sorrow that filled the auditorium in Cadarache Friday afternoon, this remark made the audience smile.
Dhiraj Bora, Head of ITER's CODAC, Heating & Current Drive Department was the next speaker emphasizing Arturo's contribution to ITER's neutral beam system. "We will not let you down," Bora promised, saying that the work would continue.
Last but not least, John Edward Allen from Oxford University honoured the work of Beatrice Tanga, a dedicated plasma scientist herself. Whereas her husband's focus was in heating high-temperature plasmas, Beatrice's interest was on low-temperature plasmas—rather at the other end of the mercury scale.
Last Friday 12 March at La Fenière, the prestigious "Red Ribbon" was awarded to CEA-Cadarache Director Serge Durand in recognition of his achievements during his 34-year career in the nuclear world, both civilian and military.
An engineer turned "industrial architect," Serge Durand played a key role in the development of France's nuclear deterrent and was instrumental in the construction of Laser MegaJoule, the inertial fusion facility being established near Bordeaux. He has been heading CEA-Cadarache since 2006.
"You are a man of courage, faith and action," said CEA Administrator General Bernard Bigot as he pinned the medal to the new chevalier's lapel, "the kind of man this country needs."
Fusion has indeed played a big role in the life of GS Lee. He studied physics at the Seoul National University in Korea before continuing at the University of Texas at Austin in the USA. His Ph. D. thesis on plasma turbulences in tokamaks was written under the guidance of the "Pope of Plasma" Marshall Rosenbluth and Pat Diamond. GS went on to work as a member of the research staff at Oak Ridge and then at MIT, before returning to Korea to take up the post of Director of the Joint Research Division of the Korea Basic Science Institute. From 1996-2005 he was the Principal Investigator of the prestigious KSTAR project and became the Director-General of ITER Korea in 2007 (see link)—a post he handed over to Kijung Jung when he became President of the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea in September 2008. He is also the current Chairman of the International Fusion Research Council of the IAEA.
More recently, GS took over as Chair of the ITER Management Advisory Committee (MAC), one of the two subcommittees of the ITER Council, the Project's governing board.
Looking at his impressive credentials, it becomes evident that GS has devoted a major part of his life to developing fusion as a future energy source. He believes in fusion, without a doubt, but there is more to add. GS is also a passionate Christian who devotes his Sundays to worship in his hometown Daejeon. And it stems from this religiousness when he says that "time should not be wasted." That, he adds, holds in many respects—also for ITER.
"Yes, we could have done better," admits Lee. "I guess that all of us are unsatisfied at times with the slow progress and I can understand that people watching us are cautious. But now that we have agreement on the table for the project's schedule there is light at the end of the tunnel. Without a finalized Baseline we were adrift. But now we will be able to benchmark our targets: What do we want to build, when do we want to finish and what resources do we need? We are not yet there, but at least we know where we are going. And that is a big success."
With 20 years of experience as project manager, GS knows that the "human factor" is crucial for any project. "Managing people doesn't work by dictating what to think or do," he says. "It only works through belief and trust. You have to make people believe in what they are doing. For ITER, that means that you have to make the scientists understand that ITER—at the moment—is a construction project and that you can't do both at the same time: build and do continuous improvement by doing research. I know what I am talking about as I have worked on both sides."
He compares his role as Chairman of the MAC to being a navigator. "In a big international project like ITER each party has its legitimate concerns and differing opinions. This is very normal. The challenge here is to come up with a decision that is supported by all through faith and trust. Just compromise would not work," says Lee.
Before returning to Almaty, the Kazakh capital, the six-member delegation headed by Kazatomprom Chairman and former Energy Minister Vladimir Shkolnik, stopped in Cadarache and toured CEA installations and the ITER platform. Formal interaction between ITER and Kazakhstan in view of a possible accession to the project began after the third ITER Council, in June 2008.
Kazatomprom was established in 1997. It employs 25,000 people in uranium mining, nuclear pellets manufacturing, beryllium and tantalum metallurgy. The company is presently engaged in dismantling the 135 megawatt BN-350 installation, the world's first commercial fast breeder reactor that began operation in 1973 and was shut down in 1999.
Regions are the most recent among French administrative divisions. They were created in 1972 as consultative bodies, and only acquired limited executive power through the 1982-1983 "decentralization laws." They have much less autonomy however than a German Bundesland, a Spanish provincia or a Swiss canton.
Typically, a mainland French Region includes two to eight départements, with territory that usually corresponds to that of a historical province. There are many exceptions however. The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (PACA) region, for instance, includes the whole of the ancient county of Provence, but also the former Papal States, county of Nice and the southern part of the Dauphiné province.
A region does not have authority over the départements it includes within its boundaries—the responsibilities of the two bodies are quite distinct. Roads, school transportation, public assistance, and the building and maintenance of collèges (junior high schools) all fall under the jurisdiction of départements; professional training, transportation, the building and maintenance of lycées (senior high schools), rural planning and development are among the responsibilities of the Région. The Bouches-du-Rhône département, for instance, finances the better part of the ITER Itinerary, whereas the construction of the International School in Manosque, which comprises a lycée, was the work of the PACA Region.
PACA is one of the largest and most populated French administrative regions (4.8 million inhabitants). With a Gross Domestic Product per capita of EUR 28,000, it is also the third "richest," after the Ile-de France (Paris) and Rhône-Alpes (Lyon) regions. PACA, which may soon change its name to a simpler "Provence," is headed since 1998 by Michel Vauzelle, a former Minister of Justice (1992-1993) and Mayor of Arles (1995-1998).
How does the PACA region work?


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Neighborhood: Luwan
Unit 1, House 5, Xintiandi North Block
Lane 181 Taicang Road
ShanghaiLuwan District200021
+86 21 3307 0798
Privy 5 Overview
KABB stands for Kathleen's American Bar and Bistro which is located in the Xintiandi area where tourists abound the shopping and business district. The shop opens really early at 7 a.m. so patrons can enjoy the KABB breakfast wraps or pancakes with juice, tea or coffee. Try their scrumptious Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict or breakfast burrito for brunch. Salads, pasta, burgers, steaks and sandwiches are on the menu for lunch and dinner orders; choose from all kinds of salads like the spicy beef and fig salad, roast or grilled chicken, lamb chops, soups, pork ribs, Buffalo wings, chili con carne, chicken Feta pasta, salmon steak, and lots more. Select from thirteen kinds of wines that can be ordered by the glass and pick either old or new mixers or the famous KABB bloody Mary kit. For dessert, try their famous mile high cake. The restaurant set in a Shikumen house is candle lit in the evenings and the glass skylight lets the sunlight brighten the place during the day time. Whether you dine al fresco or in doors during the day or at night at KABB, it would surely be a lovely experience.
CUISINE: American (Traditional)
FEATURES: Breakfast/Brunch, Outdoor Seating
TYPE: Bars
Price Range: Not Sure
Attire: Not Sure
Takes Reservations: Not Sure
Parking: Not Sure
Takeout: Not Sure
Delivers: Not Sure
Accept Credit Cards: Not Sure
Good For Groups: Not Sure
Good For Kids: Not Sure
Waiter Service: Not Sure
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subset: commoncrawl


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From Nothing
– Invisible, Yet Seen –
Episode 2, by Tracey Taylor – April/May 2018
"'I will be for the most part, invisible. Yet, I shall be seen so that none can say 'I do not believe in what I cannot see''. And so, invisible elements were woven into the fabric of planet Earth and the skies that lay beyond, whom no-one could deny…" (Not Fire But Blood; Not Judgement, But Love (1)
In the first episode, I invited us to ponder on every day life; the seasons, the rhythm of creation great and small and to consider how this remarkable, faithful routine of nature, came about. In this episode, we are going to delve in a little deeper – go beyond the surface of what we see every day and start to look at some of these invisible elements all around that impact our everyday lives. First though, I want to extend an invitation to you again, this time to contemplate what the opening paragraph might mean.
This seemingly contradictory statement, is a paraphrase of a scripture found in the Bible. Taken from the book of Romans, it was written around 57-58 A.D. by a former anti Jesus-of-Nazareth zealot and Roman citizen named Saul of Tarsus, who had a miraculous conversion on his way to approve of a Christian's stoning in Damascus (2). In chapter 1 verse 20 it reads, "For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made]…" (3)
What this verse from the Bible is saying is that although we cannot physically see the material form of the Creator, his fingerprints are all over creation. We see his workmanship through the routine rhythm of nature, the faithfulness of the day and night and in every other aspect of life that we know of. There are numerous other places in the Bible where a similar statement is written, by a different person, in an entirely different time of history. One such place is in the book of Psalms. The Psalmist David, a shepherd boy turned King of Israel (4), was a talented and famous musician and songwriter. He often wrote songs, hymns and refrains about the goodness and glory of the Creator. One such psalm relating to the Creator's invisible appearance being seen in nature, is in psalm 19. We read in its opening verse, "the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (5)
So God is saying in effect, 'you can see me. You can also touch me, smell me, taste me, hear me and feel me.' All this we can experience through his creation, which he has given us as a starting point in getting to know him (6).
In addition, there are many references to Creator God as 'sustainer' and 'life giver' (e.g. Psalm 104 and Genesis ch. 1), allusions to his authority over the elements of the Earth such as the clouds and the weather (Job 38:33-37), to call in more examples.
Speaking of which, have you ever seen a cloud form?
…One sunny day, I was basking in its warmth whilst gazing at the blue sky. Suddenly, seemingly from no-where, in the midst of this untainted blue sky a puff of white formed. It grew and shrunk and grew and shrunk some more. It turned from white to dark grey and then regressed back to white, as it drifted in the sky. Finally, this puff of smoke disappeared again! It was quite an experience! I was astounded at what was my first encounter of this scientific phenomenon. Here I witnessed first hand something form ex nihilo -from nothing. And yet we know that the cloud does not form from nothing… We know about the invisible water gas and vapour (see episode 1).
So there is, without doubt, a substance that the unseen element is made up of. There is, without doubt, a very real invisible dimension around us. What we can also take from this cloud illustration, is the very real plausibility of what chapter 11 of Hebrews in the Bible says: "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible" (v3); a God who has woven invisible elements into the fabric of our life's existence, to teach us of him.
Faith is that very definition: Believing in what you cannot see.
**copyright 2018 Tracey Taylor. You are welcome to share this piece of work, but please quote the author. All rights reserved.**
(1) Taylor, Tracey. (2018). Not Fire But Blood; Not Judgement, But Love (- a novella currently being written). Copyright 2018 Tracey Taylor.
(2) This historical account of Saul's conversion, where he gets renamed Paul and hence-forth known as the apostle Paul, can be read in the book of Acts, chapter 9 in the Bible. More on Paul's background is found in the book called Galatians. For a good outside biblical source about Paul's life, go to https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle.
(3) Zondervan and the Lockman Foundation. (1987). The Amplified Bible: Romans chapter 1 verse 20. Copyright 1987 by Zondervan and the Lockman Foundation. Published by Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, U.S.A. Www.zondervan.com.
(4) This took place approximately 993 BC. The accounts can be found in 2 Samuel ch. 5 & 1 Chronicles ch. 2 within the Old Testament of the Bible. For more on David's timeline, visit http://totallyhistory.com/biblical-history/king-david/ among other sources widely available.
(5) This psalm 19 was written around 979 BC.
(6) The explanation to this 'starting point' will be unveiled in a later episode.


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Our diet and lifestyle has a huge impact on our teeth. A filling is when material is placed into the tooth in order to replace missing tooth structure and they are also used when teeth have small to moderate decay or fractures to restore tooth function. If you have already had a filling, pressure from chewing, grinding or clenching can cause existing fillings to wear, chip or crack. You may not know that your old fillings are wearing down but regular dental checks can help identify issues early. There are various different filling options that may be available to you and we can even replace your amalgam (metal) fillings with tooth coloured fillings to enhance your appearance.
*Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.


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Six Nations Double Winnings Special
The Six Nations is into the third round now and so we are all starting to get a little more confident in our betting.
With this promotion you place a £2 (or higher) first try-scorer bet, and if your winning selection goes on to score again, Betway will double your winnings as a Free Bet up to £100.
If you need to know more about free bets then we recommend you read our guide on the subject here.
Here are some terms and conditions:
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- In the event that the first try is a penalty try, then the second try will count towards the promotion, and so on. Penalty tries will not count toward this promotion in any form.
Any winnings will be paid out within 24 hours of the player scoring the second try.


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Colorectal Cancer Screening and Prevention - American Family Physician
May 15, 2018 - Colorectal cancer is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Most colorectal cancers arise from preexisting adenomatous or serrated polyps. The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer can be reduced with screening of average-risk adults 50 to 75 years of ...
American Family Physician : Article
Hyperlipidemia: Drugs for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Adults - American Family ...
Jan 15, 2017 - Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) indicate that lipid-lowering drugs have benefit for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ...
American Family Physician : Article
Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women - American Family Physician
Oct 15, 2006 - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the primary cause of death in women for almost a century, and more women than men have died of CVD every year since 1984. Although CVD incidence can be reduced by adherence to a heart-healthy lifestyle and detection and treatment of major risk ...
American Family Physician : Article
Preventing Falls in Older Persons - American Family Physician
Aug 15, 2017 - The American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics Society recommend that all adults older than 65 years be screened annually for a history of falls or balance impairment. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Academy of Family Physicians recommend exercise or ...
American Family Physician : Article
Reducing the Risk of Adverse Drug Events in Older Adults - American Family Physician
Mar 1, 2013 - Adverse drug events occur in 15 percent or more of older patients presenting to offices, hospitals, and extended care facilities. These events are potentially preventable up to 50 percent of the time. Common serious manifestations include falls, orthostatic hypotension, heart failure, ...
American Family Physician : Article
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Subject-area: English
Language of instruction: English
Credits: 10 ECTS
This course focuses on developing teaching aids in the shape of texts, e.g. fiction, from various periods, media and genres.
Competency objectives of the module
The student is able to demonstrate competence with regards to:
Oversigt over studieordning 2018 (LU 13, Frb.)
Københavns Professionshøjskole | Humletorvet 3 | 1799 København V


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
August 31, 2020
October 6, 2020
View All Calendars is the default. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me® button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community.
February 17, 2020, All Day @ Mary Ann Young Center
The Anoka County Retired Senior Volunteer Program is offering free income tax assistance on specified Mondays at the senior center. Registration is required and you must live in Anoka County to qualify for this free service.


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De Blasio, on a national mission, heads to Texas
Mayor Bill de Blasio is Texas bound this weekend on a three-stop politicking tour.
De Blasio, ever eager to expand his national profile, is expected to attend the South by Southwest conference in Austin to meet with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, host a panel discussion and attend a strategy session to discuss the 2020 census and immigration reform, aides told POLITICO on Thursday. Before his trip to Texas, the mayor will make a pit stop in Baltimore on Friday to address the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center Strategy Summit.
The summit is being hosted by the Progressive Congress — a nonprofit organization working to connect activists and progressive members of Congress, according to the group's website.
"The Mayor is working hard to organize mayors and progressive leaders against Trump Administration efforts to decrease health care access, divest from public housing, and make our tax policy even less fair for working people," mayoral spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein said.
The mayor's five-day travel itinerary is expected to cost approximately $8,000, which will cover the cost of travel, lodging and meals for the mayor and his staff. The cost will be covered by city taxpayers as the trip is considered government-related work, City Hall said. He will travel with three of his aides and his security detail. De Blasio was not required to get Conflict of Interest Board approval, staffers said.
Since his second-term reelection win, de Blasio has said he plans to spend a significant amount of time traveling around the country.
Specifically, the mayor has said taking back the U.S. House of Representatives is his top national priority — a change that could have significant implications for the city and state in terms of the resources they receive from the federal government.
The mayor's forays into the national spotlight have won mixed receptions in the past.
His effort to get involved in the 2016 presidential election was focused on pushing Hillary Clinton's campaign to the left in a bid for her to embrace more of the liberal policies outlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), though his role was somewhat limited in that capacity. Since the presidential election, de Blasio has fully embraced the Sanders doctrine and held a handful of events with the Vermont senator, who administered de Blasio's oath of office in January.
The mayor's upcoming jaunt will offer him a chance to meet with like-minded counterparts.
While in Baltimore, he will meet with members of Congress, local and state officials and national advocates including a meeting with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, and Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union.
On Saturday, de Blasio will head to Austin for the South by Southwest Convention where he'll be hosting a panel with Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Portland, Oregon mayor Ted Wheeler. He is also scheduled to meet with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
While in attendance at the South by Southwest Convention, de Blasio will also participate in a strategy session with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to discuss the 2020 census, immigration reform and infrastructure, his aides said.
De Blasio will then head back north to the nation's capital to attend the League of Cities spring conference and deliver the keynote address at the Democratic Municipal Officials national breakfast.


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Home / 2019 Black Friday Sale! / Bright Seersucker Dress with Applique Flowers
Aloha to our seersucker dress with flower lei. Appliqued flowers will frame her face in this cool summer dress. Added designer details feature a cut out back and spaghetti tie for adjustment.
- Bright blue, pink, a green stripe seersuckers
- 55% cotton, 45% polyester
- Applique hibiscus flowers around front yoke
- Back cutout with button neck
- Back zipper
- Spaghetti ties at back waist
- Above knee length
- Fully lined
- Machine washable
- Imported
- Style 7289


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Where does the time go? I can't believe that it is November.
I have done nothing to prepare for Christmas. Well, I have bought a roll of red wrapping paper and two rolls of easy to tie ribbon. And like I said last month, I am NOT buying anymore gift wrapping supplies. My challenge for myself is to use up all that I already have!
Some years I have had all of my Christmas shopping done BEFORE THANKSGIVING! Not this year. In fact, I have only not even begun a list yet. But I plan to make a list before next Thursday. That is the night that I am going to the Baldwyn Downtown Open House. (And I totally just made that name up). It is is downtown Baldwyn (where Leanna and I do our long runs each week), and it is their Christmas open house, but I don't know the official name of this event. I just know that Baldwyn has the cutest gift shops, one of which is owned by one of Jimmy's first cousins, and I plan to get a lot of my Christmas shopping done from 5-8 next Thursday night. Fun!
Last weekend was so much fun! First, we went to our friends, the Prince's house for a Halloween party. Jimmy and I dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, only I did not wear red spandex. I made our costumes (don't be impressed), and they did turn out cute! I will post a picture another day. (They are in my phone, and my phone is far away from me right now.) Julie was Rapunzel from Tangled, and she made her costume too, and you will be impressed when I share the picture. Leah was Dorothy, (wearing a cute costume my mother made), and Clay and Sam were, well, I'll let you see when I share the pictures.
Then, on Saturday, we went to see the Bulldogs play. The #1 football team in the nation, Mississippi State! We arrived in Starkville at noon, and joined Kelly and Lynn and their children for a chilly day of football, food, and fun. It was cold! We had not tailgated since the last year that we had season tickets with Kelly and Lynn, and that was was several years ago. We really had a great time. We went early to secure our spots near the sidewalk for the Dawg Walk, and that was an experience! Those football players were treated like movie stars walking on the red carpet! Ha! And Dak Prescott had three bodyguards!
We almost froze at the game, but we stayed until the very last second. What an exhausting game. Thankfully, the Bulldogs came out on top. We got back to our tailgating spot about 10:00 PM. We had already packed everything up before the game, so we hung out in and around Kelly and Lynn's truck until 11:30, and truly "tailgated". We ate the rest of our food and drank cokes from the back of the truck. And most of us crammed inside the truck to try to keep warm. When the traffic looked like it was moving more than 1 foot per five minutes, we decided to ease into the line of cars and try to get home.
We arrived home at 1:00 AM. I am so glad that we got to set the clocks back. We needed that extra hour of sleep.
I am drowning in schoolwork, making study guides, list making, graduation planning, marathon training, grocery shopping, laundry, housecleaning (or lack thereof), etc.---just like you! :)
Olivia is in New York for a national college XC meet. Wow. She is far away from us!
The kids are ready for me to read Farmer Boy to them before bed…….


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I am a small business owner and I'm scared.
If the Affordable Care Act is replaced, our family's health insurance is likely to become even less affordable. My wife and I each own a small business. Provisions in the replacement bills may force either my wife or me to shut our business and find employment with less costly large-group health insurance.
Our family earns just enough that we are ineligible for subsidies. About one-third of our income goes to pay for health insurance and related costs. The proposed ACA replacements will allow insurers to raise premiums for older workers like me, which could make the cost unbearable.
But I fear that it could get much worse. Despite arguments from the opposition, the ACA was very well thought out. It imposed an individual mandate so that everyone, especially the young and healthy, would pay into the system so they could have affordable coverage when they become older or less healthy. The proposed legislation eliminates the mandate. Folks may then put off purchasing insurance until they are more likely to need it, which will increase premium costs for those with coverage.
Because "more affordable" health insurance is tied to larger-group employment, the ability to grow my small business is severely limited. A few years back, I was in discussions with someone I considered a potential dream business partner. But there was no way that my small business could afford to find coverage to match what he received from his current (larger) employer. And so I lost this opportunity.
As a business owner, I understand the power of the free market. My business, Boulder Bicycle, is engaged in a constant struggle against larger mail-order companies that aggressively compete on price. But the current repeal measures do nothing to harness market power. There is nothing in the repeal effort to increase price transparency and no new mechanisms to empower health consumers to seek out less costly providers.
I constantly ask myself: Do my customers get a good value for their hard-earned money? Based on what they tell me, I believe that they do. Can I say that about my family's health care expenditures? Not even close. I'm paying into a system that consumes roughly 17 percent of our nation's GDP. But in Japan, which has a relatively older population, the share is about 10 percent.
I hope for the day when a health care system emerges in our country that takes care of everyone. Currently we pay too much and we get too little. And many folks have no access to care at all.
I dream of a single-payer system focused on providing health care rather than creating profits. In the meantime, I hope that our legislators preserve the ACA and the gains we've made so far. My family, my community, and my business depend on it.
Michael Kone


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Only by effectively synergizing talent to execution to strategy, can sustainable growth be achieved. One of the biggest roadblocks towards this is the tendency to address the symptom rather than the disease.
Attrition, motivation, productivity, satisfaction etc. are more effect than cause. Identifying and attacking at the root builds clarity of purpose and sustainable growth. Towards this, I work around 3 key growth levers – Strategy, Execution and Talent.
Our consulting firm is here to help you and your business for the talent management needs.
Copyright © Premraj Pillai.


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A cornflake crusted French toast loaded up with sweet pineapple compote topping? Bring on brunch!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Dole Packaged Foods. As always, all opinions are my own.
Time to fess up – I'm totally a New Year's Day versus New Year's Eve person. Staying up past midnight while people blow those irritating party horns over and over? Not my cup of tea. 😉
But waking up New Year's Day and thinking about the fresh start to the year? An untouched canvas of 365 days of awesomeness? Yep, that's my style.
My typical New Year's Day routine involves either a solo run or a road race first thing in the morning, followed by watching the Rose Parade right after. (Benefit of being on the East Coast = time to do both of those things in the morning!).
There's something about all the work and detail that goes into those floats that's inspiring to watch, especially at the start of the year. I'm pumped to see Dole's float again this year, since they've always got something amazing on tap – it makes sense why they hold the parade record for most trophy wins!
While watching the parade, I'll be serving up some tasty treats for brunch. If you've been following the blog for a while, you know that I love to special breakfasts and brunches for my family on the weekends and holidays!
My brunch entrée of choice for this New Year's? Crispy cornflake crusted French toast, topped with a simple sweet pineapple compote.
The best part about this brunch is that it sounds super indulgent, and tastes that way too, but it's still relatively wholesome!
[Tweet "New Year's Day brunch just got an upgrade with this pineapple-topped french toast!"]
Here are five ways this cornflake crusted French toast recipe is a nutritious choice:
1. It uses whole grain bread rather than white bread.
I love hearty multigrain breads for this French toast, both because it adds extra in the way of fiber and protein, and also because it holds up well for the cornflake coating.
2. There's a secret ingredient…spinach!
Before you immediately click the back button on your browser, I promise you – you cannot taste the spinach in the finished dish. And I love this little hack. Simply blend spinach into the egg mixture, and voila – a little vitamin and mineral boost.
Plus, greens are a traditional New Year's Day food because they're thought to symbolize luck with money. The myth goes that for every bite of greens you eat on New Year's Day, you'll make an extra $1,000. So you better believe I'm going to eat my fair share on the first. 😉
3. No added sugar!
That's right, instead of pouring on the syrup, you'll use Dole canned pineapple packed in juice to make a delicious, sweet pineapple compote topping that's all natural. I love purchasing Dole for this, since you can easily find pineapple packed in 100% juice in BPA-free cans.
It's incredibly simple – just empty the can of pineapple along with all the juices into a pan, add some cinnamon and lemon juice, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. The juices will reduce a bit into a nice syrupy texture and it's just delightful on top of this French toast.
And in certain Asian cultures, pineapples are also associated with luck, wealth, and prosperity. Between the spinach and pineapple, I'm thinking 2018 is going to be pretty darn lucky!
4. Easy to adapt for dietary modifications.
If you're wondering about dietary modifications, I've put together a few easy swaps for you:
- Dairy Free – use a milk alternative rather than milk
- Vegan – use aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas or beans) rather than eggs; double check that your bread does not contain dairy or eggs
- Gluten Free – use gluten free bread rather than regular bread and ensure that your brand of corn flakes does not contain malt flavoring derived from barley
5. Great post-workout brunch!
If you're also going to be getting in a workout before the Rose Parade, you should know that this is a bomb recovery option. You can eat it as is, or you could also add a little coconut greek yogurt on top to boost the protein. Either way, you get a great blend of carbs and protein to help you replenish and recover after a long run or ride.
"Join me" for brunch on New Year's!
I know you're going to love this dish as much as I do – so come "join me" for brunch on New Year's! Get the Rose Parade playing on the big screen, then bring up Facebook on your phone or laptop so I can share this recipe with you live from my Facbook page on Monday, January 1st at 11:00AM EST/8:00AM PST. Be sure to grab the ingredients you need this weekend (including your Dole canned pineapple!) so you're all ready to make it on Monday. 🙂
Cornflake Crusted French Toast with Sweet Pineapple Compote
For pineapple topping:
- 1 20-ounce can of Dole pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For French toast:
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup 1% milk or milk alternative
- 1/2 cup raw spinach
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 slices hearty multigrain or whole wheat bread
- 3 cups corn flakes cereal
- 3 tbsp oil or butter
- Prepare the pineapple topping by placing the can of pineapple chunks – including all the juice – in a large skillet or saucepan. Add cinnamon and lemon juice, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until juice is reduced by half. Set aside for now.
- Place eggs, milk, spinach, cinnamon and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth (you want the spinach to blend in seamlessly). Pour mixture into a bowl.
- On a plate, place one cup of cornflakes. Crush them a bit with your hands. Place the plate on your counter next to your bowl of egg mixture.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, dip bread into the egg mixture, then press the bread into the crushed cornflakes to coat both sides.
- When oil is hot, place bread into the skillet. Work in batches of two at a time. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat process, adding another cup of cornflakes to the plate and another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Do this twice to finish all the slices of bread.
- Pour pineapple topping over the French Toast (you can pop the skillet back on the stove for a minute or two if the topping got cold while you were working on the French Toast). Enjoy!
- This makes four servings. The serving size for this dish is three halves of French Toast, topped with a quarter of the total pineapple topping.
- I prefer using oil for this recipe because I think it gives a crispier coating to the French toast. But butter works as well!
Share with me: Are you a New Year's Day or New Year's Eve person? Will you be tuning into the Rose Parade on New Year's Day? Have you ever made cornflake crusted French toast with pineapple compote?
- Easy Buckwheat Banana Bread (Gluten Free) - August 10, 2020
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- No Bake Citrus Watermelon Pie - August 3, 2020


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Maanas is taking their renowned Indian cuisine on the move!
Decadent dining has come to the streets of Columbus, so you can have all the best Indian eating you'll ever sink your teeth into. Whether you crave some Curry in a Hurry, a Classic Biryani, or some of their delicious Wraps, and Bowls, this truck is sure to satisfy.
Find them out and about on the streets of Columbus, or catering the coolest events in your area, for an eating experience you'll never forget.


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Middle East hotels see declining performance in September
Kuwait, Cairo buck the trend with occupancy and room rates up on same time last year
Middle East hotels registered an overall decline in performance in September compared with the previous year, with average room rates, revenues and occupancy dropping in most of the key markets as supply and competition increase, according to EY's latest sector report.
"While occupancy rates are fluctuating throughout the Mena [Middle East and North Africa] region, the average room rate in the majority of hospitality markets has declined, affecting the RevPAR [revenue per available room] performance across the four and five-star hotel segment," said Yousef Wahbah, the head of the real estate, hospitality and construction sector at EY Mena.
The UAE's two largest hospitality markets – Dubai and Abu Dhabi – both recorded lower revenues in September compared with the same month a year earlier. This was possibly due to a shorter than predicted public holiday for Eid Al Adha resulting in lower demand, EY said.
Dubai's market saw an 18.4 per cent drop in hotel RevPAR to US$125 from US$153 in September 2016, due to average daily rates (ADR) dropping by 12 per cent and occupancy by 5.8 per cent. In Abu Dhabi, hotel occupancy rose 5.9 percentage points to 80.5 per cent, from 74.7 per cent in September 2016. However, this was offset by ADR dropping 12 per cent to $94, resulting in an overall 5 per cent slide in revenues.
Asia, Africa and Latin America account for more than half of the global GDP and the Middle East is among the fastest growing emerging markets today with the UAE positioned as a strategic aviation, tourism and logistics hub home to Emirates airline, Etihad Airways and the world's largest airport by international passenger traffic.
Read more:
VAT and the hospitality sector - where will costs increase?
Hefty room rates in Abu Dhabi for last minute F1 stays
Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, saw a mixed performance across its major cities in September, including an overall increase in occupancy rates by as much as 6.8 per cent in Makkah and 6.7 per cent in Madinah. Jeddah and Riyadh saw occupancy rates rise by 4.9 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively, the report showed.
Despite the increases, revenues dropped in some of the cities as hotels experienced price pressure from increased competition. Makkah RevPAR plummeted by 22.8 per cent and Madinah by 15.5 per cent, although Riyadh's held firm at 0.03 per cent and Jeddah's rose by 4.6 per cent.
Kuwait saw the highest increase in occupancy in the region, to 44.2 per cent from 33.5 per cent in September 2016. There was also a 27.6 per cent increase in RevPAR attributed to the opening of new hotels and an increase in leisure and business travellers, despite ADR dropping 3.3 per cent to US$217.
Cairo, the Arab world's most populous country, saw the highest revenues increase in the region (77.7 per cent) – albeit from a smaller base than for the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The North African country saw revenue rise to US$64 in September 2017 from US$36 in 2016, driven by an almost doubling of ADR year-on-year, from US$49 to US$83, according to EY's report.
"As the year draws to a close, the hospitality market is entering what are historically the stronger performing months of the year, so we may see an improved performance in the sector when compared to previous months," Mr Wahbah said.
Updated: November 29, 2017 07:01 PM


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Using innovative technologies to improve workplace wellbeing.
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We understand AV technologies inside out, but we also understand health and wellbeing at work – and it's that combination which is unique and essential.
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12 February 2010:
If you thought we were done with bird anatomy because we reached the tail last week, think again.
There are plenty of obscure anatomical words that I haven't covered yet. For instance, what about axillaries?
Axillaries are the bird's armpits, circled above in yellow. Usually they're unremarkable because they're a single color but every once in a while there's a surprise.
For instance, notice the American robin above and the black-bellied plover below.
And how about this illustration of rose-breasted grosbeaks? Who knew that the males have rosy armpits and the females have yellow?
If birds don't soar, we get only a fleeting glimpse at their axillaries.
(photo credits: American robin by Marcy Cunkelman, black-bellied plover by Chuck Tague, rose-breasted grosbeak illustration from Wikimedia Commons; click on the caption to see the original)