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Time passed. With the functions of the Factory-Cathedral mostly under control and life settling into a routine – school, work at Dudael, private projects, ingredient hunting, and things going on back in Atlanta – some of Charles's projects started picking up speed.
His report on Queen Merella readily got him into the advanced history classes. It wasn't quite impossibly good, but was up there in the upper-ranks of god-blooded scholarship – easily enough to qualify for him for a research-assistant job if he hadn't had a job already. [He'd gotten a very lucky 12 successes. Whether that was good or bad has yet to be determined].
The Factory-Cathedral staff – Bright Widget, Circuits of Adamant, Lelani, Catherine, and the other nine gods and seven mortals – had been surprised and pleased to discover that Charles saw no reason not to hand around lesser artifacts as bonuses when there were plenty in a production-run. That wouldn't be possible with the more potent artifacts of course, as they well knew, but Charles wouldn't be (publicly) producing those for some time.
There were even enough to give the dozen previously-unemployed gods he had chasing around after ingredients a bonus each… Still, between hiring those and scrounging for more magical materials, the Factory-Cathedrals budget was stretched VERY thin! A good thing that he had lots of Inukami who could make Orichalcum… Funny that that was one of the easiest things to produce. You could find almost anything naturally on occasion, and there was always wyld-questing – but making stuff was tricky…
- Jade required Ambrosia – but any Ambrosia would do.
- Moonsilver required ore from Wyld-touched territories or Ambrosia dedicated to Luna or essence tokens from lunar-aspected demesnes of rank 3+.
- Starmetal required mining the bodies of dead gods (generally unacceptable) or Ambrosia dedicated to the Maidens.
- Soulsteel pretty much required souls, and that was REALLY unacceptable.
Huh. He might just have to rig things up so he could go Wyld-Questing.
His after-hours work was doing well though. He'd finished up with his new charm (The Dragon Vortex), and he'd completed most of Gramps requests. Display glass for essence-communications gear, color-adjusting robes (well, he'd made up some self-cleaning, self-adjusting, always warm or cool and comfortable and provided-some-protection clothes that turned into any clothes you wanted instead. They were much better, and it was like those high-tech clothes he'd read stories about people wanting to design), knapsacks of holding, a selection of thaumaturgic talismans and alchemical supplies (which were easy enough to turn out by the hundreds with a Factory-Cathedral), and a few occult-enhancing items (the basic academy-set) had all been easy enough.
The Singing Staves though… The design was clear enough, but they'd be a LOT of work even with enhanced geomantic support, and some of the ingredients were really very awkward! Strings from a perfect-quality musical instrument used in a virtuoso performance for a supernatural audience could be gotten, and a bit of essence from a major earth elemental given in blessing could likely be gotten – but a recording of a harpists-demon's greatest performance was going to be pretty hard! He didn't like summoning demons!
He'd have to ask Gramps about those. The Singing Staves just might have to wait for a bit. He had the rest of the unofficial orders to do…
- For Hiparkes he made two Jade Saddles (**). Those were quick and easy – and besides, he liked Hiparkes!
- For Sal Montague he made a Swift Rider (***) and a Windslave Disk (* version). The Windslave Disk was pretty trivial – but the Swift Rider was a bit… conspicuous today. Charles used a bicycle as the basis and upgraded the design a bit with Ambrosia… That let him get rid of that pesky maintenance, cut down the power requirement, and even let him throw in a few thaumaturgic boosts while he was at it! The minor cost to invoke a wind-ward and x10 travel-speed boost might come in pretty handy, and he could use one of the extras himself! He'd been needing a better bicycle anyway! That way he could get to Savannah REALLY fast!
- For Siakal (the Goddess of Sharks and Maritime Piracy) he made three sets of red jade shark-sized Death Fangs (* each) and some wave-stepping boots (**). Those were both easy. The "Death Fangs" were weapons – which Charles didn't care for – but they were pretty trivial and were probably for her pet sharks or something.
- Malakai Run-and-Gun had ordered a Soulsteel Windblade-class personal transport (***). That was kind of nasty, and soulsteel was awkward… and all it did was make blades on the thing anyway. You could put blades on a vehicle without soulsteel, even if it would take a bit of a redesign. Still, Malakai was paying with enough Jade – a talent of each color – to make a LOT of other things… Charles threw in some Quintessence and added some enhanced perfect greatsword blades to the thing; that would get Malakai an even better effect WITHOUT Soulsteel – and he could make it out of Orichalcum, make it faster, and just throw in a Fivefold Harmonic Adapter to let him attune it without a fuss.
- WWW had ordered an Ultimate Document (***), which was – if somewhat underhanded – at least relatively easy to make.
- Gustav Meyers had ordered an Adamant Reaper Daiklave (**) and Adamant Discreet Essence Armor with resizing capabilities (***) – both gift wrapped. That had been a bit of a problem though… Charles didn't like weapons much, and Mr Meyers WAS bronze faction. Besides… Discreet Essence Armor wasn't all that good. He used the Commando Armor design instead, in the version that just looked and felt like a sash. That would fit pretty much anybody, even if they did some shapeshifting!
He didn't deliver them right away though. He was still kind of worried about how people were likely to react. At least he could hide things in Hoenheim in one of the alternate versions and behind some Celestial-Level Wards. That way they were elsewhere when he didn't need to have the storage rooms open… Besides, even if he delayed for months, most of them wouldn't be expecting anything for YEARS.
Back on Earth, the Inukami had gotten some lawyers aboard, and started quietly patenting some aspects of the bio-scanner. Since there were now a lot more of them, and the facilities could be better as needed, they could work on a lot more projects too. Setting things up at the bosses two new Manses took a little time – they had to travel by plane most of the time after all – but it was also easy enough.
An in-depth records search in Yu-Shan turned up several damaged manses on Earth. There were a fair number of minor ones – but only a few major ones of any interest in the Americas.
The was the Spire of Ramsthenes in the Adirondacks (Solar ***), the underground Caves of the Silver Remnant in Alabama (Lunar ***), the Frosted Temple of Nandarkara up in the Canadian Arctic regions (Air ****), the Palace of Verox Ran in the western Amazon (Wood ****), and the fiery Ruby-and-Adamant Redoubt in the depths of Mount Shasta (Fire ****).
Now those were pretty dramatic! And they also sounded like most of them would be worth fixing… He'd have to look into it and see if there were any special obstacles! They were probably self-stabilizing, but either no one knew how to fix them or they were terribly dangerous for some reason!
Manses… Oh yes! That was another important project! Demien and the rest of the Cauldron-Born could still use the Seven Whispering Winds Manse to get into Yu-Shan whenever they wanted!
Still, he'd reported that to the Sidereals. Surely they'd put SOME kind of guards on the place!
Seven Whispering Winds was in the middle of an abandoned region. That was kind of rare for a Gold Faction Sidereal with good connections – but then Demien was quite young and he'd had to accept some drawbacks to go with his high-powered manse.
Sadly, it was pretty likely that the deiphages were no match for the Cauldron-Born now. They might have turned the place into a freehold in the midst of Yu-Shan without anyone even noticing! Worse, there wasn't a single reclaimed territory nearby to even attempt a watch!
Charles tried a little scrying…
Hm… It looked like someone had assigned a small squad of Celestial Lions to watch the place – and it looked to be much as he remembered from his few visits; creepy, somber, and quasi-funereal. Perfect for a Chosen of Endings.
The lions were currently changing shifts. The ones leaving looked pretty happy to be going.
That would never do. Yes, the lions were watching all the entrances – but that would never be enough and they WEREN'T going inside. The Cauldron-Born could probably run right over them!
He'd have to work on that hidden-attunement charm, call it "Coaxing the Delicate Bird". It was theoretically possible (and, of course, once he started work, it wasn't long before he had it).
Darn it. It might be a trap too. After all, he'd have to walk right in – and they could teleport to the place and might well be aware of what went on there. Could he get past the Celestial Lions at all? He might need some allies for this one – and, at least as yet, there wasn't much of anyone but Kiko and Mitchell! Maybe he could think of someone with authority over the Celestial Lions?
Whoever-it-was who'd hired the manse survey team had finally sent a response; he'd like to set up a meeting on Earth about setting up a deal. He had a modest residence outside of Brasilia, well warded from all forms of mundane surveillance and most supernatural ones to use as a meeting place.
Well, the fellow certainly had no reason to be up to anything yet! He'd sent him what he wanted after all!
That was kind of awkward! It was a long ways across Yu-Shan to the right gate, and then it seemed to be almost five hundred miles from the Rio de Janeiro gate to Brasilia! If he was going to be running all over the Earth to find his ingredients, he really needed some faster methods of transportation than his bicycle. He could have an Inukami disguise itself and rent a car and speed it up with some Travel Thaumaturgy – but just crossing Yu-Shan would take most of a day.
Wait, there was a faster way in Yu-Shan anyway… Didn't some god have an amulet that let him teleport around inside Yu-Shan by dissolving in a cloud of butterflies? Something Autochthon had made… Oooh, wait! If you tied it to the energies of the Canals, it would only work in Yu-Shan – but it would be fairly easy to make!
He'd need… some of the purest, finest, sand from the endless desert to melt into the alloy. The stuff that was normally… only found in demonic mines, since the dimension-spanning power of the Sands was – or had been – commonly used to widen the holes into Creation back in the second age. Oh, now THAT was awkward. No wonder there weren't many duplicates of the thing around!
Ooh! Wait! He could use the Efficient Secretary Technique and Astrology in the Observatory to find out if anyone who might be persuaded to sell had some of the pesky stuff!
As it turned out, there were several individuals who possessed Cecelyne's sands… Stinging Dunes, a powerful earth elemental of the American Southwest, collected the stuff. There was a powerful Terrestrial sorcerer in Miami who occasionally used it in her rituals. Finally, a mortal glassmaker in Milan had some of the stuff – and apparently thought that it was just really neat sand.
Now that was handy! He dispatched one of the Inukami to Milan immediately with orders to offer lots of money, perfect gear, and various other things and services in trade!
The glassblower, one Santhia, was a bit befuddled. He'd already gotten several other offers for the sand – and wanted to know what was going on. HE just wanted to make some neat silver decanters.
For good or ill, the Inukami was perfectly willing to explain…
(Inukami) "It's simple enough Mr Santhia! It's from another dimension and is an important magical catalyst! What it would do if you blew glass with it I really can't tell… I'm rather surprised that you could wind up with some in your possession without knowing what it is!"
(Santhia) "One of my wealthier customers offered it in trade for a small piece. I had no idea what it was. But I recognized it as exceedingly fine material."
(Inukami) "Well, I can easily get you materials or equipment in trade. The Sands of Cecelyne are very expensive stuff.
The Inukami thought it best not to point out that the Sands were worth more than enough to be dangerous… On the other hand, the fellow did seem to have at least HEARD of magic.
Actually Santhia dealt with occultists occasionally. He didn't believe most of it, but they paid well and let him make some creative stuff, so he didn't pry unless it seemed suspicious.
(Inukami) "Mr Santhia… I take it you have doubts about the actual existence of the supernatural world?"
(Santhia) "It seems like superstition to me."
(Inukami) "Would you care for a demonstration or some examples? It would require only a few minutes. My talents are more… direct than most occultists. "
(Santhia) "If you believe you have power, I am willing to watch."
(Inukami) "Very well!"
He threw up a quick ward against noise, so that no one would hear if Mr Santhia got too upset, sat back in the air, dropped his disguise – and provided a few telekinetic and visual effects.
(Inukami) "You see Mr Santhia, there are a considerably greater number of species, powers, and levels of reality than are popularly acknowledged. As a supernatural being. I can illustrate this for you a good deal more directly than most human mages, who are restricted to ritual magic."
Santhia seemed to shocked to scream. The expression on his face was somewhere between fear and awe. That wasn't quite right!
(Inukami) "Anyway, I work for a young mage of considerable talent, who could use sand from the endless desert of Cecelyne – which is what you happen to have. You shouldn't fear me though; you – like all true humans – have potentials that I cannot match. I am simply aware of my abilities."
(Santhia) "I had no idea such things existed!"
(Inukami) "They don't come into most people's lives much unless they seek them out – but you've come into possession of a rather rare and dangerous magical substance."
(Santhia, stammering) "What is this desert? It looks like silver sand to me."
(Inukami) "It's the borderlands that separate the universe you see, and that surrounds you when you look into the heavens, from the realm of the great old ones. Some know them as titans or demons – but they are very dangerous powers. The sand of that desert… is both a bridge and a barrier. It permits passage through realms. Are you sure you wish to know more than that? Such knowledge can complicate your life a great deal."
(Santhia) "N-no, that is MORE than enough. Please, what do you want for this? I would rather not have it in my workshop any longer if it is what you say it is."
(Inukami) "The mage I serve wants to make an amulet of transportation. As for a price… What would you like? I am authorized to provide money, or special benefits, or lesser magical devices of several types."
(Santhia) "No, no magic devices, I think. But if he can give me a modest payment and a supply of fine materials for my work, I will be happy.
(Inukami) "That is easily arranged. Are there any particular materials you would like or simply fine tools, sands, coloring compounds, and glasses?"
(Santhia) "If he could give me sand similar to this, but harmless, that would be good. The way it catches light is alluring."
That would be easy! A bit of alchemy could make Mr Santhia some marvelous sands to work with!
(Inukami) "Done then? I shall leave my card; if you have any further difficulties in my areas of expertise, I will owe you a favor."
(Santhia) "Th… thank you."
(Inukami) "You are welcome!"
Santhia made a desperate reach for normalcy, and asked the Inukami if it needed anything else… Coffee? Tea? Biscuits?
(Inukami) "Tea is nice! And biscuits! But not if it's too much bother!"
It might help the poor man settle back into his normal life! And the tea and biscuits smelled very nice! Clearly Mr. Santhia did well for himself!
Someone tried scrying on him on the way back to the gate, but no one tried to intercept or stop him! That was good! Charles needed the sand he was carrying! And Mr Santhia had had a whole handful! Enough for a full production run of artifacts, if just barely!
There was a wait for customs this time. After all, the sands of Cecelyne were what demons walked across to enter Creation, and even a bit was risky in the Celestial City. Customs – and the Celestial Lions – wanted the stuff as well contained as possible.
Fortunately, the Inukami was more than willing to contain it and did have an official reason – even if it was just "collecting ingredients for the Factory-Cathedral's artifact making".
The Lions still wanted to know what the sands of Cecelyne were going to be used for – although they certainly suspected. For all their rarity and danger, they were very useful for transit artifacts.
(Inukami) "The boss has some transport artifacts in the que, and thinks these will be called for for some of them! Fortunately, he was able to determine where some might be purchased, because they're very hard to get a hold of directly!"
(Lion) "For very good reason. Now, what kind of transport artifacts were these? Nothing bothersome, I hope."
Sadly, the Inukami weren't much for lying or social abilities and were prone to canine-style enthusiasm about Charles – and there were certain complications already underway.
(Inukami) "I think he wanted to experiment with something for fast transport between the gates! He needs ingredients from all over, so collecting them faster would make his work a lot easier!"
(Lion) "That's interesting. Does he have a list of people wanting one of these?"
(Inukami) "I don't think he does at the moment. I don't know if he's even quite sure on the design yet, but he probably is. He's very good at that sort of thing!"
(Lion) "Well! Tell you what. If you have him make one of these things for me, I'll speed up your inspection. And give him my contact information too. I'd like to ask him a few questions."
(Inukami) "Uhm. I can ask, and the boss is pretty obliging! And I'll give him your contact information!"
(Lion) "Good!"
The inspection proceeded honestly and with reasonable efficiency – a rare thing in the Celestial City.
(Inukami) Thank you!
Charles considered his production run carefully… If word got out that he had them, the amulets would be pretty hotly desired. On the other hand, he might need a bit of the sands later on, and getting more was DEFINITELY a pain. He had enough of the sands for a full run of seventy-five though, with maybe a pinch left over…
He settled on a run of thirty. He'd have to be quite circumspect about using the things, but sooner or later someone would notice – but it would let him get to the gate
Related articles
- The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice XII – Current Dramatis Persona (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
- The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice, Part III (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
- Exalted – Dudael, the Hierarchical Forge (Solar Celestial Manse *****) (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
- The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice, Part II (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
- The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice, Part V (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
Filed under: Background, Campaign Log | Tagged: Background, Campaign Log, Exalted, Role Playing Game, RPG, White Wolf |


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2015 WGF & Driscoll's Grant Winners
Congratulations to the 20 recipients of our 2015 WGF & Driscoll's School Garden Grant!
Western Growers Foundation has partnered with Driscoll's as a part of their Regional Community Grants Program to award $10,000 in edible school garden grants. WGF will award $500 grants to these twenty K-12 schools - plus seeds and a copy of California Gardens for Learning. The grants will be distributed in January 2016.
List of Winners by County
- McSwain Union Elementary School

subset: commoncrawl


text: So far the latest predictions show that the new Operating System from Microsoft is not going to be that great for the average desktop user. The new OS is Microsoft's first attempt at an operating system built for PCs and mobile devices. It will offer many of the same functions as Windows 7 as well as a few new ones for the mobile side. All in all, it's not going to be that big of a deal for the average user. Few if any upgrades from Windows 7 are predicted.


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If you're like most fans of The Crystal Method, you may have found your copy of the duo's groundbreaking album Vegas permanently borrowed by friends. Fortunately, the platinum album has been remastered for its 10th anniversary and is now available. Vegas (Deluxe Edition) is sure to please listeners with a two-disc set that includes remixes by Paul Oakenfold, Koma and Bones, MSTRKRFT and other DJs hand-picked by The Crystal Method's Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland.
"About six months ago, the label contacted us and said that we were coming up on the 10-year anniversary. They said they would like to put out a special deluxe edition," says Kirkland. "We wanted to remaster the original album and then put together a second CD with remixes and a couple of rarities and also put together a really nice package. The booklet that's inside really does a great job of taking the person back to that time in our lives." In addition, the new version of Vegas includes a brief history of each track, as well as the videos for "Busy Child" and "Comin' Back."
Kirkland and Jordan have been pioneers on the electronic music scene for more than a decade. The Las Vegas natives' early careers were surprisingly normal, contrary to popular rumors (such as that the duo began by DJing at Las Vegas strip clubs). "There were false urban legends that were created way back in the day when we were first starting out," Kirkland explains. TCM's first record label, City of Angels, "made up all kinds of stories" to create an image for the duo after they moved from Vegas to Los Angeles. "Thank God the other ones they made up haven't surfaced," Kirkland says. "There's a few other ones that I'm not even going to go into details about!" Kirkland believes the strip-club-DJ rumor persisted because their music is sometimes played in strip clubs and "over the years my partner has been to a few of them."
Jordan used to be the program director at KUNV in the mid- to late '80s. Jordan also hosted a radio show in conjunction with a club night at a now-defunct sports pub across from UNLV. While Kirkland says he didn't participate in the radio show or station, he did take over Jordan's DJ spot at the sports pub for a few months in 1989 when Jordan moved to California.
The versatility of The Crystal Method is evident in the diversity of their influences and albums. Not only do they have their studio albums, like the Grammy-nominated Legion of Boom, but they have also released two mix records (Community Service and Community Service II). Is there a different target audience for the studio albums versus the mix records? "Yeah. I mean, since over the last five years we've started to DJ out more, the mix CDs sort of come out of that love of that particular type of club music," explains Kirkland. Studio albums "are based on or formed out of our love for our influences and different things that we are into, from rock to hip-hop to old soul and R&B, and for me metal—and, of course, all the electronic music that's inspired us over the years." In contrast, Kirkland feels the duo's mix CDs are more reflective of "that side of our life, and we go out and DJ and we hear all these songs, and we try to put together a 70- to 80-minute-long set of mix music which exists differently from our studio album."
During the recording process, as well as the live shows, Kirkland explains, while they both do a bit of everything, "Ken is more of the engineer/producer and I'm more of the performer and the writer. Onstage we both try to play as much as we can."
Kirkland and Jordan are working on their fourth studio album while also performing around the world. Kirkland hopes the new record will be out in spring 2008. "It's coming along pretty well. We've got about five tracks going." Kirkland would like to see 12 tracks for the finished record. "I like the direction that it's going in."
Fans and newcomers alike will be treated to a live DJ set from The Crystal Method in Las Vegas on October 26 when they headline Devil's Night 10. "It's going to be great," Kirkland says. "We've been DJing really well. Lots of new things to play, and it's going to be a fun night.
(Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly and at LasVegasWeekly.com.)


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Can Debt Settlement Save You From Financial Ruin?
It's happened to the best of us. You pay your bills as best you can. Some people have a little more leftover at the end of the month, some have a little less, but all in all, bills get paid.
Then the unexpected happens–loss of a job, medical bills, divorce, etc.
At this point, panic often sets in. You end up spending and borrowing more money than you were ever prepared for. Eventually, you come to realize that getting back on track on your own is nearly impossible.
This is where debt settlement can help, but it has its benefits and consequences. The question is, do the benefits of debt settlement work for you and outweigh the consequences.
Benefits of Debt Settlement
Debt settlement isn't a magic wand. Like all debt relief solutions, it takes honest commitment from you to become and remain debt-free. However, if you can make it work for you, the benefits are many.
One single payment
One of the hardest parts of being in debt is juggling all the individual monthly payments. Debt settlement combines all of the multiple credit accounts into a single account with one affordable monthly program payment.
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While debt settlement doesn't have an initial positive impact on your credit score, getting your debt paid off will. Alternatives like bankruptcy or sinking further into debt will leave your credit in continued stress. Debt settlement allows you to resolve your debt faster, giving your credit the boost it needs to recover quickly.
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Many debt settlement agreements can be closed out within two to four years. You make regular program payments and our negotiators go to work settling your accounts for less than you originally owed. The result is each creditor is paid off faster than they would have been paid without our program.
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I used to enjoy coming to this site, it was a daily fix for me. That is until recently. The number of premium posts has increased dramatically. Today i see that on the home page there are 15 posts that are premium and only seven that are for unpaid members. I think that i have to find a new daily fix. 🙁
Premium Posts
Posted on December 28, 2017


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If you hit Google to find a reliable commercial junk removal company in Maryland, you can find many companies who are vying for your business. Some say that they pick up everything, provide customized hauling service, and others offer the lowest price in the town.
But, how would you select the right one for your commercial needs? You can find the most efficient garbage hauling service in Maryland at 2 Brothers Landscaping. Before hiring a junk removal service, you should spend some time and assess what you need. Do you need someone to deliver a skip and then pick it up?
Or, do you need trash pick up in Maryland to clear the debris, load, and take it away? These will help you determine a reliable service. However, for commercial needs, it is always wise to hire trash pickup services to manage and dispose of the waste efficiently.
Look for a junk removal service with references:
Many businesses are advertising the best junk removal service at a cheap price. But, you have to check whether they have a reputation and it is a solid one. Ask around for recommendations from friends and neighbors who have used the service. This would help you to get a reliable one.
Choose a company that has excellent customer service:
Reviews are readily available on the company's website, and you should definitely check them out before making a decision. Based on your reputation, you should narrow down your options. The best choice would be to find and hire a junk removal company that has a solid reputation and positive reviews.
Support local junk removal business:
It is always good to source local business. Yes, local businesses are family-run and support the community. Take your time, narrow down your search based on the reputation, ask a few questions to validate that the Maryland trash pickup services support your business with ethical values.


text: Little Cole's mom won me over in her first e-mail to me. She'd composed an emotional letter detailing how she and her husband had been devastated by the quality of their wedding photographs. She went on to explain that since she was soon to give birth to a miracle baby (who was quite a surprise!), she didn't want to take a chance on her newborn's first photographs. In her words, "I think your work is absolutely breathtaking and looking at the pictures of the beautiful babies on your site brought me to tears as I realized how fortunate I was to be carrying this child." Well, let's just say that they had me at hello!


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A formation or geological formation is the fundamental unit of lithostratigraphy. A formation consists of a certain number of rock strata that have a comparable lithology, facies or other similar properties. Formations are not defined on the thickness of the rock strata they consist of and the thickness of different formations can therefore vary widely.
Three main geological formations are recognized in Kerala namely, the Archaeans (oldest rocks), the Warkalli beds of Tertiary Age (Upper Miocene to Pliocene) and the recent deposits (quarternary). These have North-South alignment.
Crystalline Rocks
(i) Dharwar formation: These occur in the Malabar area only. They are represented by garnetiferous-ferruginous quartzite, mica, talc, schist etc. and are found exposed in South-East Wayanad and North West of Gudalur.
(ii) Champion gneiss: They are seen in South and South-East Wayanad and have gold bearing veins. Rocks appear to be of post peninsular age.
(iii) Peninsular gneiss: This is one of the most widespread rock types found in Kerala. The important minerals that go to make up the rocks are quartz, Feldspars, biotite and garnite. In Cochin area, they form the most extensive rocks. The types present are biotite and hornblende gneiss. In Thiruvananthapuram area, the gneiss belongs to the peninsular suite and is made of quarts, orthoclase, mica and hornblende. Charnockite and leptynites are the most common gneisses in this area.
(iv) Charnockite: A good portion of the Western Ghats is made up of this rock. In the Travancore area the rocks are well foliated and show intrusive relationship with peninsular gneiss. They are highly garnetiferous as compared to the charnokites of North Kerala, where garnet is absent.
(v) Closepet granite: Archaean intrusions of post charnockite age are found in the Malabar region. The two intrusions of biotite granite found in Kalpetta hills and Sultan's Battery, have strong resemblance to the Dornegneiss of Hazaribagh.
Precambrian System
(i) Basic dykes: These rocks are fresh but fractured and mylonitised. They approach dolerite in composition and are found to occur in South Malabar area. The basic dykes of Cochin area are fine to medium grained and free form olivine. The more coarse grained crystalline phases are represented by gabbros. Several exposures of gabbros are found in Cochin area.
(ii) Residual laterites: A narrow zone of lateritised rock exists to the west of crystalline rocks that constitute the eastern boundary of the State. The rock exposed on the surface in this zone is a type of laterite, which exhibits characteristics different from those of the laterite, which caps the Varkalai formation. The laterite preserves the structure of the parent rock and is less compact. Below the laterite layer is the kaolin layer, the depth of which to the undecomposed rock shows gradation.
(iii) The warkalli formation: This represents the most conspicuous sedimentary bed occurring in Varkala. They are best exposed at Varkala in the cliffs near the seashore. They consist of clayey sandstone, white and variegated clay and carbonaceous clay containing thin lenses of lignite. Most of these areas are lateritised.
(iv) Recent deposits: They are mainly developed in Northern parts of Quilon and are made up of sand and silt. The lacustrine deposits of the backwater tracts of Kerala, the mud banks of the coast of Alleppey and the marine beach deposits all along the sea shore of Kerala come under the group. From the economic point of view, the area is important as it contains valuable mineral sands.


text: Diamond's petite Femboy body in a light green bra and panty set. Diamond's stiff teen cock sticks straight in the air while spreading her buns. Today Diamond has a purple buttplug that she loves sliding up her barely legal ass. Diamond strokes her meat wearing only white sheer stockings and cums a nice juicy load.


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This revolution of the year 1980 was sought to alter the American citizens' attitude towards their government, their beloved country and hence their leaders. He started the campaign by considerably reducing the size of the cabinet. This was meant to reduce the wage bill to the Americans. The wage bill was become one of the biggest recurrent expenditure by the time (3-6). Ronald Reagan also passed numerous laws that protected every American and protected the boundaries and basic rights of every American citizen more aggressively. This was mostly against external enemies especially the United States of Soviet Union. His leadership was mainly in developing United States into levels that they would feel proud of their mother country; moreover, he protected the United States citizen rights, freedoms and dignity within the boundaries and without. With all these positivity, President Ronald Reagan was able to lower taxes for the American citizen. This was intended to allow the basic goods and services more affordable to the common American
As a coin has two sides, the strategy President Reagan chose cut two way. The negative side of his strategy was the creation of social classes and widening the gap. The strategies he chose favored the rich and oppressed the poor. This led to the increase of crime, homelessness and other social vices. Reagan also promoted the oppression of feminism, civil rights and environment movement group. The lack of proper legislation to uphold these important societal movements, he concentrated on development and making American as proud as they could with America. Within this time the United States economy nosedived, unemployment rates were increasing exponentially
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What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join us, you will find the link widget at the bottom of Jaime's post. We really hope you will take part!
I am a little late today in posting, but there's a reason…I didn't have time this morning and I was sleepy last night. It was night, and I sometimes operate on the schedule of a three year old. I have a three year old, so this is valid.
What I'm Reading
Currently about halfway through Defiance by C.J. Redwine. I want to like this book more than I do. I'm beginning to wonder if there is something wrong with me, because books I would normally obsess over aren't cutting it. I'm finishing the manuscript I've been beta reading and loving it, actually more than the published books I've been reading. This is a huge compliment to her, but also I think it speaks to the freshness of her idea. So…that's exciting.
What I'm Writing
More blogging than normal. This week is the first week since sending my book to agents at the beginning of June that I have felt the itch to get back to work. Right now, my goal for writing revolves around plotting, but there is a story I think I'm going to begin working on — slowly as not to scare it away – that I will probably develop for a while. It's a horse of a different color and will be a beast for me to write, I think. Also, I feel the sequel to my book has a beginning forming in my mind, and I'm kind of loving it —in theory. That will probably happen next week.
What Inspires Me
Taylor Swift songs. I am thoroughly embarrassed by this and turning an unflattering shade of pink right now. I can't actually tell you why I began listening to her, but I would like to account for it with creative license. There is something deeply Young Adult about her music. Something that evokes the emotions of later adolescents so easily. Also —the catchiness. I mean, I'm not 22 but…sometimes I feel it.
Teens sitting on ratty carpet in a circle. There's something about being cross legged on the floor surrounded by your friends that makes you forget you don't want to talk. The acting/writing workshop today was all about the screen test and how you pull an idea out of your ass. When we opened the floor up for discussion, there was a noticeable sigh. But one kid started talking, and before we knew it, they had decided (almost unanimously) on a jumping off point for their miniseries. Plus, watching their faces, observing their mannerisms, the interactions they thought no one noticed, the excitement they poorly concealed, was fascinating and throughly educational.
What Else I'm Up To
My son is slightly high-maintenance. He's smart as a whip, and that translates to him intensely and single-mindedly running the day. Right now, he is fascinated with math. Adding and subtracting on a basic level, counting from a random number until he can't count any higher, puzzles.
I am not math person so much, this makes for interesting conversations. He gives me dirty looks. A LOT.
Trying to catch up with friends.
Painting walls in my house that looked like some dirty-palmed urchin came along and used the wall as a canvas for his filthy art.
So…what about you?


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Thank you, Ambassador
Mohamed, for allowing me to address the General Council.
I wanted just briefly
to reinforce the message that I asked Ambassador Allgeier to convey yesterday
regarding our U.S. commitment to the DDA negotiations. That support comes from the highest
President Bush is an
ardent supporter of the Doha Agenda, as I know Dr. Supachai saw first hand at
the G-8 meeting in Gleneagles. He's
challenged us to be bold and visionary, and to ensure that we don't miss the
opportunity to have trade make its important contribution to global growth and
The key is creating new
opportunities and demonstrating to our citizens that enhanced trade can make a
significant, positive difference in their lives. This is true for the
States, but also for our developing country partners
as well. That's why we all are
seeking to ensure that the Round results in new opportunities for the products
and services of developing countries.
For the
States, the momentum is positive, but trade is not an
easy issue at home these days:
earlier this spring, the Congress reviewed and determined
that it was important for us to remain in the WTO because a rules-based system
is essential not only for our economic and strategic interests but also for
global economic prosperity, growth and the alleviation of poverty;
the President received approval of a short extension of
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), enabling us to negotiate a completed DDA
agreement by the end of 2006 for Congressional approval;
Secretary Johanns is beginning his work on agricultural
reform and renewal of U.S. Farm legislation . This fits well with our common
goal for Hong
Kong to secure
modalities for agriculture; and
Passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
early yesterday morning by the House of Representatives and today by the full
Congress was extremely significant.
The agreement is important in itself, but it is fundamentally related to
making progress here in the WTO and advancing our broader trade liberalization
We have high ambitions
for all areas of Doha – starting with agriculture. We have made clear that we are ready to
explore different approaches that can bring the DDA together and deliver real
results in all three pillars.
I understand that
discussions yesterday confirmed yet again that market access in agriculture is
the major sticking point in the negotiations. It is behind the other areas of the
agriculture negotiations, and we can see that it is holding up progress not only
in the rest of agriculture, but in NAMA and services as well.
We have also listened
carefully to the particular concerns and sensitivities that have been raised by
our developing country partners in the negotiations. We are prepared to work with these
Members to address their concerns in ways that build upon and strengthen the
rules based system that is so vital to us all.
We need to be ambitious
in all areas of the negotiations if we are to meet our goal to complete
negotiations in 2006.
My purpose in coming to
Geneva was to meet with Ministers and Ambassadors and WTO Officials and to see
first hand how to overcome the blockages we face, how to make progress and to
ensure that we all keep uppermost in our minds what the potential gains of a
successful round can be for our workers, farmers, service providers and
All of us here have a
calling. Otherwise we wouldn't be here. Our calling is to improve the lives of
our citizens and the global economy by succeeding with
Doha. We all need to do a better job of keeping
focused on the gains that can be realized through trade liberalization – and in
meeting the adjustment challenges that we will all face as that process goes
States played a leadership role in launching these
negotiations. We will continue to
show leadership in trying to bring them to a successful conclusion. We are ready to be bold and creative,
and to bridge differences. But this
must be a shared endeavor of the entire WTO Membership.
I hope we will all use
the summer wisely to find creative ways to build bridges so that we can meet the
substantial challenges ahead of us and deliver the results that are needed in
Kong to finish these
negotiations in 2006.
Thank you, again,
Madame Chair, and congratulations again on your stewardship of the General


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MATRIU_ (matrix)
Fascinated by the beauty of Joan Miró's original printing plates I tried to take them back to the place they should be,
giving them back their dignity and their aura, stolen by the stamp.
I intimately approached them, with my respect and admiration. I am not sure of having obtained what I expected.
Now, my pictures hang on the walls of the Foundation and the plates are still hidden.
In 2014, after two years working on Forgotten, I stumbled almost by accident, with a material of incredible sensitivity and possibilities. I never thought they would let me do it. I was not even sure I was capable to do it. But I presented my proposal to the Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation of Mallorca, they liked the idea and bit by bit it gained shape.
Many great professionals have been part of this project: Joan Oliver, Piedad Solans, Enric Juncosa, Pilar Baos, Pepe Cañabate, Jordi Cerdà, Julià, etc. ... thanks to all of them.
Here I leave you, in this journey of 22 photographs on matters such as the original and the copy, duplication and the portrait; the place of craft in the era of new technologies or the aura, transparency, the ephemeral and opaque.
Beside this dialogue, a tribute and recognition of the etching plates. An approach to those forgotten in the art world. Archived, hidden and mutilated treasures, after fulfilling the function for which they were created.
Thanks Joan Miró for let me go inside of your universe ...
Here you can read the text written by Piedad Solans for the exhibition.


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Forage Characteristics
Alta Seeds forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass and sudangrass hybrids are selected to provide farmers with high performance seed to meet their forage needs. Our hybrids feature the latest technology and advanced genetics. Below is a list of the forage characteristics offered by Alta Seeds.
Brachytic Dwarf – There are four dwarfing genes in sorghum which control height. These genes produce a type of dwarfism known as "brachytic dwarfism", which reduces the length of the internodes without affecting other agronomic plant characteristics, such as leaf number, leaf size, maturity or yield/biomass production. Brachytic Dwarf sorghums typically grow to about 6 feet tall and produce comparable tonnage to taller hybrids by producing more leaves and more tillers. Sorghums with this trait have very high leaf to stalk ratios, prolific tillering, superior standability, and comparable tonnage to normal height sorghums.
Brown Midrib-6 – The Brown Midrib-6 characteristic reduces the lignin content of sorghum stalk and leaves, which translates into a higher percent digestibility and increased palatability, supporting more cattle weight gain and increased milk production similar to Brown Midrib Forage Sorghumcorn silage. Lignin is the primary non-digestible component of forages – the higher the lignin percentage the lower the digestibility and quality. BMR-6 sorghums have 40% to 60% less lignin compared to conventional sorghums and BMR-6 sorghum silage has similar, and often times better nutritive value than corn silage. BMR-6 is highly superior to other BMR types, which include BMR-12 and BMR-18 hybrids.
Male Sterility – The male sterile hybrid forage sorghums eliminate the hazards of volunteer re-growth. Sorghum is normally a self-pollinated crop, but cross- pollination can occur. Male sterile plants produce no anthers and thus no pollen for self-fertilization. If no pollen source is nearby to cross pollinate, then male sterile plants will produce no grain. The sugars and protein produced and stored in the vegetative portions of the plant will not be mobilized from the stalk and leaves because these nutrients are not needed for grain development. Thus, male sterile sorghums maintain excellent forage quality and palatability. When combined with the BMR 6 trait, male sterile forage sorghums will have higher energy content than other hybrids that produce grain. These hybrids work best for growers looking for silage without grain.
Dry Stalk – The dry stalk characteristic reduces crop moisture in sorghum and sudangrass. Forage sorghum hybrids with this trait allow growers to ensile the harvested crop at reduced moisture levels with less opportunity for spoilage. When harvested at the soft dough stage, forage sorghums with the dry stalk characteristic have approximately 64% to 69% moisture content.
Photoperiod Sensitive – Photoperiod sensitive (PS) sorghums initiate flowering in response to day length. One of the most important factors affecting the flowering response in plants is light, and plants have differing photoperiod requirements for triggering their reproductive response (e.g. heading). Plants can be separated into three categories in response to photoperiod – short-day, long-day and day-neutral plants. Actually it is the light and dark period acting together that controls the response.
The PS sorghums will not initiate heading until the day length becomes less than about 12.5 hours. Consequently, PS sorghums will remain vegetative from mid-March through September. The advantage of this trait allows the plant to remain vegetative for most of the season, adding new leaves and maintaining very high quality forage. This allows flexibility in timing the harvest, eliminating issues associated with weather or availability of custom harvesters. Remember, forage quality starts to decline once the sorghum plant initiates heading and flowering.


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The Khajuraho group of Monuments is one of the most popular sites in Madhya Pradesh and is being recognized by UNESCO as world heritage site and among one of the seven wonders in India. The Khajuraho is basically known as the temple town located in Chhattarpur district, about 280 km from Bandhavgarh. It has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples and the erotic sculptures are its most famed feature that attracts many of the tourists from all over the world.
The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = "one who carries". In the 19th century, a British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the Khajuraho area followed by General Alexander Cunningham. When Cunningham explored the site of Khajuraho, he was so impressed and pleased that he put the site on the world map on the behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India.
This ethnic group of temples has awed generation of people with its architectural brilliance, intricate carvings and sculptures. Earlier it was believed to be 80 temples at Khajuraho out of which about 22 remain today. These temples are divided into three sections or zones, namely, western, eastern and southern, according to their location. Out of all the western temples are the major attractions for the tourists where they can find many number of temples of different gods. The temples have become the synonyms with love and erotica.
Kandariya Mahadeva temple, Chaturbuj Temple, Lakshman temple, Chaunsath Yogini Temple, Devi Jagdamba Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Nandi Temple, Parvati Temple, Lakshmi Temple, Varaha Temple and Matangeshwar Temple.


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Teens in South Africa are just like teens everywhere. They are so focused on their friends, so worried about what other teens will think of them. That focus tends to scare off a lot of adults. Because teens are so focused on other teens, they seem disconnected and uncaring about … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Rally/Camp
The Long-Promised Camp Post (Part II)
More camp photos! This is a photo of Martin holding up an iPad. Everyone is looking at it because it, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, is connected, via the Internet and Skype, to a YOU rally in Oklahoma, that is taking place at the same time as … Continue reading
The Long-Promised Camp Post (Part I)
Camp. Camp was awesome, exhilarating, peaceful, fun, nerve-wracking, busy, cold, colder 🙂 In short, it was a full expression of the human spirit and cooperation between adults and teens, between American and African energies (with a little bit of Indian thrown in, thanks to Deepak Chopra). It was great. So on … Continue reading
Getting ready for camp
Camp starts in just two days! We had our first meeting with the kids going to camp yesterday. Boring meeting, mostly we were just trying to make sure paperwork was turned in and in good order. Those of you who are YOU sponsors will be very familiar with this one. … Continue reading


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Celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal shares her (ridiculously easy) tips for better brows.
Mally Roncal's one-and-done method will have you polished and out the door in a hot minute.
With this simple technique, you get the prettiest results while barely having to lift a finger.
The right foundation shade transforms your skin so you look naturally radiant.
Your eyes are about to pop.
Mally Roncal's shortcut will have you drawing it on perfectly, pronto.
Mally Roncal (who uses contouring on all her clients, even Beyoncé) teaches you fast ways to perfect your features the way the pros do.
"It's what you do before you put on makeup that stops it from sliding off.
These shortcuts make you look polished and radiant without feeling rushed.
Without it being super obvious that you have makeup on.
A brighter complexion and even skin tone is just a few steps away.
And it's possible without tons of gloppy gloss—or injections. "Lush lips make you look younger, too," says Mally. Fake 'em her way.


text: Here's something I don't like doing, making prints for comic conventions. In order to make money at these shows I feel like unestablished artists have to make prints of well known characters. Boring. How many versions of wolverine do we need? So that's where I was when I started this drawing. Feeling like I had to make something unoriginal while wanting to do something new. In the end I decided I didn't care if it sold well that I would just make a print that I enjoyed. So far I've sold exactly one copy of this print and that one sale was more rewarding than the fifty I sold of an Adventure Time drawing.


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Vision Technologies
Product / Vision Inspection
QComp is a Cognex PSI ( Partner System Integrator) with a great deal of experience in various product vision inspection criteria. Various new camera technologies are available to perform a variety of visual inspections or laser scans to identify defects, missing parts, or improper assembly. Utilizing various lighting and camera technologies QComp can test a solution to confirm its validity in an application prior to proposing a solution.


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Some of the best vintage's around can be found at http://coloradolady.blogspot.com. Coloradolady would be happy to have you drop by and check them out.
A very old restaurant menu. MY! how prices have changed. Just recently I paid $2.15 for a cup of coffee. Nearly strangled, as did not notice it being that price. I made sure I got refills drank the last drop.


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flowIPM 1C CIB
1200 V / 14 A @ 80°C or 30 A @ 25°C
Big things now come in smaller packages for the latest in motion control applications. Catering to manufacturers seeking higher integration and more sophisticated subsystems to cut systems' cost and assembly time, Vincotech's 1200 V IPM achieves the deepest level of integration of any power module available on the market today.
The highly intelligent power module flowIPM 1C features CIB topology and three inverter gate drives, including a bootstrap circuit for high-side power supply. Each leg of the inverter provides current-limiting to protect circuits.


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Pekka M. A. Pitkänen is a senior lecturer for the Open Theological College at the University of Gloucestershire. Pitkänen received an M.Div. in Theology from Chongshin University, Seoul, South Korea, and a Ph.D. in Old Testament studies from the University of Gloucestershire. Pitkänen is the author of A Commentary on Numbers: Narrative, Ritual, and Colonialism in the Routledge Studies in the Biblical World series, Central Sanctuary and Centralization of Worship in Ancient Israel: From the Settlement to the Building of Solomon's Temple, and the present commentary on Joshua in the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series.
Joshua: Apollos Old Testament Commentary is a moderately sized volume overflowing with rich analysis. Pitkänen has a keen interest in reading Joshua in a post-colonial world (p. 74-99), while also paying significant attention to literary form, structure, narratological features, archaeological research, history, and the broader Ancient Near Eastern context. Pitkänen begins with a generous introduction that explores standard introductory issues, including other related matters that prove useful for contemporary readers (e.g. the problem of war, conquest, and genocide in Joshua). The introduction is full and should be read carefully. Pitkänen is conservative on historical questions, but some readers will sense a strange discomfort as Pitkänen is forced wrestle with situations of suffering violence and ethical cleansing—especially as application is applied to the American Puritans.
The commentary proper is technical and denser than some others in the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series. This is by no means a detractor to the usefulness of the volume, but it does set a standard for the target audience. Pitkänen appears less concerned with biblical theology and the message of Joshua, and more concerned with issues related to historicity and literary make-up. Pitkänen provides a translation of the Hebrew text (with some comments on the LXX), notes on various aspects of the text and translation, form and structural observations, a verse-by-verse commentary, and explanation. Pitkänen offers meaningful interaction with the New Testament as it becomes applicable, and does well to display similarities of Joshua within the Torah. Pitkänen is detailed in his approach and shines in the verse-by-verse analysis. Readers will also appreciate the dozen excurses found throughout the commentary, which allows Pitkänen to explore various aspects of archaeology, structural matters, and important themes (e.g. herem).
Joshua: Apollos Old Testament Commentary by Pekka M. A. Pitkänen is a unique and refreshing commentary with enough controversy to keep readers interested. Pitkänen's sensitivity to a post-colonial reading of Joshua is distinctively paired with a detailed examination of important issues concerning a historical and literary approach to the book. It should be noted that Pitkänen is not the most engaging commentary to read. This could be a result of Pitkänen's deficient emphasis on the biblical theological issues or the overall style of the volume. That said, engagement does not provide sufficient means for measuring the usefulness of a commentary. Pitkänen is useful and should be consulted often alongside Butler (WBC), Woudstra (NICOT), and Hess (TCOT).


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From filling forms and negotiating a commercial loan to authenticating the borrower and routing activities, the traditional lending process remains inconsistent in terms of compliance and transparency. Amid the regulatory reforms and growing competition, it is important that banks address these challenges by leveraging opportunities offered by various fintechs.
Cloud computing is already being vastly utilized for its greater scalability, cost-effectiveness, and agility. There are also several other emerging lending technologies that offer improved automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, and machine learning to ensure enhanced lending management for banks. With the increase of regulatory inconsistencies, the use of technology to help businesses with regulatory and compliance management is crucial in assisting banks to manage risks in lending. Alongside big data, blockchain is another breakthrough technology that is enhancing the lending space, helping achieve transparency and risk analysis—restructuring their lending operations.
There have been revolutionary changes in the global lending market, with fintechs playing a significant role, compared to the traditional framework of banking systems. More and more banks are partnering with solution providers to help build digitized and streamlined platforms that meet the ever-evolving expectations of customers.
To help banks choose the right solution for lending management, a distinguished panel comprising CFOs, CEOs, CIOs, VCs, and analysts along with the Banking CIO Outlook editorial board has reviewed several companies that exhibit proven expertise in assisting banks with their lending management solutions. The companies featured in this issue have showcased their flair and extensive knowledge in the banking sector through their secure and cost-effective solutions that offer transparency and great agility.
We present to you Banking CIO Outlook's Top 10 Lending Management Technology Solution Providers - 2017.


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To double circulation profits, The Economist has 16 people focused on retention
When ad revenue growth was strong, publishers could justify pumping up circulation numbers willy-nilly. With those days over, publishers like The Economist are turning their attention to retention.
The Economist has set a goal of doubling its circulation profits by 2020. To do that, it needs to grow digital subscriptions, which number about 350,000 out of a total circulation of 1.5 million, and keep subscribers from canceling because replacing canceled subscribers is expensive. At the head of this effort is Anna Rawling, evp of customer experience and product strategy for The Economist.
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"The journey started about three years ago," Rawling said. "We became more focused on circulation and driving subscriptions with an overriding focus on profitability rather than volume. Prior to that, we had profitability targets, but it was more of a volume play to support advertising."
Rawling has 32 people who report to her, and half of them focus on retention. Once people have subscribed to The Economist for a year, they tend to retain well. But a lot has to happen in between. Their work focuses on nitty-gritty things like the right number of times to contact subscribers when they're at risk of canceling (four if they're set up to auto-renew their subscription with a credit card and 12 if they're not on auto-renew) and figuring out how frequently people need to read to keep them renewing.
With the focus on retention, The Economist has moved its attention to the latter question. Addressing that starts with improving the experience people have the moment they subscribe. Now, new subscribers will get a welcome email from the editor and a video about The Economist. It's also promoting its main mobile app more heavily, since app users tend to stick better. Rawling wouldn't share numbers but said that in a test, those that got the welcome material showed a single-digit improvement in retention over the people that just got the dry, functional experience.
The increased focus on subscriber revenue is also forcing previously separate departments to collaborate. At The Economist, Rawling has created three cross-functional "tribes" to work on app, website and newsletter projects. These teams have a combination of editorial, product, marketing, analytics and design experts. They're working on redesigning the app so people use it more regularly. One proposed change would consolidate all The Economist's journalism in the app, which is updated weekly, so people wouldn't have to worry about missing something that ran on the website or on The Economist's Espresso, an app that's updated daily.
Along with the mobile app, The Economist is trying to make its daily and weekly newsletters work harder to retain subscribers. The Economist is in a good position in that it has passionate readers. Getting them to form a regular reading habit is the trick, though. The Economist is exploring how it can use its newsletters to prompt people to read the edition when it comes out every Thursday as well as nudge them to read it on the weekend, when they have more time.
"We know The Economist is a lot to read," Rawling said. "We know that is a barrier to retention."
Sign up to get the day's top stories at 6am eastern.


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MMD National Secretary Reuben Sambo has said the real reason for banning political campaigns in Lusaka is not about political violence but is allegedly due to fears arising from findings of a foreign based research company that the entire Lusaka and surrounding areas are pro-UPND. It is alleged that this has caused great panic in PF ranks forcing the suspension of UPND rallies and to use the 10 days to quickly re-brand the PF and Mr. Lungu in a desperate effort to win back support. It is alleged that huge mobilization teams and resources have been unleashed, with the help of some taxi drivers, to paint Lusaka Central 'green' with PF regalia to buy voters in order to avoid embarrassment in August.
He said this scheme is likely to be thwarted by the new 'water-melon' concept which is urging UPND and MMD supporters and sympathisers to accept the green regalia, but only 'eat the red and throw away the green.'
He said there are also serious allegations that the PF have planned to use the 10 days window to mount huge billboards of President Lungu to try and improve his poor image by showing his face everywhere.
He further said these frantic last minute efforts have come late because Zambians have already decided to remove the PF government due to their lies and poor 'chipantepante' policies which have caused massive job losses, escalation of basic commodity prices out of the reach of most Zambians.
He said President Lungu is likely to have fueled the spate of police violence in the country which has resulted in the murder of a UPND cadre, seriously wounding others because he personally told a public rally recently that he had summoned all senior police officers to State House and instructed them to deal with the opposition in his words, 'MUBOMBELEPO PANTU NABA TUMPA SANA' (deal with them because they have become very stupid) as can be heard from the attached video clip, which has gone viral on social media. He said another video clip which has gone viral is that of an alleged PF cadre being interrogated at Lusaka Central Police station, (also attached) wearing a police uniform, believed to be part of a large contingent of PF cadres who were recruited 18 months ago and have now been released into communities to cause terror.
Reverend Sambo has said the banning of political campaigns in Lusaka has actually worked in the opposition's favour as this has created an opportunity for them to flood the entire Copperbelt, with mammoth rallies to ensure PF is kicked out of power.
The Zambia United Alliance partners have in the last three days criss-crossed the Copperbelt holding huge mammoth rallies addressed by UPND President Hakainde Hichilema, UPND Running-mate GBM and alliance partner MMD President Dr. Nevers Mumba, with the message to the Copperbelt electorate that the PF vision for them is 'NO JOBS' as evidenced by the massive job losses in the mining sector since they came to power. He said Mr. Lungu has failed to implement late President Sata's 'MORE JOBS' vision promised in 2011 and wondered which vision he was following since thousands of miners have now been turned into beggars under his watch and they have not brought a single mining investor to Zambia since taking power. The PF have instead specialised in destroying what they found.


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King George, VA 22485
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We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest about our services.


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The Oscar-nominated actress has been tapped to replace the CBS procedural's longtime leading lady Marg Helgenberger, who is set to exit the series in January.
Shue joins the team as a fresh-out-of-anger-management CSI who may or may not have been fired by Ted Danson's D.B. Russell back at their previous precinct in Seattle.
"The first time things didn't go so well between the two of them," executive producer Don McGill previews. "Maybe the second time's the charm…or not."
Helgenberger — and her beloved crime-solver Catherine Willows — meanwhile, may still pop up for the occasional guest spot.
Shue makes her CSI debut on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10/9c.


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We set up Great British Chefs as a business in 2010 because we believed that there was an audience for inspirational food content that went beyond the more mainstream offerings of Jamie Oliver, Delia and the like. While the general public might lean towards convenience over quality even when it comes to cooking for friends, we have always believed that there were some who aimed higher. Laurent Tiersen, country marketing manager for IKEA UK, noted recently that 'these days we seem to be focused on convenience and 42% of Brits claim they can't cook at all.' While this may be the case for a large section of the UK, our audience couldn't be further from this. Whilst we regularly reach for the ready-made pasta sauces and ingredients during the week, it's when our readers are cooking for occasions that they really pull out all the stops.
Six years into our journey, we have conducted a piece of research to understand how the one million people who visit our site every month cook dinner parties. It has to be said that the results have surprised even us! It seems the majority of you are an amazing and really committed group of home cooks. While this may not be the case for your average Brit, we have attracted an audience who are avoiding the shortcuts and investing time and money to create great dishes. Over 1,000 of you let us know how much time and effort you put into hosting fantastic dinner parties, reaffirming the fact that you're part of a community of home cooks who go above and beyond the general public in the kitchen. In fact, an incredible 70% of you make everything from scratch for a dinner party, boiling up carcasses for stock, resting your own pastry and oven-drying fresh tomatoes. Half of you host between two and six dinner parties a year, while a keen quarter of our readers will invite people round for dinner parties between six and twelve times a year.


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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brenda Aloff created Virtual Workshops. The goal was to provide education to clients who had enrolled for her in-person workshops, which were then cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions. Now, she has made these VIrtual Workshops available to students across the globe.
This online Workshop is designed to introduce you to Canine Body Language and make it useful to you.
Relationships are built on communication, so having a common language that both sides can understand is of paramount importance. Part of that is the lingua franca of the training language that you create with your dog.
But before that…there is instinct and the dog's native language. The one (S)HE comes with. How well do you really "speak dog"? In this course, you will:
And as always for my online training classes, everyone can access the first lesson for FREE.
This webinar includes:
Enroll in this virtual workshop for only $197.
(For those that desire more time, you will have the option to extend access another 12 weeks for only $97)
The Q&A Call with Brenda is set for Saturday, Oct 24, 2020, at 11AM Eastern Time (USA and Canada), 10AM Central Time, 9AM Mountain Time, 8AM Pacific Time.
Note: If you enroll after the Q&A Call date, no worries. You will be able to listen to a recording of the call, so you don't have to miss the fun!
You get a good dose of learning how to read the body language and several different reactions, so you can educate yourself and feel prepared and ready to be a success!
When you can read the dog's body language skillfully and look in an educated way for Intention Behaviour…well, that just makes all the difference. Here is a variety of videos, of dogs meeting other dogs, that will begin or enhance your education.
When we are working with performance or working dogs, it matters if the dog can do the job with accuracy. When we are in the performance ring, how often do you NQ because your training was inadequate? How do you know if that is the reason?
How often do you NQ because your dog works perfectly in most situations, but at the show. Aaarghhh. Distractions. Someone's dog barked and my dog looked, just when I was giving the signal on the Signals Exercise. My dog does great heeling at home, but when the judge is back there … or those exhibitors, whose character we won't mention here … who play with their dog outside the ring to see if they can distract my dog … and it works. Or any of the millions of reasons the environment steals the dogs attention ... You just cannot proof for all that. So what do to?
What do you do to "put your dog off you?" It is my experience that handlers are often unintentionally driving their dog to the distractions. "What?" you exclaim! Yup, it happens all the time. How do you forge a connection so strong, that your dog is so committed that the environment does not interfere? What can you do to create a dog who, when the distractions and the environment get more chaotic, the dog hooks onto you even more intensely?
And as always for my online training classes, everyone can access the first lesson for FREE.
This webinar includes:
Enroll in this workshop for ONLY $197
Length of Access to Short Course: 2 months
The Q&A Call with Brenda is set for June 27, 2020, Saturday, at 11AM Eastern Time (USA and Canada),110AM Central Time, 9AM Mountain Time, 8AM Pacific Time
If you miss the Q&A Call date, no worries. You will be able to listen to a recording of the call, so you don't have to miss the fun!
Composed of film from our past 7 Deadly Sins clinics at my facility, lessons done by workshop participants, video that details the protocols to teach your dog to be distraction proof, the Brenda way, informative audio files to listen to and a Q&A call so you can ask me the questions you are longing to have answers to.
This really is so much more information than I would have time to give to you in a weekend clinic. So, until we can meet in person safely and legally ; ) we have this workshop.
Brenda Aloff & Top Dog of NJ present ...
When we look at puppies, all we see is potential. But how do we turn that potential into reality? I begin with a look at understanding what is going on for puppies, during early development stages and go through the foundation education each puppy should have in order to go from Chosen Puppy to Performance Partner.
We discuss:
This webinar includes:
Register for this special Workshop via Top Dog:
Contact Linda Brennan at this email address to register for the clinic.
The Workshop Lessons are scheduled for October 16 & 17, 2020.
There are still audit spots available.


text: Dengue trojan (DV) may be the causal pathogen of dengue fever, which is among the most rapidly pass on mosquito-borne disease worldwide and has turned into a serious public medical condition. with 50 g pVAX1-D1Me personally via electroporation with three immunizations induced persistent humoral and mobile immune replies and effectively covered mice against lethal DV1 problem. Furthermore, immunization using a bivalent vaccine comprising pVAX1-D1Me personally and pVAX1-D2Me personally via electroporation produced a well balanced IgG response and neutralizing antibodies against DV1 and DV2 and may defend mice from lethal problem with DV1 and DV2. This scholarly study sheds new light on creating a dengue tetravalent DNA vaccine. possesses four distinctive serotypes (DV1-4). DV attacks trigger either asymptomatic disease or some scientific illnesses which range from self-limited dengue fever (DF) to serious dengue (sDF), including dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue surprise symptoms (Bhatt et al., 2013); dengue may be the most significant arbovirus disease in the globe with regards to the best morbidity and mortality (Porter and Raviprakash, 2015). It had been reported that there have been 58.4 million symptomatic DV attacks with 13,586 fatal cases in 2013, as well as the global cost is 8.9 billion US dollars annually (Shepard et al., 2016). As a significant public medical condition, dengue is known as to be among the fastest developing epidemics with the Globe Health Company (Arima et al., 2015; Rogers, 2015). In its global technique for dengue control, the Globe Health Organization aspires to lessen dengue mortality and morbidity by at least 50 and 25%, respectively, by 2020 (WHO, 2012). Because the initial outbreak in Guangdong province in SLC3A2 1978, dengue provides broken out many times in the Hainan, Fujian, Guangxi, and Zhejiang provinces in mainland China lately (Wu et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2016). In these dengue outbreaks, all dengue serotypes had been found Semagacestat to become co-circulating in endemic areas, but DV1 may be the predominant serotype. In 2014, the Guangdong province of China experienced in the most critical dengue outbreak in its background, and the full Semagacestat total variety of DF situations was a lot more than 45,000 (Huang et al., 2016). In the outbreak, co-circulation of DV1 and DV2 was discovered, plus some isolates of DV1 or DV2 had been related to Guangzhou isolates from previous years closely; the regularity of DV1 epidemics was still greater than that of DV2 (Zhang et al., 2014; Ren et al., 2015), indicating that dengue became endemic in Guangdong and it is no more an brought in disease in China (Lin et al., 2016; Zhao et al., 2016). As a result, controlling dengue is normally a long-term work, and creating a vaccine is normally thought to be the most dependable approach to accomplish that objective Semagacestat (Hermann et al., 2015). Theoretically, a second DV an infection of heterotypic serotype may raise the threat of sDF in sufferers which is the main hurdle for developing effective vaccine against DVs. The reason why presently isn't extremely apparent, but the even more accepted interpretation may be the function of antibody reliant improvement (ADE) (Cummings et al., 2005). As a result, optimum dengue vaccines should induce a well balanced immune response to all or any four DV serotypes. A DNA vaccine, being a effective and basic technique with appealing advantages including inexpensiveness, ease of creation, balance for shipping and delivery and storage space, may overcome the obstacle of ADE through long-term and balanced expression of immunogens of most four DV serotypes. The DV genome includes a single open up reading body and encodes three structural proteins: the capsid proteins (C), the precursor of membrane proteins (prM), as well as the envelope proteins (E), accompanied by seven nonstructural proteins. Among the structural protein, the prM and E protein are main target substances for developing vaccines as the E proteins provides the immunological epitopes for inducing humoral and mobile immune responses, as well as the prM proteins is vital for the right conformation from the E proteins through the viral maturation (Bray and Lai, 1991). As a result, the and genes will be the primary molecular applicants for developing flavivirus DNA vaccines. Inside our prior research, DNA vaccine applicants expressing the prM and E proteins of DV1 or DV2 using the eukaryotic appearance vector pCAGGSP7 have already been proven to induce some immune system security at three dosages (100 g each).


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SEC, Oando get 14-day ultimatum to resolve alleged N799b shareholders' liabilities
The House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and other Institutions has issued the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Oando Plc a two-week ultimatum to resolve all lingering issues bordering on the N799 billion stakeholders' liabilities.
During a meeting yesterday in Abuja with officials of the two organisations and some aggrieved shareholders of the oil company and presided over by the panel's deputy chairman, Tony Nwulu, members lamented the free fall of Oando's shareholding value, which they currently put at N159 billion.
They said the committee would be compelled to open an investigative public hearing, if SEC, the oil firm and its shareholders fail to reach an agreement on the way forward.
The president of Renaissance Stakeholders Association of Nigeria Incorporated, Olufemi Timothy, who led the angry shareholders to the National Assembly to submit a six-page petition to the office of the panel chairman, said the move was to bring their plight to the notice of the parliament.
He was accompanied by the National Coordinator of Proactive Shareholders of Nigeria, Akinolu Taiwo Oderinde.Timothy accused the regulators, including SEC and the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, of being complacent in the discharge of their constitutional mandates, calling for an independent probe of the accounts of the company.
He alleged that the company has not paid dividends to shareholders since 2013 financial year.The petition reads in part: "The group has negative working capital of over N263 billion consequence of current liabilities above, lighter than current assets, meaning that the management was unable to service its obligations financially.
"Claim of creditors is higher than the owners, shareholders' equity, meaning that the group could be liquidated by the creditors anytime if urgent action is not taken.
"With accumulated losses of over N159 billion, shareholders could not get a dime as cash dividend. No hope of redeeming these reserved losses."Court cases, as projected by the management, may take claims of over N608 billion which is far greater than the assets of the entire group, meaning that the group is at a very high risk of liquidation if the court cases succeed.
"Both current and long-term liabilities stand at over N799 billion. Management was selling assets of the company, especially money-spinning assets such as downstream (Marketing) business without meaningful improvement in debts situation. It was planning to sell its share in OER which unfortunately is the last asset belonging to the company."Nwulu, however, assured the petitioners that the committee would ensure a peaceful resolution of the crisis.


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10 Reasons to wear a Safety Hat
5. The bulk of equestrian injuries occur in pleasure riders.
6. The walk is the most common gait at which riders suffer injuries.
7. Only 23 percent of mounted accidents occur when jumping.
8. Head injuries are cumulative. An original head injury can be made much worse by additional concussions.
9. Head injuries are expensive. Medical expenses for a minor concussion can amount to thousands of rands.
10. Riding is more dangerous than downhill skiing and motorcycling.
Thinking with Your Head About Your Helmet
(An article published by www.riders4helmets.com on September 12, 2017)
You've seen those commercials talking about replacing your mattress after every eight years—after all, that's a lot of dead skin cells, dirt, dust mites, etc., that gathers every night. And when it comes to your favorite pair of riding pants, you don't think twice about replacing them when they're starting to be worn thin, or maybe showing a little too much wear and tear. But do you even think about how old your helmet is?
Go ahead, take a moment from reading this to find your helmet and look at the tags inside. We'll wait…
Did you see the date? Or is it so faded you can't tell if that's a three or an eight? Can you even remember when you purchased it? It might just be time to buy a new helmet.
As we prepare to celebrate the eighth annual Riders4Helmets International Helmet Awareness Day, we want to applaud everyone who don't think twice about putting on a helmet before swinging their leg over a horse. They are the ones that know that wearing a helmet can help reduce the chance of a lethal head injury.
But if you've worn helmets most of your life, you might be the type to just pick up the same velveteen-covered helmet that has gotten through your junior rider years and onto your adult classes because…well, it's "broken in" and more comfortable. But wearing a helmet that's passed its limit of effectiveness might not fully protect you in the way an updated helmet can.
Did you know that helmet manufacturers generally recommend that you replace your helmet every four to five years (this cam be sooner depending on level of use)? Think about all the time you spend in the saddle—the liters of sweat, the coats of dust, and drenching from the rains all take a toll on your helmet and causes the Styrofoam inside to break down, reducing its effectiveness at protection.
If you've had an accident while wearing your helmet, no matter how minor it was (i.e., your head just barely hit the ground), that can reduce the effectiveness of the helmet's protection. Damage to the helmet might not be visible to the naked eye, so you can't assume there is no issue after a fall. Of course, any catastrophic incident can render a helmet useless and cause for an immediate replacement.
And when you do go to purchase a new helmet, take precautions when it comes to proper fit and ensuring the date of manufacture. When trying on helmets, be sure to wear your hair the way you would any time you ride—if you prefer a bun, wear a bun, if you prefer a ponytail, wear your hair in a ponytail—then go shop.
Also, check the manufacture date on the inside of the helmet, no matter if you're purchasing new or used. Take caution when considering purchasing a used helmet, since the helmet may have sustained damage from a previous incident that you can't see.
Don't think that only children or novice riders should be the ones to wear an approved helmet—there has been no statistical correlation between skill level and the likelihood of an injury when it comes to equestrian sport. You can even have a catastrophic injury from falling off a horse that's standing still.
If you like to think with your head, take a moment to consider your head first and wearing proper protection.
To find out more about International Helmet Awareness Day, visit riders4helmets and learn how leading helmet manufacturers are offering special discounts to help keep you safe in the saddle this year.
Concussion & Head Injury
Overview of Concussion
Common features include:
- Acute symptoms that represent functional disturbances, rather than structural changes to the brain.
- Symptoms that are rapid in onset, but usually resolve spontaneously.
- A range of clinical symptoms and signs (see below). That may or may not include loss of consciousness or
- amnesia (loss of memory).
- Neuro imaging studies (brain scans) that are usually normal.
(Adapted from ACSM Physicians Consensus, 2005)
What is happening in the concussed brain?
Unlike more severe traumatic brain injuries, the disturbance of brain function in MTBI is related more to disturbances of brain metabolism rather than to obvious structural damage. A complex cascade of ionic, metabolic and physiologic events appears to be triggered by the impact.
This appears to be initiated by the release of a neurotransmitter glutamate resulting in indiscriminate flow of potassium ions out of nerve cells and sodium and calcium in. This affects energy production on the cells' powerhouses, the mitochondria, resulting in little energy (glucose) to fuel normal information processing. Hence clinical signs and symptoms of MTB such as poor attention, memory, speed of processing, and motor function are manifestations of this underlying neurometabolic cascade.
Rest both from exercise and mental exertion (studying, computers etc.) is required for this imbalance to redress itself. (For a scientific explanation see Giza's paper under Research/Pathophysiology.)
Clinical Presentation
Previous definitions of concussion relied on the presence of one or both of two specific symptoms to be present for the definition of concussion to be made namely, loss of consciousness or amnesia.
Loss of consciousness for any period of time and amnesia remain significant events. The amnesia may be retrograde (forgetting events that occurred before the impact) or anterograde (memory loss for events occurring after the impact).
However, it is now acknowledged that concussion presents in a number of guises, and any combination of a number of symptoms and signs should be looked for.
These include:
These symptoms may persist from hours to weeks. A player that is suspected to be suffering from ANY of these symptoms or signs must be examined by a doctor.
Moreover, some of these symptoms may present immediately after the injury, while others may develop over hours to days following injury.
Significance of Concussion
By definition, the symptoms of concussion seem to resolve spontaneously over the course of time and there appears to be limited structural damage to the brain. Why then should traumatic brain injury which is 'mild ' be taken seriously?
Firstly, should the condition not be correctly diagnosed and appropriately managed (see Diagnosis & Management) symptoms are likely to persist for longer and hamper the recovery. As many of the symptoms listed represent changes to brain function, the developing brain of a young athlete may be significantly compromised not only in a sporting, but importantly also in a learning and social environment. A Post Concussion Syndrome comprising persistent headaches, sensitive eyes, poor concentration, fatigue and drowsiness, and disturbed sleep patterns may wreak havoc with the learner's performance in the classroom. Other symptoms such as mood changes and depression impact on the athlete's interaction with family and peers. Poor coordination, delayed reaction times, exercise-induced headaches and dizziness, and compromised vision will affect performance on the sports field, thereby greatly increasing the risk of recurrent head or other injury.
Secondly, although far less common, the risk of Second Impact Syndrome, a very serious and even fatal brain injury that may occur even with a relatively mild impact, appears to be particularly significant in young athletes. A rare disorder, Second Impact Syndrome, occurs when an athlete suffers a concussion and then, within a short time later (usually within one week although it may be longer), receives a second blow to the head before the brain has recovered from the first concussion. It is possible for rapid brain deterioration and even death to occur. This happens because the brain is still affected from the first injury and the second injury results in rapid swelling and pressure within the skull. This intracranial pressure, if uncontrolled, can lead to death. There have been several episodes of suspected second impact syndrome in South Africa recently.
In the last decade, a larger body of research has focussed on the potential long term consequences of recurrent and undiagnosed concussion. A condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been described. The exact progress of the condition from concussion to potential CTE is unknown and not all cases of concussion will result in chronic deficits. CTE has most recently been the subject of the movie "Concussion" starring Will Smith.
Summary & Conclusion
In summary, concussion needs to be taken very seriously and can be summarised as follows:
1. Severe Neurological Injury
Acutely, if not identified and managed appropriately, concussion may result in diffuse cerebral oedema (also referred to as Second Impact Syndrome) with resultant severe neurological compromise and even death.
2. Distinguishing Concussion from Other Forms of Brain Injury
The symptoms and signs of concussion may mimic other more serious forms of head injury including intra-cranial bleeds.
3. Post Concussion Syndrome
Failure to recognise and appro-priately manage concussion may result in symptoms persisting for weeks, months or years.
4. Cognitive deficits
Concussion often affects young people in a learning environment; failure to recognise and manage the condition may significantly impaired learning.
5. Impaired Performance and Increased Injury Risk
Previous concussions, especially those not managed appropri-ately, predispose to further con-cussions and also increase the risk of other injuries.
6. Chronic Neurological and Psychological Sequelae
An increased incidence of depression has been identified in athletes who have suffered recurrent concussion. Recurrent head trauma has also been associated with persistent cognitive deficits, especially in American Football players.


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Smartphones changing enterprise management
Posted by dana |
One of many advantages of Smartphones in the enterprise is that they make the workforce more mobile and more productive no matter where they are.For companies, mobile applications have become central to the success of Smartphones over the past couple years. Along with various enterprise apps might come also some security concerns. With enprovia mDMS app is all enterprise data securely stored in a password… Read more


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Space Tour – Bar-Hopping For Work @ LevelUp
For this week's tour of an unconventional space, our team headed down to Level Up, a bar situated in the heart of Clarke Quay. Level Up has also collaborated with The Carrot Patch, to function as a coworking space before turning back into a bar at 5pm.
Some of you may know of this place or have been here for drinks with your friends. Even if you have not, you must have at least seen people posing with the famous "吃喝玩乐" (eat, drink, play, have fun) sign on Instagram!
The place was not difficult to locate, all it took was a five-minute walk from Clarke Quay MRT. Do pack your shades or an umbrella because you will be exposed to the elements on your way there.
Level Up is located on the second floor, and as we were making our way up, there was an unmistakable smell of smoke, probably due to the poor ventilation of the stairwells. Don't be too alarmed however, for the inside of Level Up does not reek at all. We were also surprised that there were very few people there when we entered – hurray for more privacy!
Level Up also provides water, free coffee and tea. The entire place features plenty of wall art with different cartoons, giving off a fun and creative vibe. You will also spot a pool table and many other arcade machines that you can play with upon request. We had a fun time, and we are sure that you would have one too!
There was a staff from The Carrot Patch there to assist us on top of Level Up's own staff and all of them made us feel at home. One downside would be the type of seats available – because it's a bar, they mainly have high tables and stools, which can be inconvenient to get on and off and be uncomfortable if you'll be sitting for a long period of time. If you were to find it uncomfortable, sofa seats are also available. While the sofas are nice and plushy, the tables are a little low to provide for a conducive desk.
Places Nearby
We had no trouble looking for food when lunch came as we were surrounded by a plethora of food options. There are many cafes and bistros surrounding Level Up, so you do not have to walk in the sun or rain to Clarke Quay Central if you don't want to.
If you would like to eat at Clarke Quay Central, there are plenty of Japanese restaurants like the famous Marutama ramen (aka basketball ramen), affordable fast food options and seafood restaurants too. You can even grab a dessert there – be it Hokkaido ice cream, cheesecake or bubble tea, they have got you covered.
Across the road from Clarke Quay Central, you will be able to find the famous Song Fa Bak Kut Teh amongst many other local delicacies. There are also diners like Brewerkz and Harry's available at Riverside Point nearby too!
The Carrot Patch x Bizcnd
We really enjoyed this space tour with The Carrot Patch. Thank you for allowing us to try out the space and engaging in the same vision of reducing unused space from existing space owners. If you have similar under-ultilised spaces, why not share them on Bizcnd?
We had fun with the arcade games, and also had a productive time working at the space. It was both quiet and exciting! We encourage all users to try out their spaces and blend in some fun with work or studying! It can be pretty convenient too, as you can go for TGIF right after studying or working here 😉


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Company Profile
- €10bn annual revenue
- Leading company in global air and sea freight forwarding
Situation and Objectives
- Price levels constantly under pressure
- Unsystematic pricing approach
- Determine systematic but pragmatic approach to derive prices/mark-ups
- Identify the key factors driving willingness to pay
- Let these factors determine the price level
- Based on customer survey, data analysis and profound industry experience, we determined a structured yet simple and pragmatic approach for price setting.
- Using only four easy to identify criteria (current revenue, weight of freight, density fit, special requirements) we developed a system how to calculate the price.
- As the pricing rules were so easy to follow and fit on one page, we printed them on the sales team's mousepads. Thus they could give the correct quote to their customers immediately while talking to them on the phone.
Pricing Rules on a Mousepad
- Price decision based on four key factors
- Easy to use and implement, with no additional tool usage required
- Significant improvement of price setting behavior (more in line with willingness to pay, higher profits, and hit rates maintained)
- 2.4% points profit increase


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I've safely returned from 11 days in Madrid and have jumped right into watching Rome. We tennis fans don't really get much down time eh?
Madrid was amazing. The city itself is just incredibly beautiful and I loved the tournament. I shared a lot of pics on my Instagram account, and I'll be writing a post on my travel blog soon.
I wrote some posts for The Changeover - thanks guys for the opportunity!
Final thoughts on the Mutua Madrid Open
Super Wednesday in Madrid
Cornet's 'festival of missed opportunities' in Madrid
Thoughts on Saturday's action in Madrid
Hola from the Mutua Madrid Open
Just a few pics from my time at the tourney - hit me up with questions if you're interested in going!
|Tournament program
|Manolo Santana stadium
|Walkway to the backcourts - quiet before gates opened
|Inside the Magic Box
|Back court action during week one
|Venus Williams made her first appearance here in a few years
|View from outside the main entrance
|Video game area always full of kids
|Fans wait for players to arrive or walk past after practice
|Exiting the site at night
|The only time the stadium was full was during Rafa's matches
|Social media wall - also showed pressers/matches on occasion
|Aranxta Sanchez Vicario stadium was my fave - great size
|View toward the back courts
|What greeted me each day as I arrived onsite
|Lovely view from the ground level of La Caja Magica
|Bar area on the ground - sadly never hung out there for a beverage
|Ion Tiriac collection I believe this was called
|Love the steps up to the stadium