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We are in our 3rd month of living in the USA, and most of that time we have been on the road. Again. While there are similarities between the 6 of us and a band of Gypsies, we have not always been, as the Willie Nelson song goes, the best of friends. Two months of living out of suitcases and sleeping in random beds will strain any relationship. But we also had opportunities to see family, old and new friends, and many amazing sites that our country has to offer – including the 9/11 Memorial in New York, a moving and fitting reminder of that tragic day 18 years ago.
Now we are (semi) settled in Texas, where we will be for the next several weeks. Our 3 oldest kids are in their 3rd week of school, and Rebe is preparing for a Mama Vao Vao art show happening in October at All Saints PCA in Austin.
Our plan is to return to Madagascar in January… but we need your help. Part of our role as missionaries with MTW and AIM is to find the funding for every part of our ministry. This includes our personal needs, and the needs of ministry projects. While we have a strong, amazing partner base, every time we return to the states it is necessary to find additional financial partners for our work. This time around our needs look like this:
- $750 of monthly support. This requires partners to give monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
- $10,000 one-time expenses. This is for things like travel to/from the filed, set-up costs, and other items that do not fall into the one-time category.
- $10,000 Sakalava Ministry Project expenses. This is for the various ministries that are currently happening in Madagascar. For example, we would like to continue sending the music team to other parts of Madagascar to train churches on writing worship music from Scripture. Other ministries include: music studio, church leadership training, theological education for new church plants, and Malagasy missionary training.
Please consider praying for these needs, sharing these needs, and/or helping us meet them. Additionally, we would love to talk with you about the ministry in Madagascar. You can find our MTW missionary page, where you can join our team, here.
One last thing… did you know you can access the Sakalava music that has been created from Scripture on iTunes and Spotify? Just search for Groupe Tsinfitaka and you can hear the songs expertly produced by Caleb Wiley. And if you want to purchase any of the music, just go to BandCamp.com – all proceeds go directly to the members of the band and the Sakalava Music Project.


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You should all be familiar with our next Retro Gaming Theatre participant – Sega's arcade smash hit Golden Axe. This is the Mega Drive version – one of the first breakout successes on the machine. It's not as pretty as the arcade game, but it has two extra stages.
I actually got really into this while recording the video and ended up playing through to (and defeating) Death Adder. We had to cut it there due to quota restrictions, which is kind of disappointing. One day I'll have faster internets!

subset: commoncrawl


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Medical malpractice lawsuits often result when a medical professional fails to provide patients with adequate care. For example, a patient may be the victim of medical malpractice if the doctor did not diagnose a serious illness or prescribed the wrong dosage of medication. However, there are some medical malpractice limits that apply to these types of cases in terms of the amount of compensation the victim is able to receive. For instance, some states limit the amount of non-economic damages a medical malpractice victim can be awarded.
To understand how medical malpractice limits may impact your case, it is important to understand the difference between non-economic and economic damages. Economic damages refer to any monetary losses that were suffered by the patient. Examples of these damages include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings
In comparison, non-economic damages are awarded based on losses that cannot be quantified, like compensation for pain and suffering the patient endured as a result of medical negligence.
The limits placed on non-economic damages are an important factor to consider before you file a medical malpractice claim. To determine whether or not you should pursue your case, it may be wise to contact a group of medical malpractice lawyers that can help you understand these limits and ensure that you receive fair and proper compensation. To discuss your potential case with an experienced medical malpractice attorney from Friedman & Friedman, call (305) 446-6485 (toll free 800-446-6482) today.


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So, do you have a problem with the world? Or are you comfortable with things as they are? Really. You have to decide just how uncomfortable the problem is for you. If you are willing to live with the status quo there is no reason for you to even consider changing it. Do you live in denial, telling yourself that it isn't a problem for you that other people are dying of starvation, preventable disease, or war.
Be honest with yourself. How much does it bother you? Does it bother you just enough that you distract yourself with other thoughts or rationalize that it isn't really YOUR problem?
The second part is easy to believe. No one can actually CONTROL the problem. It is already way out of control. But does that mean you should do nothing about it? Ask any AA member why they are in AA if they believe they can't control their addiction. Letting go of control of the problem doesn't mean you can't change YOURSELF - your beliefs, your behaviors, your choices.
And then turning it over to a power greater than yourself may sound too spiritual to you to take at face value. So let's look at that more closely. Obviously you, as an individual, cannot on your own change the world. So what might be a power greater than yourself? There is the power of joining with others, the power of hope, and the power of the universe.
There is synchronicity or serendipity that happens without you even knowing it. When one thing changes somewhere in the world the same thing almost magically occurs in other parts of the world. For instance, often someone will discover a new idea or invent a new machine or develop a new drug. And without anyone else knowing about it, the same thing is discovered or invented in someplace far away. It seems that the universe just waits for something new and then replicates it without people knowing it. This often occurs in science. I'm sure you've heard or read about such things.
"Turning it over", therefore, doesn't mean you are now free to go back to acting the same way you've been acting, expecting magic to happen. It means letting go of your isolation, your unwillingness to ask for help, your resistance to change happening in your life.
So where does that leave you? Are you willing to do anything about the state of our world? If you are, it means starting inside yourself, your beliefs. Do you believe there can be a better world?
Hope must be part of your perspective. "Hope shows us a destination, but a vast territory, the territory of despair, lies between it and us" (1) This spark of hope, however, can be fanned into flame at the slightest turn of good news. So with this perspective, look for the good news, the ways things are changing for the better in yourself and in the world, no matter how small. And encourage hope your perspective and in others. It is vital to change.
We must believe in our hearts that the beautiful world we long for is possible. And we must make our choices every day from our heart, not because someone says we should or shouldn't act with compassion. We must actually make room in our hearts for compassion and nurture it. When it is growing there your choices will be more compassionate. You won't have to make yourself do compassionate acts, you will BE compassionate and your behavior will show that.
We are going to have to change a lot of our beliefs - beliefs about scarcity, about how we are related to all of creation, about what we really need, about happiness and what it really means, about money, about power, about so many things. We have to consider that nothing is as it seems and to look beyond what we first perceive.
It all comes down to us as individuals, to our inner being. I hope more and more people will take the journey to find themselves and to grow into truly compassionate people. Then things in our world will change and change rapidly. Won't you consider it?
(1) The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible , Charles Eisenstein.
Today's daily dozen to-do list choices:
- Refrain from judging others or harassing them because they may be different or because of their actions. Search yourself or things you have in common rather than ways you are different.
- Organize a flower-planting party in a nearby park, school, or faith organization. Consider the response others have to the beauty of nature and what a difference that can make for their day when they enjoy your handiwork.
- Write a kind note to relatives and friends, letting them know why they are special.
- Open the door for another person when out in public, no matter who that person is. Smile a greeting.
- Consider needs others may have that you don't see being met and do something to change that. E.g. Approach bookstores owners and publishers about ordering and carrying more books in large print or on tape.
- Talk to others about kindness, why it makes a difference and the fact that it really is easy to do.
- Recycle all newspapers, plastics, aluminum, and paper, even if you have to go out of your way to do it. Be kind to the earth.
- Create a "smile file" with cartoons and pictures that make othrs smile; pick out a cartoon to cheer up a friend in need.
- Take a day and pay a compliment once every hour; practice telling people what you like about them.
- Call an animal shelter and find out what donations they need. Collect treats, food, first aid supplies, toys, cat litter, towels, and soft blankets for the homeless animals. Most shelters will encourage you to come "visit" the animals to give them special individual attention. Go regularly and get your "animal love fix!"
- Switch to pet-safe antifreeze. Antifreeze contains propylene glycol that carries a tempting but fatal taste to animals. Just one teaspoon can kill a cat and two ounces can kill a dog.
- Reduce air pollution by planting trees and plants in your yard.


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Are you throwing a Halloween party this month? We've got two tips to make your hosting gig that much easier. First, start with this Halloween Party Kit via Land of Nod!
We love how you can buy the whole collection in one neat kit, or pieces to fill what you have on hand already. Like these witch cups!
Or these amazing gold foil napkins! You can have a super stylized setting or minimal with touches of color and pattern, you choose!
We've found that sourcing all the materials for parties is usually the most overwhelming part of hosting (running to multiple stores with kids is never fun!) so we love this shortcut.
And for our second tip, you need to try out these party hats. They are super easy, bright and festive! We've also made matching 3D balloons that would be perfect for this too, find that post here.
And here's how you'll make these hats at home! Download the hat template at the bottom of the post, either directly onto the color of paper you want, or by tracing it.
Punch holes or cut slits for the ribbon or elastic, and then add the face decorations and accessories!
- For the pumpkin, yellow triangle eyes and a toothy grin, with a green stem on top.
- The ghost gets black eyes and smile.
- For the bat, tape or glue wings to each sides.
- For Frankenstein, use a black marker for the stitches, circles of black paper for eyes and the neck screws.
Download the template below! Tag us #smallfryDIY if you whip these up this Halloween!
All tees C/O the shop & Apparel! Might we recommend this "Boo Yah" t-shirt is to compliment the theme?


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Category Archives: Garden
Garden prep
Here's the beautiful (and sweaty) AmyJ, working on one of our 23 16×4′ beds that, along with four more double-wide beds for tomato, a trellis of peas and cucumbers, a pumpkin patch, and a bunch of beans constitutes this year's … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Comments Off on Garden prep
Wow, it seems like the few tantalizing bits of spring we had just last week all intensified almost overnight. We had planned to spend the weekend focused on building a treehouse in the woods, and were making progress until Saturday … Continue reading
Posted in Chickens, Family, Garden, Treehouse Tagged needs_pics Comments Off on Sprung!
The typical phrase is "spring has sprung", and while that may be meteorologically true (recent snow notwithstanding), we've got so much springtime stuff coming up in the next few weeks that the present progressive "springing" seems more apropos. Next week … Continue reading
Early spring morning in the garden
After many days of inviting 50- and 60-something temps, this feels like a bit of a setback. But as young Nora remarked when we were driving through the heavy rain yesterday: "at least we'll have lots of May flowers!"
Picking up after pruning
We're taking advantage of a non-cold non-rainy day to get the pruned branches out of the garden/orchard area before the April showers make the ground too soggy to drive on. With chicken helpers, of course.
It Begins!
We've planted the first big wave of new seeds for 2014. The dirt on the floor and nasty glow of the fluorescents is a small price to pay for this psychic buffer against winter's final act. Lana the kitten helped, … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Comments Off on It Begins!
The anticipation of spring is so great it just takes a sunny "warm" (feels like 8!) afternoon to get Amy out pacing off next year's garden beds.
Posted in Garden Comments Off on Dreaming
2013 Goals – Final Recap
At the start of 2013, we laid out a set of goals for our work on the house, farm, and studio. These were meant to be things we'd accomplish within 2013. As of mid-year, we were on track to hit … Continue reading
Small Hoops for Row Covers
We want to keep some greens in the garden going a bit further into the cold months, so are going to try using a row cover over the kale, chard, and lettuce. We're trying to keep this very cheap and … Continue reading


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Internal parasite in cattle
By: Carl C. Stafford
Senior Extension Agent
Internal parasites better known as "worms" are a production efficiency issue with cattle and other grazing livestock. Cattle producers address this performance problem by using de-wormers known as anthelmintics. There are three chemical classes approved for use in cattle and several non-chemical management methods help reduce the impact of worms on cattle.
An issue with chemical controls is development of pest resistance. You understand that not every pest is killed when treated and those remaining reproduce, concentrating resistance. This can lead to failure of the control used. In the case of anthelmintics, new information is out from a federal study informing us of a possible solution to resistance – the refuge.
As is the case in management recommended for genetically modified corn, using a refuge is a way to avoid exposing the entire pest population to the control. A refuge will allow untreated pests to be available to cross breed with the survivors of the control. This results in a dilution of resistance in a given pest population and slows down the buildup of trait(s) leading to full resistance.
Cattle studies done by Virginia Tech have recommended for at least 20 years that adult cows not be treated for internal parasites. They found adult cows left untreated performed just as well as treated cows. Scientists concluded this was development of age related immunity. In light of this knowledge, it is puzzling to read of long acting de-wormers recommended for the entire herd. If you want this new product to work for years to come, reserve it for the young stock and save money on unnecessary treatments to adult cows. Leaving cows untreated also lets them serve as the refuge. New work at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine shows no benefit to adult cows treated with this long acting product.
De-wormers can also be used to treat cattle for lice as some product labels support this use. Considering the risk of resistance, it seems we could save our de-wormers for the internal parasites and use other lice labeled treatments when needed. Another option is to select for worm tolerance.
Small ruminant breeders have been selecting for worm tolerance in their flocks for years as their
de-wormers have stopped working in most cases. They choose females that tolerate parasites and keep their daughters as replacements. They also check for worm load and only treat those showing signs of needing the treatment. Historically small ruminants have required more frequent de-worming and resistance builds faster because of this.
There are pasture management techniques that help with worm problems. Keeping pasture taller and rotating pastures is another approach to suppressing worm impact on grazing livestock. Nematodes need to stay close to the ground or dehydrate for lack of moisture. Grazing tall grass limits exposure to short grass where the worms live. Making hay from our pastures will also help to remove worms for the short term. A final point would be about tall growing warm season grasses. It is not likely that worms can survive far from the soil; it is just too dry up there where warm season grasses grow. Graze these with confidence and gain access to quality forage when our pastures are least productive.


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To send comments, please write to [email protected].
Microsoft on Wednesday revealed that its new Windows NT operating system, designed to offer a small office shared Internet access for as many as 25 computers, will be available in mid March. The system is called Windows for Express Networks (WEN) and, although Microsoft plans to license it to others, will originally only be available pre-installed on Intel's InBusiness Small Office Network appliance server. The server carries a starting price tag of $1,300 and features a Celeron processor, 64 MB of RAM, a 13 GB hard drive, a 56K modem, and an eight-port hub. A second server model, the InBusiness Small Office Network Plus, will also be available and features an additional 13 GB removable drive. The Plus unit is expected to begin at $1,675. Both Microsoft and Intel within the next few months will offer upgrades to the software and hardware that will allow WEN to support a broadband Internet connection. The unveiling of WEN was originally scheduled for a month ago but had to be postponed in order to allow Intel time to upgrade the memory on one of its machine models to make it compatible with WEN.
Sun Microsystems has responded to pressure from large Java licensees by agreeing to change the current manner in which Java specification technology is developed to give Java stakeholders, vendors, and contributing developers more authority in the process. Currently, Sun has sole control over the specification process. Among revisions to the Java Community Process (JCP) is Sun's creation of a "blue-ribbon" advisory group comprising licensees, developers, and perhaps large corporate customers, that will have ultimate approval of any changes to the Java specification. Sun intends to present a draft of the revised JCP to its top licensees in a meeting scheduled for March 1.
Compaq Computer has agreed to build a supercomputer based on its Alpha chip for the French Atomic Energy Commission that will be one of the most powerful computers ever developed. The supercomputer, which will simulate and analyze nuclear explosions, will process up to five trillion operations per second. The system will have about 2,000 Alpha chips that run in the range of 1.25 GHz, or 2,500 chips running at around 1 GHz, and will be based on the EV6 line. The agreement validates the Alpha microprocessor as one of the top designs for the supercomputing market, says Alpha Technology's Jesse Lipcon.
Analysts are now speculating that Web businesses may be environmentally friendly. These experts cite as tentative evidence a process known as "dematerialization" in which companies and consumers create less material waste and perform operations more efficiently by conducting activities electronically. Also, companies consume fewer resources by using the Internet to sell products directly to consumers. With telecommuting on the rise, the amount of emissions and pollutants being generated is dropping because companies do not need to build and maintain as much office space, and employees do not need to drive to work every day. Trucking companies are using the Internet to coordinate with shippers to ensure trucks travel with full loads, determining which vendors have products destined for the same location and then combining the separate wares together in one vehicle. But experts caution against making snap judgments and say it is too soon to see any significant measurable effects that would allow them to determine definitively whether the Internet is a positive environmental force. They also note that so far Internet traffic has had the negative environmental consequence of increasing energy consumption. Regardless, the electronic revolution is not likely to abate much in the coming years due to the powerful financial incentives for Internet use, such as decreased operating costs, streamlined operations, and reduced consumer prices. Environmentalists only hope such incentives may prove more advantageous than originally expected.
Several lawsuits currently in court across the country may define how much anonymity Internet users enjoy in online chat rooms. Those who support anonymity say there is a First Amendment right to post anonymous messages on electronic bulletin boards without fear of the messenger's identity being disclosed. However, some companies and individuals have recently been successful in forcing ISPs to reveal the real identity of those whom they have accused of libel, slander, or sharing a company's proprietary information. A case pending in a Florida state court, in which a former executive of a shipping firm wants to know the identity of online chatters whose emails he claims got him fired, may set a broad precedent for online anonymous chat, legal analysts say. First Amendment experts say if plaintiffs are given greater power in discovering anonymous identities, it could have a stifling and self-censoring effect on the average emailer. Courts have traditionally denied defendants the right to remain anonymous except for cases dealing with sexual abuse or minors. However, they have also protected certain anonymous speech, saying it has historically provided a shelter for those who fear retribution for espousing unpopular views. Regardless, legal experts say the momentum may be on the side of the plaintiffs in these cases. An Ohio judge recently ruled that ISP CompuServe had to reveal the identity of a person who Stone & Webster claims revealed proprietary information and defamed the company.
President Clinton recently met with members of the bipartisan National Governors' Association in an attempt to bring the federal and state governments together on the issue of e-commerce taxation. The discussion has many market observers speculating that the two sides are moving toward a compromise. Although the governors are opposed to a ban on Internet taxes because of the negative impact that would have on state revenues, there is strong support for a ban on sales taxes for Internet merchandise on the federal level. On Monday White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said, "The president has made it clear that he's against access taxes for the Internet and against any discriminatory taxes for the Internet." However, Lockhart added that a solution "may have to involve some simplification of sales taxes." Although a Supreme Court ruling prevents states from collecting taxes on interstate sales, a simplification of states' tax rules would solve the constitutional issue of taxing pure-play Internet e-tailers. The compromise proposal that President Clinton is said to be supporting would have Congress ban e-commerce taxes for five years, and have states simplify their tax structures. States would then be in position to tax online sales after five years. Furthermore, Virginia Governor James Gilmore, chairman of the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, is believed to be in general favor of such a solution to the issue.
Sixty percent of e-business initiatives will fail because they are not tied to back office systems like ERP and CRM, which can be used to collect data on customers and allow customers to obtain relevant information, said Dale Cutnick, president of Meta Group, this week at the firm's Metamorphosis 2000 conference in San Francisco. Successful e-businesses will be those that know how to use that information, which will ultimately transform companies from manufacturers to customer management organizations. "Market valuation is the perception of how good you are at using the information you have on your customers," says Meta analyst Karen Rubenstrunk. Successful branding of e-businesses will also be pivotal to market valuation. "By 2003 IT infrastructure operations will be more important to e-branding than marketing," says Meta's Peter Burris.
Although it may appear that American businesses are destined to dominate the Web, there are some indications that a different scenario will play out. For example, fulfillment and delivery remain major issues that e-commerce outfits have had problems with in local markets. Some American Web sites have even decided to limit their potential difficulties in handling overseas markets by only taking orders in the U.S. As American e-commerce companies consider crossing borders for retail, tax and regulatory obstacles and concerns from foreign markets are likely to become a major challenge as well. Although the U.S. government has encouraged the development of the Internet, European governments and others around the world may not be as inclined to not collect taxes on Internet transactions. Countries of the European Union must contend with the value-added tax, similar to the U.S.'s sales tax, which can be as high as 25 percent, and it represents 40 percent of the tax revenues in Europe. However, regulatory concerns could prove to be a bigger issue for American e-commerce companies than taxes. Privacy and data protection are among the foremost points of contention when dealing with the governments of other markets. However, the slow move to other markets may also keep American businesses from dominating e-commerce. By the time U.S. companies enter foreign markets, a country such as Scandinavia has more Internet penetration than the U.S., and Britain and Germany are gaining. Asia expects $6 billion in Web sales this year. French consumers have been involved in e-commerce with the Minitel proprietary network for years. Foreign firms are not only ready to challenge American companies on their own turf, but are ready to do so even in the U.S. European companies even believe they have an advantage over American companies because the technology may be heading in the direction of moving over mobile telephones and handheld devices rather than computers.
Security vendors are scrambling to offer new, managed antivirus products as concerns sparked by the recent wave of denial-of-service attacks proliferate. The denial-of-service attacks, which targeted prominent Web sites such as Yahoo!, eBay, and Amazon.com, could easily have been prevented using common antivirus software. This lack of security among even the most heavily trafficked sites serves as a reminder that most corporations and home users fail to use or update antivirus software. To eliminate this oversight, vendors such as Symantec and Trend Micro are now launching antivirus protection services that automatically update software and offer stronger protection against viruses. Antivirus software maker Symantec has partnered with IBM on a project dubbed Striker 32 to develop an antivirus engine that would automatically identify and disable new viruses. These "smart engines" would provide the greatest possible protection at a time when computer viruses are spreading faster than ever before, says Sarah Gordon, an antivirus expert at IBM's Thomas Watson Research Center. Ultimately, companies aim to design an engine that can identify a new virus and then provide protection to other computers on the network. While "all of this is a pretty tall order," Gordon says that pilot tests have been positive.
Bruce Schneier, the chief technical officer of Counterpane Internet Security, recently discussed his views on the nature of cyber-crime and what can be done about it. Schneier says the Internet has turned crime into a no-skill art, as even a novice can simply download an attack program and press a button. He also says crime on the Internet, unlike street crime, is not restrained by distance, and that hackers can attack from anywhere in the world. Schneier contends that the recent denial-of-service attacks against sites such as Yahoo! were basically "petty vandalism," but that one day a much more serious attack in which huge amounts of money was stolen could occur unbeknownst to a Web site until after the fact. Schneier also warns that the advent of cable modems and DSL Internet connections will decrease the security of the Net, as these are always on and often carry the same Internet protocol address for long periods of time, making them easy prey for hackers. Schneier admits there is really no defense against denial-of-service attacks, claiming that even if firewalls were implemented on 99.9 percent of computers, "sniffer" programs could detect the computers that were not secured, which would number in the thousands, and great damage could still be done by attacking those unsecured computers. He also says software is inherently bug-ridden, and probably will always remain so. Schneier says his basic philosophy is that "security is a process, not a product," meaning that there is no one silver bullet to make computers secure, but rather a whole range of measures must be implemented simultaneously. However, Schneier says the creators of malicious attack software and tools should be held criminally liable for their actions, and says this could help cut down on the number of cyber-attacks.
The Maryland General assembly is discussing several technology bills aimed at establishing the state as a leader in the Internet economy. When the current session began in January, Gov. Parris Glendening (D) proposed several technology initiatives, including the formation of a board of e-commerce advisers, an increase in funding for ASP projects, and an agenda to move 80 percent of state services to the Internet by 2004. The most significant bill that Maryland lawmakers are considering is the controversial Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA). UCITA defines what users can do with the software they license and outlines software vendor warranties. Opponents of the bill object to a provision that would permit vendors to remotely shut off unauthorized access to software in a user's system. In February, critics voiced concerns about the bill before the Maryland House of Delegates, noting issues of consumer rights and privacy. Many amendments to UCITA have been suggested, and lawmakers believe some form of the bill will pass this year. Another bill aims to acknowledge the shift of business transactions to the Internet by giving legal weight to digital signatures and contracts delivered online. The assembly is also evaluating bills that would outline rules for access to private information, regulate spam, and turn hacking into a felony. In addition, Glendening has set aside $11 million of his budget for the creation of Net.Work.Maryland, a high-speed network that would connect Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington with Western Maryland, and eventually to the rest of the state.
Many of the problems associated with e-commerce, such as taxation, privacy, illegal sales, and fraud, stem from the fact that information and identities are difficult to confirm in an online environment, writes Jon M. Peha, associate professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, once an exchange is complete, it is hard to later ensure that transaction records are correct. With e-commerce sales on track to reach an estimated $1.3 trillion by 2003, new laws are needed to govern e-commerce in a way that is fair to everyone involved. Current commerce laws were designed for in-person transactions, and are fundamentally unsuitable for e-commerce, Peha says. In the issue of Internet taxation, for example, vendors need accurate information about customers, such as state of residence, to make tax laws enforceable. In addition to the fact that it is very difficult to verify information, privacy concerns arise as vendors try to gather customer data. Privacy is an especially complicated Internet issue, because protecting privacy can detract from efforts to protect against fraud, apply a fair tax system, and prevent illegal sales such as the sale of guns to criminals. Rather than choosing between objectives such as privacy and fair taxation, policies should strive to make both possible by having third parties keep transaction records, Peha says. All parties should keep signed records of transactions, and a party that is subject to audits should have its record notarized. To make reliable audits possible, verifiers, notaries, and auditors should participate in record keeping. Verifiers would confirm the identities of all parties, while notaries would record the time and date for every transaction to ensure that no one could change a record. The verifier and notary would not have access to each other's records, so no single organization could invade a consumer's privacy by matching an identity with specific transactions. Meanwhile, auditors would review and verify the accuracy of these records. Verifier and notary organizations would be private commercial groups that would be voluntarily accredited so federal laws would uphold the information they provide.
Companies are now moving toward faster LANs and LAN backbones, with businesses progressing at different rates due to various driving and inhibiting factors. Status quo companies, which account for over half of today's corporations, do not yet have business objectives that rely on network infrastructure. These companies are expanding their networks to support more users and traffic, and the migration to switched LAN technology is opportunistic rather than driven by business needs. Almost a third of enterprises are adopting faster LANs because of mission-critical applications such as ERP, and have made large investments in switching. These companies use server farms that sometimes have gigabit Ethernet, and these firms are considering load balancing for services distributed across several systems. In addition, these companies have addressed reliability and redundancy, although not necessarily as a part of the overall design of the serving infrastructure. Companies with mission-critical applications are typically looking into quality of service (QoS) as a way of prioritizing traffic in specific applications. Just 15 percent of companies are readying their networks for real-time applications or trying out convergence. These companies recognize the need for QoS and have laid out initial rules, such as voice taking priority over data traffic. Reliability and redundancy are significant to these companies. One factor driving the adoption of high-speed networks is the move to place browser front ends on applications, which is raising traffic volumes and altering traffic patterns. As more applications are "Webified," it will become increasingly necessary to include additional header information to distinguish different types of traffic.
Full-service brokerage firms such as Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter are increasing their presence on the Internet and investing in technology that will make their sites superior to those of discount firms. New companies such as Ameritrade and E*Trade and discount brokerages grew in popularity during the 1990s. Now, more traditional firms plan to regain some of the business lost to these companies. William L. Burnham, an online brokerage industry expert for Softbank Capital Partners, believes that "with a little faster movement off the mark, the full-service guys could have prevented some of these new companies from being created." Presently, all brokerages that are on the Internet are marketing themselves toward baby boomers. Full-service brokerages believe that they can best provide this demographic with needed advice and planning services. Full-service firms have traditionally offered broker access and unlimited trades for standard fees, requiring customers to maintain minimum balances of between $50,000 and $100,000. The average account at an online discount brokerage is smaller, running from $20,000 to $90,000. Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter now offer a discount firm-based service that allows an online customer to pay a fee for each trade made on the Internet. Both of these firms have brokers readily available to give advice. Only last year did Charles Schwab began offering a program that allows online clients to receive expert analysis on their portfolios. Merrill Lynch's Frank Zammataro says his company's "integrated platform of choice...[is] really the best of both worlds." Merrill Lynch will soon offer its investors rewards for trading online. A Forrester Research study showed that 20.4 million online trading accounts will exist by 2005. Analysts expect online brokerages eventually to provide the same services as full-service firms.
Companies in today's business world face the tough decision of whether to monitor employee email. It is a controversial subject with a variety of problems and no clear answers. Advocates of email monitoring say it is a way for businesses to prevent the abuse of email by employees, ensure compliance with federal and state workplace regulatory policies, avoid breaches of corporate security, guard against potential lawsuits, and help ensure corporate computer networks function smoothly and efficiently. Others disapprove of email monitoring because they believe it is a violation of privacy and infringes upon personal rights. Currently, the generally accepted rule is that employers have the right to monitor employee email as long as the employees are given advance notice that monitoring may occur. Of course, simply because a company has the right to monitor does not necessarily mean it will do so. There are reasons companies may not want to keep a watchful eye on employee email messages, including the expense and large amounts of labor involved, potential influence upon employee morale, and the fact that companies can be held liable for not catching damaging messages during monitoring procedures. Some employees are even fighting back and finding ways to bypass monitoring, often using the free email services offered by Hotmail and others. Although there is no universal solution, many have learned that the implementation of email monitoring policies often goes more smoothly if an employer is open and honest with employees about the details of a policy and why one is required. Having a written copy of the policy also helps.
Online drug companies last year accounted for only $160 million of the $101 billion in overall sales of prescription drugs. Among the reasons for the small percentage: health insurance co-payments do not always cover online drug purchases; customer prefer familiar brands; and customers want prescriptions filled immediately. Various tactics are being employed by drug companies as they seek to break down consumer resistance to online purchases. Among other things, online drug companies are forming partnerships with brick-and-mortar stores, partnering with pharmacy benefits management companies (PBMs), and establishing e-pharmacy sites for insurance companies and HMOs. PlanetRx.com and drugstore.com, which have lost 90 percent of their potential customers due to lack of coverage from standard co-payment, have partnered with PBMs Express Scripts and PCS Health Systems, respectively, to capture that business. But PBMs, which are hired by payers of health care services to negotiate prices and provide reduced-rate mail-order prescriptions, still decide what pharmacies its members can buy drugs at and have not drawn any distinction between online prescription retailers and mail-order services. While this is a potential problem for e-pharmacies like PlanetRx.com and drugstore.com, it falls right into the business model of sites like cranespharmacy.com, which customizes Web pages for payers, allowing them to participate in all revenue and to interact with their members, while cranespharmacy.com simply supports back-end operations and provides customer service. "Our strategy is to partner with the one entity that so far has had nothing to gain from the online pharmacy business: the payer," says cranepharmacy.com CEO David Crane. "The companies we're selling to say they will either buy [an online drugstore], build their own, or go with someone like us."
The enterprise information portal (EIP) is emerging as an important way to organize online corporate information, says Intelligent Enterprise's Mark M. Davydov. Although EIPs were introduced only a few years ago, the industry is already experiencing a second wave in the technology, as the focus of EIP shifts from broad organization to highly targeted and personalized distribution of data. Davydov says that EIP is expanding into four major areas: enterprise business intelligence portals, to connect users with the information they need; enterprise collaborative processing portals, to connect users to both the necessary information and relevant co-workers; enterprise mission management portals, to provide specialized content to enable teams to perform mission-critical management activities; and enterprise extended services portals, to organize teams of channel partners, suppliers, distributors, and customers. Davydov says intelligent agents are becoming crucial to EIP as it develops. Intelligent agents filter corporate information stores to compile such information as customer profiling, prospective customer requirements, and negotiation of prices and payment schedules.
Although knowledge management is a term that has been used to describe simple information processing, real knowledge management is the tapping of the tacit and implicit knowledge of a company, and creating software to meet this challenge has been a difficult task for the companies that have undertaken it. But the lack of such resources, which cost Fortune 500 companies an estimated $12 billion in 1999, will be unacceptable by 2002, when analysts say the majority of jobs will be "knowledge work." Still, some doubt exists as to how valuable information gathered by such systems will be, which has led developers to encourage extensive and consistent human input to keep systems up to date. Knowledge management also has to be able to deal with different file formats since knowledge is not limited to text, which has led to the adoption of XML--a standard Internet language recognizable by most computers--as the filing system of choice for knowledge management. Developers say knowledge management will eventually become the natural corporate culture and that the term itself will vanish. Companies currently developing knowledge management tools include GrapeVine, Orbital Software, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Peoplesoft, and Oracle.


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Royal family celebrates Prince Philip's 98th birthday
Kate Middleton, Prince William shared sweetest post
Kate Middleton, Prince William shared sweetest post
Congratulations are in order as Prince Philip is celebrating his 98th birthday on Jun 10, 2019.
The royal family has already begun celebrating the Duke of Edinburgh's impressive birthday, by posting a plethora of tributes on social media. Philip was born on the island of Corfu in Greece on June 10 in 1921 and married Elizabeth on Nov. 20, 1947.
Prince Philip skipped Trooping the Colour this past weekend, which marks Queen Elizabeth's second birthday (her real birthday is on April 21). But perhaps he was merely conserving his energy for his own birthday celebrations — which include being inundated with social media posts in his honor.
The royal family's official Twitter account posted a photo of the prince, along with the caption, "The Duke of Edinburgh was born on this day in 1921. In this picture His Royal Highness was photographed in 1953, 66 years ago. #HappyBirthdayHRH":
One of Philip's sons, Prince Charles, wrote a tribute to his father via the Clarence House social media account, which he shares with his wife, Duchess Camilla.
Fellow son, Prince Andrew, also posted an adorable tribute to his father:
Kate Middleton and Prince William celebrated Prince Philip's milestone via their Kensington Palace Twitter account writing, "Wishing a very Happy 98th Birthday to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh! #HappyBirthdayHRH":
The Daily Mail's royal correspondent, Rebecca English, revealed, "In honour of the 98th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Army will fire two spectacular Gun Salutes in London today.:
English also reflected on Philip's retirement from official royal duties writing, "I remember the Duke carrying out his last 'official' solo engagement at Buckingham Palace in 2017. Some royal staff had tears in their eyes as he walked off along the forecourt."
Happiest of birthdays to the Duke of Edinburgh!


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Board of Governors, May 3, 2001 - APPENDIX II
Board members are asked to bring to the meeting the following documents that were sent to them in mid-April (members of P&F received these as part of Exhibit I for the April 30 P&F meeting):
Recommended: That the Board of Governors approve:
Supplemental Fees and Other Charges, shown on the last 2 pages of Annex 2 are approved by the President throughout the year, as authorized under the Student Fee Policy (Policy 2.4). These are reported for the information of the Board. [Web Browsers, please note that the budget document is on the Web at http://www.uwo.ca/western/. It is in an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file and you must use Acrobat Reader version 3.0 or higher to read it.]
Recommended: That the 2001-02 budgets for Student Fee Funded Units, Ancillaries, and Academic Support Units, and related Activity Fee Rates be approved as summarized in Annex 3 (including revised Table 2, attached).
Annex 3 reflects recommendations from the Student Services Committee with respect to Non-Tuition-Related Ancillary Fees which fall under the Student Services Committee Protocol and the recommendations of the University Students' Council (USC) and the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS), as endorsed by the Campus & Community Affairs Committee (see CCAC report, Appendix IV, for this meeting).
The revised Activity Fee and Student Health Plan fee requested by the MBA Association are not recommended by the Property & Finance Committee because the MBAA did not provide the supportive documentation required in the Student Fees Policy (Policy 2.4). [See the explanation in the Report of the CCAC, Appendix IV, page 6, for this Board meeting.] The fees for MBA students shown in the revised Table 2 for Annex 3 are at the 2000-01 levels.


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As I walked across the Wembury beach car park something caught my eye, a small brown leaf blustered and bumped across the tarmac, battered by the fierce wind. As I focused, I realised it wasn't a leaf, it was a butterfly! I caught up with the little insect that had temporarily come to halt, and I saw that it was a somewhat ragged looking small copper. Soon it was caught by the wind again and somersaulted unceremoniously onward across the car park.
Minutes later I found myself at the data collection point at Wembury Marine Centre.
"Have you got small copper butterfly yet?", I asked.
"Not yet", came the reply "Not many butterflies have been found in this weather!"
The butterfly was faithfully noted down, just like all species would be over the next 48hrs. For this was Wembury BioBlitz 2019.
You may recall that a BioBlitz is a coming together of professionals and a whole host of other interested parties, from school groups to amateur naturalists. The goal is to engage in a period of intense biological survey in order to record as many species that exist within a particular location as possible. As advertised by Emily Price and her interview with Nicholas Helm in a recent NHBS blog, the Wembury Bioblitz 2019 took place on September 27th and 28th and NHBS had been invited to attend.
This was the 10th Anniversary of the first Wembury BioBlitz and also the 25th Anniversary of the Wembury Marine Centre. An extra special occasion for the partnership of organisations that came together to organise the event especially the Devon Wildlife Trust, Marine Biological Association and the National Trust.
Wembury boasts a spectacular stretch of South Devon coastline which is renowned for supporting a rich diversity of wildlife and as such is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a Voluntary Marine Conservation Area, so it is an great place for a Bioblitz!
On the morning of Friday 27th September the BioBlitz began and a host of organisers, volunteers and stall holders gathered to start the day's proceedings, the BBC were there too, filming for Countryfile (the story goes out on October 13th). The weather did not look promising with driving rain and an unrepentant wind threatening to lower everyone's spirits. However, everyone pressed on unperturbed with great enthusiasm and as the first eager local primary school groups arrived the day was up and running!
NHBS was there to set up a stall of useful equipment and books such as invaluable field and FSC guides which, like the other stalls, was soon inundated with excited school children. They were particularly impressed with our loan out of hand lenses which were immediately to put to good use! Others gathered around tables that gave the opportunity to peer down microscopes at a range of marine organisms or handle a whale's rib or a dolphin's skull!
The BioBlitz included a series of surveys across the key habitats that the Wembury locale offers including, of course; the rocky and sandy parts of the shore, but also ancient woodland, a stream, meadow, the coastal path and cliffs and parkland. Experts led parties out into the blustery conditions to scrutinise these zones and gather as much data as they could.
Down on the beach, my colleague Hattie had fun with a nice little gadget called a Video Endoscope to take pictures of rock pool life.
Back in the base camp Marquee, we soon discovered that we could contribute to the data collection ourselves as a host of crane flies, rove beetles, pill lice, spiders and earwigs began to explore the stall! News of rock pool discoveries reached us too, including brittle and cushion stars, snake locks anemones, gobies and five bearded rocklings!
By mid-afternoon the school groups had departed and it was time to pack up for the day, although for some there were many more hours of computer data entry and even nocturnal surveys ahead.
The following day the weather conditions initially seemed to have calmed and even the sun made an appearance! We were ready for Day 2. During the night, moth and bat surveys had taken place to boost the figures, but word came through that the overnight species count was a somewhat lowly 120 and a big push was needed if the target of 1000 species was to be achieved. With no school parties around to help this time, this was a day for families to get involved and once again the surveys commenced.
By 3.30 that afternoon, just as the weather vehemently turned for the worse again, it was time to call a halt to the BioBlitz and everyone began to gather for prize giving, species total announcements and chocolate cake in the shelter of the Marine Centre.
At the time of writing this blog, 840 species made the list for the 10th Anniversary BioBlitz a figure which is comparable to the number of species found in 2009.
Taking part in a BioBlitz is a fantastic way to engage in citizen science. They are great fun but are also a brilliant way to collect important data that can be used to gauge how our local biodiversity is coping with all kinds of environmental pressure including climate change and habitat loss. If you get the chance to get involved in one, I urge that you do so ……. and just ignore the weather!
Edit: We've received some highlight findings from the events organisers:
- 2x Giant Gobies were found during the night time rockpool safari
- Many sightings of a bird called the Cirl Bunting, a once rare species that is now on the up near Wembury!
- Gannets were seen diving off the Mewstone.
- The St. Pirrans Crab was found; Wembury is the only UK location outside of Cornwall where they've been found!
- Conger Eel were found during the diving surveys


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Terms & Conditions
1. Ultimate Extremadura Fishing Tours is an conglomerate carp and predator guiding service. We are part of an affiliate of two independent charter companies. (Extremadura Carp Fishing & Extremadura Predator Fishing) The terms and conditions are in line with both companies specific guidelines.
2. When making a booking with Ultimate Extremadura Fishing Tour, The individual making the booking will be confirmed as the "Lead Booker" for the group in which he/she represents their group even if the persons making said booking will not be part of the fishing party. The Lead Booker must agree with the terms and conditions on behalf of the entire group and is required to explain the Terms and conditions with the party as a whole.
3. A deposit is required to secure your booking. Each member of the party must pay a deposit to secure their place on the calendar. The lead party will pay the deposit on behalf of the party via agreed payment method. You will receive a copy of the transaction as proof of payment. The deposit is accepted as part payment towards the total cost of the holiday.
4. The Lead Booker is liable for all costs and charges on behalf of the party. The Lead Booker must supply us with Contact Name, Email, or Facebook contact and contact number(s).
5. In the event you need to cancel your confirmed booking, your deposit will not be refunded. However, your deposit may be transferred to alternate booking date.
6. All cancellations must be made as soon as possible in order for us to have ample time to fill the dates in your stead.
7. Every guest must act in a respectful and appropriate manner. We, as the venue owners, reserve the right to immediately terminate our services if we judge your behavior to be likely to cause discomfort or harm to your guide, other clients or any other person or property. We will not be liable to you for any refund or compensation.
8. Each member must have a valid passport.
9. Clients are responsible for their own flights. Flight information must be relayed to us as soon as possible so appropriate arrangements can be made.
10. We will not be liable for loss or delay occasioned by any of the following: Strikes, Riots, Political Unrest, Hostilities, War or threat of War, Terrorist Activity, Industrial Disputes, Fire, Flood, Technical/Weather problems to transport, Closure of Ports, Weather conditions, Pandemics or any other event(s) beyond our control.
11. We recommend that you purchase personal travel insurance and do not accept liability for any financial loss incurred as a result of you not so doing.
12. Complaints Procedure: In the event that you or a member of your party has a complaint about your holiday; the complaint must be notified to the owner in the first instance. You must give the owners a chance to resolve your complaint whilst you are at the venue. If you do not do this your complaint will not be considered valid.
13. We must be informed of any dietary requirements and allergies that may lead to serious illness or death.
a. We are not responsible for injury or death where proper precautions had not been observed or maintained by the booking party. (Eating foods that contain items that generate allergic reactions, drowning due to not knowing how to swim, falling whilst climbing high terrain, heat stroke, etc.)
14. Disabled Travellers; our aim is to provide a high level of service to all our customers. However, we are not a specialist operator in the field of holidays for the disabled. The majority of the fishing venues and accommodation that we offer are not suitable or equipped for the needs of many disabled people. Therefore if you have any disability we must be informed at the time of booking and we will do our best to help and advise. We cannot be held responsible for any difficulties encountered due to the unsuitability of the facilities.
15. The use of any boats is entirely at your own risk. We recommend use a life jacket and ensure adequate safety precautions are taken at all times.
16. All venues are primarily fishing venues; they are not necessarily suitable for children. Persons taking children are reminded that they do so entirely at their own risk. Adults are responsible for the safety and behavior of their children. Extra care should always be taken near water.
17. The Lead Booker must submit in writing after reading all the terms and conditions that: 1) they have read ALL the terms and conditions and 2) they agree to ALL the terms and conditions. This is obligatory and you will not be able to finish your booking process without doing so.
18. Destruction of property, accidental, or otherwise, will be the responsibility for the head booker to alert your guide immediately. It will be at the guides discretion of how the situation will be resolved.
a. Lures for predator fishing will be loaned to clients for their trips. any lost or stolen lures will be either paid for or replaced in a timely fashion.


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There are two things that recently made me think about how I do stuff. The first one is about some dangerous routines and over-consumption of information. The second one introduces some useful routines and relates to consumption in a creative way.
The first thing is an article by David Tate – The Dangerous Effects of Reading. I think more appropriate name would be "The Dangerous Effects of Reading ALL THE TIME".
If the world overwhelms you with its constant production of useless crap which you filter more and more to things that only interest you can I calmly suggest that you just create things that you like and cut out the rest of the world as a middle-man to your happiness?
On the other hand Kate Bingaman Burt talks about how automated directives and rule systems help her with personal projects. She is totally inspirational, amazing and makes me want to do a lot, watch her Portland Creative Mornings talk:


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Written on: 25/03/2011 by 19sammo43 (2 reviews written)
We have just come back from 2 weeks in Luxor. We had 1 week on a nile cruise which was superb and 1 week in Luxor.We were the first flight into Luxor since the demonstrations and were greeted as long lost family, everywere we went people said thank you for coming. There was no problems at any of the temple sites that we visited just friendly happy faces. The second week in Luxor was just the same,yes you were hassled to buy post cards, scarves, books, bags etc. also to go on a nile falucca, or a horse and carraige but a firm no thankyou was all that was required.It is necessary to remember that there have not been any tourists for 5 weeks so in an area that depends on tourism you have to expect a bit of hassle.Would we go again, definitely,was it value for money, yes. If you are thinking should I or should I not then my advise would take the plung and go, it is wonderful
Written on: 23/07/2010
Holiday Review on Flats In Luxor: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk
We recently had the opportunity to stay in Luxor on a self-catering experience. We chose to stay this time with an English lady and her Egyptian husband who over the past few years have built their own business of flat rentals in Luxor. But this is with a difference. We chose to stay at the Goubli flats on the West Bank of the Nile. They are a short distance from the ferry across the Nile into Luxor. Each flat is light and airy with all the facilities required for either single travel or a family with young or teenage children. There is always a taxi available, someone to help you buy your shopping and cook meals for you. Jane has also installed WiFi for those who just can't keep off the internet at anytime, or want to Skype back to their friends going "nur nur look where we are" !!
What ever you want or need Jane and her husband Mahmoud are there to help you, and make your visit to Luxor one you will never forget.
Their website is flatsinluxor.co.uk or just google flats in luxor and Jane also has facebook pages as well which you can join and see all the updates on new flats and houses being built if you want to return. She also has a really interesting blog as she is lucky to attend many lectures in Luxor through-out the year which keeps any amateur Egyptologist happy for hours!
We will certainly be returning again and we will use Jane and Mahmoud as a base for travels further afield as well.
" Well Egypt's Best Tourist Spot " Read More
Written by june20
" My holiday in algeria " Read More
" A city worth visiting, just for the experience! " Read More
Written by KarenShearsmith
" We stayed at beach albatros resorts. what an amazing place,its huge... " Read More
Written by michelleanddean
" We have just come back from 2 weeks in Luxor. We had 1 week on a ni... " Read More
Written by 19sammo43


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Anyone who's ever had the misfortune of a conversation about movies with this blogger is no doubt aware that I like musicals about as much as I like biopics. That is to say, not very much. I do, however, love Tim Burton, and count Ed Wood among my personal favorite films. So if he could make a biopic I can love, I didn't think it unrealistic to hope that he might melt my cranky moviewatcher's heart with a musical. But it's been a long time since Burton has directed a personal project, instead working on existing franchises and remakes like Planet of the Apes and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He did add a healthy dose of the trademark Burton flavor to each, not to mention key members of his troupe (Helena Bonham Carter in Apes and Johnny Depp in Charlie), but fans like myself are still waiting for the next burst of pure Burton madness in the spirit of Edward Scissorhands.
The Sweeny Todd tale originated in a prose serial form in 1846, and after several permutations, eventually became a stage musical by Stephen Sondheim in 1979. Burton's 2007 film adaptation doesn't quite manage to break free of its stagebound, er, staging. Despite the opportunity a film has to expand a play's world, the action is limited to just a few locations. The rich art direction doesn't defeat the impression that the whole thing was shot on a small soundstage. Speaking of art direction, Burton's vision of late 19th century London is very colorful, provided that that color is blue. That said, it isn't long before a few generous gallons of red are splashed about the place.
Timothy Spall, once of Mike Leigh's British kitchen sink dramas, continues to indulge in the new scenery-chewing persona he developed as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter films. Helena Bonham Carter looks like she just stepped out of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Sascha Baron Cohen sports no less than two outrageous accents.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street joined Waitress in the most unlikely mini genre of 2007: movies about pie shops. But while Waitress was a largely cutesy concoction, Sweeney Todd adds to the recipe a preoccupation with vengeful cannibalism a la The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover.
And finally, a technical note: the DVD edition suffers from an unusually uneven audio mix. The music is far, far louder than dialogue sequences, so be prepared to drive your remote control volume switch throughout.


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Most recordings provided by Webinato clients are in a format called an AutoPilot Recording.
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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
This webpage is designed to provide the community with information pertaining to New York State sexual offender data. Individuals will be able to obtain information on laws governing sexual offenders as well as information concerning the actual sexual offender.
The purpose of the New York State Sex Offender Registry website is to provide an overview of the sex offender registration law and how the public can obtain information about sex offenders.
The purpose of the New York State Sex Offender Subdirectory website is to provide the public with the ability to search the Search New York State Sex Offender Registry Subdirectory.


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I am new to the world of geo systems. What I would like to do is displaying some information on a map for given regions.
I downloaded shape files from cloud made web site and load layers using Quantum GIS. Now I would like to display the places names but I do not know how to do.
Are these information already present in the file how can I do to display them ?
If so, I guess It should be possible to do joins with the data I want to display.
Can you please help me on this subject ?


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|The act of bringing or coming together; connection; sexual union.
|(Mach.) A device or contrivance which serves to couple or connect adjacent parts or objects;
|coupling - a connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move together
Synonyms: yoke
|coupling - a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects
Synonyms: coupler
|coupling - the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes; "the casual couplings of adolescents"; "the mating of some species occurs only in the spring"
|(programming, hardware)
|coupling - The degree to which components depend on one another. There are two types of coupling, "tight" and "loose". Loose coupling is desirable for good software engineering but tight coupling may be necessary for maximum performance. Coupling is increased when the data exchanged between components becomes larger or more complex.


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Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.
Gary Francione, PhD,
Rights: The Abolitionist Approach
October 2017
Some people are upset about the fact that Daiya has been acquired by a company that is reported to do animal testing. They are claiming that Daiya products are, therefore, no longer vegan. That is silly. It is no different from saying that a package of frozen broccoli isnt vegan because it is made by a company that also makes meat/dairy/egg products.
Some people are upset about the fact that Daiya has been acquired by a
company that is reported to do animal testing. They are claiming that Daiya
products are, therefore, no longer vegan.
That is silly.
It is no different from saying that a package of frozen broccoli isnt vegan because it is made by a company that also makes meat/dairy/egg products. It is no different from saying that the vegetables you just bought at the farm market are not vegan because the farmer is not a vegan and will use the money you paid to buy animal products she will consume. There is no difference between animal testing and any other form of animal exploitation. Its all morally unjustifiable. But it is not relevant to whether a product contains animals or animal ingredients. And that is the only thing that determines whether a particular thing is suitable for a vegan to eat.
A company may make a product that contains no animal ingredients and do no testing, but may make all sorts of animal products. There is no moral difference between exploiting animals for testing and exploiting them in any other context. Many animal people seem to think that animal testing is more morally objectionable than other forms of animal exploitation. But then, many animal people believe that fur is more morally objectionable than leather or wool; or that foie gras is more morally objectionable than steak or chicken or fish; or that that hunting is more morally objectionable than paying someone else to impose the suffering and death and buying packaged corpses at the store. Many animal people really have been taken in by single-issue campaigns that may be great for fundraising, but are an impediment to clear thinking about animal ethics.
Where do people buy Daiya products now? They buy them from a supermarket that sells tons of animal products, or from a health food store that sells happy animal products. Indeed, many people buy their Daiya in places like Whole Foods, which relentlessly promotes happy exploitation and is praised for doing so by the large corporate charities. How is animal testing any different from the exploitation that these welfarist animal groups shamefully praise? And even if the store in which they bought the Daiya was exclusively vegan and the owners and employees were all vegan (pretty unrealistic for sure), the Daiya was transported in various ways by people who may not be vegans. And is everyone who works at Daiya and who is involved in the production of these products vegan? Are all of Daiyas suppliers vegan? If Daiya is not vegan because the acquiring company tests on animals, it was not vegan before either. Indeed, on this reasoning, it was never vegan.
What determines whether a product is suitable for a vegan to consume is what is in it. The moment you go beyond that, then you rule out anything and everything that you do not make yourself using things that only you produce and that you do not acquire from any other source. Once you get away from whats in the product, given the pervasiveness of animal use and the fact that all money is dirty, there can be no limiting principle.
We are all in favor of supporting vegan companies (although all companies participate in animal exploitation in the production/distribution process). We are not opposed to expressing disappointment when a vegan company sells out to a company that is not vegan (although that will happen more and more as veganism becomes more popular and larger companies will see acquiring vegan subsidiaries as profitable). Our point is that a vegan product does not cease to become suitable for vegans to eat because there is animal exploitation involved in the production/distribution process. There is animal exploitation involved in everything that you dont make yourself using ingredients that you produced.
We are also not saying that there are not good reasons to be critical of particular corporations, such as their treatment of workers, the environment, etc. We dont eat non-fair-traded cashew nuts or dairy-free chocolate because, although these products are vegan, they result in terrible harm to humans. But they are vegan.
By the way, we are not encouraging people to eat Daiya. We personally think it is a very unhealthy thing to consume. We never eat it.
Return to Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle


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New Delhi: Suspended Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh, facing corruption probe by CBI, is alleged to have pocketed over Rs 100 crore as "undisclosed commmission" during his tenure between 2008-14.
Singh was arrested by CBI, becoming the second in the case with first one being Project Engineer Ramendra who reported to him, sources said.
They said initial probe shows that according to a conservative estimate, projects of over Rs 2,500 crore were passed by Singh during his tenure of which about an average of five per cent was taken by him as commission.
Late in November 2014, Singh had allegedly signed 1,280 contract bonds amounting to Rs 959 crore within a span of eight days, CBI has alleged in the FIR.
The sources said these are conservative figures which have been arrived at from the statements of Noida staff including some of the officials who were working closely with Singh. The sources said the figures of alleged bribe may increase exponentially.
The officials have told the investigative agencies–Income Tax and CBI–that the commission was allegedly taken by Singh personally which was above other set of bribe amount which percolated down to lowest run of staff, the sources claimed.
Singh is being confronted with such details during his examination in CBI custody, they said.
The sources said although these allegations have emerged in questioning of staff members of Noida, they are being verified independently by CBI which is also trying to connect the money trail and investments made by Singh, his family and his associates in various companies.
They said the agency is going in every contract awarded during the tenure of Singh as chief engineer of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway and beneficiaries of those contracts will be examined by CBI.
Singh is facing two CBI cases–one of corruption involved in giving contracts and the other of amassing properties in his and his familys name which are disproportionate to the known sources of his income, they said.


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From time to time, new and alternative digital currencies and/or forks of an existing blockchain may be created. Coindirect have the right to evaluate and decide whether or how we support new digital currencies and/or blockchain forks in our services. This decision will largely be dependent on the stability and liquidity of the new currency.
In order to handle a blockchain fork in a way that ensures the security and reliability of our services, we may deem it necessary to temporarily suspend the services. In such cases, we will resume the services as soon as reasonably possible.


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My application to join the RPG Bloggers Network, the awesome place for aggregated RPG blog posts, has been accepted.
I also want to apologize for not updating lately. My internet has been off for a while and has just come back on, so a big hurray for that.
Now I can get the word out about T&T and hopefully get more people playing and loving it.


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Skype for Outlook.com fixes sync issues, but now has a new bug
A month ago, Microsoft rolled out a major update for its email service's website, Outlook.com.
The changes were related to its VOIP service, Skype.
Skype for Outlook.com, gained a makeover which included a new Skype icon, (which replaced the messaging icon). Clicking on the icon displays a new sidebar.
Skype for Outlook gained the ability to make calls from right within the browser, this included VOIP calls and video calls. It also gained support for syncing conversations and group chats across devices. And Skype for Outlook, began displaying chat bubbles, clicking on which loads your previous conversation.
It also added unread notification badges in bubbles, signifying that the conversation has a certain number of unread messages.
Sync issues in Skype for Outlook.com:
Many users began to report that Skype for Outlook had a major issue. The web interface did not synchronize messages and conversations properly, if the Skype for Desktop app was also open on the same computer. If a message was read in the Desktop App, it wasn't synced as "read" in the Skype for Outlook web app.
As a result of this, Skype for Outlook also began notifying users erroneously about previous messages. Prior to today's update for the web app, the only way to get rid of this notification was to manually clear it.
Microsoft fixes the issue:
Microsoft has rolled out an update to fix this issue. It has an added an option to Skype for Outlook, which allows user to turn off notifications. This looks to be a workaround in case the sync issue occurs.
How to turn off chat notifications in Skype for Outlook.
Login to Outlook.com and click on the Skype icon.
On the bottom right corner of the web app's UI, you will find a speaker icon.
Click on it to turn off chat notifications.
The speaker icon will now display a line across it, to signify that notifications have been muted
To enable notifications, just click on the speaker icon again.
New bug in Skype for Outlook.com:
Sadly though, it is not the end of erroneous notifications. Skype for Outlook has a new bug which begins flashing "0 New IMs". Seriously Microsoft?
Usually Instant Messsaging web apps, such as Gmail, flash the browser tab to notify the user about a new message.
Here is a screenshot (courtesy: Neowin) of the false notification.
Fortunately, there is a simple workaround for this. All you have to is click somewhere in the Skype for Outlook.com UI, and the message notification should dissapear.


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Vision Business Consultancy is not rooted in one area or discipline of business. We have the ability to look at companies in a 360° perspective incorporating all aspects of a company's performance including commercial, financial, sales, marketing and resources.
We bring significant senior commercial business experience to assist business owners, employing insight, data, industry knowledge to analyse current performance; identifying opportunities for innovation and development as well as challenges that might be holding back growth.
We totally immerse in your business, ensuring we have the most comprehensive view of the landscape before looking at the potential opportunities and/or necessary fixes.
Working with you and your team, we then develop and implement a live, actionable plan to transform how your business performs and to deliver true commercial results.
We include key mechanisms for measurement and evaluation of the action plan with continual business improvement a key driver of all Vision Business Consultancy's client projects and partnerships.
How We Work
The timeframe for delivery of a Vision Business Consultancy project varies from as little as a two week project to review and resolve a specific business opportunity or challenge, to a partnership lasting several years where you can retain us to manage continual business improvement within your organisation.
Costs are reflective of the bespoke needs of your business. Distinct from Big Four and other consultancies who might research and provide a final, glossy business strategy document, Vision Business Consultancy takes an operational approach, working in a highly integrated way as an extension of your team.
The exact fee structure will depend on the individual needs of your business and is determined based on an initial first meeting, provided on a complimentary basis, with the business owner to determine fit and an initial needs assessment.
Our own determinate capacity means we choose to only work with those businesses that we feel are forward-thinking and possess the attitude at owner level to truly transform and succeed.
The Vision Approach


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Although I can appreciate a good workout, I'm just not that interested in training to run a four-minute mile. I'd rather watch others sweat and smash into each other. Here are my favorite devices for helping me watch – rather than participate in – sporting events.
HDTV: Only 12 days until the Super Bowl, and if you've never seen football in high-definition (HD), now's the time to start. According to Bryan Burns, head of ESPN's HD channel, the wider screen helps you more quickly see a play develop – as more players and more of the field or court are visible. It's simply amazing – and we'll see more and more sporting events in HD over the coming year. ESPN alone is building a 120,000 square foot all HD studio, which goes online this spring, and Sports Center goes HD by summer. We'll be exploring the world of HDTV in March here, including more details Bryan shared with me on ESPN's exciting plans. For now, let's just say if you're in the market for a TV, go HD.
Binocular & Camera: Two great tastes that actually taste great together! Telescope and Binocular company Meade released the first binoculars with an integrated digital camera two years ago, and the second generation last year. These handy devices make it easy to snap a digital picture of the action, while you're watching. Models range from the postage-stamp photo size all the way up to 2 megapixels – one even includes a small integrated LCD monitor as well.
It's no substitute for a stand-alone digital camera, as the fixed focus lens only captures clear images starting at about 60 feet and on up to infinity. Meade's CaptureView line starts at around $60 and goes up to around $200 – but only the higher end models have a big enough image size to be truly useful.
MSN Direct Watch: As any NFL fan can tell you, some fans just don't care how silly they look. If you're one of them – and you absolutely must have sports scores fast – consider this new line of watches from Microsoft and its partners Fossil and Suunto. The watches tune into data, broadcast over the FM radio band, to pull in news, weather and – yes – sports scores. You'll be able to customize your watch by team, sport, really any way you want.
So what's the downside? Well, the watches are big. Really big. They also cost between $130 and $200 – which is a lot for what is essentially a digital watch. You'll also have to pay either ten bucks a month or sixty bucks a year for the data. But the worst part – besides looking dorky — you'll need to charge up your watch every few days, or it'll run out of juice. I don't know about you, but I really don't need yet another high-maintenance, power-hungry device. I can scarcely remember to keep my cell phone charged as it is. If you're interested, check out our First Look at the new watches.
Portable Radio: You can get a tiny portable radio for under $10 bucks from lots of places – it's the headphones that require a bit of shopping. Most headphones simply can't deliver great sound when you're sitting in the stands, surrounded by loud and rowdy fans. Look for noise cancellation headphones to drown out at least some of that noise, so you can hear the announcer. I'm a big fan of the Bose QuietComfort 2 noise cancellation headphones, but at $300, they're a bit pricey. Our review has more details.
Another option comes from Shure – better known for microphones, and professional in-ear monitors. Unlike headphones, which cup around your year, you stuff the company's E series of earphones directly into your ear — where they block out fan noise, while delivering a clean and clear signal from your FM radio. The Shure earphones range in price from $100 to $500, and are small and easily portable. Just don't share them with your friends. Check out our detailed review for more on the Shure.


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Last Night
Last Night: Saturday at Lake Union Park
Paddleboarders on Lake Union.
More late-Saturday morning than last night, a friend and I wandered over to the revamped South Lake Union park to check out the opening day festivities. As gorgeous as the day was (high '60s and sunny if you've already forgotten), it wasn't surprising to see the park packed with families, couples, and other eager park-goers checking out the food vendors, company booths, music, kids races, and model sailboats.
MOHAI's rabble-rousing suffragettes singing songs and fighting for the 19th Amendment.
I enjoyed strolling around the park and through the mini farmers market (anyone know if that's going to be a regular thing?), but the highlight of the opening ceremonies was REI's free kayak and stand-up paddle board demo. I've been wanting to try stand-up paddling for a while, but never had the chance.
I was only on the water for about 15 minutes on Saturday, but I had a freaking blast. Taking a long paddle down the canal from Lake Union to the Sound seems like a fantastic way to spend an afternoon (too bad paddle boards are so damn expensive). Look for my new column, PaddleNerd, in which I advocate for a Venetian-style water highway system.
The park itself is pretty great (though I won't complain when the fertilizer smell fades away). It still feels a little barren without much grass or other landscaping, but the space holds a lot of potential for great public events. I can also see heading to the park with some bread, cheese, and a discreet beer or two for a Sunday evening watching the boats and float planes come and go.
And Josh F. reports that he was there after dark (biking through the sidewalk fountains) and noted there's already some discreet teen pot smoking going on.
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I finally finished quilting the Sherwood park Manor quilt, and took it to my last guild meeting for Show and Tell. Here is a picture of the quilt with some of the members who helped to make butterlfy blocks.
Here is a close-up of the quilt (with Pugsley in front) and a couple of the blocks to show the quilting on the different butterflies. I handed the quilt over to the Manor a couple days later - everyone was very pleased with the end result!


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Jane joined Scott-Moncrieff & Company in September 2015 and is very happy to be practicing law in beautiful Sidney, BC. Jane grew up in Victoria and completed her law degree at the University of Calgary. After graduating from law school, Jane articled and practiced family law and estate litigation at a boutique law firm in Victoria.
Jane's practice at Scott-Moncrieff & Company is primarily focussed on family law. Jane provides legal advice to clients on issues arising on the breakdown of married and common-law relationships, including divorce, issues of custody, child support, spousal support and division of family property and debt. Jane is also able to assist clients in the preparation and negotiation of cohabitation, marriage and separation agreements.
Jane strives to resolve disputes without unnecessary cost or conflict. Her goal is to provide the advice and support her clients need in order to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Jane works with clients to resolve their disputes primarily using negotiation, mediation and other out-of-court dispute resolution processes.
- Called to the BC Bar in 2012
- Juris Doctor, University of Calgary 2011
- Internship with Canadian Lawyers Abroad, Nairobi, Kenya 2010
- BA (Political Science), University of Victoria 2003
- Member, Law Society of British Columbia
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Victoria Bar Association


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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mormonism and history/Accuracy of Church art/Further Reading
FAIR Answers Wiki Table of Contents <onlyinclude>
Further reading
Further reading
FairMormon Answers articles
Mormonism and church integrity
Jump to Subtopic:
- Accusations of lying and hypocrisy on the part of the Church
- Censorship and revision of Church history
FairMormon web site
|Accusations of dishonesty FairMormon articles on-line
- Davis Bitton, "I Don't Have a Testimony of the History of the Church," (FAIR Conference, 2004) FairMormon link
- Scott Gordon, "Dealing with Difficult Issues." FairMormon link
- L. Ara Norwood, "Nehors in the Land: A Latter-day Variation of an Ancient Theme." FairMormon link
- Daniel C. Peterson, "Easier Than Research, More Inflammatory Than Truth." FairMormon link
- Juliann Reynolds, "Critics in Wonderland: Through the Liberal Looking Glass." FairMormon link
- John A. Tvedtnes, "Scholarship in Mormonism and Mormonism in Scholarship." FairMormon link
- Allen L. Wyatt, "Answering Shotgun Anti-Mormonism" FairMormon link
External links
|Accusations of dishonesty on-line articles
- Howard C. Searle, "Authorship of the History of Brigham Young: A Review Essay," Brigham Young University Studies 22 no. 3 (1982), 367.
- Howard C. Searle, "Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," Brigham Young University Studies 21 no. 1 (1981), 101. PDF link off-site
- Dean C. Jessee, "The Writing of Joseph Smith's History [1839–46]," Brigham Young University Studies 11 no. 4 (1972), 439. PDF link off-site
- Dean C. Jessee, "I have heard that Joseph Smith didn't actually write his history—that it was prepared by clerks under his direction. If so, how reliable is it?," Ensign (July 1985), 15. off-site
- Dean C. Jessee, "Priceless Words and Fallible Memories: Joseph Smith as Seen in the Effort to Preserve His Discourses," Brigham Young University Studies 31 no. 2 (1991), ?–??. off-site
Printed material
|Accusations of dishonesty printed materials
- Dallin H. Oaks, "Gospel Teachings About Lying," BYU Fireside Address, 12 September 1993, typescript, no page numbers; also printed in Clark Memorandum [of the J. Reuben Clark School of Law, Brigham Young University] (Spring 1994).


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In the May issue of Inc., a reader, Elaine Ellis, poses a great question: Is creativity stifled by organization or is it easier to be creative at a company that is extremely well run?"
The way she phrases the question to some degree defines the answer. Of course it is easier to be creative in a "well run" company because it is easier to get things done and to experiment. Truly creative people don't baulk at every restraint; the best people I've ever worked with understood the necessity and found structure provoked them to do richer and more daring work.
Prize-winning playwrights appreciate that their broadcast work has to run to time. Great painters appreciate the demands of specific spaces. Michelangelo's David is the incredible work of art that it is because the sculptor had to work around a flaw running through his marble block. Constraints often provoke wildly original and unexpected work that complete freedom would never generate.
But inside Ellis's question is, I think, another important question: Does focus on perfect processes displace concern for originality and innovation? The truth is that it can. If you are more focused on getting the paperwork right than on the product that paperwork supports, then you will bleed your creative people dry by making them work on the wrong stuff. If you take too much time arguing about the perfect design for the mailroom, your creatives may lose sight of where revenue comes from. So the real challenge with process is: Is it good enough?
Many companies suffer from managerial narcissism. They are so obsessed with internal workings they completely lose sight of customers, the market, and the value that they provide. This is an almost inevitable part of an entrepreneur's trajectory. You start a business because the market has given you an idea. At that moment, you are very engaged by all that is outside the business. But as your company grows more complex, its internal operations demand attention. Before you know where you are, your engagement outside has turned inside. You may lost sight of why you started the company in the first place. You can start to hate your job.
But of course the opposite can happen. The love affair with chaos can last too long. Easy things stay hard and effort that could go into thinking and collaboration gets diverted to basic functioning. Strangely, the overly bureaucratic company and the chaotic company share the same problem: It just gets too hard to get things done.
Process doesn't have to be perfect. It needs merely to be functional. Internal forms don't have to be objects of beauty and meetings don't have to be masterminded by Cecil B. DeMille. A truly well run company puts energy and emphasis on what matters to employees and customers and nothing else counts.


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NRG Stadium Clear Bag Policy
Disclaimer: Policies are subject to change in each venue. Click here for the most up to date policies.
NRG Stadium Policy:
- One-gallon sized clear plastic zip bag (Does not exceed 11" X 11")
- Clear plastic bag (Does not exceed 12" X 12" 6")
- Small clutch bag, wristlet, handheld wallet (Does not exceed 4.5" X 6.5")
We've got you covered, click here to purchase a festival bag.