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USPS is increasingly moving packages for its competitors, according to newly published numbers that underscore the Postal Service's unique delivery capabilities.
For years, United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx have paid USPS to deliver some packages, especially for customers in rural areas. The companies are now turning to the Postal Service more frequently, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.
USPS delivers 2.2 million packages a day for FedEx, or about 30 percent of FedEx's total ground shipments, the Journal reported. Meanwhile, the type of packages handled by the Postal Service account for about 40 percent of the recent growth in UPS's ground shipments business.
"We make money on it. We wouldn't do it if we didn't make money on it," PMG Pat Donahoe told the Journal.
This rising volume has fueled major growth in the Postal Service's Parcel Select business, which has surged from about 223 million packages five years ago to 1.29 billion packages in 2013.
Parcel Select, a ground delivery service for large and medium-sized shippers, accounts for about a third of the Postal Service's package-delivery business. Parcel Select is expected to grow 12 percent next year.
USPS recently announced plans to adjust some shipping prices to attract more business customers. The Postal Service also is streamlining its mail processing operations, which will allow USPS to invest in new package sorting equipment and other upgrades.
"We've been focusing a lot of efforts on package growth, because that's the biggest opportunity for us," the PMG told the Journal.


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Man accused of killing SDPD officer to stand trial
SAN DIEGO (KUSI ) – A man accused of gunning down a San Diego police officer and wounding his partner with a gunshot to the neck was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges that could have him facing the death penalty.
Jesse Michael Gomez, 58, is charged with murder and attempted murder, with a special circumstance allegation of murder of a police officer. He remains jailed without bail and is due back in court July 10 for arraignment.
Officer Jonathan "J.D." DeGuzman and fellow gang-unit Officer Wade Irwin were shot about 11 p.m. July 28, 2016, in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way. DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, was found in the driver's seat of his patrol car and was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
Irwin testified Monday that as he and DeGuzman were patrolling the area, they saw two men split up and start walking along the north and south sidewalks of Acacia Grove Way.
Irwin said he believed the man on the south side — whom he later learned was Gomez — was someone else he had previously arrested. DeGuzman stopped the car and Irwin got out of the passenger side, leaving the door open, he said.
Irwin then asked Gomez, "Hey, do you live in the area?" and Gomez "almost immediately" shot him, the officer testified. Irwin said Gomez then approached the open passenger door of the patrol car and fired into the vehicle, where DeGuzman was sitting.
Irwin said that after he was shot, he fell into the side of the patrol car and was sitting up near the rear tire. He said he had "a lot of blood" in his throat and it was hard to breathe.
"I believed (Gomez) was going to execute me if he saw I was still alive," Irwin testified.
He said that after Gomez shot his partner, he drew his gun and fired on the shooter, who was running eastbound.
Irwin testified that he was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center for treatment of a collapsed lung, paralysis to his right diaphragm and vocal cords, facial numbness and nerve damage, which left him hospitalized for 23 days.
While in the hospital, he was shown photographic lineups that included Gomez and the man he originally believed Gomez to be. He testified that he identified Gomez as the shooter and the other man was not at the scene or involved in the shooting.
Gomez was taken into custody in a ravine off South 38th Street, a short distance from the scene, and was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
The San Diego Police Department issued a statement Wednesday thanking prosecutors for their work on the case.
"The memory of Officer Jonathan "J.D." DeGuzman weighs heavy in the hearts and minds of the men and women of the San Diego Police Department. We will never forget the years of service he provided and the efforts he made to keep all San Diegans safe, according to the statement. "We would like to thank San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan and her prosecutorial team for presenting the evidence in court at Jesse Gomez's preliminary hearing this week. The department appreciates the court's diligence in listening to testimony, examining the evidence and concluding there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial."

subset: commoncrawl


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How can we Regenerate?
Most of us like hard and good workout. But do you feel tired after training?
Do you feel like you have no energy before the training?
Well I can show you how to regenerate your body and have more energy before, during and after training.
Never go hungry on training!
This is the most important. Guys you don't want to go and train without a meal. Without food there is no energy and without energy there is no training. Simple as that. During the training the body wastes carbohydrates (If you train about 30-40 minutes non-stop training, after that the body will start to lose fat). Of course you can use supplements but always consult with your doctor or with your personal trainer. Always eat 2 or 3 hours before the training. This is highly recommended.
Avoid "hard" food!
If you fill your stomach with food filled with calories you will feel like a boxing bag on training, you will get tired easily and you will be exhausted after training. if you eat something that is sour, your stomach will take more time to process this food. If you eat this before training you will be sick after the training for sure.
You can consume fruits, vegetables combined with enough carbohydrates; you will get extra energy on the training.
Drink water!
This is IMPORTANT! When we sweat during training we lose toxins but we also get dehydrated. Drink your water guys. Drink your water before, during and after training. The body needs to regenerate after a hard workout.
Eat after training
This is equally important. Hard workout damages the muscle tissue, so it needs to regenerate quickly. Our body absorbs proteins 30 minutes after training, for professional athletes 1 hour after training.
You need that rest. If your training is hard, rest is highly recommended. If you need a nap, do a nap, if you need to sleep, go to sleep. Sleeping regenerates the body.
Sponsored my mensaffais.com


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So I finally did it..I submitted the paperwork for M2 to get considered for long term care and did my best not to cry as I dropped the envelope into the mailbox. I know I need to do it but it still makes me sad to know she will need these services. I can get through this but shoot it hurts. I go back in and my phone rings it is the nurse from the summer program. M2 is in tears won't say much what should she do? No this is not the normal nurse so I tell her hugs, reassurance and let her know Mom said she can take out her hearing aid as soon as school is over. Apparently that works I don't hear again from the nurse.
I go to pick up Little Man and Little Bit. I get Little Bit in the front playground and the staff is shaking her head at me. She sighs as me and says "I hate to tell you this but Little Bit as bold bold bold all day. She yelled at staff and threw toys. I don't know what is wrong with her" I shake my head and look at Little Bit she yells at me "No naughty bunny!!" I look right at her and say "It sounds very much like you were a a naughty bunny" I go and pick her up and she smacks me on the face and pinches my cheek hard. I sigh gotta love this…The teacher looks at me and says "I know you get bad reports every day from Little Man's class so I am sorry" I smile and reassure her, days like this will happen.
I go to the next playground and see Little Man sitting in a time away. Oh yeah this is going to be another bad report I can tell, they already got the Director down to talk to me. Again he was hitting and kicking teachers. Again he was yelling. I look at him and say "You are finished. No treats tonight and no more Nutella this week" He looks at me angry "That isn't fair!!" I look at him and say "You are right it isn't but it isn't fair to your teachers to be treated so poorly so if you want to be treated fairly I suggest you treat others fairly" He is sullen and stomps to the van. Oh yeah this parenting thing is fun.
The sitter comes to the house with M2 and we are starting dinner before I leave for a night out. M2 swings the pot at me and yells "You bein a brat!!" and kicks in Little Man's direction. I grit my teeth and think why does Autism not come with a manual. I look at her and say "Go to to your room and sit on the bed for a few minutes" She glares at me and yells "You want me to kick you too!!!" I look at her and say in my calmest voice "There are two ways to get to your room with my help or without my help. What do you choose?" She she screams at me, shoves past me and stomps off to her room. The sitter looks at me floored and I just gather my stuff to leave. It is another day in the fun house.
I look at the sitter and say "I am sorry no treats tonight except for M1. They all were miserable and there is no point in rewarding this behavior." Little Man and Little Bit protest and I point out their behavior. M2 comes out and starts to cry "Momma me sorry I wanna go with you" I hug her but tell her no because tonight is Momma's night alone. The tears flow in earnest now but no I NEED away time. M1 looks at me and says "Can I go with you?" and I say "Are you going to talk in therapy about your boyfriend or family? No you won't you will be miserable so no" She rolls her eyes…yeah the usual response.
I hit the track and walk and walk. My BFF is with me and she jogs to keep up. After 35 minutes I am calm and she laughs at me and says "you wanna talk or you ok?" I laugh and say "Nah I am good thanks for the company" We laugh and we go to our cars. She yells to me "Hey remember you love the kids and they are cute when they sleep!" I smile, yeah I love them its just some days….grrrr….


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On a lighter note, this has to be one of the funniest scenes in Star Trek.
This is from the episode, This Side of Paradise. The Enterprise is assigned to check on a colony on the planet Omicron Ceti III which is exposed to lethal "Berthold rays". They are surprised to find the colonists alive and well thanks to strange plant whose spores not only protect them from the radiation but make them all mellow and content. After being exposed to the spores, Spock is finally able to let loose. The look on Kirk's face is priceless. Sulu looks like he's been drugged after breathing in the spores.
Kirk cures Spock by picking a fight with him, and nearly gets himself killed.
This is actually kind of a sad episode. Kirk, Spock, and the entire crew of the Enterprise find perfect happiness and contentment on Omicron Ceti III under the influence of the spores. At the end, Spock admits that he was happy for the first time in his life. He can freely love Leila, a woman who loved him. Yet, in the end Kirk and Spock choose their duty to the Enterprise and Starfleet over life on the planet.
Star Trek was made in the old days, when good values could still occasionally be found on television. I think that the theme of this episode, like several others, is one of choosing duty and responsibility over self-indulgence, and ultimately freedom over happy slavery (to the spores). They don't make them like this anymore.


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When you look at Hindu mythology, specifically at the Tirthankaras or teachers, there is one called Parshvanatha. The second to last of all 24 of these ford-makers in Jainism, he is generally acknowledged but there is very little on his biography. It is thought that he was born around the eighth century BC. Others will argue that it was a century later. Like many of these masters, they renounced their life, and began to follow asceticism. In this particular master is credited with what is called the four fold restraint. It is simply for things you should not do which include never own property, lie, steal, and do not kill your fellow man.
Why He Was Omniscient And His Death
It was at the age of 30 that he was able to attain a form of enlightenment. He was under what was called the Dhaataki tree. He performed asceticism, but he also meditated for 84 days which is what allowed him to achieve Kevala Jnana. After learning all of this, he began to teach people. He did so for 70 years. It was at the age of 100 that he died, and his name is said to mean beloved of the people because of all of the things he had done for people in his land.
Previous Births And Disciples
According to the Jain mythologies, Parshvanatha was said to have had several rebirth's which included coming back as an animal and a human. He was always moving toward inner harmony, and came back as many different people including the prime minister of King Aravinda, an elephant, and even a sage. He had many disciples that are discussed in the Jain texts. After his death, his disciple Subhadatta became the leader. The teachings were very similar to many of the others taught in the Jain traditions with the four fold restraint teachings being the one that sets him apart from the others.
Parshvanatha is one of the few Tirthankaras that does not have a very detailed history. Despite that, there are many accounts of how he was able to reach enlightenment, teach the people, and how he did have disciples. It was even stated that he had given up close, and added celibacy to the monistic vows. You will definitely know that you are looking at artwork or statues of Parshvanatha because he is depicted with a serpent hood that is over his head.


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Known as the Red Nine originally designed by Jack Harvey and opened in 1943.
NAS Jacksonville Golf Club offers 27 holes of championship golf for all military personnel active/retired of all ages and skill levels. The holes wind through beautiful tree-lined fairways that are complemented with rich blue lakes, making it one of the finest courses in the Jacksonville area. Take advantage of specials and discounts by joining the E-Club.
Rates: Prices vary based on day and time.
Adress: 808 Mustin Road Jacksonville NAS, FL 32212
Website: https://www.navymwrjacksonville.com
Phone: 904-942-3249
Hours: Daily from 7 am until sunset.


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Chibi Dragon
Regular price
This unique gel pen uses a gel-based ink combining the permanence of oil-based ballpoint ink and the smooth glide of water-based ink. Gel-based ink is pigment suspended in a water-based gel. Gel ink is thick and opaque, and it shows up more clearly on dark or slick surfaces than the typical inks used in various types of writing and illustration.
Fine-tip gel pens let you fit more writing onto every page. They make your handwriting neater by creating sharper, more consistent lines. As they don't put as much ink on the page as broader pens, they dry faster and are less prone to smudging.


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Did you know LISA awards four scholarships in the amount of $1000 each?
Applications due April 30th. See application for more information.
AND BC SOCCER provides scholarships as well – https://bcsoccer.net/awards-scholarships
BC Soccer Scholarships Application deadline is March 31 of each year.
Youth to Youth Permit (Intra-Club Permit Form go to www.leaguelineup.com/vipl for VIPL permit forms)
Grandparented Players Application Form
Inter-Club Transfer Form
Before October 15th if a league game has been played and you want to transfer clubs speak to your Club Registrar about using this form. After October 15th you need a BC Soccer form to move teams.
Request for Release Form
If a player wishes to be released from their home club they must be registered with their home club and request a release from the Club Registar or President (each club will have a slightly different process, please contact your home club if you want to know more about your own club's process).
Releases are not to be requested by a "receiving team" as the player is released to LISA for placement on the most appropriate team taking into consideration player location, viability of the league, teams that need players, extenuating circumstances etc.
Once LISA receives a "Request for Release" form, the parent/guardian of the player will be contacted by the LISA office to gather any and all necessary information from the parent/guardian.
Releases will not be granted to a player to play on a VIPL team.
Typically once all information has been received, Registrars will receive communication from this office that we have a player in a certain level and age and to let LISA know if you are in need of such a player.
Once a player has been placed on a team, the parent will be contacted, the release form will be signed by the office and a copy sent to the Receiving Team's Registar.
BC Soccer Transfer Form – See BC Soccer Website under Forms
BC Soccer Tournament Application – See BC Soccer Website under Forms


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Iowans seek help beyond storm cleanup following derecho
Volunteers and community organizations are stepping up as Iowans need help beyond storm cleanup in the wake of the derecho.
IMPACT Community Action Partnership said Iowans need funds for the replacement of food and personal items in addition to home repairs following the storm.
The organization helps the community through the Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Program, which is activated whenever the governor declares a natural disaster emergency.
"Three of our counties — Polk, Jasper and Boone — we're part of the proclamation from the governor," IMPACT Executive Director Anne Bacon said.
Families in those counties can apply for the Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Program through IMPACT and receive up to $5,000 if approved.
To be eligible, a household must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
"It sounds like we have an assistance program," Bacon said. "People apply and we write them a check, but it's a little more complicated than that. Families have to be ready with receipts."
According to Bacon, IMPACT is working through more than 200 applications for people impacted by the storm.
In the meantime, other avenues assistance are popping up across the Des Moines area.
"This storm came through and impacted a lot of people to where they didn't have a warm meal," 211 Director Melissa McCoy said. "They didn't know where they turn."
United Way of Central Iowa said it received 2,700 calls to the 211 Resource Center in the week following the derecho.
According to McCoy, 40% of calls to 211 came from Polk County and 34% came from Linn County.
McCoy said it is pivotal to deliver aid to those in need as cleanup efforts continue.
"My bet is that we're going to see an increase in those calls coming in (and) asking for assistance once the communities are starting to come back online," she said.
How to help
Given the impact of COVID-19 is still significant, United Way of Central Iowa, the Community Foundation and others came together in March to launch the Central Iowa Disaster Recovery Fund in Polk County. If you would like to make a donation, please visit:
Due to overwhelming community donation response in eastern Iowa, United Way, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, Marion Chamber Foundation and the Red Cross ask those wishing to donate to consider donating financially to established relief funds.
Donations can be made on the following websites:


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I've seen some bad football snaps before; Tony Romo's kicking a bad snap back 30 yards, Brett Favre getting hit in the face with an errant snap, and Joe Theismann's leg after Lawrence Taylor hit him. OK, since that last one isn't in the same category, I'll give this high school snap the title of the worst I have ever seen.
Dodge City defensive back Immanuel Galloway grabbed a bad snap that went straight up into the air, and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown in a game in Kansas.
A pick 6 off of a snap? Impressive. Check out the video below:


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Category Archives for "quit smoking"
Quit Smoking Hypnosis is real, and it can help you quit smoking without the terrible withdrawal symptoms, weight gain, nervousness and other side effects of smoking cessation. Only about 10% of addiction to cigarettes is the physical addiction to nicotine. The other 90% of smoking addiction is mental. So it only makes sense to tackle smoking addiction at the mental level, rather than just the physical level.
Smokers have a conditioned response when it comes to cigarettes. They learn over the years to relate virtually everything in their lives to cigarettes. Smoking is how they deal with stress, how they enjoy relaxing with friends, how they prepare themselves for something and how they spend their breaks and lunches. Practically everything in a smoker's life comes to revolve around their desire for a cigarette.
Now imagine that all of that could be removed. Even if you have smoked 30 or 40 years, hypnosis can liberate you from a life of virtual slavery to cigarettes and the desire to smoke them. Hypnotherapy can tackle the problem of the desire for cigarettes and the urge to smoke. This is far more powerful than a nicotine patch or gum that merely addresses the 10% of the addiction that is physical.
Weight gain is another common problem for people who use other methods of smoking cessation. Stop smoking hypnosis can help you eliminate this problem, as well. The weight gain is due to the smoker's need to keep their hands and mouth occupied without cigarettes. If the oral fixation, the desire and the need for the cigarettes is gone, overeating and weight gain are not a problem.
Many professional hypnotherapists address the very issue of weight gain with their patients as part of the smoking cessation therapy sessions. Just as you once began to learn to restructure your life around smoking, you will quickly learn to restructure your life in the absence of it. All of the things you worry about ñ such as how long a flight is, when the next break is, where the nearest smoking area is, how many cigarettes you have left in your pack ñ become non-issues.
With many hypnotherapy programs, you can continue to smoke until you no longer feel the urge too. You literally just quit wanting to smoke and start wanting not to smoke. Talk to your hypnotherapist and find out what his or her particular recommendations are for your quitting smoking hypnotherapy program. Each therapist has developed their own style that works well for them and their customers.
It is not necessary to meet with a hypnotherapist each week in order to quit smoking. Many hypnotherapists have developed programs that you can use in your own home. CDs, DVDs and tapes are an excellent way to benefit from hypnosis in order to quit smoking. Most people do not realize it, but they are in an Alpha brain wave pattern for three-quarters of their television watching time. People also pass through this Alpha state while falling asleep and again during the waking process each morning.
The Alpha state is a level of hypnosis. This is comforting for people who are fearful of undergoing hypnosis in order to quit smoking, lose weight or learn to relax. The state of hypnosis is something that their bodies naturally go through in a regular process each day. It is nothing mystical, religious or New Age. Dentists have begun experimenting with hypnosis to alleviate the need for pain medication during oral surgery and other dental procedures.
Stop smoking hypnosis takes advantage of the highly suggestible state of the mind during the Alpha state. During this period, the mind accepts suggestions readily, making it the perfect opportunity to introduce new, positive thoughts and eliminate old, negative ones. Hypnosis has been thoroughly researched for many years, and there are no negative side effects as long as the hypnotherapist uses ethical practices while their clients are in the suggestible state. It is the easiest, most stress-free way to stop smoking painlessly and stop smoking for good.
What happens when you quit smoking? Well, a number of positive things begin to happen. But smokers are rarely aware of this, because the withdrawal symptoms are so severe. What we do not feel is our blood pressures, nervous systems, heart function and lung function returning to normal. What we do feel is irritability, nervousness, anger, headaches and a host of other negative feelings and emotions.
One of the things people dread most about quitting is the weight gain. People tend to gain weight after quitting smoking, because they are trying to find something for their hands and mouths to do in the absence of holding and puffing cigarettes. This is a purely mental event, and has nothing at all to do with the physical addiction to cigarettes. Many people find hypnosis to be beneficial in helping them quit smoking without putting on unhealthy weight.
People who are trying to quit smoking also lose sleep. This is one of the physical withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking, but it also has psychological reasons. Smokers find it difficult to relax without a cigarette, and it is hard for their mind to let go of problems in the absence of a cigarette. It is important to find non-addictive ways to get the sleep you need. Lack of sleep itself causes health problems.
Nervousness is another problem for people trying to kick the habit. This is closely related to losing sleep. The reasons are both psychological and physical. Since their primary method of relaxing has involved smoking cigarettes, it is important to find new, non-addictive ways to unwind and relax. Many people find success in hypnosis,meditation, a new hobby, walking, other exercise programs or learning a new skill they have always wanted to master.
What happens when you quit smoking? Mood swings. People trying to quit are often so irritable that the very family members who urged them to quit in the first place are ready to buy them a pack and light one up for them. Short temper, anger and even aggression are all common in people who are trying to quit smoking. Try to realize that this is just a physical and psychological withdrawal symptom and your family really is not trying to drive you over the edge.
The good news is, there are ways to avoid some of the misery, and during this difficult process, some really wonderful things are happening in your body as a result of quitting. Finding positive things to do with the time and money you are not spending on cigarettes helps negate some of the suffering. You also need to focus on the fantastic healing process that your body is accomplishing ñ in a mere 20 minutes after you quit smoking!
In 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure is already lower. Your carbon monoxide levels return to normal after only 8 hours, just one shift at work. You are at a lower risk of having a heart attack after going just one day without a cigarette. In only two days, you can smell and taste better because the damaged nerve endings begin to heal.
After only a couple of months, you can breathe better, exercise easier without becoming winded and you have less phlegm. Lung function begins slowly improving, as well. After one year without a cigarette, you have reduced your risk of heart attack and heart disease by one half. In as little as five years, your risk of a stroke is that of a non-smoker.
After ten years, your risk of lung cancer drops significantly, though you will never be as low-risk for lung cancer as someone who never smoked. After fifteen years, your risk of heart disease or heart attack is the same as a person who never smoked a single cigarette.
So, what happens when you quit smoking? Some unpleasant things that you can manage, and some really wonderful things that will benefit you the rest of your (longer) life.
Just a motivator for you smokers:


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Jeff Jackson Destroys All Interviews
If you are a regular reader of this site, you are already aware of my affinity for the writing of Jeff Jackson. His books Mira Corpora and Novi Sad are a one-two punch of punk rock prose. Jeff's latest, Destroy All Monsters: The Last Rock Novel, has been praised by the likes of Don Delillo, Ben Marcus, and Dennis Cooper, so I figured, who needs my opinion? That gave me a good excuse to pursue an interview instead.
Jeff was kind enough to share his thoughts on topics varied as connecting with readers, punk rock, and his new two-sided novel.
This is both your most accessible and most experimental novel. Agree or disagree?
Strongly agree.
Is that something you ever worry about? Accessibility? Or at least reception?
I work hard to make sure my fiction connects with readers—at least those who are open to it. That's really important to me. Though I don't worry about accessibility in commercial terms. As for reception, I'd love a wide audience to embrace my books, but that's beyond my control. A critic once asked Harmony Korine who was the audience for his movie Trash Humpers. He said: "Everybody. It should be screened in every middle school across the country." I feel the same way about my work.
The intro says Side A and Side B can be read in any order. Do you have a preferred order? And how do you think the experiences differ?
Side A is the ideal starting point for most people because there's immediate plot and character development to hook you. I suspect it makes for a more emotional and visceral read. If you start with Side B, you should be one of those special people who seek out more challenging narrative structures and like stories that are initially a bit disorienting.
What led you to settle on this structure?
It came late in the game. After I finished what is now Side A, I thought the novel was done. But then I became haunted by the image of the book as a two-sided vinyl single. I couldn't shake that idea, so I sketched out ideas for a Side B and began to write it. I initially thought the two sides could be published separately, but I soon realized they needed to be under the same covers and together they made up the complete project.
DAM deals with a rash of public violence perpetrated by young people. Were current events on your mind as you wrote this?
Violence in this country is so pervasive and it's always on my mind, but I was never trying to write a sociological depiction of mass shootings—that's why the killers use a variety of weapons and don't have a uniform background. I started the novel pre-Sandy Hook when shootings weren't as rampant and the idea of murder in a music club still seemed surreal. It's been alarming how current events have caught up to the novel.
All three of your books in some way deal with identity, albeit ones that shift. Is this a search for self, or a rebellion against the status quo?
Probably both. It's also a rebellion against the idea — so common in American fiction — that there is such a thing as a fixed self.
You play in a band called Julian Calendar. Punk rock infuses your written work. The two mediums seem to be merging even more with this novel. Is that a conscious choice? An involuntary eventuality?
It was unintended and unexpected. After I finished DAM, my friend Jeremy Fisher asked if I would write lyrics for his music. The collaboration evolved into Julian Calendar, where I'm also the singer. I'm not a musician and had never been in a band before. Joining a band was an especially strange thing to do after writing this particular book. It would've made more sense to swear off music rather than start making it. Maybe I did it in defiance of what I had written. Only my subconscious knows for sure.
I read this novel took 10 years to write. Will we be seeing a follow-up any time soon?
My notes for this novel go back over 10 years, but it "only" took me five years to write it. I've already started a brand new novel, which is set in a slightly different world than DAM. Hopefully it won't take me so long to finish this next one, but I'm a slow writer. It's often a tricky thing to wrangle words in the right order.
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Wow! I was not aware of this novel. I think I have read many novels in my life and I have gained a lot of lessons from them as well. I am going to read this novel and reviews about essay samples at https://youressayreviews.com/gradesfixer-review/ website. It sounds interesting to me. I wish that I will find it the best novel of my life.


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A few weeks ago, we had Cole on Episode 25 of The Paleo View on our kids show and he talked a lot about his favorite things about being a paleo kid. One of the things he talked about was Caveman Cookies, a natural ingredient, simple, and paleo-friendly cookie that we personally enjoy a great deal.
Apparently, he was so enthusiastic about it that he endeared himself to the founder of the company herself, who sent us a box of the newest flavor, New World. Inspired by this really cool thing that made him feel like a rockstar, Cole decided he wanted to write about Caveman Cookies for the website (his first blog post!). The following was written by a seven year old and merely proofread by a thirty-two year old.
I got a new Caveman Cookie flavor in a package today. I really liked it! It was called New World, but you can't buy it yet because we got a preview. Sorry,but I will tell you the ingredients: maple syrup, honey, almond meal, pecan meal, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, spices. That's it! It's really good.
I bring these cookies to school for treats instead of eating the gluten cupcakes and cakes that my friends and teachers bring sometimes. Like today my teacher brought in Pixie Stix but I had a Caveman Cookie. I keep them on a shelf in the classroom because they last a long time. I like Tropical flavor the most because it reminds me of my favorite fruit, pineapple, even though there's no pineapple in it. It only has these ingredients: almond meal, honey, coconut, macadamia nuts, ginger. Now I also like New World as a favorite.
by: Cole and his parents
p.s. from his parents: Cole loves to read the comments you write on the blog and Facebook page – so please let him know what you think of his first blog post; maybe he'll write more!
We purchase our Caveman Cookies at Spencer's Market, a daily discount site for REAL food. Cole's favorite flavor is Tropical, but every flavor is awesome!


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New research indicates that people who eat a Mediterranean diet could live longer. Women who ate a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, unrefined grains, olive oil, fish, and regular but moderate amounts of wine had longer telomeres, a biomarker of aging.
The study, published December 2 in The BMJ, was the first of its kind to find an association between telomere length and greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet. The team of researchers found that healthy eating, in general, was also associated with having longer telomeres, but the strongest association was observed among the women who adhered to a Mediterranean diet more strictly.
Past research has also ruled in favor of the Mediterranean diet, including indicating that it might reduce one's risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
More From Runner's World
Researchers found that the difference between those who followed a Mediterranean diet versus those who did not was similar to comparing non-smokers to smokers, or highly active people to relatively sedentary ones. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet, not smoking, and being highly active are all factors that appear to slow biological aging, as measured by telomere length.
Telomeres are DNA sequences that get shorter each time a cell divides. Shorter telomeres are associated with a decreased life expectancy and higher incidence of age-related chronic diseases. Eating a Mediterranean diet does not lengthen telomeres, but it prevents them from shrinking faster than they should.
The researchers analyzed data from 4,676 disease-free women who are participating or have participated in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study. Researchers had access to information about participants' leukocyte telomere length and dietary intake, as reported via a questionnaire.
When researchers analyzed intake of each individual food that makes up the Mediterranean diet, they found that no single part of the diet was associated with longer telomere length. It was all of the items in combination that appeared to make the difference.
In addition to being characterized by a high intake of the foods listed above, the Mediterranean diet also involves a low intake of dairy products, meat, and poultry.
Mediterranean Diet Significantly Reduces Risk For Heart Disease


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What is auditing?
Auditing is a crucial aspect of an effective management system. Undertaking consistent and effective audits can provide confirmation of the effectiveness, conformance, compliance, and continual improvement of the management system.
Organisations can choose to conduct auditing activities using internal resources, however, this has the potential to adversely affect operations due to internal politics, conflict of interest, cost and time of training, lack of experience, objectivity and internal resourcing constraints.
Streamline can perform the following Internal Auditing Services for your business:
Gap Analysis Audits
Do you have a management system in place that was or needs to be certified, and would like to determine if it meets the requirements of a standard? Maybe your management system is scheduled for an external audit by your certifying body or your customer.
Internal Auditing
Outsourcing your internal auditing provides independence, objectivity and eliminates the requirement for employee training and diversion from normal job activities – both which cost time and money. Our Certified Auditors provide experience, professionalism, and the high level of diplomacy required to facilitate effective internal audits.
Certification Body Auditing
Always go with a JAS-ANZ Accredited Certification Body – get educated on the pitfalls of unaccredited certificates.
Contact Us Today
If you would like more information then please use the form to the right and one of our ISO Consultants will contact you within one business day. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact us directly by emailing [email protected] or by calling:
- Brisbane ISO Consultants 07 3667 8280
- Sydney ISO Consultants 02 8315 7780
- Melbourne ISO Consultants 03 9034 3990
We look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you may have.
External Link: More information on Internal Auditing


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Despite recent historic flooding in the UK, the British government's March 19 budget confirmed that it is all but abandoning efforts to combat climate change. The writing was on the wall with the appointment of Owen Paterson as environment secretary in 2012.
Owen Paterson
UK Conservatives sent a powerful message when Owen William Paterson was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2012. Despite his moderate climate change voting record, he is a climate change skeptic, who is resistant to the science. He ignored David MacKay's offer of a briefing on climate change science.
Paterson stated on BBC Radio 4's "Any Questions?" in June 2013 that "the temperature has not changed in the last 17 years …". In addition to his resistance to climate science, Paterson is known as a strong supporter of fracking and GMOs.
Paterson is not climate friendly. Overall there has been a 41 percent redution for domestic climate change initiatives. As Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute, put it: 'These shocking figures should worry everyone in the UK. Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] is the lead government department for climate change adaptation and is primarily responsible for making the UK resilient to the impacts of global warming, such as increased flood risk.'
UK Budget
The reversal of the UK's ruling conservatives from champions of efforts to combat climate change to deniers is personified by Chancellor George Osborne. He once promised that his Treasury would be "at the heart of this historic fight against climate change", now he gives billions in tax concessions to the oil and gas industry, cuts the funds for onshore wind farms and strips the Green Investment Bank of the ability to borrow and lend.
On March 19, Osborne delivered the UK's 2014 budget which sidelined the government's energy and climate policies. His budget favors short term economic gain over long term benefits provided by curbing the emissions of manufacturers.
He froze the UK's top up carbon tax at £18 per tonne of carbon dioxide until the end of the decade. This may very well represent a lease on life for some old coal plants. Rather than make energy intensive industries pay the costs of two policies designed to support renewable energy generation Osborne provided the UK's dirtiest companies an additional compensation package worth £3 billion (this package is in addition to existing packages which amount to a total of £7 billion).
Mr Osborne has made himself clear with the comment that he wanted to squeeze "every drop of oil we
can" from the North Sea.
There was no mention of low carbon infrastructure projects like those in renewable energy. This comes on the heals of the cancellation of a number of high profile renewable energy projects in recent months. While Osborne did mention the continued development of renewable energy, he did so alongside expanded shale gas development.
Osborne does not appear to be listening to David Cameron who said climate change is "one of the most serious threats that this country and
this world faces." The Prime Minister told
parliament that he "very much suspected" the floods were due to climate
change, and that the UK could expect more of the same in coming years.
Rather than addressing the problem of climate change through mitigation strategies,
Osborne is spending £140 million on adaptation in the form of flood repairs and maintaining
existing flood defenses.
The new budget sends a message to voters and the rest of the world that the government of the UK has disengaged from its efforts to combat climate change. Instead of the greenest government ever in the UK we are
seeing the same kind of myopic policy positions that created the climate
crisis in the first place. While the current Conservative government in the UK warrants criticism, they are preparing for the next election cycle by pandering to the popular will.
British citizens, like so many others around the world still do not understand that focusing only on short term economic benefits imperils their own well being and condemns future generations.
Related Posts
UK Wind Energy
Mandatory Emissions Reporting on the UK Stock Exchange
UK Government Investments in Efficiency
British Government to Lead the Low Carbon Economy
Global Green New Deal
Market Forces and the UK's Green Deal
Corporate Sustainability is Driving Green Businesses in the UK
UK Scientists Urge Government Action


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Leonardo DiCaprio has always been a philanthropic celebrity, and now he's teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund for a brand new campaign. Together, the WWF and Leo will try to save tigers, who are on the brink of extinction. With as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild, WWF and DiCaprio today kicked off Save Tigers Now. The campaign begins with an expedition to remote tiger habitats in Asia to document the wild tigers first hand and learn what needs to be done to save them from extinction. Tiger populations are shrinking fast as the species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal poaching; their skins, bones and other body parts are used in many cultures as medicines, talismans, status symbols and clothing. More than 90 percent of historic tiger habitat no longer has tigers. Three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild for 25 years. But tigers can thrive if they have strong protection
Get Free Information on Fashion, Beauty, Relationships,Love Astrology Career and Interior Designing! Want to make it big? Astrology can help you without putting a hole in your pocket!


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Thursday, September 15, 2005
Black Humor and Sleep Deprivation
So. One of the symptoms is going off into that glazed-eye stare and fantasizing about COMPLETELY inappropriate ways to deal with rude teenagers (not in class, but say oh .... lunch line cutters / liars / hall wanderers / litterbugs ...) and all the while in my fantasy having an evil grin on my face. mwa ha ha ha, take that, you inappropriate child!
Someone needs some sleep.
Okay, you also know you've taught in high school for too long, when practically any innocent thing you say has some sexual connotation (sp?). While I'm in class and trying to get kids not to yell out answers .... so everyone has a chance to think and respond, and I can get a better sense of how many and who knows what .... we were doing something with graphs, and they had to name which OTHER quadrant that sine was positive in. So I was having them hold fingers up close to their chests signifying 2, 3, or 4. I said, "okay, put your fingers on your chest" ... pause .... tee hee hee hee "okay, don't finger your chest, but put your fingers NEAR your chest to ...." . Oh my.
1 comment:
Galley Wench: Profile: You, me hearty, are an activist! You will not only change the world, you will make a dyed-in-the-wool Pirate dream of you in a sheep costume. You are the embodiment of the love that dare not hoist its sail! Ahoy thar! You could make a two-patch Pirate turn his head - but then he or she would lose sleep over it and what good would that do anyone? An innovator, you are WAY ahead of your time - and everyone else's. You are sensitive and artsy-fartsy. You say things like, "artsy-fartsy" but there is always a slight giggle in your voice when you say it - like Paul Lynde or Ellen DeGeneress delivering a staggering punch line on Hollywood Squares. Speaking of "punching" the only "punching" you need to worry about is punching up that outfit with some accessories - say, a little bandana and some glass beads. You're not the Pirate we want in a fight, but we want you there for the crying game that follows! You go, girl.ReplyDelete


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Engagement Party
Engagement Party Tips
You said yes. Now what do you do? Announce your engagement with a party, of course! The engagement party is your premiere as a soon-to-be-wed couple, so use your DIY skills to make it all about the two of you.
With a modern engagement party, anyone from your best friend to your partner's family can be in charge. No matter who the host is, first things first: Decide on a guest list. Then send out your engagement party invitations ASAP. If you have a far-flung set of friends and family, you could throw a series of smaller events in more than one city. When it comes to parties, more is more!
Next, stock up on engagement party supplies. Your engagement party decorations should fit the venue. For an engagement party at home, consider foil heart balloons, tissue paper fans, tissue paper lanterns and a "Love" banner. A backyard bash calls for rustic engagement party ideas such as wood plaques or clay pots painted with the happy couple's initials.
If you decide to throw your engagement party at a restaurant, country club or bar, personalize the table decorations with flowers, candles or tulle. These sorts of DIY elements dress up a room without taking too much decorating time.
Regardless of the venue, it's always a good idea to gift your guests with fun little favors.Engagement party favors can include picture frames, scented soaps or mini mason jars filled with candy. Just don't upstage the wedding favors!
One final tip: Sign up for Wedding Rewards to get exclusive savings on DIY supplies for your engagement party!


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The recent rioting in the Arab World has raised controversy and difficulties over how to balance respect and tolerance of others with the right to free speech. Are people free to criticize, even if this will cause offence? Should we ban offensive comments in order to keep the peace? Or is that rewarding violence? Should people be free to incite hatred? Even if it leads to deaths? Does the right to free speech include the right to insult?
It's hard to believe that the controversy was caused by such a worthless piece of crap. The trailer for a movie called The Innocence Of Muslims (apparently this was deliberately misleading so as to trick Muslims into watching the film). It's not entirely clear who made the film bit it seems to be a person convicted of fraud funded by a hate group. It's completely dreadful. It's the standard of a school play. The acting is painful, being mainly composed of people shouting lines in a monotone. The costumes look like they were looking through an attic and wore whatever they found, while the set is non-existent. So how did it provoke so much anger and violence?
Let me just say that I know hardly any Muslims are deeply offended by this or rioting, just as not every Irish person is in the IRA. Let me be clear that I am referring to the handful of extremists who give the rest of us a bad name. A couple hundred fanatics don't represent one billion people. There is also a cultural divide. Most protests have been in repressive countries where the state strongly controls society and the media. The rulers can easily ban anything they disagree with. The protesters don't realise the different culture in the West where state and society are separated. In those countries there is less individualism and more collective responsibility for actions.
The real question is should it have been allowed. YouTube has blocked the video in several countries and a host of spokespeople have condemned it for being deliberately provocative (a fair point). Some say it should have been banned. However this would be a grave mistake. Free speech is an essential part of a democracy and we must be free to criticize everything and anything. Nothing can be above criticism. Refusal to accept criticism is a sign of weakness and insecurity. It implies that what is criticized is fragile and will collapse under the slightest criticism. If instead the fanatics challenged people to criticize Islam that would show that they are confident their beliefs are true and will stand up to rigorous testing. Refusal to criticise means society is an acceptance of mediocrity. It is only through criticism that we can improve things by removing the bad and valuing the good. A society that does not criticise is a stagnant society.
Imagine I released a similar video but instead of mocking Muhammad, I instead mocked Mitt Romney. Should that video be banned? After all it would offend most Republicans. What if they responded by burning my house down? Would I have deserved it? Should I be criticized or should the violent thugs? What's the difference between criticizing politics and criticizing religion? They should be treated the same.
If we censor this not only are we rewarding violence but where do we draw the line? Will we ban everything that's offensive? The popular Irish satirical comedy show The Savage Eye has a running joke where it blames the Catholic Church for all of Ireland's problems (see below for a compilation of some of its skits, they're hilarious). It also describes priests as child abusers (physically and sexually). Should we ban it? What if some Catholic extremists started burning embassies, then would we ban it? What about the Life Of Brian which subtly parodies Jesus? It actually was banned in Ireland upon release in 1979 (that's what happens when you give the Church too much power). Should we criticize Monty Python for being provocative or should grow up and accept that an important quality is the ability to laugh at yourself?
Let's be clear. It's a terrible movie that extremists on both sides are exploiting for their own purpose. But an essential part of liberty is the freedom to express yourself no matter how stupid or insulting it is. If we censor this dreadful movie then we lose a part of our freedom and reward the violent fanatics.


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After last week's equity sell-off, it's difficult to predict whether the move was a small blip within an ongoing powerful rally, or a significant trend reversal. With that uncertainty, there is consensus building that the next few weeks won't produce a straight line rally such as what we've been seeing since June.
Strategists at JPMorgan have said they expect the market to recover gradually, but there are still uncertainties looming around the upcoming presidential election on November 3, which will impact fundamentals over the next few months.
"The significant reduction in previously extreme long positions in by momentum traders should allow the equity market to recover over the coming weeks, as happened after the June 11th correction," according to the JPMorgan note, carried by Reuters.
"But a repeat of the strong gains seen during July and August is less likely over the next two months."
With that in the backdrop, here are three tech stocks which will be on our radar during the upcoming, holiday-shortened, trading week:
1. Tesla
Tesla (NASDAQ:) shares were under pressure in after-hours trading on Friday, hurt by the news, released after the close, that the had decided the electric carmaker in the index—a highly anticipated move that played a role in the stock's 400% rally this year.
Founder and CEO Elon Musk's electric-vehicle manufacturer was widely expected to be added to the prestigious benchmark after it posted a fourth consecutive in July, one of the key performance criteria considered by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees the gauge.
Instead, online retailer Etsy (NASDAQ:), semiconductor equipment manufacturer Teradyne (NASDAQ:) and medical technology firm Catalent (NYSE:) were added.
Tesla's stock tumbled as much as 8% in post market trading Friday evening, indicating that the carmaker will have another turbulent week ahead after suffering losses in the previous one. Shares closed at $418.32 on Friday.
2. Etsy
While Tesla shares are likely to tumble after the Labor Day holiday as well, Etsy (NASDAQ:), the online marketplace for handcrafted and vintage goods, could be in demand now that it's been included in the S&P 500.
Etsy's sales to $5 billion last year from just $1 million when the platform was launched in 2005. RBC Capital Markets says the company's "sustainably healthy growth and profitability levels," makes its stock worth owning.
The company has gone through a massive evolution as it transitioned from a private business to a publicly traded behemoth with a nearly $15 billion market cap. There are about 65 million items for sale on Etsy at any given time. Shares of the Brooklyn, New York-based company's stock are up 153% this year. They closed on Friday at $112.04 after falling more than 3%.
3. Peloton
Peloton Interactive (NASDAQ:) plans introduce a cheaper treadmill and a new high-end stationary bicycle, while slashing the price of its existing bike to boost demand. Bloomberg reported that the new treadmill, called Tread, will cost less than $3,000, compared with $4,295 for the current model.
Tread will also be smaller and have a cheaper belt design, similar to most other treadmills on the market compared with the current model's slat design, according to the report which cited people familiar with the matter.
Peloton stock has more than tripled this year as the company's exercise equipment benefited from the stay-at-home environment and gym closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its stock closed on Friday at $80.63, after falling more than 2%. Shares could reach $105 by December 2021, according to JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth, who raised his sales and earnings estimates last week.


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Mellon Asset Management Saves With CRM
By Tim Clark, Wall Street & Technology
Mellon Asset Management has achieved significant financial savings estimated by Mellon to be worth $944,000 in infrastructure and software, and $377,000 in support in just two months following its implementation of the Pivotal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution.The Pivotal CRM solution allows Mellon to consolidate its CRM infrastructure, software and support across its 12 asset management subsidiaries, including Standish Mellon Asset Management, Franklin Portfolio Associates and The Boston Company Asset Management. The subsidiaries will be able to manage customers' investments more profitably, provide enhanced levels of service and enable the organizations to make more-informed business decisions. Stephen Johns, head of eBusiness, Mellon Asset Management, commented in the press release: "It was important that our chosen CRM application would support our business and add value in meeting the needs of our asset management groups. We needed a system that would allow us to manage individual clients on an everyday level and also provide a single view of sales opportunities across the entire business." Implemented in February 2006, the Pivotal CRM system currently is being used by more than 250 people. As a result of the success thus far, Mellon is in discussions regarding a further rollout to its global sales/marketing groups and investment subsidiaries later this year. Mellon is also planning expansion to include Mellon Global Investments, the international distribution subsidiary of Mellon Financial Corp.


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Great archers live throughout the world and compete in archery's many exciting disciplines. Whether you're an archery neophyte or experienced pro, it's exhilarating and educational to watch the sport's greats compete. By studying archery's greatest shooters, you can learn good form and different tournament formats.
Tune in competitive-archery media channels like World Archery, BowJunky Media and arcHER to watch these 10 archers in 2017.
Sara Lopez
Though just 21, Sara Lopez has cemented her position as target archery's most dominant female compound shooter. She has been ranked No. 1 in the world longer than anyone in the World Cup era. In 2016 she won seven World Cup medals, six of them gold. At the World Archery Championships in 2015, Lopez shot the highest ranking-round score by a man or woman. In fact, she does all this while attending medical school back home in Colombia. Archery fans expect greatness in 2017, and eagerly await Lopez's next feat. Watch for her in the World Archery World Cup and World Archery Championships in Mexico City, Oct. 15-22.
Brady Ellison
Brady Ellison is more than just Leonardo DiCaprio's doppelganger. In 2016 Ellison competed in his third Olympic Games, and won two medals for the United States. To start 2017's archery season, Ellison broke the indoor world record with a 598 out of 600. He then broke that record with a 599 out of 600. Ellison also posted a perfect 600, shot during practice, on his social media, so he might just break his world record a third time. Ellison is looking for a win this year at the World Archery Championships.
Nathan Brooks
Nathan Brooks is a professional 3-D archer who ended 2016 in incredible fashion. He won both major 3-D circuit championships, the ASA Classic championship and the IBO World championship. Let's see if Brooks continues his championship success in 2017.
Cara Kelly
Cara Kelly is a professional 3-D archer and bowhunter. She started competing at age 5, and has racked up 14 world championships. She finished second in 2016 in the ASA Shooter of the Year standings, and second at the IBO World Championships. She will hit the ASA and IBO tournament trails in 2017, looking to win her 15th world championship title.
Crystal Gauvin
Crystal Gauvin is ranked No. 2 in the world for compound archery, but switched to Olympic recurve at the end of 2016. Converting from compound to recurve isn't easy, even for accomplished archers. Gauvin continues making great strides in her shooting, and documented her transition from compound to recurve on social media and her blog.
Mackenzie Brown
Mackenzie Brown represented the United States in 2016 during her first Olympic Games. She is No. 16 in the World Archery rankings, and No. 1 in the country. The Texas native will compete in the World Archery World Cup circuit and at USA Archery events in 2017.
John Demmer III
John Demmer is a barebow archer known for fashion (evidence above) and winning. In 2016 he broke the USA Archery indoor record to add to his collection of national records, and helped his USA teammates win the Field Archery World Championship. He started 2017 with big wins at two important indoor tournaments, the Lancaster Classic and the Vegas Shoot. Demmer will compete this year in indoor tournaments, 3-D archery, target archery and field archery.
Stephan Hansen
Stephan Hansen is one of the best young shooters in compound target archery. He won the 2015 World Championships in his home country, Denmark. Since then he has reached the podium regularly on the World Cup circuit. He started 2017 with a victory at the Indoor World Cup Stage 2 in Nimes, France. Hansen finished second in the Men's Championship Open Division at The Vegas Shoot and World Archery World Cup circuit and at the World Archery Championships.
Kim Woo-Jin
Kim Woo-Jin proclaimed he would beat fellow South Korean Im Dong-Hyun's ranking-round world record at the 2016 Olympics. The ranking round is a preliminary 72-arrow competition that seeds the archers for match play. Woo-Jin made good on his boast, beating the 72-arrow ranking-round record with an unbelievable score of 700 points. The World Archery Championships are held every two years. The last World Archery Championships took place in 2015, which Woo-Jin won. Therefore, he will try to add to his trophy case with another World Archery Championship medal this year.
Obviously, a big year awaits, with 2017 featuring World Cup events, a World Archery Championship, 3-D Archery World Championships, and plenty of national events where fans can watch their favorite archers. Stay tuned to USA Archery, World Archery, BowJunky, arcHER and social media for archery tournament coverage.
Want to shoot like a pro? Visit an archery shop to gear up. Find your local archery shop here.


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Public transit ridership indicates that Americans may make greener lifestyle choices even when not prodded by financial forces.
The Washington Postreports that American commuters continued to flood buses and trains "in record numbers in the third quarter of this year," despite sharp declines in gas prices. Which kind of puts a wrench in the seemingly obvious cause and effect relationship between increased ridership and high gas prices.
Riders may just have become accustomed to using public transportation after prices at the pump forced them onto the bus. Whatever the case, their continued willingness to opt out of driving, at least some of the time, is welcome news for transit advocates, particularly when coupled with president-elect Obama's recent commitment to fund infrastructure developments, including transit.
But the picture's not all sunny for public transit. As the Post points out, "Despite ridership demand, severe budget deficits and declining sales and property tax revenues have already forced many transit agencies to raise fares and cut service."
(Thanks, Yale Environment 360.)
Image by btorzyn, licensed under Creative Commons.


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Walking your dog just got a whole lot easier w/a new app
Posted: Aug 15, 2017 8:22 AM CDT
Your "to do" list might get a little shorter these days thanks to a free app called "Wag!" It's a new on-demand dog service allowing dog parents to order a bonded and insured walker. In some cases, they can be at your home within a half hour. Walks can be scheduled or set up immediately. And in a world of convenience, this concept fits well into our busy lives.
Both 30 and 60-minute walks are offered. The cost starts at $20. App users can also watch the walk's progress in real time. You also get a report card on how your dog did. There are boarding services too.


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Frankfurt – Classic Jet Airliners 1960s – 1980s
See the classic airliners of the 1960s and 1970s again – here on our History Pages. Please click at the photos and step into the past. See the Boeing 707, DC-8 or VC-10 and other airliners again!
Photos provided by Dietrich Eggert and Ralf Drews – all photos are copyright protected and may not used without permission by the owners.


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Virality. It's a topic of mystery and longing. All brands long to go viral, but for most brands, going about creating viral content is a mystery. There is no secret recipe for the perfect viral video, and yet there are videos that receive millions of views every year. What's the secret?
Unfortunately, virality is more of an art than a science. While there is no tried-and-true formula for virality, there are some elements that we consistently see -- and knowing what they are puts you one step closer to attaining that viral glory.
So let's take a look at some of the research that's been done on viral videos and identify some of the commonalities that can make them internet-famous.
The Science of ViralityThough there have been many analyses on why content goes viral, we're going to dive into two key sources: a study by Elon University and a book by Jonah Berger, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Wharton, called Contagious: Why Things Catch On.
1) Elon University Study
Elon University conducted a study on the factors that make content go viral. They evaluated 20 of the most viral videos on the web, as determined by Time Magazine, and recorded their various characteristics. The goal was to identify certain factors that may have contributed to the video's virality.
The sample videos in this study included:
- "Charlie Bit My Finger," a video in which an English boy gets his finger bitten by his younger brother.
- "Evolution of Dance," a video in which a man shows the evolution of music and dance through choreography.
- "David After Dentist," a video in which a young boy experiences side effects to anesthesia from a dentist visit.
- "Here It Goes Again," a music video in which band members perform on treadmills in one continuous take.
- "Rick Roll," an Internet meme where a person provides a seemingly relevant hyperlink that actually links to Rick Astley's music video for his song, "Never Gonna Give You Up".
- "Leave Brittany Alone," a video in which a man tearfully defends Britney Spears.
- "Don't Tase Me, Bro," a video in which a University of Florida student is tasered by security personnel after being forcibly removed from a session with U.S. Senator John Kerry.
- "Keyboard Cat," a video in which a cat plays the keyboard.
- "Dramatic Chipmunk," a video in which dramatic music is played and a chipmunk turns his head to look at the camera.
- "Hitler's Downfall," a video that depicts a scene from the movie Downfall where Hitler is very outwardly angry about the war, and replaces the captions to suggest that Hitler is angry about the iPad.
- "Flea Market Montgomery," a musical video advertising for a flea market.
- "United Breaks Guitars," a musical video that narrates a man's negative experience with United Airlines breaking his guitar.
- "Kittens, Inspired by Kittens," a video in which a young girl narrates a book about kittens.
- "Potter Puppet Pals," a musical video in which Harry Potter character puppets perform a puppet show.
- "Jill and Kevin's Big Day," a video of a wedding in which the bridal party dances down the aisle to Chris Brown's song.
- "Sneezing Panda," a video in which an infant panda loudly sneezes.
- "Otters Holding Hands," a video in which two floating otters hold hands.
- "Literal Music Videos," a video in which the lyrics to popular songs are rewritten to reflect exactly what happens in the music video.
- "OMG, Shoes," a musical video in which a man dressed as a blonde woman sings about being obsessed with shoes.
- "Baby Laughing," a video in which a baby boy laughs hysterically at the noises his father makes.
8 Common Characteristics of Viral Videos
Upon analyzing these videos, a few factors were determined to be the most prevalent (and therefore most important for creating a viral video):
- Title length: 75% of the videos had short titles (3 words or less), with the average title length being 2.76 words.
- Run-time: 60% of the videos had short run-times (3 minutes or less), with an average run-time of 2 minutes and 47 seconds.
- Element of laughter: 30% of the videos featured the element of laughter (defined as seeing or hearing someone laughing within the first 30 seconds of the video).
- Element of surprise: 50% of the videos exhibited the element of surprise (defined as seeing or hearing an expression of surprise, such as a scream or gasp).
- Element of irony: 90% of the videos featured an element of irony (defined as an element contrary to what was expected). The majority of ironic elements in the videos displayed the breaking of social norms.
- Musical quality: 60% of the videos displayed a musical element (defined as singing, background music, or popular song references).
- Youth: 35% of the videos featured children seemingly under the age of 18. 20% of them displayed children seemingly under the age of 10.
- Talent: 30% of the videos were composed of songs, dances, or performances that required practice and talent.
2) Jonah Berger, Author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Jonah Berger, New York Times bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, was also interested in what makes content go viral. Based on his years of experience in the marketing industry, Berger believes that word of mouth is more effective and more important than conventional advertising because, "we don't listen to ads, we listen to our social ties."
And word of mouth largely depends on motivation. You need to create video content that appeals to people enough for them to want to share it with their networks. In Contagious, Berger identifies six key principles (or STEPPS) that motivate people to share content:
- Social currency: People share things that make them look good to others.
- Triggers: The stimuli that prompt people to think about your product or campaign.
- Emotion: People are more likely to share things that are emotionally arousing (with positive emotions being more viral than negative ones).
- Public: People are more likely to participate if their participation can be readily made public (such as "I Voted" stickers and wrist bands for causes).
- Practical value: People are more likely to share practical pieces of information, so they can help their friends and families.
- Stories: People are programmed to recognize, respond to and share compelling stories.
Like I mentioned in the introduction, even with all of this data around viral videos, there's no set formula -- that's where the art comes in. Read on to learn how to use this data in the every-day.
The Art of Viral Videos: Applying Data to Real-Life Scenarios
Based on the findings of both studies, it would seem that the ideal viral video contains some combination of the following characteristics:
- Has a short title (3 words or less) and a short run-time (3 minutes or less)
- Is told in pre-rehearsed story format
- Is emotionally arousing
- Makes you laugh
- Involves elements of irony and/or surprise
- Allows participation to be made public
- Is practically useful
- Features young children
Great. Now all you have to do is translate this list to craft a unique, viral message that represents your specific brand. Easy, right?
Not quite.
Some of these items (like a short title and run-time) are self-explanatory. But others (like story format, elements of irony and surprise, public indicators of participation, and practical use) may not be as evident, so here are some tips for addressing these more complex factors.
Tell a Story
Since the beginning of language, humans have been programmed to consume stories. In fact, stories activate chemicals in our minds that provide sensory experiences and influence our way of thinking. Because of these chemicals and responses, people are naturally attracted to content that's in conventional story format.
Lucky for you, this is easy to do, because you are human and your brain is already programmed to share stories! Just make sure you have the traditional elements of a narrative (beginning, character, conflict, climax, and resolution) present in your video, and your viewers will identify it as a story.
You could also experiment with using well-known tropes in your video as well -- for example, a mother constantly cleaning her kitchen becomes Cinderella, or a young boy tells a lie and his nose grows like Pinnochio.
For example, Oreo's "Wonder if I Gave an Oreo" video is a cartoon ad that imagines giving an Oreo to common story characters like the Big Bad Wolf and a vampire. The ad narrates how giving an Oreo to these characters would alter their stories, making them friendlier and giving the stories a happier ending. This kind of video is a cute, funny way of incorporating that theme while still focusing on the brand.
Be Ironic
As the Elon University study found, irony is the most common factor among viral videos at an astounding 90% of surveyed videos. That makes it a pretty high priority when crafting your viral message.
How do you incorporate irony? You do what the majority of the sample videos did -- you demonstrate the breaking of social norms.
Think: Are there any social norms associated with your brand or product? Is there any way that you can break one of those relevant norms in an ironic yet on-brand way?
Let's take a look at an example. Marvel published a brilliantly ironic video for the release of Thor in 2011. Called "Little Thor," the video is a parody of the adorable Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial that starred a little boy dressed as Darth Vader trying to harness the power of the force. In "Little Thor," a girl dressed as Thor is going around the house, trying to use Thor's hammer to wield great power on the dog (appropriately named Loki), a doll, and her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
As we watch this, it's practically identical to the Volkswagen commercial, and we assume that it's probably another video in the same series. In the end, the father comes home, and she runs outside for one last attempt with her hammer. We assume that her father will sound the car's alarm, just as the father did in the VW Super Bowl commercial, but instead -- the car explodes! We then realize that this commercial is not for Volkswagen, but for the upcoming Thor movie.
This video is ironic on multiple levels. First, it's an ironic parody of a popular ad. Second, the child dressed as Thor is a girl, which goes against gender stereotypes (and breaks a social norm). Third, the car explodes, which is ironic since the video is a spoof of a car commercial.
An ironic video like that is a humorous way to introduce people to your brand personality.
Surprise the Audience
Half of the viral videos contained an element of surprise.
Why do people like to be surprised? In a world where we view thousands of ads a day, people are tired of seeing the same things over and over. A surprise is a nice, refreshing change of pace to all that monotonous content.
So how do you incorporate elements of surprise while still making your video relevant to your company?
Your company should be the surprise.
To be more specific, the benefits that your company provides should be the (pleasant, funny, positive, etc.) surprise element to your video.
Let's say that you sell inserts for shoes to make them more comfortable. You could show a video of a woman, strenuously climbing a desert mountain in the sun amidst various obstacles. We're rooting for her to get to the top, and when she does -- the camera looks down to her feet, and we're surprised to see that she's been wearing high heels this whole time.
Thanks to your cushy inserts, she was able to climb a mountain in notoriously uncomfortable footwear.
A video like that is a fun, surprising, and memorable way to casually share your product benefits online.
Or perhaps, you can exaggerate them. Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" video campaign is an excellent example of using a surprise element to exaggerate the benefits of their body wash in a fun, ironic way.
The ad features a towel-clad actor in a bathroom with the shower running behind him. He says that, while your man is unfortunately not him, your man could smell like him with Old Space body wash. Then suddenly, the shower backdrop is pulled right out from behind him to reveal that he is on a boat! He's holding a clam in his hand with tickets to "your favorite thing" in them. Look again, and the clam has transformed into flowing diamonds! A bottle of Old Spice rises up from within the diamonds, while the camera pans down to reveal that the actor is now on a horse. With the constantly changing wardrobe, props and backdrop, viewers are constantly surprised and excited to see just what "the man your man could smell like" will do next.
While not every brand has the budget to do a video like Old Spice, think about how you can surprise your audience in both small and big ways -- it could help your video get shared.
Encourage Sharing
Berger said that people are more likely to participate if they can publicly indicate their participation. Why? Because people like to show off and feel like they're in the know.
It's easy to do for people who interact with you in person -- a branded t-shirt, bumper sticker, or pen will do the job just fine. But it's harder to provide public indicators of participation for people who interact with you online.
Correction: it was harder to provide them before social media came around.
Nowadays, social sharing buttons are on practically every form of online content there is: YouTube videos, website articles, audio clips, etc. This is to allow people to share the content they enjoy with their friends, who can then share it with their friends, etc.
By incorporating social sharing buttons on your videos and wherever you end up hosting them, you meet your audience's need to share their experience with others.
Think Practicality
The two things we all have in common is that we all have problems, and we're all looking for solutions to fix them.
From self-diagnosing an illness to looking up recipes for a last-minute potluck dinner, people search for informational content all the time. Chances are, your customers are looking for information regarding your field or industry as well. And it's in your best interest to provide it for them.
By creating a practical, useful video, you accomplish a few very important things:
- You provide information to people who prefer to seek it on their own.
- You can encourage those people to then share that information with their networks (accommodating those who seek advice from their friends).
- You establish yourself as a helpful tool and source of information, increasing trust (and hopefully loyalty).
- If you have strategically placed calls-to-action in your video, you could hopefully convert viewers to the next stage of the buying journey.
Is there any way that your video can provide practical information that your customers might be looking for? A good first step is to identify a problem your customers are having, and then provide information as to how they can fix it.
Maybe you sell makeup, and you have a lot of customers who aren't sure how and when to apply it -- you could create a how-to video for tips and tricks to apply makeup. Or maybe your company provides eye exams, but a lot of first-time children are scared of the visit -- you could film a tour of your office, with a step-by-step explanation of the eye exam for mothers to show their children.
By providing this useful information, you help people associate you with solutions -- which'll come in handy when they want to buy something down the road.
Take Pillsbury's video for "Crescent Mummy Dogs," for example. It's an instructional video that shows how you can make a fun, playful dish for your children at Halloween. Parents might be searching for a recipe like this for their child's school party, and Pillsbury has provided not only the recipe, but also a how-to video to accompany it. This way, they make completing this recipe as easy as possible, so parents who try it love it and will be more likely to share it with their friends -- and heck, maybe even buy Pillsbury dough to make the recipe.
In Conclusion
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for the perfect viral video, but there is a general guideline. By understanding the elements that make content successful, you can predict (and even create) the content that will become popular in the future. This information is crucial for successful viral marketing campaigns, as it will allow you to strategically create videos that are more likely to be widely distributed online.
Originally published Jun 17, 2014 8:00:00 AM, updated February 01 2017
Topics:Video Marketing


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The use of artificial intelligence and, in particular, machine learning is becoming increasingly popular in research. These systems excel at high-speed data analysis, interpretation, and laborious research tasks, such as image assessment.
One of the areas in which machine learning has been enjoying success is image recognition. Now, researchers have begun to use machine learning to analyze brain tumors.
Training a machine to recognize tumors
Primary brain tumors include a broad range that depends on cell type, aggressiveness, and development stage. Being able to rapidly identify and characterize the tumor is vital for creating a treatment plan. Normally, this is a job for radiologists who work with the surgical team; however, in the near future, machine learning will play an increasing role.
George Biros, professor of mechanical engineering and leader of the ICES Parallel Algorithms for Data Analysis and Simulation Group at The University of Texas at Austin, has spent almost a decade developing accurate computer algorithms that can characterize gliomas. Gliomas are the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor.
At the 20th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2017), Professor Biros and collaborators presented the results of a new, automated method of characterizing gliomas. The system combines biophysical models of tumor growth with machine learning algorithms to analyze the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging data of glioma patients. The system is powered by the supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).
The research team put their new system to the test at the Multimodal Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge 2017 (BRaTS'17), which is a yearly competition at which research groups present new approaches and results for computer-assisted identification and classification of brain tumors using data from pre-operative MR scans. The new system impressively managed to score in the top 25% in the challenge and was near the top rankings for whole-tumor segmentation.
The goal of the contest is to be able to take an image of the brain and have the computer analyze it and automatically identify different kinds of abnormal tissue, including edema, necrotic tissue, and areas with aggressive tumors. This is a little like if you took pictures of your family and used facial recognition to identify each person, only here the images are brain scans, and it is tissue recognition that must be done automatically by the computer.
The team were given 300 sets of brain images to calibrate their systems with; this is known as "training" in machine learning terms and is how the machine is taught to identify features.
During the last part of the contest, the researchers were given 140 new brain images from patients and had to identify the location of tumors and divide them into different tissue types. They were given just two days to do this; for humans, doing the job would be a monumental amount of work.
The image processing, analysis and prediction pipeline they used has two main stages: a machine learning stage assisted by humans, in which the computer creates a probability map for the target classes it needs to identify, such as whole tumor and edema, and a second stage in which these probabilities are combined with a biophysical model which represents how tumors grow; this serves to impose limits on analyses and aids correlation.
Using supercomputers to characterize brain tumors
The system used the supercomputers of TACC, so they could use employ large-scale nearest neighbor classifiers, a machine learning method. For every voxel, or 3D pixel in an MR image of the brain, the system tries to locate all similar voxels in the 300 brains it had previously seen during training to determine if an area of an image is a tumor or not.
This translates to 1.5 million voxels per brain image, and with 300 brain images to assess, the computer system had to look at half a billion voxels for every new voxel of the 140 unknown brains it had been given in order to determine if a voxel was a tumor or healthy tissue. This was possible thanks to the use of the TACC supercomputers and represents a huge amount of computing power.
Each individual stage in the analysis pipeline utilized different TACC computing systems; the nearest neighbor machine learning classification component used 60 nodes at once (each consisting of 68 processors) on TACCs latest supercomputer Stampede2. The Stampede2 supercomputer is one of the most powerful computer systems in the world, and Professor Biros and his team were able to test and refine their algorithm on the new system in the spring of this year. They were some of the first researchers to gain access to the computer, and they needed the sheer power to perform these highly complex operations.
The end result of having access to this power was that Professor Biros and his team were able to run their analysis on the 140 brains in less than four hours. They correctly characterized the data with an accuracy of almost 90%, which is comparable to human radiologists doing the job and in a fraction of the time. The process is also completely automatic once the system algorithms are trained, and it can then assess image data and classify tumors without any further need for human intervention.
The system is being installed at the University of Pennsylvania by the end of this year in partnership with project collaborator Christos Davatzikos, director of the Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics and a professor of radiology at the university. While the system will not replace radiologists and surgical staff, it will help to improve reproducibility of assessments and could potentially lead to faster diagnoses.
This is yet another example of how machine learning is being employed in research and medicine, and the methods the team has developed here have the potential to go beyond brain tumor analysis. The system could be used for other medical applications of a similar nature though transfer learning, so the possibilities are fairly endless.
If you are excited about how AI and machine learning can change research forever, you may be interested in a related project on Lifespan.io. The MouseAge project is seeking support to develop a visual recognition and assessment system that will allow researchers to determine the age of mice without the need for invasive testing. If you are interested in helping us create a system that could speed up aging research and reduce animal suffering, check it out.


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Is EOS (EOS) Dumping Ethereum (ETH) And Causing A Market Crash?
Left with a day and few hours, the mainnet launch of EOS will soon be fully actualized, and by this time, EOS will be migrating completely from ERC20 network, an ecosystem that belongs to Ethereum.
Surely, we need no soothsayer to aver to us that there will surely be a modification on Ethereum and such is tantamount to an effect.
Ever since the announcement from EOS that it will be moving to its own ecosystem, the Cryptocurrency had declared to be a direct challenger of Ethereum. Even though Ethereum is backed and funded by top-notch people in the world, the statement cannot be underrated as being ludicrous because the altcoin is on the fifth position, three places away from Ethereum, and it has been gaining more recognition with value rise since November 2017.
Surely, if EOS dumps Ethereum, it will be moving its coins and users on the ERC20 network to its mainnet. Viewing the fact that it is the fifth largest coin in the space, with a huge market capital, this could have a colossal effect on Ethereum.
EOS, since April has begun the transfer of its coins from ETH. Using its parent company, Block.one that is accountable for EOSIO architecture and registration of tokens for the migration, EOS has been able to move $900 Million USD. A transaction massive enough to outstand any other on ERC-20 network.
Beyond that, EOS migration was also proven as a major threat for Ethereum because the altcoin still holds a massive 916,000 ETH in a wallet address EOS-Owner, with an additional 237,000 ETH which it realized from the crowd sale of its ICO that lasted one year.
EOS Making All Move To Be Less Vulnerable.
While many have weighed in that EOS is among the Cryptocurrency that is prone to 51% attack, the CTO of EOS, Daniel Larimer, in a tweet highlighted that the altcoin stands out from being a vulnerable coin.
"51% attacks are only possible with anonymous miners on proof of work networks. To effect a 51% attack on EOSIO requires collusion of 15 of 21 well vetted public actors."
In the same manner, EOS is taking no risk on attacks. The altcoin, on Twitter announced to the world that it will be giving out a whopping sum of $10k to anyone who can find a bug or loophole in its code.
Daniel Larimer tweeted:
"Help us find critical bugs in #EOSIO before our 1.0 release. $10K for every unique bug that can cause a crash, privilege escalation, or non-deterministic behaviour in smart contracts. Offer subject to change, ID required, validity decided at the sole discretion of Block One."
With all the massive and convincing move EOS is making ahead of its migration, it is clarifying that its mainnet launch is not a gamble. Coupled with the fact that it has pledged to compete with the world second most value coin, Ethereum should be expecting a massive blow that would likely cause a market crash.


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Community Health Plan of Washington Announces 400,000-Record Data Breach
An unplugged security vulnerability at a business associate of Community Health Plan of Washington has resulted in the exposure of the protected health information (PHI) of almost 400,000 plan members.
Community Health Plan of Washington is now in the process of notifying all affected members that highly sensitive information including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and health insurance information have been exposed and compromised.
The data breach was confirmed on November 30, 2016, although Community Health Plan of Washington first became aware of a potential breach on November 7 after a tip-off was received.
Staff at the health plan picked up a voicemail message from an individual who reported a vulnerability that had been discovered in the network of one of the health plan's business associates. That vulnerability could be exploited to gain access to members' data.
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Community Health Plan of Washington followed up on the tip-off and contacted the firm in question, which is a subsidiary of NTT Data. The firm provides technical services to the health plan. Rapid action was then taken by the firm to confirm that the vulnerability existed and then correct the flaw to prevent data access.
A computer forensics investigator was hired to conduct a thorough analysis of the network and confirmed that the vulnerability had been exploited and that an unauthorized individual had accessed plan members' PHI. It is unclear whether that individual was the same person that reported the vulnerability. At the time of writing, plan members' data are not believed to have been used inappropriately. No reports of data misuse have been received by the health plan or its business associate.
Notification letters to affected plan members were delayed until the investigation into the data breach was completed and while the health plan set put the logistics in place to deal with the breach. A toll-free helpline for members has now been set up and credit monitoring services have been arranged.
According to a report in the Seattle Times, each member will receive an individual notification letter with an identification number that can be used to register for credit monitoring services with Kroll.
381,534 members of the health plan, which provides insurance through Medicaid throughout Washington state, have been affected by the breach.


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The guns and ammunition of a 56-year-old Lighthouse Point, Florida, resident were confiscated by police in what is reportedly the first such seizure under gun control laws signed by Gov. Rick Scott (R) last week. The Orlando Sentinel reports that "four firearms and 267 rounds of ammunition" were taken from the man, and he was "taken to a hospital for involuntary psychiatric treatment."
The seized firearms were listed as "a Ruger LCP .380 pistol, an M2 Mauser .45 pistol, a Charter Arms .357 mag snub nose revolver and a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun."
The paper notes that "the civil ruling removing his access to guns and ammunition was granted under … new legislation — which permits confiscating guns from people who have not been committed but are deemed a potential risk to themselves or others, according to the order signed by Broward's Chief Judge Jack Tuter."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com …


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Happy Hopping!
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Happy Hopping!
14 comments:
- Mrs.D said...
Hi Morti, Welcome back. Your new desk really has possibilities. Looking forward to seeing new creations from there.
Chris #34
- 9:48 am, April 23, 2014
- Carol Rigby said...
Looks a great space to work in. Happy WOYWW!
- 9:50 am, April 23, 2014
- sandra de said...
Welcome back and how lovely to see your room all ready for crafting, although I think I would get distracted by looking out the window. Have a lovely week.
Sandra @20
- 9:56 am, April 23, 2014
- Twiglet said...
Welcome back! Hope the move went well - your new craft room looks good - enjoy! x Jo #30
- 10:36 am, April 23, 2014
- Claire said...
Glad you're back! Your shelves look well-stocked, and I'm sure you can create wondrous things in here - whatever the light :)
Happy WOYWW!
no. 2
- 11:14 am, April 23, 2014
- Chrysalis said...
Welcome back - what a great place to work! Enjoy xx Chris # 19
- 11:53 am, April 23, 2014
- Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...
welcome back Morti.. and what a great crafty spot.. sorry about no sun till end of day that's why like my new room it gets sun both ends of day.. no excuse.. great in winter bit warm in summer.. Shaz in oz.x #40
- 1:02 pm, April 23, 2014
- shazsilverwolf said...
Hi Morti- nice to see you back. Settling in and sorting everything out seems to take forever, doesn't it? Trying to get everything in the perfect place is a nightmare. You have a lovely large room- I see Expedits, lol. Have a great week, Hugs, Shaz #54 xxx
- 1:16 pm, April 23, 2014
OMG! EVERY day at some point I hear a thunk and I just know it's some poor bird crahing into one of the windows. Sometimes, sad to say, we do have... remains to deal with but often they survive. Maybe I need some big Owls or a huge cat sticker for mine....
Happy WOYWW!
Mary Anne (1)
- 2:13 pm, April 23, 2014
- Winnie said...
Nice setup! I hope you enjoy it there! I have never seen a bird strike a window before expect in commercials. Love the decals! Wonder if they helped her. Winnie#53
- 2:18 pm, April 23, 2014
- Anne said...
Welcome back. It looks as though you will have a super room for crafting. Look forward to seeing more. Anne x #37
- 9:23 pm, April 23, 2014
- fairy thoughts said...
Hi Morti
Welcome back your craft room looks very lived in for only 3 months... you must have been doing some crafting. I have a daylight bulb in the ceiling light it makesa great difference
janet #24
- 9:41 pm, April 23, 2014
- ANNETTE HUSBAND said...
Hi Morti
happy WOYWW. Sorry I am running late. Oh I know all about the moving and no inetrent thing as the same has happened to me here with a move fromn one state to another in late December...I've only just started to get back into jewellery making and art myself. You will love getting back into once everything is put away again
Annette In Oz #8
- 11:12 am, April 24, 2014
- Felix the Crafty Cat said...
This looks like a great work place and lots of room on your desk. Have a great week, Angela x 48
- 11:30 pm, April 24, 2014