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You're listening to path to purchase a podcast for passionate and committed business owners and marketers, Oli Billson and Tom Breeze, here to give you the tools and knowledge you need to grow your business and take decisive action. Welcome to the episode.
Speaker 2: (00:14)
Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of path, the purchase. It is Tom breeze here with my good buddy Oli Billson. Hello Tom. Hello Lee. How are you doing? Very well. Thank you. It's been a long time. It has to be a little time, isn't it? I think our listeners are probably very upset with our attitude to getting these out, but we are here constantly trying to make really good content. We're just so busy sometimes running different agencies and, and things are just kind of getting very, very busy for both of us. But that's always a good thing. But you see, we want to make sure we could have just swept it under the carpet a little. I mean, we could have just said like, you know, in our last episode you heard about X, Y, and Zed and just kind of sad to you. You, you must have been, it must have been a technical problem or something not being Kengarv besides what's been going on. But you're right, we have been away. I mean, I've probably made America 52 times in the past. You wait three days. Yeah.
Speaker 2: (01:10)
But then, I like to keep it real with the listeners. Let them know what actually happens when I went off thought that you might actually just try and ghost that one to be honest with you. But, you know, obviously I know you better. You're very honest.
Speaker 2: (01:28)
Of course I am. Yeah. All right. So, today we're going to be speaking about different sources of bringing in new customers really. And I was gonna say, bringing in new traffic and leads and all that sort of stuff, but we're going to actually take this a little bit offline, because, well, Oli, first of all, you wanted to talk about the most important or the most dangerous number, right?
Speaker 3: (01:51)
Yeah, sure. So, I think pretty much, Mmm. This is something that I talk about in virtually every conversation around marketing lead generation especially is the most dangerous number is one in business. Having w relying upon one channel [inaudible] generate leads from, one traffic source it could even be one staff member it can be, not just about marketing, but it could be to do with your team as well of course but, yeah, w we've seen, you know, for those of you who had been advertising on certainly Google AdWords in the early days, I was an early adopter, 2003, I think I was, and everybody kind of began to see the rise in the cost of, of obviously ad-words, over a period of time. And then those new platforms that came out like Facebook and some people jumped platforms and literally just left what they were doing, you know, over here and they went and got attracted to the bright shiny, cheap traffic sources as they were when they first came out. And, you know, the [inaudible] there is a big danger in, in doing that, being, having such a reliance on that, that one channel that you have, to bring people in and it's not just traffic, it's platform is one thing, but then also sometimes funnel can be another so there's, the conversation goes a little deeper than, than what it might look like on the surface.
Speaker 2: (03:43)
This is really interesting actually because I think that when it comes to one, there's also a power in one as well. Select to take the flip and play devil's advocate just for a second. It's almost like whenever I do like a survey out and this goes out, not necessarily more of a questionnaire, I suppose to new prospects that are coming on board in the agency. I always say to them, how's your funnel performing? How well are you advertise or how well is your conversion performing and your funnels and things. And when a client says nine or 10 out of 10, or whatever number they say, we have a, a follow up question, saying great. Well, why does it perform quite so well? What would you put that down to? And a number of people that say to me, just focusing on one funnel and optimizing it and getting it right and making it work brilliantly and testing and, and making tweaks and changes and that sole focus on one thing for the time being is kind of like really getting those results. But I suppose, you're saying do that process and also have other kinds of ways of doing the same thing, right? Do we need tools?
Speaker 3: (04:48)
I, I think the, [inaudible] right to sort of dig into it a little bit because, you know, we see a lot of people with a lot of half-built bridges, you know, they, they learn about something, they listen to a podcast, they read a book, they buy an info product, maybe they attend an event and they decide that they're going to try [inaudible] some kind of paid advertising. Or maybe it's some kind of new funnel, but they haven't really focused and nailed one thing that's working. So what we're trying to say is that you really need to get very clear on a what you want to have happen and build something that, that is working and getting results before moving to something hours so you want to make sure something's working before you go and explore other traffic, options, different platforms that you've got available or building other funnels based on the temperature of those, the traffic in the audience coming towards you.
Speaker 3: (05:50)
Yeah, that's a very sensible thing to do. Somebody that's looking for example on say Google AdWords has a certain level of intent behind that search. They're actually looking for what you have to offer. Maybe it's an exact or you know, more, you know, very, very specific to what you've got to offer. So in one of our, one of our businesses we sell training courses and if you look at the keyword research, people are looking for training courses in this particular niche. But of course the type of funnel that you would use for that is very different to what you would perhaps use on Facebook, where you're interrupting people, your, your trying to capture their attention and based on their demographic, psychographic interest profiles, you are putting a message out in front of them it's very different, but you've got to start somewhere of course.
Speaker 3: (06:42)
And you know, the, the key is to diversify these, these things. Not even just online. Also diversify things offline as well because I know we spoke out about it in past episodes, but for years now, one of our best, sorry, one of our most expensive, one of our most expensive sources of leads is offline to online lead generation, but it is the cheapest customers for us. So just because it is the most expensive lead doesn't necessarily mean it's the most expensive customer, we got a very good quality of customer, from that form of lead generation. And of course it diversifies things. We don't just put all our chips over in, offline to online because of that. Of course we do as much of it as we can to scale it but we want to diversify it because you know, if suddenly the cost of postage goes up dramatically or they stop allowing us to send what we are sending in the post to get people's attention, which you can take those things out of your control. Everybody's heard of the Google slap, you might get the postage slap, who knows the mailing slap, who knows? So a mail slap, that sounds like a different thing altogether. But yeah, when I'm older I may tell them about that.
Speaker 3: (08:05)
So yeah, divers diversifying what you're doing is a, is a, is a, is a big thing then you know, [inaudible] there's one thing to build something can focus on getting it right and getting it right for a particular platform, traffic platform. And that's where I would start really, if you were listening to this, you're like, well, why do I start with all this? You know, if I'm starting completely fresh, you'll re-inventing something, we'll start a new service. I'll be like, pick a platform [inaudible] a focus on that platform and get an offer. The converts, create a funnel that works with that platform with that temperature of traffic, that audience of traffic coming towards it and get that nailed. Once you've got that nailed, you can then begin to, you know, really laid the foundations for much more of a diversified, strategy.
Speaker 2: (08:57)
It's so funny. It's like, it's, it's squeezing more and more juice at the same lemon, right? So it's like, that's all I always look at from a YouTube and AdWords is like, there's this phases of which can, like we look at when we were kind of advertising in terms of like there's a starting point where we think, well, we didn't, we don't know how well it's going to perform. We've got to take it to the marketplace and test our load of things. Like, is the video ad good enough? Is the targeting good enough, et cetera, et cetera, and as the offer. Good and then once we've kind of started that first wave activity, we start to see like, okay, the targeting was a little bit off, but we can tweak that. The video ad probably needs to be changed because it's not converting as well as it could have done.
Speaker 2: (09:33)
And the offer is still okay, we'll kind of carry on with that for the time being. And then we're going to go into phase two and go a little bit deeper into different types of campaigns we can build out. And we normally get into like the seventh phase before we really feel like, okay, there's not much more we can do here. We've got to the point of like, if we change anything now, it's gonna make such a small difference that it's not really worth joining all that effort any longer. We're better off being bringing a new product with the same client into the marketplace or something along those lines, or going for a slightly different angle or whatever it might be but yeah, I'm very, very kind of keen on going deeper and deeper to the point of which it doesn't make sense to go any deeper any longer and get that kind of like getting the funnel honed in, get the advertising campaigns honed ends that absolutely working brilliantly well and they'd be like, cool, we've, we've nailed that. Now let's move on to the next thing that next thing is really important of course, cause you don't want to be relying on one thing. Cause as you say, as the prices increase or something changes that's outside of your control, then of course you're back in say a situation. You've got nothing at that point so yeah, it's the difference I guess probably this isn't the first time I've said this, but it's the difference between being like a sniper rifle and a shotgun. You know, it's like spray and pray or be extremely laser targeted and focused, in doing, you know, adopting that kind of approach. And it definitely pays to do that for sure. But I know, I know one thing that we were talking about actually just before you got onto this episode was like, we were looking at, obviously both of us, over in the United States, quite a lot talking to different conferences. [inaudible] you know, sometimes when you're speaking it might sense to, exhibit it makes sense for you to put yourself out there, get a, get a STEM, get a booth and and, and use that because you've already gotten a presence obviously from stage. It actually gives you kind of a bit of a double, more than a double benefit, maybe a triple threat then, cause you of course you can lead generate from the stage. You know, I do that quite a lot with text messages often it's to deliver a copy of the slides or whether it's to offer a particular bonus that they may be interested in or worksheet workbook or free tool or something like that from stage works really well to lead generate. So with that in itself is a medium. So let's talk about that. You know, whenever we're doing Facebook, whatever, then we Google whatever we're doing anywhere else.
Speaker 3: (12:02)
You know, we're all, so here we're also talking here about using, speaking as a way to lead generate. That's part of my diversification strategy. So speaking and then we've got the booth. [inaudible] you know, is I in itself a different kind of media. It's offline, where you're capturing people's information, no different to online law. You're providing some form of value and they're giving you their information. I'm exactly the same is from stage, right and so you could give something away to them, at the booth in exchange for their contact information and all of the, the thing Gates, he's like, all the metrics still ring true. Like it doesn't matter if you're doing offline, online, what you're really looking at is it costs me $20,000 to exhibit it. This event from the booth, I got Sy, I don't know, 500 or a thousand, leads people that gave you their information.
Speaker 3: (13:05)
And you may, if you're looking, depending upon what your strategy is, have some people actually bought from you, maybe you sold a product there. And so you can kind of go through the same process. What was the cost per lead? You can look at what the return on investment is just in the same way as you would look and at anything else. Also the lead to buy Italian, you know, these leads can be extremely good quality sometimes and surprisingly because they've had some face time with you, can really reduce that lead to buy time down that I had a conversation with you on the booth, they're very well qualified you've had a meaningful conversation and they're ready to proceed with something with you quite quickly. Now that might not be many of those people, but they are why for the whole thing, may work extremely well for you.
Speaker 2: (13:51)
Yeah, that's, that's the thing, right? So, like for listeners who are listening in, I love when I say that cause I thought like there's no need to say who are listening in because if they're already slightly, just slightly yes, yes, very true so, so for those people that are listening and continue to listen to this podcast right now, listening to this book, the, just to give people a bit of context, like, so we're going to both be at an event in February in San Diego and I'm, I'm going an RN right now about whether I should go for a boost or not and how, I haven't got all the details just yet. It's probably going to be only be going for it, but I have literally no knowledge of how to run a booth and most effective, wait, I know what booths are.
Speaker 2: (14:35)
I've seen it run very well in the past. And in fact, the reason why we were talking about it before this episode is because, I went to an event in San Antonio with you earlier this year, right and well when I got there I just noticed like everyone had lots of booths around. It was great. But like all these just shown out, it was like this amazing booth and it just looks incredible. And I had loads of stuff there that just if you walk past the booth you always want to grab stuff and just leave your details just because it looks so beautiful. But everything else there is awesome as well. So, as the GoTo conversation I was like, well I'll talk to Oli cause he obviously knows how to do this stuff plus your a Brit in and doing it.
Speaker 2: (15:13)
I'm doing a booth in the U S so there's that sort of thing that, how do we ship it all out there and have all the logistics of that and I've had lots of chats with people like James Schramko about it. I've had a chat for the Russ from digital marketer as well, like what tends to work best and so I've got some really good pointers from them as well James Schramko in particular was really interesting cause he was like, make sure you have like a script that you'll use when you're at the booth itself. Like make sure you don't ask the thing of like, are you being helped? For example whether people can say, yeah, no, no, I'm just, I'm just watching, I'm just looking all just kind of like it doesn't give them that option. So you're kind of like asking better questions to make them engage.
Speaker 2: (15:48)
Like, Oh you running YouTube ads right now cause it either way if they say yes or no and it's an easy yeah, yeah, exactly. You can continue that conversation without having to feel like someone just said, you notice I'm just looking, which is difficult then to recover that conversation. So I thought all that sort of stuff is, it's, it's, for me it's like there's 101 different things to remember or to think about when running a booth. But little things like that are just like great little reminders that Oh my God, yeah, of course. I probably wouldn't have remembered to do that. So that's great that they make sure everyone who's working in their booth knows the script and has a script to run by and so they're just like, everyone goes through a similar thing but in terms of some of the stuff we were talking about as well, I think we're in a fortunate position because we're both be speaking and, the event, from my side I'll be speaking and then I'll have the booth as well, so I can call people to action almost to come and speak to me on the booth.
Speaker 2: (16:36)
And from Ross's perspective, when I spoke to him, Russ had to be, he was very much like, when it comes to Boosie, a lot of people spend a lot of time speaking to one person and there's like a queue of 20 people and then you'll lose the last 10 people that were queuing up to speak to you because you're taking so long. So he's like, make it quick. Just continue that conversation offline or online or whatever it might be from there. But I mean, what have you seen work, and I'm putting you on the spot here, but what have you seen, like is there three top tips that you might have, or three things that you say definitely do this or that to make sure that if you want to do a booth, you get the very best results out of it.
Speaker 2: (17:10)
Yeah. So I think there's probably a few different types of, of, of people that you, you will see and they will vary in different interest levels as well. You'll have like the lurkers, those are the people that, will walk past, you know, the stand. They look from afar, they'll be looking at you, they'll be looking at you at the backdrop of your stand and they're a bit tentative if they should engage in a conversation or come toward GA. and that's just the, how some people are, you know, that's, that's conference yet. Yeah. Somebody's going to say it, but I don't want to start a conversation, please. Yeah, exactly. Yeah so I know what happened. If I start talking to them, I'm not buying it. So that's the bathroom. Yeah. I'm going to bear that in mind to be honest with you. Shit. Yeah, that's fine. A report.
Speaker 3: (18:06)
So I think you've got the people that like are on the periphery, you know, that they're not yet engaged in, in, in, in what you've got to offer yet. They're just kind of yeah, on the outside. And, and really with those guys, the thing that they probably want to see, the thing that's actually going to draw them in is some kind of offer something that's going to get them, entice them to well start a conversation, you know, have a chat to find out. Yeah. So that can be varying different things. So it could be a lead magnet. So one of the things that we give away is a free guide, like a checklist, the 61 point checklist, a marketing checklist. We also, just recently have started doing QR competition stuff. Now I'll, I'll coach you all now. I'll come, I'll come back to that cause that's more like the second profile, a person.
Speaker 3: (18:59)
So the, the, the third is like somebody that's like looking around, they, you know, are, are looking at you and think, yeah, you know what, actually I'm going to go and claim that cause that's pretty cool. Now what you don't want, you don't want lie loads of swag and stuff like that that they can easily just come and take and run away because you might think to yourself, well that's good. Guess what happened today? We had a hundred tee shirts and now we don't have any. Yeah, but you also have nobody's names now. Yeah. As, as a, as hard nosed as I am I don't really like the idea of giving stuff to people, which is some form of value when I don't have anything back from them. Okay. I don't know about them. I don't have their details. I just, I just think that's a really big mistake. I think otherwise it's a branding exercise and we live in a direct response world, so you won't see me giving away free pens, you know, don't be disappointed. That'd be disappointing. I'll pen scratch. Oli Billson. And so one of my parents, ah, high quality pans are also for high quality potential customers.
Speaker 2: (20:13)
So how are we in one of those days? No, no, exactly. Well, if, and if I continue talking to you, you never know, you might buy something. So I might just, I might just bypass the pen or just go straight to the high ticket item, but that'd be a lot better for me as well. Okay, cool. Yeah. So yeah.
Speaker 3: (20:29)
So I think that those types, the second is somebody that's like, you know, they want like, they do want to engage with you and, and it really comes down to how you handle that. Now that type of person is somebody that probably is a, you know, want to find out more information and you need to kind of discern those people from the first, the last type of person I'm going to talk about in the name and the mailing. So that's really about data capture. And that's going to be ready about the free guide giveaway, get their information and easy way to get their information, that they can either K in themselves or you can have somebody take down their information and we're using QR codes, so on banners we've got these QR codes where somebody could come up and scan it and then enter a competition.
Speaker 3: (21:18)
So they actually scam it and it takes them to a landing page to enter in their information for [inaudible]. So with a QR, with a QR code, do you not have to have a QR app on your phone? Yes. Download the app first. We actually give them both options. So just like anything, any form of marketing, you should give them multiple ways to respond. So, in our [inaudible] we say, here's the QR code, scan it in. Now some people do have that barcode scanner, so that's cool some people will just want to type it in like an easy to like go to URL to type in, to end the competition. Well, they just want to give you that business card and put it in the bowl, you know, so cool. Okay. So you've got to be able to give them a couple of different options, to do so.
Speaker 3: (22:07)
So really the second type of person is somebody that, you know, eh, you can capture their information from now, they, the last side, a somebody that's wanting your attention. Now they can be fall into two categories. The person that's going to be talking to you for a real long time and an in depth conversation that involves a more, you're not going to serve them very well by having that conversation on the booth. Okay. So last thing to do with those people who say, Hey, you know what, I think this warrants like a bit more of an in depth conversation. Why don't we, share a little bit of time together. I know that the event's busy and you know, I don't want you to miss out on anything, but I do want to continue the conversation. Let's set aside some time and let's have that conversation.
Speaker 3: (22:55)
And it can either be like later in the day, it could be early morning before they get there. Just so you've got that quality time with somebody that really warrants that in depth conversation. Once they're qualified of course to do that, you know, you shouldn't, would you sell that time or would you just say, Hey, just like booking a time for free? Or how, how would you gauge that? Yeah, I think it really depends on your mechanism for your sales process if what you're selling warrants them to go through an audit of some description, that might also be something that you can't actually achieve. Oh, the show either because you guys are always thinking. So for me, for me I think it really depends on what you're selling and what your sales processes I think that your, that or somebody on your team is that to be able to educate, to, overcome objections and challenges and re-affirm and get them to know, like, and trust you.
Speaker 3: (23:55)
You're not really using the booth as a way to ship stuff to them. You know? And I think that in a lot of ways you might have, people don't have a clear objective when they go to these things. Is it for me to generate leads or is it for me to sell some products that can be a middle ground where there's a bit of a hybrid of the two. But in the main, it's kind of like, no, we're here because everybody that comes to the booth, we're going to say, Hey, we've got this special author but it's only onto the end of the event and this is this product or you can buy it. Do you want to talk about it? Great. And it's this much, do you want to buy it? Yes or no? No, I don't. Okay, give me your details and they'll follow, you know, that type of stuff. That's like, I'm kind of a hybrid, but I, I feel that, yeah, when you're unified together, cause it's likely not to just be you on the stand yourself around what it is that you want to have happen, around one common goal, then that's, you know, certainly a consideration.
Speaker 2: (24:53)
Interesting. So the idea that I've got for the booth at this stage is that we are building a tool at the moment whereby you just add in a few keywords into the tool and then it gives you all the best ways of targeting your audience. Basically just right. It says, okay, here's some, like here's what all the videos are that would come up for that type of search and here's the view counts and therefore is it a viable audience there? Here's your main competitors in the market space on YouTube. And so it kind of like, it gives you that. And then I was thinking like it's a nice way of starting off the conversations, easy thing that someone's just to type it into the iPad for example, press go and they kind of come up with all the results and then we can say, Hey look, you want us to email that out to you so you've got that information there for you.
Speaker 2: (25:33)
And that's kind of what I thought there good way of saying is your audience on YouTube, can you, can you get in front of them and then start that conversation off and then also capture their details cause we can say, great, well let's just kind of add this to your account right now. So you've got it when you log in or something. That's kind of one thing we're thinking obviously for the people that other people that wanted to have a chat with me, what I'm going to need, still took, need to work out how to solve that problem that maybe we just do like a, Hey look, why don't you pay for an hours consultancy with me and I can just go through whatever it is you've got in mind and just cause you're here at the event, we'll do it for half price or something like that.
Speaker 2: (26:08)
Can incentivize them in some way just to be like, okay, cool. We can continue that conversation. It's a big deal. That sort of conversation. I need so much more background information before I can actually give good advice I could probably give like high level advice at the actual booth, but then if I see that ad and can review it quickly, it's like a cool, this is what I do differently or whatever, but you're not going to have to do that at the boost itself without spending 40 minutes with somebody so I was thinking like we could probably like have a chat and say, Hey look, you probably qualify at a stage for a one-to-one chat with me. Just like reserve that by going on online here using this code or something and then buying them. We just let the news book and your time with me whenever you like that might be a good way of kind of like just siphoning off those people quickly without losing them as a prospect perhaps.
Speaker 3: (26:52)
I think what would be really cool would be, you know, and I've seen this done, it works extremely well. The first question I would have is how many people, what's the footfall on the stand? Because if they are required to engage in something, do you have enough iPads? Do you have enough stations? How big is the stand? And so if there's a lot of people and that's the main lead magnet quote unquote, then is there enough of them in order to provide an experience to them that's positive. So that's the first thing that I would come to. The next thing I would come to [inaudible] is cam that lead magnet actually being an attraction for other people that might have been more the lurker variation. Now [inaudible] we'll look at a profile. What I mean by that is this, I've seen this work really well where you can go to an iPad and you can actually put headphones on and you can watch a video or go through a walkthrough or tutorial, and actually use that similar tool that you've seen that somebody's going through. They, they can put that, put the headphones on, they can then say, you know, they can be immersed in the experience of the tool. And then you can have multiple people doing that at the same time. They can watch a video of you giving a demonstration, doing a screen flow tutorial of what it is, and then telling them what to do step by step on the tool. And that can be really nice. If it's not, give me an attraction, then some people to come in and learn more about it. Mmm.
Speaker 2: (28:29)
I quite like that cause it's like it's a safe place with the headphones on, especially. It's like you're not being sold to by a person. It's like you stick on the headphones and you can answer certain questions on the, on the iPad to get some really bespoke content for yourself that could be kind of a really nice way of like, just bringing people in those lurkers, put them onto that but likewise, if someone's asking too many questions even in the queue and you think, well, these aren't necessarily the best prospects in the world, just say, Hey, go, Hey, look, what I read recommend right now is going watch that you're actually in love it and we'll give you good direction there. That's pretty cool.
Speaker 3: (29:00)
I think probably the other thing is, is that, it depends upon your staffing, as well, because I've seen something while there's multiple television stands around and people are actually like scheduling, almost like not scheduling, but they are actually coming in for like a demo of something. And then you've got, because you've got the staffing, you've got the ability to not need an automated iPad playing stuff back to them. You've actually got somebody kind of almost consulting with them on it, but using the demo as a guide and then then they lot, yeah. Oh, you know, actually honestly I might sign up for it depends on what it is that you're trying to sell, what the step is that you're trying to take them to but yeah, and the thing with the iPad thing that's interesting is that you probably don't need that many people there to actually achieve a good result with it.
Speaker 2: (29:52)
Let the iPad speed the be the people, right? Yeah, exactly and some people don't like to be too bothered, you know, you can just have somebody there or a couple of people bad that just say, Hey, so you find that interest in. Did you enjoy the concept? Yeah. Great. Cool. [inaudible] that was great. And we're like, cool, well do you want me to send you your results? Yeah. Cool. How do we do that? Cool. Let's give you your details. And you know that the iPad could actually serve as the lead capture mechanism in order for them to actually get to the next stage. So they just simply fill out a web form. They then go to a video page, it tells them and walks them through what's going on and then they actually submit that, you know, go gags. That's the tool and that can be a really cool way of doing it. But I think the thing is there's so many, nobody should really have to be rolling out, different ways that they could be lead generating. Both, you know, offline from light. You know, we just went about booze. We were talking about the stage even from podcasts or, or any other type of media that they're using, they should always be looking for mechanisms to, to capture as much, as many leads as they possibly can.
Speaker 2: (31:00)
That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool Oli, great session as always. And I think that the key learnings here are kind of by making sure people like focus in and get like one funnel or one sales process or one, traffic generation source kind of nailed in and zeroed and imperfect and then very quickly, soon after, as soon as the point, that point of where, you feel like you can't squeeze much more juice out of that lemon, diversify as quickly as possible and go off through either with a new product or a new audience or whatever it might be. And then finally as well, like where do you think about not just online but offline and the experience you have other people and what assets you have available to see how else you could bring in different sources of traffic and combine that with what you've already got. So that's been awesome. InBev, very useful. And I know they're going to take a lot of the content from this episode to San Diego when it comes to TNC and doing a presentation there with a booth there. So it'd be very, very cool.
Speaker 3: (31:50)
Love it, Tom. It's been awesome, looking forward to seeing you again that, that beautiful face and that green jumper in the next episode. Yes. All right. See the next episode.


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Benefits of Rainbow Moonstone Ball
Moonstone is believed to cultivate compassion, empathy, and help the person tap into his/her intuition power.
Activates the creative and intuitive power of feminine energy, and helps to balance and calm down emotions and stress levels.
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Also has medical benefits, as it cleanses the digestive system, cures obesity as well as menstrual problems.
Moonstone simultaneously relieves stress and releases positiveness through the love of all kinds.
This stone helps to open up the heart chakra, thereby allowing the person to be more receptive to inner feelings.
The Moonstone crystal reminds one to not stop, and go with the flow in life.
Thanks to its connection to the moon, this stone hugely assists in soothing emotions during the menstruation period, and the crystal's healing properties help to balance hormones during puberty and menopause as well.
As the moon cycles connect the wearer to nature, the moonstone continues to remind you that our lives also keep on flowing. This helps in cultivating compassion and empathy

subset: commoncrawl


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SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Even as the Trump administration kept refugee numbers to record lows, the International Rescue Committee in San Diego was helping settle thousands of refugees from places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
There was hope that under President Joe Biden the numbers would go up and more people would be brought to the U.S.
But last week, Biden temporarily dashed those hopes when the White House announced the cap on refugees would remain at 15,000 for the fiscal year 2021, the same total imposed during the Trump era.
According to IRC, more than 700 refugees experienced "distress while President Joe Biden delayed the reversal of harmful policies set by the Trump administration."
"These are families that have been waiting for a long period of time under the previous administration, refugees that had already been vetted and were completely ready to travel, it really was a devastating blow," said Donna Duvin, IRC executive director. "Shock is a good way to put it, it was certainly disturbing news."
The president's announcement was met with a lot of criticism and disdain on many fronts, and just hours later, the administration pivoted and said it would increase the totals to more than 60,000 starting in May.
"We would hope that he will make a bold and courageous commitment in May to increase the numbers at the very least to those who are cued up to be resettled, those who have gone through vetting process," Duvin said.
According to the agency, there are already over 30,000 people conditionally approved for resettlement by the U.S. government.
"Without change in policy, these families will have to start vetting process all over again," said Duvin.
Duvin added that the resettlement policies for refugees doesn't apply to asylum-seekers and migrants in cities such as Tijuana who are awaiting permission to cross into the U.S.
"This doesn't have an effect on what's happening south of the border, refugee resettlement is a piece apart," she said. "The difference is that even though people may be fleeing countries south of the border for persecution or exact same reasons, they are not applying for refugee status in their own countries they are making claims at the border or in the U.S."


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The TesiraFORTÉ DAN range of audio processors has been announced here at ISE 2017 by Biamp Systems.
The result of collaboration between Biamp and Shure, these new audio processors directly interface with the Shure MXA beamforming line of microphones. Along with the new dedicated Shure MXA input blocks in the latest Tesira 3.0 software, the processors, claim the company, deliver seamless interoperability between the most advanced DSP and microphone technologies.
"We saw that a lot of Shure mics were being implemented alongside TesiraFORTÉ, so we are now taking it further. Customer feedback is very important to us, and requests for a TesiraFORTÉ-level device that works seamlessly with the Shure MXA series of mics was increasing,"
said Zach Snook, audio products manager for Biamp Systems.
"With the new TesiraFORTÉ DAN and the inclusion of Shure microphone support in the latest version of Tesira software, integrators can now design a system that offers the best-of-class DSP and microphone technologies to fit a variety of customer needs," he added.
The TesiraFORTÉ DAN will be offered in four fixed I/O models – the same models as the original TesiraFORTÉ family (AI, CI, TI, and VI) – with the addition of 32×32 channels of audio via the Dante Brooklyn II module. All models of TesiraFORTÉ DAN are standard with 12 mic/
line inputs, eight line outputs,
Ethernet control, RS-232, USB audio with up to eight channels of configurable audio, four general purpose I/Os, and an OLED display.
Stand: 3-A75


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Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
On his book Crime and Punishment in the Russian Revolution: Mob Justice and Police in PetrogradCover Interview of November 26, 2017
The wide angle
In recent years, we have witnessed the overthrow of authoritarian regimes and the difficulties new regimes have in their transition to liberal democracy. This book provides a clue to understanding this issue.
We can approach this issue from two directions. From the bottom up perspective, the Russian Revolution can be seen as the process of social disintegration into the state of anomie: the state that commonly accepted norms and values that sustained social cohesion disappeared and the social structure that ensured its norms crumbled. Antonio Gramsci stated: "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born: in this interregnum a great variety of moribund symptoms appear."
The old system of hierarchical classifications based on estates, values, and customs associated with the old system were rejected. In its place, the Provisional Government proclaimed new norms based on equality and freedom for all citizens. But various social groups challenged and contested the meaning of freedom and equality, as the age-old differences between political freedom and economic equality sharply divided society. In this cultural confusion the distinction between what was acceptable and what was unacceptable became blurred and confused.
As "culture" became normless, social structure lost the capacity to enforce its norms. The law became ambiguous, the court system malfunctioned, and police became ineffective. As a consequence, violence, not sanctioned by the legitimate authority, became the most effective and favored means to settle disputes.
From the top down perspective, what happened in the Russian Revolution is a clear case of the failed state. According to Max Weber, the state must possess two essential ingredients: monopoly of coercive power and legitimacy. The Provisional Government had neither. It could not monopolize the means of coercion, the military and the police, at the exclusion of private military organizations such as the workers' militia and the Red Guards. Sharing power with the All-Russian Soviets, it never acquired legitimacy. It was a failed state that could not provide essential service to its citizens.
These aspects provide a key to understanding the difficulties in the transition from authoritarianism to liberal democracy. It is exceedingly difficult for a post-authoritarian regime to restore order out of chaos and establish new norms that assure liberal democracy in the face of new forces that contest advancement of their values and under the pressure of impatient rising expectations. Some kind of coercive power is required to restore a semblance of law and order that might lead to the restoration of authoritarianism that is often worse than the one that the revolution initially toppled. The reassertion of the central state under the Bolsheviks with the use of brutal coercion, without legitimacy, was a tragic consequence of the Russian Revolution.


text: Our faculty members have earned numerous peer recognitions for their intellectual leadership. The department includes 12 members of the National Academy of Engineering, members of six other academies in the U.S. and abroad, 12 Fellows of APS, 8 Fellows of IEEE, 5 Fellows of ASME, 4 Fellows of AIAA, 2 Fellows of IFAC, 12 winners of the NSF Career Award, and recipients of many career medals, prizes, other young investigator awards, and best paper awards. Click here to view the full list of faculty awards and acknowledgements.


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Hays County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Anna Martinez Boling defeated challenger David Mendoza Tuesday in the Democratic primary. File photo.
By LANCE DUNCAN
News Reporter
Hays County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Anna Martinez Boling defended her chance to keep her appointed seat Tuesday in the Democratic primary against challenger David Mendoza.
Boling received exactly 3,300 of the 5,180 votes cast (63.7 percent), against Mendoza's 1,880 votes. Boling was victorious in all precincts other than precinct 127, which was a tie at 72 votes for each candidate, and precinct 446, in which she had 17 votes to Mendoza's 18.
"I think that my past experiences running for judge, my work helping other candidates in the past, and my work as an attorney over 11 years in Hays County has helped," Boling said. "Of course, being the incumbent helps too. But, most of all, I have to thank all of my volunteers, all of my supporters, because without their help I couldn't do this. I had dedicated folks going out every day to walk and introduce me to people."
Boling was appointed to the bench last August in a 4-1 vote by the Hays County Commissioners Court after the death of long-time Judge Howard Warner during the summer. She has served since then as the interim replacement for Warner. Mendoza also sought appointment at that time.
With Warner's original term due to expire at the end of 2010, Boling and Mendoza chose to argue their cases again, this time to the voters instead of the commissioners court.
In a February debate held before the San Marcos League of Women Voters, Boling argued that she had the edge on Mendoza in experience and legal know-how. She was the Democratic nominee for state district court judge in 2006, and has more than 15 years of legal experience in the roles of judge, mediator and prosecutor.
Mendoza is the Hays County assistant district attorney. He mainly argued that Boling over-interprets the importance of mediation in the county court at law, and that she doesn't often work on criminal cases.
"My opponent kept me on my toes," Boling said. "He worked very hard."
Boling will face San Marcos attorney Robert Updegrove in the general election this November. Updegrove was also a contender for the appointment at commissioners court, and ran unopposed for the position in the Republican primary.Email | Print
Pingback: QUOTE CORNER - San Marcos Local News


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In an Iowa Learning Farms webinar, March 25, 2020, Mark Rasmussen, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Director, discusses, "Carbonate, the Other Soil Carbon," sharing research
The 2020 Shivvers Memorial Lecture, scheduled for March 27, has been canceled. The presentation, "Eating Tomorrow: Climate Change and the Battle for the Future of Food," by Timothy A.
The Special Collections and University Archives Department announced that records for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture from 1977-2018 have been processed and are open to researchers. The collection contains the Leopold Center's administrative records, including grant applications and reports from the center's first three decades. The Leopold Center also maintains an online archive of its ongoing work, along with past annual reports, research reports and other materials in the Iowa State University Digital Repository.
During an interview with Civil Eats at the Stone Barns Center's 2019 Young Farmers Conference in December, LCSA Distinguished Fellow Fred Kirshchenmann discussed hopes and fears related to the future of agriculture -- and farmers and authors from whom he gains inspiration.
Proposals from five undergraduates representing Iowa State University, Drake University, Grinnell College and the University of Northern Iowa have been awarded funding in the first round of a new scholarship program supported by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University.
ISU's Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Announces New Round of Scholarships for Iowa Undergraduates
Junior and senior undergraduates at Iowa four-year colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals to apply for the second round of the sustainability scholarship program
The Leopold Center's Advisory Board will meet Nov. 13, 2019, starting at 10:00 a.m., in Room 142 of Curtiss Hall, 513 Farm House Lane, on the Iowa State University campus in Ames. The meeting is open to the public.
AMES, IA – Sutherland farmer Paul Mugge has been selected as the 2019 winner of the Spencer Award, presented by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
AMES, Iowa – Junior and senior undergraduates at Iowa four-year colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals to a new sustainability scholarship program sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
The Leopold Center, with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, supports research into cover crops that protect soil and water quality.
The Leopold Center's Advisory Board meeting is open to the public starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Iowa State Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farms, 1308 U Ave. near Boone. Agenda
June 8 is the deadline to register for the 2019 Iowa Farm to School Conference, organized by the Farm, Food and Enterprise Development in Pella on June 21 and 22.
For the past 18 years, the Leopold Center has been pleased to work with the Spencer family to present this award to deserving Iowans in agriculture. The winners have shared a desire to improve Iowa's landscape, albeit in very different ways.
Paul Johnson and Seth Watkins, winners of the 2018 Spencer Awards, accepted their plaques March 13 at the Iowa Water Conference.
Angie Tagtow, a registered and licensed dietitian with more than 25
The center marked "a year of introspection and re-evaluation" in 2018, according to
Pre-registrations are due Feb. 15 for a series of Cow Systems meetings led by the Iowa Beef Center. The Leopold Center is a sponsor of the meetings that begin Feb. 20 at five locations.
The Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District reported, in a recent newsletter, that a Regional Conservation Partnership Program will provide project funding after a Leopold Center grant expi
The Leopold Center's Advisory Board developed a mission statement to provide a new direction after state funding was eliminated in 2017.
The Leopold Center Advisory Board will meet at 10 a.m. Dec. 5 in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall, 806 Stange Rd.
Paul Johnson, who co-wrote Iowa's landmark Groundwater Protection Act as a state legislator, and Seth Watkins, who farms sustainably near Clarinda will be presented the award at the 2019 Iowa Water Conference, which is scheduled for March 12-13, in Ames.
Matching funds provided in part by the Leopold Center made possible horticulture Professor Kathleen Delate's participation in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service soil health grant announced recently. The multistate grant, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will a
The meeting with begin at 9 a.m. at the Horticulture Research Station, 55519 170th St. near Ames. The agenda includes a discussion of the center's future plans.


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Configuring Automatic Import of Media-Files
The application Transfer Manager implements automatic import of media-files from the local and network resources onto the SL NEO server array. This application may be configured directly at the SL NEO server or at any machine in the local network. Transfer Manager works with fullscreen files and 32-bit files (with an alpha-channel).
License key
Transfer Manager needs a license key that serves for the defense from software copying. You can check the workability of a key with a command File/License Key. Without a correct key Transfer Manager works in a demo mode and transfers only first eight minutes of every file. The key is a text line of symbols and is tied to the hardware platform.
Rules for files transfer
Work with Transfer Manager is based on rules. To adjust automatic import you should create such a rule (the button New Rule at the right top part of the interface). Choose the type of migration of files in the opened dialog box of the field Transfer Mode:
Copy Ч copying the file materials from the initial storage to the final storage. The application implements copying new files appeared on the initial storage, and repeated copying files deleted from the final storage.
Copy and Rotate Ч constant automatic unidirectional synchronization of the final storage relative to the initial one.
Х††††††††† If new files appear at the initial storage, they are replaced at the final storage;
Х††††††††† Files deleted from the final storage are repeatedly copied from the initial storage;
Х††††††††† Deleting files at the initial storage wonТt lead to their deletion from the final storage;
Х††††††††† Only those files that are absent at the main storage are automatically deleted from the final storage, as far as the final storage capacity is filled; the order for deletion is formed according to the values of time of the last files modification.
Move Ч moving files from the initial storage to the final storage, with replacement of files at the final one, independently from the values of time of the last files modification.
Move and Rotate Ч moving files from the initial storage to the final one, with replacement of only new versions of files at the final storage.
Copy Once Чone-time copying files from the initial storage to the final storage.
Copy Once and Rotate Ч copying files from the initial storage to the final storage, with tracking the new versions and replacement of outdated files at the final storage.
Copy for Playlist Ч copying from the primary storage to the final one with tracking only those files which names are indicated in the playlists of SL NEO servers (the system tracks file names with no extension, indicated in the field Media of the playlist).
The field Transfer Threads allows you to define the number of simultaneously functioning streams of file copying.
The field Reserve for urgent jobs allows setting the desirable number of spare streams. Transfer Manager can analyze the executable playlists and first enqueue for copying those files that are the first in turn for playout. When you add a new event to the playlist, all streams may be loaded with copying big files, so the copying of file for the new event may not happen at the moment. To avoid such situations you should specify a few spare streams.
The item Copy partial content allows you to copy unfinished materials (in the process of record or import, Media Browser marks such materials as УPARTФ).
Tab Source
The tab Source contains information about the source for import, in our case it is a file folder.
Ј In the field Name, type a random name for the source;
Ј In the field Type, choose the type of the storage Ц File Folder;
Ј In the field Disk Path, specify the way to the folder Ц the source of files.
Other parameters may stay the same.
Tab Destination
Let's pass on to the item Destination. Here you can specify the information about the parameters of the final storage. In our case itТs the database of SL NEO server. Click the button Add at the bottom part of the opened window: youТll see the box where you can enter the information about the final storage. Specify the storage type in the field Type: the database of the SL Media Storage server (by default) or File Folder.
Ј In the field Address, enter the IP address of the server, if SL Media Storage is chosen.
Ј In the field Service choose the number of the server database (1 Ц by default).
Ј User, Password Ц Transfer Manager will refer to the server database (if needed) with these name of user and password;
Ј AV Container allows you to choose the container for media-files (Default is set up for SL NEO server database).
Tabs Video/Audio/Proxy
In the tabs Video/Audio/Proxy you should specify proxy parameters and the parameters for recoding materials during the file import.
Item Playlists
Transfer Manager can analyze the executable playlists and first enqueue for copying those files that are the first in turn for playout. The button Add allows you to enter the IP address and the number of the playout service that needs copying files. You may specify a few services.
After entering all necessary information and closing the setting windows, a new created rule will appear in the list. Launching the rule is implemented by the button Start rule, files transfer will start in 40 seconds. The statuses of the processes are displayed in the tabs: Transfer State, Transfer Jobs, Delete Jobs. We canТt but notice that Transfer Manager allows simultaneous work by several rules; embedded folders are also scanned when importing.
If Transfer Manager is functioning at the server that implements record/playout operations, you should control the load of the server CPU when you edit rules and add new rules or new copying streams to Transfer Manager.
When recoding files, or adjusting big number of streams/rules for Transfer Manager, the CPU load at the server may reach 100%. Of course, it will have an extremely negative influence on the record/playout operations: playout will go with brakes, and drop frames will appear when recording.
To avoid such situations you should control the CPU load at the server and not allow it to exceed 80-85% when changing settings for Transfer Manager and especially after adding new rules.
In case, if you need to recode the HD file into H.264 (AVCHD), or implement 4 (conditionally) or more simultaneous recoding streams or streams for moving SD files, you should assign a separate computing platform for the work of Transfer Manager.
Tracking the situations that are connected with changes of settings that bring to the maximal CPU load and load of network connections is the task of the technical personal of the company that operates with the server. Such cases aren't failures and should be promptly corrected by the system administrators.
Manual import of media-files
Import of media-files can be also implemented in the manual mode from the application Air Manager (the red button Import in the window Media Browser).
For additional information about the structure of media-files, encoding standards and algorithms, file containers and codecs, we recommend the following sources:
The digital glossary from Quantel: http://www.quantel.com/site/en.nsf/html/library_dfb
Short review of codecs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_codecs
Review of compression technologies and file containers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_compression
Comparative review of formats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_container_formats
Introduction to the digital compression: http://www.videsignline.com/howto/showArticle.jhtml? articleID=185301351
MPEG-2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2
MPEG-4: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4


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Two writers, Salam Morcos and Andre Roberge, debate what progressives must do to win. Should progressives stay with the Democratic Party and seek to move it to the left from within? Or should they leave the Party and help build a viable third party that would compete with, if not replace, the world's oldest active party?
Salam Morcos: Before we debate on what we disagree about, it's important to note the areas where we agree. We both agree that the two party system is undemocratic, decreases voter participation, and feeds on people's fears and not desires. We also agree that the ultimate goal is to enact progressive legislations that would see the United States join the rest of the world in providing healthcare to all of its citizens as a right, as well as increasing the minimum wage, removing the influence of money in politics, aggressively fighting climate change, reforming the criminal justice system, and ending the endless wars that cost the lives of many, in the U.S. and abroad.
Where we disagree, however, is the strategy on how to get there. Andre, why do you think that progressives should pack their bags and leave the Democratic Party?
Andre Roberge: Think of a divorce hearing… Each side in the matter presumably, for the sake of argument, wants to gain the most in the preceding for their own individual gain. Does it not make the most sense to start your argument/ask in the most aggressive position possible?
If we map this analogy onto the Democratic Party it should be readily apparent that they are not, even by their own non-binding platform, the farthest left/progressive we would like. Thus, given their starting positions, the policy they propose will undoubtedly fall short.
That is, unless there was a mass movement of people organizing around specific progressive legislation outside of the party. Alex Press, in her appearance on The Takedown with Nick, outlined moments in history in which politicians were literally dragged to the left, forced to meet the demands of mass movements.
Locally, in Seattle, where I live, I've seen the same situation playing out; From the Fight for $15 an hour minimum wage to this past week's historic "Tax the Rich" income tax. Seattle didn't become the first major city to implement a $15 minimum wage because Democrats/politicians suddenly thought it was a good idea, instead, as reported by Philip Locker, it was a mass movement supported by a "coalition of labor unions…teach-ins, conferences, posters, and major marches for $15 on Martin Luther King Day in January and on May Day." Same goes for the movement for $15 in Ontario.
"The announcement didn't happen just because the Liberals (Ontario Liberal Party) saw the light of day and decided to do the decent thing."
— Progressive Action (@ProgActNet) July 17, 2017
"This wouldn't have happened but for the pressure of the $15 movement that developed from below."
— Progressive Action (@ProgActNet) July 17, 2017
Thus, to sum up, we as a people must come together and force the political body to meet our demands. In this respect, it doesn't matter whether or not the politicians that eventually pass the legislation are Democrats or Republicans, etc… Instead, it's about the power of collective action shaping the future.
Morcos: I certainly agree that a "mass movement of people organizing" is key for any hope of real progressive change, and that holds true at every level of government. I also agree that the coalition in these mass movements does not need to be affiliated with any specific party.
But for any legislation to be passed, you must have a majority of politicians willing to vote for it; representatives who would – using your own words – "be literally dragged to the left." I hope we can agree that not every politician can be "dragged" to the left. Certainly not Republicans. Good luck convincing Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to support measures to tackle climate change. Not to mention that a Republican Speaker of the House will not let progressive legislation get a hearing in the first place.
In every example when a progressive legislation was passed, like the ones you just mentioned, it was predominantly Democrats who cast their "yes" vote in the end after being "dragged" by a mass movement.
My point is that for progressives to win, they need to have a majority of progressives in Congress regardless of party affiliation. If you can show how a progressive third party, or a coalition of third parties, can become viable in the United States, I'll concede this debate instantaneously.
Roberge: As purported by Nick Nowlin, and echoed by Bruce A. Dixon in his article, "Politicians are elected and selected, but mass movements transform societies." In other words, politicians are mere placeholders who do the will of the people (when they exert their power). My larger point that I initially tried to make above is that those holding elected office need not be anyone in particular (Republican/Democrat) for change to occur. Dixon, to his credit, says it better and more succinctly than I:
Mass movements exist outside electoral politics, and outside the law, or they don't exist at all. Mass movements are never respecters of law and order. How can they be? A mass movement is an assertion of popular leadership by the people themselves. A mass movement aims to persuade courts, politicians and other actors to tail behind it, not the other way around. Mass movements accomplish this through appeals to shared sets of deep and widely held convictions among the people they aim to mobilize, along with acts or credible threats of sustained and popular civil disobedience.
To further illustrate this point, and show how change occurs without 'a progressive being elected' we'll move away from legislation and examine a significant court decision. I was at the rally before Seattle City Council's vote on their 'Tax the Rich' income tax. It is widely speculated that the ordinance passed by the city council will get challenged in court. Kshama Sawant spoke to that challenge, at the rally, by looking at past pivotal court cases, specifically Roe v. Wade. She emphasized that Roe v. Wade was not decided because a new judge was appointed to the Supreme Court, but because of a mass movement. She makes the same assertion with gay marriage legalization by the courts. She brought these cases up to illustrate the point that if there is a mass movement in Seattle, and we fill the courtrooms we can and will make the court bend to our will. Sawant concluded:
How was it that woman's abortion rights and marriage equality were won? It didn't happen because courts led the way, it was because courts had to follow mass movements.
Morcos: I couldn't agree more that mass movements are the antidote to the problem. I explained in an op-ed the need for a political revolution, and how pundits don't understand it. But I disagree with you when you say that "those holding elected office need not be anyone in particular (Republican/Democrat) for change to occur." Republicans can never be agents of progressive change (at least not in my lifetime). Noam Chomsky explained to me why that is the case:
The gridlock in Congress results from the fact that the Republicans over the years have ceased to be a normal parliamentary party. The highly respected conservative political commentator Norman Ornstein describes them as a "radical insurgency" that has abandoned parliamentary politics. That's the result of their shift to the far right since the Reagan years, with total dedication to extreme wealth and corporate power. They can't get votes that way, so have had to mobilize a base of evangelical Christians, ultranationalists, terrified little men who think they'd better carry an assault rifle into Starbucks to protect themselves, etc.
That Republican base, who I call "single-issue" voters, will vote Republican even when they agree with progressives on many issues, and even when they join the mass movements you speak about. I know many who support Medicare for All but still voted for every Republican down the ballot, knowing quite well that the GOP intends to repeal Obamacare! So no, Republicans on Capitol Hill couldn't care less if millions marched outside calling for Medicare for All. Rand Paul is not going to vote for it. Period. The only way is to win back the House and the Senate. There's no other option.
As the United States has a First-Past-The-Post system, coupled with a strong Republican base, the U.S. is doomed to have a two-party system unless the electoral system is changed. In political science, this is called the "Duverger's law." The only way third parties can compete in an FPTP system is if the Right-wing was splintered among multiple parties. That's why I think that progressives must make changing the electoral system through ballot initiative a top priority.
The last election was a perfect example. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump held record-breaking unfavorability ratings. There couldn't have been a better time for the Green Party and other third parties to challenge the two parties. Yet in the end, I saw to my shock that Jill Stein, who I supported, received just 1% of the popular vote. This is despite the fact that over 35 states are considered safe states, and voting for a third party wouldn't have risked a Trump or a Clinton election. Even in the safest of safe states (California, Texas, New York, D.C., etc.), Jill Stein did extremely poorly. None of this is to fault Jill Stein. Her platform was more powerful than that of Bernie Sanders. But in the end, people chose to vote out of fear, and not out of choice.
I also think that the Democratic establishment cannot wait for progressives to exit the party. You'd be doing them a huge favor. Tom Perez and Debbie Wasserman Schultz will send you a thank you card. Sure, they might not win the House and the Senate, but as Bernie Sanders described the establishment:
There are some people in the Democratic Party who want to maintain the status quo. They would rather go down with the Titanic so long as they have first-class seats.
So my recommendation is to put all efforts to conquer the Democratic Party. Not passively, by just casting votes for them, but by actively fighting to make sure progressive candidates win primary after a primary. That's why I applaud the work of Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, and Brand New Congress.
This summer, we will be lobbying House Democrats to support a bold progressive agenda—the #PeoplesPlatform. Join us: https://t.co/LR2XsQJJ5p pic.twitter.com/BD1YDp5w7X
— Our Revolution (@OurRevolution) July 18, 2017
And I'll conclude by saying that I don't see this as a dichotomy. One can remain within the Democratic Party and work hard to nominate progressive candidates across the board, while at the same time supporting, donating, and volunteering for third parties.
Roberge: Voting for politicians is just part of the process. I'm not attempting to say it holds no utility. The day after an election there is still work to do. Making elections the "centerpiece" of a winning strategy is problematic in my eyes because people will get the wrong idea about how change occurs and possibly develop a savior complex, meaning to me, if we just get the right person in office then everything will be okay.
Beyond dragging politicians to the left, as I've argued can be done via mass movements, the ballot itself is another avenue that doesn't require a "Democratic" majority. For example, in my state of Washington, you can gather signatures to put proposed legislation on the ballot. We currently have a Republican-controlled state senate but passed an initiative to raise our state's minimum wage.
Another option yet to be discussed, bipartisanship. Earlier this month, Washington State passed bipartisan legislation for paid family leave to take care of a baby or elderly family member. Not only that, the initiative is disbursed at a progressive rate:
The benefit amount will be determined on a progressive scale, a first in the United States, with low-wage workers receiving up to 90 percent of their salary or wages while on leave. Once a worker qualifies for the program, the worker can change jobs without losing coverage. The statewide program's portability better accommodates a modern workforce in which workers change jobs with increasing frequency.
You must be thinking, bipartisanship, what, did they get a couple of Republicans to vote on this? The bill passed the Senate on a 37-12 vote (24 Democrats) and the House of Representatives on a 65-29 (50 Democrats) vote.
It's not enough to elect Democrats or progressives and, as such, it shouldn't be the centerpiece toward enacting progressive policy. If you want the policy, then that's what you should focus on. For example, if you want "rent control" start building around it by accomplishing easier, more tangible goals, like a tenant's bill of rights and slowly build on it. Pass legislation that limits the amount landlords can charge in fees. Pass legislation that makes landlords pay the relocation fees associated with displacing a tenant if they raise the rent and so on…
There is a lot of work to be done; electing politicians alone won't get us there. Be creative, be active, and be encouraged. When we fight, we win.
What's your opinion? Share your comments with us.


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30drop: Liveset Mixtape Cosmic-Ambient Set [30DMIX-001]
We are glad to announce the first release of "30drop Mix" Series; limited-edition of 25 cassettes and unlimited free downloading in digital format, as well as the release of DJ sessions or Live performances by artists who work in the same direction as the label's sound.
On this occasion, an exclusive Live Set, with the atmosphere-laden, cosmic and experimental touch of 30drop.
Check the full info and buy it Here
You can listen to it in streaming and download it in our SoundCloud profile too:


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Western Digital HDD
Seagate external HDD
My Synology NAS
Memorex USB flash drive
My favorite storage device is my Sandisk Extreme II 240GB SSD.
My intel ssd, just a great drive overall.
My old ipod. It has SO much room on it!
My favorite storage device is my Samsung Evo SSD!
I like a nice mall memory stick
my thumb drive
My 32gb Class 10 Micro SDHC card, save up for two months to buy one!
Western Digital My Passport Ultra. Nice and reliable.
I would have to say that my Western Digital 4 TB drive works great, the biggest one I have !
Black Vortex with 4 x 3.5 inch SATA HDD
Seagate external HDD and USB flash drive
My Galaxy S3
My 64 GB Flash Drive, carry all sorts of junk on that thing
My 3TB WD Mycloud drive
My flash drive.


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Muckle's Grant Keep Players on the Green
We are delighted to mark a decade of fundraising with a grant to keep a Tyneside bowling club looking sharp.
The Muckle LLP Fund at the Community Foundation is celebrating 10 years of grant making after awarding its 270th grant for £920 to Gateshead Borough Bowling Club to buy bowling shoes.
In total the fund has now awarded more than £275,000 to community and voluntary organisations across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.
It was established at the Community Foundation in 2002 to support projects that Muckle people or their families are involved with or interested in.
Our committee team meets every month to discuss and agree the grants. They also run a match scheme where fundraising efforts by members of the firm can be matched with donations from the fund.
Hugh Welch, senior partner at the Newcastle-based firm and a champion of its community work, said: "As an independent regional law firm, our community programme is very important to us and we are proud of our decade of giving.
"I would, however, like to acknowledge and thank the Community Foundation for all that they have done for us since 2002 both generally and in the administration of our fund.
"We have had a great partnership with them and we have benefited hugely from that relationship."
Paul Dobson, from Gateshead Borough Bowling Club, said: "Things like bowling shoes can be really expensive and that would actually prohibit someone from taking part in the bowling sessions so the grant from the Muckle LLP fund is fantastic.
"It means that everyone can take part in this great sport that gets people out and about, socialising with others and not being stuck in the house. We are very grateful for their support."
The Community Foundation serving Tyne and Wear and Northumberland is a charity that enables effective giving which strengthens communities and enriches local life. The foundation acts as a centre for individuals, families, businesses and other agencies that want to give to communities, matching their interests with organisations and individuals seeking funding.
A wide range of causes benefit from the foundation's awards, including children and older people; people affected by disadvantage and ill-health; and those seeking education and work.
Grants also support the arts, the environment, community activities and amateur sport.
It holds and builds an endowment to provide resources for grant-making.
It also makes grants from contributions given every year.
Based in Newcastle, it is the largest community foundation in the UK and part of a growing international community philanthropy movement.
For more information, help or advice on our Community Fund please contact Hugh Welch on 0191 211 7903 or email [email protected].


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Beam Window Functions
Beam window functions have computed with the
Febecop Pipeline (as described there), and
QuickPol pipeline
(see Hivon et al, 2017[1], and the Planck 2016 Likelihood paper[2]).
The beam window function relates, over the full sky or over a masked sky, the angular power spectrum measured (in the absence of noise) on a map produced by a set of detectors CMB)., to the true underlying sky angular power spectrum (assumed to have isotropic statistical properties, as is the case for the
- 1 QuickPol effective beam window products
- 2 Availability
- 3 FITS parsing
- 4 References
QuickPol effective beam window products[edit]
The effective beam products are defined for each multipole.
They are available in three forms:
Temperature beam window functions for polarized and unpolarized detectors (HFI PSB and SWB)[edit]
The temperature beam window function
where is the pixel window function, parameterized by the HEALPix resolution parameter (=2048 for Planck HFI maps).
Their availability is described in the Availability section
Temperature and polarized beam window functions for polarized detectors (HFI PSB)[edit]
The temperature and polarization beam window functions
for X=T, E or B, and where is defined above.
Their availability is described in the Availability section
- These polarized and unpolarized effective beam window functions are provided in FITS format files
compatible with HEALPix tools for map synthesis (such as
or map smoothing (such as
smoothing_cxx), as well as with map analysis tools such as PolSpice.
Beam matrices for polarized detectors[edit]
The beam matrices
for X,Y,X',Y'= T, E or B, and where is defined above.
The non-diagonal terms of the matrix (CMB polarization, which is done mostly at 100, 143 and 217GHz for HFI.), not present in the usual beam window function defined in the previous section, describe the power spectra cross-talk induced by the scanning beam non-circularity and inter-detector beam mismatch, and are important for the high-ℓ cosmological analysis of the
- They are provided in FITS files, containing 4 extensions each:
- first one, named 'TT', contains the 9 fields: 'TT_2_TT', 'TT_2_EE', 'TT_2_BB', 'TT_2_TE', 'TT_2_TB', 'TT_2_EB', 'TT_2_ET', 'TT_2_BT', 'TT_2_BE'
describing the ℓ-dependent leakage template of TT towards TT, EE, BB, ... respectively.
TT_2_TT is the usual with
- second extension, named 'EE', contains the 9 fields 'EE_2_TT', 'EE_2_EE', 'EE_2_BB', ... for leakage of EE towards TT, EE, BB, ...
EE_2_EE is the usual
- 3rd extension: 'BB' with 'BB_2_TT', ...
BB_2_BB is the usual
- 4th extension: 'TE' with 'TE_2_TT', ...
- Beware: there is no extension #5 nor 6, corresponding to TB and EB, since these terms are unlikely to be major sources of contamination for the other spectra.
- The measured
- CTT*(ℓ) = CTT(ℓ) TT_2_TT(ℓ) + CEE(ℓ) EE_2_TT(ℓ) + CBB(ℓ) BB_2_TT(ℓ) + CTE(ℓ) TE_2_TT(ℓ)
- CEE*(ℓ) = CTT(ℓ) TT_2_EE(ℓ) + CEE(ℓ) EE_2_EE(ℓ) + CBB(ℓ) BB_2_EE(ℓ) + CTE(ℓ) TE_2_EE(ℓ)
- CBB*(ℓ) = CTT(ℓ) TT_2_BB(ℓ) + CEE(ℓ) EE_2_BB(ℓ) + CBB(ℓ) BB_2_BB(ℓ) + CTE(ℓ) TE_2_BB(ℓ)
- CTE*(ℓ) = CTT(ℓ) TT_2_TE(ℓ) + CEE(ℓ) EE_2_TE(ℓ) + CBB(ℓ) BB_2_TE(ℓ) + CTE(ℓ) TE_2_TE(ℓ)
- CET*(ℓ) = CTT(ℓ) TT_2_ET(ℓ) + CEE(ℓ) EE_2_ET(ℓ) + CBB(ℓ) BB_2_ET(ℓ) + CTE(ℓ) TE_2_ET(ℓ)
- Their availability is described in the Availability section
The beam window function products are systematically provided for the (co-)analysis of the
- full mission,
- half-mission1 / half-mission2, and
- even-rings / odd-rings
HFI frequency maps described there. Those products are identified by a string of the form det1xdet2 where det1 and det2 each take the form freqtype with
- freq being the detector frequency in GHz among 100, 143, 217, 353 (PSB+SWB), 353p (PSB only), 545, 857, and
- type being either empty (full mission map), hm1 or hm2 (for 1st and 2nd half-missions), or odd or even (for maps made of even or odd rings)
- examples of det1xdet2 values
- 143x217 (for full mission maps),
- 100hm1x353phm2 (correlation of 100GHz 1st Half mission map, with 353GHz PSB only 2nd Half mission map),
- 217oddx217odd (auto-correlation of 217GHz odd-rings map), ...
T or TEB window functions[edit]
- T only: 100 to 857GHz for full sky maps:
- Bl_R3.00_full_det1xdet2.fits
- TEB: 100 to 353GHz for full sky maps:
- Bl_TEB_R3.00_full_det1xdet2.fits
Polarized beam matrices[edit]
- 100, 143, 217 and 353 GHz, full sky maps
- Wl_R3.00_full_det1xdet2.fits
- 100, 143 and 217GHz, Plik-like masks
- valid for analysis done on maps masked with the Plik masks described ??
- Wl_R3.00_plik_det1xdet2.fits
FITS parsing[edit]
- To read these FITS file in IDL or python, see [[1]]
- ↑ Hivon E., Mottet, S. & Ponthieu N., 2017 QuickPol: Fast calculation of effective beam matrices for CMB polarization A&A 598, A25
- ↑ Planck collaboration, 2018, Planck 2016 results. V. Legacy Power Spectra and Likelihoods
--Ehivon (talk) 15:30, 16 February 2018 (CET)
--Ehivon (talk) 18:05, 19 February 2018 (CET)
Cosmic Microwave background
(Planck) High Frequency Instrument
(Hierarchical Equal Area isoLatitude Pixelation of a sphere, <ref name="Template:Gorski2005">HEALPix: A Framework for High-Resolution Discretization and Fast Analysis of Data Distributed on the Sphere, K. M. Górski, E. Hivon, A. J. Banday, B. D. Wandelt, F. K. Hansen, M. Reinecke, M. Bartelmann, ApJ, 622, 759-771, (2005).
Flexible Image Transfer Specification


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Paul J. Taubman is the founding partner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PJT Partners Inc., a global, advisory-focused investment bank. Prior to founding the predecessor firm to PJT Partners Inc., Mr. Taubman briefly advised clients in an individual capacity where, in less than a year, he advised clients on $220 billion in announced transactions. In October 2014, The Blackstone Group announced that it would spin off its advisory businesses and merge them with Mr. Taubman's PJT Partners. The newly combined company was formed and began trading on the NYSE on October 1, 2015 as PJT Partners Inc.
For nearly 30 years Mr. Taubman was at Morgan Stanley where he served in a series of increasingly senior positions including executive vice president and Co-President of Institutional Securities, with responsibility for all of the firm's investment banking, capital markets, and sales and trading businesses. Prior to becoming Co-President, Mr. Taubman was Morgan Stanley's Global Head of Investment Banking and Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Mr. Taubman serves in a leadership role on numerous philanthropic efforts including Board President of New York Cares, New York City's largest volunteer organization; Board Member of the Partnership for New York City; Advisory Council member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; Trustee and executive committee member of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; National Advisory Board Member of Youth, Inc.; and Trustee of the Foundation for Empowering Citizens with Autism.
Mr. Taubman received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.
Helen Meates is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer of PJT Partners, based in New York. Prior to joining PJT Partners, Ms. Meates worked at Morgan Stanley for 22 years, most recently serving as a Managing Director. Ms. Meates spent the majority of her career at Morgan Stanley in Global Capital Markets, including nine years in Leveraged Finance. In 2011 she was appointed as Deputy Head of Global Capital Markets and co-Chair of the firm's Capital Commitment Committee. In November 2013 she assumed the role of Global Chief Operating Officer for the Research Division and was appointed to the Institutional Securities Operating Committee. Ms. Meates also served on the firm's Institutional Securities Risk Committee, Microfinance Advisory Board and Diversity Committee. Ms. Meates serves on the boards of the SMA Foundation and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. She received a law degree (LLB) from Canterbury University in New Zealand and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Ji-Yeun Lee is the Managing Partner of PJT Partners, based in New York, having joined its predecessor company as one of the Founding Partners in early 2014. Previously, Ms. Lee was Managing Director and Deputy Head of Global Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley. She joined Morgan Stanley in 1988 and spent most of her career in Mergers & Acquisitions, including six years in the firm's London office, advising clients on a broad range of transactions across industries and geographies. Ms. Lee was appointed the Deputy Head of Global Investment Banking in 2007 and joined Morgan Stanley's Management Committee in 2011. Ms. Lee also serves on the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Services. She received a BA degree from Amherst College.
David Travin is a Partner and the General Counsel at PJT Partners, based in New York. Mr. Travin joined PJT Partners in December 2016 and served as the Deputy General Counsel through December 2020. Prior to joining PJT Partners in 2016, Mr. Travin was a member of the legal departments of both UBS AG and Deutsche Bank AG. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Only Make Believe, a nonprofit organization based in New York City. Mr. Travin received a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a JD from The George Washington University Law School.
Thomas M. Ryan currently serves as the Lead Director of PJT Partners. Mr. Ryan is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health Corporation, formerly known as CVS Caremark Corporation, a pharmacy healthcare provider ("CVS"). He served as Chairman of CVS from April 1999 to May 2011 and Chief Executive Officer of CVS from May 1998 to February 2011, and also served as President from May 1998 to May 2010. Mr. Ryan serves on the board of Five Below, Inc., and is an Operating Partner of Advent International. Mr. Ryan was a director of Yum! Brands, Inc. from 2002 to 2017, Reebok International Ltd. from 1998 to 2005, Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2010 and Vantiv, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
James Costos served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and Principality of Andorra from August 2013 to January 2017. Mr. Costos currently serves as President of Secuoya Studios, a global Spanish language content studio. In addition, Mr. Costos serves as a Member of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, serves as a senior advisor to FC Barcelona, is a senior managing director at Dentons, in their Global Venture Technology group, and sits on the Boards of Directors of Grifols S.A. and the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy and political lobbying organization in the United States. Previously, Mr. Costos was Vice President at Home Box Office, served as an executive at Revolution Studios, and held senior leadership roles for more than a decade at Tod's S.p.A. and Hermès of Paris. Mr. Costos is a passionate supporter of several cultural and humanitarian organizations, including the Reina Sofia Museum and the Hispanic Society of America. Mr. Costos earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts.
Dennis S. Hersch was Lead Director to PJT since 2015. He also served as President of N.A. Property, Inc. and as Managing Director of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., from December 2005 through January 2008, where he served as the Global Chairman of its Mergers & Acquisitions Department. Mr. Hersch was also a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, a New York law firm, from 1978 until December 2005. Mr. Hersch served as a director of L Brands, Inc. and a member of its Finance Committee until May 2019, and was a director and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Clearwire Corporation from November 2008 until June 2013.
Dennis Hersch served with great distinction as our lead director and played a critical role in helping to build our firm. He led with wisdom, thoughtfulness and integrity throughout our journey. We will be forever grateful for his leadership and guiding hand.
Emily K. Rafferty is President Emerita of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was elected President of the Museum in 2005 and served in that role until her retirement in March 2015. She had been a member of the Museum's staff since 1976 serving in various roles in development, membership and external affairs until becoming President and Chief Administrative Officer in 2005, overseeing some 2,300 full- and part-time employees. Ms. Rafferty's global experience in some 50 countries on behalf of the Museum included interactions and negotiations with many senior world leaders. Ms. Rafferty served as a Board member of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 2011 to 2017 (Chair, 2012 to 2016), and Senior Adviser for Heritage Protection and Conservation for UNESCO from 2015 to 2017. She was Chair of NYC & Company (the city's tourism, marketing and partnering organization) from 2008 to 2020, and continues to serve on the Executive Committee. She is a Vice Chair of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and a Board member of the Asia Society, Civitella Ranieri, an Artist Residency Program in Italy, the Hispanic Society Museum and Library, and the Association of Art Museum Curators. She previously consulted for Russell Reynolds Associates in the firm's nonprofit practice and The Shed, a NYC performing arts center. She is a Board member of Carnegie Hall; a Board member of Koç Holdings, Istanbul, 2018 to the present; a member of the Advisory Council of the American University of Beirut and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Grace Reksten Skaugen, a Norwegian national, has extensive experience working with a broad array of European companies. She previously served as a senior advisor to Deutsche Bank (2007-2014) and HSBC (2014-2019). In 2009, Ms. Skaugen co-founded the Norwegian Institute of Directors, where she still serves on its board. From 2012 to 2015, she was deputy chair of the Norwegian oil company Equinor (formerly Statoil) and served on its board for 13 years. Today, Ms. Skaugen serves as a board member of the Swedish industrial investment company Investor AB, the oil and gas company Panoro Energy, Euronav NV (where she also serves as Chair) and Lundin Energy AB (renamed Orrön Energy AB) (where she serves as Chair). Ms. Skaugen is also a councilmember and trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. She has previous investment banking experience, having worked at the Nordic bank SEB, where she advised companies within the energy, transportation and technology sectors. Ms. Skaugen started her career as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia Radiation Laboratory in New York. She is a physicist by education and holds a PhD in laser physics from Imperial College in London. She also holds an M.B.A. from the Norwegian School of Management, BI.
Kenneth C. Whitney has managed a private family investment office since April 2013, focused on start-up businesses and entertainment projects. Since his retirement from Blackstone Inc. in April 2013 until September 2015, he was also a Senior Advisor to Blackstone. Mr. Whitney was previously a Senior Managing Director and Head of Blackstone's Investor Relations & Business Development Group from 1998 to April 2013. After joining Blackstone in 1988, Mr. Whitney focused his efforts on raising capital for Blackstone's private investment funds and the establishment of Blackstone affiliates in the alternative investment area. Mr. Whitney began his career at Coopers & Lybrand in 1980, where he spent time in the firm's accounting and audit areas as well as in the tax and mergers and acquisitions areas. Mr. Whitney is a Tony Award-winning producer, and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for The First Tee and the University of Delaware, where he received a B.S. in Accounting.


text:
Martin Short delivered a barb aimed at former President Trump's handling of classified documents while appearing Monday at the Emmy Awards.
"Really, what an audience you are," the "Only Murders in the Building" star exclaimed as he took to the Primetime Emmy Awards stage in Los Angeles to present the award in the best variety talk series category.
"I wish I could box you up and take you home, like classified White House documents," Short, 72, quipped to laughs from the audience at the 74th annual awards show.
Trump's legal team fought a request from the Department of Justice to allow its review of classified materials taken from Mar-a-Lago, the ex-president's Florida resort home, to continue in a Monday court filing. The investigation, Trump's lawyers said in the filing, "at its core is a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control."
While Short's quip came during a largely politics-free night at the Emmys, the performer has said in the past that he's purposely avoided Trump-related zingers. In a 2018 Netflix special with fellow comedian Steve Martin, Short said the pair opted not to make mention of the then-commander in chief.
"Steve and I have great respect for the fact that we don't just want a liberal audience," the actor told The Daily Beast.
"So that's why we deliberately do not mention Donald Trump," he said at the time.
"But as far as the Trump presidency, I wouldn't even call it a presidency. It's an asterisk. It's a typo," Short said.
"I mean, every day it's worse and 10 years from now the history books will be having a field day with it and the shame of the people who supported him, if they're still around, in the sense of being in the public eye, will be like the people who supported [late Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.)]," he said.


text:
State of emergency declared for this weekend in Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville declared states of emergency for the Commonwealth and the city, a release said.
The declaration is to address potential impacts of events in and around the city of Charlottesville and outside of Washington, D.C., on August 10 through 12, the release said.
Multiple events are planned to mark the anniversary of the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, which resulted in the deaths of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and Virginia State Police Troopers Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, III and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates.
"Declaring this state of emergency in advance of the anniversary and the related planned events will help us ensure that the state and the city have all available resources to support emergency responders in case they're needed," said Northam in a release. "Virginia continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago. We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully."
The city is also establishing defined security areas.
Effective the evening of August 10 the city of Charlottesville will establish a defined security area within downtown.
- There will be two entry points for pedestrians to access the security area.
- Law enforcement personnel will be positioned at the entry points at 1st Street S & Water Street and at 2nd Street SE & Water Street.
"We have learned many lessons from the tragic events of August 12, 2017. For the anniversary of that difficult August weekend which resulted in three lost lives, the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia are working closely with law enforcement and public safety agencies from around Virginia to plan for potential events and to keep our city safe from violence," said Charlottesville's Interim City Manager Mike Murphy in a release. "We join the Commonwealth in declaring a state of emergency in advance of these planned events to ensure all available resources are in place and that we are fully prepared to keep the peace in Charlottesville August 10-12."
By order of the city manager of the city of Charlottesville, the following items are prohibited within the downtown security area:
- BB guns
- Pellet guns
- Air rifles or pistols
- Paintball guns
- Pellet guns
- Nunchucks
- Tasers
- Stun guns
- Heavy gauge metal chains
- Lengths of lumber or wood
- Poles
- Bricks
- Rocks
- Metal beverage or food cans or containers
- Glass bottles
- Axes, axe handles, hatchets
- Ice picks
- Acidic or caustic materials
- Hazardous or flammable or combustible liquids
- Skateboards
- Swords
- Knives, daggers, razor blades or other sharp items
- Metal Pipes
- Pepper or bear spray or mace
- Aerosol sprays
- Catapults
- Wrist rockets
- Bats, sticks, clubs
- Drones
- Explosives or fireworks
- Open fire or open flames
- Any Other Item Considered an "Implement of Riot."
Any person in possession of a prohibited item will be denied entry into the downtown safety area, the release from the city said. Violation of these restrictions may result in criminal penalties.
The Commonwealth state of emergency declaration mobilizes and funds state resources from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Health, Virginia National Guard, and other state agencies that will be deployed to Charlottesville and Northern Virginia, the release said. It activates the Virginia Emergency Operations Center to coordinate state resources and allocates $2 million to pay for this response and authorizes the Virginia National Guard to assign forces to assist in security efforts, the release said.
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Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants. You can reach her at email@example.com or 213-9125.


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Fresh Snow recently released their their latest musical offering "Won" via Hand Drawn Dracula. This week they share their video for "King Twink Rides Again." The video is available to Stream via YouTube.
Fresh Snow have moved in new directions. Born in a dive bar on Toronto's Bloor Street in 2010, four friends gathered to make improvisational music based on their love of drones, noise and-less obviously-strongly melodic pop music. Since their first show in 2011, Andy Lloyd (bass, keys) , Brad Davis (guitars, keys), Jon Maki (drums), and Tim Condon (keys, etc) have released a split 7″ single with METZ, a full-length album, "I" (Reel Cod Records), and a cover of 'Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle', featuring vocals by Julie Fader on the Nirvana tribute album, Milkin' It (Hand Drawn Dracula).
Primarily an instrumental band with a core line-up augmented by guest horn and string players (including Trent Severn's Laura C. Bates), Fresh Snow is not easy to pigeonhole. Their upcoming
WON will explore different sides of the band's aesthetic, and features vocal appearances by
DIANA's Carmen Elle, and FUCKED UP's Damian Abraham. Just as they are prone to wearing masks onstage, so they are intent on keeping listeners guessing what they'll do next. In an age where everything is instant and people have nothing to hide, Fresh Snow believes that a little mystery makes everything more enjoyable.
Tour Dates:
February 19 Toronto, ON – Endless City Gallery *
* = w/ Carmen Elle (DIANA), Andrew Roy (of Etiquette), Blue Light (of Crosss, Shønsee)
Fresh Snow
[Hand Drawn Dracula]
1. King Twink Rides Again
2. Proper Burial (ft. Carmen Elle)
3. Blood In The Sun (digital only)
4. Delft
5. Don't Fuck A Gift Horse In The Mouth (ft. Damian Abraham)