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HashiCorp Terraform is a powerful open-source infrastructure automation tool that enables you to provision and manage infrastructure as code. Google has been collaborating with HashiCorp since 2013 to enable customers who use Terraform and other HashiCorp tools to make optimal use of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services and features.
Google has also invested in creating reusable Terraform modules for common deployment patterns. In this exercise, you will use our networking module to create a custom VPC on GCP. You will then deploy a VM onto the network and connect to it.
If you don't already have a Google Account (Gmail or Google Apps), you must create one. Sign-in to Google Cloud Platform console (console.cloud.google.com) and create a new project:
Remember the project ID, a unique name across all Google Cloud projects (the name above has already been taken and will not work for you, sorry!). It will be referred to later in this codelab as
Next, you'll need to enable billing in the Cloud Console in order to use Google Cloud resources.
Running through this codelab shouldn't cost you more than a few dollars, but it could be more if you decide to use more resources or if you leave them running (see "cleanup" section at the end of this document).
New users of Google Cloud Platform are eligible for a $300 free trial.
While Google Cloud can be operated remotely from your laptop, in this codelab you will be using Google Cloud Shell, a command line environment running in the Cloud.
From the GCP Console click the Cloud Shell icon on the top right toolbar:
It should only take a few moments to provision and connect to the environment. When it is finished, you should see something like this:
This virtual machine is loaded with all the development tools you'll need. It offers a persistent 5GB home directory, and runs on Google Cloud, greatly enhancing network performance and authentication. All of your work in this lab can be done with simply a browser.
Before using Terraform, you must first install it locally. This will enable you to use the
terraform CLI.
You could browse to the Terraform website, but this section will teach you how to download, verify, and install Terraform securely. Even though Terraform is downloaded over a TLS connection, it may still be possible for a skilled attacker to compromise the underlying storage system or network transport. For that reason, in addition to serving the binaries over TLS, HashiCorp also signs the checksums of each release with their private key. Thus, to verify the integrity of a download, we must:
This way, even if an attacker were able to compromise the network transport and underlying storage component, they wouldn't be able to sign the checksums with HashiCorp's GPG key. If this operation is successful, we have an extremely high degree of confidence that the software is untainted.
Since that process can be tedious, we will leverage a Docker container to do it for us. Execute the following command to install Terraform locally. We install Terraform into
$HOME/bin because that will persist between restarts on Cloud Shell.
$ docker run -v $HOME/bin:/software sethvargo/hashicorp-installer terraform 0.11.10 $ sudo chown -R $(whoami):$(whoami) $HOME/bin/
Add the bin to our path:
$ export PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH
Finally, optionally, explore the Terraform CLI help. Do not execute any non-help commands.
$ terraform -h
Add a Terraform config file which handles activating the compute API, setting up networking, and launching a VM on your network.
Download the sample Terraform configuration from GitHub:
$ curl -sSfO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/terraform-google-modules/terraform-google-network/morgante/codelab-hashiconf/codelabs/simple/main.tf
There are a few important sections in this file, which are noted below.
Because networking is a part of the Google Compute API, you need to make sure the compute API is active on your project before other resources are created. This can be done using the
google_project_service resource.
resource "google_project_service" "compute" {
service = "compute.googleapis.com"
A Terraform module is configured to create your global network and configure two subnets in the
us-west1 region.
module "vpc" {
source = "terraform-google-modules/network/google"
version = "~> 0.4.0"
# Give the network a name and project
project_id = "${google_project_service.compute.project}"
network_name = "my-custom-vpc-${random_id.network_id.hex}"
subnets = [
# Creates your first subnet in us-west1 and defines a range for it
subnet_name = "my-first-subnet"
subnet_ip = "10.10.10.0/24"
subnet_region = "us-west1"
The Terraform config also includes a single VM and a firewall rule to allow traffic to that VM so you can test that your new network has connectivity to the internet.
resource "google_compute_instance" "default" {
name = "vm-${random_id.instance_id.hex}"
machine_type = "f1-micro"
zone = "us-west1-a"
# ...
We can now run Terraform. First, initialize Terraform to download the latest version of the Google and Random providers.
$ terraform init
Run a plan step to validate the configuration syntax and show a preview of what will be created.
$ terraform plan
The plan output shows Terraform is going to create 8 resources, including two
random_id resources, two
google_compute_subnetwork resources, a
google_compute_network, a
google_project_service, a
google_compute_instance, and a
Now execute Terraform apply to apply those changes:
$ terraform apply
You will see output like this:
Plan: 8 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy. Do you want to perform these actions? Terraform will perform the actions described above. Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve. Enter a value:
Enter "yes" to the prompt. After the apply has finished, you should see an output similar to the following.
Apply complete! Resources: 8 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed. Outputs: ip = <some value here...>
You can now ping the instance, using its public IP.
$ ping $(terraform output ip) PING 18.104.22.168 (18.104.22.168): 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 18.104.22.168: icmp_seq=0 ttl=55 time=141.058 ms 64 bytes from 18.104.22.168: icmp_seq=1 ttl=55 time=141.158 ms 64 bytes from 188.8.131.52: icmp_seq=2 ttl=55 time=140.330 ms 64 bytes from 220.127.116.11: icmp_seq=3 ttl=55 time=140.060 ms ... <ctrl+c> to quit
You can also verify the custom VPC exists with gcloud:
$ gcloud compute networks list NAME SUBNET_MODE BGP_ROUTING_MODE IPV4_RANGE GATEWAY_IPV4 default AUTO REGIONAL my-custom-vpc-dfb... CUSTOM GLOBAL
That's it! You have successfully created a VPC and VM on Google Cloud.
When you no longer need the infrastructure you created, destroy it using the destroy command.
$ terraform destroy
Just like before, Terraform will prompt you for confirmation:
Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 8 to destroy. Do you really want to destroy all resources? Terraform will destroy all your managed infrastructure, as shown above. There is no undo. Only 'yes' will be accepted to confirm. Enter a value:
Type "yes" and Terraform will destroy the infrastructure.
You learned how to use a module for HashiCorp Terraform to create a network on Google Cloud.
If you are done exploring, please consider deleting your project.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.


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Sprinkles on the inside, sprinkles on the outside! These colorful cookies are perfect for a gift box of holiday treats, and you can use different colored sprinkles throughout the year to celebrate the seasons, your favorite school's team, or a special occasion (think pink or blue sprinkles for a sweet baby shower!) Incorporate sprinkles into the cookie dough and then chill; you can make it up to 8 hours in advance. Once the cookies have baked, spread the delicious vanilla buttercream on the flat sides of half of the cookies, then top with the remaining cookies. Roll the assembled sandwich cookies in the remaining sprinkles for added impact. You can package and stack these cookies in a pretty round holiday tin or use a square box. Just pack some of the cookies on their sides and stack others flat to keep them from moving around. Have extra sprinkles on hand for touch-ups, if needed.
How to Make It
Prepare the Cookies: Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, and beat until just incorporated; beat in vanilla.
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Fold in either assorted red and green sprinkles or assorted blue and white sprinkles until evenly distributed throughout batter. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Shape chilled dough into 48 (1-inch) balls; arrange 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Working in 2 batches, bake until cookies are lightly browned around edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Prepare the Vanilla Buttercream: Beat butter with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 teaspoon milk, beating on low speed until smooth and creamy. If needed, beat in up to 1 teaspoon remaining milk to reach desired consistency. Store Vanilla Buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Spread about 1 tablespoon Vanilla Buttercream onto the flat sides of 24 of the cookies. Top with flat sides of remaining 24 cookies. Roll sides of cookie sandwiches in either assorted red and green sprinkles or assorted blue and white sprinkles (to match the colors used inside cookies). Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Porsche 991 Carrera (2012-) - Pictures
Porsche 911 Carrera to be turbo only, as manuals stay
Porsche confirms the 911 Carrera won't be available with a naturally aspirated engine again, but manuals stay. For now
17 May 2020
Porsche 911 Carrera S given more power than a GT3 RS
Following its work on the Carrera 4S, Techart has released a range of modifications for the entire 992 911 Carrera range
28 Apr 2020
Porsche 911 Carrera S manual now available to order in the UK
The promised 992-generation 911 with a seven-speed manual is now available to order in Carrera S and 4S guises
28 Apr 2020
Litchfield Porsche 911 Carrera T (991) review
Litchfield has turned its attention to the Carrera T, but does a power boost detract from what the T is all about?
18 Apr 2020
800bhp Gemballa Avalanche 4x4 takes Porsche 911 Turbo off-road
German tuner Gemballa releases design sketches of an off-road Porsche 911
12 Mar 2020
RUF Rodeo Concept revealed as off-road Porsche 911
Porsche tuner RUF has launched the lifted, off-road Rodeo Concept
10 Mar 2020
Porsche 911 GT3 vs GT3 RS vs GT2 RS - track battle
Porsche's GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 RS are the most hardcore of the 911 breed, but pitched head‑to‑head which will we crown champion?
15 Nov 2019
Porsche 911 review
The latest Porsche 911 is more complete than ever, but it takes time to discover its character
4 Nov 2019
Most Popular
2020 Bentley Bentayga revealed
Bentley's Bentayga SUV has been given a big refresh, with a new look, interior and tech
30 Jun 2020
Tecnomar launches 4000hp V12 Lamborghini yacht
The V12-powered yacht is Tecnomar's most capable offering yet, and takes inspiration from Lamborghini's most recent models
30 Jun 2020
FK8 Honda Civic Type R fettled by Mugen
Japanese Honda tuner Mugen has released a handful of parts for the latest Civic Type R
29 Jun 2020
BMW i8 reaches the end of production – here are the final 18 cars
As the final i8 rolls off the production line in Germany, BMW celebrates with 18 unique examples
29 Jun 2020


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Live Talks Los Angeles presents 2016 James Beard Award winner chef Raghavan Iyer in a talk about his newest cookbook, Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked—and Fried, Too! A Celebration of Potatoes in 75 Irresistible Recipes.
Tuesday, February 28, 8pm
William Turner Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404.
Tickets can be purchased at livetalksla.org. Prices range from $20-$95.
A specially-ticketed pre-show reception begins at 6.30pm.


text:
Exceptional school writing projects are normally a little more advanced in comparison with middle school assignments. It shows to become a trouble to finish the major college composition in given period. While at essential school students study how to prepare yourself for the practical lifestyle and demonstrate their skills to handle the minor problems of existence, like a significant school article. Several outstanding school firms as a greater school article Essays-online.biz provide plagiarized and inferior exceptional custom greater school documents. There are a few terrific subjects to think about when selecting a subject for the argumentative essay. Use particular grounds to create your essay. The essay may possibly not have a position on the problem, or the article usually takes a placement but-don't carry grounds to support that place, or the essay might choose a placement but-don't keep up a stand. Yes, they can be competent to write an essay on each theme you might need. The most acceptable procedure is to be adopted to pick the documents. They have to understand to pick the documents.
Tell whatever you know below to us.
Nobody really wishes to write an article. An essay subject won't be in the special way. The essay requires a placement on the problem and could supply some framework for discussion. It reveals a great control of language.
Hinterlasse eine Antwort Antworten abbrechen
Du musst angemeldet sein, um einen Kommentar abzugeben.
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Management Talents onlineComing soon!


text:
But don't push too much!
Know when to stop pushing;
Stop when you should;
If you don't,
You may end up pushing too much;
And that will have
Negative repercussions.
Never forget
There is a time
To push,
A time to stop pushing;
A time to go forward,
And a time to stop going.
That is the logic of life.
Don't push too much


text:
Major Bridge Repair & Rehabilitation Program
This program encompasses rehabilitation and major repairs of existing city bridges to extend the operational life of the bridge structures. Candidates are chosen based on public safety and cost effectiveness of the improvements being made. This program will rehabilitate and make major repairs to bridge decks, railings sidewalks, abutments, piers, approaches, and other various components associated with bridges. These major repair and rehabilitation expenses are relatively small and significantly extend the operational life of the much larger bridge asset.
Major bridge repair and rehabilitation is an ongoing program.
2020 Projects
12th Ave S Bridge
In 2020, the 12th Ave S bridge over Minnehaha Creek will be closed for repair.
Project status
Project description
This project is a bridge improvement project. Improvements include replacing the deck, beams, and approach panels. Additional pavement on both ends of the bridge may be milled and overlaid. No work is planned on the stone façade.
Project location
The project is located on 12th Ave S from E Minnehaha Pkwy to 50th St E, over Minnehaha Creek.
Construction date
This project is scheduled to begin on May 4, 2020.
Length of construction
Anticipated completion by Fall 2020
Traffic impact
The bridge will be closed to through traffic during these work activities. Minnehaha Creek will be closed at times to canoes, kayaks, tubing, etc, as required for safety reasons during construction activities, and a portage will be provided.
Suggested traffic detour route
Last updated on April 21, 2020
11th Ave S Bridge
The 11th Ave S bridge over 3rd and 4th St in downtown Minneapolis will be closed for repair in 2019 and 2020.
Project Status
Project Limits
The bridge is located on 11th Ave S over 3rd and 4th St S, in the Downtown East neighborhood. The 2019 work will consist of replacing the bearings on the bridge and making repairs to the center pier cap. The 2020 work will consist of painting the beams of the bridge.
Construction Schedule
Painting of the bridge beams is scheduled to begin in late summer/early fall of 2020.
Traffic Impact
11th Ave S will be closed to through vehicle traffic for the duration of the project, and a detour will be posted. It is anticipated that pedestrian and vehicle access will be maintained. However, there will be relatively short periods of time when the bridge will need to be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles. This will happen when the bridge is being raised and lowered. There may be additional periods if safety issues arise.
Recommended Detour Routes
3rd and 4th St S will also be detoured at times during the project. This will happen when the bridge is being raised and lowered and when workers are actively working on the center pier cap and on the underside of the bridge.
During the weekend of the Twin Cities marathon, the detour routes will be altered to accommodate marathon activities.
The 11th Ave S bridge was constructed in 1969. The 2019 work will replace the bearings on the bridge, which are corroded. This improvement will allow the bridge to move properly with changes in temperature. The work will also make repairs to the center pier cap. There are numerous utilities that are located on this bridge that will require being supported during these work activities. The 2020 work will paint the beams supporting the bridge deck.
Past projects
Burnham Rd Bridge
The Burnham Rd bridge over Kenilworth Lagoon was closed for repair in 2018.
Upton Ave S Bridge
The Upton Ave S bridge over Minnehaha Creek was closed for repair in 2017.
49th Ave N Bridge
The 49th Ave N bridge over Shingle Creek was closed for repair in 2016.
Queen Ave N Bridge
The Queen Ave N bridge over Shingle Creek was closed for repair in 2016.
Before & After Rehabilitation Work
Project Contact
Tracy Lindgren, 612 290-5898 or [email protected]
Last updated Jul 8, 2020


text:
A firm foundation in primary care transformation and quality improvement practices has served Mayfair Internal Medicine well in the Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) program. Three seasoned physicians lead the practice and care for a largely older, Medicare-eligible population.
The established Denver, Colo. practice is a veteran of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus medical home transformation initiative, and was supported by HealthTeamWorks for practice transformation. Its twice-monthly quality improvement team meetings are well-organized and productive, so when HealthTeamWorks began supporting Mayfair for the SIM program in 2017, the practice was ready to hit the ground running.
HealthTeamWorks provides practice facilitation as well as a clinical health information technology advisor (CHITA) to support the work. As an advanced primary care practice, Mayfair is tracking double the required six measures under the SIM program. HealthTeamWorks practice facilitation supports the quality improvement process so measurement activities fit into the regular flow of a busy practice, e.g., whether to do screenings during an annual wellness visit or when patients come in for an annual physical, and how to seamlessly code for reimbursement and capture the screening results in the patient's electronic health record. The CHITA advisor offers counsel and technical advice so Mayfair can get to the data needed to assess population health opportunities, identify preventive health targets and report activities and results required for the CPC+ and SIM programs.
SIM focuses on screening for depression and social determinants of health needs, as well as referral to resources when needs are identified. Mayfair has surpassed the requirement to screen more than 50 percent of its adult patients for depression; in 2018 alone, the practice identified 1,814 patients who needed followup care for this chronic condition.
Because few behavioral health providers in the Denver area accept Medicare patients to treat depression, the screenings uncovered a resource gap for Mayfair's patients with depression. Mayfair responded with a significant practice change to support the spirit of SIM. It contracted with a mental health facility to bring a licensed behavioral health professional into the practice so, when a corresponding need is uncovered during a visit, physicians are able to refer patients with a warm handoff and introduction to the practice's own provider. Integrated, onsite primary care and behavioral health is a best practice, designed to make followup care for depression and other behavioral health needs easier for the patient—and more likely to happen.
"SIM is helping reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health and is breaking down barriers," says Tiffany Martin, Mayfair's office manager. "SIM has given us access to a behavioral health provider and allowed us to take care of the whole patient."


text:
Doug Suhr,
Regional Vice President
Doug began his career in the financial services industry in 1996. His past professional experiences include providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to high-net-worth individuals at nationally recognized brokerage firms including: TIAA-CREF, Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab & Co., and UBS Wealth Management. Doug received a degree in Finance & Management from Southampton College of Long Island University and holds the FINRA Series 65 license. He lives in Middletown, Rhode Island with his wife and their four children.


text:
By John McCarthy
TITUSVILLE -- Bob Allen has no intention of resigning his state House seat and is "absolutely" not guilty of soliciting for prostitution, the 48-year-old Merritt Island resident told FLORIDA TODAY Thursday afternoon.
Police arrested Allen Wednesday afternoon at a Titusville park bathroom after he allegedly offered to perform oral sex on an undercover officer and to pay the officer $20 for the opportunity. He faces one charge of solicitation, a second-degree misdemeanor, and posted $500 bond later Wednesday and was released from the Brevard County jail.
"I'm absolutely not guilty, and I'm going to put on a vigorous defense to prove that," he told the newspaper.
He said police accounts of the incident are wrong -- "That is not what happened." -- but that he cannot offer details as to what did happen because of the unfolding legal process.
1. Let me draw your attention to the fact that the gender of the undercover officer has discreetly been left unvoiced. This story was repeated today on our local NPR station (WFSU) and the gender of the officer was again unstated. They did say "perform oral sex on an undercover officer" from which, I suppose, we are all supposed to draw our own conclusions.
2. State Representative Allen seems to have no explanation for cruising in a public park bathroom.
3. He's married and has one kid.
4.Twenty dollars? That's it!?!?
5. If you ask me, I don't really have any problem with a couple of guys messing around in a park bathroom. It's a true shame that the Titusville police go around arresting people who do this. But it always feels kind of good when another crazy right-wing white man gets caught doing something he publicly condemns, hoist with his own petard, if you will.
6. If we all could just be less afraid of sexual difference...


text:
Davini Art Originals
Abstract Florals
Sailboats Sea/Landscapes
Florals & Still Life
Currently For sale
Art Gem Series
Available Art Gems
Abstract Floral Series
My Abstract Floral Series of paintings was born out of my desire to paint the standard "Flower & Vase" still life, yet with a twist. I love abstracts and try to incorporate that freedom in these works.
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text:
EY names Carmine Di Sibio as global CEO
22 Jan 2019
Carmine Di Sibio has been elected the next EY global chairman and CEO, succeeding Mark Weinberger, who steps down on 1 July 2019 after six years in the role
22 Jan 2019
Di Sibio joined EY in 1985, and has served as an advisory and assurance partner with a strong background in financial services accounts. He is currently EY global managing partner – client service, a post he has held since 2013. Additionally, he has overall responsibility for the four geographical EY areas and four service lines.
The firm said Di Sibio has played a critical role in EY's innovation efforts and has been one of the key architects of the organisation's acquisitions and alliances strategy, helping to expand EY resources and capabilities in a wide range of new and emerging fields. Di Sibio also co-chairs the EY global diversity and inclusiveness steering committee.
Weinberger said: 'Carmine is an outstanding and inclusive leader who has a foundation in audit and in serving the largest EY clients. He is a leader who understands the importance of diverse and inclusive teams, and he knows how to engage people to reach their full potential. I believe the organization has made an exceptional choice, and Carmine is the right EY global chairman and CEO in these transformative times.'
Di Sibio said: 'I am honoured to be chosen to lead this great organisation, which I have been part of for over 33 years.
'It's been a great opportunity to work with Mark and the leadership team on the development and execution of our Vision 2020 strategy over the past six years. I'm excited to build on the significant legacy and strong foundation we have here at EY.'
During Weinberger's tenure, EY adopted its 'building a better working world' purpose and achieved an annual compound revenue growth rate of 8.5%, resulting in a 50% increase in revenues, while the firm added more than 100,000 EY people, including 20,000 data and analytics practitioners and over 2,000 data scientists.
Report by Pat Sweet


text:
Sometimes, we may require shifting our entire business unit to some other locations for grabbing the better opportunities. In such scenario, shifting can create great stress, as you will require to do a lot of packaging along with security. Major office supply includes office furniture, the desk, office chairs, and shelves etc. Taking professional help from office removal Sydney will be a wise decision to ensure the safety of all the stuff. They will lower down your mental pressure by helping you in the entire packaging.
Checklist for choosing the best office removal services
Choosing the best movers and packer Sydney requires inspecting closely on various aspects. This post talks about the various qualities that are required to be kept in mind while choosing office removal services.
Expertise comes along with experience only and that is what really matters. The more experience one has in any field indicated the level of proficiency they have in their work. Therefore, always look for the experienced service provider to have a trustworthy delivery of all your office supplies.
You should be well known regarding all the services that you are expecting from your movers and packers Melbourne. And make sure to cross check if they will be providing all the services that you are expecting out of them. There are many house removals in Melbourne that handle only the shifting and not being concerned about the packaging. Therefore, it is essential to meet all your requirements prior to signing the final deal with any of the service provider. As different service providers provide different services.
Most of the renowned and authentic office removals company does prefer to cover all the moving supplies under insurance. Therefore, it is better to opt for the companies providing proper insurance. Also, make sure to check on the license that a particular service provider is having. There appears to be no harm in checking all their documents and you can even check their official website. Properly maintained documentation along with the insurance and license is an indication of the reliability of any of the service provider.
Checking reviews are one of the most common ways out to check upon the reliability of any service provider. Having a deep knowledge about the know about of the company that you are the thing to hire is always recommendable. There are many ways that you can opt for looking at the customer reviews including the online portals and survey. Reviews will provide the actual position and creditability of the service provider and you can make up your mind accordingly.
Ensure that you have cleared all your doubts popping up in your mind prior signing final deal with the company for office removals. A genuine and reliable company will always give a rough estimate regarding the overall cost. Make sure they make a site visit prior building up the estimate and you have covered everything that needs to be moved. Also, check whether the company has any extra hidden charges to ensure the complete transparency at the time of final billing.
Now you have grasped the brief if various qualities that are required to be check in any of the service providers. All the removal and storage companies not only helps you in packaging and shifting but also reduce your overall stress.


text:
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Denver Natural Stone Tiles to Use for Your Pool Deck
July 11, 2018
Although many neighborhoods these days have community swimming pools, there is nothing quite as fun and convenient as having a pool right in your own backyard. Having a backyard pool is a great way to beat the heat—and to entertain family and friends. Whether you decide on an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool, you'll probably want to create some kind of decking area, so you'll need to figure out what kind of natural stone tiles to use for your Denver pool.
Before you decide to take the plunge—so to speak—and put a pool in your backyard, read these
on what you should do beforehand from the experts at Homes. Now let's go over options for the best natural stone tiles to use.
is one of the most popular natural stones people use for pool decks, and it's no wonder. This naturally porous stone means it stays cool on hot days—which is especially important with Denver's bright sunshine—as well as slip-resistant. Its durability means that it can handle harsh Colorado winters as well, so it will be beautiful for years to come. Travertine is available in beautiful shads of gold, brown, and ivory that will complement any décor.
Sandstone is another natural stone option. It consists of quartz grains, is available in light browns and reds, and provides an elegant, dramatic look to any backyard pool area.
When most people think of granite, they picture countertops, but granite is also an excellent option for pool decks. It has a natural shine and water resistance that provides a safe, sophisticated look. It comes a wide variety of colors for homeowners who appreciate having plenty of options when planning their design.
Limestone is used in a lot of public buildings because of its beauty and sustainability, and most homeowners overlook this exceptional stone. Its availability of warm, earthy colors—browns, tans, blues, grays, and pinks—provide a unique look for your patio. It is durable enough to withstand any kind of weather that Colorado might dish out.
Flagstone is another popular natural stone that people use for pool decks, and it comes in flat slabs of pavers. Flagstone pavers can be arranged in any number of ways, providing homeowners with lots of options for creativity. It comes in a variety of earth tones. It is a slip-free surface that is also moisture- and heat-resistant, making it a durable option for your pool deck area. Homeowners also appreciate the low maintenance that comes along with flagstone.
Whatever natural stone you decide on for your Denver pool deck,
Natural Stone Sales
has the product you need. For more than 30 years our expert staff has been satisfying customers throughout the Denver area with our superior and customized natural stone services. We look forward to sharing our expertise with you! Call us today at 303-777-7485 or visit our showroom at 900 W. Mississippi Ave. in Denver anytime from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.


text: We'll be set up at the BMO center in Calgary this Friday and Saturday for one of our favorite events! Try out some new beer and chat beards with us during the Calgary International Beer Fest! Find us by Grizzly Paw Brewing. We even have a few Friday tickets available so if you want 'em we got 'em!


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(Updated June 1, 2018) The last research from Gartner (Gartner login required) on the cloud storage gateway market in 2016 stated it is "at a crossroads due to low customer adoption and the tenuous financial condition of small suppliers." We agree. Original cloud gateway products that were designed around controller-centric architectures have been marginalized by software-defined Cloud File Services platforms designed to work with any on-premises or public cloud storage. The remaining gateway solutions are provided by the cloud vendors themselves, who use them to drive utilization of their own cloud storage.
In this blog, I'll explain in technical detail the 5 dirty secrets (plus 2 new bonus ones) of why cloud storage gateways are phasing out, and why hybrid cloud storage solutions have emerged from this now defunct category as the modern, cloud-based way for organizations to store, protect, synchronize and collaborate on files across all locations at scale.
1. A Cloud Storage Gateway Doesn't Support CIFS/NFS
Almost all applications used by enterprises today are compatible with the CIFS/SMB and NFS file sharing protocols. As a result, applications can read from and write to any file server or NAS device that supports these standards.
This is not the case with a cloud storage gateway. Amazon's S3 API has become the de-facto standard for reading from, writing to, and managing cloud object storage. If you're using a cloud storage gateway, your apps must be completely rewritten to support this new standard.
The better alternative is to leverage the same approach as traditional file storage – use a file system. For decades, file systems have provided a "middleware" layer that enables users and IT to store, organize, secure, protect, and manage files from any application. A file system designed for object storage that supports CIFS/SMB and NFS protocols can provide this same level of broad application compatibility.
This is what solutions like Nasuni Cloud File Services can offer. Nasuni is powered by the first file system designed for cloud object storage – Nasuni UniFS®. It speaks CIFS/SMB and NFS on one end and S3 on the other, so existing apps, drive mappings, and scripts will all keep working without rewrites.
2. A Cloud Storage Gateway Will Result in High Egress Costs
Public cloud object storage has been widely viewed as only usable for archive or backup data, which is rarely accessed. That's because the egress charges incurred each time data must be retrieved make public cloud object storage too expensive to store active data sets, such as frequently used files typically stored on NAS devices and file servers.
Cloud storage gateways don't help with egress charges. But a file system designed for object storage solves this problem, enabling public cloud storage to be cost-effectively used for NAS and file server use cases.
An object storage-based file system like Nasuni UniFS minimizes egress charges by caching just the active pieces of itself – files and metadata – anywhere file access is needed, typically on-premises in main, remote, and branch offices. By using physical or virtual edge appliances that support the same CIFS and NFS file sharing protocols as traditional NAS (see #1 above), and intelligent caching algorithms that ensure a high cache hit rate, this modern file system minimizes the need to request files from public cloud storage, reducing egress charges in the process.
A modern file system designed for object storage also compresses and de-duplicates file data before sending it from the edge to the cloud. This can reduce the amount of object storage needed to store enterprise files by an average of 40%, saving on both cloud storage subscription costs and the egress charges to retrieve the file data from the cloud.
3. A Cloud Storage Gateway Doesn't Offer High Performance File Access
Latency has been a major blocker to using object storage for day-to-day file sharing. Having to connect to public cloud object storage every time a file is needed would frustrate users, since the network bandwidth from each office to the public cloud is rarely sufficient to provide the LAN–speed access they're used to. And the cost to fix the latency issue in all locations would be astronomical.
Private cloud deployments in which object storage is hosted on-site also have latency issues. While users in the main office will enjoy fast, LAN-speed access to the object storage in the data center, users in remote and branch offices will have the same performance challenges they have with traditional NAS. VPN or other remote access approaches will be required, resulting in slow access over the WAN. Or, object storage will have to be replicated from the data center to the remote sites at significant cost.
Cloud storage gateways don't solve the latency problem. But a file system designed for object storage does. Solutions like Nasuni overcome the file latency challenge in the same way they solve the egress charge challenge. Edge appliances can be deployed in any location to cache actively used files from public or private cloud object storage. The appliances look like regular file servers or NAS devices, presenting shares via standard protocols (e.g. CIFS, NFS) for high speed file access. Yet they require, on average, only 20% of the hardware resources because they are only caching the active files. Enterprises can choose from flash-optimized physical appliances or use existing hyperconverged infrastructure or flash arrays as virtual edge appliances.
All appliances are automatically synchronized with the latest version of every actively used file, so users are always connecting to their local edge appliances at fast, local LAN speed. Intelligent caching algorithms yield cache hit rates of nearly 99%, so there is rarely any need to request files across a slower public internet or WAN connection.
4. A Cloud Storage Gateway Doesn't Provide a Hierarchical Folder Structure
The flat address space used by cloud object storage is one reason it is so scalable. It's also another reason is has not been suitable for traditional NAS and file server use cases.
The human mind likes to organize information in a hierarchy. This is why the filing cabinet, with its drawers, folders, and subfolders, has been used as the metaphor for computer file systems since the dawn of the computer era. Users want their group shares, project directories, and home drives organized in a hierarchy that is familiar and easy to navigate.
Cloud storage gateways – because they don't offer a file system – cannot provide this familiar hierarchical folder structure. But an object storage-based file system such as Nasuni UniFS does by layering a file and folder structure on top of the flat address space of object storage. Enterprise IT organizations benefit from unlimited scalability, while keeping users happy and ensuring fast acceptance and adoption.
5. A Cloud Storage Gateway Doesn't Offer Advanced Data Protection
Traditional file storage is typically protected in two ways:
- Third-party backup software with full and incremental backup schedules periodically protects files and enables them to be recovered to various points in time. Recovery times depend on whether the backups are to tape or disk, and whether the media is on or off-site.
- Snapshot software captures a point in time copy of the file storage, usually on another disk array. Because snapshots are costly, with full copies on disk, snapshots are not typically retained for more than 1 week, and are often overwritten by the next snapshot.
Cloud storage gateways don't provide either method of data protection. They do leverage the underlying object storage platform to offer a geo-replication option to create copies of objects in other locations. But this is intended for disaster recovery, and doesn't address the need for file-level recoveries at multiple recovery points.
An object storage-based file system enables object storage to surpass traditional file storage when it comes to file-level recovery points and recovery times. The most advanced object storage-based file systems like Nasuni UniFS offer continuous versioning, which captures snapshots of files as they change, encrypting, de-duplicating, and compressing them and storing the delta differences in object storage.
Each delta change is stored as its own file version using a Write Once Read Many (WORM) approach that prevents erasure. By creating an unlimited, immutable version history of every file in object storage, the need for file backup software, hardware, and media – and the IT overhead to manage it – are eliminated, as are the associated costs.
Solutions like Nasuni also enable any version of any file to be recovered through self-service or IT-assisted interfaces, significantly improving upon the recovery times (RTOs) and recovery points (RPOs) offered by traditional file storage.
6. A Cloud Storage Gateway Doesn't Offer Multi-Site File Collaboration
Since you made it this far, here is the first of 2 more bonus "secrets." Digital transformation requires businesses to become thoughtful and flexible in the way they invent and adapt. They must innovate in an agile way. They must tap the intellectual horsepower of their employees – wherever they may be – to design products and services that are differentiated from the competition. This level of collaboration cannot be accomplished without a fast, efficient way to store and synchronize files across multiple locations – which a cloud storage gateway does not provide.
Cloud storage combined with a global file system like Nasuni UniFS, however, offers a simple, high performance, and cost-effective solution to storing and synchronizing files across multiple sites at scale. The global file system stores all files and metadata in private or public cloud object storage. High-speed internet bandwidth is used to securely propagate just the changes to active files across edge appliances. With every appliance kept constantly in sync, users across all locations will think they're working on one big, fast local file server.
Changes made to files in different locations are automatically aligned based on their date and time stamps and stored in object storage as independent versions if the file system offers global volume management capabilities (which Nasuni UniFS does). By storing just the tiny fragments of each file that have changed and leveraging the low cost of object storage, the file system provides an infinite version history of every file without impacting IT budgets.
File locking is another powerful capability a file system like Nasuni UniFS offers that a cloud storage gateway doesn't. Nasuni Global File Lock™ ensures only one user anywhere in the world can make file changes at a time. It is architected as a scalable cloud service with redundant lock servers and lock server failover built-in to help minimize the data loss – and productivity loss – caused by version conflict.
7. A Cloud Storage Gateway Locks You in to One Cloud Vendor
Cloud storage gateways are typically designed with one goal in mind – get data into that vendor's cloud storage as fast as possible, and keep it there. Yet, most enterprise IT organizations are moving to cloud storage to free themselves from hardware vendor lock-in, and don't want to face the same issue again with cloud vendor lock-in.
A global file system and an independent Enterprise File Services platform like Nasuni that supports cloud storage from any vendor avoids this issue. Nasuni supports public cloud storage such as Amazon S3 and Azure Blob (Object) as well as on-premises (private) cloud storage such as Dell EMC ECS, IBM Cloud Object Storage (formerly Cleversafe), Hitachi Content Platform (HCP), and Western Digital HGST, among others. You can even use more than one at the same time with Nasuni, as its edge appliances can mount volumes to different cloud storage platforms in the same deployment.
Well, that was longer than I planned. But hopefully it gives you more perspective on why Gartner is forecasting the demise of cloud storage gateways. And why Nasuni is growing faster than ever.
Let me know what you think by sending us a comment. Or, if you have a private or public cloud-first initiative, or you're just looking for a more modern, scalable primary or archive file storage solution, test drive Nasuni in your own environment.


text: These tabs are fine for the jars and containers but they have a base too large for the plastic tea light cups. I wish Candle Science would invest stocking various sizes for wick tabs. When looking at the bottom of the tea light cup, there are 4 raised dots which the wick tab would be slightly elevated while pouring the wax causing the wax to seep underneath the wick tab. This is something I don't wish to contend with in my candle company. I need a wick tab with dimensions of 16-17mm base, 2.5-3mm hole, 7mm neck. I have purchased these before with another company however, you have to buy a roll of wick, which I have plenty of but not enough tabs. The cost of this route is about $25, this is expensive.


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New Coaching Framework Announced
South Staffs Sailing Club are aiming to double the number of instructors, assistant instructors and coaches, and have configured a new coaching framework with the intention of providing coaching to cater for all ages, abilities and classes throughout out the club.
Commodore Tim Coleshaw announced the move saying
Youth and Junior coaching has always been excellent, but now we now have a clear framework across the entire club which will increase participation, provide clear progression and hopefully start filling up our club Honours Board.
Key changes are
- The introduction of the Advanced / National Racer coaching programme which will be headed up by Ross Kearney and Mike Senior. The intention being to support those sailors who want to go on and represent the club at national and international events.
- All Fleet training will be renamed Club Training and will cater for everyone, with the intention of having different groups supported throughout the day by a wider range of coaches.
- Youth and Junior sailors will be involved at all levels of this framework alongside the dedicated sessions that the Y&J team all ready run
- There is now clear progression for all, taking into account their individual goals
Commencing his new role as Chief Coach, Ed Bradburn praised the work done previously and was excited to be building on it
The All Fleet training days have been a great success but were difficult to run given the wide range of abilities and varying levels of detail needed. This new structure will allow a more targeted approach as well as ensuring our coaches don't miss out on coaching of their own!
Club Training Principal Chris Jones also announced a new Beginners Race which will take place on the second Tuesday of each month for the duration of the evening series.
This will be run as part of the existing Tuesday night race with a "Beginner Race Winner" calculated on a Personal Handicap basis from the race results and prizes being awarded on the night. The hope is that this will broaden the appeal of the usual Tuesday night series for new racers and encourage even more participation.
A summary of the full coaching structure can be found by clicking here
For more information on all training offered by South Staffs Sailing Club, see our training pages


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What's New
MAJOR update! Some highlights: • New icon • Material Design throughout • New Globe layers: ocean surface, atmospheric halo • New Clock/Compass style (more coming soon!) • Date option on Clock • Improved Globe shading (Android 4.3+) • Full-screen mode for Map & Globe (Android 4+) • Easier layer selection in all screens • Run-time permission support (Android 6+) • Better offline operation • Updated time zones • LOTS of of other, minor improvements & bug fixes
Visually stunning virtual Earth: Real satellite photos drive a simulation of day/night, clouds, seasons, sun, moon and more. Plus, our unique clock (with widget) tracks daylight, phases of the moon, sunrise, sunset and transit times. It's everything you need to stay connected to the world you live in. Superbly stylish, incredibly detailed and unbeatably useful - LifeOfAndroid.com TerraTime is unique. It is bold and different... - AndroidApps Review Possibly the most beautiful phone app I've seen. Highly recommended. - AndroidAstronomer.com The overall beauty of the app is well, its beauty! - CoolSmartPhone.com It's spot-on no matter where you look at it in the world - The Sun (UK newspaper) Great for travelers, astronomers, weather watchers, geographers, teachers, photographers, fishermen and other outdoor types - as well as just about any geek you can think of. Features: • Globe and map depict real-time night-side shadow (on Earth and Moon) • Photorealistic simulations include clouds, city lights, sea ice, and more, generated from actual satellite imagery • Daylight clock and compass also show sunrise & sunset; moon phase, rise & set; twilight & transit times • Experimental Camera View plots sun and moon paths in augmented reality • Globe and map are fully interactive, using touchscreen or device sensors • Easily shows any date, any location • Clock and globe widgets • Live wallpapers for real-time map and globe • Multiple clock/compass styles (currently Material, Classic, Wave, and Ouroboros) Please, if you have any issues, EMAIL us! There's a link in the app's About screen.
Permissions required
The following permissions are required to use this app.
- Locationaccess this device's location
- Storageaccess photos, media and files on your device
- Cameratake pictures and record video
Version6.0.1 (2019.08.26)
Size7.4 MB
Age restriction For all ages
ExpirationNo expiration date
Seller info
Seller : Udell Enterprises IncView details


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SolarEdge to showcase expanded PV solutions at All-Energy
SolarEdge Technologies will unveil its expanded PV solutions to further enhance the solar energy experience at the All-Energy exhibition.
With thousands of StorEdge systems already deployed around the world and in Australia, SolarEdge is extending its StorEdge solution, which supports increased self-consumption and grid independence. Further expanding its smart energy management solution, SolarEdge is leading the integration of PV and smart homes with the launch of a new smart load management suite. SolarEdge is also featuring new commercial services, smart module support and its HD-Wave inverter.
To meet customer demand and to offer a wider range of capabilities, the manufacturer is extending the StorEdge solution to include AC coupling, extended power & capacity and connection to three-phase SolarEdge inverters. These additional configurations, such as double battery installations, allow for StorEdge to be tailored to meet specific energy requirements of homeowners. Now with expanded battery compatibility, the StorEdge solution supports Tesla's home battery, the Powerwall and the LG Chem's RESU10H battery and RESU7H batteries. SolarEdge continues to develop strong alliances across the PV value chain to enhance its storage offering.
SolarEdge is also launching its new device control suite, which further enhances a system owner's energy independence. The new suite is designed to direct excess PV energy to appliances during the day in order to shift energy consumption to match PV generation. The suite includes load switching devices and immersion heater controls.
"SolarEdge is dedicated to offering the Australian market cost-effective and innovative solutions that increase the rate of solar energy proliferation," says SolarEdge vice president of global sales Zvi Lando.
"Our extensive portfolio at All-Energy this year represents our growth and leadership in the solar energy industry and commitment to advancing the Australian PV market."
SolarEdgewill also be previewing its HD-Wave technology inverter that uses a novel power conversion technology. The HD-Wave inverter is ≤7.6kW, ≤11.5kg, has 99% efficiency and excellent reliability.
Expanding on its power optimiser offering, SolarEdge will also be showcasing its new generation power optimiser for smart modules. The new generation of integrated power optimisers features a lower-profile design with snap-in technology for manufacturing flexibility and easy serviceability.
SolarEdge invites All-Energy attendees to visit its stand, #2228, to meet its local and global management teams, learn more about its new product offerings and provide feedback.


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Hong Kong - Paul Hastings, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented Yadea Group Holdings Ltd. ("Yadea Group") in its US$166 million global offering and IPO on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China Securities (International) Corporate Finance Company Limited acted as the sole sponsor, together with J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited, Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited and Alliance Capital Partners Limited as joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and joint lead managers for the listing.
Yadea Group is the largest electric two-wheeled vehicle brand by revenue in China.
The Paul Hastings team was led by partners Raymond Li, Nan Li, Zhaoyu Ren, David Grimm and Bonnie Yung, with support from associates Dane Johansen, Lillian Cheung, Gladys Tso and Qianyu Hu.
At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world's most innovative global law firms.
Firmwide Inquiries
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+1 212 318 6946
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+852 2867 9052
Receive insights from our lawyers on legal issues in today's complex environment.


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Terminate the rent
What is my period of notice?
Your period of notice is a minimum of one month. You can terminate the rental contract on any day of the week, so you are not tied to the beginning or end of the month.
How can I terminate my rental?
You can terminate your rental via My SSH. It is also possible to send us an e-mail. You will receive a confirmation of the termination by e-mail. We will also send you a checklist form which you can use to check whether you have left your room in a proper state. You can also use this form to tell us about any repairs. E-mail the form back to us, even if you do not need to inform us of any repairs. If you wish, you can make an appointment with our manager to check your room.
Is it possibile to leave the room earlier?
Do you wish to leave the room early and hand over the room to the new occupant? We would advise you to make clear agreements with the new occupant, because the final date of your rent contract with the SSH will not change as a result of this. You will remain responsible for the room and the rent payment up to the last rent day.
Is it possible to choose a new roommate myself?
When a room become available, the SSH publishes this under 'Rent offer'. We assign our accommodations based on SSH-registration number – the most honest way! The persons with the longest registration period are invited to view the room. During a 'Present Yourself Night' (in Dutch: hospiteeravond) the current residents meet the candidates. From all this candidates, the current residents choose their new flatmate. Unfortunately, it's not possible to nominate a friend.
When can I expect my final invoice?
Within four weeks after terminating the rent, you will receive a final invoice. This invoice will mention whether you have to pay money (for example, for rent or any damages) or whether you will receive a refund. This is always at the end of the calendar year in question. If you pay variable service costs, you will therefore receive the final invoice for this at a later date. If you pay the rent by direct debit, this will stop automatically when you terminate the rent.


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Amoako Atta – Roads Minister
Management of SummerHill Estates has appealed to government to fast-track the construction of the Ashiaman-Nanakrom – Santoe road.
According to management of the Estates, the deplorable state of the road was hampering the movement of persons and goods.
Operations Manager of SummerHill Estates, Edward Dorsaa, made the call while addressing journalists at a media soirée on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, as part of the first anniversary celebration of the Estates.
Commenting on the poor nature of the road and its impact on movement, he said "indeed, it affects our business in a very bad way."
SummerHill Estates was launched in June 2018 by then Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Freda Prempeh.
The 6.7 kilometers Ashiaman-Nanakrom – Santoe road is believed to be one of the numerous road projects under the $2 billion Sinohydro bauxite deal.
Mr. Dorsaa explained that SummerHill Estates was contributing its quota to addressing the housing deficit in Ghana but would require Government's support to make the area easily accessible.
He seized the opportunity to brief the media on some ongoing and upcoming housing projects that SummerHill Estates was embarking in areas like Prampram and Ada in the Greater Accra Region.
BY Melvin Tarlue & Donny Morrison


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Droitwich plastics manufacturer breaks the mould with £1.2m investment
A Droitwich plastics manufacturer is set to hit £10million annual turnover after expanding its premises and investing in new machinery, thanks to a £1.2m support package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
A Droitwich plastics manufacturer is set to hit £10million annual turnover after expanding its premises and investing in new machinery, thanks to a £1.2m support package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Chess Plastics is expanding its current site at Berry Hill after buying a 16,000 sq ft property with 1.5 acres of land, in addition to investing in new machinery using an asset finance facility. This support comes from Lloyds Bank's commitment to lend up to £2.5bn to West Midlands businesses in 2019.
The new property will expand the firm's existing facility by as much as 50 per cent with the new site handling storage and distribution. The expansion will boost efficiency by eliminating any wait time for raw materials and will save the business £100,000 a year in storage rental costs.
The new machinery is a 1,000 tonne Borche BU1000 plastic injection moulding machine capable of producing plastic components up to 5 kg in weight, worth £235,000, with state-of-the-art software to allow optimised processing. This replacement machine is expected to use 40 per cent less electricity, thus reducing costs, and will help reduce the company's carbon footprint by around 128 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Using an asset finance facility means the company is able to purchase the new machinery without impacting its day-to-day cash flow. As a result, Chess Plastics will increase production by six per cent this year, which will boost its turnover by eight per cent from £9.7m to £10.5m over the next 12 months.
Chess Plastics, established in 1968, is a second-generation family business that makes plastic parts for the automotive, brewing and construction sectors, including Jaguar Land Rover, Thermos and Scania.
Gareth Olden, shareholder and director at Chess Plastics, said: "When my parents founded Chess Plastics in the 1960s, it was a small family operation with just one or two machines. We have made significant investments over the last five years in the new plant, building renovations, training staff and implementing and updating our IT systems. We're now a 24 hour a day, five day a week operation with 17 moulding machines and 75 members of staff.
"The team at Lloyds Bank has been by our side since we purchased our current property six years ago. In recent years we've grown our turnover by at least six per cent year on year. Taking on additional space gives us the room to grow and achieve our plans for the future. Working with Lloyds has been instrumental in our recent expansion. The team ensured that everything ran smoothly, and we have complete confidence in Lloyds to deliver to their word - we always feel as though our business is in safe hands."
David Chance, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: "As part of our commitment to helping Britain prosper, we work closely with family-run firms like Chess Plastics as they look to modernise and expand.
"This year is likely to be a milestone year for Chess Plastics and will see the firm hit £10million annual turnover for the first time. We look forward to continuing our work with the business, as it expands with future generations."


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Physics Teacher SOS (PTSOS) is a new teacher mentoring project I've been involved with since its inception a few years ago. The program is a collaboration of Paul Robinson (San Mateo High School), Stephanie Finander (Woodside High School), and me. We are assisted by the likes of Clarence Bakken (Gunn High School, retired), Dan Burns (Los Gatos High School), and a crew of physics teaching "veterans."
We run a series of three New Teacher Workshops each academic year. This past Saturday, we ran our second workshop. The principal topics were heat, waves, and sound. Based on the feedback forms filled out by participants as well as my own hindsight, I will offer a few post-PTSOS2 notes.
I should note that PTSOS is a project of the Northern California and Nevada Section of The American Association of Physics Teachers and is sponsored by The Karl L. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.


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New CCI Ammunition VNT Rounds Ideal for Varmint Hunters, Target Shooters LEWISTON, Idaho – (ArmsVault.com) – CCI Ammunition introduces new VNT loads in 17 Mach 2 and 22 WMR, offering precision performance for varmint hunters and target shooters. Shipments are being delivered to dealers. In 2018, CCI extended the range and devastation of magnum rimfire …
Category Archive: Rimfire Ammunition
Feb 17
CCI Clean-22 Loads Reduce Fouling and Lead Buildup
Jan 14
New CCI Rimfire Loads
CCI Ammunition is pleased to announce five new rimfire loads including VNT 17 Mach 2 17-grain; VNT 22 WMR 30-grain; Quiet-22 Semi-Auto 22 LR 45-grain lead round nose; Clean-22 Standard Velocity 22 LR 40-grain poly-coated lead round nose; and Clean-22 High Velocity 22 LR 40-grain poly-coated lead round nose.
Jan 08
Federal Ammo – The New Look of Authority
Dec 17
Aguila 5mm Remington Ammunition
THE WAIT IS OVER FOR AGUILA AMMUNITION 5MM LIMITED PRODUCTION NOW RUNNING CONROE, TEXAS – (AmmunitionVault.com) – Aguila Ammunition recently announced that 5mm is now running limited production. The highly demanded round has been absent from the marketplace for several years. "Our customers have been asking, and patiently waiting for our 5mm to return to …


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Check your vehicle this summer
Planning a big road trip this summer?
Make sure your vehicle is safe for summer with our multi-point check.
Written report provided.
Please note this inspection is advised for Hyundai, Isuzu & Renault vehicles 3 year or older. Spaces are limited so please book in advance. Offer ends 21st December 2018.


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Karla Thomas is just the most vocal.
She's just one of a number of people who have taken a bullet for the maliciously inept, political dysfuncitionocracy of Mayor Steve Casey and his willing, charming puppet, Byron Brown.
All of Buffalo's many problems have a common denominator – politics. Karla Thomas? She was happy to be a well-connected Grassroots associate of Brown's, content to take a cush patronage job for which she was arguably unqualified. She was happy to follow Brown's and Casey's orders, but up to a point. When she refused to play ball, she took a fall. It's part of the quid pro quo.
Pay to play? Racist question, she says.
"Let me tell you something about that pay-to-play crap. Why did it not become an issue until a black man was mayor?" Thomas asked. "We all know what happens. And I don't know why people are trying to act like they're stupid now."
So, it shouldn't be brought up now because all the white Mayors did it too? It makes it ok? Brown told us in 2005 that he'd be different. He was going to use CitiStat to set up a meritocracy and lurch Buffalo into modern times. In reality, Buffalo's government remains firmly mired in the 1940s, and CitiStat is merely a pretext – a basis for Casey and Brown to produce and disseminate televised show trials of the disfavored and disloyal.
Thomas repeatedly insisted that her public disclosures are not meant to embarrass the administration or get even with the man who fired her. She said her decision to remain silent during the height of the controversy proved that she was trying to remain "loyal" to a man who was her friend for decades.
Byron Brown and Steve Casey reign over a failed city, and a miniscule, shrinking political empire. They have brought little progress and made fewer friends. They have alienated the well-intentioned and insulted potential city benefactors. They have neither a vision nor a plan for the city – they lurch from political crisis to political embarrassment, and the concept of a "big picture" is unknown.
As it stands now, only the Green Code represents a fundamental, positive change that the administration has brought about, but it doesn't excuse or justify the almost Stalinist style of governance.


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"Who, except ecologists, even still talks about it?" is a valid question Elena exposes in her article and sheds a light on the variety of perspectives and attitudes people in Belarus nowadays have towards the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident.
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The one thing I have not enjoyed is finding the yarn. I have ranted about the dreaded dye lot and how for the yarn I've chosen there seems to be two factions: high variegation contrast and low variegation contrast. I have gone to four Michaels in the area, and I've gotten confused on who had what, especially if I've purchased all high contrast balls from them.
Last week I had a doctor's visit (a routine visit - nothing to worry about!), so since
I was pleasantly surprised when all 5 balls belonged to the right faction. One of them didn't have a wrapper, and I was curious if it was the same amount of yarn as the other balls. It just looked smaller, but that could have been because Vanna White's face wasn't staring out at me.
Someone located Kris for me, and I have to say she looked stunning in a Halloween-themed hat. It was a little thing, jauntily perched on her head, and I declared it was adorable and must be a fascinator (here are images of other fascinators).
We chatted about the yarn and about the Crochet-Along, and I gave her my card in case she wanted to read my blog and see pictures of the cardigan and of Frisco. Hi, Kris! If you're reading this, please send me a picture of you in that fascinator at email@example.com, and I'll post it here.
I asked about the wrapper-less yarn and if it was a full ball. She said it should be, but she could take 10% off for damaged goods just in case. I thought that was great, and she called up to the cashier, Amanda, to ask her to take the discount off. She said it was Vanna's Choice purple. "Well, purple mist, but you don't really need to know that." Kris's little aside was just like something I would say!
I wandered around a little bit more then went up to check out. I walked up to the cashier and asked if she was Amanda. She said she was, and I said, "I am Purple Mist." Then I laughed and said, "That sounds like a code name!" Amanda agreed, and we decided that Purple Mist would now be my code name.
Since I seem to be prone to daydreams lately, I had one where I was a super hero called Purple Mist. I carried a spritzer of lavender essential oil, and I sprayed bad guys with it so they'd calm down and stop being all mean and villainous. I also envisioned myself being a lot slimmer so I wouldn't look like an eggplant in my purple spandex outfit.
There's no sense having a code name if it's not good for anything, so I am instituting a new discount program:
- Anyone coming to any of my shows (craft shows or bead shows) who calls me "Purple Mist" or works "Purple Mist" into conversation (for example, "Did you see the purple mist in last night's sunset?") will get 20% off their purchase.
- If you take a class with me where I'm selling supplies, the same thing applies. I really didn't mean for that rhyme; that seems to happen all the time. I can't take 20% off of class fees or kits, but I can on extra purchases.
- Also, there is a coupon code on Etsy, PURPLEMIST, which can be used for 20% off anything in my store.
Crochet-Along update:Since I last updated you, I have finished the back and crocheted the two pocket linings, and I've started on the left front panel.
This left front has been a bit of a trial. First I crocheted far too loosely, and after three rows I determined it was huge. Ripped it out and started it again really tight. I loosened up as I went, and after about ten rows it looked like an isosceles trapezoid (upside down from the one pictured here), and I ripped it out again. The third time was the charm, but I am a little concerned it's going to be too big.
I then added the pocket where it was supposed to be, but then I ended up ripping it out and adding it lower. Since I'm very short, I didn't want the cardigan to be as long as they suggested. It would have ended up down to my knees, which is not a good look for me. So after I added the pocket and did ten more rows, I decided that the pocket would probably be up by my ribs, which is also not a good look for me ("You kids get offa my lawn and stop throwing Cognac bottles in it!" Yes, we recently picked up many pieces of Cognac bottle from our yard.). I ripped out the ten rows after the pocket and another six or so rows before re-adding the pocket.
Fortunately I've been taking copious notes in the pattern using knitCompanion (if you missed my review of that app, check it out here) so for the right front and for subsequent sweaters I know just what to do.
A bunch of people on the Ravelry discussion group expressed concern about the pockets. They were having all sorts of trouble with them, so I got concerned that I would have problems, too. I had this vision in my head of me trying to crochet into air to have a gap where the pocket was, and how on earth was I to do that? There was nothing in the instructions or in Lion Brand's blog post discussing the pocket that explained how to crochet into air for 17 stitches. It didn't say to chain 17 stitches then pick up on the other side and crochet into that 17-stitch chain on the next row. Nothing like that. I assumed that there would be a gap up and down where the pocket was. Left-to-right: no problem. Up-and-down: air. I knew I was crocheting on the pocket lining but just couldn't figure out what to do after that.
After I took some time to think about it, I felt utterly stupid. When joining the pocket you crochet the front panel for 10 stitches then crochet across the pocket lining (skipping the first and last stitches of the lining so there's overlap). Then you skip 17 stitches of the front panel and crochet the remaining stitches on the other side of the front panel. There are two join points - one at either end of the pocket lining. For subsequent rows, you just keep crocheting. The gap in the front panel is the opening to the pocket, and by crocheting on top of the pocket lining, that becomes the front panel. The only tricky thing was adding the ribbing in the right place, but I didn't have any problems with that. The rest of the pocket is sewn on after everything is done.
Everything's easy once you know how, huh?
I tried to get Frisco to demonstrate the pocket, but he was being uncooperative.
I stopped trying after he pulled on a few loops of the pocket opening. Oops! I guess I won't do that again. Fortunately the loops weren't very big.


text:
Major Article
Kathleen M. Cox, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC
Interpersonal relationships are fundamental to competent delivery of health care. Nursing practice is grounded in interpersonal relationships, making advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) well prepared to ensure the delivery of safe, effective care. Research demonstrates interpersonal dynamics can be enhanced. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions in self and others, and it comprises a key factor in interpersonal relationships.
APRN education is grounded in the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses and master's Essentials competencies. This analysis provides a framework to align APRN professional competencies with EI competencies to enhance leadership, communication, and teamwork in health care teams.
By using the matrix of EI and APRN competencies provided, nurse educators may implement learning strategies to improve EI and support APRN competencies.
Well-educated and emotionally intelligent APRNs can enhance cooperation in multidisciplinary teams, promote better communication, and demonstrate APRN leadership to improve patient outcomes. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(11):648–654.]
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report that pinpointed medical error as the cause of 100,000 hospital patient deaths annually (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 1999). The report highlighted the decentralization and fragmentation of care in an increasingly complex health care delivery system as an important component of medical error (Kohn et al., 1999; Ouslander, Bonner, Herndon, & Schutes, 2014; Romano, Segal, & Pollack, 2015). Over the past 20 years, complexity of health care delivery has continued to increase (Romano et al., 2015). Despite countless quality and safety initiatives, preventable patient harm remains a major issue (National Patient Safety Foundation, 2015).
Health care educators in all disciplines, including advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) educators, have integrated quality and safety education into foundational professional competencies to immerse students in safe practice from the beginning of their professional career (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2011, 2012; Nasca, Weiss, & Bagian, 2014; Stoller, Taylor, & Farver, 2013). Despite much attention focused on patient quality and safety since the 1999 IOM report was published, there has been little sustained improvement (Federico, 2015). Exposing students in health care disciplines to the importance of quality and safety early on in professional education seems to have not had the effect on patient harm that was expected. Perhaps awareness of the issue and education about how to resolve it are not sufficient.
One factor has remained constant over the past 20 years: the decentralization and fragmentation of care in a complex health care delivery system. Decentralization and care fragmentation are not solely related to care delivery itself; rather, they also are related to the complex network of interpersonal relationships within which care is delivered. The practice of nursing on all levels is grounded in interpersonal relationships, including APRN education (D'Antonio, Beeber, Sills, & Naegle, 2014). APRNs are positioned on interprofessional teams such that they can interact across the health care system, bridging potential interpersonal communication gaps and facilitating relationships (Weller, Boyd, & Cumin, 2014). Delivery of safe, quality care in many ways relies on APRNs' demonstration of leadership, communication, and teamwork (AACN, 2011, 2012; Barnsteiner et al., 2013).
Emotional intelligence (EI), described as the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions in self and others, comprises a key factor in interpersonal relationships that are inherent in actualizing leadership, communication, and team-work in health care (Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera, Lopes, & Ruiz-Aranda, 2014). Fundamentally, the science of nursing is inextricably bound to the transformative power of interpersonal relationships (D'Antonio et al., 2014). Although health care delivery remains dependent on interpersonal relationships, the various health care disciplines have not yet fully embraced integrating EI into health professions' education (Flowers, Thomas-Squance, Braini-Rodriguez, & Yancey, 2014). This article outlines specific EI competencies and explores how EI competencies support and align with APRN educational competencies. Nurse educators may then use strategies such as reflective journaling to enhance EI in support of APRN competencies.
After decades of research on noncognitive intelligence, Salovey and Mayer created the term emotional intelligence in 1990 to describe people who possess self-awareness and social awareness and use this ability in decision making (Cherniss, 2010). Goleman's book Emotional Intelligence in 1995 proposed EI to leaders in business, social sciences, and educators as a way to quantify individual intangibles outside of the classic measures of intelligence, such as the Intelligence Quotient, that lead to success (Cotler et al., 2017; Grant, 2013; Johnson & Blanchard, 2016; Lanciano & Curci, 2015; Terziyan & Kaikova, 2015). Early on, a philosophical debate divided experts on whether EI is an ability (skill or proficiency) or a trait (inherent quality); however, many proposed that EI is composed of both (Ackley, 2016). For the purposes of this discussion, EI is considered an inherent quality that can be both measured like an ability and enhanced by incorporating particular strategies, either individually or within an education setting such as APRN curricula.
EI consists of four dimensions: self-awareness, which is the ability to identify one's emotions; self-management, described as the ability to use one's emotions for reasoning and problem solving; social awareness, which is the ability to understand others' emotions; and relationship management, the ability to effectively manage emotions in self and others for the purpose of what could be called teamwork (Codier & Codier, 2017). Each dimension's competencies are listed in Table 1. These dimensions are divided into personal competence, which consists of skills related to self-awareness and self-management, and social competence, which involves social awareness and relationship management skills (Table 1) (Stoller et al., 2013). Self-awareness and self-management skills are typically well formed prior to mastery of the social competence elements because accurate self-assessment is foundational to expression of social competence (Cherniss & Goleman, 2001). Accurate self-assessment supports critical thinking and clinical judgment, which are expected hallmarks of APRN professional practice (Niu, Behar-Horenstein, & Garvan, 2013).
Table 1:
Emotional Intelligence Competencies
In addition to supporting the personal competencies' attributes of self-assessment and self-management, research supports associations between EI and characteristics of leadership, communication, and teamwork in business settings (Terziyan & Kaikova, 2015; Maqbool, Sudong, Manzoor, & Rashid, 2017). The success of EI in business has caught the attention of health care disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, and behavioral health, which are incorporating EI competencies into professional education (Bowe & Jones, 2017; Flowers et al., 2014; Haight et al., 2017; Heckemann, Schols, & Halfens, 2015; Johnson & Blanchard, 2016; Schutte, Palanisamy, & McFarlane, 2016). APRN leadership, communication, and teamwork competencies use the EI social competencies within social awareness and relationship management (Table 2) (Almost et al., 2016; Lanciano & Curci, 2015; Mikolajczak & Van Bellegem, 2017). Faculty developing APRN curricula seek to incorporate the professional competencies of the Graduate Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) core competencies (AACN, 2012) and The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing (AACN, 2011) to meet regulatory guidelines, as outlined in Table 2. Aligning EI competencies with foundational APRN competencies has the potential to further strengthen APRNs' leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. By aligning EI competencies with APRN competencies as demonstrated in the matrix provided in Table 3, APRN educators have a roadmap to use the significant body of EI research for application in APRN education.
Table 2:
Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Education Competencies
Table 3:
Leadership, Communication, and Teamwork Matrix for Advanced Practice RNs (APRNs) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) Competencies
The APRN Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing (AACN, 2011) competencies were updated, and QSEN competencies (AACN, 2012) were integrated into APRN curricula in response to the 2010 IOM's consensus report on the Future of Nursing (Barnsteiner et al., 2013). EI-related competencies are applicable across the gamut of QSEN competencies and master's Essentials. The QSEN competencies specifically detail the requisite nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for each competency (Barnsteiner et al., 2013; Gerard, Kazer, Babington, & Quell, 2014). The classic nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes of APRN Essentials' competencies mimics Boyatzis's (2009) description of EI competencies, requiring knowledge, action, and intent. Examples of how QSEN competencies and master's Essentials competencies intersect with EI competencies are provided in the matrix in Table 3. Advanced critical thinking and clinical judgment, the foundation of competent APRN practice, differentiates APRN practice from other levels of nursing practice (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O'Grady, 2014). Nursing as a profession has always been grounded in critical thinking and application of clinical judgment; advanced nursing practice requires even higher levels of knowledge, action, and intent to support the requisite leadership, communication, and teamwork competencies outlined in APRN education competencies. By cross-walking APRN competencies with EI competencies as suggested in the matrix provided, APRN educators can more easily incorporate these competencies. Additionally, by framing EI as a set of traits and abilities, EI can be measured and studied empirically. Using ability-based EI instruments such as the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) allows educators and researchers to measure interventions designed to enhance EI (Brackett & Salovey, 2006).
Many instruments used to measure EI are self-reported or self-assessed measures (Snowden, Watson, Stenhouse, & Hale, 2015). Although experts differ philosophically on whether EI is an ability or a trait (Ackley, 2016), the two original researchers, Salovey and Mayer, have always characterized EI as an ability (Brackett & Salovey, 2006). The MSCEIT is an online 141-item instrument that measures four branches, outlined as the ability to perceive emotion, use emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions, and manage emotions. This test is divided among eight kinds of tasks, representing two for each branch, and takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete. The results include seven scores: one for each branch, two area scores, and a total EI score that measure a participant's skill in each of the four branches. Considering EI an ability allows measurement of an intervention's effects on EI. Therefore, the ability-oriented instrument MSCEIT is recommended to measure APRN students' EI (Brackett & Salovey, 2006).
APRN competencies such as QSEN patient-centered care and master's Essential VI health policy and advocacy (AACN, 2012) align with leadership ability. The EI competency empathy is a competency of EI social awareness and is a quality necessary to provide the QSEN competency, patient-centered care, and the master's Essential VI, health policy and advocacy (AACN, 2012). Patient advocacy has been a fundamental tenet of nursing practice since time immemorial. APRNs demonstrate leadership in patient-centered care by actively advocating for and promoting organizational policies that enhance patient empowerment. To empower others, APRNs must first demonstrate cognitive empathy (i.e., ability to understand another's perspective) and empathic concern (i.e., ability to sense what others need) (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013). These EI competencies, mastered during APRN education, should enhance leadership skills in practice. Organizational awareness, a competency of EI social awareness, and influence and change catalyst, EI competencies of relationship management, are detailed in master's Essential II, organizational and systems leadership (AACN, 2011). To be organizationally effective, the APRN must demonstrate influence and inspirational leadership—elements of EI social competency relationship management. This position is well documented in business literature (Maqbool et al., 2017). Inspirational leaders are also creative and can be powerful change catalysts as changes are inevitable in organizations committed to continuous quality improvement. If EI social awareness competencies of empathy and organizational awareness and EI relationship management competencies of influence, inspirational leadership, and change catalyst are enhanced during APRN education, demonstration of commensurate APRN educational competencies may be enhanced.
In 2016, The Joint Commission determined that the root cause of most sentinel events continues to be miscommunication (The Joint Commission, 2016). Miscommunication can stem from patients having a primary team of internal medicine providers and also having consultants in cardiology, pulmonology, or infectious disease, for example. In addition to specialty disciplines, the complexity of the health care team creates opportunities for miscommunication across the roles and responsibilities of physicians, APRNs, physician assistants, pharmacists, RNs, laboratory technicians, sonographers, radiology technicians, and various other ancillary personnel. Health care delivery within these roles involves a series of information handoffs on multiple levels, resulting in further opportunities for communication failures. Studies have shown that higher EI is directly associated with greater communication skill (Cherry, Fletcher, & O'Sullivan, 2014; Lee & Gu, 2013). This association supports master's Essentials III and VI that specifically elucidate APRNs' responsibility to communicate, collaborate, and consult with other health care professionals (AACN, 2011). These competencies also support the QSEN competencies of quality improvement and safety (AACN, 2012). APRNs who use the EI social competency skills of empathy (social awareness domain) and building bonds and conflict management (relationship management domain) demonstrate how EI supports communication within the health care team.
In many current health care models, especially acute care, fragmentation of care increases due to the number of providers interacting on all levels as described previously (Ouslander et al., 2014). APRNs are best suited to connect across the roles within the health care team and to interact with various interprofessional providers and capitalize on interpersonal relationships. The APRN has the responsibility to be the communication hub on multidisciplinary teams, effectively communicating information to and from the patient, the nursing staff, ancillary providers, and physician staff. The EI self-management competencies of transparency fosters trust and honest communication, serving to increase the relationship management competency of influence and thereby reduce fragmentation of care with better communication.
Leadership and patient-engaged teamwork among the various disciplines are key factors in establishing a culture of safety within health care facilities. Nursing executives, hospital administrators, and physician colleagues must partner with APRNs to establish a functional culture of safety within their health care organizations (Chassin & Loeb, 2013). Accurate information sharing comprises one component of safe care delivery—how information is shared is another. The QSEN competency of teamwork and collaboration describes the APRN role as one that fosters open and honest communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making (AACN, 2012)—all qualities actualized within the EI self-management competencies of transparency and adaptability, the relationship management competency of developing others, and building bonds. Master's Essential II states that APRNs must also understand that "promotion of high quality and safe patient care" is key to good working relationships among interdisciplinary teams (AACN, 2011, p. 4), actualized within the EI relationship management competencies of building bonds, conflict management, and teamwork and collaboration.
Patient safety initiatives focus on preemptive harm prevention strategies instead of individual error review (Gandhi, Berwick, & Shojana, 2016). An APRN leader who has mastered the EI relationship management competency of change catalyst will have the skills to guide multidisciplinary teams toward these organizational goals. APRNs must be able to "communicate, collaborate, and consult" with other team members to promote safe quality care according to master's Essential VII Interprofessional Collaboration (AACN, 2011, p. 5). The QSEN competency of teamwork and collaboration and master's Essential VII are actualized within the EI relationship management competencies of teamwork and collaboration, building bonds, and conflict management. Studies investigating EI in business identified EI relationship management competencies as essential to high-functioning teams (Maqbool et al., 2017). A study on disaster-management teams' use of EI recognized the specific relationship management competencies of teamwork and collaboration and building bonds and the EI self-management competency of adaptability as key to successful disaster drills (Wilkinson, 2015). Educators in all health care disciplines, not just APRN educators, have the opportunity to integrate EI into their curricula to expose future team members to the fundamentals of safe, quality practice and teamwork (Boland, Scott, Kim, White, & Adams, 2016; Carney et al., 2016; Sherwood & Zomorodi, 2014).
This review has already linked EI to APRN competencies. Thus, enhancing EI will enhance APRN competencies. Although a detailed exploration of strategies to enhance EI in nursing curricula is beyond the scope of this review, a brief discussion of potential methods to incorporate EI into reflective learning is warranted. Clinical experiences are the foundation of APRN curricula, and reflective learning is a strategy frequently used to translate these experiences into empirical understanding. Reflective learning supports advanced critical thinking and clinical judgment (Bussard, 2015; Garrity, 2013; Ruiz-López et al., 2015; Silvia, Valerio, & Lorenza, 2013). Reflection, according to Mezirow's transformative learning theory (Kitchenham, 2008), allows the student to find meaning in experience. Journaling provides an avenue to revisit an experience, reflect, and reframe the experience in context of new knowledge (Harrison & Fopma-Loy, 2010; Reed, 2015; Silvia et al., 2013). Strategies such as reflective journaling, online clinical conferencing, or blogging can be used to assist with APRN students' processing of clinical experiences (Berkstresser, 2016; Garrity, 2013; Gordon, 2017; Harrison & Fopma-Loy, 2010; Montenery et al., 2013; Naber & Wyatt, 2014; Raterink, 2016; Reed & Edmunds, 2015; Ruiz-López et al., 2015). Reflective journaling is by far the most commonly practiced strategy; however, most research has been undertaken in undergraduate nursing education. Research relating EI competencies to APRN competencies and incorporating EI-based prompts to guide APRN student reflective journaling is an area that merits further study.
Health care complexity and fragmentation can be positively affected by highly EI competent APRNs. These leaders are uniquely positioned to connect the complex health care team and simplify its inherent intricacies. EI competencies help actualize APRN graduate education competencies as outlined by AACN's (2011, 2012) QSEN competencies and The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing. Incorporating content to master EI competencies within APRN curricula could strengthen APRN educational competencies. Integration of EI competencies within the curricula can promote APRN students' professional development, as well as enhance leadership, communication, and teamwork skills necessary to excel in the ever-changing health care delivery landscape. Furthermore, existing instruments, such as the ability-based MSCEIT, provide an evidentiary foundation for assessing the success of teaching EI competencies to APRN students. A well-educated and emotionally intelligent APRN graduate can enhance cooperation in multidisciplinary teams, promote better communication, and demonstrate APRN leadership to improve patient outcomes. APRN educators must be educated on how to use learning strategies such as reflective journaling, online clinical conferencing, and shared blogs that are designed to enhance EI. These intentional efforts will foster emotionally intelligent APRNs that can impact the future of health care.
Emotional Intelligence Competenciesa
Dr. Cox is Director, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Texas at El Paso, College of Health Sciences and School of Nursing, El Paso, and PhD candidate, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas.
The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Address correspondence to Kathleen M. Cox, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, Director, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Texas at El Paso, College of Health Sciences and School of Nursing, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968; e-mail:
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