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ISSN 1673-3568(Online)
Postal Subscription Code 80-978
In this paper, we propose a locally linear estimation of a regression discontinuity model. The proposed estimator is applicable to evaluation of the effectiveness of the program treatment, and it improves upon the existing literature by providing not just the treatment effect at discontinuity but also insight of the treatment effect on those near discontinuity. Under some familiar conditions, we establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimator. We also provide an easy to compute consistent covariance matrix.
This paper argues that before the world started to globalize, the differences in the geographical endowments that different population faced were the most important constraints to their long-term production and consumption. The paper uses this central hypothesis to explain the sharp contrast between the flourishing Song and the stagnant Ming and Qing. During the Song dynasty, despite the fact that China lost a significant amount of arable land to invading nomads as its population peaked, China witnessed a higher urbanization level, more prosperous commerce and international trade, and an explosion of technical inventions and institutional innovations. However, after having significantly improved its man-to-land ratio in the period after the Song China only found itself induced deeper into the agrarian trap, resulting in reduced urbanization, withering foreign trade, a declining division of labor, and stagnant in technology.
China has achieved hyper economic growth in the past three decades. The achievement, though spectacular, is nothing incomprehensible to modern economic theories. A number of characteristic factors, short-term or long-term, have been favorable to fast growth. The market-oriented reforms that started thirty years ago have installed the preconditions for the economy to benefit from these factors. As China rises to the rank of middle-income countries, some conditions that used to support fast economic growth are now undergoing profound changes. These changes have important implications on capital formation and productivity growth, the two major drivers of growth. With the era of hyper economic growth coming to its end, the growth pattern of the Chinese economy is in transition. That calls for a transformation of government's role in the economy to answer the challenges of this transition.
This paper studies the relationship between China's trade and its economic development. More than two centuries ago Adam Smith argued that it is the use of imported intermediate goods that constitutes the vector through which openness improves productivity. Imported intermediate goods can relieve what would otherwise be key constraints allowing faster growth, together with better human development. While China's trade reform is often related to its productivity growth, there has been remarkably little attention to the relationship between imports and productivity growth at the industry-sectoral level. Our paper examines the sector-specific impact of intermediate goods utilizing a time series for the share of imported intermediate goods in each sector derived from our model calculations. Our study indicates that imported intermediate goods are playing an important role in the growth of Chinese productivity.
This paper investigates the relationship between parents' education and children's wage using two nationally representative data sets in China. Controlling for other things, both father's and mother's education are positively correlated with children's wage. Nevertheless, returns to father's education are lower in more market-oriented segments of the economy, including coastal regions, the non-state sector, and the later period of the reform era (post-1992), while the opposite is true for mother's education. We argue that this new empirical evidence is consistent with the story that father's education mainly indicates family connections useful for locating a better-paying first job, while mother's education primarily captures unmeasured ability.
In this paper, I empirically investigate the effect of climate change on health and migration in China. Using urban survey data sets from different Chinese cities, I find that an increase in female morbidity is associated with current high temperature change, especially for the symptom of frailty; past hot weather is related to the exacerbation of health problems in women, and the effect on females is larger than that on males who migrate from rural areas to cities; past temperature change is also correlated with a higher probability of chronic symptoms for females. I also find that migration preference from a rural area to a city is correlated with avoiding exposure to hot weather shocks, which shows a regressive tendency. Finally, the migration preferences of male residents who migrate from one city to another city are not associated with the effects of past low temperature changes on health.
The Confucian school emphasizes family value, moral persuasions, and personal relations. Under Confucianism, there is a free-rider issue in the provision of efforts. Since national officials are chosen through personal relations, they may not be the most capable. The Legalist school emphasizes the usage of incentives and formal institutions. Under the Legalism, the ruler provides strong incentives to local officials which may lead to side effects because some activities are noncontractible. The cold-blood image of the Legalism may alien citizens. By exploiting the paternalistic relationship between the ruler and the ruled under Confucianism and the strength of institution-building under the Legalism, the ruler may benefit from a combination of Confucianism approach and the Legalism approach as the national strategy of governance. As each strategy has its pros and cons, which strategy of is optimal depends on factors such as the minimum enforceable level of public service and the level of institution building costs.


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Question: I checked into the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and was unexpectedly charged a resort fee. I had booked the stay with my Starwood Preferred Guest points.
The desk staff could not have been less helpful when I questioned the fee. They advised, "It is mandatory on all rooms, whether paid with cash or points, and clearly indicated during booking."
They also said the resort fee was required by Florida state law.
I have made a paid booking at the Swan and Dolphin before and the resort fee is clearly indicated all over the place. During a reward booking, there is no mention of a $10 resort fee at any time. I just went through the reward booking process again right up to the "complete your reservation" step and confirmed this is accurate.
After checking in, I pulled up the reservation email on my phone and toward the bottom there is a $10 resort charge listed. Listing the fee in a post-booking email is not sufficient disclosure.
I think mandatory "resort" or "energy" fees are an unethical business practice and typically steer my business to more reputable lodgings. I made the award booking at Swan and Dolphin because there was no resort fee listed. Can you help me? — William Pou III, Winter Haven, Fla.
Answer: The Swan and Dolphin should have informed you about its resort fee before you made your reservation. It should quote an all-in price when you ask for a rate or try to redeem your points, like other reputable hotels.
Mandatory resort fees, which often include many of the amenities that used to be included in the price of your room, are a way for hotels to make their rooms seem less expensive. By quoting a rate that doesn't include these required fees, a hotel can make its prices appear to be lower.
Even with adequate disclosure later in the booking process, having the ability to display the initial rate minus a mandatory resort fee can give a hotel an edge and snag more reservations — even if the business is gained through a brief deception.
The only way to avoid these dishonest resort fees is to avoid any hotel that charges them. Consider this: If a hotel is dishonest with you about the price of its product, then what else is it willing to lie about?
I don't consider the Swan and Dolphin's disclosure, as you experienced it, to be anywhere near adequate. I'm also troubled by the way it invoked Florida law. I am unaware of any state law that requires a hotel to add a resort fee to the price of the room.
(There ought to be a law that hotels honor the price they initially quote, but that will have to wait.)
I asked the resort about your reservation. A representative responded to you by email, noting that Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which manages the Swan and Dolphin, was required to disclose any hidden or mandatory fees as part of a consent agreement with the State of Florida. By citing Florida law, he said, the representative you spoke with "was truthful to a certain extent."
The Swan and Dolphin apologized for the incomplete disclosure of its resort fee when you booked a room using your Starwood points, and agreed to find ways to make the process clearer when I brought this issue to its attention late last year. It has done so since then.
The hotel's records also show that you had been a guest before, and that you had paid the resort fee.
Starwood has credited you with 500 points and offered to refund the $10 resort fee.
(Photo: nino 63004/Flickr)

subset: commoncrawl


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I tried to make a different kind of bean or legume each day during this vegan week, I guess I almost did it. Today is my last day of the vegan week and I will not cook as I have lots of leftovers in the fridge, from lentils, yellow split soup to black-eyed peas.
I love black-eyed peas. I usually make this dish with tomatoes and yellow bell peppers. Actually the combination of vegetables I used turned out pretty good. You can use any crunchy vegetable such as carrots and turnips for example. I cooked the beets very slightly so they were a little crunchy. My husband loved this dish so much he even asked if he could take it to the office for lunch!


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August 10, 2018InterEnergy Holdings
InterEnergy Holdings
Acquisition of 2156 MW Wind Project in Panama
April 2014
Formed in 2011 by private equity fund InterEnergy Partners LP, InterEnergy Holdings ("InterEnergy"), whose roots are in the power generation business and continue today, owns and operates power distribution assets as well as fuel distribution and logistics businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, InterEnergy owns and operates businesses in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Jamaica, and Chile.
InterEnergy's generation portfolio aggregates approximately 1,000 MW of installed capacity across the region. We are also the exclusive supplier of electricity to the fast growing tourism resort area of Punta Cana-Bavaro, covering over 42,000 hotel rooms and over 26,000 low-tension clients.
A pioneer in renewable energy, InterEnergy developed the Quilvio Cabrera and Los Cocos projects, the first wind farms in the Dominican Republic, which started operations in 2011 with over 86 MW in installed capacity. In April 2014, InterEnergy acquired UEPII, a wind development project located in Penonome (Panama), and immediately began the construction of a 215 MW wind farm. The largest of its kind in Central America, UEPII now eliminates over 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions and saves 900,000 barrels of oil per year. This investment was part of a commitment made by InterEnergy at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting, held in Rio de Janeiro in December 2013, to expand our renewable energy efforts. In addition to our presence in the Dominican Republic and Panama, InterEnergy expanded its renewable portfolio to Chile, through its subsidiaries, Raki & Huajache.
Our goal is to become a sector leader in our investment region by continuing to acquire and invest in businesses that bring efficient, clean and cost-effective energy to our markets.


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273 Body 2.0 Oz By Fred Hayman
273 Body 2.0 Oz By Fred Hayman - Fred Hayman 273 is classified as a refined, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of gardenia, exotic fruits, along with soft amber and sandalwood. It is recommended for evening wear.
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The furniture store is attached to the hair salon, and it's across from the Piggly Wiggly. Just in case you're trying to go. When my mom and I drove up to the store, it was colder and rainier than it ought to have been on the day before Easter, but we hopped out of the car and scurried past a bunch of rain-covered vintage outdoor furniture into a fairly large room just packed with furniture. There were dressers and tables and chests and file cabinets all stacked willy nilly in the first room, but my mom warned me there was more. This wasn't even the beginning.There was, however, a sock inside one of the dresser drawers in that first room.
Past the first room, through an open doorway was the big room. This room was actually more like a warehouse, and it was brimming with furniture, most of which was chairs. The room had its fair share, however, of beds, desks, dressers, bedside tables, mattresses, and even a vintage Corvette. That's right. A Corvette. Se below the photo for proof.
This last image is of some of the prints and patterns that were in the furniture store. There was so much in this warehouse of a store, I thought I could only really show you in pictures. If you live in South Carolina and you're in need of some chairs, I think this is definitely the place to go. As you can see in the first photo strip, there are actually chairs for days.


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Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name is a film that takes its time yet never wastes a moment. It may seem at first that it is slow to startup, but this humdrum beginning that meanders almost lazily through this formative summer of Elio's (Timothee Chalamet) is used as a basis from which the film's central relationship can form. From the point at which this relationship comes to be, the film becomes an intensely emotional and sensual experience.
Certainly, this lengthy and deliberate film will lose some viewers. The simplicity of the plotting does not help in that regard. But beyond mere plot is a film that captures Continue reading Call Me By Your Name (2017) Movie Review


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Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud file storage service developed by Google. By creating shareable link, you can share the files and folders that you store on Google Drive easily. But how to get direct/native link for Google Drive files? How to get permanent link for Google Drive files?
What's the use of direct/permanent link? Direct link is very useful while you want to provide a download link, anyone can download a file by clicking the direct link. And for a website, it's very important to have direct file link for downloadable items. Users don't have to leave the website to download a file.
Get Direct/Permanent Link for Google Drive Files
You can get Google Drive direct link easily by following the two simple steps. Let's know the procedure –
1. Open Google Drive and Copy Shareable Link
To get shareable link for a file, open Google Drive and open the file folder and then select the file you want to share. A link icon will appear after selecting the file. And then click on the link icon (see the picture below). The file shareable link will be copied if you click on the link icon.
If you have the shareable link, go to Step 2. If you don't have the link, there is another way to get shareable link! Just select the file you want to share and right-click mouse on the file. Then click on the "Get shareable link" (see the picture below) from the context menu.
You are done now, file shareable link will be copied if you click on the "Get shareable link" option.
2. Paste the Shareable Link and Modify
Now paste the shareable link you copied in a notepad or browser. This link looks like this one –
You have to edit this link, just replace open? with uc?export=download& to get direct link.
After this change, the link should look like this –
That's the direct/native link for the Google Drive file and its a permanent link. So you can use the link for lifetime! The direct/permanent link will skip the Google Drive web viewer. You can test the link we shared. It should start download without going Google Drive website.
Important : It's not possible to get Google Drive direct/native link for large files (larger than 100MB). Google Drive doesn't provide permanent link for large files. You can use OneDrive for big files.
To download large files, you must go to Google Drive shareable link for the file. Then you have to click on "Download anyway" to download. That's the only way!
Hope for the best! Let's discuss through comments 🙂


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Oracle develoer is needed in QATAR for big company
- 4 years of experince hands on developer 6i (forms, reports).
- Oracle database 9i.
- only males.
4 years experince is a must. please don't send if u don't meet the requirements. send ur CV for firstname.lastname@example.com
For the best Job Opportunities in the Middle East visit:
January 23, 2005
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Why did I do this? (For free?!?)
I believe no one can write your book.
I don't think writers compete with each other, in fact we should help each other out :) Being a writer is very difficult, and I had to learn through mistakes, sweat, and pain. So, I decided to pay it forward, helping other writers get their work out.
Also, I hope that by reading my guide you will become addicted to my voice and buy all my books, bwa hahahahah ;)
Who am I to give you advice?
I am Gaia B Amman, the author of the Italian Saga! All three books in the series published so far were number one releases on Amazon.com
Check the books out on Amazon <3


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You call that 4G? This is 4G… – Apple offers refunds to peeved Australian iPad buyers
It seems that the confusion over the new iPads LTE compatibility that I discussed on its release day has peeved some Australians so much, that Apple is offering refunds to anyone who felt they were misled into buying a '4g iPad.
In fact, the Australian competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), will actually be filing an application with the country's Federal Court to seek, ""injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected".
Wow, those are some seriously peeved consumers.
So who is at fault? Apple is perfectly entitled to call the iPad with LTE the 4G iPad, but it's clear that it needed to do a better job in communicating the small print that not all 4G is created equal. As it says on the iPad features page, "4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the US, and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada." The problem is that it's in tiny writing down at the bottom that I imagine would be hard to spot even on the 'resolutionary' new iPad display.
It's clearly even more of an issue in Australia at down under they have an actual commercial LTE network deployment from Telstra. However, this uses 1800MHz for its LTE, which is not supported by the iPad 4G, which operates on 700MHz and 2100MHZ LTE network only. It's not hard then to imagine that many punters would have bought one specifically for its 4G compatibility, only to be disappointed when they realised they'd been 'had'.
Apple would have done well to have made that clearer and to talk up its actually quite impressive 3G capabilities more. After all, the chipset inside supports HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, which can reach some pretty impressive theoretical top speeds. HSPA+ is currently being rolled out across the UK by all the networks and though is somewhat patchwork at the moment by the end of the year is should be much more widespread so if you've bought an iPad 4g and are feeling glum about the lack of LTE, the don't – you'll still, to some extent, 'get the benefit' as my Grandma used to say.
As we in the industry know, these technologies are technically evolutions of 3G, but that hasn't stopped them being marketed by AT&T and T-Mobile in the US at 4G. Then again everything is 4G in the US, LTE, DS-HSPA, HSPA+, WiMAX, and two cans and on some rural networks, two cans and a piece of string. (That is an actual FACT).
That said, if anyone does feel strongly about it in the UK, they can direct their ire at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Not that I'm stirring or anything.
Tilak Tejaswini, the global head of carrier services for Telstra International Singapore will be speaking at the LTE Asia summit in September, though if you can't wait till then, the iPad 4G topic is sure to crop up at the LTE World Summit, taking place in May in sunny Barcelona.


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In recent years, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has launched many certifications. These certifications were in addition to the PMP (Project Management Professional), CAPM and PgMP. The recent certifications (last 5 years or so) include:
- PMI-RMP: Risk Management Professional
- PMI-SP: Scheduling Professional
PMI-SP / RMP / PgMP
Although these certificates are core project management functions, they did not do well.
- The PMI-SP possibly failing; reaching only about 2000 certificate holders in about 5 years.
- The PMI-RMP surviving but barely; reaching about 4000 in the same period.
- They also have the PgMP which is still less than 2000 in about six years.
The PgMP is a supposed to be a senior certifications and has higher standard so that might explain the low numbers. However, I do not know the reasons for the low numbers of PMI-SP and RMP, since they are core functions, although the next part of this article might give an indirect answer.
PMI-ACP and PMI-PBA
After these certificates, PMI also launched:
- PMI-ACP: Agile Certified Practitioner (about 4 years ago), and
- PMI-PBA: Project Business Analyst (a bit more than a year ago).
Although PMI-ACP was launched a year or two after the PMI-RMP, it turned out that it is much more popular with the number of PMI-ACP already many folds the number of RMP. PBA is showing similar popularity.
The following image reflects the data as of January 2015 so a year old and barely show the PBA since it was just started but the ACP trend is clear.
Why the different performance?
That raise many questions:
Why these certificates are more popular than the other two? Noting that PMI-SP and PMI-RMP are core functions and have their respective knowledge areas in the PMBOK Guide.
ACP is about agile practices that are more dominant in technology related projects. Yes, one can agree that some aspects of agile can be used outside of IT but it is not a core function and knowledge area like scheduling and risk. Further, agile is an approach and not generic for most projects most of the time. Otherwise, why does not the PMBOK Guide dedicate more than one small section in one chapter for this topic?
PBA is even more questionable. Again, we realize that in technology projects a BA role is important but that is a technical project role – not a Project Management role. At least, not more than scheduling or cost or quality or risk. Further, in many projects' domain this role does not exist. For example in petroleum industry we see facilities planners roles, or similar. We see engineering roles that are important to projects. We have cost estimator roles, we have project control roles, we have procurement administrator roles —- all of these are project management roles but we do not see them in PMI, as areas of focus or even deserve certification.
Again, no one is questioning the value of the Business Analyst or that is not required. No one is questioning the need for BA's on some projects. The only questions here are:
- Is it a project management function or general organizational and business function?
- Is it more important for projects than cost, schedule, risk, quality and the other project management functions — OR — more important than a facilities planner, engineering analyst or similar technical roles that are also needed on certain projects?
PMI and Certifications
In other words, what we observe is that PMI launching – focusing – and promoting certifications that are not core project management functions while ignoring the other core functions.
We would love for PMI to answer and give us a logical answer. If we see a balanced approach, we would post this question. However, the absence of balance and focus on the other areas lead us to question motives.
Since we have gotten used for PMI not to answer, one can speculate.
Many project management practitioners can observe that PMI membership base is predominantly from IT. Yes, membership come from all types of organizations, financial, oil & gas, healthcare – but the functions that people come from are the IT departments of these sectors. Over the years, we have seen the PMBOK Guide and PMI certifications is shifting more and more into the IT side.
There is nothing wrong if PMI wants to be the PMI for IT or ITPMI. People like me can just walk away. The problem is all of those who are making a living out of PMI certifications trying to make it sound like BA is a core project management functions and that is required for ALL PROJECTS and ALL DOMAINS. Same for Agile.
Why PMI is going this way – because PMI is a follower not a leader.
PMI is following it is membership base ——- and revenues ——- even if that means diluting the value of project management or the value of its own brand. PMI priority is revenue not project management learning. The promotion of certifications on topics related to its membership base will secure more revenue but launching certifications that are critical for project success but are not popular in IT is not a good business. Roles like Cost Estimator, Cost Control Specialist, Planner, Scheduler, Project Control Specialist, Procurement Specialist — do not even exist on the project teams in IT where no capital projects can function without these skills.
Again, PMI, its chapters, volunteers, and vendors – can be IT PM – can promote IT functions and do what they like. Just do not insult our intelligence by saying everyone need a PMI-PBA!
Final Comments
What triggered this article is a recent discussion on LinkedIn. Where one of the PMI benefactors and holders of almost every PMI certification – trying to promote the PMI-PBA is showing a great deal of lack of understanding what a real project management is. The exchange got a bit blunt and I wrote – a blunt blog about it – on my personal blog (not this blog which is a company blog). However, that article led to this and we want to share with you the other post so you can see the level of understanding yourselves.
We truly love to hear from you – let us know what you think. You can be as direct and blunt as you like. Go for it
This is the link: https://mounirajam.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/how-many-pba-does-it-take-to-change-a-light-bulb/


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Authentication and identity management functionality is provided by a prioritized list, or chain, of configurable subsystems. The built-in authentication chain is a priority-ordered list of authentication subsystem instances. Alfresco composes together the functions of the subsystems in this list into a more powerful conglomerate.
An authentication subsystem provides the following functionality to Alfresco:
- Password-based authentication for web browsing, SharePoint, FTP, and WebDAV
- CIFS file system authentication
- Web browser and SharePoint Single Sign on (SSO)
- User register export (the automatic population of the Alfresco user and authority database)
Several alternative authentication subsystems exist for the most commonly used authentication protocols. These subsystems enable you to tie Alfresco to some of the most widely used authentication infrastructures. If you include more than one of these subsystems in the chain, you can create complex authentication scenarios.


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Toni Hains Research Award
The Toni Hains Research Award is annually bestowed upon the PNSA making a significant contribution to published work. Founded in 2017, this award was first presented to Toni Hains for her research articles focusing on the usage, significance, and importance of the PNSA role across Australia. Research articles authored and co-authored by Toni Hains have been integral in promoting and advancing the role of the PNSA in the Australian health care settings.
Making a Nomination
To be eligible to nominate a candidate you must be a practicing PNSA and member of the Australian Association of Nurse Surgical Assistants (AANSA).
The candidate nominated must also be a practicing PNSA and member of the AANSA.
Selection Criteria
The successful nominee will have:
· research that contributes to nursing literature;
· a focus on PNSA activities, contributions, experiences, or involvement in health care provision is ideal,
· acceptance by or publication in an Australian or international nursing or healthcare journal
A Toni Hains Research Award committee will meet to assess applications.
· Applications will be judged on the Selection Criteria
· The application with the most significant contribution as judged by the committee will be selected
· The committees decision will be final
Nomination Form
Nomination forms can be downloaded the Member Toolkit. Scanned forms can be returned via email to


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What small businesses must know about modern slavery...
It occurs to us at MAD-HR that many small business owners may think that you don't need to...Read More
We are around for a chat, of course, but this portal is packed with guides, learning, templates and documents that are accessible through easy-to-navigate, drop-down menus, once you have logged in yourself. You pay by subscription, bringing the benefits of an HR function without the price tag of retaining a consultant and solicitor.
The Online HR Toolkit contains 1000+ legally up-to-date documents but also brings so much more. Your subscription also gives you access to Tribunal outcomes, HR updates and employment law changes and you can find what you need quickly using the search function.
For SMEs without the budget for an in house HR team, people matters can feel overwhelming and often managers only look for help in the moment it's needed. This Online HR Toolkit ensures you are prepared for almost every HR situation. It is your flexible, accessible, outsourced HR resource and is available with or without a 24-hour legal helpline, so you can further tailor your subscription to the needs of your business.
If you are a business who does have an HR team but they are really up against it, or perhaps in split roles, this is the solution that will save time, money and relieve pressure.
A FREE demo of how it works takes just 30 minutes. You will speak to one of our team who will guide you through. Book a Toolkit Tour today and see how it can fit in your business and support your teams.
Simply choose a couple of dates and times that suit you. We'll confirm a session by email. When the time comes, grab a coffee and follow the link. One of our team will give you a guided tour on your screen, while talking you through the features and answering any questions you may have.Book now
The Optional 24/7 legal support
Access to a 24-hour legal helpline is an optional extra. It's useful to have a team of solicitors on hand for any issues relating to employment, consumer, health & safety, taxation etc.
Reassurance for SMEs
When you decide to expand your business and employ staff, things start to get complicated but it's vital to get it right as it costs you time, money and your reputation when it goes wrong. Finding the right information quickly is time-consuming and, at times, daunting. That's why we put our Online HR Toolkit together. Having access to all of this in one place saves you time and money and importantly minimises your business risk. The Toolkit is licenced annually from just £81.00 + VAT pcm
Some examples of policies and documents included are those relating to Maternity, Annual Leave, Disciplinary and Grievance, Performance and appraisals, Sickness and Pay as well as more specific but important areas such as Modern Slavery Act compliance and requirements relating to the Disability and Discrimination Act.


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Debit Card Processing
Our debit card processing supports major debit card brands Visa® and MasterCard® and provides seamless services across multiple markets.
The programme offers optional services for fraud and risk control, management reporting and exception item (chargeback) administration.
First Data Advantages
First Data Debit Card Processing gives financial institutions a complete solution for cost-effective outsourcing. We support EMV and technical standards required by major card schemes globally so you can avoid this investment expense. Value-added services like loyalty programmes, data warehouse and analysis services help maximise marketing potential.
Key Components
- PIN-secured and signature debit processing
- Contactless processing
- Business debit card program


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Excessive use of cannabis can lead to brittle bones, new research suggests.
Scientists have found that molecules on the surface of bone cells are targeted by cannabis chemicals. They discovered that drugs which block these cannabinoid receptors may prevent bone loss.
But the flip-side to the research is that smoking cannabis is likely to promote osteoporosis.
Professor Stuart Ralston, who led the research at the University of Aberdeen, said: "We hadn't studied cannabis users, but the work we've done would suggest that if you use a lot of cannabis it could stimulate bone-absorbing cells, and that would be bad."
Receptors are molecules that act like a "lock" into which other molecules fit. Molecules that affect cells are activated when they bind to specific receptors.
Prof Ralston's team was investigating the way natural cannabinoids in the body attach to receptors to help regulate bone density and turnover.
These "endogenous" cannabinoids seemed to stimulate the absorption of bone - and it was very likely that chemicals in cannabis did the same.
Because both molecules had a similar structure they were highly likely to bind to the same receptors.
Experiments with mice showed that blocking the cannabinoid receptors effectively inhibited bone loss.
Conversely, stimulating them with drugs that mimicked the effects of cannabis was detrimental to bone.
"This is an important finding since it demonstrates that the receptors which cannabis acts upon are not only important in the nervous system, but also in the control of bone metabolism," said Prof Ralston, who is now at the University of Edinburgh.
"The fact that compounds which blocked cannabinoid receptors are highly effective at preventing bone loss is particularly exciting, since it shows that these drugs could provide us with a completely new approach to the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone diseases."
The findings appear in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.
Prof Ralston, one of Britain's leading osteoporosis experts, said he saw many patients with bone loss who used drugs of various types.
But he pointed out that diet, smoking, and other lifestyle issues may also be involved.
"If using cannabis is one of the factors involved, we ought to know about it," he added.
More than 250,000 people in Britain suffer osteoporosis-related fractures each year; related health costs exceed £1.7bn.
A spokesman for the National Osteoporosis Society said: "It is always interesting to hear about these pieces of research and we will watch with interest to see what happens."


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Gastronomy Traditional
Traditional Cuisine
Gastronomy in Andalusia is very location-specific and in a place where the agriculture predominates, the cuisine is mainly based on the fresh garden produce provided by the land, so very fertile in this area. For that reason, the traditional cuisine of most of the villages, offers for starters, soups based on common ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes and bread. This is the origin of the "sopas perotas" of Alora, the "sopas aplastás" of Pizarra, the "sopas jervías" of Coín or the "sopas poncima" of Alhaurín el Grande. These fresh vegetables are also the base for a large part of the main dishes, like the "porra", the "majaillo" of asparagus, the dressings or the "calabacete".
Traditional Pastry making
The pastry making and baking of the Guadalhorce Valley includes ingredients strongly influenced by the passing of the Muslims through the region. The leading products are: the "rosquillas of ochio" (a type of doughnut filled with a dough made of dried figs and almonds), the oil buns (made exclusively from olive oil and sugar), the "roscos puerta horno", the "borrachuelos" (filled with powder of sweet potatoes or sweet of cider and covered with honey or sugar) or the "pestiños".
The "Malagueñan" goat
One of the leading products from Málaga is the local goat, one of the most appreciated types of goats for its culinary quality. Prepared in many different ways it is one of the main dishes of the traditional cuisine of Málaga. On the other hand there is a high demand for the dairy products, especially the outstanding goat's cheese in its fresh variations of semi cured, cured and old.
Organic products
Each day the production of organic fruits and vegetables is gaining in importance and at last, more widely available in restaurants, with many getting "Bio" certificates.
Country bread
The country bread of Álora, Cártama or Coín is known throughout the province of Málaga for its taste and especially for its conservation quality. This bread, handmade and elaborated with wheat flour that has been grinded in the old fashioned way (at the flour mill in Almogía) that is, between two stones, is baked in wood ovens and due to the method used and the quality of the raw material, it stays tender for up to four days.
The country bread of Guadalhorce is also the base of several dishes from the local cuisine like the soup "caldo poncima", the soup "hervías", the "sopas perotas" or the "sopas aplastás".
The different types of honey to be found in Guadalhorce are the ones typical to the Mediterranean flora: thyme, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and orange blossom…The honey of Guadalhorce is distinguished for its high and ecological quality and offers a very specific taste and aroma that makes it an unmistakable product.
Traditonal sausages
In the Guadalhorce Valley, the elaboration of sausages has been a fundamental element in the people's culture. The fattening of the pigs started in spring and for November or December they were ready for the celebration of the slaughter, which was converted into a big social event where friends and families got together and at the same time the pantry was filled with sausages and salted meats for the provision of the family for the rest of the year. This tradition of elaborating sausages has derived in an elevated number of industries and small companies related to the meat sector. Amongst them we find slaughterhouses, cutting rooms, meat industries and butcher shops where many of the typical products follow the traditional way of elaboration. The most demanded of the sector are the black pudding, chorizos (highly seasoned pork sausage), cured and salted loin of pork, cured hams and of course the famous salchichón of Málaga (salami type of spiced sausage) the latter originally from the Valley of Guadalhorce.


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Any local church is the Lord's work, and if they are going to have God's blessing, they must ask for it. That is why prayer is so important at Grace, and the very reason we continue to meet for prayer, even when many churches have discontinued this due to a lack of interest. Our prayer meeting meets every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the main auditorium. We begin with a Bible Study and then break up into small groups for a time of prayer.
There are also other opportunities that exist for a ministry of prayer. Every Sunday at 9:00 a.m., just before Sunday School begins, a number of people meet in the auditorium to pray for the day's services.
The Lord has wonderfully answered many of our prayer requests. We invite you to join with us in prayer and see God work!


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Export 2 results:Author Title [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Girish Ghatikar [Clear All Filters]
Conference Paper
"Considerations in Standardization for Demand Response Ready Air Conditioners in India." India Smart Grid Week 2015. Bangalore, India, 2015. LBNL-6968E..
"Findings from an Advanced Demand Response Smart Grid Project to Improve Electricity Reliability in India." India Smart Grid Week 2015. 2015. LBNL-6982E..


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Reduce your Footprint...
More and more people are choosing to minimise their carbon footprint by...
- Reducing unnecessary waste
- Reusing everyday items
- Recycling at home and at work
...Offset the rest...
Despite our best intentions, we can't avoid having some impact. Offsetting is a good way of addressing our remaining carbon footprint, from everyday activities such as journeys or deliveries for online shopping.
...and make a difference together
Everyday Offset invests in carbon reduction projects around the world that are monitored to exacting standards to ensure quality. Collectively, your Everyday Offsets make a significant contribution to funding these projects.
Why offset?
There is a huge body of evidence to suggest that the global climate is warming as a direct result of mans actions - specifically the growing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Recently the United Nations' climate panel (the IPCC) announced that they are 95% certain that humans have been the dominant case of global warming since the 1950s. The impact of warmer temperatures will be catastrophic to the global population, with an increased incidence of extreme weather events and a reduced ability to produce food.
It is not the objective of Everyday Offset to detail the evidence or to persuade people one way or the other. We do however want to provide a simple way for people to make a personal choice about their response to global warming.
Carbon offsetting is like recycling. Just as recycling saves energy and reduces waste, offsetting is a way to reduce the impact of our daily life by funding "matched" reductions elsewhere. This does not excuse wastefulness or mean that we can act irresponsibly with the earth's resources as long as we offset! Carbon offsetting is a way of taking a responsible attitude to address as much of our carbon footprint as we can.
Our message is therefore...
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ... and for the rest OFFSET!See our carbon calculator to better understand your carbon footprint
In a recent survey of UK residents, 64% of people said they were concerned about their carbon footprint and were doing something about reducing it.
What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? Let us know – email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Hang on
Hanging your clothes out to dry on a windy day makes them fresh and dry. Even in the middle of winter, most homes are warm enough to effectively dry clothes hung on indoor airers.
Read all tips
How to minimise our impact on the environment
Experts suggest we should follow three simple steps to minimise our impact on the environment and reduce our carbon footprint:
1. Reduce (the materials and energy that we use)
2. Reuse (anything that we can)
3. Recycle (anything that we cannot reuse)
Before we consider spending money on offsetting our carbon we should consider the wide range of simple activities we can do in the home to reduce our carbon footprint. Not only does this have a positive impact on the environment, it can be an easy way to save money on household bills.
Energy Efficiency
UK's housing stock is made up of a variety of building styles: from high rise modern apartments to old country cottages. Although our homes are in general well suited to our climate, advances in technology allow significant improvements in energy efficiency regardless of what type of accommodation we live in.
One of the best ways for us to conserve energy is insulation. The most common forms are cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Additionally there are cladding materials that are very effective for single walled buildings, such as flats. Over the last few years there have been a number of government-funded schemes that have subsidised or offered insulation for free. ECO and Green Deal are the current schemes available to UK householders. A good overview of these schemes and advice on energy efficiency is available through the Energy Saving Trust
In addition to insulation, running energy efficient appliances in your home will have a positive impact. An increasing number of white goods (e.g. fridges, freezers) and brown goods (e.g. TVs) have mandated labelling detailing their energy efficiency rating. For a detailed explanation of labels see this PDF
Renewable energy?
Whilst being "off the grid" is unrealistic for most of us, supplementing our energy supply with a renewable energy source may be more economically worthwhile than you think. If you install energy generating technology in your home, such as solar panels on your roof or a wind turbine, you may be eligible for a "Feed in Tariff" (FIT) from your energy provider. This is a government backed scheme whereby you can get paid for energy you generate, even if you use it yourself.
For an overview of FITs see the Energy Saving Trust website
Water conservation
Water is the cheapest resource we use in the home and it is plentiful in the UK compared with many areas around the world. We therefore often use it carelessly, not considering the cost and environmental impact of water treatment and water heating. Fortunately, water saving appliances are becoming more common and are often available free of charge from your water supplier. These could include simple products that save water in the home, such as tap or shower aerators, or products that save water in the garden. Check out the website of your own water company to see if there are free water saving devices available to you.


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Debate Digest: Teacher-student friendships on Facebook, Law school, Balanced budget amendment, US debt ceiling deal.
Argument: Jesus called for the death penalty in some circumstances
From Debatepedia
Parent debate
Supporting quotations
Pro Death Penalty Webpage - There are a couple passages in Luke which speak directly on Jesus' position on the death penalty:
- "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might gave him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.' But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.' So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." -Luke 20:9-16.
Jesus states in that parable that the proper punishment for murder is death. Christ also pronounced this judgment on those who rebelled against their king:
- "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me." -Luke19:27


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We are asked to post a variety of information including listings for : 'Revitalising the parts' which need renewal. Here are a few such held at Yoga Point or Brixton Community Base or further afield. See also:
Joy Anderson of Mervan Road Joyoga Holidays : http://www.joyogastudio.com
Soul Gardening Journey Through the Chakras (1) with Maria Masullo : email@example.com
and one from Chris Holt Want to make yoga a more central part of your life? Need help developing a home practice? This workshop will give you tools to make yoga and meditation resolutions you can keep in 2015.
Experienced yoga teacher Chris Holt (and former Talma Road resident) will:
- show you how to break a yoga practice down into memorable "chunks".
- share key tips from 20 years of yoga through different life stages
- give you a flexible yoga practice of 10-70 mins on audio CD (worth £12)
- teach visualisation techniques that will help you create a strong source of motivation to maintain your practice
- use yoga nidra (deep relaxation) to embed your resolution deep in your mind.
- More information: tel 07866 801177 or email@example.com Chris Holt


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You are a regional manager and this morning you see the report that you dread. Unfortunately, the number of units on the "days on markets" report is growing. You're confused and a bit frustrated. The overall portfolio is doing extraordinarily well: rent growth remains strong (sure, not as good as last year, but still quite good), occupancy levels are fine and you're meeting budget.
Those hard-to-move units are the thorn in your heel. What can you do to fix this problem and get back on trend so fewer units are showing up on your days on market report? While there are a variety of reasons that units may be difficult to move, we've identified one of the most prevalent for multifamily professionals. The issue is what we call 'outlier units'.
What is an Outlier Unit?
In general terms, outlier units are the opposite of typical units (cookie-cutter), where all the units are laid out in a very similar manner. While cookie-cutter units may have the same floor plan layout and same type of characteristics, outlier units tends to contain unique features that make the unit special. They can be smaller, older, and have different finishes. Maybe they're units in newer properties with different tiers of finishes or better views. As a result, they are much harder to categorize and require more work to find the right renter.
3 Tips to Move Outlier Units Faster
There are several reasons that outlier units have become more difficult to market and move. The reality is that they've never been "easy" to move, the problem just hid (and often still does). It was buried in ineffective reporting and analytics that allowed outperforming units to mask underperforming units.
Renters have become more sophisticated and the information available to them on the Internet is deeper, more prevalent and personalized. The increased ease and effectiveness of searching for and finding information, and the personalization of said information, has resulted in prospective renters conducting even more of the leasing journey on their own. It may be hard to believe, but we're a decade into the period dubbed The Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).
1. Different Units Require Different Marketing Strategies
A fundamental problem with multifamily marketing is that it views the world through the lens of a floor plan, when renters really view the world through the lens of unit, community and neighborhood. Marketers should dedicate the same level of effort toward creating content about the unit as they do for floor plan content. Write great descriptions for a one-bedroom, include captivating photos and even experiment with providing a virtual tour.
Enabling prospects to gain more of the experience of living in the actual apartment, as well as the community helps separate your property from other options. Floor plan level marketing falls short because of its inability to reveal the personality of the property and the unit.
When writing descriptions and taking photos, think about what makes your unit different from others. Does it have stainless steel appliances? What about tile selection and flooring? Prospects want to see even the smallest of details through good video and photos, such as paint color, lighting fixtures, carpet quality and more.
2. Better Utilize Email Marketing
While leads are often generated online through Internet Listing Services, most marketing software doesn't allow outlier units to be managed uniquely. If that's the case, you still have a powerful opportunity to nurture the lead effectively. Unfortunately, it is still the rare multifamily marketer that takes full advantage of email marketing. A recent study showed that over the last three years, multifamily has regressed on their use of email.
It is crucial that you move beyond just the floor plan when using email marketing, especially when marketing outlier units. Email is not only an opportunity to broadcast and promote, it's also an opportunity to build greater engagement, learn more and sell to today's digital savvy renters. Using a product like Nestio allows for a better marketing experience on the unit level.
3. Refine Your Metrics to Better Account for Outlier Units
When you look at your portfolio overall, you don't get the true picture of how the portfolio is performing. The danger of looking at just averages is that the numbers can be misleading.
Consider for the moment that you're analyzing a region with 1,700 units. Of these, 1,200 fall into the typical category of units, where traditional approaches are good enough (for now). Upon closer examination, you see these units are performing better than you first thought. They're not just meeting expectations, they're exceeding them. Then you get the surprise. A group of 500 units – the units that aren't quite like your typical units – are underperforming significantly. You realize that while the portfolio is doing fine, this underperforming cohort is dragging overall performance. You'll be more proactive and effective if you break unit types into cohorts and track your metrics by these cohorts.


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Photos of Simon Cowell with Terri Seymour After Crowning Idol Top 13
Simon Crowns Top 13, But May Still Have the Same No. 1
Simon Cowell and Terri Seymour smiled big with their arms around each other on their way into a charity dinner at Beso in LA on Thursday night. Terri was one of the cohosts, along with Eva Longoria, Leah Remini and Danny Masterson, of the event raising money to help detox 9/11 rescue workers. Simon and Terri have yet to confirm that they're back together after last year's split, but the former couple certainly looks to be cozying back up to each other. We love seeing Simon's softer side when he's around his longtime girl, and we even got a bit of a peek at it this week when they allowed Anoop into the first ever Idol top 13.


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plugins folder.
stop on your server, then start it again.
DevTools loads plugins in folder format in the
plugins directory.
For example, if you have these structure:
DevTools will load
MyPlugin like a normal plugin when the server starts.
After a folder plugin is loaded with DevTools, DevTools can turn it into a phar file, with the command:
/makeplugin <plugin name>
<plugin name> is the plugin name in its
plugin.yml (not the folder name). The phar will be created in
Plugins in phar format can be extracted using the
extractplugin command:
/extractplugin <plugin name>
<plugin name> is the plugin name (not the phar file name). The plugin will be extracted to a subfolder in
If the server runs from source (not from
PocketMine-MP.phar), the command
/makeserver will create the phar in the
plugins/DevTools folder. Move it next to the
start.sh and rename it to
PocketMine-MP.phar, and the server will run from the PocketMine-MP.phar instead of running from source.
DevTools can check the details of a permission and whether a player has the permission.
/checkperm <node> [player name]
<node> is the name of the permission node to check.
[player name] is the name of the player to test permission for, or yourself (including console) if not provided.
DevTools can initialize a basic plugin.
/genplugin <plugin name> <author name>
<plugin name> and
<author name> must only contain alphabets, numbers and underscores.
A skeleton plugin structure will be generated in the
plugins folder, so when you restart the server, the generated plugin will be loaded by DevTools.
You can use ConsoleScript to build a DevTools phar from source code. Contrary to popular assumption, this is very simple. Assuming you have a php executable in your PATH variable, cd into the DevTools directory (the folder where plugin.yml is located) and simply run the following:
php -dphar.readonly=0 path/to/ConsoleScript.php --make path/to/DevTools --relative path/to/DevTools --out path/to/put/devtools/phar/in/DevTools.phar
You can then load the phar onto a PocketMine-MP server. A correctly-built DevTools phar can also be executed directly from the command line as if it was the ConsoleScript.
You can also use the ConsoleScript or a DevTools phar from the command-line to build PocketMine-MP phars or plugin phars.
The script currently takes the following arguments:
--make: The path to the files you want to bundle into a phar
--relative: (Optional) Relative path to use when building the phar. This usually isn't necessary for plugins. Used to build PocketMine-MP phars with the
src directory without including the files in the repository root.
--entry: (Optional) PHP file within the phar to execute when running the phar from the command-line. Usually not needed for plugins, but required for a PocketMine-MP phar. Used to generate phar stubs.
--stub: (Optional) PHP file to use as a custom phar stub. The stub will be executed when the phar is run from the command line.
--out: Path and filename of the output phar file.
Example command line for building a plugin:
php -dphar.readonly=0 path/to/ConsoleScript.php --make path/to/your/plugin/sourcecode --out path/to/put/your/plugin.phar
Example command line for building PocketMine
php -dphar.readonly=0 path/to/ConsoleScript.php --make path/to/PocketMine-MP/src --relative path/to/PocketMine-MP --entry src/pocketmine/PocketMine.php --out path/to/put/your/PocketMine-MP.phar
/genplugin now generates a true skeleton plugin without extra useless junk.
Fixed --make paths matching prefix instead of full folder name
/makeplugin when the source files for a folder plugin were deleted from disk at runtime
This release is compatible with PocketMine-MP 3.0.0 and all later minor/patch releases.
--make arguments for
genplugin command - now it doesn't write useless files to disk
ConsoleScript ignoring compression type
support for API version 3.0.0-ALPHA11 release
(Revision 2)
Minor bug fixes, please see GitHub Releases for changelogs.
Reply to review by :
You can leave one review per plugin release, and delete or update your review at any time
This Release will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. Are you sure?


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Founded in 2015, the Sustainability Investment Leadership Council (SILC) works with all players in the investment ecosystem, including corporations, investors, accounting firms and law firms, to integrate sustainability as part of companies' overall growth strategies. We spark innovation by discussing ideas that align economic opportunities and environmental, social and governance stewardship to benefit companies and their shareholders and stakeholders.
SILC fosters insights into how investors, accountants, and attorneys can incorporate sustainability practices that align economic opportunity with sustainable policies. SILC's vision is to educate, encourage, and expand the understanding of sustainability and the impact it has on profitability based on policy, measurability, and standards.
2019 - Program Highlights
- Why Diversity Initiatives Haven't Worked: Investigating Bias
- Technology, AI, and Data: How it Affects the Future of Work
- Risk Hidden in Plain Sight: Exploring and Understanding the Corporate Supply Chain
- Not Just Financial Capital: Integrated Reporting and the Six Capitals
- How to Diligence and Invest in Businesses for Sustainable Returns
- Creating and Reading the Reports: Measuring and Applying the Principles of Sustainability
- The Economic Priority: Inclusion and Diversity
- The Next Generation Already Contributing to Building Better Businesses
Corporate Networking
- Institutional Investors
- Family Offices
- Corporate Executives
- Sustainability Experts
- Industry Leaders
- Next Generation Leaders
- SILC Club Members


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Step By Step - Easy Guide On LSMW (For Beginners) With Example - Page 6.
Step 7: Maintain Fixed Values, Translations, User Defined Routines.
In the step 'Maintain Fixed Values, Translations, User-Defined Routines', you can process the reusable rules of a project, which are defined at project level, so they are the same for all objects.
Fixed value: Here you can specify the length, type flag for lowercase/uppercase and value in addition to the name of the field.
Translation: Here you can enter information on the source field and the target field. If you are creating a new translation you have to save data first before you can change it.
User Defined Routines: This routine can be re-used in other objects of the project. The system adds in 'ur_' to the name that you suggest using for this routine. It opens up an editor wherein you can enter your ABAP code.
In our case this step has no importance in this example.
STEP 8: Specify Files.
In the step 'Specify Files', you describe all files to be used.
If your legacy data is on the PC: In change mode, position the cursor on the line 'Legacy data On the PC (Front-end)'. Select Add entry. A popup is displayed. Specify file path, file name and description and other properties.
If your legacy data is on the R/3 server: In change mode, position the cursor on the line ' Legacy data On the R/3 server (application server)'. Select Add entry. A popup is displayed. Specify file path, file name and description and other properties.
File for Imported data: Here, the file name is entered with file extension '.lsmw.read'.
File for Converted data: Here, the file name is entered with file extension '.lsmw.conv'. This file will contain all your converted data after applying the conversion rules if any.
Mention the file path and also define the Delimiter. In this case we have used tabulator (tab space) to differentiate between two fields. The content of the file looks like:
Save the details and return to the initial screen.
Step By Step Explained in Detail.
(Import Method - Batch Input Recording)
(Import Method - Batch Input Recording)
STEP 1: Create Project / Sub-Project / Object
STEP 2: Maintain Object Attributes: Select Maintain Object Attributes and Execute
STEP 3: Maintain Source Structures
STEP 4: Maintain Source Fields
STEP 5: Maintain Structure Relations
STEP 6: Maintain Field Mapping and Conversion Rules
STEP 7: Maintain Fixed Values, Translations, User Defined Routines
STEP 8: Specify Files
STEP 9: Assign Files
STEP 10: Read Data
STEP 11: Display Read Data
STEP 12: Convert Data
STEP 13: Display Converted Data
STEP 14: Create Batch Input Session


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Announcing International TableTop Day 2014! On April 5th, join Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day and millions of other people in a day devoted to playing tabletop games!
Last International TableTop Day, over 3,123 events were held worldwide across 7 continents (yeah, SEVEN), 64 countries and every state and province in North America. Let's smash through that record this year!
Visit http://www.TableTopDay.com for more info and use #TableTopDay to spread the word!


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_ This article may be freely published in any e-zine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as my name and bio remain in tact. Please send me a link when you run my work. Just be sure to NOT edit them in any way and to always INCLUDE the credit line at the bottom. Copyright laws apply!
Ads Don't Sell
_ by June Van Klaveren
Contrary to what many company owners think, ads don't sell on their own. They simply bring in leads after which, it's up to you to turn these leads into sales. Some evening, with pen in hand, sit down with your local newspaper and do this exercise. Instead of reading the news, focus on the advertisements using these instructions.
June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients attract and keep customers. To contact her, call 800-779-0067 or email email@example.com.
Compelling Communications to Keep


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Lisa Monaco on Bob Mueller
Lisa Monaco, Former United States Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, was recently on Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss Bob Mueller's role as Special Counsel in the Russia investigation.
Lisa Monaco
Former US Homeland Security & Counterterrorism Advisor and CNN Senior National Security Analyst
Please Inquire
Lisa Monaco
Lisa O. Monaco currently serves as Distinguished Senior Fellow at New York University Law School and as a Senior Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She previously served as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, where she focused heavily on cyber security and domestic crisis response. As the President's Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, she was responsible for advising the President on all aspects of counterterrorism policy and strategy, as well as coordinating homeland security-related activities throughout the Executive Branch.


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When the subject is smoking meat, if you want it done right, the key is to work between 200 and 250 degrees for a very long time.
Slow and steady.
When the subject is smoking meat, if you want it done right, the key is to work between 200 and 250 degrees for a very long time.
So notes expert Brian Bailey of Jackson Township, co-founder of Smoke the Burger Joint, Old Carolina Barbecue Co. and Baja West Coast Kitchen, formerly Baja Pizza Fish.
Bailey said maintaining a consistent, low temperature until the meat is done is vital. Bailey said he uses natural gas, hickory log burning smokers. The largest model cooks up to 1,400 pounds of meat at one time. "At our burger concept, we use smaller electric smokers that cook real hickory wood chips."
He jokes he got his culinary degrees from "the Food Network and the other from the Internet. I think my MBA is from the School of Trial and Error."
En route to that education, Bailey said he learned one of his most important lessons: "The more you open your smoker to check the meat (drastically dropping the temperature) the longer it will take (to cook)."
Bailey said his experience cooking showed him how much his beloved barbecue was lacking while he was growing up.
"Here, in Ohio, my mother boiled, baked and slow cooked ribs in a crock-pot," he said. "After college as a traveling salesman, I ate at the best local barbecue joints in the nation and found out what Mom did was not 'real' barbecue! After being laid off from my job, I vowed to start my own business and was able to combine my passion for barbecue with my sense of entrepreneurship."
The secret, he said, is, "our tastebuds don't really have a sense for smoke. It is the aroma we smell that makes us crazy for smoked meats."
Ronnie Culver II of Canton is no stranger to the smoker, either, but he's working on a much smaller scale.
"I've been smoking meats for about three years now," said the former restaurant cook at Grinder's and Beyond and Max and Erma's. "I started after my beautiful wife (Emily) bought me a smoker for my birthday."
He said that even though he cooked in restaurants for five years, he had never smoked anything.
"I had been missing out because that's the best flavor and most tender meat I have had," he said.
"I use different types of wood chips, depending on which type of meat I'm smoking," he said. "My favorite is hickory wood chips because they pretty much go with every meat. I use an electric smoker because you don't have to babysit it, it will keep its temperature."
For Culver, ribs are king in the smoker.
"My favorite thing to smoke is ribs because that's one of my favorite foods, and if they are cooked right, they fall off the bone," he said. "They also absorb smoke very well."
Almost all smoked meats have a pink ring around the outside. Experts say it's called a smoke ring, right inside the skin or bark.
"Bark is made when the rub or seasonings used on the meat turns into a glaze," said Culver. "A smoke ring is made when the smoke penetrates the skin or the bark."
Bailey said the pink color is actually a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat. It is an outer ring, and the deeper the penetration of pink, the more intense the smoke flavor. New guests to our restaurants often think that pink color means raw meat until we explain our 12-hour smoking process and point out the fact that we can't cook the meat from the inside out."
The men agree about the need to cook meat slowly on low heat to ensure it stays tender. Patience is the key.
Reach Denise at 330-580-8321
On Twitter: @dsauttersREP
"There are three key elements of any smoker: indirect heat, smoke and moisture," said Brian Bailey, who has published three books called "Q-Tips" with business partner Tim Hug on Old Carolina's website, oldcarolina.com. The first in the series, "Backyard Ribs," explains how to implement these elements on even the most basic of grills.
According to Bailey, you can use a traditional gas or charcoal grill with aluminum foil, a small metal bowl for water, oven thermometer and a meat thermometer. Just about any meat can be smoked, as can cheeses, seafood and other foods. Bailey offers these tips for smoking ribs:
n To prepare ribs, place un-trimmed ribs meat-side up on a cutting board. Cut along the line of fat at the base of the bones to remove the rib tips.
n With the bone-side up, finnese the tip of a sharp knife under the membrane that covers the bones. Grip the loose membrane with a paper towel and pull it off the ribs.
n Generously season the ribs on both sides with your favorite dry rub, cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
n Prepare the grill for indirect cooking. Turn half of the grill off and preheat to 225 degrees. A range between 200 and 225 is acceptable. Place a small handful of soaked wood chips in a pouch of aluminum foil and punch a few holes in the foil. Place directly on the heat source. Replace the pouch with a new one every half hour for the first two hours. Directly above the heat source, fill a small metal bowl with water, refilling as it evaporates.
n Place the ribs on top of each other bone side to bone side on the grill, the side opposite of the heat source. Be sure the ends of the ribs do not overlap the heat source or they will dry and burn out.
n Cook for 5 to 6 hours with the lid closed, turning and rotating every hour until done.
n Tests for doneness: Ribs are finished when the temperature of the meat reaches 170 to 175 degrees. For an accurate temperature, insert the meat thermometer vertically between the bones. Another test is to hold the ribs with a set of tongs about 1/3 of the way up the rack. If the meat starts to separate as the slab bends, they are done. If they bend without breaking, they need more cooking time. As the fats cook away, the meat will pull back from the ends of the bones about 1/4 inch.
n After cooking, allow the ribs to rest for about 20 minutes. Place them back on the grill directly over the heat source. Bring them back to temperature and then lightly sauce and grill each side for about one minute, just enough time for the sugars in the sauce to caramelize.
n Ribs can be smoked ahead of time and refrigrated for a day or two before being finished on the direct grill. They can also be frozen for up to three months.
Ronnie's Pulled Pork
8 pound pork roast
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons pepper
2 tablespoons Lawry's Chicken Poultry rub
1/2 teaspoon paprika
mustard to make rub stick
Rub mustard onto the meat, then apply the rub mixture generously.
Put meat into the electric smoker with hickory chips for about 8 hours at 225 degrees.
SOURCE: Ronnie Culver II
1 Pork Shoulder (or Boston Butt; preferably bone-in)
1 cup Pork Dry Rub
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke (optional)
Old Carolina Pork Rub
4 tablespoons paprika (Spanish or Hungarian)
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Generously season a bone-in pork shoulder (also called a butt) with your favorite pork rub. The recipe above will yield approximately 1 cup of rub. For a 4-6 pound butt, you'll need less than 1/4 cup, so keep the rest for future use on ribs, pork chops or even steaks and burgers.
Place the seasoned pork rub in a slow cooker. For additional barbecue flavor, add liquid smoke to the cooker. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. Pork will be done when it falls apart to the touch. Drain all juices and shred the pork.
Serve on sandwich buns, topped with any Old Carolina barbecue sauces. For a traditional Carolina-style sandwich, also top with cole slaw.
Whisk together:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
SOURCE: Old Carolina Barbecue Company


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CEDIA's public policy efforts are designed to support CEDIA members and ensure that their abilities to own and operate their business are not impeded upon.
The Grassroots Legislative Network is a collection of CEDIA members across the U.S. that helps to monitor, gather, and share information about legislative and regulatory issues that pertain to the home technology industry. The Grassroots Legislative Network also develops and implements strategies for responding to legislative issues.
To become a part of this network, complete the form below.


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Section Branding
Header Content
More Fish Dying On Ogeechee
Primary Content
The Ogeechee Riverkeeper says, more fish are dying in the East Georgia waterway, months after a massive fish die-off in May.
State officials are not answering questions about the river's safety.
Officials with the state Environmental Protection Division and those of textile maker King America Finishing in Screven County say, they have no comment about new reports of fish dying in the Ogeechee River.
Tens of thousands of fish turned up dead this spring.
The new die-off this past weekend was less intense.
But Riverkeeper Diana Wedincamp says, pollution levels are now astronomical.
"The state really has to step up and do something," Wedincamp says. "It is really an emergency situation and the public has to be protected."
Wedincamp says, recent samples show extremely high levels of formaldehye, sulfates, nitrogen and ammonia.
"We're hearing reports of more dead fish showing up," Wedincamp says. "We want people to be careful, to stay out of the water and not to eat the fish."
The source of the fish kill has been traced to the textile mill discharge pipe.
Wedincamp says, the pipe pumps a bluish-black liquid into the river, turning white sandbars into bluish-black sandbars.
Reached by phone at his office, Mike Beasley, CEO of King America Finishing, said he had "no comment at this time."
State environmental regulators also have refused to answer reporters' questions about the river for months.
"I still cannot comment on the Ogeechee River situation because the investigation is ongoing," wrote Kevin Chambers, EPD spokesman, in an e-mail response to GPB. "You will be notified as soon as the investigation is complete."
Wedincamp has filed an intent to sue the mill and EPD.
A group of area land owners also have sued.
Tags: Savannah, Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Statesboro, Ogeechee River, Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper, GPB News, Ogeechee River Basin, Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Georgia Environmental Protection, Dianna Wedincamp, Ogeechee Fish Kill, King America Finishing Plant, Kevin Chambers


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I am proud to work with a number of local community groups as a community activist and advocate.
My most recent affiliation is with No Space for Hate, a group of concerned citizens, which formed to address the presence of White Supremacist vendors at the Bloomington Farmer's Market. To read more about our protest, please see the press coverage in The Nation, The New York Times, and The Daily Beast.
I have also participated independently in non-violent, direct action at the Bloomington Farmer's Market, which was covered by Indiana Public Media.
In May 2017, I joined the Board of Directors for Women's March on Washington – Indiana (WMWIN). I served a term as Chair of the Board of Directors from November 2018 to June 2019. I have recently completed my two-year term on the Board, staying on as a Community Organizer and remaining the Social Media Coordinator.
WMWIN is a non-profit that connects community organizers throughout the state to encourage progressive politics on social and legislative issues.
In this capacity, I have coordinated a diaper drive for the Hoosier Diaper Program, the awarding of a scholarship prize for women in science (two years running), and a community meeting with organizers from across the state. I also facilitated an implicit bias workshop and panel, which was provided to the Indianapolis community free of charge, and coordinated a voter registration drive at the largest drug rehabilitation center for women in Indiana.
I manage a facebook community of more than 6,500 hoosiers as well as the WMWIN twitter account (more than 1,700 followers).
In January 2019, WMWIN partnered with Planned Parenthood and All Options Pregnancy Resource Center for Advocacy In Action: An institute focusing on reproductive justice in the state of Indiana.
In July 2018, I participated in the largest women's act of civil disobedience in our nation's history in protest of family separation and family detention. In October 2018, I protested the Kavanaugh confirmation from the steps of the Capitol Building, where I was captured briefly on NBC, CNN, and MSNBC.
In January 2018, I chaired the Communications Committee for the Women's March anniversary event in Indianapolis — Reclaiming Our State: Power to the Polls. Check out my Fox59 interview here, and other coverage in the Indy Star, WTHR, WFYI, and our local NPR affiliate, WFIU.
I am also a member of the Monroe County National Organization for Women, (NOW), a non-profit that focuses on economic equality, women's rights, LGBTQ+ equal protection, and racial justice.
With NOW, I contact political representatives to advocate for these issues, and manage the Monroe County NOW's twitter and facebook accounts.
I have also participated in community projects with Bloomington Black Lives Matter, Hoosier Action, and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, attending local city council meetings, providing volunteer support, and participating in voter registration initiatives.
On Election Day 2018, I served as a Clerk for Monroe County, where I worked the polls, providing ballots to registered voters.


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As the protests gripping Venezuela enter their 19th day (get the basics here), it's time to take stock of what's happened. What are the stories? What are the non-stories? What matters?
The stories
- The Media Blackout – From yanking a Colombian cable news channel off the air to taking an entire city offline, the government has made controlling the flow of information about the crisis a priority. This comes on the heels of the looming threat to newspapers all over the country, which we have documented extensively. President Maduro has already announced they will pull the plug on CNN En Español, an important source of independent information. Now their journos' official credentials have been revoked. All told, the past two weeks have been dreadful for the right of Venezuelans to be informed. The result? Tons of rumors, tons of disinformation, tons of uncertainty.
- Paramilitaries: Let's call a spade a spade: colectivos are paramilitaries. It's silly that chavistas are somehow trying to minimize the role of these government-sponsored groups that now roam freely in the streets of Venezuela, heavily armed, accountable to God-only-knows whom. They have been repeatedly lionized by the government. They are christened by Ministers as the main line of defense of the Revolution. They talk to the foreign press and gleefully display their weapons and their fire power. Chavista governors give them orders via Twitter. And numerous eyewitnesses tell stories of violence. True – they don't always shoot live ammo. Sometimes their role is simply to intimidate. Regardless, they are real, and they are not going anywhere.
- Human Rights Abuses – From the jailing of Leopoldo López to the alleged torture of student demonstrators, it seems clear that Venezuela crossed a rubicon in the past few days. This has been a PR disaster for the government, with everyone from Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch to (gulp) Madonna weighing in. I don't know if they care or not, but Maduro's cast in international public opinion seems set for now. He is an abusive, mustachoed thug. Any lingering claim to the moral high-ground or to hemispheric leadership that the revolution may once have held on to died this month.
The non-stories
- Bloodshed – In spite of the deaths of six protestors, so far this is not yet a terribly bloody ordeal. To be clear, any death is one death too many. But we should have some perspective: this is not Tiananmen. It is not even Ukraine. Of course, this could change at any time, but we must be precise – Venezuelans are, so far, not being massacred indiscriminately by government forces. Let's be thankful for that.
- The non-coup – The government has tried mightily to frame this as a "coup." It's a tough sell given that protesters are severely outgunned, and so far no member of the military has publicly condemned the government. Maduro retains a tight grip on the military, and ultimately, they are the ones who stage coups. The coup chatter is hot air: maybe it speaks to the chavista hardcore base, but everyone else discounts it.
- Everybody's a Fascist – Of every three words spilling out of chavista talking heads, at least one of them is "fascist." Everyone in the opposition is, apparently, a fascist. This is a turn-off for the media, who don't really know what to do with the term. Is the opposition following Mussolini? How do you square the term with the fact that the opposition includes left-of-center and right-of-center people? Are housewives banging pots and pans also … fascist? As a marketing tool, "fascist" is going the way of "New Coke" – nowhere.


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Pleased to announce the audiobook release of BARON OF GODSMERE: Book One (The Feud series), narrated by the beautifully talented Mary Sarah Agliotta.
Preview an audio sample at: Amazon.com, Audible.com iBooks Store
Read an excerpt at: tamaraleigh.com
And coming early Winter 2015: BARON OF EMBERLY: Book Two (The Feud series). To view the incredible COVER EVOLUTION, visit: Tamara Leigh Cover Evolution


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A Girl's Best Friend - Bratz MP3 Players?
For young girls who enjoy Bratz product, a Bratz MP3 player might make for a nice gift. To be perfectly honest though, no serious audiophile would actually want one. The Bratz MP3 players that are currently out have exceedingly low memory and seem rather over-priced. They are also rather lacking in features. However, if you're talking about a young girl who doesn't have an MP3 player but likes Bratz products it may be okay as a gift.
An iPod Clone Or Some Lipstick?
Of course, the chances are that any hip kid will have an iPod of some sort already. Putting that fact aside, let's take a look at the Bratz MP3 players that are available. The I-Bratz 256 MB player comes in three colors: purple, pink, and white. It retails for approximately $69.99 if you can find it, and it comes with 256 MB of built-in memory.
This player has an expansion slot for SD memory, so you could theoretically jack it up to 1 GB of memory or 2 GB of memory if it accepts cards with large memory (it may be limited to a lesser amount, but the specs were pretty thin). Apparently, it is capable of playing MP3 files and WMA files only. Chances are that that will be of little concern to the average pre-teen, tweener, or young girl.
This Bratz MP3 player model does come pre-loaded with three Bratz songs, but the specs did not mention what type of battery it uses. Also available is the Bratz Liptunes MP3 player. This item technically retails at $99.99, but some sites list the retail price at $79.99. It's also 256 MB and uses a single AAA battery to power the device.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have an expandable memory slot, nor does it have any exceptional features. It does look like a tube of lipstick though, and assuming your daughter (whom this product is no doubt aimed at) finds it a cute accessory, it might be worth looking into. The 256 MB Liptunes was available from one eBay seller at $49.99 apparently.
It seems to be rather difficult to find either of these items via a Google search, and the only place either one seemed to be available at was on eBay. Perhaps you can find one at a local brick-and-mortar shop. Failing that, you could try buying a Bratz CD-player or other Bratz product to pacify your female offspring. At any rate, good luck and good shopping if you choose to hunt down a Bratz MP3 player.


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Katy Rawdon
Katy Rawdon is an archivist and librarian at Temple University in Philadelphia. She lives in southern New Jersey with her son and numerous pets. Her work has appeared in the Lyric and Mezzo Cammin.
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Lutheran Social Services of
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
Return to Listing
Apply Now
Address:3413 Jeffers Road, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Jeffers Road Apartments is a HUD-subsidized apartment community offering affordable, independent living for persons with a developmental disability. This 1-story, 8-unit property features 1-bedroom units with all the comforts of home. Rent for qualified households is 30% of adjusted gross income. Ideally located, this community is just steps away from public transportation providing access to local restaurants and grocery stores.
LSS offers professional property management and access to a network of services geared toward helping residents maintain their independent living.
Amenities Include:
Eligibility Requirements:To be eligible for consideration at Jeffers Road Apartments, the applicant or spouse must be verified as a person with a developmental disability. For additional requirements, please see the Tenant Selection Plan for Jeffers Road Apartments, located on the documents tab.
6737 W. Washington Street
Suite 2275
West Allis, WI 53214


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Netflix Case Study
Company Overview4
External Analysis
Dominant Economic Feature 8
Competitive Forces Five Forces Model10
Driving Forces12
Key Success Factors14
Competitor Analysis15
Industry Attractiveness21
Internal (Company) Analysis
Company Strategies21
SWOT Analysis23
Value Chain Analysis29
Competitive Strength Assessment 30
Strategic Issues and Obstacles31
Alternative Courses of Action for Success 31
Implementation 32
Works Cited 36
Corporate OfficersA
Online Movie Industry Market ShareB
Renting Process Flow ChartC
Growth Rate ChartD
Rental Price Comparison E
Ratio ComparisonsF
S.W.O.T. AnalysisG
Weighted Competitive Strength AssessmentH
Unweighted Competitive Strength AssessmentI
Financial AnalysisJ
Return on Assets / Return on EquityK
Reed Hastings founded Netflix in 1997. He noticed that there was a demand for the ability to rent movies. With a large customer base he figured there was no question that his company could fail. This began the online movie rental industry to a large scale. With one company becoming successful, it wouldn't be but a matter of time before others began to catch on and begin to reap the benefits of someone else's idea. Reed Hastings has already been a success for beginning new companies. He first made a name for himself by going public with Pure Software in 1995 (netflix.com/PressRoom). After the development of this company he began to acquire several other companies and made Pure Software one of the 50 largest public software companies in the world by 1997; this until they sold to Rational Software in 1997. From there Hastings moved on to other projects. The other project in mind was Netflix. Hastings and a few colleagues formed Netflix in 1997, as formerly stated. Which by 1999, they had over one million subscribers in only three and a half years. Since the beginning of Netflix in 1997, they have battled many different forms of DVD entertainment competition. The competition ranges from simply going to the local video store, or actually going out to purchase a movie. It ranges too many other levels as well as many other mediums. Through the beginning and even until today Netflix has been able to stay ahead of their competition; this mainly due to the seemingly flawless method of getting the product to the end user, and back. "No one is going to out-hare Netflix," Hasting said. (Netflix-Maddox) With this bold statement, Hastings has been able to keep his word on it. He is able to keep his word mainly because of the intricate rental system involved, also because they have until recently been what seemed to be the best deal for renting movies. Netflix seems to have a simple statement. "Our vision is to change the way people access and view the movies they love. To accomplish that, on a large scale, we have to set a long-term goal to acquire 5 millions subscribers in the U.S., or 5 percent of the U.S. TV households over the next four to seven years." (Maddox, c-14) This statement appears to be plausible as long as they figure a way to keep the Blockbusters and the Wal-Marts of the world at bay. "Netflix launched its movie rental service in 1999 with the goal of using the DVD format and the Internet to make it easier for people to find and get movies they will enjoy. As a result, our members can reliably discover and enjoy lesser-known titles. As we succeed, more people are watching more films, and filmmakers are reaching a larger audience. In turn, we believe they will produce more new films. Netflix strives to be the world's largest and most influential movie supplier. (netflix.com/pressroom)" ISSUES
·The first strategic issue that Netflix will need to cover is how...
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Whatever your requirement we can make it. We can supply any size neodymium bar, please call to discuss your requirements. Remember we can manufacture magnets to your exact specifications plus offer a range from stock
Fast & FREE DELIVERY on all orders over �100! Found a Lower Price? Tell us! Call 01268 768 768 NOW


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Making the most of what life offers
A diet of elegi and rice is not a bad thing.
As long as you believe there are brighter days ahead.
Ask Fia Vaauli and that's what she will tell you.
The 30-year-old mother of two looks after her children while her husband works.
"The cost of living doesn't scare me," she said.
"It is what it is. It is reality and it's happening every day. Our people are used to it and we just have to cope with it."
For Fia's family, it means they have to live according to their means.
With her husband's weekly wage, they budget the money for electricity, water, school needs and faalavelaves.
What remains is spent on food.
And that often means whatever they can find.
"Our family is simple," she said. "We have a plantation to depend on when there's no food. We often buy two elegis a day and some rice and that's it."
"What's important to me is that we develop our own family. This is the best thing for my children. We learn as we go and we are happy with life."
Fia knows times are changing and that there are always many challenges.
But the key she said is to be positive and be grateful for whatever we have.
"We have land, water and food," she said.
"Sometimes we run out of cash power but that's okay. As of now we are working fast to get our power on to make things much easier especially at nights."
Fia dreams of a big house one day but for now she is contented with their small hut. She is positive though.
"One day," she said about a big home. "One day."


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Posts Tagged 'Marxist'
ALERT: Cuba-backed narco-terrorist group FARC announces it will resume terrorist activities
It's not like the Marxist FARC ever really stopped being a terrorist organization that has murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Colombians for decades. And it's not like they ever stopped financing their terrorism by trafficking in narcotics. It's also not like they ever had any intention of laying down their weapons after the so-called peace deal or that Cuba's Castro dictatorship would ever stop supporting their terrorist activities. This announcement just makes it official.


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A Study of Oral Recombinant Salmon Calcitonin (rsCT) to Prevent Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01292187
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : February 9, 2011
Results First Posted : September 12, 2014
Last Update Posted : September 12, 2014
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|February 7, 2011
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|February 9, 2011
|Results First Submitted Date ICMJE
|July 11, 2013
|Results First Posted Date ICMJE
|September 12, 2014
|Last Update Posted Date
|September 12, 2014
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|January 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|May 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Percentage Change From Baseline to Week 54 of Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density of Active Compared to Placebo. [ Time Frame: Baseline, Week 54 ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Effect of rsCT compared to placebo on BMD of the lumbar spine, as assessed by DXA at Week 54. [ Time Frame: Week 54 ]
|Change History
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Percentage Change From Baseline to Week 54 of Plasma CTx-1 Following rsCT Compared to Placebo. [ Time Frame: Baseline, Week 54 ]
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Effect of rsCT compared to placebo on various areas of the body. [ Time Frame: Weeks 28 and 54 ]
|Current Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Original Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|A Study of Oral Recombinant Salmon Calcitonin (rsCT) to Prevent Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
|Official Title ICMJE
|A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Oral Recombinant Salmon Calcitonin (rsCT) in the Prevention of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis in Women at Increased Risk of Fracture
|Brief Summary
|The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral calcitonin (rsCT)tablets in the prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal women with lower bone mineral density at increased risk of fracture. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if there is any food effect by comparing the efficacy and safety of oral calcitonin tablets administered at dinner or at bedtime.
|Detailed Description
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study conducted entirely in the US. The subjects were all post-menopausal women whose 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX®) algorithm within the first 3 visits. Eligible, consenting subjects were then enrolled and began a 2- week single-blind placebo run-in phase to determine tolerability. After the run-in phase, continuing subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive oral calcitonin or placebo. All subjects took 600 mg calcium citrate and 1000 IU vitamin D once daily with breakfast beginning with the run-in phase. The duration of treatment including the run-in phase was 54 weeks. Bone mineral density (BMD) and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx-1) were determined at Baseline and Weeks 28 and 54 after randomization. The % change from baseline in lumbar spine BMD was calculated and compared: active to placebo. The change from baseline in plasma CTx-1 was also calculated and compared likewise.
To confirm that there is no effect of meal timing on this product, subjects in both arms were further randomized to take the active or placebo on an empty stomach at bedtime or with the meal at dinnertime.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase ICMJE
|Phase 2
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms ICMJE
|Publications *
|Not Provided
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Actual Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Actual Study Completion Date ICMJE
|July 2012
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|May 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|Sex/Gender ICMJE
|Ages ICMJE
|45 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers ICMJE
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc.
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc.
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc.
|Verification Date
|September 2014
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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Machine learning is struggling to gain adoption in embedded applications due to a high level of complexity. Fortunately, easy to-use software tools and off-the-shelf hardware platforms are now available that simplify initial creation of machine learning algorithms and allow them to be continuously optimized. Most important, these development platforms enable machine learning on embedded processors.
In this article, embedded engineers will learn about:
- Fundamentals of machine learning
- Tools that ease creation of machine learning algorithms
- Embedded boards capable of supporting machine learning