text:
Industrial Internet Reference Architecture Gets an Update
This new version of the Industrial Internet Consortium's Industrial Internet Reference Architecture helps clarify its ideas and concepts.
Though consumer applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) gets most of the headlines, its application in industry could have some of the most far-reaching effects. Because of this, the German government's Industry 4.0 initiative is designed to connect the government, academia and industry through the process of industry's IoT transformation via digitalization. China has a similar state-run program with its Made in China 2025 strategy.
To provide a framework in support of industry's general move toward IoT adoption, regardless of geographic location and state support (or lack thereof), the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) publishes its Industrial Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA), a standards-based architectural template and methodology designed by a broad spectrum of IIC members, including system and software architects, business experts, and security experts. The IIRA assists Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) system architects in designing IIoT solution architectures consistently and to deploy interoperable IIoT systems.
According to the IIC, the purpose of the IIRA is to help technology vendors build interoperable system components that address the broadest possible market. Likewise, system implementers can use the IIRA as a starting point to shorten system development by deploying reusable, commercially available, or open-source system building blocks to reduce project risk, associated costs and time-to-market.
To help clarify the IIRA, the IIC has announced an update to the architecture, known as IIRA version 1.8. The IIC states, "The IIoT core concepts and technologies addressed in the IIRA v1.8 are applicable to the depth and breadth of every small, medium and large enterprise in manufacturing, mining, transportation, energy, agriculture, healthcare, public infrastructure and virtually every other industry." In addition to IIoT system architects, the plain language of IIRA v1.8 and its emphasis on the value proposition and enablement of converging Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) enables business decision-makers, plant managers, and IT managers to better understand how to drive IIoT system development from a business perspective.
Pointing out the key changes and additions that set IIRA v1.8 apart from v1.7, Shi-Wan Lin, CEO and co-founder of Thingswise and co-chair of the IIC's Architecture Task Group, listed the following:
* Improved description of the architecture concepts and constructs through a clear alignment with "ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010:2011, Systems and Software Engineering — Architecture description."
* A new section detailing the IIRA's "Scope of Applicability and Relationship to the System Lifecycle Process."
* A new section on "Crosscutting Functions and Key System Characteristics."
* A new section on "Functional Domain and Compute Deployment."
* Clarity that the architecture patterns are representative and not all inclusive or normative.
* A new section on "Layered Databus Architecture Pattern" derived from the IIC SmartGrid Testbed program.
* A new appendix on "Design Space Considerations," providing a broad view of possible design parameters and their constraints in identifying, describing and resolving IIoT system concerns.
"IIoT is still in its early stages of development," said Lin. "Each new use-case scenario, testbed experience and implementation is resulting in new technologies, new solutions, new applications and enhanced understanding. The IIRA is, and will continue to be, a living document to ensure ongoing maturity that ensures its users are not only up to date with the changing IIoT environment, but also able to design IIoT systems that are robust and flexible enough to handle these dynamic changes."
Explaining the driving factors behind the development of IIRA v1.8, Lin said, "The IIRA is the foundation for developing the other IIC deliverables such as the recently delivered IISF (Industrial Internet Security Framework); it's also the basis for all IIC testbeds. As those deliverables are developed, meaningful feedback is being provided to the IIRA.The IIC wants to reflect, in every new version of the IIRA, the new thinking and learning from The IIC and the general IIoT community in the continuing effort of delivering practical and implementable guidance in architecture and other areas to the general IIoT community."
Lin noted that another driver behind the IIRA update was to make the IIRA's ideas and concepts clearer. "For example, we have clarified how ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010-2011 was used to create the IIRA and how IIRA is to be applied to broad use cases within and across industrial verticals," he said. "We have also added a section discussing how the IIRA functional domains can be mapped into a compute deployment continuum to reflect the latest thinking in IIoT architecture. In addition, we have added a layered databus architecture pattern to enrich the implementation examples."
When asked if end users tend to focus on certain aspects of the IIRA to develop and deploy their IIoT systems or if they use it more holistically, Lin said, "We are seeing a mixed approach to use. Those who want system design guidance are using all parts of the IIRA, whereas those who are focused on a particular aspect, such as data, might just use the data section that was published in part 2. The good news is that the IIRA is designed to be a business value-driven, concern-resolution-focused systematic template and methodology that supports a broad range of users. It allows businesses to drive their IIoT development from business vision and value in a top-down iterative process."
Industry IoT Consortium
SAP Eyes IoT Business Value
The Natural Progression of Artificial Intelligence
Honeywell Teams Up for Asset Management in Oil and Gas
Industry 4.0: Evolution or Revolution?


Not only were my pastor's words a confirmation that God is leading me to study this topic, but also the words in one of my daily devotions. The author stated that abundant life must be mirrored by love, the type described in 1 Corinthians 13. So of course I went directly to that famous chapter we so often hear read at weddings. The first three verses are the "if I do (fill in the blank)" without love, then I am just a loud, obnoxious noise that is nothing and gains nothing. The next five verses give a clear description of what real love is. Are you ready for this?
Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Uh oh! I would love to be able to say that my life mirrors all of these attributes, but sadly I cannot. I have a lot of work to do! But praise God I do not have to do it on my own. I have His Holy Spirit residing in me. He is my Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, and Standby who will teach me all things and help me remember everything that Jesus taught (John 14: 26 Amplified Bible).
I don't' want to overwhelm myself or anyone else who may read this, so my next blog post will focus on the first trait of love listed here which is patience because I definitely want an abundant life. Can't wait! LOL!
Interesting because I too have been working through the verse of being a noisy cymbal if I have not love. At the church, here, it's easy to present the image of love, but what's the depth of love in me?


GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE EAGER TO POLISH!!!
I have good news for all those who wish to surprise someone else with a bench lathe under the Christmas tree. It is a kind of small big miracle, or rather big miracle together with a muslin buff. Anyone who has ever tried it will agree with me. Well, it is in store again, whoopee!


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text:
package com.location_11dw.db.dqq;

import android.content.Context;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase.CursorFactory;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper;

public class AnXinWeathherOpenHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper{

	/**
	 * Province表建表语句
	 */
	public static final String CREATE_PROVINCE="create table Province (" +
			"id integer primary key autoincrement," +
			"province_name text," +
			"province_code text)";
	/**
	 * City表建表语句
	 */
	public static final String CREATE_CITY="create table City (" +
			"id integer primary key autoincrement," +
			"city_name text," +
			"city_code text," +
			"province_id integer)";
	/**
	 * County表建表语句
	 */
	public static final String CREATE_COUNTY="create table County (" +
			"id integer primary key autoincrement," +
			"county_name text," +
			"county_code text," +
			"city_id integer)";

	public AnXinWeathherOpenHelper(Context context, String name,
			CursorFactory factory, int version) {
		super(context, name, factory, version);
		// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
	}

	@Override
	public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		db.execSQL(CREATE_PROVINCE);//创建Province表
		db.execSQL(CREATE_CITY);//创建City表
		db.execSQL(CREATE_COUNTY);//创建Country表
	}

	@Override
	public void onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase arg0, int arg1, int arg2) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub

	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Art Therapy is a service provided to the pupils within the school. The service provides a safe space whereby the young people can express their thoughts and feelings. The aim is to promote emotional wellbeing and support the pupils within education.
Art Therapists work with children, young people, adults and the elderly. Pupils may have a wide range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, life-limiting conditions, neurological conditions and physical illnesses.
Art Therapy is provided in groups or individually, depending on the pupils' needs. It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be enjoyable. Pupils do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art.
Although influenced by psychoanalysis, art therapists have been inspired by theories such as attachment-based psychotherapy and have developed a broad range of client-centred approaches such as psycho-educational, mindfulness and metallization-based treatments, compassion-focussed and cognitive analytic therapies, and socially engaged practice. Exploring the links between neuro-science and art therapy has also been at the forefront of some of the British Association Of Art Therapist (BAAT) conferences. Importantly, art therapy practice has evolved to reflect the cultural and social diversity of the people who engage in it.
Art Therapy may focus on the creative art-making process itself, as therapy, or on the analysis of expression gained through an exchange of pupil and Therapist interaction. The psychoanalytic approach was one of the earliest forms of art psychotherapy. This approach employs the transference process between the therapist and the pupil who makes art. The therapist interprets the pupil's symbolic self-expression as communicated in the art and elicits interpretations from the pupil. Analysis of transference is no longer always a component.
Current art therapy includes a vast number of other approaches such as: person-centered, cognitive, behaviour, gestalt, narrative, adlerian, family (systems) and more. The tenets of art therapy involve humanism, creativity, reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, and personal growth.
What do we mean by confidentiality?
Art Therapy takes place within a confidential framework in which information, including art work, is not to be shared with others without consent unless there are concerns about the young person's safety. This confidentiality is maintained within the framework of the multidisciplinary team.
The Art Therapists are Susanna Coan and Nadine Wilkinson. They are skilled in the areas of non-verbal communication, symbolic and visual imagery. The Therapists adapt their work according to the pupil and practice is informed by psychodynamic theory and their experience as artists. The Art Therapists are State Registered and are regulated by the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
How can pupils access Art Therapy?
Pupils are able to self-refer as well as staff, parents/carers and external agencies. Once a referral is made the pupil is given an initial assessment so that the therapist and pupil can decide if it is right for them.
There are regular reviews as part of therapy which offer opportunities to review progress, answer questions and to share information with parents on how best to support the young person. There may be art therapy sessions where parents/carers participate if this is felt appropriate by all involved.


A network that provides access to the Internet by being hard wired to the provider. A wired Internet connection implies cable, DSL or FiOS, which is cabled from the user's premises to the service provider. With regard to connecting a device within the home or office, the term may refer to using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. Contrast with wireless Internet. See cable Internet, DSL and FiOS.
You can use ShareLink to mix iPhones together with Wi-Fi and/or wired internet to provide even higher throughput and redundancy should any of the bonded connections fail or slow down.
It's notable Google already provides wired Internet in select cities of the US through its fiber-optic deployments.
Sure, wired internet still has its current benefits of high speed (although 4G is definitely challenging that fact) and higher reliability, but as the wireless technology keeps evolving, eventually there will be barely any incentives left for wired internet usage.
The player offers 1080p HD video resolution, built-in Wireless-N and Ethernet for easy wireless or wired Internet connectivity anywhere in the home and is able to connect to any TV via HDMI or composite video and stereo output.
Wired Internet Group, founder of the annual Best Investor Website Awards, has launched a book to help people get a financial return from their websites.
The company's DNS software is used by nearly half the global wired Internet broadband users.
The mini-notebook, which boots up in only 8 seconds and has no hard disk but relies on four gigabytes fast solid state storage, comes equipped with wireless and wired internet connection capabilities and is suitable for people across the entire spectrum of users from the mobile professional to the casual shopper.
The company claimed its RangePlus Router (WRT100) and RangePlus Notebook Adapter (WPC100) provide freedom from wired Internet connections, offering improved range, reportedly exceeding standard Wireless-G routers of comparable pricing.
The Las Vegas Convention Center is now equipped as a Wi Fi Zone, so PMA 2004 attendees can check their email or surf the Web using laptops or mobile devices without having to find a wired Internet connection.
In many ways, the situation is analogous to the dawn of the wired Internet, where thousands of smaller ISPs provided access while the big boys tried to figure out how to join the party.
The need for greater Internet bandwidth is being driven by the rapid growth of wireless devices, continued growth in wired Internet access, and the convergence of voice and data over next-generation networks.


Process characterization is an important step in the overall journey of product development. For therapies that have had early success in the clinic and are progressing towards commercial manufacturing, understanding the operational, regulatory and quality connections is critical for successful filing and launch. The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview and case study of process characterization performed by Catalent.


text:
Q: Safely searching elasticsearch from client-side? If my elasticsearch could be called directly from jQuery it would be much faster and simpler. I currently have a proxy in the middle of my static site and ES cluster.
I have been looking at Search Guard from another answer on here but many features of this wouldn't work e.g. IP blocking as if it was a jQuery script it would be called from my static site visitors IP. Likewise if I have a password and put it in a jQuery script the user would see it.
I have also tried going further up the chain and adding read-only block in my elasticsearch.yml but this doesn't feel like much of a defense on its own.
Is there any way of safely allowing my ES cluster (via URL) to be searched directly from a client-side JS/jQuery script? It would be fantastic if I could get rid of this proxy VM in between.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package sync

import (
	"context"

	"github.com/pkg/errors"

	"github.com/spf13/cobra"

	"google.golang.org/grpc"

	"github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/cmd"
	"github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/cmd/mutagen/daemon"

	"github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/pkg/grpcutil"
	"github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/pkg/selection"
	promptingsvc "github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/pkg/service/prompting"
	synchronizationsvc "github.com/mutagen-io/mutagen/pkg/service/synchronization"
)

// PauseWithSelection is an orchestration convenience method that performs a
// pause operation using the provided service client and session selection.
func PauseWithSelection(
	daemonConnection *grpc.ClientConn,
	selection *selection.Selection,
) error {
	// Initiate command line messaging.
	statusLinePrinter := &cmd.StatusLinePrinter{}
	promptingCtx, promptingCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
	prompter, promptingErrors, err := promptingsvc.Host(
		promptingCtx, promptingsvc.NewPromptingClient(daemonConnection),
		&cmd.StatusLinePrompter{Printer: statusLinePrinter}, false,
	)
	if err != nil {
		promptingCancel()
		return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to initiate prompting")
	}

	// Perform the pause operation, cancel prompting, and handle errors.
	synchronizationService := synchronizationsvc.NewSynchronizationClient(daemonConnection)
	request := &synchronizationsvc.PauseRequest{
		Prompter:  prompter,
		Selection: selection,
	}
	response, err := synchronizationService.Pause(context.Background(), request)
	promptingCancel()
	<-promptingErrors
	if err != nil {
		statusLinePrinter.BreakIfNonEmpty()
		return grpcutil.PeelAwayRPCErrorLayer(err)
	} else if err = response.EnsureValid(); err != nil {
		statusLinePrinter.BreakIfNonEmpty()
		return errors.Wrap(err, "invalid pause response received")
	}

	// Success.
	statusLinePrinter.Clear()
	return nil
}

// pauseMain is the entry point for the pause command.
func pauseMain(_ *cobra.Command, arguments []string) error {
	// Create session selection specification.
	selection := &selection.Selection{
		All:            pauseConfiguration.all,
		Specifications: arguments,
		LabelSelector:  pauseConfiguration.labelSelector,
	}
	if err := selection.EnsureValid(); err != nil {
		return errors.Wrap(err, "invalid session selection specification")
	}

	// Connect to the daemon and defer closure of the connection.
	daemonConnection, err := daemon.Connect(true, true)
	if err != nil {
		return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to connect to daemon")
	}
	defer daemonConnection.Close()

	// Perform the pause operation.
	return PauseWithSelection(daemonConnection, selection)
}

// pauseCommand is the pause command.
var pauseCommand = &cobra.Command{
	Use:          "pause [<session>...]",
	Short:        "Pause a synchronization session",
	RunE:         pauseMain,
	SilenceUsage: true,
}

// pauseConfiguration stores configuration for the pause command.
var pauseConfiguration struct {
	// help indicates whether or not to show help information and exit.
	help bool
	// all indicates whether or not all sessions should be paused.
	all bool
	// labelSelector encodes a label selector to be used in identifying which
	// sessions should be paused.
	labelSelector string
}

func init() {
	// Grab a handle for the command line flags.
	flags := pauseCommand.Flags()

	// Disable alphabetical sorting of flags in help output.
	flags.SortFlags = false

	// Manually add a help flag to override the default message. Cobra will
	// still implement its logic automatically.
	flags.BoolVarP(&pauseConfiguration.help, "help", "h", false, "Show help information")

	// Wire up pause flags.
	flags.BoolVarP(&pauseConfiguration.all, "all", "a", false, "Pause all sessions")
	flags.StringVar(&pauseConfiguration.labelSelector, "label-selector", "", "Pause sessions matching the specified label selector")
}


If this was a text file, no-one would be reading it. People really don't read the "Read Me" file. I try to make a point of at least glancing through the RM file of any app I download, but absolutely no-one reads mine. I don't think it's just mine, either.
It's staggering. People don't read. People don't look around the site. People don't apply basic categorisation or inference skills to the world around them.
So that's fair enough. If you've read this far, thanks. Now why don't you read my bloody Read Me files instead?


text:
Q: Add-Type: chould not load file or assembly microsoft.office.interop.outlook I'm trying to read from outlook-inbox by using the PowerShell code below:
Add-Type -AssemblyName microsoft.office.interop.outlook
$olFolders = "Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.OlDefaultFolders" -as [type]
$outlook = New-Object -ComObject outlook.application
$namespace  = $Outlook.GetNameSpace("mapi")
$inbox = $namespace.getDefaultFolder($olFolders::olFolderInbox)

However I get the following error:

Add-Type: could not load file or assembly
  microsoft.office.interop.outlook, Version=12.0.0.0, ...

A:
The interop libraries are not part of .NET framework itself, rather
  part of visual studio.  you can copy the Interop library from
  "Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Visual Studio Tools for
  Office\PIA\Office12"

Source

A: First of all, make sure that .Net Programmability Support was chosen in the installation wizard of Office.

In that case all Office interop assemblies will be installed with Office.
Also you may consider installing them separately. See Microsoft Office 2010: Primary Interop Assemblies Redistributable.
Unfortunately it's not possible to do automation with the Click-To-Run Office editions. It's due to the virtualization process used. According to the information here you can switch your C2R-edition to a MSI edition. Read more about possible issues with Office 2010 in the Office 2010 Click-to-Run compatibility with add-ins article.


Eaing my breakfast and i thought i might as well post a blog at the same time. :) just got back from swimming, feels great knowing that its not even 9 in the morning and you've already spent an hour in the pool. :) so now before i wake my brother i need to do some cleaning and stuff. :) good day this - i can feel it!


1. Preheat oven to 400°. Thinly slice 3 lemons. From remaining lemon, grate 2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. In small bowl, toss olives, tomatoes, onion, basil, oil, and lemon zest and juice until well combined. Sprinkle both sides of tilapia fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Cut four 12 x 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place 1 sheet of foil on work surface. Arrange 3 to 4 lemon slices in single layer on half of foil sheet; place 1 fillet over lemon slices and top with about 2/3 cup olive mixture. Fold foil over to cover fillet and olive mixture. Fold edges several times to seal tightly. Repeat with remaining foil sheets, lemon slices, fillets and olive mixture.
3. Place foil packets on rimmed baking pan. Bake 14 minutes or until fillets turn opaque throughout and reach an internal temperature of 145°. With kitchen shears, cut an X in top of foil packets, then carefully pull back foil to open.
To cut basil in thin slices, also known as chiffonade, stack the leaves and roll them from tip to stem, then cut across to form long slices.
To cut down on cleanup, serve tilapia in the foil cooking packets directly from the oven.


text:
Best Museums In Kiev
by Anastasia S.
Visiting any city, one of the first places where you go, will most likely be a museum. A great way to learn more about the history of a country, city, or find one of a kind. Below are listed a few, but the most favorite tourist museums in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev.
World War II Museum
The Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War has more than 15,000 exhibits! These are old documents, personal items of front-line soldiers, their weapons and photographs, awards and banners, miraculously surviving fragments of the wartime correspondence, personal diaries and real military equipment. They help to recreate the history of events and transfer to the military past.
But attracting visitors is not as large a museum and its information content as the building itself. Most of the exhibition of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War is located in the three-story building of the pedestal of the famous monument of World War II, the tallest statue of Ukraine – "Motherland". It is located on a hill in the center of Kiev and you can see not only the exhibits of the museum, but also climb the viewing platform to appreciate Kiev from a bird's-eye view, standing on the shield of the national symbol – the defender of the former Soviet people.
Where: Lavrska st., 24
State Aviation Museum of Ukraine
The unique exhibition of the museum has become a joint global achievement. Over 70 airplanes and helicopters, combat missiles, military armaments and engines are in the walls of the first full-scale Aviation Museum of Ukraine. They collected the collection all over the world: some exhibits were provided by the Dovzhenko film studio, and the strategic bombers were presented by the Americans. See the world's only collection of Tu-22 nuclear bombers by visiting the Aviation Museum. You can touch the history of the legendary airplane Leonid Bykov from the movie "Only Old Men Are Going to Battle" only here.
Where: Medova st., 1
Kunstkamera
The most frequent guests of this museum are future doctors and nurses. But it is not uncommon for people to "tickle their nerves" and people who have nothing to do with medicine. One look at the exhibits of the Kunstkamera can cause a visitor to shiver and hundreds of dark thoughts about the future of humanity. On the long museum shelves, eerie reminders of an irregular lifestyle are flasks with liver degenerated with cirrhosis, blackened lungs of a person who never leaves a cigarette. In large glass containers in the kunstkamera unborn children and many other things darken that it is even scary to write, especially to look at it. But if the anatomy of a person interests you or you like everything terrible and bloody, well, or you want to convince your spouse to stop smoking – you are here.
Where: Khreshchatyk st., 15
For the first time in Ukraine, the Museum of Science and Technology is open with an interactive approach. According to its creators, the best way to know the world around them is to contact them. Therefore, each visitor can not only look at the exhibition, but also conduct his own experiment in the field of mechanics, molecular physics, electricians, optics and acoustics. All exponents (and this is more than 200 unique devices) can and should be touched, testing their strength and seeing them in action
Where: Stepan Bandera Ave., 6
Water museum
The first in Ukraine "water museum" was born on the ruins of an old tower. One of the most extraordinary museums of Ukraine is symbolically located in the dungeon of an old water tower. This design "watered" almost the entire city more than 140 years ago! It consisted of two water towers with a height of 20 meters and an underground tank with a capacity of 1 million 350 thousand liters. The exhibition combines the features of a museum, a technical exhibition and an aqua park. The Museum of Water in Kiev invites guests to see and experience most of the water experiments. This is a place where exhibits are not hidden from visitors behind a glass wall.
Where: Grushevskogo st, 1B
Kiev Planetarium
Visit the distant corners of our Universe as part of the light performance of the planetarium in Kiev. By the size of the dome, the Kiev Planetarium is the second largest in Europe with a screen area of 830 sq.m. The hall has a dome with a diameter of 23.5 meters and can accommodate 320 spectators. It was founded in 1952, when in the very center of the hall they established the "heart" of any star show – a projection apparatus called the "Planetarium". Thanks to auxiliary projectors, a special effect of the presence of a huge Universe in space is created. And on weekends you can enjoy a fantasy show. The planetarium in Kiev has undergone a due modernization and now offers artistic programs on the themes of astronomy, geography, and natural history. The planetarium also hosts various lectures on the history of the development of the cosmos and its celestial bodies. Thanks to powerful projectors, all visitors can see with the naked eye the sun, moon and five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Where: Velyka Vasilkivska st, 57/3
House with Chimaeras or Gorodetsky House
The house with chimeras is a unique mansion in the Art Nouveau style, decorated with fantastic sculptures (chimeras) of fabulous animals, inhabitants of the underwater world, trophies of hunters. Some lovers of mystics believe that Halloween sculptures at Kiev House with chimeras come to life are. The house with chimeras is one of the main sights of Kiev, it is a great place to make beautiful photos as a keepsake or go on a tour. The object has the status of a monument of architecture. Now the house with chimeras performs the function of the residence of the head of state (ironically, as it is).
The excursion to the House with chimeras by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky takes place exclusively on Saturdays. Groups of up to 10 people are formed, during the visit you can see the interior of the ceremonial rooms and the former apartment of the architect's family. Due to the large number of applicants, it is necessary to book a queue approximately 6 months before the desired day of the excursion.
Where: Bankova st., 10
Entertainmenthistorykievmuseumsukraine
Croatian streets :D
Epiphany – A Freezing Slavic Tradition

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
CBS 42
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Inside this Day with Scott Richards
Weather Lessons With Ashley
What's on CBS 42?
Breaking & Live Events
Coronavirus House Calls
Getting Warmer: Heating up Alabama's Cold Cases
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Pakistan's prime minister says US 'martyred' bin Laden
by: KATHY GANNON, Associated Press
Posted: Jun 25, 2020 / 10:57 PM CDT / Updated: Jun 26, 2020 / 02:39 AM CDT
In this photo released by the Press Information Department, Pakistani Prime Minister addresses the Parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, June 25, 2020. Khan accused the United States on Thursday of having "martyred" al-Qaida leader and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden. (Press Information Department, via AP)
Islamabad (AP) — Pakistan's prime minister said Thursday the United States "martyred" the al-Qaida leader and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, a term that reflected a subtle jab at Washington as it's mainly used for honorable figures slain in battle.
Imran Khan delivered the jab in a rambling budget speech in parliament, attacking his predecessors' foreign policies and saying that Pakistan's partnership with the United States in the war on terror was a mistake.
Khan also said Washington used abusive language against Pakistan, blaming Islamabad for its failures in neighboring Afghanistan. Most of all, the U.S. refused to tell Islamabad of its operation against bin Laden in 2011 before carrying out the Navy SEALs nighttime raid. The special operations force swooped into Pakistan's military garrison town of Abbottabad in the middle of the night on May 2, 2011, killing bin Laden and several of his operatives.
"We sided with the U.S. in the War on Terror but they came here and killed him, martyred him and … used abusive language against us (and) did not inform us (of the raid), despite the fact that we lost 70,000 people in the war on terror," Khan told Parliament.
Washington has repeatedly accused Pakistan of harboring the Afghan Taliban and giving safe haven to the feared Haqqani network, a Taliban affiliate that has been blamed for some major attacks in Afghanistan over the years and declared a terrorist group by the United States. U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had claimed the Haqqani network was run by Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, known by its acronym ISI.
Pakistan denied the accusations, saying Washington was blaming Pakistan for the failure of the U.S.-led coalition's 150,000 soldiers to defeat the Taliban, who are now at their strongest since being toppled in 2001 and rule or hold sway in about 50% of Afghanistan.
"The way we supported America in the war on terror, and the insults we had to face in return. … They blamed us for every failure in Afghanistan. They openly held us responsible because they did not succeed in Afghanistan," Khan said.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were the only countries to recognize the Taliban government, which had harbored bin Laden as he planned terrorists attacks against the U.S. After the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan turned and became an ally of the United States against the Taliban, who were ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in November 2011.
However, opposition lawmaker Khwaja Mohammed Asif slammed Khan for calling bin Laden a martyr, saying the al-Qaida chief had brought terrorism to Pakistan.
"He (bin Laden) ruined my country but he (Khan) is calling him a martyr," said Asif.
Since taking over, Khan claimed his government has reset the Pakistan-U.S. relationship, elevating it to one of mutual respect, for which he also credited the personal rapport he has built with President Donald Trump.
""No one insults us now," said Khan.
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
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Victor Restis: Portrait Of Shipping Business Success
2 years ago Newsroom
Billionaire businessman Victor Restis is regarded as one of the most important and influential shipping personalities worldwide and enjoys an extraordinary career spanning international business, politics and global philanthropy. Mr. Restis professional career began as a key management member at his family's shipping company, Enterprises Shipping and Trading S.A. (EST). For more than a decade, Mr. Restis combined hard work, a fierce dedication to excellence and was named President of EST at the age of 36.
photo credit: New Europe
As owner and President, Mr. Restis exhibited intelligence, integrity and ethics to transform EST from a medium-sized company to one of the world's most modern, diversified, and largest privately-owned bulk vessel and cargo shipping fleets. Applying a strategy of diversification by establishing long-term business relationships, EST today operates a fleet of more than 120 shipping vessels for world-wide transportation, serving international trade in a wide range of products and general cargo.
Continuing an innovative approach and applying keen business acumen, Mr. Restis expanded the company once again from shipping and trading to a diverse multinational and multicultural international business group. The company's diverse, eclectic portfolio includes banking and financial services, (owning at one stage three fully licensed Banks in Europe), media, aviation, telecommunications, ship building/repairing, energy, hotels and hospitality services, leisure and global real estate.
Born in Kinshasa, Congo, Mr. Restis was educated in Belgium and is a graduate of the distinguished "Institut Catholique des Hautes Etudes Commerciales" (ICHEC – Belgian Management School). It was very early in his studies that Mr. Restis gravitated toward the idea that "the starting point of all achievement is desire."
Mr. Restis' storied career transverses the globe. From 2011 till 2013, Victor served as an Ambassador of the Republic of San Marino – one of the world's oldest surviving republics. With business ventures worldwide, Mr. Restis has been recognized for excellence throughout his career and was awarded by Lloyd's List as one of the "100 most influential people in shipping."
Today, Mr. Restis serves in high-level directorships for various organizations worldwide, including Protection & Indemnity Clubs, ship-owners associations, classification societies and many non-profit organizations. With a noble commitment to promote the health and welfare of people and communities around the world, Mr. Restis is heavily involved with a wide range of humanitarian and relief effort causes.
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You are here: Home / Adventure / Troop 1577 Explores Mallows Bay
Troop 1577 Explores Mallows Bay
November 18, 2022 by Carla Brown
In October, Troop 1577 went canoeing at Mallows Bay. This bay has a fascinating history as a "shipwreck graveyard." Hundreds of ships were purposefully sunk here after World War I when they were no longer needed as transportation. Many of the wrecks broke up and bits floated away, but there are still some wrecks which you can tour by canoe or kayak at low tide. They are now covered with vegetation and provide wildlife habitat. But you can still see giant metal bolts and ship components embedded in the wood. There are also a few other wrecks including a car ferry called the Accomac which houses osprey nests, and an old Sea Scout wreck. It takes about 2 hours to view the site. It became the most recently created National Marine Fisheries Sanctuary in the nation in July 2019.
The troop camped at Cedarville State Forest about an hour away. There is a closer state park with youth group campsites called Smallwood (only 15 minutes away) but it is closed for renovations until 2023. In the evening, we had Dutch oven meals including monkey bread and played board games.
Know Before You Go: National Park Use and the Partial Government Shutdown
NCAC's World Scout Jamboree Team at the Summit
16th Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Meet
2023 National Jamboree


Unit fundraisers must be first discussed and approved by membership majority at a regular business meeting.
Written request is then submitted to the parent chapter for approval. (In cases where there is no parent chapter, units submit the written request to the DAV state department).
The DAV Department Executive Committee (DEC) shall then determine if approval is warranted and will notify the unit.
If a Unit fund raiser is among personal contact of members and their friends only, and they anticipate receiving less than $5,000, only the parent chapter needs to approve. Keep in mind that any fund raising project which involves the general public requires chapter and DAV department approval.
Units wishing to conduct Forget-Me-Not drives only require the approval of their parent chapter. Ref. DAV National Bylaws, Article 15, Section 15.3, Para.5.
Note: The Auxiliary logo or seal may be used on fund raising projects provided that appropriate fund raising approval has been received.
State department fundraisers require approval of the DAV Auxiliary state executive committee. A written request must then be submitted to the DAV State Department for consideration by the DAV Department Executive Committee (DEC). Written notice is then provided to the Auxiliary State Department.
The Auxiliary logo or seal may be used on fund raising projects provided appropriate fund raising approval has been received.
Approval is not required for logo/seal usage on stationery items, business cards, name badges, hats, shirts, etc., and other items that promote the name and positive mission of the organization.
Items bearing the DAV Auxiliary seal or logo may be sold to other members of the organization at cost, but may not be used to generate revenue.
Q. Can my unit solicit funds using social media and other internet means?
A. No. Fundraisers must be confined to the chartered territory of the unit. By virtue of use of the internet and/or social media, the Unit would be generating income from well beyond its chartered territory.
Q. Can my unit advertise our fund raising event on social media and in our community paper?
A. Certainly. You may advertise the event on social media and in the local community paper as an invitation to attend. However, you may not directly ask for donations or provide an address to where donations may be sent.
Q. Our unit wants to conduct a Forget-Me-not Fundraiser to be held over two weekends in locations covering the northern part of our state. Is this acceptable?
A. An Auxiliary unit, with its chapter's prior consent, may conduct one Forget-Me-Not Drive annually. The drive may not infringe on the territory of another DAV chapter or Auxiliary unit. Also, the event shall not exceed a total of seven days (not required to be consecutive days). Always notify the DAV state department of the Forget-Me-Not drive.


text:
Q: cx_Oracle persistent connection I have a task to create persistent connection for two process with cx_Oracle.
It is need to execute some requests from first process and late some requests from second process in same transaction.
When try to use DRCP as described in
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/articles/dsl/python-091105.html
with next code:
#coding: utf-8

import cx_Oracle

con1 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test', purity=cx_Oracle.ATTR_PURITY_NEW)
cur = con1.cursor()
cur.execute('''insert into gui_view (id, name, view_type, title) values (gui_view_s.nextVal, 'TEST_VIEW', 'grid', 'VIEW_TITLE') ''')
cur1 = con1.cursor()
cur1.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all1 = cur1.fetchall()
assert len(rows_all1) > 0, 'Not Exists!'
con1.close()

con2 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test1', purity=cx_Oracle.ATTR_PURITY_SELF)
cur2 = con2.cursor()
cur2.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all = cur2.fetchall()
assert len(rows_all) == 0, 'Exist!'

con3 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test')
cur3 = con3.cursor()
cur3.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all3 = cur3.fetchall()
con3.close()

assert len(rows_all3) > 0, 'Not Exists!'

But third assert is incorrect.
May be i use incorrect parameters ?
Connection Pool can be created by separate process that will store connection and communicate with other process by socket (probably as in sqlrelay).  may May be such tool also exists, but i can't find it. (Required that it should be small simple and open). Do you know some of them ?
With help of @Dmitry and http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_packages_dbms_xa.htm was created working example with using dbms_xa:
    #coding: utf-8

import cx_Oracle

req_start = '''
declare
  v_my_transaction  pls_integer;
  v_xa_xid     dbms_xa_xid := dbms_xa_xid(3322);
  v_xa_exception exception;
  v_ora_error pls_integer;
begin

  v_my_transaction  := dbms_xa.xa_start(
                        xid => v_xa_xid,
                        flag =>  dbms_xa.tmnoflags);

--Check if XA transaction is OK
  if v_my_transaction <> dbms_xa.xa_ok then
    v_ora_error := dbms_xa.xa_getlastoer();
    rabus_utl.debug_db('Attention! Oracle Error - ORA-' || v_ora_error || ' obtained. XA Process failed!');
    raise v_xa_exception;
  else dbms_output.put_line(a => 'XA Process ID 3322 started');
  end if;

end;
'''

req_start_continue = '''
declare
  v_my_transaction  pls_integer;
  v_xa_xid     dbms_xa_xid := dbms_xa_xid(3322);
  v_xa_exception exception;
  v_ora_error pls_integer;
begin

  v_my_transaction  := dbms_xa.xa_start(
                        xid => v_xa_xid,
                        flag =>  dbms_xa.tmresume);

--Check if XA transaction is OK
  if v_my_transaction <> dbms_xa.xa_ok then
    v_ora_error := dbms_xa.xa_getlastoer();
    rabus_utl.debug_db('Attention! Oracle Error - ORA-' || v_ora_error || ' obtained. XA Process failed!');
    raise v_xa_exception;
  else dbms_output.put_line(a => 'XA Process ID 3322 started');
  end if;

end;
'''

req_end = '''
declare
  v_my_transaction  pls_integer;
  v_xa_xid     dbms_xa_xid := dbms_xa_xid(3322);
  v_xa_exception exception;
  v_ora_error pls_integer;
begin

  v_my_transaction  := dbms_xa.xa_end(
                        xid => v_xa_xid,
                        flag =>  dbms_xa.tmsuspend);

 if v_my_transaction <> dbms_xa.xa_ok then
    v_ora_error := dbms_xa.xa_getlastoer();
   rabus_utl.debug_db('Attention! Oracle Error - ORA-' || v_ora_error || ' obtained. XA Process failed!');
    raise v_xa_exception;
   else dbms_output.put_line(a => 'XA Process ID 3322 is working!');
  end if;
end;

'''

req_end_rollback = '''
declare
  v_my_transaction  pls_integer;
  v_xa_xid     dbms_xa_xid := dbms_xa_xid(3322);
  v_xa_exception exception;
  v_ora_error pls_integer;
begin

  v_my_transaction  := dbms_xa.xa_end(
                        xid => v_xa_xid,
                        flag =>  dbms_xa.tmsuspend);

 v_my_transaction := dbms_xa.xa_rollback(
                             xid => v_xa_xid);

 if v_my_transaction <> dbms_xa.xa_ok then
    v_ora_error := dbms_xa.xa_getlastoer();
   rabus_utl.debug_db('Attention! Oracle Error - ORA-' || v_ora_error || ' obtained. XA Process failed!');
    raise v_xa_exception;
   else dbms_output.put_line(a => 'XA Process ID 3322 is working!');
  end if;
end;

'''

con1 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test', purity=cx_Oracle.ATTR_PURITY_NEW)
cur = con1.cursor()
cur.execute(req_start)
cur.execute('''insert into gui_view (id, name, view_type, title) values (gui_view_s.nextVal, 'TEST_VIEW', 'grid', 'VIEW_TITLE') ''')

cur1 = con1.cursor()
cur1.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all1 = cur1.fetchall()
assert len(rows_all1) > 0, 'Not Exists!'

cur.execute(req_end)
con1.close()

con2 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test1', purity=cx_Oracle.ATTR_PURITY_SELF)
cur2 = con2.cursor()
cur2.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all = cur2.fetchall()
assert len(rows_all) == 0, 'Exist!'

con3 = cx_Oracle.connect('user/pass:127.0.0.1:1521/XE:POOLED', cclass='test')
cur3 = con3.cursor()
cur3.execute(req_start_continue)
cur3.execute('''select id from gui_view where title = 'VIEW_TITLE' ''')
rows_all3 = cur3.fetchall()
cur3.execute(req_end_rollback)
con3.close()

assert len(rows_all3) > 0, 'Not Exists!'

It works.
May be it will help to somebody.
If your have other ideas for task please write here.


text:
You are here: Home / Businesses / Allied Bakeries
Allied Bakeries is part of Associated British Food (ABF) grocery group, operating across the UK, producing popular brands such as Burgen, Allinson, Sunblest and Kingsmill.
Number of Employees: 541
Established: 86 years
Ashton Road, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2RE
Associated British Foods is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £12.1 billion and 102,000 employees in 46 countries. It has significant businesses In Europe, Southern Africa, the Americas, China and Australia.
Allied Bakeries is part of ABF grocery group, operating across the UK, producing popular brands such as Burgen, Allinson, Sunblest and Kingsmill. As well as bread, our range includes rolls, pancakes, crumpets, muffins, hot cross buns, wraps and other delicious bakery products.
AB Pennine is one of 10 operating regions within Allied Bakeries, whose area covers Cumbria, North Wales, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Humberside, Hull, Stafford and of course Greater Manchester. We have one manufacturing site based at Stockport and 1 distribution depot at Bredbury.
The Stockport site employees over 541 staff who make, bake and despatch in excess of 2m products per week via the 82 routes that leave the bakery every day to deliver fresh product to our customers.
Stockport has three bread production lines:
A Plant makes 450,000 loaves per week. (A mix of branded and own labelled products).
B Plant makes 550,000 loaves per week. (A mix of branded and own labelled products).
C Plant makes 1,100,000 loaves per week. (All branded products)
We service all the major retailers and deliver to circa 1800 stores a day attaining world class service levels of around 99%. We have 5 customer "Head Offices" within our region, these are Asda, Iceland, Morrison's, Co-op and Heron Foods.
Following a comprehensive business review in 2009 the operation at Stockport was identified as a key strategic site to Allied Bakeries. As a result a £10m investment plan was pulled together to upgrade our baking and distribution operation. Initially this focused on improving existing bread production lines and the supporting infrastructure.
Then in 2011 we announced a £30m investment for AB Stockport known on site as Project Phoenix. This primarily focused on three key areas: Plant, People and Product (The 3 P's).
Firstly it was about the demolition, construction, installation and commissioning of a state of the art bread production facility. This included a bread production line capable of producing over 1.1m loaves per week, 5 new 65 tonne flour silo's, new basket wash facilities, upgraded secured site entrance, new environmentally friendly car park and improved site facilities for staff.
To us, being one of the UK's leading bakery businesses, with brands that are a key part of a balanced nutritious diet, is a privilege that spurs us on to do even more, even better.
Tim Bright
Lyndsey Barton
Related News for Allied Bakeries
Allied Bakeries funds professional training for care workers
Kingsmill becomes first bakery brand to use recycled content in packaging
Kingsmill announces health, environmental and community pledges
Allied Bakeries increases support for communities during third lockdown
Allied Bakeries donations reach 100,000 Kingsmill loaves for local community
Advertising opportunity
https://youtu.be/Oua8983F6Rg


This Improving Group Dynamics workshop is ideal for anyone who would like to gain a strong grasp and improve their Improving Group Dynamics.
The duration of this Improving Group Dynamics workshop is 1 full day. Knowles Training Institute will also be able to contextualised this workshop according to different durations; 2 full days, 1 day, half day, 90 minutes and 60 minutes.
1.Learn how to avoid conflicts.
2.Ability to trust each other within the group.
3.Learn how to work with unity and a positive mind.
5.Eliminate disruptive behavior within the group.
1.Improve productivity of the group.
2.Develop mutual understanding with the group members.
3.Learn the techniques of working together with unity towards a goal.
4.Learn the way of eliminating dissimilarities and differences and letting go of personal ego.
5.Identify what is holding the group back from improvement.
6.Diagnose the teams' behavioral aspects better.
7.Learn to avoid aggressive behavior within the group.
9.Encourage everyone in the group to participate in group discussions.
1.What are the advantages of having better group dynamics.
2.Techniques to improve mutual understanding within the group to remove differences.
3.Learn better communication skills in order to communicate the dissimilarities in ideas effectively.
There are 3 pricing options available for this Improving Group Dynamics training course. Course participants not in Singapore may choose to sign up for our online Improving Group Dynamics training course.
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LIFE CENTER IS A FAST GROWING, LIFE-GIVING, BIBLE-CENTERED, SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH BASED IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON THAT EXISTS TO INSPIRE OUR COMMUNITY TO LOVE AND FOLLOW JESUS. FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT LIFE CENTER OR IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE LIFE CENTER TEAM, SCROLL DOWN.
please feel free to contact the HR department at 253-756-5300 or HR@life-center.org.


Poetry – both writing and reading it – brings order, sustenance and hope to my life. It's that simple and that complex.
My new book Stones Ripe for Sowing has been released by Press 53.
You can order from https://www.press53.com/libby-bernardin. I will autograph them when I receive the books and send to you in late September or early October.
SAVE THE DATE: I am having my book launch in Columbia at Stormwater Studios 413 Pendleton Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201October 18, thanks to Heidi Darr Hope. My reading will begin at 6 pm during Stormwater Studios open house, free to the public. I would love to share my poetry with you. Stones Ripe for Sowing is published by Press 53, my editor, Kevin Watson Morgan.
I'll be continuing to update on Facebook and on my website at libbybernardin.com.
I am a South Carolina poet whose chapbook, The Book of Myth (Stepping Stones Press, 2009) was one of six winners in the South Carolina Poetry Initiative chapbook contest. My poems have appeared in numerous journals including Southern Poetry Review, The South Carolina Poetry Society Yearbook, Cairn, and Kakalak.
Also, poems are included in The Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume I: South Carolina, and After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events, and The World Is Charged: Poetic engagements with Gerard Manley Hopkins. Other publications over several years have included Southern Poetry Review, The Asheville Review, Notre Dame Review, Kakalak and Negative Capability, the Poetry of South Carolina Yearbook and the North Carolina Poetry Society's Pinesong.
My poem "Name Day" won honorable mention in the Porter Fleming contest in 1990 and was included in my novel, The Stealing (McGraw-Hill, 1993). In 1986 I was named the South Carolina Arts Commission's literary fellow.
I have given many readings and taught workshops in poetry, fiction and journalism. Until accepting a full-time faculty position at the University of South Carolina, I served for a number of years on the arts-in-the-schools roster. I studied at the Haden Dream Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, learning about dreams, symbols and mythology, an influence in my work.
I am retired from teaching English at the University of South Carolina and am a Lifetime Member on the Board of Governors for the South Carolina Academy of Authors.


This circus-shaped land allows for a unique viewpoint from every point of the land. The plot is located in Lovina hills, just 6 minutes to central Lovina (pepito, beach, restaurants and shops). Access the land by a concrete road installed last year. Electricity is available near the site.
This land can be sold in several plots of 1000 or 1500 M2. The total area of the land is around 7400 M2. Certainly a must see!


One in four Americans suffer from lower back pain and almost everyone can expect to experience low back point at some point in their lives. It is a sensitive part of the body that we are constantly using to walk, lift, and move things. It is the foundation for our torso so it's no wonder why it is prone to pain and injury.
Whether you suffer from chronic back pain or discomfort in the lower back, you can make daily changes to decrease the discomfort and alleviate the pain. Start incorporating these daily habits into your routine to strengthen your back and slowly start to chip away at the underlying problem.
It is the most commonly practiced yoga, possibly due to the simple postures (asanas) that are incorporated with breathing techniques (pranayama) to become more aware of your body, strengthen your back muscles, and shift your body alignment. Through yoga you can start to build a healthy foundation.
Teach your body correct posture and become more in tune with your self. This way you can identify where the pain is coming from and know which poses can assist in alleviating lower back pain.
If you are taking a class, be sure to make your yoga teacher aware that you suffer from lower back pain. If you decide to practice at home, move into poses slowly and try to do research on which poses you may want to stay away from.
This is the only way to ensure that your spine is in alignment while taking your eight hour snooze. Sleeping on your stomach and side flattens the natural curve of the spine. When you sleep in any other position besides your back, you are contorting your body into an unnatural position.
Sleep on your back to assist the mattress in doing its job of supporting your body's natural alignment. Try putting a pillow under your knees or feet to release your muscles and cause less strain on your back.
If you are sitting for most of your day make sure your back is supported. Just because you are sitting does not mean that you are working to heal the pain. Poor posture is a major factor contributing to back pain and if you are sitting on a chair or sofa that does not support proper body alignment, you are not doing anything to help it.
The air-filled Got Your Back by Bhoga is a prop that you can add to any chair as it conforms naturally to body contours. It improves posture and decreases pain by keeping your back in alignment unlike many chairs that only support slouching and contorting the back.
Try an all natural oil or lotion to gently rub the aching parts of your back. Choose whatever is best for your specific needs. It loosens up muscle tension and is one of the most effective ways to alleviate pain.
Tending to your body in such a way also gives your body the attention it needs and deserves. You may also learn where the pain is really stemming from -- poor posture or certain movements you make during your day.
For a self-massage anytime you are sitting in your chair, Got Your Back by Bhoga is also the perfect partner to easily fine tune the depth and direction of pressure.
Taking an Epsom Salt bath to relieve your sore muscles is a favored practice among dancers and athletes. Use warm water and sprinkle a cup or two of the salts while it's running. It will reduce the pain and inflammation while inducing relaxation during and after the bath.
Although back pain can be a huge discomfort and distraction during your day, there are simple things you can do to make incremental change in alleviating your pain. Try a few of these steps and see how you are feeling, adjusting them according to your pain and needs.


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Zippy Facts
Interesting Random Facts
Who invented the Sandwich and Where did the word "sandwich" come from?
For the entire duration of the American Revolution, or until March of 1782, the first lord of the British admiralty was John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich. He was exceedingly unpopular, and the period of his tenure of office was notorious for graft, bribery, and general mismanagement. The personal life of the Earl was also…
Where does the expression "to steer between Scylla and Charybdis" come from and What does it mean?
The expression "to steer between Scylla and Charybdis" means to steer a mid-course between perils. Scylla, according to Homer's Odyssey, was a fearful monster that dwelt in a cavern on the face of a high cliff that overlooked a narrow channel of the sea. She had six heads, each on a long neck, and from…
How did Cuban exiles do in the United States and What does atrevimiento mean in Spanish?
On the whole, Cuban exiles did very well in the United States, better than any other Hispanic American group. They were helped by the U.S. government, which welcomed them as refugees from a communist regime, and therefore allies. Cuban exiles easily received permanent residency status. They got free temporary housing, medical care, financial aid, and…
What Are Rainbows?
Ordinary light seems white as it shines, but it is actually a combination of colors, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Any time the light gets broken up, as in a soap bubble, an oil puddle, a piece of cut glass, or a diamond, we see all or most of these colors. In…
Why Does the Leaning Tower of Pisa Lean?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a marble bell tower at Pisa, Italy. Even though the tower has been leaning since it was under construction, it has stood for hundreds of years, despite the fact that it looks as if it might fall any minute. The tower was begun over 800 years ago, in 1173,…
How did the word "boulevard" originate and What does boulevard mean?
There came a time, in the city of Paris; when the walls of the city were no longer useful. The ramparts were broad, but when gunpowder came into military operations they were of little value for defense. So the ramparts fell into disrepair, until some engineer, seeing that they encircled the city and were broad…
Why are there more thunderstorms in the Rocky Mountains in the summer?
Summertime conditions in the Rockies constitute a recipe for thunderstorms. The ingredients are strong sunshine coming at a direct angle to warm the land below, sharp differences in temperature between air warmed by the mountains and cooler air over adjacent plains, and enough water in the air. Thunderstorms owe their existence to thermals, or localized…
What Is the Best Way To Observe the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus the Brightest Planet In the Sky?
Like Mercury, Venus is relatively close to the Sun. It is often called the evening or morning star because it is so bright at sunset and sunrise. Venus is the brightest planet in the sky, even brighter than the stars; therefore, it is a pretty easy object to find in the night sky. As a…
How Can a Bottle of Soda Pop Go Flat If It Has Never Been Opened?
My first reaction was no, not if there isn't a slow leak somewhere in the bottle's seal. But after extensive research, which consisted of dialing the 800 Consumer Information number on a Coca-Cola label, I find that it is not only possible, it's quite common. After prompting the nice woman who answered the phone to…
How Big Are Sunspots, How Do Sunspots Affect Life On Earth, and When Were the Largest Sunspots Recorded?
Sunspots are strange shadows on the Sun's surface and vary in size and groupings. About 75 percent of sunspots come in groups of two or more, with one leading umbra, or center dark patch, that is usually the first to appear and the last to vanish. The largest recorded group of sunspots was measured on…
How Did Sharks Get Their Name and How Are They Different From Mammals Like Whales and Dolphins?
Sharks are fish that date from more than 420 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs. There are over 440 species of Shark and some like the whale shark, which can reach 39 feet, feed only on plankton and small squid. Sharks were called "sea dogs" by sailors until the 16th century. After…
How are OCD and pyromania related to each other?
Pyromania is, according to the DSM-IV-TR (2000), "deliberate and purposeful fire setting on more than one occasion." Prior to the act of fire setting, there is an increase in tension, and there is a long-held fascination with fire. Once the fire is set, there is a sense of relief or joy. Fires set by people…
Why do golf balls have dimples and how do they help the ball fly further?
It was golfers themselves who discovered that golf balls with nicks, dents, and scrapes flew farther than the round, smooth balls that were originally used in the modern game of golf. The effects were so dramatic that they began aging their new balls as quickly as possible by pounding and scraping them. Eventually, the manufacturers…
How Much of the World's Forests Have Disappeared and How Much Forest On Earth Is Destroyed Every Day?
More than half the forests that covered the earth 8,000 years ago are gone today. They've disappeared mostly because of human activities. For many hundreds of years, people have used wood for fuel and for building material. Millions of trees were also cut down and cleared away to create farmland. Some scientists estimate that the…
Where did the term "sideburns" come from and who was it named after?
Union General Ambrose Burnside's fuzzy and odd-looking whiskers inspired people to call that kind of facial hair "burnsides." As time passed, wits whimsically reversed the name into "sideburns," which sort of makes sense because they're on the side of the face. The name stuck.
How did the Tree Kangaroo get its Name, Where does it Live, and Does it really Live in Trees?
Tree kangaroos are macropods that live in trees in the mountainous rainforests of New Guinea, northeastern Queensland Australia, and a few islands nearby. Tree-kangaroos evolved from animals similar to modern kangaroos, and have strong hind legs and very long tails for balance, and stronger forelimbs with longer claws for climbing. On the ground, tree-kangaroos are…
Were there any survivors of the 1902 volcanic eruption of Mount Pelee on the island of Martinque?
Yes, there were two survivors of the 1902 volcanic eruption of Mount Pelee on the island of Martinque. The other 29,000 inhabitants were wiped out. Similar catastrophic volcanic eruptions that have occurred in history include the famous incident at Pompei which wiped out the entire city.
Where did the Expression "Has No Clue" Originate and What Does it Mean?
The original spelling of clue was C-L-E-W, and its forgotten meaning is a "ball of yam or string." A clew of string was unraveled as a guide out after entering an unfamiliar maze or a cave. If you became lost, all you had to do was follow the string back to the point of origin….
How does the Pulitzer Prize Board pick Pulitzer Prize winners every year?
Pulitzer prizes are awarded annually for distinguished work in twenty-two categories of journalism, arts and letters, and music. The fourteen prizes in journalism are meritorious public service, spot news reporting, beat reporting, national reporting, international reporting, investigative reporting, explanatory journalism, editorials, editorial cartoons, spot news photography, feature photography, commentary, criticism, and feature writing. The six…
Which Cephalopod can Swim Faster, a Squid or an Octopus, and How Fast?
The Squid is a much faster swimmer than an Octopus. Octopi are smooth swimmers, gliding along on their tentacles like an eight-legged Fred Astaire, but they're no match for the squid. Squid shoot water backward with a siphon in its mantle cavity via jet propulsion, pushing them forward in great bursts of speed. Both of…
What Library In The World Had No Books?
During the 16th century, in Germany, there was a library that had no books. Instead of books, it had shelf after shelf of boxes. Each box was of book size. The binding of each box was made of the wood of one tree, and the name of the tree was marked on the side of…
Where does the word "hidebound" come from and What does hidebound mean?
The literal sense of the word "hidebound" related first to cattle which, under conditions of extreme emaciation resulting from disease, lost the fatty tissue normally lying under the skin. After death, then, the hide of any such animal cannot be loosened from the ribs or backbone. The condition, using this term, was first described in…
What Is The Longest Subway System In The World?
That famous "hole in the ground" is the subway. England is the home of the subway. The first system, called the London Transport Executive, began to operate in 1863, while the United States was deeply involved in the Civil War. The Longest Subway System In The World is the The London Tube, with 408 km…
What was the The Battle of Bunker Hill and how was Colonel William Prescott defeated by the British?
The Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 took place on nearby Breed's Hill, just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. The Americans were running out of ammunition when Colonel William Prescott ordered, "You men are all marksmen, now don't shoot until you can see the…
Why is Oil So Good at Lubricating Things?
Oil is a good lubricant, obviously, because it's so slippery. But what makes a substance slippery? All liquids are slippery to some degree. A wet floor or highway, wet with water, is a well-recognized hazard that keeps many lawyers in expensive clothing. But water isn't much use as a lubricant in our engines and other…
How Many Different Species of Elephants Exist on Earth Today and How Can You Tell Them Apart?
For the longest time, scientists thought there were only two different species of elephants, the African and the Asian. They believed that the African elephant had two subspecies, the savannah elephant and the forest elephant. However, some scientists began to doubt that classification. For one thing, forest elephants are smaller than savannah elephants. Furthermore, their…
What is windchill and how does it lower the temperature?
The windchill index is an interesting thing, an attempt to take a scientific certainty—, temperature and wind speed—, and quantify its effect on the perceptions of humans. In other words, it calculates perceived temperature. Scientists working in Antarctica developed the first formula to determine when the wind will turn a frigid temperature into a deadly…
What Is the World's Biggest Jetliner?
The Boeing 747 was the biggest jetliner in the world in 1969, when it first flew. This huge passenger jet was a little more than 231 feet long, with a distance of 195 feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. The 747 could carry 500 passengers, more than any…
What Do Hippos Eat and Why Do Hippos Leave the Water at Night?
Hippos eat mostly grass, and are classified as herbivores. A hippo's specialized eyes and nose, located on the top of its head, help it stay almost entirely submerged for large portions of the day. Young hippos actually have a specialized tongue that lets them dive down and nurse while under water. That said, during the…
Did Robin Hood and his Merry Men really exist or was he a myth from English folklore?
No one knows for sure if Robin Hood and his Merry Men really existed, but there isn't much evidence that he did. All we know is that he should have existed as a heroic outlaw, archer and swordsman in English folklore, along with his Merry Men. Whether fact or fiction, the first mention of him…
Where does the word "Grotesque" come from and What does Grotesque mean in Italian?
Paintings discovered on the walls of the Baths of Titus, excavated by archaeologists in the sixteenth century, gave us our word "antic" through the Italian antica, "antique." But, though the learned world thus attributed the paintings to the ancients, the general public was more impressed by the finding of them in the excavated chambers, or…
Why Does the Tip of a Penis Look Like a Mushroom?
First, some background. The tip of the mammalian penis is called the glans. Although "glans" sounds a lot like "glands," it actually has nothing to do with the production of hormones. Glans comes from the Latin word meaning "acorn." It's an odd sort of shape, isn't it? One many of us have wondered about—, biologists…
What Is the Electromagnetic Spectrum and What Are the Different Types of Electromagnetic Radiation Called?
The electromagnetic spectrum is the scientific name for all of the types of known radiation in the universe. From shortest (highest frequency) to longest (lowest frequency) wavelengths, they are: Gamma rays, X rays, ultraviolet rays, visible light rays, infrared rays, and radio waves, which include microwaves, television and FM radio waves, shortwaves, and AM radio…
Does boiling water kill all germs, bacteria and viruses?
Boiling water will kill most bacteria and viruses, including those that want to do you harm. However, if you're looking for complete sterility, boiling temperatures won't kill every type of microorganism. For example, heat-loving bacteria have been found swimming in superheated volcanic vents bubbling up from the ocean's floor, in the hot springs of Yellowstone…
What Makes a Magnet Attract Iron, But Not Aluminum or Copper?
Magnets are attracted only to other magnets. A piece of iron contains billions of tiny magnets, but copper and aluminum don't. The only thing that the pole of a magnet will attract is the opposite pole of another magnet. It's exactly the same as with electric charges: The only thing that a positive electric charge…
Why Was The Narwhal Whale Thought To Be A Unicorn?
The narwhal is a toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. The narwhal is the rarest of all species of whale, and scientists know very little about them. They do know that there are about 20,000 to 30,000 of them and that they cruise the waters of the Arctic Ocean far from shipping lanes…
How Did the Words "Uptown" and "Downtown" Originate and What Do the Terms Mean?
When New York City was only a town, its growth was restricted by the shape of Manhattan Island. The word uptown first appeared in about 1830 and was used to describe the residential area growing up the Island away from the southern business centre. Within a few years, downtown appeared to describe the opposite of…
Which Country Has The Happiest People in the World?
Do you hear a lot of griping and complaining around you? Are your friends always saying this is wrong, that is terrible, and that other thing ought to be changed? Well, if you hear a lot of that here in the US, you ought to hear what's going on in Italy and Japan. More people…
What are "Patent Medicines", What Does the Word Patent Mean In Latin, and Where Did it Come From?
All new inventions, including medicines, require a patent; that is, their components must be revealed. The word patent means an "open letter" and is a grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time. During…
Why Has Costa Rica Become Such a Popular Tourist Destination and When Did Costa Rica Abolish Its Army?
Costa Rica's government has been working to promote the country as a prime ecotourism destination. It has more than 850 species of birds, 1,400 species of trees, 9,000 flowering plants, at least 4,500 different types of moths, and many other exotic forms of wildlife. Almost one-third of the country's land is protected by the government….
How Do Astronauts Navigate In Space and What Instruments Do Astronauts Use To Figure Out Their Trajectory?
Navigation requires that you know where you are relative to your destination, and how to negotiate the route. To do this in space, knowing your attitude is as crucial as knowing your position, so the first thing to do is find and track the sun and a known, conspicuous, distant star. Sirius is a good…
Who was Charles Drew and Why was Charles Drew known as the Blood Expert?
Charles Drew (1904-1950), a physician, was an expert on blood. His breakthrough research in plasma and blood preservation led to the establishment in New York City of the first successful blood bank. Great Britain called upon him to create donor banks for soldiers during World War II, and he did the same for the American…
Where is the World's Oldest Village?
History begins around 3500 B.C., the date of the oldest surviving written records. But long before written history began, man was leaving his mark on earth in other ways. We know, for instance, that a group of prehistoric men lived in a village in France some 120,000 years ago! In 1965, the remains of this…
Where Did the Name "John Doe" For an Unidentified Person Come From and What Does it Mean?
"John Doe" is the name used to describe someone within legal circumstances when the real name is either unknown or protected by privacy laws. The practice dates back to British courts in the early nineteenth century, when John and Jane Doe were used as names for unknown or unclear defendants in real estate eviction disputes….
Who Was King Midas In Greek Mythology and How Did King Midas' Touch Turn Everything To Gold?
King Midas was ruler of Phrygia, a land covered with roses. One day, King Midas's servants discovered the satyr Silenus, a creature that was half man, half goat, in a drunken slumber in the king's favorite flower bed. Instead of punishing Silenus, Midas entertained him with food and wine for ten days. The god Dionysus,…
Where does the word "divan" come from and What does divan mean?
The countries of western Europe borrowed divan from Turkey, which in turn borrowed it from Arabic or Persian. In early times it signified a collection of written leaves, such as a compilation of poems or even a register of persons. It thus came to denote an account book or an office where accounts, especially accounts…
Who wrote the novel "the Kiss of the Spider Woman" and When?
The 1976 novel The Kiss of the Spider Woman is the story of two men sharing a prison cell in a politically repressive South American country. It was written by an Argentine named Manuel Puig who knew political repression firsthand: he fled his troubled country in 1973 to live in Mexico and New York City….
What Do the Numbers in a Zip Code Mean?
Since the United States Postal Service introduced the system of zip codes, mail has been getting delivered more quickly and more efficiently. Here's how zip codes work. The United States and its possessions are divided up into 10 large areas. Each area has a number between 0 and 9. Suppose, for example, the zip code…
What is kidney stone jewelry and is it really made from kidney stones?
No, kidney stone jewelry is not made from kidney stones, but it can be pretty confusing. What's called a kidney stone in the jewelry business is really nephrite or hematite. The stones have been historically used by crystal healers and others in "treating" problems with the kidney, hence the name kidney stone. That doesn't mean,…
What types of ball games did the Maya play and How was Playing Ball violent?
At their most prosperous, the Maya's cities featured more than 400 ball courts. These playing fields were the site of spirited and often violent games. Like basketball, a team scored when one of its players made a rubber ball fall through a hoop. Like soccer, though, players could not throw the ball with their hands,…
How Do Toadfish Catch Its Prey?
The toadfish is never happier than when it is living among the things man throws out, such as an old shoe or a broken bottle. They often hide in rock crevices from which they ambush their prey. It will come out of its home to cruise along the sandy bottom looking for small shellfish, little…
How Else is the Number Thirteen Considered Unlucky and What Does Devil's Luck Mean?
Friday the thirteenth is considered unlucky, but the superstition also applies to apartments. 80 percent of apartments don't have a thirteenth floor. Airplanes have no thirteenth aisle, and hospitals and hotels have no room number thirteen. The most bizarre superstition is called the Devil's luck, for those with thirteen letters in their names, including Jack…
How Did the Word "Tip" Originate and What Does the Word For a Gratuity Mean In German?
The word "tip" is not an acronym for "To Insure Promptness." In the 1800s a tip was understood to be a bribe. As insider information, tip first appeared in the seventeenth century and derives from the Low German word tippen, which means "to touch discreetly." A tip is something confidential, whether given or received, either…
What types of foods did Northwest Native Americans eat and How did they catch fish?
Some Northwest Native Americans hunted deer and elk or gathered wild fruits and berries. But by far, most of their food came from the ocean and rivers, which were brimming with fish and other sea life. Native Americans to the south, such as the Chinook, could make an excellent meal merely by walking along the…
Where Is the World's Longest Subway System and When Did the London Underground Subway System First Open?
The Shanghai Metro is the longest metro system in the world. It opened in 1995, and has become one of the newest and fastest-growing rapid transit systems in the world. The Shanghai Metro has twelve metro lines, 268 stations, and over 420 kilometers of tracks in operation. The London Underground, nicknamed the Tube, is the…
What Are the Meanings of Some Common Yiddish Words and Where Did They Come From?
Some familiar Yiddish words are: chutzpah, "audacity or boldness"; schmuck, "a jerk or a foolish idiot" (literally meaning schmok, "penis" or "family jewels"); klutz, "a clumsy person"; putz, "an unclean, stupid person"; mensch, "a good and decent human being"; l'chaim, "joyful toast to life"; schlemiel, "an inept or incompetent person"; goy, "a Gentile, a person…
How did Erik the Red end up in Greenland after he was exiled from Iceland?
Erik the Red was running out of places to run to. He had been exiled from Iceland for murder, so he decided to see what was out there beyond the icy horizon. Erik Thorvaldson, called "the Red" because of the color of his hair, was born in Norway, but when he was about 10 years…
Where does the word "billingsgate" come from and What does it mean?
The gates in the old walled city of London were known by the names of those who had constructed them. Thus the one below London Bridge has been known as Billingsgate since time immemorial, probably so called from a man named Billings, although a map of 1658 ascribes it to "Belen, ye 23th Brittish Kinge."…
What does the expression "to quarrel with one's bread and butter" mean and Where does it originate?
The expression "to quarrel with one's bread and butter" means: to complain about one's means of livelihood; to act against one's best interests. And many's the time you've seen a child do that, throw his buttered bread or his piece of cake or even the ice-cream cone he's been whimpering for on the ground in…
What Does the Term "Hobnobbing" Mean and Where Did the Word For Socializing Come From?
When the Normans conquered England, they introduced the open hearth for cooking and heating. At each corner of the hearth was a large container for heating liquids. It was called a "hob." Near the fire was a table where the hob was placed for convenient serving. They called this table a "nob." When friends gathered…
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Decorated hats, socks, onesies for the newest family member!
Great for gifts for baby showers and for bringing those little ones home from the hospital, and photo props.
Ask about pricing for bulk purchases.
Check for for new additions.
Onesies- turn inside out, cold water wash, low heat in dryer.
Do not iron imprints. Do not dry clean.
Hats - Spot clean by hand, air dry only.


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I'm Loaded. Do I Need Stocks?
Adding a dash of stocks would keep inflation from eating away what you've worked so hard to build.
By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor
I am 63, have been retired for three years and spend about $90,000 a year. I receive a total of $30,000 a year from Social Security and a company pension. In addition to the equity in my house, I have $2.4 million in a 401(k) plan invested in a fixed-income account that has been earning between 5% and 6%. The interest, plus the additional $30,000 in annual income, easily exceeds my expenses. So why would I ever invest in stocks or stock mutual funds? -- B.D., Mesa, Ariz.
With a nest egg of that size, odds are you'll have plenty of money in retirement. Still, adding a dash of stocks would reduce your risk, boost your return and help keep inflation from eating away what you've worked so hard to build.
A portfolio that's 100% invested in bonds limits your options if your spending increases -- you go on a philanthropic streak, for instance, or incur unexpected medical bills. But your biggest risk is that inflation will erode your purchasing power over time. "The only way to stay ahead of inflation is to own assets that appreciate at a faster rate," says Chris Brown, a financial adviser in Rockville, Md. "Those usually aren't fixed-income investments."
Owning both stocks and bonds also adds safety because those investments tend to move independently of one another. Ibbotson Associates, the investment-research firm, has found that shifting just 25% of an all-bond portfolio into stocks can cut risk and lift returns if you stick with your portfolio mix for at least ten years.
Don't miss these deductions
I often buy things for my church -- ink for the printer, food for church dinners, flowers for the altar, postage stamps -- and pay for them out of my own pocket. Until this year, I kept receipts for everything I purchased, along with notes on what each expenditure went toward. Do the new tax rules for 2007 mean I can no longer deduct these expenses? -- Bob Green, Dunkirk, Md.
You can still deduct those out-of-pocket charitable expenses, and you'd be wise to do so. People often forget to keep track of unreimbursed expenses, so they miss out on tax deductions, which can add up.
It's a good idea to keep two types of records for charitable donations. In addition to collecting your receipts and notes, request a written acknowledgment of the donations from your church that includes the dates and amounts of the contributions, advises Mildred Carter, senior tax analyst for tax publisher CCH. It's not too late to get this paperwork even if you've already made the contributions. You just need to get it before you file your tax return, says Carter.
By the way, the new tax law you refer to applies to cash donations. In the past, you could keep track of small cash donations on your own. Now, to take a deduction, you need a bank record or written communication from the charity that lists the charity's name, the amount of the contribution and the date the donation was made.
Is my certificate of deposit safe?
What happened to depositors who had money in NetBank when it was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.? I have a $20,000 certificate of deposit with Countrywide Financial, and I'm wondering whether my CD is still safe. -- Dong Luo, Seattle
Don't worry about your CD. Countrywide is insured by the FDIC, and your deposit would be fully insured up to FDIC limits if the bank failed. So as long as you have $100,000 or less in Countrywide accounts, the FDIC will cover all of your money (check the rules on insurance limits at FDIC.gov).
Plus, you're probably getting a good interest rate. Some banks that do a large business in mortgages are offering particularly high rates to attract deposits.
NetBank's experience shows how well FDIC coverage can work in the event of a failure. The bank closed on Friday, September 28, at 3 p.m., but customers could continue to use ATMs, checks and debit cards to get access to their FDIC-insured funds. By 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 30, the bank's Web site was active again and customers had full access to their accounts.
The portion of depositors' accounts that was covered by the FDIC, plus 50% of their uninsured funds, were automatically transferred to ING Direct, which took over the accounts. Interest rates on CDs haven't changed; interest rates on savings and money-market accounts will convert to the rates ING Direct is paying.
A capital credit-card strategy
Capital One recently sent me a notice saying that because of "market forces beyond their control," they are changing my credit-card rate from a fixed 9.9% to a variable rate that's currently 15.9%. What should I do with my $5,000 balance? Will closing my account hurt my credit score? -- Michelle Powell, via e-mail
You don't have to take this lying down, but your options are limited.
You could decline the rate change and continue to pay off your balance at the old rate. In that case, you would need to call Capital One to opt out, and you wouldn't be able to make any new purchases on the card. Capital One would then close your account and notify the three credit bureaus.
Unfortunately, closing the account could hurt your credit score, especially if you've had the account for a long time and have compiled a good history. Says Emily Davidson of Credit.com, "You'd like to stick it to them and close your account, but that could result in some pretty significant damage to your credit score."
One element of your score is based on the age of your oldest card, and another is based on the average age of all your cards. Closing out old cards can hurt both numbers (for more on credit scores, see In Search of the Perfect Score).
Assuming you're not paying a fee on your account, your best bet may be to pay off the balance at the new rate as quickly as possible, then keep the account open but dormant. If you can't afford to pay it off quickly, keep the account open but search a Web site such as Bankrate.com to find a balance-transfer deal with a lower interest rate.
'Yes' to catch-up contributions
Because I will exercise stock options in 2007, I will be considered a highly compensated employee in 2008 and will be able to contribute only about $7,000 to my 401(k). However, I will also turn 50 in 2008. Will I still be able to add the $5,000 in catch-up contributions? -- Russ Williams, McHenry, Ill.
The answer to your question is a surprising yes. Even though your regular 401(k) contributions are limited, you can still make catch-up contributions of up to $5,000 as long as you're 50 or older by the end of the plan year.
My thanks to Tom Anderson for his help this month.


Jigsaw puzzle online of brightly colored paint. The paints will be used by children to create paintings.
Three years have come and gone since I last did this puzzle. Enjoyed it just as much as I did back then. Close-ups are my favorite.
As a child I liked painting by numbers!
Lovely colors...but have to admit I am so not artistic. Couldn't paint myself out of a corner if I had to. I maintain that being an artist, or a writer of good books, or have a gift for music, these are all God given talents!
Those look like they'd be really fun colors for a group of children (until someone doesn't want to share one color).


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Corporate Social Responsbility
05 / 2019 article
Bridgepoint Education Provides School Supplies for San Diego Unified School District Students in Need
As part of its continuing efforts to support children and education in its hometown, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE: BPI) has underwritten efforts to provide backpacks full of essential school supplies to children in need in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD).
Bridgepoint Education sponsored the San Diego Unified School District's "Tools for School" assistance program in correlation with the kickoff of the 2011-12 school year. Bridgepoint's gift of $10,000 helped SDUSD guarantee that students in the district, whose families were unable to provide school necessities, had what they needed to start the school year. Distribution of the fully equipped backpacks took place on September 8 and 9.
"It's an honor to provide support for this pivotal time in a child's life," said Jane McAuliffe, Bridgepoint Education's executive vice president and chief academic officer. "Everyone remembers how dramatic the first days of the school year can be. Bridgepoint Education is happy to help guarantee that kids in San Diego can start class with one less thing to worry about."
The Tools for School program, introduced this year with Bridgepoint's support, provided 600 full backpacks for children in the San Diego Unified School District. Recipients of the first-day kits came from all levels of elementary, middle and high school. Assisted by school principals and counselors, backpacks were outfitted specifically for different levels of schooling. The program is a product of the San Diego Unified School District's Office of Children and Youth in Transition, developed to directly address the requirements of homeless students living in San Diego.
About Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education's postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in such disciplines as business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education's regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information about Bridgepoint Education, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations at 858.668.2580.
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Fortnum & Mason celebrates Chinese New Year traditions of family and feasting with an exclusive event and special afternoon tea.
On Monday 4th February to kick off the Chinese New Year celebrations, guests will be welcomed to the Drawing Room in The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon to sit down for 4pm, when the clock strikes midnight at China Standard Time. A toast to the New Year will be commemorated with a special Champagne Cocktail, the Fortnum's Fortune and diners will be treated to a deliciously curated Chinese Afternoon Tea menu.
To continue the feasting, The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon will host a memorable Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea from 5th to 13th of February.
Finger sandwiches include Rare Breed Hen's Egg Mayonnaise with English Cress, Cucumber with Mint Cream Cheese, Suffolk Ham with English Mustard, Fortnum's Smoked Salmon with Tartare Dressing and Coronation Chicken.
Fortnum's freshly baked scones are presented with clotted cream along with Fortnum's Strawberry Preserve & Lemon Curd and on the highest tier, a delicious plate of patisserie. This includes Kumquat Cheesecake, Raspberry, Lychee and Coconut Cake, Rose Choux Bun, Almond and Spiced Pear Mini Loaf and a Sesame and Jivara Milk Chocolate Mousse.