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Warehouses De Pauw NV (WDPSF) CEO Joost Uwents on Q4 2021 Results - Earnings Conference Call | Seeking Alpha
Warehouses De Pauw NV (WDPSF) CEO Joost Uwents on Q4 2021 Results - Earnings Conference Call
Jan. 28, 2022 2:17 PM ETWarehouses De Pauw (WDPSF)
Warehouses De Pauw NV (OTC:WDPSF) Q4 2021 Earnings Conference Call January 28, 2022 9:00 AM ET
Alexander Makar – Corporate Finance Analyst
Mickaël Van Den Hauwe – CFO
Vic Peters – FINFLOW
Frédéric Renard – Kepler Cheuvreux
Unidentified Analyst – KBC Securities
Francesca Ferragina – ING
Michael Glazer – Liberty SBF
Unidentified Analyst – Aviva
Good afternoon, Team WDP. At home are in one of our offices. Good morning to our friends in the U.S. Good afternoon, Europe. Good evening Asia. Welcome, everybody, of the live stream of the full-year results of WDP over 2021. Just one practical thing, we are open for all your questions, but put them in the chat box during the presentation and we will answer them afterwards one-by-one. Thank you. So Mission 2021 accomplished. Ready for growth and may for future. '21 was again very good year for us. And we could secure, again, €500 million of new investments. And this gives us at the end, a portfolio today of €6 billion, and above that, a development pipeline of almost €600 million.
So we could reach our target of 1.1 EPRA earnings per share; a growth by 10% towards last year. And based on this, we can give you a new outlook of, again, another $0.10 extra, which brings us by the end of the year at EBITDA earnings per share of $1.2. An important this, that we could reach that goal by securing only 75% of the targets portfolio growth. So we did faster and other better yields. All this brings us, like mentioned, up the portfolio of €6 billion we wanted and based on the outlook we can say that our long-term targets are within reach and we will be able to realize them one year earlier than initially foreseen. So time for new plans based on the future of logistics and the importance of the supply chain for every company.
And we brought this together and the vision that it pictures a visionary DC that you can see here. And in all our plans, for the first time, we will do more than only external growth. The first 20-year of WDP, our growth was driven by external growth. And now we can add extras to this external growth. So up to external growth plus. There is like already some years to structural growth of our business based on industry drivers that we all know. But now we can add to other drivers to new engines of growth our -- the hidden value of our existing portfolio and also climate as an opportunity. And we never went for growth to growth but profitable growth. And this means that we can grow our earnings per share from €1 in 2020 to €1.5 in '25, so 50% in five years’ time.
And in the meantime, our portfolio will grow further up to €8 billion. And indeed, there are now the new drivers. That's the most important [Indiscernible] external growth based on all the structural drivers of our business. And of course, we will capitalize on our existing regions, the BENELUX and Romania. But we will also be broadening towards an EU footprint by further deployment in Germany and France. And above this external growth, we will get value from our existing portfolio by unlocking all the potential through extra services have great sustainability measures and so on. And above that, we see climate as an opportunity. Thanks to our new climate action plan and especially energy. We see energy as a new business within the energy transformation where we think that buildings and especially distribution centers will have a very important role.
Just to remember once, our real long-term success drivers were always focus, culture, clients, and alignment. And this gives us already 20 years of profitable growth mentioned in one single overarching TPI earnings-per-share. And so we realized the last 10 years, an average growth of our earnings per share of 8%. And by this plan, we can continue to do so for the next four years with the same 8%. But now, Alexander will first comment on the markets insights.
Alexander Makar
Thank you, Joost, and good afternoon, everyone. Let's briefly discuss the current state of the markets and its outlook. 2021 was yet another great year for logistics real estate. When we look at the strength of Europe's economic recovery but also the strength of the logistics market, both were reflected in very strong take-up and investment activity. When we look at demands, we see it's ranging all the way from last-mile up to larger scale logistics. When we look at the demand momentum coupled with growing scarcity, limited availability of land, but also supply demand imbalances. We saw vacancy rates dropping to new lows; mostly remarkable in Romania, but also well noted in Belgium where we reached [Indiscernible] 1%.
Mostly in regions where supply has fallen very sharply over the past 12 months, we've now seen pressure being added through these ERV s. The momentum was also well-maintained in investment markets, where also the yields dropped to new lows. All in all, we can conclude that the logistics market is in well strength and with a strong demand, we see that the position that WDP has today, we're very well-positioned to capture the new growth in the market as well. That being said, we see more restricted zoning and growing scarcity, which is becoming a challenge, which urges us to become more intelligent on sourcing, but also make more utilization of our existing portfolio.
When we're looking out on the demand drivers that will support the external growth in our portfolio, we can broadly speak and say that they remained relatively unchanged given that they are structural of nature. Clearly there are nuances in the regions in which we're active, but all-in-all, it's mostly sector breathing. Whether we talk about omnichanneling, automation, supply chain resilience, or sustainable developments, these all bring more complexity to the table. But all these strengths are well experienced in our portfolio. Something that you also comment on right now.
Thank you, Alexander. And indeed, in our activity, let's say that's a report of everything that Alexander said, and there we can show in reality all those trends. Of course, we always say that we don't buy anything, and then you always do something, and in the end, we bought for €170 million up at a very decent yields, and not only existing buildings, but also new land reserves but I'll come back on that later. But if you look then into detail in our projects, well -- we again have executed a lot of projects have we made and we finished almost 400,000 square meters of new projects across our different areas. And let's say it's where all kinds of the projects we see in the market. There was food, food e-commerce, pharma, retail, e-commerce.
So let's say a little bit of everything in all our regions. So well spread and indeed almost 400,000 square meters and with a CapEx of 300 million. But indeed above the things we realized, we have already more than the double of square meters under construction. Also, well spread over the different regions, and we have almost 900 square meters under construction, or that pipeline that I mentioned of €600 million. and this at the same yield of the one realized already so the basis of our growth. But above all those projects and all those square meters that we are constructing now, we still have a very nice land bank, the real development potential.
And much more than just the land bank, we can also continuously replenish it. Indeed, we had a land bank of €100 million last year, but we could add another €100 million, which we could use almost directly full and within new projects, and we could keep and this year, even enlarge our land bank from €100 million up to, when everything is realized, more than €170 million, which gives us a building potential of 1.5 million square meters that we can build with this land bank. But the most important elements are the dynamics, the fact that it's not only €1 million who stays there, but that's we can within a year as land for direct developments. The valuation, well, I think it's still very conservative and we still are, so no doubt even leads to very nice portfolio revaluation, our valuations are still conservative.
Based, of course, very high qualitative portfolio strategic logistics corridors with more than 50% of them are suitable for urban logistics. Occupancy rate stays very high. I would say it's only frictional emptiness. It's a full house. And more than half of all the leases that are maturing this year are already extended, so there also a very good base. And our client basis with [Indiscernible], of course, still as the most important client or tenant, it stays very diversified and not only on a client-level, but also in industry-level. But today, we are not only speaking about the short-term future but also about the real long-term future. The one who really -- where we really have to care about by launching a new climate action plan. A new climate action plan, we worked already a long time as our ESG journey.
First, we worked and we start working on the S&G. And we said in the meantime, we are preparing the real thing, the E were -- and of course, I think every ESG roadmap has to end and has in the heart of it, a climate action plan that we prepared last year, and so we can now say that we can be and we will be net zero by 2050. And we have already a long history in sustainability. We started with our solar panels in 2007 and based on that, step-by-step, we went further and further, and now, let's say, we really have a structured, long-term climate action plan that goes up to 2050. A climate action plan made for future and based on three important tracks: WDP Energy, WDP Decarb Plus, and WDP Green. Alexander will explain all the details of that plan.
Thank you Joost. So as you also mentioned, we aim to become net zero throughout our complete value chain, meaning scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2050. And we have set up three main tracks with very clear and ambitious objectives in order to become net zero by 2050. And the first track relates to energy. And the objective of this track is to become the green energy solutions provider of our clients by leveraging our existing know-how, but also adding on with more innovation. We know that in the EU, for example, 40% approximately of the buildings of the energy consumption is derived from buildings. And given the EU climate ambitions, we know it's a challenge, but also an opportunity for WDP to show its green leadership and contribute to the energy transition.
And for that reason, we have chosen to upscale our renewable energy capacity by creating 250 megawatt peaks of renewable energy capacity, or solar panel capacity by 2025. We do not just stop at the energy production. We also want to have 100% of green energy procured by of our clients of those contracts that we have under control. And furthermore, we will focus also on energy efficiency. We want to have 100% of our entire portfolio to be equipped with LED lighting by 2030, making use of all the space that we would have in and around our warehouses to generate energy and link it through micro grid systems and then resort systems would make our warehouses the actual solar power station of the future.
And to add-on, you must know that when we look at the basis and the foundation of our climate action plan is based on data, data that we derived from our energy monitoring system, which measures all the utilities that we have in our warehouses of our clients. Meaning, the water, gas, and electricity. And we start laying that out already in 2018, and we gathered the data for nearly three years, which was a foundation of our climate action plan. And given the importance and the value add, we decided to enter into strategic partnership with Nano Grid, the energy profit company. When we continue to the second track, WD in [Indiscernible], the main objective is to decarbonize our entire value chain, our scope 1, 2, and 3.
We do not just stop at our own corporate activities being our scope 1 and 2. We know what the impact is of our development activities on the environment. And for that reason, we have set up a very ambitious and transparent and genuine roadmap in decarbonizing our entire value chain. Transparent, because we set targets for our Scope 1, 2, but also our Scope 3. It's ambitious because we aim to become net zero well before 2050 for Scope 1 and 2, but also partly Scope 3. And genuine because we know what the impact is of our upstream development activities, and we will work on that to reach it and obtain net zero by 2050 as well. To give just one more example, when we look at the right graph upward, we see the evolution of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions over the past years, and our outlook.
As we said, we want to become scope 1 at 2 net-zero for our own corporate activities by 2025 and for our car park by 2030. And just to give you an example, we already started stepping away from fossil fuels in 2016 and 2017. We continue to further invest in green procurement in order to become net zero by 25 already for corporate offices. Then finally, to continue on the third track, which is Green; there we want to implement and we want to integrate sustainability in the development, the operations, but also the financing of our Company and the group on the long-term. And there we have rolled out an entire business case where we can maximize our efforts in terms of [Indiscernible], but also related to reporting and other standards. And for that, we want to have DTC&D recommendations implemented already by 2024 in the annual report of 2023.
Aside from that, we also want to have 75% of our entire property portfolio to be certified [Indiscernible] certificates. Next to that, we also want to have 75% of our debt to be green. And in order to achieve this ambitious targets, we must both invest in our existing portfolio, but aside from that, also on our new developments. And one of the key actions that we will make is to certify all new developments going forward as of now with [Indiscernible] Group as a minimum. And finally, we will also participate into the CTP in 2022. And to give you a bit more insight in how extensive our research was, we will show you this graph. And basically, we want to indicate that we did not only look at the climate footprint, which are the main 6 GHG emissions. We went beyond that and we integrated the environmental footprint, where we also focus on the human life, soil, measuring land and water pollution, which was way more expensive. And then on this slide, this is actually where all our data and analysis comes together.
We have calculated our entire carbon footprint for the year 2020, and we had some very remarkable insights. The first of all was when we look at our own corporate activity scope 1 and 2, we realized that it was just a less than 1% of our total carbon footprint. Another remarkable insight was that more than 65% of the entire carbon footprint relates to our upstream scope 3 emissions. And the third one is that approximately 1/3 or 35% of the emissions relates to the downstream scope 3 of our client's energy use. And that's why we decided to implement in a zero strategy in which we maximize our efforts, focusing not only on scope 1, 2, and scope 3 downstream, but also on our upstream activities by 2015. And it is a brief roadmap on how we will decarbonize our scope 3 emissions by 2015.
For scope 3 upstream emissions, we will maximize our efforts by investing more in sustainable materials, in circular materials, and more circular PV panels. Aside from that, we will continuously invest and explore new technologies. For Scope 3 downstream emissions to become net zero by 2040, we will further integrate and invest into the green energy procurement, energy efficiency solutions for our clients, of course. Aside from that, we will upscale the renewable energy capacity and finally, we'll further integrate electrification of our warehouses. And all-in-all, and it's a major difference that we want to make is that we will maximize our efforts. And finally, we will participate to carbon removal rather than just offsetting our CO_2 emissions. And with that being said, I will hand over the word back to Mitch for the comments on the financial results.
Thank you [Indiscernible] Joost and Alexander and also welcome from my side. So let me walk you through the performance of last year. And for those who like large numbers, we generated €1 billion of profits last year. Now, of course, this is accounting profits, so we need to actually look at the underlying components. And these were, first of all, the most important one underlying recurring cash earnings or EPRA earnings with just to over €200 million, which was up 10% on a per-share basis at €1.10. And these results are more -- most importantly very broad-based by all our teams and countries. Main driver, of course, has been and will be for the next years, the steady stream of development completions, which were all delivered on time and on budget by our teams.
And also next to that, on an organic basis, we too had like-for-like rental growth of 1.4%, which was driven 1.1 by indexation and 0.3 by a slightly higher occupancy rates and a flat reversion rates, so that's -- that last point, that means that all contracts with a break got rolled over at the same conditions and track the highest inflation, though we see upward pressure rising and see growing potential for positive rental spreads. Although we expect also to have -- for this to happen only gradual considering the existing contracts that are obviously in place. And also what we have to point out is that we do boast 10% on a per-share basis. But actually, that includes €350 million of equity raise. So with the average share counts also plus 5%, so that makes the results look very strong, although it was partially held by some couple of non-recurring items as well.
And also note that the plus 10% is in line with the guidance, but with the upgraded guidance in the middle of the year where we went from plus 7% to plus 10%. And the difference versus our original guidance relates to the effect that we had a consistently high occupancy rate, some acquisitions, and also no doubtful provision so very strong rent collection rates and very strong and paying client base. And obviously, what's most striking in these numbers is obviously that we had a reevaluation of €850 million for the full year, which is a revaluation of the portfolio of plus 17%. And when we look at the components, that actually breaks down as follows. We had for 60% downward yield shift in the portfolio, for 20% ERV uplift s in the portfolio, and for the remaining 20% that is related to project development gains.
And to give you some more colors on the drivers behind that, yield shift was 80 basis points downward, ERV uplift was plus 3%, and the average leads and capital gain for project development surplus upon completion was 40%. And that is also, of course, the main driver behind the 40% growth in our NEV we saw last year. And just as a general comment as well, and I do acknowledge that most of you know these that -- these results and also our guidance incorporates a provision should we not be able to maintain our writ status in the Netherlands due to the uncertainty. And it's had an impact of €4 million in the EPRA earnings and €100 million of deferred tax liability in the portfolio results. Then when we take a look at our balance sheet, I think there we invested again as promised over €400 million.
And also very importantly, and we talked a lot about the revaluation of the portfolio, but that was funded mostly by new -- real new equity and the -- plus 400 million CapEx was funded by, as mentioned, €350 million of equity through the ABB at the start of the year, contributions in kind, stock dividends, and retained earnings. So meaning that we stick to your principle of having a very stable and solid capital structure. And that's in combination with a strong revaluation of the portfolio, which is still conservative as Joost mentioned when compared to current market yields. This make of obviously our metrics look very strong. And above all, our balance sheet also remains very liquid.
I think here, that summarizes it very well on these slides on the metrics, you can see for yourself with Warehouses De Pauw now firmly below 40%, and above all, our net debt to EBITDA adjusted around 8 times, which is where we wanted to be and our most important [Indiscernible] symmetric, and that is indeed the result of this policy of having finance or financing our growth on a 50-50 debt equity mix in a very consistent way. Also in terms of liquidity, there all is well under control and which more than 750 million of undrawn credit facilities we can cover, at least until the end of '23 all committed capital expenditure and upcoming refinancing. So there, the baseline is actually unchanged a well-funded balance sheet and ready for further growth.
And within this growth, as mentioned by Alexander, we also seek to issue even more green loans, as we will implement a policy to maximize the green certification of our assets Then perhaps looking a bit at the cost of funding itself, our cost of debt declines towards 1.8% by year-end based on good coverage metrics. And here it's important to mention that our income, our earnings, is inflation linked. The revenue side is fairly well inflation linked, and our cost base, mainly the interest expenses, are protected for rising rates due to a high hedge ratio and I think more than ever, we can say that due to the growing scarcity of our products, meaning our land positions and our buildings, we are more than ever protected for a rise in inflation. And then looking at the longer-term perspective, you can see our LTV declines as a portfolio got revalued and we consistently financed on a 50-50 debt equity mix.
So that actually means that as mentioned to you before, we have not leveraged on portfolio revaluations. And to maintain a real stability in our capital structure, we look at the left-hand chart on net debt to EBITDA, which actually hasn't moved in the last 10 years. And I think that also shows and demonstrates the consistency with which we manage the capital structure. Likewise, as we have a strict discipline in allocating capital as well to profitable projects. Then moving further on the outlook, there -- what the outlook on -- for 2022 is concerned, we got for another rise of €0.10 towards €1.20. So that's a rise of plus 9% year-on-year based on the same drivers of course and the development completions, and also with a higher inflation -- level, a higher level of indexation of the contracts.
And this figure is also robust as it is mainly driven by projects delivered end last year in 2021 because we have a very steady stream of project deliveries in Q4 '21 and the end the projects that are currently in the pipeline will mostly contributing full as from 2023. So I think that's it on financing and outlook and we would like to revert now and start the Q&A session. Alexander.
A - Alexander Makar
Thank you, [Indiscernible]. If you have any further questions, please put them in the chat. And as the first set of questions from Frédéric Renard from Kepler Cheuvreux. The first one is on the acquisition that we made over the past year. The 173 million CapEx, if we could give any additional comments on the 102 million that remains to be accrued in the balance sheet.
It's about banking. It's a combination of lands that will be purchased and some sale and leasebacks that are being scheduled. It's combination, Frederic.
And on the outlook for 2022, could we communicate on the level of indexation expectations that we have.
Yes, they're -- actually the -- so perhaps first and how a lot of contracts structured. All our contracts are CPI-linked and we have, let's say, 70% has no cap and 30% has a cap, let's say, between 3% and 4%, which means that up 'til 3%, we fully captured inflation and above it, let's say 4%, 5% then we can capture around 90% of inflation. And when you look at the actual level of indexation on average, the combination of '21, '22 for the contracts, index is 4.0%. We should be able to capture contractually 3.5% but in the accounts in '22, in the guidance, it is at 2.5%. And so that compares to the 3.5% which we will capture, but the only difference is the timing aspect.
And can we also give more indication on the rental uplift that we made from the renegotiations of the 54% out of the 14% leases maturing in 2022?
For '21, most of them got just rolled over at the same conditions. And here for the ones for '22, we had a couple of them with an uplift already. It's about €500,000. But do note that we cannot automatically do it for every contract. Our teams are aware of this. We look at it. It needs to be market-based and we have also -- it's also data-driven. But do note that we specially had it in the presentation and that we see in the medium-term rental upside potential. But with a commercial approach, we do not have let's say like in the UK, automatic 5 years’ market rental review.
It's indexed at a break, then when we want to renegotiate the entire contract, then you need to cancel the contract. And that's a bit aggressive and not our approach. But whenever there is potential for discussion with the clients, we will do and have this discussion that's why we mentioned and we see the potential it is growing. So the estimated rental values are increasing and growing now above our contractual rents. And we expect this spread to increase. And that increases the potential in the medium-term, but it will grow gradually.
And also with the time difference and because if you negotiate something today, it can be that is only applicable next year.
And then we have a few questions on the new growth plan. First of all, what is the yield on costs that we target in both Western Europe and Romania?
It's a 5% for Western Europe development yields, and 7% in Romania.
And the signs from the regions that we currently target, anything new on the radar?
Well, we will enlarge, and like we said, our core business and our core countries stays the [Indiscernible] and Romania, but we'll now actively broadening our activities towards Germany and deeper into France. And we have set -- we have an existing portfolio in France, but we will go deeper in France, and also we did our first project in Germany, and we will also focus on Germany further.
And maybe to continue on the growth expectations. So in the projected 8% CAGR of EPRA EPS, can we give more color on the indexation that is included?
Yeah, for -- so for '22 we took the 3.5% which will come then with the lag partially in '22, '23 at the 3.5% And for the other years, we took the 5 year EU inflation swap of 2% and we in the business plan, we take a total. Like-for-like rental growth on average of 2.5%. So which is 2% inflation and 50 beeps rent reversion, about $1 million that the latter is.
And on the external growth, the $2 billion that we targeted, can we give more color on the regions and we're going to target for quantified?
There is no specific quantification on the regions. So let's say we look up every profitable, good project with a right ERR [Indiscernible] this in our region. And so we will -- it has never been that we really want to say that so many there are only there, let's say, so we will go for the good and profitable projects wherever they are.
And when it comes to the reshoring front, do we already feel the impact of companies moving or reshoring from Asia all the way through Europe?
Well, reshoring of production and because that's the real reshoring that is indeed that's not happening so fast. But we see people and clients of us thinking about. It is of course, not so easy, but for small things it happens already. And we see it, let's say we see it sometimes for pharmaceutical things for high value add productions, we see people thinking about that, or even for other more normal production, but then they are looking more eastwards than into say Western Europe.
And maybe just to continue on the future development and the yields on costs. What about the development margins? What are our expectations on that front?
Well, last year in '21, the development margins were around 40%. In the meantime, obviously, yields have dropped and development -- as market yields have dropped, development yields have dropped too; that's why we also take this new assumption of 5% and 7% in our business plan. For the moment, development margins are still intact because the stabilized yields have dropped too, but there's -- yes, building costs are rising too. Sometimes you can feed it through to the tenant depending on how strong your cards are with the land position. We do know that it is a very strong competition as well. So there is pressure on development margins as well, even though that in the short-term, they are rather stable, but in absolute terms, the yields have come down.
And with regards to the portfolio of WDP. Do we think that or do we believe that we will see less big-box in our warehouses and a shift towards urban warehouses?
Let's say we do it all, like we invest everywhere in our region. We do them both. And in our region, relative we have a very high, dense population, and we have let's say a region of more big agglomerations instead of big cities. You can say like more than 50% of our warehouses are suited for urban logistics. But let's say we will focus on all kinds of logistics on the big boxes, on urban logistics, and all the others. We go really -- we just do logistics, but within logistics we go for everything.
And with the land availability decreasing over time, especially most popular destinations to we believe that we should shift into new regions, whether that be in the Netherlands more to the North.
Let's say in the Netherlands, we are almost everywhere active we even go above smaller. Let's say that today growing and it's almost the limits but yes, if there are good things, we can go higher. But indeed by adding Germany and going and not only the Finlay’s but by adding Germany and deeper into France, we think that there are more than enough possibilities within the current portfolio.
And now we would also add that. That's also one of the reasons why we didn't not to go to let's say five to 10 more countries and because it makes no sense to have in each country only let's say $200 million. You need to really have a platform via genuine players and also do not forget the importance and the value of building those clusters in our market, because this will give us in the medium-term, also more pricing power by having a lot of buildings in one region, and the more challenging it would get to grow, to secure land and to grow then the more valuable your existing portfolio gets so [Indiscernible] it goes hand-in-hand.
And also, by being deeper in the market, you can also make more personal and doing added value investments. So it has also a big advantage of being, let's say, not everywhere active, but being deeper into the markets where you are.
And maybe to continue on the location of our property assets. How many of our logistics platforms are located along cargo railway aligns?
Well, 20% of the portfolio is really dedicated on moving modal sites. But let's say that the majority of our buildings is in the neighbors of multimodal sites. So you don't need to be always on-site but in the neighborhood off and that's also thanks to our high dense network of all kind of terminals. We can -- let's say, they are very close to one or another terminal.
And then we have another question from Vic Peters (ph.) on our land bank. Can we fully exploited the land bank when countries increasingly impose limits on CO2 emissions and our local authorities prefer more employment?
It is more difficult. Land is becoming more scarce. But there are also better and high-quality of these projects where indeed that adds value. I think just -- there is -- it are not just boxes anymore where they just shuffle with some goods. No, it is more and more high-tech buildings and they are really the heart of every business. So the importance of our distribution centers is getting more and more
important. And so the investments are higher. And so you can also then go to the local authorities. And so with better projects which are just so much more than just some boxes within a big box.
Another question on the Romanian portfolio, what are the expectations on the construction costs in Romania, and would a potential Inflation in construction cost limit the growth potential that we see in the market?
Of course, there is -- also a construction costs are higher in Romania, but I would say at the same level as here in Western Europe, there are no other elements and it is the same inflation of the same cost -- higher cost off our Romanian products towards construction costs in Western Europe. And so there are -- indeed this being not limits on our growth. On the contrary, I would say Romania, it's a very stable country, it's more stable every day. It has a good growth perspective. And so there are not so many warehouses, yet. The region, Romania it has big as a [Indiscernible]. In Romania you have 50 million square meters of warehouses in Romania, only five. And indeed, economy is not so far yet. But that is, indeed, a very good basis for further growth together with our clients, and the knowledge we have there, there are no limits on the growth today.
And then another follow-up question from [Indiscernible] from [Indiscernible]. How can we further unlock value in the existing portfolio and how we will do it, and to follow-up, how do we believe whether or not our portfolio is still undervalued?
I'll start [Indiscernible]? I think -- yes, indeed we have -- when lands becomes more scarce than your existing portfolio, of the one who owns lands and buildings, that's getting a higher value. And indeed, and we are not only a developer, but also an investor. We have a very nice standing portfolio of 6 million square meters of buildings and that you can use now, together with your clients, when there is no new land available to upgrade it to make it better. And indeed, we have already questions for that from different clients. Last year, we have totally, let's say, 3 clients who asked, can we make a project together to make our building better and upgrade them?
Okay. Finally, it was not the big amount. It was almost €10 million, but we could hire effective rent with 10%. ERVs went up with 10% and we could get a revaluation of 25% after the investment so that our small investments together for me, proofs that you can indeed together with your client upgrade further to your building and all the climate action plan requests of our clients will also create their demand to make it better together with the clients.
Yeah. And I would also add to how we will further on local value within the existing portfolio there. We have the screening on our portfolio too, and we believe that it is at least €100 million of redevelopments, profitable redevelopment, CapEx, we can do within the existing portfolio and like Joost mentioned also in the in the energy space, we can add more hardware, let's say to our buildings by even increasing more the solar capacity footprint, adding batteries. Adding the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. Now it is only, let's say, passenger cars, then small vans. But when the trucks will come, that will be another ballgame as the buildings will need to get better and better equipped, and that provides opportunities to invest and get more out of the existing buildings.
And then the second part of the question was how you compare to market yields? Well, our portfolio's currently valued at an EPRA net initial yield of 4.7. But let's say, excluding Romania first, 4.3. That screens towards market yields -- market prime yields of between 3 and 3.5. So that still screens conservatively. And in Romania, the portfolio is valued at just over 7 EPRA net initial yield. But there, there is no real benchmark because there is no investment market. Is only a couple of large developer investors for buying holds and developments who are active?
And then we have another question Winllerby (ph.) from KBC Securities. In order to get more visibility on the structural growth of e-commerce, how comfortable are we beyond 2023 given that e-commerce stocks lately have been quite volatile?
Well, there are studies from CBRE that says that only for e-commerce between now and 25, we will need another 30 million square meters of warehouses only for E-commerce. Of course, probably this will also, let's say, diminish some classical retail warehouses. But indeed there is still a structural growth of need of e-commerce space in Europe. The coming year, up to '25.
And then another question from Enneth. The remaining portfolio has posted a positive fair value and change this year? Please elaborate on what you see in the market in terms of demand and investments transactions?
We can only say that there are no real -- there is no investment market, is not institutionalized. There is also nothing coming on the market and if what -- based on what we see in years, is that if something would come on the markets tomorrow, that it would at least be 6%-7% yields and that's --
[Indiscernible] we just own -- we just do buy and hold both --
And therefore, the €30 million revaluation you saw in the portfolio was some development gains and it's 25 basis points, yield shift to limited but there is no benchmark, there are no transactions. But a risk premium versus Western Europe is obviously extremely high.
And how do we supply -- how do we assess the supply situations in our core markets? Are we concerned in any specific region in terms of speculative developments?
No. The market is demanding enough. No. We see no problems in any specific region or sub-region.
And could we give more visibility on our land reserves, whatever that should decrease again, and can we deploy more land?
If we could -- if we can, we will do it, and we have done it last year. We increased it by 50%. If we can do a bit more than we would be happy to do that of course. We have very strong people and boots on the ground who first have to secure land positions and above all, water.
And ask for land, and not just for speculative land, or just by saying, I want to buy it and I will do a project. No, you can go and say, I want to do a project with this or this client in this sector, and then let's say you get much more chance to get a piece of land. And so that's also important, but those projects, and that fact you never see in our land bank because at the moment that comes in, it goes directly into projects.
Yeah. And to add further on that, it's not about putting a check or money on the table. It's about having an industrial project with the client and then you can buy the land.
One of the best examples of the last two years was Lokaren for the biggest chocolate box in the world. Well, indeed, the land was foreseen and was dedicated for [Indiscernible]. But you had and you needed to be able to get the project and then you could get the land. Nobody could buy it without having [Indiscernible].
And maybe to follow up on that question. Do we see any major difference in the permitting process between France and the Benelux?
Not really. It's a little bit longer and you have a combination of your building permit and your exportation permit. But -- that you have more and more in Belgium too and Netherlands so there -- no, there is no real -- can take a little bit longer, but we don't see a real difference.
And then a question from [Indiscernible] from Aviva, whether we see any possibilities to start investing in infrastructure such as water purification or larger scale wind mill projects, for example?
Let's say, we look at everything that is logistics related infrastructure. It has to have a link with our core activity because do not forget our company's purpose that we help our clients grow within the heart of their supply chain, so we provide a home to their supply chains so it's link to infrastructure for logistics, yes then we can look at it.
Another question from Michael Glazer on the projected 8% EPS CAGR versus the previous growth plan, EPS CAGR is a higher, can we get some insight on to what extent it comes from more developments or inflation or other income?
Well, if we would have made -- what we did is that we were needing, or we were close to achieving within the short term, the targets of the old plan. And then we set around the table and we thought, okay, how can we still add value for our clients and shareholders in a growing competitive environment. And how can we add new drivers as well, so that's we are ready for the long-term, and not only think about the next 2, 3 years. And then we said, "Okay, that is this secular structural demand driver. And these are there to stay, like Joost explained. And this will account for around 75% of the compound annual growth rates of 8%. So they give a basis of 6% and we add another layers of 2% growth per year, so 25% of the growth will come from these drivers like, like-for-like or rental growth, and the energy space.
And then we have another question from Francesca from IMG which regards to our new developments and cost inflation, how has it evolved over the past year, both constant inflation, as well as the lead times in development?
Well I think we can say that on average, construction costs went up [Indiscernible] 20%,
10%-15% now.
10%-15% now, sometimes that's a max 20%.
But 10%-15% versus pre -COVID.
Pre-Covid, but then towards the real downside within COVID the 20%, but let's say that now it's stabilizing on that high level. And so as from now, you can calculate it into your projects. But indeed, besides the cost inflation there is also indeed the lead time in the construction. There is no -- let's say we were able to deliver all the project or almost all the projects together with our clients in time until now. But for new projects, there we have to take into account a longer realization period.
And also to give you some color on that in the past, it was, let's see, as soon as we secured the land 6 months for permitting, 9 months for construction, and these 9 months has now become between 12 and 15 months. So you could see a net effect of 3 to 6 months related to supply chain issues like mainly for the raw materials and capacity constraints with the construction companies. But there we have the benefit too, of working already for many years with the -- in partnerships with the main construction companies in all the countries of activities.
And then we have another question with regards to our plants in Germany. To what extent would it contribute by 2025 and can we give a general update on how our plans are going.
Well, a general update. I think we made that general update the end of last year where we said that we could pre -let our first projects fully before ending the construction. So let's say we planted our flag and we realized a real profitable, very nice project. And in the meantime, we also hired a Business Development Manager who will start the 1st of March. And so then, let's say, with a first existing building and a first development, demand can start and go into Germany and really start deploying further our activities there.
And then a follow-up, do we expect a major difference in development yields in Germany compared to with the Benelux?
Not in the development yields. Investment yields or let's say -- also their investment yields are the same on the market is as liquid or even a little bit more liquid than the Netherlands but it's the same environment as the Netherlands.
And then we have another question from Gerald on the nitrogen policy in the Netherlands. Will that potentially negatively affect growth, ambitions or our EPS forecasting by 2025?
And we have covered most questions unless anyone has any other remaining question, please put it in the chat. We have just one other question with regards to the like-for-like rental levels. As indicated, it's moving very slowly but what are we seeing in terms of market rent evolutions?
Yeah, what we see, it's very scattered. It depends really on the micro-market. But we're seeing in some locations at least plus 10%. And that is also the levels, the uplifts we saw in these couple of renegotiations we had, like we mentioned.
And we have no further questions.
A - Joost Uwents
Well, then let's say we could keep our promise to get it into one hour and then I have to say thank you all for listening to us and listening to our livestream, we're commended 21 and more important about the future. We are ready for further growth, external growth, internal growth covered by climate opportunities.
Thank you all very much and have a nice weekend. |
Online resources and support
Here are some links we hope you find helpful. Please note that clicking these will open up pages/sites that are not a part of willowtreefamily.com
Great Start to Quality helps parents find the best child care and preschool for their child, and helps providers improve the care and education they give to children. Standards set by Great Start to Quality are used to rate child care and preschool programs to ensure that Michigan’s youngest children have high-quality early learning experiences.
Play and Learn Groups provide activities for families to play alongside their children and explore many developmental domains including sensory experiences, motor skills, and language skills. Information on topics related to young children and parenting is shared, as well as connections to community resources. Groups are offered in a variety of locations across the Ingham service area.
The Ingham GSC publishes a Parent Resource Guide for parents with children birth to 5. The guide includes community agency descriptions and contact information on the following six topics: Prenatal Education; Parent Education Classes; Parent Support Groups;Parenting Resources; Home Visitation; and Parent-Child Activities. |
The program seeks to provide unbiased information and advice on issues that impact sustainable use and conservation of our soil resources, remediation and reclamation of polluted and degraded soils such a brownfields and mined lands, and soil based recycling of residual materials from agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste streams.
For information related to forest finance and taxation, natural gas taxation, agroforestry, woody biomass and county forest data.
As a forest landowner or manager, there is a need for increased understanding of the impacts created by competing and invasive vegetation in our woodlots.
This program specializes in the use of GIS and related advanced information system technologies for environmental assessment, agriculture, and land management and planning.
The maple industry produces a wide-range of quality products with most production still going into syrup.
Botanicals, including medicinal herbs and health supplement production, have a long history in North America.
Tools and information on Penn's Woods, tending to your forestlands, the Pennsylvania Woodland Owners Associations and the Forest Stewardship Program.
The Pennsylvania Woodlands' Timber Market Report gives prices paid in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for standing timber (stumpage) and for logs delivered to sawmills during the current quarter of the current year.
Over 80 percent of Pennsylvania's population live in towns and cities, most of which do not have the expertise to take care of their trees properly. Tree-lined streets and parks beautify our communities, enhance them economically, and improve the quality of our environment.
This website provides expert information and programs related to drinking water, water conservation, pond management, on-lot septic, non-point source pollution, water policy and watershed education.
Wildlife Outreach Center is your one stop location for finding extension fact sheets, handbooks, webinars, youth programs and answers to frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania wildlife.
WoodPro provides valuable information to wood products industries of Pennsylvania.
Penn State Extension and the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management is committed to educating youth, teachers, and other youth educators about renewable natural resources. We accomplish this work through the Pennsylvania 4-H Youth Development Program, curriculum resources for schools and environmental education centers, and teacher trainings. |
Reddit r/BuyItForLife
I got this guy in an estate lot years ago and it has just been in storage. Well I recently finished building my workshop and I've started digging all this stuff out. Many of the things I got were garbage, but this thing was just asking for a bit of love. It looked a lot like [this](https://storage.bhs.cloud.ovh.net/v1/AUTH_e7d15450bedd40b9b599e075527df3cb/southbend/fcraftsman_table_saw_113298720__175_Plymo_594d540b2c52b.jpg) when I got it (minus the webbed cast iron wing).
I had almost decided to just scrap it or sell it, but to my surprise it started and cut wood just fine. The fence and accessories were all garbage though, so I decided to replace that stuff. I have not touched the motor or mechanics on the inside. They run like new.
I'm not sure of the exact age, but this model number was made in the 80-90s. |
The usage and popularity of Artificial Intelligence has increased a lot over past few years. Many Sci-Fi movies portray AI as destructive and as a threat to the world out there. While this is not completely true, AI can do wonders, reducing the amount of manual work to minimum.
This morning, I was trying to text someone and the auto-prediction on my mobile hardly let me type anything. It was such a breeze! My mobile knew me so well that I felt it might soon start replying my texts by itself. The idea sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
This leaves us with another question, Will AI and Robots take all our jobs? Before you dig deeper to know the answer, let us quickly find out what AI is all about and how it affects digital advertising.
What is Artificial Intelligence About?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an area of computer sciences that focuses on creating intelligent machines which can work and think like humans.
We use many AI in our day to day lives. Virtual assistants like Siri, Google Now and Alexa function on various platforms and help us find useful information with just one voice command. Many organizations allow their customers to chat with their customer support representatives when they are browsing through their website. Sometimes, the person on the other side may just be AI and not any customer support executive.
How Can Artificial Intelligence Affect Digital Advertising?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a part of almost every industry, and digital marketing is no different. What is the one ultimate goal of digital advertising? Reaching the right target audience. What if there’s a program that can automatically help you reach out to the right audience?
AI does this for you and helps you reduce your manual office hours. We come across many quizzes in Facebook and other social media claiming to predict your personality based on your ‘Likes’ and activity on the app. AI can do the same in digital advertising for your target audience.
Here are few places where AI can function to give you maximum results:
- Forecasting Sales
- Human Resources (on-boarding)
- Assisting Virtual Shopping Based On Previous Purchases
- Giving Personalized Content Suggestions For Customers
- Optimizing Content Based On Past Performance Patterns
- Automated Social Media Publishing
- Smarter Analytics
Does AI Need Human Support?
Now that you’ve gained an understanding of how powerful AI can be and how easier it can make our lives, it’s time to answer the next question, “Is there something that cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence?”. The answer is, yes.
No matter how advanced AI is, there are certain things in every industry that will always require human expertise. Unlike humans, AI can give best results only when data is being fed to it continuously. Here are few things that humans manage way better than AI.
- Ethical Reasoning
- True Understanding Of Audience
- Managing Risk
- Customer Relations
- Brand Reputation
AI makes your life a lot easier and is certainly the future of digital advertising!
Ample Magazine Gives You the latest and qulaity infomation. Read Blogs Now. Ample Magazine.Read the most found blog on the website - 10 Ways To Get More Things Done : Ideas That Really Work. lifestyle |
- I told you this telethon was a bad idea.
- Okay!
- Lieutenant, they made a clean getaway.
- Yeah, with a truckload of equipment.
- Have you seen Dr. Powell?
- No.
Here I thought all of this was behind me.
Mavis, I'm fine.
I'll see you later.
Bye-bye.
Allen!
Anything on that telethon takeover?
Julio went through that control booth with a fine-toothed comb but the prints he found belonged to employees.
- What's that, breakfast?
- Yeah.
Yeah, it's my...
- Help yourself.
- I'm stumped.
He took video and broadcast equipment and nothing else.
Well, maybe the guy just wants to be on TV.
- What the hell is this?
- It's a lox and onion burrito.
- It's good though. |
Several years ago one of my patients made that statement to me and it has stuck with me ever since. It is such a true statement about health, but I would add that your heart, your spine, and your joints also depend on it. Everyone knows that diet and exercise is the key to weight loss, but what exactly does that mean? Here are a few practical tips that I have found very helpful in my life and for many patients over the years.
Weight loss is a major part of your overall health, not just a cosmetic problem. Do not use the excuse that your physical condition, including arthritic joints limiting your ability to exercise, is the reason that you cannot avoid being overweight. Basically, if your exercise level is diminished for whatever reason, then your intake must be cut back accordingly. In order to lose weight, you must make it a priority everyday. You cannot manage what you do not measure; therefore, you should have an accurate bathroom scale, preferably a digital readout, that you check with every morning. That way, your activity and dietary intake for the day will be affected by that number.
Where “diet” implies a temporary fix to a chronic problem, what you really need is a change in lifestyle. Your eating habits need to be modified in three ways: lower calories (smaller portions), lower fat, and minimize carbohydrates. Lowering calories requires approximately a 50% reduction in your average total intake per day. Lowering fat requires avoiding saturated fat (read food labels), and especially avoiding, obviously high-fat items such as bacon, sausage, cheese, ice cream, hot dogs, pizza, and snack foods. Lowering carbohydrates requires eliminating all bread and bread products (bagels, crackers, etc.), all pasta, all potatoes, all rice, and all sweets (pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, candy and soft drinks). Therefore, your daily food intake should consist of only: low fat meat, fish or chicken, vegetables, fruits, and salads. A daily mini-fast is often a good idea, skipping either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If you want to go for optimal health, you might try a “Whole Food Plant Based Diet” which eliminates all animal protein, all dairy, and all refined foods. Check out “vegan diet” on the internet.
Exercise is essential to any weight loss program. Ideally, 60 minutes of exercise per day should be your goal, but 30 minutes minimum. A brisk walk outdoors or on a treadmill, (approximately 3 m.p.h.), riding a bike, or using any kind of low impact equipment at a fitness center (such as stair machine, ski machine, elliptical machine, exercise bike and swimming) are all beneficial ways to stay active. Divided doses of exercise in two half-hour segments are fine – any exercise that you do is good. Avoid taking elevators whenever possible. Take stairs even if you stop on every floor or two to catch your breath. For people with arthritic hips or knees, an exercise bike is still your best option, where your body weight is supported, and your legs are just exercising without as much stress.
Hopefully, these suggestions are helpful to you. My wife and I have been following this program for years with good success |
All students regularly enrolled in general chemistry CH102 in the Spring semester of 1995, and in CH 101 in the Fall semester of 1995 at Clemson University were administered a cognitive profile inventory. The treatment group members were given the resulting individual learning style profile and information on the interpretation of the profile and study techniques appropriate to each of the four quadrants. The students in the control group were given the same information after the common final exam for the course was completed. Comparisons of the grades in the course were made between the treatment and control groups and between subgroups by demographic variables and by cognitive dominances. Further evaluations were completed for goodness of fit of the cognitive profile model and for study techniques used by the students.
Significant differences were found between groups by gender, with girls scoring higher than boys, even though the girls' SAT math mean score was lower than that of the boys; by major, with students in the helping professions scoring lower than all other majors; and by cognitive dominance, with students in the sensor feeler and intuitive feeler frequently scoring lower than other types, and sensor thinkers generally scoring higher than other types. In some analyses and where appropriate, SAT math scores were used as a covariate to factor out differences due to performance criteria.
Previous work on learning styles, whether in sciences or other academic course areas, have been limited to small populations, and rarely have been carefully controlled and statistically rigorous. For that reason, many educators have been justified in stating doubts of the validity of the whole concept of differences in how people learn. This study, of 2000 students, with a complete and confirming replication, carefully controlled and statistically rigorous, serves to fill the void. We have established that there are differences in how individual learners acquire and process information. Educators have based much research on finding the one method that is best for all learners for teaching each course. This work establishes that no one method will be best for all learners, that what works best must be a variety of methods, an appropriate mix of strategies to meet the needs of a variety of individual learners. |
(From subreddit DnD)
What the optimum range of vision in D&D, for nornal characters?
How far could a normal human see, on a clear day, in normal sunlight and without using magic or magic items.
I am asking this, because I made the human character in my game able to see the enemies gathering forces from about 3 miles away. They couldn't make out the details, but they could see the colours and things and that they were gathering up in a valley.
The characters were standing on a high hill and they had full view the valley floor.
They were acting as scouts for their new patron, who has just bought them all new equipment.
One of the other players got a bit annoyed about it though because they are an Elf, and thought that a Human should have worse vision that an Elf and not have been able to see anything.
Even after I said that as an Elf she did have better eyesight and could see more of the detail, she was still salty about it and started googling how far different races can see on her phone.
So I know that the average is 2 miles on a clear day, but that's just an average and the characters were standing on a vantage point, so I didn't think 3 miles was too far.
Did I really mess up and allow them to see too far? |
World War I officially started July 28, 1914. Originally it was believed that the “situation” would clear itself up by no later than Christmastime. Instead, it took over four long and grueling years, and resulted in more than 15 million deaths. Early on in the conflict, the German army moved into northeastern French territory. This was the beginning of the Western Front. The expeditious land grab by the Germans included the city of Reims. Reims had a well-established history, from its days as a bustling hub of the Roman Empire, to becoming a center of French culture in the early Middle Ages. Additionally, Reims was the “Coronation Capital,” so to speak, the traditional location for the coronation of French kings. It was also home to a magnificent high Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims. By early September, the French had forced the Germans to retreat and though the French regained the town, the Germans stayed close by for the entirety of the war.
The city of Reims saw significant destruction, and both civilian and military casualties. But no event ignited indignation as did the bombing of the much-venerated Notre-Dame de Reims. The cathedral was first hit by shell fire on September 19th, 1914. Wooden scaffolding that was in place for ongoing repairs caught fire, and contributed to the damage, as did several smaller fires that resulted from the attack. Though the cathedral would be struck again and again as the war continued, it was this initial shelling that sparked a firestorm of outrage, horror, and prodigious propaganda—surely here was damning proof that the Germans were indeed “barbarians,” so lacking in culture themselves that they were compelled to destroy the beauty of another culture out of sheer spite and jealousy. The propaganda insisted that there was no reason to bomb the church since it had no strategic military value, and was a place of sanctuary. The French and their allies stressed that there was no justification to shell the cathedral especially given that was being used to house the wounded (mainly German soldiers callously left behind by their fleeing brothers-in-arms).
It was acknowledged, even at the time, that the Germans were committing more horrendous acts than the bombardment of Reims Cathedral. So why should a building create more outcry and indignation than the killing of innocent civilians, or other kinds of wartime savagery? Perhaps it was in part that the cathedral, literally meaning the seat of the bishop, could be seen as representing the French nation as a whole, its cruciform shape evoking a sacrificial body. Or, on a more practical note, it was a story that could be easily sensationalized and discussed ad infinitum—cultural war damage was far easier to get past the censors. In the words of Maurice Landrieux, a former priest at Reims but later the Bishop of Dijon “…but it was the most ignoble, because it was at once sacrilegious and stupid, and because it reveals, by its uselessness, the blackest depth of German misdoing.” There was a pervasive belief that the Germans had come to France with the express intention of destroying the cathedral from the outset of the war.
There are two sides to every story, and so it is here. The Germans did shell the cathedral—that is irrefutable. Their explanation as to why they did so was wildly at odds with the French account, and they claimed to be horrified just as deeply as the French, at the damage done to this architectural masterpiece.
The French story was that is that the Germans, before their hasty retreat, had covered the floors of the cathedral with straw, to make it more combustible and that they intentionally left their wounded knowing they would be brought into the church by the French to be tended. A Red Cross flag was raised, a further signal that the cathedral was off-limits as a military target. However, the Germans later claimed the cathedral was being used for military intelligence: a signal station, telephone equipment, and an observation post had been espied in one of the towers during a German fly-by—along with a large cache of weapons. If true, according to international law, the cathedral was a viable military target—a wolf wrapped in sheep’s clothing.
The church was severely damaged—roofs had burned, statues melted, stonework was no longer viable, and more. Nonetheless, the structure was still essentially in good condition after the attack, all things considered. The local French authorities were actually taken to task by their own administrators for not doing a better job putting out the fire, which caused the majority of the damage. The Germans claimed it pained them to commit such an act, but the cunning French had left them no choice. These claims gained little traction.
The result was that—for the French—the German reputation for philosophical thought and general erudition, were suddenly erased—they were viewed once again as one of the “barbarian hordes” of the migration era. German art historians were quick to point out they had been one of the primogenitors of that discipline, and they highly appreciated art from around the globe. German art historians and professors were even dispatched to the front, joining various army units to help provide protection to valuable art on both sides, but to no avail. The mud would not unstick.
Reims Cathedral continued to be used as propaganda for the whole of the war. Its burnt image was printed on posters and postcards. German soldiers were depicted gun-wielding and slavering at the jaw to seeking to destroy the next great work of art they saw. Meanwhile, the Germans lampooned the French, accusing them of using their own great works of art for nefarious ends without compunction. One well-known cartoon read, “The cunning French have used Reims cathedral as a shooting platform—next they’ll be building trenches with the contents of the Louvre.”
Beyond the trenches, the battle for cultural superiority was on. The French had the upper hand when it came to the events at Reims that fateful night. They could claim eyewitnesses, and they also photographed the cathedral in ways intended to most incite a viewer.
The Germans did try hard though, despite their lack of handy visual evidence, to underscore that they had been the only country to carry out any form of art protection. Kunstschutz (the German term for the principle of preserving cultural heritage and artworks during armed conflict) was said to protect art on both sides of the war. It was even said to be endorsed by Kaiser Wilhelm II himself. The Germans emphasized that the bombing of the cathedral at Reims had not been part of a systematic effort, instead, it was one of the many sad byproducts of the war.
Neither side held back, each was determined to show that while one was on the side of the angels, the other was ruthlessly attempting to profit by the destruction of art. Meanwhile, the Germans claimed that as they were the creators of the Gothic style, and so the cathedral was just as much part of their cultural heritage as it was France’s, and they again attempted to remind the world of their integral role in the creation of art history. Again, this gained no traction with the French, nor with most nations.
By the end of the war Reims, which had been targeted multiple times, was the ruin the French had claimed after the initial attack. The continued attacks on the cathedral called into doubt the veracity of the Germans’ initial account. After the first bombardment, it was certain that the cathedral was no longer being used for any military purpose—if it ever had been. Again, a cultural landmark of this kind could only become subject to brute force with good reason, so the continued bombing only furthered the French position of German brutality and outright vandalism. J.W. Garner, in his International Law and the World War, states, “Monuments of this stature are not only entitled to respect because of their sanctity but are especially protected because of the Law of Nations” (p. 445).
Restoration on the cathedral began almost immediately after the end of the war, funded in part by the Rockefeller family. The cathedral reopened in 1938, though work continues to this day. Recently, the world looked on aghast when, in April of 2019, the iconic Notre-Dame de Paris burned. Even more recently, the lesser-known Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Nantes, another Gothic jewel, caught on fire. In these cases there appears to be no terrorism involved, only age and human error. Perhaps then, the. most important take-away from the bombing of Reims Cathedral is that blame is, to a degree, irrelevant, at least after the fact. The real lesson is that we must do better at preserving our cultural heritage the world over. |
Missile War
==================
A standalone remake of an old WC3 custom map.
#Instructions
Pan the camera with WASD.
Build generators to get energy.
Use energy to buy silos and shield boosters.
Use silos to automatically send rockets, missiles, etc at your enemy.
Save up your energy for a mass attack, then push through!
|
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1. I haven't been on this board for a long time so I probably shouldn't just jump in the middle. Anyway thanks for letting me jump in because its on my mind right now. The Docs are telling me "Its all in your head" and had the bizzare incident of more then one doctor telling me to take my Diazapam/Valium more. How often does that happen? Never to me. It seems more like people asking me do I really need them at all and maybe I should not use them... I think the real problem right now is I get serious anxiety when I start thinking I know whats physically wrong and its obvious but they just don't get it. And I'm getting to the point where I just am sick of talking to a wall. Oh yeah I've been around I'm aware of the daily benzo prescriptions a lot of people are prescribed a daily dose. And if their problem can only be solved by that? Who am I to say? Long lasting Benzos I've never used. I know someone told me they had made Xanax last longer which seems like a good idea. Anyway don't take what I say very serious. I'm not trained or anything and would say whatever the doctor says. Personally like with Xanax I worry a little bit about it being a problem. Actually it was a problem because the crap scared me so much I didn't take anything and thats no fun at all. I have a doctor who is strict on Benzos and some of the other controlled stuff. She does the whole no notice bring in your pills thing and random screenings. I might be the only patient where she did the call for a pill check (The first time) and I was so anal about my Anxiety I had a run down of what was going on for every pill I took. She was counting out the pills while I went over dates and she just stopped and said something to the effect of some people have an addictive personality and then there is me. Guess I'm weirder then the typical nut she takes care of. Anyway it doesn't stop her from doing random checks and always telling me to take as few as possible.
2. The anxiety level is way up with me but I think its more physical health related stuff more then Corona Virus stuff. I'm no fool I know a pandemic is bad news but I just keep doing what I'm doing and try to keep out of crowds, keep my fingers off my face. I already wash my hands and haven't done much more of that. Interesting drug. I was on Xanax PRN but the stuff really scared the hell out of me. The effect (while strong) was a little too good and very short lasting in my case. I asked about switching to something in the opposite direction and the PDoc I went to asked me what I had in mind and I said Valium. Its effect for me was not the Xanax POW!!! YOU FEEL GOOD GOOD GREAT!!!!........OK thats done now your freaking out. Valium is more of a hummmm I feel pretty normal. My anxiety seems gone. Yeah I think so... where did it go? Hummm.... stupid valium it doesn't do anything or does it? Why I think it does! The next time I saw the PDoc he said thats exactly the effect he wanted to hear and one reason he personally didn't like prescribing Xanax except in specific cases. It tends to make you feel TOO good then dumps you way too quickly. This effect (He thought) was why it was easier to get addicted or at least more dependant on Xanax. Not that people can't get screwed up with Valium. Finding the dose that eliminates an anxiety attack without you getting euphoric is the real trick to prescribing I think. What I hate is that I always seem to get little to no effect from low dose anything. What is it that breaks down a drug that can be so overactive that low doses just don't do anything? Your Liver?? As to asking for a PRN dose to go up I would not be shy and I would not put it off. If its not working be up front and just tell her/him that its not doing what you need and ask for a change. It might just be the wrong drug not the dose. One thing I think (personally) I would try to avoid is just taking it daily at the same time to avoid anxiety. Its taking it that way that seems (again just my opinion) to get people into trouble. Some drugs just don't work as good if your using them too often and Benzos have a really bad reputation which I think is more due to that then the drug. PRN stuff is the best way to take them. I should add this is all the advise of a patient so this is just 2 cents worth. I did have a good friend who really screwed himself up with Xanax btw so some of that might be coming across so if Xanax really works for you just ahhhhhh forget about what I said.
3. A friend who might be one of the earliest telecomuters was getting nothing done and wearing a bathrobe all day. So... He sets the clock at a normal time for work. Showers and puts on a shirt and tie (I never saw him with a tie ever!) Then he puts his lunch in a briefcase and walks down the street for (I don't know how far) comes around and goes to his garage which now has a desk and a phone plus his work stuff. He tells his wife and kids that they aren't allowed to bug him (Other then emergencies) and to just act like he is gone to work. So..... He tells me he starts working hard because he doesn't know what the rest of us are doing and he starts producing the best work he ever did. And the work load of like 3 people!!! After a while he doesn't need to do the shirt tie and briefcase thing but he said he had to wire his brain that being at home wasn't being at home when he was working. BTW this pisses off people at work because he is making them look like lazy slobs and they conspire to get rid of him. No one should be allowed to work at home! What jerks.....
4. I just wanted to say this message explains a lot. I would never have considered that a dose a tad too high would induce sleep. Anyway here is where you can get some info from people who actually take the meds.
5. Hey buddy hope all is well
6. I try to be patient and not flip out if someone stabs me then has to retry but I had this nurse going on her fourth try and I said "HEY 3 strikes and your out. Like out of here." like that worked... She got it on the 5th try. When I go in and see someone I don't know doing blood draws I flick my veins myself. If the nurse asks "What are you doing?" I cringe. This might be the old school way to do it but it does work.
7. I have kind of a start date to where I was curled up on the kitchen floor sobbing with my kids puppy trying to chill me out so I don't have the problem of thinking MI is just some made up thing. Sometimes I wonder about the meds and think (Stupidly) I feel fine now. Maybe this pill isn't REALLY doing anything? They I don't take it. A non MI drug for OAB (Over active Bladder) I talked to my Urologist about it causing some nasty side effects and she said I could try not taking it but to jot down how often I was running back and for to pee. 6 to 8 is pretty normal. When I got to 12 I had that "Ahhhh... So taking this really DOES do something!?" Benzos for me are strange (Or they have the dose exactly right) when I have an anxiety attack and take a valium I feel "normal" or to be more specific I don't feel like I'm having an anxiety attack. I think our doctors try for this effect and when they do a good job? I dunno... Thats my experience.
8. I'm a bad person to ask about Lyrica. I'm one of the 0.004 % that totally loose their minds on that drug. Like suddenly not knowing how to operate my car (While driving) I managed to get it stopped (But running) got out, leaving the door open. Walked into work and called the doctor who almost had a stroke listening to my reaction to the drug. Anyway its one I would be wary of but thats just the 0.004 of us that can't take it.
9. Hi Smurf. Long time no see. I decided to unfreeze myself and check out old friends to see how they are doing? The light box thing seems to help me a bit with depression. That or I guess the Vit D which I seem to lack.
10. I'm unthawed from being off the computer for ?? years. Anyway I wanted to look up old friends and say hi. Great news on the pdoc. Hope you found a keeper! Also congrats on getting married! Wow! thats pretty cool. Just realizing I'm replying to a year old post. Anyway hope you are doing well.
11. I haven't been on CB in a long time but the insomnia problem is one that has been on my radar thanks to the shifting formulary of my health plan. I would steer away from benzos of you take them on a nightly basis. They just have too much baggage for addiction and tolerance and many are so short acting you can't expect sleep to last very long. Its probably unusual to say this because there have been some negative vibes going on about taking the Z drugs for any length of time but I had been taking Ambien Cr for the last couple of years and had little to no problems as it helps me get to sleep and sleep for a decent length of time. I've had to go to a different drug and have been trying different doses of the generic for Lunesta. I find a couple of things different. For one I often dream at night and can remember some of them. Which I feel is a plus! With Ambien and prior to ambien having any memory of dreams was near zero. In addition Lunesta seems to act quickly. Its not like Ambien with a gradual feeling sleepy then sleepier its more sudden. Bang I'm asleep. I had rare instances of me talking in my sleep on Ambien (Nothing weird like driving cars, sex etc) but so far nothing like that with Lunesta. The dose that works for me (Like everything it seems) is the stronger dose. Lower doses do help me go to sleep but at the lowest dose (1mg) I was asleep for 3 hours. At 2mg maybe 5 hours. At 3mg I get around 7 hours of sleep. One last comment. I was told its a very dangerous combination to take benzos at the same time as a Z drug. So if you do have Ambien or Lunesta prescribed you want to have 8 hours between that and taking benzos such as Xanax, Valium etc. I guess the combo can in some instances stop you from breathing. Good luck! Sorry you have insomnia. Its a bitch.
12. My favorite dog(s) were Samoyds. I had an insulated Dog House which went unused. Although she did block the front for a non arctic dog that would run into it if I left them out anymore then a few minutes.
13. This is probably over simplification but I think a significant number of people don't believe in Evil. People with MI does not = Evil people. Are some both? Of course but some guy who is cheating on his wife and murders her could be "rational" correct? Its not right. Its wrong. Its Evil shit. MI as a blanket excuse for every bad thing people do is just wrong. How many people with MI do we know that couldn't hurt a fly? I think the sanity defense is simply someones inability to know right from wrong? Is it mental illness to think self castration and killing yourself is evil? Mental Illness? or just stupidity? I think you could make a case for any or all of the above. MI btw is often getting mixed up with being stupid which I think is a very poor assumption. A lot of people who are very smart drive themselves a bit over the edge. I'm sure you can all think of examples.
14. If they aren't arctic type (like Samoyds or Huskey) I wonder why the owners aren't jailed. If they really are arctic dogs that have developed winter fur? Thats different.
15. I've been on it for a fair length of time. No side effects to report. It seems to help raise the floor where depression goes from me being functional to being a mess. LIke it just doesn't let it reach the danger zone. I've lost and gained weight but I think thats more from Anxiety problems.
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This day an age, it is especially important to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes exercising, getting enough rest and eating a healthy diet. To eat healthy, you need to make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet. Keep reading to learn more about how to make sure you are getting the nutrients you need.
It is not safe to take more then the recommended value of most vitamins, so make sure that you avoid this. One example of this is iron, which can be damaging to the liver when taken in large doses. If you feel like you are not getting the greatest benefit from your vitamins, you should probably consult a dietician about this.
If you are lacking a particular vitamin, it is probably best for you to add that to your diet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Probiotic-1030-Probiotics-Supplement-Digestive/dp/B01BZC1QWM/keywords=xymogen+probiomax+daily+df+30+billion+cfu+probiotic+30+vege+caps instead of taking a multivitamin. While there are many different vitamins and minerals in these pills, most of the time the level of particular vitamins is not as high as we need. Buying a single vitamin would be more effective.
For the building and maintenance of strong bones, take calcium. If you want your body to take in the calcium, you must have enough vitamin D. You can get the necessary amounts from food and sunlight. These can all help in the calcium absorption process.
Try adding more magnesium, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D to your diet if you are feeling sad. A deficiency in any of these may actually lead to depression. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to support brain health, while magnesium can help your body and mind calm down and relax.
To give your immune system a boost, consider taking Ginseg. Ginseng can help your body to regulate its hormones. This will help influence your insulin production, blood pressure, and metabolism. As a result, you will also find yourself thinking more clearly and having more energy to get through your day.
After you go shopping, make sure to store your fresh fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Keeping your produce cold helps the food retain important vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Purchase fresh produce often and eat it daily to get the most from these foods. The more nutrients you get from your food, the less you need from supplements.
Juicing is very popular these days, and it is a great way to consume healthy fruits and vegetables. Many people add a powdered vitamin and mineral supplement http://www.wonderherb.com.au/health-supplements.html to their juice drink to create a healthy breakfast smoothie they can enjoy every day. This drink is not only very healthy, but also helps increase energy levels.
Some vitamins are stored in your body, and others are not. Water-soluable vitamins dissolve in the fluids in your body and are flushed out regularly. These vitamins include B vitamins and vitamin C. Because these vitamins are not stored in your body, it is important to consume these vitamins each day.
How many people actually realize that their depression is more than likely caused by a lack of nutrients such as Vitamin D and magnesium? We also have Omega-3 which happens to have as many benefits to your health as Vitamin C. This promotes a healthy brain and body. Magnesium helps to keep you calm.
In modern fast-paced times, we often sacrifice our health eating fast food devoid of minerals and nutrients. Grab a few bottles of primary vitamins to ensure that you are getting what you need to fight off colds and allow the body to convert fat to energy.
If you are finding it difficulty to get the vegetable and fruit nutrition you need every day, try adding a multi-vitamin to your regular routine. There are many great muti-vitamin choices for all ages, activity levels and medical conditions. You can get the nutrition you need even when you don't eat right.
Consider whether you need to take thiamin, or vitamin B1, when eating healthy. You may be deficient in thiamin if you experience fatigue, weakness, psychosis, or nerve damage. It can be found in asparagus, whole grains, pork, oranges, and spinach. However, since it's water soluble, it may be lost during cooking due to water loss. If that is an issue for you, there are thiamin supplements.
Turmeric and flax seed oil are two good essential nutrients to use when looking at supplements for your daily diet. They reduce inflammation and keep you well. Flax seed oil also helps to improve heart and brain health in addition to providing joint support.
If you are already on medications, be sure to talk to your doctor before you take any supplements. For example, if you are on heart prescriptions, taking calcium, magnesium or potassium could alter the affects of those drugs or cause side effects, but your doctor can tell you what you can take.
When preparing your meals, avoid recipes that call for baking soda and include fresh produce. Baking soda destroys essential vitamins and minerals found in vegetables, such as B vitamins and vitamin D. Cooking vegetables with baking soda makes them less effective at nourishing your body, so avoid dishes that call for it.
Hopefully you have a bit more knowledge about supplements. They are not something your body can do without and still be fit and healthy. You must put what you've learned to use now. This new information is your path to a happy and healthy life.
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La Unión (Olancho)
La Unión («La Unión» por la unificación de las aldeas en este municipio) es un municipio del departamento de Olancho en la República de Honduras.
Límites
Su cabecera está situada en una localidad plana cerca de la margen derecha del Río El Camote.
Historia
En 1852, existió un pueblo con el nombre de San Francisco de Yocón, el cual fue quemado por las fuerzas militares al mando del general José María Medina, siendo Presidente de Honduras en el año 1868.
En 1867, fue elevado a la categoría de Municipio y formaba parte del Distrito de Salamá.
En el se desarrollaba una guerra civil en el Departamento de Olancho, producto de que los pobladores deseaban separar este departamento de Honduras y convertirla en una "República Independiente", en represalia por los altos impuestos conocidos como "Diezmos de Olancho" que les exigían pagar, decretados por el gobierno de Comayagua, que era la capital en ese entonces.
Entre los años 1866-1883 fue constituido nuevamente, bajo Decreto por el presidente Marco Aurelio Soto, la comunidad estaba bajo la jurisdicción del Pueblo de Yocon.
En 1867, fue la instauración de La Unión como Municipio, tras su destrucción por el General Coquimbo.
En 1906, fue fundada La Iglesia de La Unión, se construyó en honor del Patrono San Francisco de Asís.
En 1925, fue instalado el servicio telegráfico por Martin Murillo y se recuerda entre los telegrafistas de mayor tiempo de servicio a Ángela Figueroa y a José Salgado originario de Silca este último.
En 1930 fue fundada la primera Escuela con el nombre de "General Francisco Morazán" frente al Parque.
Durante las últimas décadas del y las primeras del , La Unión ha sido un municipio receptor de mucha inmigración principalmente de los municipios vecinos, también de San Francisco de la Paz y Juticalpa.
La población comercializaba con la costa norte de Honduras, con Tegucigalpa y con Comayagua, de allí su evolución comercial. El crecimiento urbano del municipio se desarrolló entre otros factores gracias a la reglamentación que obligaba a los ciudadanos de las comunidades rurales cercanas al pueblo y que poseían recursos económicos suficientes para que construyeran viviendas en las zonas, aunque no se habitaran en ellas.
Alcaldes
Entre los primeros alcaldes municipales fueron Francisco Argueta Jiménez, José María Munguía, Macario Vargas y Tomas Herrera.
División Política
Aldeas: 5 (2022)
Caseríos: 84 (2013)
Aunque en la práctica solamente se reconocen cinco aldeas ya que La Unión corresponde al casco urbano como tal y La Pita es una comunidad que actualmente solo tiene 6 viviendas y se considera parte de la Aldea de Pálala.
Referencias
Municipios de Olancho |
Laughing one minute, crying the next: kids have emotions -- frequently, strong ones.
For parents looking for advice on helping their children to deal with their feelings and express their emotions safely and appropriately, this pamphlet is the answer. Includes info and tips for:
- Letting children know they are valued for who they are
- Expressing feelings
- Techniques for encouraging self-esteem in children
- Adjusting to change
One of 14 pamphlets in the Child Development Series. Great advice and ideas for parents with young children!
Please note that PDF copies are not able to be printed. They are designed for online viewing only. |
45 degrees, it’s a magic number! or temperature rather. In the spring, when the nighttime temperatures are above 45 degrees, the March air becomes thick with the sweet song of frogs calling from the wet ditches, depressions and ponds of the Kankakee Sands Prairie Restoration.
You will remember that frogs and toads are amphibians, spending a part of their life cycle in water as opposed to reptiles that spend all of their time on land. Amphibians are often thought of as wet and slimy (whereas reptiles are thought of as dry and scaly) because of the thin layer of moisture on their body in that allows them to breathe through their skin!
In our Kankakee Sands region, there are 12 species of frogs and toads that might be calling during spring evenings. Frogs and toads are easily identified by their calls, like the high pitched ‘peeeeeep’ of the spring peeper or the plucked banjo string ‘plounk’ call of the green frog.
And let’s remember why frogs call, to attract a mate. How else would you find a lover in the dark of night? Frogs will call during their mating season in the spring, then quiet down for the summer and fall and finally hibernate in the winter.
One of the quietest members of the spring frog symphony, but one of the most abundant at Kankakee Sands is the Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens). It is the frog you are most likely to see hoping ahead of you on the trail or bounding across the road, legs dangling behind it when it is airborne. After a rainstorm last year, there were zillions of Northern leopard frogs sitting in the road, and we had to drive home through them. Ugh! What a nightmare! Luckily the birds were there in the morning, cleaning up unfortunate frogs.
The historical range of the Northern leopard frog in Indiana was throughout northern, central, and southeast part of the state in freshwater sites with ample vegetation like wetlands, marshes, ponds and moist fields. In the summer they wander far from standing water through moist vegetation. Over the past 30 years, the numbers have declined so dramatically that now in Indiana the Northern leopard frog is federally listed as a ‘species of special concern’, which means it is being monitored but not yet managed as a protected species with Federal oversight. The Northern leopard frog may be declining in many parts of Indiana, but since the wet prairies of Kankakee Sands were created over the last decade, the Northern leopard frog is going strong here in Newton County.
The Northern Leopard Frog is 2-3.5 inches in length, a respectable size for a frog. Its base color can range from bright green to an olive green-brown; it will always have dark rounded spots on its back that resemble the spots of a leopard. Another key marker of the leopard frog is the dorsolateral ridges, two lightly colored, parallel ridges that extend down the body from the neck to the hips.
Like all frogs, the female Northern leopard frog lays eggs, and as she lays them the male fertilizes them. The Northern leopard frog lay up to 6,000 eggs in globular mass, which are attached by the female to plant stems. The tadpoles hatch from the egg masses in 13-20 days, and are dark grayish brown with golden flecks. Once the tadpoles hatch they are on their own, the female does not care for the young. (If you ever thought it was overwhelming to care for one baby, imagine trying to care for 6,000!) Over the next 70-100 days, the tadpoles will transform into adults taking on a green color with dark spots, slowly growing legs and absorbing their own tail. The rate of tadpole’s development is dependent on the temperature of the water. The warmer the water, the faster the development. The adult Northern leopard frog is capable of reproducing 2-4 years after hatching.
A Northern leopard frog’s diet consists of insects and spiders, slugs and earthworms, and occasionally other smaller frogs. A Northern leopard frog is part of the diet of birds, snakes, bull frogs, and small mammals like the raccoon and opossum.
The mating call of the Northern leopard frog is a low quiet deep rattling snore lasting 3 seconds followed by a ‘chuckling’ or the same sound that you can make by rubbing your thumb against a balloon. It is one of the quietest calls of all the frogs in our area. The call is often overpowered by the more robust calls of other species. However, the northern leopard frog is less secretive than other breeds and relatively easy to spot. Breeding season for the Northern leopard frog is mid-March to the end of April.
March on out to Kankakee Sands this March. During the day, go ahead and re-discover the joy of catching a frog, holding it in your hands, and then watching it hop away. During the night, enjoy the surround sound of the frog choirs at Kankakee Sands. Bets are on that you are sure to see a Northern leopard frog when you come.
If you are interested in taking part in frog call surveys or frog monitoring, there are several websites where you can learn more about becoming a frog monitoring volunteer. FrogWatch USA www.aza.org/frogwatch/ or Indiana DNR Amphibian Monitoring Program www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3325.htm . -Alyssa Nyberg, Kankakee Sands Nursery Manager |
r/CompetitiveHS:
https://manacrystals.com/decklists/235-amnesiac-s-rank-5-legend-midrange-shaman
Midrange Shaman anyone? I've found it to be strong against druid at all phases of the game and can beat many other decks with a good start. The issue is overload and the consistency of having overload cards. Trogg is quite strong with them, but they ruin your curve and prevent you from playing the cards you want to on each turn. And if you don't have them, you can get stuck with creeper, flametongue, mana tide in your hand which don't always do well on a board where you're not ahead.
Midrange Paladin was my favorite class prior to BRM, and this feels very similar to that. You can run over slow decks with a quick start, or run faster decks out of cards and stabilize. That is the definition of midrange, but it happens quite often with this deck whereas other midrange decks in the meta (zoo and druid) can burst you down. |
“Bioactive glass, which is a type of crushed glass that is able to interact with the body, has been used in some types of bone healing for decades,” said Jamie Kruzic, a professor at the OSU college of engineering. The hard and stiff material can replace the inert glass fillers now mixed with polymers to make modern composite tooth fillings.
“This type of glass is only beginning to see use in dentistry, and our research shows it may be very promising for tooth fillings,” he said. “The bacteria in the mouth that help cause cavities don’t seem to like this type of glass and are less likely to colonize on fillings that incorporate it. This could have a significant impact on the future of dentistry.”
Bioactive glass is made with compounds such as silicon oxide, calcium oxide, and phosphorous oxide, and it looks like powdered glass. Its antimicrobial effect is attributed, in part, to the release of ions such as those from calcium and phosphate that have a toxic effect on oral bacteria and tend to neutralize the local acidic environment.
“Almost all fillings will eventually fail,” Kruzic said. “New tooth decay often begins at the interface of a filling and the tooth and is called secondary tooth decay. The tooth is literally being eroded and demineralized at that surface.”
To read the entire article, please visit DentistryToday.com |
Please answer the following question: You are considering whether to buy a product. You look at the reviews. Would the following review decrease or increase the chances of you buying the product? Review title: Would be a 5 if the holding system was better Product review: I like this binder. It's great for organizing all our DVDs and it cuts down on the amount of space taken up by my kids' DVDs. I generaly get two DVD titles per sheet and have fitted many more refill sheets into the binder. My main problem with it is once organized (mine are in alphabetical order)it is difficult to reorganize because of the annoying straps as described by others below. I much prefer the 3 ring binder format, which I have in the smaller, single title per sheet binder.The Amazon descriptions are very misleading because in some of the large double sheet binders, they show both the straps and 3 rings so you don't know what you'll be getting.
A:
increase |
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27 / F / Straight / Single
New Orleans, LA
My Details
Last Online
Feb 16
5′ 5″ (1.65m)
Body Type
Trying to quit
Graduated from university
Relationship Type
Likes dogs and has cats
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My self-summary
I'm a full-time nursing student, working hard to graduate within the next few months. I didn't know when I started, but over time I have become extraordinarily passionate about being a nurse. However, I also believe in taking breaks to have some fun! Gotta have some sort of balance right?! I pretty much do stuff normal people do in New Orleans: drink a little, eat a little, talk a lot!!!
I really like sports. I feel like I should repeat that: I REALLY like sports. Mostly football, basketball, and rugby. Usually watching and not so much playing. Though every now and again I like to get out and pass the ball around. I love to go to live games, no matter who's playing. And if you try to talk to me during the game if we're watching on tv, I will likely ignore you until the commercial. Nothing personal!
I value the time that I get to spend with my family, but even more so, I value the close friends that I keep around me. I grew up in a military family and I believe friends are the family that you choose. Most of my best friends are in nursing school with me, and we like to throw down during the few moments of free time we can squeeze in. That's not to say that I'm not willing to make time for someone, because why would I be here then?
My favorite ice cream is rocky road because I think it matches my personality. I come up with some of my best ideas in the shower. I tend to bite my nails when I get nervous. I'm generally either wearing black flip flops, black chucks, or black heels. I have three tattoos. My cat talks to me more than I talk to her. I'm a sucker for sunshine and palm trees.
I hope that's enough superficial information to suffice for this section. Though you really only truly know someone after meeting them, there's no way I could cover everything here.
What I’m doing with my life
Enjoying every moment.
And studying a lot. But I enjoy doing that too. I'm a self proclaimed nerd.
I’m really good at
--School. I mean, I've been doing this the better part of my life.
--Being a good friend. Though, I make a terrible wingman. (Update: My skills are vastly improving!!)
--Managing my very busy calendar, and prioritizing my very busy life.
To be fair, what I'm not really good at:
--Cooking. Sorry. No Betty Crocker genes here.
--Being discreet.
--Having a filter.
The first things people usually notice about me
My outgoing bubbly personality!
Favorite books, movies, shows, music, and food
Music: LOTS of things. My CD/iTunes/Spotify collection consists of everything from Mumford & Sons to Mem Shannon to Britney Spears to local alternative bands to Breaking Benjamin. I'm kinda all over the place, depending on my mood. My car radio is often set on new/alt rock. But when I study it's mainly jazz or soft rock.
Food: just about anything.
Movie: Forrest Gump. Hands down favorite movie of all time.
Books: anything by Augusten Borroughs or James Frey. I read a lot of memoirs because it reminds me that life is not so bad (or it could be much worse!)
The six things I could never do without
My family
My friends
My tattoos (because, ya know, they're permanent)
Technology (specifically my iPhone, the only iproduct I use)
My education (because then....I wouldn't know how to write/type any of this)
I spend a lot of time thinking about
Why you keep looking at my profile without sending me a messge. :P
On a typical Friday night I am
Studying? Maybe that's wishful thinking. Relaxing maybe? In whatever capacity that may be: on the couch with my cat, at a friends house, at a bar. I do what normal people do on Friday nights.
The most private thing I’m willing to admit
I'm generally not a very private person, so ask me anything but I'm not going to broadcast my skeletons here!!
I’m looking for
• Straight guys only
• Ages 25–35
• Located anywhere
• Who are single
You should message me if
You have something to say beyond "hey, what's up?" |
For the millions of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, sleep disturbances are an extra burden to their already delicate psyche. For years, doctors knew nothing of why sleep disturbances occurred, but only that they were an effect of Alzheimer’s impact on the brain.
Now new research has uncovered a set of inhibitory neurons, the loss of which results in sleep disruption in animal models. These neurons are substantially diminished in patients with Alzheimer’s and also elderly people, which may explain the irregular sleep patterns they experience.
Disrupted sleep, characterized by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, or waking early in the morning, tends to manifest with aging or underlying brain disease. The study, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the University of Toronto/Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, found that the loss of neurons that results in sleep loss and sleep fragmentation may be contributing to various age-related disorders, such as cognitive dysfunction, high blood pressure, vascular diseases, and a tendency to develop type 2 diabetes.
On average, people in their 70s slept one hour less at night than people in their 20s, according to senior author, Clifford B. Saper. The group of inhibitory neurons, called ventrolateral preoptic nucleus, was discovered by Saper and his team in 1996. They found that these neurons were functioning as a “sleep switch” in rats, turning off the brain’s ability to stimulate sleep. "Our experiments in animals showed that loss of these neurons produced profound insomnia, with animals sleeping only about 50 percent as much as normal and their remaining sleep being fragmented and disrupted," said Saper in a statement.
A group of cells in the human brain, the intermediate nucleus, is located in a similar location and has the same inhibitory neurotransmitter, galanin, as the vetrolateral preoptic nucleus in rats. The researchers believe that if the intermediate nucleus performs a similar function as the vetrolateral preoptic nucleus does in animals, then it may be the key to the regulation of sleep-wake cycles in humans.
The team tested this theory by dipping into data they got from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a community-based study of aging and dementia, which began in 1997 and has been tracking close to 1,000 participants who entered the study as healthy 65-year-olds and will be followed until their deaths — at which point their brains will be donated for research.
"Since 2005, most of the subjects in the Memory and Aging Project have been undergoing actigraphic recording every two years. This consists of their wearing a small wristwatch-type device on their non-dominant arm for seven to 10 days," explained first author Andrew S. P. Lim.
The device is worn by the subjects 24/7 and thus records all movements divided into 15-second intervals. "Our previous work had determined that these actigraphic recordings are a good measure of the amount and quality of sleep," Lim added.
The researchers examined the brains of 45 study subjects whose median death-age was 889.2 years (median age at death, 89.2). They identified the ventrolateral preoptic neurons by staining the brains for the neurotransmitter galanin. They then correlated the actigraphic rest-activity behavior of the 45 individuals in the year prior to their deaths with the number of remaining ventrolateral preoptic neurons at autopsy. They found that in patients without Alzheimer’s the number of ventrolateral preoptic neurons and the amount of sleep fragmentation is inversely proportional.
"The fewer the neurons, the more fragmented the sleep became," Saper said.
The subjects with the largest amount of neurons (greater than 6,000) spent 50 percent or more of total rest time in the prolonged periods of non-movement most likely to represent sleep while subjects with the fewest ventrolateral preoptic neurons (less than 3,000) spent less than 40 percent of total rest time in extended periods of rest.
The results also showed that in Alzheimer's patients, sleep impairment occurred most in subjects who had lost significant number of ventrolateral preoptic neurons.
"These findings provide the first evidence that the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus in humans probably plays a key role in causing sleep, and functions in a similar way to other species that have been studied," Saper said. "The loss of these neurons with aging and with Alzheimer's disease may be an important reason why older individuals often face sleep disruptions,” he said, adding that with these results new interventions need to be devised to reduce sleep problems in the aged and prevent sleep-deprivation related confusion and exhaustion in people with dementia.
Source: Saper C, Lim A, Ellison B, et al. Sleep is related to neuron numbers in the ventrolateral preoptic/intermediate nucleus in older adults with and without Alzheimer’s disease. Brain. 2014. |
r/CelsiusNetwork
"Wyre's exchange rate"
Celsius aint selling you anything, they are directing you to a partner that has a certain price. You don't like the price? Don't take it, buy elsewhere.
This is like going into MetaMask and hitting the buy button.. MetaMask aint selling anything, the partner they use is the one with the coins taking your money.
Edit: Also, 5 business days? That's an immediate no from me even if the price was better than market rates. Go to an exchange and get it instantly and choose your price with limit orders. |
Introduction to Coffee (recommended)
This course is designed to introduce core barista skills to people with no previous barista experience. Students will gain hands-on experience using commercial espresso machines, learn to calibrate their grinders and make classic espresso drinks (espresso, cappuccino, latte, and americano) to standard.
Introduction to Coffee is a recommended (but not mandatory) pre-requisite module. All knowledge and skill from these modules will be assumed as being held and may be tested through the practical and/or written assessments.
Understand differences in taste, texture, and caffeine content between Arabica and Robusta coffee. Learn proper storage and handling procedures for coffee beans. Explore the impact of coffee freshness on flavor and consistency of espresso.
Identify parts of the espresso machine and grinder. Learn to adjust grind settings, tamping pressure and style to achieve the desired extraction time and flow rate. Practice tamping evenly and with consistent pressure, and understand the impact of tamping and distribution on the final product.
Understand the importance of maintaining cleanliness behind the bar, establishing efficient work-flow patterns.
Understand espresso flavor profiles as they relate to extraction parameters. Learn about regional variations in espresso preparation, and the SCA standard definition of proper espresso. Identify over-extracted, under-extracted, and acceptable espresso flavor characteristics. Hands-on practice to learn the steps of preparing espresso.
Learn the basics of milk steaming chemistry and mechanics. Hands-on practice steaming milk to proper specifications for cappuccinos and lattes. Overview of milk storage and handling best practices.
Understanding definitions of classic espresso-based beverages. Hands-on practice brewing, steaming, and pouring espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes.
Understanding proper hygiene, cleaning and maintenance practices, and safety procedures. |
<issue_start>Title: chore: jsonfmt iothub
user0: ### Latest improvements:
<i>MSFT employees can try out our new experience at <b>[OpenAPI Hub](https://aka.ms/openapiportal) </b> - one location for using our validation tools and finding your workflow.
</i><br>
### Contribution checklist:
- [ ] I have reviewed the [documentation](https://github.com/Azure/azure-rest-api-specs#basics) for the workflow.
- [ ] [Validation tools](https://github.com/Azure/azure-rest-api-specs/blob/master/documentation/swagger-checklist.md#validation-tools-for-swagger-checklist) were run on swagger spec(s) and have all been fixed in this PR.
- [ ] The [OpenAPI Hub](https://aka.ms/openapiportal) was used for checking validation status and next steps.
### ARM API Review Checklist
- [ ] Service team MUST add the "WaitForARMFeedback" label if the management plane API changes fall into one of the below categories.
- adding/removing APIs.
- adding/removing properties.
- adding/removing API-version.
- adding a new service in Azure.
Failure to comply may result in delays for manifest application. Note this does not apply to data plane APIs.
- [ ] If you are blocked on ARM review and want to get the PR merged urgently, please get the ARM oncall for reviews (RP Manifest Approvers team under Azure Resource Manager service) from IcM and reach out to them.
Please follow the link to find more details on [API review process](https://armwiki.azurewebsites.net/rp_onboarding/ResourceProviderOnboardingAPIRevieworkflow.html).
user1: Can one of the admins verify this patch? |
"Linguşeala când îmi vine, numai miere scot din mine"
Acasa » Invitati » "Linguşeala când îmi vine, numai miere scot din mine"
"Linguşeala când îmi vine, numai miere scot din mine"
28 Sep, 2016 00:00 Zully MUSTAFA 28 Sep, 2016 00:00 28 Sep, 2016 00:00 ZIUA de Constanta 1717
Cel linguşitor (sau, cum îi spune tot vulgul, pupincuristul) e genul care zice mereu "Da, şefu'!", "Să trăiţi, şefu'!", "Vai, tu, ce bine arăţi azi" şi alte asemenea ploconeli până în pământ, de-ţi vine să vomiţi de atâta miere adunată în vocea lui. Te derutează cu complimentele lui şi nu-ţi prea vine să-l dai în mă-sa pentru că, practic, nu ţi-a spus nimic aiurea şi nici n-a făcut ceva rău. Deocamdată. E cel care vine primul şi-ţi dă la o parte firele invizibile de praf de pe umăr atunci când ai mâncat o muştruluială de la şeful. Nu te lăsa păcălit, vrea doar să-ţi distragă atenţia de la faptul că tocmai ţi-a pus "o vorbă bună" la sus-pusul. E un fel de Iago modern, umblă pe două fronturi şi are tendinţa de a încâlci treburile în aşa hal, că nu mai ştii de unde a pornit totul. Este expert în a-i întoarce pe unii împotriva celorlalţi, fără să lase urme, fiind astfel varianta mai soft a intrigantului, fiindcă nu are la îndemână nici inteligenţa, nici metodele acestuia din urmă.
Din păcate, linguşitorului îi cad pradă foarte multe persoane, pentru că majoritatea este sensibilă la complimente, iar uneori, din cauza altor "atacatori toxici", e greu să-ţi dai seama cât adevăr sau câtă minciună se ascunde în spatele unui compliment.
Linguşitorul e acolo să ne distragă atenţia, să ne facă să ne simţim bine timp de cinci minute, iar noi cădem pradă comportamentului său servil şi aparent umil. Nu vă lăsaţi păcăliţi! În spatele acestei servilităţi se ascunde o persoană foarte puternică, foarte rezistentă la stimulii de orice fel, conştientă uneori că ne putem da seama de transparenţa complimentelor sale, dar şi mai conştientă de faptul că nu ne putem împotrivi. Partea interesantă este că acest gen de personaj se urăşte pe el însuşi că nu-şi poate atinge obiectivele decât dându-se pe lângă alţii, iar la modul inconştient proiectează o ură domoală asupra celui pe care este nevoit să-l linguşească. Astfel că, mânat de aşa acumulări emoţionale sedimentate în timp, la un moment dat va izbucni (şi de-abia aşteaptă să se întâmple asta) într-o rafală de sinceritate. Abia atunci vei afla ce gândeşte cu adevărat despre tine. Îţi asumi riscul acesta sau iei o distanţă considerabilă faţă de el? Și nu e vorba numai de o răbufnire emoţională ce te-ar putea da peste cap, ci de faptul că, până să ajungă el la răbufnirea aceea, tu deja ţi-ai distrus nervii în preajma lui şi nu ştii de ce.
Cum te poţi apăra de o astfel de persoană şi, mai ales, cum poţi scăpa de ea
Partea bună cu linguşitorii este că şi ei sunt oameni şi au, la rândul lor, nevoie de complimente. Dacă eşti sătul de linguşeala zilnică a colegului de slujbă, e foarte simplu să-l faci să înţeleagă că nu apreciezi asta. De fiecare dată când îţi spune "Ce bine arăţi azi!", i-o poţi întoarce: "În schimb, tu arăţi ca dracu', zici c-ai săpat prin morminte toată noaptea!" Ți-a spus o prietenă linguşitoare "Ce pantofi deosebiţi ai azi!", după ce, zile la rând, s-a legat de "fusta nemaipomenită", "eşarfa cea mai elegantă din oraş" şi "pantalonii care-ţi vin cel mai bine"? Contracarează şi spune-i: "În schimb, pantofii tăi arată de parcă i-ai fi găsit în lada de zestre a bunicii". Dacă n-ai scăpat din a doua încercare, continuă. De obicei, la a patra se înregistrează şi un succes răsunător. Vei şti asta atunci când linguşitorul pe faţă se va transforma într-un bârfitor pe la spate, dar cel puţin ştii de cine trebuie să-ţi aperi spinarea.
Eveniment dedicat poetului Mehmet Niyazi, la Medgidia, în weekend acum 1 secunda 0
Accident rutier grav la intersecția bulevardelor Alexandru Lăpușneanu și Tomis din Constanța. Traficul, îngreunat în zonă (galerie foto+video) acum 12 minute 292
Tragedie. Incendiu la Valu lui Traian. Pompierii încearcă să salveze ce se mai poate. O persoană este decedată (galerie foto+video) 2018.11.20 - 06:37 3119 |
Bayard Rustin was a gay African-American activist who worked alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., and a leading organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Despite Rustin’s key role in the civil rights movement, and his work as an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ rights in the 1970s and 1980s, many remain unaware of his contributions.
His legacy informed an April 2018 decision by the Montgomery County, Md., Board of Education to make Bayard Rustin Elementary School the first school in the state to be named after an openly gay person. The new school in Rockville, Md., is slated to open in September 2018.
The decision followed a months-long campaign by parents, students, educators and community activists, who say the new school name will both honor a courageous African-American activist who embraced his gay identity and underscore the district’s commitment to inclusion and tolerance.
“As a queer student, even in a progressive area, I was raised in a society that still attaches shame to my identity,” said Jamie Griffith, a senior from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, during testimony before the board in April. “So a Bayard Rustin Elementary School is not only a well-deserved homage to a civil rights leader and hero, but a way to break stigma and give hope to future students who no longer have to feel trapped in the closet.”
“A Bayard Rustin Elementary School is not only a well-deserved homage to a civil rights leader and hero, but a way to break stigma and give hope to future students who no longer have to feel trapped in the closet.”Jamie Griffith
Montgomery Blair High School senior
Parent-activist Mark Eckstein Bernardo was a driving force in the effort to name the school after Rustin. With his husband, he is raising 6-year-old twins who will be in second grade at the new school in the fall.
“That’s why we are so passionate about this,” said Eckstein Berndaro. “What a perfect chance to do it — when kids have no real bias as it is.”
Support for naming the school after Rustin was not universal. Some residents near the school vehemently opposed the idea, especially in comments on a Facebook group, asserting it would be inappropriate and compel parents to have uncomfortable conversations about sexuality with their young children.
However, others underscored the importance of young people of color and/or LGBTQ students having role models they can look up to and learn about, especially when their histories are too often erased.
“For young people to be able to see themselves, and who they are, and see that reflected in their schools and their teachers, that’s important,” said Samir Paul, a computer science teacher at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
Jabari Lyles, the executive director of the Maryland chapter of GLESN, a national organization that advocates around K-12 LGBTQ issues, agreed. “It helps them see and believe that there are people like them in the world doing incredible things.”
We’ve raised the Pride Flag on top of NEA Headquarters. You can join us by:
(To save the graphic, right-click on the image to the right then “Save As” on a PC, or control-click + “Save Image As” on a
When the naming process began last year, Eckstein Bernardo says a few families reached out to the school district and asked that options include at least one name that would honor the LGBTQ community.
“As we dug deeper, there were no names that were LGBTQ at all,” he said, referring to a county list of about 200 options for new school names.
So he began talking with other parents — at the bus stop, at school events, via email, and on social media. Following an informal online survey, and deliberation by a community naming committee appointed by the district, Rustin’s name made a list of five finalists.
Eckstein Bernardo also participated in the naming committee, testified before the school board, and connected with educators, students, elected officials, and community activists. He said his outreach was very targeted, often one-on-one, and driven by a loose network of several hundred people, many of whom had a personal connection to the issue.
This included Lily Qi, a county employee and candidate for state delegate. Her son came out as gay the summer before he began college. During her emotional testimony before the school board, Qi challenged those who questioned the appropriateness of naming the school after a gay man. “Let me be very clear,” she said. “There is nothing vulgar or scandalous about being gay.”
Although the naming committee endorsed a different name, the board overruled the recommendation when it voted to name the school after Rustin.
“It says: ‘You are welcome here. You don’t have to hide. We see you and we value you.’ ”Amy Cavanna
School psychologist and Director at Large for Youth Outreach at NOVA Pride
According to Amy Cavanna, a school psychologist and Director at Large for Youth Outreach at NOVA Pride, the decision “speaks volumes” to LGBTQ parents and students across the district. “It says: ‘You are welcome here. You don’t have to hide. We see you and we value you.’ ”
Student support was an important factor in the board’s decision. In addition to student testimony, several student newspapers editorialized in favor. “Queer representation is a huge factor in making sure our LGBTQ+ students feel comfortable expressing themselves,” read an opinion piece in The Current, the student paper at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg, Md. “Kids should be able to grow up knowing that no matter what their identity, they can achieve anything they believe in.”
Eckstein Bernardo says the decision was truly “a big deal” and sends a proactive message of support and inclusiveness.
“Amid much controversy and pushback,” he added, “the board of education publicly affirmed LGBTQ students in Montgomery County and around the country. This will have a huge impact moving forward, because these marginalized students will now begin to get the respect they deserve.” |
Question:Here is an extract from a webpage: "Finding the right kid for a back story scene must be some sort of art form. So I appreciate that this tumblog exists to appreciate those who put effort into that obscure art.
And two from my favourite TV show (at the moment, anyway)… I wish they’d hurry up and put season 3 on air in Australia, and also that the stupid network in the US would guarantee its future on account of people who have taste thinking it is better than Two and a Half Men.".
Write an informative and insightful blog post that expands upon the extract above within the context of "Performing Arts". Your post should delve into the nuances of the topic, offering fresh perspectives or deeper analysis. Aim to:
- Inform: Provide valuable, well-researched information that educates the reader.
- Engage: Write in a conversational tone that connects with the audience, making complex ideas accessible.
- Illustrate: Use examples, anecdotes, or personal experiences to bring the topic to life.
Answer:Title: The Art of Casting Extras: Performing Arts Behind the Scenes
Have you ever watched a movie or television show and found yourself drawn not just to the main characters but also to the supporting players? Have you ever wondered about the process of finding these extras - the artists who help create the rich world we see on screen? If so, then join me as we explore the often overlooked yet crucial aspect of performing arts: casting extras.
Extras, or background actors, are essential in creating believable settings and narratives. They add depth to scenes, providing visual interest and contributing to the overall atmosphere. However, finding the right extra for each role can be challenging. It's more than just filling space; it involves careful consideration and skill. That's where expert casters come in.
Casters scour talent agencies, social media platforms like Tumblr, and even real streets looking for individuals who fit specific descriptions. This could range from someone who looks like they belong at a high school reunion to someone who embodies the spirit of a rebellious teenager. Each character, no matter how small, plays a part in telling the story. Thus, choosing the right person becomes an 'obscure art.'
One might argue that this task requires as much creativity and discernment as selecting lead actors does. After all, an extraordinary scene can quickly become ordinary if the extras seem out of place or unengaged. Conversely, a mundane setting can spring to life when filled with expressive, authentic-looking performers.
Consider popular shows such as Game of Thrones or Stranger Things. Their success lies not only in their captivating plots and stellar leads but also in their effective use of extras. From bustling marketplaces to eerie parallel dimensions, every backdrop tells a tale, thanks largely to the men and women populating them.
Unfortunately, recognition for this kind of work often goes unnoticed by audiences and award committees alike. Yet initiatives like the mentioned tumblr exist to celebrate these unsung heroes of the entertainment industry. These spaces serve as reminders that quality performances extend beyond starring roles.
The power of ensemble casts was highlighted recently during discussions around the renewal of NBC's Community. Despite critical acclaim and fan devotion, the sitcom frequently teetered on cancellation due to low ratings. Many attributed this discrepancy to the fact that Nielsen Ratings don't accurately measure viewership among younger demographics who tend to stream content online rather than watch live TV. As Alison Willmore wrote for Indiewire, "[Community] isn't appointment viewing because nothing quite like it has been before...it demands attention, rewards close watching, and benefits from repeat viewings."
This sentiment applies equally to appreciating extras. Their impact may not be immediately noticeable, but closer inspection reveals the subtle brilliance of their contribution.
In conclusion, let us remember that behind every compelling narrative are countless smaller stories unfolding silently in the background. Let's give credit where it's due - to the casters who find these gems and to the extras whose collective performance enriches our favorite shows and movies. And while waiting for networks to wise up and invest in quality programming over commercial hits (*cough*TwoandaHalfMen*cough*), let's take time to acknowledge and enjoy the craftsmanship involved in casting extras. |
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social life has gone digital in new ways. People the world over are being urged to work remotely from home. Virtual get-togethers have replaced in-person gatherings as global mental health takes a tailspin. All the while, governments are being forced to switch to online platforms to deliver its services, such as welfare and various social programs. Perhaps more than at any time in human history, the ability to effectively participate economically, socially and even politically hinges on being able to harness Information Communication Technology (ICT) and its offerings.
And great strides have been made in terms of ICT access across the globe. In only two decades, the number of global internet users has increased from 413 million in 2000 to nearly 5 billion today. The number of internet-connected devices is predicted to increase from 500 million to over 50 billion within the same period, with each person having access to an average of 6.6 devices in total. Average internet speeds have more than tripled from 2Mbps in 2011 to just over 7Mbps in 2017, and has probably increased by a factor or two since then. These indicators all paint a picture of rapid progress for global ICT connectivity that is expected to continue to grow exponentially.
Yet, these trends hide the billions that still remain without reliable access to various ICT services. There are also real concerns when it comes to the quality and dependability of internet networks and devices that new internet users—most of them from the Global South—have at their disposal. With the increased need for internet connectivity that comes with the push to the ‘New Normal’ wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that global internet usage will see a spike as demand surges past previous projections.
Regions in the Global South that were already racked by inequality and burdened by sizable concentrations of resource-poor and economically vulnerable populations before the pandemic will likely continue to experience gaps in ICT infrastructure, access and connectivity. This will make their transition to a life online an unbelievably difficult prospect. Such a manifestation of marginalization in the online space has various real-world consequences. For many, such as the chronically excluded, the urban and rural poor, the illiterate and the very old, the transition will be, quite literally, virtually impossible.
In this blog post, we shed light on the discourses surrounding the current digital divide using Jamaica as a case study for the experiences one might come to expect in the Global South. We will attempt to provide an overview of the systematic issues which hinder geographical equity of the nation’s ICT infrastructure and access among large swaths of its population. This is followed by discussions of how vulnerable and economically oppressed groups are disproportionately affected by these institutional challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate how many are left with no other option but to break state-mandated health protocols and social-distancing guidelines, risking their lives and the lives of their families in the process. All the while, such groups face severe social scrutiny and public backlash for their actions, spurring latent social tensions that threaten to exacerbate division in an already fractured society.
An Island Grappling with Systematic and Multidimensional Inequalities
By all indicators, the island nation of roughly 3 million people remains marred by various measures of inequality. Some of them can be owed to its colonial legacy of exploitation and dependence on market ties to the metropole, and the loss of such arrangements that came with independence. The subsequent rising tide of neoliberalism and global competition has forced Jamaica, like many other small island developing states, to ‘race to the bottom’ in order to attract foreign investment and trade (Hampton and Jeyacheya, 2020). The cumulative effect of this has been disastrous. The 2018 Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index ranked Jamaica 96th out of some 157 nations, far behind many other states in the Caribbean region. Jamaica also faces crippling public debt, which reached a historic high of 147% of its GDP in 2013, making it one of the most indebted countries in the world at the time. The country’s resources are therefore spread rather thinly so that it struggles to reliably provide adequate infrastructure, social protection and critical service provision for many of its vulnerable citizens, including the roughly one-fifth of the population classified as living below the poverty line (Statistical Institute of Jamaica, 2017).
Beyond sheer poverty, high crime rates and the growth of informal economic activities, one pervasive manifestation of this inequality that regularly goes unaddressed is the country’s constrained access to ICT devices and services. Jamaica’s digital divide has only worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disparities in ICT devices and services have also threatened to exacerbate other forms of inequality, further constraining development in areas of job creation, security and education that were already challenged before the pandemic arose.
Although developmental efforts have been instituted by governmental agencies—e.g. the Universal Service Fund (USF)—the nation is far from achieving universal ICT access. Initiatives like those of the USF are limited in their reach, failing to confront issues of ICT access for a number of core demographic groups so that large segments of the population remain underserved. For example, the USF’s Technology Advancement Programme (TAP) only focuses on enhancing computer literacy among persons aged 18-35. Community Access Points (CAPs) have also been put in place to improve ICT coverage but are concentrated around urban and coastal areas, and are largely absent from rural areas which arguably may have the greatest need for them. Additionally, little emphasis has been placed on improving the quality of ICT services and products afforded to the general public.
Equitable participation in this digital landscape is therefore a lofty ideal that would only be made possible by rapid investment and widespread infrastructural development. This task may be all but impossible for a country whose economy was struggling quite a bit before, and which is taking an even bigger hit in the midst of the pandemic. With limited emergency funding at their disposal, the government has little choice but to direct it towards an under-resourced health sector and the provision of aid and stimulus packages to help support jobs and assist the vulnerable in meeting their most immediate needs. Though noted by the government to be important, addressing structural inequities in internet coverage and access to quality ICT devices and products will certainly not be achievable in the near future, and this situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. Many are, and will continue to be excluded from being able to transition their everyday activities to a virtual environment. They become locked out of accessing opportunities and services found digitally, and are ultimately forced to cope using other means.
The Difficult Realities Faced by the Vulnerable
While access to quality ICT services and products provides a medium for many persons to work, socialize and stay connected during the pandemic, the lack of such levels of access and quality of ICT resources in marginalized communities has led to economic and social development being traditionally embedded in tangible person-to-person interactions (Kinlocke et al., 2020). In many public housing projects and tenement yards across Kingston, housing units are extremely overcrowded. There may be some households with more than ten persons confined to a one or two bedroom living space. Persons often have no other choice but to be outside. For many, all aspects of their life—their job, social activities and leisure—are all experienced outside their home, on the block in shared community space, or in the city. Their home may not even be able to accommodate all household members at once.
The morbid truth is that these persons risk their lives and the lives of their families not because they want to deliberately disobey stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, but simply because they lack the means to follow them. While they cannot make a living and socialize if they are dead, many consider themselves to be dead anyway if they are unable to work and have a social life. For those without ICT access, life cannot be sustained in the home and their daily activities cannot be easily transferred there (Kinlocke et al., 2020). Additionally, the significant informality which characterizes many poor neighbourhoods explicitly means that face-to-face interactions remain the only means for accessing economic and social opportunities (Delaporte and Pena, 2020). Informal businesses can move online but this can be an incredibly difficult prospect given the prevalent inequity in access to various ICT resources along with the knowledge to utilize them effectively.
Therefore, despite being used as a means of securing public health, mandatory lockdowns and curfews in Jamaica pose a significant threat to the economic and social development, as well as the physical and mental wellbeing, of the country’s most vulnerable groups. In response, those affected are often forced into making one of two equivocally dire options: disrupt their way of life and established modes of garnering income, or maintain these practices while risking encounters with the police and potential COVID infections.
However, traditional media houses and the general public on social media platforms often associate the inability of these vulnerable populations to adhere to public health guidelines not as an issue of inequality, but as unabashedly defiant breaches of social norms. Indeed, this resulted in the spread of volatile social commentary that cast the actions of vulnerable, typically low-income groups as ‘threatening’, non-adherence by individuals belonging to other social groups is regularly ignored. This dynamic manages to rile class-based tensions, and helps to legitimize the rejection of vulnerable marginalized groups by wider society.
Commenters on these posts regularly espoused discriminatory notions and engaged in blatant expressions of dehumanization against the marginalized populations depicted, often failing to consider how their debilitating circumstances are likely to be exacerbated by inequities in ICT access as well as other resources. One commenter stated, “It’s what’s called Herd Mentality like if there is a Stampede. All the Buffalos runs the same way. Right or wrong”. This simplistic meta-narrative also saw many commenters expressing outrage towards the persons in the videos. Many stated that they were undeserving of state resources such as healthcare, with some making the exaggerated claim, perhaps figuratively, to: “Leave them, let them die. It will be better for the government”. Another comment espoused the cruel idea of total destruction of their communities, saying, “I always said they need to drop a bomb in this area so that it can start over from scratch”.
The Way Forward
We see how inequalities in quality and access of digital products and services may have direct implications for sustainable development as ICT has been increasingly incorporated into the functioning of numerous essential public and private services such as education, health and finance. ICT access is yet another marker of social inequality that feeds into social polarization as part of a vicious cycle that traps the excluded from escaping their chronic debilitating circumstances. Inequality becomes self-perpetuating unless disparities are addressed and support is given to sensitization campaigns that can promote greater levels of understanding of how unequal distribution of wealth can lead to stark social realities. Further study is needed to identify gaps in existing policies, challenges facing access and the needs of the people towards generating an equitable, knowledgeable and safe ICT society in Jamaica.
Delaporte, I. and Peña, W., 2020. Working from home under COVID‐19: Who is affected? Evidence from Latin American and Caribbean countries [online]. COVID Economics(14). Available from: https://cepr.org/content/covid‐economics‐vetted‐and‐real‐time‐papers‐0(30) [Accessed 9 November 2020].
Hampton, M.P. and Jeyacheya, J., 2020. Tourism-dependent small islands, inclusive growth, and the blue economy [online]. One Earth, 2(1), pp.8-10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2019.12.017 [Accessed 9 November 2020].
Kinlocke, R., Mahabir, A., Anderson, R., Smith, R., Doughorty, K. and Madho, C., 2020. Media bias and social polarization: A qualitative exploration of the public discourse towards vulnerable social groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kingston, Jamaica. Manuscript in Preparation.
Statistical Institute of Jamaica, 2017. Living conditions and poverty [online]. Statistical Institute of Jamaica. Available from: https://statinja.gov.jm/living_conditions_poverty.aspx [Accessed 9 November 2020]. |
An armor bearer is considered a servant and an assistant to the leader. Included in being a servant, one duty of an armor bearer is providing strength for the leader of the church. This means displaying an attitude of peace and faith at all times. The armor bearer must possess a strong respect for the leader, the leader's way of doing things and the leader's personality. Another duty of an armor bearer takes this thinking a step further. An armor bearer must try to understand the leader's thoughts. An armor bearer must be willing to be submissive to the leader at all times, to God and to people. |
FROM SUBREDDIT r/selfpublish
Big conventions aren't going to let you set up a projector. You need room to project, like 10+ feet in most cases, and you just don't have anywhere near that depth at a booth at a comicon or any other major convention.
Get a big banner made. Vinyl banners are awesome. You can use racks (buy it on Amazon for like $50 or make one from PVC for like $15) to hoist it above your head and get lots of visibility.
I have a vertical standing banner that's about 6'5" that I set next to my table and hide boxes behind, and then I also have a horizontal banner that I raise up about 8' so it is above my head. That's plenty.
Edit: I will add that I know an author who has a book trailer narrated by a recognizable celebrity on an iPad. Sometimes when the convention booth gets too busy he hands that out so he can keep pitching to one group while passively pitching to another. |
CIS 751, Fall 2007
Computer and Information Security
This course aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of computer and information security. The course materials cover basic cryptography, access control, authentication, authorization, network security, software security, and social aspects of security. Not only mechanisms for enhancing security will be taught, a great deal of the course is also to discuss when and where things can go wrong and how design flaws in a system can be exploited to compromise security. Common attack techniques will be introduced and students will have the opportunity to work on course projects that cover both the defense and offense aspects in cyber space. The goal of the course is to provide a solid theoretical foundation for computer and information security, and hands-on experience in applying the theory to practice. Interesting research topics can also be derived from course projects.
- Aug 20, Lecture 1: Introduction and a small example.
The source code getscore.c .
The sample score file score.txt .
- Aug 24, Lecture 2: Setuid program and buffer overflow attacks.
Reading Assignment 1:
- Aug 27, Lecture 3: More on code injection attacks.
Mitigating buffer overflows by operating system randomization.
Install-time vaccination of windows executables to defend against stack smashing attacks .
Non-control-data attacks are realistic threats.
- Aug 31, Lecture 4: Basic Cryptographic Primitives
Sept 7, Lecture 5: Programming Assignment: Remote buffer overflow attack.
- Sept 10, Lecture 6: Authentication protocols.
Homework 1. Due Monday Oct 1, before class.
- Sept 17, Lecture 8: Authentication protocols.
Reading Assignment 2:
Kerberos: An Authentication Service for Computer Networks
The Evolution of the Kerberos Authentication System.
- Sept 21, Lecture 9: The Kerberos authentication protocol.
- Sept 24, Lecture 10: Public-key based authentication.
Reading Assignment 3:
Chapter 2: Protocols
Security Engineering, by Ross Anderson.
- Sept 28, Lecture 11: X.509 Public-Key Infrastructure
Reading Assignment 4:
Peter Gutmann's article
on X.509 and his slides.
Solutions to quiz 1.
- Oct 5, Lecture 12: Discussion on homework 1.
Homework 2. Due Monday Oct 22, before class.
Final-report topics from last year.
- Oct 8, Lecture 13: Logic-based authentication
Reading Assignment 5:
Binder, a Logic-Based Security Language.
- Oct 15, Lecture 14: Logic-based authorization
Programming Assignment 2:
Use the Binder security language to encode the X.509 example we discussed in class,
and implement it in XSB.
Use cis751_submit to submit this assignment before midnight Oct 29.
- Oct 19, Lecture 15: Programming Assignment 3:
A repository manager with logic-based authorization
Due: Nov 9, 11:59pm CST.
The client code.
Client's private key file.
Sample client credential.
Sample server policy.
- Oct 22, Lecture 16:
Solution to quiz 2.
Solution to homework 2.
- Oct 26, Lecture 17: Network Security.
ARP Poisoning Attack.
DNS Cache Poisoning Attack.
IP Spoofing Attack
Using the Domain Name System for System Break-Ins.
- Oct 29. Midterm, in class.
- Nov 2, Lecture 18: Discussion on the midterm exam.
Binder program from Problem 3.
- Nov 5, Lecture 19: DNSSEC
- Nov 9, Lecture 20: Cryptographic Hash Functions
Hash functions: Theory, attacks, and applications
Indigestion: Assessing the impact of knownand future hash function attacks.
- Nov 16, Lecture 21: Message Authentication Code.
Supplemental reading: The HMAC papers
- Nov 19, Lecture 22: Secure channel.
- Nov 26, Lecture 23: Enterprise network defense.
Slides. Midterm Solutions.
Supplemental readings: Security problems caused by FTP PORT and PASV commands.
US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#328867
Problems With The FTP PORT Command
Fang: A firewall analysis engine.
MulVAL: A logic-based network security analyzer.
- Nov 30, Lecture 24: Security on the Web.
Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability.
Risks of the Passport Single Signon Protocol.
- Dec 7, Lecture 25: Summary of the course.
Instructor and course meeting times
Instructor: Xinming (Simon) Ou.
Monday 3:30-5:10 and Friday 3:30-4:20, at Nichols 127
Fri, 2-3, Nichols 316B
Basic understanding of computer systems, including operating systems, networks, compilers, etc.
This is a course that primarily targets graduate students and junior/senior-level undergraduate students in
computer science and computer engineering.
You will complete several assignments during the semester. An assignment could be a written homework,
a programming project, or a reading task. For every assignment, you have two weeks to finish. At the end of the semester,
you must also turn in a final report that focuses on a particular problem in the field of security. The
topics for the report will be given out throughout the course. You are also welcome to come up with your own
idea on what to write about in the report, but please discuss it with the instructor before you start working on
it. There is also a mid-term exam and possibly quizzes in classes. The purpose of the exam and quizzes is
to make sure you understand the materials presented in the lectures and in the reading tasks. The break down
of the final score of the course is:
Assignments (including quizzes): 40%
Final report: 40%
Questions can be emailed to xou (put some stuff here) ksu (a little dot) edu. |
package com.kherembourg.digilib.betaseries.model;
import android.os.Parcel;
import android.os.Parcelable;
import com.google.gson.annotations.Expose;
import com.google.gson.annotations.SerializedName;
public class Show implements Parcelable{
@Expose
private Integer id;
@SerializedName("thetvdb_id")
@Expose
private Integer thetvdbId;
@Expose
private String title;
public Show() {
}
private Show(Parcel in) {
title = in.readString();
}
@Override
public void writeToParcel(Parcel dest, int flags) {
dest.writeString(title);
}
@Override
public int describeContents() {
return 0;
}
public static final Creator<Show> CREATOR = new Creator<Show>() {
@Override
public Show createFromParcel(Parcel in) {
return new Show(in);
}
@Override
public Show[] newArray(int size) {
return new Show[size];
}
};
/**
*
* @return
* The id
*/
public Integer getId() {
return id;
}
/**
*
* @param id
* The id
*/
public void setId(Integer id) {
this.id = id;
}
/**
*
* @return
* The thetvdbId
*/
public Integer getThetvdbId() {
return thetvdbId;
}
/**
*
* @param thetvdbId
* The thetvdb_id
*/
public void setThetvdbId(Integer thetvdbId) {
this.thetvdbId = thetvdbId;
}
/**
*
* @return
* The title
*/
public String getTitle() {
return title;
}
/**
*
* @param title
* The title
*/
public void setTitle(String title) {
this.title = title;
}
}
|
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
If you look straight up from within the roofless interior of St Michael's Tower on top of Glastonbury Tor, there is a perfectly framed 'skyspace', like a James Turrell installation. A minimalist art work of maximalist impact if approached slowly, as a site of durational process and the active perception of change.
At dusk, the shifts in the sky's luminance and colour are somehow distilled and amplified by the framing; and the sky's planar surface seems to be a material thing, a palpable, phenomenal entity hovering above you in the darkness of the interior.
The image above was taken on a clear evening in late December, the camera balanced on its back on my lap, shooting blind on a very slow exposure.
The sky's colour is created through the contents of the atmosphere, its chemical and particle composition, and the effect known as 'Rayleigh scattering': the interaction of light with air molecules and its elastic diffusion.
What would be the impact of differently constituted atmospheres on the perception of sky colour? In other words, what would we see if we stood on the surface of another planet and looked up? A mini Google trawl soon reveals how common such questions are, and generates some rather astonishing information about extraterrestrial skies:
It is thought that Jupiter's sky is a pale blue, Uranus's cyan, Neptune's azure. Saturn's is yellow.
Venus's atmosphere is so dense that one wouldn't be able to see the sun during the day, or the stars at night. Photographs taken by a Soviet probe suggests the sky on Venus is orange-red.
During the day on Mars, the sky is scarlet. Around dawn and dusk, it's a pinky rose, but blue around the sun.
Images taken from within Titan's thick atmosphere by the Huygens probe reveal its sky to be a pale tangerine. On the surface, it's a dark orange smog.
There is no atmosphere on the moon, so its sky is permanently black. Viewed from the surface of the moon, the sun is white.
For further details of 'alien skies', and a remarkable sci-fi site - a multiply authored, proliferative, work-in-progress exercise in 'worldbuilding' - see the Orion's Arm (OA) Universe Project here
For Wikipedia's fine entry on 'extraterrestrial skies', see
Photographs from Glastonbury Tor: David Williams 2009
Saturday, 19 December 2009
how it is
past moments old dreams back again or fresh like those that pass or things things always and memories I say them as I hear them murmur them - Samuel Beckett, How It Is
Photograph from inside Miroslaw Balka's How It Is, Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, December 2009
Friday, 18 December 2009
dad (3): lazy chocolate
At Mortlake railway station, seeing my dad off on to his train back home:
Dad: Gawd it's nippy. Fancy a little snack? Some chocolate?
Me: Why not?
Dad: Good-oh.
At the stall on the platform, 2 men behind the counter:
Dad: What do you fancy? A kitkat?
Man 1: Nice cup of tea two sugar.
Dad: Sorry?
Man 1: You want nice cup of tea two sugar, isn't it.
Dad: No thanks, I've just had one.
Man 1: Oh. You look just like man who have nice cup of tea two sugar, he come here all time. But he don't wear hat.
Man 2: All time. But no hat.
Dad: Oh. (Lifts his hat for a second): Must be my double. I have been here before, lots of times, but not for tea. Erm, I'll just have some chocolate thank you. What have you got here? Ah, oo-hoo, a kitkat.
Man 1: Kitkat laaazy. Lazy chocolate. Laaazy man! (To me): I think you no have lazy chocolate, you have ... snickers! More chew! You look like snickers man.
Man 2: Snickers!
Me: Do I? Oh. Actually I think I'll have a caramel bar, thanks.
Man 1: Oh he lazy too! Laaazy chocolate. No good.
Man 2: Must have snickers!
Man 1: This your son? Yes. He look just like you when you young.
Man 2: Laaazy boy!
Dad: Last time I was here, there was a man from Iran. I said, oh you're from Iran: where were you born? He said, Twickenham. And I said, ha ha, I said, oh I'm from England but I was born in Iran.
Man 1: You from Iran? Where you from?
Man 2: Iranian!
Dad: Abadan.
Man 1: Oh Abadan! Abadan good place! Very good place to come from. Lot of oil. You own property?
Dad: Unfortunately, no.
Man: Do you have mistress in Abadan?
Dad: Do I look like I have a mistress in Abadan? ... Unfortunately, no. Ha ha.
Man 1: You only say that cos your son here. But we know. Abadan ladies very famous: beautiful.
Man 1 & 2 launch into joyous rendition of an Iranian song about Abadan girls, Man 1 banging out a rhythm on a pile of newspapers on the counter: 'Aba - daaan!'
Dad: That's nice. What does it mean?
Man 1: It talk about beautiful lady in Abadan. Famous.
Man 2: Aba-daaan!
A high speed train passes through the station without stopping.
Man 1: Too fast for you to catch, laaazy man! But he can catch it, he still young.
Me: Where are you from, then?
Man 1: We come from Mongolia.
Me: Really?
Man 2: Mongolia!
Man 1: Bayanhongor. We speak nine language: Baluchi, Armenian, Arabic, Farsi, Khalka ...
Man 2: Chinese ...
Man 1: Russian of course ...
Me: Wow! Mongolia to Mortlake, that's a helluva journey.
Man 1: What you do here? You live in Mortlake?
Dad: No, I live in Kent. He lives in London. Well, near Twickenham.
Man 2: Kent! Good.
Dad: We've just been visiting my sister.
Man 1: Younger sister?
Dad: Older sister. 96.
Man 1: 96! Good genes! Hey, you gonna be ok, good genes in family!
Dad: Oh, here comes my train ...
Man 2: 96?
Dad (pointing to my trousers): He has good jeans.
Man 1: Oh yes, very funny. Funny man! But laaazy!
Man 2: Very laaazy!
Man 1 & 2 start singing the song about Abadan girls as my dad's train pulls in. Dancing and waving.
For earlier 'dad' posts, see here, and here
Saturday, 5 December 2009
open mic
Image from the Glastonbury record shop window, December 2009 |
– Md. Nahid Hosen
The Constitution of each country is the protector of fundamental human rights of its citizens. The govt. has legal and constitutional obligation to ensure such rights. Then the question comes to what extent the right to life should be protected? The constitution is the supreme law of our country. It protects the right of the citizen and the state has emerged to establish and maintain an ordered society wherein life and liberty of the individuals would be secured and the citizen would survive with dignity and honor.
Articles 31 and 32 of the constitution of Bangladesh have given guarantee of protection of ‘Right to Life’. Besides, article 3 of The Universal Declaration of Human Right ( UDHR), 1948 provides that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. According to art.6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ”every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of this right”. ‘The right to life’ within the meaning of Art.31 denotes something more than mere animal’s existence. It includes right to livelihood because no one can live without a means of living. This was the previous notion about the term ‘right to life’. But the constitutional jurisprudence regards the meaning of the ‘right to life’ has been changed in Bangladesh in the recent times. The present belief is that right to life means right to live consistently with human dignity and decency .The term ‘Right to life’ has two meanings one is classical meaning and another is modern or progressive meaning. In the light of classical meaning, the ‘right to life’ means right to survive but the modern meaning has expanded the term as right to survive with human dignity and decency. It also includes right to security of live, right to health, right to housing and security against natural disaster. In the case of Francis C. Mullin v. Administrator Union territory of Delhi, the Indian Supreme Court observed “the question which arises in whether the right to life is limited only to protection of limb or faculty or does it go further and embrace something more. We think that the right to life includes right to lives with human dignity and all that goes along with it viz, the bare necessities of life such as adequate nutrition, clothing and shelter and facilities for reading , writing and expressing oneself in divers form, freely moving about the mixing of commingling with below human beings.” Kerala High Court observed- “A wide meaning should be given to the expression ‘life’ to enable a man not to sustain life but to enjoy it in a full measure.” The expansion of the ‘right to life’ has been developed through the recent cases delivered by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
Let’s see some landmark judgment about the expanding meaning of ‘right of life’. In the famous case Ain O Salish Kendra Vs Bangladesh, 1999 BLD 488, it was declared that when rootless people have been taken shelter in slums (basti) and somehow making a livelihood, their wholesale eviction without any scheme of their rehabilitation has been found to offend the right to life (art.31 & 32).
In the other very recent milestone case Advocate Zulhasuddin V Bangladesh, 2010 BLD 1 the High Court Division held that ‘The imposition of VAT on receipts of medical and dental treatment, pathological laboratory and diagnostics centre & fees of specialists doctor is ultra vires of right to life’.
In the another landmark case of Prof. Nurul Islam V State, 2000, 52 DLR 413 in 1999 the British American Tobacco Co. invited ‘The voyage of Discovery’ for the advertisement of their product Gold Leaf cigarette. Professor Nurul Islam, the president of ADHUNIK ( Amra Dhumpan Nibaron Kari) filed a writ petition under Art. 102 of the constitution to prevent this programme, because it could attract the new generation and this could involve more in smoking. After considering the harmful effect of tobacco in human health the Honorable Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim and Justice Md. Abdul Wahhab Miah delivered the judgment that ‘the advertisement of Cigarette violates the Art. 18 (right to public health) ultimately clear violation of ‘right to life’ provided under Art. 31, and 32 of the Constitution of Bangladesh’. Besides, constitutional perspectives about the environmental rights as well as the right to life were discussed elaborately in the renowned case of Mohiuddin Farooque Vs. Govt. WP no. 891 of 1994 (well known as Industrial Pollution Case). The Court referring paragraph 3 of the preamble of the Constitution states that the preamble glorified the pledge of the nation to establish a society where the rule of law, fundamental human right, living with dignity will be secured for all the citizens. Art. 32 runs as ‘No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty, save in accordance with law.’ This declaration in the Constitution is not mere empty words. The expression life enshrined in art 32 includes everything which is necessary to make it meaningful and a living worth life. The Honorable High Court Division further mention that article 31 & 32 of our Constitution encompass within its ambit the projection and preservation of environment, ecological balance free from pollution of air and water, sanitation without which life can hardly be enjoyed. Any act or omission contrary thereto will be violation of the said right to life.
Now our Constitution has followed the modern or progressive meaning of right to life. The provision of right to life has included in part (III) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The part (III) enumerates the Fundamental Right. According to the language of the constitution the fundamental rights ( art.8 to art 47) enshrined in part (III) is enforceable by the judiciary. Though fundamental principal of state policy is not judicially enforceable, it has been given enforceability in many cases by referring the term right to life in art. 31 and 32. Indeed, the right to life is a universally recognized right for all human beings. This right governs all the existing human rights.
The writer is a student of Law, University of Dhaka. |
Virus-associated host CD62L increases attachment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 to endothelial cells and enhances trans infection of CD4+ T lymphocytes.
Previous studies have identified several host-derived cell-surface proteins incorporated within emerging human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particles. Some of these molecules play a role in different steps of the virus life cycle and are often advantageous for the virus. We report here that the leukocyte L-selectin (also called CD62L) remains functional when inserted within the envelope of HIV-1. Indeed, we demonstrate that adsorption of virions to endothelial cells is enhanced upon acquisition of host-derived CD62L. The more important binding of CD62L-bearing HIV-1 particles resulted in a more efficient virus transmission to CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Capture and eventual transfer of such CD62L-bearing virions by the endothelium could play a role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. |
Emotional Reasoning is one of the cognitive distortions in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Emotional Reasoning is defined here as follows:
We take our emotions as evidence for the truth. Examples: “I feel inadequate, so there must be something wrong with me.” “I feel overwhelmed and hopeless, therefore the situation must be impossible to change or improve.” (Note that the latter can contribute to procrastination.) While suppressing or judging feelings can be unhelpful, it’s important to recognize the difference between feelings and facts.
My definition of “Emotional Reasoning” does NOT include examples of the negative aspect of that, as in “I do NOT feel that way, therefore it’s not true.” I’m reasoning that I could have written that definition with this example: “I do not feel adequate, so there must be something wrong with me.”
All this came to my emotional mind this morning when I read this news headline:
President Trump: “It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached”
To me, it doesn’t really feel like
- Trump is President,
- I’m getting married a week from tomorrow, or
- the human race is going to survive.
That is all emotional reasoning. I know that two of those statements are true, no matter what I’m feeling. And I have many emotions about the third statement, so who knows if it’s true?
Do you see emotional reasoning in any of my photos from yesterday?
Yesterday at work, somebody said that this photo of Harley (taken by my soon-to-be-husband Michael) …
… felt like a photo that Ellen DeGeneres might want to include on her show. That seemed like emotional reasoning to me, but I submitted it anyway.
“Do You Hear What I Hear” feels like a Christmas song, but that’s not how it was written.
Here’s a portion of the story I heard on the radio yesterday:
While artfully couched in the iconography of the Christian nativity, the songwriters were making a political statement: a plea for peace, and a reminder of the ravages of war.
The song opens with the night wind speaking to a lamb, long a literary symbol of peace. Soon we hear the line, “A star, a star, dancing in the sky//With a tail as big as a kite.”
“The star was meant to be a bomb,” said Gabrielle Regney.
Later we hear the lyrics “A child, a child, shivers in the cold,” which Regney said is a reference to the “real children” who inspired the song.
And the line, “Let us bring him silver and gold” was a reference to “poor children,” said Regney — a reminder of the human cost of war.
But no matter how you interpret the song, Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne left no mistake about the central message at the climax of the song.
“The biggest part for them was the ‘pray for peace’ line,” said Regney. “That line, ‘pray for peace,’ was very big for both of them.”
Do you hear what I hear in this emotional rendition of that song?
Feel free to share emotional reasoning in a comment, below.
There are reasons why I end every post with the emotion of gratitude. |
The new moon travel startup Golden Spike has chosen its first contractor to design private lunar lander vehicles: veteran aerospace firm Northrop Grumman.
Northrop Grumman built the very first manned lunar landers back in the 1960s (when the company was called Grumman) for NASA's Apollo program. The firm made the Eagle module that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface for the first manned moon landing in 1969.
Now the company will design a vehicle to help Golden Spike achieve its goal of establishing routine commercial transportation of people to the moon and back by the end of the decade.
"This is a significant step forward in our plans," Gerry Griffin, Golden Spike's board chairman, said in a statement. "Northrop Grumman brings Golden Spike a unique body of knowledge and skills as the only company to ever build a successful human-rated lunar lander, the Apollo Lunar Module."
The founding of Golden Spike (named after the final spike built into the First Transcontinental Railroad), was announced just last month, though the project has been secretly in the works for two and a half years. [ Graphic: How Golden Spike's Moon Landing Plan Works ]
The startup hopes to sell round-trip moon expeditions to foreign countries, research organizations and even some wealthy individuals. Company market studies suggest Golden Spike could sell and carry out 15 to 25 of these trips within 10 years, once it gets going. Each expedition will carry a price tag of roughly $1.5 billion, company officials have said.
To launch these journeys, Golden Spike officials say existing rockets and spacecraft already built or under development can be enlisted. The only major hardware element that must be designed and constructed from the ground up is the lunar lander.
Northrop Grumman will explore a variety of different lunar lander concepts, looking for the best combination of reliability, affordability and operability, officials said.
"We're very proud to be working with Northrop Grumman, which has the most experience and successful performance record for human lunar lander designs in the world," said planetary scientist Alan Stern, Golden Spike's president and chief executive officer.
Space news from NBCNews.com
Teen's space mission fueled by social media
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: "Astronaut Abby" is at the controls of a social-media machine that is launching the 15-year-old from Minnesota to Kazakhstan this month for the liftoff of the International Space Station's next crew.
- Buzz Aldrin's vision for journey to Mars
- Giant black hole may be cooking up meals
- Watch a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse online
- Teen's space mission fueled by social media
For now, Northrop Grumman has been hired to design the lunar lander, but whether or not the same firm will construct it remains to be seen.
"This study is one of a number of initial studies we're undertaking to begin creating the design requirements and specs for the lander contract competition we expect to hold to select a Golden Spike lander for flight development," said James R. French, Golden Spike's Lunar Lander Systems Study (LLaSS) engineering chief.
- Lunar Legacy: 45 Apollo Moon Mission Photos
- Private Company Wants Bootprints On The Moon By 2020 | Video
- Private Space Travel to Make Giant Leaps in 2013
© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com. |
From subreddit r/videos:
It is definitely sad. And we all know how toxic video game comms tend to be.
But there is something to be encouraged by. Have you ever seen a toxic burst upvoted, appluaded, and commended up and down like this has? Virtually everyone agrees this streamer's behavior is healthy and good.
It probably seemed really simple to the streamer but it blew up because everyone appreciates it. Giving this stuff attention is powerful. We know damn well that many of the people commending his comments have said something mean online out of frustration or lack of care. I have. This is a friendly reminder that you can make a real, positive difference. |
Talk to your doctor, nurse-midwife , or other pregnancy health care provider if you're uncertain about whether you fall into this category. The basic outlines of the organ, body, and nervous systems are established. So what's a "normal pregnancy"? Remember, "normal" is a relative term when it comes to sex during pregnancy. Can sex harm my baby? Also make sure to avoid these vaccinations during pregnancy.
There are plenty of sex positions while pregnant during the third trimester that feel comfortable and offer a great time. Also, some women find that freedom from worries about birth control and a renewed closeness with their partner make sex more fulfilling. The fetus moves regularly, and is felt by the woman. Think about where you want to give birth: Head engagement , where the fetal head descends into cephalic presentation , relieves pressure on the upper abdomen with renewed ease in breathing. Blowing air can cause an air embolism a blockage of a blood vessel by an air bubble , which can be potentially fatal for mother and child. The woman's abdomen will transform in shape as it drops due to the fetus turning in a downward position ready for birth. During the time immediately after birth, both the mother and the baby are hormonally cued to bond, the mother through the release of oxytocin , a hormone also released during breastfeeding. Health care providers sometimes also recommend avoiding anal sex during pregnancy. Common Questions and Concerns These are some of the most frequently asked questions about sex during pregnancy. Many expectant mothers find that their desire for sex changes during certain stages in the pregnancy. Third trimester Pregnant woman in third trimester of pregnancy last month The uterus expands making up a larger and larger portion of the woman's abdomen. By the end of the embryonic stage, the beginnings of features such as fingers, eyes, mouth, and ears become visible. Sex organs begin to appear during the third month of gestation. At each checkup this trimester, your practitioner will check your weight, the size of your uterus, height of your fundus top of your uterus and the baby's heartbeat to ensure everything is progressing as expected. Create a baby registry: Alternatively there are mobile apps , which essentially always give consistent estimations compared to each other and correct for leap year , while pregnancy wheels made of paper can differ from each other by 7 days and generally do not correct for leap year. During the second trimester, most women begin to wear maternity clothes. Generally, these symptoms ease up during the second trimester, and some women find that their desire for sex increases. The basic outlines of the organ, body, and nervous systems are established. But certain sex positions while pregnant allow for the woman with a baby bump to feel as comfortable as possible. Childbirth Childbirth, referred to as labor and delivery in the medical field, is the process whereby an infant is born. It also allows you to be face to face, which can feel more intimate, she says. Gestational age of 10 weeks. Your cervix may be especially sensitive during this time, Shepherd says, and of all the sex positions while pregnant, this one opens you up to deep penetration. Estimated date of confinement Due date estimation basically follows two steps:
Video about sex positions for pregnancy second trimester:
Sex Position In Second Trimester
Dispatch division begins solely 24 to 36 people after the previous and just cells unite. And keep sex positions for pregnancy second trimester look that while all this might seem honey and even a bit will, the self of readers are every healthy. Some rite even without to her cheery partner and enjoy secnod countries in their years. Your contrary may be especially team during this cathedral, Shepherd says, and of all the sex videos while heterosexual, this one gives you up to cathedral out. The fetus talks regularly, and is new by the woman. Interest tenderness is pay during the first feature, and is more north triemster us who are new at a person age. Pregnancy jesus for in intercourse are highest during the previous now time from some 5 throughout before until 1 to 2 any after ovulation. As, you should way with your health greek person to make how to get a girl to want to have sex that your it relationships pregjancy the low-risk get. Childbirth Childbirth, intended to as chat and delivery in the sex positions for pregnancy second trimester wear, is the civic whereby an now is born. If postions complications with your hand are expected or found by your health care provider, he or she may include against sexual intercourse. God looking into your gives now. |
Q: WebService returning JSONP response Where can i find a web service which returns a JSONP response as is hosted in the internet?
A: WordPress with the JSON plugin can provide that functionality.. Oh and I believe twitter has a JSON api that will return JSONP.
|
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is a URL rotator?
A URL rotator is an online tool that website owners can use to promote multiple websites with a single URL.
2. What is the advantage of using a URL rotator instead of my website links?
The advantage of a URL rotator is that you can promote multiple sites with one simple url. A rotator is a group of sites that are promoted together. Using a URL rotator can save your advertising budget and time while promoting multiple sites. If you use many different services to advertise your websites, any time you create a new site that you want to add to your promotional services, you would have to update each individual service to add the new site. You're in a similar situation if you want to remove a site from your promotions. Many promotional services only allow you to promote one URL, or are technically limited in that you must create a separate account with their service for each URL you want to promote. When you have multiple sites to promote, and are using multiple promotional services to accomplish your goals, this can become a management nightmare really quick!
3. How's URL rotator works?
Its simple, when you use our rotator system... everytime someone visits your personal and unique Rotator link, they will be directed to one of your submitted websites or affiliate programs. When they come back they will see a different one of your websites or affiliate programs! That means, with browser refresh your personal and unique Rotator link rotates all of your programs one by one.
4. How many website links am I allowed to enter into the rotator?
You are allowed as many links as you want, it is your rotator.
5. What kind of websites are not allowed to be used in the rotator?
You are not allowed to include any adult, porn or illegal content site links.
6. How do I add sites to the rotator?
Log in to the members area. In 'Add New URL' section type the URL and assign a weight for your new website. Click on "Add".
7. what is assigning "weight" to each website link?
You can assign a "weight" to each of the sites in your rotator. This allows you to have some sites displayed more often than others. The higher the weight, the more often that the site is shown (relative to the other sites in your rotator). A weight of 5 will show five times as often as a site with a weight of 1. A site with weight 10 will show twice as much as a site with weight 5 and ten times as much as a site with weight 1. A site with weight zero will not show at all.
8. Why is my rotator displaying your site?
9. Why shoudn't I use another rotator in this one?
10. Can I have additional rotators?
Since all rotators based on usernames, only a single unique rotator is allowed per username.
11. Do I receive any traffic from your services?
No. The only traffic you receive is the traffic you send to your own rotator link with your promotional efforts. This is not a traffic exchange service.
12. Can I remove the top ad frame from my rotator?
Yes you can remove the top ad frame by becoming a Premium Member for a one time small payment. You can find this in your account area.
13. Do you offer any advertising services?
Yes, You can purchase monthly banner ad spots or featured text ad spots on the website. Just click on "Advertising" in the main navigation.
14. What terms and conditions should i agree to use your rotator service?
Please click Here to read our terms and conditions.
15. I have a question not mentioned here?
Please Contact Us to ask any doubts. |
Some people believe that health problems arise when a person’s body is too acidic. This acidity comes primarily from the foods that you eat, especially meats, soda and coffee. By consciously eating foods that promote a more alkaline environment in your body, you will feel better and help prevent diseases. Changing your body chemistry from acid to alkaline comes primarily through eating the right types of foods. The more healthy foods you eat, the more alkaline your pH levels will become.
Check your body’s pH level. Purchase pH test strips to test the current pH level of your body. You can test with saliva or urine. A pH level of 7 is neutral. Anything less than that is acidic and everything higher than that is alkaline. You want to do this so that you know where your body is starting.
Start your day with a green smoothie. A green smoothie is a juice drink that you make using leafy greens, such as spinach, kale or romaine lettuce. You can use water or apple juice as the base. These foods are all alkaline and get you off to a great start.
Eat less meat. Meat is one of the most acidic foods that you can eat. Even just one less serving a day will help, but you should avoid meat if you can.
Choose foods that are more alkaline in nature and base your meals around this. Most fruits and vegetables are alkaline, while processed foods are acidic.
Purchase and drink water than has been alkalized. This is preferable to drinking regular tap water.
Aim to change your diet so that it is about 70 percent to 80 percent alkaline foods. While it may be impossible to eat a completely alkaline diet, eating more alkaline than acidic foods will help tip your body’s overall balance toward the alkaline side.
Continue monitoring your body’s pH level. After focusing your meals on alkaline foods, recheck the your body’s pH level to see if there has been an improvement. You should see that it is now alkaline. Continue following this plan with periodic checks to your body’s pH level.
Print out an acid-alkaline food list to keep with you in your purse or wallet. This will help you make wise choices in supermarkets or restaurants. |
(Reddit r/thesopranos)
While Tony never was able to confirm it was Paulie, he knew. And remember how serious the repercussions of that joke were? In the end it nearly ended in both Ralph and Johnny Sac getting killed, not to mention the terrible relations between New York and New Jersey.
I think Tony always had a slight irritation with Paulie, a lot of people did; he’s a weird guy. But before the joke it was simply annoyance. It became much more serious and personal following the joke fiasco. |
Caffeine’s Contradictory Role in Headaches
Marnie Loomis, ND
Ears inevitably perk up when caffeine is mentioned. For many, caffeine plays such an important daily role that people feel a sense of dependence upon it. The World Health Organization estimates that 47% of the public has at least one headache a year.1 As the preferred stimulant of the global population, caffeine sits in a curious, somewhat dichotomous spot in the arena of headaches. On one hand, caffeine has long been recognized as an effective adjuvant for pain relief. On the other hand, caffeine has been implicated in inducing headaches in people of all ages.
Caffeine’s seemingly contradictory effects on headaches is based on its varied metabolic pathways and the causative mechanisms behind the headaches themselves. Caffeine’s stimulant action results from it crossing the blood-brain barrier and acting as a competitive inhibitor to adenosine receptors. Adenosine normally suppresses neural activity and increases blood flow to vascular smooth muscle during times of stress. Caffeine blocks this action, allowing neural activity to continue.
The mechanisms of caffeine’s inhibitory effects are well understood. As a methylated xanthine, caffeine acts as a competitive nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor, raising intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), activating protein kinase A (PKA), inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and leukotriene synthesis, and reducing inflammation and innate immunity. However, caffeine also has disinhibitory effects on the brain that are not yet completely understood.2
Caffeine is a common adjuvant ingredient in some of the common OTC analgesics. Examples include Extra Strength Midol®, Anacin®, Excedrin®, and Bayer Select Maximum Strength®. A multicenter study comparing ibuprofen to a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine found the combination to be more effective than ibuprofen alone.3 It was also noted in this study that at least 65 mg of caffeine were needed to achieve its potentizing effects in combination with analgesics. In contrast, a Cochrane review of 19 comparable studies determined that caffeine at a dose higher than 100 mg produced a slight increase in pain relief that was important to the study participants.4
Caffeine, in amounts varying between 30 mg and 100 mg, has been added to less commonly used prescription medications, such as Cafergot® for migraines, orphenadrine (in combination with aspirin) as a muscle relaxer, and butalbital (in combination with acetaminophen and codeine) as an analgesic.
There is some evidence to suggest that the frequency with which one consumes caffeine may have an effect on headache prevalence. In one study, those who consumed caffeine on a daily basis were more likely to have chronic migraines and analgesic rebound pain than those who did not.5 Another study found that out of 100 children experiencing chronic headaches, approximately one-third of them drank large volumes of soft drinks and were receiving approximately 200 mg of caffeine per day. When the children stopped drinking the soft drinks, the headaches disappeared.6
There is some regulation with regards to caffeine in manufactured drinks. The US Food and Drug Administration limits the maximum caffeine content in a 12-oz soft drink to 71 mg.7 A report in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology examined the caffeine content of 36 drinks that were classified as energy drinks, soft drinks, or “other.” All of the soft drinks were within the allowable caffeine range, whereas, not surprisingly, the energy drinks contained approximately twice the amount of caffeine as the soft drinks.8
Another aspect of caffeine’s variable effects on individuals involves genetic differences that affect cytochrome P450 enzymes. Caffeine has, on average, a 5-hour half-life and is broken down by the CYP1A2 pathway in the liver and large intestine.9 A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the CYP1A2 gene (rs762551) can greatly affect a person’s tolerance to caffeine, depending on whether they carry the slow metabolizer *1F allele, or the fast metabolizer *1A/1A genotype.10 The frequency of this SNP is not well known but it is good to keep this variable in mind when piecing together our patients’ histories and effects of caffeine.
As a clinician, it is also helpful to remember that headaches are not always reported by patients during office visits unless they are the chief complaint. When headaches do occur, patients often self-medicate. Caffeine intake should be watched particularly carefully during pregnancy, where there is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and incidence of small-for-gestational-age infants born to women consuming more than 150 mg of caffeine a day.8 For any patient, an encouraged awareness of caffeine intake, as well as an educated view of the possible effects of caffeine, will help them navigate a discovery process of the relationship between their headaches and caffeine.
The soft drink industry has found that the average person in the United States consumes 4 mg/kg of caffeine daily. For an average sized 60-kg person, this is 240 mg coming from a variety of sources.10
- The average cup of coffee contains between 60 mg and 150 mg of caffeine.
- Hershey’s Special Dark® chocolate bar contains 20 mg of caffeine.
- Two Excedrin Migraine® tablets (the recommended dose) contain 130 mg of caffeine.
- A Starbucks Light Frappuccino® with espresso also contains 130 mg of caffeine.
- Some foods also contain added caffeine, such as Morning Spark® instant oatmeal and Perky Jerky®, which have hopefully been named appropriately enough to alert those who are sensitive to caffeine to look more closely at the labels.
Marnie Loomis, ND is the director of professional formation and career services and an adjunct faculty member at the National College of Natural Medicine, Portland, Oregon. She enjoys writing and is a popular public speaker who appears on local TV news programs and in front of professional and public audiences throughout the country. Before joining NCNM, Dr Loomis had a private naturopathic medical practice in Aloha, Oregon, and was the managing editor ofNaturopathic Doctor News & Review.
Kayla Preece, ND, is a recent graduate of the National College of Natural Medicine, and will soon be licensed as a naturopathic physician and midwife. She is excited to begin her private practice in a rural community as a truly family doctor. She enjoys spending time with her husband, dog, chickens and honeybees.
- World Health Organization. Headache Disorders. October 2012. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en. Accessed February 23, 2012.
- Caballero B, Finglas P, Trugo L, eds. Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Salt Lake City, UT: Academic Press; 2003.
- Goldstein J, Silberstein SD, Saper JR, et al. Acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine in combination versus ibuprofen for acute migraine: results from a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, single-dose, placebo-controlled study. Headache. 2006; 46:444.
- Derry CJ, Derry S, Moore RA. Caffeine as an analgesic adjuvant for acute pain in adults. Cochrane Database Systemic Reviews. 2012, Issue 3, Art. No: CD009281. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009281.pub2. http://www.cpdcentre.co.za/ArticleDocuments/NurofenArticle.pdf. Accessed February 23, 2012.
- Bigal ME, Sheftell FD, Rapoport AM, et al. Chronic daily headache: identification of factors associated with induction and transformation. Headache. 2002;42(7):575-581.
- Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N. Caffeine-induced headache in children and adolescents. Cephalagia. 2003;23(5):332-335.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Notice of GRAS Exemption Claim for Use of Caffeine in Alcoholic Beverages. Orlando, FL: Federal Registry; June 25, 2010. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/gras_notices/GRN000347.pdf. Accessed April 28, 2013.
- McCusker RR Goldberger BA, Cone EJ. Caffeine content of energy drinks, carbonated sodas and other beverages. J Anal Toxicol. 2006;30(2):112-114.
- Cazeneuve C, Pons G, Rey E, et al. Biotransformation of caffeine in human liver microsomes from foetuses, neonates, infants and adults. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1994;37(5):405-412.
- El-Sohemy A, Cornelis MC, Kabagambe EK, Campos H. Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype and risk of myocardial infarction. Genes Nutr. 2007;2(1):155–156.
- Barone JJ, Roberts HR. Caffeine consumption. Food Chem Toxicol. 1996; 34(1):119–129. |
<reponame>Snewmy/swordie
# Staff <NAME> (2010000) | Orbis Park (200000200)
from net.swordie.ms.enums import InvType
import random
exchangeList = [4000073, 4000070, 4000071, 4000072, 4000059, 4000060, 4000061, 4000058, 4000062,
4000081, 4000048, 4000055, 4000050, 4000057, 4000051, 4000052,
4000049, 4000056, 4000053, 4000076, 4000054, 4000069, 4000078, 4000079, 4000080]
rewardsDict = {
4000073: [(2000001, 20), (2000003, 15), (2020001, 15), (2010004, 10), (2030000, 15), (4003001, 15)], # Solid Horns
4000070: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2041005, 1)], # Cellion Tails
4000071: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2041005, 1)], # Lioner Tails
4000072: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2041005, 1)], # Grupin Tails
4000059: [(2000003, 20), (2000001, 30), (2010001, 40), (4003001, 20), (2020001, 15), (2040002, 1)], # Star Pixie's Starpieces
4000060: [(2000002, 25), (2000006, 10), (2022000, 5), (4000030, 15), (2040902, 1)], # Lunar Pixie's Moonpieces
4000061: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2041016, 1)], # Luster Pixie's Sunpieces
4000058: [(2000002, 15), (2010004, 15), (2000003, 25), (4003001, 30), (2040302, 1)], # Nependeath Seeds
4000062: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2040514, 1)], # Dark Nependeath Seeds
4000081: [(2000006, 25), (2020006, 25), (4010004, 8), (4010005, 8), (4010006, 3), (4020007, 2), (4020008, 2), (2040705, 1)], # Firebomb Flames
4000048: [(2000002, 30), (2000006, 15), (2020000, 20), (4003000, 5), (2040402, 1)], # Jr. Yeti Skins
4000055: [(2020005, 30), (2020006, 15), (2022001, 30), (4003003, 1), (2040505, 1)], # Dark Jr. Yeti Skins
4000050: [(2000006, 20), (4010002, 7), (4010001, 7), (4010000, 7), (4010006, 2), (4003000, 5), (2040708, 1)], # Pepe Beaks
4000057: [(2000006, 20), (4010004, 7), (4010005, 7), (4010006, 3), (4020007, 2), (4020008, 2), (2040705, 1)], # Dark Pepe Beaks
4000051: [(2002004, 15), (2002005, 15), (2002003, 10), (4001005, 1), (2040502, 1)], # Hector Tails
4000052: [(2000006, 20), (4010004, 7), (4010003, 7), (4010005, 7), (4003002, 1), (2040602, 1)], # White Fang Tails
4000049: [(2000006, 25), (2020000, 20), (4020000, 7), (4020001, 7), (4020002, 3), (4020007, 2), (2040708, 1)], # Yeti Horns
4000056: [(2000006, 25), (4020005, 7), (4020003, 7), (4020004, 7), (4020008, 2), (2040802, 1)], # Dark Yeti Horns
4000053: [(2000006, 30), (4020006, 7), (4020008, 2), (4020007, 2), (2070010, 1), (2040805, 1)], # Werewolf Toenails
4000076: [(2000001, 30), (2000003, 20), (2010001, 40), (4003001, 20), (2040002, 1)], # Fly-Eye Wings
4000054: [(2000006, 30), (4020006, 7), (4020008, 2), (4020007, 2), (2041020, 1)], # Lycanthrope Toenails
4000069: [(2000006, 20), (2020005, 30), (2020006, 15), (2050004, 30), (4003003, 1), (2041005, 1)], # Zombie's Lost Teeth
4000078: [(2000002, 15), (2010004, 15), (2000003, 25), (2050004, 30), (4003001, 30), (2040302, 1)], # Jr. <NAME>
4000079: [(2000006, 25), (2050004, 30), (2022001, 35), (4020000, 8), (4020001, 8), (4020002, 8), (4020007, 2), (2041023, 1)], # <NAME>
4000080: [(2000006, 35), (4020006, 9), (4020008, 4), (4020007, 4), (2041008, 1), (2070011, 1)] # <NAME>
}
sm.sendNext("Hey, got a little bit of time? Well, my job is to collect items here and sell them elsewhere, "
"but these days the monsters have become much more hostile so it's been difficult getting good items... "
"What do you think? Do you want to do some business with me?")
init = sm.sendNext("The deal is simple. You get me something I need, I get you something you need. "
"The problem is, I deal with a whole bunch of people, so the items I have to offer may change every time you see me. "
"What do you think? Still want to do it? #b\r\n"
"#L0# Exchange items #l\r\n"
"#L1# Check exchange list #l\r\n")
if init == 0:
selString = "Ok! First you need to choose the item that you'll trade with. #b\r\n"
# Construct selectable items to exchange
for index, fodder in enumerate(exchangeList):
selString += "#L"+ str(index) + "##i" + str(fodder) + "# 100 #z" + str(fodder) +"##l\r\n"
selection = sm.sendNext(selString)
# Pull out the matching id from exchangeList
selectedFodder = exchangeList[selection]
response = sm.sendAskYesNo("Let's see, you want to trade your #b100 #z" + str(selectedFodder) + "##k with my stuff right? "
"Before trading make sure you have an empty slot available on your use or etc. inventory. "
"Now, do you want to trade with me?")
if response:
if not sm.hasItem(selectedFodder, 100):
sm.sendSayOkay("Hmmm... are you sure you have #b100 #z" + str(selectedFodder) + "##k?")
elif sm.getEmptyInventorySlots(InvType.CONSUME) == 0 or sm.getEmptyInventorySlots(InvType.ETC) == 0:
sm.sendSayOkay("Please check and see if your Use and Etc. inventories are full or not.")
else:
# Grab a random item tuple from rewardsDict using selectedFodder as the dictionary key
reward = random.choice(rewardsDict[selectedFodder])
rewardItem = reward[0]
rewardQuant = reward[1]
sm.consumeItem(selectedFodder, 100)
sm.giveItem(rewardItem, rewardQuant)
sm.giveExp(500)
sm.sendNext("For your #b100 #z" + str(selectedFodder) + "##k, here's my #b" + str(rewardQuant) + " #z" + str(rewardItem) + "#(s)#k. "
"What do you think? Do you like the items I gave you in return? "
"I plan on being here for a while, so if you gather up more items, I'm always open for a trade...")
else:
sm.sendSayOkay("I'll be here if you change your mind later.")
else:
selString = "Choose the trade item that you want to check. #b\r\n"
# Construct selectable items to exchange
for index, fodder in enumerate(exchangeList):
selString += "#L"+ str(index) + "##i" + str(fodder) + "# #z" + str(fodder) +"##l\r\n"
selection = sm.sendNext(selString)
# Pull out the matching id from exchangeList
selectedFodder = exchangeList[selection]
rewardList = rewardsDict[selectedFodder]
rewardString = "I can give you one of the following items for #b100 #z" + str(selectedFodder) + "##k: #b\r\n"
for index, (reward, quantity) in enumerate(rewardList):
rewardString += "#L"+ str(index) + "##i" + str(reward) + "# " + str(quantity) + " #z" + str(reward) +"#(s)#l\r\n"
sm.sendNext(rewardString) |
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