Clean Air

The Midwest is both the “corn belt” and a “manufacturing belt,” which means massive agricultural and industrial sources of air pollution. On top of that, Chicago is a national transportation hub where trains, trucks, boats, and heavy construction equipment dominate the already dense city center. All of these sources generate gases, heavy metals, and microscopic particles that pose serious health risks, impact climate change, and threaten environmental ecosystems.  The good news is we can reduce these threats and protect public health without sacrificing economic development or job creation.

What is ELPC Doing?

ELPC “says yes” to clean energy and clean transportation policies that make economic and environmental sense.  We also “say no” to our region’s worst sources of air pollution in order to protect public health and our natural resources.

  • COAL The Midwest has a heavy concentration of old, dirty coal plants. Each emits numerous pollutants that contaminate our air, water, and soil. Our attorneys work to ensure our communities are protected by shutting down these dirty plants, and building effective pollution controls and cleanup efforts.
  • MERCURY –Tiny amounts of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, can cause harmful effects on children and adults. ELPC fights for state and federal protections to reduce mercury pollution to protect public health.
  • OZONE – Ozone at ground level, also known as “smog,” is a dangerous air toxin, formed by chemical reaction from the numerous pollutants emitted by factories, industries, and cars across the Midwest. ELPC fights to make sure communities with unhealthy air are properly designated to get the resources needed to clean up and improve public health.
  • DIESEL – Diesel exhaust from machinery, trucks, and trains is made up of over 40 toxic air pollutants. These microscopic particles can become lodged in the lungs, posing serious health risks. ELPC’s attorneys and advocates work with local groups to analyze diesel impacts and drive policy solutions to curb these emissions.
  • Air Quality Monitoring – ELPC works with community partners across Chicago to monitor air quality in the city to identify hot-spots or toxic roadways. With this unique project, ELPC is taking years of air pollution data and making it available for the public to learn about the air in their neighborhood and take action.

Our work to enforce clean air standards involves concurrent scientific analysis, community organizing, policy advocacy and legal strategy in collaboration with local community, environmental and public health groups.

ELPC’s Founding Vision is Becoming Today’s Sustainability Reality

Support ELPC’s Next 25 Years of Successful Advocacy

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While there’s been a big outcry to make the rich pay more in taxes, there is one thing in particular in the U.S. tax code that stands out as unfair, Democratic former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp told CNBC on Monday.

“One of the great discrepancies and inequities in our tax system is earned income is taxed at a higher rate than unearned income,” she said on “The Exchange.”

Earned income is what a person makes at their place of employment, while unearned income can mean things such as stocks and dividends.

That means that the person who works on an assembly line is taxed at a higher rate than someone sitting on a huge trust fund, said Heitkamp, a CNBC contributor. “Is that the value that we have in this country? Are we people who believe that if you make money from your money that you should be taxed less than if you make money from your labor?”

The wealthy like to invest in stocks, in part, because of the lower tax rate on capital gains. For assets held for more than a year, the rates are zero, 15 percent and 20 percent for 2018. Meanwhile, the federal tax brackets on wages go from 10 percent for the lowest earner to 37 percent for the highest. Short-term capital gains taxes for assets held for less than a year are tied to the individual’s federal tax bracket.

Qualified dividends, which are held for a certain period of time, are also taxed at the lower capital gains rate.

“There’s been this discrepancy and this idea that if you tax unearned income higher, people won’t save as much and that it won’t grow and allow for investment,” Heitkamp said.

However, she said that isn’t necessarily the case for those who have under $200,000 adjusted gross income, because their investments are already in something like a 401(k) or IRA, which are tax-deferred. Therefore, people are only taxed once they start taking out money, usually after retirement.

“It might create an even greater incentive to shelter that income in a … provision like a 401(k) or an IRA because you know that it’s not going to be taxed,” she argued.

Heitkamp isn’t jumping on board any specific Democratic proposal to make the rich pay more, yet.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who represents Massachusetts and launched her campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month, has proposed a 2 percent tax every year on households with assets over $50 million and 3 percent on households with assets over $1 billion. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wants to slap a 70 percent marginal tax rate on income above $10 million. And independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, is looking at an estate-tax hike.

Even billionaire Warren Buffett has weighed in. He told CNBC on Monday he believes wealthy Americans aren’t paying enough taxes.

“The wealthy are definitely undertaxed relative to the general population,” Buffett told CNBC’s Becky Quick during a “Squawk Box” interview. “As we get more specialized, the rich will get richer. The question is: How do you take care of a guy who is a wonderful citizen whose father died in Normandy and just doesn’t have market skills? I think the income tax credit is the best way to address that.”

“That probably means more taxes for guys like me, and I’m fine with it,” he said.

— CNBC’s
Fred Imbert
contributed to this report.


BK Congress

Benidorm Salsa Congress

Dj Benidorm Cabecera

Make yourselves beautiful, prepare your best repertoire of steps and figures, and above all come to dance with the best energy, opening to people and music. Together we will make Benidorm an UNIQUE AND unforgettable SOCIAL DANCE.

The orchestras and musicians are the creators of the music that we love so much, they are the starting point of an artistic and social movement that would be meaningless without their existence and therefore always have an important place in an event like BENIDORM BK CONGRESS.

We believe that the order of this genre would have to start with the live bands, they are the creators of the music that dancers dance on stage, dancers on the dance floor and DJs in their sessions, they are the mainstay of our Latin music.

to confirm day and orchestra
Estimated time of the concert “” at Palacio Cristal stage.

Llámenos - Call us


Absolutism in the Seventeenth Century

In England, during the first half of the 17th century, two monarches came to power that attempted to develop royal absolutism in that country. Both James I (James VI of Scotland) and Charles I tried to rule without consenting Parliament, but Parliament had so much control at the time that neither James nor Charles successfully decreased the role of Parliament in English government. The English had been under the combined rule of both the king and the assembly for so long that they weren't ready to give all the power of government to a single person. The merchants and land-owning nobles supported Parliament, where members could be elected and changed in necessary, rather than an absolute monarch with no restraints. In 1642, differences between Charles I and Parliament sparked England's civil war, which was caused partly by royal stubbornness to share control of the country, and partly by Parliament's refusal to give up their power in government. This was the major turning point for absolutism in England. Monarches, beginning with Charles II, realized how much power Parliament had and knew that they had to work with, not against, each other. It is because Parliament was so strongly ingrained into the English process of government, and was so centralized (only one parliament-type assembly in all of England) that Parliament survived while absolute government died miserably. Parliament continued to gain power over the King through the end of the 1600's, and would eventually become the leading governmental body of England.

In France, around the middle of the 17th century, a revolution against the current monarch, Cardinal Mazarin, by the various and scattered parlements, who wanted the right to claim royal edicts unconstitutional, and nobility, who hoped to gain power by sanctioning the monarch or removing him from office, threw France into disarray. Nobles led bands of fighters around the country, pillaging and terrorizing the lower classes at will in an attempt to weaken the King's power. They eventually hired Spanish troops to carry on their fight, even though France and Spain were currently at war. The movement failed, but it left a lasting impression in the general public as to the value of having a powerful monarch to protect from things such as the revolt. When the Cardinal died in 1661, Louis XIV, whom Cardinal Mazarin had been governing for while he grew up (Louis was only five when he inherited the throne), took power, and became the strong, absolute ruler that France had been looking for to restore order in France. Louis XIV took hold of the country and put himself at the head of government. The Estates General was never called together, and most of the feudal lords were enticed to live in Versailles, a city Louis ordered built strictly for the consolidation of government. Louis managed to control all aspects of government, from economics to foreign policy, as is the definition of an absolute monarch. There were no large parliamentary bodies to challenge him as there had been in England, and Louis had support from the majority of the citizens of France, as opposed to English absolute monarches. In this way, Louis XIV instigated an absolutism that was popular with the citizens of France, almost the opposite of England.

Tyler Jones, October 28, 1990


historical fiction

READ THE WORLD – Malaysia: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Yun Ling, the only survivor from her internment camp, sets out to build a memorial to her sister. Her quest leads he to The Garden of Evening Mists, and to Nakamura Aritomo, a man of extraordinary skill and reputation, once the gardener of the Emperor of Japan. When she accepts his offer to become his apprentice, she begins a journey into her past, inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country’s history.

The Garden of Evening Mists is told in the first person from Yun Ling’s point of view and spans over fifty years. The novel takes place in three time periods, when Yun Ling is a retired judge and writing down her story, when she becomes a gardener’s apprentice, and when she’s a teenager in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during Japan’s invasion of Malaysia. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Anna Bentinck and I really how she narrated it. The way Bentinck narrated it was great as she had a different voice for the older Yun Ling and the younger Yun Ling making it easier to follow what point in time the story is set.

I knew very little of Japan’s invasion of Malaysia during World War Two, or Malaysia’s history in general, before reading The Garden of Evening Mists. As it spans so many years, you get to see how the country changes over time, the different political influences it has, and how the people must adapt and deal with some the atrocities they face.

Yun Ling is a brilliantly complicated and realistic character. She suffered a great deal at the hands of the Japanese, she suffered physical and mental abuse, her family was torn apart, and she became a changed person due to her experience. She has every right to hate those that hurt her, but her feelings go towards all Japanese people so naturally her relationship with Aritomo is strained – at least to begin with. Seeing Yun Ling learn to deal with her anger, hurt and resentment and try and move on with her life was really powerful and compelling. Her relationship with Aritomo was fascinating as they were constantly learning from one another and as they slowly started to share more about their pasts, they were becoming a solid unit.

There were some surprises along the way as slowly Yun Ling started to piece together hers and Aritomo’s pasts, and how they may have been connected long before they met. The Garden of Evening Mists is a great historical story with some beautiful writing. The way the garden was described was so vivid and stunning, but equally the brutality Yun Ling faced was just as vivid and shocking. I enjoyed The Garden of Evening Mists far more than I was expecting to, and would recommend it to just about anyone. 4/5.

READ THE WORLD – Poland: Lala by Jacek Dehnel

Lala has lived an exciting life. Born in Poland just after World War One, Lala grew up to be a selfless and honest independent woman who survived some of the most turbulent events in Europe. As she falls prey to the first signs of dementia, she continues to tell the stories of her life to her grandson, who faithfully notes down her adventures.

Lala was translated from Polish to English by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lawrence Dobiesz which I would recommend.

Lala as a book is a little confusing as it’s marked as a work of fiction but the way it’s told, and the fact the grandson who is narrating this story has the same first name as the author, did make me wonder if it was a combination of fact and fiction, memoir and fantasy.

The scenes where it’s clear that Lala is losing her memory were both funny and poignant. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s and when reading about Lala’s antics I had to smile as there were so many things she said or did that was just like my gran. It’s a great depiction of a woman slowly losing her mind but then there’s also those moments of suddenly clarity which were lovely but also so sad as Lala was never going to get better.

Lala is a grand sweeping story as Lala tells stories about her family as far back as her great-grandfather. This is where she would sometimes confuse something her grandfather did for something her father did, then it’s her grandson who corrects her as he’s heard so many of these stories before he could often recite them by heart.

While Lala is the focus of the story, with her life before, during and after the Second World War is a big part of it, her stories of a family means this story spans over 100 years. This led me to learning a lot about Polish history that I’d never even heard of.

I really enjoyed Lala. It’s an interesting insight into Poland’s turbulent history from he eyes of a character who lived through it all, the good and the bad. It’s funny, touching and sometimes verges on the ridiculous because of Lala’s outlandish stories about the situations she’d get into or she’d hear about. I loved the way it’s told with the grandson simultaneously seeming to tell the red the stories and to be hearing them for the first time himself.

Lala is such an interesting book and it’s honest and realistic take of a woman slowly succumbing to dementia was brilliant yet sad. 5/5.

REVIEW: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

READ THE WORLD – Uzbekistan: The Devils’ Dance by Hamid Ismailov

The edition I read was translated by Donald Rayfield and John Farndon.

On New Years Eve 1938, the writer Abdulla Qodiriy is taken from his home by Soviet soldiers and thrown into prison. To distract himself from the physical and mental torture he experiences, he attempts to mentally reconstruct the novel he was working on. A novel about Oxyon, a Uzbek poet and queen who was married to three khans in succession, and lived how Abdulla now does, in constant fear of execution. As Abdulla gets to know his cellmates, he discovers more about the political intrigue that happened during Oxyon’s time, about the English and Russian spies, and how it has similarities with his own experiences. As Adulla identifies with Oxyon more and more, the line between fiction and reality, the past and present blurs, and his inability to trust his own mind could be his downfall.

This was a very interesting book. It’s a difficult book to describe as it’s a story within a story. There’s Abdulla’s life in jail, the fellow prisoners he meets, some of which he knew from life outside prison, and others he had just met. There’s the soldiers and interrogators that make his life hell, and he’s on a constant knife-edge, not knowing who he can trust or why he’s been imprisoned. Then there’s the historical story of Oxyon, her different husbands, her time as a part of a harem and her poetry. This story takes place in the 1800’s and as it progresses you can see how events then can be compared to life in 1930s Uzbekistan.

As I read The Devils’ Dance I figured out that Oxyon’s story and the different characters mentioned in that part, were real historical figures, though some of what was written may have been fictionalised. However, I didn’t realise until to the Translators Afterword, that Abdulla Qodiriy was a real person too. It’s documentary fiction, imagining what his experience in jail was like and how he coped. Learning this gave The Devils’ Dance a new meaning in my mind. It made it more sad and made me understand Abdulla and his actions more.

The Devils’ Dance was a bit hard to comprehend at times. As the story progresses, the jumps between the present (Abdulla in jail) and the past (spies, khans and poet Queens) became less clear. To begin with, the shifts between time and story were obvious due to the formatting of the book, but as Abdulla gets more and more lost inside his own head, these stories start to overlap. Also, as I have no knowledge of the khans, queens and political turmoil historically present in Uzbekistan and the surrounding area, it was new to me and it was sometimes hard to follow these historical figures and their actions.

That being said, I enjoyed how The Devils’ Dance showed me a part of the worlds history that I knew nothing about. The different people and how they interact was fascinating. Clearly a lot of thought and research had gone into this book as you follow Oxyon’s life and the traumas she faces.

The Devils’ Dance is well written. Not only is there the text but there’s a lot of poetry in it too. This poetry is from historical poets like Cho’lpon and queens like Oxyon and Nodira. The poetry adds another level of meaning to the book as characters, both with Abdulla in jail and with Oxyon in a palace, express themselves through poetry.

The Devils’ Dance is an interesting read. It’s tough to get through sometimes, because of the brutality Abdulla faces and how it merges two stories separated by 100 years together, but the language used in it is often beautiful. It’s a fictional take on real historical events, but with a basis in research as so many historians and writers are mentioned by Abdulla and others, each looking at evidence and having a different idea as to what truly happened. 4/5.

READ THE WORLD – Croatia: The Hotel Tito by Ivana Bodrožić

The edition I read was translated by Ellen Elias-Bursać.

REVIEW: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

At seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to marry a man she did not choose, a man who is the son of the Emperor. But her journey is cut short when her convoy is attacked by the Black Clan – a group of bandits and thieves who were hired to kill Mariko before she could reach the palace. But Mariko survives and vows revenge on those who want her dead. Disguised as a peasant boy, she infiltrates the Black Clan, becoming one of them, impressing them with her wit and ingenuity. But as she gets closer to her enemies, Mariko begins to discover a web of lies and a history of secrets that will change everything she thought she knew.

Flame in the Mist is set in Feudal Japan but there’s also some magical elements in it too. I really in the liked how the historical was entwined with the magic and myths, both seemed very groundedses characters reality. When this book first came out I heard it was a Mulan retelling or inspired by Mulan, and it’s really not. The only similarity to Mulan is that the main protagonist is a girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to further her aims. Mariko’s goals are very different to Mulan’s. Mariko is very smart in terms of academia and alchemy, but is incredibly naïve when it comes to life outside her gilded cage. She doesn’t know how to hunt or cook or fight and often gets into verbal sparring matches with those around her to try and hide her failings.

Mariko likes to think she’s good at reading people, and has learnt to be underestimated, being a daughter of a prominent Samurai, but when she meets Ōkami she has a much harder time getting a read on him. The dynamic between Mariko and Ōkami is an interesting one and they bounce of each other really well, managing to intrigue and unsettle one another at the same time. Ōkami is just the sort of character I end up really liking. He’s slow to trust but loyal, has a deadly set of skills and is smart. He and Mariko make an unconventional partnership.

Flame in the Mist was a bit slow to pull me in. While it kicked off straight away with the attack on Mariko’s convey, I found it took a while to connect with her and her story. As the story progressed, more characters began to reveal themselves, their political aspirations and loyalty, slowly showing that Mariko was caught up in plots much bigger than herself. The second half of the book sped along though. There was a lot of action, fights and secrets revealed and it became a proper page-turner.

Flame in the Mist is the first book in a duology so natural there’s a lot of threads left hanging, though there was some good character stuff throughout the book. While I won’t be rushing out to get it as soon as it’s released later this year, I will be picking up Smoke in the Sun at some point as I did end up enjoying Mariko as a character and am interested to see how all the plot threads are wrapped up, especially the political ones. 3/5.


Wellness – Eng

Langhard wellness is a concept created by Helena Langhard.

Medical yoga
Medical yoga is a therapeutic yoga form where breathing exercises are mixed with slow soft physical exercises, relaxation and meditation. Yogapass is performed on yoga mat or sitting on a chair. No prerequisites are required and you adapt all exercises according to your own circumstances.

Dynamic yoga
Dynamic yoga is a physical yoga class for strength, balance and agility. The classes contain softening movements, body postures, breathing techniques, meditation and relaxation. The movements are linked with the breath. Dynamic yoga joins body, soul, mind and being here and now.

Personal training

Personal training to meet your goals in a fun, safe and efficient manner. Exercise focused on getting shape, getting stronger, faster, smoother, more durable, build muscle, lose weight or just feel better.

The term wellness
“Wellness includes a multi-dimensional state of mind and understanding of what health is. It expresses itself in a sense of well-being and perceived quality of life, while, for example, the biomedical concept is based on something negative, ie disease where the body is ill from isolated parts. Wellness reflects Instead, some positively comprehensive individuals all share in a whole, ie a holistic approach based on a more subjective and emotional state.

By combining the concepts of wellness and salutogenes, including a sense of context, there is an opportunity to express how the individual understands, manages and sees the meaning of life. This overall perspective creates an awareness of the individual about his / her perception of life. Life perception includes a interacting environment around the individual consisting of, among other things, family, work, leisure, which affects the wellbeing of the individual for good and bad. This interaction creates a complex set of characteristics in / within the individual such as attitudes, experiences, knowledge, motives, values that make it possible or not to see the meaning of life affecting wellness.

Through the individual’s ability and sense of understanding, manageability and meaningfulness to address the challenge of wellness, such as starting to exercise with its pros and cons of doing this, hopefully, a body is working, which provides positive exchanges with others individuals, provide better sleep, provide more stress resistance, etc., why it is worth this investment. ”


2 Nephi 3—Four Josephs

Here’s a brief PowerPoint slideshow and lesson plan that helps answer, “Who are the four people Lehi talks about in 2 Ne. 3 who are all named Joseph?” I’ve also made a timeline where you can try to figure out what order the Josephs were born in (i.e., who came first on a timeline of world history). Also included are helpful application questions for why this matters today.

Read More


Xia, RX; Bian, T; Kais, S

Obtaining exact solutions to the Schrodinger equation for atoms, molecules, and extended systems continues to be a "Holy Grail" problem which the fields of theoretical chemistry and physics have been striving to solve since inception. Recent breakthroughs have been made in the development of hardware-efficient quantum optimizers and coherent Ising machines capable of simulating hundreds of interacting spins with an Ising-type Hamiltonian. One of the most vital questions pertaining to these new devices is, "Can these machines be used to perform electronic structure calculations?" Within this work, we review the general procedure used by these devices and prove that there is an exact mapping between the electronic structure Hamiltonian and the Ising Hamiltonian. Additionally, we provide simulation results of the transformed Ising Hamiltonian for H-2, He-2, HeH+, and LiH molecules, which match the exact numerical calculations. This demonstrates that one can map the molecular Hamiltonian to an Ising-type Hamiltonian which could easily be implemented on currently available quantum hardware. This is an early step in developing generalized methods on such devices for chemical physics.


Coaching, Sports, Uncategorized

Managing Anxiety in Youth Athletes

Anxiety is common in young adults, and many teenagers experience anxiety on a daily basis. The thought of keeping up with grades and dealing with peer pressure on a regular basis can be quite stressful. However, young adults who compete regularly in sports may find themselves more stressed out than those who do not compete.

It is common for young athletes to stress themselves out before competing in an event. Pre-competition anxiety can stem from a lot of different areas and can ultimately affect the way they perform in their games. Here are some techniques that your student athletes can practice to alleviate this anxiety, and ways to help them improve their focus when it comes time to compete.

One of the best ways for teens to calm themselves down if they are experiencing anxiety before a big game is to practice meditation. This ancient technique has been scientifically proven to help people relax and re-focus their attention from negative thoughts to positive ones. Encourage your students to practice meditation before they play in a big game for optimal stress-relieving effects.

Face Your Fears

Young athletes oftentimes have irrational fears about competing. They fear losing and rejection is a common problem that many athletes will face. It is important as a coach to help them remove the fear that they experience from their minds to improve their focus. One of the best ways to accomplish this task is to make your students face their fears. This means having them play as many games as possible in skirmishes to get them to become comfortable with the thought of losing. Remind them that losing is simply an opportunity to improve and that it should not always be seen as a negative thing. Changing perspectives is key to overcome anxiety and improve their confidence as an athlete.

Nearly everyone in society experiences anxiety at some point or another in their daily lives. While some may experience it more than others, it can be debilitating if it is not taken care of. Fortunately, these two techniques will help condition your students for greatness and shape their minds to resemble that of an all-star athlete. Understanding where anxiety comes from is key to ensuring that your young athlete faces the problem head-on and develops into a better person because of it.

Coaching, Sports

Building a Team Identity

Originally published on

Teamwork is the most important aspect of any team sport. After all, how is anyone expected to do anything by themselves against a larger group of athletes? It is an ingredient needed in any circumstance against any foe, and here is how to develop that championship teamwork instinct according to

Analyzing Personnel

What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses? Who is someone who can be relied on during important times? Are the role players ready to complete a difficult job if necessary? Knowing the squad inside and out will help determine the lineups and tactics against any other team. The biggest advantage of knowing everyone’s attributes in a team is the opportunity to mix and match depending on the opponent and situation.

There are certain things people in leadership positions look for that cannot be compromised. A leader without a vision is no leader at all. Therefore, there are certain things that someone might take for granted, whether it be attitude or level of skill. Without that fundamental attribute or two, a player may not even make the final roster cuts. Some coaches may value players who hustle all the time regardless of skill level, which could be seen as a way to make the vision work. Some may want a certain type of attitude or skill level. Coaching preferences vary, but a good coach understands the basic skills needed for his or her team’s success.

A team who is afraid to speak up will never prosper. Perhaps someone sees a deficiency that others don’t; perhaps someone has a good idea. It is important to make people feel welcome and comfortable to have them speak up if they see something. Lines of communication have to be free and clear so that everyone knows what will be expected of them. Among these are playing styles, intelligence in how to play, among the game’s rules and how to take advantage, and much more.

Everyone must do their fair share of work. Everyone has a responsibility. If people do not achieve their objectives and do not take responsibility, then this factor must be addressed. Communication again plays into this attribute, as everyone should know what is expected of them and when or why they did poorly. Player rotation also factors into this, as people’s skill levels may change throughout the course of time. This means that everyone needs to be ready to do perform as well as possible, whether that task is a big or a small one.

Tough Losses and Bouncing Back in Youth Sports

Originally published on

Playing sports is an excellent way of getting children involved in the community and learning new skills. Although the games may just be for fun, kids can often get upset when they lose to another team. Although there may be a few tough losses throughout the season, there are ways of helping kids bounce back from the physical and emotional defeat.

Set the Example as the Parent

Youth athletes will ultimately reflect the behavior of their parents and will model what you say and do when they win or lose. Instead of becoming negative and making winning a priority, focus more on the development of their skills rather than how well they perform in a game. If the child is enjoying the sport and is becoming more skilled throughout the process, then it is a successful season.

Create a Routine After the Game

Your post-game routine should remain consistent whether they win or lose to ensure that they understand that winning or losing isn’t as important as enjoying one’s self. Consider going out for celebratory pizza after each game despite the outcome, which can allow the athletes to have something to look forward to, and avoid focusing so much on how they performed on the court.

Offer Encouragement

Make encouragement a priority to ensure that the child understands what they did well during the game and feels better about themselves. Talk more about what they did well, whether they defended the goal or made a shot so that they feel praised and don’t allow their mood to be influenced by the outcome of the game. In the same regard, you can discuss what they can improve on in the future to allow them to continue to develop their skills.

Avoid Making Their Athletic Ability Their Identity

Many parents make the mistake of making their child’s athletic performance their identity, which can affect the child’s view of themselves, harming their self esteem and putting too much pressure on them during games. Remind them that failing is a part of life and that they are skilled athletes despite how well they may have performed in the game. Don’t place so much emphasis on how many points were scored or plays they made. Focus more on their characteristics and who they are as a person.

Understanding Different Age Groups When Coaching

The job of a coach is simple: allow the players to learn the basic, fundamental aspects of the game while improving their individual weaknesses and capitalizing on their strengths. How the coach does that is up to them, but the process changes dramatically depending on the ages of the players they are coaching.

7-10 Years

The game is still relatively new to children in this age bracket, so it’s important to focus on learning the basic techniques that a coach will be able to build on later. In basketball, for instance, the coach should focus on teaching correct shooting form, ball handling, passing, and defensive techniques. For baseball, coaches should focus on footwork on infield drills and batting stances. As the students progress through the ranks, they should still revisit these basic instructions periodically just to refresh their memory on how it should be played.

10-12 Years

Kids are more advanced by this stage, and will most likely have the basic skills necessary to play the game, no matter what it is. From here, coaches should emphasize more streamlined versions of their game, such as cuts and one-footed layups (in basketball) and directional bunting (for baseball). Also, strategic maneuvers and situational awareness should be implemented as well to allow the player to begin to see the game from a high-level position.

12-14 Years

Scrimmages are a great teaching tool at this stage to allow the students to get the most real-world experiences playing the game. Furthermore, the game should also be practiced at a quicker pace and under more direct pressure. When coaching basketball, teach the basics of screening and when to implement them, as well as different types of passes and coordinating plays in the face of a stiff defense. Never forget to revisit some of the more basic forms that the student learned in their earlier years, especially if their form begins to get sloppy.

The job of a coach is never done. There will always be something to build on and something to teach, so make sure that, as a coach, you are discerning in your approach to the player. Within these groups are individuals that will play either above or below their level, so it’s vital that you spend individualized time with them as well to maximize their efforts.

Originally published on

Basketball, Coaching

Leadership Lessons From the Great Phil Jackson

As one of the most well known coaches in NBA history, Phil Jackson has solidified his legendary status through 13 total championships won as both a coach and player. Between the years of 1987 and 1998, Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls with NBA legend Michael Jordan, going on to win 6 total titles with this formidable team. Aside from Jordan, the Bulls boasted a number of legendary names under Jackson’s tenure like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and John Paxson.

In his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, he served as head coach to Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’neal, and Derek Fisher; another team he would eventually win 5 total championships with. So, how was Jackson able to serve as a leader with so many talented (and somewhat ego-driven) players on his rosters?Michael Jordan

Phil Jackson coached some of the greatest NBA players in the history of the sport. One enormous takeaway from this is that he was never intimidated or deterred by that fact. Rather than allowing them to lead the team and coach others, he showed them how to be even better. Great leaders are those who are not afraid to take on the toughest challenges and approach them with confidence. Jackson was able to build a successful supporting cast around players like Jordan and Bryant, allowing them to grow and play as a team.

While his coaching tactics have been proven time and time again, Jackson allowed his players to believe in themselves and operate as a team without his supervision at times. As many basketball coaches understand, being too strict of a mentor will only lead to tension and miscommunication on the court. Allowing your players to perform how they want to from time to time builds a much stronger relationship between yourself and them. Jackson taught his teams how to effectively play for long periods of time without having the whistle blown, forcing them to work as a team. He inspired them to act as leaders themselves.

Develop a Culture

With both the Bulls and Lakers, Phil Jackson created a ‘winning culture’ in which his players expected to be great. In order to effectively build this mindset, Jackson had to strategize and encourage his players to believe in themselves, as well as him having to believe in them. He was able to focus more on the chemistry of the team rather than signing the best players in the world. He saw what formations meshed the best, and which were less effective on the court. Through this, he trusted his players to reach their fullest potentials, thus creating a healthy culture that expected to win games over and over.

Phil Jackson is a great example of a leader who bred leaders. His coaching abilities led to not only numerous championship titles, but to the enormous success of those who played under him.

Originally published on


The information revealed from this episode has had a strong impact on "Dragon Ball" fans. The yet to be resurrected evil emperor, Frieza, would be facing imminent danger before the tournament of power takes place. Now, we’ll show you the official synopsis.

Episode 94

Title: "Resurrection of the Evil Emperor! The Mysterious Awaiting Assassins?!".

Release date: June 11

Plot Summary: Final preparations for the tournament of power begin. Goten and Trunks will take A-17’s place on the island. Goku tells the kids that in the Android’s absence they are left in charge of it.

After that, he goes to visit Frieza in earth’s hell. Goku’s friends strongly opposed to the evil emperor’s incorporation, but the Saiyan is confident of his choice.

Shidora wants to kill Frieza?

Universe 9 God Of Destruction, Shidora, holds a grudge against universe 7. Finding out that Frieza is going to participate in the tournament, he will try to get an easy victory by eliminating the emperor before he can enter it.

As you can see, episode 94 is going to be full of surprises. We will see how a god of destruction will try to take a participant’s life.

In one of the old plot summaries, there was a mention that the gods of destruction from the universe would conspire against Universe 7. However, this seems to have been left abandoned. Maybe in this episode, we’ll see some of that plot, by attempting to kill Frieza.

On the other hand, we’ll see how the kids (Goten and Trunks) go to the island where A17 works to take care of the animals and protect them from the furtive hunters. As clumsy and naïve the little Saiyans may be, we believe they won’t have any problems in taking this task whatsoever.

They are small but strong, and even if they got to be outnumbered, both kids would deal with all of them.

So here we have it, both main scenarios for this episode. We never saw a god of destruction in an attempt to kill a Z Warrior before (Frieza as a Z Warrior sounds odd, I know, but let’s leave it like this for now). Yes, we’ve seen both Bills and Shidora using the Hakai before. But this would be the first time a god will really go for the kill against the Z warriors. Will Bills interfere? Will Goku, Frieza, and Vegeta have to join forces for the first time against Shidora? Will they reveal an actual way of defeating a god? Time will tell.

Next, we will show you the progress of the upcoming chapter of the “Dragon Ball Super," with some leaked information about this saga. Enjoy it, and stay tuned. In the meantime, we await the arrival of the next chapters.


[ noun ]
/ naʊn /

WATCH NOW: We Asked: How Do You Remember The Definition Of A "Noun"?

How do you remember what a noun is? This poet has a unique way of thinking about a noun's meaning ...

noun Grammar.

Nearby words

  1. noughts-and-crosses,
  2. noumenal,
  3. noumenally,
  4. noumenon,
  5. nouméa,
  6. noun adjunct,
  7. noun clause,
  8. noun group,
  9. noun incorporation,
  10. noun phrase

Origin of noun

1350–1400; Middle English nowne < Anglo-French noun < Latin nōmen name

Related formsnoun·al, adjectivenoun·al·ly, adverb

Grammar note

Most of us learned the classic definition of noun back in elementary school, where we were told simply that “a noun is the name of a person, place, or thing.” That's not a bad beginning; it even clues us in to the origin of the word, since noun is derived ultimately from the Latin word nōmen, which means ‘name’.
As we see from its dictionary definition, a noun can name not only a physical thing but also abstract things such as a state ( happiness ) or a quality ( beauty ). The word is defined further in terms of the way it functions in the language—as a subject or object in a sentence or as the object of a preposition. In any of those positions, it can be modified by an adjective or adjective phrase: a talented but quirky artist.
Nouns are typically said to fall into two categories: proper noun and common noun. A proper noun designates a particular person, place, or thing and is normally capitalized: Shakespeare, Mexico, the Pentagon. A common noun refers to a generic person, place, or thing: teacher, classroom, smartphone. The plural form of a common noun names a set or group. (Proper nouns are pluralized only in special circumstances: There are many Springfields in the United States. Oh, no, the Smiths are coming to dinner again. )
To form the plural, most common nouns simply add an -s ( teachers, classrooms, smartphones ). Some nouns ending in –o (but not all) add -es. Nouns ending in the sounds [ch] /tʃ/, [j] /dʒ/, [sh] /ʃ/, [zh] /ʒ/, [s] /s/, or [z] /z/ also have plurals ending in -es ( bus/buses, ash, ashes, judge/judges ). Several nouns form the plural in a different way. These include child/children, knife/knives, and a number of others. Some nouns have a plural form identical to that of the singular: sheep/sheep. Seven English nouns form their plural by changing the vowel in the middle of the word: woman/women, man/men, goose/geese, tooth/teeth, foot/feet, louse/lice. (Can you think of the seventh one?*) And then, of course, there are nouns borrowed from other languages that keep their non-English plurals ( bacterium/bacteria, chapeau/chapeaux, kibbutz/kibbutzim ).
But not all nouns can be pluralized. Thus we have another way to categorize nouns. Those that can be thought of in the plural are called count nouns; the things they name can be counted and enumerated. Other nouns, called mass nouns or noncount nouns, name things that are usually not counted, even when the amount grows larger. This class includes nouns that refer to a substance ( water, sand, oxygen, electricity ), a quality ( kindness, honesty ), or an abstract concept ( happiness, health ). There are exceptions: some substances can be spoken of in the plural if you are referring to various kinds ( The wines of France are known throughout the world ) or to units or containers of the substance ( We’ll have three coffees and two teas ).
Certain other nouns that name something relatively concrete, like furniture, flatware, hardware, and software, are also treated as mass nouns. This means that in English we do not say “This computer comes with the latest softwares.” Nor do we say “I’m buying a furniture” (although we can buy a couch or a table ), since mass nouns normally cannot be immediately preceded by “a,” “an,” or a numeral. Instead, we use the singular form even when referring to large quantities, saying things like “a lot of software” or “too much furniture.” This distinction between count nouns and mass nouns, complex though it may seem, is pretty much absorbed automatically if you grow up speaking English. But it can be one of the most difficult things to assimilate for people learning English as a foreign language. The answer? Read, read, read. And listen.
* mouse/mice Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for noun

British Dictionary definitions for noun

/ (naʊn) /

  1. a word or group of words that refers to a person, place, or thing or any syntactically similar word
  2. (as modifier)a noun phrase
Abbreviation: N, n Related adjective: nominal
Derived Formsnounal, adjectivenounally, adverbnounless, adjective

Word Origin for noun

C14: via Anglo-French from Latin nōmen name

Word Origin and History for noun

late 14c., from Anglo-French noun "name, noun," from Old French nom, non (Modern French nom), from Latin nomen "name, noun" (see name (n.)). Old English used name to mean "noun." Related: Nounal.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Culture definitions for noun

The part of speech that names a person, place, thing, or idea. The following words are nouns: child, town, granite, kindness, government, elephant, and Taiwan. In sentences, nouns generally function as subjects or as objects.


Surrounded by gardens, the Pousada Alvorada do Farol is in a quiet area a few feet from Itapoã, which is one of the most beautiful beaches of Salvador. The hotel's rustic architecture is combined with tasteful furnishings and comfortable beds in order to make you feel comfortable in its rooms. In addition to the privileged location near the beach, the Pousada Alvorada do Farol provides a swimming pool and a cozy TV room, enabling you to spend a pleasant time without leaving the hotel. Furthermore, you can keep in touch with your loved ones using the free internet access in the communal areas.


I always get excited when I work on a dining room project. It’s one of my favorite spaces that I like to design, add drama, and do some switching when dealing with seating. I enjoy addressing anything matchy-matchy. I do understand that some prefer a dining table with the matching chairs, and this can be a keeper for most. However, keeping the dining chairs because it is considered the norm is a definite no-no! Moreover, given my experience as a designer, why not make a dramatic statement with the chairs that give way to a more dominant color, unique pattern by utilizing fabric, or a finish such as metallic.

The overall point is to add a little bit of drama. I like to provide my professional opinion to help nudge someone that is in their comfort zone and scared of change. When switching out the original chairs, the dining room will not only become a relevant part of the home, but it will make an immediate statement. Trust me; when a dining room is functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it is used more for the intended purpose. Bold colors such a vibrant yellow and electric red can be an ultimate head turner.

Design Tip: SWITCH OUT – For both my dining room and breakfast nook, I bought two over-sized table bases (defined more as sculptural pieces). Then, I purchased chairs that became a complement to the table bases.

Also, I adore a high contrast — for instance, off-white or cream chairs against a dark wood dining table, but the most important note to remember about color is that it can turn any space into something extraordinary and exciting!

Check out some stylish dining rooms featuring chairs that are sitting pretty and representing their position while taking center-stage.

Kimberly C. Lyons


Downstream: Trailer Round-Up for the Week of April 2-8

A light week in terms of trailers this week so let's get into it.

I know that last week, I said that Kodachrome would be the Netflix Original movie to keep your eye on. Well, turns out that for the second week in a row, Netflix has a killer looking movie on the way. The only apprehension that I have towards Cargo is that the producer for The Babadook, I'm not a fan of that movie, is attached to this movie as well.

3% is another one of those foreign language shows that I haven't seen. The general plot seems fairly formulaic, with the general populous upset that 3% of people get to go to live in this utopian society. I've heard it's worth checking out but with so much content on the front and back burners, it'll be awhile until that happens.


Definition - What does Companding mean?

Companding refers to a technique for compressing and then expanding (or decompressing) an analog or digital signal. It is a combination of the words "compressing" and "expanding."

This twin-sequential process is non-linear overall but linear over short periods of time. Data is compressed before being transmitted. Then, it is expanded at the receiving end using the same non-linear scale to restore it to its original form, but with reduced noise and crosstalk levels (meaning reduced disruption of, or interference with, signals in an adjacent circuit). This disruption or interference is commonly from alternating current (AC), direct current (DC) or other transmission lines.

The electronic circuit responsible for companding is called the compandor.

This term is also known as compansion.

Techopedia explains Companding

Companding is used as a complement to the process of modulation and demodulation. In this process a voice signal is compressed, then changed from analog to digital, transmitted and converted back from digital to analog before it is expanded again. These processes are described in the ITU Standardization Sector for Telecommunications (ITU-T) recommendation G.711.

For audio analog signals, the amplitude of weak signals is raised and the amplitude of strong signals is decreased, thereby altering (compressing and expanding) the dynamic range of the signals. The technique is used in AM, FM and single-sideband modulation radio and is helpful in improving the quality of amplified voice and musical instrument sounds. Dolby and dbx noise reduction also employ companding. Concert audio systems and noise reduction technologies such as dbx and Dolby use a triplet of amplifiers to accomplish this process, meaning a logarithmic amplifier, a variable-gain linear amplifier and an exponential amplifier.

For digital audio signals, companding is used in pulse code modulation (PCM). The process involves decreasing the number of bits used to record the strongest (loudest) signals. In the digital file format, companding improves the signal-to-noise ratio at reduced bit rates. For example, a 16-bit PCM signal may be converted to an eight-bit ".wav" or ".au" file.

Another application of companding involves professional wireless microphones, which have a larger dynamic range than is possible through radio transmission. By decreasing the amplitude of signals, the signals may be transmitted and then expanded at the receiver, where the original signals are reproduced by the receiving electronic equipment.

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Loyalty – The Lost Treasure

We can all recall one of our favorite movies where the actor or actress goes against all odds and stands their ground for a simple principle. My favorite movie is “We Were Soldiers” with Mel Gibson who is Lt Colonel in Vietnam and he is in a fire fight with the enemy. His radio operator is on the radio with headquarters miles away from the front line and they are asking for him to return back to base. He responds, “I will not leave my men”! What commitment, decisiveness, and character he demonstrated. A principle that is rare these days. Has this principle been lost over time, and if so, when did we lose it and where is it?

There was a time in our not too distant past when there was a nation that had one of the most resilient citizens in the world. This nation would stand side by side with its fellow citizens faintly noticing the color of their skin or the money in their wallet, and they would take arms against an enemy foreign or domestic that threatened their way of life. They stood side by side based upon a principle dear not only to their hearts but their survival. The belief in this principle united a group of people in faith and commitment with a solemn resolve of nationalism and victory. This nation is better known to the entire world as the United States of America.

We represented freedom in every facet of our lives. We believed in goodness and fairness to all citizens in the United States and that every man, woman, and child in our world should have the opportunity to attain and practice this national ideology. But what was it that united such a vast diversity of people? What could bring different ethnicities, races, and social economic classes to serve one cause? My assumption is a word that once again is rarely used or observed in out nation’s moral character and that word or belief is Loyalty.

Loyalty is a tradition that is seldom practiced in today’s American society unless for selfish reasons. It is presumed that if you are American you are automatically loyal to one another. Although that may have been demonstrated in the earlier years of our nation, a lot has changed. We have expanded in population and diversity. Our economy has dominated the world for the past century and our military is the most powerful in the world. And yet with expansion comes corruption to where our government officials are not as honorable as they once were. Politicians have stopped representing the American people and focused on serving their own interest. Politics has become a career that is being educated in our universities versus a civil responsibility to be conducted by ordinary citizens. Special interest groups have mastered the ability impact all levels of legislation ignoring the needs of the millions of voters and American citizens. Political parties have insisted that people choose one party over another, and regrettably race and social class status have become a caste metric system to determine one’s political affiliation. Has it always been this way? Have we always been divided on our loyalty to one segment of society versus another? Unfortunately the answer is yes.

As a young nation we had a division of political beliefs. We had those who believed in a strong federal government versus those who believed in an anti-federal government. We had some colonies who believed we should succeed from England, and we had some colonies who wanted Independence. As our nation continued to develop, our individual beliefs continued to develop right along with our nation assembling separate concepts and interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. We were a nation with settlers and Native Americans, Yankees and Confederates, immigrants and illegal immigrants, black and white, and the diversity carries on.

A very noteworthy and historical factor was that regardless of our disagreements, divisions, and diversity we would come together as a nation during a time of desperation and necessity. We did not concern ourselves with the color of someone’s skin or what political affiliation they were associated with because we were unsurprisingly loyal to a concept of being American. A principle that I was drilled on during my young enlisted career in the Air Force and have since continued to treasure as my life has progressed.

As a non-commissioned officer it was my duty to be loyal to my troops as much as to the Constitution of the United States. Loyalty was a characteristic that was expected by every military person because we knew in the end it was all we had when we were in harms way. It saddens me that we do not practice this attribute today not because we do not have the capability but because we have lost faith in our political leaders, our government, and ourselves.

Our country is being led by what many would consider an illegitimate president who limits legal access to his citizenship. We have leaders in our bi-cameral legislation that appear to be driven by their own agenda versus the needs of the American people. We have federal and state bureaucracies that infringe, control, and dictate every aspect our lives. We are engaged in a war that appears to have no exit strategy while at the same time we dissolve old alliances (loyalty) that have stood for centuries. Our financial institutions run away unchecked with limitless power over our economic instability and current proposed legislation does nothing better than re-create a fourth branch of government. The United States government continues to transcend from a body that governs to an agency that economically and unconstitutionally competes against the same people it collects revenue. Our country is peaking with unemployment and yet we focus on providing universal healthcare. The education system is focused more on teaching students to pass a test versus expanding the minds and ideas that are needed to lead our country in the 21st Century. Instead of building bridges of cooperation the federal government is focused on creating divisions and chaos with a primary motive of preventing any political unity in our nation that can decentralize their power.

One of the most rewarding advantages in campaigning across our great state is that I have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life economically and racially. I engage with Republicans and Democrats and the one uniform conviction they share is that they are discontent and incensed with our politicians and systems of government. I have heard from numerous Democrats who have felt betrayed by the President of the United States who believe he has lied to them. I have engaged in conversations with many Conservatives who have felt neglected by the Republican Party in sustaining the conservative message. The stark reality is that as much anger and unsatisfaction they have towards our political leaders and system of government, it was created by us much like the legendary chronicle of Dr. Frankenstein creating Frankenstein.

We stood by and elected politician after politician with unconditional faith and loyalty to represent our values only to be mislead on their loyalty to special interest. I hope not to portray that all our political leaders and government leaders are corrupt but we honestly know the ones who really are. It has been said many times that actions speak louder than words and they continue to ignore the will and voice of the people only to bolster their status, fatten their war chest, or protect their way of life. Loyalty cannot be measured simply by uttering your loyalty but supporting your words with your actions not only on your beliefs but in your authority to those who trust you.

November elections are just around the corner and every registered voter in this great country will once again have the opportunity to conduct a job evaluation on our political leaders. Job evaluations are commonly conducted on most Americans on an annual basis and our elected officials are not exempt. We can choose to extend our political leaders career or instruct them to leave thanks to the beauty of our Republic form of government. The loyalty of every registered voter who exercises their right to govern will be validated and broadcasted to the entire world who wishes they had the same authority we have. Every voter will pay tribute to who they consider to be loyal in protecting their families and way of life.

I therefore declare that as civil citizens that we must be first and foremost loyal to our family. We must be loyal to our spiritual faith and pray that who we elect will guide our great nation to the principles of our Independence. We need to demonstrate loyalty to the U.S. Constitution which has always been loyal to us regardless of who was in office.

If we are asking others to take responsibility for their actions we must first start taking responsibility for our own. This starts with the simplest of acts but yet an act that rules a nation; voting!

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What size grants do you award?

Impact Fund grants range from $50,000-$150,000.

Will you accept grant proposals from organizations based outside the United States?

Yes, we accept grant proposals from organizations based anywhere in the world.

What is the Twilio.org Impact Fund?

The Twilio.org Impact Fund provides financial support through grants and investments to organizations that are generating impact aligned with Twilio.org’s mission to fuel communications that give hope, power, and freedom. The Impact Fund is supported as part of Twilio’s participation in the Pledge 1% initiative. Through this initiative, Twilio pledged 1% of company equity to fund Twilio.org for a period of 10 years. Through the Impact Fund, Twilio.org offers monetary grants to nonprofits and investments in social enterprises that are part of the Twilio.org customer community. Additional information on the Impact Fund is available here.

What types of organizations do you fund?

We are excited to fund organizations creating large system-wide change that leverages communications to fuel that change.

Examples include:

· Organizations that use innovative communication strategies to remove the friction (ie: cost, effort, time) for people to participate in their programs or to increase engagement for positive social change.

· Organizations that are building a new communications based project

· Organizations that use technology to address urgent communication needs like crisis response, supporter activation, and time-sensitive calls to action.

· See here for a current list of grantees and investment recipients.

Who administers distribution of grants?

The Twilio.org Impact Fund donor advised fund (DAF), housed by Tides Foundation, administers the Twilio.org Impact Fund.

What are your evaluation criteria?

We evaluate proposals using the following criteria:

· Communications are the cause of and the solution to many of the world’s problems. How does your organization leverage communications, in a technological and programmatic way, to solve big problems?

· Evidence that an Impact Fund grant will provide you the rocket fuel to leverage communications to accomplish your mission. For instance, increasing people using your service by 75% or bringing your pilot to 50 more countries.

· Demonstrated effort toward creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and board · Alignment with Twilio.org mission (Fuel communications that give hope, power and freedom)

· Organization financial sustainability When possible, we prioritize funding for organizations working on core issue areas for Twilio.org — democracy, crisis support, community engagement, education, and healthcare.

How is your grants committee organized?

Our grants committee is comprised of Twilio employees and Twilio.org leadership.

What size and stage organizations do you fund?

We provide grants to organizations of any size, ranging from early stage small teams to large organizations operating in multiple countries.

Do you provide grants for ongoing operational expenses or capacity building?

No. We seek to fund specific projects.

Is current Twilio product usage a prerequisite for Impact Fund eligibility?

No. We fund organizations who are currently using Twilio products and those who are just getting started. We are excited to hear how a grant from our Impact Fund would help you build your first project with Twilio.

I’m new to Twilio. How do I get started?

Sign up for a Twilio account. While you’re at it, sign up for the Twilio.org Impact Access program to receive your nonprofit benefits.

Where is my Twilio Account SID?

Your Account SID is located in your Twilio Console on the account dashboard.

Does the grant include access to any additional Twilio resources?

Absolutely! We like to call this the Twilio.org bear hug. If you have additional questions about Twilio products, new features, or have a business question, we’re happy to point you to an employee with expertise in that area. Twilio volunteers love to help support social impact organizations in meeting their goals.

Can we use grant funds to pay our Twilio bill?

No. Your grant funds may not be used to pay your Twilio bill. We encourage you to use the funding to support work related to building an app, programmatic support or other communications work, but do not use them to pay the bill directly.

Are there any other qualities you look for when evaluating grant proposals?

In addition to the aforementioned evaluation criteria, we look for organizational alignment with Twilio’s nine values. These values are core to Twilio, and we look to fund organizations that share our vision of creating a diverse, inclusive and healthy work place for all.

If I am not selected for a grant in a given round, may I apply again in the future?

Yes. We invite interested organizations to apply for a grant each time we open a funding round.


5655: 1960's Kimono Salesperson's Sampler Pack, Japanese Kasuri (ikat) 20pcs

5655: 1960s Salesperson Sampler Pack, 20pcs, view1

Vintage Japanese Textiles:

1960's Deadstock Japanese Kasuri Salesperson's Packet
20 Pieces

Catalog# 5655:

US$32.00 per lot

Shipping included under 4 pounds package weight

Fabric History/Pedigree: 1960's Japanese salesperson's sampler packet of various kasuri patterns used by fabric makers in Japan; 20 Different pieces which are each about 14 X 7 inches (35.56 cm X 17.78 cm), bound into one packet (net weight 9 oz).

Fabric Description:  Japanese vintage deadstock kasuri (ikat) cotton fabrics; Light-medium weight, still firm; colors are black, indigo-blue,  with patterns in off-white, light aqua-blue, some  burgundy and some light green shades; These are traditional ikat  patterns with colored accents (see close-ups).

Condition: Excellent (Still  slightly hard, softens with washing -- requires special washing instructions).

    This is  Japanese country vintage fabric called kasuri (also called ikat in Southeast Asia; ) ; Kasuri is a labor-intensive process where patterns are made by pre-dyed paste resistance and varying techniques used to create the sorts of patterns seen here. Because of the methods used, authentic kasuri is usually highly expensive. More info on kasuri below:

    Cultural Notes on Kasuri(ikat):

    Wikipedia.org, on-line encyclopedia, defines Kasuri as:

    ...a Japanese word for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric. It is an ikat technique. Kasuri is weft ikat; the warp threads are solid color, and the weft thread is resist-tied in a specific pattern and dyed with indigo to form a picture when the cloth is woven. Japanese ikats are generally weft ikats or double ikats.

    To see a YouTube.com video of the making of traditional indigo kasuri please click HERE .

      $ 32.00


Delta Underwater Sizes

Vyksa Nizhny Novgorod Region

§ 8. Coast and education in the mainstream.

1. Concave coast and its elements.

The floodplain concave shore, which is steep due to the constant washing off of it by a pressure current, is called a spring. Yar depth is always greater than the opposite convex shore. This makes it possible for navigators to carry out transport vessels with a large draft on a sea bed, i.e., near a concave coast. Yar begins (and ends) in the place where the concave bank passes into a straight section of the river or into a convex bank. The beginning of the yar is called the upper shoulder of the yar, and the end, which is located downstream, is called the lower shoulder.

Fig. 13. Unclean Yar: 1 – Yar; 2 – Yar brow; 3 – water edge; 4 – a fallen tree; 5 – underwater stove

The line of transition of the surface of the earth into the steep bank is called the ridge of the yar (Fig. 18). Sailing can be obstacles to navigation, which reduce the guaranteed depth. Such obstacles include the pechina, a part of the rock that is difficult to wash out (usually clay), which goes into the mainstream. Near Pechina, as in general from the spring, there is a fast current and great depth. Pechin can be surface and underwater. Above the pechin a backwater is created, and below — a circulation (subs). Judgment is judged on the location of the underwater furnace.

If there is a forest on the bank at the beach, it means that there may be karches in the water, which are formed from trees and stumps falling into the water as a result of the destruction of the coast being washed.

Serious obstacles to shipping, which are almost impossible to determine by external signs of terrain and flow, are the club and pobochen.

The club is called the horizontal platform of the unbreakable soil in a bow under water. The location of the club should be known to the master, the water horizon is changing on it.

Pobochni – sediment sand at Yar – formed from the discharge of water during high water from the flooded floodplain into the mainstream through Yar. By forming in the banks of the excavation from the discharge of water from the floodplain, you can determine the location of the subsurface immediately after its formation. Especially, there are a lot of cases in the rivers after the flood, when the river enters its banks. Most often, the water is washed out completely or partially by the water of the low-water channel. On the locked river, the water is washed out more slowly than on the free one. As a rule, sediments are deposited below the drywater due to the weakening of the flow, i.e. small sprays are formed.

Yar is called an unclean yar, near which there are various underwater and surface obstacles for navigation near the coast: pechins, clubs, Karchi, pobochni, oditsy, etc. The movement of ships near such a shore is dangerous.

Delta Underwater Sizes

If the yar has no obstacles for navigation, it is called pure yar.

2. The convex shore and alluvial deposits near it.

The sediments in the river flow under the action of the flow move in a straight line passing through the convex banks at the bend of the ax channel and along the entire width of the channel in relatively straight sections (Fig. 14). Fig. 14. Displacement of sediments in the river bed and formation of shallows (1, 2, 3) and stretches

At convex shores, where the flow is slow, sediment is deposited. Significant sediment deposition forms a low, sandy beach without vegetation, called sand. The shape of the sand usually corresponds to the outline of the opposite sand.

The main type of sediment deposition of sand is a spit (Fig. 15), which is of considerable size, triangular in shape, the base adjoins the convex bank and the apex gradually passes from the surface to the underwater state. The spit of small size, adjacent to the spit or directly to the convex bank, is called a zakok. A large underwater spit, extending far into the river bed, is called the zamaniha. The sand or spit under the action of the current can be strongly eroded and become steep near the “upstream” (upstream) part of the current, which is why the fairway usually passes through a deep place. This sand or spit called trim and. A group of underwater braids, small in size, is called a sstrug. Zastrugi adjacent to the braids, zakoskam and can be located separately in the mainstream.

Zatoninoy is a small bay in the river behind the spit. The inflated formations of the convex bank, spit, barbs, etc., due to the constant work of the flow, change their size, are subject to erosion or, on the contrary, increase.

3. Applied education in the mainstream.

In addition to sediment near the convex bank and the side of the river, there are other alluvial formations in the riverbed, surrounded by water, both underwater and above-water. These include islands, islands, landings, shalygi.

The center is a surface shallow, surrounded on all sides by water and having no vegetation.

Fig. 16. Ship broke, on a shallow

From the erosion of the underwater part of the spit may form an underwater center; it may also occur below the cape of the arrow, formed from the confluence of two rivers, in the tikhovod, behind the mountain market, on shalyg and various underwater obstacles. Seedlings limit the width of the channel, change the direction of the flow of water.

An island is a surface center with vegetation. The island can be formed from the middle, the floodplains, due to the straightening of the bend, the division of the channel into two branches, the formation of a blockhole – a narrow branch dividing the island into two separate islands. The upper part of the island and the center, eroded by the flow, is called the top, the lower part, where sediment is deposited, is a rod.

Shalygoy is the name of the underwater sedimentary deposition at the side of the hull of a vessel that has become stranded across the trough of rolling (Fig. 16), i.e., has been taken.

After removing the vessel from the ground, the current bypasses shalygu, eroding it. Gradually, the shalyga can be torn down by the current closer to the basement of the rolling stock and change it, forming an embarrassing rollback with a convex basement. Shalyga can also hold sediment, increasing in shape and turning into center.

The outflow of sediments carried out of the tributary (river, stream, ravine, etc.) in the mouth or below it is called discharge. The outflow consists of gravel, sand, pebbles, and sometimes stones.

If the tributary flows into the concave bank, then the discharge that is located in the bed near the mouth of this tributary is at the same time. If the inflow flows into a convex bank, then sediment deposition at this bank increases. The outflow area is usually larger if it is below the inflow, and smaller if it is formed by the arrow.

The amateur boatmaster should foresee the possibility of the formation of a discharge when approaching the coast below the inflow or entering it and lead the vessel at a slow speed, measuring the depth with a basting (meter rod).

4. Unbreakable obstacles.

There may be a large number of unbreakable obstacles in a river. These include:

Odinets is a separate stone of considerable size lying in the river. Odinets, frozen in the ice, can move along with the ice during ice drift over long distances.

Ogrudki (rocky center) – a cluster of stones extended along the coast or an underwater part of a monolithic rock massif in the channel.

The ridge is an underwater cluster of stones in the riverbed across the river.

The threshold is an underwater and above-water accumulation of large stones along the entire width of the channel, creating water retention above the threshold and a rapid flow in the threshold. The fairway of the river at the threshold is usually shallow, winding and passes between the underwater and surface stones.

Shivera, a type of sill on the Siberian rivers, is formed by groups of stones scattered in separate areas along the entire width of the channel. Fairway meanders between them.

When sailing on inland waterways, the amateur navigator should know some more pilotage terms.

Delta – the place where the river flows into the lake or the least. The river in the delta usually forks into several small ducts, branches. The delta has the form of a triangle resembling the Greek letter delta. The triangle is directed towards the sea by its base. Delta is formed due to sediment deposition.

The estuary is a network of gaps that form the river delta. The estuary is usually called the channel in the deltas of the Dnieper, Dniester. On the Volga, they are called Eriks, on the Danube – by beads, on the Northern Dvina – by sleeves. Sometimes the channels in the delta are very wide, then they are called ilmenyas (on the Volga), flowing (on other rivers).

The water boundary is the line of intersection of the water surface with the shore.

The splash is a narrow, usually sloping shoreline, flushed with excitement, adjacent to the water’s edge.

Volozhka is the second riverbed, separated from the main (main) channel by the island. Volozhka over time can become the main course of the ship.

Guaranteed depth – the smallest depth, the maintenance of which is guaranteed in this area due to dredging, release of water from reservoirs, straightening structures.

The raid is the water area (water area) of the port, where the vessels are waiting for loading and unloading, tow structures are formed and disbanded, vessels are defended in a storm and during repairs.

Dam – hydraulic engineering rectifying structure, which serves to change the flow, the continuation of the coast, the fence from the waves or ice drift.

5. Rolls.

The sediments in the river are arranged in a straight line of their movement connecting the convex shores, forming an oblique transverse shaft in the channel. This driftwood, above which the water depth is less than in adjacent parts of the channel, makes shipping difficult and forms rolling with its shallow water (Fig. 17). Between the shallows are deep-water sections of the river – reach.

The shaft, or the saddle of the rolling line, at the intersection with the rod, is eroded and it produces a recess, called the rolling trough, where the greatest depths are located on the rolling line. On the roll trough passes the ship passage.

The upstream sloping part of the rolling saddle is called the pressure head. The lower part of the saddle is steep and is called the basement. Above the basement is the smallest shallow depth. The uppermost part of the basement is called the ridge. The degree of difficulty in escorting vessels through the rolls depends on the shape of the basement, the depth, direction and speed of the current on the roll.

Fig. 17. Roll: 1 – upper spit; 2 – lower spit; 3 – upper stretch hollow; 4 – bottom stretch hollow; 5 – saddle of rolling; 6 – recess trough; 7 – pressure head; 8 – basement roll; 9 – roll comb; 10 – fairway

Delta Underwater Sizes

The deep-water part of the river, adjacent to the shallows, is called the flood plain and is the beginning or end of the next reach.

The upper and lower spit rolls (or sands) are located above and below the rolls trough. On the shallows, the ship’s passage, as a rule, passes or, as they say, passes from one bank to another. These places are called passes mi.

Due to the significant difference between the draft of the vessel and the depth of the fairway on navigable rivers, the amateur navigator does not always feel the shallow waters of the shallows, but, as a rule, the amateur’s vessel feels the changes and intensification of the current during the shallow. In sailing, it is necessary to know and anticipate the degree of difficulty of passing through one or another roll of oncoming and overtaking ships that can arbitrarily change their course of travel — to scour.

When an amateur drives his vessel along a non-navigable river or river, where timber is floated, only his ability to determine the recess trough, discharge of water, the shape of the basement and knowledge of shipping qualities allows one to navigate his vessel without running aground and without accidents.

The rolls are very diverse, they differ from one another by location in the mainstream, elements in the plan and profile, and the hydrological regime. The degree of difficulty in navigating shallows depends on their properties.

There are several navigational classifications of shallows, so let us dwell on the characteristic features of some shallows, the knowledge of which is necessary for an amateur master.

Delta Underwater Sizes

A roll with a flat basement (according to the classification of D. A. Bogdanov) is called such a roll, the shaft of which is located across the fairway across the entire width of the trough in a straight line from the upper roll to the lower spit. The flow is uniformly uniform over the entire width of the roll trough. Shipping quality is favorable. Vessels proceeding from the bottom must be entered at the basement of the rolling so that the diametrical plane of the vessel coincides with the direction of flow, for which the exit of the vessel on a straight course to follow along the roll of the trough should be carried out as early as possible.

Fig. 18. Shallow stream with a convex basement

A roll with a convex basement according to the same classification is most often formed where a lot of sediment is carried by water, where the bed erodes, and especially the spring. The deposition of waste in the middle part of the basement leads to its bulge in the plan and profile. The convexity of the basement occurs at the expense of a more or less significant basement center in the center of the basement, where the smallest depths are usually found. Therefore, the current on the rift is fan-shaped and there is no pronounced main jet – rod (Fig. 18). The shipping qualities of such a roll are bad, as the fairway can change its direction either from one side or the other from the bulge of the basement. The fan-shaped current knocks the ships off course towards the borders of the fairway (to the shores).

Perekat “placer” (according to the classification of I. Popkov) is located mainly in the lower reaches of the rivers. It is formed with braid bars lying on opposite banks and shalygas. There are several basements and usually they have an irregular shape. The roll often changes. Sastrugs, shalygi, the middle forms an irregular flow, which causes yawing of ships. Because of the vaguely expressed basement, the passage of ships through such a roll is difficult and it is recommended to walk along it, measuring the depth.

Wellhead rolls (according to the classification of I. F, Popkova) are formed during floods, when water from the main river enters the tributary, bringing in its sediments, where they are deposited. In addition, water retention in the tributary delays the movement of water in it, which contributes to sedimentation of sediment. With the recession of water after high water, these sediments form in the tributary, above its mouth, estuaries, which sometimes stretch for several tens of kilometers. Spit, surface and submarine islands, islands that the tributary water cannot wash off into the mean water are also formed. Wellhead rifts usually make shipping very difficult.

An amateur often begins his tourist trip in a non-navigable tributary, which flows into the navigable river. Therefore, it is important to find out if there are estuary rifts in the mouth of a tributary, what is their depth and whether an amateur vessel can pass through these rifts.

If it is impossible to pass into the navigable river during low water, then you need to know the dates when low water begins, in order to organize a hike earlier and go through the mouth rifts to the minimum water level on them. At the mouth of the shallows, the horizon may be increased due to the outflow of dams, which are present both in the main river, above the mouth of the tributary, and in the tributary.

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Pogonia ophioglossoides (L.) Ker-Gawl
ORCHIDACEAE (Orchid Family)
EtymologyPogonia means bearded, from the Greek, pogon = beard; ophioglossoides means like a snake's tongue, from the Greek: ophis = snake + glossa = tongue + oides = resembles.
Synonyms (Common Name)Snake-mouth, Beard-flower
DescriptionA fragrant orchid, rose pogonia grows 8-16" tall, often forming large colonies in sunny, open bogs, fens and wet meadows. Rose pink, but sometimes lavender or white, rose pogonia has a heavily fringed lip bearded with yellow. The flowers occur singly or in pairs, rarely 3-4, at the top of the stem.
Wetland indicator statusOBL
Plant Height8-16 inches
LeavesSolitary (usually), simple, entire, lanceolate to oblong-ovate, to 4" long; near middle of stem; may also have one long, basal leaf; leaf-like bract grows just below flower.
Flower/InflorescenceRose pink to lavender (rarely white), 3/4 - 1 1/4" long; fragrant; solitary or in pairs; sepals and petals similar in size, separate, spreading, arched over lip; drooping lip with heavily fringed margin and yellow, bearded center.
Flowering PeriodJune-July
FruitCapsule, somewhat oval, with 3 partitions.
RangeNewfoundland to Minnesota; south to Florida and Texas.
(c) 1998-2006 Marsha C. Salett


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Pecha.js, (and all subsequent versions of Morfei family analyzers) has the ability to create a dictionary (rather, a list of words), for a given text, or a group of texts.

This is a very resource-intensive operation. The Tibetan language has no division of the phrase into words, therefore each phrase must be analyzed recursively, and then the best option out of hundreds of thousands of possible ones is determined.

However, in the analysis there are ambiguities. In this case, all possible options are entered into the dictionary. That is, there may be extra lines in the dictionary. On the other hand, some words may not be detected.

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