rlex

as my friend said

like my friend said

ROSWELL, Ga., March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud 9 Software, the leading provider of cloud-based practice management systems for orthodontists and pediatric dentists, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Reinersman as the new Chief Technology Officer. With over 30 years of experience in building and deploying enterprise software solutions, Gary joins Cloud 9 Software with the overall responsibility of integrated product delivery. In this role, Gary will lead the collaborative effort between Product Management, Engineering, and IT to deliver products and services that delight the customers. His strategy prioritizes expanding upon product offerings and broadening product services into adjacent markets while ensuring resiliency of the platform. Prior to joining Cloud 9 he served as Chief Technology Officer of a privately-held SaaS company which focused on education in the healthcare industry. In his seven and a half years with the company, Gary helped grow the business ten-fold through high organic growth and extensive merger and acquisition activities. Mike Ressel, CEO of Cloud 9, expressed his enthusiasm for the addition of Reinersman to the executive team. "I am beyond pleased to have Gary join the Cloud 9 team. His experience in providing the integrated product and technology leadership necessary to deliver a world-class cloud solution represents yet another one of our continuing investments in Cloud 9." Outside of work, Gary enjoys golfing, being on the water, and rooting on his favorite English Premier League soccer team, Tottenham Hotspur. Says Gary, "I'm very excited to join the Cloud 9 team and embrace the customer-focused culture here. Besides the exciting technical opportunities of advancing architecture and infrastructure, knowing we're helping our customers provide better care for their patients offers an even higher purpose to my commitment to excellence."

Data centers and bitcoin mining operations are becoming huge energy hogs and the explosive growth of both risks undoing a lot of the progress that's been made to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. It's one of the major criticisms of cryptocurrency operations and something that many in the industry are trying to address. Enter LiquidStack, a company that's spinning out from the cryptocurrency hardware technology developer Bitfury Group with a $10 million investment. The company, which was formerly known as Allied Control Limited, restructured as a commercial operating company headquartered in the Netherlands with commercial operations in the U.S. and research and development in Hong Kong, according to a statement. It was first acquired by Bitfury in 2015 after building a 2-phase immersion cooling 500kW data center in Hong Kong, that purportedly cut energy consumption by 95% versus traditional air cooling technologies. Later, the companies jointly deployed 160 megawatts of 2-phase immersion cooled data centers. “Bitfury has been innovating across multiple industries and sees major growth opportunities with LiquidStack’s game-changing cooling solutions for compute-intensive applications and infrastructure,” said Valery Vavilov, CEO of Bitfury. “I believe LiquidStack’s leadership team, together with our customers and strategic support from Wiwynn, will rapidly accelerate the global adoption and deployment of 2-phase immersion cooling.” The $10 million in funding came from the Taiwanese conglomerate, Wiwynn, a data center and infrastructure developer with revenues of $6.3 billion last year. “Wiwynn continues to invest in advanced cooling solutions to address the challenges of fast-growing power consumption and density for cloud computing, AI, and HPC,” said Emily Hong, chief executive of Wiwynn, in a statement. In a statement, LiquidStack said its technology could enable at least 21 times more heat rejection per IT rack compared to air cooling -- all without the need for water. The company said its cooling method results in a 41 percent reduction in energy used for cooling and a 60 percent reduction in data center space. “Bitfury has always been focused on leading by example and is a technology driven company from the top of the organization, to its grass roots,” said Joe Capes, co-founder and chief executive of LiquidStack, in a statement. “Launching LiquidStack with new funding enables us to focus on our strengths and capabilities, accelerating the development of liquid cooling technology, products and services to help solve real thermal and sustainability challenges driven by the adoption of cloud services, AI, edge and high-performance computing.”

Humankind, the historical 4X game from Amplitude designed to directly rival the Civilization series, has been delayed until August. The game was originally due to release on Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 22, but it's been pushed back to allow the team to work on perfecting "accessibility, pacing, diplomacy, AI and much more." The delay comes after feedback from community OpenDev sessions, something which Amplitude has been utilising throughout development to let players help shape how the game turns out. "It's been exciting to see the community get their hands on the game during the last few OpenDev sessions, and to hear all the positive (and constructive!) feedback," studio head Romain de Waubert de Genlis wrote. "Players have always been at the heart of Amplitude's philosophy and releasing Humankind in August will allow us the extra time to keep working with the community and polishing the game for an amazing day one experience." Humankind will now release on August 17 on Steam, the Epic Games Store and Google Stadia. A bit of a faux-weeb, Mollie will argue why your JRPG waifu is the wrong choice despite having equally awful taste. When she's not lurking in forums for nuggets of news, she's probably still failing to full combo that one song in a rhythm game she's been playing for years.

My wife and I were fortunate to receive our vaccinations this past week, and that immediately triggered in me a hope that everyone else in my life, as well as the rest of the planet, would also get one. I quickly realized, however, that not everyone was as gung-ho about vaccination as we are, and there are a number of people that have decided, for now, not to get it at all. If the animals and plants around us could speak, they would have lots to tell us, but I imagine that many of them would be trying to convince us to take the shot. Many species besides humans are in dire straits because of disease. Scientists would love to have vaccines, or even treatments, to make these problems go away, and perhaps if we put more effort toward them, we would. Currently, scientists and the governments that support them have focused their efforts on solving the pandemic, and multiple vaccines are now waiting for many of us. By taking the vaccine, we create one less individual that a coronavirus can spread to, hurt, and potentially mutate within, reducing both the spread of the disease and its ability to evolve into something even more deadly. Having such vaccines is a game changer, and I am sure that if the diseased animals and plants of the world could, they would line up for their own shot. Deer and elk throughout the continent are being affected by Chronic Wasting Disease, and not only do we not have a treatment for it, we don’t even have a live test. That is, unlike COVID-19, we can’t swab the nose of a live deer to know that it has CWD. We have to kill the deer first. Deer, if they could talk, would love the testing that humans take for granted, not to mention a vaccine that would make CWD go away. So would hunters. Amphibians throughout the globe have been decimated by a deadly fungus, called Bd, and the disease caused by Bd has led to the declines of numerous species, and the extinctions of others. Although we can swab for the presence of Bd just like COVID, and we can treat amphibians in the lab to rid them of the fungus, much like our friends and family that have spent time in the hospital, we don’t have a way to stop Bd from affecting amphibians in the wild. Frogs everywhere would love the idea of a vaccine against Bd, if only they could talk. Dr. Suess’s Lorax proclaimed “We speak for the trees”. I am sure he would have plenty to say today. If American Chestnuts had a voice, they would ask where the line was for the vaccine against chestnut blight. Chestnut blight is a disease that hitchhiked with introduced Asian chestnut trees over a century ago, and within two decades it had decimated native chestnuts throughout the eastern U.S. Once one of the dominant tree species of our forests, only a few individuals remain, and no effective treatment has been discovered. When a tree gets the blight, its chances are slim. American Chestnuts would love to have had a vaccine before their numbers were so diminished, but the few remaining ones would take one without hesitation. The science of vaccines stands on strong shoulders, and has been around for centuries. Buddhist monks drank snake venom to immunize themselves from snake bites and the Chinese smeared torn skin with cowpox to confer immunity to smallpox during the 1600s. In 1796—when our country was barely 20 years old—Edward Jenner relearned this Chinese discovery by observing that English milkmaids who previously had caught cowpox from their cows were not susceptible to smallpox. By 1798, the first smallpox vaccine was available. Across the next two centuries, wide scale implementation of smallpox vaccines allowed its global eradication in 1979. The history of vaccines goes on and on: Louis Pasteur helped develop vaccines for cholera and anthrax in 1897 and 1904. Bacterial vaccine development started in the late 19th century. Tetanus shots appeared in 1923, diptheria in 1926, and pertussis in 1948. If some of those diseases sound arcane and lost to history, they are. That is what an effective vaccine does. But it doesn’t stop there. Polio vaccines have now eradicated that disease from many parts of the world. Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines have all been developed, and measles may be susceptible to elimination from the planet—all because of vaccines. Most recently, advances in molecular biology have allowed the development of hepatitis B vaccines, new seasonal influenza (flu) vaccines, and, of course, those that are currently being distributed for COVID-19. Vaccine development may eventually not only allow us to combat emerging infectious diseases, but also allergies, autoimmune diseases, and addictions. Like many other scientific discoveries, our ability to affect the spread and impact of COVID-19 is built upon hundreds of years of previous science. In some ways, the shot I just received is not that much different than those first smallpox vaccines, which changed the way the world treated disease. However, similar to previous diseases that affected humans, the vaccine has to be widely deployed to stop the disease in its tracks. Every person with cold feet, or every person that listens to a viral social media feed over scientists, is one more foothold for the disease to spread, and is one more opportunity for someone to get sick, and die. As a society, we need everyone on board, and everyone to do their part, to make sure that COVID-19 doesn’t take another half a million lives in its second year of spread.

Small, medium or bigger, here is our selection of 10 SUVs and crossovers, urban or family, gasoline and diesel, around 10,000 euros. SUVs and other crossovers have been on the rise for several years now , in almost all market segments. They now represent almost half of new model sales . A trend which is reflected, logically, on the second hand market where the offers are more and more numerous . The fact remains that these machines are sold at prices significantly higher than those of equivalent sedans, from which they are most often derived. However, it is still possible to find very accessible SUVs and crossovers , even if it means choosing models from the previous generation, equipped with “reasonable” engines. Thus, around 10,000 € , will we find urban models, such asPeugeot 2008, Renault Captur or Nissan Juke , intermediates, such as the Citroën C4 Cactus or Dacia Duster , or more family- owned : Peugeot 3008, Renault Kadjar, Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage or Volvo XC 60 . With, for each, the choice between gasoline or diesel engines . As in each of our used files, you will find the main qualities of each model, some elements concerning their reliability as well as examples of prices found in the classifieds. Follow the leader.

"The past year has been difficult for everyone, but what's surprising is how well people feel they've performed at work, while at home," said HBS Online Executive Director Patrick Mullane. "Now, as we're preparing to get back to 'business as usual,' it seems professionals don't want 'business as usual.' Instead, they want flexibility from their employers to allow them to maintain the new work/home balance and productivity they have come to enjoy." HBS Online retained Cambridge, Mass.-based market research firm City Square Associates to survey nearly 1,500 professionals who worked remotely during the COVID-19 shutdown from March 2020 to March 2021. Respondents were asked to compare this past year to the prior one. Professional Growth Despite Personal Struggles Despite the widespread hardships and heartbreaks of COVID-19, there is positive news. The HBS Online survey revealed that respondents experienced professional and personal wins, along with embracing many healthy—and even some unhealthy—habits. "Many of us have Zoom fatigue," said HBS Online's Managing Director of Product Management Simeen Mohsen. "Yet, despite not being in the office, many professionals still performed well and were even able to grow in their careers. They somehow rose to the occasion and gave it their all, both as individuals and as teams."

(CLEARWATER) Susan Crockett, Ruth Eckerd Hall President & CEO and the Ruth Eckerd Hall Board of Directors announced that The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The theatre has been a vital part of downtown Clearwater since its opening on March 21, 1921, with the screening of the motion picture Dinty. The 1920 American silent told the story of a brave newsboy whose fight to care for his ailing mother led to a conflict with drug smugglers. At the March 18, 2021 Clearwater City Council Meeting, the theatre was recognized by Mayor Frank Hibbard and the City Council with a proclamation that 2021 is the Centennial Year of Celebration for the theatre, shown at right. “The Capitol Theatre is a great story and an example of trying to look in to the future. Recessions, pandemics, they don’t last forever and we have to look to the future making certain that our community is strong and our culture is diverse,” said Mayor Hibbard. “And to save this 1921 theatre and to partner with Ruth Eckerd Hall to do it, was just the perfect opportunity and the perfect marriage.” “It is an honor to be the operator and caretaker of this beautiful venue,” said Crockett. “When we think of all the world events during the past century and the memories made within its walls, the historical significance of this milestone for our community calls for a celebration.” The Capitol Theatre, as it was called then, was built by Senator John S. Taylor and was described by the Clearwater News as one of the most beautifully finished playhouses in the South. On opening night, they published the following: “The policy of the new Capitol Theatre is to present to the public nothing but the cleanest and best entertainments, whether it be pictures or road attractions.” Over the next 70+ years, the theatre presented several live entertainment performances, ranging from vaudeville stars Sally Rand, Fred Stone and Lum & Abner, to the Miss Florida Pageant, the Clearwater Symphony Orchestra and movies. In 1995, local businessman Socrates Charos purchased the building and operated the Royalty Theater Company, presenting silent films and cultural events. With the building facing foreclosure in 2009, the city of Clearwater purchased it and entered into a partnership with Ruth Eckerd Hall to manage and operate the facility, reopening in 2009. In 2013, the Capitol Theatre underwent a major renovation expanding into the Clearwater News building and another adjacent building. The result of the renovation was expanded seating and lobby spaces, six private loge boxes, an outdoor balcony overlooking the Clearwater Causeway, a VIP lounge and a rooftop terrace. During the renovation, the Panel of Honor was revealed, hidden for almost 90 years. Local historians, found a record of the memorial honoring Clearwater citizens who had served in World War I. Notable Clearwater names such as Coachman and McMullen appear on the nearly 20-foot wall. A star beside a name indicates the soldier died in service to his country. Soldiers of color were noted in green paint, typical of segregation at the time. The portion of the wall that was removed can be found preserved at the Clearwater Library Main Branch. In 2019, the Capitol Theatre was renamed The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre after the philanthropic couple donated to the Expanding the Experience Capitol Campaign. Their generosity enabled the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall to expand its arts education programs throughout the community. Since 2009, Ruth Eckerd Hall has presented over 1,000 performances and events at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre. The theatre is consistently ranked the #1 venue in Florida and a top 5 venue in the world, with 800 seats or less, by industry trade magazine Pollstar. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that manages and operates the City of Clearwater-owned 2,200-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, the 200-seat Murray Theatre, the 250-capacity ballroom, the Margarete Heye Great Room, the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts, the 750-seat Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre and Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road. For the first time in the history of the performing arts center, Ruth Eckerd Hall was awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by The Tampa Bay Times. In the most competitive category of small businesses (50 – 149 employees), Ruth Eckerd Hall was ranked #39 and was the only entertainment venue to make the list. Our mission is: Changing lives through the performing arts. The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, located in downtown Clearwater’s Cleveland Street District, was constructed in 1921 and is one of Florida’s oldest operating theaters. In 2019, industry trade publication Pollstar named the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre the #1 club venue in Tampa, #1 in Florida, #3 in the United States and #3 in the world of club venues with 800 seats or less. In 2013, the theater underwent a complete $10 million renovation and is the catalyst for downtown development. In 2019, Nancy and David Bilheimer donated $2.5 million to Ruth Eckerd hall as part of the theatre’s ongoing “Expanding the Experience” Capital campaign. In recognition of the generous donation, the Capitol Theatre’s name was changed to the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre.

active member, Deserve a chance

As my friend said

The $27.7bn purchase of Slack by Salesforce shows just how much enterprise software providers are spending to address a significant gap in their portfolios. “Right now there is a difference between formal processes encoded into a packaged application and non-routine work,” said Craig Roth, research vice-president at Gartner. This work, that falls outside the formal business processes run by the enterprise software, tends to take place ad hoc, via email or in social and collaboration platforms. “You use your business software to get business critical processes running and switch to collaboration tools if there is an issue. They are very separate,” he said, adding that enterprise software and collaboration platforms will come together to plug the gap between formal business processes and informal chats. For instance, the Salesforce-Slack deal will result in Slack becoming the user interface for Salesforce. But, according to Roth, it’s not just Salesforce that has been upping its game in terms of melding enterprise systems with collaboration tools and social media. “Partnerships between software providers will take on more importance, as a close relationship is required for the tight integration of disparate application functions,” he said. For instance, Microsoft Teams integrates with the company’s Dynamics enterprise software platform. Microsoft Teams is also linked into SAP. Gartner has predicted that by 2025, nearly 65% of enterprise application software providers will have included some form of social software and collaboration functionality in their software product portfolios. “Providers of packaged business applications, such as ERP and CRM software, have previously offered basic social and collaboration functionality,” said Roth. “However, they are now facing heightened expectations about the seamless inclusion of non-routine tasks, such as conversations and marking up content, in their process-oriented products.”

Zhongjia Bochuang, a Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed company valued at roughly $900 million based on its market capitalization, decided to ramp up its investment in the digital currency mining sector. The company announced plans to buy millions’ worth of specialized ASIC mining machines from the hardware manufacturer MicroBT. Founded in 1997, ZJBC is one of China’s oldest and largest ICT companies. Its principal business centers on artificial intelligence and cloud communication capabilities. ZJBC’s Chairman, Wu Ying, is reportedly an early Investor in MicroBT from back in 2019 through his investment fund. MicroBT’s Whatsminer ASIC mining series has seen increased demand as of late, thanks to the company’s Whatsminer M30S ++ (112TH / s), which is one of the highest performing ASIC on the market today. In a statement, the firm said it plans to spend up to 1 billion yuan, or around $155 million, on MicroBT’s WhatsMiner ASIC mining rigs over the next two years. As part of the strategic partnership, MicroBT agreed it would prioritize ZJBC equipment. Vice versa, ZJBC will prioritize MicroBT’s hardware when making purchases. “The scale for the first year will be no less than 20,000 units with the first batch to be delivered by May 2021 with no less than 2,000 units,” ZJBC said. ZJBC’s ambitious plan is also not entirely surprising, given its existing investment in the blockchain mining field. ZJBC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Changshi Telecommunication, has been involved in building and maintaining blockchain mining farms in Sichuan. Both parties have also agreed to create a high-level communication system and organize discussions and seminars to ensure smooth collaboration. In the future, the two parties agreed to work together to develop industry-related applications in artificial intelligence, edge computing, 5G micro base stations, and blockchain technology. See also: TAAL’s Jerry Chan presentation at CoinGeek Live, The Shift from Bitcoin “Miners” to “Transaction Processors”

The availability and speed of broadband service in the United States could be better, there is little doubt about that. In an effort to improve both, the Federal Communications Commission is reaching out directly to consumers to share their broadband experiences, as part of its Broadband Data Collection program. More than just a way to vent, the FCC hopes that canvassing consumers for their internet experiences will help it plot out a more accurate broadband map. "Far too many Americans are left behind in access to jobs, education, and healthcare if they do not have access to broadband,” said Acting FCC Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel. "Collecting data from consumers who are directly affected by the lack of access to broadband will help inform the FCC’s mapping efforts and future decisions about where service is needed." Inaccurate broadband maps have been a point of frustration for Americans, particularly those who live in rural areas (though not exclusively). Pouring salt on the wound, the FCC in 2019, led by former chairman Ajit Pai, issued a broadband report indicating that high-speed internet service was being "deployed on a reasonable and timely basis." That same year, Microsoft called for a "new approach for mapping broadband data to better serve Americans," noting that multiple studies showed broadband has a direct impact on jobs and GDP growth. "The government’s most current broadband statistics come from the FCC and suggest 25 million Americans lack access to a broadband connection. There’s strong evidence, though, that the percentage of Americans without broadband access is much higher than the figures reported by the FCC," Microsoft said at the time. Microsoft's anonymized data showed that over 160 million Americans were not using internet at broadband speeds in 2019, far more than the 24.7 million people the FCC at the time claimed were without broadband access. Data collection is part of the problem, especially when the primary source is mapping data from ISPs and cell carriers. The hope is that by reaching out directly to consumers, the FCC can more accurately assess the true state of broadband in the US, as experienced by actual users. "Service providers and governments use broadband maps to make decisions about where service is needed and how to fund the expansion of broadband services. The FCC is in the process of updating its current broadband maps with more detailed and precise information on the availability of fixed and mobile broadband services," the FCC says. You can share your experience in what amounts to a pretty basic complaint form. It asks consumers to describe their problem in "no more than 3-5 sentences," and is open-ended in nature—maybe you feel compelled to complain about data caps or costs, in addition (or in place of) speeds and availability. The FCC also set up a new Broadband Data Collection website, where it promises to highlight milestones and provide updates for consumers. It also contains links to various related resources, including the latest broadband map.

A vote has just passed in the Senedd introducing new regulations for pet sales. The regulations will also ban third party sales of puppies and kittens. This means that from 10 September it will be an offence to sell a puppy or kitten which the seller has not bred themselves. Crucially the new Regulations requires the seller to have bred the puppy or kitten “at the premises” – which puts a stop to lengthy and multiple transportations for the young animals, which can cause distress. This applies to travel in and around Wales, as well as banning puppies and kittens from being brought in to Wales, for sale. Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said: “Our much-loved pets fill us with joy, complete our families, and have helped us get through tough lockdowns during the pandemic. “I want to thank all Senedd members for voting to ban the third party sales of puppies and kittens today. The people of Wales who responded to our consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of making this happen, and the charities, vets, volunteers and organisations that have worked tirelessly to help form the law into what has been passed today also deserve our thanks. “We hope a ban will encourage respectful and responsible attitudes towards all animals, provide greater transparency for people who wish to welcome puppies or kittens into their homes as to how they have been bred, and empower Local Authorities to take action if they have concerns about how puppies and kittens are being bred and sold.” Chief Veterinary Officer Christianne Glossop said: “The way we treat animals reflects the values of our society. That is why Welsh Government and the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group work in conjunction to promote high animal welfare standards and the responsible ownership of animals. This law will now close loopholes to protect the welfare and wellbeing of our puppies and kittens, while educating us all about what is right and fair for our pets.” The Regulations will come fully into force on 10 September. During this time Statutory Guidance will be co-produced to support enforcement by Local Authorities and this timeline will also allow existing sellers affected to make changes and consider a different operating model to mitigate any potential impact.

Since its launch in 2017, the Honda X-ADV has achieved great success thanks to its clean look and punchy engine. The 2021 vintage keeps the same ingredients by refining its mechanics and its equipment. The Honda X-ADV2021 remains the only “crosscooter” on the market. An SUV on two wheels for city dwellers looking for adventure. A category cleared in 1989 by the famous Yamaha Booster, icon of several generations of teenagers. Despite its immense commercial success, this small 50 cm3 license-free scooter has never had a big brother. It will be necessary to wait for the launch of the Honda X-ADV in 2017 to have a big scooter with the look of a backpacker. Equipped with a twin cylinder of 745 cm3, the Honda X-ADV does not lag. Despite Euro 5 standards, the last 2021 vintage has not lost its splendor and even gains in reactivity thanks to a slight gain in power (4 hp or 58 hp) and a recalibrated transmission. The new lightweight frame also made it possible to reduce the substantial weight of this crossover (-3 kg). The robotic double-clutch gearbox, which adapts its management of the 6 speeds according to the driving modes (Rain Standard Sport or Gravel), now pulls a little shorter on the first 3 gears to take off harder at the green light and lengthens the following ones to reduce vibrations and consumption on fast track. The electronic traction control has also been tweaked to suit the driving style. The only regret is that there is still no inertial unit with angle sensor to modulate the electronic aids and ABS when cornering. That said, the 2021 Honda X-ADV shines well, brakes hard and remains reassuring at a lively pace. The electronic traction control has also been tweaked to suit the driving style. The only regret is that there is still no inertial unit with angle sensor to modulate the electronic aids and ABS when cornering. That said, the 2021 Honda X-ADV shines well, brakes hard and remains reassuring at a lively pace. The electronic traction control has also been tweaked to suit the driving style. The only regret is that there is still no inertial unit with angle sensor to modulate the electronic aids and ABS when cornering. That said, the 2021 Honda X-ADV shines well, brakes hard and remains reassuring at a lively pace.

If you love browsing through Japan’s cheap and cheerful ¥100 and ¥300 shops, there’s a new store you need to check out. Daiso is kicking things up a notch with a brand new lifestyle shop known as Standard Products. Focused on offering high-quality basics at affordable prices, the store is set to stock some 1,300 original items with prices ranging from just ¥300 to ¥1,000. The items at Standard Products feature sleek, minimalist designs while maintaining their practical functionality. It's that beautiful balance of form meets function which Japan does so well. Standard Products certainly reminds us of Muji, but with a much lower price tag. Expect to find everyday basics such as tableware, bags, clothing, storage boxes, and other miscellaneous goods. The brand says it uses sustainable, eco-friendly materials in its wares. A few noteworthy items are the organic cotton towels (¥300 to ¥700), sleek cutlery (¥300 for a two-piece set) made in Niigata prefecture, and cool tableware (from ¥300) including plates, bowls and mugs, which can be stacked and stored easily. Standard Products will open its very first store at Shibuya Mark City on Friday March 26, along with a new classic Daiso shop – the largest in Shibuya – which will be located on the same floor. For more details, visit the official website.

With free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins reportedly in Baltimore today for a visit with the Ravens, Russell Street Report's Dev Panchwagh reached out to Chiefs Wire's Charles Goldman for insight into the veteran and how he would fit with the Ravens. Watkins, who played his past three seasons in Kansas City, may not be the "true No. 1 receiver" some Ravens fans covet, but he could be a valuable addition to Baltimore's offense in several ways, Goldman said. "I think he'd help out the unit in providing a veteran presence with playoff experience, which really can't be overstated considering the goals of Baltimore," Goldman said. "His presence on the field would help free up some of the other guys like Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews in the passing game. He could also help with the development of some of those younger guys like Devin Duvernay and James Proche. "I think that Watkins can definitely help out when the Ravens are giving run-first looks, be it as a blocker or running play-action. He'll also be an asset in the tight formations, where they're trying to establish the run and then spread a defense out a few plays later. I'm not sure that Watkins is going to be a big-play threat at this point in his career. In Kansas City, he feasted on the middle-of-field stuff like crossing routes, comebacks. He also does a really good job navigating traffic with the ball in his hands. Sometimes he'll be able to sneak behind the defense, but it's probably not the best part of his game." Watkins' talent has never been an issue. The fourth-overall selection in 2014, Watkins totaled 125 receptions for 2,029 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first two seasons. His offensive coordinator in Buffalo at the time was current Ravens Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman. The issue has been staying healthy. Watkins, 27, hasn't played in all 16 games since his rookie year. He's played in nine games or fewer in three of his seven NFL seasons. As a result, Watkins has never come close to putting up the numbers he did in his first two seasons. In his past five seasons (one with the Bills, one with the Rams and three with the Chiefs), Watkins has averaged 39 catches and 527 yards. This past season, Watkins missed seven games and finished with 37 catches for 421 yards (a career-low) and two touchdowns (tying a career low). His 11.4 yards-per-catch average also was a career low (although his 67.3 catch percentage was the second-highest of his career). "Watkins has absolutely earned the reputation of being injury-prone," Goldman wrote. "He didn't have a single complete season in Kansas City and the latest one was pretty abysmal, especially late in the year. It's not like significant stuff either like breaks or sprains, it's soft tissue injuries that are lasting for months. Teams are going to have to feel comfortable with where Watkins is at health-wise before they sign him." Despite Watkins' injury-marred stint in Kansas City, Goldman said the receiver's contributions during the Chiefs' 2019 Super Bowl run cannot be overemphasized. "I think you can really sum it up with the following statement: 'The Chiefs don't win Super Bowl LIV without Sammy Watkins,'" Goldman said. "There's a reason that he's earned the nickname 'Playoff Sammy' during his time in Kansas City. This man has a penchant for coming up with clutch catches and monster performances in the playoffs, when things matter the most. "I think you can toss out the bad and the ugly with Watkins when his contributions directly resulted in the Chiefs getting to and winning a game that they've been trying to get to and win for five decades. That'll be his legacy and what he's remembered for." On a side note, the Ravens reportedly are not the only team interested in Watkins.

As my friend said

Active member

like he said #CONTRA

In the aftermath of the Me Too movement and his defense of the behavior of the late Marvin Minsky, AI pioneer and associate of notorious billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Richard M. Stallman (RMS) resigned as president and board member of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) on 16 September 2019. Now, RMS has announced on video that "I am now on the Free Software Foundation board of directors once again." RMS is still well known in free software and open-source circles for his work. He first built his reputation by taking James Gosling's Emacs text editor and relicensing it under GNU Public License (GPL). The GPL was the first free software license. This led to a term RMS hates: "open-source" licenses and software. He also created the GCC family of compilers. For his work, he has earned accolades such as a MacArthur Genius award. Recently, he's become known more as being a crank who insists that Linux should be known as GNU Linux and he has alienated many of his closest supporters over the years. GPL version 3 (GPLv3), which was released in 2007, was RMS's last significant work. Even though RMS officially resigned in some ways, he never actually left the FSF. Stallman has remained in charge of the GNU Project. This organization served as the home for GNU Emacs and other GNU programs. This predated the FSF. Indeed, the FSF was set up to sponsor the GNU Project. The site states that "other people became involved in the GNU project, and we decided that it was time to seek funding once again. So in 1985, we created the Free Software Foundation (FSF), a tax-exempt charity for free software development." Since RMS headed both the FSF and the GNU Project, this left confusion in its wake. The FSF acknowledged as much at the time: "The relationship between the FSF and GNU has been fluid … GNU decision-making has largely been in the hands of GNU leadership. Since RMS resigned as president of the FSF, but not as head of GNU ('Chief GNUisance'), the FSF is now working with GNU leadership on a shared understanding of the relationship for the future." The FSF has also not announced that RMS has returned to the board and FSF leadership has not answered questions about RMS' declaration that he's returned to the board. It wasn't mentioned in the daily LibrePlanet 2021, the FSF free software conference news blog. The FSF site, however, does list RMS now as a member of the board of directors. Slack Sessions: Helping you to re-imagine your work The old work 9 to 5 system doesn't work in today's connected, complex world. Challenges are rising up everywhere for leaders. Fear not, there is a unique opportunity for them to question and reimagine culture and what is considered the norm. Join our panel of influential leaders in APAC and around the world as we explore the possibilities for unlocking work, and how leading companies are rethinking the role of offices in today's day and age. Live Event provided by Slack In his brief statement, RMS also added that the FSF couldn't create a video announcement of its own so it used the LibrePlanet 2021's live stream, which nixCraft, an open-source and Linux DevOps and SysAdmin site, tweeted, to make the news public. RMS continued, "Some of you will be happy about this and some of you will be disappointed. … In any case, that's how it is and I'm not planning to resign a second time." Indeed, some people are happy that RMS is back. But some top movers and shakers of today's open-source software world are not happy. Josh Simmons, president of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), which oversees open-source licenses, tweeted "I am shocked and appalled by the news out of LibrePlanet that RMS, a known harasser, is returning to the FSF Board." VM (Vicky) Brasseur, an award-winning free/open-source advocate and corporate strategist, said, "A little over a year ago I finally joined @fsf". They had finally taken action against RMS, a man who has not only been demonstrably toxic himself but is also a role model of toxicity in #FreeSoftware. RMS was holding FSF and Free Software back. Despite that well-known toxicity, FSF announced on Twitter that RMS is returning to its board of directors. Their one step forward in September 2019 converted to two large steps back to the Free Software dark ages." Mozilla Senior IP and Product Counsel, Daniel Nazer, observed, "Even leaving aside his creepiness, RMS hasn't done any effective public advocacy outside his cult-like bubble in decades." While RMS' supporters still cheer him on, there are fewer and fewer of them since he's continued to alienate many people from the free software world and has done no significant work in well over a decade. The free and open-source community owe RMS a debt of his gratitude for his pioneering licensing and programming work in the 80s. But, in the 2020s, many see him as having outworn his welcome thanks to his misogynistic, self-aggrandizing ways. His return to the limelight is unlikely to help the FSF or free software.

UPDATE: McKamey Animal Shelter increased their reward Monday night from $1,000 to $1,500 after two animals were found dead in the same neighborhood just days apart. A dog was found strangled near Olive Street. A few days later a cat was shot and killed in the same area. The German Shepherd was found Thursday and the cat was found Sunday. They were found less than a quarter-mile from each other. McKamey is concerned, especially with back-to-back incidents in the same area, so they were out on Olive Street Monday passing out fliers and asking residents if they saw anything. "There's no telling with all the things that are going on in the neighborhood as far as the dog incident and now this, so I'm really not sure,” Rodney, a resident of Olive Street, told us. Rodney and his wife say the cat found shot dead was a community cat that he and his wife helped care for. Animal officers saw the cat was shot with a BB gun. "I peeled through layers of her fur and seen that there was a pellet,” Rodney told us. Rodney says they called the cat Coon because her eyes looked like a raccoon's. They were shocked to learn the cat was one of two animals killed. "Everybody loves the cats, they're friendly, and just for this to happen is a tragedy,” Rodney said. "As far as animal abuse of this nature, this is, this is the first,” said Rebecca Ross, the Director of Animal Services at McKamey Animal Shelter. Two deaths in three days are leaving McKamey officers with lots of questions. "The neighbors that we have spoken with, they've never seen the German Shepherd before,” Ross told us. Residents say the dog was found in an alleyway, which is a po[CENSORED]r place to dump the trash. These crimes are devastating and investigators are on high-alert. McKamey wants to get to the bottom of this, and Rodney wants justice. "If you see something, say something,” Rodney said. McKamey is asking residents in the area to keep their pets inside. There is a $1,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

CLOQUET, Minn. – A longtime hardware store in Cloquet will soon be shutting its doors for good. But new hope is on the horizon for the space. “It’s just wonderful to be part of the community,” said Linda Erickson, former owner of Erickson Hardware in Cloquet. Erickson has a love for helping residents in her community fix just about anything that breaks down. “We were the last personalized hardware store, mom and pop store. We used to put the chairs outside and have people come to sit and just talk during the day,” said Erickson. It was back in 1971 when her husband’s family moved to Cloquet. Shortly after, they would open Coast to Coast Hardware Store. “It was just fun to know you’re helping people. There are a lot of people in this community that can’t get out or can’t go to some big box store and I would always deliver,” said Erickson. Years ago, Erickson sold the store to Julie and John Haverkamp. Along with the sale came a name change – Wood City Lights and Hardware. “One day my husband came in here and he was looking around and said, come here, I have to show you something,” said Julie Haverkamp, owner of Wood City Lights and Hardware. Flash forward and the Haverkamp’s became the new owners of their very own small business. “Well guess what, here I am,” exclaimed Haverkamp. The Haverkamp’s recently decided to sell due to the takeover of big box stores and the World Wide Web. “It’s happening all over the place, we have lost our suppliers,” said Haverkamp. As the Haverkamp’s look forward to a new chapter in the careers, the City of Cloquet will soon have a new place to purchase reasonably priced items. Now new life is being breathed into the location, as Heather Wright and her team at NorthStar Community Services take over ownership. “We wanted to open a new space where people could come to get basic needs, or household needs at a low thrift price,” said Heather Wright, President of NorthStar Community Services. She has a passion for helping her fellow Northlanders get basic household items and clothing for a reasonable rate. “Some of the other stores that have closed in the community have offered to donate some of those things to us,” said Wright. The COVID-19 pandemic, forcing many local businesses to close for good. However, Wright is thankful their products will soon be sold to those in need. “Not only are we helping the community with the resources much needed, but we’re also offering opportunities for employment for other individuals as well,” said Wright. As the once-booming hardware store switches to a new façade, the previous owners have nothing but hope for a successful future as a new adventure begins. “I’m going to miss everybody,” said Haverkamp. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s been wonderful,” said Erickson. The new store will focus on basic needs such as clothing, pots, pans, dishes, and furniture. Wright says doors will close at the end of April for renovation and setup. Their goal is to have the business open by June 1st.