Re: Study material posted 01/23/2002
This is what I am using.
Your most important study tool is the Cisco Documentation CD.
(http://www.cisco.com/univercd). I plan to go through every feature in the
documentation CD that involves security.
I also plan to study the Cisco Course material with MCNS being a particular
favorite. I believe you can purchase the material in book form from Cisco
Finally I will run through some of the Hello Computers (hellocomputers.com)
labs. I was given a courtesy copy of the material and I think they are
Also, IMHO I think every CCIE Candidate needs a few lab routers. You do not
need to purchase a complete set of routers, but a few 25xx series is
necessary. Make sure you get 16MB Ram and 16 MB flash. If you do not want
to deal with ebay, go to Optimized Systems (optsys.net). They offer good
prices are you are assured of getting what you paid for.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Waters, Kivas (UK72)" <Kivas.Waters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 4:30 AM
Subject: Study material
> I am beginning to gear up towards the security lab. I recently passed the
> R/S lab so I already have most of the mainstream study material such as
> Caslow and Doyle V1&2 for example.
> Could anyone give me some advice as to what study material to get hold of
> prepare for the ccie security lab?
> best regards
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for an estimate of a home's market value.
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Sales Price Range The single most reliable source for an estimated home value is a REALTOR®. A Sales Price Range is a range of sales prices based upon previous sales reported in MLS within the last two years. It is not an apprasial of the fair market value of the property.


1636: The Cardinal Virtues – Snippet 40
As the carriage approached, Gaston could see the beautiful girl into which his daughter had grown. She sat astride a handsomely-turned out pony, her attire a perfect small copy of an adult’s riding habit, topped with a feather-decorated hat that was completely haute couture.
Anne Marie Louise, Duchesse du Montpensier — Mademoiselle de France — mesmerized him; yet withal Gaston could feel Marguerite’s smoldering anger. She had provided her husband with no children as yet; and this young child, all that remained of Marie de Montpensier, her husband’s first wife, captivated him even though — or perhaps despite — the fact that he had not laid eyes on her in nearly four years.
When the carriage came to a halt, the young princess dismounted with assistance from her governess, the formidable Madame de St. Georges, daughter of his and Louis’ own governess Madame de Montglat. With slow, measured steps she walked the short distance to where her father and stepmother sat waiting. She executed a perfect court bow, inclining her head and awaiting recognition.
“Rise, child,” Gaston said. He stood — and again felt the disdain (or possibly more anger) from his wife; he ignored it. A servant scurried around to the side of the carriage and placed a step-stool; Gaston descended to the ground and stood before his daughter, helping her to her feet.
He held her hand for several moments, looking down at her and favoring her with his best smile.
“I have missed you so much, Papa,” she said, doing her best to maintain her dignity; but she was ten years old, and appeared to be bursting with joy. “Your Majesty,” she added, her eye catching the cold gaze of her stepmother.
“We do not need to be so formal in private,” Gaston said. He glanced over his shoulder at Marguerite, whose expression said, speak for yourself. He ignored that as well. “I am so blessed to have you ride into our capital together.”
“Thank you, Sire,” she answered. She raised her chin proudly in a gesture that painfully reminded him of Marie, his first love, her mother. Holding her hand, he helped her up the steps into the carriage, where she settled herself in the seat opposite her stepmother. Gaston followed her and resumed his place next to Marguerite.
“Good day to you, Your Majesty,” the girl said politely to the duchess of Orleans. “Am I to call you Maman?”
The arrival of Gaston in Paris on that fine early May day was a cause for celebration. As far as any in the open carriage could tell, the citizens of the capital were delirious to see their new King, his consort, and his young daughter; if there were reservations among those in the crowd, it was to see CÃ©sar de VendÃ´me, Monsieur Gaston’s older brother, riding behind the carriage with his two sons FranÃ§ois and Louis: it was a sign of royal favor, an indication that their exile was at an end.
On Gaston’s part it was a sly coup de theatre — CÃ©sar would have been happy to ride in the carriage with the king he had helped create, but Gaston had rejected the idea out of hand a few hours earlier before they had met up with his daughter.
“You will be better received if you are part of my escort, Brother,” he had said. “You can thus adequately display the arms of your noble house, and show off your excellent horsemanship.”
“I am to be reduced to the status of a mere guardsman?”
“I would hardly characterize it thus.”
“It seems that way to me.”
“Really.” Gaston seemed already bored with the conversation. “I cannot be responsible for your perceptions, CÃ©sar. You are lÃ©gitimÃ© de France, a well-respected soldier and a member of my family and my household. Having you ride in the royal entourage sends exactly the right signal: that whatever your past infractions might have been, a new reign means an amnesty.”
When VendÃ´me began to renew his protest, Gaston said, “If you would prefer not to enter Paris in my company, you are welcome to make your own way. I was merely trying to portray you in the best possible light.”
“My . . . infractions are based on the judgments of the late Cardinal Richelieu, as you know.”
“Ah, yes. Cardinal Richelieu.” Gaston had removed his glove and examined the nails on his right hand. “A shame that he was felled by assassins . . . he is dead, is he not, Brother?”
VendÃ´me had reddened slightly but said nothing.
“I think you had best leave perceptions to me, Brother,” Gaston said. “You have an unfortunate tendency to see things less clearly than you should.”
Terrye Jo rode into Paris some distance behind Monsieur Gaston and the other prominent figures. The others in the entourage accorded her some respect — she was an up-timer, after all, and had some scientific knowledge and wizardry at her fingertips — but she was still a servant, or an employee, or in some category that kept her at a distance from the front of the line. Still, she had been provided with some very nice clothing by the duchess of Savoy — not a woman’s riding dress but a man’s outfit tailored to her size and shape, complete with an ornate hat that she’d had to pin in place since her natural hair was too short and she refused to wear a wig.
Long before she could see most of Paris she smelled it. Bigger than Turin or Grantville or Magdeburg, Paris was one of the greatest cities in Europe — and that meant it was full of people and everything those people produced. The river reeked the worst; they approached from the west, passing along the bank as they rode through some sort of royal forest. It was almost a relief when the road veered away from the river to a wide gate. Beyond, she could see a large tower and at least a dozen churches — including Notre Dame, which she remembered from a picture in a book.
The rest of Paris was unfamiliar. No Arc de Triomphe, no Eiffel Tower. She wondered if there would be guys in little moustaches and berets playing the accordion, or if that belonged to the twentieth century too — or to bad movies.
“If only old Baldaccio could see us now, eh, Donna?” Artemisio guided his horse close enough to rub up against her; she had to keep herself from fending him off with a well-placed kick from her riding boot.
“He’d just be lecturing us on everything he knows.”
“Or thinks he knows.”
“Or that. Monsieur is getting quite the reception, isn’t he?”
They were just passing through the Porte St. Martin and onto a fairly wide boulevard; people on either side were waving and shouting. She could see the Guy Fawkes mask that was Gaston’s smiling face turning this way and that, acknowledging the crowd.
“They like seeing a real man,” Artemisio said.
“As opposed to . . .”
“His brother,” he said. “You know what they said about him.”
“That can’t have been true. He was married for twenty years, wasn’t he? He — it — that sort of thing isn’t something you could keep secret for that long.”
“You might be surprised, Donna. I have heard a story that there is a cavaliere — a gentilhomme — here in Paris, a brave soldier and swordsman, respected by all, who is actually . . .” His voice lowered conspiratorially. “a woman. She has kept the secret for many years waiting for a chance to revenge the death of her brother, who taught her how to handle a sword.”
“No reason that couldn’t be true.”
“Except that it’s probably some story. Imagine, a woman swordsman!” He laughed, then stopped laughing when he saw Terrye Jo’s frown. “What?”
“Why is that funny?”
“She would be a down-timer, Donna. I can believe it possible from someone such as you. But a down-timer woman disguising herself as a King’s Musketeer or some such? Preposterous.”
He gave the last word in his best impression of Umberto Baldaccio. Terrye Jo tried to keep her anger hot — but after a moment she couldn’t help but laugh as well.
Even the reception of the procession at the Louvre was ceremonial. The guild masters of Paris and at least a dozen of the noblesse d’Ã©pee were on hand to greet Monsieur Gaston as he arrived. The noblemen saluted with their ceremonial swords, while the merchants presented their king-to-be with the honors of the city. Six noblewomen dressed in samite were present to welcome Princess Marguerite and Mademoiselle, the little Anna Maria Louisa. They executed perfect obeisances, and presented each of them with perfect white roses. It made for excellent theatre.
When all had disembarked and dismounted, the prince and his train walked slowly through the polite and approving crowds into the palace, going directly to the salle de rÃ©ception. Gaston took up the king’s seat, with Marguerite at his side, and his daughter on an ornate chair one step below. CÃ©sar de VendÃ´me stood at the same level, a sword in his hands pointed down at the floor. His sons took up positions one step below that. Louis, still feeling the effects of his wound, was a bit slower than FranÃ§ois in doing so. Other nobles, both the noblesse d’Ã©pÃ©e of medieval origin and the more modern creations of the noblesse de robe, assumed positions according to their ranks and stations. When all were properly arranged (by their own act, or by the fussy direction of the royal masters of court protocol), the salle became quiet, and Gaston stood, looking out across the crowd.
“My dear countrymen, my lords and ladies. It is with great joy that I stand before you this day, to claim what is mine by right: the throne, crown and scepter of our beloved kingdom of France, and to be proclaimed Most Christian Majesty.
“But it is also with a heavy heart that I return to my native land, in the wake of the base and cowardly attack upon my dear royal brother Louis, whom men called ‘the Just’. To say of him that he was pure of heart, and that our Father in Heaven smiled upon him and his reign as our sovereign, is to grant him a scarce fraction of that which was his due. We can be sure that his good works, his piety and his devotion to country and to the Lord God Almighty have given him a worthy place at the right hand of the Father.”
Gaston paused for a moment, his hand upon his heart, his head bowed as if in humble prayer.
“As with our own blood kin, our devoted father Henri, he was taken from the mortal world before his work on this earth was done. As was true when that king was struck down by an assassin’s hand, his heir — my dear brother Louis — had no higher duty than to carry on, and try to carry forth the labors that kingship imposes, a heavy burden upon the man who bears the crown and sits upon the throne.
“We do not know the identity of the craven assassins who performed this vile deed. I promise you, my countrymen and subjects, that no effort will be spared to find these criminals and cause them to suffer for their crimes — in a measure sufficient that when death comes at last, it will be a welcome surcease . . . and yet their pain in this world will be a mere foretaste of that punishment that awaits all regicides in the infernal region prepared for their eternal torment.


Edited by The Fashion Web
SOURCE:Honeymoon: 8/16 – 8/22
A powerful planetary pairing of strength and passion will propel romantic prospects into the stratosphere this week (for most signs anyway)! As the summer passes it’s official halfway point, it’ll remain just as hot socially as it is atmospherically. Find out how much your temperature could increase here.
This week, you’ll harness the universe’s magnetic powers so strongly, that your dreamlover won’t be able to resist your seductive pull. This cosmically-assisted connection has potential to continue, if you can manage to emotionally float like a butterfly (instead of letting your insecurities cause you to sting like a bee). Celestial Style Tip: Matt & Nat’s Santogold shoulder bag is as rocker gritty/feminine as its namesake.
Look out, Taurus – stars will align to inspire a weekend filled with sensual attractions and physical reactions! Although romance is ordained, if you want to maintain momentum you’re going to have to give generously without thoughts of what you expect to get in return. Celestial Style Tip: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent’s Suede Grocery Bag is too chic to be filled with foodstuffs, but perfect for everything else.
Two of the Zodiac’s best-matched planets will meet in your sign this weekend, which means you can expect lots of love! Whether your ring finger’s getting itchy, or you’ve looking for a no-strings cuddle buddy, it’ll be a great time to put yourself out there and reap the universe’s romantic rewards. Celestial Style Tip: Alexander Wang’s Rocco Mini Duffel is an edgy re-imagining of the duffel silhouette.
Home will be where the heart is this week, Cancer! You’ll enjoy yourself most if you swap your dancing shoes for a pair of Isotoners, and spend your downtime curled up with your boo. If you’re single and crushing, invite the object of your affections over for dinner. Your home just may transform into a love nest. Celestial Style Tip: Passersby will swoon over Rebecca Minkoff’s Swoon Hobo.


Can political arrangements be dissolved peacefully? Legally? At the ballot box? By referendum? Or by any other mechanism short of outright violence and civil war?
According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the answer to these questions is no. Speaking in California yesterday on the subject of immigration and sanctuary cities, he issued this remarkable statement that manages to upend the entire concept of federalism in just a few short sentences:
There is no nullification. There is no secession. Federal law is the supreme law of the land. I would invite any doubters to go to Gettysburg, or to the tombstones of John C. Calhoun and Abraham Lincoln. This matter has been settled.In Sessions’s mind, polities are forever. They're set in stone. The US Constitution established a permanent and supreme federal state — a view totally at odds with that much better document, the Declaration of Independence. The 50 states exist as nothing more than glorified federal counties, able to exert jurisdiction only in those areas not preempted by superior federal law.
More @ Mises


Secure programming practices to prevent common mistakes such as XSS, SQL injection or buffer overflows are well known and have increasingly become part of developer education. However, it takes much more to build and run secure applications. This session will give an insight into practical challenges of building applications ready to meet today’s threat landscape, how to keep up with challenges like cloud computing, IoT and what skills are required from security experts.
Head of Databases Security
Holger Mack is the security lead for SAP HANA at SAP, Germany. His focus is on how to combine technology, organization, and people to implement successful security solutions. Mack received an M.Sc. in information security from Royal Holloway College, London. Contact him at email@example.com.


Protesting of speakers with opposing views has become increasingly prevalent on college campuses. A pattern has emerged over the course of the last few years all across the nation from Daytona Beach, Fla. to Berkeley. With this influx of protests, the question of ethics must be raised. Should students be protesting controversial speakers coming to their campuses? Or does this oppress a person’s freedom of speech while also contributing to a world of ignorance?
Over the duration of this last year especially, protesting college speakers has become a common occurrence. Earlier this summer, Middlebury College located in Vermont held a violent protest against guest speaker, conservative Sociologist Charles Murray. Because he had written a book in 1994 linking lower socioeconomic status with race and intelligence, students were infuriated by his plan to make a speech at their campus. As he was leaving, they shoved and yelled at him in the halls.
CNN journalist Larry Atkins wrote in response to the event, “Even though I am a liberal and a university professor, I find this to be a continuation of a disturbing trend of silencing conservatives’ free speech rights on college campuses” (CNN). Many professors have also expressed their beliefs that it is “not free speech to stop speech” (USA Today). Regardless of the subject matter, it is considered civil disobedience if the expression of one’s rights oppresses another’s.
Other speakers, such as conservative commentator, Ann Coulter, backed out of speaking on a campus all together. Because of the backlash surrounding her speaking engagement in April 2017 at UC Berkeley, she decided to not attend at all. This thus prevented possible productive conversations among the students and speaker (USA Today). It is of necessity to be able to hear each other out, especially during a time of such great division.
The most recent occurrence of protest against a college speaker occurred at California State University, Fullerton. Conservative provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulos came to speak on Oct. 31 at the California campus. His arrival was met with a sold out crowd, but also protestors and police officers. He was accused of projecting hate speech and being a fascist, and prior to his arrival a petition had been sent around trying to sway the administrations to block his attendance (OC Register).
Yet it can be illustrated by the attendance of over 800 people who many were interested in hearing him speak, therefore canceling his event would have hindered many students the opportunity to understand his views. Therefore by certain students objecting to speakers visiting campuses, it also prevents other students from hearing ideas of like-minded people.
CSUF Campus Republicans Club President states, “For too long, left-leaning groups have dominated campus culture and marginalized conservative thinkers through intimidation tactics and violent protests. The CSUF Republicans provides a place for all voices to be heard” (OC Register).
Generally speaking, ideas on protests against college speakers is controversial. Some feel that people are entitled the right to protest given that they are using their freedom of speech to prevent hate speech. Overall, protesting college speakers is a common and sometimes problematic issue that must be resolved.
Photographer: Roberto Herrero


How to Stop Water Coming in Walk Out Basement Door
Dealing with water in your basement is never a pleasant task. The ramifications of water coming into your basement include damage to your personal possessions; destruction of carpeting, furniture and drywall; growth of toxic mold; and structural damage to the foundation of your home. Fortunately, stopping water from coming in through your walk out basement door is not as difficult as you might think.
One of the most common causes of water coming in through a walk out basement door is improper grading of your yard. The soil always should slope away from your home so that water flows away from your basement door. Ideally, the soil in your yard should be sloped such that the elevation of the soil drops at least six inches for every 10 feet of distance from your home's foundation.
Overgrown shrubs or trees close to your home might be the cause of water coming in through your walk out basement door. Prune plants, shrubbery and trees to keep them at least four feet from your home. This will allow the soil to dry faster after rain.
If the soil around your home is a heavy clay, water might be unable to adequately drain during moderate and heavy rains. With nowhere else to go, the water might come into your home through your walk out basement door. French drains are built by a basement repair, plumbing or excavation company. The process involves digging a ditch or trench around the perimeter of your home to direct water away from the foundation and walk out basement door. A perforated hollow pipe is installed in the ditch. Small-diameter gravel fills the trench, which is then covered with soil. This system allows water to quickly drain away from your walk out basement.
Look around your walk out basement door to identify where the water is entering. Fill any cracks around the door with silicone caulking or concrete repair filler. Use silicone caulking to fill any cracks around the perimeter of the door. Paint a waterproof sealant onto the walls that surround the walk out door after you have filled the cracks. Allow the caulking and paint to dry for at least 24 hours and apply a second coat of waterproof sealant.
Jessica Lietz has been writing about health-related topics since 2009. She has several years of experience in genetics research, survey design, analysis and epidemiology, working on both infectious and chronic diseases. Lietz holds a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from The Ohio State University.


ID Ecosystem Steering Group
Apply – Step 4: Submit the Registration Form
The Concierge will review the answers, status and comments together. There may be followup questions for requirements that are marked something other than Fully Implemented and have no Comments. Or they may have questions about the comments for further clarification.
They can also answer any questions you may have.
Once everything is complete the Service can be listed in the Registry in Step 5.


Israeli soldiers assaulted, Sunday, several young Palestinian men and women near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially at the Council Gate and the Chain Gate of the holy site, and abducted twelve of them, but released one later.
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers assaulted many worshippers, especially youngsters, as they were heading to the mosque, and leaving it, during a recreational activity for hundreds of children, dubbed as the “human train.”
They added that dozens of soldiers were deployed in the area, before abducting a young woman, identified as Mayyada Shawamra, in addition to abducting two young men after assaulting them.
The soldiers also sprayed many Palestinians, including guards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with pepper spray, and assaulted them before briefly detaining a guard, identified as Omar Rajabi, at a nearby police station.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted Ala’ Haddad, Moayyad Edrees, Moath Edrees, Ahmad Edrees, Abdullah Badran and Atef Badran.
In addition, the soldiers abducted a young man, identified as Tareq Moayyad Abu Mayyala, near the Council Gate, as he was trying to enter the mosque for evening prayers.
Late on Sunday evening, several Israeli army jeeps invaded Ein al-Louza neighborhood, in Silwan town, near Al-Aqsa Mosque, and fired dozens of rubber-coated steel bullets and concussion grenades, after the soldiers claimed that a car belonging to settlements’ guards was burnt, after Palestinian youngsters hurled a Molotov cocktail at it.


I loved looking at my favorite Insta feeds as people celebrated the International Day of the Girl earlier this week. We certainly strive for equality in this country, but some of our global sisters are still fighting for basic human rights. All things girl seems to be the running theme on this week’s Company Memo and I’m grateful to Lorae for sharing these good finds with us! Have a great weekend, everyone.
Create: Rebel Girl Halloween Costumes
Read: Audible Subscription Recommendations
I may have mentioned I am a Audible lover, and think it’s one of the best subscriptions out there. You can listen while folding laundry, doing dishes, walking the dog, or waiting in that carpool line. I had some downtime this past weekend in the car alone so I listened to two really great stories: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (from Master Of None and Parks and Recreation) and In the Country We Love by Diane Guerrero (from Orange Is The New Black). Modern Romance is about dating culture in the era of technology and has some really poignant messages about what old social habits have fallen by the wayside in modern interactions. In the County We Love tells Diane’s story of when she, at 14, came home from school to find out her parents had been deported without her knowledge. This memoir sheds incredible first-hand perspective on undocumented immigrants in the United States and the legitimate struggles these families and children face with deportation.
Watch: International Day of the Girl Tributes
This week we celebrated International Day of The Girl and my daughters and I had a little screen time with the newly adapted “Freedom” video from Beyonce. This may be our new soccer warm-up jam, replacing “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. I also can’t help but share this clip from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where he welcomed some of his female writers to take part in his Thank You Notes series for guest Hillary Rodham Clinton. If you weren’t With Her, I hope you can still appreciate the impact of being able to thank someone you admire. Maybe we should all pick up a pen and paper today and acknowledge the women who showed us the way.
Listen: Call Your Girlfriend
After a weekend with my girlfriends I needed to continue the bestie banter so I began trying out some new podcasts. I landed on one entitled Call Your Girlfriend; This podcast began with two girlfriends catching up on issues of pop culture and politics and has now morphed into so much more with listeners all over the globe. With backgrounds as digital strategists, and now regular contributors to New York Magazine and the LA Times, these ladies have some serious street cred. Their podcast is witty and engaging with both high and low brow content. Ann Friedman reminds me of Molly Shannon playing an NPR host on SNL and I really dig it. Give an episode a try and see what you think.
We are a Instagram-loving culture and my kids are dying to be on it, too. I get hounded to get Snapchat—one social media app I don’t have yet—and am trying to dig my heels in for now. They are years away from the Instagram age requirement of 13, but I could be open to an alternative like the app Kudos. Just think of it as Instagram with training wheels: kids can take photos, apply filters and overlays, and share with friends. I am a little strict when it comes to what age I let my girls have access to apps and want to make sure that they are ready for the responsibility that comes with being on this type of technology. (Some thoughts to think about when giving kids devices). Kudos has a AI technology that scans 24/7 for suspicious content to keep our children safe and comments appropriate. Any content that gets passed to their AI can be removed, no questions asked. Another feature I love is that their accounts can only be seen by friends who they have allowed to follow.


With a DateTimeField and a DateField in a wicket form, submit the following:
DateTimeField: [ 11/06/2010 ] date, [ 0 ] hour, [ 0 ] min
DateField: [ 11/06/2010 ] date
Those should result in the same value. But look at the converted Date values, and you'll see this:
The dateTimeField value is what I'd expect - the UTC value of midnight in my timezone on 11/6/2010. It look like dateField is just wrong and that DateConverter isn't dealing with timezone conversions properly. Here's the scenario:
- Server OS, Java, and Database are all configured to use UTC timezone.
- Web client is configured in America/Los_Angeles timezone (currently UTC-08:00, or PST).
- Currently logged in member has profile configured to use America/Los_Angeles timezone.
- Application WebClientInfo has timezone set from the user's profile, like such:
ClientInfo ci = Session.get().getClientInfo();
Anywhere that dates are handled in the application with DateLabel or DateTimeField, they seem to be properly converted by Wicket to and from America/Los_Angeles time to UTC time for storage in the database. Examining the database shows a 7 or 8 hour difference between the time in the UI and the time in the database (depending on DST or not).
However, when using org.apache.wicket.extensions.yui.calendar.DateField, dates are getting converted/persisted incorrectly. I just traced through DateConverter.convertToObject() to see what was happening. Assume it is currently 2010-12-10 00:43 PST(-8). My client timezone is set to PST (-8), as is my profile timezone. I specify 2010-11-06 in the DateField. It does this:
1. Creates a Joda value using DateMidnight right now in UTC (the date/time right now in UTC, setting the time portion to midnight UTC. This will be a time before now, not after now, as midnight is the first instant of a day, not the last instant of a day). 2010-12-10T00:00:00Z
2. Converts this Joda value to the client's timezone. 2010-12-09T16:00:00-08:00
3. Joda parses the submitted text value into the Joda value. 2010-11-06T16:00:00-07:00
4. Converts the Joda value to the server's timezone. 2010-11-06T23:00:00Z
The value should result in 2010-11-06T07:00:00Z, which converts to 2010-11-06T00:00:00-08:00, or midnight on 11/6 in the PST timezone, but it doesn't. Or am I missing something and there is a reason for this? It seems like a bug to me.


Yes, Naples Pizza IS!
At least, to my discriminating taste buds. I’ve sampled incredible pizza all over Italy. Rarely have I been left wanting. I’d almost fallen into a stupor that great pizza is easy-peasy for Italians (as long as it was cooked in a wood-fired oven). I’d gotten lazy and made some rather uneducated conclusions. But recently, a last-minute, twenty-nine-hour excursion south to visit and sample the artistry of two famous Neapolitan pizzerias has forever reset my expectations. Here’s the skinny:
Sorbillo and Vicenzo Capuano, here we come!
These two pizzerias sit right at the top of the list for authentic Naples pizza. We only had a little more than a day, so we kept our “test” to the two most lauded and time-tested. We found super-cheap last minute flights on easyJet, cashed in a credit for a night on hotels.com, and we packed our bags. Heavy rain was in the forecast, so we made sure to take our umbrellas.
We arrived late on Saturday morning.
We dropped out bags to be held at our hotel until official check-in time and headed to the city center (we were only a ten-minute walk away). The rain was steady, and we toured a few stall-crowded streets before plopping ourselves at the door of Gino e Toto Sorbillo, the original Sorbillo location (there are two others in Naples). It would be ten minutes before noon when they would open, and we were amongst perhaps a dozen people queueing up. But, the pizzeria doors already were open and they’d started seating people at a brisk pace. We were sixth or seventh to be seated, and we were pinching ourselves just twenty minutes later when we could see that the outside crowd had grown to eight-to-ten people deep.
We scanned the menu and placed our orders. I had the Arnaldo, whose featured topping, in addition to creamy mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil, was peppered pancetta (I doubled up). It arrived with a puffy outer crust and a soft, thin, inner crust. I cut a slice, folded it over (otherwise the ingredients slide off), and I fell headlong into my Naples pizza experience. Wow! Wow! Wow!
Our hotel concierge had tried to steer us away from this Naples treasure.
You know how this can go. People, especially locals, become suspect and jaded over the popularity of an institution like Sorbillo. If it’s so popular with the masses how good can it really be?
I’m here to tell you it is THAT good and I had to resist the temptation to chastise the concierge for trying to steer us away to one of her local favorites.
Our happy tummies decided to have “just one more.”
I know; glutinous behavior unchecked. But, why not? I’d been throwing care out the window. Why do this half-assed? Normally, I don’t even eat pizza since I’m usually a low-carb devotee (I can imagine the groans of disbelief as people read this) and I pretty much avoid gluten products because my nose starts running and my stomach protests. (Still, Sorbillo has another location down by the water that offers gluten-free options. Maybe I’ll test that out next trip.)
We chose the classic Naples pizza style and doubled up on anchovies.
At least we’d decided to split the second pizza, so don’t rush to judgment for my excesses. My only fear was that the people pressing up against the front doors and windows would see that we had delayed their chances for entry and we might be pummeled upon leaving.
It was just as good as the first.
Yeah, we devoured it in a flash (along with a second glass of the house white wine). And guess what? I didn’t have to push myself back from the table and prepare for an afternoon of self-flagellation for such unfettered indulgence. In fact, I had no bloating, no stopped-up nose, niente. My theory is that my body was just so grateful for giving it something so precious and delicious that it gave me a temporary get-out-of-jail-free card.
A bomb went off at the entrance to Sorbillo in early 2019
Fortunately, there were no casualties, and the restaurant closed for only a brief period of time. Early theories suggested that someone had intended to threaten the pizzeria (maybe a competitor?). It turns out that the bomb had been intended for the resident of the apartment just above Sorbillo and, instead, it fell in front of the entrance where it exploded. Read an account of the incident here at scattodigusto.it.
Saturday evening, a palate cleanser.
That evening we headed to a well-reviewed seafood restaurant. We dined without fighting the usual Saturday night crowds since most Neapolitans were at the stadium or crowded around a tv watching an important Naples soccer game.
Sunday took us to Vincenzo Capuano
We checked out of our hotel, parked out bags with the concierge, and headed out for another leisurely stroll through the city center (the rain had vanished). Naples has no shortage of characters and novel scenes playing out continuously. I was missing my Canon 5D Mark IV and my 70-200m lens. Oh well, next time.
Our flight was due to depart at around 15:45, so we had to time ourselves accordingly, arriving at this second legendary pizzeria for more Naples pizza just past noon.
Another defining pizza experience.
At Vincenzo Capuano, close to Naples Bay, we were seated immediately. I guess, especially on a Sunday, Neapolitans aren’t dining until after 13:00 (the restaurant was packed by then).
Naples pizzas are works of art. The featured photo is from this pizzeria. Again, a puffy outer crust, and a deliciously soft cradle of ingredients in the middle.
Check out the pizzeria’s chef in this lively YouTube video:
An American woman at an adjacent table behaves…uh, well, poorly.
Three American tourists arrived at an adjacent table. They seemed nice enough. Surely they were in the know and had come here for the pizza. Not so for one woman who spoke not a single word of Italian and asked for a “salad without meat.” The waiter nodded and eventually delivered a huge beautiful salad along with two pizzas. He proudly placed the salad in front of her. She stared at it, obviously dismayed. She shook her head and the bewildered waiter tried to discern the problem. After all, he’d delivered a beautiful salad sans meat. BUT, it did have mozzarella and I guess that was the problem. She must’ve wanted a vegan salad. He asked her what was wrong. Instead of offering an explanation, the woman waved the salad away with a regal flick of her hand. “Just take it away,” were her only words.
I usually try to take the high road and just ignore cringe-worthy behavior. But, not this time. I think this example is important to illustrate what kind of attitudes and behaviors give Americans a bad name. The two big offenders in my experience are:
- Expecting the world outside of the United States to do the work of speaking and understanding English.
- Expecting non-Americans to be mind-readers regarding our needs and wants.
Okay, enough said. I’ll climb down off my soapbox now.
In conclusion, what is the differentiating secret of Naples pizza?
I’m convinced it’s two things. One is the water. Think about New York bagels and how once you leave New York, you have the darndest time finding a bagel that matches up. People swear it’s the water. Even though we have a hopping Neapolitan pizzeria here in Treviso, run by people from Naples, the pizza just isn’t the same. Different water? I think so.
Second is the dough and its yeast (or the ‘mother’). I believe making pizza in Naples is so intuitive, so second-nature, that an important effortlessness comes into play and creates magic. Think about Amadeus Mozart and how his musical gifts just flowed while his contemporary, Salieri, studied and followed musical rules and formulas to near obsession, without being able to produce a result that remotely compared to Mozart’s brilliant works. I’m beginning to think that Neapolitans are the Mozarts of pizza.
Our twenty-nine hours ended.
Our flight took off, and in less than ninety minutes we were walking to the car park at Venice airport. We had embarked upon a playful mission and returned happy and sated. We’ll be going back, hopefully, sooner than later, and for more days and more Neapolitan pizzerias!


Background: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and recent studies have suggested that RBD in PD is associated with increased cognitive impairment, waking EEG slowing, autonomic impairment and lower quality of life on mental health components. However, it is unclear whether the association of RBD in PD has implications for motor manifestations of the disease.
Methods: The study evaluated 36 patients with PD for the presence of RBD by polysomnography. Patients underwent an extensive evaluation on and off medication by a movement disorders specialist blinded to the polysomnography results. Measures of disease severity, quantitative motor indices, motor subtypes, complications of therapy and response to therapy were assessed and compared using regression analysis that adjusted for disease duration and age.
Results: Patients with PD and RBD were less likely to be tremor predominant (14% vs 53%; p<0.02) and had a lower proportion of their Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score accounted for by tremor (8.2% vs 19.0%; p<0.01). An increased frequency of falls was noted among patients with RBD (38% vs 7%; p = 0.04). Patients with RBD demonstrated a lower amplitude response to their medication (UPDRS improvement 16.2% vs 34.8%; p = 0.049). Markers of overall disease severity, quantitative motor testing and motor complications did not differ between groups.
Conclusions: The presence of altered motor subtypes in PD with RBD suggests that patients with PD and RBD may have a different underlying pattern of neurodegeneration than PD patients without RBD.
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Although Parkinson’s disease (PD) is often conceived of as a relatively uniform process, severity of disease and clinical manifestations can differ radically between individuals. For example, in a recent 10-year prospective study, 13 of 126 patients with PD had experienced no functional disability whereas at the other extreme, nine patients were wheelchair users or bed bound.1 At present, our understanding of the pathophysiological basis of these profound differences in clinical manifestations is limited. In prospective studies, the only factors that have been consistently associated with poor prognosis are baseline disease severity, absence of rest tremor and older age of onset.2
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is characterised by loss of the normal muscle atonia that accompanies REM sleep.3 4 Affected patients have excessive motor activity in association with dream content. Although few autopsy studies have been performed, it has been suggested that degeneration of nuclei in the pontine tegmentum and medial medulla are responsible for the loss of atonia during sleep.5 6 RBD is commonly associated with PD—polysomnographic studies at our centre have estimated that 58% of patients have some loss of REM atonia during sleep.7 Motor manifestations of PD are classically associated with degeneration of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), although degeneration also occurs in many brainstem and cortical structures.8 If RBD is a disease of pontine structures, one could speculate that RBD in PD may be a marker of a degenerative process that has a different (perhaps more widespread) distribution than that found in PD without RBD. If this is the case, the presence of RBD in PD may be associated with differences in motor manifestations. Studies in our centre have previously found that patients with PD and RBD are more likely to have cognitive impairment and slowing of the waking EEG than patients without RBD.9 10 We also have found that patients with PD and RBD have more autonomic dysfunction than those without.11 In this study, we conducted an extensive assessment of motor manifestations in patients with PD to determine if RBD was associated with differences in the nature and severity of manifestations.
Evaluations were carried out at the sleep disorders laboratory at the Hôpital du Sacré Coeur, Montreal, Quebec, and ethics approval was obtained from the research ethics board of the hospital. All patients gave informed consent to participate in the study according to the declaration of Helsinki.
A consecutive sample of patients with PD from the McGill University Health Centre were assessed for participation (an additional seven patients were recruited from the patient list of a previous study7). Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had parkinsonism, as defined by the UK Parkinson Disease Society Brain Bank criteria,12 and if idiopathic PD was the likeliest cause. To allow as broad a spectrum of disease as possible, patients were excluded only if they had dementia (defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score of <24 with functional impairment as a result of cognitive loss) or if, after comprehensive assessment, an alternate cause of parkinsonism was thought to be more likely than idiopathic PD.
Polysomnographic evaluation and definition of RBD
All participants were studied in the sleep laboratory for one night, and a sleep specialist (JM) reviewed all clinical sleep evaluations. REM sleep was scored according to a method developed for RBD which uses EEG and electro-oculograms only.13 Recordings of oral and nasal airflow, thoracic and abdominal movements, and oximetry were performed to rule out sleep apnoea. The diagnosis of RBD was made according to the international classification of sleep disorders II criteria as the presence of REM sleep without atonia and of at least one of the following: (1) history of harmful or potentially harmful motor manifestations that could disrupt sleep continuity; or (2) presence of complex motor behaviours during REM sleep seen on the polysomnographic synchronised videotape recording.14
One movement disorders specialist (RP) performed a comprehensive evaluation of each patient’s disease. This evaluation was performed blinded to the results of the polysomnographic evaluation (blinding was not possible for three patients because of participation in a previous study15). Evaluations were done in both the medication “off” and “on” state. The “off” state evaluation was performed in the morning, at least 12 h after the previous dose of medication. The “on” state evaluation was performed 1.5 h after taking the usual dose of morning medications.
Measures of interest included:
Severity of disease and motor disability. All patients underwent a systematic history and a complete neurological examination that included all components of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).16 Results of overall disease severity have been reported elsewhere.11 Scores on UPDRS parts II and III were assessed in both the “on” and “off” states; to assess short duration response to medication, the change in UPDRS scores between the on and off state was calculated.
Quantitative motor testing. Three quantitative motor indices were used. The first was the Alternate Tap Test, a test of motor speed in the hands with a moderate requirement of coordination and accuracy.17 Subjects used their index finger to tap two alternating 2.5 cm diameter metal discs attached to a manual counter, mounted 20 cm apart. Two trials in each hand were performed with 1 min provided for each trial, and the average number of taps in both hands was the outcome measure. The second index was the Purdue Peg Board, a test of hand dexterity, motor speed and coordination.18 Subjects were given 30 s to transfer pins one at a time from a dish into corresponding holes. This was performed separately in each hand, and the average number of pins placed was the outcome measure. The third index was a “timed up and go” test, a measure of gait and transfer speed.19 Subjects were instructed to rise quickly from a chair, walk 3 m, turn and return to sit in the same chair. The average time required in the two trials was the outcome measure. Each measure was performed in both the medication “on” and “off” states.
Motor subtypes. Patients were divided into tremor dominant, akinetic rigid and mixed subtypes, using UPDRS based criteria developed by Schiess et al.20 In addition, the proportion of UPDRS part III “off” motor scores accounted for by each cardinal motor feature was assessed. For tremor, the total score for questions 20 and 21 (seven items) was divided by the total UPDRS part III score. Similar calculations were made to assess the proportion accounted for by rigidity (question 22, five items), bradykinesia (questions 23–26 and 31, nine items), gait/postural stability (questions 27–30, four items) and bulbar abnormalities (questions 18 and 19, two items). The initial cardinal motor manifestation of PD (ie, tremor, bradykinesia or gait dysfunction) was defined by patient self-report. UPDRS examination scores were also subdivided into axial and limb divisions, in a manner similar to that published previously.21 Axial signs were defined as scores on questions 18, 19, 22 and 27–30, and limb signs were defined as scores on questions 20–26. The ratio between the summed axial and limb scores was then calculated. Finally, the frequency of falls (excluding falls from bed as a result of RBD), freezing, choking and drooling were determined by summing the number of patients who scored ⩾1 on questions 14, 13, 7 and 6 on either the “on” or “off” components of the UPDRS part II.
Motor complications of therapy. Based on history and examination, patients were classified according to whether they had experienced fluctuations or dyskinesia. In addition, motor fluctuation scores (UPDRS questions 36–39) and dyskinesia scores (questions 32–34) were summed to assess the severity of motor complications of dopaminergic therapy.
Analysis of descriptive variables was done using two tailed t tests and χ2 tests where appropriate. Multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the independent relation between the PD measures of interest and RBD, controlling for age and duration of disease. Each PD measure served as a dependent variable, with RBD as the independent variable. For dichotomous measures in which regression could not be reliably performed (because of “0” values), Fisher’s exact test was used. Alpha was set at 0.05.
A total of 65 patients were approached for participation in the study, and 36 completed the study. Nineteen patients (seven women), four with a clinical history of RBD and 15 without, declined to participate. Eight patients (five women), four with a clinical history of RBD and four without, were excluded because of dementia. An additional two patients were excluded after polysomnography because an alternate cause of parkinsonism was felt to be present: the first (with RBD) had extremely severe autonomic dysfunction and poor response to levodopa and was diagnosed as probable multiple system atrophy; and the second (without RBD) demonstrated only resting tremor without rigidity and bradykinesia after 15 years of disease and did not meet the minimal criteria of parkinsonism. Of the excluded patients, mean age was 69.4 (12.2) years, disease duration was 7.7 (6.2) years and UPDRS III was 28.2 (13.1) (none of these values was significantly different from the included group). For various reasons (refusal to tolerate “off” state, enrolment in a study with strict dosing parameters), it was not possible to evaluate four patients in the “off” state. Three patients were taking no PD medications and hence no “on” state evaluation was possible.
Results of polysomnography
Twenty one patients with PD had RBD and 15 did not have RBD; this latter group included two patients with loss of REM atonia without clinical manifestations. Fifteen of the 21 patients with RBD were aware of clinical signs of RBD; of this group, nine reported onset of RBD before PD and six reported RBD onset after PD. No patient had an apnoea/hypopnoea index >20. Seven of 21 patients in the RBD group had excessive daytime somnolence (as defined by a score on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale of ⩾10) compared with four of 15 in the non-RBD group (p = 0.73). There were no differences between the groups in sleep latency, REM latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency or percentages of stage 1, 2, slow wave and REM sleep.
Basic demographics and disease severity
Patients with RBD tended to be slightly older, were more likely to be male and had a slightly shorter duration of disease, but none of these differences was significant (table 1). Levodopa dose and use of other parkinsonian medications did not differ between the groups. Disease severity measures have been reported elsewhere.11 To summarise, there was no difference between groups in measures of overall disease severity, including the Hoehn and Yahr and total UPDRS scores (table 1). Among patients with RBD, there was no difference in disease characteristics in patients who developed clinical symptoms of RBD before compared with after cardinal motor manifestations of PD (data not shown).
On numerous measures of motor subtype, there were significant differences between patients with PD with and without RBD (table 2). Patients with RBD were less likely to report tremor as the onset symptom, were less likely to be defined as tremor predominant on examination and had a lower proportion of total UPDRS score accounted for by tremor. There was no difference between groups in the proportion of UPDRS accounted for by rigidity, bradykinesia, bulbar dysfunction or gait and no increase in the frequency of choking or drooling. The axial:limb ratio was not significantly different between groups, although there was a trend towards a higher ratio in patients with RBD (p = 0.11). More patients in the RBD group reported freezing than in the non-RBD group (38% vs 13%) but this difference was not significant (p = 0.09). Finally, a significant difference in the frequency of falls was found; 38% of patients with RBD had experienced falls compared with only 7% in the non-RBD group (p = 0.04).
Response to medications, motor complications and quantitative motor measures
Even though there was no difference in levodopa dose or use of other antiparkinsonian agents between the groups, patients with RBD demonstrated a lower amplitude of response to a dose of their usual medication when comparing UPDRS examination in the medication “on” and “off” states (table 3). There were no significant differences in medication response amplitude for quantitative motor measures, although for all three measures the absolute value of the improvement was less in the RBD group. Finally, there was no difference in the frequency or severity of motor fluctuations and dyskinesia between patients with and without RBD. Additionally, there were no differences between groups in any quantitative measure of motor function, including Alternate Tap Test, timed up and go and Purdue Pegboard Testing.
We have found that patients with PD with RBD have a disease type that is characterised by less tremor, a higher frequency of falls and a lower amplitude of response to their medication dose. Overall disease severity, motor complications and other motor manifestations did not differ between patients with and without RBD.
To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive description of motor manifestations of PD in patients with and without RBD that included quantitative motor assessments, motor subtypes and complete examination in the medication “on” and “off” states. There have been some studies that have looked at overall disease severity indices in PD. One recent study examining brainstem spectroscopy in patients with PD found worse UPDRS scores among 12 patients with PD with polysomnography confirmed RBD compared with 12 without a clinical history of RBD.22 Another study compared UPDRS and tremor versus akinetic rigid subtypes in patients with a clinical history of RBD (no polysomnography confirmation was performed). This study found that patients with RBD had a marginally longer disease duration and higher Hoehn and Yahr scores, but did not find differences in motor subtype.23 In contrast, a recent study has suggested that patients with clinical symptoms of RBD have lower motor severity scores.24 One retrospective chart review described UPDRS scores in patients with PD with and without RBD (again assessed only by clinical history), and found that patients with RBD had longer disease duration, higher doses of antiparkinsonian agents and a higher frequency of dyskinesia and fluctuations, although total UPDRS scores were not different.25 Finally, several studies examining the effect of RBD on visual hallucinations and cognitive impairment in PD26–28 did not find differences in UPDRS scores. None of these studies adjusted for disease duration or age.
We found that patients with PD with RBD had less tremor predominant disease than those without. This was not universal; three of 21 patients with RBD were tremor predominant. Another recently published study has examined motor subtypes in PD, and also found that patients with RBD had a lower frequency of tremor predominant disease.29 We also found a higher frequency of falls and a trend towards increased freezing in patients with RBD. In studies of disease prognosis, tremor predominance has been associated with slower progression and better overall prognosis,2 and falls are commonly considered a marker of increasing disease severity. However, we found no evidence of worse overall motor severity in patients with RBD. Our disease duration was relatively short, so it will be of considerable interest to follow these patients over time; perhaps with longer disease duration, differences in prognosis may appear.
In comparing medication “on” and “off” states, patients with RBD appeared to have less response to medications. This was not due to confounding by different medication use, as use of levodopa and other dopaminergic agents was the same in both groups. Interpretation of this finding is complex, as a lower amplitude of response to a single medication dose can indicate different things. On the one hand, it could suggest that patients with RBD have more levodopa resistant symptoms. The trend towards an increased proportion of axial symptoms and freezing with the increased frequency of falls may support this interpretation, as these symptoms tend to respond less to dopaminergic therapy. On the other hand, patients with RBD could have a preserved long term response to medications, as is typically seen early in disease. Given that we found no significant differences between the groups in terms of markers of disease severity or duration, we cannot tell which of these interpretations is correct. Prospective follow-up of these patients will help to determine the implications of this finding.
In the differential diagnosis of PD, there are several conditions (multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy, vascular parkinsonism, etc) that can also cause parkinsonism. Differentiation of these conditions from PD is based on clinical grounds. RBD is extremely common in MSA in particular (and RBD commonly precedes other manifestations of disease in MSA).30 31 The features of disease that we found more commonly in patients with RBD, such as absence of robust response to dopaminergic therapy, lack of tremor and falls, are all clues to the fact that an alternate cause of parkinsonism may be present. Therefore, our findings may suggest that the presence of RBD could be a “red flag” for alternate causes of parkinsonism, particularly MSA. Further follow-up of our patients, especially with pathological examination if possible, will allow us to determine if any of our patients with RBD are eventually diagnosed with an alternate condition.
There are some limitations of this study. The breadth of our examination precluded detailed examination of any one feature. We included 36 patients, but a larger study would have more statistical power to find subtle differences between groups. For those items with low frequency (such as psychiatric complications), up to 200 patients would be required to have 80% power to find an effect. Therefore, absence of a significant difference between groups in this study does not rule out modest differences. In particular, there seemed to be a lower rate of RBD in women that was not statistically significant. This is consistent with the well established but as yet unexplained finding that idiopathic RBD is predominant in men—it is not clear whether this gender predominance could be caused by selective presentation (eg, if women have less violent dreams they may be less likely to wake from their RBD episode) or whether sex specific differences in patterns of neurodegeneration in PD exist. It is also important to emphasise that this study was not designed to estimate the prevalence of RBD in PD: patients were included from a consecutive sample, and a substantial proportion of patients preferred not to participate. As patients with subjective sleep complaints tended to participate at higher rates than those without, the true prevalence of RBD is probably lower than the proportion of patients with RBD in our study. This study is exploratory in nature, and therefore no correction for multiple comparisons was made; it is possible that some of our findings may have been due to chance. Finally, our evaluation was a single evaluation; we will continue to follow these patients over time, so that prognostic features and disease progression can be assessed prospectively.
The study has several strengths. All patients in our study had a diagnosis of RBD confirmed or refuted by polysomnography. Although this requirement for polysomnography limited study size, we feel that considering the poor sensitivity and specificity of symptom questionnaires for RBD in PD,7 32 this was an essential step in assuring correct classification of RBD status. Bias was diminished by performing the complete evaluation blinded to the results of polysomnography. Finally, our evaluation was broad and comprehensive, addressing a variety of motor outcomes in both medication “on” and “off” states.
In summary, we have found that RBD is not an isolated phenomenon in PD. Patients with PD who have RBD tend to have akinetic rigid disease, an increased frequency of falls and less clinical response to medication doses. These findings suggest that RBD, when associated with PD, may indicate a pattern of neurodegeneration that differs from patients without RBD.
Statistical analysis was conducted by KC.
Funding: This study was supported by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec and by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to JM, JFG and RBP.
Competing interests: JM received personal compensation as consultant (Boehringer Ingelheim, Servier, Shire Biochem) and speaker (Boehringer, Shire), and received financial support for research activities from Sanofi Synthelabo, GlaxoSmithKline. RBP, JFG, MV and KC have nothing to disclose.
Ethics approval: Ethics approval was obtained from the research ethics board of Hôpital du Sacré Coeur, Montreal, Quebec.
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Jamaica, Friday March 8, 2019 – Jamaicans will be
paying J$14.032 billion (US$110.3 million) less in taxes as the government reduces
the tax burden as part of measures to stimulate greater business and economic
activity and boost growth.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel
Clarke made the announcement yesterday as he opened the 2019/20 budget debate in
the House of Representatives.
The measures, which take effect on April 1st, include
abolishing the Minimum Business Tax, payable by all registered companies. In
addition, there will be an increase in the annual General Consumption Tax (GCT)
threshold to J$10 million (US$78,603), up from the current J$3 million (US$23,581).
“This means that approximately 3,500 small
businesses that currently file GCT will no longer be required to do so. Tax
Administration Jamaica (TAJ), which currently has to see to the compliance of these
3,500 [businesses], will now free up resources, allowing them to concentrate on
larger businesses and ensure they are complying. This is economic opportunity
for all,” Dr Clarke said.
Also, the House is being asked to consider a
proposal to supplant all Ad Valorem Stamp Duty rates payable on any instrument
pursuant to the Stamp Duty Act, including the granting of security as
collateral for loans, with a specific (flat rate) stamp duty of J$5,000 (US$39.30)
“These Ad Valorem stamp duties are distortionary…and
disincentives the very activities we want to encourage. It discourages
transactions, competition, and impedes access to finance for all but
particularly, micro and small businesses,” the Finance Minister told his
colleagues in the House.
Other measures include a reduction of the transfer
tax payable on the transfer of real property and financial instruments. It is
proposed to reduce the transfer tax to two per cent, down from five per cent.
There will also be an increase in the transfer tax
(estate tax) threshold applicable to the estate of deceased persons. It is
proposed to increase the transfer tax threshold in the case where the estate of
a deceased person is to be transferred. This threshold is to be increased to J$10
million, (US$78,603), from the current J$100,000 (US$786).
“This will allow for greater mobility of assets,
which is consistent with our drive for economic growth,” Minister Clarke said.
Other measures include a proposal to abolish the asset tax payable by non-financial institutions. The structure of the asset tax was modified in 2012 to impose, on the one hand, a tax regime for non-financial institutions and on the other hand, a tax for financial institutions. The effective date for implementation is the year of assessment 2019.


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Hyperlinked Bibliographies view
Thomas A. Hieronymus
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Welfare Implications of Market Prices." Journal of Farm Economics 37 (1955):904-911.
Halcrow, H. G. and T. A. Hieronymus. “Parity Prices in Their Economic Context." Journal of Farm Economics 41(1959):1289-1300.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Economics of World Supply of Edible Fats and Oils." Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society 37(1960):617-622.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Effects of Futures Trading on Prices." Futures Trading Seminar - History and Development, Vol. I, Mimir Publishers, Inc.: Madison, WI, 1960, pp.121-201.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “The Market for Domestic Farm Food Products." Illinois Agricultural Economics 1(1961):1-9.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Uses of Grain Futures Markets in the Farm Business." Bulletin 696, University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, 1963.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Estimating Export Potentials for U. S. Agricultural Products." Illinois Agricultural Economics 4(1964):78-84.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Futures Trading in Hogs." Illinois Agricultural Economics 6(1966):1-10.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “When to Sell Corn, Soybeans, Oats, Wheat." Circular 33, Cooperative Extention Service, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, 1966.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Soybeans: End of an Era?" Illinois Agricultural Economics 9(1969):1-18.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Commentary - Profit Margin Hedging in the Broiler Industry." Futures Trading Seminar Proceedings, Vol IV, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago, IL, 1976, pp.71-72.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Economics of Futures Trading for Commercial and Personal Profit." Commodity Research Bureau, Inc.:New York, NY, 1977.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Maipulation in Commodity Futures Trading: Toward a Definition." Hofstra Law Review 6(1977-1978):41-56.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Basis Patterns." in Views from the Trade, Book III, Readings in Futures Markets, Anne E. Peck, ed., Board of Trade of the City of Chicago: Chicago, IL, 1978, pp.45-56.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “Commentary-The Influences of Hedging on Futures Market Activity: Some Further Evidence." Proceedings of the International Futures Trading Seminar, Vol. V, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago, IL, 1978, pp.24-27.
Good, D.L., Thomas A. Hieronymus, and Royce A. Hinton. “Price Forecasting and Sales Management: Corn, Soybeans, Cattle, and Hogs." The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 1980.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “How the Practical Aspects of Testimony Directed Some Research." Research on Speculation Seminar Report, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago, IL, 1980, pp.52-66.
Michael A. Hudson, Thomas A. Hieronymus and Stephen R. Koontz. “Deliveries on the CME Live Cattle Contract: An Economic Assessment." North Central Journal of Agricultural Economics10(1988):155-164.
Hieronymus, Thomas A. “A Revisionist Chronology of Papers by TA Hieronymus: A Consistency of Biases." Office for Futures and Options Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996.


A skin beauty lounger is a place where you can find a selection of skin care products to get rid of blemishes and irritations, while enjoying an ice cold drink.
A lot of beauty stores now have their own skin care sections, and some even have beauty bars that offer a variety of skin products to choose from.
A skin care lounge is usually a place you’ll find a small selection of products to buy, with the option to make your own selections.
There are also beauty bars and beauty shops where you’ll buy makeup and skincare products, and a couple of beauty louks that specialize in skincares and other skincaria.
There’s a reason why skin care is becoming a big business: skin has become one of the most popular consumer items, and we’ve seen it grow in popularity over the past decade.
But what is a skin beauty bar?
A skin beautifier is essentially a small, portable machine that you can put in your purse or carry in your bag to keep your skin in good shape.
The beauty bar is similar to a beauty blender.
It holds the ingredients you want to use in a recipe, and when you’re done you can throw it away or wash it out with water.
You can even mix it up with different products, like the beauty bar that you see above.
Skin beauty bars aren’t the only beauty products you can buy in a beauty lounge, but they are a big part of the business.
Here’s a look at some of the products you might find at a beauty bar.
This beauty bar at Cosmo Salon is the kind of beauty you would find at beauty shops, but the ingredients are not that simple.
Beauty bars are more expensive than beauty kits, which are usually cheaper and more convenient.
If you’re a student who is in college and has no savings, this might be a good option for you.
Skin beauty bars are usually much larger than a beauty kit, so if you need more space, you’ll want to consider getting a bigger one.
The beauty bar in this photo is also a little bigger than a face mask, which is the other product you’ll be looking at in this section.
A beauty bar doesn’t have to be big or heavy.
You could also opt for a bar that is slightly smaller and easier to carry around, like this beauty bar from a bar in a local supermarket.
I bought this beauty lounge at the Skinnygirl Beauty Bar because I had a lot of leftover product from the last beauty bar I bought, so I didn’t have a lot to sell and I needed to get some to take to the beauty shop.
There are plenty of beauty bars around, but I think these are the best-known ones.
They’re usually in stores that sell beauty products, which means you can shop from them and find a variety.
Beauty bars are also popular in China, where a lot people go to shops like these to buy products like face masks and skin care.
How do I find a beauty shop near me?
You can check online or by calling a local beauty store, or you can call BeautyBar.com.
Beauty shops often carry makeup, skincARE and skINCARE, but there are many other beauty products available in other colors and flavors.
You might find a skin care bar at a hair salon or a beauty store that specializes in skINCare, for example.
If you’re in a hurry, you might also be able to find beauty bars in your neighborhood.
They might be open during the day, and they’ll usually sell products like makeup and body lotions.
You’ll want a beauty machine that will hold your products.
Beauty machines are a popular item in beauty loukes, so you can use one for skincari or makeup.
But you don’t need to be a professional makeup artist to use a beauty spotter.
You don’t have any makeup to use, and you might want to look for a beauty device with a different color palette than your own skin.
The best beauty spots to get your skincared face in shape are a beauty lamp and a beauty brush.
Beauty lamps work by shining light on your face, and then applying makeup on top.
You use the brush to apply the makeup.
I like to wear a little pink lip brush in the summer, but a natural lip brush works well too.
You’ll want an inexpensive beauty product that’s also inexpensive to make.
Makeup is often more expensive, but you can always buy cosmetics at a BeautyBar or Beauty Shop.
These beauty bars at Beauty Lounge are more like beauty bars than beauty kit bars.
They have the same ingredients as the kits you’ll normally find at grocery stores, but some are slightly smaller in size and some have more options.
Here’s a beauty-related beauty product in a Beauty Bar: These are some of my favorite beauty products from BeautyBar that are available at BeautyLounge.


Read with: iBooks for iPad
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Human Design, #3
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Hero: Calvin Scott
Heroine: Lauren Mayes
Date of Publication: October 8, 2014
Started On: November 5, 2014
Finished On: November 5, 2014
Katie Allen is an author that I discovered a little bit earlier on to when I started my review blog. Katie is a superb writer of erotic romances. One of these days I just might give her books like Breaking the Silence another go and do a review. That was actually my very first book by Katie which I loved to pieces. Of late however, Katie has been focusing more on writing erotica of the m-m variety which I am not a fan of. Chemistry with Calvin that came out recently seemed a good place to once again revisit a favorite author of mine and that’s how I ended up reading this in one sitting.
Chemistry with Calvin is the third book in the Human Design series, the first book of which is Experimenting with Ed which still sits neatly in my TBR shelf in my iBooks. That being said, Chemistry with Calvin can be perfectly read as a standalone since I wasn’t any worse off having started with book #3 in the series.
Calvin Scott works as the mailman at the firm where Lauren Mayes works. Calvin being a man who keeps to himself with a huge beard covering most of his face and a don’t-come-near-me vibe that keeps most people away, Lauren cannot explain why she has such a fascination for the man. There is just something about Calvin that makes Lauren seek him out, something about him that calls to her inner woman that has a hard time keeping herself down.
When danger comes calling and Lauren rapidly falls into the mess, Calvin is left with no choice but to take Lauren with him to a safe place. With government agents who would stop at nothing chasing them across the country, Lauren finds out that with Calvin she has found just a tad bit more than she bargained for.
The attraction between Lauren and Calvin is one that sizzles right off the charts. Calvin is one who cannot remember a past that goes beyond his capture by the government agency that had experimented on him. And Calvin would do practically anything to not fall into their clutches once again. Though Calvin finds Lauren to be an utter distraction, he can’t help but be drawn towards the woman who cannot stop talking, who gets under his skin in more ways than one and brings out an animalistic side of him that Lauren definitely knows how to provoke.
The dialogs between Calvin and Lauren were at times laughter inducing. Calvin and his reluctance to get involved doesn’t prevent him from getting busy with Lauren in many other ways. And I totally found Calvin’s bossy kisses a huge turn on.
Recommended for fans of the series. Though in my opinion this is not the best of Katie Allen, it still has certain elements to it that testifies to the great writer she is.
Final Verdict: Chemical explosions of the scorching variety guaranteed!
Air left her lungs in a rush as she clung to his shoulders, digging her short nails into his skin. It had to hurt but it only seemed to incite him further. He raised and lowered her, bringing them together with quick, almost violent thrusts. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except hang on and enjoy the ride. The rougher he fucked her, the more she enjoyed it, which would probably bother her if she weren’t flying toward an orgasm that promised to be more mind-blowing than any she’d ever had before.
“Babies, needles, psycho scientists!” Her hands flew in frantic circles. “We got the jumbo-sized box—how could we forget to use a condom?”
“Shit.” Cal sat up next to her. “You were touching me.”
She bounced out of bed and felt the evidence of their condom-less deed trickle down her thigh. “So it was my fault.”
“Fuck no.” He paused. “But your hands were touching me. Everywhere.”
“And you grabbed me and just popped it in, all bare and naked and possibly baby-making.” She started pacing.
“Fine. It was my fault.” He tracked her with narrow, hungry eyes. “It was my fault I fucked you bare. My fault you felt so incredible, so hot and wet and tight around my cock, I had to come in you. My fault I wanted to mark you, make you smell like me, make you mine.”


Nautica Eyewear offers classic styling with modern appeal. Crafted for comfort with a superior fit, nautical elements are incorporated into the collection for a distinctive look. Timeless styles are reinvented with updated colorations, materials, textures and hardware.
Nautica Eyewear has a fully polarized collection of sunglasses. From the iconic aviator to fun sporty frames, Nautica suns take you from the city to the beach and all points in-between.


Last night, I took the crazy multi-culti mess of our Kuwait-based Cairo team—Mr. Fixit (Hong Kong), Mrs. Fixit (Thai), Captain M (Oman), me (nomadic American)—to the tentmaker's bazaar around Bab Zuweila.
"What are those?" The non-Muslims among us were wide-eyed at the pretty colors outside the bazaar.
"Ramadan lanterns," answered Captain M, nonchalantly. "What? Why are you guys so excited?"


Dynamic Yield, the Experience Optimization platform, announced the release of “No Consent, No Cookies” – a new out-of-the-box solution that enables brands to guarantee no data is collected on a user by Dynamic Yield unless they’ve actively opted-in. This comes as an alternative to implementing Dynamic Yield’s set of eXPerience APIs.
Marketing Technology News: Infobip to Acquire OpenMarket, Creating a Leading Cloud Communications Player With Unparalleled Global Reach
The latest EU GDPR restrictions state that clear affirmative action must be taken on the part of website visitors before their personal data can be collected and processed for marketing and personalization purposes. However, only 7% of sites comply with this current legal mandate despite increased constraints on third-party cookies and ongoing privacy and security concerns, according to research from the Ruhr-University Bochum and the Institute for Internet Security.
Many websites continue to operate under the notion that if a visitor fails to respond to a consent pop-up either by scrolling past it or closing it out, their consent is assumed or inferred. Additionally, cookie notice messages often aren’t tied back to consent management systems, allowing experiences to be tracked and optimized for visitors who may have explicitly opted out.
“Other players in the market offer cookie-based consent solutions, automatically putting them in breach of GDPR. And as legislation continues to crack down on online privacy across the globe, this puts teams at risk,” said Omri Mendellevich, CTO at Dynamic Yield. “With our cookie-Less consent offering, brands can instantly establish newfound levels of trust with their users, confidently, and compliantly. In this new era of data protection, Dynamic Yield couldn’t be prouder to be at the forefront of user consent.”
Marketing Technology News: LinkedIn Phishing Scams Most Clicked With a 47% Open Rate in Q3 2020
As brands grow more conscious of privacy and begin adopting technologies to ensure compliance, the number of opted-out users is sure to rise. Despite this, brands can continue to deliver better digital experiences to this segment of traffic. In fact, Dynamic Yield’s many powerful A/B testing, optimization, and recommendation capabilities can still be utilized to enrich the default site experience for opted-out users based on anonymous contextual data such as location, device type, channel, and more.
The “No Consent, No Cookies” solution represents the latest in Dynamic Yield’s longstanding commitment to balancing personalization and privacy. Earlier this year, the company announced it was fully compliant with both Safari ITP 2.3 and Google Chrome’s version 80 SameSite browser update, which enforced new regulations around cookie security and local storage.


Sowbhagya, a 35-year-old housewife from Sondekoppa village, had not even thought that she could also earn money. But after attending the Buzz training, she could no longer be content with being a non-earning member of her family. Sowbhagya did a thorough inquiry about what course she could attend to improve her tailoring skills. She found one in the nearby town and decided that she will attend it. She decided to pay for the course by stitching clothes for her neighbours.
Within a few months, she completed her course and was confident that she could start a tailoring shop. She took tailoring work in her house and she saved Rs 20,000. Only then she used the money to build a small shop unit in front of her house. This would not just be a tailoring shop, she also decided to start a provision store as well in that space!
This entrepreneur’s journey has been supported by Buzz Women.


The barrels that went into this small batch combined to make an amazing drinker.
Nose- Beautiful layering of brandied cherry over a mildly tart cherry. It opens up with time and is reminiscent of cutting into your dessert with your fork which releases cinnamon and baking spices with just a hint of oak to remind you that this is high proof youthful.
Palette- A robust rye with dark cherry, burnt vanilla, and spices for days. It's a delicious rye with a weighty mouthfeel.
Balance - It's insanely well balanced with the alcohol so perfectly integrated at 115 proof you'll forget its there, but you'll find yourself smiling more and happier with each dram.
Finish- the finish is long and the spices dominate this batch, while the cherry does punch its way through to the surface.


Damage to your home or (unintentional) damage to your household effects? Fill in the form below to report your damage to MCS Insurances.
What do I need to fill in?
To complete the form below, you will need, among other things, your policy number, a claim form / police report. You can scan these or clearly photograph and attach them. You can also visit one of our offices or reach us by email or phone . One of our employees will be happy to help you fill in your claim form.


About the authors: Dr. Deirdre MacIntyre is Principal Clinical Psychologist and Head of the Psychology Service for Children and Adolescents with the Eastern Health Board in Dublin. She is author of the Stay Safe Programme and has published numerous papers on child protection. She is a founding member of the Irish Child Abuse Prevention Program.
Dr Alan Carr is Director of the Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical Psychology at University College Dublin and Consultant Psychologist at the Clanwilliam Institute for Marital and Family Therapy in Dublin. His publications include Clinical Psychology in Ireland (Mellen, 1999), and Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology.This author hasn't published yet.


Also called microcosmos, takes its origin from the Middle English word of microcosme or Medieval Latin mīcrocosmus, from Greek mīkròs kósmos, meaning ‘little world’. Especially:
- the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe
- a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity”Microcosm” Merriam-Webster.com., Merriam-Webster, 2012
Thurs., Feb 2 2012
In this exhibition, Michelle uses the visual queues of story-telling to explore the idea of Nature as an active participant of a micro-universe. With overlapping gestural lines, the artist intuitively creates a world immersed in fantasy. In this series of drawings and paintings, images of strange creature inhabitants try to balance a delicate relationship with their “mother” – Nature. The work depicts a series of events, where the creatures find themselves in a world where the forces of “mother” are ever so present; they are physically “caught” in the process. Much like ourselves, the creatures are both loved and scorned by their well-being “mother” as they get jostled about like goldfish in a tiny bowl of water. Through this body of work the artist attempts to further her understanding of Nature, the life energy and its ever lasting process of rejuvenation.


The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought his winning ticket at 18-Dequindre Convenience, located at 40980 Dequindre Road in Sterling Heights.
“I like to play a variety of instant games and decided on the Diamond 7’s game while I was at the store because it’s newer,” said the 33-year-old player. “I scanned the ticket and got a message to file a claim, so I took it home to have a family member scan it on their Lottery app.
“One of my family members looked it over and told me I’d won $500. Once we scanned it on the app and saw it was a $4 million winning ticket, we were shocked. It turned into a party!”
The player visited Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum of about $2.5 million rather than annuity payments totaling $4 million. He plans to purchase a home and then save the remainder.
“I still can’t describe how it feels to win,” said the player. “It was such a big surprise for me and my family.”
Players have won more than $23 million playing Diamond 7’s, which launched in August. Each $30 ticket offered players a chance to win prizes ranging from $30 up to $4 million. More than $128 million in prizes remain, including two $4 million top prizes, 33 $15,000 prizes, and 183 $5,000 prizes.
Lottery instant games may be purchased at 10,500 retailers across the state.
In 2020, Lottery players won more than $1.5 billion playing instant games.


Elementvolt Evaluation – How I Chose This Vaporizer
Factor Vaping is really a company that manufactures and offers vaporizers and concentrates. Assuming you have questions, please go to the help center at Element Vape for answers to faqs (FAQs). You may also email or call their customer service department. I found their customer service to be very useful and fast. Their prices have become reasonable, and they have a low minimum purchase.
I got my first Element Vape in the mail. I was pretty excited because I had find out about them on the net and had seen them used at a shop. I looked around to see if there were any negative comments concerning the device. There weren’t any. I decided to buy it because I wanted to try one out.
When I opened the package, I was impressed with the way the product looked. It had a very good construction. I immediately put the item into my own personal vaporizer cart. The external wrapping was very long-lasting and attractive.
Upon unpacking the machine, I was pretty impressed with the way everything fit together. The interior casing includes a silicone sealing gasket to make sure quality performance. The outer covers has a very good quality Velcro closure on it. It was very easy to place the product on. The outer case also offers a leak evidence seal.
I took the machine out from the packaging and quickly felt that the unit was very light. I in addition loved the fact that the system did not take up much room. I definitely like the fact that I can now work with my handheld vapes with my electric powered pen. That is perfect for me because I love both of the things.
The thing that I would like to improve about the product is the battery life. The battery power has lasted for just two full days without needing a recharge. On the other hand, I have been using the battery so long that I really do think a recharge will undoubtedly be necessary at some point in the near future.
I love that my relatives and buddies are actually asking me questions about the vaporizer that I bought. They’re just so impressed with the product that they want me to show them off to everyone. I truly got a phone call in one of my friends today asking me questions about the Element Volt. It had been really thrilling to see what all of the buzz was about.
My pal also obtained the Elementvolt and she loved it. It is extremely sturdy and durable. She’s two of them and uses hers on a daily basis. I am definitely going to try out the vaporizer and see how great it performs.
You can get the product at most places online. Amazon is probably the most popular places to buy. Google also has plenty of information about them. eBay is another web page where you can find people talking about the product and discussing the purchase price and delivery times. Make sure to search Google for reviews as well.
As I discussed earlier, I actually purchased the merchandise online. If you are uncomfortable buying something online you might want to try out an area store. You can probably find a store that carries the vaporizer generally there aswell. In podsmall.com fact, I live in a little town near Toronto and there are many stores that sell electronic things.
I actually found a review on the Element Voltage by among the top experts in the field of medical devices. He has reviewed the item multiple times and is very satisfied with the entire performance. I am looking forward to trying out the product myself. Hopefully the info I find will be helpful to me in my quest to find the best vaporizer.
The price is right, the vaporizer is extremely portable, and it will do an amazing job in terms of heating your potpourri. Just make sure you read reviews online before purchasing. Should you have never ever used a vaporizer before, you should start out with a lesser quality model so as to find out if that is something you would personally appreciate using.


The NAB Blog
The Road Less Travelled – The Genre of Travel Literature
By Anthony Anderson
22 February 2019
A recent issue of the UK trade publication The Bookseller reported on the decline in sales of travel books. For the most part this sector of the book industry is dominated by travel guides, and the shift from print to digital (and often free) consumption has arguably affected this sector of publishing more than any other. However, travel literature encompasses more than just guidebooks, and its history is a long and remarkably varied one.
Each is a particularly entertaining, as well as educational, snapshot of another place and another time
An early example of the genre is found in the writing of Pausanias and his Description of Greece, which dates from the 2nd century AD. We also have the writings of authors as diverse as Gerald of Wales, Ibn Jubayr and Feng Chen-da from the 12th century. Of greater renown are The Travels of Marco Polo, which date from around 1300, and were told to Rustichello, Messer Polo’s fellow inmate in a Genoese prison. These early writings tend to be largely factual records of topographical and geographical data and observations, but the genre later developed into narratives relaying the sense of pleasure derived from travel, such as Petrarch’s account of his ascent of Mount Ventoux in 1336.
Moving forward several centuries, Captain Cook’s diaries and Alexander von Humboldt’s writings on his travels in America were bestsellers in their day, while James Boswell in his Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, published in 1786, marked an important development in the genre of the travel memoir. In the late 19th century Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes stood out as a notable celebration of the great outdoors.
The 20th century provided some of the masterpieces of the genre. Robert Byron’s The Road to Oxiana gives an account of the author’s Middle-Eastern travels in 1933–34 and was described by Bruce Chatwin as ‘a sacred text, beyond criticism’. It receives an impeccable reading by Barnaby Edwards. Wilfred Thesiger’s travels in Arabia date from the years following the Second World War and he remains best known for his two accounts of that region: Arabian Sands (1959) and The Marsh Arabs (1964). These are read by the late Laurence Kennedy and serve as a reminder of the talent taken from us by his untimely death last year.
Naples ’44 is a fascinating, and in places harrowing, diary kept by Norman Lewis when he was a sergeant for British Amy Intelligence in 1943–44. It has been described as ‘one of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War’. One of the most acclaimed travel writers of our own time is Jan Morris, although she avers she isn’t a travel writer on the basis that she is not actually travelling in her writings. Nonetheless, her masterful books Trieste and Venice contain writing of great beauty and quality.
These accounts, all firsthand by eyewitnesses, transport us not only to other parts of the world, but also to different times in history – from 13th-century China, in the case of Marco Polo, to wartime Southern Italy, as with Norman Lewis. This makes each a particularly entertaining, as well as educational, snapshot of another place and another time, preserved for us in the form of printed, digital and, most recently, audio books.
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Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act, last amended in 1990, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (40 CFR part 50) for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. The Clean Air Act identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards:
- Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
- Secondary standards provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Lead (Pb)
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
- Ozone (O3)
- Particle Pollution (PM)
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
- parts per million (ppm) by volume,
- parts per billion (ppb) by volume, and
- micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3)
The NFRMPO is a maintenance area for Carbon Monoxide (CO) through 2019 for the City of Greeley and through 2023 for the City of Fort Collins. The NFRMPO is part of a nonattainment area for Ozone (O3) for 75 ppb and did not attain the standard by July 2015. All transportation improvements must meet conformity with the adopted State Implementation Plan (SIP) and the Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget (MVEB). The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) has recommended a new SIP for 75 ppb, which is anticipated for EPA approval in May 2017.
On October 1, 2015, the EPA adopted a new standard for ground level Ozone (O3) of 70 ppb with an effective data of December 28, 2015. The new standard will require the development of a new SIP and MVEB.
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law Public Law 114-94, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). The FAST Act funds surface transportation programs—including, but not limited to Federal-aid highways—at over $305B for fiscal years (FY) 2016 through 2020. It is the first long-term surface transportation authorization enacted in a decade that provides long-term funding certainty for surface transportation.
Setting the course for transportation investment in highways, the FAST Act—
- Improves mobility on America’s highways
The FAST Act establishes and funds new programs to support critical transportation projects to ease congestion and facilitate the movement of freight on the Interstate System and other major roads. Examples include developing a new National Multimodal Freight Policy, apportioning funding through a new National Highway Freight Program, and authorizing a new discretionary grant program for Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (FASTLANE Grants).
- Creates jobs and supports economic growth
The FAST Act authorizes $226.3B in Federal funding for FY 2016-2020 for road, bridge, bicycling, and walking improvements. In addition, the FAST Act includes a number of provisions designed to improve freight movement in support of national goals.
- Accelerates project delivery and promotes innovation
Building on the reforms of MAP-21 and FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative, the FAST Act incorporates changes aimed at ensuring the timely delivery of transportation projects. These changes will improve innovation and efficiency in the development of projects, through the planning and environmental review process, to project delivery.


Dust off those lederhosen, lace up that dirndl and celebrate Oktoberfest at Faubourg Brewery! Our four day festival will include daily live music, new Oktoberfest beers, a beer stein holding competition, free bounce houses for the kids, traditional German fare, plus lots of Louisiana favorites, keg bowling, games for the kids and much more! Dress up in your favorite German gear and prepare to Próst! Schedule of Events: Thursday, September 23 2pm-7pm: Kids' Paint you own Mini Pumpkin 4:30pm-7:30pm: Free Bounce Houses 5:30pm-7:00pm: Live Music - The Bayou Bavarians Friday, September 24 2pm-7pm: Kids' Paint you own Mini Pumpkin 4:30pm-7:30pm: Free Bounce Houses 5:30pm-7:00pm: Live Music - The Bräts Saturday, September 25 11:30pm-12:30pm: Beer Stein Holding Competition 1pm-4:30pm: Live Music - The Bayou Bavarians 5pm-6:30pm: Live Music - Bad Penny Pleasuremakers Sunday, September 26 12pm: New Orleans Saints Game 5:30-7pm: Live Music - The Bräts Food Vendors: Fete au Fete & Dat Dog Open to all ages and dog-friendly! Please note this is not a ticketed event. Event is free with beer, food and merch for sale.


The Southern Veterans League is on hold following the decision to put Kent under Tier 3 restrictions.
A League Statement reads;
The League Management Committee have unanimously decided to suspend all fixtures in our league until further notice.
Unfortunately this is due to the fact that we operate over several County borders and one of these counties (Kent) is in a higher tier.
According to the current guidance it is not advisable for any adult living in Kent to visit any other area of the UK except for specific reasons and adult football is not one of the specific reasons.
Also it is not advisable for any adult to travel to an area in a higher tier unless it is for the same specific reasons and as before adult football is not one of the specific reasons.
Should the situation change then the league will review this and if possible will restart from where we left off.
Have a very happy Christmas and New Year and stay safe and well.