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Whether you’re repairing your car after an accident or giving it a fresh new look, we can help!

Olga Ippolitova
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This place is absolutely the best body shop anyone could go for collision repair! Frank is one of the nicest and honest guys you could ever meet. Their work is amazing, it will seem like your car was never involved in a crash in the first place. Highly recommend this place!
Michael Loucka
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Clean, honest staff. Frank told me that the work needed on my vehicle, was more than what the car was worth. He then took the time to refer me to someone who could take the car off my hands and give me best price. He even allowed me to keep the car in the parking lot, until I could get it taken to the dealer in the morning.
Cocochia Kavounas
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I had a phenomenal experience with Earls, I would recommend them to anyone. Their service was prompt and thorough. I felt as if they genuinely cared about my situation and did everything they could to fix my car as soon as possible.
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I absolutely loved my experience. Frank was so nice and attentive. He provided great customer service and has such a positive attitude. My repair looked amazing. It was completed faster and more affordable than expected. He also helped me find a great deal on a rental and made sure that I made it to work on time that day!....
Breanna Schneider
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If I could give 10 stars, I would. Frank kept me updated, and helped me thru the entire process in fixing my car. I got into my first accident and didn’t even know where to start and Frank helped a lot. He firmly believes in repair shops not taking advantage of women, as he has daughters of his own, and actually cares more about getting the job done right.....
Beautiful Ci
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Very Impressed. Excellent service. Did an amazing job on my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Thanks Frank!
L Harris
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Just coming in and meeting the man in charge was impressive. Clean office. The car is there getting body work. I will come back with another review. I picked my car up a week later and they did a great job inside and out. Yes, they cleaned the inside. Thanks.👍😀
Alyssa Holt
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Went here to get a paint job and let me tell you the car looks brand new! Earls team did an amazing job and quickly too! I definitely would go back if needed and would recommend them to anyone that asks.
Kellz 216
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They took real good care of me and my car. Fast and efficient! I highly recommend this place. Frank is a great guy.
Amanda Cerny
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My car had extensive damage from an accident. Frank stood by his word and made sure that in the end my car was driving the way it was before my accident. I appreciated his persistence, his positive attitude, as well as everything that he did to make the experience as easy as possible for me.
Gabe Conner
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Got into a fender bender so I took my car to Earl’s and Frank took care of everything in a timely manner. Very friendly staff and the repairs turned out great. I highly recommend checking this shop out.
John Cruz
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Best service I have ever received! Frank was very professional and walked through all of the fixes that were made to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Thank you so much!
David U
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Very professional and friendly! We repaired my mother's car that was in a small accident, which had some body damage. Frank was very helpful and easy to talk to, and they sent a Tow truck to come get the car, repaired the damage, and detailed it as well! The car looks great!
Amanda Gunnels
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My car looks brand new! After an accident, this is the place I chose to go with. Insurance and rental agencies were involved, this business played very nicely and helped to create a trouble free situation. The finished product is so good...
Ashley Lochmueller
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We had hail damage to our car. We took it in for a quote scheduled the appointment that day and it was done with in 3 days looks beautiful! Not to mention they cleaned the whole inside as well. Great place with great people would definitely go back if needed!
Tracy Frysinger
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Quick and efficient service. Honest business that won’t sell you more than what is needed. Frank is courteous and definitely looking out for the best interest of his customers. Would highly recommend them for any body/collision work you need done.
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Frank was awesome to work with. Super friendly guy, a long with the rest of the staff there. Had my truck back to me within a week and it looked as good as new. Would highly recommend if your car is in need of body work.

Get the Job Done Right the First Time

Earl’s Collision Center was founded in 1974 on sound principles, honesty, hard work and the belief that we will exceed our customer’s expectations. We are committed to achieving excellence not only in collision repair, but also in the personal service we extend to each customer.

Fill out the form to get a Free Estimate or call us at 216-433-7100

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Top of the line auto body services

Our state-of-the-art auto body facility utilizes the best technology to ensure the highest quality repairs.
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We provide paintless dent removal. With our expert workmanship, you can restore your car back to its original condition or better!
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High quality custom painting services

We offer excellent custom, color-matching and detailing services. Expect quality care and quality service.
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Class car rebuilding & restoration

Bring in your classic car for a complete restoration. With over 40 years of experience we truly take care with your vehicle.
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We Prioritize Customer Satisfaction

The quality of repairs being performed on your vehicle will never be sacrificed and we back this with a lifetime warranty. Customer Satisfaction is our priority, and making you our customer for life. At Earl’s Collision, our promise to you is that we will gauge our success only by your satisfaction.

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We have provided fast, honest, and effective auto body repair services since 1974. Our I-CAR and ASE-certified technicians stand behind all of their work.

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In order to provide the best service, we use the best technology. Our state-of-the-art facility has the best tools for custom painting and dent and scratch removal.

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Whether you need a first or second opinion, we provide FREE estimates for all of your auto body repairs and paint services. We also offer competitive pricing. Contact us for an estimate.

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Roadless Area Photo Slideshow

  • Ice Lake Basin, Colorado

    Dramatic scenery of Bear Mountain in a roadless area in Colorado's Ice Lake Basin.

    Nelson Guda, 2009
  • Cooper River, Washington

    Recreation, such as whitewatering, is abundant in a roadless area along the Cooper River in Washington.

    Thomas O'Keefe
  • Cabinet Mountains, Montana

    Clear flowing headwaters in the TeePee-Spring Creek roadless area in Montana's Cabinet Mountains.

    Terry Glase
  • Clearwater National Forest, Idaho

    A large bull moose in the Great Burn roadless area in Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.

    John McCarthy / TWS
  • Coeur D'Alene Mountains, Montana

    Winter comes to the South Siegel Roadless Area in Montana's Coeur D'Alene Mountains.

    Terry Glase
  • Coeur D'Alene Mountains, Montana

    Colorful Calypso orchids in the Cherry Peak roadless area in the Coeur D'Alene Mountains of Montana.

    Terry Glase
  • Coeur D'Alene Mountains, Montana

    The fall colors of huckleberry bushes blanket the forest floor in Patrick's Knob roadless area in Montana's Coeur D'Alene Mountains.

    Terry Glase
  • Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

    Hikers enjoy the scenery of the Boulder-White Clouds roadless area in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest.

    John McCarthy / TWS
  • Olympic National Forest, Washington

    Young boy fishing in the West Fork Humptulips River by the Moonlight Dome Roadless Area in Washington’s Olympic National Forest.

    Thomas O’Keefe
  • Coeur D'Alene Mountains, Montana

    Spring blooms of fireweed in the Reservation Divide roadless area in Montana’s Coeur D’Alene Mountains.

    Terry Glase
  • Payette National Forest, Idaho

    Beautiful Hum Lake in the Secesh Roadless Area in Idaho’s Payette National Forest.

    John McCarthy / TWS
  • San Juan National Forest, Colorado

    Old-growth pine trees in the HD Mountains roadless area in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest.

    San Juan Citizens Alliance
  • Patrick's Knob Roadless Area, Montana

    A pine white butterfly rests on Pearly Everlasting flowers in the Patrick’s Knob Roadless Area in Montana.

    Terry Glase

The public forests we’ve fought so hard to protect are now safe. All Americans can now know that a key part of our nation’s natural heritage won’t be destroyed.

— Earthjustice Attorney Tim Preso,
on the long-awaited, landmark decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals

There are nearly 60 million acres of wild national forest lands that were protected under the 2001 Roadless Rule. These lands are refuges for many species. Clearly, the best future for these lands and the people who enjoy them is to leave them as they are. Explore these stunning photos of wildlife and wild forests in roadless areas throughout the country.

More Slideshows

Fighting for Clean Air in the Shadow of Oil Refineries

Explosions, toxic clouds, chemical accidents–and the ill health affects they cause—are a regular part of life for communities existing in the shadow of oil refineries. In 2014, the EPA finally began to control these toxic time bombs. Learn more about the people fighting for cleaner air and stand with them!

Protecting Endangered Caribbean Corals

Excessive algal growth is threatening the health of Caribbean reefs, choking out corals and degrading the habitat that other reef creatures depend on. Fish, especially parrotfish, which graze on algae around coral reefs, play a key function in providing suitable habitat for corals to settle and build those reefs.

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Emails Reveal Argument Among Scientists for Strong Response Against McCarthyesque Attacks on Climate Science

For many, it's time that climate scientists took off their white coats and stood up to the ongoing broadside against their work and the near-constant drumbeat from right-wing pundits and politicians that have added derision of global warming to their conservative litmus test, disavowing anyone who might dare take seriously the work of the climate science community.

It's time climate scientists stood up to the BS

Earlier this month, a thread of emails was disclosed to Greenwire and the New York Times from U.S. scientists revealing that many are "mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore," encouraging their colleagues and scientific institutions like the National Academies to "push back" against the "McCarthyite" smear campaign.

Most of our colleagues don’t seem to grasp that we’re not in a gentlepersons’ debate," said Paul Ehrlich, a well-known biologist and author of The Population Bomb. "We’re in a street fight against well-funded, merciless enemies who play by entirely different rules.

Not all the participants in the email discussion think a counteroffensive against the denial and cynicism is the best approach. Matthew Nisbet author of the blog Framing Science, warns that there is more at play with the decline in public concern and understanding of global warming than just the efforts of denialists, including the economy, confusion over the cold weather, and lack of effective leadership in Washington. Focusing on an angry and emotional battle with such people is a "a major distraction and it reflects their own perceptual biases."

These biases are well understood and predicted by past research in communication," says Nisbet in an email. "They include a tendency for individuals heavily involved on an issue to perceive almost all news coverage as hostile to their goals (even news coverage that favors their position); to presume much larger effects for a message on the public than the actual influence; and to apply a faulty quasi-statistical sense to where public opinion might actually stand on an issue, perceiving public opinion as hostile to their goals, no matter what the objective indicators might say.

Dr. Randy Olsen, author of Don't Be Such a Scientiststarted his lengthly reply to Nisbet with:

There comes a point where the public DOES want to see the science community stand up for themselves. My book is about the fact that there is more than just brains inside average folks — they also have hearts, guts and even sex organs.

You want to know why Al Gore and his movie have proven to be such an abject failure? (And yes, failure is the right word — polling shows no net increase in public concern about global warming in the years following the movie — for two decades its been roughly a third of the public who are seriously worried about global warming.) It’s for this very reason. A very dull and dispassionate voice was chosen to deliver a supposedly dire and passionate message. It was one of the worst cases of bad casting in history. Gore is ultimately “a scientist” when it comes to communication instincts. You can see it played out in his movie and two books as he’s slowly come to the realization that you need something more than information to reach the masses. Duh."

Others echo Olsen's sentiment, suggesting that the there comes a time when it is best to fight fire with fire. Writes professor Paul Falkowski at Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences:

We need to develop a relentless rain of science and scientific dialog on the incredible, destructive demagoguery that has invaded the airwaves, the news media and the public forum and has prevented a rational discussion about political solutions to human perturbations on the environment"

Stephen Schneider, a climatologist at Stanford University, is one of the 17 scientists that Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, a vociferous climate change denier known for his questionable and often dishonest tactics in pursuit of his denial, has accused of "possible violation of federal law" in the wake of the hacked email fiasco from last year now popularly known as "climategate". Schneider maintains the scientific community has been subjected to "neo-MaCarthyism" by the likes of Inhofe and his staff.

I am hopeful that all the forces working for honest debate and quality assessments will decry this McCarthyite regression," says Schneider, "and by name point out what this Senator is doing by a continuing smear campaign."

The email discussion originated on a listserv maintained by the National Academy of Sciences for members on the Academy's environmental sciences and ecology division. An NAS spokesman said the emails where a private conversation between the dozen or so scientists involved, and the thread appears to have been forwarded outside the list by an unknown person.

Some other sentiments questioned whether an effort to launch a full-blown public relations counteroffensive was the best use of time and money. More importantly, the discussion led to the consequences of the fallout from Climategate on the "broader well-being" of the scientific community.

If the public looses faith in scientists, we can see the inevitable consequences. H1N1 vaccines were taken a plot to kill our children. Regardless of the evidence, cell phones cause brain cancer," wrote Falkowski from Rutgers. "The political dialogue is course -- but scientists are being treated like political pawns -- and it is not acceptable."

Paul Ehrlich warned that now is the time for the scientists to take a strong stand, or at least try:

Science is getting creamed with no effective response, and our colleagues involved with the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] are getting threatened with prosecution by the likes of Inhofe. It is not clear whether the NAS can ever be an effective voice, but if we don't start some action it surely never will be."

Read the entire email thread (pdf)

Climate Politics & Policy


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Not My Birthday

It’s Adam’s birthday so I’m going to keep this post quick and cursory.  Well, it’s sort of his birthday.  But not really.  I’ll explain in a minute.

This morning was about as lazy as it gets.  I stayed in bed until past noon and it was glorious.  Then Adam and I headed out for a late lunch at Mangoz, a new Jamaican place in our neighborhood.

We split a plate of stewed chicken with plantains and beans and rice.

It was amazing.  The best Caribbean food either of us has had since leaving home.

And they had pink Ting.

We’ll be back.

My one accomplishment today was a quick trip to the gym.  30 minutes on the elliptical, random level 6And I did some studying while I worked out.  Followed by a super quick stretch/strength session.

But that was sort of where the productivity ended.  We decided to spend the day doing fun stuff (in celebration of Adam turning 26 tomorrow).  Adam opened all of his presents a day early.

And I even made an effort to fix my hair.

We went to the mall so Adam could use a gift certificate at Dicks, and cashed in a coupon for Aunt Annie’s as well.

We split this pretzel, slathered in mustard.

The husband’s choice for birthday dinner was Indian food.  I got a fig lassi.

And we split a paneer pakora (fried cheese) for an appetizer.

I got the vegetable Korma, with extra okra, for dinner.

I demolished it.  I made three plates, and ate every last drop (literally!).

I made myself a little bit ill, but that didn’t stop me from drinking 90% of this coffee milkshake I “shared” with Adam.

Whoops.  And now we’re gleefully watching tv.

It’s been a good day, even if it’s not my birthday (or the husband’s!).

7 thoughts on “Not My Birthday

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Europe, Highlights, Popular, Travels
Comments 5

Portugal Wine Tour: Part 1- Porto and Douro Valley

Ehem, no, I didn’t go to Portugal again, but I’m writing about the trip I made 2 years ago.  I couldn’t post it then because my blog was down but I thought I’d share my experience since it was not only great but also educational. It’s always better late than never, right? Someone out there might get some useful tips from my post, who knows? Blogging is a great way to document and relive good moments, I believe. So if you’re planning to visit Portugal, this might help you.

It was our honeymoon trip and we rented a car and drove all around Portugal. It’s a great country to do so and I highly recommend it. Also, advice from friends, mutual friends and blog friends was invaluable in making the trip great and memorable.

Though the ultimate destination was Porto, our trip started and ended in Lisbon, and got to see more of the country than we’d thought because flying to Lisbon from Istanbul was more convenient.

Mr.O and I had no idea where to visit as we usually make plans as we go, following our nose. Since it was the first night and Mr.O didn’t want to drive in the dark, we decided to spend a night in Alcobaça, and it turned out to be an excellent choice for honeymooners; a place of eternal love… the love story of King Pedro I and his mistress, Inês de Castro, who was murdered by the king’s father. Pedro built her tomb as well as his at this monastery, crowned her as queen and rested next to her forever. How romantic! Waking up to the view of the monastery from our hotel room was great and mystical.

The first meal is always exciting and we had our first night feast at Rui’s, close to the hotel but we could have gone to O Cabeco, which was strongly recommended by the hotel if we’d had more time. Since it was off season (November), we had their full attention and said yes to whatever the waiter suggested and learned our first Portuguese cultural lesson of ‘Couvert‘.

The waiter kept bringing foods, which we didn’t ask for saying they’re chef’s special. What can you say to that? Yeah, bring it on! It’s the first night of our honeymoon! Because of our mood and the congenial manner of the waiter, we voluntarily fell for the trick and treated ourselves. Only this time though.

We drank what was recommended since I had no idea then about Portuguese wines and it was Paulo Laureano Premium 2014, which wasn’t very impressive, and it was my first encounter with Portuguese varieties such as Aragonês and Trincadeira. By the end of the trip, I got a better understanding of how each variety tastes and plays in different bottles.

The next morning we had a short stroll around the little charming village and ate the famous Pastel de nata, which we had everyday for 10 days in different cities, and this one is one of the best. We made a stop in Aveiro for lunch, which was another unique town and definitely with more choices for food.

We followed our food instinct and went into a restaurant where many locals were having Sunday brunch. We started with the cod fritters and Mr.O chose Francesinha, the Portuguese take on French croque monsieur and I had mussels. I’d heard so much about the sandwich but gosh, you have to be really hungry to finish it.

The prawn rice was everyone at the place was having except us and it looked delicious but I dearly missed green mussels at that time!

The waffle was simple but was nice, and the owner was so hospitable that he gave us another type with real dark chocolate to try for free.

Finally, we arrived in Porto!

The first place I went to was of course a wine shop and I studied the shelves, and then….

Here’s the colourful, beautiful, historical Porto… my interest was wine and food, but for Mr.O, we did a quick tour inside the historical centre, up the hill.

After seeing famous sights, some churches, Bolhao Market and Majestic Cafe, etc., we came down to do the cruise, which wasn’t necessary in our opinion, but we did it anyway because it came with free Port tastings. I don’t want to bore you with photos and stories not related to food and wine!

I learned a great deal about Porto and Port wines from  the Portugal series by Talk-A-Vino, which answer many questions about Portuguese wines. For restaurants, his Great Restaurants post might point you to a right direction. We only spent one night in Porto, what?!, yes, true, because I had a feeling that I’d be going back there again. I liked it very much, especially the Douro Valley, which was the highlight of our trip.

The reason we were in Porto was to catch up with a friend but of course, once you’re there, you can’t miss visiting historical Port houses! We had only 1.5 hours before going to meet our friend so we picked two out of three options, Cockburn’s and Quevedo.

At Cockburn’s, we had a guided tour and tasting and at Quevedo, it was a self-tasting of Vintage Port and White Port, listening to live Fado and getting emotional, not because of the music, but because I was happy that I finally made it to Porto. I finished my WSET 3 course just two months ago so my knowledge was fresh, which helped a lot.

From a young Ruby Port, which make you drunk and happy at student parties to a serious matured Tawny Port, which now I appreciate more, it was a great experience to learn more about Port wines and taste some great Vintage Port. If you want to read more about Port Wine, there is this (more detailed) and that (simple and graphic).

After meeting our friend at Sandeman Bar and having a sip of its tawny port for aperitif, we went to her favourite place, Taylor’s Barao Fladgate restaurant for dinner. The restaurant had a great view of Porto and the staff very friendly. There was also an enomatic machine and I wanted to taste some more Vintage Port, which I couldn’t afford but it was newly installed and wasn’t operating at the moment. Everything was delicious from duck confit to seafood risotto and we ate, drank and talked so much.

After the wonderful night with friends, we hit the road again for the Douro, yeah!

We set out GPS to Pinhao and kept driving towards the great viewpoints I bookmarked from Wine Folly, looking for such a view. Since we left very early, we got hungry and stopped for brunch at a little village up around Regua. It was out of nowhere and the restaurant we entered was just preparing for the day, and as we just wanted a simple breakfast, we asked for some toast and coffee, but no one spoke English. With the Google translator, we got some bread and butter but telling by the puzzled look of the waiter, we figured that they don’t normally serve breakfast. so we appreciated their effort to give us something.

While we were eating, village workers poured in for lunch and food was brought to each table.We watched what they were eating and decided to eat lunch as well as the food looked good.

In Portugal, portions are huge, showing their generosity and hospitality. It’s a real local pheasant food but it was one of the most memorable meals we’d had. Because it’d been a long time since I last had pork perhaps! No, it was really delicious. I’d had Brazilian Feijoada(fedg-e-wa-da) before and got curious how different the Portuguese version would be. The dark colonial history left some delicious comfort food behind, didn’t it? Everyone was sharing a carafe of white wine with lots of foam(perhaps it was beer? no, it didn’t look like beer)

Anyway, we continued with a full stomach and I desperately needed a drink, a good drink to digest.  Finally, the valley came into sight and I got excited! I took snapshots of the panels of Port Wine brands for further references.

The vineyards along the river were magnificent. Out of so many wineries, our first stop was Quinta de Tedo.  We didn’t do a winery tour since we didn’t have much time – our plan was to leave for Lisbon – so we did a tasting of 4 bottles and all were absolutely delicious. I’ll, again, link the post by Talk-A-Vino (scroll down towards the end) for detailed reviews.

port wine

We accidentally indulged in the wines and spent more time than we’d hoped and had to skip Qunta de la Rosa, so I bought a bottle for home and drank deliciously. Both wineries happen to have a bird on the label.

We drove up the first view point, Casa de Loivos, but up and up, it was endless and couldn’t find the exact view I’d hoped for. The view of the vineyards cascading down the slopes to the river was still breathtaking and unforgettable nonetheless.

It was time to say good bye to the Douro and as we drove away, we caught an absolutely beautiful sight and stopped the car to take photos. We were up the hill just a moment ago and suddenly above clouds. Can you believe it?

It was really beautiful… and I thought this must be the secret of the great Douro wines. Now we’re heading to Lisbon via Coimbra so see you in the next post where the real gastronomic experience begins….

If you’re travelling to Porto, these two websites might help plan your trip.

Porto Walkers

    • Now I know more about Portuguese wines and can’t wait to go and discover more! We didn’t spend much time in Sintra. Do you remember the name of the restaurant? Thanks.

      Liked by 1 person

  1. talkavino says

    Thanks for all the references, greatly appreciated! Beautiful pictures! Glad you made it to Quinta do Tedo – they make amazing wines.

    • Your posts really helped and I still read them when I forget something 🙂 Yep, some beautiful wines up there and I can’t wait to go back! Cheers!

  2. LuisPQ says

    Glad you loved Porto, but you must come back, there is so much to do to eat, to drink and see! And of course you have to visit Minho, the region of “vinho verde” and great food. If want some tips I’ll be glad to help ! Great post!😉

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Donald Trump and then-National Security Advisor John Bolton

Amid his Senate trial, Donald Trump’s defense has been further eroded by revelations from former National Security Advisor John Bolton and from Lev Parnas, the point man in Trump’s campaign of pressure for Ukraine investigations of political rivals.

In an extract from a book being published in March, Bolton gives a first-hand account of Trump freezing $391 million in security assistance until the Zelenskiy Government announced the inquiries to tarnish Presidential candidate Joe Biden and to cover up Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election.

In a 103-minute video from April 2018, of his Florida dinner with donors, Trump eagerly takes up Parnas’s statement that US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch — prominent in anti-corruption efforts — should be removed: “Get rid of her! Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”

Both developments reinforce the evidence, from documents and from 17 current and former US officials, of a 10-month campaign by Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani — a “drug deal” as described by Bolton — for the investigations. The effort was only checked in September by a formal complaint from the CIA liaison with the White House over Ukraine, concerning a July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

They add more pressure to overcome the blockade by the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell against any witnesses and documents in the Senate trial, with 22 hours of presentation by House Managers last week of Trump’s abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Democrats are seeking testimony from Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and two other White House officials who implemented Trump’s aid freeze.

Four of 53 Republican Senators need to defy Trump and McConnell for witnesses to be allowed. The vote is likely to be at the end of this week, after presentations by Trump’s attorney and questioning by the 100 senators.

White House Concern Over Bolton

Bolton’s account covers dozens of pages, until he was dismissed by Trump in September.

He dates Trump’s involvement from May 23, weeks before Trump seized on the idea of holding up the security assistance. In a meeting of advisors and Sen. Ron Johnson, Trump ranted that Ukraine was trying to damage him and promoted the conspiracy theory that Kyiv and not Russia was responsible for hacking the campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Bolton, Pompeo, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged Trump on about a dozen occasions to unfreeze the assistance, vital to Ukraine to check a Russian-backed effort to split off the east of the country. In August, after Trump returned from vacation at his New Jersey golf club, they raised the matter with him.

But Trump only reiterated his complaints about Ukraine and the unsupported claims and conspiracy theories about political rivals such as Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Bolton’s attorney said a copy of the manuscript was given to the White House on December 30 for a review ensuring there was no release of classified information. “Two people familiar with their concerns” said the revelations bolstered the concerns of Trump’s inner circle that Bolton’s testimony in the trial must be blocked.

Bolton refused to appear in the House impeachment hearings, saying a court ruling was needed. However, with the court case now concluded, he has said he will testify in the Senate if summoned.

Trump said he would release no assistance until officials had turned over all materials, from the Trump-Russia investigation, about Biden and Clinton supporters in Ukraine.

Mulvaney, Pompeo, Barr Named

The extract also describes the involvement of senior Administration officials.

The former advisor writes that Mulvaney was present for at least one phone call where Trump and Mr. Giuliani discussed the attacks on Yovanovitch. The assertion refutes the claim of Mulvaney, who obeyed White House orders to defy a House subpoena, that he always stepped away from the conversations to protect attorney-client privilege.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said privately that there was no basis to the Trump-Giuliani campaign of disinformation against Yovanovitch, who was finally recalled from Ukraine by Trump in April.

Documents, released under the Freedom of Information Act, indicated Giuliani spoke with Pompeo in March about the pressure campaign, after sending the Secretary of State summaries of meetings with former and current Ukrainian officials.

See also EA on CNN and Al Jazeera: Trump-Ukraine — The Pompeo-Giuliani Connection and Trump’s Impeachment

Last week Pompeo angrily reacted to National Public Radio’s Mary Louise Kelly after she asked him if he had defended Yovanovitch. He falsely claimed that the reporter, a graduate in European Studies, lied and could not distinguish Ukraine from Bangladesh on a map shown to her.

After Trump’s call with Zelenskiy, Bolton says he raised concerns about Giuliani with Attorney General William Barr. He also referred to Trump’s request, in the pursuit of the investigations, for Barr to visit Zelenskiy in Kyiv.

Barr, through a spokesman, has denied the contact with Bolton and said he only learned about the call in mid-August.

In three late-night tweets, Trump tried to bury Bolton’s information, saying it was only to “sell a book”. He repeated that “the transcripts of my calls with President Zelenskiy are all the proof that is needed” of his innocence.

The Parnas Video

Until the revelations of Bolton’s account on Sunday afternoon, headlines were held by the video featuring the voices of Trump — who denies he knows Lev Parnas — and of the Soviet-born associate of Giuliani, who has revealed Trump’s direction of the pressure campaign.

The footage was shot on a cellphone by Igor Fruman, Parnas’s partner in business ventures and the Trump-Giuliani effort. Both men were indicted in October on campaign finance violations.

The dinner conversation, which took place before the start of the Trump-Giuliani campaign, supports Parnas’s account of his connection with Trump and the attacks on Ambassador Yovanovitch, whom the businessman saw as a barrier to his ventures such as an energy deal.

Parnas claimed that the Ambassador, whom he did not name, had been insulting Trump in public discussions and that the situation was bad because Ukrainians “were supporting the Clintons all these years” He mentioned in passing Biden’s family.

The Florida-based businessman said:

The biggest problem there, I think, where we, where you, need to start is we got to get rid of the ambassador. She’s basically walking around telling everybody, “Wait, he’s going to get impeached, just wait.”

Trump asked for the name of the ambassador. Fruman said he could not remember but that did not check Trump, who launched his diatribe pledging to “get rid of” Yovanovitch “tomorrow”.

Parnas and Fruman obtained access to the dinner, organized by a pro-Trump “super” Political Action Committee, America First Action, by pledging to donate $1 million to the group.

A month later, they donated $325,000 to the group through their recently-formed company Global Energy Producers.

They also began their campaign against Yovanovitch, pledging financial support to Rep. Pete Sessions, who wrote a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo that the ambassador should be fired.


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Tag Archives: older

Older heroes, possibilities and problems

Every so often I get into the mood for a re-read of David Gemmell books and sooner or later I tend to get to his first and in my opinion finest book, Legend – A book saw the induction of what was probably Gemmell’s most iconic character – Druss the Legend. One of things that for me makes Druss interesting is that he’s an old man of sixty, marching to a battle he believes he will not survive. In so many stories revolve around the young hero, in which the older mentor plays a significant but nevertheless supporting role. Why though send the apprentice if the master is available? The older hero comes with a few complications but offers some possibilities his/her younger counter struggles to match.

Occasionally you will come across criticism of the hyper competent protagonist, who does seem old enough for the skills they possess (see the Force Awakens or heck the first Star War films for an examples of this)  It becomes a lot easier to explain how the hero has the skills they have, when with the extra years on the clock, they’ve effectively had time to go everywhere and do everything. In the case of Druss,  even though he is by the start of Legend already old and creaky, he has a lifetime of experience, mostly of not getting killed, contacts everywhere and a towering reputation. Another example of this kind of character can be found in Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed, whose main character, Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, is an aging demon hunter.

As well as the skills the character can be granted from the outset, there is also the opportunity for a maturity that a younger character might not be able to show. An older person comfortable with their abilities may not feel they have to prove anything. Equally however, the character could be clinging to a fading youth as well has degrading mental and physical capabilities. That latter point leads us on to the made draw back of older main characters.

Those extra years on the clock at the start, mean that less years are available in the future. Should a writer’s older character prove commercially successful, using that character might be difficult or impossible depending on what happened in their first story. In later books Gemmell spent a lot of time on Druss’s earlier years, which put you firmly into prequel territory with all of it’s attendant problems. The other main problem with an older character depends a little on the medium of the story, if it is anything visual (TV, film or even comic book) well the rather brutal fact is that young people are usually more attractive than older people. The visual medium will therefore tend to place emphasis on best looking members of the cast, which generally means at the younger end of the scale. Obviously there are exceptions but really female characters hit harder.

So there we have it, some light musing on the topic and for any writers out there perhaps look at your work and wonder whether your characters should be given a few extra birthdays.

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Eskimos pass protection has kept Trevor Harris clean so far

Edmonton Eskimos' quarterback Trevor Harris (7) throws as BC Lions defensive linesmen are blocked during a CFL football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, on Friday, June 21, 2019. Photo by Ian Kucerak/PostmediaIan Kucerak Ian Kucerak / Ian Kucerak/Postmedia

WINNIPEG — Trevor Harris is more than happy to pay out of pocket for protection in the pocket.

The Edmonton Eskimos quarterback comes into Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6:30 p.m., TSN, 630 CHED) having yet to be sacked in the two games he’s played so far in a green-and-gold jersey.

“Yeah, that’s why we’re going to a Brazilian steakhouse this week,” he said of his offensive line. “Those guys were amazing and the protection’s been outstanding and I can’t thank that enough.

“I know in football you’re going to take hits but those guys have been awesome, they’ve been holding up and working their tails off. And not only that, they’ve been taking care of C.J. (Gable, running back) as well and we’ve been mixing things up, helping them out as well. So it’s just been a total team effort in terms of protection.”

As the main benefactor of the concerted efforts, Harris is happy to show his appreciation.

“Yeah, it’s what you do, right?” said Harris, who wouldn’t ballpark a figure on what it costs to feed an entire offensive line worth of teammates weighing 300-plus pounds apiece. “I don’t know, I don’t really worry too much about it. My wife might see this, so let’s leave it at that.”

Whatever the amount, it has to be far better than watching her husband take a beating like the one the Eskimos defence laid on former teammate Mike Reilly with a seven-sack performance on the way to last week’s 39-23 win over the B.C. Lions.

That’s pushed Edmonton into the league lead with nine sacks over their first two games.

On the flip side, Harris has found himself with all the time he needs to come into Thursday’s game with the league lead in passing, averaging 370 yards per game to go along with six touchdown passes.

“Most of the time, I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, but I don’t remember feeling pressure,” said Eskimos right tackle Colin Kelly. “I’m satisfied with the way the five of us are playing and I’m satisfied with the way that Trevor’s playing,”

It’s along the line of scrimmage where Edmonton has been winning the battles that have led to a 2-0 start.

“I’m thinking we go against each other (in practice), so we’re making each other better,” Kelly said. “So if anything, the fact that we’re bouncing off of them and they’re bouncing off of us …

“We’re clicking right now, we’re going hard against each other in practice.”

The question now is whether the Eskimos can sustain the momentum earned from a dominant performance last week, when the spotlight of the league was focused squarely on Reilly’s return to Commonwealth Stadium for the first time since leaving in off-season free agency. And a Bombers defence led by middle linebacker Adam Bighill and defensive end Willie Jefferson will be their biggest test of the season, so far.

“It was a huge win. Obviously, you’ve got all the factors outside of it and everything like that,” said Collins, pointing out the Eskimos showed resiliency after falling behind 17-3 early on. “I think, personally, the first quarter we didn’t do so hot offensively, defensively. And then we persevered and we turned it around.

“We just honed in and remembered what we were practising the entire week and we just made sure we cut out the nick-nack stuff.”

It hasn’t all been perfect, of course, and far from pretty, considering the Eskimos also lead the league with 31 penalties for 283 yards — 11 flags for 75 more yards than the next-closest teams.

But it’s been more than just getting after opposing quarterbacks while protecting their own. Edmonton’s offence, despite no longer being led by the top passing-yards earner three years running, has been about as balanced as it gets between land and air, with Gable coming into this week well ahead of the pack with 265 rushing yards — 88 more than the next closest rusher.

Besides just being another badge of honour to go along with keeping Harris clean, run blocking allows the O-line to let loose on the opposition.

And that’s a badge of honour for the Eskimos O-line, as well.

“The run game is obviously a lot more fun,” said Eskimos centre David Beard. “You get to be a little bit more of the hammer than the nail, but you get your shots in pass (protection), too.

“Either-or, it doesn’t really matter. We’re just looking for wins.”

So far this year, they’ve been doing so with both.

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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Roman Art and Architecture

In Glogpedia

by tevytevytevy
Last updated 4 years ago

Arts & Music

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Roman Art and Architecture

The Colosseum is a massive ampetheater located just east of the Roman Forum. The Colloseum was built in A.D. 70-72, it was used for gladiator combats and wild animal fights. The Colosseum was 620 by 513 feet made of stone and concrete. The Colosseum was able to fit more that 50,000 people, formaly known as the Flavian Ampitheater.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is a massive architectural structure, its ceiling made of intersecting arches, making a dome at the top. Built in 25 B.C. to honor the gods of ancient Rome, 6 men and 6 woman. The Panthoen was built with very thick concrete, bricks, and pumice stone. The dome of the Panthoen is 43m by 43m.

Arches and Vaults

Arches in Rome were very popular to use on buildings. The invention of arches helped to build bridges, as well what is called an aqueduct. Aqueducts are man made channels to carry water. Arches were used in most known Roman places, such as the dome of the Pantheon and the Colosseum.

Greek Influence

Roman architecture was very influenced by the Greek architecture. The Romans closely follwed many techniques from the Greeks, including home decoration. Some of these similarities consist of Greek sculptures of gods and goddesses, mosaics, and they even hired Greek artists so they could have the best home decor.Not only did the Romans copy Greek homes, but they also included Greek columns in their temples and buildings, including the Greek Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian columns.

The Colosseum

Roman Art and ArchitectureTevy Boyd

Roman Art

Roman Homes

Wealthy Romans lived in lavish houses, their walls decorated with beautiful realistic mosaics, often referring to Roman gods. Even though the rich Romans had nice fernishngs, their houses held very few. Poor Romans were squeezed in tight apartment buildings and couldn't fit barely anything in, much less extravagant furnature.

Rome was just peeking in its art culture during the Renaissance. This was when artists started to become interested in more realistic and classical art. Paintings and sculptures were oftenly based on religion and legends. Some of the more known artists that were captured by these ideas were people such as Michaelangelo and Botticelli.

Roman Homes cont.

Furnishings such as marble tables, folding chairs, day beds, and cathedras would be found in an average Roman home. Romans used oil lamps, small bronze braziers, and coal to make light. Romans stored their food and other items in heavy chests.

The Colosseum is known as Rome's most popular tourist attraction

The Pantheon was a forbidden place, only priests and vestals were allowed

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    Updating Data with Scan

    John LindquistJohn Lindquist

    You often need to update the data flowing through the stream with custom logic based on what you need to output. This lesson covers how to use scan for collecting and updating the outputs as your stream progresses.

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    to be able to start and then stop our stream, and then start so that it continues it, two, three instead of going back to zero and one.

    You'd think, "OK, let's create a variable. Call it count. Set it to zero." Then in my subscribe block, I can just say console.log, count++. I'll hit save.

    Then now, when I start, we'll get zero, one, two. I'll stop and then start again. Everything works as expected. Then again, this is wrong, undo all of these. The proper way to gather and collect data in RxJS is to use the scan operator.

    Scan works just like reduce in JavaScript arrays. We take a function and initializer. Our initializer is just going to be a count of zero or an object with a count of zero. Then, that comes into this function as an accumulator.

    When this function is called, I get this accumulator as this first argument. We'll just go ahead and return a new object with a property called "count," which is accumulator.count plus one. For something more advanced, you'll probably use object assign, but we just have one property for now.

    I'll go ahead and save. I'll hit start. We go one, two, three. I'll hit stop, and then hit start again, and re-continue five, six, seven. This now reads as clicking a start button, which switches to a timer that can stop when you click stop.

    Then, each time a new interval is pushed or you get a new tick, we start with this value which is this accumulator here.

    Then we run this function, which is just going return an object with a count on it. It's going to take that previous accumulator find account property, add one. Then is going to be pushed into my subscribe and logged out...


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Environmental Metrics: A New Way to Drive Enterprise Value

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Pakyong Airport, India

Construction of Pakyong Airport, one of the highest in India at an altitude of 1,433 meters above sea level and perched 2 kilometres above Pakyong village, was scheduled for completion by December 2014.[1] But as early as January 2013 it was reported that the challenging terrain might delay the project. The pace of construction was also slowed down by residents living in the vicinity of the project expressing grievances over negligence. More than ten families complained that construction work had led to large cracks appearing in their houses and the monsoon had sent debris flowing downwards from the site, causing havoc and ruining vegetation. Yet construction firm Punj Lloyd informed the media that if the project progressed as planned it would be complete by 2014.[2] UK based geotechnical firm Maccaferri had been awarded the contract to carve the airport site out from the steeply sloped mountainside using ‘cut and fill’ techniques, moving earth from one place to another to create a level surface. One of the tallest reinforcement walls in the world, 80 meters high, was under construction to protect the airport from landslides.[1]

Pakyong Airport Affected Families Committee held a press conference on 11th August 2014 requesting the state administration to take the rehabilitation process earnestly and provide compensation to 165 families affected by construction of the airport.[3] Some buildings had to be dismantled due to damage caused by airport construction works. Protest erupted in January 2015 when 135 families claimed their lives were at risk because of the threat of land slippage and sinking. On 9th January 17 families lost patience with repeated unfulfilled assurances from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) General Manager that their grievances would be addressed. They stalled building work, making a joint statement: “we will not let construction work go on without demands are met in physical state not a commitment alone”. Compensation for loss of property had only been paid to one-fifth of the 135 affected families; some had rejected the compensation offer, claiming that the property evaluation was unfair. They demanded resettlement along will full compensation for their property and one job at the airport for each of the affected families.[4]

Every monsoon season, since construction had commenced in 2008, had brought problems for people living in the vicinity of the airport, with many incidences of landslides and flashflooding. Downward pressure from the 80 meter high boundary wall has caused cracks in several hundred houses, many of which were dismantled after residents objected.[5] The airport construction programme included amassing land and getting villagers to evacuate their dwellings. Initially, the airport site was 81 hectares.[1] But the land area acquired for the airport had expanded, encompassing more and more cultivated land.[5] By the end of January 2015 Pakyong Airport site spread over 400 hectares. And construction had been brought to a complete halt since the beginning of January, as the protest by affected villagers demanding proper compensation and rehabilitation continued.[6]

In April 2015 it was reported that many houses around the airport premises had been destroyed or damaged during construction, while large portions of agricultural land had been rendered useless. On 8th April a school near the airport site, immediately below the boundary wall, had collapsed. Fortunately nobody was injured as the incident took place at night. If the collapse had happened at night it could have been a disaster. Even though the school had been vacated a year ago, obviously unsafe with cracks the walls and foundation pillar, pupils still passed through the building to access classes being held in other buildings nearby.[7]

A study published in 2017 found that approximately 800 households were impacted by construction of Pakyong Airport; 250 of these households were categorized as ‘major impact areas’, located in the areas of Karthok, Dikling and Bhanu. Socio-economic impacts of the airport project included involuntary migration and difficulties accessing education following the collapse of the school. Residents of damaged houses who relocated to nearby settlements - such as Pachey, Pachey Samsing, lower Chalamthang, Lower Namcheybong and Upper Namcheybong - faced difficulties of adjusting to the new area, social inclusion and construction of new buildings. In some instances land compensation was delayed or ignored. Health problems due to Pakyong Airport construction works included reduced availability of drinking water, a dusty atmosphere, air pollution and noise pollution.[3]

In November 2017, as inauguration of the airport was expected by the end of the year, project-affected families persisted in demanding complete payment of building and land compensation along with proper rehabilitation and resettlement, saying they had been given a raw deal by the state government. An affected house-owner said “We were issued notices to vacate our houses, which were declared unsafe and a meagre amount was disbursed only as damaged [sic] compensation and not payment against acquisition of our houses and land.” Two advocates had been appointed by Sikkim High Court to ascertain the damages caused to two groups of landowners affected by the airport project.[8]

In November 2018, after Pakyong Airport had been inaugurated, more than 135 families were protesting delayed release of compensation by the Sikkim State Government for loss of their houses and property. They said they had lost everything and were living pitiful lives in rented houses. Since 2015 they had been running from pillar to post regarding their plight. Neither the state government nor the AAI took responsibility for payment of compensation or resettlement. The residents had appealed to Sikkim High Court and said if the outcome did not bring them justice they would hold a black flag protest at the airport. Runway work on the eastern flank of the airport had been stopped by aggrieved families. People living 400 meters uphill from the airport in Karthok Village were now being impacted by construction works, experiencing landslips and big cracks appearing in their walls.[9] Sikkim High Court ruled in favour of the affected families.[10]

Over 350 farmers began an agitation in mid-November, saying that their land, amounting to about 121 hectares, although not officially acquired for project, had been rendered unfit for cultivation. Supported by the state’s leading opposition party, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) they said protest would intensify unless compensation was paid following the guidelines of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013. The farmers moved to the High Court for compensation. An affected resident, one of two brothers, had been compensated for the damage done to their homes but nor for damage to their land, which had been their only source of livelihood. The brothers had grown organic vegetables and cash crops and reared goats and cows on land adjacent to the airport boundary.[11]

On 24th November about 30 affected families staged a protest at the main gate of Pakyong Airport, restricting movement of vehicles in and out of the site for about 30 minutes. The families invoked a five-day ultimatum saying if their demand was not met they would stage a similar protest. About 66 families were raising their voice concerning damage to their property and demanding compensation on a par with the latest regulations. The families said they would block work on the western flank of the airport, being undertaken by Geo Spar Infra construction company, unless Sikkim High Court announced judgement in their favour.[12] Land acquisition issues remained unresolved in January 2019. The Sikkim state government had passed the Sikkim Greenfield Airport, Pakyong) (Settlement of Claims for Loss and Damages) Act 2018 in order to resolve the issues but the government had yet to pay compensation to the affected families. Villagers said they would give the authorities until 25th February to pay remaining compensation before intensifying their protest. Parts of the boundary wall had collapsed a few months previously following heavy rainfall. Landowners refused to allow re-building of the boundary wall until those who gave land to the airport, along with those whose property and farmland had been damaged by construction but had not been included in the compensation list, were recompensed.[13]

Basic Data

Name of conflict:Pakyong Airport, India
State or province:Sikkim
Location of conflict:Pakyong
Accuracy of locationHIGH (Local level)

Source of Conflict

Type of conflict. 1st level:Infrastructure and Built Environment
Type of conflict. 2nd level:Land acquisition conflicts
Ports and airport projects
Specific commodities:Land

Project Details and Actors

Project details

Pakyong Airport, the only airport in the state of Sikkim, was built for passenger flights and defence purposes. Levelling the site for construction works involved carving a stretch of land 2.5 kilometers in length out from the steep mountainside.[5] The foundation stone was laid in February 2009 by then Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel.[3] Initially the airport site covered 81 hectares.[1] During construction the land area increased to 400 hectares.[6] Pakyong Airport’s terminal can accommodate 100 passengers and the single runway is 1,700 meters in length.[14] Between 2008, when construction of Pakyong Airport began, and its inauguration in September 2018, the cost of the project escalated from USD 35.7 million to USD 85 million.

In January 2019, four months after opening, the airport, hailed as an ‘engineering marvel’ due to the seeming success of its construction on rugged terrain, at an altitude of 1,433 meters carved out of a steep mountainside, was reported to be on the brink of closure. Many flights had been cancelled due to poor weather and the airport lacked the requisite Instrumental Landing System to enable operations in such conditions. The airport had only been operational for 20 days in October and 15 days in November.[13]

Problems continued in December when lack of navigation equipment necessary for the low-visibility conditions meant SpiceJet flights from Calcutta were diverted to Bagdogra on 21 out of 31 days, from where passengers faced the prospect of a five-hour car journey to reach Sikkim. A traveller questioned why, with Pakyong shrouded in fog for much of the year, a proper navigation system had not been factored into airport plans. Officials expected continued diversion of flights with even small drops in visibility.[15] Furthermore, protracted suspension of flights was anticipated because a few months before Pakyong Airport opened the boundary wall built to protect it and particularly important for safe use of the runway had partially collapsed. On one side the wall was reduced to half its 80 meter height. Construction works to rebuild the boundary wall were being blocked by protesting landowners demanding compensation.[13]

Project area:400
Level of Investment:85,000,000
Type of populationRural
Affected Population:800 households [3]
Start of the conflict:05/01/2013
Company names or state enterprises:Maccaferri from United Kingdom - Awarded contract to carve out airport site from mountainside
Punj Lloyd from India - Construction of Pakyong Airport including boundary wall 80 meters in height
Airports Authority of India (AAI) from India
Geo Spar Infra from India - Construction work on western flank of Pakyong Airport
Relevant government actors:Government of India
Sikkim State Government
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:Pakyong Airport Affected Families Committee

Conflict & Mobilization

IntensityMEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)
Reaction stageIn REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation)
Groups mobilizing:Farmers
Indigenous groups or traditional communities
Local government/political parties
Forms of mobilization:Blockades
Development of a network/collective action
Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism
Public campaigns
Street protest/marches
Refusal of compensation

Environmental ImpactsVisible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Global warming, Noise pollution, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Food insecurity (crop damage), Air pollution, Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Other Environmental impacts
Potential: Soil erosion
Other Environmental impactsLandslides
Dusty atmosphere, air pollution and noise pollution caused by construction works
Reduced access to drinking water
Health ImpactsVisible: Other Health impacts, Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide
Potential: Accidents
Other Health impactsIllnesses caused by pollutants emitted by aircraft
Socio-economical ImpactsVisible: Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Militarization and increased police presence, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place, Other socio-economic impacts
Potential: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures
Other socio-economic impactsDamage to houses (cracks) and destruction of houses caused by construction works

Project StatusIn operation
Conflict outcome / response:Compensation
Court decision (victory for environmental justice)
New legislation
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:No
Briefly explain:After Pakyong Airport became operational in September 2018 a number of residents impacted by construction were still protesting, blocking further work on the site and demanding fair compensation.

Sources & Materials

References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries

[3] Began Lepcha, Development Induced Displacement in Sikkim: A Study of Greenfield Airport Pakyong Teesta V Hydel Power Projects, Sikkim University, February 2018

Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites

[7] School collapses near Pakyong Greenfield Airport, The Echo Of India, 9 April 2015

[8] Affected families threaten to stir strong protest with black flag at Pakyong Airport, Voice of Sikkim, 11 November 2018

[9] Sikkim: Pakyong Airport ready for operation; likely to be inaugurated on Nov 30, TNY thenortheasttoday, 2 November 2017

[10] Locals step up protests ahead of Pakyong airport inauguration. Sikkim Express, 30 November 2017

[11] Farmers who lost land for Sikkim airport begin agitation, opposition lends support, Hindustan Times, 13 November 2018

[4] Airport Impasse : Affected families pitches their protest runway, Voice of Sikkim, 10 January 2015

[1] Sikkim to get greenfield airport in 2014 12 September 2013, newswala.com,

[2] India’s greenfield Airport, a distant dream or unending trouble .., Sikkim News, 5 January 2013

[12] Airport Affected Families Serves 5 Days Ultimatum To Govt Over Property Compensation, Voice of Sikkim, 24 November 2018

[13] State's Failure to Compensate Landowners Has Put Sikkim Airport on Brink of Closure. THE WIRE, 24 January 2019

[14] Sikkim’s first airport at Pakyong is open for business, International AirportReview, 28 September 2018

[5] Won’t Greenfield Airport be a fairy tale ?, Voice of Sikkim, 21 January 2015

[6] Work on N-E's first greenfield airport comes to a halt, Business Standard, 30 January 2015

[15] Flying direct to Sikkim? Factor in a 5-hour drive from Bagdogra!, The Telegraph, 15 January 2019

Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

Sikkim: Families affected by Pakyong Airport block road leading to the newly-constructed airport, East Mojo, 24 November 2018

Other documents

Protest, January 2015 Families residing near Pakyong Airport construction site protest over damage to houses. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Construction of Pakyong Airport Pakyong Airport is built into the mountainside 2 kilometers above Pakyong village. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Affected families demand justice In January 2015 affected families halt construction of Pakyong Airport. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Pakyong Airport affected families, November 2018 Source: Voice of Sikkim

Pakyong Airport inauguration Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pakyong Airport on 24th September 2018. Credit: PTI

Protest blocks main gate of Pakyong Airport 24th November 2018, Pakyong Airport affected families block main gate and deliver ultimatum over compensation. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Meta information

Contributor:Rose Bridger, Stay Grounded, email: [email protected]
Last update30/04/2019

Protest, January 2015

Families residing near Pakyong Airport construction site protest over damage to houses. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Construction of Pakyong Airport

Pakyong Airport is built into the mountainside 2 kilometers above Pakyong village. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Affected families demand justice

In January 2015 affected families halt construction of Pakyong Airport. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Pakyong Airport affected families, November 2018

Source: Voice of Sikkim

Protest blocks main gate of Pakyong Airport

24th November 2018, Pakyong Airport affected families block main gate and deliver ultimatum over compensation. Source: Voice of Sikkim

Pakyong Airport inauguration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pakyong Airport on 24th September 2018. Credit: PTI


text:
The Future of Healthcare with 100 Percent Interoperability

Guest post by Abhinav Shashank, CEO and co-founder, Innovaccer.

Abhinav Shashank
Abhinav Shashank

A personal health record of any patient, whether it is an aging parent, a spouse or a child with a chronic illness, contains a summary of medications, lab results, visit notes, billing information and more, and interoperability makes it easy to manage all these files and documents with just a few clicks.

Every form of health data makes an entry in an EHR today thanks to the shift towards a digitized healthcare in U.S. Although this has made data entry, storage, retrieval and exchange easier, it has brought with it certain challenges. Integrating and utilizing EHRs is the first baby step; however, if we are to overcome all the hurdles then achieving 100 percent EHR interoperability is the summit where we are yet to reach.

Physicians want to optimize the full potential and promise of EHRs for the simple reason that improved communication between systems will lead to a better and enhanced care. Once all the systems in use nationwide are connected and interacting with each other, patients will find it easier to seek a second opinion as their health information will reach the physician in a matter of seconds.

How interoperability exists today

Today, various interoperability standards have developed for the sake of continuous improvement in this realm. Health Level Seven (HL7) has produced the likes of HL7v2, HL7v3, and the latest FHIR as competent standards that exist in the industry for better streamlining of documentation and care coordination. With the help of FHIR, physicians can access health data on their mobile phones through various API (Application Programming Interface) functions that FHIR supports. This ease of access to complete and accurate patient data, in due course, helps in many ways. As providers and health coaches work together on improving the health of people, it also significant for them to be able to access accurate data from sources other than EHRs. Apart from EHRs, HIEs have popped up in various places that allow for the smooth flow of data across the health care network.

Ways in which interoperability facilitates healthcare

Physicians can easily access and share medical information with their patients and perform their tasks with greater efficiency. This could be done by increasing the efficiency of monitoring chronic diseases. Besides saving time and labor cost, physicians and patients with access to interoperable health information can benefit from higher-quality patient outcomes. Interoperable EHRs carry the potential of giving easy and ongoing access to patient’s health records to the physician. For a doctor to have an updated and detailed medical history of his patient cannot just be live-saving, it will mainly help those people who are always on the move. This will empower an individual to move across the continuum of care seamlessly with their clinical record.

Doing more with less

As value-based care and reimbursements stepped into healthcare, the US managed to turn the tide towards a more qualitative and equitable delivery of care. This has made physicians more responsible for better patient health outcomes than ever before. To manage hospital readmission and managed care plans, physicians need to have as much patient information as possible at hand at all times. This is where interoperability comes into play by aggregating and relaying data from disparate regions and bringing it onto a single platform.

For a secure data exchange to take place amongst healthcare organizations and patients, it’s important that both parties are willing and equally involved in the sharing process. This will inevitably lead to shared decision making apart from the fact that the physician will be able to make quick and informed decisions. The ultimate aim is to have a complete understanding of the health status of patients and helping them navigate effectively in their health journey for a better patient experience.

Patient-centric interoperability is the direction in which healthcare is slowly moving. There’s so much that we can do with the availability of data. Ongoing monitoring of patient data can better facilitate the ongoing management of that patient’s health and the physician can intervene where necessary. With this, patients too can track their progress and work towards improving their health hand-in-hand with the physicians.

 Challenges that interoperability is yet to solve

 One of the issues that interoperability is dealing with today is the vast and disjointed patient data that exists in regional HIEs and independent, transactional databases like EHRs. Along with this, patient privacy concerns and consent are other risk factors that need to be considered when diving through protected health information data. Lack of a common standard, state policy rules, workflow and policy difference and the need for incentives are some barriers in the way of achieving 100 percent interoperability.

 Future of interoperability in the healthcare industry

 The prospective affairs in healthcare will not concern itself with the challenges of interoperability. As people are increasingly — while also successfully — engaging in their own health and care decisions, we can gauge that this trend will sustain itself in the future. To ensure that right care is provided, at the right time, to the right person and at the right cost, all of us should be able to safely and securely send, receive, find and use clinical and billing information through our electronic systems. The interoperable, secure exchange from the patient’s device to his caregiver and back will show the true capabilities of health information technology that we can leverage in years to come.

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text:
New student management system clashes with School Loop

Lisa Zhang

Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.

The adoption of Infinite Campus by FUHSD to replace SASI causes problems with School Loop

During the first week of school, teachers were dropped head first into the new attendance system, Infinite Campus, which replaced the previous student management system, Schools Administrative Student Information, created by Pearson School Systems.

“We actually had no choice [but] to leave SASI, because Pearson was ending their support of SASI for all districts, ” Assistant Principal Trudy Gross said. “Last fall, we had our final round [between another Pearson system and Infinite Campus]: those two companies came in at separate times to a certain group of people [who were representing] all the schools in the district, and the unanimous decision was Infinite Campus.”

The new system offers a quicker way of taking attendance that has received positive feedback from administration.

“[The past systems were] archaic, very slow, cumbersome to move around internally and it spoke its own language,” Dean of Students Denae Moore said. “You had to learn a SASI language, basically—not like JAVA or anything—but it was just the terms that they used describe different fields was very confusing, but Infinite Campus is a little more user-friendly in that way—just a little more regular school English.”

Infinite Campus, a web-based program, allows easy access anywhere Internet is available. Currently, FUHSD is piloting a program that uses Infinite Campus in conjunction with School Loop. Screenshot by Lisa Zhang.The choice to adopt Infinite Campus was also due to the many benefits associated with the new student management system. The new system is web-based, as opposed to the software program SASI, which means that teachers and administration have access to Infinite Campus wherever Internet is available. Infinite Campus also allows teachers to easily view students’ files while maintaining the confidentiality promised to the students.

“The nice thing is that the documents that they need access to, like accommodation plans and any information about the best ways to support the student, are right there in the computer,” Gross said. “Teachers can click and the information is right there; they can have it at their fingertips any time.”

Infinite Campus also has features that overlap with School Loop. The system contains a communicative feature that allows information to be sent to parents and students instantly, allowing timely communication between the school and home. Although these features are not currently being used, it was these functions that caused the technical problems that many students and teachers faced from Aug. 23 to Aug. 27.

“The main problem was just that the data that got uploaded to School Loop initially was data that was not current,” Gross said. “When students were then in their classes on [Aug. 23], teachers would notice their roster in School Loop was not the same roster as on Infinite Campus.”

Administration attributes this problem to the transition between the two systems. Currently, the district is trying to smooth out the process in which data is imported between systems, but there are still a few problems.

“Infinite Campus is a newer system, so it’s just getting all of these new companies to build student management systems to talk with all the other companies that [do this],” Attendance Technician Calvin Wong said. “It helps facilitate information out to parents and students, but right now they don’t work together yet, so it may take some time where they have to write a whole new program so it [flows efficiently].”

Other problems included not being able to record the changes made to students’ schedules and extra work for the administration to merge the two systems. Despite these problems, administration plans to continue with Infinite Campus.

However, currently have been no plans to completely switch to Infinite Campus. As of right now, FUHSD plans to keep the two systems running side-by-side until further notice.


text:
El Estoque

Ankit Gupta
Ankit Gupta is currently a junior and sports editor. Previously, he was a visuals editor. In his free time, he plays chess and hangs out with his dog, Rufus.

Ankit Gupta, Sports Editor

May 24, 2019
Puppy Profile (Story)
May 24, 2019
To fight or not to fight (Story)
May 22, 2019
Buying Local (Story)
May 11, 2019
MVHS baseball take home a 3-2 win on senior night (Story)
Apr 10, 2019
Warming up (Story)
Apr 08, 2019
Boys tennis: Matadors defeat Los Gatos HS 6-1 (Story)
Apr 01, 2019
MVHS Ultimate Frisbee Club welcomes new members (Story)
Mar 10, 2019
Starting them young (Story)
Mar 08, 2019
Track and field: MVHS hosts third annual RustBuster Invitational (Story)
Jan 31, 2019
Behind Gameday (Story)
Jan 18, 2019
Boys soccer: Team falls 3-0 to Lynbrook HS (Story)
Dec 12, 2018
Silenced on the field (Story)
Dec 01, 2018
Cross Country: Girls team wins CCS championship at Salinas (Story)
Nov 30, 2018
Igniting ideas: TedX club’s first speaker series (Story)
Nov 20, 2018
Defining a sport (Story)
Nov 07, 2018
Analyzing the newest club on campus: Sports Analytics (Story)
Oct 31, 2018
Football: MVHS falls to Santa Clara HS on senior night (Story)
Oct 23, 2018
Committed (Story)
Oct 03, 2018
Points for participation (Story)
Sep 27, 2018
Finding the new in the old (Story)
Sep 26, 2018
Field Hockey: Matadors score their first goal of the season in 1-1 tie against Saratoga HS (Story)
Sep 24, 2018
History of the Helmet: The significance of the MVHS and Cupertino HS rivalry (Story)
Sep 05, 2018
How two MVHS students found their love for fencing (Story)
May 01, 2018
Badminton: Team celebrates senior night in a win over Gunn HS (Story)
Apr 11, 2018
Reality through a different lens (Story)
Mar 07, 2018
Straying Away: How the MVHS mascot lost its ties to the sport of bullfighting (Story)
Feb 16, 2018
Girls soccer: Matadors fall to the Milpitas Trojans (Story)
Jan 31, 2018
Winter Olympics: Storylines, athletes, and events to watch (Story)
Nov 15, 2017
Parental Guidance: MVHS holds parenting classes (Story)
Oct 20, 2017
Q & A with department leads David Clarke and Scott DeRuiter (Story)
Sep 30, 2017
Bay Area students hold Mental Health Summit (Story)


text:
The LDOCE5 states that "notation" is

a system of written marks or signs used to represent something such as music, mathematics, or scientific ideas

It mentions that this word can be both countable and uncountable but does not say when to use which one. Could you give some example on the difference between notation and notations?

I want to write a paper and I don't know which one of the following expressions is better for the topic of a section:

  1. Notation and parameters

  2. Notations and parameters

  3. Notation

  4. Notations

  • What is/are your notation(s)? Also "notation" has more than one meaning, so confirm your above definition fits your example. – user3169 Oct 28 '17 at 19:53
  • Are you going to present one notation (one system of symbols) or more than one? – The Photon Oct 29 '17 at 0:55
  • Well, the problem is that I don't know what is considered as a system of symbols! In that section, I want to mention what are the input parameters and sets for the problem I examine throughout the paper. For example, I have d to denote demand, c to denote capacity, and so on. There are several more symbols but all of them are used to introduce one problem. – Opt Oct 29 '17 at 2:09

It seems to me that the adequate title here is either "Parameters" or "Variables".

Usually, when you write a paper about some scientific work, your parameters/variables are not obvious. Naturally, you assign a name or a symbol to each one; but the main point of this section (if I understand correctly) is the variables, rather than the names.

Conversely, if the variables are commonly known and your naming system is an innovation, it makes more sense to title this part "Notation".

  • Thanks laugh. In my field of study, OR, we often have sets, indices, decision variables and parameters. Parameters are usually given data, but decision variables are not given a priori and your model will decide what values should they take such that the problem is optimized. Basically, in that section I introduce sets, indices and parameters. Decision variables are introduced in later stages. – Opt Oct 29 '17 at 22:11

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text:
Coronavirus Cases Seemed to Be Leveling Off. Not Anymore.

The information appeared to be optimistic: The variety of new coronavirus instances reported in China over the previous week urged that the outbreak may be slowing — that containment efforts had been working.

However on Thursday, officers added greater than 14,840 new instances to the tally of the contaminated in Hubei Province alone, bringing the overall quantity to 48,206, the biggest one-day enhance to date recorded. The loss of life toll within the province rose to 1,310, together with 242 new deaths.

The sharp rise in reported instances illustrates how onerous it has been for scientists to know the extent and severity of the coronavirus outbreak in China, significantly contained in the epicenter, the place 1000’s of sick folks stay untested for the sickness.

Confronted by so many individuals with signs and no straightforward solution to check them, authorities seem to have modified the best way the sickness is recognized.

Hospitals in Wuhan, China — the biggest metropolis in Hubei Province and the middle of the epidemic — have struggled to diagnose infections with scarce and sophisticated assessments that detect the virus’s genetic signature straight. Different nations, too, have had such points.

As an alternative, officers in Hubei now appear to be together with infections identified by utilizing lung scans of symptomatic sufferers. This shortcut will assist get extra sufferers into wanted care, provincial officers stated. Including them to the rely might make it simpler for the authorities to determine find out how to allocate assets and assess remedy choices.

However the change additionally exhibits the large variety of folks in Hubei who’re sick and haven’t been counted within the outbreak’s official tally. It additionally raises the query whether or not the province, already struggling, is supplied to take care of the brand new sufferers.

The few consultants to be taught of the brand new numbers on Wednesday night time had been startled. Lung scans are an imperfect means to diagnose sufferers. Even sufferers with unusual seasonal flu might develop pneumonia seen on a lung scan.

“We’re in unknown territory,” stated Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious illness specialist at Vanderbilt College in Nashville.

  • Up to date Feb. 10, 2020

    • What’s a Coronavirus?
      It’s a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its floor. The coronavirus can infect each animals and folks, and may trigger a spread of respiratory diseases from the widespread chilly to extra harmful circumstances like Extreme Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.
    • How contagious is the virus?
      In keeping with preliminary analysis, it appears reasonably infectious, much like SARS, and is probably transmitted by the air. Scientists have estimated that every contaminated individual might unfold it to someplace between 1.5 and three.5 folks with out efficient containment measures.
    • How apprehensive ought to I be?
      Whereas the virus is a critical public well being concern, the danger to most individuals outdoors China stays very low, and seasonal flu is a extra speedy risk.
    • Who’s working to include the virus?
      World Well being Group officers have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, faculties and markets. This week, a group of consultants from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to supply help.
    • What if I’m touring?
      The USA and Australia are quickly denying entry to noncitizens who just lately traveled to China and several other airways have canceled flights.
    • How do I hold myself and others protected?
      Washing your arms steadily is an important factor you are able to do, together with staying at dwelling while you’re sick.

In China, well being officers have been below distinctive pressure. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and large new shelters are being erected to warehouse sufferers. Medical assets are in brief provide. It’s by no means been clear who’s being examined.

Well being staff have gone door to door in Wuhan to verify folks for signs. The prospect of compelled isolation could also be deterring some folks with respiratory diseases from presenting themselves at well being services to hunt well being care, some consultants say, making the size of the epidemic even much less clear.

“It’s important to be sick, the authorities want to seek out you, otherwise you discover them, and they should check you,” stated Dr. Arthur Reingold, an epidemiologist on the College of California, Berkeley.

The push to prioritize lung scans appears to have begun with a social media marketing campaign by a doctor in Wuhan, who final week referred to as for utilizing the scans to simplify the screening of sufferers and to speed up their hospitalization and remedy.

Lung scans produce speedy outcomes, she stated, and Wuhan was operating wanting testing kits.

Even earlier than as we speak’s information, consultants complained that epidemiological data from China has been incomplete, threatening containment efforts.

The brand new coronavirus is very transmissible and might be troublesome to squelch. A single contaminated “super-spreader” can infect dozens of others. Outbreaks can appear to recede, solely to rebound in brief order, because the climate or circumstances change.

Latest clusters of coronavirus instances recommend the brand new coronavirus not solely spreads rapidly, but in addition in methods that aren’t completely understood.

[Just like the Science Instances web page on Fb. | Join the Science Instances e-newsletter.]

In Hong Kong, folks dwelling 10 flooring aside had been contaminated, and an unsealed pipe was blamed. A British citizen apparently contaminated 10 folks, together with some at a ski chalet, earlier than he even knew he was sick.

In Tianjin, China, a minimum of 33 of 102 confirmed sufferers had a connection of some type with a big division retailer.

“This outbreak might nonetheless go in any path,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director normal of the World Well being Group, stated on Wednesday.

A change in analysis might make it nonetheless tougher to trace the virus, stated Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, co-director of the College of Washington MetaCenter for Pandemic Preparedness and World Well being Safety.

“It makes it actually complicated proper now in the event that they’re altering the entire means they display and detect,” he stated. Now estimating the size of the epidemic “is a transferring goal.”

It isn’t unusual for scientists to refine diagnostic standards as their understanding of a brand new illness adjustments. However when the standards are modified, consultants stated, it makes little sense to proceed to make week-over-week comparisons.

“It sounds simplistic, but it surely’s so essential — what numbers are you counting?” stated Dr. Schaffner, the infectious illness specialist.

Scientists have been cautious of the notion that the epidemic has peaked for different causes, as effectively.

In contrast to MERS and SARS, each illnesses brought on by coronaviruses, the virus spreading from China seems to be extremely contagious, although it’s most likely much less usually deadly.

It’s tougher for public well being officers to trace a quickly transferring epidemic. Scientists usually describe these epidemics as a type of iceberg — their girth and true form hidden under the floor.

Chaos makes it nonetheless tougher to discern these dimensions. However an correct grasp of the state of affairs inside China is critical for the security of the remainder of the world, famous Dr. Tedros of the W.H.O.

The nation is so central to the world economic system that it may possibly simply “seed” epidemics in all places, he stated.

“Our best concern stays the harm this coronavirus might do in a rustic like D.R.C.,” Dr. Tedros stated, referring to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been combating outbreaks of Ebola and measles.

“It’s an enormous process to handle a response successfully,” stated Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson, a professor of epidemiology on the College of California, Davis. “This may be true for any nation.”

“We’re at midnight when it comes to understanding what to anticipate subsequent.”

Reporting was contributed by Vivian Wang.

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