Brandon Brown is now embracing the controversial “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan.
The NASCAR driver had done a round of media interviews purporting to distance himself from the political chant, only to turn around and unveil a vehicle prominently featuring an acronym for the phrase — “LGB” — to promote a new cryptocurrency.
The Twitter handle for LGBCoin touts the new crypto as a “meme coin inspiring patriotism.” It can be traded on Coinbase and Uniswap.
In October, Kelli Stavast interviewed Brown on NBC after he won a race at Talladega. The crowd was clearly chanting “F–k Joe Biden,” but Stavast claimed that they were chanting “Let’s go Brandon!”
The phrase took on a life of its own, as conservatives used it as a rallying cry to demonstrate their belief that the mainstream media treats President Biden with parodical favoritism.
This month, Brown did an interview with Sports Business Journal saying he was “unfortunately” dragged into the political arena of having to choose a side. He said he was having sponsorship struggles as a result.
“It got extremely difficult for us,” Brown told Sports Business Journal. “If you’re a national corporation, that means you sell to all consumers … and unfortunately, when you get dragged into the political arena, people want you to take a side. I’ve never been put in a position where it’s, ‘OK, what side are you on? Left or right?’ So it’s hard for a brand to want to attach to somebody who might be kind of divisive in their consumer base.
“If I’m going to divide Coca-Cola, why would they want to talk to me? So the short answer is it’s been tough to connect with partnerships just because it’s kind of viewed as a ticking time bomb: ‘What is he [g]oing to choose or say and how would that effect our consumer base?’ It’s too much of a risk. I understand it on their side but it’s made it really hard to tie everything down.”
“Racing at 200 miles per hour doesn’t give me a lot of time to think about politics,” Brown wrote. “And even if it did, I have always preferred the roar of the engine to the roar of my voice.”
“Let’s go America,” Brown concluded the op/ed.
In a New York Times story entitled “Brandon just wants to drive his racecar,” Brown said he was a Republican voter but had zero desire to be involved with politics.
“Our whole navigation is, you want to appeal to everybody, because, all in all, everybody is a consumer,” Brown said. “I have zero desire to be involved in politics.”
"complete" - Google News
December 31, 2021 at 11:34PM
https://ift.tt/3JyrveY
NASCAR driver Brandon Brown does complete 180 on 'Let's Go Brandon' - New York Post
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
IF you've ever lost a loved one then you'll know that there's no strict timeline as to when you'll start feeling "normal".
But a month after your other half has passed away? Yeah, we're sure most people will agree that's probably too soon to be dating again.
6
The woman shamed her husand's 'creepy' colleague on RedditCredit: Getty
6
The man likened her loss to his dog dyingCredit: Reddit
That said, one bloke thought he'd try his luck anyway by texting his old colleague's widow just four weeks after he passed.
Earlier this week, the anonymous woman posted screenshots of the "creepy" messages on Reddit's "Nice Guys" forum.
To begin with, the man initiated the conversation innocently enough and said he "hoped she was well" after her recent loss.
He then went on to say he was "very hurt" to hear that her husband had passed away - before telling her about the dog he'd recently lost.
FABULOUS BINGO: GET A £5 FREE BONUS WITH NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED
"I know how you're feeling," he wrote. "I'm here to listen if you want."
Trying to brush it off, the woman simply told him "thank you" in the hope that would be the end of the conversation.
Most read in Lifestyle
However, the "inappropriate" man then decided to ask exactly where she's from - before telling her that "women from her country have incredible hips".
"Your husband is a lucky man," he added. "Sorry. WAS."
Hoping that this would be her way of the exchange, the widow replied: "Thanks for clarifying, I wouldn't have known what you meant if you didn't add in the 'was' there..."
However, the cheeky bloke didn't stop there and said he didn't want to "screw up" his "chance" to date her.
Your husband would want you to be with a man who he knows will treat you right... in all ways.
He added: "I'm a good guy I promise. One date is all I ask. I'm free this Friday and Saturday."
And even thought the woman said she wasn't interested in dating right now, that still didn't stop the man from trying to convince her.
"I knew your husband well," he claimed. "I know what you expect in a man. I can provide that."
After being shut down again, the man cruelly replied: "Should have known you were just a pretty face. You aren't even that pretty."
And in a final attempt to woo her, he continued: "Your husband would want you to be with a man who he knows will treat you right... in all ways.
"I'm good at taking care of women. Especially ones like you. Such f***able hips."
Needless to say, this is when the woman stopped replying and his vulgar messages prompted her to shame him on the forum.
One replied: "Firstly, I'm so sorry for your loss. This must be an incredibly difficult time for you.
Secondly... what the f*** type of person does this?? My mind melted a bit reading that."
"Had the same thing happen after my fiancé’s suicide," another added. "Some people are complete garbage."
A third wrote: "He lost me at the kissy face in the first message..."
6
The man was relentless in trying to get her to agree to a dateCredit: Reddit
6
He tried to use his connection to her husband to woo the widowCredit: Reddit
6
He then said she 'wasn't even that pretty'Credit: Reddit
6
The man said she had 'no more chances' after his last offerCredit: Reddit
"colleague" - Google News
December 31, 2021 at 08:58PM
https://ift.tt/3JwyzZG
My husband has only been dead a month but his creepy colleague keeps asking me out – his texts are so g... - The US Sun
"colleague" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Uvr5Ps
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
"complete" - Google News
December 31, 2021 at 10:30PM
https://ift.tt/34gjFGZ
Construction on new Shasta County Courthouse expected to be complete by June next year - Action News Now
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
Christmas presents can be an absolute minefield at the best of times when you know someone but can be even more troublesome if you’re buying for someone you don’t know very well.
An in this particular workplace one present struck the wrong note with the woman who is in her 50s.
The woman is considering reporting the matter to HR following her Secret Santa gift(Image: iStockPhoto/Getty Images)
She says she now faces a dilemma about what to do next and is considering reporting the vulgar book, which contained ‘sexual slurs’ to her bosses.
The woman, who chose to remain anonymous on Mumsnet forum, revealed the workplace gift situation got out of control.
The adult colouring book offers the opportunity to fill out sweary designs with words such as ‘Idiot,’ ‘S**t, and a sexual slur.
Showing a photo of the book, she asked what she should do about the odd gift, as she explained that she hadn’t wanted to take part in the first place, reported Mirror Online.
She added: “I like a robust swear and I have a job that can very much cause stress but I finally looked at it properly today and a lot of the words to colour are not swear words per se but really, really unpleasant misogynistic, sexual slurs and terms that I associate with pornography not swearing.”
She added: “I have actually found myself quite offended that someone thought this was an appropriate gift for a fifty year old female colleague in a professional environment.
Top news stories today
“My quandary is whether I should say something to the group or just hide it in the recycling and forget about it?”
Unsurprisingly, many weren’t impressed by the content, with one Mumsnet user writing: “This is so grossly inappropriate for the workplace and so sickly misogynistic that I couldn’t let it stand.”
But others were divided, with one commenting: “Well I work in a professional environment and got the very same book last year. I personally found it funny and gave it to my husband.
“It was obviously given in the spirit of a bit of fun, no matter how many pearl clutchers are here.
“As for all the people saying go to HR I’d suggest take that huge stick out of your arse. There is no better way to exclude yourself from your team and gaming a grudge down this path.”
A third added: “I would absolutely take this to HR. If it was an honest mistake, then they can apologise and learn to be more careful.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
"colleague" - Google News
December 31, 2021 at 05:36PM
https://ift.tt/3pFNXe9
Mum disgusted at 'pathetic' Secret Santa gift from anonymous colleague - Daily Record
"colleague" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Uvr5Ps
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
"complete" - Google News
December 30, 2021 at 01:16AM
https://ift.tt/3pCxCH9
El Paso Water says Frontera wastewater replacement line is complete - cbs4local.com
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
The concept of inclusive leadership has been a hot topic in recent times. But a few seem to focus on how significant peer relationships are in our workplace.
The relations between colleagues highly influence a company's overall output. Author Juliet Bourke, who is also an adjunct professor in the School of Management and Governance, University of New South Wales Business School, believes that an inclusive colleague is what can create a meaningful difference in work performance.
In an HBR article about an inclusive colleague, Bourke writes that in academic literature as well as industry practice, inclusion has been conceptualised as a psycho-social experience between an individual and a group. In other words, only a group (or a leader as representative of a group) has the power to make an individual feel fairly treated, valued, respected and connected. But is that really right?
She advocates three ways for an inclusive colleague. Here we guide our readers to the three small ways that help them become inclusive at their workplaces.
Helping each other out
Bourke described this behaviour as 'instrumental assistance". This is about helping a colleague in their work by providing them with information, necessary contacts and ideas, giving endorsements in meetings, and sometimes offering suggestions.
These actions do not necessarily fall within the strict ambit of your job description. But they are super helpful for a productive and friendly office environment.
For example, if you had a meeting and your colleagues missed some part of it, or even all of it, why not give him/ her a heads-up of what happened in the meeting instead of waiting until the end of the week to see your colleague to start the project with inadequate information?
This refers to the care, support and personal interest people demonstrate towards their peers, which helps to develop emotional bonds. Bourke gave an example when one junior employee told him about how he and his peer started each day with "some kind of little joke," while many others talked about taking a quick break from the office environment to have a coffee together.
With lockdown and home offices, the opportunity for socialisation has been reduced. But the opportunity to explore your colleagues on a personal level still remains online.
For example, while discussing or brainstorming on some ideas, the co-workers may share some memes or relevant links. This way, while being in a professional setup, a more personal bond develops among the colleagues.
The third behaviour, which Bourke calls 'embodied connection', refers to the ways team members use their physical beings to create and communicate. Through their body language and the sharing of spaces, the co-workers create a closer connection among themselves.
For example, interviewees talked about walking together to meetings, deliberately sitting next to each other, or if a meeting was virtual, sharing their backgrounds rather than using an impersonal corporate photo, and exaggerating positive non-verbal cues such as smiling and nodding.
What is clear about these examples, is that each involved a pint-sized effort. Nevertheless, the impact was profound psycho-socially in terms of feeling included, especially when these micro acts of interpersonal inclusion were accumulated over time.
Author and cultural critic bell hooks poses for a portrait on December 16, 1996. Karjean Levine/Getty Images
Karjean Levine/Getty Images
M. Shadee Malaklou had just been hired as the new chair of the Women's and Gender Studies department at Berea College in Kentucky when she was invited to have lunch with bell hooks. When she arrived, Malaklou remembers, hooks said with a nod and a wink, "'I was against your hire.'"
Rather than being taken aback, Malaklou leaned into hooks' irreverence and witty honesty – a trait of her writing, too. "That was her way," says Malaklou. hooks had assumed that Malaklou, a woman of Iranian descent from Southern California, wouldn't like Berea's lack of an Iranian American community and would leave. But three years later, hooks was writing a glowing commendation for Malaklou's tenure.
Malaklou, now the inaugural director of Berea College's recently opened bell hooks center, speaks about her friendship with bell hooks with gratitude, recognizing she had access to the private and mundane side of her persona, while others celebrated her public figure and academia.
Over the last three years of bell hooks' life, she and Malaklou became close friends and confidants. Sometimes, she would call Malaklou to share McDonald's cheeseburgers, even in the middle of class. It's also well-known that hooks had an endless craving for Juicy Fruit gum: "She would ask me to order it for her in hordes from Amazon," says Malaklou.
The rest of the world probably knows her best through her most popular books, Feminism is For Everybody,Teaching to Transgress and All About Love: New Visions, which re-emerged in the pandemic as a New York Times bestseller despite being published in 2000. Since hooks' passing on December 15, social media has flooded with eulogies and poignant reflections on almost three decades of her work in feminism, teaching and theory. Many noted the accessibility of her language, as well as her willingness to write from life experience as a way to speak on spirituality and family.
Before she was bell hooks, though, she was Gloria Watkins, a rising scholar teaching at Yale University in the 1980s. At that time, Rachel Chapman, now a tenured professor of anthropology at the University of Washington, had the professor as her undergraduate thesis advisor. Chapman remembers that her classes were highly sought after, and that she led a support group of Black women, called "Sisters of the Yam," who idolized her.
While working with hooks, Chapman recognized that much of her mentor's work was concerned with the loss of Black life. "She was writing about what it means to be young and Black and angry and seeing clearly the thin line between being mad and madness, between radical action and personal self-destruction," says Chapman.
What Chapman witnessed at the time was someone working through the pain and the hurt that would later lead to All About Love. Chapman would see hooks again in Los Angeles, while she was working towards her doctoral degree at UCLA in 1992. The Los Angeles riots were raging after the police beating of Rodney King, and hooks was addressing a beleaguered crowd of the college's student activists. She offered them advice that would stay with Chapman over the years.
"'I don't do social justice work with anyone who's not in a movement with me for a lifetime. And that really reduces the number of people who I'm willing to interact with on that level,'" Chapman remembers hooks saying. "That gave me permission to not have to engage every person running their racism at me. I now do whatever gives me strength and move on."
hooks' work with students and approach to education has also become part of her legacy, says Jody Greene, the founder of the Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning at the University of California Santa Cruz, where hooks received her doctoral degree. She says the writer's books about the practice of teaching have been deeply influential to teachers like herself. "hooks strongly believed in education as the cultivation of a human being and not just an instrument for creating good employees," says Greene, who was a student at Yale during her time there.
In her last decade of life, hooks wasn't growing complacent in her ideas, friends say: She was actively learning and growing, giving talks and having conversations with other academics and public figures. Shelby Chestnut, the director of policy and programs at the Transgender Law Center, introduced Laverne Cox and hooks at their conversation at the New School back in 2014. Chestnut remembers meeting hooks for the first time, particularly her generosity and tenderness towards strangers.
"She was like, 'Hold my hand.' And so I held her hand and then Laverne held her other hand, and we just walked around the [West Village]", says Chestnut.
Chestnut saw hooks working to understand and include the trans community in her understandings about feminism, even at a time it wasn't popular. Her foundational works on feminism, including Ain't I a Woman, critiqued white feminism and began farsighted conversations around intersectionality even before the term was created by Kimberlé Crenshaw. "Even her kindness to all, to feminism more broadly, she was really unapologetic in the prioritization of Black women," says Chestnut.
Multiple people shared how hooks profoundly cared for young people and children, too. Linda Strong-Leek, former professor at Berea College and now provost at Haverford College, remembered hooks' concern that "'we had never seen a book with a black boy just sitting and reading.'" Many of her children's books, such as Be Boy Buzz, were aimed at increasing literacy for children of color and providing meaningful representation.
She gave over thirty years of her life to groundbreaking scholarship, but she also identified as an Appalachian scholar and chose to return to her home state Kentucky in the last years of her life. In her book On Belonging: A Culture of Place, hooks wasn't an abstract theorist, but someone who was grounded in the geography of her rural upbringing in contrast to city life. Her friends say her love for community was both political and personal. Linda Strong-Leek recalls that, first and foremost, she was dedicated to the people around her.
"We would go out in Berea, most people didn't know who she was if they weren't connected to the college or readers [of] feminist theory," says Strong-Leek. "I want people to remember that she loved regular people."
Comedian and actor Johnny Mac says he was "terrified" about stepping in for a Birmingham pantomime star who had tested positive for Covid-19.
Matt Slack had been appearing in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Birmingham Hippodrome but revealed he had Covid on 27 December.
He said his "mate" Johnny Mac was standing in for him at short notice.
Mr Mac said it had been an "amazing experience" and thanked people for making him welcome.
"I was absolutely terrified at points of things coming in at the last minute, but what an amazing experience. I can't thank the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands enough for giving me the encouragement and their warmth," he told BBC Radio WM
I’m so sorry everyone. In 20 years of panto I’ve never taken a single show off but now as disappointing as it is I don’t have a choice. Please show my mate Johnny Mac @meetthemacs the love and support you’ve always shown me. I’m beyond gutted but WILL see you all very soon 💙 https://t.co/dFjQAtt7xU
"I'm a big fan of Matt Slack and the Birmingham pantomime.
"Usually my show in Scotland finishes about two weeks earlier and I always come and watch the Birmingham panto - I've been coming down for about 10 years and I just love it."
Mr Mac said he had been in touch with his colleague since taking on his role.
"We've been texting back and forth. It's been so lovely," he said.
"He's said he's so happy it's me and that the show can go on."
Cora Gold Ltd. said Wednesday that it expects to finalize the definitive feasibility study for the Sanankoro project in Mali by the end of the first half of 2022, and then move to permitting and financing to bring the project to the construction stage.
The London-listed mining company said an updated mineral resource estimate in November increased total resources at the project by 200% compared with the maiden estimate from December 2019. The November results included 21.9 million metric tons at 1.15 grams a ton of gold, for a total of 809,300 ounces, the company said.
The updated mineral resource estimate far surpassed expectations, the company said.
Chief Executive Bert Monro said the company expects the strong trends of 2021 to continue in 2022.
"complete" - Google News
December 29, 2021 at 03:16PM
https://ift.tt/3FC9t9b
Cora Gold Expects to Complete Mali Project Definitive Feasibility Study by End-1H 2022 - MarketWatch
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
The most complete victory of the season for the Dallas Cowboys came just in time for them to try to stay in the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
How complete?
The Cowboys had touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in the same game for the first time in nine years in a 56-14 rout of Washington.
Dak Prescott spread his four touchdown passes, all in the first half, to a running back, receiver, tight end and offensive lineman. The only other quarterback to do that was Kurt Warner in a St. Louis playoff game for the “Greatest Show on Turf” during the 1999 season.
The Cowboys had four receivers with at least 50 yards each in a half for the first time since at least 1981, according to club research.
Prescott never would say he was in a slump even though the numbers did. Now he’s not, and the Cowboys (11-4) have a four-game winning streak with reeling Arizona (10-5) set to visit Sunday.
Dallas, which clinched the NFC East title about an hour before kickoff against Washington, is a game behind NFC-leading Green Bay with two to go. So are the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay.
“It’s good to celebrate a goal you set out at the beginning of the year,” said Prescott, who threw for 330 yards as the Cowboys had their most yards (497) since a six-game roll to start the season.
“We’re trending in the right direction for our ultimate goal of what we really want to do,” he said. “So it was a good celebration but as I said nobody’s satisfied with this celebration.”
WHAT’S WORKING
The Cowboys tied a club record with their third blocked punt of the season. It was the second recovered for a touchdown, with Corey Clement’s block bouncing conveniently to Chauncey Golston at the goal line for a 49-7 lead in the third quarter.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
Terence Steele’s sense of history. The backup tackle was so excited about his 1-yard touchdown catch, his exuberant spike ended up in the stands. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, a veteran of touchdown celebrations, retrieved the ball while everybody else mobbed Steele.
“Shoutout to Zeke, because I want that ball,” said Steele, who gave Mike McCarthy a bear hug that jarred the coach enough for him to “check my teeth.” “That’s something I’m going to cherish forever.”
STOCK UP
The victory over Washington was the best illustration so far of what the receiving trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup can bring.
Each had a catch of at least 24 yards. Lamb got the second TD drive going with consecutive catches for first downs, and Cooper kept it alive with a third-down grab. Gallup had the longest catch among the three, a 40-yarder. Prescott capped his highly productive first half with a 13-yard scoring toss to Cooper for a 42-7 lead with 5 seconds remaining.
Their halftime totals were the final ones — seven catches, 85 yards for Cooper; four for 66 for Lamb; and two for 53 for Gallup. Tight end Dalton Schultz (seven for 74) was the other with more than 50 yards at the break.
“We’re not designed just to throw the ball to one guy,” said McCarthy, who is in his second season with Dallas. “I made that clear the day I arrived here.”
STOCK DOWN
Prescott was so dominant with his passing, it’s hard to tell if the running game is coming around. There are signs it might be. Elliott says his ailing right knee keeps getting better, and it looks that way when he runs.
The numbers are still paltry, though. The two-time rushing champ had 37 yards as the team finished with 108. A 100-yard game, which Elliott hasn’t had since Week 5, would be a better sign of his recovery.
INJURIES/COVID-19
Rookie CB Kelvin Joseph got his first career start with Jourdan Lewis sidelined by COVID-19. Lewis and S Malik Hooker should be in line to return from the virus list. DT Osa Odighizuwa did return. LT Tyron Smith (ankle) could be back after missing the past two games.
KEY NUMBER
19 — The number of Dallas players to score touchdowns this season, a club record. DeMarcus Lawrence broke the previous mark of 17 with his 40-yard interception return in the first quarter. Golston made it 19.
NEXT STEPS
The Cowboys figured to be chasing Arizona if they still even had a shot at the NFC’s top seed in their regular-season home finale. Now it’s the other way around with the Cardinals at 3-5 since their 7-0 start. It will be the second year in a row for Arizona QB Kyler Murray to play in the stadium where he starred in the playoffs in high school. The Cardinals won 38-10 last season.
"complete" - Google News
December 28, 2021 at 09:56AM
https://ift.tt/3EyZPCU
Cowboys Look Complete, Try to Stay in Mix for NFC's Top Seed - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
The Portland Trail Blazers entered their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night shy two starters and every big man off their bench. The Mavericks entered it without All-Star Luka Doncic, but center Kristaps Porzingis was still in uniform. Porzingis’ height and skill were enough to wreck every plan the cobbled-together Blazers could concoct on defense. That left Dallas in firm control of a 132-117 victory.
If you missed the game and want quarter-by-quarter details, you can find them in our instant recap here. After that, here are some tidbits of analysis.
A Wee Bit Short
It’s almost not fair to analyze the Blazers as, like much of the NBA, they’re playing with wholly unfamiliar lineups due to absences from COVID-19. Imagine going into Golden Corral to find that, while they have the classic chicken you love and the soft serve machine still works, but beside them are trays of sliced radishes, an unopened can of tapioca pudding, and a completely raw potato. The problem isn’t the ingredients. They’re actually food. They’re just not ready to be called dinner.
That’s the same effect as watching the Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard, Norman Powell, and not much of anybody else. The team tried hard tonight, but their defensive sets were broken before they started. This was particularly true when Dallas went to their big men, which was just about every play. The Mavericks weren’t stupid. They knew Larry Nance, Jr. wasn’t going to stop anybody straight up without committing fouls. The next-tallest player the Blazers fielded was Nassir Little. With Porzingis at a solid seven feet with offensive skills to burn, scoring was a matter of posting and reposting until the inevitable one-on-one matchup materialized. When Porzingis also started hitting threes, the game was over before it began.
After Kristaps broke them down, the Blazers got progressively worse on defense as the game unfolded. Dallas ended up with 68 points in the paint, plus 38 assists on 48 made buckets. They shot 57.1% from the field and shot well from distance until their fourth-quarter blowout subs came in. It was a complete disaster defensively for Portland with little relief.
A Tale of Two Forwards
And speaking of... tonight Little and Nance, Jr. stepped into the breach to try and make up for the absence of Jusuf Nurkic et al.
Little was impressive, keeping up the pressure on defense when he could and scoring confidently. He poured in 20 on 7-14 shooting, often looking like the only person who really had his heart in the game.
Nance, Jr. did not have the same effect. His defense wasn’t that noticeable. That didn’t make him unique tonight, but the Blazers traded for him to provide help in that department. It’s not a great look. Increasingly, Nance, Jr. makes Portland’s offensive sets look like they’re sucking on a lemon. Opportunities are opening wider for him and he appears to be fading farther into mushy obscurity.
A Tale of Two Guards
Norman Powell and Anfernee Simons provide analogies at guard to Nance, Jr. and Little at forward. Simons didn’t get into the offense that much, but he hit the shots he took (11 points on 4-8 shooting). That was not so of Powell, who shot 3-12, 1-7 from distance. He had a pretty decent first period, then fell off the planet. With no Nurkic and no CJ McCollum, Powell stepping up was a must. It didn’t happen.
Dame Not Enough
Damian Lillard did try to save his team from disaster. He drove hard, drew fouls, and dished a lot of potential assists to teammates who couldn’t complete the play. Dallas’ defensive job boiled down to putting two men on Lillard, then letting the Blazers do whatever else they wanted. Even Dame couldn’t get over that. He scored 26, but shot 5-15 from the field.
Really, there isn’t much more to tell than that. Until the Blazers get players back or more practice time, their already-spotty defense is likely to look horrible and they’re going to have a hard time staying in games. Let’s hope the pain ends soon.
The Tara research schooner stops in Itajai, Brazil in November. Photo by Lee Karp-Boss. Contributed photo
ORONO — Lee Karp-Boss and Emmanuel Boss, professors at the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, completed a month-long research cruise in the western South Atlantic Ocean as part of Tara Ocean Foundation’s Mission Microbiomes project.
Tara, a French nonprofit that conducts ocean expeditions using its titular research schooner, launched the project in December 2020 to learn more about how marine microbiomes, or assemblies of microorganisms in a given ocean environment, function. The organization also aims to understand how climate change and plastic pollution affect marine microbiomes.
Microbiomes make up two-thirds of marine biomass, support an extensive food chain and play important roles in biogeochemical cycles, yet little is known about their inner workings, according to a news release from the organization.
Boss and Karp-Boss joined the Tara schooner in early November for part of the two-year, 40,000-mile voyage along the African, South American and Antarctic coasts. Together with fellow researchers from Brazil, they designed and sampled diverse oceanographic regimes in undersampled regions in Brazilian waters.
Funded by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant, Karp-Boss and Boss also installed the latest generation of ocean instruments on the research vessel to study plankton, tiny unicellular organisms that are the base of the aquatic food chain, and their associated optical properties.
The new instruments include two sensors recently developed at Sequoia Scientific Inc. by, among others, Wayne Slade and Thomas Leeuw, two former students with the UMaine School of Marine Sciences, to measure hyper-spectral backscattering and polarized angular scattering. These instruments provide information about the size and composition of oceanic particles, link it to Ocean Color remote sensing — an area of interest for NASA — and offer a unique view of the organisms comprising the plankton.
The UMaine researchers also installed a plankton imaging sensor called an Imaging Flow Cytobot, which allows scientists to detect changes in plankton community composition “on the flight.”
In addition to conducting research, Boss and Karp-Boss participated in several outreach activities in multiple Brazilian towns, including Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Itajaí, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where their leg of the voyage ended. They met with school-aged children and members of the public who visited the schooner and joined science meetings to develop new collaborations with Brazilian and Argentinian scientists. They also attended a ceremony in Santos, Brazil where town officials signed a law that mandated the inclusion of ocean literacy in public school curricula, the first of its kind worldwide.
Karp-Boss and Boss disembarked from the research vessel in Buenos Aires. Guillaume Bourdin, a Ph.D student with the UMaine School of Marine Sciences, replaced them for the next leg of Mission Microbiomes from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina, which will focus on coccolithophore blooms in the Malvinas current. Coccolithophores are algae responsible for massive blooms culminating in geological features such as the White Cliffs of Dover, England.
Other current and past UMaine students and affiliates are slated to board the vessel along its trajectory to South Africa and along the African coast back to its home port in Lorient, where it will arrive in October 2022.
More information about the voyage can be found on the Tara Ocean Foundation website.
"complete" - Google News
December 27, 2021 at 05:00AM
https://ift.tt/3qqVxJ0
Artists complete mural at Halifax Market Place increasing 'overall attractiveness of the space' - YourGV.com
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
Maintaining even the best electric bikes isn't difficult, but there are some important things to know if you're going to keep it in top condition and get the best performance every time you head out on a ride.
To find out exactly what you need to know to keep your e-bike in perfect shape, TechRadar spoke to Julian Thrasher, Head of Training at Shimano. Buy your Shimano products and support local bike shops at www.freewheel.co.uk.
What checks should you do before riding?
Before heading out on your electric bike, a few quick checks will help make sure you're getting the best, safest ride possible.
"Mechanical and electrical checks are the key thing," says Thrasher, "so from a mechanical point of view, tire pressures and if you’ve got any mountain bike suspension settings as well. Mainly because if you’re riding an e-bike with deflated tires then you may not get the range out of the bike that you want."
You'd normally notice if you're riding a bike with deflated tires or worn gears – you'll have to work harder than usual – but an e-bike will compensate, effectively masking the problem and draining the battery faster than necessary,
"It’s also really important that your brakes are working properly because the e-bikes are slightly heavier," says Thrasher. "I’d have a check of the brakes and gears before you go on a ride. Just a spin around the car park or just down the side of your house, just to make sure everything’s operating mechanically as it should.
Before you head out, check your tire pressure; the motor can mask the effect of deflated tires, but the battery will drain faster as a result(Image credit: Shutterstock)
"From an electrical point of view, making sure that the battery’s got a full state of charge," he says. "You’d ideally do this with enough time to make sure that you can put charge into it. There’s nothing worse than rocking up to a ride and finding that you’ve got one bar of battery. It’ll either be a very difficult ride, or the ride won’t happen.
"And a quick check of the cables as well. Speaking from a Shimano Steps point of view, the cables are quite delicate and they carry all the data through the system, so if they’re slightly damaged or you’ve managed to hook it on a car when you’re taking the bike off a rack, they can get damaged and that can cause an error to occur. So it’s definitely worthwhile checking."
You should also check that the cables are correctly plugged in. Shimano has a special wire tool (catchily named the TL-EW02), which makes sure that you're pushing on the correct part of the wire and not damaging it.
Also take a look at the magnet for the speed sensor. "It’s a bit like the old school cycle computers that you had where the magnet went round and it told you how fast you were going," Thrasher explains. "The e-bike has a drive unit that knows how much pressure you’re putting through the pedals – there’s an in-built power meter – but it also has a speed sensor to work out how fast you’re going. With those two metrics it can work out the right amount of power delivery, but if the magnet gets knocked then it can’t see that, and then the drive unit won’t work."
It's quite common for that magnet to get knocked out of place, either in transit or being out on the trails. Just make sure that the magnet is in line with the sensor, with the correct distance between it."
Make sure your electric bike's battery is secure in its mounting before heading out(Image credit: Shutterstock)
If your bike has a Shimano Steps drive system, also watch out for an error code called WA13. Thrasher explains that this is a torque sensor error, and is easily fixed.
"This happens when someone hops on the bike, they start pedalling it off down the road or down the trail, and then they think ‘Oh no, I haven’t turned it on!’ So they turn it on, and then the system sees that there’s pressure going through it, which it doesn’t expect. What it then does is say ‘Well, that must be a problem’. So then it beeps and comes up with a WA13 error code.
"The easiest way to clear this is to stop the bike, get off the bike, turn the battery off, ideally if it’s a downtube-mounted battery remove it – that clears everything from the system – put the battery back in, turn the system on again without any pressure on the pedals. Nine times out of 10, that clears the WA13 error code."
Finally, make sure that the battery is secure in its mounting. That's not easy to do for an internal battery, but for an external one, make sure that there's no play between the battery and its mount. Any movement can cause intermittent faults.
How can you make the battery last longer?
There are lots of ways to eke greater mileage out of your e-bike's battery, some of which are more obvious than others. "We always think about marginal gains in cycling, but they’re all things you can do to improve the life of the battery, and certainly the range of the battery," says Thrasher.
"We spoke before about the tires being correctly inflated and things like your brakes rubbing. You notice all these if you’re a human being pedalling a bicycle, but with an e-bike they’re quite good at masking those little things."
Taking your bike for a blast on its top power setting means you won't go nearly as far, but it's a lot of run(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Also think about which of your bike's modes you're going to be using. Most e-bikes have a set of different options that give varying degrees of assistance. "On Steps we have three modes – we have Eco, Trail and Boost modes – and there are two factory preset modes for these of Dynamic and Explore, but you can also customize it, Thrasher explains. "We have an app on the phone called E-Tube, and through this E-Tube app you can customize Eco, Trail and Boost from a low, medium and high setting.
"So if you went out on your bike and you wanted the best life out of the battery then you’d ride it in Eco with Eco set to low, because you’re just going to receive a small amount of power through the system. So you’re not going to go as fast as going up a hill in Boost, but you are going to get a lot of life out of the battery, or range out of the battery."
Your e-bike's app may allow you to customize its power settings so you can tailor its power output to suit your ride(Image credit: Shutterstock)
There's really no substitute for knowing your route. If you're planning a whole day out with lots of good hills, don't hit them all in Boost mode or you'll end up riding without any assistance at the end.
If you just want to go for a blast in Boost mode, you won't be able to go nearly as far, but it'll be a lot of fun.
"The last thing I’d add to that is that lithium-ion batteries do like to be charged, so don’t let your battery run all the way out and then leave it run out," Thrasher says. "The battery can enter a sort of hibernation mode, and then it can be very difficult to wake that battery. What we recommend is that even if you’ve just used a bar of battery, put it on charge. It likes that. You’ll increase the life of it if you charge it often.
What if your bike has an electrical fault?
If your bike has an electrical fault, never try to disassemble your bike's battery or drive system. You might void your warranty, cause more damage, or even give yourself a bad electric shock.
"The first thing I’d say is visit a professional bike shop, or we prefer a Shimano Service Center," says Thrasher. "They’ve got a tool called an SM-PCE02, and this is a linkage device that checks the electrical internals of each component that’s on the bike. So the motor, the display and so on, and that’s something that’s very difficult to do at home."
A bike shop or service center can look at error codes on your e-bike's display and work out the solution(Image credit: Shutterstock)
You might occasionally see error codes on your e-bike's display, which an expert at a bike shop or service center can interpret into a solution. "So to give you an example, we’ll have an E010 error code, which will appear on the display in combination with an E013, says Thrasher.
"What the first error code means is a general system error code. The second error code is a torque sensor error code. So from a bike shop’s point of view, you look at both of those and you go ‘I’m pretty sure I know where that problem is.’
"And they also need to look at well, has that been caused through a mechanical issue, and they’re much better equipped to do that. They look at your bike as a whole and then offer you a solution, whereas when you’re at home, you can really only make the problem worse."
Are there any other things you shouldn't do?
"Definitely don’t disassemble the battery or the drive unit because you’ll give yourself a big shock," Thrasher says. "The other thing is don’t poke things into the terminals of the battery, because that could also give you a huge shock."
Poking and prodding is a bad idea, but you should make sure that the male terminals on the battery are nice and clean. "Those are fine once you’ve got the battery out and off the bike it’s not going to hurt you, so you can clean the other parts."
Thrasher gives the example of one of Shimano's sponsored riders who was having an error code in his bike. It turned out the problem was down to the dust he'd been riding in; once he cleaned out the dusk, the error code went away.
Take care not to get lubricant in your bike's wire ports(Image credit: Shutterstock)
"Don’t spray any lubricant into the wire ports – that’s really a no-no – and treat the cables with care," Thrasher adds. "If at any point you don’t think it’s going in, don’t use more force because that generally ends up with something breaking. Don’t force them into the components, and if you can, do use the wire tool that I spoke about.
"Don’t try to get into the motor or the battery, but you should ensure that the bolts that are mounted to the frame are tight, and there’s generally only six bolts that do that, and there’ll generally be a torque setting from the manufacturer. That’s really good because that can lead to creaks coming from the bike, but they’re quite easy to solve. Do make sure those bolts are tight.
"If you’re cleaning the e-bike, don’t point a high-pressure hose directly at the electrical components – they don’t really like that – but do keep it clean. We say use a clean cloth and then a clean T-shirt afterwards just to dry it down."
How should you store your e-bike after a ride?
When storing your electric bike, the most important thing is to keep it clean, dry, and fully charged. "Really the best way is to make sure the e-bike’s ready for the next ride," says Thrasher. "Make sure it’s ready when you get back from the last ride. Keep it clean, inspect it for damage.
"These are all things that are really stressful when you’re about to go out for a ride, but actually if you spend five minutes just looking over the bike when you get back, it’s nice to know that you’ve put that bike away in a state that you can just pick it up, turn it on and go for a blast on it on the next ride. It relieves some of the stress."
Take care of your bike after each ride and you won't need to worry next time you want to head out(Image credit: Shutterstock)
You don't have to take the battery off the bike when you're storing it, Thrasher explains. "A lot of people to take the battery off the bike to charge it, which is fine, you can do that, but some e-bikes have remote on switches on the top tube, and they also have a cell inside them that needs a little bit of the power of the battery to make them operable. So we say every four times, just put the battery into the bike to charge it on the bike. They do benefit from that."
Storing your e-bike somewhere damp or humid might cause corrosion of the electrical parts, which can cause issues down the line,
"Don’t hang your oily rags over the charger or the battery because they get warm and that can lead to fire," Thrasher adds. "Definitely don’t cover anything up – don’t cover the charger up, don’t cover the battery up. Make sure you’ve got lots of free space around where you’re charging the bike."
Finally, don't let the battery run out of charge completely and leave it that way.
How often does your e-bike need servicing?
Getting an ordinary bike serviced once or twice a year helps nip any potential problems in the bud and keep it running smoothly. It's very similar for an electric bike, and provided you care for it properly, as described above, taking to the professionals every six to 12 months is fine.
"A lot of the things you need to consider are like a regular bike," says Julian Thrasher. "We’re lucky in that Shimano Steps is a pretty robust e-bike system, so if you do take care of the bike in terms of keeping the chain oiled, keeping the pads replaced, the need to take it in for a professional service isn’t all that often."
Your bike will be thoroughly examined for mechanical issues, but for an e-bike it's also your opportunity to get any new firmware updates. Thrasher explains that i's very much like updating your phone, but can only be done professionally.
Getting your e-bike serviced once or twice a year can help nip potential problems in the bud(Image credit: Shutterstock)
"This is something that you would need to visit a professional bike shop or a Shimano service centre for," he says. "They ensure that any bugs in the system that [the developers] have found are taken out, that all the components speak effectively together, and sometimes there can be little upgrades. "Basically there’ll be features that come out that the new firmware accommodates. So it’s a really good virtual upgrade."
"People don’t need to be scared that you need to be taking the bike in every five days to be looked at," he says. "They’re pretty robust, so the main thing is the firmware, to take it in and to just get it checked over to make sure there’s nothing that you may not have seen that a professional bike shop could see."
Fix Your Bike scheme
If you live in the UK, you can apply for a £50 voucher towards maintaining your e-bike through the government's new Fix Your Bike scheme. Vouchers cover essential repairs and services, and are available through retailer including Halfords and Evans Cycles, plus smaller bike shops.
This article is part of TechRadar's Get Fit in 2022 series – a collection of ideas and guides to help get your new year's health goals off to the right start, whatever your current level of fitness.
