Helping Connect the Unconnected
Posted On Feb 27 2021The Internet of Things (IoT) is at the top of the hype cycle right now and people are still wondering, what is it and how do I buy some? During a recent interview on theCUBE at Dell EMC World, Andy Rhodes, who serves as Vice President and General Manager of IoT at Dell, dives into both the transformative and disruptive use cases that are helping customers develop entirely new business models. Furthermore, Andy identifies the role IT companies play in helping to “connect the unconnected” and develop solutions to satisfy the business use case.

Student senate votes on annual awards
Posted On Jan 26 2021Notre Dame student senate convened Wednesday evening to vote on two resolutions, as well as voting on the nominees for the Frank O’Malley Teaching Award, the Irish Clover Award and the Michael J. Palumbo Award. Additionally, senate approved nominations for Student Union Board (SUB) executive director and Judicial Council president.Senate began with an informal discussion with representatives from Notre Dame’s office of General Counsel, Brian Guarraci and Matt Lahey, both Notre Dame graduates.The Notre Dame General Counsel office is comprised of only eight lawyers, according to Guarraci. The office is split into three groups — employment, litigation and student affairs, and research and marshal property — each of which deals with different issues at the university, Guarraci said.One of the toughest concerns the office deals with are related to Title IX, Lahey said.“I would encourage all of you to be as involved as you can. Prevention is obviously the key,” Lahey said. “Notre Dame is on the forefront of efforts across the country amongst colleges and universities.”Following the discussion, quorum was established, and senate discussed and approved several resolutions. Resolution SS1617-31 amended the Student Union Constitution by adding a subsection stating that if a member of the Hall of the Year Board is unable to attend one presentation by a dorm, he or she will be unable to evaluate any hall presentations. In the event of a tie for Hall of the Year, the Hall Presidents Council co-chairs will decide the winner.Resolution SS1617-32 amended the Student Union Constitution to establish the department of constitutional procedure. The Parliamentarian will act as the director of the department of constitutional procedure ex-officio.Senate voted on the 20 nominees for the Frank O’Malley Teaching Awards, ultimately choosing Dr. Peter Bui, an assistant professional specialist in computer science and engineering, as the winner of the award.Additionally, senate voted on nominees for the Irish Clover Award, an award given to two Notre Dame students who have demonstrated exemplary service to the Notre Dame Student Union. Senior Louis Bertolotti, current SUB executive director, and senior Jessica Pedroza, co-president of the 1st Generation Club, won the award.Student Union Ethics Commission nominated senior Caitlin Geary for the Michael J. Palumbo Award, given to a student who has shown dedication in his or her service to the Student Union. Senate unanimously approved the nomination.Additionally, senate unanimously approved the nomination for SUB executive director, junior Jackson Herrfeldt, and the nomination for Judicial Council president, junior Matt Ross.Tags: general counsel, Judicial Council, Senate, SUB, Title IX

ND and SMC student governments cancel South Bend Transpo Midnight Express
Posted On Jan 26 2021Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:46 p.m.The South Bend Transpo’s Midnight Express will no longer run within the tri-campus community, as this summer, the student governments of Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame moved to cancel the service indefinitely due to an increase in costs.Aaron Benavides, who serves as the press secretary for Notre Dame’s student government, said both administrations were involved in the decision to stop the Midnight Express. Transpo alerted Notre Dame Student Government of a 50% increase in operation costs on June 18, communicating through Student Affairs.“After being notified that South Bend Transpo was going to increase costs of the Midnight Express service by 50%, an increase of nearly $30,000, the student governments of Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame re-evaluated the program,” Benavides said in an email. “Due to declining usage, both administrations collectively determined it was most effective to cancel the service, and immediately began working on a solution for an alternate service.”Diane Park | The Observer This year, Monday through Friday, the final South Bend Transpo bus will leave the Grotto at 9:13 p.m. before completing that route at 9:30 p.m. by dropping off passengers at Saint Mary’s Regina Hall. With the cancellation in effect, no Transpo buses will run past 9:30 p.m. on Fridays, and no Saturday services will be offered at all.The Saint Mary’s Escort Van Service (Blinkie) will continue to operate Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., with hours being extended until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. However, Blinkie will only make pickups at the Grotto once per hour, from the hours of 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, with pickup times extending to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.The Midnight Express was a safety initiative established in a partnership between Student Affairs, South Bend Transpo and Notre Dame Student Government in 2009, Benavides said. It provided Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students free transportation to and from both campuses and into downtown South Bend on Friday and Saturday nights between 9:00 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.After learning of the price hike, Notre Dame Student Government met with advisor Karen Kennedy on June 25 to discuss the program and its funding, and alerted members of the student senate of the cost increase.“In the meeting with our advisor, we discussed utilization of the program, and noted that (based on recorded use), the program was utilized more frequently by SMC students than by ND students,” Benavides said. “Thus, we decided that though this was an ND-run program, it would be irresponsible and uncourteous to not include SMC student leadership in our discussions.”On July 2, Notre Dame Student Government reached out to the Saint Mary’s Student Government Association to explain the situation and ask for feedback, Benavides said.“At this time, we explained that we were considering eliminating the program, but would not do so without consulting them first,” he said. “We provided some background to them that usage of the program had been dramatically decreasing in recent years (approximately 25% over the last 3 years), presumably due to the increased use of ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft.”Vice President for student affairs at Saint Mary’s Karen Johnson declined to comment prior to the publishing of The Observer article Sunday night. However, in an email sent to the student body Tuesday, Johnson said Saint Mary’s student government did not have “a role [in] funding the Midnight Express.”“Rather, the Saint Mary’s SGA was notified that the Notre Dame SGA was considering cancelling the Midnight Express due to escalating costs,” she said in the email. “The Saint Mary’s SGA does not have a similar budget to Notre Dame and could not afford to take over the funding.”Benavides said Saint Mary’s Student Government responded July 7, saying they believed the best option would be to eliminate the program and move forward with a replacement service. Both groups then notified Student Affairs with the decision to eliminate the program on July 8, as the team was in conversation with Transpo, who requested a decision as soon as possible.“We are working with Saint Mary’s Student Government and are in conversation with the university administration to find a suitable alternative that will meet the needs of our campus communities and ensure the safety of every student on our campuses,” Benavides said.Saint Mary’s Student Government Association did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the cancellation of Midnight Express services by the time of publication Sunday night.Some potential alternatives include a program to alleviate the costs of transportation for students of low socioeconomic status and a partnership with a ride sharing app to provide safe night rides, Benavides said.“We encourage students to reach out and provide any suggestions for programs to ensure students’ safety, especially while traveling on weekends,” Benavides said. “We are cognizant of the gap left by the absence of this program, and will be moving any available funds to the creation of a suitable replacement.”Tags: blinkie, late-night student transportation, Notre Dame Student Government, Saint Mary’s SGA, Saint Mary’s Student Government Association, sga, Transpo Midnight Express

Trail Mix: Annie Ford’s City Life and Blue Ridge Sound
Posted On Dec 30 2020Multi-instrumentalist Annie Ford’s musical roots can be traced back to her childhood log cabin home in the mountains of Virginia. Between rounds of stacking cord wood and scaring crows from the garden, Annie took up the viola; over the years, she has added accordion, banjo, guitar, fiddle, and clarinet to her instrumental arsenal. Now living in Seattle, Annie spent some time in both New Orleans and California; each locale left an indelible mark upon her music. This month, Annie and her band release their eponymously named debut record. Annie Ford Band is an outstanding collection of ghostly country ballads and honky tonk rockers.Trail Mix recently caught up with Annie to talk about life in Seattle, the allure of the log cabin, and “Buick 1966,” which is featured on this month’s mix.BRO – Latest song/musical obsession?AF – “Should Have Known Better,” by Possessed By Paul James. I believe there is a deep well inside most of us, especially for expressing ourselves. You can just tell he has gone deeper into it by the range of emotion pouring out in his performances. Paul has amazing passion and a powerful stage presence. It is inspiring that he balances being a touring musician, father, and school teacher.BRO – Best part about living in a log cabin?AF – I think the best part of living in a log cabin is knowing where the materials came from and who built it. The fact that the logs of the house were hewn from the surrounding woods was pretty special. It was primarily my dad who build the house and that somehow added to the authenticity. And you also cannot beat the glow of a wood stove at night in the winter time.BRO – Favorite outdoor activity?AF – My favorite outdoor activity is definitely hiking. The better overall lay of the land I can get the better. It provides a sometimes much needed break from the city.BRO – What’s the story behind “Buick 1966”?AF – It is based on a murder that happened in 1972 in Grand Canyon National Park. I read it in a collection of stories about death in the Grand Canyon. I wanted the song to feel like a Hitchcock movie, lots of images without saying exactly how the murder happened. It ended up having three distinct feels based on moving through the varied landscapes and emotions changing.BRO – Finish this in five words or less – The folk music scene in Seattle is . . .AF – . . . varied, thriving, collaborative, and authentic.For more information on Annie Ford, her band, upcoming shows, and how you can get your hands on the new record, surf over to www.anniefordband.com.

The Blue Ridge
Posted On Dec 30 2020
Long Island Slammed with a Foot of Rain; Roads Closed
Posted On Dec 18 2020Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York A powerful storm that rolled across Long Island early Wednesday dumped up to 13 inches of rain on the Island, flooding several communities and sparking road closures throughout the region.Water flooded basements, forced major and local roads to be closed and caused widespread Long Island Rail Road delays, snarling the Wednesday morning rush hour commute.There was an “astonishing amount of rainfall,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Morrin, adding that Islip recorded 13.10 inches of rain. “No drainage systems can handle that,” he said.Morrin said rain totals came in on average between 3 to 10 inches elsewhere across the Island. At one point, almost 5 inches of rain fell between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. near Holbrook and Islip.Dramatic photos and videos posted on social media showed idle cars submerged in water. There were also dozens of abandoned vehicles scattered along LI roads, according to reports. Suffolk County police reported a driver was killed on the Long Island Expressway at 5 a.m., in what appears to be a weather-related accident. Communities ravaged by Superstorm Sandy, such as Lindenhurst, also experienced serious flooding.“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone told FiOs1 News. “This is a major, major incident.”He urged residents to stay home unless they absolutely have to go out because there are hundreds of vehicle stranded throughout the county.New York State police reported Wednesday that the Southern State Parkway was closed westbound at exit 39 for Route 231 and in both directions at exit 42 for Fifth Avenue. Northern State Parkway is closed both directions at exit 35, route 106/107, and so is the entrance ramp to the northbound Wantagh State Parkway from westbound Sunrise Highway. Route 135 was reopened after an earlier flooding closure, Nassau County police said.More than 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Long Island Wednesday. (Photo credit: Timothy Bolger)The Long Island Rail Road was reporting system-wide delays of up to 30 minutes because of weather-related problems. Additionally, the Far Rockaway branch was suspended westbound from Far Rockaway to Valley Stream because of flooding conditions. There’s also 90-minute delays on the Montauk branch, the LIRR said.As of 8:30 a.m., there were more than 2,000 PSEG Long Island ratepayers without power. The majority of homes without power—1,775—were in Nassau County.Morrin, of the National Weather Service, said he heard reports of numerous rescues during the storm.A Nassau County police spokesman said he wasn’t aware of any major crashes. A Suffolk County police spokeswoman said a person driving a Jeep Liberty westbound near Route 110 swerved and struck a tanker truck and later struck a guard rail. The driver of the Jeep was killed.A flash flood warning and a flash flood warning remain in effect for parts of LI as of 11 a.m.Morrin said Long Island took the brunt of the storm. New York City saw only an inch of rain, he noted, as did parts of Queens and Brooklyn.Although forecasters issued a flash flood watch late Tuesday and were tracking the storm as it departed coastal New Jersey, the amount of rainfall was still a shock.“There’s no information that any meteorologist would have that you would anticipate that excessive, off-the-chart type of amounts,” Morrin said.“All the conditions were coming together for potentially flooding rain.”Resident floating on a kayak on Lagoon Place in East Islip. (Photo credit: Jaime Franchi)-With Timothy Bolger

Gallery: Oman Drydock Receives Its Largest Vessel
Posted On Sep 28 2020Image Courtesy: Sohar Drydock CompanyOman Drydock Company (ODC) has welcomed Sohar Max – the largest vessel to enter the facility since it opened in 2011 – for a specialist dry docking project.The 400,000 dwt iron ore carrier, which features a length of 360 meters and a width of 65 meters, is currently undergoing an 11-day maintenance at the drydock located in the city of Duqm, the Governate of Al Wusta.“Maintenance work on the Sohar Max is now well underway and will be completed to a tight time schedule. It involves complex repair and maintenance work. Key areas of delivery include painting, replacement of consumable parts, repairing defective parts and carrying out other works related to technological aspects,” Ahmed Al Abri, ODC Acting CEO, explained.Al Abri said the dry dock is also preparing for another project with Sohar Max sister ship, iron ore giant Liwa Max, in the coming months. Both vessels are owned by Oman Shipping Company (OSC).“In the last six years, we have formed a strong alliance with OSC which is one of the largest shipping companies in the Gulf. The Sohar Max is the latest in a series of successful projects delivered for OSC dating back to 2011 when we received the VLGC Muscat. This was followed by a collection of other OSC vessels including Manah, Saham, Mirbat, Al A’mirat and Sumail,” Al Abri said.Since 2011, the ODC received more than 460 vessels, according to Al Abri.“While initially largely focused on repair we are now very much geared up and actively seeking new build and conversion work,” he concluded.

Boys High School Basketball Scores
Posted On Sep 24 2020WRBI Area High School Basketball Scores.Wednesday (12-18)South Decatur 57 North Decatur 46Lawrenceburg 42 Taylor 41

Calling all salsa chefs!
Posted On Sep 24 2020Batesville, In. — The 4th Annual Batesville Bash is August 4 this year and includes a salsa contest by the Food Growers Association.Up to four contestants in three categories will compete for cash prizes and People’s Choice honors. The categories are Amateur, Restaurant/Chef and Business. There is a $20 entry fee for the Business class.The cost to sample salsa is $1 per taste and all proceeds go to Margaret Mary Health Foundation.For more information email [email protected] or call 812-212-3210.

Eto’o: I’m an accidental footballer
Posted On Sep 22 2020RelatedPosts Vidal lands in Milan to complete move from Barca to Inter Barca president Bartomeu says he won’t go to war anymore with Messi Messi wins court case against cycling company over logo Former Barcelona and Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o has revealed how he used to hide from his parents when he played football growing up.During a career that started at Real Madrid and then took in the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Everton, Eto’o amassed three Champions League titles, three La Liga crowns, two Copa del Reys, Serie A, the Coppa Italia twice and the FIFA Club World Cup. However, life could have turned out very differently for Eto’o back in the day had he not convinced his parents to let him play football.“I lived and breathed football – but my parents were very hard on me,” the 39-year-old said via FIFA.com. “They did not accept the fact that I played football because to them football was something children played if they didn’t go to school.“I was obviously going to school and I was not a bad student, but I had a passion, which was football. I vividly remember one day I played a game in my city and I had to hide in order to go play. What I didn’t know is that my dad was with some friends in the bar in front of the field.“Everything I did that day in that game gave me my ‘pass’ to play football freely. Because my parents did not know [until that moment] that I seemed to have a natural talent for the game.“I was the hero of my neighbourhood after that game. That day, when I returned home, my father arrived a little later and said: “You are so good, I saw your match today. I’m going to talk to your mother so you can keep playing.” “That is how he gave me a pass to keep playing. I was about 12 or 13 years old. From that moment on there was no looking back.“I had the blessing of my father and you could not keep me off that football pitch. Day or night. From there, it was one or two years before I went to Europe, and my life changed forever.”Tags: Coppa ItaliaFC BarcelonaFIFA Club World CupInter MilanSamuel Eto’o

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