Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola, North America introduces five new programs under the Imola Ceramica brand known for Italian design and artistry, and spanning multiple segments and formats.

During a public joint hearing today titled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth," four experts testified that the U.S. is running secret UAP programs, including crash retrieval and reverse-engineering programs for advanced nonhuman technology. Although the Pentagon maintains there's no evidence of alien spacecraft, witnesses like Luis Elizondo and Michael Gold argue that UAPs represent an intelligence enigma and call for open, stigma-free study to address potential security concerns and unknown scientific possibilities. NPR reports: Tim Gallaudet, retired rear admiral, U.S. Navy; CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, LLC "Confirmation that UAPs are interacting with humanity came for me in January 2015," Gallaudet said in his written testimony (PDF). He describes being part of a pre-deployment naval exercise off the U.S. East Coast that culminated in the famous "Go Fast" video, in which a Navy F/A-18 jet's sensors recorded "an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal." He was among a group of commanders involved in the exercise who received an email containing the video, which was sent by the operations officer of Fleet Forces Command, Gallaudet said. "The very next day, the email disappeared from my account and those of the other recipients without explanation," he said. Luis Elizondo, author and former Department of Defense official Elizondo's written testimony (PDF) was brief and alleged that a secretive arms race is playing out on the global stage. "Let me be clear: UAP are real," he wrote. "Advanced technologies not made by our Government -- or any other government -- are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe. Furthermore, the U.S. is in possession of UAP technologies, as are some of our adversaries." Elizondo is a former intelligence officer who later "managed a highly sensitive Special Access Program on behalf of the White House and the National Security Council," according to his official bio (PDF). "By 2012, [Elizondo] was the senior ranking person of the DOD's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a secretive Pentagon unit that studied unidentified anomalous phenomena," his bio states, adding that he resigned in 2017. Michael Gold, former NASA associate administrator of space policy and partnerships; member of NASA UAP Independent Study Team Gold's written testimony (PDF) stressed the need for government agencies and academics to "overcome the pernicious stigma that continues to impede scientific dialogue and open discussions" about unexplained phenomena. "As the saying goes, the truth is out there," Gold said, "we just need to be bold enough and brave enough to face it." Michael Shellenberger, founder of Public, a news outlet on the Substack platform Shellenberger's testimony (PDF) ran to some 214 pages, including a lengthy timeline of UAP reports from 1947 to 2023. Shellenberger pressed the White House and Congress to act, calling for the adoption of UAP transparency legislation and cutting funds for any related programs that aren't disclosed to lawmakers. "UAP transparency is bi-partisan and critical to our national security," his written testimony stated. You can watch the proceeding here.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

A similar hearing last year brought extraordinary moments, including a retired intelligence officer alleging that the U.S. government has recovered nonhuman "biologics" from crash sites.

Wonder why I've been gone so long? I've been watching/listening to a bunch of tech programs that you can get free off the web.

Podcast
Podcasts are great because they are very portable. Just download 'em, sync your favorite mp3 player, and listen. Really, you can listen to them any way you want (computer, cd, etc.)

My favorite podcasts are TWiT (This Week in Tech) and Diggnation. TWiT is made up of the old TechTV crew like Leo Laporte, Kevin Rose, Patrick Norton, Robert Heron and others. If you want hardcore tech check out TWiT. Diggnation is a new podcast put out by Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht. They review the most dug stories from Digg.com and throw in some of their favorites along the way. Diggnation also puts out a video version of the podcast which is hilarious. Watching Kevin and Alex again is really cool.

Apple is getting on the podcast bandwagon with the new version of iTunes. They now have podcasting service built right into the music store. Its really easy to use, and its free. iPodderX still reigns supreme on the Mac, but for everyone else, go get iTunes.

Video
With the fall of TechTV its been hard to find good tech video programs, but now the internet tech shows are becoming alot better. I like Systm, theBroken, and FTS (From the Shadows)
Systm and theBroken are put out by Kevin Rose and Dan Huard. Now that they are working on the shows full time there starting to get better. FTS is another great tech show that Yoshi has been working really hard with.

get your geek on
+MacMan

Guest Resources announces expanded accredited skills training, focusing on human resource learnerships and national certificates. These programs aim to empower South Africa's workforce by bridging the skills gap and enhancing employability, supporting economic growth.

Online programs give students a shot at degrees away from campus By SAMIRA JAFARI Associated Press Writer November 27, 2005 As a young bride working a full-time job in a small north Alabama town, getting a college degree seemed almost...

Options to enable you to lose weight and improve your health using medical weight loss procedures, methods that are science-based and custom-made to meet your exact specifications.

Google Alerts is a free service offered by Google that will alert you to new content Google finds on the web that contains keywords you specify. Google Alerts is most commonly recommended as a way to monitor your brand – and your competition's brand – online. But I also use Google Alerts as a way…

The post Using Google Alerts to Find New Affiliate Programs in Your Niche appeared first on Sugarrae.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony talks with Dn. Michael about three ideal types of parish music; choir, kliros, and congregational. They discuss their attributes, what is required to sustain them, and the way each brings glory to God in its own way. Enjoy the show!

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Christoph Schneider, the Academic Director of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, about the institute's two new MA programs.

Aim/Purpose: In this paper, we present our experience in design and delivery of a graduate Information Systems Management (ISM) course in an online MBA program. Also presented are a detailed examination of the design and delivery of the online course, survey results of students’ perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Background: This graduate ISM course needs to not only cover a broad range of dynamic technology and business topics, but also strike a balance between the width and depth of the content. Effective course design and delivery are critical to improved teaching and learning, especially when the course is delivered online. Methodology: We provided a comprehensive review of the related literature to develop guidelines for the design and delivery of our ISM course; we collected survey data to evaluate the students’ backgrounds and their perceptions of the course; we used data analysis and content analysis methods to assess the course evaluation results. Contribution: A review of the related literature indicates that IS researchers and educators have not adequately studied online graduate education. Given the importance of the graduate ISM course in most MBA programs, and the lack of attention from the IS community, it is critical to address this gap in the research. We believe we have done so with this paper. Findings: The paper’s major findings are embedded in a detailed examination of the design and delivery of the online course, survey results of students’ perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Recommendations for Practitioners: Even though our experience may not be fully applicable to other institutions, we hope our IS colleagues can learn from the design and delivery of this online course, as well as our best practices and lessons learned to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education, in general. Furthermore, we provide instructors with an actionable framework onto which they can map their current course offering, and compare their current pedagogical offering to literature driven best practices for ISM courses, in particular. Recommendation for Researchers: It is our hope that the design and delivery of this online course, and our best practices and lessons learned can inspire our IS colleagues to search for innovative ways to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education. In addition, we distill a literature driven framework for ISM courses design and delivery that can help researchers frame their pedagogical research questions. Impact on Society: The online course in this study prepares students for more efficiently and effectively delivering IT systems in organizations. Many MBA students work for non-profits and other socially-focused organizations and are able to use the skills learned in the course for the betterment of society. Future Research: We will continue to monitor the impact of the changes on student learning effectiveness and attempt to identify additional innovative ways to improve the design and delivery of this online ISM course.

Aim/Purpose: Executive doctoral programs in higher education are under-researched. Scholars, administers, and students should be aware of all common delivery methods for higher education graduate programs. Background This paper provides a review and analysis of executive doctoral higher education programs in the United States. Methodology: Executive higher education doctoral programs analyzed utilizing a qualitative demographic market-based analysis approach. Contribution: This review of executive higher education doctoral programs provides one of the first investigations of this segment of the higher education degree market. Findings: There are twelve programs in the United States offering executive higher education degrees, though there are less aggressively marketed programs described as executive-style higher education doctoral programs that could serve students with similar needs. Recommendations for Practitioners: Successful executive higher education doctoral programs require faculty that have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in higher education. As appropriate, these programs should include tenure-line, clinical-track, and adjunct faculty who have cabinet level experience in higher education. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should begin to investigate more closely the small but growing population of executive doctoral degree programs in higher education. Impact on Society: Institutions willing to offer executive degrees in higher education will provide training specifically for those faculty who are one step from an executive position within the higher education sector. Society will be impacted by having someone that is trained in the area who also has real world experience. Future Research: Case studies of students enrolled in executive higher education programs and research documenting university-employer goals for these programs would enhance our understanding of this branch of the higher education degree market.

The value of the FCIA member, FM 4991-approved or UL-ULC qualified firestop contractor comes from the commitment to excellence. These important designations – FM 4991-Approved, UL-Qualified, ULC-Qualified and FCIA Member in Good Standing – are being recognized by 07 84 00 Firestopping specifications in many occupancies around the world.

Washington – State-run OSHA programs face staffing challenges in part because of budget cuts, and federal OSHA should provide better access to training and deadlines for taking over troubled state programs, concludes a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Cambridge, MA — Certain programs and policies may help curb the excessive prescribing of opioids and potential misuse, results of a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute suggest.

Washington – The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is currently conducting audits of three OSHA programs, with two other audits planned, OIG stated in its semiannual report to Congress.

Washington – Senators on both sides of the aisle have introduced legislation that would make permanent OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs.

Aurora, CO — A new, free online tool is intended to help safety professionals make a stronger business case for employer investment in safety, health and wellness programs.

Philadelphia – Financial penalties are more effective at helping workers reach physical activity goals than monetary rewards in a wellness program, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.

In a memo sent Oct. 11 to regional administrators and state designees, the agency outlines examples of acceptable drug testing, and states that incentive programs that withhold prizes because of an injury are compliant “as long as the employer has implemented precautions to ensure that employees feel free to report an injury or illness.”

When done correctly, incentive programs can boost workplace safety, experts say.

In Episode 18, the S+H editorial team discusses the pros and cons of safety incentives, along with OSHA’s evolving stance on the topic. Also: Transportation safety expert Brian Hammer answers our questions about road safety, as more workers begin to commute to their workplace again.

My current fire prevention education program consists of a PowerPoint presentation, and I can tell my workforce is bored. How can I put life back into the program and keep people engaged?

How can I change up my fire prevention program to provide more advanced lessons to veteran employees? Some have seen my presentation year after year.

C.A. Short’s mission is to provide organizations with a blueprint to implement a strategic, OSHA-compliant employee safety incentive program that will raise awareness, reduce incidents and increase the bottom line.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has established new review criteria for state excavation damage prevention programs, under a final rule published in the July 23 Federal Register.

Washington — The National Occupational Research Agenda Manufacturing Sector Council has created an online resource guide intended to assist organizations in beginning, maintaining or enhancing their hazardous energy control programs.

Washington — Nearly two years after the Federal Railroad Administration first published a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement system safety programs, the process has hit another hurdle.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration has extended until March 4 its stay on publishing a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement system safety programs.

Washington — Effective April 20, the Federal Railway Administration is requiring the nation’s largest freight railroads – known as Class I – and smaller freight railroads with “inadequate safety performance” to develop and implement a formal risk reduction program. However, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says the final rule does not fulfill a congressional mandate to address rail worker fatigue.

Washington — More than three years after the Federal Railroad Administration published a final rule that requires commuter and intercity passenger lines to develop and implement system safety programs, FRA is amending the rule.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a final rule requiring certain railroads to develop and implement a fatigue risk management program as a component of their larger safety risk reduction program.

Atlanta — OSHA Region 4 on Oct. 1 renewed a series of Regional Emphasis Programs.

Dallas — OSHA Region 6 has renewed two of its emphasis programs and revised another.

What do I need to know about OSHA’s Special Emphasis Programs?

How can technology help improve safety data?

Atlanta – In an effort to help employers start or expand employee health promotion programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created the Workplace Health Resource Center website.

Boston — Rather than provide worker wellness programs aimed at changing individual behaviors, employers should focus on reshaping work conditions that are the root cause of stress-related health problems, say researchers from a pair of Boston universities.

This informative guide from Red Wing for Business compares the many advantages of a managed safety footwear program with those of a typical reimbursement program – for both you and your employees.

The life cycle of electrical assets typically spans 25-30 years under ideal conditions. However, many companies don’t maintain their electrical assets, which may result in reduced asset life.

Denver — Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming make up the Denver Region.

Whitewater, WI – One-third of residential construction contractors who participated in a recent study said their firms lacked written safety programs, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.