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"I'm having an amazing experience recording my new album at Riversong Music. Andy and Scott are an incredibly synergistic duo in the studio. Working with them both, is opening up new directions for my music. They’re not afraid to push the envelope and the entire creative process is inspiring. The Back 45 studios are a joy to work in. Huge thankyou and much love to Scott, Andy and Trudi for welcoming me into the Riversong Music family." Melissa Black
"Riversong Music is such an appropriate name, because inspiration and creativity can't help but flow when time is spent with both Scott and Andy. They make dreams turn to reality." Aaron Magee
ANDREW BECK
Engineer | Producer | Musician
Instagram | Twitter
Native of Washington State, USA.
Interned and worked at Bad Animals Seattle, with Soundgarden, The Screaming Trees, Mad Season, and Pearl Jam, among others.
In-house live sound engineer at The Opium Den Hollywood with bands such as Daniel Lanois, Helmet, No Doubt, Five For Fighting, Jane's Addiction, and A Perfect Circle.
Studio engineering at Ocean Way Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, Hollywood Sound Studios.
Worked at Festival Records Studios, Sydney engineering sessions for One Dollar Short, Mental As Anything, Epicure, Grinspoon, Amiel & Josh Abrahams, and Tex Perkins.
Since relocating to Sydney in 2000, has managed The Red Stairs room at Damien Gerard Sound Studios, Sydney. Engineering and mastering for many independent artists including Hoodoo Gurus, Half Moon Run and Martin Priest.
He has a killer ear that won't quit until the gear matches the instrument and the song.
Mastered For iTunes certified.
Manager of The Back 45 at Riversong Music.
Songwriter | Musician | Producer | Teacher
Has been a professional touring and recording artist since 1979.
Toured extensively as a founding member of acoustic roots trailblazers 'Pale Riders' through the 80's and 90's.
Award winning harmonica player with session credits on major label releases for artists such as Kasey Chambers, Catherine Britt, Luke Dickens, Paul Costa, Beccy Cole, The Sunny Cowgirls and Chris E Thomas.
Published songwriter for over 20 years, currently with BMG Publishing.
Has been making and releasing records since they were vinyl.
He is a Hohner and Gibson family artist.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who will treat your songs with the care and respect they deserve.
ANDREW BECK | 0404 889173
SCOTT BIRD | 0439 481757
STUDIO SPECS | STUDIO HOME | GALLERY | RATES
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Academy/Military News
Thread starter GreatAmerican
GreatAmerican
10-Year Member
Air Force pick hoping for deferment so he can play baseball
http://www.sungazette.com/Sports/articles.asp?articleID=19189
Most players called their families, texted their friends, and maybe even went out to Sizzler to celebrate.
When Karl Bolt got drafted, he had to worry about writing high-ranking military officials.
Bolt may well end up a Williamsport Crosscutter after the Phillies selected him Friday in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. But because he hails from the Air Force Academy, the outfielder is expected to complete a service requirement before he can enter the civilian work force — which includes minor league baseball...
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Home » Blog » Company News » Blancco Campaign Update #4
This blog gives you the latest topical news plus some informal comments on them from ShareSoc’s directors and other contributors. These are the personal comments of the authors and not necessarily the considered views of ShareSoc. The writers may hold shares in the companies mentioned. You can add your own comments on the blog posts, but note that ShareSoc reserves the right to remove or edit comments where they are inappropriate or defamatory.
Blancco Campaign Update #4
Campaign members will recall that the restatements of the Blancco accounts for year ending June 2016 and other accounting corrections led to a loss of over £135 million in shareholder value. The previous CEO exercised Stock Appreciation Rights prior to the disclosure of these restatements. ShareSoc referred these issues to the Financial Conduct Authority in January 2018 and, as far as the audit by KPMG was concerned to the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England & Wales (ICAEW) in February 2018.
ICAEW has at last issued its judgement – in April 2020, though they only advised us of it last week:
” KPMG LLP of London, United Kingdom
Consent order made on 2 April 2020
With the agreement of KPMG LLP of London, United Kingdom the Investigation Committee made an order that it be Reprimanded, fined £3,500 and pay costs of £2,743 in respect of the complaint that:
On 30 September 2016, KPMG LLP issued an audit report on the financial statements of “A” plc for the year ended 30 June 2016 which stated that the audit had been conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) when the audit was not conducted in accordance with International Standard on Auditing (UK and Ireland)
230 ’Audit documentation’ in that the firm failed to prepare audit documentation that is sufficient to enable an experienced auditor, having no previous connection with the audit, to understand the results of the audit procedures performed, and the audit evidence obtained in respect of certain deferred income.”
ShareSoc and UKSA jointly have written back to ICAEW registering strong criticism of a) the time taken to reach a decision, b) the derisory level of the fine relative to the damage caused, c) the scant information on the investigation and findings and d) the lack of transparency of the report which is buried among many other decisions with Blancco’s name anonymised. ICAEW has responded with a dead bat, saying that the investigation and reporting have respected their established procedures. ShareSoc directors plan to follow up this issue with senior ICAEW executives.
Separately, there has been no information from the FCA. We have followed up our initial referral of 2 1/2 years ago with letters to the FCA Chairman in October 2018 and November 2019 and we will send a further letter now. We are hopeful that they will eventually take decisive action, as they did in the Redcentric case where certain shareholders were partially compensated and three executives face prosecution.
Go here to learn about our campaign.
Bruce Noble
Blancco Campaign Co-ordinator
Post Date: August 2, 2020
Michael Darbyshire says:
I read the result of the investigation into KPMG with a certain lack of surprise. I was a member of ICAEW, having in my later years served on committees concerned with European relationships.
I was so disgusted with the absence of disciplinary proceedings against members in Goldman Sachs and what is now known as PWC – and others, who failed to deal with Robert Maxwell, that I resigned my membership. I believe that Maxwell’s behaviour in the 1960’s in charge of Pergamon Press had signalled clearly what sort of person he was, and the enquiry clearly signalled that he was unfit to be running a public company, yet members failed to exercise any discretion in their dealings with him – indeed it could be said they helped him in his subsequent misfeasance.
Plus ca change….!
Mike Darbyshire
rogerwlawson says:
Just shows that major reform of the regulatory system for audits is required. Allowing a professional body to regulate its own members is just daft. The stock exchange dropped that long ago of course.
Mark Bentley says:
…particularly when the president of the professional body happens to be a partner in KPMG.
A Review of my 2020 Share Portfolio – Chris Spencer-Phillips
New Year’s Remuneration Resolutions
0.1% shorting notification adopted by FCA – mirrors EU
ShareCentre Flexi ISA query
Portfolio Review 2020 – Mark Bentley
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Chicago media served fresh daily since 1980
Robservations: Ben Hollis feels ‘confident’ about brain surgery
posted on January 13, 2016 at 7:00 am by Robert Feder
Ben Hollis
Robservations on the media beat:
Ben Hollis, the Chicago television treasure who hosted “Wild Chicago” and “Ben Loves Chicago,” among other classic shows, is characteristically upbeat about upcoming brain surgery. Hollis, 61, will undergo procedures Monday and Tuesday for arterial venous malformation, a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. “I want to be open to whatever support the universe has open to me in terms of good will and good wishes,” he told friends on Facebook. “I feel amazingly calm and confident.”
Jason Benetti
Jason Benetti, an ESPN sportscaster who grew up in south suburban Homewood, is expected to be named Hawk Harrelson’s replacement for almost all home games in the Chicago White Sox broadcast booth this season. Harrelson is shifting to play-by-play for road games. Ed Sherman broke the news on the front page of Wednesday’s Chicago Tribune, including the remarkable story of Benetti, 32, overcoming cerebral palsy. “He got the job because he’s really a good broadcaster, not because of the side stories,” White Sox marketing chief Brooks Boyer told Sherman. “What stands out is his ability to broadcast a game.”
Frank E. Lee
While one familiar voice from WXRT FM 93.1 is away on a leave of absence, another has returned. As reported earlier, Terri Hemmert temporarily stepped down as midday personality at the CBS Radio album adult alternative station to recover from cancer surgery Monday. On Tuesday, the station welcomed back Frank E. Lee, who retired last May after 35 years at ’XRT. In the coming weeks Lee will be filling in on his old afternoon shift while Marty Lennartz subs for Hemmert in middays.
Paul Sullivan
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association has named Chicago Tribune veteran baseball writer Paul Sullivan Illinois Sportswriter of the Year, and longtime Chicago Cubs broadcaster Pat Hughes Illinois Sportscaster of the Year for 2016. They will be honored this June at the 57th annual NSSA Awards in Salisbury, North Carolina. It’s a first time honor for Sullivan, but the 10th for Hughes, who won Illinois Sportscaster of the Year in 1996, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2014, and Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year for three straight years beginning in 1990. Hughes moves with the Cubs this season to CBS Radio sports/talk WSCR AM 670.
Rusty Humphries
Anthem Broadcasting, parent company of USA Radio Network, has taken over programming of WCGO AM 1590, the north suburban news/talk and foreign-language station owned by Kovas Communications. Under a time brokered agreement effective January 1, the company acquired control of the station with an option to buy. While Korean language programming continues in mornings, WCGO has added USA Radio News and syndicated host Rusty Humphries to afternoons. Anthem Broadcasting is a subsidiary of Liftable Media, based in Phoenix, Arizona.
← Crain’s managing editor to join ESPN’s ‘The Undefeated’
Norm Winer moves to new role at ’XRT →
About Feder
Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, has been covering the media beat in his hometown since 1980. He operates his blog under an agreement with the Daily Herald.
Subscribe to Feder
Robservations: Natasha Korecki to cover White House for Politico
Robservations: Jerome McDonnell ‘pushed from the nest’ at WBEZ
‘Black Ink Crew’ star Charmaine Bey named midday host on WGCI
Media watchdog Steve Rhodes suspends Beachwood Reporter
Jim Tilmon 1934-2021
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The Whole Picture: The Colonial Story of the Art in our Museums & Why we Need to Talk About it
Author(s): Alice Procter
If you think art history has to be pale, male and stale - think again.Should museums be made to give back their marbles? Is it even possible to 'decolonise' our galleries? Must Rhodes fall? From the stolen Wakandan art in Black Panther, to Emmanuel Macron's recent commitment to art restitution, and Beyoncé and Jay Z's provocative music video filmed in the Louvre, the question of decolonising our relationship with the art around us is quickly gaining traction. People are waking up to the seedy history of the world's art collections, and are starting to ask difficult questions about what the future of museums should look like. In The Whole Picture, art historian and Uncomfortable Art Tour guide Alice Procter provides a manual for deconstructing everything you thought you knew about art, and fills in the blanks with the stories that have been left out of the art history canon for centuries. The book is divided into four chronological sections, named after four different kinds of art space: The Palace The Classroom The Memorial The Playground Each section tackles the fascinating and often shocking stories of five different art pieces, including the propaganda painting that the East India Company used to justify its control in India; the Maori mokomokai skulls that were traded and collected by Europeans as 'art objects'; and Kara Walker's controversial contemporary sculpture A Subtlety, which raised questions about 'appropriate' interactions with art. Through these stories, Alice brings out the underlying colonial narrative lurking beneath the art industry today, and suggests different ways of seeing and thinking about art in the modern world.The Whole Picture is a much-needed provocation to look more critically at the accepted narratives about art, and rethink and disrupt the way we interact with the museums and galleries that display it.
Publisher : Octopus Publishing Group
Imprint : Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Dimensions : ---length:- '24'width:- '15.6'units:- Centimeters
Author : Alice Procter
891 Pt Nepean Road, Rosebud, Victoria 3939 | info@rosebudbookbarn.com.au
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Tax Take >
Tribunal finds for taxpayer in SDLT sub-sale partnership avoidance case
15 April 2011. Published by Adam Craggs, Partner
The First-tier Tribunal ('FTT') has ruled in favour of the taxpayer in relation to an SDLT avoidance arrangement that relied on the transfer of rights provisions in section 45 of the Finance Act 2003 and the partnership provisions in paragraph 10 of Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 2003 - DVS3 RS Ltd v HMRC [2011] UKFTT 138.
The scheme involved a sub-sale of property to a partnership (C) in which the intermediate buyer (B) and all the other partners were connected persons for the purposes of what is now section 1122 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 as modified by paragraph 39 of Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 2003. The contract between the third party seller (A) and B (A/B contract) and the sub-sale contract between B and C (B/C contract) were completed by separate transfers, but contemporaneously. The tribunal ruled that the effect of section 45 was that completion of the A/B contract was disregarded so that no SDLT liability arose on that transaction. However, C's acquisition was from B and, therefore, paragraph 10 of Schedule 15 applied, the effect of which was to subject 0% of the market value of the property to SDLT.
The tribunal rejected HMRC's argument that because section 45 required the A/B contract to be disregarded, B never acquired the property and, therefore, C could not have acquired it from B.
Adam Craggs
@ Email Adam Craggs
Spotlight on private wealth - December 2020
14 December 2020 | Adam Craggs
Tax Bites - December 2020
V@ update - November 2020
26 November 2020 | Adam Craggs
HMRC issues nudge letters targeting residence and domicile
Tax Bites - November 2020
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Smartphones, smartwatches... 'smart' offices?
18 November 2016. Published by Sophie Tuson, Associate
Robot security guards, coffee machines that remember how you like your cappuccino, and smartphone apps which enable employees to control heating and lighting at the touch of a button. Welcome to the brave new world of the ‘smart’ office.
The Edge, Deloitte's headquarters in Amsterdam, opened in 2015 and was immediately hailed the world's "smartest" office. But what exactly is a smart office?
Smart offices use the Internet of Things (IoT), a system of smart devices communicating with each other over Wi-Fi, to revolutionise the modern workspace. The result? More intelligent and interconnected offices than ever before. And with leading tech researcher Gartner estimating that there'll be 21bn "connected things" by 2020, the smart office could be set to take over.
But whilst smart offices might offer real benefits to businesses and the employees who occupy them, what are the risks associated with this level of interconnectivity in the workplace? And is it even smart to have an office at all considering the increasing trend for remote working?
Intelligent workplaces
On one level, smart offices are about freedom and autonomy - giving employees flexibility in how they use their workspace whilst, at the same time, bringing some of the comforts and perks of working remotely back into the office environment.
Localised climate control is just one of those perks. Squabbling over the "optimum" office temperature may be a thing of the past. Italian Architect, Carlo Ratti, has designed an office in Turin which enables workers to set their desired temperature using a smartphone app. Sensors in the ceiling are then activated by human presence and send instructions to heating, lighting and cooling systems creating personalised 'thermal bubbles' that follow individuals around the office.
With the increasing trend for "hot-desking", smart technology enables workers to reserve desks, book meeting rooms and open lockers using an app. A "touch in and out" system, similar to using a contactless credit card, can help hot-deskers who feel alienated by the loss of a permanent desk reclaim ownership of their working space.
Add to this: coffee machines that know when they're running low on milk and automatically order more; and video conferencing robots (imagine a segway with an iPad on top) which enable remote workers to have a more physical presence in the office ... and it's all starting to look pretty cool.
But perhaps the most convincing argument for IoT in the workplace is the huge potential for energy saving - experts predict this could be around 20 - 50%. This is significant considering that commercial buildings currently account for 40% of the world's electricity consumption. The Edge has an LED lighting system integrated with 30,000 sensors which enables it to continuously measure human occupancy and movement and to automatically adjust heating and lighting accordingly - turning meeting rooms to "standby" when they aren't being used.
Does this all come at a price?
Architects have warned that the use of smart technology represents a radical and "potentially sinister" shift in architectural practice with architects becoming increasingly focused on the benefits of intelligent workspaces whilst overlooking the dangers.
Whilst much of the data collected by smart devices is done so anonymously, there remains a concern about how this data could ultimately be used. Earlier this year, the Daily Telegraph's attempt to install desk sensors (called OccupEye) to measure occupancy and save energy, was aborted after just one day after the paper was criticised for operating a system of surveillance on its own employees.
In the context of unprecedented levels of cyber-crime, there also exists a risk that the increasingly sensitive data collected by smart devices could fall into the wrong hands. The risk of a data breach will be even more acutely felt by businesses when the General Data Protection Regulation comes into force in May 2018 bringing with it tougher new sanctions of up to €20m or 4% of worldwide turnover. Arguably for some businesses this risk, and the cost of implementing the required security measures to prevent a data breach, may prove too high.
The future of the smart office
What's clear is that the use of smart technology in the workplace needs to be palatable for employees with the risks being measured against any perceived gains. To do just this, the firm behind The Edge is consulting employees at an early stage; with a new London HQ set to be launched, they are using virtual reality headsets to "show" prospective office users what their workspace might look like and garner feedback.
So, how rosy is the future looking for the smart office? Whilst robots and clever coffee machines might sound fun, what seems likely is that businesses that do decide to invest in smart technology in the workplace will do so principally where it will impact efficiency, cost reduction and employee comfort.
Critics of the office have speculated that it has had its heyday and is now a dying breed, but perhaps they are wrong. The office isn't dying, it's evolving and the Internet of Things is making it happen.
Sophie Tuson
@ Email Sophie Tuson
European Parliament votes on plant-based food labels
25 November 2020 | Sophie Tuson
CMA launches Investigation into green claims
Online intermediaries: Fresh guidance from the CJEU on the scope of the E-Commerce Directive
"Goodwill Hunting": Latest on Cybersquatting
09 May 2019 | Sophie Tuson
High Court on the Pulse with RCDs
22 February 2019 | Sophie Tuson
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Home / Ideas & insights / Publications / RSM tax leaders expect minimal change to corporate tax rates across the world, despite G20 and OECD reform movement
RSM tax leaders expect minimal change to corporate tax rates across the world, despite G20 and OECD reform movement
The global tax system was built for an industrial age dominated by western powers but it is no longer fit for an economy driven increasingly by the internet, which is changing commerce, public service and lives across the world in ways never imagined even a decade ago.
In September, the OECD announced the next phase of its recommendations for transforming the global tax infrastructure, aimed at targeting avoidance by multinational enterprises, with a particular focus on companies that move profits to taxpayer-friendly jurisdictions and those that exploit international tax treaties.
In anticipation of the reforms, RSM has released its latest research report The Evolution of Tax. We took the views of over 50 of our tax partners from around the world regarding how they think the tax landscape will evolve over the next few years, and then benchmarked those views against tax trends in 20 of the largest economies over the last half century.
The report shows that most RSM tax partners believe standard corporate taxation rates will not change a great deal over the next few years. However, George Osborne’s so-called Google-tax on foreign multinationals that minimise their UK tax liability, announced last week, puts the country out on a limb from the OECD reforms and could create a precedent that other countries may follow.
The OECD reforms will mean regulation will be tighter and multinationals will have to be more transparent in their disclosure of tax operations, but the implementation will be very challenging. One of the problems is that the OECD’s proposals involve governments giving up some of their national control in favour of a more global policy-outcome. Detailed negotiations between countries on double tax treaties will also be difficult, as will greater disclosure of transfer pricing policies.
As the OECD’s proposals begin to take shape, The Evolution of Tax provides a comprehensive guide to the last 50 years of tax regulation, while offering a well-informed vision of its future. We hope you find the report both interesting and informative.
Jean M Stephens
2021: It’s time to reimagine Tax
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Putting diversity and inclusion on the agenda
The intersection of COVID-19 and mental health
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GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches recalled: What you need to know
by Julie Evans
Julie Evans
@Julieryanevans
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March 7, 2016 at 9:07am AM EST
Chris Bernard/Getty Images
Check your kids’ lunch boxes and snack bags, GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches have been recalled. This popular pantry staple for families has been recalled after product residue was found in some of the company’s production pumps.
Related story Certain Pet Foods From Sportmix Have Been Recalled After Causing 28 Deaths and Illness
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While no illnesses have been reported, there is the possibility that some of this residue may have made its way into the products at the company’s Traverse City, Michigan, facility. Those products affected are marked with Best Before Dates between 12/4/15 and 3/4/17 and have a production code beginning with the letters “US” followed by 01 through 08 or that have a six-digit code ending in numbers 01 through 08. The recall doesn’t affect the organic products or the GoGo squeeZ YogurtZ.
If you have any of these products, do not consume them. You can contact the company at 1-844-275-5841 or voucher.gogosqueez.com for a replacement voucher. Those who may have eaten the affected products and have concerns are urged to contact a health care provider.
More: 12 celebs who aren’t afraid to admit they co-sleep
If this sounds familiar, that’s because last fall, the same pouches were recalled due to the possible presence of mold. In a statement, the company said it is taking action to ensure safety going forward. Let’s hope so.
More: 25 YouTube toy unboxing channels kids just can’t stop watching
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Sidmouth Seniors suffer first defeat of season
Published: 8:46 AM May 15, 2015 Updated: 6:48 PM November 7, 2020
- Credit: Archant
Sidmouth Seniors suffered their first defeat of the season at home against a strong and determined Taunton & Pickeridge team, writes Chris Grubb.
The overall result was a 2-4 loss to an excellent Taunton & Pickeridge team.
First out was captain David Bromage, partnered by Colin Mitchell, who were the first pairing to taste the bitter pill of defeat.
Bromage and Mitchell held their opponents to just one down by the 12th hole, but then lost four consecutive holes, which they were unable to recover from, and lost 5 and 4.
Late substitute Ken Rothwell and Paul Blay retrieved the situation with some inspired play by Rothwell producing birdies on the fourth and sixth holes.
Blay added to the score by putting in off the green for a birdie on the 10th, which led to a 4 and 2 win for Sidmouth.
Hugh Dorliac and Bob Skelly lost narrowly with Skelly wrapping himself around a tree to get an impossible ball back into play.
Chris Grubb and Bob Winstone lost 3 and 2 with Grubb having visited parts of the course he had not seen for a long time! Defeat was sweetened by Winstone winning nearest the pin in two on the 10th.
Les Pratt and Glynn Hewitt were hopeful of stemming the flow, but were up against a 10 handicapper who scored a gross 35 shots on the front nine holes.
The Sidmouth pair hung on grimly to the end, eventually losing 2 and 1.
Finally Brian Cole and Coulston Herbert brought some respectability to the score line by running out 2 and 1 winners in their match.
l Les Pratt won the annual three clubs and a putter competition for senior section members on Monday, writes Chris Grubb.
A large field set off in overcast but dry conditions, although there was a heavy dew for the early starters.
Scores were generally quite low – stableford points-based – but the nature of the competition meant the improvisation of clubs selected by individual players was the biggest challenge. Pratt won with 34 points and received the new trophy which was an antique putter circa 1920, made by D Anderson & Sons of St Andrews, from seniors’ captain David Bromage.
In second place was Brian Cole with 33 points edging out Ed Bambrough on countback.
There was only one two on the 15th which was won by Bromage, who chipped in from 40 yards.
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Westneat
Ishisaka
Charges reduced in flatulence-spray case at high school
Originally published June 9, 2016 at 10:15 am Updated June 9, 2016 at 10:24 am
The two Eastern Washington teenagers will wind up with clean records if they stay out of trouble for one year.
ASOTIN, Asotin County — Two teenagers who faced felony charges after releasing a synthetic flatulence spray in a high school will wind up with clean records if they stay out of trouble for one year.
The Lewiston Tribune newspaper reports that Asotin County prosecutors charged the boys, 15 and 16, with second-degree assault after they sprayed the product in Clarkston High School on March 3.
The spray reportedly triggered breathing problems for another student, who was taken to an emergency room for hyperventilation and anxiety.
Under a deal approved by a judge this week, the charges were reduced to fourth-degree assault, and the teens agreed to split the victim’s $374 hospital bill and write letters of apology.
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The charges will be dismissed if the teens complete a year of community supervision and perform 20 hours of community service.
The Seattle Times occasionally closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences in relation to this story, please email the reporter or submit a letter to be considered for publication in our Opinion section. You can read more about our community policies here.
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Visitors Guide: Sooke to Port Renfrew
B.C. Premier John Horgan on a conference call with religious leaders from his B.C. legislature office, Nov. 18, 2020. (B.C. government)
B.C. considers provincial COVID-19 bubble as visitors come in
Horgan skeptical on bending Canada’s freedom of movement
B.C. is attracting winter visitors from other provinces, but Premier John Horgan is skeptical that a Maritime-style travel ban is either practical or legal for the province.
The issue of inter-provincial travel was discussed at last week’s conference call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers, particularly as Ontario and Quebec grapple with sharply rising coronavirus cases, Horgan said Thursday. He noted that Canadians have a constitutional right to travel within the country, and the government is seeking legal advice on what, if any, options they have.
“On the surface it would seem an easy thing to do, to just tell people not to come here,” Horgan told reporters from the legislature Jan. 14. “That’s not part and parcel of who we are as Canadians. Other premiers have expressed a similar view. We want people to stay home, stay in place until we get through this. I’ve appealed to other provincial premiers to make the same case, and they’re doing that. But despite that, British Columbians, Canadians are free to travel within the borders of Canada.”
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In addition to the legal issues, B.C. is far larger and has longer land borders than the Atlantic provinces that unilaterally declared themselves closed to visitors to the rest of Canada early in the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Maritimes population is not as large as that of British Columbia,” Horgan said. ‘There’s only a few ways in and out, and it’s easier to manage than it would be here in B.C.”
Horgan was asked about a doctor in Whistler who raised concern about the number of out-of-province visitors who were coming to the resort community’s medical clinic. He said the problem is occurring at many places in B.C. where tourists come from other parts of Canada, and the government will consider legal advice at a cabinet retreat this week.
“I want to put this either to rest, so that British Columbians understand that we cannot do that, and we’re not going to do that, or there is a way to do it and we’re going to work with other provinces to achieve it,” Horgan said.
BC politicsCoronavirus
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Reader’s Lens The surf’s up at Whiffin Spit. Joan Stiebel snapped this… Continue reading
Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce welcomes new board
More directors added to board
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National business organization calls for cohesive approach to COVID-19 measures
Police seek info after fence torn down, dumped over embankment in Saanich
Christmas Hill restoration site fence destroyed sometime between Jan. 16 and 18
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Master Paintings & Sculpture Part I
Live Auction: 28 January 2021 • 10:00 AM EST • New York
Master Paintings & Sculpture Part I 28 January 2021 • 10:00 AM EST • New York
T his January’s marquee sale of Master Paintings and Sculpture is led by two masterpieces of art history: the magnificent Botticelli Portrait of a Youth Holding a Roundel and Rembrandt’s intimate painting of Abraham and the Angels. The sale includes a strong selection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, including still lifes by Rachel Ruysch, Willem van Aelst, Ambrosius Bosschaert, and Willem Claesz. Heda as well as impressive portraits by Aert de Gelder and Sir Anthony van Dyck.
An incredibly rare canvas of the Descent from the Cross by Hugo van der Goes leads the Renaissance section, which also includes works from the great early Italian painters Apollonio di Giovanni, Taddeo di Bartolo, and Sano di Pietro. The sale also includes a number of important paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a pair of large landscapes by Hubert Robert, a charming painting by William Bouguereau, and a large-scale gold ground by Frederic, Lord Leighton.
Estimate: 3,000,000 – 5,000,000 USD
28 January 2021 | 10:00 AM EST | New York
Guido Reni
Gerard Seghers
Repentant Mary Magdalene
Estimate: 300,000 – 500,000 USD
Au bord du ruisseau
Sir Anthony van Dyck
Portrait of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593-1641)
Estimate: 700,000 – 1,000,000 USD
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder
A still life of white and red roses, a tulip, anemones, a hyacinth, a pansy, lily-of-the-valley, and other flowers in an ornamented glass vase on a hard-stone ledge, with a shell, a bluebottle and a Red Admiral butterfly
Visit the Exhibition
Following the guidelines for the Phase Four reopening of Manhattan, we are able to accommodate clients in our building by appointment only. The exhibition for this sale will open on 23 January and will close on 29 January at 5 PM EST. To schedule an appointment please click here or contact appointmentsNY@sothebys.com or +1 212 606 7171. You can read more about our safety requirements here.
Click Here to Book Your Appointment to View the Exhibition Today
Property from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
The Master of 1518
Adoration of the Magi
Luca della Robbia
Relief of the Madonna and child, c1450
Lorenzo di Credi and Workshop
Adoration of the Christ Child
Spain, Toledo, late 16th century
Don Juan de Cárdenas and Doña Juana de Ludeña, Duke and Duchess of Maqueda
Giovanni di Francesco Toscani
Madonna and Child with musician angels
Salomon van Ruysdael
River landscape with fishermen tending their nets along a bank
Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, called Sandro BotticelliPortrait of a young man holding a roundel
Property from an Important Private Collection
Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli
Portrait of a young man holding a roundel
Estimate Upon Request
The Ultimate Renaissance Portrait
In exceptionally good condition, this painting of a Young Man Holding a Roundel embodies Sandro Botticelli’s greatest achievements as a portraitist. Were it not for his fashionable tunic, the supremely elegant individual depicted here could have stepped out of one of Botticelli’s mythological or religious paintings, so striking is his resemblance to the beautiful figures that inhabit those works. Innovative in form and at the same time wholly characteristic of Botticelli’s genius, this timeless masterpiece dates to the height of his career. It represents the perfect visual expression of late quattrocento Florentine culture, yet the crisp simplicity of its setting and the lifelike presence of the sitter renders it profoundly modern.
Masterpieces of the Dutch and Flemish Golden Ages
Willem van Aelst
Still life with grapes in a basket, peaches on a silver dish, medlars, two butterflies, a fly and a snail, all on a red velvet cloth over a partially draped ledge
Aert de Gelder
Portrait of a young man behind a balustrade, possibly a self-portrait of the artist
Dirk Valkenburg
A Eurasian eagle-owl with other birds in a landscape
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
Abraham and the Angels
Estimate: 20,000,000 – 30,000,000 USD
Rachel Ruysch
Still life with flowers in a vase on a ledge with a dragonfly, caterpillar, and butterfly
Willem Claesz. Heda
A banquet piece with an overturned tazza and oysters
School of Haarlem, circa 1615
Portrait of a young man holding his gloves and wearing a tall hat, his arm akimbo
Jan Fris
A still life with a stoneware jug, a glass of beer, playing cards and smokers’ requisites
Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A.
Antonietta Brandeis
Venice: A View of the Piazza San Marco
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
La Cascade de Terni
28 January 2021 | 10:00 A.M. EST | New York
Learn More about Masters Week | 22—30 January, New York
More Upcoming Auctions
Master Paintings Part II
22–30 January 2021 | 10:00 AM EST | New York
即將舉行 拍賣
The Collection of Hester Diamond Part I
22–29 January 2021 | 2:00 PM EST | New York
From Taddeo to Tiepolo: The Dr. John O’Brien Collection of Old Master Drawings
27 January 2021 | 2:00 PM EST | New York
Master Sculpture and Works of Art Part II
A Subject-by-Subject Guide to Collecting Master Paintings
The Collection of David and Louise Carter
Auctions and Exhibitions
Hester Diamond: The Life of a Fearless and Visionary Collector
Masters Week Brings the Most Celebrated Names in European Art History
Anatomy of an Artwork
A Transcendent Painting by Rembrandt: The Master of the Dutch Golden Age
A Luminous Landscape by Turner Transcends Its Time
Botticelli in the Florence of Lorenzo the Magnificent
Botticelli: Master of Florentine Portraiture
The Materials and Making of Botticelli’s Young Man Holding a Roundel
Conversation Across Time: Botticelli’s Young Man Holding a Roundel
The Dawn of Genius: Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Sotheby’s New York Cross-Category Evening SaleBrings Global Sales ofImpressionist, Modern & Contemporary Art toRunning Total of More Than $2.75 Billion
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GDPR & CCPA compliance
Realtime performance tracking
On-site auction transparency
AdEngine
AdConsent
AdSistant
What is Header Bidding? A Complete Guide
What is header bidding?
Header bidding, also called advance bidding or pre-bidding, is a programmatic technology that lets publishers offer their ad inventory to multiple advertising demand sources like Amazon and Google simultaneously. This increases the publisher’s revenue because the advertising demand sources bid against each other as they try to win impressions.
Header bidding has grown in popularity in recent years because it generally provides substantially more advertising revenue than AdSense. In fact, research shows that 79% of the top 1,000 US websites (as ranked by Alexa) now use header bidding. This is in contrast to the legacy “real-time bidding waterfall” (RTB) method and AdSense.
What is header bidding and how does it work?
Jimmy, a vacuum salesman, sets out on a day of work with his very best vacuum. He has been instructed to accept no less than $500 for this vacuum.
Jimmy knocks on his next door neighbor’s door first because she purchased a vacuum from Jimmy last year. He asks what she is willing to pay for his beautiful new vacuum cleaner and she offers $400. It’s not enough, so Jimmy continues to the next house.
At the second house, Jimmy receives an offer for $520. It meets the requirement so he accepts the money and finishes his sales for the day.
Little does Jimmy know that the third home on his list would have been willing to pay $700, but he never got the opportunity to sell to them.
So what does Jimmy have to do with header bidding?
Metaphorically speaking, header bidding would have allowed Jimmy to offer the vacuum to all three homeowners at the same time and accept the highest possible payment of $700. Jimmy missed out on $180 because he wasn’t using header bidding.
Want to learn about how header bidding could increase your ad revenue?
Contact Our Header Bidding Experts Here
Header bidding vs RTB
Programmatic advertising was initially built on the RTB waterfall approach. There are similarities between Jimmy’s sales approach above and the waterfall approach – offering ad space to the highest bidders one-by-one in a cascading fashion.
After direct deals were filled, unfilled inventory would be offered to bidders one ad exchange at a time. If nobody bid over the publisher’s price floor in the first exchange, the inventory would be passed back and offered to the next network with a lower floor price. This would continue until an ad network bid high enough or the publisher called its ad server.
The problem with waterfall auctions
The problem with waterfall auctions is if anyone further down in the bidding process is willing to offer more money, they may not get the opportunity if the inventory is sold early in the process. This is exactly what happened to Jimmy.
Another problem with the waterfall system is that top-ranked ad exchanges usually got the first opportunity at a bid. Unfortunately for publishers, the ranking system was often determined by the size of the network rather than the amount they were willing to pay for a bid, resulting in lower yield for the publisher.
The waterfall system is inefficient and ineffective, making header bidding one of the greatest technological breakthroughs for publishers.
Header bidding explained
For a publisher, it all starts with embedding a small string of script in the header of their website. We will come back to implementation later – for now, let’s focus on the actual process of filling ad inventory.
The process goes like this:
A visitor clicks on a website and the page loads in their browser
The short string of JavaScript in the header of the website makes a call to several ad networks
Each ad network places a bid on the inventory
The winning bid is passed to the publisher’s ad server
The publisher’s ad server connects the user to the advertiser’s server
The winning ad creative is displayed to the user
This entire process happens within milliseconds! You can see from the process why it is sometimes called “pre-bidding,” as the auction is relocated from the ad server onto the header of the publisher’s webpage.
The pros & cons
Header bidding is not a perfect solution – we aren’t the first to say it and certainly won’t be the last. It is, however, the best solution available to publishers today and has a number of benefits for both publishers and advertisers alike. It has created a more sustainable advertising ecosystem.
Publishers are making more money. This is probably the most important benefit to publishers. Depending on the solution a publisher is using, it’s not uncommon to see an increase in revenue between 10% and 100%, with some publishers seeing even more than that.
More competition. More buyers means higher CPMs.
Reduced latency in comparison to RTB waterfall. There is a decrease in time for rendering with header bidding, meaning a better user experience.
Easy to manage. If you’re working with a credible header bidding solutions partner, you should be able to plug and play with little fiddling after implementation.
Fewer reporting discrepancies. It is a single auction meaning less room for reporting errors.
Better visibility for advertisers. Buyers can see the inventory available, meaning a better opportunity to win premium inventory compared to old RTB waterfall methods.
Most publishers need help with implementation. The technology behind header bidding is complicated – there is no denying that. But there are many ad tech businesses like Snigel who have devoted their time to perfecting the technology so that publishers don’t have to.
Page load times. This is a common concern for publishers looking to use header bidding, but will vary in severity depending on the solution a publisher uses.
It may take a few months to see an impact. Some publishers even find that there are initial losses in revenue but with a bit of tweaking this can be optimized.
Implementing a solution for your site
Luckily for you, header bidding has been around long enough that ad tech experts have built entire businesses around streamlining the implementation process to make it seamless and easy for publishers to implement and manage. What would otherwise be a long, expensive, and complicated process involving numerous developers, is now as easy as putting a string of script into your header or footer, leaving you free to focus on generating great content.
Finding a header bidding company
The first, and most important, step for you will be finding a reliable, trustworthy third-party ad tech service that offers a header bidding wrapper.
The great thing about using a third-party service is they’ve been pouring everything they have into perfecting their ad monetization technology to ensure you get the best results. But be careful – not all ad monetization businesses are created equally. Many offer basic services, but it is the details that matter most like payment terms and service levels.
Another benefit to using an outsourced ad monetization service is that many work on a revenue sharing payment setup. This means it is in their best interest to provide their publishers with the very best ad yield possible so you both win.
While publishers are giving up a portion of their revenue in exchange for help, publishers generally see a net increase in revenue that would not be possible without the help of their third-party service. This is because third-party businesses generate enough overall volume to form valuable relationships with high-quality advertisers and network partners that you wouldn’t normally be able to access as a small to medium publisher. Not to mention, the monetary and time investment to use header bidding without a third-party partner would end up far exceeding your revenue share in a third-party exchange.
What should you look for in a header bidding company?
If you do a Google search for ad monetization, you’re going to get hit with loads of results. How do you tell them apart? Which ones are better than others?
We know ad revenue is usually a publisher’s livelihood so finding a third-party to manage it is a huge decision and it shouldn’t be made lightly.
Here are a few things you should consider:
Do their products provide what you need? Some simply offer header bidding, while others have additional functionalities like consent management, programmatic deals, and free tools.
Does their business model work for you? Some businesses offer more of a plug-and-play solution, while others approach their clients with more of a full-service consultancy approach. Which do you prefer?
Do their company values align with yours? Some focus on service, some focus on performance, and some do both.
What are your priorities for your site? For example, one ad tech business might focus solely on revenue, another may pay more attention to user experience and site speed.
What are their payment terms? This is a big one. What are your cash flow requirements? Most businesses have lofty payment terms, though there are a select few who can pay you within 30 days.
What should you expect from a service perspective? Make sure they give you a good ad ops person to work on your site! This can make all the difference, as an experienced ad ops person will know where to place ad units, when to use video vs. interactive units, etc. They will also keep testing for improvements on your behalf to make sure your site is truly optimized for maximum revenue on an ongoing basis.
Header bidding companies
There are a wide range of header bidding companies for website owners to choose from. When researching header bidding companies examine the range of solutions they offer. Do they have the following?
Client-side and server-side header bidding
Native video
Interactive ad units
Anti-adblock
Sticky ad units
Smart ad refresh (this is not a time-based refresh)
Consent Management Platform (CMP)
In addition, the header bidding company’s payment terms should be noted. Some header bidding companies pay net 90 days while others pay as low as net 30 days.
Header bidding wrapper
A header bidding wrapper is a Javascript tag placed in the header of a page that provides access to multiple advertising demand partners and rules for profitable real-time bidding (RTB) ad auctions. The header bidding wrapper lets publishers flexibly add or remove advertising demand partners without altering the website’s code. In addition, the wrapper enforces timeout settings (the amount of time bidders have to respond) and triggers the asynchronous call for advertising demand partners to submit bids.
Without a header bidding wrapper, a publisher would have to manually replace the old header tag with a new header tag every time an update occurs. Furthermore, publishers would have to add and remove individual tags on the page for each demand partner. Overall, the header bidding wrapper provides an efficient structure for creating your ad auction.
Header bidding definition
Header bidding lets website owners connect to multiple advertising demand sources simultaneously. This increases competition for the website’s advertising inventory, resulting in more advertising revenue for the website owner. In most cases, header bidding provides more advertising revenue than Google’s AdSense which is why 79% of the top 1,000 US websites (ranked by Alexa) use header bidding.
Header bidding solutions
A header bidding solution lets website owners use header bidding technology. Website owners can either use a third-party solution like Snigel’s AdEngine or create their own header bidding solution using open-source code like the repository at Prebid.js. The vast majority of website owners use third party solutions because the technical, administrative, and maintenance burdens of creating a header bidding solution in-house are significant. In addition, third parties usually provide a range of monetization tools such as smart ad refresh, adblock revenue recovery, native video, and interactive ad units which further increase advertising revenue.
Header bidding server side
Server side header bidding allows the auction to occur outside of the user’s browser. This reduces the number of calls going to and from the web page. Instead, The auction is held after one call is made to an external server. This results in faster page load times and lower processing power requirements which improves the user experience.
The first header bidding systems created an auction within the user’s browser which requested bids from multiple advertising demand sources. However, latency increased as more SSPs and ad exchanges were added to the auction. Server side header bidding (S2S) was established to combat this latency.
Header bidding and Google
In response to header bidding, Google developed their Open Bidding solution – formerly Exchange Bidding Dynamic Allocation (EBDA). Open Bidding allows website owners to connect to other SSPs and ad exchanges with Google Ad Manager. This makes Google compete against these new advertising demand sources. However, there are some drawbacks. Google hasn’t revealed the internal logic that Open Bidding uses to select auction winners which limits transparency and control for publishers, SSPs and ad exchanges. As a result, many SSPs and ad exchanges have not integrated with Open Bidding. This has led to lower overall demand on the platform.
Is header bidding right for my website?
If you’re a publisher and you want to increase your revenue, it’s likely that header bidding would benefit you!
Get in touch with one of our header bidding experts today to find out how we can help.
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Header Bidding Solutions - Which One Is Best For Your Website?
Find out which header bidding solution is best for your website.
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Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Jobs in Beverly Hills, CA
comcast nbc universal jobs near Universal City, CA
Media, Arts & Design
12 comcast nbc universal jobs near Universal City, CA
All Salaries$55,000$60,000$65,000$70,000$115,000
Generalist, Human Resources
NBCUniversal - Universal City, CA 4.0
Must be willing to work in Universal City, CA when staff returns to office (date TBD). NBCUniversal is seeking a seasoned HR Generalist responsible for…
Vice President, Talent Engagement & Outreach
In 2020, GTDI’s purview expanded to include Universal Studio Group (Universal Television, Universal Cable Productions, Universal Television Alternative Studio,…
Estimated: $100,000 - $130,000 a year
EVP, Production Management & Operations
As Head of Production Management & Operations for TV & Streaming, Entertainment Group, you will be responsible for leading the team that supports all third…
Finance Manager, Global Distribution
Must be willing to work in Universal City, California. The Finance Manager of Global Television Distribution is responsible for Financial, Planning & Analysis…
Digital Sales Planner
NBCUniversal - Beverly Hills, CA 4.0
You will be a member of the highly motivated Digital Ad Sales team at NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies, covering all…
Manager, Creative Development – NBC Ent.
NBCUniversal - Los Angeles, CA 4.0
Advertiser’s marketing goals with NBC Primetime intellectual property. Must be willing to work on site in Universal City, CA. Reporting to the Senior Director,.
Sr. Director, Production and Creative
Manager, Platform Editorial, Peacock
Ability to work at Universal City, Los Angeles, CA. The position will support all aspects of Peacock content that includes the film and television library, live…
Director, HR and Employee Relations
This role will provide Human Resource support to NBC Entertainment to facilitate growth in a fun and dynamic working environment.
Must be willing to work in Universal City, CA. We take properties such as Jurassic World, Minions, Back to the Future, and Trolls from our creative content…
National Digital Account Manager
The National Digital Account Manager will work with the Digital and Linear Sales teams at NBC Owned Television Stations and Telemundo Stations Group;
Create Job Alert for Comcast Nbc Universal Jobs in Universal City, CA
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Give us a call on 01684 353556 or email us at info@sitesolutions-ltd.co.uk
Site Solutions UK | Nationwide Skip Hire UK | Nationwide Plant Hire
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We are OPEN for business during this Covid-19 shut down period. Some service levels may be reduced in some areas but we are working as hard as ever!
Terms and conditions for Site Solutions (FM) Ltd:
Effective as of 14 April 2020
1 The Terms
1.1 What these Terms cover. These are the terms and conditions on which we supply the Services described below to you. By submitting an order you accept these Terms.
1.2 Why you should read them. Please read these Terms carefully before you submit your order to us. These Terms tell you who we are, how we will provide the Services to you, how you and we may change or end the contract, what to do if there is a problem and other important information. If you think that there is a mistake in these Terms please contact us to discuss.
1.3 Where you can find our Terms. Our Terms can be found at: www.sitesolutions-ltd.co.uk or by calling or emailing us at the details in Clause 3.3.
1.4 The content of the Terms. Company employees and sub-contractors are not authorised to make any changes or variations to these Terms.
2.1 When the following words with capital letters are used in these Terms, this is what they will mean:
Law: the requirements of any statute, act, regulation, order, statutory instrument, European Community legislation or directive having direct effect, bye-law, order of any government department, local authority or other public or competent authority, guidelines contained in government waste management papers and codes of practice having the force of law.
Services: the waste collection, plant hire or equipment hire services.
Skip: the waste container(s);
Plant: all classes of plant, machinery and equipment which we agree to hire to you.
Terms: the terms and conditions set out in this document.
Controlled and Hazardous Wastes: Difficult or hazardous wastes as defined by The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005/2011 or as amended by The Waste Regulations 2011.
You: The hirer of the Skip
Us: Site Solutions (FM) Ltd or any sub-contractor who we engage to undertake the Services. For the avoidance of doubt, words such as We and Our used in these Terms are also referring to Site Solutions (FM) Ltd or any sub-contractor who we engage to undertake the Services.
3 Information about us and how to contact us
3.1 Who we are. Site Solutions (FM) Ltd is a waste and site services broker and a company registered in England and Wales. Our company registration number is 10555399 and our registered office is The Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, WR13 6PL.
3.2 Who We provide Services to. We provide the Services to domestic (consumers) and commercial (business/trade) customers.
3.3 How to contact us. You can contact us by calling the telephone number: 01684 353556 or by emailing us at: orders@sitesolutions-ltd.co.uk.
3.4 How we may contact You. If we have to contact You we will do so by telephone or by email at the email address You provide to us with Your order. When We use the words "writing" or "written" in these Terms, this includes emails.
4 Our contract with You
4.1 How We will accept your order. You can place an order with Us by telephone, text message or by email. Once We let You know that Your order has been accepted, a contract will come into existence between You and Us. The contract will include Your order and these Terms.
4.2 If We cannot accept Your order. If We are unable to accept Your order, We will inform You of this by email or by telephone. Some Services may not be available in your location.
4.3 We will provide You with the Services. We or Our sub-contractors will provide You with the Services where You have ordered them.
5 Your rights to make changes
5.1 Please contact Us if You wish to change Your order. We will let You know about any changes to the price of the Services, the timing of supply or anything else which would be necessary as a result of Your requested change and ask You to confirm whether You wish to go ahead with the change.
6 Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by You
6.1 Consequential losses. We will not be liable for any consequential expenses, liabilities, losses, claims or proceedings whatsoever caused by, or arising out of, the late delivery, nondelivery, unsuitability or repossession of the Plant, or any breakdown or defect in the Plant.
6.2 We do not exclude or limit in any way Our liability to You where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by Our negligence or the negligence of Our employees, agents or subcontractors; or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
6.3 We will not be liable for damage or injury caused by the Skip or Plant or Your use of it.
6.4 Limit on liability. Except as set out in clause 6.2, Our liability to You in respect of all claims arising out of the order is limited to 200% of the price paid by You for the Services or £10,000, whichever is greater.
7 Your general Obligations with respect to the Services
7.1 You must ensure there is suitable access to provide the Services. If You fail to do so We will not provide Services on agreed date but We may still charge You for Our wasted journey and administration. You are responsible for the removal and reinstatement of local obstructions and for ensuring suitable ground conditions for the erection, operation and dismantling of Plant items which may form part of the Services. No responsibility will be accepted by us for damage to any surface over which the Skip or Plant has been moved to reach its intended position of use and You should therefore take steps to protect surfaces (paving slabs, soft ground etc) before delivery of the Skip or Plant. The reinstatement of any fixing holes drilled in buildings is Your responsibility. Under no circumstances are We responsible for sinkage or ground movement on delivery or collection associated with the Services. We will not normally place a Skip over walls, fences or hedges. If instructed to do so by You and Our driver assesses that it can be done safely, no liability will be accepted by Us for damage caused by placing the Skip over walls, fences or hedges. You must notify Us at the time of ordering the Services of any special requirements.
7.2 Acceptance of the Services on site. You accept that any delivery or collection note signed by a person with apparent authority to do so shall be deemed to have been signed by Your authorised representative.
7.3 You must not breach the Law. If You breach the Law and We suffer any loss or there are costs which arise from You breaching the Law then You will have to reimburse Us for all losses and any costs We incur because of Your breach.
7.4 Insurance and notification of accidents. You are responsible for obtaining all prudent insurance cover, including third party liability and cover against loss or damage to the Plant or Skip. You must show Us a copy of the policy or policies. You hold on trust for Us all policy proceeds in or towards satisfaction of Your obligations under Clauses 8.4 and 9.3. If the Plant or Skip is involved in any accident resulting in injury to persons or damage to property You must give Us immediate notice by telephone and confirm it in writing. You shall not admit any liability or compromise any claim relating to the Plant or Skip without Our consent in writing.
7.5 Period and determination of hire. If You are an individual within the meaning of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 the maximum period of hire shall be 3 months.
7.6 Right of access. You shall allow Us access to the Plant at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspection, maintenance, replacement or repossession.
8 Your specific obligations with respect to Skips
8.1 You must ensure that You tell Us what type of waste You are presenting for collection. We may refuse to collect any waste material that is not correctly described or of which We were not made aware. We may require additional payment and further information from You before We can collect any waste material You did not make Us aware of and We will inform You of any change in price and further information required and ask You to confirm whether You wish to go ahead.
8.2 You must ensure that the Skip is not overflowing. We will not perform the Services if the Skip is overflowing. Lining a Skip with boards and then filling up within those boards above the level of the Skip is not acceptable. If the Skip is loaded above the level of the sides in an unsafe manner or compromises the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) You will be responsible for reloading or unloading the Skip to make it safe for transportation.
8.3 You confirm You have full authority to dispose of the waste. We will collect the waste on the basis it is Yours and that You take full responsibility for it. You will protect Us from and pay to Us the amount of any claims made by any other person against Us if the waste is not Yours or You do not have full authority to dispose of it.
8.4 You must take care of the Skip We provide. You must not move, relocate, damage, allow fires in, permanently mark or paint the Skip. The Skip will remain ours or Our sub-contractor's property. You will not own the Skip. If a Skip is damaged, lost, stolen or permanently marked or painted We may charge You a fee of up to £1,000.00 inc VAT. If a Skip is damaged due to reasonable wear and tear or was damaged whilst We were providing Services We will not charge You a fee.
8.5 Inert Waste. Where inert waste loads (soil/hardcore/muck) are ordered and they are found to contain other waste types, in particular mixed builders waste materials thus contaminating the load, You will be charged accordingly for additional tipping charges. This is because the load will have to be sorted by Us or tipped as a mixed load at a considerably different landfill tax rate.
8.6 Crane rated Skips. You must tell Us at the time of booking the Services if You intend the Skip to be transported on site by a crane. Skips that are being lifted by a crane must be rated for such application.
9 Your Specific Obligations with respect to Plant
9.1 Loading and unloading the Plant. You are responsible for loading and unloading the Plant at Your site. If you return the Plant to Us then You will be responsible for unloading it at Our premises.
9.2 Delivery in good order. The person signing to accept the Plant has been afforded an opportunity to inspect the Plant which is deemed to be in good working order and wholly free from damage at the time of signature. If the Plant has been accepted on site by You, the Plant is also deemed to be in good working order and wholly free from damage at the time of delivery. Any shortages of Plant must be notified to Us within 24 hours of the commencement of the hire and confirmed in writing within 72 hours. If You fail to do this hire charges will continue and You will be responsible for the cost of replacing shortages in accordance with Clause 9.3.
9.3 Lost, non-returned, damaged or unclean Plant. You must immediately notify both Us and the police of any loss or theft of the Plant. When the Plant is not returned or is returned incomplete Your liability will only cease when You pay to the Owner the manufacturer's current list price for the missing or incomplete item of Plant. In the event that Plant is manufactured to Our design the cost of the missing or incomplete item is the current price charged by Us to a customer who wishes to purchase that item of Plant. You agree to pay to Us all costs incurred by Us in rectifying the condition of the Plant if it is returned damaged unclean or incomplete. Hire charges will continue until such rectification is complete.
9.4 Maintenance of Plant and breakdown procedures. You will ensure that the Plant remains safe, serviceable and clean. Any breakdown or any unsatisfactory working of Plant must be immediately notified to Us. Under no circumstances should You repair the Plant, except for punctures, unless authorised by Us. Such Plant must be returned to Our premises for examination or when rectification elsewhere is requested, You agree to pay carriage if required by Us. Punctures are to be mended by You at Your own cost.
9.5 Safe use of the Plant. You confirm that You have the necessary knowledge and experience to operate and use the Plant. You will not misuse the Plant or allow any person to use the Plant who is not properly instructed in its use and You will ensure that all applicable health and safety rules and regulations are observed. Where the Plant comprises electrical equipment it must be connected to the correct supply by a qualified electrician. You are responsible for providing a suitable 3 phase and earth supply to the base of each item of Plant.
9.6 Security of the Plant. You shall not sell or otherwise part with possession and/or control of the Plant and shall remain responsible for the Plant and its safekeeping during the hire period. Plant must not be removed without Our authority from the site specified by You if the Plant is collected by You, or from the address to which We have delivered the Plant. You shall keep the site at which the Plant is located safe and secure.
10 Delivery and Collection
10.1 Operating hours. Our office hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm on weekdays. We will provide the Services during Our office hours. We may provide the Services outside of Our office hours to suit Your requirements but We cannot guarantee to be able to do so. We may reschedule Services on or around bank or public holidays. We will endeavour to ensure that the requested date for the Services is met, however, due to the nature of the Services no delivery times can be guaranteed and We reserve the right to change the collection date. We recommend that You give us at least three working days notice for collection.
10.2 We are not responsible for delays outside Our control. If Our supply of the Services is delayed by an event outside Our control then We will take steps to minimise the effect of the delay. Provided We do this We will not be liable for delays caused by the event, but if there is a delay which means You do not receive Your Skip on the day for which it was requested, You may contact Us to cancel the order and receive a refund for any Services You have paid for but not received.
11 Location of a Skip on Public or Third-Party Land
11.1 Permission to leave a Skip on a public highway. Where You need to put Your Skip on a public highway (such as the street you live on), You will need permission from Your Local Authority. This permission is sometimes called a "permit" or "licence". Public Highway can include not just streets, but verges and carparks which are maintained by the Local Authority. Where You need such permission, We (or Our sub-contractor) will apply for this permission on Your behalf. You promise to follow all of the conditions of that permission. If You break Your promise and breach the conditions in any permission and We suffer a loss or there are costs which arise from You breaching the permission's conditions, then You will reimburse Us for all losses and any costs We incur.
11.2 Details of Permit for placing a Skip on the public highway. We will charge You for the permit to place a skip on the public highway as We (or Our sub-contractor) will be charged for it by the Local Authority. Local Authorities usually take several days to grant a permit, so You need to give Us plenty of notice. Permits also last for a fixed time period, sometimes 7 days, sometimes 14 days, or longer, depending on the Local Authority's rules. If the Skip is required on the road for longer than the period of the permit, the permit will need to be renewed and the fee charged again. You will be responsible for the lighting of Skips on permits during the hours of darkness. Lights and cones will be supplied. You must report immediately any damaged, stolen or defective equipment (lights & cones) to Us.
11.3 Skips on third-party land. Where Skips are located on public or third party property and waste accumulates for any reason in the immediate proximity of the Skip, We reserve the right to supply a further Skip for the surplus material and to charge You reasonable costs for doing so.
12 Waste Types
12.1 Your responsibilities with respect to Controlled or Hazardous wastes. You must tell Us about any Controlled or Hazardous wastes before they are placed in a Skip. Loads containing Controlled or Hazardous items that You have not informed Us about may be rejected and returned to You.
12.2 Waste types to check before placing in a Skip. The following is a non-exhaustive list of common waste types that You must not place in a Skip unless You have prior approval in writing from Us to do so.
Asbestos or possible asbestos products
Batteries
Chemicals, e.g. brake fluid or print toner
Equipment containing ozone depleting substances, e.g. fridges & freezers
Fluorescent light tubes
Hazardous / harmful waste containers (Identified by hazardous markings)
Liquid wastes e.g. paints, oils and solvents
Pesticides
Plasterboard
Gas canisters
TV's & Computer monitors
Contaminated soil / hardcore
Wet concrete / screed / tarmac
Mattresses
Tree stumps
Vehicle tyres
IF IN DOUBT ABOUT ANY WASTE TYPE, YOU MUST ASK US
12.3 We can normally handle all of these waste types but You must inform Us about them before booking the Services, so that We can ensure that We use an appropriate sub-contractor for the Services.
13 Your rights to cancel the Services
13.1 You have a legal right to cancel the Services if We fail to provide Services on a scheduled date and We still have not provided them within a reasonable period afterwards (except where Our failure was caused by You or something outside of Our control); or We do something else wrong and either it cannot be put right or, if it can be put right, We do not put it right within a reasonable period.
13.2 When You don't have the right to change Your mind. You do not have a right to change Your mind in respect of Services once they have been completed.
13.3 How We will refund You. If You are due a refund, We will refund You the relevant amount by the method You used for payment. However, We may make deductions from the price, as described below.
13.4 Deductions from refunds if You are exercising Your right to change Your mind. If You are exercising Your right to change Your mind in relation to the Services, We may deduct from any refund an amount for any part of the Services for which We have already incurred costs. This might include a wasted journey fee if You cancel the Services once a delivery journey is already underway.
13.5 When Your refund will be made. We will make any refunds due to You as soon as possible.
14 Our rights to cancel the Services
14.1 We may cancel the Services if You do not, within a reasonable time, allow Us access to provide the Services.
15 Price and payment
15.1 What You must pay. The Services cost the price We agreed with You during the order process. You agree to pay the hire charges until the Skip or Plant is returned to or collected by Us and a receipt issued by Us. Telephone off-hires will not be accepted unless validated by an off-hire number which we give You. When a Skip is collected, there may be additional charges to pay such as for tonnage within the Skip that was not included within the original price of the Skip. We will inform You when taking Your order if the Skip is being charged on a transport and tonnage basis.
With respect to Plant, hire charges relate solely to the hire of the Plant. They do not include fuel and oil supplied with the Plant, transport to and from Our premises or any other costs incurred by Us, all of which We will tell You about during the order process. When We quote you a transport charge, the cost includes for a maximum of 30 minutes attendance by Our driver at the address specified by You. If the delivery or collection takes longer than 30 minutes, You will be charged for the additional time.
15.2 Payment of tax. You are liable to pay VAT on the cost of the Services. If the rate of VAT changes between Your order date and the date We supply the Services, We will adjust the rate of VAT that You pay, unless You have already paid for the Services in full before the change in the rate of VAT takes effect.
15.3 How You can pay. We accept payment by credit, debit card or direct bank transfer. We do not accept payment by cash, postal order or cheque.
15.4 Pre-Authorisation of payment. If You have pre-paid for a skip with a debit or credit card We may use that card to take payment for any excess tonnage charges or additional costs relating to items that You put in the Skip that You did not tell Us about. We will inform You of any additional payments that You are liable for before taking payment for them.
16 How We may use Your personal information
16.1 How We will use Your personal information. We will use the personal information You provide to Us in accordance with Our privacy policy as published on Our website www.sitesolutions-ltd.co.uk:
to supply the Services to You;
to process Your payment for the Services; and
to give You information about similar services that We provide, but You may stop receiving this at any time by contacting us.
16.2 We will only give Your personal information to third parties where the law either requires or allows Us to do so or where it is necessary to provide the Services to You. This may include providing personal information to Our sub-contractors.
17 Other important terms
17.1 You authorise Us to act as Your agent. In certain circumstances, such as where You are not physically present when We provide the Services, We may need to sign forms as You to confirm information about the Services (e.g. the waste type being collected).
17.2 We use sub-contractors to provide the Services. You acknowledge that We sub-contract the Services to competent and experienced sub-contractors.
17.3 Nobody else has any rights under this contract. This contract is between You and Us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms, except as explained in clause 17.2. Neither of Us will need to get the agreement of any other person in order to end the contract or make any changes to these Terms.
17.4 If a court finds part of this contract illegal, the rest will continue in force. Each of the paragraphs of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.
17.5 Which laws apply to these Terms and where You may bring legal proceedings. These Terms are governed by English law and You can bring legal proceedings in respect of the Services in the English courts. If You live in Scotland You can bring legal proceedings in respect of the Services in either the Scottish or the English courts.
18 Acceptance of these Terms
18.1 Account Customers. If We have offered You a credit account, a copy of these Terms will be sent to You and You must sign them and return them to Us in order to activate Your account. By signing these Terms You guarantee payment to Us of all outstanding monies including amounts owed in excess of credit limit and any interest applicable.
18.2 Non-Account Customers. If you do not have an account with us, then by submitting an order you accept these Terms.
Site Solutions is based in Worcestershire, but we have national coverage, from the north of Scotland to the far south of Cornwall.
Our office address is:
Wyche Innovation Centre,
Walwyn Road,
WR13 6PL
Email: info@sitesolutions-ltd.co.uk
All hard-copy correspondence and invoices should be directed to the above postal address.
Site Solutions UK is the trading name of Site Solutions (FM) Ltd
Registered Office: Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, WR13 6PL
Registered in England & Wales No : 10555399
VAT Reg No : 263 2621 21
Why not phone for a quote?
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featured Corporate /en/research-insights/featured/the-energy-transition-and-covid-19-a-pivotal-moment-for-climate-policies-and-energy-companies content esgSubNav
Energy Transition Research
The Energy Transition And COVID-19: A Pivotal Moment for Climate Policies and Energy Companies
From S&P Global’s Energy Transition Research Lab, this report provides our insights on the impact COVID-19 has had on the energy transition—at the critical time when policymakers and leading energy companies are showing increased commitments to net zero.
How is COVID-19 Impacting the Energy Transition?
New research from S&P Global's Energy Transition Research Lab
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most severe economic and energy shocks in modern history. On top of the massive disruptions to business, mobility, and everyday life, there clearly will be longer-lasting implications for the energy transition away from fossil fuels. While the shocks from the pandemic are leading to reductions in fossil fuel consumption and emissions, they won't be enough to put the world on a path to meet 2 degree global warming target, nor bring forward peak oil demand, nor drive coal consumption to near zero.
To achieve the targets under the Paris Agreement and limit global climate change, the energy transition will need to include a mosaic of solutions beyond just renewables and fossil fuel demand destruction: Hydrogen, carbon capture utilization and storage, and biofuels are all likely to play roles in decarbonizing the interconnected global energy system. Recent announcements from policymakers, leading energy companies, and end users illustrate the many kinds of climate solutions. While we continue to regularly publish our views and outlooks on all of the key pathways comprising the decarbonization mosaic, this report focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends in the fossil fuels and renewables sectors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn increased attention to climate policy and economic resilience.
More than 10 times the emission reductions resulting from COVID-19 will be needed to meet the 2 degree target through 2050. However, the pandemic's effects will cumulatively lower energy sector CO2 combustion emissions by 27.5 gigatons over 2020-2050—equivalent to almost one full-year of emissions.
COVID-19 has reduced long-term world oil demand by 2.5 million barrels per day. Not all adjustments to the demand outlook were downward. That decline is, however, not enough to substantively bring forward the year of peak oil demand that S&P Gobal Platts Analytics projects for the late 2030s.
Lower global energy demand threatens gas more than other fuel sources as gas is squeezed between the decline in primary energy demand, the increasing penetration of renewables, and the stickiness of coal demand--particularly in Asia. Still, we do not expect global gas demand to peak over the next 20 years, owing to growing industrial use, led by China, India, and the Middle East.
We believe the global growth outlook for renewables generally remains intact, but not all lights are green. Notwithstanding the increased cost competitiveness of renewables and supportive policies, we also see important headwinds: decreasing subsidies and tax credits, lower power prices and competing traditional fossil fuels, as well as rising merchant risks, and ongoing integration needs with storage.
Does COVID-19 Bend the Curve to 2 Degrees?
Quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on energy demand and its associated emissions in both the short and long term requires a three-pronged approach, examining macroeconomics, behaviors, and policies individually and holistically.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only altered energy supply, demand, and prices in the near term, but also to some extent their long-term trajectories. Looking just at demand, the repercussions from the pandemic have changed three primary drivers: macroeconomics, behaviors, and policy. As a result, S&P Global Platts Analytics Future Energy Outlooks see the outlook for CO2 emissions by 27.5 gigatons (GT) over 2020-2050. However, this represents only a minor step in the direction needed to meet the 2 degree target under the Paris climate accord, which would require more than 10 times that reduction over the period. Nevertheless, the emissions reduction achieved in 2020 is equivalent to the decline required by 2027 in a 2 degree scenario, illustrating that sizable emissions reductions are possible.
COVID-19 has altered three fundamentals drivers of emissions: macroeconomics, behaviors, and policy, that combined will lower energy sector CO2 emissions by 27.5 gigatons over 2020-2050.
However, this is only a minor step in the direction needed to meet the 2 degree target, which would require more than 10 times that reduction over the period.
While changes in travel behavior typically do not meaningfully affect natural gas or coal demand because those fuels are not commonly used in the transportation sector, there will likely be second-order effects.
Crisis As Opportunity? COVID-19 Economic Recovery Policies Could Help or Hinder the Energy Transition
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy economic toll on the global economy. We forecast global GDP will contract by 3.8% this year, compared with a 0.1% contraction in the 2009 global financial crisis. While all major economies reacted in the short term with large monetary stimulus, not all will accelerate the energy transition as a consequence. In the EU, which targets a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, policy support is significantly pushing renewables’ growth in Europe. The recovery fund approved by the European Commission in July 2020 dedicated €225 billion to the energy transition, to be invested in the next three years.
The European, U.S., and Chinese economies all reacted to the COVID-19 economic crisis with large monetary stimulus, but not all recovery policies will accelerate the energy transition.
The EU recovery fund, agreed in July, dedicated €225 billion to the energy transition, to be invested in the next three years.
The U.S. federal government has not provided any new support for green initiatives in stimulus measures to date beyond current tax incentives. The November election outcome will be pivotal for future climate change policies.
In China, warning signs abound that the energy transition has stalled as policy stimulus ripples through the economy even as a new commitment is made to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Moving Mountains: COVID-19 and Peak Oil Demand
Petroleum’s pre-eminence as a land, air, and marine transport fuel is seeing oil consumption drop the most of all primary energy sources amid the global economic downturn that started this year. The unprecedented collapse in worldwide mobility as a result of lockdowns and travel restrictions in March and April 2020 slashed oil demand by over 20 million b/d, or 20% of total demand. We expect global oil demand for 2020 as a whole to decline by 8.1 million b/d, wiping out six years of growth. We expect about 75% or 6.3 million b/d of demand to come back in 2021. The unprecedented cut to demand was met with an unprecedented cut to supply. After initial disagreement and delay, OPEC+ implemented decisive cuts, which allowed the market to start rebalancing and restored some confidence, although maintaining discipline may not be easy for the cartel. Producers inside and outside of OPEC+, facing their second crisis in five years, responded by slashing capex, costs, and shareholder returns.
COVID-19's impact on the global economy and consumer behaviors has reduced long-term world oil demand by 2.5 million barrels per day, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.
However, some adjustments to the demand outlook were positive as weaker oil prices make electric vehicles less competitive, reduce the drive for efficiency, and stimulate underlying oil consumption.
The weaker oil demand therefore is not meaningful enough to substantively bring forward the timing of the peak in oil demand that S&P Global Platts Analytics projects for the late 2030s. For oil demand to peak by 2025, drastic changes would need to occur to business and consumer behavior, including near full adoption of working from home, reshoring of supply chains, and widespread electrification of road transportation.
Together with added COVID-19 concerns regarding ESG risks, weaker forecasts for oil demand are forcing oil companies to reassess investments and policies.
The oil majors, which have the size and financial power to do so, might decide to develop renewables that would offer them options for adapting to changing energy scenarios, build different power assets, or gradually consolidate.
COVID-19 Dents Demand for Gas and Undermines its Role as a Bridge Fuel in the Energy Transition
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has had less effect on the demand for gas than for any other fossil fuel in 2020, it threatens to have the most impact on gas over the next 10-20 years, reflected in the more than 9% reduction in our 2030 global gas demand outlook. Gas absorbed the brunt of the decline in overall energy demand after relatively small reductions to our coal and renewables outlooks. The challenge will come from the legacy contribution of gas to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the growing commercial and policy-driven motivations that strive to skip, or at least accelerate, the role of gas as a transition fuel. China and India will remain the focal points for demand growth through the decade, while the U.S., Russia, and Qatar develop a global rivalry in terms of production growth.
Lower global energy demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic threatens the future of gas more than other fuels over the next 10-20 years. Gas will be to some extent squeezed out by lingering coal supply and growing renewables.
Still, we do not expect gas demand to peak over the next 10-20 years globally, owing to industrial demand rather than power generation. China, India, and the Middle East will account for 61% of growth over the next decade.
Gas demand growth has probably peaked in the U.S. power generation sector, as utilities' strategies shift to renewables and retail integration.
Smaller U.S. independent gas producers face the greatest credit impact, as the pandemic exacerbates preexisting pressure on their profitability, credit metrics, liquidity, and refinancing ability.
In Europe, the Green Deal is unlikely to support gas in the long term, even if gas remains an important part of the energy mix owing to the phase-out of coal and nuclear power. Uncertainty about the future role of gas is beginning to weigh on gas utilities' regulatory returns.
Large gas producers in Europe are focusing increasingly on decarbonization and green energy, or diversifying into growing markets in Asia.
COVID-19 Could Make 2020 Crucial for Renewables
In the U.S., the presidential elections in November 2020 could portend an increase in renewables growth in the next few years in case of former Vice President Joe Biden wins, subject to Congressional support, as his plan includes $2 trillion in clean energy spending, while targeting a carbon-free power sector by 2035. In Europe, COVID-19 has accelerated policy support, with one-third of the Recovery Fund allocated to green investments, combined with ambitious 2030 objectives for green hydrogen. China's COVID-19-induced stimulus plans imply some headwinds for renewables because restrictions on new coal plants have been relaxed to support employment and the local economy. Moreover, the economy's trend to lower energy intensity has stalled.
COVID-19 has drawn increased attention to climate policy in Europe and is playing a role in the U.S. elections.
We believe the global growth outlook for renewables generally remains intact, even if stimulus plans will likely prioritize employment and direct support measures to the economy over green growth--especially in China and emerging markets.
Key risks for the sector are reductions in direct subsidies and tax credits as observed in China, Europe, and the U.S.; permitting; and a cloudier outlook for long-term prices.
On the other hand, continued strong investor appetite and declining costs are allowing renewables to compete increasingly at grid-parity prices, but with lower returns and rising market risks.
As a result, larger renewables players, with strong balance sheets and vertical integration to mitigate merchant risks, may be better positioned and could move to consolidate the industry.
More of S&P Global's research and insights on the energy transition and climate risk:
—Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy
—The Path to Net Zero
—Economic Research: China's Energy Transition Stalls Post-COVID
—The Big Picture on Climate
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NFLPA Bets on Blockchain-Backed Social Streaming Platform SportsCastr
The NFL season is kicking off with enormous amounts of technology. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
By Jen Booton July 31, 2018
The NFL Players Association has become one of the first major U.S. sports organizations to bet on blockchain after scooping up a minority stake in SportsCastr. The social streaming platform is developing a Twitch-like service for traditional sports.
As part of the deal, current and retired NFL players can create content, and then be rewarded for that via cryptocurrency. This could see players acting as sportscasters for pro games, commenting on collegiate sports, or broadcasting behind-the-scenes views of their daily lives.
NFLPA President Ahmad Nassar said the opportunity will be open to 2,000 current football players and close to 20,000 former players. SportsCastr could help them to stake ground in the notoriously difficult to crack world of sports broadcasting, and even get paid for their efforts.
But the NFLPA’s investment in SportsCastr is about more than just getting athletes in front of the camera. The NFLPA’s OneTeam Collective invests in early stage companies that seek to leverage the NFLPA’s exclusive group player rights, in exchange for equity. SportsCastr is the eighth active NFLPA partner secured through the OneTeam Collective.
Get the latest sports tech news in your inbox.
As part of this agreement, SportsCastr has been named the official licensee of the NFLPA for mobile apps and web-based platforms that allow users to talk about sports topics through video streams and chats. According to Nassar, the NFLPA was also drawn to SportsCastr because of its strong list of backers, which includes former NBA Commissioner David Stern, Washington tight end Vernon Davis, and Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim.
“We’re really impressed with not only the tech of SportsCastr, but of the teams they’ve been putting together and the backgrounds they have,” said Nassar. “It’s an opportunity for the players and us as an organization.”
The NFLPA also sees this as a much broader streaming opportunity, with the platform developing an over-the-top social streaming service that could potentially one day compete with Twitch. SportsCastr operates under the same interactive premise as Twitch, an Amazon.com-owned social streaming platform that has been popularized by esports. Twitch recently started to adopt traditional sports as well thanks to Amazon’s digital rights partnerships with the NFL and NBA.
SportsCastr CEO Kevin April said his company is hoping to build a robust all-in-one sports ecosystem, with the social component of its OTT streaming service focused on professional, collegiate, and potentially one day even high school athletics. Its blockchain-based cryptocurrency FanChain aims to be the ubiquitous token of the sports industry. SportsCastr is also seeking opportunities to exclusively host sporting events on its platform, starting with the first half of a live UFC Fight Night event this September.
“We see the NFLPA as a tentpole that we plan to be just the first of many partnerships with teams and leagues,” said April. “This September, we’re streaming our first live action sporting event, a live MMA fight on SportsCastr that anyone can jump in and add their own commentary to or choose their own commentator.”
There’s also, of course, the blockchain opportunity, though Nassar insists the two organizations were talking long before SportCastr announced FanChain in June.
With FanChain, users can virtually tip commentators (which will include NFLPA members) for live and exclusive videos via the FanChain token in the SportsCastr ecosystem. Users can also exchange tokens for unique access and perks, such as subscriptions to premium player channels, sports tickets, or backstage passes to events. Eventually, tokens will be integrated with third-party online publications, fantasy sports sites, social networks, media sites, and within the ecosystem of sports teams, leagues, and stadiums, so that content (and the FanChain cryptocurrency) can be even more widely distributed and used.
“Fans are looking for new ways to engage with the game of football and us, the athletes. SportsCastr’s live stream platform is a cool and fun way for fans to add their own voice to games while engaging with players in a different way,” said Davis, a SportsCastr investor and advisor. “As players we see the value in sharing more of our personalities and unique content with fans and we’re excited about where this live stream tech is headed.”
The first NFL players will begin using the platform this season.
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Panda and the New Google
SEM, Social Media
Google is a great example of how powerful the Internet really is. With more users than all the other search engines combined, and by a crazy wide margin, Google is a powerhouse the likes of which the business community hasn’t seen for a long while.
No More Playtime
As big and as successful as Google is, it has not done well with many of the ventures it has developed. The Google Wave project, touted as the future of messaging, was not. Nearly all of Google’s social networking efforts have met with failure. Gmail and Google Apps for Domain are the two bright spots, technically one, as they both depend on Gmail. Google Docs is not a competitive threat to some of the other productivity offerings on the Internet. So it would appear Google can’t do anything well except search right? Well not really.
With the release of Google+ they prove they can do a pretty good job at social media as well. With a launch that was so successful the company had to shut down registration for a short time, Google’s new social media foray may just give facebook something to think about.
The Panda Update
It would seem that between the Google Panda update, that may be responsible for a 16 percent jump in revenue for the first quarter 2011, it the opening shot in the coming Google campaign. As a measure of how serious Google is, future employee bonuses will be tied to the company’s success with its social networking efforts, even if the employee is not directly involved in that development. The message is clear; Google has to start working for a living.
Recently, the US Government approved Google’s purchase of ITA software. ITA makes and maintains most of the software running airline booking systems and discount airfare aggregators. While the deal was approved with restrictions and will entail Government monitoring, it puts the company in a position to capitalize on the lucrative market. Perhaps a custom Google Airfare discounting a booking system is coming.
Google also announced a major upgrade to the YouTube video service that will involve a complete new look and feel, the creation of channels, and original content distribution. Recent shifts in the media market with Netflix going independent and major cable providers scrambling to open their offerings up to mobile subscribers make the YouTube move logical and a little aggressive.
Tough Google
More than anything else, this is a fundamental change in the corporate culture of Google. For years they were seen as the playground of the ubergeek and about as un-businesslike as possible. These new moves seem to introduce a Google committed to compete in the technology sector and not just have fun with the permanent advertising revenue. Google’s lock on search engine revenue may have been the thing that kept them from really developing. There was no need to earn a living, just experiment with the money that was there. The “one day a week spent on a personal project” rule for Google developers may soon end. As powerful as Google is in the present Internet market space, an aggressive “winner-take-all” Google could be a warring idea. The company could dominate in several markets, and it would be hard to stop them in some. A concerted and well-focused social networking effort could begin to grow and threaten real competition for Facebook. A more extensive Google Cloud could alter the budding Cloud industry. Android has shown the way and now Google may be getting serious about exploiting that opening.
Related Articles from StayOnSearch:
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5 Ways to Dominate Google’s Quality Check
Google Announces Real-Time Search and Google Goggles
How is Google Ranking the Local 7-Pack Listings?
Google Dashboard: Access Your Google Products From One Interface
SOS Recaps
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StayOnSearch
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Wildcat Glades Offers Free Family Outdoor Fun
Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center in Joplin, Missouri invites the whole family to enjoy nature with accessible trails and programming.
A joint venue of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the City of Joplin, the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center preserves Ozark beauty and wildlife for the entire family.
Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center is located in south Joplin off of Highway 86, just south of Interstate 44. Enjoy trails, programming, and birdwatching as a break from the interstate or a local outing.
Trails at Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center
Joplin’s Audubon Center offers a series of short, clear trails for family walks. Picnic tables and benches line the trails, many of which are paved to accommodate visitors.
The Wildcat Glades’ longest trail, the St. John’s Creek Trail, runs south from the Audubon Center. This trail is only an eighth of a mile, two miles at most if one takes the Woodland Loop Trail.
The St. John’s Creek Trail offers a stunning view of cliffs above the Shoal Creek to the west, and a wall of caves and small rock upcroppings to the east until the Woodland Loop portion, where the walk includes a view of an old abandoned mill sunken into the creek, then moves upland to denser cover and a more rigorous walk into the hills above the creek bed.
For a picnic or shorter walk, the Metro Trail runs north along Shoal Creek from the Audubon Center for a sixth of a mile. This paved trail is lined with picnic tables, trees shading the creek, rock croppings, and a flock of friendly ducks to delight children. Parking along this trail is easily accessible to accommodate family members who may be unable to walk long distances.
Programming at Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center
Joplin’s Audubon Center offers a variety of programming for the entire family. The Center itself hosts a child-friendly exhibit of Missouri wildlife, including native animals, statues to climb on, and views of the surrounding woodland from a clear glass wall.
For adults, the Center provides friendly and informed staff to answer questions about the Center and its resources, a gift shop, and an office of the Missouri Department of Conservation to offer resources about Missouri wildlife and conservation.
The Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center also holds year-round nature programming for all ages. Activities include nature movies, cave tours, an adopted animal program, conservation classes, and nature yoga. See the Center’s website for a complete listing. Programs are offered to the public at a low cost due to the generosity of donors.
Birdwatching at Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center
In addition to preserving birds’ habitat and making it accessible to bird enthusiasts, Joplin’s Audubon Center offers guided bird watching tours, classes, and group networking for bird enthusiasts keen to learn more about Missouri’s feathered friends.
The Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center makes nature accessible to the entire family. Enjoy a spring stroll, picnic, or class with the birds in Joplin at the Audubon Center.
Categories Travel Post navigation
Bluewater Lake Near Joplin, Missouri
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Stormfront > News > Newslinks & Articles
The Danger of Americanism
Newslinks & Articles All news of interest to White Nationalists. Do not post the full text of copyrighted articles without permission of the owner. Limit "fair use" excerpts to 65 words.
Location: Tom Sawyer's Island
From Das Schwarze Korps, March 1944. A German Magazine
When we speak of young Europe and its young nations, we contrast them to the senile world of dying liberalism which, under the leadership of Jewry, is once more gathering all its material resources in an attempt to forever subject the world to the power of money under the domination of those who have it. They want to perpetuate the social injustice they find so comfortable. More is involved than differences between ages and generations, however.
Our camp includes not only those who are young enough to topple the old and build a new world. It includes all those spiritual forces that see the new in the collapse of the old, who want to build a new future with new ways and means.
The triumph of the Copernican worldview over the unfruitful dogma of the past, the triumph of science over empty faith, was a victory of youth. They followed the shining examples of their predecessors. The youth have always been the battering ram that helped bring the national idea to fruition. The discovery of the laws of inheritance has been the occasion and guidepost of a new youth movement that builds on the eternal culture-building values of race and blood. They lead from the deadly and destructive lethargy of materialism to the new world of tomorrow.
Today it is as it always was in times of revolution. Those fighting for the new have more to offer the youth than those who live in yesterday, who hold to what they have grown accustomed to, even if it has long since become rigid, empty and stifling. We offer the youth the freedom to develop their nation, even in the case of smaller nations. We offer them room for creative fantasy, the opportunity to transform great thoughts to reality outside the lecture hall. We offer the realization of dreams on a world scale, a common Germanic will, a common European will. We fill the spiritual vacuum left by liberalism with the magic of a worldview that draws self-confidence and meaning to life from race and the blood of one's ancestors.
What does old England have to offer its youth to justify the war's requirements? It cannot even begin to solve its own social problems, much less offer anything to other peoples. Where is there a healthy youth that is on fire for Bolshevism? It was a danger only during the spiritual interregnum that followed the First World War. In the face of an inadequate yesterday, it was the only force, the only revolutionary movement, available, and anything was better than nothing.
Today Bolshevism may have reached its material and organizational pinnacle on the bent backs of its devotees, but as a spiritual movement it is finished. The crass incompetence of its methods and goals have proven it to be the very epitome of capitalist slavery.
The only remaining alternative is Americanism. As strange as it may sound, it is the only serious competition to National Socialism's racial worldview in the struggle for the youth, in the struggle for the future of humanity. In the end, however, it is only a forerunner of Bolshevism.
Americanism is certainly not a spiritual movement, nor is it a worldview that it is possible to oppose at the intellectual level. Its political beneficiaries have tried in recent years to give it, if not a face, at least a program or a goal: "the American Century." It is a collection of empty promises of the type democratic orators have always made—but this time on a world scale. There is nothing in them to excite a reasonable man. But that is exactly the point of Americanism! The key is not what it promises, but what it cannot promise. The key is not what it demands of men, but what gives them.
That would not matter if the world's youth were of the sound character that develops from racially conscious lines, tradition-rich families, good upbringing and close camaraderie. But that is not the way things are. The good fairy will not give youth the values they will need in life. The racially sound youth can be inspired by virtue of his blood. But the blood does not tell him what should inspire him. He can be misled into serving a bad cause. He can squander his enthusiasm if he matures in a spiritual vacuum. One should not underestimate the danger of Americanism, or its seductive power. It offers devotion to a culture of nothingness, independence, lack of restraint, a freedom from all obligation, from all honor, from all consideration.
We do not wish to deny this culture of nothingness its right to exist. It can even, rightly used, be good, just as it is sometimes a pleasure to do nothing. Should a German soldier happen to find a portable record player and jazz records in the deserted quarters of British or American soldiers, he does not smash them against the wall. Instead, he takes them along and thinks he has a great treasure. We don't want to suggest excessive cultural disaster here. There are times when he wants a vacation from himself, from us, from the whole world. He needs to relax, and certainly does not wish to ponder intellectual matters. Nothing is better suited to take him out of the normal world that the complete nonsense of this hot music, this cacophony of animal howls, wild instruments and foot-stomping Negro lust. It takes him away from human concerns back to the depths of pre-human apedom, returning him to the time when people did not need to think because there was no past and no future. Its effect is like that of alcohol, which turns normally rational men into shouting, destructive children. That can sometimes be good for serious and intelligent men. And the soldier certainly does not forget his German mission, nor does he lose his character or honor when he occasionally spends an hour relaxing to entertaining music. He is immune to the danger of confusing this rhythmic pig grunting with good music, much less art or culture. It cannot meet his higher standards.
Others, however, are not as immune. That is what those who deny any appeal of Americanism forget.
Certainly there is no danger that our young boys and girls will fall into sexual frenzy while listening to some Jewish lout blowing on a saxophone. One can introduce them to the high priests of the American jitterbug with no worries at all. At most they will laugh. Our young Luftwaffe aides and working girls would hardly join in a dance marathon. And the winning couple running through the arena in tattered, sweaty clothes would receive not applause, but a beating. But that is our youth. They are made of different stuff, and grew up in a world in which dignity comes from doing one's duty, and both are seen not as a burden but as the joy of life.
That may be self-evident to us, but it is not so to others. Whole nations behave in ways not guided by clear tasks. They are only individuals, parents, teachers, tribes and groups, able to lead them out of error and confusion into a clear world of meaning. We may not forget that during the tragic years following the First World War, a significant part of our youth too fell to the appeal of Americanism, waving their limbs in the Shimmy and the Charleston because there was nothing else to do.
We sometimes fail to see that there are young people in Europe today—often from the so-called better classes—who not only do not stand within the camp of young Europe, but even mock or scorn it. Many of us simply cannot understand how there can be a mass meeting at a Norwegian university protesting those who are risking their lives in the east for the freedom and security of their native land, or how Swedish students, even if they do not jump to the side of their Finnish brothers, do not at least follow their struggle with respect.
These young men surely are not consciously supporting the plans of Stalin and Roosevelt. Thank God, this small part of Europe's youth is not a politically aware counterpart to the European youth defending young Europe in the east. Those who think politically and act from conviction demonstrate it through their actions. The others have followed the comfortable path that leads from political thinking to Americanism.
That is the political danger of Americanism. It leads those who fall prey to it away from political thinking, away from responsibility, even to their nation, away from decency, even from national decency.
The American lad may use fine phrases to say that the nationalist is his political enemy. In reality, however, he fights a man who makes uncomfortable and difficult demands on him, the man who recognizes the fate of the nation as his fate, who respects the woman who will become the mother of his children, who wants to be a model, who always acts as if the eyes of the nation are upon him. The American lad feels his "freedom" restricted by such behavior. He wants to keep the hot music spinning on the record player, not be reminded that he must work as well as relax, that he must not only enjoy, but also honor the dignity of his nation.
That is neither comfortable nor pleasant. It is pleasant to talk slang and enjoy a loose moral life with those of like mind. Americanism has its delights, and he who is captivated by them not only sticks his head in the sand, he also gets some pleasure. It is nice to be able to dismiss all criticism of a too hearty enjoyment of life with the claim that one is defending human rights against Nazi brutality.
Americanism is not a logical development. It certainly does not spring from the descendants of the Virginia colonists with their Prussian sense of honor and duty, nor from the healthy farmers and citizens of the Midwest. It did not triumph easily against the often overdone moralism of Puritan circles. Its power grew along with that of Jewry. As is the case of everything that follows the orders of Jewry, Americanism's lack of culture and morality, its freedom-promising "Century of the Child," is nothing but a concealed way of ruining the youth.
Americanism is a splendid method of depoliticization. The Jews have used jazz and movies, magazines and smut, gangsterism and free love, and every perverse desire to keep the American people so distracted that they pay no attention to their own fate. Even in politics, they are no longer influenced by the head, only by what is under the belt.
The Jews would not be Jews if they did not want to apply such tested methods to the entire world. Nearly every nation in the world faced or is facing the need to combat Americanism, a generally pleasant retreat to a barbaric lack of culture.
The logical consequences of Americanism will help the world combat it. The fact that 60% of American crimes are committed by children 13-years-old and under and that rapes increased three-fold between 1942 and 1943 proves that Americanism has reached its limits. It will cause a counter-movement that, just as in Europe, can only be political.
Americanism is not merely a moral-cultural form of degeneration, nor can it be combated by nonpolitical means. It has already been defeated when one digs it up by its roots and sees there plainly the words: "Made in Israel."
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What no comments? Where is Balder? How about you, Mozart?
Gneisenau
"Friend of Stormfront"
Location: Itinerant
A very instructive post, Northern Bastion!
The idea that a well-disciplined people can actually derive advantage from otherwise corrupting influences such as black music is well-supported by the example of Japan, where popular American music fads are clearly in evidence, but the Japanese themselves remain immune to the social degeneracy with which such music is associated in the US.
A similar case can be made for television violence and pornography, which have not lead to an increase in sexual and violent crimes in Japan.
A percieved intolerance to 'popular youth culture' is a theme of anti-National Socialist propaganda. This article from the SS newspaper Das Schwarze Korps successfully establishes the degenerate nature of such music, whilst allowing the freedom of the SS man to listen as part of a deliberate and temporary relapse into a pre-civilised state. Thus the SS man need not dogmatically condemn black/Jewish music, but he use this tool of the enemy to fortify himself, and thus gain advantage where the Jew seeks to destroy.
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derive advantage from otherwise corrupting influences...
Well said Gneisenau~
Location: In the Socialist Republic of Canuckistan wherein the betrayal of our white race is in full swing.
The Final Hitler Transcript - America to be Devoured by Jewry
http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a305.htm
I am reproducing a partial text from the final Hitler Transcripts XIV, of 24th February 1945. Hitler foresaw where the Jews would lead America. He was somewhat off with the timing but otherwise correct. America is being devoured by Jewry!
"I am prepared to wager that well within twenty-five years the Americans themselves will have realized what a handicap has been imposed upon them by this parasitic Jewry, clamped fast to their flesh and nourishing itself on their life-blood. It is this Jewry that is dragging them into adventures which, when all is said and done, arc no concern of theirs and in which the interests at stake are of no importance to them. What possible reason can the non-Jewish Americans have for sharing the hatreds of the Jews and following meekly in their footsteps? One thing is quite certain -within a quarter of a century the Americans will either have become violently anti-Semitic or they will be devoured by Jewry.
If we should lose this war, it will mean that we have been defeated by the Jews. Their victory will then be complete. But let me hasten to add that it will only be very temporary. It will certainly not be Europe which takes up the struggle again against them, but it certainly will be the United States. The latter is a country still too young to have acquired the maturity conferred by age and exaggeratedly lacking in political sense. For the Americans, everything has so far been ridiculously easy. But experience and difficulties will perhaps cause them to mature. Just think for a moment what they were when their country was born -a group of individuals come from all corners of the earth hastening forward in pursuit of fortune and finding at their disposal a vast continent to appease their hunger and all theirs for the taking. National conscience is a thing which develops very gradually, especially in vast territories such as these. Nor must it be forgotten that these individuals had been drawn from a variety of races and had not yet been fused by the bonds of a national spirit. What an easy prey for the Jews!
The excesses in which the Jews indulged in our country are as nothing in comparison with the excesses in which they have indulged and in which they will continue to indulge in ever increasing measure on their new hunting grounds. It will not be very long before the Americans realize that the Roosevelt whom they have adored is an idol with feet of clay and that this Jew-ridden man is in reality a malefactor-both from the point of view of the United States and of humanity as a whole. He has dragged them along a path on which they had no business to be, and in particular he has forced them to take an active part in a conflict that does not concern them at all. Had they possessed even a minimum of political instinct they would have remained in their splendid isolation, content in this conflict to play the role of arbiter. Had they been a little more mature and a little more experienced, they would doubtless have realized that their best course in their own major interests would have been to have entrenched themselves firmly with their faces towards a shattered Europe and in an attitude of vigilant neutrality. By intervening they have once again played into the hands of their Jewish exploiters; and the latter are worldly wise and know exactly what they are doing-but, of course, from their own particular Jewish point of view."
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JEWMERICA
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Location: Vancouver, WA
Honestly when I read stuff like this so far back, further then the Civil Rights movement, during and before WWII, before even WWI and even up to Abraham Lincoln I am in a shock and awe (excuse the pun lol). I mean how these men could see the future so clearly yet so percisely is just unimaginable. In my spare time I often like to fiddle around with guestimates but am always doubting that I might be wrong. How these men were so sure of themselves back then and right! at that is beyond my belief.
I just hope America awakens before our numbers become 60% majority (barely at 70% now). Things are not even funny anymore. Back when it was 90 and even 80% we could laugh a little but now we are taking a steep 20% decline from the 80's up to 2010 and its not looking good at all. Interesting thing is I found even continuing our birth rates now our population size (White) will be roughly the same as it is now in the next 50 years. I doubt it will be as low as its been (since the late 70's) until 2050 though since no time in my current history lesson has a dominant European nation went over 100 years and have its population keep declining.
I am thinking if it does go the same for another 50 years it will be a stabalization period since 210 million european-americans is quite a few.
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If only Americans could have seen the future
as clearly as A. Hitler and others! We would
all be happier and our numbers would be
strong. Instead we may be close to our
annihilation. The persecution of good men
has never stopped and the destruction of
not only the germanic, but ultimately the
entire white race is the fiendish goal of
a bloated criminal enterprise that still has
the backing of most Americans.
We should know about the past, but not
enough people care about the hatred of
our people at the present. I would have
thought that more people would have
clicked on the link that I provided and
because I wrote "a must read".
The Man Who is a Prisoner Because he Refuses to Hate Germans
There’s Danger in the streets . . . Carlos Danger! Pictish Newslinks & Articles 0 08-05-2013 10:32 PM
The Danger of Americanism Custos morum Culture and Customs 6 04-09-2012 10:04 AM
The Danger of 'Americanism' Ares88 Ideology and Philosophy 14 07-03-2010 06:10 PM
The Danger of Americanism Baroque Ideology and Philosophy 6 01-24-2005 02:32 AM
The Danger of Americanism Omarska Историја и култу 3 12-19-2003 02:53 PM
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The Partitions of the Actor are Body, Voice, Emotion.
In London, actors can find brilliant schools, workshops and training for Body and Voice. Alas, hitherto, very little can be found regarding Emotion. Perhaps because it’s a delicate and complex work, difficult to grasp, and it takes time and drive to get it right. Not just will to learn as an actor, but also will to get better as people. Will to know yourself and become the best person, and artist, that you can be.
People such as Stanislavskij, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Meisner understood this and developed exercises and specific trainings to help the actor achieve the ultimate Truth.
Our coaching style has a holistic approach to acting: where you work on a scene, how about thinking to what happened earlier in the day, or the year before, or in the whole life-background of the character, and how that influenced their actions and thoughts? Where you’re working on a character and how they would act and behave, how about you start working on how you act and behave, how do your own feelings influence your actions?
This way, the Method teaches you how to add layers to your character by getting to know yourself first, and then them, and to ultimately achieve being Truthful. There’s no single final truth, we all have our own Truth. Our Art as actors consists in being able to bring it with us on stage and inspire people by being our vulnerable, truthful selves, by giving them the courage that the average person does not possess.
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How to: Build a replica Cannon Part Three
The Gun Carriage
In Part Two we looked at seven steps to building a barrel for a replica naval gun that was both lightweight and portable. The completed barrel needed a gun carriage, however. So, starting at Step Eight, in this Part we will explore one way to make a simple gun carriage to support the barrel.
Step Eight Once again, the result had to be lightweight and robust, not only to support the barrel but to survive the rigours of transportation and manhandling. As shown below, the stepped shape of each "bracket" was built from hardboard supported by wooden noggins, all of which was glued and screwed together. Small counter-sunk brass screws were favoured so that, with filler, they can be suitably disguised.
One concession to ensuring robustness was to insert a hardboard panel (not shown above left) attached to the cross-ribs between the brackets. Five and a half millimetre thick plywood strips (above right) were pinned in place to conceal the noggins. When combined with multi-purpose filler to disguise any gaps, the illusion of solid wood can be created.
The addition of shallow, longitudinal grooves, cut with a tenon saw and filed to shape, further give the impression that the brackets are constructed from several pieces of solid timber (see right).
Step Nine Without a lathe to turn four "trucks" (wheels), each one was made by gluing three 18 mm plywood discs together. The discs themselves can be cut with a jigsaw or using a router, the latter being the option chosen in this case. In the original drawing (above), each truck (wheel) was intended to have a diameter (Ø) of 190 mm. With the gun carriage built, this seemed slightly out of proportion, so the diameter was increased to 270 mm for the front trucks and 230 mm for the rear.
The liberal application of wood filler round the circumference of each truck, sanded smooth, and then each one stained a mahogany colour, created the look of solid wooden wheels.
The trucks on most examples of original gun carriages also seem to be made of more than one disc of material. Where two or more discs are used, then these are usually bolted together. Six clout nails were therefore hammered into each of the four trucks to represent these bolts. One of the four completed trucks (wheels) is shown right.
The fore and hind axletrees on a gun carriage were typically made from square section timber radiused at either end to fit the centre holes of the trucks. To lighten our design, however, we chose to construct two plywood boxes with internal brackets to support the axles (as shown below). Two additional boards (not shown above) were glued on each side to enclose the axle and make the axletree appear to be solid wood. The axletrees were attached to the underside of the carriage by wood screws.
A 5 mm Ø hole was drilled in each axle to receive an axle pin. Each was made from a repurposed 4 mm Ø round wire nail set in a oval-shaped wooden block painted black to look like iron. These pins, which can be seen in the image of the completed truck above right, are removable so that the trucks can be removed for transportation, if desired.
Step Ten With the basic construction completed, the whole gun carriage was primed and then painted. We chose to imitate the orangey-yellow paint scheme used aboard HMS Victory, Flagship of the First Sea Lord, which can be visited in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Matching the precise colour was a challenge, however. In the end, rather than having a bespoke paint mixed, we opted to use three tester pots of "Granada" matt emulsion [note 1]. The result after three coats is shown above.
The Ironwork
Step Eleven The next task is to recreate the ironwork for the gun carriage, such as the rings for the rope tackle. Shaped brackets for the barrel trunnions, known as "capsquares", needed to be fabricated, as did large faux bolts to replicate those that would have held the carriage together.
Capsquares The barrel trunnions are held in place on the gun carriage by two arched iron capsquares. One end of each capsquare is fastened over an iron wedge known as a capsquare fore-lock and held in place by a capsquare key passing through the wedge. At the other end, each capsquare is hinged about a capsquare eyebolt so that, with the key removed, the capsquare can be lifted up and rotated to release the trunnion. In this way the cannon barrel can be removed from the carriage.
The two capsquares were cut to create the arched shape from blocks of wood measuring 260 mm long x 50 mm wide x 50 mm high. The radius of the arch is 35 mm, and the resulting capsquare is 10 mm thick.
The u-shaped capsquare eyebolts were cut from 12 mm plywood, sanded to a round profile and glued onto each gun carriage bracket. The ends of the eyebolts were cut to form "pins" used to locate them in pre-drilled holes to the rear of each trunnion.
The capsquare keys and fore-locks were cut from 5.5 mm plywood. The flange on each fore-lock allowed it to be glued into a slot cut to receive it located forward of the trunnion on each gun carriage bracket. A metal chain was connected to each key through a 5 mm Ø hole. Using a threaded eyebolt, the chain and key were fixed to the gun carriage brackets just below the capsquare fore-locks.
Each piece of the capsquare assembly was primed and painted black to look like iron.
Bolt heads Large nylon cover buttons, spray painted black, were glued in the appropriate position to replicate the bolts that pass through the carriage and hold it together. Smaller diameter buttons were used to replicate the bolts securing the axletrees.
Gun tackle ring bolts The simplest solution for the ring bolts was to purchase suitably sized iron ring door pulls from an ironmongery or hardware supplier. Although these pulls have flexible rings (unlike the originals) it was felt this was an acceptable compromise as the baseplates could be more easily screwed to the carriage.
Next... With the barrel and carriage complete, the gun will needed something to "fire". So, in Part Four we will explore "How to:" recreate some of the different projectiles used in the Age of Sail.
1. The tester pots were purchased from the "GoodHome" range at B&Q. Other DIY or paint retail outlets may offer the same or even a more accurate colour.
2. The description of a typical gun's rigging was retrieved from the website Model Ship World.
How to: Build a replica Cannon Part Four
Wæs hæl! Drinc hæl!
Vesuvius Erupts!
©2020 by Tastes Of History
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Summit County gardeners make investment in first-ever seed bank
Breeana Laughlin
blaughlin@summitdaily.com
Community members interested in donating to the project can visit the High Country Conservation website or go to this link: https://ioby.org/project/summit-county-seed-library
As the summer growing season draws to a close, the Summit Community Supported Agriculture team will not only be harvesting the final greens and veggie blooms from their gardens, they will also be harvesting seeds from the plants.
The group of gardeners is working to make the county’s first-ever seed bank. They hope the effort will lead to a more sustainable food future for Summit County.
The vision is to establish a library that would offer free access to seeds and seed-saving education to everyone in the county.
“It’s really necessary for the community, especially at this climate, to link people together and share tips about the seeds,” said Kyla Laplante, Summit CSA lead farmer.
Seeds would be located, ideally, in a community library, where they could be “rented” for free. In turn, gardeners would be asked to harvest the seeds from the best of their plants at the end of the season, and return them to the bank.
Because the seeds will be free, the CSA’s lead intern, Emily Roesel, said the seed bank would close the loop on local community gardens.
“It’s going to kind of complete the system of sustainable food, and that is what we’re lacking by having to purchase seeds,” Roesel said.
At 9,000 feet, Summit County can be a challenging location to grow vegetables and flowers. Community gardeners said the cultivation of seed stock can ease the process because, over the years, the seeds will become more resilient and regionally adapted to the High Rockies soil and micro-climate.
“It’s really important in our climate to be adapting seeds to the region. Developing a collection of seeds that will do well here will give us an extra advantage,” LaPlante said.
Seed banks also play a part in preserving the environment as a whole, LaPlante said. Collecting and preserving a variety of seeds can help conserve genetic diversity.
The seed sector has gone through a massive concentration process.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates a loss of cultivated agricultural diversity of 75 percent since 1990, when the seed market emerged.
“In the early 1900s we had a huge variety of seeds, but since big businesses have taken over, the seed stock is owned by no more than 10 corporations,” LaPlante said.
“That alone is pretty scary,” she said. “The seeds are becoming essentially endangered.”
The community garden team, with the help of the High Country Conservation Center, have set up a donation site to get the project off the ground. They are hoping to raise about $1,000 for the project, which will be met with a matching grant.
The group is also working to collaborate with members of the Frisco Library, the location they hope to set up the seed bank.
Summit County reallocates vaccine doses to neighboring counties
Summit County officials approve 10 pm curfew for alcohol consumption at 5-star restaurants
Dillon plans new stimulus, expands business grant program
Summit County to see light snow over the weekend
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Summit High School graduate, Fairplay restaurant featured on cable TV shows
Breckenridge releases recording of illegal Town Council executive session
BRECKENRIDGE — The town of Breckenridge has released a recording from a Breckenridge Town Council executive session held illegally Tuesday, Nov. 3, regarding a transit center and workforce housing project proposal by Breckenridge Grand Vacations. At...
Watch: Bootprints Hiking Guide to Quandary Peak via east ridge
BLUE RIVER — I’d done 14 previous hikes in this summer’s Bootprints Hiking Guide all across Summit County, but with the warm weather holding up into early October, I decided to add on a 14er...
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Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Popped in Souled Out’ to get five-disc super deluxe treatment
March 31, 2017 by Paul Sinclairtags: 1980s, 30th Anniversary, Wet Wet Wet
Expanded Memphis Sessions • Unreleased Material • B-sides • DVD
Universal Music will reissue a 30th anniversary super deluxe edition of Wet Wet Wet‘s 1987 debut Popped In Souled Out in September.
This new five-disc edition will feature the original album remastered, an expanded edition of the Willie Mitchell Memphis Sessions (including a previously unreleased version of Wishing I Was Lucky), a full disc of unreleased recordings from 1984/5, and a CD of remixes, demos and b-sides from issued on the various vinyl and CD singles – along with their cover of With A Little Help With My Friends. The content is completed by a DVD with promo videos, TV appearances and new interviews with band members.
The super deluxe edition is presented in a large format 12-inch, 72-page book that features the band telling the story of the album with unseen photos from their private collection.
The full track listing hasn’t been made available as yet (you’ll be the first to know!) but Popped In Souled Out will be reissued on 22 September 2017 – 30 years and one day since the original release. The band will also celebrate in July with two live shows – at Rochester Castle (12th) and Edinburgh Castle (15th).
5-disc super deluxe
Amazon uk 96.08 Order
Amazon de 80.72 Order
Amazon fr 81.72 Order
Amazon it 81.72 Order
Amazon ca 133.44 Order
Amazon jp 20420.00 Order
JPC de 79.99 Order
99 responses to Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Popped in Souled Out’ to get five-disc super deluxe treatment
Dave Meehan Nyquest Limted says:
I’m working on this…the DVD part. …All the BBC stuff, promos etc. … Lots of work & media gone into this, I worked on Moody Blue Timeless flight release, Big Country at BBC, John Martyn Island Years & a few hundred other things for many labels over the last 20 years. They are as serious as any of the 300 bands I’ve worked with / for & probably more successful. Sound guys too from band to management. Lots of effort in this one & everyone is involved.
The price did drop the £46.60 on Amazon since it was announced at the end of March and pre-order price guarantee if you ordered then that’s the price you will pay. Shame about the missing PWL mix but there is still time to re-consider, it’s not out until September.
Pingback:Wet Wet Wet reveal full track listing for Popped In Souled Out super deluxe | superdeluxeedition
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Karl Watson says:
Was £49.99 plus £3.95 through the Wets official store. I suspect that Amazon may even come down further – and with their pre-order price guarantee :)
Now down to £45.60 on Amazon!
Yup, ordered at £45.60.
As ever, Amazon UK get it right eventually….
I’m with Straker on this one. WIWL was marvelous – and the Demo of Angel Eyes was good too. I also believe i had another very good demo on one of those independent tapes from the 80s – but from then on – even the Memphis Stuff (and i love that Soul Era) left me cold.
And Jan, can it be that “Sweet Little Mystery” got the PWL treatment, not WIWL?
Thanks for the PWL responses. Made the hairs on my arm stand up.
A version of ‘Angel Eyes’ appeared on the compilation ‘Honey at the Core’ in 86. I guess it is a given that this will be on there?
Not sure anything is a ‘given’ these days, but we’ll see…
What is or are PWL Remixes?
Pete Waterman Limited.
Imagine Wet Wet Wet with Jason Donovan’s backing tracks. Yes, that bad!
On these editions I’m always keen to have unreleased stuff on them instead of things that have been available in that past. The Stephen Hague stuff would be good to hear – just to see what treatment the songs we know got.
Hey Simon, each to his own taste. But on 5 CDs there must be room for them. For me to enjoy and for you to skip.
Hope they stick to their guns and don’t put the PWL mix(es) on it, as they’ll probably be as bad as most of the other crap that came out of there…
David Bates says:
The Cherry Pop Phil Harding Club Mixes CD tried very hard to get the PWL Wishing I Was Lucky on in 2011 but they couldn’t get it licenced.
Tony Gubba says:
Never been a fan but some good pop across this lp. Looks a cracking set.
I’m hoping this release contains the following tracks that have never been issued on CD – only flexi, vinyl or cassette:
I Can Give You Everything – Jammin’ Flexi Disc Version
The Moment You Left Me – Beats Run Wild Sampler Version
Sweet Little Mystery (7″ Version)
Sweet Little Mystery (12″ Version)
Wishing I Was Lucky (Instrumental Dub)
Wishing I Was Lucky (Gotta Job Mix)
May You Never (Live – Sweet Little Mystery 12”Wet Pack)
Sweet Little Mystery (Mister E. Mix)
All the other b-sides can be found on CD releases – some UK releases and some overseas releases.
Stuart Russell says:
“Beats Run Wild”: a great mix tape that I still have a copy of
Being from the locale, I saw WWW live a few times before they broke so looking forward to this
49.99 with limited signed poster on their website, why bother with amazon!
I hoping the Amazon price drops – usually does. Marti’s recent box set has dropped aver 45% since Amazon originally listed it and it’s now £5 than it is via his official store.
The signed poster edition of PISO is now “souled” out and I wasn’t too fussed about going for that so I’ll stick with my Amazon pre-order. Amazon offer pre-order price guarantee – if the price drops between now and dispatch date, you’ll get charged the lowest price it has been offered at. Can always cancel if the price doesn’t seem to be moving.
Stevie B says:
I sooo hope there’ll be a pop up of the cover with the Sgt. Pepper 50th anniversary edition. Thee’s simply no way I’m buying unless there’s a self assembly of that montage.
Paul English says:
@Francis
“I agree with you Paul, who decides what music is classed as “serious” and what is not?”
In my experience, hipsters and musos have been at this snobbery game for as long as I can remember – 35+ years. I don’t listen to them.
@Martin Farnworth
“Yep although i rather dislike the band i don’t like the snobbery surrounding ‘serious’ artists. I imagine someone stroking their chin in a wine bar listening with serious intent to the serious musicianship of a Sting album”
Nearly all hipsters I know hate Sting.
Thanks for the heads-up on the album, Paul. If it drops below £50 I am in.
This looks like it could be a good release (though I’ll have to wait for the price to come down) The album has some weak moments it has to be said and is by and large floated on 4 killer singles and a couple of other tracks that make the grade. However; be great to hear more raw versions of some of these on the extras. Live material from the period shows the Wets could really cut it live and had some great energy. Be nice if that PWL version gets on there. Was not aware of that. I can imagine how it sounds and as a fan of the PWL sound I will probably like it.
2badmofo says:
I reckon With A Little Help With My Friends will be on disc 4 “Push On Through – B-Sides, Remixes and a No 1”, I really hope everything that was only on vinyl gets on this set, although I’m not fond of the way discs go into these sets, they always seem to be scratched before they reach cd player, they should put the plastic bags on the discs like they usually have on Japan Mini Replica Vinyl CDs
Armin says:
April Fools Day!! LMAO
eoin hall says:
Hopefully the 12” mix of Sweet little Mystery will finally be released on cd.
Weesluggy says:
I’m not sure if this a joke or not…its the pop-up that’s making me think that it is.
Erm, it’s not a joke…
While I agree with all the comments about serious artistst vs. useless pop trash, i think he has a point. I find it strange that a lot of pop artist from the eighties get the deluxe treatment (see Belinda Carlisle, Bros, Jason Donovan, TPau etc.) while there are many still active musicians who have a bigger fanbase, more recorded output or are generally better received critically and yet there are not even decently remastered editions available (like he said Jackson Browne, Bryan Adams, Billy Joel,Bob Seger, Don Henley etc.). I lie Wet Wet Wet and 80s pop, but to me it´s strange that bigger artistst in terms oif sales and fanbase get overlooked when it comes to the deluxe treatmaent.
Armin, as Paul himself said earlier, if something does not get a reissue it’s normally because either the record label can’t be bothered or more commonly the artist/band won’t allow it or it’s both of them for the same reasons. For example why has Madonna not being reissued, I’d wager it’s because Madonna herself does not want it reissued.
Its the case that most of the acts that have been reissued that you listed started out in the 1980’s, while Bryan Adams aside, most the ones that have not had reissued started out in the 1970’s so maybe it’s a generational/ age that the artists have differing views on reissues.
I think there is also still a bit of a stigma attached to released SDEs that it shows you’ve become a “nostalgia act”–that your best days are behind you, in the past, and what you’re putting out now is just filler to justify new tours until you’re ready for retirement. I don’t think it’s a fair stigma, but I think it’s very much alive, in the same way that a similar stigma was attached to releasing a “greatest hits” was thought to be an acknowledgement that the hit-making days were over. Just like hits packages, I think SDEs are beginning to get a makeover in terms of perception in the industry, especially as we see both labels and artists looking for new ways to release profitable physical products to combat he low-margin digital sales. Some artists are probably going to still avoid doing SDEs for a long time–especially any artists that are most focused on what they are currently doing (Madonna, Pet Shops Boys, etc.) and prefer not to spend time “looking back.”
I still hold out hope that eventually some of those artists–especially Madonna, who I think has quite a bit of unreleased material–will eventually at least concede to licensing the projects out to someone like Rhino to meet the demand while still working on their current work. Such arrangements seem to have worked out just fine for people like Tori Amos.
Griffin says:
I’m interested, but first I need to see the tracklistings whether it’s worth it (for me) that amount of money. If it’s like the other/previous WWW SDE then I won’t be buying. The tracks I wanted were on my CD singles but not included on the box set.
And I still don’t know why people took time to write comments about something they aren’t interested in or even hate. I know I wouldn’t waste my time on that. I come (back) here often. For a long time I didn’t see something interesting for me. But now this WWW post I’m interested in. Thank you Paul, I hope you’ll get your hands on the tracklistings ASAP hahaha…
Will update of course, as soon as I have the track listing. I also think this will drop to the £45 mark.
] along with their cover of With A Little Help With My Friends
Hmm, I’ve never heard of that one. Who’s it by? ;)
A little bit out of my price range, but why the hell not? And September is MONTHS away, so plenty of time for a price drop.
I agree with all the anti-music-snob comments above. I have a wide range of musical tastes and I’m proud of my collection, no matter how ‘dorky’ or uncool it might be in places. I don’t hide my Spice Girls behind my Marvin Gayes, I don’t hide my Bananaramas behind my Pretenders and I don’t hide my Betty Boos behind my Blondies.
If you don’t like something, that’s fine. But there’s no need to click on the thread and be an old grump about it.
I enjoyed this album as a teenager, i don’t think it’s aged very well. I would be interested but it’s very expensive. Compare it to today’s release of Fleetwood Mac “Tango in the night” 4 x cd & 1 vinyl LP for £16 cheaper and it’s easy to see why people are being less than positive, especially if you own the original album and the Memphis sessions album already. Nice idea but be realistic with the price
CJ Feeney says:
To be fair to the Wets, there is going to be less repetition in this box than most deluxes. Tango has three (?) identical stereo mixes of the album, this will have one. The Memphis sessions are of real interest to fans. Willie Mitchell being a producer of “serious” soul music.
I agree the price is high, but I guess the record company have done a calculation on prospective units they will sell compared to preparation and production costs. I expect it will sell less than Tango or Flowers in the Dirt.
Steve, the Amazon UK price for the Tango in the Night SEE when it was first announced was £61.99 so only £3 difference. I may end up being wrong, but I am guessing this will end up at around the same price as Tango In The Night come release day.
I think Amazon tends to over estimate the going price when they first post the listing, knowing they have the pre-order price guarantee to avoid pissing off people who pre-order the day it’s listed. In the long run, it’s better to have the price listed too high and be able to come down on it than it is to list it too low and be in the position of having to honor a price that Amazon would lose money on.
The term ‘serious artists/music’ is as worthless as talking about ‘real’ instruments. The song is what matters, not the perception of the artists or how it was created. The most heartfelt song can be produced on a computer and the most calculated cynical cash generator played on a guitar
AnthonyC says:
I love pop music and I love any music with heart.
Wet Wet Wet have serious heart in what they do. They write, perform and produce everything they do (sometimes with other producers as well). I can only think of three album tracks in 30 years that have been cover versions (Maggie May, Love Is All Around and Beyond The Sea).
They do what they do and people can take it or leave it. They don’t claim to be anything they are not. They don’t try to be cool and they don’t try not to be cool. They just do what they do.
So if you like it great!
If you don’t like it, then that is for you to decide.
I for one, can’t bloomin’ wait for September and I’m aching to find out the track listing – I could wet myself but I’ll try not to (no pun intended).
Last week I saw Marti Pellow live – he was incredible. So full of soul, rhythm and blues AND completely and immensely talented!
James Blair says:
I will forever be astonished (& horribly disappointed) by people who take the time to diss releases they have no interest in, or personal taste for.
I see plenty of titles on these pages that don’t personally interest me. Sometimes I skip merrily by without so much as a click, othertimes I read the details and comments, but choose not to post my personal opinions. Never do I feel the need to judge others’ tastes & preferences with judgmental music snobbery!
I love the fact that this site features reissue info’ about every kind of music, regardless of genre, perceived credibility, or commercial success on first release – that is a huge credit to Paul’s open mind and eclectic taste.
For the record, this release won’t end up in my collection, but I’m excited for fans of the band and of this album!
I was never really a fan of the band until I heard the Memphis Sessions which if I remember rightly was a limited 10″ release. It completely made me reappraise them as artists – it was apparent they were a lot more than Pellow’s smile. The sessions lacked the pop sheen of the eventual hits but were far superior in my opinion Must admit I would be tempted to buy an extended version of that album if it was alone but there would have to be quite a price drop for me to consider buying a 5cd box.
One of the things I love about this site is the lack of musical snobbery and that Paul looks at each release on its merits, understanding that it will certainly appeal to someone. As someone who is closing in rapidly on my 50th birthday, I have been blessed (cursed?) by being a sponge to many musical genres from the late 70s onwards. As I’ve got older my tastes moved into more serious territory, but being a teenager in the 1980s, I can’t help but retain interest in a number of bands from that era from Adam Ant to Kylie via Wham!, Spandau, Duran etc.
One of the most exciting re-releases for me this year is the extended 2 disc Haircut One Hundred Paint And Paint album which is due on 19th May. The was the album post Nick Heyward and was one of my favourite albums in 1984.
Trash says:
@Rob – I am so glad I bother to read comments for groups that I am only vaguely interested in e.g. Wet Wet Wet. If I hadn’t read your comment I wouldn’t have found out about the Paint and Paint reissue. I LOVE this album and have worn out two copies on vinyl (it can be pretty hard to find).
I didn’t ever think it would get an extended reissue as it was not popular at the time.
Ordered on Amazon within 30 secs of reading your comment. Thanks for that!
Mike the Fish says:
Expanded Paint & Paint?! Must check that out!
WIWL is one of THE great pop songs. Not got a lot of time for the rest of their output but I’d happily shell out a tenner for an hour’s worth of versions of that classic.
Here’s hoping and praying they include the unreleased PWL Remix of ‘Sweet Little Mystery’!
Waiting for the 10 disc set, plus fridge magnets …..
Pete Muscutt says:
More super deluxe boxsets definitely need fridge magnets!!!
The Progster says:
Couldn’t stand Wet Wet Wet…absolutely rubbish band urghhh…and this album a 5 disc version? Come on Paul is this a pre April Fools Joke???
Please see comments above!
And yet you clicked on the link anyway. Strangely enough, when I see a release coming from a band I am not fond of, I manage to simply scroll onward and leave it to the people who will enjoy that release–which is whom I am fairly certain the edition is targeted for. I don’t understand this concept that the only albums that should ever get a special release or a remaster or a deluxe edition are albums that specific people think “deserve it.”
Count me in for this one. The Wets never really made a huge impact in the US, but what I heard of them I liked, and with this on it’s way, it reminded me to order the rest of their catalogue while I was at it, because I have yet to hear anything from them that I didn’t like.
Hans Jörg says:
No one is interested in your rubbish comment master progster. Troll along.
Even if I like it I will only get it if it includes the Phil Harding mix(es).
Holy cow, what a week of deluxes (my Tango & T’Pau are both here) – they recorded a lot before Popped in as is well known, so will be great to here the earlier stuff. Given Wishing I Was Lucky is an utter tune – hope that all the remixes released are included – the PWL mix would be a bonus if they are slightly less pious these days, cross fingers!
£49.99 from
http://store.universalmusic.com/wetwetwet/
The signed poster bundle is showing as unavailable upon checkout, whether that means “Souled out” or it is a web gremlin I don’t know as they don’t give an edition number, it would have been a nice to have poster….Well if “sold out” it means a few must have been ordered….
This is great! I’ve been excited about this all week since the band started tweeting about it.
The track listing isn’t known so i don’t know what assumptions are being made. I can’t see why the PWL ‘Wishing’ wouldn’t be included after all there is plenty of room across 5 discs.
I expect there will be a 2-disc version as the previous deluxe box set also had a completely separate 2-disc edition.
From this era most tracks are on CD so it would be nice to have the few vinyl only mixes on CD and of course the unreleased tracks!
I am not too sure if I will get destroyed on here. But £65 for Wet Wet Wet. Are you serious? Most of the Deal Alerts are for albums that no-one wants to buy. And this will be the next one. When are the serious artists going to re-release, Deluxe albums. Where is Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne etc,etc. I am sorry but, these are super deluxe reissues are from bands that no-one ever liked. I have deluxe from Allman Bros, Clapton, Costello, Gaye, etc, etc, but this one? No.
I’m sorry but I don’t buy into this ‘serious’ artists business. Popped In Souled Out was a seriously popular album back in the day (at least in the UK) and this reissue will give a lot of people a lot of pleasure. Also, there isn’t one man sitting in a room making a decision between “Innervisions” and “Popped In Souled Out”.
I agree with you Paul, who decides what music is classed as “serious” and what is not? I for one like the Wet Wet Wet albums and certainly hope to be able to afford this super deluxe edition of their debut. Hopefully their others will follow in similar boxsets. Not all people who like music listen to artists such as Jackson Browne or Stevie Wonder (I do, but many do not). Music like that produced by Wet Wet Wet is just as important and just as enjoyable too many as any other type of music, whether it be Pop like theirs or Heavy Metal or Rap. So Chris, do not be the judge and jury of what others like when it comes to listening to music because what you class as “bands or artists that no-one ever liked” the same could be said about those you listen to if we were all to judge like you do. I have albums by artists such as Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello and Stevie Wonder but I also have artists such as Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley and Bananrama. As for the Allman Brothers who you list as having a deluxe set by, they have never had a hit single or album in the UK where as Wet Wet Wet have had 29 Top 50 singles (including 3 number ones), 7 Top 50 albums and 3 Top 50 compilation albums.
I am glad you like Stevie Wonder or Jackson Browne, but they were just 2 artists I could think of, that have never had SDE of their best years. Led Zeppelin never had a No 1 single in the UK, does that make WWW more popular than them?
martin farnworth says:
Yep although i rather dislike the band i don’t like the snobbery surrounding ‘serious’ artists. I imagine someone stroking their chin in a wine bar listening with serious intent to the serious musicianship of a Sting album. Usually artists not considered pop acts. (as opposed to something might be considered superior). A seriously good box set though was the 5 disc of Hunting High And Low- a ‘serious’ (ha) pop act who had a major impact.
In the annoying stakes this talk of ‘serious’ artists I hear of ranks with people talking about authenticity in music and ‘real’ music- which sounds like the most conceited thing ever. I suppose I must like a lot of unreal music!
I “seriously” do not stroke my chin in a wine bar,whilst listening to Sting. I drink Guinness in a pub.
Matthew McKinnon says:
I wish there were. And I wish it were me.
Further to my previous post, I see that the price has dropped already. I am an avid reader of your site, I love it, I also have the Paul Young releases you were involved with, but too many super deluxe editions are being released from artists that not many people want to buy. If they carry on like this, then some bean-counter at the few record companies left will say enough is enough and that regrettably will be the end of it. My Generation SDE is now almost half the price it was at release time, so will the readers of this site simply not buy anything until the price has dropped to acceptable limits? I wonder what price Sgt Peppers will be in 6 months time, or even in 6 weeks time. But the price will be controlled by whichever website has it cheapest, or has too many in stock ,and the rest will follow. The law of supply and demand has always existed. Having said that, the price of those SDE from ‘serious’ artists that have now deleted, are going through the roof! Who knows, anyway, best wishes to you, and keep up the good work.
Man that is quite arrogant. Price point is sensitive for many here whether it is Paul McCartney or any point downwards from there. To assume “No one wants to buy” because YOU don’t want to buy is (sadly) an all too common knee-jerk stance on here.
It grinds my gears when someone types “Who would buy this rubbish?” even when it a group I don’t like. You wouldn’t go into a pub, walk up to someone and say “What you like is crap” so why do it here?
I have no idea what you mean by a “Serious artist”. WetWetWet were pretty serious about what they did, they did it extremely successfully over a number of years (and shifted a lot of units) and were loved by many (me included)…what else do you need? On top of that I would put Marti Pellow’s voice up there with Tony Hadley & George Michael as the best Pop voices this country has ever produced.
To dismiss a group like WWW3 whilst listing the artists you mention is pure snobbery and little else.
I understand what opinion is, it’s just a shame that people don’t have a bit more grace about exercising theirs.
Well said Chris Squires!
I’m not a Wet Wet Wet fan (although I do rather like Angel Eyes – I think they nabbed some lyrics from a Squeeze song in it too) but people need to remember that everyone’s tastes are different and therefore no more, or less, important than the next person’s.
RJSWinchester says:
“It grinds my gears”
I’m sure your rants about your gears getting grinded grinds plenty of other people’s gears! Take it easy man.
First of all I am not being arrogant. I do not use words like crap or rubbish, when I write on here. I was simply posting my thoughts on the over-pricing of SDE that happens. And then the price comes down as it now has. I mean no disrespect to artists like WWW, I loved wishing I was lucky, and I wished that I was as good looking as Marty Pellow. Or could sing like him. But there are just too many SDE releases from artists that will not sell.
As for the best 3 pop voices from this country, please….
Who would you rate as having a better male pure “Pop” Voice than George Michael, Tony Hadley or Marti Pellow. I don’t count Freddie as I would class him as Rock Voice. There are not that many better (IMHO) that I can think of. There are “Interesting voices” and there are “Good voices”….it’s a venn diagram of sorts.
Just to chip in… I’d rate Mick Hucknall above Marti and Tony, although I think they’re all good…
To Paul, Mick Hucknall – decent shout. This is maybe where the Venn diagram crossover comes in as both someone like Mick Hucknall and Paul Young crossover into the (Blue-eyed) “Soul voice”.
To me neither are true Pop voices, they are not clean enough, both have that rasp of soul. Yes, they have sold many Pop records but are they Pop voices? We need the old Pop Star Professor B:Rian Cox to draw us a venn chart.
Where does Rick Astley fit, he has a belter? Pop or Soul? Does it matter?
Haha… Brian Cox isn’t independent enough with his D:Ream background ;) Not sure it does matter too much. I’ve always thought of Simply Red as a ‘pop’ band despite the soul influences etc.
Kauwgompie says:
Bit of a short sighted comment. The deal alerts I recently bought (among others, thank you Paul ;-) were box sets by Alan Parsons Project “Tales….”, The Clash “Sound System” and REM “Out Of Time”. My guess is you would consider that “serious” music.
A while back we had that discussion on this site when the Nick Kamen 2cd came out. A very welcome release in my book. Music makes people happy whether it is played with a synthesizer or guitar. To each their own. Wet Wet Wet made many people happy back in the 80’s. Glad they get to release this. It’s not my cup of tea and I’m amazed the record company manages to squeeze 5 discus out of this but hey, there is certainly a market for it and they deserve it just as much as Lez Zeppelin or any other stuff you call “serious”.
In fact, if I may, I would recommend you try some of that “unserious” music. One of the greatest things about this website is that you get a chance to learn about music you would have otherwise no clue about. I would have never entertained the idea of buying Alan Parson’s Project “Tales….”, it’s now one of my favorite albums. Listen without Prejudice….
Hey Kauwgompie, I had never owned a Sparks record until this week and because of the recommendations of others and I really “Got” Hippopotamus I am now the proud owner of the Island Years Box set. It pays to be open minded here on SDE (oh, and have a deep wallet and a VERY understanding wife).
My favourite band of all time sold about 100 copies of their last reissue campaign, plenty left over, doesn’t make The Lilac Time crap though, does it?
Agreed Chris!! In fact, thanks for bringing that up. I need to do some Sparks research. I have a few of their extended versions on CD and like them a lot. Who knows, I may end up the same as you….with a box set.
I’m much looking forward to the release of “Jungle Jezebel” by Divine. Doubt that is considered “serious” music but try playing it loudly in your car….a must have. Finally all Bobby O produced remixes on a 2xcd. Hope the sound quality will be there which it may not considering it is from Cherry Pop, but that is a different issue.
@Chris Squires
The Lilac Time (and Duffy in general) definitely an underrated group/writer.
I would love to see better treatment of his back catalogue (the 2CD Paradise Circus reissue was a gem though).
Favourite Lilac Time album is Astronauts – can’t put my finger on why but it is the one I seem play most often…
If all SDE’s were only allowed to come from “serious artists” as labeled by you, then I supposed the one positive point is that I would be saving plenty of money.
If you’re upset that you’re not getting SDE’s from Clapton and Wonder, your gripe is with them, not with Wet Wet Wet or other bands that you don’t find to be “serious” enough.
And let those of us who are able to enjoy music without it having to come with some snob-approved pedigree enjoy expanded editions of what we like as well. It certainly doesn’t impact your ability to listen to your music.
W3 were not a manufactured bubblegum group, but payed their dues on the live circuit before hitting the big time, created their own organisation instead of signing away control to a major, and basically were 3 lads who could play their instruments and another with a very fine voice. They loved soul music, played well live without need for excess electronic trickery, wrote very good soulful pop songs and had a very respected musician friendly manager (now the head of a major hifi cable maker Ecosse….). Jeez, what do you need to do to be classed as serious? Not Clapton, sure. But Nick Kamen they are not.
Funnily enough, what you have described of the Wets trajectory is how I always felt the Q-Tips might have ended up had they sold in any serious amount, they did all the hard work but never quite saw the pay off like W3 did. A tight group (albeit much larger) who could REALLY play, a guy with a great soul / pop voice and a love of good old fashioned soul. A “Memphis Sessions” version of the Q-Tips album would have been immense.
Oh YEEEESSSSS.
One of my defining mid / late 80s life experience albums in glorious SDE.
Thrilled at this development…. One of THOSE albums that you know inside out and back to front I played it so many times when it first came out. “He would swear by his mouth almighty”…
If they could do this for “The Ups and Downs” it would make my decade.
As in Stephen Duffy’s “The Ups and Downs”? If so then count me in. I adore that album!
Another purchase for me. I have the original album on cassette, and this collection is very appealing.
I had this cd since it came out, can’t believe it’s been 30 years! Must be getting old …
Please tell me that ” pop up” isn’t real !!!!!
Assume it IS real!
I like the ‘pop up’ it goes with the title of the album. At least they have done much more with this Super Deluxe Edition than Paul McCartney has done with his releases and they are much more expensive for less content. Good on ya Wet Wet Wet.
I hope it drops in price like the previous super deluxe did as £64.99 is a bit too much for me. I would love to buy this and update it from the standard CD I originally bought when the album was first released.
A little pointless without the unreleased PWL mix of ‘Wishing’ which a certain demographic is after (me!). Apparently the band hated it because they’re not on it, only Marti’s vocals.
Well, we don’t *know* that isn’t included as yet, although it seems very unlikely.
Ooh, that sounds cryptic.
Awaiting in anticipation to track listing.
I’m not a fan of PWL remixes of other artists, but you would think after 30 years that if the band don’t want it on their own album release, they would be a least willing to licence it for inclusion on a PWL release/retrospective.
… and sell some boxsets.
elliott buckingham says:
a double cd would suffice disc1 remastered with b-sides disc 2 demos and 12″ mixes
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InterGeo 2019, Auf Wiedersehen!
20 Sept,2019
Auf Wiedersehen, which means goodbye in German. As 19 September is the last day of InterGeo 2019, there are still a lot of people at the venue. And the schedule in SuperMap booth is very full, too.
The first highlight is the official signing ceremony between SuperMap and nFrames for the partnership. nFrames is a new star German company which focuses on photogrammetry technology and its SURE software solutions are used in more than 20 countries around the world. Also it has built partnerships with more than 300 universities and research institutions around the world.
SuperMap Booth
PhD researcher Konrad Wenzel, one of the Co-founders of nFrames, said that it is a great pleasure to be a partner with SuperMap and a good start to have a win-win result. Mr. Wang Haitao, Vice President of SuperMap, said, through the cooperation of SuperMap and nFrames, SuperMap technology can enter the European market, and the nFrames technology can be recognized by Chinese market.
PhD Researcher Konrad Wenzel, Co-founders of nFrames (Left),Mr. Wang Haitao, Vice President of SuperMap (Right)
As for the second highlight, Mr. Pro. Dr. Rudolf Staiger, the President of FIG, visited SuperMap booth and awarded SuperMap as the gold member of FIG. Dr. Rudolf Staiger said it is very pleased to have SuperMap as the gold member of FIG and invited SuperMap to participate in the FIG next year in Amsterdam. Also, he expressed the willingness to maintain a long-term friendly relationship with SuperMap. In addition, FIG will strongly support The 2nd International Workshop of GIS Technology and Application jointly organized by the China Society for Geodesy Photogrammetry and Cartography and SuperMap to bring Chinese GIS technology to the whole world.
Mr. Wang Haitao, Vice President of SuperMap (Left), Mr. Pro. Dr. Rudolf Staiger, the President of FIG (Right)
At last, Mr. Daniel Katzer, the Director of InterGeo Exhibition and Conference, visited and expressed his welcome to SuperMap and helped on booking the booth for SuperMap next year. He said, as the organizer of the global surveying and mapping exhibition, it is glad to see more and more Chinese companies participated into the event. This year, more than 50 Chinese companies exhibited in 2019 InterGeo with abundant contents, including GIS, surveying and measuring instruments, drones, etc.
Mr. Daniel Katzer, the Director of InterGeo Exhibition and Conference (The Second from the Right), Mr. Wang Haitao, Vice President of SuperMap (The Second from the Left), and Ms. Wang Dan, General Manager of Branding Department of SuperMap (Right)
To conclude 2019 InterGeo, SuperMap made great efforts on it and gained a lot of results. As said by Mr. Wang Haitao, “no matter how difficult the European road is, SuperMap must have a strong believe and continue the road firmly to let the European people use SuperMap technology and products in the future”.
SuperMap Team
PS: 2010 InterGeo will be held in Berlin, Germany from October 13-15, SuperMap will see you there!
A Successful End of the 3rd International Workshop on GIS Technology and Application
Invitation of the 3rd International Workshop on GIS Technology and Application
A Successful End of Multilingual GIS International Forum of GTC 2020
Video of 2020 GIS Software Technology Conference (GTC 2020) - Beijing Site
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Home News RRR: NTR to romance Olivia Morris
RRR: NTR to romance Olivia Morris
It has been a phenomenal year for everyone in the team of RRR. It was exactly a year ago that they started shooting for the film that is now the most awaited film in Indian cinema.
Starring NTR and Ram Charan in the leads alongside Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, the film is a period drama that gives a fictional twist to the lives of the legendary characters of Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharama Raju.
And now, putting an end to several speculations of the other female leads, the team has made it official that British actress Olivia Morris will play the female lead opposite NTR in the film.
In yet another interesting development, the team has roped in actors Alison Doody and Ray Stevenson to play lead antagonists in the film.
Alison is an Irish actress who has been part of films like A View To Kill and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade while Ray Stevenson has appeared in Thor and King Arthur amidst several other popular TV shows.
Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the film is produced by D.V.V. Danayya on DVV Entertainment banner. All set to hit the screens in 2020, the movie is going to have a theatrical release in 10 Languages.
Olivia Morris
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A new Latina MILF with a very pink pussy
Juliett Russo, a 54-year-old mother of two and divorcee from Venezuela shows off her very nice tits, spreads her shapely legs wide and deep-fingers her very pink pussy.
We asked Juliett if the people she knows would be surprised to see her here.
“Some people would be, some won’t because most people say I am a sexy woman and also because I was a model and an actress when I was young,” she said. “I am a happy woman. Cheerful, fun, outgoing.”
Juliett now lives in Miami, Florida, but when she was living in Venezuela, she taught school children. She was also an administrative assistant and had her own catering company.
“I enjoy watching tennis, soccer, basketball and baseball,” she said. “I also like cooking, baking, going to the beach, hanging out, working out and spending time with my daughters and my dogs.”
Juliett isn’t a swinger or a nudist. She says she hasn’t been having much sex these days. We did our best to take care of that.
“I usually let a man make the first move. Well, when we don’t know each other well,” she said. “But after a certain time, I will make the first move, too.”
Make your move on Juliett. Her sexy Latina body is all yours.
See More of Juliett Russo at 50PLUSMILFS.COM!
Latina tits. Latina pussy. Latina ass.
Latina tits. Latina pussy. Latina ass. She's not a swinger. She's not a nudist...
Introducing Juliett Russo, our new Latina MILF
Introducing Juliett Russo, our new Latina MILF In her first scene, Juliett Rus...
Latina MILF’s tits, ass and pussy show
Latina MILF's tits, ass and pussy show She's not a swinger. She's not a nudist...
Posted by radmin in Older Swingers on November 30th, 2020 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
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David Blue explains how Stargate Universe should continue
Feb 26, 2013, 6:16 PM EST (Updated)
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Tag: Stargate Universe
Tag: David Blue
Lots of Stargate Universe fans are still holding out hope that the show will someday make a triumphant return, and co-star David Blue is among them.
[Spoilers ahread!]
More Stargate Universe
The Stargate franchise is the plucky sci-fi adventure we could all use right now
Michael Shanks dishes Stargate Universe, other projects
The show's second season infamously ended with a cliffhanger that left Blue's character Eli Wallace alone on Destiny's observation deck while the rest of the crew were safe in stasis pods. Eli had an estimated two weeks left to fix the one remaining, broken stasis pod, or face the possibility of death when the ship's life support systems were shut down.
Blue's held off talking about what he thinks happened to Eli and the rest of the Destiny crew for nearly two years, hoping that he'd have the chance to actually act out the story on TV, but while fielding a variety of Twitter questions recently, he finally broke his silence on Eli's fate.
"I do think Eli survived," Blue said. "I think he would have figured out a way to get the power back on and gone on his own adventures for three years or more. And I'd like to believe that's what happened, and that's what's still happening, and maybe one day we'll find out what those adventures were."
Blue even went so far as to describe a scenario he "half-jokingly" pitched to SGU's co-creator Brad Wright near the end of filming season two, that would have the Destiny crew rediscovering a very battered but battle-hardened Eli very much alive as they came out of stasis three years later. Sadly, it seems like we might never see that or any other SGU continuation, but like fans everywhere, even Blue's still holding out hope that he'll have more adventures aboard Destiny.
Check out the full interview with Blue in the video below. The bit about Eli starts at around the 7:00 mark.
(Via Geek Nation)
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Unfulfilled queer ships in comics that haunt me every Valentine's Day
Sara Century
@saracentury
Feb 24, 2018, 12:27 PM EST (Updated)
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Tag: LGBTQ
Tag: Storm
Tag: Kitty Pryde
Tag: Valentine's Day
Tag: lists
Ah, ships. We all have them, but the more queer they are, the less likely you are to see them fulfilled. With Valentine's Day upon us, I find myself, teary-eyed, staring out my window, and asking myself, "What if?" Not about my own relationship history, that's fine, but about the queer relationships in comics that were hinted but never truly made canon by their publishers.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are a few of the ships that haunt me to this day.
Shrinking Violet & Lightning Lass
One of the first comics I got my hands on was the early 90s run of Legion of Superheroes—in which there is a heavily implied lesbian relationship between Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass. In a clear case of when the subtext just becomes text, the series writers of the time have claimed that beyond the shadow of a doubt, they were writing a lesbian couple. There are some really incredible scenes between the two that completely blew me away as a kid. Baby Gay Me picked up every issue she could, waiting for the moment when the two would finally kiss on panel—yet it was not to be.
What's really messed up about the end of this ship is that it didn't just end—it was completely erased from continuity. There was an event called Zero Hour in 1994 in which the entire history of the Legion of Superheroes changed, so when they showed up again, Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass had never even been a thing. The relationship existed and ended entirely off-panel, which somehow made it seem all the more tragic.
In the 20-plus years since, although most other preexisting relationships in the Legion have been revisited, we've only seen subtextual glimpses of the love affair between these two, including a panel where Violet has her hand on Lightning Lass' hip and announces that she's taking her home “for the holidays.” As a preteen, I was completely devastated that writers would just totally forget my favorite relationship in comics even existed. I'm actually still kind of devastated, but on the other hand, this did prepare me for a lifetime of being queerbaited by comics companies. You lose some, you lose some.
Moondragon & Cloud & Iceman
Cloud was a recurring character on the series New Defenders in the early-to-mid-80s, described as "a sentient nebula." Being essentially a formless cloud of gas, they wandered around unclothed with only little wisps to cover them, and could take male or female forms. Cloud became rapidly obsessed with Moondragon, and who wouldn't? Moondragon was a contemptuous but morally strong goddess who was completely bald and wore this incredible green outfit complete with an ultra 70s headband throughout the series. I'm with Cloud on this one.
Also featured was a serious flirtation with Iceman. While later outed as gay, in the 80s Bobby Drake only flirted with queerness and tended to overcompensate constantly in hopes of convincing himself and the world that he was straight. Cloud really threw a wrench in that plan by appearing to Bobby as a genderfluid sex symbol, causing Iceman more than once to leave the room flustered.
Both Moondragon and Iceman are now canon queer, proving that Cloud actually had the best gaydar of all time. The character of Cloud hasn't been revisited since their initial storyline in the later issues of The New Defenders series (one of the queerest superhero teams of all time, in retrospect). This is probably because pretty much half the team wanted to make out with them and it made things a little awkward occasionally. I still really liked Cloud, and their uninhibited declarations of love for multiple characters in the Defenders remain some of my fondest memories of the series.
Storm & Yukio
Both Storm and Yukio have dated Wolverine, but less commented upon is their relationship with one another, which began as far back as the early 80s. While the X-Men were in Japan in hopes of attending Wolverine's ill-fated attempt to marry Mariko Yashida, Storm was swept away by the vibrancy and energy of Yukio, a criminal whose risk-taking alternated between simply having a love for danger and flatout having a death wish. After Storm and Yukio parted ways, Storm showed up in full leather with a mohawk, citing her time in Japan as a turning point—just to give a slight glimpse of the incredible influence Yukio has on her.
While the relationship could never be a stable or lasting one due to Yukio's unapologetically wild nature, obviously, it has taken on the undertones of a Batman and Catwoman-style affair, where the two skirt around each other, their morality (or, in Yukio's case, the lack thereof) challenged by the other. Most importantly, and unique in Storm's affairs, Yukio is the person that genuinely encourages Storm to let loose and enjoy life. Often necessarily self-repressed for fear of destroying entire ecosystems if she lets go even for a second, Storm is attracted to Yukio because she's her opposite.
Kate Bishop & America Chavez
I almost can't say the name of either of these characters without dying a little on the inside due to their extreme ship status. A flirtation was revealed between the two late in the Young Avengers series, and ever since, fans (mostly me) have been shipping them harder than we've ever shipped anything before. In fact, I would go so far as to state that this is probably Marvel's most-shipped couple of the last few years. We are reaching Scully and Mulder in season 4 of X-Files-level shipping here.
Despite all of this, Kate Bishop and America Chavez remain friends, both living that single life and dating around. While I do enjoy their friendship dynamic, COME ON! It's hard to say much else, besides, "Why are they not a couple? Why can't you give people what they want for once in your lives?"
Not a lot of people will reference this pair when talking about queer characters, mostly because their relationship consisted of guys writing what they thought was an enticing flirtation between two women. Said flirtation dragged on over years instead and never teetered into either “will they” or “won't they” territory. For these reasons, it's mostly just kind of frustrating to read. I will say this, though—this relationship was the first time I understood the term “queerbaiting," so I did get something out of it and I would never say I didn't.
Several times, we see a sexual undertone in Fire's protectiveness over her friend or Ice clinging to her in turn. Ultimately, Fire ends up sort of rejecting the advances of Icemaiden, a version of Ice (long story), saying that they must remain forever "gal pals" and "roommates." OKAY, BEATRIZ. Because grabbing a woman by the face, gazing into her eyes, and telling her about the woman she wants to be are totally straight-girl activities.
Brainiac 5 & Invisible Kid
Wow, will you look at that—another Legion of Superheroes ship. Abnett and Lanning's Legion was a fan favorite and tended to introduce a lot of personality and danger to a series that had been going since the 60s but had grown ever more stale before finally being canceled. Part of the series' success and popularity was rooted in their ability to show deep relationships developing or unraveling in a cast that often contained dozens of characters.
During the Abnett and Lanning run, Invisible Kid and Brainiac 5 were commonly paired together as the more intellectual, antisocial members of the team. Their versions of Invisible Kid and Brainiac 5 are incredibly cute with each other, always smirking and making flirtatious eye contact while the rest of the team talks about... whatever the Legion of Superheroes talks about. Once again, as occurs so often with queer characters in the Legion, when the series was revamped again the subtext disappeared and both began relationships with other characters.
Kitty Pryde & every girl
Kitty Pryde is a character that not every writer clicks with. I've seen a lot of creators miss the point and portray her as being low on personality, which she emphatically is not. I've read Joss Whedon write her as what turned out to be pretty much a Buffy analog. I've seen her bounce around X-teams for years. I've seen her become both a ninja and an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I've watched her date a self-loathing British guy for years despite a complete lack of chemistry between the two of them. One thing I have seen only in glimpses and subtext, however, is her between-the-panels love affairs with pretty much every girl.
Like Storm, Kitty Pryde is actually canon bisexual, but most of her modern-day writers haven't taken the time to notice or address that aspect of her. Still, throughout the 80s and 90s, there weren't a lot of stories featuring Kitty where her queerness didn't show, at least via subtext.
In the early days, she went through a break-up with Colossus, then developed a hard crush on his little sister, Illyana. Kitty represented the far away concept of “home” for Illyana, and Kitty along with Colossus were always Illyana's two biggest supporters.
My personal ship-to-end-all-ships has always been Kitty and Rachel Summers, a troubled, complicated daughter of Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force from an alternate reality. Their interactions were always laced with a bit of longing, a bit of tragedy, and a great deal of loyalty to one another. Writer and creator of both characters, Chris Claremont, stated that he intended Rachel to be the love of Kitty's life, and it shows when he writes them interacting with one another. After Rachel vanished for a few years, Kitty was seduced by the significantly older Courtney Ross, a villain from another reality that had once dated and served as the foil for Captain Britain. Then, in the mini-series Mekanix, there was a near-kiss between her and Karma, an out lesbian who first appeared in the New Mutants comic. That series wasn't good by any stretch, but it established Kitty's queerness beyond the shadow(cat) of a doubt (sorry).
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Economy & Finance - Trade & Investment
DMCC inks strategic partnerships with China
Economy & Finance - Trade & InvestmentEntrepreneurship
By Staff Reporter On Jul 14, 2019
DUBAI/ QINGDAO
Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC), free zone for commodities trade and enterprise, has signed two new strategic agreements with China as part of its sixth Made for Trade Live road show of 2019. The agreements were signed with the Hangzhou China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province in Qingdao to boost trade between the UAE and China, and attract foreign direct investment to Dubai. Over 4,000 Chinese companies are already based in the UAE and 423 in DMCC, making DMCC home to around 10 per cent of the Chinese companies in the UAE. China is one of the UAE’s largest trading partners, with trade between the two countries expected to reach up to Dh257 billion by 2020. China remains Dubai’s top trading partner with a market value reaching Dh139 billion in 2018.
In April 2019, China announced Dh12.49 billion investment into shipping and food projects in Dubai, as part of its Belt and Road initiative. China has also confirmed its participation in Expo 2020 investing over Dh367 million in its pavilion.
We are already seeing an increase in the number of Chinese companies choosing to set up in Dubai, in addition to over 400 already registered with DMCC. We are confident that an upward growth trajectory, supported by these two new MoUs and other previously signed agreements, will continue in the years to come, said Feryal Ahmadi, chief operating officer, DMCC. Wang Guozhen, President, CCPIT Hangzhou, this collaboration will further support China’s Belt and Road Initiative and diversify trade ties between the two countries. We look forward to working closely together and introducing investment opportunities to our business community in Hangzhou.
CCPIT will be sending a delegation of 19 senior officials to visit DMCC in July. During their visit, the delegates will tour DMCC’s state-of-the-art infrastructure as well as the bespoke Chinese language services available in the Free Zone. Yan Zhaowan, director, Shandong Provincial Commerce Department, said this agreement will contribute to strengthening commercial relationship with the emirate of Dubai and result in an increase in trade and business opportunities in the near future.
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Japan govt mulls over $92bn stimulus package to spur growth:…
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The 5-Hour Super Bowl Ad, or, the Event in the Age of YouTube
Megan Garber
Before you watch the Super Bowl tonight, you could, should you be so inclined, head over to YouTube and watch a preview of an ad Kia will be airing during the game. The spot features the Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima wearing very little and doing even less: She spends the entirety of the ad, hilariously and (one presumes) at least partially satirically, swaying, saying nothing, and waving a checkered racing flag. Very, very slowly.
The ad -- the "tease," as it were, of what we'll see tonight -- is five hours long.
Five. Hours. Long.
Super Bowl commercials (the experience of, the economics of, etc.) used to be pretty straightforward: Advertisers would gladly pay tons of money for a slot during the game's broadcast because an ad aired during the game's broadcast was an amazingly efficient way of getting a message out to tons of people. That's still the case -- a 30-second space is going, this year, for $3.5 million, up from $3 million last year -- but the mechanics of the messaging are changing, and rapidly. Super Bowl ads are no longer simply ads, in the Traditional Teevee sense; they're campaigns that play out, strategically, over time. Instead of functioning as commercial broadcasts unto themselves, they're acting more and more like episodic touchpoints for an expansive cultural conversation.
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Robinson Meyer
In that context, Kia's five hours' worth of semi-satiric substi-porn aren't actually that -- that -- unusual. Many of the other ads that will air during the game tonight won't be airing for the first time, either. They'll have made their debuts already ... on the Internet. Volkswagen's Super Bowl spot has already been posted to YouTube, where it has garnered over 3 million views. Chevy's? More than 1 million views. Honda's, starring a re-Bueller-ized Matthew Broderick? Over 11 million.
In part, that's about marketers racing each other for relevance in an environment where marketing messages no longer need to be confined to TV. But it's a bigger story, too -- of communications, overall, breaking free of the boxes that used to contain them. One function of the media, traditionally, has been the regulation not just of information, and not just of entertainment, but of time itself. Our broadcast networks, in particular, have segmented time into neat little boxes -- 30 seconds here, 30 minutes there -- and populated them with sounds and images that entertain and (occasionally) edify us. They have plotted our days into grids, scheduling our experience and helping us to forget that, in fact, there's very little that's natural about a time slot.
Super Bowl ads have been pretty much the Platonic culmination of the gridded media system. They have operated on the assumption that a Big Event itself (the experience of, the economics of) is significant not just because of its content, but because of the community it convenes (111 million people!). The Super Bowl is time rendered collective and contained -- so of course marketers want to buy themselves a chunk of it. When better to make your pitch to the world than during the period when the maximum amount of eyes are focused on, effectively, the same screen?
YouTube, and social networks in general, encourage precisely the opposite marketing model. Rather than containing consumer attention, they disperse it. They take the typical 30-second ad spot and condense it to five seconds ... or expand it to five hours. Or both. Or neither. It doesn't matter, because digital spaces remove time as both a constraint and a value in commercial production, allowing for marketing that insinuates itself on its intended audiences much more slowly, and much more manipulatively, and potentially much more effectively, than its analog counterparts.
You'd think all that would be bad news for broadcast networks, with marketers trading YouTube for boob tube and abandoning the pricey Super Bowl altogether. Why buy the milk, and all that. But: Not only are marketers continuing to pay for something they could ostensibly get for free; they're paying more for it than they ever have before. They're still finding value -- millions of dollars worth of it -- in the connective consciousness that the Super Bowl represents.
And that's because, in a world of atomized attention, anything that can aggregate us is becoming more valuable than it's ever been before. Ads aired during the Super Bowl aren't just ads; they're Super Bowl ads. That branding will give them a spot -- and a continued life -- in Monday's write-ups of Sunday's best Super Bowl spots, and in all those "Super Bowl Ads: 2012" collections that will function as archives for future generations. Their context will make them more than what they are. And that will make them, implicitly, more engaging than they might be otherwise. Super Bowl ads, as my colleague Jordan Weissmann has pointed out, have been found to be 58 percent more memorable than regular ads. And while that's partly, sure, because those ads generally represent the best stuff that J. Walter and friends have to offer, it's also because the ads, aired when they are, adopt the warmth of assumed connection that convened attention can confer. I am watching Matthew Broderick as 110,999,999 other people do. There is something epic -- and rare -- about that.
So Super Bowl ads are increasingly valuable because the kind of mass-conscious event they're part of is increasingly rare. Mass-ness itself is increasingly rare. Overall, in the U.S., TV viewership is declining. Audiences are fragmenting. The Gladwellian connectors that used to bring us together -- Lucy, J.R., Oscar -- are departing, leaving individual impulse as the driver of our time. This is wonderful, and liberating, but introduces its own set of quandaries. TV Guide, after all, wasn't just a guide book; it was a framework. It was a power structure. It assembled us, effortlessly, within its neat little boxes. By limiting our experience, it also connected our experience.
No longer. Increasingly, we're looking to social networks rather than TV networks for our entertainment, for our information, for our sense of the world. And those social networks are fluid and box-less and limitless in a way that traditional media never could be. What happens to events themselves -- those shared moments of cultural connection -- in a world where time is unconstrained? Is a Super Bowl ad really a Super Bowl ad when I can watch it long before kickoff?
Image: Kia/YouTube.
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Bízunk benne, hogy hallani fogunk tőled.
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Egyetértek Peter Seppele Ges.m.b.H.-vel. A Adatvédelmi irányelvek szerint fogadja el a Thermofloc termékeiről szóló híreket és híreket. Megértem, hogy bármikor leiratkozhatok a szolgáltatásról.
Egyetértek azzal, hogy az adataimat kérésem feldolgozására használom. Egyetértek azzal, hogy az adataimat Peter Seppele Ges.m.b.H. adatvédelmi politikájának megfelelően dolgozzák fel. úgy kell feldolgozni, hogy a velem való kommunikáció optimálisan működjön. Megértem, hogy bármikor visszavonhatom ezt a hozzájárulást. Az adatvédelemről további információt a adatvédelmi irányelveinkben talál.
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Believe it or not, more free kicks for Hawthorn won't fix footy
It does not take much to send the AFL’s content-hungry media cycle into a spin, and this week it’s comments from Alastair Clarkson following his side’s narrow victory over North Melbourne that have dominated the discourse.
Clarkson said the game was in a “dreadful place” if the spectacle put forward on Sunday night is indeed what the AFL is trying to create, and put the blame on umpires’ reluctance to pay free kicks for holding the ball.
Specifically regarding holding the ball, Clarkson claimed that “we’re just not paying the free kick, yet we’ll do one for tiggy-touchwood ruck or marking infringement.”
Now, to be fair, the match was a long way from being a good spectacle.
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For the most part the ball went back and forth in Hawthorn’s forward half, with their marking forwards’ slippery hands matched only in failure by the North Melbourne half-backs’ inability to clear the ball out of defence.
But only the most naive of fans – or, for that matter, AFL administrators – could read Clarkson’s comments as a genuine plea to improve the quality of the game.
Senior coaches do not serve the game, they serve their clubs, and when they argue for changes in rules, interpretations or umpire behaviour, the suggestions they make cannot ever be disentangled from that first and most important allegiance.
It is no coincidence that Clarkson’s comment potting “tiggy-touchwood ruck infringements” came after a game where his ruckman, Jonathon Ceglar, gave away six free kicks and the opposition ruckman, Todd Goldstein, received five.
Whenever the TV cameras panned to Clarkson in the coaching box, he appeared to be marching about with barely-restrained frustation and fury. One can only imagine the nervousness felt by the wall plaster.
Alastair Clarkson (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Comments like Clarkson’s – especially at this point in history – should be met with nothing but an eye-roll from AFL House, and perhaps a refrain of “righto mate, if you hadn’t noticed, we’re trying to navigate a pandemic here.”
Instead, Gillon McLachlan publicly agreed with Clarkson that umpires should pay holding the ball free kicks more often, and suggested he might put in a call to Steve Hocking – the AFL’s football operations manager – to take some kind of action on the issue.
Overall the story possess the same odious stink of Clarkson’s ‘coffee catch-up’ with McLachlan in 2018, where the Hawthorn coach bemoaned of a lack of free kicks paid for blocking after a loss to Sydney.
Oh, to support a club where the coach has gravitas enough that should he feel his side isn’t being paid enough free kicks, or the opposition too many, he can simply speed-dial the CEO and have a new interpretation of the rules in the works post-haste. It must be nice.
As for the laundry list of possible rule changes that have been proposed by all and sundry in the media in the 48 hours since Clarkson’s comments, they fall into one of two categories.
The first is the rule changes that sound like a good idea to an ’80s football purist, but belie a lack of understanding of the modern game, and wouldn’t have even a brief impact on scoring.
A classic example is the suggestion that a mark should not be paid to players who receive the ball from a backwards kick, and they should instead be forced to play on.
This was taken down brilliantly in a tweet from Rob Harding, who has worked as an opposition analyst and strategy coach at four different clubs.
AFL 2020
Average number of Kicks per game: 175.9
Average number of BACKWARDS Kicks per game: 8.1
Backwards Kicks: #1 Port Adelaide 13.8, #2 Collingwood 12.2, #3 Geelong 11.2
Points For: PA #1, Coll #5, Geel #2
— Rob Harding (@robharding21) June 29, 2020
Even if a change like this did produce some kind of an improvement in scoring, can you imagine the sheer volume of hair that would be torn out over the umpires’ judgments of whether or not a kick had travelled backwards?
If play being halted half a dozen times per game for an inconclusive ARC review on that matter is your idea of a good spectacle, then by all means put this one into action.
The other category is those rule changes that may actually see scoring increase for all of one or two quarters before teams adjust their gameplan and the status quo is restored.
The 2018 rule making it easier to play on out of the goalsquare after a behind is kicked is a classic example – perhaps in the first half of some preseason games it may have put the ball further out of defence and increased a team’s odds of scoring, but before the matches were halfway done the defenders realise they need to position themselves further back, and we find ourselves back where we started.
The theory behind all rule-change suggestions seem to be that they will simply block off a tactic used to slow down the game, and that coaches and players will then opt to play a more risky and offensive style of football instead.
The reality is that coaches and players are great innovators – they want their teams to defend well because it gives them more control over the game, and no matter what rules you put to them, they will continue to do just that.
If anything, the annual and sometimes mid-season introduction of new rules and interpretations just means that coaches must spend more time revising and updating their defensive tactics and have fewer minutes remaining to spend on looking for ways to play attacking footy.
Believe it or not, most coaches want to find ways for their players to get more space on the field and kick more goals – and if they don’t have to be constantly reeling from new rule changes, they just might have time to nut it out.
If we’re looking at a strategy to increase scoring, the best move would be a five-year moratorium where the league agrees not to make any rule changes, and see if coaching and the game can evolve naturally when given some breathing space.
I understand there are many out there who’d love to engineer a return to past eras where triple-digits regularly appeared in both a team’s matchday score and a key forward’s season goal tally, but the Pandora’s box of zone defences and high-pressure footy has spent a long time open and cannot be closed.
Lance Franklin (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
We can no more take footy back to those times than we can the pre-VFL 19th century era, where the match was won by the first team to kick two goals and the captains made a gentleman’s agreement not to station any of their side’s players forward of the ball.
Let me leave you with a brief excerpt from the Football Record of Round 1, 1914 – nestled in among advertisements for Craig’s Overcoats and Renardi Sweet-Toned Pianos – concerning what was said by then VFL president Alex McCracken at the league’s anual meeting:
“McCracken referred to the oft-heard remark, ‘The game and the player of the old days were better than they are now.’
“It always seems to me when I hear a statement like that it is merely the opinion of men who take no interest in the game as played nowadays, and that their knowledge of football has been carried no further than it was in the days when they were young.
“Mr McCracken has not allowed himself to become a has-been, and at the annual meeting of the league he said that the game is better played now than ever it was.
“It is more strenuous, and the players have to be more fit, as they have made it more of a business than it was in the old days.”
Here we are, still having the same debate along the same battle lines 106 years later.
Josh Elliott is a rusted-on North Melbourne tragic with a penchant for pun headlines - and also abnormal alliteration, assuredly; assuming achievability. He once finished third in a hot chilli pie eating contest.
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All Vieuxtemps articles
Eivind Ringstad: Correspondances
A beautifully constructed recital from a virtuoso viola player
When Vieuxtemps performed Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, aged 14, he was hailed as a ‘musical genius’
The recent discovery of another cadenza to the first movement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, likely by Vieuxtemps, sheds an interesting light on the early performance history of the work, writes Martin Wulfhorst
Anne Akiko Meyers on playing the 'Vieuxtemps' Guarneri 'Del Gesù'
The US violinist, who has been loaned in perpetuity what is currently the world’s most expensive instrument, discusses its tone quality and projection
The ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘Del Gesù’
Currently the world’s most expensive violin, the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ is in a remarkable state of preservation, considering it has been in use for most of its life. In this extract from the first of a two-part article, Terry Borman introduces the instrument’s most celebrated owner
Hilary Hahn discusses why Vieuxtemps’ Fourth Violin Concerto is so special to her
Musicality, virtuosity, expression – this work requires a good deal from any player, especially if they start to learn it at the age of ten
Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad plays Vieuxtemps' Élégie
Norwegian violist Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad is a current BBC New Generation Artist and a former winner of the Eurovision Young Musician competition (2012). Here he plays Vieuxtemps’ Élégie op.30 with pianist David Meier. Holtsmark Ringstad plays a 1768 Guadagnini viola on loan from Dextra Musica, the musical ...
Marc Sabbah plays Vieuxtemps' Capriccio 'Hommage à Paganini' for solo viola
From a live concert recording in Hoepertingen, Belgium, on 24 June. New Yorker Marc Sabbah, 29, is currently based in Brussels, where he performs with the National Orchestra of Belgium. He has taken first prizes at the Amsterdam National Viola Competition in 2013, the 2016 Rising Stars Grand Prix ...
Le Violon Harmonique. Vieuxtemps: Etudes de concert op.16; Adagio in E major; Etude in G minor op.48 no.28; Six Morceaux op.55
The Strad Issue: April 2016 Description: A worthwhile attempt at a Vieuxtemps revival Musicians: Francesco Parrino (violin) Composer: Vieuxtemps Vieuxtemps’s solo violin works are rich in contrapuntal detail, often recalling movements of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas as well as influences such as Paganini, Rodolphe Kreutzer and his ...
Romantic Metamorphoses. Bloch: Suite. Vieuxtemps: Viola Sonata in B flat major. Bizet/Waxman/Kugel: Carmen Fantasy. E. Zemtsov: Melodie im alten Stil
THE STRAD RECOMMENDS The Strad Issue: October 2015 Description: A collectable viola recital that keeps it in the family Musicians: Dana Zemtsov (viola) Cathelijne Noorland (piano) Composer: Bloch, Vieuxtemps, Bizet/Waxman/Kugel, E. Zemtsov Third generation in a family of viola players, Dana Zemtsov is a talent to be ...
Mozart: Violin Concerto no.5 in A major K219. Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto no.4 in D minor
The Strad Issue: July 2015 Description: Emotive playing from Hahn in 18th- and 19th-century concertos Musicians: Hilary Hahn (violin) Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Paavo Järvi Composer: Mozart, Vieuxtemps I have always warmed to the ardent and honest playing of Hilary Hahn. In many ways this disc does not disappoint. ...
Double bassist Roman Patkoló performs Tarantella op.22 no.5 by Vieuxtemps
Double bassist Roman Patkoló and pianist Ayami Ikeba perform Tarantella op.22, no.5 for violin and piano, arranged for double bass in Munich. Patkoló features in The Strad's February 2014 double bass issue . Subscribe to The Strad or download our digital edition as part of a ...
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Best Of Guides
Cheers To Summer
Tkay Maidza Talks Streetwear, Killer Style And Never Blending In
By Sammy Preston
Welcome to a special edition of Threads for music month at Urban List. Five days, five outfits, one ultimate source of music and style.
Tkay Maidza is the ambitious Australian rapper taking up space on everyone’s playlist right now.
She dropped her second LP last year, Last Year Was Weird Vol. 1, a bold infectious album of eight tracks that fuse hip-hop, gospel, neo-soul, R&B and reggae. She’s changing the front of Australian hip-hop into something deep, authentic and very stylish—and all in her own way.
Born in Zimbabwe but based in Brisbane, when it comes to her creative sensibilities—her music and the way she likes to dress—it’s just that. Maidza dresses how she feels and writes songs inspired by on her own experiences, travels, tours, thoughts and ways of getting wise.
Earlier this year she revealed the earliest beginnings of a fashion line, cementing another of her great loves: style and streetwear. Titled after her latest album, Last Year Was Weird (the label) features a suite of super bright tees, utility vests and hoodies, all inspired by Maidza’s own eclectic, effervescent personal style.
We caught up with the rapper during recording sessions in Melbourne to dive into her wardrobe and talk creative inspirations, self-discovery, fashion as expression and never (ever) blending in.
For your personal style—what or who inspires you?
I generally dress how I feel. My style's really eclectic so I like to channel different people on different days. The most important thing for me is to be comfortable. That’s probably why I am obsessed with streetwear, it's both practical and expressive and can also be high fashion.
How did you get started making music?
I started writing music when I was 15. My family has always loved music, I’ve always been around music and I’ve been a massive fan for as long as I can remember. I think I always wanted to be a musician. I remember I used to daydream about making music videos to songs that I was obsessed with when I was in high school.
In terms of realising it was my calling, I think I honestly only realised this like two years ago on tour. I’d already been doing it for three years and finally thought, ‘maybe I am meant to do this.’
What are some of the things that inspire your music?
My feelings, experiences and other songs that I really like.
What labels do you love right now?
I love old brands like Karl Kani, vintage Tommy Hilfiger, Fubu, and vintage Chanel. In terms of contemporary brands right now I’m really obsessed with Louis Vuitton, MSGM, Supreme, and more boutique brands like Daily Paper from Amsterdam and Knorts from LA. The list just goes on, because there’s a lot of inspiration out there.
Did you always want to design a clothing line?
I’ve always liked clothes and drawing structures. I studied architecture when I was younger for a year, so I think I’ve always wanted to physically make things. The last couple of years I've had to really figure out who I want to be first, and I think I’m getting closer to that, so it makes it easier for me to have more creative outlets. I think when I was about 17 my parents encouraged me to design clothes so I did have some hoodies and t-shirts made when I was in high school, but I didn’t end up selling them because I had no idea how to go about it!
How involved are you in the design process?
All the concepts and ideas are mine. I do all the research; I made the logo, I do mock sketches and then I present to my team and say, ‘this is what I feel like making’ and they help me achieve that.
Can you describe your personal style in three words?
What I like.
So what is it that you love most about style?
I think fashion is an extension of myself. It allows me to show who I am without really saying anything. I like it when I make an effort to look different and just create something new and people notice that, not as a sense of validation, but when people acknowledge that, it means my perception is aligned with my reality. I don’t want to blend in.
Can you share any details of what’s coming next for the label?
I’ve made a lot of designs that I want to explore. I think it’s just a matter of deciding in which direction I want to go because I think the next drop is going to be the most important. There will definitely be a lot of original prints. Right now, I don’t want to say too much because I could go either way, but there’s definitely a lot coming.
And you’re working on more music. What can we expect to hear?
I’m currently working on Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2. It’s basically there, a lot of songs are finished, we’re now just filling in the gaps and developing the plan. I’ve shot two music videos for two new songs and with even more coming, I’m excited.
Step into the wardrobes and worlds of sneaker influencers, artists and creatives, right here.
Image credit: Sam Wong.
Location credit: Froth Lyf, Melbourne.
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@twinntowerz - Party Like Diddy
After the release of the duo’s latest single “911” which features the likes of LA Reid’s Marcus Canty, the Twinn Towerz are back to deliver their new year’s party anthem “Party Like Diddy”. A song inspired by the glamorous lifestyle of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Throughout the song, Twinn Towerz rap about a carefree lifestyle of generational wealth and black existence. With the upbeat tempo led by smooth 808’s kicks, synthesizers, and catchy melodies that can be heard by the younger brother of Tiffany Evans, Shayne Evans. Altogether the trio created a song that's sure to be the party anthem of 2019. As DJ Khaled slogan always says “Another One” which Is what this song is sure to be.
Posted by Schweinbeck at 11:49 AM
Labels: New Music
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Documentary Food History
Immerse Yourself in the Luxurious Process of Artisan Butter Making at a French Shop
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better pairing for the flood of sourdough loaves baked in recent months than a pat of butter, and perhaps a tour of Le Beurre Bordier will inspire the next craze for ambitious home cooks. Claudia Romeo, a journalist with Food Insider, meets with artisan Jean-Yves Bordier to document the processes of French butter making at the Bordeaux shop, revealing the slow and luxurious methods of manufacturing the milky staple.
Le Beurre Bordier is dedicated to 19th-century practices, including using a wooden malaxage, a large grooved wheel, to churn the substance and extract excess water. Workers knead the butter by hand, constantly slicing it with their fingers and turning it over and over, before shaping it into miniature cones and stamped cylinders. The entire process is measured and manual, similar to the laborious nature of baking bread from scratch.
For more of Food Insider’s deep dives into global food culture, head to YouTube.
Design Documentary
Field Notes Launches New Collection of Letterpress Notebooks Designed by Nine Printers Across the U.S.
For its latest limited edition series, Field Notes tasked nine letterpress shops with capturing the diverse perspectives and histories of the nation through a pocket-sized design. United States of Letterpress is a pastel collection of memo notebooks featuring renderings of small storefronts, geometric patterns, and various slogans, including nods to the upcoming presidential election. Each holds 48 pages of graph paper.
To coincide with the launch, the Chicago-based notebook manufacturer filmed a short documentary, directed by Steve Delahoyde, capturing the processes and history of the art form. The printers involved—which includes Genghis Kern, Full-Circle Press, Mama’s Sauce, Brad Vetter, Springtide Press, Ben Blount, Erin Beckloff, Rick Griffith, and Starshaped Press—speak to the generosity of the printing community, the challenges of the medium, and the endurance of traditional type and equipment. They also details the tactile process of designing and creating their contributions.
For the special collection, Field Notes sent the independent printers cover paper in a different color and asked them to use the same two inks, Rhubine Red and Process Blue. Employing a variety of vintage metal, wood type, laser cutting, and photopolymer plates, some producers submitted two designs, which were added at random into the packs. “There is so much history and tradition in each hand-printed piece, and we wanted to honor that while also showcasing the phenomenal work that modern practitioners of the craft are producing,” co-founder Jim Coudal said.
Support Colossal by picking up a three-pack of Field Notes’ United States of Letterpress in the Colossal Shop.
Art Documentary History
A New Hilma af Klint Documentary Explores the Abstract Artist's Historical Legacy
All images courtesy of Kino Lorber
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Dyrschka discovered the revolutionary artist’s work in 2013, quickly realizing that “here was a woman who consequently followed her own path in life that led to a unique oeuvre. A strong character and despite all restrictions Hilma af Klint explored the possibilities that go beyond the visible.” In addition to art history’s tendency to ignore women, the artist’s groundbreaking projects have been absent from historical discourse in part because she asked that her work not be shown until 20 years after her death.
Having interviewed af Klint’s relatives, historians, artists, and critics for the documentary, the German director is hoping to offer a comprehensive and amended version of af Klint’s legacy that transcends her bold paintings. Her “oeuvre goes even beyond art because she was looking for the whole picture of life,” Dyrschka said. “And with that she comes close to the one question: What are we doing here?”
Beyond the Visible will be available for streaming starting April 17. (via Artnet)
“Altarpiece No. 1” (1915), Altarpieces: Group X
“The Dove No. 2” (1914-1915), from Group IX
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Bloomers: An Animated Documentary Recounts the History Behind an Undergarment Business
Consumers are paying closer attention to the ethics and business practices behind the products they buy, and animated documentarian Samantha Moore is shining a light on one company creating everyday essentials. Last year, the Shropshire-based creator released “Bloomers,” a short film that chronicles the history of the Manchester-based lingerie company Ella and Me, which began production in the United Kingdom before moving abroad and back again.
From flowing silk to lace-trimmed underwear strung up only to be snipped apart, the detailed project colors mostly the garments, swaths of fabric, and spindles of string. The workers and machines remain black-and-white line drawings throughout the film as it walks through the manufacturing cycle from design to consumer purchases.
Moore helps illuminate the impacts rising production costs had on Ella and Me since its beginning as a mom-and-pop business. She documents its inception and even the employees’s familial connections to the textile industry. The animation is set to a diverse soundtrack that includes interviews with the company’s team, in addition to noises commonly found on the production room floor, like scissors slicing through soft cotton and the repetitive tick of sewing machines.
Since its release, “Bloomers” was nominated for the Best Short Film at the British Animation Awards 2020, was the winner of the Best British Film at London International Animation Festival 2019, and took home the top prize as the Best Documentary at ReAnima International Film Festival 2019. Keep up with Moore’s animated documentaries on Vimeo and Instagram.
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Fantastic Fungi: A New Film Explores Earth's Vast Network of Mycelium and Mushrooms
A new film considers how mycelium and mushrooms have created an often-unseen network, similar to an underground internet, that has connected all living beings for the last 3.5 billion years. Featuring conversations with food journalist Eugenia Bone, mycologist Paul Stamets, and writer Michael Pollan, Fantastic Fungi: The Magic Beneath Us dives into how the diverse underground web creates the soil necessary for plants and trees to root. “It’s amazing what we don’t know about mushrooms. They really are a frontier of knowledge,” Pollan says in the film.
Fantastic Fungi explores seven benefits of the organisms, including those dealing with biodiversity, innovation, food, arts, and mental, physical, and spiritual health. Screenings are scheduled worldwide through February 2020. Follow updates on the film directed by Louie Schwartzberg and the broader fungi movement on Instagram. (Thnx, Laura!)
Documentary Food
Déguste: A New Short Film Showing the Beauty and Brutality of Commercial Kitchen Work
Alternating between sensual, almost biological macro shots of raw ingredients and the harsh, dully-lit environs of a commercial kitchen, Déguste captures the dual reality of working as a professional chef. The majesty, beauty, and limitless potential of natural ingredients—mushrooms, red meat, fresh greens—are right at hand for the commercial cook. But the unrelenting pace of orders in, orders up, dishing out multiple copies of the same meal at once, and juggling the dangers of sharp and hot tools cuts in again and again. Déguste gives viewers a glimpse at how the sausage gets made, so to speak, in the restaurant world, with an electrifying soundtrack of atmospheric sounds. Created by Paris-based studio Insolence Productions, the short has been lauded at multiple film festivals. See more from Insolence on Vimeo.
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A Colossal
Star Orb Model Kit by Thomas Houha Designs
Editor's Picks: Design
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by Tom Kemp
H. 260 x w. 220 cm
About Tom Kemp
Tom Kemp is a mainly self-taught artist. His work stems from a fascination with writing - the physical making of visual language - which has led to vast explorations of calligraphy. The discovery of the 'calligraphic nature of throwing' at a weekend ceramics course about seven years ago provided Tom with the discovery of a whole new surface to work on, with 'natural, three-dimensional curves which are far more complex and interesting to write on than a flat sheet of paper'.
'The question then is what to write? Any particular script always ends up just transcribing particular languages. However, if we remove language from writing, we find a set of universal forms, which are common to all scripts: shapes which appear throughout history and across the world as writing was invented and spread across cultures. Which is no surprise as all writing comes from the efficient use of the human hand and body. With no language to get in the way, the general nature of our mark-making is revealed. It's one of our ways of recording our very being: as a tool is dragged across a surface, all the intricacies of that performance are recorded as a still, clear image of its own making.’ (Tom Kemp, 2018)
Tom has developed a strong following for his work which has been purchased by collectors all over the world. His latest collection presents developments in his work after an influential trip to Korea as well as his recent studio move to his new home in Devon.
Free delivery to Mainland UK within 7 working days
International delivery available within 7-14 working days
£10,000.00Price
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May 8 2017 - January 22 2021
Monkeys Fist
strawb
Showing content with the highest reputation on 24/09/20 in all areas
What mood are you in and why?
Mixed. Found a lump on my ribs (got a scan this weekend), think I might have flu too. I’ve been rough as fuck for a couple of days but none of the stated corona symptoms. House is upside down from all the work, still waiting on planning permission to do the major work because it’s a conservation area and planning departments are shitholes full of jobsworths. On the flip side my old man has finished his cancer treatment and it’s looking positive so far, and I’ve been offered a director level role within a different part of the group I currently work for. Less stress, mor
This is the news!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/24/man-licorice-dies-massachusetts?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1600953579 Takes all sorts
Hey, at least you’ve got that 266 calorie dinner to look forward to
Europe --- In or Out
Generic small time football blather thread FOREVER
Morecambe vs Bruce’s hapless shites
Over the moon we won the League cup last night, first trophy since 1969, great news.
Funny pictures thread
CT’s fantasy shag iirc
Don't worry, Ant's done that instead
Can I offer some sad Roy Keane to brighten the mood?
Not to mention the contents of your sack.
Oozed sex appeal
She's oozing...something
Other games 2019/2020
LeazesMag, is that you?
0.3kg? aaah shit 0.3kg!
Thanks for lifting the mood. Ok it looks like avoid social media AND mute Dr Gloom's posts might be the way forward now.
It’s every thoroughly depressed man for himself!
It comes in waves for me. My anxiety from covid has been replaced by more immediate concerns, although its made practical issues much harder. Then the added day to day stresses (work, my roof is leaking, money, kids etc) and its easy to see how you could have a breakdown. Ive had one before and never want to go back there, plus I'm needed more than ever. I don't use social media other than here, and here helps.
1: Who did you tell? 2: What did you tell them? 3: Why wouldn’t they ( whoever they are), have it ( whatever it is)? 4: You know what happens when you don’t take your tablets.
Like hoying a pound of sausage in the Tyne Tunnel.
That’ll delay your arrival at the Billy Mill roundabout
Well, that’s a softener.
I’m sure after reading the last few posts, everyone is just fucking champion. Get a shed.
Well I’ve just bought running shoes if you need a smile Seriously, this year has effected a lot of people mentally in a lot of ways whether it’s the isolation, worrying about money, health, kids, work etc etc. You are both definitley not alone. My advice is try and not to worry about the news / stuff you can not do anything about and get up tomorrow and just give one of the charity’s a ring and get some stuff off your chest. All the best to the both of you.
That's my breakfast all over the desk
Unforgettable tbh
3, 2, 1 ... EDWARDS?
Krafteh just shoulder to shoulder with their 9. He went down and crying like a bitch. You can hear all the players shouting to him saying 'Its not school sports day you soft twat'
As you would expect from a surprise symphony.
It’s what they voted for
The Guitar Thread
Tom’s thinking “ fucking hell, I thought I’d got away with this…”
I know, how dairy.
It was obviously his time, it was just a case of bovine intervention.
I herd that on the news.
“They remain anonymous”. Won’t the big empty chair be a dead giveaway?
Btw this government is never gonna get test and trace sorted. They are too busy lying about the present and making undeliverable promises for the future. There isn't the will there to fix it - why bother when you can lie and say it's sorted? They've been doing it for the last 6 months, they aren't gonna get this fixed before there's a vaccine.
He's gone mad, he has. Lack of glucose to the brain I suspect.
The cost of what you're suggesting and the consequent delay of those kids and the ones coming behind them being delayed from entering the workforce for a year plus having a fallow year at universities is estimated at £5.6 trillion pounds over the first ten years. Your missus' life simply isn't worth that much.
I think the sooner kids learn the crushing, disappointing realities of life, the better. This has been an ideal education in that regard.
You just repeat the school year for everyone. That's the answer. Which do you think is preferable, muddle through the current year with constant stops and starts and bunches of kids off for 2 weeks at a time self-isolating, entire year groups having to take time away from school, those of exam age particularly disrupted.....or call the whole thing off, protect pupils, teachers and their families that they'll take the virus home to, and repeat the school year for everyone next year. It is totally bogus to claim that kids and teachers can go to school, mix with other kids/teachers, and go home t
mackem messageboard gold
I'm surprised he get on metro radio, tbh. Thought the Tyne & Wear satellite TV channel might have been his only bet?
That Storey freak has done some completely unrevealing interviews for metro radio (metro radio ffs ). Caught a bit of one where he was banging on about how different he is from most football club owners. Apparently that’s because he’s doing it because he loves football although I couldn’t help thinking the main difference is other football club owners actually own football clubs
Newcastle United: Mike Ashley puts Premier League club up for sale
Or Blackstone decided it was attracting too much traffic to their website from people who will never give them any business
Season Predictions!
I'm sorry MF lad, but I've been told it's a Cockrot pandemic.
About halfway through the lockdown I started squeezing pillows and our winter walking jackets. I’ve been feeling down ever since.
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Maple Underage DUI Defence
Defending Teen Drinking and Driving Charges in Maple
Due to the severe and harsh punishments handed out to Maple DUI offenders charged with impaired driving, it is always advisable to contact an experienced and reliable impaired driving lawyer.
Underage Drinking and Driving Is A Criminal Offence in Maple, Ontario
The law in Ontario is straightforward when it comes to teen drinking and driving offences. As per the law, there is a zero tolerance policy in Maple to such crimes. Since teenagers are inexperienced drivers, they put their own lives as well as the lives of others in grave danger while driving under the influence of alcohol. This is the main reason why the law in the case of teen drinking and driving in Maple is strict. If you have been charged with laws governing teen drinking and driving offences then you need a competent lawyer by your side. We are one of the leading DUI law firms in Maple and we can help you even in the worst-case scenarios.
Just How Serious of A Crime Is An Underage DUI in Maple?
A DUI charge is considered a serious offence throughout the entire country and is dealt with in the most strictest ways in Maple and elsewhere in Ontario. In the case of an underage DUI, things can get even worse because there is a zero tolerance policy. In some cases, such as a false DUI arrest, we will have to prove that the evidence against you is invalid. In such a case you will require the services of an experienced DUI lawyer to be safeguarded against serious punishments.
Do Not Hesitate To Contact Us If You Have Received A DUI Offence in Maple
Maple Zero Tolerance Policy Against Underage DUI Offences
The zero tolerance policy was adopted in order to curb the rising underage DUI offences. Since its adoption, if an underage driver is found with even a minute percentage of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), the underage driver will be arrested immediately.
Preventing A Criminal Record for a DUI Under 19 conviction in Maple
In the case of an underage DUI conviction, it is obvious that punishments will be imposed heavily on the driver and in addition to the punishment, the driver will also get a criminal record.
The Negative Consequences of Teen Drunk Driving Charges in Maple
The consequences of a teen drunk driving conviction are generally harsher than that of an adult first timer. In the case of a DUI under 19, minors face penalties for driving under the influence as well as underage drinking. This would mean you could lose your licence for up to two years, end up doing community service and may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines in addition to getting a criminal record. On the other hand, for subsequent charges, you may end up getting your licence cancelled permanently, and doing jail time in the worst case scenario.
Get Reliable Help If You’ve Received An Underage DUI in Maple, ON
Although the punishments and consequences of an underage drinking and driving conviction are tough, minors still have rights just as the adults under the legal system. The prosecutor has to show and prove to the court all the elements of the charges which include that the minor was driving and that the stop was for a rightful reason. Because of the life-altering consequences and penalties that a DUI offence has on a minor, it is always a great idea to fight a DUI in court. Contact our Maple DUI lawyer for the most professional representation in court.
Maple DUI Services
Maple DUI Defence Attorney
Maple DUI Defence Attorney With Consistent Results
Can a Minor Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in MapleDui under 21 in MapleTeen Drinking and Driving in MapleTeen Drunk Driving in MapleTeenage Drinking and Driving Facts in MapleTeenage Drunk Driving Facts in MapleTeens and Drunk Driving in Mapleunder Age Drinking and Driving in MapleUnderage Drinking and Driving in MapleUnderage DUI in Maple
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UK hotel transactions up 172% in 2015
21 July 2015 by Janet Harmer
The UK is leading the way in what is set to be a bumper year for European hotel transactions, with year-on-year volumes up 85% during the first six months of 2015, according to real estate company JLL.
Nearly 50% of all hotel deals across the continent, worth a total of £13.2b, have taken place in the UK. Transactions in the UK are up 172% on 2014, while in Germany they have increased by 60%.
Lone Star Funds has been the most active investor in the UK, having spent over £1.2b on more than 13,000 rooms in London and the regions so far this year. The deals achieved by the American private equity company have included 29 Jurys Inn hotels and three hotels under Hilton Worldwide brands purchased in January for £680m, 21 hotels from Moorfield operating under Accor's Mercure and MGallery brands, and 19 provincial hotels, currently operating under the Thistle brand, which will complete on 30 July. All these newly acquired hotels will now operate under Amaris Hospitality, a new company launched by Lone Star to manage its growing collection of branded properties.
Christoph HÁ¤rle, chief executive EMEA, JLL Hotels & Hospitality, said: "It is of little surprise to those in the market that private equity and investment funds are continuing to target European hotels.
"This is a market where yield and visitor base is consistently strong and we are now seeing this type of investor further gather in confidence and start to look beyond the major city hubs and invest in periphery markets and in regional centres."
Chinese investment in the hotel sector is now also expected to flourish following the scrapping of the rule that previously prevented buyers from China investing more than $100m (£64m) overseas.
HÁ¤rle added: "Earlier in the year we predicted that in 2015, the Chinese capital is expected to represent some $5b (£3.2b) in global hotel investment. In EMEA so far we have already seen $1.9b [£1.2b] invested by Jin Jiang for the [French-based] Louvre portfolio and we expect to see more deals before the year is out."
UK hotel investments rises 47% to £1.89b in first quarter of year >>Year ahead expected to be bumper one for hotel transactions >>UK hotel investment reaches eight-year high at £6.1b >>Looking for a job? See all the current hotel vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs >>
Latest video from The Caterer
TagsHotels
Travelodge seeks new owner
D&D London's Pont de la Tour to close for refurbishment
Travelodge reports 17.9% surge in revenue for H1
Hospitality productivity levels half those of comparable sectors
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Conflict of Interest? 41 TD’s are also Landlords
By TheCork.ie on 18th August, 2015 No Comment
Anti Austerity Alliance councillor Mick Barry this morning said that there is a clear conflict of interest between the State’s 41 TDs who are landlords and legislative action that is necessary to tackle the growing rents/accommodation crisis.
His comments came as Daft.ie released information which shows that rents in Cork city are the fastest rising in the State with a 10.4% year-on-year increase over last year. This compares with equivalent statistics of 10.1% for Galway, 8.9% for Limerick and 8.5% for Dublin.
Cllr Barry said that freezing rents and launching a major investment programme in social housing were just two basic measures which could be introduced to tackle the rents/accommodation crisis but which would conflict with the interests of the 25% of TDs who are themselves landlords.
An article written by Dr Rory Hearne for the Irish Examiner in October 2014 gave a glimpse of the level of landlord representation in Dail Eireann. The article reported that Alan Shatter TD owned 14 rental properties, Tom Barry TD and Frank Feighan TD owned 10 each and John McGuinness TD owned 8.
Cllr Barry said this morning:
“The rent and accommodation crisis is growing week by week yet there is no effective action being taken from Dail Eireann. There are several reasons for this but it’s fair to ask whether one of them might be the fact that 25% of TDs are themselves landlords and that there is a conflict of interest between them and the type of strong legislation needed to control rents.”
Conflict of Interest? 41 TD’s are also Landlords added by TheCork.ie on 18th August, 2015
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Senator tells Cork City Council to CLEAN UP Mardyke
By TheCork.ie on 19th August, 2018 Comments Off on Senator tells Cork City Council to CLEAN UP Mardyke
File photo of Senator Jerry Buttimer, at the Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig, Co Cork at an unrelated event last year.
Picture: Jim Coughlan
Leader of Seanad Eireann and Cork South Central Senator Jerry Buttimer has called for the Noel Cantwell Walk to be cleaned up and rejuvenated by Cork City Council.
Senator Buttimer said: “On a recent visit to the Noel Cantwell Walk in the Mardyke, I was disappointed to see the run down state it was in. Noel Cantwell was one of the great Cork sports people and this walkway has served as a tribute to his achievements since it opened in 2015. To see it now in such a run down and neglected condition is a massive shame.
“The potential of this amenity is not being realised fully. To help rejuvenate the area I am proposing that City Council along with consultation with interested local groups paint the walls of the walk, that are currently covered with graffiti, with a mural of great Cork sports people from down through the years.
“I believe this would be a great way to honour Noel and for our other great sports stars of all different codes to be recognised by the City. This would also clean up the walkway for all those who use it.
“We in Cork have so many sporting heroes who have inspired us down through the years. I would be a fitting reminder of our sporting glory days, and would also generate tourism.
“I will be writing to City Council to ask them to take this suggestion under consideration.”
Senator tells Cork City Council to CLEAN UP Mardyke added by TheCork.ie on 19th August, 2018
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Aladdin - The Rockin' Panto
5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London, London, United Kingdom
Friday, December 4, 2020 - 19:00 to Sunday, January 3, 2021 - 15:00
All your wishes will be granted in this feel-good festive treat, full of genies, glitter, and fantastic live music.
Widow Twankey’s in a spin – there’s the Emperor’s robes to be cleaned, a banquet to be cooked and the mysterious magician, Abanazer, has suddenly arrived. Then her eldest son Aladdin falls for Princess Fire Cracker, the Emperor’s daughter! But when Aladdin gets his hands on an ancient oil lamp, a rocking green Genie magically appears to make all his dreams come true. Can he outwit the evil Abanazer, dodge the Emperor’s dragons, and prove that a Princess and a peasant can make the perfect pair?
This ancient tale gets a brand new twist with over 20 rock, pop and soul hits woven into the action including I Will Survive, Born to Be Wild, Papa Don’t Preach and I’m A Believer, all performed live by the multi-talented cast of 10 actor musicians.
Get ready for The Rockin’ Panto blend of big laughs, incredible live music, and lots of panto magic and sparkle, in a show that's fun for all the family.
5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London, N12 0GA
Admission Charged
Site Located Performance - Indoor
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News Sports Living Neighbors Opinion Obituaries E-Edition Legals
Millville High School welcomes World War II veteran
MILLVILLE - On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Millville High School students had the opportunity to hear from World War II veteran and U.S. Army Medic Tim Kiniry. He shared his experiences and stories about the cold winter months at the battle.
Kiniry was also present when the Buchenwald concentration camp was liberated.
More Neighbors News:Millville and Vineland high schools join forces to support an end to gun violence
More Neighbors News:Who's News
Students were able to ask Kiniry questions and were also able to see some artifacts, which he presented.
djneighbors@thedailyjournal.com
© 2021 www.thedailyjournal.com. All rights reserved.
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“I expect to see a large turnout in the theatres tomorrow” - Aparna Ghose
Shah Alam Shazu
Over the years, National Film awardee Aparna Ghose has enthralled the audience with her remarkable performances in films like Third Person Singular Number, Bhuban Majhi and Mrittika Maya. Besides acting and modelling, Aparna has also managed to keep her pace in the theatre industry with the theatre troupe, Nandikar. Her film, Gondi, will release tomorrow. In a chat with The Daily Star, the actor talks about her expectations from the film, and more.
Tell us a bit about your role in ‘Gondi’.
I play the role of Neelu in Gondi. I have never played an antagonistic character before. I just hope that the audience appreciates my effort.
What would you say is the unique selling point of ‘Gondi’?
Gondi narrates a unique story of friendship. As our audience likes film based on stories, I think they will enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed working alongside renowned actors like Suborna Mustafa and Sabyasachi Chakraborty.
What else are you currently busy with?
I want Gondi to have my full attention at this point, and thus, have been busy promoting the film on various media. However, I plan to start shooting for the film Ontostikriya after Gondi is released.
How was this experience different from that of working in Bhuban Majhi?
Bhuban Majhi is based on the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and Gondi is a tale of friendship. The experience was very different from each other as I play an entirely different character in Gondi. I expect to see a large turnout in the theatres tomorrow.
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Tributes paid to Ethiopian refugee farmer who championed integration in Italy
Agitu Ideo Gudeta, who was killed on Wednesday, used abandoned land to start a goat farming project employing migrants and refugees
Global development is supported by
Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo
@lorenzo_tondo
Fri 1 Jan 2021 02.15 EST Last modified on Fri 1 Jan 2021 02.24 EST
Agitu Ideo Gudeta stearted with just 15 goats, increasing the herd to 180 in just a few years. Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Tributes have been paid to a 42-year-old Ethiopian refugee and farmer who became a symbol of integration in Italy, her adopted home.
Agitu Ideo Gudeta was attacked and killed, allegedly by a former employee, on her farm in Trentino on Wednesday.
Gudeta had left Addis Ababa in 2010 after angering the authorities by taking part in protests against “land grabbing”. Once in Italy, she tenaciously followed and realised her ambition to move to the mountains and start her own farm. Taking advantage of permits that give farmers access to abandoned public land in depopulated areas, she reclaimed 11 hectares (27 acres) around an old barn in the Mòcheni valley, where she founded her La Capra Felice (The Happy Goat) enterprise.
Gudeta started with a herd of 15 goats, quickly rising to 180 in a few years, producing organic milk and cheese using environmentally friendly methods and hiring migrants and refugees.
“I created my space and made myself known, there was no resistance to me,” she told Reuters news agency that year.
“Agitu brought to Italy the dream she was unable to realise in Ethiopia, in part because of land grabbing,” Gabriella Ghermandi, singer, performer, novelist and friend of Gudeta, told the Guardian. “Her farm was successful because she applied what she had learned from her grandparents in the countryside.
'Entire families are arriving at our shores': Covid drives Tunisian exodus
“In Italy, many people have described her enterprise as a model of integration. But Agitu’s dream was to create an environmentally sustainable farm that was more than just a business; for her it also symbolised struggle against class divisions and the conviction that living in harmony with nature was possible. And above all she carried out her work with love. She had given a name to each one of her goats.”
In a climate where hostility toward migrants was increasing, led by far-right political leaders, her success story was reported by numerous media outlets as an example of how integration can benefit communities.
“The most rewarding satisfaction is when people tell me how much they love my cheeses because they’re good and taste different,” she said in an interview with Internazionale in 2017. “It compensates for all the hard work and the prejudices I’ve had to overcome as a woman and an immigrant.”
Two years ago she received death threats and was the target of racist attacks, which she reported to police, recounting them on her social media posts.
But police said a man who has confessed to the rape and murder of the farmer was an ex-employee who, they said, allegedly acted for “economic reasons”.
Agitu Ideo Gudeta produced organic milk and cheese using environmentally friendly methods. Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
The UN refugee agency said it was “pained” by Gudeta’s death, and that her entrepreneurial spirit “demonstrated how refugees can contribute to the societies that host them”.
“Despite her tragic end, the UNHCR hopes that Agitu Ideo Gudeta will be remembered and celebrated as a model of success and integration and inspire refugees that struggle to rebuild their lives,” the agency said.
“We spoke on the phone last week’’, said Ghermandi. “We spent two hours speaking about Ethiopia. We had plans to get together in the spring. Agitu considered Italy her home. She used to say that she had suffered too much in Ethiopia. Now Agitu is gone, but her work mustn’t die. We will soon begin a fundraising campaign to follow her plan for expanding the business so that her dream will live on.”
Gudeta would have turned 43 on New Year’s Day.
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Sharknado 3: Behind the Crazy Scenes
by Hilton Hater at June 30, 2015 12:12 pm .
Are you ready to go on a The Highway to Oh Hell No?
So teases this behind-the-scene special video, which takes Syfy fans on to the set of Sharknado 3.
The third film in this popular small screen franchise will take the action Washington, D.C., before returning to California and even unleashing itself on Universal Studios Orlando.
"We're shooting Universal Orlando as Universal Orlando," director Anthony C. Ferrante says in this video.
"I don't think there's any instance of a monster movie where they've actually used the theme park as a theme park."
A previous Sharknado 3 trailer gave us a look at Mark Cuban making a cameo, while this footage introduces us to Ryan Newman, who portrays Claudia Shepard, the daughter of Ian Ziering and Tara Reid's characters.
Sharknado 3 comes to Syfy on July 22.
Entertainment, Sharknado, Movies, TV
Entertainment Videos, Sharknado Videos, Movies Videos, TV Videos
The Crown Controversy: Wait... Claire Foy Earned HOW MUCH?!?
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CMA Awards 2017: List of Winners!
The Voice Season 11 Promo: Look Who's Here!
Contestant Wins $120,000 Car on The Price is Right
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley: Full CMA Awards Monologue 2015
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Newsletter, February 2016
POSTED BY admin | Feb, 26, 2016 |
Horizon Board of Trustees Welcomes Two
Stacie Hunt, president and CEO of Leadership Howard County, and Tracy Miller, attorney and owner of Tracy Miller Law, began their four-year terms in January. >>
Sugar Free Kids Maryland to Focus on Healthy Vending Options
Sugar Free Kids, Maryland’s leading voice in the fight against childhood obesity and teenage diabetes, announced the introduction of the “Maryland Healthy Vending Act” during the 2016 state legislative session. The legislation would make healthier food and drinks more widely available in vending machines on state property. >>
Baltimore Sun: BikeHoward Bicyle Master Plan Heads to County Council for Review
Last month, County Executive Allan Kittleman introduced Howard County’s first Bicycle Master Plan, BikeHoward. The plan is pedaling forward after gaining approval from the planning board. >>
$1.2 Million in Grants Awarded in 2015
Horizon’s grants support community organizations working to improve health and wellness in Howard County with a focus on increasing access to healthcare and promoting healthy lifestyles. >>
Business Monthly: Howard County Starts Conversations on Planning for Care at the End of Life
Ninety percent of people believe it’s important to have a conversation about the end of life, but only 30 percent of people have had those conversations, says Ellen Goodman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who spoke at Horizon’s annual meeting in December. >>
Howard Magazine: Head Start program aims to improve families’ eating habits
The Community Action Council of Howard County’s Head Start program was featured in Howard Magazine and The Baltimore Sun for its Eat Play Grow initiative, which teaches pre-K children healthy habits in fun and creative ways that reach the entire family. >>
TAGS : newsletter
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Google chairman predicts “majority” of TV sets will include Google TV apps by next summer
By Michael Grotticelli 12 December 2011
In a curious claim after the $100 million dollar failure by Logitech for its ill-fated attempts to sell Google TV, Google chairman Eric Schmidt said last week that the technology will be embedded on the “majority” of televisions at retail by next summer.
Schmidt made the improbable prediction at the Le Web conference in France, “paidContent” reported. Google recently relaunched Google TV with a software update that brings more apps to the platform.
“By the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see in stores will have Google TV embedded in them,” Schmidt told the audience.
Even with his optimism, results so far show that Google faces numerous obstacles to achieve its goal in connected TV market. Originally launched last year, Google’s partners took a beating by critics over the difficulty associated with using the software. Sony cut prices of its Google TV products, while Logitech revealed disastrous results with its Google TV set-top box that cost the company $100 million in operating profits.
After such results, Google might have a hard time convincing television set manufacturers to adopt the Android-based platform, especially since a number of vendors have developed their own competing “smart TV” platforms.
Panasonic, Sony and Samsung, for example, have designed software for their television receivers. When it was announced, Google TV was viewed as a competitor to Apple’s $99 set-top box. Now there are rumors that Apple may introduce its own television set or will release an iMac computer with built-in TV functionality in the first half of 2012.
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Jean Fleury, French naval officer, privateer
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Jean Fleury, French naval officer, privateer →
Jean Fleury (or Florin) (born ? - died 1527) was a French naval officer and privateer. He is best known for the capture of two out of the three Spanish galleons carrying the Aztec treasure from Mexico to Spain in 1522. This was one of the earliest recorded acts of piracy against the new Spanish Empire and encouraged the French Corsairs, Dutch Sea Beggars and English Sea Dogs to begin attacking shipping and settlements in the Spanish Main during the next several decades.
Fleury was eventually captured by the Spanish and, held captive for a time, was tried in Toledo along with two of his officers, Michel Fere and Mezie de Irizar, and hanged as a pirate in 1527....
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Cortés, Conqueror of Mexico - 1519
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in th...
Francis I, King of France
Francis I of France, called the Father and Restorer of Letters, was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. Francis I is considered to be France's first Renaissance monarch. His reign saw France make immense c...
Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor from 1519-1558; he was also King of Spain from 1516-1556, officially as Charles I of Spain, although often referred to as Charles V ("Carlos Quinto" or "Carlos V") in Spain and Latin America. He was the son of Philip...
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Victoria council offers relief to businesses hurt by window-smashing spree
Split-rail fence protecting sensitive area destroyed on Christmas Hill
Former conservation officer who refused to kill bear cubs wants his job back
Record high 47 new COVID-19 cases reported in Island Health
Municipal watchdog files complaint against Langford, claiming lack of transparency
27 acres added to Highlands protected area
Duncan allows informal memorials to stay up longer
Daughter finally gets essential-visitor status for mom with Alzheimer's
Paramedics dealing with more drug overdoses than ever before
House Beautiful: Designed for good health
Grania Litwin / Times Colonist
Built-in shelves on either side of the fireplace anchor the interesting feature wall that includes a stone tile, which looks like wood grain. The painting is by Ottawa artist Kerry Milligan-Bendin.
Photograph By Debra Brash, Times Colonist
Skylights, mirrors and lots of windows bring maximum light into the white ensuite.
Large sofas, plump cushions and posters add an inviting touch to the media room.
A small sun room/ reading nook, on the second floor
A dropped oval ceiling above the dining table makes the area feel more intimate
The new homeÕs modest front elevation belies the large, deep house.
The interesting floor treatment in the master ensuite features real pebbles that have been smoothed and polished.
Owners Azalea Jin and David Duquette like the look of a kitchen that is open and ship-shape.
The attractive outdoor seating area, accessed through French doors in the living room, features a gas fireplace and barbecue.
This brand new Oak Bay home is light and bright, with an air filtration system that removes dust, allergens, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, viruses and more.
A long island helps define the kitchen, dining and living areas. A large semi-circular window over the patio doors accentuates the living roomÕs barrel ceiling.
The spacious great room is not overwhelmingly large feeling, thanks to oversized furniture and dramatic abstract art,
This home’s smart blue and white exterior is a blend of traditional and classical elements and was designed in the Italian villa style, says builder Gunnu Gill of Seba Construction.
But inside, this house is entirely contemporary, from the state-of-the-art air filtration system to its high tech water works.
It is also one of the Island’s most healthy homes.
“We have a hospital standard air filter, which we really need because both our children have serious allergies,” explained Azalea Jin, who is a lawyer specializing in regulatory law.
“It’s amazing the difference it has made. We have definitely noticed they don’t have the same congestion, the coughs and other issues.”
She and her husband, David Duquette, opted for an IQAir Perfect 16 system when they moved here from Calgary recently.
The purification system in their new home quietly cleans all the air up to 125 times a day, and delivers more than 50 times more filter power than an ordinary system.
It uses microfibre technology to remove allergens, dust, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, viruses and other airborne pollutants down to 0.3 microns.
The couple also installed a Kinetico 2100 F whole-house water filtration system, which removes sediments, fine particulate matter, chlorine and neutralizes the water’s pH.
Some homes have a kitchen tap that delivers this quality of water for drinking, but these owners took it to the next level. They opted for the same filtration on every tap in the house, an unlimited supply, so they can bathe and shower in it, gaining advantages for skin and hair, too.
Both systems were ordered through Trail Appliances and that company’s sales consultant, Thomas Schultz, confirmed this is now the first designated Healthy Living Home in Victoria
The house looks modest from the street but is surprisingly large inside with more than 5,000 square feet of living space on three levels. And it feels airy, thanks to the generous expanse of pale, polished floor, which is covered in a solid oak from Germany. (Because of allergies, the children’s bedrooms have cork floors, although the master bedroom has carpet.)
The heart of this home is its kitchen, which has a three-metre-long island, sleek quartz countertops and an induction stove. Azalea likes the fast cooking properties of this kind of range because with two demanding jobs, and two children, they don’t want to take too long cooking at the end of the day.
They wanted a home that was functional and bright, and one way they accentuated this was by installing eight-foot high doors in all the main and upstairs doorways.
“It keeps the home feeling more open,” said Duquette, who is six-foot-four.
Moulded panel doors from the Berkley collection were supplied by Slegg Lumber and have a stylish, architectural look thanks to horizontal embossed lines.
David explained this building project went very smoothly, especially when compared with a major reno of their previous Calgary house four years ago. “The memories of that are still painfully fresh,” he said with a chuckle.
What was the biggest lesson?
“Managing costs,” said David, who manages an investment firm here.
One of the changes they wanted to make this time, was adding more space in all the bathrooms, especially the master ensuite, and creating a little more stylish ambience.
Azalea explained: “We had some neat features in our last house, but not as much character as here. I like the combination of modern and traditional features in this house, the barrel ceiling, the drop down over the dining area, the wainscotting and bronze door hardware.”
They have both lived in a number of different places — including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary — but both were keen to return to the coast, Azalea said.
“It was an exciting opportunity to come to Victoria,” David said of the job offer that brought them here, and they love the area they live in, near Willows beach and Estevan village.
Originally they were looking for a house to buy, but when they spied this lot under construction they immediately inquired if they could have a custom home built.
Seba co-owner Gunnu Gill said he intended to build the house for himself, but when the Calgarians drove by “and saw this hole in the ground” he agreed to sell it. They had been searching for about nine months.
“They wanted to scale it down a bit, make it a little more affordable, take out the sauna and other things I had wanted. So I gave them the budget and they had a chance to trim and customize. It worked out amazingly and the house was done in five months.
“That was because Azalea was really good. She had everything picked out ahead of time. It was flawless construction. I’ve never had a job happen like that before. Sometimes clients can’t make up their minds and because you always need things decided by a certain date, you lose time. People always blame it on the builder, but it’s not our fault if clients don’t figure out what they want.
“But she and her husband were on top of everything,” he said.
“We gave them a list of all the suppliers in Victoria and it was done long distance from Calgary, mostly by e-mail, though they did come to the site now and then. It was very unusual for such a high-end home, but it’s getting easier and easier now, with modern technology and the Internet.”
In addition, he said the owners were incredibly understanding when he had to leave town suddenly because a family member needed a liver transplant.
“That meant a lot to me. I really respect them and they have become more like friends.”
Gill also enjoyed building the house because of its many special features, from dropped, custom ceiling over the dining area to the barrel ceiling in the living room.
“To make that ceiling, we used vaulted trusses then framed inside with semicircular strips and then used flexi drywall.”
The insulated concrete form construction in the basement was a challenge too. “We had to do a lot of research and then find the right guys to lay it down.
“The whole house was also pre-fabbed too, and all the walls came from Sleggs. After the basement floor was laid out and the sub floor, we had the roof on in just two and a half weeks. It’s a great system because you don’t have any lumber waste and it is so quick.
“That really shocked me,” said Gill, whose family has been in the construction business for over 30 years, doing many condominiums and townhouses. He and his brother Jamie branched out a few years ago into subdivisions and custom homes.
“You often see smaller pre-fabbed houses, but not normally ones of this size. It was all computerized and it was really neat. Everything came in sequence: First the main floor, then second and third. They came on three flatbeds, each with its own crane.”
Gill said it’s the only way to build a house and he’ll never do it any other way. “It’s so neat and tidy.”
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Bollywood News >
Tabu opens up about her character in De De Pyaar De, says 'I can completely relate to Manju'
Updated May 03, 2019 | 13:52 IST | Zoom TV Digital
One of the most versatile actresses of Bollywood, Tabu recently opened up about her character in De De Pyaar De. Scroll down to know what the actress said.
A still of Tabu from a song in De De Pyaar De |  Photo Credit: Instagram
The fact that Tabu is one of the finest actresses in Bollywood cannot be denied. Be it playing a girl-next-door or a Police officer, Tabu has done it all in her 3 century-long career and she has always kept her fans entertained. Now, she is yet again all set to play a completely different role and wow us with her portrayal of the dazzling ‘Manju’ in the upcoming quirky rom-com De De Pyaar De.
The laugh-riot starring Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet and Tabu in pivotal roles has already got the audience excited, and the feisty Manju has seamlessly won their hearts. Interestingly, while Tabu has never been trapped in a situation like that shown in the film, the National Award-winning actress feels that Manju of De De Pyaar De and she have a lot in common than one could have ever imagined.
A post shared by Tabu (@tabutiful) on May 2, 2019 at 9:32pm PDT
A post shared by Tabu (@tabutiful) on Apr 25, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT
Tabu admits that Manju is a lot like her in real life. She said, “I can completely relate to Manju's character as I have similar traits in me in real life. Although I haven't gone through everything that Manju goes through in life, I can still relate to it because that's how I would react to a situation in the real world.”
Giving credit to the film’s writer and co-producer Luv Ranjan, Tabu further explained, “I am sure Luv thought the same way and that's the reason he offered me to play this part. If ever I am thrown in a situation like this in life, I will also take steps and act the way Manju acts. The character has a sense of maturity blended perfectly with strength, ease and no mellow-drama.”
A post shared by Tabu (@tabutiful) on Apr 2, 2019 at 5:50am PDT
Well, no wonder Tabu is looking so effortless in her representation of Manju on-screen, and the more we look at the glimpses of her from the film, the more certain we are that nobody could have played the role better than her.
De De Pyaar De is helmed by Akiv Ali and is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg. The film will hit the screens on May 17.
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Chandrayaan-2: What is the next Indian moon mission and focus areas for ISRO
Updated May 03, 2019 | 06:00 IST | Rohan Jaitly
If the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft lands on the Moon, India will become the fourth country to have achieved this feat after the US, Russia and China. Here's what ISRO will be focusing on during the mission.
Representative image | Credit: ISRO
The Chandrayaan-2 mission is going to be one of the biggest space missions for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and while the Indian space agency has confirmed that the Chandrayaan-2 will be launched between July 9 and July 16, this will be second moon mission from ISRO and the first one which includes landing a rover on Earth’s natural satellite.
The Chandrayaan-2 will be carrying an orbiter, lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan while the mission will be focused on landing a lander as well as a rover in a high plain of the moon’s south side situated between two craters called as Manzinus C and Simpelius N. The location of landing has a latitude of about 70-degrees south and if the Chandrayaan-2 mission is successful, India will become the second country to ever land a rover near the lunar south pole after China.
According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan-2 mission will use and test several new technologies and conduct new experiments for ISRO while the wheeled rover will move on the lunar surface in order to perform on-site chemical analysis. The data gathered during the mission will be relayed to Earth through the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
On the other hand, the Pragyan rover and Vikram lander will be placed as an integrated module in the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft onboard the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle. While the rover will be housed inside the lander, the mission will be launched between July 9 and July 16, 2019. Moreover, the integrated module will reach the moon’s orbit with the help of an orbiter propulsion module. ISRO further added that the journey from Earth to the moon will take around 45 to 50 days.
After the Chandrayaan-2 reaches the lunar orbit, Vikram (the lander) will separate from Pragyan rover to soft land on the dark side or the South region of the moon while not many countries have explored this area of Earth’s natural satellite China is the only country to do so by landing the Chang’e 4 spacecraft this January.
It should also be noted that if the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft lands on the Moon, India will become the fourth country to have achieved this feat after the US, Russia and China. Interestingly, India was about to lose the opportunity to Israel for becoming the fourth country to land a rover on Moon as Israel’s Beresheet’s spacecraft failed to land on the Moon on April 12 this year.
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Category: Testimonials
Michael Benoit, President of Total Hockey
By TK Stohlman on January 6, 2011 in Testimonials
TK’s Grow the Game Initiative is changing the landscape of hockey in the U.S. His focus on keeping kids in hockey and recruiting new players benefits the game of hockey and helps develop the leaders of tomorrow.
Chad Johnson, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Florida Panthers
We are thrilled to be a part of what TK is doing with the Grow the Game Initiative. TK’s programs help us to fuel a passion for hockey among young players that allows them to enjoy the game throughout their adulthood as well.
Matt DeLuzio, Manager of Hockey Programs, Colorado Avalanche
We love being part of what TK is doing. His ideas and programs are greatly helping the Colorado Avalanche. In one season, he helped us sell approximately $500,000 in tickets.
Mike Snee, President – Minnesota Hockey
By TK Stohlman on November 20, 2009 in Testimonials
TK and his companies are doing great things for Minnesota Hockey. They go above and beyond to ensure everything we produce is first class. We truly enjoy partnering with them.
JP Brun, Co-Founder, HockeyShot.com
TK is always up-to-date with the latest for how to leverage technology to increase sales. His companies have been invaluable in helping us sell more hockey training equipment.
Jamie Norman, VP of Business Development – Dallas Stars
TK understands the needs of pro teams. His company developed our Dallas Stars Care program. This program helped us sell more than $30,000 in incremental ticket sales in less than 5 months. It also helped us sign up additional team sponsors.
© TK Stohlman 2020.
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Egypt to shine at London’s Nour Festival
November 8, 2014 by Fred Stephens
At London’s 2014 Nour Festival, Egypt will be showcasing its remarkable artists in the Middle Eastern and North African arts and culture festival.
The Nour Festival takes place annually each October and November for a six-week event which is graced by contemporary artists from the Middle East and North Africa.
Now in its fifth edition, the festival of arts features film, dance, exhibitions, music, workshops and talks to serve as a fundamental and cultural meeting point between East and West.
Held in venues across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the annual festival was first based at the Leighton House Museum until progressing to a 32-partner and 20-venue cultural and artistic event that hosts artists expressing all their personal forms of art, from poetry, film, painting and dance to drama and even cuisine.
At this year’s edition, which will be held from October 20 until November 30, Egypt, among others, will have its talents in the spotlight to mark a cultural experience to be proud of.
Egyptian veteran festival artist Salah El-Brogy is to return with the world premiere of his solo performance ‘The Moment’ after having already wowed audiences with his previous collaborations with calligrapher Soraya Syed and musician Nitin Sawhney.
(photo: Elbrogy)
Salah El-Brogy performing at 2013 Nour Festival (photo: Elbrogy)
But dance is not the only artistic expression Egypt will be highlighting at the Nour Festival.
Amr Salama’s ‘Excuse My French’ will finally be screened after having previously met several rejections by censors.
‘The Orchard Keepers’ by Bryony Dunne is also included in the line-up.The Irish artist, based between Dublin and Cairo, has been awarded several prizes in recognition of her contribution to multi-disciplinary projects including anthropology, sociology, visual arts and ecology.
To complete the vivid festival, filmmakers Nadine Khan and Elham Shakerifar, along with Iranian Tina Gharavi and Oscar-nominated Yemeni-Scottish artist Sara Ishaq, will be panel speakers during the ‘Women Behind the Camera’ discussion section to open up about the challenges that women filmmakers face in the Middle East.
Amnesty: Israel displayed ‘callous indifference’ in deadly attacks on Gazan homes
Egyptian developer SODIC raises LE1 billion for new projects
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Pro-Life Women in TN Senate Lead Fight to Hold Abortion Facilities Accountable
Call Upon Governor For Emergency Oversight of State's Abortion Facilities
Frustrated by the apparent lack of health department regulation of abortion facilities and weak enforcement of state law prohibiting the sale of remains of unborn children killed by abortion, pro-life state Senators are calling upon Governor Bill Haslam and the TN Department of Health to implement emergency rules for abortion providers in the state.
Last week, members of the state House and state Senate Government Operations committee heard testimony from state Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner in which he acknowledged that "if (abortion facilities) were breaking the law, we would not necessarily know this..."
In response, pro-life legislators led by state Senator Mae Beavers(R-Mt. Juliet) have asked the Governor to enact emergency rules for abortion facilities.
"As legislators, we strongly request that our state agencies step up their efforts to make sure abortion clinics are not illegally profiting from the slaughter of unborn children," said Senator Beavers.
Beavers is joined in her request by Senators Janice Bowling (Tullahoma), Dolores Gresham (Somerville), Paul Bailey (Sparta), and Kerry Roberts(Springfield.)
Senator Roberts stated "During the hearings, it became obvious the Tennessee Department of Health cannot provide Tennesseans any assurance whatsoever that illegal selling of aborted baby parts is not taking place."
Click here to see the video of the hearing.
Click here to read The Tennessean's coverage of the hearing.
As a result, the Senators have requested Governor Haslam to take three immediate steps:
enact emergency rules to provide a "chain of custody" from the procedure until the disposal of the remains;
expand the Abuse Registry to include an abuse hotline for the reporting of illegal activity at abortion facilities; and
authorize an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation into whether and to what extent abortion facilities are engaged in activities that violate Tennessee state law.
Further, the Senators pledged to file legislation giving the Attorney General investigative and prosecutorial authority over illegal selling of aborted fetal parts, organs and tissues.
"Safeguards need to be in place at all abortion centers so the immoral and illegal practice of selling organs and tissues cannot and will not occur in Tennessee," Senator Bowling said.
Senator Gresham stated, "It is easy to say that the abhorrent practices shown in the Planned Parenthood videos are not happening here, but that is a terribly naïve belief given the history of Planned Parenthood. We must investigate."
"The disturbing videos cannot be ignored. The fact is that illegal activity could be taking place in Tennessee so we are calling upon the Governor to take action," Senator Bailey concluded.
Please contact pro-life Governor Haslam and express your support for continuing to do everything possible to enforce basic health and safety standards for women and to protect the innocent unborn children in our state.
Matching Gift Opportunity
Every dollar Tennessee Right to Life receives over the next 30 days will be matched by another dollar from an especially generous pro-life friend! Will you help us maximize this special offer? We have a goal of $50,000, which (after being doubled to $100,000) will go a long way to protect all the new pro-life legislation we fought to enact this year and to work with the Tennessee General Assembly on legislation and regulations that will ensure aborted babies in Tennessee are not being sold.
Click here to make an online gift today!
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Advertising Opportunities | Contact Us | Subscribe to Tobacco Asia | Past Issues
Home News BAT First Tobacco Company to Publish Human Rights Report
BAT First Tobacco Company to Publish Human Rights Report
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is the first major tobacco company to publish a so-called Human Rights Report, which is aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. The report highlights the company's commitment and actions to protect human rights across its global business and supply chain. BAT also announced a commitment to aim for zero child labor in its agricultural supply chain by 2025.
The report highlights the extensive measures BAT takes to promote, uphold, and protect the human rights across its extensive supply chain, which includes 90,000 directly contracted farmers. The report also features case studies to showcase partnerships and activities aimed at improving farmer livelihoods and securing the long-term sustainability of rural communities.
The report also highlights many of the initiatives the company has adopted to address the pandemic including: developing a potential Covid-19 vaccine candidate; producing and distributing protective equipment and sanitizer; providing financial support to suppliers where required; and ensuring access to Covid-secure workplaces for workers throughout our supply chain
“We recognize that forced labor is a serious risk in agricultural supply chains and I am proud that we had zero reported cases of forced labor in 2019,” said Jack Bowles, c.e.o, of BAT. “We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to forced labor whilst having a clear commitment to aim for our tobacco supply chain to also be free of child labor by 2025."
The report can be downloaded from www.bat.com/humanrightsreport
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Today, what we have for you is one of the lighter options in mice, the XM1 or XM One, depending on where you read the name. Essentially, Endgame Gear, who makes the XM1, is offering a mouse that is compact, nearly ambidextrous in design, but perfect for all types of grip styles. While the focus is on gamers, and even professional gamers, the development of the mouse came down to looking almost ordinary, a wolf in sheep's clothing if you will. While at first glance, many may pass this right on by, primarily due to the lack of RGB illumination, or any visible lighting for that matter. However, once past the outer shell, all you see are top tier components, all designed to give gamers the best possible usage. With all of this in mind, we are eager to get this mouse under our right hand, and see what all the hype is about.
As we do when possible, we borrow the specifications chart from the manufacturer, and we find that it does cover quite a bit of desired information. Things start with the PixArt PMW3389 "high-end" optical sensor. This PMW3389 is capable of a CPI range that begins at 50 and goes all the way up to 16,000 CPI and can be adjusted in single increments or jumps of 50. Tracking is still possible with this sensor at speeds of 450 inches per second, and at 50 Gs. If using lower DPI and lifting the mouse often, you will appreciate the 2mm LOD that is preset, but there is also a 1mm option.
Every mouse needs a microcontroller to make everything "talk" to one another, and in the XM1, they have opted to use an ARM STM32-based chip, which is a ton of grunt. It is what allows the software to enable changes, it controls the Hz of the polling rate, it allows for an interchangeable "host signal intervals," and the most significant part is the less than 1ms processing latency. In simpler terms, if you are in a gunfight, and you both draw and pull the trigger at the same time, the bullet from this "gun" would leave the barrel first.
The layout of the outside of the mouse is shown to be dextral, or right-handed, even though the shape is ambidextrous, just that there are no buttons on the right side of the mouse-like there are on the left. Whether you use a claw, palm, or fingertip grip, Endgame Gear says this is the mouse for you. Dimensionally, the XM1 is 122.14mm long; it is 65.81mm wide, it is 38.26mm tall and weighs in at just 70 grams with the cable. Sadly though, this is not true. Putting the XM1 on a scale, our mouse is 72 grams likely with a bit of the cable weight and is well over 100 grams once the entire cable is added. Speaking of the cable, it is a USB 2.0 cable with no special treatment, just a rubberized coating, and it is of standard length. The entire mouse is black, except for the logo painted on the heel, which is white, there is a total of five buttons, and that is not including the 2-way mouse scrolling and its clickability.
At this point, we are left with just three things to cover. One is the use of Omron switches under the right and left click buttons which boast a fifty-million click lifespan, the two-year warranty, and the cost. The bottom of the chart shows that all pricing is kept the same, no matter if in euros, dollars, or pounds. The MSRP has been set to $59.99, which is more than reasonable. Checking what the actual in-store cost is at both Newegg and Amazon, they are both listing the XM1 at $59.99. Amazon uses Noblechairs for access to shipping the mouse to you, while Newegg opted to gain access to stock using Caseking USA. Either option you prefer to take, even this early in the review, we have no issues claiming that price is not an issue with the Endgame Gear XM1 mouse.
Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications
Motherboard: ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe - Buy from Amazon
CPU: Intel Core i9 7920X - Buy from Amazon
Cooler: Corsair H150i Pro - Buy from Amazon
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ RGB 3600MHz 32GB - Buy from Amazon
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Hybrid SLI - Buy from Amazon
Storage: Samsung 960 EVO 250GB - Buy from Amazon
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos C700P - Buy from Amazon
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G 1050W - Buy from Amazon
OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon
Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation
Packaging for the XM One or XM1 is dark, which makes the information pop at the top and bottom of the panel. Both the company and product name are at the top in white and orange lettering and using the same colors, we see mentions of its lightweight, the maximum CPI, and what sensor, and that this mouse offers under 1ms responses. Taking up most of the panel is what are gray triangles, maybe glass, maybe some other effect, but you do have to look closely to make out the product which should have center stage.
On the right side of the box, the lettering is set so that it is easier to read with the box on its back. On the left is the company logo and Endgame Gear name, but you need to get to the right edge to see the XM One version of the product name.
Ten languages are offered for the four-point list of features of the XM1, on the back of the box. In that list are things like their patented technology for the under 1ms from input to action. Endgame Gear also pre-sorts their fifty-million click Omron switches, they make sure you know the 70-gram weight again, and again address the sensor and its abilities.
The last side of the packaging has nothing new to take in, as it is identical to the panel on the other side of the box.
To protect the mouse for shipping, Endgame Gear opts for an open-cell foam, which encapsulates the mouse. This protects the device from minor scratches to hard knocks, and with the cable kept separate, it is likely your XM1 will arrive in as excellent condition as ours has.
The last thing we found in the box was this card. On it, we see where to obtain the software first, in big, bold letters. The default options for the CPI levels and a mention of the mouse offering four levels of CPI control built into the mouse, as well as how to change profiles and the polling rate, are all detailed here. If you do have an issue or a question, Endgame Gear ensures you have that address handy as well.
ENDGAME GEAR XM1 Gaming Mouse
The left side of the XM1 is straightforward in its bulbous shape, with the lowest section being indented slightly for a bit of extra grip. As part of the top half of the mouse, the surface is slick feeling but slightly rubberized, and offers a pair of buttons near the top.
The lower part of the mouse is angled inward near the bottom, compared to at the waistline, and there you can see that the materials above and below the line are different. The lower section is rough-textured plastic, with no coating applied. Both of the body lines angle inward towards the heel of the mouse, and flank the Endgame Gear logo, painted on in white.
Similar to the box, the right side of the mouse is nearly identical to what we saw on the left. While the shape, feel, and coating are the same, there are no side buttons to make this an ambidextrous design, even though it delivers an ambidextrously designed shell.
The main buttons sit high on the snub-nosed front end of the XM1. The cable comes from the center of the leading edge, and built into the slight gap between the main buttons is a highly segmented, rubber-coated, scroll wheel.
The bottom of the XM1 gives us a few things to cover. Most noticeable are the white PTFE, feet, four of them, which allow for slick glide ability on any surface. The company name is molded into the frame, just above the sensors eye, with the product sticker just below that. The last thing to note is the square button used to change CPI and polling rate, with the chart for it as part of the sticker just above the pair of LEDs.
As for the cable, there is nothing special about the rubber-coated 1.8-meter length of it. There is no strap for cord tending offered, just a twist-tie, but we do like the inline choke. As for the connection, it is a USB 2.0 connector, and the housing for it has the Endgame Gear logo molded into it.
Inside the XM1
To open the mouse, the feet need to be removed, to allow access to a total of four screws. Once opened, there are no cables to worry about, as the internal layout has all of the components on a single PCB, housed in the lower half of the XM1.
Under the left-click button, we see the first D2FC-F-K(50M), Omron, blue switch. The life of the switch is self-explanatory, but the actuation force is similar to all other Omron switches. There is a defined point of activation, as well as an audible click, all be it, a bit hollow sounding. Behind that switch is the rotary TTC switch for the scroll wheel, which we said is highly segmented in its movement.
Backing the pair of buttons on the left side of the XM1, we see a couple of TTC switches with maroon stems. These switches are the softest on the mouse but have the crispest clicks reporting back when pressed than any others on the mouse.
Not that we do not trust the specs chart, but we like to show what we have to confirm. In this instance, we do indeed have the PixArt PMW3389 optical sensor to ensure any movement made with the right hand is recorded and sent into action on the PC.
While this is one of the smallest chip we have seen for an ARM 32-bit processor, it is plenty to control what functionality the XM1 offers. For those wondering, the F041G6 numbers will lead you to this being an STMicroelectronics product.
The last internal image is of the second Omron blue switch, again, rated for fifty million clicks. As for the pad switch behind it, that is for the press of the scroll wheel, and when pressed, it needs a lot of force, and again, the report is muffled or hollow sounding.
As we do, we reassembled the XM1 and plugged it into a PC. What we end up with is that the XM1 shows all of its cards when you take it out of the box, as there are no visible LEDs, or any visual indicator LEDs visible when under power.
If you want to look at LEDs, you have to flip the mouse over. It is pretty easy to see that since two LEDs are lit, we are set at 1000HZ, but the color is also key. Each of the four CPI settings allows a color to be set to it. So even if we are looking at the Hz lights illuminated, the color here indicates we are currently using the second CPI setting of 800 CPI.
XM1 Config Software
Once downloaded and installed, we went ahead and opened up the XM1 Config software, and the first tab is open for "buttons." You may start to think about button remapping, but that is not even close. What this window offers is simply the ability to use the default function, or for the middle click and side buttons, one can disable them if desired.
The sensor tab is where one goes to address the CPI level and which colors identify the four CPI settings that can be saved. There are two ways to change the CPI. In the box that says 400, for instance, you can highlight and direct enter a number, which has a one CPI adjustment rate. The other option is to use the arrows to the right of the numbers, which jumps in fifty CPI increments. There is a checkbox for ripple control, and there is a section on LOD where 1mm or 2mm can be selected, and also a "Default" box to reset the changes made in this tab.
If you wish to use a different color to identify the current CPI setting, all you have to do is to click on one of the colored portions of the four boxes. Once clicked, the smaller window opens, which allows for four additional colors than those already in use.
The update tab is a one-stop-shop to make sure you have the latest and greatest in both firmware for the XM1 as well as software to control it. In the same tab, you can also click the reset box, which will reset the mouse back to factory defaults, deleting any work you may have done here.
The support tab offers up a one-click box that takes you to the XM1 FAQ page so that you can sort through various points and see if it covers your questions, but sadly the page errors out. If you cannot find what you need there, there is a link to the support page, but for us, clicking the link does nothing even though it highlights when hovered over. Hopefully, these are things that will get sorted in later software updates.
Gaming and General Impressions
DOOM & PUBG
Even though we tend to use larger mice, both in size and weight, fresh under our right hand, we had no issues adapting to the size and shape of the XM1. Right away we were in the action making headshots in PUBG like it was our job, and the hellspawn in DOOM never stood a chance, as long as we didn't run out of ammo.
We did not miss the lighting, we did not miss the wings on the sides, and to be honest, even though it sucks to flip the mouse to access a button, we found most of our changes occurring as we changed games, so we had the time to change settings then. The glide is smooth, as is the finish, and the XM1 does seem to want to get away from you at times. If your hands are oily, or it's warm in the room, and things start to get damp, you can and will find yourself wanting texture on the sides at the very least. Outside of that, we found no need to go further than 3200 CPI for our gaming needs, and when we tried higher, we found that over 500 CPI the amount of jitters and off shots increased, saying to us, to back the CPI down to a more comfortable and accurate level.
Windows and Productivity
Sitting on the desk for daily use, there is nothing wrong with what the XM1 offers in this regard. You can copy and paste with it; you can scroll as you can with any other mouse, and with side buttons, you can easily swap pages in a browser. Again, it may not be the most feature-rich option, but what it does do, it does it well. When it came to photo editing, this and opening folders on the desktop is when the CPI setting found our limit for us.
At 6000 CPI or above, we had issues keeping a steady hand to open folders or felt comfortable with the tool clicks while editing images. Keep in mind, it is not like we have tremors or our hands are not steady, as the pressure trying to left-click the mouse is enough to make the sensor wander. Just for giggles, we tried 16,000 CPI at the desktop, and while you could get in the general area quickly and with little movement from your right arm, wrist, and fingers, but honing in on anything specific was near impossible.
Right out of the gate, the XM1 had a tough hill to climb. Lacking things like profiles, Macros, programmability, customization, and no form of lighting to be seen under normal conditions are things that can be found just about anywhere these days. Taking a bold approach to mouse design, by sticking to the basic functions, soldering in top-tier components to handle the workload, and doing the basics well, so that the customer does not miss all of those fancy add-ons, it is a bold feat.
Honestly, though, we did not miss a single one of them. Of course, we tend to gravitate to games without much need for Macros, and while profiles are helpful, we still have in-game options to reassign things, so we were not entirely at a loss. We did miss the RGB LED bling as we walk into the office every day, but when in use, we can't think of any time that we were looking at the mouse rather than the screen, making lighting sort of a moot point.
What we found is that Endgame Gear makes a reliable product ready for the rigors of gaming, and while your initial reaction may be to keep looking, for us, we are going to have a hard time when it comes time to review the next mouse. Compact and light have its advantages, and we are enjoying those advantages of ease of use too much not to find a permanent home in our office.
We do have some points we need to mention again, that, let's say, are odd to us. First is the weight. We realize that without disconnecting the cable internally and weighing the mouse only, our 72-gram measurement could be a touch off. However, Endgame Gear made it a point in the specifications chart to add the "including cable" portion of their approximated 70 gram stated weight. In no way is that true, and we feel it is something that needs to be addressed. Our other issues were all in the software.
We understand that Endgame Gear is new to the scene and that all their ducks may not be in a perfect row just yet, but we also look at it like this, the XM1 is on store shelves. While a little late for initial impressions, we did not care for things like a buttons section only to let us disable a few buttons, that and the fact that the links do not work. While in our situation, the CPI and polling rate buttons placement not to be a huge issue, it all could have been done with a single button behind the scroll wheel, and we would not have had a point to make here. Asking a user to flip the mouse to change something is a bit over the top, and not any more cost-effective to make it inconvenient to someone in the first place.
In the end, as we ponder everything we have just said, and what we remember when using it, our feelings are mixed. On the one hand, we almost want to treat Endgame Gear with kid gloves, as this is a new company and it is their first product, but that's not how we roll. We have to consider all other options out there, the cost, the feature set, comfort, feel, grip, all of that, and when we pile it all up and sort through it, we think the XM1 has missed the mark in many areas.
Not so much as to kill the mouse, as the XM1 is enjoyable to use on the most basic levels. At $59.99, it is a bit of a saving grace, as many eSports peripherals are in the $80 to $100 range. However, if it were us looking to buy this mouse, with what we know using it versus what we see on paper and in videos, we would wait until all the wrinkles are ironed out. Endgame Gear is damn close to getting it right, but for those with an ear to the market, and many devices offering a ton more features for just a couple more dollars invested, it is hard to put a sugar-sweet coating on the XM1.
If Endgame Gear was on point, the XM1 would have faired much better, However, with the market being what it is, even as up to the task as this mouse is, there is little bang for the buck, and it lacks a ton of things that many gamers demand of their mice.
* Prices last scanned on 1/21/2021 at 12:03 pm CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission.
Chad Sebring
After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM, cooling, as well as peripherals.
MSI Clutch GM30 Gaming Mouse Review
Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite MOBA/MMO Gaming Mouse Review
Corsair DARK CORE RGB PRO SE Wireless FPS/MOBA Gaming Mouse Review
Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O Gaming Mouse Review
Dream Machines DM5 Blink Gaming Mouse Review
Cooler Master MasterMouse MM710 Gaming Mouse Review
ENGAME GEAR XM1 Gaming Mouse
ENGAME GEAR XM1 Review
Recover Data From WD My Passport Hard Drive
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Destination Britain to Boost Canadian Tourism Industry
TORONTO – On October 25 and 26, VisitBritain will host Destination Britain, the region’s key tradeshow where Canadian tour operators and media will meet with British tourism suppliers to build their 2013 programs.
“Destination Britain is a prime opportunity to enhance key international business relationships,” said Karen Clarkson, vice president – North America. “Travelling to Britain is definitely on the minds of most travelling Canadians following an unprecedented summer of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and World Gay Pride.”
Through a timed appointment marketplace featuring 600 appointments, destination seminars and networking functions, Destination Britain is a one-stop-shop opportunity for Canadian tourism professionals to meet key industry players, cement current relationships and forge new ones.
Destination Britain will be hosted at the Thompson Toronto Hotel and include tour operators from across the country. The 30 British suppliers include regional tourist boards, ground handlers, attractions, accommodation and transport providers.
The event coincides with the campaign launch of VisitBritain and the tourism industry’s four-year marketing campaign “Great Britain: You’re Invited.” The global campaign includes targeted Canadian activity including a television commercial with celebrity endorsements, active social media campaign and an advertising campaign in partnership with British Airways.
VisitBritain Media Team
pressandpr@visitbritain.com
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Zimbabwe Central Bank And Business Leaders Urge Reversal Of Fuel Policy
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono has teamed up with the business community in issuing a strong warning to the government against banning private fuel purchases in foreign currency, saying this will finish off the staggering economy.
Gono escalated his criticism of the government crackdown on business pricing in an interview with the state-controlled Herald newspaper in which he called the decision ill-considered. He said the ban on fuel coupons purchased with foreign exchange must be reversed as it will hamstring banks, mines and other key economic players.
"We must avoid good intentions having negative results," Gono said. "Everything needs to be properly dissected, looking at the pros and cons so that we do not make rushed decisions."
For the second day motorists flooded filling stations to use fuel coupons before they become worthless in two weeks by government order. Widespread stocking of highly flammable petrol in homes and on business premises fanned fears of deadly fires.
Fuel sector sources reported a number of crisis meetings between representatives of the business community, fuel dealers and top officials including Trade Minister Obert Mpofu - who launched the blitz on prices - and Energy Minister Mike Nyambuya.
Sources said business leaders warned the government that without private players in the fuel sector, many businesses would collapse in the next month.
Mpofu remained adamant, however, sources said, insisting that the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe, or NOCZIM, must exercise a monopoly in fuel imports.
A Finance Ministry source said Harare is seeking a nine-month credit line for fuel from Libya. The source said the Joint Operations Command, which unites representatives of the police, the army and the Central Intelligence Organization, recommended that Harare sell diamonds and other minerals forward to back the credit line.
Luxon Zembe, an economist and former president of the National Chamber of Commerce, told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the government's latest directive on fuel is a disaster in the making.
In the macroeconomy, meanwhile, Reserve Bank figures showed domestic debt stocks exploding with total government indebtedness in local currency rising 224% in the past three weeks to Z$6.8 trillion, compared with Z$2.1 trillion in early June.
Economists warn the debt could further balloon if Harare keeps its promise to bail out distressed companies hit by the price blitz. But some see this as inevitable given that the government is preparing for 2008 elections and loosening purse strings.
Chief Economist Prosper Chitambara of the Labor and Economic Development Research Institute said state revenue sources are drying out one by one.
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You are here: Home / PR Pulse / PRCA releases its 2020 PR and Communications Census
PRCA releases its 2020 PR and Communications Census
December 8, 2020 by Phoebe-Jane Boyd
Results from the PRCA’s annual PR and Communications Census show a snapshot of an industry with much to do to protect the mental health of practitioners, close the gender pay gap and become racially equitable – issues that have either stagnated or worsened during the economic struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 Census, sponsored and undertaken by Norstat, brings together data from March and October and is based on responses from 1,251 public relations practitioners across the UK.
The impact of the global coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on PR professionals at both home and at work, according to the results. 34% of respondents having suffered from or been diagnosed with mental ill health, and work/life balance has taken a hit since March, with 44% of respondents admitting to sending emails and making calls outside of work hours.
While data gathered in March predicted another year of growth for the industry, with a workforce of 97,300 before the pandemic and a contribution of £15.7bn to the economy, 34% of survey respondents now report organisational redundancies. A widening of the gender pay gap is also a worrying statistic from the report – the 14% gap in 2019 rose to 15% in March 2020. October’s data suggests a further rise to 21%, which, even with the proviso that a larger number of senior respondents took part in the later survey, is startling for a year where equality has been a major discussion across the globe.
On the work being done to welcome more ethnic diversity into the PR industry across all levels, the data shows slow progress. 10% of 2019’s PR workforce identified as Black and ethnically diverse, while 2020’s percentage has risen a miniscule amount, to 12%. Practitioners from these backgrounds are also mainly in junior roles. 88% of managing directors identify as White British, while 54% of account executives identify that way. Class inequality also continues to be a problem – the percentage (21%) of PRs who attended fee-paying schools is three times the national average (7%).
Of the results, PRCA REEB chair Barbara Phillips said: ‘We know we are better than these latest statistics. We are the ones who convince and cajole our client’s customers and audiences to engage with products and services because they identify with a narrative. What narrative do these latest stats tell? Currently the PR and communications narrative in regard to ethnic diversity is one that urgently needs rewriting.
‘We already have a great deal of qualitative information and these latest numbers are shocking. Let’s refresh our industry’s reputation among diverse groups and make the changes that welcomes everyone to an industry that, if you stay, can offer the most amazing experiences.’
PRCA director general Francis Ingham sees an opportunity for change: ‘For too long, our industry has recruited and promoted in its own image. There is no place for unethical cultures that tolerate inequality; next year will see the launch of our new diversity module within the CMS designed to raise standards across the industry. Our industry must do better – empathy and ethics must form the heart of our industry’s recovery from the pandemic.’
Read the full results from the PRCA PR and Communications Census here.
https://www.vuelio.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PRCA-PR-and-Communications-Census.jpg 430 760 Phoebe-Jane Boyd https://www.vuelio.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/vuelio-logo.png Phoebe-Jane Boyd2020-12-08 12:07:122020-12-08 12:18:16PRCA releases its 2020 PR and Communications Census
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overnights Feb. 27, 2016
The Vampire Diaries Recap: Hello, Love
By Tara Sonin
Moonlight on the Bayou
Editor’s Rating 5 stars *****
Photo: Annette Brown/CW
It’s the crossover event we’ve all been waiting for: Today, Stefan reunites with his estranged frenemy Klaus Mikaelson. But even more importantly: Three years from now, Caroline is headed for a reunion, and no matter what your ’ship is, you know that’s going to be one hot reunion. (Because it’s New Orleans and it’s always hot there. JK, because it’s Klaroline, people.)
When Caroline said Klaus’s name, I shivered. Just putting that out there. “My name is Caroline Forbes. He’ll know me,” she says, with a sort of indignation that only our girl Caro could pull off, as if she actually means: Look, this guy hasn’t seen me in almost six years (wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff not withstanding) but you just say my name and I promise he’ll come running.
The problem: Klaus is gone, and hasn’t been seen in New Orleans in almost three years. Which puts his disappearance right around …
On the Bayou
The present day, where Stefan is barreling towards some magical safe-house Valerie is helping him find. He stops to get a charger, because duh, no responsible hero goes out without one. Big mistake, as Rayna Cruz slides up on her Harley and throws her sword at the glass separating them. Stefan gets away just in time. Eventually, he heads to the safe-house, a.k.a. a bar. And not just any bar. Of all the gin joints in all the world … he walks right into Klaus’s.
“Welcome to New Orleans, old friend.” — Remember when this guy was our problem of the week?
So I counted the seconds until Klaus brought Caroline up and immediately forgot what the count was the moment he said her name. Don’t get me wrong—I am a Steroline-lover ‘till the end, but … the Klaroline chemistry, even when she’s not even in the room … damn! “We’re going to need another round,” Stefan says. Me too, I say.
I love that Klaus is being Stefan’s voice of reason about his fears for Caroline’s babies. Of course Klaus knows Caroline wouldn’t abandon them. He knows Caroline. “If you care for her as you say you do, why aren’t you with her now?” he asks, revealing once again that he also knows Stefan, and how uncharacteristic it is of our brooding hero to be separated from his girlfriend because of a brotherly spat.
Cue Stefan’s scar, Klaus’ recognition, and the uproar: Of course the latter also knows about Rayna Cruz’ bloody reputation. And he’s pissed at Stef for dragging his people into this battle. I miss the good ol’ days of Joseph Morgan screaming at people to get out in that cute British accent. I also miss the epic bromance of Klaus and Stefan — which doesn’t seem to be returning anytime soon. Stefan takes a hint and peaces out, just as the phone he leaves behind rings, with Caroline’s name on caller ID.
But we’ll get into that conversation later. Like the TVD writers and their love triangles, we like to tease.
Stefan’s escape gets hindered by Rayna Cruz, but just as she’s about to push her sword in and finish the job, Klaus comes in and saves the day. More like slays the day, since he kills Rayna with a single swipe to her neck. Of course, they have to get away before she regenerates — and, more importantly, they have to get away before the werewolves in the territory stake their claim.
“Do you love her? Caroline?” Klaus asks when they’re in the car, driving, presumably, someplace far, far away from Rayna.
“Why? Do you still have feelings for her?”
“I have far too many complicated women in my life already.”
I’d like to note that neither of these boys were honest in this conversation. Yes, Stefan loves Caroline. Yes, Klaus still has feelings for Caroline. Will this love triangle ever be resolved? You may have to watch The Originals to find out, as Klaus tells Stefan he’s taking him to see a witch who can help with his “Rayna Cruz problem.”
Your Worst Enemy
Speaking of problems, Damon’s got a new one, and it’s called the Armory. Yet another secret society (remember the Augustines?), this one is dedicated to finding the dangerous artifacts of the magical world and keeping them out of the wrong hands. Enzo seems to have bartered his kidnapping into a more profitable deal: In exchange for working with the Armory to secure Rayna’s sword, they’ll give him information on who his family is.
But if the pattern of what happens when you learn about your “true” family on this show holds true Enzo, he should have stayed kidnapped. This won’t end well. (Remember Isobel?)
Just as I have this thought, the Armory stun-guns (or the magical equivalent of stun-guns) Nora and Mary Louise, who have just reconciled their engagement with a ring pop. To make matters worse, Valerie also warns Damon about the Armory. “They were more than happy to let Rayna bury her sword in Beau as long as it got her into one of their cages.” Like Bonnie’s wise words from last week: sketchy people, sketchy tchotchkes. Unfortunately, when Damon tries to get Bonnie out of there, Enzo vervains him and knocks her out.
The full truth comes out: The Armory wants the sword, and Stefan can lead them to it. Damon can either reveal Stefan’s location and let the Armory kill him and get the sword … or Enzo will let Tyler (not dead, it turns out, but currently incapacitated) turn into a werewolf and kill Damon.
“Good news, tween wolf. You’re about to get your sweet revenge on me.” Instead of just killing him to prevent the curse from activating, Damon keeps Tyler alive out of allegiance to Elena. Tyler points out that this is really F’d up — Damon’s morality should be tied to more than Elena’s possible reappearance in his life.
But interestingly, Bonnie’s morality enters a gray area here as well—Damon tells her to let Tyler kill him, but she refuses, cutting off Enzo’s hand so she can use his fingerprints to release the lock on the door instead. I think, as with Damon and Tyler, Bonnie wants to keep Damon alive for Elena’s sake.
“You’re not supposed to die for me, Bon. Neither is my brother,” Damon says, watching over Bonnie in the hospital after her plan backfires and Tyler attacks her. For Damon, this is the last straw: He’s taking himself out of the game as soon as she is healed.
I guess this is how Damon ends up in a coffin — he decides it’s worth playing dead for the next 60-70 years instead of risking the chance that Bonnie, or Stefan, or anyone else Elena loves gets caught in the middle of his messes. But will it work? It didn’t seem like things were so great in the world Damon left. It actually seemed like the opposite: Without him, things went down the drain.
Which is basically the status of Caroline’s life right now. Her boyfriend’s on the run, she loves two babies that aren’t hers … and Alaric informs her that he’s moving to Dallas today, keeping his promise to Jo to make sure the babies are safe. Even if that means hiring the perpetual boyfriend-texting nurse to accompany him, bad idea.
“I’m a better idea,” Caroline tells him, trying to play it cool. This is not something a mom would do, it’s just something Caroline, concerned citizen and child-surrogate, would do. (This is a lie, and everyone and Klaus Mikaelson knows it.)
And in between crying babies who won’t sleep, diner rest stops, and nanny spreadsheets, that’s exactly who Caroline winds up talking to on the phone.
Klaus: “Hello, love.”
Caroline: “Who is this?”
Klaus: “Ouch, has it really been that long?”
Shivers, shivers, shivers! Okay, so it’s not the in-person reunion we may have hoped for, but many kudos to the TVD writers for knowing how to play a long game.
This entire conversation was like a wishful thinking cocktail served up with nostalgia chocolate. Klaus ensures Stefan’s safety … not because he particularly cares about Stefan’s beef with Rayna Cruz, but because he cares that Caroline loves him. (Stefan, not Klaus. Right now, at least.)
“My family is what makes me truly happy. It is not a crime to love what you cannot explain,” Klaus says, in a rare moment of softness from him…and a sign to Caroline that it’s okay to love the babies, even if it means her life will change in ways she can’t control. Which, maybe, is why Caroline tells Ric she’s staying the night in Dallas, under the guise of making sure the electrician doesn’t electrocute her — sorry, Ric’s daughters. She’ll even compel the nanny to lower her fee, if Ric wants. But something tells me she’ll be making herself at home there soon enough — exactly where, as Klaus said on the phone, Sheriff Forbes would want her to be.
I’ll be tuning into The Originals to see the rest of Stefan’s story this week, and I hope you join me! Until next week, you can find me on Twitter @Talkativetara.
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Sanctuary of Vicoforte
See the largest elliptical dome in the world
Why make the pilgrimage to the little Piemonte village of Vicoforte? To visit the Sanctuary no doubt. It’s an imposing site in a cleared flatland on the edge of town. It was like they said to the bulldozer guys, “clear lots, this is gonna be grand.”
Basilica di Vicoforte (Piemonte), side entrance
And they did. The dome built for the basilica of Vicoforte built by Francesco Gallo was one of the largest and most complex ever made. It measured 118 by 82 feet, making 64,930 square feet for the fresco crew to paint upon (completed in 1752 by Mattia Bortoloni and Felice Biella). It remains the largest elliptical cupola in the world. And it only took Gallo five months start to finish. Painting it took 2 years.
But there is a history that starts before the dome was even built. The story in short form is that an errant shot by a hunter hit a pillar of the Virgin Mary in a shrine that happened to be very important to pilgrims, and he was so repentant that he put down his gun and raised money for the repair of the pillar. This prompted a tidal wave of interest in creating an enormous edifice and building of the sanctuary soon began.
To get the full details of the history, get a guided tour, offered during the season on Sundays from June to October, according to this page
If you can’t get a guided tour, there is a good brochure you can pick up at the Sanctuary.
Basilica and Eliptical Dome, Vicoforte
But there’s perhaps another reason to come to this rather spectacular basilica in Vicoforte.
MILAN (Reuters) – The remains of Victor Emmanuel III, who reigned as Italy’s king through two world wars and died in exile in 1947, were flown back from Egypt on Sunday for reburial at a family mausoleum near Turin.
The family mausoleum is inside the Sanctuary of Vicoforte.
I hesitate to mention the third reason to come to Vicoforte. You can climb up to see the dome—and the city—from above. For that you’ll have to don a hard hat and some climbing gear. You can see how it goes in the video below (in Italian).
Here is information on going up into the dome, salita alla cupola in Italian. There is a tour of two hours, probably the one you want. The brief tours are one hour, Percorso breve.
You can fill out the contact form to reserve a place or you can call +39 3318490075.
If you arrive without a reservation, there is a ticket office building across from the sanctuary: Biglietteria Magnificat kalatà, Piazza Carlo Emanuele Ⅰ, 35. There are many places to get food and drink under the arcades.
Vicoforte Basilica from the side entrance, showing il Tempietto below
How to get to Vicoforte
The train from Turin arrives at Mondavi, which is about 3. 5 miles (6 Km) from the Sanctuary. There is a bus from the train station that goes in the direction of San Michele Mondavi, making a stop in Vicoforte.
From Mondavi with a car, take the SS28 in the direction of Vicoforte.
A taxi from Mondavi will cost 12-14 euro and make the trip in 7 minutes. You can walk for a bit less than an hour and a half to arrive in Vicoforte.
Other articles about Piemonte Region
Palazzina di Stupinigi Visitor Guide | Piemonte
Liquori Bernard: The Alps in a Bottle
Barolo Chapel and Other Delights
Time Out of Time in Turin's Historic Cafes
Torino: Parco del Valentino
Manta Castle: A Painted Gem in Piemonte
Sanctuary of Vicoforte originally appeared on WanderingItaly.com Nov 10, 2019, updated: Nov 10, 2019 © James Martin.
Categories Piemonte, Leading You Astray
Craco: A Ghost Town in Basilicata [899]
Ruvo di Puglia [640]
Mantua and the Erotic Art of the Palazzo del Te [1181]
Madrevite: A Winery for Italy's Future [560]
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Dell Cuts Warranty Cost,
Raises Warranty Revenue:
Doing both at the same time is possible with
a shift towards extended warranty options.
by Eric Arnum, Editor
As a cost-cutting measure, Dell Computer Corp., soon to be known as Dell Inc., reduced the warranty coverage on its consumer-oriented desktop and laptop computer lines from three years to one. But in what's turned out to be a pleasant surprise, that strategy also has boosted revenue, as customers choose to pay to lengthen and strengthen their coverage with extended warranties.
Dell markets its Inspiron laptops and Dimension desktops to consumers, who can buy the units directly from the manufacturer using online or telephone ordering systems. This elimination of the middleman, which cuts cost and boosts profits, also produces surprising benefits. First, Dell can lower the amount of parts and completed units it keeps in inventory to the bare minimum needed to finish out the day. Second, the consumer can choose exactly the options they desire. Included on that list of options are upgrades to three-year warranties.
Dell's Desktop and Laptop Warranty Options
Dimension desktop (consumer)
1 yr. 1 yr. 3 yrs. $129 $69
OptiPlex desktop (business)
3 yrs. 1 yr. incl. $0 On-Site
Inspiron laptop (consumer)
1 yr. 1 yr. 3 yrs. $199 $149
Latitude laptop (business)
3 yrs. 1 yr. incl. $0 $169
The numbers tell the story. In 2001, Dell's vice president of manufacturing operations Dick Hunter told Montgomery Research that a supply chain management software package had allowed the company to cut obsolete inventories to below 0.1 percent of total purchases, and to cut current inventories from an average of 13 hours to only 7.
"In our business, material costs decline at about 1 percent per week. So our competition, like IBM, Compaq, and HP � who operate through a sales channel � typically have three or four weeks of inventory in that sales channel," he was quoted as telling the researchers. "Automatically, we have a 4 to 5 percent advantage. And that's critical in the pretty razor-thin margins that exist in the PC industry today."
Cutting Warranty Cost
These are part of the company's stated goal of cutting costs, including warranty costs. In the fiscal 2003 annual report filed last month with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company stated:
"Gross margin as a percentage of net revenue increased from 17.7% in fiscal 2002 to 17.9% in fiscal 2003. Gross margin increased across all geographies and product categories primarily as a result of Dell�s cost reduction initiatives and declining component costs. As part of its focus on improving margins, Dell remains committed to reducing costs to maintain price leadership and improve profitability through four primary cost reduction initiatives: manufacturing costs, warranty costs, structural or design costs, and overhead or operating expenses."
One of the ways Dell is cutting costs is by investing in R&D and engineering efforts to improve the design and quality of its products. In essence, Dell wants to make its products easier to use and more reliable, to cut warranty and support costs. It's part of a simple theory that if Dell offers a better product to its customers, they'll have a better experience using it, and less reason to resort to their warranties to resolve break/fix issues.
Dell spokesperson Venancio Figueroa III said the reason for the difference between the warranty programs backing the corporate and consumer product lines is the differing expectations of the buyer. Corporate customers expect constant coverage and to trade in the unit soon after the warranty expires. Consumers expect a low price and fairly-priced options to bring their coverage up to their own personal comfort level.
"Typically, if you look at our corporate products, specifically the OptiPlex brand, which is our desktop product for relationship/corporate/government customers, those usually have a three-year refresh cycle, so they'll come with standard three-year warranties," he said. "In essence, the warranties cover the products for its typical lifespan."
Dell also builds a promise of next business day on-site repairs into the corporate units. That provision can be upgraded to four-hour, any-day response with an additional payment. Likewise, the basic warranty, which is actually three years for parts and one year for labor, can be upgraded to three years for both. While some of these options are available for purchase along with the consumer brands, the emphasis there is on low price and upgrade options.
"In the home/consumer market, you see our Dimension brand for desktop and Inspiron brand for laptop. There, one year is going to be the standard warranty offer," Figueroa said. However, customers can choose to pay for additional time, buying a two-, three-, or even four-year extended warranty that includes at-home service. Unhappy customers also have the option of returning the unit for a refund within 30 days of the invoice date under the "Total Satisfaction" Return Policy. Nervous customers have the option of purchasing a more comprehensive accidental damage policy called CompleteCare (not available in California, New York, or Florida). Plus, they can always make use of Dell's online and telephone support options, which include "how to" advice for the first 30 days and troubleshooting support for the life of the parts warranty.
Figueroa said Dell's strategy on the consumer side is to give the customer some amount of peace of mind as a basic and free offer, and to provide them with warranty and service upgrade options to match their expectations and budget.
"We have many customers who opt to continue protecting their investment with the technical support and service that we offer, whether it be online, on the phone, email, or even on the hardware itself," he said. "We see it as insurance to make sure that the purchase you have will be protected for years." But there are others happy to run off with a low price on something like a Dimension 2350, and to assume the long-term risk of repairs themselves. "We just want to offer choice," Figueroa concluded.
Earnings Up, Costs Down
That strategy seems to be working. In the fiscal year completed at the end of January 2003, Dell's revenue climbed 13.6 percent to $35.4 billion. Earnings per share increased from 46 cents to 80 cents, reversing almost precisely the decline suffered from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2002.
Buried within the financial statements filed by Dell with the SEC are some figures that suggest how well the company has kept basic warranty costs under control while boosting extended warranty revenue. While there's no line item for total warranty cost or extended warranty revenue, there are figures in the notes that closely approximate the actual numbers. What Dell calls "accrued warranty liability" is an approximation of the cost of fixing computers for free -- the basic warranty cost. If one thinks of warranty cost as a water tank kept at a more or less constant level, the amount added to the "tank" each year will closely approximate the outflow. Likewise, what Dell calls "deferred revenue on warranty contracts" is more or less an escrow account that contains its enhanced warranty revenue -- money collected now from customers to pay for repairs later.
The numbers in and of themselves are interesting, but the trend that's more noteworthy is produced when figures for both cost and revenue are compared to annual revenue. As the chart below illustrates, Dell's basic warranty costs have meandered between one and two percent for the past four years while extended warranty revenue took a noticeable turn upwards in fiscal 2002. That trend continued last year, as Dell deferred more than $1.3 billion in warranty contracts -- almost 3.7 percent of sales.
Deferred Revenue on Warranty Contracts
Accrued Warranty Liability
(surrogates for extended warranty revenue and warranty cost)
Dell does not break out either set of figures by product line or target market, so there's no way of knowing whether the source was primarily consumers or businesses. However, what's changed in the past four years has been the warranty coverage of the consumer side, which dropped back from three years to one year.
Absent any other proximate cause besides that change, one could theorize that the upward trend in extended warranty revenue is closely linked to the downward trend in the basic warranty offered to consumers. On the business side, nothing much has changed in terms of warranty. Dell still offers business buyers the full three years for free, adhering to what has become something of an industry benchmark for warranty coverage and service options.
Three-Year Warranty Benchmark
Peter S. Kastner, executive vice president and chief research officer for the Consumer Digital Technology Practice at Aberdeen Group, recommended in an InternetWeek column that enterprise PC buyers look for a minimum three-year basic warranty with a provision for next-business-day on-site repairs.
Contacted by email while checking his inbox last week at Denver International Airport, Kastner expanded upon the reasoning behind these suggested minimums:
"My recommendations are based on:
The needs of a small-to-medium-sized business which lacks the desire to self-insure or to have a large break/fix staff. The warranty covers break/fix.
Three years is the depreciation life, so a three-year warranty covers the prime years.
In years three and four (or five), most companies self-insure with spares and cannibalization, as they phase in new machines.
"We price all vendors with three-year, next business day service as a means of leveling the configuration playing field," Kastner wrote.
Aberdeen Group's PC reference model specifies a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 256 Megabytes of RAM, and a 40 Gigabyte hard drive, along with a CD-ROM drive, a 15- or 17-inch monitor, and an Ethernet card. In the case of Dell, the OptiPlex GX260 fits that profile precisely, although these days one would be hard-pressed to find one built with less than 512 MB of RAM.
Dell used to cover all its laptop and desktop units with three-year basic warranties, but in the last few years the company cut back the coverage on its Dimension and Inspiron consumer-oriented lines to one year. The brand names aimed at business users -- the OptiPlex desktop units and the Latitude notebook computers -- retain their three-year warranties, which include the next-business-day on-site service that advisors such as Kastner recommend. Three-year extended warranty upgrades for the consumer lines are for sale at a price of $129 for the Dimension desktops and $199 for the Inspiron laptops (Dell also sells two-year and four-year plans).
Therefore, if all else were equal, one would think the difference between the prices of identically-configured Dimension and OptiPlex units would be around $129, while the price differential between the Inspiron and Latitude would be around $199. If the consumer and business units contain the same processor, the same amount of memory, and the same sized hard disk, the primary difference between them would be Dell's promise to fix one for a year and the other for three years. Or so one would think.
Business and Consumer Price Comparisons
After comparing 27 identical pairs of Inspiron/Latitude laptops and 30 identical pairs of Dimension/OptiPlex desktops, Warranty Week has found a much greater range of price differentials than can be explained away merely by differences in the basic warranty coverage. In fact, 12 of the laptop pairs and six of the desktop pairs were different in the wrong direction: the consumer units were priced up to $525 more than their business-oriented counterparts.
While the average price difference was only $76 on the laptops and $146 on the desktops (close to the expected range), the actual price differences varied from -$525 to +$780. For those who eat statistics for lunch, the standard deviation for the laptop pairs was $232, while for desktop pairs it was $256.
Warranty Week gathered pricing information for over 400 actual Dell units, and compared them on the basis of processor, RAM, and hard drive. To make the configurations as current as possible, only units powered by an Intel Pentium 4 processor were considered. Because the consumer units in stock were not available with 2 Gigabytes of RAM, only systems containing between 128 MB and 1 GB were considered. And because the largest disk drives available on the consumer side were 120 MB, none of the 200 MB or multi-drive OptiPlex units were included in the comparison. Prices for Dell's workstations and servers -- which have no consumer equivalent -- were not included.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons why two units from the same manufacturer that are identical on processor, memory, and hard drive capacity might still vary in price. One might have a better sound or video card than is standard in the "stock" configuration. Another might contain a CD burner or a DVD player. But these factors would tend to average out, unless one buys into the theory that consumers routinely demand more audio and video capabilities from their machines than their business counterparts. Still, even at the low end of today's PC market, in units equipped with a 1.8 GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, and a 20 GB hard drive -- hardly a turbo-charged multimedia console -- some of the consumer units were priced higher than their otherwise-identical business counterparts.
Identical and Fraternal Twins
As mentioned, only identical pairs were considered. Of the 230 Dimension and OptiPlex desktops, only 30 pairs were identical (or nearly so: 20 MB and 30 MB disk drives were considered close enough for a match). But even in those handful of instances, all the processor clock speeds and RAM sizes were exact matches.
Of the 170 Inspiron and Latitude laptops compared, a total of 27 identical pairs were found. Close matches were not included. But because there were no matches on both sides at either the 128 MB or 1024 MB RAM levels, only data for 256 MB, 384 MB, and 512 MB was used.
Graphs of the data are presented below. System price is plotted on the vertical axis, while system configuration is plotted on the horizontal. Because the many different permutations of processor, memory, and storage cannot be plotted linearly in two dimensions, one should pay more attention to the relationship between the red and blue pairs of dots than to the slope or shape of the lines connecting the dots. The system configurations listed below the graphs are only four of the more representative configurations; space does not allow all 27 or 30 to be listed.
To make sure the warranty coverage for these data points also was more or less identical, the cost of an extended warranty that brings the consumer units up to three years' coverage was bundled into the system price. In other words, the red line includes just the free basic three-year warranty, while the blue line includes the price of the three-year extended warranty option. Also, in the laptop chart, the cost of Dell's CompleteCare program, which covers everything from accidental droppage to Pepsi in the keyboard, was added to the price of both the Inspiron and Latitude lines. (Warning: this is a link to a 253k PDF file.)
The red (business) and blue (consumer) lines therefore should virtually overlap one another. That they do not suggests there are other factors at work. First, as mentioned, other components could count for more than identical storage, memory, and processing power. Second, perhaps consumers are more (or less) price-sensitive at the low end, and less (or more) price-sensitive at the high end. Or third, perhaps in the personal computer industry, warranty is more important internally as a cost item than it is externally as a reason for price differences.
Laptop Price Comparisons:
Business (Latitude) vs. Consumer (Inspiron)
Extended Warranty & CompleteCare Prices Added
Perhaps Dell has another first on its hands. It was the first to abandon the retail channel in pursuit of higher margins, first to build-to-order each unit, and first to push the envelope of the just-in-time manufacturing concept to just about enough to last the rest of the day. Perhaps Dell is the first to realize that warranties matter less in computing than in the automotive or consumer electronics industries.
Perhaps that has something to do with the nature of the products. Some drivers might want a new car every three or four years, but the old cars are usually sold rather than junked. Meanwhile, home appliances and consumer electronics items are typically used until they wear out, then they're disposed. Particularly for items such as VCRs, replacements are more likely than repairs outside of warranty. But few people plan to buy a new TV every three years.
In contrast, those who buy PCs and laptops today fully understand that even if their unit is in pristine condition in 2006, it will probably be outdated due to the rush of new technology. Even now, a desktop or laptop unit that turns three years old today probably does not contain a CD writer or a USB port, which many buyers might now consider indispensable. That old PC might have one of the first copies of Windows 2000 inside, but chances are higher that its applications run on Windows NT or Windows 98, which could themselves be reliability or security risks. Some of that software will soon cease to be updated or supported. And while a market for used or refurbished computers exists, the more likely second owner of an old PC is the local landfill.
Perhaps PC buyers might be comfortable with even a 30-day warranty, as long as it covered out-of-the-box defects? Three years from now, they might not even consider a repair, except perhaps to help them recover data from their hard disk. So perhaps in the case of computers, the peace of mind that warranty brings is a rapidly depreciating asset?
Laptop Warranties Valued More?
Actually, the laptop chart shows less price deviation than the desktop chart. While on the chart above there are a few spots where the blue line veers off from the red line, there are many such deviations on the desktop chart below. One could argue that this is evidence that both consumers and business buyers value warranty coverage more highly for their laptops, perhaps because those units are typically carried and abused more than their stationary desktop counterparts. Therefore, the expectation that something will go wrong is higher for laptop buyers, the need for peace of mind is higher than on the desktop, and a longer warranty is more important to the buyer than, say, a screaming sound card or a Quake-worthy video card.
Indeed, using the raw pricing data without including the extended warranty or accident coverage (available by clicking on the relevant chart), the consumer laptops are almost always priced lower than their business equivalent. And once that extended warranty and accident coverage is added in, they do approach parity (although the Inspirons still retain a price advantage, particularly at the low end).
Desktop Price Comparisons:
Business (OptiPlex) vs. Consumer (Dimension)
With Equivalent Three-Year Warranties
The opposite is true of the business models. As the chart shows, the business desktop models retain a price advantage at the low end, the high end, and part of the midrange. While that differential is more pronounced once the warranties have been brought up to parity, it's also present in the raw data (click on the chart to see). What does that mean? Sadly, it suggests that consumers buying a desktop unit are likely to pay more for an identical product with a shorter warranty. At least in the business desktop corner of the market, buyers have been more successful demanding lower prices and longer warranties.
This is not to say that some savvy consumers haven't been buying OptiPlexes and Latitudes to get the better prices and/or better warranties. That's like saying that no consumers buy commercial vehicles such as light trucks and vans. And no doubt, there are businesses that buy their PCs by the pallet, and can fix them or replace them in-house during years two or three (or four). They might value a lower price above all else, as long as the warranty covers out-of-the-box defects.
Warranty Cost Down, Warranty Revenue Up
The data suggests Dell may be onto something here. Basic warranty costs have remained more or less stable while extended warranty revenue has grown both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total revenue. That suggests buyers have responded well to the combination of lower system prices, less basic warranty, and the availability of extended warranty options. And when comparing apples to apples, price differences between identical pairs of consumer and business models cannot be explained away merely by differences in warranty. That suggests there are many buyers who rank warranty low on their list of features when they ask Dell to build them a PC.
Perhaps Dell can have it both ways. It can deliver low prices and short warranties to those who don't care, and it can increase its own revenue by charging those who do care about warranties and accidental damage.
Go to Part Two
Fujitsu Delivers Mixed Message: The company with the best plasma display panel warranties also has the most restrictive terms.May 5, 2003 HP Integrates the Compaq Product Line, and Unites its Warranty and Service Upgrade Options. But extended warranty revenue isn't what it could be, and buyers facing too many choices may instead be choosing to do nothing.May 19, 2003
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This Week’s Warranty Week Headlines
Hyundai Motor Co. expected to post declining profits, "ballooning costs of its warranty program " cited as major reason.
Automotive News, May 9, 2003
Siebel Systems investigated by SEC over allegations of selective financial disclosures to analysts at April 30 dinner.
CBS MarketWatch, May 9, 2003
NASDAQ de-lists shares of i2 Technologies Inc.; manufacturing software company is more than a month late with its 2002 annual report; SEC investigation continues into allegedly fraudulent accounting practices.
CNET News.com, May 9, 2003
Warrantech Corp. and ACE Property and Casualty (formerly CIGNA) settle all outstanding lawsuits.
Press Release, May 7, 2003
J.D. Power releases 2003 Initial Quality Study for autos sold in U.S.; Toyota, Porsche, BMW and Honda rank highest, while Suzuki, Mercury, Kia and Jaguar are most improved.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers UK increases warranty coverage on select Scenic desktop models from three years to four years.
The Register, 6 May 2003
Weak Korean currency pays for Hyundai's and Kia's warranty costs.
Forbes, May 6, 2003
Canadian cars are cheaper than U.S., but cross-border warranty issue remains a deterrent to imports.
USA Today, May 6, 2003
Dixons attacks warranties row as simplistic.
Electronic Telegraph, April 26, 2003
Dixons chief extols new era of customer support.
Times of London, April 26, 2003
Dixons CEO refutes profiteering from warranties.
Reuters, April 25, 2003
NEW Customer Service Companies, citing "explosive growth," expands Florida contact center, boost employment.
CRM dissatisfaction greatly exaggerated, Aberdeen Group white paper claims.
CRMDaily.com, April 21, 2003
Whirlpool Canada signs ServiceBench Inc. to process online warranty claims.
Press Release, April 10,2003
XL Specialized Inc. deploys Active Web Service's ActiveWeb Warranty to satisfy NHTSA TREAD Act Early Warning Reporting compliance.
Press Release, April 7, 2003
IBM, SAS join to help automakers comply with TREAD Act regulations.
Computerworld, April 3, 2003
PJ Trailers deploys Active Web Service's ActiveWeb Warranty to satisfy NHTSA TREAD Act Early Warning Reporting compliance.
Interstate Manufacturing deploys Active Web Service's ActiveWeb Warranty to satisfy NHTSA TREAD Act Early Warning Reporting compliance.
Insider secrets for PC buyers, Part 10: Warranties and Returns
PC World, April 2003
Speed Kills: With rapidly-increasing U.S. sales, low prices, and long warranties, Hyundai can't afford to make a mistake.
Forbes, March 31, 2003
Automakers rev up data mining efforts. Ford and others leverage data to comply with TREAD Act and improve warranty programs.
InformationWeek, March 31, 2003
Carmakers fear TREAD Act Early Warning Report file could assist rivals.
Detroit Free Press, March 28, 2003
Warrantech Corp. appoints Burt Shaw president of Consumer Products Division.
Press Release, March 26, 2003
IBM and SAS Institute offer manufacturers a warranty analysis and Early Warning Reporting solution for TREAD Act compliance.
Hewlett-Packard sues Virginia dealer, alleges company faked federal contracts to get bigger discounts for $22m in goods, which it allegedly resold on the gray market; Compaq previously filed suit in 2001 for similar reasons.
News Release, March 14, 2003
Tire cases haunt Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone. U.S. attorney begins probe by grand jury.
Hyundai's reliability rankings in Consumer Reports now tie Honda's
USA Today, March 11, 2003
Is your car as good as you think? The sleek $50k BMW X5 and the nimble $15k Ford Focus are two of the most-recalled models in automotive history.
Consumer Product Safety Commission rejects registration cards for children's products.
Raytheon increases reserve for two power plants it guaranteed to finish before selling off E&C division, schedule slips 3-4 more weeks, fourth quarter charges boosted from already announced $197 million to expected $262-$272 million range.
Press Release, March 5, 2003
Gartner survey finds 42 percent of CRM licenses sit on shelves uninstalled, declining budgets for associated CRM consulting costs cited as one reason for the waste.
CNET News.com, March 3, 2003
UK Competition Commission releases letter describing the issues in its extended warranty investigation. Preliminary findings suggest Dixons Group may have more than 25% share of UK£800m extended warranty market, meaning "a scale monopoly may exist." Ruling expected this summer, could affect point of sale practices & insurance requirements among major UK retailers.
Press Release & Issues Statement, 27 Feb. 2003
UK Consumers' Association launches counterattack on Dixons chief executive John Clare, who blasted CA in 14 Feb. interview. CA chief says extended warranties "in most cases they are unnecessary and don't offer good value for money," because products are more reliable than was thought.
Daily Telegraph, Feb. 27, 2003
NY State Dept. of Motor Vehicles includes Viking Warranty, insurance, and credit card ads with renewal mailings in test program with Imagitas Inc.
USA Today, Feb. 21, 2003
Boston law firm files class action lawsuit, charges U.S. automakers block imports from Canada & refuse to honor warranties on those imports.
ConsumerAffairs.com, Feb. 20, 2003
Work declines at auto repair shops. Quality is a mixed blessing. Tough cars mean dealers earn less warranty money.
Detroit Free Press, Feb. 14, 2003
Dell's profits soar, company cuts costs by more than expected, reduced warranty expenses cited.
Austin American-Statesman, Feb. 14, 2003
California Air Resources Board tells General Motors to extend warranty on 1996-2001 truck/SUV fuel injection systems from 3 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/200,000 miles. GM to absorb $115-per-vehicle fuel injector cleaning cost.
General Motors gives complete interior contract for 2006 Cadillac DeVille and Buick LeSabre to Lear Corp.; hopes that having single supplier saves on warranty cost.
Forbes, Feb. 11, 2003
R. L. Polk & Co. says 2002 median car age hits record 8.4 years, advances in vehicle quality and engine technology help produce second-lowest scrappage rate among passenger cars.
News Release, Feb. 11, 2003
More Warranty Headlines
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HP Integrates the Compaq Product Line, and Unites its Warranty and Service Upgrade Options. But extended warranty revenue isn't what it could be, and buyers facing too many choices may instead be choosing to do nothing.
Service Contract Pricing: Laptops: Laptop service contracts, as a percentage of the price of the product they protect, are more expensive at the low end of the market and less expensive at the high end. But there is a very wide variation between the top and the bottom. Laptop service contracts can cost anywhere between 4% and 91% of the price of the computer.
Extended Protection Plans:
Breaking Down Risk Management Options: Service contracts sold by dealers or manufacturers to buyers of commercial products such as construction equipment can increase resale value, raise customer loyalty, boost uptime, and lower operating costs. But before extended protection plan sales can begin, the advantages and disadvantages of various risk management options must be considered.
dell cost revenue extended options coverage desktop laptop lines years customers pay inspiron laptops dimension desktops consumers buy units lower consumer three-year dell's basic yr optiplex business latitude percent total costs pc part fiscal product price products make fix corporate unit low repairs year market service end line -- chart buyers processor ram hard drive mb prices identical pairs differences higher data system suggests
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From the monthly archives: May 2015
We are pleased to present below all posts archived in 'May 2015'. If you still can't find what you are looking for, try using the search box.
Canada's arms sale to Saudis creates jobs drenched in blood
Does creating jobs for Canadians rate higher than respecting human lives and human rights in Saudi Arabia? The Canadian government would seem not to care. Federal government approval of a $15-billion arms deal with the Saudis last year was given without performing a required assessment of the country's human rights record. The government proudly announced the sale of light armoured vehicles (LAVs), known colloquially as tanks. But when researcher Ken Rubin dug into the sale, the department of foreign affairs gave no evidence that it is monitoring human rights in the oil-rich country and said it has not assessed the human rights situation there for the past two years.
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Light of the World is brighter than torches, lanterns
FR. RON ROLHEISER, omi
What's the use of an old-fashioned, hand-held lantern? Well, its light can be quite useful when it's pitch dark, but it becomes superfluous and unnoticeable in the noonday sun. Still, this doesn't mean its light is bad, only that it's weak. If we hold that image in our minds, we will see both a huge irony and a profound lesson in the Gospels when they describe the arrest of Jesus. The Gospel of John, for example, describes his arrest this way: "Judas brought the cohort to this place together with guards sent by the chief priests and Pharisees, all carrying lanterns and torches."
Eucharistic presence transforms hearts
Lydia Cristini
Theoretically, the Eucharist is one of my favourite topics. Ever since I attended a Youth 2000 retreat the summer before my Grade 12 year, the Eucharist has been a central, if not the central, focus of my faith life. Until then, no one had told me the meaning of the wafer and wine I took at Mass, at least not in a way I really understood. At 17, when the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal told us about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, it changed my life.
Today's culture of freedom calls for Church's enlightened response
Anti-religious secularism would appear to have won the game in Western civilization. The highest value today, a value which cannot be questioned, is that of human freedom. The autonomous individual is king (or queen) in our culture, and any societal force which attempts to limit that autonomy is playing a reprehensible game. The Church - the Catholic Church above all - is, not without reason, cast as the main opponent of the culture of individualism. It is the Church, so the theory goes, that "imposes" moral obligations and duties on its flock and would like to do so for the whole of society.
Focus on royals diverts attention from negative news
LASHA MORNINGSTAR
I once wondered why my mother kept a scrapbook of photos of the royal family. She would cut out the candid and posed shots from newspapers and magazines and paste them in big, blue scrapbooks. The scrapbooks were for her eyes and hands only. But I would catch glimpses of the pages when she would sit at the library table in the living room, gluepot and scissors at the ready, leafing through The Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Life Magazine.
We plant seeds and God makes them grow
KATHLEEN GIFFIN
We planted some seeds in the garden a few days ago, my granddaughter and I. She carefully laid the pea seeds one after another in a row all by herself. Together we scattered the tiny carrot and lettuce seeds. She has been over to the vegetable patch a few times since then to check on their progress; the spinach peeked through yesterday but still no sign of the peas, which of course she is most interested in.
Musical interlude dropkicked me through the goalposts of life
DR. GERRY TURCOTTE
The role of a university president is varied and always interesting. I can truly say I was prepared for the bulk of the issues that have come my way, but there are still some that have caught me by surprise. Sometimes an issue can emerge that is so unexpected that it leaves me speechless. One of the most unusual matters I dealt with last year was a formal complaint about our answering service.
Taxes contribute to the common good
JOE GUNN
Canadian politicians are now watching the polls more closely than my kitten watches her food bowl. This is a federal election year, and political parties are hungrily attempting to offer tax cuts as the solution to all the world's problems - and to winning power. The Conservative budget, released on April 21 and furiously advertised on TV at our expense ever since, did not even mention the word "poverty." It highlighted income splitting and almost doubling tax free savings account limits (that is, tax benefits that predominantly benefit the well-off).
Alta. March for Life draws crowd of thousands
RAMON GONZALEZ
WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER
Two years ago Crystal Dean was pregnant with her sixth child. She thought her pregnancy was going well until her doctor told her there were serious complications. Her unborn baby, she was told, had a heart defect as well as a lymphatic malformation of her neck. The doctor recommended the pregnancy be terminated. "I remember feeling like my whole world was turned upside down," recalled Dean. "My doctor was a Christian so I was surprised that he would say that to me."
Appointments of Priests
The following appointments of priests in the Edmonton Archdiocese will take effect Aug. 12, unless otherwise indicated.
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COVID CLOSURE
COVID COLLEGE
COVID CRIME
COVID CULTURE
Jennifer Dulos
SHAPIRO’S SCOOP
National Headlines
The Search for Jennifer Dulos
West Wing Report
People v. Bill Cosby
People v. Weinstein
U.S. Attorney William McSwain holds a news conference outside of the federal courthouse in Philadelphia criticizing Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner in the wake of the standoff and shooting involving suspect Maurice Hill. (Photo: KYW News Radio Philadelphia)
Three Philadelphia Monsters Detained on Charges of Child Sex Trafficking
By Your Content Staff
Modified September 12, 2020
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Federal agents arrested three Philadelphia men Friday in connection to a child sex trafficking sting operation, and Your Content is first to reveal the identities of the men.
United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that three men, Andre Michael Felts, 32, Kevin Michael Francis, 60, and Ryan Keel, 39, all of Philadelphia, PA, were charged by Indictment for their roles in a sex trafficking operation that exploited numerous minor children from 2016 through 2017. Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. All three defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to sex traffic a minor, while Felts and Francis were also each charged with four counts of sex trafficking a minor.
Join the Conversation and Fight to Save Our Children on Facebook. Learn More About #SaveOurChildren from Coast to Coast.
The Indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young girls, including one who was only fifteen years old, to engage in commercial sex acts; harbored the victims at various residences for that purpose; transported and provided the victims to males who purchased the commercial sex acts; and collected a portion of the proceeds. Further, Keel and Felts allegedly had explicit discussions via Facebook Messenger about the commercial sex acts occurring at the residences. At least one of the victims was also a victim of physical violence during the operation of the trafficking ring: according to public filings, Felts pulled her from a vehicle and repeatedly stomped on her.
“The allegations against these three men are vile and disturbing. I am gratified that the defendants are all now off the streets and in custody pending trial on these charges,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Working with our federal partners, we will do all that we can to keep criminals who sell the bodies of children for their own profit securely behind bars so they can do no more harm.”
“To advertise underage girls for sex, to willfully pimp them out for profit, is heinous,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. Make no mistake, the Philadelphia Child Exploitation Task Force is working each and every day to lock up sex traffickers and other predators preying on innocent children.”
This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Solow and Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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President Biden dubbed ‘disaster’ before first night sleep, lowest attendance in inaugural HISTORY
Jonathan Lee Riches - January 20, 2021 0
President Joe Biden’s first day has been an utter disaster—and he hasn’t even had a good nights sleep.
Twitter sets up new White House account for President Biden as staff struggle to finalize residence
Twitter didn’t waste a second after President Joe Biden took the oath of office—declaring ‘there’s a new White House.'
CHAOS AT CAPITOL
Lady who stole Pelosi’s ‘top secret’ laptop arrested in Pennsylvania, planned to ‘sell to Russia’
The lady told a ‘romantic partner’ that she planned to sell Pelosi’s posh laptop to Russian intelligence.
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Foldable Apple iPhone Release Date, Design And Patent Rumours
Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Apple , Apple iPhone Mobile , Fold Mobiles , Mobile News , News , Technology News
It's highly likely that Apple will make a foldable iPhone, but when will it be released? We analyse the rumours.
Will Apple make a foldable iPhone? In a word, yes. Aside from how incredible the concept renders look, it seems to be the next big thing in the world of smartphone design. Within a year of the Samsung Galaxy Fold’s release and re-release following durability issues, manufacturers including Motorola, Samsung and Huawei all offer smartphones with foldable displays, and more are rumoured to be hitting the market later this year.
The idea is appealing: you could use a standard iPhone display when out and about, and when you want to play a game or read an article, simply ‘unfold’ the iPhone and increase the screen size to that of an iPad mini (or something close). Alternatively, Apple could go down the same route as the Motorola Razr and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, halving the size of the smartphone display when not in use.
There have been many rumours over the years, some stretching as far back as 2016, suggesting Apple was actively looking for a flexible OLED manufacturer to produce panels for a foldable iPhone, and a report from 2019 suggested Apple had moved on to the testing stage. There have also been multiple patents filed over the years, and Jon Prosser has even shared some details on what to expect from the foldable iPhone, suggesting that something is in the works at Apple - more on that later.
Rumours aside, there are a few issues surrounding foldable smartphones in general right now, namely price, durability and quality. It’s likely that Apple is working on these issues behind closed doors, and it’s safe to say that Apple won’t utter a whisper about the foldable iPhone until it’s perfect. That might mean the foldable iPhone is still a few years away, but let’s be honest, it’ll be worth the wait won’t it? And by then, the idea of a folding iPhone might not seem so sci-fi...
When Will Apple Release A Foldable iPhone?
That’s the million-dollar question, right there. Korea Times and CNBC sources both claimed back in 2018 that the foldable iPhone would be released in 2020, but that seems unlikely - to us, at least. The technology is still new, and Apple isn’t in a rush to compete: Apple is rarely the first to launch a product, but it usually offers something of much higher quality than the competition when it finally does.
Compound that with more recent comments from Apple leaker Jon Prosser, an analyst with extensive knowledge of Apple’s upcoming products, claiming that he has no idea when Apple is likely to release the foldable iPhone suggests that it won’t appear until 2021 at the earliest.
What Will The Foldable iPhone Look Like?
While many assume that Apple would go down the same route as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate Xs, producing a foldable iPhone that folds down the middle like a book, patents filed over the years - and more recently, Jon Prosser - suggest that this might not be the case. And with prevalent issues around durability, the noticeable crease in foldable displays and the overall quality of the finish, Apple’s alternative might actually make more sense.
In a series of tweets, notable leaker Jon Prosser revealed that the foldable iPhone may not be comprised of a single flexible display. Instead, the leaker claims that the current ‘foldable’ iPhone prototype is comprised of two separate displays, connected by a central hinge. That might sound a little underwhelming initially, but Prosser later clarified that “even though they’re two separate panels, when the displays are extended, it looks fairly continuous and seamless”. It’ll be interesting to see how Apple pulls that off, for sure.
He goes on to explain that the folding iPhone won’t feature a notch, and that it has more of an iPhone 11-esque finish, complete with metallic rounded edges unlike those of the angular iPad Pro (and possibly iPhone 12) range.
Jon Prosser’s seemingly outlandish claims were backed up less than a day later by an Apple patent discovered by Patently Apple. The patent describes a device consisting of two separate panels, connected together by a fabric hinge system.
It’s not the first patent to describe a foldable iPhone though. A separate patent for a “flexible display device” was filed back in 2018, and was a continuation of patents filed in 2016, 2014 and 2011. There’s also a separate 2016 patent that describes “an electronic device, comprising: a housing that bends about a bend axis; and a display in the housing that bends about the bend axis”.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the patent Apple filed outlining a method to avoid damaging displays when they’re bent. The patent for “Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays” suggests that damage is likely in cold conditions, and offers a viable solution: “the portion of the display that overlaps the bend axis may be self-heated by illuminating pixels”.
Of course, it’s worth saying that Apple, like most tech companies, file patents all the time, and this isn’t necessarily indicative of what we’ll see on an upcoming iPhone or iPad, but it gives us a good idea of the avenues that Apple is considering.
Renders and concepts
Of course, it wouldn’t be a futuristic product without an equally outlandish concept or two to hype things up. Here’s a pick of our favourites found online:
This render, courtesy of LetsGoDigital, showcases a design similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
And this one, from Roy Gilsing on behalf of Foldable Phone News, showcases something akin to the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
How Much Will The Foldable iPhone Cost?
At this point, it’s hard to say. Foldable Android smartphones cost as little as £1300/$1380 and go as far as £2999 if you want the Huawei Mate Xs, but that’s partly because the technology is so new.
It’s highly likely that Apple’s foldable iPhone will also come at a high price point, but it shouldn’t be as outlandish as the prices we’re seeing right now. It could be one of the core reasons why Apple isn’t in a rush to bring a foldable device to market.
View the original article here
Foldable Apple iPhone Release Date, Design And Patent Rumours Reviewed by Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Rating: 5
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Sarasota Opera House Renovation
https://willis-wp.atlasnetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sarasota-Opera-House-Story.mp4
This project was a complete restoration of the 1920’s theater with a one year period in which to accomplish this major renovation with an opening night of the opera season on March 1st, 2008. Seating, staging, interior design and structural systems all were upgraded.
Over 30 subcontractors and approximately 300 crew members worked to complete this 20 month project in the one year allowed. Crews worked 15-hour days in 24-hour shifts.
One of the highlights is the visible from the first floor which was part of the original theater design that had been covered up for years. The lobbies, restroom facilities and public amenities were also enhanced, enlarged and made ADA compliant.
The interior of the auditorium has been carefully restored to include elements of its original beauty, such as elegant carpeting and stylish faux finishes. The balcony seating was completely reconfigured and 161 seats were added. Backstage system upgrades include all of the mechanical and electrical, rigging, lighting and cooling systems. The original orchestra pit was only six feet deep and too small to accommodate the musicians. The new pit required an excavation to a depth of 20 feet below the stage. While excavating the pit, it was discovered that the foundations supporting the building were not constructed in accordance with the original plans. A series of grout pilings had to be installed under the existing foundation and had to be carefully reinforced such that digging a 20 feet hole in the theater did not collapse the theater walls. Additionally, the orchestra pit extended approximately six feet below the water table. Two water pump systems were installed beneath the concrete base of the pit to channel water away from the cavity. The new and improved pit also has an orchestra pit lift. The transformed pit can now accommodate an increased repertoire up to 75 musicians for large scaled works.
Selby Botanical Gardens - Education Building
Sarasota County - Blackburn Point Park Improvements
Venice Theatre - Renovation
Crosley Mansion Window Restoration
Sarasota County Courthouse - Historic Tower & Colonnade Restoration
Sarasota County - Phillippi Estate - Keith House - Exterior Restoration
FSU - Ringling Museum of Art-Tibbals Learning Center II
FSU - Ringling Museum of Art - Tibbals Learning Center
FSU - Ringling Museum-Waterfront Improvements
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Development diary of Celso Riva
Winter Wolves
Living in a fantasy world
Who wouldn’t like to? Stop playing the Sims and enjoy a fantasy life with Spirited Heart!
Ahem, sorry about the ad. I wanted to talk about the spin-off of my fantasy life simulation game which I released last year. First of all, I’m still in the early stages so is hard to tell when it will be finished. Previously I said maybe for Christmas but at this point I doubt it, since I want also finish Planet Stronghold first.
I can reveal a bit more info about the game itself. While Spirited Heart was set in the imaginary town of Triberg, and the whole game took place there, in this spin-off there will be already a major difference: you’ll be able to relocate in any town of a whole region. Have yet to decide how many towns there will be, but is very likely the amount will be around 20 or so.
This choice won’t be purely to provide more content, but will greatly influence the whole game, for example:
some towns will have exclusive crafting materials. For exeample they will be built nearby mines of various precious metals, essential for certain jobs
some will have Masters of certain skills, for example Master in Tailoring. During the game you’ll be able to train and learn skill like before, but to unlock special skill levels you’ll need specific trainers found only in certain towns
each town will have different quests: yes, there will be combat in the game! \o/ I always wanted to introduce combat, so people won’t describe this new game as “it’s a visual novel with RPG element” but as true RPG! 🙂
based on your character race, season, origins there will be a specific “global quest” that will involve performing certain tasks spread through the whole region
being the game online-based, new towns with new features can be added anytime to the game
About the last point, I already explained how this game will take advantage of the online feature. The game on each run will auto-update itself, to provide the user with the latest version available. At same time will notify of new features like new towns, quests or items. That is my goal for this game, to start moving finally to the new era of online games. So, except for last minute technical difficulties, the game will be online only (a big step for me, but I feel is necessary for this kind of game).
As you can see from the thumbnail on the side, I’m also investing lot of money on assets to produce a game with great art. I really believe this will turn out to be one of my most beautiful games 🙂
The title and everything in that picture is just a mockup, so definitely a Work-In-Progress! But I think it already shows off the kind of art you can expect in the full game.
That’s it for now, I’m really eager to begin working on this game, but since is probably my most ambitious game ever, I’ll take it easy and cure it in every small details!
This entry was posted in development screenshot, roleplay games, spirited heart, winter wolves games and tagged elf warrior, fantasy world on June 23, 2010 by admin.
Competition, good or bad?
I’ll start this post with a quote from Jeff Vogel’s blog (he is the man behind Spiderweb software):
“One of the worst things about what I do for a living is that hardly anyone else does it. You might think that not having competitors is a good thing. It is not. In the game industry, competitors help as well as hurt you. When EA spends millions of dollars advertising Dragon Age and Mass Effect, they aren’t just pushing their games. They are also advertising the whole idea of playing RPGs. Dragon Age makes as many potential customers for me as it takes.”
I really can’t agree more with this – but under the “niche games” perspective. We all know what happened to the casual market. First, Bejeweled and Zuma. Then in a few years, 150.000 clones of those games: then the rise of Hidden Object games, and lastly, the pricewars. That had several DANGEROUS side effect (for us game developers):
market flood. What if there were 3 RPG games out every day? Pretty cool (for us RPG fans), but a bit less cool for people like Spiderweb. It’s easy to say “other games also advertise the same kind of games I make, so is good because buyers might eventually find out about me”. Sure, but what if there were 3 new RPG games out every day? Seems impossible right now and probably will never happen (that’s why I overall agree with him) but this changes everything. It surely changed the casual market for the worse, because such a market flood caused…
pricewars. Pricewars is when two big companies compete lowering the prices of their products (in this case the games) to gain market share. It’s a very common tecnique, used in many fields. It’s surely good for the end user, you would think. Well – yes and no. Yes, in the beginning for sure: imagine getting those great games you were paying $20 for $5 instead. Sounds great! The problem is, that doing simple maths, unless the sales also multiply by x4, devs are going to make MUCH LESS money. If they make less money, they have also less money to invest. Less money spent in game assets usually mean lower quality of games, or shorter games. So, in the end, you’ll have also worse games as consumer 🙁
clones / lack of cretivity. The last consequence I can think of, related to “minimizing business risks” is to have games that look and play identical (or almost). No need to say that this is quite evident in the casual market. You will rarely see an original game in the casual market. It’s inevitable: they know which model works, and they make game using that “template”. Why risk losing money, when you know what works? But once in a while, some more brave developer comes out with something original and in almost all cases is a hit (which I find quite ironic): Azada, Plant vs Zombies, Virtual Villagers, Build a Lot. Those are all games that innovated in the casual market and all of them were TOP HITs.
What is my take about competition? It’s good, I like it, as long as I can sell as affiliate 😀
Jokes apart, as long as are product made with heart, passion, and not simple clones made quickly to make some fast money, they’re all welcome. For example, I recently played a great game by Sakevisual called Jisei. Is really very well done, and beside the fact that I know the author and the artist well, I honestly think is a good product. It was fun when was released because I was still working on my game Vera Blanc since December 2009: so seeing such a quality game that was started just a few months (I think May) already out BEFORE mine, obviously made me thinking “What, how is possible!?” 😀
But like Jeff says, it’s good, and also I think that we indie devs should help each other (that’s why I often promote games as affiliate to my huge mailing list and other devs to the same with my games). Maybe people playing Jisei will find out about my other detective/supernatural game Vera Blanc (when it will be out, hopefully soon!!), and vice versa, maybe people playing Vera Blanc will also find out about Jisei and love it.
This entry was posted in indie life, mystery / detective games, other games, Vera Blanc, winter wolves games on June 16, 2010 by admin.
Making of Card Sweethearts
My latest game, Card Sweethearts, is out. So I thought to make a post about the making of it, including some interesting informations for developers about a hard DRM decision I had to take.
As you might imagine taking a look at the screenshot on the right, the game is about poker. In some parts, you can even play strip poker with one of the four women you’ll encounter during the game. The game features beautiful manga art from Rebecca Gunter (don’t bother contacting her, she is full of work until next year!) and uses a custom version of the Ren’Py card-game engine that the programmer Tom made specifically for this game.
The project started a long time ago, so long that I had to look in my emails archive to find out when first I asked Tom if he would like to collaborate with me for this game. It was september 2008! The poker engine took quite some time to make (it’s more complex than you might think, especially the Poker AI of the CPU players) so around the summer of 2009 I had a finished alpha version of the poker engine, all the art for the game and a general plot idea in my mind.
At those times I had released already some other visual novels/dating sims like Bionic Heart. The problem for me in making those games was (actually it still is) the language: since I wanted this game to be humorous, I had lots of difficulties in writing it in english because isn’t my native language. So I hired a person I found on Deviantart to write the game texts.
Unexpected Problems
Sadly, that person quit in middle of the story in autumn 2009: so I was in a very bad situation, with almost everything ready except the story. Once again, I asked my precious collaborator Ayu Sakata (which at those times was proofreading Heileen 2, and started writing The Flower Shop) if she could finish the story. I really can’t blame her for not being too enthusiast about this (even if she never said that, I’m sure she was!), being a poker game with a male protagonist trying to date the girls, and end up playing strip poker with them 🙂
But anyway, she did a great job as always and in April/May we had the final beta version. Now comes the interesting part for developers: the DRM!
Why we decided to drop the DRM
As you can imagine, such a game would be very popular among the warez sites (manga, strip poker, etc) much more than my other regular games. Tom even came up with a neat online activation system, that was using a private/public key (similar to what OpenPGP does for emails) so that the product, once activated on a computer, was tied to its hardware. The user would have been able to “deactivate” the game from a computer to reinstall it to another, but still, was unable to play for example at same time on his home pc and on his notebook.
After some weeks of testing and feedback from friends, developers friends and normal testers, we decided to take the risk and drop it. Why? Well, for several reasons:
I’ve always promoted the idea that people would buy the game license as “personal”. So restricting the use to only 1 computer per person was against what I always did
There’s always the risk of server going down, preventing people from registering (even if was just one-time activation). A fun coincidence was that exactly in those weeks I was unable to play even for just a few hours Dragon Age expansion (requiring online log-in) and I remember I was extremely disappointed as player
The game would have been cracked anyway: so all that DRM would have accomplished is prevent a “0-day crack” but possibly piss off some people
The Ubisoft DRM epic fail was not too distant: I had fear of bringing my company under a bad name… once you lose the buyers confidence, is hard to get it back!
Ultimately, we wanted to provide a good experience to paying users, and focus only on them, not the pirates
So, we released the game using absolutlely No-DRM system. Just a download link to get the fullversion, like we always did.
I don’t know if the game has been already cracked or not (it’s out since just yesterday) but I have the feeling (and the hope!) I made the right choice. The choice of rewarding people who buy games, not punish them with absurd DRM requirements.
This entry was posted in antipiracy, card games, development tricks, indie life, postmortem, tycoongames and tagged DRM, online activation, piracy on June 9, 2010 by admin.
Flower Shop spin-off
I can officially announce that the original team (me, Ayu Sakata and M.Beatriz Garcia) started working on a spin-off of The Flower Shop 🙂
I call it spin-off and not sequel because, even if you’ll re-encounter several characters from the first episode (Uncle Sam, Clara, Marian, and so on) the point of view, the minigames and several other aspects will be completely changed. The first major change is the point of view or perspective: you’ll play as Natalie, a cute young girl which you see sketched on the left of this post by Deji (Garcia nickname).
As you might have noticed from the kind of clothes she is wearing, is definitely NOT summer anymore: it’s cold, it’s winter! The game indeed takes place at end of autumn/beginning of winter (we’re still planning the story so that’s why I’m so approximate) and will see Natalie helping Susana in the flower shop. So the farming-sim of the first game will become a “flower raising sim”, but there are other minigames and metagames that will be present. And they’ll be perfectly integrated with the story! This means that you’ll be able to spend the money you’ll earn in a very interesting way (I don’t want to announce it yet but is really a neat idea) and it will definitely affect more the endings than reaching a minimum earning thresold like was in The Flower Shop.
The game will be called “The Flower Shop: Winter in Fairbrook” (working title, subject to a possible change) and of course, being a spin-off, it means that it’s a completely stand-alone game: those who played the Flower Shop will be pleased to see again some characters and “familiar places”, but the new players will be able to experience the game completely even if they haven’t seen/played the first one.
I can speak for all the team saying that we’re very excited to work on this game, which should be out soon, probably after the summer!
This entry was posted in dating sims, development screenshot, sketches, the flower shop, winter wolves games and tagged deji, fairbrook, sakevisual on June 2, 2010 by admin.
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Media fight takes on an unusually personal tone
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, speaks to the media with Senate Republican leaders, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, after their weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
NEW YORK (AP) — A skirmish involving President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Washington Post and MSNBC has escalated into unusual personal bitterness this week, with election security legislation and Trump’s attacks on U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings as the triggers.
On Tuesday, Trump went after MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Twitter. Responding to a reporter’s question about a Post column that labeled McConnell a Russian asset, Trump said the newspaper’s leaders “ought to be ashamed of themselves and they ought to apologize.”
The Post’s Dana Milbank wrote an opinion column published Friday that criticized McConnell for blocking legislation aimed at protecting the nation’s political system against foreign attack. Noting Russia’s cyber intrusion on the 2016 presidential election and indications that it would try again next year, Milbank’s column was headlined, “Mitch McConnell is a Russian asset.”
Milbank wrote that he could only conclude that the Republican leader from Kentucky, who is up for re-election next year, believes Russian influence would benefit him and his party.
“A leader who won’t protect our country from attack is no patriot,” he wrote.
“Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough picked up on the subject, labeling McConnell “Moscow Mitch.”
McConnell denounced the attacks on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Monday, calling it “modern-day McCarthyism” from people who “have worn out the volume knob so badly that they have nothing left but the most unhinged smears.”
He said the legislation he blocked was partisan in nature.
“It doesn’t make Republicans traitors or un-American,” he said. “It makes us policymakers with a different opinion.”
Fred Hiatt, the Post’s editorial page editor, said Milbank’s column was legitimate commentary.
“Of course it’s equally legitimate for Mr. McConnell to express a contrary view, but the Milbank argument has nothing to do with McCarthyism,” Hiatt said.
Trump defended McConnell while speaking to reporters outside the White House. The Post said it had no comment on what the president said on Tuesday.
The dispute with “Morning Joe” may have been instigated by the show’s defense of Maryland Democratic congressman Cummings, who was attacked by Trump over the weekend for not doing more to help a Baltimore he said was infested with crime.
Both sides know certain personal buttons to push, too.
Scarborough delivered a 10-minute essay Monday on behalf of his “personal friend” Cummings, saying the congressman had more courage and cared more about his constituents than Trump ever will. Scarborough was absent from Tuesday’s show, but his co-host and wife, Mika Brzezinski, picked up on the theme.
Trump tweeted that the “Morning Joe” ratings have crashed because “people are tired of hearing Fake News delivered with an anger that is not to be believed.”
But the Nielsen company says that the MSNBC show’s average audience for the first six months of 2019 has gone up slightly from 1.07 million to 1.11 million. Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” leads among cable morning shows, but viewership at Fox and CNN have declined year to year.
“When the show was sane, they helped get me elected. Thanks!” Trump wrote. Trump was often featured on “Morning Joe” for interviews in 2015, and Scarborough was among the first major media personalities to take his candidacy seriously. The show has consistently criticized Trump since he’s been president.
Trump said he heard that Brzezinski said “I asked to preside over their marriage. Not true. Does anyone really believe that? They were married by Elijah, King of Baltimore!”
“Morning Joe” received some criticism for not telling viewers, as part of its Cummings coverage Monday, that the Maryland congressman presided over the 2018 wedding of Scarborough and Brzezinski. She said on Tuesday’s show that she had posted pictures of their wedding that included Cummings on social media Sunday, and that regular viewers of “Morning Joe” were aware of it.
“We chose Elijah Cummings to marry us because he really represents everything that we aspire to be in a human being,” Brzezinski said. “He really is the man of the moment at this moment in history. Also, for the record, President Trump offered to marry us and we turned down that offer. That wasn’t going to happen.”
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President Donald Trump impeached by House for 2nd time: What’s next?
by: Alexa Mencia, Joe Khalil
Posted: Jan 14, 2021 / 09:49 AM EST / Updated: Jan 14, 2021 / 10:24 PM EST
WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — Donald Trump on Wednesday became the first president in the U.S. to be impeached by the House of Representatives twice.
In a 232-197 vote, the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Pres. Trump on a charge of “incitement of insurrection,” one week after the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Ten of the president’s fellow Republicans voted yes to the impeachment charge.
House impeaches Pres. Trump on incitement of insurrection charge
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday said his chamber would begin its impeachment trial for Trump next week after the House transmits the article of impeachment, pushing the process into the opening days of President-elect Joe Biden’s term.
McConnell has said, at the very earliest, the Senate will not begin the trial until next Tuesday, one day before Biden is sworn into office. It’s unclear, for now, exactly how that trial will proceed and if any Senate Republicans will vote to convict Trump.
Even though the trial won’t happen until Trump is already out of office, it could still have the effect of preventing him from running for president again.
Here’s a look at what is expected to happen next:
SENDING TO THE SENATE
Once the House votes to impeach, the speaker of the House can send the article or articles over to the Senate immediately — or she can wait a while. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hasn’t yet said when she will send them, but many Democrats in her caucus have urged her to do so immediately.
Pelosi has already appointed nine impeachment managers to argue the case against Trump in a Senate trial.
Once the articles are sent over — that is usually done with an official walk from the House to the Senate — then the majority leader of the Senate must start the process of having a trial.
THE SENATE SCHEDULE
The Senate is not scheduled to be in session until Jan. 19, which could be McConnell’s last day as Senate leader. Once Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn in, making her the president of the Senate, and Georgia’s two Democratic senators are also sworn in, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer will take charge and determine how the trial will proceed.
McConnell said he will not bring the Senate back on an emergency basis to start the trial, so the earliest it could begin would be Tuesday.
McConnell noted that the three previous Senate trials lasted “83 days, 37 days, and 21 days respectively.”
The Senate GOP leader hasn’t publicly commented on his stance.
In a note to colleagues Wednesday released by his office, McConnell said he had “not made a final decision on how I will vote, and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate.”
Can President Trump pardon himself before leaving office on Jan. 20?
No GOP senators have said how they will vote, and two-thirds of the Senate is needed in order to impeach. But some Republicans have told Trump to resign, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska has said he would take a look at what the House approves, but stopped short of committing to support it.
Other Republicans have said that impeachment would be divisive.
“Instead of moving forward as a unifying force, the majority in the House is choosing to divide us further,” Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole said. “Let us look forward, not backward. Let us come together, not apart. Let us celebrate the peaceful transition of power to a new president rather than impeaching an old president.”
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, long a key ally of the president, has been critical of his behavior in inciting the riots but said impeachment “will do far more harm than good.”
TRUMP’S FUTURE
If the Senate were to impeach, lawmakers could then take a separate vote on whether to disqualify Trump from holding future office.
Schumer said Wednesday: “Make no mistake, there will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate; there will be a vote on convicting the president for high crimes and misdemeanors; and if the president is convicted, there will be a vote on barring him from running again.”
Latest on U.S. Capitol riots from NewsNation
In the case of federal judges who were impeached and removed from office, the Senate has taken a second vote after conviction to determine whether to bar the person from ever holding federal office again.
Only a majority of senators would be needed to ban him from future office, unlike the two-thirds needed to convict.
The president released a video statement from the Oval Office hours after the House voted to charge him with inciting insurrection. He did not mention impeachment, but said he unequivocally condemns violence seen at the Capitol last week.
President Trump releases video statement after second impeachment
He also said he directed federal agencies to use all necessary resources to maintain order during the transition to Biden’s administration.
No U.S. president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. Three – Trump in 2019, Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 – previously were impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. All reporting by Mary Clare Jalonick of the AP, and David Morgan and Richard Cowan of Reuters.
Top Stories / 55 mins ago
Washington-DC / 1 hour ago
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Walmart responds to Missouri senator, says tweet mistakenly sent
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 13: U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) listens while Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on October 13, 2020 in Washington, DC. Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away in September. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) Image art – KNWA
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Walmart spokesperson says a tweet from the company’s official Twitter account to Missouri Senator Josh Hawley was mistakenly sent on Wednesday.
“Go ahead. Get your 2 hour debate. #soreloser,” read the since-deleted tweet from Walmart‘s Twitter account.
Thanks @Walmart for your insulting condescension. Now that you’ve insulted 75 million Americans, will you at least apologize for using slave labor? pic.twitter.com/oYJP4Cv2qE
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 30, 2020
Hawley, who said he would raise objections next week when Congress meets to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election, responded to the Bentonville-based retailer from his own account.
Missouri senator plans to force congressional vote over Biden victory
“Thanks @Walmart for your insulting condescension. Now that you’ve insulted 75 million Americans, will you at least apologize for using slave labor?” the Missouri senator tweeted.
A Walmart spokesperson on Wednesday said the tweet was mistakenly posted by an employee on its social media team.
The tweet published earlier was mistakenly posted by a member of our social media team. We deleted the post and have no intention of commenting on the subject of certifying the electoral college. We apologize to Senator Hawley for this error and any confusion about our position.
— Walmart Inc. (@WalmartInc) December 30, 2020
“The tweet was mistakenly posted by a member of our social media team who intended to publish this comment to their personal account. We have removed the post and have no intention of commenting on the subject of certifying the electoral college. We apologize to Senator Hawley for this error and any confusion about our position,” a Walmart spokesperson said via email on Wednesday.
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Trade fair operations in Corona times: New concept in Hannover
Published on : Tuesday, June 16, 2020
The virus crisis forced the German trade fair companies to cancel a number of events – including the largest industrial show in the world. A new set of rules is to allow exhibitions in Hanover again after the summer. From September, Deutsche Messe AG wants to make events possible again with new corona safety standards in Hanover and thus minimize risks for visitors and exhibitors. At the heart of the concept are special distance and hygiene rules as well as the recording of contacts, as the company announced on Tuesday.
Among other things, the trade fair company had to cancel the world’s largest industrial show, the Hannover Messe, due to the risk of infection. One is confident that with the help of the new regulations, the trade fairs Euroblech (October 27th to 30th) and Eurotier (November 17th to 20th) can take place on the grounds in the Lower Saxony state capital, CEO Jochen Köckler told the Germans Press agency.
The necessary minimum safety distance of 1.5 meters or an average of one person on 4 square meters should be ensured by controlling all access points, markings in corridors and halls and, if necessary, additional service personnel. Where such distances cannot be maintained permanently, a simple mouth-nose covering is required.
In terms of hygiene, the previously applicable disinfection and cleaning intervals are shortened, and all buildings should also be well ventilated. Stand parties and shows are prohibited. The same rules apply to gastronomy as outside the exhibition centre.
Large-scale events such as trade fairs are prohibited until the end of August, after which business for the sector hit hard by the virus crisis in Germany should continue. “We dealt with the topic as intensively as many Bundesliga clubs,” said Köckler.
The Hannover region, as the responsible infection protection authority, had already declared that the rules and regulations would in principle be suitable for trade fair operations from autumn. Regional President Hauke Jagau (SPD) said: “The concept could help the state to assess whether and to what extent trade fairs can take place again after August 31, 2020.
LIGNA 2021-“demand for space continues to run high”
LIGNA.21: New dates in autumn
Ima Schelling Group withdraws participation from LIGNA.21
Rehau introduces face shield for everyday protection
Deutsche Messe confident in organising fair during uncertain times
Tags: Covid-19, deutsche messe, germany, Hannover, pandemic, virus, wood working, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking trade fair
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DEWALT Introduces New Range of Trigger Clamps
November 17, 2014 | 8:55 pm EST
Trigger Clamps
New Britain, CT — DEWALT® introduces a new range of Trigger Clamps. Associate Product Manager Evan Tonkel says, “This line of clamps provides clamping solutions for projects ranging from small, light-duty woodworking all the way up to large, heavy-duty construction applications.” The one-handed trigger design allows users to apply up to 600 lbs of clamping force with an easy squeeze of the hand.
The Extra Large, Large and Small clamps pull double-duty by converting to a spreader. A quick change button on the Large and Extra Large clamps allows the user to easily switch between clamping and spreading applications with the press of the button.
Extra Large Trigger Clamps are available in four bar lengths ranging from 12” to 50”. These clamps exert 600 pounds of clamping force in a one-handed trigger design. The Extra Large clamps feature a quick change button allowing for easy conversion to a spreader. Removable full-face jaw pads help reduce marring while a reinforced nylon body and heat-treated steel bar add strength and durability.
Large Trigger Clamps deliver 300 pounds of clamping force with four bar lengths ranging from 6” to 36”. The Quick-Change button allows for easy conversion to a spreader. Removable jaw pads help to reduce marring while a reinforced nylon body and heat-treated steel bar add strength and durability.
The 6” and 12” Medium Trigger Clamps deliver 100 pounds of clamping force. Removable jaw pads help reduce marring. A reinforced nylon body and heat-treated steel bar add strength and durability.
The Small Trigger Clamp delivers 35 pounds of clamping force and also converts to a spreader. Removable jaw pads help reduce marring. A reinforced nylon body and heat-treated steel bar add strength and durability.
DEWALT® introduces a new range of Trigger Clamps. The Extra Large, Large and Small clamps pull double-duty by converting to a spreader. A quick change button on the Large and Extra Large clamps allows the user to easily switch between clamping and spreading applications with the press of the button.
About DEWALT:
DEWALT® is a leading manufacturer of industrial power tools, hand tools and accessories, including corded and cordless drills, saws, hammers, grinders, routers, planers, plate joiners, sanders, lasers, generators, compressors, nailers, saw blades, metal and masonry drill bits, abrasives, screw driving accessories and more, as well as hand tools and pneumatic tools. DEWALT® tools can be found nationally and internationally, wherever tools are sold. With more than 1,000 factory-owned and authorized locations, DEWALT® has one of the most extensive service and repair networks in North America. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT® on Facebook and Twitter.
Corrales teaches 'How to Shorten the CNC Learning Curve' at IWF Connect
California cabinet shop switches to Global Cabinet Supply components
Christianson rejoins Woodworking Network events team
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COVID-19 vaccines in Denton County are in short supply
Texas employers firing alleged rioters who have been identified following viral videos at the US Capitol
An Austin employment attorney weighs in on how employers are able to respond to the videos surfacing.
Author: Hannah Rucker
Published: 6:48 PM CST January 8, 2021
Updated: 7:15 PM CST January 8, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas — Some of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol this week are Texans, and more information is starting to surface about their lives.
It's pretty normal to have a private life outside of work or even a different version of yourself. But what happens when that private life is brought to light in a viral video for the world to see? Could it impact your job status? Austin employment attorney Jennifer Ward said in Texas the answer is yes.
"Texas truly is an employment-at-will state, and so what that means [is] the default rule is that employers can terminate as long as there's not a particular law that you can turn to saying that termination is illegal," said Ward.
She said the fact these events were recorded and shared makes it hard for the employee to fight against it.
"Employees have a right to privacy, so on the one hand, you do have that and anything that you are doing outside of work under private circumstances, you would expect your employer can't access, but of course things we put on social media aren't private; you don't have much of a leg to stand on," said Ward.
Twitter permanently suspends President Donald Trump's account
A closer look at the role social media played in the Capitol riot
PHOTOS: DC Police is searching for these people involved in the Capitol riots
One Texas attorney, Paul Davis, was reportedly fired from Goosehead Insurance after posting videos of himself inside the Capitol.
Other Texans facing repercussions include former Midland Mayoral Candidate Jenny Cudd.
Current Midland Mayor Patrick Payton shared his thoughts in a press conference.
"It saddens me, and that's as far as I'm willing to comment on that. It saddens me," said Mayor Payton.
The FBI is now asking for the public's help to identify others in the images and to come forward with information.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING:
Man loses job in Maryland for being part of mob in US Capitol riots, company says
Raphael Warnock's Capitol arrest from 2017 back in spotlight after riots
Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: Temporary external morgue moved to Austin-area hospital
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WFDD
Beer, Drinking Water And Fish: Tiny Plastic Is Everywhere
Environment, Science
by Christopher Joyce
11:41pm Aug 20, 2018
Microplastics found along Lake Ontario by Rochman's team
Chris Joyce/NPR
Ecologist Chelsea Rochman (left) and researcher Kennedy Bucci dig through washed-up debris along Lake Ontario. They're looking for small particles of plastic that make their way into oceans, rivers and lakes.
Bucci uses a microscope to look at a fathead minnow larva that has ingested plastic particles.
Rochman's scientific team drops a net into a stream in Toronto to collect tiny floating pieces of plastic.
Researcher Kennedy Bucci collects plastics from the shore of Lake Ontario in Toronto.
Plastic trash is littering the land and fouling rivers and oceans. But what we can see is only a small fraction of what's out there.
Since modern plastic was first mass-produced, 8 billion tons have been manufactured. And when it's thrown away, it doesn't just disappear. Much of it crumbles into small pieces.
Scientists call the tiny pieces "microplastics" and define them as objects smaller than 5 millimeters — about the size of one of the letters on a computer keyboard. Researchers started to pay serious attention to microplastics in the environment about 15 years ago. They're in oceans, rivers and lakes. They're also in soil. Recent research in Germany found that fertilizer made from composted household waste contains microplastics.
And, even more concerning, microplastics are in drinking water. In beer. In sea salt. In fish and shellfish. How microplastics get into animals is something of a mystery, and Chelsea Rochman is trying to solve it.
Rochman is an ecologist at the University of Toronto. She studies how plastic works its way into the food chain, from tiny plankton to fish larvae to fish, including fish we eat.
She says understanding how plastic gets into fish matters not just to the fish, but to us. "We eat fish that eat plastic," she says. "Are there things that transfer to the tissue? Does the plastic itself transfer to the tissue? Do the chemicals associated with the plastic transfer to the tissue?"
Rochman says she has always loved cleaning up. She remembers how, as a 6-year-old, she puzzled her parents by volunteering to clean the house.
In high school in Arizona she got even more ambitious. "I used to take my friends into the desert and clean up a mile of trash every Earth Day," she says. "I remember finding weird old dolls and strange old toys that I thought were creepy, but that I would also keep."
As a graduate student, she landed a spot on a research vessel to visit the infamous floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean. She and the other scientists on the trip were supposed to count the plastic as it drifted by.
She remembers the moment they sailed into the patch, "Everyone runs up to the bow and says, 'There's trash, there's trash, everyone start counting the trash.' And so we all start counting the trash."
But something was wrong. "We're looking and it's, like, basically a soup of confetti, of tiny little plastic bits everywhere," she remembers. "Everyone just stops counting. [They] sat there, their backs up against the wall and said, 'OK, this is a real issue, [and it's] not an island of trash you can pick up."
To Rochman, a third thing was also clear: "The tiny stuff, for me as an ecologist, this is really getting into the food chain. You could spend a career studying this stuff."
So she did.
A world of plastic
A typical day for Rochman might start alongside sparkling Lake Ontario, where parks line the shore and joggers and picnickers enjoy the shoreline scenery. The lake, however, hides a mostly invisible menace.
To see it, Rochman's student, Kennedy Bucci, brings us to an inlet that's ankle-deep in washed-up debris. An apartment building looms overhead. They squat down, reach into the muck and quickly find what they're looking for. "I'm digging and just finding more and more," Rochman says. "Like whole bottle caps. This is insane."
"It's so ingrained in the soil," says Bucci.
She comes here regularly to collect plastic for Rochman's research. They work quickly, filling a jar with bits of plastic. Rochman, who's not wearing gloves, inadvertently picks up something she wishes she hadn't. "Oh!" she laughs, flinging it aside. "That's why you've got gloves on," she tells Bucci, and then gets right back to digging.
Since she started studying microplastics, Rochman has found them in the outflow from sewage treatment plants. And they've shown up in insects, worms, clams, fish and birds.
To study how that happens, Bucci makes her own microplastics from the morning's collection. She takes a postage stamp-size piece of black plastic from the jar, and grinds it into particles using a coffee grinder. "So this is the plastic that I feed to the fish," she says.
The plastic particles go into beakers of water containing fish larvae from fathead minnows, the test-animals of choice in marine toxicology. Tanks full of them line the walls of the lab.
Bucci uses a pipette to draw out a bunch of larvae that have already been exposed to these ground-up plastic particles. The larva's gut is translucent. We can see right into it.
"You can see kind of a line of black, weirdly shaped black things," she points out. "Those are the microplastics." The larva has ingested them.
Rochman says microplastic particles can sicken or even kill larvae and fish in their experiments.
Plastic can also get into fish tissue, particularly plastic fibers from clothing such as fleece. Rochman found fleece fibers in fish from San Francisco Bay. She also looked in fish from Indonesia, a tropical country whose residents are not known for dressing in fleece. She found plastic in Indonesian fish guts, but no fibers, suggesting that fish bodies tell a story about what kind of plastic resides in local waters.
Rochman took this line of research a step further when she bought a washing machine for her lab and washed fleece clothing. Lots of plastic fibers came out in the filter she added to collect the wastewater. In fact, she has found microplastics floating in the air. "If you put a piece of double-sided sticky tape on a lab bench for an hour, you come back and it's got four plastic fibers on it," she says.
Resilient, durable and potentially dangerous
Most plastic is inert; it does not readily react chemically with other substances, and that's one reason it has been so successful. Plastic is resilient, durable and doesn't easily degrade. It's a vital part of medical equipment and has revolutionized packaging, especially food storage.
But, over time, plastic can break down and shed the chemicals that make it useful, such as phthalates and bisphenol A. These substances are common in the environment and their effects on human health are of concern to public health scientists and advocates, but few large-scale, definitive studies have been done.
Plastic also attracts other chemicals in the water that latch onto it, including toxic industrial compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Plastic becomes a chemical Trojan horse.
Tracking all those chemicals is researcher Clara Thaysen's job.
"Right now we're starting with the common types of plastic, so polyethylene, polypropylene [and] polystyrene," she explains.
"But, there's..." she pauses and sighs. "There's tons." Plastic comes in many forms, with a wide variety of chemical additives depending on how the plastic is used. What happens to plastic over decades just hasn't been studied deeply.
"This happens all the time," says Thaysen. "We invent something that seems really great and ... we don't think and we become so dependent on it."
Rochman notes that this kind of research is relatively new; most of the environmental studies on microplastics have come out within the past 10 years.
"The things we don't know," she says, are daunting. "What are all the sources where it's coming from, so that we can think about where to turn it off? And once it gets in the ocean, where does it go? Which is super-important because then we can understand how it impacts wildlife and humans."
She says she's ready to spend the rest of her career finding out.
#news #science #humans #environment #water #food waste #plastic #plastic pollution #research #ocean pollution #plastic waste #food and environment
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Home > Blog > The Ocean Genome Helps Fight Disease: Here's How We Save It
The Ocean Genome Helps Fight Disease: Here's How We Save It
by Ines Aguiar Branco, Lauren Thuringer, Colette Wabnitz, Rachel Wynberg, Henrik Österblom and Robert Blasiak - April 24, 2020
Ocean ecosystems are rich sources of compounds used in medicine. Photo by Bob Embley/NOAA.
The ocean plays a surprising role in fighting COVID-19. With death and infection numbers escalating daily, the World Health Organization has made it clear that countries need to do three things to successfully fight this pandemic: test, test and test.
The dramatic increase in demand for testing has drawn renewed attention to the ocean's genetic diversity. This "ocean genome" is a rich source of anti-viral compounds. In particular, enzymes from a remarkable hydrothermal vent bacterium have been key to the technology in virus test kits, including those used to diagnose COVID-19. Similarly, a protein derived from a coral reef red alga around the Canary Islands has been valuable in the fight against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, an illness caused by a coronavirus closely related to the one responsible for COVID-19.
This renewed attention to the genetic diversity of ocean organisms also brings conservation and equity concerns — the subject of two recent research papers commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel). This research has found that multiple threats face the ocean genome, jeopardizing opportunities for new commercial and scientific uses. At the same time, there is an unbalanced relationship between low- and middle-income countries that are home to most marine biodiversity and higher-income countries, which possess the research capacity, technology, infrastructure and finances to develop marine biotechnology.
These recent papers lay out a clear list of actions that governments and marine researchers can take to safeguard the ocean genome and share its benefits equitably.
Enzymes from a hydrothermal vent bacterium are used in COVID-19 tests. Photo by Aquapix/NOAA.
Marine Conservation Can Help Address Global Threats
The ocean genome, or the genetic material present in all marine organisms and the information it encodes, is the foundation upon which marine ecosystems rest. This genetic diversity determines the abundance and resilience of marine biological resources, including fisheries and aquaculture, which form an important pillar of food security and livelihoods for many countries. These ocean industries provide food for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and employ over 10% of the world's population.
Marine organisms are currently threatened by overexploitation, habitat loss and degradation, pollution, climate change, invasive species and more. Given the uniqueness and irreplaceability of the genetic material associated with each marine species, any event leading to their extinction will ultimately result in the disappearance of their genetic information. As such, these pressures also threaten the potential of the ocean genome to address current challenges like climate change and COVID-19 as well as future unknown threats, such as other new diseases.
Despite rapid technological progress enabling exploration of marine life at a genetic level, and despite the ocean genome's promising benefits to society, vast gaps in knowledge remain. For instance, most marine species remain undescribed, most genes from marine single-celled organisms cannot be assigned functions, and the functions of some 90% of genetic sequences collected from marine viruses remain unknown. Compromising the conservation of these organisms, when we still know so little about them, could leave us without valuable assets to address and adapt to global threats from environmental degradation and disease.
Ocean Resources Need to be Shared Equitably
To date, mostly high-income countries have had the financial and other relevant capacities required to conduct marine genetic research and commercial activity associated with the ocean genome. However, exploration and sampling of the ocean genome are often conducted in low- or middle-income countries' ocean territories. These countries frequently lack the resources to undertake the research themselves or to access and use the rapidly growing databases of genetic sequence data.
The following maps capture this disparity. Significant marine biodiversity richness surrounds low- or middle-income countries' ocean territories, but most of the patent applications and publications on the ocean genome come from high-income countries.
There is a clear and critical need to ensure that the ocean genome is used in a sustainable, fair and equitable manner. As this field evolves, governments, researchers and companies need to ensure that low- or middle-income countries benefit from their own marine genetic diversity, and that wealthier countries don't unfairly exploit these resources. Many of these questions are currently under discussion in UN negotiations and through the Convention on Biological Diversity.
5 Ways to Protect and Share the Ocean Genome
The research papers identified several opportunities for action to protect the ocean genome's diversity and support the equitable distribution of current and potential benefits from its use.
1. Protect marine genetic diversity as part of ocean conservation measures.
This hinges on protecting at least 30% of the ocean by implementing fully or highly protected marine protected areas. These actions should consider local community rights and access, and ensure local people's involvement in decision-making.
2. Support greater equity in research and commercialization.
For example, marine biodiscovery collaborations should be based on equitable research partnerships, ensuring the inclusion of scientists from low- and middle-income countries and research institutions. Partners should transfer technology, allocate fair budgets and develop marine scientific capacity for all parties in these collaborations. Funders should provide incentives for research targeted toward important but underfunded societal problems such as environmental remediation and diseases afflicting developing countries. Governments should also create benefit-sharing mechanisms and agreements when conducting research and commercial activities in other countries' waters.
3. Ensure that intellectual property norms support a sustainable and equitable ocean economy.
Governments should balance intellectual property right incentives with the sharing of technologies between their producers and users. Once granted, reasonable limitations to the exercise of intellectual property rights must be applied. Measures such as non-exclusive licensing, affordability of patented technologies and broad research use exceptions can enable access to and transfer of technology, and enhance global research capacity. Additionally, these kinds of measures can be better implemented if information about the biological and geographic origins of genetic material is shared transparently across all associated commercial and noncommercial activities.
4. Assess the risks and benefits of new marine genetic technologies and practices.
For example, this applies to the use of molecular engineering technologies in the ocean, and the creation of genetically modified marine organisms. Assessing these risks requires the initiation of an international deliberative process, involving stakeholders from all sectors, to develop principles for whether and how genetic technologies should be used in the marine environment and to debate the merits of different approaches.
5. Increase financial and political support to improve knowledge of the ocean genome.
This would include philanthropy organizations playing a more coordinated role to provide infrastructure and funding for marine science, and supporting initiatives that promote joint investigation and ownership of science by and for low-income countries and marginalized groups.
Many countries with high marine biodiversity don't have the resources to research and benefit from the ocean genome. Photo by Kevin Lino/NOAA.
For in-depth analysis of current equity trends in the ocean and opportunities for conservation and sustainable use of the ocean genome, read the Ocean Panel's blue papers on Ocean Equity and the Ocean Genome.
Tags: conservation, coronavirus, biodiversity, equity, international policy, oceans, protected areas
6 Recent Signs of Hope for the Ocean
Ocean Conservation Is an Untapped Strategy for Fighting Climate Change
7 Ways to Bridge the Blue Finance Gap
Using the Ocean As a Tool for Global Economic Recovery
What is a Sustainable Ocean Economy? | Big Ideas into Action Podcast
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182 – Lunch With Technet
January 28, 2018 podcasts 43 comments
In which Alan Davis spins dangling plot threads into gold; comics artists are storytellers; Technet is a feature, not a bug; Brian Braddock’s issues reach their boiling point; if you’re going to learn about Earth from TV, you should probably stick with PBS; and our Lila Cheney t-shirts are officially canon!
An unlikely alliance
Alan Davis’s return to Excalibur
Excalibur #42-44
Breakfast with Excalibur
Hard-Boiled Henry
Horatio Cringebottom
Earth-148 (Ee’rath)
Kylun (Colin McKay)
Unlikely houseguests
A romance
A fracas
The trial of Captain Britain
Multiversal moral relativity
Micromax (Scott Wright)
Lunch with Technet
Why public television funding is important
How Shadowcat’s phasing interacts with extreme temperatures
Our opinions on X-Men: Gold Annual #1
NEXT EPISODE: Omega Red!
Brian Braddock
Captain Britain Corps
Captain U.K.
Colin McKay
Ee'arth
Gatecrasher
Josie Scott
kurt wagner
Kylun
Meggan Puceanu
Omniversal Majestrix Opal Luna Saturnyne
Saturnyne
SCOTT SALSMAN says:
Regarding Claremont’s ongoing threads instead of story arcs, I much prefer his writing style. I’m really tired of the current MO of story arc after story arc. You know any loose ends will probably be tied up in a few issues, and things will mostly go back to status quo. It’s less fun for adult readers.
thepariaheffect says:
This was my very first issue of Excalibur. It’s also the only issue of Excalibur that I actually own. At the time, I had no clue what was going on or who any of the characters were (outside of Nightcrawler, who was in the excellent arcade game). This was just too weird for a very young me. As an adult, though, I love it.
Brandon Harbeke says:
One reason I don’t much like Technet’s appearance in Excalibur is their odd speech patterns. Rogue and Gambit get a pass because their characters more than make up for the strange phonetic speech bubbles they have, but otherwise, I want my comics characters to have their dialogue be as readable at a glance as possible.
Icon_UK says:
I’d agree if they were anything other than aliens, who probably SHOULD have difficulties explaining things from a completely alien langauge context. It’s not like English is a terribly cohesive language to begin with.
Count_Zero says:
It’s not like English is a terribly cohesive language to begin with.
Agreed. Considering I’ve heard English described multiple times as a language that “…picks the pockets of other languages in back alleys for loose syntax.” or some variation thereof, I’d say it’s probably not the easiest language to learn if it’s not your native language.
Actually English is fairly straightforward to learn as second language. I’m saying this as someone who learned it that way. The only marginally hard thing is that pronunciation and spelling only vaguely correlate.
Compare this to German that arbitrarily assigns gender to words like “table” and has approx. half dozen variations of “the”. Or Hungarian which has totally different verb conjugation depending on the sentence having an object or not.
Tomas Syrstad Ruud says:
I don’t like Technet. I get that their powers are favorable for bounty hunting, but to me they always seem like Claremont’s body horror-thing launching itself from subtext, through text, and into the supertextual realms beyond.
Voord 99 says:
That’s interesting. I was going to speculate that the reason was that Technet weren’t Claremontesque enough for what people were expecting to be an X-book, being Alan Davis creations from the Marvel UK Captain Britain comic. To me, they feel somewhat 2000 ADish in their particular brand of tongue-in-cheek weirdness and not terribly Marvel. I can sort of imagine them competing with Johnny Alpha to bring in some criminal or other.
On a related note, I took Davis’s decision at the beginning to have Nightcrawler complain that Excalibur were getting too much of the glory as a nice little nod that this was going to be even less of an X-book. Because obviously that reverses the normal way X-things work: the fact that three out of the five team members are mutants “should” preclude this possibility. Cf. the way in which Davis centers the book on his recreation (if not creation) Captain Britain as first among equals.
I’ve read as far as #50, and I’ll be curious to see how far this goes — I have a sense right now that Davis’s Excalibur could actually be argued to be outside the remit of the podcast as much as e.g. The Avengers when Beast and Scarlet Witch were members, that it’s just not an X-book at all.
But I would never say that our hosts should adopt that view, for their sake. They deserve a break from the “real” X-books to read something this good. (I’m having whiplash going from X-Force to this to X-Men.) In fact, I would go further than our hosts in saying that this shows that Davis was making a major contribution to the Claremont/Davis Excalibur. If this is anything to go by, *most* of what was good about that period might have been Davis…
Jen Wolff says:
I think I did a whole page of Bert doodles as a kid. Kinda wish I’d spent more time copying Davis, but I was pretty focused on Maduriera with a bit of early Bachalo and Pollina. The Kubert’s were fine to read, but I never wanted to draw them. (Why yes, I was well into college before I took a non-X comic seriously. How can you tell?)
Also, Boo-ray is a totally valid response to puns.
I was thinking about what you said on the show about Alan Davis being really good at drawing crushes in particular, and not many artists being good at that, and that got me thinking, and lead to another installment of Count_Zero Contextualizes Comics through Anime & Manga.
In particular, what got me thinking is that while in the US there used to be a big grand tradition of Romance comics through the 1940s, ’50s, and into the early ’60s (with even Marvel putting out a few romance books, with Patsy Walker debuting in one of those comics, dedicated romance comics of any variety eventually trailed off, with perhaps one of the few long-running mainstream romance comics being the various Archie books (in particular, the ones you see – or used to see – on the newsstand in grocery stores).
By comparison, in manga (and anime, naturally) pretty much every genre was still fair game, so from the ’50s all the way through the present you had a slew of romance manga for various audiences (men and women, adults and teens, straight and GLBT – though generally leaning more towards G & L, and with from what I can tell the majority of manga with homosexual themes being arguably targeted towards a heterosexual audience, but that’s probably a topic for another site, much less another thread, as I don’t want to derail too much).
Anyway, because you have a flourishing romance genre in Manga that has material for all audiences, this means that with that you get the construction of a visual language for the important themes in that genre. You get visual and narrative shorthand for a female or male character having a crush on another character, both in terms of how those characters react and how those characters perceive the object of their romantic attraction, and that language develops on a spectrum from “highly stylized” to “fairly realistic”, and evolves to reflect the times. Eventually, the parts of that language that works persists and may up cross pollinating across genres. By comparison, by the time these issues of Excalibur came out, the dedicated romance comic was pretty much dead, so the language hadn’t evolved the same way in the US.
This leads to me wondering, and maybe some of the European listeners and commenters might able to answer this – in the ’80s, what was the state of the Romance comic in Europe (not just the UK, but on the Continent as well). I’d be interested to see if there was a stylistic language there for romance comics that had the opportunity to build up and evolve, compared to US comics where things appeared, at least through the ’80s and ’90s, to have stagnated.
Good points regarding markets that kept the romance genre alive having a much larger and more varied set of visual crush iconography – I hadn’t thought of that!
Guys, you disappoint me just a little by not elaborating on Emelia Witherspoon’s inspiration, She is a direct homage to the magnificent English comedic and character actress Dame Margaret Rutherford, perhaps best known for her sterling, if not exactly book accurate, performance as Miss Marple in the 1960’s movies.
A powerhouse of unapologetic eccentricity in real life as well as on screen (She once gave a reading at a ladies jail, and was disappointed that her planned performance of “The Ballad of Eskimo Nell” was not deemed entirely appropriate). She also dealt with a life marred by mental illness (both her parents had serious mental health issues, and she herself was prone to depression throughout her life.
If you’ve ever seen her in as Miss Marple, or as eccentric medium and clairvoyant Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit (a role Noel Coward wrote specifically for her) and which may have inspired her appearance her as a psychic, you’ll know exactly the tone she says the “My, my… blue velvet” line in. 🙂
I had no idea! Thankfully, she shows up again, so we’ll get a second chance.
Sorry, I’m just so used to you guys already being up on even the most obscure pop culture references! 😀
Everyone should be forced to watch Blithe Spirit and all of Margaret Rutherford’s Miss Marples. They’re amazing. And she was in the St Trinian’s films as noted when you covered Girls School From Heck. Davis does reference a lot of UK-specific stuff in his run. So I bet those of us listening in the UK will be doing a lot of um actually-ing.
I think the first “um actually” is going to be me noting that Margaret Rutherford isn’t in any of the St Trinians films.
The role of St trinians Headmistress Miss Fritton was written for her, but she wasn’t available, so in a stroke of genius they gave the role to Alastair Sim who peformed it in one of the most inpired bit of cross-dressing the cinema has ever seen.
You might be thinking of Rutherford and Sim being in a different boarding-school comedy together though, “The Happiest Days of Your Life” a few years before the St Trinians movies.
Bugger!
David Morris says:
The nod to Margaret Rutherford and the inclusion of Horatio Cringebottom make me wonder if Davis is having a little quiet fun with his US audience. Is he putting characters and types from 1950s films because that’s the kind of thing that happens in US comics about Britain? Incidentally, I have heard that police will credit psychics with providing information to disguise and protect more mundane sources.
Peter Willard says:
If you hadn’t mentioned the Rocket series I was going to bring it up myself. I picked up the first issue solely because of the Hitchiker’s Guide and Stainless Steel Rat references in the first few pages. When the Technet showed up it was just icing on the cake.
Darth Pseudonym says:
I generally agree with your comments about police psychics, but what I’ve heard is that the police never really bought into psychic powers. Rather, in the ’80s and ’90s, a lot of times if the police had a lead from a source they couldn’t reveal — often a close family member who gave up information — it was useful to publicly claim that they got the tip from a psychic. Information that’s too accurate could reveal who gave it up, so claiming it came from a supernatural source gave them a way to conceal it.
Ggodo says:
That is. . . Actually sorta stupidly clever. It’s like police from around the world have been actively perpetuating the longest episode of Psych ever. That makes me feel way better about it. Aside from the fictional, and fake, Harry Dresden and Shawn Spicer the whole concept is rather worrying.
I should have read further down!
W. H. Rad says:
Earth-616 Beast, I think we can all agree, is consistently drawn with fur. I have only ever seen Earth-616 Nightcrawler drawn with blue skin. The contrast is especially noticeable in something such as Nightcrawler volume 3 #3. So, I have a challenge to issue. Please, if you can, find one comic where Nightcrawler is drawn with fur. To clarify, do not find a comic where Nightcrawler is only described as having fur, such as Excalibur #44 discussed in this episode. Bonus points will be awarded if Nightcrawler is also called, “fuzzy elf.”
His fur has always been very, very short, like velvet, so I don’t think it would even be possible to show it drawn as fur per se.
What about, for example, inking Nightcrawler with a less solid outline around his skin? I feel like there were probably tricks used with Wolfsbane which could be applied to Nightcrawler.
The closest thing that popped into my head for that would be the oft maligned What if? (2nd series) #98 story which is about Mystique raising Kurt (or Micahel as he’s called in this timeline, since Raven named him). The colouring on him, and later on Rogue she she absorbs his powers, is a little different from others in the same issue, perhaps hinting at a different texture to his skin
If you google images for What if #98 Rogue you’ll find the images easily enough.
I loved that issue of what if. Sure, she’s still got some unsavory schemes afoot, but it’s nice to see Mystique with a family, happy.
UncannyX-men.net has that picture of Rogue, thanks.
https://uncannyxmen.net/characters/rogue/alternate-versions
Yes, I think you have it on the nose, Icon_UK. Er, especially around Rogue’s nose. I believe I owe you the prize (as soon as I figure out what it is… maybe the savings bond from MST3K Santa Claus?).
On a tangent, Dietrich Smith, what did you do to Logan?
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/What_If%3F_Vol_2_93
Did he fuse with Legion and get drunk before extending his claws?
Mullet Man says:
Miles thanks for giving Brother Britman some love! He is my favourite Excaliber joke of all time, and my favourite thing from AD’s second run. I’ve considered commissioning him to do a sketch of the brother flying. Imagine that hair and beard streaming in the wind! As for him being more effective from his limited appearances, we’ll never know. But I would like too. In my dream world AD would do a mini series in a sort of indy head comixs style.
And I’m glad you guys are savouring this slowly. It was my favourite ever run when I was a teenager. And I had read all of the Marvel superhero comics from the silver age onwards published up to that point.
Also, a point of interest. There was a house ad for a Technet series that never happened. I wonder what the story behind that was?
Would he be flying in the lotus position, with his world’s “Amulet of Right” being shaped like the peace symbol?
Si says:
You kind of assume Brother Britman is from the planet of the hippies, but what if he comes from an Earth that’s almost exactly like ours, and it’s just him? That makes him about 350% better in my opinion.
TepigTrainer says:
I’m a new listener going back through past episodes, so I feel a bit odd commenting on a nearly three year old post. But I feel like pointing out that Earth-65 is not only the home of Brother Brit-man but also Spider-Gwen. I.e the universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider rather than Peter Parker. It’s no planet of hippies sadly, but still pretty interesting.
Thanks for adding that, I never knew! Makes him all the more interesting. I hope there is a hippy dimension out there though.
Okay, so a strong agreement with Jay’s position on Davis as a writer. However, there are so many lovely things about how he tells the story visually. The panel arrangement showing Kurt and Meggan moving through the dream gym is elegant. The clarity and economy of the three panels where Kurt flips onto Brian’s back, bamfs and releases him are masterful.
I’ve just random notes apart that-that pier in Brighton burnt down in 2003. Let’s blame Technet. While he’s much more handsome I’d cast Richard Wattis for the role of Horatio C. That book Brian’s trying to read is real (Philosophical Foundation of Quantum Mechanics by Hans Reichenbach), but I don’t get the joke/story point of it. OG Masterfrom Dr Who (Richard Delgado) watched children’s programs (the Clangers) but did not learn much.
As I recall, the Master was very disappointed to discover “The Clangers” was puppet show for children, not a documentary as he rather liked them and whistled back at the screen.
For those unfamiliar with them, The Clangers was an utterly charming stop-motion animation series from the 1970’s about a group of knitted aliens living on an alien world who only communicated by whistling (and narrated by the sublime tones of Oliver Postgate, an amazing man who amongst other skills had a voice which meant he could have read reports about gas explosions wiping out adorable kittens and _still_ manage to make you feel warm and safe). It was recently remade and since Mr Postgate is long gone, the UK got Michael Palin narrating and Canada got… William Shatner.
There’s a deliberate homage in the new Doctor Who where the John Simms Master watches Teletubbies and is impressed that a life form has evolved to include a television in their stomach.
This has been a pointless digression, we now return to our usual, somewhat more pointed, digressions. 😉
Oh, and since I’ve been a Doctor Who geek for even longer than I have a comics geek, I HAVE to mention (Literally HAVE to, it’s not even a choice.. help me!) the Master was Roger Delgado, rather than Richard Delgado.
Richard Wattis as Horatio is a terrific choice BTW.
I wonder if the point of having Brian read that particular book is to re-establish his background as a physicist?
[Spoilers for the next few issues, up tp #50]
I have a theory, which I’ll maybe argue for when our hosts get to the next slice of issues, that Davis is trying to move Brian away from the buffoon that Claremont had tended to box him into being and re-emphasize other sides of the character. Keeping humor, but also making Brian less relentlessly a character that exists only to lose his temper, have embarrassing things happen to him, and generally come across as a bit of a [expletive deleted] in a minor sort of way, without compensating redeeming features.
This may seem improbable on the basis of these opening issues, especially given the way that they start, but just wait: Davis displays a charmingly old-fashioned regard for continuity, trying to explain the way Brian came across in the Claremont period without contradicting it.
Disclaimer: I’ve only read as far as #50. But based on that, stressing that Brian is also supposed to be a brilliant physicist would suit the agenda that I’m detecting in Davis.
John Derrick says:
Yes, Alan Davis’s solo run is so delightful!
Some random reactions to specific points:
1) As much as I adore Davis’ Meggan, my own favorite take on both Meggan and Brian is Paul Cornell’s from Captain Britain & MI:13. I like how they both got to grow up a bit there, even if Brian is way more heroic and together than when anyone else writes him. I miss that book SO MUCH. Especially Faiza Hussain, one of the greatest characters ever. (Only a couple of writers have used her since, and only Al Ewing did so recognizably. I wish he’d relaunch Excalibur as a blend of classic and MI:13!)
2) As for the annual, one thing that confused me – last time I saw Brian Braddock during Secret Empire, he’d lost an eye somehow? And now it’s back? And he went from blond to redhead at some point? What’s up with all that?
3) As a parent of a precocious 3 year old who is determined to do everything herself ASAP, Meggan’s worry in the annual that her baby only needed her due to a lack of fine motor skills definitely rang true!
4) Farscape did a great bit with its alien crew on Earth for the first time watching Sesame Street to help pick up the language! Also because it’s own Henson-created characters found Kermit somewhat literally familiar.
The Rocket miniseries is amazing. Both writer and artist get the Technet perfectly. Except Gatecrasher’s fingernails. And Bodybag’s bodybags. Best bit is the bizarre sexual chamistry between Rocket and Gatecrasher.
I want to also add that I’m eagerly anticipating your show about Excalibur #50, which may be the single greatest single issue of comic art in existence. What Alan Davis does with frames and scale is just awe-inspiring.
I have a question for the X-Perts for the next Excalibur episode. Yesterday I cheered myself up by rereading the entire Alan Davis run of Excalibur just before bed. This morning I awoke with the image of Brian Braddock singing McArthur Park. So my question is Excalibur karaoke party, who sings what?
And who left Captain Britain’s cake out in the rain?
Gary P. says:
Bodybag did not destroy the bathroom. Necrom and his servant did when they came from Ee’rath. Surprised I’m the first “Um, actually…” saying this.
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Zidane, Villas-Boas under the cosh, Zlatan boosts Milan - what to watch in Europe this weekend
Real Madrid hope to put an embarrassing midweek cup exit behind them, while Andre Villas-Boas's future is under scrutiny at Marseille and AC Milan look to keep their rivals in the rearview mirror with Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from injury.
Breakdowns weren't confined to dinner service on Hell's Kitchen Thursday night as 32-year-old contestant Fabiola Fuentes, seemingly out of nowhere, went into hysterics. The contestant's meltdown happened after Fabiola and her team returned from their dune buggy excursion reward through the Nevada deserts, during which Fabiola was having the time of her life, which is why her teammates, and viewers on social media, were totally confused.Crying and hyperventilating, Fabiola shoved the camera away from her face to get the crew to stop filming her, as an EMT rushed to her side. After spending some time with the medic, who suggested she might be dehydrated, Fabiola managed to return to her team pre-dinner service, where she apologized for being rude to them."I'm sorry if I was rude. I got super nasty. I just want you guys to know that," Fabiola told the group. However, her bizarre attitude did not go unnoticed by viewers at home. While some speculated she was suffering from anxiety or a panic attack, one viewer thought maybe she was just drunk.Unfortunately for Fabiola, things just got worse for her during dinner service as she just couldn't keep herself together while making flatbread for guests at Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen restaurant in Las Vegas. Ultimately, Ramsay decided that Fabiola was the weakest link of the night and asked her to turn in her jacket and head home. In the end, Fabiola shared through tears, "I wish my health was better. And that's me. I tried to fight for myself as much as I could. I knew I failed, and I knew that I bounced back, and I was extremely embarrassed."
(Bloomberg) -- Cryptocurrencies may never be able to work as actual currencies, according to UBS Global Wealth Management.The “fundamental flaw” inherent in cryptocurrencies is that supply can’t be reduced when demand is slumping in most cases, Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS GWM, said in a video this week. That means they can’t be considered currencies, he said.A “proper currency,” as Donovan termed it, can be a stable store of value, providing certainty that it will be able to buy the same basket of goods tomorrow as it buys today. That confidence is derived from central banks’ ability to reduce supply when demand is falling. There is no such mechanism for switching off supply on most cryptocurrencies, and therefore their value can slide -- leading to a collapse in spending power.“People are unlikely to want to use something as a currency if they’ve got absolutely no certainty about what they can buy with that tomorrow,” Donovan said in the video.Read More: UBS Wealth Warns Clients Crypto Prices Can Actually Go to ZeroBitcoin futures are listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange alongside contracts for most major currencies, but the difference in daily trading volumes suggest that some investors haven’t yet embraced the crypto as a fully fledged currency. Amid the 11% price plunge for Bitcoin on Thursday transactions for the January futures were just above 13,000, while there were around six times as many for Japanese yen futures.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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Home / Mobile / Smartphone market inches back to growth with Samsung holding lead
Smartphone market inches back to growth with Samsung holding lead
Posted by: Jessica in Mobile August 10, 2016 0 114 Views
The smartphone market is showing signs of growth again, but barely, with shipments up nearly 1 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.
The research firm, which had reported a 3 percent drop in the market in the last quarter, said Wednesday that there are indications that the market had bottomed out in the first half of this year. Multiple new product launches from vendors including Samsung Electronics and Apple could create an improving growth outlook for the second half of the year.
Another research firm, Canalys, reported Tuesday that smartphone shipments had returned to modest growth in the second quarter after a disappointing first quarter.
Around 340.4 million smartphones were shipped in the second quarter, said Strategy Analytics, which added that the market had seen saturation in major markets like China and been effected by political events such as Britain’s decision to exit the European Union.
Earlier on Wednesday, the largest smartphone maker — Samsung — reported its most profitable quarter in two years, driven by increased sales of its flagship products such as the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. The company’s mid-to low-end smartphone portfolio, including the Galaxy A and J series, also contributed to improved profitability, it said.
Samsung said the smartphone business would stay buoyant in the second half, but warned that competitors are expected to launch newer models in the period. The company faces competition from Chinese brands at the low end and Apple’s phones at the high end, but hopes to strengthen its high-end with the release in the third-quarter of a new large-screen flagship smartphone.
Profits are expected to be largely driven by its components business, including demand for storage like solid state devices (SSDs), which is expected to pick up in the second half as smartphone makers launch new products.
The South Korean company reported a revenue increase of 4.9 percent year-on-year to 50.9 trillion won ($44.7 billion) in the second quarter while operating profit rose 18 percent to 8.1 trillion won.
Rival Apple, in contrast, saw its revenue drop 15 percent to $42.4 billion in the quarter ended June 25 — from $49.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Profit dropped 27 percent, to $7.8 billion from $10.7 billion last year. Shipments of the iPhone dropped to 40.4 million units from 47.5 million units, a year-on-year drop of 15 percent.
“Apple continues to face iPhone fatigue among consumers and the new iPhone SE model has not been able to stem that trend,” said Strategy Analytics’ analyst Neil Mawston, in a statement.
Samsung led the market, with an increased share of 22.8 percent for 77.6 million smartphones shipped, while second-place Apple’s share dropped to 11.9 percent, Strategy Analytics said. The next three places were taken by Chinese vendors Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi, in that order.
Samsung Smartphone 2016-08-10
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Hobbs has Dominic and Brian reassemble their crew to take down a team of mercenaries: Dominic unexpectedly gets convoluted also facing his presumed deceased girlfriend, Letty.
Director: Justin Lin
Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel
Country: Japan, Spain, UK, USA
Keywords:123Movies Movies 2013
Watch Fast & Furious 6 on 123Movies Online for Free » Best site to watch movies free and TV shows online is CipFlix
A pyromaniac, ex-employee of a city oil refinery creates an explosion at the facility which starts a chain-reaction of fires that engulf the entire city.
Genre: Action, Drama
The Last Kung Fu Monk
When a car accident orphans his young nephew, a Shaolin monk journeys to the United States to look after the lad and open his own martial arts academy, but he…
New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade…
A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown.
Country: Croatia, France, Hong Kong, USA
When Ah Bu, a girl from a small fishing town in Taiwan, finds a glass bottle with a romantic message, she travels to Hong Kong to find her prince charming….
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
TV weatherman Bill Harding is trying to get his tornado-hunter wife, Jo, to sign divorce papers so he can marry his girlfriend Melissa. But Mother Nature, in the form of…
Never Say Never Again
James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 one more time to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail….
Country: UK, USA, West Germany
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan (Jason…
A first-time captain leads a convoy of allied ships carrying thousands of soldiers across the treacherous waters of the “Black Pit” to the front lines of WW2. With no air…
Genre: Action, Drama, History, Trending, War
A newly developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the…
Quantum of Solace continues the adventures of James Bond after Casino Royale. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing…
Freelance female war reporter Alex Quade covers U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) on highly classified combat missions. Since 2001, she has embedded with elite SOF, including the U.S. Army Special…
Trailer: Fast & Furious 6
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LikeIt! 12
Directors: John Badham [Director] ,
Cast: Austin Pendleton [Howard Marner] , Fisher Stevens [Ben Jabituya] , Steve Guttenberg [Newton Crosby] , Ally Sheedy [Stephanie Speck] ,
Movie Description:
Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture and convince his creator that he has truly become alive.
Pee Nak (2019)
Three men on their way to monk-hood, don't realize the temple at which they will receive their ordination is cursed by the wrath of Pee Nak, a mythical giant snake.
The Last White Man (2020)
Karl Gordon, an underemployed pizza delivery boy, works in his quiet suburban hometown where romantic, professional, and social failures fuel his hatred for the changing world around him, setting him on a course that can only lead to carnage.
India Pakistan (2015)
Karthik (Vijay Antony) and Mellina (Sushma Raj) are two aspiring lawyers, who are in search of a house and case. Due to financial issues, they decide to share the same office without knowing that they are in the same profession. And when they realize it, all hell break lose and they are always at loggerheads. They get into a deal that whoever first get their case will stay on while the other will move out! Now both Karthik and Mellina get a case but both have to argue against each other, as both their clients Kattamuthu( Pasupathi) and Maruthu ( MS Baskar) approach them in a land dispute case.
IMDB: 9 By: simonperera2000
I'm sorry, I can't see why this film has been given such a low rating. This film is wonderfully life-affirming through the character of robot Jonny 5 (the scene where he realises what it means to be alive through crushing a grass hopper is beautifully portrayed), Ally Sheedy brings a bucket load of positive energy to the character of the naive but loving Stephanie, and to top it all there is a subtle but powerful comment on American militarism. There is a real emphasis on quality screen writing here which only comes through on a small ratio of films. The characters could easily have become 2 dimensional stereotypes, but instead given some interesting dialogue and motives (science, military etc). Yes it is cheesy, and I think many people label it as a cheap and tacky 80's movie, but having watched it again recently I think history may well judge it a minor classic.
On: 7/25/2005 12:00:00 AM
I still love this one today
IMDB: 10 By: grayorca
I practically grew up watching this one. And this film is two years older than I am. Number Five has long been a movie personality I grew to adore, as well as his human co-actors. There has never been a time where I have watched and not smiled at it's quirky verbal humor. I have recommended it to many acquaintances looking for a good, old 80's comedy. The sequel is not quite as up there, but I also keep it mixed in with my favorite DVDs. For any science fiction fan, it can be seen as a classic and prelude to movies such as "I, Robot". 10 out of 10 is my rating because this movie has played a great part in my movie-watching life. I first saw it at the age of 9 (edited Disney broadcast version, with the adult language cut out) and have looked to it ever since if I just want to get a little laugh. And, for me, a little laugh in my otherwise stressful life is a great thing. 10/10
A rarity among family-oriented films...
IMDB: 8 By: mentalcritic
There have been many films that claim they can entertain audiences of all ages. Indeed, this seems to be the most profitable kind of film to make, with the family-oriented often translating to the lowest common denominator. There is a rare kind of film in this oversaturated market, however. Namely, the film that claims it can entertain an audience in almost any age bracket, and really can deliver on this promise. I know how this sounds, so bear with me a moment. Short Circuit is, at heart, a comedy about what happens when a robot designed to replace a special forces soldier is struck by lightning, and starts to believe he is a living entity. Much of the rest of the film revolves around either Number 5's attempts to evade capture by the people who made him, or his attempts to convince the people he meets of the truly wonderful thing that has happened to him. Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg provide an excellent support cast that does a first rate job of interacting with the character. This was one of the first films to show human actors engaging in conversation with what was essentially a full-scale puppet, and it remains one of the best. With brilliant voice acting by Tim Blaney, Number 5 seems more human than some of the other actors in the film, especially G.W. Bailey. They must have had a special on Police Academy alumni that year. Speaking of Police Academy, the "let's rip the front seats out and sit in the back" joke gets a couple of references here. In fact, a few old classics get a good reference in this effort. Interestingly enough, the Three Stooges short that is shown and imitated in a couple of sequences is called Woman Haters. Go figure. The one weakness of the film is that it seems primarily constructed around a few puppeteering or special effects sequences. The use of the laser beams here seems very dated by modern standards, and the computers would look unbelievable if I hadn't personally seen the computers that were available to the public and business around this year. Sadly, they do not make films like this anymore. In this day and age, where every film has to be made as expensively as possible, and even films aimed at children seem segmented, nobody seems willing to consider that the adults in the audience might need to be entertained, too. Which is a real pity. Films like Short Circuit have the ability to appeal to this viewer even more now that he is twenty-something years old than was the case when he was eight years old. I doubt that anyone who turns twenty-six in 2020 is going to same the same about the Pokemon or other such mind-numbing single-digit-age-only crap that is being churned out. I gave Short Circuit an eight out of ten. It is starting to show its age, but as a relic of the mid-1980s, it also shows that there were people asking questions about the advancement of technology. Indeed, on the basis of films like Short Circuit, I am almost willing to regard the 1980s as the last bastion of creativity in the mainstream film industry. Give it a look expecting a film about more than money, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
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Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells
Jung Tae Park, Dong Kyu Roh, Rajkumar Patel, Eunhye Kim, Du Yeol Ryu, Jong Hak Kim
Integrated Sciences and Engineering Division
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Titania (TiO2) nanoparticles were surface-modified via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) with hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM), which can coordinate to the TiO2 precursor, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP). Following application of a sol-gel process and calcination at 450 °C, TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores were generated, as confirmed by the shifting of conduction bands in TiO 2 using UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particle size and morphology of TiO2 were characterized using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis revealed bimodal distribution of TiO 2 pore sizes with peaks at 6 nm and 50 nm to afford better penetration of polymer electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) made from TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores exhibited improved photovoltaic efficiency (3.3% for low molecular weight (Mw) and 2.5% for high Mw polymer electrolytes), as compared to those from neat TiO2 nanoparticles (2.4% for low Mw and 1.3% for high Mw) at 100 mW/cm2, owing to the increased surface areas and light scattering.
Journal of Materials Chemistry
https://doi.org/10.1039/c0jm01471k
Published - 2010 Oct 21
10.1039/c0jm01471k
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Preparation of TiO<sub>2</sub> spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Dye-sensitized solar cells Chemical Compounds
Sol-gel process Chemical Compounds
Polymerization Chemical Compounds
Nanospheres Chemical Compounds
TiO2 nanoparticles Chemical Compounds
titanium isopropoxide Chemical Compounds
Atom transfer radical polymerization Chemical Compounds
Park, J. T., Roh, D. K., Patel, R., Kim, E., Ryu, D. Y., & Kim, J. H. (2010). Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 20(39), 8521-8530. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0jm01471k
Park, Jung Tae ; Roh, Dong Kyu ; Patel, Rajkumar ; Kim, Eunhye ; Ryu, Du Yeol ; Kim, Jong Hak. / Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells. In: Journal of Materials Chemistry. 2010 ; Vol. 20, No. 39. pp. 8521-8530.
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title = "Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells",
abstract = "Titania (TiO2) nanoparticles were surface-modified via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) with hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM), which can coordinate to the TiO2 precursor, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP). Following application of a sol-gel process and calcination at 450 °C, TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores were generated, as confirmed by the shifting of conduction bands in TiO 2 using UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particle size and morphology of TiO2 were characterized using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis revealed bimodal distribution of TiO 2 pore sizes with peaks at 6 nm and 50 nm to afford better penetration of polymer electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) made from TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores exhibited improved photovoltaic efficiency (3.3% for low molecular weight (Mw) and 2.5% for high Mw polymer electrolytes), as compared to those from neat TiO2 nanoparticles (2.4% for low Mw and 1.3% for high Mw) at 100 mW/cm2, owing to the increased surface areas and light scattering.",
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Park, JT, Roh, DK, Patel, R, Kim, E, Ryu, DY & Kim, JH 2010, 'Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells', Journal of Materials Chemistry, vol. 20, no. 39, pp. 8521-8530. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0jm01471k
Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells. / Park, Jung Tae; Roh, Dong Kyu; Patel, Rajkumar; Kim, Eunhye; Ryu, Du Yeol; Kim, Jong Hak.
In: Journal of Materials Chemistry, Vol. 20, No. 39, 21.10.2010, p. 8521-8530.
T1 - Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells
AU - Park, Jung Tae
AU - Roh, Dong Kyu
AU - Patel, Rajkumar
AU - Kim, Eunhye
AU - Ryu, Du Yeol
AU - Kim, Jong Hak
N2 - Titania (TiO2) nanoparticles were surface-modified via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) with hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM), which can coordinate to the TiO2 precursor, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP). Following application of a sol-gel process and calcination at 450 °C, TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores were generated, as confirmed by the shifting of conduction bands in TiO 2 using UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particle size and morphology of TiO2 were characterized using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis revealed bimodal distribution of TiO 2 pore sizes with peaks at 6 nm and 50 nm to afford better penetration of polymer electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) made from TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores exhibited improved photovoltaic efficiency (3.3% for low molecular weight (Mw) and 2.5% for high Mw polymer electrolytes), as compared to those from neat TiO2 nanoparticles (2.4% for low Mw and 1.3% for high Mw) at 100 mW/cm2, owing to the increased surface areas and light scattering.
AB - Titania (TiO2) nanoparticles were surface-modified via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) with hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM), which can coordinate to the TiO2 precursor, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP). Following application of a sol-gel process and calcination at 450 °C, TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores were generated, as confirmed by the shifting of conduction bands in TiO 2 using UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particle size and morphology of TiO2 were characterized using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis revealed bimodal distribution of TiO 2 pore sizes with peaks at 6 nm and 50 nm to afford better penetration of polymer electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) made from TiO2 nanospheres with hierarchical pores exhibited improved photovoltaic efficiency (3.3% for low molecular weight (Mw) and 2.5% for high Mw polymer electrolytes), as compared to those from neat TiO2 nanoparticles (2.4% for low Mw and 1.3% for high Mw) at 100 mW/cm2, owing to the increased surface areas and light scattering.
U2 - 10.1039/c0jm01471k
DO - 10.1039/c0jm01471k
JO - Journal of Materials Chemistry
JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry
Park JT, Roh DK, Patel R, Kim E, Ryu DY, Kim JH. Preparation of TiO2 spheres with hierarchical pores via grafting polymerization and sol-gel process for dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry. 2010 Oct 21;20(39):8521-8530. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0jm01471k
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Day 429 – Emilia Quinton
December 23, 2019 December 29, 2019 Amy Richau365 Star Wars Women / Behind the Scenes / InterviewNo Comment on Day 429 – Emilia Quinton
Emilia Quinton was behind the cameras for many of the docuseries Looking for Leia‘s most memorable moments. She answered a few questions for 365 Star Wars Women via email.
What was your introduction to Star Wars?
I watched A New Hope on VHS for the very first time with my father- I don’t really remember how old I was, probably 8 or 9, I just remembered I was enraptured. I burned through the tape eventually but my dad never told me there were more movies in the series. So one day I’m at a friend’s house and I see this box set of the original trilogy and my mind explodes. Our friendship basically became Star Wars centered at that point- I would constantly try to come over to watch the movies, and I remember he was always really wanting to play baseball or something- that friendship didn’t last a very long time.
Do you have favorite films, characters, or Star Wars books? If so what makes them your favorites and have those favorites changed much over time?
Huh, I don’t really have a favorite- I like them all, for different reasons, and I’ll watch them at different times. I’ve rewatched The Force Awakens a lot. Even though I love the original and enjoy parts of episodes 1-3 I never truly saw myself in those stories in a way I didn’t understand until the contemporary trilogy arrived. I connect with Rey and Finn as characters and as action heroes. I deeply enjoy the comics too, and the Vader series was one of my recent favorites.
How did you get connected with Looking for Leia and what did you do for the docuseries?
I don’t have Twitter, but a professor from my college who did saw a call out for camera ops in Seattle for a production called Looking For Leia. I was about a year into trying to freelance and just not going anywhere- I didn’t have a lot of confidence at the time and was just pretty afraid of embracing myself as a filmmaker in general.
I emailed the production and, lo and behold, Annalise got back to me, invited me to come film for her. That experience changed my life. I spent three full days interviewing women in their power, being led and nurtured by an incredible director (and her partner/ our sound person Storm Miguel Florez). I was fully encouraged to do my thing, and my thing was making stuff look pretty on camera. For the next year I flew out or came along for several different stretches of filming on the project as a B camera operator, but that first gig kickstarted me and kickstarted my confidence.
Looking for Leia is about women who love Star Wars and was made almost entirely by women. Was your experience working on LFL different than many of the other productions you have worked on? If so, how?
Was this experience different…yes, yes and YES, HONEY. I can’t even list the number of ways but I’ll try to summarize. For starters, this was the first time I was ever introduced to the concept of colonial film making and then the idea that we could de-colonize our process. The film world is still one of the most cisgender, heterosexual, white patriarchal systems in existence. It’s embedded within the structure of the machine.
With documentaries I’ve seen this manifest in the process of arriving to a space, taking up a lot of room, pressuring people to sign legal releases, getting what you want/need, exiting and essentially leaving your subjects behind. Not all docs work like this but enough do that it’s still an issue. So Annalise actively tries to bring the power back to her subjects. She gives them say in how they’re portrayed, she cares for and connects to her crew and the people we interviewed- truly, the spaces she creates are safe for the people who enter them. I learned so much from her about how film can affect people in production before it even hits the screen.
What are some of the memorable locations and/or interviews you photographed for LFL?
I think one of my all-time favorite days was the Leia day in New York. Annalise set me loose to get beauty shots, so I was operating a gimbal in rush-hour pedestrian traffic in the middle of Manhattan while this parade of multi-generation, multi-ethnic Leias walked down the street. Seeing these people in their power, contrasted by these glorious white costumes against the gray of the city was just- it’s hard to describe. It’s why I make movies.
How did you get interested in working behind the camera and are there female camera operators and cinematographers who you look to for inspiration or women who acted as mentors?
I think I have always been interested in working behind the camera, it just took me a little while to embrace that fully. I had a job as a copywriter back in 2014, but realized while I was at my desk that I was writing scripts for short films in my free time or filming little projects with my roommates. I ended up going back to college for film and in that program just embraced my love for cameras and the film making process.
My inspirations are numerous, and there are so, so many brilliant women and non-binary people working behind the camera that it’s hard to pour that praise into one place. My artistic inspiration goes to Kira Kelly, Reed Morano, and Katelin Arizmendi.
In my personal life, I’d like to shout out Ava Shorr, an LA-based director of photography as both a friend and a mentor, Portland-based DP Sarah Whelden as the same. Annalise Ophelian and Liz Haan are two people who opened my eyes to directing and creating films with the intention of creating compassionate spaces.
You are the first camera operator/cinematographer I have profiled in over 400 posts for 365 Star Wars Women. I’m first curious if you know of any women who have done camera work in a Star Wars production (note from Amy: look for an interview related to this in 2020!) and also how do you think the industry can encourage more women to get behind cameras? What are the roadblocks you have experienced or feel other women have experienced?
To my knowledge I don’t know any women who have operated on any Lucasfilm Star Wars productions (but I could certainly be wrong!). There are moves in the industry towards diversity but they’re glacial once you move up to the tent pole films. For multiple reasons the moves for women to operator and then DP at the tent pole, 80mil+ budget scale are just, just trickling in.
The system right now is punishing. The most important thing studios can do to encourage more women on their crews is to actually encourage more women on their crews. They can do lip service but if they don’t actively work to create a pipeline with the intention of fostering diversity then things stay the same. That means fellowships, union outreach/training, connecting diverse candidates to established people and incentives for productions to engage in diverse hiring through policy and activism. I want to say that these things happen and are happening- but very, very slowly, and certainly slower than the amount of PR being directed towards touting diversity would have you believe.
The roadblocks in front of women on set are innumerable. Your average production demographics will be majority white, majority male and accountability and diversity sensitivity varies from set to set, often sitting at little to none. It is assumed you will be less knowledgeable, less experienced, given less responsibility and ultimately faced with a constant barrage of microaggressions or open aggression and left to deal with that on your own.
Except for when it’s not. Because that’s the thing- leadership sets so much of the tone for every production and sometimes you are surrounded by the most loving, understanding, safe people. The experience of feeling seen and supported and supporting your peers in making industrial level art is a high that is hard to replicate, and it’s what keeps people coming back. More and more often this is the type of experience people will have, but unfortunately the bad experiences are still so numerous that it’s enough to lockout or discourage people, particularly women, looking to get into the business.
If you’ve seen any of the completed LFL episodes (note: this was asked before the series premiered) do you have a favorite one? If not are there any that you are the most excited to see?
I’ve seen the first three episodes and really, I don’t have a favorite. I just love being immersed in these stories- I’m so proud of the work that every single person put into this project and I want to share every minute of it with the whole freaking world.
Can you share any upcoming projects with us?
With pleasure! So I’m actually moving out of camera operating and into directing. I directed a short film recently called Sam’s Town, a queer story about loss, love and friendship and we’re hoping to wrap up post production in January. I’ve also got a short documentary I filmed and produced with director Liz Haan, Our Trails Too, doing a festival run right now. Finally I have a series I’m hoping to develop in 2020- so it’s a very exciting time.
What advice you have for women interested in doing work similar to yours?
I really don’t feel qualified to give advice because I still very much feel like I’m figuring things out. I guess I’d say never stop reminding yourself that you have value. Whatever you think you’re worth, add 30 percent. I’m not talking strictly monetary here either. Take a stand for that value and be picky about who you give your talent too. The end goal is to have a network of people who give you the space to be respected and elevated. There’s a lot of crap in the film world and the only way to stay in the game is to fly with the people who believe in you.
Find more of Emilia’s work on her website.
Watch the entire Looking for Leia series on SYFY.
You can read all of the 365 Days of Star Wars Women posts here.
Emilia Quinton, Looking for Leia, Star Wars
The Rise of Skywalker – Some Thoughts
Day 430 – Christy Carew
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ANDIPAGALLERY
ANDIPACONTEMPORARY
9 June - 9 July 2011 Banksy | War Boutique
GRID SLIDES
Andipa Gallery
Banksy, War Boutique
Banksy | War Boutique
The market for urban art is continuing to expand and integrate into the mainstream. Works by urban artists are now beginning to be included in the collections of the most respected museums and public galleries worldwide, including MOCA (LA) who plan to put on the first major survey of street art to be shown in the US later this year.
The exhibition Banksy | War Boutique presents an exciting opportunity for collectors to acquire original works by two mavericks of urban art - one just emerging onto the international stage, choosing to put on his first commercial exhibition at Andipa, and one already recognised as amongst the biggest names in contemporary art today.
BANKSY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANDIPA | GROUND FLOOR GALLERY
Banksy's continuing high profile has brought with it an explosion in international demand for his work. In response Andipa Gallery is pleased to announce Banksy | War Boutique, an exhibition showcasing an un-paralleled collection of iconic and sought after original works by Banksy, from the collection of Andipa Gallery, one of the largest in the UK.
Banksy | War Boutique follows Andipa Gallery's, recent exhibition of original works by Banksy in Gstaad, Switzerland. An annual show which attracted the highest number of attendees to date, from Geneva, Zurich and beyond, further illustrating Banksy's internationally acclaimed position.
No gallery represents Banksy. The works on show during this exhibition are from the collection of Andipa Gallery.
WAR BOUTIQUE | LOWER GROUND FLOOR GALLERY
Using textiles, bullet proof ceramics, shells and bomb blankets as the conduit to express his ideas, the artist known as War Boutique "symbolically transforms instruments of war and destruction into constructive items embodying creativity, peace and critical social commentary." Society for Contemporary Craft.
War Boutique has provided his wearable art for photo-shoots with the late Alexander McQueen CBE as well as collaborating with the royal and military tailor, Gieves & Hawkes. He has also provided artworks for some of the most renowned contemporary artists including Banksy for his controversial Banksy Versus Bristol Museum show and YBA Sarah Lucas.
Working for a body armour company on obtaining his degree in Textiles and Fashion Design, he has designed armour and uniforms from fabrics specially formulated for military use for the British, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani and Algerian armies, as well as the Metropolitan Police, Italian Carabinieri and Mexico City Police. The arresting symbolic potential of these textiles leading him to requisition and recycle uniforms, military and ballistic materials and use them in his art, to alert us to the creeping militarisation of our society, encourage us to work towards peace and remind us of our duty to realise this.
His Peace Pods have hung from trees and rafters in Tate Modern, Tate Britain, British Museum and Regent's Park. They are places of respite for people to enter and feel and make peace. Designed so that its essential for the individuals inside to cooperate peacefully to avoid the destabilisation of the pod these works provoke us to question the necessity of war and to explore ways of experiencing peace. For further details please email the gallery here.
Copyright © 2021 Andipa Gallery; All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions
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Mucheom-dang Search l Korean
About the house Mucheom-dang is the Jong-ga of Yeogang Lee family at Yangdong village. Mucheom-dang consists of a main building, a separate building (byeol-dang named Mucheon-dang), and an ancestral shrine (sadang). The main building and other two buildings view different mountain peaks, so they form a dynamic organization. The main building has a quadrangular shape in which front two edges are open. The main building was built in 1508, and the separate building was built in around 1540 by a famous Confucian scholar Lee Eonjeok.
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Frank J. Timoney
Frank Timoney has been a competing piper for over fifty years, having served as pipe major to several bands. During his playing career, he became interested in the history of the bagpipe and its effect on the social and military history of Scotland and Ireland. He has made this historical inquiry a lifetime endeavour. His interests and studies have therefore extended to the Irish and Scottish Regiments of the British and Commonwealth Armies and, in particular, the piping traditions of those regiments. He has published many articles and letters in the Piping Times, The Journal of The Society of Army Historical Research, London and the Military Historical Society, London.
The nature and purpose of this website is to encourage a younger generation in the respect and understanding of their Nobel Instrument and its correct history. To provide those who have similar interests a view of various articles written over several years that may hopefully provide research material and encourage discussion on the subject matter.
Constructive letters with appropriate reference material will be most welcome.
Please e-mail [email protected].
Copyright © 2007-2008, Frank J. Timoney. All rights reserved. No part of this website, its content or the artwork, data or information included therein may be reproduced, republished or redistributed without the prior written consent of Frank J. Timoney.
Great Pipe ● Scotland ● Rome/Ancient World ● Piobaireachd ● Ireland ● War Pipe ● Uilleann Pipe ● Saffron ● References
© 2007-2008, Frank Timoney
Website | Impression Technologies, LLC
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Experiencing Film Violence
From its early days cinema has showcased violence.
Whether it was boxing matches or recreations of historical events violence has been infused into the very nature of the medium. If we believe the old story about the Lumière Brothers scaring their Paris audience the beginning of Cinema was a violent act in itself. With this presentation of violence came politics. Perhaps it was the accessibility of cinema that made it open to more political interference than literature or theatre (although these were also messed with), the fear that the plebs, who wouldn’t/couldn’t read or understand high culture, would be corrupted by this new form. Early on movies were being banned for their violence, but sometimes the reasons were as much politically motivated as out of a ‘duty’ to protect the masses; in the US one early boxing film was banned on racial grounds, as it showed a black boxer beating a white boxer, undermining the ‘inherent’ superiority of the white race.
The dominant discourse on violence today remains rooted in the spurious effects debate. Every so often a film is seen to be the cause of society’s ills, or it offers the potential to corrupt and degrade. A cursory glance at the history of Hollywood film offers a list of titles that have been suggested as, but never proven to be, the inspiration for real acts of violence. Films such as Rebel Without a Cause, Taxi Driver, Natural Born Killers, Scream, Child’s Play 3, not to mention the litany of 1980s Video Nasties have been implicated. But this debate fundamentally lacks an understanding of the complicated ways in which the audience experiences film violence. In this article I’ll outline some of those ways, in the hope that we can move the debate a little further from the purview of the Daily Mail.
Before, During, After
The paratext are the texts that surround and inform any individual text. Generally speaking we don’t watch movies in a vacuum, particularly now as we’re constantly bombarded with trailers, posters, websites and even trailers for trailers. These elements, also known as the Narrative Image, inform and mediate our responses to cinema, including how we understand the violence. In short our experience and understanding of film violence occurs before (paratext), during (spectating) and after the film (in the ways we remake the film in our memories, how they compare to other texts, etc). Beyond these paratextual elements are the social and political contexts that inform the text and our responses. To give a brief example most film students are forced to watch the Odessa Steps sequence from Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925). But the context of watching this in the 21st Century, in Europe, can’t match the context of post-revolutionary Russia, or interwar Britain where the film was banned. Our approach to the film is framed by these paratextual elements of expectation where a genre, title or star, can confirm or subvert.
Generic and narrative expectations are another major part of this experience, elements which are, by and large, set by the narrative image. The Western is a genre that depends on violence – the narrative is organised around the final shoot-out, the showdown between protagonist and antagonist. It would be ridiculous to watch a mainstream Western then and be surprised by the violence in the final scenes. The emotional response to such a moment is therefore conditioned by expectation. Films that muddy the generic/narrative waters generate different responses. Take the violence in Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006). The film is framed as a fairytale of sorts, in which a small girl (evoking characters like Alice), explores a world of fantastic creatures. Then a man has his face bashed in with a bottle. Nothing in the narrative/genre has suggested this event, the impact is greater.
These elements of genre/narrative and paratext also condition the modality of the films. Modality is the level of reality that we ascribe to a message. For instance the News has a higher modality than Tom and Jerry; one presents itself as a true representation of reality, the other is a cartoon in which impossible events occur. Films generally exist somewhere between these two extremes. A film that employs documentary style camera work conveys a higher modality than one that involves impossible CGI shots. Similarly the advertising of a film can stress fantastic or realistic elements. Early coverage for The Blair Witch Project presented the film as true, that the footage had been recovered. For those early audiences the film had a high modality, creating a different response to later viewers who watched is as part of the normal horror genre.
Elements of Film Violence
If our approach to film violence is conditioned before we even sit in the cinema what then of the films themselves? One cannot hope to fully elucidate the complexities of this in a short essay, but I can outline a few significant elements.
Prince (1998) breaks film violence down into three elements; the referential act, the stylistic encoding and the stylistic amplitude. The referential act is the act of violence that the film depicts. Our understanding of this is complicated in itself. Has the audience experienced this act themselves, or seen it before in other films and media? Each act of violence in a film is seen in comparison to other films and the real world. Increasingly the violence we see bears no resemblance to our life experience – our referent becomes other films. The stylistic encoding is how the referential act is depicted in the film, the shots used, the sound, etc. Take for comparison the finales of High Noon (Fred Zinneman, 1952) and Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971). In High Noon the hero, Will Kane, shoots the villain Frank Miller with a single bullet. It takes 5 seconds of screen time and is shown in a single shot from where Kane stands, leaving Miller in the background. When Harry shoots Scorpio over 8 single shots are shown, taking just over a minute of screen time. When Scorpio is hot we see, from multiple angles, him thrown backwards, blood spurting from his body; the same referential act, encoding in two very different styles.
The final aspect, the Stylistic Amplitude, covers ideas of graphicness and duration of the encoded act. In essence the more graphic the depiction the greater the duration. The more of the violence we see the more significant it is in the film’s running time. As a general trend in Hollywood cinema more time is given over to violence in movies.
Positioning the Audience
As a final issue we need to consider how the film positions its audience in relation to the characters that enact violence. There are two positions available, one subjective (we watch/follow/align with a character(s)), the other objective (we are not aligned with anyone, we watch separate from the action). This makes a big difference in how we relate to a film. The subjective camera, using shots like point of view, implied point of view and over shoulder, invite us to partake in the violence. Narrative techniques, such as narration, further encourage our identification with characters and violence (a good example of this is Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)). The objective camera keeps us at a distance, although we still align with a protagonist through convention, leaving our involvement as less participatory.
Moving the discussion about film violence away from the tabloid headlines and towards a technical understanding of cinema and its audience is essential if we’re ever to puzzle out how and why people watch violent films. If we can do that we may be able to finally kill off the histrionic exaggerations, with or without the use of a shotgun.
Prince, Stephen (1998) Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise of Ultraviolent Movies. Austin: University of Texas Press
Dirty HarryDon SiegelHigh NoonHollywoodMartin ScorseseMedia EffectsSpectatorshipTaxi Driverviolence
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist (1998)
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Innovation: Financial, Technical and Institutional
Believing Six Impossible Things (about trade, defi...
Once More Up, Then the Big Down
Sleep, Dreaming, and National Suicide (guest essay)
Fragility, Complexity and Innovation
Cities Slap Fees on Everything: Flailing Desperati...
An Open Letter to the Millennials: Where Are You?
Has "Financial Innovation" Capitalism Run its Course?
The Limits of Doom-and-Gloom
When The Market Has Cancer (guest essay)
Questioning "Progress"
The Future of Cities
What We Know (and Don't Want to Know) About Housing
What We Don't Know and Don't Want to Know
Japan and the U.S.: Ad Hoc War, Ad Hoc "Recovery"
My Meeting with Other Econobloggers
Questioning "Progress" and the Poverty of our Imag...
What Is Our Weakest Link?
Trickster Gold
Why Private Employment Is In Structural Decline
Deepwater Horizon and Global Financial Meltdown: E...
What Is Good Medicine? (why US healthcare is doomed)
What You Can Do in Anticipation of Peak Oil
Effort Shock, Future Shock and the Promise of Tran...
So What's the Point?
Questioning "Progress" and the Poverty of our Imagination
by Charles Hugh Smith
How much revolutionary progress has actually been made in the past 50 years? What has been lost? These are questions one rarely encounters in the marketing-controlled media.
Much of what we define as "progress" isn't so much a series of astonishing advances as it is marketing to persuade us that a loss is actually an advance.Indeed, by some measures, we might be considerably poorer than the marketing machine would have us believe. Various statistics are shunted forward to "prove" that we live longer and better now than ever before. Marketing loves quantifying life, because statistics can be deployed to "sell" candidates, ideologies, gizmos and complete "lifestyles." Independent thought is anathema to the media/marketing machine.
But ultimately, what we call happiness or fulfillment are only loosely connected to all the things that we are told constitute our current "progress." And the corrollary to these metrics of progress is that any reduction in consumption necessarily means misery or a "Mad Max" Darwinian struggle in which the hyper-violent survivors fight over the broken shards of a "progress" which failed.
We are certainly poverty-stricken when it comes to imagining a future that is unlike the present but is not a "Mad Max" doomsday scenario where fierce gun battles are fought over the last can of apple sauce in the city and the dead are strewn as thickly as in old photos from Civil War battlefields.
We have no problem imagining this nightmarishly violent "future" because we've seen it played out hundreds of times in films and TV shows. As to alternatives other than Mad Max--sorry, violence and tawdry sex sells, so that's what we produce, distribute and broadcast.
Astute reader Laura I. recently submitted this refreshingly direct and thought-provoking commentary on the entire notion of "progress."
I enjoyed your entry So What's the Point? very much. You mention, "We also need to imagine some alternative futures to sudden, complete breakdown of the social, energy and political status quo."
I totally agree with you. My interpretation of this alternative future is to get back to pre-1950's level of energy consumption and standard of living. Since I wasn't alive then, I always fear that I sound incredibly naive when I mention this time-period, but for me it represents the ideal of what we can achieve without over-burdening our resources.
I used to talk with my grandparents often about their childhood and life then and feel I have a somewhat accurate picture of what life was like. For instance, my relatives lived on farms and grew most of their own food. They also made many of their own sundries (soap, tools etc) or bartered with neighbors. They also shared labor with neighbors to conquer larger tasks. You only had a few outfits for clothes (there wasn't closets full) and most of these you made yourself or someone in your family made for you.
There wasn't always a lot of food. Both my father and mother mention dinners consisting only of crackers. It wasn't fancy but they didn't starve. (Ironically there were much more nutrients in the diet then since people still ate organ meats, there was more local variety of fruits and vegetables).
If there was electricity it was only for lights and a few simple appliances (no TV, internet, computer games, cordless phones, air conditioning, clothes drier). You went to town rarely. You didn't own a car. If you liked music you played it yourself on an instrument or learned to sing. Many generations lived under one roof until it was possible to afford to build another house.
Sure life was a lot harder back then. It was a lot harder to put a meal on the table. There was a lot less time/money to enjoy the luxuries we take for granted today (higher education, movies, eating out, vacations). There was no social safety net, no pension or social security, no nursing home in which to deposit your mother or father. They were your family, you took care of them until they died.
My husband's parents are in their 80's now as is many of his aunts and uncles. When I talk to them about their childhoods and youth, they don't mention how deprived they were. How awful it was, how they had to do so many chores and had so little food and so few clothes. They speak with fondness of how they used to wrestle with their father when he came home from work. You can see the bittersweetness of those moments in their faces as they simultaneously recall their happiness along with the realization those days are long gone.
Could it be that togetherness is what is truly essential to life, once our simple requirements for food and shelter are fulfilled? If we have that, don't we really have everything we need despite what our consumerist society would have us believe?
As a scientist I reflect on all the advances we've made in medicine and science since the 30's and I find myself asking the same question, "so what?". So we went to the moon, what did we gain from that? So we built a hydrogen bomb-- that's proven to be really useful. So we figured out how to make fertilizer and pesticide and ruin most of our farm land in the process. Antibiotics, what I consider to be one of man's greatest accomplishments since the 30's, we have likewise squandered to a point that they will no longer be effective and resistant strains of bacteria already run rampant in our hospitals.
Researching medical discoveries and common practices during the 30's, it is astounding the amount of progress that was abandoned in favor of less efficient, less successful, more energy intensive forms of treatment and diagnoses. For instance, a doctor used to be able to judge your state of health simply by feeling your pulse. How many doctors can do so today? Most of the technological marvels we use today (our cars, factory machines, our phone, a light bulb) are little changed from what they were 100 years ago. Sure we may have made them less efficient, less environmentally friendly (here's lookin at you, fluorescent light bulb), more diverse in appearance and more energy intensive but is that really progress?
One of the most important barometers of wealth, in my own private view, is our ability to identify and implement options. But how many of us have the ability to identify our options or go about implementing them? We have no menial capability to design or build anything. And even less curiosity to learn and little ability to process and comprehend. If you don't believe me, take a random poll and ask people how they would go about fixing a sock with a hole in it. Ask them if they have ever even thought about how they would fix the sock. Where have we gone as a civilization?
I'm sure most people won't agree with me, I'm sure I will be out-classed and out-gunned by all sorts of historians and doctors and economists and scientists and teachers. Good for them. Call me an idiot, but I'll take 1930's America over stone knives and bear skins (or the 2030's) any day!
And one more point I would like to make, if I may, my father grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. My mother grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. Both were very poor. My father seemed to have it much better though in terms of variety/nutritional value of the food he ate, vs what my mom was able to eat. And my mother has already passed on (of numerous maladies caused by poor nutrition and smoking) and my Dad is still in great health (despite smoking and heavy drinking for much of his life).
While it does vary widely from person to person, it does seem to indicate that the more food we grow ourselves is the better off we will be in terms of health, which is all the more reason to start gardening and raising animals now.
Thank you, Laura, for questioning our concept of "progress" since the 1930s. Let's stipulate that antibiotics, rural electrification, rail transport, and similar advances made in the early 20th century revolutionized life for the better.
The question here is how much revolutionary progress has been made since then, and how much current "progress" is the result of hype rather than substance.
Correspondent K.R. offered a commentary on how we respond to emergency and the potentially self-fulfilling characteristics of Hollywoodland "collapse."
I am also dismayed by the widespread failure of imagination that fosters an apocalypse-or-nothing point of view. Sale of ammo suggests that large numbers of people are afflicted by this. But that shouldn't surprise us because the American media diet (Hollywood et al.) only offers sensational apocalyptic nightmares such as 'The Road'.
As in Russia, certain elements may finally cease functioning over night, but the collapse (a terrible word) will be glacially slow, and everyone will have time to adapt. Nearly everyone instinctively knows what to do, and how to behave. Every natural disaster has proved this over and over. The government typically proves to be the wrench in the works.
Fear is not an unusual response to the prospect of massive change, but I think there will be time for reasonably intelligent people to pass through that stage into a more useful view.
The real danger may be people hopped up on the apocalyptic scenario and armed to the teeth acting in ways that tend to be self-fulfilling. But I expect this to be minimal, and sort itself out. The government's ability to enforce the will of the Elite is another matter.
But again I believe that the innate goodness of the Americans in the military will win out. Down the road a military dictatorship is a possibility, and these are rarely relinquished. But any central leadership configuration's power will be limited by energy. I realize that there are powerful, under-the-radar factions in the military, and one of these is based on an apocalyptic religious theme.
One more wild card. There are too many wild cards to allow our proclivity for prediction to function in any useful way. So instead, perhaps we should find our center and trust. Reality has always beaten any media effort in entertainment value, but this is especially true today. The clumsy spin, blatant propaganda, and government gyrations have taken on an absurd cosmic comic quality equivalent to the best mature George Carlin routines.
Efforts like your blog are extremely important oases of sanity and support. Your site first came to my attention with a link to The Art of Survival, Taoism and the Warring States. Excellent work Charles. My thoughts and best regards are with you.
Thank you for the kind words, K.R.
None of like to think of ourselves as brainwashed by Hollywood and the Mainstream Media, and our resistance to the idea that all that repeated imagery and narrative has directed our conception of the world is evidence of our discomfort with our vulnerability to marketing and propaganda.
It is exceedingly difficult to wean oneself from the images presented by Hollywood and the MSN as "real," "important," and most insidiously, "proof" that the Status Quo is the best thing ever, and thus so are the Elites controlling and marketing that Status Quo.
As always, my first recommendation is turn off the TV other than for quality films and a small handful of PBS-grade shows. Turn off the Internet at some point in the day and go do something in the real world. Don't take your cellphone (unless you are an emergency first responder and it's your job to be on-call 24/7), iPod, etc.
Limiting exposure to media noise and distraction is not a cure-all for lack of independent thinking, but it's a step in the right direction. So is reading deeply of history and informed commentary (please scan our hundreds of recommended books and films for reading/ viewing ideas.)
Maybe the Status Quo really is as wondrous and sustainable as advertised. But we should independently examine that narrative through the lens of cui bono (to whose benefit?), rather than just passively accept it whole-cloth as "true."
Consider these provocative quotes which were recently submitted by longtime readers:
"Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information and religions destroy spirituality." Michael Ellner (submitted by Gene M.)
"The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second." John Steinbeck (submitted by Ken R.)
DailyJava.net is now open for aggregating our collective intelligence. New Posts.
Order Survival+: Structuring Prosperity for Yourself and the Nation and/or Survival+ The Primer from your local bookseller or from amazon.com or in ebook and Kindle formats.A 20% discount is available from the publisher.
Thank you, Morris P. ($40), for your continuing great generosity to the site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership. Thank you, Pierce H. ($20), for your most generous donation to the site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.
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Huge Traffic Increases at ARN&R
Absolutely Reliable News & Rumors reported today that its traffic has increased by a staggering amount in the last half of December. Typically visited by approximately 11 people with no lives on an average day, ARN&R has recently seen its web hits rise in logarithmic fashion, culminating yesterday in a total of 213,456 single visits to the website, resulting in computer gridlock and pandemonium rivalling the direst Y2K predictions.
"Obviously, we are elated by this turn of events," stated ARN&R's editor. "While we still have yet to sell a single Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Wonderbra at our online store, it certainly is great to know that thousands of hardworking Americans and, more particularly, the Dutch, have been enjoying our fairly amusing park satire."
Representatives from all of the major web search engines dispute worldwide excitement in roller coaster satire, and have stated their belief that the exponential growth of the site's popularity comes almost entirely from a December 19th ARN&R article entitled "Maxim Announces 'Babes of the Amusement Industry' Issue."
Says Ben Noguchi, a representative of WebGalivanter, "Every single one of the more than 150,000 WebGalivanter searches leading to ARN&R yesterday involved some combination of the words 'Jessica Alba,' 'naked,' 'Maxim,' 'pork,' and 'frollicking,' each of which appeared in unrelated context in the December 19 article. ARN&R needs to wake up and realize that these hundreds of thousands of hits are from horny teens looking for sexy photos of Jessica Alba, not from coaster enthusiasts looking for wry banter and sassy put-downs of Six Flags America."
Noguchi added that ARN&R staff should be wary. "There are going to be lots of pissed off young men hoping to locate hot pictures of Jessica Alba frollicking in pork gravy, and instead they will find articles about Ratt wanting their own ride and coaster enthusiasts whoring themselves for the Discovery Channel. I really doubt ARN&R is prepared to deal with this great an onslaught of frustrated masturbators, especially since their audience is presumably made up almost entirely of a slightly different population of frustrated masturbators already."
Through a publicist, Jessica Alba declined repeated and insistent requests for a date or an interview.
-JCK
How Meta Is This?
We haven't the slightest idea what to make of it, but it's sort of funny:
Absolutely Crap News & Rumors
In the disclaimer, we think they mean that it's "just a joke" rather than "just a job," but if someone can tell us how to get a job making fun of coaster sites that make fun of coaster sites, we'd love to hear it. Actually, if they can tell us how to get a job doing this, that'd be cool, too.
at 1:31 AM No comments:
Alton Towers Not Fooling Anyone
According to American theme parks, Alton Towers is not fooling anyone. "Sure, it's got its crazy British spellings and its '.co.uk' domain ending and its accent, but it's not really British. It's just pretending it's British to pick up chicks," said Paramount Parks.
"That is so true," concurred Six Flags Theme Parks. "One time, I was at a bar with Alton Towers, and after a few drinks, it was totally obvious that it was from North Carolina. And what's with that hair? What, does it think it's Ian Astbury [of British band the Cult]?"
Weighing in last and with a slight slur, Cedar Fair added, "Oh, that hair is hilarious! And those claims about height restrictions, about being so 'civilised' -- come on. You just know that park really would love to kick back with a Bud Light and a huge cloned B&M floorless coaster, but it restrains itself to get all the alt-rock girls."
Alton Towers responded angrily. "Colour me shocked. I am recognisably British. Bloody idiots."
Very Special Christmas Rerun
Too full on Christmas dinner to create a new piece, but if you're lame enough to be on the web on Christmas day, we thought we'd provide one of our favorites from the last few months...
Members of Ratt Don't Understand Why Disney Hasn't Themed a Coaster After Them
After the success of Aerosmith's "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster" at Disneyworld, the members of '80s metal band Ratt are furiously lobbying for a themed coaster of their own. Jizzy Pearl, lead singer, declared that "Round and Round" is just as important to the development of rock music as Aerosmith's dozens of major hits. "We make music good. Coaster fun up and down. Where beer?" said Pearl when reached for comment.
Ratt, which has recently been touring venues with capacities upwards of fifteen people, has released four albums, news that surprised every member of the ARN&R staff. To date, no interest has been forthcoming from Disney. However, ARN&R has learned that The Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando inquired about the possibility of hiring Ratt to represent the wages of sin in a dark ride under development.
Welcome to Our Wacky Dutch Friends
In looking at our stats, we observed that we were getting a ton of hits from this Dutch theme park bulletin board. We tried translating it with one of those free translating tools, and, well, it's not the clearest translation ever ("Who is indeed too well-being ranch jah," "Very good well-being lark this!").
We think we're glad to be a good well-being lark. So:
Wij welkomstgroet u voor onze wel eens - spannend wereld van namaak nieuwtje zowat vertier warande. Wij veronderstellen u zal lach uw gezamenlijk reet vandoor.
Or, after being translated back into English:
We welcome you until ours ever thrilling worldwide with forgery novelty around amusement pleasure grounds. We suppose you will smile your total rear end run away.
ARN&R On Vacation? Um, Maybe.
We will be traveling the world, seeking out a new headquarters for the AbsolutelyReliableTowers.
Or maybe we'll just be with family.
Either way, we probably won't update the site quite as often as we have been.
Don't let that stop you from coming to visit, and certainly don't let that stop you from buying lots of stuff.
There's virtually no chance it'll be there in time for Christmas, but there's virtually no chance anyone actually wants to receive it for Christmas anyway, right?
Have a good holiday. Leave some gravy for everyone else.
Fansites of Third-Tier Parks Mix It Up
In a battle so intense that it evokes the debates over the relative merits of Magnum P.I. versus Simon & Simon, dedicated fans of The Great Escape in Lake George, New York, and Quassy Amusement Park in nearby Middlebury, Connecticut, have entered full-blown war on the web.
It all started when the operators of QuassyParkInfo.com started posting on TheGreatEscaperooni.com's forums, criticizing The Great Escape, a Six Flags property, for having derivative and boring coasters and being "under the thumb of the corporate pigs at Six Flags." They also started a thread on their own bulletin board mocking The Great Escape's new coaster, reported to be a mine train moved from a now-closed Indiana park, as "being so lame it wasn't even good enough for Old Indiana!"
TheGreatEscaperooni.com's tens of readers were not to take such an insult sitting down, however, except insofar as they were, in fact, sitting down, drinking a Big Gulp and finishing off a bag of Cheetos. In addition to noting that Quassy has only two "totally sucky" coasters of its own, the site's operators blocked access to their boards to all but four people, two of whom were the site's owners. "This site is for positive discussions of The Great Escape, and if we allow libelous statements like those made by the Quassy-heads to stand, we might not get all the inside news about the park," said the owners in a statement.
At press time, the dispute had consumed roughly forty hours of human time that will never be recovered.
Maxim Announces “Babes of the Amusement Industry” Issue
Maxim magazine, famous throughout the world for its incisive articles, hip reviews, and, mostly, really hot pictures of Jessica Alba, has in recent months caused controversies with its features. Chief among these was a poll where readers ranked who they felt the sexiest female sports reporters were; CBS Sports’s intellectual giant Jill Arrington won the vote and appeared in a scantily-clad magazine spread.
Maxim was unswayed by feminist backlash, and has continued articles in the same vein. Next month will see its list of the “Top Babes of the Amusement Industry.” ARN&R’s staff has obtained a preview copy of the issue, and is happy to report that the winners of the online vote, conducted primarily at Thrillnetwork and at Maxim's website, included Six Flags Great America Staff Member Michelle Hoffman, Six Flags Great Adventure Staff Member Kristen Kocher, and That Funny Ride Op Chick Who Doesn't Wear a Bra at Funtown.
Early word has it that all the contest winners were severely insulted by the magazine’s contest and refused to be photographed or interviewed. For this reason, Maxim will only list the winning “Babes of the Amusement Industry,” and the photo spread will instead feature last year’s ACE Con participants frolicking naked in pork gravy.
--JCK
[Editor's Note: Are you preparing pork gravy for frolicking? Avoid the mess like last year, where you got it stuck in your chest hair. Wear an apron!]
Disneyland Fans Protest Replacement Of Tomorrowland Trash Receptacles
Disney theme park fans are a picky bunch, and that has never been proven more than during the past week, when Disneyland in Anaheim, California quietly began the task replacing Tomorrowland’s trash receptacles after the park closes to the public each night. Naturally, readers of the Disneyland fan site, MouseFetish.com, are in an uproar, and are pulling no punches when it comes to making their displeasure known
“This is ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous,” said Mark Delhorn, webmaster of the site, which is one of the most visited unofficial Disneyland sites on the internet. “This is just typical, modern-day Disney thinking to remove pieces of a park’s history with no warning and replace them without apparent reason.” Delhorn knows his Disney historical facts -- the Tomorrowland receptacles, with their lids with hinged doors, thick steel construction and hand painted Disney logos -- date back to the mid-seventies, but are even more historically significant due to the fact that they are based upon a design from the early fifties, which was when the Magic Kingdom first opened its gates. “These artifacts are one of the last connections we have in the new millennium to Disneyland’s early years,” Delhorn added.
The receptacles are being replaced with units that seem to be quite similar to the outgoing models, but are quite different when inspected more closely. “The steel is thinner and more susceptible to dents and dings from out-of-control strollers, the logos are cheap adhesive labels, and worst of all, there are no hinged doors on the lids,” Delhorn elaborated. I’m not comfortable putting my trash in those things. Would you?”
Longtime Disney enthusiast “PoohBear”, whose weekly editorial can be found each Friday in the website’s “Disney Chat” section, offered a little insight to the whole trash can replacement fiasco. “For the past year, many of us fans have been on [resigned Theme Parks president Paul] Pressler’s case to repaint those old bins, since those things tend to rust out if not given a fresh coat every few years. Well, he didn’t heed our advice, and they rusted away and became too far gone, so they had no choice but to replace them. It was a shame, because it could have turned out differently.”
As the days go on and the last few are replaced, Delhorn’s aggravation has become more and more severe. “I still can’t believe this is happening, it’s like a terrible dream. I haven’t been this upset since Disney changed the colors inside the shops on Main Street. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve sat in Tomorrowland, admiring the way the light reflects off of those old cans with the splendor of Space Mountain in the background,” Delhorn continued as his eyes got watery and his voice just a little higher.
A group of MouseFetish.com readers, calling themselves the TTCC (short for Tomorrowland Trash Can Coalition) are warning of a protest of Disneyland to begin this Friday. If the old receptacles are not reinstalled, the group will boycott the Magic Kingdom for three consecutive days as they hand out flyers to guests about Disney’s misdeeds.
--RMA
Busch Doll Hugely Popular
A Busch Garden doll that says "We're working hard to put thrills into your family's heart," and "Make no mistake, this park will be fun," has turned into a huge hit for a small company. The 12.5-inch-tall likeness, which features clips from Busch Garden's speeches, sold out a first shipment of 1,200,000 this week. A second shipment of the $29.99 thrill doll won't arrive until after Christmas.
``We anticipated it being a very popular item but we just didn't think it was going to take off that quick,'' said James Westinghouseling, co-founder of Irving-based TalkingThemeParks.com Inc.
Most of the 17 sound clips are straightforward quotes about the Theme Park attractions and other theme park industry topics - such as "Thrill regulations against our nation will not stand" - although the doll does utter some of Busch's malapropisms. "There's nothing derogatory, everything is complimentary, there's nothing to make fun of it ... (but) the doll is a good representation of the Theme Park giant, there are two or three of their Buschisms,'' Westinghouseling said.
It's unclear what Busch the Theme Park giant thinks of Busch the doll - the company's press office did not immediately return a call for comment.
A picture of the Busch Gardens doll appeared on the Drudge Report Web site last week, and the company got 6,000,000 web hits in a single day and media calls from around the world. It took its phone number off the Web site and posted a message cautioning that no more dolls were immediately available.
The next group of 1,200,000 should ship from Hong Kong on Dec. 30 with a third shipment on its heels, but that won't satisfy disappointed Christmas shoppers.
The Paramount Entertainment Library & Birthplace ordered two cases but sold them out within days, said spokesperson Adrian Barr. ``It's so out of control,'' she said.
The fledgling company isn't planning to stop with Busch. A talking King's Dominion Doll is in the works for the spring, with "Hypersonic will be open soon!" expected to be the biggest hit of the quotes. After that, Westinghouseling plans to manufacture talking Walt Disneys, Six Flagsers, Cedar Fairs and Busch's Sea Worlds.
--RAS
You can buy cheaply-made stuff from us. Click here.
Be the life of the next event you attend! Easily escape as multitudes of lumbering offended enthusiasts chase you angrily, panting from lack of exercise, to lamely slap you with park brochures, because you intimated that they might either (a) overstate their importance, (b) enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffets a bit much, or (c) be a bit too much into amusement park-themed patches.
Never realized you needed a coaster news satire website license plate frame, did you? Well, now you know.
2003 to Bring Variety of New Rules at Six Flags Parks
Although few park patrons are aware of it, one of the amusement industry’s most important events took place this past weekend, when Six Flags corporate held its annual winter meetings. Aside from discussing corporate policy and logistics, and engaging in much rolling about in piles of filthy lucre, the executives of the park chain and its member parks held a series of meetings designed to create a new set of rules and regulations for park guests this coming season. ARN&R has obtained transcripts of the meetings, and is pleased to break the exclusive new rules and regulations to our readers.
- Six Flags Over Georgia will ban single riders on all its coasters, except for each Tuesday two weeks after a lunar eclipse during non-Leap Years from 1PM until 2:29PM, when single riders will be allowed only in the very back seat of the Georgia Cyclone, facing backward.
- Six Flags Astroworld will reinstate the coffinlike shrouds on the Texas Cyclone’s Morgan trains, and will additionally require all passengers on the ride to wear straitjackets filled with furious hornets, while simultaneously undergoing a non-Novocained cavity drilling.
- Six Flags Magic Mountain will allow one rider per train on X, which will be open for 20 minutes weekly, in order to maintain the record-setting lines for publicity purposes.
- Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom will require all visitors to “squeal like a pig” before boarding each coaster. Any visitor who refuses to perform the requirement, or who does not perform the requirement adequately, will be taken into the woods by security and “done up Deliverance style.”
- Six Flags America will require Superman passengers to negotiate a narrow path between fully armed Crips and Bloods engaged in a bloody gang war. Additionally, all visitors to the park will be required to spend 6 hours in line for Batwing without actually riding it even once.
- Six Flags Worlds of Adventure will allow passengers on a randomly rotating total of 8 seats on each train of each coaster all day. Passengers who choose the correct seats will be permitted to ride. Passengers who choose incorrect seats will be ejected from the park without refund.
- Six Flags Saint Louis will enforce its “no complaining” policy by having personnel hawk massive loogies right in the faces of anyone approaching the customer service window.
- Six Flags New England will continue to run single trains on every ride, close rides for long periods without cause, assign seats on three coasters, and close off 90% of the seats on Poison Ivy, and will also institute a new policy of having park employees use fire hoses to blast pressurized raw human waste at patrons in line for the coasters. Ride managers will be given discretion as to how many times per minute the hosings should occur for their individual rides.
The transcript also notes that none of the rules will be posted or advertised, as per standard Six Flags policy. “It’s more fun for people to find out by surprise, when a ride op screams at them in front of everyone, or perhaps hoses them down with excrement,” stated one park vice president. Cedar Fair is expected to follow suit within days.
Six Flags New Orleans to be New Flagship of Chain, Reports Say
The near-bankrupt Jazzland, now to be dubbed "Six Flags New Orleans," never able to come close to even the modest attendance goals used to justify millions of public dollars in investment, will be Six Flags Theme Parks' next mega-park, according to Internet sources. This year's addition of two "previously-owned" coasters "is just the beginning," according to JazzLandRulez.com's webmaster. "Next year, it's an enormous GCI wooden coaster and a record-breaking coaster so big it's designed by both B&M and Intamin!"
"We're going to pretty much abandon Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great Adventure and focus on this park scenically located on a swamp," said chain head Gary Story, according to the same sources. "Sure, the main population centers in the region are hours away and are already well-served by other major parks, and sure, New Orleans has like a million people at most, and, yes, sure, most people go to New Orleans for the hookers and booze, but, um, er...why the hell are we doing this again?" queried Story.
Upon a reminder from the rest of his management team that nobody doesn't like a town with hookers and booze -- including those people in charge of theme park companies who are forced to travel to the parks all the time -- Story got back on track. "After a late night of debauchery on Bourbon Street, who wouldn't like a ride on an Arrow coaster too lame even for Fiesta Texas?" he concluded, referring to the former Joker's Revenge, on its way to the park. After an assistant leaned over and whispered to him, sources indicate that he added, "It's a Vekoma? Even better!"
Disney's California Adventure to Create Beach, Ocean Simulator
In what is being termed a "revolutionary effort" to revitalize Disney's ailing California Adventure theme park, the company announced plans to create a totally immersive beach and ocean simulator. The nearly five-minute attraction will feature the newest technology to make patrons feel that they are actually at the beach, including the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations they expect from a visit to the beach.
The park, located approximately forty miles from the Pacific Ocean and its hundreds of miles of largely pristine beaches, is expected to market the experience aggressively to native Californians as a "one-of-a-kind chance to walk on the beach." Target markets are primarily those living in communities such as Santa Monica -- a beachfront city where the average temperature is 77 year round -- and similar communities. "We don't think there's anything Santa Monicans will want to do more than drive through congested L.A. traffic for two hours to enjoy a relaxing day -- er, 278 seconds, give or take -- at the beach," said Disney spokeswoman Martha King.
If the attraction proves as popular as expected, Disney is expected to explore a "French Bakery" simulator for Disneyland Paris and a "Semi-Locked Down Retirement Community" for Disney World.
Applause Award Scandal: Busch Gardens Stripped of Title
In a shocking development that rocked the amusement park industry tonight, Busch Gardens Williamsburg was stripped of its honor as the 2002 Applause Award winner. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) made the decision to strip an Applause Award winner of its crown for the first time in history because of the park’s “conduct unbecoming a worldwide representation of fun and wholesomeness.”
Although IAAPA did not officially list the particular reasons for Busch Gardens’s exit from the organization’s acclaim, ARN&R can exclusively report that the Williamsburg-based themer will be appearing in a sexy centerfold for the next issue of Amusement Business. An IAAPA source who demanded anonymity stated that “The rule guide for parks seeking this award clearly states what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for contestants. And explicit centerfolds involving Applause Award winners are certainly not acceptable.” The spokesman also added that the “hot park-on-park action,” featuring shots of coasters at both Busch Gardens Williamsburg and sister park Busch Gardens Tampa, was considered "incredibly tasteless” by the organization.
According to a statement by IAAPA, the Applause Award lauds an amusement park "whose management, operations, and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with its foresight, originality and sound business development."
IAAPA announced that it will acknowledge a different park as the Applause Award winner for 2002: Maine’s Palace Playland. IAAPA officials claimed Palace Playland is the most logical choice to receive the highest and most respected honor bestowed upon amusement venues, as “[its] superior image, infrastructure, rides, theming, customer service, and entertainment package will distance IAAPA from such riffraff as Busch Gardens.” An organizational spokewoman added, “It was a really close vote anyway, so we feel Playland’s victory is an untainted one.”
In making its decision, IAAPA representatives stressed the small Maine seaside resort’s “only sort-of rusted and overbraked” production-model Galaxi coaster, “at least 37%-operable” fun house, “kind-of-nearby vagrant parking operations,” food that “verges on being fit for consumption by farm animals,” and “merely occasional open fistfights” as primary factors in the park’s being chosen.
When queried about the honor by ARN&R, an undisclosed Palace Playland employee stated, “I guess with all this extra attention, we’ll have to hire someone to hose down the bathrooms three or four times next season, huh?”
Teenage Enthusiasts Sue Six Flags: Too Frightening
A lawsuit filed against Six Flags on behalf of eight frightened Georgian children is threatening to unleash a wave of class actions similar to those that have won huge pay-outs from the tobacco industry.
The suit brought by lawyer Sameole Hush is being heard in an Atlanta federal court -- the first time such a case has appeared before a US judge. The suit charges Six Flags with responsibility for the frightening of the eight plaintiffs, saying the thrill ride giant did not provide the necessary warnings regarding scariness associated with its attractions.
Lawyers acting for the coaster chain filed a motion for dismissal, arguing that the issue was one of individual choice and, therefore, there was no case to answer. "Every responsible person understands what is involved with thrill rides such as spinners and coasters, as well as the consequences to one's airtime," the motion said.
Hush, however, argued that aggressive advertising campaigns encouraged teenagers and compromised individual choice. Hush has already made it clear that if his suit goes to trial, he would seek to turn it into a class action on behalf of all Georgian children under the age of 18 who claim they got frightened from riding thrill rides at Six Flags.
George (Go Jo) Johnson, 13, 48", one of the eight children involved in the lawsuit claims, "Yeah, they have warnings all over the place: No Heart Problems; No Back Problems; No Outwardly Visible Psychological Problems; and, shoot, you can't even have a bun in the oven! Nowhere on the sign does it say, 'This ride may be considered frightening.'" Go Jo paused to take a deep breath. "The only other warning I noticed was the height restriction of 48 inches. And, boy, ... once I reached that height, ... slam! I was the first in line." Another deep, painful breath. "Who would have thought rides like '˜The Great American Scream Machine', 'Serial Thriller', 'Mind Eraser', or 'Acrophobia' would be scary!" After being shaken back into consciousness, Go Jo finished, "I can't count how many rides I've been on or how many times I've been frightened on any one of them."
The IAAPA has dismissed such lawsuits as frivolous and a blatant attempt to capitalize on the recent publicity given to the growing rates of popular thrill rides in the United States. However, the progress of the lawsuit will be closely watched by the amusement industry, which fears it could follow the tobacco sector in becoming the target of huge compensation claims from thrill-related lawsuits.
SFKK Reps Announce New Coaster, Keep Straight Faces
At a press conference Friday, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom management announced the park’s new coaster. "Greezed Lightnin' will amaze and thrill guests with its ability to blast riders out of the coaster station at a lightnin'-fast rate of speed", said Lee Graham, vice-president and general manager of Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Managing to retain his composure despite nearly being reduced to fits of giggling, he added, "This powerful coaster is sure to generate excitement among coaster fans from all around the world."
Graham failed to mention that the “incredible new coaster thrill attraction” was actually a well-beaten, decades-old shuttle loop coaster that had run as the Tidal Wave at Six Flags Great America (1978-1991) and as Viper at Six Flags Over Georgia (1995-2001). He also neglected to inform his audience that the “innovative catapult mechanism that propels the coaster from zero to 60 miles per hour” was a mid-1970s innovation, and that it was attached to a ride that barely qualifies as a coaster, merely going through a loop once forward and once backward. He did, however, successfully stifle several potentially embarrassing guffaws with well-placed coughing fits.
Following the press conference, Lee Graham was seen collapsing with gales of laughter against SFKK Media Rep Amy Ballard-Riley, who was slapping her knee and visibly weeping tears of joy.
“How the hell did you keep from cracking up when you made that announcement?” reporters heard Graham shriek, mere instants before she crumpled to the ground in hysterical amusement.
Supreme Court: Superman "Totally Not a Coaster"
In a sharply divided opinion, the United States Supreme Court declared last Wednesday that the Constitution mandates a finding that the launched ride Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain is in fact not a roller coaster.
The opinion stunned legal experts, most of whom had anticipated that the Court would conclude that the ride was, in fact, a roller coaster. Prior cases, including In re Dragon Coaster, in which the Court found that the popular children's ride -- fully powered throughout its circuit -- was a coaster, despite its lack of gravity power had strongly suggested that a similar result would be reached here.
However, Justice Breyer, writing for the Court, rejected that case and others like it as "wrongheaded, and wussy too." He argued for decisiveness and for the value of drawing bright lines in the Court's decisions of such critical cases.
Breyer pointed to the outrage and confusion following In re That Toboggan Ride Thing, in which the Court found the task of identifying a portable ride with certain coaster-like attributes too difficult and called it "sorta coaster-like": "Though these decisions may be difficult, and, indeed, though my discomfort in making these decisions is palpable, we just have to do so."
The vote was extremely close, with four justices dissenting vigorously from the majority opinion. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist, agreed with Justice Breyer's desire for decisiveness but found the conclusion that Superman was not a coaster to be "laughable if it were not so sad a comment on the current Court and its stupid poopy-headed mind."
Justice O'Connor relied on evidence of the Founding Fathers' beliefs about coasters. She quoted letters from Alexander Hamilton and James Madison discussing the First Amendment, both using the phrase "Congress shall call anything that involves gravity, wheels, and seats a coaster."
"This," she concluded, "compels the conclusion that Superman: The Escape is absolutely a coaster, and anyone who says differently is just a coaster tool." Chief Justice Rehnquist filed a short opinion concurring with Justice O'Connor's, calling her opinion "awesome" and noting that he would be posting a link to it on Thrillnetwork.com's forums under his user name "Riding4Justice4Ever."
Justice Scalia also filed a dissenting opinion. His conclusion reads as follows: "My rodent-brained brethren fail to recognize the complete absurdity, stupidity, and irrelevance of their efforts. This Court must not waste its time attempting to resolve such petty issues. Our time could have been better spent in deciding a truly important question: Should all executives of Six Flags Parks be executed for their parking fees, or just enough to make an example of them? I grumpily dissent."
Legal experts expect the parking fees issue to reach the high court by late this year, but also anticipate a potential delay if Justice Thomas is allowed to talk to the cute parking attendant at Six Flags America while on a "factfinding visit."
Celebrity Theme Park Ejection Notices
In an odd confluence of ejections of well-known entertainment personalities, three celebrities have been ejected from amusement parks in the last week. In an ARN&R exclusive, we bring you the details.
Winona Ryder was ejected from Six Flags Magic Mountain on Monday and has had her season pass revoked for line jumping. Miss Ryder claims she was rehearsing for the roll of a disobedient theme park guest in the upcoming film, Rollercoaster II. Video footage has caught the 31-year-old actress dipping under guard rails in queues for Viper, Colossus and Revolution, while she climbed over the rails on the rides Superman: The Escape, Goliath and Ninja, along with a rumor she may have even had a place "saved" for her in the queue of X.
To the shock of many of his fans, The King of Pop was video taped on Tuesday, virtually proving he may be off the wall, bad, or even dangerous while holding his 9-month-old infant by the feet from the chariot portion of a carousel, normally reserved for people with hand held infants--and out over the edge of the 15mile-per-hour spinning attraction at Spreepark Berlin GmbH in Germany. The 44-year-old music legend told ARN&R that he was attempting a demonstration of the ride's weakness in safety restraint systems.
R&B Diva Brandy was accused on Wednesday of stealing Hip-Hop recording artist Pepper's outfit and wearing it to Paramount's Great Adventure. The outfit in question, conceived by Pepper himself, was called "get naked." A spokesperson for Brandy told ARN&R, "While the hat, the dark glasses and the jacket were all purchased at the same time and from the same location, the outfits were not exactly the same." The main difference is a given that Brandy is female while Pepper is male. They were both, coincidentally, ejected from the park.
--RAS
[Editor's note: Don't make the same mistake as Brandy and Pepper! Wear clothes next season! Wear clothes with jokes only one-tenth of one percent of the theme park population will get! Buy stuff now!
Bush Takes Tough Stance on Inspections
Tensions escalated today as United Nations inspectors were initially turned away by armed guards posted at the gates of Funtown Pier, a small amusement area located in Seaside Park, New Jersey. Observers fear this latest confrontation is yet one more step leading to an armed showdown between the United States and the shoreline entertainment zone.
President George W. Bush declared that he was “not encouraged” that Funtown Pier would acknowledge its high coaster G-forces and avert war. Bush delivered his assessment at a Pentagon press conference after U.N. inspectors reported continued difficulties in their search of suspected violators of New Jersey’s G-force limitations.
“The inspectors are in New Jersey to examine possible amusement violations, not to play Red Rover and Duck Duck Goose with the owners of this park,” the president said, apparently maintaining his hard line against Funtown Pier. He added: "These gravityational, er, gravitronitional . . . these forces of mass destruction must not stand. Make no mistake."
The U.S. government has long maintained that Funtown Pier’s Roller Coast Loop, a production-model Pinfari Zyklon with a single inversion, has gravitational forces in excess of New Jersey’s legal limitations. After much posturing and threats of exclusion from the park’s owners, U.N. inspectors were finally allowed their first tests on the ride late in the afternoon.
Although Canada, France, and Britain have all expressed desire for a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated this evening at the White House that “a full regime change at Funtown Pier may be the only option the United States can now consider viable.”
Great Escape's New Coaster Ties Into Roots
(Queensbury, NY) Six Flags today announced a major new coaster to be constructed at The Great Escape theme park in the Adirondack hamlet of Queensbury. The coaster, to be named "StoryTown - The Awakening," takes its theme and location from the remaining original artifacts of the park's first incarnation as "StoryTown USA."
"We have been wanting to do something to both increase the visibility of our historic sections and offer an exciting new thrill ride to our patrons, especially since that Alpine Bobsled ride is down 90% of the time," said park spokesperson Jack Horner. "The new coaster, by Intamin, features three inversions, a high speed helix, and runs smack
through the middle of both the Wild West Village and the Story Town section -- you know, that part of the park that looks like Candy Land come to life? We've taken many of the Story Town houses and figures and used them as ride supports and elements."
Riders will board the coaster at The Crooked Man's crooked house, which is designed to disorient the rider. The coaster cars were formerly used as the Storytown train, guaranteeing the riders a "rickety wood coaster feel from a steel coaster track." says Horner. The cars proceed up the lift hill and descend 87 feet through the Old Woman in a Shoe's doorway ("better duck!") at a maximum speed of 55 miles per hour before entering a high-speed helix around the antique carousel. "We were hoping to have
a brass ring for the riders to grab, but when one of technicians tried it out we thought better of it," said Horner, who added that the technician was expected to make a full recovery from arm reattachment surgery.
The coaster then rambles through StoryTown proper, with various storybook characters on either side of the track that you can reach out and clop in the head, then on into the Wild West Shootout section of the park. Here, riders will thrill to an Immelman over the Dry Gulch Saloon, where former Marine spud-peeler and U.S. Congressman Jerry
Solomon's widow fires ("Don't worry, they're only blanks!" said Horner with a wink) at the coaster car with an Uzi while a taped voice of the Congressman bellows "because she has a right to defend herself and don't you forget it!" Survivors then will go through a double loop before cruising back into Storytown, where the train passes around Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage ride ("We're still working on the horses getting spooked," chuckles Horner) and into the brake run.
The coaster is scheduled to open on July 4th, unless the lawsuit settlements fall through. The park's former target audience of small children will be welcomed at a 100-square-foot section called "KidArea," featuring a trampoline and a three-hole miniature golf course.
--BRB
Enthusiast Has Wretched Holiday
According to self-described “coasterholic” Pete Brody, 28, his Thanksgiving holiday with his family was “a complete waste.” The jobless member of ACE, Coaster Zombies, and nearly a dozen online coaster clubs, failed “miserably” in his efforts to direct the Thanksgiving conversation to amusement parks and roller coasters.
“You’d think we might talk about something interesting when the whole fam gets together,” whined Brody. “I even did some things to stimulate conversation about my interests, like leaving the computer’s browser on Thrillnetwork, wearing my European Coaster Odyssey t-shirt to dinner, and leaving 20 or 30 onboard coaster photos lying around, but it didn’t work.”
Brody was most upset that his family seemed more interested in the “stupid crap” that his siblings had been involved in. His older brother Michael is an advertising executive who recently became engaged to an Olympic gymnast, his sister Cynthia placed second in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, and his other sister Marcia just returned from a two-year Peace Corps mission helping to provide medical care for disease-ravaged Ugandans.
“I do important things, too,” declared Brody. “I mean, I rode my 242nd coaster on the Coaster Odyssey…a really good SLC. I make lots of important posts to ThemeParkCritic.com that everyone says are really good. I send off a job application a couple times a year, mostly to S&S and Intamin for design positions. And I came all the way here just to be with my family, so you’d think they could notice me,” the exasperated enthusiast stated, waving his hand toward the basement steps in his parents’ house, which he had successfully negotiated all the way from his well-worn mattress up to the first floor.
“Did anyone care what I think about CCI shutting down? Did anyone ask about my top ten suspended coasters? Did a single family member inquire whether I’d enjoy modeling my newly monogrammed ACE jacket for them? No, no, and no. We have to go on for hours about piano recitals and wedding arrangements. And especially Marcia’s dumb thing in Africa. There aren’t even any coasters in Africa! But Marcia’s always been their favorite, the little goody two shoes. It’s not fair.”
“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” Brody added in a hysterical wail.
[Editor's Note: Save yourself from a wretched Christmas. Go buy some crap. No family member can ignore you if you come to dinner wearing nothing but boxer shorts inscribed with the ARN&R logo and "No underwear for me. Just a strategically-placed Beast patch." You will get attention. Even more if you wear the thong version. Just, um, don't send us any pictures.]
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LATEST JUDGEMENTS
Section 68: Cash Credit
The Gujarat High Court has held that partners having declared unsecured loan given to assessee-
firm in their independent returns, said amount could not be added in hands of assessee-firm.
Section 37(1): General Expenditure
The Bombay High Court has held that payment on account of gratuity, retrenchment
compensation and leave encash ment made to workers in connection with VRS on closure of
business was allowable as revenue expenditure.
The Allahabad High Court has held that where by providing scholarship, business of assessee-
coaching institute was expanded, same would be allowable as business expenditure.
Section 43B: Deduction on payment basis
The Punjab & Haryana High Court has held that where assessee deposited employer’s and
employees contribution to PF and ESI after expiry of due date but prior to filing return of income
under section 139(1), amount so deposited could not be disallowed by invoking provisions of section
43B.
Section 40A(3): Dis allowance for cash payments exceeding Rs 20000
The Karnataka High Court has held that payment made to government concern in cash in excess of amount prescribed under section 40A(3) would be allowable.
Section 45, read with section 2(47): Income from Capital Gains
The Allahabad High Court has held that Capital gains would be charged only on receipt of sale
consideration after development of land; and not when agreement was signed for development of
Section 271(1)(c): Penalty for concealment of Income
The Allahabad High Court has held that where assessee admitted undisclosed income found during search and he was ready to make payment of tax, no penalty was to be levied.
Section 54EC, read with section 50: Exemptions from Capital Gains
The Gujarat High Court has held that where capital gain arose out of long-term capital asset was invested in specified assets, exemption under section 54EC could not be denied on account of fact that deeming fiction of short-term capital gain was created under section 50.
Section 50C: Capital Gains on sale of land or building or both
The Mumbai ITAT bench has held that Section 50C cannot be invoked to a transfer of leasehold rights.
Section 92C: Computation of Arm Length Price
The Ahmedabad ITAT bench has held that where assessee granted loan to its foreign subsidiary
company which was subsequently converted into equity capital, in view of fact that as per loan agreement interest was not chargeable in such a situation, addition made by TPO/Assessing Officer on account of notional interest was to be set aside.
Posted by aicas at Sunday, December 15, 2013 0 comments
Labels: Direct Taxation
Government allows deduction of CTT as part of Business Income
In a relief of commodity exchanges, the government has allowed deduction of Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) to traders as it forms part of their business income.
Government plans concessional GST
The following changes are made in the proposed Goods & Service Tax (GST) bill :
Earlier proposal: no tax for business with annual sales below Rs 25 lakhs
Proposed Additional SOP: Lower than standard GST rate for manufacturers, service providers, dealers in Rs 25-75 lakh bracket
Objective: Making new tax regime acceptable to small businesses
The Caveat: Lower rate applicable only on intra – state sales by manufacturers, service providers and traders, all of whom will be categorized as dealers
Benefit: Service providers of Rs 10 lakh turnover can expand sales 7-fold and still pay only
compounded rate. For manufacturers with Rs 25 –75 lakh sales, impact may be cushioned to some extent. Traders with Rs 5- 10 lakh sales who pay state VAT need not pay GST upto Rs 25 lakhs sales, those with Rs 25 – 75 lakh sales to pay lower rate.
Labels: Indirect Taxation
GST: Waiting for Political clearance
Parthasrathi Shome, the advisor to finance minister P Chidambaram has said that all the technical work in relation to Goods & Service Tax (GST) is almost done and the concerns of various states have been taken on board.
E-payment of tax above Rs 1 lakh a must
Threshold of mandatory e-payment reduced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 lakh for both central excise and
service tax payment. The revised changes are applicable from January 1, 2014. The threshold
annual turnover above which traders have to pay central excise tax is Rs 1.5 crore; for service tax, it
is Rs 10 lakh
Latest draft rules issued by ministry outrage cost auditors
The latest draft rules issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) related to the cost records
and audit mechanism could substantially curb the scope of the cost audit profession and have outraged its practitioners.
The salient features of the draft rules are as under:
Number of industries covered is reduced.
Turnover and Net worth thresholds have been increased substantially. The threshold has been threshold from net worth of Rs 5 crore to Rs 500 crore and the threshold of turnover from the specified product is fixed at Rs 100 crore.
Apart from companies required to undergo cost audit, all others have been exempted from maintaining even cost accounting records
Labels: Corporate and Allied laws
No overkill in cheque bounce cases: SC
The Supreme Court of India has said that once the amount in a dishonored cheque is paid with
interest and compensation, the payee cannot insist on criminal prosecution of the directors of a firm
who issued the cheque. The object of Section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument Act, which makes
issuing of cheques without sufficient balance in the account an offence, is meant to “inculcate faith
in the efficacy of banking operations and credibility of transactions". It is not meant only to punish the guilty, as directed by the supreme court in Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete India Ltd vs Sukarsh Azad.
EPFO caps pension contribution of firms
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to not allow employers contribute
higher than the mandatory amount towards its pension scheme in fresh cases. This amounts to
capping the employers’ contribution to employees’ pension at Rs 541 per month The Supreme Court of India has said that medical profession is a noble profession dedicated to the service of society and therefore doctors cannot be classified as “workmen” entitled to invoke the Industrial Disputes Act.
No relaxation: Rotate auditors
The corporate affairs ministry has rejected the industry’s demand for a relaxation in the norms
on rotation of auditors outlined in the new Companies Act.
After ESOPs, SEBI eyes regulating other employee benefits
To bring all types of employee benefit schemes under its ambit, a Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI) discussion paper has proposed that trusts set up managed and financed directly
or indirectly by companies, should be regulated. Trusts include those managing general employee
benefits such as education, scholarship, medical, retirement benefits such as superannuation,
gratuity or any other schemes. Currently, SEBI regulates only employee stock option plans (ESOP) and employee stock purchase schemes.
SEBI issues draft norms to regulate analysts
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has circulated a concept paper, seeking public comments to review the proposed regulations of research analysts.
Labels: Capital Markets
SEBI needs to step up criminal enforcement in markets: ESMA
European market watchdog European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has noted that the legal authority of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has been strengthened and it now has broad regulatory, licensing, investigation, supervision and enforcement powers.
SEZ Board to give licences for defence goods production
Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units producing defence related items will no longer have to go to
the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) for an industrial licence.The Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZs, which approves proposals for setting up these zones and takes decisions on matters related to their operation, will now also issue industrial licences for producing defence related goods.
Reporting Platform for OTC Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Derivatives
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to operationalise the CCI platform with effect from
December 30, 2013 for the following OTC derivative instruments: -
Inter-bank and client transactions in Currency Swaps
Inter-bank and client transactions in FCY FRA/ IRS
Client transactions in INR FRA/IRS
Third party payments for export / import transactions
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that normally payment for exports has to be received
from the overseas buyer named in the Export Declaration Form (EDF) by the exporter and the
payment shall be received in a currency appropriate to the place of final destination as mentioned in the EDF irrespective of the country of residence of the buyer. Similarly, the payments for the import should be made to the original overseas seller of the goods and the AD should ensure that the importer furnishes evidence of import, such as, Exchange Control copy of the Bill of Entry to satisfy itself that goods equivalent to the value of remittance have been imported. AD banks may allow payments for export of goods / software to be received from a third party (a party other than the buyer) subject to conditions as specified. AD banks are also allowed to make payments to a third party for import of goods, subject to conditions as specified.
RBI extends bank’s special forex window
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the banks to utilize the special window till December
31, to borrow forex against their core capital but with riders.
Provide loans to women’s self help groups at 7%: RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed public sector banks to provide credit to women
self help groups at a rate of 7% per annum so as to get the benefit of interest subvention scheme
under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana Aajeevika (SGSY) scheme.
RBI has also said that Public Sector Banks (PSBs) will be subverted to the extent of difference between the Weighted Average Interest charged and 7% subject to the maximum limit of 5.5%,
for the FY-2014.
SIDBI given Rs 5,000 crore to refinance receivables of MSEs: RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide refinance of Rs. 5,000 crore to the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for direct liquidity support for finance receivables to micro and small industries (MSEs), by SIDBI or selected intermediaries like banks, NBFCs and state finance corporations. The refinance will be available against receivables, including export receivables, outstanding as on November 14, 2013 on wards.
RBI extends FCNR(B) swap facility till Jan 31
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the stipulated date for relaxed norms on FCNR(B) deposits till January 31, 2014. The Central bank had said that it had received about $ 25 billion from special concessional swap windows.
RBI questions on FC arbitrage
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has questioned Foreign Currency (FC) arbitrage transactions. Dollars bought from Mumbai branch of a foreign bank and sold to same bank in Singapore. Such trades allow companies to profit from arbitrage in forward trade in two markets. But forward trades such as dollar buying weakens the spot rupee as well. RBI is unhappy with the banks undertaking such transactions.
Hotels categorized as Infrastructure lending
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has widened the definition of infrastructure lending including hotels with project costing more than Rs 200 crores as well as convention centres with project cost of more than Rs 300 crores.
RBI to permit Insurance Broking for Banks
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) proposes to allow banks to engage in insurance broking business with some preconditions, including a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore, capital adequacy ratio of 10% and profits for three consecutive years.
Mandatory filing of records of equitable mortgages with the Central Registry
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that the institutions notified under the SARFAESI Act have to mandatory register with Central Registry of Secularization Asset Reconstruction and the Security Interest of India (CERSAI), the records of the mortgages created in their favor by deposit of title deeds. All NBFCs are advised to file and register the records of all equitable mortgages created in their favor on or after 31st March 2011 with the Central Registry and they shall also register the records with the Central Registry as and when equitable mortgages are created in their favor.
Exchange Traded Cash Settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) permitted
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to permit stock exchanges
to introduce cash settled Interest Rate Futures on 10-Year Government of India Security. Two
different designs (Option-A: Coupon bearing Government of India security as underlying and
Option-B: Coupon bearing notional 10-year Government of India security with settlement
price based on basket of Securities as underlying) are permitted for cash settled futures on 10-year
Government of India (GoI) Security. Exchanges are permitted to launch contracts on either one
or both of these options.
Proposed retail bonds to fetch 1.5% above CPI
The proposed consumer inflation linked bonds will earn a fixed return of 1.5%, in addition to the
consumer inflation rate. The taxable bonds will also be eligible as collateral for loans and early
redemption with some riders.
Six World powers ink landmark nuclear deal with Iran
Iran and six world powers clinched a deal curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for initial
sanctions relief.
SEBI allows foreign feeder funds in IDFs
The Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has relaxed norms for long
– term foreign investors eligible to put money into infrastructure debt funds.
Govt to relax debt-equity ratio for Metro, rapid rail projects
To boost private investment in metro and rapid rail projects, the Centre has proposed to have an
equity-to-debt ratio of 20:80 in these projects instead of the present 30:70.
Loans to medium enterprises under priority sector
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that the incremental bank loans to medium service
enterprises extended after November 13, up to the credit limit of Rs 10 crore, would qualify as
priority sector advances.
SEBI says issuers can opt for shelf prospectus
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to allow frequent issuers of non-convertible debentures with credit rating of AA and above to raise money using a shelf prospectus.
The issuers include public financial institutions, banks and issuers authorised by the Central Board
of Direct Taxes to issue tax-free bonds and RBI-regulated infra debt funds and NBFCs.Other NBFCs and listed companies with a credit rating of AA and above subject to minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore, besides distributed profit (three years for NBFCs and five for listed companies) with no default on deposit/interest payments also would be allowed.
Foreign Banks free to enter India
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released guidelines stating that wholly owned Subsidiaries
(WOSes) of foreign banks could acquire domestic private-sector banks, as well as set up branches
anywhere in the country. The Central Bank also said that these WOSes might be permitted to enter into merger & acquisition (M&A) transactions with any private bank in India, subject to the overall foreign investment limit of 74 per cent. The following are the main highlights of the guidelines: -
The Subsidization is not mandatory but foreign banks with complex structures and concentrated shareholding will have to create wholly-owned subsidiaries (WOSes)
Foreign banks opting for branch presence must convert into WOSes when it becomes systemically important.
Foreign banks creating subsidiaries to be permitted to acquire local banks
Restriction is to be placed on entry of new WOSes and capital infusion when capital & reserves of WOSes and foreign bank branches exceed 20% of the banking system’s capital & reserves
Rs 500 crore prescribed as initial minimum paid-up voting equity capital for a WOS
The Priority Sector Lending requirement for WOSes to be on a par with Indian banks —40%
Corporate governance norms for WOSes to be stringent, including two-thirds of directors to be non-executive
Defence FDI eased
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has decided not to reject proposals from a foreign
company only because it or any of its group companies or their parent is under investigation in the country or abroad.
Foreign Banks taking subsidiary route to get capital gains tax exemption
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that foreign banks that wish to convert their branch
holding operations in India into wholly owned subsidiaries will be exempt from capital gains tax
and stamp duty.
NRE Interest free
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks the freedom to offer interest rates on incremental NRE deposits with maturity of 3 years and above without any ceiling till 31st Jan. 2014.
FDI in financial sector – relaxed
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has decided that the requirement of NoC(s) will be waived from
the perspective of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and no such NoC(s) need to be filed
along with form FC-TRS. However, any ‘fit and proper/ due diligence’ requirement as regards the non-resident investor as stipulated by the respective financial sector regulator shall have to be complied with.
Corporate Debt: Placement with FII, QFI, etc.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to allow Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) and
long term investors registered with SEBI – Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Multilateral Agencies, Pension/ Insurance/ Endowment Funds, foreign Central Banks - to invest in the credit enhanced bonds, up to a limit of $ 5 billion within the overall limit of $ 51 billion earmarked for corporate debt.
ECB – Liberalised
In order to strengthen the flow of resources to infrastructure sector, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to permit Holding Companies / Core Investment Companies (CICs) coming under the regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank to raise ECB under the automatic route/approval route, as the case may be, for project use in Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with the specified terms and conditions.
INDIA LOOKING FOR A NEW DIRECTION
The recent announcements of election results are historic and has brought to light serious concerns of the nation, the economy, society and most importantly public at large about the current political as well as economic state of affairs. This is very clear from active involvement a record turnout of voters for the election. Almost uprooting of the ruling party in Delhi and Rajasthan is a very strong message to all political parties, bureaucrats, judiciary and specially to those who device policy and administer them that nation and Indian society cannot be taken for granted and the general public is
seriously concerned about price rise and inflation, corruption, lack of employment opportunities, complete dismantling of confidence of investors. The Indian economy is negatively impacted by too many procedures, hyper active tax legislations, prosecution of senior business leaders, severely impairing business sentiments and several such factors. The nation as a whole, have expressed that the decision makers and administrators need to act firmly, strongly and a decisive manner with a clear vision and direction. It is important to address all major and minor issues, troubling the public at large. The Company law is interfering in private sector in the name of corporate Governance, restrictions to even undertake financial transactions among group companies even by private limited companies. Severe penalties and prosecutions with imprisonment are prescribed even in those cases where no public interest is involved. SEBI has been given sweeping powers of raids, searches, asset attachment etc, without any checks and balances. The scenario on the front of foreign exchange as well as current account deficit is also a matter of concern. Reserve Bank of India has been able to arrest the free fall of rupee by some temporary effective but cosmetic measures including permission to Indian banks to borrow internationally and a special FCNRB Swap Scheme, wherein RBI has agreed to take the risk of exchange fluctuation indirectly. The real issue of balance of payment, current account deficit and pressure on Indian rupee exchange rate are critical issues not adequately addressed. The GDP and IIP low growth rates are matters of very serious concern.
It is very important for the government to learn the tough lesson immediately. The Government need to address all issues with compassion , positive attitude and concern for the common man and all the actions, policies and procedures need to be redesigned and implemented to bring a soft-touch to restore confidence in every echelon of the society.
Labels: Editorial
Listing of specified securities of small and medium enterprises on the Institutional Trading Platform in a SME Exchange without making an initial public offer.
The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to permit listing without an Initial
Public Offer and trading of specified securities of small and medium enterprises(SMEs) including start-up companies on Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) in SME Exchanges. The following are the features of the amendments: -
The Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) shall be available to informed investors who are either individuals or institutions and the minimum trading lot shall be ten lakh rupees on this platform. Companies listed on ITP shall not make IPO of securities.
Eligibility of Listing: -
Company, Directors and Promoter group should not appear in the wilful defaulters list of RBI and CIBIL
No winding up petition against the company
The company has not been referred to BIFR up to 5 years from the date of application
At least one year audited financials.
Company has not completed 10 years of its operations with revenues not exceeding Rs 100 crores in any of the year.
Paid up capital has not exceeded Rs 25 crores.
Certain minimum investment requirements as mandated by SEBI.
Process of Listing: -
Application to Recognized Stock Exchange.
Approval by Recognized Stock Exchange
Capital Raising:
No IPO during the time period in which company is listed on ITP
Capital raised through Private Placement or Rights Issue, within no option of renunciation.
Letter of Offer to shareholders
Minimum Shareholding for promoters kept at 20% with a lock in period of 3 years
Exit from ITP: -
Voluntary exit by passing a special Resolution through postal ballot with majority support of non-promoters, 90% assenting shareholders & SME exchange approval.
Automatic exit within 18 months on occurrence of any of the conditions of eligibility as laid down in clause 2 or has created a market cap of Rs 500 crores.
Permanent removal on occurrence of any of the following: -
Failure to file periodical filings for more than one year.
Failure to comply with corporate governance norms for more than one year.
Non compliance of conditions of listing as mandated by Recognized Stock Exchange.
The SMEs are liable to give a Board Resolution regarding approval of draft & final memorandum
and its disclosures.
Posted by aicas at Friday, November 15, 2013 0 comments
IRDA allows insurers more flexibility to invest
Insurance companies will now have more leeway to invest in sectors such as IT and Pharma. The
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority has increased the sector specific exposure limit
for investments by insurers from 15 per cent to 20 per cent of their total investment, with the
exception of banking and financial services where the limit is 25 per cent and infrastructure where
there is no exposure limit.
NFRA to get powers to investigate, audit firms
Apart from laying down accounting and auditing policies and standards for India Inc, the proposed
National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) envisaged in the new Companies Act, 2013, will
also conduct quality review of audit of listed and unlisted companies, according to the draft rules
released by the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA). With powers to lay down accounting and auditing policies and standards for adoption by companies or class of companies or their auditors, the
proposed NFRA will be able to take over a bulk of the work currently being executed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, experts said. NFRA will also undertake investigation or conduct
quality review of audit of listed companies, unlisted companies with net worth not less than Rs500 crores or paid-up capital not less than Rs500 crores or annual turnover not less than Rs1,000 crores as on March 31 of immediately preceding financial year. It will also undertake audit review of companies having securities listed outside India. The proposed entity will also be responsible for
monitoring and ensuring compliance with accounting and auditing standards. The NFRA, as per the draft rules, will have three committees - Committee on Accounting Standards, Committee on Auditing Standards and the Committee on Enforcement. The government has proposed mandatory insurance cover for company deposits as part of the suggestions outlined in the draft rules to Companies Act, 2013. As per the draft rules, defaulting firms will have to pay additional 18% annual interest on principal amount.
Labels: Audit
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India - A Partner in Nation Building
ICAI is also helping the Government of Haryana in the empanelment of auditors of cooperative
audits, allotment of audits amongst empanelled auditors and also in fixation of audit fees for these
audits.
SEBI for stricter audit of financial reporting
Auditors can play an important role in monitoring and disclosing financial reporting of firms so that
management discretion (as accorded by GAAP India) is minimised.
Karnataka exempts IT from labour law
Karnataka will exempt IT companies from an onerous labour law for a further five years, lifting
a weight off software firms which have been campaigning against the legislation. The cabinet
approved the extension
Minimum wages made statutory for all states
Minimum wages announced by the centre for workers in the unorganized sector would be made
statutory for all states through a bill likely to be introduced in the winter session of parliament to
amend the Minimum Wages Act.
Relaxation in cheque bouncing cases
The stringent provisions in the Negotiable Instruments Act providing punishment for issuing cheques without sufficient funds in the bank is not a means of seeking retribution, but is more a means to ensure payment of money. The threat of jail is only a mode to ensure recovery, the Supreme Court stated last week in its judgment, Somnath Sarkar vs Utpal Basu.
Regulator announces new norms for listing start-up ventures
The market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has come out with new norms for listing of start-up ventures and small and medium enterprises on the Indian bourses, which would offer exit opportunities to investors.
Norms, eligibility
A start-up or SME cannot make an IPO while its specified securities are listed on ITP but can raise
capital through private placement or rights issue "without an option for renunciation of rights."
Also, a SME will be eligible to list on the ITP, in case the company, its promoter, director, group
company does not appear in the defaulters list of the RBI and there is no winding up petition against
the firm, it added.
Exit opportunity
The minimum amount for trading or investment on the ITP would be Rs 10 lakh, which would
offer exit opportunities and alternate buyers.
Govt relaxes outsourcing norms for SEZ units
In a bid to facilitate manufacturing and augment exports, the commerce ministry has allowed
manufacturing units in special economic zones (SEZs) to sub-contract work for up to three
years, instead of just one year allowed at present. The relaxation would apply to only those manufacturing units that have substantial exports, with average annual shipment of Rs 1,000 Crores
or more in at least 2 out of 4 years.
Banks advised to tighten LOC sanction norms
The finance ministry wants state-owned banks to follow more stringent norms while issuing bank
guarantees or letters of credit to borrowers, concerned that such type of funding results in double financing, which often leads to financial indiscipline among borrowers.
Bharti and Wal-Mart call off their retail JV
Bhatia's Sunil Metal and Wal-Mart's Scott Price indicate that the JV is called off on Oct 9.
Pre-emption rights in M&As get SEBI nod
To make mergers and acquisitions (M&A) more flexible, the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI) allowed shareholder agreements and articles of association of companies to have
contracts for pre-emption. This includes the right of first refusal, tag-along or drag-along rights.
The right of refusal gives one of the parties in an M&A deal the first option to buy out its partner
in the event of the latter wishing to exit from the agreement at a later stage. Tag-along is a contractual obligation used to protect a minority shareholder. If a majority shareholder sells his or her stake, then the minority shareholder has the right to join the transaction and sell his or her minority stake in the company. On the other hand, drag-along rights enable a majority shareholder to force a minority shareholder to join in the sale of a company. In addition, SEBI also allowed companies the use of call and put options with conditions. It said that the seller of the underlying securities should have been their owner for a minimum of one year from the contract date. The price of the underlying securities bought or sold on exercise of the option should be according to existing laws and the contract should be settled by actual delivery of the underlying securities.
Scheme to convert foreign banks into wholly- owned units
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that it will outline a scheme by mid-November to encourage
existing foreign banks to convert their Indian operations into wholly-owned subsidiaries (WoSs).
While it will not be mandatory for existing foreign banks in India such as Citibank, DBS, Deutsche
Bank, Standard to Chartered and HSBC convert their existing operations into subsidiaries, RBI will
come out with incentives to attract them for conversion.
SC for guidelines on blacklisting
The Supreme Court has asked BSNL to lay down guidelines for blacklisting firms. The apex court
felt that permanently debarring the firm, which survives on supplies to BSNL alone, was too harsh.
Will oppose RBI move to permit foreign bank takeover of domestic lenders: Union
The All-India Bank Employees Association said that it will launch an agitation if the Reserve Bank
of India goes ahead with any proposal to allow takeover of Indian banks by foreign banks.
No Need for 'Origin of Goods' Proof for Payment
Exporters who import goods and ship them to Iran after value-addition will not be required to produce 'Goods of Indian origin' certificate for making rupee payments.
Infra status gives hotels room to raise cheap funds
The Centre has extended 'infrastructure' status for all hotel projects, fulfilling a long-pending demand of large hoteliers. This means projects with a capital cost of Rs 200 crore or more will be able to access cheaper funds. This will be applicable with prospective effect from the date of modification and available for eligible prospects for three years from the date of notification. The new notification includes convention centres with project cost of more than Rs 300 crores each.
Change of Name of SME Rating Agency of India Limited to SMERA Ratings Limited
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that M/s. SME Rating Agency of India Limited has been accredited for the purpose of risk weighting the banks' claims for capital adequacy purposes along with other Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs).
StCBs/CCBs - Housing Sector: Innovative Housing Loan Products - Upfront disbursal of housing loans
has observed that some banks have introduced certain innovative Housing Loan Schemes in association with developers/builders, e.g. upfront disbursal of sanctioned individual housing loans to the builders without linking the disbursal's to various stages of construction of housing project, interest/EMI on the housing loan availed of by the individual borrower being serviced by the builders during the construction period/specified period, etc. Such housing loan products are likely to expose
the banks as well as their home loan borrowers to additional risks. StCBs and CCBs are advised that disbursal of housing loans sanctioned to individuals should be closely linked to the stages of construction of the housing project/houses and upfront disbursal should not be made in cases of incomplete/under-construction/green field housing projects
Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 - Relaxations in Branch Authorisation Policy
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that domestic scheduled commercial banks (other than RRBs) are permitted to open branches in Tier 1 to Tier 6 centres without having the need to take permission from Reserve Bank of India Detailed Guidelines in this regard including reporting requirements have been issued.
Election in 4 States: Expectations from the Government
The Indian democracy is in an active mode in the backdrop of November-December Election in 4 important States. The performance of the State Government as well as of the Central Government is under active analysis. The national economic and political scenario will have a major bearing on the voting pattern.
The entire nation is concerned about the current business and economic scenario and indecisiveness at the political and policy level. The economic sentiments have swiftly moved from "Feel Good" to "Feel Bad Factor" during last two years. The poor economic performance is further evident from substantial growth in non-performing assets with banking sector and substantial losses (reduction in
profit) to almost all public sector banks. Most of the infrastructure projects, specially projects of national highways, large and medium size power projects, ports, railways, water body developments have also stagnating. The mining sectors, led by iron ore and coal mining issues have further aggravated the economic scenario. Free fall of rupee vis-à-vis all foreign currencies during
July-September 2013 also indicate a very severe lack of economic intelligence, precautionary steps, advance planning, lack of political will and failure to take timely decisions. The aggressive activism of the taxation wing of the government by widespread litigating ,high pitched assessments, retrospective amendments, proposal to disregard DTAA, introduction of GAAR impacting significant number of international investors and local corporate have resulted into complete lack of faith and
trust of the business community in the Indian Government. Large scale prosecutions, FIR and arrests of senior politicians, bureaucrats and most worriedly of many leading highly reputed businessmen have completely spoiled the working atmosphere. Topmost business houses like Birlas, Ambanis, Tatas, Jindals and many others are under investigation or inquiry on one pretext or the other. This
has resulted into very bad business sentiment. A large number of Indian businesses are now thinking in terms of investing outside India, rather than investing in India.
The latest statement of the Prime Minister that political leaders and bureaucracy cannot be investigated and prosecuted for taking policy or administrative decisions. It is not appropriate to allege motives on all decisions. This stand of the government need to be fine tuned and implemented in letter and spirit. The political Government need to strongly put forward in letter and spirit that all
decisions at various levels will be taken in a completely professional manner and financial impropriety of any kind will not be tolerated.
At the political level there is a big mistrust and lack of mutual respect between the ruling party and the opposition. To bridge this gap, several major initiatives will have to be taken by all the political parties. The party in power, need to clearly demonstrate not only by words but by sincere and serious action that the government proposes to work with political consensus and all necessary action will be
taken to restore honesty, ethics and integrity in the working of polity as well as bureaucracy. The government has announced several new decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee and various levels of the government but their implementation is still not seen. A serious action plan need to be implemented to bring back active growth and development in all major industrial and service sectors
and it is most important to restore confidence in the system at all levels. We need active debate on all the issues and also need to ensure active participation in the election process to enable exercise of voting rights in a very careful manner. Any error could be fatal for the entire polity and economy of the country. We need a strong, non-corrupt visionary government at all levels.
Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings by Authorised Dealer Banks
The Reserve Bank of India has said that AD Category - I banks may borrow funds from their Head Office, overseas branches and correspondents and avail overdraft in the Nostro accounts up to a limit of hundred per cent of their unimpaired Tier I capital as at the close of the previous quarter or USD 10 million (or its equivalent), whichever is higher (excluding borrowings for financing of export credit in foreign currency and capital instruments). Authorised dealers may borrow from their Head Office or overseas branches or correspondents outside India or any other entity as permitted by RBI. RBI permission is hereby granted to AD Category I banks to borrow from international / multilateral financial institutions for a limited period up to November 30, 2013. Such borrowings should be for the purpose of general banking business and not for capital augmentation and shall be subject to the
conditions stipulated in the A.P. (DIR Series) circular no. 40, 2013 dated September 10, 2013.
Further, such borrowings shall be eligible for the concessional swap facility of RBI as per A.P. (DIR
Series) circulars no. 40, 2013 dated September 10, 2013 and 54 dated September 25, 2013.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India - Definition of 'Group Company'
In respect of Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, 2000 notified 'Group company' means two or more enterprises
which, directly or indirectly, are in position to:
exercise twenty-six per cent, or more of voting rights in other enterprise; or
appoint more than fifty per cent, of members of board of directors in the other enterprise.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has increased the sector specific exposure
limit for investments by insurers from 15% to 20% of their total investment, with the exception
of banking and financial services where the limit is 25% and infrastructure where there is no
exposure limit.
SEBI amends disclosure norms for pledged shares
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has modified the format of disseminating information under the takeover code (substantial acquisition of shares and takeover). Entities
acquiring five per cent or more have to disclose change in their shareholding in prescribed format.
Those already having a stake of five per cent or more, have to disclose change in shareholding of
two per cent or more. This would apply even if the shareholding of such an entity falls below
five per cent as a result of sale of shares. The SEBI directive asks promoters to provide details of events that led to the shares being pledged (creation of encumbrance), released or invoked along with the date.
'Convertibles' could replace IPO safety net
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is considering convertible securities as
an option to protect investors from downside risks in initial public offerings (IPOs), after negative feedback from market players on implementation of the safety net.
MNCs to buy shares directly from the market
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a notification which will impact a little over 35 listed
foreign-owned & listed companies, as their parents will now be able to buy up to 5 % stake directly on the floor of the exchange. Foreign promoters can now transact just like FIIs
SEBI eases rules for foreign portfolio investors to boost inflows
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed grant of registration to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FII, QFI, Foreign citizens) within 10 days of application under the new Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) regime. The FPIs would be allowed to invest across a host of the capital market segments, including in shares, debentures, warrants, mutual funds, collective investment schemes, derivatives, treasury bills and government securities. Besides, they can also invest in the commercial papers, security receipts of asset reconstruction companies, perpetual debt instruments, non- convertible debentures, infrastructure debt funds and Indian Depository Receipts. However, one FPI can hold a maximum of 10% equity shares in a company, subject to the applicable sectoral caps.
SEBI plans new norms for default proceedings
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed new norms for settlement of administrative and civil proceedings against suspected market defaulters, except in cases of serious violations like illicit pooling of funds from investors, insider trading and fraudulent and unfair trades.
The list of violations that can't be settled has been expanded widely under the new norms, which also provide for the involved entity to file settlement plea within 60 days of the Show Cause Notice served by the SEBI. It has said that a plea to settle pending cases, upon payment of settlement charges and related costs, will not be considered if the applicant has already been party to two earlier settlements.
Finance Ministry to relax ADR norms for Indian firms
After allowing unlisted India-registered companies to list on exchanges abroad, the government is all set to ease norms for companies to raise money through American Depository Receipt (ADR)
issues in overseas equity markets. Sources in finance ministry said companies will now be allowed to issue level 2 and level 1 ADRs, which are easier and less expensive ways to raise money. Currently, Indian-listed companies are allowed to issue what is known as level 3 ADRs. Level 2 ADRs have easier listing requirements and can be listed on NASDAQ, while level 1 ADRs have the loosest listing requirements by the SEC and do not need to be listed. They can be traded over-the-counter level 3 ADRs means the company has to fulfil all conditions placed by the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list such an instrument on exchanges like NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
SEBI issues draft guidelines for realty investment trusts
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has pegged the initial offer size at Rs 250
crore and made listing of units mandatory for all REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). A minimum public float of 25% has been specified to ensure adequate public participation and float in the units.
SEBI has further said that the size of assets under REIT should not to be less than Rs 1,000 crores,
which "is expected to ensure that initially only large assets and established players enter the market". However, initially, till the market develops, SEBI has proposed that the units of the REITs may be offered only to high net worth individuals/institutions.
SEBI eases share transfer norms for deceased holders' accounts
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has simplified the procedure for transfer of securities from the account of a deceased person and raised the threshold limit for such transactions in demat format to Rs 5 lakh. The move is aimed at making transmission of securities in both dematerialised and physical modes more efficient and investor friendly.
Facilitating transaction in Mutual Fund schemes through the Stock Exchange Infrastructure.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that a mutual fund Distributor registered with Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and who has been permitted by the concerned recognised stock exchange, (MF distributor) shall eligible to use recognised stock exchanges' infrastructure to purchases and redeem mutual fund units directly from Mutual Fund/Assets Management Companies.
Know Your Client Requirements
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to accept e-KYC service launched by UIDAI, as a valid process for KYC verification.
General Information Document
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified generic disclosures to be brought out in the General Information Document (GID). Accordingly, generic information need not be provided in the Abridged Prospectus. This will substantially reduce unnecessary printing cost. Lead Manager(s) shall ensure that the updated GID is made available to investors and the updated GID is made available on the websites of the Stock Exchange(s) and lead manager.
Centralized Database for Corporate Bonds/ Debentures
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to create a centralized database regarding corporate bonds which are available in demat form for public dissemination. Both the depositories' viz. NSDL and CDSL, jointly, shall be the repository of information pertaining to the corporate bonds/debentures.
Forward Markets Commission brought under FinMin control
The commodity forward trading regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC) will be
under the administrative control of the Finance Ministry. With this, all financial sector regulators
- Securities and Exchange Board of India, Reserve Bank of India, Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India and Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority besides FMC
- have been brought under one umbrella.
Posted by aicas at Tuesday, October 15, 2013 0 comments
Don't make up-front disbursals for incomplete projects: RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instructed banks not to make upfront disbursal in case of incomplete, under-construction or Greenfield housing projects. The central bank asked lenders
to link the disbursal of loans to stages of completion of the project, rather than giving the entire amount upfront.
Govt extends deadline for BIS tagging of electronic goods
The Government has extended the deadline for electronic manufacturing companies to submit
their products for certification by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to January 3, 2014.
Foreign varsities allowed to set up campuses
The government has opened higher education to foreign universities with the HRD ministry sending proposals to DIPP and DEA to permit foreign universities to open their campuses in the country as companies as provided under the companies act.
SEBI notifies rules to classify illegal CIS schemes as fraud
Tightening the noose around entities running illegal collective investment schemes (CIS), SEBI
has notified new norms to classify such activities as frauds and impose penalties of up to three times
of their profits. Besides, the new rules expand the list of activities to be covered under fraudulent
and unfair trade practices to hold individuals as well as companies equally guilty for manipulations.
TRAI calls for steep cut in 2g auction price
The Telecom regulator has recommended slashing by up to 60% the base price of airwaves used by GSM operators that will be auctioned.
Coal Block auction policy approved for private Cos
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the much awaited coal block auction policy for private companies that will allow companies in the power, cement and steel sectors to bid for captive coal mining rights.
Unlisted cos can now directly list abroad
The government has allowed companies registered in India to raise capital on overseas stock exchanges without prior or subsequent listing in India, in what is seen as one in a series of steps to boost capital inflows into the country.
RBI tightens norms for lending against jewellery
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked NBFCs: -
To value gold received as collateral at the average closing price of 22-carat gold for last 30 days
Gold loan offering NBFCs to create safe storage infrastructure at all branches
NBFCs told to get RBI nod to expand gold loans beyond 1000 branches
NBFCs must keep records on verification of jewellery ownership
NBFCs told to stop ads promising gold loans in 2-3 minutes.
Banks told to review export credit limit regularly
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to calculate export credit limits of borrowers in a
way that will insulate them from volatility of rupee.
RBI relaxes NRI investment norms
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has eased foreign direct investment (FDI) norms and allowed banks
to provide guarantees on behalf of NRIs to acquire shares and debentures in Indian companies. To provide operational flexibility and ease the procedures, it has been decided by RBI to permit banks to issue bank guarantee, without prior approval of the Reserve Bank, on behalf of non-resident acquiring shares or convertible debentures of an Indian company though open offers, delisting and exit offers.
RBI asks NBFCs to give branch details
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has asked non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to give
information of their branches in their periodical returns to the central bank. RBI said within one
month, NBFCs should update the branches as of June to RBI. Thereafter, within 10 days of quarter
ending, NBFCs shall submit the details of the branches opened/closed during the quarter to RBI.
External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) Policy - Refinancing / Rescheduling of ECB
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to discontinue the facility allowing eligible borrowers
to raise ECB at a higher all-in-cost to refinance/ reschedule an existing ECB with effect from
01.10.2013. The scheme of refinance of existing ECB by raising fresh ECB at lower all-in-cost,
subject to the condition that the outstanding maturity of the original ECB is either maintained or extended, will continue as hitherto under the automatic route and approval route as the case may be.
ECB for disinvestment of PSUs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that ECB is allowed for all subsequent stages of acquisition of shares in the disinvestment process under the Government's disinvestment programme of the PSU shares; in other words, facility of ECB is available for multiple rounds of disinvestment of PSU shares under the Government disinvestment programme.
Dedicated Bank coming soon for Infrastructure lending
With infrastructure creation slowing down on part because lenders have become increasingly wary
of lending to the sector, the center is planning to set up a dedicated bank to fund exclusively to the
core sector projects. It is also ready to roll out an infrastructure trust fund aimed at mobilizing long-
term foreign investment within the next two months.
ELECTRONIC TAX ADMINISTRATION - NEEDS FOR "HUMAN TOUCH"
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has rightly initiated and implemented electronic administration of tax department including filing of Income Tax Returns, assessments, refunds. The tax deduction at source, issuance of certificates, availability of data on the website in form 26 AS are some very significant achievements. The electronic filing of returns has brought some very serious teething problems, which are required to be addressed immediately including:
Issuance of large number of notices for non-payment of tax deduction at source and creating demand, in spite of full compliance due to technical errors in the system or in typing.
MAT credit not being adjusted in next year processing in a number of cases.
Carry forward losses, assessed in previous years, not being carried forward for future assessment.
Tax Deduction at Source by the deduct or not being reflected in form 26 AS. This is not being corrected for several months even after rectification procedure.
In number of cases even though TDS credit is available in form 26 AS, the demands are still created, without giving full credit of TDS and in a number of cases even tax paid credit is not given.
All larger refunds of more than Rs 50, 000 are not being remitted to the tax payers, who are entitled to refund. In certain cases, in spite of written communications with Central Processing Cell as well as the concerned assessing officers, refunds are still not being credited. Refunds are pending for years.
The I T department site is showing a number of unpaid taxes or demands due, although no basis is ever communicated for several years.
The government need to initiate a help line including a proper procedure for resolving the
aforesaid issues in a simplified manner. Some senior officers need to be deputed to bring solutions to the problems tele phonically or electronically,in a time bound manner. In addition to guidelines, simple FAQ, it is mandatory that a personal guidance or assistance is available from the tax administration.
Tax Assessment:
We have been taking up to the Government that even scrutiny assessment should be undertaken
electronically through video or audio conferencing along with electronic communication of queries, to completely eradicate the chances of corruption in assessment, refund and rectification application.The personal hearing should be by a committee in camera, in case assesse still need justice. The corruption has to be eradicated from the system. We sincerely hope that the leadership will take up such important issues more effectively and efficiently.
COMPANIES ACT, 2013 - CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN NEW DIRECTIONS
The Government of India has already notified 98 sections of the new Companies Act and has also announced draft rules in 1st phase as well as in 2nd phase on most of the chapters of Companies Act, 2013. It may be an interesting debate to examine certain issues having wider implications.
Appointment and Rotation of Auditors:
In terms of the revised law, auditors are to be appointed for a period of 5 years at a time, annual ratification to be undertaken by the shareholders. In case a company wish to retire or remove an auditor before a period of 5 years, an approval of Central Government will become necessary. The statement of ordinary business at the AGM, for the 4 intervening years will be "ratification of appointment" rather than "appointment" as ordinary business of an AGM, contained in Section 102 (erstwhile section 173). The auditors of all companies rather than one person company and small company having turnover of Rs 2 crore and above or capital of more than Rs 50 lakhs has to be
mandatory rotated. In case of individual auditors, the auditors need to retire mandatory after 5 years and in case of partnership firm of auditors, the audit firm has to mandatory retire on completion of 10 years. In view of this provision and the 3 year period being prescribed for implementing this provision, a large number of audit firms will retire after completing audit for the year ending 31st
March, 2016. The period already served as auditor will also be counted as per the draft rules. The draft rules have very important implication and to apply mandatory rotation to auditors, even in companies in which public is not substantially interested will not be appropriate. The rule makers should realise the principles laid down by the Honorable Justice Krishna Aiyer as a Supreme court judge that the distinction or classification need to meet the ultimate objective to sustain constitutional validity. The government has always justified rotation of auditors on the ground of public interest and rotation is proposed as a control mechanism of manipulation or fraud. The government need to consider to restrict rotation only to public limited listed companies and to companies beyond a large turnover say Rs 1000 crore or deposits or borrowings beyond Rs 100 crore.
Maximum Number of Audits:
Maximum number of audits which can be undertaken by a chartered accountant have been restricted to 20 companies other than one Person Company or company with paid up capital of Rs 50 lakhs or turnover less than Rs 2 crore. These limits require re-consideration.
Corporate Social Responsibility:
The initiative of mandatory spending of 2% of net profit by larger corporate on social initiative is a
welcome move. The rule making has diluted non utilization to only disclosure of the reasons for not
spending of money. This will not be enough to push corporate sector mind set. It is important to create a fund.
Mandatory Valuation:
Section 62 of the new Act require all preferential issue of shares (other than right issue or issue of shares under ESOP), to be undertaken at a price based on valuation report of a registered valuer. The Chartered Accountants and other professionals have been recognized to be registered as a valuer. This will bring a new direction to corporate governance including need for adherence to valuation standards issued by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Public Co. - Private Co. Distinction:
The law makers have not taken adequate care while drafting the rules, to differentiate between public
company and private company. The rule brought in for loan by a private company to a related party or to a director and also restriction even on issuance of shares with differential rights are some of the
examples, where private limited companies will be subjected to tough regulation, same as are applicable to public limited companies. This list is long and will need a conceptual change in approach of Government.
Prescription of Rules
The government has announced rules even on sections which do not specifically empower the government to prescribe rules. Some of the rules have also even gone beyond powers delegated to the government, including certain rules are prescribing substantive law rather than procedure or disclosures, while certain rules are providing for exceptions of the law passed by the Parliament. The aforesaid exercise on the part of the government will be beyond legal powers of the government and will be struck down in terms of established principles of jurisprudence and our constitutional framework. We need to continue a debate in the profession and among industrial and business circles to achieve the objective of a better corporate culture and effective channelization of investment to corporate with reasonable checks and balances.
Spice Jet Auditors Raise Red Flag as Losses Wash Out Net Worth
Spice Jet's auditors have raised concerns about its ability to stay afloat as its operating losses have
completely eroded its net worth.
Maharashtra to opt for new accounting system
The Maharashtra Government has decided to carry out pilot studies on an accrual based accounting
system, as compared to the current cash based accounting system.
I-T Dept freezes Nokia's immovable assets
Nokia India's assets have been frozen by the Tax Department even as the handset maker is in the process of completing its $7.2-billion deal with Microsoft. The Indian tax authorities froze Nokia's
mobile phone manufacturing plant in Chennai, certain other buildings and bank accounts last week.
Following the Tax Department's action, Nokia moved the Delhi High Court which lifted the sanction on the company's bank accounts, but its immovable assets remain frozen. The move has been taken by the Tax Department after the handset maker disputed a Rs 4,000-crore tax notice. The Department sought to ensure that the company had sufficient funds to pay the amount before assets are sold to Microsoft.
Exemptions from Service Tax
Any services provided by,
the National Skill Development Corporation set up by the Government of India;
a Sector Skill Council approved by the National Skill Development Corporation;
an assessment agency approved by the Sector Skill Council or the National Skill Development Corporation;
a training partner approved by the National Skill Development Corporation or the Sector Skill Council.
Removal of Capital Goods on which CENVAT credit has been taken
If the capital goods, on which CENVAT credit has been taken, are removed after being used,
the manufacturer or provider of output services shall pay an amount equal to the CENVAT Credit
taken on the said capital goods reduced by the percentage points calculated by straight line
method as specified below for each quarter of a year or part thereof from the date of taking the
CENVAT Credit, namely:-
for computers and computer peripherals:
for each quarter in first year @ 10%
for each quarter in second year @ 8%
for each quarter in third year @ 5%
for each quarter in fourth & fifth year @ 1%
for capital goods, other than computers and computer peripherals @2.5% for each quarter
Education out of service tax net
The finance ministry has clarified that all services provided to educational institutions are exempt
from tax. There are certain auxiliary services, which would also not be taxable if provided to education institutions in relation to education. For example, if a school hires a bus from transport
operator to ferry students to and from school,the services provided by the operator in this connection would not be levied tax.
Clarification - Companies Act, 2013
Section 102:- All companies which have issued notices of general meeting on or after 12.09.2013,
the statement to be annexed to the notice shall comply with additional requirements as prescribed
in section 102 of the said Act.
Section 133:- Till the Standards of Accounting or any addendum thereto are prescribed by central
Government in consultation and recommendation of the National Financial Reporting Authority, the
existing Accounting Standards notified under the Companies Ac! 1956 shall continue to apply.
Section 180:- In respect of requirements of special resolution under Section 180 of the said
Act, as against ordinary resolution required by the Companies Act 1956, if notice for any such
general meeting was issued prior to 12.9.2013, then such resolution may be passed in accordance
with the requirement of the Companies Act 1956.
Companies Act, 2013 - New Sections
The relevant provisions of the companies Act, 1956, which correspond to provisions of 98 sections of the companies Act, 2013 brought into force on 12.09.2013, cease to have effect from 12.09.2013.
Canteen allowance part of basic wages for PF deduction
The Delhi High Court has said that Canteen allowance paid by the employer to employees is
part of basic wages and is required to be taken into account while computing the provident fund
contribution. A circular in November last year had redefined the meaning of "basic wages" for
the purpose of provident fund deductions. It said:"All such allowances which are ordinarily,
necessarily and uniformly paid to the employees are to be treated as the basic wages."
Personal details can't be disclosed under RTI
Under RTI, disclosure of personal information in respect of service record, income tax returns and
assets of an individual is illegal unless it is necessary in larger public interest, the Bombay High Court has ruled.
Jet Airways-Etihad deal gets SEBI green signal
Paving the way for Jet Airways' proposed sale of 24% stake to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, market
regulator Sebi has opined that the deal in its revised form does not give controlling powers to the
foreign carrier and is in compliance with the takeover regulations.
Amendment to bye-laws of recognised stock exchanges
The recognised stock exchange shall impose fine on listed entities for noncompliance with certain
clauses of the listing agreement due to non-submission/delay in submission of reports/documents to recognised stock exchange as per prescribed.
SEBI eases registration of brokers
The existing practice of obtaining multiple registrations for operating in different segments of a stock exchange/clearing corporation has been done away with and instead a single registration per stock exchange/clearing corporation shall be required.
Suspension should be last step for cos
SEBI said that corp orates would first be fined on a daily basis. After two quarters of non- compliance, the company would be shifted to 'Z' Category, where the trades would be settled on a
trade-to-trade basis. Continued non-compliance would lead to freezing of shares of the promoters and promoter group. This would be done before suspension of trading in shares of the company. To provide an exit window for the non-promoters, after 15 days of suspension, trading in the shares
of a non-compliant entity will be available on the 'trade-for-trade' basis, on the first trading day of every week for six months.
SEBI finalises easier rules for foreign investors
Making Indian capital markets an easier place to invest, SEBI relaxed registration and disclosures
norms for low risk foreign investors, exempting them from tedious paper work.
Enhancement of limit of Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings by Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that it has been decided to lower the requirement of
minimum maturity from three years to one year for the aforesaid borrowings made on or before
November 30, 2013 for the purpose of availing of the Swap facility from the Reserve Bank of
India. It may be noted that after the said date, foreign currency borrowing by AD Category I
banks beyond 50% of their Tier I Capital shall have to be of a minimum maturity of three years.
Trade Credits for Import into India
The Reserve Bank has decided to allow companies in all sectors to avail of trade credit not exceeding
USD 20 million up to a maximum period of five years for import of capital goods. It has also been
decided to relax the ab-initio contract period of 15 months for all trade credits to 6 months. Banks
are, however, not permitted to issue Letters of Credit/guarantees/Letter of Undertaking (LoU) /
Letter of Comfort (LoC) in favour of overseas supplier, bank and financial institution for the
extended period beyond three years.
Overseas forex trading through electronic/ internet trading portals prohibited
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that any person resident in India collecting and
effecting / remitting payments directly /indirectly outside India in any form towards overseas
foreign exchange trading through electronic/internet trading portals would make himself/herself / themselves liable to be proceeded against with for contravention of the Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
Revision in definition of control
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the definition of "Control" in the Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) policy. 'Control' shall include the right to appoint a majority of the directors or
to control the management or policy decisions including by virtue of their shareholding or management rights or shareholders agreements or voting agreements.
Foreign Investment in India - Downstream investment by Indian Companies
For the purpose of downstream investment, the Indian companies making the downstream investments would have to bring in requisite funds from abroad and not use funds borrowed in the
domestic market. This would, however, not preclude downstream operating companies, from
raising debt in the domestic market. Downstream investments through internal accruals are permissible by an Indian company, subject to the provisions of clause 6(i)
RBI issues norms to use dollar-rupee swaps
The swap window would be operational from September 10 to November 30.
A bank can sell dollars in multiples of a million to RBI. At the end of the swap period, the bank would have to buy the same amount of dollars. The tenure of the swap would be three years or in line with the tenure of the underlying FCNR-B deposits.
The swap would be carried out at a fixed rate of 3.5 per cent a year. In the first leg of the deal, a bank would sell dollars to RBI at the central bank's reference rate or any other rate, as mutually agreed.
The settlement of the first leg would take place on a spot basis from the date of the transaction. In the reverse leg, banks have to return rupee funds to RBI, along with the swap premium, to get back the dollars.
Underlying deposits would have a lock-in period of at least a year. However, premature withdrawal of these deposits would be permitted after a year. Therefore, swaps with RBI cannot be cancelled before a year.
For pre-termination of a swap, the swap cost would be re-fixed at 400 basis points above the contracted rate (3.5%) and the prevailing dollar/rupee swap rate in the market for the residual tenure of the original swap.
Overseas Direct Investments - Corporate Gaurantee
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided that issue of corporate guarantee on behalf of second generation or subsequent level step down operating subsidiaries will be considered under the Approval Route, provided the Indian Party indirectly holds 51% or more stake in the overseas subsidiary for which such guarantee is intended to be issued.
Preference Shares/ Warrants to be permitted as FDI
The Reserve Bank of India, SEBI and the finance ministry has endorsed that Companies issuing preference shares and warrants to foreign investors will soon not require prior permission through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). The relaxation, which is expected to encourage merger & acquisition activity and boost foreign capital inflows, will be available to all sectors in which foreign direct investment is allowed on the automatic route.
RBI eases rules for foreign and NRI promoters to raise stake in listed firms
Offshore parents of such local companies can now freely purchase shares by using the services
of registered Indian brokers. Such acquisition of shares can also be funded with dividend amounts
paid by Indian companies to these non-resident promoters. The new rule will apply to all non-
resident entities, including non-resident Indians (NRIs). The central bank opened another door to encourage inflows by adding all nonresident promoters to the list.
RBI enhances limit of funds taken out of India per person
Any person resident in India might take outside India (other than to Nepal and Bhutan) currency
notes of government and RBI notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs 10,000 a person and who
had gone out of India on a temporary visit.
ECB allowed for multiple rounds of PSU divestment
The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that ECB is allowed for all subsequent stages of acquisition
of shares in the disinvestment process under the Government's disinvestment programme of the PSU shares.
Reserve Bank of India bans 0% interest schemes
The Reserve Bank of India has banned schemes for the purchase of consumer goods through credit cards. The central bank also wants banks to ensure that merchant establishments do not levy fees on debit card transactions.
Lok Sabha nod for bill to protect urban street vendors
Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012 provides
for security and protection of livelihood to all street vendors having a vending certificate to be issued by the Town Vending Committee. Those markets which have been functional for more than 50 years will be considered natural markets and vendors located there will be protected.
Lease deeds, power of attorney to be compulsory under new Bill
The Bill also makes it mandatory for every person presenting the document at the registration office to affix his passport size photograph and get photographed by a digital camera on the document. It also provides mandatory registration of power of attorney transfers, lease deeds of immovable properties, registration of property in the state where it is located and allowing inspection of registered documents
Posted by aicas at Saturday, September 14, 2013 0 comments
Companies Bill enacted into Law
The Companies Bill 2013 has received Presidential assent on 29th August 2013, thereby becoming the 18th Act for the year 2013. With this move, India has now got a new company law that has replaced the erstwhile Companies Act 1956. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has come up with draft rules for public comments also. MCA has also notified 98 sections of the new Companies Act, 2013, which are effective from 12th September, 2013.
Amendment in norms for ODIs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that that issue of corporate guarantee on behalf of second generation or subsequent level step down operating subsidiaries will be considered under the Approval Route, provided the Indian Party indirectly holds 51 per cent or more stake in the overseas subsidiary for which such guarantee is intended to be issued.
Enhancement of limit for Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings by Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that AD Category - I banks may henceforth borrow funds from their Head Office, overseas branches and correspondents and overdrafts in nostro accounts up to a limit of 100 per cent of their unimpaired Tier I capital as at the close of the previous quarter or USD 10 million (or its equivalent), whichever is higher, as against the existing limit of 50 per cent (excluding borrowings for financing of export credit in foreign currency and capital instruments).
Swap Window for Attracting FCNR (B) Dollar Funds
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to introduce a US Dollar-Rupee swap window for fresh FCNR (B) dollar funds, mobilised for a minimum tenor of three years and over. Under the swap arrangement, a bank can sell US Dollars in multiples of USD one million to RBI and simultaneously agree to buy the same amount of US Dollars at the end of the swap period. The swap will be undertaken at a fixed rate of 3.5 per cent per annum. In the first leg of the transaction, the bank will sell US Dollars to RBI at RBI Reference Rate or any other rate as may be mutually agreed upon. The settlement of the first leg of the swap will take place on spot basis from the date of transaction. In the reverse leg of the swap transaction, Rupee funds will have to be returned to RBI along with the swap premium to get the US Dollars back.
ECBs from foreign equity holder relaxed
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted all eligible borrowers to avail of ECB under the approval route from their foreign equity holder company with minimum average maturity of 7 years for general corporate purposes subject to the following conditions:
Minimum paid-up equity of 25 per cent should be held directly by the lender;
Such ECBs would not be used for any purpose not permitted under the extant ECB guidelines (including on-lending to their group companies / step-down subsidiaries in India); and
Repayment of the principal shall commence only after completion of minimum average maturity of 7 years. No prepayment will be allowed before maturity.
Clarification on ODIs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has clarified that all the financial commitments made on or before August 14, 2013, in compliance with the earlier limit of 400% of the net worth of the Indian Party under the automatic route will continue to be allowed. In other words, such investments shall not be subject to any unwinding or approval from the RBI. It has been decided further to retain the limit of 400% of the net worth of the Indian Party for the financial commitments funded by way of eligible External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) raised by the Indian Party as per the extant ECB guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India from time to time. An Indian Party (IP) can make fresh financial commitments in the existing JV / WOS (including for the purpose of setting up of/acquiring step down subsidiaries outside India) only up to the revised limit of 100%, under the automatic route. Any financial commitment beyond the 100% cap shall require prior approval of the Reserve Bank under the approval route for ODI.
Issue of Bank Guarantee for FDI transactions
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted AD Category-I banks to issue bank guarantee, without prior approval of the RBI, on behalf of a non-resident acquiring shares or convertible debentures of an Indian company through open offers/ delisting/exit offers, provided :
the transaction is in compliance with the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover) Regulations;
the guarantee given by the AD Category -I bank is covered by a counter guarantee of a bank of international repute.
It may be noted that the guarantee shall be valid for a tenure co-terminus with the offer period as required under the SEBI (SAST) Regulations.
Forex Risk Management - liberalised
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to:
allow exporters to cancel & re book forward contracts to the extent of 50 percent of the contracts booked in a financial year for hedging their contracted export exposures, and
allow importers to cancel and re book forward contracts to the extent of 25 percent of the contracts booked in a financial year for hedging their contracted import exposures.
Deregulation of Interest Rates on NRE Deposits
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that banks are free to offer interest rates without any ceiling on NRE deposits with maturity of 3 years and above. The extant ceiling on NRO Accounts shall continue. These instructions will be valid up to November 30, 2013, subject to review.
PPIs issued by banks as a Point of Sale (POS)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that open system Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) issued by banks is perceived to be a subset of debit cards. Hence the facility of cash withdrawal at POS with debit cards may be extended to such open system prepaid payment instruments issued by banks in India. The limit of cash withdrawal will remain Rs 1000/- per day subject to the same conditions as applicable hitherto to debit cards.
Foreign Investments in ARCs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has amended FDI policies in respect of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARC). The following are the changes:
The ceiling for FDI in ARCs has been increased from 49% to 74% subject to the condition that no sponsor may hold more than 50% of the shareholding in an ARC either by way of FDI or by routing through an FII. The foreign investment in ARCs would need to comply with the FDI policy in terms of entry route conditional and sectoral caps.
The foreign investment limit of 74% in ARC would be a combined limit of FDI and FII. Hence, the prohibition on investment by FII in ARCs will be removed. The total shareholding of an individual FII shall not exceed 10% of the total paid-up capital.
The limit of FII investment in SRs may be enhanced from 49% to 74% of the paid up value of each tranche of scheme of Security Receipts issued by the Asset Reconstruction Companies.
Rs Export Credit Interest Subvention increased
The Government of India has decided to increase the rate of interest subvention on the existing sectors from the present 2% to 3% with effect from August 1, 2013, subject to a floor rate of 7%.
PM directs clearance to Pharma Brownfield
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently directed the ministries concerned to clear all pending Brownfield pharma FDI proposals under the current policy.
Two options for Secured Creditor in SARFAESI
A secured creditor has two options when the borrower or the guarantor defaults in repaying the loan. Under Section 13 of SARFAESI, the creditor can either take possession of the asset on his own or employ Section 14 and seek the help of the magistrate to get possession. It is not necessary that the first course should be adopted and having failed, the second course should be resorted to. This was stated by the Supreme Court last week while allowing the appeals of Standard Chartered Bank and State Bank of India in two appeals against the Madras High Court judgment. The Supreme Court stated that the high court view was wrong and observed: "No doubt that a secured creditor may initially resort to Section 13 and on facing resistance he may still approach the magistrate under Section 14. But it is not mandatory for the creditor to make attempt to obtain possession on his own before approaching the magistrate." The judgment also ruled that the argument of bypassing Section 13 would deprive the borrower of a right to appeal is a misconception of the law."
Insurers to invest in PF and Debt Funds
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has allowed insurers to invest in category-II alternative investment funds (AIFs), including private equity funds, debt funds and funds of funds.
Insurance Companies to offer only Standard Insurance Products via Bank Route
Insurance companies may be able to offer only standard insurance products through the banking channel, a compromise worked out by the finance ministry to accommodate the concerns of the banking regulator on allowing banks to become insurance brokers.
SEBI working on norms for new powers
A team at Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is working on two new set of regulations that will enable it to conduct search and seizure operations and recover money through disgorgement
New systems are being put in place for early detection and crackdown of collective investment schemes
Earlier, SEBI had to conduct search and seizure operations with the approval of a magistrate.
SEBI notifies buyback norms
The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified buyback norms under which it will be mandatory for companies to repurchase at least 50 per cent of their offers. The norms aim at safeguarding the interest of public shareholders. The companies will now have to complete their buyback offers within six months, from 12 months currently. Those not able to meet the target will be barred from launching another offer for a period of one year.
Govt to Allow LIC to Hold 20% in a Co
The government will soon allow Life Insurance Corporation of India to raise its single company exposure limit to 25% from the current 15%. Rajiv Takru, secretary, Department of Financial Services has said that they have settled for 20% (exposure in a single company), and in special cases it can go up to 25% after approval from the board.
IRDA allows banks to act as insurance brokers
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has allowed banks to act as brokers, subject to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval.
Easier norms for SEZs and units
As per the amendments, multi-services special economic zones will be treated on par with single- product SEZs, with the minimum area being slashed to half from 100 hectare.
RBI opens Forex Swap Window for OMCs
RBI has opened a forex window for public sector oil companies to calm volatile forex markets. It will lend dollars to oil marketing companies for equivalent rupees which the marketing companies would return over a period of time.
Generation-based sops announced for struggling wind power sector
After a hiatus of one and a half year without any subsidy or incentive scheme, the wind power sector would now be able to avail GBI with a retrospective effect. All the wind power projects launched after April 1, 2012 are eligible for GBI. The government would pay the producers Rs 0.50 for every unit of wind power generated. The maximum amount of incentive that could be availed has been increased to Rs 1 crore from Rs 62 lakh during 2011-12.
RBI approves reforms in primary co-ops
RBI has accepted that assets and liabilities of primary cooperatives will now stand transferred to central/state cooperative banks. In States where the central/state cooperative banks are fully computerized and on core banking systems, primary cooperatives will function as their business correspondents.
Clarifications on Liberalized Remittance Scheme
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has clarified on various points on Liberalised Remittance Schemen (LRS), which are given as under: -
In terms of the extant FEMA provisions LRS can be used to acquire both listed and unlisted shares of an overseas company.
Resident individuals are permitted to make remittances for acquiring immovable property within the annual limit of USD 75000 for already contracted cases, i.e. only for those contracts which were entered into on or before the date of the circular, i.e., August 14, 2013, subject to satisfaction of the genuineness of the transactions by the AD bank. Such cases should be immediately reported post fact to the Reserve Bank of India by the A D banks.
Upfront disbursal of housing loans
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that in a view of the higher risks associated with such lump-sum disbursal of sanctioned housing loans and customer suitability issues, banks are advised that disbursal of housing loans sanctioned to individuals should be closely linked to the stages of construction of the housing project/houses and upfront disbursal should not be made in cases of incomplete/under-construction/green field housing projects.
Land Bill Passed
Condition: Land can be acquired by govt. for private and PPP projects, provided there is 80% consent of land owners (70% for PPP)
Social Impact: Land acquisition will be preceded by social-impact assessment to identify affected families to be compensated and whose consent has to be sought
Compensation: Affected families will get four times the market value of land acquired in rural areas and two times in urban areas, land losers and livelihood losers to get compensation
R&R: Includes a house, Rs 5 lakh or a job (if available), an allowance of Rs 3000 a month for a year, and miscellaneous allowances of up to Rs 1.25 lakh
Retrospective: The new rules will apply retros-pectively to cases where no land acquisition award has been made, besides those where land was acquired 5 years ago but no compensation was paid or no possession took place.
Defence FDI Scrutiny
FII through portfolio investment not permitted
All applications for FDI in defence to be made to secretariat of FIPB
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to okay projects with FDI up to 26% with inflows of Rs 1200 crores or more
Defence Ministry to examine projects with FDI more than 26%
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to take call based on FIPB, defence ministry advice
Proposals with more than 26% FDI and Rs 1200 crore inflows to not need CCEA nod as they will go to CCS.
Government Back in Action Mode: Can we Revive sentiments and Growth? ATTEMPTS TO PERK UP THE DWINDLING ECONOMY
Are the decisions symptomatic or formative? Is the incumbent government eyeing 2014 elections or seriously trying to bring the economy back on track? Well the arguments may be numerous but whatever may come whether these steps collectively are capable of breathing new life into the system remains the critical concern.
After a long wait the government has finally started taking action on key policies, several bills and projects which were pending or standstill for quite some time.
The government has been able to pass the crucial -
The Companies Act, 2013
The National Food Security Act, 2013
The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
The government and the RBI are apparently working in partnership to revitalize the investment.The Prime Minister also mandated FIPB to clear all pending applications for brown field pharmaceutical projects under the existing guidelines, in spite of recommendation of parliament committee to not to permit FDI in existing projects. The cabinet committee has also cleared project worth Rs 1.9 lakh crore in power, steel, road, port and other infrastructure sectors and has directed immediate environment approval as well as finalization of coal linkage wherever stuck. The Reserve Bank of India has announced several liberal initiatives including freedom to use External Commercial Borrowing from equity owners, private sector mobile valet and several other initiatives are in the pipeline. The import of gold has been restricted, outbound investment limited to 100% of net worth, Liberalized remittance scheme restricted to 75000$ p.a., permitting banks to borrow internationally up to 100% of NOF etc.
The fall of Indian rupee to a level of Rs 70/- to US Dollar has jolted the entire economy including bureaucracy, polity, political leaders, economists, industries, businesses and of course the Indian society. The economic terrorist attack has been severe and we are actually in an emergency situation warranting to take swift and deeper action.
The investors' confidence took a severe beating from Rs 5,500 crore Scam of National Spot Exchange
misusing commodity transactions for lending borrowing and ready forward. This is much larger than Harshad Mehta scam and Ketan Parekh scam. We are very hopeful that the government will take tough action against the guilty including those who allowed such an open misuse of the system, when the same was in common knowledge, in black and white in several representations to the industry bodies. The action should be exemplary to act as a deterrent for the wrongdoers in future and to revive the confidence of investors.
We wish Good Luck to the Indian Economy.
Companies Act 2013 and the draft Rules: towards better corporate Governance
The Companies Act 2013 has already been passed by both the houses of the Parliament and has also received the assent of the President. The government is expected to announce the date from which the specific section of the new Act will come in force. The government has also notified on 9th September, 2013 the draft rules for 16 chapters of the Companies Act, seeking public comments by 8th October, 2013, so that the Rules can be notified, probably simultaneously to the notification of relevant section. The Government has notified certain sections already. It is important for the chartered accountants fraternity and the society to appreciate the major challenges and opportunities arising out of the new law:
Consolidated Financial Statements have been made mandatory for all companies having one or more subsidiaries.
Cash flow now mandatory for all companies.
A new Schedule-III has been prescribed in the Act for preparation of financial statements and consolidated financial statements, in place of currently prevailing Schedule-IV.
Appointment of Chief Financial officer in specified companies.
Limit of 20 maximum number of companies a CA can Audit
Every listed Company, every Public Company having a paid up capital of Rs10 crore or more or Public company having loans from banks / financial institutions of Rs 25 crore or more shall mandatory appoint an Internal Auditor.
The auditors will be appointed for a period of 5 years subject to annual ratification. Even an LLP can also be appointed as Auditor.
In case of listed companies and the specified class of companies mandatory auditors' rotation will apply. In case of an auditor who is holding office as auditor prior to commencement of this act, such holding period shall be taken into account in calculating the period of 5 years or 10 years as the case may be, as has been provided for mandatory rotation of individual or firms of auditors respectively. The break in terms for a continuous period of 5 years is required, after rotation.
Audit firms working under the same network or are operating under the same trade mark or brand or associated with outgoing auditors will not be allowed to perform non audit services.
The auditors once appointed for a period of 5 years can be rotated or retired only with prior approval of Central Government and prior special resolution of the shareholders.
The auditors and their relatives or partner should not be indebted to the company or subsidiary or associate company in excess of Rs One lakh. The relatives should not hold security of face value or interest in the company in excess of Rs One lakh.
Auditors report shall mandatory include the views and comments on:
Impact of any pending litigation on financial position
Foreseeable losses on long term contracts/ derivative contracts;
Delay in depositing money in Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) of the Company
Auditors have been mandated to report any offence involving fraud which is likely to be reported to the Central Government
Material fraud has been defined, even immaterial fraud need to be reported in case the Audit committee or Board is not taking any action. Such report should be submitted by the auditor by registered post or email to the Govt. in the prescribed format.
The desire of the Government is to improve corporate Governance by increased compliance's and heavy penalties and punishments in case of fraud. The growth of corporate sector will pave the way for sustained growth of Indian economy. We welcome the new law.
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Home » Auto Investors Want Something More Potent
Ford’s Newest Models Won’t Just Run on Hot Air. CEO Jim Hackett has a love of whizzy business concepts. This stuff might work in the tech sector, but autos investors want something more potent.
Technology investors like company CEOs to sound farsighted and a little quixotic. Gnomic statements are interpreted as a sign of rare and profound wisdom that someday will deliver vast riches for the true believers. Sadly for Ford Motor Co boss Jim Hackett, shareholders in the car industry aren’t nearly so credulous – nor patient.
Hackett hung out with Silicon Valley types during his two decades running Steelcase Inc., an office furniture company. You can thank that company for popularizing today’s open-plan offices. The Ford chief’s residual fondness for big ideas is reflected in his sometimes baffling lexicon, which includes whizzy concepts such as “design thinking,” “[business] fitness,” “energy rooms” and the “now, near, far clock.”
So far investors haven’t warmed to his approach. During his 18-month tenure, Hackett has had several testy exchanges with Wall Street analysts, canceled a capital markets event and pushed back a profit target. Ford’s shares have shed more than one-third of their price this year to levels last seen in 2009.
To get investors singing a more upbeat tune in 2019, Hackett needs to translate the fancy talk into concrete, value-creating action – something the General Motors boss Mary Barra has done better lately.
In fairness, even someone with decades of experience in automaking would blanch at the challenge Hackett has taken on. While Ford’s trucks, vans, and finance units are in decent shape, much of the rest has been struggling for a while. The company makes almost all of its profit in North America and its previous management was too slow to restructure overseas units and cut car models that don’t cover their cost of capital.
It’s not an easy course. France’s finance minister gave a hint of the unpleasantness facing Hackett when he described Ford’s decision to close a French gearbox plant as a “betrayal.” Hackett has announced a group-wide $11 billion restructuring but he’s been slow to spell out what this will involve. Though painful for employees, he shouldn’t delay wielding the ax too long.
Ford’s China sales have gone into a tailspin, putting pressure on cash flow, and sterling’s Brexit-related weakness has weighed on its once thriving U.K. business. President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs don’t help.
The stock offers a more than 7 percent dividend yield, which suggests the payout is becoming unaffordable. (Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas thinks it will be cut by half next year; Ford says there’s no need). There are worries too about whether Ford will keep its investment-grade credit rating, which supports profit at its finance arm. Hence two-thirds of the analysts who cover Ford have a hold recommendation, indicating they don’t see the reason to buy the stock even at depressed levels.
Ford’s market value is less than the much smaller, historically cash-burning Tesla Inc. If Uber Technologies Inc. goes public next year, its backers hope to secure a $120 billion valuation, almost four times what Ford’s worth. Somehow Hackett needs to show that Ford isn’t about to be pushed aside by these young pretenders. He can start by providing clarity on his restructuring plan. But there are other, more positive, levers he can pull.
One is securing a partnership with Germany’s Volkswagen AG to cut costs in manufacturing and technology development, as Bloomberg has reported is under discussion. The two carmakers have complementary strengths and weaknesses. VW lags in trucks but has a more advanced electric vehicle platform, for example. It’s conceivable that together they could boost plant utilization, most probably starting with commercial vans.
Another prize would be for Ford to secure outside investors, perhaps including VW, for its Argo AI autonomous driving unit. GM’s Cruise unit managed to do so by winning investment from SoftBank Group Corp. and Honda Motor Co Ltd. Something similar at Ford would let shareholders ascribe a value to its big investments in this area. Honda’s cash valued Cruise at $14.6 billion.
Finally, Ford needs to fix its China business, and fast. Sales there have plunged by one-third this year, in part because of its failure to understand local tastes. The company has appointed a new China chief and a slate of new models should help.
None of this will suddenly land Ford a Tesla-like stock multiple, of course. But they might help make 2019 a year to remember, rather than one of Ford’s “ideas man” boss would rather forget.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-12-28/ford-motor-s-newest-models-won-t-just-run-on-hot-air
To contact the author of this story:
Chris Bryant at cbryant32@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story:
James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.net
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Posted in News and tagged AI autonomous Newsroom, AI autonomous website, Argo AI autonomous driving unit, Auto Investors, Auto Investors Newsroom, Ford Car Salesman in Northeast Ohio, Ford Motor Co boss Jim Hackett, Ford to secure outside investors, Ford’s China sales today, Ford’s market value Today, shareholders in the car industry, Technology investors, Technology investors Newsroom, Tesla car Sales professional in Northeast Ohio.
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Another movie awards season, another controversy
Another movie awards season, another couple of controversies involving biopics.
First there was the dustup about whether Colin Clark really did have an affair with the leading sex symbol of her time, as portrayed in “My Week With Marilyn.”
Now come cries of foul over “The Iron Lady,” the upcoming movie about Margaret Thatcher in which the peerless Meryl Streep again demonstrates why she is the actress of her generation. She becomes Thatcher in a performance that goes far beyond mere impersonation.
You get the sense Streep could have been cast in the title role of “J. Edgar” and she could have pulled it off. (Make your own dress-and-pearls joke here.)
While some of Thatcher’s associates have praised the film, more than a few critics have condemned the dramatic conceit that has an elderly, somewhat doddering Thatcher carrying on conversations with her deceased husband. And some who know Thatcher are incensed by the movie.
“The film is indecent,” said Robin Harris, adviser and biographer for Mrs. Thatcher, in an article in the Daily Mail. (SPOILERS AHEAD.) “At no point in her life will Mrs. Thatcher ever be able to go out alone to buy a pint of milk, as she does at the film’s opening….At no point did protesters thump on her car windows…
“[Thatcher’s husband] was neither a joke nor a joker, as the film suggests. T[his] film has been cynically crafted to benefit the cast, producers and backers by ratings-chasing sensationalism.”
“The portrayal of Lady Thatcher as a demented old lady … is simply cruel,” says journalist Simon Heffer in the same article. “It is deeply intrusive — and the ultimate testament to the ‘creative’ world’s acceptance, and exploitation, of her dehumanization. Lady Thatcher in her heyday was a far more subtle character than she appears in the film, whose screenwriter seems to have swallowed every cliche and prejudice about our greatest living stateswoman.”
That’s why they call it drama
Heffer makes some legitimate points. As much as I admired Streep’s performance and the film as a whole, I was surprised at how much time was devoted to scenes involving a forgetful, sometimes delusional Thatcher puttering about her home, trading barbs with the ghost of her husband and struggling to maintain her train of thought when entertaining visitors. Thatcher’s remarkable story and the controversies she faced during her run as PM, while certainly addressed at length in the film, would seem to make for far richer dramatic material.
But in the end, it’s a movie — the visual equivalent of a stylized magazine article about a woman whose life cannot be contained by even an 800-page biography.
And it is fictionalized history. For all awards consideration, “The Iron Lady” will not be up for for Best Documentary, it will be up for Best Drama.
Z sad truth
Stop me if you’ve seen this movie before. Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano tells Joiner Martinez of Lider en Deportes he’s been working like a maniac to get in shape.
“I’ve been preparing like when I was rookie, climbing mountains, running on the beach and exercising hard so I can arrive at spring training in optimal shape,” says Zambrano.
For every hour Big Z spends climbing mountains, he should spend two hours on a therapist’s couch.
Are the Cubs really going to give Zambrano another chance? Wasn’t it just last spring training when Zambrano said he had matured and had changed his ways?
Then the season started, and Zambrano returned to his selfish ways, eventually walking out on his teammates.
I don’t care if Zambrano shows up at spring training in better shape than a triathlete and he starts handing out lollipops to the media and individually apologizing to anyone who was on the team last year. By midseason, he’ll be screaming at umpires, berating teammates, beating up water coolers and blaming everyone but himself for his troubles.
Meet the new Cub, same as the old Cub.
This entry was posted on Monday, December 19th, 2011 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Chinese Phrase - 1 to 10 - Standard Mandarin.
In addition, the teacher also uses online games to review characters and sentence patterns and activities are used to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing.” In VelTech Institute, the online system allows teachers to edit online quizzes, assignments, courses, attendance. The students can recognize numbers and characters in Mandarin. Most students can speak 4-8 complete sentences.
Mandarin Numbers Audio Preview. This course is the complete Mandarin basic-level language program developed by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). The course has been used for over thirty years by United States government diplomats and officers for learning the Mandarin language. Other popular language programs (including Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur) rely heavily on the methods pioneered in.
A great selection of free maths games involving ordering numbers. They range from a basic level for younger children to educational games that will provide more of a challenge for able Key Stage 1 children. Caterpillar Ordering. A flexible game for ordering numbers and for number sequences. Fantastic on an interactive whiteboard. Early levels involve ordering numbers up to 5. Not Flash.
Designed, made and dispatched from the UK. More than 500 paintings to choose from. Customized paint by numbers. UK Next Day Delivery on all products. Sizes from 40x50cm to 80x120cm.
The Numbers Game is a new game concept that resembles the memory game play but with some interesting differences, which makes the game more exciting and flexible. The Numbers Game consists of four sets of 20 cards. Each set has a set of numbers running from 1 to 20. The goal of the game is to collect one set of 20 cards. However, the cards may only be added to your collection in ascending.
Oct 5, 2018 - Numbers 1-10: Chinese Word Work and Activities (Mandarin ).
For Mandarin learners, mastering numbers helps to lay a solid foundation to the learning of many other concepts where numbers play an essential and inseparable part, such as talking about time and shopping. This practical activity pack provides a wide range of entertaining activities and drilling exercises focusing on developing students’ different language skills. It enables teachers.
Mandarin Numbers. Showing top 8 worksheets in the category - Mandarin Numbers. Some of the worksheets displayed are Mandarin chinese vocabulary and chinese characters, Chinese mandarin world language, Chinese numbers 1 10, Greetings in mandarin chinese sample transcript, Chinese character writing exercise, Eight five four hundered, 100 chart, Counting practice from 1 to 50.
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Mandarin Numbers. Displaying all worksheets related to - Mandarin Numbers. Worksheets are Mandarin chinese vocabulary and chinese characters, Chinese mandarin world language, Chinese numbers 1 10, Greetings in mandarin chinese sample transcript, Chinese character writing exercise, Eight five four hundered, 100 chart, Counting practice from 1 to 50.
Mandarin is the only official language of China. Children in China are taught Mandarin in school and Mandarin is the language for national TV and radio so fluency is fast increasing. There are many more speakers of Mandarin than there are of Cantonese.
With an immersive atmosphere and several full pay games, video poker players can enjoy nearly 10 different games, either in single- or multi-hand varieties. To top it all off, The Mandarin Palace has a host of table and specialty games. With four different keno variants and gold and standard editions of blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and three.
How to write numbers 1 to 10 in Chinese The Year 2s have been learning how to count and write numbers to 10. They have done an amazing job.
Learn chinese numbers 1 100 mandarin with free interactive flashcards. Choose from 500 different sets of chinese numbers 1 100 mandarin flashcards on Quizlet.
Mandarin was originally a dialect of Northern China, before being chosen as the standard form of Chinese in order to help unify China. 2. The Mandarin language has almost a billion speakers. Mandarin is famous for being the most natively spoken language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is primarily spoken in mainland China. 3. Mandarin is the.
This teaching resource is perfect for helping your children learn the Chinese Mandarin numbers from 0-10.You could teach your children the numbers from 0-10 in Chinese Mandarin during Chinese New Year. Have them copy out the numbers and test them at the end to see how many they can remember.This resource is very flexible and can be used as an aid to number recognition and ordering.
Last updated: August 26, 2017 at 19:57 pm In order to count from 1 to 100 in Mandarin Chinese, one only needs to know how to say the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
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