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We are proud to announce that we have officially become sponsors of Newbold-On-Avon Rugby Football Club for the 2016/2017!
On Thursday 25th August, we presented brand new Häfele sponsored rugby shirts to the Newbold-On-Avon RFC under-13 team and unveiled two new advertisement boards on the main stand. Craig Chambers, the newly appointed Managing Director of Häfele<|fim_middle|> Häfele News and on our Twitter and Facebook accounts, as the team look to kick on from their successful campaign last year. | UK was on hand to meet the team and present the kits, alongside the Häfele UK marketing team including Chloe Thacker, Becci Pell and Harry Wheatcroft.
The under-14 team, coached and managed by two of our Häfele employees, Lee Dicey and Gareth Bevan – were thrilled with their new shirts, which fuelled the team's passion to kick off the 2016-2017 season in style! The excitement of the team was shared by The Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Mrs Sally Bragg who was in attendance to share in the memorable evening for both Häfele UK and Newbold-On-Avon RFC.
The Newbold-On-Avon RFC ground is just a stone's throw away from the Häfele UK Head Office and we are thrilled to have re-established our partnership with a club that is integral to the local community, where so many of our loyal employees hail from.
Häfele UK has a had great association with Newbold-On-Avon RFC through the years, from sponsoring team kits, to fundraising for the club and holding Häfele staff events at the Newbold-On-Avon RFC club house. We look forward to building on this successfully partnership in the future and wish success to all of the Newbold-On-Avon RFC team in the 2016-17 season and beyond.
Keep your eye out for updates on the Newbold-On-Avon RFC under-13 team on | 300 |
What Inventors Need to Know About Trade Shows
Bringing Innovation to Market
They can help you grow your business -- when the timing is right and you have a solid game plan.
By Stephen KeyCo-founder, InventRight@stephenkeymedia
If you're serious about bringing your ideas for products to market, you should absolutely attend trade shows. They're always eye-opening. The only way to truly understand the mechanics of any industry is by attending its trade shows.
One guarantee? You'll be overwhelmed.
I've attended all kinds of shows over the course of my career as a product developer, including toys, back-to-school, pet, housewares, hardware, electronic, promotional, music, and more. Checking out the latest innovations and making new friends at a trade show never fails to inspire me.
But I've also wasted a lot of time attending the wrong shows and not having clearly defined goals. When you're starting out, it's especially important that you make good decisions. Your resources are limited! Preparation is key.
At trade shows, I meet inventors who have spent years and tens of thousands of dollars getting ready to show their product to the world. They've paid for a booth and now today's the big day.
Congratulations! Displaying your product at your first show is exciting, not to mention a little daunting.
Others inventors just starting out are carrying working prototypes with them. Still, there's the cost of lodging and transit, which add up.
Either way, what's important is that you consider early on how to take full advantage of the show. Trade shows are expensive. You need to make the most of your investment.
Are you clear on who can help you move your business forward?
How will you get in front of those people?
Like I said, attending a trade show can be enormously beneficial for product developers. But, I'd argue, not unless you have a distinct end game in mind -- a clear purpose for attending.
Important questions for product developers to consider include:
When should I attend a trade show?
Which show should I attend?
Should I pay for a booth or work the show by walking the aisles?
The short answer is, it all depends on what your goals are.
Basically, are you looking for a licensee? Or do you intend on venturing, which is to say, become a manufacturer yourself?
Licensing and venturing are two distinct strategies for getting to market. I licensed many concepts and had a successful venture selling creatively shaped and marketed guitar picks. I'm a big fan of licensing as a business model, which I've written about at length online for nearly 10 years now.
At the last trade show I attended, I asked inventors why they were there and what they hoped to accomplish. Over two days, I visited more than 100 booths located in the inventor section of the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
Most of the inventors I spoke to weren't sure about their goals. They could not articulate a concrete game plan. They were hopeful their product would be discovered -- that a buyer for a major retailer would walk by, and that would be that. Like Marilyn Monroe!
When I started inventing new products, I had similar hopes. I was convinced that if the right person saw my ideas, I'd be set. Then I'd become successful. My ideas were that good.
But that's a dream, not a plan. In reality, entrepreneurship is never that simple.
For example: A major retailer could walk by, stop at your booth, and fall in love with your product. They might even want to carry it in their product line.
But that is unlikely to happen, because big-box stores work with manufacturers that are established and have a proven track record. They want you to have worked out all of the bugs selling in hundreds of smaller retailers first. By that time, you'll have keyed in on the right price point and packaging.
And because of the effort required to become a vendor, retailers like these prefer companies that have a line of products, not just one.
For example, WalMart began selling my products only after they were successful in 7-Eleven stores for a few years. When my company became a vendor, thousands of retailers carried our products. Meaning, there was no risk. I was in business; I could ship. I had a warehouse.
Some inventors told me they hoped their favorite retailer would want to license their product idea. Which doesn't make a lot of sense... because that's not what major retailers typically do.
Many of them have their own private label brands, true. But these products aren't innovative. They're generics that have sold extremely well for many years. There's an established market for these items. Taking on a brand new idea -- one without a sales record -- is too risky. It just isn't part of their strategy.
Big-picture<|fim_middle|> a proven track record.
You see, distributors distribute. They don't sell. The first time I heard that priceless bit of insight was at a music trade show in Southern California. At the time, our guitar picks were in about 100 stores. To my delight, we even won "Best in Show."
Our next step was to find a distributor, or so my partner and I thought. But when a distributor came by our booth, he explained why his company would not carry our products -- yet.
"We carry thousands of products, Steve. You must create demand for yours. Stores need to be asking us for them. Then we'll distribute your picks in our catalog. But please realize: We do not sell. If you're in our catalog but people are not asking for you, we cannot help."
That was an eye-opener. Our next step was actually to keep taking orders, it turned out.
Reasons to Delay Purchasing a Booth
Showing your product at a trade show increases your chances of being copied. That's one good reason to delay purchasing a booth at a trade show until you're in a position to act fast. At the hardware show, I met an inventor who was worried that everyone was taking photos of his invention. I would be too.
If you're in business and looking for retailer buyers, my advice is to get in the main room. Yes, it's going to be much more expensive. But that way, they know you're serious -- that they can buy from you and feel confident you'll deliver.
When you're starting out, retailers know you'll have more difficulty filling orders and your price point is likely to be high because you don't have the volume. That's just a fact.
If you're venturing, I recommend getting into a few retailers before you attend a trade show. These experiences are invaluable. At that point, you'll have developed a pricing structure that works and figured out how to package your product so that it sells at retail. By then, you'll be much more familiar with the landscape and the lingo.
There are potential benefits to getting a booth sooner, like receiving critical feedback. Does your packaging work? What about your signage? How about your pitch? Practice makes perfect. Consider taking advantage of any opportunities to present to a panel of experts.
If a buyer does walk by, make sure to get their opinion and contact information. If you were selling in other stores, would they be interested in carrying your product too? What would need to be different?
For example, one inventor I spoke with said a buyer had told him: "Your end cap would never hold up at mass market. Make it sturdier."
If you receive positive feedback, you can use it strategically later on. "At the show, the buyer for this company told me he would carry it...."
This is a form of pull-through marketing, which can be used to secure a licensing deal.
If you are going to have a booth, make sure to bring someone with you. You need to be able to leave and visit others to move your business forward.
Using Trade Shows to License Your Product Idea
If your goal is to license your product idea, I highly recommend walking the show to identify potential licensees. There is no need to have a booth at this point. The likelihood of the right people at the right companies walking by is low, at best. So don't wait. Don't take that chance. You need to approach companies that work with outside product developers and are a good fit.
Paul Sorenson, the inventor of a more efficient spatula, attended the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas this spring because a new licensee was rolling out his product. Quickly, he realized just how important it is to spend time closely looking at the show's Exhibitor List prior to registering.
"Attending a show where your product is debuting or displayed is not required, but always cool. It's similar to seeing your product in stores: Just a great feeling. That said... there are a lot of costs associated with any show. You want to make sure there is direct value to you and your current product before committing to go," he emphasized.
There turned out to be very few manufacturers that would be a good fit for invention licensing opportunities at this show, Sorenson said. The audience was pizza restaurant owners, meaning there was "every variety of flour, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, spices, beans, meats, mushrooms, chicken, and gelato imaginable. The bonus was 95 percent of booths had samples of pizza."
In total, Sorenson found less than a dozen companies that he would consider pitching new ideas to at the show. They were all open to receiving new product ideas, which is encouraging. So, the show wasn't a wash, but you do the math.
Full disclosure: Sorenson coaches product developers for inventRight, the company I co-founded in 1999.
Focus on building relationships with the companies you would like to invent for. There is no substitute for meeting face-to-face. Make sure to collect cards from everyone you meet you so can follow up later.
How to Make the Best Impression Exhibiting Your Product
Some presentations at the hardware show really impressed me. But many more booths needed some work.
Great thought should be given to how you debut your product at a trade show. This is the time to look your best. Your marketing materials, which include you, need to be spot-on. Between signage, travel, hotel, meals and the help of an assistant, you can quickly spend between $10,000 and $15,000 even on a budget.
1. Focus on showcasing the benefit of your product as clearly as possible. At some booths, I stared at the big banner in front of me for several minutes but still wasn't quite sure: What was the benefit? What was the product? This is a major problem.
2. Be able to communicate your product and its benefit quickly. This is not easy to do. You can't wing in. You need to hone in on one sentence that delivers a punch and use it over and over again on your marketing materials and in person. Strive to be clear and concise. If you've keyed in on a winner, you will engage your customer within seconds. Potentially without a product, even! When people get it instantly, without any visuals at all, that's when you know you have a great one-line benefit statement.
At trade shows, anything is possible. Entire industries are gathered sans gatekeepers! Use these tips to plan ahead so that your effort is truly worthwhile. | wise, you should never wait for something to happen, like getting discovered. The odds aren't great.
In reality, most of inventors I spoke with were not in a position to capitalize on interest from a major retailer anyway. They had paid for a small production run and were not actively taking orders.
Making the Decision to Purchase a Booth
If you purchase a booth at any tradeshow, you need to be ready to ship product. That's my opinion. You should already be selling your products in retail stores and online. That is to say, in business.
In that case, maybe you're hoping to find a distributor at the show.
The good news is, distributors do walk by and are looking for new products. But they too seek products that have | 153 |
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cites.es
You are in: CITES
The CITES Convention
Authorities in Spain
Permits and Certificates
CITES Controls in Spain
CITES Legislation
Useful links and documents
Information for private individuals
Noticias CITES
- Questions relating to the CITES Convention (questions 1–8)
- Questions about CITES permits and certificates in the EU (questions 9–21)
- Other questions relating to CITES controls in Spain (questions 22–29)
How do I know whether a species is protected by the CITES Convention?
What kind of species are listed in the CITES Convention?
Is the CITES Convention applied equally in all countries?
Are there<|fim_middle|> certificate after each transaction, etc.
26 Am I allowed to import primates to be kept as pets in Spain?
The whole scientific order of Primates is protected by CITES, and the species belonging to this order are included in Appendix I or II of the Convention (Annex A or B of EU Regulations), hence, trade therein is prohibited or regulated. Further, trade in primates is also restricted for health reasons, and is limited to organizations, institutions, or centres that are duly accredited in accordance with the provisions of European and national laws (Directive 92/65/EC, and Royal Decree 1881/1994). These provisions lay down the animal health requirements applicable to certain animal species in intra-Community trade and trade with non-EU countries, and there is no provision for keeping primate species as pets on private premises.
Furthermore, each Autonomous Region is competent to implement regional regulations.
27 What might happen if I don't have the necessary CITES documents?
If you do not have the correct CITES documents for a shipment of CITES goods awaiting import or export at an EU border, the goods may be seized, and a sanctioning procedure will be commenced that could lead to payment of a fine or imprisonment. Similar rules are applied at a national level in the case of CITES specimens being sold without the required documents. For further information, see the section on Sanction Laws.
28 Are there some exemptions for private individuals travelling with any goods containing CITES specimens?
For certain items of CITES species listed in Annex B (in no case, Annex A) of Regulation (EC) 338/97, no CITES documents are required for introduction, export, or re-export, provided that said items are personal or household effects for non-commercial purposes travelling in the personal luggage of travellers to or from non-EU countries. This exception applies solely to CITES specimens for non-commercial purposes; accordingly, it is not applicable to specimens purchased via the Internet, imports, exports, or re-exports made by companies or legal persons:
a) (caviar of sturgeon species (Acipenseriformes spp.), up to a maximum of 125 grams per person, in containers that are individually marked in accordance with Article 66(6) of Regulation (EC) 865/2006 ;
b) rainsticks of Cactaceae spp., up to three per person;
c) dead worked specimens of Crocodylia spp., excluding meat and hunting trophies, up to four per person, (this includes manufactured goods or garments containing crocodile skin, e.g., bags, belts, coats, etc. A pair of shoes is considered as two specimens; thus, the maximum allowance in this case is two pairs of shoes.);
d) shells of Strombus gigas (known as queen conch or pink conch), up to three per person;
e) Hippocampus spp. (seahorses) up to four dead specimens per person;
f) shells of Tridacnidae spp. (giant clams) up to three specimens per person not exceeding three kg in total, where a specimen may be one intact shell or two matching halves.
g) specimens of agarwood (Aquilaria spp. and Gyrinops spp.) — up to 1 Kg woodchips, 24 ml oil, and two sets of beads or prayer beads (or two necklaces or bracelets) per person.
If these goods are exported or re-exported to a non-EU country, the destination country should also accept these exceptions, taking into consideration that they are granted under internal EU regulations.
29 What is the EU seal regime?
It is a legislative framework, put in place in 2009, which introduced a general ban on the placing of seal products on the EU market. The placing on the EU market is only allowed for seal hunts traditionally conducted by the Inuit and other indigenous communities which contribute to the subsistence of these communities. In this case, the seal product must be accompanied by an original Attesting Document confirming that the conditions for this exception have been met. More information here.
Subd. Gral. de Inspección, Certificación y Asistencia Técnica del Comercio | different degrees of control in respect of trade in CITES species?
Do the listings of species that are protected by the Convention ever change?
Where can I obtain a copy of the full list of species included in the CITES Convention?
What is the purpose of issuing CITES documents?
When I am travelling as a tourist to other countries, what should I be aware of?
Where can I obtain a list of the species that cannot be imported into the EU?
What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex A into the EU?
What do I have to do if I wish to purchase a specimen of a species listed in Annex A in the EU?
What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex A from the EU?
What do I need to import a specimen of a species included in Annex B into the EU?
What documents do I need to acquire a specimen of a species listed in Annex B in the EU?
What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species included in Annex B from the EU?
What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex C into the EU?
What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex C from the EU?
What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex D into the EU?
What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex D from the EU?
What do I need to acquire a specimen of a species listed in Annex C or D in the EU?
What is a CITES Personal Ownership Certificate?
Where can I process an application for a CITES DOCUMENTS, and for registration as a CITES breeding facility in Spain?
Is there any charge for the issue of CITES documents?
Is it mandatory to register with the SOIVRE to breed specimens of CITES species?
Am I obliged to mark captive-bred specimens in order to obtain an EU CITES Certificate?
Am I allowed to import primates to be kept as pets in Spain?
What might happen if I don't have the necessary CITES documents?
Are there some exemptions for private individuals travelling with any goods containing CITES specimens?
What is the EU seal regime?
1 How do I know whether a species is protected by the CITES Convention?
First of all, you need to know the scientific name of the species, which is the internationally accepted form of referring to a species. The different levels of protection provided are specified at the level of species, as defined scientifically, and may encompass local populations, or entire families or orders.
If you only know the common name of a plant or animal, you should start by finding out its accepted scientific name in order to find out its legal status in terms of protection. Bear in mind that sometimes a species may have several synonyms, or common names that vary depending on the region or country concerned, e.g., the species known by the scientific name of Psittacus erithacus is commonly known as jaco, red-tailed African grey parrot, African grey, etc.; Dalbergia nigra wood is known as palisander, Rio rosewood, Bahia rosewood, etc.
You can find the accepted scientific and common names, and also the level of protection afforded the species, on the following websites:
http://www.cites.org/en/resources/species.html
http://www.speciesplus.net/
2 What kind of species are listed in the CITES Convention?
The Convention regulates trade in over 34,000 species, including approximately 29,000 plant species (85%), and 5,000 animal species (15%). What all these species have in common is that international trade is, or could become a threat to their survival in the wild; accordingly, trade in these species has to be controlled, or in some cases, prohibited.
The CITES Convention covers both live and dead specimens, including parts, derivatives, extracts, etc., which means that skins, shells, ivory, seeds, flowers, musical instruments, or crafted objects made from these species are also subject to CITES controls. Protection, therefore, encompasses any product that contains (or claims to contain on its label) parts, ingredients, or derivatives of the relevant CITES species.
Protected animals include mammals (elephants, leopards, dolphins…), birds (eagles, parrots, ducks…), reptiles (tortoises, crocodiles, snakes, chameleons…), amphibians (frogs, salamanders…), arachnids (spiders, tarantulas, scorpions…), insects (beetles, butterflies…), as well as sharks, corals, eels, caviar, leeches, and many other species. Protected plant species include plants (orchids, agaves, cacti, cycads…), and wood (mahogany, palisander, rosewood, palo santo...).
3 Is the CITES Convention applied equally in all countries?
The Decisions adopted by the Parties to the CITES Convention (which has been signed by the majority of countries) at their periodic meetings —usually referred to as Conferences of the Parties— are binding on its members. Nonetheless, countries may opt to adopt stricter regulations in their countries, e.g., the EU implements stricter CITES regulations in some aspects, which means that trade in certain species is more strictly controlled in the EU; sometimes, protection is afforded to species that are not listed in the Appendices to the Convention.
The 28 EU Member States apply common trade regulations that include CITES regulations. This means that if trade in a species is restricted or prohibited in one of the EU Member States, trade will also be restricted or prohibited in all Member States. However, EU laws do allow Member States to apply national regulations and particularities such as in the case of sanction laws, or the application of national restrictions in respect of certain autochthonous species.
Further information on national, European, and international regulations is available in the "Legislation" section.
4 Are there different degrees of control in respect of trade in CITES species?
The CITES Convention lists protected species in three Appendices. The highest level of protection is granted to species listed in Appendix I, in which international trade is basically prohibited, except in a few specific cases. The next level of protection is for species listed in Appendix II. International trade, in this case, is subject to control, and may be restricted. Species listed in Appendix III are included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species in its country, and needs the cooperation of other countries to regulate trade therein.
EU regulations define four similar Annexes: A, B, C, and D; Annex A is the most restrictive as regards permitted activities and requirements to be met.
More details on the different CITES Appendices and Annexes are available in the section headed "The Convention" on this website.
5 Do the listings of species that are protected by the Convention ever change?
Yes, sometimes the listings are modified. Changes in the international trade demand for certain species, scientific studies on wild populations, the recovery of a population as a result of control measures, etc., make it necessary for the listings to be periodically reviewed in order to include, exclude, or modify the level of protection afforded to the listed species.
Accordingly, amendments to Appendices I and II of the Convention are adopted at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties, which take place approximately every two or three years. Amendments to Appendix III may be adopted at the request of a Party, at any time, and notified to the remaining Parties by means of a Notification to the Parties from the CITES Secretariat.
From time to time, the EU publishes Regulations to amend Annexes A, B, C, and D of the Regulation that implements the CITES Convention in the EU. These Annexes take into consideration the amendments adopted by the Conference of the Parties, and also the specificities of the EU.
6 Where can I obtain a copy of the full list of species included in the CITES Convention?
The CITES Secretariat publishes updated versions of Appendices I, II, and III of the CITES Convention on its website:
http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php
In the case of EU listings, the most recent Regulation published to include amendments to Annexes A, B, C, and D for implementation of the Convention is Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/160 of 1 december 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein.
They are also available, together with the decisions adopted by the EU, in https://www.speciesplus.net/.
7 What is the purpose of issuing CITES documents?
CITES permits and certificates are issued by countries that are Parties to the Convention to authorize the movement of specimens belonging to species that are listed in the Appendices, i.e., to regulate imports, exports and re-exports outside a specific territory. The CITES Convention does not regulate the movement of specimens within a country, given that this is duly regulated by national laws.
CITES documents are required regardless of the authorized purpose of the trade (commercial, scientific, zoological, personal, etc.), or the source of the specimen (from the wild, captive-bred, artificially propagated, pre-Convention, etc.). Depending on which CITES Appendix the species is listed in, and on the legal origin or source of the specimen, trade might be prohibited or highly restricted for certain purposes.
8 When I am travelling as a tourist to other countries, what should I be aware of?
Many tourist destinations offer exotic souvenirs that are made from animal or plant species; sometimes, even live animals are offered for sale. The simple fact that an item is displayed for sale does not necessarily mean that it has been legally acquired. It is important, therefore, to act responsibly when buying, and to find out the source of the specimen that is on sale, and where applicable, to ensure that you obtain the necessary permits to allow you to take the goods out of the country and bring them into Spain.
The following are examples of goods that are frequently sold, and which may have been obtained from an illegal source according to the provisions of the CITES Convention, or lack the necessary documents: corals, caviar, ivory, parrots, tortoises, butterflies, primates, cacti, orchids, products used in traditional Asian medicine, reptile skin handbags, etc.
In case of doubt, it is preferable to avoid purchasing this type of products in street markets, from street vendors, or establishments that do not seem reliable. By doing so, you will be helping to protect threatened species from unregulated trade.
For further information, consult the Wildlife Souvenirs Guide, published by the EU Commission. The Guide provides specific recommendations for certain tourist destinations.
9 Where can I obtain a list of the species that cannot be imported into the EU?
On an almost yearly basis, the EU publishes a Regulation that includes a list of the wildlife species whose introduction has been suspended in all EU Member States, i.e., no imports of the listed species are allowed, which means that their trade is prohibited in the EU.
Species included in the Suspensions Regulation are basically wildlife species in respect of which it has not been possible to determine whether their removal from the wild is detrimental to the conservation status of the species concerned, and invasive species that might represent en ecological threat to autochthonous wildlife species in the EU.
The most recent regulation published is Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 578/2013 of 17 June 2013, which suspends the introduction of specimens of certain wildlife species into the EU.
10 What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex A into the EU?
First, you will need a CITES export permit from the exporting country (i.e., a non-EU country). Prior to importing the goods, you will use a copy of this document to apply for a CITES import permit in the EU destination country. In the case of Spain, the application for this permit can be submitted: directly, at any of the SOIVRE Inspection Services, at the Territorial/Provincial Directorates for Trade; or electronically, by submitting both the application form and payment on-line using a digital certificate.
The actual CITES import should be made at one of the authorized entry/exit points for CITES specimens: in the case of Spain, these are 12 of the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade.
Further, if the wildlife specimens concerned belong to species listed in Appendix I of the CITES Convention, prior to issue of a CITES export permit, you will be required to submit proof that import into the EU will be authorized. In Spain, the document that serves this purpose is the so-called "preliminary import permit".
When importing certain live and/or wild specimens into the EU, you may be required to submit a breeding project in order to justify the need for their import. Such specimens are subject to a stricter level of CITES control; accordingly, it is recommended that the CITES import permit application be submitted at least one month in advance of the specimens arriving in the EU.
It is important to note that the CITES import permit should be authorized PRIOR to the arrival of goods at their destination, and that the import permit is not the only requirement to be fulfilled – there are also a number of health and legal requirements to be met.
11 What do I have to do if I wish to purchase a specimen of a species listed in Annex A in the EU?
If you purchase a specimen of a species listed in Annex A of Regulation (EC) 338/97 in the EU, you will have to submit an original EU CITES Certificate. Photocopies, documents that have been altered (unless any such alteration has been authenticated by the issuing authority), or documents that do not include the relevant annexes, if applicable, are not valid.
There are some exceptions to the EU CITES Certificate requirement: artificially propagated plants, worked antiques such as jewellery, art, or musical instruments acquired before 01.06.1947, and birds of species listed in Annex X of Regulation (EC) 865/2006 that are marked with a closed ring and were captive-bred in the EU; for this exemption to apply, you will need to show evidence to prove that the specimen was obtained legally in accordance with the provisions of CITES. The aforementioned exceptions are only valid within the scope of the EU, and imports, exports, and re-exports of these specimens to or from countries outside the EU will require all relevant CITES permits and certificates.
Before buying a specimen, it is your responsibility to ensure that the CITES document you receive is valid, and that it contains no restrictions regarding the subsequent sale, transfer, breeding activities, exhibition, etc., of the specimen concerned. You should also check the validity of the document, and ensure that any marking requirements, where applicable, are met.
The death of a live animal should be notified to any of the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade, and the original Certificate issued in respect of the specimen returned.
12 What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex A from the EU?
You will need a CITES Export Permit (or a re-export certificate), issued by the Management Authority in the EU country from which the specimen will be exported. In the case of Spain, this is issued through the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade. Application forms may be submitted at any of the SOIVRE Inspection Services, or online, if you have a digital certificate, in which case you should submit both the application form and payment electronically.
The export or re-export of CITES goods should be made at one of the authorized entry/exit points for CITES specimens, which, in Spain, are 12 of the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade.
Application forms should include all necessary documents, as applicable: EU CITES Certificate, EU import permit, proof of legal origin of the goods, purpose of the trade, markings (marking is mandatory for live vertebrates), etc.
Prior to the goods leaving the exporting country, the exporter/re-exporter is responsible for ensuring that the destination country will authorize the import of CITES specimens into the country. Furthermore, the goods should also comply with any other applicable health and legal requirements.
13 What do I need to import a specimen of a species included in Annex B into the EU?
A CITES export permit is required from the exporting country (i.e., from a country that is not a member of the EU-27) for specimens of species listed in Appendix II of the CITES Convention (and Appendix III in the case of the country that requested their inclusion). A copy of this document is necessary to apply for the relevant CITES import permit in the EU destination country prior to the goods being imported.
In Spain, this permit can be requested directly at the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade, or on-line —if you have a digital certificate— by submitting both the application form and payment electronically.
The actual import of CITES goods should be made at one of the authorized introduction/export points for import or export of CITES specimens, which, in Spain, are 12 of the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade.
It is important to remember that the CITES import permit should be authorized PRIOR to the arrival of goods at their destination; it is not enough merely to have submitted the import permit application.
14 What documents do I need to acquire a specimen of a species listed in Annex B in the EU?
If you acquire a specimen of a species included in Annex B of Regulation (EC) 338/97 in the EU, you will have to be able to show proof of legal origin as provided by CITES.
In the case of goods that were previously imported into the EU, you should have the original CITES import permit, or otherwise, a document that confirms their import into the EU, e.g., an invoice showing details of the relevant import permit number, and full identification of the goods.
In the case of specimens originating from the EU, proof will be required by the competent Authorities of their origin from the wild, or otherwise, their origin as captive-bred animals; such proof will require documents or evidence to confirm the origin of parental stock, date of birth, markings, etc.
15 What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species included in Annex B from the EU?
You will need a CITES export permit (or re-export certificate) issued by the Management Authority of the EU exporting country; in Spain, this document is obtained through the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade. Application forms may be submitted directly at any of the SOIVRE Inspection Offices or on-line, if you have a digital certificate, by submitting the application form and payment electronically.
The actual export or re-export of CITES goods should be made at one of the authorized entry/exit points for CITES specimens, which, in Spain, are 12 of the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade (SOIVRE Inspection Services).
Application forms should include all necessary documents, as applicable: EU import permit, proof of legal origin of the goods, information regarding captive-breeding and origin of parental stock, date of birth, markings, etc.
Prior to the goods leaving the exporting country, the exporter/re-exporter is responsible for ensuring that the destination country will authorize the import of the CITES specimens into the country. Furthermore, the goods should also comply with any other applicable health and legal requirements.
16 What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex C into the EU?
Unlike in the case of species listed in Annexes A and B, there is no need to apply for CITES documents prior to the goods arriving in the EU.
A CITES export permit will be required if the specimens are of a species listed in Appendix III of the CITES Convention and are to be imported from a country of origin that has requested the inclusion of the species in CITES Appendix III. Otherwise, proof of legal origin of the goods will be sufficient, for which purpose a CITES export permit (or re-export certificate) or a certificate of origin issued by the relevant Management Authority is acceptable.
At the point of import into the EU, a CITES Import Notification should be completed on arrival of the goods at one of the authorized EU entry points, which, in the case of Spain, are the 12 SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Territorial/Provincial Directorates for Trade. Goods should also comply with any applicable health and legal requirements.
17 What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex C from the EU?
You will need a CITES export permit (or re-export certificate), issued by the Management Authority in the EU country from which the specimen will be exported. In the case of Spain, this is issued through the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade. Application forms may be submitted at any of the SOIVRE Inspection Services, or online, if you have a digital certificate, in which case you should submit both the application form and payment electronically.
The actual export or re-export of CITES goods should be made at one of the authorized entry/exit points for CITES specimens, which, in the case of Spain, are the 12 aforementioned Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade.
Application forms should include all necessary documents, as applicable: EU import notification, proof of legal origin of goods, captive-breeding information, i.e., legal origin of parental stock, date of birth, markings, etc.
18 What do I need to import a specimen of a species listed in Annex D into the EU?
The same applies here as for Annex C: there is no need to apply for a CITES document prior to the goods arriving in the EU.
You will only have to complete the relevant CITES Import Notification on arrival of the goods at one of the authorized EU entry points, which, in the case of Spain, are the 12 SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Territorial/Provincial Directorates for Trade.
19 What do I need to re-export a specimen of a species listed in Annex D from the EU?
In this case, no specific CITES document is required. Nonetheless, you should have proof of legal origin, e.g., CITES Import Notification, purchase invoice, document issued by a competent authority that specimen was taken from the wild, proof that specimen was captive-bred, etc.
20 What do I need to acquire a specimen of a species listed in Annex C or D in the EU?
In this case, no specific CITES document is required. Nonetheless, you should have proof of legal origin, e.g., CITES Import Notification, purchase invoice, document issued by a competent authority that specimen was taken from the wild, proof that specimen was captive-bred, etc., which will be required should you subsequently re-export the specimen.
21 What is a CITES Personal Ownership Certificate?
A CITES Personal Ownership Certificate is used to facilitate travel to different countries with personally-owned, live, CITES-listed animals (pets) without having to apply for a CITES import or export permit every time you enter or leave the EU; this certificate is valid for a period of three years.
The Certificate is valid for legally acquired, live animals of species listed in Annexes A, B, or C of Regulation (EC) 338/97 that are kept for personal non-commercial purposes (i.e., as pets). The certificate is only valid when each specimen is permanently marked, and the certificate-holder is travelling with the specimen, which should comply with any applicable health or legal requirements.
22 Where can I process an application for a CITES DOCUMENTS, and for registration as a CITES breeding facility in Spain?
You can process applications for CITES permits and certificates at any of the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade, where you can also register any breeding facilities for captive-bred CITES specimens, and obtain information about CITES controls in Spain.
Imports, exports, and re-exports of CITES specimens should be carried out at one of the authorized introduction/export points for imports or exports of CITES specimens, which in Spain are 12 of the Provincial and Territorial Directorates.
23 Is there any charge for the issue of CITES documents?
In Spain, CITES fees for processing applications, and issuing CITES permits and certificates are charged according to the fee schedule included in the second additional provision of Law 32/2007. Preliminary Import Permits, Import Notifications, and Protected Species Inspection Certificates (DIEPs) are the only documents that are exempt from payment of these fees.
Full information on the fee schedule is available in the section "CITES Fees" on our website.
24 Is it mandatory to register with the SOIVRE to breed specimens of CITES species?
In the case of species listed in Annex A of Regulation (EC) 338/97, registration with one of the SOIVRE Inspection Services at the Provincial and Territorial Directorates for Trade is mandatory, in order to enable the appropriate controls, and issue of EU CITES Certificates.
In the case of species included in Annex B of Regulation (EC) 338/97, registration with the SOIVRE Inspection Services is not compulsory. However, this does not mean that you are exempt from proving the legal origin of the parental stock and its offspring; accordingly, registration is advisable to facilitate controls and justification of subsequent commercial transactions or CITES exports.
Registration with the SOIVRE Inspection Services is not mandatory for species listed in Annexes C or D of Regulation (EC) 338/97.
25 Am I obliged to mark captive-bred specimens in order to obtain an EU CITES Certificate?
As provided by EU regulations, a live vertebrate of a species listed in Annex A should be marked according to the provisions of Article 66 of Regulation (EC) 865/2006 for an EU CITES Certificate to be issued. As a general rule, birds shall be marked by means of a uniquely marked, seamlessly-closed ring; except for a few duly justified cases, all other live vertebrates shall be marked by means of an ISO-compliant tamper-resistant microchip.
The CITES document that is issued for permanently-marked (closed rings, microchips, tattoos) specimens is a specimen-specific Certificate that allows several transactions to be made throughout EU territory without having to replace the document every time there is a change of ownership. Further, the document has no expiry date, unless there is a change in the circumstances in which the Certificate was originally issued.
Nonetheless, if proof is submitted to the CITES Management Authority that the physical characteristics of a specimen mean that it is not safe to apply an appropriate marking method, a Specific Transaction Certificate may be issued, which shall include special conditions in each case regarding the identification method, expiry date, the need to replace the | 5,668 |
We spend hours thinking, desining, questioning, also you can spend a few seconds lost them one mement.
No time to think, just reaction, focus. All the worry in the one washed away by the rush.
when creation ovewrites the destruction, well, that's living!
Balance a bike all right.Keep the pedals turning.Forget about everything except right now.And there's no place you can't ride.
Complex by design, simple by nature. The bike is nothing<|fim_middle|> and out of experience, stories, advanture, grand ends.
Inevitably, the ride stops.Lost but not entirely gone.For now, as far as we can tell, the cycle of life, well, it never ends. | more than circles turning circles.
how mutch it can already do, the pushing doesn't stop, we still haven't found the edge.
No matter how well we build things, no matter how hard we love them, like everything else, for whatever reason, there're forces in the end to take it all away.
One day the river meets the sea, and then that's not a river any more. It's past through the the wheels of change, in | 93 |
List of minor planets: 35001–36000
Texas (disambiguation)
Richard Schayer (13 December 1880 – 13 March 1956) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for over 100 films between 1916 and 1956.
He was born in Washington, D.C., son of Col. George Frederick Schayer and writer Julia Schayer, and died in Hollywood, California. He was one of seven studio executives who worked at Universal Pictures during the golden age of Laemmle management.
Selected filmography
Indian Uprising (1952)
Kim (1950)
The Iroquois Trail (1950)
Night World (1932)
Trader Horn (1931)
Children of Pleasure (1930)
Hallelujah! (1929)
Where East is East (1929)
Devil-May-Care (1929)
The Frontier Trail (1926)
The Seventh Bandit (1926)
Silk Stocking Sal (1924)
The Dangerous Flirt (1924)
Ride for Your Life (1924)
Hook and Ladder (1924)
The Thrill Chaser (1923)
The Ram<|fim_middle|> laid down the royal flush and reached to claim my gold
The cowboy stood and faced me, his hands hung on his hips
A look of hate was in his eyes and the smile had left his lips
He said, ?Young man, slap leather, I'm known for miles around
To keep my reputation about I got to gun you down?
White lightnin' speeded through that fire, one life will be the cost
The cowboy crumbled to the floor, his reputation lost
Now years have come and years have gone and many men have died
He's tried his luck and hoped he'd be the fastest gun alive
And in my many fights to live, I wondered if I'd won
I'm known by all the bad men, they think I kill for fun
Someday I'll meet the cowboy who's speed will meet the test
And that will in the saga of the bad man of the west | blin' Kid (1923)
The Dragon Painter (1919)
Richard Schayer at the Internet Movie Database
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Richard_Schayer
Texas /ˈtɛksəs/ (Spanish: Texas or Tejas [ˈtexas]) is a state in the United States of America. It is the second most populous and second largest state by area in the US. Geographically located in the south central part of the country, Texas shares an international border with Mexico to the south and borders the states of New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2) and a growing population of over 27.5 million residents (July 2015).
Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and seventh largest in the United States. Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest United States metropolitan statistical areas, respectively. Other major cities include Austin (the state capital) and El Paso. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic, and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texan state flag and on the Texan state seal. The origin of the state name, Texas, is from the word, "Tejas", which means 'friends' in the Caddo language.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Texas
10,000s
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/List_of_minor_planets:_35001–36000
Texas is a state of the United States of America, formerly the Republic of Texas.
Texas may also refer to:
Texas (TV series), a 1980s American television program
"Texas" (SpongeBob SquarePants episode) an episode of the American television series SpongeBob SquarePants
Texas (1941 film), a western starring William Holden and Glenn Ford
Texas (1994 film), a TV movie starring Benjamin Bratt and Patrick Duffy
Texas (2005 film), an Italian movie by Fausto Paravidino starring Paravidino and Riccardo Scamarcio
Texas (novel), by James A. Michener
Texas (band), a Scottish rock band
Texas (musical), produced annually in Canyon, Texas
Texas (album), the first full-length album by electronic/pop artist, PlayRadioPlay!
Texas (Lasse Stefanz album), a 2010 album by Swedish dansband Lasse Stefanz
"Texas (When I Die)", a song by Ed Bruce
"Texas", a song from the EP Bulldozer by Big Black
"Texas", a single from the album Nightrider by Charlie Daniels
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Texas_(disambiguation)
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Bad Man, Conway Twitty
Bad Man, Beenie Man
Bad Man, R. Kelly
Bad Man, John Dillon
Bad Man, Steel Pulse
Bad Man, Juniel
Bad Man, Buc Fifty
Bad Man, Lil' Keke
Bad Man, Mr Vegas
Bad Man, Toyah
Bad Man, Missy Elliott
Bad Man, Neon Jungle
Bad Man, Elephant Man
Bad Man, The Coral
Bad Man, Murs
Bad Man, Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott
Bad Man, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
Bad Man, Pry
Bad Man, Coral
Bad Man, Slaine
Bad Man, Bad Company
Bad Man, Randy Meisner
Bad Man, Cockney Rejects
I have the reputation that's known throughout the land
They say I'm master on the draw of any livin' man
They call me a bad man, they say I kill for fun
They say the only thing I know is how to use a gun
But they don't know the reason they branded me as bad
It started many years ago when I was just a lad
I rode into a cattle town, a boy of twenty-three
So young and yet that very day I carved my destiny
I walked into the town saloon that sad and faithful day
Then I began to gamble to pass the time away
I thought I played a hand or two then hit the thrill again
But Lady Luck was with me and I began to win
The dealer kept on dealin', the stakes were gettin' high
And pretty soon there was no one left but an old cowboy and I
The minutes seemed like hours, you couldn't hear a sound
We've been in race until we'd lay all our money down
The cowboy smiled and showed his hands, three aces he did hold
But I | 1,162 |
Rocket launch traffic report on Route 175
Traffic report on Route 175 into Chincoteague for April 17, 2019, rocket launch from NASA Wallops.
Rocket launch traffic report on Route 175 Traffic report on Route 175 into Chincoteague for April 17, 2019, rocket launch from NASA Wallops. Check out this story on delmarvanow.com: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2019/04/17/rocket-launch-traffic-report-route-175-into-chincoteague-april-17-2019/3498361002/
Laura Benedict Sileo, Salisbury Daily Times Published 2:42 p.m. ET April 17, 2019
Relive NASA Wallops rocket launches Salisbury Daily Times
If you are headed to Wallops to view today's rocket launch, prepare for traffic.
Google Maps shows Route 175, also known as Chincoteague Road, with "slow" traffic from Route 704 and east to the NASA flight facility. As of 2:30 p.m., the backup was nearing a half hour.
It also shows some traffic at intersection of Route 13.
Social media reports of the backup were posted shortly after noon. The launch is scheduled for 4:46 p.m.
Traffic backup on Route 175 ahead of NASA Wallops rocket launch on April 17, 2019, is shown by Google Maps. (Photo: Google Maps)
A social media post suggested the NASA Visitors Center was filling up fast.
More: Did you see that? Meteor spotted falling over Delmarva
<|fim_middle|>
Workers look on as a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is raised into a vertical position on Pad-0A at the Wallops Flight Facility on Monday. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A staffer takes photos as the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is raised into a vertical position on Pad-0A at Wallops Flight Facility. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
An Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft stands ready on Pad-0A Monday for Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
Read or Share this story: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2019/04/17/rocket-launch-traffic-report-route-175-into-chincoteague-april-17-2019/3498361002/
Pool party shooting suspect caught in OC: Police | Additional locations for catching the launch are Robert Reed Park in Chincoteague or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.
The beach at the Assateague Island National Seashore/Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge will not be open during the launch.
The launch is viewable along the East Coast.
PHOTOS: NASA prepares for Antares launch to ISS on Wallops Island, Va.
The Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket sits on pad 0-A at the NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 in preparation for its launch on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. MEGAN RAYMOND/SALISBURY DAILY TIMES
NASA's Horizontal Integration Facility located on Wallops Island. It is a place where they bring the multiple stages of rocket together in preparation for launch. MEGAN RAYMOND/SALISBURY DAILY TIMES
Inside the NASA's Horizontal Integration Facility located on Wallops Island. Where they are already in preparation for the next rocket launch on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. MEGAN RAYMOND/SALISBURY DAILY TIMES
NASA's social media group gets a chance to stop and take photos of the Antares rocket as it sits on pad 0-A at the NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 in preparation for its launch on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 to the International Space Station. MEGAN RAYMOND/SALISBURY DAILY TIMES
More on today's rocket launch
Where to eat, drink as you watch Wallops flight to ISS
What you need to know about NASA Wallops Antares launch to ISS
Here's where you can see NASA Antares launch to ISS
Antares rocket rolls out to launchpad for Wallops liftoff
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket rolls out to Pad-0A, Monday, April 15, 2019 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 11th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,600 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew. The launch is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket rolls out to Pad-0A, Monday, April 15, 2019 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket makes its way to Pad-0A in preparation for Wednesday's launch from the Wallops Flight Facility. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is seen as it rolls out to Pad-0A April 15 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is rolled out to Pad-0A, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for Wednesday's scheduled launch. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket moves past a sign as it makes its way to to Pad-0A Monday at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
An Antares rocket begins its journey to Pad-0A Monday at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA image by Bill Ingalls
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply spacecraft is raised into a vertical position on Pad-0A, Monday for its scheduled launch on Wednesday to the International Space Station. NASA image by Bill Ingalls | 822 |
Remarks by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia after Bilateral Meeting in Deauville, France
12:59 P.M. CEST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Let me just make a brief statement. It is good once again to see my friend and partner, Dmitry Medvedev. Over the past two years, I think that we have built an outstanding relationship and, as a consequence, we've been able to reset relations between the United States and Russia in a way that is good for the security and the prosperity of both of our countries.
We're implementing<|fim_middle|> accession to the WTO will be good for the Russian economy, will be good for the U.S. economy, it will be good for the world economy. And we are confident that we can get this done. And it will be a key building block in expanding trade and commerce that create jobs and benefit both countries.
We also discussed the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, and shared our ideas about how we can manage the transition process that's taking place throughout the region in a way that enhances prosperity and opportunity for people there and ensures stability and resolves conflicts in a peaceful way.
And finally, we continued our discussions around the issue of missile defense. And we committed to working together so that we can find an approach and configuration that is consistent with the security needs of both countries, that maintains the strategic balance, and deals with potential threats that we both share.
We look forward to obviously additional discussions with the Russian President in the G8 process around the world economy, world finances, issues like nuclear security. But I just want to emphasize that my interactions with President Medvedev have always been excellent. I think that he is doing fine work in moving Russia forward on a whole range of issues. And I appreciate the excellent cooperation that's been established between our governments.
And so, Dmitry, it's good to see you again. And I look forward to our work over the next day and a half.
PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV: (As translated.) My counterpart and political partner, Barack Obama, has just precisely covered the issues discussed by us during the meeting, but I would like to also emphasize that I am satisfied with our personal relationship that helps us advance the relations between our two countries.
Over the last several years, we have done a lot to make our relations different from what they used to be, and we stand high chances to continue this positive trend and develop it further on.
It requires a lot of effort, and it requires continuing in the same vein, full of trust -- with relations full of trust between the two Presidents. It does not mean that we'll have common views and coinciding views on all the issues. It's impossible, and I believe that it's not worth trying. Each and every country is sure to have its own national priorities and interests. But a lot depends on our relations. It's about maintaining the strategic balance of forces in our plans, which we have been able to keep this balance in place and after the New START treaty it has improved I think.
Today we talked about how to keep on filling out these achievements and how to develop our relations in, well, quite sensitive issues including anti-missile defense. I have told my counterpart, Barack Obama, that this issue will be finally solved in the future, like, for example, in the year 2020, but we, at present, might lay the foundation for other politicians' activities. And this would be a sound foundation for cooperation between our two countries in the future. We will, of course, pursue this track, but political impetus are necessary.
We have talked of Middle East and North Africa. We'll continue the discussions, especially in the framework of G20. We have dealt with settling the Iran issue. We also talked of the necessity and we have emphasized the necessity of improving economic cooperation between our countries and stepping up Russia's WTO accession. I hope we'll be able to conclude this process finally. But we need motivation and impetus for that. And we have agreed as a result of these talks to instruct respectively our teams.
Let me once again emphasize that I'm quite happy about the way our personal relationship develops. I hope it will have a positive impact on our bilaterals. We have a lot to do together.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, everybody.
END 1:12 P.M. CEST | the New START treaty. We're cooperating on nonproliferation, on nuclear security, on intelligence and counterterrorism. We're enforcing strong sanctions on Iran. And we're cooperating on Afghanistan, where Russia has been very helpful in establishing supply lines for our troops there.
But our cooperation has extended beyond the security areas, and much of our discussion today revolved around economics. We're pleased that we've established working groups around issues of rule of law and innovation, both of which are key priorities of President Medvedev as he continues to modernize the Russian economy. And our teams have been working intensively around the issue of Russian accession to the WTO.
We think that Russian | 137 |
What the FCC Under President Biden Will Mean for Small Businesses
Why an FCC with a Democratic majority could lead to significant changes for business owners.
By Amrita Khalid, Staff writer@askhalid
President-Elect Joe Biden.
The Federal Communications Commission under Joe Biden is likely to take a drastically different course than the regulatory regime of his predecessor.
President Trump's FCC has taken a light touch approach to governing the internet, benefiting large service providers like Comcast but drawing criticism for leaving consumers in the dust. The government agency is tasked with expanding broadband in rural areas, leading the rollout<|fim_middle|> Supreme Court. Without it, companies like Yelp and TripAdvisor could be liable for every post, putting their very business model at risk.
"Politicians think CDA 230 is about politics, but for me, it is about my business. Consumers will lose the most because there will no longer be online reviews, or the lawyers will delete negative reviews to protect the website from getting sued," wrote Frankie DiCarlantonio, director of the Scaffidi Restaurant Group, in an op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch.
President-elect Biden stated he is in favor of revoking Section 230, but such a move is opposed by influential Democrats in the Senate. It's more likely we'll see reform instead. Both Democratic FCC commissioners have argued that the FCC should not be responsible for policing Section 230, so any overhaul of the law will likely fall to Congress. Both Republicans and Democrats have rolled out separate legislation to reform Section 230. | of the fifth-generation wireless network 5G, and policing the controversial Section 230 law that critics call Big Tech's legal shield. The law says that no provider of an internet service or platform (i.e. Facebook, ISPs) can be treated as the publisher of the third-party content it hosts. In other words, Facebook in most cases cannot be held legally responsible for content posted by Facebook users.
While President-Elect Biden has said he would like Section 230 to be revoked, it's unlikely such a drastic measure will have full support from the rest of his party and legal experts. It's more likely a more subtle reworking of the law will fall to Congress.
Current FCC chairman Ajit Pai, a former Verizon lawyer who was instrumental in dismantling net neutrality and has taken a hands-off approach to governing the broadband industry, will be leaving the agency in January. President Biden is expected to appoint the most senior Democratic FCC commissioner, Jessica Rosenworcel, as interim head or the new head of the FCC. Given the Senate's recent confirmation of Republican FCC commissioner Nathan Simington, the agency will then be at a 2-2 deadlock with an equal number of commissioners from the two parties until the Senate approves another nominee.
If the Senate retains its Republican majority, the upper chamber may then end up blocking or delaying a vote on a Biden nominee to the FCC. Republican commissioner Brendan Carr welcomed that possibility, telling Fox Business that it would prevent Democrats from reversing the Trump FCC's policy gains. If Senate control changes hands in January, it will send a Democratic commissioner to the FCC, paving the way for an entirely different policy agenda for the nation's broadband sector.
Here's what you could expect from a new FCC under Democratic control.
Restoration of net neutrality
In a controversial move, the Republican-steered FCC in 2017 voted to end net neutrality and stop classifying broadband internet as a public utility under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. The decision ensured that giants of the telecom industry, such as AT&T, Charter, and Verizon, no longer had to treat all internet traffic equally. ISPs could partner with publishers with large demand, such as streaming video sites like Netflix, and put them on a "fast lane" with speedier internet traffic. Nearly every U.S. cell provider opted to throttle user data after the end of net neutrality, according to a recent study by Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
It's likely that Biden will restore net neutrality rules to end these anticompetitive practices. "This will give a chance to smaller publishers and providers who cannot partner with ISPs to compete," Pinar Yildirim, assistant professor of marketing at Wharton, wrote in an email to Inc.
Stronger efforts to bridge the digital divide
The early months of the Covid-19 pandemic shed light on deficiencies in internet access, particularly in rural areas and for lower-income Americans. While the Trump administration's FCC created a $20 billion Rural Opportunity Fund to help build out broadband networks in remote areas, critics say it's done far less to help with the problem of internet adoption and affordability. Nearly 16 million children in the U.S. lack adequate internet access and devices for distance learning, according to a report from Common Sense.
"I don't think [the FCC's expansion of rural broadband] made a huge difference. There's a lot of promises made but I haven't seen that there was much that actually changed," says Dee Davis, the founder of the Center for Rural Strategies.
Large telecom operators tend to invest heavily in building out networks in suburban and urban areas, which yields a larger return on investment. Not only is installing infrastructure in rural areas expensive, but ISPs reach fewer customers. Reviving net neutrality could lead local ISPs to create solutions that benefit other communities.
"My hope is that if we return to net neutrality, that is going to open up more opportunity as far as freeing up more spectrum and wider applicability," Davis says.
But while small ISPs didn't stand to gain much from the repeal of net neutrality, a hasty return to classifying them as a utility under Title II (which in effect, is what net neutrality did) may also create uncertainty in the market, cautions Professor Guz Hurwitz, an associate professor of law at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
"In the longer run, Title II regulation would create some threat of ongoing regulation which could detract capital investment in the market," Hurwitz says. "These effects, however, more likely affect larger ISPs to a greater extent than they affect smaller ISPs."
Section 230 will stay in place
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are largely not liable for what their users post online, thanks to the more than two-decades-old law known as the Communications Decency Act. President Donald Trump and a number of mostly Republican lawmakers have been vocal critics of Section 230 of the CDA, which they claim has given Big Tech immunity from any bad behavior that takes place on its platforms, but the administration hasn't been successful in pushing Congress to revoke the law.
For small businesses that rely on Yelp and other review sites, changes to Section 230 could open up a flood of litigation over negative reviews. Section 230 prevented a lawsuit against Yelp over defamatory reviews from reaching the | 1,089 |
The International Dragon Class
The Dragon embodies all the qualities that have made day-racing keelboats the preferred form of competition for many of the best helmsmen from dinghy sailors to America's Cup competitors.
The crew of three makes for a tightly knit unit without the need for hired heavyweights, One Design rules ensure level racing and the ease of trailing makes international competition<|fim_middle|>One sail is enough to make Dragon ownership the goal of many sailors' racing careers, while for others the class provides a lifetime of challenges. The International Dragon, a truly thoroughbred racing yacht.
En lækker og hurtig sag Inrigger build-slot for 2017 delivery | attractive to all budgets.
Yet the Dragon's greatest strength is its depth of support. Dragons fresh from world class events line up the next weekend to do battle with their local fleets where keen club sailors provide a level of competition that can surprise the big names.
The Dragon's philosophy of gradual evolution within one-design principles has produced a boat with state of the art rig and boat handling controls, reducing the learning curve for sailors transferring from other classes and making the boat flexible enough to cater for every level of ability.
The Dragon class remains one of the few top level racing classes where sailing skills still predominate over crew weight and fitness. These are just some of the reasons why yachtsmen of every age and every standard are attracted to the Dragon.
| 149 |
Yankees' Luis Severino set to make season debut on Tuesday
Don Larsen, who pitched World Series perfect game, passes away
Severino will get the starts vs. Angels
Jul 18, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees injured starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) throws in the outfield before the first game of<|fim_middle|> Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports (Andy Marlin)
Don Larsen, who has pitched the only perfect game in World Series history, passed away Wednesday at age 90.
According to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, Larsen died while in hospice care in Idaho, due to esophageal cancer.
Larsen pitched five seasons with the Yankees from 1955-59, and his career in pinstripes is remembered for his perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Larsen needed just 97 pitches to finish the game, striking out seven Dodgers along the way. | a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)
Yankees RHP Luis Severino is finally set to make his season debut on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium against the Angels, according to Aaron Boone.
Severino has been on the IL all season, dealing with shoulder and lat issues. He has been progressing really well in his rehab recently, and after checking off all the boxes, the Yankees are ready to bring him back to the Bronx.
The 25-year-old pitched in his last rehab start last night with Double-A Trenton, where he was solid. Four runs may have been on the board, but only one was earned and he recorded four strikeouts over 64 pitches (47 strikes) in 2.1 innings. Reports also had Severino's fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s with it topping out at 98 mph.
That's what the Yankees wanted to see from Severino before it was time for him to be in pinstripes again. But, while he may be getting the start here in his return, it will be interesting to see if he remains in that role for the rest of the regular season heading into the postseason.
Severino is a fresh arm heading into October, but do the Yankees really want him thrown right into the postseason rotation without having a sample size for this season? Using him out of the bullpen -- as an opener or to follow one -- is another option they could consider. There is also the fact that the bullpen is loaded to begin with.
No matter what the Yankees do, though, having Severino back is perfect timing for the team. Now we'll see what exactly he can offer the Bombers on Tuesday.
RELATED: Severino throws 64 pitches for Trenton >> Read More
RELATED: Yankees Takeaways from 12-11 loss to Tigers >> Read More
RELATED: Did James Paxton earn the team's top postseason rotation spot? >> Read More
Tags: Luis Severino
Don Larsen, who pitched perfect game for Yankees in 1956 World Series, passes away at age 90
Larsen is the only man in baseball history with World Series perfect game
Jun 12, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Former New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen waves to the fans during the Old Timers Day ceremony prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: | 519 |
Roger Cheng/CNET
Meet the man charged with reviving Nokia's phone brand
Pekka Rantala, former CEO of Angry Birds' maker Rovio and a longtime Nokia veteran, is tapped as chief marketing officer for the Finnish startup tasked with selling phones and tablets under the Nokia brand.
Roger Cheng
Aug. 15, 2016 4:00 a.m. PT
Pekka Rantala is the new chief marketing officer for HMD Global. Rantala formerly ran Rovio and worked at Nokia.
The pieces are slowly coming together for the Nokia phone to make a comeback.
In May, Microsoft unloaded the phone business it purchased from Nokia on Foxconn's FIH Mobile and on HMD Global, a Finland-based company founded that month and tasked with selling phones and tablets under the Nokia brand. Former Nokia executive Arto Nummela was chosen<|fim_middle|> the man charged with reviving Nokia's phone brand | as HMD's chief executive.
On Monday, another piece clicked into place. HMD tapped Pekka Rantala, former CEO of Angry Birds game maker Rovio, to revive the Nokia phone brand as its chief marketing officer.
Rantala has a daunting task in front of him. The notion of a high-end Nokia phone is more the stuff of nostalgia than reality now. Nokia was once the dominant player in the phone business. If you owned a phone in the '90s, it was probably a Nokia. But the company faded into irrelevancy amid competition from Apple's iPhone and phones running on Google's Android software.
HMD will also use Android to power its phones and tablets, unlike Nokia's previous embrace of Microsoft's Windows Phone software. HMD hopes the strength of the Nokia name will attract consumers.
"Nokia is a globally recognized brand, and we have a chance to rejuvenate it like never before," Rantala said in an e-mail. "I love Nokia, I love what it stands for, and I'd love to see it rise again."
He argued that consumers still recognize the brand and prefer to buy a Nokia phone.
At Rantala's disposal is HMD's commitment to spend $500 million over the next three years on global marketing. By contast, Apple and Samsung spend billions of dollars on marketing. HMD will use its marketing dollars to focus on "being different, cutting through," he said.
While HMD declined to comment on the specific timing of its products, its first run of Android-powered phones is expected to show up next year.
Rantala spent one year as CEO of Rovio during a tumultuous time as the company cut jobs and slashed costs following the overly aggressive expansion of the Angry Birds mobile game franchise. He stepped down last year.
All of his jobs have dealt with consumers, and Rantala believes that puts him in a good position for his position at HMD.
Rantala's new role is a return of sorts to his roots. Like Nummela, Rantala got his start at Nokia, where he held various positions throughout his 17-year tenure at the company. He left Nokia in 2011 as senior vice president of marketing.
"Pekka has an important mission to rejuvenate the Nokia brand in mobile phones," Nummela said in a statement.
HMD has a 10-year license to sell Nokia-brand products. Nokia still exists as a separate company, but primarily sells telecommunications infrastructure equipment. Foxconn's FIH Mobile will be responsible for manufacturing and distributing the products.
Foxconn Microsoft Nokia
Discuss: Meet | 539 |
<|fim_middle|> to our blog. | When Cedarwood's entrance is awash in exquisite pink blossoms from our Antebellum front garden tree, we know spring has arrived. To celebrate, we styled an editorial shoot with Julie Paisley Photography (and some top wedding pros listed below) for a modern-romantic look at love's most cherished season. A combination of color, texture and decor elements defines wedding style, and our design team chose a balance of light minimalism balanced with bold gray with pops of black and wood to give the look a modern edge.
Simple, soft calligraphy on gray and white paper goods and classic white-on-white linens provide balance for modern gray pottery and stemless glassware, softened with blush napkins and pink signature drink. Florals are free-structured in the soft hues of spring, and our lovely bride in Liancarlo's Azul wedding gown, surrounded by the tree's pink halo, epitomizes Mother Nature's stunning beauty.
Thanks to these pros and partners for helping bring this spring blooming beauty | 206 |
Working safely is a core value at TCO and we continue to achieve industry-leading safety results in Days Away from<|fim_middle|>18, TCO intends to continue Caspian coastal area debris removal activities. | Work and Total Recordable Incidents industrial safety metrics.
In 2017, TCO employees and contractors worked over 94.5 million man-hours with four Days Away from Work incidents.
While this is truly world-class performance, TCO strives for zero workplace injuries and is continuously working to improve in this area. Living this commitment will ensure success in fatality prevention and process safety, the two cornerstones to incident-free construction and operations.
Protecting people and the environment is one of TCO's core values and a focus area of the Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS). The company enhances its ability to accomplish several of the five key objectives of OE through meeting Environmental Stewardship expectations.
TCO has implemented an Environmental Stewardship Process which provides a consistent, methodical approach to improving environmental performance and reducing potential impacts over an asset's life-cycle. The Environmental Stewardship Process drives effective management of potential impacts and identifies beneficial environmental improvement opportunities for consideration during the business planning process.
The consistent and systematic implementation of the Environmental Stewardship Process, including the Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment Process, the Natural Resources Standard and the Third-Party Waste Stewardship Standard facilitates TCO to continue progressing the goal of leading environmental performance.
Since 2000, TCO has invested more than $3 billion on projects to minimize environmental impact at Tengiz. This investment has enabled TCO to achieve reductions in flaring and air emissions, improve wastewater treatment and support an increase in water reuse.
Air protection includes recordkeeping to understand trends in pollutant concentrations and taking actions to systematically decrease pollutant emissions when feasible. TCO rigorously complies with legislative requirements of Republic of Kazakhstan and conducts air protection activities through the implementation of state-of-art technologies.
Total air emissions generated per ton of oil produced have been reduced by 70 percent since 2000. In that same period, TCO increased annual crude oil production volume by over 2.7 times, this production increase is a result of TCO's investments in capital programs and equipment reliability.
Kazakhstan has enforced an internal system of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control since 2013. Beginning in 2010, TCO implemented the Republic of Kazakhstan national statistical system data reporting requirements into the annual inventory. This inventory covers all categories of sources associated with crude oil production. Processing data collected in TCO operations indicate that electric power and heat generation account for the largest category of GHG emissions. After the significant reduction in flaring, tail gas combustion represents the next largest source of CO2 emissions, after flaring. Other GHG sources include hydrocarbon production, processing and transportation and associated operations.
The inventory program includes the following emissions with a potential climate change impact: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrogen oxide (N2O). TCO's intention is to support the initiatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan and continue GHG estimation, control and monitoring.
Since 2000, investments in environmental protection and plant reliability improvement projects have helped TCO reduce total gas flaring volumes by 79 percent. However, there has been some increase in TCO's gas flaring from 2014 through 2016. This increase is related to TCO efforts to improve equipment reliability. TCO has successfully conducted significant Turnarounds each year to replace aging equipment and improve existing reliability; replacing equipment often requires flaring to conduct the work safely.
As of 2009, TCO has eliminated continuous routine flaring of associated gas. But for the purpose of sustaining adequate production level, TCO has to flare gas from time to time to enable safe repair of failed equipment or pro-active replacement of equipment which may fail. This approach is how TCO can attain world class reliability while maintaining the production the Republic of Kazakhstan requests.
TCO is exploring opportunities to maintain the waste recycling rate of 55 percent achieved in 2017 and makes considerable efforts in the market development of local waste management services.
TCO sends more than 25 types of solid wastes for recycling.
Beyond that, we are implementing recycling projects such as paper and plastic bottles collection and sending them to third parties for recycling and reusing, thus helping establish a sustainable waste recycling industry in Kazakhstan. We remain committed to developing local Kazakh content with our waste recycling partners and continue to identify additional waste treatment opportunities involving third party service providers.
TCO recognizes the value of fresh water as a fundamental social, environmental and economic resource and places great importance on water conservation and emphasizes re-use whenever possible.
TCO uses water every day for technical and potable needs while conduction operations.
TCO facilities, like most other water users in Atyrau Oblast, are supplied with fresh water through the Astrakhan-Mangyshlak water pipeline from the Kigach River, one of the Volga River's channels, because the Tengiz region does not have fresh ground or surface water.
TCO's Wastewater Treatment Facility (WTF) and Water Recycling Facility (WRF) were Major Capital projects which focused on fresh water conservation and wastewater management. TCO's WTF, designed to treat 6000 m3/day of sanitary wastewater, began operations in January 2014. The treated wastewater from the WTF provides the WRF influent to produce high-quality water for operational purposes. Operation of the WRF supports TCO initiatives related to fresh water conservation and wastewater management. This facility, commissioned in 2016, is a major component of TCO's long-term, comprehensive water management program. TCO's WRF treats wastewater to technical water quality via reverse osmosis. WRF is designed to produce up to 3,600 m3/day of recycled technical quality water to support TCO operations. The recycled water from operation of the WRF has increased TCO's annual recycled water rate to over 30 percent of overall consumption.
TCO has established a Water Master Plan to document the strategy for short-, mid-, and long-term water management.
Some soil disturbance and the formation of man-made landscapes and other land quality changes occur during production of natural resources and construction works.
TCO annually monitors technologically disturbed lands (TDL) in the TCO partnership area to identify disturbed or contaminated areas and to reclaim them at a later stage. Conditions of contaminated lands are assessed, reclamation projects are developed, and findings on revealed and reclaimed areas are reflected in ArcGIS data base and cartographic materials.
The area of reclaimed/remediated lands as of 2017 comes to 1,327 ha, which is 94 percent of TDLs which were intended for reclamation/remediation works, most of which were lands with landscape disturbances and not contamination.
Reclamation of disturbed lands includes collection and removal of garbage, and restoration of natural landscape by repairing the natural slopes and roughness of the terrain and creating conditions to encourage the growth of natural vegetation. TDL sites naturally re-vegetate themselves after reclamation and are covered with drought-resistant and salt-sensitive vegetation in several years. TCO's environmental reclamation of disturbed lands is part of TCO's environmental protection strategy that demonstrates commitment to principles of corporate social responsibility.
TCO conducts ongoing environmental monitoring including air, water and soil to verify that TCO operations comply with RoK regulations and align with OE expectations for Environmental Stewardship. Our integrated environmental monitoring program is carried out by licensed contractors and data are analyzed by relevant TCO departments. All measurement data is done according to the TCO Industrial Control Program developed in accordance with RoK environmental requirements.
There are 12 automated stationary environmental air monitoring stations within and on the boundary of TCO Sanitary Protection Zone in Tengiz. TCO also has fixed monitoring stations in TCO Village as well as in the closest settlement, New Karaton, 95 kilometers distance from Tengiz. A mobile laboratory is used weekly to monitor the area near the plant's emissions stacks. Readings are taken 16 kilometers upwind from the plants to identify background values for the substances being monitored. Samples are also taken 0.5 to 15 kilometers downwind from the plants and at the border of the Sanitary Protection Zone.
TCO performs regular and routine industrial monitoring of groundwater to obtain information about the condition of environment and assess if there have been any impacts from production activity. The first two water-bearing horizons below ground surface are subject to routine monitoring through a network of groundwater observation wells. Unserviceable wells are decommissioned, and old or failed wells are routinely repaired or replaced with new wells to ensure a competent and comprehensive groundwater monitoring network resulting in reliable groundwater quality results.
There are 55 soil sampling sites identified and sampled yearly for documenting the overall and local soil quality within the TCO partnership area. Sampling sites for soil monitoring are identified considering wind directions to understand if potential contamination may have been spread via wind from outside of the area. Location of sampling sites may slightly change depending on the composition of the soil cover, soil status and other conditions.
Monitoring of waste water, both industrial and sanitary, allows TCO to control the quality of the effluents placed in evaporation ponds and subsurface horizons (industrial water is disposed in injection wells) as well as to measure compliance with established environmental standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Waste water is monitored at discharge points into evaporation ponds and injection wells. Frequency of sampling and analysis of samples complies with the TCO Industrial Control Program.
The Future Growth Project-Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP), one of the largest major capital projects across the global energy industry, has commenced and is expected to increase total daily production at Tengiz by about 260,000 barrels per day to approximately 1 million barrels of oil equivalent at peak.
Within the framework of FGP-WPMP implementation, TCO supports several additional conservation actions in the region.
Actions to improve the Ural-Atyrau Sturgeon hatchery conditions via provision of technical workshops on hatchery process best practices, provision of quality feed for brook stock and fingerlings, provision of aerators to increase dissolved oxygen concentration in growing ponds, and purchase of excavators to improve outdoor maintenance capabilities.
Support conservation of critically endangered species Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus Gregarious) via financial support to the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan in 2018-2019.
Ghost Fishing Nets Removal project in collaboration with the Ghostfishing World Organization of Specialists in the Ghost Fishing nets to protect and contribute to the growth of endangered marine species, as the Caspian Sea Sturgeon via removal of ghost fishing nets in the project area, from the marine channel and artificial islands and expansion beyond the Marine Access Channel. In 2017, approximately 2.8 tons of nets were removed and sent for recycling. Fifty-three sturgeon species released into the sea. In 20 | 2,252 |
Be a<|fim_middle|>em to Focus on Making Money, Audience Size, & Not the Future . | Master Communicator: 3 PowerPoint Lessons From Andrew Cuomo on How to make Briefings & Presentations Grab & Impact
chuckparker425 September 15, 2020 September 12, 2020 Influentials & Significants, Integrated Communications
The SITUATION:
Want be a Master Communicator? See How Cuomo does it.
Cardinal rule of PowerPoint: Create slides that are simple, clear, and compelling.
Cuomo's updates provide a lesson in the effective use of PowerPoint:
His presentation slides are simple, clear and instructive.
Here are 3 effective PowerPoint skills you can learn from Cuomo's daily presentations:
Visualize Big Numbers
One of the best reasons to use PowerPoint is to engage visual learners by creating graphical visualizations of data. Cuomo begins every briefing with an update on the virus's spread, including the number of cases, hospitalizations, resources, etc. The barrage of numbers would be mind-numbing without a simple visual aid to add context.
For example, in one of Cuomo's presentations he explained the problem so clearly, viewers were able to tell others why New York City in particular was headed for a problem.
First, Cuomo said that New York had a total of 3,000 ICU beds and ventilators but would need 37,000 ICU beds when the number of cases reaches its peak. The next slide had a simple graphic: a cresting wave approaching a hospital building.
"The wave is going to crash into the hospital system," Cuomo said. "That, my friends, is the problem." One simple graphic. One big problem.
Cuomo also uses bar charts and pie charts effectively. The slides are uncluttered and he clearly explains the trend the charts are showing.
In any presentation that contains a lot of numbers, use simple graphics to visualize the data.
Tell Stories in pictures.
In addition to charts, graphs, and numbers, Cuomo is known for presentations that are "part briefing, part sermon, part inspirational talk," according to the Washington Post. "By the end, viewers at home are getting choked up."
Cuomo adds emotion to his presentations by showing photos of real people on the front lines of the war against the novel coronavirus.
At March presentation, Cuomo showed two slides of medical responders who had lost their lives to Covid-19 disease. One was detective Cedric Dixon, a 23-year veteran of the New York City police department. The second photo showed Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old nurse manager at Mount Sinai West in New York City.
By showing real photos, Cuomo put a face on the 76,000 medical responders who are on the front lines, acting out of "love and courage."
When done correctly, PowerPoint can be an effective tool to transfer emotion.
Reinforce Key Messages
Cuomo skillfully uses PowerPoint slides to reinforce his key messages. Watch him carefully: When he delivers a message that he wants people to remember and share, the sentence is the only text on the slide. He also expresses it word for word to deliver it in two forms–visual and verbal.
"This is just a mistake," Cuomo said on March 22 after visiting a park in New York City filled with people who were ignoring social distancing orders. Cuomo's PowerPoint slide showed a photo of the mass gathering with just one word across the top: "MISTAKE."
Steve Jobs would be proud. The Apple co-founder was known for presentation slides with minimal text, often using just one word to get his message across. Jobs used Apple Keynote software instead of Microsoft's PowerPoint, but the same techniques apply, regardless of which presentation tool you use.
On March 30, 202Cuomo appealed to a bipartisan effort to tackle the virus. His slide read: "There are no red states, and there are no blue states. There are no red casualties or blue casualties. Red, White and Blue."
Cuomo repeated the line and added, "This virus doesn't discriminate."
Within minutes, Reuters posted an article highlighting that quote. It was picked up by many other publications. Viewers shared the quote on social media and even included a screenshot of Cuomo's slide.
The lesson here: Reinforce a key message by letting it stand alone on a slide.
PowerPoint has a bad reputation because it's poorly used. But PowerPoint is just a tool. In the right hands, it can enhance an important message.
This is an article BY CARMINE GALLO, KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND AUTHOR, 'FIVE STARS: THE COMMUNICATION SECRETS TO GET FROM GOOD TO GREAT'
Communications, Power Point
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This article: Lean within Sara Lee
Click in this box for other other Lean article! Lean introduction (1) Lean introduction (2) Lean misconceptions (1) Lean misconceptions (2) Lean towards circular economy Case: Auping Case: BMW Case: Buurtzorg (Autonomous teams) ^ Case: KONI (ITT) Case: Leaf (Appreciative Inquiry) ^ Case: Oce (Canon) Case: Philips Lighting Case: Sara Lee Case: Scania (1) Case: Scania (2) Case: ThedaCare Case: Yusen Logistics In Depth: Agile and Lean are like yin and yang In Depth: Lean evolution and state-of-the-art In Depth: The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership ^ In Depth: Toyota returns to its roots after recalls In Depth: Value Stream Mapping Book: Lean Hospitals Book: The Lean Startup Compare: Six Sigma, TOC, TPM, QRM... ^ Consultancy: Lean
Lean: Value adding organization
Advice Lean
Lean Sara Lee: Value Stream Mapping as compass for process improvement
Maximum value stream, within existing boundaries
By Dr Jaap van Ede, business-journalist, founder business-improvement.eu
The first version of this article was published in the Dutch specialist journal Fluids Processing (sept '08)
Several years ago, Sara Lee International decided to implement Lean manufacturing, company-wide. To see the results, we visited Douwe Egberts Coffee Treatment & Supply in Joure, in the north of the Netherlands. Products nowadays literally flow through this factory, since stagnation would mean loss. During their journey, maximum value is added to the products.
To achieve this, Douwe Egberts started to map the current value stream. After that, there was room to daydream about an ideal new factory, with waste of time nor materials. Finally, starting from the current situation and taking into account existing boundaries, a maximum attainable value stream was defined. Since then, everybody, everyday strives to realize that situation. This means that also waste of talent came to an end!
The family business Douwe Egberts (DE) was founded in 1753 by Egbert Douwes, who reversed his name in the brandname. Thirty years ago, the company was acquired by Sara Lee International. 'At that moment, we were also producing hand-rolling and pipe-tobacco', says Rienk van der Vaart1, while we walk across the factory site. 'Later, that part of the plant was sold to Imperial Tobacco. Look, that fence separates us from them.'
In Joure, Sara Lee DE now only produces tea and instant coffee. Of the latter product, there are three variants: a spray dried powder, a freeze dried powder, and an evaporated coffee extract, which is used in coffee machines. 'It is very concentrated stuff, a minute amount is already enough for a cup of coffee!'
Production site of Douwe Egberts CT&S in Joure, The Netherlands
Change agents
After a short walk, we arrive in the "improvement office" of Tjark van Heuvel. Like Van der Vaart, he is change agent within Sara Lee International. 'In each factory, there are several people that hold that position. We are fulltime busy with the improvement of processes', Van Heuvel explains. 'In some ways, our role is comparable with the activities of a Six Sigma Black Belt. However, besides the hard analytical stuff, we also address softer issues: How to achieve a goal, together with your people.'
'I am change agent in Utrecht, also in the Netherlands, and Tjark has the same job here in Joure', adds Van der Vaart. 'We are local agents, but there are corporate change agents as well. Those people take care of the exchange of best practices between factories.'
This network of change agents is relatively new. Three years ago Van Heuvel still was manager engineering, and Van der Vaart was not working within Sara Lee at that time.
Lean cycle in five steps
To produce what the customer wants, as efficient<|fim_middle|> important that they feel it in their gut when something goes wrong, by placing a red sticker.'
Production results are discussed the next morning, usually by a different team. This happens in an area around a coffee machine, hung with posters with red and green stickers. 'Maybe I am proud the most about this room. Previously, there was only one technician who optimized the extraction process. Now everybody everyday helps to improve!'
Tjark van Heuvel: "To make sure that everyone arrives on time at our production meetings, we use this ribbon"
From flow to pull
Thanks to several counter measures which increased the process stability, a more or less constant flow of coffee-extract now leaves the factory. 'However, creating flow is not the only aim of lean, in addition you want pull', says Van der Vaart. 'Your flow should follow market demand.'
'Now we have stabilized our value stream, we can start working on that', adds Van Heuvel. 'By doing that, our initial goal comes in sight: reducing stock.'
To make the production demand driven, peaks and troughs in the demand should be flattened, to prevent unnecessary disruption of the production process. Within Toyota, this principle is called leveling.
'For each customer, we want to have an amount of stock that is sufficient for x-weeks of supply. Based on that goal, we make a production planning for odd and even weeks. On alternating weeks, we now produce exact the same amount of coffee extracts. Every three months, the planning is adapted when necessary. Besides that, we have reserved 10% of our capacity, to make it possible to cope with unforeseen fluctuations in demand.'
By now, stocks are down with 10%. 'The fact that we postpone customer-specific labeling until shortly before delivering, contributes to that.'
Thanks to the more or less constant flow, the factory now is much quieter then before, when the production had to be adjusted all the time to prevent shortages. 'Nevertheless we are now more demand driven, since our throughput time is reduced', concludes Van Heuvel.
1) Today, Rienk van der Vaart works at energy company RWE.
Do you need help with the implementation of Lean?
Use this link: https://www.business-improvement.eu/lean/lean_saralee_eng.php | as possible, and to deliver the products at the right time at the right place. That is the goal of each company! Lean manufacturing thereto creates a smooth production stream (flow principle), driven by demand (pull principle)
Womack & Jones distinguish the following five steps in the lean improvement cycle:
Identify – per product or product family – what the customer values.
Use value stream mapping (VSM) to indicate which processes add value and which don't. Eliminate eight types of loss: overproduction, inventory, manufacturing faults, manufacturing disruptions, waiting times, transport, unnecessary movement, which includes searching for things in the workplace, and last but not least: unexploited talent.
Ensure that products and materials start to flow smoothly through the company. Stoppages lead to stockpiling and thus to waste.
Make the production demand-driven. Producing an item that no one has ordered is also a form of waste.
Constantly strive for perfection, always return to step 1!
> See also: An introduction to Lean
Brenda C Barnes
The application of Lean techniques within Sara Lee started in 2001, in the meat factories in the US. In 2004, Brenda C. Barnes became Chief Operations Officer and later CEO. At that moment, lean and continuous improvement were added as a leading element to the mission of the company. In addition, a company-wide rollout was planned.
There was a desire to develop one common lean-language, and Sara Lee had already good experiences with McKinsey in the US. Therefore, it was decided to involve this consultancy firm worldwide. 'Three years ago, the lean roll-out wave reached Joure', says Van Heuvel.
Lean Thinking is certainly not the only instrument for improvement, but Lean is used by Sara Lee as leading method and umbrella, see also the box lean cycle in five steps. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is applied to identify which steps on the route from raw materials to end products add value, and which don't.
'VSM points us the way', explains Van Heuvel. 'The value stream maps are used to detect which things can be improved. To realize those improvements we use a mix of many existing methods, which were often already invented decades ago. One example is the Kaizen-cycle. First, you determine what your customer wants. Next, you measure to what extent those expectations are met, and finally you look for the root cause of problems. That cycle is repeated over and over again.'
Other common methods are 5S, to create well-organized work places, Visual Management, to realize fast feedback, and SMED, to reduce change-over times. 'In addition, we measure the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), to trace hidden machine capacity. We also regularly apply Six Sigma, to reduce variation in production processes. Variation is an important source of waste, especially here in Joure.'
Tjark van Heuvel (on the right): "Lean is an open concept. To reduce waste we also apply other tools, like Kaizen and Six Sigma"
Waste of talent
Lean defines seven types of waste, such as waiting times and stocks. 'In addition, there is an eight category, namely waste of talent', says Van Heuvel. 'Toyota doesn't mention this, because it is so logical. Knowledge about the root causes of waste often is plenty available on the shop floor. Therefore it is very important to involve the operators in lean thinking.'
This perfectly fits with the wish of CEO Brenda Barnes, to transform Sara Lee to a more bottom-up driven organization. Van Heuvel however gives another reason why Lean is so handy as compass and leading method. 'Ways to improve vary between factories. Lean however is universally applicable, because it focuses on the elimination of non-value adding activities. Such waste can be found everywhere.'
New change managers are educated on-the-job. Preceding the roll-out of Lean in their own factory, they work beside an experienced change manager in another factory. 'I was trained that way in the Grimbergen-plant in Belgium, where they produce the Senseo coffee pads.'
Core-team
In the beginning of 2006 Van Heuvel returned to Joure, ready to start his change management job there. 'First, I formed a core-team. This is a multi-disciplinary team, with for example a maintenance manager, a production group leader, a logistic manager and a quality manager. In the beginning, someone of McKinsey was also participating.'
Van Heuvel took two days to explain the basic principles of lean to his team. 'After that we immediately started to make a Value Stream Map for the production of liquid coffee concentrate. We worked upstream, following the production river from final product to raw materials.'
After approximately two weeks, the existing value stream was mapped, and the biggest wastes identified. 'It is important not to get bogged down in details. Intermediary stocks were however included in our analysis. In addition, every waste was reduced to financial numbers. Those financial data are useful later, to compare potential improvements with the needed investments.'
Every kind of waste on the VSM was given its own color. 'For example: stocks are blue, transport is orange and process disruptions are red.'
It seems logical that the next step would be thinking up an improved value stream. However, it is better to wait with that, stresses Van Heuvel: 'When you define your improvement goals immediately, there is a risk that you will optimize clumsy processes. Remember that the people in your multidisciplinary team are also responsible in part for the indentified sources of waste. Therefore, they will be inclined to explain why there is no other way to do those things, saying things like "we have to go back and forth with that fork-lift truck".
Mc Kinsey advised to develop an ideal state Value Stream first, this is a blueprint of a dream factory. 'We now call this a mind-set event. Every middle manager is allowed to philosophize freely about the ideal situation. Starting point is: When we were allowed to built a complete new factory, what would we do?'
The advantage of this approach is that assumptions in the past, that lead to the current working methods, are no longer taken for granted.
'Let me give an example. In the past we were short in production capacity, but after a new factory was built in the US, this was no longer the case. The coffee filters were however still filled to the brim, although that reduces the efficiency of the extraction process.'
There were more of such procedures which were logical at a certain moment in time, but not anymore. The mind-set event gave short shrift with them. 'During the startup, the new factory in the US had no experience with packaging materials. Therefore, these were send to us, and inspected here. Our VSM showed that a lot of time was wasted while entering the data into our Enterprise Resource Planning system, SAP. Without thinking up an ideal VSM first, this problem would probably have been solved with an investment in extra ICT. Now it turned out that it is much more logical to send the packaging materials directly to the US.'
Packaging line. Too much variation and disturbances during production resulted in much more stock of end products then necessary.
Future value stream
The ideal VSM does not take into account the limitations of the existing situation. 'This is done during the third step. At that stage, you try to realize as much as possible from the things in the perfect picture. During this process comparative assessments are common like: When I move these silo's, our fork-lift trucks have do drive less meters, but will the pros of that be enough to justify the investments.'
The final result is a future VSM, which delivers a maximum value stream, taking into account the existing (financial) barriers. This final picture then becomes the guideline for the improvement program.
Van der Vaart: 'One of the biggest wastes in Joure turned out to be the relatively high stock of end product. In such a case you start looking for the root cause first. Independent of the type of waste this usually is one of three things: (1) pure waste, in this case that would simply be to much safety stock, (2) not enough production flexibility, or (3) to much variation and disturbances in the production process.'
To much variation
'Here, the third category turned out to be the root cause', Van Heuvel adds. 'There were to much machine-defects. I addition, the quality of the end product varied. In some cases a big batch even had to be rejected. That did not only bring along waste in the form of rework, but it also increased the needed amount of safety stock.'
An improvement program was started, to make the production more reliable within 1 to 1,5 years. The primary aim: A continuous stream of coffee-extracts leaving the factory, well attuned to customer demand, and with as few stock as possible.
There were several causes for the instability of the production, which were dealt with simultaneously, applying various improvement tools. 'One of the problems was that there were to many equipment failures. Therefore, measurement of the Overall Equipment Effectiveness was started. That makes it possible to detect frequently occurring disturbances, for which countermeasures can be taken.'
'Another problem was related to the organization structure', Van der Vaart adds. 'You should be on guard that a factory doesn't start to look like a students house. To prevent that, clear agreements are needed, for example about the transfer procedure between shifts.'
The 'cylinders' which are used to produce coffee extracts.
The extraction process is carried out in pressurized supersized coffeemakers, which are called cylinders. There is a whole battery of those, so that the extraction process can go on more or less continuously. Coffee is supplied from above, via a silo.
The most remarkable thing was, that the talent of the operators was left unutilized. Those people used to be no more then machine-drivers!. 'Like I told earlier, our operators always filled the cylinders to the brim with coffee, to maximize capacity', says Van Heuvel. 'Only after a few days, they got feedback. For example like: the yield was low during your shift, did you know that? A typical answer was then: No, how should I? In addition, it was not registered what was done, for example by measuring the amount of coffee added. Therefore the cause of the low yield could not be retrieved.'
Three changes were made. First, it was decided to optimize the extraction process not only on capacity, but also on yield. 'Now, an operator fills a cylinder with a fixed amount of dry material. This is a varying amount of coffee, since it is a natural product', explains Van Heuvel.
Second, there is a fast feedback to the operator after the extraction process. 'A sensor measures the amount of dry matter in the extract. That number, divided by the amount of dry matter in de coffee, is the yield.'
Third, the operator was given the ability to adjust the extraction process. 'When the coffee is to weak or to strong, the operator can adapt the water flow rate. Of course, only within certain boundaries.'
Operators indicate with green and red stickers, which things went well or not during their shift.
During the extraction, a lot of process variables are recorded automatically. Those data are used to find the root causes of problems later. 'Besides that, each operator must indicate with green and red stickers on a poster, what went well and what not during their shift. Of course our operators did ask: isn't that waste of time? However, we think it is very | 2,406 |
West Virginia students reveal how a chemical spill affected their community
Richwood High School | Richwood, WV
After a spill spread toxic chemicals in West Virginia's water supply, the state passed a law to regulate state industries and prevent another disaster. But the law has faced political roadblocks, raising questions about the role of state regulations in protecting the environment. Students at Richwood High School in West Virginia reported on the importance of<|fim_middle|> just Charleston that it's affecting. It's affecting millions of people," she said.
By reporting on environmental issues, student journalists can help raise awareness about safety and how to improve practices, Tristan Legg, who worked on the report, said. "It's always a good topic to bring up so people can be aware of what can happen…and what we can do to help," he said.
This video was produced with mentor support from West Virginia Public Broadcasting. | water quality in their community and what other regions can learn from the incident.
Kendra Lipps, the assistant editor on the report, said that she and her peers were inspired to cover the issue after learning about water quality in an environment class. "We just thought it would be interesting to tie what we learned in that class [into] our journalism class and what was going on in the state," she said.
As students affected by the spill, the class had a unique outlook on the issue but still reported it fairly and accurately, she said. "I think it's important to remain unbiased about who caused the problem but everyone thinks it's important to keep our water safe and healthy," she said.
Student Chelsie Hagy said that she was excited to report on a topic that is significant to so many people in her state. "I found it interesting that this is affecting so many people. It's not | 184 |
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Oct 2, 2020 10:15 am
Farhana Zulkernine's Queen's lab partners with MarkiTech to measure vital signs remotely
"Someday soon when you enter a medical building, there will be a tablet that will automatically check and report whether you are healthy or not."
Professor Farhana Zulkernine is describing a virtual visit to a hospital or a doctor's office in the not-too-distant future. You don't have to imagine that we are still in the grips of an enduring pandemic, just think of a doctor's office in flu season. A quick scan of your face will give the nurses your temperature, blood pressure, oxygen, and a host of other readings, saving time and minimizing the chances that health-care workers and other patients get infected.
It's not here yet, but a recent project named Veyetals that Dr. Zulkernine and the students working in her Bigdata Analytics and Management Laboratory at Queen's University have undertaken with Canadian AI firm MarkiTech is helping to bring that day closer. A beta version for measuring heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and stress level is currently being tried out by hundreds of users in Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
A professor in Queen's School of Computing, Dr. Zulkernine's particular field of interest is, she says, "analytics and management of any kind of large data." She has a special interest "in multimodal streaming data from the Internet of Things," as it's known, with such "things" as wearable sensors, audio and video devices, and other digital sources generating text or hybrid data.
Dr. Zulkernine was connected to MarkiTech by a previous industry collaborator, Gnowit, due to MarkiTech's interest in wearable technologies and remote health monitoring. MarkiTech had already developed what CEO Nauman Jaffar calls "a unique, contactless, remote patient monitoring system" designed for seniors that features a wifi device, a tablet camera intended to scan the face to check vital signs and a series of remote monitoring devices. But their target audience, people in their 70s, 80s and even older, are not always comfortable with wearing sensor devices all the time and had issues with the unit's batteries as well. MarkiTech felt that a remote health-monitoring tablet coupled with a proactive, voice-enabled bot to measure vital signs using a smart phone camera might work better.
As is so often the case with any new innovation, developing it takes money, but in the world of startups raising money requires some sort of proof of concept. It is, says Jaffar, "a long, drawn-out process." Dr. Zulkernine was able to help. She constantly looks for innovative private-sector projects that can engage the students in her lab in developing technology for real-life applications. To that end, she turned to Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization. Mitacs seeks to advance industrial and social innovation in<|fim_middle|>N6
Proud member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities
Queen's University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory.
© 2022 Queen's University | Canada by helping businesses benefit from academic research by jointly funding internships with interested companies for graduate and undergraduate students. "Many of my projects have been funded by Mitacs," she says. "Mitacs is great because they give opportunities for students to get hands-on experience." And because the students work so closely with private sector companies, Mitacs-enabled internships often smooth the path to future employment.
Supported by a Mitacs internship with MarkiTech as the industry partner, Donghao Qiao, one of Dr. Zulkernine's PhD students, began developing an algorithm that would take the face video captured by a cell phone camera and use it to measure a patient's heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation and stress level. In turn, MarkiTech was able to have potential users field test the new phone app.
Not surprisingly, there were a number of challenges – if the lighting was poor, the person wasn't directly in front of the camera or it wasn't held steady, the readings were affected. With continued support from Mitacs and MarkiTech, one of Dr. Zulkernine's M.Sc students, Amtul Haq Ayesha, has been working on these problems as well as extending the range of the app's diagnostic tools to monitor blood pressure and temperature. Ayesha's work on the project will continue to the end of this year. "It has been really interesting," she says. "This research has been so novel."
"There is still a lot to be done," says Dr. Zulkernine. For example, her lab has a great deal of visual data for people in the normal range for heart rate or oxygen levels, but very little for those lying outside that range. And it's not easy to come by. "MarkiTech has been really active in getting this data from outside Canada," she says. Ultimately, she can see the idea being extended beyond clinics, hospitals and a cell phone app. "I would like to combine this research with the work I have been doing on human activity recognition to facilitate home or long-term care." For example, based on patients' needs and health status, multiple wearable and camera-based monitoring could be combined to not only record vital signs but also remotely monitor patients' daily activities and notify others of dangerous incidents such as falls.
The Queen's Partnerships and Innovation (QPI) team helps companies and other external organizations find Queen's researchers with whom to collaborate. QPI and Research Services colleagues work closely with federal and provincial funding agencies to leverage investments in research, help researchers and partners prepare proposals, and develop associated agreements.
Queen's Partnerships and Innovation
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Privacy as an Afterthought: ICANN's Response to the GDPR
By Jeremy Malcolm
Almost three years ago, the global domain name authority ICANN chartered a working group to consider how to build a replacement for the WHOIS database, a publicly-accessible record of registered domain names. Because it includes the personal information of millions of domain name registrants with no built-in protections for their privacy, the legacy WHOIS system exposes registrants to the risk that their information will be misused by spammers, identity thieves, doxxers, and censors.
But at the same time, the public availability of the information contained in the WHOIS database has become taken for granted, not only by its regular users, but by a secondary industry that repackages and sells access to its data, providing services like bulk searches and reverse lookups for clients as diverse as marketers, anti-abuse experts, trademark attorneys, and law enforcement authorities.
The working group tasked with replacing this outdated system, formally known as the Next Generation gTLD RDS to Replace WHOIS PDP Working Group did not get far. Despite holding 90 minute weekly working meetings for more than two years, deep divisions within the group have resulted in glacial progress, even as the urgency of its work has increased. A key privacy advocate within that Working Group, EFF Pioneer Award winner Stephanie Perrin, ended up resigning from the group in frustration this March, saying "I believe this process is fundamentally flawed and does not reflect well on the multi-stakeholder model."
With the impending commencement of Europe's General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR on May 25, which will make the continued operation of the existing WHOIS system illegal under European law, ICANN's board has been forced to step in. On April 3, members of the Working Group were informed that it had been "decided to suspend WG meetings until further notice while we await guidance from the Board regarding how this WG will be affected by the GDPR compliance efforts."
ICANN Board Cookbook
With this, the Board has floated its own interim solution aimed at bringing the legacy WHOIS system into compliance with the GDPR. The ingredients of this so-called "Cookbook" proposal [PDF] are drawn from responses to a call for public submissions, to which EFF contributed [PDF]. In short, it would make the following changes to the WHOIS regime:
Although full contact information of domain name registrants will still be collected, most of this information will become hidden from public view, unless the registrant affirmatively "opts in" to displaying that information publicly. A tiered access model will be put in place to ensure that only parties who have a "legitimate interest" in obtaining access to a registrant's address, phone number, or email address, will be able to do so.
Although email addresses will not be displayed in the public WHOIS data record, they will be replaced by a contact form or anonymized email address, which would still allow members of the public to make contact with a domain owner if they need to. (This idea is one of those that EFF had suggested in our submission, with the additional suggestion that the contact form be protected by a CAPTCHA to minimize the potential for misuse.)
No differentiation is attempted to be made between domains registered to individuals, and those registered to companies. This makes sense, because many company domain records do include personal contact information for individuals who act as the administrative or technical contacts for the domain. In practical terms, it would be impossible to weed out the entries that do contain such personal information from those that don't.
The board proposal is an improvement on the status quo, but doesn't go as far in protecting privacy as we would like it to. For example, it leaves it up to individual registrars as to whether they should apply these privacy protections to all domain owners worldwide, or attempt to limit them to those within the European Economic Area. It also contains a too expansive suggested list of acceptable purposes for the collection and processing of WHOIS personal data, including "to address issues involving domain name registrations, including but not limited to: consumer protection, investigation of cybercrime, DNS abuse, and intellectual property protection."
The ICANN board's Cookbook proposal was submitted to the European Data Protection Authorities, who come together in a group called the Article 29 Working Party, for consideration at its next meeting which took place on April 10-11. The board had hoped to receive [PDF] the group's agreement to a moratorium of enforcement of the GDPR over WHOIS until ICANN is able to get its act together and establish its interim accreditation program. But the Working Party's reply of April 11 [PDF] offers no such moratorium, and instead affirms that the purposes for data collection listed by the board are too broad and will require further work if they are to comply with the GDPR.
Another fundamental limitation of the Cookbook proposal is that while it sets up the idea that there should be an accreditation program for "legitimate" users, it leaves unanswered key questions about how that accreditation program should operate in practice, and in particular how it would assess the legitimacy of claimants seeking access to user data. Since there is not enough time to develop an accreditation system before May 25, the board floats the option of an interim self-accreditation process, which somewhat undermines the purposes of limiting access. The other option is that, by default, access to WHOIS data would "go dark" for all users, until a suitable accreditation system was in place.
Business and IP Constituencies Accreditation and Access Model
This prospect has disturbed stakeholders accustomed to receiving free access to registrant data; one goes so far as to describe the Cookbook proposal as "the most serious threat to the open and public Internet for decades." ICANN<|fim_middle|> 21, 2020
EFF Calls For Disclosure of Secret Financing Details Behind $1.1 Billion .ORG Sale, Asks FTC To Scrutinize Deal
San Francisco—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) Education Fund today called on ICANN and private equity firm Ethos Capital to make public secret details—hidden costs, loan servicing fees, and inducements to insiders—about financing the $1.1 billion sale of the .ORG domain registry.EFF and...
Deeplinks Blog by Jason Kelley, Mitch Stoltz | January 31, 2020
After Nonprofits Protest at ICANN, California's Attorney General Steps Into the .ORG Battle
Once appearing to be a done deal, the sale of the .ORG registry to private equity is facing new delays and new opposition, after a successful protest in front of ICANN last week by nonprofits and an intervention by the California Attorney General. Private equity firm Ethos Capital's proposed... | 's Business and Intellectual Property constituencies have responded by proposing an accreditation and access model [PDF] aimed at keeping the WHOIS door open for three loosely-defined categories of actors: cybersecurity and opsec investigators, intellectual property rights holders and their agents, and law enforcement and other government agencies. It attempts to fill in the gaps of the Board's proposal by suggesting how these users might be accredited.
The biggest problem with the Business and IP constituencies' proposal is that the bar for accreditation to access full registrant data would be set so low that it would become essentially meaningless, while still managing to exclude the wider public and keep them in the dark about who might be viewing their personal data. For example, it could allow anyone who has registered a trademark to enjoy carte blanche access to the entire WHOIS database. In a token effort to prevent misuse of WHOIS access there would be random audits, but penalties for misuse might be limited to de-accreditation.
The proposal would structurally elevate the financial interests of intellectual property owners above the privacy and access rights of ordinary users. While the GDPR does allow data sharing that is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests of third parties, these interests must be balanced with and can be overridden by the interests, rights or freedoms of the domain name registrant. This proposed accreditation and access model doesn't even attempt to strike such a balance.
Although EFF would have preferred a model requiring a court order or warrant for access to such personal information, it seems inevitable that tiered access will be based on some kind of ICANN-administered accreditation system. Community discussions on what that accreditation program should look like continue on a new ICANN discussion list, using the Business and IP constituencies' proposal as a starting point. But this is work that should have been finished long ago. The commencement date of the GDPR has been known since the rule was adopted on April 27, 2016. Although its edges will be difficult for ICANN to navigate, its basic outlines are not rocket science; it has been obvious for over two years that more would need to be done to secure the personal information of domain name registrants.
Unfortunately, ICANN's version of a multi-stakeholder process has broken down over this contentious issue of registrant data privacy. It therefore falls to ICANN's board to make the interim changes necessary to ensure that the WHOIS system is brought into compliance with European Union law. While this interim model may be replaced by a community-based access model in the future, institutional inertia is likely to see to it that the Board's "interim" policy constrains the outlines of that future model. This makes it all the more important that the ICANN Board listens to all segments of its community, and to the advice of the Article 29 Working Party, in order to ensure that the solutions developed strike an appropriate balance between stakeholders' competing interests, and that the human rights of users are put first.
Deeplinks Blog by Elliot Harmon | December 23, 2020
How We Saved .ORG: 2020 in Review
If you come at the nonprofit sector, you'd best not miss.Nonprofits and NGOs around the world were stunned last November when the Internet Society (ISOC) announced that it had agreed to sell the Public Interest Registry—the organization that manages the .ORG top-level domain (TLD)—to private equity firm Ethos Capital....
Press Release | May 1, 2020
.ORG Domain Registry Sale to Ethos Capital Rejected in Stunning Victory for Public Interest Internet
San Francisco—In an important victory for thousands of public interest groups around the world, a proposal to sell the .ORG domain registry to private equity firm Ethos Capital and convert it to a for-profit entity was rejected late yesterday by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).The...
Deeplinks Blog by Karen Gullo, Mitch Stoltz | April 30, 2020
Victory! ICANN Rejects .ORG Sale to Private Equity Firm Ethos Capital
In a stunning victory for nonprofits and NGOs around the world working in the public interest, ICANN today roundly rejected Ethos Capital's plan to transform the .ORG domain registry into a heavily indebted for-profit entity. This is an important victory that recognizes the registry's long legacy as a mission-based,...
Deeplinks Blog by Mitch Stoltz | April 16, 2020
EFF, Other Nonprofits, and California's Attorney General Tell ICANN To Stop The Private Equity Takeover of .ORG
Update 4/20: ICANN has postponed its decision about the sale of .ORG until May 4thICANN, the organization at the top of the Internet's domain name system, may be close to deciding whether the takeover of the .ORG domain registry by a private equity firm can go forward. EFF, along with...
Deeplinks Blog by Katharine Trendacosta | March 27, 2020
Members of Congress Once Again Urge ICANN to Save Dot Org
As the proposed sale of the .ORG domain registry to private equity firm Ethos Capital plays out, we see more and more why this sale was rushed through: the longer we have to look at it, the more questions we all have, and the fewer answers we get. For the...
Deeplinks Blog by Elliot Harmon, Mitch Stoltz | March 9, 2020
NGO Community Urges ICANN to Scrutinize the .ORG Sale
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is reviewing the proposed sale of the .ORG domain registry to private equity firm Ethos Capital, and ICANN has the power to stop the sale. EFF and several other organizations joined a public forum today as part of ICANN's winter...
Deeplinks Blog by Cara Gagliano | March 4, 2020
.ORG Isn't Broken, and We Don't Need Private Equity to 'Fix' It
Ethos Capital—the private equity firm poised to purchase the .ORG domain registry for $1.1 billion—and Public Interest Registry (PIR, the entity Ethos wants to buy) have been attempting to respond to the concerns raised by the .ORG community. These after-the-fact changes just make clear that while there is nothing...
Deeplinks Blog by Elliot Harmon, Mitch Stoltz | February 26, 2020
Empty Promises Won't Save the .ORG Takeover
The Internet Society's (ISOC) November announcement that it intended to sell the Public Interest Registry (PIR, the organization that oversees the .ORG domain name registry) to a private equity firm sent shockwaves through the global NGO sector. The announcement came just after a change to the .ORG registry agreement—the...
Press Release | February | 1,412 |
Marmot minutes: Back at it!
My name is Evan Griffith. I'm a recent graduate of Grinnell College and this is my second summer working with "team marmot" at RMBL. I was really excited to come back to Gothic, because I love living in the mountains and of course I missed all of my marmot friends! Last year I mostly focused on the relationship between coat color and behavior in marmots. This involved performing flight initiation distance (FID) experiments, a measurement of boldness, and taking pictures of marmot backs during trapping<|fim_middle|> will probably be around triple spruce, etc. All of these animals have personalities and by the end of the summer after watching them for 100s of hours you really get to know them well. Tiffany had us in hysterics describing "cat's" (an adult female) antics when spooked. She jumps clear off the ground and spins 360 degrees, which Tiffany demonstrated quite convincingly. I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer and learning more about these incredible creatures. Here's to more adventures! | . This year I'm working with Kwasi (an undergrad from UConn) to expand the FID experiment to include escape speed (of the marmot) and relative refuge angle, that is, the angle between the marmot's path to a burrow and the walker's path. This involves some serious camera work, but I think Kwasi and I are up to the task!
There's nothing quite like being in Colorado for the summer. Every morning I head up Gothic road on my bike. After running out of breath from biking up the steep hill at the north end of town I have to stop, not only to catch my breath, but also to admire the view. The green valley, rimmed by mountains, is cut down the middle by the steely East river, flowing strongly due to all the snowmelt. To the right are the red-stained slopes of Avery, begging to be climbed. In front, the snow-covered crown of Bellview glistens in the early morning light, and of course, the familiar gray cliffs of Gothic mountain fill the western portion of the sky. No matter which way I look the view seems to get better. Ruby-crowned kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers, mountain chickadees and a plethora of other birds defend their territory and advertise for mates at the top of their lungs. It takes about 15 minutes to bike to Picnic, but the trip is a quick one due to the natural scenery and the avian opera that takes place every morning.
I get excited every day to see the animals I know so well. One of the neater aspects of working with marmots for an entire summer is that you become very familiar with each individual. For example, at picnic I know that "five-dice-dots" (an alpha male) will be hanging out at aspen burrow, "alien," "line-dot-line," and "taurus" | 393 |
The Coral Bells Lime Rickey Heuchera Lime Rickey (PP16 210) has outstanding chartreuse leaves that produce an abundance of small white flowers. The ruffled leaves then turn to lime green for the remainder of the growing season. For best results Lime Rickey should be planted in full sun in the north but generally prefers full shade in the south. Use this coral bells as a ground cover in rock gardens as a border plant or as an edger along paths and walkways. Lime Rickey should not be left out of any shade perennial garden..
The Coral Bells Pistache Heuchera Pistache exhibits creamy-white flowers that float on airy stems above vigorous lime-green foliage. These hardy perennials are known for their unique and brilliantly colored foliage as well as their airy sprays of dainty bell-shaped flowers. Excellent in partly shaded borders under trees and even mixed into ornamental containers on shady patios. Can grow in zone 9 in low-humidity regions. Plant Heuchera Pistache in full shade for lovely lime green foliage or plant it in partial shade for electrifying chartreuse-yellow leaves that will light up the garden. Unlike other chartreuse colored heucheras Pistache will not green up as the heat of summer comes.
The Heuchera Amethyst Myst Heuchera x Amethyst Myst also known as a Coral Bell and Alumroot has unique deep purple foliage that is dusted with silver unlike the other burgundies of its family. In springtime light pink flowers appear that last into the summer however Coral Bells are not known for their flowers but their foliage. Amethyst Myst has a plant spread of 15-24 and a height of 18-26 It is best to grow Amethyst Myst in medium wet well-drained soils in full shade. (It can tolerate some morning sun.) Amethyst Myst looks especially<|fim_middle|> beginner gardener.
The Heuchera Plum Pudding Heuchera x Plum Pudding also known as a Coral Bell and Alumroot has unique pewter gray and silver foliage with undercurrents of deep purple. In the spring time small green and maroon flowers appear that last into the summer however Coral Bells are not known for their flowers but their foliage. Plum Pudding has a plant spread of 18-24 and a height of 12 It is best to grow Plum Puddings in medium wet well-drained soils in full shade. (It can tolerate some morning sun.) Plum Pudding looks especially good around the edge of borders near variegated plants woodland edges rock gardens perennial borders or in mass to form an attractive ground cover. Great for a beginner gardener. | good around the edge of borders near variegated plants woodland edges rock gardens perennial borders or in mass to form an attractive ground cover. Great for a | 30 |
Section 12.2 Symmetry
An isometry or rigid motion in \({\mathbb R}^n\) is a distance-preserving function \(f\) from \({\mathbb R}^n\) to \({\mathbb R}^n\text{.}\) This means that \(f\) must satisfy
\begin{equation*} \| f({\mathbf x}) - f({\mathbf y}) \| =\|{\mathbf x} - {\mathbf y} \| \end{equation*}
for all \({\mathbf x}, {\mathbf y} \in {\mathbb R}^n\text{.}\) It is not difficult to show that \(f\) must be a one-to-one map. By Theorem 12.8, any element in \(O(n)\) is an isometry on \({\mathbb R}^n\text{;}\) however, \(O(n)\) does not include all possible isometries on \({\mathbb R}^n\text{.}\) Translation by a vector \({\mathbf x}\text{,}\) \(T_{\mathbf y}({\mathbf x}) = {\mathbf x} + {\mathbf y}\) is also an isometry (Figure 12.11); however, \(T\) cannot be in \(O(n)\) since it is not a linear map.
We are mostly interested in isometries in \({\mathbb R}^2\text{.}\) In fact, the only isometries in \({\mathbb R}^2\) are rotations and reflections about the origin, translations, and combinations of the two. For example, a glide reflection is a translation followed by a reflection (Figure 12.12). In \({\mathbb R}^n\) all isometries are given in the same manner. The proof is very easy to generalize.
Figure 12.12. Glide reflections
An isometry \(f\) that fixes the origin in \({\mathbb R}^2\) is a linear transformation. In particular, \(f\) is given by an element in \(O(2)\text{.}\)
Let \(f\) be an isometry in \({\mathbb R}^2\) fixing the origin. We will first show that \(f\) preserves inner products. Since \(f(0) = 0\text{,}\) \(\| f({\mathbf x})\| = \| {\mathbf x} \|\text{;}\) therefore,
\begin{align*} \| {\mathbf x} \|^2 - 2 \langle f({\mathbf x}), f({\mathbf y}) \rangle + \| {\mathbf y} \|^2 & = \| f({\mathbf x}) \|^2 - 2 \langle f({\mathbf x}), f({\mathbf y}) \rangle + \| f({\mathbf y}) \|^2\\ & = \langle f({\mathbf x}) - f({\mathbf y}), f({\mathbf x}) - f({\mathbf y}) \rangle\\ & = \| f({\mathbf x}) - f({\mathbf y}) \|^2\\ & = \| {\mathbf x} - {\mathbf y} \|^2\\ & = \langle {\mathbf x} - {\mathbf y}, {\mathbf x} - {\mathbf y} \rangle\\ & = \| {\mathbf x} \|^2 - 2 \langle {\mathbf x}, {\mathbf y} \rangle + \| {\mathbf y} \|^2\text{.} \end{align*}
Consequently,
\begin{equation*} \langle f({\mathbf x}), f({\mathbf y}) \rangle = \langle {\mathbf x}, {\mathbf y} \rangle\text{.} \end{equation*}
Now let \({\mathbf e}_1\) and \({\mathbf e_2}\) be \((1, 0)^\transpose\) and \((0, 1)^\transpose\text{,}\) respectively. If
\begin{equation*} {\mathbf x} = (x_1, x_2) = x_1 {\mathbf e}_1 + x_2 {\mathbf e}_2\text{,} \end{equation*}
\begin{equation*} f({\mathbf x}) = \langle f({\mathbf x}), f({\mathbf e}_1) \rangle f({\mathbf e}_1) + \langle f({\mathbf x}), f({\mathbf e}_2) \rangle f({\mathbf e}_2) = x_1 f({\mathbf e}_1)+x_2 f({\mathbf e}_2)\text{.} \end{equation*}
The linearity of \(f\) easily follows.
For any arbitrary isometry, \(f\text{,}\) \(T_{\mathbf x} f\) will fix the origin for some vector \({\mathbf x}\) in \({\mathbb R}^2\text{;}\) hence, \(T_{\mathbf x} f({\mathbf y}) = A {\mathbf y}\) for some matrix \(A \in O(2)\text{.}\) Consequently, \(f({\mathbf y}) = A {\mathbf y} + {\mathbf x}\text{.}\) Given the isometries
\begin{align*} f({\mathbf y}) & = A {\mathbf y} + {\mathbf x}_1\\ g({\mathbf y}) & = B {\mathbf y} + {\mathbf x}_2\text{,} \end{align*}
their composition is
\begin{equation*} f(g({\mathbf y})) = f(B {\mathbf y} + {\mathbf x}_2) = AB {\mathbf y} + A{\mathbf x}_2 + {\mathbf x}_1\text{.} \end{equation*}
This last computation allows us to identify the group of isometries on \({\mathbb R}^2\) with \(E(2)\text{.}\)
The group of isometries on \({\mathbb R}^2\) is the Euclidean group, \(E(2)\text{.}\)
A symmetry group in \({\mathbb R}^n\) is a subgroup of the group of isometries on \({\mathbb R}^n\) that fixes a set of points \(X \subset {\mathbb R}^n\text{.}\) It is important to realize that the symmetry group of \(X\) depends both on \({\mathbb R}^n\) and on \(X\text{.}\) For example, the symmetry group of the origin in \({\mathbb R}^1\) is \({\mathbb Z}_2\text{,}\) but the symmetry group of the origin in \({\mathbb R}^2\) is \(O(2)\text{.}\)
The only finite symmetry groups in \({\mathbb R}^2\) are \({\mathbb Z}_n\) and \(D_n\text{.}\)
We simply need to find all of the finite subgroups \(G\) of \(E(2)\text{.}\) Any finite symmetry group \(G\) in \({\mathbb R}^2\) must fix the origin and must be a finite subgroup of \(O(2)\text{,}\) since translations and glide reflections have infinite order. By Example 12.10, elements in \(O(2)\) are either rotations of the form
\begin{equation*} R_{\theta} = \<|fim_middle|>bf y}_1\) and \({\mathbf y}_2\text{,}\) we need only calculate \(U^{-1}\text{;}\) that is,
\begin{equation*} U^{-1} \begin{pmatrix} {\mathbf y}_1 \\ {\mathbf y}_2 \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix} {\mathbf x}_1 \\ {\mathbf x}_2 \end{pmatrix}\text{.} \end{equation*}
Since \(U\) has integer entries, \(U^{-1}\) must also have integer entries; hence the determinants of both \(U\) and \(U^{-1}\) must be integers. Because \(U U^{-1} = I\text{,}\)
\begin{equation*} \det(U U^{-1}) =\det(U) \det( U^{-1}) = 1; \end{equation*}
consequently, \(\det(U) = \pm 1\text{.}\) A matrix with determinant \(\pm 1\) and integer entries is called unimodular. For example, the matrix
\begin{equation*} \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 1 \\ 5 & 2 \end{pmatrix} \end{equation*}
is unimodular. It should be clear that there is a minimum length for vectors in a lattice.
Figure 12.18. A lattice in \(\mathbb R^2\)
We can classify lattices by studying their symmetry groups. The symmetry group of a lattice is the subgroup of \(E(2)\) that maps the lattice to itself. We consider two lattices in \({\mathbb R}^2\) to be equivalent if they have the same symmetry group. Similarly, classification of crystals in \({\mathbb R}^3\) is accomplished by associating a symmetry group, called a space group, with each type of crystal. Two lattices are considered different if their space groups are not the same. The natural question that now arises is how many space groups exist.
A space group is composed of two parts: a translation subgroup and a point. The translation subgroup is an infinite abelian subgroup of the space group made up of the translational symmetries of the crystal; the point group is a finite group consisting of rotations and reflections of the crystal about a point. More specifically, a space group is a subgroup of \(G \subset E(2)\) whose translations are a set of the form \(\{ (I, t) : t \in L \}\text{,}\) where \(L\) is a lattice. Space groups are, of course, infinite. Using geometric arguments, we can prove the following theorem (see [5] or [6]).
Every translation group in \({\mathbb R}^2\) is isomorphic to \({\mathbb Z} \times {\mathbb Z}\text{.}\)
The point group of \(G\) is \(G_0 = \{A : (A,b) \in G \text{ for some } b \}\text{.}\) In particular, \(G_0\) must be a subgroup of \(O(2)\text{.}\) Suppose that \({\mathbf x}\) is a vector in a lattice \(L\) with space group \(G\text{,}\) translation group \(H\text{,}\) and point group \(G_0\text{.}\) For any element \((A, {\mathbf y})\) in \(G\text{,}\)
\begin{align*} (A, {\mathbf y}) (I, {\mathbf x}) (A, {\mathbf y})^{-1} & = (A,A {\mathbf x} + {\mathbf y}) (A^{-1},-A^{-1} {\mathbf y})\\ & = (A A^{-1},-A A^{-1} {\mathbf y} + A {\mathbf x} + {\mathbf y})\\ & = (I, A {\mathbf x}); \end{align*}
hence, \((I, A {\mathbf x})\) is in the translation group of \(G\text{.}\) More specifically, \(A {\mathbf x}\) must be in the lattice \(L\text{.}\) It is important to note that \(G_0\) is not usually a subgroup of the space group \(G\text{;}\) however, if \(T\) is the translation subgroup of \(G\text{,}\) then \(G/T \cong G_0\text{.}\) The proof of the following theorem can be found in [2], [5], or [6].
The point group in the wallpaper groups is isomorphic to \({\mathbb Z}_n\) or \(D_n\text{,}\) where \(n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6\text{.}\)
To answer the question of how the point groups and the translation groups can be combined, we must look at the different types of lattices. Lattices can be classified by the structure of a single lattice cell. The possible cell shapes are parallelogram, rectangular, square, rhombic, and hexagonal (Figure 12.21). The wallpaper groups can now be classified according to the types of reflections that occur in each group: these are ordinarily reflections, glide reflections, both, or none.
Figure 12.21. Types of lattices in \(\mathbb R^2\)
Table 12.22. The 17 wallpaper groups
Notation and Reflections or
Space Groups Point Group Lattice Type Glide Reflections?
p1 \({\mathbb Z}_1\) parallelogram none
p3 \({\mathbb Z}_3\) hexagonal none
p4 \({\mathbb Z}_4\) square none
pm \(D_1\) rectangular reflections
pg \(D_1\) rectangular glide reflections
cm \(D_1\) rhombic both
pmm \(D_2\) rectangular reflections
pmg \(D_2\) rectangular glide reflections
pgg \(D_2\) rectangular both
c2mm \(D_2\) rhombic both
p3m1, p31m \(D_3\) hexagonal both
p4m, p4g \(D_4\) square both
p6m \(D_6\) hexagonal both
There are exactly 17 wallpaper groups.
Figure 12.24. The wallpaper groups p4m and p4g
The 17 wallpaper groups are listed in Table 12.22. The groups p3m1 and p31m can be distinguished by whether or not all of their threefold centers lie on the reflection axes: those of p3m1 must, whereas those of p31m may not. Similarly, the fourfold centers of p4m must lie on the reflection axes whereas those of p4g need not (Figure 12.24). The complete proof of this theorem can be found in several of the references at the end of this chapter, including [5], [6], [10], and [11].
Subsection Historical Note
Symmetry groups have intrigued mathematicians for a long time. Leonardo da Vinci was probably the first person to know all of the point groups. At the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1900, David Hilbert gave a now-famous address outlining 23 problems to guide mathematics in the twentieth century. Hilbert's eighteenth problem asked whether or not crystallographic groups in \(n\) dimensions were always finite. In 1910, L. Bieberbach proved that crystallographic groups are finite in every dimension. Finding out how many of these groups there are in each dimension is another matter. In \({\mathbb R}^3\) there are 230 different space groups; in \({\mathbb R}^4\) there are 4783. No one has been able to compute the number of space groups for \({\mathbb R}^5\) and beyond. It is interesting to note that the crystallographic groups were found mathematically for \({\mathbb R}^3\) before the 230 different types of crystals were actually discovered in nature. | begin{pmatrix} \cos \theta & - \sin \theta \\ \sin \theta & \cos \theta \end{pmatrix} \end{equation*}
or reflections of the form
\begin{equation*} T_{\phi} = \begin{pmatrix} \cos \phi & - \sin \phi \\ \sin \phi & \cos \phi \end{pmatrix} \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & -1 \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix} \cos \phi & \sin \phi \\ \sin \phi & - \cos \phi \end{pmatrix}\text{.} \end{equation*}
Notice that \(\det(R_{\theta})=1\text{,}\) \(\det(T_{\phi})=-1\text{,}\) and \(T_{\phi}^2=I\text{.}\) We can divide the proof up into two cases. In the first case, all of the elements in \(G\) have determinant one. In the second case, there exists at least one element in \(G\) with determinant \(-1\text{.}\)
Case 1.
The determinant of every element in \(G\) is one. In this case every element in \(G\) must be a rotation. Since \(G\) is finite, there is a smallest angle, say \(\theta_0\text{,}\) such that the corresponding element \(R_{\theta_0}\) is the smallest rotation in the positive direction. We claim that \(R_{\theta_0}\) generates \(G\text{.}\) If not, then for some positive integer \(n\) there is an angle \(\theta_1\) between \(n \theta_0\) and \((n+1) \theta_0\text{.}\) If so, then \((n+1) \theta_0 - \theta_1\) corresponds to a rotation smaller than \(\theta_0\text{,}\) which contradicts the minimality of \(\theta_0\text{.}\)
The group \(G\) contains a reflection \(T\text{.}\) The kernel of the homomorphism \(\phi : G \rightarrow \{-1, 1\}\) given by \(A \mapsto \det(A)\) consists of elements whose determinant is 1. Therefore, \(|G/ \ker \phi|=2\text{.}\) We know that the kernel is cyclic by the first case and is a subgroup of \(G\) of, say, order \(n\text{.}\) Hence, \(|G| = 2n\text{.}\) The elements of \(G\) are
\begin{equation*} R_{\theta}, \ldots, R_{\theta}^{n-1}, TR_{\theta}, \ldots, TR_{\theta}^{n-1}\text{.} \end{equation*}
These elements satisfy the relation
\begin{equation*} TR_{\theta}T = R_{\theta}^{-1}\text{.} \end{equation*}
Consequently, \(G\) must be isomorphic to \(D_n\) in this case.
Subsection The Wallpaper Groups
Suppose that we wish to study wallpaper patterns in the plane or crystals in three dimensions. Wallpaper patterns are simply repeating patterns in the plane (Figure 12.16). The analogs of wallpaper patterns in \({\mathbb R}^3\) are crystals, which we can think of as repeating patterns of molecules in three dimensions (Figure 12.17). The mathematical equivalent of a wallpaper or crystal pattern is called a lattice.
Figure 12.16. A wallpaper pattern in \(\mathbb R^2\)
Figure 12.17. A crystal structure in \(\mathbb R^3\)
Let us examine wallpaper patterns in the plane a little more closely. Suppose that \({\mathbf x}\) and \({\mathbf y}\) are linearly independent vectors in \({\mathbb R}^2\text{;}\) that is, one vector cannot be a scalar multiple of the other. A lattice of \({\mathbf x}\) and \({\mathbf y}\) is the set of all linear combinations \(m {\mathbf x} + n {\mathbf y}\text{,}\) where \(m\) and \(n\) are integers. The vectors \({\mathbf x}\) and \({\mathbf y}\) are said to be a basis for the lattice.
Notice that a lattice can have several bases. For example, the vectors \((1,1)^\transpose\) and \((2,0)^\transpose\) have the same lattice as the vectors \((-1, 1)^\transpose\) and \((-1, -1)^\transpose\) (Figure 12.18). However, any lattice is completely determined by a basis. Given two bases for the same lattice, say \(\{ {\mathbf x}_1, {\mathbf x}_2 \}\) and \(\{ {\mathbf y}_1, {\mathbf y}_2 \}\text{,}\) we can write
\begin{align*} {\mathbf y}_1 & = \alpha_1 {\mathbf x}_1 + \alpha_2 {\mathbf x}_2\\ {\mathbf y}_2 & = \beta_1 {\mathbf x}_1 + \beta_2 {\mathbf x}_2\text{,} \end{align*}
where \(\alpha_1\text{,}\) \(\alpha_2\text{,}\) \(\beta_1\text{,}\) and \(\beta_2\) are integers. The matrix corresponding to this transformation is
\begin{equation*} U = \begin{pmatrix} \alpha_1 & \alpha_2 \\ \beta_1 & \beta_2 \end{pmatrix}\text{.} \end{equation*}
If we wish to give \({\mathbf x}_1\) and \({\mathbf x}_2\) in terms of \({\math | 1,348 |
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I could not resist using the above collage. Firstly because it delights me, secondly because it speaks volumes about the joy of this project and thirdly because it was constructed by my two partners in crime, who I love dearly. Yes, WFNC has now been going for a full year and we thought that this month would therefore be good for a retrospective look at each of our own highlights of the year.
WFNC started as a four-person project but our friend Roda had to pull out to concentrate on her apiary business. The current team consists of Dominique Nancy of 3C Style in Canada, Lisa Lawrence of Lismore Paper in the USA, and myself in the UK. Messages are continually flying through the transatlantic ether between us and our deep friendship is a joy. Working toward a dream of a creative future is hard to do alone, but when you have a team of creative people who bond and who share a n ethos and a vision but have different styles and ideas to bring into the mix then magic happens. And we have a mutual support mechanism to get us through the tough times too. 'An ocean apart but we share the same heart' describes us perfectly.
We all met through our WP blogs.
After I returned to blogging in summer 2017 after abandoning my blog several months earlier, I made a point of seeking out other artists with an interest in the natural world and met Lisa (and Roda) as a result of this. I loved her art and her multi-stranded creativity and we have SO much in common. We share Instagram posts a lot!
Meeting Dominique was pure coincidence. I was involved in a project at work regarding pesticides and bees and found a wonderful blog post by Dominique on the subject so I left a comment. We have been firm friends since that day. It still scares me that none of this would have happened had I not said hello that day!<|fim_middle|>, the people thing is always a concern. I work with a team in the day job so am around people a lot there too. Thankfully this project has been very easy in that respect!
Thanks for the backstory. I've felt a little lost not knowing what the fashion shoots (in previous posts) were about (sorry, I probably missed something important along the way), so this was a great post to read. So glad you met up with your blogging friends, so rewarding and unexpected, right? Happy times!
Here comes another reblog from "When Fashion and Nature Collide" – a monthly collaboration of three of my blogging friends who have been creating these fabulous capsules for a year now and who are celebrating their first anniversary.
Darren from over at The Arty Plantsman started with contributing his marvelous photos of stunning flowers, that inspire Dominique to come up with a wonderful outfit and Lisa to create one of her beautiful pieces of art.
His true specialty however lies in a different field – he's an incredibly talented and exceptional artist! His delicate and extremely accurate paintings of flowers and plants never fail to simply amaze me – I have to admit: I wish I could paint like that!
And it gets even better than that – three of his botanical pieces have now been selected for the Society of Botanical Artists exhibition at London's Mall Galleries from June 5th 2019!!
It's the first time he has ever formally submitted his work for an exhibition, and I feel safe to predict, it won't be his last!
And now I will let you enjoy this post, and hope you'll visit Darren's blog too!
Happy Anniversary, all of you Creatives. Your blog is wonderful and shows how a collaborative effort from three or four folks heading in the direction of Happy and New makes something even more wonderful. Best wishes to all of you.
Thank you so much Sharon. What a lovely comment😍. We have all grown so much in the last year with mutual support and that of our friends here. We are busy making plans for the next phase and also our first team get-together next month. Warm best wishes to you too!
Hello Darren, I've just caught up with your blog through the lovely Sarah. Congratulations on the first anniversary of your creative collaboration. I'm looking forward to following along. Kind regards. Tracy.
Hello Tracy. Lovely to meet you and I will pop over to visit later. Thank you for your kind congratulations and for saying hello. Sarah is so lovely! Welcome!
Congratulations on our first anniversary! I love what you do, and have already enjoyed following Lisa's blog!
Thank you so much Ann. And welcome!
Thank you so much! WP and the connections made here have completely changed my life. | Dominique's creativity perfectly complements the team. She generates ideas at an incredible pace and her aesthetic sense is infallible.
The collages in this post were created by Dominique as a gift to me because she knew I have been struggling for both time and energy over the last few weeks. Thank you Dominique.
Obviously, my original contributions to WFNC were my plant photographs, which have inspired Dominique's styling and Lisa's artwork. This works in two ways. Sometimes Dominique sees the flower first and simply loves it so much that she purposely looks for outfits to go with it. This was the case with Calochortus obispoensis in the above collage. Other times she has a colour in mind and will ask me to suggest some flowers that might work. Sometimes I get it right first time. Sometimes the colour is really hard for me to match and I can't see it through Dominique's eyes. It is amazing how many shades the word 'peach' includes! Once these decisions are made Lisa applies her digital art skills to combine our three contributions into images in her incredibly imaginative ways.
My botanical art also has an increasing presence in our collaboration, especially since we started creating designs for our Fashioned By Nature shop. The above strawberry/hearts design for Valentine's day is a good example of how I try to blend work for WFNC and Fashioned By Nature, with my own 'fine art' output. The original idea from Dominique included a number of variations and knowing that most were for digital reproduction I created several alternatives that can be combined digitally, together with Lisa's lettering. The final 'fine art' piece is the bottom row above, which we may offer as prints or cards in the future.
Another thing that makes me so happy is that the influence of my partners has changed my art from purely formal botanical work into things with a lot more fun and whimsy. I am having so much fun as a result!
The departure of Roda left us in need of critter photographs. We have all contributed here. The UK is not known for its exciting wildlife, except in the town centre pubs on Friday nights, but I have a lot of pictures from my travels or of small but fascinating beasties in the garden. The two images of captive creatures above were taken by me on my visit to Montreal. About which – see below.
My trip to Montreal in September was easily the high point of my year. It represented a lot of changes. Normally I go on holiday to get away from people entirely. This is the first time I have ever flown towards them. It was also the first time I had met any of my blogging buddies and, of course, the first time I had met one of the WFNC team. There are always some nerves about meeting someone for the first time but from the moment Dominique met me at the airport I knew everything was going to be just fine. And then, of course Dee Dee and Linda (with Bill) joined us too and it was just so lovely!
Dominique and I knew from our e-mail friendship that we had a great rapport and fairly early in the visit she suggested we might try some fashion photography. I almost never take photos of people but tentatively agreed. The first session produced the photos that Dominique used for her passion flower styling that she revisits in her own post today. Not only did we like the results but it was so much fun that we crammed in as many shoots as possible during the rest of my visit. Images from two of these shoots are shown in the above collage.
I did not escape being a model either. Lisa had created a t-shirt using pictures of our WP friend's canine buddies. So who better to model it than another mischievous but lovable hairy creature? We would all agree that these projects that involve all three of us are extra magical to work on.
We also had a go at some purely creative photos. This was another new and very rewarding experience. The images above show Dee Dee (with Dominique's hand) at the botanical gardens, and a goods train next to the river. This taught me to see things anew and I have continued with my more creative work since my return.
St Eustache is where Dominique grew up so she knew of a great shoot location at the flour mill next to the river. She looks very chic doesn't she? A few minutes later she was swinging from a tree branch laughing her head off!
This barn was in Knowlton. Though she had not planned a shoot here, hence the casual clothes, Dominique spotted the potential of this window as a frame. The left hand image was taken with my phone at dusk in poor light. We returned with my proper camera in better light to take a set of photos of the frame with various props. I have a plan to create something with this set of images, none of which have been shown before.
Late last year our collaboration led to a spin-off in the shape of our fledgling business 'Fashioned By Nature' which enables us to put our designs and ideas from WFNC to further use. As well as her own incredible artistic contribution, Lisa has worked so hard on our Threadless shop!
I have benefited from this project in many ways, both personal and creative. From an artistic perspective it has helped me so much in diversifying my output and in pushing out of my creative comfort zone. The unflagging support and love from the rest of the team is something I am very very grateful for. In May we will have our first team meeting in Montreal and I can't wait! Ladies – I love and salute you both.
Thank you Lisa! Likewise, this has been such a loving and life-changing experience for me too. You are so talented and such a lovely and cool person too! Looking forward to that group hug in May!
How wonderful that a WP friendship sparked a business. Can you give me a link to your website… I can't seem to find it.
Happy Anniversary to you all. I love all your collaborations, and look forward to more and buying a few things from your store.
Oooh boy, do I love this post Darren. It's one thing to say you want to make changes, but actually doing it is always a little bit scary. And I'm so proud of you my friend. You bravely made so many changes in your life in 2018 and all that while being creative, productive and funny. You hit the nail on the head here with your presentation of the way we work. You and Lisa are a constant source of inspiration, joy and fun. I love you both so much. ❤️ I feel you will be my friends for the rest of my life. Well, you have no choice… I know too much! Hehe… Hugs.
Thank you Dominique. The changes have been much easier with the encouragement of my WP friends.
You do indeed know all my secrets! But even if you didn't I intend to stay a part of your lives😍.
This is such a heartwarming post it drew tears to my eyes! I am so happy for you all and especially Darren, that you have the lovely ability to reach out to people and connect. This is creating genuine change in your life.
You three are so incredibly talented! It's such a pleasure to be able to follow along on the group's journey from here. It's also good to read it wasn't too 'peoply' for you, as a fellow introvert, I know it's always a consideration. Great shots in this post!!
Thank you so much Mishka. And I am so enjoying your watercolours on IG!
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Brexit and Your Investments: GW & Wade Advisors Weigh In
by Laurie Wexler Gerber<|fim_middle|> Season is Over, Long Live Tax Season! (Or should we say, long live tax planning?)
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How Will Brexit Affect Your Financial Plans?
Since the UK voted to leave the European Union—a surprising move that has had markets reeling—many US investors are wondering what the fallout will mean for their investments and financial plans.
Here at GW & Wade, we're watching the situation closely. While acknowledging that so much has yet to be sorted out, we want to share the frequently-asked questions which are circulating, along with some brief insights on each.
How will the Brexit referendum affect U.S. markets?
It's impossible to predict how far-reaching Brexit shock waves will be. In the immediate wake of the vote, the S&P lost nearly 2.5% and Germany's DAX index lost more than 6.8 percent. Then came the beginnings of a rebound: three days post-vote, the S&P was up more than 1.5% and the DAX was up approximately 2%.
Over the 30 years GW & Wade has been in business, we have seen volatility like this before: 1987, 1999, 2008, to name a few instances. In each case, the safe bet was that the markets would rebound, and they did. While we will not make predictions now, we can offer this perspective: although Britain is the world's fifth largest economy, and although our financial world is increasingly interconnected, only 7 percent of revenues generated by S&P 500 companies come from Europe. It is a relatively small piece of the puzzle.
Is Brexit a harbinger of widespread separatist activity in Europe, i.e. longer-term market volatility?
There's a lot of uncertainty around the politics of this vote. Some of the facts we don't know yet include:
When will the actual separation happen?
Will other EU members follow suit?
Might the UK end up adopting an alternative EU membership model, similar to Norway's?
Might the decision be delayed or ultimately overturned?
Again, with history as our guide, we believe it does not make sense to start banking on a recession and eliminating all exposure to risk and the equity markets.
Will Brexit affect my retirement portfolio and should I be selling?
Investments in retirement portfolios are typically made with a long time-horizon. And over the long-term, markets have historically recovered from short-term volatility. So it is unlikely that Brexit will affect the long-term performance of retirement portfolios. Furthermore, our Counselors work to ensure that asset allocations reflect the unique time-horizon and risk tolerance of each client. We typically counsel against any major portfolio moves during volatile markets like this.
Let's take a closer look at that. It's safe to say that reactionary, knee-jerk moves usually do more harm than good. Remember, the U.K.'s EU membership status hasn't actually changed yet. It may not change until 2018, at which point trade relationships and other areas of concern will likely be ironed out. When the dust settles, investors may realize this moment of panic was actually a buying opportunity, rather than a time to sell.
More importantly, if you're working with a GW Wade Counselor, your portfolio should already be built to account for up and down markets, and to accommodate your risk tolerance in the context of events like this one. History teaches us that despite periodic downturns, investors who maintain perspective typically enjoy positive, returns over the long-term.
As we have stated previously when the markets were experiencing great volatility, if your asset allocation made sense the day before market uncertainty, it should make sense in the aftermath.
Should I contact my financial advisor?
We are always happy to speak with our current and prospective clients about their portfolios and about the broader economic environment. It bears mentioning that, despite all the news and attention to Brexit, we have in fact received only a handful of calls. Perhaps this is because market volatility has become the "new normal."
The information provided above is general in nature and is not intended to represent specific investment or professional advice. No client or prospective client should assume that the above information serves as the receipt of, or a substitute for, personalized individual advice from GW & Wade, LLC, which can only be provided through a formal advisory relationship. Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.
Clients of the firm who have specific questions should contact their GW & Wade Counselor. All other inquiries, including a potential advisory relationship with GW & Wade, should be directed to:
Laurie W. Gerber, Client Development
GW & Wade, LLC
lgerber@gwwade.com
Laurie Wexler Gerber, MBA
Tax Considerations For An Equity Exit
David Brodsky
Kelli Adams
The New Retirement Story Webinar
Financial Literacy Webinar
Investments Financial Planning Asset Management Tax Planning
Tax | 991 |
Q: Any advice on how to lease my new location without getting ripped off?
A: Renting commercial space can mean stepping into a minefield of hidden costs and steep fees. The commercial real estate field is full of experts with deep experience who tend to be aggressive, especially with newcomers. My first bit of advice is to start your search for your next space well before you need to move. The more time you have, the more leverage you'll have during negotiations.
But before we tackle your negotiating strategy, let's start with the basics. How much can you afford? Where do you need to be—near suppliers, customers, transportation hubs? How much square footage do you need? Which features do you require (private offices, open meeting spaces, a showroom, a warehouse with receiving dock)? And which ones do you want to make your business more efficient (on-site employee parking, an inexpensive power source)?
Use this list of criteria to shop for a commercial real estate broker, looking for one who focuses on tenant-side work and has an encyclopedic knowledge of your desired location. Don't worry about the commission, which is paid by landlords on both sides of commercial leases.
It's not until you and your broker have come up with at least two or three candidates that you should start negotiating for your first choice. Be ready to walk away—and mean it. Let your broker handle the talks. If you're lucky, you'll get a broker like the one I had when I ran a search for new space for a medical device research firm. He came up with a list of available spaces (and prices) that fit our needs, then took that list to our current landlord, who almost fell over himself to give us a deal better than anyone else's.
Last tip: After your broker has negotiated a satisfactory deal, hire a real estate attorney to examine the lease document. You want a lawyer who negotiates leases every day, not your general counselor. The real estate attorney will point out all the traps in the draft lease, as well as missing items that should be added into the lease for your protection.
When shopping for a new space, I set up a spreadsheet to track and compare all criteria and variables. Here are some points to consider for your own list.
• Rent. Ask how the chargeable square footage is measured and calculated so you can make apples-to-apples comparisons between buildings.
• Lease term. When does the lease start, and when does it expire? Can you live with a long-term lease (better deal) or would you prefer a shorter term with renewals? Landlords will prefer one or the other based on their own needs, especially considering the debt they have on the building and their lenders' requirements.
• Rent increases. How are<|fim_middle|> the less-risky cash flow that comes from a long-term lease with a good tenant.
• Conditions of the build-out. Who needs to approve it, and who supervises it?
• Maintenance and repairs. Unlike residential leases, commercial leases often require the tenant to pay for all mainte- nance, except for that of exterior walls, roof and common areas.
• Right to sub-lease. Under what condi- tions can you sub-lease the space?
• Exclusivity rights. If you're in retail, you need exclusivity so competitors can't open a store in the same building or complex.
• Right to assign the lease to a new leaseholder. I once had a landlord hold up the $120 million sale of my company while we waited for his approval of the lease assignment. | they calculated, and are they automatic?
• Extra costs. This includes utilities, taxes and insurance, as well as common area maintenance, or CAM, charges.
• Prepaid rents and/or deposits. Just like they do with apartments, landlords of commercial buildings may ask for a variation of first and last months' rent and a security deposit before move-in.
• Cost of improvements. These costs are often paid by the landlord, who will roll them into the rent, prorated over the length of the lease. Depending on your business, this can involve big dollars, but a landlord often has flexibility here, especially if his lender is cooperative. The bank may agree to lend more to the landlord in exchange for | 142 |
The island of Zirje is the largest island in the Sibenik archipelago, although it covers the area of only 43 km 2. He is also the farthest island from the city of Sibenik. It is assumed that it was named after the fruit of "acorn" because the whole island was once covered with dense oak forests. The island is well-indented, with numerous coves and reefs, as well as countless small islands. The population here has long been engaged in agriculture, and more recently tourism. The climate of the island is characterized by mild winters and hot summers. Zirje is known for its natural beauty, crystal clear waters, and several valuable monuments the most valuable of which are the parish church of St. Mary, a fort from the 6th century on the locality of Gradina, as well as a five-room building "Stari stan". If you are staying on Zirje you can visit the National Park Kornati, Krka National Park, as well as the cultural and historical center of the region - the city of Sibenik and one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Adriatic - the city of Vodice. Sports lovers can enjoy cycling (Zirje<|fim_middle|> ferry lines 2 times a month off season, and once a week during season. | has a very nice trail), hiking and various water sports.
The island of Zirje is connected to the mainland with boat lines 2 times a day, with | 33 |
You may remember seeing some sneak peeks from the gorgeous styled shoot that I got to photograph back in August alongside my workshop attendees! This group of attendees were in for a<|fim_middle|> me take you back to this warm August day full of so much pretty!!
You can also see this shoot featured on Tidewater and Tulle today!
Special thanks to all the amazing vendors! | treat with the styled shoot that Jamie of Jamie Leigh Events put together at The Hermitage Museum in Norfolk! This is the first time that I've risked planning an outdoor shoot for a workshop, but I just couldn't resist the beautiful gardens and scenery of the Hermitage! Not to mention that fact that it is literally right down the street from my house!
For this shoot, Jamie and I dreamed up a French Countryside inspired look. Natural textures, light neutrals and pastels, loose floral arrangements and an overall romantic and delicate vibe. Thanks to the team of amazing vendors, everything came together perfectly! And our real-life married couple, Kellen and Steven, were the perfect models!! So if you're needing a little warm escape on this chilly November day, let | 157 |
Able locksmiths provide a range of professional locksmith solutions for homes and businesses throughout Colchester.
Whether you are locked out of your home, or would like to update the security in your business, leave it to<|fim_middle|> can improve your home security in no time.
Found myself locked out at night and Trustpilot got us out of a jam. But expensive, locksmith said if we had contacted him directly it would have cost us a lot less.
Locksmiths services, local to you in Colchester. | our experts.
All of our local locksmiths are fully qualified experts with years of experience in their field. We consistently aim to provide our customers with the best possible service, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So if you have a locksmith emergency, a member of our locksmith team can be there to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently.
Not only do we deliver excellent locksmith solutions to homes throughout the Colchester area, but we also help a range of businesses too. From established high street retailers to independent traders and facilities management companies, we're here for all of your locksmith needs.
If you are locked out of your property and need a locksmith fast, you can count on Able locksmiths to be there. Operating 24 hours a day with a rapid emergency response, we'll get you back into your property in no time.
If you need the locks to be replaced in your property, or you have an old lock that you would like to be replaced with a more secure one, our local locksmiths are skilled and equipped for all your locksmith needs.
Do you have a lock that has stopped functioning properly? One of our local locksmiths are never too far away to help. We'll repair your lock whilst offering helpful advice, so your home can feel secure.
Able locksmiths provide a range of professional locksmith solutions throughout Colchester. Offering helpful advice and solutions to suit your property needs, we | 286 |
The famous red and white striped cliffs at Hunstanton are an eye-catching attraction. The stripes are caused by layers of different coloured rock.
During a visit to the cliffs you can have fun discovering the history and nature of the area by looking for fossils, hunting for creatures in the rock pools or taking a stroll to view the old buildings perched on the cliff top.
The seaside town of Hunstanton began as a purposely-built resort in 1846 and retains its Victorian charm and character to this day, remaining a popular holiday destination for visitors of all ages. From buzzing family activities such as Crazy Golf, Pitch-and-Putt, and the Oasis Leisure Centre to the tranquil Esplanade Gardens there is something for everyone. The town's array of gardens are especially delightful during the Spring and summer months,<|fim_middle|> experience them all.
Hunstanton's excellent beach offers ideal conditions for playing on the sand, exploring rock pools, and enjoying the sea. | and you can follow a self-guided Horticultural Trail to make sure you | 15 |
We all know that getting rid of bad habits and adopting the good ones is beneficial for our health. The main reasons to give them up is a risk to get serious heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity. Pursuing a better quality of life, you have already tried to stop smoking, get more sleep, do exercises, and eat less. If you are reading this, then chances are that most of these habits didn't become your regular practices. And most of us know how frustrating such failures might be.
However, don't let those challenges and setbacks break your will! There are ways to change your habits and we are going to talk about the most efficient of them.
First and foremost, you need to reflect on your unhealthy habits and find out which patterns in your everyday behavior lead to them. A habit is something we are used to do; therefore, you never think for too long before doing your routine things. For example, if you are used to drink a cup of water before going to bed, chances are that you don't make a decision, whether to do it or not, you just go to the kitchen and get yourself a glass of water.
Think about your bad habits and various triggers that make you stick to them. For example, you might be overeating when watching TV or smoking cigarettes with your friend even if<|fim_middle|> find a place that makes you feel relaxed. Don't forget that you will meet the challenges and obstacles on your way, so you need to have a plan for them as well. Sometimes, an unexpected situation can push you to come back to your bad habits. How will you continue making the right choices when something tempting or stressful happens? Extreme situations reduce your critical thinking and push you towards automatic behavior. So you need to know how to fight them before they occur.
Also, motivate your friends and relatives to join you. First, it is really hard to quit bad habits when everybody around you keep doing things you want to stop doing. Second, a sense of support and solidarity is very inspiring.
When you have a concrete goal divided into smaller plans, you can make a list or a scheme. Formulate your goals correctly when writing them down. For example, don't write something like "I want to be fit and pretty," but rather "I will go to the gym three days a week." It is important to be very specific and remind yourself that you need to work hard to reach the goals you have. Also, you can write down the reasons why you need to follow this plan. Why is that important to you? What makes you change your life? After you are done, place the list on the mirror, fridge or anywhere else to see it every day.
To stay tuned and energetic, you need to sleep at least eight hours a day and let your body and brain recreate. This is especially important if you go to a gym or do any physical exercises, since your organism needs rest and strength for your next steps. A lack of sleep can make you anxious, tired and annoyed, which can lead to stress and trigger your return to the bad habits. One way to help you get more quality sleep is a sleep mask. Also, provide yourself with a back-up and make sure that you don't overload yourself with work or studying. For instance, make sure that your share your tasks at work if you cannot deal with them or go to an essay writing service if your tasks are too overwhelming. It's okay to ask for assistance when you really need it, especially when your education and work prevents you from having enough rest.
When you complete your goals and move forward, make sure to reward yourself. For example, buy those amazing shoes, visit a spa salon or go to a cinema. Self-rewards are great to keep you in track. Just don't buy yourself any snacks and sweats if you are trying to lose weight and don't allow yourself a jar of beer if you are trying to quit drinking. This will bring you in an endless circle.
No need to say that changing your lifestyle to a healthier one is a real challenge. Still this is something you can accomplish! Think about your current lifestyle, set specific goals, and remove all the triggers that might bring you back to the starting point. Changing your habits is not easy and the results will take some time. So keep your pecker up and good luck!
Jennifer Pauli graduated from Corvinus School of Management and finished the faculty of Journalism at the Corvinus University of Budapest. Currently, She is an editor, business writer, and copywriter, working with well-known companies, blogs, and personalities. Follow her on Twitter, and read the personal blog.
Thanks for this article packed with a lot of efficient tips for people to reach their goals. All these are so true and the way to go to achieve your goals.
I would add, in the 'set the goal' paragraph, that you have to make sure why is your goal important for you, why you want to achieve it? in order to let your goal motivate you, it should be clear in your mind what you will get from achieving your goal.
get enough rest is a simple and sound advice, however many studies show that a majority of people are not sleeping enough or not sleeping well. one of the tip to sleep better is to stop exposure to screens 1 or 2 hours before going to sleep. Everybody should also find out how many hours of sleep they require since not everybody needs the same. the best way to go at this is to start going to sleep about 7.5 hours before you need to wake up for a week or 10 days. If that is enough sleep, you should wake up before your alarm clock and feel rested when you wake up. If the alarm clock is still waking you up, then go to sleep 30 min earlier until you find the perfect time for you.
one more tip that could be added is to get help from your friends or relatives. If you commit publicly to your goal, you will be more motivated to achieve them. You can also specifically ask someone to hold you accountable against your progress and support you when you need. | you don't really want to. You can change these patterns and build new ones. For instance, switch the TV off when you are eating or come up with other social activities you can do with your friends (walking, jogging, riding a bicycle).
Think about the reasons you have to quit your bad habits and the goals you are pursuing. For example, if you want to look fit and pretty, then let this thought be on your mind every time you find that box of ice cream tempting. As for your goals, make sure that you know what you want to get. You should have a realistic attitude here. For example, if you are planning to lose 25 pounds in a month, then this might be an unreasonable goal. When setting yourself unreasonable goals, you risk to get frustrated by your results even though they are pretty successful. However, if you plan to lose 5-10 pounds a month, you have all chances to reach and even over-fulfill that goal. Small victories are incredibly motivating when you are going through the hard times of change.
To reach your goal, you need to make a plan and come up with specific practices to move forward. First and foremost, think about everyday practices that can lead you to healthy choices instead of your bad habits. For instance, if you are used to visit a cake-shop after a working day, then change your route. Cook and take healthy foods from home to avoid a temptation to eat pizza or hamburger.
In general, you need to know what exactly you need to reach the goal. This will help you change things that surround you and make them rather supporting than seducing. You need to remove everything that may lead you to the wrong moves, buy healthy products, or | 350 |
March 19, 208 5:00 P.M.
Meeting was called to order by Mayor Brian Linin with Vice-Mayor Jay Dee Brumbaugh, Commissioner Annette Fairbanks, and Commissioner John Garcia responding to roll call. Commissioner Jacque Schields was reported absent.
Also present were Rich Simon – Public Works Superintendent, Joni Showalter-Police Chief, Sami Philbrick- Museum Director, Alex Weis- Code Enforcement, Brian James- Fire Chief, Dustin Bedore- Electric Superintendent, Sharmis Blake- Deputy City Clerk and Andrew Finzen – City Manager.
Unfit Structure: 1619 Kansas Ave. – Mayor Linin opened hearing at 5:00 p.m. Andrew stated, public hearing was set by Resolution 1515 at February 5th The Resolution sets a time and place at which the owner, the owner's agent, any lienholder of record and any occupant of the structure may appear and show cause why the structure should not be condemned and ordered repaired or demolished.<|fim_middle|> amount of $4,740 and Tri-State Exterminating in the amount of $4,660. Commissioner Fairbanks asked, are both businesses local? Richard Winter, owner Pest Away, LLC stated, I own a home in Goodland, with a local office and phone number. Matthew Wahl from Tri-State Exterminating stated, I am from Goodland but business owners live in Colby. ON A MOTION by Commissioner Fairbanks to accept the bid from Pest Away, LLC in the amount of $4,740.00 seconded by Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh. MOTION carried on a VOTE of 3-1 with Commissioner Garcia casting the dissenting vote.
City Manager Report – 1. Master Gardeners received a $3,300 grant for north berm at Gulick Park. As a reminder, the Commission Retreat is March 27th at 5:00 p.m. in Commission Room. 3. Joni and I are working on a False Alarm Ordinance and will probably talk about it at the next meeting. 4. The idea of having Pickle ball at Chambers Park will go to the board for review. 5. The City received the public transportation grant which includes a new van and $1,200 towards getting IPad's to dispatch the bus. 6. County Commission agreed to help with clean up week by waiving fees for everyone in Sherman County to haul waste to landfill, excluding tires and concrete, the week of April 9-13.
Museum Director – Sami discussed current and upcoming exhibits. At the end of the month we will have the block exhibit, then in April we are partnering with Ground Water Management District and local Soil Conservation office in Exploring Sherman County Nature. On April 17th we have a weather night and then in May we will have a Science Olympiad Exhibit and Cemetery tours. Area museums are working together again on the passport program.
Public Works Director – Rich stated, we have been working on water leaks from old service lines. Some Water Department personnel will be attending KRWA meeting last week of March. We have been working on the Welcome Center and doing maintenance at Water Treatment facility.
Police Chief – Joni discussed job descriptions, responsibilities and services provided to the community by each of her personnel.
Commissioner Garcia – 1. We need to contact State to update striping on Highways 24 and 27.
Commissioner Fairbanks – 1. Thanked Department Heads for their presentations.
Commissioner Schields – Absent, No Report.
Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh – 1. Thanked Department Heads for their presentations.
Mayor – I talked to some of the County Commissioners who appreciate the offer made with CVB and Economic Development. 2. I also appreciate Department Head presentations.
Under authority of K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(6) for a preliminary discussion relating to the acquisition of real property – Commissioner Garcia made a motion at 5:55 p.m. to recess into executive session under authority of S.A.75-4319 (b)(6) for preliminary discussion relating to the acquisition of real property not to exceed five minutes. I request the Commission and City Manager be present. Commissioner Fairbanks seconded the motion. MOTION carried by a VOTE of 4-0. Meeting resumed at 6:00 p.m. Commissioner Garcia made a second motion at 6:00 p.m. to recess into executive session under authority of K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(6) for preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property for two minutes. I request the Commission and City Manager be present. Commissioner Fairbanks seconded the motion. MOTION carried by a VOTE of 4-0. Meeting resumed at 6:02 p.m.
under the authority of K.S.A 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship not to exceed twenty minutes. I request Commission, Jake Kling, Alex and Brian be present. Commissioner Garcia seconded the motion. MOTION carried by a VOTE of 4-0. Meeting resumed at 6:30 p.m. Commissioner Fairbanks made a motion at 6:30 p.m. to recess into Executive Session under the authority of K.S.A 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship not to exceed twenty minutes. I request Commission, Jake Kling, Alex and Brian be present. Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh seconded the motion. MOTION carried by a VOTE of 4-0. Meeting resumed at 6:50 p.m. Commissioner Garcia made a motion at 6:50 p.m. to recess into Executive Session under the authority of K.S.A 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship not to exceed twenty minutes. I request Commission, Jake, Alex and Brian be present. Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh seconded the motion. MOTION carried by a VOTE of 4-0. Meeting resumed at 7:10 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT WAS HAD ON A MOTION by Commissioner Garcia seconded by Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh. Motion carried by unanimous VOTE, meeting adjourned at 7.15 p.m. A special meeting is scheduled for Tuesday March 27, 2018. The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 2, 2018. | There was no public comment, Mayor Linin closed hearing at 5:01 p.m.
New Police Officer Introduction: Nichole Stegman – Joni introduced new police officer, Nichole Stegman to the Commission.
ON A MOTION by Commissioner Fairbanks to approve Consent Agenda seconded by Commissioner Garcia. MOTION carried on a VOTE of 4-0.
Resolution 1522: Unfit Structure 1619 Kansas Ave. – Andrew stated, this property is under investigation for potential arson so property owner is not able to make improvements to property even if willing and able. We would not be giving them reasonable time as required in code. Commissioners should postpone action on this resolution until County Attorney grants a release of this property. James Carver property owner stated, I bought property in December. My plan was to demolish structure and clean up property. ON A MOTION by Commissioner Garcia to table Resolution 1522: Unfit Structure 1619 Kansas Ave. until property is released by the County Attorney seconded by Vice-Mayor Brumbaugh. MOTION carried on a VOTE of 4-0.
Bid Award: 2018 Pest Control Services – Andrew stated, bid opening was held March 14th for pest control services for various City properties. We received two bids: Pest Away, LLC in the | 282 |
Dallas Performance recently brought out its 2,000-horsepower Lamborghini Huracán to a Florida drag racing event where it sprinted to the end of the quarter-mile track in only 7.916 seconds with a trap speed of 186.74 miles per hour. On top of that, this savage Lambo allegedly holds the Huracán half-mile top speed record of 208.2 mph.
As That Racing Channel documented, when the right shop installs a twin-turbo setup on a Huracán, the cars will blow the doors off just about anything. The record-holding "baby Lambo" shows off over the 16 minutes of footage where it takes on a slew of other worthy competitors, like the much-feared, heavily-tuned R35 Nissan GT-R.
While it wasn't the first company to tinker with the model, Dallas Performance is one of the top preferred Huracán shops in the country. With the Dallas Performance's Stage Three kit installed, the Huracán gets new cylinder heads, cams, and—oh yeah— massive turbos. Tuning is also a key factor in making everything installed on this Lambo as fast as it is.
The Stage Three DP package and a few other goodies give the car 2,000 hp,<|fim_middle|> most impressive number comes in the shape of 100 mph to 150 mph, a gap which it bridges in only 2.29 seconds.
With the excellent base and high-performance modifications, the Huracán's racing dominance should come of no surprise to anyone. | which is more than enough to slay the quarter-mile—it was actually built for half-mile racing, but the 18-inch drag radial swap makes it operate just as well at shorter sprints.
Measured acceleration figures pin the car reaching 60 mph from a standstill in just 1.8 seconds. Then, it hustles from 60 mph to 130 mph in only 2.6 seconds, whooshing along as the car builds boost. Finally, perhaps the | 101 |
When you're searching for a new dentist in Waller, turn to Smith & Wetterhus Dentistry. We've served the metro area for over 35 years! Call us today at 253-999-9419 to schedule your next visit for exceptional dental care.
We offer our patients comfortable dentistry through the use of two great sedation methods – inhaled sedation and oral conscious sedation. Plus, we offer convenient early morning and late afternoon appointments that make scheduling simple.
You'll find a wide variety of services here – from routine checkups to cosmetic dentistry like veneers and Invisalign. If you have missing teeth, we offer dental implants and can even replace your entire set of teeth with a full-mouth reconstruction.
Dr. Dan Smith grew up in California. He studied at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in Southern California where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1986 with numerous clinical achievement awards.
The team at Smith & Wetterhus Dentistry has served our patients for decades. During that time, we've helped thousands of people achieve and maintain bright healthy smiles – it's what we do best!
Keeping you comfortable during your time with us is of the utmost importance. That's why we give you two great sedation options. We want to make sure you're completely relaxed and carefree.
Inhaled sedation with laughing gas is our mildest sedation. After breathing it in, you'll immediately begin to feel relaxed all over. For more severe dental anxiety, we recommend oral conscious sedation using a small pill. Just take it as directed and by the time your appointment begins, your mind will be completely at ease.
And speaking of appointments, we offer convenient appointment times that fit your busy, hectic lifestyle. We're open for both early morning and late afternoon appointments, making scheduling a snap. Getting good quality dental care couldn't be easier!
With a variety of dental treatments, all offered in one convenient location, there's no need to visit another dentist. Right here you can get general dentistry like<|fim_middle|> appointment. | teeth cleanings, exams, gum disease treatment, and custom mouthguards.
If your teeth need repair or replacement, our restorative dentistry services include tooth-colored fillings; CEREC crowns, inlays, and onlays; dental implants; bridges; and dentures. You'll be able to eat whatever you want and smile with more confidence!
Our cosmetic dentistry can give you the celebrity smile you've been dreaming about. Take advantage of options like veneers and Invisalign orthodontics, as well as tooth bonding and gum reshaping. We'll even help you design a custom treatment package with our smile makeover service.
We invite you to visit a trusted Waller dentist soon. Call us today at 253-999-9419 to schedule your | 161 |
Every time I use Fabrica wall-to-wall carpet<|fim_middle|> and machine gauge) plays an important role in creating a beautiful appearance and maintaining pile resiliency. All carpet looks good new. How will it look in 2, 3, 5 years?
BECK DYEING– Or piece dyeing, means the carpet is dyed the old fashioned way.
Over 3 hours of deep dye emersion gives greater color uniformity than carpets with high speed production methods which apply dye to the surface of the carpet while moving at a rapid rate. While lower in cost, it does not produce the quality of the beck dyeing process.
BACKING– Fabrica offers the finest, most tightly woven backings in the industry, which result in greater dimensional stability. We utilize pure latex for greater lamination properties. The pure latex also helps create soft, pliable carpet preferred by most carpet installers.
SURFACE SHEARING REFINEMENT– The ultimate detail which separates good from great carpet. The process is to shear irregularities from the surface of the carpeting, much like a mower cuts grass. Some Fabrica products are sheared as many as 20 times to produce the most refined carpet finish in the industry.
SOIL AND STAIN PROTECTION– Fabrica employs only state of the art pressurized foam stain chemistry so you know your investment is protected.
GREEN LABEL PLUS– All Fabrica products are Green Label Plus certified, exceeding the highest indoor air quality standard for low VOC emissions.
This spectacular large scale pattern is reminiscent of Zebra skin and creates the visual impact of woven or hand-tufted products at a fraction of the cost. It provides outstanding performance capabilities and is ideal for either residential or moderate commercial applications. It is available in thirteen natural colors. | and area rugs in my projects, I am happy knowing that I satisfy my clients for life.
PREMIUM BRANDED FIBERS– All Fabrica nylon products are manufactured from premium natural luster type 6.6 Nylon. Type 6.6 nylon possesses exceptional colorfastness and has a higher temperature capability for heat set retention.
YARN TWIST– From a manufacturing standpoint, yarn twist is the most important specification that determines performance in a quality cut-pile carpet.
Simply stated, the tighter the twist, the better the appearance retention.
Fabrica carpets have the highest yarn twists in the industry.
DENSITY– The number of tufts per square inch (determined by stitch rate | 141 |
clued-down
Musings and other nonsense on life, love, and cinema. Mostly cinema.
Every James Bond Film Ranked
4 August 2016 17 February 2019 ~ Mark Allison
As the longest running franchise in film history, the Bond pictures have had their fair share of ups and downs. Below you'll find my ranking of all 24 James Bond films in the official Eon Productions series, from Dr No (1962) to Spectre (2015). Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment with your own thoughts.
From Russia with Love isn't just the quintessential Bond film, it's the perfect spy thriller. Only the second film in the series, From Russia With Love pinned down Bond's signature style without finding itself bogged down in formula, focussed on a complex and believable cold-war plot. The 115-minute runtime is littered with iconic dialogue and action sequences, while the best Bond, Sean Connery, provides a relaxed and charismatic performance. Highlights include Bond's fisticuffs with the psychopathic Red Grant and a visceral shoot-out in a Turkish gypsy camp. It simply doesn't get better than this.
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Perhaps the most sorely overlooked Bond adventure, On Her Majesty's Secret Service treats the spy with a maturity and a depth otherwise unseen until the turn of Daniel Craig almost 40 years later. The non-actor George Lazenby flounders somewhat in the central role, but he is elevated by arguably the best supporting cast in Bond history, as Telly Savalas provides the finest on-screen portrayal of Blofeld and Diana Rigg shines as the enigmatic Tracy di Vicenzo. With a water-tight script lifted directly from the pages of Fleming, director Peter Hunt delivers some of the most exciting action sequences of the franchise. In its final moments, the film packs an emotional punch that's not to be missed.
After a decade of mediocrity, Casino Royale breathed new life into the world's most famous spy. Re-invigorating the character for the 21st century, Casino Royale restored the series' reputation for a post-Bourne, post-Austin Powers world. Daniel Craig gives a nuanced and fearsome portrayal of a young, reckless 007, taking Bond back to his roots with a surprisingly faithful adaptation of<|fim_middle|> world by storm and thought 'we'll have some of that'. But Moonraker represents the Roger Moore era at its absolute worst. The "comedy", for lack of a better word, is incessant, and robs every scene of all possible intensity. Henchman Jaws returns from The Spy Who Loved Me and is more bumbling than ever, whilst Moore swaggers through the film with an eyebrow cocked and a quip for every scenario. The most insulting thing about Moonraker, however, is that some truly spectacular stunt work and music is wasted on this embarrassment of a film. By the time Bond gets into space you'll wonder how it ever got this bad.
24. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery demanded a record breaking amount of money for this, his last official Bond film, and made no secret of being in it for the cash. Badly aged and wearing the world's worst wig, Connery looks more like your mate's sleazy Dad than a suave superspy. With most of the budget having gone to the star, Diamonds Are Forever skimps on pretty much everything else, from the preposterous script to the pitiful special effects. Worst of all, Diamonds isn't just a boring, uninvolving, gruelling state of a film, it's actually quite offensive. The henchmen Mr Wint and Mr Kidd are two dated homosexual stereotypes, more suited to a Carry On film than a James Bond thriller. Most shockingly, this is the better Bond film to feature a diamond encrusted space laser.
An absolute car crash of a film. Watching Die Another Day is a bewildering, depressing experience, like walking in on your parents mid-coitus. I've struggled to pin down the exact moment that the film jumps the shark; is it the start of the Madonna title track, or when Bond stops his own heart in order to escape a hospital? Perhaps it's John Cleese introducing an invisible car? What's clear is that by the time Bond para-surfs a tsunami and flies a helicopter out of an exploding plane, you'll have lost all sense of who you are or what you're watching. There's also a worryingly long sex scene between Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry, in which we appear to see Brosnan actually climax. Harrowing stuff.
Posted in Articles, Film and Television 007best james bond filmscasino royaledaniel craigfilmsgoldfingerjames bondjames bond films rankedpierce brosnanrankedrankingroger mooresam mendessean conneryskyfallspectretimothy dalton
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Probably the most iconic and influential of all the Bond films, Goldfinger nailed the character and formula of the series as we know it today. Released at the height of Bond-mania, Connery had fully relaxed into the role by this point and gives a performance that is equal in parts deadly and charming. While director Guy Hamilton struggles to deliver truly exciting action sequences, he imbues the film with an irresistible sense of style and wit, resulting in a picture that has resonated with audiences for decades.
5. Skyfall (2012)
Released to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise, Skyfall asserted the enduring relevance of the Bond character. Although the plot is often contrived, Skyfall makes up for it with an emphasis on character. Classic figures such as Q and Moneypenny were reintroduced and updated for modern audiences, while Javier Bardem appears as Roaul Silva, a villain hell-bent on a personal vendetta. Shot by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, Skyfall is probably the most beautiful entry in the Bond canon, with a sense of artfulness not typically found within 007.
6. The Living Daylights (1987)
The first episode in Timothy Dalton's all-too brief stint as 007, The Living Daylights brought Bond back to basics following Roger Moore's departure. Dalton instils the character with a humanity and brutality rarely seen outside of Fleming's writing. Meanwhile, the narrative is rooted in topical concerns of the day, placing Bond within the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The villains of the piece are somewhat lacking in personality, Bond's eclectic mix of allies, both reluctant and otherwise, help to add warmth. Often overlooked, The Living Daylights is essential viewing.
Following in the footsteps of the wildly popular Goldfinger, Thunderball went on to become the most successful Bond film, accounting for inflation, until 2012's Skyfall. Dispatched to the Bahamas to locate two stolen nuclear warheads, Connery's Bond continues to delight, alongside another first rate cast of supporting characters. Thunderball was an ambitious project, at times too ambitious. The action set-pieces take on an unprecedented scale, but lengthy underwater sequences often outstay their welcome. Nevertheless, Thunderball remains an exciting entry in the Connery era, with a high-stakes plot that remains relevant today.
8. Goldeneye (1995)
Arriving six years after Timothy Dalton's truncated run of films, Goldeneye was the first Bond to emerge into a world without the Soviet Union. Pierce Brosnan faced weighty expectations, as many doubted that the new 007 could compete against modern action blockbusters. Thankfully, Goldeneye delivered with aplomb, much thanks to the slick direction of Martin Campbell and Sean Bean's performance as the vengeful villain Alec Trevelyan. Judi Dench makes her first appearance as M, and her censure of Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" remains a classic moment.
9. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
The highest rated Roger Moore adventure on the list, For Your Eyes Only was also the actor's most down-to-earth effort. Dispensing of the gadgets and absurdity that plagued Moonraker, this film saw Bond on the trail of heroin smugglers rather than a maniacal billionaire. The serious tone also allows Moore to deliver his most mature performance, pitted against a compelling female lead, Melina Havelock. Perhaps a little slow-moving at times, but nevertheless the closest Moore came to Fleming's original hero.
Alan Partridge called it "the best film ever made", and The Spy Who Loved Me certainly has some stand-out moments. The pre-titles ski chase has a strong claim to being the finest opening of the series, and Carly Simon's title song, 'Nobody Does It Better', remains a timeless classic. But while it's a fun ride from beginning to end, I struggle to really invest in a film that refuses to take itself seriously. Some excellent sequences are occasionally denigrated by misplaced comic relief, often playing for laughs rather than tension. Nonetheless, it's difficult to resist the larger than life charm of the film, particularly as events pick up during the action-packed finale. For fans of Roger Moore's distinctive interpretation of Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me has everything you're looking for – for everyone else, it's well worth a watch.
11. Dr No (1962)
It feels somewhat unfair to put the first Bond film below the top ten – after all, it did an admirable job of setting the template for the next fifty years of 007 and introduced the world to the talents of Sean Connery. It's also full of some absurdly iconic moments: the first "Bond, James Bon"; Honey Rider emerging from the sea; and Bond's icy exchange with Dr No over dinner. But the film itself simply isn't as watchable as many of its descendants, limited by a minuscule budget and an unseasoned production team. Filmmakers and cinema lovers everywhere all owe a great debt to Dr No, but it's most profound legacy lies in the greatness which would follow.
Arguably the darkest entry in the franchise, Licence to Kill was a notable break from the Bond formula. Dalton's second and last appearance as the spy is a personal story of revenge. The usual MI6 proceedings are dispensed with as Bond goes rogue, and therein lies both the film's major strength and its weakness; while Licence to Kill works as an effective crime thriller, it feels distinctly generic, akin to a Die Hard or Lethal Weapon sequel. Although the gritty, sadistic edge of Licence to Kill is often welcome, Bond is most successful when he distinguishes himself from his peers.
13. Spectre (2015)
The most recent Bond film saw the return of Bond's nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and his eponymous criminal organisation, the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion. The second directorial effort of Sam Mendes, Spectre features some outstanding action and another superb performance from Daniel Craig. Unfortunately, the plot crumbles under its own weight during the final act, including the frankly embarrassing revelation that Blofeld is, actually, James Bond's foster brother. With a wealth of world-class talent listed in the credits, there's a pervading sense that a much better film lies beneath the surface, but Spectre has enough Bondian thrills to be worth the entry price.
One of the more forgettable Bond adventures, Octopussy nonetheless has some excellent episodes – the second act, which sees Bond dispatched to East Germany, hits all the right notes of tension and excitement. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is somewhat less consistent and the action is often let down by some miss-timed comedy. Again, Octopussy saw the Bond producers reacting to change rather than provoking it, and many of the film's India sequences feel reminiscent of Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Octopussy is an enjoyable romp with a few stand-out chapters, but as a whole the film is a bit of a jumble.
Quantum of Solace has been increasingly derided since its release, with some going as far as to rank it among the worst entries of the series. Admittedly, the whole film does feel somewhat rushed; action scenes are frenetic and choppily edited, and the dialogue in between has little room to breathe. However, there are clear flashes of brilliance throughout Quantum of Solace – with additional time to flesh out the script and a more competent director, it could have been a stellar entry in the series. I suspect that history will look more favourably upon Quantum; a flawed but unapologetic attempt to continue what Casino Royale had started.
17. You Only Live Twice (1967)
The first Bond film to properly deviate from its source material, You Only Live Twice was filmed from a script by children's author Roald Dahl, and the result is more or less what you would expect. It's an impressive, larger than life spectacle, with some terrific action and stunning use of Japanese locations. Unfortunately, this grandeur comes at the expense of plot, which is a mess of idiocy, inconsistency, and contrivance. Connery also delivers a less than enthusiastic performance, clearly tiring of the role that had launched him into stardom. It's undeniably fun to watch a team of ninjas storm a secret volcano base, just try not to think about it too much.
18. Live and Let Die (1973)
Once a favourite of mine, Live and Let Die has slipped down the rankings as years have passed. There are scenes which still elicit a grin, such as Bond's ingenious escape from a crocodile farm, and Moore does a good job in establishing his own, distinctive version of the character. However, the film feels bloated, and some peculiar dialogue and character developments leave many scenes feeling more awkward than tense (particularly the villain's baffling demise). Clearly in his infancy, Moore's Bond was yet to find a place in the world after Connery's final departure.
More or less the definition of mediocrity, Tomorrow Never Dies was the Bond franchise on autopilot. Much of the film is an exercise in Bondian box ticking, with some overly explosive action sequences thrown in. There's nothing here to really offend – Michelle Yeoh and Teri Hatcher are competent female leads, and I'll always have a soft spot for Jonathon Price as the media-mogul Elliot Carver. But Brosnan's portrayal of Bond, and the film's script as a whole, seems like a regurgitated amalgamation of what has come before, leaving little chance for the film to discern itself. Tomorrow Never Dies feels like greatest hits album, just with all the number ones left out.
20. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Man with the Golden Gun is a picture with so much potential – Christopher Lee creates a classic villain in the form of Francisco Scaramanga, the world's deadliest hitman, and his intense confrontation with Moore's Bond hints at a far more interesting story. However, what should be an exciting cat-and-mouse plot is buried within nonsense about solar power and the real-world energy crisis. The dull narrative isn't helped by action scenes that are devoid of tension and comic relief characters who evoke more cringes than chuckles. A few excellent scenes arise during the final act as Bond and Scaramanga finally come face to face, but it's too late to save the slog that is the first hour and a half.
Roger Moore's stunt double has a good claim to being the star of A View to a Kill, as the 57 year old Bond looked just about ready to trade in his licence to kill for a free bus pass. In another bizarre bit of casting, Christopher Walken plays the villain of the film, Max Zorin (a performance which partially inspired Heath Ledger's Joker), while pop star Grace Jones features as his henchwoman May Day. Both actors seem to have walked in from the set of another film, and no one really seems to know or care what's going on. Even John Barry's superb soundtrack feels like it belongs to something much more exciting. A mystifying experience all-round.
One of the most boring films ever made. Action is shot with all the deft and exhilaration of a Toyota advertisement, while the drama is about as well executed as an episode of Hollyoaks. The film actually takes some interesting risks with the Bond formula, personally implicating Judi Dench's M within the plot, but the execution is so poor that it's a chore to sit through. Robert Carlyle's Renard must go down as Bond's most ineffectual foil, while Denise Richards is laughably miscast as nuclear physicist Christmas Jones.
I can understand why this film exists. The Bond producers clearly watched Star Wars take the | 2,482 |
Well known and appreciated enticement site, registered as S.I.C. due to its environmental and landscape characteristics, given the varieties of the many present natural habitats, which make of it a very good example, within the Graie Alps, of an alpine panorama. 19 environments of EU interests, 2 of which are primary, are pointed out in the area. Among the other habitats, glaciers are<|fim_middle|> water habitats.
The Park avifauna is rich and diversified since it is situated along an important migration route. Furthermore, several kinds of habitat able to sustain a relevant biological diversity are present. Nature does not have the only leading role of the Park: the pass has been theater of important historical events and the visitor will find himself at the center of the Piedmont resistance cradle. | particularly important for their landscape and water resource value even if the plant biodiversity is lacking.
For their high scientific significance as endemic or endangered animal species habitat, the Grotte di Pugnetto have been registered as S.I.C. so as to obtain a European Community environmental protection project.
Several different bat lives characterize the fauna inhabiting the caves. In the 1920's, doctor Felice Capra's studies, in cooperation with other outstanding academics, brought to knowledge some endemic species: an isopod and a coleopter. We also point out other insect species, regular inhabitants of underground caves. Unfortunately, nowadays, we observe serious decline of troglobite life due to unruled casual visitors.
The Stura di Lanzo Protected Area has been integrated in the Regional Parks system. It is registered as S.I.C. due to the good plant and fauna conservation of the river basin, to the fossil forest geomorphological site and, particularly, to the Carex hartmanii botanical specie. The continuity of the three protected areas, Ponte del Diavolo, Stura river basin and La Mandria Park, guarantees and ecological corridor following the river safeguarding forest, gravel bed and | 247 |
Payload development
Iridium Receives Army Contract to Develop SMall Satellite Payload for LEO Constellation
The U.S. Army has awarded Iridium Communications a research and development contract worth a potential $30 million to develop a small satellite payload that will be hosted by an unspecified commercial satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit.
The satellite constellation system will support navigation systems, guidance and control for global positioning system and GPS-denied precision systems<|fim_middle|> constellation low-Earth orbit military OTA payload Scott Scheimreif space US Army warfighter readiness
Space Force to Take Over Navy and Army Satellite Operations
NASA Names Four New Senior Staff Members
Commerce Department Plans to Offer Space Situational Awareness Service
Rocket Lab Equips Electron Spacecraft With NASA Autonomous Flight Termination System
Air Force Official Calls for Focus on Satellites That Support Military Operations | , Iridium said Thursday.
The Army envisions a payload that can support the concept of a "rapidly deployable" smallsat constellation" to deliver effective sensor-to-soldier data transmission during battlefield operations.
According to a press release, the company will develop the new payload based on its Iridium Burst technology, a service that can transmit data from space to millions of devices at a time.
In a statement, Iridium Executive Vice President Scott Scheimreif said the program can help improve warfighter readiness to conduct a full range of military operations at the tactical level.
The program will also provide the military with an ability to enhance the effectiveness of units, weapons and equipment during battlefield operations against near-peer adversaries, said Scheimreif, who leads the company's government programs.
The Army awarded the contract to Iridium through an other transaction agreement under the authority of the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium.
The company has partnered with the Department of Defense for more than two decades.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of U.S. government subscribers are using Iridium push-to-talk, voice, internet of things, L-band broadband and Iridium Burst services.
Tags: Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium contract win data transmission Department of Defense DoD Iridium Iridium Burst LEO | 262 |
CCPL Staff Picks: 6 Boredom Buster Books
Looking for something to do? Tired of the same old social media scrolling? Sick of watching reruns? Check out CCPL's recommendations for some great books on things to do from Hoopla. These publications were chosen for their quality of content and accessibility in digital format – so you don't have to leave home to enjoy these great reads!
*CCPL Staff picks are chosen by CCPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so write to us and tell us what you'd recommend!*
5,203 Things To Do Instead Of Looking At Your Phone by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Put down your phone! Filling your downtime by scrolling through social media is a bad habit. Here are thousands (thousands!) of things you can do instead that will result in a more mindful, rich, creative, fun, and engaged life.
Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things by Cy Tymony
Turn a penny into a radio, change milk into plastic, make a dozen STEM projects with everyday things
Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, Revised Edition is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 90 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. This revised edition includes 10 new timely projects focused on STEM and Maker initiatives.
Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos in Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, Revised Edition. More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a<|fim_middle|> or creating shelters for butterflies, toads, and even bats. This book provides nearly two dozen ingenious and fun do-it-yourself projects for anyone who loves animals of all types-from lowly bugs to aristocratic purebred show pets. This is a perfect book for parents or grandparents introducing children to the wonders of raising pets and observing wildlife.
webadmin2021-09-20T07:30:04-04:00September 20th, 2021|Adult|
Making Time for Me in 2023
What's Next Recs! | valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. A new section focuses on STEM initiatives, along with survival, security, self-defense, and other silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends by:
Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations.
Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry.
Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band.
By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things has been a favorite reference tool for 16 years, and this new revised edition is better equipped than ever as a practical tool to build useful devices, a trivia guide to impress friends and family, and a resource guide for the next generation of makers.
The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks, Paul Johnson
Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor
Part of the Columbia Business School Publishing series
Chairman and cofounder of Oaktree Capital Management, Howard Marks has been linked to Warren Buffett for his lucid assessments of market opportunities and risks. His memos to clients have long been consulted by the world's leading value investors. Now he brings his insightful commentary and investment philosophy to everyone. Informed by a lifetime of experience and study, Marks helps readers understand the keys to investment success and how to avoid the pitfalls that can destroy capital or ruin a career. Utilizing passages from his memos to illustrate his ideas, he teaches by example. Part memoir, part creed, the book shows the development of an investment philosophy that fully acknowledges the complexities of investing and the perils of the financial world. Marks' insight applies brilliantly to today's markets, supplying many broad takeaways for both the amateur and seasoned investor. Marks expounds on such concepts as "second-level thinking," the price/value relationship, patient opportunism, and defensive investing. His frank and honest assessment of his own decisions-and occasional missteps-provides valuable lessons on critical thinking, risk assessment, and investment strategy. Marks encourages investors to be "contrarian," to judge market cycles wisely, and to achieve returns through aggressive yet measured action. Which is the most essential element? Successful investing requires thoughtful attention to many separate aspects. Each of the subjects Marks covers is the most important thing.
14,000 Things To Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Newly Revised and Updated
Something to be happy about: This mesmerizing bestseller is revised and updated. Originally published 25 years ago (happy anniversary!) from a list that Barbara Ann Kipfer started making as a child, it's the book that marries obsession with happiness. And it now has 4,000 fresh and more current reasons to be happy: Rabbit tracks in the snow. Kiteboarding and kitesurfing. Caramel gelato. Scoring super-high on a Scrabble turn. Babies burping. Summer storms. White cupcakes with multicolored sprinkles. Big red barns. 20 minutes all to yourself. No opinions, no explanations, no asides, no footnotes, editorializing, or proselytizing. Just the simple premise of a list of things that make us smile. With its chunky shape, striking black-and-white cover, and 100 whimsical illustrations by Pierre Le-Tan, the new 14,000 Things is an irresistible catalog of good thoughts completely updated to reflect today's world-and an uplifting gift for people of all moods and all ages.
Home Ec For Everyone: Practical Life Skills In 118 Projects by David Bowers, Sharon Bowers
Cooking · Sewing · Laundry & Clothing · Domestic Arts · Life Skills
Discover the sublime pleasure and endless rewards of being self-sufficient. In two smartly designed and straightforward encyclopedias of DIY, Home Ec for Everyone and Shop Class for Everyone (previously published together as The Useful Book), here's everything you need to know to fix it, cook it, make it, clean it, build it, and sew it yourself.
Each title features dozens of essential skills, practical how-tos, and projects, each explained and illustrated with step-by-step instructions, plus relevant charts, sidebars, lists, and handy toolboxes. Home Ec covers what used to be called the domestic arts, including everything from chopping an onion to hemming a pair of pants to folding a fitted sheet to writing a great thank-you note. Shop Class empowers each of us to become a skilled handyperson, a confident master of one's domain who can hang a picture, paint a room, build a birdhouse, install a lamp, or fix a flat tire.
We may live in the information age, but there's no app that will unclog a drain-only life skills.
24 Weekend Projects For Pets by David Griffin
Dog Houses, Cat Trees, Rabbit Hutches & More
Part of the Black & Decker Complete Guide series
Critter condos & pleasure palaces for pets Most pet owners keep at least two different types of animals-dogs and cats are the most common pairings-and a surprisingly large number keep even more animals. Domestic birds; pet rabbits, mice and other rodents; ferrets, snakes, turtles-some people may even raise a goat or potbellied pig or two. On top of this, most lovers of domestic pets are also enthusiastic supporters of wildlife. feeding birds and squirrels all winter long, | 1,141 |
The main political parties' policies on raising the stamp duty threshold will not result in a lasting boost to the housing market, research from agent Savills has claimed.
In the spring budget, chancellor Gordon Brown doubled the stamp duty threshold from £60,000 to £120,000 to help first-time buyers.
The Conservatives responded last week with a manifesto pledge to raise the stamp duty threshold to £250,000.
Sav<|fim_middle|> from duty. But in its latest residential research bulletin, published this week, it argues that the higher threshold will be of little benefit to homebuyers in the high-priced South, and will not be enough to encourage more transactions in a housing market that is being slowed by lack of activity.
The Conservatives' manifesto pledge provoked strong reaction from pressure groups.
Savills believes the housing market is stabilising, and has revised its forecasts for house price growth upward to 2.6% this year and –1% in 2006. The strongest growth is from the bottom 30% by value. | ills calculates that the government's budget move frees 34% of homes across the country | 18 |
Accessible Homes, Inc. provides a complete, total package from initial product sales to design and installation, and even follow-up service and repairs. We make it easier and more affordable to improve your home.
<|fim_middle|> you for contacting Accessible Homes, Inc. | You'll have the piece of mind knowing we're here to help in the event a repair or replacement is needed.
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Gary, Words cannot describe how thankful we are of you, Rena, Gatlynn & Tucker! We really appreciate all of your hard work and the time that you have put into this amazing Make a Wish project for our little girl. She will be amazed each and every day! We were so lucky to have crossed paths with you.
There's no better way to contact us than stopping by our showroom during normal business hours. However, don't hesitate to give us a phone call or use the contact form to send a quick email. We'll respond at the earliest chance. Thank | 217 |
Home > Latest News and Research > Publications > From City Hall to Citizens' Hall
From City Hall to Citizens' Hall
1. Forword
Forword
3. Mayors and Democracy
Figure 1: Types of Mayoralty in England
4. Who Holds Power?
Political Balance
5. The International Experience
6. Where next?
By Katie Ghose, Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society
Our democracy has a tendency to slide into moments of profound constitutional change – often without a great deal of public debate. The steady and, in some ways inconspicuous, march of English devolution is no exception to this.
This May, we will see the first fruits of this push. And while bringing powers closer to communities is to be welcomed – the nature of the new institutions being created as part of this process has gone largely ignored.
The ERS has consistently called for real citizen involvement in this process – and has been asking: where have the public been in this debate? Often, it is local residents who have been left out of the negotiating room – with deals made behind closed doors that will have ramifications for years to come.
However, much of the rhetoric around devolution has, perhaps understandably, focused purely on the economics. Yet with huge sums of money in the hands of the new authorities, it's vital that power is held to account, scrutinised, and that the voters can have a real say between elections on what is done with their money. So there are still massive ramifications for democracy. How are the new mayors and combined authorities elected? Who will hold them accountable? And how will those scrutineers in turn be chosen?
How they are picked will have a huge bearing on what kind of people will have power in this new constitutional framework. There's a danger that if ignored, the new bodies could simply be a microcosm of problems in wider politics, or even worse: they could magnify them. What happens if the new mayors and cabinet members are the same as those who previously had power – only with less accountability?
So we could be witnessing a moment where we are adopting a major new governance model, yet without real public buy-in and participation.
The move towards mayors – single, powerful office-holders – needn't be a negative thing however. London's mayor is well embedded, with a directly-elected Assembly holding that person to account. The local mayors voluntarily brought in pre-devolution across England have been perhaps less successful.
And as England prepares to elect six mayors to city-regions, we mark a shift to a more presidential style of decision-making. Yet this next year could be a make-or-break moment for the roles. This report looks at the model of governance mayors will work within – and asks, what does this mean for political and public scrutiny when additional powers are being taken on? And what will the representative make-up of the new institutions look like? Public involvement in this next phase of devolution is essential if it is to last, to be sustainable rather than built on the sand of press-releases and boardroom statements.
So what scope is there for public involvement – not only in electing mayors but more fundamentally in shaping how local democracy works in 21st century England?
The ERS has been vocal in pointing out the solely economic focus of devolution – and the corresponding lack of attention to the democracy of devolution. With the public largely shut out of the process, and models imposed rather than chosen, so far citizen involvement in the constitutional future of their own areas has been minimal.
In places where mayors are to be elected, there are now fresh opportunities for the new leaders to open up their doors. It's all the more important given there will be no directly elected assembly (as in London) in any of the six regions. While this can't be changed before the elections, it's not too late for those figures to pledge action on opening up City Hall and letting the people in. And in areas where devolution could still be on the cards, there is an opportunity for Theresa May's government to take a fresh approach to involving citizens. Democracy was a key theme in the EU referendum – that should not have ended on June 23rd 2016. There are practical models – including Citizens' Assemblies and voters' juries or panels – to show how citizens could be involved. There are also lessons to learn from other countries, where the focus on the city as a key economic driver is also stimulating new or evolving models of governance.
Thinking about all this is all the more important as the conversation starts about where powers will go after Britain leaves the EU. And while there are on-going talks about a further referendum in Scotland, now is absolutely the time to think about the democratic state of affairs in England.
It's so important we get this right. Mistakes made now can ripple down the years and cause serious trouble. So let's ensure all voices are heard – for a lasting devolution settlement, where voters feel that they are part of the plan, and that the new mayoral models are not a short-term fad but a source of long-term civic pride. There are real, practical things that can be done to help make that happen. We hope policy-makers and the new mayors, cabinets and scrutiny bodies listen to our recommendations to ensure English devolution is the gold standard of local democracy in this exciting period of constitutional change.
The author would like to thank Josiah Mortimer, Eddie Molloy, Katie Ghose, Darren Hughes, and Doug Cowan of the Electoral Reform Society for their contributions to the report, in addition to Ed Hammond of the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Nan Sloane of the Centre for Women and Democracy.
On the 4th of May, city-region mayors will be elected in six areas for the first time – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City-Region, Tees Valley, and in the city-regions centred on Bristol and<|fim_middle|> uses. Firstly, citizens may have a scrutinising role, providing input and critiquing policy. Through the process of deliberation they may bring new perspectives on public policy. Secondly, they may generate ideas themselves
through the new perspectives they bring. Finally, with the right degree of informed deliberation, they can improve the decision-making process both in the effectiveness of the decisions taken and in their legitimacy.
Using participative techniques can help to build political trust in institutions, and also improve the quality of policy and outcomes. Moreover, they can provide a crucial legitimising function by demonstrating the active involvement of the local community in the decisions that affect them.
The Democracy Matters project, led by Professor Matthew Flinders, Sheffield University, brought together academics and the ERS to use Citizen Assemblies to research the capability of assemblies to deliberate on the issue of devolution itself (See the report on the Democracy Matters project: http://electoral-reform.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/publication/Democracy-Matters-2015-Citizens-Assemblies-Report.pdf).
In addition, it researched two models of assembly: one made up entirely of citizens, and one with a third component of elected politicians. The project found citizens ready, willing and able to take part in such deliberative mechanisms. There was also some evidence of increased political engagement amongst assembly members and that a high level of deliberation allowed for a sophisticated level of policy debate.
In a time where devolution appears to be stalling in some parts of the country, citizens' assemblies and participative processes more broadly may provide a way of breaking through institutional deadlocks. A less restrictive, more flexible approach to devolution could help to deliver a sense of devolution being delivered with local citizens.
While such tools may seem costly, good governance involving citizens can result in better policy outcomes and should be weighed against the costs of traditional consultation exercises.
Use of such assemblies could also be useful in helping drive forward the next stage in what is sure to be a continued evolution of devolution in England (The use of participatory techniques by cities is encouraged and aided by the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) https://oidp.net/en/index.php)
. Deliberative and participative techniques can be used to explore key issues affecting all levels of government, including the new mayoralties, to put citizens at the heart of local democracy.
Digital Participation
Digital democracy encompasses a wide variety of different political and institutional responses, including some of what has been touched on above, open data and the use of certain participatory techniques.
As new structures, the Mayoralties provide new platforms with which to experiment.
Digital structures can be used to deliver new forms of participatory decision-making. Under Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris allocated a portion of its infrastructure budget to be spent by input from Parisians online. In the first year 40,000 voted on 15 proposals put forward by the city council. In the second year, ideas were opened to public submission. 5,000 were received and 58,000 voted. Online activity was supplemented by offline workshops, groups and civil society-led activity to galvanise citizens. This project also seems to have galvanised groups often not reached by politics. Half of votes were cast online, and of that half, a third were under 30. Additionally, over half of those voting voted for projects in deprived areas.
A similar project, Decide Madrid was launched by the Ahora Madrid coalition which took control of Madrid local government in 2015. Registered members of Decide Madrid can make proposals for new local laws, with proposals with more than 1% of the over 16 population moved to the top of the web portal, with time for discussion before a final public vote. If approved, Madrid council must draw up a feasibility study with the current administration promising to implement any feasible policy. Members can also hold debates, engage in participatory budgeting (similar to the Parisian model) and engage with consultations through the platform.
Reykavik also has a similar system, called Better Reykjavik. These two systems can be explored more (along with the Parisian experience) in NESTA's recent report on digital democracy.
There is much that can be learned from these examples of digital engagement in the UK.
The introduction of any new democratic institution is always fraught with opportunities and threats. The new mayoralties are no exception to this.
Simply electing a Mayor does not mean that the institutions are democratic. Elected institutions without engagement and proper scrutiny bring problems – problems which can fester if left unchallenged or dealt with.
The lack of an elected assembly overseeing the executive, and the executive's unique structure based on council leaders – often from one party and one demographic – makes this model particularly vulnerable to accusations of unrepresentativeness and poor scrutiny.
For this reason, amongst many, a change in the electoral system to STV and work to increase the gender diversity of council leaders is a must.
But the new mayoralties are also an opportunity for experimenting with new, democratic ways of delivering public services. Transparency should be a watchword, but there is also much potential for participatory or deliberative democracy techniques. If the mayoralties are to be more than simply a technocratic exercise, mayors must prioritise public involvement if they are to reach their full potential.
The new authorities should be brave and experimental in being democratic innovators. This is an exciting constitutional time for the UK, with the latest phase of devolution offering a real practical opportunity for people to 'take back control' of local democracy. This is an opportunity that must not be missed.
Parties need to take urgent action towards equal gender representation of the councils that make up combined authorities – including steps to ensure women who are elected reach leadership positions.
England and Wales should join Scotland and Northern Ireland in using the Single Transferable Vote method of voting in all local council elections.
Scrutiny committees should be comprised of councillors representing the vote share of parties at the previous election – rather than reflecting seat share – where adequate representation exists.
For effective use of taxpayers' money, it is important for scrutiny committees to be both politically and demographically diverse. Parties should make this a priority
Mayoral elections should be opened up to voters by switching to the Alternative Vote, in order to let voters truly express their preferences and avoid wasted votes.
Successful mayoral candidates need to build a culture of transparency into the combined authorities from day one. Mayors should draw up a Transparency Charter when elected to ensure voters have faith in these new institutions.
The new mayoralties should be viewed as an exciting opportunity to pursue and experiment with new models of participatory, deliberative and digital democracy, such as citizens assemblies. Mayors and Combined Authorities should pursue innovative ways of engaging and involving the public in shaping and making decisions about their communities. | Birmingham.
These elections will represent an important staging post in what is perhaps the greatest shake-up of the governance of England in decades: devolution of power to combined authorities covering regions, especially city-regions, and regional mayors.
These new combined authorities will hold some notable powers, with Greater Manchester the most powerful, with powers over healthcare, employment and policing.
There have been elected mayors in the UK since the 2000 Local Government Act and the 1999 Greater London Authority Act each created directly-elected mayors.
These mayors are often conflated, but are quite different in several respects.
The Local Government Act 2000 enabled councils to introduce a directly-elected mayor to replace the council leader, initially after a referendum, but since 2007 councils have been able to change without this recourse.
This therefore results in a much more presidential style, governing being focused more around a single figure than had previously been seen at any level of government in the UK. A directly-elected head of the executive is, in theory, imbued with moral clout and a mandate from a wide pool of voters.
This reform also changed the nature of the role of councillors. Whereas in previous, committee-style forms of administration councillors were much more directly involved in decision-making, in the mayoral model councillors become more scrutinisers of the mayor and his or her executive. At the time of writing sixteen (The sixteen are Bedford, Bristol, Copeland, Doncaster, Hackney, Leicester, Lewisham, Liverpool, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Newham, North Tyneside, Salford, Torbay, Tower Hamlets and Watford.) out of almost three hundred and fifty English and Welsh local authorities have chosen to adopt the mayoral model.
Related to this, the creation of the Greater London Authority in 2000 saw the introduction of a mayor for the Greater London region. As a previous body did not exist (the Greater London Council having been abolished in 1986) new structures had to be created. The Mayor heads an administration scrutinised by the London Assembly, a 25-member institution elected by the Additional Member System, also used to elect the Scottish and Welsh devolved institutions, resulting in some of the most proportional elections in the UK.
The choice of this system, rather than the First Past the Post systems used in local elections, reflected the role of Assembly Members as scrutinisers of the executive first and foremost. The risk of a single party majority London Assembly, which a majoritarian electoral system would promote, was that it could weaken scrutiny were the Assembly and Mayoralty controlled by one party. Diversity was designed into the process, and, hence, a focus on ensuring scrutiny of the executive from a wide variety of viewpoints. The London Mayoralty is different from the local mayoralties in respect of size, role and scrutiny arrangements. The Mayor of London is charged with an executive governing role over a city of 8.5 million, and local borough councils retain their traditional powers. Indeed, four London boroughs have adopted mayors of their own (The four London borough mayoralties are in Lewisham, Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.) . It seems the London mayoralty has been reasonably engaging. Turnout across the five mayoral elections since its establishment has averaged at forty per cent, higher than the average of thirty-seven per cent for borough council elections not held alongside a general election. Turnouts have also broadly increased with time: the 2016 election saw a turnout of 45.3%, the joint highest since the mayoralty's establishment and the same as the Welsh Assembly election that year.
Mayoral models have often been promoted as a vital step forwards for governance and an important engine of growth in a new politics of place. In the run-up to a series of referendums on directly-elected local authority mayors in 2012, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron commented that he would like to see "many more Borises", referring to the then Mayor of London.
Devolution has also been seen as a tactic to potentially alleviate problems with Britain's political system: the West Lothian question, a sense of undue centralisation and an increasing sense of disconnect between politicians and citizens.
In order to deliver on these ambitions, city-regions must be in touch with local people. A local elite that is distant and unaccountable can be just as problematic as a national one.
Mayors and Democracy
Directly Elected Borough Mayors
City-region Mayors
Area Single principal authority 32 London Boroughs covering 8.5m citizens Combined Authority regions covering areas of up to 2.5m citizens and as many as 10 councils
Cabinet Self-selected Self-selected Made up of council leaders
Decision making Direct/With council Largely direct With cabinet
Scrutiny Council chamber elected by FPTP London Assembly elected by AMS Indirectly appointed committees cabinet and within council chambers
The new mayoral systems represent a third type of British mayor – they do not have a directly elected chamber to scrutinise them. Instead they are built upon combined authorities – structures where local authorities come together to cooperate on strategic issues.
In these bodies power and legitimacy, in essence, flow from the councils making up the combined authority. Boards are made up of appointees from each council, generally the council leader, or directly-elected mayor. Hence these bodies lack direct democratic accountability. The programme of devolution that has been pursued by the UK government in recent years has seen devolution to combined authorities, but in exchange for significant amounts of devolution they are required to adopt an elected mayor. These elected mayors represent a third type of English mayoralty different in structure and position. Like Police and Crime Commissioners, the new Mayoralties are more strategic in structure.
Figure 2: How Mayoral Combined Authorities Work
Finally, the public will elect city mayors every four years. In those councils elected by thirds, which is most of the councils covered by the new city-regions, this first set are elected in the fourth, currently fallow year. This means that citizens are being effectively asked to vote every single year. This may have an impact on turnout and participation. Turnout in all out elections is systematically higher than in those councils that elect their councils by thirds. Among other reasons for this, it is argued that voters can suffer from 'electoral fatigue' when too many elections are held too close together (See the 2006 UK government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities and Seasonal Factors, Voter Fatigue and the Costs of Voting).
Electoral arrangements
The most important and newest elements of the system are the mayors themselves.
The democratic desirability of mayors as an institution is a subject of some debate. On the one hand, some see mayors as centralising too much power into the hands of one person. On the other, mayors are highly visible leaders of their cities and regions. Increased visibility of leaders is self-evidently a democratic good, as long as structures and political cultures make sure that mayors do not become unaccountable.
While the ERS does not take a view on whether or not individual areas should adopt a mayoral model, like all forms of government they need strong and suitable arrangements to make sure that all voices are valued, and that citizens are empowered to take part. There must also be a consideration of democracy between elections rather than simply ending at the ballot box.
In common with the tradition that every new political institution in the last two decades has not been elected by First Past the Post (FPTP), directly-elected mayors in the UK, of all types, are elected by the Supplementary Vote. SV is a preferential system in which a voter's ballot paper has two columns, one for their first and one for their second preference. If a candidate wins more than 50% of first preferences, then they are deemed elected. But if no candidate wins more than 50% of first preferences, all but the top two candidates are knocked out, and second preferences cast for them by the eliminated candidates' voters are redistributed.
While a single-member office cannot be elected proportionately, it is vital that all votes count as much as possible and that the single member represents as many voters as possible. A First Past the Post elected mayor might, in the fragmented modern political environment of the UK, represent a third or even fewer voters (The record for lowest percentage of the vote for a winning candidate in a Westminster election is 24.5% secured in Belfast South at the 2015 general election.) . Obviously, such a Mayor would suffer questions about how representative they were of their voters. Given this, a single-member executive position, more importantly than most, should have support from more than half of voters.
However, SV does not guarantee that the winner has an absolute majority of the vote. As voters do not cast preferences for all candidates it is quite possible for their vote to not count at all in the second round and therefore for a candidate to win with the most first and second preferences but not a majority. To take one example, it was not until the most recent mayoral election in 2016 that London saw a mayor elected with an absolute majority of support.
In this way SV is an inferior electoral system to, for instance, the Alternative Vote, in which voters are not restricted to just two preferences, and hence a true majority is achieved. Yet it is superior to First Past the Post in that it gives voters the opportunity to use a second preference and reflect their views in a more sophisticated way. Voters can, for instance, cast a first preference for a candidate that they know is unlikely to win, safe in the knowledge that they can reserve their second for a candidate with a real chance of winning.
However, the Alternative Vote system would deliver many more mayors with support of half of their electorates. It would also allow for a more sophisticated use of preferences, with voters able to cast their true preferences whereas a voter under the supplementary vote is often best served by tactical voting.
Women's representation
A notable attribute of the May elections is the dearth of female candidates being put forward. In fact, of the candidates so far declared, there is only one female candidate standing for election in five of the six regions holding a mayoral election, and only two in the other combined authority.
It seems a fair assessment to say that only two of these women could win – in Tees Valley, where the candidate Sue Jeffrey is the favourite, and in West of England where Lesley Mansell is in a three-way race. The likeliest outcome is therefore that five of the mayoralties will be secured by men.
Figure 3: Female Candidates by Contest
The seven female candidates are Julie Howell (Green) in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrats) in Greater Manchester, Tabitha Morton (Women's Equality Party) and Paula Walters (UKIP) in Liverpool City Region, Sue Jeffrey (Labour) in Tees Valley, Lesley Mansell (Labour) in the West of England, and Beverley Nielsen (Liberal Democrat) in West Midlands.
Combined Authority
Total Number of Candidates
Number of Female Candidates
Female candidate in winnable position?
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 7 1 No
Greater Manchester 8 1 No
Liverpool Cityregion 8 2 No
Tees Valley 4 1 Yes
West of England 6 1 Yes
West Midlands 6 1 No
Total 39 7 –
Gender diversity has been a consistent issue for directly-elected executive offices in British politics. Of England and Wales' 41 Police and Crime Commissioners only seven, fewer than one in five, are currently women. Of the 17 mayoralties currently in place, only four are held by women (Those four are Ros Jones (Labour) in Doncaster, Kate Allsop (Independent) in Mansfield, Norma Redfearn (Labour) in North Tyneside, and Dororthy Thornhill (Liberal Democrat) in Watford).
Clearly then a pattern exists. Although other British democratic institutions still fall below gender parity, their position is better than this. 30% of MPs are currently women, and in the Welsh Assembly 41.7% of AMs are women.
Institutions should reflect the public they serve, and voters should have the ability to choose from a true diversity of candidates. A lack of diversity can accentuate divides between the public and their politicians. There is also a danger of not accessing the full degree of potential political talent.
Time and again evidence has shown that the pursuit of positive measures, temporary measures to accelerate progress in representation such as the All-Woman Shortlists used by the Labour Party, remains the best way to promote women's representation. Ultimately candidature is a function of who parties choose to put forward and parties should think carefully about selection processes which ensure female candidates for mayoralties are recruited and put before the electorate, including in winnable areas.
A new model of governance
The new city-regions – as mentioned above – represent the biggest shift in local governance in England, perhaps since the 1972 local government reforms. Their existence represents an attempt to heal divides in British society such as the widely documented gap between North and South and increasing distance between voters and politicians.
This shift is based on a model which in most regions will force co-working between cabinet members from multiple parties. Reaching their full potential the new city-regions could represent a step change in the way politics is done in Britain. More collaborative, less tribal, and doing democracy with citizens rather than to them.
Who Holds Power?
The Electoral Reform Society believes that all voices should count in the political process. Systems which allow parties to work together foster higher quality of debate, transparency and ensure more perspectives are included in policy making.
Yet England's local governance arrangements too often lack strong scrutiny due to an electoral system which can give parties lopsided majorities on councils.
The Cost of One Party Councils report commissioned by the ERS has shown the costs imposed by poor scrutiny in one party councils. The report finds that public procurement budgets in councils overwhelmingly dominated by a single party spend are more prone to waste – estimated to cost £2.6 billion per year. If the scrutineers are mostly from the governing party, it's no surprise that they are less effective at holding their own party to account.
Two combined authorities in this set show particularly concerning single-party domination with over 70% of councillors, in their respective regions, from a single party. Given that these combined authorities are also likely to see overwhelmingly single party cabinets and mayors elected to them questions must surely arise about the strength of local scrutiny – particularly when combined with the issue of a lack of demographic diversity.
Figure 4: Percentages of Councillors Held By One Party.
Greater Manchester 73% 17% 7% 1% 0.00% 2%
West Midlands 60% 29% 4% 3% 2% 1%
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 14% 57% 16% 4% 0.30% 8%
Tees Valley 56% 19% 7% 3% 0.00% 16%
Liverpool City region 79% 9% 9% 0.00% 1% 2%
West of England 28% 45% 19% 0.00% 6% 3%
It is also worth noting the composition of West Midlands Scrutiny and Overview Committee, as an example, with ten of the twelve political positions held by one party. Of these political members of the committee, ten are also men. Thus scrutiny committees may not aid in assuring diversity of voice. Combined Authorities should think carefully about how best to create strong, vital scrutiny committees that bring in a range and diversity of voices and strengthen the entire process of Combined Authority governance.
However, problems do of course exist given rules governing committee size and the First Past the Post nature of British councils leading to less diverse political representation. If scrutiny committees are selected on the basis of election by the council or on the basis of control there is a danger that, especially in areas largely controlled by a single party, committees may end up with a political balance that reflects this dominance. The Centre for Public Scrutiny has set out a variety of ways that committees could be formed. The use of co-option could be used to ensure political and demographic diversity.
Because of the huge dangers of poor scrutiny – for public finances, for democracy and risks of corruption – scrutiny committees in the new authorities should be comprised of councillors representing the vote share of parties at the previous election – rather than reflecting seat share – where adequate representation exists.
The creation of combined authorities highlights a continuing shift in the role of the councillor. Where once councillors took decisions directly on committees they are increasingly scrutineers: holding to account formal executive structures in the form of mayoral or cabinet/leader structures, or scrutinising bodies such as Clinical Commissioning Groups, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Police and Crime Commissioners, and now combined authorities. The traditional argument for First Past the Post: that it elects 'strong' governments, cannot hold up to the reality of modern councillor life in which councillors are as often scrutinisers as decision-makers, not only of their own executives but of bodies external to the traditional council governance structure.
Yet, there are still many councils overwhelmingly dominated by a single party. Compare, for instance, the councils of the Liverpool City-region and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough below.
Figure 5: Liverpool City-region Councillor Make-up
Halton 93% 4% 4% 0% 0% 0%
Knowsley 93% 0% 7% 0% 0% 0%
Liverpool 89% 0% 4% 0% 4% 2%
Sefton 58% 9% 26% 0% 0% 8%
St. Helens 88% 6% 6% 0% 0% 0%
Wirral 59% 32% 8% 0% 2% 0%
Total 79% 9% 9% 0% 1% 2%
Figure 6: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Councillor Make-up
Cambridgeshire County Council 12% 46% 20% 15% 0.00% 7%
Peterborough 23% 52% 12% 3% 0.00% 10%
Cambridge 61% 0.00% 31% 0.00% 2% 5%
East Cambridgeshire 0.00% 92% 5% 0.00% 0.00% 3%
Fenland 0.00% 87% 5% 0.00% 0.00% 8%
Huntingdonshire 4% 65% 12% 6% 0.00% 12%
South Cambridgeshire 2% 63% 25% 0.00% 0.00% 11%
Total 14% 57% 16% 4% 0.30% 8%
In both combined authorities we see councils with upwards of 80% of councillors hailing from a single party. Yet a diversity of voices would allow for superior scrutiny, as our report The Cost of One-Party Councils makes clear.
These majorities, it should be said, are not reflective of public support. They are won legitimately, but our out of date electoral system gives disproportionate power to large parties. In Liverpool Labour won 58% of the vote in 2016 – a clear majority – but far short of the 89% of seats they won. Similarly, in Huntingdonshire the Conservatives' 39% of the vote translated into almost two thirds of the seats.
The reason for this is England's First Past the Post system for electing councillors. The winner takes all nature of FPTP is well known – because FPTP rewards only plurality winners, it results in disproportionalities.
This effect is exaggerated in many local government contests because rather than using Single Member Plurality, where constituencies have a single seat, many local councils use bloc voting systems or elections in thirds. Larger multi-member constituencies are commonly used. In some councils three members are elected at once by voters using three votes, with the three candidates with the most votes elected. More commonly in the city-regions councillors are elected in thirds, with a single member plurality election once a year and a third of the council up for election every year. The latter is noted for its effects on pushing down turnout. And both methods tend to result in disproportionalities, as three single member wards will have greater variation than one electing one ward with three members. This can lead to councils with completely unbalanced representations and one-party states.
This distorting effect on our local democracy has real implications for service delivery as The Cost of One-Party Councils shows. This project found that those councils with higher levels of single party dominance resulted in higher levels of waste in spending on public procurement contracts. Councils with weak electoral accountability were found to have a roughly 50% higher risk for such waste with estimated annual costs to the UK of around £2.6bn.
Changing the local government voting system is a proven part of the solution. The Single Transferable Vote method of voting, used in Northern Ireland since 1973 and Scotland since 2007 produces proportional results while also giving voters strong control over candidates.
STV works by allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. 1 to their first choice, 2 to their second, 3 to their third and so on. A quota is set, equivalent to around 25% of the vote in a three-member seat or 20% in a four-member seat. If a candidate wins more than the quota then they are deemed elected. An elected candidate will see a fraction of votes equivalent to those above the quota passed onto second choices. If no candidate is elected, the least-supported candidate will be eliminated. This process runs in rounds until all seats are filled or the remaining number of candidates matches the remaining number of seats. This process leads to a process that gives both proportionality and strong control for voters over which candidates are elected.
In Scotland, it has seen previous one party state councils become competitive for the first time. A rainbow of councils has emerged – with a more vibrant democracy at the heart of it. Our analysis of the 2012 local elections showed voters handling the STV voting system in increasingly sophisticated ways and producing a diverse, representative Scottish local government13. The incoming leader of Edinburgh City Council, Andrew Burns, argued that the shift to multi-member seats encouraged a new sense of working with the community and strengthening engagement. In Wales, too, the case for STV has begun to be recognised with the recent white paper Reforming Local Government: Resilient and Renewed recognising the case for 'permissive PR' where councils can choose their own electoral system.
For this reason and others, the Electoral Reform Society recommends the adoption of STV for councils across Britain.
Diversity and the New Authorities
As noted above, the primary decision-making elements of the mayoral combined authorities lies in the cabinet, generally made up of council leaders or mayors (though councils can theoretically appoint who they like). It is important, then, to understand the nature of these cabinets.
Diversity of all types is important. Yet the systematic overrepresentation of men in the City Halls is stark – and alarming for democracy.
Cabinets are not just a set of individual portfolio operators: they are also a policy sounding board – and a diversity of backgrounds and experience feeds in and creates better policy that takes into account a wider pool of citizens' experiences. Descriptive representation leads to substantive representation where issues and voters are represented properly. And as the Fawcett Society has previously pointed out however, many councils are 'gender diverse', their leadership often is not.
Council leaders and mayors are one of the least gender diverse types of political office in Britain. In the year 2015/16 just 14.7% of council leaders and 23.5% of directly-elected mayors were women.
This is borne out in the first six mayoral combined authorities. The table below is based on current cabinets or the leaders of the councils if no cabinet currently exists.
Figure 7: Number of Male and Female Cabinet Members or Council Leaders
Cambridgeshire County Council uses a committee system of governance and so the leader of the biggest party group has been used instead.
Authorities >
Greater Manchester 9 1
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 7
Tees Valley 4 1
West of England 3
All 35 2
Only two of the cabinet members of all six combined authorities – 5.4% of the total – will be women. Additionally, only one – 2.7% – is from a Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. Combined with the likely mayoral results, it means that 93.0% of the most powerful positions will be in the hands of white men.
In the most gender-diverse cabinet, only one of five leaders is a woman. In four there are no women at all.
In 2014, a third of UK councillors were women. It seems unlikely that there are not women who could fulfil leadership positions. Other factors then – cultural, social and political – seem likeliest to be the reason for this shortfall in women leaders.
Ultimately it is, largely, political parties who choose leaders and who first and foremost must prioritise the promotion of women into leadership positions.
The failure to have cabinets that are diverse in terms of background is a problem for the combined authorities as cabinets fail to resemble those they govern. Diversity also means a diversity of life experiences which can inform policy choices, priorities, and styles of governance. In the context of combined authorities, these issues are of increased importance, as they risk magnifying the problems of diversity in local government unless action is taken and these questions raised in advance.
One response to this lack of diversity is that pursued by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has assigned 20 deputies, 2 drawn from each council, to each cabinet. As the interim mayor Tony Lloyd stated on the appointment of the deputies "I'm…proud that our new Deputies are overwhelmingly women and as a group better represent Greater Manchester's diverse communities." Certainly having deputies in this way can increase diversity, not just in the demographic sense but also politically and in terms of place in the decision-making process. But women shouldn't just be deputies – they should also be at the top table.
It can also allow for the accessing of new skills and allow cabinet members more time to concentrate on their other roles. Yet, it is worth recognising that Greater Manchester, as the city-region with the deepest devolution, also has the most power.
The cabinet is ultimately the key institution and much will depend, in reality, on the relationships that are built between cabinet members and their deputies who will come from different parts of Greater Manchester and from different parties.
There is a great deal of academic literature demonstrating that proportional electoral systems have a strong effect on the election of women (
See, for instance http://www.jstor.org/stable/440217?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00344890208523209, and http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7fw4g5tw. The ERS has also noted FPTP's effects on women's representation at Westminster in Women in Westminster available at: http://electoral-reform.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/publication/women-in-westminster.pdf). When parties are putting forward multiple candidates they have an incentive to put forwards a more diverse slate to appeal to wider groups of people. However, it is worth noting and celebrating the strides parties have often made to recruit women candidates and elect women councillors with Manchester City Council deserving praise for a gender balanced council chamber. It is possible for parties to make great strides under First Past the Post, though PR is a better enabler of action as it gives parties more options on how to achieve a broader range of candidacies.
Given the cabinet's role as the key decision-making institution, it is vital to think carefully about the promotion of diversity in positions of council leadership.
The International Experience
The direct election of mayors and leaders in a majoritarian fashion has become increasingly common. For instance, in the design of French and Italian regions there is not only a focus on the direct election of the regional president but additionally an automatic majority is created by the electoral system through the provision of bonus seats en bloc to the mayor's party. What is unusual about the UK example is the lack of a directly elected assembly, of any type.
However, the new mayoralties in England are much more strategic bodies, where the mayor is heading a body made up of a variety of institutions, with soft rather than direct executive power.
The view of city-regions as a driving force in economic development has also led to a spread of new models of city-regional government internationally as well as domestically.
In France, the new Metropole du Grand Paris has a 210-member assembly indirectly elected by its constituent councils. There are no direct elections to this body whatsoever, leaving it with a weak democratic legitimacy.
The Metropole is weaker in some respects than the Combined Authority model, however. For instance, while the Grand Paris Metropole has a budget of €3.7bn only €65m can be directly invested by the Metropole itself.
This is compounded by the lack of any form of direct election, reducing accountability and visibility. However, the large sized assembly does give the potential to the metropole to represent a wide range of views and interests (Information on the Metropole from http://www.centreforcities.org/blog/the-new-parisian-equivalent-of-the-greater-london-authority-will-be-a-much-weaker-institution). Unlike in the Combined
Authorities, with small bodies and therefore a risk of homogeneity – both political and demographic.
Comparable bodies also exist in Auckland, New Zealand (pictured), where a powerful 'super-council' has been created with direct elections of both a mayor and council, and in Stuttgart where the Association for the Region of Stuttgart covering 179 municipalities has an assembly directly-elected by proportional representation, and which chooses its executive. These systems clearly function more like traditional councils. Lines of accountability and visibility are strong and obvious. But the Auckland model has subsumed earlier, more local forms of governance and replaced them with weaker, though elected, local boards.
The United States is of course in many ways an inspiration for the mayoral model, with most municipalities in most states having a directly elected mayor. One of the most notable and powerful is the Mayor of New York City who has wide-ranging powers over schools and welfare services. This model is not comparable to the city-regional model, however, given both its strength and New York City's sheer size and weight.
The model of a directly elected president, auditor, and six councillors covering many municipalities in the Portland, Oregon region is perhaps one of the earliest forms of Metropolitan governance (dating from 1978). The President lacks direct executive power, rather like a Combined Authority mayor, and the role is more strategic in terms of winning support from fellow elected officials. The Portland model is considered to be a leader in terms of public engagement (See the metros Public Engagement Guide here: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/11122013_public_engagement_guide_final_adoption_draft.pdf).
These different models show there is much to potentially learn as Combined Authorities continue to develop (For more on the international experience of Metro governance see http://www.local.gov.uk/publications/-/journal_content/56/10180/7868765/PUBLICATION).
It has been said of devolution elsewhere in the United Kingdom that it is a process rather than an event. Certainly, since the first moves to devolution a mere 18 years ago Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all gained increased powers to govern themselves. The mere establishment of devolved institutions was, in each nation, far from the end of the story.
English devolution is a very different process, but the same is true even before the first mayors have been elected. Greater Manchester – the most powerful of the combined authorities – has already signed multiple deals with the government.
But as powers are enhanced, it is vital to make sure that the new institutions enjoy strong scrutiny and democratic accountability.
However, just as each mayoralty has a slightly different set of powers and deal with the government, it is up to each combined authority to consider its own interactions with their residents.
It is also worth remembering that, in many ways, we are about to witness a grand political experiment, for no institutions like these have existed in British history.
This creates an opportunity for the mayoralties to be at the forefront of democratic innovation. Examples from around the world and from best practice in local government elsewhere can demonstrate what is possible. It is for mayors and their cabinets to decide the best way forward for public engagement in their areas, but we hope the following can begin the process of deep thought about ways public engagement can be maximised.
It goes without saying that the new mayoralties will involve certain new approaches by city leaders.
Mayors will tour their areas, doing public events, meeting
voters and engaging in Q&As. As visible representatives of their area they may be spotted and spoken to on the street. The mayoralty provides new chances for citizens to interact with their leaders in their daily lives.
That interaction, however, will be of little worth if it is not clear to residents what its administration is doing. It is citizens and citizens alone who elect their Mayor; there is no complementary set of representatives charged with scrutiny. In that way, the role of citizens as scrutinisers becomes key. The ability of traditional, online and social media to access information about what the city-regions are doing is vital because the role of the public in such scrutiny should be particularly enhanced.
In structures such as Combined Authorities which bring together people from a variety of parties and regions who may not have pre-established relationships, transparency will be particularly vital to aid best practice and trust within the new institutions.
As the Centre for Public Scrutiny states in their publication Your Right to Know?: The Future of Transparency in England "Transparency is about dialogue and collaboration. Focusing on transparency that is reactive – responding to requests for information – risks creating one way streets. A landscape in which easy comparability between different institutions and different sectors is hard without shared standards in the way that data is presented."
As CfPS outlines, transparency can drive improvements to commissioning, delivery and outcomes, increase public trust, assess comparability of services and support 'knowledge-rich' communities.
The new mayors should deeply consider the transparency arrangements of the combined authorities they chair. The creation of a transparency charter, outlining the standards, data and processes that will be used by the authority would help embed transparency into the culture. This will help enable good governance and ensure that the mayoralties are seen as directly accountable to voters as possible.
Participatory and Deliberative Democracy
In recent years there have been great advances in the provision of participatory and deliberative democracy techniques at all political levels (By participatory democracy we refer to techniques which involve citizens directly in decision-making.)
. These involve providing the space and resources for citizens to discuss matters of common concern that have a direct relationship to policy. Specialist organisations as well as public bodies have built up expertise by trialling a variety of models that could prove be highly relevant to the new combined authorities and mayoral models (Such as the Democratic Society (DemSoc) and Involve).
Such techniques rely on involving citizens directly in political decisions. Some deliberative forms give randomly selected citizens the ability to call expert witnesses. By engaging with experts, stakeholders and politicians and discussing their findings through small and large scale facilitated sessions citizens are able to deliberate with a high level of sophistication.
One example are 'citizens' juries', which have been frequently used by local government since the late 1990s. Citizens juries are made up of around 12-24 citizens randomly selected from the electoral roll, with an attempt to make sure they are broadly representative of the local population. The participants deliberate on issues over a period of days, calling expert witnesses and discussing relevant evidence.
There are also larger bodies, called citizens' assemblies, having as many as 100 members. These can deliberate on larger, more complex issues. The larger size brings more representativeness and more sources of external experience and knowledge to draw upon.
One crucial feature of these deliberative approaches is their ability to engage citizens in a way that puts them at the centre of decision-making processes.
This can be complemented by a wider range of participative techniques that can be deployed to engage as many people as possible in the local community beyond those that might be selected for a more rigorous deliberative process. Such participative processes are often much shorter in duration than deliberative processes, but allow for a greater number of people to take part and have their voices heard. Examples of this might involve round-table discussions, town hall style meetings or other formats that can feed into priority setting for local administrations.
Such tools can have several | 7,876 |
Today's general purpose computers lack in meeting the requirements on computing performance for standard applications in bioinformatics like DNA sequence alignment, error correction for assembly, or TFBS finding. The size of DNA sequence databases doubles twice a year. On the other hand the advance in computing performance per unit cost only doubles every 2 years. Hence, ingenious approaches have been developed for putting this discrepancy in perspective by use of special purpose computing architectures like ASICs, GPUs, multicore CPUs or CPU Clusters. These approaches suffer either from being too application specific (ASIC and GPU) or too general (CPU-Cluster and multicore CPUs). An alternative is the FPGA, which outperforms the<|fim_middle|> to cost and power efficiency, flexibility and communication bandwidths. For making maximal use of the advantages, a new massively parallel architecture consisting of low-cost FPGAs is presented. | solutions mentioned above in case of bioinformatic applications with respect | 12 |
The Peace and the Panic —en español: La paz y el pánico— es el tercer álbum de estudio de la banda de rock galesa Neck Deep, fue lanzado el 18 de agosto de 2017. Tras el lanzamiento de su segundo disco, Life's Not out to Get You (2015), el grupo planeó trabajar en el material para su álbum de seguimiento antes de fin de<|fim_middle|> en el año. Bowden estaba trabajando como técnico de guitarra para la banda, mientras tocaba en Blood Youth y Climates.
Nuevo material
A fin de año, la banda planeó trabajar en material para su próximo álbum. Sin embargo, los compromisos de viaje les impidieron hacerlo. En junio de 2016, la banda publicó una foto de lo que se presume ser el vocalista Ben Barlow y el guitarrista Matt West estaban trabajando en música nueva. Más tarde se reveló que se trataba de un retiro de escritura en Monnow Valley Studio en Gales.
Composición
El tema detrás del álbum es cómo la banda ha crecido en los dos años posteriores a Life's Not out to Get You. Cuando la banda estaba escribiendo el último álbum, estaban pasando por lo que Barlow le llama "un período de felicidad ininterrumpida". Después de recorrer ese álbum, Barlow dijo que revaluó "de qué se trata la vida y se cuestionó si basta con tener una actitud positiva".
En lugar de escribir solamente 10-14 canciones, la banda escribía constantemente para su tercer álbum. Barlow razonó que "siempre puedes encontrar algo mejor, y puedes tener una idea de la nada". Barlow vio el álbum como un esfuerzo de colaboración con cada miembro del material de escritura de la banda. Esperaba que esto "produjera resultados diferentes, pero de la mejor manera posible".
Recepción
Antes del lanzamiento, Alternative Press incluyó el álbum en su lista de los álbumes más esperados del año.
Lista de canciones
Todas las canciones están escritas por Neck Deep.
Posicionamiento en lista
Personal
Neck Deep
Ben Barlow – voz principal
Sam Bowden - guitarra
Matt West - guitarra
Fil Thorpe-Evans – bajo
Dani Washington – Batería
Músicos adicionales
Sam Carter: voz (pista 6).
Producción
Mike Green– productor
Will McCoy – grabación, productor, mezcla
Ted Jensen – masterización
Ryan Besch – ilustración
Referencias
Álbumes de Neck Deep
Álbumes de 2017
Álbumes en inglés | año, aunque no pudieron debido a los compromisos de la gira. Este es el primer álbum de la banda con Sam Bowden como el nuevo guitarrista de la banda y por tanto, también el primer álbum de la banda sin la participación del guitarrista y fundador de la banda, Lloyd Roberts, quien dejó la banda en 2015.
Además cuenta con una colaboración: Sam Carter, lo que lo convierte en el primer álbum de estudio de Neck Deep con músicos invitados
Antecedentes
Nuevo guitarrista
En agosto de 2015, Neck Deep lanzó su segundo álbum, Life's Not out to Get You, que llegó al top 10 en el Reino Unido. Poco después, el guitarrista Lloyd Roberts abandonó la banda cuando se hicieron acusaciones de que había enviado mensajes explícitos a un fan menor de edad. Roberts realizó una investigación con la policía de North Wales , que posteriormente "no encontró ningún caso para que yo respondiera" y cerró la investigación. A pesar de esto, Sam Bowden reemplazó a Roberts, aunque no fue nombrado miembro oficial hasta más adelante | 255 |
Thursday, October 27, 2011 the Paris TN Quilt Guild had a wonderful time with No. 1 Quilting Author, Sally Terry, She is the author of many books such as, Pathways to Better Quilting and Hooked on Feathers.
The day was filled with so much information and "AHA" moments. We learned that "if it looks pretty you don't have to rip it out". Sally is a delightful teacher and we look forward to another class with her soon.
I wanted to make sure I got her bio correct so I copied this from her blog.
"I feel I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Creating several business from scratch has given me valuable knowledge of marketing and business strategies which apply directly to professional machine quilters. A lifetime of experiences in marketing, advertising and sales gives a fresh insight to machine quilters in today's competitive environment."
Her joyful enthusiasm for sharing, results in full day workshops for longarm, midarm and shortarm machine quilters, in her studio, in Paducah. She also is a member of the Instructor<|fim_middle|> unstitching.
Here are some of the testimonials submitted by some of the members of our guild that attended the class.
Kathy... "I had fun Thursday! Every time I meet with Sally, I come away with new knowledge, and more confidence in my quilting. Her easy style of teaching helps you when you're learning something new, and the best part, perfection is not required. I've learned to be happy with my style of quilting. I'm looking forward to having another class with her. A genuine fun person who makes it easy to learn"
Enjoyed learning new techniques, including how to set the feeddogs, thread hints, and it is OK to be inconsistent!
Shelly....I really enjoyed our class with Sally Terry, she was a delight and the day long class went by so fast. I really feel like I can improve my quilting using her method. Her basic 5 shapes open up so many possibilities for the quilter. I would recommend her class to anyone who needs help with their quilting and would love to attend another of her classes.
I found her class to be fun, and as I tried what she was teaching, It got easier to do, she knows her stuff and is very interesting for sure. I would take another class in a heartbeat! | Program for Janome-America Sewing Machines. Her teaching career includes MQX, MQS, HMQS, Innovations, Vermont Quilt Festival, quilt markets plus attends major shows and markets nationwide.
Most students feel she has a relaxed way of teaching machine quilting which encourages confidence and a joy of learning. Sally approaches the information in her classes from the student's point-of-view with in-depth knowledge that is creative and inspirational.
Sally specializes in running different threads, and free-motion quilting with a true touch of creativity. Many of her concepts have become common practice for beginning machine quilters. She feels that you do not have to copy her exactly to be productive and truly successful without | 140 |
The History of Middle-Earth
17 primary works • 26 total works
The Book of Lost Tales: Part One
by J. R. R. Tolkien
The extraordinary history of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien
The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Embedded in English legend and English association, they were set in the narrative frame of a great westward voyage over the Ocean by a mariner named Eriol (or Ælfwine) to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves dwelt; from them he learned their true history, the Lost Tales of Elfinesse. In the Tales are found the earliest accounts and original ideas of Gods and Elves; Dwarves and Orcs; the Silmarils and the Two Trees of Valinor; Nargothrond and Gondolin; and the geography and cosmology of the invented world.
Praise for Book of Lost Tales 1
"In these tales we have the scholar joyously gamboling in the thickets of his imagination. . . . A commentary and notes greatly enrich the quest."—The Daily Telegraph
"Affords us an almost over-the-shoulder view into the evolving creative process and genius of J.R.R. Tolkien in a new, exciting aspect . . .The superb, sensitive, and extremely helpful commentary and editing done by Christopher Tolkien make all of this possible."—Mythlore
The History of Middle-Earth, Part One
by Christopher Tolkien and J. R. R. Tolkien
The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two
"Tolkien devotees will no doubt rejoice. . . . Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father's son, delving into the question of Elvish genealogies. . . . He gives the reader histories of each character's name as it evolved in the course of Tolkien's revisions."—The New York Times Book Review
This fascinating second part of The Book of Lost Tales features the tales of Beren and Lúthien, Túrin and the Dragon, and the only full narratives of the Necklace of the Dwarves and the Fall of Gondolin. Essential reading for Middle-earth aficionados, each tale is followed by commentary from editor Christopher Tolkien. Also included is extensive information on the names and vocabulary in the earliest Elvish languages.
"The Tales will be appreciated by those who have read The Silmarillion and wish to examine how Tolkien improved his story and style from their original form, and how eventually The Lord of the Rings came to stand independently with only a few hints from the early mythology."—British Book News
The History of Middle-Earth, Part Two
The Lays of Beleriand
by J. R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
Tales told through the ages of quests and curses, enduring love and immeasurable tragedy
"The power of Tolkien's central characters—tragic, cursed Túrin; the lovers Beren and Lúthien—shines through."—Library Journal
Gathering together two of the most crucial stories in Tolkien's world—those of Túrin, a hero living under a ruinous family curse, and Lúthien, an elven princess whose love for a mortal man is mirrored ages later in Arwen and Aragorn—The Lays of Beleriand sheds light on the creation of the mythology of Middle-earth.
Journey through darkness with Túrin Turambar as he searches for his long-missing father in The Lay of the Children of Húrin, and join Beren and Lúthien on their quest to cut a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown in The Lay of Leithian. Both narratives appear here in alliterative verse and are accompanied by Christopher Tolkien's commentary on the evolution of the history of the Elder Days. Also included is critical analysis by C. S. Lewis of The Lay of Leithian.
The History of Middle-Earth, Part Three
The Shaping of Middle-earth
Poems and prose, maps and chronologies, detours and diversions along the road to Middle-earth . . . Christopher Tolkien has gathered archival materials that his late father, J. R. R. Tolkien, used to create the world and the history behind his classic stories.
This fourth volume of The History of Middle-earth presents early versions of those first tales, from the creation myth to the fall of Morgoth. Writings include a chronology of the events in Beleriand, the first Silmarillion map, and the only known description of the physical nature of Middle-earth's universe. Detailed annotations highlight changes ranging from the spelling of Elvish names to pivotal emendations whose effects reach even to the war of the ring.
The Shaping of Middle-earth presents a solid framework by which to trace the development of the early lore of Middle-earth. It is a truly indispensable reference work for those familiar with the history of that endlessly beloved land—and fascinating reading for those just entering that world.
The Lost Road and Other Writings
The glorious history of how Middle-earth would change—and become the world readers recognize in The Lord of the Rings
As friends and fellow members of the literary circle known as The Inklings, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis embarked on a challenge. Lewis was to write on "space-travel" and Tolkien on "time-travel." Lewis's novel Out of the Silent Planet became the first book of a science fiction trilogy. Tolkien's unfinished story "The Lost Road" chronicles the original destruction of Númenor, a pivotal event of the Second Age of Middle-earth.
In this intriguing volume, Christopher Tolkien traces the vivid history of Middle-earth, bringing the land—its topography and ever-clashing forces—to the state readers recognize from The Lord of the Rings. Entertaining and informative, The Lost Road and Other Writings shares fresh insights into the evolution of one of the world's most enduring fantasies.
The Lost Road
by Christopher Tolkien
The fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth, containing the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.
At the end of 1937, J R R Tolkien reluctantly set aside his work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings.
This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth completes the examination of his writing up to that time. Later forms of The Annals of Valinor and The Annals of Beleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified form, and a new Map had been made. The legend of the Downfall of Numenor had entered the work, including those central ideas: the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned 'time-travel' story The Lost Road, linking the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.
Also included in this volume is the The Lhammas, as essay on the complex languages and dialects of Middle-earth, and an 'etymological dictionary' containing an extensive account of Elvish vocabularies.
The Return of the Shadow
The first part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety.
The Return of the Shadow is the story of the first part of the history of the creation of The Lord of the Rings, a fascinating study of Tolkien's great masterpiece, from its inception to the end of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring.
In The Return of the Shadow (the abandoned title of the first volume of The Lord of the Rings) we see how Bilbo's magic ring evolved into the supremely dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord; and the precise, and astonishingly unforeseen, moment when a Black Rider first rode in to the Shire. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed, and Frodo's companions undergo many changes of name and personality.
The book comes complete with reproductions of the first maps and facsimile pages from the earliest manuscripts.
This series of fascinating books has now been repackaged to complement the distinctive and classic style of the 'black cover' A-format paperbacks of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
The Return of the Shadow, 6
The Treason of Isengard
The second part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety<|fim_middle|> of Shelob's Lair.
Sauron Defeated
In the first part of this book, the author completes his account of the writing of The Lord of the Rings - beginning with Sam's rescue of Frodo and giving a different account of the Scouring of the Shire. The second part is an edition of The Notion Club Papers written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Morgoth's Ring
Focusing on the darkness of Middle-earth, this book is the first of two companion volumes which describes and documents the later history of "The Silmarillion". The text of the Annals of Aman is given in full while a selection of writings look at the problems Tolkien explored in his later years to reveal how the destinies of men and elves, mortals and immortals became of central significance.
The War of the Jewels
The second of two companion volumes which documents the later writing of The Silmarillion, Tolkien's epic tale of war.
In The War of the Jewels Christopher Tolkien takes up his account of the later history of The Silmarillion from the point where it was left in Morgoth's Ring. The story now returns to Middle-earth, and the ruinous conflict of the High Elves and the Men who were their allies with the power of the Dark Lord. With the publication in this book all of J.R.R. Tolkien's later narrative writing concerned with the last centuries of the First Age, the long history of The Silmarillion, from its beginning in The Book of Lost Tales, is completed; and the enigmatic state of the work at his death can be understood.
This book contains the full text of the Grey Annals, the primary record of The War of the Jewels, and a major story of Middle-earth now published for the first time: the tale of the disaster that overtook the forest people of Brethil when Hurin the Steadfast came among them after his release from long years of captivity in Angband, the fortress of Morgoth.
The Peoples of Middle-Earth
The concluding volume of The History of Middle-earth series, which examines the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings. The Peoples of Middle-earth traces the evolution of the Appendices to The Lord of The Rings, which provide a comprehensive historical structure of the Second and Third Ages, including Calendars, Hobbit genealogies and the Westron language. The book concludes with two unique abandoned stories: The New Shadow, set in Gondor during the Fourth Age, and the tale of Tal-elmar, in which the coming of the dreaded Numenorean ships is seen through the eyes of men of Middle-earth in the Dark Years. With the publication of this book, the long history of J.R.R. Tolkien's creation is completed and the enigmatic state of his work can be understood.
v. 6
The first part of the history of the creation of "The Lord of the Rings" is a study of Tolkien's work from its inception to the end of the first volume, "The Fellowship of the Ring". In "The Return Of The Shadow" (the abandoned title of the first volume of "The Lord of the Rings") we see how Bilbo's "magic ring" evolved into the supremely dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord; and the precise and astonishingly unforeseen moment when a Black Rider first rode into the Shire. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed, though his true identity seems to be an insoluble problem. Frodo's companions undergo many changes of name and personality and other major figures appear in unfamiliar guises - a sinister Treebeard, in league with the Enemy, and a ferocious, malevolent Farmer Maggot. The book comes complete with reproductions of the first maps and facsimile pages from the earliest manuscripts.
v. 12
Peoples of Middle Earth
In Volumes Ten and Eleven of The History of Middle-earth, Christopher Tolkien recounts from the original texts the evolution of his father's work on The Silmarillion, the legendary history of the Elder Days or First Age, from the completion of The Lord of the Rings in 1949 until J.R.R. Tolkien's death. In volume ten, Morgoth's Ring, the narrative was taken only as far as the natural dividing point in the work, when Morgoth destroyed the Trees of Light and fled from Valinor bearing the stolen Silmarils. In The War of the Jewels, the story returns to Middle-earth and the ruinous conflict of the High Elves and the Men who were their allies with the power of the Dark Lord. With the publication in this book of all J.R.R. Tolkien's later narrative writing concerned with the last centuries of the First Age, the long history of The Silmarillion, from its beginnings in The Book of Lost Tales, is completed; the enigmatic state of the work at his death can now be understood. A chief element in The War of the Jewels is a major story of Middle-earth, now published for the first time - a continuation of the great "saga" of Turin Turambar and his sister Nienor, the children of Hurin the Steadfast. This is the tale of the disaster that overtook the forest people of Brethil when Hurin came among them after his release from long years of captivity in Angband, the fortress of Morgoth. The uncompleted text of the Grey Annals, the primary record of the War of the Jewels, is given in full; the geography of Beleriand is studied in detail, with redrawings of the final state of the map; and a long essay on the names and relations of all the peoples of Middle-earth shows more clearly than any writing yetpublished the close connection between language and history in Tolkien's world. The text also provides new information, including some knowledge of the divine powers, the Valar. | .
The Treason of Isengard continues the account of the creation of The Lord of the Rings started in the earlier volume, The Return of the Shadow.
It races the great expansion of the tale into new lands and peoples south and east of the Misty Mountains: the emerence of Lothlorien, of Ents, of the Riders of Rohan, and of Saruman the White in the fortress of Isengard.
In brief outlines and pencilled drafts dashed down on scraps of paper are seen the first entry of Galadriel, the earliest ideas of the history of Gondor, and the original meeting of Aragorn and Eowyn, its significance destined to be wholly transformed.
The book also contains a full account of the original map which was to be the basis of the emerging geography of Middle-earth.
The War of the Ring
The third part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety.
The War of the Ring takes up the story of The Lord of the Rings with the Battle of Helm's Deep and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents, continues with the journey of Frodo, Sam and Gollum to the Pass of Cirith Ungol, describes the war in Gondor, and ends with the parley between Gandalf and the ambassador of the Dark Lord before the Black Gate of Mordor.
The book is illustrated with plans and drawings of the changing conceptions of Orthanc, Dunharrow, Minas Tirith and the tunnels | 332 |
February 2021: CIN
Welcome to the February 2021 issue of Credit Insurance News Digest. This issue is sponsored by Credendo.
Credit Insurance News
Credit Management News Digest
About the Sponsor: Credendo
The US fashion industry highlights the need for a trade credit insurance backstop. As the US Congress debates additional stimulus measures in response to the pandemic, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and other associations representing the US fashion industry, have sent a letter to Congressional leaders to highlight the US industry's needs. This includes a recommendation that the US introduce a federal, short-term backstop to support trade credit insurance. The letter notes that access to trade credit insurance, "a critical facility for cash flow in the industry", has "dried up" and suggests that a trade credit insurance backstop "would enable the thousands of small businesses who depend on trade credit insurance to stay in business and participate in the safe restart of our economy." To read AAFA's news release, with a link to the letter, go to https://www.aafaglobal.org/AAFA/AAFA_News/2021_Press_Releases/Fashion_Industry_
Highlights_Stimulus_Needs_Letter_to_Congress.aspx.
Trade credit weaknesses remain despite the UK government's scheme. CIR (Continuity Insurance & Risk) has published an article by Julia Graham, deputy CEO of Airmic, which reports that although the recent extension of the UK government's trade credit reinsurance scheme sends a strong message of support to protect business and position them for post-COVID-19 recovery, for many businesses the scheme itself has made little difference to their covers. The article suggests that the scheme's focus on capacity, rather than risk appetite or the suitability of products available, "means that many buyers are still underwhelmed by the products and services that the market offers." She also recommends that the trade credit insurance market "should step up more often as insurer of first resort than it typically does, if it wishes to remain relevant." To read CIR's news release go to https://www.cirmagazine.com/cir/2021088812103.php.
How the COVID-19 outbreak changed trade US credit insurance "virtually overnight". Willis Towers Watson has published an article that examines US trade credit insurers' response to the current pandemic. The article notes that before March 2020, the US trade credit insurance market had seen more than a decade's worth of market softening terms and rates, with pricing at historic lows, capacity at an all-time high and extremely flexible policy structures. However, in less than one month following the COVID-19 outbreak, underwriting appetites, pricing and structures had all changed dramatically. For example, most clients<|fim_middle|>mium-finance-be-a-solution/1436237.article.
Atradius expects a global economic rebound in 2021 but notes considerable uncertainty around its baseline forecast. Atradius' latest Global Economic Outlook forecasts that as countries gradually emerge from their lockdowns, global GDP will recover by 5.0% in 2021, following a 3.9% contraction in 2020. Advanced markets as a group are expected to rebound by 3.9% in 2021, after a 5.0% decline in 2020, with a partial recovery of 4.2% predicted to occur in the eurozone this year and a return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Prospects for global trade in 2021 are also good, with global trade growth expected to rebound by 7-8% in 2021, after a contraction of similar size in 2020. However, although a global rebound is expected, Atradius also cautions that there is considerable uncertainty around its baseline forecast, warning that a stretched wave of global infections is likely to significantly reduce GDP growth in 2021 and push the recovery into 2022. To read Atradius' news release go to https://group.atradius.com/publications/economic-research/global-economic-outlook-february-2021.html.
Trade credit insurance: the insurance policy that can change on a daily basis. Insurance Business has published an article highlighting how, unlike a car or home insurance policy that may only need to be reviewed annually, a trade credit policy is constantly being adjusted. According to Phil Ashby, Director at National Credit Insurance (Brokers) NZ, despite the digitalisation of many processes, this means significant attention to detail from the brokers dealing with this "dynamic" product, with quite a high staff to policy ratio to deal with the "huge amount" of data that needs to be processed for each policy. Mr Ashby concluded that as well as market intelligence "so that policyholders can get a heads up before hopping into a contract with a new buyer," the great thing about credit insurance "is the discipline that it brings into a business." To read Insurance Business' article go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/nz/news/breaking-news/the-insurance-policy-that-can-change-on-a-daily-basis-243456.aspx.
Government intervention gives reprieve to credit risk in Australia - but what about 2021? NCI has reported that its latest Trade Credit Index (Q4 2020) recorded the lowest figures for claims for at least the last 8 years, the lowest number of collections since 2014, and the lowest number of overdues since Q4/14. Compared to Q4 2019, there was a 30% reduction in the number of claims lodged (with a 36% reduction in their value) and a 20% reduction in the number of collections lodged. However, NCI notes that the reprieve in claim and collections is due to intervention by the Australian government, and, looking ahead, warns that although "we don't know at what point we will start to see insolvencies rise, we do know that it will happen in 2021 and it will most likely result in a normalisation of 2020 numbers." To see NCI's Credit Risk Index go to https://nci.com.au/2021/01/28/trade-credit-risk-index-q4-3/.
How trade credit insurance supports the real economy. The Berne Union has published a new informational report that presents case studies and examples to illustrate the purpose, function and impact of trade credit insurance (short, medium and long-term) in delivering industrial and economic development. The report notes that the sectors most supported by short-term trade credit insurance are currently manufacturing (13%), electronics (11%), non-energy commodities (5%), transportation (5%), capital goods (4%), pharma (4%), agriculture (4%) and construction (3%), and that Europe is by far the largest destination market for short-term insured exports - representing a share of 50% of total exports. To read the Berne Union's report go to https://www.berneunion.org/Articles/Details/529/How-credit-insurance-supports-the-real-economy.
Excess of Loss trade credit insurance – a first for South Africa. Debtsource, a South African credit management company and specialist trade credit insurance brokerage, has announced that Excess Of Loss trade credit insurance cover has finally made its way to South Africa after being in development for the past 2 years. While this type of cover has been available in other developed markets for some time, this is the first time that a credit insurer has launched a product in South Africa that allows for an insured client to have cover on a particular debtor from more than one insurer, with an additional secured amount over and above the credit facility insured by the primary insurer." Pioneered by Hollard Trade Credit, Debtsource notes that the product has been launched in the South African market at an extremely timely moment "as credit insurers have become more risk-averse owing to increased business failures from a weakened economy and the fallout from the COVID pandemic." To read Debtsource's news release go to https://www.debtsource.co.za/2021/01/excess-of-loss-cover-a-first-for-south-africa/.
A robust US economic rebound is expected in 2021, but substantial downside risks remain. After a 3.5% contraction in 2020 (milder than previously anticipated), Atradius latest Country Report predicts that US economic recovery will gain momentum in Q2, with GDP forecast to grow by 4.2% in 2021. However, Atradius stresses that this recovery expectation is based on the assumption that the vaccination process is rolled out in H1 of 2021, and massive stimulus measures are ongoing. Currently, the US economy remains on a weak footing. Atradius also notes that there were relatively few insolvencies in 2020, even though bankruptcy courts were still largely functioning, but stresses that as insolvencies historically lag economic downturns, an increase in business failures "is rather likely" in 2021. To read Atradius' news release go to https://group.atradius.com/publications/country-report/north-america-usa-2021.
Vaccination delay could cost Europe €90 billion in 2021. Euler Hermes has warned that delays to Europe's vaccination rollout could, if left uncorrected, result in negative implications that far exceed the immediate short-term economic costs of a double-dip recession at the start of 2021. The report notes that economies that finish the race first will be rewarded with strong positive multiplier effects supercharging consumption and investment activity in H2 2021, "whereas vaccination laggards will remain stuck in crisis mode and face substantial costs - economic as well as political." Euler Hermes' calculations show that EU countries are already five weeks behind schedule; and with every week of prolonged sanitary restrictions reducing quarterly nominal EU GDP growth by -0.4%, the current delay represents close to €90 billion. To read Euler Hermes' news release go to https://www.eulerhermes.com/en_global/news-insights/economic-insights/Vaccination-delay-to-cost-Europe-EUR90bn-in-2021.html.
Brexit could cost UK exporters £25 billion. According to a new report by Euler Hermes, Britain's export-focused businesses will lose between £12.0 billion and £25 billion (€13.5- €27.3 billion) this year as a result of weak demand, increased red tape and the depreciation of sterling (-3% forecast for 2021) following Brexit. At its most impactful, this equates to 1.1% in lost GDP, with mineral and metal products, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment, chemicals and textiles likely to be the hardest-hit sectors. Euler Hermes' economists ultimately expect the pandemic combined with the Brexit transition period to limit GDP growth to +2.5% in 2021, meaning that the UK economy may not return to pre-crisis GDP levels until at least 2023. To read Euler Hermes' news release go to https://www.eulerhermes.co.uk/newsroom/brexit-could-cost-uk-exporters-25bn-pounds.html.
Alliant acquires One Source Risk Management & Funding. Insurance Business has reported that Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. has acquired One Source Risk Management, a trade credit insurance and political risk insurance brokerage firm with headquarters in Houston, Texas, and offices across the US and Canada. The acquisition also launches a new industry vertical within Alliant Specialty – Alliant Trade Credit. Peter Arkley, President, Alliant Specialty, commented: "The need for credit and political risk offerings will continue to grow as we enter 2021, and Alliant is well-positioned to meet the demand thanks to the deal." To read Insurance Business' article go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/ca/news/breaking-news/alliant-swoops-for-one-source-risk-management-243685.aspx.
An uneven recovery across countries, sectors of activity and income levels. A year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the most significant global recession since the end of the Second World War, Coface's latest Barometer for Q4 2020 notes that although the performance of China and other Asian economies is boosting global growth, the main mature economies will not return to their pre-crisis GDP levels in 2021. Coface estimates that world growth could reach +4.3% on average in 2021, but stresses that this projection assumes that the major mature economies can vaccinate at least 60% of their population by the Summer. The Barometer also highlights that the drop in business failures seen in 2020 (-12% worldwide, -22% in the eurozone, -19% in Asia Pacific and -3% in North America) is attributable to government support, and predicts that the impact of the pandemic will eventually lead (by 2022) to a surge in the number of insolvencies: +16% in Spain, +13% in France, +9% in Italy and +6% in Germany compared to their 2019 level. To read Coface's news release go to https://www.coface.com/News-Publications/News/Coface-Barometer-Q4-2020-An-uneven-recovery.
US trade: 2021 will be a rocky road to recovery after a crisis "unlike any other". Atradius has published an overview of the US economy which cautions that, while there is some optimism related to the vaccine roll-out, uncertainty remains. Atradius notes that analysts and economists currently predict that a strong US economic rebound is expected in H2 as the vaccine settles in and more people can safely return to work, with GDP estimated to grow by 4.2% in 2021 as the economy recovers during the year helped by significant government stimulus. This means that US GDP will return to its 2019 level by the year-end. However, "the more Covid-19, the more insolvencies", and as insolvencies historically lag economic downturns by 12-18 months, Atradius warns there will likely still see an overall uptick in insolvencies, although "we are also hopeful that this crisis may follow a different, less severe path when it comes to defaults." To read Atradius' news release go to https://group.atradius.com/press/news/2021-us-trade-a-rocky-road-to-recovery.html.
Congratulations to . . .
Credendo on its 100th anniversary. The company was founded in 1921 by the Belgian Government to support Belgian international trade by granting guarantees and insurance. It is the world's second oldest public great insurer. Since 1921, Credendo has developed into an international group - the fourth-largest credit insurance group in the European market - with a presence in 15 European countries.
To read more about '100 year of Credendo' go to https://www.credendo.com/100years.
John Cross: A message from QBE
It is with great sadness that we announce that John Cross passed away on the 12th January 2021.
John had a successful career in the Credit Insurance Industry that spanned over 25 years. He initially joined the industry at Euler Hermes, formerly Trade Indemnity, holding a variety of positions leaving in the role of Strategic Account Manager working with a number of large clients and key broking partners. In 2005, he joined
QBE working in both Commercial and Risk Underwriting roles and more latterly as Technical and Policy Manager, utilising his wealth of experience to guide the business forward into new areas.
A keen sportsman, whether it was squash, cricket, or football, which saw John as a life-long season ticket holder at West Ham, he enjoyed all with great enthusiasm. His love of cricket saw him not only following England on tour in Australia but also as the driving force in organising what became the annual QBE Twenty20 Cricket day out at Lord's or The Oval. Attendees always had fun, whether cricket enthusiasts or complete newcomers to the game. It was a great way to bring a group together on warm summer evenings in a relaxed and social setting. We at QBE, will not only cherish these memories but also make sure that the tradition continues in his honour.
John approached all his roles in our industry with great positivity, building strong relationships with everyone that knew him. His personality shone throughout his career and he will be greatly missed by all his family, friends, and colleagues.
Funeral details:
John's funeral will be held at South Essex Crematorium, Upminster at 1.20pm on February 24th. Due to Covid restrictions as you will appreciate it will not be possible for anyone other than close family and friends to attend.
Celebrating the Life of John Cross : Time: Feb 24, 2021 01:15 PM London
https://youtu.be/NBlgZbsit80
Alternatively, you may wish to make a donation in John's memory. The family have set up a Just Giving' page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/inmemoryofjohncross in favour of Saint Francis Hospice to recognise John's selfless campaigning and support to raise funds for a charity that cared for his mother.
When we can be together in person, QBE plan to hold a memorial gathering to remember John where all his friends and colleagues can have the opportunity to celebrate his life. Details of this event will be circulated in due course, and we all very much hope it will be held in the not too distant future.
Chaucer has announced that it has promoted Deborah Wyatt to the role of Head of Political Risk and Credit, and Neil Edwards, currently class underwriter - credit and political risk, to Deputy Head of Political Risk and Credit. Both will be based in London. Deborah is replacing Chaucer's current head, Nick Kilhams, who is retiring. In addition, Jonathan Bint has been appointed as Senior Political Risks & Credit Analyst/Underwriter, joining Chaucer from XL Catlin.
Thomas Carroll has appointed Rob Farquharson as Head of Credit and Surety, a newly created role. Rob joins from Parker Norfolk, where he was Director of Trade Credit.
AIG has announced the appointment of Corine Troncy as Global Head of Trade Credit, based in London. Before joining AIG, Corine had been with Coface for thirty years, most recently as Group Executive Committee Special Advisor. Other new London appointments include Liliana Slavova and Omar Bolton who join AIG as Senior Trade Finance Portfolio Underwriter, and Trade Finance Portfolio Underwriter.
Marsh has appointed Josh Madeiros as Assistant Vice President - Structured Credit & Political Risk, based in London. Josh has been with Marsh for just over two years and was formerly employed as Broker - Political Risk & Structured Credit.
The International Credit Insurance and Surety Association (ICISA) has appointed Richard Wulff as its Executive Director-in-waiting. Richard was formerly Regional Director at NCM (Netherlands), Executive Director at NCM Re (Ireland), Head of Department at Munich Re (Germany/India), Chief Underwriting Officer Ergo General Insurance (India) and Group General Manager at QBE (Australia/Hong Kong).
SCHUMANN has announced Mike Holley's appointment as Strategic Advisor for the development of tech solutions for credit and political risk insurers and export credit agencies. Mike has over 37 years' experience in trade credit and political risk insurance, as well as in trade finance. He was formerly a founder and CEO of Equinox Global Limited.
Credendo has announced the appointment of Arnaud de la Houplière to manage the French Branch of its specialised subsidiary, Credendo – Excess & Surety, in Paris. Joining from Zurich, Arnaud will act as Country Manager and Surety Underwriter of the Branch in Paris
Chubb has announced Joe Godfrey's appointment as an Underwriter within their Trade Credit European team (based in London) Joe previously worked as an Underwriter for Atradius.
AXA XL has announced Caroline Tran's appointment as Regional Product Leader Continental Europe, Global Political Risk, Credit & Bond. Caroline joins from Atradius, where she was employed for twelve years - most recently as Deputy Head Special Products/Product Leader for structured single situations and political risks. Caroline is based in Paris.
Euler Hermes has made several new appointments:
Peter Farrell has been announced as Managing Director of Excess of Loss (XoL) for Euler Hermes Americas Region. Peter was part of the team that pioneered the company's first XoL product offering. His most recent position was Vice President and Head of XoL/Duo New Business.
Matt Williams has been appointed as Director - Risk, Information, Claims & Collections, for the whole Benelux region. Matt has been with Euler Hermes since 2004 and was most recently employed in the same role for Belgium and Luxembourg.
Janice Cheung becomes Regional Account Manager, World Agency, based in Singapore. Janice joins Euler Hermes from QBE where she had worked since 2017 as Regional Underwriter (Trade Credit).
Thomas Gay has been appointed as XoL underwriter, based in London. Thomas has been with Euler Hermes for nearly three years as a Risk Underwriter.
Ryan Watts has become a Strategic Account Manager, based in London. Ryan has been with Euler Hermes for over eleven years, most recently as Major Account Manager.
Aon has appointed Nick Hulland as Client Director, based in Manchester. Nick previously worked for Euler Hermes UK & Ireland for nearly fourteen years, most recently as Major & Strategic New Business Underwriter.
NCI Trade Credit Solutions, New Zealand has appointed Zara Mends as General Manager (Sales & Service). Zara has worked for NCI for more than 15 years, most recently as a Credit Insurance Specialist.
Hamilton Insurance Group has appointed Florence Mognetti to the post of Head of Political Risk, based in London. Florence has nearly twenty-two years' experience in the industry and joins Hamilton from Leadenhall Limited where she was employed as a Loss Adjuster.
Willis Towers Watson has appointed Lee Garvey as Head of Financial Solutions for Australia and New Zealand. He will report to Fabien Conderanne, Regional Head of Financial Solutions, Asia Pacific, corporate risk and broking. Lee returns to WTW from Marsh where he was Head of Lenders Solutions group Asia.
Trade Credit Specialists.
Excellent salary + company benefits
We are a dynamic business created to fill a gap in the market for a specialist, independent, client-centric and service focussed insurance adviser. We provide insurance solutions to organisations of all shapes and sized, from start-ups, to SME's through to larger corporate risks. Our team of personal insurance experts can also deliver bespoke cover for private individuals.
This is an exciting time to join PIB Insurance. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that working together as one team across the Group is better for our customers, our businesses, and our employees. We offer excellent rates of pay, fantastic benefits and excellent career opportunities.
As we continue to grow, we are interested in talking to experienced 'Trade Credit Specialists' for a number of vacancies we have in Management, Account Management and Business Development which can be based from any of our UK PIB offices. If you are interested in a career with PIB and want to find out more then please do get in touch.
Our employee's success isn't measured on time spent in the office, so please talk to us about your flexible working needs.
We have many sites across the UK, so whether this be working from home, logging on from another office then we would love to hear from you!
PIB Group is an equal opportunities employer, committed to hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.
To apply for a position, complete the online application form at https://pibgroup.livevacancies.co.uk/#/job/details/591.
Your application will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Risk Underwriter / Credit Analyst, London.
Are you passionate about Credit Insurance? Are you seeking a progressive role in a growing and reputable MGA?
Nexus Trade Credit are currently recruiting for a dynamic Risk Underwriter / Credit Analyst to join our busy underwriting team in London. The successful candidate will form an integral part of the team, helping to analyse domestic and export risk supporting our renewal and new business portfolio. This includes assessing and agreeing credit limits within authority levels and monitoring exposures in all sectors both domestically and globally.
The Nexus Trade Credit UK Non-Cancellable team is unique in the UK market, by offering non- cancellable coverage on a whole turnover and ground up basis. Our products may suit clients that are looking to take on a significant deductible (XOL) or more traditional middle market clients through our 'trigger' and 'complete' policies. In addition we offer Top Up coverage in excess of primary (typically cancellable) insurers, allowing clients to achieve full limit satisfaction on sectors and buyers with capacity constraints.
Conducting detailed financial analysis and formulating credit decisions and risk strategies on buyers, industries and countries
Managing credit limit requests, taking into account the full scope of the policy and risks relating to buyers, countries and industries
Proactive monitoring of credit limits and risk strategies
Monitoring industry, economic and political trends
Liaising internally and externally about risks and policies, this includes Underwriters, Brokers, clients, risks and information providers on an international level
Your profile:
You will have 3-5 years practical hands-on experience in a Financial / Credit Analyst role, prior credit insurance or reinsurance experience is a strong advantage
A broad knowledge of and interest in domestic and global economic trends
Enthusiastic and hardworking individual with a focus on providing the best possible service
Commercial awareness partnered with a strategic mind-set
Experience in delivering client-focused solutions and creating long-lasting relationships
Proficient working knowledge of MS Office software
About Nexus Group
Nexus Underwriting is the largest independent specialty Managing General Agent (MGA) in the London market. We believe in the ability and potential of all our people and are committed to helping them reach their full potential and future career aspirations by providing a motivational and encouraging work environment.
This role reports to: Head of UK Non-Cancellable Underwriting Office Location: 52-56 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 2EB.
To apply for this position, please email your CV to hsaar@nexusunderwriting.com and careers@nexusunderwriting.com.
Account Manager, Commercial UK & Ireland – Regional Sales, Manchester
Atradius provides trade credit insurance, surety and collections services worldwide through a strategic presence in 50 countries. Atradius has access to credit information on 200 million companies worldwide. Its credit insurance, bonding and collections products help protect companies throughout the world from payment risks associated with selling products and services on trade credit. Atradius forms part of Grupo Catalana Occidente, one of the leading insurers in Spain and worldwide in credit insurance.
Unit / Team
As the Commercial Unit is located across the UK and Ireland, our key responsibility within the Atradius group is to ensure profitable and sustainable growth of the Regional portfolio and to manage customer satisfaction, retention and distribution strategy.
Within the team are sales, account management, customer service & support, project management and control teams who work together to oversee and implement the Commercial strategy in order to achieve their targets.
Atradius has its UK and Ireland HQ in Cardiff Bay, and a network of offices throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, so that our customers can be assured of our personal services.
As Account Managers in the Commercial UK & Ireland Unit and based in the Manchester office, to succeed in the role you must demonstrate a real desire to support our existing clients thus ensuring we remain the insurer of choice in a challenging marketplace. Working with our Broker community you will service and grow an existing portfolio of clients in order to meet their needs and achieve your retention and additionality targets. You will make presentations to clients, brokers and other industry professionals in order to negotiate and close renewal of the policies within your portfolio. To do this effectively you will have, or be able to demonstrate sound communication and negotiations skills. You must have the ability to plan and execute your work independently and be able to react quickly to changing priorities.
This is a full-time position (36 hours per week).
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Experience within Credit Insurance desirable
Strong understanding of policy structures and an excellent appreciation of the responsibility that comes with managing relationships and delivering against operational plans
Ability to successful renew business, either at an individual or board level
Well organised and prepared for all customer and broker visits
Confident, ambitious self-starter with a desire to succeed in a competitive market
A team-player, able to work alongside & with other team members to progress / enhance our offering to provide the optimum solution for our Clients & Brokers
Proven ability to achieve financial targets
Relevant business experience or degree Right to work in the UK
A great and challenging place to work - dynamic, transparent and informal
An environment for our people where they can realise professional growth
Work in a very international working place Good career opportunities
Attractive terms and conditions: salary in line with market conditions, commission scheme, pension scheme etc.
The Chancery, 58 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 1EW
Contact Person and Contact Details
Interested? Please send your CV and motivation letter to GBUKjobs@atradius.com
Only successful candidates will be contacted.
Closing date 16 February 2021
Account Handler – Marsh, Manchester
The company: Marsh
Marsh is the world's leading insurance broker and risk adviser. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data driven risk solutions and advisory services.
The role: Account Handler
Due to unprecedented growth in our Manchester based Major Account Trade Credit Practice we have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Account Handler. This is the perfect role for an individual with a background in commercial insurance/Credit Insurance or Underwriting looking to join an established, market leading insurance broker.
You can expect to work within a fast paced, specialised Credit Insurance team. You will act as the main point of contact and support. for a rapidly expanding book of large and multinational clients based outside London.
What you will be rewarded with?
We offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits.
We also support programmes including: health & welfare, tuition assistance, pension, employee assistance program, career mobility, employee network groups and volunteer opportunities.
We will rely on you to:
Act as lead advisory colleague on large and multinational Trade Credit clients.
Develop renewal/placement strategies in conjunction with the Practice Leader and Client Executive and execute in accordance with client instructions.
Analyse quotes from carriers and provides analysis to more senior Advisory colleagues and/or clients to assist with developing solutions and renewals.
Support more senior Advisory colleagues to reach business goals and RFP's through research and document preparation to support and assist the design, development, and marketing of new insurance and risk products.
Support the client credit management function by training and advising on policy operation, and negotiating credit limits and other issues with underwriters.
Build and maintain client and market contact at appropriate levels to execute effectively on clients program.
Contribute to client retention through effective risk solutions and excellence in service.
What you need to have:
Previous Insurance experience within either Account Handling or Underwriting
Articulate with strong client facing and stakeholder management abilities
Proven negotiation skills
Good IT skills (MS Word / Excel / Power)
What makes you stand out:
Credit Insurance experience would be a huge bonus
Able to understand a set of financial accounts
Effective team player
Marsh is the world's leading insurance broker and risk adviser. With over 35,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data driven risk solutions and advisory services. Marsh is a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With annual revenue approaching US $17 billion and 76,000 colleagues worldwide, MMC helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman. Follow Marsh on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, or subscribe to BRINK.
We embrace a culture that celebrates and promotes the many backgrounds, heritages and perspectives of our colleagues and clients regardless of their gender expression or identity, marital and civil partnership status, ethnic origin, nationality, age, background, disability, sexual orientation or beliefs. We are proud of our inclusive culture where everyone feels empowered to bring their whole selves to work and thrive. Learn more about our foundational values, mission and vision for the future by reviewing our Greater Good Policy.
To apply, please send your CV with a covering letter to Steve Howells at Stephen.Howells@marsh.com.
GTR MENA 2021 Virtual, 15-17 February 2021.
Global Trade Review's annual trade and export finance conference, GTR MENA, will return in 2021 as a hybrid event, providing an extended offering as the region's leading gathering for networking and knowledge sharing, with a virtual event on February 15-17 and a physical event on September 29. Proceedings for the year will kick off with GTR MENA 2020 Virtual on February 15-17, set to welcome over 1,500 participants and featuring the chance to hear the latest insights and developments from experts on the most pertinent issues impacting on MENA trade, utilising a mixture of live-streamed and pre-recorded content and fostering a new way of networking via GTR's dedicated virtual event platform.
As part of its hybrid offering for 2021, GTR MENA will also descend on Dubai in September for an exclusive one-day physical gathering. This will include an extensive programme, full exhibition and that much missed opportunity for participants to hold face-to-face discussions with industry peers and potential clients.
VIRTUAL EVENT LINK: https://bit.ly/2VT3Q1e
PHYSICAL EVENT LINK: https://bit.ly/3gnBJk8
GTR India 2021 Virtual, 10-11 March 2021.
GTR India will return in 2021 as a hybrid event, offering an extended offering as the country's leading trade-based gathering for networking and knowledge sharing, with a virtual event on March 10-11 and a physical event in Mumbai in October.
For over 15 years GTR India has provided critical market insight combined with unrivalled networking opportunities with leading experts on the country's trade environment and trade finance sector. Both events will delve into the most pertinent discussion topics impacting Indian #trade and #exports, from supply chain challenges, geopolitical considerations (including free trade agreements), support for exporters, digitisation drives and the measures taken across both public and private sector to aid business recovery.
VIRTUAL EVENT LINK: https://bit.ly/36VQ4By.
PHYSICAL EVENT LINK: https://bit.ly/36VbT48.
GTR West Africa 2021 Virtual, 24-25 March 2021.
GTR West Africa will return in 2021 virtually, providing an extended digital offering as the region's leading event for trade discussion and networking on March 24-25.
Encompassing all the key aspects of the live conference experience through GTR's established virtual event format, this hugely anticipated gathering will combine the highest level content with bountiful networking opportunities via our dedicated platform.
Harnessing the vast potential of technology for connecting West African trade leaders with their peers, this online gathering promises a comprehensive programme of live and on-demand debate, discussion and engagement, welcoming the region's leading practitioners in trade, export and commodity finance to explore the latest developments, strategies and solutions employed to drive growth.
LINK: https://bit.ly/36XnLTf
GTR East Africa 2021 Virtual. 12-13 May 2021.
Following the success of the inaugural virtual event in October 2020, GTR East Africa will return once again in a digital form for 2021, taking place on May 12-13, 2021. Utilising GTR's bespoke virtual event platform, this online gathering promises expansive networking and an extensive and comprehensive programme of live and on-demand content, welcoming the leading practitioners in trade, agribusiness, supply chain and commodity finance. Join industry experts from across the region to explore the latest developments, strategies and solutions employed to drive East African trade growth. LINK: https://bit.ly/3gphJ0x.
National Credit Awards 2021. 21 October 2021. The Waldorf Hilton, London.
New for 2021, MoneyAge is proud to present the National Credit Awards.
The awards are designed to honour the outstanding professionals and firms in the many varied fields of the credit industry, to recognise, celebrate, and promote best practice, to support continuing development, and to contribute towards raising the standards within the credit arena.
The awards are free to enter and you can enter as many categories as you like.
Head over to the website to find out more.
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY: https://www.moneyage.co.uk/creditawards/index.php.
Deadline for entries: 25 June 2021
For 100 years, Credendo has been forging strong links between entrepreneurs and their export markets, as well as creating tailor-made solutions, for large companies and SMEs.
Credendo is a European credit insurance group that is present all over the continent and active in all segments of trade credit and political risk insurance, providing a range of products that cover risks worldwide.
We are the first-choice business partner to protect against the risks of trade and investments in the real economy and to facilitate the financing of such transactions.
Our mission is to support trade relations.
We provide customised solutions of insurance, reinsurance, guarantees, bonding and financing related to domestic and international trade transactions or investments abroad. We protect companies, banks and insurance undertakings against credit and political risks or facilitate the financing of such transactions.
Full spectrum of political and commercial risks
Tit-for-tat retaliation, return of protectionism and political backlashes are making headlines.
Our single risk insurance policies can help any corporate to trade more effectively worldwide by protecting them against the full spectrum of political and commercial risks associated with doing business overseas. Our products also support banks and financial institutions by protecting their interests in financial contracts and investment projects. We work in partnership with our clients to establish the cover they need in line with their business strategies. Our specialists offer an excellent track record in assessing emerging markets- country risks, proven know-how and experience in insuring complex transactions, and substantial insurance capacity backed by our excellent credit ratings.
Find out more about Credendo at www.credendo.com or email at c.ramillon@credendo.com.
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All news stories on Credit Insurance News' website are included with the prior permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part, in any manner, without the express prior written consent of the copyright holder, is a violation of copyright law. If you, or your organisation wish to redistribute, republish or link-to all or any part of any Credit Insurance News Digest, you must first contact the copyright holder direct or email sally.brown@creditinsurancenews.co.uk for further information. | with zero claims or low loss ratios incurred a minimum of 5-15% pricing increases, "with most settling in the 5-10% range", while clients deemed loss-making – with a 3-year loss ratio of 60%+ - saw price increases of 15-25%. However, Wilson Towers Watson adds that despite the challenges, US trade credit insurers have become "even more creative in adding sustainable risk." Furthermore, claims have continued to be paid without incident. To read the article go to https://www.willistowerswatson.com/en-GB/Insights/2021/01/covid-19-and-trade-credit.
Please note that WTW will be publishing a UK/European paper on the same subject shortly.
How the least well-known UK government's support scheme could turn out to be the most important. Marsh has advised that unlike in the 2008 financial crisis, after which the business community was uncomfortable offering credit, the UK's current trade credit reinsurance scheme is enabling businesses to affordably insure their trade against customer defaults on payment - despite "skyrocketing risk and uncertainty". As a result, and despite being "arguably still an under-utilised enabler of economic recovery", the least well-known of the UK government's support schemes could be the most important for restarting the UK economy. Marsh also notes that in contrast to an over-reliance on government loan schemes leading to overleveraging, "effectively putting the economy into hibernation," trade credit insurance encourages trade to continue, channels cash through viable businesses and offers a more sustainable alternative. To read Marsh's news release go to https://www.marshcommercial.co.uk/articles/trade-credit-insurance-can-help-protect/.
Dialogue Exchange launches a set of free, open common standards for single credit risk insurance. GTR (Global Trade Review) has reported that Dialogue Exchange has created a set of free, open common standards for single credit risk insurance that aim to pave the way for the industry's full digitalisation. In an exclusive interview with GTR, Dialogue's CEO, Ben Heaney, commented: "A broker or an underwriter would use a slightly different word to mean broadly the same thing. We recognised that we needed to standardise these basic terms not only for the scalability of Dialogue but also for the rest of the industry." While not a standards-setting organisation itself, Dialogue used its position as a neutral intermediary to bring together 12 credit and political risk insurance brokers, underwriters and market specialists, to identify the terms that would underpin the data standard. The new standard is now available for all brokers and insurers. To read GTR's article go to https://www.gtreview.com/news/global/exclusive-single-credit-risk-insurance-gets-set-of-standards-as-dialogue-seeks-to-unify-market/.
Challenge-laden UK high street weighs heavily on trade credit insurers. Insurance Times has published an article that explores the implications and challenges that the UK trade credit insurance industry faces with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing and non-essential retailers in lockdown. The article notes that there has been a shift in thinking around trade credit insurance, with Graham Walsh, the ABI's Senior Policy Advisor for General Insurance, commenting that maintaining trade credit insurance throughout the pandemic will be a "key component" for economic recovery post-pandemic. Atradius' Regional Director for UK and Ireland, Stuart Ramsden, and Nimbla' Chief Executive, Flemming Bengtsen, are also quoted. To read Insurance Times' article go to https://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/analysis/challenge-laden-high-street-weighs-heavily-on-trade-credit-insurers-but-could-pre | 763 |
The RMC Center for Balance Disorders offers a unique, comprehensive center that diagnoses and treats dizziness, vertigo, disequilibrium, and walking disorders. With an exclusive program at RMC specifically dedicated to diagnosing and treating a variety of balance & vestibular disorders this no longer needs to be an issue for you or a loved one.
RMC Health System's Stringfellow Memorial campus is a dedicated Comprehensive Bariatric Center. We offer proven solutions and compassionate support when traditional options haven't worked. Like other men and women we have helped, we are here to help you enjoy your own life-changing success.
RMC offers a comprehensive inpatient behavior treatment program for adults, families, health professionals and seniors. Our Behavioral Health program provides an integrated approach that is focused on improving and caring for the health and overall mental well-being of our patients.
From the latest diagnostic procedures to advanced treatment services, RMC Health System offers a full range of care for digestive health. Our gastroenterologists have the training and expertise to treat everything from ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome to colorectal and stomach cancers.
RMC Health System provides comprehensive care for conditions that affect the ear, nose and throat. Our highly skilled ENT doctors (or otolaryngologists) provide care for everything from earaches and sinus conditions, to addressing issues that involve hearing, balance, taste, and speech and language.
RMC Health System's Emergency Departments provide medical and nursing care to more than 60,000 adult and pediatric patients each year. We are open 24-hours-a-day and are committed to providing efficient, prompt, and compassionate care in any emergent situation.
Endocrinology focuses on conditions that affect the endocrine system, which is a collection of hormone-producing glands that control metabolism, growth and sexual development. RMC Health System offers the most current treatment options to address metabolic diseases.
RMC Health System's skilled ophthalmologists provide a comprehensive network of eye care services, from advanced diagnostics and treatment of a wide range of vision problems, to the latest techniques in vision-correction surgery. Our doctors utilize advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to provide the highest level of care to preserve or improve eyesight.
RMC Health System's family practice doctors coordinate care for individuals or the entire family, from infants to seniors. Our doctors have the training and expertise to recognize and treat a full range of acute and chronic illnesses that affect children and adults.
Internal medicine doctors, also known as internists, focus on prevention and treatment of conditions and diseases in adults. RMC Health System's internists are trained in adult medicine and care for adolescents and adults with a wide range of health concerns, from common illnesses to complex, chronic medical problems.
Noland Hospital RMC-Anniston, operated by Noland Health Services, is<|fim_middle|> of services to make sure you receive the absolute best in women's health care at any stage in your life.
RMC's Wound Healing Center has a success rate of 96 percent of wounds healed in 12 to 16 weeks.
This specialized area, located in the Tyler Center, offers high-quality care to patients suffering from wounds that have not responded to traditional treatment. In addition to other progressive treatments, the Tyler Center offers state-of-the-art Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chambers, which are useful for slow to non-healing wounds. | a 38-bed specialty hospital, commonly referred to as a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), and is located on the fourth floor of Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Anniston. A LTACH creates an additional level of care for a patient with special medical needs. By creating a LTACH at RMC-Anniston, patients will not have to be moved to hospitals in Birmingham or other nearby cities to receive the care they need.
Each year, more than 2,000 newborns begin life at the Women's and Children's Pavilion at Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Anniston. With a team of specially trained OB nurses, highly qualified, board-certified physicians and the latest in labor, delivery and recovery care, parents can experience a safe, personal and comfortable environment for one of life's most precious milestones.
Stringfellow Memorial offers a variety of services to support men's health and well-being. Our men's health services address specific health concerns — from sports injuries to prostate cancer, infertility, erectile dysfunction and much more. Our multidisciplinary care combines medical expertise, innovative technology and comprehensive services to address the needs of men.
From concussions to brain cancer, RMC Health System's neurologic specialists care for a wide range of conditions that affect the brain. Our neurologic care team utilizes advanced diagnostic technology and progressive treatment options for neurological conditions.
The RMC Orthopaedic & Joint Center team offers a full spectrum of treatment services for joint pain and has been recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as a Blue Distinction Centers+ of Excellence for Knee and Hip Replacement®.
Coping with pain can be extremely challenging, affecting every aspect of your life. Stringfellow Memorial Hospital's pain management services are designed to give you relief from pain and help you regain control of your life. Because pain and its effects are complex, our multidisciplinary approach includes board-certified pain management doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work together to provide compassionate care.
RMC Health System's pediatric doctors (pediatricians) provide a full range of quality services to keep children and adolescents healthy. Our pediatric care team is dedicated to making children and parents as comfortable as possible, and providing a welcoming environment with friendly, caring staff.
RMC Health System's clinical pharmacists are important members of the healthcare team to help ensure the safest and most effective use of medications. Our pharmacists and technicians are committed to safety and quality, and work closely with doctors and other caregivers to meet each patient's specific healthcare needs.
RMC provides a comprehensive range of imaging technologies and services to help physicians diagnose and treat disease and illness. Our imaging centers are designed to create a more relaxing environment for an enhanced patient experience.
At RMC, we provide a comprehensive approach to rehabilitative care and physical wellness in both the hospital and outpatient settings. Our Rehabilitation Services team works with each patient to restore, strength, mobility, balance and function after injury or illness has occurred.
Respiratory Care Practitioners provide a wide range to pulmonary services for the pulmonary patients at RMC Health System under the direction of our Pulmonologists.
Rheumatology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic disease, the most common of which is arthritis. Rheumatic disease can affect the joints, connective tissues and organs, and can cause inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints or muscles. RMC Health System provides expert diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of rheumatic conditions.
RMC Health System helps older adults improve the quality of their lives by providing a range of specialized services just for them. Our comprehensive care includes preventive, diagnostic and treatment services help seniors stay healthy and happy.
Almost one-third of Americans experience a sleep problem at some point in their disorders can have a profound impact on your quality of life – causing decreased job performance, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions, including: memory loss, depression and excessive sleepiness during the day. Fortunately, sleep disorders can be treated effectively by the highly skilled staff at the RMC Sleep Disorders Center conveniently located at the Tyler Center on the main campus of RMC in Anniston.
If you or a loved one needs surgery, you can count on exceptional care from RMC Health System. You'll find experienced surgeons with a focus on safety and a team of skilled and caring professionals who have access to the latest surgical technology. You don't have to travel to a larger city for world-class surgical care.
RMC Health System offers medical expertise and advanced diagnostic capabilities to treat urinary tract conditions. Our board-certified urologists are well equipped to treat a full range of conditions, from routine complaints to prostate cancer, including minimally invasive brachytherapy treatment or other surgical options.
Our team of experts at RMC Women's Services are available 24/7 and are passionate about providing every woman quality care in a comfortable and supportive setting. RMC offers women an exceptional team of physicians, nurses and midwives, all dedicated to women's health. We provide a wide range | 1,017 |
Find here best of kitchen cabinet design ideas photos. May several collection of galleries to add your insight, just imagine that some of these awesome portrait. Hopefully useful. Perhaps the following data that we have add as well you need. Kitchen cabinet design ideas, Really add sense luxury your kitchen cabinets consider including molding other ornate accents metal appliances professional feel any yellow beige particularly well these tones course.
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Watch how heat, calming shades of brown, yellow, orange, inexperienced, purple, blue and terracotta air-brush the interiors without any pretense. Walls: Generously textured partitions in gentle, muted shades like white and grey evoke piquant reactions. Like another building and woodwork venture plans are necessary. Like the rugged appearance of the interiors, solar-soaked crumbling patios or porticos, easy but extremely durable wood furnishings, terracotta tiles and layered finishes on the wall. Furniture: Wood is most conspicuous by its presence, embellished by wrought iron, marble or tile accents. Marble is the stand-out materials on pillars. You can embrace something you need within the tree house from decorations, to play kits and simple studying materials. To seize your creativity correctly it's worthwhile to plan forward and consider all the measures and materials you may need. Tree house plans are indeed very flexible that you may find it pointless to spend loads of time making ready your individual plan.
So what makes the distinction between spending hours slaving over a irritating undertaking and starting and ending a tree home venture in a few days? Tree house plans permit you to benefit from local offers on materials that you would require on your challenge. With a proper plan you'll be able to reach incusing points of your child's character, passion and interests that may make the tree house not just an entertaining centre but additionally a studying and improvement place. In addition, a plan does not usurp your creativity<|fim_middle|> foster that open, airy feeling. Colors: Inspired by nature, these stimulating hues not only add a sprint of verve but in addition soothe the savage soul.
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Below are 7 top images from 26 best pictures collection of kitchen cabinet design ideas photos photo in high resolution. Click the image for larger image size and more details. | or cramp your type. Distressed wood cupboards and armories coated with rooster wire or glass reveal stunning new sides of this style. Floors, roofs and ceilings: While terracotta is the numero uno selection for roofs, wood planks, terracotta bricks and stone make a sterling affect on the floors. They guarantee that you simply save money while at the identical time capturing your personal creativity and catering to your specific needs. It is a non-public place on your baby to enjoy himself whereas rising up. It typically serves to create warm and important reminiscences for your baby.
It is a spot you can use to nurture your child's cognitive and social abilities. There is no restrict to your personal creativity and they can be adapted to swimsuit the needs of your youngsters either in size or construction. They give you a rewarding expertise when making ready an area for your individual youngsters. A tree or Wendy home is commonly used by youngsters for their play and membership actions. Tree homes are enjoyable and fascinating tasks to undertake both for you and your children. The designs are easy for many areas, the planning is enjoyable and the undertaking is commonly finished inside no time in any respect. The plans for tree based houses are simple to comply with as a result of it is more detailed and contains tips on the way to make the challenge a lot simpler. With a plan, the small print of every step are included making the project extra rewarding and simple. Purchased plans are easy to regulate to suit your individual creativity and particular tree house needs. Without a plan it is usually tough to comply with the detailed and essential steps which can be required to make a tree home sturdy and safe.
You can save quite a lot of time and vitality by purchasing an already detailed plan. As well as the plans price very little money yet they save you a lot of hustle and time. The answer lies in tree house plans. Many adults will recall the hours they spent in their own tree home or in a buddy's backyard lovingly. However, there are lovers of woodwork who will usually level out to tree associated projects as essentially the most troublesome and time-consuming enterprise. Accessories: Wrought iron wall hangings, statues, wall sconces, stained glass, previous clocks, artwork, copper pots and clear jars stuffed with pasta, herbs and spices inspire quite a lot of admiration. This much-feted rustic model is outlined by not just by its unabashed celebration of all natural components, but in addition by unparalleled grace, elegance and old world charm. Color washing, faux ending and Venetian plaster assist in radiating that old-world charm. Carefully manicured garden, delightful water features and pure stone pavers uplift sagging spirits immediately. Patterns: Designs reminiscent of leaves, fruits, wines and flowers in pure colours fit the invoice perfectly.
Finally, you might not must develop your personal plan; one might be purchased at your native hardware store. It has steadfastly refused to be straitjacketed into any form of stereotypes, and hence has managed to increase its footprints in all corners of the globe. Kind of Lost The Plot? But thereafter, you sort of lose the plot. It is however essential to remember that the main operate of it's play and socializing not studying. In your cursory research of this enigmatic decorating fashion, you do manage to get some facts proper. Appreciation isn't any stranger to home decorating Tuscan model. Antique rugs ground friends immediately. Open shelves don't have any compunctions is displaying ceramics and pottery. Outdoor areas: Unlike other styles, the importance of infinite outdoor spaces can't be sequestered to the background. Wooden beams and plastered ceilings | 741 |
I would like to warmly welcome you to the Holy Family RC Primary School website.
My name is Jane Weatherall and I am privileged to be the Head Teacher at this welcoming and caring school, where everyone is encouraged to 'See Christ in ourselves and others' on a journey of learning, loving and laughing together.
<|fim_middle|>, enthuse and motivate all children to develop a lifelong love of learning and we believe that every child has the capacity to succeed. I would like our pupils to leave our school as confident, resilient learners who are fully equipped with all the skills necessary for 21st Century life and with memories that they and their families, will treasure.
Thank you taking the time to visit; I hope that you will find the information here useful and informative. Our website is just a small glimpse of what life is like in our wonderful school. The best way to learn more is by visiting and seeing our school at first hand. I am always happy to show prospective parents and visitors around. | At Holy Family we very much see our school as a family. Among children and adults there is a real sense of belonging. We are a happy school, proud of all our children and they in turn, are proud to be part of our school family. We promote Gospel values and virtues within school; every person is valued, nurtured and respected as an individual, made in the image of Christ. The promotion of these Gospel values also reinforces the British Values, equipping our pupils to be caring citizens.
We have the highest expectations of ourselves and of what our children can achieve. As a school we strive to inspire | 123 |
El Ministerio del Interior de la Federación de Rusia (en ruso: Министерство внутренних дел, Ministerstvo vnútrennij del, MVD) es el Ministerio del Interior de la Federación de Rusia. Tiene su sede principal en Moscú.
Historia
Imperio Ruso
El ministerio fue creado por Alejandro I en 1802 durante el proceso de reformas para sustituir las antiguas instituciones de Pedro el Grande. Fue uno de los principales pilares del Imperio, responsable de las fuerzas policiales y la supervisión de la administración de las guberniyas. Entre sus competencias iniciales también se encontraban las cárceles, cuerpos de bomberos, empresas estatales, servicio de correos, solares e inmuebles del Estado, carreteras, sanidad, clero, recursos naturales y nobleza; muchas de estas fueron transferidas a otros ministerios e instituciones gubernamentales a mediados de la década de 1800.
Tras el crecimiento del movimiento revolucionario y el asesinato del zar Alejandro II, el Departamento de Policía Estatal heredaría las funciones de policía secreta de la difunta Tercera Sección y transfirió las del más capaz Cuerpo Especial de Gendarmes a la Ojrana. Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, el departamento creó una sección de contraespionaje.
Tras la Revolución de Febrero de 1917, los gendarmes y la Ojrana fueron desmantelados por ser considerados antirrevolucionarios.
Era soviética
Tras la Revolución de Octubre, los bolcheviques acabaron con las fuerzas policiales zaristas y crearon la Milítsiya de los Trabajadores y Campesinos bajo la NKVD de la RSFS de Rusia.
En marzo de 1946, todos los comisariados del pueblo<|fim_middle|> los departamentos.
Véase también
Ojrana
Ministerio de Defensa de Rusia
Enlaces externos
Ministerio del Interior Ruso, página oficial (español)
Ministerio del Interior Ruso, página oficial (ruso)
Cronología del MVD, 1801-1997 (ruso)
Policía de Rusia
Interior
Servicios de inteligencia de Rusia
Rusia | (NK) fueron renombrados como ministerios (M). El NKVD volvió así a su denominación inicial de MVD, al igual que su filial, el NKGB (Comisariado del Pueblo de Seguridad del Estado) que pasaría a ser el MGB (Ministerio de Seguridad del Estado) de la URSS. Las nuevas repúblicas soviéticas adquiridas tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial también crearían sus propios ministerios del interior locales. El MVD fue responsable por un tiempo de la policía secreta, después de que Lavrenti Beria la uniera con el MGB en marzo de 1953. La purga de Beria hizo que un año después volvieran a separarse ambos cuerpos; tras ello, el MVD retuvo sus funciones de seguridad interna (policía), mientras que el nuevo KGB adquirió competencias de seguridad estatal (policía secreta).
Nikita Jrushchov, en su esfuerzo por combatir la burocracia y mantener los principios leninistas, ordenó la disolución del MVD de la Unión. El ministerio dejó de existir en enero de 1960 y sus funciones fueron traspasadas a los respectivos ministerios de las repúblicas soviéticas. El MVD de la RSFS de Rusia cambiaría su nombre a Ministerio de Aseguramiento del Orden Público en 1962.
Leonid Brézhnev volvió a crear el Ministerio de Seguridad de la Unión en julio de 1966 nombrando más tarde ministro (de infausto recuerdo) a Nikolái Schiólokov; el ministerio de la república soviética rusa fue desmantelado por segunda vez, tras la primera con la creación de la NKVD. El MVD recuperó su nombre original en 1968.
El papel más polémico desempeñado por el nuevo MVD fue el de combatir los crímenes económicos, esto es, suprimir el comercio privado prohibido originariamente por el derecho socialista. Esta lucha nunca tendría éxito por las deficiencias de la economía planificada, que provocaba escasez de suministros y daba así gran margen a la especulación.
A mediados de los años 80, la imagen de la milítsiya del pueblo se deterioró en gran medida por la corrupción y el comportamiento desordenado de tanto los alistados como los oficiales (el caso más impactante consistió en el robo y asesinato de un operario de la KGB por una banda de milicianos destinados en el Metro de Moscú en 1983). Se descubriría que muchos altos cargos del MVD, incluyendo el propio ministro, recibían frecuentemente sobornos de negocios en la sombra y criminales.
Federación de Rusia
El ministerio pasaría a ser el MVD de la RSFS de Rusia en 1990, dentro del proceso de restauración del Consejo de Ministros y el Sóviet Supremo, y permaneció cuando Rusia proclamó su independencia de la Unión Soviética. Actualmente controla la Policía de Rusia, la policía de tráfico (), y las tropas desplegadas en territorio nacional. Desde la desaparición de la Policía Fiscal, también investiga los crímenes económicos.
Las antiguas competencias del MVD imperial y el NKVD, como el servicio de extinción de incendios y las cárceles, fueron traspasadas recientemente al Ministerio de Situaciones Extraordinarias y el Ministerio de Justicia respectivamente. La última reorganización abolió las antiguas rectorías del NKVD en favor de | 871 |
Inspire a continent
YoungCaritas in Europe
The informal network<|fim_middle|> the work of your volunteers
Boundless: Connection through theatre
YoungCaritas MigrAction Weekend | of youngCaritas in Europe was established with the aim of providing an opportunity for young people to organise an annual YoungCaritas day as a way of discussing and engaging in the matters facing European societies.
Around 500 young people in local, regional and national YoungCaritas groups;
Around 100 young people participating in the common meetings of the network;
Around 15 staff members of the different YoungCaritas services in 6 countries;
The national and local Caritas organisations.
The successful application for a strategic partnership with the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport (Erasmus+);
1-2 staff members in every partner YoungCaritas;
10-20 young people in every local, regional or national YoungCaritas activist group;
A lot of time.
Various YoungCaritas groups had started emerging in six European countries (Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy-Southern Tirol) as a participative concept for young people in the social field. YoungCaritas works towards the active, creative and participative engagement of young people, for people in need, such as refugees, migrants, homeless people, people with disabilities, families at risk of poverty, etc. The young people involved in YoungCaritas groups started wanting to get to know their colleagues better and share their experiences, and so the informal network 'YoungCaritas in Europe' was established. As the interest in working together grew bigger after a few, small, common activities, the network successfully applied for Strategic Partnership of the European Commission via the Erasmus+ programme. With the support of this partnership, the young people of 'YoungCaritas in Europe' were able to organise an annual YoungCaritas day, with flash mobs, to discuss political aspects of the migration situation, and to write a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to which they received a reply! Together these young people wanted to change their societies and overcome all borders and differences. As there were different YoungCaritas groups emerging across several countries, the young people asked to get to know their 'colleagues' and share experiences. Three years after their first meeting the collaboration became systematic and after five years of its existence, their endeavours and network grew into a principal theme of the Caritas Europa Regional Conference in Georgia in May 2018.
These can be succinctly summarised as follows:
Young people do not know borders and want to conquer differences;
If young people get an idea, they are willing to work hard for/at it;
Give young people attractive opportunities, and they participate with vigour, joy and inspiration;
Young people need accompanying by motivated, employed adults, who have time to monitor, evaluate and provide mentoring.
Project snapshot
Budget: €100,000 (Erasmus+).
People: 12 staff members 500 young people.
Time: 3 years.
Alice Uhl and Paul Galles
Tester 2Tester 4Tester 6
YOUNG CARITAS EUROPA
Putting a value on | 630 |
See more articles on Asahi<|fim_middle|>, 1931 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Asahi Kasei Plastics America, Inc.
Asahi Tokyo Investment Trust Management Co., Ltd.
Asahi Kasei (China) Investment Co. Ltd.
Kyokuyo Textile (Thailand) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei E-Materials Korea, Inc.
Asahi Kasei Medical Trading (Korea) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei (Suzhou) Plastics Compound Co. Ltd.
Asahikasei Plastics (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei POM (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd.
ASAHI KASEI MICROZA (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei Medical Trading Taiwan Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei Microdevices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei Fibers International (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
Asahi Kasei Electronics Materials Changshu Co. Ltd. | Kasei Corp.
Asahi Kasei Corp. is a holding company which provides monitoring, planning, and strategic management to its subsidiaries and affiliates. It operates through the following segments: Material, Homes, Health Care, and Other Businesses. The Material segment includes fibers, textiles, chemicals, and electronics. The Homes segment includes "Long Life Home" products and offers remodeling, real estate, and urban redevelopment. It also includes construction materials. The Health Care segment includes pharmaceuticals, medical care, and acute critical care. The Other Businesses segment includes engineering, employment agency, processing and sale of Asahi Kasei products, and temporary staffing. The company was founded on May 21 | 139 |
If you've ever felt that your life was being written by someone else — your parents, your teachers, even your friends — you'll relate to Aza, the main character in Turtles All the Way Down. Aza is a smart, sensitive sixteen year old who struggles with anxiety. Together with her friend Daisy, Aza goes on a<|fim_middle|> us on this topic–would love to learn more from you and your students! | goose-hunt for the father of an old camp friend of Aza — a billionaire who's gone missing and for whom there is a significant monetary reward for anyone who brings helpful information to the table. You'll love this book for its typical John green humor and wit, but also for its rawness and vulnerability — and for the deep dive it takes into the incredibly beautiful and complicated world of mental illness through the very real and lovable character Aza.
In this scene, the main character Aza is holding a lot inside. There are things she wants to share with Daisy, but something is holding her back. Can you think of a time you wanted to tell someone something — but didn't — because you were scared, distracted, or worried about the consequences of sharing that information? Maybe you wanted to open up to your mom or dad but were worried about getting in trouble…or perhaps you wanted to share something with your best friend but didn't know what she would think. How might you use the phrase "I would've" to reveal something, big or small, you've been keeping inside?
What possibilities do you see here for your students? How could this sentence / passage study connect with the current literature or writing content in your class? How could it help your students? Leave us a comment below!
I LOVE the idea of using a sentence study to drive deeper in-class conversations about texts. I usually think of it the other way around–discuss a text, and then hone in on a sentence and study it for craft. But I think this "backwards" approach of studying a sentence for craft, and imitating it to reimagine/change the outcome of a story is really interesting. Please consider writing a post for | 348 |
Q: BeautifulSoup and remove entire tag I'm working with BeautifulSoup. I wish that if I see the tag -a href- the entire line is deleted, but, actually, not.
By example, if I have :
<a href="/psf-landing/">
This is a test message
</a>
Actually, I can have :
<a>
This is a test message
</a>
So, how can I just get :
This is a test message
Here is my code :
soup = BeautifulSoup(content_driver, "html<|fim_middle|><a href="/psf-landing/">
This is a test message
</a>'''
soup = BeautifulSoup(html, 'html.parser')
for el in soup.find_all('a', href=True):
el.unwrap()
print(soup)
# This is a test message
Using href=True will match only the tags that have href as an attribute.
| .parser")
for element in soup(text=lambda text: isinstance(text, Comment)):
element.extract()
for titles in soup.findAll('a'):
del titles['href']
tree = soup.prettify()
A: Try to use .extract() method. In your case, you're just deleting an attribute
for titles in soup.findAll('a'):
if titles['href'] is not None:
titles.extract()
A: Here,you can see the detailed examples Dzone NLP examples
what you need is :
text = soup.get_text(strip=True)
This is the sample example:
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import urllib.request
response = urllib.request.urlopen('http://php.net/')
html = response.read()
soup = BeautifulSoup(html,"html5lib")
text = soup.get_text(strip=True)
print (text)
A: You are looking for the unwrap() method. Have a look at the following snippet:
html = '''
| 190 |
He recently made a movie with his classmates. Life does not have to turn out a certain way. I believe God has given us the power to break chains, and pierce into the darkness of this world.
Here is this young man's short video. I happen to think that this is just the beginning for him.
This entry was posted in Ponderings, Revival and tagged changing the world, Christian movies, short film, teen suicide.<|fim_middle|> Corey's amazing video! Praying as it goes forth and touches hearts and minds! God bless you and your family!
Thank you, Debbie. Your words are always such an encouragement to me … and now to Corey 🙂 Blessings to you, dear blogging friend! | Bookmark the permalink.
Thanks for sharing this interesting and creative video. It is amazing how small decisions can result in big changes. I hope many see and remember this powerful message!
It takes so little to make such a big difference – one small shift from cruel to kind.
Very clever–the beeping timer, short snippets that maintain a quick-paced story, clever camera angles. SO encouraging to see kids making good use of their time, to make a difference in their world. Kudos to Corey and his friends!
Thank you, Nancy! I will pass it on!
Corey did a great job on this. Great message of God's transforming love. Thanks for sharing it. Blessings.
Thank you so much for the re-blog. I will pass your very kind words on to Corey!
Thank you, Heidi , for sharing | 166 |
4 + two =
New US Envoy to UN Says Aims to Cooperate With Allies to Address Conflicts, Human Rights
United Nations, Feb 26 (Agency) New US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she will seek to cooperate with<|fim_middle|> our allies and our partners to get it done," she said. Thomas-Greenfield also said as the United States' representative, she takes seriously the role of the United Nations as the world's "most important forum" to bring countries and people together. "Multilateralism is back, and diplomacy is back, and America is back, and we're ready to get to work," she added. On Monday, Thomas-Greenfield will also assume the role of the UN Security Council President during the month of March.
First Cases of UK Strain of Coronavirus Detected in Algeria
'Assamese Tea Ceremony' aiming to popularising traditions of Assam Tea | partners at world body in tackling conflicts worldwide, elevating human rights and reforming the organization. Earlier on Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, officially assuming the role of the US envoy.
"I just had the honor of formally presenting my credentials to the UN Secretary General as the representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, and I'm thrilled to be here," Thomas-Greenfield told reporters. The ambassador noted that the United States is clear eyed about the difficult work that needs to be done from elevating human rights to reforming the United Nations itself to addressing conflicts old and new around the world. "We look forward to engaging | 139 |
B2B - For the TRADE ONLY - PLEASE PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR TAX EXEMPTION FORM / RESALE CERT<|fim_middle|> Chicken on a stick and etc.
This Tatostix Roll Top Combo Banners features all of the important information your customers need! It prominently displays the Tatostix logo, pictures of Tatostix, featured flavors of Gourmet Fries Seasonings, and the price of a Tatostix. The banner measures 6' H x 31" W, is made of high quality vinyl and is supported by a foldable rod that can be conveniently stored in the back of the base when not in use.
The individual packets can be handed out to your clients at a fair, carnival, food truck, school cafeterias, office cafeterias, etc... for them to season their potatoes themselves. There are 250 packets.
B2B Trade Only > For Professionals & Businesses ONLY > For Whomever I Haven't Listed Herein ! | IFICATE FORM / VAT EXEMPTION FORM - for our records. Thank you.
for special shipping quotes by air and by ocean ! Thank you.
2 pound bags - Save and buy a set of all eight flavors: Cheesy Cheddar, Flame Grilled BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Ketchup, Salt & Garlic Pepper, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion, and Wild Buffalo.
Fries, Chips, Baked Potatoes, Popcorn, Veggies, Pasta, Rice, Chicken, Burgers, Soup, Salad and Eggs or just be creative.
Chipwyte preservative is natural and allergen-free product that inhibits the discoloration of fresh and frozen potatoes, providing them with a longer shelf-life. The perfect, low-cost alternative to sulfites. Chipwyte allows you to precut your potatoes in anticipation of a busy day, while keeping them fresh and ready for frying.
Mix 4 Tbsp (46g) of Chipwyte into 2 gallons of cold water. Cut the potato and dip it in the mixture after partially fanning the potato on the skewer. Dip the entire potato into the solution for 3 minutes. Remove the potato and let the excess solution drain off.
Chef's Fun Foods currently offers three sizes of bamboo skewers 14" (35cm), 16" (40cm) and 18" (45cm). They are available in boxes containing 500 skewers as well as cases containing 6 boxes. Our bamboo skewers are great for making fondue, shish kabobs and much more! For safety, both ends of the skewers are blunt.
Waffstix/Tatostix's fluted Waffstix/Tatostix Trays are 10 inches in length and are a great way to serve and present a Waffstix/Tatostix! Each Waffstix/Tatostix Tray provides a quick, easy, convenient, sanitary, single service disposable tray for your Waffstix/Tatostix.
Waffstix/Tatosstix Trays are available in boxes of 250, or in cases containing 12 boxes (3,000 trays).
The Tatostix Appetizer Stand will show off your appetizers in a dynamic fashion. The stand can hold upto three skewers. It stands 12"L X 4"W X 3.5"D and made from steel with a black powder coated finish. This eye-catching stand will help you build product recognition and have the ability to mix and match foods on a stick such as Tatostix, Kabobs, Chicken on a stick and etc.
The Tatostix Appetizer Stand will show off your appetizers in a dynamic fashion. The stand can hold upto five skewers and three 4oz cups of your finest sauces. It stands 4" tall 10" diameter and made from steel with a black powder coated finish. This eye-catching stand will help you build product recognition and have the ability to mix and match foods on a stick such as Tatostix, Kabobs, | 640 |
Connecting past, present and future, EvaluatePharma offers a seamless view of the industry, letting you build your understanding of the commercial issues that affect strategic investment decisions. From an overview of the broader market to a detailed product or company analysis, EvaluatePharma's integrated platform is designed to take you from exploration to full understanding as quickly and accurately as possible.
Our deep industry knowledge and analytical expertise allow us to create the highest quality consensus forecasts and give our clients solid benchmarks for their strategic decisions.
<|fim_middle|> segments and portfolio performance.
We cover R&D pipeline information at each stage of the process, from research and development to filed and approved. You can cut the data with multiple lenses including phase, indication, therapy area, mechanism of action, company and technology – building a customised view of the development landscape.
You can also see the history of regulatory approvals, including FDA (USA), EMA (EU), PMDA (Japan) and ANVISA (Brazil), and key patent expiration dates.
We offer comprehensive coverage of M&A, licensing, venture financing and IPO deals in the pharmaceutical and biotech space. You can track and benchmark deals by product classification (phase of development, therapy area, technology and phase of compounds) and review deal values, upfront payments, royalties and co-promotions.
You can also evaluate any company's M&A record, tracking the progress of their products after acquisition.
We have the largest back catalogue of consensus drug forecasts: 485,000 forecasts covering 11,000+ drugs since January 2003, including a monthly archive of Evaluate's consensus forecasts so you can see changes versus the current forecast.
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Our Event Analyzer reveals the news events that affect pharmaceutical and biotech company share prices and valuations. News events are curated and categorised by event type, including clinical trial results, regulatory decisions, competitor announcements, financial results, patent litigation and broker sentiment.
We calculate the share price and market capitalisation change for each event, and keep you up to date with daily and weekly round-ups of stock price winners and losers. | Our industry leading broker coverage lets us go deeper than our competitors. With both historic and forecast sales broken down by indication, you can understand the indication-specific dynamics of each market.
Our extensive company-level financial information – both historic and forecast – lets you understand the leading companies in the industry in terms of their revenues and profits. Financials include profit and loss (reported and normalised), balance sheet and cash flow information, as well as valuation measures.
Our historic and forecast company models also cover product sales, therapy area sales, pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical | 110 |
<|fim_middle|> a quasar. | The SDSS observes lots of stars. Stars are giant balls of gas that release energy by burning hydrogen at their cores. When they run out of hydrogen, they can release energy by burning other elements. Eventually, their fuel supply runs out and they die.
Stars frequently are found in very densely packed clusters of hundreds of stars. There are many types of clusters. A typical star cluster seen by the SDSS is shown at the right.
Galaxies are huge collections of stars. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, may contain up to a trillion stars – no one is exactly sure how many. Other galaxies can be even larger, while some "dwarf" galaxies are much smaller.
Galaxies come in different shapes. The three types of galaxies are spiral, elliptical, and irregular. Spiral galaxies are "face-on" when you see the spiral shape and "edge-on" when you see them from the side. Examples of each type are shown below.
Sometimes galaxies pass close to each other. When they do, their gravity can cause them to interact with each other. The galaxies can bend each other, making them look like the pair shown below.
Quasars are extremely distant galaxies with very active centers. Some of the most distant objects ever seen are quasars. For quasars to be visible at such great distances, they must be very bright: a single quasar can emit as much light as thousands of normal galaxies.
The images of quasars look like stars. Quasars can only be reliably identified by looking at their spectra. If you find a star in the Navigation Tool and wonder if it might be a quasar, check to see if the SDSS has measured its spectrum. If it has a spectrum measured, open the Object Explorer to see the spectrum. If the object's class is listed as QSO or HIZ_QSO, the object is | 378 |
Every Hero deserves some down-time, right? So why not a friendly, weekend geocaching competition? The first team to follow the clues to their conclusion may even find a time capsule buried a century ago. Or perhaps buried gold -<|fim_middle|> | the local legends are unclear. What IS clear is that some people in Pinebox want the past to stay buried, while others just want to get there first.
This three part modern horror adventure quickly immerses the heroes in a mystery spanning four generations. During the 20 hours (average) of game play, you'll encounter more than a dozen GM characters who will leave you wondering who, if anyone, can be trusted. Cults, curses, ghosts, guardians, magic, monsters - each time you think you've reached the end, you find a new piece of the puzzle raising the stakes even higher.
Bloodlines is a complex horror-mystery perfect for experienced GMs ready to scare and challenge their players, featuring 22 player handouts and 8 GM maps. | 158 |
The largest group of independent artisans in North America,<|fim_middle|>ann Peitso, art! Many visitors take home a piece of art, woodwork, or quilt that becomes a family heirloom – passed down from generation to generation and cherished for years. Work of this quality is not often found, and because everything is handmade and one-of-a-kind, these particular pieces cannot be bought anywhere else!
Throughout the year, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community puts on 3 major crafts shows: one at Easter, one at Thanksgiving, and one at Christmas. They are held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, and admission is FREE. Each show brings together the artisans in a convenient location for visitors to meet the artisans and craftsmen, check out their one-of-a-kind work, and buy truly unique pieces to treasure. Show hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Each of the shows previews the work that guests will find year round on the 8-mile loop, with special pieces created just for that holiday. The holiday shows are the perfect opportunities to buy gifts for family and friends, or to pick up décor for the home. The Christmas show will feature handmade ornaments and Christmas-themed wood carvings, while the Thanksgiving show often has gorgeous centerpieces and autumnal foods. The Easter show is the perfect opportunity to find pieces for a festive Easter brunch table or for a memorable basket for Mom.
The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Foundation was established in 2000 to create a heritage museum project in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community that would link its rich cultural past with present day through education, social activity, historical awareness, and an archiving of cultural treasures. On September 3, 1999, The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Cultural Heritage Museum project was designated as an official project of Save America's Treasures.
"Save America's Treasures" is a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Save America's Treasures was started by First Lady Hillary Clinton in May 1998, and is now a national effort to protect America's threatened cultural treasures and historical structures that document and enlighten the history and culture of the United States. In March of 2000, businessman Billy Proffitt donated the 100-year-old, 2-story former home of the Coy Ogle family to the Foundation. By August of 2003, this home was reconstructed and restored to serve as a Welcome Center to the Arts & Crafts Community and an initial exhibit for the Heritage Museum.
For more information about the history of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, go to www.gatlinburgcrafts.com/history.
The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is located just 3 miles from downtown Gatlinburg. Turn at traffic light #3 in downtown and go 3 miles on Highway 321 N. Most shops are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily and are open all year long. Free parking is available for all the shops, galleries, and cafés, and old-fashioned trolley rides from Gatlinburg to the loop are just $1. | the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is located on an historic 8-mile loop that has been designated a Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail. Year round, guests can browse and buy the handmade work of the more than 120 artists and craftsmen in the community. As guests browse, they can watch the artisans hard at work in their studios, creating exceptional pieces of art in processes that consumers rarely get to see. People of all ages will enjoy exploring the loop, buying gifts and souvenirs, and seeing how the craftsmen create their intricate wood carvings, furniture, gorgeous pottery, and elaborate baskets.
The community's goal is to celebrate Tennessee's rich and diverse history, particularly in the field of art and craftsmanship. The Tennessee Heritage Trail where the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is located provides guests with a glimpse into Gatlinburg's past and present culture.
Guests can also shop online for pottery, handmade gifts, and watercolors from Alewine Pottery, A Troll in the Park, and A. J | 210 |
Home » Children's menu trends
Children's menu trends
By Karen Weisberg
KANSAS CITY — As sure as the ball drops in Times Square to usher in each new year, prognosticators attempt to divine what will be among the drivers of food and beverage sales during the year ahead. Healthier menu items for children are viewed as a key driver by many.
Nearly one-third of restaurant visits during 2013 included children, according to The NPD Group, and, mining a similar vein, a 2013 Mintel International study found that 26% of the time it's the children who are choosing the venue.
But food service operators walk a fine line in revamping their children's menu when they add reduced fat,<|fim_middle|>Food Service Retail Ingredient Applications Health and Wellness Culinology Sales Channels Trends
Three trends shaping children's food industry
Slideshow: The next big menu trends
N.R.A. 2015: Simple, authentic driving menu trends
Six menu trends to watch (and one big opportunity)
Slideshow: What's trending on menus | reduced sodium or whole grain items. However, the more of the nutritious items made available, the more often it will be chosen, said Kara Cressey, manager of food and beverage health and wellness strategy for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Photo courtesy of ConAgra Mills
"Our current focus is to further expand offerings of fruits and vegetables at our convenient grab n' go locations in our parks and resorts," she said.
More than 50% of the children's complete meals offered at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort meet the Disney Nutrition Guidelines, which establish limits for calories, saturated fat, sugar and sodium in a variety of product formats.
Ms. Cressey said she's discovered that restaurants that have a wider variety of offerings for children tend to have a higher healthy children's entree take-rate than locations that only offer a limited selection.
"It's an interesting learning and something we are continuing to explore," she said. "We've challenged our Disney chefs to create more offerings for our younger guests that will be as popular as the 'classic' burger, just healthier."
Making way for mushrooms
A proving ground for many healthy menu items for children is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's School Nutrition Program. In 2012, the agency unveiled new nutrition standards for school meals that called for sharp reductions in sodium content in meals, minimum and maximum calorie levels, larger portions of fruits and vegetables, and more whole grains.
In line with adapting to the changes, chefs with the JTM Food Group, Harrison, Ohio, have introduced a beef patty with mushrooms to the school food service market. As a manufacturer of products for the K-12 school food service market, the company fully comprehends the needs of the marketplace as well as the parameters of the U.S.D.A. regulations for the school lunch program.
"JTM partnered with the Mushroom Council to create a burger that's 30% mushroom and 70% beef; that brings the price down, plus it's a moister product," said Brian Hofmeier, vice-president of education and sales for JTM. "We've taken out 30% of the beef, put in 29% mushrooms, added seasonings and grilled it up. It is lower in fat and sodium because we've removed 30% of the beef. We worked closely with the Cincinnati Public Schools in developing the product and debuted it in July" at the School Nutrition Association's annual meeting in Kansas City.
Photo courtesy of JTM Food Group
During the next year-and-a-half, Mr. Hofmeier expects quick-service restaurants will look at the beef patty with mushrooms not only for their children's menu, but also for their regular menu.
"As beef prices rise, this is a great way to offer great taste and great cost," he said. "With 200 burgers in a box, it took out 10 lbs of beef and put in 10 lbs of mushrooms for a cost savings of about $10 per case. Divide $10 by 200 — so I've saved the restaurant 5c a burger."
The Cincinnati Public Schools, with an enrollment of approximately 14,000 students, serves an estimated 8,400 burgers per week. The mushroom burgers are now featured once per week and, thanks to the mushroom-for-beef substitution, the resulting caloric reduction means turkey bacon plus cheese may be added for a crispy bacon cheeseburger item that is still within the U.S.D.A.'s guidelines.
The JTM Food Group now has meatballs, taco meat and spaghetti meat sauce all in development using the mushroom-for-meat substitution to create lower fat, lower sodium products.
Adding whole grain goodness
The U.S.D.A.'s School Nutrition Program guidelines require school food service operators to serve foods containing at least 51% whole grains starting in 2014. The mandate has led to a push to develop ingredients that may be used to develop more whole grain rich products. Don Trouba, director of marketing for ConAgra Mills, Omaha, views the guidelines as a potential sea change.
"With these changes, we are now raising a generation of children who are growing up eating whole grains that look and taste like their traditional favorites," he said.
ConAgra manufactures and markets Ultragrain, a whole wheat flour that allows operators to serve such children's menu items as chicken fingers, quesadillas, and cheese pizza.
Across the country, schools without on-site baking facilities may use third-party manufacturers such as Dominos, for example, and its Smart Slice pizza featuring a crust made with Ultragrain.
"As Smart Slice continues to show success, it demonstrates that operators can incorporate whole grain foods into their restaurants without having to change their operations significantly," Mr. Trouba said.
This year, Shirley Brown, a school nutrition specialist, marks her 40th year with Rich Products Corp., Buffalo, N.Y. As Rich's director of product training, Ms. Brown does recipe development and she's found that with portion size alone, not even considering ingredients, comes additional costs.
"We do work very closely with the U.S.D.A. in developing products (for schools) and part of my job is to interpret the regs for our R.&D. people, for our marketing people, as well as for our sales people to understand how these products will fit into (the clients') menus," Ms. Brown said.
The Ultimate Breakfast Round (U.B.R.) has become a successful introduction for Rich during the past four years. The product is a 2.5-oz, 100% whole grain soft granola bar that is round.
Photo courtesy of Rich Products Corp.
"We had to go to the U.S.D.A. to get their approval because it looks like a cookie; we had to explain why it was round," Ms. Brown said. "We test marketed the product over the course of three years — we tested squares and triangles as well, but round always won in popularity."
Not surprisingly, the U.S.D.A. was mollified to learn that the granola bar recipe was developed following its guidelines. Now, all nutrition information appears on the label of the pre-baked, wrapped product.
"It's been so successful in places where baking is not an option, that it's easily moved to the commercial side — coffee shops love them," Ms. Brown said.
In schools, the U.B.R., when combined with milk or juice and fruit, qualifies as a complete reimbursable meal.
Rich's has more than 35 whole grain products ready to meet the July 1, 2014, mandate that all products served in the school breakfast program must be 50% whole grain to qualify as a reimbursable meal. Honey corn biscuits, which are a whole grain biscuit featuring corn, provide a different flavor profile.
"We also developed whole grain pizza dough and, since they wanted a smaller serving, we developed a new calzone dough that is pre-portioned for a 2-oz (serving) equivalent grain," Ms. Brown said. "The schools will fill with 2-ozs of protein or veggie or cheese (to equal 2 bread servings; 2 meat/meat alternatives). I know many family buffet restaurants are looking for easy-to-consume kid-friendly products that kids recognize from the school cafeteria."
Kids Live Well
A total of 109 restaurant chains ranging from fast-food to fine dining operations and operating more than 30,000 locations have been approved to display the Kids Live Well logo, a program developed by the National Restaurant Association, Washington. The logo indicates a restaurant has at least one children's meal plus one side item, perhaps broccoli, an apple, or brown rice, that meet the guidelines of the association's Healthy Kids' Meals program.
To qualify for the program, a product must have 600 calories or less, in total; 35% of calories or fewer from fat; 10% or less from saturated fat; 35% of calories or less from total sugars; must include at least two of five food groups; and nothing may be fried.
"We are the nutrition partner for the N.R.A.," said Nicole Ring, director of nutrition for San Diego-based Healthy Dining and HealthyDiningFinder.com. "We work with restaurants to see what's already on their (adult) menu that would work for a healthy kids' menu; if none fit, we'll help them develop new items."
With a focus on whole grains, lean protein, lower fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, Healthy Dining's dietitians vet the items and, if a restaurant doesn't have a nutrition analysis, they'll provide it. The numbers must be a fit in order for the venue to display the logo and be listed on HealtyDiningFinder.com.
Of the many restaurants now listed, Ms. Ring points to Silver Diner, Washington, as a "shining star" in its concern with teaching children about healthy eating.
"They came up with mini bison burger sliders that fit the nutrition parameters and brought kids in for taste testing," she said. "Silver Diner also menus a chicken 'pizza' quesadilla made without pizza dough, that's served with a side salad."
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Scott Huler (blog, Twitter), the author of 'Defining the Wind', has a new book coming out this Tuesday. 'On The Grid' (amazon.com) is the story of infrastructure. For this book, Scott started with his own house (unlike me, Scott did the work) and traced where all those pipes, drains, cables and wires were coming from and going to, how does it all work, does it work well, where does it all come from historically, and how its current state of (dis)repair portends to the future.
Scott Huler has a book reading and signing event on Wednesday, May 12th at the Regulator in Durham, then another one on May 26th at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. I'll try to make it to one or both of these – and you should, too.
Wires, pipes, roads, and water support the lives we lead, but the average person doesn't know where they go or even how they work. Our systems of infrastructure are not only shrouded in mystery,<|fim_middle|>uler takes the time to understand the systems that sustain our way of life, starting from his own quarter of an acre in North Carolina and traveling as far as Ancient Rome.
Each chapter follows one element of infrastructure to its source — or to its outlet. Huler visits power plants, watches new asphalt pavement being laid, and traces a drop of water backward from his faucet to the Gulf of Mexico and then a drop of his wastewater out to the Atlantic. Huler reaches out to guides along the way, bot the workers who operate these systems and the people who plan them.
This entry was posted in Books, North Carolina, SO'10, Society, Technology. Bookmark the permalink. | many are woefully out of date. In On the Grid, Scott H | 15 |
Anchor Heating & Cooling - HVAC Heating - Anchor Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Anyone who lives in a cold climate knows how vital it is to have a good heating system. Keeping this in working order is necessary if you intend<|fim_middle|> if your property is currently lacking insulation or is not efficient enough for your needs. We also do furnace estimates.
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Anchor Heating & Cooling, Inc. offers exceptional HVAC heating services. We make sure that your home is always warm. We handle heater repair and installation | 55 |
Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Schedule
Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Dublin
Anglesea Road
Dublin, D Dublin 4
Neighborhood: Pembroke East
The RDS International Convention and Exhibition Centre or simply 'RDS' as it is more locally known, is amongst the country's leading<|fim_middle|> Tickets
Oct 5 10:00 AM Pregnancy & Baby Fair Find Tickets
Oct 12 School Equipment, Resources & Technology Show 2019 Get Details
Oct 16 RDS Library Speaker Series: TBA Get Details
MORE INFO ABOUT Royal Dublin Society (RDS)
The RDS International Convention and Exhibition Centre or simply 'RDS' as it is more locally known, is amongst the country's leading venues for entertainment and sporting events, exhibitions, conferences, weddings and trade shows to name but a few. Established in 1731, the RDS (Royal Dublin Society) aimed to improve Ireland's economic situation by promoting and nurturing the development of the arts, agriculture, industry and science.Nowadays, the RDS Dublin label is particularly synonymous with the impressive structure located just minutes from the city centre, and which includes 10 multi purpose conference and exhibition halls, 14 meeting rooms and the signature Main Arena - an outdoor stadium with the ability to accommodate up to 35,000 people. Bruce Springsteen, Boyzone, Kanye West, The Eagles, Rod Stewart and George Michael are just some examples of the major acts who have played to capacity crowds at the RDS Dublin in the past.Perhaps even more prominent than the concert schedule at the venue is The RDS Dublin Horse Show, the world-renowned equestrian event which takes place in the Main Arena every summer. The RDS Dublin is also home to the Leinster Rugby team.Check out the RDS events listings for all the latest news and up-to-date information on what's on at the RDS Dublin.
https://twitter.com/therds | http://rds.ie/ | https://www.facebook.com/RDSdublin
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Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Schedule and Tickets
Aug 21 6:00 PM Foo Fighters Dublin Find Tickets
Aug 22 6:00 PM Sirius Awakening Series Dublin - Happy Successful and Fulfilling Life? Find Tickets
Aug 22 6:00 PM Post Malone Find Tickets
Sep 7 Education Expo 2019 Get Details
Sep 13 12:00 PM Do You Take Time for You? Find Tickets
Oct 2 11:00 AM gradireland Graduate Careers Fair Find | 140 |
To Whom Do You Think You Are Preaching?
Melinda Quivik
Listening to a sermon, I form a portrait of myself. I hear a perspective on the scripture text or theme that makes assumptions about the assembly and therefore about me, as well. Sometimes those assumptions fit; sometimes, not.
If the reference relates to me, I may not even notice the preacher's generalization. If the preacher says, "All of us at some time or other find ourselves despairing over uncertainties in our lives," I agree. Everyone is vulnerable.
Many times, however, I have had to ask myself, Who is this "we"? If the preacher says "We are so comfortable in our community, the Resurrection doesn't mean much…" I perk up and spend the next minutes wanting to ask, "To whom do you think you are speaking?"
Of course we are "comfortable" in the United States; even the poorest have more than in some nations. Of course it is impossible to believe in the Resurrection. That man in Mark's story, after all, said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Jesus is the stumbling block. Yet, along with that man in Mark, we hold the Resurrection as crucial. Beware of your words, preacher.
Sometimes the preacher's words close a circle around those who are present as if we are set apart from a world gripped by need "out there." When our mission is to help "them," those who are in need seem not to include "us." Yet, we who come to worship on Sunday are not in control of our lives, standing on solid rock, fully trusting in the Lord. Instead, we come as those who also look for nurture and solace.
On those Sundays when the preacher's words blast through the sanctuary walls so that we can see Jesus embracing the whole world, "we" become entwined with "them" — together, loved by God, and united in our joys, failings, and needs.
The use of "us" and "we" should signal the preacher to check whether the generality is large enough — or deep enough — to suit everyone. If not, we won't believe you. We'll object quietly in our pews and turn off our ears. "We" do not all agonize over the same things or hold the same fears or prejudices.
Whenever we preachers generalize about the church or the assembly, we need to scrutinize our presuppositions. Be careful about telling us who we are. Ask: Does what I am saying honestly fit everybody?
I have one more caution about the great power of preachers' words: The sermon may or may not speak to me and to others in the assembly in specific ways.
A biology professor once told me he was troubled at how little pastors seemed to know about science. He didn't hear references to science in sermons, including mine. It was a fair critique. I started reading the science section in the New York Times every week. Not that I understood, but it helped, a little. Mostly I like the stories about space exploration because the language of physics and astronomy is imagistic<|fim_middle|>skeptical about everything they hear or read
other categories not yet named here…
I am not suggesting that every sermon has to say something appropriate for each of these. It can't be done. One Sunday, however, the scripture readings may offer reasoned points about faith that the scientists in the assembly will appreciate. Another Sunday might journey into the world of the second century such that historians sit up and nod approval.
Yet later, when the preacher dives into an exposition on a biblical story that shows God's reliability time after time, the folks who are expectant or worried might hear every word with tears of gratitude. All of these possibilities are available in the Revised Common Lectionary. With three readings each week, the preacher has many avenues for choosing a focus that is "hearable" by people who listen for different things.
Over the course of a year, the preacher exercises respect for the assembly by paying attention to whether, at least at some points, these varying perspectives, life experiences, and faith positions have been taken into account.
It is not easy! It means talking theology and schoolyard life with nine year-olds, household economics with single parents, politics with people whose vote you cancel out with yours, and learning the language of a field that has not (yet) interested you.
Because each preacher's brain has worn grooves in certain ways of seeing and thinking, close attention to our words and assumptions is required for faithful preaching.
Tags: audience, belief, diversity, intention, preaching, scripture, Theology and Interpretation
Liturgical and Homiletical Scholar
Planted in Hope and Bearing Fruit
Sea Turtles and Climate Change
Preachers as Social Poets: Reflections on Pope Francis' message
Imagine God's World
Preaching from Matthew's Gospel: Major Themes and… December 3, 2007
The Other Side June 14, 2015
Love among the Ruins March 7, 2021
The Call to "I AM": A Five-Part Lenten Series January 16, 2018
Woes and Whoas February 6, 2022
The Power of Names October 14, 2013
Crises Preaching October 10, 2021
'Do You Love Me?' April 28, 2019
Shepherding April 18, 2021
We Are Witnesses April 9, 2018 | . Still, referring to scientific exploration at least acknowledges those whose lifeblood is in laboratories. We can do that, as well, for others.
Look back at a sermon you have preached. Ask yourself whether any sentence acknowledges the perspectives and life situations of people who are:
young adults living alone for the first time
illiterate (which includes small children)
scientists and engineers — people for whom logic is primary
poets and musicians — people who are facile with imagery
tied to what is literal — not given to metaphorical thinking
expectant — becoming parents or starting a new job or moving away
at their wit's end
resentful at being forced to go to church
recovering from a big scare — medical or relational
barely clinging to faith
not sure what they believe about anything
unquestioningly solid in their faith
sentimental about their faith
| 179 |
This cove is framed with impressive and precipitous mountains and well-vegetated lowland areas. It was named after a wooden vessel built there during the Age of Settlement or the great volume of driftwood on its shores. Mt<|fim_middle|> Baer is situated to the southwest of farm Finnbogastadir. An old cemetery on the property was declared inviolate. The farm has no direct access to the sea and thus neither rights to the driftwood nor other things of value on the coastline, which was a great disadvantage. Island Arnesey, just off the coast, was a great asset because of the eider colony there. It is best known for its role in the preparations for the only sea-battle ever fought in the country in 1244. On the Baer property is the handicraft house Kort, where local craftsmen sell their products, mostly made of driftwood.
Two ancient bridle paths, also used for hiking, continue up the Arnes Valley to the Reykjarfjordur Bay.
The two farms, Small and Big Avik, are on Cove Trekyllisvik. Behind Mt Saetrafjall and the farms is Valley Avikurdalur. A short distance from the home meadows of Big Avik is a big granite stone, which was probably carried to the country with ice flows from Greenland or an other granite country nearby during the ice age. It is called the Silverstone. | Reykjaneshyrna with its precipitous northern face rising from the sea and gradual and easily ascendable southern slopes decorates the landscape on the southern side of the mouth of the cove. On a fine day the view from up there is excellent. The cave Thordarhellir is situated in the eastern part of the mountain.
Farm Stora-Avik is just west of Mt Reykjahyrna. A prominent, silver coloured granite rock, weighing several tons, was transported there by an iceberg from Greenland when the sea level stood considerably higher than nowadays. This rock is called Grasteinn (Grey Boulder) or Silfursteinn (Silver Boulder). It stands close to the cove Kistuvogur and the wide and deep chasm Kistugja, where three sorcerers were burned at the stake in 1654. Those men were believed to have caused scandalous behaviour by the women attending services in the Arnes church by witchcraft.
Farm Finnbogastadir is to the west of farm Stora-Avik. During summer the school buildings there are used as sleeping bag accommodations for travellers and the local camping grounds are there as well. The farmers of Finnbogastadir operated an important shark fishing outfit until the beginning of the 20th century. Large liver oil processing pots and a large, wooden liver oil barrel from this operation are on display in the Folk Museum Reykir on the Hruta Bay. The farm was named after the Saga personality Finnbogi Rammi (The Strong). Mt Finnbogastadafjall protrudes in the background.
Farm | 330 |
St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets, with the help of the Inmar Promotion Network team, has launched a new digital promotion program providing shoppers easy access to a broad variety of load-to-profile coupons called Schnupons. The program, which went live in April, has already garnered close to 13,000 new participant registrations.
Seismic shifts are undoubtedly taking place in the consumer packaged goods industry. New initiatives such as click-and-mortar retailing, digital promotions, zero-based budgeting, localization, and personalization, are on every strategist's short list. Industry veterans have learned to keep an even keel as they navigate the ebb and flow of the industry. In the past, many companies embraced a "wait-and-see" mentality as a means of protecting their hard-earned profits. Executives, faced with massive waves of change, understood they could not be on the bleeding edge of every new movement.
As the Promotion Industry has grown considerably more complex in recent years, it is now more critical than ever for brands and retailers to have data, analysis and insight at their fingertips to understand both the state of promotions and also shopper behavior. To make that data readily accessible, Inmar has launchedInmar Insights Marketplace, a website dedicated to on-demand reporting, research and education for CPG brands and retailers.
Consumers are engaging, more than ever, with brands that directly reflect their values and lifestyles. Retailers, in response, are turning to innovative brands to meet this demand and drive category growth. In response to those market changes, Inmar has created the Inmar Center for Brand Excellence.
Over the past few years we witnessed the emergence of concepts such as "omnichannel" – the term still engenders debate – however, to me it's nothing more than integrated promotion, shopping and fulfillment. Promotion in an omnichannel environment is keenly important because it drives engagement – And engaged shoppers are the retailer's<|fim_middle|> Supermarkets AdvantEdge Card shopper loyalty program. Inmar took over digital coupon operations from Zavers on December 1.
With U.S. shoppers spending less to fill up their gas tanks, they're spending more filling up holiday stockings – according to a survey conducted by Inmar Analytics earlier this month that found 25 percent of shoppers planning to spend more on gifts this year than last.
With our acquisition of Hopster, Inc. Inmar is delivering the next generation of digital promotion — today. Inmar now offers brands a robust suite of digital promotion solutions, enabling marketers to develop, execute and analyze holistic, omni-channel promotion campaigns through collaboration with a single, strategic partner.
Inmar is ready to help companies – of every size – optimize the effectiveness of their digital promotion through our best-in-class print-at-home platform. With enhanced features, our PAH solution is an outstanding tool for enriching the promotion mix, driving revenue and capturing impressions.
Inmar has launched a new subscription analytics service – the Inmar Shopper Promotion Impact Report – that looks beyond transactional metrics for coupons and delivers brands critical, related behavioral insights.
At Inmar, we have been pleased to see manufacturers have begun employing more specific – and restrictive – language in their coupon legal copy regarding permissible redemption. In addition, many retailers are also updating their coupon acceptance policies to better address the purchase practices of some of today's couponers. | golden egg. The engaged shopper quickly becomes a loyal shopper, and loyal shoppers spend more per visit and make more visits. On average, loyal shoppers make up half to two-thirds of a retailer's total sales. In fact, one loyal household equals eight uncommitted households.
How will promotion activity from 2015 influence the industry in 2016? That question, and others, will be answered when Inmar presents its annualPromotion Industry Analysis at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, January 28, and again on Tuesday, February 2. The hour-long webinar will deliver top-line metrics on coupon activity from last year and provide informed perspective on coupon-related shopper behavior.
Inmar will present its annualPromotion Industry Analysis on Thursday, January 28, and again on Tuesday, February 2, with both programs beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The hour-long webinar will deliver a critical, top-line perspective on coupon industry activity from 2015 and explore coupon-related shopper behavior.
To help marketers gain insight into promotion-influenced shopper behavior within a specific retail channel, Inmar's Shopper Promotion Impact Report is now available for Class of Trade. Each Report focuses on a single, individual class of trade — delivering explicit data on coupon-related shopper behavior within that retail channel and providing a true, contextual understanding of the direct impact that promotions have on shoppers.
The CurrentC mobile payment platform from Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) rolled out in Columbus, OH earlier this month. CurrentC enables users of this new app able to easily acquire digital offers from manufacturers and redeem them at CVS and Walmart stores. Inmar was responsible for aggregating the content available at rollout and is actively working with manufacturers to make even more coupons available to CurrentC users, enabling participating clients to take advantage of this opportunity to engage with the growing base of shoppers adopting mobile payments.
John Ross, CMO, Inmar and President, Inmar Analytics, will report on the current "state of promotions" as part of his presentation — "Coupons as Catalysts" — at this year's Promotion Marketing Conference for the Brand Activation Association. The conference will take place October 5 – 7 at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in West Harrison, NY. John's presentation is set for 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 7.
Inmar and Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), developer of the CurrentC mobile payment platform, have joined forces to enable CurrentC users to acquire and redeem product-level digital promotions via this new app. Inmar will provide MCX with content, offer management services, and processing and settlement solutions, empowering CurrentC users to effortlessly access savings from many of the country's largest and most popular brands.
In working with Inmar to make manufacturer coupons available to CurrentC users, MCX is charting new ground in the mobile commerce space and providing brands and retailers with a unique opportunity to engage with the growing base of shoppers who are adopting mobile payments. While promotions are already part of the mobile pay user-experience, access to individual brand offers that are redeemable through a mobile payment app at multiple retailers distinguishes CurrentC from other platforms currently in the mobile payment space.
Inmar is now enabling brands to develop and deliver personalized, single-use rebate offers targeting individual customers at scale. Brands working with Inmar can leverage previously captured consumer data to structure and distribute customized, individualized rebate offers through email or SMS —with user-friendly submission taking place online.
Each rebate offer – delivered to a specifically identified consumer – contains a unique link to a client-branded submission page dedicated to that promotion. Stored consumer data pre-populates the submission form as appropriate, streamlining the submission process and facilitating consumer completion of additional, purchase-related or personal information fields required for promotion participation.
John Ross, CMO, Inmar and President, Inmar Analytics, will speak at this year's Promotion Marketing Conference for the Brand Activation Association, taking place October 5-7 at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in West Harrison, NY. John's presentation, "Coupons as Catalysts" is set for 8:30a.m., Wednesday, October 7 and will look at the effect promotions have in moving shoppers to action.
Mark your calendar now for the Inmar Mid-year Promotion Industry Analysis Webinar set for July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Formerly the Mid-year Coupon Trends Webinar, this hour-long presentation will deliver top-line data on coupon activity for the first half of 2015 as well as key insights on shopper behavior and informed perspective on what's happening throughout the marketplace — and why. There will also be a repeat presentation on August 4 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, so save the date and look for your email invitation soon.
To help clients select the best offer method for engaging shoppers and executing effective promotions, Inmar provides a reference sheet listing all available methods – along with their respective codes and definitions. A new, pre-trip method — Freestanding Magazine Outsert – has recently been added to the reference sheet. Please see the addition below.
Inmar has completed production of the Inmar Shopper Promotion Report for Q1 2015 and is making this newest data offering from Behavior Analytics immediately available to subscribers. The report looks beyond transactional metrics for coupons and delivers critical, promotion-related behavioral insights – at both the category and sub-category level – that marketers can use to better plan and execute more effective future promotions.
The Coupon Management Web App is now accessible via Google Chrome and Internet Explorer (version 8.0 and higher) on both PC and Mac operating systems. Those users currently accessing the web app in "compatibility mode" in Internet Explorer will need to change their Compatibility View Settings prior to logging in to the web app in order to realize the benefit of this expanded accessibility and ensure the app's proper functionality.
Inmar's yearly Coupon Trends Report has been replaced with our new, annual Promotion Industry Analysis — providing richer data, greater insights and a broader industry perspective. Of course, all the prior-year coupon metrics you have come to expect from Inmar are still at the heart of our reporting, but to that data we've added a more complete and actionable analysis of the promotion space and related shopper behavior.
Inmar's data and trends analysis of recent coupon activity shows that more than 660 million coupons were redeemed in the first quarter of 2015. These coupons included offers for both food and non-food items and were distributed digitally as well as through traditional paper methods. While distribution remained steady and redemption declined slightly from 2014, industry activity remains higher than pre-recession levels due at least in part to the continued notable rise of digital offers.
The Promotion Track for the 2015 Inmar Analytics Forum is content rich — with sessions touching on virtually every aspect of promotions. Participants in this track will have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders and Inmar subject matter experts as they offer informed perspective and deliver valuable takeaways.
Trying to decide what to do about Spring Break and attending the Forum? Why not "do" both?
Spring in Winston-Salem is beautiful and, with all there is to see and experience, our community is a wonderful destination for a family visit that includes both work and leisure.
Inmar and Savings.com, a leading coupon and deal community with more than 50,000 active deals, have entered into a strategic relationship that will not only bring hundreds of new print-at-home coupons and load-to-card offers to the savings community's website but also provide consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers with enhanced online marketing and consumer engagement opportunities. The addition of the Savings.com website to the rapidly expanding Inmar Media Network will also provide brands with another strategic distribution point for offers as well as product-related content.
The Joint Industry Coupon Committee (JICC) is reporting that UPC Prefix 5 barcodes will be retired from manufacturer coupons as of June 30, 2015. These symbols will no longer be used after that date as manufacturers are expected to shift to exclusive use of the GS1 DataBar™ format for coupons.
The Ninth Annual CIC Industry Leadership Summit will take place March 24-26 in Alexandria, Virginia and promises to be another insightful and informative program for coupon industry veterans as well newcomers to the fight against coupon fraud. This year's Summit IX will build on previous gatherings and seek to advance the industry's collective security-enhancement efforts — to the ultimate benefit of both trading partners and consumers.
The 2015 Inmar Analytics Forum will deliver real value for all attendees with several learning opportunities of particular interest to retailers.
Inmar's proprietary coupon data and trends analysis for 2014 found that 2.84 billion coupons were redeemed last year. These coupons included offers for both food and non-food items and were distributed digitally as well as through traditional paper methods.
With the launch of its new subscription analytics service – the Inmar Shopper Promotion Impact Report – Inmar is giving brands a "new view" into the power of promotions. This service looks beyond transactional metrics for coupons, spotlighting and measuring shopper behavior related to, and influenced by, promotions.
Inmar will present its annual year-end coupon trends report on Thursday, February 5, and again on Tuesday, February 10, with both programs beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webinar, "2014 Coupon Trends, Insights and Analysis," will present data from the 2015 Inmar Coupon Trends Report and Inmar shopper behavior research. The program will examine critical topline coupon industry activity and coupon-related shopper behavior.
Inmar has been selected by The Golub Corporation to manage the digital coupon program for the Price Chopper | 2,020 |
Ferulic acid 3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoic acid is one of the major hydroxycinnamic acid found in the cell wall of graminaceous plants such as paddy straw, wheat straw, corn cob and others cereal straw. This compound is considerable interest for applications in the food, health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This hydroxycinnamic acid and other derivative are found covalently linked to polysaccharides by ester<|fim_middle|> (25-70oC), and reaction time (1-3 hrs) on the alkaline hydrolysis process. Through this study, the range of crucial parameters involved during the extraction process can be obtained. | bonds and to components of lignin by ester or ether bonds. Determination of ferulic acid in straw has been carried out through alkaline hydrolysis treatment and optimized through response surface methodology. A 23 full factorial design with three triplicates at the centre point was used to investigate the extraction process with three variables : NaOH concentration (0.5-2M), temperature (25-70oC), and reaction time (1-3 hrs) on the alkaline hydrolysis process. Throught this study, range of the crucial parameter involved during the extraction process can be obtained.
straws. This compound has considerable interest for applications in the food, health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
This hydroxycinnamic acid and other derivatives are found co-valently linked to polysaccharides by ester bonds and to components of lignin by ester or ether bonds. Determination of ferulic acid in straw has been carried out through alkaline hydrolysis treatment and optimized through response surface methodology. A 23 full factorial design with three triplicates at the centre point was used to investigate the extraction process with three variables : NaOH concentration (0.5-2M), temperature | 251 |
Rich Frog Industries is a Vermont-based designer and distributor of unique, kid-friendly toys and gifts. Since 1994, we have been creating safe, colorful, and creative products, which are perfect for infants and toddlers in the bath, car, home, or crib. Our products have put smiles on the faces of kids around the world. Today<|fim_middle|> children's causes and the Vermont community we call home. At the same time, we try not to take ourselves too seriously, have fun every day and enjoy wacky titles (ie – "Lion Tamer", "Human Cannonball", "Head of Monkey Business" – to name a few). After all, this is the toy business. | , our products can be found across North America, Asia and Europe.
Our products have won numerous awards, but we are most proud of our relationships. Over the last 20 years we have developed enduring friendships with our customers, suppliers, distributors, sales representatives, and those who share our excitement for the toy and gift industry. We are passionate about what we do. We strive to be environmentally and socially conscious while trying to give back to | 88 |
Our Total Waste Management service is fully integrated, operating both on and off client sites. Many organisations enjoy the benefits of our complete and seamless solutions, which include trained teams of site personnel, drivers, sorting and<|fim_middle|> with end users, recyclers and recovery plants means that we can offer our clients environmentally friendly, sustainable and practical means of recovering their waste.
We can provide packers, bailers, site staff to collect and vehicles to handle and ship commercial waste.
All of our operations are certificated to ISO14001 - 2004 the International Environmental System Standard.
Hamton works within industry where certain wastes fall under the classification of Hazardous. This does not necessarily mean that they are toxic or dangerous but that they require control and suitable disposal.
Hamton are experts in the management of waste materials falling within the hazardous category including materials such as certain hydrocarbons, eco-toxic compounds and WEEE. Hamton helps its clients to manage control and reduce the occurrences of hazardous waste materials and wherever possible to remediate or eliminate them. We manage every waste stream with its own management plan to ensure that our client is kept informed and up to date with our processes.
Hamton's expertise has earned it a prestigious Government sponsored Entec award for the remediation of oily grinding sludge's in automotive manufacturing. We have also received several client awards for reducing and eliminating wastes streams.
We use properly licensed disposal and destruction facilities and seek to ensure that the highest environmental standards are maintained.
We own no disposal sites of our own and therefore we are able to take wastes to sites with the best environmental practice and best price.
Hamton try wherever possible to encourage its clients to take advantage of the many recycling opportunities which are available today.
It is not just cardboard and paper which can be recycled but metals, plastics, glass, refrigerant gasses and wood as well as mandatory recyclables such as WEEE goods.
We regularly market test recyclables and return revenues to our clients gained from their sale or disposal.
Hamton is able to provide a range of recycling equipment and even complete sorting facilities on customer sites if they so wish. We are able to offer waste to energy based processes and green options such as composting. | processing staff, capital process equipment, plus disposal vehicles and tankers.
Being an independent contractor, we're ideally placed to pinpoint advanced methods and processes. We can use our depth of knowledge and experience to find the latest and best, and deliver the very best value for money too.
Long-standing contracts and awards for innovation from both industry and government are testament to the success of our approach. It's an ethos we're very proud of and will never compromise.
Public sector clients, commercial businesses and industries all produce waste as a by product of their day to day business.
Commercial waste such as, card, paper, plastics and packaging are all potentially recoverable and recyclable. Hamton's infrastructure and relationships | 140 |
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 1, 2015) – Kelly Moss Motorsports entered the last weekend of June facing the daunting task of<|fim_middle|> was involved in an incident on Lap 2 of Round 5 but recovered in Round 6 to win the Yokohama Hard Charger Award, given to the driver who picks up the most positions throughout the race.
Round 4, which was a makeup of the postponed round in April at NOLA Motorsports Park, succumbed to a similar fate this weekend. The round was abandoned once again due to heavy rain. Future dates and locations are being considered.
While the team waited for the announcement about Round 4 Saturday afternoon at Watkins Glen, they gathered around TVs and mobile phones to watch if Colin Thompson would dominate the Pirelli World Challenge Championship GT Cup class at Road America.
Thompson delivered. The young star from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, led every session of the weekend in his No. 11 Kelly Moss/Porsche of Bucks County Porsche, coming away with an increased points lead in the championship and two more victories. Thompson has nine victories this season.
In Round 10, Thompson was joined on the podium by Kelly Moss/TruSpeed AutoSport partnership teammate Sloan Urry in second.
Thompson holds a 1,098-795 point lead over second place Lorenzo Trefethen.
The PWC series will travel July 31-Aug. 2 to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, for Rounds 12 and 13. It will headline with the Verizon IndyCar Series as part of the Honda Indy 200.
Rounds 7 and 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama will take place July 10-12 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, during the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix Presented by Hawk Performance weekend.
The team will welcome driver Kurt Fazekas to the team. He will race in the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy event July 31-Aug. 2 at Road America and join the team for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama weekend Aug. 7-9 at Road America.
For more information on Kelly Moss Motorsports, visit www.kellymoss.com. For the latest updates, like the team on Facebook and follow @kellymossmotors on Twitter. | competing in five races in two different series. The powerhouse team responded with nine podium finishes, including two overall wins, one Hard Charger award and four championship leads.
It's all in day's, or three days', work for this team.
The weekend started with the Kelly Moss team heading to Watkins Glen International for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
After relinquishing the driver and team Platinum Cup championship lead in April at NOLA Motorsports Park, the Brey-Krause-sponsored team sought solid performances from its young Canadian star, Jesse Lazare.
Lazare didn't disappoint, finishing with a second and fourth-place finishes in Rounds 5 and 6, respectively. It was enough to propel him back to the top of Drivers Championship and put Kelly Moss in first, tied with Wright Motorsports, with 88 points in the Team Championship.
Platinum and Platinum Masters Cup drivers William Peluchiwski and Jay Patel both had strong performances, each picking up a podium finish. In Round 5, Peluchiwski captured his first podium of the season after he finished third in Platinum Masters.
In Round 6, Patel meticulously made his way through the field during a wet race to earn a second-place Platinum Masters and top-10 overall finish.
"Bill was coming off a pretty significant crash at Watkins Glen a couple of weeks ago," Stone said. "He had a completely re-tubbed car but never missed a step, and it was great to see him up there. And the same for Jay. It was awesome for him to get that podium finish. He continues to mesh with our team and get better and better, and the chemistry is paying dividends.
Patel sits in second place in Platinum Masters Cup standings, with Peluchiwski in fourth.
In his season debut, Dan Weyland earned two top-10 finishes with an eighth- and ninth-place result in the Platinum Masters championship in Rounds 5 and 6, respectively.
"We love having Dan back and his drives this weekend were inspiring for all of us, especially knowing that he is coming from such a long break of not being in the car," Stone said.
Frank Selldorff finished 11th in Round 5 in the Platinum Masters class.
The team's Gold Cup and Gold Masters drivers also brought home some hardware. David Ducote picked up his second and third consecutive podium finishes in both classes, bringing his weekend podium count to four. In Round 5, he was forced to start from the back of the grid because of a tire change on his No. 6 Waskey Porsche from qualifying. He worked his way through the field for a third-place finish, with a similar result Saturday for Round 6.
Wayne Ducote | 559 |
Browse our sample Norway tours below.
A perfect combination of tours, rail journeys and cruise in a complete discovery of magnificent Norway. This voyage sails the iconic Norwegian coastline's sheltered waters from Bergen towards the Russian border town of Kirkenes. En route you will stop at 34 ports and experience the wonders of the polar north and the Arctic Awakening.
A window of green opportunity arises with summer in the Norwegian wilds. Hike into the mountains, travel by rail and boat as you embrace the majestic, vibrant scenery of Norway's world-renowned fjords, and discover the thawed Arctic peninsula of Svalbard, chasing wildlife on private boat safaris in the land of the Midnight Sun. Please note, the travel window for this journey is June to September.
Discover one of Earth's most northerly places by dogsled and snowmobile, exploring Svalbard with an eye peeled for polar bears, as you learn about traditional Sami culture beneath the glittering canopy of the northern lights. Please note, the travel window for this journey is mid February to end of April.
The major appeal of Norway is straightforward: The country is absolutely beautiful. In an increasingly connected and digital world, there are precious few genuine opportunities to unplug and simply enjoy nature at its finest, and Norway more than fits that bill. With picturesque fjords, dramatic landscapes and air with an unmatched crispness, it is a nation that provides ample opportunity to enjoy the simple pleasures that life can provide.
As one of the oldest port cities in Northern Europe, Bryggen was a key trading harbor between the 14th and 16th centuries. In the period since then, the city has been damaged by fires on numerous occasions, but has been rebuilt each time, following the same building techniques and using many of the same materials. Because of this, it stands a link to a past long gone, and gives visitors the chance to see a fishing town as it might have been centuries ago.
Today, just over 60 buildings remain of the former townscape, relics of the ancient wooden urban centers that were once commonplace in Northern Europe. Their design and structure provide clues into the lifestyles of the merchants who lived and worked in them, a historical significance which has earned Bryggen a designation as a World Heritage Site.
It's hard to choose who is more likely to have fun while sledding - you or the dogs. Norwegian huskies absolutely love to run, spurred on by generations of breeding and genetic imperative. For these intelligent, gorgeous creatures, all you have to do earn their loyalty is sit in control of the sled and let them do what they do best. Under the tutelage of an expert trainer, you will learn to command your own team, and be able to get out there and put those skills to use. For younger children, or those that aren't yet ready to run their own sled, there are a number of shared options available<|fim_middle|> to the sea that they loved so deeply. Others may not be - contrary to popular beliefs, viking hygiene was actually excellent, and they enjoyed frequent dips in natural hot springs. There are even interesting things that didn't make the historical legend, such as the fact that they would sometimes ski as entertainment. There is so much interesting history to learn about the people, their customs and the traditions they left behind.
U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Citizens from other countries may require a valid visa. These requirements change often and therefore it is best that you check with the Embassy of Norway for the most up-to-date visa information.
Norway experiences extreme cold in the winter - particularly in sub polar regions - and gentle heat in the summer. The best time to visit is between mid-May and August, unless you're coming to ski, in which case the best time is December to the end of March. Northern parts inside the Arctic Circle have non-stop daylight in midsummer and twilight all day during winter.
Electricity in Norway is supplied at 220 to 230 volts. Sockets are designed to accept two round prongs. Some sockets will take the plugs with large prongs only; others will take the ones with small prongs. A multi-adaptor with different plug configurations can be very useful. We advise not to bring a hair dryer as it could blow a fuse.
Phone: Roaming charges vary between carriers, but tend to be quite costly. Consult your phone provider prior to departure to discuss overseas rates and international package options. It is also possible to purchase a SIM card locally to avoid international charges when calling numbers within Norway. (You should check to see that your cell phone is SIM card compatible).
The currency in Norway is the Norwegian Krone. Generally speaking, we advise bringing around 700 Krone per day, per person, for spending money. Be sure to bring lots of small bills for porters, wait staff and housekeeping (not obligatory and based on your satisfaction). Norwegian paper money comes in different colors and denominations (50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 notes). There are also Eurocent coins: 1, 5, 10, and 20 krone. We recommend that you bring approximately 750 NOK of spare cash in small denominations to have ready for tips and expenses when you first arrive. | .
There is no other feeling quite like the connection you'll feel between yourself and the huskies, as you take a symbiotic journey over snowy hills, watching the world go by. It is truly an adventure like any other.
Norway is famed for the freshness of its seafood, and there is nothing fresher than an Arctic Crab that you catch, cook and eat yourself. One of the most sought after types of seafood in the world, it has a physical stature that is only outmatched by how delicious it is - the crabs can have a leg span of up to five feet, nine inches, the same height as an adult man.
Get up close and personal with your dinner by taking a crab fishing tour, where an expert guide will show you just how to set traps and pull your catch in. After this exhilarating experience, you get to take the results of your hard work, prepare the crabs just how you enjoy them and have a meal that doesn't compare to anything you could ever get in a grocery store.
The topography of Norway is varied and beautiful, dominated largely by vast mountain ranges punctuated by valleys and fjords. These peaks are a vital part of not only the geography but also the culture of the country - they form the boundaries of the four major districts, and are some of the most active year-round recreational destinations for both locals and visitors alike.
To take in as many of the spectacular views as possible, travel by rail. With some of the steepest lines in the world, taking the train allows you to take in the panoramas while feeling the excitement of the journey.
Around and through its mountains run Norway's fjords, the most enduring and picturesque symbols of the country's simple but powerful beauty. Time seems to slow down when you are cruising on them, giving you the chance to unwind and relax deeply.
There are more than 1,000 fjords throughout Norway, all of which run along the coast. While they have the placid appearance and bright color of lakes, they are actually made of saltwater, and are connected to the sea. They are easy to explore whether by yourself or on a guided tour, and often reach deep inland, beset on both sides by majestic cliffs and even sometimes rushing waterfalls. They are a connection to the Norway of the past, but also very much a representation of the country in the present: a humble tranquility presented with effortless grace.
The legacy of vikings has captivated historians and laypeople alike. So infamous were their deeds that even now, their stories are the stuff of legend. Private guided Norway tours are the best place to separate fact from myth and learn more about these people that are so fascinating, even today.
Some things that you may have heard are true - vikings did bury their dead in boats, believing it to be a great honor to return | 582 |
MCAS football teams compete<|fim_middle|> | for bragging rights December 3, 2015 — When the sun goes down, the players come out. The lights are turned on and sweat begins to drip. The 2015 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Intramural Football Tournament kicked off Nov. 23 with round one of the tournament between 13 teams. The tournament, hosted by Marine Corps Community Services South Carolina, is a flag football league made of teams of Marines from different units aboard the air station. MORE
Marine Aircraft Group 31 awards NCO of the Quarter December 1, 2015 — Sgt. Ian Mills was awarded the Marine Aircraft Group 31 NCO of the quarter during a ceremony held aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Dec. 1. MORE
Keeping tradition through celebration November 13, 2015 — Marines will celebrate the 240th Marine Corps Birthday Ball throughout the month of November. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Tri-command hold ceremonies to honor the history and heritage of the Corps. MORE
Marines, Coast Guard rehearse search and rescue procedures November 6, 2015 — Elements from Marine Aircraft Group 31 coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard for a search and rescue exercise off the coast of Charleston Nov. 3. The exercise simulated the water rescue of two Marine pilots from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. MORE
Hawks, Silver Eagles swoop back to Fightertown October 28, 2015 — Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 returned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort from Weapons and Tactics Instructor course Oct. 27. MORE | 365 |
Home Entertainment Fascinating Facts of 4Ten Leader: Hyeji
Fascinating Facts of 4Ten Leader: Hyeji
Jung Hyeji The 4Ten Leader
4TEN, also known as POTEN, is a four-membered South Korean girl group. They made their debut on August 26th, 2014 under Jungle Entertainment with the single "Tornado." However, in 2015, two of the members left the group and three new members were added for the replacement. In 2016, one member left the group too, making the group back into a quartet. One of the members who is still in the group from the beginning until now is the leader, Jung Hyeji. Let's find out more<|fim_middle|> Husband, Movies, and TV Shows)
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Jung Hyeji Facts
Hyeji is one of the original members of 4TEN.
Hyeji is also known as HIME/ Ha Im.
Her position in 4TEN is leader and main vocalist.
Hyeji was born in Goyang, South Korea on April 2, 1992.
Her height is 166 cm while her weight is 47 kg.
Her blood type is AB.
She trained for two years before officially making her debut.
Writing lyrics, listening to music, cooking, and snowboarding are her hobbies.
Hyeji enjoys bungee jumping.
Hyeji is flexible as she can do a lot of body folds.
Hyeji is featured in label mate group M.I.B's track, "Before Biting A Cigarette."
She also performed with M.I.B at the group's solo concert in 2014, singing "Let's talk about U."
So, what do you think about Hyeji? Despite the member-changing, Hyeji and the other 4TEN members are working hard to show their talents. Looks like we can expect more from Hyeji and 4TEN. From now on let's keep supporting Hyeji and 4TEN!
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Child Actress Park Min-ha: Profile and Facts
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Full Profile of Han Eun-jung (Age, Height, | 349 |
These seashell covered letters<|fim_middle|>.
You can learn how to make seashell covered letters by watching the video below. | are perfect for a beach-themed wedding, or in any room!
I once attended a beach-themed wedding and I fell in love with how beautiful the decors were. Everything was so on point – from the beach grass aisle to the hanging starfish ornaments. Much to my surprise, I learned later on that the bride completely DIY-ed them.
Make these with your kids – they'll love it!
Out of all the beautiful things in that wedding, what stood out for my daughter were the seashell covered letters. Being a beach lover, she wanted the same for her room. So we set out one weekend, went to the beach, and collected lots of seashells for her project.
Making the seashell covered letters was a great bonding activity for us. We had so much fun making them. I highly recommend you make them with your kids, too. Not only do you get beautiful house decors, you also spend quality time with the family | 192 |
It's so wonderful to see how social media can connect people from around the globe with one simple click! Thank you Urban Bush Babes for introducing readers from all walks of life to my blog. I am glad you took the time to visit and I hope you will enjoy reading about Paris (and much more) on my blog.
I found your blog via Urban Bush Babes, and I love it! Since moving to Germany from the US<|fim_middle|>What is really funny, it's how internet is so small – like the world?- I recognized your photo with the yellow turtleneck on ubb, after seeing it on Corinne Bailey Rae' Pinterest ! small, han.
I love UBB and Corinne Bailey Rae!
You know, I was so surprised to see my picture there. Really flattering.
I found you via UBB too.
Yes I do and you can find that option at the end of my latest post. | , I've been really fascinated by the stories of women who move to new places (especially new countries!) in pursuit of a life less ordinary. Can't wait to read more!
Looking forward to take part of your journey too!
yeah tha'ts right… thanks to UBB 🙂 your blog is really nice & cool. love the spirit.
| 69 |
Hook up the Plum Metal Mist range to your hosepipe and add some water fun to the garden. With this springtime twist children see saw into the mist spray and keep active, switch on the unique water feature and cool off during playtime.
The Plum Premium Metal See Saw with Mist comes has ergonomic sky blue plastic<|fim_middle|> required. | seats. The stylish blue and grey metal frame is extra thick for strength with a textured finish. The steel is galvanised inside and out giving the swing set added durability and weather protection.
Jump and spin with the premium metal see saw with mist.
The stylish blue and grey metal frame is extra thick for strength with a textured finish. The steel is galvanised inside and out giving the swing set added durability and weather protection.
Turn on the mist feature and cool down in summer! Comes with an adapter that hooks up to the hosepipe and sprays a fine water mist.
The Plum Premium Metal See Saw with Mist comes with ergonomic sky blue plastic seats.
Minimum user age 3 years. Outdoor use only. Only for domestic use. Please allow a 2m safety perimeter. Not suitable for children under 36 months – small parts – fall hazard. Adult supervision required at all times. Adult assembly | 182 |
Aletho News
ΑΛΗΘΩΣ
Europe's New Road to Serfdom
Trichet Threatens Greece with Iron Heel
By MICHAEL HUDSON | CounterPunch | June 3, 2011
Soon after the Socialist Party won Greece's national elections in autumn 2009, it became apparent that the government's finances were in a shambles. In May 2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy took the lead in rounding up €120bn ($180 billion) from European governments to subsidize Greece's unprogressive tax system that had led its government into debt – which Wall Street banks had helped conceal with Enron-style accounting.
The tax system operated as a siphon collecting revenue to pay the German and French banks that were buying government bonds (at rising interest-risk premiums). The bankers are now moving to make this role formal, an official condition for rolling over Greek bonds as they come due, and extend maturities on the short-term financial string that Greece is now operating under. Existing bondholders are to reap a windfall if this plan succeeds. Moody's lowered Greece's credit rating to junk status on June 1 (to Caa1, down from B1, which was already pretty low), estimating a 50/50 likelihood of default. The downgrade serves to tighten the screws yet further on the Greek government. Regardless of what European officials do, Moody's noted, "The increased likelihood that Greece's supporters (the IMF, ECB and the EU Commission, together known as the "Troika") will, at some point in the future, require the participation of private creditors in a debt restructuring as a precondition for funding support."
The conditionality for the new "reformed" loan package is that Greece must initiate a class war by raising its taxes, lowering its social spending – and even private-sector pensions – and sell off public land, tourist sites, islands, ports, water and sewer facilities. This will raise the cost of living and doing business, eroding the nation's already limited export competitiveness. The bankers sanctimoniously depict this as a "rescue" of Greek finances.
What really were rescued a year ago, in May 2010, were the French banks that held €31 billion of Greek bonds, German banks with €23 billion, and other foreign investors. The problem was how to get the Greeks to go along. Newly elected Prime Minister George Papandreou's Socialists seemed able to deliver their constituency along similar lines to what neoliberal Social Democrat and Labor parties throughout Europe had followed –privatizing basic infrastructure and pledging future revenue to pay the bankers.
The opportunity never had been better for pulling the financial strings to grab property and tighten the fiscal screws. Bankers for their part were eager to make loans to finance buyouts of public gambling, telephones, ports and transport or similar monopoly opportunities. And for Greece's own wealthier classes, the EU loan package would enable the country to remain within the Eurozone long enough to permit them to move their money out of the country before the point arrived at which Greece would be forced to replace the euro with the drachma and devalue it. Until such a switch to a sinking currency occurred, Greece was to follow Baltic and Irish policy of "internal devaluation," that is, wage deflation and government spending cutbacks (except for payments to the financial sector) to lower employment and hence wage levels.
What actually is devalued in austerity programs or currency depreciation is the price of labor. That is the main domestic cost, inasmuch as there is a common world price for<|fim_middle|> is the new road to serfdom that financialized "free markets" are leading to: markets free for privatizers to charge monopoly prices for basic services "free" of price regulation and anti-trust regulation, "free" of limits on credit to protect debtors, and above all free of interference from elected parliaments. Prising natural monopolies in transportation, communications, lotteries and the land itself away from the public domain is called the alternative to serfdom, not the road to debt peonage and a financialized neo-feudalism that looms as the new future reality. Such is the upside-down economic philosophy of our age.
Concentration of financial power in non-democratic hands is inherent in the way that Europe's centralized planning in financial hands was achieved in the first place. The European Central Bank has no elected government behind it that can levy taxes. The EU constitution prevents the ECB from bailing out governments. Indeed, the IMF Articles of Agreement also block it from giving domestic fiscal support for budget deficits. "A member state may obtain IMF credits only on the condition that it has 'a need to make the purchase because of its balance of payments or its reserve position or developments in its reserves.' Greece, Ireland, and Portugal are certainly not short of foreign exchange reserves … The IMF is lending because of budgetary problems, and that is not what it is supposed to do. The Deutsche Bundesbank made this point very clear in its monthly report of March 2010: 'Any financial contribution by the IMF to solve problems that do not imply a need for foreign currency – such as the direct financing of budget deficits – would be incompatible with its monetary mandate.' IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn and chief economist Olivier Blanchard are leading the IMF into forbidden territory, and there is no court which can stop them." (Roland Vaubel, "Europe's Bailout Politics," The International Economy, Spring 2011, p. 40.)
The moral is that when it comes to bailing out bankers, rules are ignored – in order to serve the "higher justice" of saving banks and their high-finance counterparties from taking a loss. This is quite a contrast compared to IMF policy toward labor and "taxpayers." The class war is back in business – with a vengeance, and bankers are the winners this time around.
The European Economic Community that preceded the European Union was created by a generation of leaders whose prime objective was to end the internecine warfare that tore Europe apart for a thousand years. The aim by many was to end the phenomenon of nation states themselves – on the premise that it is nations that go to war. The general expectation was that economic democracy would oppose the royalist and aristocratic mind-sets that sought glory in conquest. Domestically, economic reform was to purify European economies from the legacy of past feudal conquests of the land, of the public commons in general. The aim was to benefit the population at large. That was the reform program of classical political economy.
European integration started with trade as the path of least resistance – the Coal and Steel Community promoted by Robert Schuman in 1952, followed by the European Economic Community (EEC, the Common Market) in 1957. Customs union integration and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) were topped by financial integration. But without a real continental Parliament to write laws, set tax rates, protect labor's working conditions and consumers, and control offshore banking centers, centralized planning passes by default into the hands of bankers and financial institutions. This is the effect of replacing nation states with planning by bankers. It is how democratic politics gets replaced with financial oligarchy.
Finance is a form of warfare. Like military conquest, its aim is to gain control of land, public infrastructure, and to impose tribute. This involves dictating laws to its subjects, and concentrating social as well as economic planning in centralized hands. This is what now is being done by financial means, without the cost to the aggressor of fielding an army. But the economies under attack may be devastated as deeply by financial stringency as by military attack when it comes to demographic shrinkage, shortened life spans, emigration and capital flight.
This attack is being mounted not by nation states as such, but by a cosmopolitan financial class. Finance always has been cosmopolitan more than nationalistic – and always has sought to impose its priorities and lawmaking power over those of parliamentary democracies.
Like any monopoly or vested interest, the financial strategy seeks to block government power to regulate or tax it. From the financial vantage point, the ideal function of government is to enhance and protect finance capital and "the miracle of compound interest" that keeps fortunes multiplying exponentially, faster than the economy can grow, until they eat into the economic substance and do to the economy what predatory creditors and rentiers did to the Roman Empire.
This financial dynamic is what threatens to break up Europe today. But the financial class has gained sufficient power to turn the ideological tables and insist that what threatens European unity is national populations acting to resist the cosmopolitan claims of finance capital to impose austerity on labor. Debts that already have become unpayable are to be taken onto the public balance sheet – without a military struggle, needless to say. At least such bloodshed is now in the past. From the vantage point of the Irish and Greek populations (perhaps soon to be joined by those of Portugal and Spain), national parliamentary governments are to be mobilized to impose the terms of national surrender to financial planners. One almost can say that the ideal is to reduce parliaments to local puppet regimes serving the cosmopolitan financial class by using debt leverage to carve up what is left of the public domain that used to be called "the commons." As such, we now are entering a post-medieval world of enclosures – an Enclosure Movement driven by financial law that overrides public and common law, against the common good.
Within Europe, financial power is concentrated in Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is their banks that held most of the bonds of the Greek government now being called on to impose austerity, and of the Irish banks that already have been bailed out by Irish taxpayers.
On Thursday, June 2, 2011, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet spelled out the blueprint for how to establish financial oligarchy over all Europe. Appropriately, he announced his plan upon receiving the Charlemagne prize at Aachen, Germany – symbolically expressing how Europe was to be unified not on the grounds of economic peace as dreamed of by the architects of the Common Market in the 1950s, but on diametrically opposite oligarchic grounds.
At the outset of his speech on "Building Europe, building institutions," Trichet appropriately credited the European Council led by Mr. Van Rompuy for giving direction and momentum from the highest level, and the Eurogroup of finance ministers led by Mr. Juncker. Together, they formed what the popular press calls Europe's creditor "troika." Mr. Trichet's speech refers to "the 'trialogue' between the Parliament, the Commission and the Council."
Europe's task, he explained, was to follow Erasmus in bringing Europe beyond its traditional "strict concept of nationhood." The debt problem called for new "monetary policy measures – we call them 'non standard' decisions, strictly separated from the 'standard' decisions, and aimed at restoring a better transmission of our monetary policy in these abnormal market conditions." The problem at hand is to make these conditions a new normalcy – that of paying debts, and re-defining solvency to reflect a nation's ability to pay by selling off its public domain.
"Countries that have not lived up to the letter or the spirit of the rules have experienced difficulties," Trichet noted. "Via contagion, these difficulties have affected other countries in EMU. Strengthening the rules to prevent unsound policies is therefore an urgent priority." His use of the term "contagion" depicted democratic government and protection of debtors as a disease. Reminiscent of the Greek colonels' speech that opened the famous 1969 film "Z": to combat leftism as if it were an agricultural pest to be exterminated by proper ideological pesticide. Mr. Trichet adopted the colonels' rhetoric. The task of the Greek Socialists evidently is to do what the colonels and their conservative successors could not do: deliver labor to irreversible economic reforms.
"Arrangements are currently in place, involving financial assistance under strict conditions, fully in line with the IMF policy. I am aware that some observers have concerns about where this leads. The line between regional solidarity and individual responsibility could become blurred if the conditionality is not rigorously complied with.
"In my view, it could be appropriate to foresee for the medium term two stages for countries in difficulty. This would naturally demand a change of the Treaty.
"As a first stage, it is justified to provide financial assistance in the context of a strong adjustment program. It is appropriate to give countries an opportunity to put the situation right themselves and to restore stability.
"At the same time, such assistance is in the interests of the euro area as a whole, as it prevents crises spreading in a way that could cause harm to other countries.
It is of paramount importance that adjustment occurs; that countries – governments and opposition – unite behind the effort; and that contributing countries survey with great care the implementation of the programme.
But if a country is still not delivering, I think all would agree that the second stage has to be different. Would it go too far if we envisaged, at this second stage, giving euro area authorities a much deeper and authoritative say in the formation of the country's economic policies if these go harmfully astray? A direct influence, well over and above the reinforced surveillance that is presently envisaged? … (my emphasis)
The ECB President then gave the key political premise of his reform program (if it is not a travesty to use the term "reform" for today's counter-Enlightenment):
"We can see before our eyes that membership of the EU, and even more so of EMU, introduces a new understanding in the way sovereignty is exerted. Interdependence means that countries de facto do not have complete internal authority. They can experience crises caused entirely by the unsound economic policies of others.
"With a new concept of a second stage, we would change drastically the present governance based upon the dialectics of surveillance, recommendations and sanctions. In the present concept, all the decisions remain in the hands of the country concerned, even if the recommendations are not applied, and even if this attitude triggers major difficulties for other member countries. In the new concept, it would be not only possible, but in some cases compulsory, in a second stage for the European authorities – namely the Council on the basis of a proposal by the Commission, in liaison with the ECB – to take themselves decisions applicable in the economy concerned.
"One way this could be imagined is for European authorities to have the right to veto some national economic policy decisions. The remit could include in particular major fiscal spending items and elements essential for the country's competitiveness. …
By "unsound economic policies," Mr. Trichet means not paying debts – by writing them down to the ability to pay without forfeiting land and monopolies in the public domain, and refusing to replace political and economic democracy with control by bankers. Twisting the knife into the long history of European idealism, he deceptively depicted his proposed financial coup d'état as if it were in the spirit of Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman and other liberals who promoted European integration in hope of creating a more peaceful world – one that would be more prosperous and productive, not one based on financial asset stripping.
"Jean Monnet in his memoirs 35 years ago wrote: 'Nobody can say today what will be the institutional framework of Europe tomorrow because the future changes, which will be fostered by today's changes, are unpredictable.'
"In this Union of tomorrow, or of the day after tomorrow, would it be too bold, in the economic field, with a single market, a single currency and a single central bank, to envisage a ministry of finance of the Union? Not necessarily a ministry of finance that administers a large federal budget. But a ministry of finance that would exert direct responsibilities in at least three domains: first, the surveillance of both fiscal policies and competitiveness policies, as well as the direct responsibilities mentioned earlier as regards countries in a 'second stage' inside the euro area; second, all the typical responsibilities of the executive branches as regards the union's integrated financial sector, so as to accompany the full integration of financial services; and third, the representation of the union confederation in international financial institutions.
"Husserl concluded his lecture in a visionary way: 'Europe's existential crisis can end in only one of two ways: in its demise (…) lapsing into a hatred of the spirit and into barbarism ; or in its rebirth from the spirit of philosophy, through a heroism of reason (…).'"
As my friend Marshall Auerback remarked in response to this speech, its message is familiar enough as a description of what is happening in the United States: "This is the Republican answer in Michigan. Take over the cities in crisis run by disfavored minorities, remove their democratically elected governments from power, and use extraordinary powers to mandate austerity." In other words, no room for any agency like that advocated by Elizabeth Warren is to exist in the EU. That is not the kind of idealistic integration toward which Trichet and the ECB aim. He is leading toward what the closing credits of the film "Z" put on the screen: The things banned by the junta include: "peace movements, strikes, labor unions, long hair on men, The Beatles, other modern and popular music ('la musique populaire'), Sophocles, Leo Tolstoy, Aeschylus, writing that Socrates was homosexual, Eugène Ionesco, Jean-Paul Sartre, Anton Chekhov, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, Mark Twain, Samuel Beckett, the bar association, sociology, international encyclopedias, free press, and new math. Also banned is the letter Z, which was used as a symbolic reminder that Grigoris Lambrakis and by extension the spirit of resistance lives (zi = 'he (Lambrakis) lives')."
As the Wall Street Journal accurately summarized the political thrust of Mr. Trichet's speech, "if a bailed-out country isn't delivering on its fiscal-adjustment program, then a 'second stage' could be required, which could possibly involve 'giving euro-area authorities a much deeper and authoritative say in the formation of the county's economic policies …'" Eurozone authorities – specifically, their financial institutions, not democratic institutions aimed at protecting labor and consumers, raising living standards and so forth – "could have 'the right to veto some national economic-policy decisions' under such a regime. In particular, a veto could apply for 'major fiscal spending items and elements essential for the country's competitiveness.'"
Paraphrasing Mr. Trichet's lugubrious query, "In this union of tomorrow … would it be too bold in the economic field … to envisage a ministry of finance for the union?" the article noted that "Such a ministry wouldn't necessarily have a large federal budget but would be involved in surveillance and issuing vetoes, and would represent the currency bloc at international financial institutions."
My own memory is that socialist idealism after World War II was world-weary in seeing nation states as the instruments for military warfare. This pacifist ideology came to overshadow the original socialist ideology of the late 19th century, which sought to reform governments to take law-making power, taxing power and property itself out of the hands of the classes who had possessed it ever since the Viking invasions of Europe had established feudal privilege, absentee landownership and financial control of trading monopolies and, increasingly, the banking privilege of money creation.
But somehow, as my UMKC colleague, Prof. Bill Black commented recently in the UMKC economics blog: "One of the great paradoxes is that the periphery's generally left-wing governments adopted so enthusiastically the ECB's ultra-right wing economic nostrums – austerity is an appropriate response to a great recession. … Why left-wing parties embrace the advice of the ultra-right wing economists whose anti-regulatory dogmas helped cause the crisis is one of the great mysteries of life. Their policies are self-destructive to the economy and suicidal politically."
Greece and Ireland have become the litmus test for whether economies will be sacrificed in attempts to pay debts that cannot be paid. An interregnum is threatened during which the road to default and permanent austerity will carve out more and more land and public enterprises from the public domain, divert more and more consumer income to pay debt service and taxes for governments to pay bondholders, and more business income to pay the bankers.
If this is not war, what is?
Michael Hudson is a former Wall Street economist. A Distinguished Research Professor at University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC), he is the author of many books, including Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire (new ed., Pluto Press, 2002) and Trade, Development and Foreign Debt: A History of Theories of Polarization v. Convergence in the World Economy. He can be reached via his website, mh@michael-hudson.com
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Economics | 1 Comment
Greek protesters seize finance ministry
Press TV – June 3, 2011
The Greek finance ministry building, on which protesters hang a giant banner calling for a general strike in Athens, June 3, 2011.
Greek protesters have taken over the finance ministry building in Athens as the country agreed with its European partners to introduce new austerity measures in return for a new bailout package.
Protesters belonging to the left-wing The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) union unfolded a giant banner from the roof of the finance ministry building on the central Syntagma square, calling for a nationwide strike against the new austerity measures that the government agreed to take in return for the new bailout package.
"From dawn today forces of PAME have symbolically occupied the finance ministry, calling on workers to rise, organize their struggle and prevent the government's barbarous and anti-popular measures from passing," the front said, AFP reported.
Angry citizens in the country have now, for a tenth consecutive day, held anti-government demonstrations against the austerity measures.
Protesters have set up a camp in the central square of the capital, in a move modeled after the Spanish M-15 movement and the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.
The new bailout plan will mean harsher austerity measures, as it is aimed at reducing the 2011 budget deficit by EUR 6.5 billion. PAME said the new plan would "turn workers into slaves."
The plan, however, is set to be approved by EU finance ministers on June 20. Additionally, the government will also commence its EUR 50 billion privatization program.
Greece received a EUR 110 billion EU-IMF bailout loan last year, as it faced a massive debt crisis, but did not manage to resolve its financial problems.
Since last year, Greece has witnessed massive anti-government protests which turned violent at times and left scores of protesters and security forces dead or injured.
A poll conducted recently found that the majority of Greeks no longer have confidence their government can pull the country out of its national debt.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Solidarity and Activism | Comments Off on Greek protesters seize finance ministry
A State for Jews
By William James Martin | Palestine Chronicle | June 3, 2011
I grew up in NC and was around for the transformation to an integrated society where in the laws of the state and nation became color-blind; and blacks were afforded equal protection under the law. My parent's generation were generally decent honorable people who wished no one harm, neither black nor white, they believed in the humane treatment of everyone, but many also believed in the doctrine of separate but equal. This doctrine had been affirmed by the US Supreme Court in 1896 -Plessy v Ferguson – and the court contained such notables as Oliver Wendel Holmes. A subsequent decision, Brown vs the Board of Education, 1954, was essentially unimplemented until the mid to late 1960's with the onset of the administration of Lyndon Johnson. This transformation was a difficult one for many, but certainly not all, of my parent's and grandparent's generation.
It is hard for me, and I am sure for them as well, to imagine the return to a segregated society. So I think they might ask, since the people of NC made a sometimes painful transformation, why are we providing almost incalculable support and sustenance to a state – Israel- which is a state "for Jews", and exclusively for Jews, at the expense of the indigenous native Palestinians. I think the people of NC would wonder at the apparent contradiction if they remembered the difficult times everyone went through and if they understood the legal configuration of Israeli law within the Jewish state.
Let us review some of the laws of Israel which define the legal contours of the state.
Though Israel was never able to agree on a constitution, the Israeli Knesset, however, passed a series of 'Basic Laws, which functions, more or less, as a constitution, absent something corresponding to a bill of rights protecting the liberties of its citizens.
The First Basic Law states that Israel is a state for the Jewish people.
Identification cards must be carried at all times and define the carrier's nationality which may be 'Jewish', 'Arab', Druse, etc., but not 'Israeli'. An Israeli nationality is not recognized.
In a legal challenge to this classification system which was denied, the president of the High Court, Justice Shimon explained that recognizing an Israeli nationality would negate the very foundation upon which the State of Israel was formed.'
A Basic Law, passed in 1985, ensures the official exclusion from political participation of any party that does not assent to the primacy of Israel's Jewish identity and raison d'etre.
Another Basic Law, The Law of Return, passed by the Knesset in 1950, states that 'any Jew has a right to come to this county and shall be granted a visa upon his expressing a desire to settle in Israel. 'Return' is used in an unusual sense, as the person 'returning' may never have set foot in Israel at any time previously.
Thus any Jew in the world can become an Israel national merely by showing up with the intent to settle in Israel. This right is denied to a Palestinian though he may have been expelled from what may have been his ancestral home in the 1948 wave of expulsions from inside present day Israel.
Jews immigrating are provided with an 'absorption grant' which varies depending on one's origin of immigration, but may be greater than $20,000 per family in the case of immigration from the former Soviet Union. All Jews immigrating to Israel immediately receive the right to vote in elections to the Knesset.
Israeli citizens who left the country for a time but who are defined as 'those who can immigrate in accordance with the Law of Return', i.e., Jews, are eligible to receive generous customs benefits, to receive either a grant or a loan, on easy terms, for the purchase of an apartment, as well as other benefits. Such benefits are not available to non-Jews, who are citizens of Israel but are not Israeli nationals.
Palestinian citizens of Israel, about a fifth of the population, 1.5 million, cannot benefit from any of the institutions reserved for Israeli nationals. These quasi-state institutions include The Jewish National Fund, The World Zionist Organization, Israeli Land Authority and The Jewish Agency.
The Israeli Land Authority controls a third of the water resources of the state while the Israeli Land Authority controls 92% of the land of Israel and operates according to regulations issued by the Jewish National Fund, an affiliate of the World Zionist Organization. These regulations deny the right to reside, to open a business, and often to work, to anyone non-Jewish. Jews, by contrast are not prohibited from working anywhere within the State of Israel. Jews who are settled on National land are 'strictly prohibited' from sub-renting even part of their land to Arabs, punishable by heavy fines. The land of Israel is administered for Jewish development and can never be transferred to others.
In 1958, the Israeli Knesset passed the Israeli Lands Law which prohibits the transfer of land ownership, whether by sale or in any other manner to those not eligible to benefit from the Law of Return, i.e. non-Jews.
The 'Absentee law', enacted in 1950, authorized the state to confiscate property from anyone absent from his home, either within the borders of Israel or outside, even for one day, between November 1947 and May 19, 1948. This law was retroactive and designates dates occurring before Israel was even declared a state and during a period when violence was heaviest and about half of the 750,000 Palestinian refugees were driven from their land.
According to the Arab Association for Human Rights, there are about 100 Palestinian villages in Israel that the government does not officially recognize. These villages, containing over 700,000 Palestinian Arab Israeli citizens, are constantly threatened with destruction. They are not shown on any map and their residents are prevented from development of their property or any new building. They are not provided with public schools, or drinking water, or health clinics. Sometimes whole villages are fenced off.
Moshe Shohat, the Israeli Minister of Bedouin Affairs, spoke of the "bloodthirsty Bedouins who commit polygamy, have 30 children, and continue to expand their illegal settlements taking over state land." As for providing schools with indoor plumbing, he added, "In their culture, they take care of their needs outdoors … they don't even know how to flush a toilet."
These are some of the overarching laws within the pre- 1967 borders of Israel. Nothing has been said of the 4.5 million Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation or those under occupation who watch as their land is confiscated.
The United States supports Israel generously, supplying it with about $3 billion annually together with top drawer military hardware, along with veto-protection in the UN Security Council. The Civil Rights laws of the 1960's were enacted as a result of a deep sense of basic fairness. The people of NC who are supporting Israel with their tax dollars and socially induced loyalty should give the Arab-Israeli conflict some very hard thought.
William James Martin teaches in the Department of Mathematics at the University of New Orleans. Contact him at: wjm20@caa.columbia.edu.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | 1 Comment
Israel Plans to Expel 30,000 Palestinians
Al-Manar | June 3, 2011
Israel plans to evict 30,000 Palestinians from the south of the occupied territories in the course of five years.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drafted a plan to evict 30,000 Palestinians of the Bedouin community from the Negev desert to expanded areas of existing Negev Palestinian towns such as Rahat, Kseifa and Hura.
The plan is in line with recommendations made by the Goldberg Committee and will be put to vote in the Israeli cabinet in the coming weeks, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on Thursday.
The Goldberg Committee has been established by Israel to present recommendations regarding the Palestinian settlement in the Negev. The plan is estimated to cost between USD 1.7 and USD 2.3 billion.
According to the project, Palestinians will receive replacement land of half the area they claim and will be compensated either with cash or with construction sites the state promises to develop.
Representatives of Palestinians and human rights organizations are scheduled to meet this weekend at Neveh Shalom. Bedouin leaders have threatened to take legal action to stop the plan if it is approved.
Leading Palestinian activist Awad Abu Farih has called the plan a disaster that will stoke conflict between the Palestinian residents of the Negev.
Human rights activists also said the measure does not provide recognition of Bedouin natives and forces them to relocate against their will.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | Comments Off on Israel Plans to Expel 30,000 Palestinians
June 5th March Postponed In Lebanon
Israeli soldiers put up new barbed wire near the Lebanese border village of Kfar Kila on Friday June 3, 2011.
By Kevin Murphy | IMEMC and Agencies | June 03, 2011
A high ranking Palestinian leader has told Lebanon Daily Star newspaper that the June 5th march by Palestinian refugees will be postponed due to pressure from the Lebanese government.
The Daily Star report said that organisers of the march did not intend to unsettle Lebanese stability and was not concerned of the timing of the march.
The report claims that US Embassy to Lebanon put the Lebanese government under significant pressure to prevent the march.
Lebanese officials have held meetings with Palestinian leaders to encourage them to cancel moves to repeat the protests to Israel's borders that occurred on Nakba Day this year and left 16 protesters dead.
Israel has threatened Lebanon and Syria in the run up to June 5th to prevent any repeat of the events of Nakba Day which Israel say were coordinated by resistance group Hezbollah, Iran, Syria and Hamas.
The Lebanese military were coordinating with UNIFIL forces on the ground on how best to contain refugees. The military had announced the area surrounding the border to be a closed military zone.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Solidarity and Activism | Comments Off on June 5th March Postponed In Lebanon
Jewish colonists attack Palestinian villagers in Nablus and Ramallah districts
Palestine Information Center – 03/06/2011
NABLUS, RAMALLAH — Dozens of fanatic Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian villagers to the south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus resulting in clashes in which two Palestinians were injured and three others were arrested by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Hebrew sources said that dozens of settlers from Havat Gilad, which is built on confiscated Palestinian land belonging to the villagers of Kasra and neighbouring villages, attacked Palestinian homes at a late hour Thursday resulting in the injury of two Palestinians who were taken to hospital for treatment.
Local sources said that the IOF intervened to protect the settlers and arrested three Palestinian youth who clashed with the attacking settlers.
Meanwhile, fanatic Jewish settlers carried out provocative acts on Friday morning in the village of Deir Nithanto the north west of the southern West Bank city of Ramallah
Locals said that a large number of settlers from Hamlish settlement close to the village are roaming the streets and fields of the village and are provoking the Palestinian villagers by writing racist graffiti and hanging Israeli flags on trees.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation, Subjugation - Torture | Comments Off on Jewish colonists attack Palestinian villagers in Nablus and Ramallah districts
Obama Regime Issues Official Statement Against Gaza-bound Flotilla
By Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies – June 03, 2011
The US State Department issued an official statement reiterating its objection to the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla, and stating that it raised the issue with the government of Turkey, as the United States believes that flotilla and any ship sailing to Gaza "would be regarded as an act of provocation".
The State Department justified its stance by claiming that an "effective mechanism" is already in place to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the coastal region.
Deputy spokesperson of the State Department, Mark Toner, stated during a press briefing in Washington that the United States warned Turkey against organisations trying to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.
Toner said that the groups and individuals who aim at breaking the Israeli maritime siege on the Gaza Strip are conducting what he dubbed as "provocative and irresponsible actions that could lead to violence".
He added that any supplies meant to be sent to Gaza must go through what he called the "efficient mechanisms that have been established".
Toner refused to comment on the possibility that Israel will, once again, attack the flotilla and said that such questions should be directed to the Israeli government . He stated; "actions and attempts to break the blockade on Gaza are provocative", adding that "the United States does not want to see anybody harmed".
Last week, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, sent letters to Mediterranean countries urging them to stop the ships and to discourage human rights activists from sending the new flotilla.
He also called on Israel to act in a responsible manner to avoid violence, similar to last year's deadly Israeli attack against the Mavi Marmara Turkish ship, one of the Freedom Flotilla ships, that was violently attacked and boarded by Israeli commandos who killed nine Turkish activists and wounded several others.
June 3, 2011 Posted by aletho | Progressive Hypocrite, Subjugation - Torture, War Crimes | Comments Off on Obama Regime Issues Official Statement Against Gaza-bound Flotilla
RN Nicole Sirotek shares what she saw on the front lines in NYC
For more videos go to the Aletho News – Video Category
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Why have we doctors been silent?
By Lucie Wilk | TCW Defending Freedom | November 15, 2021
AS an NHS hospital doctor, I have had a front-row seat as the drama of the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded. It has been a year and a half of confusion, frustration and anger for me as I've watched our profession drawn into complicity with what I anticipate will be regarded as one of the most egregious public health disasters in history.
I have watched as 'the science' has been presented on the national stage flanked by Union Jack flags as an unassailable truth. For something so apparently inviolable, it seems to shift and change disconcertingly from week to week, and for those of us looking beneath the pomp to the plain data, we see the rather unexciting (and unchanging) truth: the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, as it turns out, has a much lower infection fatality rate than early predictions. It is less deadly than the seasonal flu in children. The Office for National Statistics has reported the mean age of a Covid-attributed death in the UK to be 80.3 years, slightly older than deaths from other causes (78.2 years over the comparable time period).
What has been most upsetting for me has been the unquestioning compliance from the medical community as increasingly draconian, non-evidence-based and destructive virus control measures have been implemented. Some of the overt corruption, financial conflict of interests and politicisation has been laid bare in editorials in prominent medical journals such as the BMJ. But the vast majority of doctors have had no interest in asking questions or looking further.
My concern over our professional passivity turned to alarm as our compliance required us to support the roll-out of an experimental vaccine to a trusting population. … continue
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Most of the Greek population recognizes just what has been happening as this scenario has unfolded over the past year. "Papandreou himself has admitted we had no say in the economic measures thrust upon us," said Manolis Glezos on the left. "They were decided by the EU and IMF. We are now under foreign supervision and that raises questions about our economic, military and political independence." On the right wing of the political spectrum, conservative leader Antonis Samaras said on May 27 as negotiations with the European troika escalated: "We don't agree with a policy that kills the economy and destroys society. … There is only one way out for Greece, the renegotiation of the [EU/IMF] bailout deal."
But the EU creditors upped the ante: To refuse the deal, they threatened, would result in a withdrawal of funds causing a bank collapse and economic anarchy.
The Greeks refused to surrender quietly. Strikes spread from the public-sector unions to become a nationwide "I won't pay" movement as Greeks refused to pay road tolls or other public access charges. Police and other collectors did not try to enforce collections. The emerging populist consensus prompted Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker to make a similar threat to that which Britain's Gordon Brown had made to Iceland: If Greece would not knuckle under to European finance ministers, they would block IMF release of its scheduled June tranche of its loan package. This would block the government from paying foreign bankers and the vulture funds that have been buying up Greek debt at a deepening discount.
To many Greeks, this is a threat by finance ministers to shoot themselves in the foot. If there is no money to pay, foreign bondholders will suffer – as long as Greece puts its own economy first. But that is a big "if." Socialist Prime Minister Papandreou emulated Iceland's Social Democratic Sigurdardottir in urging a "consensus" to obey EU finance ministers. "Opposition parties reject his latest austerity package on the grounds that the belt-tightening agreed in return for a €110bn ($155bn) bail-out is choking the life out of the economy."
At issue is whether Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and the rest of Europe will roll back democratic reform and move toward financial oligarchy. The financial objective is to bypass parliament by demanding a "consensus" to put foreign creditors first, above the economy at large. Parliaments are being asked to relinquish their policy-making power. The very definition of a "free market" has now become centralized planning – in the hands of central bankers. This | 647 |
« റാവുവിന്റെ �<|fim_middle|> Research, Bangalore. E-mail: [email protected])
Courtesy of news: The Hindu Nov 27, 2006 | �ാദം വെബ് സൈറ്റില് വലിയ ചര്ച്ചകള്ക്ക് വഴിവെച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു
ഇന്ഡ്യന് റബ്ബര് കയറ്റുമതി അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര വിലയിടിക്കുവാന് »
A Topic for Discussion
Our value system and the future of India
What is needed is society's commitment to all spheres of creative activity so that a balanced future for the country is assured.
IN THE last few years, I have noticed a tendency in the media, in the Government, and in society to give undue importance and much publicity to commercial successes, foreign investment, sensex, profits in the IT sector, new billionaires, and such matters, like nowhere else in the world. Great recognition is given to salaries being offered to IIM graduates. There are frequent competitions in the media to pick the most popular personality in the country or in any given city. The choices given are so skewed, that only sports personalities, cine stars, and business leaders hit the spotlight. Nowhere in the world do sportsmen earn as much as in India through sponsorship. The heroes of today therefore appear to be those who have made big money or have been successful in commercial ventures. Nobody can be jealous or critical of these things, but it is a matter of concern that repeated recognitions of this sort have affected our value system seriously and changed it into one that is mercenary and commercial. This situation does not augur well for the future of the country.
With all the difficulties that we have had in the last few decades, India has continued to progress as one country, by and large because of our Indianness. Indianness involves aspects other than money and commercial successes. Furthermore, if we want India of the future to be a country that is advanced in all spheres, we have to take greater pride in intellectual and creative accomplishments. It is therefore important that our leaders, politicians, intellectuals, teachers, and others should talk about these matters in public and highlight our innovations in science, arts and literature, theatre, and other aspects related to human creativity.
One is not asking for monetary support here, but moral support, and a commitment of society to all spheres of creative activity so that a balanced future for the country is assured. As a country with great traditions as well as cultural and philosophical content, we cannot forget this aspect. When we see what has happened in the last few years to cities such as Bangalore, my worries become real. Bangalore is slowly losing its soul. We see large numbers of young people busily moving around, making money from BPO, IT, and other service sectors, but there is hardly any concern about other matters. There is still a chance for us to develop a country of a different kind.
I am, by no means, downgrading or undermining the importance of economic development and industrial growth, but if our primary concern is only FDI, commercial benefits, and the number of millionaires in the country, it will distort our development as a society and the values of young people. Young people should be encouraged to take up studies of their liking, get involved in creative endeavours in whatever sphere they like most, since we do need extraordinary people in all spheres, for a great India of the future. It is not enough if we routinely create professionals and managers.
It would be good to see a great scientist talking to Parliament once a year; a literary personality or a theatre personality should do the same. It would be nice to hear the Prime Minister and other important persons talking about our efforts and accomplishments in various creative directions and about the vision of a great India, in speeches on Independence Day and other occasions. It is not enough if we say that India will be an international centre for producing machines and materials or for a specific service sector. It is not enough if we take pride in the export of certain goods from India. In these days of economic boom, we should think equally about export of ideas and philosophical thoughts from India, if we have to be a major global player in a future knowledge-powered world.
Let us not forget that the countries in past history that we admire most are not necessarily the economically prosperous ones, but those that made major contributions to our cultural heritage. Our aim should be to make India a country that is recognised throughout the world and throughout history as a country that has significantly advanced the progress of science, art, and literature.
Our rulers and planners should therefore come out with an enlightened policy that provides the environment necessary for scientific discoveries and creative successes. While government funds generally imply greater control and less freedom, we need to create a general atmosphere where there is the realisation that good accounting, while necessary, does not lead to good science, art or poetry.
(The writer is National Research Professor & Linus Pauling Research Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific | 1,090 |
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I read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago about the shortage of mussels on the US Eastern seaboard this winter. It wasn't the usual sad story<|fim_middle|>ussels back into the broth and serve with rice, crusty bread, or glass noodles.
*Lemongrass can be found in specialty markets. It will lend a slightly floral, citrus flavor to your broth. If you can't find it, don't sweat it. This broth will have plenty of flavor without it.
This entry was posted in appetizer, lunch, main and tagged beer broth, broth, chile, coconut milk, mussels, seafood, thai. Bookmark the permalink. | of overfishing. Instead, the heavy ice caused by the brutal winter simply made them difficult to harvest. The fisherman just couldn't get to them. Luckily, the thaw has brought them back to market shelves in their usual numbers.
The article got me thinking about two things. First thing was, I am so glad those waters have thawed, along with the ice dams clogging up my gutters, the street plow-imposed glacier blocking my driveway, and all twenty of my fingers and toes.
The second thing the article got me thinking about was how much I love mussels. To celebrate, I decided to make myself a bowl for lunch. While this may sound like it was extravagant and time consuming, I assure you it was not. Belgian style mussels (or the Thai influenced version I have created here) are actually super easy to prepare. Now I know you've heard that before from many a food writer, but this time I really mean it. There's hardly any chopping prep involved and the whole thing needs to cook for no more than 12 minutes, tops.
And don't forget, mussels are "the poor man's oyster." That is, they are very inexpensive to buy, usually around 3 to 4 dollars per pound. And they are plentiful. This is not a seafood that presents an ecological dilemma for you at the fish market. You can feel guilt-free purchasing this bivalve.
For that kind of time and monetary investment, I think the return is pretty darn good. If this is not exactly midweek lunch fare for you, try it out on a Friday night for a romantic dinner in, or whip it up for a really fine looking appetizer when you've got friends coming round for dinner.
In a large wok or deep saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chile, and lemongrass (if you are using). Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until softened. Increase the heat to medium and add the beer and sugar. Bring just to the boil. Pour in the mussels, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the mussels to a large bowl, discarding any that have not opened. Remove the lemongrass stalk.
To the broth in the wok, add the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, and cilantro. Cook, without boiling, for 2 minutes. Pour the m | 521 |
Any Other Business »
If you can't take the heat...
Author Topic: If you can't take the heat... (Read 3157 times)
RacingHippo
A Zoo full of Chocolate Animals
Pygmy Hippo loves word-play. A day is not complete if he hasn't made at least three "puns"*.
Yesterday, whilst getting changed after his swimming lesson, he started singing:
"Take the heat, it's alright, it's alright."
Since this is the only lyric he knows from Wonderland, he just repeated again and again.
After a few times he changed it:
"I repeat: It's alright, it's alright."
We had a giggle about that.
"Go on," I said, "what else can you think of instead of 'Take the heat'?"
So we had:
"Very neat! It's alright, it's alright."
"What a treat! It's alright, it's alright."
"On the street it's alright, it's alright."
And what any gentleman would say to an old lady who'd just got on the bus:
"Take my seat - It's alright, it's alright!"
But my favourite was a double-whammy:
"I'm a sheep; It's alright, it's alright.
I go bleat! It's alright, it's<|fim_middle|> S"
Hahaha :twisted:
Gandalf1986
Pink Wafer
That made me think of Acoustic Treat :lol:
You talk
You think you own me
You miss the point completely
These things I do they\'re not for you
I\'m sick and I\'m tired
Leave me alone...[/b]
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. - Pedro | alright."
I reckon I've got a lyricist in the making here
* I'd cite examples, but they'd make even Pedro cringe.
* May contain nuts.
Iced Gem
Re: If you can't take the heat...
I'll expect Dec to sing that version at the Peel!
Come on, you\'re a lion!
Chocolate Hob Nob
Quote from: "RacingHippo"
"I'm a sheep; It's alright, it's alright."
"I go bleat! It's alright, it's alright."
:lol: :lol:
'tis a cracker!
| Chris |
kaide
Rich Tea
Quote from: "D | 135 |
C<|fim_middle|>) | IAF 2018 wrap up
Umbrella has showcased work by Townsville artists at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) since the Fair began nine years ago and this year was our most successful yet. A diverse range of artworks were featured including prints, paintings and intricate Daris and masks by six artists including Martina Ah Sam, Toby Cedar, Shirley Dawson, Gail Mabo, Tommy Pau, and Obery Sambo. The high caliber of the Umbrella display attracted significant sales during the preview opening for museums, curators and collectors. Of particular note, the Bendigo Art Gallery purchased a shark mask by Toby Cedar which marks its first acquisition of a 'traditional' style Torres Strait Island artwork into their permanent collection. Overall exposure for Umbrella artists was substantial, with over 45,000 people attending the fair. Total sales for Umbrella in 2018 are the highest they have been in any year so far which is a wonderful achievement. Obery Sambo and Gail Mabo gave artist talks during the fair to audiences very keen to hear more about their work, and Tommy Pau delivered workshops as part of the broader Fair. Our participation in CIAF provided a great opportunity for Umbrella staff to deepen relationships with the Indigenous Art Centres, other galleries/arts organisations, museums, funding bodies and artists present which will lead to future potential collaboration and partnerships.
Also flying the flag for Townsville at this year's Fair was St Patrick's College who had a small stall within the marketplace. Their high school students have been creating some beautiful artworks including ceramics, and their Principal Pauline Skerman should be commended for her decision to invest in this significant showcase opportunity for her Indigenous students. We hope to see them there again next year!
Over the past nine years CIAF has grown from its original Art Fair at The Tanks Art Centre and other local art spaces to encompass a wide-ranging arts event across Cairns. It now includes an art fair and art market; satellite exhibitions curated by its Artistic Director Janina Harding working with other galleries; awards; a fashion parade; films and theatre, as well as the Indigenous dance and music performances that have enriched the event since its beginnings. The CIAF Art Fair proper, now housed in the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal (a spacious converted wharf with a stunning backdrop of blue sea and green mountains) was very impressive. This year Umbrella's team on the ground consisted of new Director Kellie Williams, and long-time Gallery and Media Coordinator Angela Little. With this year's install schedule being brought forward by a day, Kellie and Angela had one day to attend satellite exhibitions held by galleries outside of the Cruise Liner Terminal, to connect with curators and gallery directors and conduct an audit of art spaces/business models within Cairns. This benchmarking work will feed back into Umbrella's planning for the future.
Many thanks to the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments, through which our involvement in CIAF is made possible. We look forward to another successful year in 2019
Kellie Williams
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One of the founders of Drum and Bass and most certainly the founder of Jump Up DnB (with his track Warhead), Krust<|fim_middle|> Warhead for example) and with friends Roni Size & DJ Die made the label the phenomenon it is today. While Krust was signed to V Recordings, he and Roni Size set up their own imprint called Full Cycle Records, which became one of the leading record labels in Drum and Bass. Near the end of the nineties, Roni Size formed a collective called Reprazent, which Krust and other Full Cycle members were a part of. Through the 2000s, Krust continued to make well received tracks such as a remix of the Roni Size song Snapshot (renamed Snapped It), Kloaking King, Follow Da Vision, and many others. In 2006, Krust relocated to London and took time off from producing. In 2008, the Full Cycle camp decided that they wanted to go their separate ways, so the label was shut down. But in 2010, Krust started producing again, and teamed up with friend Nick Toots, to create a band called the "The Rules", and his own imprint called Rebel Instinct. | was brought up on a council estate called Knowle West, in the city of Bristol. Krust earned respect through countless releases on V Recordings (the classic track | 33 |
A gentle dry-skin body brushing session before a shower to rev circulation and stimulate lymph drainage is incredibly beneficial. Begin at the feet with short strokes and then long sweeping movements towards the heart. Do this for three minutes. Skin will be super smooth with a rosy glow. Dry brushing is great for getting<|fim_middle|> the product is suited to your skin type. Before applying anything else, make sure the skin is first fed with a vitamin A enriched product.
Body cleansers (even gentle ones) remove essential oils that keep skin soft and supple and warm water can dehydrate skin. Therefore a generous layer of moisturising cream, applied soon after showering or bathing, will lock in moisture and assist in preventing skin dehydration.
Be careful not to neglect your hands and feet. Cracked heels and rough, red and chapped hands can be very painful and endanger ones health, as rampant bacteria can cause all sorts of nasty infections and inflammation.
Protect feet with rich creams especially formulated to keep feet soft and dry and reapply rich, fast-absorbing hand cream every time hands are washed. Rub cuticle oil into cuticles and nails at least three times a week to prevent torn skin and dried out nails. | rid of water retention too. Do this 2-3 times a week.
Nothing beats a fine-textured oil to penetrate and deeply soothe dry skin. Applying it onto warm, damp skin straight after a bath or shower is more effective than pouring oil into the bath. This is the best opportunity to provide skin with those wonderful vitamins which the cells adore and thrive on.
The same care in terms of selecting a body moisturiser should be exercised that would be used for the face. Select the very best within ones budget and ensure that | 107 |
Recently, I wrote about Brainstorm, commenting on its connections to classic film noir. Another movie from the same decade, albeit a few years earlier, with an arguably stronger affiliation to the world of noir is Cape Fear (1962). Sourced from the hard-boiled, pulpy writing of John D MacDonald, the film is a merciless examination of some of the darkest areas of human nature. While almost all the varied aspects of the filmmaking process, and the artists and craftsmen involved, blend together to produce the finished product, much of its power derives from the central performance of Robert Mitchum. For a man who initially didn't want to do the picture, Mitchum fully inhabits his part and brings a level of feral brutality to the character that makes Max Cady one of the most memorable and formidable villains the screen has known.
The story is a relatively simple tale of revenge and retribution, a face-off not only between the principal<|fim_middle|>'s script keep things moving along fast enough to paper over many of the plot holes and gaps in logic. The action scenes are well filmed, but then you would expect that from Thompson. There's also some fantastic location photography from veteran cinematographer Joe MacDonald but, despite that, there's too much reliance on obvious back projection. The only real complaint I have is one shockingly bad effects shot which involves a rope bridge and what looks like an Action Man tied to a toy horse.
OK, this is no masterpiece of cinema but, as I said, it is a movie that I have fond memories of and I'm willing to overlook or forgive many of its faults. Perhaps others who came to it later in life would not be so generous. Sony's DVD of Mackenna's Gold is a reasonable transfer. I have the R2 which is anamorphic scope (I have heard that the R1 may be a pan and scan effort – if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me) and it is generally clear but the process shots do stick out like a sore thumb. | characters but between the law and justice too. Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a successful lawyer, married with a teenage daughter and living in some comfort. A typical noir scenario frequently sees the protagonist cornered by circumstance, and what better way to achieve that than to have the past come crashing violently into the present. In Sam Bowden's case the unwelcome past is represented by the swaggering, cigar-chomping figure of Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), a man who's spent eight years in prison on the basis of Bowden's testimony against him. The question of his own guilt doesn't occur to Cady, he simply regards himself as a victim of Bowden's meddling and is thus intent on exacting vengeance for what he considers a life denied him. From his first encounter with Bowden outside the courthouse, a mock affability barely concealing his threats, Cady becomes omnipresent in the attorney's life. Everywhere he goes, his arrogant nemesis seems to follow, and the veiled intimidation is gradually cranked up with each successive meeting. With the danger to his family becoming ever more apparent, Bowden turns to his friends in the police department in the hopes of using his establishment connections to rid himself of Cady. However, if he thinks he can bend the law to his benefit, he soon finds out how mistaken that assumption is – Cady is clever, cunning and more than capable of turning the tools of Bowden's trade back on him. Bit by bit, the lawyer is drawn, through mounting desperation, towards that fine line between legality and criminality. Ultimately, Cady's goading will lead him right up to the rim of the moral abyss and dare him to take that final fateful step.
J Lee Thompson had begun his directing career in British cinema a decade earlier and had made a number of films which showed he had a talent for both action and suspense. While working on The Guns of Navarone, he so impressed star Gregory Peck that he was promptly asked to take charge of this film. There are action sequences in Cape Fear, particularly during the harrowing climax, but it's primarily a suspense picture, a dread infused journey of terror and moral compromise. As Bernard Herrmann's ominous score pounds away, Thompson smoothly dials up the tension in tantalizing increments – clever cutting and camera setups lending an air of danger to such mundane and traditionally secure settings as the family home and the daughter's school. And cameraman Sam Leavitt plays his part too, alternating between the sun drenched Savannah locations where Sam Bowden walks tall and proud as a leading citizen, and the inky shadows of his home and later the river as his thoughts turn to subverting the law which he serves in order to protect his family.
I said at the start that Cape Fear is a film which benefits from fine work all round. Peck was always good at portraying upright, heroic types. The role of Sam Bowden was a comfortable fit for him, and he catches the slight stiffness that makes the character ever so vaguely unlikable very well; Peck had the ability to convey a kind of prim smugness at times, a quality which fits in nicely in the early stages when he's calling in favors from Martin Balsam's accommodating police chief in an effort to run Cady out of town. I found it interesting that Lee Server's biography claims Mitchum regarded the Peck character as the bad guy until the brutality of the second half of the film clarifies matters. Actually, it not so hard to see where he was coming from with that theory as the story has the establishment figures closing ranks against the outsider in the early stages. Of course the full extent of Cady's depravity and ruthlessness is starkly revealed as the story unfolds, but that faint touch of ambiguity at the beginning adds further interest to my mind.
Regardless of the solid work from Peck, Polly Bergen, Telly Savalas, Lori Martin, Barrie Chase et al, it's really Mitchum's show all the way. He'd proved how well he could take on villainous roles in Charles Laughton's dreamy and magical The Night of the Hunter but I feel playing Max Cady saw him step up to another level altogether. He's genuinely electrifying every time he appears on screen, strutting and swaggering and dominating every frame with his sheer physicality. To refer again to the Server biography, it's said that he invested himself in the role so deeply that he terrified Barrie Chase – something that's clearly visible in the movie itself – and almost had to be restrained during the climactic assaults on both Bergen and Peck. The film was remade 30 years later by Martin Scorsese, with Robert De Niro as Cady, and featuring cameos by both Mitchum and Peck, but it didn't work anywhere near as well for me. That remake, despite attempts to add some intriguing new aspects to the characters' relationships, suffers badly from a cartoonish performance by De Niro that pales before the raw dynamism of Mitchum's work – the sheer primal power of the man burns itself into your memory.
I just recently watched the film again on Blu-ray, which I picked up bundled with the remake for a very good price, and it benefits from the increased resolution but not in any startling way. If Cape Fear isn't generally referred to as film noir, then it comes awfully close as far as I'm concerned. It's dark, brooding and tough – the ending does see justice prevail, just, but it comes at a heavy price and nobody really walks away unscathed. For anyone laboring under the illusion that Mitchum tended to phone in his performances, or that J Lee Thompson was simply Cannon fodder, Cape Fear ought to put those myths permanently to rest.
Ice Cold in Alex
June 29, 2008 August 4, 2017 / Colin / 6 Comments
What makes a good war film? At its best, the war movie goes beyond mere action, heroism and patriotism. It provides the opportunity to show real human drama and real human frailty under the most extreme circumstances. The small, everyday, mundane struggles between individuals, and within individuals, play against the backdrop of the larger conflict. There is also the matter of character and how its strength or weakness can shape the course of events and the direction of men's lives. The British film industry has succeeded in producing some fine war movies, and Ice Cold in Alex (1958) is no exception. This is no epic production; it really only deals with the experiences of four people yet it touches on some very big themes, not the least of which are honour and decency.
It's 1942, Rommel's Afrika Korps are racing across North Africa, and Tobruk is about to be besieged. Captain Anson (John Mills) is a man nearing the end of his tether, both physically and mentally. The unrelenting hardship of the desert war has driven him to drink, and his dependency on the bottle, while superficially steadying his nerves, threatens to undermine his judgment. Having been ordered to take his ambulance out of Tobruk before the siege begins, he finds himself faced with an overland trek to Alexandria accompanied by the phlegmatic Sergeant Major Pugh (Harry Andrews) and two nurses (Sylvia Sims & Diane Clare). Along the way they pick up an Afrikaaner, Van Der Poel (Anthony Quayle) who proves to be an asset in a number of situations. It's Van Der Poel's ability to speak German which gets them out of a tricky spot when Anson panics and tries to outrun an enemy patrol. However, the incident leads to the death of one of the nurses and Anson's subsequent pledge to lay off the liquor until they reach Alex, where he'll buy them all an ice cold beer.
Reaching their destination will be no easy task though. Rommel's troops are advancing faster than expected and, as town after town falls, they must race to keep one step ahead. From this point on Anson's war is no longer against an army; he must instead battle the hostile environment, suspicion and his own weakness. With the ambulance damaged, the water supply diminishing and the temperatures rising, he is forced into taking a route across The Depression, a vast desert quagmire, where one false step would spell disaster. Even as the little group pulls together to overcome each challenge nature throws at them, the seeds of suspicion are growing. Is Van Der Poel all that he claims to be?
Although the fate of the group ultimately depends on the calm resourcefulness of Pugh and the brute strength of Van Der Poel, it is Anson that you find yourself rooting for. It is a tribute to the skill of John Mills that the viewer feels such sympathy for what should be an unsympathetic character. After all, the man's a drunk and his early recklessness causes the death of one of his charges. Yet, for all that, Mills manages to bring out the finer points of the man. There is a sense of real pain when he sees how his actions have led to tragedy for the unfortunate nurse. Throughout the film he's all twitches and nerves and doubts and regrets and hopes – in short, a human being. Harry Andrews is all square-jawed grit and resolve; if you found yourself in a tight spot you'd love to have this guy by your side. Anthony Quayle also fits his role perfectly as the ebullient Afrikaaner who relishes every opportunity to show off his physical powers. Yet, all the while, those piggy little eyes dart around and you wonder what's going on behind them. Sylvia Sims is the epitome of sweetness and practicality as she falls for Mills and, more importantly, believes in him and encourages him to believe in himself. J. Lee Thompson does his usual professional job in the director's chair and makes good use of the North African locations. He manages to generate real suspense in some set piece scenes such as the navigation of the minefield and the nightmarish struggle in the quicksand. He also gets across the sense of dry, dusty heat and you feel the same relief as the characters do when John Mills sits on the bar stool in Alexandria and eyes that famous glass of Carlsberg.
Ice Cold in Alex is available on DVD in R2 from Optimum as part of their War Collection line. It's a very nice anamorphic transfer in the correct 1.66:1 ratio. It's a barebones affair as usual from Optimum but the quality of the film itself is enough to sell it, and it can normally be picked up cheaply. This is no action packed affair, it's more of a character study and an excellent example of the British war film at its best. It succeeds in delivering a deeply satisfying ending and one that serves to reinforce the basic decency of man. And who better to portray that decency than John Mills.
Well, time to roll out one of my guilty pleasures. Mackenna's Gold (1969) is one of those movies I saw as a youngster and which has entertained me ever since. Everyone knows that the age at which you first see a film is a major factor influencing how much you appreciate it. When I was a little boy this film seemed like the best western I'd ever seen. It had everything you could ask for: a strong hero, a roguish villain, cavalry, Mexican bandits, menacing Apaches, and lots of action. I'm a good deal older and more jaded now and I no longer think it's a great western, but it is a great fun western. Sure, I can see all it's shortcomings now and, if I wanted to be coldly objective, I could probably savage it. But I don't feel like being objective; this movie was a genuine childhood pleasure and I intend to hang on to the memory.
There's a great opening sequence with Joe MacDonald's camera swooping and soaring over a primal western landscape to the accompaniment of Victor Jory's narration and Jose Feliciano's theme song. Ancient buttes and mesas rise up from the parched desert floor before the circling camera locks onto a lone figure and zooms in on an equally ancient Indian on horseback. This old man, Prairie Dog (Eduardo Ciannelli), is carrying a map that reveals the location of a mythical canyon of gold. Before dying he passes on the map to Marshal MacKenna (Gregory Peck), but the marshal has little faith in such tall tales and promptly burns the document. When he is subsequently captured by an outlaw band led by Omar Sharif, he is forced to lead them to the canyon whose whereabouts he has memorized. As the treasure hunt progresses more people are drawn in, notably a number of the leading citizens of the nearest town. There are ambushes, Indian attacks, betrayals and more before the whole thing wraps up with a psychedelic sunrise and a massive earthquake. And let's not forget there's the very welcome sight of Julie (Catwoman) Newmar stripping off for a swim in among all that.
The acting tends to come second in a piece of fluff like this, and that's pretty much the case here. Gregory Peck is as stoic (those who wish to be unkind might say wooden) as usual in a part that doesn't call for much more than that. Leaving aside the Egyptian cowboy and the Italian Indian, the best bits come from the starry citizenry of the town (Lee J. Cobb, Edward G. Robinson, Anthony Quayle, Burgess Meredith, Raymond Massey and Eli Wallach) although they have little more than cameo roles and don't last too long before being massacred. Telly Savalas was generally worth watching when he got to play a villainous part and he's not bad as a greed fuelled cavalry sergeant.
The direction of J. Lee Thompson, and Carl Foreman | 2,882 |
Photograph 51 - When theatre meets science, and probes the drama behind the discovery of DNA
Spoorthy Raman
Bengaluru Jul 19, 2018, (Research Matters):
Haven't we all heard about DNA, the genetic material that makes who we are? Short for Deoxyribonucleic acid, the DNA is made of two chains that coil around each other forming the double helix structure as we know it today. Although Friedrich Miescher first isolated the DNA molecule in 1869, it was not until 1953 that we understood its structure. Two scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, are well-known for showing us the double-helix structure of the DNA. However, do you know this was all possible also because of the X-ray diffraction data acquired by Raymond Gosling, who was a student of Rosalind Franklin? Why don't we often hear these two names?
That's the plot of the play called Photograph 51, the flagship production by Bangalore Little Theatre. This award-winning play by Anna Ziegler, being produced for the first time in India, is the 16th play under the History of Ideas programme. It is about the ambition, isolation, and the race for greatness—something that is seen in any workplace, let alone in the run to win the Nobel Prize!<|fim_middle|>con, VITM and RRI to confirm the dates.
So, ready to grab your tickets? You can book them on BookMyShow or purchase them at the venue. For further details, please contact Poornima Kannan (9880791171) or Archana Kariappa (9789088904) | The title of the play comes from Photograph 51, the nickname given to an X-ray diffraction image taken by Raymond Gosling in May 1952, under the supervision of Rosalind Franklin.
"The History of Ideas programme is a principal vehicle for the Public Awareness thrust of Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation, a registered Public Charitable Trust. It is an international programme in collaboration with renowned playwrights from different parts of the world. The essence of the programme is the production of plays based on the lives of great personalities who have contributed significantly to human thought in a demanding historical context", says Poornima Kannan from Bangalore Little Theatre.
The play is directed by Sridhar Ramanathan and Archana Kariappa and has about 12 artists playing different roles. The organisers have arranged for public shows in various theatres across Bangalore and also at various scientific institutes across the city. Pointing out that theatre is "an effective medium to share stories of science and influence society", Ms Kannan says the program aims to "achieve a wide public reach for inspiration regarding creative human endeavour and Public awareness regarding the shaping of societies".
Photograph 51 is not just an endeavour by artists; there are also eminent scientists involved in the making of the play. "We reached out to Prof. P. Balaram, former Director of IISc, who in turn put us in touch with Prof. Manju Bansal. Prof Bansal is an X-ray crystallographer herself, and she enlightened us on the intricacies of the techniques and the life of someone at that time", recounts Ms Kannan.
The play is scheduled to premiere on July 22nd at Alliance Francaise. Over the next month, there are many public and in-house shows at Alliance Francaise, Jagriti and Ranga Shankara. There are also invited shows in institutions across the city. "We would be open to performing the play in any venue as long as there is interest in the audience to learn more about the 'Secret of Life'", says Ms Kannan.
Here is the confirmed schedule so far:
Alliance Francaise - 22nd July
Jagriti - 27, 28 and 29th July
Christ University - 3rd August
British Council - 12 August
NCBS - 17th August
The organisers are working with other institutes like IISc, RRI, JNCSAR, Infosys, Bio | 509 |
TokyoBunnie: New Mythicals from Monster Factory!
New Mythicals from Monster Factory!
Remember the adorable Mythicals plush Kickstarter last year from Monster Factory that resulted in the wonderful mythical beings Carl the Yeti, Jeff the<|fim_middle|> Feliz the Cyclops, and Martha the Ghost!
A Cyclops named Felix. Felix would rather suffer the discomfort of not being able to see clearly than have to wear his glasses in public.
A ghost named Martha. Rarely seen during daylight hours, Martha has been a night owl her entire… um… life?
This new squad of magical creatures officially launches on October 26th, but are currently available for pre-order via monsterfactory.net. You can also find and buy the rest of the Mythicals on the site as well! | Pegasus, Spencer the Dragon, Margot the Unicorn, Louie the Monster, and Miranda the Sea Monster? Now, there's some new characters being added to this merry band of misfits!
Meet...Paul the Minotaur, | 48 |
International Style. Texas Hospitality. The tagline for Fashion<|fim_middle|> Houston designer Aries Milan (Kate Kills Pretty) and Chloe Dao who rocked the show. We went on two nights and enjoyed two great shows in fashionable style. Here are few photos of the shows. By far, of all the lines we saw and the sooo many I loved, the one that I will rush to the store to get a piece of is Bibhu Mohapatra! His line made me want to literally jump on stage and give him a hug and two kisses - his pieces are so me - Classically Chic! | Houston and for the second year you couldn't disagree. Prints and colors hit the runway and Houston designers Aries Milan, Cesar Galindo, Chloe Dao and Jerri Moore showcased to the world that fashion in Houston is world class. So, fashion week in Houston has come and gone and only the dust lingers. My friend and I had a great time. We sipped cocktails with Carmen Marc Valvo and met Cesar Galindo and our very own, local | 94 |
Hacksaw Ridge Review
Posted on November 6, 2016 January 22, 2017 by ingloriousreviewsblog
There are so many things that are great about Hacksaw Ridge that I didn't know where to start. Here's how good Hacksaw Ridge was, people were applauding once the movie was finished. While I didn't applaud, I was with them. I have never heard that at my local cinema before. It's a war movie that glorified the human spirit.
Andrew Garfield plays Desmond T. Doss who is a Seventh-day Adventist and enlists for w
ar duty during the second world war as a medic. The problem is that Doss is a conscientious objector to firearms and wants to save lives instead of killing. So it follows the true story on how he saved more than 70 lives during the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge.
Everything that was great about Hacksaw Ridge I think draws down to director Mel Gibson. He has helped the careers of every actor on the set with this movie. Every actor had a career peak that has sort of gone by the wayside and Gibson has put them back on the map at least in my mind.
Not a Single Bad Performance- Not Just the Actors
The intro to Vince Vaughn's character as he goes into Full Metal Jacket mode.
As a matter of fact, everyone did a great job, from the grip to the director. The script-writing was so brilliant that they even thought about passing one-liner that 99% of movies don't pay attention to. Every line no matter how<|fim_middle|>Goodman alone was so good that for thirty minutes in, I thought 10 Cloverfield Lane was going to top Green Room. That was until the last fifteen minutes.
The last fifteen minutes has been debatable for those who have seen 10 Cloverfield Lane whether it was a good ending or not. I thought the ending was underwhelming. The ending didn't fit well tonally with everything prior to it. It's almost completely rooted outside to the movie's internal logic. I believe it was just a way to set up a sequel and not a suitable conclusion.
Nevertheless, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a good thriller with great memorable moments and has a great performance from the great John Goodman but because of the ending, I believe it is inferior to Green Room. 10 Cloverfield does achieve what a thriller sets out to do: To immerse us through jarring intensity ***3/4
Posted in All the inglorious reviews of the summer1 Comment | small and insignificant had some humanity or humor in it. By the end, you really feel like you know every single character.
To achieve the goal of making every character meaningful needs not just a great script but great actors too. Gibson gets the best out of Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer and so many others that it is just so enthralling to have such an ensemble to bring their best foot forward and have so much chemistry that I struggle to see how it won't win awards for best ensemble
Hacksaw Ridge firmly rests on Andrew Garfield's shoulders. I think it's tied with The Social Network as his best performance yet. He is so faithful to this character who is a conscientious objector to guns and fighting, yet enlists in war as a medic. He brings heart and enthusiasm to his performance to such an extent that I yearned for his triumph.
There were also nice surprises too. Vince Vaughn is a really funny guy in Hacksaw Ridge. The scene where his character is introduced as a military Sargent yelling at the Privates at their dorms was straight off Full Metal Jacket. His insults were so funny compared to the weird situations that arose. He was also good at parts where he needed to be dramatic. It's been so long since I have seen him this funny or dramatic.
Oh so Violent and Oh so Good!
That explosion is just the beginning. It's Mel Gibson in his comfort zone
Finally, I have to praise the make-up and the stunt work for the final act in the movie. I must warn you, Hacksaw Ridge is more gory and violent than most war films that I know. I thought it would be because Gibson has also directed movies like The Passion of the Christ. The violence was hard to watch but immersive as well. The make-up guys and stuntmen did a very good job at pushing that envelope between extreme violence and exploitation.
Before watching I thought the movie was going to be great but not at that level. This movie beat Captain America Civil War,it beat Zootopia, and it even beat The Revenant. It is up there with some of the outstanding indie films that I have seen this year and I certainly didn't expect that. I think it's solidly in the tier 2 position on the best war films ever made ****3/4
Posted in Action Movies, November to RememberTagged Andrew Garfield Drama Film Review Hacksaw Ridge Hugo Weaving Inglorious Reviews Mel Gibson Rachel Griffiths Sam Worthington Second World War Vince Vaughn War5 Comments
Cabin Fever (2016) Review
Posted on November 5, 2016 January 6, 2017 by ingloriousreviewsblog
Cabin Fever is one of the laziest movies I have ever seen. It feels as cheap as the movie poster that it's advertised upon. I wrote in my review of Oujia that it was a pleasantly surprising like a four-year-old who colours in a picture inside the lines with shading. Cabin Fever is like a kid who couldn't be bothered to colour the picture in their colouring in a book so the mother photocopied the image and claimed it was their child's work.
Yes, that paragraph is more allegorical as it seems. You see Cabin Fever is a remake of Eli Roth's own movie shot-for-shot from a director called Travis Z. That should ring alarm bells. It's even worse considering Roth's original was a terrible movie in the first place.
Because of that, I don't mind spoiling the whole movie for you. This movie is about a group of teenagers that rent out a cabin by a lake. Throughout the film there a people bleeding all over the place, which is the fever hinted at in the title (the blood looked like paint). Slowly, the teenagers get infected and most of them die until the main protagonist realizes the disease exists solely in the water.
Warning: Basic Film-making Errors Abound
Now aside from the blatant ripoff of Eil Roth ripping off his own movie, you also have to see the DVD menu of this movie (Yes I rented. I do things old school) On the DVD menu it has the same picture of the woman weeping bleed but with the cottage and the colours are washed out (not to build the suspense. It just looks bland). The only option I could select is "Play Feature". That's right. No "Set Up" no "Special Features" and not even "Scene Selection". Just "Play Feature". If "Play Feature" the only option it begs the question "Why is there a title card in the first place"
I am not kidding. This is a screenshot of the title card. I have never seen a title card so cheap-looking and tacky.
The way I have described the setup for this movie sounds attractive for the people who are into campy "so-bad-it's-good" movies. If only it were that interesting. That's because Cabin Fever is made just competently enough that there are no intentional laughs in its cinematic ineptitude. The acting is atrocious, yet it is so bland that I couldn't laugh at it, The "scares" in the movie are not scary at all, and the music is always amplified when a "scary scene" comes up. The only reason I could identify there was a scary scene was because of the music.
Oh and speaking of music, Cabin Fever puts loud distorted music with no build up. Sometimes it was during scenes where the sketchy characters were exchanging dialogue. The music was muffling out the sounds and the words the characters were making. I went for the subtitles, but wouldn't you know there are no subtitles available.
The Causalities
Cabin Fever is the laziest movie of the year. No question. It's even lazier than comedies where the actors improvise. It's even lazier than Norm of the North. This movie is not scary, nor entertaining, nor is it written well. It even goes so far to somehow mess up the sound and it's too lazy to even have "Scene Selection" on its title menu. It is such a terrible cash grab from Eli Roth and he even failed at that. This movie only grossed approximately $40,000. It has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cabin Fever is one of the rare films where absolutely no one wins and everyone loses. It is a void-like abyss. There is nothing on the screen to like and it's not even because it was too gory (The gory scenes looked so fake that I didn't care). Cabin Fever has gone beyond the realms of terrible and has made itself irredeemable in the lazy film making atrocity that was passed off as a theatrical release -***
Posted in Fucking Awful Movies, November to RememberTagged Cabin Fever Eli Roth Inglorious Reviews November to Remember Travis Z1 Comment
The Conjuring 2 Review
Posted on November 4, 2016 by ingloriousreviewsblog
Written by Nelson Cumming
The Conjuring 2 is a rare movie that will be loved by many viewing circles equally. Director James Wan has a little bit of the Hitchcockian psyche in terms of the spirit and enthusiasm in making horror movies and experimenting with them.
The reason being is because Wan did not go the ABC route of a horror story. While The Conjuring 2 is linear, it changes the order of things that kept it interesting and fresh. One of the things The Conjuring 2 does is great character development before the final act. While I think it's generally bad for movies to do this, Wan made it believable.
Like Ouija: Origin of Evil, the movie revolves around a little girl called Janet who gets possessed through playing with an Ouija board. Even though Madison Wolfe is good at playing Janet, The Conjuring 2 does not solely rely on her to make The Conjuring 2 as good as it is.
Instead, there is a cast that all have good parts to play that added to the story. Most important were paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively) who, along with a journalist Maurice Grosse, are the only people who believe the family's story of a demonic spirit. Because of the shared belief system, the relationship between the characters grow. Wan, as I have already mentioned, lets this play out.
The other great thing about The Conjuring 2 is it never runs out of ideas. A horror movie at 130 minutes is rare and there are about seven horror scenes that are almost like set pieces. Each scene was different and they went in between five and ten minutes making every scene feel like a story in of itself.
The movie was really scary because of Wan's deliberate offbeat timing. He knows the spots where you expect the scares to come and does the jump scare a couple of seconds later. That way when I started to relieve myself, thinking nothing scary happened is when Wan strikes us.
The only real problem I have with the Conjuring 2 was pacing issues. The first 40 minutes is a mixture of good horror scenes interspersed with a boring plodding story development. At 130 minutes, the filmmakers could have easily cut 20 minutes off. It would have been a cleaner, tighter film.
Overall I cannot put much crap on The Conjuring 2. The last hour was incredible. I cannot believe just how well it was made with the way James Wan did it. Wan is confident in his abilities and it shows on the screen. It is a great film for Halloween if you pass the 40-minute mark. ****
Posted in November to RememberTagged Film Reviews Inglorious Reviews James Wan Madison Wolfe November to Remember Patrick Wilson The Conjuring 2 Vera Farmiga3 Comments
Ouija: Origin of Evil Review
Posted on November 3, 2016 November 3, 2016 by ingloriousreviewsblog
It's pretty rare that a horror movie franchise does not contract the disease sequelitis. Not only does Ouija: Origin of Evil improve on the original but it beats it by leaps and bounds. The one thing that sprung into my head while watching Ouija: Origin of Evil was how predictable, yet how scary the moments were. If you are the niche demographic that likes horror movies and you like demonic possession on a little girl but without the torture porn and the splatter you will find this movie great to watch.
As flippant as that idea sounds, Ouija: Origin of Evil doesn't resort to lazy jump scares or crappy acting. When I saw the set design and the acting and the selective camera angles it become obvious that the makers cared about what they were making. It was like watching a 4-year-old not only colour in the lines but also got the right colours in the right places. You think "This is amazing, normally their drawings are crap" I had a similarly surprised reaction when I watched this movie
As I have already mentioned, what makes it odd is that it follows nearly every horror cliche in the book right from the setup. The setup is this family who makes a living being fake fortune tellers. After deciding that getting an Ouija board as a good prop do things start to go wrong.
To say that this is a madhouse would be saying something. 95% of the scare scenes relies on the little girl called Doris played by Lulu Wilson. She was absolutely fantastic. She has trumped Neel Sethi from the Jungle Book as the best child actor of the year. The variety of things she says will make you feel bad vibes all around. If you look at her eyes you will know something is wrong. It sets up the suspense.
The girl in the foreground is the film's centerpiece played by Lulu Wilson. This shot is the beginning of the action as the Ouija board is playing for the first time.
They have shot this movie so well. Even though the thrill rides are the suspense and the scares but there are certain, specific camera angles, set up pieces and Easter eggs. It shows the filmmakers cared.
The movie pays homage to the 1960's (the time of the story) by showing the old Universal logo, the old title card and even the cigarette burns on the top right-hand corner of the screen (Signifying to a projectionist to change reels) I looked up at the projection window to see if a projectionist was there despite the fact it was all digital. It felt so authentic.
Finally, I love the way the movie builds. It starts off as slightly unsettling before it goes on into full on scare mode by the climax. The build is what makes the pay-offs work in this movie. If you see the jump scares by themselves, they look really hokey and stupid. The movie will have it's moments where you know they are kicking it up a level and the best was still to come. That is what helps make a good movie
Aside from a crappy predictable ending and minor pacing issues, I gotta admit Ouija: Origin of Evil is great. By the climax, I was cowering in my seat but I was man enough not to scream! What didn't leave me 10 minutes after watching it were the chills running down my spine. ****1/4
Posted in November to RememberTagged Annalise Basso Elizabeth Reaser Film Reviews Hasbro Henry Thomas Inglorious Reviews Lulu Wilson Ouija: Origin of Evil5 Comments
Green Room Review
Green Room is one of the best thrillers of the year.
In his second directorial effort, Jeremy Saulnier has created something as old as the hills but something unique. Green Room is a thriller/horror movie that is incredibly graphic and brutal which is a rare compliment because it's supported by great storytelling, tension, and acting. Green Room just left me in intrigue and suspense nearly the whole way.
Green Room is set in the sketchiest places imaginable. A heavy metal band, who struggle to make money perform at a neo-nazi venue. At the end of their set, the band witnessed a grizzly murder in a small confined room. When the event organizers realize what they have seen they attempt to kill the band members. The band members barricade themselves in the room and that is the set up for the cat-and-mouse game that ensues.
The most surprising and enjoyable aspect to "Green Room" is the performance of Patrik Stewart who plays the leader of the neo-nazi group. Everything he says is either witty, chilling or immersing. Yes that comes with a good script but the way he says all of his lines is flat, cold yet calm. He delivers with a great amount of controlled evil that I greatly respect it, especially since his role is a substantial departure from all his previous work.
The other things that worked are the jump scares and the gruesome scenes I previously mentioned. They made me wince and cringe. In the case of Green Room, making me wince and cringe were good things. It made me more invested in the story. There was just the right amount of gruesome for a good horror movie and it didn't go on exploitation as a lot of horror movies do.
The main flaw that Green Room has, like many other horror films, is the use of old cliches. Without going into too much detail, you know the moment the protagonists leave the safety vessel bad things will happen. You know if the leader of the protagonists says that the group should split up bad things will happen. I saw a couple of scenes (not most) toward the middle where I knew how the scene was going to end. Given that Green Room dies nearly everything else right, the complaint can be easily mitigated. But it does prevent Green Room from being one of the very best of the year.
Overall, Green Room is a great effort from everyone involved from the actors, the set designers, the scriptwriters, and director Jeremy Saulnier. This is easily one of the best horror/thriller films of the year with great intensity and action ****1/2
Posted in November to RememberTagged Anton Anton Yelchin Film Reviews Green Room Patrick Stewart2 Comments
10 Cloverfield Lane Review
I had watched Green Room prior to seeing 10 Cloverfield Lane. Both of them are really good thrillers and both are comparable to each other. I saw both at the correct time and setting (midnight with the lights off) and both were engrossing in its suspense. 10 Cloverfield Lane has a lot of good things going for it.
Explaining the premise and the story would be very complicated without spoiling it so this is going to be very vague. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has just left her husband with the ring on the chest of draws. As she drives away, a car collides with her in an accident that leaves her unconscious. When she wakes up, her leg is chained to a wall in a bunker that Howard (John Goodman) has built.
When John Goodman is on, he is Awesome
The main crux of the movie is the motivations of John Goodman's character so I'll just say there are leanings to suggest that he is a good person that is protecting Michelle "from the outside" or if he has sinister motives to her and Emmit (John Gallagher Jr.) a neighbour that Howard lets in the bunker to protect him "from the outside"
Which is what makes John Goodman so brilliant is that he keeps you guessing. At times I thought he was charming and at other times I thought something was wrong with him as he is an obsessive compulsive conspiracy theorist. He has moments in 10 Cloverfield Lane that make him unsettling and unpredictable. Those moments are the high spots in the movie. The best scene involves a game of charades between him, Emmet and Michelle. He alone makes this movie.
The last 15-20 minutes: uhhh…
| 3,716 |
India is mainly known for its diverse cultures. Even though there is a majority of Hindu religion, there are world-famous Churches and Mosques also. Mughal emperors like Akbar,<|fim_middle|> worshipers at a time. It is the sacred mosque for offering prayers.
Taj-ul- Masjid, It is the one of the largest mosque in the central India town of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. 1,75,000 worshipers can worship at a time.it is an 19th century beautiful Monument. It offers an elegant view of the two white minarets. The Mosque has a pink facade topped by two high octagonal minarets with marble domes. The Mosque has got three huge domes, an arresting main hallway with attractive pillars resembling Mughal architecture. It not only for Muslims even Hindus offer their prayers in this mosque, one should definitely visit this mosque in their lifetime.
Jamali Kamali Mosque, located in the Mehrauli, after Jama-Masjid, it is the most famous mosque. It comprises of two monuments adjacent to each other; one is the mosque and the other is the tomb of Jamali and Kamali. Jamali was greatly regarded. Kamali was an unknown person but not associated with Jamali before. Their names both got tagged together as "JamaliKamali" for the mosque because Jamali-Kamali were buried adjacent to each other. The mosque and tomb got constructed in 1529, In 1535 Jamali got buried in tomb first.it is one of the India's oldest mosque. | Mohammad Gani, and many of them have spread Islamic religion across India. These are the five world famous mosques across India.
A spectacular courtyard with three seventy wooden pillars, the architecture here symbolize the charm of Jama Masjid. It was built-in 1394 AD by Sultan Sikandar Shah Kashmiri Shahmiri. It is a precious gem in treasure of Jammu &Kashmir tourism, it has greenery spread across the Mosque, It Is situated on the nowhatta in middle of old city, It gathers 35,000 people for offering prayers. There is beautiful scenery portrayed when the mosque gets covered in snow during winters. It bangs the first place in India for its scenic beauty by its Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Jama masjid, Delhi is one of the biggest mosques in India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656, it got completed in 1656 AD in old Delhi and was inaugurated by an emperor from Uzbekistan. It has three gigantic gates, four towers and two 40 meters high Minars beautifully crafted with strips of red sandstone and white marble.
More than 25,000 people can offer prayers.There are three domes on the top and by the two Minars. On the floor, a total of 900 black borders get marked for worshippers. It is a masterpiece given to us by Shah-Jahan who built Taj-Mahal.
Hyderabad is famous for Charminar and Golkonda fort but Hyderabad is also famous for its Makkah Masjid. It is the one of the largest mosques in India. It formed the centerpiece around which the Hyderabad city got planned out by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. Of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, insisted bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the sacred site of Islam and used them in construction of the arch of the mosque, thus giving the mosque its name. It is enough to accommodate 10,000 | 430 |
Ni-Cd cells. Build it to suit any size cells or cell capacity and set your own fast or trickle charge rate. It also has overcharge protection including temperature sensing. Ideal for R/C enthusiasts who burn through a lot of batteries.<|fim_middle|> 5mm wide, so it will fit inside a very slim case. It's capable of picking up a pulse only 50mS long and will also detect and hold infrequent pulses when in latch mode. Kit includes PCB and all specified electronic components including pre-programmed PIC. You'll need to add your own case and probe - a clear ballpoint pen.
An advanced pocket sized DMM that is suitable for serious work. It features detachable leads, capacitance and frequency ranges as well as a CATIII rating and non-contact voltage detection. | Kit includes PCB and all specified electronic components.
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This excellent keyless entry system features two independent door strike outputs and will recognise up to 16 separate key fobs. The system incorporates an auto match facility that keeps the coded key fobs synchronised to the receiver and compensates for random button presses while the fobs are out of range. Supplied with solder masked and silk screen printed PCB, two programmed micros, battery and all electronic components. The receiver requires a 12VDC 1.5A power supply. Some SMD soldering is required.
45 Second Voice Recorder Module Kit KC-5454 $23.25 + postage & packing This improved version can now be set up easily to record two, four or eight different messages for random-access playback or a single message for 'tape mode' playback. Also, it now provides cleaner and glitch-free line-level audio output suitable for feeding an amplifier or PA system. It can be powered from any source of 9-14V DC. Supplied with silk screened and solder masked PCB and all electronic components.
Audio Playback Adaptor for CD-ROM Drivesr KC-5459 $37.75 + postage & packing Put those old CD-ROM drives to good use as CD players using this nifty adaptor kit. The adaptor accepts signals from common TV remote controls and operates the audio functions of the drive as easily as you would control a normal CD player. Kit features a double- sided PCB, pre-programmed micro controller, and IDC connectors for the display panel. Supplied with solder masked and screen printed PCB and all required electronic components.
Learn everything there is to know about component recognition and basic electronics with this comprehensive kit. From test leads to solder, everything you need for the construction of this meter is included.
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Most logic probes are designed to operate on the 5V rails that have been around in logic circuits for years.
This design operates on a wide voltage range down to 2.8V so it's suitable for use on the most modern circuits. It's also extremely compact with SMT devices on a PCB only | 476 |
Sarasota-Manatee businesses hit by the pandemic learn new ways<|fim_middle|>The market reopened online April 20.
Realize Bradenton didn't charge vendors and the online market brought in about $25,000 in revenue, Isham said.
The market was online for just seven weeks. While shoppers stroll the stalls on downtown streets now, the lessons learned and the technology won't go to waste.
Isham said Realize Bradenton is using the "base of information" to expand the shop features on its website and is stepping back to refine the online operation.
And, the upside is, like all business owners who adapted on the fly, she and her staff will be ready for whatever comes next.
This story comes from Aspirations Journalism, an initiative of The Patterson Foundation and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to inform, inspire and engage the community to take action on issues related to digital access. | to reach customers
Louis Llovio
When the pandemic reached the United States and businesses across the country were forced to shut down, their owners were left to figure out how to stay afloat.
The Bradenton Farmers' Market was among them.
Farmers, artisans and local shops depended on the market for their livelihood. But with people expected to stay home and no signs of when a lockdown would end, the obvious question was, "What do we do?"
So Realize Bradenton, which operates the market, took it online.
"A switch to the online farmers market was like building a plane while flying it, in a sense," said Johnette Isham, executive director of Realize Bradenton. "It was really, really, really hard. But it was really, really, really worth it."
The economic impact and sudden downturn caused by COVID-19 left business owners reeling and looking for solutions. For many, the most obvious solution was to adapt their traditional storefront to an online shop.
But, like the people at Realize Bradenton, business owners soon realized that switching to e-commerce was not as easy as flipping a switch.
Customers head online
According to the World Trade Organization, the pandemic, and the restrictions that came along with it, have created a worldwide spike in the number of people shopping online.
People with limited access to the internet and technology have a harder time keeping up. The pandemic, the WTO says, "has highlighted the glaring need to bridge the digital divide, both within and across countries, given the central role the digital economy has played during the crisis."
But a lack of digital access isn't just affecting shoppers – it is also a barrier for merchants trying to reach those people.
The WTO found that "many traditional obstacles have become even more obstructive in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include access to online payment solutions ... visibility in online searches, advertising and sales platforms, and the difficulties in gaining consumer trust."
One major component of switching to e-commerce, or even offering curbside pickup, was contactless payments. No-touch payment systems have been around for some time but have not been widely used.
More:Read more about how digital access impacts Sarasota-Manatee.
More:Sarasota libraries will lend internet access through mobile hotspots
The Florida Retail Federation went to work helping get merchants the technology and training they needed.
Concerns over contaminated surfaces furthering the spread of COVID-19 have led to a huge spike in the number of businesses using contactless systems.
"Technologies like point of sale, near field communication and e-signature that allow businesses to process payments safely and securely without contact can be really helpful during times like these," said Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the trade group.
Sixty-seven percent of retailers now offer contactless payment systems, according to a National Retail Federation study. Between January and August, contactless payments have grown 69%.
For business owners, though, a contactless payment system was just one of dozens of considerations when they looked at how to adapt.
And since every business is different, each merchant had to determine what would work best for them.
Then they had to figure out how to do it.
On Anna Maria Island, Amy Fleece was forced into action.
Fleece has owned Pink & Navy Boutique for 3 ½ years. She had a website and social media presence, but had long planned to start selling online.
There wasn't a great urgency, though, because her walk-in traffic was so strong.
The goal was to eventually get everything she sold online and she had been slowly working toward that before the pandemic.
"It wasn't a live, functioning thing that I had," she said.
When the lockdown began, Fleece started coming into the store every day to take pictures and put merchandise on the website.
But she quickly learned that it was more challenging than just snapping and uploading a photo. Marketing was different online, as was merchandising, tracking inventory and point of sale, she said.
"The biggest pivot was learning how to do business online," she said.
While Fleece has computer skills, she not only had to learn photography but Photoshop as well; editing the pictures to better present the merchandise to online shoppers.
"Those were skills that I did not have beforehand, so those were definitely new."
Another lesson was how to use social media more effectively.
Fleece said e-commerce forced her to be more thoughtful about what she posted so people could understand what the store was doing and what it offered. Before, she'd take a photo and post it, but now she had to be more strategic about what she was doing.
She also began to offer local delivery and curbside pickup.
While shifting to online sales helped her during the lockdown, it didn't make up for the two-month closure.
"Honestly, my online sales would not be able to sustain me right now," Fleece said. "It's nowhere near what we get in walk-by traffic."
She expects that will eventually change.
"It takes time because people don't think to come to my website to shop for things because they haven't done it in the past."
While Pink & Navy has reopened, online sales are still a big, ongoing focus. She continues working to improve the site and to get better at running it.
"As much as my in-store is really important I'm trying to build the online continually," Fleece said. "I think it will be a good buffer if other things happen."
A good foundation
At Bookstore1Sarasota, owner Georgia Court already had a decent online operation. She had to improve it to get through the pandemic.
"When we closed for coronavirus, one important thing it did for us was it gave us the opportunity to enhance our online store," Court said.
"We'd had that for a long time, but it hadn't been a 'thing.' It was more or less a convenience for some of our snowbird customers who went home to Iowa and wanted to buy a book from us."
One of the goals of expanding the store's online business was enhancing the website and making it easier to use. The store also added a side door pickup service.
Now, Court said, Bookstore1 is mailing "tons and tons more books than we ever thought we would."
Court said they were already "tweaking" the store's website before the pandemic but had put off making bigger changes "until we had time. And who has time when you're busy in an active bookstore?"
Once the lockdown began, Bookstore1 completely reworked its website, giving the online store a new look, and upgraded its software to make buying easier.
She said the crucial goal was to make the online store more user friendly, something that had been neglected because most customers walked in the door to buy books.
That was in part accomplished by putting the store's entire inventory online.
"If you want to buy a certain puzzle, or puppet, or a certain book, you can, right there, tell if it's in stock on our shelves – whether you're planning to come in or buy it online," Court said.
Along with the inventory, Bookstore1 also added podcasts and is hosting live author events via Zoom.
In all, Court said, the pandemic, despite reduced sales, created an opening. She said sales online and through the side door pickup service have not diminished in the two months since the store reopened.
"That enforced pause in business as usual gave us the opportunity to rethink many things," she said. "Online store, the continued side door delivery. Those kinds of services have really continued to grow. They are not going away."
While Pink & Navy Boutique and Bookstore1Sarasota were putting their plans into place, the folks at Realize Bradenton were trying to build an online farmers' market from scratch.
The downtown market announced March 17 that it would close for the remainder of the spring season.
Isham said the organization felt responsible for the people who counted on the market. But how could they safely serve the farmers, artisans and shoppers?
"Our initial response was kind of like, 'OMG, how do we keep the benefits of the farmers market?'" she said.
The decision was made to switch to an e-commerce model, despite the fact the market had no existing online presence.
For the next several weeks, Realize Bradenton created an online business, figuring out on the fly out how to post inventory, create payment systems and attract shoppers while coordinating with farmers on merchandise and figuring out distribution.
"We just did it. We just dove into it, flew the plane, didn't know if it was going to work," Isham said.
While there was an obvious learning curve with the technology, and a few glitches, a new challenge awaited them: getting vendors used to a new way of doing business and shoppers used to shopping online rather than strolling from stall to stall.
In order for it to work, the farmers and artisans needed to get Realize Bradenton staff a list of merchandise by noon on Mondays. The market manager would post what was available online by late Tuesday.
"In other words. The blueberry guy had to tell us he had 50 containers of blueberries so that the website would shut off at 50," Isham said. "It was a lot of, lot of, lot of work for us. We had to do all the work on the back end."
Shoppers, then, could shop until Thursday morning.
With all the orders in and merchandise dropped off, Realize Bradenton got to work pre-packaging the orders so they could be picked up at a drive-thru market Saturday. Angel Oak Café, which opened for business March 9, volunteered its space for the distribution.
| 1,982 |
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions), and as such we offer a high-resolution image of it. See our<|fim_middle|>Smithsonian Institution}}</ref> | image rights statement.
See more objects with the color grey dimgrey or see all the colors for this object.
Towel (Greece)
This is a Towel. It is dated late 18th–early 19th century and we acquired it in 1955. Its medium is raw silk, metal sequins and its technique is embroidered on plain weave with punched work. It is a part of the Textiles department.
This object was donated by Provident Securities Co. and Estate of Mr. & Mrs. William H. Crocker. It is credited Gift of Provident Securities Company from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Crocker.
H x W: 89 x 43 cm (35 1/16 x 16 15/16 in.)
Towel (Greece); raw silk, metal sequins; H x W: 89 x 43 cm (35 1/16 x 16 15/16 in.); Gift of Provident Securities Company from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Crocker; 1955-133-27
Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2Cjuc/
Accession Number 1955-133-27
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18402715/ |title=Towel (Greece) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=1 February 2023 |publisher= | 388 |
iBuyers use data to buy houses and turn a profit. Or at least that's the hope iBuyers buy homes online and turn around and sell them. But they concentrate in certain places, where houses can be priced pretty well using a computer algorithm.
iBuyers use data to buy houses and turn a profit. Or at least that's the hope
Heard on All Things Considered
Adrian Ma
iBuyers buy homes online and turn around and sell them. But they concentrate in certain places, where houses can be priced pretty well using a computer algorithm.
iBuying - it seemed like a slam dunk for online real estate companies like Zillow because they have all this data on home buying and they could make calculations on how much they should pay to buy a house from a seller and turn a profit. At least that was the hope. Stacey Vanek Smith and Adrian Ma from our Indicator podcast look at what happens when the algorithm meets the housing market.
ADRIAN MA, BYLINE: iBuyers - basically, they buy homes online, throw on a coat of paint and turn around and sell them. But Gregor Matvos of Northwestern University - he says they only concentrated in certain places like Phoenix, Atlanta and Las Vegas.
GREGOR MATVOS: They are very present in markets in which you have, let's say, standardized housing in a very fairly narrow price range. It's really houses that you can price pretty darn well using a computer algorithm.
STACEY VANEK SMITH, BYLINE: Like, Gregor says, in areas with a lot of newer kind of cookie-cutter style houses, iBuyers were using all this data that they were collecting on home values and customer interest to just scoop up dozens or, in some cases, hundreds of properties. And to some people, you know, this wasn't landing very well. People started to worry that, you know, these iBuyers had an unfair market advantage. They could actually artificially inflate home prices. Zillow and Redfin, by the way, have issued statements denying this.
MA: And anyway, Gregor does not think this is happening. Despite their growth, iBuyers' share of recent home purchases is only about 1%.
MATVOS: So if they are trying to do this manipulation, they're not doing it very well.
VANEK SMITH: Not only does market manipulation not seem to be happening, but also, profits don't seem to be happening. Zillow, for instance, announced last week it was quitting the iBuying business and laying off a quarter of its staff. Zillow says its iBuying operation lost more than $420 million in the third quarter of this year alone.
MA: Gregor and his colleagues have been studying iBuyers for a few years now, and he says even though these companies have troves of data they can slice and dice, they just can't get around this particular metaphor<|fim_middle|> of a thing than the buyer. And this asymmetric information problem has reared its head with iBuyers.
MATVOS: If they want to transact quickly, they can't take the time to very, very precisely value the house. They already need a pretty darn good computer algorithm to price things. But they're still not as good as someone who can take the time and do a very thorough inspection and then take two months to close down the house sale.
VANEK SMITH: So algorithms - for all of the power and insight they have, they do have some weaknesses. You know, an algorithm is not going to know if, like, the neighbors are really noisy or if the basement smells weird. There are just things the data can't capture. And ultimately, Zillow could not figure out a solution for these algorithmic blind spots.
MA: But, you know, Gregor doesn't think that iBuying is doomed.
MATVOS: I think there is room for iBuyers. I think they provide a service that we need. I just don't know. The fundamental economics aren't that great.
VANEK SMITH: The fundamental economics - you know, the pricing problem, the lemons problem, the costs. It all adds up to AI buyers losing money.
MA: Which, to be fair, is a time-honored way of doing things in the tech industry, right?
VANEK SMITH: (Laughter).
MA: Adrian Ma.
VANEK SMITH: Stacey Vanek Smith, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF PIERRE DUBOST'S "CREATIVE RECIPE") | ical fruit.
MATVOS: iBuyers fundamentally are exposed to what in economics we call the lemons problem.
VANEK SMITH: The lemons problem, as in like a car. Like, you buy a used car, and it turns out to have some unexpected defect. It's a lemon.
MA: Right. And the lemons problem is a problem of asymmetric information. That's when a seller has way more knowledge | 89 |
Cambridge Science Festival kicks off with carnival
Apr 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM Apr 29, 2008 at 4:39 AM
The Cambridge Science Festival kicked off the annual citywide celebration of science and technology with a free Science<|fim_middle|> Go Shopping
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The Cambridge Science Festival kicked off the annual citywide celebration of science and technology with a free Science Carnival at City Hall on Saturday.
The Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, showcases Cambridge as an internationally recognized leader in science and technology. A multifaceted, multicultural event modeled on art, music and movie festivals, it promises to make science accessible, interactive and fun.
This year's festival will include more than 200 events open to the public and held at different venues throughout the city.
Festivalgoers can participate in workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, talks, performances, debates and film festivals. Many of the events are interactive and geared to children and their families, but there will also be adult-focused events, such as exploring whether neuronal enhancements could or should be used to make you smarter with Neuroscientist and Harvard Provost Steve Hyman, Picower Institute Director Mark Bear, and MIT Neuropharmacology Prof. Richard Wurtman.
Last year, the nation's first and only science festival drew an estimated 15,000 people from the New England region.
Let's | 234 |
Chernarus has lots of old<|fim_middle|> Jakub Čert (Devil) from Gorka. His bandit campaigns started here at the castle. He enlarged the keep of the castle, using the loot from these raids and the castle holds his name to this day. According to legend, the Devil's Castle was burned down during the zagorian Karzeg's rebellion, Jakub Čert burned in the castle's main tower after he refused to surrender to Ataman Simurg. Only burned walls remain of the castle, haunted to this day by the spirit of Ivan Kozlov. Whatever the truth is, Devil's Castle is one of the most remarkable architectural sights in Chernarus and it became a rewarding destination for tourists. | castle ruins, keeps and fortresses, which were built at the turn of the 11th and 12th century by Duke Kozlov, for the means of protecting important roads and grounds, which were often attacked from the sea and by northern neighbors. The Pik Kozlova above the Chernogorsk city is named after this duke, who is considered a founder of the first Chernarussian state. On the peak above the city there used to stand a warning post which protected the local provinces from pirate raids. This rocky peak is a favorite lookout point nowadays.
The majority of the structures of that time were made of wood, only the ruins of Rog keep and the famous Devil's Castle are preserved to this day. The Devil's Castle received its name many years later, perhaps sometime during the end of the 13th century. After the fall of Kozlov's Principate at the beginning of the 13th century, the fortress system fell apart; fortresses that weren't burned down were taken apart stone by stone, as needed for the structure of surrounding estates, or for different purposes.
The former Kozlovo Castle, now called the Devil's Castle, was supposedly inhabited by the yeoman | 249 |
Let's give the handouts a<|fim_middle|>about 1-1 1/2 hours).
Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Makes 1 1/2-3 dozen rolls, depending on shape and size of rolls.
NOTE:You can freeze shaped rolls for later use. Simply double the amount of yeast used when making the dough. After the first rise, shape the rolls but do not rise again. Instead, place rolls on a baking sheet and immediately place in freezer. When dough is frozen solid, remove rolls from pan and place in a plastic bag, squeeze excess air out of the bag and seal. Rolls can be frozen for 3 weeks. | break for bit. I'm tuckered, but I have a GREAT and YUMMY treat for you. LION HOUSE ROLLS!!! Now I can't just ship a batch over to you so here's the recipe of the famous, water-mouthing, try and never turn back rolls.
~2/3 cup nonfat dry milk *SCORE FOOD STORAGE ITEM!!
In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about 1/2 cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).
Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size. Sprinkle cutting board or counter with flour and place dough on floured board. Roll out and cut rolls into desired shape and size. Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans. Let rise in warm place until rolls are double in size ( | 324 |
Read more to<|fim_middle|> or Contact us to score a free ticket to Elevate – while quantities last. | find out how and why you should get involved. We have a number of free passes to the Festival as well as our Elevate King West Casino Royale afterparty.
Elevate starts on Tuesday, September 25 with keynote speeches including Al Gore, Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of Bumble, Eric Schmidt of Google and even a performance from Wyclef Jean.
On Wednesday, listen to presentations on various topics, including AI, FinTech and Blockchain. Later that evening on September 26, Elevate will be hosting several parties known as the Elevate King West. Some of Toronto's coolest startups will be hosting parties to create one massive celebration.
Crowdlinker will be hosting our Casino Royale party at our office near Adelaide & Spadina in Toronto, from 9pm to 12am. We will have Blackjack and Poker tables, VR games and drinks. Come network with the city's tech and digital community, as well as the leadership team at Crowdlinker.
We have a number of full passes to Elevate to give away. If you can't make it to the entire Festival, but still want to come to the Elevate King West party instead, we also have 100 free passes to share.
Reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn using the hashtag #ElevateTechFest if you are interested in getting a ticket and we will make sure to hook you up.
Finally, on Thursday, September 27, Crowdlinker is opening its doors to the public, from 4 to 8pm, along over 150 other startups in the city, for Startup Open House. If you're looking for a job in our industry, you should definitely check it out. We've actually hired some great people through this event!
By the way, we are currently looking for Digital Marketers, Product Managers and Product Designers to join our team. If you are attending Startup Open House this year, make sure to pop by our office. If you're an iPhone user, map out the rest of your evening with the Startup Open House mobile app we built.
Check out the video below with some more information on both events from our founder Muneer Nawab.
Buy a ticket to Elevate. Use code ELEVATELOVESCROWDLINKER to save 20% | 477 |
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