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One of the most remarkable recent developments in international law is the exponential growth of International Investment Agreements (IIAs). An IIA is a treaty between countries to deal with issues concerning the protection, promotion and liberalization of cross-border investments. The most common types of IIAs are standalone Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that contain investment chapters.
Although not precisely defined, a BIT is a legally binding agreement between two countries that establishes reciprocal protection and promotion of investments in both countries. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) defines BITs as "agreements between two countries for the reciprocal encouragement, promotion and protection of investments in each other's territories by companies based in either country." The countries signing BITs com¬mit themselves to following specific standards on the treatment of foreign investments within their jurisdiction. If there is a breach of such commitments, BITs provide expansive procedures for the resolution of disputes.
It is fair to say that BITs have emerged as the primary source of international investment law to protect and promote cross-border investment flows. The first BIT was signed between Germany and Pakistan in 1959. Today, there are more than 3,000 BITs in existence globally, with the great majority having been concluded since 1990. Almost every country in the world has signed at least one BIT.
These treaties originated from the desire of capital-exporting developed countries to seek protection for investors and their investments in capital-importing developing countries. However, the underlying interests and power relations have changed considerably in recent years due to the rise of South-South Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows. A num¬ber of developing countries, especially the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, In¬dia, China and South Africa – are increasingly emerging as important outward investors. The number of BITs between developing countries has grown remarkably since 2004. With the changing pattern of global investment flows, the landscape of BITs is quickly evolving.
Paradoxically, it seems that the current BIT regime is at a crossroads, in spite of the rapid proliferation of treaties in recent years. There are signs of growing unease with the current regime across countries and regions. To a large extent, this unease has arisen due to frequent use of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms under BITs, which allow investors to directly sue host state governments before international arbitral tribunals for alleged violations of treaty provisions.
The growing number of investor claims against sovereign states challenging a wide array of public policy decisions and regulatory measures has evoked deep concerns about the potential costs associated with investment treaties. The vague terms (such as 'fair and equitable treatment,' 'indirect expropriation' and 'umbrella clause') and other ambiguities can result in expansive interpretations by arbitral tribunals, leading to substantial monetary claims by foreign investors while unduly restricting regulatory space in the form of 'regulatory chill.' The risk of regulatory chill is very real, as a wide range of policy and regulatory measures (from taxation to the plain packaging of tobacco products to the disposal of hazardous waste) have all been challenged by foreign investors in the recent past.
The increasing use of ISDS mechanisms also highlights the lack of balance between public rights and private interests under the framework of a BIT. The current BITs regime has failed to address the balance of rights and responsibilities of foreign investors as it offers numerous legal rights for investors without requiring corresponding responsibilities for them. In both policy and academic circles, legitimate questions are being raised on the cost and procedure of arbitration, expansive interpretations by arbitral tribunals and the inconsistency of awards.
Both developed and developing countries are paying far greater attention today to the scope of their treaty obligations and, now more than ever before, are seeking a better balance between investor rights and the right to regulate in the public interest. Increasingly the existing treaty regime is considered irrelevant in terms of addressing emerging social, economic, environmental and developmental challenges, both at national and global levels.
There is hardly any empirical evidence to prove that BITs alone result in increased investment flows. At best, BITs could be considered as one factor among many in creating a favourable investment climate for foreign investors in a host country.
Therefore a number of countries have been revisiting their BITs program since the early 2000s. Some countries are clarifying the language used in BITs in order to bring uniformity and coherence in treaty interpretations while others are terminating their existing treaties in the wake of public outcry over arbitration notices served by foreign companies demanding billions of dollars in compensation for the alleged violation of BITs.
The decisions taken by these countries to roll back their BIT commitments represent a significant development and should be viewed in the much broader context of attempts made by other countries to revisit their BIT regime and to explore innovative policy solutions to tackle the problems posed by the current BIT regime, as well as to improve the governance of cross-border investment flows.
Contributed by Kavaljit Singh (Madhyam) and Burghard Ilge (Both Ends). Excerpt from Rethinking bilateral investment treaties.
Investor-state disputes
Victor Pey Casado and President Allende Foundation v. Republic of Chile
22-Jan-2020 Global Legal Chronicle
Chile obtained back-to-back wins in parallel arbitrations in the longstanding and high-profile Pey Casado dispute.
The BIT footprints of emerging market economies in Africa: What do they portend for ISDS?
20-Jan-2020 Kluwer Arbitration Blog
Despite debates about crisis in investment treaty arbitration, most emerging market economies are concluding BITs that provide for ISDS and emerging market multinational companies appear to welcome ISDS.
Third miner declares dispute with Tanzania government
20-Jan-2020 The Citizen
The dispute is related to Canada-based company Montero Mining's investment in the Wigu Hill rare earth element project.
Second company files investment dispute with Tanzania government
20-Jan-2020 Mining Technology
Australian mining company Indiana Resources has become the second company in a week to declare a dispute with the Tanzanian government over repossessed retention licences.
Telenor hopes to settle GP audit claim without int'l arbitration
17-Jan-2020 Dhaka Tribune
Now that the February 23 deadline for the court directive to pay Tk2,000 crore audit dues to the telecom regulator looms, Telenor hopes that the ongoing audit dispute can be settled without resorting to international arbitration.
This Canadian won millions in a legal fight with Kazakhstan. Was it worth it?
15-Jan-2020 Macleans
A Canadian mining exec's decades-long tussle with Kazakhstan is finally over. He was awarded nearly $53 million.
"A la carte" justice for transnational corporations?
13-Jan-2020 CCFD-Terre Solidaire
At a time when 3,400 trade and investment agreements protect the interests of transnational corporations, there is no international treaty requiring them to uphold human rights and environmental protection.
Winshear delivers notice of intent to submit a claim to arbitration under Canada-Tanzania agreement for the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments
13-Jan-2020 GlobeNewswire
The dispute arises out of certain acts and omissions of the United Republic of Tanzania, relating to the SMP Gold Project, says the company.
New Caledonia and Vanuatu meet to finalise free trade agreement
10-Jan-2020 RNZ
The leaders of New Caledonia and Vanuatu have met to finalise the free trade agreement the countries signed in April.
Gazprom v. Ukraine's arbitration
Ukraine settled an investment-treaty arbitration with Russian gas company Gazprom.
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ECT's dirty secrets
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) grants corporations in the energy sector enormous power to sue states at international investment tribunals.
EFILA
The European Federation for Investment Law and Arbitration (EFILA) has been established in Brussels to promote the knowledge of all aspects of EU and international investment law, including arbitration, at the European level
Energy Charter Treaty: Investment dispute settlement cases
The Energy Charter Secretariat has compiled a list of investment dispute settlement cases and this information is updated regularly.
Golden Toilet Brush Awards
Vote for which of these corporations deserve the coveted Golden Toilet Brush for corporate impunity.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes is an autonomous international organisation, linked to the World Bank. It is the most 'referred to' arbitration facility for disputes under bilateral trade and investment agreements, with its own set of rules and procedures.
IISD
The International Institute for Sustainable Development is an independent think tank championing sustainable solutions to 21st century problems.
Investment Treaty News
ITN is a web-based platform for discussion and debate, as well as providing regular journalistic reporting on developments and trends in international investment law, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
ISDS Impactos
Los impactos del sistema de protección de inversiones en América Latina
ISDS: Corporate attacks on the public interest
Public Citizen website about ISDS, including petition to US government
Comprehensive and free database on investment treaties, international investment law and investor-state arbitration.
Mapping investment treaties
Discover patterns of consistency and innovation in the bilateral investment treaty universe
Network for Justice in Global Investment
The Network for Justice in Global Investment is a joint effort by citizens and organizations in a variety of countries to challenge one of the most anti-democratic aspects of the global economic order – the rules governing international investment.
Red Carpet Courts
10 stories of how the rich and powerful hijacked justice
Reprenons le pouvoir !
Site présentant quelques cas d'ISDS et de déni de justice de manière interactive.
Stop ISDS
Corporations have too much power. It's time to take it back from them!
The Chevron Pit
A blog maintained by the team suing Chevron for the oil giant's human rights problems in Ecuador and across the world
UNCITRAL
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law is a body under the UN General Assembly mandated to unfiy international trade law. Disputes between investors and states under many FTAs and BITs are arbitrated, in private, according to UNCITRAL rules. UNCITRAL itself does not administer arbitrations.
UNCTAD BIT database
UNCTAD maintains the most comprehensive database of BITs online
UNCTAD ISDS database
UNCTAD's comprehensive database of ISDS cases
We won't give up Rosia Montana!
Romania's new government wants to give the green light to the Rosia Montana gold mine in return for a deal with Gabriel Resources dropping its ISDS arbitration case against the government. Take action now!


Demetrius gets excited about enriching people's lives with amazing products. He performed research in the University setting as well as NASA Ames Research Center before co-founding Metric Lab with long-time collaborator, Bryan U. McClain. With a background in experimental psychology and more than 9 years of experience in User Experience and Human Factors, Demetrius specializes in establishing a deep understanding of user needs and developing strategies to address them.
Demetrius has authored dozens of articles on research and design as a columnist for UXmatters and, like Bryan, was featured in Bloomberg Businessweek and INC. magazine. At Metric Lab, Demetrius enjoys innovating with powerful research methods and designing complex systems on exciting projects with companies like GoPro, Google, and Microsoft. During that time, Demetrius has developed numerous personas, user scenarios, and product concepts in order to assist Metric Lab's clients and partners.


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White House announces $1B for AI, quantum mechanics
Gesara.news » News » White House announces $1B for AI, quantum mechanics
Today, the White House, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $1 billion in awards for the establishment of 12 new AI and QIS research and development (R&D) institutes nationwide.
Source:www.whitehouse.gov
Operation Starfall. New Internet?
H.R.5123 - American Freedom and Internet Access Act of 2021
SEC. 2. OPERATION STARFALL.
Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force,
in consultation with the Chief of Space Operations, shall develop and begin implementation of "Operation Starfall",
a strategic plan to deploy stratospheric balloons, aerostats, or satellite technology capable of rapidly delivering
wireless internet anywhere on the planet from the stratosphere or higher.
Sources: www.congress.gov
122 years ago today, President William McKinley signed the Gold Standard Act, which established gold as the sole basis for redeeming paper currency.
The act halted the practice of bimetallism, which had allowed silver to also serve as a monetary standard.
It set the value of gold at $20.67 an ounce and valued the dollar at 25.8 grains of gold.
The act guaranteed that the government would redeem any amount of paper money for its value in gold, and it meant that transactions no longer had to be done with heavy gold bullion or coins because the paper currency had a guaranteed value tied to something real.
Source: www.thebalance.com
NESARA could be announced to fix the Defunct US Inc.
The Sat. 7 Nov. announcement by the Lame Stream Media that Biden won the US Presidency was just another lie to the American people - now referred to as Voter-gate. The only call of this presidential election could come from joint sessions of Congress that would read the elector slates on 3 Jan. 2021.
However, the makeup of that Congress would have to be re-done because those politicians were elected under US Inc. This municipal corporation doing business as the UNITED STATES, INC. had entered into bankruptcy by its owner, Pope Francis, on 24 Sept. 2015 - a Chapter 7 liquidation that ended on 5 Nov. 2020.
You cant elect a new President for a defunct corporation, said Anna Von Reitz. Whoever was elected President of the United States on 3 Nov. had nothing to preside over as of 5 Nov.
NESARA and GESARA could be announced and that freedom from debt would change the world. When you announce NESARA you would have to have a new election within 120 days.
President Trump before his inauguration in January 2021, he should announce the new government and the new Republic. Then the military takes over, in a 120 - day period and in a temporary capacity, that all elected positions in the government will have to run again after 120 days.
Sources: www.paulstramer.net, beforeitsnews.com, inteldinarchronicles
Putin urges for an international independent Digital Payment System
Vladimir Putin Urges for Creation of a Digital Payment System for International Settlements.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin has called for the establishment of a new system for international settlements, independent from banks and third-party interference.
It can be created using digital currency technologies and distributed ledgers, the Russian leader said, quoted by local media.
Sources: news.bitcoin
Russia supports Saudi Arabia membership in BRICS
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he supports Saudi Arabia's possible accession to the BRICS group.
Putin: Yes, we support. This requires a consensus of all countries.
Also, on 20 Oct, China voiced support for the expansion of BRICS membership after reports about Saudi Arabia showing its intention to join the group that presently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Sources: see.news
Egypt is expected to join BRICS
Egypt plans to issue yuan-denominated bonds worth more than $500 million - Finance Minister Mohamed ...
Treating gold and silver as money
News Date: January 27, 2022
To date, 42 states have removed some or all taxes from the purchase of gold and silver.
And the...
National coin shortage getting worse
The nation's coin shortage, prompted by less cash circulating as a result of Covid-19 - is getting w...
Trump announces historic deal between Serbia and Kosovo
News Date: September 4, 2020
Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to normalize economic relations, following U.S.-brokered talks that in...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Three years after an investigation revealed a 2013 paper was based on fraudulent data, a journal has finally retracted it.
Past and present members of the editorial board of a public health journal have filed a formal complaint against the publisher after it appointed an editor with industry ties without consulting the board, and unilaterally retracted a paper by the former editor.
Meanwhile, the board and publisher of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health continue to exchange letters about the issue; the latest from the publisher, Taylor & Francis, answers some of the board's ongoing questions — and declines to answer others.
A representative of Taylor & Francis has responded to concerns raised by former and current editorial board members of an occupational health journal, after the publisher took some significant actions without consulting the board.
The board's main concerns: That the publisher hired a new editor with industry ties, and withdrew a paper by the former editor that was critical of corporate-sponsored research.
A journal said it would retract a paper about asbestos — now it's "withdrawn." What changed?
Earlier this year, an environmental journal told an activist group it was going to retract a study about the safety of roofing products made from asbestos. Now the journal has let the authors withdraw the paper — a different process, according to the journal.
The move follows multiple letters from critics asking to retract a study, which found exposure to asbestos-containing roofing products to be within safe limits. The study's critics claimed that it contains multiple problems, including not declaring the approving editor's links with the asbestos industry, grouping together different materials with varying levels of asbestos exposures, and providing misleading information.
Although the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) initially said it planned to retract the paper, last month, Stephen Reynolds, president of JOEH's board of directors, sent a letter to Kathleen Ruff, director of the organization Right On Canada, saying plans had changed: Continue reading A journal said it would retract a paper about asbestos — now it's "withdrawn." What changed?
Posted on December 13, 2016 December 13, 2016 Author Dalmeet Singh ChawlaCategories disputed data, failure to disclose COI, J occupational and environmental Health, public health/safety, taylor and francis, toxicology, united states1 Comment on A journal said it would retract a paper about asbestos — now it's "withdrawn." What changed?
Some scientists raise their eyebrows when they see a paper was accepted only a day or two after being submitted — which is exactly what happened during an academic debate over a controversial topic: e-cigarettes.
However, a little digging suggests otherwise.
The editor of the journal that published both of the cited papers in question — Toxicology Reports — told us the papers were peer reviewed at Toxicology, but transferred to his journal as part of a process known as portable peer review.
Here are more details from Lawrence Lash, editor-in-chief of Toxicology Reports from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan: Continue reading A paper on chemical safety was accepted one day after submission. Was it peer reviewed?
Posted on October 5, 2016 October 5, 2016 Author Dalmeet Singh ChawlaCategories disputed data, elsevier, freely available, public health/safety, reference problems, toxicology, Toxicology Reports, united states2 Comments on A paper on chemical safety was accepted one day after submission. Was it peer reviewed?
Only a few months after publication, an environmental journal has told an activist group it plans to retract a paper about the safety of roofing products containing asbestos after facing heavy criticism.
This summer, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) received multiple letters asking the to retract the paper. Critics of the paper — which concluded that exposures to asbestos-containing roofing products were within safety limits — argued the article provided misleading information, grouped different materials with different asbestos exposures together, and failed to note the approving editor's ties to the asbestos industry.
The article was published as a case study, which is considered a type of "column" by the journal, thereby bypassing its peer-review system; according to an email the journal sent to the organization Right on Canada (which a representative forwarded to Retraction Watch), this served as the basis for the journal's decision to pull the paper.


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SC Cloud | St. Cloud Times
Political parties should be tools to affect policies that serve people, not teams
Sen. Aric Putnam
Like a lot of us, I watched the Vikings play the Packers on Sunday. I won't wade into controversy by talking about the result, but the game did make me think about something my pal Joe used to say when he campaigned for public office. He used to describe our current politics like a football game: legislators put on their opposing jerseys and go to battle like the Vikings and the Packers. I think he was on to something, and it isn't good.
I spoke at a meeting of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities last week. So much of the discussion was about how partisanship is making it hard to get things done in our communities. That's true. Party bureaucrats sometimes play games that get in the way of serving the people. The alternative we often propose, "bipartisanship," isn't great either, though.
Sen. Aric Putnam, Column
I'm sure we've all heard politicians praise themselves as bipartisan and then moments later disparage the other side. But even when it is sincere, "bipartisanship" is often a tool of partisans and our existing two-party structure. It describes a temporary arrangement between opposing forces that promotes the self-interest of each politician. It's a term of convenience. It doesn't prioritize the people and the problems we face, nor does it do anything to undermine our toxic commitment to party. I think we need to think about political parties differently.
Political parties aren't static, monolithic things. They change over time. Joe Biden doesn't fit easily in the party of Woodrow Wilson, and Dwight Eisenhower wouldn't recognize the party of Trump.
I read a book recently by former Sen. Dave Durenberger, "When Republicans were Progressive." Durenberger tells the story of his life in politics, but he also talks about the development of his party in the 20th century. He explains how Republicans created the state income tax in Minnesota and founded the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, two moves that might seem strange to a Republican today. Parties change.
Parties are also complex. I have great friends in the DFL with whom I serve, and I disagree with them on a whole mess of important stuff. It is the issues themselves that matter, not the labels we give them. I think just about any policy can be justified in language that makes it sound "conservative" or "liberal."
But we often still act like political parties are simple and coherent, and we use party as a way of categorizing people, not just policies. A political party is not an identity. It is a tool to accomplish a public good. It is not an end in and of itself.
A while back I spoke with a neighbor of ours when we were both volunteering. She told me her story, how she'd lived a pretty standard middle-class life until her husband got sick. His medical bills bankrupted the family and he passed away. Now she lives alone, in debt and subsidized housing. No one should go bankrupt trying to keep a loved one alive. She could use a hand. She doesn't care if it's a Democrat or a Republican who helps her out. I don't either.
This is Thanksgiving week. We hear a lot about politics around that particular dinner table where it seems conflict and resentment are as common as cranberries. Maybe we'll even watch some football. But politics isn't a game or a sport. It's service. Period. And when we engage in the serious conversations we have to have about the problems that we have to solve, I hope we argue the issue but remember to love the person.
If you'd like to visit, I still hold office hours most Fridays from 4-5 at my office at 1729 W. St. Germain. And we continue to hold monthly town halls that you can find out about at our Facebook page. Hope we get to visit.
— Sen. Aric Putnam, a Democrat, represents Minnesota Senate District 14. His column is published on the fourth Sunday of the month.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Political parties should be tools to affect policies that serve people
UK wages fall below inflation as jobless rate declines
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, real average weekly earnings fell in November for the first time since July 2020.
TCPalm | Treasure Coast Newspapers
Letters to the Editor: Jan. 18, 2022
Readers share their views on questions for Rep. Mast; the Lodzinski case; Lake O contamination; DeSantis and abuse of power; and vaccine mandates
Mavidon Celebrates 18 Years of Producing Natural Products for the Consumer Market
Mavidon celebrates 18 years of producing natural cleaning products for the consumer market through its MaviGreen brand. Tim Carroll, president of Mavidon, formed the MaviGreen® brand in 2004. Some years later, to continue the expansion of the business, the Tradewater® brand was formed to consolidate natural and personal care products for the consumer.
There's a New Cheese on the Block: Cholesterol Free 'Fit Cheese' set to shake up the UK food market ahead of National Cheese Lover's Day on 20th January
Tens of millions of people in the UK love cheese and Fit Cheese is aimed at the millions of people who love cheese but are faced with cholesterol challenges.
Apex Health Services Announces: Surplus Medical Equipment Buyback/Auction Solution for Medical Facility Decommissions
Apex Health Services is the primary, one-stop solution for healthcare facilities that are relocating, expanding or decommissioning. They are launching a new service, Surplus Medical Equipment Buyback/Auction. This service helps clients streamline the disposition process, maximize profits and minimize the disruption to their facilities.
Dermaliq Therapeutics Signs USD 15 Million Series A Round to Advance Three Transformative Drug Therapies into Clinical Trials
Novaliq GmbH, 3E Bioventures Capital and Beijing Whale Technology Corporation Ltd. today announced the establishment of Dermaliq Therapeutics, Inc (Dermaliq), a newly formed Delaware-based pharmaceutical development company, and the signing of a USD 15 million Series A financing round. 3E Bioventures Capital, a leading international life science investor, led the round and was joined by Beijing Whale Technology Corporation Ltd. Dermaliq's existing shareholder Novaliq has transferred, and license
ICIS partners with Carbon Minds for more sustainable supply chains
Setting climate targets, measuring, managing, and reaching these is one of the greatest boardroom challenges of our time. This becomes increasingly complex with supply chains. ICIS, a global source of independent commodity intelligence services, and Carbon Minds, an innovative environmental impact specialist working in the chemicals sector, have partnered to provide companies in the chemicals supply chain with data to support decision making on the net-zero transition.
Mysl Polska: experts compare Ukraine to a boxing ring
An online discussion "Anti-war debate - Special Edition" on perspectives and threats to peace in Europe in the light of current developments at the international arena was held online by Mysl Polska. Debata antywojenna - wydanie specjalne - YouTube The host, researcher Sylwia Gorlicka from Warsaw University, addressed her guests to elaborate on the current security threats emanating from a new round of escalations in Ukraine and Moscow-Washington talks that have recently taken place.
DriveNets Announce Partnership with ITOCHU Techno-Solutions to Transform Service Providers' Networks in Japan
DriveNets, a leader in cloud-native and disaggregated networking solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with ITOCHU Techno-Solutions, https://www.epsglobal.com/a comprehensive services company providing optimum solutions and cloud services to its customers, to help service providers in Japan leverage the cloud architecture to accelerate growth and realize operational efficiencies, by disaggregating their networks and deploying cloud-native solution.
LloydsPharmacy chooses MRI Software's Horizon CRE for lease management and accounting
MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions, announces that LloydsPharmacy, a leading UK high street brand, has selected MRI Horizon CRE to manage its lease portfolio and financial compliance, including International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS 16). In working with MRI, LloydsPharmacy will deploy Horizon CRE, a cloud-based lease management and accounting platform, to more easily handle their real estate challenges and complexities of IFRS 16. The accounting standard came into e
H2O Drying Solutions Hits an Important Milestone: 15 Years of Water Damage, Mold Remediation and Flood Restoration Services
Innovations begin with great ideas. In the year 2007, two men left the companies they were working for and the careers they were comfortable with to chase a great idea. When they recognized the great need for remediation services in the Carolinas, Clayton Blount and Lorne James did everything they could to learn the business and every task involved. Today, with more than 20 employees, H2O Drying Solutions is excited to announce 15 years of leaving their mark on the remediation industry!
Newmark Signs Agreement with VLK Consulting Which Will Rebrand as Newmark VLK Hungary
Newmark Group, Inc., today announced an agreement with Budapest-based VLK Consulting, which will become Newmark VLK Hungary.
IRP and Bosch Partner to Mass-Produce Controllers for the Booming Electric Personal Mobility Market
IRP Systems, a leading provider of cutting-edge electric powertrain solutions for e-mobility, has signed a strategic agreement with Bosch, the world's leading automotive manufacturer, for the industrialization and serial manufacturing of IRP's personal mobility electric motor controllers. The partnership brings together Bosch's renowned automotive manufacturing capabilities and IRP's innovative e-powertrain technology to deliver top quality, robust and affordable controllers for a variety of per
Art&Co. Online Art Auction for COVID Relief Records Fund Distribution on the Blockchain
Art&Co. ("Art&Co."), the world's largest online art auction for Covid relief that connected art, finance and support groups, brings continued relief to COVID-19 victims a year on, via blockchain technology provided by LuxTag.
EPS Global and DriveNets Announce Strategic Partnership to Speed the Adoption of Cloud-Native Networking by Leading Operators Worldwide
DriveNets, a leader in cloud-native and disaggregated networking solutions, and EPS Global, a worldwide distributor of technology solutions from industry-pioneering manufacturers, today announced a strategic partnership that will accelerate the growth of the disaggregated networking market and deployment of cloud architecture-based networks. Under this agreement, EPS will distribute DriveNets Network Cloud-based solutions to service providers and hyperscalers worldwide. This partnership will hel
Barrons.com
Toyota's Fiscal-Year Production Forecast to Be Lower Than 9 Million Units
Toyota lowers its production forecast 'due to the impact of the continuing demand for semiconductors across all industries.'
Betty White's Assistant Shares 'One Of The Last Photos' Of TV Icon: 'Happy As Ever'
"She was radiant and beautiful," Kiersten Mikelas captioned the picture shared on what would have been the entertainment legend's 100th birthday,
BearingPoint Client Success Story: Polestar Positions Its Supply Chain in China for a Green Future
AMSTERDAM & SHANGHAI, January 18, 2022--Climate change demands immediate action by industries around the globe, and China has been tightening regulations of various sectors, including the automotive industry, to promote environmental protection.
Tonga's volcanic eruption may harm environment for years
The destruction from Tonga's massive underwater volcanic eruption is still being assessed but scientists now warn that the damage could be long-lasting.The volcano has been releasing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide— two gases that create acid rain.This could damage crops, including staples like taro, corn and bananas which locals depend on.Geologist Marco Brenna has been studying the eruption's impact via satellite photos."So as the plume rose beyond 20 kilometres it reached well into the stratosphere. So a lot of that ash and gas will remain within the stratosphere for quite a number of weeks and possibly months, and kind of circulate across the globe. The more immediate impact on Tonga especially was the ashfall directly from the cloud which blanketed most of the Tongan landscape in a few centimetres of ash from what has been seen off satellite images. And that basically had an impact on basically water, drinking water sources, on vegetation, grazing for animals etc. because the volcanic ash is toxic."And it may not just be Tonga - much of the rain could land on Fiji.Underwater, fish are at risk.Tonga's livelihoods depend on the ocean..but ash from the eruption could be harmful to marine life.Murky, ash-filled water near the volcano will deprive fish of food and wipe out spawning beds."Certainly fisheries are likely to have been impacted by, for instance, the murkiness of the water. So the eruption would have produced quite a lot of suspended particle in the ocean water, so that might impact fishing grounds. Ashfall could also have such an impact and could potentially cause changes in ocean surface acidification."Meanwhile, surviving marine life will be forced to migrate.Even before the eruption, Tonga's reefs were threatened by disease outbreaks and the effects of climate change including coral bleaching and increasingly strong cyclones.
Germany's Evotec partners with Lilly to research metabolic diseases
German biotech company Evotec said on Tuesday that it had entered into a drug discovery collaboration in metabolic diseases with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly. The total potential value of the collaboration, which will run for three years, is up to $1 billion. As part of the collaboration, Evotec will explore potential drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes and chronic liver disease, the Hamburg-based company said.


He added that US President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kouchner and special envoy Jason Greenblatt will arrive in the region next week to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to market the American Century Deal in the Arab world.
He continued that the visit includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the occupying power Israel . The American envoy was preceded by a meeting between Kouchner, Greenblatt and the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nicky Healy with the UN Secretary-General to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the region. After the latest slap received by the American administration at the emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted a draft resolution calling for international protection of the Palestinian people under occupation.
Khaled concluded his blog by calling the concerned Arab countries to focus the discussion with the US delegation to the means of implementing the resolution of the General Assembly to provide international protection to the Palestinian people under occupation and called on the Palestinian Authority to expose the malicious intentions of the American envoys and block the political maneuvering by respecting the decisions of the National Council and stopping all measures and sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip.


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Пио́н Ви́ттмана () — вид многолетних цветковых растений рода  монотипного семейства Пионовые (Paeoniaceae).

Распространение и экология
В природе ареал вида охватывает Турцию, Закавказье и Иран.

Произрастает в горных лесах, на лесных опушках и полянах, среди кустарников, как в лесной, так и в субальпиской зоне.

Ботаническое описание
Утолщения корня веретенообразные, бурые. Стебли высотой 100 и более см.

Листья сравнительно тонкие, перепончатые, дважды-трижды тройчатые, листовые доли обыкновенно обратнояйцевидные, к концам постепенно суженные, по краям цельные или слегка волнистые, с нижней стороны сизые, покрытые длинными согнутыми волосками.

Цветки жёлтые, желтоватые или желтовато-белые, диаметром около 8 см. Нити тычинок в нижней части тёмные; пыльники светло-жёлтые, дугообразно отвороченные.

Плоды голые. Семена чёрно-голубые.

Классификация

Таксономия
Вид Пион Виттмана входит в род  монотипного семейства  порядка .

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Литература

Пионовые
Флора Евразии
Таксоны растений, названные в честь людей
Эндемичные растения Кавказа

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The "Contempt of Cop Game"; How Well Can You Play?
Is It A Crime To Refuse To Identify Yourself to a Police Officer in California?
How The Exclusionary Rule Backfired And Crushed Americans' Constitutional Rights.
Can You Sue The Police For Malicious Criminal Prosecutions?
Indio Police Misconduct Attorney Jerry L. Steering, Esq.
How to Sue the Police Department?
Injured by a Police Vehicle During a Chase?
Jerry L. Steering has handled hundreds of police misconduct civil rights cases and the bogus criminal cases that usually accompany the same. False arrest, unreasonable force and malicious prosecution cases are a legal minefield; make the wrong step and you are out. We know where to step.
Copyright © 1984-2017 Steering Law.
About Steering Law – Jerry L. Steering, ESQ.


Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner also called for the United States to more aggressively investigate U.S. gun sellers and tighten security along its side of the border, describing the situation as "critical" to the safety of people in both countries, whether they live near the border or not.
Mexico, for its part, needs to reduce official corruption and organize its forces along the lines the U.S. does, such as a specialized border patrol and a customs agency with a broader mandate than monitoring trade, Mr. Bonner said in an exchange of e-mails.
"Border security is especially important to breaking the power and influence of the Mexican-based trafficking organizations," Mr. Bonner said. "Despite vigorous efforts by both governments, huge volumes of illegal drugs still cross from Mexico.
"In turn, large quantities of weapons and cash generated from illegal drug sales flow south into Mexico, which makes these criminal organizations more powerful and able to corrupt government institutions," he said.


Municipal – Zoning, Planning Subdivisions, Solicitorships | Silverman, Tokarsky & Forman, L.L.C.
Whether you are a business owner looking to expand your company, a homeowner seeking to build a new addition to your house or a developer dreaming up a beautiful new apartment complex, you will need to obtain a zoning variance. At Silverman, Tokarsky & Forman, L.L.C., our attorneys understand the local municipal laws and are prepared to advocate for your right to build.
Our attorneys have the added advantage of previously working as solicitors, so we know what it takes to successfully petition for a variance in the state of Pennsylvania. We understand how unique everyone's case or situation may be and how the laws change from city to city, so we work to ensure that our representation is tailored to your needs. Let us help you achieve the most favorable results today.
If you have been denied a zoning variance for whatever reason, contact Silverman, Tokarsky & Forman, L.L.C., without delay. Call 814-792-2412 to schedule a consultation where we can review the details of your case. The sooner you send us a message, the faster we can help you get your project back on track.


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Simple Ways to Safer Roads
One important health consequence associated with increased mobility is often neglected—even though it factors among the fastest growing threats to global health. As countries become wealthier...
O'Donnell Named Cohen Chair
Anne E. O'Donnell (M'82, R'85, W'87), professor of medicine and chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at MedStar Georgetown University...
Student and Community Life
Black Student Alliance Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
Campus organization launched to provide support and sense of community for African-American students continues its legacy fifty years later By Chelsea Burwell Photo by Ndeye Ndiaye (C'18). The 1960s...
Understanding the Healing Power of Music
While neuroscience research continues to uncover the mechanisms of how the brain responds to music, clinicians and patients are experiencing the benefits of creative new applications for music and...
CURA Fosters Connections
Connecting and Uniting Residents and Alumni program was founded in 2005 with the goal of connecting Georgetown medical alumni with each other.
Art Inspires in Clinical Settings
The Arts & Humanities Program brings art to the medical setting, and now also helps put medicine in the art setting.
Break a Leg
Operating theater takes center stage at the university's annual Heart of the Harvey dramatic arts festival.
The Creative Spark
Adam Green teamed up with cognitive neurologist and neuroscientist Peter Turkeltaub, MD, PhD, of Georgetown University Medical Center, seeking interdisciplinary answers.
The Mind on Music
Researchers at Georgetown are studying how and why music is so neurologically dominant. "We want to understand how music resides in the brain and the body."
Musings on the Art-Medicine Journey
Our medicine-art journey begins in the mind, and so we open with a peek into the vast research underway across the university on neuroscience and the arts.
Picturing the Future: The faces of medicine are getting a makeover
Medical student demographics are shifting. As recently as 2015, white matriculants comprised just half of the student body. In 2017, the American Association of Medical Colleges reported that for the...


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From Animal To Meat
an exploration of food ethics from Angelique Chao
Grass-fed: something to chew on January 15, 2010
Posted by Angelique in Animal welfare, Global warming.
Tags: agriculture, animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, climate change, cows, environment, Food ethics, Global warming
My article for Simple, Good, and Tasty says grass-fed beef may not be all it's cracked up to be. The best solution, as always, is to know your rancher.
Proud enough to hide January 8, 2010
Posted by Angelique in Animal welfare.
Tags: agriculture, animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, Food ethics
Pride gets a lot of play in the conventional meat industry. Safe Food Inc., a meat industry alliance formed to combat the ugly picture of meat production presented in the movie Food, Inc., says "We are proud of the way we care for our animals, our employees and the environment. We are also proud of the nutrition, safety and good taste that our products offer." According to pork.org, the voice of the National Pork Board, "America's pork producers are proud to be part of the 'green generation' as they incorporate responsible, sustainable, agricultural practices on their farms." KFC, that venerable purveyor of bucketed poultry, notes that it is "…proud of our responsible, industry-leading animal welfare guidelines."
What do people who are proud of themselves do? They show off (or, if they're Minnesotan, they wait patiently for someone else to mention their achievement and then grin sheepishly). Think of the dad whose pictures of his kids are just waiting to fall out of his wallet. Or the guy who finally gets that promotion and slips it seamlessly into happy-hour conversation. Or the kid who wins her first trophy at State.
So you might think that with all that pride floating around, meat producers would be throwing open their doors to the public, saying in effect "look at me!" Plus, the fact that the image consumers have of them hardly matches the one they take such pride in gives them yet more incentive to show off. Forrest Roberts, CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, acknowledged in a recent address to the Kansas Livestock Convention that animal welfare is a key battleground for livestock producers, and that the cattle industry needs to capture the "hearts and minds" of the consumer. Dr. Dan Thomson, of the Kansas State Beef Cattle Institute, agreed and noted that the disturbing pictures and videos of animal abuses disseminated by the likes of PETA and the Humane Society of the US were footage of just that – abuses – not, as those organizations would have us believe, "…an everyday occurrence in our industry." Well, if so, and if the everyday is something to be proud of, then isn't the obvious answer to show off the everyday to the consumer?*
Unfortunately this logic seems to have escaped the meat industry. While some pro-industry blogs and Facebook sites showcase humane treatment of animals, the industry must recognize that the consumer has no reason to believe that these handpicked examples are any more representative of everyday operations than the examples offered by PETA and its peers. The solution is to submit all animal operations to the public's gaze, perhaps through webcams whose footage could be posted online. Or at the very least, the industry could welcome unannounced random visits from third parties as a way to spot-check their activities. But if anything, meat producers are trying their damnedest to make it harder for outsiders to get any visibility into what they're doing. Per coverage of the Kansas Livestock Convention, Dr. Thomson warned that "…employers need to do more background checks and be careful whom they hire. Public places like sale barns and truck stops are the other risk areas he cited. These are places where the general public has regular contact with the livestock industry." This push to close ranks calls to mind the United Egg Producers' (UEP) strategy to increase public confidence in conventional egg production: "Since the entire poultry industry is under the risk of intrusion and media attack using agents posing as employees to gain access to facilities, there is an obvious need to enhance security. The UEP has made recommendations to screen job applicants and verify previous employment in an effort to detect and reject these 'plants.'"** The industry's real response to criticism about its treatment of animals is not to open up; it's to hide and rely on the PR guys to paint a pretty picture that's completely removed from reality.
Maybe humility is suddenly making a comeback.
*Quotes from the Kansas Livestock Convention are from the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
** From WATT AgNet article
But it's so warm and cozy in here December 26, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, chickens, Food ethics
The plight of the egg-laying chicken has been propelled to the forefront of the farm animal welfare debate by the likes of PETA and the Humane Society of the US, who have made photos and videos of chickens piled up in wire "battery" cages centerpieces of their campaigns for years. This focus on the humble bird was rewarded in 2008 and 2009 with the first US state laws banning small cages. California's Proposition 2, passed directly by voters through referendum, phases out small cages by 2015, and Michigan's new law does so by 2019.
According to a recent article in Agweek,* the industry and government's response to this spark of rebellion against caged chicken operations (which currently produce about 96% of the eggs consumed in the US) is to commission studies to determine whether, in fact, chickens dislike being caged. One of these studies, funded by the USDA, will take three years to figure out how chickens really feel about their claws growing around the wire grids that make up cage floors. Perhaps their powers of discernment will enable them to tell whether it bothers the chickens in the lower tiers to be constantly pissed and shat on by the chickens stacked above them. If they try really hard, they might even find out whether a seven-pound chicken considers the 8×8.5-inch space she can carve out from her neighbors to be a bit on the tight side, or just warm and cozy, the perfect spot in which to immobilize herself for the rest of her life.
Of course, we need serious animal welfare research – it sometimes yields results that are both counterintuitive and important. My post on the use of grinding as a form of euthanasia for male chicks pointed out that although we instinctively recoil from the thought of it, it may actually be a relatively humane practice. But there really isn't anything new and important to find out about battery cages. Industry research has already demonstrated beyond a doubt that they're inhumane. The Humane Society's review of alternative egg-laying systems cites dozens of studies in journals like Applied Animal Behaviour Science, British Poultry Science, and the Journal of Animal Science that confirm the worst consequences of caging chickens: severe osteoporosis from lack of exercise and extreme frustration due to being unable to perform natural behaviors, including laying eggs in a nest, flapping wings, dust bathing, and even standing erect. So when the United Egg Producers and the USDA team up to give it a few more years of study, what they're really doing is stalling, hoping that the public will move on to another hotbutton by the time the study is over. If not, they can always commission another one.
Fun fact: The USDA allegedly gave the American Egg Board $3 million to battle against Proposition 2 in California; after the USDA and UEP were sued, a federal judge ruled that the funds could not be used until after the ballot was over. See this SF Chronicle article for an overview.
*Crumb, M., "Industry Practice Ruffling Feathers," Agweek, November 30, 2009: 41.
Torn over Organic Valley December 18, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, cows, Food ethics, organic
Peter Singer doesn't drink milk, but he does recognize that some milk producers treat their cows more humanely than others. Since reading his evaluation of various organic milk producers in The Way We Eat, I've felt pretty good about drinking Organic Valley. Unlike competitors Aurora and Horizon, Organic Valley (OV) requires its farmers to provide cows access to pasture during the growing season, and stipulates that any indoor housing used at other times of the year be more comfortable than the bare concrete commonly used in indoor confinement systems. By no means does this make OV a paragon of virtue – their minimum requirement for time spent grazing pasture is four months of the growing season, so in theory you could have cows that are kept inside for eight months of the year – but the standards are a hell of a lot better than Aurora's or Horizon's, which allow cattle to be kept in close confinement in traditional feedlots for their entire lives. (These feedlots are often outdoor pens with dirt floors, which allows Aurora to legally claim that their cattle are outside year-round, conveniently inspiring all sorts of bucolic images of frolicking cows in the minds of their consumers.)
However, OV's support for Aurora in a consumer class-action lawsuit against the latter has me thinking twice about OV's true commitment to be a step above the competition. The background to the lawsuit, in brief, is this: apparently the USDA's organic standards, which require "access to pasture" but specify no minimum amount of time spent on pasture, aren't weak enough for Aurora. Aurora was allegedly providing no pasture at all (as noted above) as well as mixing cows that had not been raised organically into its organic herds. As a result, it's being sued for consumer fraud. Now, one would think that OV could gain a little competitive advantage from publicizing this lawsuit, because as far as anyone knows, OV not only adheres to, but exceeds, the USDA's standards. Sounds like quite a PR opportunity, actually. But instead, OV chose to underwrite a brief to the court in support of Aurora, saying that the lawsuit, if successful, could set a dangerous precedent for future legal action against organic suppliers like itself.
Which makes me think that OV must not be so confident in its own compliance with organic, or better-than-organic, standards. When I sent a note to OV expressing this sentiment, they responded as follows:
"…if successful, it [the class-action suit] possibly means that any organic certificate could be viewed as inadequate and allows anyone to sue farmers, retailers, consumers and other businesses over their interpretation of the "spirit" of organic. This would truly undermine the validity of the National Organic Standards and any third-party certification process."
OV does have a point. Opening the door to spurious lawsuits could force OV to dedicate increasing amounts of money and time to courtroom battles, even if their strict adherence to organic standards led them to win every one. So now I'm torn. Organic Valley: corporate hero or apologist?
Truth in labeling: animal welfare certifications December 4, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, chickens, cows, environment, Food ethics
Those of us who don't personally know the farmers and processors who produce the animals we eat find it difficult to ascertain just how those animals were treated during their lives and deaths. Never fear, though, there's plenty of marketing right there on the packages to make us feel better about eating them anyway. Some labels sport pictures of spotted cows whimsically scampering over pastures (useless). Some use catchphrases alluding to how the animal lived, e.g., cage-free or pasture-raised (semi-useful – more on this in a later post). And some feature third-party certifications from independent organizations focused on animal welfare. Their independent status and the fact that companies that participate in their programs must submit to inspections make third-party certifications the most trustworthy indicator of animal welfare for the consumer who seeks ethically produced meat. But how do the different certification programs compare?
Here's my ranking of a few of the most widely used certifications out there, ordered from most to least strict protector of animal welfare. For each, I include an example of their requirements for beef cattle and poultry housing. Housing governs how much space the animals get and what activities they are able to engage in – both key determinants to quality of life for animals.
Animal Welfare Approved. This organization upholds the strictest welfare guidelines I could find.
Beef cattle: cattle must always have access to pasture, except under extreme weather conditions. A less serious organization would leave that exception vague and open to (mis)interpretation by the farmer, but AWA specifies that a particular weather condition, e.g., ice storms, temperatures below a given threshold, must be cited to keep cattle indoors. The farmer can't just move them in from November 1st to Feb 28th and be done with it.
Meat chickens: pasturing is not required, but birds older than four weeks must have multiple access routes to the outdoors and the housing structure must encourage birds to go outside during daylight. These requirements prevent the farmer from just opening a narrow door for a week or two that chickens never actually use, and claiming that the birds have access to the outdoors.
Food Alliance. This group's certification scheme covers not just animal welfare, but environmental stewardship and social responsibility, a plus for consumers who care about all these things and like the simplicity of having just one logo to look for on the label. The certification process is more complex than one like Animal Welfare Approved's. Food Alliance has only a few all-or-nothing standards that producers must meet. For most standards, Food Alliance gives producers a score from 1-4, then awards certification if the average score in each area is at least a 3. Their "areas" are rather broad; an example of one is "healthy and humane care of livestock," and it includes nutrition, health, living conditions, handling, etc. In practice, a producer could score very low on living conditions but still be certified if they score very high in several other areas. This approach has pros and cons: the obvious con is that you won't be sure, by purchasing Food Alliance certified foods, that any particular standard, e.g., for pasturing livestock, will be met. On the other hand, the flexibility of this approach allows farmers who are trying to improve their operations but aren't yet perfect to gain access to conscientious consumers and get the financial support to continue to improve.
Beef cattle: to achieve a level 3, cattle must range on pasture for part of the year. No specific length of time is specified.
Meat chickens: to achieve a level 3, birds must either be housed in a building that provides natural daylight and fresh air or they must be given access to the outdoors for at least eight hours a day, weather permitting. The number and location of exits to the outdoors must be enough to allow all birds to go out and the setup must encourage birds to go out.
Certified Humane. The ASPCA and Humane Society support this program, which was the first of its kind. This certification is much weaker than Animal Welfare Approved or Food Alliance and doesn't do much more than ensure the animals aren't in absolute hell. [July 2011 – see amendment below!]
Beef cattle: cattle are allowed to be kept in indoor or outdoor feedlots for finishing, without access to pasture. Requirements that promote welfare include having a dry place to lie down; non-slip floors; and access to water or shade during hot weather in outdoor feedlots.
Meat chickens: chickens can be housed indoors at all times without access to natural daylight. Provisions to protect animal welfare include a ban on cages, wires, and slatted floors and a requirement to have at least 8 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness per day.
United Egg Producers Certified, Beef Quality Assurance Certified, Pork Quality Assurance Plus Certified, etc. These are all certifications granted by industry associations, not independent third parties. The purpose of an industry association is to grow sales and profits for that industry. There's nothing wrong with that – that's their job – but the mission of an industry association is not to care for animal welfare. These certifications are no more than packaging decoration.
NOTE: As of July 2011, I'd like to amend my judgment of Certified Humane's certification. It's actually a first-rate program and stricter than Food Alliance. I have been doing much more detailed research on certifications for my upcoming book and have found Certified Humane to be a trustworthy partner in the search for ethically produced meat and dairy. More to come!
What you do when the cow just won't go November 27, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, cows, Food ethics, slaughterhouses
Let's say you're in a slaughterhouse, and you're trying to kill a cow. Well, what you're trying to do first is stun it so that you can bleed it out, thus simultaneously killing it and getting it ready to be skinned and eviscerated and on its way to being somebody's hamburger.
Unfortunately the cow has to cooperate somewhat in this endeavor by entering what those on the kill floor call "the knock box." This is the closely-fitted metal cage which prevents the cow from balking, rearing, backing up, or otherwise moving around so that the stunner can position and fire the stun gun properly. But what do you do if your cow is particularly stubborn, or has some cowish sixth sense that "the box" is not a cozy, feel-good kind of place? That is, what do you do if your cow just…won't…go?
I got the answer to this question firsthand at visits to a couple of slaughterhouses in Minnesota. These are both small facilities that prepare cuts mostly for local farms selling meat through CSAs, farmers markets, and local restaurants. Each slaughters about 30 animals a day, and one only performs slaughter one day a week. So I should clarify that I got the answer that the little guys give. And the answer wasn't, as you might think from watching any number of PETA videos, that they stuck an electric prod in places it was never meant to go.
They banged on the metal sides of the track where the cow was standing to jolt it into motion. They called and crooned and clucked. They whistled and waited. They shook rattle sticks at it and flicked its sides with them. One man even proffered the cow his hat, as an intriguing object to sniff and hopefully follow inside the box. The cow was having none of it.
So at Lorentz Meats, which those of you who've read my profile of it will remember, the knocker had to crawl halfway into the knock box to reach the cow over the threshold, and stun it right there. He managed it, and the cow collapsed, but the problem was far from solved. The cow still had to come through the knock box to enter the kill floor and be processed. So even though it was now senseless, the problem of how to get it into the knock box remained. It took four men – every worker in the room had to leave his station – to drag some 1200 pounds of dead weight by the forelegs into the box and thence the room. As one of the owners, who was standing beside me as all of this took place, noted, this was a hell of a lot more work for the crew than it would have been to just "buzz it" – i.e., use an electric prod.
At the other slaughterhouse I visited, which prefers to remain unnamed, the reluctant animal was a buffalo, not a cow, which entirely changed the game. Following the rather prudent policy of staying as far away from the kill floor as possible, it wouldn't even get off the truck. If it were a cow, the stunner (who in this case happened to be the slaughterhouse's owner) would have gotten in there with it to do the job, but as he said, you don't get in a pen with a damn buffalo. So since he couldn't get close enough to it to stun it, he brought along a Magnum and shot it. Never having seen anything or anyone shot before, I wasn't sure what to expect – though luckily I'd been indoctrinated with enough TV violence to know to cover my ears. I couldn't tell if he'd hit it with his first shot; the only visible reaction from the buffalo was a whitish fluid flowing from the inner corners of its eyes. But the second shot fulfilled its intent, and the animal crumpled as if it were nothing more substantial than a buffalo-shaped balloon. Then they got the stun gun out (yes, the buffalo was incapacitated, but that's no guarantee that it was insensible, so they couldn't skip that step) and once it was stunned, attached it to a chain and dragged it in.
So that's the answer to what you do when an animal won't go. If you have the time, and the conscience.
Sound and fury November 20, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, Food ethics, pigs
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) tend not to open their big meaty arms to journalists, and certainly not to those who take an interest in animal welfare. But Dan Koster, an Illinois pig farmer, was intrepid enough not only to invite me into his CAFO, but to let me publish his name. Confident that the way he raises pigs is healthy and ethical, he had no reservations about showing me around the three huge buildings on his property that house 7500 pigs destined to become pork for his main customers: Cargill, Swift, and Tyson.
Effective management is Dan's hallmark. A panel of automated temperature and feed controls lines the hallway outside the newer buildings and links to Dan's home office so he can keep tabs on the conditions inside. Fans along one narrow wall of the vast rectangular space pull air through the open windows on the opposite side, cooling the pigs off, and a sprinkler system adds extra insurance against overheating on the hottest summer days. The smell was surprisingly tolerable. Standing in a room with 5000 pigs around me, I could breathe easier than when I'd visited another farmer's outdoor feedlot of just 75 pigs and was merely grateful that there was nothing in my stomach to come up.
The pigs themselves were quite clean, for the most part, as their manure drops through the slatted concrete floors of modern CAFO design. (The pigs in the oldest building were the exception. There, where the floors are partly solid, pigs were sliding around in their shit trying to get in and out of the area where they defecate. You might think that pigs wouldn't mind that, since they tend to voluntarily slide around in mud when they live in a natural environment, but according to Dan pigs are quite fastidious about not pooping where they lie.)
I asked about lameness, a common issue in CAFOs because our ingenuity in genetic manipulation has not yet extended to creating animals whose joints tolerate concrete. However, Dan said very few of his pigs, perhaps a tenth of one percent, suffered from lameness, and from my observation that seemed a fair estimate. Not that I could see the actual legs of the pigs – they were packed too closely to discern much more than a sea of backs – but I could see the shuttling lines of bodies as the movement of one necessitated the movement of the next in the crowded space. Dan estimated the concentration of pigs as one per every 7.5 square feet, which gives them plenty of room to run around when they are just-weaned piglets, and room to do nothing but press against the next pig when they get close to their market weight of 260 pounds.
In sum, the smell pleasantly underwhelmed me. The sight was pretty much as expected. What shocked me was the sound. Opening the door into the confinement pen was like walking into the engine of a 747. That is, a squealing, panicked, urgent 747. So below, along with a few pictures (sorry for the spots, in the semi-darkness I didn't realize my lens was dirty!) I've included a link to a 45-second audio clip of us entering the building. We opened the door about 15 seconds into the clip. If anyone has a description that can more adequately describe the sound, please comment; I'd be curious to hear it.
Sound clip
New name, same blog November 19, 2009
Hi all. As you can see, I've updated the domain and name of my blog from the former Eating Animals to the new From Animal To Meat. I've been hankering after a standalone domain name for a while. Hopefully the change will also avoid confusion with Jonathan Safran Foer's new book and site Eating Animals.
If you happen to type in the old name, it should redirect here with no problem. As always, thanks for reading!
Lorentz Meats November 13, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, cows, Food ethics, organic, slaughterhouses
My article for Heavy Table explains why people who care about animal welfare and those who just want to avoid poop in their food should take a look at the example set by Lorentz Meats.
Will somebody please take this job? November 6, 2009
Tags: animal ag, animal rights, Animal welfare, Food ethics, slaughterhouses, veal
Last week the Humane Society released another stomach-turning expose of the food animal industry. It's an undercover video of a slaughter plant in Vermont that specializes in "bob veal," which is veal from young (as in, a few days old) calves. The video goes beyond the predictably horrific. My personal favorite part is at the end, when the onsite USDA inspector who is supposed to ensure proper animal handling is giving a little friendly advice to the undercover agent. The agent, who had been hired into the plant as a floor cleaner, had called the attention of the workers and inspector to the fact that a calf on the assembly line was still moving. Afterward, the USDA inspector tells the agent, "You did the right thing…but next time just tell Frank or Terry. 'Cause that's something I'm not supposed to know. I could shut them down for that."
Which reminds me that the US Department of Agriculture is just that – the department of agriculture. It is not the department of animal welfare, or even the department of consumer protection. Its mandate is primarily to support the agricultural industry, a fact which is evident when you read its strategic plan. Somewhere in the middle of that plan the USDA mentions food safety, and at the end it throws a bone to land protection. Nowhere does it discuss animal treatment, so we really shouldn't expect that the USDA would concern itself with it.
The question is, if companies have no incentive to protect animal welfare, and the USDA has no incentive to protect animal welfare, then who does? People who care about animal welfare, presumably. That includes members of the Humane Society and similar organizations, but also regular Joes and Janes who prioritize animal welfare when they purchase (or choose not to purchase) animal-based products. So, how can we ensure that these people, who have an incentive to protect animal welfare, can actually protect it when it's threatened, say in the environment of the farm or the slaughterhouse? The best answer is by giving them visibility into those places. Frankly every farm and slaughter facility should have webcams feeding sites where anyone who chooses can observe their activities. This is nearly but not completely unheard-of; some slaughter facilities already have cameras that feed Intranet sites that their customers log onto to observe how their own animals are handled.
The second-best solution is for trusted third-party organizations to have this sort of visibility, if businesses are uncomfortable granting it to the general public. Companies that want to market their meat with certain certifications – say, Animal Welfare Approved, or Food Alliance certified – are already opening up their doors to these organizations for inspections. However, there is no certification of which I'm aware that covers the entire lifecycle of an animal, from farm to table. Most certifications cover only farms [BUT see comment to ths post from Beth at the Animal Welfare Institute – 11/7/09]. Food Alliance covers processors (in the meat industry, the euphemism for slaughterhouses), but separately from farms, so the fact that a product is labeled as Food Alliance certified does not guarantee both. And no one certifies transportation from farm to slaughterhouse to protect animal welfare during that process.
Who will step up to the plate to solve this problem?
Food ethics
Resources and reviews
agriculture animal ag animal rights Animal welfare book review carbon footprint chickens climate change cows environment fish Food ethics Global warming movie review organic pigs slaughterhouses veal
AlterNet: Food
An Omnivore's Decision
Atlantic: Health
Eating Liberally
EcoCentric
Ethicurean
Food Politics
Grist: Food
Mark Bittman's blog
Perennial Plate
Philosophy Of Food Project
Simple Good and Tasty


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Quintus Caecilius Iucundus was the son of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus, a banker who lived in the Roman town of Pompeii around AD 14–62.

A relatively obscure historical figure, Quintus Caecilius Iucundus is most notable as a major character in the Cambridge Latin Course, set in the Ancient Roman Empire. In the series, he is primarily known as 'Quintus'; his father is known as 'Caecilius' and his mother as 'Metella'. On the death of Caecilius in the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius, Quintus becomes the protagonist of books two and three, and returns briefly in book five.

Quintus in the Cambridge Latin Course
In the first volume of the Cambridge Latin Course, the reader finds Quintus as a teenager in Pompeii, in AD 78, the year before it is destroyed by Mount Vesuvius.  As Caecilius is dying, he sends his slave Clemens to find Quintus, and give him the rights to Caecilius' property and fortune. The family dog, Cerberus, dies in the final story.

In the second volume, the reader finds Quintus in Roman Britain, living in the house of a distant relative named Salvius, based on the historical Gaius Salvius Liberalis.  They experience several adventures together and with other inhabitants of Britain, including Cogidubnus (known as 'Togidubnus' in the 5th edition), the client king of the Cantiaci. Most of Book Two consists of Quintus' retelling of his past to Cogidubnus, particularly his time in Alexandria, in Roman Egypt, where Quintus freed his slave Clemens and befriended Barbillus, a wealthy Roman. When Barbillus died, he tasks Quintus to find his estranged son and heir, Rufus, in Britain.

In the third volume, Quintus and Salvius become enemies, as Salvius plots to kill Cogidubnus.  Salvius accuses Quintus of treason, but Quintus attempts to foil the murder by informing the Roman governor, Agricola, of Salvius treachery. Along the way, Quintus finds Rufus, who turns out to be a loyal ally, and gives him the letter from Barbillus. In Book Four, the plot moves to Rome. Quintus is not present, and he does not appear again until the last stories of the fifth volume, when Salvius goes on trial. Quintus provides crucial testimony which reveals Salvius' crimes and leads, at least apparently, to the latter's political downfall.

Historical figure

Little is known of the historical Quintus Caecilius Iucundus. His paternal grandfather, Felix, had been a freedman of the gens Caecilia and a banker in Pompeii.

Quintus Caecilius' name is known from an electoral notice painted onto his family home, the House of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus, in which he expressed support for the candidacy of Ceius Secundus for duumvir. The same inscription records the name of his brother, Sextus, of whom nothing else is known: Sextus is believed to have been the younger of the two. It is possible that Quintus held the cognomen Metellus, as did his brother, apparently granted by their father to suggest a connection with the prestigious Caecilii Metelli.

Since Caecilius' banking business appears to have been abandoned on his likely death in AD 62, it is considered likely that Quintus and Sextus did not follow their father into the profession.

See also
 Caecilia gens
"The Fires of Pompeii", a Doctor Who episode where Quintus, Lucius, and Metella are characters

Real people with similar names
 Quintus Caecilius Metellus (consul 206 BC) (250–175 BC)
 Quintus Caecilius Metellus (palace owner)  (born c. 130 BC)

References

Further reading

Bibliography

Caecilius Iucundus, Quintus
Fiction set in the 1st century
Pompeii in popular culture


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text:
using std::cerr;
using std::endl;

using namespace std;

int main() {
  cerr << "Running tests from: " << __FILE__ << endl;

  SimpleTfIdfDocument sd("doc00","This is some text","Some metadata");
  RedditPost rp("t3_br5649","A title","Some text","2015-11-11 21:57","/r/ucsantabarbara/br549/a_title/","test data");

  RedditPostTfIdfDocument rd(rp);

  std::vector<GenericTfIdfDocument *> docs;

  docs.push_back(&sd);
  docs.push_back(&rd);

  ASSERT_EQUALS("doc00",docs[0]->getId());
  ASSERT_EQUALS("This is some text",docs[0]->getText());
  ASSERT_EQUALS("Some metadata",docs[0]->getMetadata());

  ASSERT_EQUALS("/r/ucsantabarbara/br549/a_title/",docs[1]->getId());
  ASSERT_EQUALS("A title Some text",docs[1]->getText());
  ASSERT_EQUALS("2015-11-11 21:57",docs[1]->getMetadata());

  return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The phone rings... it's Tim, the manager of The Maine. It's that time again, the boys need a new music video; we have to come up with something different and new. The challenge with frequent collaborators is to find an angle, a different plan of attack and retain enough honesty with yourself to call out the tired ideas and try for something fresh. I have to count how many videos we've done, this one completes one hand. The song is "English Girls", I feel somewhat obligated... and we're off.
The pre-production on these videos usually consist of a couple of phone calls between John (the lead singer) and I, for me to get a sense of what he's after and for us to talk about a creative direction. In the past, John's had a clear idea of a component that finds its way into the video, for example, for "Misery" the boys had recently left a major label and John spoke about the feeling of being trapped by decisions and uncertainties and so this sentiment materialized as a visual, living nightmare of having no control over your situation. This time around however, John has no idea of what the video would be based on, as it was simply a moment, a recollection, of an experience the boys had in London. So, we start with that.
John O'Callaghan chasing British birds.
What if Bill Murray was cast for this role... there's an image for you.
I throw it on and lightning and Bill Murray strike at the same time... Did I type that already? Yeah, terrible joke... but you get my point. I have this idea of doing a groundhog day scenario-- a single moment with John in the pub. I pitch the band and they love it. We're on. I think it's a great idea for two reasons; creatively it will be fun to watch and production wise I'll be able to shoot one camera setup a bunch of ways and have all the alternate takes ready to conveyer belt edit and I'll be done in no time. Wrong. The phrase "Little did he know" comes to mind.
Let me say I've been obsessed with time travel movies and the whole subject of time travel in general, I've written time travel stories, outlined time travel features, had debates that lasted considerably way too much time and in general feel I'm pretty confident in that area. That being said, for some reason, I have the hardest time getting my head around shot-listing and scheduling this idea. Oh, I should also mention that on these lower budgets, I tend to AD and script-supervise myself and I'm pretty good at it, but this time I really have my work cut out for me.
First I come up with the objective - John gets the girl. Easy. Then I start coming up with all the ways I could stop that goal from happening. Easy. Then I whittle those down to obstacles I can actually shoot... so no Batman crashing through the window and fighting with Darth Vader. I draw out a little birds eye map and start to draw squiggly lines for each alternate timeline. Next, I group camera setups together... for example 'John drinks a shot'. Then I list the alternate versions of his state of mind needed within that setup... Sober, curious, amazed, drunk, hammered etc. etc. Once I have those, I list them in chronological order and rearrange for continuity, for example, I can't shoot the girl getting drinks spilt all over her until the end, but there are some moments where I will literally use the same shot, so only need one take... like the Jenga falling over.
You only need one take.
I spend the whole day leading up to the shoot going over this master shot list to make sure I haven't missed anything. I also cut as much as possible to protect against running out of time to shoot... In order for a narrative like this to work, you can't miss a single shot. On little to no sleep, it's hard to balance all of this in your head. It's just as hard to try and explain yourself to a friend for them to check your logic. All I want at this point is to take a nap knowing that I have a 12 hour shoot ahead of me but I know it needs to be figured out. I'm on my own. I push on.
Also, to make things more fun, the British pub location will only let us load in at midnight... So I have to schedule the shot list in a way I'm only shooting toward the direction of the windows whilst it's still night outside. After a couple of attempts, I end up with this really fairly well structured list (pictured below) and a shoot schedule.
Going down are the setups, across are the alternate realities. Black box numbers signify seeing night out of the window.
The last thing I include is the performance. A sci-fi vibe lit performance... that will save me if I have to cover up missed shots or hard transitions. It's also a great way to get the day going, the singer feels confident, the crew get to know each other's tempo and you know if all else fails, you still have a video in the can.
I arrive to the location nice and early and I see the Maine waiting for me. I'm always the first if not one of the first to set, though unlike any other artist I've ever worked with, these guys know how to show up up early it's truly impressive and quite frankly puts most other artists to shame; it is after all a video for the artist.
I'm exhausted before the shoot has even started, but of course call on every ounce of reserve energy to get the crew up to speed and in a good mood right away. We have a quick safety meeting about not breaking any of the Queen Victoria China hanging on the wall (I eat at this pub and want to be welcomed back) and I get the crew setting up the performance shot. I pull the actors aside and talk them through the story, giving great emphasis to specific moments for them to remember, gesturing to certain cast members as their moment happens. It's my hope that they'll be on the same page and be able to move quickly once the camera's up. We get John's performance shot. It goes swimmingly.
A couple of lights from Home Depot being pulled in and out of the wall socket for flicker.
We set up the first shot of the narrative section. It's a closeup of John watching the TV, seeing the ref make a specific movement. This is the "Reset Shot", the one we keep coming back to when time loops over. In theory, I have to shoot this shot 5 ways... But John is not a trained actor, so we work to get his performance right... very quickly we're racking up the takes per version... The 1st AC holds up the slate, I see "TAKE 18" and hear him say quietly to someone else "Don't we have it yet?". I look at my shot list... we're only on alternate version number three of five. It suddenly dawns on me how fast time is moving and that I myself don't have the ability to reset time.
Time is the enemy. Unless you can reset it.
It's simple. Time is the enemy on set. You have to hustle to give yourself every chance of getting good material, not just making the day.
When you start out as a director, inevitably your first few shoots all go the same way- you take ages getting the first handful of shots perfect, taking your time, trying things out. By the end of the day you are RUSHING just to get one take of each shot you need for your edit. You quickly learn time management, how to move on and how to set a pace with your crew. You also make certain choices ahead of time to raise your odds of success, for example, choosing a handheld style means less time between setups. So here I am, on my first shot of the day, but seeing the shot list I know I'm already at that point, so I start to hustle. When you have a sense of efficiency about you, people move faster. No one wants to be the one to drop the ball.
As we move through the shoot day, I am changing the text colour in my shot list to green. Steadily, the shot list is getting more and more green. I leave the laptop screen open on purpose-- without me saying anything, the crew catch on and they pick up the pace even more as the end is in sight. The laptop becomes this pseudo Assistant Director... the crew are on point, no one's complaining and we've got a rhythm going.
We end the pub location with the one take deal shots-- smashing a few glasses on the floor and getting our lead girl covered in "beer". I remembered to bring towels, but I forgot to mention that detail to her until we're on set. So, thanks to our "English Girl" for being a good sport.
We wrap the location on time. I have every single shot I need, I didn't cut a thing for time. I make a mental note how well the green text visible to crew method worked and to do it again in future, we pack the truck and my splinter crew jump in a couple of cars for the last scene.
"Now we're going to shoot the beer spilling all over you... did I forget to mention that?"
Heading over to the house location nearby, we shoot the epilogue for the story - the band had been asking me to shoot their drummer Pat in a certain way for a very long time. It made narrative sense so I finally caved. For the scene, the boys have to "act" like they had been up all night... we get it in a couple of takes.


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text:
import numpy as np

from passage.utils import shuffle, iter_data
from passage.theano_utils import floatX, intX

def padded(seqs):
    lens = [len(seq) for seq in seqs]
    max_len = max(lens)
    seqs_padded = []
    for seq, seq_len in zip(seqs, lens):
        n_pad = max_len - seq_len
        seq = [0] * n_pad + seq
        seqs_padded.append(seq)
    return np.atleast_2d(seqs_padded).transpose(1, 0)

class Linear(object):
    """
    Useful for training on real valued data where first dimension is examples,
    second dimension is to be iterated over, and third dimension is data vectors.

    size is the number of examples per minibatch
    shuffle controls whether or not the order of examples is shuffled before iterating over
    x_dtype is for casting input data
    y_dtype is for casting target data
    """

    def __init__(self, size=64, shuffle=True, x_dtype=floatX, y_dtype=floatX):
        self.size = size
        self.shuffle = shuffle
        self.x_dtype = x_dtype
        self.y_dtype = y_dtype

    def iterX(self, X):

        for xmb in iter_data(X, size=self.size):
            xmb = self.x_dtype(xmb)
            shape = range(len(xmb.shape))
            shape[0] = 1
            shape[1] = 0
            shape = tuple(shape)
            xmb = xmb.transpose(*shape)
            yield xmb

    def iterXY(self, X, Y):

        if self.shuffle:
            X, Y = shuffle(X, Y)

        for xmb, ymb in iter_data(X, Y, size=self.size):
            xmb = self.x_dtype(xmb)
            shape = range(len(xmb.shape))
            shape[0] = 1
            shape[1] = 0
            shape = tuple(shape)
            xmb = xmb.transpose(*shape)
            yield xmb, self.y_dtype(ymb)

class Padded(object):

    def __init__(self, size=64, shuffle=True, x_dtype=intX, y_dtype=floatX):
        self.size = size
        self.shuffle = shuffle
        self.x_dtype = x_dtype
        self.y_dtype = y_dtype

    def iterX(self, X):

        for xmb in iter_data(X, size=self.size):
            xmb = padded(xmb)
            yield self.x_dtype(xmb)

    def iterXY(self, X, Y):

        if self.shuffle:
            X, Y = shuffle(X, Y)

        for xmb, ymb in iter_data(X, Y, size=self.size):
            xmb = padded(xmb)
            yield self.x_dtype(xmb), self.y_dtype(ymb)

class SortedPadded(object):

    def __init__(self, size=64, shuffle=True, x_dtype=intX, y_dtype=floatX):
        self.size = size
        self.shuffle = shuffle
        self.x_dtype = x_dtype
        self.y_dtype = y_dtype

    def iterX(self, X):
        for x_chunk, chunk_idxs in iter_data(X, np.arange(len(X)), size=self.size*20):
            sort = np.argsort([len(x) for x in x_chunk])
            x_chunk = [x_chunk[idx] for idx in sort]
            chunk_idxs = [chunk_idxs[idx] for idx in sort]
            for xmb, idxmb in iter_data(x_chunk, chunk_idxs, size=self.size):
                xmb = padded(xmb)
                yield self.x_dtype(xmb), idxmb

    def iterXY(self, X, Y):

        if self.shuffle:
            X, Y = shuffle(X, Y)

        for x_chunk, y_chunk in iter_data(X, Y, size=self.size*20):
            sort = np.argsort([len(x) for x in x_chunk])
            x_chunk = [x_chunk[idx] for idx in sort]
            y_chunk = [y_chunk[idx] for idx in sort]
            mb_chunks = [[x_chunk[idx:idx+self.size], y_chunk[idx:idx+self.size]] for idx in range(len(x_chunk))[::self.size]]
            mb_chunks = shuffle(mb_chunks)
            for xmb, ymb in mb_chunks:
                xmb = padded(xmb)
                yield self.x_dtype(xmb), self.y_dtype(ymb)


The tug served in the Marianas through July and August; then, after hostilities ended, proceeded to Okinawa and Japan for salvage and diving operations. She opened 1946 in the Marshalls and operated between the central Pacific and the west coast until steaming to Bikini Atoll in June for operation Crossroads, tests conducted through the summer to determine the effects of atomic weapons on naval ships.
For the next two decades the tug performed widely varied duties in the Pacific, towing assorted ships and craft from the South Pacific to the Aleutians, and from the California coast to the Asiatic mainland. The pace quickened during the Korean conflict in the early 1950s and again in the mid‑1960's when the United States mustered forces to stop Communist aggression in Vietnam.


The required place cửa hàng từ thiện Kleiderkammer Seelingstr. 9 Berlin at the address Seelingstr. 9, 14059 Berlin has been marked on the map. Feel free to use the maps tool and navigation planner to find directions and information how to get there. Further relevant places nearby can be found đây.


Coral Products PLC is a manufacturer of plastic injection and extrusion molded products, and the reseller and distributor of food packaging products and household products. It also operates as a trade molder for other companies in the United Kingdom. It develops and manufactures a range of products for customers, mainly associated with the food catering industry, automotive industry and waste disposal services. It offers a range of products, including blown bottles and tubs, caps and closures, rigid food packaging, library case packaging for disc-based Recorded Media, Recycling Solutions, such as kerbside boxes/crates and food waste caddies. The Company, through Interpack Limited, manufactures injection molded products for the food and chemical industries. Its food packaging products include round buckets, ice cream containers, square buckets, rectangular tamper evident buckets, tamper evident salad boxes, small tamper evident containers and tamper evident confectionery containers.


Kristine Ramos loves reading and has a passion for writing. She is a contributor for myfriendfernando and blogger by day, a gamer by night. Her business-minded parents influenced her while growing up and she learned how to manage simple business dealings when she was young. If she is not reading, writing or managing her Aunt's store, she draws or plays video games.
Traveling to a new place is one way to make a person realize that there is more to living than working all your life. The world has so much to offer and are you seriously going to make yourself stay in one place for the rest of your life?
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Here are the some of the places where you can fill your belly without sacrificing a whole lot of your wallet.
Yann Blanchard, head chef and owner of Yann Haute Patisserie just recently received a distinction from the world's most exclusive French Pastry Association: Relais Desserts Association. The establishment is well known for serving a wide variety of delicious macarons.
Macarons are made with a tasteful filling sandwiched between two almond based meringues. Additionally, Yann Haute Patisserie offers seasonal treats such as cakes and macarons of the month. They also serve a wide selection of tarts and even wedding cakes as well as treats that are gluten-free.
Boogie's Burgers is an iconic burger joint found in Calgary, Canada. It has been around for a long time(since 1969, actually) and is still up and running to treat Calgarians and foreigners alike to their filling, belly-buster burgers.
One of the charms that make Boogie's Burgers irresistible aside from the burgers that they serve is the retro façade that the owners retained from the 60's. Every burger is made-to-order and if the place is busy, you can always wait or try and play some of the retro games they have.
Tubby Dog is a hotdog restaurant that was established in 2005. It has been featured in many media sources such as En Route, Avenue Magazine, and in "You Gotta Eat Here!", to name a few. The restaurant has three menus for the week which as Tubby Dog, Tubby Taco and Tubby Burger.
The Tubby Dog is available every day while Tubby Taco is served every Tuesday starting at 6 pm. On the other hand, Tubby Burger day is served all day every Wednesday, serving regular and double Tubby Burger as well as having a new special every week.
Peters' Drive-in was founded by Gus Pieters who emigrated from Netherlands in 1954. A pastry man and a baker before he emigrated, Pieters learned about food business. Dreaming of becoming his own boss, Pieters managed to set up Peters' Drive-in in 1964.
Peters' Drive-in is always seen with a long line no matter the time, day or weather. The establishment is famous for their milkshakes which comes in a wide variety of flavors. There are more than 20 flavors available that can be combined and be experimented on.
Holy Smoke BBQ serves authentic southern BBQ for all of those who need to satisfy their barbecue cravings. Featuring a few of their popular picks such as the Manwich, Kansas Style dry rub ribs and homemade cornbread, Holy Smoke BBQ is the home of barbecue.
The restaurant is also famous for offering a huge and varied selection of BBQ sauces that lets customers experiment with their choice of sauces. This gives each and every meal a new taste and a new experience to all customers.
People travel due to different reasons. They may be traveling to go out and see the beauty of a place with their own eyes. They may be traveling so that they can live the life to the fullest before finally slowing down. They travel to find their place in the world. They travel for life opportunities such as work and school. There are many reasons why people travel.
However, there are those people who travel for food. It is no secret that food tourism exists and it is real. Food is one of the major motivators for travel. It is also one of the things that communicate to foreigners about the culture, the life and the history of a country.
Foodies and non-foodie alike appreciate and love eating food. So if you ever head down to take a vacation or stay in Calgary, Canada, try and visit those budget-friendly eateries. Whether you are on a strict budget or you are low on funds, there will always be good food no matter where you go.


The models 01B5 and 01B5P allow lifting and handling loads up to 500 kg. They are equipped with a hanging control panel with electric up and down commands for the boom and emergency stop and is equipped with a traction battery and battery charger. Easily manoeuvrable thanks to the 360 ° rotation and pivoting wheelswith high flow and high smoothness with bumper supports and parking brakes.
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