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The Vita Cortex plant in Cork – is NAMA being unfairly portrayed as Scrooge
December 14, 2011 by namawinelake
As we count down the days to Christmas, we probably become more sensitive than usual to the plight of our fellow man. And so the story coming out from Cork of workers not only facing redundancy at this of all times of year, but that they may not even receive their redundancy entitlements, strikes a particular chord. NAMA is being portrayed as a Scrooge character and the case has now attracted the attention of politicians and unions.
Vita Cortex is a company based on Kinsale Road, Cork city which manufactures foam products for a range of industries including bedding and furniture, packaging and aircraft. History of the company and product range is here . In September 2011 it announced it intending to shut Vita Cortex down on 16th December, 2011 – about 33 employees are to lose their jobs. Which is sad enough, but Vita Cortex apparently doesn't have the funds to pay the €1.25m redundancy bill which compounds the tragedy.
So where does NAMA come into this? NAMA is understood to have a charge over the building from which Vita Cortex operates but is otherwise unconnected with Vita Cortex and NAMA had no involvement in the redundancy decision. The Vita Cortex building is associated with developer Jack Ronan, said to be the cousin of Treasury's Johnny. What NAMA does have, is a lien over cash deposits held by a separate company controlled by Jack Ronan, and it is claimed those deposits come to a total of €2m.
So the SIPTU union and local politician Ciaran Lynch have gotten involved. As they see it, it is NAMA which is holding onto cash in one Jack Ronan company which could be used to pay for the workers' redundancy in another. For its part, it is understood NAMA regards the cash in a separate company as being unrelated to the needs of Vita Cortex, and that these funds should be used to further NAMA's objectives of returning as much cash as possible to the Nation.
A tragic situation for the workers, but it seems understandable why NAMA is keeping out of it.
UPDATE: 15th December 2011. Quite rightly the Vita Cortex story has become national news – redundancy the week before Christmas is particularly harsh. RTE covered the story this evening here. However the claim by RTE that the 32 workers (reported as 33 and 40 elsewhere) will not get a cent tomorrow is misleading in the sense that the workers should be entitled to statutory redundancy payments (2 weeks per year of service plus one week) which should be paid by the Social Insurance Fund administered by Joan Burton's Department of Social Protection. The RTE news report showed the heartbreaking scene of one employee with 47 years service – that is, he will have worked at Vita Cortex since leaving school – describing his feelings with a dignity you don't often see these days. According to the latest rates, he should be entitled to €57,000 if his pay is more than €600 per week. Hopefully the Department of Social Protection will do its work quickly and efficiently and ensure the workers receive their statutory allowance as soon as possible.
UPDATE: 17th December, 2011. Although the workers (put at 32 in some reports, 33 in others and 35 in the Irish Examiner) were indeed made redundant yesterday and reportedly received one week's additional pay, they have not received anything else at this stage and are presumably now making claims on the Social Insurance Fund for their statutory redundancy (two weeks per year of service plus one week multiplied by their weekly wage subject to a weekly wage maximum of €600). The workers have reportedly staged a sit-in at the plant and Fianna Fail leader and Cork TD, Micheal Martin has visited the workers. Representatives of the workers were reported to have met NAMA on Thursday but as regards the €2.5m in a deposit account, it remains the case that this is in a separate company and the only commonality between the companies appears to be Jack Ronan, so lawfully it seems this money is beyond being used to pay redundancy. The Irish Examiner reports that the Vita Cortex workers have 900 years of service between them which would imply a statutory redundancy bill of €1,100,000 (900*2*600 + 32*1*600). The claim by the workers for redundancy on the company is said to be €1,250,000 so this dispute seems to be about the timing of the payments – the workers might be waiting six months for the Department of Social Protection to pay them from the Social Insurance fund – and €150,000 (the difference between the statutory redundancy and the actual redundancy claim).
UPDATE: 20th December, 2011. It's Day 5 of the sit-in (pictured here) at the Vita Cortex facility on Kinsale Road in Cork city as workers laid off last Friday say they will continue to occupy the facility until they receive redundancy pay. At least three politicians have now gotten involved, Ciaran Lynch first followed by Micheal Martin and Jerry Buttimer. It is reported that Jerry Buttimer spoke with NAMA yesterday and that NAMA's CEO Brendan McDonagh reiterated the Agency's position: that the famous €2.5m belongs to another company related to Jack Ronan and is securing loans which NAMA has now taken over and that NAMA had no hand in the decision to close the Vita Cortex facility. It is reported that the Managing Director of Vita Cortex is today meeting with NAMA. Vita Cortex's financial status is unclear – it is reported in today's Irish Times , quoting TD Ciaran Lynch, that machinery is being transferred from the Cork facility to "another factory in Athlone" . Separately Ciaran Lynch issued a statement on Thursday last demanding an investigation by NAMA into Vita Cortex's finances.
UPDATE: 26th December, 2011. The sit-in by the 32 continues with shifts of 12 former workers normally maintaining a presence at the facility at any one time. SIPTU has been active in this matter, with local representative Anne Egar involved at an early stage and on Saturday, the SIPTU president Jack O'Connor warned that SIPTU workers at other locations across the State would be mobilised in the New Year if the workers remained without compensation payment. Possibly of more significance it was reported that the workers were offered €1,500 each as a downpayment on any eventual redundancy settlement from the Social Insurance Fund, with a condition that they allow certain plant and machinery to be removed from the plant. The €50,000 offer (32 workers * €1,500) was rejected. The offer was reportedly made by Vita Cortex and the financial condition of that company remained unclear, and clarifying that financial condition would seem the most constructive way forward – if the company doesn't have the financial wherewithal to pay the redundancy – and the source of the €50,000 above needs to be clarified as does NAMA's involvement which seems confined to another company under Jack Ronan's control that has property related loans – then all effort should be made to expedite payments from the Social Insurance Fund. While the workers are sitting-in in Cork, they are not available for work or able to start other jobs which ultimately doesn't seem very constructive if there is in fact no money available at this point. The workers have set up a Facebook page here. Lastly there was a Christmas mass said on the site, which the Irish Examiner recorded, part of which is available here.
UPDATE: 21st January, 2012. It is being reported that NAMA is having discussions with Jack Ronan to see if NAMA might release cash to fund the redundancies in return for Jack Ronan pledging an asset of equal value to the cash with NAMA. The net cash needed from NAMA is about €500,000 as Vita Cortex can get a 60% refund on redundancy payments. So the question involving NAMA is whether Jack Ronan can produce an unencumbered asset worth €500,000.
UPDATE: 23rd January, 2012. Not that it will help the Vita Cortex workers, but the head of the Labour Relations Commission which last week oversaw unsuccessful talks between workers and Vita Cortex management has exonerated NAMA from fault in matter. According to the Irish Examiner Kieran Mulvey of the LRC said "it is not for NAMA to give the nod, it is for the beneficial owner of Vita Cortex. NAMA have to be careful that they also, in their circumstances, are not diluting assets to the benefit of someone who is in NAMA and who probably, privately, has the capacity to pay" So it seems the ball is now in Jack Ronan's court, or if he fails to personally step up to the plate, it seems the workers will have to wait 6-12 months for statutory redundancy which has apparently been applied for by the company.
UPDATE: 2nd February, 2012. It is reported that the workers at Vita Cortex are expected to receive their statutory redundancy payments from the Department of Social Protection's Social Insurance Fund in what seems like a record of just two months. The sit-in and protest is set to continue as the workers continue to demand the additional 0.9 weeks per year of service that it is claimed was promised to the workers and which was paid in the case of previous redundancies at Vita Cortex. There was also a protest this week outside the homes of Jack Ronan at Orchardstown Stud farm at Lisronagh, outside Clonmel in Co Tipperary, and of former chairman, Sean McHenry, in Douglas, Cork.
Posted in Developers, Irish Property, NAMA, Politics | 18 Comments
on December 14, 2011 at 8:32 pm l'ennui
"What NAMA does have, is a lien over cash deposits held by a separate company controlled by Jack Ronan, and it is claimed those deposits come to a total of €2m."
Can I ask, what's the name of the separate company..?
This is SIPTU's take… http://www.siptu.ie/media/pressreleases2011/othernews/fullstory,15280,en.html
on December 14, 2011 at 8:35 pm namawinelake
@l'ennui, thanks for that, I did link that statement (and Ciaran Lynch's) above.
Short answer is NAMA didn't say. Will ask, and add any update above.
@l'ennui, as it's a debtor company it looks as if NAMA won't identify the "separate company"
on December 15, 2011 at 10:24 am l'ennui
Thanks very much for checking.
It's a pity NAMA won't release the name because we cannot know for sure if the separate company is actually unrelated to the needs of Vita Cortex e.g., if it was Vita Cortex Holding Company (just speculation on my part).
on December 14, 2011 at 10:31 pm Afitz
Kinsale Road, Cork not Kinsale
on December 14, 2011 at 10:34 pm namawinelake
@Afitz, fair point. Corrected now, thanks.
on December 15, 2011 at 8:32 am Niall
@ NWL I presume this is a problem relating to cross guarantees. Many Irish businesses are structure so as to separate the "real assets" i.e. property from the trade. This is all very fine as long as the property assets are not leverage or used as a guarantee against other property speculations.
If you remember Jim Fitzpatrick of the BBC mentioned this as a major problem in Northern Ireland. He reckoned that there 150 viable family businesses in danger because of property borrowings.
If I remember correctly Easons tried to use losses on property speculation as a reason not to give shop staff a payrise. Indeed they argued it was a reason to cut their pay!
on December 15, 2011 at 9:17 am namawinelake
@Niall, when you say cross guarantees I think of the guarantees going in both directions, in other words the non-property company guaranteeing the property company's loans from the bank and vice versa. So if the property company gets in trouble which is what has typically happened in this downturn then the non-property company ends on the hook for its debts.
In this case, it is the non-property company Vita Cortex that has run into difficulties and now has a liability to its workers for redundancy of €1.25m. But there is no evidence of any cross guarantee here, so that the property company with €2m of deposits has any legal obligation to Vita Cortex.
on December 15, 2011 at 3:03 pm Niall
@ NWL I was listening to Ann Eager of SIPTU on the radio at lunch-time today and she seemed to be suggesting that the cash held in the frozen bank account had been generated by and taken from the trading companies, I can only assume either as a dividend or by way of an inter-company loan.
On a slightly different issue I was speaking to the tax advisor of one of the larger NAMAed developers during the week. Even after a year NAMA staff are delaying payments to the Revenue (VAT & staff PAYE/PRSI) as they are still taking an age approving payments. The Revenue blame the client of course.
@Niall, on Vita Cortex, even if the cash in the separate company which NAMA won't identify was generated from Vita Cortex, it would presumably belong to the separate company. If it was given by Vita Cortex as a loan, then Vita Cortex would have a cause of action, wouldn't it. If it was a dividend then it's eaten bread and gone.
What do you understand by "an age" for NAMA to approve presumably straight-forward payments?
on December 16, 2011 at 10:16 am Neil Callanan
Took six months for us in the Tribune to get our statutory
on December 16, 2011 at 11:01 am irish 969
If the Employee has 47 years service with the company and say he started working @ 18 that would make him 65 how come he is not retired and on Pension
on December 16, 2011 at 11:14 am namawinelake
@irish969, maybe he started work when he was 16 and he's now 63. Maybe there's no compulsory retirement at the plant. Maybe he was due to retire in coming weeks.
on December 18, 2011 at 3:36 pm Joseph Ryan
@NWL
You are correct in saying that employees in a company that have not got funds to pay will have to wait for up to six months to get a cent from the Redundancy Fund.
But there are other issues here. Important legal issues as well as government policy issue.
1. The first is that Vita Cortex does not appear to be in liquidation. Yet it says that it cannot pay funds that it is legally obliged to pay (i.e Statutory Redundancy). In such circumstances it seems to me that the employees should look to the courts to force the company to pay. If the company refuse or are unable then they are insolvent and must be put into liquidation.
The department rightly is reluctant to pay out of the Redundancy fund (though it does do so) in cases where companies have not been put into liquidation or receivership.
2. We then get to the tricky legal bit. When a company is put into liquidation the order of priority for payment is roughly as follows.
A The owner of the any fixed charge can sell the building to to satisfy the charge. NAMA in this case have first shot if the company is in liquidation.
B. Preferred creditors-the Revenue, rates, payroll, holiday pay, redundancy etc, rank pari passu for the assets plus any surplus after the fixed charge has been satisfied by the disposal of the building.
So if the company is put into into liquidation, NAMA do come into the equation. Very much so.
C. Anecdotally, I have heard of many companies now considering to do a Vita Cortex before the Redundancy Rebate reduces from 60% to 15%.
If your redundancy figure of €1.25 million is correct, then the rebate difference would be 45% of that = €565,000, a substantial benefit to any company and to the creditors of that company in the event of it being liquidated.
But the central issue here is the fact that the company has not yet been put into liquidation. This in my view is no accident. Neither was the decision to make the employees redundant now before the new 15% rebate comes into effect.
On a related matter and a practice that is legally very questionable, liquidators and receivers have a tendency to say to employees that they must wait for the Department to forward their redundancy fund.
My humble opinion is that this practice is not legally kosher. The employees should nor have to wait any longer for their funds than other preferential creditors. The ringfencing of the 'delayed' rebate to be paid out later to employees while in the meantime other preferred creditors get some reimbursement from the liquidator or receiver may be accepted practice but that does not make it legally correct.
on January 12, 2012 at 11:38 pm #vinb Thur 12/1/2012: The Vita Cortex and La Senza workers - Page 4
on January 21, 2012 at 2:38 pm GOMBEENLAND
Could be cash in lieu instead of an asset, probably plenty of cash in the shareholder coffers ?
on January 21, 2012 at 2:57 pm namawinelake
@GOMBEENLAND, that wouldn't make sense, at least not to me – if Jack Ronan had the cash available elsewhere then why discuss with NAMA the release of cash in return for an asset.
on May 2, 2012 at 9:07 pm john gallaher
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0502/vita-cortex-staff-vote-to-accept-wages-proposal.html


When it rains it pours. And now is one of those times, and it's all positive.
There also has been a lot going on at SiriusXM. Liberty Media has officially taken over majority control of SiriusXM. We feel that long run this will be a good thing. They will take the good things that Management has done and keep those and make changes to things that they feel will improve the company. For great info about all Liberty Media and the financial happenings of SiriusXM I always refer people to SiriusBuzz where they are experts as the subject and are more versed in it than myself.
One of the big changes at SiriusXM is that they have finally Merged the Billing. In the past if you had an XM Radio in your Car and bought a Sirius Radio for your home you would have to have two separate accounts that you paid full price for both. You couldn't simply add the Sirius radio to your XM account. Now you can. And it's explained more in depth within this thread on DRC.
The second big change is something I'm extremely excited about as well as many others. If you weren't impressed enough with the fact that SiriusXM have an On Demand listening feature in which you can listen to shows on your time schedule and without commercials, than perhaps this new service will impress you. It's called MyControl and it allows you to fine tune many of the stations you've loved listening to on the Satellite Radio spectrum. MyControl is SiriusXM's take on Personalized Radio. And what's so great about it is that the interface is simple and the service is tweaked the moment you take control. You don't have to wait many songs deep before the service caters to your needs. If you enjoyed the 80s on 8 channel but didn't like the Hits so much as the deeper tracks from the 80s, now you can tune out the hits and focus on the niche songs. DRC has a thread on MyControl for SiriusXM here. And SiriusBuzz did a story about it here.
Hopefully all the positive changes keep on this path!


Hello, my name is Aung Kyaw Oo, and I was born in Bagan, Myanmar, which has very long history. There are over 3000 pagodas (temples) ruins here, many over 1,000 years old! This makes Bagan one of the best places in the world to visit and explore. Please come and see how gorgeous Bagan is!


More than likely, you'll find that your cheapest cribs are often standard cribs. You can normally find them for around $100.
These days, with the capability to find custom-made cribs, you can quite possibly locate cribs in a variety of paint colors and finishes. Keep in mind when a crib is identified as having a particular conclusion, state cherry, which doesn't necessarily mean it is made from cherry wood. It's quite possible it is simply stained with a cherry-like finish. Don't be duped!
Your child's crib is definitely the central article of furniture in your nursery. Babies' cribs come in so many styles, shapes, designs, and colors--it is enough to make an indecisive parent's mind spin. Have no fear, this run-down on the various alternatives for your infant's crib will help you sort through the styles and discover the very best alternative for your infant and the design of your nursery.
Your standard crib isalso, well, just a crib. That having been said, occasionally manufacturers do bulge convertible cribs within that combination, but those are not standard cribs.
Probably, if you've got your eye on your crib, it's primarily because you enjoy the look of it. Nonetheless, these cribs may not be the most sensible choice for your nursery.
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Incidentally, there's also a modern tendency of using pine to make baby cribs. Pine is typically a soft wood and will nick easily. If you adore the look of pine, just be ready that after use, it may not seem as pretty as it did when you first got it.
Picking a baby crib is a significant decision and it is important to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of all your options. Keep in mind your baby's safety is more important than anything else, so it is a good idea to research some crib you're considering very nicely.
The reason? The vast majority of all sleigh cribs are made with strong headboards and footboards, rather than pliers. These solid pieces of wood drive up the price.
No doubt, you'll likely run into the convertible crib over any other fashion. The option has a lot of appeal to parents who are looking for furniture that will last not only for the baby and toddler years, however beyond.
These bedroom bits are designed to resemble a sleigh. As a result, they've a quaint charm. Like round cribs, the exceptional design does come with a few drawbacks, however.
If you see the distinction"2-in-1," that means that the convertible bed has 2 purposes (generally a crib/toddler mattress ). Likewise,"3-in-1" provides 3 purposes, etc. This re-purposing of the crib can be a very economical purchase and spare you the trouble of upgrading to toddler beds and full size beds later on in the future.
In the past, Automobiles were mostly made from hardwoods. Hardwood seemed to be the favored choice because they have a tendency to be more lasting and easier to stain or paint.
The fantastic thing is that you can find sleigh cribs which are also convertible cribs. So, if you're looking to extend your dollars while keeping the captivating appeal of a sleigh crib, then you can.
Additionally, round cribs are going to squander more floor space from the nursery. In case you have a great big room, then maybe that isn't an issue for you. However, if you need to be mindful of distance constraints, stick with a traditionally sized crib which can fit more closely in the area.
If you're likely to cling to your crib has an heirloom (bearing in mind that having an antique crib is not recommended), then the resell value of your crib is not going to matter. But, if you would like to eventually resell your crib, obtaining a round crib may make it a much harder sell.
Normally, your standard crib is the most basic crib option available on the market. More specifically, it often refers to cribs that have no other whistles and bells: it is not a convertible crib, it doesn't have an attached changing table.
Another problem with the good head and footboards is the fact that it creates tightly securing crib bumpers to the crib impossible. However, with more and more medical and kid's welfare communities imagining the dangers of crib bumpers, this may be a moot point for you anyhow. Alternatively, you may opt for options to crib bumpers.
There are a couple of reasons. For starters, parents who plan on having another child may know that they are going to need the crib sometime soon. Two, depending on the expense of your crib, the wood could get fairly dinged up from constant use (not to mention sting marks from teething toddlers). And three, some parents enjoy the notion of having nursery furniture that's distinctly"for infant."
If you find the differentiation"2-in-1," that implies the convertible bed has 2 functions (usually a crib/toddler mattress ). Similarly,"3-in-1" will offer 3 purposes, and so on. This re-purposing of the crib could be an extremely economical purchase and spare you the hassle of updating to toddler beds and full size beds later on down the road.


text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:ccp}
\setcounter{equation}{0}
The cosmological constant (CC) problem is one of the most puzzling issues
in modern cosmology.
Since Einstein first introduced it to allow for a static universe, the CC has been
removed and reintroduced in the Einstein field equations, eventually as the simplest
way to explain the supernovae data providing evidence for the present
acceleration in the cosmological expansion.
It is outside the purpose of this letter to review the history of the CC
(see, {\em e.g.}~Refs.~\cite{Weinberg, Carroll, hep-th/0012253}).
Here we just need to recall that there are actually two problems related to the CC:
the coincidence problem, {\em i.e.}~why the CC is taking over now,
and the huge discrepancy of about 120 orders of magnitude between theoretical
predictions and the observed value when $\Lambda$ is considered as a purely vacuum effect.
We will address this second issue in the framework of Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava-Lifshitz theory with detailed balance.
\par
Vacuum effects are real, as shown, for instance, by experiments on the Casimir effect.
The vacuum energy density and related $\Lambda_\textsc v$ should therefore give observable effects
in cosmology just as they do in the laboratory.
On this basis, one can slightly reformulate the CC problem as follows:
given for granted the presence a zero-point energy, what effect is compensating for the
very large $\Lambda_\textsc v$ it induces via the Einstein field equations to result in the small observed
$\Lambda_\textsc{obs}$?
One could easily argue that a large and negative ``bare'' CC, say $\Lambda_\textsc b$, can do this if
$|\Lambda_\textsc b| \lesssim  \Lambda_\textsc v$ and
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc b + \Lambda_\textsc v = \Lambda_\textsc{obs}
\ .
\label{occ}
\end{equation}
Of course, this simple idea is not new and can be applied to General Relativity (GR),
as well as in other models~\footnote{For instance, see Ref.~\cite{Weinberg},
where the case of supersymmetry is also discussed.},
but in standard GR this choice is less natural for (at least) two well known reasons:
i) choosing $\Lambda_\textsc b$ negative and large is completely arbitrary.
Since Minkowski is the most natural vacuum state of GR, $\Lambda_\textsc b$ should ``in principle''
vanish;
ii) a questionable fine tuning is required for the two large quantities $\Lambda_\textsc b$ and $\Lambda_\textsc v$
to compensate and give $\Lambda_\textsc b + \Lambda_\textsc v \approx \Lambda_\textsc{obs}$.
We will see that in Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory with detailed balance this mechanism is less artificial.
This is because:
i) its vacuum contains a large negative bare CC;
ii) as we will show, the total CC, $\Lambda_\textsc b + \Lambda_\textsc v$, is related to the scale $\ell_\textsc{uv}$ at which
Lorentz symmetry violating terms become relevant, and it is small when $\ell_\textsc{uv}$
is close to the Planck length~\footnote{Lorentz invariance is tested to quite a good
level of accuracy.
See Ref.~\cite{lor} for a comprehensive review of Lorentz symmetry violation
and related tests.}.
\par
This letter is organized as follows.
In Sec.~\ref{sec:hor}, we briefly review Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory and estimate the scale at which
corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert action start affecting the dynamics.
In Sec.~\ref{sec:cch}, we compute the vacuum contribution to the CC and relate
it to the above mentioned scale.
Finally, our conclusions are presented in Sec.~\ref{sec:sum}.
\section{Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory and the GR regime}
\label{sec:hor}
\setcounter{equation}{0}
Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory of gravity at a Lifshitz point $z$ is an attempt to provide an
ultraviolet (UV) completion of GR at the price of breaking Lorentz invariance
at a fundamental level and recover the relativistic theory as an emerging feature
at large scales.
The original idea~\cite{HL, HL1, HL2} is to develop a theory of gravity with an
anisotropic scaling between the space and time dimensions,
\begin{equation}
\vec x \rightarrow l \, \vec x \ ; \quad t \rightarrow l^z t
\ ,
\end{equation}
like it was done by Lifshitz in his studies of scalar fields~\cite{Lif}.
In the above $z$ is called the dynamical critical exponent and will be fixed to $z=3$
in what follows.
The resulting theory has an improved UV behaviour and is power-counting
renormalizable.
\par
There are different versions of the theory, essentially depending on whether
the detailed balance principle and/or the projectability condition hold.
Detailed balance restricts the potential to the form provided in Eq.~\eqref{ha}
below, while projectability is nothing but the requirement that the lapse
function depends on time only, $N=N(t)$.
Another crucial feature in Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's gravity is the assumption that the GR invariance
under diffeomorphisms is replaced by the less restrictive group of
\emph{foliated} diffeomorphisms,
the difference being that the time coordinate transformation can only depend on the
old time variable, $t \rightarrow \tilde t = \tilde t(t)$.
More details about Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava-Lifshitz gravity, the ongoing discussion of the possible
conceptual flaws of the theory and the effects of Lorentz symmetry violation
can be found in Refs.~\cite{svw1, svw2, Visser, nikolic, caihu, christos, lipang, blas}.
In particular, several aspects of Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava-Lifshitz cosmology were studied in
Refs.~\cite{calcagni, lmp, kk, brand, muko1, saridakis, muko2, riotto, anzhong, muko3,roy}.
\par
The action for the Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava\ theory satisfying the detailed balance principle is given by
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
S=
\int \mathrm{d} t\, \mathrm{d}^3 {\bf x}\,\sqrt{g}\,N
&
\left[
\frac{2}{\kappa^2}
\left( K_{ij}\,K^{ij}-\lambda\, K^2\right)
-\frac{\kappa^2}{2\,w^4}\,C_{ij}\,C^{ij}
+\frac{\kappa^2\,\mu}{2\,w^2}\,\varepsilon^{ijk}\,R_{i\ell}\,\nabla_jR_k^{\ell}
\right.
\\
&\left.\
-\frac{\kappa^2\mu^2}{8}\,R_{ij}\,R^{ij}
+\frac{\kappa^2\,\mu^2}{8\,(1-3\lambda)}
\left(\frac{1-4\,\lambda}{4}\,R^2+\Lambda_\textsc w\, R-3\,\Lambda_\textsc w^2\right)\right]
\ ,
\label{ha}
\end{split}
\end{equation}
where we are using the same notation as in Ref.~\cite{HL}.
To recover GR in the infrared one must have $\lambda \rightarrow 1$ and
\begin{equation}
c=\frac{\kappa^2\,\mu}{4}\,\sqrt{-\frac{\Lambda_\textsc w}{2}}
\ ; \quad
G_\textsc n=\frac{\kappa^2}{32\,\pi\,c}
\ ; \quad
\Lambda_\textsc b=\frac{3}{2}\,\Lambda_\textsc w
\ .
\label{def}
\end{equation}
Note that the units used here match those adopted in~\cite{HL}:
$[c]=[\Lambda]=L^{-2}$, $[G_\textsc n]=L^{2}$, $[\mu]=L^{-1}$ and $[\kappa]=[w]=1$.
By using the first two expressions in Eq.~\eqref{def}, one also obtains
\begin{equation}
G_\textsc n = \frac{1}{8\, \pi\, \mu}\, \sqrt{-\frac{2}{\Lambda_\textsc w}}
\ ,
\end{equation}
so that $\Lambda_\textsc w$ (hence $\Lambda_\textsc b$) must be non-zero and negative for $G_\textsc n$ to be real.
\par
In order to estimate the energy scale at which the terms in Eq.~\eqref{ha} switch on,
we substitute the parameters of the theory $\kappa$, $\mu$ and $\Lambda_\textsc w$ with $c$, $G_\textsc n$
and $\Lambda_\textsc b$, and then use the relation $x^0 = c\,t$ to write the action as
(we set $N=1$ henceforth)
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
S=\int \mathrm{d}^4 x\,\sqrt{g}
&
\left[ \frac{1}{16\, \pi\, c^2\, G_\textsc n}\left( K_{ij}\,K^{ij}-K^2\right)
-\frac{16\, \pi\, G_\textsc n}{w^4}\,C_{ij}\,C^{ij}
+\frac{2}{w^2}\,\sqrt{-\frac{3}{\Lambda_\textsc b}}\,\varepsilon^{ijk}\,R_{i\ell}\,\nabla_jR_k^{\ell}
\right.
\\
&
\left.\
+\frac{1}{16\, \pi\, G_\textsc n} \left( \frac{3}{\Lambda_\textsc b}\, R_{ij}\,R^{ij}
-\frac{9}{8\, \Lambda_\textsc b}\,R^2 + R -2\, \Lambda_\textsc b\right)
\right]
\ .
\end{split}
\label{haIR}
\end{equation}
This action is non-relativistic but reduces to the Einstein-Hilbert action when the last
two terms dominate.
In the above, $w$ is a dimensionless parameter that acts as a coupling in the
three-dimensional Chern-Simons action used by Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava\ to deform his four-dimensional
action.
In a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) background, these operators (of dimension
higher than $4$) vanish identically so that only the terms in the last line of Eq.~\eqref{haIR}
are relevant for our analysis.
Before proceeding to tackle the CC problem, however, we estimate the relative size of
all the corrections to the GR potential.
We therefore factor the dimensions out of the terms in the action~\eqref{haIR}
by rescaling the spatial coordinates as
\begin{equation}
\tilde x_i = \mathcal{P} \, x_i
\end{equation}
where $\mathcal{P}$ carries the dimension of a spatial derivative
({\em i.e.}~the inverse of a length), and $[\tilde x_i] = 1$.
Because of this transformation, all the functions of the three metric
$[\tilde R] = [\tilde R_{ij}]=\ldots=[\tilde C_{ij}]=1$ and
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
\!\!\!\!\!
S=\!\!\int\!\! \mathrm{d}^4 x\,\sqrt{g}
&
\left[ \frac{1}{16\, \pi\, c^2\, G_\textsc n}
\left( K_{ij}\,K^{ij}-K^2\right)
- \mathcal{P}^6\, \frac{16\, \pi\, G_\textsc n}{w^4}\, \tilde C_{ij}\, \tilde C^{ij}
+ \mathcal{P}^5\, \frac{2}{w^2}\, \sqrt{-\frac{3}{\Lambda_\textsc b}}\,\varepsilon^{ijk}\,
\tilde R_{i\ell}\, \tilde \nabla_j \tilde R_k^{\ell}
\right.
\\
&\left.\
+\frac{1}{16\, \pi\, G_\textsc n} \left( \mathcal{P}^4\, \frac{3}{\Lambda_\textsc b}\, \tilde R_{ij}\, \tilde R^{ij}
- \mathcal{P}^4\, \frac{9}{8\, \Lambda_\textsc b}\, \tilde R^2 + \mathcal{P}^2\, \tilde R -2\, \Lambda_\textsc b\right)
\right]
\ ,
\end{split}
\label{haIRtilde}
\end{equation}
where the power of $\mathcal{P}$ is then the scaling (or inverse length) dimension of the
corresponding polynomial term in the three metric and its derivatives.
A correction of derivative order $n$ to the GR potential then becomes relevant when
the ratio between the coefficient in front of the term multiplied by $\mathcal{P}^n$ and
the coefficient multiplying $\tilde R$ comes to be of order one.
This determines a set of inverse length scales $k_n$, which are given
by~\footnote{We recall that we do {\em not\/} set $c=G_\textsc n=1$.}
\begin{equation}
k_6 \sim \frac{w}{\sqrt{16 \pi G_\textsc n}}
\ ; \quad
k_5 \sim \left[ \sqrt{- \frac{\Lambda_\textsc b}{3}}\, \frac{w^2}{32 \pi G_\textsc n} \right]^{\frac{1}{3}}
\label{pp}
\end{equation}
for the dimension 6 and 5 terms respectively, while for the two dimension 4
terms we have (in the order they appear in the action)
\begin{equation}
k_{4a} \sim \sqrt\frac{-\Lambda_\textsc b}{3}
\,\lesssim\,
k_{4b} \sim \sqrt\frac{-8\Lambda_\textsc b}{9}
\ .
\label{p4}
\end{equation}
As we mentioned before, the two scales in Eq.~\eqref{pp} are not relevant in FRW,
since the corresponding corrections vanish identically there, and
we are just left with those in Eq.~\eqref{p4}.
The smaller of these, $k_{4a}$, then identifies the scale at which Einstein-Hilbert terms
and the first Lorentz-violating correction are equally significant.
We will therefore denote it with
\begin{equation}
k_4 \,\equiv\, k_{4a} \,\simeq\, \sqrt\frac{-\Lambda_\textsc b}{3}
\ ,
\label{c4}
\end{equation}
and use it in the next section to evaluate the vacuum energy contributions.
It is important to note that, by Eq.~\eqref{c4}, $\Lambda_\textsc b$
must be quite large (other than non-zero and negative), otherwise we would
observe UV effects ({\em e.g.}~Lorentz symmetry violations) in the infrared regime.
In the next section will see that $\Lambda_\textsc b$ is actually very close to the Planck scale.
\section{Vacuum contributions}
\label{sec:cch}
\setcounter{equation}{0}
A zero-point energy contribution to the energy momentum tensor is
equivalent to a correction to the bare cosmological constant $\Lambda_\textsc b$
given by
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc v= \frac{8\, \pi\, G_\textsc n}{c^4}\, \varepsilon_{\textsc v}
\ ,
\label{lve}
\end{equation}
where $\varepsilon_{\textsc v}$ is the energy density of the vacuum given by~\footnote{We use here the
standard approximation $\sum_k \approx \frac{V}{8\,\pi^3} \int \mathrm{d} \vec k$ valid
for very large spatial volume $V$.
Note also that $[\varepsilon_{\textsc v}]=L^{-12}$ and $[\hbar]=L^{-6}$ in our units.}
\begin{equation}
\varepsilon_{\textsc v} =
\frac{1}{V}\, \sum_{\vec k} \frac{\hbar}{2}\, \omega(\vec k)
=
\frac{1}{8\,\pi^3} \int_0^{k_\textsc{max}} \frac{\hbar}{2}\, \omega(\vec k)\,\mathrm{d}^3 k
=
\frac{\hbar}{4\, \pi^2} \int_0^{k_\textsc{max}} \omega(\vec k)\, k^2\, \mathrm{d} k
\ ,
\label{ev}
\end{equation}
where $k_\textsc{max}$ is an appropriate inverse wavelength cut-off and
$\omega(\vec k)$ the dispersion relation valid in the regime considered.
\par
In Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's model, we can, in principle, identify three different
regimes, depending on which operators in the action Eq.~\eqref{ha}
(dimension 2, dimension 4 or dimension higher than 4) are relevant at
a given (inverse) length scale. Assuming a sharp transition between
the the three regimes, we can split the integral appearing in
Eq.~\eqref{ev} into three parts,
\begin{equation}
\int_0^{k_\textsc{max}} = \int_0^{k_4} + \int_{k_4}^{k_6}
+ \int_{k_6}^{k_\textsc{max}}
\ ,
\label{ints-0}
\end{equation}
However, since operators with dimension larger than 4 vanish
identically in an FRW universe, their contribution to the vacuum
energy is negligible and, for our interest in this work, their
contribution can be ignored. Hence, we shall only consider two
regimes: the infrared (IR) regime, where the action flows to the
Einstein-Hilbert action as previously mentioned, and the ultraviolet
(UV) regime, in which dimension 4 terms dominate.  The difference is
substantial to our purposes, for the dispersion relation $\omega(\vec
k)$ in Eq.~\eqref{ev} in the UV is expected to differ significantly
from the one in the IR.  Assuming a sharp transition between the two
regimes at $k_4$ given in Eq.~\eqref{c4}, we can split the integral
appearing in Eq.~\eqref{ev} into two parts,
\begin{equation}
\int_0^{k_\textsc{max}} = \int_0^{k_4} + \int_{k_4}^{k_\textsc{max}}
\ ,
\label{ints}
\end{equation}
where for $k_\textsc{max}$ we simply choose the inverse Planck length
$k_\textsc{p}=\ell_{\textsc p}^{-1}=\sqrt{c^3/G_\textsc n\hbar}$\,.
We shall just evaluate the energy density for one massless
scalar field in flat space in the following.
\subsection{IR contribution}
In the infrared, the dispersion relation is the usual
\begin{equation}
\omega_{\textsc{ir}}(\vec k)
\simeq
c\, k
\equiv
c\,|\vec k|
\ .
\end{equation}
Eq.~\eqref{ev} then yields
\begin{equation}
\varepsilon_\textsc{v,ir}
=
\frac{\hbar}{4\,\pi^2} \int_0^{k_4} c\,k^3\,\mathrm{d} k
=
\frac{\hbar\, c}{16\, \pi^2}\, k^4_4
\end{equation}
and the IR contribution to $\Lambda_\textsc v$ is
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc{v,ir}
=
\frac{8\, \pi\, G_\textsc n}{c^4}\, \varepsilon_\textsc{v,ir}
=
\frac{\hbar\, G_\textsc n}{2\, \pi\, c^3}\, k^4_4
=
\frac{\hbar\, G_\textsc n}{18\, \pi\, c^3}\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2
=
\frac{\ell_{\textsc p}^2}{18\, \pi}\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2
\ .
\end{equation}
It is then interesting to note that, in the infrared, a bare CC automatically induces
a vacuum CC proportional to the square of the bare CC.
\subsection{UV contribution}
Let us turn our attention to the UV contribution
\begin{equation}
\varepsilon_\textsc{v,uv}
=
\frac{\hbar}{4\, \pi^2} \int_{k_4}^{k_\textsc{max}}
\omega_{\textsc{uv}}(\vec k)\, k^2\, \mathrm{d} k
\ ,
\end{equation}
where $\omega_{\textsc{uv}}(\vec k)$ is the dispersion relation valid in the UV.
A dimension 4 correction suggests that $\omega_{\textsc{uv}}(\vec k) \propto k^2$
so that, on purely dimensional grounds, we expect that
\begin{equation}
\omega_{\textsc{uv}}(\vec k) = \sqrt \frac{\hbar\, G_\textsc n}{c} \,k^2
\ ,
\end{equation}
whence
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
\varepsilon_\textsc{v,uv}
&
= \frac{\hbar}{4\, \pi^2}\, \sqrt \frac{\hbar\, G_\textsc n}{c}
\int_{k_4}^{k_\textsc{max}} k^4\, \mathrm{d} k
=
\frac{1}{20\, \pi^2} \sqrt \frac{\hbar^3\, G_\textsc n}{c}
\left( {k^5_\textsc{max}} - {k^5_\textsc{eq}} \right)
\\
&
= \frac{1}{20\, \pi^2} \left( \frac{c^7}{\hbar\, G_\textsc n^2}
-\frac{1}{9} \sqrt {-\frac{\hbar^3\, G_\textsc n\, \Lambda_\textsc b^5}{3\,c}} \right)
\ .
\end{split}
\label{evuv}
\end{equation}
The total $\varepsilon_{\textsc v}$ is then
\begin{equation}
\varepsilon_{\textsc v} = \varepsilon_\textsc{v,ir} + \varepsilon_\textsc{v,uv}
=
\frac{1}{144\, \pi^2}
\left[ \hbar\, c\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2 + \frac{4}{5} \left( \frac{9\,c^7}{\hbar\, G_\textsc n^2} -
\sqrt {-\frac{\,\hbar^3\, G_\textsc n\, \Lambda_\textsc b^5}{3\,c}}\right)\right]
\ ,
\end{equation}
which in turn induces a $\Lambda_\textsc v$ given by
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc v=
\frac{8\, \pi\, G_\textsc n}{c^4}\, \varepsilon_{\textsc v}
=
\frac{1}{18\,\pi} \left[ \ell_{\textsc p}^2\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2
+ \frac{4}{5} \left( \frac{9}{\ell_{\textsc p}^2} -
\sqrt\frac{-\ell_{\textsc p}^6\, \Lambda_\textsc b^5}{3}\,\right)\right]
\ .
\end{equation}
Here it is important to note that the above expression is scale independent,
since it is given in terms of the fundamental constants $\Lambda_\textsc b$ and $\ell_{\textsc p}$ which
are not subject to renormalization effects.
\par
From Eq.~\eqref{occ}, Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory with detailed balance can cope with observations
if the total CC matches the observed $\Lambda_\textsc{obs}$, that is if
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc b + \Lambda_\textsc v =
\Lambda_\textsc b +
\frac{1}{18\,\pi} \left[ \ell_{\textsc p}^2\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2
+ \frac{4}{5} \left( \frac{9}{\ell_{\textsc p}^2} -
\sqrt\frac{-\ell_{\textsc p}^6\, \Lambda_\textsc b^5}{3}\,\right)\right]
= \Lambda_\textsc{obs}
\ .
\end{equation}
Since $\Lambda_\textsc b$ is expected to be much larger than $\Lambda_\textsc{obs}$ [see the discussion below
Eq.~\eqref{pp})], we can effectively approximate $\Lambda_\textsc{obs}\simeq 0$ and solve
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc b + \frac{1}{18\,\pi} \left[ \ell_{\textsc p}^2\, \Lambda_\textsc b^2
+ \frac{4}{5} \left( \frac{9}{\ell_{\textsc p}^2} -
\sqrt\frac{-\ell_{\textsc p}^6\, \Lambda_\textsc b^5}{3}\,\right)\right] \simeq 0
\label{bccsol}
\end{equation}
for $\Lambda_\textsc b$.
One then obtains
\begin{equation}
\Lambda_\textsc b \simeq
-0.13\,\ell_{\textsc p}^{-2}
\ .
\label{bcc}
\end{equation}
which implies that UV effects start contributing at~\footnote{Of course, our results
must be taken as order of magnitude estimates, since, in evaluating $\Lambda_\textsc v$, we just
considered one scalar field and have not properly accounted for all the
degrees of freedom of existing matter fields.}
\begin{equation}
\ell_\textsc{uv}
\equiv
k_4^{-1}
\equiv
\sqrt \frac{-3}{\Lambda_\textsc b}
\simeq
4.8\,\ell_{\textsc p}
\ .
\label{Luv}
\end{equation}
This result tells us that non-GR terms only switch on at very small length scales.
The above estimate for $\ell_\textsc{uv}$ is also relatively stable with respect to the
possible values of $k_4$.
In fact, for $k_4 \ll k_{4a}$, the solution for $\ell_\textsc{uv}$ tends to
$\sqrt{15\pi/2} \,\ell_{\textsc p}\simeq 4.9\,\ell_{\textsc p}$.
For $k_{4a} < k_4  \lesssim 4.3 \, k_{4a}$, $\ell_\textsc{uv}$ slowly decreases toward
its minimum, $\ell_\textsc{uv,min} \simeq 4.3\, \ell_{\textsc p}$, and then increases again for
$k_4 \gtrsim 4.3 \, k_{4a}$, with the ratio $\ell_\textsc{uv}/\ell_{\textsc p}$ growing slower than
the square root of $k_4/k_{4a}$.
For instance, one needs $k_4$ be (approximately) 15 times larger than
its natural value $k_{4a}$ for the ratio $\ell_\textsc{uv}/\ell_{\textsc p}$ to double the value
given in Eq.~\eqref{Luv}.
We can therefore conclude that the result in Eq.~\eqref{Luv} is a reliable
approximation and $\ell_\textsc{uv} \simeq 5\,\ell_{\textsc p}$ for any sensible choice of $k_4$.
\par
Our analysis also reveals two intriguing features:
\\
i) the UV regime ``spans'' only about five Planck lengths, and one might argue that
its existence is negligible in a first approximation.
A closer inspection however, reveals that it is essential for the consistency
of the present study.
Indeed, without the UV contribution given in Eq.~\eqref{evuv},
Eq.~\eqref{bccsol} would yield two solutions,
$\ell_\textsc{uv} = \infty$ and $\ell_\textsc{uv} = \ell_{\textsc p}/\sqrt{6 \pi} < \ell_{\textsc p}$, both of which are
clearly unacceptable.
\\
ii) no choice of $k_4$ in Eq.~\eqref{ints} can lead to $\ell_\textsc{uv}<\ell_{\textsc p}$ that is,
the scale at which Lorentz-violating UV terms become relevant is larger than
the Planck scale and Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory cannot be
considered equivalent to GR all the way down to the Planck length.
\par
Finally, Eq.~\eqref{bcc} allows us to close the system~\eqref{def} providing
a first estimate for the IR values of the parameters of the theory, namely
\begin{equation}
\mu_\textsc{ir}
\approx
\frac{5}{4\,\pi} \sqrt\frac{\hbar}{G_\textsc n\, c^3}
=
\frac{5\,\ell_{\textsc p}}{4\,\pi\,G_\textsc n}
\ ; \quad
\Lambda_\textsc{w,ir}
\approx
\frac{1}{60\, \ell_{\textsc p}^2}
\end{equation}
while $\kappa$ is already determined by the second of Eqs.~\eqref{def}.
\section{Conclusions}
\label{sec:sum}
\setcounter{equation}{0}
We have shown that the huge discrepancy between the observed value
of the cosmological constant and standard predictions from Quantum Field
Theory can be addressed in the framework of Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava-Lifshitz theory of gravity
with detailed balance.
In fact, this theory contains a negative and large bare cosmological constant
which compensates for the large and positive vacuum energy of matter fields.
In so doing, we have established a relation between the smallness of the total
cosmological constant and the scale of ultraviolet effects given in Eq.~\eqref{Luv}.
One can take the view that ultraviolet effects do not show up at lower energies
because the bare cosmological constant is almost totally compensating for
the zero-point energy density or, conversely, that the almost perfect compensation
between the bare and the vacuum cosmological constant prevents Lorentz-violating
ultraviolet effects to interfere with large scale physics.
\par
Details of the interplay with this apparently different sectors of Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's cosmology
are left open for future investigations.
\section*{Acknowledgments}
The authors wish to thank A.~Papazoglou, R.~Maartens and A.~Wang for useful discussions
about Ho$\check{\textrm{r}}$ava's theory and comments on the manuscript.
S.~S.~is supported by the Marie-Curie Incoming International Grant IIF-2006-039205.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
L'Hall of Fame Tennis Championships 2007 (conosciuto anche come Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships per motivi di sponsorizzazione) è stato un torneo di tennis giocato sull'erba. È stata la 32ª edizione dell'Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, che fa parte della categoria International Series nell'ambito dell'ATP Tour 2007. Si è giocato all'International Tennis Hall of Fame di Newport negli Stati Uniti, dal 9 al 15 luglio 2007.

Campioni

Singolare

 Fabrice Santoro ha battuto in finale  Nicolas Mahut, 6–4, 6–4

Doppio

 Jordan Kerr /  Jim Thomas hanno battuto in finale  Nathan Healey /  Igor' Kunicyn, 6–3, 7–5

Collegamenti esterni

ATP Tour 2007

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Improving Egyptian energy prospects boosts overall economy
EgyptEnergy
The announcement in 2014 that BP, one of the largest foreign investors in Egypt, plans to spend more than $12bn on its Egyptian operations over the next five years marks a significant reversal of fortunes for Egypt's gas sector as well as for the country's revenues.
That it should represent such a stark turnaround for Egypt is somewhat surprising. Egypt – which has been producing hydrocarbons for well over a century now and is the largest non-OPEC producer in Africa – has some of the region's most competitive production costs, particularly with its onshore blocks. The sector has been buffered from most of the fallout from the post-revolution turbulence. The country's transport, export and processing infrastructure is well developed and with oil reserves estimated at 3.6bn barrels and gas reserves at 65.2trn standard cu feet (scfd), there is still plenty of scope for growth.
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Debt Buildup
Compounding the challenge was the build-up of arrears owed to upstream producers. The debt owed by the agencies of the Ministry of Petroleum (MoP), primarily the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), to international oil companies has risen in recent years. While no official figure regarding its obligations had been released by the state-owned company, press reports estimated it to be as high as $6bn.
The arrears were the result of a difficult and unenviable position faced by the MoP: on the one hand it was compelled to purchase product from international oil companies (IOCs) at a price as close as possible to the international market rate in order for them to maintain their operations, whilst on the other hand it was required to make fuel available to the domestic market at much lower rates – a discrepancy which caused EGPC in 2012 to run up high levels of debt and fall behind on payments to IOCs.
However, much has changed since mid-2014. Among the more prominent developments was an improvement in the broader macroeconomic environment, a result in part of the successful conclusion to the presidential elections in May 2014.
The electoral victory of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi – in terms of economic policy at least – has helped to provide a measure of stability after three years of uncertainty. The new administration, which according to official rolls garnered 96.9% of the popular vote, used its mandate to launch a number of ambitious reforms, including an overhaul of the costly subsidy regime.
Subsidy Reforms
In July 2014 the government introduced subsidy cuts across a range of fuels with the aim of reducing the discrepancy between the price at which the government purchases products and that at which it sells them. The move resulted in significant price increases for consumers: diesel grades rose between 64% and 78%, natural gas (which most of the nation's taxi fleet relies on) saw a 175% increase, while 92-octane petrol was made 40% more expensive. The reduction in the subsidy level will make it easier for the MoP to avoid running up debts with IOCs in the future.
While there may be further subsidy reductions on the agenda, with the country working to get rid of energy subsidies within three to five years, falling global crude oil prices mean the government could get away with less drastic cuts in the next round. In total, a 40% drop in the price of benchmark Brent for the last six months of 2014 eased Egypt's energy import bill, giving the government time to consider its next step.
In the meantime, the government has been working to reduce its arrears. In October 2015, the outstanding amount was thought to have shrunk to around $4.9bn, after the government had paid off $1.5bn of the deficit. While a considerable amount remains to be paid, the most important function of the government's efforts to reduce its debt to the IOCs is as a demonstration of Egypt's willingness to address the concerns of the upstream producers. In November 2014, for example, a $1.5bn syndicated bank loan was agreed with the National Bank of Egypt and National Bank of Abu Dhabi with hopes that moves to pay back foreign companies will encourage energy firms to boost exploration in the country. It also said it will issue a tender for $2bn in funding guaranteed by forward sales of crude oil shipments for five years, to help finance its arrears.
The International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva ruled in December 2015 that the EGPC and Egypt's state owned gas company EGAS owe an Israeli electric firm $1.76bn. This ruling will put pressure on Egypt to start importing gas from Israel, which would reflect a new dynamic for the two countries, with Egypt historically exporting gas to Israel. Egypt has vowed to appeal the case.
New Interest
And it has been these sorts of initiatives that have helped pave the way for the $12bn commitment by BP. In the fourth quarter of 2014 Egypt signed a string of exploration deals with IOCs to conclude a protracted bidding round that was launched at the close of 2013. France's Total, BP, the UAE's Dana Gas, Italy's Eni, Edison and Irish firm Petroceltic were amongst the international outfits to snap up onshore and offshore acreage exploration licenses. The success of the Egyptian round was in stark contrast to regional neighbours such as Libya, where IOCs are divesting in the face of political violence, and Algeria, which only managed to attract takers for four of the 31 blocks that it offered in late 2014.
Partially fuelling the enthusiastic response to Egypt's offerings was the relaxation of a pricing policy that had limited remuneration for gas production to $2.65 per million British thermal units – a level which was sufficient for dense, onshore gas formations but cumbersome for offshore, deep-water acreage. This followed a 2013 pledge by the Minister of Petroleum to raise the rate paid to producers as a response to higher development costs for deepwater oil extraction.
The announcement of BP's $12bn investment programme is certainly a clear fillip to the gas sector. The new capacity the company plans to install is expected to double its gas supply to the local market in the next decade, according to recent press reports on the project.
In the short term, Egypt's gas problem will be addressed by imports – in November the country inked a deal with Norwegian Hoegh LNG for a floating storage and regasification unit in the Red Sea, and imports of liquefied natural gas began in the first quarter of 2015 – but the improved investor sentiment brought about by the government's efforts to address its pricing and debt challenges suggests that Egypt's longer term ambition to raise domestic production is a realistic one.
The Report: Egypt 2016
Energy & Utilities chapter from The Report: Egypt 2016
Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Interview Next article from this chapter and report
Hesham Mekawi, Regional President, BP North Africa: Interview
New discoveries for Egyptian oil producers
Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Interview
Khaled Abu Bakr, Executive Chairman, Taqa Arabia: Interview
US shale industry a challenge for Egyptian oil producers
Hesham El Amroussy, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Egypt: Interview
Natural gas discovery could see Egypt become major exporter
Egypt's growing population increases demand for energy production
Tamer El Mahdi, Deputy CEO, Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding (Orascom TMT): Interview
Major deals with global players for energy sector in Egypt
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Atul Gawande : Surgeon and Author
November 13, 2018 By James Robinson
Atul Gawande, a surgeon, writer, and public health leader
Atul Gawande Speech Sample:
Atul Gawande Speech Topics:
A conversation with Surgeon, Author and Researcher Atul Gawande
Reassessing the value of care for chronic health conditions
For the first time in human history, ineptitude is a bigger problem than ignorance
Atul Gawande Biography:
Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, is a surgeon, writer, and public health leader. He is CEO of the non-profit-seeking health care venture formed by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase to deliver better outcomes, satisfaction, and cost efficiency in care. He practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Samuel O. Thier Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He is the founding executive director and chairman of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and chairman of Lifebox, a nonprofit organization making surgery safer globally.
Atul has been a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine since 1998 and has written four New York Times bestsellers: Complications, Better, The Checklist Manifesto, and Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. He is the winner of two National Magazine Awards, AcademyHealth's Impact Award for highest research impact on healthcare, a MacArthur Fellowship, and the Lewis Thomas Award for writing about science.
To request Atul Gawande to be a speaker at your next event, contact:
Filed Under: Bestselling Authors, Healthcare, Humanitarian, Robinson Speakers Tagged With: atul gawande, best-selling author, brigham and women's, conference, endocrine surgery, hospital, how to book a speaker, how to book a speech, how to book atul gawande, ineptitude is a bigger problem than ignorance, keynote speaker, public health, surgeon
Zeynep Ton : The Good Jobs Strategy Lisa Genova : Still Alice Rex Pemberton : World Explorer Yaron Brook : Capitalism without Guilt


text:
Palmarès
 All-CBA Second Team (1996)
 Miglior marcatore IBL (2001)
 Miglior marcatore CBA (2005)

Collegamenti esterni

 Scheda su thedraftreview.com


PHOENIX, October 16, 2018, Mau Inc has been selected for the 2018 Best of Business Award by the Small Business Community.
MAU Workforce Solutions provides strategic temporary staffing, professional recruiting, outsourcing, outplacement and managed services that are customized to fit your business' strategic staffing and operational needs. We'll work with you to define and understand your business needs and goals, and develop solutions that align with your objectives. MAU Makes Lives Better by delivering workforce solutions Globally.


Ambrosia is a charming family hotel at 200m of the market and the Menin Gate of Ypres. You can sleep in a very recently refurbished (2008) hotel. Enjoy our cosy, warm and domestic design. Try our cooked or cold breakfast. The rooms are perfectly maintained. In order to offer you a maximal sleeping comfort, we invested in reliable beds and mattress bottoms. With our high-quality bicycles, you can ride on the extensive bicycle routes in the area. The region of Ypres is a true paradise for cyclists and walkers!
Free discountpass and free breakfast through this site only.


McHenry County College (MCC) will host a Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony beginning with patriotic music by the MCC Concert Band and Chorus at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9 in the MCC Gym in Building A. The college is located at 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake. The ceremony portion begins at 9:30 a.m.
Community members and student veterans, along with faculty, staff and guests, are invited to the event that features speakers, patriotic music, posting of the colors by a combined service Color Guard, and bagpipes and drum music. In addition to recognizing veterans, visitors will have an opportunity to mingle and meet other veterans at a reception following the ceremony.
The keynote speaker is Sgt. Major (retired) Thomas Morrissey of Woodstock. He served over 30 years in the U.S Army Special Forces, with his last 14 years of service with the Illinois National Guard.
During his third combat tour to Afghanistan in the summer of 2006—then Sergeant First Class—Morrissey received multiple gunshot wounds in an ambush. He endured three years of continuous surgeries and rehabilitation in Augusta, Georgia. In April 2009 Sgt. Major Morrissey was medically retired from the Army due to his injuries and returned to the Chicagoland area.
Morrissey spends his personal time working to improve the services and support available to all injured soldiers and veterans as president of the board for McHenry-based Transitional Living Services for Veterans and as a board member with the Augusta, Georgia Warrior Project; both are non-profit organizations directly serving veterans.
"MCC's annual Veterans Day program is one of many efforts at the college to honor our country's military veterans, said Don Curfman, instructor and advisor for the Student Veterans Association at MCC. "We also help veterans transition from the military service to college with our student organization and our Student Veterans Resource Center," Curfman added.
The events are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the program. For more information, contact the MCC Veterans Day Committee at (815) 479-7635.


The Rooty Hill shop customer service person is more interested in flogging a product than customer service. Do not see this guy.
Great bank, very helpful, friendly advice, no pressure.
My wife and I, like many other Australians are in a position where we can help our children with their first home. We have just been released from having our home used as security with my son's first home. It is now my daughter's turn, so why change a good thing, so we are sticking with Yellow Brick Road (YBR) and Macquarie Bank.
YBR have taken the time to look at my options. Great customer service.
I recently refinanced with YBR and am very pleased with the product features and the rates on offer not to mention the excellent customer service my refinacing was painless and did not cause me any stress during the whole process.


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Cruise Freek Forums Cruise Message Board :: General Cruise Topics :: Weather Including Storm Updates Share
Quake Triggers Tusanami in Indonesia
Subject: Quake Triggers Tusanami in Indonesia Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:09 pm
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Sept. 12) - A massive [url=javascript:;]earthquake[/url] shook Indonesia on Wednesday, killing one person, injuring dozens and triggering a tsunami that hit one city on the island of Sumatra, authorities said. Tsunami warnings were issued for much of the Indian Ocean region. A wave of up to 9 feet was reported to have struck the city of Padang about 20 minutes after the magnitude-8.2 quake, said Suhardjono, an official with Indonesia's meteorological agency, who goes by only one name.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also reported that a small tsunami hit Padang.
At least one person was killed and dozens injured in Bengkulu, the town closest to the epicenter, local government official Salamun Harius told El Shinta radio.
Several buildings along the coastline were damaged or collapsed, residents said, and phone lines and electricity also were cut. Most of the damage appeared to be from the quake.
Residents in Bengkulu, where at least one building was demolished, said the quake triggered panic and that people ran inland.
"Everyone is running out of their houses in every direction," said Wati Said, who spoke by cell phone standing outside her house. "We think our neighborhood is high enough. God willing, if the water comes, it will not touch us here."
"Communication is cut, we can't call out," she added. "I don't know how you contacted us. Everyone is afraid."
Several buildings in Padang were damaged and at least one car showroom collapsed, according to the news Web site detik.com, which said people were searching to see if anyone was inside. It did not say whether the quake or wave caused the damage. Suhardjono said communication with the area was difficult.
The quake could be felt in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, 375 miles away, where office workers streamed down the stairwells of tall, swaying buildings. It also caused tall buildings to sway in neighboring Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
The undersea quake hit at about 6:10 p.m. (7:10 a.m. EDT), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered 80 miles southwest of Sumatra island at a depth of 18.6 miles.
"Earthquakes of this size have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean Basin," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, warning that waves could hit Indonesia and Australia within an hour, and Sri Lanka and India within three hours.
It lifted the alert for Indonesia about two hours later.
An official with Thailand's National Disaster Warning Center, Passakorn Khanthasap, said it had sent cell phone text messages alerting hundreds of officials in six southern provinces.
In India, officials said nothing was felt in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands, some of which are just 150 miles north of Sumatra.
The Indian government issued a tsunami alert for the islands, and officials were telling local authorities to take precautions, said Dharam Pal, the regional relief commissioner.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Sumatra island and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including 160,000 people in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Cruise Freek Forums Cruise Message Board :: General Cruise Topics :: Weather Including Storm Updates


ME GETTING MY FIRE SAFETY AWARD, GUYS!! (1 video) — Archie Brindleton's Interwebsnet Clubhouse For Friendlypals!!
It is finallytimes all done and stuff!! Yup!! Mum finished up her picturemovie of when I got to go to the ETOBICOKEplace for getting my FIRE MARSHAL'S PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY COUNCIL FIRE SAFETY AWARD!!
Only (14) of these awards are given out for the whole entire province every yeartimes, so I am full-up with proudliness, plus I am saying a ginantical SHANKSH to everybuddy who nominated me, plus to everybuddy who was so soopernice at the ceremony!! It was AMAYZAZING!!
Wasn't that awesometimes!!?? IKNOW!! They are sending waymorelots of picturestories too, so when they come to our mailingbox, I will share them with you guys!! Promiseface!!
Shanksh one more times, guys!! Truestory this means sooperlots to me plus the whole entire Brindlebunch, so I am not even joshing when I say....I AM A LUCKY DUCKLING FOR REALS!!


I no longer get credit for logging cross country time in my logbook.
After updating to the latest version I no longer get credit for logging cross country time in my logbook. Is anyone else having this problem and how do I fix it?
How do I get a refund for X-plane 4G that you no longer support?
Why can I no longer hear the ILS locator "beep" in Zibo 737-800 ?


Telescopic Gate Kits have been created to allow a sliding gate to take up less space to the side of the opening by having 2 leaves simultaneously working together.
We have 4 standard kits available ranging from a 4m kit up to a 15.4m kit.
Note: Kits do not include track or rollers. These are also listed below and must be bought separately. Also we do not offer automation in these kits. Should automation be required please call for details.


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1. Diary of an Ugly Sweater
by: Cassi Eubank
Have you ever felt alone? Can you remember a time when you thought you weren't good enough? Maybe you have even felt ugly before?
Sophie certainly knows how you feel.
Sophie was created a Christmas sweater and was feeling on top of the world when she was chosen to be featured in a newspaper ad. For one day, she was shipped off and was the model for a glamorous photo shoot.
Her feeling of joy faded when she got back to Warehouse City and had to quickly learn to understand and find the best way to work with all the different personalities of the other sweaters. With compassion and humor, Sophie was able to turn those who started out as adversaries into allies.
These were skills she would need when she arrived at the Superstore, the place where her forever person would find her. During her short stay at the store, before Katie purchased her, Sophie had the opportunity to watch and observe human nature in a big way as the masses of holiday shopper descended when the doors opened each day. All of the things she learned would be needed for what was to come.
At first, Sophie believed she was the happiest sweater in the world. The perfect forever person had chosen her, and she even heard her talk about going to a Christmas party and being entered into a best sweater contest. Sophie was alive with excitement, especially when she found out that Katie was going to "bling" her out. Oh the glitz, the glam, Sophie was loving it all.
First came the garland. Then the blinking lights. Next it was larger ornaments and presents under the tree. Being an over-achiever, Katie also added bells, bows, a purple peacock, a raccoon, an elf, a floating Santa head, an angel and candy canes all over her right arm!
Sophie was feeling like a freak show and wondered why her forever person would want to change her so much. Why wasn't she good enough just the way she was?
With the help and support of her new family, Sophie learned some new coping skills that allowed her to grow and gain from the feelings she once had. With these new skills in place, what once seemed overwhelming was now simple and easy. Life was good. Until…..
One evening, Sophie and the family that had been attached to her were left on the kitchen table. There before her, Sophie saw things that caused her world to crash in around her. In plain sight, was an invitation to the party she was going to with the prompt to Get Your Ugly On! $100 to the winner of the UGLY SWEATER CONTEST.
As her heart sunk, she glanced to the right and saw a newspaper advertisement. What it said made her go numb.
There on the open page was a picture of her. It was one that had been taken when she had been sent to model at the photo shoot.
UGLY SWEATER SALE the words above her head screamed.
She had been created… no, she had been born to be ugly. Her only purpose in life was to be a hideous amusement. Sophie was heart-broken and saw no reason for her worthless, pathetic life.
Thanks to the love and understanding of her adopted family, Sophie came to learn her true value. Having come to love herself, she was able to offer those around her so much more, which made her feel even better. She was also able to let her challenges turn her into a champion!
Join Sophie as she shares real life solutions to the opportunities for growth that present themselves in our lives. When you delight in these pages, you will come to love Sophie and feel both her trials and her triumphs. Take this journey now and engage in a delightful ride that will capture hearts of all ages during all seasons.
Sophie's journey allows young people to witness and learn some of the struggles they may come across and offers real life solutions. Readers are invited to explore opportunities and possibilities to every day challenges that will allow them to grow into confident adults with better relationship and coping skills.
3. A Christmas Memory
by: Truman Capote
Truman Capote's boyhood Christmas memoir rereleased in a beautiful new package, which includes a CD with the audio version of the text.
The classic story of Truman Capote's childhood Christmas ritual is more endearing than ever in this newly redesigned package.
In celebration of A Christmas Memory's enduring appeal, this repackaged edition retains Beth Peck's evocative watercolors and an audio CD narration by the venerable Celeste Holm (originator of the Ado Annie role in the 1943 Broadway hit "Oklahoma!" and an Academy Award-winning actress). Originally published in 1956, this is the story from Capote's childhood of lovingly making fruitcakes from scratch at Christmas-time with his elderly cousin, and has stood the test of time to become known as an American holiday classic. In its new size, it's perfect for reading alone or reading aloud, or following along while listening to the audio version.
5. The Secret of Santa's Songbird
by: D. S. Jackson
Meet Chipper the songbird, a Northern Cardinal who is rather slow at growing his feathers. He can only hope to be like other birds. Chipper is destined by the nature of his own heart, to deliver a Christmas gift not even Santa sees coming!
This beautifully written narrative poem shares the spirit abiding within. It also shares a wonder of nature, to invite every child to realize nature's gifts.
No other book of its kind compares to this one's notoriety and compliment among ACEO artists world wide! Perhaps this is because the book itself has a secret. Anyone can add their own art on paper to any page! So embellish the pages of your choice or enjoy the story as it stands, heart to heart.
The pages of Santa's Songbird ™ softcover storybooks facilitate the addition of your choice of compatible art on paper. This makes it possible for you to embellish the story in ways unique to your own vision, turning out a priceless keepsake or gift. Young children can decorate a copy with their own favorite stickers or use blank 3″ x 5″ index cards to create their own pictures to be displayed in the book using photo corners.
Discover related art and more on the author's website: SantasSongbird.com
6. Meowy Christmas
by: Gregory E Bray, Holly J Bray-Cook, Mark Rylander
Meowy Christmas by Gregory E. Bray is a heart warming children's book about a Cat who's about to learn a very important lesson on Christmas day. When Franklin wakes up on Christmas Eve he is shocked to find that there's a Christmas present under the tree just for him!
At first he is excited about getting a present, but then he is sad that he didn't get his family a present and doesn't know what to do. After speaking with his doggy friend Charley, he realizes that there is more to the beauty of Christmas than just receiving presents.
Meowy Christmas by Gregory E. Bray is a warm and colorful children's book that parents will love reading to their little ones over and over again to help them discover the true meaning of Christmas!
7. The Christmas Doll
by: Elvira Woodruff
In a heartwarming novel that is destined to become a Christmas classic, acclaimed author Elvira Woodruff tells the story of two orphaned sisters whose lives are forever changed by a magical doll.
Lucy and Glory are orphaned sisters with no real place to call home. Only their memories of a beautiful doll named Morning Glory brighten their bleak lives. When a deadly fever sweeps through the workhouse where the girls live, Lucy and Glory flee to the mean streets of London.
One day the girls find an old battered doll that Glory senses is their beloved Morning Glory. But Morning Glory is no ordinary doll–the girls learn that she has magical powers that will change their lives in amazing ways.. With the help of the doll, the sisters discover the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.
Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Orphans & Foster Homes
8. Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Keepsake Edition
by: Julie Lane, Hokie
Traces the life of Nicholas the woodcarver describing how he became Santa Claus and his role in creating various Christmas customs and symbols.
Children's Books > Literature & Fiction
9. Halloween Mystical Peter, Bonfire Peter, Christmas Peter: Tiny Thoughts – Vol 11-13: Peter: A Darkened Fairytale
by: William O'Brien
Welcome to the world of Peter: A Darkened Fairytale.
A drawer is a drawer, and a door is a door, one way in and one way out. What… not sure? A time in space has now arrived for some readers passing by and travelling through in a blip of time, goes so quick, like this rhyme. The thoughts one thinks may not be real and sometimes they will make you squeal. Biting, scratching, tastes hang true, inside this story you'll meet things new. Must be careful, for if you fall those evildoers will seize all. Taking bodies and minds of prey, trapped, entombed as darkness flays. If by chance you are done, chase the light chosen one. Staring from those eyes so bright, view things given with new sight. For all that see, avoid the dark, a new path is shown near the park. A secret there for all that be, if you're brave enough, open me!
Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Spine-Chilling Horror
10. I Went to the Party in Kalamazoo
by: Ed Shankman, Dave Frank
This book is your child's passport to the ultimate children's party. Every detail of the book, and the party itself, has been designed with a child's favorite things in mind. You'll find ""sandboxes everywhere, and fields to play ball in, and places to hide in, and places to crawl in, and places to lie in, and places to fall in, and one that I'm sure you will feel very tall in."" The party in Kalamazoo reveals itself through easy, playful rhymes and bright, whimsical illustrations that delight children and parents alike. You'll meet ""puppies and ponies and marionettes. That's the kind of excitement that no one forgets!"" Best of all, you and your child can attend the party in Kalamazoo again and again – on rainy days, at bedtime, and whenever else you like – for as long as this book remains a cherished part of your child's collection.
12. Ericka The Puppy's First Halloween
by: Chasity Conley, Chasity Conley
Ericka the puppy goes Trick-or Treating with Robin, and learns about Halloween safety. Join her on her very first Halloween.
13. The Goopy Ghost at Thanksgiving
by: V. R. Duin
Goopy is ghostly, goopy, and adored by kids everywhere! Goopy Ghost is the beloved, boo-tiful spirit that is always eager to help the Brown family. In the third installment of this vibrantly illustrated rhyming children's book series, a storm threatens to ruin Thanksgiving and the Brown's family home. Enter Goopy to scare up some fun for the entire family.
Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving
14. The Night Before Christmas
by: Clement C. Moore, Christine Brallier
'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's late night visit has a man and his curious kitty investigating. Did you know that Santa can play the guitar? Well, he can! Each page is filled with thoughtful details, luscious color, and a joyful whimsy. Mosaic artist Christine Brallier has created fifteen stained glass mosaic illustrations in her unique rendition of the classic The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. Reading the book with her family nearly five years ago, Christine was inspired to create her own version of the story and to put her family and their cat in it. The next four and a half years were spent illustrating the mosaics for the book, which were made by hand cutting thousands of pieces of stained glass and fitting them together to form the images. Signed by the illustrator, Christine Brallier
15. The Best Eid Ever
by: Asma Mobin-Uddin, Laura Jacobsen
Young readers can learn about Eid, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslim families every year, as well as the Hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims travel back to Mecca for the Eid, in this picture book written by Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen.
This Eid, Aneesa should be happy. But, her parents are thousands of miles away for the Hajj pilgrimage. To cheer her up, her Nonni gives her a gift of beautiful clothes, one outfit for each of the three days of Eid. At the prayer hall, Aneesa meets two sisters who are dressed in ill-fitting clothes for the holiday. She soon discovers that the girls are refugees – they had to leave everything behind when they left their native country to live in America. Aneesa, who can't stop thinking about what Eid must be like for them, comes up with a plan – a plan to help make it the best Eid holiday ever.
School Library Journal says: "[A] beautifully composed story. . . . This is a welcome contribution, giving much-needed visibility to a celebration observed by over ten million people in North America."
Library Media Connection says: "After reading this book, children will have a greater appreciation for the Muslim culture and will have no problem realizing that love is an action word."
16. Christmas Peter: (Peter: A Darkened Fairytale, Vol 12)
Welcome to the world of Peter: A Darkened Fairytale
A drawer is a drawer, and a door is a door, one way in and one way out. What… not sure? A time in space has now arrived for some readers passing by and travelling through in a blip of time, goes so quick, like this rhyme.
Christmas Peter is a light-hearted read of short poems.
Hmmm… said Santa, scratching his beard
Waved his hand, a dozen elves appeared
Climbing they played with baubles of gold
Snow started falling a secret told
~ The brightest of wishes to all ~
17. Earth Day–Hooray! (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Mathstart: Level 3 (Prebound))
by: Stuart J. Murphy, Renee Andriani
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A drive to recycle cans on Earth Day teaches the children of the Maple Street School Save-the-Planet Club about place value.
Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Health > Diseases
18. Laura and the Leprechauns
by: Amber T. Kingston, Finalist-Interior Design, 3 or More Color Children s/Young Adult, Amber T. Kingston, Jill Ronsley
Do you believe in leprechauns? Little Laura does. That is, until her friends tell her that they aren t real. But Laura doesn t give up so easily. She decides to write the wee folk to find out for herself. When two tiny leprechauns pay Laura a visit, she has a St. Patrick s Day that she ll never forget!
Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
19. The Nativity
by: Ruth Sanderson
For centuries, the Gospels have brought to audiences of all ages the story of the birth of Christ, from the breathtaking appearance of the angel Gabriel to the arduous journey of the three wise men, from Herod's chilling decree to the return of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Nazareth. The text of this book, drawn from the books of Matthew and Luke, becomes all the more vivid when paired with the luminous and detailed illustrations of talented artist Ruth Sanderson. Elaborate borders combine the traditional elements of an illuminated manuscript with a contemporary palette to make this spectacular volume a book to be treasured and shared with family and friends.
20. Shalu, Happy Raksha Bandhan
by: Nick Sharma
For Ages 5-7
Lessons & Activities Included
Subject: Raksha Bandhan Tradition
Subject: Sharing
Come and play with Shalu as she teaches about the Indian tradition of Raksha Bandhan and learns about sharing.
Happy Raksha Bandhan is a story about love and tradition. Shalu searches for a Rakhi to buy for her brother. When she is unable to find one, her mother suggests Shalu could make one. Shalu works very hard and proudly gives her brother his special gift. Later, when she sees her brother is no longer wearing his Rakhi, Shalu becomes very sad, until her brother shows her what happened. Shalu not only learns about sharing but also realizes how caring her brother truly is. Happy Raksha Bandhan helps teach children of all ages one of India's most beautiful traditions as well as important life lessons.
21. Billy Boo's Turkey Trouble: Almost a Thanksgiving Disaster! A Thanksgiving Story Book (The Delia and Billy Boo Series 2)
by: Lynda Raymond, Lynda Raymond
Billy Boo has BIG Thanksgiving plans! He tries to cook the whole turkey dinner by himself. Oops! Bad idea! His plans go horribly WRONG. It's a Thanksgiving disaster! Can asking for help save the holiday? Will his friends come through for him? Billy Boo's Turkey Trouble is a delightful story about Thanksgiving and the value of friends.
22. Katie's Lucky Birthday (Katie Woo)
by: Fran Manushkin, Tammie Lyon
Katie is happy to be the person of the day when she celebrates her birthday at school. But when she realizes that her friend Pedro's birthday is in August, she wants to find a way to share her birthday with him. Come celebrate with the lucky birthday girl, Katie Woo!
23. Kitten in the Cold (Animal Ark Series #13)
by: Ben M. Baglio, Shelagh Mcnicholas, Mary Ann Lasher
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Alex Hastings is very ill, and must travel to America for an operation, but when her beloved kitten disappears into the snowy countryside, Mandy and James vow to find it before Alex leaves on her trip.
Children's Books > Animals > Cats
24. I Wish Daddy Was Santa Claus
by: Dana Judice
The first book of the "I Wish" series is a story told from the viewpoint of a child who wishes his daddy was Santa Claus and then imagines how life would be for himself and "Mommy" if he was. This story, told in rhythmic fashion, highlights the thought life and innocence of a child trying to understand and explain the mystery of Santa Claus. The reader gets an up close look at the imagination and character of a boy who wishes to draw closer to his father and the evolution of "Daddy" as he becomes his Christmas hero.
25. The Last Ornament
by: Judith Vicary Swisher, Molly Mann
Offering a new way to wind down the holidays, this fun and unique picture book shows the annual family tradition of taking down the Christmas tree from a new and original perspective—that of the ornaments. Showing how these decorations feel about their role during and after Christmas, the story focuses on a single toy engine who is forgotten on the tree in the cold night and how his fellow ornaments take action. This book provides enjoyable yearly reading and a new game to play each year, with rewards for finding the last ornament. Ornaments can then be stored year to year in the book pockets provided.
26. The Perfect Christmas
by: Patricia L. Christian, Joanna Pasek
The three long-needled pine trees grew up together on a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina, nestled between the Elbow and Shoehorn mountains. All three dream of becoming beautiful Christmas trees.
Marshall is a perfect tree: tall, well-shaped, and with beautiful branches. Barney and Butch aren't quite so lucky. Barney has a large bald spot in his branches. Butch is short and stocky. When Christmas comes, Butch and Barney are sure their friend will be sold first—and so is Marshall.
When an accident leaves Marshall as imperfect and different as Butch and Barney, the three friends are sure it will take a miracle for even one of them to become a decorated Christmas tree. Fortunately for these three very special trees, Christmas is a time for miracles.
Written by Patricia L. Christian, The Perfect Christmas reminds children that, even when they feel different or less than perfect, others may see them as special and strong.
27. Becoming a Ballerina: A Nutcracker Story
by: Lise Friedman, Mary Dowdle, Mary Dowdle
The perfect holiday gift for every young ballet lover.
Go backstage at the ballet with real-life thirteen-year-old dancer Fiona. Dozens of gorgeous, full-color photographs welcome readers into Fiona's world, as she goes from auditions, to rehearsals, to opening night playing Clara, the lead child's role in Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker. Experience the nerves, the hard work, and ultimately the thrill of performing on the big stage with a professional company. This is a beautiful holiday gift that young dancers will cherish all year round.
Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Classical
28. Gracie's Gift
by: Trosclair
Gracie awakens the morning of her birthday party excited and ready to celebrate! Her excitement quickly turns to frustration as she notices a bow sitting beside her beautiful party dress. Why must she always have these bows in her hair? Why does her mommy insist on them? As the story unfolds, Gracie's mother explains that you don't see presents wrapped without bows. Do you? Relating to her precious child as her own gift, she celebrates her blessing from God by placing a bow in the hair of her sweet child each day. As Gracie realizes that these special bows are not to annoy her, but to celebrate her mother's love and affection for her, she proudly wears them for all to see.
29. Perfectly Princess #4: Orange Princess Has a Ball
by: Alyssa Crowne, Charlotte Alder
A spunky new series for any girl who dreams of being a princess. The book even looks magical — it's printed on orange pages!
Printed on ORANGE pages!
Kristina Kim can't wait for the Fall Ball at school. Everyone will be dressed up in fancy costumes! Kristina dreams of wearing a beautiful, sparkly, orange princess gown. But things don't go exactly like she planned. . . .
If this princess doesn't pull her costume together in time, the Fall Ball is going to be a royal mess!
30. Rocky: The Rockefeller Christmas Tree
by: Jennie Elizabeth Nicassio, Dorothy Ransil
An unlikely Christmas tree dreams of becoming the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. Come along with Rocky, Mary Louise, AJ, Mrs. Pickles and Bruce Spruce to New York City!


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