What exactly is 'luxury' and what exactly makes a luxury car? These are some of the hardest questions in the automotive world to answer. Is it all about the brand? The technology? Features? Price? Heritage? It's nearly impossible to define where a mainstream car becomes luxury or vice versa.
Is a sub-$30,000 Audi A1 a luxury car? What about a Mercedes-Benz A180? Both are entry-level cars, and both are significantly cheaper than a top-spec Holden Commodore. Yet the Commodore is about as mainstream as they come, and the Germans carry a level of prestige that is hard to quantify, and even in base trim, garner far more perceived-value than the home-grown Holden.
Luxury as a term is set to indicate that the item in question possesses features that are beyond the basic necessities. A $10,000 Swiss watch ultimately does the same thing as a $50 Casio, but that doesn't seem to stop it from selling, for it possess a quality and a set of brand values that are highly appealing. However, apart from perhaps the Mitsubishi Mirage, and its sub-$15,000 rivals, there is no car on the market today that doesn't have some level of luxury creature comforts.
However, according to the Australian Government, a luxury car is entirely defined on price. So a Mercedes-Benz C250 is under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold, while a Toyota LandCruiser Prado is not. How that makes sense is a debate for another day, what is clear however, is that the idea of a luxury car remains completely undefined and appears to be entirely based on perception rather than anything tangible.
"Can a luxury car brand be developed in isolation, or only with global technical partnerships, to remain at the cutting edge? The car raises questions among luxury analysts in many respects. Noble descendant of horse-drawn carriages or coaches, it is considered the very symbol of luxury among men. The car signifies for all to see the progression and status of the driver.
Ignoring the supercar and ultra-luxury manufacturers for the moment, the most recognised luxury car brands in Australia are the three Germans: Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The three Germans have earned their reputation through a number of factors, most important of which – to Australians at least – appears to be heritage, with all three having at least 100 years each of history behind them (Audi in one form or another).
All three have also dug deep in the last decade and created cars that have significantly more mainstream appeal in terms of price and attainability. Creating a paradox of blending luxury values and a certain level of exclusivity, with mass-produced cars. At the same time, mainstream brands have invaded the territory of such high-end brands, by creating premium-luxury cars.
But what is considered luxury, or at least, what is considered luxury that also sells in reasonable volumes, differs enormously from one country to another, further reinforcing the idea that luxury cars are largely about perception. Globally, BMW outsold Mercedes-Benz last year, which itself only just moved past Audi for the first time since 2010 – a completely different order to what we have here in Australia (where Mercedes-Benz leads BMW and Audi).
Meanwhile, on a less macro scale, Lexus does extremely well in North America, yet it continues to struggle against its European rivals locally. In Australia, Mercedes-Benz outsells Lexus by more than four to one. Which means, if you want something more 'exclusive', a Lexus is a better choice than a Mercedes-Benz.
The Americans value luxury very differently to us, as do the Chinese, Indians, Europeans and Russians. Is it our Euro-centric roots that values tradition and history over all else, or simply that our demands of a luxury car are culturally different?
It is interesting to look at a maturing market like China, where status and the idea of western luxury is highly appealing. There, the German brands do extremely well – as does Jaguar Land Rover. In fact, China is Mercedes-Benz's largest market, yet it is still outsold by Audi.
Given Australia's roots, one would've thought the likes of Jaguar and Land Rover would be outselling the Germans, not so. Ford did its best to destroy those two brands in the early 2000s and – having learnt that you can't take mainstream product with different sheet metal and rebadge and price it as luxury – took billion-dollar losses offloading them to India's Tata Motors which, ironically, went on to making them the proper luxury brands they always deserved to be (now reflected in their strong resurgence).
Hyundai went through a phase of being modern-premium, targeting a more mature buyer so that its sister brand Kia could take care of the younger and more mainstream customers – though the two car companies are so similarly priced these days it's hard to see the logic in that strategy. And now, the South Koreans are launching their own luxury brand, 'Genesis'.
Infiniti is Nissan's attempt at taking on the Germans and Lexus as well. Locally, it had its very first month of over 100 sales in March this year, so while it's going, it still has a long way to go. And just like Lexus before it and Genesis after it, it has its work cut out to escape the perception that it's just an expensive Toyota or Hyundai, respectively.
Lexus has been fighting that ideological battle locally since its launch and though its volume has grown noticeably over the years, it still has nothing on the Germans.
In fact, Lexus threw out almost everything with its recent rebranding campaign and came out with cars that look absolutely nothing like their predecessors, hoping to shake off the Toyota connection. But while it helped sales slightly, it hasn't made all that much difference, except perhaps to alienate existing Lexus owners that preferred the Japanese brand's conservative past approach.
In many ways, its complete rebranding strategy was only possible because the Japanese brand lacked a deep heritage and history of its own to draw on – something the Germans seem to have almost too much of. Lexus countered its modern radicalisation by creating a Toyota-based front-wheel-drive ES saloon, which the company hoped would keep existing buyers happy. Is the ES as much of a luxury car as the GS?
If you're an avid CarAdvice follower, you would have read over the years the number of new brands that perpetuate that they are now either premium or outright luxury.
Is Volkswagen a premium brand or a mainstream brand? What about the nearly identical, and often better, products from Skoda? What about Volvo? The Swedish brand continues to compete against the Germans on price, but is it perceived on the same level in terms of luxury?
One can simply take the sales numbers as evidence for success, which would suggest that despite Volkswagen's recent problems, sales are still relatively solid, while Volvo is struggling against its European rivals.
But as we all know, luxury is not defined by sales success. In fact, often, the perception of luxury is about exclusivity. As Porsche's previous CEO once said, "When I see two Porsches in the same street, I begin to worry." Well, he must be somewhat worried these days, as Porsche sales have sky rocketed on the back of the Macan.
So how does a brand like Mercedes-Benz, which sells cars in the $30,000 range and also the $300,000 range, manage its perception of being both luxury and exclusive? Does the buyer of a Mercedes-AMG GT S care that a 19-year-old's first car is also wearing the same three-pointed badge? How far can a brand stretch before losing its luxury status? Is Mercedes simply destined to forever be regarded as a luxury manufacturer without question?
Of course, there are certain things that make a Mercedes, a Mercedes. For example, did you know that every button on a Mercedes-Benz dashboard is calibrated to respond with a precise, consistent Newton force? Or that even Clive Palmer could do full-body press-ups on the frame of an A-Class's open door without shifting it even one millimetre? Or that even the cheapest Benz has illuminated and chromed door-handles inside the cabin?
The benefit of buying a cheap Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi is that you get a lot of parts that are shared with the significantly more expensive models. In mainstream brands, such as Mazda – which has done the best at blurring the lines between premium and luxury – the more expensive models share their parts with the lesser cars. It's all a balancing act.
Even so, a top-spec Mazda 2 has a very decent head-up display system, as well as tons of active safety features, yet you'd have to pay significantly more to get even half of those features in a luxury brand.
Ultimately, when you see someone driving around in a base-spec 1.0-litre Audi A1 or a Mercedes-Benz A180, they've chosen to pay for a luxury badge in a barebones vehicles over a top-spec Mazda or similar. They have chosen that luxury badge, for it means more to them than, well, luxury features. And there's nothing wrong with it.
So tell me, what makes a luxury car for you?


text:
Gabriella Csépe (born June 13, 1973 in Gyöngyös) is a former breaststroke swimmer from Hungary, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country, starting at the 1988.

Her best Olympic results came in 1992, when she finished in sixth (100 m Breaststroke) and in ninth (200 m Breaststroke) position. She also competed for American University during her NCAA career. She graduated with honors in 1996 from American University with bachelor's degree in accounting. She completed her MBA studies at Kent State University in 1998 and received her CPA license in summer of 2001. She and her husband, Ali Rezaiyan, have two children, Ariana and Armin.

References

1973 births
Living people
People from Gyöngyös
Olympic swimmers of Hungary
Hungarian female breaststroke swimmers
Kent State University alumni
Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Sportspeople from Heves County

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Translating camera around rotation point other than origin Okay so this is a pretty specific question having to do with my camera transform in OpenGL. When the view opens the rotation point is around the origin - and when you translate the camera it does the translation first and then the rotation to keep the rotation point around the origin.
Well I want the rotation point to change from the origin to the hexagon tile you click without the camera position appearing to change. This seems very vague so I have included some pictures to illustrate.
I cant include pictures because my rep isnt high enough on here but here is a link to the photo on flickr
When view first opens
Right now when I click on a new tile to change the rotation point the camera moves to keep that tile at the center of the screen. I would post a link to show but again only enough rep for two links - so instead I will post a link to the picture of how I want the change of rotation point to happen (the camera doesn't move when the rotation point changes).
How I want it to happen
Okay now some code - here is the code for getting the camera transform matrix
NSMatrix4Df rotateTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getRotationMatrix(-orientation.x,-orientation.y,-orientation.z);
NSMatrix4Df rotationTranslationTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getTranslationMatrix(rotationPoint.x,rotationPoint.y,rotationPoint.z);
NSMatrix4Df cameraTranslateTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getTranslationMatrix(position.x,position.y,position.z);
return cameraTranslateTransform * rotateTransform * rotateTransform;

where orientation, position, and rotationPoint are all in world space. Here is the code for the actual matrix transformations.
NSMatrix4Df NSMatrix4Df::getRotationMatrix(float xAxisAng, float yAxisAng, float zAxisAng)
{
    float xRad = DegreesToRadians(xAxisAng);
    float yRad = DegreesToRadians(yAxisAng);
    float zRad = DegreesToRadians(zAxisAng);

    NSMatrix4Df xRotMat;
    NSMatrix4Df yRotMat;
    NSMatrix4Df zRotMat;

    xRotMat.value(1,1) = cosf(xRad); xRotMat.value(1,2) = -sinf(xRad);
    xRotMat.value(2,1) = sinf(xRad); xRotMat.value(2,2) = cosf(xRad);

    yRotMat.value(0,0) = cosf(yRad); yRotMat.value(0,2) = -sinf(yRad);
    yRotMat.value(2,0) = sinf(yRad); yRotMat.value(2,2) = cosf(yRad);

    zRotMat.value(0,0) = cosf(zRad); zRotMat.value(0,1) = -sinf(zRad);
    zRotMat.value(1,0) = sinf(zRad); zRotMat.value(1,1) = cosf(zRad);

    return zRotMat * yRotMat * xRotMat;
}

NSMatrix4Df NSMatrix4Df::getTranslationMatrix(float xMove, float yMove, float zMove)
{
    NSMatrix4Df identity;
    // set the fourth column of the matrix to the translation amount
    // the rest of the matrix is the identity matrix
    identity.setColumn(NSVec4Df(xMove,yMove,zMove,1),3);
    return identity;
}

The NSMatrix4Df creates a 2 dimensional array representing a 4x4 matrix ([4][4]) filled with the identity matrix. The code for that is here.
NSMatrix4Df::NSMatrix4Df():rows(MATDIM4D),
    columns(MATDIM4D)
{
    data[0][0] = 1; data[0][1] = 0; data[0][2] = 0; data[0][3] = 0;
    data[1][0] = 0; data[1][1] = 1; data[1][2] = 0; data[1][3] = 0;
    data[2][0] = 0; data[2][1] = 0; data[2][2] = 1; data[2][3] = 0;
    data[3][0] = 0; data[3][1] = 0; data[3][2] = 0; data[3][3] = 1;
}

So basically my question is this - does anybody know how to translate the position of the camera after moving the rotation point so that it appears the camera stays in the same spot when the rotation point moves. I tried just adding a translation after the rotation point translation like so...
NSMatrix4Df rotateTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getRotationMatrix(-orientation.x,-orientation.y,-orientation.z);
NSMatrix4Df rotationTranslationTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getTranslationMatrix(rotationPoint.x,rotationPoint.y,rotationPoint.z);
NSMatrix4Df cameraTranslateTransform = NSMatrix4Df::getTranslationMatrix(**position.x - rotationPoint.x,position.y - rotationPoint.y,position.z - rotationPoint.z**);
return cameraTranslateTransform * rotateTransform * rotateTransform;

This works except for when the camera is rotated at all before changing the rotation point and I can't figure out why. In this case (when the camera is rotated prior to changing the rotation point) the camera will translate in a way that is effected by the amount of rotation. So for example if there is 45 degrees of rotation around the x axis it will cause the camera to transform an extra amount in the x direction. I can't figure out why.
I know to rotate the camera around a point other than origin you do translate * rotate * -translate which is what I have in the last case but the final translation isn't correct if the camera is rotated. I think there must be something wrong with my translation or rotation code but I don't know what.
I know this is a complicated question by if anyone has any insight I would appreciate the help. Thanks for your time.

A: You are running into a basic property of matrix multiplication. If you have real numbers 4*5 == 5*4. That's not true for matrices though.
I am a bit drunk writing this answer so I am probably going to get it wrong, because it's just the opposite of what feels natural: The right most transform happens first, the left one last.
An easy way for you to test this is to try your camera matrix left and right. One of them will do what you want :) It is usually very helpful to think of matrix multiplications on the right side as a transform to a different space. In 3D that is usually MODEL * CAMERA * PROJECTION. Now you want to change CAMERA. Either you want a transform before it or after it. Say you make you changes up by a matrix from mouse input INPUT. Then you can do INPUT * CAMERA or CAMERA * INPUT. In the first case your frame of reference is the world without the camera, in the second case it is the world as seen by the camera.
You are trying to do something similar with applying and undoing translation but that is not enough.
I hope this helps a bit. Feel free to follow up. But also read up on matrix math. It's a steep learning curve but well worth it and judging from your question you are very close :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The fifth season finale successfully warmed hearts, d espite another Bates tragedy, a very nasty butler, and some inedible broth.
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World: Do you need make-up primers?
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The goal of this initiative is to create a more intuitive and easy-to-use experience powered by Firefox OS.
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text:
Q: I need to create a Lambda function that returns a code based on text spoken by user I would like to create an Alexa skill where user will approximately say the CodeDesc which can't be really controlled for 100% accurate as per stored DB entry but Alexa still returns the code for the text (eg. Expense Code)
I am thinking to create a DynamoDB table with two columns which will look something like -
 SomeCode - Alphanumeric 20 chars

 CodeDesc - Description of the code - large text say 1000 chars.

I am looking for a way to take that spoken-english style description and look up in DynamoDB for the text that is best match in table and fetch the code/s that can be read back to user with description and associated code.
I'll try to elaborate a practical application of it.
Alexa, what is the expense code for Travel expenses for visiting ACME Kansas office?

Table entry is-
 SomeCode - A34342
 SomeDesc - Travel expenses

Alexa says - The code for Travel Expenses is A34342.

A: Use Slots. You can get the keywords in CodeDesc table through slots.

Eg: Alexa, what is the expense code for [codeDesc] for visiting ACME
  Kansas office?

Where [codeDesc] is a custom slot and you have slot values defined for that slot type.
This way when user says

Alexa, what is the expense code for Travel expenses for visiting ACME
  Kansas office?

the travel expenses keyword will be sent as a value for the slot type [codeDesc] to your API and you can get the corresponding someCode from Db and build your response.
More on slots
Hope this helps!


text:
Police ID Florida 3-year-old found on stranger's porch in New York; grandmother fears parents are dead
Posted 4:31 pm, September 19, 2019, by Tribune Media Wire, Updated at 04:32PM, September 19, 2019
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Police in Buffalo now know the identity of the 3-year-old boy found asleep on a stranger's porch Monday morning, but they're still trying to figure out how he got there—and what happened to his parents.
Developing: Lois Augsburger tells me she found a little boy asleep in this box (meant for the neighborhood cats) on the front porch of her Potomac home this morning when she came out to grab the paper. @BPDAlerts are still looking for his parents. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/rzNgjzgHSf
— Ali Touhey (@Ali2e) September 16, 2019
The boy's paternal grandmother tells WIVB that his name is Noelvin and he traveled to Buffalo from Florida for a vacation with his parents and a family friend.
The grandmother, Zenaida Colon, says she last spoke to the boy's parents—Nicole Merced Plaud and Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon—on Sunday, and she fears that they are the people found dead in a burned-out car in Buffalo on Monday evening. The friend, Dhamyl Mirella Roman-Audiffred, is also missing. The vehicle was so badly burned that police have been unable to identify the model.
Breaking: the boy's grandmother tells me these are his parents. The family hasn't had contact with them since 6p Sunday. They are 24-year-old Nicole Mersed and 31-year-old Migel Valentin. Their son, Noelvin was found sleeping on a stranger's porch Monday morning. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/2Eiq3wUNAk
Colon and other relatives who flew up from Florida say the couple has two other children, who are both safe at home. She says her son is a truck driver and his wife is a stay-at-home mom. "They are just regular parents," she says. "Great parents." Police say "a complicated investigation" is underway and it will take time to identify the remains found in the burned vehicle, reports the Buffalo News.
Noelvin is currently in the custody of Erie County Child Protective Services and authorities say they are working to reunite him with the relatives from Florida.
Lois Augsburger, the homeowner who found the boy, tells WKBW that she asked him where his mommy was. "He said 'the car's on fire.' That's all he kept saying," she says. (Read more Buffalo stories.)
More From Newser:
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New Python Hybrid May Spell Future Trouble in Everglades
Entire Arctic Expedition Perished, but Not Because of Lead
Police: Man arrested days after fatal stabbing outside Tennessee bar
$3k reward offered in case of missing Florida 5-year-old
Ohio teen arrested for armed robbery YouTube 'prank' on his mother
'Our family is heartbroken': Owner of home where boy's body was found in chimney speaks out
A 1-year-old boy was shot and killed in his Dallas home
Milwaukee man's dying wish to have 'one last beer with his sons' goes viral on Twitter
Indiana teen with down syndrome gets 1,000+ Christmas cards
Utah man found dead in a freezer for 10 years may have planned to keep death a secret to help his wife
California man arrives to police station with dead body in car, leads police to 3 others
Parents, 4-year-old son killed in head-on crash in Florida
Missing Starkville man from Alabama found dead, police say
AMBER Alert issued for missing 5-year-old girl in Jacksonville
Florida family fights back against porch pirates with dirty diapers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Advances in digital computer science have created an entirely new field of law career opportunities. People with technological expertise can find a high paying career in legal technology. This position entails supporting litigation, computer forensic science, as well as online evidence discovery and evaluation.
People with experience in law can use their extensive knowledge to work on behalf of law practices. A legal consultant provides advice on marketing, communications, strategy and case management.
Flooded courts and the expense of court proceedings have led to more cases finding their way to arbitration, rather than before a judge. For a legal professional with strong negotiation abilities, dispute resolution can be utilized as a mediator, analyst and/or arbitrator.
Many colleges and universities offer a legal professional the option of using their legal expertise in certain areas of academia such as in affirmative action, legislative affairs, contract and grant proposals, disability services coordinator, accessibility enforcement and/or financial aid administration.
With the strict regulation required from banks, professionals with legal knowledge and experience are a highly valued commodity. Areas that have the greatest need for someone who knows the law include claims settlement, bank probate handling, security examiners and/or credit evaluators.
Due to the constantly changing immigration laws in America, the Department of Homeland Security is an excellent career option for those with strong legal skills. Working for this department often involves in-depth research and a firm grasp on the ever-changing nature of terrorism and a working understanding of United States history.
Law firms, corporations and larger private businesses very often hire people with legal training and experience to work in their human resources department. Those placed in this position provide services in hiring coordination, professional development of the company, recruiting of qualified candidates and/or staff management.
Trial consultants are hired to advise attorneys on how to incorporate technology and use it to their advantage. They are also charged with helping jurors understand the complexities of the law by using principles from the fields of sociology and psychology.
No matter the path chosen, non-attorney legal careers are on the rise. As the future approaches, this industry will continue rapid, exponential growth.
Matt has been working in the legal industry for several years. He is currently a partner at the law firm Sharp & Driver, Attorneys at Law.


The Volvo FM is based on the same chassis platform as the Volvo FH and the Volvo FH16. Its improved suspension systems and stabilisers provide car-like handling. And the option of Volvo Dynamic Steering gives you precise and effortless control at all speeds.


text:
Tele.net magazine archives
Home ›› Discussion Board
Some Respite: NDCP, 2018 brings hope for the industry
The year 2018 proved to be a challenging one for the telecom sector. While intense competition and pricing pressures continued to erode the sector's profitability, the launch of the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP), 2018, gave renewed confidence to the industry. Members of key telecom associations share their views on the industry's performance during the past year, challenges facing the sector and the way ahead...(from left: Rajesh Chharia, President, Internet Service Providers Association of India; N.K. Goyal, Chairman Emeritus, Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India and President, CMAI Association of India; R.K. Updhyay, Virtual Neywork Operators Association of India)
How was the telecom sector's performance in 2018?
Rajesh Chharia
Today, India is the world's second largest telecom market, with around 1.19 billion subscribers as of October 2018. India is also the second largest country in terms of internet subscriptions, with 560.01 million internet subscribers as of September 2018. Further, our country now ranks second globally in terms of application downloads.
N.K. Goyal
The telecom sector underwent a revolutionary transition in 2018. The sector witnessed consolidation involving telecom operators like Idea-Vodafone and Bharti Airtel.
R.K. Upadhyay
The telecom sector's performance in 2018 was excellent in terms of customer growth and data consumption. However, 2018 was also the first full calendar year of disruptions, marked by unlimited free voice calling and data-bundled tariff plans, which impacted the top-line growth of incumbents. Their profits also shrank due to the lack of all-IP networks. The year 2018 also saw accelerated all-round deployment of 4G networks, which is essential to make lower tariffs viable. Further, the telecom sector witnessed large-scale consolidation, leaving only one government and three private licensed telecom service providers (TSPs). In such a scenario, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) play an important role of facilitating competition post consolidation.
What are your views on the prevailing policy and regulatory scenario?
In a bid to propel the sector on a growth path, the government recently launched the NDCP, 2018, which aims to attract investments worth $100 billion and generate around 4 million jobs in the telecommunications sector by 2022. Further, the prime minister's initiatives such as Digital India, Skill India and Start-Up India, launched to take the nation forward digitally and economically, are steps in the right direction. The foreign direct investment cap in the telecom sector has also been increased from 74 per cent to 100 per cent.
The year witnessed the launch of the new telecom policy called NDCP, 2018, which aims to transform India into a digital society. It promotes the adoption of futuristic technologies such as 5G, fiberisation, cloud computing, blockchain, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence and virtual reality. It also aims to provide
1 Gbps broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats by 2020 and 10 Gbps by 2022, ensure India's digital sovereignty, and attract $100 billion worth of investments in the telecom sector. In addition, the government has taken initiatives like Make in India and Digital India, and launched the preferential market access (PMA) policy.
The NDCP was introduced in 2018. It is indeed a progressive policy, which recognises the importance of digital India in all its facets. The policy has put forth ambitious targets and laid down enabling frameworks for achieving these targets. On the regulatory side, the year 2018 saw many consultations and recommendations based on them. The most notable ones were on privacy, security and ownership of data and making information and communication technology accessible for persons with disabilities.
What are the challenges facing the industry?
Several on-ground regulatory and policy issues need to be addressed by the government. These include the declining adjusted gross revenue and the high licence fee imposed on telcos and small internet service providers (ISPs).
Despite all efforts and schemes, we are yet to connect several unconnected areas in the country. Last-mile connectivity is still a challenge. Recently, the progress of BharatNet has been questioned by the prime minister and DoT. The project has reached halfway with 301,154 km of optical fibre cable laid and 121,652 gram panchayats covered so far as against the targeted 250,000 gram panchayats to be covered by March 31, 2019. Further, telecom operators are languishing under debt and financial stress of about Rs 7.5 trillion. Government initiatives including the Phased Manufacturing Programme have helped India achieve its production targets one year ahead of schedule. On the other hand, there are reports that Samsung is planning to close down mobile handset manufacturing in India due to high duties. The Modified Special Incentive Package scheme has been closed and new schemes for credit guarantee and interest subventions are likely to be announced in 2019. Meanwhile, 5G remains a highly debated topic. The industry feels that the current environment is not conducive for undertaking huge investments in next-generation connectivity, considering the prevailing financial stress.
The key challenges facing the industry are essentially investment related. Fast changing technology necessitates continuous investment in networks and related services to even maintain market share, let alone increasing it. The lack of investment in state-of-the-art technology results in higher costs and opex, and suboptimal fulfilment of customer expectations. Even before investments in 3G networks were fully monetised, heavy investments in 4G LTE were initiated. While 4G roll-out is still under progress, the sector is likely to see 5G spectrum auction in 2019. As the country is still not prepared for the large-scale commercial deployment of 5G, both in terms of technology readiness and availability of use cases, the spectrum auction in 2019 is likely to cause further financial strain in the sector.
Do you have a regulatory wish list?
Some regulatory issues hampering the growth of the industry pertain to infrastructure sharing, data interconnection and roaming, and content and website blocking.
Fixing a realistic reserve price for spectrum auctions has always been an essential need and demand. From a virtual network operator (VNO) point of view, timely policy and regulatory support is required for the nascent segment to grow as it is essential to realise the Digital India vision. A strong and vibrant VNO community is also needed to maintain a competitive environment to the advantage of all stakeholders post consolidation. In many countries a certain percentage of network capacity of the host operators is reserved for MVNOs. Also, in the US, MVNOs have been found to be very effective in the implementation of the government schemes directed towards the fulfilment of universal service obligations. Similar policy interventions need to essentially be undertaken by TRAI and DoT in India. Although the VNO policy was notified by DoT in the middle of 2016, only two MVNOs have been able to launch services so far, that too only in one licensed service area. Further, only one TSP has come forward to host VNOs. This certainly is not a satisfactory situation.
What is your outlook for 2019?
With 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas and with rural telecom penetration at only 58.45 per cent (as of July 2018), the rural market would be a key growth driver in the coming years. Small ISPs having category B or C licences, which provide services and connectivity to rural areas, would invest a significant capital to deliver such services.
Going forward, the country needs to ensure strict implementation of Make in India and the PMA policy to boost local manufacturing. Further, the BharatNet project needs to be rejuvenated. There is a need for out-of-the box thinking and a strategy that fills the gaps between policy and implementation. Further, there is a need to take into account the on-ground situations. For example, while India aims to become a leader in the creation of 5G standards with the help of DoT, the Telecom Engineering Centre, the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India and the IITs, the actual situation is quite different. Multinational companies have been working on 5G standards for the past six to seven years. Ericsson, Nokia and Qualcomm have about 30,000 5G patents each to their credit. In such a situation, India's target of becoming the leader in 5G standards seems impractical, especially since we do not have any Indian companies working on 5G.
Tariff disruption is expected to continue in 2019. The main revenue source of TSPs is no longer conventional services like voice and SMS. With data prices crashing, the key revenue driving factor will be digital services delivered using telecom networks. Further, IoT and M2M technologies will gain traction. One thing is sure that the customer will be the king. The outlook is bright and optimism is in the air.
Prepaid Rules: Fewer takers for Postpaid - Fewer takers for post-paid
Mobile Banking: Opportunities and challenges in the Indian market
Energy Management: A key challenge for tower companies
Legal Concerns: Litigation against telecom companies on the rise
Agenda for Change: Industry identifies top priorities for the new government
R&D Focus : Need to promote indigenous product development
Green Telecom: Business case for adopting clean energy technologies - Business case for adopting clean energy technologies
Broadband Challenges: Key issues in service uptake
A Suitable Technology - Wi-Max or LTE?
Tax Turmoil: Impact of the proposed retrospective amendment
Faster Roll-outs: Opportunities and challenges in the tower industry
Promising Prospects: Network roll-outs increase revenue potential for infrastructure providers
Displacing Diesel: Energy management solutions at telecom tower sites
Strategy Shift: Telecom industry explores new business models
New Dynamics: Consolidation and 4G uptake redefine sector landscape
Emerging 4G Scenario: Strategies and challenges


Explore Asias most thrilling destination from the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel Cotai Central the largest hotel in Macao. Located at Sands? Cotai Central in the center of the exciting Cotai Strip we are just steps from premier shopping dining and entertainment.Host a memorable event in our Kashgar Grand Ballroom or six junior ballrooms. Rejuvenate at Shine Spa for Sheraton or under the sun at our three outdoor pools with private cabanas refueling with a shared meal in one of three signature restaurants.Reconnect after an active day in our?4001 guest rooms and suites. Including Sheraton Club Rooms and Family Suites they feature views of the famous Cotai Strip the Sheraton Signature Sleep Experience flat screen TVs thoughtful extras and more.


The traditional journalistic model has been to follow interesting stories, expose scandals and explore controversies. This approach has been very relevant to the political process, but it is not so applicable to the now-critical relation between humanity and the Earth. Today's communities must understand the interconnections between energy use, climate and food to make the transition to an efficient, resilient and sustainable society. This process involves people from all sectors – businesses, citizens groups, farmers and foresters, students and teachers, officials in state government, politicians and voters. It requires an informed public with access to a wide range of articles of trustworthy information relating to local and global environmental issues.
This vision was the basis for the Sunday Environment Section featured in two Vermont statewide newspapers from January 2008: the Rutland Herald and the Barre Montpelier Times Argus. The impetus for the section came from discussions between Carol Tashie, a community activist in Rutland, Randal Smathers, the editor of the Rutland Herald, and Alan Betts, a climate scientist, who became one of six columnists. Elizabeth Gibson was the section editor (2008-2014). Articles were selected based on their relevance to major environmental issues in Vermont and were then reviewed and edited for technical accuracy and clarity of expression. In 2014, this environmental page was merged with the rest of the Sunday paper.
This chapter outlines the philosophy and scope of this project, including some of the major environmental themes that emerged and the significance of an informed public for facilitating environmental leadership.
Betts, A.K. and E. Gibson (2012), Environmental journalism revisited. Ch. 41, pp. 382-390, in Environmental Leadership: a Reference Handbook. Deborah R. Gallagher, Editor, SAGE publications Inc., Sept. 2012, ISBN: 9781412981507.


text:
#include "audio/dsp/portable/elliptic_fun.h"

#include <float.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <stdio.h>

#include "audio/dsp/portable/math_constants.h"

/* Maximum Landen sequence length. The Landen recursion converges rapidly,
 * needing five or fewer iterations when parameter m [square of the elliptic
 * modulus] is less than 0.99.
 */
#define kMaxLandenSequenceLength 10

/* Generates a sequence of moduli by the Landen recursion
 *
 *   k[n] = (k[n-1] / (1 + k'[n-1]))^2
 *
 * for parameter value m = k^2. This sequence is useful for K(m) and other
 * elliptic functions. See equation (50) and discussion in Orfanidis' notes
 * https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1131/3b5276e5deb428afb7dc208c9120460fbc4a.pdf
 * The `moduli` arg should be an array of size kMaxLandenSequenceLength. The
 * return value is the number of moduli written.
 */
static int GenerateLandenSequence(double m, double* moduli) {
  double elliptic_modulus = sqrt(m);
  int num_moduli = 1;
  moduli[0] = elliptic_modulus;
  while (num_moduli < kMaxLandenSequenceLength &&
         elliptic_modulus > DBL_EPSILON) {
    /* Make a Landen transformation. */
    double temp = elliptic_modulus /
        (1.0 + sqrt(1.0 - elliptic_modulus * elliptic_modulus));
    elliptic_modulus = temp * temp;
    moduli[num_moduli++] = elliptic_modulus;
  }
  if (elliptic_modulus > DBL_EPSILON) {
    fprintf(stderr, "Warning: "
            "Landen sequence did not converge, results may be inaccurate.\n");
  }
  return num_moduli;
}

/* Compute K(m) based on Landen transformation
 * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landen%27s_transformation], which expresses
 * elliptic integrals in terms of elliptic integrals with mapped parameters.
 *
 * NOTE: An alternative to compute K(m) is the arithmetic-geometric mean (AGM)
 * process [section 17.6 in http://people.math.sfu.ca/~cbm/aands/page_598.htm].
 */
static double EllipticKFromLanden(const double* moduli, int num_moduli) {
  double result = M_PI / 2;
  int i;
  for (i = 1; i < num_moduli; ++i) {
    result *= 1.0 + moduli[i];
  }
  return result;
}

double EllipticK(double m) {
  if (m == 1.0) {
    return HUGE_VAL;
  } else if (m > 1.0 - 1e-12) {
    /* Use asymptotic approximation near m = 1, where the function has a
     * singularity. [This formula is between equations (53) and (54) in
     * Orfanidis' notes.]
     */
    const double m1 = 1.0 - m;
    const double temp = -0.5 * log(m1 / 16.0);
    return temp + (temp - 1.0) * m1 / 4;
  } else {
    double moduli[kMaxLandenSequenceLength];
    int num_moduli = GenerateLandenSequence(m, moduli);
    return EllipticKFromLanden(moduli, num_moduli);
  }
}

ComplexDouble EllipticF(ComplexDouble phi, double m) {
  if (ComplexDoubleAbs2(phi) < 1e-6) {
    /* For small phi, a simple Taylor approximation is more accurate than the
     * inverse cd method used below. Use the first two series terms from
     * http://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/EllipticF.html
     *
     * Compute: phi * (1 + phi^2 * (m / 6)).
     */
    return ComplexDoubleMul(
        phi, ComplexDoubleAdd(
                 ComplexDoubleMake(1.0, 0.0),
                 ComplexDoubleMulReal(ComplexDoubleSquare(phi), m / 6.0)));
  } else {
    /* To evaluate u = F(phi|m), compute
     *   w0 = sin(phi)
     * so that w0 = sn(u|m), then apply equation (56) for inverting sn(u|m)
     * described in Orfanidis' notes.
     */
    double moduli[kMaxLandenSequenceLength];
    int num_moduli = GenerateLandenSequence(m, moduli);
    ComplexDouble w = ComplexDoubleSin(phi);
    int i;
    for (i = 1; i < num_moduli; ++i) {
      /* Compute
       *   w /= (1 + sqrt(1 - (w * moduli[i - 1])^2)) * 0.5 * (1 + moduli[i]).
       */
      w = ComplexDoubleDiv(
          w, ComplexDoubleMulReal(
                 ComplexDoubleAdd(ComplexDoubleMake(1.0, 0.0),
                                  ComplexDoubleSqrt(ComplexDoubleSub(
                                      ComplexDoubleMake(1.0, 0.0),
                                      ComplexDoubleSquare(ComplexDoubleMulReal(
                                          w, moduli[i - 1]))))),
                 0.5 * (1.0 + moduli[i])));
    }

    /* Compute asin(w) * (2 / M_PI) * EllipticKFromLanden(). */
    return ComplexDoubleMulReal(
        ComplexDoubleASin(w),
        (2 / M_PI) * EllipticKFromLanden(moduli, num_moduli));
  }
}

ComplexDouble JacobiAmplitude(ComplexDouble u, double m) {
  /* To evaluate phi = am(u|m), use descending Landen transformation (Gauss'
   * transformation) to compute sn(u|m), then get phi = asin(sn(u|m)).
   *
   * The recurrence to compute sn(u|m) is
   *   w_{n-1} = w_n (1 + k_n) / (1 + k_n w_n^2),
   * where k_n is the nth Landen sequence modulus for parameter m. The
   * recurrence is initialized with w_N = sin((pi/2) u / K(m)) and ends with
   * w_0 = sn(u|m). This recurrence is equation (55) in Orfanidis' notes or
   * equation (16.12.2) in http://people.math.sfu.ca/~cbm/aands/page_573.htm.
   *
   * NOTE: An alternative is the AGM-based recurrence in equations (16.4.2-3)
   * from http://people.math.sfu.ca/~cbm/aands/page_571.htm.
   */
  double moduli[kMaxLandenSequenceLength];
  int num_moduli = GenerateLandenSequence(m, moduli);
  /* Compute w = sin(u * (M_PI / 2) / EllipticKFromLanden()). */
  ComplexDouble w = ComplexDoubleSin(ComplexDoubleMulReal(
      u, (M_PI / 2) / EllipticKFromLanden(moduli, num_moduli)));
  int i;
  for (i = num_moduli - 1; i > 0; --i) {
    const double k = moduli[i];
    /* Compute w *= (1 + k) / (1 + w^2 * k). */
    w = ComplexDoubleMulReal(
        ComplexDoubleDiv(w, ComplexDoubleAdd(ComplexDoubleMake(1.0, 0.0),
                                             ComplexDoubleMulReal(
                                                 ComplexDoubleSquare(w), k))),
        1.0 + k);
  }
  return ComplexDoubleASin(w);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mirantis was one of the first vendors to develop and provide its customers with an OpenStack distribution. With the new OpenStack Pike update, Mirantis will still have a distribution, but that's no longer the company's primary path to market.
In a video interview with Mirantis co-founder Boris Renski, he explains the new model for OpenStack delivery that his firm has now embraced. Simply put, Mirantis' current strategy is to build, operate and then transfer OpenStack clouds to its customers so that they can run them on a continuous basis.
A core element of Mirantis' distribution strategy had been its Fuel library, which includes software applications to facilitate getting an OpenStack cloud installed and then operating.
Renski said that as Mirantis moves to an operations-centric model for cloud management, different tools are needed for lifecycle management, which is what the build, operate and transfer model aims to provide.


#goodbyeyellowkitchen is still underway, although it will probably not ever get to the completion point I had imagined in my head. Basically, any project on the list but not yet started won't get started. And there's a really good reason for that that I will hopefully get to share soon! I'll still be able to show off the "afters" once we do get things wrapped up, it just won't be the after I imagined. But I'm going to store all of those ideas & projects for another purpose. Can't let good ideas go to waste, right?
When we moved into this house, we removed all the cabinet doors to create open shelving, which I hoped would make the kitchen feel a little bigger. Obviously, that means everything you have in these cabinets is on display. And, yeah, the designer in me wanted everything perfectly arranged and looking "pretty" but the practical person in me was like, whatever, just make stuff accessible. For the most part, the designer in me won out. But when it came to all my spices, the practical one won.
I am a planner. Not my best quality, not my worst. I'm working harder to be a bit more spontaneous -- our summer road trip was proof of that -- but I will probably never be able to turn off the part of me that wants to make sure everything is in alignment.
I am also a visual person. I need to see plans in writing, physically see my to do list on paper, to make it make sense in my head. While I love technology, it is not always my friend in my plan making.
This physical need to visualize plans is what inspired this project. For nearly all of my adult life, I have had a physical calendar in my kitchen, planning out the months. Usually, I'd look for calendars that would add a bit of art to my space, or even let me dream of far-off places. You know, something that looks nice. Not too long ago, we "upgraded" to a dry-erase magnetic calendar for our fridge since wall space is a bit limited in my current kitchen.


Hi Viewers here is the Latest Employment News gave by the Shipping Corporation of India Limited. Ultimately the SCI Recruitment 2019 is comprised of 50 vacancies of Trainee Electrical Officer & Electrical Officers. Moreover, this is very good news for the candidates who fulfill the education, age criterion in order to grab the Central Govt Job. We have gathered all these eligibilities from the SCI Electrical Officer Walk in Notification that too from the official website shipindia.com.
Shipping Corporation of India Limited is the acronym of SCI which is founded in 1961. Its headquarters is current ay Mumbai. SCI operates and manages vessels and continues its services for both the national and international lines. The authority will recruit the candidates for the interview through the SCI Recruitment 2019. Interested, skilled and talented candidates those who ready to settle in core sector should attend on the SCI Trainee Electrical Officer Walk in Date to the mentioned address with your supporting documents. But the selected candidates will work on contract basis for about six months even their work service can be extended, if their work performance is satisfactory.
Education Qualification: Aspirant should have certification from the B.E/B.TECH/Diploma in the stream of Electrical or Electrical & Electronics.
The candidate should have 30 years as on the interview date, i.e., 21.12.
There are 50 vacancies with the posts of both Trainee Electrical Officer & Electrical Officers.
The contender will receive Rs 15000 under trainee electrical officer, but the Electrical officer will have Rs 3162 per month.
SCI Head Office: 245, Madame Cama Road. Nariman- Point, Mumbai -400 021, India.
The officials not mentioned any application registration for the Shipping Corporation of India Recruitment 2019. Therefore candidates can directly face the interview on the scheduled date, i.e., 21st December 2019. We even shared the notification link required to view the official SCI Recruitment 2019. Firstly the officials will conduct the certification or interview for the SCI Electrical Officer Vacancies and release the selected list on the official website shipindia.com. The shortlisted candidates will be called again for medical test as per the SCI Electrical Officer Walk in Notification. For the Latest and upcoming Sarkari Naukri, sarkari results referred our website esarkariresulsts.in and get the updates easily.


Saudi Arabia is a brutal and extremist dictatorship – so why are we selling it arms?
With conflict in Yemen continuing, it's clear that we're failing to moderate the actions of "our despots".
This year, during Pride week, I noticed something curious on top of the Ministry of Defence just off Whitehall. At the tip of the building's flagpole hung the rainbow flag – a symbol of liberation for LGBTIQ people and, traditionally, a sign of defiance, too.
I was delighted to see it, and yet it also struck me as surprising that the governmental headquarters of our military would fly such a flag. Not only because of the forces' history of homophobia, but more strikingly to me because of the closeness of our military establishment to regimes such as Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is a sin punishable by jail, lashing and even death.
That relationship has been under the spotlight recently. Ministers writhed and squirmed to avoid making public a report that's widely expected to reveal that funding for extremism in Britain has come from Saudi Arabia. The pressure peaked last week, after a series of parliamentary questions I tabled, when survivors of 9/11 wrote to Theresa May asking her to make the report public. At the final PMQs of the parliamentary term last week, I again pressed May on the issue, but like so many prime ministers before her, she brushed aside my questioning on the link between British arms sales and the refusal to expose information that might embarrass the Riyadh regime.
The British government's cosy relationship with Riyadh and our habit of selling weapons to authoritarian regimes is "justified" in a number of ways. Firstly, ministers like to repeat familiar lines about protecting British industry, suggesting that the military industrial complex is central to our country's economic success.
It is true to say that we make a lot of money from selling weapons to Saudi Arabia – indeed figures released over the weekend by the Campaign Against Arms Trade revealed that the government authorised exports including £263m-worth of combat aircraft components to the Saudi air force, and £4m of bombs and missiles in the six months from October 2016.
Though those numbers are high, arms exports is not a jobs-rich industry and only 0.2 per cent of the British workforce is actually employed in the sector. And let's just be clear – there simply is no moral justification for employing people to build bombs which are likely to be used to slaughter civilians.
With Saudi Arabia's offensive against targets in Yemen continuing, and with UN experts saying the attacks are breaching international law, it's clear that we're failing to moderate the actions of "our despots".
The government's intransigence on this issue – despite the overwhelming moral argument – is astonishing. But it appears that the tide may be turning. In a recent survey, a significant majority of the public backed a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and just this weekend the Mayor of London denounced the arms fair planned in the capital later this year. When the government refused to make the terror funding report public, there was near-universal condemnation from the opposition parties. On this issue, like so many others, the Tories are increasingly isolated and potentially weak.
Read more: How did the High Court decide weapon sales to Saudi Arabia are lawful?
The arms industry exists at the nexus between our country's industrial and foreign policies. To change course we need to accept a different direction in both policy areas. That's why I believe that we should accompany the end of arms exports to repressive regimes with a 21st century industrial policy which turns jobs in the industry into employment for the future. Imagine if the expertise of those currently building components for Saudi weaponry was turned towards finding solutions for the greatest foreign policy challenge we face: climate change.
The future of the British military industrial establishment's iron grip over government is now in question, and the answers we find will define this country for a generation. Do we stamp our influence on the world by putting our arm around the head-choppers of Riyadh and elsewhere, or do we forge a genuinely independent foreign policy that projects peace around the world – and puts the safety of British people at its core?


See a little more about life at BT.
Find out what it's really like from our people.
Ever wondered what it's actually like working for BT? This is all about what makes us tick.
Our culture and values set the tone for everything we do. They direct what personal benefits and career development you'll receive as well as the brilliant opportunities you'll have to support communities all over the world. Whether you're looking for information about our innovations, our approach to diversity & inclusivity or just to read stories from our people, it's all here.
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Parliament failed to elect a new state president in the first two votes on Thursday.
Cosatu's Zwelinzima Vavi says senior leaders from affiliated unions are heading the smear campaign.
A suspect was taken into custody for questioning.
The former president was ordered to be transferred back to prison from a military hospital.
Zimbabwe has refused to accept the UN's conditions.
The Nigerian president has been under pressure to change his stance on security.
Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin said a number of irregularities, like overcharging, were picked up.
Thousands of supporters lined the streets of London as her casket made its final journey.
People have started gathering for the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The two men were on opposing sides of a split within the SPLM during much of the 1983-2005 civil war.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles has demanded a full recount of votes from Sunday's election.
An SA-led humanitarian mission has arrived at a hospital in Darkoush, northern Syria.
Syrian government troops outflanked the rebels in northern Syria.
Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's case is facing an indefinite delay after a retrial was aborted.


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THERE could be a major spike in the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies because of the rapidly growing level of US debt, a leading industry expert has claimed.
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The Pledge by Frederich Dürrenmatt
04 Nov 2019 8 Comments
by winstonsdad in Switzerland Tags: 2019, crime fiction, german lit, TRANSLATIONS
Swiss fiction
Original title – Das Versprechen
Translator – Joel Agee
I move on my german lit month reading to a new to me writer and a book that I have had a while and wanted to read. Frederich Durrenmatt was a multi-talented writer his theatre was often compared to that of Bertolt Brecht he was called the most original theorist. He was a critic of crime fiction and with this book he had worked on a crime script that he felt hadn't a realistic ending this is the work he wrote as a result of that.as the subtitle goes a requiem for the detective novel.
Matthai had a hard time making senseof that jumbled report, the chief continued. "it was one of his old "clients" calling from Magendorf, a little hole in the wall near Zurich. The man was a peddlar named Von Gunten. Matthai wasn't really in the mood to take this up this case on his last afternoon on his job. He had already brought his plane ticket, he'd be leaving in three days. But I was away at a conference of police chiefs and wasn't expected back to the evening.
How Matthai is drawn in the case is by chance and meant his carreer never really ends
The book starts with a crime writer meeting the former head of Zurich Cantonal police who criticized his works as he says Chance plays no role in his works. So the writer then thinks up a new story and that is the main bases of the book that follows lieutenant Matthai. He is sent to find the killer of a small girl in a small town. The girl Gritli Moser was found in the woods killed with a razor. Matthai has to tell the parents about the loss of their small girl . The crime was reported by von Gunten who found her but he is later convicted of something else and is connected to the two girls that earlier died in a similar way to Griti he is interviewed He then confesses. Matthai is just about to leave when he is drawn in another way by this case that initially then seemed shut as the young girl is buried but there is also the young girl's drawings in the weeks and days before her death with images that may be known she may have known her killer? Matthai made a promise to get the killer and ends up running a petrol station to finally sort this case out or is it just a wild goose chase for this serial killer.
Back in Magendorf, Matthai met with his first difficulty. The emergency squad's large van had driven into the village and was waiting for the inspector. The scene of the crim and its immediate vicinty had been carefully searched and cordoned off . Three plainclothes policemaen were hiding in the woods. Their assignment was to observe the passerbys. The rest of the squad was taken back to the city.
The other old crime novel cliche of the killer return ing to the scene of the crime here .
This shows the foibles of crime fiction and that is chance the obvious story Von Gunten fits that old inspector Morse line that the person that finds the body may also be the killer. There is the picture pf the young girl that leads them in another direction what is the meaning of the hedgehog? What happens when you have got a confession and it was the wrong man it shows how someone can be haunted by that giving it all up to trap this killer to have that petrol station it is a strange twist in this book that shows how far one man will go with his pledge to the mother of the dead child. This is a book that reminds me of Paul auster at times another writer that has taken a different twist in his detective fiction this is a postmodernist crime novel that twists the tales and characters as far as you can. It has been made into a film I haven't seen the recent us version but I believe it cuts a lot of the framing device out and resets the book in the US. The English version from the 90s seems near to the book and it has Richard E Grant in so I hope to watch that at some point. Have you read this book? what do you think of the twists and turns in it ?
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mytwostotinki
Nov 05, 2019 @ 05:37:15
D. was one of the few "serious" German-language authors who worked also in this genre, which he tried to rehabilitate after WWII. I remember, we read this one and The Judge and his Hangman in school. While The Judge and his Hangman and Suspicion are strongly influenced by Friedrich Glauser's Studer novels, The Pledge is as you pointed out correctly, a postmodernist crime novel (or Requiem for the crime novel, as D. puts it.) Interesting review, Stu! And an author that is worth exploring more in depth. By the way, there is also a German film based on the novel (director Ladislao Vajda, with Heinz Ruehmann and Gert Froebe), title "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" (It happened in broad daylight, 1958).
I forgot to mention that The Pledge was actually written after the screenplay by D. for above-mentioned film. The end of the novel differs greatly from the one of the movie (the film producers insisted on a "successful" ending with which D. wasn't happy at all).
Yes I am keen to read more I know there was a nice collection of his works that came out in the U.K. a few years ago I want
He really pushes the limits of the crime genre as far as they will stretch!
I haven't read this one, though I've read a couple of his other titles. As Marina says, he stretched the genre and I do like his books. Very dark! 😀
Vishy
I loved this book! I remember reading three books by Dürrenmatt back-to-back. Loved your review! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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By Sarah FreemanNovember 10, 2021No Comments
A CITY WITH ART AND SOUL
From sporting legends to bold political statements, street art is making its mark across Leeds and helping to bring a much need injection of colour to the city landscape.
As you wander the streets of Leeds you can't help but notice a growing trend that is sweeping the city and brightening up even the darkest of days.
For hidden down alleyways, underpasses and filling what were once plain and untouched walls, the city landscape has burst into life with the arrival of some of the most impressive street art imaginable.
Over the last decade, Leeds has become a mecca for art and nowhere is this more apparent than on the streets where numerous colourful murals and abstract works have helped transform the city.
One such location was the Portland Building of Leeds Beckett University. It wasn't the kind to feature in glossy architectural magazines but last winter a lone figure began scaling the grey exterior, spray can in hand, his intention to quietly transform the building into a work of art.
The artist known as Akse P19 has been creating street art for the best part of two decades and his portrait of Leeds Rhino legend Rob Burrows, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 shortly after retiring, now looms large over the university campus.
Originally from France, like Banksy, Akse P19 avoids publicity – even the profile on his own website is unusually short for an artist, saying simply that he hopes to "to bring inspiration to the local community" through the subjects he paints.
Instead he simply likes to let his work do the talking and hopes his tribute to Burrows, which joins his other murals of boxer Josh Warrington on a city centre flyover and footballer Kalvin Phillips in The Calls, will inspire passersby and those who live in their shadows.
Akse P19 is just one of a number of artists using the city's bare walls as a canvas and who works with In Good Company – an organisation who champion the rise of street art across the city.
Founder Laura Wellington said: "The street art movement is now firmly established as one of the most exciting, politically relevant and globally impactful artistic movements and we want to work with various artists to shape Leeds' future as a destination city.
"The artists we work with are carefully curated, highly acclaimed and internationally recognised. Everyone involved understands the value that artworks can bring to the culture of a city, from inspiring joy, stimulating conversation and raising the profile of an area."
In Good Company was key in bringing Anthony Burrill's You & Me artwork in The Calls to life. The seeds of the project were sown back in 2019 but its message of unity was a timely one when it was unveiled at the height of the pandemic.
At the unveiling Laura told Creative Review: "The design couldn't feel more relevant for the current time.
"From the start, the plan was that this piece will be here for the people of Leeds for centuries, but I think it's the perfect message of unity when continued connection and community will be so vital.
"The ambition behind the creation of these new landmarks in the city is to uplift local business, particularly independent businesses and boost the visitor economy."
The emergence of Leeds' street art scene can be traced back to the 1980s when community artist Janet De Wagt worked with local schoolchildren to create a work of art celebrating Leeds' West Indian community. A quarter of a century on, the Mabgate Mural which is just a short walk from the city centre, is looking a little faded, but thanks in part to a growing appreciation for street art, there is hope that it will soon be restored.
The trend has been fuelled in more recent years by artists like Jane Mutiny, whose pair of Spix's Macaws, tucked away on the walls of Munro House, near the BBC building, draws attention to endangered species and Benjamin Craven whose striking designs on buildings like those on the Belgrave Music Hall, bring an injection of colour to the often drab urban landscape.
The Leeds based artist says of his work: "I am inspired by everyday sights. I use clashing colours and patterns and really want people who see my work to think about playfulness in art and life."
So, wherever you wander, make sure you look up and take in some of the sights that have made the streets of Leeds such a colourful and inspirational place to be.
Me & You, You & Me by Anthony Burrill
Graphic artist Anthony Burrill combines a knack for simplicity that packs a punch with craft skills and powerful, positive messages. This mural in The Calls – his largest to date – was devised and produced during the Covid lockdown for the city where he first studied graphic design.
The Heron by Peter Barber
Some street art demands to be looked at.
This piece by Barber, which can be found on the banks of the River Aire, is much more subtle and sometimes can't even be seen at all. When the river level is at its highest, the heron, which was chosen as a symbol of the waterway's revival, is submerged, only gradually reappearing again as the water falls.
Cornucopia by Graeme Wilson
In 1989, to mark the successful restoration of the Corn Exchange, Wilson was commissioned to paint a mural on the side of what is now the Blue Rinse vintage shop. It still looks good today and is a celebration of the building's historical use as a trading centre and the Victorian age on which the city's wealth was built.
Marcelo Bielsa by Tankpetrol
Continuing the LUFC theme, head to Hyde Park Corner to see this masterpiece of the club's charismatic manager. The portrait, which also includes the Bielsa quote, "A man with new ideas is a madman, until his ideas triumph", appeared on the eve of the new football season in 2020 to mark Leeds' return to the Premier League.
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Kelly Mallon brings a different meaning to the term 'Dual player'.
When the Armagh Senior Ladies Football captain isn't acting as a playmaker on the GAA field, she can be found on the back roads of Madden, perfecting the road bowling skills that have led her to eight All-Ireland senior ladies titles.
The 29 year old's most recent All-Ireland road bowling title, picked up on home soil last August, meant she became the most decorated champion in the sport's history, overtaking all-time record holder Gretta Cormican who has seven All-Ireland titles.
Mallon's introduction to road bowls came at a young age, she cites her father, uncle and grandfather as having a major influence on her career and now, Mallon's success is inspiring another generation of young bowlers.
"There has been a fair increase in and around the Madden area. Probably because I am playing football, camogie and road bowls, so a lot of the young girls are seeing that and are doing the same. Last year Madden won the female under 18, the female intermediate and I won the senior, so we had three or four All-Ireland champions in one year".
As well as the eight All-Ireland titles, Mallon has secured nine Ulster senior ladies titles in a row, and has also been a first choice up front for Armagh Ladies Football for 10 seasons now. A respected stalwart of the game, Mallon is also a well established camogie player, skippering her home club Madden to their first county title for more than three decades in 2014. But with the Lidl National Football League in full swing, Mallon's priorities currently lie with the Armagh Senior Gaelic Football Squad.
Named as vice-captain last season, Mallon has taken over the mantle as captain since Caoimhe Morgan ruptured her ACL, and with five wins from five secured so far in Division 2 and a semi-final to look forward to, it's an exciting time to be at the helm of the Orchard County.
The Armagh Harps star admits there was a lot of soul searching after last year's Ulster final. Donegal racked up an astonishing 9-21 on their way to the inter-provincial title, but when the Orchard Outfit were handed another opportunity to face Donegal in the All-Ireland Quarter-finals seven weeks later, they vowed to restore pride to the jersey.
While a redemptive victory failed to transpire with Donegal securing a two point victory, Armagh turned in a much improved performance, and with the squad continuing to mature, it's the type of performance Mallon is confident the team can produce more consistently in 2019.
From the outside looking in, Mallon has it all; the most decorated female champion in road bowling history, and of course, an innate ability with either a hurley or a football, but in 2016, Mallon picked up an Achilles injury that interestingly led to a stint between the posts, but ultimately resulted in Mallon sitting out much of the following two seasons.
"It was probably something that could have been sorted in a couple of weeks but I didn't listen to the signs and tried to play on, then it just got to the stage where I was in the middle of a training session and I actually just broke down, I just thought I actually can't play through this pain any more. So after that I ended up playing in goals for a couple of games in 2016." Injury meant Mallon's only Armagh appearances in 2017 was a late cameo in goals against Westmeath in the qualifiers, before being elevated to starting keeper against Kerry at Kilkenny's Nolan Park.
Kelly in conversation with Lisa Crowley for wgpa.ie.


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