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Staying the Noose
To kill or not to kill, that was the question. To the rest of India, the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is ancient history. In Tamil Nadu, however, every once in a while, it becomes a live issue laced with high drama, politics, and emotion–genuine or not.
When I walked into the chambers, a colleague had looked at me and said, "The man is coming." "The man" of course, was the irrepressible and enigmatic counsel for the defence, Ram Jethmalani. He was coming to appear before the Madras High Court in the petition filed by the convicted killers of Rajiv Gandhi, to stay their hanging that had been scheduled for September 9, 2011, on the ground that there had been an inordinate delay by the President in disposing of the clemency petition.
This is nothing new for Mr. Jethmalani. He has stood between the hangman and his prize, between the state and the dissenter (often, he has been the dissenter himself), and between the accused and the judgement of a society that believes that in certain cases, they can usurp the courts' function and proclaim guilt. Echoing Erskine's famous defence of himself in the trial of Thomas Paine, he has always believed in the duty of a counsel to his client, and that the "end of liberty" is the day that an advocate is allowed to say whether he will or will not stand between the State and the subject arraigned in the court.
The reputation has been well earned. There have been few lawyers in independent India who can match his legal learning, experience, and sheer rhetorical brilliance. His work ethic is the stuff of legend for not one, but many generations of lawyers.
The next day, the matter was called before a Bench of Justices C. Nagappan and M. Sathyanarayanan. What should have been a normal writ petition was a political issue. As the Court sat to deliberate, the Assembly located nearby was considering the same issue. The counsel arrived early and sat inside the courtroom. By 10:15 AM, the courtroom was packed. By half past ten, which is time at which the court sits, the corridor outside was overflowing.
I have only seen Ram Jethmalani argue once before. That sight was enough to inspire a second visit. Considering his advancing age, the thought that this might be my last chance to see him in action was at the back of my mind. He, of course, would emphatically disagree. His remarkable discipline and fitness at eighty-seven will ensure that no one is surprised if he is still alive and appearing before some court on his centenary.
Little did I know that the heavy price to hear him a second time – so packed was the courtroom with reporters, the preachers of Tamil pride, lawyers with no other work, and the other gentry of the Bar. A large number had come with the singular purpose of seeing the one and only "Ram Jethmalani" with the halo and the horns!
The judges walked in a little late and you could see their unease at the packed courtroom. They most definitely would have discussed the matter and decided their course of action before they reached but then such a scene can be intimidating even for judges. The only man who did not seem intimidated was the man given the responsibility of opening the arguments!
Cool, calm, and composed, he began with a courteous opening, and then posed the question before the Court. His mannerisms would flatter a corpse!
"Your lordships today are concerned with what I take the liberty of describing as a moral, constitutional, and civilisational issue."
The facts of the case are broken down to their absolute bare essentials–no frills. The issue of delay in execution of the death sentence is brought into the picture by introducing the judgement of Justice Chinappa Reddy in T.V. Vatheeswaran v. State of Tamil Nadu and its subsequent overruling–what he described as a partial overruling–in Sher Singh v. State of Punjab. No attempt was made to conceal the precedents, but they were arranged in such a manner that the judges had a way out if they chose to walk against the strict doctrine. He added:
"Your Lordships are of course constrained to decide this case under the existing framework of law, in which the death sentence is constitutional; however, perhaps your Lordships will be more hospitable to a claim that the death sentence has been unfairly applied in this particular case."
That, ladies and gentlemen, is English as she is meant to be spoken!
In a mere half an hour, he had mesmerised the Court and all present, with his impeccable diction, logic, and oratory. A few others spoke, but for the section of the crowd (including myself) that had not been forced to come by newspaper bosses or come in support of questionable Tamil pride, it could well be said Roma locuta est, Causa finite est! (Rome has spoken, the case is finished!)
The man, who has helped many cheat the hangman's rope, has himself kept the Reaper at bay–with convincing argument no doubt, and a fitness regimen that still allows him to play badminton every day! I can't help but remember Churchill's famous reply to a reporter, "I am ready to meet my maker; whether my maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter." The maker himself might have 'to kill' for that privilege. Mr. Jethmalani however, seems in no hurry and we seem to be the beneficiaries of the interim stay granted on that final judgement as he continues to dazzle Parliament and the courtrooms around the country.
When the last sentence of the order was pronounced, the courtroom resembled the venue of an IPL final–with cheering, hooting, and whistling! The crowds made way for the day's hero: he greeted them with gracious pranaams, or should I say vanakkams (after all, his political party was called Pavithra Hindustan Kazhagam), as he walked out to continuous chants of "Ram Jethmalani Varzhigai!" ("Long Live Ram Jethmalani!") I could not agree more.
The author is grateful to V. Niranjan, an advocate of the Madras High Court, for his verbatim recollection of the arguments presented in court.
(Suchindran B.N. is an advocate at the Madras High Court.)
The article was originally published by My Law Blog.
G.JEYAPRAKASH
great man . saved many . god give him strenth &long life.


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When I first saw the Lanmodo Night Vision System online I was intrigued, having moved from the urban sprawl that is the Los Angeles area to a small country town in Texas, I find myself driving on dark country roads often and I liked the idea of increasing visibility. So I ordered one on Amazon to see if this $499 plug-and-play night vision can stack up to its online claims.
When the unit arrived I was impressed with the overall packaging and presentation, it comes ready to go out of the box, even including small screwdriver so you can mount the unit to the dashboard mount without having to open your toolbox. Included are two power cables, one that plugs into the standard "cigarette lighter" and another that plugs into the OBD-II port. One long connector cable that connects the power supply to the unit, the suction cup mount, dash mount, and the unit itself. There is also an option to add a rear-view camera as well for $100 more.
Because of the way my dash is shaped I opted to use the suction cup mount which simply screws to the unit's mounting point. The suction cup mounts the unit securely and is very good quality. The dash mount requires the use of the provided screwdriver and has a non-slip pad that keeps it from moving once placed on the dashboard.
I was impressed with the quality of the unit and the components that were included. Everything seems well built and the screen and camera are very good. Something that stood out about the product is the simplicity, it is truly plug-and-play. No app to download, no connecting it to a computer to set up, just mount it, connect it to power, and start using it.
The system uses a Sony MCCD photosensitive chip, a 28mm glass HD lens, and a 1080P high-resolution display screen. According to Lanmodo it is also designed to live on the dashboard and can work in both extream cold and heat so it should be able to survive the Texas weather.
The range of the camera at night is 300 meters or just under 1,000 feet, according to National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration (NHTSA) the average car has around 160 feet of visibility with low beams and around 350 feet with high beams while the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) points out that the average driver performs an emergency stop from 60mph in about 302 feet. With visibility between 160-350 feet at night in ideal conditions, you can see how any increase in visibility means increased safety.
I got the unit mounted to the windshield, waited for it to get dark and took it down some of the darkest roads in the area to test it. The unit turns on with a single on and off switch, the only other settings are color/black and white, screen rotation, and screen brightness. I dialed in the brightness to my liking and started driving.
The system isn't a night vision system like you see in the movies, the screen in full color not shades of green, it is not a thermal vision system which sees body heat, this system simply enhances the available be it from your headlamps or the ambient light and gives you a brighter clearer picture of what is ahead. So if there is zero light it won't work, but as you can see in the picture below the system works in near pitch-black conditions.
With just the light from my cars running lights, you can see how much the Lanmodo system enhances the available natural light to increase visibility. All of the photos in this story are unedited so you can see for yourself how the system works.
The camera has a frame rate of 30 FPS making the image while driving smooth and crisp, with lower light levels you get some minor pixelation but I only noticed it when I had the headlamps completely off. I was also worried about lens flare from oncoming traffic but found that the system did a good job of minimizing the effect of the headlamps on the screen.
Overall I was very impressed with the Lanmodo Night Vision System, it is well made, simple to use, and does everything they advertised it to do. I think it is a great tool for people who struggle to see at night, live in rural areas with few street lights, or for offroad enthuists who want the best visiblity out on the trail once the sun starts going down.
You can learn more about the system on Lanmodo.com or you can order your own today on Amazon (this is not an affiliate link).
That's quite an interesting and informative post to read!
Oh I was amaze on the Night vision features. You can clearly see the trail, I hope this works with my car I have a mid dark tint.
Wow this is such a useful gadget for drivers to have. I will be trying this when I pass my driving test.
It can be so hard to actually take pictures at night because of the poor lighting. I would need this because honestly, night time pictures can be super beautiful!
this is such a vital tool for visibility in areas with low lighting, very impressive, indeed.
Wow! That is a great night vision, we've tried several gadgets and camera ending up to change for better. Will definitely check this one out. Thanks for the info.
This is a perfect gift for my dad! Thanks for the review!


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Epaminondas Xavier Gracindo, plus connu sous le nom de Gracindo Júnior, est né le  à Rio de Janeiro. C'est un acteur de télévision brésilien dont la carrière a commencé en 1965. Il est connu pour avoir incarné le rôle d'Antonio Sampaio dans la telenovela brésilienne « Dona Beija (série télévisée) ».

Il est le fils de l'acteur Paulo Gracindo et le père des acteurs Gabriel Gracindo, Pedro Gracindo et Daniela Duarte.

Acteur brésilien
Naissance en mai 1943

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Discussion in 'OS X El Capitan (10.11)' started by Wise87, Dec 12, 2015.
Today i was notified of the 10.11.2 update. After is was complete most if not all my USB external devices and internal card reader no longer work when using Parallels. This update effected both my Win 7 and Win 10 VM. Numerous folks over at the Parallels forum have reported the issue.
Then it is probably an issue with Parallels, not with OS X.
I agree, it is a Parallels issue. Just seeing if other MR users have noticed the problem. The Parallels team can be slow at resolving issues.
Were you on the latest parallels 10 before you upgraded?
I'm on 10 but user of version 11 are reporting the same thing. Spent the day searching and I have come across numerous post referring to 10.11.2 has caused issues with numbers VM users.
This is a El Capitan issue. I have had nothing but problems with USB connectivity in the last iterations of el Capitan.
Thank you. And it is interesting. I use Fusion though.
I am having USB connectivity issues within Mac OS itself anyway and it became a serious issue only with the last 2 or 3 versions.
Absolutely no USB issues with El Capitan (10.11.0 through 10.11.3 Beta 1). I connect a wide variety of devices including external hard drives, Jawbone UP band, Thunderbolt to USB3 adapter, etc. All this on a MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011).
I had many usb issues with all the betas 10.11.2's up until the release version when it worked again.
So far, I've not incurred any USB issues with El Cap, either natively or using Vmware.


White & Allen attorneys C. Gray Johnsey, John C. Bircher and J. Mark Herring have been named to North CarolinaSuper Lawyers 2015, a listing of outstanding lawyers around the nation who have a notable degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Johnsey is being recognized by Super Lawyers in the category of Tax. This is Johnsey's fourth year being selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers. He practices at White & Allen, P.A.'s Kinston office.
Bircher is being recognized in the categories of Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights. This is Bircher's fourth year being selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers. He practices at White & Allen, P.A.'s New Bern office.
Herring is being recognized in the category of Criminal Defense. This is Herring's second year being selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers. He practices at White & Allen's Kinston office.
Johnsey, Bircher and Herring have received numerous other honors, including Best Lawyers in America, Legal Elite and Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Also, Johnsey is a North Carolina State Bar board certified specialist in estate planning and probate law and Bircher is a North Carolina State Bar board certified specialist in Business and Consumer Bankruptcy Law.
Johnsey and Bircher are both graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Johnsey holds an M.B.A. from East Carolina University and earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in Alabama. He received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Florida. Bircher received his law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. Herring graduated from North Carolina State University and received his law degree from Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in Alabama.


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text:
Judge orders Cuyahoga County to release video of jail guard attacking inmate
Updated Jan 30, 2019; Posted Feb 26, 2018
Cuyahoga County was ordered to release copy of video showing a supervisor in the jail using excessive force on an inmate in 2016.(Marvin Fong, Plain Dealer file)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An Ohio judge ordered Cuyahoga County to release to cleveland.com a redacted copy of body camera video showing a jail guard attacking a naked female inmate in May 2016.
Ohio Court of Claims Judge Patrick McGrath on Thursday adopted a special master's January recommendation that found the county's efforts to shield the video from public release violated the state's open records laws.
"We have felt from the start that for the sake of accountability, the public has the right to see this video showing the abusive treatment of a prisoner," Chris Quinn, president and editor of cleveland.com parent company Advance Ohio, said in an emailed statement. "We have never understood the county's refusal to follow the records law in this case and hope this decision reminds the county of its duties involving transparency."
A Cuyahoga County spokeswoman said cleveland.com could receive a copy of the video as early as Monday afternoon, and said in an emailed statement that the county refused to release the video "to protect the dignity of the victim of excessive force by a jail corrections office.[sic]."
Cleveland.com previously offered to accept a version of the video with the woman's face and body blurred.
The county has not released the woman's name to cleveland.com. She was in jail awaiting an order from Lakewood Municipal Court to have her metal competency evaluated, county officials said.
"Although the Court of Claims has ordered us to release the video, we are asking you to exercise discretion to protect this unrepresented individual from the possibility of any public humiliation from those in the public who may recognize her despite our efforts to conceal her identity," the statement said.
The order is a final rebuke to the months-long effort by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish's law department to keep the public from seeing the video, which depicted the second of two uses of force that sheriff's department investigators deemed excessive.
Corporal Brendan Johnson was fired after the investigation, but ultimately won his job back through arbitration. The county has appealed that decision to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Cleveland.com requested copies of videos from the two use-of-force incidents. The county denied the requests, so cleveland.com brought a lawsuit through a records dispute process established within the Court of Claims in late 2016.
The county subsequently gave the organization a redacted copy of one of the incidents, but continued to refuse to release video from the second incident, which the arbitrator found the more troubling of the two.
The county has maintained that its efforts to shield the video were to protect the privacy of the inmate, and not Johnson. Cleveland.com offered to accept an edited version of the video blurring the woman's face and body.
But lawyers for the county responded to the special master's recommendation by offering cleveland.com a shortened clip of the redacted video. The county lawyers then filed an objection to releasing any of the video when cleveland.com demanded the full video.
McGrath said he found "unpersuasive" the county's attempt to use a bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives in November -- a bill that has been neither debated or voted out of committee -- to bolster its claim that state lawmakers back the county's position.
McGrath also ordered the county to repay a $25 fee a cleveland.com reporter paid to file the pro se lawsuit.
To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Yesterday an Alabama man was denied self-defense immunity by the trial court judge, as reported here. The man shot and killed someone, was charged with murder, and sought self-defense immunity as a means of avoiding criminal liability and having to go to trial.
The man obviously failed in this effort to receive self-defense immunity, and it's no real surprise given that he was arrested for questioning immediately after the shooting and found in unlawful possession of marijuana, prescription drugs, and drug paraphernalia. He now continues to trial on the murder charge.
What's interesting about this story is that it provides us with an opportunity to take a closer look at Alabama's self-defense immunity statute, which does something that most state's self-defense immunity statutes don't do: it explicitly sets out the legal procedure to be applied when a defendant seeks that immunity.
Florida, in contrast, was one of the first states to adopt self-defense immunity, but the relevant statute provided no guidance on procedure, leaving that to the courts to decide.
This is not an unreasonable position for the Florida legislature to take—after all, the courts will be the ones applying the immunity law to real people, so why shouldn't they define the procedure they'll use in the process.
Because of the politicization of self-defense immunity, however, the "leave it to the courts" approach has resulted in more than 15 years of inconsistent court appellate decisions, procedures, and standards, and subsequent interjection of procedural instruction re: immunity by the Florida legislature.
Frankly, in Florida the lack of concrete guidance from the legislature has resulted in a mess that continues rolling along.
The Alabama legislature took the opposite approach, providing detailed and explicit guidance on the appropriate procedure for self-defense immunity, so let's step through each of those provisions and discuss them.
The relevant self-defense immunity statutory language is found in Alabama Code, Title 13A, Criminal Code, §13A-3-23, paragraph (d), and sub-paragraphs (1) through (4) that follow.
(d)(1). A person who uses force, including deadly physical force, as justified and permitted in this section is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the force was determined to be unlawful.
This simply means that in order to qualify for self-defense immunity, your use of force must qualify as lawful self-defense. I know, this sounds obvious, and it really is. Nevertheless, it drives home a point that too many people seem to overlook, and that is not just what self-defense immunity is, but what it isn't.
Self-defense immunity is not some magical get-out-of-jail-free card. It doesn't turn something that wasn't lawful self-defense into lawful self-defense. It actually doesn't have anything whatever to do with the definition of self-defense.
It merely says that if your conduct qualifies as lawful self-defense—however that may be defined elsewhere in the law—you are eligible for immunity. If, however your use of force falls outside the bonds of lawful self-defense, no immunity for you, and likely no legal defense of self-defense at all.
(d)(2). Prior to the commencement of a trial in a case in which a defense is claimed under this section, the court having jurisdiction over the case, upon motion of the defendant, shall conduct a pretrial hearing to determine whether force, including deadly force, used by the defendant was justified or whether it was unlawful under this section. During any pretrial hearing to determine immunity, the defendant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she is immune from criminal prosecution.
There is a lot packed into this paragraph, as it essentially sets out the entire criminal procedure for requesting self-defense immunity, and for the granting or denial of self-defense immunity.
First, it provides that this immunity provision applies only to acts of claimed self-defense ("a defense is claimed under this section," that section being the section of the Alabama code dealing with self-defense justification).
Second, it provides that the immunity procedure is overseen by "the court having jurisdiction over the case," meaning generally the trial court, and by extension the trial court judge.
Third, it provides that the request for, and assessment of, self-defense immunity is triggered by a motion made by the defendant to that court, and that this motion is made prior to trial.
Fourth, it provides that upon receipt of a motion for self-defense immunity the trial judge must conduct a pre-trial hearing to determine whether the defendant's force was lawful or unlawful under Alabama self-defense law.
The statute doesn't explicitly say, but this hearing will be adversarial, with the defendant arguing his pro-self-defense position in favor of immunity and the prosecution making the counter-argument against immunity, and the judge making the ultimate call on the issue.
Fifth, it provides that the burden of persuasion on the issue of self-defense is on the defendant, to the standard of a preponderance of the evidence. In other words, the prosecution doesn't have to disprove self-defense in order to have immunity denied, the defense must prove self-defense by a preponderance (majority) of the evidence in order to have immunity granted.
Other states use a different allocation of the burden and to different legal standards. Under current Florida law, for example, the burden in a self-defense immunity hearing is on the prosecution to disprove self-defense by clear and convincing evidence—a higher standard than a mere preponderance, but a lower standard that beyond a reasonable doubt.
(d)(3). If, after a pretrial hearing under subdivision (2) [just covered above—AFB], the court concludes that the defendant has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that force, including deadly force, was justified, the court shall enter an order finding the defendant immune from criminal prosecution and dismissing the criminal charges.
This paragraph makes clear that the court's discretion is limited to determining whether the defendant has met his burden of proving self-defense by a preponderance of the evidence—if so, the court shall (not may) award immunity. Of course, the line between these two tasks is fuzzy, at best.
Note also that this statutory language addresses only immunity from criminal prosecution, and says nothing about immunity from civil suit. However, proving self-defense by a preponderance of the evidence is already the defendant's burden in a civil suit context, and so if he's met that burden in this hearing in a criminal context he's effectively met the identical standard in the civil context, as well.
(d)(4). If the defendant does not meet his or her burden of proving immunity at the pre-trial hearing, he or she may continue to pursue the defense of elf-defense or defense of another person at trial. Once the issue of self-defense or defense of another has been raised by the defendant, the state continues to bear the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt all of the elements of the charged conduct.
Here the statute makes clear that pursuing, but failing to obtain, self-defense immunity pre-trial does not prevent the same defendant from nevertheless raising the legal defense of self-defense at trial.
It also makes clear that at trial the burden of persuasion shifts to the prosecution, which must now disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. This effectively means that the defendant must merely maintain a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury that his use-of-force might have been lawful self-defense.
It is therefore quite possible for a defendant to be denied immunity pre-trial, where he needs to prove self-defense by a preponderance of the evidence but nevertheless win an acquittal on self-defense at trial, where the prosecution needs to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
And that's it for Alabama's self-defense immunity statute (although other sections of §13A-3-23 are worth reading in full).
Many states follow essentially identical, or at least recognizably similar, procedures in applying their own self-defense immunity laws, but few specific the relevant legal procedure as clearly and explicitly as does Alabama by means of statute.


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Commercial and Industrial - Bridge City Development Gathers Momentum
Negotiations for the first property sales within the recently released 17 hectare Bridge City Business Estate – a prime location just 17 kilometres from the Durban port and 23 kilometres from the King Shaka International Airport – are well underway.
The entire 60 hectare Bridge City development, which includes the mixed use commercial and residential Town Centre as well as the Business Estate, is expected to attract public and private investment totaling over R10 billion. Of this, the newly released Business Estate is expected to contributeR1 billion.
Cyril Gwala, Tongaat Hulett's Development Director responsible for Bridge City, the River Horse Valley Business Estate and Cornubia, is confident that that the entire Bridge City Town Centre and Business Estate will be a reality within the next five years. He says the Bridge City Business Estate which is predicated on a mixed use model similar to that of the highly successful River Horse Valley Business Estate, is a greenfields development that is expected to transform the surrounding communities of Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK).
Massive strides have already been made in the Town Centre and services have been being installed. Construction began with the vibrant Bridge City shopping centre in 2008. This provides for 68 000 square metres of retail space and is tenanted by some of the biggest names in South African retail including Spar, Woolworths, the Edcon Group as well as restaurants such as Spur and Chicken Licken.
The Bridge City shopping centre is one of the anchors of the 43 hectare Bridge City Town Centre together with the iconic regional Magistrate's Court which opened in May 2013. Additional key developments within the new Town Centre are expected to include a R1,2 billion, 450 bed public regional hospital for which the piling and services have already been completed. The hospital has experienced unavoidable delays but it is expected that construction will begin within the next two years.
The site between the regional Magistrate's Court and the hospital has been secured by Ithala Bank for a mixed use development. Sites positioned opposite this are expected to attract a great deal of rental interest for professional practices, legal chambers and medical facilities whichindicates sound investment opportunities for developers.
Existing subdivided and saleable sites are available for mixed use (retail, offices and residential development) directly across from the Bridge City shopping centre and along the Bridge City Boulevard which crosses the Town Centre and Business Estate and provides opportunities for retail fronting onto the main thoroughfares.
In addition to the provision of residential accommodation above the shopping centre itself, central key sites have been set aside for multi-storey residential developments directly opposite the Bridge City shopping centre. High rise developments of between six and eight storeys that will have good city views will provide significant residential bulk as will proposed four to six storey "walk-up" units. These are expected to accommodate professionals employed by the medical and legal businesses as well as other commercial and industrial operations.
The 17 hectare Business Estate is expected to attract a wide variety of investors and is ideal for distribution centres and logistics companies, building materials retailers, fast moving consumer goods wholesalers and retailers as well as light industrial operations. The size of sites - which are priced at R1 400 per sq/mof platform area - depend on the topography and the needs of individual investors. The Town Centre sites are priced at R950 per sq/m of retail bulk (subject to a minimum of 1.5FAR) and R300 per sq/m of residential bulk. These prices are currently being reviewed.
A four hectare site in the Business Estate has been sold to the city for its new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) depot and there are a number of other active enquiries.
Gwala believes that both the location along the rapidly developing northern coastal corridor and access to the new rail station and line and to the "BRT" bus public transport will be key to attracting investors to Bridge City. The city's new BRT bus system will have Bridge City as a major destination.
Transport facilities include a new railway station and line, and bus and taxi ranks. It is anticipated that, once Bridge City is fully developed, the rail station will accommodate approximately 100 000 commuters every day, making it the second busiest station in KwaZulu Natal.
Security is a priority throughout Bridge City. In addition to 24-hour rapid armed response, the entire precinct will be monitored via CCTV with a monitoring station located at the Bridge City shopping centre. The Bridge City Management Association will be responsible for this.
Gwala says both Bridge City and the RiverHorse Valley Business Estate are testament to the power of public, private sector partnerships (PPP's) to deliver on industrial development. The Bridge City development is a joint venture between the eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat Hulett. Tongaat Hulett is also the project manager responsible for implementation of the project onto the ground as well as the mandated sales agent for Bridge City.
The newly released 17 hectare Bridge City Business Estate is pictured in the foreground of this aerial photograph of the entire development which is expected to attract public and private investment totaling over R10 billion.
An aerial photograph of Bridge City highlighting the Bridge City shopping centre and along the Bridge City Boulevard.This centre provides for 68 000 square metres of retail space and is tenanted by some of the biggest names in South African retail including Spar, Woolworths, the Edcon Group as well as restaurants such as Spur and Chicken Licken.
Distributed by Shirley Williams Communications


In the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD, primary care data) we extracted ethnicity information from Read terms in the clinical table (see below).
Ethnicity information was recorded in the HES patient table which uses the 2001 census categorization.
Patients were categorised as White, South Asian, Black, or Other/Mixed ethnic groups; these groups reflect the most prevalent ethnic groups in the 2011 Census in England and Wales. The White group included White British, White European and other White Groups. South Asian included patients from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and other Asian ethnic groups, including Asian British. Black included those belonging to African, Caribbean or other Black groups, including Black British. The Other/ Mixed group included those from any mixed ethnic group and other small minority ethnic groups, including Japanese and Chinese.


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All-new VW Golf Alltrack named car of year at big show
by Bob McHugh on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017
"The Canadian International Auto Show media preview featured 41 "New to Canada" vehicle premieres and for the first time ever a "World Premiere", which was video cast globally, of the 2018 Hyundai Accent."
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It is all about sporty utes at 2017 Detroit auto extravaganza
by Wade Ozeroff on Friday, January 20th, 2017
PULL QUOTE: "There was a parade of new sport/crossover utes from virtually all manufacturers, all scrambling to get a share of this hot market segment."
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Auto bosses champion domestic car industry at the big show
by Bob McHugh on Friday, January 20th, 2017
Detroit, MI – It's been a while since I last attended the annual North American International Auto Show media preview so the invite to the 2017 edition was a treat.
The crowded media feeding frenzies were just the same as ever but the new vehicle intro events, however, tend to be tamer affairs these days. The emphasis is largely on corporate business not show business, which, of course, is sensible … yet, I do miss that old razzle dazzle!
Not here in person, but the Donald Trump-effect was evident, following the president-elect's unpleasant utterings about manufacturers who shift production outside of the USA. Almost every auto industry spokesperson talked about American vehicle production numbers, American production content, American employment numbers or planned future growth in America, etc. Oddly enough, Chrysler (aka FCA) did not host an auto show press conference this year, in its home city!
The Ford media presentation was another low-key affair, with top executives mainly talking about future mobility, sustainability and autonomous driving. An updated F150 (all-new 3 years ago) was paraded but the big news for Ford fans is that Ranger, a midsize pickup truck, is back in 2019 and an all-new Bronco will follow in 2020. Both will be produced in a Ford assembly plant in Michigan, USA.
My favourite auto industry speaker was Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.. During his articulate and insightful keynote address he clarified the difference between an autonomous vehicle and a driverless vehicle. He expects there will be various levels of autonomy offered by auto makers, including Nissan in 2021. A driver will be able to choose when he/she wants it to operate this vehicle in an autonomous mode. The Ghosn definition of a driverless vehicle, on the other hand, is one that has no steering wheel or driver controls. Basically, it's a robotic transportation appliance on wheels.
Volvo introduced us to the Hains family from Gothenburg. They are the first of 100 families who agreed to take an autonomous Volvo XC90 SUV and be part of Volvo's long-term Drive Me research program. It will be the world's largest autonomous driving test on real roads and with real people, according to Volvo. Volvo is also working with Uber on an autonomous ride-hailing program.
Volkswagen really set the room abuzz was the I.D. Buzz. Another microbus concept from VW and this one is autonomous and full-electric.
Bucking the driver-less trend of this year's show, Kia introduced Stinger, a stylish driver-focused rear-drive (or all-wheel-drive) sports sedan. Its 3.3-litre V6 engine can produce 365 horsepower and get Stinger to 100 km/hour in less than 6 seconds.
The Four Rings rang with the world premiere of the company's latest utility vehicle addition: the 2018 Audi SQ5.
Boasting new suspension and a powerful update to the power train – a 3.0L V6 that claims to blast the compact crossover from zero to 100 in 5.1 seconds with its 354 horses (and 369 lb.-ft. of torque) – marshalled by an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Audi also showed the Q8 Concept vehicle, billed as the "first full-size SUV in coupe design", is the basis of what will become, they say, a production vehicle that will be launched for real in 2018 as a powerful (and of course luxurious) hybrid that are already looking forward to here at Driveway.
Mercedes Benz kicked off with a musical quartet that culminated in the German manufacturer's personable chairman Dieter Zetsche taking the stage. The 2018 GLA compact SUV gets a new face for the new year, and redesigned bumpers. The E-class Coupe made its world debut, adding to an already comprehensive array of recent new models from Benz.
bob [dot] mchugh [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca
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Toyota makes high-tech automated safety a standard feature
by Bob McHugh on Saturday, November 19th, 2016
High-tech safety features that, not too long ago, were pricey options and only available on prestigious models, are now standard on two of Toyota's most popular models.
Every 2017 Toyota Corolla and 2017 Toyota RAV4 comes with a Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) package and almost every new Toyota sold by the end of 2017 will come with this innovative safety package.
"Canadians will buy more than 150,000 vehicles equipped with Toyota Safety Sense over the next 12 months," according to Stephen Beatty, Vice-President Toyota Canada Inc. at a driving demonstration event in Maple Ridge.
A Pre-Collision System, Automatic High Beam and Lane Departure Alert are all included in the base TSS bundle and there's a TSS-P package that also adds Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and a pedestrian detection function.
Beatty did, however, emphasise that these clever active safety systems are designed to "enhance, not replace, driver control". Due to cost savings gained through innovation and high volume production, he also estimated that TSS only added about $300 to the price of these 2017 models.
The Pre-Collision System (PCS) uses a camera and laser beam to detect a vehicle ahead. It first prompts the driver to take evasive action if a collision is looming, with an audio and visual alert. It can provide additional braking force using a Brake Assist feature and it will automatically apply the brakes (full force), if no action is taken by the driver. Obviously, road conditions and other factors can influence the outcome, however, a live demonstration in a RAV4 certainly proved how effective PCS can be.
The operational range (approximately 10 – 80 km/hour) of PCS covers speeds at which at least 80 per cent of rear-end collisions occur, according to Toyota. TSS-P enhances the speed range of PCS and adds a Pedestrian Detection feature by using a millimetre-wave radar upgrade in combination with a camera.
Lane Departure Alert (LDA) uses a camera to detect lane markings in front of the vehicle and the vehicle's position on the road. The driver gets an audio and visual alert if the system determines that the vehicle is drifting from its intended lane. TSS-P enhances LDA by adding a Steering Assist function, which guides Corolla back into its lane, and adds Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
Automatic High Beam (AHB) uses the windshield mounted camera (behind the rear-view mirror) to help detect headlights of oncoming vehicles and tail lights of preceding vehicles. It then automatically switches between high and low beams as appropriate to provide the most light possible and enhance forward visibility.
Could this be the dawn of a whole new generation of intelligent automobiles with active safety? Leading to a day when all vehicle-to-vehicle collisions are eliminated. That's probably too far ahead to predict, but it's certainly possible. Toyota did use an interesting, and futuristic, virtual reality (VR) demonstration to highlight the advantages of TSS.
It was my first experience of the very cool visual world of three-dimensional VR, which is created by using a headset connected to interactive software and hardware. You're able to freely "look around" in an artificial world, which your body doesn't inhabit … yeah, it's a little weird. Apparently it will be part of Toyota's auto show traveling display. If you get an opportunity, do check it out.
In the real world, we also got an opportunity to drive 2017 editions of the Corolla sedan and the new Corolla iM, with the TSS system. Yes, the iM is effectively a re-badged Scion model. That said, it's also a cleverly designed hatchback with double-wishbone rear suspension, more standard equipment, extra support seating, plus a sportier feel and attitude.
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Top selling sedan offers safer and calming drive experience
by Bob McHugh on Thursday, August 4th, 2016
Ford continues its quest to bring us ground breaking new active safety technologies in affordable automobiles (more…)
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Big and bulky looks of new Cadillac XT5 designed to deceive
by Bob McHugh on Tuesday, May 17th, 2016
The early morning gut tester of a drive certainly helped showcase the impressively agile and predicable handling abilities of the XT5.
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A brave new world of motoring is dawning
by Bob McHugh on Thursday, February 4th, 2016
The self-driving car is rapidly moving from concept to reality and fully autonomous cars will arrive sooner than you think.
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Lincoln Gets Top MKX for Power, Comfort and Safety
by Bob McHugh on Thursday, October 15th, 2015
"Like most vehicles in this class, numerous helpful driver safety aids are available for the MKX and include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping system, blind spot information system and cross-traffic alert."
Montreal, Quebec.
The Lincoln brand has been on a sales revival roll of late, especially since we discovered that movie star Matthew McConaughey is, and long before anyone paid him to drive them, captivated by Lincoln vehicles.
Well, he's got another one to drool over now, the all-new Lincoln MKX.
The midsize premium utility segment, where the new Lincoln MKX will circulate, represents a whopping 25 per cent of all luxury market sales in Canada. That's a far bigger (percentage-wise) chunk of the premium auto pie than this segment draws in the US. Additionally, the MKX is made in Canada and rides on a new CD4 platform that it shares with the Ford Edge.
The second generation (first generation debuted as a 2007 model) redesign, however, moves this MKX even further away from its Ford family ties. The new body is lower and wider with curvaceous sculptured lines above the front and rear wheel openings. Up front, a new rendition of the Lincoln split-wing grille can come with adaptable LED headlights with blade-like projectors that aligned with the new horizontal grille bars.
Not only do the new LED headlights look sharp, they also provide better light. At speeds below 56 km/hour, LED reflector elements provide a wider and lower beam pattern. At higher speeds the light is re-focused to project further down the road.
The Lincoln MKX drive experience is primarily about comfort, quietness and abundant power, which the new optional 2.7 litre V6 EcoBoost engine certainly provides. It can deliver up to 330 hp, yet what's most impressive about this engine is its silky, smooth V8-like performance with beefy torque output (up to 370 lb-ft), especially at low engine speeds. The carry-over base engine is a 3.7-litre, 300-hp V6.
That said, MKX buyers will pay a hefty premium for the 2.7-litre twin-turbo engine. Pricing for a 3.7 MKX starts at $45,890, but it jumps to $53,940 for the 2.7 EcoBoost version. Then again, that's still a bargain compared to Euro competitors like a BMW X5 ($65,500 to $85,200) or a Mercedes-Benz GLE ($63,200 to $81,100).
Our test-drive tour through the Eastern Townships of Quebec confirmed that the MKX is a worthy wearer of the Lincoln badge. This picturesque area of La Belle Province is dotted with quaint little villages huddled around magnificent church buildings. Many of the roads, however, still bear the scars of those bitterly cold winters that Quebecers are accustomed to enduring.
The new integral link rear suspension, as well as the body structure and chassis upgrades, passed the rough-road challenge with aplomb. The MKX comes standard with Lincoln Drive Control, a suite of ride-enhancing technologies and it offers three driving modes (Normal, Sport and Comfort). The Lincoln "Intelligent" all-wheel drive system is also standard, as is a new adaptive electric power-assisted steering system that can change both steering feel and quickness, dependent on a number of operating factors.
While I prefer a shift lever of some type, the push-button transmission selector on the dash does give the MKX interior a sleek, uncluttered appearance. The selector connects to six-speed automatic transmission (both engines) and shifts can also be made via paddles on the steering wheel. City/highway fuel economy is rated at 14.7/10.3 L/100km (3.7L V6) and 14.1/9.7 L/100 km (2.7LV6).
Clever, under-console storage has also been created and super comfy 22-way adjustable front seats are a new option. These seats come with an active motion massage feature for the upper legs and lower back via six adjustable air bladders. They also come with four-way power head restraints and power thigh extenders.
If parking is not your favourite pastime Lincoln MKX has a couple of new technology solutions. An enhanced park assist system, offers 360-degree camera coverage to provide a birds-eye view of the vehicle (and up to almost two metres all around it), making any low-speed parking situation easier. An even more advanced "auto-pilot" parking system, with 12 ultrasonic sensors, can now guide MKX into a perpendicular parking stall, in addition to parallel parking assist and park out assist.
Like most vehicles in this class, numerous helpful driver safety aids are available for the MKX and include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping system, blind spot information system and cross-traffic alert. A new pre-collision assist system helps avoid or lessen the severity of frontal impacts with another vehicle, or a pedestrian.
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Getting to BMW's Techno Core in the Big Apple
by Bob McHugh on Thursday, October 1st, 2015
BMW 7 Series New York Media Launch.
The all-new 2016 BMW 7 Series is a sixth generation edition of the brand's big, flagship sedan.
The new styling is another evolutionary step and still instantly recognizable as a BMW. Dimensionally this car is the same as the outgoing model, yet it has a radically new and innovative sub-structure.
And the latter, coupled with remarkable onboard technology, is what caught my attention. Today, much is unique to the 7 series but, figuratively speaking, tomorrow it will spread through the range and the day after it will doubtless be coming to a car near you!
The new 7 Series, offers a showcase of the very latest technologies that BMW has to offer, combined with more advanced forms of technologies already available. Sadly, a novel driverless "self-parking" technology (controlled by the key fob and available in Europe) has not (yet) received Canadian regulatory approval. A similar (delayed approval) story also applies to a new adaptive LED headlight option.
Another fascinating new (multi-media) feature is Gesture Control, which lets an operator do things like raise audio volume by twirling your finger, take a phone call with a finger point or wave it away with a wrist flick. An operator can also add customized gestures to trigger a function… a couple come to mind!
Pandering to the non-driving owners is an interesting optional interior first for BMW, a feature called "Executive Lounge". A feet-up recliner in the right rear seat has a body massage feature and a multi-media experience controlled by a removable touch-screen tablet, which is mounted in a clever docking feature. Got to admit, it was rear seat test drive to savour – and yes, I do love this job!
BMW is pioneering a different way to improve body rigidity and reduce weight, explained Dr. Wolfgang Hundt, the Project Manager for Driving Dynamics & Driving Assistance. It uses carbon-fibre (reinforced plastic) in key (core) locations of the structure of the new 7 Series. An indicator of how strongly committed BMW is to the use of this ultra-light yet super-strong material is the expansion work (to triple production output) already in progress at its relatively new Moses Lake (Washington State) carbon-fibre manufacturing plant.
I was most impressed by the balance and poise of the 750i xDrive (with an M-Sport package) on the Monticello Motor Club, in up-state New York. In Sport mode the new 7 is so wonderfully light on its feet that you can very easily forget you're behind the wheel of a big sedan. This mode drops the standard air suspension an additional 10mm and it seems to firm-up and tighten everything. The difference between Sport and Comfort modes was quite dramatic and there's a new one "Adaptive". It matches the vehicle set-up to the driver's current driving style and a profile of the route ahead, by talking to the navigation system.
A redesigned optional Integral Active Steering system can now be offered in conjunction with the xDrive all-wheel drive system. It can turn the rear wheels in the same or an opposing direction as the front wheels to increase manoeuvrability in urban traffic and agility at highway speeds.
The extremely rigid body structure is a ground-breaking marriage of steel, aluminum and carbon-fibre (core) members. The end result is a 7 Series with a much lower centre of gravity and close to perfect front/rear weight distribution.
The 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive editions will soon be arriving in Canadian BMW dealer showrooms. A BMW 750i xDrive model will have a starting MSRP of $113,900, and a long-wheelbase 750iL xDrive at $117,900. Pricing, which should be lower, for the 740 editions will be announced closer to market launch next year.
A redesigned 4.4 litre V 8 engine with TwinPower Turbo technology can produce 445 hp and rocket a 750i to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (according to BMW). It's teamed with an eight-speed automatic and a new version of BMW's intelligent all-wheel-drive system in the 750i xDrive.
BMW's venerable 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder engine, which now also features TwinPower Turbo technology, will power 740i xDrive and 740Li xDrive editions. A plug-in hybrid 740e xDrive will also join the model lineup in 2016. Its 2.0-litre gas engine is paired with electric drive unit that's integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic transmission and it comes with a lithium-ion battery pack.
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Car Review: A Jeep 'Unlimited' in Name Only
by Bob McHugh on Wednesday, June 10th, 2015
"A champion of the un-paved path, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited allows owners to pack more gear and share their outdoor adventure…"
In 2007, Jeep introduced a new longer wheelbase, 4-door version of its iconic "Wrangler" utility vehicle that it called "Wrangler Unlimited".
It must have been a "Why didn't we think of this before?" moment for the Jeep organization, as Wrangler Unlimited quickly widened the market appeal of this outstanding off-road vehicle.
See: Jeep's Wrangler Unlimited (Jeep.ca)
Yes, a longer wheelbase sacrifices a degree of agility, but adds much needed interior space and utility. The stretched body not only allows Wrangler Unlimited to tote more people and/or stuff around, the rear seat is mounted ahead of the rear axle, which gives rear passengers a less bumpy ride. When the seats are folded, they present a completely flat extended cargo floor and 2,353-litres of storage space.
Fast-forward to the 2011 model year and Wrangler Unlimited may still look the same on the outside but it came with an all-new interior. Heated seats, climate control, new audio inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, power-heated side mirrors and a 115-volt electrical outlet, make roughing it outdoors just a tad more comfortable.
Wrangler Unlimited is the only four-door convertible currently on the market and its standard Sunrider soft top has a clever sunroof feature, in addition to a full top-down position. Classic Jeep features include its round headlights, a flat fold-down windshield, exposed door hinges and doors that are easy to remove and available in both full or half frame.
An optional Jeep Freedom Top is a three-piece modular hardtop, which fits over a retracted soft top. In addition to providing a higher level of security, it has three removable panels. There are two Targa-like removable roof panels up front and a larger panel over the rear seats.
Wrangler Unlimited originally came with a torque-rich 3.8-litre V6 coupled either to a six-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. It's not a light vehicle and tips the scales at a robust 1896 kg (4180 lb), so gas consumption is also heavy.
Expect gas consumption at 15.6/11.8 L/100 km (city/highway – new five-cycle rating) with the automatic transmission. So, to provide its wilderness-wandering customers the extended driving range they expect, Jeep fits an Unlimited with an extra large (85-litre) gas tank.
The base Sport and Sahara trim levels came with a second-generation Command-Trac part-time four-wheel-drive, with a two-speed transfer case and a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio. A Trac-Lok limited-slip rear differential was optional.
Aimed at serious out-door enthusiasts, the Rubicon edition is probably more Jeep than most buyers need. This off-road-ready machine comes with beefier suspension and steering components, protective skid plates, a roll cage and higher ground clearance. It also has an Off-Road Rock-Trac two-speed transfer case, a 4.0:1 low-range gear ratio, electric front- and rear-axle lockers and an electronic sway bar disconnect.
The 2012 Wrangler Unlimited got a new 3.6 litre V6 engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission. Power output and fuel economy, however, are both roughly the same as the 3.8 litre V6 / four-speed automatic combo they replaced. No significant changes were made to Wrangler Unlimited for its 2013 or 2014 model years.
A champion of the un-paved path, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited allows owners to pack more gear and share their outdoor adventure.
Price Check: 2011 – 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (April 2015)
Year Edition Expect to Pay Today
2011 Sahara $24,000 to $28,000
Prices vary depending on a used vehicle's condition, mileage, usage and history. A complete mechanical check should always be performed by a reliable auto technician prior to purchase.
Safety Recalls: 2011 to 2014 Jeep Wrangler:
2011 – 2013: An electrical connector within the door may corrode and potentially result in an electrical short, on vehicles equipped with power heated mirrors. Dealers will modify electrical wiring and install a water shield.
2012 /2013: The power steering return line may wear against the automatic transmission oil cooler line, causing a transmission fluid leak. Dealers will either add a protective sleeve or replace the transmission line.
2011: A missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet may not perform as intended in a crash and increase the risk of personal injury. Dealers will inspect for steering column rivet presence and alignment, and repair as required.
2010 / 2011: Fastener torque for various front and rear axle attachments may degrade over time, due to variability in the axle painting process. This could result in noise or cause a degradation in the vehicle's steering and handling characteristics. Dealers will re-torque nineteen fasteners to specifications.
Contact: bob [dot] mchugh [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca
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Cap sur les bons cours avec la catégorie Base de donnees de Misfu! SQL* Plus Instant Client is a standalone product with all the functionality of SQL* Plus command- line. Pour arriver ici rien de plus simple les internautes en quête des meilleurs cours Base de donnees ont recherché par exemple Manuel complet sur Oracle. Il est grand temps d' apprendre, le tout gratuitement! 82/ 83 E SQL* Plus Instant Client. Sqlplus tutorial free. It connects to existing remote Oracle databases, but does not include its own database.
Oracle sql plus free download - SQL Plus Master - Oracle DBMS Tutorial, SQL Assistant for Oracle, SQL PathFinder for Oracle, and many more programs. SQL* Plus est un outil en ligne de commande permettant de se connecter à une base de données Oracle afin d' y exécuter des ordres SQL ou des procédures PL/ nnect to Oracle Database Server using SQL Developer SQL Developer is a free GUI tool for working with SQL in Oracle Databases.
Like the SQL* Plus program, SQL Developer is installed automatically when you install the Oracle Database Server or Client. Oracle tutorial: How to connect oracle database using sqlplus command line sqlplus tools to connect to oracle database In this tutorial you can see using SQL.
Orange Box Ceo 763, 912 views. oracle sql plus 8 0 free download - SQL Plus Master - Oracle DBMS Tutorial, Oracle SQL Certification ( 1Z0- 071) Flashcards, Oracle SQL Exam ( 1Z0- 071) Flashcards Premium, and many more programs.
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PL/ SQL i About the Tutorial PL/ SQL is a combination of SQL along with the procedural features of programming languages. It was developed by Oracle Corporation in the early 90' s to enhance the.


Heathcote Williams is an English poet, actor, magician and dramatist possibly best known Whale Nation which was published in 1988. Earlier this year I went to the Old Red Lion to see a revival of Heathcote's first play The Local Stigmatic(which Al Pacino made into a film in 1990). His latest work 'Brexit Boris: From Mayor to Nightmare' has just been published by Public Reading Rooms. It's fully illustrated by Steve Bell, Gerald Scarfe, Ralph Steadman, Andy Davey, Peter Brookes, Dave Brown, and Martin Rowson.
Harry Pye: Do you believe there is a perfect level of fame a writer or artist can achieve?
As an actor you appeared in Wish You Were Here, Friends, Basic Instinct 2 and Derek Jarman films – do you tell your agent you'll consider everything and do you have a dream role?
Was Harold Pinter a close friend of yours / what is your favourite Pinter play and why?
In the John Dowie Without Walls documentary on you (which can be found on You Tube), Harold Pinter talks about your work coming from your compassion for the weak and your violent contempt for the way people are manipulated – does that sound about right?
Are there any contemporary writers that inspire or excite you?
How did you get involved with the re-launch of International Times?
Did you go and see the recent revival of Local Stigmatic – is it a work you are proud of?
I love Sacred Elephant I've read it several times and it never fails to move me. Can you list any poems that have had a powerful impact on you – is there a poem that ever moved you to tears?
Did Boris respond to your book on him/do you think he has read it?
What are the good things about Trump – does he have a nice side we don't hear about?
Of all the different illustrators involved in your book, do you have a personal favourite?
This entry was posted on 1 September, 2016 in homepage and tagged Al Pacino, Andy Davey, Basic Instinct 2, Bob Bassara, Boris Johnson, Brexit Boris: From Mayor to Nightmare, Charles Causley, Chris Hedges, Cold Turkey Press, Dave Brown, Derek Jarman, Donald Pleasance, Donald Trump, Elena Caldera, friends, Gerald Scarfe, Gonzo Today, Harld Pinter, Harry Pye, Heathcote Williams, Hillary Clinton, international times, Jeremy Scahill, John Pilger, Martin Rowson, Mike Lesser, Peter Brookes, Ralph Steadman, Rebel Magazine, Siara Viola, Steve Bell, The Local Stigmatic, Wish You Were Here. Bookmark the permalink.


Family Counseling - Help For Police - Psychological Consulting Associates, Inc.
The support and foundation of family is the most important resource for people experiencing psychological pain. Unfortunately, during times of stress family members suffer silently while anger and resentments build. Our goal is to provide support services to all members of police and public safety families. Most people think that extramarital affairs or financial problems are the leading cause of divorce. It is built up resentments that cause most couples to divorce.


I bought this crop top so long ago but have been waiting to wear it in a good enough outfit to take blog photos for (anyone else do this?! Haha). I've seen so many 'dupes' of this crop top but in my opinion, none look as nice as the original Topshop version.This fits me really well and I love the thin straps which give it a classy and elegant look. To keep with the outfit but keep everything simple and minimalistic, I paired the top with this beautiful Jacquard New Look skirt. I've been searching for a perfect White skirt for ages, and it took me longer than expected to find this little gem. When it comes to bags, I always turn to Zara and so this clutch came inside another bag which I bought both for £40, kind of a bargain if I do say so myself!


From Simon et al. (2015), "First results from the Hubble OPAL program: Jupiter in 2015"
The red line is from Simon-Miller & Gierasch (2010); the blue line from Porco et al. (2003); and the black line from Simon et al. (2015). The three wind profiles match at most latitudes; small differences are often associated with features (such as storms and disturbances) that have different velocities from the general winds.


The next two years must see major progress towards the low carbon, sustainable development model which offers the only realistic path to security and well-being for all people. The Paris Climate Change Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, universally agreed under the United Nations, stand as the international community's momentous commitment to turn humanity back from the cliff-edge of extreme climate change and environmental collapse. The challenge is like none that we have seen before, because it encompasses everybody in every nation, and demands that all work together towards the common goal.
If this reads partly like an extract from the founding principles of the Commonwealth, it is meant to do so and reflects the strong lead that the Commonwealth has continued to take in pressing for the full implementation of both agreements.
Tipping points – action now or wait until too late?


Over the years, India's top women's doubles player Ashwini Ponnappa has benefitted from international doubles stars like Robert Blair, 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist in mixed doubles and Denmark's Joachim Fischer Nielsen – who had won bronze at the London Olympics and the World Championships (2009 and 2014) in the mixed event – as they bestow refreshingly flexible ideas on the court. Teammates at Bengaluru Topguns in the 2016 Premier Badminton League (PBL) edition, the Indian shuttler partnered the duo and learned some of the critical tricks of the trade, which in return, sharpened her net play.
"It's funny because this is the second time I'll be playing with one of Christinna Pedersen's partners. She's an exceptional mixed doubles player and has done extremely well. Having Christensen in the team will only help me learn more on the court. I have played against him and Pedersen and now I'll be playing with him now, so I get to learn a lot. I definitely want to get to that level and beat some of the top-ranked players. Having a player of that caliber is a boost for me," Ponnappa told Firstpost.
A highly reputed doubles player, the Warriors have a utility player in Christiansen. Adept in playing both mixed doubles and men's doubles, the Dane seems to be a crucial addition to the doubles department. The 24-year-old Christiansen won the India Open mixed doubles title with partner Pedersen in New Delhi earlier this year, before making a semi-finals appearance at the All England Open in Birmingham. The Dane also finished runner-up at the European Championships.
The 29-year-old Ponnappa admitted that Fischer's insights have stayed with her till now and she expects a similar outcome when she takes the court with yet another Danish partner. "I'm a learner. I love learning. It's nice that I'll be able to communicate with him. It's easier to play with someone whom you can communicate with as opposed to you could be playing with the best in the world who is a Chinese but communication becomes difficult. So, I know that I'll get some good matches," she said.
Meanwhile, doubles badminton in India has garnered notable results in a space of two years with Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Sikki Reddy proving their worth on the international circuit. However, Ashwini believes that the doubles discipline still lacks awareness.
"Women's doubles needs a lot of awareness. For example, you don't have women's doubles format in the PBL. Hence, we need to do something. This is just the start. You need to motivate them. How do you expect results if you don't even consider for an event? PBL is great, but unfortunately not all the girls can be a part of the tournament because there's only one spot for a doubles player. So, you don't get the opportunity to play," said the Commonwealth Games medallist.
The fourth edition of the PBL begins from 22 December at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai.


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Joseph Goebbels: The Biography (paperback)
Author(s): Curt Riess
The best biography ever written about the sex-driven propaganda genius who became an evil mechanic for the Third Reich.
Coming generations will ask themselves how it was possible that millions of people, victims of an artificially-induced enthusiasm, could be moved to do the very things which led to their own ruin. The answer could be given in hundreds of thousands of words, but, if it were expressed in one word alone, that word would be: Goebbels.
Curt Riess, a Jewish Berliner who fled Germany upon Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in 1933, considered Goebbels to be 'the most outstanding man of the Nazi regime, not even barring Hitler himself'. Without Goebbels' genius for organisation and propaganda, Nazism could never have amassed the support it needed to gain and keep power in Germany.
From provincial obscurity, Goebbels scurried through the Nazi ranks to become one of the most dominant and trusted members of Hitler's inner circle. His career was marked by formidable powers of administration, his ruthless hatred of the Jews, his resourcefulness in promoting Nazi ideals, and his inflexible devotion to the Führer, asserted in his final morbid gesture of propaganda: the sacrifice of his wife, six children, and himself in Hitler's bunker in 1945.
Riess' biography was first published in 1949, and benefitted greatly from the discovery of Goebbels' diaries in 1946. It explores the many fascinating and pertinent aspects of Goebbels' character: the insecurities brought on by his diminutive stature; his rejection by his family; his consuming jealousy of his rivals; and his obsession with sex. It remains one of the most authoritative biographies of the man whose manipulative genius steered the German nation to ruin.
PUBLICATION DATE 15 April 2015
Curt Riess, (1903-1993), was a Jewish refugee who fled from Nazi Germany for the USA in 1936. He was a notable journalist and author and returned as an American war correspondent to record the demise of Hitler's Third Reich. Comfortable in English and German, he became a prolific trans-Atlantic author in both languages, producing a stream of newspaper and magazine articles, novels, biographies, screenplays and plays. A former Berlin journalist, Curt Riess drew attention in the United States in the 1930's and during World War II with his books and widely syndicated reporting about Hitler's Germany. His book The Nazis Go Underground (also to be published by Fonthill) described German espionage and what designs Hitler's associates might have for overseas after a defeat.
The Nazis Go Underground
In 1943 Nazis prepared to go underground. The idea was to create a network to plan for World War III.
Total Espionage: Germany's Information and Disinformation Apparatus 1932-40
It isn't done with Mirrors - the Nazi state's total mobilization of resources to gather information.
Joseph Goebbels: The Biography (hardback)
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text:
Edonis est un genre d'insectes de la famille des Libellulidae appartenant au sous-ordre des anisoptères dans l'ordre des odonates. Il ne comprend qu'une seule espèce Edonis helena. On l'a retrouvé du nord du Brésil jusqu'au sud de l'Argentine.

Description de l'espèce
Edonis helena est une petite libellule qui mesure entre 29,3 à  de long. La base des ailes postérieures possèdent une large tache orangée.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Genre d'Odonates (nom scientifique)
Libellulidae


text:
Twelve photographers from four continents on Prix Pictet "Power" shortlist
Carl De Keyzer Moments 9 HR, England, 2009, England. Moments Before the Flood. Digital print. © Carl De Keyzer, Prix Pictet Ltd.
ARLES.- The names of the twelve photographers, whose outstanding portfolios on the theme of Power have been shortlisted for the fourth Prix Pictet, were announced this evening in the opening week of the global photography festival, Les Rencontres d'Arles.
The twelve artists shortlisted for the fourth cycle of the Prix Pictet, the world's leading prize in photography and sustainability, will now prepare their work for the finalists' exhibition to be held at the Saatchi Gallery in London in October. The exhibition will run from 10 – 28 October 2012.
The Shortlist is drawn from ten countries on four continents: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.
• Robert Adams (United States, 1937)
Nominated for series: Turning Back, 1999
• Daniel Beltrá (Spain/United States, 1964)
Nominated for series: Spill, 2010
• Mohamed Bourouissa (Algeria/France, 1978)
Nominated for series: Périphérique, 2006
• Philippe Chancel (France, 1959)
Nominated for series: Fukushima: The Irresistible Power of Nature, 2011
• Edmund Clark (UK, 1963)
Nominated for series: Guantanamo: If the Light Goes Out, 2009
• Carl De Keyzer (Belgium, 1958)
Nominated for series: Moments Before the Flood, 2009-2011
• Luc Delahaye (France, 1962)
Nominated for various works: 2008-2011
• Rena Effendi (Azerbaijan, 1977)
Nominated for series: Still Life in the Zone, 2010
• Jacqueline Hassink (Netherlands, 1966)
Nominated for series: Arab Domains, 2005-2006
• An-My Lê (United States/Vietnam, 1961)
Nominated for series: 29 Palms, 2003-2004
• Joel Sternfeld (United States, 1944)
Nominated for series: When It Changed, 2007
• Guy Tillim (South Africa, 1962)
Nominated for series: Congo Democratic, 1997-2006
The winner of the fourth Prix Pictet will be announced by Kofi Annan, Honorary President of the Prix Pictet, on Tuesday 9 October, at the opening of the finalists exhibition of the shortlisted works at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
The mandate of the Prix Pictet is to use the power of photography to raise public awareness worldwide to the social and environmental challenges of the new millennium. Launched in 2008 by the Geneva-based private bank Pictet & Cie, the Prix Pictet has rapidly established itself as one of the world's leading photography prizes.
The Prix Pictet has two elements: a prize of CHF 100,000 awarded to the photographer who, in the opinion of the independent jury, has produced a series of work that addresses most powerfully the theme of the award; and the Commission, awarded by the Partners of Pictet & Cie, in which a nominated photographer is invited to undertake a field trip to a region where the Bank is supporting a sustainability project.
Each year the award is centred on a distinct theme. The fourth theme of the Prix Pictet is Power, a theme with enormous breadth, embracing contradiction and paradox in equal measure that has uncovered images and issues that are both awe-inspiring and disturbing.
Professor Sir David King, Chairman of the Prix Pictet Jury, commenting on the Shortlist, said today:
First, I would like to congratulate all the shortlisted artists. But I would also like to thank all of the nominated artists who submitted their work for this cycle of the Prix Pictet. The quality of the material under review made the judging process an immensely challenging but richly rewarding experience. It is a measure of the volume and variety of first-rate photography offered to our judges that we took a considerable time to arrive at the shortlist. Inevitably there are a great many images and compelling sustainability stories that we have not been able to include on the shortlist. When the overall quality of the submissions is considered, the achievement of the twelve shortlisted artists is all the more remarkable.'
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For almost two years, Jones Abiri has not been seen nor heard from. Married with a wife and five children, Jones would have celebrated his 50th birthday on June 4 this year. Jones was a 300 Level student aspiring for his first degree in Law from the National Open University of Nigeria.
In tears, 80-year-old Mama Abiri undressed. Before strangers, family, and friends alike, Mama clasped her frail breasts, and cried inconsolably, naked. With emotions only a mother could express, Mama cried in the native Ijaw language of the Niger Delta creeks. Mama was calling on Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari, to feel her pain and hear her plea.
Now, Jones remains in a state of forced disappearance as the State Security Service, Nigeria's secret police, has detained him for over 700 days without trial, and without access to his family, lawyers, and doctors. Under international human rights law, a person is a victim of (en)forced disappearance if detained by state authorities or a third party with the authorisation of the state, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's whereabouts and condition in a bid to deny the victim the protection of the law.
John Angese, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Bayelsa State, in an interview March 2018, recalled how at gunpoint the SSS threatened everyone, including journalists, not to cross a parameter line. The SSS spent hours searching Jones office before carting away his computer and documents, sealing his office, and taking him handcuffed into custody.
Two days after his arrest, the SSS on 23 July 2016 released a statement alleging Jones is a militant named General Akotebe Darikoro, operating under the nom-de-guerre 'General Kill and Bury', the leader of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, "which has been furthering separatist tendencies in connivance with other criminal gangs in the Niger Delta region".
Weekly Source, a local tabloid which operated by mostly sourcing and publishing critical stories of the government culled from online and national newspapers, had in its last edition dated 10 July 2016 published as its lead a story originally published by the online pointblanknews.com titled 'Rumble In The Military: Inside The Coup Plot Story... Militants' Warning Alters Plot'. The story elaborated an alleged conspiracy that top military officers working with politicians had approached the JNDLF militant group to intensify bombing pipelines as a justification to overthrow President Buhari. The military denied the allegations.
Weekly Source in the same edition published another story sourced from pointblanknews.com on how President Buhari's loyalists, including the director general of the SSS, were blocking investigations into an oil and gas company implicated by the anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in syphoning billions of dollars in fraudulent oil deals. The story claimed that the company donated heavily towards President Buhari's 2015 presidential campaign through the loyalists.
Jackson Ude, the publisher of pointblanknews.com based in the U.S., in an interview in 2016, said he had received threats, from proxies of the SSS, asking him to pull down stories from his website which local based journalists like Jones were re-publishing in their newspapers and tabloids. He said he had been warned of possible arrest whenever he came to Nigeria.
In August 2016, Jones family filed a fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit against the SSS asking the Bayelsa State High Court to declare Jones arrest and continued detention without trial unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void, and order the SSS to release Jones on bail, and direct the SSS to open Weekly Source newspaper's office.
On 7 September 2016, Bayelsa State high court judge Nayai Aganaba ordered the SSS to reopen Weekly Source newspaper's office but ruled that the SSS arrest and continued detention of Jones, then almost two months, was lawful. The ruling effectively gave legal backing for the SSS to continue detaining Jones without charge for almost two years and without access to his family, lawyers and doctors.
It is almost two years and Jones, a husband, father of five children, and breadwinner for his family including an 80-year-old mother and several siblings, has not been charged to court. In the past two years, the SSS has rebuffed all efforts by Jones' family, lawyers, journalists and civil society actors to get any information on Jones.
In the past two years, Jones' family relocated from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, to the village in the Southern Ijaw local government creeks where they barely survive on petty farming and handouts. In the past two years, Jones' children also dropped out and have not gone back to school due to the family's inability to pay school fees. In the past two years, Jones' younger brother, Ebikesayi Abiri, died from fire burns he sustained in 2017 after he involved himself for the first time in illegal oil bunkering which his family said was in a bid to raise money to pay among other things legal costs and other bills associated with getting Jones released. Ebikesayi left behind a widow and two children, one of whom was born the same day he died.
Curiously, in the past two years, the SSS and Nigerian authorities have also kept hidden from the public and refused to act on vital information relating to members and financiers of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force militant group, according to Jones' alleged confessional statement dated 21 July 2016 in court records.
Felix Tuodolo is presently the Special Adviser on Ijaw national affairs to Henry Seriake Dickson, the governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa State. Tuodolo, a former state commissioner, is well-known as a human rights activist and the founding president of the influential Ijaw Youth Council which was set up at the twilight of Nigeria military dictatorship to coordinate the Ijaw people struggle for self-determination and greater control of vast oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta region.
Jones in his alleged confessional statement mentioned Mr Sele Dise, Mr Ebi John, Justice Tare and Ebi-Ladei as other members of the JNDLF militant group. Independent findings during this investigation, including obtaining communication exchanges between Jones and an individual believed to be Sele Dise, reveal both had been friends prior to Jones' arrest in July 2016.
"Sometime February this year 2016, Mr Sele Dise came to my office with the idea that let us form the organisation. I don't know what they [other members] do for a living but I know Sele is a 200 Level student of Public Administration in Niger Delta University [Bayelsa State]," the statement read.
"The way the SSS operates now is we can't ask for information and get it. There is no spokesperson, no one to make enquiries on behalf of the public who we are reporting for. No one to hold accountable. It is serious. Even in court, many of the cases, they disturb us from covering," said one journalist during an informal chat during this investigation.
Comrade (name withheld), a Niger Delta Ijaw activist whose identity is being protected for his safety, said he met Jones in SSS custody while detained for nearly two years on allegations of being a militant. Comrade said that before his release in 2017 he was detained with over 50 Ijaw and Niger Delta youth, numerous Boko Haram suspects and members of the IPOB secessionist group, who were all routinely tortured at the SSS Headquarters in Nigeria's capital Abuja.
"We were all together for over one year so we knew ourselves. I was in New Depot detention facility while Jones was in Old Depot. I remember one particular day Jones was shouting 'They wan go beat me again. They wan go beat me again'. It pained me so much I cried," Comrade said.
Early 2016, the newly sworn-in government of President Buhari declared an influential ex-Niger Delta militant commander wanted, froze his bank accounts, and began an unsuccessful manhunt for the former warlord after he refused to appear before a court to answer corruption charges over contracts obtained from the previous government of President Goodluck Jonathan. His supporters alleged a ploy by the government to arrest and indefinitely detain the former warlord seen by many as a very influential folk hero in the Niger Delta. They cited with examples several ongoing cases where the SSS continues to refuse to obey Nigerian and international court orders granting the release on bail to several high-profile suspects in SSS custody. Militant groups responded to the government's clamp down with renewed bombings of oil installations. Security agencies, in an unsuccessful bid to flush him out, arrested scores of Niger Delta activists and youth perceived as sympathetic to the former militant leader.
Comrade said Jones told him he was set up by powerful people who capitalised on the government's clamp down in the Niger Delta to punish him for publishing a story that exposed how their company, which was a local contractor to Agip [international oil company], failed to fulfil its corporate social responsibility to oil-producing host communities.
In the past three years since President Buhari appointed Lawal Daura, his kinsman from Katsina State, as SSS director general, the agency's mode of operations has been reminiscent of past Nigerian military dictatorships, which created the organisation and deployed it with impunity to intimidate, indefinitely detain without charge, and habitually torture individuals, including journalists, activists, and political figures, deemed critical of the military government.
Under Buhari's rule as military Head of State in the 80s, the SSS, then known as the National Security Organisation, became an agency of repression and a crack violator of human rights. Buhari promulgated and implemented several laws including Decree 2 which granted the SSS arbitrary powers to indefinitely detain any person without charges, and Decree 4 which provided imprisonment to any person who published any information deemed false or ridiculed his government.
Yet, in the past three years, the SSS has been discredited for operating with utmost secrecy, crass impunity, and total disregard for the rule of law, including serially disobeying court orders and violating federal laws in lopsided recruitments to favour President Buhari's kinsmen.
Jones ordeal as a persecuted journalist represents possibly hundreds of people detained and tortured across all the offices of the SSS in Nigeria's 36 States and the federal capital Abuja. Falana, in an interview June 2018, said Nigeria's terrorism law is been abused by the SSS to violate Jones and other citizens' rights to personal liberty and fair hearing in a competent court within a reasonable time.
A global advocacy effort from the media, Nigerian and international human rights defenders, civil society, and social impact groups calling for Jones' release is mounting. The Ondewari Health, Education and Environmental Project, a civil society group working in the Niger Delta creeks, took the lead in March 2018 by gathering signatures from several Ijaw communities which was sent to local and international human rights organisations as an appeal calling on the international community to intervene in Jones plight.
On a visit into Bayelsa State's creeks, several youth and elders from different Ijaw communities refuted the government's allegation that Jones is a militant. In a show of solidarity with the Abiri family, community members gathered to sign OHEEP's petition as a single voice echoing their growing frustration and anger with the government. Resonating loudest among the pleas directed at President Muhammadu Buhari were those of Jones children calling for the release of their father.


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text:
New York Real Estate News
Alexandria Center For Life Science Leases Incubator Space, Plans Bigger Third Tower
New York Office View count:
June 14, 2017 Matthew Rothstein, Bisnow East Coast
Alexandria Center for Life Science
The Alexandria Center for Life Science is pushing the envelope in its quest to bring biotechnology and related industries to New York.
The center has two towers overlooking FDR Drive on the East Side — the 310K SF East Tower and the 420K SF West Tower, both of which are nearly fully occupied with pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly and Roche. A year ago, Alexandria Real Estate Equities carved out 15K SF for an incubator called LaunchLabs, and now it has leased about half of that space, Crain's New York reports.
The 13 tenants are startups birthed from local academic institutions like New York University, Columbia and the New York Genome Center, picked from a long list of applicants (due to the dearth of incubator space in the city) for their long-term potential to succeed and to work with the larger tenants in the complex. Alexandria has promised millions of venture capital dollars for worthy tenants.
Alexandria Real Estate is betting adding nascent biotech companies to a tenant mix with established, international firms will help fuel further growth, because the developer is attempting to add height to its proposal for a third tower, originally planned for 420K SF on East 29th St. Negotiations with the city are underway.
Related Topics: Alexandria Center for Life Science, Eli Lilly, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Roche
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