London home prices are already tanking, as demand sags.
The symbiotic sectors of construction and real estate have been a vital engine of economic growth in the United Kingdom for decades, but that could be about to come to an end. In the words of Paul Smith, the chief executive of the UK's largest independent lettings and real estate agency, Haart, "unaffordability in the UK's property market is now reaching crisis point." If drastic measures are not taken to tame prices, the UK could lose its place as a property owning democracy, he warns.
The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the average cost of a home jumped by £10,000 in June from a year earlier, to £223,000. In the last eight years prices have surged by almost 50%. Its National House Price Index is now 18% higher than during the peak of the prior housing bubble (September 2007). This chart is for the UK overall. But home prices in London have now turned the other way.
Demand is already sagging. In the first six months of 2017 alone, first-time buyer registrations dropped by almost 20% across Haart branches. It seems that a trend that began in London is now going nationwide.
For well over a decade soaring property prices have priced most Londoners out of the market. The number of homeowners in London in the 25 to 29 age bracket has dropped more than 50% since 1990. Foreign buyers have virtually cornered the market, acquiring as much as three-quarters of all new-build housing in the capital in recent years.
But even foreign buyers have begun to pull back from London's property market. In April this year values in the prime central London market were already 13% below their 2014 peak, according to Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills. Latest figures from the ONS suggest that things may be even worse, as average property prices in London plunged 20% in the first six months of 2017, making it the worst performing region across the country.
Now, property prices beyond London's gilded streets appear to be catching up with the trend. According to the UK's biggest estate agency group, Countrywide, prices will rise just 1.5% across the UK as a whole in 2017, down from 5% in 2016. Growth is expected to slow in areas such as the north of England, the Midlands, London and the south.
The main factors driving this trend include changes to UK stamp duty as well as international buyers' increased exposure to capital gains tax and inheritance tax, leading to more reluctance in taking advantage of the weaker sterling. A recent survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found house price indicators at their weakest point since 2013.
There is a silver lining for the sector, though: the new builds market which, underpinned by low borrowing rates and lavish government subsidies, continues to grow at a fair clip. But even here, the shadows are looming.
The practice of selling homes with a leasehold and the government's Help-to-Buy scheme, by which taxpayers help developers sell new-build homes to first-time buyers, are both under the spotlight. But fallout from the UK's leasehold scandal is beginning to take a financial toll on some of the companies most implicated in it.
In the second half of the 20th century, most houses in the UK were built as freeholds, whereby a buyer would take ownership of the home itself as well as the land it sits on. Then, at the turn of the century, developers and landlords identified a lucrative new revenue stream: selling houses and flats under leasehold agreements, then selling the freeholds to the land to other investors, who can earn up to 10% of the purchase price annually.
It was a good deal for all involved, until the homeowners and the wider British public began realizing just how abusive the scheme has become. The average charge now stands at £371 a year on new-builds and £327 on other properties, according to research by Direct Line for Business. Sometimes it can be a lot higher.
As many as 100,000 UK households are now trapped in unsellable leasehold properties with sharply escalating ground rents. In recent weeks, the UK's biggest selling tabloid newspaper, The Sun, joined the backlash, attacking the "fat-cat" CEOs of builders that have racked up huge profits by selling freeholds on new houses to investment firms without properly informing the new homeowners. Many of the senior executives are living in substantial houses built by the companies they manage — all of them freehold!
In the face of growing public pressure, the UK government has vowed that it will outlaw leaseholds on new-build houses while drastically restricting ground rents for apartments to a "peppercorn" value, thus wiping out their financial appeal for speculative buyers. Even before that happens, lenders such as Nationwide and Santander have already announced they are not going to lend on "toxic" leasehold properties. Others, such as Barclays, will not lend on leasehold houses at all.
If the government follows through on its pledge to outlaw leaseholds, without leaving a trail of gaping loopholes for developers and investors to exploit as it did in a 1987 law ostensibly aimed at protecting homeowner, developers and investors are almost certain to lose an important source of revenue, just at a time that the UK's property market is showing signs of strain.
Sliding prices are good news for aspiring homeowners that might eventually get the chance they've been waiting for to buy their first house. But for the UK economy, which has grown both rich and dependent on the false promise of ever-rising house prices fueled by ever-larger amounts of debt, the current trends are most definitely not its friend. By Don Quijones.
Don't be fooled, other than in Switzerland and Monaco there is affordable housing in literally *EVERY* Western economy.
Sure, you ability to "LIKE OMFG WALK TO DA' BARS 'ND DA' KLUBS" will be materially limited, but if you don't mind plopping your behind in a car seat for an hour there and an hour back a day — you can live in a commutable distance to most major cities for little denaro.
2) Ahh … sorry Hans but … in major western cities such as SF NYC London Paris DC Berlin etc the truth is you'd damn well better be willing to accept the fact that you'll be living dead center in the middle of a crime zone with little if any adequate police protection in order to find affordable housing .
But commute costs go up, and you spend more of your short life on poor quality UK roads.
Many outlying areas were cheap, but even an hour out are now more expensive all in.
The only 'cheap' houses left are horrible and likely to become completely worthless in a proper price correction.
I look forward to normalcy returning.
Land values and builder overheads (or stupendous profit margin) aside, homes should be cheap as chips.
If you've built a house and seen what actually goes into one, especially a contemporary new build (even £500,000 examples in the North) you'd think they're at best 'worth' £100,000.
Someone somewhere is making a killing!
You are not spanish, that is for sure.
You clearly don't live in the Bay Area. A one-hour commute (one way) by car into central San Francisco during rush hour means that you still live pretty close – and likely in a still expensive area.
50 kliks from Sydney(Penrith) the median house price is $710 thousand.
Similar situation even in Perth, WA. But the silver lining is the rent. I'm in a house ostensibly worth $900K and I'm paying $500pw. That's a 2.9% gross yield to the owner. Throw on rates, property management fees, repairs, periods vacant. Then there's the capital depreciation as prices fall here. Renting can be a real short-medium term winner.
But, my dear Ambrose, how may one put it?…….. the neighbours!
Oh, the neighbours are now in London, Berlin, or around Vancouver, and Toronto.
Question is in this age of cognitive distortion and magical thinking .. will it make a damn bit of difference ?
meanwhile in Canada. How is delegating duti es over to sros like iiroc and obsi. Not defacto privatization of investor consumers issues back to the very industries they have filed complaints about?
Coincidentally or not the big five are the majority shareholders of eac others companies….
The total infeasibility for the vast majority of people of owning their own home, unless it's a rabbit hutch, or is located in the middle of sh*tsville (or both), allied to the lack of decent jobs, plus the permanent neurosis attached to having any job, is what's causing people to slide down the slippery slope of mental illness, at the end of which ugly things happen to them, and they do ugly things to other people.
Just good ol' fashioned usury TBH. One of the features of decadence is saturation of a populace with debt.
It used to be reigned in by regulation but that was swept away in the 80s miracle of the big bang and the releasing of the 'animal spirits' in the name of (avert your eyes and genuflect) economic growth.
Of course this miracle of the magic credit money tree meant that politicians came to believe that it's no longer necessary to design, produce and export goods to build wealth.
A falsehood which is going to cost dear in the very near future.
Best tell your kids to learn Mandarin – they're going to need it when the Chinese outsource their low-pay, low-skill jobs to us.
So is the City of London dispersing? I mean a lot of money is going to leave the country if that happens.
Which central bank asset bubble will be the first to crater, and which will implode in the most spectacular fashion?
Britain: The first but not the most spectacular.
Maybe having to raise interest rates to protect the Pound.
UK has twice the population density of China which may be surprising to some. Scotland, about 1/3 of UK territory, has a population of only over five million. Sure, geography plays a role, but still. The population also continues climb rapidly due to well known factors. Sadly, you can discuss cannibalism more openly in a polite society than population control.
I'm always surprised at how fast I get shutdown by people online when I suggest over-population is the root cause to whatever issue is being discussed like pollution, warming, environmental destruction, poverty, etc. etc. What's their game plan? Wait till we hit 12 Billion and THEN address the issue? Madness.
Hear, Hear! Western citizens may not reproducing like animals anymore, but plenty of places in the world are still reproducing like animals, and these very people come to Western countries and reproduce like animals, and thus more than compensate for lack of birth rates in Western countries.
All countries should be given a quota for reproduction; if they go over that reproduction quota, impose gradually harsher sanctions on them. Do that and see how many of these governments get their acts together and stop their people from reproducing like animals.
I don't call it madness; I call it Gaussian or bell curve of intelligence distribution. A lot of things make more sense if you look at it that way.
The population growth in the UK is also mostly in the lowest social strata, people who will never be capable of earning much in an advanced economy.
These groups reproduce at will, whereas others now ponder deeply as to whether they can afford one child.
All good for those who require semi-skilled labour for dumb poorly-paid jobs.
Lots of cheap housing in Japan away from the big cities.
You can buy a nice house on 1/4 acre block for around $250,000 an hour to an hour 1/2 from Tokyo. And you can bet that the trains there will run on time.
Even much cheaper if you go to other parts of the country.
Kyushu is really cheap especially for land.
Big cities in Japan are ridiculous and even there condos are high priced.
Condos in resort areas vary and can run from really, really cheap to ridiculous as in the big cities.
I was looking at a really nice 100 sq meter condo in a high rise in a famous resort area and the cost was very reasonable – about US$80,000, but the monthly condo and sinking fund fees were way too high. You also have to worry about high repair bills as the condo ages for unexpected repairs.
Other resort areas have condos as low as US$10,000 for a small condo!!!
IMO that is the next crisis in Japan: high fees for condos. When owners die and the heirs don't want the condos and refuse to pay the fees the building will have big trouble.
The above US$80,000 condo had a monthly common/management fee of around US$500, sinking fund fee of around US$250, water use fee of about $US40 and an 'onsen' fee of around the same.
Plus you never know who your neighbours are and all the other problems with living in a condo.
RE taxes in Japan are a 'mystery' most of the time as well. IIRC the taxes are based on when the house /condo is built and rarely go down even if the price of the dwelling has fallen. So if the dwelling you are interested in was built during the bubble and had a high initial price your RE taxes will be quite high.
IMO houses are a better buy.
Thank you for your post. I've always wondered why housing in Japan has not exploded upwards with interest rates being at zero.
My internet searches have suggested that the Japanese like outsiders to visit, but not 'reside'. Given that the population growth in Japan is stagnant, any purchase from an investment perspective would be nill given the 'apparent' , no doubt very polite, dismissive attitude toward new foreign investment.
Commercial RE in Japan in the big cities including hotels, office buildings, and such have been big winners over the recent past. One reason is the huge influx of tourists to Japan.
New or almost new condos in certain parts of Tokyo have gone up as well.
Other big cities – I'm not sure. Nagoya, for example has a a large number of expensive condos built in huge high rises over the past ten years or so, but I have no idea what the after sale pricing has been like and not interested in finding out.
IIRC between 15 to 20% of houses in Japan are vacant, yet they build around 1 million new houses/dwellings a year!!
As for the reason why housing is dead outside of the big cities is as you state: Japan is dying. There is also a big problem with heirs not wanting property as the houses are in bad shape and the plot is small or the property is located away from big urban areas.
In regards to 'abandoned' property there is something like 4.1 million hectares of land with unknown owners now in the country.
Finally, as I have posted before, out of the big cities RE is cheap and in fact cheaper to buy than rent. If you buy in a regional city within good commuting distance of a bigger city you probably won't make any money, but you will be able to sell the place when you 'leave' for whatever reason. Better than throwing you money away on rent and all the problems with renting in Japan.
You would want to avoid areas that are dying which can be found as easily as looking at the Japanese language Wikipedia site for the train station in that area and seeing how the number of people using the train has changed over the past thirty years.
I remember looking at some places data and the number of people using that station have gone from 1500 a day to around 300 a day over that time period. A place like that is dying and will soon be gone.
So here is another "Brexit did it." for the UK. Doesn't change the fact that the Euro zone is a slow sinking ship and long term, leaving it is likely to favor the UK. Just not in the next few years, maybe not in the next decade and a half. But when Spain and or Italy crash, the UK won't be helping since it won't be part of the European Union.
The Euro currency might be Europe biggest mistake in decades, if Italy and Spain still had their own currencies, they would have a way out their crisis.
It seems that real estate is starting to crack all over the globe. Property prices in China itself is plunging, in Canada is plunging, now London. US and Australia will follow the same path.
Could this have anything to do with the Chinese government crackdown on transferring money out of China? Could it be that the biggest and dumbest gamblers have no funny money to buy anymore?
Wait till the Feds in US keep raising rates and start to unwind their QE at the rate of $50 billion per month; then the show will get really interesting. 3-4 years after they crash the prices, then bankers will come in, and start to purchase the same properties they sold to the public at extremely high prices for pennies on the dollar.
As most people are oing to end up on minimum wage in the UK, it makes sense to buy where property is affordable.
Burnley, Blackburn you can buy a freehold two up two down terrace house for £30,000 ( US$39,000) and easily afford the mortgage on minimum wage doing a 35 hour week if you live realistically.
At £30,000 (US$39,000), you couldn't even buy the materials to build that property let alone the labour for the hosue and the freehold land and utilities put in it. With the UK rapid population increase due to immigrants arriving at 400,000 per year, the muslims breeding at rabbit production rate.
Why people live in London nowadays I'll never know.
A truly overrated city with its crimes and immigration issues.
Time for a house price correction down there…the price of houses in the capital is crazy.
The crime was very much worse in the 1980's and 70's with the muggers.
Now gun and knife crime seem to be rising, but the street mugging stopped when credit cards came in – no cash to steal.
My mother was mugged while pushing me in a pram.
What is terrible now in central London is the over-crowding, it's just insufferable to be on the main streets or the underground.
The only way to move on foot is by the back-streets, which can be quite interesting architecturally.
One also finds empty streets in the uber-wealthy zones, for obvious reasons .
Sadly, it's that "you can't lose…" myth which has been propagated for – well, forever – which sees desperate/greedy people (take your pick) dive into daft arrangements such as leasehold wherein you don't even own the ground the building (sorry – 'property') stands on.
Ironically, therefore – it's never really your 'property' at all.
As for the "it's different – it's London, a global financial center" line, well we'll see how that holds up now there are no quick gains to be made and the foreign speculators stay away.
After all, it wasn't 'different' for Tokyo at the end of the 80s. And a bubble is a bubble is a bubble.
A (wo)man's view of the economic future largely depends on the amount of debt (s)he has, after all.
In the long term, you can't lose on property unless you are a short-term speculator. British house prices always had a slump on an approximately 11 year cycle in the 20th century, the last being in the late 80s/early 90s, but they always rose again. So, if the property you own is solely your residence, price rises and slumps don't really matter unless you find yourself in negative equity and need to move.
The reason that the historical slump didn't occur in the early 2000s was the increasing popularity of Buy to Let lending and it was seen as a fashionable investment. A slump didn't occur until 2008 due to the global crash. The problem is that Buy to Let ate up a great deal of first-time buyer properties, and we are still left with the situation where many cannot afford to buy, yet have cripplingly high rents. Britain is now the 2nd most populated country in Europe thanks to Blair's open door immigration policy, with much of its population in England's lowlands. Yes, Scotland and Wales have much lower population density but if you've ever been there, much is mountainous and not suitable for building. England's construction industry is picking up again but I fear that much of my country will end up being concreted over as there is still too much housing demand.
The Buy to let brigade of landlords have had it too good too long. Low interest rates also have been a big benefit to them when borrowing for mortgages.
The banks haven't helped either with their interest only repayment mortgages which the landlords have lapped up.
Add to the fact a lot of these landlords aren't registered for self assessment taxes then if there was a housing slump in prices I wouldn't be losing any sleep if a few of these went bankrupt.
An example recently Newham Council in London found out 13,500 landlords in that one borough alone weren't registered for taxes.
Good news they've supplied the names to the Inland Revenue so hopefully they will all have to pay backtaxes and interest.
In Newnham they will mostly be Indian Asians – they just love property.
Turks stick to small retail properties for money-laundering: restaurants, barbershops and hairdressers, cafes, small shops.
Well I guess you'll have to put off that action for Australia or at least Melbourne for a while. We had our weekly residential auctions and had a clearance rate of 75%.
True that stamp duty is affecting house price demand, but mortage lending criteria has also been tightened which is ruling out many buyers. Buy to let investors have been hit by taxation changes. Property prices are falling only because the costs involved in buying has risen disproportionately. With buy to let most landlords pay cash so it is not the price of the property that is the issue but the investment benefit.
The bulk of the market in UK is for owner-occupation. There have often been times when demand has fallen or remained static. Currently as I understand there is a shortage of the type of property that buyers want to buy. But since the cost of moving house has risen sellers owning the type of property that is in demand are not interested in selling. No point in wanting to cash in on demand and supply imbalance if should you feel like selling you can't find anything you'd want to buy.
Tough maybe on thisr that would love to get on the housing ladder or would like to trade uo but property ownership is a private sector industry, not an extensionof social services.
In the meantime, thanks to national planning policy, every scrap of undeveloped land in rural towns is getting planning permission for another street of cardboard boxes. Which is adding to local population regardless of local infrastructure.
The main reason for overcrowding in UK is that too many people want to live in towns and cities that lend themselves to overcrowding and suit the sort of people for whom overcrowding is second-nature. As for London, I was born there and lived there until I moved out over 20 years ago. Would't go back. We whites are now in the minority there!
There are many excellent posts here.
The problem of high property prices inevitably creeps throughout most of the country but the greatest distortion is in England, and mainly in the south of England. Kofi Anand thinks we should take more refugees (because some of us are rich) and when the cost of London property is mentioned he says there are plenty of other towns in the United Kingdom. Somebody should have explained to him that when refugees are sent to cities in the midlands and the north, many immediately return to London.
The government has funnelled the cheap money sloshing around into a bubble instead of into consumer spending, or best of all into investment in industry and commerce. The planning system is an absolute disaster which supports a handful of established house builders which have accumulated massive land banks. Maximum profit for them is clearly not to satisfy demand because that would lead to lower prices. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London was elected on promises of a grand house building programme. Figures show no construction began for homes at social rent levels in 2016/17 and none has been built since the beginning of the financial year for 2017/18.
What is happening in London has happened in many parts of the world where wealthier people ease out the indigenous population, sometimes buying whole islands. When children grow up and need their own homes they are forced to move away from where they grew up, often only to commute back to their jobs. Commuting is not a solution to anything, but I had better not start on that.


Male German Shepherd Dog about 1-2 years old. Good with kids. OK with cats. Gets along with other dogs.
What an amazing story! Otto was rescued from the shelter as a little puppy and it was immediately determined that he had Hydrocephalus. What is that? Fluid accumulation in the brain. Sounds scary, but it really isn't. This boy is just like any other 1-year-old little boy, but he's very special!
We found a pediatric neurosurgeon who helped save Otto's life by putting a shunt in his brain, which drains any excess fluid into his abdomen. He's an absolutely amazing pup and, outside of being visually impaired (but not blind-he basically sees shadows) and occasional circling, he is just like any other young boy that loves to play and be with his family and canine friends.
Otto's only special needs are he needs to use a harness when walking because we don't want a collar on him due to the drain to his abdomen. He is in a foster home and has fit right in with the other dogs, big and small, as well as cats. He is eager to learn! Otto loves to play with toys and is very affectionate. He deserves to find a home with someone that understands his special needs, but realizes that he's not all that different than any other dog.


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text:
Europeans increasingly opposed to a "United States of Europe", YouGov Survey
By Pratyaksha Mitra on December 30, 2017 No Comment
London/ Brussels: Opposition to the European Union's (EU) proposal for a 'United States of Europe' inclusive of Germany and France has been increasing day by day. This was evidently concluded from the latest survey conducted by YouGov, a leading market research company in Europe. The YouGov Survey that was conducted in seven leading nations revealed that among the participating nations, France was leading with the most number of firm supporters for the idea of a 'United States of Europe'. However, the percentage of strong supporters for the proposal even in France was only 10%.
Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Germany had emphasized on the need of a road-map for making the 'United States of Europe' a reality by 2025. A public opinion on Mr.Schulz's proposal was taken over a survey in seven leading European nations. While a response from more than eight thousand citizens was recorded as part of the survey. The survey was carried out in the countries of Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and the Great Britain.
The survey concluded with startling results which revealed that the European citizens were not in favour of the idea of a 'United States of Europe'. With 70% of citizens in Germany and 72% in France, rejected the proposal. More than 80% of the population of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark were opposed to and unenthusiastic towards the idea, while 90% of British citizens had reacted in the negative to the idea.
EU has been trying to push the proposal for 'the United States of Europe' since the year 2000. For this purpose, a 'Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe' was presented in the year 2004. However, since France and the Netherlands refused to approve it, this lead to a major setback to the move. Britain too had strongly opposed the move.
In the aftermath of BREXIT, the alliance of Germany and France along with the senior executives of EU once again tried to revive the idea of a 'United States of Europe'. Proposals for a 'European Army' and defence cooperation, were successfully pushed through by the EU with a view to pave way for the 'United States of Europe'. However, there are other issues on which the EU's leading nations have strong reservations, which find their reflections in the outcome of the survey results.
United Kingdom exits from EU Then I will support the independence of Ohio and Texas in US, signals EU chief 'Marine Le Pen' will take to Presidency of France indicates reigning President Hollande Free Trade Deal between EU & US is "dead", allege Germany & France Following Brexit, exit of Denmark, Netherlands & Sweden from EU possible: Nigel Farage Need time for Brexit negotiations: New UK PM Theresa May EU may collapse any time: IMF Brexit causes spurt of secessionist movements in US
Brexit, Britain, EU, Europe
Europeans increasingly opposed to a "United States of Europe", YouGov Survey added by Pratyaksha Mitra on December 30, 2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


1 Why Is Taubach One of the Bach Places?
Is Taubach Bach city or Bach place? Taubach is a Bach place in category C. Aren't there at least 50 Bach cities or Bach places? No. No. No. But 50 would be that easy, that is to say no big deal if we add the towns and villages were relatives or the master have lifed or performed.
In 1712 Johann Sebastian Bach examined the organ in the St. Ursula Church in Taubach. This organ was built by Heinrich Nicolaus Trebs, the organ builder in the dukedom of Saxony-Weimar.
Bach cities, Bach places – great pictures. Taubach on additional pics? Just click here.
Taubach is a district of the dreamlike town of Weimar and some 1,150 residents are living there. Taubach was a community, when Bach was living and that is the reason, why Taubach is listed here separately, as if it would still be an independent community. In the year 1120 the village was mentioned for first time in a document and there isn't much more to write. If you need more information so badly and your German is at least sort of ok, there is a little more, like always, on Wikipedia.
33 maps, 33 Bach cities or places. Taubach is a category C Bach place.
1 Why Is Weissensee a Bach Place?
Is Weissensee Bach city or Bach place? Weissensee is a Bach place in category C.
In Weissensee Johann Sebastian Bach inspected the newly constructed organ, which was built by organ builder Carl W. Schaefer in the years 1737 until 1738 for the St. Peter and Paul Church.
Bach cities, Bach places – great pictures. Weissensee on additional pics ( ... a great place to take photos)? Just click here.
Weissensee belongs to the smaller communities of the Bach Places of category C too. With 3,400 residents you should not confuse this place with its namesake in Austria. Worth a visit are the monument for Walther von der Vogelweide, a historic catapult, the castle and a Chinese garden. Plus every once in a while there is a festival on the historic marketplace. You will find some more benchmark figures here.
33 maps, 33 Bach cities or places. Weissensee is a category C Bach place.
1 Why Is Wiederau a Bach Place?
Is Wiederau Bach city or Bach place? Wiederau is a Bach place in category C.
It was in the year 1737, when Bach composed the cantata "Pleasant Wiederau, be pleased about your meadows". On September 28th 1737 the composer himself showed up to perform this cantata for the first time in the Castle Wiederau. That of course is reason enough to introduce this place, when the text in a cantata.
Bach cities, Bach places – great pictures. Wiederau on additional pics? Sorry, I checked twice, there was nothing more to take a photo from. I am happy, I managed six.
Correct, there shouldn't live less residents. It would remain in the category C of Bach places but we couldn't call it a place anymore. Just kidding. 400 residents. Wiederau is part of the community of Pegau. And Pegau is located south of Leipzig. The Baroque Castle is worth to be mentioned, the paintings on the inside are even more exciting. And, when you are thirsty for knowledge now, you are right, I could have written a little bit more. But that is, what you have your mouse for.
33 maps, 33 Bach cities or places. Wiederau is a category C Bach place.


text:
Q: Add a dependency with abstraction We have a web api project which has many layers.
We have created another application in which we want to add a refence to one of the layers of the 1st application, this reference is a project helper for EF lamda expression (we passe some criteria and we return an IQueryable) this project has many other dependencies, we want create a project wrapper in which we add all references so we don't need to add each refence in all layers of the 2 n application
Each application has its owne context.
How could we achieve this ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Im 6 weeks today and I started getting a sharp pain on my right side by my hip and it comes and goes. Should I be worried?? Or is this normal??
I would go to the doctor asap !! Just to rule out eptopic pregnancy! It could just be all the changes happening to your body but definitely get it checked soon ! Good luck !!


text:
Аеропорт Пула ()   - цивільний аеропорт у Хорватії, що обслуговує Пула. Розташований за 6 км від центру міста.

Завдяки сприятливим кліматичним і технічним умовам Пула позначається як альтернативний аеропорт для частин Словенії, Італії та Австрії.

В даний час аеропорт Пула здатний обробляти великі літаки типу Boeing 747 і Іл-86. У 2006 році аеропорт обслужив 295 345 пасажирів.

До Другої світової війни на його місці розташовувалися злітно-посадочні смуги, з 1954 року використовувані Югославською народною армією. З 1 травня 1967 року служить виключно для цивільних цілей.

Авіалінії та напрямки на січень 2018

Статистика

Source: Old Pula Airport Website

Source: Pula Airport Website

Примітки

Посилання
 Офіційний сайт

Аеропорти Хорватії
Пула
Споруди, збудовані 1940

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{{_ "Home"}}

{{_ "About"}}

        <button type="button" class="btn btn-default dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="false">
          Language
        </button>

English

한국어

</template>

<template name="home">

{{_ "One Night Werewolf"}}

{{_ "Intro"}}

  {{#if currentUser}}

{{_ "Current games"}}

        {{_ "State"}}
        {{_ "Owner"}}
        {{_ "Day Timer"}}
        {{_ "Num Players"}}

      {{#each findAllGames}}

            <button class="open-game btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Enter Game Room'}}">

            </button>

          {{_ gameState}}
          {{ownername}}
          {{daytimer}}
          --

      {{/each}}

    <button class="add-game btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Create Game Room'}}"> {{_ "New Game"}}</button>
    {{>userList}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="userList">

{{_ "Users"}}

    {{#each onlineUsers}}

 {{username}}

    {{/each}}

</template>

<template name="about">

{{_ "One Night Werewolf"}}

{{_ "Version"}} 0.1

</template>

<template name="showGame">
  {{#if nightTransition}}
    {{>nightTransitionModal}}
  {{/if}}
  {{#if gameState}}

        {{_ "State"}}
        {{_ gameState}} {{timer}} {{>gameStateActions}}

      {{>playerListT}}
      {{>addRolesT}}
      {{>listRolesT}}

{{_ "Your original role"}}	{{_ myRole}}

{{_ "Night Actions"}}	     {{>nightActions}}

{{_ "Voted For"}}	              {{>vote}}

    {{>gameResultTableLogicT}}

    {{>chatT}}

  {{else}}
    Game does not exist
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="gameResultTableLogicT">
  {{#if gameStateTest "Creating"}}
  {{else}}
    {{#if gameStateTest "Done"}}
      {{>gameResultTable}}
    {{else}}
      {{#if showAllInfo}}

          {{>gameResultTable}}

      {{/if}}
    {{/if}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="gameStateActions">
  {{#if isOwnerThisGame}}
    <button class="start-game btn btn-info"  data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Start Game'}}"></button>
    <button class="delete-game btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Delete Game'}}"></button>
    <button class="add-bot btn btn-info"     data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Add Robot Player'}}"></button>
    <button class="del-bot btn btn-info"     data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Delete Robot Player'}}"></button>
    <button class="tog-example btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Toggle Practice Game Mode'}}">
      {{#if example_game}}

      {{else}}

      {{/if}}
    </button>
  {{else}}
    {{#if gameStateTest "Creating"}}
      <button class="toggle-join btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Join/Leave Game'}}">
      {{#if isPlayingThisGame}}

      {{else}}

      {{/if}}
      </button>
    {{else}}
    {{/if}}
    {{#if example_game}}
      <button class="btn btn-info" data-toggle="tooltip" title="{{_ 'Practice Game Mode'}}"></button>
    {{/if}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="playerListT">

{{_ "Players"}}

  {{#each players}}
    {{username}}
  {{/each}}

</template>

<template name="addRolesT">
  {{#if isOwnerThisGame}}
  {{#if gameStateTest "Creating"}}

{{_ "Add Role"}}

    {{#each all_roles}}
      <button class="add-role btn btn-default" data-game="{{../_id}}">{{_ name}}</button>
    {{/each}}

  {{/if}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="listRolesT">

{{_ "Game roles"}}

    {{#if gameStateTest "Creating"}}
      {{#if isOwnerThisGame}}
        {{#each game_roles}}
          <button class="delete-role btn btn-default">{{_ name}}</button>
        {{/each}}
      {{else}}
        {{#each game_roles}}
          {{>roleWithPopoverT}}
        {{/each}}
      {{/if}}
    {{else}}
      {{#each game_roles}}
        {{>roleWithPopoverT}}
      {{/each}}
    {{/if}}

</template>

<template name="roleWithPopoverT">

  {{_ name}}

</template>

<template name="nightActions">
  {{#if gameStateTest "Creating"}}
  {{else}}
    {{#if gameStateTest "Night"}}
      {{#if myNightDone}}

{{myNightResults}}

{{_ "nightWaiting"}}

{{_ "Tip"}}: {{randomTip}}

      {{else}}
        {{#if myRoleTest "Seer"        }} {{> seerNight   }} {{else}}
        {{#if myRoleTest "Robber"      }} {{> robberNight }} {{else}}
        {{#if myRoleTest "Troublemaker"}} {{> troubleNight}} {{else}}
                                          {{> dummyNight}}
        {{/if}}
        {{/if}}
        {{/if}}
      {{/if}}
    {{else}}
      {{myNightResults}}
    {{/if}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="nightTransitionModal">

      <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-hidden="true">×</button>
      header

      body

</template>

<template name="gameResultTable">

      {{_ "Name"}}
      {{_ "Role"}}
      {{_ "Night Actions"}}
      {{_ "Voted For"}}
      {{_ "#V"}}

    {{#if gameStateTest "Done"}}
      {{#each players}}
        {{#if myinfo.won}}

            {{>fullPlayerInfoRow}}

        {{else}}

            {{>fullPlayerInfoRow}}

        {{/if}}
      {{/each}}
    {{else}}
      {{#each players}}

          {{>fullPlayerInfoRow}}

      {{/each}}
    {{/if}}
    {{mostVotedPlayers}}

 Unused Roles:
    {{#each myinfo.unused_roles}}
      {{_ name}}
    {{/each}}

</template>

<template name="fullPlayerInfoRow">

    {{#if myinfo.died}}
      <s>{{username}}</s>
    {{else}}
      {{username}}
    {{/if}}

    {{#if thisRoleChanged}}
      <s>{{_ myinfo.orig_role}}</s>

    {{/if}}
    {{_ myinfo.curr_role}}

  {{thisNightResults}}
  {{gamePlayerId_username myinfo.voted_for}}
  {{myinfo.received_votes}}
</template>

<template name="seerNight">

    <form id="seerform" class="user-attention">
      {{_ "seerPickText"}}

        {{#each otherPlayers}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="{{this._id}}">{{username}}

        {{/each}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="middle" checked>{{_ "2 cards from the middle"}}

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">{{_ "Submit"}}</button>

    </form>

</template>

<template name="robberNight">

    <form id="robberform" class="user-attention">
      {{_ "robberPickText"}}

        {{#each otherPlayers}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="{{this._id}}">{{username}}

        {{/each}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="nobody" checked>{{_ "Do not rob"}}

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">{{_ "Submit"}}</button>

    </form>

</template>

<template name="troubleNight">

    <form id="troubleform" class="user-attention">
      {{troublePickText}}

        {{#each otherPlayers}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="{{this._id}}">{{username}}

        {{/each}}

<input type="radio" name="player" value="nobody" checked>{{_ "Do not swap"}}

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">{{_ "Submit"}}</button>

    </form>

</template>

<template name="dummyNight">

    <form id="dummyform" class="user-attention">
      {{myNightResults}}

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">{{_ "Continue"}}</button>

      {{_ "Tip"}}: {{randomTip}}
    </form>

</template>

<template name="vote">
  {{#if gameStateTest "Day"}}
    <form id="voteform" class="user-attention">
      {{_ "votePrompt"}}

        {{#each otherPlayers}}

<input type="radio" name="voteplayer" value="{{this._id}}">{{username}}

        {{/each}}

<input type="radio" name="voteplayer" value="nobody" checked>{{_ "Continue daytime"}}

<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">{{_ "Submit"}}</button>

      {{#if myVote}}

{{_ "votePlayer" myVote=myVote}}

{{_ "voteDesc"}}

      {{else}}
        {{_ "voteContinue"}}
      {{/if}}
    </form>
  {{else}}
    {{myVote}}
  {{/if}}
</template>

<template name="chatT">

      {{#each messages}}

{{username}}: {{chatContent}}

      {{/each}}

    <form>
      <input type="text" name="message" placeholder={{_ "Chat here!"}} class="msginput col-xs-12">
    </form>

</template>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Trademark Clearance Search Attorney for Sunnyvale, California, California
A trademark clearance search is the best starting point for every trademark application. The clearance search is critical because its purpose is to assess the proposed mark against the Lanham Act and other common law resources to determine the likelihood your trademark would result in a registered mark.
Brian Russ Law, Inc. is a United States trademark legal firm that performs detailed clearance searches for proposed trademarks. Our firm, based in California, earnestly counsels corporations to build and protect their brands.
We understand the need to differentiate your brand from your competitors, but your Facebook search for a competitor won't cut it. A small business owner and serial entrepreneur, lawyer Brian understands the concerns of small business owners and the priority of securing brand protection is vital when establishing the foundation for your business. Brian works with companies across the USA work through common trademarking issues like clearance searches, infringement assessment, trademark registration, USPTO office action responses, infringement litigation, use defense, and more. If you're looking for top-notch trademark legal guidance in Sunnyvale, California, then you've come to the right place.
"Wait a second," you may be wondering, "I heard Brian Russ Law, Inc. a California law practice? Can they help clients outside of California, like in Sunnyvale or California?" Yes! We help customers nationwide with trademark registration support services. The United States Patent Trademark Office allows attorneys licensed anywhere in the United States to represent clients in USPTO proceedings.
Sunnyvale's Trademark Attorney


text:
Q: How to store and display scores at the end of a quiz I've got a simple quiz program that selects 10 random questions from the database and presents it to the user. At the end of the quiz when the user cicks on submit, i'd like to display the score to the user.
Below is a snippet of the code that runs the quizz
import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import java.sql.*;

public class serv3p extends HttpServlet
{

 protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res)
                     throws ServletException, IOException
    {
        res.setContentType("text/html");
        PrintWriter out = res.getWriter();
        String qKey = req.getParameter("sQuestionID");
        int iQuestionID = Integer.parseInt(qKey);

        try{
            Class.forName("sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver");
            String sourceURL = new String("jdbc:odbc:MyQuiz");//DSN name
            Connection databaseConnection = DriverManager.getConnection(sourceURL);
            if (databaseConnection != null)
                out.println("
Connection made
");

            if (iQuestionID < 11) out.println("QuestionID is: " + qKey);
            Statement myStatement = databaseConnection.createStatement();
            ResultSet results = myStatement.executeQuery ("SELECT TOP 10 QuestionBank.QuestionText, QuestionBank.Choice1, QuestionBank.Choice2,"
            +"QuestionBank.Choice3, QuestionBank.Choice4,QuestionBank.Answer FROM QuestionBank ORDER BY RND(QuestionID)");

            //ResultSet results = myStatement.executeQuery ("SELECT * FROM QuestionBank WHERE QuestionID = '"+qKey+"'");

            if (results.next())
                {
                String r1, r2, r3, r4, r5;
                r1 = results.getString(1);
                r2 = results.getString(2);
                r3 = results.getString(3);
                r4 = results.getString(4);
                r5 = results.getString(5);
                //r6 = results.getString(6);
                out.println("" +
                    "<FORM method = \"post\" action = \"http://localhost:8080/servlet/Relay\">" +
                    "
" +
                    "

Quick Quizz : Sports

");
                out.println("
" + r1 + "
");
                out.println("
<input type = \"radio\" name = \"answer\" value = \"1\">" + r2 + "

");
                out.println("
<input type = \"radio\" name = \"answer\" value = \"2\">" + r3 + "

");
                out.println("
<input type = \"radio\" name = \"answer\" value = \"3\">" + r4 + "

");
                out.println("
<input type = \"radio\" name = \"answer\" value = \"4\">" + r5 + "

");
                out.println("
");
                results.close();
                iQuestionID++; qKey = "" + iQuestionID;
                out.println("
End of Database Records
");
                if (iQuestionID < 11)

                    {
                    out.println("

<INPUT type = \"submit\" value = \"Press for Next Question\">" +
                                "<INPUT type = \"hidden\" name = \"sQuestionID\" value = '" + qKey + "'>
" +
                                "<INPUT type = \"hidden\" name = \"choice\" value = \"Play\"></FORM>");
                    }

                else
                    {out.println("

<INPUT type = \"submit\" value = \"Press to Exit\">" +
                                 "<INPUT type = \"hidden\" name = \"sQuestionID\" value = '" + qKey + "'>
" +
                                 "<INPUT type = \"hidden\" name = \"choice\" value = \"serv43a\"></FORM>");

                    }
                out.close();
                }
            }
            catch(ClassNotFoundException cnfe)
                {System.out.println(cnfe);}
            catch(SQLException sqle)
                {System.out.println("Error is: " + sqle);}

    }
}

A: Why not use the database to store the calculated score, and then display it on the results page? If you don't need to keep the scores for any length of time (e.g. longer than an hour or so), you can always check for, and delete old records as often as necessary.

A: Well the question you should ask yourself is, do i want to keep the scores for an amount of time ( for an example: a poll ), or do you just want to use it as a Test like  software wich returns the exact score after the test, but than just destroys that value together with the end of the software,
if you do want to keep it for a longer amount of time, you could write all values in an access database, or even an SQL server,
if you think the values you want to keep aren't that mutch, than i'd sugest you write it down in a txt based file, since it is easy to store and doesn't take as much time as a database connection to write it away,
to get at your score you will need to hardcode the right answers, with swich cases or if/else, just hardcode the place of your string with te correct answer, and add the score to a private int (or float/double)
displaying it is not that hard, if you want to display the stuff from plenty op participants, just use an enhanced for loop, with a println wich displays the name of the participant and the numbers, or even put it in a JFrame. thats up to you,

my advise
( a lot of data you want to keep ) => SQL / (access) databases
( a bit of data you want to keep ) => txt File and if you know the exact number of participants ( XML )
( just diplay ) print your score,
you will need to hardcode this score, and that depends on how you chose the values.

final tip: Dont open too many db connections it will only slow your progress down, and stuff like the right answer are easy to hard code since they are not variable, and you only have like 10 questions

Question 1: (edit)
no problem, you only want like 10 Questions right, cause i discussed the problem with a friend of mine last night, and if you do want to keep the scores for a longer amount of time, you might want to have the possibility to add more questions if not,
just use the if else way for each question
if(Question1.equals("Question1"))
{
    no problem, you only want like 10 Questions right, cause i discussed the problem with a friend of mine last night, and if you do want to keep the scores for a longer amount of time, you might want to have the possibility to add more questions if not,
just use the if else way for each question
if(Question1.equals("Question1"))
{
Switch(answer)
case 1: points++; break;
case 2: break;
case 3: break;
default: break;
}
}
else
{
if(Question2.equals("Question2"))
{
Switch(answer)
case 1: break;
case 2: points++; break;
case 3: break;
default: break;
}
else
{
}
}
and so on, fill in the Questions like this,
String Question = "Question1";
if ( Question.equals("Question1"))
{
    ...
}
if you do wish to do it with a database, you can as well put the answer in an extra attribute, and than you could do it like this
int[] answerOnTheQuestions  = the answers from the test ( put them in an Int array )
int[] answers = ( your db link to the right table and column here )
int score = 0;
for ( int counter = 0; counter < questions.length; counter ++)
{
if( answersOnTheQuestions[counter] == answers[counter] )
{
score++;
}
}
Write score to your table together with like a participants name that you can get in the GUI or consle.
I hope this helped :)


Unless you are terribly rich, you will not be willing to spend a lot of money on the decoration of your kids' room. This is because the kids will grow up fast and the room will need renovation in no time. So, all the money you put in there will go wasted. Hence, doing up your kid's room on a minimal budget is a great idea. You will be surprised to see the number of options that you get even when you have less money for budget.
When you have decided to buy a bunk bed and bring the bunk bed home and place it in the bedroom, the next thing you need to think about is making it look more customized and better. This means that you need to decorate your bunk bed. Bunk beds are typically very boring and dull looking on their own as they are painted with dull and neutral colours. But this does not mean that you need to keep it that way when you have bought it and moved it to your house. Instead of having a boring old bunk bed, we can decorate it the way we want and make it more entertaining and funky.
Therefore, in this article, we will discuss some of the best ways to decorate your bunk bed and have fun while doing it!
Usually, bunk beds are just climbed clumsily by kids. To make their life easy, you can install stairs to a bunk bed. There are several different sources and furniture makers that offer children's bunk beds with stairs. Whenever you want to buy a bunk bed with stairs attached, make sure that you check the price and quality from as many different sources as possible as that would reduce the risk of being given a sub quality bunk bed. Also, this will ensure that you are getting the lowest price and that you are not being unnecessarily overcharged. Also, before buying a bunk bed with attached stairs, you need to also have a test of it first. This will ensure that you do not regret buying the bunk bed at a later point in time. Make sure that the measurements of the bunk bed meet the measurements of your home perfectly.
Nowadays, there are several different vendors and sources that deal with bunk beds. Therefore, it should not be too difficult to find good quality bunk beds. If you are an online shopping kind of person, then you should check out some bunk beds with stairs online.
Stickers are very versatile items that can be utilized in many ways to make our bunk beds look more customized. There are several different kinds of stickers that can be bought from different sources which would look amazing on your bunk bed.
As we said before, usually, bunk beds are coloured with very pale and dull neutral colours. This means that they are not very funky or colourful. You can always change this by re-painting the bunk beds yourself. Some of the funky colours you can use are – reds, oranges, blues, yellows and greens. Make sure you paint the bunk beds and the stairs in complementary colours to avoid bad looking bunk beds.
Therefore, you now know how to decorate your bunk beds in a variety of ways. Hopefully, now you go crazy with decorating your bunk beds by keeping these tips as a baseline. But remember to go crazy with your own creativity as well.


Jason will be starting at the following points at approx 09.30 each day, so if you would like to join up for a day, or part of a day, whether on a SUP, or in a kayak or canoe, you'd be very welcome.
To manage the whole route in the allotted time I will have to paddle for around 6 hours per day, although I'll also be some stops en route to do some organised waterway clean ups with local groups, set up by the lovely people at the Canal and River Trust.
As well as the Canal and River Trust and my colleagues at British Recycled Plastic, I will also be supported by the crew at Bluefin SUPs who are supplying my board and paddle, the team at British Canoeing, as well as my awesome daughter, Georgia, who will be cycling the route and providing logistical support for me and my partner Kate who will be ferrying clean clothes and supplies (hopefully including cake) backwards and forwards.
All of that means nothing however, without YOUR support, so please help me and be on my team by donating to this cause, either a little or a lot, you know what's right for you, because every penny will be well used.


Lovely black strapless Cocktail Dress with sweetheart neckline. Fully lined with a back slit, this piece is classically simple and elegant. Paired with pearls rhinestones or even coloured accessories, this piece is ready for a night on the town!
Pictured with Rhinestone Choker (see Vintage Purses and Accessories).


text:
NRL 2020: Jack Wighton hates Canberra Raiders Indigenous round jersey
Jack Wighton, the only Indigenous Australian on the Canberra Raiders, says his club's round 12 jersey is "lazy" — and fans agree.
Jai Bednalljaibednall
news.com.auJuly 30, 20208:40am
Jack Wighton. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)Source:Getty Images
Jack Wighton has broken ranks at the Raiders, slamming the lack of effort and consultation that went into the club's jersey design for this weekend's Indigenous round.
The 27-year-old, who is the only Indigenous Australia that plays first grade for Canberra and is a relative of Latrell Mitchell, has described the process as "lazy".
"I'm a little bit disappointed how the club went about the jersey … I feel like we just ticked a box, no one got any input," Wighton told Nine newspapers.
"We've got a lot of First Nations people of all different types – Samoans and Maoris and that, you know – and no one really had any say about the jersey.
"I think you can tell (there was no player input). We had a whole canvas and they just put a little design on the sleeve. We didn't hear nothing about it until this week. No one came to us for any ideas.
"In previous years we've had a lot to do with it and the club has run things past us but I felt like they got lazy this year."
"I just feel like we ticked a box," Wighton added. "It's terrible. I'm filthy. It's the one round to share culture, you know what I mean, to get our artwork and stories out there, and I feel like we've put a pretty poor effort in, if I'm to be honest."
Jack Wighton is disappointed at the lack of effort that went into this jersey.Source:Supplied
Some fans agreed with Wighton. The most liked comment on a photo of the jersey shared by Canberra on Instagram read: "The poorest excuse for an Indigenous jersey I have ever seen."
The wife of star forward Josh Papalii, who is of Samoan descent, also questioned the lack of input from players. "Just out of curiosity, were any of the indigenous players actually involved in the design process?" she wrote.
But Bailey Simonsson, who plays as a winger for Canberra, appeared to give his tick of approval, responding with the OK emoji.
The Raiders are yet to comment on the furore.
The NRL's Indigenous Round aims to highlight social issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This year's round, which runs from Thursday to Sunday alongside National Reconciliation Week, carries the theme: "In this together."
Australia vs India: Nathan Lyon tactics, Shane Warne stagger...
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text:
Join us at our 83rd White and Red Ball!
Purchase Well Wishes in the Program Book
Legion in Action
We are proud of our projects! With over $2 million in funds distributed to various educational and cultural organizations around the world, we are busy. Check out some recent charitable activities.
Legion Events
What's happening? The Legion is active, involved and everywhere! See events, invitations and what this dynamic group of women has going on right now. Become a member and join the fun!
Need money for college? As an all-female organization, we support ambitious young ladies in their higher educational endeavors. Our Debutantes make their dreams a reality!
'I Felt Like Cinderella'
Want to know what it's like to be a Debutante? Let our young ladies tell you themselves about their unique, once in a lifetime, magical evening that's more memorable than Prom!
Past Legion Presidents
The Legion would not be where it is today without the unending spirit, enthusiasm and commitment of the 37 (and counting!) women who have been at the helm of this organization.
The Legion consists of women in a variety of careers, bound by their desire to help others. Our members assist with interviewing techniques, job advice and networking, landing you the perfect job.
2023 White and Red Ball
Come see us at our 83rd Ball on March 4, 2023!
Send Me an Invitation!
Help us in our mission for the Polish Community. Donate today!
Learn more about your Polish roots, enjoy community events and enrich your life with service to others. Become a member today!
Check out our previous supporters and help patronize their business.
Who can become a Debutante?
Any young lady of Polish decent between the ages of 16 and 24 can participate.
Who can attend the White and Red Ball?
Anyone! The White & Red Ball is our largest fundraising event of the year and attendance is open to anyone who makes a reservation and purchases a ticket. Tickets can be purchased online or register on our mailing list and we will send you an invitation.
How do I become a Legion of Polish Women member?
Simply go to our Membership page, sign up and you'll begin receiving email announcements about our meetings, activities and events.
Legion Announcements
Come join us and our Debutantes at the 83nd White and Red Ball which will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Hilton Chicago!
Send me an Invite!
Stay up to date on the latest legion news, event announcements, and updates.
In response to the needs of the people of Poland beginning with the start of the Second World War, Helen Lenard Pieklo and a group of friends founded the Legion of Young Polish Women (LYPW) on September 2, 1939. This immediate response set the tone for the work of the Legion that is in existence today.
Legion of Young Polish Women
PO Box 56-110


text:
What Would You Be Willing To Die For?Pope holds up Korean martyrs as models for church
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Pope Francis beatified 124 Korean martyrs on Saturday, telling hundreds of thousands of people who turned out for his open-air Mass that their ancestors' willingness to die rather than renounce their faith two centuries ago was a model for Asian missionaries today.
The streets leading up to Seoul's iconic Gwanghwamun Gate were packed with Koreans honoring the lay Catholics who founded the church here in the 18th century. Korea's church is unique in that it was founded not by foreign missionary priests — as occurred in most of the world — but by members of Korea's own noble classes who learned of Christianity by reading books about it.
These early Catholics were killed in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Joseon Dynasty, which tried to shut the Korean Peninsula off from Western influence.
Police in Seoul declined to give an estimate of the crowd size, but the Vatican said about 800,000 people had turned out. The number was significant given that Catholics represent only about 10 percent of South Korea's 50 million people.
The Mass kicked off a busy day for Francis as he passed the halfway mark of his five-day South Korea visit. In the afternoon, he traveled to a religious community that cares for severely disabled Koreans and prayed briefly at a monument to aborted babies — a strong albeit silent gesture from a pope who prefers to stress other aspects of church teaching rather than emphasize hot-button "culture war" issues like abortion.
The Mass in Seoul, though, was one of the highlights of his trip, providing Francis with an opportunity to stress how the lessons of Korea's early martyrs were relevant today for Korea's church, which is small but growing and is seen as a model for the rest of the world.
"They were willing to make great sacrifices and let themselves be stripped of whatever kept them from Christ — possessions and land, prestige and honor — for they knew that Christ alone was their true treasure," he said. "They challenge us to think about what, if anything, we ourselves would be willing to die for."
Read it all here...
http://usat.ly/1vWzA4B


text:
Parkside Towers
San Mateo County Office Campus Sold by Harvest Properties and Invesco Real Estate with Peninsula Developing as Tech Market
A Chicago-based real estate company has recently made its first move in the San Mateo County office market. Heitman, a global management firm, recently completed the purchase of an office complex in Foster City, CA from partnership between Harvest Properties and Invesco Real Estate. The transaction brings further proof that the San Francisco Peninsula is generating interest in the tech market, ranking in the top three markets for tech companies in the entire U.S.
San Francisco 26 February 2014 16:31
Panoramic Video System Incorporates AI Technology
The PanaCast 3 delivers 180-degree videos with 4K resolution, provides real-time video stitching, captures audio and can detect people.
MCR Acquires Las Vegas Hotel
The national hotel owner-operator acquired the 139-key Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas/Henderson, located 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
Castellum Buys, Sells $550M in Swedish Office Assets
The real estate company continues to refocus its portfolio on growth areas, with the purchase of six properties in Linköping and the disposition of 20 others in Sundsvall.
New Mexico Passes Its Own Green New Deal
The state committed to carbon-free power, joining other parts of the country that have set a 100 percent renewable energy target by 2045.
Meridian Group Purchases VA Office Building
The buyer plans to renovate the LEED Gold-certified property, which sits in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor and is well connected to the rest of the metro.


Rory Delap has played down reports he could represent Athletics Ireland in the 2012 Olympics - in the javelin.
The Stoke midfielder has won widespread acclaim this season as a long-throw specialist and been described as a human sling.
He has worn the colours of the Republic of Ireland but is baffled by suggestions he could emulate Steve Backley.
'They must be pretty desperate if they are scraping the barrel for me,' Delap told the Stoke Sentinel.
'I did javelin when I was a youngster but gave it up when I was 14 or 15 so I could concentrate on football.


Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Wayfair Inc., one of the world's largest online destinations for the home, will create 1,000 jobs and open a new 1,164,800-square-foot facility in Savannah. New jobs will include supervisory, administrative and warehouse positions. Wayfair and its landlord plan to invest approximately $45 million in the project over the next five years.
Headquartered in Boston, Wayfair operates offices and warehouses throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Wayfair currently operates a warehouse and distribution center in McDonough.
Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Senior Project Manager Alyce Thornhill represented the Global Commerce Division in partnership with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Georgia Quick Start and the Georgia Ports Authority.
For more information on hiring and career opportunities, visit www.wayfaircareers.com.
About Wayfair Inc.: Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home they love. Through technology and innovation, Wayfair makes it possible for shoppers to quickly and easily find exactly what they want from a selection of more than 10 million items including home furnishings, décor, home improvement goods, housewares and more. The Wayfair family of sites includes Wayfair, Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane and Perigold. Wayfair generated $6.2 billion in net revenue for the 12 months ending on Sept. 30, 2018. Headquartered in Boston, with operations in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Ireland and the U.K., the company employs more than 10,900 people worldwide.


영화 산업(映畵産業)은 영화를 개발 및 배급하는 경제 산업 분야이다.
↑ "Percentage of GBO of all films feature exhibited that are national". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. 2013년 11월 1일에 확인함.
↑ Coonan, Clifford (2014년 1월 7일). "China Box Office: Jackie Chan's 'Police Story 2013' Tops Chart Dominated by Local Fare". 《할리우드 리포터》.
↑ "Statistics Of Film Industry In Japan". Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. 2015년 3월 25일에 확인함.
↑ Nick Vivarelli (2014년 1월 15일). "Italy Bucks Europe's Downward 2013 Box Office Trend". 《variety.com》. 2014년 1월 17일에 확인함.
↑ "Statistical Yearbook 2014". BFI. 2015년 3월 25일에 확인함.
↑ Patrick Frater (2014년 1월 6일). "Korean Box Office Continues Local Power Surge". 《variety.com》. 2014년 1월 17일에 확인함.
↑ "Russian Film Market Overview: 2013 Results" (PDF). Nevafilm Research. 2014년 7월 28일에 원본 문서 (PDF)에서 보존된 문서. 2014년 7월 24일에 확인함.
이 문서는 2018년 11월 2일 (금) 21:49에 마지막으로 편집되었습니다.


Tonya brings over 16 years of experience in the meeting and event planning industry to her role as a Global Sourcing Manager. She is passionate about building strong relationships with clients and vendors to ensure exceptional buying power with hotels, resorts, venues and other providers. Tonya takes great care with her clients as she guides every step of the process, from site selection and contract negotiation to meeting planning and final bill reconciliation. Outside of work Tonya likes to spend time and donate to the local food bank and domestic violence shelter.


We are DJS Skylark, a team of undergraduate aero-enthusiasts pursuing engineering from DJ Sanghvi College of Engineering (Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal), Mumbai. We participate in the SAE Aero Design East, an annual international competition for Remote Controlled aircrafts, which is held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. In this competition, the finest Aero enthusiasts from leading universities worldwide come together to showcase their talents in building and flying aircrafts. We wish to make India and our college proud by being able to win accolades for our well designed aircrafts. We are currently ranked 4th Worldwide and we strive to be the number one RC aircraft design team in the world. Considering the magnitude of this project and the opportunity of participating at an international platform, we request your support and contribution.
Your share could be as good as a donation for DJS Skylark!
Not everyone can afford to take care of their loved ones. DJS Skylark's life can only be saved by donations made by kind people like you.


Is Bigspot.Com Another Survey Scam? Read Our Big Spot Review!
Hi there! Thank you for contacting me Linda and thank you for your comment. To be quite honest with you, I have reviewed a few online survey sites and they have all been a complete waste of time. Lots of people try to make a bit of extra money with survey sites but very few make even a single dime.
You asked if I could recommend a way to make money online? Well, yes there is one website that I always recommend to all of my website visitors. Its called Wealthy Affiliate and its one of the very best ways to make money on the internet.
You can join Wealthy Affiliate for free. Get your free membership and then follow the training inside. This free membership will teach you the basics of making an online income. Thousands of people have made really successful online businesses with this training. There is also a premium membership, should you want to take things to the next level.
You can join through my Wealthy Affiliate review page by clicking here. Joining through this page will allow me and you to communicate inside Wealthy Affiliate. I'll be there to help and guide you all the way!
If you think this could be for you, just sign up and we'll get started.
PS… There is also a brief video about Wealthy Affiliate here!
That's crazy. There are so many survey sites that do earn you a few dollars here and there.
BigSpot is garbage for selling other people's information like that without them getting anything in return. Regardless, surveys do only earn you a few dollars even if they are legit. Affiliate marketing is the best way to earn extra money online! It's definitely worth saving the headache of doing hundreds of surveys and just learning how to monetize a blog or website. Thanks for giving people the heads up about BigSpot!
Hey! Thank you for posting your thoughts on this post. You are right, there are a lot of survey websites out there but even the legit ones offer very little in the way of payment. A few dollars is all you get in the best case scenario. The majority of survey sites are scams in some way. Lots of sites pay a little at first and then stop paying later on. Some survey sites offer huge payouts that are simply impossible to reach. Its a real shame that you really don't know who you can trust these days.
With regards to affiliate marketing, there are other ways to make really good money online, but in my opinion I do agree that affiliate marketing is one of the best.
This has been a been a really useful review for me. I'll be taking a look at the Wealthy Affiliate website but I'm still tempted to look at Big Spot too. Is there any chance that Big Spot might have improved?
My goal here is to present the facts at the time of writing and to give you an alternative that genuinely works. There isn't a great deal out there that offers what Wealthy Affiliate does, so that's why I recommend it as my No.1 choice for making money online. If you want to try Big Spot, then please do so and let us know how you get on with it. I guarantee that what I say here is completely true! So, in short… I recommend Wealthy Affiliate for a very good reason and no, I don't believe that Big Spot will ever improve.
How Dare you taking advantage of people, I'm am owed over 3,000., tomorrow I'm writing the BBB an LEGAL AID AN HAVE EVERY FRIEND FOLLOWING ME ON FACEBOOK AN I HAVE OVER 150 THOUSANDS FOLLOWERS, EITHER YOU MAKE THIS WRITE OR MONDAY I SENDING AN OOSTING WHAT A RIP OFF YOU ARE AN GONNA WORK WITH LEGAL AIS TO GET COMMERCIAL OFF THE AIR!!!
Hello Robin. I think you need to take a close look at where you are posting your comment. Please read my review of Big Spot properly and think about what you are saying. I think you might have posted you complaint onto the wrong website!
Your article confirmed my suspicions. I kind of knew that Big Spot had to be some kind of scam. I don't give out my personal information, so I would never have been able to quantify anyway. But your article was very informative.
Thanks for posting your comment Elizabeth. Glad to hear that you avoided getting scammed by Big Spot!
The information was very helpful. After reading your information I think I will pass on wasting my time with BigSpot.com.
Hey there Michael. I'm pleased that you found my review before getting involved with Big Spot! It really is a total waste of everyone's time. There are far better ways to make money online, as I can show you on here. Making money online is never as easy as these scammers would have you believe, but it doesn't need to be complicated either. Take a look at our Wealthy Affiliate review for an example of a top class training website. You can even join for free! Anyway, thanks for getting in touch. I wish you the best of success for the future!
Thank you. While I inherently knew that it was a scam, it was good to hear confirmation.
Glad to be of assistance Laurie! I think it always pays to do a little research before joining anything like this.
Thank you for this information, after reading this I have decided not to join big spot as well as not trying anymore survey websites. Thank you again.
Thank you for contacting me at my website Karen.
Good to hear that you have decided not to join Big Spot. You would never have been paid and it would have been a complete waste of your time.
If you need any help or assistance with anything in the future, just get in touch.
Thank you for your honesty. You made my decision to not join Big Spot easier by verifying and confirming concerns I had. Thank you so much!
I'm pleased that you found my article and took notice of it. Joining Big Spot really would be a complete waste of time. You are far better off looking into one of the online businesses that we do recommend here on MMOZ.
Let me know if I can be of any further help to you.
Thank you for your honesty. You made my decision to not join Big Spot for every reason you stated. Thank you so much!
Thank you for commenting on my Big Spot review, I'm really pleased that you found it helpful. This system will never make you any money online. You are far better off trying one of our recommended programs in the knowledge that you can definitely make real money without being scammed. Feel free to contact me if you need any further help or advice.


text:
//**NOTE** Using Coroutines seems to increase the cost of Stereo Cubemap rendering a bit -
//but it is still just over 1ms on a Quadro K600 in the Pedastal scene (vs 0.7 - 0.8ms)
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;
using Debug = UnityEngine.Debug;

namespace ODS {

// ODS Stereo Cubemap Renderer
// Renders 360 degree "ODS" Equirectangular images by first rendering two Cubemaps and
// using them as input into a final conversion step.
// Stereo rendering is accomplished by correctly offseting the vertex positions while
// rendering each Cubemap.
// This requires 6 renders per cubemap plus 1 post processing pass to apply the final
// conversion for a total of 12 scene renders + 1 blit.
public class OdsStereoCubemap : OdsRenderer {
  // Sample using mipmaps, but slighly bias to be more crisp.
  const float c_cubemapMipBias = -.5f;

  public Material cubeToODS_material = null;
  private RenderTexture cubemapLt = null;
  private RenderTexture cubemapRt = null;

  public override void Release() {
    if (cubemapLt != null) {  cubemapLt.Release(); }
    if (cubemapRt != null) {  cubemapRt.Release(); }
    cubemapLt = null;
    cubemapRt = null;
  }

  public override void SetupTextures(RenderTextureFormat format) {
    int cubemapWidth = imageWidth;

    Release();
    cubemapLt = new RenderTexture(cubemapWidth, cubemapWidth, 24, format);
    cubemapRt = new RenderTexture(cubemapWidth, cubemapWidth, 24, format);
    cubemapLt.dimension = UnityEngine.Rendering.TextureDimension.Cube;
    cubemapRt.dimension = UnityEngine.Rendering.TextureDimension.Cube;
    cubemapLt.hideFlags = HideFlags.HideAndDontSave;
    cubemapRt.hideFlags = HideFlags.HideAndDontSave;
    cubemapLt.useMipMap = true;
    cubemapRt.useMipMap = true;
    cubemapLt.antiAliasing = 1;
    cubemapRt.antiAliasing = 1;

    if (cubemapLt == null || cubemapRt == null) {
      Debug.LogError("HybridCamera - failed to create cubemaps.");
    }
  }

  public override IEnumerator Render(Camera renderCamera, Transform node, RenderTexture output,
    float ipd, bool CollapseIpd, int MaxRenders)
  {
    if (cubeToODS_material == null) {
      cubeToODS_material = new Material(Shader.Find("Hidden/cubemapToODS"));
    }

    //We need to modify the global shader parameters in order to handle ODS...
    Shader.EnableKeyword("ODS_RENDER_CM");

    int renderCount = 0;
    float[] ipdScale = { 0.5f, -0.5f };
    RenderTexture[] outputs = { cubemapLt, cubemapRt };
    Vector4 shaderEyeOffset = new Vector4(0, 0, 0, 0);

    for (int eye = 0; eye < 2; eye++) {
      // Explicitly clear output texture.
      var oldActiveTexture = RenderTexture.active;
      RenderTexture.active = outputs[eye];
      GL.Clear(true, true, Color.black);
      RenderTexture.active = oldActiveTexture;

      shaderEyeOffset.x = ipdScale[eye] * ipd;
      Shader.SetGlobalVector("ODS_EyeOffset", shaderEyeOffset);

      for (int face = 0; face < 6; face++, renderCount++) {
        renderToEye(face, renderCamera, outputs[eye]);

        if (renderCount >= MaxRenders) {
          yield return new WaitForEndOfFrame();
          renderCount = 0;
        }
      }
    }

    Shader.DisableKeyword("ODS_RENDER_CM");

    //Use the Stereo Cubemaps to generate the final ODS image.
    //Note the the cubemap is rendered from the same orientation but the direction vectors are
    //rotated to match the camera orientation when generating the final ODS stereo image.
    convertCubemapToODS(output, renderCamera.transform.rotation);
  }

  private void renderToEye(int face, Camera camera, RenderTexture cubemap)
  {
    //render a single face of the cubemap,
    int faceMask = 1 << face;
    if (!camera.RenderToCubemap(cubemap, faceMask)) {
      Debug.LogError("OdsRenderer - Render To cubemap failed!");
    }
  }

  private void convertCubemapToODS(RenderTexture odsImage, Quaternion orientation)
  {
    //calculate the scale and offset to account for border used for bloom
    Vector2 scaleOffset;
    scaleOffset.x = 1.0f / (1.0f - 2.0f * bloomRadius / (float)eyeImageWidth);
    scaleOffset.y = -(float)bloomRadius / (float)eyeImageWidth * scaleOffset.x;

    if (vr180) {
      cubeToODS_material.EnableKeyword("VR_180");
    }
    else {
      cubeToODS_material.DisableKeyword("VR_180");
    }

    //Do the cubemap to ODS conversion on the GPU and download the result to the CPU for encoding.
    odsImage.DiscardContents();

    var old = RenderTexture.active;
    RenderTexture.active = odsImage;
    GL.Clear(true, true, Color.black);
    RenderTexture.active = old;

    cubemapLt.mipMapBias = c_cubemapMipBias;
    cubemapRt.mipMapBias = c_cubemapMipBias;
    cubemapLt.wrapMode = TextureWrapMode.Clamp;
    cubemapRt.wrapMode = TextureWrapMode.Clamp;

    //ignore pitch and roll and make sure the orientation matches the slice implementation.
    Vector3 euler = orientation.eulerAngles;
    Quaternion cubeAdj = Quaternion.Euler(0.0f, -180.0f, 0.0f);
    Quaternion projectedOrientation = Quaternion.Euler(0, euler.y, 0) * cubeAdj;

    Vector4 orient = new Vector4(projectedOrientation.x, projectedOrientation.y,
                                 projectedOrientation.z, projectedOrientation.w);

    cubeToODS_material.SetTexture("_LeftTex", cubemapRt);
    cubeToODS_material.SetVector("_orientation", orient);
    cubeToODS_material.SetVector("_scaleOffset", scaleOffset);
    Graphics.Blit(cubemapLt, odsImage, cubeToODS_material, 0);
  }
} // class OdsStereoCubemap

} // namespace ODS


Available for preorder now from Finishing Line Press. Publishes in August 2018.
"This collection cuts deep, unafraid of what it might reveal. It's flash fiction at its very finest, the tiniest detail given the most intense scrutiny. It's a collection stuffed with the familiar—dollhouses, block parties, a Ferris wheel—but Long gives each element the tiniest of twists, so each moment surprises and enlightens." — Randall Brown, author of Mad to Live, and founding editor of FlashFiction.net, Matter Press, and The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts.


text:
Doing the Math to Bring Renewable Energy and Storage Online
April 27, 2015 By Lisa Cohn 1 Comment
Credit: Lokal_Profil
As we bring more energy online from distributed energy sources, planners are grappling with a challenging math problem: How do we deal with intermittent energy produced by non-utility sources, integrate storage systems, match supply and demand, and manage it all in the most reliable and efficient manner possible?
"Planners have to think about how to get as much renewable energy as possible and understand the reliability and the full range of services and how they can get that out of a combination of renewable energy and storage," says Neil Fromer, executive director of the Caltech Resnick Sustainability Institute.
At Caltech, researchers are working to solve that math problem—and it's not simple, he says.
"The biggest problem is the computational challenge of understanding how the electricity will flow from where it will be generated to where it will be used. Under the old paradigm of controllable supply and predictable demand, we have been able to solve that problem frequently enough so we can match supply and demand," he says.
"But a system with millions of active endpoints all participating in this in real time — how can you turn that problem into one that can be solved in real time, automatically, adjusting to the situation on the ground as quickly as possible?"
Solving the problem begins with understanding the math problems and breaking them down into easier-to-solve problems, he says. When the researchers look at the slightly different but solvable math problems, they often find their way to the right answer.
"If we can simplify a problem into one we can solve but isn't exactly right, we often get the right answer," Fromer says.
Part of the solution to the challenge of integrating all the renewable energy required by states like California is finding ways to use both renewable energy and onsite devices in ways that make the best use of them, says Fromer.
"A lot of devices — pool pumps and even refrigerators — have certain profiles and can be used to implement some of these smarter ideas," he says. In some cases, that means shutting the devices down during periods of high electricity demand.
In other cases, that means responding to the needs of the system.
"Solar inverters are one way to do this. If you're over-generating solar, you can adjust how it's being converted so that you can provide reliability support for the grid instead of just power for a home," Fromer says.
Microgrids will also play an important role in helping create a reliable grid that incorporates renewable energy, he says.
Navigating Local Utility Requirements for Microgrids: Lessons from New York
Microgrids represent a relatively new concept that requires adapting existing frameworks. Because of that, projects must involve careful coordination between the developer, utility and the developer's energy consultant to ensure a successful outcome. Download the new white paper from Velioa that explores how to navigate local utility requirements for microgrids.
"Microgrids are another way to think about end users becoming more active participants in the electric grid as a whole. They are users with storage and generation and can be self-sufficient for some amount of time and provide a little electricity to the broader grid."
Again, this involves a sophisticated math-driven system that's able to understand what power sources are available at any given time and make them available to meet demand, he says.
It's still unclear how the mathematical calculations will be used when they're available, says Fromer.
Neil Fromer Discusses Renewable Energy & Storage
"We're still working on that. A lot of people need to use these types of techniques to put them into a system the utilities implement. They could do it through the regulatory process or a product to manage the grid more effectively," says Fromer.
Whether the calculations are used in regulation or products, the fact that we now face this computational challenge points to the need for a different utility model.
"At an engineering scale and at the regulatory level, we're starting to see that the existing models for utilities doing business are incompatible with our goals of increasing our use of renewable energy," says Fromer.
Track stories about the evolving microgrid market by subscribing to our free Microgrid Knowledge newsletter.
Let's Stop Just Consuming and Become Part of the Internet of Energy
The Multi-Directional Grid & its Safety, Connectivity & Speed Challenges
Chasing Energy Storage: Can Policy Keep up with Markets?
Microgrid Developer Serves as Private Utility in Kenya
With Flexibility, Eastern Grid Can Get More than 30 Percent Renewables Online
Filed Under: Controllers & Software, Generation, Google News Feed, Grid, North America, Policy, Renewables, Storage, Utility, x ~ Sub Features Tagged With: Caltech Resnick Sustainability Institute, energy storage, Microgrid Newsletter Article, Neil Fromer
Al Mondelli says:
We need to demand that "unfirmed" renewable energy sources are packaged with energy storage systems or paired with other power sources that ensure only "firmed" power is presented to the grid. That way, the math for the smart grid will be no more complicated than it is for current grid.
Microgrid Financing
State regulatory bodies are realizing that out-of-date regulatory rules are limiting Microgrid adoption and are working to change regulation. States such as New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota have allocated funding and started conversations on how best to change the state regulation to allow for Microgrids to be adopted.


BRASILIA, Nov 21 2017 (IPS) – Two white elephants – a huge football stadium that draws almost no fans and an empty 16-building complex that was to be the new headquarters of the district government – reflect Brasília's challenges as a metropolis, beyond its role as the capital of Brazil.
The Administrative Centre, where the 15,000 officials of the Federal District (DF), and from foundations and public companies, were to be based, was built in Taguatinga, one of the largest cities surrounding the "Pilot Plan", another name for the planned city of Brasília, which was inaugurated in 1960, after it was carved out of the jungle.
"It would be good to have the government here, able to get a closer look at the areas where most of the population lives, generating more jobs and benefits for us," Laura Morais, a young assistant at a hairdressing salon in the centre of Samambaia, a city next to Taguatinga, told IPS.
Inaugurated on Dec. 31, 2014 illegally, according to the public prosecutor's office of the Federal District, the centre was left unused, pending the outcome of a judicial tangle yet to be unraveled.
If the idea were to materialise, "it would turn Taguatinga into a hellhole with even worse traffic jams, but it would boost the growth of Samambaia, which has a lot of free space and few businesses," explained Paulo Pereira, the owner of an optical shop.
"It would also help to decongest Brasília. That is, it would be better for some, worse for others," he told IPS before complaining about the corruption that has bogged down the project.
Former DF governor Agnelo Queiroz was accused of receiving in 2014 a bribe of 2.5 million Brazilian reais (over 760,000 dollars at present), shared with his deputy governor Tadeu Fellipelli, to promote the construction of the Administrative Centre.
The accusation came from executives of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which partnered with another construction firm, Via Engineering, to build the complex, in a Public-Private Partnership by which the companies would complete the work and would be subsequently remunerated with monthly fees for 22 years.
Odebrecht, Brazil's largest construction company, which is active in dozens of countries, reached a plea deal with the justice system to cooperate in the corruption scandal that since 2014 has led to the imprisonment of dozens of businesspersons and politicians who offered or received bribes for public contracts, especially oil companies.
Queiroz and his predecessor, José Arruda, are in prison for another corruption case, the overbilling of the works on the Mané Garrincha stadium, which was expanded to host several of the matches for the 2014 World Cup, which took place in Brazil.
With an initial budget of 210 million dollars, its cost more than doubled, requiring an additional 270 million dollars, according to investigations by the Federal Police.
Corruption has been proven in the construction of many of the 12 stadiums used in the FIFA (International Federation of Associated Football) World Cup, but the one in Brasilia was the most expensive.
Its capacity was raised to 72,788 spectators – ridiculous in a city without a strong football tradition or clubs to justify such an investment. The average attendance at local matches does not reach 2,000 fans, the local football association acknowledges.
Maintaining this gigantic stadium costs more money to the public treasury and generates permanent losses for indefinite time.
The solution would be to turn the stadium into a cultural-sports complex, with "a museum, a library, movie theaters and conference rooms, as well as a shopping center, all related to sports," suggested José Cruz, a veteran local journalist, with decades covering sports.
"It is not something new, but would just copy what has already been done successfully in Europe," and in Brasilia there are great sports heroes, such as runner Joaquim Cruz and the ex-Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet, who would attract public, he told IPS.
But to do this it would be necessary to outsource or grant the contract to the private sector, because "the State has no structure to manage this type of initiative," said the journalist.
For the Administrative Centre, the way out would also be seeking another use for the group of buildings between four and 15 storeys high, in an area of 178,000 square metres, in the middle of the most populous satellite cities, such as Ceilândia, Samambaia, Taguatinga and Aguas Claras, which have a combined population of 1.08 million inhabitants, according to the Federal District Planning Company (Codeplan).
A U.S. university, which intends to open a campus in Brazil, expressed interest in the facilities.
But the judicial situation prevents short-term solutions. Odebrecht claims to have invested more than 300 million dollars in the complex and aims to recover the investment through international arbitration.
For the current government of the DF, headed by socialist Rodrigo Rollemberg, it is not viable to change its headquarters at a cost of millions of dollars per month, at a time of economic crisis and fiscal limitations.
One option is to cancel the 2009 contract, in light of the illegalities that plagued the project. In addition to the allegations of corruption, the previous government of Queiroz inaugurated the Administrative Centre on the last day of its term, based on a permit that the courts threw out as fraudulent.
Queiroz and the Taguatinga local authorities responsible for the permit and named one day before it was issued, were heavily fined and banned from politics as a result of the fraud.
The scandal overshadows the problems of urban development that the Federal District faces, formed by the Pilot Plan or Brasilia, seat of the national and district government, and its satellite urban municipalities, officially called Administrative Regions.
The population of the Federal District stands at 3.04 million, according to Codeplan's District Survey of Households, six times the number of inhabitants predicted when Brasilia was built six decades ago.
The Pilot Plan currently is home to just over 220,000 people, but offers the most and best jobs, attracting a massive influx of commuters from surrounding municipalities every morning.
Ceilandia, the largest city in the area, had a population of 459,000 inhabitants in 2015, having grown 13.6 percent in four years. In the city, 28.1 percent of the active population has a job within the Pilot Plan, while 37.3 works in the municipality itself.
Other neighboring cities have somewhat higher rates of inhabitants employed in the heart of the capital, making up the crowds of commuters that move daily to the Pilot Plan and return at night to their dormitory cities.
The thousands of buses that carry the commuters every day are parked from morning to afternoon in open spaces, such as the square in front of the Mané Garrincha Stadium, until the workers finish their shifts and return to the surrounding municipalities.
A subway, with a single 39-km line that branches off into the different municipalities, is the major mass transport project, but only mobilises about 3.5 million passengers a month, with the trains sitting idle outside rush hour.
Bringing jobs to the periphery would not be a bad idea, but transferring and centralising all the local administration to the outskirts may respond more to personal appetites than to the call for better public management, as other examples show, such as Belo Horizonte, capital of the southern state of Minas Gerais.
*Mario Osava's report was published in IPS. Go to Original.