text:
Don't Believe The Government: The Australia Agreement is a Terrible Deal
In a bid for a much needed Brexit victory, Boris Johnson is pushing the Australian Free Trade Agreement to win public support for the failing Brexit project. The deal will see Australian goods gain tariff- free access to the UK market, and though the Prime Minister was quick to hail the introduction of speciality goods including Tim Tams and Vegemite, there are huge problems under the surface.
"First, there's the distance. It's one thing to export goods tariff free across the English Channel, and quite another to send them 9,440 thousand miles. Quite apart from the CO2 emissions, there are added costs and added logistics – all that amounts to a huge headache." says Author & Journalist Otto English in a new video for Byline TV.
For all the effort and bluster, this trade amounts to a relatively small market. Trade in goods and services between the UK and Australia was valued at £20bn in 2019-20 – A mere fraction of our the exports from our former relationship with the EU which in 2019 were worth as much as £294bn and accounted for 43% of our outward trade. So what will an FTA with Australia bring to the UK economy?
"The government's own figures show that the deal at best would only increase exports to Australia by 7% and add 0.01% to GDP over the next 15 years." says Otto, comparing the size of the deal to the effective GDP of Harrods department store in Knightsbridge. "The only people likely to benefit from this deal are Australian farmers."
For while the rise in UK's exports to Australia is negligible, the boost in trade the other way could rise by almost 83%. Meaning a big win for Australia with very little benefit to the UK. Australia is the second largest producer of beef and lamb in the world, a lot of which does not follow the same regulation on growth hormones or food additives that our partnership with the EU once ensured.
"Were their farmers to be granted tariff-free access to the UK, they would be able to flood the market with cheap imports that would undercut domestically produced meat." claims Otto, "and these changes could devastate UK farming … The FTA with Australia is about nothing more than optics, and about tapping into those Brexit yearnings for a world in which Britain headed a great empire and was top dog. None of this makes good economic sense. And none of this benefits the vast majority of the people in Britain."
To support Byline TV and get access to tons of extra benefits including extended content and exclusive livestreams, become a member at https://patreon.com/bylinetv
Special Thanks to our top tier Patrons: (Directors Club) John Anderson, Susan Angoy, Andrew Cave, Stuart Clark, Catherine Cox, Nigel Davies, Alex Gullen, Stephanie Moss, Dave Nash, Mark Newton, Alicia Pivaro, Peter Qvortrup, Christine Riding, Daniel Shimmin, Valko Yotov, Bhags, Kath, Tim and William
In this article:Australia, Beef, Brexit, Exports, Farming, FTA, Trade


The Huawei Honor FlyPods Pro are completely wireless. The wireless stereo earphones looks very fashionable and will be delivered in a portable charging box. There are 2 colors to choose to fit your flavor: red and white.
You can connect the Honor FlyPods Pro via Bluetooth 5.0. Connecting the earbuds to your phone is simple and easy. You simply have to flip open the case of the earbuds and a prompt message pops up on the screen with details about the earbuds including its current battery level and a request to pair. After a simple Bluetooth pairing with your mobile phone or tablet, they will connect automatically once you open the case. From now on you can listen to music or make phone calls when driving and doing your daily workout. The Honor FlyPods Pro adapt ENC technology featuring 4 microphones to improve your voice quality ensuring crystal clear conversations.
With this Flypods Pro Version you don't need touch controls as the Yoyo AI assistant is built-in, ask it to control playback, answer calls and more. Another feature of this Pro Version is that it uses a combination of voice recognition and "bone sound pattern" recognition, the FlyPods Pro can be used via biometric recognition. Apparently, each individual has a unique bone sound pattern. You can simply ask it to unlock your phone and it will do so. You can use the FlyPods Pro to make payments with your voice as it has support for WeChat payment and AliPay (Both of the above mentioned features only support Chinese language).
The Flypods Pro are even IP54 certified and therefore rated waterproof, so sweat and rain don't damage them. The earbuds have a battery capacity of 420mAh and they last 2,5 hours for phone call on a single charge and up to 15 hours with the charging case. The case charges via a USB-Type-C port and can also be charged wirelessly.
Order and buy the wireless Honor FlyPods Pro earphones now online at CECT-Shop.com. Since 2006 your #1 online-shop for consumer electronics.
Hallo, ist das richtig das Honor Flypods bluetooth v5.0 haben und die Pro Version nur v4.2?
Hallo Faruk, vielen Dank für ihre Nachricht und Anfrage. Die Huawei Honor FlyPods Standard Edition (https://www.cect-shop.com/de/honor-flypods.html) und die FlyPods Pro Version (https://www.cect-shop.com/de/honor-flypods-pro.html) unterstützen beide Bluetooth 5.0, sowie Bluetooth Protokol A2DP 1.3, Hands-free configuration (HFP) 1.6 und AVRCP. Die Huawei Honor FlyPods Youth Edition (https://www.cect-shop.com/de/honor-flypods-youth-edition-wireless-headphones.html) unterstützt Bluetooth 4.2. Sollten Sie weitere Fragen haben, stehen wir Ihnen gerne jederzeit zur Verfügung. Vielen Dank im Voraus und bis bald, ihr CECT-Shop Team.


text:
Home Community Post Notes March 19, 2020
The Clock Tower/Grant Hall as seen from a Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation rentable Cessna piloted by Fort Leavenworth Flying Club member Lt. Col. Tony Taylor June 7, 2018, on the way back to the Sherman Army Airfield runway. Taylor, who retired in August 2018, utilized the resources offered by the Flying Club to help him transition from an Army aviator to a civilian pilot. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
Post Notes March 19, 2020
The U.S. Army COVID-19 INFORMATION HOTLINE is now available. For information about symptoms, how it is spread or more, call 1(800) 984-8523.
The TRICARE NURSE ADVICE LINE is available for all TRICARE beneficiaries at 1(800) 874-2273.
There is a STOP MOVEMENT in effect for the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. This measure restricts all travel including temporary duty, permanent-change-of-station moves and leave. Only local-area leave is authorized at this time. Employees and service members are directed to consult their chain of command/supervision before making any travel plans.
Soldiers, family members and Department of the Army civilians who may not be able to use airline tickets and resort or hotel reservations in conjunction with personal travel as a result of the COVID-19 emergency CANNOT RECEIVE ANY REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE ARMY for the loss. The Personnel Claims Act, the Federal Tort Claims Act and the Military Claims Act, the laws which the Army applies to losses by Army personnel, do not have provisions for paying Army personnel for these kinds of personal losses. All soldiers, family members and DA civilians are strongly encouraged to contact the airline, hotel or resort where they have made reservations and see if a refund is possible. It is also recommended that they obtain either travel insurance or ensure that the tickets and reservations they purchase are refundable before making the reservations. For more information, call the Claims Office at 6845376.
The Fort Leavenworth TAX ASSISTANCE CENTER will remain open for normal hours — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays with a few changes in place in light of COVID-19 concerns. All eligible personnel can drop-off paperwork using the drop-off service previously only available to soldiers E-5 and below. Once taxes have been prepared by a Tax Center volunteer, individuals can come to the Tax Center by appointment only to review the return and sign it. Do not come to the appointment if showing symptoms of the virus or any other illness. For more information or to cancel an appointment, call 684-4986.
There is a "NO TOUCH" POLICY in effect at all access gates. Inbound drivers should show their identification cards when they approach the guards, the guards will provide instruction on how they will scan the cards.
The DINING FACILITY IS NOW ONLY OPEN TO MEAL CARD HOLDERS. The drive-through is still serving paying customers. Standard meal rates are $3.50 for breakfast, $5.65 for lunch, $4.90 for dinner and $9.20 for holiday meals.
All Army and Air Force Exchange Service FOOD VENDORS ARE TAKE-OUT ONLY, including Burger King and the Exchange Food Court, until further notice.
The Fort Leavenworth DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PHOTO STUDIO is currently closed. All scheduled photos and appointments are canceled and will not be rescheduled at this time. This is in accordance with DoD EXORD 144-20 FRAGO 7 and social distancing guidance from the chain of command.
Starting Monday, Fort Leavenworth FITNESS FACILITIES WILL BE OPEN under the following conditions to active-duty service members, Department of Defense civilians and retired military only. Gruber Fitness Center will only allow 75 patrons in the facility at one time for one hour per person. Harney Sports Complex will only allow 20 patrons in the facility at one time for one hour per person. Harney Sports Complex Annex will only allow 15 patrons in the facility at one time for one hour per person. The pool at Harney Sports Complex will only allow one patron per lane for 30 minutes per person. All facilities will close from 9-11 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. for deep cleaning.
ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF ASSISTANCE is available to soldiers and families affected by COVID-19. Soldiers and family members exposed to COVID-19 and quarantined can contact an AER caseworker through the Army Operations Center at (703) 697-0218.
STREET PARKING IN FRONT OF RESIDENCES ON AUGUR, MEADE AND BUFORD AVENUES on Main Post is for residents only. Vehicles parked in these areas and not displaying a resident placard are subject to ticketing. Main Post residents who need parking tags should visit the Fort Leavenworth Frontier Heritage Communities office at 220 Hancock Ave., 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Fort Leavenworth THRIFT SHOP, 1025 Sheridan Drive, is closed until further notice.
CLAIMS FOR DAMAGE TO HOUSEHOLD GOODS are handled by the U.S. Army Center for Personnel Claims Support in Fort Knox, Ky. The Claims Office is only available to assist claimants to contact the USARCS-CPCS with a claim. For more information, call 684-4913.
Department of Defense policy PROHIBITS THE USE OF CBD OIL and other hemp-based products by service members.
Trails West Golf Course is in charge of the RECREATIONAL VEHICLE STORAGE LOT. For more information, visit 306 Cody Road or call (913) 651-7176.
The WOMEN VETERANS CALL CENTER hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Call 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636).
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE can be dropped off at the HHW Collection Point in the basement of 810 McClellan Ave. from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. There are also outside drop-off cabinets that can be used after hours. Products should be kept in their original containers, when possible. Household hazardous waste includes automotive products, home improvement products, paint, varnish, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk and adhesives, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, cosmetics, lighter fluid, and arts and crafts materials. E-waste is also accepted at the collection point, including computers, cell phones, cameras, modems, monitors, televisions, printers, game systems and general electronics. Used motor oil and antifreeze can be dropped off at the Auto Craft Center at 911 McClellan Ave. or at an off-post garage.
The Fort Leavenworth SMARTPHONE APP is available for Android and iPhone. Search the Google Play and Apple stores for "Fort Leavenworth," and download the app for quick links to contacts, services, news, info and things to do.
Fort Leavenworth chapel services
All RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND CHAPEL SPONSORED EVENTS ARE CANCELED until May 11.
Services will use online streaming options for services during this time.
Chapels will be open for prayer and will be monitored to ensure social distancing guidelines are met. For more information, call 684-2210.
Look for these Chapel Community groups on
• Fort Leavenworth Chapels
• Fort Leavenworth Gospel Service
• Fort Leavenworth Gospel Service Women's Ministry
• Ft Leavenworth Episcopal/Anglican Congregation Memorial Chapel
• Ft. Leavenworth Club Beyond
• Saint Ignatius Parish, Fort Leavenworth
• Ft. Leavenworth Chapel Liturgical
• Christ Fellowship – Fort Leavenworth
Previous articlePlaces to go, Things to do March 19, 2020
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twenty − 13 =

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Identifying which button the user clicked when presented with a MsgBox in order to use their response in our code.
00:05 So now let's look at how to use a message box in a real world practical solution.
00:12 we had built a macro that allows us to roll forward the file and then save it.
00:22 see what would happen if the file was already found.
00:25 As it is we take a pretty hard line stance on this.
00:27 If the file is found we nuke it and that's it.
00:33 would you like us to save it?
00:36 shall we just stop running the routine all together?
00:38 I think that would be a much, much nicer way of dealing with it.
00:45 block that I actually have here right now.
00:52 we kill the file name, and then we step out of our if statement.
00:55 If the file didn't exist, we just step right out of the if statement.
00:59 In both cases, we end up running the this workbook.save as.
01:03 I'm gonna move this code.
01:10 absolutely certain that this still works.
01:17 sure that we are aware that I haven't compromised the structure here.
01:20 So we check and see if the file exists.
01:24 If it exists, we delete it and then we save the new workbook under its new name.
01:37 then we exit the loop, okay?
01:38 So it's the same thing.
01:39 It's just that we've used the same code line twice.
01:41 Why did I do that?
01:43 I actually wanna get a little bit more granular with what's going on in here.
01:50 would you like me to do this?
01:52 And if you don't, I'd like to get it out.
01:59 I don't know what the data type is that's actually captured here.
02:09 I'm gonna dim that as a variant because I'm not 100% sure what it is.
02:13 It's where I'll start.
02:18 found out that the file exists.
02:20 So what we're gonna do is we're gonna say msgresult equals.
02:29 setting this equal to something, I now actually need to put in parenthesis.
02:36 trying to capture the result.
02:42 spell that a little nicer.
02:44 Would you like to replace the file?
02:56 I'm gonna hit space, underscore, Enter.
03:02 that gives me a line break to make my code a little bit easier to work with.
03:10 how about VB question plus and we'll say VB yes no.
03:20 let's call it File exists.
03:30 missing a list separator or a parenthesis.
03:34 here I forgot to put a closing one on there.
03:38 and let's me know that I shouldn't go forward.
03:40 So I fix that up, that looks better.
03:46 is I actually want to test if the message result equals something.
03:50 But unfortunately, I don't know what that is yet.
03:55 on this Kill FullFilePath here.
03:58 And remember that this file already exists.
04:04 So I know this file exists right now.
04:06 So we won't run roll forward.
04:08 We're not gonna save this.
04:11 get into the point where, does the file exist?
04:13 Of course this file does exist.
04:16 So we're gonna end up triggering our message.
04:19 And it says, would you like to replace the file?
04:21 So I'm gonna say yes.
04:24 I can use the immediate window I can see that my message result is six.
04:29 Well what in the heck does that mean?
04:30 Well here, let me just check this out here.
04:32 If I go in and say, let's go in and go to question mark, what is vbYes?
04:40 You'll notice that vbYes is equal to six.
04:43 These are numeric constants, that's actually why we can add them together.
04:46 So we can actually work with that.
04:47 We'll say stop this, and we'll try this.
04:55 then we will kill the full file path.
05:01 If it doesn't else that must mean that it's no.
05:07 exit the sub routine completely.
05:14 we can actually jump right out.
05:16 So that's gonna be really helpful.
05:24 at least not directly from here, because I know that the January file works here.
05:31 that's the workbook I'm in that's not going to do very well.
05:34 So let's try and run this from our master macro.
05:48 what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna use this step over command.
05:50 And that will run all of the pieces that are in the RollFoward macro.
05:56 set up the individual components that we're looking for.
06:02 would you like to replace the file?
06:04 That means that it found the February file, so I'm gonna say yes.
06:13 kill the file path and then we'll step back and say, save and we're good to go.
06:19 Okay, so it works quite nicely overall.
06:28 then actually test it to see which direction you wanna go.
06:34 it would have skipped the remaining lines in this routine and jump straight out.


text:
file_cache_path  "/tmp/chef-solo"
cookbook_path "/tmp/chef/cookbooks"
log_level        :info
log_location     STDOUT
ssl_verify_mode  :verify_none
role_path "/tmp/roles"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
75th Anniversary of the Guadalcanal Campaign
[My forces are] unable to control the sea in the Guadalcanal area.... The situation is not hopeless but it is certainly critical.
~Admiral Chester A. Nimitz
Battle of Savo Island – Guadalcanal '42 Sea Campaign
On 03 AUG, we met at King's Head Pub and remembered the Battle of Savo Island (75th Anniversary fought 08 AUG 1942). This is the first of several Guadalcanal sea battles (Iron Bottom Sound) that we were playtesting a new ruleset for use at this year's Texas BROADSIDE!
There was a great turnout and many were catching up. The game would have played better with more participants each in command of a small group of vessels.
Casualties were higher than the original battle and the Americans fired many more shots than in the original battle. The Japanese mission to sink transports was achieved and the Americans would have suffered greatly as a result. The Japanese lost their cruiser fleet (much different outcome than the original battle).
Lots of input from the Houston Beer and Pretzel gamers and as a result the rule system will be adjusted slightly and gaming aids will be updated for ease of play.
Guadalcanal 75th "Before Action" Report: 25 June 2017
Filed by Ed Jablonski
Several of the attendees have already remarked to me that the past gaming session at Steve's was one of their most enjoyable ever! Rather than an "AAR", here I humbly submit a "Before Action" Report:
The line-up was (not) as follows:
Daniel, Mark, and Tom were NOT the Allies. They had no designated Team Captain.
Barry and Rob were NOT the Japanese; Edward was NOT their Team Captain.
Steve was NOT the GM.
To begin, we gathered at Steve's place, where he showed us his fabulous gaming set-up. Here we beheld his enormous Guadalcanal Map, plus his extensive set of air, naval, and land miniatures available with which to play out the entire campaign. He supplied us all with a large selection of cold drinks. His wife, a gracious hostess, brought us tasty tidbits to nibble on while the (later, full) meal was prepared. It was then revealed a unique opportunity: we got to help design the game!
Rob asked the group some excellent game-design questions: Who are the Players? How much time do we have? Barry proposed an excellent schema for land movement. Many good ideas were tossed around. The discussions went on for a while, and we ultimately decided to postpone actual play until "Texas Broadside" later this year.
See the accompanying images of:
Barry (NOT) moving his ships;
Rob and Tom (NOT) moving their planes; and
Several more pics of the fabulous gaming equipment.
When the (plentiful) food was announced as ready, we retired to the downstairs dining room for some serious conversation. Accompanied by copious amounts of adult beverages, this overly well-read group of gamers discussed all of the greatest of historical military strategists:
Sun-Tzu;
Churchill;
Gilligan; and,
The definitive "Re-enactment of Pearl Harbor" by Monty Python.
This nonsense continued with the greatest of merriment until all the bottles were empty. Of course when that happened, everyone promptly left.
Great Thanks to Steve for hosting! And sorry for all the mess! (I'm sure those stains will come out eventually by using just a little bit of bleach). It was a great time!
Stephen and Joe, with the support of many other club members, as play testers, have endeavored to undertake a grand club project - to develop a game system that commemorates the six months of battle around Guadalcanal (09 August 1942 to 14 February 1943). The campaign will involve air, land, and sea logistics in true milk stool fashion.
This blog page provides us the means to capture the evolution of this game system and our enjoyment in playing it.


Is there a way to get the full listing or any ideas on how to loop through it?
Just to close this out and help anyone else find this answer more quickly.
How can I configure an HTTP Event Collector to send each incoming event to another rest api and ingest the event into Splunk?
How to filter my search to only list values for a field that contain more than one host?


Taxes are a fact of life | Accounting Questions, Tax Tips, Personal Finance Topics and More!
Taxes are a fact of life, but knowledge and smart planning can lessen the impact.
Is the biggest tax refund the best strategy?
When to file an amended return?
Should a household employee be on payroll?
What to do with an IRS notice?
Can I prepare my own taxes?
Some of the savviest tax professionals are on BookkeepoingHelp.com – CPAs, Enrolled Agents and Tax Attorneys will be contributing to our topics and answering your questions.
Think it's important to cover the basics. Many people think if they have a refund coming they can wait years to file and still get the refund. Refunds only stand good for three years, after that, you've lost it. Get those taxes filed and make sure you get what's coming to you.
Good information to know, Wayne. I would bet most tax payers have no idea that tax refunds expire. By the way, who waits to get their refunds?


Families, like time, move on and the recipes in this book will please children who are becoming more adventurous and grown-up. This is a cookbook for the whole family, meaning that no one has to compromise on flavour or time. A great new collection, complete with photographs so that you can see exactly what you're aiming for. Recipes include caramelised red onion soda bread; red massaman chicken; cheat's wellington with Jameson jus; harissa pork chops; pea and mint bulghur wheat salad; cranberry, macadamia and chocolate chip flapjacks; and rhubarb and custard cheesecake.


text:
South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839)
MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY.
WHEN Mr. R. GOUGER was appointed Colonial Secretary to the Province of South Australia, a remark was made to one of the present officers of the colony by a gentlemen who
Sat 3 Feb 1838 - South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839)
Page 2 - MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY.
MR. GOUGER—EX-COLONIAL SECRE-
TARY.
WHEN Mr. R. GOUGER was appointed Colo-
nial Secretary to the Province of South Aus-
tralia, a remark was made to one of the pre-
sent officers of the colony by a gentlemen who
knew and appreciated Mr. Gouger thoroughly,
which the conduct and fate of the man has
impressed strongly upon our memory—" It is
an unfortunate appointment I admit," said
Mr. ———"but he has worked for some-
thing of the sort for nine years; yet such is
the emptiness of the fellow that you will see he
wants ballast to keep his office nine months."
This prophecy has been verified almost to
the letter.
After a few months swagger in office,
during which time he contrived to sicken with
his insolence almost every person with whom
he transacted business, and to disgust those
whom he dared not openly insult, Mr.
Gouger committed a most disgraceful and
unprovoked assault upon the person of the
Colonial Treasurer in the public streets of
Adelaide, and was suspended from his office
by the Governor in opposition to the opinions
of Mr. Fisher, the Resident Commissioner,
who desired to "hush the matter up." and
who evidently did not think Mr. Gouger's
conduct sufficiently disreputable to disqualify
him as a brother councillor, and of Mr Mann,
the then Advocate General, who was, in
fact, particeps criminis —the individual who
led Mr. Gouger into the scrape.
These gentlemen, however, failed in persuad-
ing the Governor that a ruffian-like attack
such as the one committed by the Colonial Se-
cretary could be passed over with a reprimand.
His Excellency suspended Mr. Gouger from his
office, and was applauded for doing so by
every right thinking and unprejudiced man in
the colony. The ex-Colonial Secretary departed
from the colony with the melancholy conscious-
ness of not having left one real friend behind
him, or of having done a solitary act deserving
public gratitude. He had exerted himself to
bring the Governor's administration into dis-
repute, and might have been successful had not
his designs been suspected and frustrated. From
the first he was the tool of the petty clique, whose
names we shall presently exhibit, and after his
well-deserved suspension he became their pet.
It was impossible to raise the poor fellow from
the dirt, so they magnanimously resolved
to lie down beside him. The following letters,
which we find in the Launceston Advertiser,
convey to us and to the public of South Aus-
tralia the first intelligence of the astounding
fact that a sort of certificate of character had
been secretly got up to give Mr. Gouger an
apology for venturing to look Lord Glenelg
or Colonel Torrens in the face.—
" To the Editor of the Launceston Advertiser.
"Launceston, December 2, 1837.
" Sif—l am induced by some passages in a
leading article on South Australia which appeared
in your journal of the 30th ult. to send you a
copy of a protest against my suspension from
office by order of his Excellency Governor HIND-
MARSH, contrary to the advice of the other mem-
bers of council present, and also of a letter ad-
dressed to Colonel Torrens, chairman of the
South Australian commission, by gentlemen of
the highest repute in the province, a duplicate of
which was placed open in my hands on the day
prior to my departure for England.
" I am exceedingly reluctant thus to obtrude
myself upon the notice of the public, and parti-
cularly to be led into any justification of my own
character,—seeing however that the absence of
a free press in South Australia precludes any
attempt at vindication there, and feeling that the
public position I have occupied has not had the
effect of steeling me against the opinion of the
virtuous part of the community, I venture to re-
quest you to publish the papers which I now en-
"I am, Sir,
"Your obedient Servant,
"ROBERT GOUGER"
MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY. (1838, February 3). South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839), p. 2. Retrieved January 22, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31749797
"MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY." South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839) 3 February 1838: 2. Web. 22 Jan 2021 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31749797>.
1838 'MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY.', South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839), 3 February, p. 2. , viewed 22 Jan 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31749797
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31749797 |title=MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY. |newspaper=[[South Australian Gazette And Colonial Register]] |volume=I, |issue=11 |location=South Australia |date=3 February 1838 |accessdate=22 January 2021 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide, SA : 1836 - 1839), Sat 3 Feb 1838, Page 2 - MR. GOUGER?—EX-COLONIAL SECRETARY.


text:
GearBrain
Skullcandy Hesh ANC review: $130 noise-cancelling wireless headphones for the budget minded
The Hesh ANC headphones are lightweight, and featuring Tile trackers inside
Lauren Barack
Skullcandy's latest wireless headphones bring the price for active-noise cancelling down for the more budget-conscious buyer. At $129.99, the set is far more affordable than Skullcandy's other ANC options including the $320 Crusher ANC and even the $199.99 Crusher Evo.
How do they compare when listening to music, watching video, or just as noice cancelling headphones? Here's our take.
You get a soft carrying case, cables and a charging cable with the headphonesGearBrain
With the new Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones you're getting the headphones, plus a USB to USB-C charging cord (not an end, though), cables for plugging in if you don't — or can't— go wireless, and a soft bag for carrying them. (At $130, a hard case is not part of the plan.)
There's also a quick start guide which is helpful if you're new to Skullcandy. If not, just plug them into an outlet for a charge and you're good to go. The headphones can hold 22 hours of battery life, and you can get a fast juice of three hours in just 10 minutes. That's a huge plus for anyone in a work-at-home situation, basically giving you a chunk of your work day covered in minutes.
Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphone - True Black
Lightweight, plus other features
Buttons to control the basics are easily located on the right ear, and include a button for power, volume, turning ANC on and off, and even pairing. These buttons were not as simple to locate or control, however, by touch. Placed very close together, I often found I needed to pull the headphones off my head to be able to pick the option that I wanted. The buttons also weren't simple to click, requiring a bit more pressure to bring up the action I wanted as well.
There is also a Tile tracker inside the headphones, a feature Skullcandy has now offered on their audio devices for some time. Tile lets you track a device via the Tile app, and you can use this to locate the headphones, even if they're not close.
The Hesh ANC headphones fold up to carry them more easilyGearBrain
In terms of size and weight, the Hesh ANC are noticeably light when you pick them up, and in fact weigh just 8 ounces, compared the 10.88 ounces of the Crusher ANC and the 11 ounces of the Crusher Evo. That's nice for when you're carrying them around, and even if you're wearing them for a long time on your head. But they also gave them a bit less heft, which I missed, and even the ear pads felt just a bit less plush.
The headband does expand, though, and the top of the band is slightly padded which gives you a better chance of them fitting well on your head. I never once felt they would fall off, they sat securely and snug and that's great. The ears are padded as well, but that cushion is less dense than what I have on a more expensive pair of Skullcandy headphones. What that tells me is that the padding on the ears and on the headband are likely to pack down over time. Again, something to note.
Buttons run along the right ear, and are a bit tricky to identify by feelGearBrain
Skullcandy Hesh sound
Why do we buy headphones? We buy them for sound. Yes, we sometimes eye options that are wireless, and other times we want features like noice cancellation. But above and beyond we also want to make sure the headphones play well, delivering clear audio when in use.
Sound quality was fine — I didn't feel I was missing anything as I listened to both music and video.There was a bit of flattening in the sound, especially when compared to the Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones. Ranges were a bit limited, with fewer rounded tones. This wouldn't impact you using the headphones for watching videos. But if you're an audiophile you'll want to take note of that.
I also had one instance where the sound completely went out, replaced with what sounded like computer interference, which I could not stop. I tried disconnecting the headphones from Bluetooth, and even powered them off. But I could only get the headphones to go silent when I plugged them into a power source. This only happened once — and so I don't know if they picked up interference from something around me.
There is padding is on the ears and headbandGearBrain
ANC and ambient
ANC worked really well, with the difference between ambient mode and noise cancellation was clear and noticeable. And while I haven't been on a plane in more than a year — that is one time when I rely heavily on ANC features, and I would be happy turning to these in that setting. Even working at home, I have other people in my space constantly and ANC also helps with that, blocking out phone calls I don't need to hear, even construction which seems to be constant in my neighborhood in New York. Again, the Hesh ANC were champs.
As mentioned, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC are an impressive $129.99, and we've already seen that price a bit lower on some sites.
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones are lighter weight than comparable headphonesSkullcandy
Worth getting?
Wireless headphones with active noise cancellation are not typically low-priced items. That feature can be an expensive addition. But Skullcandy has produced a fairly budget-friendly option with the Hesh ANC at $129.99. The sound is clear, and while not as bright and full as the Skullcandy Crusher Evo, they're absolutely solid for video calls, watching movies and even a YouTube binge.
For people who lean towards audio quality over noise cancellation, the Crusher Evo may be a better option — although you will spend more for those headphones. And the Crusher ANC are even a better choice for a solid audio experience with noise cancellation — but of course you'll pay more than two times what you'll drop on the Hesh ANC.
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC then are an excellent choice for headphones that deliver good audio along with great noise-cancelling abilities. They're lightweight, adjustable and definitely, considering their features, solidly affordable.
Sound quality is fine, but not excellent
Padding is thin and less dense on ears and headband
Buttons hard to feel and find on ear
Skullcandy Hesh ANC Over-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Bundle with Skullcandy Fix Rapid Dual USB Port AC Adapter - Black
What works with ADT
What works with Insteon


I have not revealed as much as I really could about my spiritual life. It's time.
Let's talk about the power of intuition.
Each time I reinvented myself in small or large ways over the last 30 yrs., it was always inspired by a strong divine urge prodding me to up-level, change, and evolve. It comes in form of a constant energetic feeling that speaks to me from the collective consciousness (you and everyone).
The message is always evolve, innovate, and follow your heart.
This happened when I found my entertainment PR career in 1986 and then again 22 yrs. later when I changed my career path into mentoring and coaching creative business owners.
It was always at a crucial time when the world around me was shifting and changing. In 2006 this thing called social media was turning the world upside down transforming how we connected with one another while dictating how we showed up online as businesses, brands, and in our personal lives. My world of public relations was then the new social media and I had to reinvent fast!
The recurring intuitive message I get each time something is on the verge of change is that humanity is in need of a clarifying purpose, direction and impact; like a soothing balm. People desire a life with more meaning.
This is the vibe again. Change. Evolve. I'm listening. New clients coming in are asking for life coaching in their spirituality, purpose and meaning at a soul level.
Early rate ends Monday 4/8. We have room for a few more. Come and bring a friend. We'll exchange ideas, eat and drink delicious wine.


A lot more than you might think goes into preparing for your reiki treatment.
When I first get an enquiry, I'll work out with a client what's the best time for them to come. Or if they book online through Bookwell, then I need to check my calendar to make sure that time is free and confirm the appointment through Bookwell.
Then, for all clients who are coming, I send an SMS with some instructions about how to find me (as it's a bit tricky to find the entrance in the small alley in Surry Hills) which also reminds them of the time of their appointment and the cost. It also means they have my phone number in case they get lost, want to ask further questions or need to cancel or rebook.
I've also learned that if someone doesn't respond to that SMS, there's a chance that they didn't receive the message, and I should SMS again closer to the time and date of the appointment. Also, if someone books over a week in advance, it's useful for me to try to remember to send a reminder, as clients do sometimes forget about a treatment if they book too far in advance (and don't put it in their calendar).
Before the treatment, I need to make sure that the room is ready. Is the speaker charged so I can play music during the treatment? Is my Square charged for taking credit card payments? Do I also have change for those who pay in cash? Is the room tidy, and have I set up the reiki table with towels and pillows?
Twenty minutes before a treatment is when I've learned to be ready. Usually new clients are between 5 and 10 minutes early. Repeat clients, because they know the location, usually time their visit more closely to the appointment time, but often, understandably, clients give themselves a good amount of time to find the place, or they leave work early (who doesn't want to do that?). If a client is five minutes late, I'll send an SMS to ask if they need help finding me!
Being ready for the treatment means that I've made tea to offer when the client comes and sits down. Even if someone doesn't want tea, I think it's a nice thing to offer, and a nice way to sit down and feel like they've arrived somewhere. I also light the five tea light candles that I have in the room. Whether it's sunny or dark, I've always liked candles, and the feeling of warmth they bring to a space. One of the candles is in my tea warmer, which I've discovered can keep the tea warm for the whole treatment!
To make sure we're not disturbed during the treatment, I switch my fitness device to silent (if I don't do this, it will buzz and tell me to "MOVE" during the treatment) but I don't turn my phone to airplane mode until I'm sure the client has arrived. I also turn on my speaker, open the Spotify app on my iPhone and connect them, to play music during the treatment which I hope is relaxing and gentle and can also help block out any background noise from the street and neighbourhood.
When a client arrives, I buzz them in, greet them at the door, and welcome them to the apartment. I'll ask them to remove their shoes at the door and offer them the use of the bathroom before we start (when I started proactively offering this, I was surprised how many clients took me up on the offer, which makes me wonder how many clients before that were uncomfortably realising during a treatment that they needed to go to the bathroom!). Then, I'll ask the client to take a seat, introduce them to Thor, the reiki cat, if he's decided to grace us with his presence, offer tea, and ask a client what brings them to reiki that day.
And finally, we're ready to begin!


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Wu Qi was eerste minister van de staat Chu in de 4e eeuw v.Chr. tijdens de Periode van de Strijdende Staten. Hij had zich eerst als strijdheer en ambtenaar onderscheiden in de staten Lu en Wei, maar werd gedwongen beide staten te verlaten nadat hij door de afgunstige plaatselijk adel werd vervolgd. In 382 v.Chr. werd hij door koning Dao van Chu als eerste minister aangesteld. Direct ging hij voortvarend te werk door nieuwe wetten te introduceren, goedbetaalde erefuncties af te schaffen, land van de adel te onteigenen en verre familieleden van het koningshuis privileges te ontnemen. De besparingen die dit opleverden werden gebruikt om de krijgsmacht te versterken. Toen koning Dao in 381 v.Chr. stierf zag de adel zijn kans schoon om Wu Qi te doden. Wu Qi probeerde zich nog te verschuilen achter het opgebaarde lichaam van de gestorven koning dat hierbij met pijlen werd geraakt. Dao's zoon koning Su liet de betrokken edelmannen daarop terechtstellen wegens de ontwijding van het lichaam van zijn vader. Hiermee werd een stevige slag toegebracht aan de conservatieve krachten in Chu.

Oud-Chinees politicus
Persoon in de 4e eeuw v.Chr.
Strijdende Staten

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


9 carat gold ring with 2 solid boulder opals. The opals display all the colours of the rainbow and the colours are very bright. The small opal measure 6 mm on the longest side and the large opal measure 8 mm at is longest point. It is a size 5.5.


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City prepares to clean up this Saturday
A packed agenda and a packed house were the order of the day at Tuesday's meeting of the Georgiana City Council.
Considerable discussion time was given to the two "Clean Up Days" set aside to spruce up the town and clear away junk, trash and debris.
Saturday, April 10 and Saturday, April 24 are the dates Mayor Mike Middleton will have city employees out with trucks making rounds to pick up trash. The city council members have all been contacting citizens in their district in efforts to organize volunteers for the two days.
Council member Byron Ward said arrangements had also been made for pick up of any scrap metal items on April 10.
"If we have a good amount of items for them to pick up, they said they will be back on April 24," Ward said.
The public is encouraged to use the opportunity to discard old appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators.
"We've had a lot of folks donate items to assist with this cleanup," Ward said. "A lot of people from out of town have supplied us with surgical gloves, grippers to assist older people in trash cleanup. And our Dollar General has donated garbage bags and bottled water."
Mayor Middleton said he'd get the bottled water on ice to keep everyone cool that day.
"And remember, if you don't show up, you will be talked about," he quipped.
Middleton also reminded those present a memorial tribute to Mary Wallace would be held beginning at 1 p.m. April 10 at the Ga-Ana Theatre and continuing until 7 p.m.
"Mary did a lot for our Hank museum. Many people do not realize just how much time she put in. I encourage you to drop by and pay your respects to her memory," Middleton said.
He also encouraged those at the meeting to make plans to attend Salute-A-Soldier set for April 17 at Hank Williams Park. "The Family Readiness Group sponsors this and they do a lot to help these soldiers' families. This is their major fundraiser, so if you've got a civic mind, go out there and support it," Middleton said.
Ward discussed the benefits of the National League of Cities Prescription Drug Plan Card, which the council voted to adopt at no cost to the City. He also spoke on gathering information for the planned City of Georgiana website, and presented a proposed version of the city's new flag. That flag will be sent to Iraq to fly over the command post where some local troops are stationed, Ward said. The council will vote on a final version next month.
The council approved the following items:
*2010 Sales Tax Holiday (Ordinance 2010-02)
*D&H Products, Inc. invoice #8377 for weed killer in the amount of $1,248.77
*Request by Police Chief James Blackmon to apply to the USDA for grant (80 percent with 20 percent city match) for two police cars. This would allow the department to avoid keeping the same police vehicles on the road 24 hours a day and extend their years of usage, Middleton said.
SEAGD gives funds for schools
After speaking with superintendents throughout the SEAGD service area, the company and its Board of Directors opted to allocate Give... read more


Every component in your performance vehicle serves an important purpose. While a new tensioner won't directly add any horsepower to your engine, it will ensure that all the precision parts move like clockwork, perfectly and orderly.
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15 Filtered Photos from Space Center Houston
I recently treated myself to a day at Space Center Houston, the museum associated with the Johnson Space Center.
While I was there, I wandered through the exhibits and took several hundred photographs. The images by themselves are fine, but I have been enamored with a new photo filtering app called Prisma (Currently only on iOS, but there is an Android Beta).
Prisma let's me turn almost any ordinary image into a work of art. Since I consider the tech of the space administration artwork itself, I had so much fun filtering my photos into something a bit more personal.
I already shared several of these with my images with friends via Instagram and Facebook, so I thought I would share some here with some thoughts about each one.
I hope you enjoy…
Independence Plaza
Upon arrival to Space Center Houston, the museum's newest landmark exhibit grabs your attention before the car is even parked.
I've visited Space Center Houston back in 2009. Last time, I was struck by a lack of something I couldn't put my finger on. Now I know what it is; Every great museum needs something that pulls you in, right off the street.
It's easy to suggest that Huntsville's US Space & Rocket Center's visible display of rockets would excite any space enthusiast. I visited there in 2012 with my family and I was practically leaping from the car to get a closer look at it's veritable orchard of standing boosters; and we were still several blocks away!
In Florida, Kennedy Space Center probably has the most appealing of all the visual treats with the historical significance of Launch Pad 39a and the ever impressive Vehicle Assembly Building. However, the Launch Pad & VAB are hard to see from the museum and so the building housing the Space Shuttle Atlantis serves as a noble surrogate (One of the finest museum exhibits I've seen anywhere). There is also a nicer rocket park at KSC, than at JSC, but that's understandable since that is the place they launched rockets. I had the privilege to explore with my family in 2014 and can't wait to go back.
Finally, Houston has a proud landmark visible to arriving guests and easily equals the other two museums.
Independence Plaza, presented by Boeing, offers a unique experience, unlike the other's. Visitors enter the shuttle replica Independence, mounted on top of the historic, and original, NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft (SCA), a converted Boeing 747. It is the world's only shuttle mounted on an SCA and the only one allowing the public to enter both.
Multiple exhibits inside each vehicle provides a rare glimpse as well as examples of innovation from the shuttle era. I read that the giant multi-exhibit complex is the biggest project of the nonprofit Manned Space Flight Education Foundation since it built and opened Space Center Houston in 1992.
Fortunately for me, most people were inside the main building to avoid the heat and I was able to walk all around both vehicles, taking my time to snap pictures and soak it all in.
Side Note: I visited Boeing's Everett, WA factory in May (The worlds largest building by volume) and was not permitted anywhere close to an actual plane. Here, you can walk all around the Boeing 747 on display, touch it's belly and look inside the engines. It's a veritable commercial jet lovers playground.
Independence Flight Deck – Pilot Seat and Controls
Shuttle Era Orbiter Access Arm
At the end of the arm is an exhibit for the clean "White Room" that was the last stop Astronauts would make on their way to boarding the shuttle for takeoff. It was fun to pretend that I had the Right Stuff, and slowly walk down the gangway on my way to explore science in space.
Gordon Cooper's Mercury 9 "FAITH 7" Capsule
Speaking of "The Right Stuff," I'm a big fan of the often-too-cocky-for-his-own-good USAF test pilot Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper, Jr.
One of the original 7 and the last of 6 mercury Astronauts to fly, Gordo is often referred to in stories from the old pilots as being one of the craziest. Nicknamed, The Oklahoma Hotdog, he was the first American to sleep in space and this was his bedroom. The actual capsule to take him up and bring him back safely.
Accused of being, "too relaxed," during training for Gemini 5, Cooper was replaced by newly reinstated Astronaut, Alan Shepard, to command Apollo 13. Since Shepard had no time in the simulators, his mission was swapped with Apollo 14's crew (The one Jim Lovell commanded) and the rest was history. Had Cooper been at the top of his game for Gemini 5, he most likely would have been in command of the ill fated Apollo 13 mission.
Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainer
No rover ever returned from the moon. Three of them still remain in their final resting place on the moon, near their respective Lunar Module (LM) descent stage landing zones. However, since the Astronauts could not practice with the actual lunar car they would have on the moon, one was made for them to practice driving on the moon in Earth's gravity.
This amazing piece of engineering lives in a lunar landscape diorama at the Center's Starship Gallery.
Astronauts Dave Scott, Jim Irwin, John Young, Charlie Duke, Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt all practiced on this Lunar Rover in preparation for their missions. Interesting to note, the rover has no steering wheel or brakes, since neither are needed on the airless lunar surface. It was started, steered and stopped by a single control located between the seats.
Echoes of this lunar rover design can be seen in the Mars rovers such as Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity.
A Pair of Lunar Geologists
Not really. Just a representation of two Lunar Astronauts exploring the surface of the moon. The above mentioned Lunar Rover is located just to the right as seen HERE.
Through the Porthole
This image was taken when I was standing next to the actual Apollo 17 Command Module (CM) that Astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and (Astronaut/Geologist) Harrison Schmitt journeyed in to and from the moon. I was admiring the interior of the CM when I notice one of the Astronauts (from the image above) from the other side of the room was visible through the hatches porthole window.
I had to wait several minutes to get this shot, but I am very proud of it. In the foreground is the actual hatch (door) of the Apollo 17 CM and in the background is a replica of a Lunar Astronaut. This will be one of my all-time favorite memories (and shots) from my trip.
The NASA Tram Tour
I'm a bit of a tour guide at heart, so I'm always a bit "judgy" when I take a tour anywhere. I love to teach, especially things considered cool or nostalgic. I don't think the folks at Space Center Houston are doing a bad job, necessarily. I just think they have a lot of room for improvement in their JSC/NASA tour.
When I was approaching the line to the tour tram loading area at the museum, I knew what to expect, or at least I thought I knew. I was quickly confused by the options to chose different tours, but there was nothing I could see that described the difference between them. When a woman next to me asked a museum employee where she should go, they replied that any line would do. I don't think this is what she had in mind. What she meant to say was, "What are my options?"
She continued on her way frustrated by the response she got and the fact that her kids were urging her to hurry, as kids will do. Having been there all by myself, I decided to get a clear answer. Short story, there was no clear answer. It was like talking to a mannequin (That's not the best analogy, but a more accurate one would be offensive). I was instructed to get in the While line, as it was the shortest. I don't think the employee really understood what I was saying. Neither do I think he really cared.
Oh well, While line it is.
This turned out to be kismet. As I was just about to get in line, I spotted my friend and local Austinite, Josh Rodriguez, who writes for TexasDadBlog.com. He ran over for a quick selfie. It was his birthday and he was visiting the area with his family on their Summer vacation. To see what he thought of the trip, check out his blog HERE (and let him know I sent you).
To see the selfie he took, go HERE!
Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory
One site at NASA Johnson Space Center visitors get a behind-the-scenes look at space exploration is the SAIL. Located on 1,600 acres, Johnson Space Center is the home of mission control where human space missions and the operations of the International Space Station are monitored. It is also where astronauts prepare and train for missions.
My tour took me somewhere I had never been before, the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). It was the only facility in the Space Shuttle Program where actual orbiter hardware and flight software can be integrated and tested in a simulated flight environment. The software on the Shuttle is often considered to be among the most bug-free of operational systems (Good thing, right?). The laboratory contains a complete avionics mock-up of a Shuttle, designated OV-095 (OV is short for Orbiter Vehicle).
While only a skeleton of an orbiter, the electronics are identical in position and type to those used on the Shuttle; it is a sufficiently faithful replica that crews sometimes prefer to use it to train on, rather than the training simulators (i.e. the image above shows all the buttons, switches and dials where they go – No museum mock-up here).
The Saturn V Building
The tram tour also takes guests through Rocket Park, where an actual Saturn V rocket is housed (Components of an actual Saturn V, along with fabricated museum pieces), along with other rockets that propelled humanity into space. This is the only place in the world you will see actual Saturn V components intended to go into space. Good luck guessing which ones they are.
This is always my absolute favorite part of the tour, of course. Thanks to the structure of the tour, visitors are allowed to spend as much time here as they would like (during normal operating hours), and there is a lot to see. I spent the better part of an hour visually pouring over every detail I could see.
FYI: The Saturn V rocket is 360Ft tall (or long, in this case), which is relatively the length of a football, if you include both end zones. That's a lot of rocket to drink in.
Top of the Saturn-IVB
A kindred spirit, this guy gazed at the top of the S-IVB (Spoken "S4B") stage like she was a long lost lover.
That giant tank was the last stage that rocketed the Command/Service Module (CSM) and Lunar Module (LM) toward the moon. The LM would actually sit just above this tank in the LM Adapter.
Bottom of the Saturn-IVB
The bottom of the S-IVB is home to a single J-2 rocket. I really enjoyed the complex artistry that is exposed on this display. The wires, tanks and panels make this one of the more interesting parts of the exhibit. These tourists probably had no idea that he rocket engine above them was the very first of it's kind strong enough to send humans out of Earths gravitational influence.
Bottom of the Saturn V Second Stage Booster
The bottom of the S-2 booster contains five J-2 engines. This powerful section of the Saturn V can be witnessed in the film Apollo 13 during launch when all three Astronauts are slammed back into their seats when these five fire to continue their journey into Earth orbit.
Saturn First Stage Booster
These two guys were discussing something about the power of these five F-1 thrusters. Each seven times more powerful than the J-2 engines seen above. This. Is. Rocket. Science.
On another (related) note: Those tires holding the S-1 booster's bottom half are each 6-feet high.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this tour of filtered photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. Be sure to check out the Prisma app and let me know what you think of it.
Also, give the Space Center Houston a visit. I used a coupon from the hotel lobby (You know, the brochure rack?) and my entry was only $20. I could have EASILY stayed there for 5-6 hours and been entertained by all the things they have to offer. I will certainly be planning many more trips back in the future.


Congratulations to Rob Fitzpatrick who won this year's Captains prize and to Andy Byrne who put up a great fight only to lose out on the final hole. Captain Jim was delighted with the day and we were all kept glued to the results as they came in over the last 9 holes.
The legs were weary no doubt after wards but well done to everyone who played and to everyone on men's committee who were very organised on the day.
Congratulations also to Ellen Lawlor who won the Leinster Girls Duggan Cup and Eoin Freeman who added the Irish u-15 Junior Open to his Irish u-16s win a few weeks ago!
Best of luck to our Ladies, Junior and Intermediate teams who are out the weekend, it is great to still be team competition this late in the year and any support would be greatly appreciated.


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Lazarus Theatre Blog
Meet the Cast – Bailey Pilbeam
Give us your full name, the character you are playing and where you are from.
Bailey Pilbeam, I'm playing Salomé and I'm from Brighton.
What was your first theatrical experience, either on stage or in the auditorium?
A play in year 3 about how the wolf in fairytales is actually good.
What was your first experience of Oscar Wilde?
A school production of The Importance of Being Ernest – not the best introduction to him.
What's the event in the play that you're most excited about discovering?
Owning a head!
Who's your favourite character, other than your own?
Herodias, she tells Herod exactly how it is.
Tell us the title of your favourite play.
A view from the Bridge – Arthur Miller.
Who is your theatrical inspiration?
My old teachers from Drama school have inspired me the most – and a dance company called peeping tom.
If you had to choose, who is your favourite actor?
I've always enjoyed following the career of Jake Gyllenhaal.
Salome was originally banned apparently due to the depiction of Biblical characters on stage, however, it is widely accepted it was due to the level of sex and violence in the play. What's the naughtiest thing you have ever done?
I can't tell you that!
Filed under Meet the Cast, Theatre
Tagged as Bailey Pilbeam, Greenwich Theatre, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the Cast – David Clayton
My name is David Clayton, I'm originally from Germany and I will be playing the Guard of Herodias.
I was one of the Shepard's in a nativity play way back in school, I was sick on Jesus.
Seeing lady Windermere's Fan at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama while I was training there.
The beheading of Jokanaan – theatrical death is always fun.
Herod – I think we can all sympathise with someone wanting so much we'd be willing to do anything to get it.
Journey's End.
Gemma Whelan.
Joaquin Phoenix or Mads Mikklesen.
I shot a man in Reno.
Filed under Meet the Cast
Tagged as David Clayton, Greenwich Theatre, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the cast – Jamal Renaldo
My name's Jamal Renaldo and I'm playing the character Jokannan and I'm from west London currently living in Harrow.
My first theatrical experience was around 8 years old playing the Artful dodger in our school production of Oliver.
During a discussion in GCSE English were we briefly spoke about 'The picture of Dorian Grey'.
Salome's seemingly strange obsession with Jokanaan.
Herodias.
Salomé has caused much controversy over the years, what play or production has provoked you / made you angry / or caused shock?
Misty shocked me at how raw and unapologetic it was and for those reasons I absolutely loved it!
Misty.
Arinze Kene.
If I had to choose it would probably be Marlon Brando.
…..now that would be telling 😉
Tagged as Greenwich Theatre, Jamal Renaldo, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the Cast – Jamie O'Neill
Jamie O'Neill, Herod, Buckinghamshire
Pantomime when I was very young.
The Importance Of Being Ernest at drama school – found it hilarious.
The death of Jokanaan.
Jokanaan, he's a mystery to me.
I saw Blasted by Sarah Kane when I was 17. I was completely shocked by what I saw and it blew open my perceptions of what theatre was.
Long Day's Journey Into Night.
Mark Rylance.
Very tough this one, but Vanessa Redgrave crushed me in The Inheritance, you could feel the weight of her experience and talent.
Ask the Irish priest in the confessional at The Vatican, he forgave me of all my sins in 2017 (true story).
Tagged as Greenwich Theatre, Jamie O'Neill, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the Cast – Michael Howlett
My name is Michael Howlett, I'm playing the character of The Young Soldier (AKA Narraboth) and I'm from Sydney, Australia.
Playing Luther Billis in a high school production of South Pacific. It was my first time on stage and I got to dance in a coconut bra and grass skirt. Think that's where my passion started…
Watching a brilliant production of The Importance of Being Ernest back in Sydney. I would have been about 16 at the time. I quickly fell in love with the wit and charm of it all. I got to play Algernon in 2017 and I hope to one day play Algy again. I'll keep holding out for my cucumber sandwiches.
I mean it's a classical piece so surely we can't be too worried about spoilers here, so I'd have to say my character spontaneously killing himself on stage should be pretty exciting. That, and seeing what we do with the dance of the seven veils.
Probably Herod. He's just such a multifaceted character. He's strong and stubborn, yet weak and afraid. Stubborn yet inquisitive. He's got charm. He's got wit. He's vulnerable. He's got it all. I'm team Herod, till he becomes a bit of a creep…
That's tough. Universally I feel like we've become quite desensitised by the media. It's hard for me to think of something I've seen that produced a real feeling of 'shock'. Of recent, closest would be Grief is the Thing with Feathers at the Barbican. There was something so primal, chaotic and animalistic about the piece. Almost had to leave a few times due to a sensory overload.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead – Tom Stoppard.
To be honest, a single person doesn't come to mind. So I'll say all the actors, teachers and directors I've been fortunate enough to play with and learn from over the years. Particularly those back home who are so incredibly supportive of my life here in London. Couldn't do it without them. Bit cheesy, but true.
Benedict Cumberbatch is the first that came to mind today, so I'll say him.
Took the cookie from the cookie jar. That, and cause roughly $8,000 worth of damage to a football stadium when I was seven.
Tagged as Greenwich Theatre, Michael Howlett, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the Cast – Cal Chapman
Callum James Shewring Chapman. My friends call me 'Cal' though, and I'll be playing 'Second Soldier'. Whooo! Originally, my family's all from up north in Lancaster and York, but I was raised in Norfolk, beautiful bit of the countryside.
I was playing the back end of a cow in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk, and I just thought 'I'm bloody nailing this.'
'In a handbag!?'. That and cucumber sandwiches. Tastier than they sound.
I don't what to let loose any secrets, but I will say I can't wait to approach the movement sections. Physical theatre's always been a favourite of mine and from what I've seen of Lazarus' work, things get pretty crazy.
Probably Jokanaan. The fearsome prophet, terrible to look upon. Is he a babbling lunatic touched by the moon or does he speak more sense than the lofty royals? In a society of God fearing people who place so much importance on symbols and omens, a man who may or not be the mouthpiece of the Lord gives every other character so much to think about.
I caught Ned Bennet's production of 'An Octroon' at the OrangeTree a while back. I was sat in the front row, like the geek I am, and within the first minute or two of the play, the lead came and sat down in the empty seat next to me. He leaned in close and began telling me, very directly and with eerie detail, how bee swarms don't sting their victims to death, but suffocate them. I was pretty shook. It was brilliant.
'Mercury Fur' by Phillip Ridley. Not for the faint of heart but at it's core it asks how far would you go to protect your family with the apocalypse banging on the door. Honourable mentions to 'This Is Living' by Liam Borrett and 'Growth' by Luke Norris.
Punchdrunk and Frantic Assembly each made a massive impression on me when I was a young drama geek in school. I love stuff that's so mad it takes your breath away, so walking into the 3 storey set of 'The Drowned Man', with a different world on each floor, asking you to go explore it, game-changing. And I remember watching 'Lovesong' by Frantic Assembly and just being so moved. The same couple in their infancy and their old age, both sharing the stage. Then when they started doing the movement sequences together, expressing old memories and love and the fear of the future, all without words, I mean it's stuck with me to this day. And I've also got a lot of love for Paines Plough, rocking out new writing and making sure everyone across the country gets to be on the forefront of contemporary theatre.
Come on now, you already made me pick just one play. I'm going to go with Olivia Coleman. I loved her early work like 'Peep Show', then she started getting looks in dramatic roles like 'Broadchurch' and 'Tyrannosaur', and now she's getting the proper recognition she deserves with incredible work like 'The Favourite', she's next level. And as a weird little connection, we both went to the same school. Not at the same time, I hate to say, but we did have the same drama teacher.
Oh, I plead the 5th. My mum's gonna read this, you know. Stay in school, kids.
Tagged as Cal Chapman, Greenwich Theatre, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Meet the Cast – Annemarie Anang
I'm Annemarie Anang from London and I'll be playing the Queen, Herodias.
One of my first was a school trip to see Peter Grimes at the ENO.
I read a copy of Lady Windermere's fan years ago.
The exact moment where Herodias fully understands why her husband Herod has been constantly looking at Salome, her son, and why he has been pressuring him to dance for him.
Herod, for his insanity, delusions and childishness but I also love the ravings/truths of Jokanaan.
Any play which doesn't have a happy ending shocks me for days.
Natasha Gordon's Nine Night.
Currently Celia Noble.
I love old classics so Julie Andrews and James Stewart are my favourites from that era and Charlton Heston is extraordinary in Ben Hur. In more recent times: Cecilia Noble, Viola Davis, Michaela Coel, Christoph Waltz and Robin Williams. I've recently discovered Rooney Mara. Also love the work of Laura Rose and Keagan Carr Fransch, who trained at Central with me.
I've just eaten fish and chips, two bars of Kit Kat chunky, and I'm now tempted to munch through a bag of salty and sweet popcorn.
Tagged as Annemarie Anang, Greenwich Theatre, Oscar Wilde, Ricky Dukes, Salomé
Images of inspiration
Lazarus Theatre Blog · The road to modern classical theatre


The rivers continue to be a major challenge as BRAGSA continues with clean-up efforts across the country.
The rivers continue to be a major challenge as The Roads, Building and General Services Authority, BRAGSA, continues with clean-up efforts across the country.
The statement was made by Chief Executive Officer at BRAGSA Deirdre Millington Myers during a press briefing this morning.
Mrs. Millington Myers said the rivers have changed their previous courses and are now three times their previous sizes.
She aslo noted that it will be a very long process to get things back to normal.
Chief Executive Officer at BRAGSA Deirdre Millington Myers.


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Corte dei conti Case Study
Corte dei conti (Cdc), or the Court of Auditors, is responsible for auditing and overseeing the accounts and budgets of all public institutions in Italy. Founded in 1862, its remit is set out in Article 100 of the Italian Constitution, which details the court's judicial and administrative role in safeguarding public money, as well as in "preventing and avoiding waste and bad management of public finances."
We have no concerns about security or compliance. It's not easy to replicate the same security levels that we have on premises, but working in AWS, we're confident that we're following best practices for data protection, network access, and other security measures."
Leandro Gelasi
IT Officer, Corte dei conti
Despite its long-established roots, Cdc isn't an institution that has remained entrenched in the past. It understands that modernization is key to keeping relevant in a fast-moving world, and as a result it has embraced change in its processes and structure. IT has been central to this. Leandro Gelasi, IT officer at Corte dei conti, says, "We have a deep commitment to continuous improvement, and to support this goal we need an agile and elastic IT infrastructure."
Gelasi and his team wanted to move away from time-consuming management of physical IT. "We wanted to focus on providing an excellent service, rather than on handling hardware," he says. A larger initiative to boost employee productivity went hand in hand with this efficiency drive, as Gelasi continues, "We wanted to change the way our 3,000-plus employees worked, enabling them to access applications from anywhere, on any device. But we had to ensure that this flexibility for staff didn't jeopardize the safety of data."
Given its high-profile role in keeping public finances in check—and with the Italian government requiring agencies to cut IT expenditure in line with wider budget cuts—Cdc also had to focus on reducing its own costs. With a largely Citrix-based infrastructure, Corte dei conti had invested a lot in training its staff in this technology. It wanted to make the most of this investment, while at the same time making its architecture more agile.
Why Amazon Web Services
The answer was a hybrid cloud environment, and Cdc chose Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AWS Advanced Consulting Partner XPeppers to help it in this journey, starting with adopting a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) based on Amazon WorkSpaces. Gelasi says, "We looked at AWS and realized it was the perfect platform for our migration to the cloud. We had worked with XPeppers before, so it was our first choice to help us move to AWS and ensure seamless integration with our Citrix environment."
The infrastructure runs on 25 Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances, which run only during office hours, between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. Cdc uses AWS Lambda to orchestrate the startup and shutdown for each instance. Each department has a dedicated Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) and a virtual private network connection between the VPCs and Cdc's data centers.
Paolo Latella, solutions architect at XPeppers, says, "Because it deals with sensitive data, Corte dei conti needs a secure architecture. We worked with Cdc to explain best practices in the cloud, ensuring that it maintains the highest security levels." For example, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) helps the court control access to resources, and Amazon CloudWatch allows the team to keep applications running smoothly. Plus, through the AWS Marketplace, Cdc can choose the software and services it needs to implement a security model that replicates its on-premises structure.
First and foremost, Gelasi and his team feel safe working in the cloud. "We have no concerns about security or compliance," he says. "It's not easy to replicate the same security levels that we have on premises, but working in AWS, we're confident that we're following best practices for data protection, network access, and other security measures."
He continues, "The service that our users are getting is vastly improved. We have very little feedback, which is great for us. No news is good news in IT." In addition, internal users have more flexibility and can access applications on their laptops, tablets, and smartphones from anywhere. "We have made it possible for court employees such as magistrates to work effectively from home. Previously, they could only access applications from the office, but now they can do this wherever they are. As a result, they're much more productive. Decisions get made faster and the whole system works better. It's a brilliant result for our entire organization," says Gelasi.
Managing processes is also easier, so the Cdc IT team can focus on developing services for both internal and external clients. One of the IT team's goals in the organization's larger drive to boost efficiency is to provide services to government agencies across Italy. Gelasi says, "With our AWS infrastructure, it's easier for us to offer IT to other institutions, which helps them cut costs in line with government initiatives."
"We're saving money in the cloud too," he continues. "By moving to AWS, we avoided €40,000 in hardware costs." Operating expenses are more difficult to determine, but Gelasi is convinced that with the VDI project, Cdc is cutting energy consumption and saving money on air conditioning and electricity. "One of the drivers of the project was to get better visibility of costs and be more accountable," he says. "As we move more of our infrastructure to the AWS cloud, we'll be able to do this too."
Having successfully deployed VDI to 250 users across Cdc, the team is now rolling it out across all of the organization's regions, eventually giving its 3,000 employees the tools to be more productive. The court is also working with XPeppers to build its disaster recovery on AWS and move more workloads to the cloud for improved agility. "The biggest benefit of working in the AWS cloud? I can't pinpoint just one," says Gelasi. "It's the whole package. We've got more flexibility, we can scale seamlessly, and we have more time to provide a great service to our customers."
About Corte dei conti
Corte dei conti (Cdc), or the Court of Auditors, is responsible for auditing and overseeing the accounts and budgets of all public institutions in Italy.
About the Partner - XPeppers
An Advanced Partner of the AWS Partner Network (APN). XPeppers helps its customers successfully migrate to the cloud and benefit from continuous integration and delivery practices.
For more information about how XPeppers can help your company build and manage your AWS environment, see XPeppers in the AWS Partner Directory.
AWS Services Used
Secure and resizable compute capacity in the cloud. Launch applications when needed without upfront commitments.
Run code without thinking about servers. Pay only for the compute time you consume.
Amazon VPC
Provision a logically isolated section of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud where you can launch AWS resources in a virtual network that you define.
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) enables you to manage access to AWS services and resources securely.
Companies of all sizes across all industries are transforming their businesses every day using AWS. Contact our experts and start your own AWS Cloud journey today.


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Press release Aug 11, 2021 07:45 AM
Ahold Delhaize reports firm Q2 results with higher two-year comparable sales growth rates**; raises full-year earnings and underlying operating margin guidance
On a two-year comparable sales growth basis**, comparable sales excluding gas in the U.S. were up 19.1% and in Europe were up 12.6% in Q2 2021, a sequential acceleration versus growth in full year 2020 of 15.8% and 12.3%, respectively.
Q2 Group net sales were €18.6 billion, up 3.0% at constant exchange rates, down 2.4% at actual exchange rates.
In the U.S. and Europe, Q2 comparable sales excluding gas were (1.5)% and 2.4%, respectively.
In Q2, net consumer online sales grew 35.8% at constant exchange rates, building on top of the significant 77.6% growth in Q2 2020.
Q2 underlying operating margin was 4.5%; Q2 diluted underlying EPS was €0.53.
Q2 IFRS-reported operating income was €817 million; Q2 IFRS-reported diluted EPS was €0.52.
Raising 2021 underlying EPS and Group underlying operating margin outlook; expect underlying EPS to grow in the high-teen range versus 2019 and Group underlying operating margin to be approximately 4.3%.
2021 interim dividend is €0.43 compared to 2020 interim dividend of €0.50, based on the Group's interim dividend policy of 40% payout of first half underlying income per share from continuing operations.
** Two-year comparable sales growth is a stack of the comparable sales growth excluding gasoline in the current year period added to the comparable sales growth excluding gasoline in the prior year period. This measure may be helpful to improve the understanding of trends in periods that are affected by variations in prior year growth rates.
Zaandam, the Netherlands, August 11, 2021 – Ahold Delhaize, one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce, reports second quarter results today.
"We are pleased with our Q2 performance. During the quarter, associates in all our brands and businesses continued to work tirelessly in a rapidly shifting environment, marked by the gradual reopening of the economies across our markets. We remain grateful to them for their hard work and dedication to serving customers and communities. We would also like to express our support for everyone impacted by the recent flooding in the Netherlands and Belgium and fires in Greece, and are committed to serving these communities and our brands' associates during these difficult times. We are aware of the recent increases in infection rates in many of our markets and will continue to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the U.S. and provide help and assistance in all our communities. We remain on track to deliver on our pledge to contribute €20 million in charitable donations, spread evenly between the U.S. and Europe, during 2021. This is part of our broader spending for COVID-19-related care, which amounted to €84 million in the quarter. In Q2, our brands, together with suppliers, remained focused on fulfilling their vital role in society by maintaining food and product supplies to local communities.
"While communities across our markets reopened during Q2, food-at-home demand remained very resilient. Many of the habits formed by consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 are proving sticky, aided by our initiatives to improve our omnichannel offerings for consumers. This drove Group net sales of €18.6 billion in the quarter and was exemplified by the acceleration in the Group two-year comparable sales stack in Q2 to 16.4%, versus growth of 14.4% in full year 2020. The two-year comparable sales stack growth rates were strong in both of our regions, but particularly in the U.S.
"While COVID-19 continues to create significant uncertainty, our Q2 results provide us with the confidence to raise our underlying EPS and underlying operating margin forecast for the full year. We also announced a 2021 interim dividend of €0.43 compared to the 2020 interim dividend of €0.50, in line with our dividend policy which is equal to 40% of the year-to-date underlying income per share from continuing operations. As previously communicated, expect to grow the full-year 2021 dividend year-over-year.
"We continue to be in a strategically stronger position in 2021 relative to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Our investments in our online proposition continue to serve us well. In Q2, net consumer online sales continued to grow, coming on top of the very robust growth profile from the same quarter last year. During the quarter, we added 86 new click-and-collect locations in the U.S., continued to expand AH Compact (our no-fee delivery service in the Netherlands) to new markets, and doubled Albert Heijn's home delivery coverage in Belgium's Flanders region.
"Our "Save for Our Customers" program remains on track to produce savings of more than €750 million in 2021 and we continue to execute against our initiatives aimed at becoming a more efficient company beyond 2021. For example, after a successful pilot program, the U.S. businesses will scale up the use of artificial intelligence-enabled 'exosuits' to reduce fatigue and improve safety for associates in distribution centers. We also remain on schedule to achieve 65% self-distribution in the U.S. supply chain by year-end and 85% by 2022.
"We continue to make progress in elevating our Healthy and Sustainable strategy. We are proud to be one of the leading signers of the EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, as part of the European Green Deal, committed to shifting to a sustainable food system. As part of the pact, we have made commitments in the areas of healthier choices, product transparency, waste reduction and climate impact. In Europe, Romania has added the Nutri-Score nutritional navigation system to all of its own-brand ranges, joining Delhaize Belgium and our Serbian brands, which already utilize the Nutri-Score system. In the U.S., 52.4% of our Q2 sales are healthy, earning the Guiding Stars 1, 2, or 3 rating. This is in support of our company-wide ambition to raise sales of healthy own-brand products to 51% by the end of 2022; in 2020 we reached 49.8%."
Group net sales were €18.6 billion, down 2.4% at actual exchange rates, but up 3.0% at constant exchange rates, impacted by unfavorable foreign exchange rate, acquisitions, a rebound in gasoline sales, and flat comparable sales growth excluding gasoline, cycling strong Q2 2020 results. Comparable sales were negatively impacted by approximately 0.3 percentage points from unfavorable calendar shifts in 2021. On a two-year comparable sales stack basis, growth for the Group of 16.4% in Q2 2021 was an acceleration from the 14.4% growth posted for the full year 2020, and consistent with the 16.4% growth from Q1 2021. In Q2, Group net consumer online sales grew 35.8% at constant exchange rates, aided by the FreshDirect acquisition.
In Q2, Group underlying operating margin was 4.5%, down 0.8 percentage points from the prior year at constant exchange rates, as margins lapped unusually high levels in the prior year due to COVID-19. Margins in 2020 benefited largely from higher operating leverage due to higher sales trends related to COVID-19. In Q2, Group IFRS-reported operating margin was 4.4%.
Underlying income from continuing operations was €551 million, down 20.6% in the quarter. Ahold Delhaize's IFRS-reported net income in the quarter was €540 million. Diluted EPS was €0.52 and diluted underlying EPS was €0.53, down 17.5% compared to last year's record Q2 results. Management believes that framing 2021 diluted underlying EPS growth relative to 2019 (prior to COVID-19) provides a helpful context for investors. Therefore, compared to Q2 2019, diluted underlying EPS in the quarter was up approximately 55%. In the quarter, 7.5 million own shares were purchased for €176 million, bringing the total amount to €488 million in the first half of the year.
U.S. highlights
U.S. net sales increased 2.7% at constant exchange rates, and declined 6.2% at actual exchange rates. U.S. comparable sales excluding gasoline declined 1.5%, as they were unfavorably impacted by the lapping of significant consumer stock-up activity related to COVID-19 in 2020, when comparable sales excluding gasoline grew 20.6% in the second quarter. On a two-year comparable sales stack basis for Q2 2021, growth was 19.1%, a sequential acceleration versus the 15.8% growth for the full year 2020. Brand performance continued to be led by Food Lion.
In Q2, online sales in the segment were up 61.0% in constant currency, driven by continued expansion of click-and-collect facilities and the FreshDirect acquisition. Excluding the FreshDirect acquisition, U.S. online sales grew 29.0% in constant currency, building on top of the significant 126.8% growth in the same quarter last year.
Underlying operating margin in the U.S. was 5.0%, down 1.1 percentage points from the prior year at constant exchange rates, as the prior year period benefited from higher operating leverage due to higher sales trends related to COVID-19 and, to a smaller extent, continued costs related to COVID-19. In Q2, U.S. IFRS-reported operating margin was 4.9%.
Europe highlights
European net sales grew 3.6% at constant exchange rates and 3.9% at actual exchange rates. Europe's comparable sales excluding gasoline grew 2.4%, despite lapping high comparable sales excluding gas of 10.2% in the same quarter last year. Q2 comparable sales were negatively impacted by approximately 0.7 percentage points from calendar shifts in 2021. On a two-year comparable sales stack basis for Q2 2021, growth was 12.6%, an acceleration compared to growth of 12.3% in 2020. The strong growth was led by performance at Albert Heijn, bol.com and in the Czech Republic.
In Q2, net consumer online sales in the segment were up 27.0%, which comes on top of 63.9% growth in the same period last year. At bol.com, net consumer sales grew by 24.2% in the quarter, which comes on top of 65.4% growth in Q2 2020. Bol.com's sales from third-party sellers grew 26% in the quarter, with nearly 47,000 merchant partners on the platform.
Underlying operating margin in Europe was 4.2%, down 0.3 percentage points from the prior year at constant exchange rates, as the prior year period benefited from higher operating leverage due to higher sales trends related to COVID-19 and to a smaller extent, continued costs related to COVID-19. In Q2, European IFRS-reported operating margin was 4.1%.
While COVID-19 continues to create significant uncertainty for the remainder of 2021, our results in Q2 provide management the confidence to once again raise the underlying EPS growth outlook for 2021, and to raise the underlying operating margin outlook for 2021.
As previously reported, COVID-19, and to a lesser extent, a 53-week calendar, significantly distorted Ahold Delhaize's 2020 financial results. Lapping these effects will impact results in 2021, which returns to a 52-week calendar.
In 2021, the Group underlying operating margin outlook has been raised to approximately 4.3%, versus at least 4.0% previously, reflecting the strong margin performance over the first half of the year. The outlook continues to reflect the effects of the cost savings of over €750 million largely offsetting cost pressures related to COVID-19, that are expected to continue and the negative impact from increased online sales penetration.
The underlying EPS guidance has been raised and is now expected to grow in the high-teen range relative to 2019 earnings, versus low- to mid-teen growth previously. Management believes that framing 2021 underlying EPS guidance relative to 2019, which was prior to COVID-19 and also on a 52-week calendar, provides a helpful context for investors.
The free cash flow outlook is unchanged at approximately €1.6 billion. This puts the Company on track to reach €5.6 billion in cumulative free cash flow from 2019-2021 (averaging nearly €1.9 billion annually), which exceeds the Capital Markets Day 2018 target of €5.4 billion (averaging €1.8 billion annually). Capital expenditure is expected to be around €2.2 billion, and reflects the Company's higher investments in digital and omnichannel capabilities and for improvements related to recent M&A. In addition, Ahold Delhaize remains committed to its dividend policy and share buyback program in 2021, as previously stated. We expect to grow the full-year 2021 dividend year-over-year.
No significant impact to underlying operating margin from returning to a 52-week calendar versus a 53-week calendar in 2020, though the return to a 52-week calendar will negatively impact net sales for the full year by 1.5-2.0%. Comparable sales growth will be presented on a comparable 52-week basis.
Excludes M&A.
Calculated as a percentage of underlying income from continuing operations.
Management remains committed to the share buyback and dividend program, but given the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, they will continue to monitor macroeconomic developments. The program is also subject to changes in corporate activities, such as material M&A activity.
Ahold Delhaize Q2 2021 Press Release
Ahold Delhaize Q2 2021 Interim Report
Ahold Delhaize Q2 2021 Analyst Presentation
This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as remain, would, committed, during, continue(s)/(d), on track, to be, strategically, aimed, becoming, beyond 2021, progress, uncertainty, outlook, expect(ed), believes, to grow, year-over-year, confidence, impact, to reach, target, risks, focus or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause the actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the Company's inability to successfully implement its strategy, manage the growth of its business or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions; risks relating to competition and pressure on profit margins in the food retail industry; the impact of economic conditions on consumer spending; turbulence in the global capital markets; political developments, natural disasters and pandemics; climate change; raw material scarcity and human rights developments in the supply chain; disruption of operations and other factors negatively affecting the Company's suppliers; the unsuccessful operation of the Company's franchised and affiliated stores; changes in supplier terms and the inability to pass on cost increases to prices; risks related to corporate responsibility and sustainable retailing; food safety issues resulting in product liability claims and adverse publicity; environmental liabilities associated with the properties that the Company owns or leases; competitive labor markets, changes in labor conditions and labor disruptions; increases in costs associated with the Company's defined benefit pension plans; the failure or breach of security of IT systems; the Company's inability to successfully complete divestitures and the effect of contingent liabilities arising from completed divestitures; antitrust and similar legislation; unexpected outcomes in the Company's legal proceedings; additional expenses or capital expenditures associated with compliance with federal, regional, state and local laws and regulations; unexpected outcomes with respect to tax audits; the impact of the Company's outstanding financial debt; the Company's ability to generate positive cash flows; fluctuation in interest rates; the change in reference interest rate; the impact of downgrades of the Company's credit ratings and the associated increase in the Company's cost of borrowing; exchange rate fluctuations; inherent limitations in the Company's control systems; changes in accounting standards; adverse results arising from the Company's claims against its self-insurance program; the Company's inability to locate appropriate real estate or enter into real estate leases on commercially acceptable terms; and other factors discussed in the Company's public filings and other disclosures.


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ALERT Welcomes new CEO
Edmonton… Inspector Charmaine Bulger of the RCMP has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
""On behalf of the ALERT Board of Directors, it is a privilege for me to welcome Charmaine to ALERT. She has an impressive policing career and ALERT will greatly benefit from her leadership experience," said Board Chairman Ryan Jackson.
As CEO of ALERT, Bulger oversees nearly 400 municipal police, RCMP, and sheriffs who work for ALERT. ALERT is established and funded by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province's most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime.
Bulger grew up in Morinville and was amongst the first group of women to enter the Royal Military College, before deciding on a career in policing. She joined the RCMP in 1982 and spent time in four divisions, including posts in Sarnia, Ont., Dawson Creek, B.C., North Vancouver, Whitehorse, and Edmonton.
Bulger returned to her home province of Alberta in 2006 and has been a member of Project KARE, the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), and most recently as Officer in Charge of Covert Operations.
"Joining ALERT is a rewarding opportunity that allows me to work closely with our provincial police partners in creating safer communities for all Albertans," said Bulger. "The ALERT model is one of its kind in Canada and I look forward to building upon its success."
Bulger replaces Superintendent Ted Miles, who previously served ALERT since its inception in 2006 until his retirement in May of this year. To date, ALERT has taken nearly $500 million worth of drugs off Alberta streets, seized nearly 500 firearms, and have arrested nearly 6,000 offenders.
Mike Tucker


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Indiana Originals
Tag Archive for U.S. Navy
Department of Defense Identifies Navy Casualty
January 30, 2017 Uncategorized No comments
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a U.S. Navy sailor who was supporting U.S. Central Command Operations.
Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, died Jan. 28 in the Arabian Peninsula of Yemen, of wounds sustained in a raid against al-Qaida.
He was assigned to an East Coast based Special Warfare unit.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis released the following statement:
I extend my condolences to the family and shipmates of Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens.
Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service. The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.
I thank our gallant troops and their families for their dedication to protecting this nation, and I pass our respects to Ryan's family in this most difficult time.
SOURCE: U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs
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