text:
\section{\color{CustomRed}Minimum wages and self-regulating labor markets\normalcolor}

In order to investigate this 'labor cost shrinkage' dilemma and provide
some model-based guidelines, the driving force of every profit-focused
enterprise can be formulated in correspondence to the 'labor cost'
variable. Let $w=\sum p_{k}$ be the sum of the $p_{k}$ wages for
all $k$ workers, i.e., the enterprise's total labor cost per production
unit. Let $NC\left(w\right)$ be the total cost per production unit,
including labor cost, as a weighted sum of $n$ individual factors.
Without loss of generality, assume that the labor cost is at index
$i=1$, hence its weight in the total production cost is $\alpha_{1}$
and is singled out from the sum:

\begin{equation}
NC\left(w\right)=\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum}}\alpha_{i}\cdot z_{i}=\alpha_{1}\cdot w+\underset{i=2}{\overset{n}{\sum}}\alpha_{i}\cdot z_{i}\label{eq:NCw-def}
\end{equation}

The net profit $NP\left(w\right)$ per sold unit is proportional to
the difference between the maximum attainable market (selling) price
$MPr_{max}$ and the total cost per unit $NC\left(w\right)$, i.e.,
the maximum margin of profit, while inversely proportional to the
total labor cost $w$:

\begin{equation}
NP\left(w\right)\propto\frac{MPr_{max}-NC\left(w\right)}{w}\label{eq:NPw-def}
\end{equation}

Substituting (\ref{eq:NCw-def}) in (\ref{eq:NPw-def}) we have:

\begin{equation}
NP\left(w\right)=\frac{MP_{max}-\left(\alpha_{1}\cdot w+\underset{i=2}{\overset{n}{\sum}}\alpha_{i}\cdot z_{i}\right)}{w}=\frac{C}{w}-\alpha_{1}\label{eq:NPw-std}
\end{equation}

where $C=MPr_{max}-\underset{i=2}{\overset{n}{\sum}}\alpha_{i}\cdot z_{i}>0$
is a constant with respect to $w$ and $\alpha_{i}$ are typical convex
weighting factors, i.e.:$\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum}}\alpha_{i}=1\;,\;0\leq\alpha_{i}\leq1$.

In order to find the maximum attainable value for $NP\left(w\right)$,
the first- and second-order derivatives against $w$ must be calculated:

\[
\frac{\partial NP(w)}{\partial w}=\frac{\partial}{\partial w}\left(\frac{C}{w}-\alpha_{1}\right)=\frac{-C}{w^{2}}\underset{C>0}{\overset{w\geq w_{0}\geq0}{\Longrightarrow}}\frac{\partial NP(w)}{\partial w}\leq0
\]

\[
\frac{\partial^{2}NP(w)}{\partial w^{2}}=\frac{\partial}{\partial w}\left(\frac{-C}{w^{2}}\right)=\frac{2C}{w^{3}}\underset{C>0}{\overset{w\geq w_{0}\geq0}{\Longrightarrow}}\frac{\partial^{2}NP(w)}{\partial w^{2}}\geq0
\]

In other words, the negative sign of the first-order derivative shows
(as expected) that $NP\left(w\right)$ decreases as $w$ increases
above some minimum allowable value $w_{0}$ (employing minimum wages
for the workers), while the positive sign of the second-order derivative
shows that the function curves upwards. These conditions are typical
to all functions $y=x^{p}$ where $k\leq1$, like in this case. Hence,
the function is maximized at the lower limit $w=w_{0}$:

\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{c}
\left.\begin{array}{c}
\underset{w}{\max}NP\left(w\right)\\
s.t.:\: w\geq w_{0}\geq0
\end{array}\right\} \Rightarrow\underset{w\rightarrow w_{0}}{\lim}NP\left(w\right)=\\
=\underset{w\rightarrow w_{0}}{\lim}\left(\frac{C}{w}-\alpha_{1}\right)=\frac{C}{w_{0}}-\alpha_{1}=NP_{w_{0}}
\end{array}\label{eq:Wmin-0}
\end{equation}

where $NP_{w_{0}}$ is the maximum attainable net profit per sold
unit with regard to labor cost. Obviously, when there is no minimum-wage
limit, i.e., $w_{0}=0$, the net profit w.r.t. labor cost is sky-rocketed
to infinity:

\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{c}
\left.\begin{array}{c}
\underset{w}{\max}NP\left(w\right)\\
s.t.:\: w\geq w_{0}=0
\end{array}\right\} \Rightarrow\underset{w\rightarrow0}{\lim}NP\left(w\right)=\\
=\underset{w\rightarrow0}{\lim}\left(\frac{C}{w}-\alpha_{1}\right)=+\infty=NP_{0}
\end{array}\label{eq:Wmin-inf}
\end{equation}

What (\ref{eq:Wmin-inf}) proves is nothing new:

\begin{center}
\parbox[c]{0.95\columnwidth}
\begin{shaded
The best labor wages policy, i.e., the one that provides the maximum
gain-per-salary ratio, is \emph{slavery} (free labor - no salaries
at all).\end{shaded
}
\par\end{center}

However, the most important conclusion from this result is the fact
that the minimum wage limit, as it is usually legislated by laws and
government policies, is actually not something that can be 'discovered'
by a totally free (unregulated) market. If salaries can go down to
zero, no enterprise has a serious incentive, profit-wise, to offer
a decent wage to anyone. In fact, even when minimum wage limits do
exist in a labor market, the difference between this lower threshold
and the actual mean value of offered wages is only marginal; it only
relies on the various enterprises' competitiveness over very few capable
candidates for many open positions. Of course, this is hardly the
case in the real world where the exact opposite is the rule, i.e.,
many highly qualified candidates have to compete for a limited number
of job openings.

\section{\color{CustomRed}A first-order feedback control model for stable
currency rates\normalcolor}

The starting point for the following model-based approach is the assertion
that there is a distinct difference between the true economy and the
currency used in it. That is, each commodity or labor effort has a
specific 'hidden' value that is \emph{invariant} with respect to a
currency that is used to 'translate' it into monetary value. This
assertion is valid for \emph{any} such currency, even those that are
bounded to a specific commodity, e.g. gold or silver, since no one
commodity can be used a the universal baseline for this evaluation:
a huge amount of gold is next to worthless when it can not buy food
or water if there are nowhere to be found. On the other hand, a single
worker can produce a specific amount of work (on average), just as
one apple tree can produce (on the same soil and climate) more or
less the same amount of apples, which in turn contain the same amount
of nutrients and calories. Hence, the \emph{market price} of a single
apple or a single man-hour of work, which is mainly a factor offer
and demand, is not a valid invariant metric of its \emph{true value}.

Furthermore, on monetary systems that are based on a representative
currency, i.e., some form of printed money or bonds, there is no inherent
link between the total volume of currency available to spend and the
total volume of commodities and labor to purchase - when there is
more money than goods, inflation occurs. More money means higher prices
for the exact same commodities, just like less commodities means higher
prices at the same total amount of money. It all depends on who controls
the total amount of currency available for spending and how this is
carefully balanced against the total amount of commodities to purchase.

\subsection{Basic model}

Let $V_{m}$ be the market price of the commodity, labor effort or
even the currency itself and let $V_{t}$ be the corresponding 'true'
value. These two values are correlated linearly by a parameter $\rho$
that corresponds to inflation and deflation effects in the economy:

\begin{equation}
V_{m}=\left(\rho+1\right)\cdot V_{t}\label{eq:Vm-r-Vt}
\end{equation}

When $\rho>0$ then inflation occurs, i.e., the market price is higher
than it should for some specific commodity or work effort unit, while
$\rho<0$ means deflation, i.e., the market price of the same commodity
gets devalued. Grouping inflation effects as $\varepsilon^{+}$ and
deflation effects as $\varepsilon^{-}$, the adjustment parameter
now becomes $\rho=\varepsilon^{+}-\varepsilon^{-}$.

Let us now consider these two factors, $\varepsilon^{+}$ and $\varepsilon^{-}$.
During inflation, there is a positive sign in the change rate of the
market price $V_{m}$ against the true value $V_{t}$, i.e.:

\begin{equation}
\varepsilon^{+}=c^{+}\cdot\frac{dV_{m}}{dV_{t}}\label{eq:e-dVmdVt-p}
\end{equation}

where $c^{+}\geq0$ is a constant. Likewise, during deflation, there
is a negative sign in the change rate of the market price $V_{m}$
against the true value $V_{t}$, i.e.:

\begin{equation}
\varepsilon^{-}=c^{-}\cdot\frac{dV_{m}}{dV_{t}}\label{eq:e-dVmdVt-n}
\end{equation}

where $c^{-}\geq0$ is a constant. Equations (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-p})
and (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-n}) essentially link the parameter $\rho$
in (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt}) with the change rate of the market price $V_{m}$
against the true value $V_{t}$. In other words, the inflation and
deflation effects are expressed as a function of the first derivative
of $V_{m}$ against $V_{t}$.

The terms 'inflation' and 'deflation' here are somewhat misleading,
since they are usually linked to increasing and decreasing prices,
respectively, in the market. Here, 'inflation' is linked to its primary
definition, i.e., the increasing availability and flow of money in
the market, a situation that favors 'cheaper' currency, easier loans
and incentives for riskier investments. This means that when the money
flow increases, \emph{into} the economy (private investments, low
taxation levels, economy growth, etc), the incentives for moving even
more money into it increases, since profitable businesses are plenty.
On the other hand, 'deflation' here is also linked to its primary
definition, i.e., the decreasing availability and flow of money in
the market, a situation that results in 'expensive' currency, harder
loans and incentives for more conservative (or no) investments. This
means that when the money flow decreases, \emph{out of} the economy
(outgoing foreign exchange, high taxation levels, economy shrinking,
etc), the incentives for putting more and more money away from it
increases, since profitable investments are scarce. In other words,
equations (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-p}) and (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-n}) translate
the momentum of $V_{m}$ against $V_{t}$ into quantifiable feedback,
reinforcing (positive) or dampening (negative), according to the relation
between $c^{+}$ and $c^{-}$.

There is also a definite link between inflation/deflation and interest
rates in bank loans: during inflation, the governments and central
banks try to 'slow down' excessive loaning and credit card use by
raising the baseline for interest rates, while during deflation they
try to 'boost' the economy by lowering this baseline and thus enabling
more money flow in the market. Here, these 'correcting' actions are
essentially included in both $c^{+}$ and $c^{-}$, according to the
direction these authorities want to employ into (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-p})
and (\ref{eq:e-dVmdVt-n}) and, in the end, into (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt})
as well.

\subsection{Analytical solution}

The model described by (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt}) now becomes a differential
equation that is to be solved, i.e., fully defines $V_{m}$ as a function
of $V_{t}$. The following steps show how:

\[
\begin{array}{cc}
V_{m} & =\left(\rho+1\right)\cdot V_{t}=(\varepsilon^{+}-\varepsilon^{-}+1)\cdot V_{t}\\
 & =\left(\left(c^{+}-c^{-}\right)\cdot\frac{dV_{m}}{dV_{t}}+1\right)\cdot V_{t}\\
\Leftrightarrow & \left(c^{+}-c^{-}\right)\cdot V_{t}\cdot\frac{dV_{m}}{dV_{t}}-V_{m}+V_{t}=0\\
\Leftrightarrow & \left(c^{+}-c^{-}\right)\cdot x\cdot\frac{dy}{dx}-y+x=0\\
\Leftrightarrow & \frac{dy}{dx}+\left(\frac{-1}{c^{+}-c^{-}}\right)\cdot\frac{y}{x}+\left(\frac{1}{c^{+}-c^{-}}\right)=0
\end{array}
\]

\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{cc}
\Leftrightarrow & \frac{dy}{dx}=\beta\cdot\frac{y}{x}-\beta=F\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)\end{array}\label{eq:dydx-Fyx}
\end{equation}

where $y=V_{m}$, $x=V_{t}$ and $\beta=\frac{1}{c^{+}-c^{-}}$. The
last step in the previous sequence is essentially a typical transformation
into a well-known form of differential equations that can be solved
by substituting $z=\frac{y}{x}$ and calculating the integral:

\[
\begin{array}{cc}
 & \frac{dy}{dx}=\beta\cdot\frac{y}{x}-\beta=F\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)\\
\left(z=\frac{y}{x}\right) & \Rightarrow\ln x=\int\frac{dz}{F\left(z\right)-z}+\alpha\\
 & \ln x=\int\frac{dz}{F\left(z\right)-z}=\int\frac{d\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)}{\left(\beta\cdot\frac{y}{x}-\beta\right)-\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)}\\
 & =\int\frac{d\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)}{\frac{y}{x}\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)}=\int\frac{dz}{z\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)}\\
 & =\frac{1}{\left(\beta-1\right)}\cdot\ln\left(z\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)\right)\\
\Leftrightarrow & \ln x=\frac{1}{\left(\beta-1\right)}\cdot\ln\left(z\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)\right)\\
\Leftrightarrow & \ln x^{\left(\beta-1\right)}=\ln\left(\frac{y}{x}\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)\right)\\
\Leftrightarrow & x^{\left(\beta-1\right)}=\frac{y}{x}\cdot\left(\beta-1\right)+\left(-\beta\right)\\
\Leftrightarrow & \left(\beta-1\right)\cdot y=x^{\beta}+\beta\cdot x
\end{array}
\]

\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{cc}
\Leftrightarrow & y=\left(\frac{1}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot x^{\beta}+\left(\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot x\end{array}\label{eq:y-exp-x}
\end{equation}

Hence, from the final result an analytical formula of $V_{m}$ with
regard to $V_{t}$ becomes available:

\begin{equation}
V_{m}=\left(\frac{1}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot V_{t}^{\beta}+\left(\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot V_{t}\qquad\beta=\frac{1}{c^{+}-c^{-}}\label{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}
\end{equation}

Note that (\ref{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}) is more or less the long-term expansion
of (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt}). That is, (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt}) is the 'instance'
definition of $V_{m}$ with regard to $V_{t}$ as a differential equation,
while in (\ref{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}) $V_{m}$ is defined only as a function
of $V_{t}$ (no differentials) and some constant parameters. This
analytical form is appropriate for calculating stability and feedback
factors as the result of these constant parameters and how they affect
the relation between $V_{m}$ and $V_{t}$.

As a verification step, one can calculate the differential term $\frac{dy}{dx}$
by its starting definition in (\ref{eq:dydx-Fyx}) and by its analytical
solution in (\ref{eq:y-exp-x}). From (\ref{eq:dydx-Fyx}) this calculation
gives:

\[
\begin{array}{cc}
\frac{dy}{dx} & =\beta\cdot\frac{y}{x}-\beta=\beta\cdot\left(\frac{x^{\beta}+\beta\cdot x}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot x^{-1}=...=\left(\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot\left(x^{\beta-1}+\beta\right)\end{array}
\]

Similarly, from (\ref{eq:y-exp-x}) the same calculation gives:

\[
\begin{array}{cc}
\frac{dy}{dx} & =\left(\frac{1}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot\frac{d\left(x^{\beta}+\beta\cdot x\right)}{dx}=\frac{\beta\cdot x^{\beta-1}+\beta}{\beta-1}=\left(\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot\left(x^{\beta-1}+\beta\right)\end{array}
\]

Hence, (\ref{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}) is a valid analytical solution of (\ref{eq:Vm-r-Vt}).

\subsection{Stability and feedback analysis}

Equation (\ref{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}) provides a full description for $V_{m}$
with regard to $V_{t}$ and the means to analyze its asymptotic behavior.
Since $\beta$ is the only parameter that includes all model configuration,
it is the main factor of interest here. Specifically, it is evident
that as $|\beta|$ increases, i.e., as the difference $|c^{+}-c^{-}|$
becomes smaller, $V_{m}$ exhibits larger exponent in $V_{t}$. This
means that $V_{m}$ either increases at higher rates (when $\beta>0$)
or drives the first term to zero (when $\beta<0$). Furthermore, as
$|\beta|$ becomes larger, the coefficient $\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}$
of the second term in (\ref{eq:Vm-exp-Vt}) approaches unity. In other
words, as $c^{+}$ approaches $c^{-}$, $V_{m}$ and $V_{t}$ become
directly proportional (not just linearly dependent).

Combining these previous comments with respect to $\beta$, it is
clear that if $V_{m}$ is to be 'stabilized' against $V_{t}$, $\beta$
can be selected accordingly in order to diminish the first (higher-order)
term and reinforce the second (linear) term. This happens only when
$|\beta|\gg1$ and $\beta<0$, i.e., as $\beta\rightarrow-\infty$:

\begin{equation}
V_{m}=\left(\frac{1}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot V_{t}^{\beta}+\left(\frac{\beta}{\beta-1}\right)\cdot V_{t}\overset{\beta\rightarrow-\infty}{\longrightarrow}V_{t}^{+}\label{eq:Vm-lim-Vt}
\end{equation}

where $V_{t}^{+}$ means that it is approached from higher values
as $\beta$ becomes more and more negative. In other words:

\begin{equation}
\beta\rightarrow-\infty\Leftrightarrow c^{+}-c^{-}\rightarrow0^{-}\Longrightarrow V_{m}\rightarrow V_{t}^{+}\label{eq:Vm-lim-Vt-cc}
\end{equation}

What equation (\ref{eq:Vm-lim-Vt-cc}) says is pretty clear:

\begin{center}
\parbox[c]{0.95\columnwidth}
\begin{shaded
If market prices of commodities and work effort are to be kept close
to their true values, the negative feedback factors (high taxes, high
interest rates, high government spending, etc) should \emph{closely
match} the positive feedback factors (low taxes, low interest rates,
strict government spending, etc).\end{shaded
}
\par\end{center}

This result is not something unexpected; keeping taxes and interest
rates high is the standard policy for slowing down a booming economy
into a 'controlled growth' state. This is necessary to avoid excessive
debt increase in both public and private sector, as well as decreasing
the incentives of 'bubbles' in stock markets. However, what is very
interesting is that the proper control policy is for the authorities
to \emph{counter match} the positive feedback with \emph{proportional}
negative feedback actions. In other words, government spending, taxation
levels and interest rates should \emph{always} increase/decrease in
proportion to private investments, creation of new businesses and
incoming flow of foreign capital.

Unfortunately, the idea of a deliberate slowdown in the economy is
something that is often unthinkable for modern free trades and stock
markets - this is why (\ref{eq:Vm-lim-Vt}) and (\ref{eq:Vm-lim-Vt-cc})
also constitute a very realistic explanation of the various financial
crises, like the dot-com bubble of the late '90s or the 2008 house
market crash in USA: \emph{when negative feedback is not enforced,
the catastrophic deviation of $V_{m}$ from $V_{t}$ becomes a mathematical
certainty}.

\section{\color{CustomRed}Government spending and stable taxation level\normalcolor}

One of the most controversial issues in all economic models is the
acceptable amount of government spending for public services, infrastructure
and government salaries. In general, the amount of government budget
available for spending is directly proportional to the country's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP):

\begin{equation}
\left\{ GDP\right\} =C+I+G+\left(X-M\right)\thicksim S+P=W\label{eq:GDP-gen}
\end{equation}

\subsection{Basic model}

Equation (\ref{eq:GDP-gen}) is the typical calculation of GDP: $C$
is for consumption, $I$ is for investments and savings (domestic),
$G$ is for government spending and $\left(X-M\right)$ is the exports-imports
(net) balance. Reformulating these parameters, let $W$ be the GDP
portion attributed to salaries of workers in the public and the private
sector, i.e., $S$ and $P$ respectively. Public spending on infrastructure
can be reformulated as the weighted sum of $N$ factors, each contributing
$\alpha_{i}$ to the total spending:

\[
G_{s}=\sum\alpha_{i}g_{i}\quad i=1,...,N
\]

\[
\sum\alpha_{i}=1\quad0\leq\alpha_{i}\leq1
\]

Similarly, a 'public welfare' index can be calculated as a weighted
sum of $K$ factors, each contributing $\gamma_{i}$ to the index,
that affect availability of public services to the people:

\[
G_{w}=\sum\gamma_{k}\left(1-h_{k}\right)\quad k=1,...,K
\]

\[
\sum\gamma_{k}=1\quad0\leq\gamma_{k}\leq1
\]

where $h_{k}$ is the fraction of people without access to public
service $k$. Clearly, there is a link between $G_{s}$ and $G_{w}$,
i.e., $G_{w}\thicksim G_{s}$.

Let us now focus on the government budget that need to cover for public
workers' salaries $S$ and public spending $G_{s}$. Let $Q^{+}$be
the positive flow, which is essentially the sum of taxes on wages
to all workers (public and private sector), and let $Q^{-}$ be the
negative flow, which goes to $S$ and public spending $G_{s}$. If
$0\leq c\leq1$ is the balancing factor between salaries and infrastructure
in government spending and $p$ is the balancing factor between private
sector and public sector fractions in the total work force, then:

\[
Q^{+}=\left(S+P\right)\cdot t=\left(W\cdot\left(1-p\right)+W\cdot p\right)\cdot t=W\cdot t
\]

\[
Q^{-}=\left(1-c\right)\cdot\hat{S}+G_{s}\cdot c=\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot S+G_{s}\cdot c
\]

For a long-term viable budget management without deficiencies, huge
reserving and external loans, then the positive/negative flows should
be roughly equal:

\[
Q^{+}\simeq Q^{-}\Leftrightarrow S\cdot t+P\cdot t\simeq\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot S+G_{s}\cdot c
\]

\begin{equation}
Q^{+}-Q^{-}=W\cdot t-\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)\cdot W-G_{s}\cdot c=\varphi\label{eq:QQ-phi-def}
\end{equation}

where $\varphi$ is the instantaneous (annual) balance in the government
budget. The model presented above assumes perfect mechanisms for spending,
paying salaries and collecting taxes. For a more realistic calculation,
deficiency factors have to be introduced in all the major components
in (\ref{eq:QQ-phi-def}), i.e.:

\[
\hat{t}=t\cdot\left(1-\varepsilon_{t}\right)\;,\;0\leq\varepsilon_{t}\leq1\;,\;0\leq t\leq1
\]

\[
\hat{W}=W\cdot\left(1-\varepsilon_{w}\right)\;,\;0\leq\varepsilon_{w}\leq1
\]

\[
\hat{G}=G\cdot\left(1-\varepsilon_{g}\right)\;,\;0\leq\varepsilon_{g}\leq1
\]

\[
\hat{\varphi}=\varphi\cdot\left(1-\varepsilon_{\varphi}\right)\;,\;0\leq\varepsilon_{\varphi}\leq1
\]

Here, $\varepsilon_{t}$ stands for deficiency in collecting taxes,
$\varepsilon_{w}$ stands for deficiency in work effort (outsourced
workers), $\varepsilon_{g}$ stands for deficiency in constructing
and maintaining public services (corruption) and $\varepsilon_{\varphi}$
stands for deficiency due to inflation (domestic currency devaluation).
These adjusted components can be introduced directly into (\ref{eq:QQ-phi-def})
for proper calculations; however, for the shake of simplicity, the
simplified model of (\ref{eq:QQ-phi-def}) will be used as-is, since
this choice does not affect the analysis that follows.

\subsection{Analytical solution}

Returning now to (\ref{eq:GDP-gen}), the investments component $I$
can be expressed as a factor of $W$, meaning that the amount of money
available for domestic spending drives the incentives for more investments,
new businesses and foreign capitals:

\begin{equation}
I=\xi\cdot W\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\quad\vartheta,\xi\geq0\label{eq:Invest-W}
\end{equation}

where $\xi$ is the amount of available money $W\cdot\left(1-t\right)$
(after taxation) that goes into investments and $\vartheta$ is the
multiplier that is attributed to foreign capital that comes into the
domestic economy as investments too. Hence, the true annual change
in $W$ can now be stated as a function of $\varphi$ and $I$ as:

\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{ccc}
\triangle W & = & \varphi+I\\
 & = & W\cdot t-\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)\cdot W-G_{s}\cdot c\\
 & + & \xi\cdot W\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)
\end{array}\label{eq:DW-phi-Inv}
\end{equation}

Equation (\ref{eq:DW-phi-Inv}) is a differential model that links
$W$ with its change rate and all the other factors. Since it is stated
in a discrete form (annual changes), it can be solved as a first-order
iterative equation, defining $a_{n}=W_{n}$ and substituting for all
the other factors:

\begin{equation}
a_{n+1}=a_{n}\cdot\left(A+B\right)+C\Leftrightarrow a_{n+1}-a_{n}\cdot\left(A+B\right)=C\label{eq:an-diff}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
A=t-\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)\label{eq:A-diff}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
B=\xi\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\label{eq:B-diff}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
C=-G_{s}\cdot c\label{eq:C-diff}
\end{equation}

Equation (\ref{eq:an-diff}) is solved by calculating the solution
of the corresponding homogeneous system $\left(C=0\right)$ and then
trying a solution similar to the right-hand side of the general equation.
The solution of the homogeneous system is:

\[
d_{n+1}-d_{n}\cdot\left(A+B\right)=0
\]

\begin{equation}
\lambda-\left(A+B\right)=0\Rightarrow\lambda=A+B\Rightarrow d_{n}=\left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot d_{0}\label{eq:dn-diff}
\end{equation}

Since the right-hand side of (\ref{eq:an-diff}) is a zero-order polynomial,
a constant can be introduced as a solution to the general equation:

\begin{equation}
\hat{a}=b_{0}\Rightarrow b_{0}-\left(A+B\right)\cdot b_{0}=C\Leftrightarrow b_{0}=\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)}\label{eq:b0-diff}
\end{equation}

Then, the complete solution of (\ref{eq:an-diff}) is the sum of the
partial solutions of (\ref{eq:dn-diff}) and (\ref{eq:b0-diff}),
i.e.:

\begin{equation}
a_{n}=d_{n}+\hat{a}=\left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot d_{0}+b_{0}\label{eq:an-d0-b0}
\end{equation}

where $d_{0}$ is a constant that can be calculated directly by using
any value for $n$, i.e.:

\begin{equation}
n=0\rightarrow a_{0}=1\cdot d_{0}+b_{0}\Leftrightarrow d_{0}=a_{0}-b_{0}\label{eq:d0-value}
\end{equation}

Substituting (\ref{eq:b0-diff}) and (\ref{eq:d0-value}) into (\ref{eq:an-d0-b0}),
the final solution for $a_{n}$ becomes:

\[
\begin{array}{ccc}
a_{n} & = & \left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot\left(a_{0}-b_{0}\right)+b_{0}\\
 & = & \left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot\left(a_{0}-\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)}\right)+\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)}
\end{array}
\]

or in terms of the original $W$ parameter:

\begin{equation}
W_{n+1}=\left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot\left(W_{0}-\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)}\right)+\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)}\label{eq:Wn-full}
\end{equation}

where $W_{0}$ is a constant corresponding to some starting value
for $W$. Hence, the total amount of money available as workers' salaries
(public and private sectors) is now expressed as a function of all
the other parameters of (\ref{eq:QQ-phi-def}) and (\ref{eq:Invest-W}).

\subsection{Stability and feedback analysis}

In order to evaluate the stability constraints for the model described
in (\ref{eq:Wn-full}), the most important factor is the base of the
exponent, i.e., $\left(A+B\right)$. The same result can be drawn
by applying the z-transformation to the original model in (\ref{eq:an-diff}):

\[
W_{n+1}-\left(A+B\right)\cdot W_{n}=C\overset{F(z)}{\longrightarrow}H\left(z\right)
\]

\begin{equation}
H\left(z\right)=\frac{C}{1-\left(A+B\right)\cdot z^{-1}}\longleftrightarrow h\left(n\right)=C\cdot\left(A+B\right)^{n}\cdot u\left(n\right)\label{eq:Hz-AB}
\end{equation}

It is clear from (\ref{eq:Hz-AB}) that, in order for the system to
be stable, the constraint $|A+B|\leq1$ needs to be true in all cases.
Let us now examine the case $A+B\leq1$ with regard to the taxation
level $t$, applying (\ref{eq:A-diff}) for $A$ and (\ref{eq:B-diff})
for $B$:

\[
\begin{array}{ccc}
 & A+B & \leq1\\
\Leftrightarrow & t-\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)+\xi\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right) & \leq1\\
\Leftrightarrow & t\cdot\left(1+\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)-\xi\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\right)\\
 & -\left(\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)-\xi\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\right) & \leq1\\
\Leftrightarrow & t\cdot\left(1+\tau\right)-\tau & \leq1
\end{array}
\]

where:

\begin{equation}
\tau=\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)-\xi\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\label{eq:tau-tt}
\end{equation}

and finally we get:

\begin{equation}
t\leq\frac{1+\tau}{1+\tau}=1\label{eq:tt-upper}
\end{equation}

Similarly, for the lower bound we get:

\[
\begin{array}{ccc}
 & A+B & \geq-1\\
\Leftrightarrow & t-\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)+\xi\cdot\left(1-t\right)\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right) & \geq-1\\
\Leftrightarrow & t\cdot\left(1+\tau\right)-\tau & \geq-1
\end{array}
\]

which gives:

\begin{equation}
t\cdot\left(1+\tau\right)-\tau\geq-1\Leftrightarrow t\geq\frac{-1+\tau}{1+\tau}\label{eq:tt-lower}
\end{equation}

Combining (\ref{eq:tt-upper}) and (\ref{eq:tt-lower}), and since
$0\leq t\leq1$, we get the final range for 'stable' taxation level:

\begin{equation}
\max\left\{ 0,\frac{-1+\tau}{1+\tau}\right\} \leq t\leq1\label{eq:tt-st-range}
\end{equation}

Equation (\ref{eq:tt-st-range}) is essentially a range constraint
for $t$ and describes the stability conditions for $W$ with respect
to the taxation level. In practice, if the lower bound becomes positive,
this range is shrinking towards the upper bound, i.e., the taxation
levels are forced to be higher in order to maintain a stable budget
management. Using (\ref{eq:tau-tt}) this translates to:

\begin{equation}
\frac{-1+\tau}{1+\tau}>0\Leftrightarrow\tau>1\Leftrightarrow\left(1-c\right)\cdot\left(1-p\right)>1+\xi\cdot\left(1+\vartheta\right)\label{eq:tau-stability}
\end{equation}

The result stated by (\ref{eq:tau-stability}) is indeed a very interesting
one:

\begin{center}
\parbox[c]{0.95\columnwidth}
\begin{shaded
For a stable spending of government budget, the available range for
the taxation level is \emph{shrinking towards the higher limit} as
the total number of public workers and/or the spending weight (i.e.,
wages level) of their salaries becomes larger than the domestic and
foreign investments (incoming flow). \end{shaded
}
\par\end{center}

This statement per-se is completely expected, as government budget
comes from taxes and foreign capital investments (assuming no long-term
policies for debt deficiencies are allowed). However, if the total
government spending is assumed constant, (\ref{eq:tau-stability})
states that the system can also be stabilized by allocating more funds
to public infrastructure and services instead of public workers' wages.
In other words, \emph{budgets cuts (austerity) is not necessarily
the only solution available.}

Equation (\ref{eq:tau-stability}) incorporates $c$ and $p$ as negative
terms, while $\xi$ and $\vartheta$ as positive ones, hence it is
fairly easy to come with another interesting result: Since $p$ corresponds
to the fraction of work force employed in the private sector, (\ref{eq:tau-stability})
implies that having an excessively large number of private sector
workers, with regard to true investments, essentially destabilizes
the system. This assertion can be explained by the fact that excessive
private worker force means excessive sum of salaries available for
spending, thus increased attraction of domestic and foreign funds
for new investments. This incentive essentially destabilizes the control
of $\triangle W$ in (\ref{eq:DW-phi-Inv}) and may cause a catastrophic
oscillation (market bubbles). Therefore, \emph{the proper stabilization
action is for the government to 'slow down' any excessive increases},
a result similar to the one stated at the end of the previous paradigm
(see previous section). This action is usually executed by employing
higher taxes and limiting incoming flow of investment funds - policies
that are usually considered unthinkable for modern free trades and
stock markets.

\section{\color{CustomRed}Conclusion\normalcolor}

In this paper, simple mathematical models from Control Theory were
applied to three very important economic paradigms, namely (a) minimum
wages in self-regulating markets, (b) market-versus-true values and
currency rates, and (c) government spending and taxation levels.

The main conclusions are:
\begin{APAitemize}
\item The best labor wages policy, i.e., the one that provides the maximum
gain-per-salary ratio, is \emph{slavery} (free labor - no salaries
at all).
\item Even when minimum wage limits do exist in a labor market, the difference
between this lower threshold and the actual mean value of offered
wages is only marginal.
\item If market prices of commodities and work effort are to be kept close
to their true values, the negative feedback factors (high taxes, high
interest rates, high government spending, etc) should \emph{closely
match} the positive feedback factors (low taxes, low interest rates,
strict government spending, etc).
\item For stable economies, the proper control policy is for the authorities
(government) to \emph{counter match} the positive feedback (private
investments) with \emph{proportional} negative feedback actions.
\item For a stable spending of government budget, the available range for
the taxation level is \emph{shrinking towards the higher limit} as
the total number of public workers and/or the spending weight (i.e.,
wages level) of their salaries becomes larger than the domestic and
foreign investments (incoming flow).
\item If the total government spending is assumed constant, the budget can
also be stabilized by allocating more funds to public infrastructure
and services instead of public workers' wages (i.e. wages cuts is
not the only 'correcting' solution).
\end{APAitemize}
This short study that can be used as an example of how feedback models
and stability analysis can be applied as a guideline of 'proofs' in
the context of economic policies.

\nocite{*}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Thanks to anyone who was responsible for dropping our name. Unfortunately, there was no mention of Portfolio Center or Standard Boutique. Regardless, you guys know we give major props to our mentors at PC and Standard.
Sure it's only a little exposure, but it means we're being recognized. Cheers to that!
BRETT HOLCOMB PUTTIN EM ON !
Excellent! I think it's time you made dog t-shirts, too. And baby onseise. Bjorn wants one. I do, too. And so does Bimp.


text:
A stochastic analysis on the force of infection by hepatitis B virus in Korea.
Keun Young Yoo, Moo Song Lee, Youngjo Lee, Bo Youl Choi, Heon Kim, Yong Sik Kim
DOI : https://doi.org/
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Korean Journal of Epidemiology 1992;14(2): 128-137.
Hepatitis B virus infection is still one of the major health problems in Korea, because of its high prevalence and its deleterious sequellae to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, little is known about incidence (force of infection) of the viral infection. Investigation on the natural history of the virus, such as age-dependency of occurrence, is thus necessary to establish the efficient measures of prevention and management. This study was done to estimate the incidence of hepatitis B virus infection, as well as to assess the prevalent age group of the infection through a stochastic analysis using mathematical models. Data on positivity of hep¬atitis B virus markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs,anti-HBc) were obtained from two different population; a typical rural population in Kyunggi province (n=741) and a health insurance beneficiaries in the Seoul City (n=726). As results, force of infection by the virus was decreasing until the age group around 20, and afterwards remained stationary. The annual incidence of the infection was 15 per 100 persons at birth, 5 per 100 persons at the age, of 10, and about 3 per 100 persons after the age of 20. Proportion of antigen positivity among persons infected by the virus was also decreasing with age increasing. These results suggest that new infection of hepatitis B virus mostly occurs early in life in Korea, resulting in subsequent high prevalence of the infection.
PDF Links
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An analytic review on the trends of cesarean section among hospital deliveries in Korea 1986 June;8(1)
A proposal on the effects of hepatitis B virus vaccine 1985 December;7(2)
A stochastic model for determining the number of outpatient-visits 1984 December;6(1)
Ecological studies on the vector of Japanese encephalitis Culex tritaeniorhynchus in Korea 1983 December;5(1)
A study on the prevalence rate of hepatitis B surface antigen among American soldiers in Korea 1982 December;4(1)
Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center
323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang 10408, Korea
TEL: +82-2-745-0662 FAX: +82-2-764-8328 E-mail: enh0662@gmail.com
Copyright © 2020 by Korean Society of Epidemiology. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Artcollection » Artists » Max Peiffer Watenphul
Max Peiffer Watenphul
Images under artist copyright
The German painter and graphic artist Max Peiffer Watenphul (Weferlingen 1896-1976 Rome) followed his artistic calling only after initially studying medicine in Bonn and law in Strasbourg, Frankfurt and Munich. Through exposure to the work of Paul Klee, the decision matured to study art at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where he met Walter Gropius, Johannes Itten, Oskar Schlemmer, Wassily Kandinsky, Kurt Schwitters, Josef Albers and others. After several years of teaching artistic design at the Folkwang School in Essen, Peiffer Watenphul was awarded the prestigious Rome Prize and moved to Rome for nine months. It was to remain only one of many international stations in his life. His travels and longer stays abroad took the artist to Italy, Dalmatia, Mexico, France, Spain, Greece, Morocco and Lebanon, among other places, all of which also served as sources of inspiration for his artistic work. Peiffer Watenphul always remained closely connected to the cities of Rome, Venice and Salzburg. The artist left behind an extensive œuvre of paintings, drawings, lithographs and watercolors, his themes revolving around still life as well as urban and natural landscapes. Throughout his life he remained faithful to a representational art, which is characterized by strong reduction and stylization and subtle colors.
www.peifferwatenphul.com


text:
Q: Show only attributes from one particular Attribute Set group So I have an Attribute Set called Tractor Parts and in that set I have a group called Manufacturers.
Currently I have 3 attributes in the group

*

*allis_chalmers

*Case

*john_deere

What I am trying to do is list these attributes in a tab on the product view ONLY if the attribute has a value for this product.  I can pull the value off the attributes individually but this is not elegant at all, not to mention cumbersome...
I can get the attribute names from the group and get those to show in the tab. I am not sure how to go about getting the value of the attribute for the current product.
Here is the code I have at the moment
<?php
require_once 'app/Mage.php';
Mage::app();

$attributeGroupCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_group_collection');

foreach ($attributeGroupCollection as $attributeGroup) {
$attributeGroup->getAttributeGroupId();
}

  $attributeCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_collection')
    ->setAttributeGroupFilter($attributeGroup->getAttributeGroupId());
?>

        <col width="25%" />
        <col />

        <?php foreach ($attributeCollection as $attribute): ?>

                <?php echo $attribute->getStoreLabel() ?>
                <?php echo ***attribute value for product*** ?>

        <?php endforeach; ?>

The bold Italic part is what I can't figure out.  I think I need to load the product but not sure how.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

A: 100% working now, code pasted below for others to use.  Not that the group ID is specified on the setAttributeGroupFilter line
<?php
require_once 'app/Mage.php';
Mage::app();

$attributeGroupCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_group_collection');
$product = $this->getProduct();

foreach ($attributeGroupCollection as $attributeGroup) {
    $attributeGroup->getAttributeGroupId();

$attributeCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_collection')
    ->setAttributeGroupFilter(25);
}
?>

    <col width="25%" />
    <col />

            <?php foreach ($attributeCollection as $attribute): ?>
                <?php if (!is_null($product->getData($attribute->getAttributeCode())) && ((string)$attribute->getFrontend()->getValue($product) != '')) { ?>

                        <?php echo $attribute->getStoreLabel() ?>
                        <?php echo $attribute_value = $product->getResource()->getAttribute($attribute)->getFrontend()->getValue($product) ?>

                <?php } ?>
            <?php endforeach; ?>

A: After messing around with this a lot I finally got it to do mostly what I want.  The only thing I would like it to do is only show the values if the attributes contain data.
Code below;
<?php
require_once 'app/Mage.php';
Mage::app();

$attributeGroupCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_group_collection');
$product = $this->getProduct();

foreach ($attributeGroupCollection as $attributeGroup) {
$attributeGroup->getAttributeGroupId();
}

  $attributeCollection = Mage::getResourceModel('eav/entity_attribute_collection')
    ->setAttributeGroupFilter($attributeGroup->getAttributeGroupId());
?>

     <col width="25%" />
     <col />

          <?php foreach ($attributeCollection as $attribute): ?>

                    <?php echo $attribute->getStoreLabel() ?>
                    <?php echo $attribute_value = $product->getResource()->getAttribute($attribute)->getFrontend()->getValue($product) ?>

          <?php endforeach; ?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This Premium Waffle-Weave Microfiber Window & Drying Towel is exceptionally soft and absorbent.
The deep waffle ridges trap water as the polished fibers quickly absorb moisture. The thick fabric of these microfiber waffle-weave drying towels is gently polished, slightly opening the densely packed micro-fibers and softening the overall feel.
Use two window cleaning towels, one in each hand, for the ultimate quick dry process. Or use a dark towel for the initial wipe down and the lighter color towel for the final wipe and finish.


text:
Q: Fallout 4 - am I a Synth?
Is the player character in Fallout 4 a synth?
The game doesn't answers this question directly, as far as I know.
It would feel kinda like it makes sense, the Institute making Synths and you

as a Synth becoming the new leader of the Institute.

Is the player character in Fallout 4 a Synth? What evidence exists (either in-game or comments of developers) that support the answer?

A: Evidence for being a synth:

*

*Father refers to letting you out as "an experiment of sorts", and "there was no longer a reason to keep you suspended."

*Every other cryo pod's occupant died due to life support failure. Why didn't you?

*The only reason Father can give for keeping you on ice for his entire life is "there wasn't really a reason to let you out."

*The "experiment of sorts" referred to whether or not you'd track him down - but consider: what exactly are the odds of someone emerging from a vault with a 10mm pistol and taking on the Commonwealth? IF the experiment was about whether you'd track him down, then your survival was not a variable, it was guaranteed.  Guaranteed by the fact that you're pre-programmed with enhanced combat protocols, and can be rebuilt if destroyed.

*Father "knew" you'd survive.  As his successor, he "knows you'll do the right thing". He "KNOWS" an awful lot about your behavioral practices.

*When you tell him you love him, his response is "I can see that you do. It's remarkable."  Another line of his is "As remarkable as our synths are, they can be... dangerous without proper supervision."  Another, "You mean the child? It's a fascinating project, really. There are issues to be solved, of course, but we've made remarkable progress."
When talking about synths, he sure uses the word "remarkable" a lot.

*"Did you think we would not see what you have done?!" - unless the Institute has developed a scientific crystal ball and built sophisticated fortune telling robots, they saw what you did because your synth brain is transmitting its input data to the Institute.

*In the Institute, information presented in one of the computer terminals describes the Gen-3 synths' perception of combat, and it is identical to how the player experiences "VATS". It also makes a great deal more sense than a bulky Pip-Boy somehow slowing time during combat.

This response is just me exploring the idea. I hadn't thought about it before. There's definitely evidence to back up the theory.  And while it would be easy to say "there's no evidence that you're human, either!" - how could there be?
The fantastic journey of the player is not, to me, evidence that they are synth or human. The game stars them because if it starred a feral ghoul perma-locked in a shipping crate, it wouldn't be a very fun game. The game stars you because you're the hero of the story - so it's not evidence either way.

The biggest piece of evidence:
The hero accepting the "I kept you frozen because there wasn't a reason to let you out" line is like the synths in Westworld saying "It doesn't look like anything to me."
Here's one reason:  because you survived the life support failure of every other pod, the Institute must have been monitoring your pod, or supplying it with power. If Father is really so emotionally disconnected (a concept his character seems to frequently not adhere to) then pressing the "thaw" button is less of a drain on Institute resources than supplying your pod with power.  There's your tiny friggin' reason, sonny.

I talked myself into it.  Player is a synth.  100%.  Okay... 99%.

A: In the Automatron DLC quest, Restoring Order, when you gain access to The Mechanist's lair, over the speaker you hear "incoming robot detected, opening security doors" (you have a robot with you during this quest) but then you hear "no bio signs detected, proceed".
That is the biggest piece of evidence I have seen to support the main character being a synth. The character was scanned and there were no traces of bio life. I didn't want to believe I was a synth either but that really opened my eyes to the idea. Hard proof.

A: This is a cool topic to discuss, but i don't think he/she is a synth. Why? (SPOILER WARNING IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE GAME FOR SOME REASON)
Father could easily just reset you if you are going to betray the Institute, and second reason, in automatron dlc when you are scanned for not being a bio life.... Synth has that bio signs, why? Well father gave them dna and there is a bit of bio life in there, So i think ADA just did something or just stupid plot. Third, you can die from radiation, while synths are not able to. Fourth, when DiMA said what was your earliest memories, well...you were a veteran killing the chinese. Fifth you can actually relate about life before the bomb to ghouls who survived the bomb, like an old comic book series or commercials. Sixt the vault tech rep remembers you as he saw you before the bomb. I think the strongest reason you are not a synth is the vault tech rep, but you could argue father just made a replica of you and replicate your memories like what happend to nick when you "died", but remember that father could have just shut you down with your recall number if you are indeed a synths who is about to DESTROY the very "future" Of man kind

A: If you get heavily irradiated, you become a super mutant... robots can't do that


AGE REQUIREMENTS: Minimum 22 years old for Mini Cars. 24 years old for all other groups. A surcharge may be payable for young drivers for Mini Cars only.
DRIVER'S LICENCE: A full valid driving license from any country held for minimum (1) one year is acceptable. Also, it has to have English letters. NOT acceptable a copy or an email of it.
MINIMUM RENTAL DURATION: (3) Three days.
FUEL: Payable by the renter, the vehicle to be returned at the same level as at start of hire.
TRAFFIC FINES: All tickets and administration resulting from tickets payable by renter.
THE RENTER: Is responsible to keep the car in the same good mechanical condition as it was delivered and shown to him.
THE RENTER: Must return the car at the time stated on the contract. Otherwise, there will be a charge for each hour of delay (Cars: € 20/hour - Scooters/ATVs: € 10/hour).
THE RENTER: Is responsible to keep the good condition of the car's interior at the rental period (e.g. NO excessive soiling, NO wet clothes on the seats). Otherwise, a surcharge will be applied.
THE RENTER: Has the right to cancel the booking. "Auto Traffic Rentals" does not have the obligation to refund the deposit to the renter.
"AUTO TRAFFIC RENTALS": Has the right to provide a vehicle similar to the one that has been reserved.
ADDITIONAL DRIVER: A charge per day is to be paid for additional driver for any group. Only one extra driver can be insured to each contract.
ONLINE BOOKING: WITHOUT credit card deposit.
INSURANCE POLICY: All of our cars are covered by a fully comprehensive insurance. This means that in the event of an accident any damage to the hired car or the vehicle of a third party is covered by the insurance.
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is included. Wheels, tires, screens and the underside of the vehicle are also covered.
Theft Protection (TP) is also included.
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI): The driver and the passengers are covered if an accident occurs. It is a legal requirement for seatbelts to be worn at all times. It is illegal to consume alcohol and drive. If the driver should have an accident while under the influence of alcohol or drugs the insurance would be void.
Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW, Zero Excess): This insurance includes: Theft Protection (TP), Fire Protection (FP), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) (including the drivers), Third Party Liability Insurance (TPLI). The hirer in the event of an accident is full insured and has no financial liability as long as Greek traffic law has not been broken. Damage caused while an "Auto Traffic Rentals" car is on board ship is not covered by the insurance as well as damage caused intentionally or by negligence and by the use of incorrect fuel.
NOT INCLUDED: The key and the radio of the car are not insured you will be charged for a replacement.
Exception for the SCDW: Fiat 500 CC, Fiat Talento, Fiat Doblo, Fiat 500L, Audi A3, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai (€ 900 excess amount). The renter has the choice to reduce this excess amount from € 900 to € 300 by paying € 9/day extra.
OUT OF ZAKYNTHOS ISLAND ONLY TO KEFALONIA ISLAND INSURANCE: This applies only to customers who want to visit Kefalonia island by car. The renter must have written authorization to transfer the car outside of Zakynthos island by the "Auto Traffic Rentals" company. A surcharge will be applied per day. When the car is used outside of Zakynthos island there is an excess amount on in case of damage of the car.
Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, Peugeot 107, Fiat Panda, Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 206+, Hyundai i20, Toyota Auris, Peugeot 207, automatic cars, Suzuki Jimny, Opel Tigra, Peugeot 207 CC, Opel Zafira excess amount: € 500.
Fiat 500 CC, Fiat Talento, Fiat Doblo and Audi A3 excess amount: € 900.


text:
Ray Taras
Raymond Taras is Professor of Political Science at Tulane University. In 2019 he is Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Australian National University in Canberra.
Taras's new book is Nationhood, Migration and Global Politics: An Introduction.
I read Michel Houellebecq for two reasons. One is for the ethnic pecking orders he establishes in his novels. The other is for the pornographic descriptions he provides. Frequently the two go hand-in-hand - he is such a provocateur! I do not read him for his literary genius.
The holy grail for many French writers is Marcel Proust so Houellebecq's latest shock-value contribution, Sérotonine, seeks to amend his book titles. Replacing In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower (the ornate second of seven volumes of Remembrance of Things Past) is the blunt Donald Trump-like substitution of "young, moist pussies." As Houellebecq observes, "it seems to me to simplify the debate without destroying its poetry (what can be more beautiful, more poetic, that a pussy which becomes damp?)."
"Poetic" is rarely a term used to apply to this enfant terrible; vulgarités would seem more apposite. That said, he is a man who is aware that the most erotic times of his life are over with. As he puts it about his incongruously-named protagonist Florent-Claude, a new generation of anti-depressants has led to such side effects as nausea, loss of the libido drive, impotence. Of these "I have never suffered from nausea."
Serotonin levels are affected by drugs like Captorix. They inhibit the synthesis of testosterone which in men range from 2.5 to 10 milligrams daily (women's daily average is just 0.25). So the doctor accordingly scribbles the names of some women who can help Florent-Claude out, if he decides to reduce his Captorix dosage.
In 2006 on this blog I reviewed The Possibility of an Island in which one of Houellebecq's main purposes was to rubbish East European women. In his words, "most of the girls were Romanian, Belorussian, and Ukrainian, in other words from one of those absurd countries that emerged from the implosion of the Eastern bloc." The pornography industry "remained in the hands of shady Hungarian, or even Latvian, jobbers". Aging tourists at a holiday club are entertained by a Miss Bikini Contest where the main contestants were a leggy teenage girl from Budapest and "a platinum-blond Russian, very curvaceous in spite of her fourteen years, who looked a right tart" and eventually "began stuffing her hand down her bikini bottom."
Times change and he now takes swipes at Malians starting on their trips as undocumented workers. Florent-Claude would never let his cash go to Romanians now in the country. "The Dutch are truly a nation of whores, a race made up of multilingual opportunistic business people." Yuzu, his onetime Japanese girlfriend, stands out for her sexual exploits, including a mini canine gang-bang. The narrator feels sorry for the dogs. Moreover "for a Japanese woman - after what I had observed of the mentality of these people - sleeping with a Westerner is nearly like copulating with an animal."
Since I am supposed to teach political science, Houellebecq's novels give me a pulse of French contestation - the clash of rival perspectives, at times violent. Normandy is in the foreground. The narrator bonds with Aymeric, a nobleman from a distinguished family, whose wife has forced him to build summer cottages to rent out so as to pay the bills. Aymeric is engrossed in rifles and weapons which lead him to organize a protest movement. His wife Cécile abandons him and Normandy to move to London with a world-famous pianist. Just as "this huge slut was passionate for a life in London," "The European Union also was an enormous slut, imposing quotas on milk."
The tragedy of Aymeric is that, in the face of so many suicides of family farmers unable to earn a living wage, he fights on behalf of the French peasantry. The novel presciently anticipates the gilets jaunes challenging the Macron presidency from the provinces: "So when the cisterns of milk would arrive 2-3 days later, from Poland or Ireland, what could they do? Block the road with rifles? Even if they achieve that, what would they do if the cisterns were guarded by the security forces? Open fire?" Houellebecq elegantly sets out the case for "the producers of apricots from Roussillon who would not stand a chance given the flood of Argentine apricots." Free trade always wins in today's world; for the author it is a devastating blow to sustainable development.
Made Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur on the first day of 2019, the author is convinced that his latest novel is a romance. So there is pitiable Camille, the unacknowledged love of Florent-Claude's life, who meanders into it at various points in time, regardless of the ethnic and misogynistic hierarchies that Houellebecq constructs.
Behind his crotchetiness and insouciance, this best-selling writer cares deeply for his main character. Even as serotonin takes its toll and anti-depressants lead to la-la land, an added driver of the plot is the narrator's futile search for a hotel that would allow guests to smoke. He is, literally, cornered and choked off – a fitting allegory of Europe approaching endgame.
Visit Raymond Taras's website, and learn more about Nationhood, Migration and Global Politics at the publisher's website.
The Page 99 Test: Nationhood, Migration and Global Politics.
Stephanie Kate Strohm
Kristyn Kusek Lewis
S. Andrew Swann
Jo Perry
Christina McDonald
W.K. Stratton
Laura Benedict
Snowden Wright
Elinor Lipman
Amber Cowie
J. Albert Mann
A. F. Brady
Darius Hinks
Adele Parks
Padma Venkatraman
Jane A. Adams
Gareth Hanrahan
Simon Ings
Ann Weisgarber
Patrice Sarath
Lior Sternfeld
James Brabazon
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Emily Suvada


The Australian National University and PwC Australia recently signed a historic agreement to foster greater collaboration between the two institutions.
Dean of ANU College of Asia & the Pacific Michael Wesley spoke about the contributions ANU experts can make by providing Australian business with specialised knowledge about the Asia-Pacific region.
"Business tend to be very risk-adverse and quite unknowledgeable about the region. ANU can provide that knowledge and provide greater levels of capability in dealing across cultures", he said.
Mr Andrew Parker, a Partner at PwC Australia, reaffirmed the need for the corporate sector to be culturally literate in the Asia Pacific to succeed.
"It's predicted four out of five of the biggest economies will be in Asia by 2030. Those economies are China, India, Japan, and Indonesia", he said.
The joint agreement also provides opportunities for students to gain professional experience, including paid internships.


Need advice on a draft novel or story? Book a one-one-one session with an expert.
Publisher and editor, Clare Hallifax, is offering manuscript assessments during the 2019 HNSA conference. These are 55 minute one-on-one sessions in which Clare will provide detailed feedback on the first 1,500 words of your manuscript.
The opening of your novel is what hooks readers, so it's important to get it right. An assessment of the first 1500 words of your manuscript will help identify any opportunities to improve and refine that opening to give your manuscript a better chance of being read by publishers.
The session will cover an assessment of your writing style, genre, characterisation, voice, narrative flow, and where your manuscript sits in the Australian marketplace, as well as answering any queries you may have. After this session, you will have a clearer idea of where to go next with your manuscript.
*HNSA reserves the right to refund your money and allocate your place to the next person on the waiting list if the deadline is not met.
Clare Hallifax is the publisher of Omnibus Books, an imprint of Scholastic Australia, and has been working as an editor and publisher for almost 30 years. Her career has spanned both children's and adult publishing, and she has edited texts in almost all genres- ranging from biographies to narrative non-fiction, to literary and mass market fiction and picture books.
At Scholastic, Clare specialises in her two loves – literary fiction and historical fiction (including the ongoing My Australian Story series, and two series of novels set within the World Wars). She also publishes stand-alone historical novels for readers of junior fiction, middle-grade and YA. She has worked with some of the esteemed names of Australian children's publishing including Mem Fox, Libby Gleeson, Sophie Masson, Emily Rodda, Michael Gerard Bauer, Kelly Gardiner, Tamsin Janu, Richard Yaxley and a long list of authors and illustrators that continually inspire her. For more information about Clare see LinkedIn.
Director of the Australian Writers' Network Irina Dunn is offering manuscript assessments during the 2019 HNSA conference. These are 55 minute one-on-one sessions in which Irina will provide detailed feedback on the first 1,500 words of your manuscript.
It is important you provide the first 1,500 words of your manuscript because this is what publishers read to get an idea of how you "hook" the reader in to your manuscript. There is no point burying your best writing in Chapter 12 if you can't engage the reader (who may well be a publisher) from the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page.
The session will focus on your writing and cover an assessment of your style, genre, characterisation, tone, narrative flow, ways to improve your opening page, the marketability of your manuscript, and suggestions for targeting the right Australian publishers, as well as answering any queries you may have.
After this session, you will know exactly how to move forward with your manuscript.
*HNSA reserves the right to refund your money and allocate your place to the next person in the waiting list if the deadline is not met.
Irina Dunn has thirty years of experience working in the Australian writing and publishing industry. She has guided innumerable manuscripts from rough draft to final polished work and on to publication.
She is a well-known literary agent, manuscript assessor and editor, and has found publishers for many of her clients.
Previously she was Director of the NSW Writers' Centre for 15 years, as well as Manager of the Australian Writers' Guild Authorship Collecting Society and Managing Editor at Booktopia.
She wrote The Writer's Guide: a companion to writing for pleasure or publication, (Allen & Unwin), which was shortlisted for the Australian Publishers' Association National Education Awards.
Foremost, I must thank the incomparable Irina Dunn for the crucial role she played in bringing this novel to the bright daylight of publication. Had it not been for her encouragement, her efforts, her generosity and, above all, the wisdom of her advice, this book would still be languishing as a stack of A4 sheets with scrawled marginal notes on a shelf I really ought to tidy up.
In 55 minute masterclasses, Gillian Polack will work with individual writers or writing teams on meeting their specific needs for history in their fiction (including approach, ethical issues, fact-checking, sources, whether the history has been communicated successfully) and how their writing meets or diverges from genre norms. Where appropriate this will include approaches taught in previous HNSA masterclasses, including techniques for making the historical world of the novel come to life for the reader and how the writer can use story space to maintain the integrity of their work.
Dr Gillian Polack is a Medieval historian and has PhDs in both History and Creative Writing. Her study of how history and fiction interface (History and Fiction) was published in 2016. Her current research is on how we embed aspects of our culture into fiction and how genre operates to support cultural norms. She has also been a reviewer, critic and non-fiction writer, and an award judge. Gillian has six novels published (Ms Cellophane/Life through Cellophane was a Ditmar finalist) and has one forthcoming. Mountains of the Mind is a retrospective of her short fiction and she has edited two anthologies (Baggage was a Ditmar finalist) and an historical cookbook.
First, book your session. Then please email the following documents marked 'HNSA' to gillian.polack@anu.edu.au by 5pm AEST 17 October, 2019*.
10,000 words from your manuscript.
Find out about the Friday craft & publishing workshops here.


Are we sitting on a time bomb?
Carbohydrates and Cholesterol: Is bread worse for you than butter is?
Is the metabolic syndrome caused by a high fructose and relatively low-fat, low-cholesterol diet?
Methionine, longevity and schizophrenia: Can methionine induce madness?


MONTREAL — It's time for Bombardier Inc. to push the CSeries flight-test program to full throttle, Lufthansa Group executive Nico Buchholz said in an interview.
But he and Adam Scott, founder of fledgling London-based Odyssey Airlines, sloughed off the latest CSeries program delay announced in January, a much longer one than expected at up to 15 months, or by the end of 2015.
Buchholz and Scott are still fans of the airliner in development, they stressed. As executive vice president of fleet management for Lufthansa, which includes SWISS, formerly Swissair, Buchholz was the first CSeries customer in 2008, thereby launching the ambitious aircraft program that year.
Lufthansa has a firm order for 30 CSeries CS100 and an option for 30 more; Odyssey signed a firm deal for 10 airplanes.
The certification process overseen by regulator Transport Canada is stringent, lengthy and technically complex, involving thousands of parts and systems, many of them new to Bombardier, some of them brand new to any aircraft — like the Pratt & Whitney engine.
The flight test program is scheduled for about 2,400 hours, but Desjardins Securities analyst Benoit Poirier on Monday estimated that the three flight test vehicles in the air so far — there will be five eventually — have racked up only about 159 flight hours.
Scott, whose plan for Odyssey Airlines is to start flying the CSeries non-stop from London City Airport to unspecified cities on North America's east coast, said "I was in Montreal early this month and we were debriefed by Bombardier" on the flight test program.
Bombardier says the aircraft will provide airlines with a 15-per-cent overall reduction in operating costs compared to similarly sized aircraft.
Some analysts have said Bombardier may have overestimated the delay in order to beat it handily, which would give the program good publicity.
Both executives declined to say what kind of discounts they may get in compensation from Bombardier for the late deliveries.


Split Ends - 4 Amazing Beauty Remedies for Split Ends, Without Getting a Haircut!
Home Hair, Hands & Teeth 4 Amazing Beauty Remedies for Split Ends, Without Getting a Haircut!
4 Amazing Beauty Remedies for Split Ends, Without Getting a Haircut!
Split ends are a headache that threatens to ruin our hairstyles and makes us book appointments almost every month. Split ends are one of the most common beauty problems and make the hair look weak and messy and lifeless. Good news is the fact that there are a few home remedies available that can help achieve the best hair with the least of efforts.
The home remedies that can help you battle split ends are just as easy to use and make as they are efficient.
Egg yolks. An egg yolk mask is the most effective remedy of all times as it has an adequate amount of protein that help strengthen the hair and prevent any more split ends. Make a mixture of an egg yolk and two tablespoons of olive oil, almond oil and honey. Apply on the moist hair for 30-45 minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water.
A great ingredient for your hair, beer helps repair damaged hair follicles and supplies it with sugar and protein. Just make sure to use flat beer on your hair, wash your hair with beer after shampooing it and wash it off after 2-3 minutes with cold water.
Honey is a famous healer, doing wonders for maintaining a healthy body, hair and skin. Just make a hair mask with honey, curd, olive oil and an egg yolk. Apply on the hair, including the scalp and keep it for 20-25 minutes before washing it off.
Chamomile is another ingredient that does wonders for your hair. Give your hair a rinse every once in a while with chamomile tea and see it transform in beautiful and shiny hair.


text:
Q: Convert a dict of dict into a DataFrame I have a dict of dict like this:
data = {'1':{'a':10, 'b':30}, '2':{'a':20, 'b':60}}
And I want to convert it into this DataFrame:
               1                  2
'data'  {'a':10, 'b':30}     {'a':20, 'b':60}

but use pandas.DataFrame(data, index=['data'])
         1   2
data    NaN NaN

use pandas.DataFrame(data):
     1   2
a    10  20
b    30  60

So how to get a DataFrame that its value is a dict?

A: Strange thing to want to do but you have to convert the values to a list with a single data element which is your dict:
In [42]:
data = {'1':{'a':10, 'b':30}, '2':{'a':20, 'b':60}}
for key in data:
    data[key] = [data[key]]
pd.DataFrame(data, index=['data'])

Out[42]:
                       1                   2
data  {'a': 10, 'b': 30}  {'a': 20, 'b': 60}


text:
1,000 UK FOOD AND DRINK COMPANIES SET FOR EXPORT SUCCESS
The Food and Drink Action Plan and Food is GREAT campaign pillar have been launched by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson at Anuga, in Cologne Germany, the world's leading food and drink trade fair.
One thousand British food and drink firms will benefit from a new exports action plan which aims to deliver a £500m boost to the UK economy.
The action plan will be delivered by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), as part of the Government's overall ambition to raise UK exports to £1 trillion and to get 100,000 more UK companies exporting.
Food and drink is the UK's largest manufacturing sector with a turnover of over £90bn. However, there is huge untapped potential for export among small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) with 90% currently not exporting and primarily only with close European neighbours.
The plan was launched by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson at Anuga, in Cologne Germany, the world's leading food and drink trade fair.
At the same timefood was officially launched as one of the GREAT marketing campaign pillars. The GREAT campaign showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer in order to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK.
Through the GREAT campaign UKTI will deliver a two year programme of activity showcasing the British food and drink industry to markets in Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao, China, USA and Europe.
Speaking from Anuga, Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson said:
"Brand Britain is recognised and revered internationally. The Food and Drink Exports Action Plan and the launch of 'Food is GREAT' are important, as they will give quality British produce an even higher profile, boost our economy and create jobs.
"There are huge opportunities for British food companies to export all over the world and I'm determined to help our firms exploit them."
UK food and drink companies are attending Anuga to meet a range of buyers, suppliers and to visit a number of local food and drink producers.
Celebrity Chef and ambassador for the Food is GREAT campaign, Tom Aikens, has created a menu for the delegates to showcase the best of British produce and improve international perceptions of the UK's food offering.
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-the-food-and-farming-industry-more-competitive-while-protecting-the-environment/activity
Sectors: Food & Drink
Countries: Europe, Germany, and United Kingdom
Topics: Export Process and Trade Fairs


text:
Home > Our Speakers > Speaker Directory > Geordie Greig
Geordie Greig
Editor, Daily Mail
Geordie Greig became the editor of The Mail on Sunday in April 2012.
He started his journalistic career as a crime reporter on the South-East London and Kentish Mercury in Deptford. After staff jobs on the Daily Mail and Sunday Today, he joined The Sunday Times in 1987 as a general reporter. He was the New York correspondent for five years and then the paper's Literary Editor for five years, until he was made Editor of Tatler in August 1999. In March 2009 Geordie joined the London Evening Standard as Editor and he was also appointed in June 2010 Editorial Director of The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and London Evening Standard.
In his 20 years as a journalist he has covered wars, fashion shows, riots, film premieres and interviewed many celebrities including Peter Blake, Bryan Ferry and David Hockney, Martin Amis, V.S. Naipaul and Anish Kapoor. He is the critically acclaimed author of 'The Kingmaker', a history of the story of friendship between George VI and his grandfathers and 'Breakfast with Lucian' a memoir about the artist Lucian Freud (the film rights for which were recently bought by Harvey Weinstein.)
Geordie was born in London in 1960 and educated at Eton College and St. Peter's College, Oxford where he read English Language and Literature.
He is married to a Texan, Kathryn Greig, and lives in London with their 15 year old twin girls Monica and Octavia and 17 year old son Jasper.
Baroness (Patience) Wheatcroft
Journalist & Life Peer
David Yelland
Founder, Kitchen Table Partners
Baroness (Lola) Young
Independent Life Peer & Consultant
Will King
Founder, The King of Shaves Company Ltd
Rt Hon Ed Vaizey
MP & Former Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries
Lord (Terry) Burns
Chairman, Ofcom & Former Chairman of Channel 4 & Santander


text:
Tech buses to become permanent in San Francisco
by Rick Grimeson November 19, 2015
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) board of directors approved a permanent version of the Commuter Shuttle Program on Tuesday.
The program will start Feb. 1, 2016 and will include a number of tighter regulations for the shuttles, including limiting larger buses to approved main roads, charging a per-stop fee and increasing enforcement from the city.
The buses have become a symbol of the city's ongoing struggle with gentrification and soaring housing costs. In late 2013, protesters began targeting the buses, which were operating without much oversight in the city, making unauthorized use of MUNI bus stops.
Often dubbed "Google Buses," the shuttles are actually provided by a number of large tech companies including Apple, Facebook and Yahoo. They are typically owned and staffed by third-party transportation companies.
Protesters complained that the double-decker buses were loud, dangerous and disruptive. They blamed passengers, typically younger well-paid tech workers, for driving up rents in an already expensive city, and pushing out lower-income residents.
"The notion that shuttles are causing gentrification … is simply not connected to the data that we have," said SF Board of Supervisors member Scott Weiner at the hearing. "Whether or not they have access to shuttles, they're going to live here."
To address the issues, the SFMTA started a pilot program in August 2014. It cracked down on where the buses were allowed to stop, set up new rules for drivers and measured the impact of the shuttles on the community.
The SFMTA released its first report on the program in October. It determined around 8,500 people use the shuttles for round-trip transportation every day. Surveys found 47% of riders would drive to work without the shuttles, and 45% didn't even own cars. Those findings supported the biggest argument for the shuttles, that they decrease traffic and pollution.
"We look forward to keeping thousands of cars off the road and minimizing the impact of shuttles on San Francisco's streets," said a Google spokesperson in a statement.
The program was approved by the board after nearly two hours of comments from the public. Citizens who live near shuttle routes, tech workers who rely on the buses, a number of union representatives and a former San Francisco mayoral candidate lined up to voice their opinions on the program.
Many residents asked for additional changes to address issues like noise, damage to their roads and safety.
"Make my employer pay more," said one tech worker, who uses the shuttles for his commute.
A state law limits the amount of money tech companies pay to the city, and the program's final fee has not yet been determined. During the pilot program, shuttles paid $3.67 for each pick-up or drop-off stop.
"I am against the invasion of these overgrown mechanical hippopotamus buses," said local Herbert Weiner. "It's turning the city into a glorified industrial park and it's a bad science fiction movie."
Eric Williams, the head of the local bus drivers' union, said nobody from the pilot program contacted his drivers to get input on the shuttles.
"I think that this city is undergoing tremendous transformation," said board member Joél Ramos before the vote. "The issue of gentrification and affordable housing is an important issue that is related to transportation, but the issue that we're seeing with these shuttles… it's more a symptom, and this policy is not the place to deal with it."
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Preheat oven to 180°C. Place tomatoes onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in oven for 15 mins or until soft and juicy. Remove and set aside.
Heat a grill pan until hot and grill courgettes and aubergine slices for a few seconds on each side or until you achieve slight grill marks. Remove from pan, season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to combine and set aside.
Grate potato into a clean bowl and squeeze dry by squeezing all the liquid out. Add the chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a pan with a little olive oil and fry tablespoons full of the mixture for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. (Press down slightly to achieve a thin rösti).
Meanwhile bring a small pot of water to the boil and add vinegar. Reduce heat to a simmer and using a spoon, stir water in a circle, creating a whirlpool. Carefully crack egg into the centre and allow to poach gently for 2-3 mins.
Remove from water using a slotted spoon and carefully place on some absorbent paper to drain any excess water. Place 1 rösti onto a plate and top with grilled vegetables, roasted tomatoes, a few slices of goats cheese and a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with wild rocket and serve immediately.


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text:
5 main characteristics of French presidential election 2017 | Daria Dugina
2017-04-23 · by Akira	· in 4PT.	·
https://www.geopolitica.ru/en/article/5-main-characteristics-french-presidential-election-2017
Daria Dugina
The 1st round of the presidential elections is held on Sunday, 23 April. The 2nd round will be held on 7 may 2017. The leaders of the presidential race are Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron and François Fillon. What are the general characteristics of this elections and how do they differ from all previous presidential elections in the Republic?
1) The main forces and the leaders of the presidential race are not the representatives of classical political parties
The leaders of the presidential race are neither socialists, nor republicans . according to the polls. That shows, that classical "left" and classical "right"-wing politicians may not be represented in the second round. The main opposition in these elections is between two diametrically opposite forces: the patriotism (the "National Front") and the globalism (the Macron's movement "En Marche").
The French philosopher Alain De Benoit describes this process as the formation of a new split in the political space of France: 'today's split is the split of the entire political system into populists (patriots representing the interests of France) and anti-populists (supporters of a unipolar world order)'.
2) The unpredictability of the second round
Who will face Le Pen in the 2nd round of the elections still rests a mystery. Since February, the polls (such as Ifop and Opinion Way) were showing that in the second round, Le Pen will face Macron. However, after the debates of the candidates for the presidency of France, this confidence was shaken.
The rating of the candidate from the movement "France insoumise" Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who triumphantly and very confidently spoke at the debates, rose sharply. At some moment, Mélenchon beat Fillon in the polls. However, now, according to the Opinion Way and Ifop polls, he remains in fourth place.
At the same time, the Canadian Poll-Center Filteris shows that in the second round, Macron will not be presented and he will take only the fourth place in the first round. In the second round, according to the results of the poll "Filteris", there will be Le Pen and Fillon. Mélenchon will take the third place in the 1st round.
3) Elections take place during the state of emergency in France
For the first time in the history of France, the elections are held during the state of emergency imposed in November 2015 after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Because of the policy of the EU's open borders, consistently pursued during the crisis in the Middle East, representatives of radical Islamist organizations penetrated into Europe. This destabilized the internal situation of France, and led to the radicalization of the some groups of Muslims living in France.
The left-liberal government could not find the 'way out' of this crisis: open borders and blind adherence to the policy of Brussels exacerbates the situation. Thus, the terrorist attacks in France have become a tragic everyday occurrence. The last act of terrorism was committed a few days before the first round, on April 20 at the Champs Elysees in Paris. As a result of the shooting one policeman was killed, two were wounded.
The high terrorist threat remains, in the lists of potential terrorists there are more than 10,000 people fichés S who are in the country, according to the exact expression of Le Pen, "as a potential bomb". By the way in the program of Le Pen, all the figurants of this list should be deported from the country.
In addition, on the day of the first round, more than 50,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized to ensure the security of elections.
4) The National Front enters the second round with high score
Today's popularity ratings of the "National Front"are higher than ever. According to polls, Le Pen can become the winner of the first round and get from 23 to 25% of the vote. If we compare it with the presidential elections of 2002, we see that it's much higher than Jean-Marie had in 2002 ( he received 16.86%). In the second round, Jean-Marie Le Pen recieved 17.79%. OOpinion Way presents the results according to which in the second round in the case of the Macron-Le Pen duel, she can take about 40%. This is a record for the party in its history.
5) Solidarity of the System in front of possible victory of Marine Le Pen
The high ratings of the National Front Party and its possible victory in the first round are unplanned for the system. During the pre-election period a huge campaign against Le Pen took place: in the affairs of her party the ennemies of Le Pen tried to find violations, the European Parliament deprived her of her immunity for a twitter-publication, her speeches were provoked by anti-fascist extremists, at the last performance in Paris, an activist of the Femen movement staged a provocation on stage during the performance of Le Pen. On the day of the first round at the polling station in Hénin-Beaumont, extremists from the Femen also staged a provocation.
in addition, a hashtag "Nuit des barricades" appeared in the social networks, indicating the planned for 23th of April events , organised by anti-fascist radicals, anarchists and anti-racist movements (sponsored by Soros) to protest Le Pen's victory in the first round (which is very Likely). The campground is planned to be arranged on the Place de la Bastille.
At the same time, the system can go to extreme measures if Le Pen wins in the second round. Taking advantage of the 16th article of the French Constitution. The state of emergency in the country, the "Maydan" in the Place de la Bastille, the riots of anti-fascist radicals, the probable protests in the Arab quarters of France -all this could theoretically lead to the cancellation of the election results.
The "system", the globalist elites and the defenders of the unipolar world order doesn't not want to have a representative of the people as a president.
Tags: Daria Dugina, Europe, France, Le Pen, National Front, NATO
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Marine Le Pen vs Macron: People vs System | ALEXANDER DUGIN →


A man has been shot dead by police officers in Coventry.
Armed officers executed a warrant at an address in Burnaby Road on Friday as part of a "long-running criminal investigation", West Midlands Police said.
Sean Fitzgerald, aged 31, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two 26-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.
The area remains cordoned off and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating.
West Midlands Police said it was an "intelligence-led operation" and the shooting was "a tragic incident that will be thoroughly investigated".
Several police cars were still at the scene on Saturday and a cordon surrounded 50 homes, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire reporter Keith Wedgebury said.
A large number of emergency service vehicles were reported in the mainly residential street north of the city centre from about 18:20 GMT on Friday.
Residents were told to stay indoors as part of the street was closed.
Witness Karl Lolley said he heard "four or five" gunshots after witnessing officers descend on the home.
"I saw three or four armed police cars turn up," he said.
"Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There were some gunshots.
"The next thing you know there's more police arriving and they cordon off the area.
"They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance - the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour as they were working on him."
Image caption Ali, a friend of Mr Fitzgerald's, said he was "heartbroken"
Ali, a friend of Mr Fitzgerald, told BBC News he was "heartbroken".
"Me, myself personally, I've only known him for about a year, but I feel like that he's that much of a nice guy, I've know him my whole life," he said.
He added that Mr Fitzgerald, who had served in the military, had "a heart of gold" and would "go out of his way for anyone".
"No matter how nice or how bad a guy is, nobody deserves to be killed," he said.
West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Sue Southern said the force executed a warrant at the address as part of a "long-running criminal investigation".
She said: "During the operation, a 31-year-old man was shot dead by police. This is clearly a tragic incident that will be thoroughly investigated.
"His family are being supported by a specially trained officer from the IOPC."
She added: "This was an intelligence-led operation, but I am not in a position to elaborate on the nature of it at this time."
When asked about a suggestion by the victim's friends that he had been shot in the back, Assistant Chief Constable Southern said: "From the information I have at this point, that is not my understanding."
The IOPC also said: "Based on the evidence we have reviewed so far, including the body worn video footage - and contrary to reports - there is no indication the man was shot in the back."
Amanda Rowe, regional director of the IOPC, confirmed Mr Fitzgerald's next of kin had been informed.
"Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened," she said.
"My thoughts are with the man's family and all of those affected by this incident."


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The Sông Lòng Tàu (Long Tau River) channel leads from the Vịnh Bắc Bộ (Gulf of Tonkin) to the port of Sài Gòn. During the Vietnam War, as at other times, it was a vital transportation and logistics link for South Vietnam. A large portion of the many tons of cargo and supplies needed to continue fighting the war arrived along the Lòng Tàu, making the traffic on the river a tempting target for Việt Cộng insurgents. The Rừng Sác (Rung Sat), a marshy swamp of about 300 square miles adjacent to the river, became an ideal spot for Communist insurgents to hide from U.S. and allied forces while carrying out sabotage and ambush attacks against vessels headed for Sài Gòn.
U.S. Military Assistance Command conceived of Operation JACKSTAY as a way to root out Việt Cộng occupation of the Đặc khu Rừng Sác (Rung Sat Special Zone) in order to protect river traffic from attacks. Beginning on March 26, 1966, a group of small aircraft carriers and landing craft primarily attached to the U.S. Seventh Fleet's Ready Amphibious Force landed allied forces some 30 miles southeast of Sài Gòn in the Rừng Sác (Rung Sat). Approximately 1,200 U.S. Marines, supported by U.S. Navy and South Vietnamese Marine and Navy troops, spent 12 days clearing the area of Việt Cộng forces, bases, and supplies. While dozens of enemy combatants were killed or captured, the destroyed bases had been supplying and housing approximately 1,000 Việt Cộng insurgents, most of whom escaped the area just prior to the arrival of the Marines. A total of five Americans were killed during JACKSTAY, while two went missing and 25 received wounds.
1Graham A. Cosmas, MACV: The Joint Command in the Years of Escalation, 1962–1967, United States Army in Vietnam (Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 2006), 314; Jack Shulimson, An Expanding War, 1966, U.S. Marines in Vietnam (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums Division, 1982), 300–303; Spencer C. Tucker, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 2nd ed. (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011), 542. Complicated command and control between MACV and the U.S. Navy Special Landing Force characterized the planning in the joint operation JACKSTAY.


text:
At Kennedy Center Honors, an Ovation for Paul Pelosi
He attends honors for George Clooney, Gladys Knight, U2, Amy Grant, and Tania León
George Clooney attends the Kennedy Center honorees reception at the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
A heartfelt Patti LaBelle praised her lifelong friend Gladys Knight. Sean Penn called U2 "four scrappy Dublin punks." Ballet dancers performed for conductor and composer Tania León. Matt Damon playfully teased his friend George Clooney, and Sheryl Crow delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Baby Baby" to Amy Grant during Sunday's Kennedy Center Honors. Knight, Clooney, Grant, León, and U2 were all celebrated at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which annually honors a select group of people for their artistic influences on American culture. President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their respective spouses were in attendance, as were members of the president's Cabinet and Congress.
One audience member from the political world—Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—drew some attention. He is recovering from a brutal attack in the Pelosis' San Francisco home in October. The couple received a standing ovation from the crowd. Normally performers like U2 or Knight would be headlining such a show, but during the Kennedy Center event the honorees sit in the balcony and watch as their peers laud them and perform their works. Some highlights, per the AP:
Clooney: Damon took the funny road, joking about how Clooney once stole then-President Bill Clinton's stationery and wrote notes to fellow actors on it. Don Cheadle highlighted Clooney's philanthropic work. But it was Nick Clooney, his father, who probably had the strongest praise, telling the crowd and his son, sitting in the balcony between León and U2's Bono, "George's best and most important work is still ahead of him."
Knight: Standing on a stage lit by a massive sign reading "Gladys," LaBelle called Knight her "everything," saying they had been friends for six decades and had seen each other through laughter and tears. "We do everything together," LaBelle said. "I am honored to honor you tonight."
León: Five ballet dancers took to the stage to honor composer and conductor León, who left Cuba as a refugee in 1967; her passport was stamped "Cancelado" when she left the country. The performers were from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, which León helped found when she eventually made her way to New York City.
Grant: Singer Crow talked about Grant's influence on her when she was a young college student. "Amy also taught me that it was possible to be funny, irreverent, and Christian all at the same," said Crow.
U2: Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder sang U2's "Elevation" and "One." Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen brought his alter ego Borat to the stage as part of the U2 tribute, pretending to mistake Biden for former President Trump. Singers Brandi Carlile, Hozier, and Jamala—from the US, Ireland, and Ukraine, respectively—closed out the show with an emotional version of "Walk On."
(Read more Kennedy Center Honors stories.)


text:
Designing viable Möbius Aromatic Systems using Computational Chemistry
CCMOBIUS
"The concept of Möbius aromaticity, a postulate which states that [4n]annulenes lying in a twisted Möbius strip are aromatic, is fascinating from both theoretical and experimental standpoints. Although this concept was proposed by Heilbronner in 1964, the synthesis of a stable aromatic Möbius system was a challenge during 40 years until 2003. Recently, the expanded porphyrins have emerged as a new class of heteroannulene variants that display a range of interesting electronic and conformational characteristics, including the possibility to switch between Möbius and Hückel topologies with different photophysical properties, applying only small changes in the external conditions (temperature, pH and solvent) or in the structure of the ring (meso-substituent, metal). Despite the numerous applications of such structures, a systematic study on expanded porphyrins has not been made so far. The main aim of this proposal is to design new viable Möbius aromatic compounds from annulenes and expanded porphyrins with applications as non-linear optical materials or molecular transporters. For that purpose, the role of the aromaticity, strain and metallation in the stability of Möbius aromatic compounds and their photophysical properties will be assessed.
The comprehensive computational study will deal with the following issues:
a) Performance of several density functionals to describe their geometrical, energetic and electrical properties;
b) Conformational analysis, classifying the most stable conformers as Hückel, twisted Hückel or Möbius;
c) Dynamic switch between Hückel and Möbius topologies, evaluating the solvent and temperature effects;
d) Effect of the number and nature of substituents on the pyrrolic and meso position on the viability of Möbius aromatic systems;
e) Study of the metal complexes of Möbius-type macrocyclic ligands;
f) Molecular dynamics studies of the most appealing Möbius aromatic systems to evaluate their thermodynamic stability;
g) NLO properties."
/natural sciences/chemical sciences/organic chemistry/aromatic compounds
/natural sciences/chemical sciences/inorganic chemistry/metals
/natural sciences/mathematics/pure mathematics/topology
Pleinlaan 2
Maria Vereeken (Ms.)