Slimmer thighs require a combination of a healthy diet and exercise. Thighs are a prime area of cellulite accumulation, which is really hard to remove. If you suffer from excess weight in your thighs, you are one among millions of men and women with this condition, and there are several ways to correct this.
Unfortunately, most women are genetically predisposed to store fat around the hips and thighs. This is something you are born with and cannot control. But, all is not lost. There is no one specific method to get thinner thighs, but a combination of changes in your fitness routine could get you slimmer thighs over time.
Lunges are an excellent exercise that slim thighs fast. Go to an outdoor area or wide open space (preferably a track) and jog one lap to warm up legs. Make sure to keep a 90 degree angle with both legs when lunging. When coming up from the lunge, always keep the weight of the body on your heels.
Cycling is another exercise that can help you get toned and beautiful legs. This exercise works on inner thighs to, making your legs more firm. If you are opting for this exercise, you can go cycling outside or choose to do it indoors with a standing cycle.
Eat a sensible diet consisting of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats like omega 3's and 6's, include fresh fruits and veggies high in fiber and you'll be on your way to slimmer thighs.
Soda and Coffee: High alkaline foods help lose weight and high acid foods increase weight.
The squat is a deceptively simple exercise. It works your hamstrings, gluteal muscles and quadriceps.
To complete a squat, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Sit back as if you're expecting to sit on chair. Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, stand up again. That's one repetition; aim for 12 repetitions and complete three sets.
Kicking is a very effective way to slim down the legs. Just do sidekicks for a minute at a time for each leg. Sidekicks seem to work the legs better than front kicks. Depending on your conditioning, you may want to do 2 minutes for each leg. But make sure to only do 1 minute at a time.
Climbing the stairs up and down can help you burn additional calories and lose weight. Besides, climbing stairs impacts your legs. If you have flabby calves, then taking the stairs each time can prove to be extremely beneficial.
Without proper nutrition, most health and fitness goals cannot be fully achieved. Reduce your intake of junk food and increase your intake of proteins and fibers. Eat smaller portions and eat more often doing so will speed up your metabolism and you will burn more calories.
Look, you don't need to go to the gym to get slim thighs and lose weight… try these tips out for 2 weeks and see what happens. Learn more about tips to lose love handles and read more about ways to get abs quickly. Hope you follow these useful tips.


DFS Furniture plc ("DFS" or the "Company") confirms that Julie Southern, an independent non-executive director of the Company, has been appointed to the Board of Ocado Group plc as an independent non-executive director, effective from 1 September 2018.
DFS is the clear market leading retailer of upholstery and living room furniture in the United Kingdom. We design, manufacture, sell and deliver to our customers an extensive range of upholstered and other furniture products. The business operates a retail network of furniture stores in the United Kingdom and Europe, together with an online channel. These have been established and developed gradually through nearly 50 years of operating history. We attract customers to our stores and website through our substantial and continued investment in nationwide marketing activities and our reputation for high quality products and service, breadth of product ranges and price points and favourable consumer financing options.


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Frances Beinecke
Frances Beinecke is the president of NRDC. Under Frances's leadership, the organization has launched a new strategic campaign that sharply focuses NRDC's efforts on curbing global...
Court Ruling Could Require BP to Pay Billions in Fines for Gulf Oil Spill Restoration
Sep 13, 2014 3:00 am GMT
A federal judge ruled last Thursday that BP acted with "gross negligence" in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. This decision could result in the company paying an estimated $18 billion in fines. And the vast majority of that money must be spent on restoring the environment and coastal communities devastated by the spill.
This ruling marks an important turning point in the recovery of the Gulf. It vastly increases the money available for restoration because a verdict of gross negligence comes with an automatic fine of $4,300 per barrel spilled, as opposed to $1,100 per barrel for simple negligence.
If also sends a powerful wake-up call to polluters. Eighteen billion dollars is a lot of money, even for a corporate giant like BP. Other energy companies will get the message that if they disregard safeguards, they too will pay a very steep price.
This kind of ruling is critical for holding bad actors accountable for their carelessness.
When I served on the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, I was shocked by BP's numerous errors and misjudgments at the Macondo well. The company ignored countless warning signals, failed to share critical information, and had a general disregard for the risks involved in drilling a mile deep more than 45 miles off the coast.
Judge Carl Barbier found a similar pattern. "BP's conduct was reckless," he wrote in his decision. The company's decisions were "primarily driven by a desire to save time and money, rather than ensuring that the well was secure." He singled out the failure to respond to test results done on the rig that could have headed off the disaster just before the blowout—if they had been heeded.
Eleven men died as a result of that misconduct. More than 170 million gallons of oil was sent into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating marine life and threatening the livelihood and cultural traditions of thousands of families.
Since the well blew out, BP acknowledged it played a role in the disaster, but claimed responsibility must be shared with the other companies involved. This ruling confirms that BP is most at fault. Judge Barbier assigned 67 of the blame to BP, 30 percent to Transocean, and 3 percent to Halliburton.
No doubt BP will appeal the decision, but when the money finally arrives, it will greatly benefit the Gulf. In 2012, Congress passed the RESTORE Act requiring that 80 percent of all penalties go directly to the recovery of the five states most impacted by the oil spill. NRDC supported the RESTORE Act, and we will work to ensure money is devoted to reviving the ocean ecosystems that belong to all Americans and that support so much of the local economy.
And we will continue to push for Congress to finally establish stronger safety and environmental protections. We need these measures to prevent other companies from acting with BP's recklessness and to protect our nation's marine riches and coastal communities.
policy,-regulatory-&-legal
Thank Frances for the Post!
Historic Announcement Shows US and China Are Serious about Fighting Climate Change
Obama Plan Helps Communities Prepare for Extreme Weather Brought on by Climate Change
Carbon Standards Should Reduce Our Dependence on All Fossil Fuels
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The Community-owned Difference: Lessons for Maintaining a Customer Focus
There's no doubt that there are massive operational challenges facing the industry, including cybersecurity, but through it all, electric utilities—particularly public power—must keep a keen focus on the customer.
Courting Solutions to the Climate Crisis— In all the wrong places?
There are obvious differences between the types of novel theory lawsuits. What unites them is the pursuit of a back door solution to the climate crisis. A solution that the courts appear most unwilling to provide.
Decarbonization Dilemma: My Top 10 Predictions for 2020
Clean Energy gets defined as zero-GHG energy. Nuclear and Hydro don't get tossed out of that basket on the face of it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The U.K. AAIB published a Special Bulletin including three safety recommendations regarding control difficulties that were encountered by the crew of an ATR-72 during a post-maintance flight.
The aircraft had undergone routine maintenance at an engineering facility at Edinburgh Airport immediately prior to the incident flight.
Everything appeared normal during the crew's pre-flight checks, which included a full-and-free check of the flying controls.
The aircraft took off at 21:22 from runway 24 at Edinburgh, with the co-pilot acting as the handling pilot.
After carrying out a standard instrument departure the crew climbed the aircraft to FL 230 at a speed of 170 kt with the autopilot engaged. As the aircraft levelled and accelerated through about 185 kt, the crew felt the aircraft roll to the left by about 5 to 10° and they noticed that the slip ball and rudder trim were both indicating fully right. The co-pilot disengaged the autopilot and applied right rudder in an attempt to correct the sideslip and applied aileron to correct the roll. He reported that the rudder felt unusually "spongy" and that the aircraft did not respond to his rudder inputs. Approximately 15° to 20° of right bank was required to hold a constant heading with the speed stabilised above 185 kt and a limited amount of aileron trim was applied to assist. Shortly after regaining directional control a FTL CTL caption appeared on the Crew Alert Panel (CAP) and the FLT CTL fault light illuminated on the overhead panel, indicating a fault with the rudder Travel Limitation Unit (TLU). The commander requested radar vectors from ATC for a return to Edinburgh, later declaring a PAN.
The crew carried out the required procedure from the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). As part of the procedure they established that both Air Data Computers (ADC) were operating, before manually selecting the TLU switch to the LO SPD position. The aircraft had at this point temporarily slowed to below 180 kt. The co-pilot reported that on selection of LO SPD more roll control input was required to maintain heading and that roll authority to the right was further reduced. The commander therefore decided to return the TLU switch to AUTO and the required roll control input reduced. The green LO SPD indicator light did not illuminate.
An approach was made to runway 24, the aircraft was established on the ILS and was normally configured for a full flap landing. The crew added 10 kt to their approach speed, in accordance with the QRH. The co-pilot had to operate the control wheel with both hands in order to maintain directional control; the commander operated the power levers in the latter stages of the final approach. The co-pilot reported that the aircraft became slightly more difficult to control as the speed reduced, but remained controllable.
The aircraft landed just to the left of the runway centreline, whereupon the commander assumed control of the aircraft and applied reverse thrust. Despite the application of full right rudder pedal during the rollout, the aircraft diverged towards the left side of the runway. The commander re-established directional control using the steering wheel tiller. The aircraft was taxied clear of the runway and back to the engineering facility for inspection.
Th subsequent investigation and testing demonstrated that it is possible to incorrectly install the cams on the rear rudder quadrant shaft during maintenance. In this incident, the right hand cam was installed in the incorrect orientation and neither an independent inspection nor an operational test of the TLU system was performed. The incorrectly installed right hand cam was not detected prior to releasing the aircraft to service. When the TLU system automatically activated as the aircraft accelerated through 185 kt, the right hand roller encountered resistance as it came into contact with the upper lobe of the incorrectly installed cam, rather than slotting into the vee groove. This caused an uncommanded rudder input and associated control difficulties.
Three safety recommendations were made to the manufacturer, ATR.


Fool's Gold (2008) PG-13 113min – Action/Adventure/Romance. Matthew McConaughey plays Ben Finn Finnegan, a treasure hunter on the hunt for legendary 1715 century Queen's Dowry lost at sea, while trying to keep his wife Tess Finnegan (Kate Hudson) from leaving him. Ben Finn discovers a clue and convinces owner of the yacht where his wife's is working to go after the treasure. But they aren't the only ones who know about it – his mentor also wants to claim it.
The Band's Visit (2007) PG-13 1h 26min – Art/Foreign(Israel/France/USA)/Comedy/Drama/Musical.
A.k.a. Bikur Ha-Tizmoret. A small brass band comprised of members of Egyptian Police arrives in Israel for the ceremony at the Arab center. When they are left stranded at the airport, the band tries to make their way on their own, only to find themselves lost in a desolate, small Israeli town in the heart of the desert. This movie about Israeli-Egyptian relations has 28 wins and 8 nominations.
The Hottie and The Nottie (2008) PG-13 1h 31min – Comedy/Romance.
Paris Hilton stars as Christabelle Abbott, a hot woman that Nate (Joel Moore) has been in love with since childhood. Nate moves to Los Angeles to track her down, but as he was trying to get rid of Christabelle's [not as hot] best friend June (Christine Lakin), he ended up falling for her.
In Bruges (2008) R 1h 41min – Action/Adventure/Comedy/Drama.
Collin Farrel and Ralph Fiennes star as two hitmen who are cooling off in Bruges, Belgium after a bloodbath in London. They have weird encounters with locals, tourists, medieval art in this surreal place, so when their boss calls them in, their vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle.
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show (2008) R 1h 30min – Comedy/Documentary.
The compilation of Vince Vaughn's 2007 comedy tour across the country from Hollywood to the Heartland, performing 30 shows in 30 days.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) R 159min – Action/Adventure/Drama/Western. After Robert Ford (Casey Affleck, in an Oscar-nominated role) joins the most notorious gang in the West, he grows tired of the charismatic Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and begins to resent his fame. But by hatching a scheme to gun down James, Ford risks forever being branded a coward. Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker and Michael Parks also star in director Andrew Dominik's riveting Wild West drama adapted from Ron Hansen's acclaimed novel.Nominated for 2 Oscars with other 2 wins and 19 nominations. Available on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.
Born To Battle (1935) NR 56min – Classic/Western/B&W. In this little-known 1935 Western directed by Harry Webb, one of Hollywood's first tough guys, Tom Tyler, stars as "Cyclone" Tom Saunders — a ne'er-do-well hired by a rancher to stop a rash of cattle rustlings. Before long,"Cyclone" gets entangled in a full-scale war between the ranchers' association and the villainous black hats running roughshod over the town. The supporting cast includes Jean Carmen and Earl Dwire.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) PG-13 115min – Drama/Biographic/Romance/Historical/Epic.Reprising her Oscar-nominated role from 1998's Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett is once again at the head of the cast as the Virgin Queen (earning her another Oscar nod) in this Shekhar Kapur-directed sequel to that film. Focusing on the queen's tempestuous relationship with the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh, the film also stars Clive Owen (as Raleigh), Geoffrey Rush (as Sir Francis Walsingham) and Samantha Morton (as Mary, Queen of Scots).
Available on DVD and HD-DVD.
Dresden (2006) NR 180min – Drama/Romance/TV/War/Foreign (Germany).At a Dresden hospital in 1945, nurse Anna Mauth (Felicitas Woll) cares for badly injured British pilot Robert Newman (John Light), whom Anna believes to be a German deserter. As Allied forces close in, Anna grows close to Robert despite her engagement to Dr. Alexander Wenninger (Benjamin Sadler). The gripping historical romance won the 2006 German Television Award for Best Movie Made for Television.


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Imran Khan is red line of Pakistani People, Zulfi
Fateh Jang: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Zulfi Bukhari has said that Imran Khan is the red line of Pakistani people.
Zulfi Bukhari, while addressing the rally against inflation and government incompetence in Fateh Jang and holding the election, said that Imran Khan is the most popular political leader of the country and the red line of the Pakistani people. Due to the incompetence of the imported government, the country has suffered economic crises, elections are necessary in the wider interest of the country and the nation.
Zulfi Bukhari said that due to the incompetence of the incompetent rulers, it has become impossible for the people to live, due to inflation and unemployment, the people are worried.
He said that Imran Khan is the name of a thought and ideology, which the people consider as their red line, elections should be held as soon as possible in the wider interest of the country and the nation. It can lead to development and prosperity.
Imran khanPakistanPTIRedlineZulfi Bukhari
Elahi rejected Mohsin's appontment as Cakertaker CM
Chinar Super League is back for fifth season


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Two Major 3D Demos, iGO3D Presentations
By NeilOctober 25, 2011April 4th, 2020News
We have a busy week ahead! The S-3D Gaming Alliance along with the iGO3D team are going to be doing a series of stereoscopic 3D exhibits this week. The first is taking place at The X-Summit which is run by Interactive Ontario.
What promises to be a lot of fun, onsite demonstrations will feature console, PC, and mobile stereoscopic 3D gaming. This will be followed by a series of presentations on Tuesday morning about the latest and greatest in stereoscopic 3D gaming research and developments.
Presentations will be made by Dr. Bill Kapralos, Assistant Professor in the Game Development and Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, as well as Shane Parfitt, Product Manager for the Graphics Division at AMD (HD3D people!).
On Thursday, Neil Schneider will be presenting at Digifest Toronto, and will give a rundown of where things are, and where things are headed for stereoscopic 3D gaming. Yes…there will be a big 3D demo there too!
Last but not least, GameGrade3D has been quietly updated and upgraded since its beta was launched last week. We are very grateful for the positive feedback and ideas shared so far, and we will be able to draw up a list of the improvements made within the next few days. Patience! We see a lot of potential behind this, and it's just the beginning.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Gibson Area Community Hospital Annex
Attorneys for Injured & Neglected Patients at Gibson Area Community Hospital Annex
Staff members at every nursing home in Illinois must follow laws and regulations involving the administration of antipsychotic drugs to patients in the facility. These dangerous drugs can only be administered after initial evaluations and follow-up assessments indicate that the patient is not receiving unnecessary medication. However, not every nursing facility follows these protocols, which is often detrimental to the well-being and health of the resident. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent nursing home residents who have been prescribed unnecessary medications while residing in Illinois skilled nursing facilities like Gibson Community Hospital Annex.
This Nursing Home is a 16-certified-bed 'for-profit' Medicaid/Medicare-participating Center providing nursing services to residents of Gibson City and Ford County, Illinois. The Facility is located at:
Gibson City, Illinois 60936
Gibson City Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
To ensure the families are fully informed of the provided care that every community nursing home offers, the federal government and state of Illinois routinely update their completed list of filed complaints, safety concerns, health violations and opened investigations of Homes nationwide. This data can be used to make an informed decision before placing a loved one in a facility.
Currently, Gibson Area Community Hospital Annex maintains an overall five out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating comparison analysis system compared to all other facilities nationwide. This includes five out of five stars for health inspections in two out of five stars for quality measures. The Ford County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found many deficiencies, safety concerns and health violations at this nursing home that include:
Failure to Provide Residents an Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Provide Adequate Supervision to Avoid Injury
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 04/08/2015, a notation was made by a state surveyor during an annual licensure and certification survey involving the facility's failure to "ensure a safe transfer using a mechanical lift for [a resident at the facility] reviewed for assistive devices. The deficient practice by the nursing staff at the facility involved a cognitively intact resident diagnosed with Charot Marie Tooth Type Muscular Dystrophy, anxiety, neuropathy, Major Depression with psychotic features, generalized pain, osteoporosis, back pain, and perineal muscle atrophy with urinary frequency, who is "totally dependent on staff for transfers."
A review of the resident's 01/20/2015 Care Plan documents that the resident "is no longer able to walk due to [their] disease process and requires a mechanical lift with toileting sling… for transfers." An observation was made of two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in the early afternoon of 04/07/2015 transferring the resident "off of the bedside commode using a mechanical lift. While [the resident] was suspended in the air, a CNA washed [the resident's] buttocks and rectum then turned away from [the resident] to search for barrier cream."
During the transfer, the resident "remained suspended four feet above the floor without physical staff support. The mechanical lift waste safety belt was loosely fastened and dangle between [the resident's] legs as [the resident] slipped down the sling." The resident's "contracted arms and hands were forced upward, causing both shoulder areas to shrug above [the resident's] jawline as the sling cut into [the resident's] armpits." The resident stated to the nursing staff "It hurts; I can't do this any longer" before being transferred to the bed.
Failure to Ensure Residents Medication Regimens Are Free from Unnecessary Drugs
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/26/2014, a state investigator noted a deficient practice during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "track target behaviors, assess and evaluate the effectiveness of antipsychotic medications" administered to a resident.
The investigation involved a cognitively impaired resident with verbal behaviors and October 2013 physician's orders for the administration of antipsychotic medications given twice daily. However, the state investigator noted that there "is no documentation of an initial assessment for the use of [the antipsychotic medication] found in [the resident's] record."
It was also noted that the resident's 01/07/2014 Physician Order Sheet (POS) increased the antipsychotic medication. However, "there is no documentation of an assessment to evaluate for the use or the increase in the dosage of [the antipsychotic drug] found in [the resident's] record."
Gibson City Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you suspect your loved one has been injured or harmed while residing at Gibson Area Community Hospital Annex, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC. Our knowledgeable, respected Illinois attorneys offer legal representation to patients with cases that involve abuse and mistreatment happening in Illinois nursing homes. Our team of attorneys can ensure your family receives the financial recompense they deserve for your loved one's damages.
To ensure that your claim for compensation is successfully resolved, we encourage you to contact our Ford County area elder abuse law office today by calling 888 424-5757 to schedule your no obligation, free comprehensive case review. We accept every nursing home abuse/neglect claim for compensation through contingency fee arrangements. This means our fees are paid only once we have negotiated an out of court settlement on your behalf or have successfully resolved your case in a court of law.
http://www.gibsonhospital.org/annex/
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Gibson-Area-Community-Hospital-Annex
Gibson Area Community Hospital Annex Inspection Findings & Violations :: Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorney :: Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC


If you wanted to create Lloyd Kaufman artificially in a laboratory, you would have to use DNA from Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Castle and Luis Buñuel. Bare minimum. For the past forty years, Uncle Lloydo has (together with Michael Herz) made the fortunes of the oldest independent film studio in the world, Troma Entertainment. In his guts some of mangiest, wildest, smartest and best exploitation films of all time were created – more than a few of which Kaufman has even managed to adapt for the stage.
Diarrhea fountains meet Brechtian acting, bad jokes are joined to surrealistic set design, and excessive violence is used as a tool for social criticism. However, the influence of Troma extends far beyond the pop stars of the studio (e.g. Von Toxie, the Toxic Avenger and Sgt Kabukiman). Kaufman and Herz have always been promoters of young talent in the exploitation cinema, and both GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY-director James Gunn and the SOUTH PARK creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have learned all about film production from Troma, and Lloyd Kaufman. The studio itself, as well as festivals such as 'Troma Dance', have been a solid testing room for ideas and concepts outside of the mainstream. Troma is now in his 41st year of 'reel independence'. The / slash Film Festival is very proud to welcome Tromaville- Mayor Lloyd Kaufman to Vienna. It's time to get TROMATIZED !!!


Trinseo specializes in high-performance polycarbonate (PC) and PC-based compounds and blends for use in a wide range of LED lighting applications, including bulbs, tubes, lenses, reflectors, and housings.
Government regulations and consumer preferences for energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness have pushed LED technology to the forefront of lighting. As this continues, Trinseo enjoys a leadership position – with several leading global lighting OEMs having qualified and selected our materials for their applications.
Discover more about our lighting experience and expertise with the resources below, or get in touch to connect with one of our dedicated technical professionals.
View more information about Trinseo's products applicable to the Lighting industry.


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TOP 15 GAMES OF THE YEAR 2018
January 5, 2019 September 25, 2020 by Fawzi Mesmar, posted in GOTY
Many will remember 2018 for being the year of Epic: with explosive growth for Fortnite Battle Royale as it took over the world powering the company to launch it's own PC store that went directly after Steam's money.
It was also the year Microsoft bought so many studios as it prepares for the upcoming next gen console wars on the horizon. Telltale, Boss Key productions, Prima games and Capcom Vancouver closed down shop and governments still looked into regulating loot boxes. Also, a lot of good games came out, I played a whole lot of them (over 40 in fact) and I'm here to run you my top 15 games of the year.
15 – Simulacra
Simulacra is a narrative adventure game in which you take hold of a stranger's phone and you use the information that's on it to get to the bottom of what happened to it's owner. I'm a big sucker for games that simulates desktops or phones like Orwell, Bury me my love, Her Story …etc as I do think they're great at delivering narrative in a way a book or a movie just can't. Kaigen games is a small Malaysian indie developer that managed to create a compelling story despite the obvious budget constraints, it was really hard to put down until I saw it all the way through.
14 – Red Dead Redemption 2
I had a tough time placing RDR2 on this list; on one side it's impossible to dismiss the attention to detail and sheer production weight that this game carries. Everything is so meticulously crafted be it the world, the systems, the voice acting, the writing, the sand box, content or what they could make out of their online mode. However, when I'm actually playing the game I'm struggling with the controls, battling bugs, ridiculously sensitive townsfolk or just get bored of endlessly riding the horse back and forth as I'm doing missions. It's a landmark achievement for sure, one that Rockstar will build on for years to come.
13 – Unavowed
It's very unsual for me for to have a classic point and click adventure game on my game of the year list, yet here we are. This game took me by surprise, what started as "let's have quick look at this" ended up being a 3 day marathon of a game i simply couldn't stop playing, driven entirely by it's narrative, Unavowed takes the world of the physical and the metaphysical and mixes them in a fascinating way. It's the league of extraordinary gentlemen of adventure games, and it's really really good.
12 – Dragonball FighterZ
Arc Systems works have been making incredible fighting games since the 90s. Following their Guilty Gear fame, they used unreal to build a 3D game engine that looked so 2D that everyone were in awe as the camera turned around the models for the first time. ASW gave Dragonball that magic treatment, with the looks being spot on and adding their landmark fighting game chops to the mix, they managed to create a fighting game that is accessible, fun, competitive and probably the best use of an IP i have seen in a long time in a video game.
11 – Florence
I often think about making a game about falling in love; while it's not what I envisioned, Florence is a sweet game that perhaps handles the topic in the most fittingly delicate way that I've seen so far. The simple gestures and interactions made it a perfect mobile short experience, it's a lot more mature as it initially gives the vibe to be. Short but sweet and I loved every second of it.
10 – Artifact
Richard Garfield famed designer of Magic The Gathering (probably the most successful and well known CCG in the world) has teamed up with Valve to create a collectible card game that utilizes common themes and mechanics from Dota 2. The result is a complex game with enough depth and interesting mechanics to keep you at the edge of your seat for the duration of the Match; anything could happen, even if your opponent appears to be dominating the match you can still pull an ace up your sleeve and turn things around. What makes this even more impressive is the usage of the steam virtual economy through the market place for players to actually trade, buy or sell cards. It's super easy to get the cards you need, create a deck and share it, something that other card games should have a look at for sure. With matches lasting over 45 minutes sometimes and 3 different boards to keep track of, Artifact is an intimidating game, but it's one that'll be rewarding for those who stick to it.
9 – Super Smash Bros Ultimate
What started out as a Nintendo characters fighting/party game hybrid has evolved to be something much greater over the years. This iteration carries it in the namesake as perhaps the best love letter to video games in form of a video game. There are so many characters, music, small details that pay homage to gaming's greatest franchises it's impossible once you dive into it not to appreciate the passion behind bringing this title to life. This is coupled with more DLC characters to come, the most generous single player content in a fighting game ever and a vibrant competitive scene that will keep this game alive for years to come. This is one of the few games of 2018 that I see myself playing well into 2019 and beyond.
8 – Dead Cells
Finally getting it's official release in 2018 after years in early access, Dead Cells' controls are TIGHT! It's brutal, unforgiving but always fair. Dead Cells is pure mechanics goodness, satisfying combat and a roguelike like no other.
7 – Tetris Effect
I have played enough Tetris games to know that you can actually make a bad Tetris game (here's looking at you Tetris Ultimate), I'm also a huge Tetris fan, and this is not the first time one of those games make it to my top 10 list. Tetris effect is special though, not only doesn't completely consume your senses in VR, it does that on a regular ass TV as well. Tetsuya Mizuguchi has built a career on creating wonderful experiences that perfectly combines music and gameplay, Tetris effect is him at his best, utilizing the addictive core mechanics of Tetris, building not only a solid iteration of the franchise, but a serenading art-piece that speaks to you as you play it.
6 – God of War
I never thought of Kratos to be an interesting character; I've often thought of how would he make a comeback in this day and age in which flat characters that just yell death all the time is not going to cut it any more. While 2018's god of war managed to find a way to reinvent the franchise, i find myself conflicted about it. The world and production quality are pretty much unmatched this year. The combat flows in a solid way even though it's mechanically broken (due the over the shoulder camera – different from all previous entries of the series – you can't see behind you so when you're being attacked from behind you have to rely on UI arrows that will alert when something is coming, then you have roll and wish for the best) the lack of deliberation in the combat compared to something like Dark Souls really bothered me, there were needless upgrade systems, confusing menus … etc. Yet, the game manages to pull through an incredible experience through these faults, and offers something truly memorable.
5 – Celeste
You like indie platformers? you like nice music? you like tight controls? do you like to retry immediately after failing? did you like super meat boy? do you like games that tell a surprisingly deep and interesting narrative that handles tough social issues? do you like games with a lot of heart? If your answer was yes to all the above then you'll probably enjoy Celeste quite a bit.
4 – Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Studio Ghibli art meets Level-5's craftsmanship again in this wonderful JRPG. I wasn't a big fan of the first game of the series and I found it to be too grindy for my taste, it also felt like it was trying to do too many things at the same time. The sequel completely streamlines everything, removes the needless creature collection aspect and introduces a fun more action oriented combat that makes the game a joy to play. The world is vibrant, music otherworldly – pun intended – as you'd expect from Joe Hisaishi and the pacing feels about right (albeit too easy at times). If you like JRPGs this is not one to miss, you can safely skip the first one, there's no story relation between the two.
Not a numbered entry but I have to give it a spot here – Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu! & Pokemon Go
As I write these lists every year I have self imposed rules: the game must have a release within the year (so in this case has to be a 2018 release) and the game can't be a remake or re-release (otherwise Burnout Paradise or Shadow of the Colossus would've easily been my game of the year this time around or that one year Ocarina of Time had a 3DS re-release). I couldn't leave out out Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu! as I couldn't stop playing it, sure it's a remake of Pokemon Yellow Technically, but it adds so many quality of life improvements as well as a full 3D rendition and the ability to play it on the big screen. Seeing the Pokemon in the grass before the encounter is a game changer! There're simply too many good things about it to leave out it, however, given the rules, i can't give it it's rightful position (which would've been here) I can state however how good it is and why you should play it. It also brought me back to Pokemon GO on my phone which i'm playing obsessively! it's gotten so much better over the past year that I'm willing to have it share this honor of this spot! it's loads of fun aaand much nicer to your battery as well.
3 – Return of the Obra Dinn
I always say that "Papers please" is the game I wish I made, I'm a big fan, needless to say when I heard Lucas Pope is finally releasing his long awaited follow up I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. This is a very original game, in it's mechanics, in the way it tells a story and in the way it has you scratching your head trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. The best way that I can describe it as is that it's basically murder Sudoku, I don't want to tell you more about the game, I'd much rather you get into it blind like I did, not knowing what to expect. Return of the Obra Dinn is a landmark achievement in game design (UX issues aside) and a game with a lasting impact.
2 – MARVEL Spider-man
Insomniac just did everything right with this one, every single aspect of this game is carefully polished and tuned to be FUN! As you start swinging you think to yourself how stupid it is for spider-man to be collecting backpacks, 5 minutes later, you're roaming New York trying to find every last one. This game doesn't break the norm with mechanics, there's nothing you haven't seen before in some shape or form, what's here though is world class polish, real reverence to the source material, amusing narrative and by far one of the hardest games to put down.
1 – Into the Breach
Creators of FTL Subset games return with a master class in elegant game design. So much that I respect about this game, the mechanics are so solid and easy to understand that each combat transforms from a tactical turn base encounter into a puzzle you have to solve. The mind bending ability to foresee what's going to happen and utilize your units to clear the level is incredible as the game masterfully weaves so much depth out of simple mechanics. Each unit introduced almost changes the way the game plays. Hell, even failing in this game has an interesting way into looping into progression.
So many good games came out this year, I can't just ignore them because I'm tied to a numbered list, I need to at least give these games a nod as games you should totally check out:
Lineage II revolution
Dragon Quest XI (didn't finish this one yet)
Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Didn't finish this one either)
Wario Ware Gold
No man's Sky NEXT
The red strings club
Forgotten Anne
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Becca Levin is a Client Services Specialist with Advisory & Transaction Services in Denver, Colorado. In this role, she provides support for Industrial & Logistics Services team throughout the Denver Metro area by streamlining organizational systems, creating and implementing marketing campaigns and conducting market research to help her brokers provide the best service possible for their clients.
Prior to joining CBRE, Becca studied real estate and finance at Colorado State University and was an active participant in the CSU real estate program.


Zynga's newest game has already set a record in its first week, growing faster than any other application has during its first week on Facebook.
Zynga's newest game has already set a record in its first week, growing faster than any other application has during its first week on Facebook.
Zynga has had a tremendous week: CastleVille, but the developer's newest game has already set a record for having the fastest growing debut week on Facebook, attracting almost 3.3 million players.
Meanwhile, the company's steadfast favorite, FarmVille, falls six spots to finish this week in 18th after only increasing by 300,000 players.
Rallying an eight spot advancement over last week, Bubble Witch Saga lands in sixth with 600,000 new gamers this week. Making its return as a growing app, a re-imagining of the classic Tetris video game successfully claims the 15th position;, adding 400,000 players this week.
One more comeback to mention within the gaming trend, The Pokerist club – Texas Poker proves that free is always better as chip giveaways aid in a 400,000 gain, for a 16th place finish.
The new additions to Yahoo's connectivity with Facebook proves to have a positive impact on countdown rankings. Second place is a strong finish for the search engine, and 1,700,000 more social networkers are synching their accounts.
Skype comes in fourth, with 900,000 additions. Washington Post Social Reader advances to ninth place, with 600,000 new readers.
Scribd declines five places to finish in 11th, with 500,000 additions. Spotify comes in 12th, with a 500,000 increase. ShareAndTell.com finishes in 14th, picking up 400,000 new users.
A trend that returned last week is picking up steam: Advancing five positions to finish in third place, 21 Questions collects 1,100,000 new users. Between You and Me returns to the list this week in 10th place, with 600,000 additions.
Woobox's Static Iframe Tab comes in fifth, with 800,000 built and user views. Last week's fastest growing app, Static HTML: iframe tabs falls to eighth, with 600,000 new users.
TabPress Custom iFrame Tabs finishes in ninth, with about 600,000 adds. Pagemodo Custom Welcome Tab is 19th, with 300,000 new users.
Mis Fotos is found three steps ahead of where it was last week, finishing in 13th, as 500,000 social networkers head towards the Turbulence-developed application.
Two applications on the list let you reorganizing photo layouts on profiles. The Profile Banner (all languages) comes in 17th with 390,000 Facebookers adding the app. Profile Banner finishes in 20th, after gaining 300,000 new users this week.
Readers, did you find yourself using any of the week's fastest growing competitors?


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As you may have heard, the last week of September each year represents annual Banned Books Week – a week in which we celebrate our rights to intellectual freedom.
Every year, hundreds of books are challenged and/or banned from classrooms and public libraries. In 2009, 460 challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. (It is important to note that these are reported challenges, only – for each report, one can assume a number of similar unreported attempts) (Click to enlarge)
Book Challenges by Year (from www.ala.org)
Each of these challenges does not merely represent someone expressing an opinion; rather, each of these challenges represent a separate, documented attempt to remove materials from public access. In other words, censorship. Banned Books Week is when we reflect on those censorship attempts and celebrate our rights to read, interpret, and express ourselves.
Since 1995, these are the most frequent reasons given for book challenges/bans (click to enlarge):
Challenges by Reason
And here is the list of all the books challenged in 2009:
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted
Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Block, Francesca Lia. Baby Be-Bop
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. The Tortilla Curtain
Brown, Marc Tolon. Buster's Sugartime
Burroughs, Augusten. Running with Scissors
Cast, P. C. and Kristin Cast. House of Night series
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Comfort, Alex. Joy of Sex
Crutcher, Chris. Deadline
Drill, Esther. Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL
Dubberley, Emily. Sex for Busy People: The Art of the Quickie for Lovers on the Go
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Fuentes, Carlos. Aura
Garrison, Eric Marlowe. Mastering Multiple Position Sex
Hahn, Mary Downing. The Dead Man in Indian Creek
Harding, Kat. Lesbian Kama Sutra
Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants: A Short Story: The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany
Johnson, Maureen. The Bermudez Triangle
King, Stephen. "Survivor Type: A Short Story" from Skeleton Crew
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees
Klausen, Jytte. The Cartoons That Shook the World
Knowles, Jo (Johanna Beth). Lessons from a Dead Girl
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird
Lippman, Laura. "The Crack Cocaine Diet: A Short Story" from Hardly Knew Her
Martin, Michael. Kurt Cobain
McDonald, Brian. In the Middle of the Night: The Shocking True Story of a Family Killed in Cold Blood
Mead, Richelle. Vampire Academy series
Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff. Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Meyer, Stephenie H. Twilight series
Moore, Alan. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier; America's Best Comics
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon
Myracle, Lauren. ttyl
Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three
Schrag, Ariel, ed. Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age
Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl
Sedaris, David. "I Like Guys: A Short Story" from Naked
Seierstad, Åsne. The Bookseller of Kabul
Selzer, Adam. How to Get Suspended and Influence People
Shusterman, Neal. Unwind
Silverstein, Charles, and Felice Picano. The Joy of Gay Sex
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The Egypt Game
Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball: The Monkey King
Von Ziegesar, Cecily. Only in Your Dreams: A Gossip Girl Novel
Walker, Margaret. Jubilee
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir
WritersCorps. Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems
This week, both Ana and myself have taken to reading a frequently challenged and banned book apiece. Ana has taken on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, while I have reread an old favorite with Mark Twain's masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Regardless of whether or not you agree with, like or are a proponent of these challenged and banned books, we all deserve the basic right to access these titles and voice our opinions. We – like the ALA, countless bloggers across the interwebs, librarians, educators, parents, and readers the world over – encourage everyone to read something truly *subversive* this week.
Well, looking at the number of sex guides in that list I guess people just don't like being told how to love somebody properly. *hah*
And "Survivor Type" really?
I could see "It" on that list for an often discussed reason, or "Gerald's Game", but that story?
They realise that this is _not_ meant to encourage drug abuse and cannibalism?
(Loved that story btw.)
I was surprised to see The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder on this list. I loved that book when I was a kid! I'm trying to think what could possibly be objectionable and I simply cannot imagine what it is. Any ideas?
katiebabs
Banning The Diary of Anne Frank boggles my mind. But then again I heard some want the dictionary banned.
Some people just don't have anything to do with their time.
Don't the kids in The Egypt Game perform Egyptian rituals? Anything smacking of witchcraft is anathema to a certain type of Christian. I once had a (COLLEGE) student in a children's lit class tell me she couldn't read Harry Potter. I pointed out that we'd already read Wizard of Earthsea, but she said her pastor, and therefore parents, hadn't heard of it, so hadn't objected. I got her to research why Christians objected to HP and write a paper about it, from which I at least learned a lot.
I am still laughing about "Hills Like White Elephants" being on the list. I have a lot of difficulty getting my students to see that the couple is discussing an abortion. I'm amazed a book-banner is smart enough to interpret it (maybe s/he had a good English teacher).
Thanks Liz! I never even thought about that. I just remembered the book being about kids and make believe. I guess it doesn't take much sometimes, huh?


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The National Police Memorial
Trust Memorials
Memorial Index
Repairs & Renewals
Michael Winner
**News Update**
Following the tragic news of the death of PCSO Julia James of Kent Police. Our Chair and members of our Board of Trustees offer our sincere condolences to Julia's family, loved ones and police colleagues.
PC John Taylor Memorial Refurbishment
Jan 5, 2022 | Memorials, News Update
We are pleased to announce that today our memorial to PC John Taylor of Staffordshire Police has been completely refurbished. This is part of our ongoing commitment to the maintenance of all our memorials to ensure that they reflect the respect and honour that fallen...
The National Police Memorial featured in the 2021 Police Federation of England & Wales annual 'End of the Year' magazine
Dec 16, 2021 | Memorials, News Update, The National Police Memorial
Remembering the ceremony to install the newly reprinted Book of Rememberance & Police Roll of Honour into the National Police Memorial part of the article pays tribute to Police Constable James Armstrong of the Derwent Division (now Cumbria Police) who died on...
The night a gunman killed a policeman and three other people before stabbing himself in the chest
Dec 11, 2021 | Memorials
When the gunman first walked into the Carlton Casino brandishing a gun on each hip, people's first reaction was that he was 'some sort of clown' in fancy dress with toy pistols. It was the night of the annual Holly Ball at the nearby five star Imperial Hotel and...
Plaque unveiled in Torquay to commemorate officers life
PC Smith died on duty in 1973 On Thursday 2 December The Police Memorial Trust unveiled a plaque to commemorate the life of an officer who died serving his community. Prior to his death PC Dennis Smith was travelling along Rosehill Road in pursuit of suspect, who was...
Police Memorial Trust join National figures to salute Hero's
Oct 14, 2021 | News Update
Our Chair, Mrs Michael Winner and Trustee Mr Steve Lloyd joined the Home Secretary, show business celebrities and the UK's top ranking police officers in London last night to pay tribute to and celebrate the 'Best of the Best' at the Police Federation of England &...
The Trust Architect's News Article
Oct 11, 2021 | News Update, The National Police Memorial
Foster and Partners https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/national-police-memorial/
LBC Radio Interview with Trustee Mr Steve Lloyd
'The names will keep growing': Former officer's stirring reaction to national police memorial https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/shelagh-fogarty/the-names-will-keep-growing-former-officers-stirring-reaction-to-national-police/
PC Raja Basharat Ahmed Anniversary
Sep 3, 2021 | Anniversaries
On the occasion of the anniversary of Police Constable Raja Basharat Ahmed's tragic death our Trustee Mr. Steve Lloyd joined members of the officer's family, senior Greater Manchester Police officers,Civic dignitaries and members of the public at the Trust's memorial...
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Apr 10, 2021 | General, The National Police Memorial
Following the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh the flag at the United Kingdom's National Police Memorial on The Mall in London is being flown at half mast. This is the very first time this tribute has taken place at the National Police Memorial. It is a...
The Roll of Honour – News Update
Apr 3, 2021 | News Update, Police Roll of Honour, The National Police Memorial
We are pleased to announce that in line with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, we have resumed displaying the names of fallen officers at the UK's National Police Memorial in The Mall, London. We know this will be very welcome news to the families, loved ones and...
Trust's new website featured in national NARPO February newsletter
Feb 1, 2021 | News Update
Gone but never forgotten
Dec 29, 2020 | General
Remembering the heroic Teesside police officer killed in a brawl over 100 years ago
Dec 25, 2020 | Anniversaries, News Update
Press Release – November 18th, 2020
Nov 18, 2020 | Press Release
To mark the 15th anniversary of the building of the UK's National Police Memorial in 2005, The Police Memorial Trust are proud to announce the launch of their new website. The specially built website gives a unique insight into the work undertaken by the Trust over...
New state of the art digital system announced at special ceremony
Nov 12, 2020 | News Update, Police Roll of Honour, The National Police Memorial
A special ceremony to unveil the United Kingdom's recently reprinted Police Roll of Honour has taken place at the National Police Memorial in London. The expanded Roll, which was researched, compiled and is maintained by The Police Roll of Honour Trust charity,...
Home Secretary and Top Police Officers Visit The National Police Memorial
Nov 12, 2020 | The National Police Memorial
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chief's Council and Cressida Dick, Commissoner of the Metropolitan Police have attended a service of remembrance at United Kingdom's The National Police Memorial to pay their respects to...
Younger Generation Pay Tribute To Fallen Hero
Oct 31, 2020 | General
A group of Metropolitan Police Service volunteer police cadets based in Havering have paid a special visit to the historic Palace of Westminster to pay tribute to Police Constable Keith Palmer GM who was murdered in March 2017. The cadets formed at The Police Memorial...
Specially Commissioned Memorial Mementos
Oct 29, 2020 | Memorial Mementos
Mrs. Michael Winner, Chairman of The Police Memorial Trust, presents specially commissioned memorial mementos to the widow and daughter of the late Police Constable Malcolm Walker of the West Midlands Police. The officer was killed in October 2001 whilst on motorcycle...
City of London Police Recruits Visit The National Police Memorial
Sep 25, 2020 | The National Police Memorial
The latest intake of recruits to The City of London Police have paid a visit to The National Police Memorial in The Mall in London to pay their respects to fallen officers. P.C Madeline Eaton (Pictured) laid a special floral tribute on behalf of the group to honour...
HRH The Prince of Wales signs the new Roll of Honour Book
Feb 19, 2020 | Police Roll of Honour
(featured image shows HRH Prince Charles meeting Geraldine Winner at the National Police Memorial Day on September 29th 2019) HRH The Prince of Wales signs the new Roll of Honour book to be housed in the National Police Memorial New book signed by Prince Charles at...
Father Dan Talbot from Australia visits the Memorial
Feb 19, 2020 | The National Police Memorial
On September 23rd 2019, Dennis Rowen of The Police Memorial Trust was honoured to host Father Dan Talbot and his wife Kylie from Queensland, Australia where he is the chaplain for Queensland Police. Father Dan attends the memorial annually to lay a floral tribute on...
Special Visitors to the National Police Memorial
Senior American Police Officers visit UK's The National Police Memorial. During their recent visit to Britain senior members of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police made time in their busy schedule to make a special visit to the UK's National Police...
Newly Reprinted Police Roll Of Honour Unveiling Ceremony
Dec 6, 2019 | Ceremonies
A special ceremony has taken place at the National Police Memorial in London to unveil the newly reprinted Police Roll of Honour which commemorates fallen police officers. The event, which took place at the National Police Memorial in The Mall in London, was organised...
The Police Memorial Trust expands Police Roll of Honour
Oct 29, 2019 | Ceremonies, News Update, Police Roll of Honour, The National Police Memorial
At a special ceremony in October 2019, a newly reprinted Police Roll of Honour Trust Roll of Remembrance was placed into the National Police Memorial in The Mall, London. The expanded Roll, which was researched, compiled and is maintained by The Police Roll of Honour...
The Police Memorial Trust help celebrate '100 years of Women in British Policing'
Mar 8, 2019 | News Update, The National Police Memorial
During the recent major refurbishment and maintenance programme the United Kingdom's National Police Memorial in London has been hidden from view behind building hoardings. After learning the Memorial was to feature in a special parade to mark 100 years of women in...
Refurbishment of the United Kingdom's National Police Memorial
Nov 26, 2018 | General
The Police Memorial Trust are pleased to reveal the commencement of the refurbishment of the United Kingdom's National Police Memorial. Having been designed by the world renowned architect Lord Foster the National Police Memorial was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on...
PC Keith Palmer, GM
Nov 13, 2018 | Memorials
Special Announcement **UPDATE 05-03-2019** - PC Keith Palmer's Memorial was unveiled on February 20th 2019 - Please CLICK HERE for more details. The Police Memorial Trust can now confirm publicly for the first time that we are to place the Nation's memorial to P.C...
Memorial to murdered police officer unveiled in Richmond
Oct 30, 2018 | Memorials
A memorial to a North Yorkshire Police officer who was murdered in 1977 has been unveiled in Richmond. The plaque, in memory of 25-year-old PC Norman Garnham, was provided by the Police Memorial Trust and is placed on the courtyard wall of The Green Howards' Museum...
Damage to WPC Yvonne Fletcher's Memorial
Following the despicable act of criminal damage to WPC Yvonne Fletcher's memorial the Police Memorial Trust would like to thank all the people who have contacted us with offers of help and very kind words of support. We will have to temporarily remove Yvonne's...
Trust Invited to Firefighters Memorial Service
Increasingly forgotten, as time passes, is the fact that prior to the formation of the National Fire Service in August 1941 Fire Brigades were operated by the Police Service. Local authorities realised that in disciplined and trained police officers they had the...
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Central Banks Moving Into Gold
Punctuated by a sharp increase in gold holdings by South Korea's central bank, world central banks are moving into gold, expanding their gold holdings in a major way.
What do these ultimate insiders know that the average investor doesn't know? Central bankers have access to information and statistics that we are kept in the dark about. This makes their move into gold an important signal for the rest of us.
Do not dismiss South Korea as a minor player in the world economy and financial markets, they're not. South Korea is an Asian economic juggernaut, with one of the fastest growing economies over the past quarter century.
More from Reuters:
South Korea buys gold; central bank purchases set to rise
South Korea boosted its gold holdings by nearly a third in July, buying 16 tonnes as
part of the central bank's efforts to diversify its massive foreign exchange reserves.
South Korea is Asia's fourth largest economy and its central bank said on Thursday that it now holds 70.4 tonnes of gold,
after paying $810 million last month for the purchase.
The increase barely lifted gold prices but supported expectations that central banks will remain gold's key buyer as
increased volatility in global markets and waning confidence in the U.S. dollar fuel a global drive to vary foreign reserves
away from the U.S. currency and government debt securities.
CENTRAL BANKS TO BUY MORE GOLD
The latest purchase was the third by the Korean central bank since June last year, when it started increasing its reserves
after leaving them unchanged for more than a decade.
In the last 13 months, South Korea's gold reserves have grown five-fold but remain only a fraction of China's over 1,000
tonnes and Japan 765 tonnes, according to the World Gold Council (WGC).
Central banks bought 80.8 tonnes of gold in the first quarter, adding to 2011 purchase of more than 450 tonnes, the
WGC said. In recent months, a number of countries including Russia and Kazakhstan also increased their gold reserves, data
from the International Monetary Fund showed.
"We have been of the view that we would increasingly see more diversification of reserves and investments into gold,"
said Chirag Mehta, gold fund manager at Quantum Mutual Fund in Mumbai, India. "This trend is likely to continue".
1 Comment	| central banks, China, Currency, Dollar, Economy, Gold, Gold as an investment, gold demand, Gold Price, Investment Strategy, US Treasuries, World Gold Council	| Tagged: Asia, Central bank, Foreign exchange reserves, Gold reserve, International Monetary Fund, South Korea, Tonne, World Gold Council	| Permalink
China's Voracious Hunger for Gold
China's appetite for Gold mirrors the old adage on Chinese take-out: No matter how full you may be now, wait two hours you will be hungry again. A little over a decade ago the Chinese government deregulated the purchase of gold. Since then China, the largest producer of gold, has grown to become a deficit consumer. The Hong Kong exchange alone demands more gold than the 321 tons produced last year domestically.
The talking heads vary on their opinions on how this will affect the global gold market. Some claim it will bring massive shortages in the coming years as China acquires more tonnage in the coming decade. While others shake this off as nothing more than the Central Bank of China (CBOC) anomaly of shoring up its banking through its gold holdings. We think that both are correct to a varying degrees. Yet, we tend to cling to the middle ground that China both privately & through the CBOC will continue to add pressure to the price of Gold based on demand.
Much like oil demand is greatly increased by the consumption of the growing Chinese industrial revolution. Gold will continue to see price pressure as demand ebbs and wanes in China. As no surprise to any, China is growing into a power-house economically that will continue to affect global markets, including Gold.
Leave a Comment »	| China, Economy, Gold, gold demand, Gold Price, World Gold Council, xcd	| Tagged: China, Gold as an investment, Hong Kong, India, Precious metal, World Gold Council	| Permalink
Forbes: Somebody Has Been Buying A Bunch Of Gold
Great Speculations Buys, holds, and hopes
Investing | 1/30/2012 @ 5:43PM |2,051 views
Adrian Ash, Contributor
After the Fed's latest zero-rate promise pushed gold back to the financial front pages, it's worth asking who's buying in bulk, and why?
There's plenty of noise, for instance, about Chinese households buying gold during last week's New Year holidays.
Away from the massed decisions of private investors and savers, gold holdings amongst the world's central banks have quietly risen to a six-year high, according to data compiled by the International Monetary Fund.
"There's a perception perhaps that gold is no longer a crucial part of the financial system in the way that it was under the gold standard before 1970, 1971," as Marcus Grubb of the World Gold Council put it in an interview last week. "But in fact that's not really true because even with the ending of the gold standard, gold remains as an asset held by the world's central banks."
A good chunk of this weaving is due to official reserves. As our chart shows, central banks control a shrinking proportion of what's been mined from the ground. A far greater tonnage of gold again is finding its way into private ownership, and it's having a greater still impact on how money and finance work.
First, private individuals have led the rediscovery of gold bullion as a financial asset, rather than the decorative store-of-value it had become by the close of the 20th century. Institutional finance has caught up, however, and gold is now in front of the Basel Committee on global banking, proposed as a "core asset" for banks to hold and count as a Tier 1 holding for their liquidity requirements.
Turkey's regulators already acknowledged physical gold as a Tier 1 asset for its commercial banks starting in November, with the cap of 10% worth some 5.5 billion lira ($2.9bn) according to Dow Jones. Also, a growing number of investment exchanges, meantime, as well as prime brokers, now accept gold as collateral, posted as downpayment by institutions against their commodity and other leveraged positions. Just on Friday, London market-maker Deutsche Bank was added to the CME's list of approved gold custodians.
Gold pays no interest of course. But in our zero-yielding world, that only puts it ahead of where the capital markets are being herded by central-bank policy anyway. Nor does gold have much industrial use (some 11% of global demand in the 5 years to 2011), a fact which highlights its unique "store of value" attributes. Being physical property, gold is no one else's debt to repay or default.
Being globally traded, it's deeply liquid and instantly priced. Turnover in London's bullion market, center of the world's gold trade, is greater at $240 billlion per day than all but the four most heavily traded currency pairs worldwide.
And being both rare and indestructible, it couldn't be any less like "money" today.
Scarcely a lifetime ago, gold underpinned the globe's entire monetary system. Outside China, which tried sticking with silver, the compromised and then bastardized gold standard which followed first World War I and then World War II still saw the value of central-bank gold reserves vastly outweigh the paper obligations which those banks gave to each other.
Even three decades ago, 10 years after the collapse of what passed for a gold standard post-war, central-bank gold holdings still totaled some three times central-bank money reserves by value. Look at the decade just gone – the 10 years in which gold investment beat every other store of value hands down. Pretty much every currency you can name lost 85% of its value in gold. Yet the sheer quantity of new money pouring into central-bank vaults saw their gold holdings only just hold their ground.
Gold's rise, in short, has been buried under wood-pulp. To recover its share of central-bank holdings as recently as 1995 would now require a further doubling in value. To get back to the 1980s average would require a 15-fold increase. Or, alternatively, a 93% drop in the value of foreign currency reserves relative to central-bank bullion holdings.
Such a trend is not yet in train, neither on the charts nor the fundamentals. The US Dollar remains the biggest reserve currency, weighing in at 62% of stated reserves according to IMF data, down from its peak above 71% in 2001 but more than equal to its share in the mid-1990s. Even so, as former FT columnist and current ButtonWood at The Economist Philip Coggan writes in his latest book, Paper Promises:
"If Britain set the terms of the gold standard, and America set the terms of Bretton Woods [in 1944], then the terms of the next financial system are likely to be set by the world's biggest creditor, China. And that system may look a lot different to the one we have become used to over the last 30 years."
Coggan rightly notes that China isn't the only large creditor, and nor does it hold anything like the dominance which the U.S. held at the end of World War II. Whether this switch starts today or only starts to show 10 years from now, the risk of such a change of direction can hardly be discounted to zero.
Repudiation of government debt, the form which most foreign currency reserves take, will only begin with the Greek bond agreement, perhaps leading first to a rise in U.S. dollar holdings but also highlighting the ultimate risk of holding paper promises. And that fear, of having to write off money thanks to default or devaluation, is clearly driving the rise in gold demand from central banks already.
Leave a Comment »	| central banks, China, Emerging Markets, European Union, Federal Reserve, gold demand, Inflation, International Monetary Fund, National Debt, Recession, World Gold Council	| Tagged: Central bank, China, Foreign exchange reserves, International Monetary Fund, World Gold Council	| Permalink
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Q: In Flash Builder 4.5 for Mac, how can I use xdebug as my PHP debugger (instead of Zend Debugger)? Currently, under Preferences>PHP>Debug>Installed Debugger, only Zend Debugger is shown, and there is no way to add xdebug, even though I have verified that it is active using phpinfo().
Does anyone know a way to add xdebug (probably via "Install New Software", but any method will be appreciated)?

A: I do not have it installed now, but if I remember well, on the beta I renamed all Eclipse zend debugger plugins. I think they were two or three. I have just added a ".no" at the end of the name changing their extensions.
I then restarted FB for PHP, and in the options I was finaly able to insert my XDebug parameters. I hope it still works like that with the release version.
The files to rename are:
com.zend.php.debug.ui_8.0.0.v20110117-2133.jar
com.zend.php.debug.core_8.0.0.v20110331-1830.jar

I simply renamed them to:
com.zend.php.debug.ui_8.0.0.v20110117-2133.jar.no
com.zend.php.debug.core_8.0.0.v20110331-1830.jar.no

After that, xdebug magically shows up in the installed debuggers list.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


the install which generated the dir tree I have attached.
engine tar ball and extracted successfully to c:\cygwin tree.
install and selected another location for install - not listed again ????
> time with the same result.
> Can anyone suggest what is going wrong and how to sort things out ?
Something is causing a postinstall script to hang.


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Colombia Is On The Precipice Of A Major Cocaine Civil War
Photo: REUTERS/Colombian Army Press Office/Handout via Reuters
JP Carroll National Security & Foreign Affairs Reporter
June 14, 2016 1:30 PM ET
Colombia is about to spiral into a new era of cocaine-fueled civil war, according to the United Nations.
U.N. High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told the 32nd regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council Monday that, "The greatest threat to the dividends of peace in Colombia is the risk that violence and human rights violations will be generated by struggles for control of illicit coca growing and illegal mining, following demobilization."
The Colombian government is currently wrapping up negotiations to end a 52-year civil war with Marxist guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym FARC),
If the Colombian government and FARC successfully work out a peace deal, this will leave the Army of National Liberation (known by the Spanish acronym ELN) fighters and paramilitary group Los Urabeños (also known as Clan del Golfo) fighting for control of the country's cocaine trade. Al Hussein went on to tell the U.N. Human Rights Council, "I urge the international community to invest with Colombia to transform these areas into productive economies that will improve the human rights situation and sustain peace."
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the U.N.'s Refugee Agency, reported in May that 6,000 civilians have been displaced by different drug traffickers jockeying for power in Colombia. The main challenge for the Colombian military will be securing territory previously under FARC control, before the likes of the ELN or Los Urabeños swoop in to pick up where their former rivals left off, according to ColombiaReports.
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Tags : eln colombia united nations urabenos
JP Carroll


Hello lovelies, it´s Evelyn today with my second project for the April challenge.
This time I made an Art Journal Page with watercolor spring flowers.
If you want to see more, feel free to hop, hop, hop (sorry, I couldn´t resist 😉) to my blog, you are very welcome!
Thank you for your visit today and we hope to see your work shared in our challenge, you know, that you can win a 20 £ voucher for the shop.