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I have to start with a confession: it is difficult to write about the work of Mark Manders. There are several reasons for this I am sure, but the strongest might be the timelessness of his work. A timelessness he consciously aims for. And one he achieves. His works can both be old and new, from this day and age or from times immemorial, they might have been finished yesterday or a hundred years ago, they are pre- and post industrial at the same time. Or in his own words: "A work of art should be unrelated to time. Although it's made in a specific period, it should be capable of moving through time and relate both to art from ancient times and to something still to be made. (…) I sometimes feel like a time traveler who should have made things a hundred—or three thousand—years ago. I intend making a work that should have been made in the Middle Ages."1
As a result, capturing the essence of the work by Manders is difficult. Or maybe it is not so much the essence that escapes us, I assume we feel and sense essence in a bodily and precognitive way, as the fact that we cannot inscribe Manders into a school, genre or period. This makes his oeuvre footloose, in the sense of free and independent. As if we are trying to hold on to a wet piece of soap.
So here starts my difficulty: I am holding a wet piece of soap in my hands, now it is on the floor again, darting away and I am scurrying clumsily behind it. One solution to this predicament would be to detail his career, a career that brought him recognition first and foremost abroad and not in his mother country the Netherlands, maybe not fully until he represented the Netherlands in 2013 at the Venice Biennale with a highly successful installation that catapulted him back into the Dutch art scene. But the career angle is clearly insufficient. There is so much more to an artist than his career.
Another option would be to simply describe his work, the technical mastery of materials he has achieved over the years that allow him to create sculptures that look like wet clay, even years after they have been finished, the many recurring shapes and objects in his oeuvre: incomplete human bodies, heads pressed between planks, animals, everyday objects like sugar cubes, pens and tea sachets, floor plans, or the ways in which the reconstruction of his studio, including the tools and objects that happen to be present, is becoming more and more part of his installations. But this approach feels unsatisfactory as well somehow. Describing his art works (or any art work for that matter) is very important but there is more to Manders' work, and that "more" escapes us when we only rely on the descriptive.
Another route would be to detail his Self-Portrait as a Building, the overarching project of an as of yet fictional building on which Manders has been working since 1986 and in which all his works as well as the artist Mark Manders "live" or reside. The aforementioned timelessness of his work is also a key characteristic of this fictional building: "The building is fiction, but everything inside exists in reality. The building is like a gigantic stage set frozen in time with lots of rooms that all seem as if they have just been abandoned. There is no distinction between works of, let's say, fifteen years ago and a work I finished yesterday." ((Mark Manders on his Self-Portrait as a Building in Reference Book, p 16.)) Needless to say I considered focusing on this project as well, it is after all his life's work and it provides the writer with a tangible structure to hold on to. But I didn't want to trap the metaphorical piece of soap inside this house. It would end up on the rim of a washbasin or bathtub. And the circle would be closed.
So my proposal is a different one. I want to revert to a master class on art criticism that my late father, the Belgian writer Dirk Lauwaert, gave twenty years ago2. I was too young to be present at that time, but I can rely on the detailed notes taken by the Belgian theater critic Johan Reyniers.
Lauwaert was a writer and critic of film, fashion, visual arts, theater, dance, photography whose work is characterized by a personal, deeply engaged style that deliberately avoided the philosophical or scientific strands of art criticism3. He wrote, as he termed it, a sensual, personal critique in which adjectives and metaphors played a major role. Erudite without being intellectualistic. Lauwaert belonged, as Manders, to no school; maybe he was his own school, always non-conformist and non-pragmatic. He operated, in that respect, alone, truly free and independent. This position, it might be worth to note, is not one I can hold onto myself. Like many of my contemporaries, I am not truly independent and pragmatism all too often creeps into the decisions I make.
The master class Lauwaert gave took place over the course of several days in 1994 and there are four major themes he covered: the necessary solitary and independent position of the art critic, the profession of art criticism and the related problem of judging and finally the role and function of the critic in society. Not all of these topics will feature as heavily in the text below but there are some claims Lauwaert made that resonate surprisingly with the life and work of Manders. Through a reconstruction of Lauwaerts opinions on the task and métier of art criticism, I want to get closer to the work of Manders, and, and this is a crucial point, I want to try and take the reader along with me in the crossing of this river between audience and artwork4.
Loneliness by necessity
One of the best sources on the work, life and thinking of Manders is the already quoted from Reference Book published in 2012 by Roma Publications, the publishing house Manders co-founded with Roger Willems. This book of more than 500 pages chronicles Manders' works, his writing and also contains an interview with Manders by Nickel van Duijvenboden that details beautifully how Manders lives and works. He works hard, makes long days, and lives rather isolated on the Belgian countryside. He hasn't been to a bar in ages.
This loneliness, if Manders would even consider it lonely?, is not a choice but a necessity for an art critic. Being an art critic is making the opposite movement from creating solidarities. Rather, one needs to create isolations and avoid being included in a group, a scene: never follow your generation to a bar. No school, no trend, no period should be able to claim you. Manders' work cannot be claimed either, and this is exactly what I was struggling with in trying to grasp his work. If you do let yourself be claimed as a critic, you fall into the trap of writing slogans and propaganda and rather than having a critical relation to the artwork, yours becomes a promotional one.
I often have drinks with artists, follow them to bars so to speak, but I can admit, with a certain relief now, that I have never met Manders. We exchanged two very brief emails in which we tried setting up an interview but that never went through because of conflicting agenda's and maybe because of a certain hesitation on his part. Explaining his work would make the bar of soap less slippery, and maybe that is not what he wants to happen.
Although many art critics will claim that you cannot write about an artist without having seen his studio, the place of work, without having talked through an oeuvre, Lauwaert seemed to be saying the very opposite. Keep a certain distance. Be engaged but don't become too entangled. Don't become a "kingmaker", a role that will be awarded by the art world but that takes away your one and only currency as an art critic: critical engagement.
So what could then be the relationship between critic and artwork? Lauwaert talks about "une relation amorouse à distance", a distanced amorous relationship. You love but never get too close, you look, glimpse and maybe even spy but never touch. There are no mathematical rules to find the right distance between the need of engagement and the need to be and stay reserved. Intuition is what we need in finding the right distance between artist and critic.
Funnily enough, the construction of the third-person Manders by Manders, as well as his choice to live and work in a small town and not in Brussels or Amsterdam for example, seems to preempt this very seduction of critic and artist to become too close. Van Duijvenboden, who interviewed Manders at length for the Reference Book, describes the barrier, and his wish to cross it, between Manders and the outside world as follows in the introduction to his interview: "I had wanted to gain more insight into the person 'behind' the character. (…) I was curious about the extent to which the Self-Portrait as a Building is an autobiography, and whether I would get to see something of the man Mark Manders."5
The interview ends with the question whether it is important or not to know something about the person behind the work. Manders answer is telling: "With good works of art it's irrelevant who made them. When you stand in a space with the work and you lose yourself in it, then the maker simply no longer exists. It's purely about you as a person looking at a work of art, what you feel, experience and think. Everything else should simply disappear."6
A bodily durcharbeitung
Feeling and experiencing an artwork makes the artist in a sense redundant, Manders seems to be saying. The experience becomes central, not the name, fame or autobiography of the maker. I am convinced my father would agree. Rather than explaining an artwork, which is not the aim of art criticism because in the act of explaining we extinguish, neutralize, reduce and do away with the artwork, art criticisms only justification lies in bringing across the experience of the work, in the vital (sensory, bodily) rather than theoretical or intellectual durcharbeitung of an experience.
The work of Manders will often force you, by its very nature, to rely on your vital experience. Trying a theoretical or intellectual angle on his work is very hard; it will leave you frustrated because the work is done injustice to and you never feel as if you were able to grasp the essence of what Manders' work is about. This was made very clear to me when the first visitors were allowed to enter the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Almost everyone was touched, without being able to explain exactly why, by the one-legged girl stretched against a table, the studio-like setting hidden behind almost but not quite transparent plastic, the various heads big and small, the dog with a mouse strapped to its belly. The work is not aiming for our lacrimal glands but reaches our hearts via ways left previously unexplored. The experience of the work of Manders is at the core bodily and sensory, not cerebral or academic. Then again, the work is not free-floating or woolly/sloppy. It is extremely precise and contained. The bodily and emotional characteristics of his work do not in any sense mean that the works are wild expressionistic burps of emotion.
For the Biennale catalogue that accompanied this presentation by Manders, I was asked, as were many writers, to write a brief text on one of his works. Here as well, albeit more unconsciously at that stage in my thinking about his work, I fell back on memories, emotions, the impulses the work awakened in me. Manders' work simply seems to have that effect on people. It speaks to us in a very primordial and elementary way.
In the durcharbeitung of an experience, art criticism operates in the domain of the nuance, the in-between areas, that which cannot be named but has to be approached via the comparative way of point and counterpoint. The piece of soap introduced at the beginning of this text should in this sense not be such a big problem; it might even be a necessity. Through the slippery nature of an oeuvre, and as such of any art-critical argumentation and claim, the opposite of what is present, should always be just around the corner. This introduces the play of point and counterpoint, the hesitation and imbalance that are needed to keep art critique open and dialogical.
So rather than explaining art, bringing an experience across is central, rather than stating claims, hesitation should be let run its course. Don't try to hold an argument in your hands and squeeze to keep it firmly in place but let it run wild, let if fall to the ground and pick it up again. What Lauwaert calls "un fil conducteur" (connecting thread) will bind the text together and ensures that the reader isn't getting lost. Because Manders has such a strong fil conducteur in his oeuvre, the Self-Portrait as a Building, the pull is always there to let both red threads overlap: the one in the oeuvre and the one in a text. I think it is safe to say that my fil conducteur has turned out, against all expectations, to be a piece of soap. A piece of soap that at first made me feel nervous and clumsy but that is gradually morphing into an asset rather than a weakness.
Getting unhinged
Having an eye for details is a key aspect to art criticism Lauwaert stated. Details in an artwork are never trivial, they are the specks of dust in the eye, that which creates confusion and lifts us out of our hinges, not in the sense of making us mentally unbalanced but rather in the sense of setting us free. This is, ultimately, what art is about, he said, unhinging the viewer.
It is hard to imagine where to start describing the overwhelming amount and finesse of details in the work of Manders. There is extreme precision and condensed energy in the works (in the previously mentioned work Mind Study where a one-legged girl is strapped to a table, you feel the potential, the tension of her being launched or catapulted into space, for example) and it feels as if everyone, every thing, every little detail in his works is keeping still while we are looking. As soon as we turn around, they let their arms down, do a little dance, giggle and start talking amongst each other or simply return to what they were doing before you walked in on them. You cannot imagine that these materials, these life forms he created, can keep up that precise pose for more than ten minutes.
Take for example a work without title from 19987. What we see is a plastic bottle half filled with sand on which rests a little wooden plank. On one outer end of this plank a rather nondescript plastic tub and a standard plastic throwaway cup, both filled with sand, are holding their ground. Running from their end of the piece of wood to the other end, is a thin iron stick that, when followed to its source, turns out to be the long tail of a mouse, or rat, or an imaginary little creature with pointy snout and stout legs. The animal is hanging from its end of the wooden plank: facedown, as if crashed and taking a delicious nap. All is peaceful, all is quiet. But one moment of inattentiveness, and the mouse will be running havoc, spilling all the sand and trying to get his tail unstuck from the little plank. And if that doesn't work, simply dragging it around with him. Why not? You never know when you can use a thing like that to smack a cat.
What enforces this feeling of stilled energy in Manders' work is the fact that all the individual pieces are part of Self-Portrait as a Building. They are not simply art works, they are the living and breathing inhabitants of a building: mice, people, floor plans and furniture-like objects.
Manders' works have the ability, in their strangeness (no human seems to be complete or well-proportioned for example), their uncannyness (imagine the cave-like hallways or the sinkholes in the floor), their sweetness (strongly present in dogs carrying little animals strapped to their bellies) and their elusiveness (think of the factory-inspired installations that do not expose their nature nor function), to lift us, as viewers, out of our hinges, to set us loose. But the works themselves are also constantly on the verge of getting undone, shaking themselves out and continuing their lives in Self-Portrait as a Building. ((There is a more complex relationship to "getting unhinged" in the work of Manders. In the interview with Van Duijvenboden, he talks about his interest in psychology, which stemmed from witnessing his mother, during his youth, suffering from psychoses. He further talks about the deranged world we live in and the creative space that opens up: "Our entire world, the way we've constructed it, is so complex. It's certainly a collective neurosis. It's no more strange than the world that I make. It has everything to do with a state of derangement. That's the area where you can create works of art." Reference Book, p. 46.)) No wonder Manders prefers solo presentations for his work as these offer the best conditions to set such a stage.
The inability to live in this world as it is
Lauwaert found that art deals with the artist's, but also our, inability to live in the world as it is. Art is an indictment against the world and a way of not accepting it as it is. But art is also very much a tribute to life.
Manders takes this one step further we could say. In the text The Absence of Mark Manders, written in 1994 and reprinted in his Reference Book, he writes about the "realization that life is taking its course, even without you" and (and here he refers to himself in the third person) that "Mark Manders has inhabited his self-portrait since 1986". "Walking through my building, I get confronted everywhere with deep arrest, it is terrific, the things over here surmount my momentaneous thinking and are familiar to me, I never get bored." ((Reference Book, p. 9.))
In trying to deal with the world as it is, Manders created a parallel world in which things are as he desires, creates and designs them. He is paying a magnificent, larger than life homage to life. One in which everyone is invited to enter. And there are, so it seems, two versions of this world: the fictional one filled with very real-life works and the real one in which he lives and works. His studio/house in Ronse, and its kaleidoscopic, maze-like qualities are described by Maria Barnas in Reference Book: "Mark Manders shows me an astonishing number of corridors, rooms, cellars, interlinked spaces, sheds, attics and outbuildings. Some have been renovated, others are still being rebuilt. Many look as if no-one has touched them for years. The building where Manders lives and works used to be a weaving factory. It looks like an old industrial castle. In the garden is a vinery, with a luxuriant jungle of plants. Wild shoots protrude through holes in the glass. It's like a head with too many ideas in it."8
If art is indeed an indictment against the world and if art making is indeed a way of handling our inability to live in the world as it is, then Manders found a brilliant way of dealing with this. He created on the one hand a parallel world, or system, in which every viewer can reside and that is shaped according to his ideas and rules, and on the other hand he created a world for himself in which he can reside, take a step back from the "real world" we live in and work, in all freedom, on this fictional building that provides an alternative to the world as is for everyone who encounters it.
My father started his master class with the metaphor of the figure of Christopher. Christopher was allegedly 2.3 m tall, had a fearsome face and wanted to serve "the greatest king there was". After he roamed the earth, he ended up serving Christ by carrying people over a dangerous river where they would usually perish in the attempt of crossing it. After some time, a small child asked to be carried across. During the crossing, the river swell and the child became very heavy, so much so that Christopher could barely make it to the other end. When they finally reached the other side, Christopher told the child that he thought not even the whole world could have been as heavy as him, to which the child replied that Christopher had not only carried the whole world on his back but also Him who created it.
As the figure of Christopher, the art critic also has to cross a river between his experience of an artwork and those who are reading the text. Carrying on his back not the king but the critic's memories of how beautiful the art work was, how extraordinary it is that someone – the artist – called into being, created something that would otherwise not have existed. Doing justice to this improbable, but also unpredictable existence of something, is the reason to be an art critic. In this sense, being an art critic is a vocation. Just as much as being an artist is one. Nevertheless, the distance between these two roles exists, has to exist and allows for both of them to function, to perform, to add something to the world.
Never give everything away, Lauwaert told his students. Never aim for or reach perfection. There always has to be more to be told. With Manders there is no risk of reaching perfection. There is no use in trying. There is simply too much to the work and there will always be so much more to tell, to carry across the river. Every attempt at capturing his work in words feels like a failure. Or maybe, to put it more positive, these feelings of never being complete are an advantage if we keep in mind that hesitation, contradictions, opposition should always be present in a text in order to keep the writing and thinking about art open and dialogical.
The slippery piece of soap I was trying to hold on to has become somewhat less unpredictable but it is still on the verge to slip away and skitter down the bathroom tiles. The difference being that it no longer feels as a disappointment or a shortcoming but rather as something that we have to embrace. If you follow the piece of soap through the hallways of Manders' work, you might end up in a dark cave-like hole underneath a house but you can also reach the top of a factory tower and see the stars. In both cases you are set free, lifted out of your hinges.
Mark Manders in an interview with Nickel van Duijvenboden, Reference Book, Roma Publications, 2012, p. 32. [↩]
Lauwaert is mainly known in Belgium and the Netherlands. His writing was hard to translate and has therefore not been read as widely outside of the Dutch-speaking community. [↩]
A certain confusion of individuals resulting from one Lauwaert writing about another Lauwaert is not alien to Mark Manders. He often refers to himself in third person in his texts. Manders is as much a character created by the artist as a real person of flesh and blood. [↩]
Unless otherwise stated, all references to this master class stem from the notes of Reyniers and are loose quotes of what Dirk Lauwaert talked about during these four intensive days. I am very grateful for Reyniers' diligent note taking and generous sharing. [↩]
Reference Book, p. 29 & 30. [↩]
Reference Book, p. 46. [↩]
An image of this work is part of Reference Book, page 81. [↩]
Reference Book, p. 437. [↩]
Visit: Mike Kelley's exhibition at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Visit: The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things
Lustwarande 2011
Onderzoek naar kleine kunstinitiatieven< Beeldende kunstenaars: klem tussen twee banen>


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'Play it down': Trump admits to concealing the true threat of coronavirus in new Woodward book
"Washington (CNN) — President Donald Trump admitted he knew weeks before the first confirmed US coronavirus death that the virus was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and "more deadly than even your strenuous flus," and that he repeatedly played it down publicly, according to legendary journalist Bob Woodward in his new book "Rage."
"This is deadly stuff," Trump told Woodward on February 7.
In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump revealed that he had a surprising level of detail about the threat of the virus earlier than previously known. "Pretty amazing," Trump told Woodward, adding that the coronavirus was maybe five times "more deadly" than the flu.
Trump's admissions are in stark contrast to his frequent public comments at the time insisting that the virus was "going to disappear" and "all work out fine."
The book, using Trump's own words, depicts a President who has betrayed the public trust and the most fundamental responsibilities of his office. In "Rage," Trump says the job of a president is "to keep our country safe." But in early February, Trump told Woodward he knew how deadly the virus was, and in March, admitted he kept that knowledge hidden from the public.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump told Woodward on March 19, even as he had declared a national emergency over the virus days earlier. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
If instead of playing down what he knew, Trump had acted decisively in early February with a strict shutdown and a consistent message to wear masks, social distance and wash hands, experts believe that thousands of American lives could have been saved.
The startling revelations in "Rage," which CNN obtained ahead of its September 15 release, were made during 18 wide-ranging interviews Trump gave Woodward from December 5, 2019 to July 21, 2020. The interviews were recorded by Woodward with Trump's permission, and CNN has obtained copies of some of the audio tapes.
"Rage" also includes brutal assessments of Trump's presidency from many of his former top national security officials, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Mattis is quoted as calling Trump "dangerous" and "unfit" to be commander in chief. Woodward writes that Coats "continued to harbor the secret belief, one that had grown rather than lessened, although unsupported by intelligence proof, that Putin had something on Trump." Woodward continues, writing that Coats felt, "How else to explain the president's behavior? Coats could see no other explanation."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Throughout its 70 years, the American audio company Klipsch has carried a reputation for innovation in design. From the famous Klipschorn design to the company's signature copper-colored "Cerametallic" speaker cones, its products have swagger. The company's new crop of excellent in-ear headphones, with their zinc flourishes and unique ear tips, carry the tradition. These in-ears are branded as "Reference" products—a term that, to audio nerds, signifies a flat frequency response and an un-messed-with sound free of the bass-boosting and audio-sweetening so prevalent today.
The Klipsch Reference X6i in-ears cost $179, the least expensive of the new line. The most expensive, the X20i, are $549. I'm almost always attracted to the most affordable option, so I tried these for a few months. Even for the "budget" end of the line, they're phenomenal. The X6i are my new go-to recommendation for reference in-ear headphones under $200. They've unseated my previous pick, the $150 Etymotic hf3. The Klipsch's have comparable sound, but better cables, better ear tips, and better overall design.
The sound is pretty much perfect; crisp without being sterile and loud without being fatiguing. The unique oval ear tips (Klipsch holds a patent on the design) provide an excellent, no-fuss seal within the ear canal. That seal is what enables an in-ear headphone to deliver good bass, and in this case, the bass is clear and dramatic. The box includes tips of many sizes, including flange tips that also create an excellent seal. Light and comfy; all-day wear is no problem. The cable is thick and coils easily. It never tangled or knotted, even when jamming the headphones into my back pocket and sitting through a meeting, or balling them up and tossing them into my carry-on when it came time to board the plane. The remote is large and forgiving. $180 is a great price for in-ears this nice.
That big thick cable means lots of microphonic cable noise. You'll need to use the clothing clip to keep your Rachmaninov from being smothered by rubbing noises. There are zinc elements in the earpieces, but otherwise there's just a lot of plastic here. Anyone looking for bling will be disappointed. The wallet-like carrying case is interesting—you coil up the headphones then slip them into a pouch that folds in half—but I miss a fully-closing zipper case. These are all teeny quibbles! They sound great.


Váncza, József (1997) How cases can control planning in resource-rich domains: a case study in robotic inspection planning. In: Practical use of case-based reasoning. Proceedings of the workshop of the fifteenth international joint conference on artificial intelligence. IJCAI-97. Nagoya, 1997..


text:
LN video series goes Backstage with Crew Nation
To promote Crew Nation, its US$10m coronavirus relief fund for out-of-work touring crew, Live Nation has has launched Backstage with Crew Nation, a new video series focusing on the relationships between touring artists and their backstage staff.
Debuting on its Live from Home platform, the first video follows Jon Russell, of indie-folk band the Head and the Heart, in conversation with the group's front-of-house engineer, Tim Smiley. The pair discuss a range of topics, including how they've continued to work together during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The series will feature "natural conversations over video call between artists and members of their crews, highlighting the voices that make up the resilient live music community", according to LN.
Watch the first episode of Backstage with Crew Nation above.


I hate rooting for the media's darlings in any sport, which usually is tied to the largest markets.
I like that list, but I'd take the Mets out and put the Cards in. I don't really see the Mets as Media darlings. In fact, they seem to get small market treatment more than anything. All the rumors of them trading Degrom and Syndergaard(a guy who's 25 years old, has the stuff that people hoped Strausburg would have and is coming off a "disappointing" 4.0 WAR season).
Can you imagine if the Cards had a couple guys who still had multiple years under team control talking about trading two talents like that? I actually think they get treated like the little brothers they are in NYC.
Other than that, I am in 100 pct agreement with that list. I might add the Pats as I just hate watching them somehow win year after year.
I get tired of the Patriots winning every year, too, but the "from 10,000 feet," view like the 49ers in Joe Montana's day, when it comes to how they play the game on the field (in other words, taking Belichek's personality out of the equation), it's hard to argue with the results because they're just incredibly good.


text: Q: Energy Levels in Double Finite Well potentials Why is there a behaviour where $E_1$ and $E_2$ are close to each other? This question is already answered before but I did not understand the explanation about symmetric and asymmetric terms as I do not know about the mathematics of it. Is there a more simple explanation to it?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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PARIS - France's national army museum Les Invalides has recreated the home where Napoleon lived his final years, bringing furniture and belongings from the remote Atlantic Island of St. Helena to central Paris for the first time since he was exiled there 200 years ago.
The exhibition that will open Wednesday and ends July 24 is a unique occasion to discover the atmosphere of the Longwood house, a damp rat-infested place where the emperor spent his last years as a prisoner of the British government, surrounded by books and souvenirs.
Visitors who buy a museum ticket will also have access to Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides.


text:
BLACKROCK MOVES FORWARD WITH THE SILVER CLOUD PROJECT
Vancouver, Canada – March 22, 2018 – Blackrock Gold Corporation (the "Company") (TSXV: BRC) is pleased to announce that it has received final acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") for the Silver Cloud project in Elko, Nevada, details of which were announced in the Company's news release dated October 31, 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the lease agreement with Pescio Exploration LLC (Pescio), the Company has paid US$100,000 to Pescio and issued 1,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company to Pescio. The Company has also agreed to pay a finder's fee to David Sidder of Bermuda 600,000 shares which will be payable over a three year period, with the first 200,000 shares issued upon Exchange acceptance of the transaction and now issued. The remaining finder's fee shares will be issued, if the lease agreement is not terminated, on the following schedule; 200,000 shares will be issued to the finder on the first anniversary of the lease agreement renewal with the remaining 200,000 shares issued to the finder on the second anniversary of the lease agreement renewal. With approval from the exchange on the Silver Cloud Project the Company plans to commence pre-drilling assessment work on the property and drill permitting application.
Greg Schifrin CEO "We are pleased to have finalized the Lease Agreement with Pescio Exploration and now can move forward on permitting and planning for drilling exploration at the Silver Cloud Project. Blackrock Gold is eager to get started on this project with the historic mercury mining and the positive results of the previous gold exploration by major mining companies we believe we are exploring an area that has an existing gold system present that needs to be defined."
The Silver Cloud property is a large, 4,537-hectare (11,210acres) claim block, located in Elko County, Nevada near the confluence of the Carlin Trend and the Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada, the richest gold mining area in North America. The property has received only limited previous drilling and has no historic resource.
The property is located 8 km (5 miles) west of the Hollister Mine which has a Measured and Indicated Resource of 0.43Mt @ 16.6g/t gold (for 208,000oz) and an Inferred resource of 0.18Mt @ 14.4g/t gold (for 74,000oz) and is expected to produce 30,000 – 35,000oz of gold in 2017. Similarly, the Midas Mine lies 20 km (12.5 miles) along strike of the Rift to the north of Silver Cloud and has a Measured and Indicated Resource of 1.11Mt @ 12.9g/t gold (for 419,000oz) and an Inferred resource of 0.67Mt @ 10.4g/t gold (for 203,000oz) and is expected to produce 45,000 – 50,000oz of gold in 2017. These two mines were recently purchased by Hecla Mining Company from Klondex Mines Ltd.
Silver Cloud, like both Midas and Hollister, is a low-sulphidation epithermal Au-Ag banded vein deposits. At Silver Cloud, despite the extensive presence of mercury-bearing silica sinters on surface and historic mercury mining, the area has not been extensively or systematically drill tested. However, based on information provided by Pescio Exploration LLC, a limited drill program was completed by Teck (10 holes) between 1999 and 2001 where one drill hole encountered 1.5 m @ 145 g/t Au and another encountered 22.8m@5.67 g/ton Au in proximity the historic Silver Cloud Mine area, and subsequent to that in 2002 Placer-Dome had one drill hole which encountered 12 m @ 5.53 g/t Au in the Northwest Canyon area located approximately 2 km west of the Silver Cloud Mine, confirming the presence of high grade gold mineralization at depth at the Silver Cloud Project.
The Company also announces that it has launched a new website with information on the Silver Cloud Project at www.blackrockgold.ca and in addition has agreed with one of its creditors to issue up to 400,000 shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.10 to settle debt of $40,000. The share for debt transaction is subject to the acceptance of the Exchange.
Blackrock is a junior resource exploration company focused on acquiring mineral properties and exploring for economically viable mineral resources. The Company's objective is to advance exploration/development stage gold properties toward production in North America.
The Company's principal property is the Silver Cloud Project, which is comprised of 552 unpatented lode mining claims situated in Elko, Nevada. Pursuant to the mining lease agreement with Pescio, the Company has all rights and privileges incidental to ownership, including rights to explore, develop, and mine the property.
or further information, please contact:
Gregory L. Schifrin, Chief Executive Officer
Email: gschifrin@blackrockgoldcorp.com
Phone: 1 – 208-290-1180
Websites: www.blackrockgold.ca
www.blackrockgoldcorp.com
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release contains forward‑looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward‑looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.
Forward‑looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements, however, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed, implied by or projected in the forward‑looking information or statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward‑looking statements include but are not limited to the ability of the Company to attract financing and the general market conditions of the industry in which the Company operates and the other factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors discussed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings on SEDAR.
There can be no assurance that any forward‑looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward‑looking information or statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward‑looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.
BLACKROCK MOVES FORWARD WITH THE SILVER CLOUD PROJECT2018-03-222019-12-05https://blackrockgold.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/brc_ppt_logo.pngBlackrock Goldhttps://blackrockgold.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/brc_ppt_logo.png200px200px


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Home Tennis Training Nadal Planning to Play ATP Finals If His Body Lets Him
Nadal Planning to Play ATP Finals If His Body Lets Him
The Spaniard is ready to shake off a disappointing loss in Paris by heading to Turin. Rafael Nadal has lost consecutive matches for the second time this season, but Wednesday night's three-set loss to Tommy Paul (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1) has not dampened his enthusiasm for competing at this year's Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
"Just give myself a chance to enjoy another World Tour Finals, no?" Nadal said. "You never know when it's gonna be the last, especially at my age. So I am gonna give my best to enjoy this one, and then next years of course I gonna fight to be back there."
Nadal, who played his first singles match since September 5th on Wednesday (a loss to Frances Tiafoe in New York), says he is eager to get back on the horse in Turin. He would like to spend more time on the tour so that he can be in proper shape to keep competing for the biggest titles of the sport.
"If nothing happens, I hope to be there," Nadal said of the ATP Finals, which begin on November 13 in Italy. "I'm excited about playing, even if it hasn't been the perfect couple of months for me, of course."
See you in Turin, @RafaelNadal 🤞#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/7IApyw93IT
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 2, 2022
Nadal, making his 11th appearance at the ATP Finals, owns a 20-16 lifetime record at the tour's prestigious season-ending championships. He will enter with lower expectations, feeling no pressure.
Most important? Pick up some matches and get back into the rhythm of the tour before the season ends.
"Nothing to lose. After a good year, going there, just trying my best," he said. "At the end I need days on the tour, you know. It's true that for the last five months I didn't spend enough days on the tour.
"I don't even say competing on a tennis court. I say on the tour. Practicing with the guys. That's what I need. I'm gonna try. [If] Nothing happens, if I feeling okay, to be there a little bit earlier than usual and have some practices."
Title: Nadal Planning to Play ATP Finals If His Body Lets Him
Sourced From: www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/NET-POSTS/November-2022-(1)/Nadal-Planning-to-Play-ATP-Finals-If-His-Body-Lets.aspx
Published Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:16:52 GMT
Did you miss our previous article…
https://tennis-tennis.com/sakkari-advances-out-of-the-nancy-richey-group-others-can-still-qualify-for-the-semifinals/


BMW Malaysia adds 4 new models to it's line-up this year, the BMW 325i Sports Sedan variant, the BMW 323i Coupe, the amazing BMW 335i Coupe, as well as the BMW Z4 M Coupe. All of the new cars are fully imported except for the BMW 325i Sports Sedan which recently began CKD production.
The locally assembled BMW 325i comes with a Sports package, which includes an M Aerodynamics kit, 18″ Star Spoke M Light Alloy Wheels with runflat tyres, M Sports Suspension as well as an M Leather Steering Wheel. Also first in it's class is a navigation system – yes, the 325i Sports comes with sat nav in the form of I-Drive.
Making it's debut in the local market is the new E92 3 Coupe in 323i and wickedly fast 335i form. Some say the 335i outperforms the E46 BMW M3 in certain areas, as the car features BMW's new twin turbocharged inline-6 engine which has virtually no turbo lag at all. Read more about the 335i Coupe in a previous test drive report. The new member of the Malaysian M family is the BMW Z4 M Coupe, featuring a tweaked 3.2 inline-6 from the E46 BMW M3 with a 6-speed manual.
Previous Post: 2007 Proton Savvy Facelift Launched!


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Playing for Time: Prisoner Disenfranchisement under the ECHR after Hirst v United Kingdom
Over five years ago, in Hirst v UK (No. 2), the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights found that the Representation of the People Act 1983 breached the right of prisoners to vote under Article 3 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). Nonetheless, this often misunderstood decision did not require the United Kingdom to enfranchisement of all prisoners, but instead gave it the opportunity to reform its disproportionate blanket ban on prisoners voting. This article examines Hirst, assessing the reasons behind the Grand Chamber"s cautious approach and the stalled reform process which it set in train. After Hirst, however, the Labour Government relied upon extended consultations to delay law reform for the remainder of its time in office. With the election of the Coalition Government a fresh opportunity arose to proceed with reform, although not one which the Conservative Party, as the senior Coalition partner, was eager to grasp. Conterminously, however, various sections of the Strasbourg Court finally lost patience with the vacillation of several countries, including the United Kingdom, over prisoner voting. In a series of decisions these sections sought to impose a broad measure of prisoner enfranchisement, although not always speaking with one voice as to the limits of the right to free and fair elections in this controversial context. This article considers the importance of these decisions both in terms of the divisions they indicate within the Strasbourg Court regarding the limits upon its supranational role and their implications for the ultimate shape of reform to the UK voting ban.
Journal: King's Law Journal
Publisher: Hart Publishing Ltd.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5235/096157611798456771


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Q: tool tips for editing the data and saving the edited data I have a problem that i am editing the data from the button "edit" which is at the bottom of sheet . now i want to edit data directly not by selecting edit. that is  selecting one concept and editing is taking to much time . i want to overcome these by using  tool tip when mouse over i should display pop up and in that pop up one should able to edit . please suggest me which web site or which tool tip is good for my solution.are any other alternative other than these.
Thanks in advance,


When it's time to find a stylish set of wheels to help you tackle the scenic roads throughout Annapolis, Highland Beach, and Hillsmere Shores, you've got a few options. But have you considered the 2018 MINI Cooper Clubman? This vehicle delivers an impressive performance, style, and array of sophisticated features that elevate routine trips and daily commutes.
At MINI of Annapolis, we're here to help you learn more about the Cooper Clubman so you can tell if it's the right vehicle for you and your passengers.
The MINI Cooper Clubman includes three unique engine options. The vehicle comes standard with a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo engine that comes paired with a 6-speed manual transmission and can deliver 130 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.
The Clubman also offers two 2.0-liter 4-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo engines with different outputs. The Cooper S engine delivers 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque while the John Cooper Works All4 Clubman delivers 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
The Clubman offers a spacious and stylish cabin that's equipped to carry 5 passengers. Passengers riding up front get 40.2 inches of head room and 41.4 inches of leg room. Passengers sitting in the rear seats get 38 inches of head room and 34.3 inches of leg room. The MINI Cooper Clubman trunk offers 17.5 cubic feet of space. However, drivers looking for more cargo room can fold down the rear seats to get 47.9 cubic feet of space for their luggage or materials.
The MINI Cooper Clubman comes outfitted with the 6.5-inch Visual Boost touchscreen that allows drivers to access their various entertainment features, but drivers have the option of upgrading to the 8.8-inch touchscreen. This screen also doubles as a rearview display, which utilizes a rear-mounted camera to provide you a clear view for when you're backing into tight spots.
This touchscreen also incorporates MINI Connected, which is a system that allows you to access internet radio features like Pandora® and Spotify®, allowing you to choose your favorite media from these applications. The vehicle also comes with a USB port for portable media devices, or you can enjoy live broadcasts from the AM/FM radio.
At MINI of Annapolis, we hope that you found this 2018 Cooper Clubman review helpful in showing you what this vehicle offers and what it can do. While you got a good sense of this vehicle, you can benefit from learning even more by dropping by our dealership and seeing it up close. You'll really be able to make up your mind by taking it out for a spin.
Schedule a test drive with us today. At MINI of Annapolis, we're proud to help drivers in Annapolis, Highland Beach, and Hillsmere Shores make the right decisions toward their next car.
Check out our MINI Cooper Clubman vs MINI Cooper Countryman to learn about MINI Cooper cars!


(a) What are amphoteric oxides? Give two examples. (b) Metals such as Sodium and Potassium are kept immersed is Kerosene, why? (c) Give the balanced chemical equation for the reaction between Aluminium and steam. (d) Name a non metal: (i) Which is a liquid at room temperature? (ii) Which is lustrous? Or (a) What are the main two allotropes of carbon? Distinguish these two allotropes on the basis of hardness and electrical conduction. (b) Why Aluminium articles have a longer life and attractive finish compared to many other metals? (c) Explain the following terms: (i) Ore (ii) Gangue (d) What is common feature in the electronic configuration of metal atom?
(a)Amphoteric oxides are those oxides which show properties of both acids as well as bases to form salts and water. Ex: Aluminium oxide(Al2O3) and ZnO are examples of amphoteric oxides. (b) Metals such as Sodium and Potassium are kept immersed is Kerosene because they are very reactive and have high affinity towards oxygen and will violently react with atmospheric oxygen on contact with air. (c) Aluminium reacts readily with steam to give aluminium oxide and hydrogen gas. The reaction does not always occur. This is due to a thin but strong layer of aluminium oxide being coated onto the metal, thus preventing it from the reaction. Aluminium + Steam → Aluminium oxide + Hydrogen 2Al(s) + 3H2O(g) → Al2O3(s) + 3H2(g) (d) (i) Non-metal which is a liquid at room temperature - Bromine (ii) Non-metal which is lustrous - Iodine OR (a)Diamond and graphite are the two allotropes of carbon. Diamond - (i) hardest substance (ii) electrical insulator Graphite - (i) comparatively soft, it is slippery over layers (ii) good electrical conductor (b)Aluminium articles have a longer life and attractive finish compared to many other metals because of the formation of a thin transparent protective film cover of Aluminium oxide on the surface of Al formed due to its spontaneous reaction with oxygen. (c) (i) Ore : An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element(s). (ii) Gangue: In mining,earthly impurities including silica, mud etc. associated with the ore are called gangue. (d) Electronic configuration of metal atom tells us about the type of bond the metal will be forming. For example: In the formation of calcium chloride, chlorine only needs one electron to complete its octet so two atoms of chlorine accept one electron each lost by calcium atom.
A silvery white metal X reacts with water at room temperature to produce a water soluble compound Y and a colourless gas Z. The reactions is highly exothermic and the Z catches fire immediately during the reaction. The solution of Y in water on reacting with stoichiometric amount of dilute solution of hydrochloric acid gives a solution of pH = 7.0. Name the compounds X,Y and Z ?
WHY DO ONLY MAGNESIUM AND MANGANESE DISPLACE HYDROGEN IN NITRIC ACID,WHILE OTHER ELEMENTS ARE OXIDISED BY NITRIC ACID?
how will you show that an example that metal oxides are basic in nature ?
What Happens when ferrous sulphate crystals are heated.
which non metals react with bases to form sulphides?


The 2014 Winter Wonderland show at Whin Park took place over the weekend of Friday 12th - Sunday 14th December attracted huge crowds estimated to be in the region of 10,000 plus.
The show will featured a host of cartoon characters and the Highland Council's Lighting Department and Limelight Event Services transformed the park with spectacular illuminations for everyone to enjoy.
New for this year's show were free bounces on our Inflateable City and the chance for youngsters to try our Walk on Water Balls which were a huge hit and look set to become a regular part of future Wonderlands.
Following the Halloween Weekend postponement due to flooding; any concerns about staging the show weeks later quickly vanished as hundreds of spectators arrived long before the gates opened for this year's show.
The show has a distinctly Scottish Theme; with a number of famous Ghosts returning to Inverness for their very own Homecoming Unhappy Hour at Burke and Hare's Tavern. Amongst the Ghosts who delighted the estimated crowd of 10,000 were Robert the Bruce and his Spider; Mary Queen of Scots, Bonny Prince Charlie, Tam O' Shanter, Rabbie Burns and Alexander "Sawney" Bean who was still clearly upset as a result of being executed due to a misunderstanding involving the mass murder and cannibalisation of over 1,000 people.
Bringing all the Ghosts to life were over 100 performers from the Eden Court CREATIVE programme and the creative talents of Arts in Motion, Limelights and the Highland Council's Lighting Department.
The Chair of the Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group Councillor Glynis Sinclair said " After months of rehearsals we were really excited about finally being able to stage this show and we are delighted that so many folk turned up".
Our 2014 Christmas Lights Show was hosted by STV's Nicola McAlley who was joined on stage by Star Wars characters, Minions, Minnie Mouse, a Ninja Turtle, and some wonderful young members of TFX Performing Arts Academy, Stagecoach Theatre Arts and Performers UK who sang their hearts out to the delight of the crowd. After climbing down the front of the Town House with a little help from Arts in Motion; Santa emerged to rousing cheers to help Provost Alex Graham lead the countdown before 7 year old Owen Strachan of Hilton pressed the button to bring the dazzling display of Christmas Lights in Inverness to life.
Following the switch on Santa will then made his way to the Old High Church with the Provost for the traditional Christmas Carol Service Ding Dong Merrily Old High which featured a show by Out of the Box Puppets. The Countdown to Christmas 2014 could not have gotten off to a finer start.
Many thanks to everybody who attended November 5th's amazing celebrations which attracted an estimated 12,000 spectators to Bught Park.
The feedback that we have received has been amazing and special mention must go to all the drivers who helped us by parking well away from the site and walking to the event.
We are pleased to announce details of the winners of the two competitions which were organised in partnership with event sponsors Fergusson Coal.
The magnificent Guy made by pupils Aiden, Sarah, Leanne, Korrin, Cerys and Liam of Balloch Primary School was selected by Provost Alex Graham as the winner of the 2014 Inverness Primary School Guy Making Competition; and thanks to their efforts their school will receive a donation of £200 towards school funds and be given the honour of creating the giant Guy which will sit on top of the bonfire at the Council's 2015 show.
Also guaranteed to be warm in the months ahead will be Winnie Maclellan of Ballifeary Road in Inverness who won the competition to win one tonne of coal by correctly providing Guy's surname of Fawkes.
The wonderful Inverness Street Theatre Festival organised by our friends at Inverness BID and the Eastgate Shopping Centre took place during the final weekend of the Royal National MOD (16th to 18th October) and was absolutely amazing. Inverness Shoppers were crying with laughter - well done to everyone behind the scenes!
The record-breaking 2014 Royal National Mod – which was held in the Highland capital for the first time in 17 years – has been hailed as the best ever and we are delighted to report that the organisers have promised to bring the celebration of all things Gaelic back to Inverness sooner rather than later.
It is estimated that the festival has brought up to £3million into the local economy, with more than 3,100 competitors descending on the Highland capital.
The Inverness Festivals team was responsible for the organisation of the two parades that started and finished the MOD and both the Torchlight Parade of the Gaels and the Parade of the Choirs were enjoyed by all.
Hundreds gathered to watch the massed choir perform around the statue of Flora Macdonald and Allan Campbell, convener of the Inverness Mod committee, said: "It was a special way to finish the Mod, which has been a success from start to finish.It's been a real team effort and I would like to take the chance to thank Highland Council in particular for their help."


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Homeland Security Seeks to Commercialize Technology for Tracking Firefighters
The technology, developed by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security research group, consists of ZigBee-based sensors and "breadcrumb" routers that communicate with a base station operated by a firefighter's commanding unit.
By Claire Swedberg
Tags: Asset Tracking, Security and Access Control, Sensors
Sep 09, 2011—Three months after announcing the development of technology for tracking firefighters within a burning building, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has entered into discussions with a number of vendors about how to commercialize the system. The solution consists of wireless technology that tracks a first-responder's location and condition, and transmits that data via a series of "breadcrumb" routers. The goal is to have the technology in use during the coming year, by fire departments as well as by other companies for which a worker's safety and condition could be in question.
Historically, tracking first-responders within a burning building has required two-way radio contact. Radio frequency identification and other wireless-technology companies have been developing solutions that would allow transponders worn by emergency personnel to transmit to a base station. Ensuring transmission in the presence of metal, concrete and water, however—as well as determining a tag's location as it transmits—has been an obstacle to commercializing such a system.
The GLANSER contains sensors that include a gyrometer, an accelerometer, an altimeter, a magnetometer and a compass, all of which are used to estimate a firefighter's location.
S&T, which manages science and technology research to protect the U.S. homeland, has developed a potential means to address to this problem. The solution, known as the Wireless Intelligent Sensor Platform for Emergency Responders (WISPER), is designed to keep the transponder in contact with a base station via a ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) connection, via tiny "breadcrumbs" that are automatically dropped from a canister (also known as a dispenser) worn by the responder, when needed to form a mesh network.
The breadcrumbs are wireless, battery-powered routers that can receive data and transmit it to the next receiver within range, thereby ensuring that a transmission from a transponder worn by a firefighter makes its way to a base station, where the fire chief or commander outside the building uses a laptop computer to monitor the situation.
WISPER's router, dispenser and base station were developed by Oceanit Laboratories Inc., of Honolulu, and the University of Virginia's Department of Computer Science, under S&T's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
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On Tuesday 5th June, Year 5 and 6 participated in the K-Nex Challenge.
They used the K-nex to create a structure that would aid someone moving a large object from a garden to a lorry.
The children used their engineering and creativity skills, as well as their ability to working together to produce their final pieces.


Home / Unlabelled / Sad: Another Nollywood actor, Okwy Chukwujekwu aka Main Bossman is DEAD!
Sad: Another Nollywood actor, Okwy Chukwujekwu aka Main Bossman is DEAD!
Another Nollywood actor, Okwy Chukwujekwu aka Main Bossman is reportedly dead!
I do not know what to say and where to start. All i know is that this life is nothing i am scared and still confused I taught he was just acting for me but not on till BOSS enter ambulance motor going down to NNEWI. May your soul Rest In Peace my friend my brotherly my colleague. I AM SCARED I DO NOT KNOW WHO IS NEXT @main_bossman1 @main_bossman1 i wonder how your mother will feel like to hear this sad news. THIS IS NOT A MOVIE a small clip of my friend lying dead.


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Turtle Beach Reports Third Quarter 2022 Results
By: Turtle Beach Corporation via Business Wire
November 03, 2022 at 16:15 PM EDT
Leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022.
Third Quarter Summary vs Year-Ago Period:
Third quarter net revenue was $51.3 million, compared to $85.3 million a year ago, where the Company reported its second-highest third quarter;
Third quarter net loss was $(12.0) million, or $(0.73) per diluted share, compared to net income of $2.6 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, a year ago;
Third quarter adjusted EBITDA loss was $(6.9) million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $6.7 million a year ago, including a $(2.3) million impact from foreign exchange; and
Third quarter recurring operating expenses were down 16% from proactive expense management the Company initiated earlier in the year.
"In the third quarter we announced multiple new gaming and simulation products, advanced our key strategic priorities, and executed in-line with our expectations against very challenging market and operating conditions," said Juergen Stark, CEO and Chairman, Turtle Beach Corporation. "Our disciplined approach to managing the ongoing supply chain challenges, retailer relationships, and ability to consistently deliver outstanding products continues to benefit the Company in this difficult market and set us up well for 2023.
"Our portfolio of industry-leading console headsets continued to expand, highlighted by our new Stealth wireless models for PlayStation, with five of our six models in the top ten of best-selling wireless headsets. We also announced new products across our ROCCAT PC portfolio and have seen a strong benefit from the in-line displays at Best Buy. Our flight simulation, console and mobile controller products lines all expanded in the quarter, and add to our successful, continued diversification of our business. We continue to expect roughly 30% of our revenues will be derived from products outside of our market-leading console headset products in Q4.
"We expect the confluence of factors, including consumer spending caution, channel inventory compression, abnormally high competitive discounting, and exorbitant freight rates, that have impacted our business and many others this year to subside during 2023. That, combined with strong new product launches and our proactive reductions in spend, should enable us to return to revenue growth and positive EBITDA in 2023 even if consumer demand remains subdued."
Net revenue in the third quarter of 2022 was $51.3 million, compared to $85.3 million a year ago, reflecting lower demand as consumers cut back discretionary spend and continued reduction in retailer inventories above and beyond the sell-through decline. Additionally, the third quarter of 2021 was the second-highest third quarter in the Company's history, driven by new product launches and a strong gaming market last year.
Gross margin in the third quarter of 2022 was 14.1% versus 34.3% in the year-ago quarter. The decrease was due to an incremental inventory provision of $5.3 million, the increased promotional retail environment, higher freight costs and lower operating leverage. Excluding the inventory provision, gross margin was 24.5% in the third quarter. Additionally, higher freight costs relative to pre-pandemic levels impacted gross margin by approximately 5% in the third quarter.
Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2022 were $21.0 million, a decrease of 25% year over year. Third quarter recurring operating expenses declined 16% year over year, a result of the proactive expense management programs that the Company initiated earlier in the year and alignment of expenses to lower market demand.
Net loss in the third quarter of 2022 was $(12.0) million, or $(0.73) per diluted share, compared to net income of $2.6 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding several adjustments to earnings in both periods (summarized below in Table 4), adjusted net loss (as defined below in "Non-GAAP Financial Measures") in the third quarter of 2022 was $(7.7) million, or $(0.47) per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $4.8 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. The weighted average diluted share count for the third quarter of 2022 was 16.5 million compared to 18.3 million in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA loss (as defined below in "Non-GAAP Financial Measures") in the third quarter of 2022 was $(6.9) million, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $6.7 million in the year-ago period, due to the factors stated above and including a $(2.3) million impact from foreign exchange.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Summary
At September 30, 2022, the Company had $10.5 million of cash and $44.6 million outstanding on its revolver. This compares to $28.1 million of cash and no outstanding debt at September 30, 2021. Inventories at September 30, 2022 were $118.4 million compared to $113.3 million at September 30, 2021, a reflection of lower than expected consumer demand and retail inventory levels and the Company's goal of maintaining product availability amidst continuing global supply chain and logistical challenges. The Company recorded an incremental inventory provision of $5.3 million for potential excess component and product inventory relating to pandemic driven supply chain and logistics impacts. Inventory is expected to decline significantly by the end of the year as the Company's inventory levels transition back to normalized levels.
The Company intends to file its financial results on its Form 10-Q pending completion of goodwill analysis that may impact goodwill valuation on the balance sheet and have a non-cash impact on GAAP Net Income and GAAP EPS accordingly.
Full Year 2022 Outlook
In light of the aforementioned market and operational conditions, the Company expects net revenues for fiscal year 2022 of approximately $250 million, adjusted EBITDA loss of approximately $15 million, and adjusted EPS loss of approximately $1.35 based on 17.0 million diluted shares.
With respect to the Company's adjusted EBITDA outlook for the full year 2022, a reconciliation to its net income (loss) outlook for the same periods has not been provided because of the variability, complexity, and lack of visibility with respect to certain reconciling items between adjusted EBITDA and net income (loss), including other income (expense), provision for income taxes and stock-based compensation. These items cannot be reasonably and accurately predicted without the investment of undue time, cost and other resources and, accordingly, a reconciliation of the Company's adjusted EBITDA outlook to its net income (loss) outlook for such periods is not provided. These reconciling items could be material to the Company's actual results for such periods.
Turtle Beach will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT with the Company's Chairman and CEO, Juergen Stark, and CFO, John Hanson. A live webcast of the call will be available on the "Events & Presentations" page of the Company's website at corp.turtlebeach.com. To access the call by phone, please go to this link (registration link) and you will be provided with dial in details. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast will also be available for a limited time at corp.turtlebeach.com.
In addition to its reported results, the Company has included in this earnings release certain financial results, including adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net income that the Securities and Exchange Commission defines as "non-GAAP financial measures." Management believes that such non-GAAP financial measures, when read in conjunction with the Company's reported results, can provide useful supplemental information for investors analyzing period-to-period comparisons of the Company's results. "Non-GAAP Earnings" is defined as net income excluding (i) integration and transaction costs related to acquisitions and (ii) certain non-recurring business costs. "Adjusted EBITDA" is defined by the Company as net income (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation (non-cash), and certain non-recurring special items that we believe are not representative of core operations. These non-GAAP financial measures are presented because management uses non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's operating performance, to perform financial planning, and to determine incentive compensation. Therefore, the Company believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplementary information to, and facilitates additional analysis by, investors. The presented non-GAAP financial measures exclude items that management does not believe reflect the Company's core operating performance because such items are inherently unusual, non-operating, unpredictable, non-recurring, or non-cash. See a reconciliation of GAAP results to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA included below for each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021.
About Turtle Beach Corporation
Turtle Beach Corporation (corp.turtlebeach.com) is one of the world's leading gaming accessory providers. The Company's namesake Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com) is known for designing high-quality, comfort-driven headsets for all gamers. Innovation, first-to-market features, a broad range of products, and top-rated customer support have made Turtle Beach a fan-favorite brand and the market leader in console gaming audio for over a decade. In 2021, Turtle Beach expanded the best-selling brand beyond headsets and successfully launched the first of its groundbreaking game controllers and gaming simulation accessories. Turtle Beach's ROCCAT brand (www.roccat.com) combines detail-loving German innovation with a genuine passion for designing the best PC gaming products, including award-winning keyboards, mice, headsets, mousepads, and other PC accessories. Turtle Beach's Neat Microphones brand (www.neatmic.com) creates high-quality USB and analog microphones for gamers, streamers, professionals, and students that embrace cutting-edge technology and design. Turtle Beach's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.
This press release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events. Statements containing the words "may", "could", "would", "should", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "target", "goal", "project", "intend" and similar expressions, or the negatives thereof, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.
While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that its goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to logistic and supply chain challenges, the substantial uncertainties inherent in the acceptance of existing and future products, the difficulty of commercializing and protecting new technology, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general business and economic conditions, risks associated with the expansion of our business, including the integration of any businesses we acquire and the integration of such businesses within our internal control over financial reporting and operations, our indebtedness and liquidity, and other factors discussed in our public filings, including the risk factors included in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company's other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement after the date of this release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Turtle Beach Corporation
(in thousands, except per-share data)
Net revenue
Other non-operating expense (income), net
Income (loss) before income tax
Income tax benefit
Net income (loss) per share
Weighted average number of shares:
Note: GAAP Net Income and GAAP EPS are preliminary and subject to change pending completion of goodwill valuation analysis.
(in thousands, except par value and share amounts)
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock, $0.001 par value - 25,000,000 shares authorized; 16,556,798 and 16,168,147 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively
Borrowings on revolving credit facilities
Repayment of revolving credit facilities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and warrants
Repurchase of common stock to satisfy employee tax withholding obligations
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net decrease in cash
Cash - beginning of period
Cash - end of period
Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures
GAAP Net Income (Loss)
Adjustments, net of tax:
Non-recurring business costs
Inventory and component related reserves
Acquisition integration costs
Non-GAAP Earnings
GAAP- Diluted
Non-GAAP- Diluted
GAAP to Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation
Other non-operating expense, net
Adjusted EBITDA
Other includes certain business acquisition costs and non-recurring business costs.
Table 5. (continued)
Income before income tax
Nine Month Ended
Other includes certain business acquisition costs and non-recurring business costs
MacLean Marshall
Sr. Director, Public Relations &
Brand Communications
maclean.marshall@turtlebeach.com
Investor Information:
Cody Slach or Alex Thompson
Gateway Investor Relations
hear@gatewayir.com


If you're set on having afternoon tea in Taipei, Smith & Hsu is a good way to get a local experience. There are many large chain hotels that offer afternoon tea in their lobbies, but I opted for something more local.
After checking out their review on the blog Hungry Girl inTaipei, which is basically the food bible for all things Taipei, I was curious to try the soft moist scones of Smith & Hsu.
Although the place serves traditional western style afternoon tea, the interior and décor is very modern and Asian influences. The dark wooden door and black cabinets with color coordinated tea sets had a posh and modern tone.
Instead of selecting tea form a menu with ten options, we were handed a wooden box filled with over 80 small glass jars of tea leaves. After sniffing all of them, we selected an aromatic vanilla tea, and the season Orange tea.
Both were savory and delicious. Our food arrived afterwards, and we were treated to a delight of finger sandwiches. Sweet pastries that were just the right ratios or size and sweetness. We concluded with four scones, one of each flavor, including the season green-tea scone. Each one was better than the last, and as usual we left the tea feeling full all day.
I've had afternoon tea all over the world, and although this place doesn't have the ambiance of the Burj Khalifa, or the prestige of f the Peninsula, I would rate this as one of the best afternoon teas I have attended, if anything for the lavish tea selection and the ability to smell before selecting.


text:
Q: Matcher doesn't return the matched regex, instead returns whole string in group(0) (Java) The problem I'm facing is that upon following the question at this link, Using Regular Expressions to Extract a Value in Java, I am unable to extract the correct group of the String
Pattern p = Pattern.compile("I have .*");
Matcher m = p.matcher("I have apples");

if(m.find()){
    System.out.println(m.group(0));
}

What I get:
I have apples

What I want to get:
apples

I've tried asking for m.group(1) as well but it throws me an exception.
How should I go about this?

A: You have to define a capturing group to get m.group(...) work correctly.
Change your pattern to
Pattern p = Pattern.compile("I have (.*)");

m.group(0) 'denotes the entire pattern'
m.group(1) now returns the expected 'apple'


text:
Sao Paulo church launches campaign to keep people home during pandemic
An employee checks the temperature of a woman before she enters a shop in Sao Paulo June 10, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. CNS photo/Amanda Perobelli, Reuters
SAO PAULO (CNS) — In a region of Sao Paulo city where violent deaths are common and fatalities due to COVID-19 do not shock the population, Brazil's Catholic Church has launched a campaign to try to convince those not providing essential services to maintain social distancing and remain at home.
The campaign, "Quero te ver de novo" (I Want to See You Again) in Brasilandia, one of Sao Paulo city's poorest regions, seeks to disseminate the importance of social distancing in protecting the population from being contaminated with the coronavirus. Church officials, however, admit that the task is not an easy one.
"In this region social distancing is complicated, almost impossible. The houses are small and there are many family members living in each of them. Significant social distancing has not been practiced here," said Sao Paulo Auxiliary Bishop Devair Araujo da Fonseca, who is in charge of the Brasilandia episcopal region of the archdiocese.
The church's campaign also tries to dispel the popular notion that "one more or one less death won't make a difference."
"This is a population that has lived many years with extreme violence, high unemployment and lack of basic infrastructure. We needed a campaign that would say to them: Hold on, take care of yourself and others, because we want to see you alive and well (when the pandemic is over)," Jorge Vicente Barros Ferreira, one of the coordinators of the communications department at the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo, told Catholic News Service.
Located in the northern part of the city, Brasilandia is one of the most populous neighborhoods in Sao Paulo, with more than 260,000 inhabitants. The area, largely made up of slums and low-income tenements, has 36 parishes and 237 Catholic communities.
Since the first cases of COVID-19, the region has continually registered the highest numbers of cases and deaths caused by the virus in Sao Paulo city, the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil. According to official data, until June 5 the borough had registered 247 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases.
One of those deaths was the uncle of 69-year-old Rosa Maria da Costa Oliveira, a parishioner at St. Luiz Gonzaga in Brasilandia.
"The hospitals here were overflowing with patients. They didn't have a bed for him here, so they moved him across the city, where he eventually died," said the 69-year-old grandmother.
The death of the family member made Oliveira even angrier at those who disregard the rules of wearing masks and social distancing. From her apartment on the ninth floor, Oliveira said she sees mothers with young children and elderly walking along the streets on a daily basis without any concern for protecting themselves or others.
"I have gotten into heated arguments with friends over the order to stay home," said the retiree, chuckling. She said she had left her apartment once in 86 days — to get her annual flu shot.
So, when the church began its campaign in May, Oliveira said she was one of the first to support it.
"I changed the cover photo on my Facebook page to the campaign's motto on the very first day," she said, adding that most of her fellow parishioners followed suit.
"I think it (campaign) captures what we all desire: to return to the face-to-face celebrations … The campaign asks us not to put ourselves at risk or to put anyone else at risk," she said.
In addition to the social distancing awareness campaign, the church has also been busy in distributing hygiene and protection supplies as well as clothes to people in need. According to Bishop Fonseca, if there is a positive side to pandemic, it is that people have shown to be very generous.
"I was very surprised with the actions by some parishes and parishioners. Every tragedy is an opportunity to bring to the surface the best in people," said Bishop Fonseca, who has been working in the region for the past five years.
In St. Rose of Lima Parish, the bishop said, women parishioners started to make face masks.
"What was supposed to be a small project turned out to be a big mission for these women. They have produced approximately 30,000 masks," he said.
"Our parishioners have not lost faith, they have found a reason to nourish hope. Faith does not make us lethargic," said Bishop Fonseca.
He said although celebrations have been restricted to virtual events, the church is not closed.
"The doors of the parishes may be shut, but their work has not stopped. Church continues to take action," he said.
He added that the campaign to keep people home will also help lead them back to church when the pandemic is finally over.
"The motto 'We Want to See You Again' means we want you to stay home now so you can be alive in the future, and it also means that when restriction measures start to ease, we want to see you in live celebrations and Masses," he said, explaining there is concern that when churches finally open, parishioners will be too afraid to go back to attending Mass.
Oliveira, however, believes this fear is unfounded.
"When this is all over, I think our parishes will emerge better and stronger. We will give more value to face-to-face Masses, we will be more convinced of our faith," she said.
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Asked this morning about comments he made yesterday in which he told a radio interviewer that the Obama campaign played the "race card on me" during the South Carolina primary, former President Bill Clinton batted back a reporter today and basically denied the interpretation.
…If you go back to what I said at the time. There was a conversation that I engaged in that included two African-American members of Congress who were standing right there …. and I said that Jesse Jackson had run a good campaign with overwhelming African-American support and white supporters. And this was started off because people wanted to act like — for reasons i didn't understand — that Senator Obama didn't have his African-American support or they thought his white support was better because Jesse Jackson had blue-collar working people and most of Senator Obama's support was upscale cultural liberals. And it was like beneath them to be compared to Jesse Jackson….
This morning, at a press availability in Pennsylvania, Senator Obama expressed befuddlement when asked about Mr. Clinton's comments yesterday.
Bill Clinton is not only one of the brightest men ever to be in th Oval Office, he is one of the bravest. Go Bill. Don't let them put words in your mouth.
If you can't stand the heat Bill, get out of the kitchen.
That's the trouble with lying. Unless you have a giant brain, sooner or later you forget what you said and trip up.
Let's not forget that the reason Bill's office is in Harlem, is that there was a huge uproar over the extremely expensive, luxurious office space he got originally, so he moved. Looks like Hill isn't the only one in that family who spends money like water.
I wonder if Bill deliberately timed this charge – the night before the primary.
I do not see any dismissiveness in Bill Clinton's remarks.
Once again, the American media let us down for the cheap shot.
You got it wrong again President Clinton! Harlem did not vote for Hillary, they voted for Obama.
Another perfect example as to why there can be no "Dream Ticket" if it means having to "deal with" or "tolerate" BC. He's like an extra appendage (a wagging finger?) that serves no practical purpose but is always in the way.
He genuinely can't seem to stop lying. It's automatic.
I see the Clinton camp is already preparing to frame Obama's NC victory, a la Geraldine Ferraro.
Now if only she would do us all a favor and leave the race – pun intended.
"Don't bother me with the facts," said former President Clinton. "I am a very busy guy, and I have very important work to do, and I am allowed to tell blatant lies whenever I want to, and treat people with contempt for calling me on it. I will not be held accountable by the likes of you.
He only decided on Harlem after the ritzy offices he picked out in midtown drew outrage as a waste of taxpayer money. Ridiculous!
He's irritated? You've got to be kidding, Mr. President. The problem with the Jackson reference was that the only way it made sense at all, the only reason to be comparing those particular campaigns, was that they are both black men. There was no other relevance to mentioning the Jackson campaign as a comparison. You sir, know too much about politics not to have known that.
This whole thing has been so sad. Once Bush got into office it was so easy to look back fondly on the Clinton years. Now we have to hear him saying nonsense like this and be reminded of what the GOP played on to get Bush in office in the first place.
I think my Clinton fatigue just threw up on my other Clinton fatigue.
Turn the page indeed. Go Obama.
The media play the worst role in flaming dangerous divides. And the Clintons play along when it helps them.
The term "race card" is a rhetorical device that was coined by ultra right wing extremists as a means of minimizing and devaluing claims of racism. It is one of the most offensive, bigoted terms that there is.
If someone feels there is a false claim of racism, point that out, but do not employ the despicable tactic of calling it the "race card" when you do so.
Black people do not carry around a secret race card that they save for special occasions. They did not pretend to be oppressed for thousands of years as a ruse to get white people just where they wanted them so that they could pull out their "race card" when the time was right.
There is no race card. Shame on Bill Clinton for resorting to the bigoted rhetoric of the extreme right.
For a better understanding of the deplorably racist roots of the term "race card," take a look at George Dei's book, Playing the Race Card.
As a one-time Clinton supporter..now???… I would not cross the street to spit on him if he were on fire.
Boy! I wonder what he would do if he lost his finger?
Memoli deserves an apology – if not from ex-POTUS – from Howard Wolfson. Bill has to take the consequences for his utterances or.. STFU, as they say. Somehow, he has internalized Ken Starr. I think he has political PTSD.
Wow… The audacity of this man!
How can he say something, which he has to know will be controversial, on a radio show and then deny that he said it less than 24 hours later?
The Clintons seem to have become so used to lying that they are unaware that they are doing it.
The Clintons are allergic to the truth. They can run, cheat and steal but they can't hide.
Bill would not know the truth if it hit him right between the eyes. This guy should be nowhere NEAR the White House. What a liability! Hill should have divorced him long ago; he is nothing but destructive. This is one big reason why she CANNOT win. Can you imagine his gaffs in a national debate? One shudders to think!
if that doesnt tell you Clinton is a liar then nothing will.
This is also part of the change message, Obama offers honesty and transparent governing while the clinton's offer lies countered with spin that will shut the public out of governing.
Unbelievable. People really want this guy back in the White House?


Employment Outlook Survey shows job prospects in manufacturing improving.
A changing labour market is creating opportunity, pressuring business and government to adapt.
Will create an employment task force that will undertake research and craft recommendations on priority areas.
OECD rating has Canada at eighth of 29 countries for female workforce participation, 15th for equal pay for equal work.
Who's the bully when it comes to minimum wage hikes?
Government generally has little or no understanding of how small businesses operate.
The number of US-born working-age adults with US-born parents will account for a smaller share of working-age population as Boomers retire.
As manufacturing workforces age, employers will face a number of issues that will have to be addressed.
Panel recommends partnerships between educators and employers must bridge the gap skills needs and workforce offerings.
But the Montreal aerospace company has also announced workforce cuts affecting 7,000 positions over two years.
Aging workforce among most profound challenges, Conference Board said.
The labour shortage is real and likely to worsen in the immediate future, so think about hiring differently and then act.
Job cuts are part of its ongoing efforts to get out of underperforming business segments, company says.


Sultry Heat and Smoky Air – It Must Be August!
This is a brief interim message to give you a heads-up on future development of this newsletter. We want our newsletter be something you look forward to receiving, so we are planning some fun perks and partnerships!
Who doesn't like to get a deal? So how would you like to receive, just for being one of our tenants, a 2-for-1 meal somewhere nice, or a discount at your favorite retailer? How about free grocery delivery?
Is life so busy you find yourself on the weekend with nothing to do because you haven't had time to plan it? Well, we might be able to help you out with that! In each newsletter we will highlight some exciting upcoming events and include a link to an online calendar for greater selection and more detail.
So…. look for our WINTER newsletter to arrive at the end of October packed with fun surprises! Newsletters are produced quarterly.
Save on water bills – you can probably reduce your sprinkler times now, certainly by the end of August. Fall blow-out will take place in late October, early November.
As leaves start to fall, rake them up and place in the paper recycle bags, (you'll find these at most big box stores, grocery stores and garden shops). Check with your trash collection company for leaf-recycle pick-up dates.
Pull those pesky weeds from the planter beds and edge the grass where it butts up against a planter bed. Once grass roots get intermingled with the roots of flowers and shrubs, it's almost impossible to get rid of.
In October, before the first freeze, disconnect any hoses from exterior water sources. If left connected, water in the hose will freeze, expand into the water faucet, and could cause the faucet to crack. If this happens, you will be held responsible.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace that you used last winter, get the chimney inspected and cleaned, (if recommended), before you use it again. Check with our office, your landlord may be willing to pay for this.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and, for those of you with school age children, HAPPY Back-to-school!


Wallsend Dental Surgery (WDS) and Charlestown Dental Surgery (CDS) understands that an integral part of providing health services is that we respect your right to privacy and recognise that we maintain patient confidentiality.
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) was amended effective 21 December 2001 to include seven National Privacy Principles, which apply to all parts of the private sector and all health service providers. In addition, to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), some states have also enacted privacy legislation.
WDS and CDS complies with our obligations to you under this Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as at the latest update to the Act which came into effect 24 September 2007.
This policy informs you how we manage any personal and health information we have obtained by you.
WDS and CDS will destroy or remove identification on personal information after our legal requirements to preserve this information have expired.
Personal Information – Who will collect this?
WDS and CDS will collect your personal information. This information is used for providing health care and for administration purposes. Your personal information will only be used and collected by fair and lawful means. WDS and CDS collect such information directly from you unless it has been collected from another authorised person or provided by another referral.
At WDS and CDS, all employees understand their obligations regarding patient confidentiality.
Personal Information – What does WDS and CDS do with this information?
For complaint handling, workers compensation cases, existing legal activities.
The National Privacy Principles forbid the use of the personal information that WDS and CDS collect and store about you for certain purposes unless you provide consent.
At any time you may opt out of your consent to receive any communications from WDS and CDS (other than for purposes of operating our business such as payment of your account) by advising WDS and CDS in writing.
If your personal information is to be used for educational purposes, additional consent will be obtained. This will always be anonymised.
WDS and CDS will not disclose personal information except on a confidential basis to agents that we use in our business for ordinary operations, such as for data processing, mailing, printing, personal accreditation and quality assurance.
Requests for your information (such as dental records and x-rays) to be forwarded on to another dental provider or specialist will not be released until a Release of Dental Records form has been completed by the patient or parent/guardian. Dental records and x-rays (taken at WDS and CDS) will not be directly issued to a patient.
WDS and CDS will be taking practical steps to keep all current personal and health information it holds up to date, accurate and complete.
At WDS and CDS all practical measures are taken to protect personal and health information from unauthorised access, improper use, unlawful destruction, disclosure and accidental loss. WDS and CDS endeavours to contain all patient information electronically. Any paper-based information after use (and is not needed after being scanned electronically into patient's file) is shredded.
Contained in electronic databases in a secure environment. This is also with controlled access.
WDS and CDS have security alarms which operate outside business hours.
Paper based and hard copy documents and located securely within the practice.
All archived information is stored securely.
In this policy, personal information, health information and sensitive information have the same meaning as under the Privacy Act.


For us, Amsterdam has always been our spiritual home. I could spend the rest of my life here and never look back. That's one of the reasons we are staying 4 weeks altogether here. Whenever we need sunshine in our heart, we travel to Amsterdam. It just brings a smile to my face walking the streets, buying little packages of cheese and cooking white asparagus every other night.
Unlike Iceland, Amsterdam doesn't push me to explore. I've seen most of it and I'm okay if I miss out on a new museum. It's more about living here, being part of the fabric of Dutch life. Sure, we went to museums and explored new things. But Amsterdam is more about being here. In the moment.
The big surprise so far has been how much time is spent looking for stuff. When you live in a place for a certain time, you know where to get 99% of your things. And for the rest you have Amazon. That ratio is out of whack when you travel. Try finding a pencil box. We went to 5 stores, no luck. Try finding dryer sheets. The little things are the ones that throw you off the most. Cooking instructions become guessing games. Ticket machines turn into Mensa puzzles. At least, I know how to find the best french fries in the world, the best pancakes and the best evening spot for a beer.