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Paradise Cave: Heaven Found Below the Earth
How to Get To Paradise Cave
Paradise Cave Discovered
Paradise Cave Essentials
Exploring Paradise Cave
All the Wonderful Things To Do in Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha Cave
Phong Nha Botanic Gardens
Mooc Springs near Paradise Cave
Hang En or Shallow Cave
Hang Va Cave
Hang Son Doong Cave
Paradise Cave (Vietnamese spelling: động Thiên Đường) is the longest and one of the most spectacular cave systems in the world. Around 1 km is open to popular tourism and it never fails to leave a lasting impression.
Paradise Cave is accessible from the small town of Phong Nha, Bố Trạch district, in Quảng Bình province. Quang Binh province sits in north-central Vietnam just north of Hue. The province stretches from the Laos border to the ocean.
This cave itself is in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park which is also home to the longest underground river, the largest cave, and the most spectacular underground lake in the world.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is about 4 hours by car from Hue city and 6 hours from Danang. If you choose a one day tour, there is enough time to thoroughly enjoy the splendor of Paradise Cave.
The travel time is quite long, but if you really want to enjoy some fun time out in nature, it's well worth staying a night or two in Phong Nha. Read further down for all the wonderful things to do in Phong Nha – Ke Bang.
If you're staying in or around Phong Nha, you can easily get a taxi to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park entrance. There are also numerous local tour companies that will take you there. However, you want to have more freedom to move around, a motorbike for the day is the best option.
Walkway into Paradise Cave
[ by Dirk Tussing from Flickr ]
Paradise Cave was discovered in 2005 by a local man. In the same year, five kilometers were officially explored by a team from the British Cave Research Association. Further exploration determined the cave to be an amazing 31 km long, thus stripping Phong Nha Cave of its longest cave status.
Paradise Cave has since been established as a World UNESCO Heritage Site. The height reaches between 72 and 100 meters in places and the widest section is 150 meters. The beauty of its limestone formations, stalactites, and stalagmites earned it the name động Thiên Đường or Paradise Cave (động meaning cave).
Once you reach the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park entrance, it's still another 1.6 kilometers to the cave ticket booth. You can walk along the paved roadway, or you can rent a golf buggy.
Entrance Adult: 250 000 VND
Entrance Children: 125 000 VND
Golf Buggy: 15 000 VND
Opening Times: 7:00 am to 4:30 pm
[ by Edgardo W. Olivera from Flickr ]
Paradise Cave has been open to the public since 3 September 2010. Once you pass the ticket booth, there are still another 543 steps to the cave entrance. As soon as you enter the cave, you'll soon cool off as the temperature drops— so make sure you have at least a light jacket.
Inside, you can explore about 1 km along the wooden stairs and platforms. The lighting and design are all quite tasteful and is sure to take your breath away. You need at least an hour or two to enjoy the complete experience.
If you sign onto a tour with a local guide, then you can go further into the cave for about 7 km. There's a limit of 15 people and one tour per day.
Although Paradise Cave is the top attraction in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, there are other cave systems to be explored here, as well as walks in the botanic gardens, wildlife spotting, relaxing in mountain streams and springs, or even adventure sports.
View all the locations mentioned in this article
[ by person-with-No Name from Flickr ]
Phong Nha Cave (động Phong Nha) was known to the early Cham people and the longest underground river in the world, running some 19 km, flows out its mouth as the source of the Son River. Phong Nha cave is famous for its picturesque rock formations and you can explore some 1 500 m out of the total 7 729 meters. It's only accessible by boat.
[ by Tuan Dinh from Facebook ]
Dark Cave (hang Tối) is a wet caving experience and for those who want some good old dirty fun. You take a zipline across the Chay River (sông Chày) to the entrance. Inside you can explore 6 km of cave wearing a headlamp. There are mud baths to enjoy, fossils to see, and afterwards you can relax and enjoy the riverside.
These jungle gardens are midway between Dark and Paradise caves. Phong Nha Botanic Gardens (Vườn thực vật Phong Nha) can be a short stopover with nicely laid out paths, or you can go on a 3 km hike to Gio Waterfall (thác Gió) and swim in the small Vang Anh Lake (hồ Vàng Anh).
Mooc Springs (suối Moọc) are nearby to Paradise Cave and they are a popular place to cool off, take walks, or hang out in the restaurant. There's a nice eco trail where you can spot things such as gibbons, colorful birds, butterflies; and you can pay a visit to the orchid garden.
[ by undeklinable from Flickr ]
Hang Én, or Shallow Cave, is the third-largest cave system in the world, and unlike Paradise Cave, it has its own ecosystem and river. It's a day's hike and you will also camp inside the cave. It's the perfect choice for the adventure traveler, nature lover, and photographer. There's a lot of fun packed into just two days of itinerary.
[ by Oxalis Adventure from Facebook ]
Hang Va Cave is famous for its conical calcite formations. It's more for the seasoned adventurer or those looking for a challenge. It's a 10 km trek to the cave which includes staying overnight in the jungle. There's a fair bit of assisted climbing involved and river caving too.
[ image Nguyen Tan Tin by from Flickr ]
Son Doong Cave (hang Sơn Đoòng) is the largest and most incredible cave ever discovered in the world, and it opened up to the public in 2013. It even has its own jungle and cloud forming ecosystem. It's a two-day-trek to the cave and the caving includes abseiling, climbing, and swimming. For the time being, tourism is restricted and you have to apply for a permit. Fost most people, the waiting list can be up to two years. As per conservation policies, only one tour company, Oxalis Adventures, is allowed to take tourists to the cave.
More about Places in Hue
Cave Nature Tour
Bach Ma National Park: Hiking and Trekking the Trails
Bach Ma National Park is a short getaway from Danang and Hue. There are many easy hiking trails and a few challenging routes. Hike to Bach Ma summit for stunning views of Hue and Danang. Other highlights are Do Quyen waterfall, Five Lakes, and Truc Lam Zen Monastery.
Thien Mu Pagoda: The Eternal Symbol of Hue
Thien Mu is the oldest pagoda in Hue and one of the most historic places for Mahayana Buddhism in Vietnam. It sits on a bend on the Perfume River and its iconic tower encompasses the landscape. A visit here can put you in touch with the varied spiritual tapestry of Hue.
Khai Dinh Tomb: A Filial Legacy Set in Stone with an Artist's Touch
The Khai Dinh Tomb is the last of the Nguyen imperial mausoleums. It was built between 1920 and 1931 in a unique fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics and ideals. Discover Emperor Khai Dinh whose nine-year reign was the longest since that of Tu Duc.


My boyfriend got this song stuck into my head! I love this song, it's so well written. Not surprise, since Gordon Lightfoot wrote it! He's simply amazing.
For you Readers who prefer the Starz on 54 cover, I have provided their cover of this simply amazing song.
Let me know which version you like better!


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You are here: Home / Disney Movies and TV / Frozen 2 review
Frozen 2 review
November 25, 2019 by beckyginther@gmail.com Leave a Comment
When I shared that I had seen Frozen 2, the first question everyone asked me is simply "How was it?" Obviously that's a pretty involved question but I'll start this review by saying that my answer to that question has been "It wasn't as good as the first one, but it was an enjoyable movie." It might be trying a little too hard to live up to its own hype, but it still delivers a lot.
And it was going to be hard to top the first one, right? I've said it before and I'll say it again – The Muppets got it right when they sang about sequels in The Muppets Most Wanted, stating that "everybody knows that the sequel's never quite as good."
Creating a sequel to a movie like this was both inevitable and extremely challenging due to its popularity. There are going to be people who love the new one no matter what because it's Frozen. And then there will be people who will hate it no matter what because it's Frozen. So taking all that into consideration, I'm pretty happy with this film!
I'm going to keep this review light on the spoilers and just try to provide a basic synopsis. We learn a bit about the history of Anna and Elsa's parents as part of a flashback to when they were younger. In the present, Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling to her and after some advice from the trolls she decides to pursue it. Of course Anna won't let her do this alone! So Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf all set off an an adventure towards the Enchanted Forest.
There is a story about the 4 elements (air, earth, water, and fire) and a fifth element that ties them all together – and Elsa thinks this 5th element may be what is calling to her. I found the story about the elements and the people they meet in the enchanted forest (and their past) to be really interesting. However, I almost feel like the story would have been better with brand new characters as its own film. There were times where it felt like they had this idea and the characters of Elsa and Anna were forced into it rather than it occurring naturally with them. The plot could pretty much have been done without being "Frozen" at all.
One other interesting note about the plot is that there is no real villain in the story (arguably there kind of is but there's no real "big bad" the way you typically might have in a Disney movie). So it creates a different sort of feel to the movie. It's much more about relationships, internal struggle, growing up, etc.
The film is visually beautiful. The fall backdrop for a portion of it is stunning with the orange leaves swirling around. And of course there is plenty of beautiful ice and snow too. Anna and Elsa each have a few new dresses this time around and I love them. Did Disney purposely spend a lot of time designing the costumes and giving them multiple looks so they could sell a million little princess dresses? Probably, but it's worth it because it is a really nice part of the film. I'm already planning to put together a Disney Bound of one of Elsa's new outfits.
I found the soundtrack to be good, but not quite up to the first one. My hopes were really high since they had written additional songs for the Broadway musical which I loved. The music is good but of course creating another "Let it Go" is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. I felt like some of the songs were trying too hard and there wasn't enough just simple or catchy music. The strongest song is definitely "Into the Unknown," which I've been singing a bit, but the melodies of the other songs haven't stuck with me.
I also found the movie to be really funny, especially where it gently pokes fun at itself. The scene in the beginning when they are playing charades really had me laughing, and Olaf recapping the events of the first movie is hilarious. So lots of laughs throughout. One of the best moments is probably Kristoff's song (he finally gets one!) called "Lost in the Woods." It is a hilarious sort of spoof on 80's pop music and music videos.
Olaf is having a sort of weird existential crisis in this one. I almost feel like it was done to directly appeal to millennials. Especially with his song "When I am Older," he sings the lyrics "When I'm more mature /
I'll feel totally secure". The kids might not find it funny but we are laughing ironically at that one.
I don't think any of my qualms with this movie are going to affect kids who loved the first Frozen – I strongly suspect they will love this one just as much. As for adults, I think most Disney fans will enjoy it and it will be worth seeing (unless you really hated the first Frozen). It's not going to be hitting my top 10 (or even top 20) of animated Disney movies but it's still a fun time without any super major issues.
Have you seen Frozen 2? What did you think of it?
Filed Under: Disney Movies and TV, Reviews Tagged With: animation, Frozen, Frozen 2, Movie, Review
Hi, I'm Becky!
I'm a huge Disney fan in my early 30's and always trying to find a way to put a little bit of Disney into everyday life. I live in Pennsylvania but travel to the theme parks several times a year - I'm an annual passholder at Disney World! In addition to Disney I love traveling, running, and theater.
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Companion Podcasts Are Keeping the Conversation Alive in Prestige Drama
By Dan Whitehead
The idea of the "watercooler conversation" has been a key driver in scripted drama going back decades. Crafting a show that has people talking about it at work the next day is the goal, but as technology has evolved so too has the form of these conversations.
From online discussion forums to official apps and social media channels, the methods by which a broadcaster can help to define the morning after conversation continue to change. The current trend is for companion podcasts, which pick apart the latest episode alongside fan-created shows, often with the added bonus of input from the actual creators of the series in question.
The twisty police corruption thriller Line of Duty is the latest to benefit from this ongoing outlet, as part of the BBC's "Obsessed with…" podcast series, produced for the corporation by external agency Chalk & Blade. Critical favourite I May Destroy You was another show to have its own podcast under this umbrella brand.
On the surface the shows couldn't be more different – the sixth season of a labyrinthine crime procedural and a deeply personal limited series about sexual consent – but both boast devoted audiences, richly drawn characters and episodes that leave viewers buzzing with thought-provoking revelations.
It wasn't so long ago that such shows would have been given a companion TV show, as with The Talking Dead, which rummaged in the guts of AMC's Walking Dead every week, and Sky's Thronecast, a televised chat show that followed episodes of Game of Thrones. Today, comparable blockbuster shows such as The Crown, Watchmen and Chernobyl have official podcasts instead.
With TV being such a visual medium, it's easy to overlook the power of audio to drive engagement away from the screen.
One obvious reason for this is that it's more affordable to produce an audio show than a broadcast TV show, and – in recent months – easier to produce such shows remotely. There's a plausible audience reason for switching from TV to podcast as well: audiences are already overwhelmed by how much prestige TV there is to keep up with, and asking them to also set aside time to watch discussion shows about their favourite shows can start to look like an indulgence too far.
A podcast, by comparison, is far more portable. You can watch an episode from your sofa, then listen to the follow-up companion show on your morning commute, or while going for a run, or even around the house while doing chores. Under lockdown, people stuck indoors with family have become much more comfortable using earphones to block out some personal time even while indoors.
Another reason why podcasts may be replacing TV shows as companion pieces is the rapid decline in physical media. HBO's official podcasts are particularly notable for featuring high profile writers and directors such as Craig Mazin and Damon Lindelof talking in depth about the creative choices made in each episode. This is material that would once have been used to upsell physical boxsets in the form of commentaries, but in a world that prefers more immediate digital gratification being able to hear these insights right after broadcast is a more assured way to keep fans engaged and talking when it matters most.
With TV being such a visual medium, it's easy to overlook the power of audio to drive engagement away from the screen. The beauty of the podcast, of course, is that it is just as accessible to the cash-strapped indie as it is to the multinational corporation. Anyone looking to create sustained interest in a show should listen up.


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No Mr Bond, I Expect You to Die
By RubyStreams18-09-2012
After weeks of slowly revealing each classic Bond movie inspired levels for the upcoming 007 Legends, the final movie-level reveal is...yes you guessed it - Goldfinger!!!
In 007 Legends, the Goldfinger mission finds the best undercover agent early in his career investigating Auric Goldfinger - a gold magnate thought to be behind a recent spike in gold prices - only to discover a larger plot to irradiate the entire Fort Knox gold reserve.
Expect lasers (each and every male Bond fan is probably wincing right about now), trademark Bond gun fights and of course a naked gold lady that will surely get you a few quid at 'Cash For Gold'!
007 Legends places you in the shoes of the world's most charming and deadly British Secret Service agent as you shoot and smooth talk your way through 5 classic Bond movie inspired missions including:
and Skyfall,which will, as confirmed by Activision, be the final level.
007 Legends is expected to be shaken, not stirred, sometime next month.
007 Bond Activision
StuntmanLT
Posted 19-09-2012, 01:21
Is it just me or Craig cant completely fill the shoes of Connery?
Vulkan 1.0 Specification has b...
Vulkan is a low overhead graphics API from Khronos group, also responsible for OpenGL. Initially announced in 2014 as GLnext, Vulkan specification is finally complete, with first developer drivers already available.
The DLC's are Coming, the DLC'...
Bethesda announced a double announcement yesterday, one not a surprise and one that was a logical extension so to speak to the first bit of news. We are getting 3 DLC's over the next 3 months for Fallout 4, with what they say are "more to follow".
Need for Speed Finally Coming ...
Nearly four months after its release on the Xbox One and the PS4, the latest Need for Speed game is coming to PC with some improvements. Curiously tagged with no subtitle, the latest release was the fifteenth release in the overall franchise, and received
Quantum Break No Longer Platfo...
In a strange bit of news, and feels strange writing this for a few reasons, Microsoft announced today that their upcoming Time-manipulation based game Quantum Break is not going to Xbox One only, but will have a Windows 10 version as well.
Born out of EA's acquisition of the Star Wars game license, 2015's Battlefront marks the first entry in the series since 2005's Battlefront II, developed by now-defunct Pandemic Studios. Prior to release, there was much debacle about the removal...
Historic Infocom Documents Rel...
Infocom were giants of the early computer gaming industry. Founded in 1979 by MIT staff and students. Growing publishing giant Activision snapped them up in 1986 and were shut down in 1989 by the publisher. The trademark was abandoned in 2002.
Sword Coast Legends
Sword Coast Legends is an isometric RPG from Digital Extremes and n-Space set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and more specifically the Forgotten Realms setting. Dungeons and Dragons has a history spanning 40 years, and the Forgotten Realms...
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 is Treyarch's newest entry into the long-running Call Of Duty series. Though it shares the Black Ops name there's very little to link it to previous Black Ops games except the quality and care Treyarch have put...
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As you'd expect there are all manner of grills on offer here. Less expected is the TARDIS-like interior and the live music at the weekends – this is one of the few places to party in Tucupita.
One of Tucupita's best eateries, with a varied menu, good prices, generous portions and friendly service. Try the lau lau (catfish) – it's delicious.


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ethmotoracing.com
Sponsoring of the ETH Moto Racing Project 17. August 2018 /in News /von frederic
Ten students of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich have set themselves the goal of developing a carbon frame for motorcycle racing. The final motorcycle will be shown at the Swiss Moto in February 2019. With the new carbon frame monocoque concept, the students also take part in the "MotoStudent" competition, a student competition in motorcycle racing. The project, which started in September 2017, examines how the advantages of carbon fiber can be combined with the requirements of a motorcycle frame, since a motorcycle chassis, despite the required rigidity, also has to offer a degree of flexibility, especially in inclined positions. In racing, although several attempts have been made to produce frames made of carbon fiber laminate, but ultimately returned all providers back to chassis made of steel or aluminum. By contrast, carbon frames and chassis are indispensable in bicycle construction and the automotive sector.
Radiate supports the project as a silver sponsor with, among other things, technical know-how and benefits in kind. We wish the ETH Moto Racing Team every success!
https://www.radiate.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Gabelbrücke.jpg 600 900 frederic https://www.radiate.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Radiate_logo_schwarz_trans.png frederic2018-08-17 10:36:162018-08-17 10:01:39Sponsoring of the ETH Moto Racing Project
Selective laser sintering with the Sintratec Kit New project for Perspective Robotics / Fotokite


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Ozaly vára () a Zrínyi család ősi fészke Ozalj városában. A várban ma a városi múzeum működik gazdag régészeti, kultúrtörténeti és néprajzi gyűjteménnyel.

Fekvése
Károlyvárostól 18 km-re északra, Ozaly városának központjában, a Kulpa bal partján emelkedő sziklán áll. Az egykori várpalota alatti vasúti alagútban halad el a Kulpa menti vasútvonal.

Története
Kedvező földrajzi fekvésének köszönhetően a Kulpa bal partján emelkedő sziklán már a történelem előtti időben is emberi település volt. A sziklába vájt üregek máig a legősibb feltárt emberi lakhelyei az ország eme részének. A vár északi udvarában egy kis méretű kora román templom maradványa is előkerült, mely szintén egyike a pannon térség legősibb egyházi építményeinek. A régészeti leletek arra utalnak, hogy ez a hely a történelem előtti időktől fogva a római korban, majd a kora középkorban a település első említéséig is folyamatosan lakott volt. Ozaly települést 1244-ben már szabad királyi városként említik először. A Kulpa bal partján emelkedő sziklán álló várat 1278-tól említik a Babonicsok birtokaként. 1327-ben lázadó birtokosaitól a király elvette és a szlavón bán igazgatása alá rendelte. Zsigmond 1398-ban 42 ezer forintért gróf Frangepán Miklósnak adta, majd rokoni kapcsolat révén 1550-től a Zrínyieké lett, akik 1671-ig, gróf Zrínyi Péter kivégzéséig birtokolták. A vármúzeumban látható az a kard, amellyel Zrínyi Pétert és Frangepán Ferencet Bécsújhelyen lefejezték. Ekkor a várat könyörtelenül kifosztották.
Zrínyi Miklós, a szigetvári hős palotát építtetett a várban, mely 1556-ban lett készen. Erre emlékeztet az épület emeleti részén látható 'NICO COM ZR 1556' (Nicolaus comes Zriniensis 1556) felirat. Zrínyi Ádám halála után az udvari kamara a várat és birtokait a Petazzyaknak adta el. 1725-ben Rajmund Perlas, majd 1766-ban Batthyány Tódor vásárolta meg, akik a várat teljesen átépítették. Az épületegyüttes ekkor nyerte el mai barokk formáját. Utolsó magántulajdonosa a német Thurn und Taxis család volt, akik 1872-ben vásárolták meg. Albert herceg 1928-ban a Horvát Sárkányrendnek adományozta, mely máig a vár tulajdonosa.

A vár mai állapota
A vár egy részét már teljesen felújították, de jelenleg is folynak a munkálatok. Emiatt a múzeum időnként zárva tart. A vár előtt kisebb parkoló is található. Innen a várárkot átívelő, a 19. századig mozgatható felvonóhídon jutunk a vár belsejébe. A híd középső oszlopa valójában egy korábban, faragott kőből épült őrtorony maradványa. A főbejárat kaputornya 1599-ben épült, erről tanúskodik a lábazat jobb szegletében látható felirat. Első emelete Zrínyi-időkből származik, a második emeletet pedig Perlas Ferenc gróf (1743-1753) építtette. A torony alatt van egy boltíves átjáró, melyben jobb oldalán, az alsó részen láthatjuk a korábbi pincék bejáratát. A kaputoronyhoz balról kapcsolódik egy kisebb, 15. századi félköríves torony, egykor valószínűleg őrhely volt.

A falakat öt félköríves torony erősítette. Az udvari részen látható az egykori tulajdonos Frangepánok oroszlános címere. Jó állapotban maradt fenn a Zrínyi Miklós által 1556-ban építtetett két szintes várpalota, melynek belső falait értékes freskók díszítik korabeli glagolita és latin betűs feliratokkal. A palotát később, a 18. századtól magtárként használták, így ma is magtárnak nevezik. A várnak ezen része alatt van az alagút, amelyen a vonatok áthaladtak a múlt század elején. A palota első emeleti bejárati ajtaja felett a "NICO.CO:ZR:1556" felirat látható. A védőtoronytól jobbra vezet a főbejárat a vár udvarára. A torony alatt a sziklában 1971-ben egy bronz emléktáblát helyeztek el Zrínyi Péter és Frangepán Ferenc Kristóf kivégzésének 300. évfordulója emlékére. Ugyanezen a falon látható a Frangepánok 15. századi címere. A várudvaron a jobb oldalon láthatjuk azt a kerek tornyot, melyet egykor a város lakói voltak kötelesen fenntartani.  A toronyhoz déli szárnyat a 18. században építették hozzá, ám ennek a szárnynak az alagsori szobái a Zrínyiek idejére nyúlnak vissza. A kerek torony alagsorában 1960-ig vízkiömlő nyílás volt, amely azt jelenti, hogy ez a helyiség egykor konyhaként szolgált. A keleti szárnyban található az Ozalyi Városi Múzeum, amelynek története valójában 1885-ben kezdődik, amikor az első régészeti ásatásokat végeztél Ozaly óvárosa közelében.

Az északi szárnyat egy kő tornácon keresztül lehet megközelíteni, amely egyben a 18. századból származó kicsi várkápolna előcsarnoka is, de a vár papját már 1501-ben említik, amely azt jelenti, hogy a kápolna már korábban is létezett. A gótikus Szent Antal-kápolna épülete a vár szerkezetétől teljesen elkülönülve áll, de bizonyos, hogy egykor nem egymagában állt. A kápolna gótikus ajtófélfái és gótikus ablakai megmaradtak, de az épület egyébként romosan áll. A kápolna mellett a vár udvari homlokzatán még látszanak az egykori épületek gótikus íveinek maradványai. Az északi szárny mérete és szobáinak száma a legnagyobb. Az emeleten a 18. századból származó kőlépcsők vannak, a folyosókon pedig megőrizték a 18. századi eredeti kovácsoltvas ajtók egy részét, valamint a második emeleti helyiségek famennyezetét. A várfalak mentén utak, a falak és az épületszárnyak között udvarok, zöldterületek és teraszok vannak kialakítva. Különösen a keleti teraszról nyílik gyönyörű kilátás Ozaly egy részére és a Kulpa-folyóra egészen az Ozalyi-vízesésig, a vízerőműig, majd utána Trg faluig.

Galéria

Jegyzetek

Források
Ozaly város hivatalos oldala
Blagamisterije.com: I svaka smjela duša u silnom gradu osjetit će geslo "Navik živi ki zgine pošteno!" S kula vidjeti što su gledali Zrinski, o čemu pisali Frankopani
Ozaly a Várak.hu oldalán
Branko Nadilo:Živopisne i romantične utvrde Ozalj i Ribnik (A Građevinar építészeti folyóirat 2003. évi 3. számában)

Horvátország várai
Károlyváros megye

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Erin O'Toole Says Canada Doesn't Need 'Division & Pink Slips' For Unvaccinated People
The Conservative leader believes there needs to be a "reasonable accommodation."
Lisa Belmonte
Trending Staff Writer
@erinotoolemp | Instagram, @albertahealthservices | Instagram
When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, Erin O'Toole said that the country should take a "smart approach" to get people vaccinated rather than "division and pink slips."
During a press conference on January 6, the Conservative leader was asked to share his thoughts about people who are still unvaccinated in Canada and accommodations for them.
O'Toole mentioned that there needs to be a "reasonable accommodation" for unvaccinated people in order to keep people safe and keep them from losing their jobs.
"I don't think that position is irrational when people's lives are on the line," he said. "I would rather see that smart approach than division and pink slips."
O'Toole also noted that Canadians need to be given more tools to bring the spread of COVID-19 down while also keeping normalcy in their lives.
"Vaccines are the most important tool we have to fight COVID-19 and we should encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated," O'Toole said.
However, he mentioned that the "reality of the fact" is that a small number of people in Canada will be unvaccinated and so "shaming and causing division" isn't the way to reach vaccine-hesitant people.
Near the end of December, Justin Trudeau revealed that Canada has secured enough booster doses for adults in the country and enough vaccine doses for kids 5 years old and over to get their first dose.
Now, at the beginning of 2022, some places in the country have worked to open up more vaccination appointments, including the city of Toronto, in response to the Omicron variant.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.
Justin Trudeau Got Riled Up About Anti-Vaxxers & Accused O'Toole ... ›
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau Shared A Major Throwback & She Almost Looks Like Justin Trudeau (PHOTO)
Also, her youngest kid is basically a carbon copy of her from back in the day!
@sophiegregoiretrudeau | Instagram
There was a major throwback photo posted by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau of her as a kid and she could almost be mistaken for her husband Justin Trudeau when he was young.
If you quickly scrolled past the post on Instagram, you might've thought Trudeau had posted a throwback from his childhood or that this was a photo of one of their kids but it is, in fact, Grégoire Trudeau.
She shared the story behind why she posted the photo in the caption and revealed that her youngest Hadrien came across the picture of her from back when she was around 10 years old.
"He said: 'mom, I look like you,'" Grégoire Trudeau mentioned.
Hadrien also told her that another one of the Trudeau kids, Ella-Grace, looks like her younger self too.
"I was a bit teary (in a good way) as it reminded me of how time flies by," Grégoire Trudeau said in the caption.
Not only does the throwback photo show how much her kids look like her, especially Hadrien, but it also shows that she and Trudeau almost looked like each other when they were young.
Trudeau has posted quite a few throwback pictures from his childhood and in some, you can see the slight resemblance between the two of them including their short dirty blond hair and light eyes.
If you want more glimpses into the family's personal life, Trudeau's photographer shared behind-the-scenes photos of the PM, Grégoire Trudeau and their kids at the end of 2021 that were taken throughout the year.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau Was In Embarrassing Mom Mode To Wish ... ›
Justin Trudeau Opened Up About The 'Complicated' Time When He ... ›
Toronto Just Opened Up 8,000 More COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments & You Can Book Now
You can book in for this Sunday or Monday.
Dejan Baric | Dreamstime
The City of Toronto announced this Friday morning that 8,000 new COVID-19 vaccination appointments will be available in the coming days.
So if you're eligible and looking to get your first, second or booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, you'll have a good chance of scoring an appointment for this Sunday, January 16 or Monday, January 17.
Toronto Public Health opened up bookings for appointments this morning at 8 a.m., which will be held at any of Toronto's five mass immunization clinics, including Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Cloverdale Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, Mitchell Field Community Centre, and Woodbine Mall, according to a news release.
"The new vaccination appointments for eligible adults and kids are part of the continuing efforts to make progress in helping Toronto residents get vaccinated. In the last seven days alone, Team Toronto has administered more than 200,000 total COVID-19 vaccine doses," reads the press release.
TPH is urging all eligible residents to book their booster dose due to the "emergence of the new Omicron variant and ongoing community transmission of the Delta variant."
So far in Toronto, 49% of children 5 to 11 years old have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 11% of the same age group have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 12 years old and up in Toronto currently have a significantly higher vaccination rate; 87% of people have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 48% of people have already gotten a third booster dose.
Toronto COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Has Thousands Of New ... ›
Toronto Is Opening Up A Bunch Of COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments ... ›
Ontario Is Letting More People Get A 4th Dose Of A COVID-19 Vaccine & Here's Who
Appointments can be booked starting Friday.
Elton Law | Dreamstime
Starting this Friday, more people will be eligible to book an appointment for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.
In a press conference on Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore revealed that those who are immunocompromised will be added to the list of people who are eligible.
Beginning January 14 at 8 a.m., immunocompromised individuals will be able to start booking their appointments through the provincial vaccine contact centre.
"We are now protecting vulnerable populations further in Ontario," Moore stated in the press conference.
This adds to the list of people who have already been able to book for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Since December 30, residents in long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges and other congregate settings have been eligible.
According to the Ontario government, you can get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three months (84 days) after you have received a third dose.
As of January 13, 82% of all eligible Ontarians aged 5 and over are fully vaccinated. On top of that, 5,174,098 individuals have been vaccinated with a third dose.
"The science is clear, the more of us with a booster dose, the less of us will end up in the hospital and the intensive care unit," Moore continued.
Moore is also reminding residents to get their third dose if they haven't already. "If you haven't booked your booster dose appointment, please do so as soon as possible."
Moderna's CEO Says We Might Need A 4th COVID Vaccine Dose ... ›
Fourth Doses Of A COVID-19 Vaccine Are Available To Some ... ›
Canada's Travel Restrictions Are About To Get Stricter & Here's What You Need To Know
Entry exemptions for unvaccinated travellers are changing.👇
@canborder | Instagram, @yvrairport | Instagram
The latest update to Canada's travel restrictions is going to make it much harder for unvaccinated people to enter the country.
As of January 15, 2022, the federal government is removing a number of entry exemptions for travellers that aren't fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This will include most adults travelling to reunite with family, international students aged 18 or over, professional athletes and their support staff, amateur athletes, temporary foreign workers and essential service providers, as well as a few others.
As of Saturday, the groups listed will only be permitted to enter Canada if they can prove they're fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved for entry into Canada.
Previously, these groups were not required to provide proof of vaccination to enter Canada. Following an announcement in November, they were urged to get a full course of vaccines ahead of January 15.
(2/2) This includes most in the trade and transportation sector and those 18 and older travelling for family reunification or as international students.\nLearn more: http://ow.ly/CFuY50HsT0Z
— Health Canada and PHAC (@Health Canada and PHAC) 1642003222
Some exemptions will remain in place for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers, including those entering Canada on compassionate grounds, new permanent residents, newly resettled refugees and children under the age of 18.
Most exempt individuals will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test pre-arrival, complete Day 1 and Day 8 testing, quarantine for 14 days and submit their information via ArriveCAN.
On January 13, officials from the federal government refuted reports that Canadian truckers and other essential workers would remain exempt from being vaccinated.
"Let us be clear: This has not changed," Transport Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement. "The information shared yesterday was provided in error."
Canadians are advised to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. Spread kindness, not #Covid19 this holiday season by staying home and following public health measures: http://ow.ly/6a5A50HqP0b\u00a0\n\n#NowIsNotTheTimepic.twitter.com/Y3NqrwY0E6
— Canada Border Services Agency (@Canada Border Services Agency) 1641826816
However, he explained that "a Canadian truck driver who is not fully vaccinated can't be denied entry into Canada, [as] Canadian citizens, persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act and permanent residents may enter Canada by right."
While these groups can't be refused entry, Duclos noted that they will be required to meet all other requirements, including COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers, on the other hand, "will be directed back to the United States."
Feds Warn That Canadians Who Decide To Travel Could Be 'Forced ... ›
Canada Put A New 'Global Travel Advisory' In Place & Here's ... ›
Americans Are Now Being Urged To Avoid Travel To Canada Due ... ›
Canada's Testing Requirement For Travellers Will Be Evaluated As 'The Whole World Has Omicron' ›
Canada's Travel Restrictions Changed & Students Aren't Exempt From Vaccine Requirements Now ›
COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders - Travel.gc.ca ›


text:
Q: Excel VBA worksheet event to toggle between hide / unhide I am working on a project to minimise the number of sheets that are visible in a an excel workbook at any one given time. I am trying to create a parent sheet (which acts as a toggle button) to show/hide child sheets. For example I have a 6 sheets in a workbook: Inputs, Input 1 and Input 2, Outputs, Output 1 & Output 2. Inputs and Outputs will toggle hide and unhide the others worksheets when activated. I have created 2 worksheet level Sub Functions to try and do this. The first one works great, but the other one only works if the first one has been activated and hidden again. Any advice on a better way to do this would be great. I am not sure why excel doesn't have this function already. I tried with arrays, but that doesn't seem to work. I think you need to unhide each tab individually.
'1. Inputs:

Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()

On Error Resume Next
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True
Sheets("Input 2").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Input 2").Visible = True
Sheets("Input 1").Activate 'needed to deactivate inputs sheet

End Sub

'2. Outputs

Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()

On Error Resume Next
Sheets("Output 1").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Output 1").Visible = True
Sheets("Output 2").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Output 2").Visible = True
Sheets("Output 1").Activate 'needed to deactivate Outputs sheet

End Sub

A: Here's a link to a file you can download from onedrive:
https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ah_zTnaUo4DzjhWzQ3OTq9tq1APC
Rather than hard-code what should happen when each sheet is selected, I've used a ListObject (i.e. an Excel Table) on a 'Controls' sheet to store the relationships between 'parent' sheets and their various 'children'. The code simply checks this ListObject to see which children belong to which parent, and then takes action accordingly. This has the added bonus of making it very easy for someone who doesn't understand VBA in the slightest to add or amend those Parent/Child sheet relationships in need.
I've also implemented a 'Developer' mode in which the sheet hiding does NOT happen. Nothing more frustrating than trying to do development on an application that treats you like a mere 'user' :-) You can toggle it between 'User' and 'Developer' mode by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + D (D for Developer).
Here's how that looks in the sample file I just put together. I've added the ListObject shown below into a new sheet called 'Controls', and given the ListObject the name of 'VisibleSheets':

I've also added a named range called DeveloperMode, with a value of TRUE:

Here's the code that toggles the application between 'User' mode and 'Developer' mode, that goes in a standard code module:
Public Sub ToggleDeveloperMode()
    Dim ws As Worksheet

    If ActiveWorkbook.Names("DeveloperMode").Value = "=TRUE" Then
        ActiveWorkbook.Names("DeveloperMode").Value = "=FALSE"
    Else
        ActiveWorkbook.Names("DeveloperMode").Value = "=TRUE"
        For Each ws In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
            ws.Visible = xlSheetVisible
        Next ws
    End If

End Sub

Here's the code that actually does all the hiding and unhiding, that also goes in a standard code module:
Sub DisplaySheets()
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim lo As ListObject
    Dim lc As ListColumn
    Dim vMatch As Variant

    Set lo = Range("VisibleSheets").ListObject

    If Not [DeveloperMode] Then
        For Each lc In lo.ListColumns
            If lc.Name = ActiveSheet.Name Then
                For Each ws In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
                    Set vMatch = Nothing 'Reset from last pass
                    vMatch = Application.Match(ws.Name, lo.HeaderRowRange, 0)
                    If IsError(vMatch) Then 'It's not one of our main sheets
                        Set vMatch = Nothing 'Reset from last pass
                        vMatch = Application.Match(ws.Name, lc.Range, 0)
                        If IsError(vMatch) Then
                            ws.Visible = xlSheetVeryHidden
                        Else
                            ws.Visible = xlSheetVisible
                        End If
                    End If
                Next ws
            End If
        Next lc
    End If
End Sub

Here's a snippet of code that goes in the ThisWorkbook module that assigns the Keyboard Shortcut of Ctrl + Shift + D to the ToggleDeveloperMode routine so that you can easily toggle between modes. (Don't tell users what this keyboard shortcut is):
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Application.OnKey "^+D", "ToggleDeveloperMode"
End Sub

And lastly, here's the code triggers the DisplaySheets routine, that also goes in the ThisWorkbook module:
Private Sub Workbook_SheetActivate(ByVal Sh As Object)
    DisplaySheets
End Sub

It works a treat. Here's what I see when I select each of the 3 Parent sheets in turn:

...and here's what happens when I use the Ctrl + Shift + D shortcut to put the app into 'Developer' mode, ALL sheets are unhidden, including the one with the controls on it.

I'd suggest giving the parent tabs the same color as I have here, so that it's easier for users to understand that they don't change regardless of the other tabs that selectively appear/disappear.
If there's any chance that users (or you) might want to rename the sheets, use codenames instead of sheetnames. Let me know if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

A: As per user3598756, this question may need some clarification, however it sounds like you trying to emulate behaviour similar to this:
Action              Visible Worksheet
------              -----------------
Open Workbook       [Input], [Output]
Activate [Input]    [Input], [Output], [Input1], [Input2] ' (shows InputX)
Activate [Input1]   [Input], [Output], [Input1], [Input2] ' (no change)
Activate [Output]   [Input], [Output], [Output1], [Output2] ' (hides InputX, shows OutputX)

This makes [Input] and [Output] your only gateway worksheets, so the following on [Input] (and the converse for [Output]) would achieve this.
Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()
    Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True
    Sheets("Input 2").Visible = True
    Sheets("Output 1").Visible = False
    Sheets("Output 2").Visible = False
End Sub

Notes

*

*Avoid using On Error Resume Next unless you have a specific reason to. It's usually a good thing that your code grinds to a halt if there is something wrong, as opposed to keeping its little secrets to itself and leaving you none the wiser.

*The .Visible property is itself a Boolean, so the conditional .Visible = True is equivalent to using just .Visible by itself.

*Your .Visible statements are probably not resolving how you intended them to. Only one of your = on each line will be an assignment operator, the others will be equality checks. In the absence of brackets, it will be your first =, and the other = will be step-by-step equality checks working from the right to the left. This is operator precedence at work.
Regarding the last point, say sheet Input 1 is visible, your first line will resolve as:
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = Not                    <True> = True
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = Not                        <True>
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = <False>
Sheets("Input 1").Visible =   <False>

Where what I believe was intended is:
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = Not Sheets("Input 1").Visible ' i.e. toggle my visibility

These things can be hard to pick up with booleans, because even if your logic is wrong, the result can be right 'half' of the time.

A: I have managed to make this work. The issue was had something to do with trying to use the "Outputs" Private Sub Worksheet_Activate() function when the "Input 1" sheet was activated and hidden. I have added another tab called "Main" to replace this, so "Main" will always be the active tab after the function has been activated. This resolves the issue although it would be better if the focus didn't jump around the workbook while navigating what in each "folder". Here is the updated code...
'Inputs "Parent folder" sheet
Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()

On Error Resume Next
Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Input 1").Visible = True
Sheets("Input 2").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Input 2").Visible = True
**Sheets("Main").Activate** 'needed to deactivate Inputs sheet

End Sub

'Outputs "Parent folder" sheet
Private Sub Worksheet_Activate()

On Error Resume Next
Sheets("Output 1").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Output 1").Visible = True
Sheets("Output 2").Visible = True = Not Sheets("Output 2").Visible = True
**Sheets("Main").Activate** 'needed to deactivate Outputs sheet

End Sub

I think this is a great way to simplify workbooks with may tabs. It could defiantly be improved so look forward to hearing any suggestions.
Here is a link to my working file
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AvtNNMCst1bIgxjCBCemZlCerHMo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


British-born Stephen Lahiri joined Lucas Fox at the beginning of 2012 with over 11 years' experience managing sales teams in the Real Estate industry around the world. At the start of 2013 Stephen became Director of Lucas Fox's Marbella office.
A typical day begins at around 7.15am. No alarm required. The wake-up call comes courtesy of my 7 and 5-year-old children. If they oversleep, our two hungry cats are also pretty effective!


text:
The 2012 Nation of Immigrators Awards - The IMMIS
As we count out the final hours of 2012, let's recall the highs and lows of the past year in America's dysfunctional immigration ecosphere.
Nation of Immigrators is pleased to confer its third annual IMMI Awards. (Full disclosure: As in past years, these are my personal choices. If you disagree or believe I've missed an obvious awardee, feel free to comment below or post it on Twitter with the hashtag "#2012IMMIS," and be sure to check out our previous awardees here: 2010 IMMIs & 2011 IMMIs).
The 2012 IMMI Awardees
Immigration Word of the Year. This year's word could well have been "omnishambles" -- "a thoroughly mismanaged situation notable for a chain of errors" -- chosen by Oxford University Press, yet aptly suited to our perversely American form of immigration regulation. British novelist, Ian McEwan, in his new book, Sweet Tooth, while explaining the problems of England's intelligence agencies in the 1970s, could well have been describing the federal and state authorities that administer and enforce America's omnishambled immigration laws when he observed:
Too many agencies, too many bureaucracies defending their corners, too many points of demarcation, insufficient centralized control.
Instead, the IMMI goes to "self-deportation" (Mitt Romney's proposed solution to illegal immigration), a hyphenated word that (even someone as intemperate as Donald Trump recognized) contributed mightily to his self-immolation as GOP candidate for President:
[Romney] had a crazy policy of self deportation which was maniacal. . . . It sounded as bad as it was, and he lost all of the Latino vote . . . He lost the Asian vote. He lost everybody who is inspired to come into this country.
Belated Gumption. For modest courage expressed ever so slowly, the award goes to President Obama for his authorization through the Homeland Security Department of relief for a slice of the DREAMer population with the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. With exit-polls showing that 57% of Americans approve of DACA, imagine how many more DACA applications could have been approved and lives restored had the President used his long established executive authority to exercise prosecutorial discretion when the concept of deferred action was proposed early in his first term. Consider also how DACA might have benefited even more minors brought or required to remain here illegally, such as DREAMer extraordinaire Jose Antonio Vargas (who, at 30.5 years old when the program rules were set up, was six months too old to receive DACA relief), had the program applied to all minors and not set stingy bright-line rules that kowtowed unduly to past DREAM Act proposals in Congress.
Hit the Road Jack/Home-Wrecker. President Obama reprises his role as "Deporter in Chief" and, as in past years, wins another IMMI. With over 400,000 deportations in 2012 -- an all-time high -- the President also receives the Home-Wrecker IMMI. According to recently released federal data, between July 1, 2010 and September 31, 2012, almost 205,000 deportation orders were issued for parents with U.S. citizen children, thereby destroying the lives of even more American kids. With the recent announcement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will stop asking local police to turn over to ICE immigrants arrested as petty offenders, perhaps fewer deportations will result next year -- especially if Congress legislates a path to legal status and citizenship for the undocumented. Recent statistics from the Immigration Courts, showing case closures resulting in deportation orders or grants of voluntary departure down to 56.3% from 70.2% two years ago, also support a prediction (fingers crossed) that the President will not receive another IMMI in this category.
Ignorable, Ignoble Person. The IMMI goes to nativist Tom Tancredo, former Colorado representative and gubernatorial candidate, who urged Republicans after November's election not to let strict immigration laws become the scapegoat for their loss at the polls ("while scapegoating the immigration issue was to be expected from the Republican establishment following the Romney defeat, it is sad and disappointing to see a few conservatives stampeded into endorsing suicidal proposals"). Tancredo nudged out Kris Kobach for this year's IMMI because he also mocked Sen. Michael Bennet for his leading role in developing the Colorado Compact, a balanced approach to comprehensive immigration reform.
Not Especially Nimble. While the primary immigration benefits agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has continued its laudable efforts in 2012 to improve transparency, public engagement and responsiveness (especially on humanitarian concerns, such as relief for foreign citizens adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy), the IMMI for lack of speed and agility on business immigration concerns nonetheless must go to this beleaguered agency. USCIS still has not released its promised rule on employment authorization for spouses of certain H-1B workers, or met its year-end deadline on stateside provisional waivers for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, and has not issued clarifying guidance on L-1B specialized-knowledge requirements promised last January. Other longstanding problems remain, including the lack of meaningful impact from its Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program (beyond a nifty website with comforting assurances), the persistence of an anti-entrepreneur animus at the Regional Service Centers, the need to put out for re-bid the agency's contract on its Transformation program for the online submission of immigration forms, and the issuance of a "guidance memorandum" offering seemingly helpful but still befuddling instructions on the EB-5 investor issue of "tenant occupancy" that USCIS first raised officially last February.
Constitutional Illiteracy. The IMMI for misinterpreting the Bill of Rights goes to the 97,062+ yokels who in a petition to the White House have lambasted CNN host Piers Morgan and urged this Brit's deportation for his post-Newtown critique of America's woeful failure to regulate firearms. No one explained their illiteracy better than Pilar Marrero, author of Killing The American Dream: How anti immigration extremists are destroying the nation, who posted this on Facebook:
So people want to deport Piers Morgan because he aired anti gun views and he´s an "alien", supposedly from out of space. 2 things to remember: before the Second, there is a First amendment. And this country was built by foreigners with weird accents who were always looked at with suspicion by the previous foreigners with weird accents who came first. The only welcoming ones [were] the natives. Unfortunately for them.
Hopeful Baby Steps. The IMMI goes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for two recent actions. CBP reported that it would no longer allow its agents to serve as interpreters for non-English speakers in interrogations by other law enforcement agencies. It also announced that it would undertake a review of current agency practices in the use of force by its border agents.
No Stale Wine before its Time. This IMMI goes to the government agency which best proves the maxim "justice delayed is justice denied": The Labor Department's Office of Foreign Labor Certification dramatically lagged from prior periods in the pace of labor certifications. Overall permanent labor certifications decreased by 15.67% between FY10 and FY11. Although the Information sector and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector experienced increases, most other sectors witnessed large decreases in certifications in FY11: Educational Services (46.67%), Health Care and Social Assistance (34.23%), Retail Trade (33.19%), Wholesale Trade (21.77%), Accommodations and Food Services (60.31%), Construction (65.43%), Transportation and Warehousing (39.90%), and Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (43.01%).
Worst Immigration Law. Although a colleague, Nolan Rappaport, has nominated the Registry provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act for the IMMI, the award goes to another nominee. Registry allows an individual who has been physically present in the U.S. for a prescribed number of years to be granted a green card despite unlawful status. Nolan notes:
The eligibility date hasn't been updated since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 advanced it to January 1, 1972. That was more than a quarter of a century ago. It's shameful that such a useful humanitarian provision has not been updated in so many years. With the present date, the residence period has to be more than 40 years. When it was enacted in 1929, it required entry prior to June 3, 1921, which was a residence period of only 8 years.
However shameful the failure to update the waiting period for registry is, even worse is the 1996 law that created mandatory detention of immigrants without benefit of appointed counsel, as Prof. Mark Noferi of Brooklyn Law School persuasively demonstrates.
Lost in the Wilderness. The Republican party, still stinging from its election defeat and overwhelming rejection by the fast-growing Latino and Asian cohorts of the American electorate, wins the "Dr. Livingstone, I presume" IMMI. Persisting in their special brand of akrasia (weakness of will; acting in a way contrary to one's sincerely held moral values). Despite proclamations that they will cooperate in enacting comprehensive immigration reforms, Republicans have yet to formulate a welcoming agenda on immigration and apparently can't yet fathom that immigration reform would be both good economics and good politics. Their new leader of the House Immigration Subcommittee, Rep. Trey Gowdy, is an unabashed opponent of immigration. Even the anti-immigration hawk, Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, knows that Gowdy's appointment bodes ill for comprehensive immigration reform, because it "suggests . . . that the House Republicans aren't going to allow themselves to be stampeded by this amnesty panic because Gowdy is pretty hawkish on immigration . . ."
Taxing Non-Solutions. The IMMI for non-starter immigration-reform proposal goes jointly to Prof. Giovanni Peri, Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute, and Microsoft. While each of these awardees is a respected and thoughtful contributor to the immigration-reform debate, each offers a variation of a proposal to impose a tax as the visa-entry fee to America. As I've noted elsewhere, taxing the right to enter the country smacks too much of "18th Century slave auctions." There are many better ways to regulate immigration than to tax it and thereby prod our trading partners and global competitors to tax American entrepreneurs in foreign lands.
A Supreme Demonstration of Supremacy. The IMMI goes to the U.S. Supreme Court majority that vanquished virtually all of Arizona's nativist law, SB 1070. Holding that the states must kneel to federal supremacy over immigration, the Court struck down all but one of the Arizona law's provisions, and left it to the lower courts to determine whether in practice the surviving section can pass constitutional muster.
Head in the Derriere. This year's IMMI goes to those feckless employers throughout America who fail to recognize that -- no matter what happens on comprehensive immigration reform -- the Feds are coming to check your business's immigration papers. Immigration audits were at their highest in history this past year. That trend will only continue to rise. Be forewarned and take some crumb-y advice.
Well, thats a wrap for our 2012 IMMI awardees. The next 12 months will no doubt produce another bumper crop of candidates for the IMMI.
Meantime, as we close out the year, this blogger reverently contemplates a prayer penned by Rev. Robert L. DeMoss II of Christchurch in Montgomery, Alabama. Although he offers it on behalf of consular officers, I would broaden the reach of his divinely-directed plea to extend blessings to all of our nation's immigration officials:
Almighty God, May Your love fill our souls, that we might be vessels of peace and grace to bring to this hurting and anxious world. Bless especially our Foreign Service officers, who endeavor to safeguard our freedom and welcome the stranger, as the voice ...and face of America. Guide them with Your wisdom and discernment, give them grace under pressure, and fill them with the radiance of compassion and understanding, all for Your love's sake. Protect, bless, and be with them now and throughout the New Year ahead, as they continue to serve our country with a valiant heart, a keen mind, and a noble spirit. Amen.


text:
Why SeeThruEquity?
Research And Universe
Philippines $28B Remittance Market Ripe for Dismantling as Cryptocurrencies Enter the Scene
Philippines $28B Remittance Market Ripe…
SeeThruEquity Blockchain News, New York, New York, June 6, 2018-There is no denying that cryptocurrencies are here to stay. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, initial coin offerings (ICOs) raised $6.6B in 2017, and more amazingly, have already raised about $7.15B in 2018. That last billion dollar figure doesn't even include the $4 billion just raised by Block.one, a Cayman Islands-based company run by 31-year old CEO Brendan Blumer.
Block.one? Never heard of 'em
It is amazing that a company started in January 2017 has now raised $4 billion. To put that figure in perspective, Dropbox, a tech unicorn and darling of Silicon Valley that had been around for a decade, raised $1 billion in its IPO with some of Wall Street largest banks earlier this year.
So what does Block.one do, and more importantly, what are they going to do with the dough they just raised? The answer to the first question is not very easy-according to the Linkedin profile of its CEO Blumer:
"Block.one's first product EOS is an Operating System on which scalable DAC's can be easily built, launched, and governed; this technology was made possible by the invention of asynchronous smart contract communication and will enable the rapid buildout of the next era of disruptive organizations.
… Decentralized Autonomous Corporations (DAC's) [are] a concept introduced by Block.one CTO Daniel Larimer in 2014 that empowers open source communities to disrupt existing centralized business models.
What the heck? Basically, Block.one is creating a "blockchain platform" which can be used by software developers to write new apps, called dApps, using blockchain technology. Reshaping the "architecture" of the online world with a platform like Block.one's EOS would usher in an "Internet 3.0″ according to its supporters."
A New Apple or Google?
Think Android or iOS except that no one company owns the operating system or platform. Ethereum is another platform created by Vitalin Buterik, but that is increasingly running against the scalability problem of blockchain, which essentially limits the number of transactions per second that can be processed to around 15-20. As a comparable, VISA can handle tens of thousands of transactions per second.
There are 16 other major blockchain platforms out there, according to most industry experts, that are also competitors to EOS. A few of the most notable are Hyperledger, Stellar and HydraChain. Ironically, Block.one's supposed path to surpass Ethereum to the holy grail of mass adoption is to create an operating system that is not as decentralized as Ethereum such that it can process more transactions per second. Hey wait a minute, I thought the whole point of blockchain was decentralization…I know, I know, we will research the technical details of this more and get back at you with another blog post.
Block.one's growth strategy: genius or just a gamble?
Ok that was a long answer to the first question, now to the second: what is Block.one saying they are going to do with all of the dough? This is the easier of the two questions, as Block.one isn't really clear on how they are going to spend the war chest of $4 billion. They are building a platform for hosting applications which is set to go live in June, but once it goes live, they aren't going to develop the software-they are depending on developers to do that. This sounds a lot like Apple's App Store or gaming console companies and gaming software company type ecosystems. A lot of people say that how Block.one is spending the $4B sounds vague, like the recent piece on Block.one in the Wall Street Journal. But is it? The strategy of creating an easy to use, developer-friendly platform isn't new, ie. Apple App Store or Google App Store etc.; in fact it makes tremendous sense.
The other clearly defined strategy that Block.one has laid out is its intention to invest $1B of its cash hoard in startups that are building apps on EOS. Now that's putting money where your mouth is and pushing the ball forward to promote adoption of your EOS platform.
These are exciting times in the pursuit of Internet 3.0, and really only time can tell whether Block.one's strategy leads to mass adoption of the EOS platform.
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Home Conventions C2E2 C2E2 2015: Marvel Secret Wars "Last Days" Panel
C2E2 2015: Marvel Secret Wars "Last Days" Panel
Davey Nieves
Marvel is bringing their Secret Wars to the second city all weekend at C2E2 2015. Kicking things off are the "Last Days" of the Marvel U. To talk about these events the publisher assembled Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman, Al Ewing, Dennis Hopeless, editor Jon Moisan, and Charles Soule.
The presentation kicked off with Ms. Marvel #16, which sees the return of artist and Kamala Khan's co-creator Adrian Alphona on art duties, with co-creator and series writer G. Willow Wilson leading the young Ms. Marvel into her biggest adventure yet of her very brief superhero career. We already know that the young Kamala is part of the All-New All-Different Avengers post Secret War, this arc could however change the direction of the character for the future.
Magneto #18 will begin his journey through his last days arc. The group gave few new details about what we'll see but did mention Sugarman will be a part of the arc. All the characters we've seen in the series will be uniquely affected by the incursion.
A sliver of Black Widow was shown as the group teased issue #19. Her story will feature the character in the present while still showing the beginnings of Natasha's story. We'll see one of her most horrible moments during her Red Room days. It looks to be a very emotional last days for Black Widow.
The Punisher's last days will see the character pushed to his end physically and emotionally. As the entire run will culminate in this story, the team is going all out with balls to the wall action. Now it seems that the series could be ending to make way for a possible new series written by CM Punk.
Al Ewing talked about Captain America and The Mighty Avengers. His goal is to break as many hearts as possible. As he talked about when the announcement was first made, his story will look at the world crumbling around the team. It's a story told from the readers point of view.
Loki: Agent of Asgard #14-15 will see scores settled between the gods of Asgard in a total war ignited by King Loki. The writer teased a returning element from the Simonson run that will blow readers minds.
Dan Slott in typical fashion played with the crowd by asking if everyone was worried about what will happen post Secret Wars. Jokingly, according to him it's all "GONE!" He'll continue working with amazing team of Mike and Laura Allred on the last days of Silver Surfer. He did drop a few tidbits about the upcoming arc. Surfer will survie in the void and be given the power to recreate the universe. This arc will examine the question about what to do with infinite power.
The group announced Ant-Man: Last Days #1, which goes on sale in August. Scott Lang will be teaming up with a golden age hero we've already seen but don't know the identity of. Last Days of Ant-Man will not be a new series but instead just a one-shot with the creative team of Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas.
You can watch all the C2E2 goodness through lifestream on their website here.
Last Days Panel
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Biserica fortificată din Cincu este închinată Fecioarei Maria și este una dintre cele mai mari bazilici romane situate într-o localitate săsească din România. Prin modul de poziționare a construcției pe o colină aflată între râurile Olt și Hârtibaciu ce prezintă trei laturi foarte abrupte, biserica este considerată o bazilică unicat deoarece apărarea ei se făcea doar pe partea de vest a dealului. Biserica a fost construită în satul Cincu din județul Brașov de către coloniștii germani la mijlocul secolului al XIII-lea.
Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice fortificate din Cincu este înregistrat în lista monumentelor istorice al județului Brașov sub codul LMI BV-II-a-A-11639 având trei obiective principale:
 Biserica evanghelică, sec. XIII,1522, 1694, 1754-1755, 1815, sub codul LMI BV-II-m-A-11639.01;
 Incintă fortificată - fragmente incintă interioară și bastion (vechea Primărie), sec. XIV - XVII, sub codul LMI BV-II-m-A-11639.02;
 Incintă fortificată - fragmente incintă exterioară, încăpere pentru provizii, sec. XVI - XVII, sub codul LMI BV-II-m-A-11639.03.

Localitatea
Așezarea săsească Cincu a devenit într-un timp foarte scurt centrul administrativ al Scaunului Cincului sau Scaunul de Schenck (  ), ea fiind atestată documentar pentru prima dată în 1329. Având o dezvoltare rapidă, în 1474 localitatea a căpătat statutul de târg (oppidum) iar în 1586 organiza deja târgul săptămânal și anual se țineau două iarmaroace. De asemenea, în perioada 1329 - 1474 există mențiuni documentare prin care au apărut breslele cojocarilor, croitorilor și a tâmplarilor din Cincu. Demnă de menționat este competiția care a existat între breasla rotarilor din Cincu și cea similară din Agnita, din anul 1586, când Sigismund Báthory a acordat supremația asupra rotarilor din Agnita celor din Cincu. Similar au câștigat și breasla cizmarilor, alături de care au fost menționate și bresla butnarilor și cea a fierarilor.

La "Muzeul de Istorie Valea Hârtibaciului" din  Agnita se găsește o ladă datată în anul 1653. Este o piesă de o valoare inestimabilă, ea având pe capac stema fostului târg Cincu care prezintă un cap de zimbru ce are o stea între coarne. De asemenea, lada este împodobită cu portrete colorate, steme ale breslelor și unelte folosite de meșteșugari.

Biserica
Biserica evanghelică din Cincu a fost construită în secolul al XIII-lea de către coloniștii germani, după care a fost refăcută în prima jumătate a secolului al XVI-lea în stil gotic și mai apoi în secolul al XVIII-lea. Spre deosebire de multe alte biserici, ea avea un dublu hram, cel al Fecioarei Maria și cel al Sfântului Pavel.

Fiind una dintre cele mai valoroase monumente de arhitectură medievală din Transilvania, biserica găzduiește în interiorul său o serie de colecții de mare valoare:
 colecția de covoare orientale din secolul al XVII-lea - XVIII-lea;
 colecții de embleme și vestigii ale diferitelor bresle și corporații;
 colecții de fragmente murale, strane în stil gotic, epitafuri precum și un potir din secolul al XV-lea și un orologiu de la sfârșitul secolului al XIX-lea.

Biserica prezintă în interior o serie de elemente arhaice prin intermediul cărora specialiștii au datat anul contrucției ca fiind 1265. Aceste elemente se găsesc în mod frecvent la bazilicile romane construite la începutul secolului al XIII-lea. Datarea mai exactă se putea face după frescele murale de interior, care nu au putut fi restaurate de sub văruială. Din analiza materialelor de construcție s-au putut determina diferitele etape de transformare ale bisericii, precum și apariția sau renovarea unora din elementele arhitectonice ce o compun.

Prima atestare documentară a lăcașului de cult se regăsește într-un privilegiu acordat de Matei Corvin în anul 1474 celor care apărau fortificația.

Inițial biserica prezenta trei nave inegale în înălțime care au fost modificate pe parcursul timpului astfel încât în prezent ele sunt aduse toate la același nivel. Navele laterale sunt lungi de 38 metri fiecare și mărginesc turnul de vest de o parte și de alta, acestea fiind mai lungi decât nava centrală cu circa 10 metri. Construcția inițială avea în capetele de est ale navelor laterale două turnuri deschise spre nava centrală și cele laterale prin intermediul unor arcade semicirculare. Turnul clopotniței se află în partea de vest a bisericii și a fost renovat după incendiu, renovare care a  dus la modificarea dimensiunii navei centrale în raport cu cele laterale. Tot acolo se află și tribuna orgii.

Piesa de rezistență a bisericii este altarul care reprezintă necredința apostolului Toma, altarul prezentând o piatră de altar pe care sunt inscripționate cuvintele lui Isus către Toma:

La origine, altarul a fost făcut pentru biserica din Moșna, ulterior el fiind cumpărat de localnicii din Cincu și pictat de un mare maestru sibian al vremii. Membrii comunității din Cincu apar într-una din scenele din partea de jos a altarului, ei fiind reprezentați în costume populare ale ciobanilor autohtoni.

Fortificația
Zidurile care în trecut împrejmuiau fortificația au fost supuse unui lung proces de deteriorare și uzură, proces care a dus la diminuarea înălțimii lor, astăzi la 2 - 3 metri pe trei laturi, pe partea de vest chiar mai puțin. Inițial fortificația avea prevăzute cinci turnuri exterioare de observație și apărare, orientate spre nord, sud, est și nord-est și sud-est. În ziua de azi a mai rămas în picioare doar un turn, cel de sud. De menționat este că în secolul al XIX-lea după ce Turnul Slăninei a fost distrus în anul 1789, comunitatea din Cincu a construit în interiorul fortificației încinte(cămări) cu aceeași destinație.

Bibliografie
Asociația Mioritics cu suportul financiar al Deutsche Welterbe Stiftung:
După texte elaborate de: Vladimir Agrigoroaei, Valentin Sălăgeanu, Luiza Zamora, Laura Jiga Iliescu, Ana Maria Gruia.
După ilustrații executate de: Radu Oltean, Laurențiu Raicu, Florin Jude.
Anghel Gheorghe, Fortificații medievale din piatră, secolele XII-XVI, Cluj Napoca, 1986.
Avram Alexandru, Câteva considerații cu privire la bazilicile scurte din bazinul Hârtibaciului și zona Sibiului, în Revista monumentelor și muzeelor de istorie, 1981, numărul 2.
Crîngaci Maria-Emilia, Bazilici romanice din regiunea Sibiului în Analele Asociației a Tinerilor Istorici din Moldova, Ed. Pontas, Chișinău, 2001.
Dancu Fabrițius Juliana, Cetăți țărănești săsești din Transilvania, în Revista Transilvania, Sibiu, 19.
Hermann Fabini, Atlas der siebenbürgisch-sächsischen Kirchenburgen und Dorfkirchen, Monumenta und AKSL, Hermannstadt-Heidelberg, vol. I 1998, vol. al II-lea 1999, vol al III-lea 2002.
Iambor Petre, Așezări fortificate din Transilvania (sec. IX-XIII), Cluj-Napoca, 2005.
Thomas Nägler, Așezarea sașilor în Transilvania, Editura Kriterion, București, 1992.
Adrian Andrei Rusu, Castelarea carpatica, Editura MEGA, Cluj-Napoca, 2005.
George Oprescu, Bisericile, cetăți ale sașilor din Ardeal, Editura Academiei, București, 1956.
Țiplic Ioan-Marian, Organizarea defensivă a Transilvaniei în evul mediu (secolele X-XIV), Editura Militară, București, 2006.

Legături externe
 Fișa monumentului
Fotografii ale bisericii fotificate din Cincu
Biserica fotificată din Cincu

Note

Biserici fortificate din Transilvania
Biserici cu hramul Sfânta Maria
Biserici evanghelice de confesiune augustană din România
Monumente istorice din județul Brașov


Sie sind hier:UHH > Fakultät BWL > Professur für Marketing & Branding > Team > Carolin Haiduk, M. Sc.
Johnen, M., & C. Haiduk (2018). Will You Stand By Me? – Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Brand Anthropomorphism In The Context Of Consumer Complaints In Social Media. Proceedings of the 47th Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy, Glasgow (Scottland), [no pagination].


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Microreview [TV]: Community S04E01
The Meat
I didn't love Community right off the bat. I watched the first few episodes, concluding that given the show's cast it was a missed opportunity. Friends insisted I give the show a second chance, friends who've never steered me wrong. So, when season two rolled around, I watched a few episodes. Now, gimmickry and parody drove the show. I liked it less. Much less.
I spent last year abroad. Prior to leaving, a friend of mine lent me the first two seasons on DVD. While I was in Belfast during the spring, I watched episode one again. Within a week, I had watched all three seasons. By the time I left Belfast for Spain a month later, I had watched all three seasons three time. I was hooked.
Thursday was therefore a big night for me.
I was disappointed. Simple as that. I didn't want to be. I wanted to love this episode. But I didn't. I laughed a couple of times and genuinely enjoyed the episode's conclusion. But I was disappointed. And here's why.
The heart of Community -- or any sitcom, really -- are the characters. This is why I've enjoyed the show in the past. And this is part of the reason why the season premier was so disappointing. Relatively little time was spent on the characters. Jeff and the Dean got a lot of airtime, as did Abed -- though he didn't do much with it. (Or maybe he did too much. See below.) There was something about Annie and Shirely pulling a prank that was largely pointless. And what the hell is going on with Troy and Britta? I don't know either, because they had all of three minutes screen time.
In general, I don't really care what happens to these characters. I just enjoy watching them interact like a bunch of sociopaths. But we had little of that this week. Instead we got the parodies of our beloved characters from Abed's "happy place," a sitcom in Abed's head where stock characters replace the protagonists -- and, brilliantly, Fred Willard taking on the role of Pierce. This might have worked later on in the season. But it's been a long time -- a very long time -- since we have seen these people. And Abed's depictions of them did not suffice.
One of the reasons I initially bowed out of Community was its gimmickry. After repeat viewings I came to admire and enjoy Harmon's use of genre formulas. Sure these were gimmicks, but they were usually good gimmicks. This week's "show-inside-a-show" device, however, felt tired. It was as if the new team was trying so hard to emulate Harmon that they settled on a formula far too obvious for the show's creator.
I feel like I should be charitable here. I don't want to lay the blame at the feet of the new showrunners, David Guarscio and Moses Port. But, there were three gimmicks on this week's episode. The sitcom in Abed's head, Greendale Babies, and the Hunger Games. It's almost as if they couldn't help themselves, that they wanted so badly to impress us, to earn our trust. Perhaps they were desperate to earn our trust.
So, three gimmicks.
I truly hope that this heavy-handed gimmickry is just one-off event, a misstep by a new team guilty of trying too hard to deliver a season opening spectacular. Maybe they'll come back more subtly -- yes, I realize I used the term "subtle" in a review of Community. I have no particular allegiance to Dan Harmon. I'd like nothing more than another awesome season, hopefully an awesome final season.
Objective Score: 4/10
Bonuses: +1 for it being a new episode of Community; +1 to be charitable
Penalties: -1 for three gimmicks, all of which fell flat
Nerd Coefficient: 5/10
Posted by Philippe Duhart at 12:00:00 AM
Labels: Community, microreview, tv
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The season of goodwill is also the time of year for feasting, with The SoGlos Christmas Cookbook, sponsored by Tivoli Wines, full of delicious recipes and wine suggestions that will impress friends and family throughout December.
Get set for the festive season with The SoGlos Christmas Cookbook.
Christmas time is the perfect excuse to indulge in some delicious food and drink, with The SoGlos Christmas Cookbook, sponsored by Tivoli Wines, featuring tempting seasonal recipes to help you in the kitchen.
You'll also no doubt want to enjoy some tipples come Christmas Day, with Tivoli Wines suggesting the perfect wine pairings to accompany each course of your festive feast.
For expert wine advice for the festive season and beyond, pop into the independent Cheltenham wine emporium where the knowledgeable team are on hand to give tailored suggestions, while you can also sample 32 wines by the glass in its newly launched Wine Library.
For more information, call (01242) 269886, or visit tivoliwines.co.uk directly.
Smoked salmon and seafood are often picked as Christmas Day starters and are a great way of learning about food and wine matching. Smoked salmon is rich and slightly fatty so the perfect wine pairing needs acidity and enough complexity to ensure that it doesn't fade into the background.
Add the richness of shellfish, such as lobster or prawns, and it's got to be Champagne, and there are few better non-vintage options than Charles Heidsieck, which is currently on offer at £38.
If you've already made it past the Champagne, we would recommend a crisp white from the Loire Valley in France, like our old vine Muscadet or any Sancerre.
If we were just talking about a Sunday roast turkey or chicken, we'd just grab a bottle of oaked chardonnay and get on with it. But Christmas dinner, with its varying sides and sauces, make this much trickier.
Our tip is to follow the gravy… a really good white Burgundy or Californian chardonnay would work best with lighter sauces, but porky sausages, stuffing and darker sauces all lead towards red wine.
At the heavier end of the scale, try our Haute Marone Gigondas or any Cairanne for a great value alternative to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or if you prefer perfume and elegance, just buy the best Pinot Noir you can afford. A French Pinot Noir will tend to give you more savoury complexity, whereas countries like the USA or New Zealand will provide more fruit.
We get asked just as much about beef for Christmas Day as we do turkey. Clearly it needs to be red, as white wine tends to get a little lost. The heavier reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape would work well but you could also go for a good left bank Bordeaux such as a Margaux or Pauillac, which blends Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot (amongst others).
For a more intense fruit hit, look for the same grapes from Australia, South Africa or USA. Our pick would be Glenelly's Red Estate blend from Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Everyone automatically associates red wine with cheese. We won't usually argue with the idea that you should just drink the wine you like with the food you like, but generally these two just don't work together.
Keep back some full-bodied white, switch to port, preferably Tawny, which has a slightly less overwhelming dark fruitiness than vintage port, or go for a sweet white, like Sauternes from Bordeaux in France. The contrast of a sweet Sauternes with a salty Stilton is simply awesome!
The golden rule is simple, make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert. Don't forget that you're at the end of a heavy meal and more wine might be the last thing you want.
You can always move onto the spirits afterwards but if you insist, go with the flavours. Lighter trifles need lighter dessert wines, again something like Sauternes or its French neighbours Monbazillac and Barsac. Christmas pudding is full of dark, dried fruit, so follow its lead with the date and prune flavoured Pedro Ximénez Sherry.
Ross & Ross Food's Brussel Sprout dust has been created to transform the humble vegetable into an irresistible side dishes that no one will complain about come Christmas Day!
Ginger, garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, cardamon and paprika have been combined together to create a delicious Indian flavoured dust to cook with the sprouts. Trust us, your guests will be coming back for more. The Sprout Dust is available from rossandrossfood.co.uk.
1. Trim Brussels sprouts, parboil in salted water for around five minutes.
2. Drain and cut in half lengthways.
3. Heat pan on stove with a dash of oil, add the sprouts, butter and dust.
4. Toss, then dust again and cook for around five minutes before serving.
There's nothing like a roast ham to treat guests to on Boxing Day, with Ross & Ross Food's Roast Ham Glaze adding an extra special twist on the classic seasonal favourite.
The glazes uses Habanero chillies, which have a deep, hot chilli taste, that's balanced out with the sweetness of pineapple and peppers to create a delicious sticky coating for meat that's brimming with flavour. The Roast Ham Glaze is available from rossandrossfood.co.uk.
1. Soak the ham for 12 to 24 hours in cold water. Change the water every four hours or so.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the ham and remaining ingredients.
3. Boil for 20 mins per 500g, skimming any impurities as you go. Remove from the water and peel of the skin. Leave some fat on and then leave to rest.
4. Heat oven to 200°C.
5. Score the fat with crosses and stud with cloves. Cover with some of the glaze.
6. Place the ham in a roasting tray with a little bit of water in the bottom of the tray.
7. Roast for 30 minutes. Basting and applying more glaze every 10 minutes ensuring it doesn't burn.
8. Rest for 30 minutes. Serve straight away or allow to cool.
Julian Effenberger, head chef at Cheltenham eatery, The Find, shares his favourite festive recipe that makes a great alternative to turkey or is perfect for a Christmas Eve or Boxing Day feast.
The pork belly is slowly braised and then pan-fried to get a thin and crispy crackling, which when teamed with his partner's orange and date stuffing, is transformed into a real show stopper that will definitely impress guests.
1. Preheat your oven gas mark 8, fan 200°C.
2. In a deep oven dish place all of the ingredients for the mulled cider and the flat belly, skin side up. Cover with tin foil and put in the oven at gas mark 8, fan 200°C for 10min, then turn down the oven to gas mark 3, fan 150°C and cook for a further two hours.
3. Once the pork is cooked, drain the liquid through a sieve in a saucepan; this will be used to make your gravy once thickened, either with corn flour or with your favourite gravy powder.
4. Leaving the pork in the dish, place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the pork and place another empty dish on top of it and press, this will allow the skin to flatten and the pork to have a more regular shape.
5. Meanwhile, make the stuffing by placing all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Shape the stuffing into little balls, say the size of a large marble, pan fry with butter on medium heat for 10min, until brown all over.
6. Now portion your pork by slicing it width ways into the desired number of portions. In a heated oiled pan on medium heat, carefully place the pork skin down and immediately cover with a lid as the fat will splatter! Leave for seven minutes until the skin becomes crispy.
7. Serve with garlic and rosemary roast potatoes, buttered carrots, honey and mustard parsnips and wilted baby green cabbage.
Hobbs House Bakery's Tom Herbert, one half of The Fabulous Baker Brothers, was inspired by his wife's aunt's recipe to create these delicious mince pies, which feature orange-infused short crust pastry and a fluffy cream cheese and almond topping.
The recipe, which serves 12, is perfect for whipping up before inviting friends over for mulled wines and festive nibbles, or to enjoy by the fireside on the chilly days between Christmas and New Year.
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/450°F/Gas 8.
2. Take a 12-hole deep muffin tin – if you have an old tin then lightly grease it, however if you're using a non-stick tin you don't need too.
3. Roll the pastry to 3mm thick then zest one of the oranges over half the pastry. Fold the other half of the pastry over the top then press down lightly.
4. Roll the pastry to 3mm thick then stamp out rounds 2cm larger than the holes of the bun tin. Press each disc gently into the bun tin, making sure that it doesn't tear.
5. Mix the mincemeat with 25g of the flaked almonds, then add the cranberries, chopped ginger, spices and zest of the second orange, then mix once more until really well mixed.
6. Place spoonfuls of mincemeat into each pastry disc, filling to about two thirds full.
7. Whisk the cream cheese, 3 tbsp of orange juice and the icing sugar together until smooth and creamy. Taste to check for sweetness, adding more orange juice and sugar if necessary.
8. Place a spoonful of the cream cheese mix on top of the mincemeat then scatter over the flaked almonds.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
10. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin – best served warm.
Tip – if you're cooking these and then having some the next day, they're best placed back in a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp back up.
If you want to skip dessert or just fancy serving your guests a little something sweet with their after-dinner coffee, then there's nothing like homemade truffles to hit the spot.
This recipe from Harts Barn Cookery School offers a boozy twist on classic dark chocolate truffles and is perfect if you know that you're going to be hosting fans of gin!
1. Place glass bowl over a saucepan of water making sure the bowl is not touching the water.
2. Place the chocolate and cream in the bowl and whisk together.
3. Heat the water to simmering point and allow the chocolate mix to melt.
4. Add the gin, tonic, lime juice, zest and butter to the mix and whisk. Chill in the fridge for up to three hours.
5. Roll the mix into truffle size balls and place onto a tray lined with baking parchment.
6. Place tray in the freezer for 30 minutes.
7. Melt some white chocolate. Place each truffle into the white chocolate and then place back on the tray.
8. Sprinkle some of the lime zest over the white chocolate and let set.


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Home Business Dangote Cement shines in 72.70% H1 Profit ''show stopper''
Dangote Cement shines in 72.70% H1 Profit ''show stopper''
Michel Puchercos, Dangote Cement new MD
Dangote Cement has beat industry expectations once again by growing its profit by 72.70 per cent for the half year ended June 2021.
Details show that the group also raked in profit before tax of N281.25billion in H1 2021 as against N162.85billion in 2020. The company's profit after tax also surged to N191.63billion, representing a 51 per cent increase over the N126.14billion it had recorded in the corresponding period in 2020.
The highly impressive performance was driven by a surge in revenue attributed to rise in volume of sales. At the close of the period, the Group's revenue grew 44.8 per cent to N690.5 billion in 2021 from N476.85billion in 2020. While sales rose 26.1 per cent, cost of sales expanded by 36.40 per cent to N276.1 billion.
Looking more critically at the company's books, its operating expenses however increased by 14.07 per cent to N118.28 billion.
Analysts at CORDROS Securities limited said,
''On an annualized basis, the company's H1-21 EPS is 37.7% ahead of the 2020FY EPS of NGN16.24 and 29.6% above our 2021E EPS forecast of NGN17.26. The growth in EPS was driven mainly by an impressive topline growth and higher FX gains, both of which neutered the impact of elevated cost pressures and the surge in tax charge.''
The analysts also noted that, ''Given the high inflationary and exchange rate pressures in the economy, we are impressed that the company delivered another remarkable performance. We also like that the company has completed its 3MTA Okpella plant in Edo State (to be commissioned in Q3-21). We believe economies of scale associated with the additional capacity will help in shielding EBITDA margins in Nigerian operations from cost pressures emanating from the recent alignment of the official rate to the I & E window rate. We expect upward consensus review to forecasts given the impressive run rate as at H1-21."
The leading cement maker in the country at the moment, Dangote Cement Plc paid N40.39 billion in taxation to the nation's treasury from its operational result in the first quarter of 2021, the company said.
In a statement, the cement manufacturer cited its published financial result on Friday, April 30, 2021, stating that the amount is due from corporate tax for the period ended March 31, 2021. Significantly, the taxation amount is 47.3 per cent higher this quarter than the N27.42bn paid in Q1 2020.
Dangote Cement currently pays over N240 million Value Added Tax (VAT) daily to the government, making it one of the biggest private-sector taxpayers, the statement also underscored.
According to the company, it opted to provide funding for the construction of major roads in Lagos and Kogi states. "The roads are the critical Lagos Apapa Port road leading to the old toll gate and the Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba road straddling Kogi and Kwara states."
According to the report, the company also ramped up its production capacity in the Obajana Line 5 and resumed production at the Gboko plant to meet rising demands.
The firm also increased the total volume of cement sold in Q1 2021 from its Nigerian operations to 4.9 metric tonnes (MT) compared to the 4MT sold in Q1 2020. Its pan-African operations also sold 2.6MT of cement compared to 2.3MT in the first quarter of last year.
Commenting on the financial result, Dangote Cement GMD/Chief Executive Officer, Michel Puchercos, said the company started the first quarter of 2021 on a positive note with N89.7bn profit after tax.
"We took the strategic decision to pause our clinker exports to ensure we meet the rapid volume growth in the Nigerian domestic market. We are improving the output of our existing and new assets and aim to recommence clinker exports in the second quarter.
"Our Pan-Africa operations have reached new heights, with an EBITDA margin of 25.5 per cent and volume growth of 12.8% reported during the quarter."
Recently, Dangote Cement Plc said it has successfully issued N50 billion Series 1 fixed rate senior unsecured bonds under its new N300 billion multi-instrument issuance programme.
The cement giant noted that the bond recorded participation from a wide range of investors including domestic pension funds, asset managers, insurance companies and high net-worth investors despite market headwinds.
The company explained that the proceeds of the bond would be deployed for the company's expansion projects, short-term debt refinancing and working capital requirements.
"This bond issuance allows us to move a step further in achieving our expansion objectives and will be deployed to projects instrumental in supporting our export strategy while improving our cost competitiveness.
"We thank the investor community for their continued support in the management of Dangote Cement and their successful participation in the bond issuance".
The notice also stated that the company has registered a programme enabling it to consider different types of fixed income instruments to cater for different types of investors aside the first issuance of a traditional bond under the new multi-instruments programme.
The company disclosed that the bond would be listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and FMDQ Securities Exchange with Absa Capital Markets Nigeria acting as lead issuing house for the series 1 bond.
The bonds were issued on May 26, 2021 at coupon rates of 11.25 per cent, 12.50 percent and 13.50 per cent for the three tranches.
Also, Stanbic IBTC Capital, Standard Chartered Capital & Advisory Nigeria Limited, United Capital Plc, FBN Quest Merchant Bank, FCMB Capital Markets, Coronation Merchant Bank, Ecobank Development Corporation Nigeria, Futureview Financial Services, Meristem Capital Limited, Rand Merchant Bank, Quantum Zenith Capital and Vetiva Capital Management are joint issuing houses.
Dangote Cement Plc is sub-Saharan Africa's largest cement producer with an installed capacity of 48.6Mta capacity across 10 African countries. It operates a fully integrated 'quarry-to-customer' business with activities covering manufacturing, sales and distribution of cement and maintains a production capacity of 32.3Mta in its home market, Nigeria.
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