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The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network. The series starred William Russell as the eponymous Sir Lancelot, a Knight of the Round Table in the time of King Arthur at Camelot.

In the United States, it was originally broadcast on NBC from 1956 to 1957. Its success on the network led to it becoming the first British television series to have entire episodes filmed in colour, with the last fourteen of the thirty half-hour episodes being shot on colour stock, although they were seen in colour only in the US. (Although the BBC's 1954 TV series Zoo Quest pre-dated The Adventures of Sir Lancelot use of colour film stock by two years, this was only for the location work whilst the studio links were captured by monochrome video cameras).

As was common with other British television series of the time, the programme employed several American screenwriters who had moved to Britain after being placed on the Hollywood blacklist, often under pseudonyms. These included Ian McLellan Hunter, Hy Kraft and Ring Lardner Jr. The series was made at Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames.

Cast and characters
William Russell as Sir Lancelot (30 episodes)
Cyril Smith as Merlin (24 episodes)
Ronald Leigh-Hunt as King Arthur (22 episodes)
Bruce Seton as King Arthur (Episodes 1-3 only)
Robert Scroggins as Brian (Lancelot's squire) (22 episodes)
David Morrell as Sir Kay & others (21 episodes)
Jane Hylton as Queen Guinevere (14 episodes)
Derren Nesbitt (credited as Derry Nesbitt) as Sir Tristan & others (14 episodes)

Broadcast history
The series debuted in the UK on Saturday 15 September 1956, on London weekend ITV franchise holder ATV, and on the NBC network in the United States nine days later.  The last episode was shown on 20 April 1957 in the UK and 16 September 1957 on NBC. It later transferred networks in the US to ABC, who repeated the episodes from October 1957 to September 1958.

Episodes
Air dates are for ATV London; ITV regions varied date and order.

Home release
The complete series of 30 episodes was released as a DVD boxed set in the UK by Network DVD in 2004. Of the 14 episodes made in colour, only 12 are presented in colour for financial reasons. The other two colour episodes ('The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Missing Princess') are taken from black and white prints. In the US, the series was released as a DVD boxed set on 19 August 2008 by The Timeless Media Group with 14 episodes presented in colour, taken from US public domain prints.

See also
List of early colour TV shows in the UK

References

Thompson, Raymond H. (1991) "Television Series". In Lacy, Norris J. (Ed.), The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, pp. 445–446. New York: Garland. .
Vahimagi, Tise (1994). British Television: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford. Oxford University Press / British Film Institute. .

External links

Episode guide at The Historical Adventure Series Guide website.

1950s British drama television series
1956 British television series debuts
Television series based on Arthurian legend
Television series by ITC Entertainment
ITV television dramas
NBC original programming
1957 British television series endings
British adventure television series
Black-and-white British television shows
English-language television shows

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Pro Musics is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN # 237034927. All gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law, and are promptly acknowledged in writing.


The CLEMENCE has a chill sweet vibe to complete any look. It features a straight suede burgundy visor and 5 side panel floral crown. The back is designed with an adjustable leather strap back closure for a customized and snug fit. A unisex design made for boys and girls.


Pride. It's been called one of the deadly sins.
But what if pride holds the key to human success and flourishing?
Well, that's the argument my guest makes in her book, Take Pride. Her name is Jessica Tracy, and she's a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. Today on the show Jessica and I discuss why pride gets a bad rap, the different kinds of pride that exist, and how feeling the good kind of pride is essential to growth, development, and even cooperation. We also discuss how men and women experience and express pride differently.
Do men lean more towards hubristic or authentic pride?
Take Pride is a highly engaging book with some great insights and tips on how to get the most out of authentic pride without falling prey to the downsides of the hubristic kind. If you enjoyed our series on male status or charisma, you'll find a lot of the research we looked to in those articles summarized nicely in this book.
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You're tired of taking directions from your boss so you have decided you are ready to take your future in your own hands and start your own low cost franchise. Choosing a low cost franchise in an industry that will be around for many years to come is essential to your success. One such industry is the commercial cleaning industry, an industry that many economists have called recession-proof. Starting a franchise can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to owning a business. Your first question should be what type of company will work best for you and meet all of your needs?
Some questions that you should ask yourself when researching different franchises are: Do you trust in the company? If you don't trust the company then it doesn't matter how good their low cost franchise option is, you will never be able to put all of your faith in them. How long has the company in question been in business? What do the other franchise owners have to say about the company? Are there any reviews that you can find online? What type of training and support do they give their franchisees? Asking questions will help guide you in the direction of where you want to be and give you a clear picture of what type of franchise you want to own.
When you decide to enter into a low cost franchise with Jani-King you are joining 40 years of success, 12000 franchises, the first company to offer commercial cleaning franchises, and part of a $100 billion industry. So when deciding which company you would like to own a low cost franchise with, be sure you look at Jani-King.


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Transport, Cruises
Carnival Lowers Full-Year Forecast as Hurricane Season Looms
Hannah Sampson, Skift
Carnival's shares took a beating Monday after the company lowered its forecast for the full year. Executives pointed out the reason was a hit from fuel and currency, not a lack of demand. That said, they (and the rest of the travel industry) could really use a quiet hurricane season this year.
— Hannah Sampson
Last year's deadly hurricane season continues to be a drag for the world's largest cruise company — which is not great news, considering this year's season is already under way.
Carnival Corp. on Monday said during an earnings call that cumulative bookings for the Caribbean on North American brands are behind last year's levels at lower prices.
"Given the negative news flow from Puerto Rico, the hurricane impact continues to affect the Southern Caribbean itinerary," David Bernstein, Carnival's chief financial officer, told analysts. He said the lower prices are driven primarily by itineraries out of San Juan, where Carnival Cruise Line bases a ship and sources many passengers. The company is seeing improving trends in the Eastern Caribbean, he said.
The comments came as the cruise operator trumpeted record performance for the second fiscal quarter, which ended May 31. Revenue increased from $3.9 billion in 2017 to $4.4 billion this year, while net income jumped from $379 million during the second quarter a year ago to $561 million this year. Carnival Corp. owns nine brands around the world, including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises.
Net revenue yields, or the amount of money spent per berth per day, increased 4.8 percent on a constant currency basis, more than expected. And the 3.6 percent increase in net cruise costs was lower than expected.
But citing the impact of currency exchange rates and rising fuel prices, the company lowered its forecast for the full year to adjusted earnings per share of $4.15–$4.25, compared to an earlier forecast of $4.20–$4.40.
That prompted the stock price to dive; Carnival shares closed at $58.54, down nearly 8 percent from the previous close.
Felicia Hendrix, an analyst with Barclays, addressed the drop during a question-and-answer session: "Throughout this conference call … your stock keeps going down," she said. "Is there anything you'd like to say?"
Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald was optimistic, highlighting the opportunities he sees for the industry and the company.
"I think the business is super strong," he said. "We just had a record quarter. We look ahead. Things look very good. There's little dynamics in one market or another."
When another analyst mentioned the year being negatively affected by the Caribbean, Donald took a defensive stance.
"I just want to emphasize to everyone, we're growing in the Caribbean. We're generating more earnings in the Caribbean, and we're growing generally more earnings everywhere else in the world, too," he said. "So on a relative growth basis, yes, the Caribbean might be weaker on yield than some other markets. But overall, we're growing earnings, and there's no weakness in the business."
China, which was weighing on results last year, is a stronger market this year, Donald said. Despite that, he said he doesn't foresee a short-term "dramatic increase" in capacity there.
"The reason is not so much because of China, but because of the demand everywhere else in the world," he said. "There's large addressable markets everywhere in the world that are under-penetrated, including the United States. And so the ships are needed to continue to grow and serve the market demand that we've been creating over the past several years."
In a note to investors, Morningstar analyst Jaime Katz wrote that the change in Carnival's forecast appears to be out of the company's control. And she noted that ticket and onboard revenue for the second quarter were "stellar," indicating strong demand.
"While some concern continues to linger surrounding close-in Caribbean bookings given last year's aggressive hurricane season and its impact on key ports like San Juan, we don't think the commentary surrounding demand for cruising warrants excessive worry," she wrote. "Carnival noted that since March, booking volumes for the forward three quarters have been slightly ahead at prices that have been in line with the year-ago
period. Given the strong booking cadence pre-2018 hurricane season, this still implies that the cruise business continues to attract consumers at a healthy pace and that demand for the product is not waning."
Tags: carnival corp., cruise, hurricane season
Photo Credit: Carnival Conquest is shown returning to San Juan in November of 2017. Parent company Carnival Corp. said itineraries sailing out of the Puerto Rican port have been struggling. Carnival Cruise Line
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Cruising's Pollution Problem Won't Be Solved Any Time Soon
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wow. This is a keeper. This one is for real. The one thing to know is that it does honestly take 2.25 hours and it's not a good candidate to convert to a slow cooker recipe because it requires you to baste it every 15 minutes toward the end. But, if you have a long afternoon at home and you don't mind almost eating your own hand because the smell of this makes you so hungry, then you've got to make this recipe.
I'm proud of you, Baby!
So if your significant other keeps hassling about why you own that giant, heavy pot, you make this recipe.
Side note: J loved this one. He ate it up like it was cheese crackers and applesauce. For real.
Ending November on a High Note!
Well, sort of. The recipe is delicious. But once again, the recipe is not online. Thanks November!
Get out your biggest pot (I used my 7.5 qt dutch oven – 4 lbs of onions take up a lot of space!). Heat the butter and the olive oil over medium, then add your onions and garlic and season them with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the onions have softened, be sure to stir occasionally so the onions on top get cooked down a bit too. Then uncover and continue to cook until the onions have caramelized and turned a nice golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. The recipes says to add 1/4 water if the pot gets too dry, I did this. I scraped up the brown bits of goodness on the bottom in the process.
When your onions are caramelized, add the Marsala or port (I used Marsala) and cook until the liquid reduces. Stir in the broths and two additional cups of water. Check your seasoning again and add more salt if necessary.
One word of warning. Four pounds of onions will make you cry. A lot. You will also cry when your lovely soup is gone in a few hours. This was technically a Freeze It recipe… Oh well. Enjoy!
And get ready to welcome in December!!!


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How state Senate seat was won by John Moorlach
State Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa
By Keegan Kyle and Martin Wisckol | Orange County Register
John Moorlach and Don Wagner each held their home turf in the March 17 special election for state Senate, yet Moorlach won by 6 percentage points thanks to a greater depth of support in his strongholds, a Register analysis shows.
For instance, Moorlach received 2,996 more votes in his hometown of Costa Mesa while Wagner won by just 336 votes in his hometown of Irvine. State Senate District 37 is roughly split between the area Moorlach formerly represented as a county supervisor and the area Wagner currently represents as an assemblyman.
Experts agreed that Moorlach's superior name identification at the outset of the campaign was primarily responsible for the outcome, despite his campaign being outspent by more than 3-1. Nearly $1 million altogether was poured into the race between the two Republicans with nearly identical policy positions.
"As a supervisor and treasurer, Moorlach was far more in the media than Wagner" in the two decades leading up to the race, said Scott Lay, who runs the Sacramento political website AroundTheCapitol.com. There are indications that Moorlach's more spartan campaign may have done a better job strategically, but that was a secondary factor.
"I think it was mostly name ID," Lay said.
Moorlach first made headlines when he predicted the county's 1994 bankruptcy and continued to be in the news after becoming county treasurer in 1995. And his work as county supervisor from 2006 through 2014 brought Moorlach more media attention than Wagner's efforts in the Assembly, where the Irvine attorney is a minority member of a relatively distant, 80-person chamber.
According to internal polling cited by the Wagner campaign, Moorlach had a 63 percent to 34 percent advantage in name recognition among likely voters on Jan. 30, a margin Wagner was unable to overcome despite spending vastly more money.
By Election Day, Wagner had amassed $494,000 to Moorlach's $185,000. Additionally, PACs spent $253,000 in independent expenditures on Wagner's behalf, while Moorlach got just $25,000 of such help.
Ineffective campaigning by Wagner may have contributed to Moorlach's win. In their effort to diminish Moorlach's name recognition advantage, Wagner and his allies attacked Moorlach relentlessly in mailers and automated phone calls.
"It is possible the voters may have been punishing Wagner for the negative mail," said Fred Smoller, a Chapman University political scientist. "The ton of money spent by Wagner on negative mail may have hurt him."
Wagner consultant Jason Cabel Roe has downplayed the impression held by Smoller and others that their campaign was more negative than Moorlach's, pointing to the name identification as the primary reason for the outcome.
"While the Wagner campaign had a 3-1 spending advantage, it was difficult to catch up to Moorlach's advantages in a race with only 14 percent turnout in just 62 days," Roe wrote in a campaign analysis on FlashReport.org.
But Tim Clark, Moorlach's campaign consultant, said separate strategies for different parts of the Senate district contributed to the margin of victory.
"Because we had limited funds, we had to slice and dice our mailers very carefully," Clark said. He noted that in the areas Moorlach previously represented, there was a big push was to use volunteers to call those voting by mail. Mail voters would account for 86 percent of all ballots cast.
"In John's (former) district … we paid special attention there to push the (mail) vote as high as we could," Clark said. "Our absentees delivered stronger votes there than Wagner's did in his district."
The Moorlach campaign mailed most heavily to "jump ball" areas that were in neither of the two candidates' districts. That helped Moorlach win Laguna Beach as well as some Irvine precincts outside Wagner's Assembly district.
While Wagner won in four of the six cities in his Assembly district, Moorlach won in the other two, Anaheim and Villa Park. He may have been helped in the parts of Anaheim in the Senate district – including Anaheim Hills – by prominently using Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait's endorsements in mail and phone calls there.
The sole "jump ball" city won by Wagner was Laguna Woods. UC Irvine political scientist Mark Petracca said Wagner may have been helped in Laguna Woods and other southern parts of the Senate District by his 1998 to 2010 stint on the South Orange County Community College District.
"So he had name recognition in the southern part of the 37th Senate District," Petracca said. "I certainly think his prior electoral service may explain why he did better in Laguna Woods."
Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com
Martin Wisckol | Reporter
Martin Wisckol covers coastal environment and development. Previously, he spent two decades as politics reporter and columnist for the Orange County Register. He's also held reporting positions in Miami, Jacksonville, Detroit and his hometown of San Diego, with an emphasis on land use and urban planning. He is a lifelong surfer and has spent most of his life on the coast. His work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Headliner Awards, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Florida Press Club and the American Planning Association Florida Chapter.
Follow Martin Wisckol @MartinWisckol
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel wins a fourth term during OC winter meeting


Pass on a free e-book with your contact details inside. Encourage others to add it to their websites and offer your branded e-book to everyone. As part of your introduction include your website and a message stating that the e-book is free and is to be passed along, so long as nothing is changed or altered. This includes your bio, contact information and links to your site. Cannot write? No problem. There are thousands of books available for you to co-brand and start your viral trail.
To maximize your online presence you have to go offline and bring foot traffic to the web as targeted web traffic. Here are a few low cost offline marketing techniques that will give you added visibility and translate to a more powerful web presence. Turn your automobile into a mini billboard. Place bumper stickers and magnet signs on your vehicle. Leave a business card wherever possible. One suggestion is to leave it with your tip at a restaurant. Hang flyers on high traffic bulletin boards, be sure to leave a pull tab. Change your body into a walking billboard for your opportunity and products instead of someone else's. How often do you promote Nike, Polo, Guess, or a professional sports team? Start promoting yourself and get your clothes embroidered. It does not have to be anything fancy, a good descriptive url will work.
About the author: Jason Paris is an internet entrepreneur, a leader in the Robert G Allen Mentors to Wealth Team, and a Mastermind group participant with Mentoring for Free.
Looking for a way to increase traffic to your web site? More traffic to you web site can increase sales and advertising revenue. Once your web site is completed, the actual costs of running the web site are very minimal.
Link Exchanges also known as "Reciprocal Links" are an arrangement made by two webmasters to agree to add each others link on their website. Most link exchanges are done through a text link, but they can also be done through banners.
How many ways can you get free web site traffic? Who knows, but here are some to get you started. Hopefully there will be one or two ways here that you haven't yet tried.
It's pretty well-known that one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website is to post in various forums and leave your signature that includes a link to your site. While its true that this is a very good way to generate web traffic, how do you focus on the forums that yield the highest amount of qualified traffic?With so many new sites coming online everyday, there is even greater opportunity for driving web traffic and increasing revenue.


Look around any gym or studio and you'll quickly understand why more than 21 million Americans are turning to their mats to practice meditation and mindfulness, according to the Yoga Journal.
Although yoga is practiced throughout the country, several major cities stand out as yoga capitals, with each honing a particular style and culture of their own. Below are America's major yoga capitals and what you should know about them before visiting.
The same city known for its hustle and bustle is also one of America's biggest yoga capitals, with teachers going above and beyond the customary 200-hour training programs and aiming for 10,000 hours instead. With a population of 8.4 million people, NYC has an amazing collection of yoga studios with different styles and unique teachers.
In customary NYC fashion, yoga opportunities expand over different horizons, including dance infused yoga at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center and even a naked vinyasa at the Bold & Naked studio. If you're driving to NYC, be sure to brush up on the latest traffic laws and safe-driving practices to maintain your zen while en route to yoga.
Denver's fair weather and high elevation attracts athletes worldwide who prefer to train at higher altitudes to create more red blood cells in their bodies, allowing them to perform at peak performance levels during competitions and games.
As a result, the yoga style revolves strongly around the athletic community. Denver is home to some of the country's most challenging classes, which push the practice of yoga to the next level. One of the most challenging classes, Tigress, is offered at Endorphin Studios, with students experiencing a three-hour, high-level yoga class.
The Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, has been a trendsetter within the yoga community for years now. You notice the importance of yoga in the Bay Area as soon as your plane touches down at San Francisco International Airport. It's the first airport with a yoga studio and is open to any visitors who need to unwind.
In addition, popular tech companies, including Google Samsung, house yoga studios for their employees to take advantage of during downtime. The Bay Area has always pushed the limits of conventional yoga, introducing the practice in unusual locales and even creating fusion studios like the Yoga Tree, which offers classes in Jivamukti, Iyengar, Forrest, Mysore and Hatha.
The Emerald City is just one of five cities with Yoga to the People, a donation-based yoga studio, which makes the art of yoga accessible to everyone who wishes to practice. When the weather allows, there is also yoga in the park and hiking-yoga expeditions at low cost to participants and open to yogis of all ages.
Yoga is introduced to children at a young age, including accessibility at school, festivals at various museums and even while children are still in the womb, as many studios offer prenatal (and postnatal) yoga. Seattle's yoga style is all about inclusion, and the community strives to make yoga available to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.


Every other month, the New Beauty TestTube comes out with a great variety of beauty samples, both full and deluxe sizes. You can get everything from makeup to haircare to skincare. I've found a lot of favorite products through this subscription and this month was another great selection!
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum sample | Full size 30ml $162 | This serum reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while neutralizing damaging free radicals that harm skin. It contains vitamins C and E as well as ferulic acid which strengthen skin to protect against things like damaging sun rays and pollution.
Pur~lisse Blue Lotus Eye Serum .24 oz | Full size .5 oz $65 | I'm already a huge fan of pur~lisse so I was excited to see this serum included this month. I have another sample of it from another subscription service so it's already a part of my beauty routine! It absorbs quickly and feels very nourishing under the eyes. I use this even when I'm not wearing makeup to keep my under eye area smooth and bright.
Dr Brandt Needles No More .085 oz | Full size .5 oz $89 | This wrinkle relaxer instantly smooths lines on the forehead and around the mouth and nose. This is a small sample but as with most Dr. Brandt products, I'm sure a little goes a long way. I don't have a lot of fine lines right now, but I'll definitely hold on to this sample!
Peter Coppola Blow Out Spray 2 fl oz | Full size 6 fl oz $24 | TestTubes came with either this spray or a Hairspray by Peter Coppola. I love the multi-purpose blow out spray because it smooths and protects at the same time. This would be ideal whether I straighten my hair or use a diffuser and wear it wavy. It also smells great which is a bonus!
Avene Thermal Spring Water | Travel size 1.76 oz $9 | This hydrating mist contains spring water with trace minerals that help reduce irritation and soothe skin. It can help with itching and hypersensitivity due to dry skin or even sunburn. You can apply it multiple times a day for a refreshing mist. I've been enjoying skin mists first thing in the morning after I wash my face. It's a quick boost of moisture that helps perk up my skin to start the day.
Lumen Bright Now Vitamin C Day Cream .5 oz | Full size 1.7 fl oz $19.99 | I believe this cream was included in a TestTube last year, but it's obviously a great product to have once again! This cream will provide a luminous finish for a brighter, healthier looking complexion. It has absolutely no parabens, mineral oils or synthetic colors so you know what you're putting on your skin. A great complexion booster for this time of year when you may want to wear a little less makeup.
Obliphica Professional Seaberry Hair Serum .5 fl oz | Full size 65 ml $38 | Hair serum is something I use after every single shower. This serum however, can be used on wet or dry hair! I love that because I've recently been into some dry oils that can be applied to dry hair without getting really greasy. Sometimes you need an extra boost of smoothness even after styling. This is already coming in handy to tame my wavy hair on extra frizzy days.
Wilma Schumann Hydra-Gel Masque (1) | Full size 4 masks $39 | I almost didn't see this mask at the bottom of the box because it didn't fit in the TestTube due to its size! This mask comes flat and is thoroughly saturated with skin-loving ingredients such as rosewater, hyaluronic acid, grapeseed extracts, aloe vera and deep see soil. I'll look forward to a night of hydration thank to this mask... and of course the refreshing rose scent!
Hado Lobo Moisturizer | Full size $17.99 | I have seen this brand on Ulta's website and almost ordered this product so many times! This is definitely one of my favorite products this month. It has hyaluronic acid and is lightweight and fragrance free, perfect for my oily, sensitive skin. I saw that this could even be applied over makeup, which I may not try, but I thought it was interesting.
Rituals Magic Touch body cream in Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk 2.3 fl oz | Full size 6.7 fl oz $29 | This body cream is my absolute favorite product this month. The scent is very soft and sweet which is exactly what I love this time of year. The cream itself is incredibly smooth and lightweight due to its whipped texture. It leaves skin feeling silky and nourished without leaving any residue behind. Overall, a great body cream for spring and summer.


A veteran of negotiating in such troubled areas as Cyprus, and the Middle East, Louise Diamond has spearheaded a new kind of diplomacy, one that emphasizes a community approach towards solution. A reflective voice in an often grim and crazed environment, Diamond talks to David Freudberg about how our world is awakening to the possibilities of peace and what each person's responsibility is to the larger good. Relating her many experiences both internationally and personally, Diamond gives equal time to the difficult but ultimate necessity of conflict resolution in our world today. Join this conversation about humankind's great potential for living together harmoniously.
How does the way we see ourselves change the way we view conflict?
What can we learn by trying to understand the "opposing" side and how does it help to resolve conflict?
How can developing relationships and listening to the other side in a conflict help melt barriers and build peace?
How can we create a lasting peace in our communities?
How does what we teach our children determine how long a conflict lasts?


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Home Feature Weather to fly: the Top End
Weather to fly: the Top End
© Johannes Gerhardus Swanepoel | Dreamstime.com
Northern Australia is a tempting yet tough environment for aviation, where a scattered population depends on aircraft in the way the people in the southern cities depend on buses and trains. There is also the northern Australian specialty of helicopter mustering.
The constant demand for aviation services makes it a drawcard for young pilots looking to build hours and experience. Some arrive with as little as 200 hours in their logbooks, and little exposure to commercial operations.
Distinctively, and temptingly for the young pilot, VFR charter services form a sizeable proportion of flying hours.
Yet at the same time it is no place for an inexperienced pilot. Thunderstorms, heavy rain and reduced visibility are just some of the hazards that visual flight rules pilots face during a typical wet season in the Top End of Australia.
The hazards are concentrated in the wet season that begins at the start of November and finishes at the end of April. The wet season sees the majority of Darwin's 1700 mm average rainfall occur. Nearly 1600 mm of Cairn's 1987 mm annual rainfall happens in the wet with the heavens cascading about 400 mm a month from January to March. (Melbourne's annual rainfall, for comparison, is about 650 mm) Wet season rains tend to fall in heavy, short bursts which cool and rejuvenate the land and its ecosystems.
Temperatures also increase, typically ranging from a minimum of 25 degrees to a maximum of 33 degrees with increased humidity levels. The build-up months of October and early November are infamous for their combination of heat and humidity.
CASA recently hosted a safety seminar and webinar in Darwin to highlight the features of Top End weather that VFR pilots need to know about.
For the webinar, CASA aviation safety advisor, Tim Penney, was joined by the Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Harry Burns-Fabb and director/instructor Cameron Marchant of local training organisation Flight Standards Darwin.
Brandon Morgan | Unsplash
The trio identified four key aspects of Top End flying in the wet.
Darwin and the west coast of the Top End see about 80 thunder days every year. During the wet season, the south-eastern airflow that brings dry weather to northern Australia in the 'winter' months breaks down, Burns-Fabb says. 'That allows humidity to build up from the north with the result being thunderstorms, tropical cyclones and associated hazards.'
Thunderstorms become regular in the Top End by November, and daily by late November/early December. Monsoonal conditions and tropical cyclones typically arrive early in the new year, although tropical cyclone season formally runs from November to April.
Thunderstorms rise in the afternoon due to surface heating, which causes heated air to rise from over the ground. This rising air produces cumulus clouds which in the wet season develop into towering cumulus.
Over the sea the development of thunderstorms is reversed. Thunderstorms over the sea are more common in the evening when they develop because of the cooling of cloud tops after sundown. The cooling means the warmer air at the bottom of the cloud rises, creating thunderstorms.
Thunderstorm hazards
When you get thunderstorms, you get precipitation. That brings low visibility conditions and low cloud in the vicinity of the thunderstorm.
Within the thunderstorm there will be strong updrafts and downdrafts. That means severe turbulence and severe windshear, also lightning, which can be very hazardous to aircraft.
What should you do when flying in these conditions? Marchant says to give thunderstorms a wide berth. 'We have golden rules' he says. 'Firstly, if you do have to pass a thunderstorm fly around on the upwind side. To fly on the downwind side exposes you potentially to hail from the storm cell or other adverse effects. If you have to fly downwind because you have no option, you need to double the amount of clearance you had on the upwind side.'
He also says to never try to fly under a thunderstorm to pass it. That's where the downdrafts and microbursts are.
Microbursts
A microburst typically happens when there's a little bit more dry air below the thunderstorm, Burns-Fabb says. 'When the precipitation falls into this dryer air it evaporates. This evaporation causes cooling in the atmosphere which causes acceleration towards the surface.'
When a microburst reaches the surface, it spreads out. This can cause turbulence and windshear. 'We've recorded wind gusts of over 100 knots in microbursts.'
Most people closely associate lightning with thunderstorms, but a giant storm of the Top End can cast lightning into clear air. 'Aircraft have been struck up to 20 nm from a thunderstorm,' Burns-Fabb says.
Pressure, atmospheric and human
The interaction of weather and commercial factors with a typical Top End flight profile can cause 'pressure points' for a pilot of any experience, Marchant says. 'The way to fly safely is to have techniques at hand for dealing with these pressures.'
'A pilot contemplating a departure needs to analyse the weather,' he says. 'Low altitude in the take-off and climb-out phase of flight makes an aircraft particularly vulnerable to thunderstorms microbursts.'
Marchant cautions against using special VFR, as a flight planning tool for normal operations in dubious weather. 'Special VFR can be misconstrued as a tool for planning departures from a controlled aerodrome. We would generally discourage that concept,' he says. 'To plan to use special VFR is simply to erode the margins.'
He notes that ATC will not prioritise a special VFR flight over normal IFR flight. 'A special VFR flight could find itself painted into a corner with few options.'
Instead he recommends two strategies: waiting and carrying more fuel. 'With time and fuel most problems can be managed. A good strategy is to carry an amount of fuel that will allow you to wait out the weather as it passes your destination aerodrome.'
Managing customer expectations
Young or newly qualified pilots coming to the Top End to build hours are often inexperienced in customer service, Marchant says.
Charter flying is as much a customer service activity as an aviation activity he says. 'For sure, the technical flying of the aircraft is important, but generally speaking the passengers will have some sort of imperative that they will have to get to a meeting, a task or similar.'
'What a young commercial pilot has to do if confronted by inclement weather is explain. Generally, if you can't provide a customer with what they want, you need to provide them with a reason why that's the case and a logical solution, or alternative. It might be a delayed departure, by an hour or two. Or you might offer to reschedule the flight for another day.'
'Most people, although uninformed of the technicalities of the weather, only have to look into the sky to see the severity of the storms and most people are risk averse,' Marchant says.
This form of turbulence is caused by the sun heating the ground and causing warm air to rise. The turbulence happens when the rising air clashes with the air around it. Convective turbulence is present in thunderstorms but can also occur in clear air at low altitudes.
'Rule number one about turbulence is to avoid it,' says Marchant. 'It's a common practice among IFR pilots to fly around clouds. You often hear them talking about deviations left and right. They are doing that to avoid entering cloud which will create turbulence.'
A fundamental reason to avoid turbulence is to keep the aircraft's load factors within limits. 'By load factor we are talking about the amount of aerodynamic stress the airframe is designed to withstand. The typical normal category aircraft, has a load factor of 3.8.G and half that in negative G. In turbulence with bumps and stresses on the airframe these can be exceeded,' Marchant says.
Aerodynamic loads are exaggerated or increased by aircraft speed. Manufacturers publish a manoeuvring speed or turbulence penetration speed, the speed at which the aircraft needs to be flown at or below in order to avoid the loads on the airframe becoming excessive.
The limits of forecasts
'I'd love to say we get it right 100 per cent of the time, but sometimes we get it wrong,' Burns-Fabb says. 'The forecast is our best guess, and there are a lot of steps in producing it, such as a massive amount of data, observations, numerical prediction, and using our scientific understanding of the broad scale atmosphere and adding local effects. The sea breeze in Darwin for example has huge implications.'
'A difference in a sea breeze of 2 or 3 knots can be the difference between a thunderstorm developing or not.'
'If our best guess changes we'll amend the forecast as soon as we can,' Burns-Fabb says.
The implication for pilots is to always remember that it is possible the weather will be more severe than forecasted. Darwin's ATC also relies on the Bureau of Meteorology's weather information and has no dedicated facilities.
'If you see weather that was not forecast give us a call, let us know,' Burns-Fabb says.
Finally, Burns-Fabb emphasises that the Bureau of Meteorology's website is an educational resource for pilots. 'On our BoM website we have a knowledge centre, with a vast array of knowledge on various topics, thunderstorms, wet season weather etc. We list our phone numbers on the bottom of graphical area forecasts. If you have any questions about interpreting the forecasts give us a call.'
Joseph J. Zubay Dec 5, 2018 At 3:14 am
Thank you for this informative article.
Lack of wet season experience killed pilots | Flight Safety Australia Apr 10, 2019 At 2:27 pm
[…] with the distinctive and dangerous weather of Australia's Top End led to an in-flight break-up that killed two pilots, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) […]
Henrique Oliveira May 14, 2019 At 12:31 pm
Very good, some piece of information very useful in many situations I've faced before when flying over the Amazon in Brazil. Thanks


text:
The Swan Down Gloves
All the world's a speedy spud
When the Royal Shakespeare Company let their hair down with it comes their doublet and hose and all.
No classical company slums with such style, or relish and their annual pantomime is a connoisseur's free-for-all.
The Bard himself is battered by a script which leaves no turn unstoned.
There is Stratford's perennial hero Alan Howard, who has worn almost every crown in Shakespeare's calendar, incarcerated in a dragon's armour and condemned to utter not a syllable until the grand finale - which is clearly a Christmas bonus to the critics of the Financial Times who have loathed so much of what Mr. Howard has said in the past.
There is Derek Godfrey, the company's superannuated nobleman, radiant as Sir Walter Raleigh returning from the New World with a severe dose of Manhattan dive talk and reflecting that 'All the world's a spud'.
There is the delectable Sinead Cusack, this season's memorable Portia, giving alley cats a good name in song and dance routine that should rouse every ginger Tom in town. As for David Suchet, whose Shylock has put him in the first league of our classical actors, he is busy grabbing every moment on stage to audition for Richard III, Macbeth and the rest of Shakespeare's heavy mob, in the role of Mazda, 'The Master of Shadows'.
I could go on and on, about Barbara Leigh Hunt's high-camp fairy queen, who carries glitter and a torch in a tote bag clutched to her farthingale and wears white wellies against the rising tides of puns and misquotations - or Joe Melia's punk sewer rat wearing a costume suspiciously resembling the company's current Richard III, who when consumed by the dragon's fire is given to shouting, 'A hose, a hose, my kingdom for a hose!'
As you see, to get the best from this show it's best to brush up your Shakespeare before booking. But I am sure you're wanting to know about the plot. Well, Billie Brown wrote it and there's a lot of it. Over three hours, which is quite fast work by this company's standards.
Suffice it to say that nothing has been spared in Terry Hand's fast and furious production to prove, once again, that anything anyone else can do in town, the RSC can do better.
If the jokes are in ones, then at least they sent one critic home feeling that Christmas had at last begun.
Daily Mail, 24.12.81.
The plot has something to do with a pair of gloves which Kit and Will (the young Shakespeare) from Snitterfield are seeking to deliver to the court in London. They are accompanied by their gargantuan dame-mother (the splendid Terry Wood) and on the way encounter a villainous Marchioness (Billie Brown looking like Barbara Stanwyck), a couple of hot-cats (Jonathan Hyde and Sinead Cusack, a silent smoke-belching dragon (Alan Howard) and a punkish, snarling, black-leather rodent (Joe Melia snarling at being dubbed Best Supporting Rat). .................
Michael Billington.
The Guardian, 29.12.81.
The script.......gives classical actors every chance for outrageous burlesque of panto people and conventions, while spouting tags from the Bard, kicking their heels and blasting out rock-and-roll.
My 12 year old companion..........warmed to the rich humour of Terry Wood's elephantine Dame, laughed at the plentiful slapstick and joined loudly in a ditty celebrating Raleigh's potatoes - something about bashing 'em and smashing 'em and going bubble-ubble-ubble with the butter..........
But the best fun for the clever-clogs is to see Barbara Leigh Hunt no longer Gertrude but the 'Good Fairy'. Alan Howard descends on a trapeze to project his huge charm into the Dragon. Sinead Cusack exchanges Portia for a sexy alley-cat...........It is not a show to miss.
John Barber.
Daily Telegraph, 24.12.81.
Theatrical pleasures abound. Set-pieces include an operatic parody in which the frozen Thames cracks beneath the all-too substantial burden of Dame Rosie, who is rescued only by the intervention of Lumina, Lady of Light (Barbara Leigh-Hunt...). David Suchet as the Demon King chokes in his own clouds of smoke and concusses himself against the scenery at every exit. George, a speechless dragon (Alan Howard without drag on), wields a lusty tail, learns to dance, and ultimately descends in a heavenly machine, finding his voice in time to resolve the action...........
Stanley Wells.
Times Literary Supplement, 1981/2.
Back to RSC Reviews page.


I have the wonderful honor to photograph a lot of child models in South Florida and I truly enjoy what I love to do. Daniela is 8 years old and a model with Mary's Special People! She has been modeling for over 5 years and is an amazing beautiful child inside and out!
Princess Lillia was the sweetest newborn, she slept most of her session only stopping to eat, never peed or pooped and has the sweetest big sister and of course her amazing parents.


text:
Джоа́н Га́рріс (;  ) — англійська письменниця.

Біографія

Джоан Гарріс народилася 3 липня 1964 року у містечку Барнслі (Йоркшир, Велика Британія) у франко-британській родині (її мати — француженка, батько — англієць) в магазині солодощів, який належав її бабусі з дідусем. Джоан навчалася у Вейкфилдській школі для дівчаток, потім у коледжі в Барнслі, а після вивчала сучасні і середньовічні мови в Коледжі святої Катаріни в Кембриджі.

Після закінчення університету Джоан працювала продавцем. Потім 15 років викладала французьку мову в школі для хлопчиків у Лідсі, вела курс французької літератури в університеті Шеффілда.

Перший роман письменниці «Небесна подруга» () був опублікований у 1989 році, проте ані він, ані її другий роман (Спи, бліда сестро (Sleep, Pale Sister), 1993) не мали великого успіху. А от третій роман, містична мелодрама «Шоколад» («Chocolat», 1999), посів перше місце у переліку бестселерів газети «Санді Таймс» та увійшов до шорт-листа Уітбредовської премії в номінації «Романи». Кінокомпанія «Miramax» придбала права на екранізацію. Завдяки успіху фільму «Шоколад» (2000), в якого у головних ролях виступили Жюльєт Бінош, Джуді Денч та Джонні Деппом, роман отримав ще більшу популярність у світі.

У серпні 2007 року Джоан Гарріс опублікувала свою першу книжку для дітей та підлітків «Руни».

Джоан Гарріс у вільний час грає на бас-гітарі в групі, яку організувала в 16 років, та вивчає давньоісландську мову. Живе зі своїм чоловіком Кевіном і донькою Анушкою неподалік від того місця, де народилася.

Бібліографія

 Небесна подруга (The Evil Seed, 1989)
 Спи, бліда сестро; Темний ангел (Sleep, Pale Sister, 1993)
 Шоколад (Chocolat, 1999)
 Ожинове вино (Blackberry Wine, 2000)
 П'ять четвертинок апельсина (Five Quarters of the Orange, 2001)
 Куховарська книга французької кухні (The French Kitchen, A Cook Book, 2002)
 Острів на краю світу (Coastliners, 2002)
 Блаженні блазні (Holy Fools, 2003)
 Чай з птахами (Jigs & Reels, 2004)
 Джентльмени та гравці (Gentlemen & Players, 2005)
 Французький маркет (The French Market, 2005)
 Льодяникові туфельки (The Lollipop Shoes, 2007; вийшов в США у 2008 р. під назвою «The Girl with No Shadow»)
 Рунічна магія (Runemarks, 2007)
 Хлопчик з блакитними очима (Blueeyedboy, 2010)
 Світло руна (Runelight, 2011; на русском ещё не появилась)
 Персики для мосьє кюре (Peaches for Monsieur le Curé, 2012; у США опублікований під назвою «Peaches for Father Francis»)
Інший класс (Different Class, 2016)
Повна кишеня ворон (A Pocketful of Crows, 2017; новела, натхненна фольклором)
Заповіт Локі (The Testament of Loki, 2018)
Блакитна соляна дорога (The Blue Salt Road, 2018)
Полуничний злодій (The Strawberry Thief, 2019)
 Вузькі двері (A Narrow Door, 2021)

Примітки

Посилання

 Джоан Гарріс  на сайті «Книжковий клуб «Клуб сімейного дозвілля»

Англійські прозаїки
Британські письменниці
Кавалери ордена Британської імперії
Французи Англії
Випускники Коледжу Святої Катерини (Кембридж)


text:
Sonic Youth & Neil Young: Tales From WELD Tour
Sonic Youth & Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse - 1991
"Last night I dreamt I kissed Neil Young
If I was a boy I guess it would be fun."
-- Sonic Youth, Creme Brulee, 1992
In 1991, Sonic Youth opened for Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse on the 1991 WELD Tour.
In an interview in MELODY MAKER in 1991, Neil Young said about the selection of Sonic Youth as an opening act:
NEIL YOUNG: "I didn't want acts that people were going to say "Oh, I can take them or leave them". I wanted to get somebody that people were going to love or hate. And I think we did a good job there. Sonic Youth are way out there on the cutting edge with what they're doing. And it's also extremely similar to what we've been doing for a long time.
In the book "I Dreamed Of Noise" written by Ignacio Julia and Jaime Gonzalo, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordan said:
KIM GORDON : "That was the first time (the 1991 Neil Young tour) I ever felt what it was like to be a girl in a band, I really felt sorry for like Joni Mitchell.
I mean, he's [Neil] very sweet and everything but he's part of that generation and that way of thinking. It sounds like it's changed, but in certain level, in rock, it's just there."
In an interview in Exclaim (June 2004), Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo had this to say about Neil Young when asked "What's been your most memorable or inspirational gig and why?"
Lee Ranaldo:"That's a hard one.
Being someone who plays gigs and finding many, many memorable ones in different ways - I guess I'd have to say I don't really have a single favourite one that I could pick out. As far as seeing other people, I wouldn't say it's the most memorable one but a memorable gig would have to be Neil Young's recent Greendale show."
In an interview in MOJO Magazine with Neil Young in 1995, he was asked about recording with Sonic Youth, possibly for the album that became Sleeps With Angels.
YOUNG: "With Sonic Youth?
Well, that sounds like it came from a news story that was in fact wrong. Hell, if they wanted to play, I'd be there. It sounds like too much fun to pass by. Sonic Youth are great. Same with R.E.M.: I'd love to work with those guys if the right conditions prevailed. "
Over on Blogcritics' StarPolish Interview with Sonic Youth, some interesting comments by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo guitarist on alienating fans with musical experimentation:
LEE RANALDO: "I don't think that's true.
In fact, I think it sort of happens in a kind of the reverse -- it's easy to alienate the fans that have kind of come recently and sort of dip in and check it out, and then move on to something else. I think especially for a band like us, our hardcore fans are really interested in the different directions that we go, and the same goes for us; if we like an artist, even if they go through a period that has you scratching your heads and wondering, 'What the fuck are they doing?' -- like with Neil Young or someone like that when he goes off on these crazy tangents -- you still like something about who they are and what they're enough doing that you keep coming back to see where they're going.
Hopefully they come around and do stuff you really love again, as Young has for sure. So I think that because we've been around for so long, there have been fans that have been with us for a really long period of time, and in general they look for us to do different things and sort of challenge their expectations of who we are and what we are."
NEIL YOUNG (Guitars Magazine 92) : "Obviously I like Sonic Youth. They are definitely a modern rock'n'roll band in my eyes. They make some beautiful music. Have you heard "Expressway To Your Skull"? It's unbelievably good. So beautiful! It's classic. Magnificent melody, and to hear it live, especially, it's awesome. They have several songs of that quality. So they're a great band."
Confusion is Next: Sonic Youth on Neil Young by Alan Foege
More on Sonic Youth and Neil Young by Alan Foege.
Kim Gordon - Sonic Youth
(Click photo to enlarge)
Kim Gordon has a new autobiography titled Girl in a Band: A Memoir which chronicles her career as the bassist, vocalist and founding member (with now ex-husband Thurston Moore) the ground breaking band Sonic Youth.
More @ Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon on Neil Young's 'Out of My Mind'
Also, see Sonic Youth and their influence on Neil Young (and vice versa) from excerpts of "I Dreamed Of Noise", The Sonic Youth Biography.
Labels: #CrazyHorse4HOF, #CrazyHorse4HoF #DontSpookTheHorse, neil young
At 8/05/2020 04:46:00 PM, Dan Swan said...
I was lucky enough to see two shows from this tour and I have to say that Sonic Youth were a absolute treat live. Very experimental and joyful both in their performance and their music. Not everyone around me liked them but I was duly impressed. As loud as Sonic Youth attempted to be, they could not compete with Neil & the Horse those two nights. Yikes. Not sure how many new fans they acquired by touring with Neil, but I do know they made at least one for sure.
Peace 🙏
random post, Thrasher?
I recall in Shakey the Sonic Youth members saying they barely saw Neil on the entire tour
Neil does have an instinct for picking interesting openers. When we saw him in Philly on the Le Noise Tour in spring 2011 (days before Jonathan Demme shot "Neil Young Journeys" at Massey Hall, if memory serves...), the opening act was John Renbourn, who formerly worked with Bert Jansch in the English folk/blues/jazz outfit Pentangle. Sadly, we've lost both Jansch and Renbourn since then. I regret to say, we got stuck in traffic on the way into Philly, consequently missing most of John's set.
If anyone wants a real different trip, try Renbourn's solo album, The Lady and the Unicorn. The Pentangle, imho, were easily up there with Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing.
At 8/05/2020 07:23:00 PM, John said...
Lee Ranaldo covered "Revolution Blues" the last time I caught him solo and Sonic Youth famously covered "Computer Age" on the tribute album "The Bridge" (it's also a bonus on the deluxe reissue of their "Daydream Nation").
We were lucky enough to see Neil Young play Bass Hall in Austin Texas on the tour he was introducing the songs from Le Noise and Bert Jansch opened. He was remarkable. Probably one of my favorite shows of all time.
At 8/06/2020 09:41:00 AM, Maheto said...
Didn't Kim Gordon give NY that goofy bowl haircut on that tour? I think he said he loved it.
At 8/06/2020 10:35:00 AM, Hbheel said...
Ditto to that Dan!!! I saw the two of them in Durham, NC for the LeNoise tour and yes it would be very hard to EVER beat that!!!!!!
At 8/06/2020 05:06:00 PM, Unknown said...
I saw this tour. Social Distortion went on before Sonic Youth and the combination definitely befuddled the aging hippies in front of us who came to hear 'Old Man' and 'Heart of Gold'. Their mouths were literally hanging open while Moore rolled around on the stage getting increasingly tangled in his mic and guitar cords while releasing alarming noises. Then Young came on and continued the blast. No 'Heart of Gold' that night.
@ Dan - yes, that's pretty much how many recall the opening bands on WELD.
Did you know that instead of SD & SY as opening bands that Nirvana was originally planned? But just as tour was set to go, Nirvana started breaking out just a bit and wanted to headline their gigs.
Can you imagine musical history if Nirvana has opened for Neil & The Horse?
@ Jonathan - nothing is random. Actually we just stumbled across the backstage photo for 1st time and thought it was noteworthy.
As for Sonic Youth members saying they barely saw Neil on the entire tour, see above link by Alan Foege:
"Neil Young didn't socialize much with the band, although he'd occasionally visit the Sonic Youth dressing room to praise the night's version of 'Expressway to Your Skull,' a song which he's referred to on occasion as the greatest guitar song ever written. From an interview in a 1992 French Guitars Magazine in response to the question "about what groups he classifies as rock and roll, Young said:
"It's obvious that I like Sonic Youth. In my book, they really do modern rock. They make magnificent music. You know that one, Expressway to Your Skull?
It's incredibly good, so beautiful. It's a classic. Superb melody, and even better live. They have quite a few that are that good. So that's one great group."
Young's roadies, holdovers from classic rock's dark ages, were less predisposed to what they perceived as to be Sonic Youth's art-freak eclecticism. 'The Neil Young tour was actually the first time I encountered so-called sexism,' Kim Gordon said. 'Every time it was somebody's birthday, there'd be strippers hanging around.'
"For most of the dates in the South, Sonic Youth played half-hour sets to disinterested crowds who used the band's time onstage as an opportunity to purchase Cokes; at some shows, the band went so far as to confiscate chairs from the front rows of the audience and bring the chairs onstage, a gag that perplexed the fans but amused the band.
Neil Young cancelled the tour's LA dates, one of the main reasons Sonic Youth had stuck things out, when he developed an ear infection."
@ Meta Rocker thanks suggestion of Renbourn's solo album. we'll put on list.
@ John - yeah, great covers. diff for sure.
@ Maheto - really???
@ Unknown - yep, no HoG on that tour!
It's Game ON: Young v. Trump
Comment of the Moment: Is The Neil Young Archives ...
Prairie Wind Poster Collection To Support The Brid...
RUST BUCKET VIDEO PREMIERE: "T-BONE" - Neil Young ...
COVER: NEW EP: "The Times" by Neil Young | NYA
Is The Neil Young Archives Timeline Half-Full ? Or...
We Won't Forget ... Trust Us
PODCAST: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Greendale | L...
OUT-TAKES on Neil Young Archives
The Collectors' Series: NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES 1945-1...


text:
package org.factcenter.pathORam.test;

import org.factcenter.pathORam.Block;
import org.factcenter.pathORam.Bucket;
import org.factcenter.pathORam.LocalServer;
import org.factcenter.pathORam.PathORamServer;
import org.factcenter.qilin.util.BitMatrix;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;

/**
 * @author mikegarts
 *
 */
public class LocalServerTest {

	private int blocksCount = 128;
	private int bucketSize = 4;
	private int blockSize = 128;

	private PathORamServer server;

	/**
	 * Initialize the server variable before each test
	 */
	@Before
	public void init() {
		server = new LocalServer(blocksCount, blockSize, bucketSize);
		blocksCount = server.getBlocksCount();
	}

	/**
	 * Test the LocalPathORam ctor
	 */
	@Test
	public void testLocalPathORamServer() {
		// test the ctor in @Before
	}

	/**
	 * Test the read bucket function
	 */
	@Test
	public void testReadBucket() {
		Bucket b = server.readBucket(50, 2);
		assertEquals(bucketSize, b.getBlocks().size());
	}

	/**
	 * Test the tree construction by checking the height
	 */
	@Test
	public void testgetTreeHeight()
	{
		assertEquals(6, server.getTreeHeight());
	}

	/**
	 * Test calling the write method
	 */
	@Test
	public void testCallToWriteBucket() {

		server.writeBucket(50, 2, makeBucket(123));
	}

	/**
	 * Naively tests the write method and asserts the result
	 */
	@Test
	public void testSimpleWriteRead()
	{
		Bucket b = makeBucket(666);
		server.writeBucket(17, 2, b);
		Bucket newBucket = server.readBucket(17, 2);
		assertEquals(b, newBucket);
	}

	/**
	 * Test writing to index zero level zero
	 */
	@Test
	public void testSimpleWriteReadZeroZero()
	{
		Bucket b = makeBucket(666);
		server.writeBucket(0, 0, b);
		Bucket newBucket = server.readBucket(0, 0);
		assertEquals(b, newBucket);
	}

	/**
	 * Writes and reads from different levels
	 */
	@Test
	public void testWriteReadLevels()
	{
		for (int i = 0 ; i < server.getTreeHeight() ; i++)
		{
			server.writeBucket(i, i, makeBucket(i));
		}
		for (int i = 0; i < server.getTreeHeight() ; i++)
		{
			Bucket bucket = server.readBucket(i, i);
			for (Block block : bucket.getBlocks())
			{
				assertEquals(i, block.getId());
			}
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Fail test wring bucket size
	 */
	@Test(expected=IllegalArgumentException.class)
	public void testAssertBadBucketSizeFail()
	{
		Bucket b = new Bucket(bucketSize-1, new ArrayList<Block>());
		b.fillDummies(blockSize);
		server.writeBucket(0, 0, b);
	}

	/**
	 * Fail test bad block size
	 */
	@Test(expected=IllegalArgumentException.class)
	public void testAssertBadBlockSizeFail()
	{
		Bucket b = new Bucket(bucketSize, new ArrayList<Block>());
		for (int i=0; i < b.getBlocks().size(); ++i)
		{
			b.getBlocks().set(i, Block.create(0,new BitMatrix(blockSize), true));
		}
		server.writeBucket(0, 0, b);
	}

	private Bucket makeBucket(int globalIndex) {
		List<Block> blocks = new ArrayList<Block>();
		for (int blockInBucket = 0 ; blockInBucket < server.getBucketSize(); blockInBucket++)
		{
			blocks.add(Block.create(globalIndex, new BitMatrix(blockSize),true));

		}
		Bucket bucket = new Bucket(server.getBucketSize(), blocks);
		return bucket;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Baby, come to me...
James Ingram was an American singer-songwriter who could boast of having won 2 Grammy Awards and having placed no less than 8 titles in the first 40 places of the Billboard Hot 100 of which 2 finished No.1. And 13 in the top 40 spots on the Hot R & B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, just that !
He started his artistic career with Revelation Funk, then played the pianists for Ray Charles. At the same time, his brother, Philip Ingram will become one of the main members of the Switch group.
It was in 1981 that his career suddenly took off when he lent his voice to the tracks "Just once" and "One hundred ways" featured on the album "The dude" by Quincy Jones. A remarkable performance that will earn him 3 Grammy nominations including that of Best New Artist. He ultimately won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performer for "One Hundred Ways".
And it was 1982 that saw him become a legend of the 80s when he performed in duet with Patti Austin the title "Baby, come to me". A sumptuous title which will make a huge planetary success and hoist him to the top of glory and success. Duo which reformed a year later in 1983 on the title "How do you keep the music playing ?".
Also in 1983 released his first solo album "It's your night", a notoriously successful album which produced no less than 5 top hits between 1983 and 1984. 5 top hits including 1 mega with the enormous hit Dance "Yah mo B there» which he interprets in duet with Michael McDonald. Title which will set fire to all the Dancefloor on the planet, bring him a new Grammy Award and definitively consecrate him as one of the major singers of the decade.
In 1984, the duets were over, this time he was in a trio. And not the least when you see the artists with whom he shares the bill : Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes then at the height of their respective careers. The result is necessarily up to the mark and the title "What about me ?" will stay as one of the biggest hits of his entire discography.
Little air hole in 1985 and 1986 despite the release of the album "Never felt so good". The album will struggle to produce any major hits. Only a new duo will save the furniture, a duo with Linda Ronstadt on the track "Somewhere out there", soundtrack of the animated film An American Tail.
New air hole in 1987 and 1988. So we had to wait for 1989 to see the release of the album "It's real", album which would be his last major. Despite the quality of the latter, the artist once again struggles to regain the level of excellence that was his years before.
It is still a history with several which will allow him in 1990 to come back to the surface when he interprets the title "The secret garden (Sweet seduction suite)" in the company of sizes such as Al B. Sure !, El Debarge and Barry White, just that. All orchestrated by Quincy Jones ! He also recorded a nice solo success with the track "I don't have the heart" which will be the only notorious hit of the album "It's real".
As much as the 1980s saw it explode, the 1990s unfortunately saw him stagnate, except in 1995 when it was a new duo that allowed him to land his last notorious hit with the title "When you love someone". Title he will perform with Anita Baker.
A great adventure that will unfortunately end for good on January 29, 2019, when he died at the age of 66 from a brain tumor.
Just once 1981
One hundred ways 1981
Baby, come to me 1982
How do you keep the music playing ? 1983
Party animal 1983
Yah-Mo be there 1983
There's no easy way 1984
She loves me 1984
What about me ? 1984
It's your night 1985
Always 1986
I just can't let go 1986
Somewhere out there 1986
It's real 1989
The secret garden (Sweet seduction suite) 1990
I don't have the heart 1990
Where did my heart go 1991
Someone like you 1993
The day I fall in love 1994
When you love someone 1995
Wish you were here 1997
Give me forever (I do) 1998
1981 ... very Intimist beginnings which show that this illustrious unknown man has real aptitudes in this field. And he will prove it brilliantly !
1981 ... two caviars offered by a certain Quincy Jones. What more could you dream of to start a career in the best possible way !
1982 ... then THIS title comes ! An absolutely amazing title which will remain as one of the most beautiful Ultimate Slows of the decade and of the end of the 20th century. A title that propels One Shot the singer into the musical legend of the 80s. MO-NU-MEN-TAL !
1983 ... we take the same ones and start over. Admittedly, there is also quality in this title but impossible to compete with the previous gem, it is clear
1983 ... sudden acceleration of the tempo. One would have thought that he would remain confined to the Intimist domain, but the opposite is true. And the next Dance side promises to be awesome too !
1983 ... he signs here quite simply one of the biggest dance hits of the decade, just that. An incredible versatility which allows him to have produced in 2 years two of the biggest hits of the decade and in 2 different categories. PHE -NO-ME-NAL !
1984 ... after the effort, the comfort. Back in Intimist mode in this new year and once again, he demonstrates particularly formidable efficiency in this category !
1984 ... as much 1983 was a dance year, as 1984 will be a year of 'emotions'. Quality as always but unfortunately he cannot repeat the feat of 1982, impossible to find the stroke of genius that made the difference ...
1984 ... when 3 of the biggest names of the moment make a beef together, we suspect that the result will be sumptuous. And indeed on this one, we are not disappointed, necessarily !
1985 ... a mid-decade that will see him slow down somewhat. He remains in the leading pack without too much difficulty but beware of poor performances ...
1986 ... and even if the inspiration runs out of steam, he hangs on and continues to produce quality tracks. But it is clear that a recovery in hand is proving more and more necessary ...
1986 ... the duets and the trios are particularly successful for him, once again the proof with this magnificent title. A title full of finesse and softness that literally floats in the air. MA-GIC !
1986 ... a new proof of the formidable effectiveness of the artist as soon as he wants to associate himself with other artists. He signs with this sumptuous duo one of the most beautiful titles of the soundtrack of the film An American Tail. Once again MA-GIC !
1989 ... after an empty year 1988, here he is back in dazzling form. Here he delivers an over-boosted title which shows that we must always count on him at the end of the decade !
1990 ... a crazy quartet to start the new decade. A hallucinating skewer of 4 of the biggest names of the moment who will inevitably produce a title at the height of their talent. MAG-NI-FI-CENT !
1990 ... a decidedly exceptional 1990 with a plethora of titles and above all a plethora of top hits. A shattering return to form to say the least and which allows the artist to prove once again that he still has some under the pedal !
1991 ... difficult to have two Grand Cru years in a row. Certainly, this title has a certain charm, it is clear. But we feel that the best is now behind ...
1993 ... year 1992 empty and back, once again, in Intimist mode. An area in which he certainly excels, but which he over-uses. Too much Intimist kills Intimist ....
1994 ... come on, to raise the bar, what better than a little duo of hell to ensure the soundtrack of one of the trendy films of the moment, namely Beethoven 2. And inevitably, it works !
1995 ... since the previous duo worked particularly well, he puts the cover back in the process. And this one will be even stronger than the previous one. A new soundtrack, this time for the film Forget Paris, which works perfectly and which allows him to obtain his last mega hit. MA-GIC !
1997 ... like a feeling of déjà vu ... Since the previous duo worked particularly well, he puts the cover back in the same way. And he would be wrong to embarrass himself since, once again, he takes us on board with him with disconcerting ease ...
1998 ... the 90s will have been that of the duo. It is true that we are always stronger at 2. One last proof with this title, a title which allows to end the adventure in the best possible way
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ingram
https://www.facebook.com/JamesIngramsMusic Greatest Hits :
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/15679
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCN-st1xTRR6nesaSzXX8_A/featured


What does the Surface Hub have to offer education?
Many of the schools within my region are currently in the process of replacing their ten year old SMART boards in the classroom with large flat screen televisions equipped with casting devices such as an Apple TV.
The cost of replacing projector bulbs, poor visibility, maintenance and single touch interface has meant that some schools are left with boards that they can literally not give away.
This week as part of Microsoft's Windows 10 preview event in Seattle we got to see the Surface Hub which is essentially made up of the following components.
A HD Webcam and Microphone for conferencing and collaboration.
When you factor this in with the huge array of compatible established windows software already on the market such as one note, Office, Airserver ( Essentially acting as an Apple TV for mac and iOS compatibility.) Adobe Creative Suite, Skype, Chrome and Google Docs we are presented with a highly versatile classroom projection hub which has no 'all in one' competition.
It would appear that Microsoft seem to have deliberately avoided mentioning the word education in any of their promotional content for this device which may suggest we will expect something soon targeted directly at the classroom.
From my perspective this would be the ultimate 'classroom screen' but we still have not details on the all important price.
We are told from Microsoft this device will be available in late 2015 with more details coming soon. In the meantime feel free to view the obligatory cheesy promo video, ponder the possibilities and voice your thoughts in the comment section below.
I have discussed this in the past in my article "Death by PowerPoint"as Microsoft's Presentation tool would have to be one of the most used and abused applications both in the classroom and the staff room for meetings and speaking and listening tasks.
I cant stand dodgy PowerPoints in which the presenter simply reads the same boring drivel that we can already see on the screen behind them. So I jumped atthis lesson planoutlining how to get the most and avoid the worst from PowerPoint from theNew York Times Learning Network.
In this lesson,students examine perspectives on effective and ineffective uses of PowerPoint, then develop a set of rules for effective use of this tool for their class projects and presentations. They then create PowerPoint slides and a prose narrative on the same subject and compare the impact of each on the intended audience.
There is something here for both teachers and students and I would recommend this for year 5 students upwards through high school. Check it outhere.
What is it?Windows Live Movie Maker is the next generation of Windows Movie Maker. A basic video editing program that has shipped with Windows Since Windows XP. Windows Live Movie Maker is a massive overhaul to it's predecessor and has the simplest and easiest to use interface of any video editing package I have ever used. And I have used quite a few such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas and iMovie. Users of these programs might be a little disappointed with the simplicity of limitations of Windows Live Movie Maker but this program is clearly aimed at mums and dads who want to put together a family holiday video in minutes with some music, photos, credits and titles and then maybe post it straight to Youtube I have to say that Windows Live Movie Maker is the easiest package available for this audience. And of Course it is totally free.
How can I use it in my teaching and learning? Well Kids of nearly any age can use this Iand have had Prep students use the older and more complicated version on the Smartboard. with success - So if you have a Flip camera or something similar it is not to much to ask your students to put together a visual text, after they have done some planning through a script, storyboard or created interview questions. My school is beginning a TV station to share news around the school and a $200 camera and a free copy of this program can and will be a great help in making this accessible to all students and staff.
What level of expertise is required? Very little - Import, Drag and Drop your media onto a timeline throw in a few effects and publish your movie to Hard Drive, DVD or the Web. Doesn't really get much easier than this. If you are a bit more advanced at video editing and use either the Adobe, Sony or Mac offerings I would recommend sticking with what you know as this might be a little too basic for you. For the Novice looking to get into video editing this is simply the best starting point available.
Did I forget to mention that this program is totally free and available here.


Paul is the director of ACCA studies and brings to LSBF over 17 years of experience. He was named Accountancy Lecturer of the Year at the 2013 PQ Awards.
As the youngest ever District Society President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Paul knows what it takes to stand out. He has taught in 20 countries worldwide and has mentored tutors in Toronto, London and Singapore. Paul's classes often have the best attendance records.


text:
Will America Ever Be Able To Challenge China's Lithium Battery Dominance?
China controls the lion's share…
Tsvetana Paraskova
Tsvetana is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing for news outlets such as iNVEZZ and SeeNews.
The Next Oil & Gas Battleground For Supermajors
By Tsvetana Paraskova - Oct 27, 2020, 6:00 PM CDT
Chevron's acquisition of Noble Energy launched an ongoing M&A frenzy in the U.S. shale patch as companies look to consolidate to cut costs while adding immediately cash-flow-positive resources to their portfolios. For Chevron, the US$5-billion all-stock deal to take over Noble Energy was not only about adding acreage in the DJ and Permian basins.
Through the transaction, the U.S. supermajor is gaining more exposure to natural gas assets in the Eastern Mediterranean, including a large stake in Israel's biggest gas field, which started production in December 2019.
The already producing Leviathan gas field, the biggest energy project in Israel ever, is diversifying Chevron's portfolio with more natural gas resources and a position in the eastern Mediterranean very close to the Middle East and European gas markets.
The timing of the U.S. supermajor's bet on natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean coincides with expectations that gas will play a major role in supporting the growing share of renewables in Europe amid the European Union's (EU) push to bet heavily on renewable energy sources to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 under the European Green Deal.
Chevron's timing for expanding in the Middle East is also very good from a political standpoint. Israel and two Arab countries have recently agreed to normalize relations in what could turn out to be positive momentum for growing the relations between formerly hostile nations through energy.
Related: The Shift Away From Fossil Fuels Is Inevitable Regardless Of Who Is Elected
Last but not least, by taking over Noble Energy's producing assets in the Eastern Mediterranean, Chevron expects strong cash flow and returns in the near term, while capital expenditure requirements will be low.
"Noble Energy brings low-capital, cash-generating offshore assets in Israel, strengthening Chevron's position in the Eastern Mediterranean," Chevron said earlier this month, announcing it had completed the acquisition.
From The Permian To The Middle East
Chevron, like all U.S. companies, cut capex in the Permian early this year in response to the market conditions and plummeting oil prices. Chevron cut in March its guidance for 2020 organic capital and exploratory spending by 20 percent to US$16 billion, including a US$2-billion cut in upstream unconventionals, primarily in the Permian Basin.
Prompted by the oil price collapse, Chevron is diversifying its portfolio with gas assets outside the U.S. to seize opportunities in the growing natural gas markets in Europe and the Middle East as global gas demand growth is expected to be higher than oil demand growth, both in the near future and in the long term.
What's more, Chevron's newly-acquired assets in the Eastern Mediterranean will not be capital-intensive in the near term.
"At a time when cash flow matters, that's a very appealing attribute," Chevron's chairman and chief executive Mike Wirth told Reuters in an interview published this week.
Eastern Mediterranean Draws More Interest From Majors
Interest in the Eastern Mediterranean has increased in recent years, and Chevron sees the area as a promising province for additional natural gas discoveries.
"We like the Eastern Med. It's becoming quite a prospective province, an area that perhaps had been a little bit underexplored historically," Wirth said at the Energy Intelligence Forum earlier this month.
Related: Hedge Funds Boost Bullish Oil Bets
Since Italy's major Eni discovered the giant Zohr gas field offshore Egypt in 2015, the Eastern Med has attracted more interest from international oil companies.
"Five years ago the Eastern Med wasn't viewed as endowed from a resource standpoint as I think most people would say today. That's a fundamental shift," Wirth told Reuters.
Arab-Israel Rapprochement Could Help Energy Projects In East Med
Companies such as Chevron also see the recent normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain as positive for energy projects. Israel also has normalized relations with Egypt and Jordan, and, thanks to Chevron's new asset—the Leviathan gas field—started exporting natural gas to Egypt and Jordan in January this year.
"This move also allows Israel to export some of its natural gas to Europe through Egypt's LNG facilities, and promote Egypt's status as a regional gas hub," the Israeli energy ministry said in mid-January.
The deal under which Israel will export natural gas to Egypt has been described by Israeli officials as one of the most important bilateral agreements since the two countries made peace 40 years ago.
"I would say that the ties between countries are moving in a positive direction," Chevron's Wirth said at the Energy Intelligence Forum, commenting on the relations in the Middle East.
"These things aren't a straight line. They can go up and down. But we see a lot of positives to support the development of commercial ties between countries, and energy can be a very important component of that," Chevron's top executive said.
Chevron is also interested in partnering with Qatar in its plans for a major expansion of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and exports, Wirth said.
After the downturn is over, Chevron could be well-positioned to further develop natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, diversifying its strategic position in U.S. shale with opportunities to sell gas to the Middle Eastern and European markets.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
Oil Prices Under Pressure Again As Supply Climbs
China Sets Its Sights On Global EV Dominance
Saudi Energy Minister: The Worst Is Over For Oil Markets
Venezuela's Oil Industry Could Take Decades To Recover
Why Libya's Surge In Oil Exports Won't Last


text:
Current Affairs 9 & 10 August 2020
AC Team
We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 9 & 10 August 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.
Our Current Affairs August 2020 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2020 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.
Date-Wise Current Affairs August 2020 PDF for Paid Users – Click Here to Know More
Top 15 Current Affairs of 9 & 10 August 2020
CSIR signed MoU with FSSAI for Collaborative Research and Information Dissemination; FSSAI received "Food Systems Vision Prize"
i.On August 7, 2020, an agreement was signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for collaborative research and information dissemination in the area of food and nutrition, during a ceremony which was presided Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
ii.The collaboration between these two premier institutions of India will contribute in fulfilling the vision of New Food System 2050.
iii.FSSAI Received "Food Systems Vision Prize" for its 'Eat Right India' movement.
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
It is a body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Chairperson– Ms Rita Teaotia
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Arun Singhal
Chatbot– Food Funda
Headquarter– New Delhi
About Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR):
It is a body under the Ministry of Science and Technology
Director General– Dr. Shekhar C. Mande
<< Read Full News >>
Ramesh Pokhriyal Inaugurates Two Day Global Conference on Reimagining and Transforming the University Organised by O.P. Jindal Global University
i.Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Union Minister for Education inaugurated the global conference on "Reimagining and Transforming the University: Confluence of Ideas during and Beyond the COVID-19 Disruption" hosted by O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building (IIHEd) on 6th and 7th August 2020.
ii.Around 20 themes were discussed across the sessions which were designed to understand the required transformation in the universities.
About Ministry of Education:
Union Minister– Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre
IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2017
i.In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (t) of sub-section (1) of section 196 read with section 240 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016), the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India has amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2017 by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2020.
ii.As per the amendment, for initiating voluntary liquidation process the corporate person may replace the liquidator by appointing another insolvency professional as liquidator by a resolution of members or partners, or contributories, as the case may be.
About IBBI:
It is the regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities like Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPA), Insolvency Professionals (IP) and Information Utilities (IU) in India.
Chairperson– MS Sahoo
SEBI revised IFSC guidelines, 2015' eligibility, shareholding limit for clearing corp at IFSC
i.On August 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) amended the clause 4 (2) of SEBI international financial services centre (IFSC) guidelines, 2015 pertaining to eligibility criteria and shareholding limit for clearing corporations that wish to operate in such centres.
ii.Under the norms, any Indian recognised stock exchange or clearing corporation, or, any recognised stock exchange or clearing corporation of a foreign jurisdiction, will form a subsidiary to provide the services of clearing corporation in IFSC wherein at least 51% stake is held by such exchange or clearing corporation.
About SEBI:
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
IIT-Kharagpur Researchers Bags Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards 2020 for Clean Energy Research
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards 2020 is bestowed to a group of researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology(IIT) Kharagpur for developing a mechanism for generating electricity from wet clothes left under sunlight to dry. The work has been published in Nano Letters, a high-impact journal in the field, and the innovation has been patented by them.
The same award was presented separately to another team of the IIT Kharagpur for addressing the problem of energy conservation and thermal management in wearable and flexible electronic devices.
i.Prof Suman Chakraborty, Prof Partha Saha and Dr Aditya Bandopadhyay from the Department of Mechanical Engineering for developing Electrical power generation from wet textile.
ii.A team led by Prof Sunando Dasgupta from the Department of Chemical Engineering was awarded for their work on Smart, flexible, and multi-functional thermal and energy management systems for next-generation electronic devices. The group also has been working in collaboration with Purdue University, USA for this purpose.
About GYTI Awards
It was instituted by the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institution (SRISTI), a voluntary organization.
About IIT Kharagpur:
Director– Virendra Kumar Tewari
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Government Forms Panel Under RoDTEP Scheme for Exporters to be Headed by G K Pillai
i.The Government of India has set up a three-member committee for determination of ceiling rates under Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme.
ii.The Committee will be headed by Secretary (retired) G. K. Pillai and two other members Y G Parande, retired Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs member and Gautam Ray, retired chief commissioner of custom and central excise.
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State – Anurag Singh Thakur
Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani launches Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme
i.The Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, launched the Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme (HLM) for the weavers on the occasion of 6th National Handloom Day held virtually on 7th August, 2020, organized by the Ministry of Textiles, GoI (Government of India).
ii.A website portal, 'My Handloom' for the individual weavers and organization was launched by Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, on the same occasion.
About the Ministry of Textiles:
Headquarters – Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
Union Minister – Smriti Zubin Irani
DIAL develops 'Air Suvidha', 1st of its kind portal for all international arriving passengers across India
i.Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) a GMR Group-led consortium,that operated Indira Gandhi International Airport has developed AIR SUVIDHA, a first-of-its-kind portal allowing international arriving passengers to fill a mandatory self-declaration form and eligible passengers to apply for exemption from compulsory institutional quarantine for coronavirus.
ii.It will make passengers' journey more convenient and comfortable in a contactless way as they won't have to fill the physical copies of the forms on arrival.
iii.The online forms have been developed in collaboration with various state governments, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Cabinet Minister– Dr Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State (MoS)– Ashwini Kumar Choubey
About Ministry of External Affairs (MEA):
Union Minister– Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Minister of State (MoS)– Vellamvelly Muraleedharan
IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with Imperial College London, develops nanoparticle 'meta-grid'
i.The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India, and Imperial College London, United Kingdom, have developed nanoparticles the 'meta-grid' or 'metamaterial grid' that makes the light-emitting diodes (LED) brighter, energy-efficient and durable.
ii.Meta-grid is a specifically patterned array of nanoparticles acting as metamaterials and it is capable of exhibiting extraordinary optical properties.
iii.It was jointly developed by Dr. Debabrata Sikdar, assistant professor at IIT Guwahati, Prof. Sir John B. Pendry and Prof. Alexei, A. Kornyshev from Imperial College, London.
About Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
Headquarters – Guwahati, Assam, India
Director – T.G Sitharam
About Imperial College London
President – Alice P.Gast
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
SII Partnered with Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the manufacture & Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines for India
i.Serum Institute of India(SII) Private Limited has entered into a new partnership with Gavi, the International Vaccine Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to accelerate the process of manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and other low and middle income countries(LMICs) by 2021 as part of the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a mechanism within the COVAX Facility.
ii.The vaccines will be made available to the 92 countries included in Gavi's COVAX AMC. SII has set a ceiling price of USD 3 per dose
About SII:
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
Chairman and Managing Director– Cyrus S. Poonawalla
CEO– Adar C. Poonawalla
ICC Retains India as the Host of 2021 Men's T20 Cricket World Cup & Australia to Host Men's T20 2020 World Cup in 2022
i.On 7th August 2020, International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that India will host the Men's Twenty-20 (T20) Cricket World Cup 2021 (7th edition) between October – November 2021 as the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) retained the hosting rights and Australia will host the 2020 Men's World Cup (8th edition), which was postponed due to the global pandemic in 2022.
ii.ICC also confirmed that the 2021 Women's One Day International (ODI) World cup in New Zealand scheduled for 6th February – 7th March 2021 has been postponed until February- March 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
About International Cricket Council(ICC):
Chairman– Imran Khwaja (interim)
CEO– Manu Sawhney
Headquarters– Dubai, UAE
Former MP & Senior Congress Leader, Nandi Yellaiah died due to COVID-19 at 78 in Telangana
On August 8, 2020 the former Member of Parliament (MP) & Senior Congress Leader, Nandi Yellaiah had passed away due to COVID – 19 infection at 78 in Telangana. He was born on July 1, 1942, in Hyderabad, Telangana.
About Nandi Yellaiah
i.He was the six-term member of Lok sabha.
ii.He was elected to the 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th Lok sabha from siddipet (s.c) parliamentary constituency.
iii.He was also elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Nagarkurnool, Telangana succeeding Manda Jagannatham.
iv.He also represented the Rajya Sabha twice until 2014.
About Telangana
Capital – Hyderabad
Chief Minister – K. Chandrashekar Rao
Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan
78th Anniversary of Quit India Movement – August 08, 2020
On August 08, 2020 Government of India commemorated the 78th Anniversary of the "Quit India Movement". On this day in 1942, father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi gave the clarion call of 'Do or Die' to all Indians to drive away Britishers from the country.
i.After the failure of Cripps Mission in March 1942, Gandhiji began the Quit India Movement and determined to launch a mass civil disobedience motion.
ii.As a result, Gandhi was imprisoned at Aga Khan Palace, Pune and the All India Congress Committee and the four Provincial Congress Committees were declared unlawful associations under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908
iii.The movement began from Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai.
iv.This day is observed as August Kranti Day every year.
Note – The Quit India Movement helped in uniting the people of India against the British rule.
Meghalaya Cabinet Approves Policy on Reservation of Seats for Women in Village Employment Councils
i.On 8th August 2020, Conrad Kongkal Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya informed the cabinet's approval for the passage of the "Policy on Reservation of seats for Women in Village Employment Councils(VECs)", the policy of reserving 50% seats for women in the village level community institutions.
ii.This policy ensures the empowerment of Women by establishing a forum for women to exercise their leadership and freedom.
About Meghalaya:
Chief Minister– Conrad Kongkal Sangma
Governor– Tathagata Roy
Capital– Shillong
Flipkart signs MoU with the U.P. Government under ODOP scheme
i.On 8th August, 2020 E-commerce platform Flipkart signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uttar Pradesh Government's One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme.
ii.As part of the MoU, artisans, weavers and craftsmen under the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme will be brought into the 'Flipkart Samarth' initiative.
iii.This partnership will enable the under-served communities to showcase their specialised products and crafts in the e-commerce platform.
About Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Gujarat Announced New Industrial Policy 2020
i.Gujarat Government announced the New Industrial Policy 2020 for the State, with an expected average annual outlay of up to Rs 8,000 crore, which was meant to provide incentives to the industries.
ii.It aims to provide an estimated Rs 40,000 crore as subsidies to industries in the next 5 years.
iii.The new policy is in line with the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. It replaces the Gujarat Industrial Policy 2015.
About Gujarat:
Capital– Gandhinagar
Chief minister– Vijay Rupani
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
AC GAZE
DIAT, Pune wins first prize in Smart India Hackathon 2020
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) Pune, an autonomous organization under the Department of Defence Research & Development, DRDO, has won first prize of rupees 1 Lakh for solving problem statement MS331 in the category of software posed by the Madhya Pradesh Government in Smart India Hackathon -SIH(Software) 2020, which is held at Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology (NIET), Uttar Pradesh from August 1 to 3, 2020.
Note: This software edition is organized jointly by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)(officially renamed Ministry of Education (MoE)) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Click here to Know more
https://affairscloud.com/grand-finale-of-smart-india-hackathon-software-2020-launched-by-ramesh-pokhriyal-nishank-virtually/
Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2020
Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
1 Harsh Vardhan presided the signing of MoU between CSIR and FSSAI for Collaborative Research and Information Dissemination
2 Ramesh Pokhriyal Inaugurates Two Day Global Conference on Reimagining and Transforming the University Organised by O.P. Jindal Global University
3 IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2017
4 SEBI revised IFSC guidelines, 2015' eligibility, shareholding limit for clearing corp at IFSC
5 IIT-Kharagpur Researchers Bags Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards 2020 for Clean Energy Research
6 Government Forms Panel Under RoDTEP Scheme for Exporters to be Headed by G K Pillai
7 Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani launches Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme
8 Delhi Airport develops 'Air Suvidha' portal for all international arriving passengers across India
9 IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with Imperial College London, develops nanoparticle 'meta-grid'
10 SII Partnered with Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the manufacture & Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines for India
11 ICC Retains India as the Host of 2021 Cricket World Cup & Australia to Host 2020 World Cup in 2022
12 Former MP Nandi Yellaiah died due to COVID-19 at 85 in Telangana
13 78th Anniversary of Quit India Movement – August 08, 2020
14 Meghalaya Cabinet Approves Policy on Reservation of Seats for Women in Village Employment Councils
15 Flipkart signs MoU with the U.P. Government under ODOP scheme
16 Gujarat Announced New Industrial Policy 2020
17 DIAT, Pune wins first prize in Smart India Hackathon 2020
Current Affairs Today 2020
Current Affairs Today August 2020
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Current Affairs 31 December 2020