I announced this project way back on March 30, 2015, and made the first actual entry on May 31 of that year, with Ruggles of Red Gap. Even then I knew this project would come to an end, I only hoped it wouldn't take the 6 ½ years it took to get through The Best Picture Project. Mercifully, it has not. Still, that first year was slow, with just three entries, the obvious result of me trying to put an end to The Best Picture Project and focusing my energies there. As that project ended in 2016, I pushed this one forward in earnest.
Through Oscar year 2017, I've seen 101 movies for The Also-Rans. That is 101 movies for 90 Oscar years. Some of the extra movies happened because I was not paying attention and watched two movies for a given year. Some of it was pairing up movies that added context to one another. One year I watched all five of the short films nominated. Underlying it all was I watched more movies simply because I love watching movies. For instance, if you peruse my Letterboxd.com history you'll see I watched a total of 428 in 2018, 411 in 2017, and just 378 in 2016. Obviously, you don't watch that many movies by accident.
Statistically, the movies in this project were entirely fictional narratives. Most were in English. Almost all were by white men. I wish there were more films directed by anybody who wasn't a white man, but until the middle 70s those were the only films the Academy seemed capable of nominating. And since then, I'd already seen the vast majority of the Oscar-worthy films, which limited my choices for new discoveries. So did a varied state of availability of the films. I did my best, but don't know if I could have done any better.
In another life I'd cap this series with a "What did I learn piece?", similar to those "What I did with my summer vacation?" essays the movies believe all little kids write in school, but none ever really had to. But aside from the Academy having sometimes-strange tastes, I'm not sure there's any overarching lesson learned from this. If anything, the big take away is straying off the beaten path, at least once in a while, tends to reward the wanderer in surprising ways.
Best Actor/Supporting Actor – Anthony Quinn, Zorba, the Greek.
Of all the movies I saw for this series, Quinn's work here was the one that stood out most. Yes, you could argue he had a leg up on the competition, playing Zorba in a movie called Zorba, but that argument overlooks the enormity of his performance. As the lesser-character in the movie – it might be called Zorba, but the movie is truly about Alan Bates' Basil – Quinn has to work hard to make us forget he's the bottom-dog in the story. And boy does he work! Quinn as Zorba is exciting, charismatic, and so charming that even in his lowest moments, doing despicable things, we are ready to forgive his every trespass. Quinn plays the part to the hilt and, no shock, it's his signature role.
Jacob Tremblay, Room. In Room, Tremblay is the window through which we look at the story. His wonder and lack of guile are what make it work, and while Brie Larsen won the Oscar, Tremblay is the true beating heart of this movie.
Best Actress/Supporting Actress – Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day.
One of things I discovered during this project was I have a thing for a certain sort of Emma Thompson role. Certainly, it was not learned in this project, because I guess I always knew it. Rather, it all just came into laser focus through it. And really, what set that realization upon me was her turn as the maid of the house in The Remains of the Day, so quiet in her affections for the butler, and so unrequited in that love. She is truly the great unspoiled beauty and is so effortless at it. What's better is that, as I've gone back through this series and refreshed myself on the prior entries, I realized she was easily the best part of the otherwise-boring An Education.
Diane Ladd, Rambling Rose. So often Ladd uses that tight smile of her's to menace, but here she deploys it in a more oddball-charming way, without ever losing the fierceness she's so good at. And even as she has a smaller part in the film – Laura Dern and Robert Duvall are the true leads – it is Ladd that sticks with you when Rambling Rose comes to an end.
Jennifer Tilly, Agnes of God. In order to buy the confusion and religious vision driving the plot of this film, you need an actress who can put it across. If it were played even slightly campy, the whole things falls apart, but Tilly is so earnest and genuine and sold on the role that she transcends what would otherwise have been a silly, one-note performance.
Shelly Winters, A Place in the Sun. It's hard to remember that Shelly Winters was once a great beauty. Too often we remember her as the overweight, middle-aged swimmer in The Poseidon Adventure, and forget how truly gorgeous and angelic she could be in movies like The Night of the Hunter. And the reason we forget is because she was so good at playing so much less than she actually was. That though you see how attractive she was, she excelled at playing low self-esteem and desperation. We see that in A Place in the Sun, and also see just how dangerous to herself, and others, a woman of that sort can be.
Others worth remembering: Judy Holiday in Born Yesterday; Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie; Genevieve Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days; Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce; and Gladys Cooper in Separate Tables.
Best Villain – Jay Robinson, The Robe.
Jay Robinson, The Robe. As Caligula, Robinson is the deadliest of villains in this series, plays him well, and was my favorite. Sneering, leering, and completely impotent of power for so long that he becomes all the more dangerous when he finally has that power and can start settling old scores. Obviously, because this turn was in a Bible epic, the bloodshed is mostly kept off screen, which makes Robinson's performance all the better – without the benefit of actually seeing him do evil things, or see them done on his behalf, he has to sell the character on nothing but his verbal tete-a-tetes. Which he does. And so good is Robinson, and so memorable, that even when he's offscreen for long stretches of time, he looms large over everything else. If that's not the mark of a truly great villain, then I don't know what is.
Eric Portman, 49th Parallel. In Powell/Pressburger's piece of propaganda, Portman rises above what could have been a rote role to play the ur-hissable Nazi. Brutal and unrepentant, he would be the standard by which all future filmic portrayals of Nazis would unwittingly channel.
John Colicos, Anne of the Thousand Days. As Cromwell, Colicos is ruthless and guiltless – the two most important traits of a true villain – and willing to be the ultimate Yes-man, enabling the King's every bad whim. Provided it suits Cromwell's professional ambitions.
George Colouris, Watch on the Rhine. Not all villains are driven by inherent villainy. Some are simple opportunists who have no qualms selling out the good guys, as long as there's a profit to be made from it. And this is the way Colouris plays the role, giving us the only memorable thing in an otherwise dismissible film.
Another Year, the dinner with Joe, when the family – and Mary – meets Joe's girlfriend for the first time.
Anne of the Thousand Days, the execution of Anne.
Agnes of God, the stigmata/confession.
Harry and Tonto, Harry and Norman's late-night heart-to-heart 'chat'.
Born Yesterday, the gin game.
La Cage Aux Folles, the John Wayne impression.
The biggest surprise of this project, and the real revelation, was Lesley Manville. In all, she figured in just three films, playing two distinctly supporting parts, and one that was arguably the lead. So enjoyable was she in all these part that I thought about deeming her at least as an Honorable Mention for each one in the Best Lead/Supporting Actress category. After all, she's about the best part of Secrets & Lies; is the most memorable thing to me from Topsy-Turvy, which is hard to believe, given how enjoyable that film was; and she really blows it all out in Another Year. Before tackling this project, I had never heard of Lesley Manville, and now that it's over I look forward to discovering what else she's done, and where she goes from here. In some sense it's too bad she's a well-established actress, because it means we don't get the same sense of wonder about what she'll do in the future you get with a younger actress. Nor do you have a long career left in front of her to look forward to. On the other hand, with her body of work behind her it's now possible to just binge that career in one go, without having to wait 20 years to get it in drips and drabs.
I hope you, loyal readers, have enjoyed this project as much as I have. I hope it opened your eyes to new films and new performers, and made you seek out something you otherwise might have ignored. The upside is that, as long as they keep giving out Oscars, they'll keep creating Also-Rans, so even though this project is at an end, it's not truly ending. For as long as I can take a breath, you can believe there will always be more to come.
 Because it would be too laborious to differentiate lead/supporting players, and single out the standard-bearers for each, I've combined them into one big category.
 Or, for the villains, perhaps it's best to call this a Dishonorable Mention.


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Once Pārvathi bowed respectfully to Lord Parameswara and asked. "Oh Lord! Could you please explain about the science and origin of music that gives transcendent bliss to all the creatures in this Universe ? ".
Lord said to his consort. Hey ! Pārvathi. Please listen carefully. I created the Panchabhoothās and the Saptaswarās that form the base of Sangeetha Sāsthra from my 5 faces.
From the face Sadyojātham, the Swara Gandhāram (Ga) and the element Earth / Prithvi was created. From Prithvi, instruments like Drums or Avanadha Vadyam – Idaikka, Timila, Maddalam , Mridangam which uses animal skin evolved.
From the face Vamadevam, the swara Dhaivatham (Dha) and the element Water / Ap was created. From Ap, instruments like Conch were created.
From the face Aghoram, the swaras Shadjam & Rishabha (Sa and Ri) and the Fire / Thejassu element was created. From the Thejassu, Kaamsya Vaadyas or Gongs – chengila, ilatalam and kuzhitalam were produced.
From the face Thathpurusham, the swara Panchamam and the element Air / Vāyu was created. From Vāyu, Randhra Vaadyas /Sushira Vaadya instruments like Pullaankuzhal (flute), Kombu etc were created.
From the fifth face Eesaanam, the swaras Madhyamam and Nishadam and the element Ether / Akāsham were born. From Akāsham, Stringed instruments or Tata Vadyaas like Veena etc were born.
Lord Shiva continues to Parvathi about the birth of these swara devathas on particular weekdays as per the following sloka.
Great Rishis like Bharatha, Mathanga and the like learned this Sangeetha Sāsthra from Lord Shiva and spread it for the welfare of the entire universe.
Saint Tyagaraja hints the origin of music in his krithis Nada Tanu manisam Sankaram in Raga Chittaranjani where he sings Sadyojaathadi Panchavakthraja SRGMPDN vara sapthaswara.
Doing meditation or dhyaanam just once with a pure mind is equal to chanting a manthra one crore times.
If you are able to unify yourself or enter the state of absolute laya or consciousness, it will be equal to doing dhyaanam a crore times.
Singing sweetly just once in perfect alignment with sruthi and layam is equal to unifying yourself with the Absolute Self a crore times.
There is nothing more superior than the divine music which leads to eternal happiness that bestows both Bhukthi (materialistic) and Mukthi (Salvation).
#26-Swara Devathās- Sangeethothpaththi – Part 2.
Extremely well written and educative. Carnatic Music is one of the path towards spiritual awakening. Thank you very much for this write-up.
I have a query. Why is Carnatic Music referred as Gandharva Vidya? Thanks to clarify.
It is common knowledge that music is born from Sama Veda, the saamans representing the earliest songs.According to Bharatha's Natyasasstra, it was Brahma who created the Natya Veda, taking the art of effective speech from Rig Veda, Abhinaya from Yajur Veda, Gana or music from Sama Veda and Rasa from Adharva Veda. This became the fifth Veda and was named Natya Veda.
After the period of Saman singing , we have the second period called Gandharva or Marga. Gandharva Vidya or Gandharva music is also Sama Sangeetham. Sapta swaras were already established in Sama Gaanam. Gandharvas were celestial musicians who were professional singers. Constituents of Gandharva Gaana are Swaram, Padam and Talam. This is what that's being practiced today in the form of Carnatic Music. All these three constituents find place in the present day music also. In ancient time, it was referred to as Gandharva Vidya.
Reading this blog itself is purifying and elevating. Thanks a ton for writing this!
Madam, Great article. Pray that you write more and more on music to enlighten us.


Apple has ranked 71st on Glassdoor's annual list of the best companies to work for in the United States, an improvement over its rank of 84th last year, but the iPhone maker remains far behind a handful of tech rivals.
Beyond tech, notable inclusions are In-N-Out Burger in third, Southwest Airlines in 10th, St. Jude Children's Hospital in 13th, and FedEx in 85th. The best place to work overall is considered to be management consulting firm Bain & Company.
Apple ranked as high as 10th in Glassdoor's list back heading into 2012, the first full year of Tim Cook serving as CEO. Cook continues to lead Apple, and was ranked the 96th best CEO in the United States on Glassdoor for 2018, with a 91 percent approval rating based on 8,063 employee reviews.
Original article title: Apple Jumps 13 Spots in Glassdoor's Annual List of Best Places to Work, But Remains Far Behind Facebook and Google.
This full article can be read at: Apple Jumps 13 Spots in Glassdoor's Annual List of Best Places to Work, But Remains Far Behind Facebook and Google.


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Rahan, Sohn der Vorzeit (franz. Rahan, Fils des Âges Farouches), bei Bastei auch Held der Vorzeit, ist die Hauptfigur der gleichnamigen französischen Comic-Serie, die ab der Ausgabe Nr. 1239 vom 3. März 1969 in der Comic-Zeitschrift Pif Gadget erschien. Das Szenario wurden von Roger Lecureux geschrieben, seit 2002 führt sein Sohn Jean-François Lecureux die Serie fort. Die meisten der Zeichnungen stammen von André Chéret; einige Geschichten wurden auch von Enric Badía Romero ("Romero"), Guido Zamperoni ("Guy Zam") und José Antonio de Huescar ("Garvi") illustriert.

Inhalt
Rahan lebt in einer fiktiven prähistorischen Zeit voller Abenteuer und Gefahren.
Bereits als Baby verliert er seine Eltern, als diese von Säbelzahnkatzen angegriffen und getötet werden. Der Jäger Crao findet ihn und mit ihm und dessen Frau Tawa lebt Rahan beim Stamm vom Blauen Berg. Angeleitet von dem Jäger entwickelt sich Rahan zu einem kräftigen und geschickten Kind und bezeichnet sich von nun an als "Rahan, Sohn des Crao". Ein Vulkanausbruch tötet seine Zieheltern und alle Stammesmitglieder, nur Rahan schafft es, in der Katastrophe zu überleben.

Allein auf sich gestellt erkundet der Junge fremde Gebiete, er wächst heran und trifft auf andere Stämme und ist stetig auf der Suche nach der Geschichte seiner von den Raubkatzen getöteten Eltern. Seine Abenteuer mit feindseligen Clans, Naturgewalten und urzeitlichen Tieren – darunter "realistische" wie Säbelzahnkatzen, Riesenhirsche, Wölfe und Mammuts und "fantastische" wie Riesenkalmare, Riesenspinnen, Dinosaurier und Plesiosaurier – besteht er durch seine Intelligenz, schnelle Auffassungsgabe und seine Geschicklichkeit.

Während seiner Reisen lernt Rahan die Natur zu verstehen und macht durch seine Beobachtungsgabe Entdeckungen und Erfindungen, die sich für ihn bei seinen Abenteuern als hilfreich erweisen: Er sucht und findet Lösungen für die Probleme einzelner Menschen und ganze Stämme und er gibt dieses Wissen an andere Menschen weiter.

Gemäß einem Schwur fängt Rahan nie eine Auseinandersetzung mit anderen Menschen an, obwohl er sich oftmals gegen selbstsüchtige Stammesführer und hinterhältige Schamanen wehren muss, die die Mitglieder ihrer Clans in Unwissen und Angst halten. Rahan begegnet solchen Gegnern meist mit Mut, Aufrichtigkeit und Diplomatie. Seine Absichten und seine altruistische Haltung fasst er – am Beginn der Serie – beim Abschied vom Clan der Fischer zusammen:

Erzählstil
Die einzelnen Episoden, die den Zeitrahmen von Rahans Kindheit bis zur Gründung einer eigenen Familie umfassen, sind thematisch in sich abgeschlossen, nehmen aber gelegentlich früher behandelte Themen wieder auf. Fast jede Geschichte verbindet ein spannendes Abenteuer mit Rahans engagierter und altruistischer Haltung, Probleme zu analysieren und aus dem Weg zu räumen – und daraus zu lernen.
Bestimmte Motive kehren immer wieder:
 Die Höhle der Sonne (la tanière du soleil), die Rahan während seiner gesamten Reise sucht und dabei auch große Gewässer per Floß überquert, um zu verstehen, wohin die Sonne am Ende des Tages verschwindet.
 Das Elfenbeinmesser (le coutelas d'ivoire), das er als Junge dem grausamen Anführer des Fluss-Clans stiehlt, dient ihm als Waffe und "Berater". Lecureux beschreibt Rahans animistische Beziehung: Oft hält Rahan Zwiesprache mit dem Elfenbeinmesser und durch Drehung auf einem Stein lässt er sich von dem Messer die Richtung anzeigen, in die er gehen wird/gehen soll. Mehrmals spielt in Episoden der Verlust und das Wiedererlangen dieses Messers eine zentrale Rolle.
 Die Halskette mit den Krallen (le collier de griffes) ist Rahans einziger Schmuck und ganzer Stolz. Vier Generationen vor seinem Ziehvater Crao trugen diese Halskette und in jeder Generation kam eine weitere Kralle hinzu, ehe Crao sie vor seinem Tod an Rahan weitergab. Die Krallen stehen für Mut (courage), Redlichkeit (loyauté), Großzügigkeit (générosité), Hartnäckigkeit (ténacité) und Weisheit (sagesse). Diese Halskette dient Rahan als Leitfaden bei Entscheidungen in schwierigen Situationen und in der Episode Rahans Söhne (Les fils de Rahan) erhält Rahan eine sechste Kralle für seine ganz eigene und besondere Tugend, die Scharfsinnigkeit (l'ingéniosité).
 Das Reich der Schatten (le territoire des ombres; d. h. Totenreich) – und in dieses hinüber wechseln zu müssen – fürchtet Rahan in scheinbar aussichtslosen Situationen, in denen es um Leben und Tod geht. Aber gleichzeitig sieht er es auch als unabdinglich an, da in seiner Vorstellung Crao (sein Ziehvater) und Tawa (seine Ziehmutter) wie auch seine Ahnen dort auf ihn warten. In einer Episode glaubt er, dieses Reich der Schatten gefunden zu haben. Auch die Mitglieder fremder Clans verwenden diese Bezeichnung.
 Rückblicke auf seine eigene Familiengeschichte, die sich Rahan nach und nach erschließt, sind sehr komplex und bestimmte Aspekte erscheinen im Laufe der Zeit unter verschiedenen Blickwinkeln.

An Rahans eigener Ausdrucksweise ist besonders, dass er von sich selber in der dritten Person spricht: "Mais les vertus du collier de Rahan lui permetteront-elles de retrouver son coutelas?" (dt. Aber die Tugenden von Rahans Halskette – werden sie ihm erlauben, sein Messer wiederzufinden?) und dass er den Wesen und Dingen um sich herum eigene deskriptive Namen gibt: les longues crinières (dt. Langmähnen, d. h. Löwen), ceux qui marchent débout (dt. die, die aufrecht gehen, d. h. Menschen) usw. Er selbst wird von anderen wegen seiner Haarfarbe Cheveux-de-Feu (dt. Feuerhaar) genannt.

Der Psychologe Pascal Hachet nahm die Popularität der Serie in Frankreich zum Ausgangspunkt einer Analyse von Rahans Persönlichkeit und seinem Verhalten unter dem Aspekt seiner mehrfach tragischen Familiengeschichte: Seine endlose Suche nach dem Sitz der Sonne, sein Getrieben- und Geplagtsein (être hanté) von einem Clan zum anderen zu ziehen, seine Phobien und seine Bindungsangst, sowie seine unerschütterliche Selbstmotivation. Das Ergebnis fasste Hachet in einem Buch zusammen.

Zeichenstil
Die in Rahan verwendeten Illustrationen sind sehr detailliert, quasi-realistisch und dynamisch konzipiert, was auch besonders durch extreme Perspektiven verstärkt wird. Vor allem in den späteren Geschichten sprengt die Dynamik regelmäßig den Panel-Rand. Nacktheit wird in natürlicher Weise dargestellt und Rahan ist kein aseptischer Held, sondern er schwitzt bei Anstrengungen und er blutet nach Kämpfen.

Erwähnung geografischer Orte und paläoanthropologischer Funde
Ab 1997 wurden immer häufiger reale geografische Orte und paläoanthropologische Funde fantasievoll in die Rahan-Geschichten eingebaut. Im Anhang der Bände finden sich bebilderte Zusammenfassungen der in den Geschichten erwähnten Fakten mit Kontaktadressen der entsprechenden Museen.

 1997 (Soleil; außerhalb der Serie) Rahan et l'homme de Tautavel (freie dt. Übersetzung Rahan und der Mensch von Tautavel).
 2004 (Éditions Lécureux) Le Secret de Solutré (freie dt. Übersetzung Das Geheimnis von Solutré); der Felsen von Solutré befindet sich in der Gemeinde Solutré-Pouilly und an seinem Fuß wurden große Mengen von Tierknochen gefunden.
 2006 (Éditions Lécureux) Le Combat de Pierrette (freie dt. Übersetzung Pierrettes Kampf); Pierrette bezieht sich auf die französische Benennung eines Neandertaler-Schädelfundes (weiblicher Neandertaler mit verheilter Kopfverletzung) im Gebiet Paléosite de Saint-Césaire.
 2007 (Éditions Lécureux) Le Trésor de Bélesta (freie dt. Übersetzung Der Schatz von Bélesta); in Bélesta, einer Gemeinde im Département Pyrénées-Orientales befindet sich die 1983 entdeckte Höhle von Bélesta.
 2009 (Éditions Lécureux) La Légende de la Grotte de Niaux (freie dt. Übersetzung Die Legende der Höhle von Niaux); in der Gemeinde Niaux, Département Ariège, liegt die gleichnamige Höhle, in der sich sehr schöne Höhlenmalereien finden.
 2010 (Éditions Lécureux) L'incroyable Romain la Roche (freie dt. Übersetzung Das unglaubliche Romain la Roche); in der Gemeinde Romain-la-Roche befindet sich eine paläontologische Grabungsstelle mit vielen Höhlen und Fossilien.

Veröffentlichungen in Frankreich
In den letzten 41 Jahren (1969 bis Ende 2010) sind 197 Geschichten auf 4.116 Seiten mit ein bis sechs Paneln (meistens sind es fünf) pro Seite erschienen.

Zeitschriften
 Éditions de Vaillant, Nr. 1377 bis; Pif Gadget Sonderausgabe, 1971
 Éditions de Vaillant, Rahan Nr. 1–27, erst dreimonatlich, dann zweimonatlich, 1972–1977
 Éditions de Vaillant, Rahan - Nouvelle Collection, Nr. 1–36, zweimonatlich, 1978–1984
 Rahan l'intégrale, Nr. 1–42, monatlich, 1984–1987

Comic-Alben
 Éditions Hachette, 1 Band, 1973
 Éditions du Kangourou, 2 Bände, 1974–1975
 Édition Presses de la Cité (GP Rouge et Or) 5 Bände, 1980–1981
 Éditions La Farandole (Messidor – La Farandole) 3 Bände, 1986–1987
 Éditions J'ai Lu BD, 2 Bände, 1989–1990
 Éditions Novedi, 2 Bände, 1991–1992
 Éditions Dupuis, 1 Band, 1990
 Soleil Productions, 25 Bände, 1992–1997 und 3 Sonderbände, 1996–1998
 Éditions Frédérique, 6 Bände
 Éditions Lécureux, 11 Bände, 1999–2010

Zeichentrickserien
 Rahan, Sohn der Vorzeit (Rahan fils des âges farouches), französische TV-Zeichentrickserie, 26 Episoden, 1987
 Rahan, franco-italienische TV-Zeichentrickserie, 26 Episoden, 2009

Veröffentlichungen in Deutschland
In Deutschland erschien Rahan beim Bastei-Verlag, unter anderem in Felix und Topix, bevor er 1984 seine Abenteuer in fünf je 100 Seiten starken Taschenbüchern ausleben durfte.

Filmversion
Eine Comicverfilmung des französischen Regisseurs Christophe Gans war in Arbeit und sollte 2006 erscheinen, wurde aber aufgeschoben.

Weblinks
 Homepage von Rahan (franz.)
 Website des Musicals Ceux qui marchent debout (franz.)
 Einen guten Einblick in die Geschichten und Zeichnungen geben Rahans Hochzeit bei immaterial.fr (franz.) (Feuilleter ce livre, d. h. Im Album blättern)

Einzelnachweise

Frankobelgische Comicfigur
Frankobelgischer Comic (Werk)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Could somebody say what this catalog-dita.xml file is and how could I transform to xml and back? I'm updating old DITA-OT and there is file used catalog-dita.txt which contents seems same as catalog-dita.xml - only thing that in newer DITA-OT there is no txt files
catalog-dita.txt:
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<!--    2010.04.08 RDA: Add basemap.dtd and basetopic.dtd          -->

<catalog xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:entity:xmlns:xml:catalog"
         prefer="public">

<!-- Catalog for Dita DTDs -->

  <group xml:base="base/dtd/">
    <!-- Topics -->
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ELEMENTS DITA Topic//EN"
            uri="topic.mod"/>
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ELEMENTS DITA 1.x Topic//EN"
            uri="topic.mod"/>
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ELEMENTS DITA 1.2 Topic//EN"
            uri="topic.mod"/>
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ENTITIES DITA Topic Definitions//EN"
            uri="topicDefn.ent"/>
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ENTITIES DITA 1.x Topic Definitions//EN"
            uri="topicDefn.ent"/>
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ENTITIES DITA 1.2 Topic Definitions//EN"
            uri="topicDefn.ent"/>
    <!-- topicAttr.mod is only used in DITA 1.0; kept for backwards compatibility -->
    <public publicId="-//OASIS//ENTITIES DITA Topic Class//EN"
            uri="topicAttr.mod"/>

Could somebody say what this txt file is? What format it is? Easiest would be to transform the new xml to txt if there would be such tools.

A: I believe it's just a text representation of the XML catalog. It has not been included since (I believe) 2.0 (current version is 3.3.4).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: AS2 Adding variable to loop I am new to this forum so be gentle!
In actionscript 2, I have a series of movieclips call "target+number", within a movieclip called "large_mc".
They each have a unique x value which is added via this loop:
for (i = 0; i<= 5; i++){
large_mc["target"+i].id = i}

Each "target" movieclip includes a text field called "_txt" whose propertues I can alter individually like this;
large_mc.target1._txt.background=true; large_mc.target1._txt.borderColor=0x000033;`

etc
My question is how to do this using a loop
My difficulty is including the variable "i".
I have tried things like
for (i = 0; i<= 5; i++){
large_mc["target"+i]_txt.background=true}

but not successfully.
I think there is a simple solution, I just cant work out the grammar!
Thanks

A: You need to add dot(.) at end of the square brackets

large_mc["target"+i]

 for (i = 0; i<= 5; i++)
 {
   large_mc["target"+i]._txt.background=true
 }


Jane Bullock and Amy Gale teach to the women in this split service designed to address sexual issues specific to each gender.
Pastor Clifton preaches to the men in a split service held to address sexual issues specific to each gender.
Image Is Everything (Part 3): How Do I Respond to Sexual Brokenness?
Pastor Clifton continues our series on being made in God's image with a challenge in how to respond to sexual brokenness with grace and truth.
In part 2, Pastor Clifton unpacks the gifts of our gender and sexuality as well as the history of the current issues associated in Western culture.


but once we accomplished that, we could sprinkle some dyed coconut "straw,"
and start making our gumdrop Mary and Joseph.
Next, we made a manger out of graham cracker pieces, and a baby Jesus from a mini marshmallow and the top half of a little gumdrop.
Then, a sheep from a big marshmallow and some licorice.
Anyway, here is my favorite playdough recipe for you to try out at home. Have a great weekend!
Gradually add flour mixture into wet mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until well blended. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Stores well in an air-tight container for a looong time!
December 3 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Reception: December 4th 3-4 pm; silent auction closes at 4 pm; announcement of winners at 4:30.


Mektum Homoeo Pharma has a state-of-the-art production facility designed to facilitate the production of the highest quality products. This production facility is located at Karachi's major industrial hub the Korangi Industrial Area. Mektum Homoeo Pharma adheres strictly to the principles of cGMP with its modernized production facilities, efficient production control, quality assurance, industrial safety, occupational health and environmental control systems. Raw materials are sourced from globally renowned manufacturers. These materials are subjected to a demanding schedule for various testing procedures. Production of quality products at the manufacturing facility is approved through regular inspections of local regulatory authorities.
At Mektum Homoeo Pharma, quality management is our foremost concern because the company believes in building of quality right from the selection of raw material through the whole manufacturing process, till the end product. The qualitative edge of Mektum Homoeo Pharma stems from our highly skilled work force and professional management backed by an ongoing integrated human resource training and development program.


The Hafod Hotel Devils Bridge and its sister hotel The Cross Foxes Hotel Dolgellau are committed to meeting its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulations 'GDPR' and ensuring the privacy and security of all personal information.
This policy covers the collection, processing and other use of personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998 ("DPA") and the General Data Protection Regulations ("GDPR").
· to communicate with you including sending you information about products and services which we think may be of interest to you. You have the right to opt out of our processing your personal data for marketing purposes by contacting us at hello@crossfoxes.co.uk.
The information and data we collect is important for us and we would not want to share this with anyone else. Unless we have your express consent, we will never disclose, rent, trade or sell your personal data to any third parties for their marketing or mailing purposes. We may share your information with our sister hotel in line with the above WHAT DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION FOR? If you book a twin stop break.
We only store your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes listed under the 'What do we use your information for?' section and to meet our legal obligations as a company.
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Brilliant Hotel , Fantastic Staff, Excellent Food very nice Room " The Bed was like sleeping on a Cloud " Gutted we had to leave Thanks Everyone Loved it Best regards Terry & Tracy .


Monique Marks receives funding from the National Research Foundation and in kind funding from the CSIR.
It started – as so much of my research has – with a hunch. For many years I have been completely overwhelmed by the high walls that South African suburbanites have created around their dwellings. They have always struck me as confronting, offensive and aesthetically unappealing.
But, more than this, I couldn't shake the feeling that these walls, which were supposedly created to make people safer, were actually having the opposite effect. As a criminologist by training, I've worked with police officers and security guards over many years. So I reached out to a member of the Durban Metropolitan Police, Chris Overall. That was the start of a journey that has taken us through very different suburbs and very different ways of thinking about security – and that will, later this year, see the Durban chapter of a global organisation, Alliance Française, literally break down its walls.
In the late apartheid period South African suburbs began to change dramatically in both their appearance and design. This was the result of rising levels of crime that are typical of countries in transition, particularly those characterised by high levels of inequality as is the case in South Africa.
South Africa is renowned for having a very high rate of violent crime. By way of illustration, by the mid-1990s, South Africa's murder rate was six times higher than that of America and 20 times higher than that of Britain. Since 1995, South Africa has ranked in the top six countries for violent crime.
As a response to the surge of crime, particularly violent crime, urban (particularly suburban) dwellers began to fortress their houses. Increasingly, housing was designed with the aim of keeping intruders out. This included constructing increasingly high walls, and erecting electrified fences and laser beams.
A new mentality emerged that focused on the fortification of home and office space. Initially this was strongly supported and bolstered by the private security industry, which had vested interests in the rush to monitor space and strengthen security. Rising crime rates effectively prompted South Africans to create alternative and substitute policing institutions.
In light of this fortification, we decided to interrogate whether this response has had the intended result: has it reduced crime victimisation? We decided to make use of a comparative approach in trying to make sense of this.
Our first step was to compare crime rates – particularly for violent crime (such as armed robbery and hijacking) – in two Durban suburbs. This is the second most populous city in South Africa and is the capital of the KwaZulu-Natal province. One of the suburbs we studied, Umbilo, is not characterised by high walls. It's a lower middle-class area that's often referred to disparagingly as "Scumbilo" because of its class make-up and slightly grimy appearance. The other suburb, Westville, is strikingly walled. It's viewed as a more desirable place to live – a place of aspiration, if you will, even though it is by far not Durban's most affluent suburb.
These suburbs were selected following conversations with members of both public and private policing agencies in Durban. The South African Police Services, the city's Metro Police and private companies Blue Security and ADT all became partners on this project. They, too, were keen to explore the function and impact of walls in regard to crime targeting.
Chris and I spent a few months in 2014 studying incident reports from the two areas. As part of our exploratory research we also joined police and private security firms on their day and night patrols in both areas. On those journeys, we witnessed incidents first hand – and saw, without a doubt, that violent crime was far more common behind high walls in Westville than it was in Umbilo. These observations were reinforced by reading through incident reports and talking to the police while they were on patrol, as well as in their offices.
Through their experience and their expert knowledge the police had come to view walls as "policing nightmares". Solid, high walls are viewed as an obstacle to policing. Organised criminals always look for ways to be hidden from sight. Walls are perfect for this purpose.
Walls prevent patrolling officers from knowing what is happening inside a property. This detracts from the value of patrols as a form of crime prevention and rapid response. Walls can also become a defence for criminals: they're given the freedom to conduct their activities without being seen from the street.
In addition, private security guards told us, the existence of a wall makes those in a home or yard feel trapped once an intruder has accessed their property. Homeowners are then slower to alert either the relevant private security company or the police.
Walls are also a problem because they prevent those who live "inside" from seeing what is happening on the outside. High walls mean that reaction officers can't easily get onto a property – they can often only do a perimeter check, which is very frustrating for these officers and guards who are trying to protect people. Lastly, walls and other forms of solid boundaries create real problems for patrol officers. Jumping a high wall is physically dangerous in itself. There's also the very real possibility that patrol officers will be caught unawares by home intruders who are already inside targeted properties.
That initial hunch has brought us a long way. Our research has received a huge amount of public attention and sparked debates in a country where high walls are ubiquitous. These debates have centred not only on physical walls but on the interconnected metaphysical walls that suburban dwellers have created.
Talk shows on this project were hosted by a number of radio stations including Cape Talk and Lotus FM. What emerged in the talk show discussions was that people feel compelled to live behind high walls as these are the only "defensive" structures they are aware of. They are also afraid that, should they be the one house on the street without a wall, they will immediately be targeted by criminals. However, almost unanimously, callers were nostalgic for times when they lived without walls and were envious of places where walls do not exist.
A real dystopia exists in the minds of those who build walls and yet are very uncomfortable with them, both symbolically and physically. During public forums and radio shows a number of people claimed that they were going to "experiment" with taking down their walls. Whether or not this takes place is an individual choice, but there is certainly evidence that walls are not necessarily generating the safety that is desired.
Perhaps the most exciting and real life outcome is that one of Durban's most visible and active cultural centres, the Alliance Française de Durban, has decided to literally break down its existing high boundary wall. It will be replaced with a boundary that generates security and engagement, and builds neighbourliness.
We don't yet know what this boundary will look like. The KwaZulu-Natal Institute of Architecture published an expression of interest advert for the Alliance Without Walls project on May 28 2016. The final new boundary structure will be designed and constructed by December 2016. This is one important step on the road to imagining cities without walls.


text:
FIA F2 / Breaking news
Russian Time sells Formula 2 team
One of Formula 2's most successful teams, Russian Time, will close after Sunday's Abu Dhabi sprint race, Motorsport.com understands.
The Team, founded in 2013, won the teams' championship in GP2 in its first season, and when the series was renamed F2 in 2017.
Since the team's inception, it has scored 20 GP2 and F2 victories, with Sam Bird, Mitch Evans, Tom Dillmann, Luca Ghiotto, Artem Markelov and Tadasuke Makino all driving for the team.
Markelov has taken three wins this season in his fifth year in the series, in which he has graduated to testing Formula 1 machinery in his role as a junior of the Renault F1 team.
His teammate Makino also took a win in his rookie season in the category at Monza.
Motorsport.com understands that the team could change name as soon as the F2 post-season test starting on Thursday next week at the Yas Marina circuit.
An announcement on who will be taking over the team is expected soon.
Russian Time was unavailable for comment regarding the sale of the team and on its new owners.
Abu Dhabi F2: Russell secures title with feature race win
Abu Dhabi F2: Fuoco wins, Norris jumps Albon in points
Series FIA F2
Teams UNI-Virtuosi
Author Jack Benyon
FIA F2 Next session
Red Bull expects top-four for Tsunoda in F2
Hitech expands into F2, takes grid to 22 cars
Honda junior Tsunoda secures F2 graduation with Carlin
Drugovich joins MP Motorsport for F2 move
De Vries nearly gave up on single-seater career

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


(1) Have evaluations of the Tasmanian Forestry Industry Development Program, the Tasmanian Softwood Industry Development Program and the Tasmanian Country Sawmills Assistance Program, auspiced under the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement (TCFA) and foreshadowed by the department in response to a question taken on notice (CC 16) during the 2009 supplementary budget estimates hearing of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, been completed; if so: was the success criteria listed in Table 2.1 (p. 44) of the Australian National Audit Office report no. 26 of 2007-08, Tasmanian Forest Industry Development and Assistance Programs: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the report), used for the evaluations.
(2) What performance indicators were used to assess whether these success criteria were achieved, both by individual grantees and each program as a whole.
(3) (a) If the success criteria referenced in (1) were not used, why not; and (b) what criteria were used to assess the success of the three programs.
(4) Regardless of the criteria used, can the full outcomes for each program identified by the evaluation be provided.
(5) Did the program evaluations use the available data sources to measure program effectiveness as listed in Appendix 2 of the report.
(6) If the data sources referenced in (5) were used in the program evaluations, what outcomes do these data sources demonstrate in relation to the success of each program in achieving: (a) continuing development of a sustainable, efficient and value adding forest and forest products industry; and (b) assistance to the forest industry to adjust to changes in the wood resource mix arising from the TCFA.
(7) In relation to each grantee assessed as part of program evaluations, what outcomes do these data sources demonstrate in terms of: (a) the increased efficiency of the grantee's operations; (b) the increase in value adding to production of the grantee's operations; and (c) the adjustment made to changes in the resource mix arising from the TCFA of the grantee's operations.
(8) If the review by the department and Tasmanian officials of the three programs has not used the 'available data sources to measure program effectiveness' as listed in Appendix 2 of the report; why not.
(9) For each of the three programs, how many: (a) businesses were assisted; (b) jobs were maintained; and (c) jobs were created, and subsequently maintained.
(10) For each of the three programs: (a) what was the total value of the grant assistance provided; and (b) what was the monetary value of new investment in forestry industries leveraged by the grant assistance provided.
(11) For each business or organisation assisted in each program, how many jobs were maintained, and created and maintained, as a result of the grant assistance provided by the relevant program.
(12) If the review by the department and Tasmanian officials of the three programs has not yet been completed, when will it be completed and made publicly available.
(1) What strategies have been put in place by the department to implement these recommendations since the tabling of the report on 28 February 2008 and the completion of the three Tasmanian forest industry development and assistance programs on 30 June 2009.
(2) Did the implemented strategies result in more stringent administrative procedures for the three programs; if so, how was this measured.
(3) Did the department use the current standard funding Deed of Agreement, as recommended by the report for grants under these three programs between 28 February 2008 and 30 June 2009; if not, why not.
(4) Upon accepting the recommendations of the report, did the department prior to the completion of the grants program in June 2009, change the method of payment to grantees and develop and implement operational guidelines for the payment of claims, compliance reporting and acquittal of grants; if not, why not.
(5) In accordance with the report recommendation regarding ongoing performance evaluation for the three programs: (a) what ongoing performance data was collected and how was it validated; and (b) has the data been analysed; if so, what conclusions were drawn regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the three programs and specifically, what evidence did the performance data provide to show that the three programs increased employment in the Tasmanian forestry industry, and in the businesses of grantees.
(e) if the relevant Deed of Agreement does not require the repayment of part or all of grant moneys received in the event of a grantee entering liquidation, receivership or administration, why was such a condition not included.
(f) if the relevant Deed of Agreement does not require the repayment of part or all of grant moneys received in the event of a grantee being taken over by another business, why was such a condition not included.
(1) Why do the disbursements of each program, and of the total in (iii) above, vary from the values of the programs, and of the total in (ii) above.
(d) does this variation in the payment of the additional 30 per cent to grantees account for the discrepancy in the figures quoted in (ii) and (iii); if not, what is the reason for the discrepancy.
(3) Why do the figures from the answers to question CC 10 and question CC 06 vary from the actual allocations to the programs.
(4) What happened to approximately $1 million from the total actual allocation of $72.8 million.
(5) Why did the TFIDP not expend its actual funding allocation.
(6) Why did the TCSAP and TSIDP exceed their actual funding allocation.


Fiberglass synthetic resin shell bass case with swivel wheels. White exterior with red velour interior. Accessory compartment and bow pockets in adjustable interior. Instrument suspension system, and SPS Side Protection System. Made in Germany with Swiss latches.
4/4 & 3/4 sizes available.
3/4 size weighs 55 lbs.
Special Order Only, Please call us for a more accurate delivery estimate.


text:
import React from 'react'
import { Radio } from 'stardust'

const RadioToggleExample = () => (
  <Radio toggle />
)

export default RadioToggleExample

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
ICTlogy
Ismael Peña-López, lecturer and researcher
Information Society, Digital Divide, ICT4D
Formal CV
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Review (ISSN 1886-5208)
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Home » ICT4D Blog » Global Revolution (II). Sequence of gestation, explosion and contagion of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (II)
Global Revolution (II). Sequence of gestation, explosion and contagion of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (II)
By Ismael Peña-López (@ictlogist), 23 October 2013
Main categories: ICT4D
Other tags: baybars_kulebi, bernardo_gutierrez, globalrev, luis_moreno-caballud
Notes from the Three years of interconnected riots. Emergence, evolution and challenges of the network movements in the context of the #GlobalRevolution , organized by the Communication and Civil Society programme of the IN3 in Barcelona, Spain, in October 23, 2013. More notes on this event: globalrev.
Luis Moreno-Caballud (University of Pennsylvania. Occupy Wall Street)
Occupy Wall Street is built upon a general resentment against Wall Street, as films as Capitalism: a love story or Inside job clearly show. A new imaginary is created not against capitalism itself, but against obscene wealth of the so-called 1% (the 1% of richest people). There also is a major disappointment after Barack Obama's election, as many citizens deny the "hope" that the new President was supposed to bring.
There also is another precedent in the march on Wall Street on May 12th, 2011, as others on May 21st 2011, or June 16th, 2011, these latter two against Mayor Bloomberg.
At last, Adbusters creats the meme and calls on September 17th 2011 to "Occupy Wall Street", a call clearly based on Tahrir Square and the Spanish Indignados' camps. It is interesting to note that Adbusters made the call, but would not organize any formal movement, infrastructure, camp or whatever.
The New York City General Assembly is the one that takes the commitment to turn Adbusters' call into something real.
Most of the people around NYC General Assembly and the camp at Zuccotti Park had similar profile: white, educated and politically committed youngsters. This provided a homogeneous culture which made agreements be reached quite easily, but also represented a closed cluster that had serious challenges to get to other citizens outside of this specific group. They notwithstanding succeeded in reaching out to other local processes, like groups fighting racism, groups fighting for labour rights, etc. At this moment, the movement boosts and virally expands into "traditional" activism and many other areas of society, including mainstream media.
It is worth noting two very interesting characteristics of the movement. The first one, the power of self-organization, including self-propagation, P2P help to newcomers, etc. The second one, the ability to replicate a "city" in the camp of Zuccotti Park, setting up the services and infrastructures that are needed to guarantee the habitability and sustainability of the occupation.
Baybars Külebi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Occupy Gezy Barcelona)
The "Guided" Autonomy of #direngezi
In Turkey there is no apparent crisis. But, there are three pillars of economic growth in Turkey that are harming many people and that can provide an interesting framework for the movements in Taksim.
Urban transformation projects. There is an important bias towards policies based on construction and big infrastructures.
Enclosure of commons. Including environmental injustices related to (among other) water supplies and hydroelectric power.
Neoliberal transformations. Benefiting the "big family" of rich capitalists that act as "dispossession networks", networks made by the government, media and firms.
Besides this framework, there is a timeline of events that can also help to understand Taksim: the Bloody 1st of May (May 1, 1977), the Military Coup (September 12, 1980), the first celebration in Taksim (May 1, 2010), closing of the square (September 16, 2011), the beginning of construction within the park (May 27, 2013), etc.
On the other hand, there is a strong culture of the Internet in Turkey, deeply rooted in 4chan and its ethos. The ekşi sözlük group thus served, in many senses, as a sort of school of cyberactivism.
After the initial phase in May 27th, 2013, where just 50-60 people camped in Taksim, then the movement quickly gained momentum, especially when other organizations came and joined the general movement. The fact that the demands were very concrete was also helpful in gathering people around clear, straightforward ideas. Though there was some criticism for these demands not being very ambitious. But, again, simplicity played an important role in making the message very clear and easy to endorse.
It is important to note that the movement came in time: just two years before, broadband penetration in Turkey was very low, just improving very quickly after 2011. The role of technological tools has been important, but instrumental.
Bernardo Gutiérrez (Journalist. Riots in Brasil)
#VemPraRua.
There are some minor — but relevant — unrests in November 6, 2012, but it is in June 13, 2013, where the protests end up in violence by the police. This sparks the movement: some activist groups call for demonstrations (among them Movimento Passe Livre, Anonymous, Movimento contra a Corrupção. Many movements answer the call for June 17th, 2013, thus gathering different sensibilities, approaches, demands, etc. and making the movement a very powerful one. It is worth noting that the movement identifies itself not as a major protest in Brazil, but as part of a global worldwide protest. Indeed, this made the local nodes of global networks like Anonymous to increase their relevance and their legitimacy both inside Brazil as outside of the country. On the other hand, #ProtestoRJ is seen as the network of the "poor nodes", that is, no powerful local nodes monopolized the debate but, on the contrary, the conversation was really plural and distributed.
Political parties did not understand the movement — especially, or not even, left-wing parties — and they tried to enter the conversation with very self-referential and top-down approaches.
The movement succeeded in creating a collective identity and imaginary which has created a whole process of artivism and hacktivism that has permeated all spheres of life.
Ismael Peña-López (to Bernardo Gutiérrez): is it possible to be both a journalist and an activist? where are the red lines? Gutiérrez: it's difficult. The good thing is knowing the issues in deepest detail, as an insider, and also being able to talk to all parts and actors and see their points of view. The not that good thing is how to keep a distance when it is needed, or how to keep criticism on one's own side even when one is a convinced partisan of the movement. The final balance is, though, very positive: being both things — journalist and activist — as produced more rigorous and informed pieces in comparison with other media that have covered the citizen movements worldwide.
Collective notes taken on Titanpad.
Aggregator at RebelMouse.
Global Revolution. Three years of interconnected riots (2013)
--- browse post --- Sequence of gestation, explosion and contagion of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (I) Sequence of gestation, explosion and contagion of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (II) Challenges, problems and innovations in the phase of evolution of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (I) Challenges, problems and innovations in the phase of evolution of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (II)
If you need to cite this article in a formal way (i.e. for bibliographical purposes) I dare suggest:
Peña-López, I. (2013) "Global Revolution (II). Sequence of gestation, explosion and contagion of the network movements cycle 2011-2013 (II)" In ICTlogy, #121, October 2013. Barcelona: ICTlogy.
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I am Ismael Peña-López.
I am Director General of Citizen Participation and Electoral Processes at the Government of Catalonia.
Formerly, and during nearly 13 years, I was professor at the School of Law and Political Science of the Open University of Catalonia.
I have also been senior researcher at Open Evidence and fellow director of Open Innovation at Fundació Jaume Bofill.
Citizen Participation in policy-making: internalizing externalities and preventing conflict through planning and evaluating
Governance of the Ecosystem of educational communities
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Washington Twp. Historical Society Mtg., 7:30pm, Museum, 6 Fairview Ave.
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To believe / to laugh ….
Or action movie for me !!!!
Or perhaps is just ….
and the love.. it´s true ?
Your hands and your glance ……..
The souls.. ¡ yes !
¡ Jajaja ! yes ..
From your neck to your arms ..
¡ A beautiful moment !
Your eyes / your skin..
I can´t forget your eyes..
Do you remeber the first time ?
And with a lot of faults.
The success / the money ?
Do you want take a risk?
Your hands / Yes ..
The guilty / the lover….
Give me your body but never your love….
Your smile / your lips….
Give to me your body..
But you are with me….
And of course / you…..
The woman what I want….
The water from your skin….
Your silence and your being…..
The guilty of your smile….
My breath and my silence….
The hours / the nights….
The heaven from your kisses….
I was thinking about it with your letter in my chest….
I am your slave ….
How are you my sweet love?
He gave me a flower….
You are like a present….
I'm so happy and my eyes bright!
Over me / inside me…..
I feel emptiness in my dreams….
I wanna drink your sweat….
Your hands / your face…..
Your waist / your hips…..
From your skin…. The smell….
I am in your mind..
If you can notice and feel….
-¡ stay with me !
You know / About us ….
I am waiting for you….
Your eyes and your lips..
My girlfriend / the woman of my life…..
The dawn / my air and the morning…….
Do you want be my girlfriend ?
I am thinking of you….
"You know who the owner of the poem is"
I can lose my being….
The dog can bit the rabbit….
The people agree with us….
Et vous / que voudriez-vous faire………..
¡We need save our little piece of heaven!
¡A little egoistic person I am tonight!
The sadness is the first feeling into my heart….
And the tears my question…..
I promise you one beautiful thought every day….
The happiness / your time with us….
Why are you far from here…..
THE MEDICINE TO THE WORLD??
The yoga is friend with the soul…..
Like the water in the skin….
Or perhaps / the mountain….
But we are losing the control…..
And the human is alone….
And always searching the hope….
The connection with the being….
She is searching the love….
bla.. bla…. Bla … bla… bla… bla….
We can run without her..
She is the nostalgia …..
But / it was a dream?
I've never been out / but who are you?
AND FOR MY SHORT FILM..
The paper is alone flying by the silence…..
What does it mean to regret when you have not life?
I'm remembering even the time when ….
The love / the love my loved night ….
Come to me… / Because…..
Mi casa / nuestra tierra….
Yo quiero estar con vos.
Que te ha hayas ido.
Cómo hacer el amor ?
COMO HACER EL AMOR ?
Un capricho del ancla que nos amarró al puerto.
Yo siempre te he querido.
Sí / hasta cuando te ibas………….
Pero no sé si puedo……………..
A veces pienso en ti……..
ESCRITO POR / DIEGO VALDEZ G.
Y por ella los tiempos del alma.
En el sin fin de tu boca….
Y añorar lo que le daban.
Y abrió sus pétalos igual que tu dolor.
Acribillando así / la nueva historia.
Menos aún tener orgasmos con tu cuerpo.


Photos of the murdered churchwomen in Cinquera. Photo by Mary Jo McConahay.
On a warm morning in January 2016, in a small town far from the capital in El Salvador's northern Morazan province, just off the shady central square, an extraordinary hearing is unfolding in a cramped courtroom. Over the low, constant whir of a fan, Justice of the Peace Mario Soto speaks clearly to survivors and relatives of victims of a 1982 army massacre by U.S.-trained forces at a village called El Mozote and nearby settlements. A thousand unarmed civilians, including infants and children, died. Government attorneys, lawyers for the peasants whose families were killed and forensic scientists, listen closely. They are not accustomed to hearing such words from the bench.
Some 75,000 persons, overwhelmingly civilians, died in the civil war between 1980 and 1992, most at the hands of government forces. Adjudicating past crimes, especially war crimes, is arguably one of the most effective ways to strengthen a post-conflict society, lending credence to the judicial system and fortifying the process of transitional justice to underpin a true democracy. But in El Salvador no one is convicted for ordering, or carrying out, massacres like El Mozote, or for assassinations such as those of Archbishop Óscar Romero in 1980 and six Jesuit priests in 1989. There remains no accounting for thousands of disappeared civilians.
That is why the scene in the Meanguera courtroom feels unusual: a judge is pushing for justice in the case of a war crime with every apparent intention of seeking a resolution within El Salvador's own judicial system, no matter where the evidence leads. Frustrated with roadblocks in the past, lawyers for families of the slain and for survivors of the killings in the hamlets around El Mozote took the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), which found the government responsible. In a 2012 ruling, the court ordered reparations and made other demands that remain unfulfilled. When locals objected to the way a government forensic exhumation was being conducted in the hamlet of La Joya, risking the loss of evidence, they repaired to Judge Soto to stop the exhumation, which he did. Now Soto finds himself in the middle of one of the war's best-known cases, one which symbolizes the army's scorched-earth policy that killed thousands of unarmed civilians, a massacre which Washington dismissed at the time as communist propaganda. In the Meanguera courtroom, survivors and family members, some quaking and tearful, claimed harassment and intimidation from government attorneys charged with fulfilling the IACtHR demands. Moreover, distrusting government, they demanded that exhumations be performed by the renowned Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team.
In court Soto referred to the harassment and "obscene" and "alarming" incidents that have erupted to put "obstacles" before the process so far, which has been limited to elements concerning fulfillment of the IACtHR decision. He said he wants to see "a penal investigation of everything that has happened." In Meanguera, he ruled that the Argentine team could work with the government's forensic scientists on future exhumations, a solution that seemed to please all. He welcomed the presence of new government attorneys, giving one he knew well "a vote of confidence," which survivors said was a relief. The process in Meanguera is not a penal case, but lawyers for victims are encouraged when they see a jurist willing to move forward on an aspect of such a controversial event from the past.
"Many are dying without seeing justice," said Wilfredo Medrano of the Tutela Legal "María Julia Hernández," whose lawyers took the El Mozote case to the Inter-American Court. At Meanguera, Medrano referred to the January arrival in El Salvador of former Defense Minister José Guillermo García, extradited from the United States. Last year former Vice-Minister of Defense Nicolás Carranza, who had been on the CIA payroll while in office according to U.S. court testimony, was extradited. Both men were found culpable in U.S. courts for crimes against humanity, torture and murder of civilians. Victims and advocates want to see them tried in El Salvador. "Exhumations are important but we want justice," said Medrano.
At the end of the emotional session, Judge Soto declared the El Mozote case was going in "a new direction" and survivors agreed; primero Dios, they inevitably added, "God willing." Soto took to social media in February to invite "the entire nation" to a ceremony at El Mozote, where remains "scientifically" examined by forensic experts were handed over to families.
Soto's declared intent to follow international human rights law is telling, and in El Salvador, unusual. In 1993, just five days after a U.N. Truth Commission laid responsibility for 85 percent of war deaths on the government (and five percent on the rebel forces of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front [FMLN]), the rightist-controlled National Assembly declared a blanket amnesty for violence during the armed conflict. The "Amnesty Law" has hung over progress in justice like a dark cloud. Judges invoke it when failing to proceed in the most egregious, well-documented cases, even when they have room to act.
Crimes against humanity, such as torture, genocide, summary executions and mass killings of unarmed civilians are considered so fundamental to international rights law that nations have agreed their prosecution cannot be suspended. In a 2000 ruling, El Salvador's own Supreme Court said that while the amnesty law was not unconstitutional, it should be applied only when "said amnesty does not impede…the fundamental rights of the human person," such as the right to life. The wording "is big enough to drive a truck through," as one lawyer said, giving jurists a green light to pursue rights cases, but they do not. Fear remains strong of upsetting powerful economic groups linked to the military. Concern reigns about a destabilizing effect when implicated players are linked to the government. Rights advocates call the "stability" argument specious.
"Guatemala considered a case of lesa humanidad and the state is still standing," Medrano wryly told the Meanguera court. He was referring to the 2013 marathon genocide trial of the 1980s dictator, General Ephraín Ríos Montt, in the neighboring country, which caused ripples of notice and demands for like treatment of former leaders in El Salvador.
Meanwhile, the amnesty law is under formal review. On its 21st anniversary in 2013, lawyers from the Institute of Human Rights (IDHUCA), of the University of Central America José Simeon Canas (UCA)—where the Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter were slain in November 1989—presented a challenge to the law's constitutionality before the Supreme Court.
No matter what the high court decides on the challenge, however, or what happens in Soto's small Meanguera courtroom, as long as the Salvadoran judicial system in general invokes a blanket amnesty or an attitude of letting the past be the past, the small country remains outside the margins of international law. Not only are human rights affected, but persons harmed are also denied the right to sue in civil and administrative cases. The government fails in its obligation to citizens. Little by little, "biological impunity" takes over for the killers, as survivors and witnesses die. While the overwhelming number of war crimes was perpetrated by state actors and rightist death squads, the FMLN, which now holds the reins of government, stands accused in others. When the government partially complied with a Spanish court arrest order in the Jesuit case in February, Pres. Salvador Sánchez Cerén also immediately called for creating a "space" where the population might "pardon crimes committed in the past." Neither left nor right, it seems, wants to push decisively inside the country for clarification of the past.
"El Salvador is an example of how a pact between two major political forces can stall accountability or reparations in a way that is unhealthy for the body politic," said Distinguished Law Professor Naomi Roht-Arriaza of the University of California Hastings Law College, an international human rights law expert.
For all the importance of legal cases to adjust accounts with the past, transitional justice is not only about criminal prosecution. In El Salvador, it also includes efforts at ensuring transparency and eliminating corruption, at producing an accounting of the names of the dead and disappeared (the FMLN government has initiated work on a Registry of Victims), and expressing respect for those harmed, including reparation.
Mirian Ábrego, a member of the Victims Committee of Tecoluca, a pre-Hispanic town by the volcano of San Vicente in the heart of the country, knows how much the work of transforming the present by elucidating the past takes place outside the courtroom. In the absence of government action, small volunteer local groups, working in villages, in one-room schoolhouses, going door to door in the countryside, become the forces that move transitional justice forward, led by individuals like Ábrego, a massacre survivor.
On the morning of July 25, 1981, Ábrego, then 19, was preparing lunch in her house, at the limits of a settlement in San Francisco Angulo in a rural area near Tecoluca, in central El Salvador. Men in black military garb, faces hidden behind ski-masks, burst in and shot her in the throat, leaving her for dead. Ábrego did not know at the time that her sister, with an 11-month old at the breast, had already been murdered by the death squad, along with some 44 other peasants in their houses and in the streets. Later investigation would show the assassins belonged to the military and a paramilitary operating on behalf of the army, part of a systematic scorched-earth government policy of the time to eliminate civilian support for the rebels. In an unprecedented 2014 decision, the Supreme Court said a stonewalled investigation of the mass homicide violated victims' rights, that a new process must publicize its findings and charge perpetrators. In Tecoluca, with scarce funds, volunteers like Ábrego have so far compiled "a data base" of names of victims in four out of forty local massacres she said took place in the area.
Like thousands of activist victims and survivors in the country, Ábrego toils not only to bring cases to courtrooms but to keep the memory of the violence alive. Every June, with the local Historical Memory Unit—its office is in the city hall—she plans testimony collection, organizes a ceremony of remembrance, and oversees a youth group that hears from survivors and creates theatrical performances about the history of the war. Elsewhere, in a country-wide plethora of versions of reparations for the past, in events that span the year, family members of the slain and survivors are determined that recent history will be part of the country's future. They paint buses with the face of Monseñor Óscar Romero, or carve names of the local disappeared onto memorial walls or erect modest monuments.
Some local activists find more support on a local level than they do in the national palace. Mayors help organize memorials. The municipality of San Sebastián, in San Vicente, operates under an official 2013 policy based on the "Right to the Truth" enunciated in Inter-American Court decisions, and the Salvadoran peace accords. The policy mandates agreements with schools and churches "to keep alive the memory of massacred loved ones in the years of the armed civil war," to create a municipal victims registry, to study the historical roots of the violence, to identify people who were unable to finish primary school because of the violence and their inclusion in adult education programs, and to support a free network for legal consultations. Four other municipalities are considering similar policies.
In the past decade, surveys by the UCA's respected Institute of Public Opinion (IUDOP) have found an "overwhelming consensus" that Salvadorans want the government to investigate grave violations of human rights that occurred during the war. The state's unfulfilled debt with the past fuels impunity for those responsible for El Salvador's high crime rate, said IUDOP director Jeannette Aguilar. Without clarification of the past, the transition to democracy remains unrealized. "'Democracy' is emptied of content," she said.
The case of the murders of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter has taken a positive turn in the eyes of those who want the crime tried. Effectively blocked by the amnesty law inside El Salvador, an international team led by the San Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), an international non-profit firm, took the case to the National Court of Spain, which accepted it on the principle of universal jurisdiction—the legal understanding that some crimes are such an affront to humanity they may be tried anywhere. In January, Spanish Judge Eloy Velasco re-issued a capture order—El Salvador virtually ignored the first order in 2011—for seventeen former military officials. Four were arrested, although principal high-ranking culprits remain free. Even if El Salvador does not detain all the men, the order means the once-powerful officers are virtual prisoners in their own country. Also hanging over their heads is the pending extradition from the United States of an alleged fellow conspirator, former Vice-Minister of Defense for Public Safety Col. Inocente Orlando Montano. The CJA, which led the process that convicted Carranza and García and saw them deported, found Montano living quietly in Boston, and saw to it that he was jailed for perjury and fraud. Steps are underway to send Montano to Madrid on the Spanish Court's request. With Montano in Spain, the case against all the accused can proceed, whether or not the others are present. At the IDHUCA office just yards away from where soldiers killed the Jesuits and the two women, lawyer Pedro Martinez characterizes the process to charge their murderers as more than a legal case. "It is above all a moral question," he said.
President Mauricio Funes, of the FMLN party, apologized in 2010 for Archbishop Romero's murder. For those who already regard the slain prelate as San Romero de America, however, and for much of El Salvador, the pursuit of his killers in the courtroom might strengthen faith in the rule of law on earth.
Mary Jo McConahay is a journalist whose reporting on Central America since 1975 has appeared in publications including Time, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, National Catholic Reporter and others. She is the author of Maya Roads, One Woman's Journey among the People of the Rainforest, and Ricochet, Two Women War Reporters and a Friendship under Fire. Her book on World War II in Latin America appears in 2018 (St. Martin's Press).


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On the News With Thom Hartmann: New Report Says World Energy Can Become 100 Percent Renewable by 2050, and More
In today's On the News segment: a new report says our world can make the switch to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050; about 40 percent of food in the United States ends up in the trash; Massachusetts groups are calling on state lawmakers to divest pension funds from fossil fuels; and more.
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Thom Hartmann here – on the best of the rest of Science and Green news …
You need to know this. "It can be done." That's the take away from a new report that says our world can make the switch to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. That new analysis, called "World Energy Revolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook 2015," was produced by Greenpeace, in collaboration with researchers from the German Aerospace Center. The report states, "100% renewable energy for all is achievable by 2050, and [it] is the only way to ensure the world does not descend into catastrophic climate change." While the authors of that study admit that the initial costs of making the switch would be "huge," they explain that "the savings will be even bigger." The fact is, it's already costing us way more to extract dirty energy like oil, gas and coal, and the prices don't even reflect the clean up costs and environmental destruction that the fossil fuel industry dumps into the laps of taxpayers. Meanwhile, the cost of clean energy like solar and wind is dropping, and oil and gas subsidies are the only reason that renewable energy sources aren't more affordable already. The report explains, "Dynamic change is taking place in the energy sector. Renewable energies have become mainstream in most countries, and prices have fallen dramatically." If we consider the real costs of fossil fuels, making the switch isn't only feasible, it's the only affordable option for the future. The executive director of Greenpeace, Kumi Naidoo, said, "I urge all those who say 'it can't be done' to read this report and recognize that it can be done and must be done for the benefit of people around the world." Well said, Kumi. Now it's up to the rest of us get to work making it happen.
Despite the alarming number of people going hungry in this country, about 40 percent of food in the United States ends up in the trash. That's why our government has announced the first-ever national goal to decrease food waste by half in the next 15 years. According to the announcement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, "The United States enjoys the most productive and abundant food supply on earth, but too much of this food goes to waste." He added, "Our new reduction goal demonstrates America's leadership on a global level in getting wholesome food to people who need it, protecting our natural resources, cutting environmental pollution and promoting innovative approaches for reducing food loss and waste." There is enough food in our nation to ensure that no one is goes hungry, but it will take a serious effort to end our wasteful practices. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said, "Let's feed people, not landfills" and that starts with each of us addressing food waste in our own homes.
Moving investments away from fossil fuels isn't only about the climate. According to the public sector unions in Massachusetts, divestment is also a way to save their retirement. According to a recent article over at the ThinkProgress blog, the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Trust Fund lost $521 million last year, which works out to a loss of $10 million every single week. Now, the groups who rely on that fund for their retirement are calling on their state lawmakers to get their money away from fossil fuels. In an interview with ThinkProgress, divestment expert Robert Massie explained that there is a real financial argument for ending fossil fuel investments. He pointed to new guidelines that require cars to get 40 miles per gallon (mpgs) by 2017 and 55 mpgs by 2022, and said, "You can imagine what's going to start to happen. You're going to see a permanent drop in oil." As countries around the world increase the use of renewable energy, the demand – and price – for oil is going to fall. Investing in clean energy is the best move to save our species, and it happens to be the smart way to save for retirement as well.
As more states legalize recreational marijuana, more couples are incorporating pot into their weddings. While some newlyweds have incorporated buds into their floral arrangements, others have provided guests with pre-rolled joints as wedding favors. In fact, a recently-married couple in Oregon actually had a smoking tent available for their guests, where they could sample 13 different varieties of marijuana. According to Phillip Smith over at AlterNet, these couples aren't alone in their desire for a weed wedding, they're simply on the cutting edge of a new trend. Jane West of Edible Events told Phillip, "We're going to start thinking of cannabis like alcohol, and we're moving toward regulating cannabis like alcohol and normalizing its consumption." She added, "It's the new wine. I think Colorado will see a lot more destination weddings for this reason." Perhaps this is proof that pot has always been more mainstream than our lawmakers like to believe, or maybe it's the work of smart entrepreneurs who recognize the business potential of weed weddings.
And finally … No matter how cool you think your job is, it's not "designing a space shotgun for NASA" cool. That job is reserved for Honey Bee Robotics, a Brooklyn-based company that the space agency has hired to help us learn more about asteroids. According to NDTV news, the shotgun will be used in the so-called Asteroid Redirect Mission, which will take place in the 2020s. By firing a bullet at an asteroid, the shotgun will allow physicists to calculate how solid the object is, and determine whether further exploration is possible. NASA hopes that the overall mission will help us figure out how to use an asteroid as a stepping stone to other planets. Kris Zacny, the director of exploration technology at Honeybee Robotics, said, "Collecting and characterizing samples from asteroids is an important scientific goal in itself, and NASA has identified it as a key step toward human exploration of Mars." And NASA has already identified three asteroids for testing. This space shotgun could be the key to deep space exploration, and it may help us learn more than ever about our solar system. No word yet on whether the NRA will sponsor our next space mission.
And that's the way it is for the week of September 28, 2015 – I'm Thom Hartmann, on Science and Green News.


In this month's Tetbury Advertiser, I've been revisiting one of my favourite topics: eponymous buying, inspired by the purchase of a book that shares it's name with a local shop.
What's the connection between Tetbury and Vincent van Gogh?
No, it's not the starry starry nights, the abundance of sunflowers (in the florists' at least), the wonky-legged chairs in certain cafes, nor even the occasional pipe-smoking man seen wandering through town in a straw hat. It's one of the shops – The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, named after Lewis Buzbee's delightful book, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, which weaves together a memoir of his life as a bookseller with the history of books and bookshops.
But what about Van Gogh? I hear you cry.
Buzbee derived his book's title from a quote from the great Dutch artist, who wrote that he longed to paint "a bookshop with the front yellow and pink in the evening".
I'm assuming Van Gogh meant as an artist, rather than as a a painter and decorator, although that tack would have earned him more in his lifetime than his canvasses ever did. Whether he ever did it, I'll never know. But I am very glad his ambition inspired the book's title, because it panders to my passion for what I call eponymous buying. I'm not sure if that's a recognised phrase, but it's the one I use in my head to mean acquiring a product that shares the name of the place you buy it from.
It's easy to do with food or drink: Sancerre (the wine) in Sancerre (the French town in which it's made) or, less romantically, Eccles cakes in Eccles. It's a shame I don't like cheese – I'm missing so many easy ticks there – but the roll-call of wines I can handle.
Buying Sancerre in Sancerre a few years ago (hence slightly smug expression). Looks as if we may also have been to a store called Chaussures Rouges.
The names of products and towns are more frequently associated than the names of products and shops. You can't buy boots in Boots, for example, and White Stuff seems to sell clothes in every colour but white. Anyone trying to buy an apple at Apple would be disappointed.
Arguably, some people do leave the fashion chain Fatface with a fat face, but only if they've gone in with one in the first place. Whoever thought that was a good fashion chain name needs a firm talking to from Top Shop. And yes, you can buy tops there.
So I felt I had scored a rare victory when leaving The Yellow Lighted Bookshop recently with The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop under my arm, the name of the book exactly matching the name of the shop in which I'd bought it.
But I failed to find what I really needed to go with it: a good eponymous snack. Anyone care to invent a Tetbury bun? I'm sure there's a gap in the market.
To find out more about Lewis Buzbee (great name!), click www.lewisbuzbee.com. The book, by the way, is wonderful. Every booklover and every bookseller should read it. I'll review it on my bookblog soon, and will come back here to link to my review when I've written it.
To find out more about the Yellow-Lighted Bookshop – yes, the actual shop – click www.yellow-lightedbookshop.co.uk.
Now that is a great advert for the book!


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You are here: Home / News & features / Business & Economy / Switzerland tops talent table despite high cost of living
Switzerland tops talent table despite high cost of living
Switzerland retains its number one spot in IMD's most recent 2016 World Talent Report. Unlike the other 60 nations in the study, which have seen their performance gyrate, a plot of Switzerland's rank over the last ten years is a perfectly straight line. First ten years in a row.
© Damedeeso | Dreamstime.com
The study looks at three things: investment in people, ability to attract skilled foreigners, and readiness, a measure of the availability of skills in the talent pool.
Overall Switzerland comes third in this category.
Swiss underperformance can be found in public education investment. Here it ranks 12th, spending 6% of GDP, behind leaders such as Denmark and Iceland, that both spend 7.6% of GDP. Despite this lower percentage Switzerland still outspends per capita. Because Swiss GDP is high it spends around 20% more per capita than Denmark on public education. In addition, it makes up for public education spending by ranking first on apprenticeships and employee training.
Other educational areas where Switzerland misses out coming top are pupil teacher ratios (primary 26th, secondary 23rd), spending per pupil (12th), and female labour force participation (22nd).
According to the report, increasing female labour force participation leads to more effective, higher quality leadership.
Attracting talent
Switzerland grabs the top spot for its ability to attract foreign talent. While a high standard of living is a magnet for talent, it all comes at a high price. On cost of living, Switzerland was ranked the second priciest behind Hong Kong. The cheapest place, South Africa, ranked only 42nd overall.
High cost was offset by the world's highest pay. Swiss service sector workers were the highest paid in every category. Swiss bank credit officers (US$ 114,404), product managers (US$ 123,313), primary school teachers (US$ 99,869), personal assistants (US$ 72,551) and call centre agents (US$ 52,990) were all very well paid.
Management pay in Switzerland also beat the rest of the world. Average Swiss CEO pay (US$ 826,948), manufacturing director pay (US$ 347,612), director pay (US$ 330,732) and engineer pay (US$ 190,780) all outranked the other nations in the study.
If you envy South Africa's low prices, the country will lose its pull when you discover the pay. A primary school teacher there earns US$ 13,174 and bank credit officer only US$ 12,774.
Switzerland came second here overall. Readiness includes: labour force growth (17th), skilled labour (8th), finance skills (3rd), international experience (1st), competent senior managers (5th), educational system (1st), science in school (2nd), university education (1st), management education (1st), language skills (2nd), inbound student mobility (7th), and PISA scores (9th).
The IMD study is consistent with other similar research. Overall Switzerland does several things very well. It produces talented people, in particular though apprenticeships and on-the-job training and attracts many of the best and brightest from other nations. It then puts all of these people to work in a multitude of high-tech-high-value-add sectors and pays them well, attracting further talent.
IMD World Talent Report 2016 – opens PDF (in English)
Filed Under: Business & Economy, Education Tagged With: Swiss talent ranking
How Switzerland came top of the 2016 young worker's index
Swiss happiness – more than just money?
Switzerland ranked best country despite relatively low GDP per capita
Switzerland ranked number one at attracting and keeping talent, says study
6 Swiss regions in Europe's 10 most prosperous


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NTU students invent "Block-It-Out" drain cover that stops mosquitoes from breeding
SINGAPORE - A group of students have designed a drain cover which could help in the fight against dengue.
"Block-It-Out" is installed under drain grills and flips open to allow large volumes of water to flow in a heavy downpour. It is also angled and has small holes to filter out any stagnant water.
Inspired by the dengue epidemic, it was designed by seven second-year students at Nanyang Technological University as a way to stop mosquitoes from breeding.The mechanical and aerospace engineering students were required to solve a problem using concepts and knowledge they have learnt in university. They also had to develop a prototype and business plan to market the idea.
"When it comes to dengue, drains were something we wanted to improve on, since household checks depend on the owner himself," said Mr Zulqarnain Abdul Halil, 22. The group took four months to complete the project and consulted the National Environment Agency and PUB.
Block-It-Out took second prize in the energy and environment category of the university's 15th Engineering Innovation and Design Open House and competition, held last Saturday.
The first prize in the category went to a bin with a side door, making it easier to empty.
For another group, reports on accidents involving cyclists and motorists prompted them to make a "near collision" alarm system. "BikeSense" uses an ultrasonic sensor to measure the distance between a vehicle and a bicycle. Depending on how close they are, the device will beep and flash a red light at different rates.
The group of seven built the alarm from scratch by sourcing sensors and parts costing about $100 in total. "If we are given the opportunity to market it, we hope that buying and producing in bulk will reduce the cost to an ideal of $30," said member Jerome Lau, 23. It bagged the top prize in the safety and security category.
Other projects included a heat alarm which can be mounted on a soldier's vest to help prevent heat-related injuries and a swivel window to remove the risk when leaning out to clean the exterior.
Seventy-nine teams took part in the contest, judged by alumni engineers and industry players.
sabrinat@sph.com.sg


CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a truck attack in New York City that killed eight people on Tuesday, the group's online publication said on Thursday.
Islamic State said in its weekly issue of Al-Naba newspaper that "the attacker is one of the caliphate soldiers". It did not provide evidence to support its claim.


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