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SAA/ALM
Systems/data
Insurance asset managers grapple with Solvency II challenges
Companies: Standard Life Investments, Friends Life, Aviva, LV, Nomura, CNP, AllianceBernstein, PwC, Morningstar, Deutsche, UBS Delta, BNY Mellon, Silverfinch, Aon Hewitt
People: Bruce Porteous, Robert Groves, Henrietta Tait, Paul Fulcher, Thomas Béhar, Erik Vynckier, Barney Wanstall, Sashka Simic, Chris Price, Clara Yan
Solvency II will impact how insurers manage their assets, but the effects will depend on their size and the business mix. Christopher Cundy and Hardeep Dhillon report from InsuranceERM's Insurance Asset Risk conference
The introduction of Solvency II is bringing many fresh challenges to European re/insurers, not least on investment strategy, delegates at the Insurance Asset Risk conference heard.
The rules are much more complex than originally envisaged and asset liability management (ALM) has become incredibly technical, said Bruce Porteous, investment solutions director for asset management firm Standard Life Investments.
Insurance Asset Risk, organised by InsuranceERM, took place in London on 2 June. More than 100 representatives from re/insurers, asset managers and service providers attended, with support from BNY Mellon, Silverfinch, UBS Delta and Aon Hewitt.
"Risk-based regulation is here to stay and being good at ALM is going to be a key differentiator," he said.
An argument to outsource?
Executing a sound investment strategy under Solvency II requires certain skills and capabilities that not every insurance company has in-house. For example, if insurers wish to take advantage of the matching adjustment (MA) in Solvency II – a special measure for insurers who buy and hold assets to reduce their exposure to volatility in credit spreads – then specific assets have to be sourced.
"Designing a matching adjustment portfolio is not trivial and it can make a huge difference to a balance sheet," Porteous said. The MA is particularly useful for insurers with annuities and Porteous cited an example where a firm's annuity liabilities represented 3% the total liabilities on its balance sheet, but with the MA it could get a 20% increase in excess capital.
Applying to the regulator to use the MA will also be onerous and together this could be an incentive to outsource asset management, particularly for smaller insurers.
Robert Groves, head of investment and ALM at insurer Friends Life, said he struggled with the view that Solvency II would be a driver for outsourcing, especially among firms that had been running internal models for some time. For most insurers, the attractiveness of assets do not change radically with Solvency II and firms are only likely to outsource when they do not have the skills or scale to source the assets through in-house teams, he said.
Solvency II could provide incentives to bring asset management in-house, said Feifei Zhang, technical director for required capital assumption methodology at insurer Aviva. Acquiring the right management information is a bigger challenge for an external manager as they will not be fully integrated into the risk reporting system, and they are unlikely to have as much understanding of the business as in-house teams, he said.
"Designing a matching adjustment portfolio is not trivial and it can make a huge difference to a balance sheet." Bruce Porteous, SLI
Regardless of Solvency II, insurers should pick the best asset manager for the asset class concerned, irrespective of whether the manager is internal or external, said Groves.
But he and other panellists acknowledged that hiring specialists in the more obscure asset classes was challenging, and they noted a talent shortage in sectors such as infrastructure where many insurers are scrambling to form teams.
On the other hand, employing an asset manager is not always a short cut. From the initial instruction, it can take 12-18 months for asset managers to source infrastructure projects, Porteous said.
Closer cooperation
Henrietta Tait, head of capital management at LV=, a UK mutual insurer with both life and general insurance divisions and which outsources its asset management, said that Solvency II would mean insurers working more closely with their asset managers.
With economic capital becoming a predominant metric, asset managers would need to understand the implications of investment decisions on the capital model. And as Zhang noted, Solvency II expects asset managers to follow the 'use test'. This would not change LV='s decision to outsource its asset management, Tait said, but closer cooperation would be needed as "we cannot hand over internal model in the mandate."
Tait also suggested Solvency II would change how MA portfolios would be managed. There are restrictions on how assets in MA portfolios can be swapped and, depending on how the rules pan out, insurers may end up with a much more passive approach to MA portfolios – particularly if insurers are required to match the cash-flow profile of replacement assets.
Dealing with the conundrums
Paul Fulcher, managing director for ALM structuring at investment bank Nomura, said firms face many conundrums with the introduction of Solvency II, specifically on the elements of the long-term guarantees (LTG) package that was recently added to the legislation to help stabilise capital requirements.
Disputes are likely to arise around the use of the volatility balancer, he said, as the UK regulator is understood to be against its use, while French and German regulators are more accepting. This may make it difficult for UK firms with mainland European operations to compete with firms that are based in those countries.
He said one positive of Solvency II is that it is encouraging firms to think about the three dimensions of bond returns: the duration, credit risk and liquidity.
Regarding duration, insurers would need to hedge as close as they can to the risk-free rate – a difficult task because the elements that go into calculating the risk-free rate are so volatile, Fulcher said. Taking on credit risk is only good for firms if they can convince the regulator that the asset should qualify for the MA. Meanwhile, Solvency II is pushing people to take liquidity risk – for example, through private placements instead of public bonds.
Remaining a long-term investor under a regime that does not really encourage it is obviously challenging, Fulcher said. He suggested insurers could lobby for the rules to be changed further; firms could also hold more buffer capital, but that may make products too expensive; hedging strategies can be used to effectively provide contingent capital; or assets should be diversified into those that perform well in a crisis.
Coping with volatility
Thomas Béhar, chief actuary officer for CNP Assurances, France's leading life insurer, said the biggest impacts from Solvency II come from having to define risk appetite across all functions and cope with the volatility in solvency capital requirements.
The three basic factors contributing to the solvency capital requirement (SCR) are the liabilities, operational risks and assets. The first two are harder to change than the asset mix, and this means that insurers are being pushed to invest in less risky assets.
The SCR will be much more volatile under Solvency II, so more of the asset mix will be dedicated to liquid and less volatile assets, such as cash.
Within CNP Assurances, the chief risk officer (CRO) has taken on a greater role. The firm has had a strong ALM and modelling function for many years, and a good dialogue between the asset and the liability side. But the CRO has become the third player – partly because Solvency II requires decisions to be tracked.
Responsibility for data reporting falls to asset managers
Asset managers should take responsibility for asset data reporting – although insurance firms play a key part in this process. This was the consensus from panellists at the Insurance Asset Risk conference.
Erik Vynckier, chief investment officer at investment manager AllianceBernstein said it was the asset manager's job and his firm was already handing over raw data to its client base that it had purchased. "We manage assets for clients and they are entitled to understand what they are invested in," he said.
He added that data vendors should take a flexible view and allow asset managers to pass data on to clients and not charge both the asset manager and insurance client.
Barney Wanstall, director at consultancy PwC, noted that insurers will ultimately be held responsible for the quality and accuracy of data. However, he added that the majority of insurers, especially the smaller firms, would view the asset manager as the source of data and have a shared responsibility.
Sashka Simic, product manager at investment research firm Morningstar, concurred, saying that insurance companies need to define exactly which data elements they expect from the asset manager and take an active role in clarifying any ambiguous definitions. She added that data providers should develop business models that do not double-charge the industry.
By contrast, Chris Price, head of UK industry solutions at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, disagreed, stating that it was the client's responsibility rather than the asset manager. He believed there were a number of solutions to deal with the data problem.
"We manage assets for clients and they are entitled to understand what they are invested in." Erik Vynckier, AllianceBernstein
For example, clients that use multiple managers would find it impossible for one asset manager to consolidate data from its peer group.
Other clients prefer to aggregate the data and undertake the validation work and simply ask asset managers for minor enhancements to the data. Some clients would expect their custodian to do the work for them, a point that one delegate believed could be a major development for the industry.
Price also noted that the third-party service providers are looking to extract line-by-line data across funds, aggregate this and export them to the insurers.
Clara Yan, director at risk analytics provider UBS Delta, said clients have different expectations about when asset managers need to deliver data by. Simic said that some insurers are asking for data very quickly - less than five days after month-end - because they have so much internal processing to do. But data is typically being transmitted 10-15 days after month-end, she said.
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Cat Ba Sunrise Resort is the quintessential island paradise – secluded, luxurious, unique, breathtakingly beautiful. Situated on Catba Island in Ha Long Bay and nestled in a sandy cove protected by ancient karst cliffs, this garden getaway presents its guests with panoramic views of a turquoise sea and lush isles.
Outdoor amenities include a sparkling pool and Jacuzzis, esthetic floral grounds, beachfront bar, and direct access to a soft beach and spectacular cliff-side walkway. The interesting and diverse fishing community of Catba Town is within a short and pleasant walk. Tours of Catba Island National Park and the must-see UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay are easily reserved at our front reception desk.
Charmingly and isolated lie on Catba Island – a spectacular natural wonder, Catba Island Resort and Spa honors to offer you the memorable and meaningful holidays… With the unique design "East meets West" – French colonial architecture combined with ancient original style of Vietnam having 109 spacious and elegant, well appointed rooms with hardwood floor and bamboo furniture all create luxury & warmth, offering a comprehensive range of guest facilities and services, all with individual bay view balconies, 4 star amenities, multi-channel TV, and a mini bar.
With 80 well-furnished and luxurious rooms and suites, equipped with up-to-date facilities (such as a system of international telephone, a TV network of more than 20 channels transmitted via the satellite, two-way air conditioners, fridges and comfortable bathrooms), a team of well-trained waitresses and a round-the-clock room service, the Princes Hotel is always a reliable address for tourists when they come and stay in Catba.
Sunflower hotel has another name in Vietnamese - Huong Duong 1. The hotel is very popular with budget and independent travellers. Located in the main street of Cat Ba Island, Sunflower 1 offers 60 rooms in a 7 storey building. The staff is very friendly and helpful. As mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide, "Sunflower hotel has an open-air billiards bar on the seventh floor rooftop with a great view of the harbour."
Monkey Island Resort has 15 rooms which are equiped very comfortable for your stay with quality beddings, air conditioner, and private bath room - hot shower. Especialy, your room has view to the sea and you can enjoy some drinks seating at the coridor infront.


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Concentration on connections will keep religious life alive
by Mary Lou Nolan
• Read an excerpt from New Generations of Catholic Sisters, reprinted with permission here.
Cover art, courtesy of the publisher
Ask Sr. Mary Johnson to draw a picture of a successful religious institute 20 years out. She doesn't mention whether it's liberal or conservative, where it is, how big it is, how old its members are or what they are wearing.
In her picture, it's the connecting that matters.
Successful institutes, Johnson said in an interview, will have broad and deep networks that allow them to respond to the needs of the local and the global church. Ministries to young adults and teenagers and ministries to the wider population will reinforce each other and keep charisms fresh and relevant.
"I like to quote Teilhard de Chardin when he says, 'The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope,'" Johnson said, going on to describe "hopefully a vibrant mix across generations that will enhance the mission of that organization and lead it into a future."
"So that, to me, is the driver, Johnson continued, "and everything else, in terms of symbol, in terms of structure, comes from the organization being in touch with the new generations around it and their hopes. The communities (religious institutes or congregations)* that are intergenerational will go forward, and the communities that are in touch with the hopes and desires of a new generation around them will be able to attract new members."
Unlike some predictions about the future of religious life, Johnson's vision flows from statistical analysis. Relying on two major studies of women religious conducted 10 years apart, Johnson, along with Sr. Patricia Wittberg and Mary Gautier, look at the experiences of women who entered religious life in the United States after 1965 in a new book, New Generations of Catholic Sisters: The Challenge of Diversity. (Oxford University Press, 2014; $29.95)
Johnson is a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and professor of sociology and religious studies at Trinity Washington University. Her co-authors are Patricia Wittberg, a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati and professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University, and Mary Gautier, senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University (CARA).
At 141 pages of text (with some 60 more in research sources, references and the two surveys themselves) New Generations is both focused and compact. But spinning off its statistical analysis are conversation-starters for at least a month of Sundays:
How has the appeal of religious life in the United States changed over generations of women?
What does religious life offer millennial Catholic women, who are less connected to the church than earlier generations?
Can a religious institute articulate and maintain a distinct identity that also speaks to changing world-views among 21st century generations?
Keep going.
The authors carefully present more detail than can be easily summarized, on findings as precise as the generational appeal of daily Eucharist compared to Liturgy of the Hours and as broad as the revitalizing influence of religious institutes over centuries.
Chart from page 87 of the book, courtesy of the publisher.
Another chart from page 87 of the book, courtesy of the publisher.
But I found three areas especially telling.
First, the authors describe a number of explanations given for the predicted demise of religious institutes (which are also known as religious orders and congregations). They then lay out basic, statistical findings about vocations in the United States, which include:
More than 1,200 women are in formation in religious institutes and monasteries, split almost evenly between communities associated with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and with the more traditional Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious.
The age-range of new members associated with each conference is quite different: More than 50 percent of new CMSWR institute members are in their 20s; more than 50 percent of new LCWR members are over 40.
Most institutes in either conference have no new members. The average number of new entrants to LCWR institutes is one, according to Georgetown's CARA. For CMSWR institutes, the average is four.
More than nine out of 10 religious sisters in the United States are described as white and non Hispanic/Latina. In contrast, 42 percent of those in initial formation are women of color, resembling "the youngest generation of the church."
An important message may be tied to that last statistic.
"The new sisters look like the new church, and I think that is the key finding," Johnson said. "The demographic diversity of the new generations of sisters matches to a good degree the demographic diversity of the church in the United States today."
I asked: Is that heartening?
"It is heartening because those generations of sisters will be able to minister to old and new populations in a variety of ways, and they will be able to respond to a variety of old and new needs."
In a second telling area, the authors analyze generations of Catholics, broken out in four distinct groups:
The Pre-Vatican generation, born before 1943, raised in a church that was "an unchanging anchor" for whom the Second Vatican Council was either a "welcome liberation" or a "threatening disruption"
The Vatican II generation, born between 1943 and 1960, who welcomed the changes experienced in their younger years
The post-Vatican II generation, born between 1961 and 1981, for whom the church "was often in constant and disorienting flux"
Millennials, born since 1982, more trusting of the church than the two previous generations but also the "least knowledgeable about Catholicism''
Between 1987 and 2011, the percent of U.S. Catholics in the two older generations dropped from 78 percent to 43 percent. And looking at younger generations, the authors note that that 70 percent of Catholics in 2011 were in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Among other differences, young adult Catholics are less likely to "accept the Church's teaching authority on moral issues such as divorce, contraception, abortion, homosexuality and nonmarital sex" or value a celibate clergy, attend Mass regularly or engage with parishes.
The analysis highlights another trend, first seen in Wittberg's earlier research.
"Regarding the 90 percent of Millennial women who are emphatically not interested in traditionalist religious life, a lot have left Catholicism altogether," Wittberg said in an interview. "This is the first generation for whom there are fewer women than men interested in remaining in the Catholic church, or in serving as vowed religious. I can't emphasize how ominous this is."
A third area looks at how to connect religious life to younger women. Given that they are less connected to the church, what does religious life offer?
"What I would hope," Wittberg continued, "is that versions of religious life could develop and thrive that would offer Millennials a sense of community and contemplation. They do seem to want community and contemplation, which might keep them in the Catholic church. For Post-Millennials, It may be too early to tell what they want, but there is a growing sense of the problem of increasing class inequality in the U.S., so service to the poor may attract them."
And how can institutes connect to young women who do say they have thought about religious life? A 2012 CARA study reported that eight percent of Millennial women considered a vocation at least "a little seriously."
The authors' suggestions cover a lot of ground. Create more opportunities for women of different generations to get to know each other. Get better at inviting women to religious life. Encourage institute members "to articulate a charism that provides a sufficiently distinctive group identity but is also sufficiently encompassing to appeal to a wide range of potential entrants" and still maintain unity among members.
New Generations of Catholic Sisters holds a lot of warnings around demographic trends and reports that ". . . the future of religious life in the United States would appear to be in peril – unless concerted efforts are made to reach out to those who, surveys tell us, have considered religious life but did not choose to enter it."
Still, Mary Gautier, from CARA, has another message.
"The primary thing we would like people to take from this book," Gautier said in an email, "is the realization that religious life is not going away, but it is transforming. The Holy Spirit continues to call women to religious life, and the women who are attracted to religious life are responding to the prayer life, the community life, and the ministry, just as the generations who have responded to that call in the past did."
*Clarification: By "communities" Mary Johnson specifically means a religious institute or congregation.
[Mary Lou Nolan is managing editor for Global Sisters Report.]
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Game Reviews Cerebria: The Card Game Review
Cerebria: The Card Game Review
Review of: Cerebria: The Card Game
Reviewed by: Andrew Smith
Last modified:Jun 12, 2019
We review Cerebria: The Card Game, published by Mindclash Games. Cerebria: The Card Game is a take that and hand management card game set in the world of its big brother, Cerebria: The Inside World.
Recently we took a look at the immensely heavy area control game, Cerebria: The Inside World. But when it comes to games about human emotions, Mindclash didn't stop at just one. Cerebria: The Card Game is set in the same universe and uses similar art to provide a different experience. You will still be balancing forces of bliss and gloom as you try to develop your own mindset, but this time you'll do in using cards and take-that mechanisms.
Cerebria: The Card Game is a hand management and take that card game for 2-5 players. It plays in about 20-30 minutes. It plays best with 3 players.
Gameplay Overview:
Cerebria: The Card Game revolved around three stacks of cards in the center of the table which the game refers to as the Impulse. There is one card from each stack revealed and, on a player's turn, they can choose to draw these emotion cards from the Impulse or play an emotion card to their tableau (mindset). Each player is limited to four emotion cards in front of them at any given time.
The player reference card tells players the number of bonus essence they can score.
Emotion cards have a variety of important factors that players will have to consider. Each emotion belongs to either the bliss or gloom identity and also has a certain colored "vibe" associated to it. Most cards will store one or two fragments of its identity on the card when it is played. Fragments can be kept on the card and banked when scoring is triggered or spent to activate the special ability of that emotion.
Most of those special abilities involve messing with the other players. You can move around their identity fragments or change the emotion cards in their tableau. Doing so comes at a cost—the fragments you must spend to activate the ability is what you need to win the game—but can really mess heavily with the plans of your opponents. If you are targeted by another player's action, any player can discard an emotion from their hand with a matching vibe to prevent that effect, allowing players to give themselves at least a small amount of protection.
The round ends when the final card is drawn from any of the impulse stacks. In addition to being able to score the fragments on the cards in your tableau, players will score additional points for creating poker-like sets of vibe cards. If all four of the cards in your tableau are from the same vibe, for instance, you'll get an extra 4 bonus fragments. After a scoring round if any player has 12 fragments of an identity (a single-minded victory) or 7 of bliss and 7 of gloom (a balanced mindset) they win the game.
Essence can be removed from a card to trigger its ability.
Cerebria: The Card Game certainly makes good use of the mindset theme and uses some of the amazing artwork from the great production that brought us Cerebria: The Inside World. Despite being very different games in mechanisms, scope, and length, there are actually some similarities that come through between the card and board versions; mostly around how scoring is triggered and the importance of timing your actions carefully.
Combining the importance of careful timing with a strong take that element is a risky proposition. You may find yourself feeling pretty good about your position only to have someone destroy one of the cards from your mindset, then trigger scoring and just absolutely wreck you. But that is what gives Cerebria: The Card Game its bite. You must consider how quickly the round can end and evaluate if the taking a slightly suboptimal move now to guarantee more time between scoring rounds is worth it.
Cerebria: The Card Game gives you some ability to protect yourself since you can discard a card of the vibe being used to attack you to prevent the action. While being able to act defensively in a take that game is welcome, it adds some time to the game. Specifically, the game requires you to go clockwise around the table to see if anyone wants to block your action. All you know is that the initiating player is trying to destroy an emotion. But you must decide, without knowing what emotion they are coming after, if you want to discard a card to stop them.
Once any of the stacks from the impulse are emptied, a scoring round will trigger.
With a table of four or five players this can become way more time consuming than most will want to spend. You'll also lose some of the interesting decisions about timing of the round because having four people between you and your next turn just presents too many unknowns to be able to account for how many cards may be left when it gets back to you.
The most unfavorable take on Cerebria: The Card Game is really a lack of innovation. There isn't much going on here you can't find in dozens of other similar games. In a way, the production and theme are really what is going to drive interest here. You are unlikely to be upset by your experience, but I'd be shocked if anyone described it as their favorite filler game.
The game really plays best with 3 players. It plays out very quickly, often in less than 20 minutes. There is some tension in the unknown of who someone is attacking with their actions. It's fine with two players but you lose a lot of that nuance. With 4-5 the decisions become a slog and the time between turns grows. It's possible at higher player counts, though unlikely, that you won't even get a turn before scoring is triggered. You certainly won't get more than 1 most the time.
If you are drawn to the theme of the world of Cerebria, you'll find the same great setting and art in a neat 20-30 minute package with the card game version. With three players you'll find quite a bit of enjoyment with Cerebria: The Card Game and you can ogle at the great illustrations as you develop your hostile and despair-filled personality.
At pretty much every other player count there is something that just makes Cerebria: The Card Game miss the mark. Having such a pronounced sweet spot makes it hard to recommend widely, but if you often have a gaming trio in need of a quick filler game you could likely do worse.
Final Score: 3 Stars – Interesting take that elements that work well with more than 2 players but can cause the game to drag on.
• Beautiful artwork and great theme carries over from the board game.
• Timing your actions and triggering scoring adds interesting layers to decisions.
• Too long and slow with higher player counts.
• Loses some of the tension in the defensive actions with only 2 players.
• Take that elements can present some incredibly swingy actions.
Filler Game
Take That Game
Andrew enjoys games with lots of brain-burning decisions and unique themes. Heavy euros tend to dominate his game nights.


'Persephone Fury is the Dark daughter, the one they hide.
England, 1811. Few are aware of a hidden magical England, a people not ruled by poor mad George, but by the dying King Pellinore of the House of Pendragon.
But devious and ruthless, Persephone must defy ancient prophecy and seize her own fate.
This story hooked me from the beginning and the further I got the more I couldn't put it down. All the twists and turns in the plot were well written and unpredictable.
Without giving away any of the plot it didn't end for Persephone in the way that I was anticipating so I will be reading the next in the series in hopes that all is not lost. I do like a happy ending at the end of the day so I will royally p'd off if that doesn't happen.
One or two things that I didn't like was how young Persephone was. I didn't like the big age gap between herself and the two male characters as it had a bit of an ick factor. I also would have liked more interaction between the ordinary Regency world and the magic world; maybe see more manipulation of the ordinary world by the magi.
All in all an enjoyable read. I recommend you give it a go.


A well-known Bradford designer and manufacturer of bespoke kitchens for commercial and residential customers have been bought out of administration saving all 36 jobs.
Karmik Limited, trading as Designer Factory Kitchens, has been acquired by Karmik UK and will be operated by the existing management team.
Joint administrators Kelly Burton and Lisa Hogg of insolvency and business turnaround specialist Wilson Field were appointed to Karmik on 13 March.
The company, which was incorporated in 2013, had suffered two bad debts in 2016 totaling almost £100k causing severe cash flow problems and HMRC arrears.
The total value of the pre-pack deal is undisclosed but it includes the business and the assets of the company based at Fairfax House in Drighlington.
"DFK celebrated its 25th anniversary recently but as a result of suffering two significant bad debts found itself facing a cash flow crisis.
"It is very frustrating when events which are outside of your control threaten the very existence of your business and the jobs of a loyal workforce.


> I think we need the spec to say something about cases where an injection point of a bean resolves to a producer method of the same bean. The implementation should detect that this is a definition error. It shouldn't try to call a producer method on a non-fully-initialized bean.


Picture your grocery store's produce section. If you shop in a supermarket, there are probably rows and rows of colorful fruits and vegetables, all ripe, shiny, and perfect. Unfortunately, in order to keep shelves fully-stocked, grocery stores often wind up with a surplus of produce, and once fruits and veggies start looking not-so-perfect, most stores simply send them to landfill. But grocery store Lidl is trying to change that with its new Too Good to Waste boxes, which sell damaged produce in boxes at a major discount.
As reported by the Huffington Post, the international grocery store chain now has Too Good to Waste going at each of its stores in England, Scotland, and Wales. A few other supermarkets have similar programs, but what sets Lidl's apart is that the boxes are prepared by a team of on-site "Freshness Specialists", who analyze produce shelves for items that are slightly damaged or a little less fresh, as per the grocery chain's website. The team gathers these fruits and vegetables, packs them in cardboard boxes, and sells each box for £1.50, which translates to $1.98 USD.
Each box weighs around 5 kilograms (about 11 pounds), and as seen in a photo of a few of the boxes, they are filled with things like lettuce, cucumbers, eggplants, apples, and tomatoes. Just one of those items could easily cost $2 on its own, so as long as you're prepared to get cooking, the box is a fantastic deal.
Boxes are put out every morning before the store opens, and around midday, employees take the boxes off shelves and donate them to Feed it Back. Feed it Back is a food distribution program that Lidl founded along with Neighborly (a company that helps corporations connect with their communities), and the program facilitates Lidl donating extra produce from stores in England, Scotland, and Wales to food charities in their communities.
Christian Härtnagel, CEO of Lidl Great Britain, noted that Too Good to Waste first launched as a trial, but due to the great response, it's becoming permanent. "The positive feedback that we have received off the back of our trial has been incredible; from our colleagues who are showing so much passion for them, to our customers who were getting in touch from the get go asking where they could get one," Härtnagel said, according to Bristol Live. "The really brilliant thing about this initiative is that, not only is it helping to tackle the highly important challenge of food waste, it's also helping our customers make even more savings," the CEO added, as per the Huffington Post.
Lidl published a report on its food surplus data on its website, and the research found that 46 percent of Lidl's waste (measured by the ton) was fresh fruits and veggies. That's a pretty huge percentage, but not really surprising, considering the short shelf life of most fresh produce. Additionally, in 2017, Lidl pledged to cut food waste by 25 percent in each store store by 2020. Hopefully Too Good to Waste will help Lidl achieve that goal — and maybe the store will eventually expand the program to locations worldwide.


Does your car need a new timing belt? When is your timing belt due for a change?
Don't leave it until it's too late, one of the most important serviceable components in modern vehicles is the the timing/cam belt. When this component fails, engines are usually heavily damaged, sometimes beyond repair. This type of damage can cost hundreds if not thousands of pounds to rectify, older vehicles might not even be worth repairing.
All of this worry and expense can be avoided by simply replacing timing belts within the intervals specified in your car manufacturer's service schedules. If you are not sure when your timing belt was last changed or when it's next due to be replaced then please call in or book an appointment, our mechanics can the check the replacement interval.


Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee, Eric Roberts, will be coming to Southeast Pennsylvania as an executive producer and cast member of the locally produced film, Dust Nuggets.
Roberts is best known for his roles in such films as Dark Night, Inherent Vice, and Pope of Greenwich Village, and the television series Less Than Perfect, Suits, and Heroes. He was nominated for Golden Globes for the films King of the Gypsies and Bob Fosse's Star 80. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Runaway Train.
Principal photography for Dust Nuggets begins in March and finishes in June when Roberts will be on hand for scenes to be shot at BCTV.
The script for Dust Nuggets was developed over a couple of years, starting first as a webseries about a band called Dust Nuggets. A pilot was shot, but soon Lange and Pochan realized they had a complicated story that needed a feature length film to tell it. Upon receiving a grant from the Berks County Community Foundation's Rural Arts Grant Program, they began pre-production in earnest.
The film will be shot at over ten locations across the county and feature approximately 100 locals as principal actors and extras. Following in the tradition of their Traffic Opera short film, the project will take Berks County to the wider world.
Like Traffic Opera, music is integral to the story and will be composed by Chris Heslop. In addition, members of Pochan's former band, Corey Gabree and Kevin Daboin, have created the Dust Nugget band's theme song and will also be featured as extras.


text:
A positive turn in Indonesia's religious affairs
11 Aug 2015|John McBeth
Indonesia's religious affairs minister, Lukman Hamid Saifuddin, is a breath of fresh air.
He's a break from a long line of ineffectual predecessors who did nothing to defend minorities and showed extreme cowardice in facing up to those wanting to impose an Arabic culture on Indonesia.
A member of the sharia-based United Development Party (PPP), the 52-year-old Saifuddin is taking a nationalist approach to the religious debate, arguing that Indonesian Muslims should embrace what he calls Islam Nusantara, or Islam of the Archipelago.
In essence, he's saying that because Indonesia is so culturally different from the cradle of Islam, the world's largest Muslim nation should follow its own version of Islam, which emphasises moderation and tolerance, and supports indigenous cultures and the rights of women.
Saifuddin notes that because Islam came from the Middle East, there's a widely held perception that only Middle Eastern traditions are legitimate. 'Yet, anywhere in the world, Islamic values are based on local culture,' he says. 'In India, Egypt, Sudan and China, for example, Islamic values are part of the local culture.'
It's an effective defence against hardliners who claim he's pushing deviant thought, particularly in his support of the controversial Javanese-style chanting intonation of the Koran which appears to have divided many of the country's Islamic clergy.
What makes Saifuddin's open-minded approach compelling is that he was educated solely in Indonesia, first at a progressive Gontor Islamic boarding school in East Java and then at the Jakarta's As-Syafi'iyah Islamic University where he obtained his BA.
Other Gontor graduates include Hasyim Muzadi and Din Syamsuddin, former chairmen of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the country's two largest mass Muslim organisations, and the late Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid.
A three-term parliamentarian, Saifuddin is receiving powerful backing, beginning with President Joko Widodo who told a 23 July meeting of religious leaders:
This nation will only progress if it succeeds in overcoming the problems of tribalism, religion and race.
But it will take more than words. NU, which the minister is a prominent member of, is finally speaking out against the way successive governments have allowed hard-liners to slowly eat away at Indonesia's pluralistic traditions.
NU Supreme Council chairman Mustofa Bisri told foreign journalists that with more political will, the Government could be playing a vital role in efforts to counter the influence of the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) and other extremist groups.
Islam Nusantara was the main theme at NU's five-yearly congress in the Central Java city of Jombong last month. In the weeks prior to that, Bisri was among a range of senior religious figures warning of the threat to Indonesia's inclusiveness from ignorance and poverty.
'The benefits of tolerance must be recognised,' Saifuddin said in a recent interview with Tempo magazine. 'The way to do it is to be more pro-active in respecting and honoring others, instead of demanding and insisting that others understand you.'
Indonesia has suffered through a long line of ineffectual religious affairs ministers. Saifuddin's predecessor, former PPP leader Suryadarma Ali was forced to step down last year to face charges of stealing from a US$5 billion state-sponsored pilgrimage fund.
Others before him have been little more than dead wood, unable to take an objective view of issues involving other faiths and beliefs, and currying favour with the hardline clerics who have dominated the religious debate since the birth of democratisation.
Police admitted recently they were reluctant to crack down on hate speech because there were no 'rewards' for doing so, something that also applies to a wide range of infractions which flourish in Indonesian society because of a lack of law enforcement.
Critics say apart from fearing a backlash, police and other local officials often can't separate their official duties from their personal beliefs, either siding with the majority or doing nothing to protect minorities.
The media hasn't been any better.
The National Commission of Human Rights' latest report cited 14 cases of serious religious intolerance in the April–June period, including the persecution of the Ahmadiyah Muslim sect in South Jakarta, the closure of churches in Aceh and the criminalisation of Shiites in Bogor.
In his quest to make Islam more 'friendly,' Saifuddin has aroused controversy by questioning why all restaurants should be closed during Ramadan fasting hours and in taking aim at other dictates that have taken hold in recent years more by default than anything else.
Largely repressed for much of President Suharto's 32-year rule, Islam has underwent a significant revival in the democratic space created after his downfall. But it has also led to a revival of extremism as well, and a worrying drift in which the mainstream majority acts like a minority.
Saifuddin argues that unlike the bloody conflicts that accompanied Islam's spread into Europe and African, not a drop of blood was shed when it was introduced into an archipelago that had previously embraced Hindu and Buddhist values until the close of the 13th century.
That hasn't always been the case over the past 15 years, however. Indeed, the minister knows better than anyone that new legislation seeking to promote interfaith harmony will be meaningless unless it's accompanied by a change in mainstream attitudes, as moderate as they generally appear to be.
John McBeth is a Jakarta-based correspondent who has covered Southeast Asian politics for more than 40 years. Image courtesy of Flickr user portable soul.
Lukman Hamid Saifuddin
The Yudhoyono legacy
Indonesia's remarkable economic transformation
Islamic State: dealing with an atomised, resurgent terrorist threat
Fifty years of the Indonesia Project
The growing pull of ISIS in Indonesia
Jokowi's troubling lack of interest in Indonesia's security affairs


text:
American Football Team That Will Disappoint
By cophbulls,
June 17, 2016 in USF South Florida Bulls Athletics
Now that our football team is one year removed from being the worst team ever and the whole staff should be fired (according to some at TBP) and now about 6 months away from being national champs (according to some at TBP) I thought I'd throw a different perspective on this raging Bulls fanboy party. Article is about a month old so take it for what its worth. Not in much agreement with it because I too am a member of the Bulls fanboy express but interesting nonetheless. It may have already been a thread but I couldn't find it so delete if necessary
http://campusinsiders.com/news/american-athletic-football-preview-05-13-2016
Edited June 17, 2016 by cophbulls
jchem1995
I fully agree with you in that I'm a bulls fan boy too. We do have a tough first 4 games but play the **** things first. I know it's a prediction but the author also said d Nichols is our best nfl talent. Clearly he doesn't know much 'bout our mighty Bulls. In conclusion, this article is just filling up cyberspace.
BucsandBulls
Also on the fan boy train for this season. And disagree that we will disappoint, but what is wrong with saying Nichols is an NFL talent? I love Marlon Mack, but agree with the writer than Nichols is probably the better NFL player (best USF CB since Mike Jenkins) and don't see how that means he doesn't know about our team. If anything the fact that he named a player other than Marlon Mack shows that he follows us a little more closely than you think.
flsportsfan83
Location: San Antonio, FL
Some people on this board are going to be in for a shock at draft time. RB's are not generally a highly drafted position. Mack will get drafted, but likely not 2nd round, very very unlikely he goes in the 1st round.
The Great 8
Is Nichols a 1st or 2nd round talent like Jenkins? If not, Mack will go before him.
JTrue
Location: Seminole Heights, FL
I love Mack, but RBs are a dime a dozen in the NFL these days. He's 6'0" and 205 and probably runs a 4.4 (guessing). We're not talking about an elite physical specimen. He's amazing for us, but he's not blowing up for 2000 yards a year in the AAC. Chalk it up to how he's used, whatever, but to go in the top 2 rounds of the draft in 2016 NFL football, you've got to be better than really good or built fairly solid.
Number of RBs drafted in the first two rounds:
If he goes in the first two rounds this year, I'm VERY happy with how our season turned out with us having one of the top 2 RBs in college football.
Edited June 18, 2016 by JTrue
raptorcj
I agree with his #1 non-con game to take seriously. I don't think NIU can beat us, but I do think we can end up beating ourselves in that one if we don't prepare. LOL CWT being #2 on the hot seat...especially more than Chad Morris or Montgomery. Did this guy really watch any of our games?
Azmodi
Location: In the shadows. Always in the shadows.
What I like about the article is it's bulletin board material. After all the hype stories, this one can be used to help ground the team. Letting them know there are still doubters out there and that they need to focus and play the games. Articles don't win games.
BDYZR
Location: San Antonio, Fl.
I just hope that all of our opponents read the article.
3 hours ago, Azmodi said:
Articles don't win games.
But if you think they can somehow be used by the team for motivation they're otherwise lacking, you think it's possible for them to win games.


Our monthly stop at this groovy Allentown BBQ emporium and Jazz Club. Check out the nice wood dance floor, sip your favorite cocktail, and enjoy Chef Jay's famous BBQ while listening to your favorite Jazz and Blues classics with Ron Sunshine and his quartet. Support a local small business, and live music all at once! No cover charge, two drink minimum in the music room. Free Beginner Dance Lesson given by the great people from the Gas House Dance Studio at 7:30. Wear your dancing shoes.


text:
Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince rating. Xbox One.
The puzzles in the game were done really well and there is a decent amount of variety with each different puzzle, which in turn keeps things fresh.
There is a decent amount of content for you to sink your teeth into and with 75 levels to get to grips with it means the game is good value for money.
I was a massive fan of the presentation side of the game. The visuals are where I enjoyed the game the most and I think the retro style is perfect.
The difficulty spikes in the game are balanced perfectly in my opinion and this meant that I didn't get frustrated very often.
Thankfully the controls in the game stayed fluid and responsive throughout which is very important in a game like this.
I would have liked to have seen a little more variety in the level design because it does end up getting a little bit samey.
There wasn't much in terms of a story and I think a decent story would have given the game an extra layer and made it even better than it already is.
All in all I love it when a game surprises me in a good way and without a doubt Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince surprised me in a good way. I must admit that I didn't expect to enjoy this game as much and the main reason I enjoyed it so much is because it got a lot of the mechanics right. The puzzles which play a massive part in the game are absolutely perfect and the clever design plays a part in each individual puzzle. They have also managed to get the difficulty spot on and by doing this it means you don't get frustrated very often when taking on the puzzles, which is great. Another important thing in a game like this is the controls and thankfully they remain both fluid and responsive throughout, which means you can focus solely on the tasks at hand without worrying about any problems. I must admit that I was surprised with the amount of content the game offers you and without a doubt you definitely get value for money. There are 75 levels for you tackle and some of them are pretty fun, but I would have liked to have had a little more variety with the level design. I would have also liked to have had a bit more in the way of a story and I think more of a story would have made the gameplay even better. The presentation side of the game pleased me a great deal and it also has the added bonus of stirring up some fond memories, especially when it came to the visuals. The visuals in the game have a real retro look to them and they complement the gameplay ever so well. At the end of the day Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince is definitely a hidden gem. It's a game that creates a very enjoyable experience and it makes you want to revisit time and time again, which is pretty rare with game's like this. There is a little bit of everything in the game and this means that Fearful Symmetry will attract a number of different gamers. Also the price of the game is spot on and in a way undervalued and when it's all said and done this game gets a massive thumbs up from me.
I rate Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince 8.5/10.
Developer: Gamera Interactive
Publisher: Soedesco Publishing
Genre: Action/Puzzle
Release Date (Xbox One): December 12, 2017
Price: £8.39/$9.99
← Hello Neighbor rating. Xbox One.
Okami HD rating. Xbox One. →


text:
Home COAST Staff in Action Report on Frontier innovations in Financial Inclusion Microcredit Summit Campaign
Report on Frontier innovations in Financial Inclusion Microcredit Summit Campaign
Report on: Frontier innovations in Financial Inclusion Microcredit Summit Campaign
Duration: 14 -17 March 2016
Place: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Microcredit Summits organized by the Microcredit Summit Campaign is to encourage practitioners and other stakeholders to use microfinance as a means towards ending global poverty, especially within the region, as well as to spur progress towards fulfilling the Campaign's Two Goals.
Summit History
In February 1997, RESULTS Educational Fund (REF) convened the first Microcredit Summit, launching a nine-year Campaign to reach 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2005. This historic event, held in Washington, DC, brought together over 2,900 delegates from 137 countries.
Building on the achievements of the 1997 Summit, a series of Global and Regional meetings have since been successfully held. They have attracted more than 15,000 delegates from over 140 countries. From 1997 to the present, the Microcredit Summit Campaign has relentlessly pursued its goals, maintaining a steadfast commitment to the Summit's four core themes. The Microcredit Summit Campaign is a global effort to restore control to people over their own lives and destinies.
Since 1997, the Microcredit Summit Campaign has been leading, supporting, and guiding the microfinance field to address failures in reaching the very poor. The success of the first phase of the Campaign, during which those with microloans grew from reaching 7.6 million of the world's poorest families in 1997 to more than 100 million in 2007, fueled the decision to extend the Campaign. The Campaign's goals for 2015 were launched at the 2006 Global Microcredit Summit in Halifax, Canada.
The Microcredit Summit Campaign is the only global network linking all actors in the microfinance sector that sets and regularly measures progress toward bold goals for using microfinance to end poverty. It announces progress towards these goals through the publication of the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report.
Microcredit Summit Campaign's conferences are the largest microfinance gatherings in the world, which assemble a full range of those active in the field of microfinance including practitioners, advocates, investors, UN agencies, donors, domestic government agencies, and many more. Download the full observation report [Download]
Previous articleCircular on Community Radio
Next articleECOFISH Project Newsletter: February 2016
Report on ToGETHER Global Conference on Localization of Humanitarian Aid 23 to 31 October 2022 in Bonn –Germany
Report on The South Asian Micro-Entrepreneurs Network (SAMN) Financial Inclusion Training 2022. Dubai, UAE_22-26 May 2022
কোস্ট ট্রাস্ট কর্তৃক প্রানঘাতী নভেল "করোনাভাইরাস রোগ-2019" (কোভিড ১৯) প্রতিরোধে কক্সবাজারের বাংলাবাজারে সতর্কতামূলক বিশেষ ব্যবস্থা গ্রহন_ Mizanur Rahman_01 April 2020


The Goal : Increase the visibility and public support for the United States Naval Institute.
Expand the Institute's network by connecting its CEO with influential people and organizations.
Create higher profile visibility in major main stream media for the Institute, showcasing different areas of expertise.
Identify and develop platforms from which to communicate the Institute's mission.
Identify and develop opportunities for collaboration with people and organizations who have an established and well recognized public persona.
We have initiated relationships with 19 opinion leaders and experts so far, including a high level executive at MTV Networks International, state governor, the founder of an influential political organization and an award-winning author and journalist.
We identified mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration to develop those relationships.
Arranging for the Institute's CEO to serve as the main source for a NY Times column.
Arranging for a Medal of Honor recipient/major news analyst to moderate a panel at Defense Forum Washington.
Invitation to inauguration dinner hosted by major supporter of several philanthropic organizations.
Conceiving the idea of producing the Wounded Warrior Forum as a road show, taking it to different areas throughout the nation and capitalizing on these relationships to pull in relevant and notable people/organizations in each region thus increasing the event's impact. We have also begun to identify potential sponsors for existing and future Institute conferences and events.
Increasing the Institute's media footprint was critical to the effort. Beyond military circles, the Institute was virtually unknown. Lack of media recognition creates a major challenge for fundraising and strategic networking efforts. We sought placements in major main stream media. Equally important was to nurture relationships with major reporters. We have obtained 12 placements in major mainstream media (including NY Times, BBC, Bloomberg TV and FoxBusiness) plus established and/or reactivated relationships with 5 top national reporters (including The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine) on a number of topics including wounded warriors, Russia/Georgia, pirates and Secretary of Defense Gates.
In an effort to reach out to Americans, military and non-military alike, seeking a better understanding of the national defense issues affecting our nation, we conceived, developed in collaboration with the Institute and launched a weekly radio show entitled Now Hear This.


Based on engagement of ACCI to support female entrepreneurs, ACCI once held a networking event at its Balkh branch's office in participation of 20 businesswomen and representative of GIZ by 3 September 2013.
The event was supported by GIZ (German International Development Agency for Afghanistan).
The networking event aimed to create a network among women entrepreneurs to share their experiences and success stories, to create business relationship toward use each other's facilities, to provide golden opportunity for them to discuss on mutual business interests, to keep up to date women entrepreneurs on existing business circumstances in Afghanistan, to receive their updated contact information through the questionnaires in order publishing a directory internally and internationally in future, to encourage women to enhance their business activities in current business environment, to identify challenges facing women businesses and find practicable solution, to persuade them to raise public awareness about their activates through media and finally to receive what are their expectations from ACCI?
The event provided a golden opportunity for women entrepreneurs to listen three success stories from, Mrs. Kamela Sediqi, Founder of Kaweyan Business Development Services and Mrs. Rabia Mariam a successful entrepreneur and Director of women affairs of Mazar province.
ACCI is committed to strangely support women businesses through development of Gender Unit, organizing such networking events, assisting them how to access to finance and technical assistance and also marketing their companies' goods and services internally and internationally in future to obtain tangible outcomes.


Hi all, just popping in to say hello, from a very wet Colchester Essex.
While I'm here, and because I couldn't see a forum feedback board anywhere. What happened to the gallery here, none of the mages appear to be displaying. I've seen a couple of posts mentioning this, but not sure if it was supposed to be fixed or not. Any ideas?
Anyway, look forward to chatting to you.
Welcome. An ex Essex boy here -deserted to West Sussex Though.
Though we were able to get back all the text in the forum, the older images were lost to the deep, dark void of the internet!
Can't say I blame you for deserting tbh.
Thanks, that makes sense. Don't you just love these hosting companies eh. Surprised they didn't have a backup to offer you. Hopefully you have made your own backups for any unforeseen hiccups in the future.
Nice theme by the way, I also use the Gray Style, although slightly modified to add a bit of colour.
Turned out the backup was stored with the main drive which also got deleted. Measures have been taken to make sure it doesn't happen again.


If you're English then Example is already a house hold name and I just have to say "Be ready" to the rest of the world. His tunes have been remixed by the likes of Afrojack, Benny Bennasi, Bar 9, Spor and many others. Anyone that can enjoy Dubstep, Drum and Bass, House, and Hip-Hop will definitely love this guy. Just like Tinie Tempah made his way on to American radio we can only expect Example to follow.
His new single Stay Awake displays great lyrics that everyone can relate to emotionally. What I've got out of this song is that our generation has gone to far an maybe we can't do anything about our leaders an people. I have a hard time interpreting British accents sometimes, but no matter this song bumps. Skrillex really likes the Stay Awake (Alvin Risk Remix) and has been played in many of his sets, so you know its straight filth. The Micky Slim is so bouncy and the drop will make you go straight bonkers. You be the judge.
That EP is out August 28th followed by his LP Playing with shadows on September 4th. I've never seen so many good producers on one album. So much bang for buck on this one. If you Pre-order now you get a few bonus tracks.
Keep up with Example on his Twitter, Facebook and his Website. Check out his Events. Looks like his only doing a European and English tour for the next few months. Can't wait for his US debut.
Dubstep · Electro · Garage · House · Rap · U.K.
I've been listening to Example for a while now and his tracks are consistently just awesome. Even though I hope he does well here (the U.S) I don't think he will because its tough for an electronic act from another country to stick and have more just one hit single over here. With that said, he's definitely gonna blow up all over Europe as the tracks released so far have been promising. I feel like the original version of "Stay Awake" is the best version posted here.
I've been mulling over this EP for some time now, and I feel compelled to comment. For starters the Alvin Risk remix is easily the best version, with the exception of Alvin and his brothers singing background (pun intended,) there are so many great nuances to it. The other thing is I'm surprised you only posted his single and some remixes as opposed to some other tracks off the EP like you normally do.
not out yet! unless you lurk harder than I do!
it is all the best album infact. thanks.
WOW Thank God I found this website!
Hope EXAMPLE be more known to the world.
Delta Heavy and Jem Cooke join forces on new single "Take Me Home"


text:
#ifndef PCL_GPU_WARP_REDUCE
#define PCL_GPU_WARP_REDUCE

namespace pcl
{
    namespace device
    {
        template <class T>
        __device__ __forceinline__ T warp_reduce ( volatile T *ptr , const unsigned int tid = threadIdx.x )
        {
            const unsigned int lane = tid & 31; // index of thread in warp (0..31)

            if (lane < 16)
            {
                T partial = ptr[tid];

                ptr[tid] = partial = partial + ptr[tid + 16];
                ptr[tid] = partial = partial + ptr[tid + 8];
                ptr[tid] = partial = partial + ptr[tid + 4];
                ptr[tid] = partial = partial + ptr[tid + 2];
                ptr[tid] = partial = partial + ptr[tid + 1];
            }
            return ptr[tid - lane];

        }
    }
}

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
from nose import tools
from datetime import date
import model_helpers
from django.conf import settings

# Specify a filename template that make use of all capabilities of upload_to template
settings.UPLOAD_TO_OPTIONS = {"file_name_template": "{model_name}/%Y/{filename}-{instance.pk}.{extension}"}

class FakeModel(object):
    pk = 1

def test_upload_to():

    fake_instance = FakeModel()
    upload_to = model_helpers.UploadTo(max_filename_length=10)  # get upload_to function with short filename
    year = date.today().year

    tools.assert_equal(
        upload_to(fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/myfile.png"),
        "FakeModel/%d/myfile-1.png" % year)
    tools.assert_equal(
        upload_to(fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/1234567890123456.png"),
        "FakeModel/%d/1234567890-1.png" % year)
    tools.assert_raises(ValueError, upload_to, fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/1234567890123456.php")
    tools.assert_raises(ValueError, upload_to, fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/1234567890123456.pHp")
    tools.assert_raises(ValueError, upload_to, fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/.pHp")
    # Validate model_helper's upload_to function (Shortcut for using UploadTo class)
    tools.assert_equal(
        model_helpers.upload_to(fake_instance, "/tmp/filezx/myfile.png"),
        "FakeModel/%d/myfile-1.png" % year)


text:
January 24, 2019 - Guidelines for the Preparation, Evaluation, Selection, and Procurement of Public-Private Partnerships through Unsolicited Proposals
Process & Flowchart
Qualified Advisors
As part of the implementation of public policy to promote the establishment of PPPs in Puerto Rico, the P3A will need to engage advisors in a number of specialized fields including the preparation of Desirability and Suitability Studies for potential projects, procurement and technical engineering, and environmental and financial advisory services, among others.
Any request for proposals or invitation to provide advisory services for projects will be sent exclusively to firms that have been previously qualified by the P3A and included in the List of Qualified Advisors. If a firm is interested in assembling a team to respond to a particular RFP, then all team members must be qualified in advance by the P3A.
Firms interested in being qualified by the P3A must respond to the Request for Qualifications RFQ 003-201.
List of Qualified Advisors 2018 (November 9, 2018)
List of Qualified Advisors 2018 (August 20, 2018)
List of Qualified Advisors (June 22, 2018)
List of Qualified Advisors (December 15, 2017)
List of Qualified Advisors (September 11, 2017)
List of Qualified Advisors (July 19, 2017)
Recent RFQ Documents
May 25, 2018 - Request for Qualifications 001-2018 - P3A List of Qualified Advisors
June 22, 2018 - Answers to Request for Clarifications RFQ 001-2018: List of Qualified Advisors - 2018
October 16, 2017 - Request for Qualifications for the Puerto Rico Maritime Transportation Services Project (Draft)
October 16, 2017 - Request for Qualifications for Parking Modernization and Optimization Project (Draft)
October 16, 2017 - Request for Qualifications for Student Life Project (Draft)
August 7, 2017 - Request for Qualifications ("RFQ") (003-2017): List of Qualified Advisors - 2017 for the Puerto Rico PPPA
May 3, 2017 - Request for Qualifications ("RFQ") (002-2017): List of Qualified Advisors - 2017 for the Puerto Rico PPPA
Roberto Sánchez Vilella (Minillas) Government Center de Diego Ave. Stop 22 San Juan, PR 00907
info@p3.pr.gov
AlianzaPub
Inventory of Projects
PREPA Transformation
Process & Flowchart2
List of Qualified Advisors
Information & Documents
About P3
P3A Laws & Regulations
P3A Law
P3A Regulations
Ethics Law & Guidelines
Executives Orders
Public Law 114-187 (PROMESA)
Procurement Documents
P3 Summit PPT's
P3 Summit Videos
© 2019 Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority.


text:
Data from: Ablation of insulin-producing cells prevents obesity but not premature mortality caused by a high-sugar diet in Drosophila
Sara Naif Al Saud, Adam C. Summerfield & Nazif Alic
Ageing can be modulated by genetic as well as nutritional interventions. In female Drosophila melanogaster, lifespan is maximized at intermediate concentrations of sucrose as the carbohydrate source, and yeast as the protein source. Dampening the signal through the insulin/IGF signalling (IIS) pathway, by genetic ablation of median neurosecretory cells (mNSCs) that produce insulin-like peptides, extends lifespan and counteracts the detrimental effects of excess yeast. However, how IIS reduction impacts health on a high-sugar diet remains...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t04v4 Cite
Data from: Increased survival of experimentally evolved antimicrobial peptide-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an animal host
Adam J. Dobson, Joanne Purves & Jens Rolff
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as new class of antimicrobial drugs, following the increasing prevalence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Synthetic AMPs are functional analogues of highly evolutionarily conserved immune effectors in animals and plants, produced in response to microbial infection. Therefore, the proposed therapeutic use of AMPs bears the risk of 'arming the enemy': bacteria that evolve resistance to AMPs may be cross-resistant to immune effectors (AMPs) in their hosts. We used a...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.f80bh Cite
Data from: Blinded by the load: attention, awareness and the role of perceptual load
Nilli Lavie, Diane M. Beck & Nikos Konstantinou
What is the relationship between attention and conscious awareness? Awareness sometimes appears to be restricted to the contents of focused attention, yet at other times irrelevant distractors will dominate awareness. This contradictory relationship has also been reflected in an abundance of discrepant research findings leading to an enduring controversy in cognitive psychology. Lavie's load theory of attention suggests that the puzzle can be solved by considering the role of perceptual load. Although distractors will intrude...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h8t06 Cite
Data from: Diet quality determines interspecific parasite interactions in host populations
Benjamin Lange, Max Reuter, Dieter Ebert, Koenraad Muylaert & Ellen Decaestecker
The widespread occurrence of multiple infections and the often vast range of nutritional resources for their hosts allow that interspecific parasite interactions in natural host populations might be determined by host diet quality. Nevertheless, the role of diet quality with respect to multispecies parasite interactions on host population level is not clear. We here tested the effect of host population diet quality on the parasite community in an experimental study using Daphnia populations. We studied...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.73s36 Cite
Data from: Niche divergence promotes rapid diversification of East African sky island white-eyes (Aves: Zosteropidae)
Siobhan C. Cox, Robert P. Prys-Jones, Jan C. Habel, Bernard A. Amakobe & Julia J. Day
The Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot composed of highly fragmented forested highlands (sky islands) harbours exceptional diversity and endemicity, particularly within birds. To explain their elevated diversity within this region, models founded on niche conservatism have been offered, although detailed phylogeographic studies are limited to a few avian lineages. Here we focus on the recent songbird genus Zosterops, represented by montane and lowland members, to test the roles of niche conservatism versus niche divergence in the...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.st56h Cite
Data from: Variation in male reproductive longevity across traditional societies
Lucio Vinicius, Ruth Mace, Andrea B. Migliano & Andrea Migliano
Most accounts of human life history propose that women have short reproductive spans relative to their adult lifespans, while men not only remain fertile but carry on reproducing until late life. Here we argue that studies have overlooked evidence for variation in male reproductive ageing across human populations. We apply a Bayesian approach to census data from Agta hunter-gatherers and Gambian farmers to show that long post-reproductive lifespans characterise not only women but also males...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gp30n Cite
Data from: Rates of dinosaur body mass evolution indicate 170 million years of sustained ecological innovation on the avian stem lineage
Roger B. J. Benson, Nicolás E. Campione, Matthew T. Carrano, Philip D. Mannion, Corwin Sullivan, Paul Upchurch & David C. Evans
Large-scale adaptive radiations might explain the runaway success of a minority of extant vertebrate clades. This hypothesis predicts, among other things, rapid rates of morphological evolution during the early history of major groups, as lineages invade disparate ecological niches. However, few studies of adaptive radiation have included deep time data, so the links between extant diversity and major extinct radiations are unclear. The intensively studied Mesozoic dinosaur record provides a model system for such investigation,...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gr1qp Cite
Data from: Silenced rRNA genes are activated and substitute for partially eliminated active homoelogs in the recently formed allotetraploid, Tragopogon mirus (Asteraceae)
Ales Kovařík, Eva Dobešová, Roman Matyášek, Andrew R. Leitch, Pamela S. Soltis, Douglas E. Soltis & Hana Malinska
To study the relationship between uniparental rDNA (encoding 18S, 5.8S and 26S ribosomal RNA) silencing (nucleolar dominance) and rRNA gene dosage, we studied a recently emerged (within the last 80 years) allotetraploid Tragopogon mirus (2n=24), formed from the diploid progenitors T. dubius (2n=12, D-genome donor) and T. porrifolius (2n=12, P-genome donor). Here, we used molecular, cytogenetic and genomic approaches to analyse rRNA gene activity in two sibling T. mirus plants (33A and 33B) with widely...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bb249 Cite
Data from: Altitudinal changes in malaria incidence in highlands of Ethiopia and Colombia
Amir S. Siraj, Mauricio Santos-Vega, Menno J. Bouma, Damtew Yadeta, Daniel Ruiz Carrascal & Mercedes Pascual
The impact of global warming on insect-borne diseases and on highland malaria in particular remains controversial. Temperature is known to influence transmission intensity through its effects on the population growth of the mosquito vector and on pathogen development within the vector. Spatiotemporal data at a regional scale in highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia supplied an opportunity to examine how the spatial distribution of the disease changes with the interannual variability of temperature. We provide evidence...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dp78p Cite
Data from: Using voluntary motor commands to inhibit involuntary arm movements
Arko Ghosh, John Rothwell & Patrick Haggard
A hallmark of voluntary motor control is the ability to stop an ongoing movement. Is voluntary motor inhibition a general neural mechanism that can be focused on any movement, including involuntary movements, or is it mere termination of a positive voluntary motor command? The involuntary arm lift, or 'floating arm trick', is a distinctive long-lasting reflex of the deltoid muscle. We investigated how a voluntary motor network inhibits this form of involuntary motor control. Transcranial...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j6kd3 Cite
Data from: Divergent evolutionary rates in vertebrate and mammalian specific Conserved Non-coding Elements (CNEs) in echolocating mammals
Kalina T. J. Davies, Georgia Tsagkogeorga & Stephen J. Rossiter
Background - The majority of DNA contained within vertebrate genomes is non-coding, with a certain proportion of this thought to play regulatory roles during development. Conserved Non-coding Elements (CNEs) are an abundant group of putative regulatory sequences that are highly conserved across divergent groups and are thus assumed to be under strong selective constraint. Many CNEs may contain regulatory factor binding sites, and their frequent spatial association with key developmental genes – such as those...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.50kd5 Cite
Data from: Hybridization facilitates evolutionary rescue
Rike B. Stelkens, Michael A. Brockhurst, Gregory D. D. Hurst & Duncan Greig
The resilience of populations to rapid environmental degradation is a major concern for biodiversity conservation. When environments deteriorate to lethal levels, species must evolve to adapt to the new conditions to avoid extinction. Here, we test the hypothesis that evolutionary rescue may be enabled by hybridization, because hybridization increases genetic variability. Using experimental evolution, we show that interspecific hybrid populations of Saccharomyces yeast adapt to grow in more highly degraded environments than intraspecific and parental...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1jr25 Cite
Data from: strap: an R package for plotting phylogenies against stratigraphy and assessing their stratigraphic congruence
Mark A. Bell & Graeme T. Lloyd
strap (Stratigraphic Tree Analysis for Palaeontology) is a new package for the freely available statistical programming language R designed to perform three main tasks: (1) to time-scale phylogenies of fossil taxa; (2) to plot those time-scaled trees against stratigraphy; and (3) to assess congruence between phylogenies and stratigraphy. Time-scaling is performed with the DatePhylo function, with three approaches offered. Plotting trees against a choice of five different geological time scaless is possible using the geoscalePhylo...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4k078 Cite
Data from: Evolution of cultural traits occurs at similar relative rates in different world regions
Thomas E. Currie & Ruth Mace
A fundamental issue in understanding human diversity is whether or not there are regular patterns and processes involved in cultural change. Theoretical and mathematical models of cultural evolution have been developed and are increasingly being used and assessed in empirical analyses. Here, we test the hypothesis that the rates of change of features of human socio-cultural organization are governed by general rules. One prediction of this hypothesis is that different cultural traits will tend to...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.pv84f Cite
Data from: Reassessment of the non-titanosaurian somphospondylan Wintonotitan wattsi (Dinosauria: Sauropoda: Titanosauriformes) from the mid-Cretaceous Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia
Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Scott A. Hocknull, Benjamin P. Kear & David A. Elliott
Wintonotitan wattsi, a Cretaceous titanosauriform sauropod from central Queensland, Australia, is redescribed following a full revision of its osteology. The holotype specimen, a partial postcranial skeleton derived from the lower Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation, comprises axial and appendicular elements. Wintonotitan has been commonly resolved as a non-titanosaurian somphospondylan titanosauriform since its description, in contrast to its more derived contemporary Diamantinasaurus matildae. We provide a detailed redescription, taking this opportunity to correct four misinterpretations made in...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bb1rt Cite
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Institute of Biophysics
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor


Building an options page for a plugin can be a daunting prospect, so here's a single class that will help you to create a versatile and user-friendly options page for your plugin that fits neatly into the WordPress dashboard.
The WordPress dashboard includes a handy widget that displays some brief information about your site at a glance – this snippet will show you how to add your own custom post types to that widget.
Almost exactly a year ago I released Seriously Simple Podcasting, a podcasting plugin for WordPress that does exactly what it says on the tin – makes podcasting simple. Now the time has come for a massive overhaul of the code – the end result of which will be v2.0 of the plugin.
If you have ever wanted to display your posts (or a post type archive) in a random order, but keep the pagination consistent then here's your solution.


The Sossi for State Senate Veteran Palm Card Template Download can be created with InDesign or AI Format which will include the message for the people along with the address, phone number, and images.
Palm Cards Do it Better. Campaign palm cards are your introduction to the voters when you press the flesh one on one. Have well designed political palm cards with photo, bio, slogan and address information. ... Products may differ from photos shown.


This brilliant Karbon Force Bonded mid-layer is fleece lined, ideal as a second layer to trap in some extra warmth. Complete with a full front zip and zipped hand pockets, the softstretch K-wick fabric ensures optimal comfort and durability. Lightweight and moisture-wicking, the Karbon Force fleece is the perfect mid layer for easy, comfortable maneuverability.
Comfortable and durable, this skivvy is perfect for layering.


text:
Trang chủ 2021 Tháng Một 20 VD-NEWS Freelance journalists: Sad because Vietnam's government outlets remain silent about Paracels
Freelance journalists: Sad because Vietnam's government outlets remain silent about Paracels
An image of the memorial service for martyrs of the Hoang Sa (Paracels) in 2016
A number of the state-controlled newspapers and news sites with a lot of followers in Vietnam including Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, VNExpress on January 19 published articles reminiscent of the Hoang Sa naval war that happened 47 years ago.
Meanwhile, the outlets under the government and the Communist Party including the People, the People's Army, the People's Police, VOV, and VTV did not speak up about the event, as observed by freelance journalist Chu Vinh Hai, and he told VOA that it is sad.
Paracels in the South China Sea was captured by China from the hands of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), also known as South Vietnam, in early 1974. The later reunified Vietnam, now officially named the Socialist Republic Vietnam, never renounced its sovereignty over the archipelago, although so far has no controlled an entity there.
Paracels naval war broke out on the morning of January 19, 1974, a few days after the RVN tried to prevent China from sending its troops to occupy some islands.
According to the ARVN naval officers who directly participated in the battle, at 10:25 am that day, four ARVN warships opened fire to attack four Chinese warships.
After about 30 minutes of fierce artillery fighting, all ships of both sides were hit and suffered damage, but one ARVN ship was left behind, the other 3 ARVN ships withdrew. 75 ARVN soldiers died in naval warfare, no data about casualties on the Chinese side.
At 11:10 am on January 19, 1974, the Chinese navy reinforced with two more warships and captured the entire archipelago.
Remind readers of this event, today, January 19, 2021, Tien Phong newspaper of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth League has published the article "The place of the Hoang Sa war, now: On the Nguyet Them."
The content of Tien Phong's article tells about the "silent war" between Vietnamese fishermen versus Chinese warships in the Nguyet Them cluster. The fishermen still often go in and out of this place, sticking to the sea to make a living and paying tribute to the ARVN martyrs, the article said.
Also talking about fishermen who go to the front of the wind-wave to "keep the sea and sky of the country" despite the risk of being chased and attacked by Chinese ships, their lives like hanging on a hair, Thanh Nien newspaper of the League The Union of Vietnamese Youths on the same day published "Hoang Sa far but near: A husband goes to Hoang Sa."
Talking about another aspect, Tuoi Tre newspaper of Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union published the article "Hoang Sa is forever the flesh and blood of Vietnam: Keeping the sacred souvenirs of Hoang Sa."
The content of this article talks about the Hoang Sa Gallery in Danang, where images, documents, and exhibits are received and kept, asserting that Vietnam has sovereignty over Paracels and its determination to protect sovereignty.
On the afternoon of January 19, 2021, VNExpress reported in the article "Tribute to Paracels Witnesses" that Mr. Vo Ngoc Dong, director of Danang Department of Home Affairs cum chairman of the People's Committee of Hoang Sa district, in the morning on the same day, visited witnesses who lived, worked and protected Paracels.
Mr. Dong was quoted by the news site with the most readers on the Internet that his work was aimed at "grateful to our soldiers who protected Paracels and at the same time reminding the young generation not to forget that Hoang Sa is a part of blood and flesh that has not yet returned to the motherland of Vietnam."
From Vung Tau, Mr. Chu Vinh Hai, a freelance journalist after leaving the state-controlled media, commented to VOA that some newspapers published about the Hoang Sa event while other media did not publish:
"The government outlets such as VOV, Nhan Dan newspaper, People's Army, People's Police… have no information about the Hoang Sa naval war event, and it is very sad in the team of journalists in Vietnam. And I think some state-controlled newspapers and outlets reported that they crossed the fence to report on the Hoang Sa naval warfare, but they weren't given the green light by the party's Central Commission for Propaganda and Education.
Danang fishing vessel 90152TS (once sunk by China) at the Hoang Sa Gallery in Danang.
VOA observed that this year many Vietnamese people, including dissidents, only use social media to commemorate the Hoang Sa naval war, do not have activities in public places in the country such as years ago.
On Facebook, female director Song Chi said: "47 years ago Vietnam lost Paracels. And it is likely that Vietnam cannot regain it if the Vietnamese authorities continue to be silent and dare not sue China in the international court."
Facebooker Phuong Ngo, who often speaks to social criticism, posted a list of 75 ARVN soldiers who died in battle in the Hoang Sa naval war and wrote that "It has been 47 years since China invaded Hoang Sa. We may not know all of our country's history, but we must always remember: China has never been a friend of Vietnam."
Activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh wrote on her personal page, "Hoang Sa belongs to Vietnam. The spirit of the heroic immortal heroes!"
Ms. Dao Thu, a university lecturer, said online: "Tribute to the Vietnamese martyrs who fell while protecting Hoang Sa."
Mr. Chu Vinh Hai explained to VOA why the current situation is like this:
"Since the protest against the special zone law, the cybersecurity law [June 2018], the movement to fight for freedom in Vietnam has been down, possibly due to too much arrest, and then the movement has been divided. But it is clear that the government persecuted too much so the movement went down, or to be exact, it was halted."
In the context of major media outlets of the Communist Party and the Vietnamese government barely mentioning the Hoang Sa battle, when asked if he was concerned that the young Vietnamese generation would not know or care about the history and sovereignty of Vietnam over Hoang Sa, Mr. Chu Vinh Hai, 57 years old this year, told VOA:
"I am not pessimistic to that level. The Internet has developed, social networks have developed, so many people used to be information blind, now they are enlightened. I think young people are becoming more and more aware of these long blurred truths."
A few days ago, as VOA reported, a memorial service for Hoang Sa was held by the Vietnamese community in the suburbs of the US capital, Washington on January 10. Although the memorial service took place in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people, especially young people, participated in the ceremony.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
Source: https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/nha-bao-tu-do-dang-buon-vi-bao-dai-truc-thuoc-chinh-phu-im-tieng-ve-hoang-sa/5743188.html
South China Sea: The US Ambassador to Vietnam strongly protests and condemns China
South China Sea: China and its plan to announce ADIZ
China threatens: Vietnam will pays expensive if it dares to challenge China in South China Sea
South China Sea: Discovering largest oil and gas mine Mo Ken Bau in history, does Vietnam worry about China's intervention?
Danh mục: VD-NEWS Từ khóa: China, Freelance journalists, government outlets, Paracels, remain silent, South China Sea, Vietnam
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh calls on China to open border gate to receive goods from Vietnam
Vietnam: Extraordinary National Assembly session and policy corruption
Pou Chen Vietnam workers return to work after four days of strike
Vietnam's economy in 2021 increases only 2.58%
Vietnam: Remittances increase sharply prior New Lunar Year Festival despite the pandemic's impact
Vietnam: Covid-19 infection on the surge, more than 10.000 people infected daily in past two weeks
Vietnam's parliament approves $15.4B economic recovery package
Strike continues for 3rd day at Pouchen shoe factory in Vietnam's southern province of Dong Nai
Obstacles for Independent trade unions in Vietnam
VinFast stops producing petrol cars, many people said "distrust" about company
Vietnam: More than 1.4 million unemployed people in 2021
Viet A blew up test kit prices by 45%, offering bribes of VND800 billion
Eight-year-old girl being beaten to death: Urgent need to spread more about human rights in Vietnam
Summary of Vietnam's situation in 2021
Vietnam's cancer rate has increased 9 ranks worldwide
Viet A is just iceberg's tip


So, for those who don't live in Christchurch (affectionatly known as Quakechurch); we experienced more rocking and rolling yesterday. I myself was safe and sound with my family slightly out of town on Banks Peninsula, but recieved the very odd sensation of watching large rockfalls across the harbour. Unnerving. Sadly, this is common place here at the moment- although we have had no large rumbles in 6 months according to the TV. After a brief time stuck over there (roads were closed to be checked for slip damage), we were able to come home to a house with no further damage or nothing too much fallen over.
But still, an earthquake is no excuse for such poor discipline from my South Lincolnshire Regiment! I came home to find them like this..
All bar the two bearers of the colours were no longer in ranks- two of the troopers had the audacity to attempt to go AWOL; they were picked up as they attempted to escape (to the pub I assume).
Who could redress the ranks, instill an air of courage? Well, the Duke of Wellington of course!
Here is my WIP Duke- there is only a little bit to finish on the Duke- some highlights on his hat, the gold and maybe a touch up on the flesh. His horse has not even got base colours, but I will have to find the right brown! He will hopefully get done today.
So the way the Analogue Hobbies competition works is that I will send them pictures of my finished models, they will be posted on their website then I can put them up on mine too after a day or so. So, without any further ado- here is my painted first (and only) model up on Analogue Hobbies... A Spartan!!
No need for pictures up on here for just that one test model- I am pretty happy with the bronze and the red. Not so much the flesh- something to work on when I paint some more.
Right, off to start painting the Duke's horse, and sending some photos of British Artillery to Analogue.
Yikes, I find what you're going through a bit surreal. I hope mother nature gives you folks a break. Just try to time the detailed paint work when the house is not shaking.
Nice work on the Duke. I'm really looking forward to seeing these boys done up.
The Colour Party is slways the last to fall !.
You are correct Jacko, they are the last to fall! In my case, they also had the advantage of being blu tacked to the base!
You gave me an idea, maybe I can blame it for any poor detail work!
Anyway, back to painting the Duke, you will be able to claim a Viking from a natural disaster zone soon enough!
Glad to see you came through the shakes okay. I was at work in Ferrymead watching the concrete walls bend!!!
From all reports just psychologically damaging, not structurally damaging!
We felt the 3:18 down at the bach in Oamaru so was very glad to see there were no casualties- except for a few models!
People must seriously be over liquifaction!
Have a good Christmas and hope the shakes subside soon!


Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union commenced 22 June 1941. It was the largest invasion to ever occur in European History and included not only Germany, but Italy, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Finland invading the Soviet Union that was aided by the Commonwealth and United States through lend lease.
Prior to the commencement of Barbarossa, the Soviet theory was that the German attack would focus on the south into the Ukraine where the majority of resources were located. When the invasion occurred, the German emphasis was on the centre region (Western District) through Army Group Centre. In the Ukraine, the Kiev Special Military District had 7 Mechanized Corps attached to it.


As the Holidays Approach… Creatures are Stirring… Lots of Them!
In our house, the stockings are not hung with care and the feline creatures are stirring with both terror and curiosity as the "kids" embark upon our usually organized and peaceful household. There will be a total of three of these big and overwhelming human creatures, ranging from 23 to 30, that will grace our home with their typical charming whirlwind of delightful chaos, leaving a trail of shoes, purses, keys, phone chargers, half full water bottles, an errant sock, iPhones, half eaten Christmas cookies, lights left on, unmade beds, toilet seats left up and on and on.
And guess what… that's the best gift in the world – I love every bit of the upheaval and can't wait to spend some time with the family. I miss them all so much throughout the year and when they come for the holidays, we gather round to do what everyone else in the country does – we laugh, we joke, we eat, we drink, we play board games, we watch movies that we have seen a hundred times over, and we rejoice that we have one another in our lives.
Because I want to spend time with them, it requires me to actually pry myself away from the computer, so I am going to take a break for a few days and leave you with some of my favorite images of my kitties during the holidays. Until then, be safe all of you. Enjoy your friends and family and the simple miracle of waking up to a new day. Don't waste a precious moment and be sure to open your arms and hearts to a path of empathy, kindness, and compassion for one another.
Happy Holidays from All of Us at Zee & Zoey – we love you all so much and will see you soon!
P.S. Don't fret about the kitties – as the years go by, they actually adjust to the company rather quickly – the terror is momentary and I can assure you all of them will be in the thick of things enjoying all the hustle, bustle, and excitement!
Rolz helping with the holiday shopping!
Loved this article? Share it with your friends!
Happy Easter Everybunny from the Zee/Zoey Gang!
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The Nature of a Cat - Tree Dweller or Bush Dweller?
I loved the photos! I hope you and your family have the most joyous holiday season!
Thank you Brian – much love to you and your family – furry and human, as well!
I especially love that picture of Jazz! But I really enjoyed all of them!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Bunch!
Jazz is such a warm and beautiful old soul… it shows up in the pictures! Merry Christmas to you and your bunch at Granny Annie's!
We loved all the photos and holidays details. That's a house full of love! May peace, love and purrs reign supreme 🙂 xoxoxo Layla, Merlin, Gris Gris, Domino and Odin.
Layla – it sure is a house full of love… and cat hair… Purrs to you and yours too!
We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas back to all the Island Cats!
Love the photos Deb!! Look at Kizmet and his first Christmas….he just fit right in so nicely!
Wishing you, Dan and all the kids a holiday filled with love, joy and oodles of fun.
I am happy you have your kitty to fill your home with love and companionship, Amy!
The photo are great! Enjoy your Christmas with your family! Wishing you Happy Wagging Holidays! Santa-paws will be here soon!
Yea!! Santa Paws! We can't wait, Maggie! You have a great Holiday too!
Have a wonderful holiday!!!! woo woo woo!
Thank you RumpyDog!! Woo woo to you and yours too!
merree chriss mouse two all N two all sum fat trouts!!!
merree chriss mouse back to all our favorite tabbies!
Love the Christmas post. Hope you and Dan enjoy the time with the family. Give a hug to all from us and a big one for Granny. Remember " out of chaos come control" – agent 86 from Get Smart.
Thank you Dave!! We will be thinking of you, Kathy, Kayla, Allison, Alex, Kobe, and Abby!! Love you all so much – Merry, Merry Christmas!!!
I wish you and your family have the Best Best time.
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text:
William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Escrick (c. 1626–1694) was an English Parliamentarian soldier, nobleman, and plotter.

Life

Howard was the second son of Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick and Mary Butler. He matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1646, and was then admitted to Lincoln's Inn. In 1653 he was a soldier in Oliver Cromwell's life-guards, and a "great preacher" of the anabaptists, but his views were republican, and he took part in the plots of 1655–6. Committed to the Fleet Prison in 1657, he successfully petitioned Richard Cromwell for release in 1658.

In 1660 Sir Edward Hyde found him anxious to serve the king, likely to be useful among the sectaries, and surprisingly well acquainted with recent royalist negotiations. He was elected Member of Parliament for Winchelsea in the Convention Parliament. In 1674 he was discovered in secret correspondence with Holland, spent several months in the Tower of London and was set free only upon making a full confession.

Succeeding his brother Thomas Howard, 2nd Baron Howard of Escrick as Lord Howard in 1678, he sat on the lords' committees which credited Titus Oates's information, and furthered the trial of his kinsman, William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford. In 1681 he was again sent to the Tower on the false charge made by Edward Fitzharris, of writing the True Englishman. Algernon Sidney's influence procured his release (February 1682). From then he was part of the "country party" (early Whig) opposition.

He was arrested on the first rumours of the Rye House plot, and turned informer at the trial of William Russell, Lord Russell (July 1683). He gave accounts of meetings at John Hampden's and Russell's houses, which mainly led to Russell's conviction. His evidence similarly ruined Sidney, although Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, was fortunate in being tried by his fellow peers, who did not believe Howard's charges against him. He himself was pardoned, and died in obscurity at York in April 1694.

By his wife Frances, daughter of Sir James Bridgman, and niece of Sir Orlando Bridgman, he had six children, including Charles, fourth baron, on whose death in 1715 the title became extinct.

He was one of the most detested and despised men of his age: John Evelyn called him "that monster of a man".

Notes

References

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1626 births
1694 deaths
3
William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Escrick
Members of the Green Ribbon Club
People of the Rye House Plot
Roundheads
Inmates of Fleet Prison
Prisoners in the Tower of London
English MPs 1660
English politicians convicted of crimes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia