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15 November 2019 - 6:41 AM
All the winners of the 2019 Executive of the Year Awards
Now completing its eighth year, The CEO Magazine's 2019 Executive of the Year Awards has once again earned its title as Australia's most prestigious business awards event. We are pleased to announce all of the award winners from this year's Executive of the Year Awards.
Now completing its eighth year, The CEO Magazine's 2019 Executive of the Year Awards has once again earned its title as Australia's most prestigious business awards event. We are pleased to announce all of the award winners from this year's Executive of the Year Awards.
Recognising the exceptional achievements of CEOs, managing directors and senior management, the awards were presented by The Morning Show's Larry Emdur at Crown, Melbourne. The glittering black-tie event welcomed 550 guests and nominees from the country's most respected and innovative brands.
Finalists were judged by an 11-person panel: Colleen Callander, CEO of Sportsgirl; Dave Fenlon, CEO of BWX; Ronni Kahn, Founder and CEO of OzHarvest; Pip Marlow, CEO Australia and New Zealand of Salesforce; Mark Nielsen, CEO APAC of Talent International and 2018 CEO of the Year winner; Glen Sealey, COO of Maserati Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; Jose Da Silva, Group CEO Operations of Wilson Group; Georgie Harman, CEO of Beyond Blue; John Karagounis, CEO of The CEO Circle; Suzy Nicoletti, Managing Director of Twitter Australia; Ron Santiago, Managing Director of Europcar Australia and New Zealand; Chris Dutton, Founder and CEO of The CEO Magazine; and Susan Armstrong, Content Director at The CEO Magazine.
Major Award Sponsor
David Hackett, CEO
MLC Life Insurance
David has had a less-than-traditional career in finance. He spent years working in Japan's finance industry before returning to Australia, eventually taking the helm of MLC. It was no simple role – David joined up just as the insurance company detached from its parent, NAB. He guided the large-yet-underperforming company through that transitional period, reinventing its values and purpose, while dramatically reducing costs and raising revenue. Ultimately, profits shot up by 68% over the course of 2018.
CEO of the Year Runner-Up
Fiona Johnston, CEO
UM Australia
Like David, this year's runner-up for CEO of the Year joined her company during a time of upheaval, disruption, challenge and transformation. Fiona's leadership reversed a four-year decline, through new people-focused initiatives. She tripled the people budget, training and coaching of her team, while also encouraging openness and communication. For Fiona, the key to leadership is the four Cs – compassion, conviction, courage and curiosity.
CEO of the Year Highly Commended
Anthony Nantes, CEO
Anthony brought years of experience in the tech industry to found one of Australia's fastest-growing fintechs, the "neo-lender" Wisr. Anthony's ambitious vision for the company has seen rapid uptake, going from 4,000 customers to 60,000-plus just this year. It's in no small part down to his ethos of "purpose before profit", providing a service for Australians at a time when the industry has been rocked by unethical actions that damaged the public's trust.
Managing Director of the Year
Caleb Bush, Managing Director Senior Vice President
GPJ ANZ
From being last year's Media Executive of the Year, Caleb has only gone upwards. He's worked towards modernisation and innovation, but one of his most notable achievements is a 94% retention rate – a testament to his commitment to the GPJ ANZ team. Caleb believes in "being passionately human", a philosophy that sees itself reflected in his work with Sydney's 2018 Invictus Games.
Managing Director of the Year Runner-Up
Leanne Harwood, Managing Director Australasia and Japan
Having only become Managing Director last year, this award is quite the accolade for Leanne. Her career in hospitality has been fuelled by passion first and foremost, and that passion has manifested in rapid expansion for InterContinental Hotels Group. A total 3,000 rooms were added across the region, with 2018 representing the Group's strongest growth yet. Meanwhile, Leanne has overseen cultural improvement, setting goals for female empowerment and overcoming the industry's talent challenges.
COO of the Year
Kiri Brain, former COO
Nexia Australia
The win is a fitting end to Kiri's tenure as COO of Nexia Australia. After five years in the role with the financial services provider, Kiri has succeeded in slashing overheads; managed a A$10 million merger; and brought on board six new clients in a six-month period. She also took an active part in the company's cultural transformation.
COO of the Year Runner-Up
Jeff Yu, Co-Founder and COO
One Stop Warehouse
With 16 years working in IT, it's no wonder Jeff decided to strike out on his own in 2013 to help start One Stop Warehouse. Over the years, he's overseen an ever-growing team, and fought to make solar power accessible for all Australians, fighting import taxes and hiring the best team possible. In practice, he draws inspiration from Linux creator Linus Torvalds, "working for fun" and doing "one thing only and make it the best".
CFO of the Year
Leah Weckert, CFO
Coles Group
Leah came to Coles Group at a tumultuous time, just as a new CEO was starting and Coles was demerging from Wesfarmers. In such a difficult environment, she rose to the challenge, overseeing a A$1.5 billion profit last year. But most critically, she revitalised the company's strategic direction, having launched a new strategy in June. Focusing on helping Australians lead healthy and happy lives, Leah has helped lead new partnerships, campaigns and initiatives to communicate this to the Group's customer base.
CFO of the Year Runner-Up
Matt Young, CFO
A responsibility for financial operations across Australia, China, Singapore, the US and Europe is no small feat, but for the past year, Matt has handled this for Treasury Wine Estates. His success is no doubt down to his belief in the 'why' of finance, ensuring buy-in and engagement from his team through a hands-on leadership style. While the company shifted to self-distribution in the US, Matt's work has helped avoid cash flow problems and maintain a dedicated team.
Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman
Hancock Prospecting
Recognised as one of Australia's most successful business people, and one of the wealthiest women in the world with an estimated net worth of US$14.8 billion, Gina Rinehart is clearly well-deserving of The CEO Magazine's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. Gina took over Hancock Prospecting from her late father Lang Hancock in 1992. Lang Hancock's estate was bankrupt at the time and Hancock Prospecting was in a parlous financial position, with its contingent liabilities, liabilities, legal claims and threats, and most of its few remaining assets heavily mortgaged. Gina turned the company into what it is today – the most successful private mining company in Australia's history – and for decades she has been one of the most influential figures in her industry and in Australian business. She also works against human trafficking and with the Australian rowing, volleyball, synchronised swimming and swimming teams.
HR Executive of the Year
Natalie Brooke, HR Manager
Menulog
One of Natalie's most significant achievements has been the recent introduction of a new and improved parental leave policy, addressing shortcomings in the Australian system. She was able to get a 12-week paid scheme approved by the global CEO – unbudgeted. It's a demonstration of her clear efforts to support workers, and represents part of her success in raising eNPS among female employees.
Marketing Executive of the Year
Krystel Cochico, National Marketing and Communications Manager
VISA Global Logistics
This year, while maintaining her role with VISA, Krystel made the ambitious decision to begin her MBA. Impressively, this hasn't detracted from her duties; the company has seen a 300% increase in leads for VISA Travel's national campaign, sky-high customer satisfaction for customer communication services and a conversion rate improved by 25%. Krystel's philosophy – that knowledge is power – has helped drive her team to stay informed and informative.
Sales Executive of the Year
Michael Reid, General Manager QLD, NT and PNG
Michael has applied 15 years of sales experience with Cisco, and transformed the business. He introduced age diversity into the business, and lifted the female proportion from 6% to 37%. It's part of a 'culture first' approach – the proof is in a tragic incident just months ago, when the son of Michael's team member was diagnosed with a brain tumour. It was naturally a difficult time for the team, and especially for the family, but Michael's team rallied together to raise A$100,000 for the five-year-old boy.
Young Executive of the Year
Caleb Bush, Managing Director Senior Vice President / Managing Director ANZ
GPJ ANZ / Project Worldwide
Besides Managing Director of the Year, Caleb also took home this year's Young Executive of the Year Award, making his achievements with GPJ ANZ and Project Worldwide all the more impressive given his youth. That youth, no doubt, drives his belief in getting down in the "trenches" – the idea that leaders need to understand what work is like on the ground floor of their workforce.
Start-Up Executive of the Year
Kristofer Rogers, CEO
Split Payments
Split Payments' success is undeniable, having reached 14 million transactions through its Open Banking Payments Platform since launching in January 2018. It was also valued at A$15 million this year, raising an additional A$2.5 million. The key, says Kristofer, is success through reputation and referrals. It's an exciting industry for him, with rapid technological innovation and vast opportunities, but his core focus as a leader is twofold – leading by example and allowing people to realise their own potential.
Executive Assistant of the Year
Justin Barwick, Executive Assistant to Chief Human Resources Officer
Serco Asia Pacific
While the Executive of the Year Awards celebrates the achievements of those at the pinnacle of Australian industry, it's fair to say they wouldn't be able to get as far without the efforts of Executive Assistants. Justin has supported Serco Asia Pacific's Chief HR Officer through a tumultuous period of overhaul, managing her agenda and general wellbeing. He's also made huge steps towards efficiency with digital innovation, while supporting his executive through trust and communication.
Education Executive of the Year
Jon Whittle, Executive Dean, Faculty of Information Technology
Over the past five years, Jon has tripled student numbers and grown research grant income to A$11 million this year. With the introduction of postgrad degrees in data science and AI, the Faculty has been futureproofed, and Jon's work in establishing the Monash Data Futures Institute has nationwide implications for the evolution of AI. Against a competitive talent market for IT academics, Jon has reformed strategy and culture to encourage continuous learning, engagement and pursuit of success.
Professional Services Executive of the Year
Milan Andjelkovic, Managing Director, Strategy
TM Insight
Any provider of services depends upon a cohesive workplace culture, and to achieve this, Milan has taken TM Insight through complete transformation within the past year. Processes were offshored to Asia, with the local team streamlined and used to nurture new talent overseas. Meanwhile, the business structure brought together siloed departments to improve efficiency. The result: successful consultancy projects that have brought in a profit of more than A$10 million over the past year.
Financial Services and Insurance Executive of the Year
Bobby Lehane, CEO
CHU Underwriting Agencies
At the head of one of Australia's pioneering strata insurance agencies, Bobby has been well-placed to pursue his ambition of being "an evangelist for change". He's leveraged his tech background to implement online services, while also diversifying the company's core services. Bobby passionately values diversity and innovation; he's championed a people-focused leadership involving informal catch-ups, recognition of achievements, and staff-selected charity contribution.
Hospitality and Tourism Executive of the Year
Phillipa Harrison, Executive General Manager International
Despite some restructuring of Tourism Australia, Phillipa has not only helped boost the numbers and spending of visitors to Australia, but also engineered a staff engagement score of 97%. As well as being motivated by the collective purpose of representing the Australian brand, Phillipa also says she's inspired by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and her efforts to redefine leadership as being human and compassionate. "We all need a little Jacinda in our leadership style," Phillipa advises.
Energy and Resources Executive of the Year
As well as the Lifetime Achievement Award, Gina has taken home this year's Energy and Resources Executive of the Year Award. Through 2019, she's continued to lead one of Australia's largest mining companies, initiating a major project in Ecuador, establishing promising partnerships with Asian steel mills and continuing to build up a successful Wagyu beef business. Gina counts among her inspiration leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, and of course her late father and predecessor, Lang Hancock.
Building and Construction Executive of the Year
Sam El Rihani, Founder and Managing Director
Decode Group
In the past year, Decode Group has continued to fight a slowing market, expanding into new areas and continuing to develop an impressive number of units, with 13 continuing projects across Sydney. Last year, Decode Group was listed on the AFR 100 Fast List – a testament to Sam's ability to keep a company growing in the face of adversity. Meanwhile, he continues to provide internal opportunities for his team, through comprehensive formal learning and mentoring. Sam says every interview includes the question, "What can we do to assist you in achieving your dream?"
Health and Pharmaceutical Executive of the Year
Stuart Chesneau, Executive Director, Business Growth and Innovation
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Stuart took over the newly formed division two years ago, and has taken to the role with passion and dedication. He's worked to lower costs and improve availability of life-saving processes, including the collection of plasma, organs and blood, and even the donation of human milk for prematurely born babies. Most critically, he's driven the organisation to embrace agility and risk, while still putting communication, safety and enrichment first for all of the company's employees.
IT and Telecommunications Executive of the Year
David Dicker, CEO and Chairman
For 41 years, David has led Dicker Data, since founding the company. It's grown to be Australia's largest local tech distributor, and in just the first half of this year, grew its share prices from A$2.82 to A$7. The company implemented an operations team to identify room for improvement and best practice, while continuing to implement new IT capabilities. The workforce has grown to match the company's evolution, and to accommodate them, David has ensured a culture of autonomy and trust.
Transport and Logistics Executive of the Year – Joint Winner
Scott Walker, National Transport Manager, Commercial
Scott's most impressive achievement, no doubt, is transforming VISA Global Logistics from the 17th largest wharf cartage carrier in NSW to the third largest in Australia. Under his leadership (since the start of 2019), the business has hit the A$500 million turnover milestone and opened five new offices globally. Scott's establishment of a new facility in Erskine Park has helped circumvent Sydney congestion, getting deliveries to customers faster than ever.
Julian Leach, Co-Founder and CEO
Having launched a similar concept in the UK, Julian co-founded ParcelPoint in 2011, and today, the company counts businesses like Amazon, eBay and The Iconic among its partners. Throughout the past 12 months, Julian has juggled leading the business and running the capital-raising process, while making strides forward such as the implementation of electric vehicles, for which he worked alongside business leaders throughout the retail market.
Retail Executive of the Year
Matthew Keighran, Managing Director South East Asia Pacific
Matthew believes "leaders are only as good as their teams". For him, the challenge of managing a region as large and complex as South-East Asia means people-management skills are crucial. Under Matthew's guidance, the luxury label has navigated challenges like ecommerce and rental costs while expanding in various Asian markets. Internally, Matthew says they offer opportunities to any team member who shows the potential and the passion to grow, giving the whole team something to strive for.
Media Executive of the Year
This year's CEO of the Year runner-up has been propelled by a mission to be "the best media counsel" to UM Australia's clients, and the results speak for themselves. During the past year and a half, the company hasn't lost a client or a pitch, and recently those clients have included bodies like AGL, Nestlé and the Australian Government. Regular planning sessions with clients and a new client platform have helped ensure strong partnerships across UM Australia's customer base.
Not-For-Profit Executive of the Year
Vedran Drakulic OAM, CEO
Gandel Philanthropy
Vedran has led the philanthropic organisation since its inception in 2011. Since then, Australia's largest private family foundation has distributed charitable grants exceeding A$100 million – from 2017 to 2018, total donations grew from A$15 to A$17 million. Vedran's biggest achievements include the Pauline Gandel Children's Gallery at Melbourne Museum, and the Gandel Holocaust Education Conference, which drew 300 participants nationwide – no mean feat for someone who arrived in Australia as a refugee 24 years ago.
Missed out on applying for the 2019 Executive of the Year Awards?
The Executive of the Year Awards will return in 2020, you can register your interest now.
More than money: The award-winning female CFO pioneering diversity at Coles
Meet the 2019 CEO of the Year: David Hackett, CEO of MLC Life Insurance
By Stephen Crowe
"Get out of your comfort zone": Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison
By Kathy Skantzos
Menulog's award-winning HR Manager says success starts with culture


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Podcast Paideia: Interview with a 'pelota player' (Bilbao, Spain)
July 30, 2021 Spain Cultural Activities
As part of Espacio Luzarra's Paideia podcast, Alexandro Bello talked with José María Urrutia. The Mexican-born former pelota player is a descendant of a Basque family of pelota players, which he himself calls the "dynasty of the immortals". His father traveled the world: United States, Egypt, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain or China. He even inaugurated the frontons of Manila, capital of the Philippines, and Gernika (Bizkaia). In the latter he served as intendant, already in the twilight of his career.
So his passion for pelota, a game more than three thousand years old, which was already played by the Aztecs, runs in his family. He confesses that his career as a pelotari could have been more extensive and fruitful, but his rebelliousness and youthful recklessness cut it short too soon.
Worried about the situation of the Basque pelota and the sport in general, he feels that it is very influenced by the media, since it obeys to economic and market interests, more than to a spirit of healthy competition. In his opinion, there are few initiatives to promote the sport as a link between countries. He claims the ball game as a universal good, since it is not exclusive to any one people.
He has a collection of material related to pelota and organises exhibitions, proud to share his treasure with the public. He is also the author, together with Javier Sagastizabal, of Las Raquetistas, a small book about women pelotaris of his time. A work that allows us to get to know these elegant sportswomen who gave great spectacle on the court.
To recapitulate his story, at 68 years of age, José María leads a simple life. He has few economic resources, no telephone or car, but he feels happy and free. Full of passion, he says goodbye, stating unequivocally that if he were born again he would be a pelotari again.
Cleaning a natural reserve (Belgium)
Publication of the book "Journalistic Articles" written by New Acropolis founder Jorge Angel Livraga (Portugal)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Unter dem Begriff Slow Tourism (= Langsamer Tourismus) werden die vielfältigen Themen und Trends des Tourismus zwischen Langsamkeit und Nachhaltigkeit, Sinnhaftigkeit und Sinnlichkeit zusammengefasst, die ein authentisches Reiseerlebnis vorhersagen.

Entwicklung
Einerseits läuft im 21. Jahrhundert die so genannte Tourismusindustrie mit ihren breit angelegten Kampagnen und Katalogen konform den Fortschritts- und Globalisierungsprämissen weiter. Andererseits entwickeln sich in Nischen und Zwischenräumen neue, andere Formen des Reisens, die vom Innehalten geprägt sind. Beide Formen des Reisens lassen sich aber nicht so einfach in A oder B trennen. Auch im Slow Tourism gibt es die Gleichzeitigkeit des Ungleichzeitigen. Es finden sich Reiseführer neben Internetbuchung, sinnliche Reiseerfahrung neben virtueller Reisevorbereitung, Fußpilgertour neben Fluganreise, Dorfgasthof neben iPod-Sprachübersetzer oder Natururlaub neben Geocaching. Auch wenn Slow Tourism eine andere Form des Reisens möchte, ist er fest in den Mainstream des heutigen Reisens eingebettet. Dafür hat sich gesamtgesellschaftlich der Begriff Glocalisation eingebürgert, der die Globalisierung gesamtgesellschaftlicher Lebenswelten mit dem menschlichen Bestreben nach Lokalisierung zu verknüpfen sucht.
Ausgehend vom Wellnesstrend zwischen Wohlfühlen und Gesundheit am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts wird dem Slow Tourism von Christian Antz, der den Begriff und das Thema im deutschsprachigen Raum eingeführt hat, am Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts eine stetig wachsende Entwicklung vorausgesagt.

Herkunft
Der Begriff Slow Tourism, unter dem die verschiedenen Tendenzen dieser anderen Formen des Reisens zusammengefasst werden, leitet sich von der Initiativbewegung Slow Food für das Teilsegment der Ernährung ab, die vor zwanzig Jahren entstand. Als Carlo Petrini 1989 die Initiative Slow Food mit den drei Grundsätzen "gut, sauber, fair" in Norditalien aus der Taufe hob, gab er der explizit auf regionale Verwurzelung gründenden Bewegung einen internationalen Namen. Neben "Terra Madre", der weltweiten Geschmacksmesse in Turin, oder der "Arche des Geschmacks", der Liste regionaler, vom Aussterben bedrohter Produkte des Essens und Trinkens, gehen die Wege von Slow Food auch direkt in den touristischen Bereich über, mit "Osteria Italia", dem Reiseführer zu regional orientierten italienischen Gasthäusern, oder Cittàslow, ganzen Ortschaften mit nachhaltiger Entwicklung, Landwirtschaft und Gastronomie. Ganz in der Nähe touristischer Alleinstellung bewegen sich die jetzigen Forderungen von Slow Food nach Erhaltung der Biodiversität, traditionellen Landschaften, regionalen Produkten und traditionellen Methoden. Ausgehend von einer stärker ökologischen hat sich Slow Food in vielen Bereichen zu einer stärker Lifestyle-orientierten Bewegung entwickelt, was sich auch in der künftigen Ausrichtung von Slow Tourism widerspiegelt.

Perspektive

Die Fachhochschule Westküste in Heide (Deutschland) trägt dem Trend des Slow Tourism insofern Rechnung, indem sie 2011 die erste deutsche, wahrscheinlich sogar erste weltweite Professur für Slow Tourism einrichtete. Die Professur wird vom deutschen Kunsthistoriker Christian Antz wahrgenommen.

Literatur

 Christian Antz, Christian Eilzer, Bernd Eisenstein (Hrsg.): Slow Tourismus. Reisen zwischen Langsamkeit und Sinnlichkeit. Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Management und Tourismus, Band 6. München 2011. Martin Meidenbauer Verlag. ISBN 978-3-89975-230-4.
 Simone Fullagar, Kevin W. Markwell, Erica Wilson (Hrsg.): Slow Tourism. Experiences and Mobilities. 2012. Channel View Publications. ISBN 978-1845412807.

Weblinks
Daydreams erklärt Slow Tourism

Siehe auch

Nachhaltiger Tourismus

Sanfter Tourismus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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dosse, en exploitation forestière, une chute de sciage comportant une face plane, le reste de la surface étant constitué par la partie externe de la grume, avec ou sans écorce;
 Débit sur dosse;
 Dosse, une rivière en Allemagne.

Patronyme

 François Dosse, un historien et épistémologue français.


Tickle Ur Fancy, under jockey Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa, setting the fastest time for the AQHA Sun Downs Distaff Challenge Sunday afternoon at Sun Downs.
KENNEWICK, WA�APRIL 22, 2018�Multiple stakes winner Tickle Ur Fancy got her fifth consecutive win on Sunday when she defeated Love To Reason BR in the second of two trials for the AQHA Sun Downs Distaff Challenge at Sun Downs.
Tickle Ur Fancy won by half-a-length while driving under jockey Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa. She completed the 400 yards in :20.028 seconds to earn a 103 speed index and set the top qualifying time.
The Hector Magallanes trained daughter of multiple stakes sire DOMINYUN races for owner Hayden Brothers Ranch. She won the Pot O'Gold Futurity at Sun Downs as a 2-year-old and the Portland Meadows Championship Bonus Challenge last fall.
Bred in Oklahoma by Bobby D. Cox, from the First Down Dash mare Sizzling Lola, Tickle Ur Fancy has compiled a (21) 13-3-1 record and banked nearly $84,000.
Trainer William Leech saddled Charles Stojan's graded stakes winner Toughie to a neck win in the first trial to post the fourth fastest time of :20.254 seconds, a 96 speed index.
Ricardo Moreno rode the Grade 3 Canada Quarter Horse Cup Futurity winner to her 13th win in 19 starts. Edward C. Allred bred the daughter of Stel Corona in California from the Hawkish mare Hard Lining. She has earned $162,626.
The multiple stakes winner was a finalist in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity at 2 and finished third in the Grade 3 AQHA Derby Challenge Championship in 2016.
The top two finishers in the AQHA Sun Downs Distaff Challenge will also earn an invite to the Grade 1 $100,000-est. AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship on November 17 at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California.
For a complete list of Sun Downs Distaff Challenge qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.


New for 2019 with some fantastic introductory rates, the Limelight Hotel Snowmass will be Colorado's best value luxury ski-in ski-out hotel.
Opening in 2019, the Limelight Hotel Snowmass complements the new resort village in Snowmass with ski-in ski-out luxury and a fresh, fun and relaxed atmosphere. With a great après vibe and lively bar and restaurants, it's great for adults whilst the superb facilities, interconnecting rooms and easy proximity to the ski school make it a top choice for families too.
The Limelight is a brand new hotel with energised friendly staff. Our upgraded Executive room with high-end equipment and a balcony view of the gondola, was massive and superb. The hot-tubs at the front were huge and the free ice-rink at the front was a lovely feature. Very good breakfast and easy access to the free buses is very handy.
Fantastic ski in/out location. Lovely modern spacious room, with balcony & plenty of storage. Good bathroom, deep bath (in twin queen) , endless hot water & nice toiletries. Superb buffet breakfast choice and good quality evening lounge menu, if a bit limited choice and no separate restaurant. Open plan layout of lounge, bar & games room sometimes rather noisy at happy hour but good live entertainment. Decent size hot tubs next to ice rink and a great complementary on-mountain program for Limelight guests, with ski pros.
Great hotel and location to the slopes. Very comfortable and cosy, with no late nights as the bar closes at 10:00. Room was just as we expected.


"Once you've been hurt, it's easy to fall into these pits of doubt, even when things are seemingly perfect."
If we learned anything from his pop bop "Just Friends," it's that singer-songwriter Jordy isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.
With his latest single "Irrational," the openly-gay 23-year-old singer vulnerably shares his relationship insecurities over a bouncy candy-coated beat that, in a very Lauv or Troye Sivan fashion, drops into a sparse, bass-driven chorus that commands you to get up and dance.
"'Irrational' is a portrayal of my mind and how anxiety has manifested in my past relationships," Jordy told PRIDE. "Once you've been hurt, it's easy to fall into these pits of doubt, even when things are seemingly perfect."
"Writing "Irrational" was a way for me to own those insecurities and connect with other people who find themselves in similarly destructive processes in a relationship. Mental health is really important to me, and I want to normalize discussion surrounding the subject as much as possible."
Watch the lyric video for "Irrational" below!


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Home	MLB	MLB 2009 season review – NL West
MLB 2009 season review – NL West
by Matt Smith December 14, 2009
written by Matt Smith December 14, 2009
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the clear favourites to retain their NL West crown and they duly lived up to those expectations; however, the division was far from being uneventful. The drama surrounding the Dodgers' march to the postseason was enhanced by the performance-enhancing suspension of their star slugger, while the Rockies staged a remarkable turnaround to win the Wild Card.
BGB Predictions
Joe: Dodgers (Wild Card: Giants), Mark: Dodgers, Matt: Dodgers, Russ: D-Backs (WC: Giants)
Three of us correctly predicted the Dodgers would come out on top, but Russ must have jinxed the D-Backs. In fact, Russ had predicted a D-Backs-Indians World Series, so I think we can say his jinxing powers are lethally strong.Â
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (95-67)
It was déjà vu all over again for the Dodgers. As they had done in 2008, they won the West, swept their way through the Division Series past the NL Central winners (last time it was the Cubs, this time it was the Cardinals), but then lost 4-1 to the Phillies in the Championship Series.Â
The Dodgers got off to a hot start, going 35-17 through April and May, and consistency the rest of the way was enough to keep the pack behind them. In fact, the Dodgers never fell from the top spot after tying the Padres for the division lead on 15 April. The Rockies created a few nerves as September rolled around, but the Dodgers ended up winning the division by three games and their 14-4 record against Colorado certainly helped.
Manny Ramirez was the big story in Los Angeles in 2009, just as he was in 2008. The Dodgers really couldn't have let him slip from their grasp after his astonishing second-half performance last year and he re-signed with the club on a 2 year/$45m deal. Unfortunately Mannywood turned sour when he failed a drug test and was suspended for 50 games, seeing him miss virtually all of May and June. Despite a few typical Manny moments when he returned, not least his pinch-hit grand slam on 'Manny bobblehead day' on 22 July, his overall 2009 contribution didn't quite hit his previous heights and his previous designation as a future Hall-of-Famer is now in doubt.
The one positive from Manny's situation (well, apart from the 'positive' drug test) was that Matt Kemp stepped up in the star slugger's absence and had a tremendous season. Andre Ethier was close behind him and both Casey Blake and Orlando Hudson had good years, although the latter was mysteriously benched for Ronnie Belliard down the stretch.
The Dodgers' offense was good, but it was their ability to stop the opposition from scoring that was the key to their success. They had arguably the best defense in the Majors and tied the Giants for conceding the least runs per game in the Majors (3.77). Clayton Kershaw was exceptional in his first full Major League season (8-8, 2.79 ERA), Randy Wolf proved to be a brilliant one-year free agent acquisition and Chad Billingsley had a good season overall, even if his downturn in the second half (3-7, 5.20 ERA compared to 9-4, 3.38 prior to the All-Star break) was a source of some concern. Jonathan Broxton continued to strikeout batters at an incredible rate (13.5 K's per 9 innings) and he combined with Ramon Troncoso, Ronald Belisario and George Sherrill (acquired from the Orioles at the end of July) to make for a top bullpen.
All that hard work to finish the season with the best record in the National League ended with the Dodgers seemingly no further forward than they had been twelve months before due to that 4-1 loss to the Phillies. However, you can't judge a team's season solely on one series. The Dodgers were arguably the best team in the Senior Circuit in 2009 and they won't be far away in 2010 either.
2. Colorado Rockies (92-70 – NL Wild Card)
It's Wednesday 27 May, the Rockies have just been swept in a three-game series by the division-leading Dodgers to leave them dead last in the West with an 18-28 record, 14 games behind L.A. Even the most optimistic Colorado fan would have struggled to seriously believe their team would make the playoffs from there.
But they did. Manager Clint Hurdle was sacked and Jim Tracy sparked an incredible transformation. A 21-7 June cut the deficit to 7.5 games and a 74-42 record overall under Tracy's stewardship won them the Wild Card by 4 games over the Giants. Their fairytale was ended by the Phillies in the first round of the postseason, but the Rockies came out of the year deserving an enormous amount of credit for the way they had battled back from such a poor start.
The Rockies were able to rely on a stable starting rotation. Aaron Cook, Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis together started all but 7 of the Rockies' 162 regular season games: an impressive feat particularly as Jeff Francis, who would have been a key part of the rotation, missed the entire year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Jimenez was the pick of the bunch and is ready to become a genuine ace, if he isn't there already, while Marquis was a very useful offseason pick-up from the Cubs. Houston Street was another newcomer to the Rockies in 2009 and the former Oakland A blossomed in the closer rule he had lost at his former team, picking up 35 saves.
Street was acquired in the trade that saw Matt Holliday depart from Denver. Although the Rockies didn't (and couldn't) replace his bat directly, they still put together a very good offense. Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton both rebounded from frustrating 2008 seasons. Tulo had an excellent 2009 that saw him placed fifth in the NL MVP voting and while Helton's inflated salary of $16.6m did make the cost of his contribution relatively high, it was an important contribution nonetheless.   Ian Stewart (25 home runs) and Clint Barmes (23) provided some pop from the infield, outfielders Brad Hawpe and Seth Smith chipped in with useful years and Carlos Gonzalez (another part of the Holliday trade) got his chance in June and took full advantage. The only real let down was Garrett Atkins, whose performances have gone steadily downhill since his 2006 season resulting in him being non-tendered on Friday.
If they can get their 2010 season going at the beginning of April rather than giving teams a headstart, the Rockies could go one better in the NL West next year.
3. San Francisco Giants (88-74)
The Giants finished with a 72-90 record in 2008 and a sixteen-win swing in 2009 was obviously a major improvement; however MLB is an unforgiving environment and for all of the good things that happened in San Francisco this year, you have to conclude that they should have done better than they did.
Talents like Tim Lincecum don't come along too often. He's completed two full seasons in the Majors and won two Cy Young awards: an achievement that would earn him the 'freak' nickname even if he wasn't a relatively small guy with an unorthodox pitching action. Stupid off-the-field misdemeanours aside, he's the sort of pitcher that every team would kill for. The Giants' can pair him with Matt Cain to form an outstanding 1-2 punch in their rotation. Cain's two years of atrocious win-loss record luck finally came to an end in 2009 as he gained a career high 14 wins to go alongside his 2.89 ERA. Jonathan Sanchez was an able deputy and produced one of the season's most memorable moments by pitching a no-hitter against the Padres on 10 July, while even Barry Zito (10-13, 4.03) put together a decent season. Although Randy Johnson could only muster 17 starts, the Giants' rotation matched up well against any other in the Majors.
The problems start when you consider that Zito's decent season cost the Giants $18.5m. The 7 year contract he signed in December 2006 looked terrible at the time and doesn't look any better now. San Francisco's next most expensive contract is with Aaron Rowand: another deal (5 years/$60m) out of step with the value he brings to a team. The Giants paid Rowand $8m for a distinctly average year in 2009, paid Randy Winn $8.25m for 2 homers and a .318 OBP and received a .250/.307/.328 batting line from Edgar Renteria for $7m. Winn at least is now a free agent, but Rowand ($12m) and Renteria ($9m) will be paid even more in 2010 and are not exactly a great bet to improve at this stage in their careers.Â
The Giants' General Manager Brian Sabean received a two-year contract extension in October, but it's difficult to see how he deserved it.  A merely good offense would have given them a great shot at a postseason place and Lincecum and Cain would have made them a dangerous opponent for any team in the short playoff format. Sabean failed to put together a good offense, as shown by the presence of free agent Bengie Molina in the clean-up spot for the majority of the season. Pablo Sandoval was an eye-catching exception to their batting woes: the 'Kung Fu Panda' had a great year and became one of the most likeable players in the Majors at the same time. Him apart, there was little else for Giants fans to cheer when their team was up to bat.
Sabean's Giants made just one World Series appearance during the Barry Bonds era and that 2002 season was the only time they made it past the division series stage. It was a negligible return on Bonds' fearsome power-hitting pomp and unless Sabean makes some key additions to the offense, San Francisco will once again be the land of unfulfilled promise on his watch.
4. San Diego Padres (75-87)
In writing this series of articles reviewing the 2009 season, I started by noting down my own thoughts on every team and then researched their seasons, jogging my memory on things I had forgotten and discovering some performances that had somehow slipped my attention.  When I got to the Padres, the first step in the process was depressingly short. My memory of the San Diego's 2009 season consisted solely of:
The lengthy Jake Peavy trade talks, resolved on the last day of July when the still-injured starter was traded to the Chicago White Sox,
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez having another excellent season, largely unnoticed by many (not including the teams who would love to acquire him this offseason),
Outfielder Scott Hairston playing well over the first three months of the season before being traded to the Oakland A's at the beginning of June.
A whole season of hard work was boiled down to just three bullet points, with the third only being there due to my A's affiliation. Of course, the fact that I support an American League team was part of the reason why I didn't follow the Padres' season all that closely. Elsewhere in the Senior Circuit, the Nationals had an attention-grabbing number one draft pick, the Pirates made a stir by trading away every player they could and for their historic losing sequence, while I seemed to catch bits of games involving the D-Backs fairly frequently on MLB.TV.Â
The Padres just had an innocuous season. They got some good work out of the bullpen from Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and Heath Bell, Kevin Correia was the pick of an average bunch of starting pitchers and Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley and Everth Cabrera were the most notable contributors with the bat after Gonzalez and Hairston. San Diego did put together a ten-game winning streak in May, the second victory of which was a sixteen-inning marathon against the Reds, and they were also involved in an eighteen-inning game against the D-Backs (which they lost 6-9).
Otherwise the year was shaped by boardroom changes and the start of a rebuilding project. A new ownership group took charge in April and the season ended with long-time General Manager Kevin Towers being pushed out of the door. Jed Hoyer became the latest Red Sox Front Office alumni to be snapped up by another team and it is his job to change the Padres' fortunes in the upcoming years, making their seasons more noticeable in the process.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks (70-92)
After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, finishing just two games behind the Dodgers, the D-Backs plummeted down the standings in 2009.Â
Opening day set the tone for the rest of the season. Ace pitcher Brandon Webb lasted just four innings against the Rockies, giving up six runs in the process, and was placed on the DL the following day with right shoulder bursitis. Webb didn't pitch again all season and underwent surgery on his shoulder in August. Manager Bob Melvin's season didn't last much longer either. A 12-17 start resulted in the end of his four-year tenure at the club and A.J. Hinch made the slightly unusual move from 'Vice President, Player Development' to Manager just before his 35th birthday.
Arizona never recovered from that disruptive start. Dan Haren (14-10, 3.14) had another excellent season and if Webb had been healthy then their rotation would have been a real strength. Doug Davis, Jon Garland and Max Scherzer all gave the Snakes some solid innings, but the team was a key man short and the others couldn't pick up the slack. Billy Buckner and Yusmeiro Petit took 30 starts between them in Webb's absence and they struggled to keep the runs down, never mind to replace the contribution expected from the team's fallen ace.Â
Losing your number one pitcher would hit any team hard, but it was particularly painful for the D-Backs because their offense wasn't exactly a juggernaut. Conor Jackson, Chad Tracy and Eric Byrnes spent the season alternating between being injured or ineffective, which was of no great help considering they largely played positions (first base and left field) where teams look for strong offensive contributions. Rookie Gerardo Parra started 106 games in the outfield and seemed a bit overmatched, while Stephen Drew and Chris Young didn't take that next step forward as was hoped. Mark Reynolds was as 'hack happy' as usual, bludgeoning 44 homers while striking out 223 times, but the main man on the offense was Justin Upton. At just 21 years old, he had the sort of year (.300/.366/.532, 26 homers, 30 doubles and 7 triples) that gives good reason to believe he will more than live up to his number one overall selection from the 2005 draft. Upton's season, alongside catcher Miguel Montero's good year, were bright spots on an otherwise disappointing campaign.Â
Despite losing Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson to free agency prior to the season, the offense actually scored the same amount of runs in 2009 as they had the previous season (720), but they allowed 76 more runs and that made the difference. In light of this, the D-Backs' recent trade for starting pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy perhaps makes some sense, although additions to the offense are required as well if the team is to charge back up the standings in 2010.
Arizona DiamondbacksColorado RockiesLos Angeles DodgersMLBSan Diego PadresSan Francisco Giants
Matt Smith is the editor and lead writer at BaseballGB. An Oakland A's fan, Matt has been following baseball since 1998 and started writing about the sport in 2006. He is the current Chair of the British Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Joe Cooter December 14, 2009 - 10:49 am
I have to admit that I didn't really expect the Dodgers to runaway with it, and once the lead started to melt away I fully expected them to blow it. I have had little respect for this organization and I don't expect it too change anytime soon. What surprised me is that after spending years complaining about Manny being enabled in Boston, Joe Torre started doing the exact same thing once Manny was acquired by the Dodgers. Whatever respect I had for Joe Torre was lost when he released his book last Feburary. What upset me, and other Yankee fans was the fact that he violated the cardnail rule of the clubhouse, "what you see here, what say here, what you hear here, let it stay here." Torre violate the Yankees this rule by saying how he didn't want Johnny Damon, revealing Damon's struggles with depression, and the whole controversy with Arod. What botthers me about Torre is that he's perfectly willing to take credit for the success the Yankees had in the '90's but was unwilling to take any of the blame for recent playoff failure, when he was partially responsible for those failures. What gualls me was the fact that he wanted to get a raise for his recent performances, when he took the team with the best talent in baseball to three straight first round exits. How was that deserving of a raise? What makes is worse, was how he complained about being forced out then helped the Dodger force out their then manager Grady Little. Again this year, he failed to get the Dodgers past the Championship Series when they should have been able to beat the Phillies. Outside of Cliff Lee the Phillies Pitching Staff was in now way better than the Dodgers. In addition, Torre was unwilling to correct players when they went into slumps. He simply figured that they would pull out of it.
Now the Dodger seem to be hampered by ownshership problems that stem from the divorce of Owner Frank McCourt. McCourt wants to claim that the Dodgers are 100 percent his and he will not have to sell. But attorneys for his Wife sight California's Community Property Law, which says that all of a couples property must be divided equally regardless of whether it was obtained before or after marriage. That would suggest that the Dodger have to be sold and until they are it will hamper the teams efforts to improve itself.
This will cause an opening for other teams to make a run at the division. My guess is that if the Giants can add some offense, they should be able to run away with the division. They already have the pitching necessary to win.
Matt Smith December 14, 2009 - 10:06 pm
Thanks as always for your comments. The McCourt divorce seems to be getting uglier by the day. As you say, it potentially creates an even better opportunity for the Giants to jump into the postseason.
Steve December 16, 2009 - 3:36 pm
I think this was perhaps the most intriguing division for me in 2009. While the Dodgers were always up-front, the Giants, and then the Rockies weren't too far behind, and that made for an exciting division throughout the season.
It also helped that I had the Rockies at 100-1 to win the World Series, just as their recovery began. They gave me a run for my money!
Adrian Gonzalez was in my fantasy team (more by luck than judgement) and as you say, had a fantastic season with nobody noticing. If he played for a more successful club, or perhaps at a more batter-friendly park, there would be a lot more fuss made about him.
Matt Smith December 16, 2009 - 8:15 pm
It certainly was a good division, even though the Dodgers held the lead for so long. It's a shame that bet didn't come off!
As for Gonzalez, the Padres are in a strong position because he is on a very favourable contract so even though they are rebuilding, they don't need to get him off the books. If someone, like the Red Sox, want him, they are going to have to put together a big trade bid to get him. In some ways I hope that does happen because it would be good to see him in the spotlight and getting more recognition. He would suit Fenway very well.
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Mariana da Rocha Soares Guedes
Mariana da Rocha Soares Guedes is originally from Portugal, where she completed her Bachelor Degree in Biomedical Sciences and Master Degree of Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Aveiro. After graduation, Mariana was invited by Dr. Gomes-Solecki to conduct research in spirochetal diseases and diagnostics as a MSc. Assistant in the USA, where she worked until being selected as an Early Stage Researcher for the OrganoVIR training network. Mariana is currently enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Geneva, working on her project under the supervision of Dr. Tapparel Vu.
About Mariana's research project
Mariana's research project is being carried out at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. For her project, she aims to study the interactions of respiratory Rhinoviruses and Enteroviruses with the natural respiratory microbiota. The nature of interactions between viruses and commensal bacteria will be assessed in immortalized cells, in primary human airway epithelium (HAE) cells and further confirmed in air-liquid interface HAE cultures.
She will start by studying Haemophilus Influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus Pneumoniae, as these are the most prevalent bacterial species found in the respiratory microbiota of healthy individuals. Interestingly, these bacteria are commonly found in dysregulated levels in certain respiratory diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD.
The interactions will be divided in two natures, direct and indirect. A direct interaction will be assessed by pre-incubating bacteria and viruses together, before infecting cells and an indirect interaction will be studied by pre-incubating the cells with bacteria and then infecting with virus.
After an initial screening in cell lines, if consistent enhancement or inhibition of viral binding, attachment or replication is observed, the project will move on to ALI-HAE experiments at Epithelix Sàrl, (where Mariana will participate in two secondments), for confirmation, biological relevance and reproducibility in a relevant ex-vivo model. Afterwards, Mariana will attempt to dissect the mechanisms of action involved in these interactions and, lastly, the effect of the same bacteria on other respiratory viruses (RV-B and RV-C as well as RSV, Flu and OC43) will then be analysed.
About the University of Geneva
The Faculty of medicine of the University of Geneva Medical School (an important research institution in Switzerland) leads internationally recognized research, in partnership with the largest hospital complex in Switzerland, the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG). Over 250 research groups are divided into three main sections (fundamental, clinical and dental medicine) showing a major translational research capacity. The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicin (MIMOL), one of the six departments leading fundamental research, studies the biology of microorganisms (parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses), and their interactions with the infected host. The Biology-Medicine PhD school supervises and educates students who undertake a PhD thesis in life sciences within the Faculty of Medicine.


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Willem van Blijenbergh (1632–1696) was a Dutch grain broker and amateur Calvinist theologian. He was born and lived in Dordrecht. He engaged in philosophical correspondence with Baruch Spinoza regarding the problem of evil. Their correspondence consisted of four letters each, written between December 1664 to June 1665. Blijenbergh visited Spinoza at his home in June, after which their correspondence ended.

Notes

References
Margaret Gullan-Whur (1998), Within Reason: A Life of Spinoza
Article in Dictionary of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Dutch Philosophers Vol. I (2003)

Further reading
 Deleuze, Gilles, Spinoza - Philosophie pratique (1970, 2nd ed. 1981). Trans. Spinoza: Practical Philosophy (1988).
 Spinoza, Benedictus de, "The Letters", Steven Barbone (Introduction), Lee Rice (Introduction), Jacob Adler (Introduction), Samuel Shirley (Translator), Hackett Publishing Company (1995)

External links

The Letters - Dedicated to Spinoza's Insights

1632 births
1696 deaths
Dutch merchants
People from Dordrecht
Dutch Calvinist and Reformed theologians
17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians


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History in the Raw (The bare facts of history that you don't get to read very often)
My name is Jack Stanley, I have studied history for many years. This blog is about history in a more raw view, not over done. I often use original materials to bring a historic event or story to life or an interview I may have done with the person mentioned. If you cook a vegetable too long it loses much. The same can be said of many histories. They are the history of the history written before it. Over done history. THIS IS HISTORY IN THE RAW. Comments send to phonograph78@hotmail.com
The JFK assassination.I am tired of all the nonsen...
Exhuming James Madison around 1856. This was done ...
Did the Lusitania really get us into World War One...
Jack Stanley
Other Blogs To Check Out
Uncle Sam's New York Tours
The JFK assassination.I am tired of all the nonsense of the assassination plots..This is all to make money for the people who write about it.
I am so tired of all the nonsense about the Kennedy assassination. I have read so many books on it and every book has a different cast of people involved in the plot. I am of the idea that we have made a lot out of nothing.
I think that Oswald did it. He was a high awarded marksman in the Marines. He was one of the best. He was high marked for 200 yard shots in the Marines. To be honest he shot the President at a much shorter distance...so for Oswald it was like a turkey shoot...quite easy.
I think a lot of people have made a lot of money talking and writing about this stuff.
One has to remember that there is a LOT OF MONEY TO BE MADE IN CONSPIRACY!!
And everyone from Oliver Stone down has made a fortune out of the death of JFK! To hell with the truth, conspiracy makes money!!!!!
In fact if you add all the people that are supposed to have shot the President in Dallas....
They would all be getting in each others way!!!!!!
I find that rather funny, of course each conspiracy theorist thinks they have the guy or have made up the guy to make money. Because if you want to see some silly stuff, read some of these conspiracy books on Kennedy. They are a hoot at times.
I have seen everything from a gunman at the grassy knoll to Kennedy's own secret service accidentally shooting him, even his driver!!!!! The computer has aided us in the real truth behind the assassination. The fellow who is supposed to be in the picture on the grassy knoll. Computer studies have shown that he would have to be around three and half feet tall.
Connally was in a jump seat and lower than the President so the bullets line up perfectly. I know this get conspiracy folks all upset. But the longer time goes on the more we can see we have the answer already.
People want to believe that one man could not do this...why not..remember he was an amazing marksman and a nutcase!
No one seems to want to mention that!! It spoils the story....and once again conspiracy makes MONEY!!!
I have mentioned this before, and it seems to be something conspiracy folks like to leave out and that was Kennedy was in a back brace and wrapped from the chest down in this brace. It was to keep him erect. He needed this as he was so weak in his spine. He was on drugs when in public to look like he was OK, but behind the scenes he was a wreck. Therefore this harness was put on him from the nipples to the small of his back and he was wrapped in ace bandages around a metal frame so he could be erect and not strain his very weak back. Sadly this device which helped him tremendously, also led to his death. As he had no freedom of movement.
When he received the first bullet, he should have crumpled, but he did not as he could not. The reason quite simply was that he was wrapped and bound in this brace.
Even when he was hit in the head he bounced and snapped back into position and then fell over sideways. He never crumpled up. He just fell to his side dead. Much has been made of this snapping back and rarely do I hear about the back brace...It does not make as much money to say that. So they do not and sell more books and movies that way. This is the way to make money.....That is why there are books on everything from Marlyn Monroe to the Lock Ness Monster selling...People love to be given the chance to believe what is not real...The conspiracy people fill that need nicely.
Even the stuff about the "magic bullet" Tests done on similar bullets from the same batch shot into 45 inches of wood came out even more pristine than the magic bullet. By the way the Magic bullet is not really in that great of condition. It is in good condition not pristine!! Major fact
When the real facts are looked at and the nonsense put out by some really questionable people is looked at....you start to see things in a very different way.
The truth will set you free is the old saying ...and in this case the more you learn the real facts people like Oliver Stone look rather foolish. Sadly most of the younger people of the world are instructed by that awful movie......People think it is fact...it needs to be mentioned that it is fictional. Hello just like Star trek Fiction!!
Now I know many people would like to argue that fact...But I will go back to the facts.... Marksman, open clear shots, and a slow moving vehicle. To me it seems really easy if you are a marksman...and rather nuts as Oswald was.
Amazing huh!!
I was lucky to talk President Gerald R.Ford and we did talk about the Warren commission and the Kennedy assassination (he must have been so sick of that subject) He talked about the movie JFK. He said it was a nice movie, just a movie not based on fact.
He said they looked at the evidence and they decided on their conclusions on the evidence. He was very convinced and after looking at much of the evidence that Oswald was the assassin.
After looking at the magic bullet debunked, and the nonsense of many of the books like one where they altered the Presidents body. I agree that I find Ford is correct.
I know there are problems with the Warren Report, but I think it is more on the ball than many of these half baked conspiracy theories.
I am of the opinion that we will never know everything...But I think we know more than we think we do.....Till then, the writers will put out more nonsense and Oliver Stone will be given credit for exposing the truth. I can't wait till he does a movie on the Easter Bunny...It will be about as truthful I am sure.
Posted by Jack Stanley at 11:59 PM 3 comments
Exhuming James Madison around 1856. This was done so the ground around his grave was strong enough to support his gravestone
The grave marker of James Madison.
James Madison 1751-1836
James Madison died on June 28, 1836 while seated in bed with his breakfast tray. In fact he died in such a gentle way. His niece asked him him if he was doing well..In one of the gentlest of farewells he simply said "Nothing but a change of heart, my dear." and his head immediately hit his chest. He was dead so fast and so quietly.
His funeral on the 29th was a quiet affair, attended by family, officials, friends and all the slaves. Once the body was placed in the grave there was a great moaning and cry from all attending the funeral. The 4th President was no more.
He was indeed the last of the "Founding Fathers". He was eulogised by all of the leaders of the country. All the great orators of the day spoke of his greatness. John Quincy Adams read his eulogy and spoke of his greatness before a joint session of Congress. His wife Dolley was in bad financial shape as had been Mr. Madison. He had been over the last 10 years of his life selling land, slaves, and his last resort was a house he owned in Washington DC. Dolley hoped that would never happen, and indeed it never did. Madison was extremely depressed over money in his later years.
It was not till the 20th century that ex Presidents received a pension. So in his case and every other ex President till Harry S Truman, no one received a pension
Truman started it all when he said why don't we get pensions??? After Truman pushed it, all ex Presidents got one.
But back in the 1830's James Madison was in pretty rough shape financially. He sold most of his slaves together to a man names Taylor so he could keep all the husbands and wife's together. He was another of those Virginians who said slavery was bad, but was a part of it. But I am venturing off my topic here as I can write for hours on so much of this era and I will some day.
Madison was buried amazingly in an unmarked grave. Dolley when she died in 1849 was buried in Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC. She was buried in some one Else's crypt. It was not till around 1858 that she finally was laid to rest with her husband.
It was not till 1856, twenty years after his death that many people got upset that the "Father of the American Constitution" did not even have a grave marker.
Now there are two stories I have found so far on this and I am sure there are more. But for now here are the two of them. The first was a history of Orange County Virgina by W.W. Scott in 1907, the second one is from the Fredricksburg news on Oct. 6, 1857.
The first story states it was around 1856 and the second says it was 1857. None the less the stories are rather similar and are interesting to read. It is most amazing how many of our former Presidents have been exhumed, looked at, and reburied.
A HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
From its Formation in 1734 ( O. S.) to the end of Reconstruction in 1870 ; compiled mainly from Original Records. With a Brief Sketch of the Beginnings of Virginia, a Summary of Local Events to 1907, and a Map
By W. W. SCOTT
.State Law Librarian, Member of the State Historical
.Society, and for ten years State Librarian
of Virginia
MADISON'S TOMB. This monolith was erected about 1856 by private subscriptions, mostly by admirers of Madison outside the County The date of birth is an error, as explained in the sketch of Madison, infra. The smaller tombstone in the illustration is that of Mrs. Madison, and curious to say, Maude Wilder Goodwin, in her "Life of Dolly Madison," complains of a wrong inscription on her tombstone also. She died July 12, not July 8, as the inscription reads, and she signed her name "Dolly," not "Dolley," to her will, which was dated on the 9th. She was buried first in Washington, D. C., in 1849, and her remains were not brought to Montpelier until about 1858. As her own nephew, not Madison's, erected the tombstone, the error must be imputed to him. The inscription on Madison's tomb is:
BORN MARCH 16, 1751.
DIED JUNE 28, 1836.
I have been told that when the stone was erected it was necessary to take up his remains in order to get a safe foundation. The coffin was opened, and, except that one cheek was a little sunken, his appearance was the same as in life; but disintegration began immediately, and the coffin had to be closed. He had been buried about twenty years.
"MADISON'S MONUMENT AND REMAINS. -- Since his death and burial in 1836, the mortal remains of Ex-President Madison have been quietly reposing at Montpelier, in Orange county – a locality distant some nine miles from Gordonsville, on the line of the Virginia Central Railroad. During all this time no mural record with high-sounding eulogy disclosed the place of his final rest; only neighborhood tradition and historic record serving to point the way to it. The neglect in attesting his worth by some suitable monument attracted attention, and some few years since a number of gentlemen of Orange county set about the task of procuring one. Having been procured, it was conveyed to Montpelier on the 15th inst., and placed in position... In digging for a suitable foundation, it became necessary to go below the coffin, which was consequently exposed to view. The boards placed above the coffin had decayed, but no earth had fallen in upon it, and everything appeared to be as when the coffin was deposited there, except that the coffin-lid was slightly out of place, allowing a partial view of the interior. As there were no fastenings to prevent, the part of the lid covering the superior portion of the body was raised, and the several gentlemen present looked in upon the remains of the great Virginian..."
– Fredericksburg News, 6 October 1857
So there you have it George Washington was exhumed and looked at in the 1830's, Madison and John Quincy Adams in the 1850's, Lincoln was observed several times from1870 till the last time he was looked at was in late 1901!! Of course the latest look at a dead President was of Zachary Taylor in 1991. It was said that he was indeed still recognizable, although badly decomposed.
I cannot recall any other Presidents being observed after being buried or in a crypt for a while. I think the days of doing such things are over. At least I think they are.
Posted by Jack Stanley at 12:55 AM
Did the Lusitania really get us into World War One?
I agree that the Lusitania did have a vast impact on the world. Sadly the impact was promoted more through propaganda.
It was a horrible and great mistake on both the sides of the Allies and Germans. The Allies were using all of the ships sailing to Europe to carry a lot of munitions.
They sugar coated it by putting passengers on such ships.
The loss of life was amazing. Both sides hold the blame for their loss. Ironically a little known story concerns some Germans. Four of them were seen looking around the Lusitania and they were taken to the ships brig and there they still remain. They were locked in their cage and when the ship was torpedoed they were forgotten.
The Germans were not at all at fault by sinking a ship carry such munitions. One has to remember that each of these ships was carrying materials that would in time be fired at them by the Allies!!
Germany even issued warnings in the Newspapers telling passengers not to sail on such a vessel as there existed a state of war. But few paid any attention, and paid dearly with their lives.
It is interesting that the Allies never mentioned such a fact to their passengers. It was arrogance on a grand scale, and the result was catastrophic to everyone.
So it was in their best interest to sink any ship carry such items. However, if only they could have done it a little easier by telling everyone to abandon ship and then sunk her.
The problem with that was that the German's originally did that with ships. They would surface and tell the ships company to go to the boats and after all were off they would sink the ship with gun fire or torpedo's.
But after this bit of courtesy was started the Allies would ram the U boats. So they stopped that practice.
Therefore when the U 20 saw the Lusitania she did not surface, she just fired one torpedo, just one. That one torpedo caused a 790 foot liner to go down in 18 minutes!
There are still problems in my mind about why that ship sank so fast? She was subdivided like a cruiser and made to withstand a lot. She was still plowing through the water as she sank.
The RMS Britannic (sister of the Titanic) Struck a mine the following year and received a great deal of damage as the ship plowed along in the water. Yet she lasted an hour.
By the sinking, the Allies had a great piece of propaganda, and used it for 2 years till the USA was in the picture.
There were Lusitania Memorial Cards and one other piece that truly was an awful piece of propaganda.
When the Lusitania was sunk there was a private issue of a metal made in Germany. No one would have known of it. However the British got a hold of one of the metals and had tens of thousands of them made and then they blamed the German's for making them!
That was one of the factors that turned the tide against the German's.
The Lusitania was sunk in 1915 and it was a big issue for a while. However the United States did not enter the war till well into 1917. It was not till there were the famous Zimmerman telegrams intercepted concerning Mexico and many other ships torpedoed that the United States reluctantly entered the war.
It was the worst thing the United States ever did.
Perhaps the two greatest errors of the USA in the 20th century were entering the war and the terrible peace process that followed.
This war was a continuation of the wars that had been going on in Europe for the last few hundred years.
It was a war blown out of proportion by the foolish actions of the Russian Tsar, who never was much of an intellect at all.
Much of the problems started with his actions. The Kaiser sent telegrams to the Tsar basically saying to him
"shut up and be quiet and let it all cool down"
But he did not...Before long through that first action the sides were drawn and the world started to fall apart. In fact it has never recovered from that moment of 1914. Much of the mess that exists in our world today dates from the peace process of World War One.
That process effected the world in such a way that we are still paying for it. Iraq, Iran,and really what would in time become Israel as we know it was created in that peace conference of World War One.
Just one of the many great blunders. I have often wondered if they gave it a thought back then? We are creating a whole mess of countries side by side and each of them hates the other!
Yes, the Lusitania was a terrible event, but not the major reason the USA went into the war. Many people think that was the reason. No, it was one of many reasons, but not the major one.
But if Germany and England had changed their tune in 1915. We would not have entered the war.
If we had not allowed contraband to be put on passenger ships in New York Harbor there would not have been issue with the Lusitania either. But that is another story, for another posting.
Posted by Jack Stanley at 3:54 AM


Close on the heels of a viral video in which a Kodagu (Coorg) teenager faulted chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for his partisan budget neglecting Kodagu district, the chief minister is paying an official two-day visit to the district from July 19.
Kalera Fateh (in picture), a Class VIII boy of Yemmemadu village in Kodagu district, took Kumaraswamy to task for his failure to provide relief to Kodagu which has been battered by flooding due to heavy rains.
Kumaraswamy's budget has come to be termed as a 'Vokkaliga budget' as the chief minister has rained goodies on areas dominated by the members of his community in the old Mysuru region.
The chief minister who has come under attack for the partisan budget has tried to deflect attention by shedding tears at a meeting of his JD (S) party by claiming that he was not happy being the chief minister.
Bravo, dear youngster…. You have stirred up the CM to get up from his chair and realise the realities of life.
Thank you Suresh. Unless we act upon now, funds may end up with the corrupt hands.


text:
My top books for 2015
Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI | In Exile
Taste, as St. Augustine said some 1,700 years ago, is subjective. That should be acknowledged upfront whenever someone recommends a reading list.
In my case, I need to state too that I'm not a full-time critic. It's not like I've read 200 books this past year and these rose to the top. I read when I can, follow book reviews, am fortunate enough to live with academic colleagues who tip each other off on good books, and I have friends who will occasionally tell me that a certain book "has to be read." From out of that, comes this list. These are the books that most touched me this past year:
Among books on spirituality, I single out these:
"The Taste of Silence," Bieke Vandekerckhove. They say that the book you need to read finds you at the time you most need to read it. That was the case here. Vandekerckhove is a young Belgian writer who, 20 years ago, was diagnosed with amyothrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease. Her normal life ended with that sentence and, after an initial descent into darkness, she found strength by making an inner journey into the deep silence that resides inside us all. Her description of her journey is remarkable.
"Beyond the Abortion Wars: A Way Forward for a New Generation," Charles Camosy. This is an important book that will healthily shake-up both pro-life and pro-choice readers by showing that, not only are we closer to each other than we thought, but there is a way, together, to walk out of the present political, social, religious, and legal stalemate within which we find ourselves.
"The Reluctant Disciple: Daring to Believe," David Wells. Wells, a young British layman, offers us a warm, witty, and exquisitely balanced insight into how spirituality and life interface in today's world for a person caught up in the ordinary duties and concerns of life. Among other things, it's a spirituality for those who don't like the word spirituality.
"Mercy in the City," Kerry Weber. Weber, a young writer on the editorial staff at America Magazine, chronicles her own journey through a Lenten season. This is a warm read, very good book, with deceptive depth.
"A Religion of One's Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World," Thomas Moore. This book will upset a lot of people for its rather existential concept of community and ecclesiology, but Moore writes, as always, with a freshness, insight, and depth that brings a healthy challenge to everyone.
"The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction," Matthew B. Crawford. Not a spirituality book in se, but this book delivers on its title. If you can wade through the philosophical parts, which are taxing, Crawford gives you a lot, really a lot, to think about.
In terms of novels, I particularly liked these:
"The Children Act," Ian McEwan. A major, world-class novelist, McEwan gives us here a warm, easy-to-read story that packs a deeper metaphor.
"The Anchoress," Robyn Cadwallader. Did you ever wonder how people like Julian of Norwich lived? What really was an anchoress? Cadwallader gives us a fictional picture of what someone like Julian of Norwich would have lived out.
"Purity," Jonathan Franzen. It takes 600 pages for this story to sort itself out. But it's vintage Franzen. He tells a good story
"Lying Awake," Mark Salzman. The story of a young Carmelite nun who has to discern illness from mysticism. This book is 15 years old, but well worth the read.
"The Painter of Silence," Georgina Harding. Set in Romania just after World War II, Harding sets humanity and soul into the tragedy of war and into human brokenness in general. A great read, along the lines of "All the Light We Cannot See."
Finally, a special category: Each year I write a column on suicide. I don't claim any special insight into that singular sadness that surrounds a suicide, both in society at large and in church circles. I write on this issue simply because there's just too little out there to help anyone understand and cope with the loss of a loved one through suicide.
During the past year, I received three separate books, all written by a mother who had lost a child to suicide. The stories, while stunningly unique in that each person is his or her own mystery, bear an eerie resemblance to each other, not because they are each written by a mother trying to come to grips with a tragic loss of her own child, but that in each case a grieving mother is describing a very similar kind of person, namely, a beautiful, over-sensitive young person who, in effect, is too-bruised to cope with ordinary life. All three of these books are worth the read and, read together, will scar your heart:
"Healing the Wound of my Daughter's Suicide," Lois Severson.
"Damage Done: Suicide of an Only Son," Gloria Hutchinson.
"My Daughter, Her Suicide and God," Marjorie Antus.
Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Rolheiser is a specialist in the field of spirituality and systematic theology. His website is www.ronrolheiser.com.
Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual writer. Visit www.ronrolheiser.com.
The best 10 books that found me in 2019 by Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI January 10, 2020
During pandemic, film, books will commemorate St. John Paul's legacy by Carol Glatz May 6, 2020
A 'Great Books' list for children? A Catholic teacher takes up the task by Sophia Martinson September 8, 2021


And on we go - into Chapter Eight.
Quiet departure from the cave of the winds.
Will the editor print Stephen's tale?
The Father of the Winds asks to be kissed.
Stephen begins to tell a story.
For New Year's Day a Baker's Dozen Special Edition on the year of Leopold Bloom.
Barbara Stoner on Re:Joyce Episode 366 - Gesundheit!


text:
Q: Writing Nested JSON Dictionary List To CSV Issue
I'm trying to write the following nested list of dictionary which has another list of dictionary to csv. I tried multiple ways but I can not get it to properly write it:
Json Data
[
    {
        "Basic_Information_Source": [
            {
                "Image": "image1.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 574,
                "Image_Height": 262,
                "Image_Size": 277274
            }
        ],
        "Basic_Information_Destination": [
            {
                "Image": "image1_dst.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 574,
                "Image_Height": 262,
                "Image_Size": 277539
            }
        ],
        "Values": [
            {
                "Value1": 75.05045463635267,
                "Value2": 0.006097560975609756,
                "Value3": 0.045083481733371615,
                "Value4": 0.008639858263904898
            }
        ]
    },
    {
        "Basic_Information_Source": [
            {
                "Image": "image2.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 1600,
                "Image_Height": 1066,
                "Image_Size": 1786254
            }
        ],
        "Basic_Information_Destination": [
            {
                "Image": "image2_dst.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 1600,
                "Image_Height": 1066,
                "Image_Size": 1782197
            }
        ],
        "Values": [
            {
                "Value1": 85.52662890580055,
                "Value2": 0.0005464352720450282,
                "Value3": 0.013496113910369758,
                "Value4": 0.003800236380811839
            }
        ]
    }
]

Working Code
I tried to use the following code and it works, but it only saved the headers and then dumps all the underlying list as text in the csv file:
import json
import csv

def Convert_CSV():

    ar_enc_file = open('analysis_results_enc.json','r')
    json_data = json.load(ar_enc_file)

    keys = json_data[0].keys()

    with open('test.csv', 'w', encoding='utf8', newline='')  as output_file:
        dict_writer = csv.DictWriter(output_file, keys)
        dict_writer.writeheader()
        dict_writer.writerows(json_data)

    ar_enc_file.close()

Convert_CSV()

Working Output / Issue with it
The output writes the following header:

*

*Basic_Information_Source

*Basic_Information_Destination

*Values

And then it dumps all other data inside each header as a list like this:
[{'Image': 'image1.png', 'Image_Format': 'PNG', 'Image_Mode': 'RGB', 'Image_Width': 574, 'Image_Height': 262, 'Image_Size': 277274}]

Expected Output / Sample

Trying to generate the above type of output for each dictionary in the array of dictionaries.
How do it properly write it?

A: I'm sure someone will come by with a much more elegant solution. That being said:
You have a few problems.

*

*You have inconsistent entries with the fields you want to align.

*Even if you pad your data you have intermediate lists that need flattened out.

*Then you still have separated data that needs to be merged together.

*DictWriter AFAIK expects it's data in the format of [{'column': 'entry'},{'column': 'entry'} so even if you do all the previous steps you're still not in the right format.

So let's get started.
For the first two parts we can combine.
def pad_list(lst, size, padding=None):
    # we wouldn't have to make a copy but I prefer to
    # avoid the possibility of getting bitten by mutability
    _lst = lst[:]
    for _ in range(len(lst), size):
        _lst.append(padding)
    return _lst

# this expects already parsed json data
def flatten(json_data):
    lst = []
    for dct in json_data:
        # here we're just setting a max size of all dict entries
        # this is in case the shorter entry is in the first iteration
        max_size = 0
        # we initialize a dict for each of the list entries
        # this is in case you have inconsistent lengths between lists
        flattened = dict()
        for k, v in dct.items():
            entries = list(next(iter(v), dict()).values())
            flattened[k] = entries
            max_size = max(len(entries), max_size)
        # here we append the padded version of the keys for the dict
        lst.append({k: pad_list(v, max_size) for k, v in flattened.items()})
    return lst

So now we have a flattened, list of dicts whos values are lists of consistent length. Essentially:
[
    {
        "Basic_Information_Source": [
            "image1.png",
            "PNG",
            "RGB",
            574,
            262,
            277274
        ],
        "Basic_Information_Destination": [
            "image1_dst.png",
            "PNG",
            "RGB",
            574,
            262,
            277539
        ],
        "Values": [
            75.05045463635267,
            0.006097560975609756,
            0.045083481733371615,
            0.008639858263904898,
            None,
            None
        ]
    }
]

But this list has multiple dicts that need to be merged, not just one.
So we need to merge.
# this should be self explanatory
def merge(flattened):
    merged = dict()
    for dct in flattened:
        for k, v in dct.items():
            if k not in merged:
                merged[k] = []
            merged[k].extend(v)
    return merged

This gives us something close to this:
{
    "Basic_Information_Source": [
        "image1.png",
        "PNG",
        "RGB",
        574,
        262,
        277274,
        "image2.png",
        "PNG",
        "RGB",
        1600,
        1066,
        1786254
    ],
    "Basic_Information_Destination": [
        "image1_dst.png",
        "PNG",
        "RGB",
        574,
        262,
        277539,
        "image2_dst.png",
        "PNG",
        "RGB",
        1600,
        1066,
        1782197
    ],
    "Values": [
        75.05045463635267,
        0.006097560975609756,
        0.045083481733371615,
        0.008639858263904898,
        None,
        None,
        85.52662890580055,
        0.0005464352720450282,
        0.013496113910369758,
        0.003800236380811839,
        None,
        None
    ]
}

But wait, we still need to format it for the writer.
Our data needs to be in the format of [{'column_1': 'entry', column_2: 'entry'},{'column_1': 'entry', column_2: 'entry'}
So we format:
def format_for_writer(merged):
    formatted = []
    for k, v in merged.items():
        for i, item in enumerate(v):
            # on the first pass this will append an empty dict
            # on subsequent passes it will be ignored
            # and add keys into the existing dict
            if i >= len(formatted):
                formatted.append(dict())
            formatted[i][k] = item
    return formatted

So finally, we have a nice clean formatted data structure we can just hand to our writer function.
def convert_csv(formatted):
    keys = formatted[0].keys()
    with open('test.csv', 'w', encoding='utf8', newline='')  as output_file:
        dict_writer = csv.DictWriter(output_file, keys)
        dict_writer.writeheader()
        dict_writer.writerows(formatted)

Full code with json string:
import json
import csv

json_raw = """\
[
    {
        "Basic_Information_Source": [
            {
                "Image": "image1.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 574,
                "Image_Height": 262,
                "Image_Size": 277274
            }
        ],
        "Basic_Information_Destination": [
            {
                "Image": "image1_dst.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 574,
                "Image_Height": 262,
                "Image_Size": 277539
            }
        ],
        "Values": [
            {
                "Value1": 75.05045463635267,
                "Value2": 0.006097560975609756,
                "Value3": 0.045083481733371615,
                "Value4": 0.008639858263904898
            }
        ]
    },
    {
        "Basic_Information_Source": [
            {
                "Image": "image2.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 1600,
                "Image_Height": 1066,
                "Image_Size": 1786254
            }
        ],
        "Basic_Information_Destination": [
            {
                "Image": "image2_dst.png",
                "Image_Format": "PNG",
                "Image_Mode": "RGB",
                "Image_Width": 1600,
                "Image_Height": 1066,
                "Image_Size": 1782197
            }
        ],
        "Values": [
            {
                "Value1": 85.52662890580055,
                "Value2": 0.0005464352720450282,
                "Value3": 0.013496113910369758,
                "Value4": 0.003800236380811839
            }
        ]
    }
]
"""

def pad_list(lst, size, padding=None):
    _lst = lst[:]
    for _ in range(len(lst), size):
        _lst.append(padding)
    return _lst

def flatten(json_data):
    lst = []
    for dct in json_data:
        max_size = 0
        flattened = dict()
        for k, v in dct.items():
            entries = list(next(iter(v), dict()).values())
            flattened[k] = entries
            max_size = max(len(entries), max_size)
        lst.append({k: pad_list(v, max_size) for k, v in flattened.items()})
    return lst

def merge(flattened):
    merged = dict()
    for dct in flattened:
        for k, v in dct.items():
            if k not in merged:
                merged[k] = []
            merged[k].extend(v)
    return merged

def format_for_writer(merged):
    formatted = []
    for k, v in merged.items():
        for i, item in enumerate(v):
            if i >= len(formatted):
                formatted.append(dict())
            formatted[i][k] = item
    return formatted

def convert_csv(formatted):
    keys = formatted[0].keys()
    with open('test.csv', 'w', encoding='utf8', newline='')  as output_file:
        dict_writer = csv.DictWriter(output_file, keys)
        dict_writer.writeheader()
        dict_writer.writerows(formatted)

def main():
    json_data = json.loads(json_raw)
    flattened = flatten(json_data)
    merged = merge(flattened)
    formatted = format_for_writer(merged)
    convert_csv(formatted)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The hammered metal Medina Touch Lamps are available in either Chrome or Copeer. These beautiful Medina lamps are a great choice with their touch on and off facility. The copper lamp comes with a biscuit beige cylinder textured linen shade, while the chrome Medina lamp comes complete with a white textured linen shade.
Both the copper and the chrome table lamps come with two brightness settings which is operated by the touch function.
Review "Medina Touch Metal Table Lamp"
Why not Combine the Medina Touch Metal Table Lamp with the below products?


More small businesses are moving aggressively to online marketing. This was in a recently article I read that appeared in MarketingProfs referring to a recognized research study from BIA/Kelsey.
Small and mid-size companies continue to move marketing dollars to digital channels which are approximately 70% of the total marketing budgets of these companies.
Looking at the numbers in another way is that only 30% of their marketing budgets are staying with traditional advertising which was as high as 52% in the year 2010.
Even though the traditional marketing trend is flat, I am reading more companies are focusing on better response from marketing communications. For instance, many of the companies in the direct marketing and mail industry are moving toward more digital printing.
The pace of digital print adoption will certainly continue to increase with a solid presence across the entire range of digital printing solutions. The market is quickly uncovering the new opportunities digital solutions offer in the areas of direct mail, transactional printing, book, newspaper and magazine publishing.
Personalization and targeting will continue to grow at a rapid pace, as customers begin to explore the many opportunities afforded by digital printing. Many of these companies are in the small to mid-size range.
Digital printing enables cost-effective short runs and adds to communication efficiencies. Using high-speed inkjet presses, imprinting systems for hybrid offset environments, and high-quality toner-based presses, enables users to employ personalization that drives higher response rates and builds stronger relationships with customers.
In direct mail, I see premiums (those gifts that are promised to prospects once they buy or donate) to increase steadily. Premiums are a great tool to turn the prospect into a customer, and mailers, even those considered a small business, are using them more than ever for prospecting to increase their customer base.
People have listened to many sermons on personalization as readers of this blog will attest to. With more competition for the prospect's time, it only makes sense to leverage the data. No doubt, we're seeing a significant increase in Variable Data Printing and personalization on mail pieces and expect this volume to steadily increase.
Let me know your thoughts and comments. If you have any questions call me directly at 800-251-3608.


A mailing list for GLYCAM There is now a users email list for GLYCAM-Web and the GLYCAM force fields. To sign up: https://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=GLYCAM-L Subscribers to the list can get help by posting questions and will receive occasional announcements relevant to GLYCAM and GLYCAM-Web. Note: posts to this list are publicly archived.
New site coming soon! We are in the final stretch, and the updated GLYCAM-Web will become official soon! For a short time after migration, this development site will not be available, but the main site will be identical to this one. In fact, it will be this one!


text:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Babes-Bolyai University
Versiunea Romana
Babes-Bolyai University and its International Institute for the Advanced Study of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health honor Professor Aaron T. Beck on his 95th birthday!
Professor Aaron T. Beck has turned 95 on the 18th of July 2016! In 2012, Professor Beck received the highest distinction of our university – Doctor Honoris Causa of Babes-Bolyai University – becoming part of our academic community (see here). Our university also holds an Aaron T. Beck Professorship position, in recognition of the scientific stature of Aaron T. Beck and of his contribution to the development of the clinical and psychotherapy program at Babes-Bolyai University.
As we all know, Professor Beck, now emeritus professor of the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, USA, is recognized world-wide for his "cognitive revolution" in the mental health field, which has changed the face of clinical science and clinical practice. He has influenced a huge number of scientists in the academic field, and millions of people all over the world have benefitted from this innovative treatment (i.e., cognitive therapy). Over the years, he has received many awards and distinctions for his tremendous contributions to clinical science and practice. For example, when he was awarded the Lasker Award, considered by many "the American Nobel in Medicine", Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, the chairman of the Lasker committee, said: "…Cognitive therapy is one of the most important advances — if not the most important advance — in the treatment of mental diseases in the last 50 years."
In our view, Professor Beck is the first "modern psychotherapist" in the history of the field, who has radically changed the way we see and practice psychotherapy. Before him, we had mainly "grand theories", associated to various more or less charismatic figures. He is a charismatic scientist, who has changed the paradigm and has taken psychotherapy as a science into the evidence-based field. It is our strong belief that we owe it mainly to Professor Beck that psychotherapy is well-integrated today in the evidence-based movement in mental health and that it has a strong scientific profile!
Thank you and Happy Birthday, dear professor and colleague!
Professor, Ph.D., Daniel David
Director of the International Institute
Vice-rector for research, competitiveness-excellence and scientific publications of Babes-Bolyai University
Filed under: Announcements, Various
Educational/Research Materials For Professionals
Students News & Info
News (RSS)
"Babes-Bolyai – PsyTech" Psychological Clinic (PsyTech Clinic)
International CBT Conference
RETMAN Psychotherapy System
Romanian Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies
The Platform for Robotics/Robotherapy and Virtual Reality Therapy – The PsyTech-MATRIX PLATFORM
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