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Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary è un videogioco sparatutto in prima persona del 2011, sviluppato da 343 Industries e Saber Interactive e pubblicato da Microsoft Game Studios in esclusiva per Xbox 360. Si tratta del remake in HD di Halo: Combat Evolved del 2001, il primo capitolo della fortunata serie di videogiochi Halo.

Sbarcato in commercio il 15 novembre 2011, esattamente dieci anni dopo l'uscita nei negozi di Halo: Combat Evolved, il gioco è stato nuovamente pubblicato l'11 novembre 2014 come parte di Halo: The Master Chief Collection, una collana contenente tutti i capitoli principali della serie di Halo riadattati all'ottava generazione di console e successivamente anche per Microsoft Windows il 3 marzo 2020, oltre che per Xbox Series X e Series S il 17 novembre 2020.

La 343 Industries, responsabile del franchise di Halo, si rivolse a Sabre Interactive per sviluppare un remake che potesse essere reso disponibile in vista dell'anniversario. La Sabre sfruttò il proprio motore grafico proprietario per riprodurre la grafica e il motore originale Halo per il gioco. Quello che era partito come uno strumento di sviluppo per alternare tra la vecchia e la nuova grafica è alla fine diventato una funzionalità di gioco, con gli utenti che possono in tempo ammirare le differenze tra l'edizione originale e quella rivista semplicemente premendo un pulsante. Tra le migliorie apportate ad Anniversary si annoverano una revisione visiva completa in alta definizione, il supporto della modalità cooperativa e una modalità multigiocatore tramite il servizio online Xbox Live, effetti sonori e brani della colonna sonora nuovi e rimasterizzati ed extra come obiettivi e oggetti da collezione da reperire nel gioco. Si tratta del primo videogioco della serie a includere il supporto per Kinect.

L'accoglienza riservata dalla critica al prodotto si è rivelata perlopiù positiva. La grafica aggiornata, il comparto sonoro e la capacità di alternare tra la grafica rimasterizzata e quella originale hanno ricevuto gli elogi principali. I reclami includevano invece problemi tecnici, difetti con il design dei livelli del gioco originale e la funzionalità del multigiocatore.

Trama

Dopo essere fuggita dalla distruzione del mondo colonizzato dagli umani di nome Reach ad opera dei Covenant, l'incrociatore della Pillar of Autumn compie un salto casuale nell'iperspazio per evitare di condurre i Covenant sulla Terra. Giunto in uno spazio dell'universo inesplorato, l'equipaggio della Autumn scopre un enorme mondo ad anello di natura artificiale in orbita attorno a un gigante gassoso. Quando i Covenant attaccano, il capitano della Autumn, Jacob Keyes, affida con l'intento di trasferirla l'IA dell'astronave Cortana, la quale è a conoscenza di informazioni relative allo schieramento delle truppe umane e della posizione della Terra, al supersoldato di classe Spartan noto come Master Chief. Quest'ultimo respinge le forze di abbordaggio dei Covenant e lascia l'incrociatore tramite una scialuppa di salvataggio che atterra in maniera rocambolesca sulla superficie dell'anello, mentre Keyes cerca di compiere la stessa manovra.

Sul mondo artificiale, il Capo raduna i marines sopravvissuti e guida una squadra d'assalto per salvare Keyes dalle grinfie dei Covenant. Il capitano viene liberato dalla prigionia e rivela che gli alieni chiamano l'anello "Halo", ritenendolo una sorta di super arma. A quel punto, a Chief viene affidato il compito di trovare la sala di controllo di Halo prima che lo facciano i nemici. Una volta che Cortana viene inserita nella sala di controllo, l'intelligenza artificiale comunica a Chief un allarme imminente, senza indicarne il motivo, invitandolo a raggiungere immediatamente Keyes, intento a combattere i Covenant altrove su Halo. Durante la ricerca del capitano, Master Chief si imbatte nei Flood, degli organismi parassiti che infettano gli esseri di vita senzienti. La liberazione dei virulenti organismi spinge il custode dell'anello, l'IA 343 Guilty Spark, a chiedere l'aiuto di Chief per attivare le difese di Halo, noto più correttamente come Installazione 04. Una volta ottenuto il cosiddetto indice, funzionale all'attivazione dell'anello, Chief viene teletrasportato da Spark nella sala di controllo dove era stato ore prima, ma la procedura viene bruscamente interrotta da Cortana. Quest'ultima rivela che in realtà le difese di Halo non uccidono i Flood, ma piuttosto ciò di cui si nutrono per farli morire di fame, ragion per cui mettere in funzione l'anello vorrebbe dire cancellare ogni essere di vita senziente dalla galassia. Allo scopo di impedire che i Flood si diffondano e per evitare che Spark attivi l'anello, Cortana sottrae l'indice ed escogita un piano per far esplodere i reattori della Autumn precipitata e distruggere Halo, ma per farlo occorre munirsi dell'impianto neurale di Keyes al fine di connettersi alla nave. Chief e Cortana scoprono che Keyes è stato contagiato dai Flood, circostanza che spinge il supersoldato a recuperare l'impianto neurale da quel che resta del capitano e fuggire velocemente verso la Autumn. Dopo aver combattuto decine di Sentinelle robotiche fedeli a Spark, Flood e Covenant, il protagonista del capitolo destabilizza manualmente i reattori della Autumn e scampa per un soffio, assieme a Cortana, alla distruzione dell'anello a bordo di un caccia spaziale.

Modalità di gioco

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary e l'originale, Halo: Combat Evolved, non presentano differenze nelle modalità di gioco e nella trama. Il gioco è uno sparatutto in prima persona, malgrado le sequenze a bordo di veicoli offrono una prospettiva in terza persona. La trama narra le vicende del protagonista Master Chief, il supersoldato impersonato dal giocatore, e della sua lotta contro l'alleanza di razze aliene nota come Covenant sul misterioso e antico mondo anello di Halo. I giocatori sono dotati di uno scudo di energia che si ricarica e assorbe i danni; la salute può essere reintegrata solo da specifici kit medici sparsi per i vari livelli della campagna. È possibile inoltre utilizzare una varietà di armi e veicoli umani e alieni.

I giocatori possono passare dalla grafica classica del gioco originale alla nuova grafica sviluppata per il remake premendo il pulsante "Back" sul joystick Xbox. La grafica classica e rimasterizzata risultano in alta definizione e in 16:9 widescreen, mentre la versione del 2001 aveva una risoluzione di 480i e un formato 4:3. La grafica rimasterizzata è disponibile anche in 3D stereoscopico per i televisori compatibili. Le aggiunte al gameplay includono degli obiettivi da sbloccare su Xbox Live, la modalità cooperativa online e dei contenuti nascosti, ovvero dei videoterminali che forniscono informazioni aggiuntive sulla trama e teschi collezionabili che modificano alcuni aspetti della fisica e dei comportamenti delle IA del videogioco quando attivati. Il supporto per Xbox Kinect include comandi vocali per la navigazione video, le istruzioni durante il combattimento e la scansione dell'ambiente, che aggiunge elementi sullo schermo a un'enciclopedia chiamata Biblioteca.

La versione originale di Combat Evolved non supportava il multiplayer online, ma i giocatori potevano giocare in multiplayer localmente tramite il sistema dello schermo condiviso o System Link. Anniversary consente, allo stesso modo del capitolo del 2001, di riprodurre la campagna in cooperativa sia online tramite Xbox Live che offline in locale. La modalità multiplayer del gioco utilizza il motore di Halo: Reach e presenta sette mappe rivisitate che si ispirano a Combat Evolved e a Halo 2. Inoltre, è presente una nuova mappa riproducibile su Halo: Reach nell'ambito della modalità Sparatoria, nel corso della quale i giocatori cercano di sopravvivere contro orde aliene sempre più forti. Per l'occasione, in una mappa che riproduce un'ambientazione già proposta nel primo capitolo del 2001, sono state introdotte delle intelligenze artificiali alleate.

Sviluppo

Progettazione
Dopo che la Microsoft acquisì la Bungie nel 2000, quest'ultima sviluppò la versione originale di Halo: Combat Evolved come gioco di lancio del 2001 per la console Xbox. La Bungie e la Microsoft si separarono nel 2007, ma i diritti della serie Halo permasero in capo alla seconda, la quale formò una divisione interna per supervisionare lo sviluppo del franchise di Halo, la 343 Industries. Quest'ultima contattò la Sabre Interactive proponendole di ripresentare Combat Evolved in vista del decimo anniversario del prodotto. Il direttore operativo di Sabre, Andrey Iones, ricordò che l'offerta rappresentò «un'opportunità da non perdere», poiché la Sabre non aveva mai lavorato a una così importante serie videoludica e molti membri del team erano fan di Halo. L'azienda sviluppò delle concept art per rendere l'idea di quello che sarebbe stato il remake e poi volò a Seattle, nello stato statunitense del Washington, allo scopo di incontrare la 343 Industries.

Come detto, la 343 Industries desiderava riproporre una revisione del gioco originale entro il decimo anniversario dell'uscita di Halo, circostanza che avrebbe lasciato alla Sabre poco più di un anno per completare il progetto. La modalità di gioco non avrebbe dovuto subire delle variazioni; sebbene il gioco originale presentasse degli elementi da correggere, la 343 Industries decise di preservare l'esperienza di gioco ricordata dagli appassionati della serie, con la speranza che i nuovi fan potessero divertirsi con un lavoro quanto più simile possibile a quello del 2001, sia pur con il dovuto adattamento grafico. Le immagini, nel frattempo, sarebbero state aggiornate insieme a funzionalità aggiuntive quali i teschi della campagna. Iones dichiarò nel corso di un'intervista che la possibilità di compiere percorsi sperimentali nella fase di progettazione si rivelò limitata; come se non bastasse, decidere di riprodurre le animazioni dei personaggi con fotogrammi chiave avrebbe potuto introdurre dei bug di gioco, mentre il bilanciamento del gioco si poggiava già su basi solide immodificabili. Allo stesso modo, il porting della versione PC del gioco su Xbox per aggiungere funzionalità avrebbe limitato la quantità di miglioramenti visivi che la Sabre poteva apportare, oltre a richiedere molto tempo nella riproduzione delle medesime tecniche di animazione adoperate per Combat Evolved. Constatate le difficili premesse, Sabre scelse di utilizzare il motore originale per il gameplay e uno proprio per la grafica, nonostante i problemi di compatibilità rappresentati da questa soluzione. Lo sviluppo partì con il nome in codice Spark. Il gioco fu completato il 15 ottobre 2011, giorno che coincise con l'inizio del processo di stampa del master disc per la produzione di copie ("fase gold").

Animazione e grafica
Per risolvere i problemi di trasferimento delle informazioni dal motore del gioco originale al motore Sabre, gli sviluppatori esaminarono il modo in cui avevano utilizzato il motore fisico Havok di terze parti per gestire il posizionamento, le velocità e le collisioni degli oggetti. La Sabre generò un proxy di ogni oggetto nel motore di Halo per trasferirlo in quello Sabre, con il risultato che la programmazione originale del gioco non avrebbe subito variazioni. La possibilità di alternare tra l'eredità e i motori grafici rimasterizzati nella campagna avvenne grazie al motore di rendering sviluppato da Saber Interactive. In parole povere, fu tale tecnologia che permise agli sviluppatori di aggiornare la grafica di Halo: Combat Evolved e di preservare il gameplay originale. Il concetto che andò a svilupparsi con il tempo era quello che bisognava concedere ai giocatori di optare per la grafica vecchia e nuova dal menù principale. La facoltà di cambiare grafica in tempo reale divenne presto oggetto di discussione tra gli sviluppatori in varie occasioni, con il risultato che il gruppo optò per renderla disponibile in-game anziché dal menù. Logicamente, per rendere attiva un'impostazione simile occorreva che entrambi i motori operassero in contemporanea per evitare degli sbalzi. Questo approccio causò diversi problemi, incluso quello delle collisioni; poiché gli oggetti e gli ambienti nella versione originale avevano una risoluzione inferiore con minori poligoni, le immagini a risoluzione più elevata nel motore Sabre potevano discostarsi in modo significativo. In virtù del fatto che la geometria del gioco originale era stata utilizzata come spunto di partenza per le collisioni, in alcuni casi si correva il rischio di osservare il personaggio camminare attraverso o sopra il terreno, le armi al di sotto del suolo e i proiettili deviati dal nulla. L'enorme numero di queste incongruenze, combinato al desiderio di mantenere illibato il gameplay originale, costrinse la Sabre a pensare a una qualche soluzione alternativa, inclusa l'ipotesi di elaborare degli strumenti volti a consentire ai creatori di visualizzare le differenze di altezza e la presenza di geometrie intermedie. Così, in determinati contesti, i creatori escogitarono altri modi per preservare gli stessi dati di collisione e aggiornare le immagini, con il risultato che alcuni oggetti hanno cambiato il proprio aspetto per un miglior adattamento; per fare un esempio, si è riusciti a convertire una roccia di scarsa risoluzione e composta da pochi poligoni in una struttura angolare dei Precursori al fine di evitare problemi di collisione.

Ove possibile, gli sviluppatori attinsero o adattarono le risorse fornite da Halo 3 e Reach. Per gli elementi che non potevano esseri ripresi da altri capitoli, la Microsoft affidò all'art director Ben Cammarano il compito di recarsi gli uffici di Sabre a San Pietroburgo, in Russia, per supervisionare la riprogettazione della grafica del gioco. Cammarano definì quattro principi di Halo per guidare la Sabre, ovvero quelli che Iones comprese in «panorami eroici, immagini e personaggi iconici, estetica pulita e vibrante e azione intensa». Poiché le risorse originali esistevano già, i concept artist trassero degli screenshot dal gioco originale e diedero forma a nuovi panorami puntando su aspetti quali gli effetti ambientali, un'illuminazione migliorata e nuove texture, al fine di addolcire l'aspetto dei livelli. Alcuni dei progetti visivi di Sabre furono considerati fuorvianti rispetto a Caombat Evolved, con gli artisti che avevano effettuato dei cambiamenti alla posizione dell'anello di Halo e dei pianeti vicini per creare una visuale più piacevole; la Microsoft insistette a tal proposito sul bisogno di mantenere la continuità con l'universo precedente e pose il veto sui cambiamenti. I fan più accaniti sottolinearono presto le incongruenze tra la grafica del nei trailer e nelle immagini prima della messa in commercio, evento che spinse alla fine la Saber ad effettuare delle modifiche. Iones aveva presentato in anteprima al pubblico il design del pavimento delle strutture dei Precursori, il fucile d'assalto e l'aspetto di Chief come elementi su cui poter esprimere un giudizio. L'armatura di Chief venne ridisegnata da zero anziché sfruttare il lavoro compiuto in precedenza.

La Sabre dubitava che sarebbe stata in grado di convertire la modalità cooperativa a schermo condiviso di Combat Evolved per facilitare il gioco online. Greg Hermann, un responsabile tecnico della 343 Industries che aveva familiarità con la tecnologia della Bungie, guidò la Sabre nello sviluppo di una soluzione di rete che avrebbe consentito di riprodurre il prodotto online. Dal momento che la versione originale si comportava in modo identico se gli venivano dati lo stesso scenario e gli stessi input, erano i soli input dei giocatori a dover essere sincronizzati tra le varie console Xbox.

In virtù dei suoi precedenti contributi alla serie (il pacchetto Blastacular di Halo 2 e il pacchetto di mappe Defiant di Halo: Reach), la Certain Affinity prese contatti con la 343 Industries per semplificare le mappe multigiocatore e tenere conto delle opzioni di gioco di Halo: Reach; per il multiplayer si fece affidamento sul motore di Halo: Reach. Il direttore della 343 Industries Frank O'Connor sostenne che la decisione di utilizzare Reach per il multiplayer suscitò delle perplessità in seno allo studio, ma bisognava comunque trovare un rimedio considerando che «ai tempi di Halo non esisteva mai una modalità di rete adeguata. Non potevamo tornare indietro con la tecnologia; [ricreare il multiplayer di Halo in rete locale] semplicemente non avrebbe funzionato con elementi quali la latenza e tutti gli altri problemi attuali relativi a Xbox Live. Per questa ragione abbiamo avrebbe dovuto costruirlo da zero, e comunque non sarebbe stata l'esperienza che [i giocatori] avrebbero ricordato». Un'ulteriore considerazione mossa da O'Connor riguardava il fatto che la realizzazione di una replica del multiplayer di Combat Evolved avrebbe frammentato gli utenti di Halo e interrotto la longevità di Reach. Nella scelta delle sette mappe di Halo da rielaborare, la 343 Industries dettò internamente una serie di regole; non doveva innanzitutto trattarsi di uno scenario già reinterpretato per un titolo di Halo disponibile per Xbox 360, doveva funzionare con la sandbox di gioco disponibile su Reach e occorreva che fosse tra le ambientazioni preferite dai fan. L'azienda si avvalse delle prestazioni dello stesso art director per la campagna e per il multiplayer di Anniversary allo scopo di assicurarsi che emergesse una «vivida organicità» tra le due modalità.

Poiché la 343 Industries curò Halo 4 in concomitanza con l'edizione che sarebbe uscita in vista del decimo anniversario dall'uscita di Halo: Combat Evolved, essa si convinse a sfruttare l'occasione per cementare il legame degli eventi narrati nella trilogia originale con la nuova Saga dell'Attivatore inserendo oggetti da collezione in-game simili ai terminali di Halo 3, ai registri audio di Halo 3: ODST ai data pad di Halo: Reach. Mentre i collezionabili degli altri giochi erano stati concepiti e realizzati per essere destinati agli appassionati di Halo, la 343 Industries desiderava rendere i terminali di Anniversary comprensibili anche per chi non aveva dimestichezza con il mondo fantascientifico in esame, oltre che più impressionanti.

Sebbene Iones avesse descritto il ciclo di sviluppo di un anno di Anniversary come un «percorso molto tranquillo», alcuni problemi di produzione scoperti solo in tarda fase di sviluppo fecero sì che si generassero dei bug e altre problematiche tecniche. La Sabre ricorse a uno strumento parzialmente automatizzato per eseguire il rendering dei filmati di gioco, ma non effettuò un controllo approfondito dei risultati fino a quando il lavoro non raggiunse la fase alfa del ciclo di vita. Di conseguenza, gli sviluppatori notarono che l'aggiunta di animazioni in motion capture e la sincronizzazione labiale avevano innescato seri problemi di sincronizzazione audio e bug visivi.

Colonna sonora
Gli sviluppatori aggiornarono il comparto sonoro e la colonna sonora di Combat Evolved assieme alla sua qualità estetica. I giocatori possono infatti alternare la colonna sonora originale di Halo: Combat Evolved alla versione ri-registrata in collaborazione con Pyramind Studios, la Skywalker Symphony Orchestra di 75 elementi e l'ensemble vocale degli Chanticleer. Poiché non c'erano registrazioni in formato MIDI della musica del gioco originale, Paul Lipson, Lennie Moore, Tom Salta (futuro compositore del soundtrack di Halo: Spartan Assault) e Brian Trifon hanno dovuto trascrivere ogni brano musicale.

La colonna sonora fu pubblicata in digitale e in due formati fisici, ossia un'edizione in due CD e una in vinile, con quest'ultima limitata a 2.000 copie. L'edizione in vinile contiene 16 tracce su due lati e viene fornita con un codice per scaricare digitalmente il resto della colonna sonora di Anniversary. L'edizione in CD contiene trentanove tracce e divenne reperibile in commercio il 15 novembre 2011.

Distribuzione

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary fu annunciato al pubblico con un trailer il 6 giugno 2011 nel corso dell'annuale incontro multimediale globale dell'E3 di Microsoft, conclusosi peraltro con il teaser trailer di Halo 4. Tra i contenuti aggiuntivi disponibili in caso di preordine del gioco rientravano un costume da Master Chief per l'avatar Xbox 360 e un esclusivo teschio dal nome "Funerale del Grunt", grazie al quale per ogni Grunt ucciso la sua sacca gassosa esplode. Durante il panel di Halo Universe al San Diego Comic-Con, i fan poterono assistere a un breve trailer che mostrava l'animazione utilizzata nei terminali con la voce narrante di 343 Guilty Spark. A scopo promozionale, la Microsoft rese pubblico il cosiddetto Halo Living Monument, un "monumento virtuale" composto da un cortometraggio in live-action e un sito web.

Negli Stati Uniti, tredici Microsoft Store al dettaglio ospitarono degli eventi di lancio per Anniversary il 15 novembre 2011, con la messa in commercio prevista per la mezzanotte; in quell'occasione, vi fu la possibilità di partecipare a match sul multiplayer per sedici giocatori, acquistare copie in vendita in edizione limitata e incontrare alcuni degli sviluppatori del prodotto. Nel Regno Unito, la Microsoft e l'azienda rivenditrice di videogiochi britannica GAME tenne due eventi in concomitanza dell'uscita del gioco mettendo a disposizione la versione completa del gioco e dei premi. Nell'ambito di un'altra campagna promozionale avvenuta in Gran Bretagna, chi ordinava una pizza speciale da Pizza Hut a tema Halo durante le due settimane vicine all'uscita ricevettero due giorni di abbonamento gratis su Xbox Live. Lo staff di VideoGamer.com trovò la pizza deliziosa, ma il suo legame con il franchise di Halo tenue. Microsoft e Pizza Hut organizzarono nuovamente una collaborazione simile l'anno successivo in vista della messa in commercio di Halo 4.

Come affermato dalla società di indagini di mercato Chart-Track, Anniversary fu il sesto videogioco più venduto della settimana su tutte le piattaforme del Regno Unito; esso raggiunse il quindicesimo posto in Giappone secondo Media Create, mentre in base agli ordini effettuati su Amazon risultava il secondo prodotto videoludico più venduto per la piattaforma 360 nello stesso periodo. Si è trattato inoltre il terzo gioco per Xbox 360 più acquistato in Nord America dai consumatori durante la sua prima settimana.

Il videogioco è stato nuovamente pubblicato l'11 novembre 2014 come parte di Halo: The Master Chief Collection, una collana contenente tutti i capitoli principali della serie di Halo riadattati all'ottava generazione di console e successivamente anche per Microsoft Windows il 3 marzo 2020, oltre che per Xbox Series X e Series S il 17 novembre 2020.

Accoglienza

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ha ricevuto recensioni generalmente positive. Sul sito web di recensioni aggregate Metacritic, il gioco ha ricevuto un punteggio pari a 82 su 100 sulla base di 73 recensioni della critica. Su GameRankings, il gioco ha conseguito invece un punteggio complessivo di 81,92% sulla scia della valutazione di 53 critici. Lo staff di Official Xbox Magazine ha elogiato gli sviluppatori per aver preservato lo stile di gioco originale, evitando gli «orrori revisionistici» causati ad esempio dalla riedizione di Guerre stellari. Brandon Justice di EGM ha confortato i fan della serie affermando che «[Anniversary] è uno dei migliori regali compiuto nei loro confronti che il nostro settore abbia mai prodotto: voi dovete comprarlo».

La grafica rimasterizzata ha ricevuto altrettanti elogi; critici quali Chris Martin per conto dellInquirer e Russ Pitts  dellEscapist hanno acclamato la grafica ritenendola il «boost» necessario per guadagnarsi un buon giudizio. Steve Boxer del Guardian ha definito la funzione «assolutamente affascinante, un po' come [...] se l'archeologia sbarcasse sulla tua console», e ha aggiunto che i miglioramenti grafici apportati hanno sistemato i punti deficitari del motore originale, come nel caso delle ampie ambientazioni. Pur avendo ritenuto valida la maggior parte dei perfezionamenti del gioco, Watters ha individuato nei Flood un nemico che appariva migliore nel 2001, ritenendo che «la semplicità classica delle loro forme gli conferiva un aspetto più sinistro e alieno». Hamza Aziz di Destructoid ha apprezzato gli aggiornamenti visivi, ma non alcuni dei conseguenti problemi di sincronizzazione tra comparto sonoro e animazione.

Un punto che ha generato opinioni non univoche riguardava l'invecchiamento del sistema di gioco di Combat Evolved, rimasto inalterato in Anniversary, e il come apparisse dopo oltre un decennio. Chris Watters di GameSpot ha scritto che «le meccaniche fondamentali del gioco hanno [...] resistito bene [al passare del tempo]», con controlli reattivi e nemici impegnativi. Adam Guetti, per conto di PALGN, si è accodato a tale opinione, elogiando dei controlli «solidi come una roccia» e un gameplay ferrato, mentre Mike Wilcox del Sydney Morning Herald si è espresso dicendo che l'edizione in esame «[dimostra] come un gioco con una formula vincente non appassisce con l'età». Steven Hopper di IGN ha invece considerato la costruzione dei livelli datata, le ambientazioni ripetitive e particolarmente adatte a far perdere il senso dell'orientamento e la scarsa maneggevolezza dei veicoli. Brad Shoemaker di Giant Bomb ha fatto notare che, mentre i vecchi pregi del capitolo sono permasti, altri aspetti, tra cui il design dei livelli e il combattimento contro i Flood, non apparivano meno frustranti rispetto a dieci anni fa. Matthew Reynolds di Digital Spy si è unito a quest'opinione, rimarcando come nel gioco si vivessero momenti dal fascino ineguagliato nei capitoli successivi, sia pur con un meccanismo dei checkpoint rivedibile.

Gli esperti del settore hanno espresso opinioni divergenti sulle funzionalità aggiuntive di Anniversary, con l'effetto 3D stereoscopico che è rientrato appieno sia nel novero delle critiche sia degli elogi. Matt Miller di Game Informer ha sentenziato che le novità «non aggiungono nulla all'esperienza», mentre Aziz ha descritto la possibilità di passare dalla grafica del 2001 a quella del 2011 come un'opzione «fantastica», ritenendola un esperimento riuscito. Aziz ha inoltre applaudito i terminali narrativi, sebbene abbia espresso delle riserve sul supporto del comando vocale Kinect, in quanto più lento in combattimento rispetto alla pressione dei pulsanti. Ben Kuchera di Ars Technica ha apprezzato i miglioramenti delle mappe Halo nella modalità multiplayer di Anniversary, ma ha criticato l'impossibilità di giocare a detta modalità tramite lo schermo diviso locale con quattro persone come nella versione originale. Reynolds ha concordato con la scelta della 343 Industries di ispirarsi a Reach per la modalità multiplayer di Anniversary, considerando che il pacchetto di mappe rivisitate offriva «un modo intelligente di convincere nuovamente gli utenti a tuffarsi nel gioco», oltre a lodare lo stile di combattimento di Halo perché valida alternativa agli sparatutto militari del momento.

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Halo

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Native to Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia and Australia, chinaberry tree information tells us it was introduced as an ornamental specimen to the United Sates in 1930 and for a period of time became the darling of landscapers in the southern United States. Today, the chinaberry tree is considered something of a pest due to its reseeding propensity and easy naturalization.
Chinaberry is a member of the Mahogany family (Meliaceae) and is also known as "China Tree" and "Pride of India." So, what is chinaberry tree?
Growing chinaberry trees (Melia azedarach) have a dense spreading habitat attaining heights of between 30 to 50 feet tall and hardy in USDA zones 7-11. Growing chinaberry trees are prized as shade trees in their native habitat and bear pale purple tube-like blooms with a heavenly scent much like southern magnolia trees. They are found in fields, prairies, along roadsides and at the edge of wooded areas.
The resulting fruit, marble sized drupes, are light yellow gradually becoming wrinkled and white over the course of the winter months. These berries are toxic to humans when eaten in quantity but the juicy pulp is enjoyed by many bird varieties, often resulting in rather "drunken" behavior.
The leaves of the growing chinaberry tree are large, about 1 ½ feet long, lance shaped, slightly serrated and dark green atop and paler green below. These leaves smell nowhere near as enchanting as the flower; in fact, when crushed they have a particularly obnoxious odor.
Chinaberry trees are resilient specimens and can be quite messy from the dropping berries and leaves. They spread easily, if allowed, and, as such, are classified as an invasive tree in the southeastern United States. This prolific mahogany member grows rapidly but has a short life span.
As mentioned above, the chinaberry is a valuable shade tree in its endemic regions due to its large, spreading canopy. Chinaberry uses in the southeastern regions of the United States have been used for just this attribute and were commonly added to the home landscape prior to the 1980's. The most commonly planted variety is the Texas umbrella tree with a slightly longer life span than other chinaberries and a lovely, distinct rounded shape.
Chinaberry fruit can be dried, dyed and then strung into necklaces and bracelets as beads. At one time, the seeds of the drupes were used as a narcotic; refer to the toxicity of the fruit and the tipsy, gorging birds.
Today, the chinaberry is still sold in nurseries but is less likely to be utilized in landscapes. Not only is it a threat to the natural ecosystem by its encroaching habit, but its messy and, more importantly, shallow root systems tend to clog drains and damage septic systems. Growing chinaberry trees also have weak limbs too, which break easily during severe weather, creating yet another mess.
If, after reading all the above information, you decide you just must have a specimen of the chinaberry in your garden, purchase a disease free certified plant at the nursery.
Chinaberry plant care is not complex once the tree is established. Plant the tree in full sun in most any soil type within the USDA zones 7-11.
The tree should be watered regularly, although it will tolerate some drought and needs no irrigation through the winter months.
Prune your chinaberry tree to remove root and shoot suckers and maintain the umbrella-like canopy.
Read more articles about Chinaberry.


One of the biggest challenges that gyms and fitness centres face is customer retention. The busiest time of year in January, followed by September when many people set or reset their fitness goals. However, after a few months, it's common for there to be a significant dropout. Statistics show that 1/6 of our day is spent on our mobile phone, with the average person taking 90 seconds to respond to a text message – making SMS the perfect solution for this problem.
There are various ways in which communicating with your customers via text message can benefit your business. Whether it's sending promotional offers, general communication, opening times, class reminders or sending relevant documents, text messaging is always a good option. It is crucial to keep your customers engaged and feel valued to make your business success.
Make the sign up process to your gym or fitness class easy by using text messaging. You can use a dedicated number or shortcode and get people to text in a keyword such as "SIGN UP" or "GUEST PASS" along with their name to request to join. Advertise this on your website, social media, flyers and any other marketing collateral to make it easy to gather leads.
Get your current clients engaged by rewarding them with a refer-a-friend scheme. Send a text message explaining to them what they have to do and include their referral code. Reward your clients with discounts from their membership or free gym classes! Keep customers motivated by sending them updates on how many referrals and rewards they have received.
Before your customer's membership runs out send them a little reminder to renew their membership. Send it in enough time so they can contact you to discuss things further or cancel their membership with you. Include your contact number or give them the ability to reply back to your message requesting a callback.
Send out personalised bulk messages including special promotional offers such as a personal training deals or upgrades and secondary spend. If one of the classes you are running isn't full then send out a message enticing people to join with a limited discount offer.
Increase attendance rate by sending out a text message before gym classes, SMS reminders can increase attendance rate by 45%. Include a URL link to the class timetable or link to a page where they book a new class. You can get people to reply back if they are unable to attend or text back if they want to join a new class!
Instead of posting or emailing promotional brochures or sign up documents, send these in a text message. This means that your clients get to learn more about your service quicker and more efficiently by looking at them from the comfort of their phone. Give people the option to text back if they would like to discuss anything more with you and have your customer service team on hand.
Improve your overall customer experience by asking your customers for their thoughts and feedback. Send them a quick SMS survey asking for their feedback, whether it's on your facilities, customer service or classes. Your customers will be more inclined to respond back via text message and give you their honest feedback. You can then use this information to improve your service.
Encourage your clients to keep returning by sending them motivational messages about their healthy lifestyle. You can send advice and tips about how they can improve their healthy lifestyle and include links to any information they may find useful such as a link to your Youtube channel for fitness videos. Build your database easily by getting people to text into a shortcode and keyword so they can receive these specific messages.
You can also set-up a dedicated number or shortcode and offer a one-to-one coaching via text messaging, which would be useful for those who are using a personal trainer at your gym. Research shows at 6 months people who have NOT received positive motivational text-messages were twice as likely to quit then those who have received them.


Here at webthrowdown we love a good match, like Joe Paterno versus Darth Vader. And did you know that by voting for either Joe Paterno or Darth Vader, creating your own throwdown, commenting on the site, and more you can win a free Sony blu ray player and 10th anniversary edition of the movie Fight Club? Search for your favorite throwdowns and get started!
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The series plays with Japanese family registry system. In the first stage of the series Takahiro Kudo treats « Koseki » : Japanese family registry system, and his partner's « Familienbuch » : German family registry, as two family portraits. Despite of the fact they serve the same (or least similar) purpose, the depiction of a family unit and the visual outcomes appear differently, because of the cultural contexts they are integrated. The pieces question the ideas of a family formulated by different authorities and their alterations and limits as the depicting mechanisms in the age of globalization and social media.
Archiraar, Bruxelles. 30.03.2018 > 19.05.2018.


text:
Expat Living
Remembering La Penca, 35 years later
Ojalá: A Costa Rican sense of luck
Dueling anthems: 'Star-Spangled Banner' and 'Hermosa Bandera'
Women of Costa Rica: Let's open the door for each other already
Katherine Stanley March 8, 2015 March 8, 2015
The "piropos," or "compliments," that men shout at passing women are an old tradition in Latin America, defended by some as a sort of working man's street poetry. (Alberto Font/The Tico Times)
After I had been living in Costa Rica for a few years, I was home on a visit to the U.S., running errands with my dad. He opened a door to go into a building and we bumped into each other; he had stepped forward, but so had I, assuming he was holding the door open for me.
I laughed. "Sorry," I said. "I've been in Costa Rica too long."
There are certainly plenty of men in the U.S. who are chivalrous, but there is no question that in Costa Rica a woman is much more likely to find doors held open for her, a helping hand when she exits a car, a chair pulled back at a restaurant, a bus seat vacated by a courteous male.
Over the years, this has prompted a mild ongoing debate within my brain, thanks to the wholehearted belief in gender equality that has permeated every aspect of my life. Why should a man give me his seat and not the other way around, especially when, as is often the case here in Costa Rica, I could probably pick him up in a fireman's carry?
When my husband and I divide our chores and most everything else straight down the middle, why should he help me out of a taxi? Why, as I've seen time and time again, is my husband so much less likely than I am to be offered a seat when he is toting our child in the baby carrier (and much more likely to get strange looks, but that's an issue for another column)?
I've thought about these things off and on over the years, but have always come back to the same enthusiastic conclusion: Whatever. Say thank you, and enjoy it, woman! Kindness is kindness, and the world needs as much of it as it can get. Still, I couldn't quite resolve the inconsistency.
Just a few days ago, however, I had a minor epiphany. The solution isn't for men to stop doing these things – it's for women to start doing them more often. Let me explain.
Many months ago, I was sitting in one of the last rows of a crowded bus (the Periférica, to be exact). For whatever reason, the bus was filled almost entirely by women, and the few men on board had given up their seats to stand in the aisles.
Onto this bus stepped a woman who was looked about eight months pregnant and was apparently blind; she tapped her way up the stairs with her cane. Yet not a single woman stood up to give her a space. She made her way past row after row without any offer of assistance.
I was rising to my feet at the back of the bus, aghast, when a woman a couple of rows in front of me, looking equally horrified, beat me to it and helped the woman into her seat.
I remembered this a few days ago when I got onto a bus, neither blind nor pregnant, but holding a squirming two-year-old and three heavy bags of groceries. Again, everyone seated on the bus was a woman, with a few men in the aisles, and no one gave me a seat, including the (seemingly able-bodied) teenagers in the seats reserved for people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women or women with babies.
Have I been guilty of similar thoughtlessness? I'll bet you any amount of money that I have – not in a specific instance that I can remember, but I'm as unobservant and lazy as the next person, or more. And I'm sure I've left people standing, let a door slam in someone's face, and so forth.
My epiphany came yesterday when I was struggling to get out of a taxi with three huge bags of books. The door wouldn't stay open. A woman was waiting to get into the taxi as soon as I had vacated it. I can confidently say that most any man in Costa Rica, and probably many women as well, would have reached out to hold the door open. But she just observed my plight from a couple of feet away.
Would I have been nicer, in her shoes? I think so, but maybe I'm wrong.
That's when I realized it. Who cares if the men are, or aren't, opening the door for us? Why the hell aren't WE opening the door for each other? Why aren't WE giving up our own seats for our pregnant or baby-toting or elderly or just tired-looking fellow women (and men – or at least, as a first step, men with babies)?
And please – if we insist on sitting in the aisle seat on a crowded bus during rush hour, leaving the window seat vacant, why, WHY aren't we scootching over to let someone else sit down, or at least standing up for a moment so that our fellow exhausted bus-riders can sit down in the aisle seat without climbing over our laps at rush hour?
OK, that last one might not have so much to do with gender equality as basic human decency, but I had to get that in here.
The overwhelming kindness of women in this country – friends, family, and strangers – has been an indescribable boon in my life, especially in the past few years as a pregnant woman and then a mother. Costa Rican women are extraordinarily thoughtful, and much of what I've learned about selflessness and courtesy, I have learned from women here.
But I do believe that there is room for me and for many others to show more solidarity with our fellow women, not just on International Women's Day but also through our mundane, daily actions year-round.
I do believe that there is room for us to treat each other with greater respect. I do believe that the people who complain that "chivalry is dead" — and I've heard that frequently — should just decide to be the standard-bearers of chivalry themselves.
That crowded bus full of women is also a bus full of wisdom and experience, a bus full of people who understand the unique burdens we bear, literally and figuratively – people who have stood in the shoes of the overwhelmed mother with a baby pooping his pants and a toddler spilling change all over the floor.
There could be no greater knight in shining armor for her than the women who surround her. All we need to do is stand up, move over, open the door.
For the last time: The US does not have an Army base in Costa Rica, embassy says
A rebuttal to Wall Street Journal editor's call for US World Cup fans to ignore Costa Rica
CONCACAF to review refs after Gold Cup furor
chivalryCosta RicaInternational Women's Day
Attack of jellyfish turns deadly on sea farms
Eight women who blazed a trail through Costa Rican history

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Gina Heron
Be true.
Three True Things
"Bay knew something about last times. Her life had been full of them, after all. They were wild, reckless things. Violent, unpredictable. Especially the ones you didn't see coming."
Early Praise for What's Left Between Us
"In the world of the Pearl Girls, family values and true love combine with long-buried secrets to create a place that is distinctly southern. Heron deftly weaves a story of heartbreak, betrayal, sacrifice and ultimately, redemption, into an unforgettable debut that will earn her a spot in readers' hearts."
~ Kristy Woodson Harvey, National Bestselling author of SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE
"In WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US, Gina Heron weaves a story that's as Southern as sweet tea. Fans of romantic southern fiction will adore this vivid and beautifully told tale about how shadows from our past can have a long reach into the present."
~ Kimberly Belle, author of THE ONES WE TRUST, THE LAST BREATH, and THE MARRIAGE LIE
"From the first, I loved these broken characters in the first novel of the Pearl Girl Series, with their grit and soul. Set amongst the ruins of a family that has suffered the loss of many dreams – one daughter drowned, the other struggling to stay afloat in her survivor's guilt - and the heartbreak over a missing soldier. The journey home touches a lot of raw nerves as the characters in WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US struggle to find faith in one another – and in themselves. I laughed at the bittersweet and brave exchanges between the main character and her mother, cried at the soft visions of a ghostly sister who reveals the truths that hold this family together, and celebrated the hard-won redemption of a soldier who believes he's lost his soul to trauma. Love wins in this novel. It's a pearl, for sure."
~ Kimberly Brock, author of THE RIVER WITCH
"I'm a sucker for beautiful words that come together as an engrossing story and make it impossible for me to put down a book. Many times those beautiful words create a novel more literary than commercial. Heron's debut novel, WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US, manages to be both of these things, magically creating a literary reading experience inside of a page-turning plot. WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US is the story of a homecoming, but more than that, it's the story of how we find a sense of home inside ourselves.
WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US is a brilliant novel that will deeply move your soul. Heron is an author to watch."
~ Suzanne Palmieri, International Best-Selling Author of THE WITCH OF LITTLE ITALY, THE WITCH OF BELLADONNA BAY, THE WITCH OF BOURBON STREET, and THE WITCH HOUSE OF PERSIMMON POINT
WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US is a heart-warming story about when to stay and when to go, the true meaning of family and home, and how childhood friends Bay Laurel LaFleur and Scott Murphy begin to blossom. From the beginning, I found myself cheering for them and anxiously turning the pages, which crackle with tension and genuine emotion as Bay and Scott find their way.
~ Heather Bell Adams, author of MARANATHA ROAD
"With resonant themes of war and homecoming, safety and threat, and tradition and choice, this heartwarming story will appeal to anyone who has struggled with whether the battles thrust upon us should be the ones we choose to fight."
~ Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of THE FAR END OF HAPPY and THE ART OF FALLING
gina@ginaheron.com
©2018 by Gina Heron.


Welcome to The Rainmaker Projects. We're a promotional website that will help get your brand out there.
We help promote your business or product.
Unique promotions for unique businesses.
Modern marketing strategy for modern businesses.


text:
package com.github.appreciated.quickstart.base.authentication.login.example;

import com.github.appreciated.quickstart.base.authentication.login.AccessControl;
import com.github.appreciated.quickstart.base.authentication.login.User;
import com.github.appreciated.quickstart.base.notification.QuickNotification;

/**
 * Example implementation of {@link AccessControl}. This implementation
 * accepts any User, but only one password, the user "admin" as the only
 * administrator.
 */
public class ExampleAccessControl implements AccessControl {
    @Override
    public boolean checkCredentials(String username, String password) {
        if (username == null || username.isEmpty())
            return false;
        User.set(username);
        return ("Test1234!".equals(password));
    }

    @Override
    public void onInvalidCredentials() {
        QuickNotification.showMessage("Login failed", "Please check your username and password and try again.");
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isUserSignedIn() {
        return User.isSignedIn();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isUserInRole(String role) {
        if ("admin".equals(role)) {
            return getPrincipalName().equals("admin");
        }
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public String getPrincipalName() {
        return User.get();
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
/* ========================================================================
 * SECTION - HEADER
 * ======================================================================== */
#header .navbar {
  /* Note: This gradient may render differently in browsers that don't support the unprefixed gradient syntax */
  /* IE10 Consumer Preview */
  background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top left, #de451d 0%, #a3c43f 50%, #006db5 100%);
  /* Mozilla Firefox */
  background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top left, #de451d 0%, #a3c43f 50%, #006db5 100%);
  /* Opera */
  background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top left, #de451d 0%, #a3c43f 50%, #006db5 100%);
  /* Webkit (Safari/Chrome 10) */
  background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, right bottom, color-stop(0, #de451d), color-stop(0.5, #a3c43f), color-stop(1, #006db5));
  /* Webkit (Chrome 11+) */
  background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top left, #de451d 0%, #a3c43f 50%, #006db5 100%);
  color: white;
}
#header .navbar .navbar-user {
  background-color: #BE882F;
}
#header .navbar .navbar-header .dropdown-menu li.active:before {
  content: '';
  display: block;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  border-left: 3px solid #CC6B27;
}

/* ========================================================================
 * SECTION - SIDEBAR LEFT
 * ======================================================================== */
#sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > a {
  color: #CC6B27;
}
#sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > a:after {
  border-right: 3px solid #CC6B27;
}
#sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active:hover > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active:focus > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active:hover > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active:focus > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active:hover > a, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active:focus > a {
  color: #CC6B27;
}
#sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active:hover > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active > .nav > li.active:focus > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active:hover > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:hover > .nav > li.active:focus > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active:hover > a:after, #sidebar-left .sidebar-left-body > .nav > li.active:focus > .nav > li.active:focus > a:after {
  border-right: 3px solid #CC6B27;
}

/* ========================================================================
 * SECTION - FEATURES
 * ======================================================================== */
#features ul li:before {
  color: #CC6B27;
}

/* ========================================================================
 * PLUGIN - BOOTSTRAP
 * ======================================================================== */
.modal-header {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
  color: #ffffff;
}

/* ========================================================================
 * PLUGIN - JQUERY STEPS
 * ======================================================================== */
.wizard > .steps .current a {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}
.wizard > .steps .current a:hover, .wizard > .steps .current a:active {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}
.wizard > .steps .done a {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}
.wizard > .steps .done a:hover, .wizard > .steps .done a:active {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}

.select2-container--default .select2-results__option .select2-results__option:hover, .select2-container--default .select2-results__option .select2-results__option:visited, .select2-container--default .select2-results__option .select2-results__option:focus, .select2-container--default .select2-results__option .select2-results__option:active {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}

.pagination > .active > a, .pagination > .active span {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
  border-color: #CC6B27;
}
.pagination > .active > a:hover, .pagination > .active > a:focus, .pagination > .active span:hover, .pagination > .active span:focus {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
  border-color: #CC6B27;
}

/* ========================================================================
 * COMPONENT - PANEL
 * ======================================================================== */
.panel.panel-theme .panel-heading {
  background-color: #CC6B27;
}


That is $0.187 per kiloWatt. That eventually might trickle dow to the consumer.
I'd like to think so..
I think that is just for the "battery cycling costs"... Many people pay less than that for their entire utility bill (cost of generation + cost of storage + transmission costs = California scale utility pricing 😪).
Somehow my Florida address is also recorded to an energy hog using over 30 kWh/day. Opened that bill late at night and was not in a proper mood afterwards. This year everything seems to be flying apart by some malicious hackers design.
Of course there are also base charges. Plus I suspect some "bending of data" at times.
Solar will be multiples more expensive until we figure out installation costs and make batteries out of cheap materials like iron or salt or? Graphene makes great batteries but $$$$$$$$$$$$.
?? Graphene doesn't have the electrochemistry to make a better anode than graphite.
All I "know" is they are calling them graphene batteries. Samsung is putting them in new smartphones. They charge in 12 minutes. This is what I have read lately.
As an aside, the lithium-ion batteries in the Nissan Leaf employ "40 kilograms" of graphite - about 88 pounds.
Graphite is the principal material of course. Seems they worked out some challenges in manufacturing graphene.
As many of know, the subject gets a bit complicated with natural vs synthetic etc.
You really hate lithium and all who use it, don't you? Pretty small, dude.
Jesus must be moderating this board to allow your constant and completely unscientific vitriol to be expressed again and again and again. I simply report data as it becomes available.
Come On guys... Do I have to hang my halo in the closet and go all Prince of Darkness on everyone?
One major church fire (Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris) is enough for today.
Apparently, one time out didn't work.
Bill, does this board have an ignore function? I sure would make use of it.
Changing the subject... I think I have done 10 offgrid homes in the last 2 years with LFP batteries. I do not see any price decrease for the systems I use. I would like to see them go down, but still pretty expensive compared to FLA.
LFP is extremely expensive if it has a failure, unless there is a real good company behind the warranty.
Stable pricing is better than what I see with FLA batteries though. Has LFB capacity grown? Musk claims their batteries are increasing "density" by 8%/year. Pretty good really but not a total game changer.


text:
How to use Twitter effectively
1 Using Twitter effectively
2 Twitter for marketing and sales, and any more?
3 Effective ways to use Twitter search for marketing, sales and support
3.1 Twitter search for Marketing
3.2 Twitter and customer support
3.3 Twitter, a great way for sales
4 In summary
4.1 Tweet Binder, the social media tool you need it
Using Twitter effectively
Twitter can be an insanely powerful tool for modern marketers. After all, marketing is all about reaching the right person with the right message in the right place at the right time, and Twitter is often the right place and can connect you with the right people. In this post we will try to show you how to use Twitter effectively.
Analyze your Twitter Information
In particular, Twitter has huge benefits when it comes to marketing, sales and support, and that's what we're going to take a look at today. If you're not strategic about what you're doing then you can end up wasting valuable time and resources messing around on Twitter with no end goal in mind.
Twitter for marketing and sales, and any more?
The good news is that used correctly, Twitter just works, acting as an effective way to provide customer service while marketing your product and helping to spread the word about your business as a whole. If you learn how to use Twitter effectively. That's because there's such a vast audience for you to reach out to. It's not just a platform for teens, either – in fact, teens are less likely to use it than journalists, politicians and other professionals.
That's why we've created this article sharing the most effective ways of using Twitter for marketing, sales, support and more. And so without further ado, let's go ahead and get started.
Effective ways to use Twitter search for marketing, sales and support
Twitter search for Marketing
One of the most important uses of Twitter is as a marketing tool, and this is made possible thanks to the power of advance Twitter search. By carefully selecting keywords and setting
up Twitter searches, you can monitor and explore conversations around business keywords and industry hashtags.
If you're able to identify these conversations, you can jump in by posting a reply, but make sure that you don't come across as overly sales. Instead, you need to find ways to add value or to offer a solution. Twitter can also be useful when it comes to content marketing, allowing you to explore opportunities for guest posts and collaboration. While you're at it, it's a good idea to see what topics have got people talking. You can even find and identify the most popular Twitter accounts on any given topic so that you can follow their content, interact with them and start developing an ongoing relationship with them. Writing the most effective tweets shouldn't be the only purpose of our Twitter strategy.
And of course, it's also the perfect social networking platform for influencer marketing. As a brand, you can start to follow and interact with the influencers you want to target and even to reach out to them directly through Twitter. Better still, if you're able to encourage them to @mention you or to use a branded hashtag, it can drastically improve exposure and help to lead to new followers and long-term engagement.
Twitter and customer support
Offering customer support on Twitter isn't just a no-brainer: it's what people have come to expect of you. The most obvious way of using Twitter to offer customer support is to answer people's questions. You can search for @mentions and uses of the brand's hashtag to pick up on these messages and then you can amplify any positive feedback and respond to any negativity.
You can also use Twitter's advanced search as a way to gather information on your customers' needs and wants. By identifying what it is that they need, you can find a way to cater to it throughout the services you offer – or even to develop new services. Advanced search can also be useful to identify customer service requests, as only 3% of customers tag brands directly when they complain.
Identifying these dissatisfied customers and helping to correct their problems will enable you to turn brand detractors into brand advocates. After all, just because they're unhappy when they're experiencing a problem, it doesn't mean that they're going to continue to be unhappy if you're able to make things better. Given enough time, simply carrying out customer service via Twitter can have a big impact on the way that people perceive your brand as a whole.
Twitter, a great way for sales
Twitter is a great way to go about sales prospecting because it's so easy to find potential customers. You can simply look for people tweeting questions like, "Can anyone recommend a [your industry] service?" In fact, while we've been talking about marketing and customer support, if you do those correctly, the sales will follow automatically. And by learning how to use Twitter effectively you can impress also your bosses by the way.
Go to Twitter and discover all of its potential
For example, if you offer an affordable assignment writing service, you can use Twitter searches to identify people who are struggling to get their work finished. You can start by reaching out to them with a link to a checklist or a tutorial that will help them to do the work themselves, knowing that if they do decide they need some help, you'll be the first people they turn to.
Just remember that Twitter can be a decent source of both direct and indirect leads, so don't focus too hard on trying to score a direct sale with every tweet that you post. All of those marketing leads that you're making can also become sales opportunities given time, and so it can be a good idea to integrate Twitter activity within your CRM system if you're using one.
Now that you know the best way to make the most of Twitter search, it's up to you to put what you've learned into action. Remember that Twitter allows you to set up saved searches and that you can even use a Twitter dashboard like Hootsuite or TweetDeck to view the results of your searches in real time. If you want to know how to use Twitter effectively start practicing, that's the best tool.
While we're on the subject of dashboards, there are also plenty of third-party applications that tap into Twitter's API and allow you to access new functionality, such as the ability to view detailed insights into your followers or to view additional analytical data. Using these tools can help you to get more out of your Twitter presence and ultimately to boost your marketing, sales and support.
Tweet Binder, the social media tool you need it
The good news is that with over 300 million monthly active users, the size of your potential target audience is through the roof. The world of Twitter analytics is endless. There's plenty of room for everyone and used correctly, Twitter can be a valuable source of leads and new business just waiting for you to go out there and grab them. Good luck.
Try Tweet Binder now!
Twitter campaign – Create and analyze yours with Tweet Binder
Tweet Reach – How many people saw my hashtag?
Classify tweets with Tweet Binder
Twitter Audience Insights with Tweet Binder
How to analyze Twitter trending topics?
Twitter historical data


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The Federal Government's recently announced its plan to establish ranches in some states, perhaps as its own idea of ending the unrelenting massacres and displacement of farming communities by armed herdsmen, especially in the central states of Nigeria.
According to the scheme known as the Livestock Transformation Plan, the Federal Government is to spend N179 billion over 10 years to establish ranches throughout the country. Ten states: Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara, have been selected for the pilot of the scheme proposed by the National Economic Council, NEC, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.Already, some of the states listed for the pilot programme, such as Ebonyi and Benue, have rejected it outright.
Also, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, has issued a statement rebuffing the proposal. These are clear signs that this manner of pursuing the ranching programme will not promote peace in the states where it is being rejected. Since the killing spree was initiated by the armed herdsmen, we have strongly called on the nomadic herders to ranch their livestock businesses, as the primitive practice of open grazing will always pitch them against landowners and farmers. We believe that livestock business is just another business in the agricultural sector.
Those engaged in it should acquire the land, either through leasing or outright purchase. But if state governments, which hold the land in trust for the citizens, choose to set up ranches, the states should regulate the terms and conditions to ensure peaceful coexistence and the creation of prosperity through that branch of agriculture. We are vehemently against any move in any form by the Federal Government to grab lands from the states for the purpose of benefiting any special business or ethnic group. This will never bring the much-needed peace.
Rather, it will lead to ethnic-based conflicts without end. Most landed property, especially in the South, belong to families and communities. The Federal Government, acquiring them through government fiat will never go down well with the owners and indigenous communities. These relentless attempts to take people's lands and give the herders must stop because they are sources of unhealthy passions which do the polity no good.
We are fully in support of the upgrade of livestock farming in Nigeria. We are also solidly behind any plan to transform livestock farming from nomadism to ranching and the government's plans to assist all farmers to increase output through modern methods. It will ensure food security, create jobs and bode well for the economy. However, we reject any attempt to deprive any Nigerian citizen or group of their family or communal patrimony for the benefit of favoured outsiders. It is impunity, inhuman and oppressive. It will never promote peaceful coexistence.


Canada Goose online sale Eggs are a great protein source Canada Goose Jas Sale, as are seeds and nuts Protein can only be used as fuel by the body, it can convert it into fats or store it for later. Oats canada goose jassen, chia seeds and flax seeds are packed with fiber. However, only the chia seed has 23% complete protein by weight Canada Goose online sale.


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Home Solar News Meyer Burger Merges Subsidiaries, Production Locations
Meyer Burger Merges Subsidiaries, Production Locations
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd. says that it is merging its individual production locations as a part of its concentration efforts.
The company intends to integrate its location in Lyss, Switzerland, into its solar technology center in Thun, Switzerland, and to merge subsidiaries Meyer Burger Ltd. and 3S Swiss Solar Systems Ltd.
At the new Thun headquarters, a solar technology center will be created to focus on wafering and modules. The second technology center, located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, will focus on the development of cell technologies.
Even after the intended merger, the 3S Modultec and 3S Photovoltaics technology brands will remain within the Meyer Burger Group's umbrella and will be further developed, the company notes. The integration should be completed by the end of March 2013.
The company's other main production locations are in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany; Zulpich, Germany; and Colorado Springs, Colo.
Duke Energy Renewables Buys Six N.C. Solar Projects
Net Metering In New York: An Important Discussion Begins
Developer Plans Massive Rooftop Solar Project In L.A.


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Busy Bee Cleans LLC understands the importance of keeping your home safe and free from indoor allergens. One of the ways you can do this is by maintaining a clean carpet. At Busy Bee Cleans LLC, we use a truck-mounted extractor and rotary jet extraction wand to ensure that your carpet gets the best possible care. Most importantly, our cleaning solution is kid-safe, pet-safe and long-lasting. Breath new life into your carpet giving us a call or text today!


What is Your Favorite Search Marketing Email Newsletter?
Comments are always welcome, especially with suggestions of new newsletters.
I voted for Jill's High Rankings – what I really think is valuable there is how she takes a subscriber's question and gives it a wider context by relating it to her overall SEO/M theory. I always take some time to read High Rankings because of that section. Plus Jill just rocks!
I'm surprised SEL is not #1. It is for me. BTW, I think the Online Marketing Blog is the top blog. Thanks for all the polls. Did you do one on search print magazines? I saw a poll that said Search Marketing Standard got 60% and Website Magazine only got 12% but forget where. If you know, post it please. Also, if you haven't already, why not a poll on the search rags?
Hello Claudia, this most recent poll is only for email newsletters.
We did do a poll of print magazines that cover search engine marketing here.
Thnks, Lee. Looked at your poll, and results were very similar to the one I saw, but I can't remember where it was or who did it. Guess both must be accurate.
I am a stats guy. I love stats, graphs, statistical information to help me make better decisions when I am working with my clients.
I love WPN and SEL as well. Shoot I subscribe to almost all of these.


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As a maintained school, we follow the statutory national curriculum, which is balanced and broadly based, and which:
promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society
prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
Throughout the school, much of the curriculum that the children follow and study is through a thematic and cross-curricular approach. Some subjects are taught discreetly, but where possible we try to connect and link learning. We believe in providing and maintaining a broad, balanced and varied curriculum, that gives equal value to all learning and all subject areas. A high priority is given to speaking and listening as part of language development, encouraging confident readers and writers.
72%72%Our Curriculum Intent
Our curriculum is underpinned by the following curriculum intent:
'Our provision is designed to take into account individual starting points to ensure an equality of opportunity to a broad, balanced and knowledge-rich curriculum, with a particular emphasis on VOCABULARY. The content of our ambitious curriculum will be carefully sequenced to encourage progression of skills, connections and transference to long-term memory, and will be chosen for its usefulness and relevance to our pupils. Pupils will be immersed in rich, relevant and contextualised first-hand experiences, which enthuse, excite and challenge them. Pupils will be encouraged to investigate, explore and take risks. As a result, pupils make excellent progress in their development and application of knowledge, understanding and skills (across different contexts).'
72%72%
In Reception, children continue their pre-school experiences, with learning through play. Children follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum, this is made up of the following:
Three prime areas:
Four specific areas (through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied):
Undertsanding the world
To help children to learn to read, we use Jolly Phonics (Jolly Phonics is a fun and child centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. With actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, the multi-sensory method is very motivating for children and teachers, who can see their students achieve.). Phonics is recommended as the first strategy that children should be taught in helping them learn to read. It runs alongside other teaching methods such as Guided Reading and Shared Reading to help children develop all the other vital reading skills and hopefully give them a real love of reading.
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
All children are taught the compulsory subjects of the National Curriculum:
Core Subjects:
English - Please click on the following links for further curriculum information: SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) - Spelling (additional information) - Vocabularly/Grammar/Punctuation (additional information) - Glossary of English Curriculum Terms
Maths - Please click on the following link for further curriculum information: Maths by Year Group Teaching Guide
Foundation Subjects:
P.E. (including swimming in KS2)
Modern foreign language.
In addition, R.E and P.S.H.E (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) also form an important part of the curriculum.
Please note. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of R.E. and collective worship.
Curriculum Content By Year Group
Information on the content taught on each of the core and foundation subjects mentioned above is provided in the Curriculum Newsletters by year group. Found on individual class pages. If you would like any further information about the curriculum the school is following or specific curriculum matters to any year group, please contact us.
Curriculum Aims and Objectives
Children at Ladybridge have the opportunity to:
Learn, develop and refine the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics
Apply their basic skills across a range of subjects and through problem solving and challenges
Learn about the curriculum through a wide range of first-hand and practical experiences
Take risks, and understand how, when and why this is important part of learning
Learn about themselves as learners, and understand how to learn effectively
Understand the importance of, and develop positive attitudes to, the different areas of learning
Develop a wide range of communication skills, through working alone and with others
Improve their own performance, through self, peer and adult evaluation and intervention
Access all statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for R.E.
Learn about British values.
How Parents/Carers Can Help
When learning about your child's achievements, it is important to focus on their targets and what you can do to support them to consistently achieve them. Our aim is to ensure every child achieves their best, but we can only do this with your help. It is crucial therefore, that parents and carers are supported and committed to learning beyond the school day.
Assessment and Standards
We use a range of continual assessment methods and strategies, enabling us to monitor and support children as they progress. Questioning is used extensively to probe and extend understanding. Supportive and constructive feedback is provided to all pupils. Assessment is used as a diagnostic tool that informs future learning. Pupils are supported in assessing their own work and in identifying targets for improvement.
There are a number of summative assessment tests/tasks that pupils complete at the end of specific topics/areas of learning. At the end of Year 6, children sit national tests called SATs, which measure standards in maths and English (reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling).
English: Reading, Writing & Speaking


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Cadenza is an online notebook that replaces the traditional pen-and-paper notebook and provides additional tools that capitalize on digital technologies (ironically, the same technologies that often keep students from their practising!). Cadenza and Notemaker are available without charge to teachers and students.
Using Cadenza, teachers record practice expectations during the lesson itself. In recording practice expectations, the teacher assigns a task along with a checklist of sub-tasks to be completed at each practice session. The teacher also assigns weekly targets for each task, whether those tasks involve repertoire, technique, sight-reading, theory, or improvisation. Teachers can also provide students with links and attachments relevant to the material they are studying. During the week, the student records practice sessions, and communicates with the teacher to share successes or seek clarification on tasks that have been assigned. The student can also send videos to the teacher for feedback between lessons.
Cadenza is a motivating practice tool for students and a time-saver for teachers. If students are learning how to practice properly, teachers don't need to spend the first part of every lesson showing them what they need to fix. Their progress will leap forward, and become known for happy and successful students!
CADENZA™ is a tool that will help with goal-setting and progress tracking, among other aspects of student management.
I tried Cadenza with a 12-year-old transfer student. It was taking us a while to jive together, as I needed to determine her strengths and weaknesses, and she had little patience during the lessons. She was often distracted in the early days, with very little progress from week to week. I thought I had been as creative as I possibly could be during the lessons and in suggesting strategies for her to practise, but somehow nothing seemed to work. I was willing to try anything, and Cadenza was the answer. Coupled with Notemaker, within two weeks I had noticed a huge improvement. With Cadenza and Notemaker I was able encourage areas for her that need improvement, including sight-reading, self-criticism and the ability to 'drill' specific parts of pieces. She was incredibly fast with the technological side of things, and once she realized how many cool features Cadenza had (recording, reward system, commenting), she was off to the races with her practising. A big motivator in the beginning as well was that I had a window into her weekly practice time and she could now be held accountable between each lesson. Without Cadenza, I am certain she would not have passed her Grade 4 exam and/or I may have lost her as a student.
Motivating students to practise can be difficult. This is especially true when they're approaching the teen years, and other activities compete for their time.
Cadenza, a free online tool, helps coax students to practise on a daily basis. It tracks practice sessions and enables students to set goals and share recordings. The contemporary environment engages students with "emojis" for reflecting on their work, and students accumulate badges as practice targets are reached, or even exceeded.


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Q: Exercise 5.S. the elements of integration and lebesgue measure I'm having problems with this exercise. I've tried to apply the DOMINATED CONVERGENCE THEOREM but I couldn't. Could someone gives me any hint?

Suppose the function $x\rightarrow f(x,t)$ is $X$-measurable for each $t\in\mathbb{R}$, and the function $t\rightarrow f(x,t)$ is continuous on $\mathbb{R}$ for each $x\in X$. In addition, suppose that there are integrable functions $g$, $h$ on $X$ such that $|f(x,t)|\leqslant g(x)$ and such that the improper Riemann integral
$$\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}|f(x,t)|dt\leqslant h(x).$$
Show that
$$\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}\left[\int f(x,t)d\mu(x)\right]dt=\int\left[\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}f(x,t)dt\right]d\mu(x),$$
where the integrals with respect to $t$ are improper Riemann integrals.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The presentation of the Calypsos project took place on 30 October 2018 at the European Committee of the Regions in the city of Brussels by means of a multiplying event for an audience made up of specialists from different areas and people invited to such an event.
The event was opened with presentations by Mr. Manuel Jorge Pérez (Director General of Vocational Training and Adult Education of the Government of the Canary Islands) and Mr. Alfonso Ballesteros Ballester (Director of CEPA of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and coordinator of the Calypsos Project). Both were in charge of welcoming, exposing in their conferences the presentation of the project and the research carried out in the participating countries.
The Calypsos project has its priority in supporting social inclusion, taking into account the specific needs for learning and the improvement of basic skills for inmates in Europe.
The University of Almeria, the University of Minho, the Sapienza University of Rome, the University of La Laguna, Plena Inclusión Canarias (NGO) and ADIS Meridianos (NGO), the General Secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions and the Istituto degli Innocenti (Italian public entity) are partners. The project is coordinated by the Santa Cruz Adult Education Centre.
The presentations continued with the intervention of Mr. José Luis Arregui Sáez (Professor and expert in juvenile justice), who highlighted the importance about investigation and treatment of the learners with specific education needs in prison.
In summary, the outputs focus on using a previous meta-analysis to show evidence of a deficit in executive functions of inmates in prisons comparing them with standardized peers.
The second study is based on the comparison of the results of different tests carried out on adult inmates studying in prisons in Spain, Italy and Portugal against the results of those same tests carried out by standardised individuals studying in adult education centres.
The characteristics of the sample of participants in the project (301 prisoners and 114 normalized, with an average age of 37.7 years and 85% male), the analyzed variables (working memory, spatial memory, planning, attention, interference control, cognitive flexibility, general intelligence and verbal fluency) and its results (analysis to estimate the premorbid level and the contrast in the demographic variables) were also presented.
A lunch break was made at Room Atrium 5. During this time, informal presentations and exchange of opinions between project partners and guests were made.
Back to the room is presented the panel discussion whose title was "Fostering inclusion of inmates learners with special educational needs" by Mrs. Ana Belén González Matos, project coordinator and teacher of the Tenerife Penitentiary Center and CEPA Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Also participating in this panel were Mr. Alfonso Ballester, Ms. Ana Mª Martín (University of La Laguna, ES), Mr. Juan García García (University of Almería, ES), Rui Abrunhosa (Universidade do Minho), Marino Bonaiuto (Sapienza- Università di Roma). There was also interaction with the public.
The debate focuses on 5 fields: organizational, social, professional, pedagogical and contextual.
Throughout this panel discussion is remarked the importance of policy makers in providing support to the Education in prisons and it is highlighted once again the essential need to build a bridge between research and action to foster positive and relevant changes within classrooms in prisons.
We are aware of the need to continuously train and retrain the professionals of technical teams involved in education and motivation to education. These professionals (psychologists, educators, social workers, teachers) are essential to detect learners with special needs and assess them in the improvement and overcoming of executive functions in inmates. Although these teams exist and exchange of opinions between different professionals, it is encouraged a greater effort in the common work aiming to improve academic and personal result of the inmates. Everything could be better than is right now.
The gender perspective in the sample is taken into account. About 10 out of 100 inmates were women. However, it should be noted that women surveyed number in the research was higher than the average, and much higher than the previous studies on which the meta-analysis was based. In the latter of 58 studies, women surveyed number were less than 200, and in the Calypsos Project research, 63 women were being studied. Thus, we cannot consider this sample as a representative one, and it can't provide us conclusions differentiated by gender, but it has been very important that a significant number of subjects have participated in this research, with no significant differences in the results between women and men.
This project is based on the principle of equity, and therefore people with differences cannot be treated in the same way. It is essential to take it into account if we want to work from equal opportunities.
Looking at the results of the research, it is obvious that the student body has its own characteristics and, for the most part, its own deficits. This leads us to wonder what should be the profile or the role of the teacher, and what should be the appropriate methodology for this student body. The question remains open, knowing that the result has to pass through the continuity of the evaluation carried out, in order to prove something already suspected with the subsequent intervention with the student. Once again, prison and judicial authorities in Europe are urged to implement necessary changes to improve the success rate of adults studying in prison.
Changing the focus of the research, it is analyzed what could be the factor that helped those 6% of people to obtain a degree in prison, as opposed to the motivation or reinforcement that 65% who obtain a degree in adult education centres may have. Reference is made to the importance of being able to use existing prison benefits or find new positive reinforcements to reward the improvement or overcoming of the learners with special needs detected in a person. It seems convenient to foster the use of prison benefits and positive reinforcements to encourage students to improve executive functions.
The panel discussion ends with the conviction that greater coordination between education and penitentiary institutions will improve the academic performance of students in European prisons.
The event gets to its final.
It was planned a closing speech Mr. Kevin Warner of the University of College of Cork, is NUI Maynooth EPEA Founder Member and Chairperson of the Council of Europe Expert Group on prison education. He is also a researcher and writer relating to prison education, penal policy and prison conditions.
This conference was entitled "Every possible learning opportunity: the capacity of education in prision to challenge dehumanisation and liberate the whole person" and was included in the participants' folders. All the participants were invited to read it due to Mr. Warner could not reach this multiplier event because of the strike on Brussels airport that day.
A farewell reception was planned at the end of the event, but a last-minute change was made and this meal was offered at midday to foster contacts between participants rather than at the end when most participants want to reach home.
Registration for the Calypsos Multiplier Event is now open!
The Calypsos Multiplier Event is fast approaching, and will take place in Brussels on 30 October 2018.
Within this one-day event, the main achievements of the CALYPSOS project investigations will be presented.
You can register for this FREE event right now by clicking on the banner below.
Please remember that this event is completely FREE to attend, but registration is required as seats are limited. You can click on the banner below to register now.
The deadline for registration is Wednesday 24th October. No on-site registration on the day of the event is allowed.
We look forward to seeing you at the CALYPSOS Multiplier Event!
* Programme times and sessions are subject to change – any changes will be posted here prior to the event.
Important: Please note that any costs related to travel, accommodation and meals will not be covered by the project. It is the responsibility of each participant/delegate to arrange their journey, meals and accommodation (if applicable) in Brussels. Nevertheless, lunch will be served at CoR the day of the conference at no cost. If you want to join for the reception, it is important to mention it in the registration form.


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Fed, oil and auctions in spotlight as US bonds remain cautious
Published Mon, Aug 22 2016 3:42 PM EDT Updated Mon, Aug 22 2016 3:42 PM EDT
Alexandra Gibbs@alexgibbsy
U.S. government debt prices were mixed on Monday, as investors remained cautious in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole meeting, due later this week.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note sat lower at 1.5424 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also lower at 2.2414 percent. Two-year note yields, meanwhile, lowered to trade at 0.7418 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
U.S. Markets Overview: Treasurys chart
The main event for investors both in the U.S. and overseas this week will be the U.S. Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole meeting, set to take place later on this week. At the Wyoming symposium which will look at the topic of "Designing Resilient Monetary Policy Frameworks for the Future ", Fed Chair Janet Yellen is expected to deliver a speech on Friday at 10.00 a.m. ET.
The get-together will be eagerly watched by investors for clues on what the central bank thinks about the state of the U.S. economy in the long-term and the timing of another rate rise.
Several Fed officials spoke last week about when the U.S. central bank could raise interest rates, while Fed vice-chairman Stanley Fischer said on Sunday that the U.S. central bank was near to hitting its targets for full employment and 2 percent inflation.
Ahead of this, however, the U.S. Treasury will auction $40 billion in 13-week bills and $34 billion in 26-week bills on Monday. It will also announce the size of a four-week auction, set to take place on Tuesday.
On the oil front, WTI and Brent crude futures came under pressure, trading 3.03 percent and 3.32 percent lower on Monday, at around $47.05 per barrel and $49.19, respectively.
No major economic data releases are due out Monday.
Follow CNBC International on and Facebook.