1Refer to the counties Østfold, Akershus, Oslo, Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud og Vestfold.These are the only counties that are included in all the inventory cycles presented. As from the inventory cycle 2006-2010, areas above the coniferous forest line are also included.
1Corresponds to the registration of habitats for vulnerable and endangered species (red listed species) in ordinaryforest management planning. Two of more habitats may be registered within the same area.
The statistics provide information on the condition and development of Norway's forest resources. They give figures on growing stock, annual increments, forest area, age distribution, type of land and tree species.
Total volume of the standing forest under bark. Comprises trees with a diamter of at least 5 cm at breast height (1.3 metre above ground level).
Annual increment in volume in standing forest inside bark.
Describes the forest's development class from non- regenerated forest to old forest.
An expression of the area's capacity to produce wood when stocked with a tree species suitable for the local growing conditions. The site quality of the H40-system is based upon the top height (the average height of the hundred trees per hectare with the largest diameter) of the trees at the age of 40 years at breast height (1.3 m above ground level).
The results are mainly published at region level.
International reporting of results from The National Forest Inventory are reported by the The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Reasearch.
Microdata are stored by The National Forest Inventory.
The entire country (except Finnmark county) was surveyed during the most recent period. Each inventory cycle covers the most important forest districts, while inventories in western and northern Norway have been carried out less frequently and are sometimes incomplete.
The most central users of the results from the National Forest Inventory are public administration at national and county level. The results serve as important input for the formation of forestry policies and control the effects of it.
In recent years, the demand for national forestry statistics has increased, and the National Forest Inventory is a central data source. Data from the inventories are used for example in research to develop descriptive models of forest dynamics.
The forest industry is an important user of the data. Among others thing, they need the data for strategic planning in the sawmill and pulp industry. The data are also used by educational institutions and by professionals in agriculture, forestry and environmental protection.
No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar. Read more about principles for equal treatement of all users on ssb.no.
Statistics Norway has estimated the productive forest area in The Sample Surveys of Agriculture and Forestry 2004 and 2008, The Census of Agriculture and Forestry 1979 and 1989. The Farm Register of the Norwegian Agricultural Authority also contains information about productive forest area at property level. Total productive forest area based on the Farm Register is published in the annual structural statsitics of forestry.
The statistics include all counties except Finnmark, however Finnmark will also be surveyed during the present five-year cycle. As from the inventory cycle 2005-2009, areas above the coniferous forest line are also included. Protected or other closed-off areas of productive forest are not included.
The figures are published annually.
The only data source is the National Forest Inventory's database. One of the main tasks of the National Forest Inventory is the assessment of timber resources. Data are collected so that the volume can be computed for different tree species, diameters and quality classes. Numbers of trees and annual increments are also calculated.
The National Forest Inventory's data collection is based on data from permanent sample plots. For the entire country except Finnmark, a systematic sample plot inventory in a bond by 3 x 3 kilometres is established. In the present inventory cycle, sample plots for Finnmark are also established. The plots are visited every five years and the survey forms the basis for statistics for the whole of Norway. In order to publish data by county, temporary plots are established in the counties when each county is appraised. Each county is appraised every fifteen years. An extensive number of attributes concerning forest conditions are recorded on the plots, some of which describe the area. Parameters that characterise level of development and species composition of the vegetation, certain aspects of biodiversity, utilisation and yield capacity of the land, forest treatment, conditions surrounding forest operations, etc., are measured or estimated. Inside a 250 square metre circle, every tree with a diameter of more than five centimetres in breast height (1.3 metres above ground level) is callipered.
The sampling design has changed considerably over the years. The first two cycles were carried out as strip sampling inventories. A system of parallel strips was established throughout the area of interest, and measurements were taken within these strips. In the middle of the 1950s, the strip sampling was replaced by a systematic sample plot inventory, a method which has also been used subsequently. However, minor alterations concerning sampling design have been made several times.
An important difference between the period 1986-1993 and the previous inventory cycles was the introduction of permanent sample plots. A sub-sample of the established plots was marked in order to be able to re-measure the exact same area in future inventories. This was to provide greater possibilities for detecting changes in forest conditions. The permanent plots were re-measured during the period 1994-1998, according to a specific pattern. The inventory of one single year will provide representative results for the whole country.
Highly conspicuous markings are avoided in order to prevent the location of the plots from being too obvious to passers-by. The permanent plots should represent a random sample of the forests in Norway, and should not be treated any different than the rest of the forests. A total of approximately 16 000 permanent sample plots have been established, of which about 10 500 are located on productive forest and other wooded land below the coniferous forest limit. On average, the sampled area comprises about 3 x 10 -5 of the surveyable area.
Before each field season, training is held for the field crew. During the field season, the office staff visit the field workers at least once and some controls are carried out. In most cases, a control of the assessment is done. About 5 per cent of the sample plots are surveyed once more.
Corrections of the field instructions are made before every field season. A main revision is carried out every five years.
In order to estimate figures, for instance for a county, the area factor must be known. In a 3 x 3 kilometre net the area factor will be close to nine square kilometres or 900 hectares. Each sample plot will represent 900 hectares. For each tree measured, a volume with and without bark and the increment are estimated. Multiplying this with the area factor will establish how much each tree represents in this area. The volume for the growing stock in a county for instance can be found by summarising the volume of each measured tree in the county multiplied with the area factor.
Figures on property level are not published.
The National Forest Inventory carried out the first assessment at county level in 1919.
Systematic errors are caused by errors or uncertainties in measurement, estimation and recording in the field, which are one-sided. Efforts are being made to reduce these errors as far as possible by training the field crews and checking their measurements. An example of errors of this type is the possibility of apparent area changes for productive forest land, which are really caused by different methods of judging the coniferous forest limit. The magnitude of systematic errors cannot normally be calculated.
Random errors of the results are caused by the limited sample of the forest area and wood resources measured by the inventory, in addition to random errors of measurement. A measure for the random error is the so-called standard error, which is possible to calculate. The root mean square error (RMS error) depends on the number of sample plots and the variance of the parameter of interest, for instance volume of growing stock. If the observations are divided into more groups, the magnitude of the RMS error will be higher within each group.
The statistics comprise all commercial roundwood removal except wood fuel.
The statistics provide an overview of both the forest properties and forestry as an industry.
The statistics gives an overview of kilometres of forest roads that are finished and approved.
The statistics provide information about forest planting and other silviculture works.


text:
Il teorema di Earnshaw afferma che una collezione di cariche puntiformi non può essere mantenuta in una configurazione di equilibrio stabile dalla sola interazione elettrostatica delle cariche. Questo risultato fu dimostrato per la prima volta dal matematico inglese Samuel Earnshaw nel 1842. Malgrado venga solitamente riferito a campi magnetici, esso faceva in origine riferimento a campi elettrostatici. Il teorema si applica alle forze classiche caratterizzate dalla legge del "quadrato dell'inverso della distanza" (elettrica e gravitazionale) e anche alle forze magnetiche dei magneti permanenti e dei materiali paramagnetici, o di loro combinazioni (ma non ai materiali diamagnetici).

Spiegazione

Informalmente, il caso di una carica puntiforme in un arbitrario campo elettrostatico è una semplice conseguenza della legge di Gauss. Affinché una particella si trovi in equilibrio stabile, piccole perturbazioni ("spinte") sulla particella verso qualunque direzione non dovrebbero rompere tale equilibrio; la particella dovrebbe sempre "ricadere" nella sua posizione precedente. Ciò significa che le linee del campo di forza attorno alla posizione di equilibrio della particella dovrebbero puntare tutte verso l'interno, ossia verso tale posizione. Se tutte le linee di campo circostanti puntano verso il punto di equilibrio, allora la divergenza del campo in quel particolare punto deve essere negativa (ossia, quel punto agisce da "pozzo"). D'altronde, la legge di Gauss stabilisce che in uno spazio vuoto qualunque campo di forza elettrica  derivante da un potenziale  sia indivergente, ovvero che la sua divergenza sia zero in ogni punto:

Pertanto, non possono esistere minimi o massimi locali nel potenziale di campo in uno spazio vuoto, ma solo punti di sella. Un equilibrio stabile della particella non può esistere, e deve esserci instabilità in almeno una direzione.

Per essere del tutto rigorosi, in senso stretto, l'esistenza di un punto stabile non richiede che tutti i vettori forza circostanti puntino esattamente verso il punto di equilibrio; i vettori forza potrebbero avvicinarsi a spirale verso tale punto, ad esempio. Un modo per trattare questo fatto è ricordare che, oltre alla divergenza, anche il rotore di ogni campo di forza elettrica nel vuoto è nullo (si noti che questo è più o meno equivalente alla conservazione dell'energia).

Questo teorema asserisce anche che non esiste nessuna possibile configurazione statica di ferromagneti in grado di far levitare stabilmente un oggetto contro la gravità, nemmeno quando le forze magnetiche siano più forti di quelle gravitazionali.

Il teorema di Earnshaw è stato dimostrato anche nel caso di corpi estesi, e questo vale anche qualora essi siano flessibili e conduttori, purché essi non siano diamagnetici, in quanto il diamagnetismo provoca una (piccola) forza repulsiva, ma nessuna attrazione.

Ci sono, ad ogni modo, diverse eccezioni alle assunzioni di tale teorema, le quali permettono la levitazione magnetica.

Scappatoie

Il teorema di Earnshaw non presenta eccezioni per ferromagneti permanenti immobili. Tuttavia, ferromagneti in movimento, alcuni sistemi elettromagnetici, la pseudo-levitazione e i materiali diamagnetici rappresentano aree su cui il teorema di Earnshaw non si applica, e perciò possono essere viste come eccezioni, benché in realtà esse sfruttino le limitazioni del teorema.

Ferromagneti in rotazione (come il Levitron) possono causare levitazione grazie soltanto a ferromagneti permanenti. Questi sono ovviamente ferromagneti in movimento, e non immobili, come richiesto dal teorema.

Invertire la polarità di elettromagneti permette di mantenere un sistema in levitazione attraverso un continuo dispendio di energia. Un esempio di questo sono i treni a levitazione magnetica (o maglev).

La pseudo-levitazione limita il movimento dei magneti, solitamente per mezzo di alcuni tipi di guide o vincoli. Questo funziona perché il teorema evidenzia soltanto che c'è qualche direzione in cui vi sarà instabilità: limitare i movimenti in quella particolare direzione permette la levitazione in meno delle tre direzioni consentite per il movimento (si noti che il teorema è dimostrato nelle tre dimensioni, non in due o in una).

I materiali diamagnetici sono esclusi dal teorema perché esibiscono solo repulsione nei confronti del campo magnetico, mentre il teorema contempla materiali che manifestano sia repulsione sia attrazione. Un divertente esempio di questo è quello della rana che levita (vedi alla voce levitazione magnetica).

Conseguenze fisiche

Il teorema di Earnshaw, unitamente al fatto che configurazioni di particelle cariche orbitanti l'una attorno all'altra sono altrettanto instabili a causa della radiazione elettromagnetica, indica che persino i sistemi dinamici di cariche sono instabili, a lungo termine. Questo portò per lungo tempo a domandarsi perché la materia non si disgreghi, dato che era stato provato che essa è tenuta insieme da forze elettromagnetiche.

Questi interrogativi portarono infine alle spiegazioni quantomeccaniche della struttura atomica, e risultò che è il principio di esclusione di Pauli a mantenere la materia in una forma stabile.

Dimostrazioni per dipoli magnetici

Introduzione

Benché esista una dimostrazione più generale, vengono qui considerati tre casi specifici. Il primo caso è quello di un dipolo magnetico di intensità costante e orientazione fissa. Il secondo e il terzo caso riguardano invece dipoli magnetici dove l'orientazione cambia per rimanere allineata o parallelamente o antiparallelamente alle linee di campo del campo esterno. Nei materiali paramagnetici e diamagnetici i dipoli sono allineati, rispettivamente, parallelamente e antiparallelamente alle linee di campo.

Premessa

Le prove qui considerate si basano sui seguenti principî.

L'energia  di un dipolo magnetico con un momento magnetico  in un campo magnetico esterno  è data da

Il dipolo leviterà in maniera stabile solamente in punti dove l'energia è minima. L'energia può presentare minimi solo in punti dove il laplaciano dell'energia è maggiore di zero; ossia, dove

Infine, poiché sia la divergenza sia il rotore di un campo magnetico sono zero (in assenza di una corrente o di un campo elettrico variabile), i laplaciani delle singole componenti di un campo magnetico sono zero; ossia,

Questo verrà dimostrato alla fine dell'articolo, poiché è centrale per capire l'intera dimostrazione.

Sommario delle dimostrazioni

Per un dipolo magnetico di orientazione fissa (e intensità costante), l'energia sarà data da

dove ,  e  sono costanti. In questo caso il laplaciano dell'energia è sempre zero:

cosicché il dipolo non può avere né un minimo né un massimo di energia. Ossia, non vi sono punti nel vuoto in cui il dipolo possa essere stabile, o instabile, in tutte le direzioni.

Dipoli magnetici allineati parallelamente o antiparallelamente a un campo esterno, con l'intensità del dipolo proporzionale al campo esterno, corrispondono a materiali rispettivamente paramagnetici e diamagnetici. In questi casi l'energia sarà data da

dove k è una costante maggiore di zero per i materiali paramagnetici, e minore di zero per quelli diamagnetici.

In questo caso, si dimostrerà che

il che, assieme alla costante k, mostra che i materiali paramagnetici possono avere massimi di energia, ma non minimi, mentre i materiali diamagnetici possono avere minimi di energia, ma non massimi. Questo significa che i materiali paramagnetici possono essere instabili (ma non stabili) in tutte le direzioni, mentre i materiali diamagnetici possono essere stabili (ma non instabili) in tutte le direzioni. Ovviamente, entrambi possono avere punti di sella.

Infine, il dipolo magnetico di un materiale ferromagnetico (un magnete permanente), allineato parallelamente o antiparallelamente a un campo magnetico, è dato da

e la sua energia è pertanto

ma questo è semplicemente la radice quadrata dell'energia per il caso paramagnetico e diamagnetico sopra visti e, dato che la funzione radice quadrata è monotona crescente, qualunque minimo o massimo nel caso paramagnetico e diamagnetico saranno un minimo o un massimo anche in questo caso.
Non esistono, tuttavia, configurazioni note di ferromagneti in grado di dare levitazione stabile, perciò potrebbero esserci altre ragioni (che non verranno discusse qui) perché non sia possibile mantenere magneti permanenti in orientazione (anti) parallela a un campo esterno (almeno, non senza farli roteare).

Dimostrazione dettagliata

Il teorema di Earnshaw fu originariamente formulato per l'elettrostatica (cariche puntiformi) per dimostrare che non esistono configurazioni stabili di una collezione di particelle cariche. Le dimostrazioni sopra presentate per singoli dipoli si dovrebbero poter generalizzare a collezioni di dipoli magnetici, perché sono formulate in termini di energia, che è additiva. Un trattamento rigoroso di questo argomento, ad ogni modo, trascende lo scopo di questo articolo.

Prima dimostrazione: Dipolo magnetico a orientazione fissa

Verrà dimostrato che, in tutti i punti di uno spazio vuoto,

L'energia  del dipolo magnetico  nel campo magnetico esterno  è data da

Il suo laplaciano sarà

Espandendo e riarrangiando i termini (e notando che il dipolo  è costante), otteniamo

ma i laplaciani delle singole componenti di un campo magnetico sono nulli nel vuoto (non considerando la radiazione elettromagnetica), perciò

il che completa la dimostrazione.

Seconda e terza dimostrazione: Dipolo magnetico allineato alle linee di campo esterno

Verrà per prima cosa considerato il caso di un dipolo paramagnetico o diamagnetico. L'energia è data da

Espandendo e riarrangiando i termini,

ma dato che i laplaciani delle singole componenti del campo magnetico sono nulli,

e poiché il quadrato di un'intensità è sempre positivo,

Come detto sopra, ciò significa che il laplaciano dell'energia di un materiale paramagnetico non può mai essere positiva (niente levitazione stabile), e il laplaciano dell'energia di un materiale diamagnetico non può mai essere negativo (niente instabilità in ogni direzione).

In più, poiché l'energia nel caso di un dipolo di una data intensità (ferromagnetico) allineato al campo esterno è pari alla radice quadrata della suddetta energia, vi si applica la medesima analisi.

Laplaciani delle singole componenti di un campo magnetico

Verrà qui dimostrato che il laplaciano di ogni singola componente di un campo magnetico è zero.  Questo fa capire la necessità di invocare le proprietà dei campi magnetici per cui la divergenza di un campo magnetico è sempre zero, e il rotore è zero nel vuoto (ossia, in assenza i correnti o di campi elettrici variabili). Per una discussione più approfondita di queste proprietà dei campi magnetici, si vedano le equazioni di Maxwell.

Si consideri il laplaciano della componente  del campo magnetico:

Poiché il rotore di  è nullo,  e  perciò abbiamo

Ma, dato che  è continuo, l'ordine di differenziazione non ha importanza, il che dà

La divergenza di  è nulla, , quindi

Il laplaciano della componente   e il laplaciano della componente   si calcolano analogamente. In alternativa, si può usare l'identità , dove entrambi i termini tra parentesi scompaiono.

Note

Bibliografia

Collegamenti esterni
 "Is magnetic levitation possible?" , una discussione del teorema di Earnshaw e delle sue conseguenze per la levitazione, assieme a svariati metodi per produrre levitazione con campi elettromagnetici.
 Biografia  e altre informazioni su Samuel Earnshaw.

Elettrostatica
Earnshaw

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
require_relative '../../spec_helper'

describe "File.rename" do
  before :each do
    @old = tmp("file_rename.txt")
    @new = tmp("file_rename.new")

    rm_r @new
    touch(@old) { |f| f.puts "hello" }
  end

  after :each do
    rm_r @old, @new
  end

  it "renames a file" do
    File.exist?(@old).should == true
    File.exist?(@new).should == false
    File.rename(@old, @new)
    File.exist?(@old).should == false
    File.exist?(@new).should == true
  end

  it "raises an Errno::ENOENT if the source does not exist" do
    rm_r @old
    lambda { File.rename(@old, @new) }.should raise_error(Errno::ENOENT)
  end

  it "raises an ArgumentError if not passed two arguments" do
    lambda { File.rename        }.should raise_error(ArgumentError)
    lambda { File.rename(@file) }.should raise_error(ArgumentError)
  end

  it "raises a TypeError if not passed String types" do
    lambda { File.rename(1, 2)  }.should raise_error(TypeError)
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


General Motors Co said the last Chevrolet Cruze rolled off the assembly line Wednesday afternoon at its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant, the first of five plants in North America to end production this year and ending U.S. production of the Cruze.
The Cruze "was a good product and was built with tremendous pride by the Lordstown employees. We know this is an emotional day for our Lordstown team," GM said in a statement.
The Lordstown plant is being idled, resulting in the loss of 1,500 jobs. Since 2017, GM cut two of the three production shifts, eliminating 3,000 jobs amid sagging demand for small cars. GM is continuing to produce the Cruze in Mexico for other markets, but not for the United States, reports Reuters.
GM's chief executive, Mary Barra, has said the final fate of the plant and whether it will reopen will be decided this summer in contract talks with the UAW.
The automaker told employees of the plans in June 2018 to close the facility and shift the work to a new warehouse in Burton, Michigan. Ohio workers can move to Michigan if they choose, GM said.
Separately, the UAW and the Communication Workers of America union sent a letter this week to the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee asking it to investigate significant corporate tax cuts received by GM and AT&T Inc even as they cut thousands of union jobs.


text:
Home » Product Briefs
• Aspect Medical Systems (Norwood, Massachusetts) has received FDA clearance for the BIS View Monitoring system, the company's newest stand-alone monitor. The monitor offers customers a compact design and simplified operation for lower acuity clinical environments with limited room for monitoring equipment. According to the new indication for use statement cleared by the FDA, Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring may be used as an aid in monitoring the effects of certain anesthetic agents and may be associated with a reduction in primary anesthetic use and a reduction in emergence and recovery time. Using a sensor placed on the patient's forehead, BIS monitoring translates information from the electroencephalogram into a single number that represents each patient's level of consciousness. This number — the BIS value — ranges from 100 (indicating an awake patient) to zero (indicating the absence of brain activity). Using the BIS value to guide administration of anesthetic medication, clinicians can make informed decisions for optimal anesthesia or sedation. Aspect Medical Systems specializes in brain monitoring technology.
• Imaging Diagnostic Systems (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) reported the release and publication of select results highlighting the advantages of using CT laser breast imaging as an adjunct to conventional mammography to improve detection of occult cancers in dense breasts. The study demonstrated that, in a dense breast population, the adjunctive use of CTLM, classifying DCIS as malignant, increased sensitivity from 50% to 58.3% over mammography alone and improved specificity from 75.5% to 86.8%. When DCIS is classified as pre-malignant, the figures changed slightly, increasing sensitivity from 43.8% to 56.2% over mammography alone and improving specificity from 73.6% to 84.4%. The difference between the two sets of results reflects that the pathologically 'benign' form of DCIS shows angiogenesis in only 30% of cases, whereas comedocarcinoma shows angiogenesis in 75%, an observation that that might prove useful for stratifying DCIS for treatment purposes. Imaging Diagnostic Systems specializes in laser optical breast imaging systems.
• Novadaq Technologies (Toronto) reported the results of the first clinical experience utilizing the Helios fluorescence imaging system. The study confirmed that the use of intra-operative real-time laser- assisted fluorescent imaging during free-flap breast reconstructive surgery may result in improved intra-operative decision making for surgeons performing complex plastic surgery procedures and ultimately positively impact procedural outcomes for patients. Novadaq also reported that results from a pilot study of the use of the Luna imaging system during surgery for kidney cancer were recently presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Urological Association. The study included detailed analysis of images obtained using the Luna system during 10 kidney cancer surgeries. Results showed that LUNA allowed surgeons to differentiate between healthy and malignant cancerous tissue which enabled more precise removal of the malignant tissue while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. A critical factor in the future health of cancer patients. Novadaq makes real-time medical imaging systems and image guided therapies for the operating room.
* Prime Healthcare Services (Victorville, California) launched a 3-D picture archiving communication system (PACS) at the radiology departments at all of its facilities. This high tech investment is considered the next level in imaging excellence and will provide ready access to radiology diagnostic images. PACS streamlines care by providing real time high resolution radiology images that can be accessed via the Internet within minutes. The equipment comes with sophisticated array of provisions like enhanced security to protect patient privacy, vast storage for lasting images, voice recognition for physicians to instantaneously generated dictated reports, multiple access so physicians or other medical professionals can view results from any computer in the hospital and ability to provide printed film or digital copies of the images to the patients. Prime Healthcare Services currently owns and operates eight acute care facilities.
* Sequenom (San Diego) and Lenetix Medical Screening Laboratory (Mineola, New York) reported that Lenetix has submitted a clinical package to the New York State Department of Health to support its application for a clinical laboratory permit to perform a non-invasive prenatal Rhesus D (RhD) incompatibility test, the first non-invasive prenatal test based on Sequenom's Fetal Nucleic Acid Technology. Lenetix's RhD application of Sequenom's fetal nucleic acid technology detects a fetus' RhD status from the mother's blood sample without invasive procedures that typically pose risk to the health of the mother and baby in utero. Lenetix makes genetic screening and diagnostic testing products.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Keening_Product wrote: Pixel Press looks interesting, but I'm interested to know how effective its scan is - it's not all that hard to lay blocks in a 2D platformer on a PC after all.
It depends on the complexity of the tileset. It would probably take 10x as long to make a Vorticons map by hand, scan it, and then correct as opposed to just doing it on a computer screen.
On the other hand, something with a lot of slopes, curves, or multiple layers might benefit from something like this if the software could be made smart enough.
mortimer wrote: It's a neat idea, and I suppose - like most iOS stuff - it mainly just has the value of novelty as opposed to actual practicality.
But don't be mistaken. It's also on android. As for practicality, it's yet to be seen, but from what we can see, it's working already. And I like it mainly because it can bring me back to drawing. I have drawn some levels with pen for all kind of games back in the school days, so it will be fun to do this again, but this time I would actually make some use out of this.
wiivn wrote: I have drawn some levels with pen for all kind of games back in the school days, so it will be fun to do this again, but this time I would actually make some use out of this.
lemm wrote: On the other hand, something with a lot of slopes, curves, or multiple layers might benefit from something like this if the software could be made smart enough.
Very good point, so long as, as you said, the tileset is simple and the program detects the tiles correctly.
Armikrog. - from the creators of The Neverhood! One of the most original pc games that has no equivalent to this day! And also from the creators of Earth Worm Jim. One only can dream of another Clay game!
A Vampyre Story: Year One - A prequel to the A Vampyre Story! It was one of the few new adventure games that I actually finished and enjoyed. Their later game Ghost Pirates of Voojoo Island was also enjoyable. And you just have to support Bill Tiller, if you love the Monkey Island series!
The RoboRoach - and another interesting project. This time this will allow you to control a living insect from your smartphone! Finally some use of your smartphone.
Well, Armikrog get funded (At first I didn't believe it would get funded, but what do you know!), but unfortunately, A Vampyre Story: Year One didn't make it.
Now on to some other cool projects that got my attention.
If you love pixel art you've got to love this one!
A game that's in production for decades. That developing process kinda reminds me of my project... I hope this one gets funded and see the light of the day, as it's still too far away from reaching the goal.
Precinct by Jim Walls - the creator of Police Quest. This project is also quite away from its goal, but the concepts are very interesting. From what I saw this is going to be a fresh take on the adventure genre.
And a shout-out to Project Ravensdale from the German creators of the successful Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. It looks fun, but the amount of money they want seems too unrealistic to me.
Last edited by Roobar on Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:37, edited 3 times in total.
That precinct looks awesome! Reminds me of this game too, Police Tactics.
Some very interesting projects pops up.
First, probably the biggest one, Mighty No. 9. One of the Mega Man creators has found a company and is working on a very similar platform game, but with better graphics and other stuff. Apparently, there are a lot of Mega Man fans out there, so yeah, it's a matter of time this gets funded.
Next, some people are trying to make a game from one of my favorite cartoons - The Mysterious Cities of Gold! If you haven't watched it, just find it somewhere! However, I don't really like what they're doing in terms of gameplay, but men, I should support something involving with these all-time favorite series.
And finally, if Tommy Tallarico don't ring a bell to you, then you should know that he is a music veteran, known for games like Earth Worm Jim, Aladin, Sonic, Pac Man and 3000 more. VIDEO GAMES LIVE: LEVEL 3! Game Composers of the World UNITE they want to make a third video game album.
You might also be interested in "Project Phoenix" Japan's indie RPG, if you're an JRPG fan.
Last edited by Fleexy on Sat Mar 25, 2017 16:57, edited 1 time in total.
How often to crowd funded games get up relative to other crowd funded projects? There's a huge range of great games proposed but they seem to attract minds more than wallets.
I know most crowd funding fails, but it seems many games are coming from (once-)big names in the industry.
Crowd funding is hit or miss. People want what's bad for them.
I'm sure that's exactly what it needs, or if not is at least something sensible. I mean, no pointless piece of crud would actually get funded, right?
I want a statue of Judge Dredd!
wiivn wrote: I want a statue of Judge Dredd!
Pitched in for Mighty No.9 at the last minute. Was the 3DS version that finally tipped my scale as I thought $20 for a 3DS game isn't that bad of deal. But it remains as an investment only, till the game comes out of development.
Two projects got my attention recently.
The first one is Alone by Greenwood Games. Now, this is only an Occulus Rift game, but watching these videos made me want one!
And the other is Obduction by Cyan, the creators of Myst and Riven. If you know what those means, this is a no brainer. Obduction resurrects that incredible feeling of suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a new world to explore, discover, solve, and become part of.
Last edited by Roobar on Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:45, edited 2 times in total.
I'm currently contemplating backing Obduction, being a fan of Myst and Uru I was already aware of the Kickstarter yesterday and I seriously enjoy how the games looks and Cyan's attempt to recapture the essence of Myst.


text:
Die Subway Series () ist eine Serie von Baseballspielen zwischen zwei Mannschaften aus New York City in der Major League Baseball.

Historisch wurde der Begriff Subway Series für Duelle in der World Series verwendet, findet aber seit 1997 auch Anwendung bei sogenannten Interleague Games zwischen den New York Yankees aus der American League und den New York Mets aus der National League. Die Aufeinandertreffen der beiden ehemaligen New Yorker Teams New York Giants und Brooklyn Dodgers, die beide von 1880 bis 1957 in der National League spielten, werden nicht als Subway Series bezeichnet, solange sie in der Regular Season ausgetragen wurden.

Subway Series in der World Series
Alle World Series zwischen zwei New Yorker Teams:

1 bei der World Series 1922 gab es ein Unentschieden

Moderne Interleague Subway Series
Nach der Einführung der "interleague"-Serien 1997 trafen die New York Yankees und die New York Mets erstmals in der Geschichte der Franchises aufeinander. Seit 1999 treten die Teams jährlich in einer Serie aus sechs Spielen gegeneinander an. Beide Teams haben hierbei dreimal das Heimrecht.

Liste der modernen Interleague Subway Series

World Series 2000
Der Name "Subway Series" wird häufig auf die World Series 2000 reduziert. Es war die erste World Series zwischen zwei New Yorker Teams seit 1956 und sah die New York Yankees als Sieger mit 4-1 gewonnenen Spielen. Die beiden letzten Spiele der Serie gewannen die Yankees zudem auswärts im Shea Stadium der New York Mets.

Während der World Series 2000 dekorierte die Stadt einige Züge der U-Bahn Linien 4 und 7. Linie 4, welche in der Bronx am Yankee Stadium hält, wurde im Yankees-Stil weiß mit blauen Nadelstreifen und mit dem "NY"-Logo der Yankees dekoriert. Linie 7, welche in Queens am Shea Stadium hält, wurde in den Mets-Farben Blau und Orange und mit dem "NY"-Logo der Mets dekoriert.

Weblinks
 2000 Subway Series Rückblick auf MLB.com (englisch)
 Große Momente der Subway Series (englisch)

Baseball (Vereinigte Staaten)
New York Mets
New York Yankees


A big piece of actor-producer Tom Hanks's past is up for sale, right here in the Bay Area.
A houseboat in the Alameda-Oakland Estuary where the Oscar-winning actor once lived for a few years has been listed for $600,000.
Hanks, 62, who was born in Concord, lived on the boat long before he became famous. His father, Amos Hanks, bought the houseboat new back in 1973, and Hanks tweeted that he lived on it from 1973 to 1976.
He was 17 to 20 years old during that span and likely attending Skyline High School in Oakland and Chabot College in Hayward.
Hanks won back-to-back best actor Oscars for "Philadelphia" in 1993 and "Forrest Gump" in 1994. He also received Oscar nominations for "Cast Away" in 2001, "Saving Private Ryan" in 1999 and "Big" in 1989.


Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies, is world famous for its mountain scenery that looks precisely like mountains should. Rugged snow-capped peaks, emerald lakes and dramatic glaciers set a backdrop that's breathtaking almost to the point of unbelievable. The best parts of the park are only accessible by foot; here, Citizens of the World give us a rundown of what it takes to set your eyes on two of the world's most famous glacial lakes.
Canada's Lake Louise and Moraine Lake barely need an introduction – together, their majestic blue-hued reservoirs of ancient glacial water seem to make up almost three-quarters of the average newsfeed. You probably scrolled past a shot right this morning… and for good reason.
When you're stuck in your grey office cubicle, pretending to analyse Excel spreadsheets, taking a few minutes to imagine yourself somewhere far away from your email is not only entertaining, it's essential for mental health. In fact, according to Redshift Research, about one-fifth of professionals turn to social media for inspiration when it comes to planning their next holiday.
So in the interests of ensuring you get the maximum amount of zen from those precious days off, as well as – let's be honest – the kind Instagram shots you can cling to when you're back at work, here's a how-to guide to Canada's most loved and looked at lakes.
Your annual leave is there to be used, people. Let's make those weeks count.
Many come to Lake Louise searching for those snow-capped moody shots from the shores that look like you just happened upon an oasis while hunting for water to fill your canteen during a quest through the Canadian wilderness. And you'll get those shots for sure, as long as you don't mind jockeying with a few hundred other Insta-fiends in the process.
Like the veritable pageant queen that she is, Lake Louise in Alberta can get as crazy as she is come-hither, especially in summer. Sure, she's stunning with her soaring mountain amphitheatre but every single person in the world wants to get close to her, which means in order to have any kind of success on this journey, you're going have to take other people into account.
This is one of those instances when the journey is almost as beautiful as the destination and we're only talking about a road here, so we hope that gives you some indication of the kind of good-looks we're talking about. It might take you about an hour longer but we guarantee you won't be thinking about the extra time when you stumble across a mama bear and her cub in the bushes by the side of the road. While the uninformed hoards are zipping down the ever-so-convenient Trans Canada Highway, you'll be meandering your way through storybook forests forgetting about time altogether.
This is where the wildlife come to show off so if you see a cluster of cars pulled over, then you know something good is going down.
Big Beehive is the shortest but arguably one of the most badass hikes around Lake Louise. The bonus? In typical friendly Canadian style you can stop for a pot of tea on the way up.
It all starts very civilised at Chateau Lake Louise where the trail is thoroughly well-maintained and softly inclines for about 2.4km until you get to Mirror Lake (which, you'll notice, isn't just a clever name). This is the turning point where you ask yourself "how much do I really want a cup of tea right now?" To which the correct answer is always "So much! I love tea!".
With that decided, press on behind Mirror Lake towards the highline trail directing you to Lake Agnes. Things will start to get a little tougher for about half an hour. The bugs are angrier, the ground softer, but you might not notice because there's a shimmering cascading waterfall singing its siren song of Earl Grey and Oolong, marking the final climb towards Lake Agnes Tea House**.
Restored by the caffeine hit, we recommend carrying on around the back of Lake Agnes and following the switchbacks (zigzag uphill climbs) to the crown of Big Beehive for views across Lake Louise and Bow Valley.
**Write to us and confirm that it isn't the best Earl Grey you've ever tasted at 2,135m.
It all comes down to personal preference. Do you like your breathtaking vistas utterly in your face like a freshly bought Macbook background? Or do prefer to go digging for ocular gold as you crave a more intimate relationship with nature; the kind where you can wipe the sweat off your brow, strip the shirt off your freshly hiked loins and dive into the water without the fear of mentally scarring a few thousand tourists?
It doesn't matter which you prefer because Moraine Lake offers both.
Flanked by chiselled peaks and jagged rock piles providing a dramatic foil to the ultra-calm blue of the water, what Moraine might lack in size (compared to Lake Louise, anyway) it more than makes up for in personality.
There are layers to this lake and you'll get the most out if you take your time to let her reveal her secrets.
If this is your first time to Moraine Lake you're probably going to want to join the rest of the tourist hoards and climb your way up the Rockpile Trail, which offers a typical but no less incredible widescreen view across the lake from the summit. Get that out of the way because everyone does it and it's worth it. However, don't stop there. Moraine has one of the most picturesque Lakeshore Hikes in the world and you don't even need to be an apex hiker to tackle it.
This is a world-class walk in every respect. You've got emerald water on the left, soft mossy canopies on your right and charming footbridges crossing rushing waterfalls below. Finally the walk finishes with brilliant cascading rapids funnelled from Eiffel Lakes and Wenkchemma Pass.
Hot tip: Officially, the walk is only about 1.9km but that's when you start at Moraine Lake Lodge. Most visitors who aren't on a tour bus have to park about a kilometre out on Moraine Lake Road and you'll be able to measure the crowds based on how many vehicles you see squeezed off the asphalt and onto precarious precipices as you drive in. If you want to get great shots of Lake Moraine, go in the morning before 7am. The added bonus of an early start means you'll bypass all the car traffic and, to be honest, the sun sets behind the mountains in the evening anyway.
Regarded as the difficult sister of Lake Moraine's well-worn walking tracks, Sentinel Pass will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery Canada can provide, and you'll also zigzag more times than you can count. Pack lots of water and prepare to blast 'Eye of The Tiger' into your earbuds, because the Sentinel Pass Hike will definitely test your endurance.
The walk starts out easy along the Lakeshore Trail. Expect to be lulled into a false sense of security and fitness. Don't be deceived; it very quickly turns into a hell-sweat of switchbacks as you begin the 732m elevation. It's gruelling for about 45 minutes (depending on how your lungs cope) until it levels out onto the picturesque valley of the Ten Peaks. This part feels like a fairytale and you could easily stop here and be happy.
Push yonder though, through the wildflower meadows towards Summit Pass until you hit a final rank of sharp uphill bends. The temptation to flee here will be strong but if you conjure up the inner strength of a Navy Seal you'll reach one of the most awe-inspiring views nature can provide as you stand 3,543m high at the Summit of Mount Temple looking out over the valley below. Whip out your iPhone, you're going to want to remember this.
Some lunatics continue on from here, walking down the other side towards Lake Louise. We don't expect you to do that.
Pro tip: During bear season the hike requires a tight group of five because apparently Canadian bears hate crowds as large as One Direction. But seriously, hike safe, don't be a hero, leave that stuff to Bear Grylls.
Check out Qantas flights to book your next adventure in Vancouver.


text:
Washington state cannabis retailer faces second suspension since 2016
A Washington state sting operation resulted in one marijuana dispensary having its license suspended for the second time since 2016.
An employee of Greenway Marijuana in Port Orchard sold marijuana pre-rolls to an 18-year-old woman who was helping conduct a compliance check for the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), the Kitsap Sun reported. The legal age to buy marijuana in Washington is 21.
The newspaper obtained information about the sting through a public records request. The documents showed that the worker checked the woman's ID, which listed a birthdate in 2000, but completed the sale anyway.
Greenway's retail license will be suspended for 15 days beginning Oct. 11. The store will also pay a $2,500 fine for selling to a minor and $600 more for allowing a minor in a restricted area.
The store was also suspended for 10 days in 2016.
According to the newspaper, the LCB will revoke a retailer's license if the licensee is caught selling to minors three times in a three-year period.
"My budtender identified the young woman immediately and requested to see her ID. She analyzed it for a minute and thought she was of age," Greenway owner Michael Lyman wrote in an email to the Sun.
"We have every measure of prevention available to ensure complete compliance. However, human error is inevitable."
– Associated Press
Categories: Cannabis Industry & Marijuana Business Briefs, Marijuana Dispensary & Cannabis Store News, Marijuana Legalization and Regulatory News for Cannabis Businesses, United States Cannabis Industry & Marijuana Business News, Washington State Medical Cannabis Business & Marijuana Legal News


Looking for low-calorie breakfast and brunch recipes? Allrecipes has more than 110 trusted low-calorie breakfast and brunch recipes complete with ratings, reviews and cooking tips.
See how easy it is to make tasty applesauce from scratch.
These blintz-like pancakes are simple, easy to make, and delicious.
Cooked cornmeal is chilled overnight and then fried until golden brown.
Applesauce and cinnamon add a sweet and moist variation to the classic batter of milk, eggs and sugar.
Quinoa, rolled oats, and oat bran are cooked into a delicious hot cereal with banana and walnuts to help satisfy you and keep you full.


text:
Q: SQL - How to return all column fields for one column containing duplicates I'm trying to get to grips with SQL as I'm implementing SQLite into my existing program.
I'm trying to work out how to display the results of a search for duplicate values in one particular column, and where duplicates are found, I want ALL the rows that correspond to the column cell where a duplicate was found, to be displayed.
For example, for data in the database is :
Column A | Column B | Column C
Peter    | Smith    | 1234
Claire   | Walter   | 1234
Sandra   | Kay      | 0000
Oliver   | Meeson   | 3456
Alex     | Grey     | 0000
James    | Garnder  | 2489

I want to search Column C for duplicates. So, the query would find that rows 1 and 2 contain duplicated values in Column C, as well as rows 3 and 5. So, where found, I need it to return all fields for all three columns where column C contains duplicates. So the result I want is this:
Peter    | Smith    | 1234
Claire   | Walter   | 1234
Sandra   | Kay      | 0000
Alex     | Grey     | 0000

I read several posts like this and this and this last one which was the most helpful in that by using SELECT DISTINCT it did return only the UNIQUE values (and therefore excluded duplicate ones), but that is visa versa to what I want, and it did not also return the Columns A and B with the results.  The suggestions in the earlier two posts just keep returning empty results when I know there are duplicate values in the database.
Hoping someone could help?

A: You can have query which first gets all duplicate values based on that particular column and retrieve records which is in that duplicate values.
Your query should be like this :
SELECT Column_A, Column_B, Column_C
FROM your_table
WHERE Column_C IN (
    SELECT Column_C
    FROM your_table
    GROUP BY Column_C
    HAVING COUNT(*) > 1)

A: You may use the GROUP BY statement like this:
SELECT A, B, C
FROM T
WHERE C IN (SELECT C
            FROM T
            GROUP BY C
            HAVING COUNT(*) > 1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I planted two rows of silverbeet last week & have seedlings coming up all over the patch but not necessarily in the rows so I think they may be tomatoes from the compost I spread there.
I also have two rows of healthy looking forget me nots that I raised from seed in a 3l plastic milk bottle with one side cut and folded back. I find that seeds germinate in about half the time nominated on the packet when raised this way & it also enables you to control the sun exposure, watering & snail control.
I am currently growing about 20 radishes this way & they will stay in the plastic bottle until eaten.
Thanks for the tip on the milk bottle, awesome idea and one that I will try out.
Funny about the random seedlings that pop up in the patch, I like the unexpectedness of it all – some of my best tomatoes have been random.
Happy tilling to you as well.


text:
/ Cory Doctorow / 10:06 am Mon Jan 14, 2019
Dark markets have evolved to use encrypted messengers and dead-drops
Cryptocurrencies and Tor hidden services ushered in a new golden age for markets in illegal goods, especially banned or circumscribed drugs: Bitcoin was widely (and incorrectly) viewed as intrinsically anonymous, while the marketplaces themselves were significantly safer and more reliable than traditional criminal markets, and as sellers realized real savings in losses due to law enforcement and related risks, the prices of their merchandise plummeted, while their profits soared.
But much of the security of dark markets was an illusion. The anonymity of cryptocurrencies could often be pierced; the services themselves could be subverted by law enforcement in order to roll up many sellers and buyers at once; and the "last mile" problem of shipping illegal substances through the mails exposed buyers and sellers to real risks.
The buyers and sellers in dark markets have responded to these revelations and new facts on the ground with a range of ingenious, high-tech countermeasures.
Buyers are now more likely to conduct sales negotiations through encrypted messenger technologies, and each customer is assigned their own unique contact, staffed by a bot that can answer questions on pricing and availability and broker transactions. Many of these transactions now take place through "private cryptocurrencies" that have improved anonymity functions (there is a lot of development on these technologies).
Delivery is now largely managed through single-use "dead drops" -- hidden-in-plain-sight caches that are pre-seeded by sellers, who sometimes use low-cost Bluetooth beacons to identify them (these beacons can be programmed to activate only in the presence of a wifi network with a specific name: a seller provides the buyer with a codeword and a GPS coordinate; the buyer goes to the assigned place and creates a wifi network on their phone with the codeword for its name, and this activates the Bluetooth beacon that guides the buyer to their merchandise).
The logistics of these dead-drops are fascinating: there's a hierarchy on the distribution side, with procurers who source merchandise and smuggle it into each region; sellers who divide the smuggled goods into portions sized for individual transactions, and sellers, whose "product" is just a set of locations and secret words that they give to buyers.
The hierarchy creates the need for auditing and traitor-tracing to prevent the different layers from ripping each other off. Dead drops are randomly audited and audits are verified by reporting on the contents of unique printed codes that accompany each drop. Distributors post cryptocurrency "security" (bonds) with sellers and lose their deposits when their dead drops fail.
In a fascinating paper on the rise of these "dropgangs," Jonathan "smuggler" Logan identifies some key weaknesses in the scheme, including the persistence of trackable coins being spent by buyers at the end of the transaction (dropgang members are more likely to adopt private coins than buyers); and the lack of the buyer-and-seller reputation systems that the dark markets provide.
Logan proposes that this can be resolved with "proofs of sale" that would be published on public forums, which increases the risk from law enforcement.
Logan also proposes that ultrasonic chirps may replace Bluetooth beacons, with per-drop codephrases doing a call-and-response to help buyers home in on their purchases.
Given the developments in technology and methods, it is very likely that black markets will spread in both availability and demand. All kinds of goods will be widely available, anonymously, securely, in our cities and urban environments. More people will find their livelihoods in taking part in these distribution networks, since required skills and risks are low, while a steady income for the industrious can be expected. Instead of delivering papers, teenagers will service dead drops. This will lead to further developments that serve the convenience and security of black market merchants and customers. A plausible next step would be the development of markets for dead drop operators that make their living by picking up product from one dead drop and placing it in another, working as a proxy for the customer to increase his safety and to reduce his efforts. This would also make this distribution model wider spread and available to more products, which will blur the lines between the black and the legal market. On this blurred line new services and technologies will establish themselves, inherently dual use services like lock boxes that can be paid by peer-to-peer cryptocurrencies.
Looking even further into the future, it seems plausible that the whole urban environment might find itself integrated into a dynamic landscape of very short-lived dead drops that are serviced by humans and cheap drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), which are already cheaply available and likely only require one market actor to develop and spread a mechanism to pick up and drop goods. Both merchant and customer could use drones, that are available for rent through dedicated Apps, to deliver product to a meeting point on a roof, where another drone would pick it up. Chaining multiple exchanges like this will make the tracing of the delivery extremely hard, essentially leading to mixing techniques so far used only in anonymizing digital communication.
Given the additional plausible development that long distance, high payload drones become available more widely, and for much less cost, the procurement layer of Dropgangs will also become more secure and efficient.
Dropgangs, or the future of darknet markets [Jonathan "smuggler" Logan/Opaque Link]
(via Four Short Links)
(Image: Ian Muttoo, CC-BY-SA)
anonymity / dark markets / dead drops / dropgangs / drugs / infosec / physsec / security / war on drugs
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text:
The best of Bellagio
Lake Como, Italy is more than a single body of water
"Are we going back to Bellagio?" is how Rog remembers asking the question. My recollection is slightly different. I thought it was more akin to "We are going back to Bellagio," the statement said with a bit of force.
The town holds a singular point of divinity for Rog, which would similar to a devout Christian would think of the Garden of Eden being placed in your back yard. In other words, heaven on Earth. Nope, this isn't the hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada mind you, but the slim peninsula situated on Lake Como.
The beauty of the Italian Alps–this was just a random stop at a persons home, and I couldn't resist (they were polite and pleased I adored their home/view)
It's all about the food
The similarity centers on food, the apple in one instance, but meats, cheese, and yes, a few apples on this one. You see, by the time we arrived in Bellagio, we were starved. We roamed the streets, getting in a few sites before stopping at a restaurant situated half-way up a narrow allow, but wide enough o allow a two-person table. We took the waiters recommendation, ordering what we thought would be an appetizer-size plate. It turned out to similar in size to a large pizza, the wooden plate laden with an assortment of cold cuts, cheeses and fruits, fresh bread, crackers and all types of jams.
This was culinary nirvana for Rog: massive quantities of the authentic fair. So it is that we are taking the girls back this summer, his hope to find this exact eatery once again and replay the experience that made such an imprint. Shopping? Yeah, we did that, purchasing items for relatives at seriously discounted prices given the currency exchange. The ferry ride? Check. Walking the waterfront? Yep. Traipsing up and down the narrow streets, indulging in the local gelato? You betcha. But nothing…nothing ranks up there in Rog's mind like that platter of food. Me? I was along for the ride, literally. I loved it all.
Narrow streets (this was actually one of the wider ones), no lane markers, the motorcylists racing between cars already packed like sardines in a can. This is where I got the idea to have one of my lead characters in the Danielle Grant series die while on his motorcycle. It's real!
The journey, and I'm going to throw in Menaggio and a bit of the Lake itself
This day trip to Bellagio started out as a one-day itinerary once we arrived in Lake Como. To the uninitiated, the locals, and Italians spell the lake Como, pronouncing it "oh," as in Lake "Coh-moe", slightly different that Americans, who tend to spell it "Cue—oh-moe", and spell it with a 'u'. It doesn't really matter, because the either way, it's big, diverse and takes a while to drive around.
From Zurich, we went over the Swiss Alps, using the road favored by touring bikers (motorcyclists) and the sports cars who thrive on the twisty-turvy road. Along the way, you encounter the Contra Dam, cows and a dramatic change of scenery (which I partially cover in my blog on those topics).
What we didn't expect to see was such a dramatic change once we reached the top of the mountains, seeing the planted Italian flag. The differences were stark. The roads, just as twisty, were not as well maintained, so we had to be careful of the potholes and general condition, yet we were so captivated with the views and architecture of the hillside homes it didn't matter. Mountain lakes like Lake Lugano were dark grey, the clouds giving the glossy covers a matte finished look. The roughly three-hour drive from Zurich ended when we hit the first down on Lake Cuomo, Menaggio.
The top of the mountain has a mother Mary statue for safe passage of travelers. I was safe but I was cold!
A plethora of towns
Unlike my adopted home town of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which is 22 miles long, and retains the name wherever you are actually located, Como has townships dotting the shoreline. In the States, certain areas are named (Loffs Bay, Mica Flats, etc.) but those are informal neighborhoods. On Como, each township is just that: its own town, with a center, police force etc. We stayed in Menaggio at the north end, choosing a place right close to the tunnel for ease of access to what we'd call a freeway, but is more like a narrow, two-lane road. We also desired a pool, (thinking it was going to be hotter than it was), parking (hard to come by) walking distance to the center of town and most of all, the ferry.
Menaggio offered all of that, but then we learned, so do many other little areas. This summer we decided to be closer to Bellagio and are staying on the opposite side of the lake in Verena, the ferry ride to Bellagio about five minutes, versus the fifteen from Menaggio.
The official marker in to Italy was anti-climactic. I wanted officers and a stamp (as I wrote in one of my novels) and I got crickets.
Hillside rentals
The relatively low prices of rentals on the lake are what astounds most folks (Americans) we speak with. I believe it's because the impression is one of such exclusivity for the lake itself as the vacation spot for celebrities and the wealthy. The reality is the hills are full of vineyards cared for by the full-timers, and the price of top floor penthouse is less than $2,000 US for ten days, the private elevator, parking, three-bedroom, three-bathroom flat with five decks a bargain.
Top deck view, the tunnel to the North in the background. It was quiet however, barely a sound. The hill behind our flat were vineyards.
Back to Bellagio
The first time we visited Bellagio, we decided to drive, and it was a journey of about five hours all the way down and around the southern tip of the lake, then up to the peninsula. Nope, we had no idea it was going to take this long, but with only a single, extremely narrow road to navigate and a ton of stop lights, we made it as quickly as possible. Needless to say, we took the ferry on the return trip, and the journey was shortened by about 5 hours (it was only a fifteen-minute ride across the lake!)
The ferry schedule is every thirty minutes all day, docking portside to the center of town
Bellagio has two faces, really. The center of town, which is flat and lakeside. This is where quite a few of the major shopping takes place (think Hermes and the like). Yet dozens (hundreds?) of smaller boutiques with Italian goods dot the steep alleys that extend from the center up the hills. The majority are perhaps the size of my living room, crowded with silks of all types, jewelry, shoes or purses—the kind of things favored by women from out of town (me!). You'd think I would go crazy, but actually, I didn't. I stopped after purchasing a few leather bracelets, because I'd seen quite a few of the same items in Lugano (another township) at a lower price—roughly 30%. I held my money and went back to Lugano to purchase a purse and a few other things, still enjoying the experience of Bellagio without feeling like an irresponsible shopper. To give you an example, a purse I'd seen in the US was $700. In Bellagio, that same purse was $500, which is quite a discount. In Lugano, it was $300. No that's called savings.
Steep, narrow walkways–this was one of the less traveled–others can be wall-to-wall people
The other face of Bellagio is just outside the center, within walking distance, and it's what I'd call the local areas. Lovely, mostly empty beaches, gardens and what I'd call sitting areas—secluded spots with benches for sitting and watching the ducks on the water. We could only rationalize that those who come to this lake want to "be seen" at the hotspots either on a boat or on a packed beach, rather than enjoy the quiet and romance that's actually available and free! So it was that we went exploring and, in an hour, counted four different waterside areas, all in the area of Bellagio, all as free of people as the next one. On several occasions, these public areas were right next to high-end hotels. Glancing through the trees separating hotel from the public area, we saw the pool area packed with sunbathers, the chairs right next to one another. It's all a matter of preference, we surmised. If you want to come to the lake, sit poolside and be pampered, then you have plenty of options.
Lakeside pools offer slips for boats but also much warmer water than the glacier-fed lake
By now, you are probably sick of reading my commentary on "the waterfront" of whatever lake we've visited. Sorry, it's going to continue. Upon reflection of my seeming obsession with waterfronts, perhaps it's because they are all so different—country to country and town to town. Such care and attention is given to the trees, pathways and facilities, more than often I feel like I'm in some version of Cinderella's castle and the ferry godmother is going to pop out and grant me a wish.
The lovely (and basically empty) pathway leading to the center of Bellagio
And on that note, don't be afraid to drive that rental car to Lake Como or pick one up when you arrive. Parking is plentiful in the Lake and surrounding areas. Not all rental homes have parking, but many do, as well as the hotels.
What I liked best
Each township has its own vibe, culture, eateries and destinations to see. It's no wonder people come for a month and spend days roaming the 146-kilometer areas. If you are bored and want to visit the celebrities, I found this guide just for you, which also gives you some options as to how to best get to the lake.
Up the hillside are villas and wineries
What I liked least
The driving! Whoa, never in our lives have we encountered the insanity of the one-way, narrow, basically lawless driving along the lakeshore, particularly between and within the smallest of the townships. Because we have gone at the beginning of the summer (June and to mid-July), instead of the high season, which is August, we didn't even experience the worst of it, but what we did encounter was enough. Oh well, it's part of the experience.
Feature image: taken from the deck of the flat
in Accommodations / Destinations 0 comments
Post tagseuropeeurope 2019Europe trip planningeuropean travelfamily activitiesfamily destinationsItalian AlpsItalyLake ComoMilan


Amazon has announced it will expand its Vancouver tech hub with a new office that will bring 3,000 new jobs to the city.
Amazon said the new 416,000 square foot tech hub, called the "Development Centre," will be built on top of a re-developed post office building and is expected to open in 2022. The new positions will focus on ecommerce, cloud computing, and machine learning.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended the announcement, said Canadians are excited to see Amazon expand its presence across the country.
Amazon currently employs over 6,000 people across Canada, with 1,000 of them based in Vancouver at the company's Telus Garden location, which opened in 2015. In June 2017, Amazon opened a corporate office in Toronto and in November 2017, the company confirmed plans to open a second Vancouver office in 2020, bringing another 1,000 jobs to the city. Amazon said it expects to grow to 5,000 corporate employees in Vancouver in the coming years.
I was briefly living in Seattle and it was astonishing to see how Amazon is going Pac-Man over the streets in South Lake Union. I'm curious to see how they are going to tackle the Vancouver real estate.


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Fee free ATMs to continue
Posted on January 28, 2018 by ICAN - ICAN News
As 2017 was coming to a close, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) re-authorised 15 banks to to provide fee-free usage at up to 85 selected ATMs in remote parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
Wujal Wujal, a small isolated rainforest community situated in south eastern Cape York is one site on the list to have their Fee Free ATM extended for a further five years. "Historically bank fees have really impacted our community," said Desmond Tayley, Mayor of the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal community.
"The fee free ATM in Wujal Wujal has helped reduce one of many high cost living expenses here. We welcome the announcement and would be keen to know the overall savings to our community through this initiative."
Aaron Davis, CEO of the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN), is also pleased to see the initiative extended and is looking forward to see its reach expanded. "We know there is only one out of fifteen Torres Strait Islands without a bank that have access to this initiative. You don't get any more remote than these islands and high cost bank fees, fuel and groceries really put pressure on low incomes. Given that these inequities continue to exist for the Torres Strait, we'd like to see the fee free ATM initiative expanded in this geographic area," said Mr Davis.
In an Australian Banking Association (ABA) media release, CEO, Anna Bligh explained why the Fee Free ATM initiative is important. "Until remote communities get better access to phone or internet technology to do their banking, the ATM is a lifeline for them. The ABA and the banks it represents is proud to be able to help bridge the divide between those in remote areas and the rest of Australia," Ms Bligh said.
If you live in a remote community and don't have access to a Fee free ATM, ICAN would like to know. You can call Carmen Daniels at ICAN on 1300 669 878 or email carmen.daniels@ican.org.au and help our lobbying efforts. A full list of the participating ATMs providing fee-free access can be found here.


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Home › Institute › Research Departments › Joint activities › EPICC › Activities › Seminars and Lectures
EPICC Project Lead Kira Vike and EPICC migration researcher Julia M. Blocher present on climate-conflict linkages in a public-facing webinar co-organized with the Berghof Foundation, 25.02.2021
The Berghof Foundation and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) co-organized "Climate Change Impacts on Conflict – Moving from Acknowledgement to Action", an online event featuring researchers and expert discussants. The aim is to advance the debate from stating the facts to taking action.
Starting with inputs from experts on Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Syria, the participants discussed how effects of the climate crisis, such as droughts and shifting rainfall patterns, affect local conflict dynamics. Based on these insights, an expert panel explored climate change and peacebuilding challenges that lay ahead for both disciplines, where innovative approaches are developed, and how organisations should reach out for increased cooperation and funding.
PIK researcher Julia M. Blocher provided evidence on Ethiopia, informed by the wider body of research on climate-conflict linkages and on climate-sensitive development that is also core to her EPICC research. EPICC Project Lead Kira Vinke served as a panellist, contributing input on innovative approaches to peacebuilding, strategies for multi-stakeholder participation, and sensitivity to gender dimensions of climate-conflict research and strategies.
You can watch the recording of the event here. [...]
EPICC Project Lead, Dr. Kira Vinke, presents the latest research on migration within the PIK Internal Online Lecture Series, 02.07.2020
The PIK Internal Online Lecture Series was established by PIK in face of the pandemic "to stay connected intellectually while being separated physically" due to home office being the current modus operandi. As part of this series, which covers a range of topics, Dr. Kira Vinke presented emerging topics and research questions that are being explored under the migration research within the EPICC project.
The talk started with the introduction of the project and Migration team who are addressing the Output's overarching question which is whether migration can be an effective adaptation strategy by improving household resources, capabilities and resilience. In this respect, two types of migration are identified: proactive and reactive migration. The former is generally considered to be more likely to be effective, as it assumes a longer time period for planning and high level of agency. Reactive migration is instead deemed to be less likely to be 'adaptive', occurs on a short notice, and is a relatively involuntary decision – for example, to escape an imminent environmental threat. In addition, Dr. Vinke elaborated on ongoing research, namely the role environmental and climatic factors play for migration. She presented findings from a meta-analysis on environmental migration, also conducted as part of the project. The research shows a strong connection between environmental factors and migration and the significance of political and socio-economic factors thereon. Environmentally-induced migration is found to be particularly strong in studies focusing on middle-income and agriculturally-dependent countries, and weaker in studies concentrating on low and high-income countries. The findings will be published in an academic article soon.
Subsequently, Dr. Vinke presented EPICC's interdisciplinary migration research on Tanzania, Peru and India which benefits from the close collaboration with the other EPICC research topics, such as Climate, Hydrology and Agriculture. As regards to the work on Tanzania, PhD student Julia Blocher studies which individual and household characteristics make a household member more likely to migrate and assesses how migration in Tanzania is likely to be shaped in the future by environmental factors. An upcoming report to be jointly published with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), entitled "Assessing the Evidence: Climate Change and Migration in Tanzania", identifies northern pastoralists among the groups in the country that are most vulnerable to climate change. The research on Peru conducted by PhD student Jonas Bergmann looks at three no-analog threats, namely: changes in El Niño intensification, rapid deglaciation and extreme heat events, all of which show urgent necessity to develop an action plan on climate migration. His research examines large and complex well-being consequences of migration from areas with climate hazards. The findings will also be presented as a joint publication within the popular series of IOM, titled "Assessing the Evidence: Climate Change and Migration in Peru". The migration research on India focuses on the Northern state of Uttarakhand, where PhD student Himani Upadhyay studies intense out migration and depopulation across the hill districts. This is a source of conflicts and competition of resources in the urban district and widens the gap in regional economic inequality. In addition, agricultural workload in the depopulated areas becomes higher, especially for women, which instigates even further the migration processes. The findings will appear in a joint publication with the project partner TERI.
Lastly, Dr. Vinke gave an account of two international human rights instruments, i.e. the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) and Geneva Refugee Convention (1951), which fail to effectively address the issue of climate change in the 21st century, leading to lack of protection of climate-displaced persons. She introduced the Nansen passport, devised by Fridtjof Nansen, 1922 Nobel Peace Laureate, as the first legal tool to allow displaced people to travel and work in Europe. More information on the climate passport can be found in the WBGU Policy Paper: Just & In-Time Climate Policy. In addition, further research on policy for Human Mobility is being currently conducted.
Please note that once the above-mentioned reports are published they will be listed under the EPICC publications.
Webinar on the Monsoon Prediction in Central India and Telangana - Research that helps farmers to plan for their agricultural cycle during the monsoon season, 13.05.2020
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina delivered a lecture on the monsoon prediction for Central India and Telangana for 2020 during a webinar that was attended by a total of 450 participants from Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies from India.
The online event was organized by the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) in Hyderabad, India, and was presided over by Vice-Chancellor V. Praveen Rao. Legislator Chennamaneni Ramesh, a Humboldt-expert in Agriculture. The chairman of the Indo-German Project on Sustainability introduced the speaker.
Prof. Surovyatkina announced that the onset of monsoon in Telangana is to occur between 16th and 24th of June. Furthermore, she predicted isolated rainfall and dry spells between the last week of June to mid of July and continuous spells of rain subsequently. This information is delivered one month before the start of the monsoon, and is crucial for the agricultural community in India.
The long-term forecast of the monsoon onset, delivered specially for the drought-prone regions in Central India, supports farmers in planning for the agricultural cycle: i.e. to prepare their fields in time for crop sowing or to buy appropriate seed varieties in time. Unexpected early or late monsoon onset results in farmers losing their investment. Using the monsoon onset forecast, the Farmers Advisory Panel of the Agricultural State University advice local farmers and stakeholders on the selection of crop varieties, the timing of the preparation of their fields and timing of crop sowing.
Further information on the monsoon forecast can be found on the PIK Monsoon Page.
EPICC Seminar on Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience & Migration in Potsdam, Germany, 04.03.2020
Dr. Roman Hoffmann and Jonas Bergmann gave a talk on Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Migration to members of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) and participants from the German Armed Forces. The talk which was addressed to the about 30 attendees was part of the seminar series "Strategy change through climate change? How climatic changes shape our security policy", organized by the Bundeswehr Information Center in collaboration with the YATA. It was focused on global climate science, observed trends and projections, as well as specific local risks and impacts in Peru and Tanzania, two of the partner countries in the EPICC project. The presenters assessed evidence on adaptation strategies and climate migration within these, pointing to challenges and opportunities. The presentation concluded with recommendations on how to raise resilience and address vulnerabilities related to climate change, followed by a rich discussion with the participants.
EPICC Guest Researcher shares Knowledge on a Participatory Approach that supports Local Information for Weather Forecasts in Tanzania, 07.01.2020
Mr. Emmanuel Ole Kileli Leyani from Tanzania visited PIK as a guest researcher from December 2019 to January 2020. He is the Progam Officer at Parakuiyo Pastoralists Indigenous Community Development Organization (PAICODEO), founder and director of the Ereto Maasai Youth Organization (EMAYO), and Executive Director of The Kesho Trust. During his research stay, he worked in close collaboration with the migration team, while he also interacted with other project teams such as those from Hydrology and Water Resources, Climate, Agriculture and Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer.
Besides supporting the migration research on mobile farmers and pastoralists, Emmanuel gave a presentation on "Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP)", during the project's monthly meeting on the 7thof January 2020. Besides the EPICC Team, more than 15 scientists from PIK joined the lecture. PSP is a method that he and his organization applies to make use of weather forecasts in Tanzania. The approach brings together different stakeholders to share, discuss, and interpret weather forecasts specific to their localities before putting them into use. Therefore, PSP integrates scientific and traditional knowledge in the interpretation of weather forecasts. "Climate change impacts are felt most by local communities in my country, especially small scale farmers and pastoralist communities whose livelihoods depend mainly on seasonal rainfall", says Emmanuel. Therefore, he highlights the potential of the method that can help local communities (end-users of climate information) to make informed decisions about when to prepare their crop yields, sow seeds, or organize their seasonal livestock migration based on three months weather forecasts of their local area.
Emmanuel insists on the current need for accurate weather information for better decision making by the pastoralists and farming communities in Tanzania. He praised the work of PIK and especially that of the EPICC project aimed at generating knowledge and information that could positively influence policy change or effective implementation in his home country.
For more information about Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP), Emmanuel recommends the "Practical Guide to Participatory Scenario Planning" published by CARE.
For more information about Emmanuel please find his contact details here.
Further Seminars and Lectures in 2021
04/03/2021 - The European Institute of the London School of Economics (LSE) (online):
Julia M. Blocher gave an introductory presentation on migration and displacement in the context of a changing climate. The talk covered conceptual and methodological challenges; empirical evidence, including on motivations for migration and place attachment; and the latest thinking on migration as an adaptive strategy, inter alia. New case study research from Tanzania conducted for the EPICC project was shared as an example.
26/11/2020 - Centre for Integrated Research on Risk and Resilience at King's College London (online):
Julia M. Blocher presented one online seminar in the series, focused on migration and displacement in the context of a changing climate.
09-11/2020 - ECOLENS by the Indian Documentary Foundation (IDF) (online):
Himani Upadhyay gave a talk titled "Climate Migration: Causes and Futures" focusing on how global climate crisis affects migration at local, national and transnational levels, and what it means for these societies. Videos were recorded on all sessions, see ECO LENS Nov 9, 2020 - Part 3.
03/09/2020 – Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) – 4th Session Climate Change and Gender (online):
Jonas Bergmann was invited to present results on Climate Change and Migration.
19/02/2020 - Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) (Hamburg, Germany):
Dr. Stephanie Gleixner and Dr. Anastasia Lobanova participated in DWD Discussion workshop on forecasts and presented their research results.
13-17/02/2020 - Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Zürich, Switzerland):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina participated in round-table on tipping elements and presented Monsoon prediction.
17/01/2020 - The International Green Week (Berlin, Germany):
EPICC Advisory Board member Sven Plöger and Project Lead Dr. Kira Vinke participated in a discussion round on forest, climate and nutrition at a kick-off event of the International Green Week.
13/01/2020 - Heidelberg University (Heidelberg, Germany):
Dr. Kira Vinke participated as guest lecturer presenting to working group "Climate change and Health".
Seminars and Lectures in 2018/19
16/12/2019 - The University of California San Diego (San Diego, USA):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina and Nitin Babu George presented the results of the Monsoon research.
02-03/12/2019 - Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) (Innsbruck, Germany):
Julia Blocher gave a lecture on "Climate Change and Human Mobility" for master students at MCI.
04/11/2019 - The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (Potsdam, Germany):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina was invited to present the results of Monsoon research at Herbstschule "System Erde" in a video-lecture titled "When does the Indian Summer Monsoon Begin?". The input was developed in cooperation with EPICC guest researcher Roman Medvedev and help of EPICC Migration Output researcher Jonas Bergmann.
28/10/2019 - Nollo (online):
Jonas Bergmann participated in Online Panel Discussion - "The Great Migration: A discussion of the deep impact climate change is having and will have on global migration".
25/10/2019 - The Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China):
Dr. Jingfang Fan presented: "Statistical physics approaches to Earth complex systems".
24/10/2019 - China Meteorological Administration (Beijing, China):
23/10/2019 - Peking University (Beijing, China):
10/10/2019 - The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) (Potsdam, Germany):
Dr. Kira Vinke hosted and presented at the meeting with Diplomatenkolleg.
25/09/2019 - Humboldt-University Berlin, Physics Department (Berlin, Germany):
Dr. Jingfang Fan presented: "Climate network percolation reveals the expansion and weakening of the tropical component under global warming" at International Workshop on Complex Systems and Networks 2019. Besides the EPICC Team, more than 15 scientists from PIK joined the lecture.
17/09/2019 - Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) (Hyderabad, India):
EPICC researchers participated in one-day Workshop on SAPCC Revision. Dr. Anastasia Lobanova held a presentation on hydrological (SWIM) modeling of weather & climate impacts and adaptation options. Dr. Anastasia Lobanova, Ponraj Arumugam, Dr. Holger Hoff (skype), Saurabh Bhardwaj, Dr. Thomas Möller (DWD, skype), discussed contributions and collaborations on hydrology & water resources.
17/09/2019 - German Centre for Research and Innovation (New Delhi, India):
EPICC Senior Scientific Advisor Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber held a Science Circle Lecture titled "The Climate Emergency, The German "Energiewende" and The Great Transformation". He spoke about the urgency of the climate crisis and gave a warning regarding the severity of the Tipping Elements. Professor Schellnhuber emphasized Germany's Energiewende, a switch to renewable energy sources, as an exemplary strategy for countries like India with high solar energy potential.
07/2019 - Cambridge Global Conversations (CGC) – Ethics in a Time of Climate Change, Intellectual Forum Jesus College (Cambridge, UK):
Dr. Kira Vinke shared her thoughts on the causes of climate migration, climate justice, political will, and more. A CGC Climate Ethics Video was recorded on the sidelines of the CGC#1 Climate Ethics Event.
10/05/2019 - Andreas Gymnasium (Berlin, Germany):
Jonas Bergmann held a presentation titled "Climate crisis and migration - an outlook into your future" during biology class discussion to the students. The presentation introduced the environmental influences on migration and displacement, the basics of climate change, and how the climate crisis is shaping population movements.
15/04/2019 - Centre for International Studies - TU Dresden (Dresden, Germany):
Jonas Bergmann held a block seminar titled "Climate Risks and Migration" during the summer semester 2019.
22-23/03/2019 - Conservation International (San Martín, Peru):
Jonas Bergmann facilitated and presented at a workshop titled: "Sustainable Scenarios for Alto Mayo: Planning and Action for Thriving Communities and Ecosystems".
20/03/2019 - MeteoSwiss (Zürich, Switzerland):
Dr. Stephanie Gleixner presented EPICC Project at "Abschluss Workshop des Meteo-Swiss-SENAMHI Projektes CLIMANDES".
24/01/2019 - German Consulate in Bangalore, Federal Foreign Office, German Centre for Research and Innovation (Bangalore, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation at Science Circle Lecture titled: "Tipping elements approach for predicting onset and withdrawal of Indian Summer Monsoon".
29/11/2018 - Technical University Munich (Munich, Germany):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina participated in a Ph.D. Seminar – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management and held a presentation titled: "A Better Way to Predict the Indian Monsoon".
18/10/2018 - Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai IIT Madras, Department of Physics (Madras, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation titled: "Monsoon Forecast for Central India: Evidence from Observations".
18/10/2018 - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) (Pune, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held two presentation titled: "Monsoon Forecast for Central India: Evidence from Observations" and "Predicting onset and withdrawal of Indian Summer Monsoon: observational evidence for results of Tipping elements approach".
16/10/2018 - German Embassy, Delhi, Federal Foreign Office, German Centre for Research and Innovation (New Delhi, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation at Science Circle Lecture titled: "Monsoon Forecast under Climate Change".
26/06/2018 - International Center for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) (Bangalore, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation titled: "Prediction of Indian summer monsoon: from Complex Network to Tipping elements approach" at the ICTS Workshop.
26/06/2018 - Indian Meteorological Society (IMS) (Delhi, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation titled: "Monsoon Forecast Under Climate Change".
19/06/2018 - Water Technology Centre of Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) (Rajendranagar, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina presented Mosoon research at "Monsoon Prediction in Central India under Climate Change" workshop.
12/01/2018 - Indian Meteorological Society (IMS) (Pune, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina held a presentation titled: "Predicting onset and withdrawal of Indian Summer Monsoon: Observational evidence for results of Tipping elements approach".
08/01/2018 - Amrita University (Coimbatore, India):
Prof. Elena Surovyatkina participated in the Workshop on Data-Driven Modelling 2018: "How to predict the upcoming spatially organized critical transition?". She held the following presentations: (1) "Introduction to Non-linear Dynamics" and (2) "Introduction to Fluid Dynamic Equations and Data Collection by Simulation".


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Home » Reviews » Intrinsic – Nails – Album Review
Intrinsic – Nails – Album Review
Progressive Thrash at it's finest....
Posted on September 5, 2015 by Chris Jennings in Reviews
Source // TribunalRecords.bandcamp.com
Take Savatage, Nevermore, Iced Earth, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and try and imagine a glorious mix of all those influences and your conclusion should match the incredibly diverse delights of Intrinsic's sophomore album, originally recorded between 1991 and 1992.
Inconceivably 'lost' for nearly 25 years, Nails is so much more than just a mere curiosity, it's a revelation! It's hard to imagine how this album wouldn't have made an impact in the early 90's – such is its uncanny knack for bridging progressive thrash and the grunge sound that proved all-conquering as the 90's went on – but history was unkind. Finally receiving a long, long overdue release, it's time to make amends for those lost years.
Opener "State Of The Union" unfurls with what may at first seem like a typical variant of thrash – think Sacred Reich meets Sanctuary – with incessant riffing accompanying an environmental message and the kind of hair-raising vocals Warrell Dane so impressed with during his time with Nevermore. In contrast, "Fight No More" channels a classic Maiden vibe. Fist-pumping, energetic and confidently overblown in its rapid-fire riffing, NWOBHM fans should lap this up.
That's the wonder of this unearthed gem, Nails has everything.
The speed/thrash contingent are kept happy with "Die Trying", "Pillar Of Fire" and "Too Late But Not Forgetten" while "Inner Sanctum" is a highly immersive mix of classic acoustic Zeppelin-isms, sumptuous violin, glorious harmonies and exquisite songwriting. The kind of classic rock for (what was the) modern era that also ripples through the AOR vibe found on "Mourn For Her"; a mid-80's Rush number minus the keyboards (thankfully) and featuring another welcome dose of Zeppelin grandeur.
Continuing the trend, "On Gossamer Wings" straddles the two sounds perfectly, recalling mid 70's Judas Priest – think the calmer moments of "Victim Of Changes" – stalking the mid 80's sounds of Artillery. Histrionic one minute, flowing like liquid gold the next, this epic marrying of disparate styles is just one of many endless surprises on offer.
"Denial" is the piece de resistance though. An astonishingly versatile track that is undoubtedly the missing link between thrash and grunge. With Alice In Chains styled melody and the fury dialled down via fluid guitar work and faithful hard rock vocal patterns, Intrinsic's genius lies in their contrasting of harmony with intermittent thrash tempos. The addition of a pummeling beat-down of an ending that evolves into the heaviest moment on the album tops of an endlessly listenable, progressive thrash classic.
We'll go out on a limb here and say Nails is one of those 'lost classics' that actually lives up to its name. How this exquisite little number lay dormant for so long is a crime and any thrash/progressive metal fan worth their salt owes it to themselves to pick this up, immediately. 9/10
Thrash. 2019 was very kind to you!
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UK Thrashers SOLITARY Announce New Album, The Truth Behind The Lies!
They promise to thrash forever!
Legendary Thrashers HEATHEN Are In The Studio Working On A New Album!
True thrash metal legends!
Italian thrashers EVERSIN confirmed for 2018's METAL OVER MALTA Festival!
Italy to invade Malta next year.....
6 Comments on Intrinsic – Nails – Album Review
Mike // September 6, 2015 at 12:49 am // Reply
OMG!!!!! Thank you so much for all your kind words. I am speechless.
Chris Jennings // September 6, 2015 at 7:14 am // Reply
Credit where credit's due Mike! Nails blew us away \m/
Liz // September 11, 2015 at 1:58 am // Reply
A thoughtful person played "the second half" of the Nails CD for me, knowing I would like it. I really did. I think I read the names of about ten bands in this review, NONE of whom I could claim to "like" the sounds of. So I would argue that the greatness of Nails is measured ALSO in the fact that across the years, it reaches out of its "genre(s)" to present songwriting, melodies, virtuosity, arrangements, and precision to listeners who were not, and are not, necessarily, fans of earlier icons. This album, brought forth now, is an amazing accomplishment by a diverse team acknowledged in the liner notes. And this review does, indeed, give credit where it is due. Thank you.
Chris Jennings // September 11, 2015 at 7:51 am // Reply
Eloquently put Liz and I think you've hit the nail on the head. Nails does transcend genre and stands as a unique moment in time….one finally made available for those who appreciate the intricacies of this quite brilliant album. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Mike // September 19, 2015 at 12:17 am // Reply
Thanks so much, Liz!!
I really appreciate your comments! Please see my reply below.
Mike // September 12, 2015 at 6:44 am // Reply
Thank you, Liz! I have said that Worship Metal is very insightful. Obviously, the website attracts insightful, articulate and intellectually curious metal fans.
I was wondering how your friend heard of "Nails"?


Those lengthy Civ sessions need never end with cross-platform saves between the PC and Switch versions.
2K has enabled cross-platform cloud saves between the PC and Switch releases of Civilization 6.
This is great news for anyone that hates having to drop out of a lengthy Civ session to do things like cook food, go to the toilet or catch a bus to the shops. You'll now be able to hop from PC directly to Switch and continue exactly where you left off. Thanks to cloud saves, the transfer should be instant so long as both devices are connected to the internet when saving.
In order to activate the new feature, players will need to make sure they have a 2K account linked to their Nintendo Switch console. If you don't already have an account, click here to visit the official 2K side and sign up. You can then select multiplatform saves on your platform of choice to continue where you left off.
While this is a brilliant idea in principle, the update is unfortunately hindered by the fact that the Nintendo Switch version of Civilization 6 has yet to receive either of the two expansions currently available on PC. For now at least you're stuck with the vanilla game only, but hopefully shared saves will remain in effect if and when Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm release on the console.