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Ogilvy names Fiona Gordon, who started as a graduate trainee, as new UK CEO
Posted by: Emma Hall in Agencies, Creative, News May 26, 2021 Comments Off on Ogilvy names Fiona Gordon, who started as a graduate trainee, as new UK CEO
It's a traditional Ogilvy success story. Fiona Gordon, who started as a graduate trainee in the 90s and is now UK CEO, has done everything right, building a career at Ogilvy domestically and internationally, yet she's not currently a familiar name outside the agency.
Gordon was most recently chief client officer for EMEA, a promotion made as a reward for her success as WPP UK team lead for the significant Walgreens Boots Alliance business, which she managed to retain last year after a global pitch.
Before that she was UK group transformation director, returning to the UK after international success as group chairperson of the agency in Singapore, where she helped win various awards for Ogilvy South East Asia. She also spent five years in New York earlier in her career as a management supervisor.
Gordon also sits on the advisory board of WPP's women's network, Stella, and as well as being a mentor, is part of a reverse mentor scheme to keep her connected with people at all levels of the business.
Gordon said: "Having started my career at Ogilvy UK as a graduate trainee, there is a wonderful circularity about taking the reins of the agency I love now as the CEO. I'm so energised by the opportunity to lead and cherish Ogilvy UK and look forward to partnering with our fantastic clients and stellar talent, to deliver work that has true impact for all our clients and our people."
Paul O'Donnell, Ogilvy CEO EMEA, said: "Fiona is a truly modern, inspirational leader, who focuses on building high performing teams and is a tremendous champion for creativity and talent. She is absolutely the right person to lead Ogilvy UK into the next phase of its evolution. Fiona leads with typical Scottish candour and drive and I look forward to partnering with her in this new role. "
The agency has long been known as the "University of Ogilvy" thanks to its success with graduate trainees and its emphasis on proper cross-discipline training for them. James Murphy, Cilla Snowball, Nick Emery, Carl Johnson, Andrew Robertson, Ben Priest, Johnny Hornby and Mark Wnek are among the many well known alumni who went on to do well elsewhere.
Even David Furnish, now married to Elton John, was once on the scheme in London. Inevitably there has been a "brain drain" from the agency with all this ambitious talent in its midst, but Rory Sutherland, now vice chairman, has, like Gordon, remained loyal to Ogilvy and still plays a big role in boosting its reputation worldwide.
Frohlich's departure for Weber Shandwick leaves key UK CEO post open at Ogilvy
Airbnb reveals its post-pandemic soft side
On-the-rise Havas UK wins Asda
Pret A Manger searches for global creative agency partner
WPP's Ogilvy wins global Absolut business
featured 2021-05-26
Emma Hall
About Emma Hall
Emma Hall is a journalist and editorial consultant and is the former Europe Editor of Ad Age, where she covered European marketing advertising, digital and media stories. She has written for newspapers including the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times and the Telegraph, and was previously a section editor at Campaign. Emma started her career in New York as a researcher for a biography of Keith Richards.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Summary: On November 16th, NCsoft revealed the latest trailer for Blade & Soul at the 'NCsoft G-Star Premiere' before G-Star 2010 starts.
On November 16th, NCsoft revealed the latest trailer for Blade & Soul at the 'NCsoft G-Star Premiere' before G-Star 2010 starts.
Besides the latest trailer, another 2 gameplay videos were also introduced. From the gameplay videos, we can see the upcomng contents that will be playable at G-Star 2010, including party play, single play, boss raid and info of the 5th class - Assassin.


On the urus mubarak of Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA (53rd Dai) and Syedna Ismail Badruddin RA (34th Dai), 23rd Jumadil Ukhra (28 February) mumineen are encouraged to follow the amal details (Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA, Syedna Ismail Badruddin RA) on the Fatemi Dawat website.
On Urus Raat, 23rd raat Jumadil Ukhra (Wednesday 27 February): Maghrib/Isha Namaaz will be held at markaz to be followed by Urs Majlis and Niyaz Jaman.
Relay of Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS' waaz will also be made available via the Fatemi Dawat website.


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Education in Sri Lanka
Education in Sri Lanka has a long history that dates back two millennia. The Constitution of Sri Lanka provides free education as a fundamental right. Sri Lanka's population had an adult literacy rate of 96.3% in 2015, which is above average by world and regional standards.Computer literacy in 2017 28.3% and phone users in 2017 105%, website users 32% in 2017 [note 1] Education plays a major part in the life and culture of the country and dates back to 543 BC. Sri Lanka's modern educational system was brought about by its integration into the British Empire in the 19th century. Education currently falls under the control of both the Central Government and the Provincial Councils, with some responsibilities lying with the Central Government and the Provincial Council having autonomy for others.
Ministry of Higher Education
National education budget (2012)
2 % of GDP [1]
Primary languages
Sinhala, Tamil and English
Literacy (2017[2])
14,000 (10-12%)
Administration of the system
Primary school to higher education are primarily funded and overseen by three governmental ministries.[3]
Ministry of Education: for schools, pirivenas (schools for Buddhist priests), teachers training colleges and colleges of education
Department of Examinations: National examination service
Ministry of Higher Education & Highways: for universities
Ministry of Education Services: for supplying the physical facilities required for general education
Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training: for vocational education and technical colleges
Exceptions to this system exist — mostly when it comes to tertiary with several public universities and institutes coming under the purview of different ministries. These divisions have led to a high degree of mismanagement and inefficiency over the years.
Education in Sri Lanka has a history of over 2300 years. It is believed that the Sanskrit language was brought to the island from North India as a result of the establishment of the Buddhism in the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa from the Buddhist monks sent by Emperor Asoka of India. Since then an education system evolved based around the Buddhist temples and pirivenas (monastic colleges), the latter primarily intended for clergy (even to this day) and higher education. Evidence of this system is found on the Mahawamsa and Dipavamsa, the Chronicle of Lanka that deals with the history of the island from the arrival of Prince Vijaya and his followers in the 6th century BC.[4]
With the outset of the colonial expansion on the island, first in the coastal provinces and then interior, Christian missionary societies become active in education. The Anglican Church's monopoly of Government Schools and in education ended following the Colebrooke Commission set up by the British administration.
A standard system of government schools were begun by the British based on the recommendations of the Colebrooke Commission in 1836. This is regarded as the beginning of the government's schooling system in the island. It started with the establishment of the Royal College in Colombo (formerly the Colombo Academy) and lead to the formation of several single sex schools constructed during the colonial period, by the British.[5] Some of these schools were affiliated to the Anglican Church. These included S. Thomas' College in Mount Lavinia and Trinity College in Kandy. The education in vernacular schools was largely free due to government grants to cover the cost of teaching and local philanthropists providing the buildings, equipment and the books.[6] Colebrooke decreed that all government schools be discontinued. The order did not apply to denominational Missionary schools and they continued to function unceasingly.
In 1938 the education system in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was made formally free following the granting of universal franchise in 1931. The Minister of Education, late Hon. Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, and the Executive Committee of Education which included members such as H. W. Amarasuriya took the initiative in establishing free education. Under this initiative the government established Madhya Maha Vidyalayas (MMV, Central Colleges) that were scattered around the island to provide education to all. The medium was either Sinhala or Tamil.
In 1942 a special committee was appointed to observe the education system and, among the suggestions that followed, the following play an important role:
i. Make available to all children a good education free of charge, so that education ceases to be a commodity purchasable only by the urban affluent.
ii. Make national languages the media of instruction in place of English so that opportunities for higher education, lucrative employment open only to small number of the urban affluent, would become available to others as well.
iii. Rationalize the school system so that educational provision is adequate, efficient and economical.
iv. Ensure that every child is provided with instruction in the religion of his/her parents.
v. Protect teachers from exploitation by managers of schools.
vi. Make adequate provision for adult education.
After independence, the number of schools and the literacy rate substantially increased. According to the Ministry of Statistics, today there are approximately 10,012 public schools serving close to 4,037,157 students, all around the island.
During the colonial times, late national heroes like Anagarika Dharmapala with foreigners like Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky of the Buddhist Theosophical Society installed Buddhist schools to foster Sinhala students with an English education rich in Buddhist values and to bring Buddhism to life, at a time when it was slowly fading away. Most of these schools were established in the capitals of the major provinces of Sri Lanka. The first of these were Ananda College, Colombo (formerly English Buddhist School); Dharmaraja College, Kandy (formerly Kandy Buddhist High School); Mahinda College, Galle (formerly Galle Buddhist Theosophical Society School);[7] Musaeus College, Colombo[8] and Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala (formerly Kurunegala Buddhist Institution) which were followed decades later by Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo (formerly Buddhist Girls College), Nalanda Maha Vidyalaya Colombo and Mahamaya Vidyalaya, Kandy.
Sri Lanka also has many Catholic schools such as St. Joseph's College, St Bridget's Convent, St Peter's College, St. Anthony's College, Kandy and the Joseph Vaz College named after the Sri Lankan saint Joseph Vaz. The earliest schools such as Richmond College, Galle, Jaffna Central College, Wesley College, Colombo, Kingswood College, Kandy(formerly Boys' High School, Kandy); Girls' High School, Kandy and Methodist College, Colombo were started by the Methodist Church.[9] Many schools were built in the post-colonial era. However, the established schools who had their origins in the colonial era dominate social life in Sri Lanka mainly due networks of old boys and old girls.
Several superficial changers to the school system took place in the post-independence era. These include the change of the primary medium of education to the national languages, nationalization of private schools and the introduction of national/provisional school system.
There are 749 Muslim schools in Sri Lanka, 205 madrasas which teach Islamic education, and an Islamic university in Beruwala (Jamiya Naleemiya). Zahira College, Colombo is considered to be the oldest Muslim school initiated in the country by T. B. Jayah, while Al Iman Schools in Colombo was the first Islamic to teach an integrated Islamic curriculum since 2008.[10]
Higher education in Sri Lanka has been based on the several prominent pirivenas during the local kingdoms. The origins of the modern university system in Sri Lanka dates back to 1921 when a University College, the Ceylon University College was established at the former premises of Royal College Colombo affiliated to the University of London. However, the beginning of modern higher education in Ceylon was in 1870 when the Ceylon Medical School[11] was established followed by Colombo Law College (1875),[12] School of Agriculture (1884) and the Government Technical College (1893).
The University of Ceylon was established on 1 July 1942 by the Ceylon University Ordinance No. 20 of 1942 which was to be unitary, residential and autonomous. The university was in Colombo. Several years later a second campus was built in Peradeniya. The University of Ceylon became the University of Sri Lanka follow in the University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972 resulting in a more centralized administration and more direct government control. This gave way for creation of separate universities after the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. Even though new universities of independent identities were created, the government maintained its direct control and centralized administration though the University Grants Commission. Late Hon. Lalith Athulathmudali as Minister of Education developed an initiative to develop the higher education of the country in the 1980s, the Mahapola Fund, established by him provided scholarship and much-needed founding to higher education institution to this day. Until amendments to the University Act were made in 1999 only state universities were allowed to grant undergraduate degrees; this has since changed.
Sri Lanka's education structure is divided into five parts: primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, collegiate, and tertiary. Primary education lasts five to six years (Kindergarten through grade 5) and at the end of this period, the students may elect to write a national exam called the Scholarship exam. This exam allows students with exceptional skills to move on to better schools. After primary education, the junior secondary level (referred to as middle school in some schools) lasts for 4 years (Grades 6-9) followed by 2 years (Grades 10-11) of the senior secondary level which is the preparation for the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Ordinary Level (O/Ls). According to the Sri Lankan law, it is compulsory that all children go to school till grade 9 (age 14) at which point they can choose to continue their education or drop out and engage in apprenticeship for a job or farming. However, the Ministry of Education strongly advises all students to continue with their studies at least till the G.C.E Ordinary Level. Students who are pursuing tertiary education must pass the G.C.E O/Ls in order to enter the collegiate level to study for another 2 years (grades 12-13) to sit for the G.C.E Advanced Level. On successful completion of this exam, students can move on to tertiary education, there for the GCE A/Ls is the university entrance exam in Sri Lanka.[13]
Due to the variety of ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, many schools teach only in either Sinhala medium or in Tamil medium and not the English medium. The elite colleges in major cities such as Colombo and Kandy, teach in all three media.
Normal ages
Kindergarten: 4-5 year olds
Grade 1: 5-6 year olds
Grade 5: 9-10 year olds - Scholarship Examination
Junior secondary
Grade 6: 10-11 year olds
Grade 10: 14-15 year olds
Grade 11: 15-16 year olds - G.C.E Ordinary Level Examination
Grade 13: 17-19 year olds - G.C.E Advance Level Examination
NB: In some cases students may be slightly younger.
Government schools
Most of the schools in Sri Lanka are maintained by the government as a part of the free education. Currently there are 10,012 government schools with a student population of 4.2 million and 235,924 teachers, 736 Pirivenas and also 104 private schools with 127,968 students.<> With the establishment if the provincial council system in the 1980s the central government handed control of most schools to local governments. However the old schools which had been around since the colonial times were retained by the central government, this creating three types of government schools;
Provincial Schools
Pirivenas-Schools for Buddhist priests
National schools come under the direct control of the Ministry of Education and therefore have direct funding from the ministry. Most of these schools were established during the colonial period and therefore are established institutions. These few are referred to as famous schools or elite schools since they have a rich history and better maintained facilities than the average public school. This is mainly due the support of their alumni. In recent years newer schools and several central colleges have been upgraded to national schools from time to time, thereby making the total number of national schools 350.[13]
Provincial Schools consists of the vast majority of schools in Sri Lanka. Funded and controlled by the local governments many suffer from poor facilities and a shortage of teachers.
Piriven
Piriven are monastic colleges (similar to a seminary) for the education of Buddhist priests. These have been the centers of secondary and higher education in ancient times for lay people as well. Today 561 Piriven are funded and maintained by the Ministry of Education under the Pirivena Education Act, No, 64 of 1979. Young priests undergo training at these pirivenas prior to being their Ordination and study for GCE O/L and A/L examinations. They may gain entrance to State Universities for higher religious studies.
Non-government schools
There has been a considerable increase in the number of private schools in Sri Lanka, due to the emergence of the upper-middle class during the colonial era. These private schools follow the local curriculum set up by the Ministry of Education in the local language mediums of Sinhala, Tamil or English. Many of the private schools have access to newer facilities than state run schools. Currently there are 66 Private schools (registered before 1960 and not since then) of these, 33 non-fee-levying Assisted Private Schools (also known as semi-government schools) and 33 fee levying autonomous Private Schools, in addition to the Government Schools.[13]
International schools in Sri Lanka are not restricted to the expatriate community, anyone with the ability and willingness to pay can join these schools. Starting in the late 1980s these schools have no regulation or control by the Ministry of Education as it comes under the Board of Investment (BOI),[13] due to this the standard of education varies greatly between schools. The schools are mainly for the children of the expatriate community, charge high tuition fees and can therefore provide good facilities and high standards.
The majority of International schools prepares students for the Edexcel General Certificate of Education (IGCSE) Ordinary, Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A2) Level examinations, which is the most popular qualification. Preparation for Cambridge International Examinations is also offered by a few schools but it is less popular. Both exams are offered under the supervision of the British Council, whereas some schools offer a direct partnership with the examination body in order to improve standards.
Madrasas
As of 2013, there are 205 madrasas registered under the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs providing Islamic education in Sri Lanka.[14] These have been build and maintained by independent islamic foundations such as All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama and the Thareeqathul Aroosiyyathil Qaadhiriyyah Association in Sri Lanka which propagate Sunnah wal Jamaah.[15] This is in addition to the 749 Muslim Schools in Sri Lanka.
Due to the high competitive nature of exams such as year 5, GCE O/L and GCE A/L as well as London O/Ls and A/Ls; parents seek additional help at home and at group/mass classes to improve their children's grades and performance. In recent years this has become a lucrative enterprise, which has resulted in successive governments attempting to regulate it. Many scholars have also accused tuition classes of robbing the childhood and having a negative impact on the child's health.
These Private Educational Institutes or Tuition Centers are concentrated in Major cities of Sri Lanka: Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Negombo, Kurunegala, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Tangalle, Kegalle, Badulla and Ratnapura.[16]
Main articles: Higher education in Sri Lanka and List of universities in Sri Lanka
Undergraduate education in state universities is free but extremely competitive, limited and standardized. Fewer than 16% (less than 16,000 students) of those who qualify get admission to state universities[17] and of that only half graduate.[18] Admission to the university system is based on the highly competitive GCE Advanced Level examination. Selection of students is done on the basis of rank order on average Z Scores obtained by candidates at the GCE Advanced Level under a transparent national policy to replicate a district basis representation. Only the top students from each district get admissions.
The top students from urban and rural districts get the chances of having tertiary education. However, top students who got qualified under the minimum Z Scores requirements for admissions from remote districts may get in with relatively lower marks than those from urban districts. As a result, many students who are not granted admission find other means of higher education. Around 8% those qualified but could not get admission for higher education go abroad to pursue their studies,[19] others enroll themselves at the Open University of Sri Lanka
Some study for entrance/membership for professional bodies both foreign (such as CIMA, BCS, ACCA, etc.) and local (such as ICASL, SLIM) or do studies at vocational technical colleges that specialize in mechanical and electronic subjects. Government has schemes to provides financial aid in addition to free education to financially support to those qualified to get admission to state universities.[20]
There are only 15 state universities in Sri Lanka. The prominent ones are University of Colombo, University of Peradeniya, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayawardhenapura , University of Moratuwa and University of Ruhuna. In recent years, with changes to the University Act, a few institutes have been given permission to grant their own degrees: The most prominent is the government-owned Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.[21]
Still, there are unemployed graduates in Sri Lanka, except in the fields of medicine, information technology, commerce, law and engineering disciplines. Many claim that if state university graduates are unemployed or causes brain drain that is because of limited exposure in the country for the degrees they have.
Many intellectuals express the need for private universities in the country, where students who chose not to attend or do not gain admission to state universities could study in their home country at a lower cost. The North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) was one such institute. Before its nationalization, it produced some of the best doctors in Sri Lanka. But efforts to establish private universities have been blocked due to protests conducted by many parties claiming that it would create more competition for state university students. In recent years this has become a reason for students who do not attend state universities to prefer going abroad or study at other institutes and professional bodies.
There are three types of Degree Awarding Private Higher Education Institutes in Sri Lanka[22]
Private Institutes which offer Sri Lankan degrees recognized by University Grants Commission
Private Institutes which offer Foreign Degrees in affiliation with Foreign Universities
Professional Institutes which offer Degree Equivalent Professional Qualifications
For a complete list, see Sri Lankan universities
Classification of tertiary qualifications
Certificate: 1 year or less than 1 year of study.
DiplomaL 1–2 years of study.
General degree: 3 years of coursework without a major.
Honours/Special degree: 4 years of coursework and research with a major/specialization in a field.
Master's degree: undertaken after the completion of one or more bachelor's degrees. Master's degrees deal with a subject at a more advanced level than bachelor's degrees and can consist either of research, coursework, or a mixture of the two.
Doctorate: most famously Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), which are undertaken after an honours bachelor's or master's degree, by an original research project resulting in a thesis or dissertation.
Main article: TVET in Sri Lanka
Vocational education and training in Sri Lanka is managed by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of the Ministry of Vocational & Technical Training. Training includes course based curriculum at vocational technical training centres and apprenticeship at private or public organisations. Higher education in vocational fields could be archived though several universities. The National Vocational Qualifications Systems in Sri Lanka (NVQSL) provides a structured seven levels of qualifications from Level 1 to Level 7. Vocational education and training is carried out for degree level at the Open University, Sri Lanka and the University of Vocational Technology, as well as at diploma level at 37 technical colleges, Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education and the Sri Lanka School of Agriculture.
Apart from these, the Ministry of Education has launched a non-formal vocational education program which allows school drop-outs and adults who did not complete their school education, to earn a living, through self-employment. Most of these courses are held at community centres and they cover a wide range of fields such as dressmaking, beauty culture, hairdressing, stitching, carpentry, plumbing, painting and so on.
Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission monitors the registration of private course providers in the development of the sector. A number of private course providers have propped up in this qualification segment. Hospitality courses, basic accounting and management courses has been offered.
Criticisms
Critics of the education system, including academics and parents, state that the education system is too competitive and rigid unlike education systems in other societies.[23]
Efforts to establish private universities have been blocked, resulting in only state universities awarding local degrees. Opponents of private universities claim that private universities as privatization of education and damaging the standard of the education. However the demand for higher education has created several private institutions that conduct courses for degrees in foreign universities, these are not regulated or evaluated for proper standards by the government or independent organizations.
Compulsory leadership training for undergraduates
Main article: Compulsory leadership training for undergraduates
In 2011, the government made it mandatory for all students selected for undergraduate courses in state universities to undergo Compulsory leadership training for undergraduates at military and police bases. The government sited the need for residential three week training to increase employability thus reducing the high graduate unemployment in state universities. This move has drawn criticisms from the opposition, student groups and human rights groups as the nature of compulsory military type training seen in conscription.[24][25][26] However, shortly after the 2015 presidential election, the newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena along with the Sri Lankan Parliament put an end to this training in 2015.[27]
Non Profit Education Organisations
Coalition for Education Development - Quality Education for All
SL:Education Trust - Investing intelligently in Education
Sustainable Education Foundation - Let's rethink Education
In 2013 South Asia's literacy rate was 67.55, Asia 84.32% and the world 85.20%.[2]
"Public spending on education, total (% of GDP)". The World Bank.
"Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years (both sexes, female, male)". UIS Data Centre. UNESCO. August 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
Historical Overview of Education in Sri Lanka, Ministry of Education Archived 16 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Historical Overview of Education in Sri Lanka - Ancient Period (543 BC - 1500 AD) Archived 24 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Education
"Historical Overview of Education in Sri Lanka - The British Period: (1796 - 1948)". Ministry of Education. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
Jayawardena, Kumari (17 December 2000). "When the 'nobodies'made their mark". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
Kulatilaka, Justice P.H.K. (12 May 2013). "Ushering in the Buddhist Revival in Ceylon". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
"Historical Context". Embassy of Sri Lanka-Washington DC. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
Mendis, Rev. Nimal (9 July 2012). "Methodists serve the people at all times". Sri Lanka. Daily News. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
"Analysis: Tamil-Muslim divide". BBC News World Edition. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2011. CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 August 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2011. CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Present Education System and Management Structure, Ministry of Education Archived 16 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs.
Thareeqathul Aroosiyyathil Qaadhiriyyah Association in Sri Lanka
"Major Tuition Institutes Centers in Sri Lanka". Student Sri Lanka Education. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
Jagdish Hathiramani. "8% of Sri Lankan students study abroad – University don".
Undergraduate statistics 2000-2007 Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Lakshmi de Silva. "Over 7,000 go overseas annually for studies, Island".
"Mahapola Scholarship".
කමලදාස, නිශාන්ත (15 November 2015). "පුද්ගලික විශ්වවිද්යාල නිදහස් අධ්යාපනයේ මළගමද?". Ravaya (in Sinhala). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
"Private Universities and Degree courses in Sri Lanka". Student Sri Lanka Education. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
Free Education vs. Freedom of Education
Leadership training for university undergrads at 28 centres Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Consider postponement of leadership training - SC
University students get marching orders for leadership programme
"Sri Lanka terminates military leadership training in education sector". Sri Lanka. Colombo Page. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
Official Website of the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka
Official Website of the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka
Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka
Education in Asia
States with
limited recognition
other territories
Asia portal
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Highways
Higher and further education
South Eastern University
Ceylon University College
University of Ceylon
University of Sri Lanka
Inter University Students' Federation
Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College
Institute of Technological Studies
NSBM Green University
South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine
SLINTEC Academy
Military institutions
Sri Lanka Military Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy
Sri Lanka Air Force Academy
Defence Services Command and Staff College
Sri Lanka Air Force Junior Command & Staff College
Religious institutions
Buddhasravaka Bhiksu University
Theological College of Lanka
Maradana College of Technology
Technical College Balapitiya
Ceylon-German Technical Training Institute
Institute of Engineering Technology
Advanced Technological Institute
Other colleges
College of Chemical Sciences
North Colombo Medical College
Oldest schools
GCE Advanced Level
GCE Ordinary Level
Scholarship Examination
Madhya Maha Vidyalaya
National school
Pirivena
Edulanka
Future Minds
Lacnet
SL2College
Volunteers for English in Sri Lanka


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Q: Simple hashcode in hashmap misconception? I am implementing my own specialized hashmap which has generic value types, but keys are always of type long. Here and there, I am seeing people suggesting that I should multiply key by a prime and then get modulo by number of buckets:
int bucket = (key * prime) % numOfBuckets;

and I don't understand why? It seems to me that it has exactly the same distribution as simple:
int bucket = key % numOfBuckets;

For example, if numOfBuckets is 8, with second "algorithm" we get buckets like {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} repeating for key = 0 to infinity. In first algorithm for same keys we get buckets {0, 3, 6, 1, 4, 7, 2, 5} (or similar) also repeating. Basically we have the same problem like when using identity hash.
Basically, in both cases we get collisions for keys:
key = x + k*numOfBuckets (for k = 1 to infinity; and x = key % numOfBuckets)

because when we get modulo by numOfBuckets we always get x. So, what's the deal with first algorithm, can someone enlighten me?

A: If numOfBuckets is a power of two and the prime is odd (which seems to be the intended use case), then we have gcd(numOfBuckets, prime) == 1. That in turn means there is a number inverse such that inverse * numOfBuckets = 1 (mod numOfBuckets), so the multiplication is a bijective operation that just shuffles the buckets around a bit. That is of course useless, so your conclusions are correct.
Or perhaps more intuitively: in a multiplication information only flows from the lowest bit to the highest, never in reverse. So any of the bits that the bucket index would not rely on without the multiplication, are still discarded with the multiplication.
Some other techniques do help, for example Java's HashMap uses this:
/**
 * Applies a supplemental hash function to a given hashCode, which
 * defends against poor quality hash functions.  This is critical
 * because HashMap uses power-of-two length hash tables, that
 * otherwise encounter collisions for hashCodes that do not differ
 * in lower bits. Note: Null keys always map to hash 0, thus index 0.
 */
static int hash(int h) {
    // This function ensures that hashCodes that differ only by
    // constant multiples at each bit position have a bounded
    // number of collisions (approximately 8 at default load factor).
    h ^= (h >>> 20) ^ (h >>> 12);
    return h ^ (h >>> 7) ^ (h >>> 4);
}

An other thing that works is multiplying by some large constant and then using the upper bits of the result (which contain a mixture of the bits below them, so all bits of the key can be used that way).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It's pop Jim, but not as we know it. And pigeonholes be damned as O'Rourke's latest excursion takes his trusty guitar technique (Quick! Passing reference point, John Fahey. Grab him!) and introduces it to the lush, the layered, the laid-back and the lyrically loquacious (can I stop now?). The ensuing assemblage boasts an inordinate measure of delicacies which, from the hypnotic repetition of its near nine minute opener Women of the World (sole lyric 'Women of the World take over, 'cause if you don't the world will come to an end, and it won't take long') with it's Aerial M-like guitar motif, to its corny Dylan meets Wilson sub-two minute closer, Happy Holidays, contains enough revelatory (obviously) moments (the David Sanborn-plays-Carole King-in-a-jazz-mood-with-steel-drums of Through The Night Slowly, the delicate swing of the Arto Lindsay-esque Ghost Ship in a Storm) to placate the ear-candy craving child in all of us. Headphone heaven.


StencilGirl Products is having a stencil sale in honor of Mary Beth Shaw's birthday!
Sale ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on July 8, 2017. Discount does not apply to StencilClub, DVDs, supplies, books, or wholesale orders.


Instead of forcing your family to endure a grueling slideshow of your vacation photos, Panasonic wants you to treat them to stunning 4K videos of your hotel room, random meals, and various takeoffs with its new Lumix DMC-Zs100—a compact shooter with a hefty one-inch sensor.
Available starting in March with a black or silver housing for $700, the Lumix DMC-Zs100 packs an impressive zoom lens by amateur photographer standards, offering a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 25 to 250 millimeters.
On the video side, the DMC-ZS100 adds 4K (3840x2160 pixels) recording capabilities at 24 or 30 frames per second. But if you prefer the more lifelike look of 60 frames per second, you'll have to step down the video quality. And for those afraid of missing the moment, you can record a scene in 4K video and extract eight-megapixel stills from individual frames.
The DMC-ZS100 is also the first camera in the Lumix ZS range to get Panasonic's Post-Focus feature. It's not quite as technologically remarkable as the Lytro cameras, but by capturing 49 areas of every image in focus, users can adjust what part of the image they'd like to be sharp, and which they'd prefer to be out of focus, using the camera's three-inch touchscreen.
It's not quite 100 percent idiot-proof, but it's ideal for amateur photographers hoping to up their game, or at least guarantee their vacation shots are all properly in focus.


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Q: How to do test-first development with MVVM How do you build WPF MVVM applications and user controls test-first?
I find myself writing ungodly amounts of XAML with DataTemplates before I even get to unit-testing my viewmodels. Should I develop the whole viewmodel system first before even writing XAML for it?
Any help appreciated.

A: If you're writing up your XAML and data templates first, it sounds like you are already coding up the user-interface. But MVVM provides for clean separation of UI and business logic (i.e., your business logic should be completely decoupled from the user interface logic). So to answer your question, yes, you should develop the model and view-model first, and unit test them thoroughly, before implementing the view.


Kodiak has a vast selection of products we supply to our OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) customers. With our Integrated Supply division, Kodiak is able to house dedicated inventory for our OEMs which greatly shortens lead time and eliminates any product availability issues. Take a look at our Integrated Supply page or contact us to learn more.


If you are interested in buying or selling a home, and wish to use a realtor who works for and with you, especially in tough times, then I would suggest you strongly consider hiring Cliff Keith.
I met Cliff in 1989 when I was a young realtor. The breath and depth of his knowledge regarding real estate transactions was very impressive back then and in light of the increased degree of complexity inherent in today's real estate transactions, his knowledge is even more astounding.
My husband and I bought a home in a very complex market following the attacks of September 11th. The market following those attacks became rather unpredictable and listings were scarce. We worked together to find the right home for nearly a year, through these difficult and emotionally trying times. While I am sure all of us wanted to give up more than once (especially since we lost out on four homes during this time due to other buyers bidding substantially over asking price), Cliff kept us going. He assured us that the right house would arrive and he was correct.
Having found a home that worked for my family did not end Cliff's assistance. In fact, despite an inept loan broker who practically killed our deal, Cliff maintained a steady countenance and helped us to finally close the deal—all of this despite the fact that during this time period Cliff lost his own mother and was going through very personal trials and tribulations. He even spoke with me minutes before his mother's funeral. Who among us could be that selfless and professional during such a difficult time?
In sum, Cliff is a real person who will work really hard for you. He will come through with flying colors during the tough times, irrespective of his own personal expense.
I usually don't do this, however, I feel compelled to tell you my story about Cliff Keith and how he helped Lois and I with the selling of our home at 90 E. 38th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403. I have known Cliff Keith both personally and professionally since 1970. We met in college, traveled to Europe together, participated in each other's weddings, and maintained our friendship through the years while we both raised families.
Not only is Cliff a loyal friend, a wonderful husband and father, but also a top notch Real Estate Agent. He has sold two properties for me and helped me in buying my current home in Chico, CA. Cliff is very knowledgeable, experienced and extremely thorough in making sure all the bases are covered when it comes to selling or buying a home. He gives you a high comfort level as a client.
In addition, Cliff has a warm and friendly demeanor and makes you feel special as a person and not just another customer. When it comes time to sell or buy property I would highly recommend the services of Mr. Cliff Keith. He is always willing to spend time with you and go the extra distance to deliver the best value in today's market.
When you find someone who provides a good service or product then you are happy to share them with others.
We have a story to tell you that we think you should hear. Over the years we have bought and sold several pieces of real estate through our agent, Cliff Keith. The property we would like to tell you about is a 7-unit apartment building we recently purchased. We were looking to trade a duplex we owned into a 4 to 5-unit building. We called Cliff and told him of our plans. Over the next few months he told us about several properties-but none of them appealed to us because of their locations or the financial numbers.
Then, one day, we got a call from Cliff stating that he had just seen some units that appeared to be a real value. We made an appointment to meet. Cliff brought all of the information we needed to make a decision, including income and expense statements. We noticed the rents were low, and by trading our duplex for it and raising the rents slightly we would increase our cash flow threefold. It almost seemed too good to be true. We made an offer. It was accepted at .68966% below the asking price.
But that's not where the story stops! The sellers would not extend our loan contingency unless we purchased the property "as-is". We had no choice but to accept the seller's demands because the lender would not give loan approval unless we did. Anyway, we explained to Cliff that we anticipated our costs would go up and felt the sellers were taking advantage of us. Cliff promised us that would not happen. He assured us he would do everything he could to prevent that from happening. Well, the termite (Pest Inspection) report was $16,000—and the lender wanted a termite clearance in order to fund our loan! Cliff jumped into action and handled it as promised. He found a general contractor to do all of the work needed for only $7,500. Part of the work was really a health and safety issue, so Cliff wrote to the sellers and explained our position. He convinced them to pay for those items. Then he got the other agent to pay a portion of the costs. He went to his office manager and convinced Coldwell Banker to participate too. Finally, Cliff dug down in his own pocket and put his money where his mouth was. He went to the lender and got them to fund the loan using a "hold back" provision for the work that needed to be done.
During the work process more infestation damage was found, and it needed to be fixed. Cliff re-negotiated the additional costs with the contractor. Finally, the work was completed and everyone needed to be paid. We tried for over a month to get the funds released, but the lender would not release them! We were at our wits end. We called Cliff. He called the lender, determined what they needed to release the funds, and satisfied their demands. The funds were released, and all the parties were paid. We are now very happy with our new investment property.
Dear Friends: We don't normally do this, but we think this story is worth telling. About four years ago we started on a journey to buy our first home. We had recently been married and had plans to start our family soon. We started to do what most people do and attended open houses on Sundays. At one particular open house we met Cliff Keith. We just seemed to "click". He was courteous, competent, informative, and always followed up on what he said he would do for us. The first thing he helped us with was to get our financial picture in place. When that was done we discovered we could not buy the type of home we wanted. Cliff explained to us what we needed to do in order to buy the home we wanted. He showed us that with a plan and some time, our goal was possible. Over the next couple of years Cliff would send us various mailings to keep us abreast of the real estate market and to encourage us toward our goal. When our goal was within reach, we asked Cliff to show us some properties. We found a home that was just right for us and our finances …or so we thought. The very next day was "Black Thursday" and the stock market made a big correction which depleted our down payment by 34%!!!! We had to call Cliff and tell him the bad news. He told us not to worry because the market would come back, which it did. We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment and our children were growing so fast we needed to find a home. It did take about another year before we felt comfortable looking for a home again and Cliff was still there to help us. Cliff found us a huge home in Belmont. It had a separate apartment, which we planned to rent to a relative. The bank allowed us to use the income derived from the rent as part of our qualifying ratios. Cliff even negotiated a 10.55% reduction on the asking price of the home. In hindsight, the stock market correction was really a blessing in disguise. We now have a great home that is perfect for our family's needs. We are very happy thanks to our Realtor for Life, Cliff Keith.
If you have been thinking of purchasing a home in the next 90 days you owe it to yourself to call Cliff Keith and Team at (650) 346-7366. When you call, please tell him Nick and Tracy referred you to him because, as you may know, Cliff is a "By Referral Only"® real estate agent–which means referrals are very important to him. They are the mainstay of his business. We want to help him stay in business so that someday, when we decide to sell our home and buy another one, we can call Cliff Keith and Team. He is our Realtor for Life!


When it comes to building a buddha bowl, I make sure to pack in lots of different flavours. The options are pretty much infinite really… & mango salsa is one I love love love!
It's simple really. First things first-figure out what you want to have as your base. Are you feeling rice? Quinoa? Soba noodles? Rice Noodles? You get the the idea 😉 Once I know what I'm craving as a base, I build from there. We're working on emptying the contents of our cupboard, and we have lots of quinoa…so that's what I went with this time. I also had some leftover pickled onions from the jackfruit tacos we made yesterday.
The next thing that popped in my mind was how good that would be with a fresh mango salsa! I ran to the store (well…drove) and picked up some mango, fresh veggies, and tofu. Tofu works so well in buddha bowls! If you don't have tofu, black beans would work really well in a bowl like this one. I totally would have added some to it but I didn't have any on hand, and there was no way I was heading back outside in the ice storm of 2018!
It doesn't get much easier than this. All you need is a ripe (but not mushy) mango, red pepper (orange and green would do too), cilantro, the juice of one line, corn, and…maple syrup. Usually I would add jalapeno as well but Christopher isn't a big fan of spice! You could also add in some red onion if you're feeling it. That's it! I'll share the exact measurements down low y'all.
Get yourself a medium size mason jar.
Chop all your produce and pop them in the jar.
Add in the juice of the lime, maple syrup, & salt.
Give it a good shake and let sit for 30 minutes.
*If you're in a rush, you can serve it right away but the flavour does develop more if you give it some time to do its thing!
Looking for more ideas for what to make this week? Check out our easy baked falafel recipe!
Victoria Rand is a food, travel, and lifestyle content creator. Along with her husband Christopher, she is the co-creator of the popular Instagram account and blog, Eh Vegan. Established in 2016, Eh Vegan inspires people to live and travel cruelty-free through engaging video content, stunning photography, and mouth-watering recipes.


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Michael Irvin announces he is cancer-free after scare
Posted Apr 01 2019 09:26AM CDT
Updated Apr 01 2019 12:33PM CDT
DALLAS - Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin got good news after a test at a California hospital. He does not have throat cancer.
Irvin had a biopsy last week and got the results back over the weekend.
He said he lost his voice celebrating the Cowboys' win over the Saints on Thursday Night Football late in the 2018 season. The problems with his voice lasted for nearly two months after the game so he visited a doctor.
He was worried because his father died of throat cancer at age 51. He is now 53.
In an Instagram post, Irvin thanked God and everyone who prayed for him.
"Thank you God for continuing to answer Prayers and Thank you ALL for Praying. I spoke with Dr St John at UCLA Medical and she has informed me that all test have come back 100!% clean. NO CANCER!!!!!!" Irvin wrote in the post. "I was on my threshing floor dealing with the stronghold of fear. You all covered and encourage me."
Fellow player Emmitt Smith was among those sending good wishes.
"So thankful for the good news. Michael Irvin is cancer free," he said.
Thank you God for continuing to answer Prayers and Thank you ALL for Praying. I spoke with Dr St John at UCLA Medical and she has informed me that all test have come back 100!% clean. NO CANCER!!!!!! It is impossible to express my family and my appreciation for the overwhelming out pour of love, support and prayers. I was on my threshing floor dealing with the stronghold of fear. You all covered and encourage me. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 To God be the Glory🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
A post shared by Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) on Mar 31, 2019 at 8:26am PDT
D'backs tie franchise record with 21 hits, beat Rangers 19-4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Eduardo Escobar homered twice and the Arizona Diamondbacks tied a franchise record for a nine-inning game with 21 hits while thumping the Texas Rangers 19-4 Wednesday night.
The 19 runs were Arizona's most since setting a franchise record with 20 against the San Diego Padres last July. Escobar's first homer sparked a seven-run first inning against right-handed starter Jesse Chavez (3-5), who got just two outs.
The switch-hitting Escobar added a three-run homer batting right-handed against Kyle Bird in the sixth and had five RBIs. Kevin Cron, Jarrod Dyson and Carson Kelly also homered for Arizona.
Texas says 10-win season not enough to be 'back' in Big 12
By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Tom Herman knows that Texas is probably a bit ahead of schedule after 10 wins in his second season that included making the Big 12 championship game and a Sugar Bowl victory.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Longhorns are back just yet.
"We weren't here to just have a really good season in Year 2," Herman said Tuesday. "We were here to rebuild a program that's capable of sustaining success, and we feel like we're on the way there."
Cowboys RB Zeke Elliott reportedly considering training camp hold out over new contract
Ezekiel Elliott plans to hold out of training camp until he gets a new contract, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Cowboys haven't focused on a new contract for Elliott mainly because they have bigger priorities.
Elliott has two years left on his rookie deal as opposed to Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper who have one year left until free agency.


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NMG to host public forum on development
Sunday September 23 2018
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia (left), Nairobi County's Lands executive Charles Kerich (centre) and Architectural Association of Kenya President Emma Miloyo lead discussions during the Nation Leadership Forum at the University of Nairobi on September 17, 2018. Effective leadership explains both the "what" and the "why" to their teams and to external stakeholders. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The meeting will discuss how to unlock the potential of Kenya's youth who are key to the country's socio-economic progress and stability.
Stakeholders are in agreement that bold measures are needed to reconsider global finance practices and generate investment for tackling the challenges facing sustainable development.
By KENNEDY KIMANTHI
Nation Media Group will next week hold a public forum that seeks to look into ways of integrating the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within the country's development framework.
Development experts say the Nation Leadership Forum (NLF), a platform where professionals, stakeholders, leaders and Kenyans get an opportunity to discuss issues related to development, presents an opportunity to refine the goals to address realities in the country and also reflect our own local approaches to development.
The NLF Special Edition will be hosted at the University of Nairobi Auditorium on September 27 in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Kenya has been a top advocate of Agenda 2030, a bold new global agenda to end poverty by 2030 and pursue a sustainable future which was unanimously adopted by the 193 member States of the United Nations in September 2015.
The country was a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons which advised the former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on the global development framework beyond 2015.
Fund science to achieve sustainable development
Vision 2030 under threat as manufacturing declines
Mr Macharia Kamau, who was then Kenya's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, co-chaired the General Assembly's Open Working Group on SDGs mandated.
Covering the next 15 years, the SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals whose 15-year lifespan expired in 2015.
It has 17 global goals at its core and commits every country to take a range of actions that will not only address the root causes of poverty, but will also increase economic growth and prosperity and meet people's health, education and social needs while protecting the environment at the same time.
The UN Resident coordinator to Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee - who has confirmed attendance - said the meeting will discuss how to unlock the potential of Kenya's youth who are key to the country's socio-economic progress and stability.
"We will focus on four SDG goals which impact President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four agenda. These are food security, universal health coverage, education for all and gender equality.
"The youth who are over 70 percent of Kenya's population present the greatest opportunity and asset for economic progress and the Big Four agenda," he said
The countdown to the ambitious SDGs is already on, and the Agenda 2030 timeline implies we should already have gone one-fifth of the way towards all the targets.
Though countries will have to concentrate on those targets that are most urgent, the goals still mean greater challenges not only in financing programmes but in innovating for locally-applicable solutions.
Next week's meeting is also likely to look into the possibility of the private sector championing the SDG agenda.
Already, there is the recently launched United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2018-2022 that needs universal focus and support as the main pathway towards getting Kenya to meet its key targets in the SDGs.
The rigorous development process of UNDAF was led by the Treasury and Devolution ministries and coordinated by the UN Country Team.
More than 100 institutions were involved in the process to ensure the framework reflected priorities including Vision 2030, Medium Term Plan (MTP) III and the Big Four agenda.
While the million-dollar question has been how the goals will be funded, stakeholders are in agreement that bold measures are needed to reconsider global finance practices and generate investment for tackling the challenges facing sustainable development.
And with Kenya being classified as a lower middle-income country, financial support to UN agencies has now undergone a considerable reduction.
Nevertheless, the current UNDAF has still committed up to 80 percent more resources towards finding solutions to the countries challenges between now and 2022.
Among those challenges include changing the narrative for the youth and advancing gender equality.
1 Africa Teen mum gives birth during exam, returns to finish
2 News Youth spend Sh1,550 monthly on betting
3 World Iran Guards say they confiscated British tanker
4 Africa Zuma pulls out of South African graft inquiry
5 News More parties join county funds case
6 Politics Raila takes another swipe at Kiunjuri


If you give your chimney any thought at all, you probably see it as little more than a pile of bricks with a hole through the middle that carries smoke out of your house. While this is fundamentally correct, the brick exterior of your chimney is only a small part of a complete system that keeps your house safe and warm. Since most people don't give their chimneys much thought, there are things a lot of people can do to improve the performance of their chimney system, often without spending a fortune to do it.
1. Most important, is to safely contain and remove combustion products from your fireplace, furnace, or other fuel burning appliance and deliver them safely out of your home.
2. Your chimney system should contribute to the overall energy efficiency of your house. A well designed and properly maintained chimney system will accomplish both of these tasks at once, with very little ongoing expense to you.
Your first concern should be safety. If your chimney does not efficiently remove combustion products from your fuel burning appliances, you can have problems ranging from a smoky smell to a lethal accumulation of carbon monoxide. If your chimney has leaks, carbon monoxide and smoke can drift back into your house, and heat and flames can potentially reach the flammable structure surrounding the chimney and cause a fire. If your chimney is not efficiently removing smoke and combustion gases from your house, you are probably not getting optimum efficiency from your fuel burning appliances. If your chimney system leaks, you are probably losing heat out of your house through your fireplace when you are not burning a fire in it.
You can take care of most chimney system problems without major expense. You should have your chimney liner cleaned and inspected on a regular basis by a professional. He or she can tell you of any structural problems that need to be corrected to keep your system safe. If the inside walls of your flue are cracked or have missing mortar, bricks, or tiles, installing a flexible metal chimney liner will make your chimney safer and will probably improve your fireplace draft.
If an inspection shows that you have water damage to the structure of your chimney, you can use products such as Crown Coat, Crown Seal, and Crack Magic Crack Sealant, or Water Base Chimney Saver to repair damage and prevent further moisture penetration. Another step you can take to keep moisture (and animals) out of your chimney is to install a Hy-C Stainless Chimney Cap, which is available in several colors.
Once you have made appropriate repairs, if you notice a cold draft from your fireplace on days when you don't have a fire burning, you probably need to close your damper. Sometimes dampers leak even when closed, so you can also install an Energy Top Chimney Damper which seals the top of your flue with an indoor operated cap to improve your home's energy efficiency.
So, instead of viewing your chimney as a static pile of bricks, treat it with respect as the complex system that it is. A little money now will save you a lot of money down the road.


Mediagration is your one-stop source for pay per view for streaming video audio and music, live broadcasts, digital downloads, and advanced e-commerce. Mediagration develops software for pay per view and subscription Web sites, for streaming video, music and live content, in all formats, from all sources -- media servers. Mediagration products are designed to work with other Mediagration products and products from other companies. Simple DRM Plus - a low-cost alternative to conventional DRM.
MMCart - Enterprise-class software that enables pay-per-view/pay-per-minute audio and video. MMCart creates automatic previews, has a view again capability, and bulk uploading, transcoding, and product creation tools. . AJAX eShop is a super-framework for Virtuemart and WooCommerce. The Product Creator is a product uploading and transcoding wizard.
We provide complete streaming media software with e-commerce billing, ready for front-end customization; we also enhance existing websites; finally, we can expand your existing e-commerce reach to Facebook and other marketing channels.
We can also upgrade existing streaming media platforms and implement ABR HLS (also MPEG-DASH) transcoding; so that video and audio stream compatible with all devices under all conditions. We can also add or simplify security for streaming media, downloaded content, and PHP applications.
For customers seeking custom solutions, Mediagration offers development services to modify, develop or integrate other capabilities such as video chat or live event offerings. In short, we integrate our products to provide the optimum in streaming media capability. That's why we are called Mediagration.
MMCart is our unique software plug-in (for Joomla and soon WordPress and Drupal) that enables instant publishing of pay-per-view/pay-per-minute VOD and live event streams; giving small and large publishers an alternative to costly and less flexible third-party services. MMCart creates automatic previews, has a view again capability, super-fast upload and transcoding tools. Our Jazz Media Player is device-independent, mobile friendly, secure and highly customizable video and audio player.


To stand out in today's marketplace, instead of just posting photos of your listings, post videos. Video is becoming more popular and more important for any REALTOR® looking to improve leads and sales.
The National Association of REALTORS® states that 73% of sellers would choose a real estate professional who could market their property with video, but fewer than 5% of REALTORS® actually use video. Also, homes listed with video get four times the inquiries of homes listed without video.
• Videolicious allows you to choose your video clips, talk and tap to narrate your video and add music and branding.
• Animoto, turns your photos and video clips into professional HD video. Simply choose your clips, select a music track and video style and add your branding.
With a 51% audience share, YouTube is now the top video research destination for house hunters and is more popular than listing websites. Set up your own channel and organize videos by playlist, using search-friendly keywords or the property address in your title, description and tags. YouTube has also become a popular destination for agent videos as "Find an Agent" searches are increasing 46% year over year, so it's smart to post a video bio to capture that audience. Videos posted to Facebook are shared 218% more than Twitter and email combined. So, make sure you post your videos on Facebook, too.
Want some video inspiration? Take a look at these great real estate videos on Placester.com.


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Home News and Analysis PE Deals Responding To Your Criticisms of My Hugo Boss Post
Scoops & Analysis
Responding To Your Criticisms of My Hugo Boss Post
Dan Primack
Sorry for the light posting so far today, but I've been sidetracked by dozens of emails about my argument that Permira should tell portfolio company Hugo Boss to keep open its Ohio suit-making plant.
Specifically, I said that Permira might be making a poor financial decision for itself, in that the resulting loss of future LP commitments could exceed — or at least offset — savings generated by outsourcing the Ohio jobs to [insert your own Asian nation here].
In response, the collective you has accused me of "hypocrisy," "populist buffonery" and of being a "raving protectionist." Some of these attacks are accompanied by compelling dissents, so let me try to address them:
My original post viewed the Hugo Boss situation as a math problem, in the context of Permira's current and future balance sheet (which is different than ROI from its funds). Some readers claimed that this is exactly the sort of thing I would normally blast a PE firm for considering (e.g., my earlier screeds against inquitable fee-sharing agreements).
They are correct. The prospects of a future Permira fund — and the attending management fees — are largely irrelevant to whether or not Hugo Boss should shut the Ohio plant. Instead, our primary concern should be whether or not closing the Ohio plant is in the best interest of Permira limited partners (all of them, not just OPERS).
Hugo Boss originally asked the Ohio workers to accept what would have worked out to an aggregate pay cut of around $1.87 million per year (I originally reported $2.5m based on 400 employees, but Hugo Boss has since told me it's actually 300 employees).
As part of shutting the plant, Hugo Boss expects to spend around $1.5 million on severance and outplacement benefits. Moreover, Hugo Boss also won't take advantage of various financial incentives that Ohio officials offered in exchange for keeping the plant open. Finally, Hugo Boss will pay an undetermined amount to train new workers, change supply chain logistics and open a new facility (some of these costs could be reduced via using an existing vendor, but not eliminated).
As such, Hugo Boss itself is likely to lose near-term money on the Ohio facility shutdown. Going forward, it can be expected to save $1.87 million per year (this is not exact — overseas labor costs may be lower than the Ohio offer, while shipping finished suits back to the U.S. could cause cost increases). For context, Hugo Boss reported €1.68 billion ($2.28b) in 2008 revenue and €354 million ($480m) in personnel expenses.
In other words, the savings represent less than one-half of one percent of what Hugo Boss spends on its employees, and less than one-tenth of one percent of total revenue. And, remember, both the overall company and this particular factory are profitable.
But, as critics remind me, $1.87 million is still $1.87 million. Isn't Permira's fiduciary responsibility to look out for the best interest of its investors and, as such, save every dime it can from within its portfolio? Wouldn't the costs multiple if Permira told all of its portfolio companies to keep "less competitive" facilities open?
I agree that Permira's primary responsibility is to its investors. Its secondary responsibility, however, is to its portfolio companies and to its portfolio company employees (all employees, not just senior executives). If the two cannot be reconciled, then the LP interest should win out. But if the LP savings are very small when compared to the costs being borne by portfolio company employees, then I think an honest debate can — and should — be had.
As is certainly clear by now, I take the Ohio employees' side in that debate. This isn't about U.S. vs. Asia or any sort of similar nonsense. It's simply about a group of employees who have added to Hugo Boss' profits, and who are being discarded so that the company can boost its bottom line by an amount so small that it wouldn't even show up in quarterly financials. I do understand the other side, but respectfully disagree.
Finally, there have been some suggestions that Permira keeping the Ohio plant open would be to value the OPERS relationship more than that of other LPs.
First, private equity firms almost always value certain LP relationships more than others. Ever seen an LP advisory board stacked with small family offices? Or how some VC firms spend a certain number of days per month in states like Utah, in order to satisfy one-off LP agreements with state pension funds?
Second, and more important, this argument assumes that most other LPs would prefer the plant to close. Perhaps it's a reasonable assumption, but it's not one in evidence. After all, lots of LPs have signed onto various social responsibility pacts that trade potential ROI for greater goods. If it is true that most Permira LPs prefer Hugo Boss to save $1.87m annually in exchange for the jobs of 300 current employees, then Permira should follow their wishes (even if it were not my wish). But the answer should not be considered a given…


text:
Former Bumble Bee CEO convicted in price-fixing scheme
The former president and CEO of packaged seafood company Bumble Bee was convicted on Dec. 3 for his participation in an antitrust conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna, the Justice Department announced.
Following a four-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, a jury convicted Christopher Lischewski for conspiring to fix prices of canned tuna sold in the United States from around November 2010 until around December 2013. According to evidence presented at trial, Lischewski participated in a conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna that affected hundreds of millions of dollars in sales throughout the United States.
He also authorized and supervised his subordinates' participation in the conspiracy. Lischewski and his co-conspirators employed measures to conceal their conspiratorial conduct, including meeting at offsite locations, using third-party e-mail addresses, and discouraging retention of documents concerning the conspiracy.
Industry-wide investigation
In May 2017, Bumble Bee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $25 million criminal fine in the ongoing federal antitrust investigation into the packaged seafood industry. The charges against Bumble Bee were the third to be filed—and the first to be filed against a corporate defendant—in the Antitrust Division's ongoing investigation into price-fixing among some of the largest suppliers of packaged seafood.
In September, StarKist was sentenced to pay a $100 million criminal fine. In addition to Bumble Bee and StarKist, four individuals, including Lischewski, have been charged in the investigation. The other three individuals pled guilty and testified in Lischewski's trial.
Bumble Bee Seafoods
Christopher Lischewski
price-fixing
StarKist
Former Bumble Bee CEO sentenced 40 months for price-fixing
The former CEO and president of Bumble Bee Foods was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison and pay a $100,000 criminal fine for playing a leading role in a three-year antitrust conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna.
Fishy business: StarKist to pay $100M for tuna price fixing
StarKist must pay a criminal fine of $100 million, the statutory maximum, for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for canned tuna sold in the United States.
Bumble Bee to pay $25M in price-fixing scheme
Seafood company, Bumble Bee, pleaded guilty yesterday and agreed to pay a $25 million criminal fine resulting from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into the packaged seafood industry.
More Regulatory Enforcement
KPMG fined $4.1M for Conviviality audit failings, reaches settlement regarding Regenersis
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council announced sanctions against KPMG regarding its audits at now-collapsed alcohol retailer Conviviality, in addition to a settlement with the Big Four firm concerning its work at software company Regenersis.
Report: Financial crime fines down in 2021; AML penalties drop 78 percent
Fines for corporate crimes last year fell by more than half to 8.7 billion euros (U.S. $9.9 billion) from 2020's total of €20 billion (U.S. $22.6 billion), according to a report released by research firm AML Intelligence.
Report: GDPR fines surpass $1B in 2021; breach notifications also rise
Nearly €1.1 billion (U.S. $1.2 billion) worth of fines have been issued against organizations in the past year for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation, according to the latest annual report by law firm DLA Piper.


New version of software 2.0.5.1 is available for download!
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We draw your attention that from 29/06/2018 to 9/07/2018 the purchase and dispatch of adapters will be unavailable, in connection with our summer holidays.
From 10/07/2018, the order and purchase of adapters will occur in normal mode.
New version of software 2.003.015 is available for download!
Attention! Notification about supported versions of UCDS !
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For support, you will need to update the software UCDS software to the latest version!


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Hang on tight. This is the penultimate episode of the serial!
Chapter 36. Absinthe flew in circles around the aerial screw. The Green Fairy jerked his head around, as if he heard something. He screamed again and pointed. The sound came again, loud enough for me to hear. The linen "threads" of the air machine ripped loudly. The aerial screw lurched. Cornelis struggled to keep his grip as the machine darted wildly.
Chapter 37. Ced the very large chimpanzee was the one who tracked our heroes, commanded by the unidentified woman. He turned back with a new expression of worry on his face.
"You should know… When your submarine disappeared from our sight, for a moment we saw the purple haze of this world. That woman and her partners plan to take you the moment you return to your own world. They are certain you either possess something they want, or you will lead them to it," Ced told us.
Felicity cast a covert look at Copper, hoping she wouldn't put that together. So, at least some of the villains who chased them thought Copper would lead them to Calvin Hixon.
Cornelis Drebbel levitated above a much bigger version of Leonardo da Vinci's aerial screw. It was attached to a large gondola that contained all manner of fantastical contraptions. Brightly polished brass and crystals glittered in the sunlight that streamed through tall windows from the cloudless lavender sky.
Cornelis waved down to a pair of mauveine complected chimpanzee twin toddlers who observed him in amazement. A young female ape watched them from the corner of her eye as she delivered a basket of food to Cal Hicks. She seemed remarkably unaffected by the floating alchemist.
She quickly took each toddler by a hand and moved to meet one of the coverall clad chimps. He seemed smitten by her. Although she didn't seem to return his romantic interest, something in her manner told me the chimp was a masher.
Itsy glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder as the chimpanzee handed her something that disappeared into the folds of her skirts. Some token of his affections, I supposed. It was hard to tell with the purple coloring but I thought both might be blushing.
"Itsy?" I had to ask.
My own words bothered me in some indefinable way. I suddenly felt uneasy. It seemed like there was something I should remember. However, I was distracted by Cal Hicks. He was looking at me in a most curious way. It made me think something was amiss. I felt all-overish.
"What is it?" I asked worriedly.
His eyes quickly scanned the worktable. The amethyst ape picked up a mirror and handed it to me. There was a smudge of soot on my cheek, and for a moment I thought that was what the straight-laced ape meant. However, with one of his thick fingers he pointed to my hair. A broad ultraviolet streak ran from the crown of my head down the length of my otherwise dark brown locks. The irises of my eyes had taken on a violet hue.
Before I could stop my surprised reaction, I inhaled sharply. I glanced at Copper. I didn't want the girl to notice my concern. Fortunately she ran over to Cornelis, and tossed some tool up toward him. The alchemist caught it with a glowing yellow-green thread of magic.
I was afraid to look at the measuring device that looked like a toothpick holder. It already showed warning shades of violet. However, I forced myself. I removed the device from the flowered carpet bag. The thin rods had darkened to various shades of violet and purple. Only one was still lavender. None at all were colorless. At least the crystal bird at the center was still clear. Cornelis said it might be too late for us to leave the amethyst world if the bird turned purple.
Cal Hicks cleared his throat nervously and broke eye contact with me. He called everyone to the basket of food, but hardly ate anything himself. He turned back to work fervently on the improved aerial screw. Though he couldn't levitate like the alchemist he seemed to work almost as quickly.
Coverall clad chimpanzees ran back and forth, fetching all manner of things that Cal requested. Copper returned to stand at his elbow, handing him various small tools. I suspected that sometimes Cal pretended to need something, just to let the girl think she was helping.
Earlier Cornelis was utterly intense as he poured over an assortment of papers he'd gotten from Cal. There were maps, magazines, playbills, and newspapers. I couldn't figure out what he could be looking for in such an assortment.
However, the alchemist saw links from one thing to another that I would never see without it being pointed out to me. He seemed to make some alchemical sense of the stack of papers and abruptly levitated up above the flying machine. Suffused by that yellowish green aura he began making enhancements to the aerial screw.
As I looked at magazines bearing images of well-dressed simians, all in assorted shades of purple, I was struck anew by how much like our own world this place populated by apes really was. I couldn't help smiling when I saw a magazine cover bearing the image of an elegant female ape wearing an intricate lace gown, jewelry including a tiara, and holding a scepter.
"Is this your queen?" I asked Cal Hicks in delighted surprise.
I grinned at the name Triumphia.
"Yes, although it isn't exactly my queen, the English queen is called Victoria," I told the amethyst ape.
Cal grinned back at me as he compared the name Victoria to his queen's name.
Above us, Cornelis gave a whoop of success.
"This is far superior to the first model!" he cried.
With a sharp pop he disappeared from his spot in the air above us. An instant later he popped into the gondola of the aerial screw.
Itsy wandered closer. She didn't look excited or surprised like everyone else. Rather, the maid looked worried. "There's no more time," Itsy murmured.
She darted to the gondola and grabbed the multi-armed thingamajig.
Earlier, that infatuated chimp covertly handed her something, which she quickly hid in her skirt. When she ran, I got a look at the secret-something. It was a harmonic tuner!
Itsy held out the thingamajig and clanged the harmonic tuner against the contrivance.
The air in a large area before Itsy shimmered to a glowing hot pink aura. The center of the aura took on a wavy mirror like appearance. Then a wall of water rushed from the aura and poured into the burned out depression. Itsy was swept away by the water but managed to grab hold of a fence post.
With a whoosh sound a hydrofoil sped through the opening created by the magical devices. The moment I saw the craft I knew what had bothered me when I told Cal that Itsy and Bitsy had similar voices.
We had never gotten a good look at the woman leading the group on the hydrofoil. I said her voice was familiar, but I just couldn't place it, no matter how hard I tried. The tone of the woman leader was commanding and harsh. It had been different enough that I couldn't connect it to the gentle tones I previously heard from that same voice. At that moment I knew the voice belonged to Bitsy, the maid at the Belle Inn!
The hydrofoil rushed, out of control, down the length of the water that spilled from our world. It crashed into a stand of tall bushes. When the woman stood up, there was no doubt that she was Bisy. She bent over and vomited. The nearness of her doppelgänger already affected her.
"Get her away from me!" Bitsy shouted to the men who accompanied her.
The men waded out to Itsy, the simian. She seemed to think they were helping her and let them take her arms from the post to which she held. However, when they helped her to dry ground one held a knife to her throat. They spoke threateningly to her and she ran away as fast as she could, disappearing into the woods.
The hydrofoil held more passengers than I had realized. There must have been ten heavily armed men, along with Bitsy. They all moved toward us.
Cal Hicks had my arm.
When I turned I saw that Copper was already climbing into the aerial screw. Absinthe and Aubrieta fluttered around her, touching various apparatus with their tiny paws. I looked back at the interlopers from my own world. They were looking right at me.
Masher. A dandy. A man who makes unwelcome sexual advances to women.
Queen's weather. A beautiful sunny day.
Postage stamps. In 1840 the "penny black was the first postage stamp introduced to the United Kingdom. Today we find postage stamps in various different sizes, costs and designs being used to send mail in virtually every country in the world.
What will happen to Felicity, the "Woman in Trousers" of the serial title? Her hair is already streaked with purple, suggesting she has stayed too long in the amethyst world. One group of foes has caught up with our trio. Will they grab Felicity before she can reach the gondola? And will the aerial screw fly off without her?
See you next time, for the conclusion of Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers!
Posted on April 10, 2019 by Teagan R. Geneviene •	This entry was posted in Hidebound Hump-Day, Teagan's Books and tagged Aerial Screw, Alchemy, Copper the Alchemist & the Woman in Trousers, Cornelis Drebbel, Doppelgänger, Fantasy, Pantser, Purple, Serial, Steampunk, Teagan Riordain Geneviene, Victorian Era, Vintage. Bookmark the permalink.
Never a dull moment…check out Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers 38 — Toddlers, Queen, Superior and see for yourself. And while you're at it read up on some Victorian vernacular, you never know when something like that will come in handy. Cheers, and thanks Teagan! Have a fantastic weekend everyone.
Thanks for sharing, and for this fun intro, Melissa. Mega hugs!
My goodness me, Teagan. You are definitely pushing everything to the last possible moment with this exciting story.
LOL, just tying up the loose ends, Robbie.
I'm delighted you are having a good time with this conclusion. I know you're meticulous about details, so I think you'll appreciate the level of work I was doing with the final episode. Wheew! That's still all I can say when I think about it. Happy weekend hugs, my chuckaboo!
You shocked me with this revelation, Teagan. I would have never imagined that Bitsy was the woman chasing them. Now, I'm only left to wonder the reasons, which I know will be revealed soon. This is wrapping up nicely!! Great segment!
Thanks so much, Jan. I've been enjoying following your crystal digging adventures on Facebook. I would love to do something like that sometime, but probably won't, unless I somehow heal my issues completely. But then, I'm in the right place to heal now. 🙂 Mega hugs!
Let the healing begin!! Sending light and love!
I'm glad I could surprise you, Adele. Mega hugs!
Wow, what a penultimate episode, Teagan. I can't wait for next week (because I can't remember how it finished).
I hope you will be happily surprised, then, Hugh. 😉 Many thanks for being part of this crazy steampunk ride. Mega hugs right back!
You're moving us along and a rapid pace today, Teagan. I think my heart rate increased steadily as I read this. You're tying up the loose ends quite nicely. I look forward to next week. I hope to be on time, but Wednesday was a tough uphill climb this week.
Easy on the yard work. You're going to be there a long time.
Hey Dan. I'm sorry to hear it's been a difficult week. Remember there's no such thing as late here. It's good to see you any time.
I actually had a bad afternoon and night, wasn't feeling well in a number of ways. So I finally took a day off. My most strenuous work was shelf paper, and creating a Saturday blog post. I probably should have left that alone too since I have a muscle spasm from it. That was as close to a day off as I could deal with though. LOL.
You've been going strong for quite some time. A day off isn't asking much.
Bitsy! I didn't see that one coming!
Hi Joanne, my chuckaboo! Since this story was 100% unplanned, I had a very hard time choosing who the mystery woman would be. Plus figuring out who would have had opportunity. I thought my brain would explode, tying up everything for the conclusion. Thanks so much for being part of this crazy steampunk ride. Mega hugs!
I'm in awe of the imagination and storytelling talent required to pull off a story like this in 'real time'.
Many thanks for reblogging, dear Magician. Huge hugs!
I'm delighted you enjoyed the penultimate chapter, Dyanna. Huge thanks for reblogging. Mega hugs!
Diana, my chuckaboo — thanks for visiting with all you have going on. Take good care of you too, while you take care of everyone else. Hugs on the wing.
Excellent episode, Teagan. I always wondered how the word "masher" came to be. It is logical that it followed from mash which seems to be a voluntary feeling as opposed to masher which is a non-voluntary act.
I did weed pulling early this morning before the wind got so bad. By noon, I found myself awfully tired. Then I realized it might be from all the dirt in the air.
So no painting or other work this afternoon. I am however, making a big pot of veggie chili. I'd rather have it with beef, but I couldn't deal with cooking the meat. This is the most cooking I've done since I gave away all my stuff over a month ago.
The chilli sounds good. You should rest after weed pulling. Also when it's windy you should have a dust mask on. You might look like a nerd but will save your energy. Thanks for the link.
That's a good tip, John. I didn't think about a mask. The wish for goggles was in my head though. LOL.
I use one a lot.
Enjoying the steampunk trip all over again, Teagan. Happy Hump Day.
Mary, I'm grateful that you took time to take this crazy ride a second time. Have a wonderful rest of the week, my chuckaboo! Mega hugs.
So exciting! I can't wait!
Thanks so much for being on this steampunk ride, Staci. Mega hugs right back!
Like D.L. and Olga, I think the purple streaks would look pretty cool – but I know it's not a good sign. Hugs, Teagan!
I was certainly ready to get an ultra violet streak when I wrote this, Teri. 😉 Wouldn't it be fun! Thanks for being on this crazy steampunk ride. Mega hugs!
Thank you dear Janet. I promised Crystal lots of sunshine — that's here. But I also promised plenty of birds and things to watch from the windows while she sunbathes… not so much on that. I hear the birds all the time, but rarely see them. So on my endless list of things to get is a bird bath.
OOh that's bad!! FIngers crossed Felicity isn't purpleised for evermore!
Cornelis would never hear the end of it, Fraggle. LOL. Thanks for being on this crazy steampunk ride. Mega hugs!
I am with D.L. Finn on this. Although dangerous, I'm sure the purple streaks in her hair would look amazing. Oh, things are getting… close! Thanks, Teagan!
Haha. I have to agree, Olga. And to think, she didn't even have to go to a beauty salon. 😉 Thanks for your encouraging comment. Mega hugs.
whew! Good stuff. BTW love the purple heaven, like a weirdy eye..
It's great to see you, Geoff. Thanks so much! Rob's original was blue and even cooler. I got a computer file of one of his images and had it put on a big canvas to go on my wall. It is stunning. It's the one he calls Sunset — vivid colors. It's the kind of thing I call "60s Mod." Hugs on the wing!
I love the purple streaks in her hair:) I can't to see how this ends!
When I wrote this in 2015, I had already done 3 serials before this one. Yet this one was the biggest challenge for pulling all the threads together at the end. I rarely pat myself on the back (just that kind of upbringing… I can never do anything well and certainly never say I did), but I'm still amazed that I managed to at least satisfy myself with the ending of this one. It was feat.
I had that same upbringing too Teagan. So if you can say it thats a real amazing feat! Lots of hugs right back to you.
I love your amazingly talented and creative brain.
You are so kind, Cindy. Heartfelt thanks for being on this crazy steampunk ride. Only one more chapter to go! Hugs on the wing.


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