Jewellers no longer advertise only to drive sales. Associating their brand with socially positive messages and giving it emotional content are also powerful motives. Any jeweller would welcome the chance to equate its brand with positive emotions and its jewellery with values that go beyond price.
The average Indian retailer is not yet on this elevated plane. Nonetheless, jewellers are beginning to understand that going digital can bring new meaning and energy to their brand communications. Some are producing campaigns, promotions and videos that engage their target audience, often by delivering altruistic messages.
On 8 March this year, International Women's Day, P C Chandra Jewellers, Delhi, launched a video campaign urging people to "uncelebrate" the day. The video featured women from all walks of life describing moments when they experienced bias. The point was that every day should be Women's Day.
The campaign drew flak, as expected, but its message resonated with many women viewers. It also associated the brand firmly with progress in gender relations.
Orra Fine Jewellery communicated its philosophy of inclusiveness with a video featuring visually challenged children. These children, the jeweller said, were the inspiration behind the Shruti Ganesha pendant of its Mantrasiddhi collection, which had an "Om" etched on it in Braille.
The video had Orra's CEO and its head designer Rupam Singhal, narrating the story, and explaining how the brand touched the lives of children living without sight.
Another instance is #BestAtWork by Mia, a brand of Tanishq. The video sought to break the patriarchal stereotype according to which a working woman cannot achieve work–life balance.
CaratLane launched a video aimed at removing the misconception that a Valentine's Day gift is only for lovers. The video made the point that Valentine's Day is an occasion to express appreciation — even, for example, to a kind-hearted workplace colleague.
A video message from Om Jewellers, Mumbai, shows the owner himself telling customers about a new collection. It showcases the personal connection and commitment that the brand seeks to achieve with its patrons.
Consumers like to feel that they "know" any brand they invest in. They want the brand to share their beliefs and values. For jewellers, this is an opportunity to keep a conversation going. They are happy to invest in digital content that connects their brand with concerns that its consumers, as individuals, share. It is a fine way to build trust.
A year has passed since the great big Anoushka Sharma–Virat Kohli wedding. It was a great big media event as well but, more importantly, it has had a significant impact on jewellery tastes. Pastel meenakari, jadau and polki have come roaring into style, thanks to the celebrity couple's choice of jewellery, and to the superlative visual presentation by designer and couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
Retailers agree that it is the fashion czar Sabyasachi who, over the last few years, has driven this change — making 2018 the year to bring out one's grandmother's priceless polki from the locker and flaunt it fearlessly.
Where once retailers of heritage jewellery found the middle-income, price-conscious market a tough nut to crack, now there is a real appetite and aspiration for the style. Celebrity exposure has helped send heritage designs flying off the retail shelves. Even customers with small budgets, Zaveri says, aspire to own at least one set from this category.
It doesn't take a Burmese ruby or Colombian emerald to look luxurious in this style. A budget of Rs2 lakh buys one a heritage-style set featuring semi-precious stones with perhaps a modest show of pearls — and a million-dollar smile on the customer's face.
An advantage for retailers is that brides aspire to the complete look, including the matha patti and nath. This increases the overall value of the transaction.
Retailers tell The Retail Jeweller that heritage is replacing diamond as the wedding-day jewellery of choice. "If you look at jewellers' advertisements now," says one retailer, "diamonds are fast being replaced by polki and jadau." Many well-known diamond jewellers are adapting quickly and pivoting to cash in on the trend.
Take for example K ZinZuwadia Legacy, which this year launched Sahiba, a sub-brand exclusively for heritage designs. This is the jeweller's first foray into this category, and it has clicked. "Consumers come asking for Sahiba," says Hardik Zinzuwadia, owner "and the brand is doing unexpectedly good business." It is doing so well that they jeweller has allocated to Sahiba exclusive show-windows and visual merchanding, as well as a whole floor out of the showroom.
Most jewellers say they are pleased with the rise of heritage jewellery. The category is not assailed by the kind of insidious quality and price comparisons that have troubled the diamond category. It is profitable and the margins are high.
It helps that top-quality design direction is available, albeit indirectly. While Sabyasachi sells one piece of a heritage design, other jewellers can and do develop lighter, watered-down versions and sell them in large numbers.
The bottom line? This has been a great year for heritage jewellery. Sales in the category have exceeded expectations of most retailers.
Consumers today spend a great deal of time refining their choices online, particularly before buying anything. Whether shopping for entertainment, daily necessities or luxuries, the Web is the first port of call.
Because he himself researches online before making any purchase, says Aditya Pethe, owner, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers (WHP), Mumbai, it stands to reason that jewellery consumers do the same. So it is imperative for a jeweller to be online, where the consumers are.
For many jewellers, their first step into the Web world was setting up a website. Even for well-known brands, going online helped connect with a younger generation of consumers. Over time, visibility and outreach were extended to virtual storefronts, and ecommerce sales began. The next shift expected is that online jewellery sales are no longer limited to affordable designs.
Take WHP, for instance. It has an ecommerce platform, but, as Pethe says, "It was tough to attract the requisite traffic to the portal, even as recently as a year ago." Not any more! Customers who once used the website chiefly to locate nearby outlets and find their working hours, have turned to shopping there. Just within the last year, says Pethe, WHP's portal has begun to generate sales at a significant level.
Readying for this shift, retailers are fervently feeding their online profile. They are using every available avenue, especially social media, to promote their latest designs, present the latest and brightest customer testimonials, showcase the lovely brides they have adorned and publicise their latest offers.
Ishu Datwani, owner, Anmol Jewellers, Mumbai, says social media enables the next level of brand promotion — all the benefits of being online, without the hassle of running a website.
"I had a Saudi client who flew down to Mumbai to buy a piece of jewellery she loved, having seen it on Instagram," says Datwani. Anmol has sold jewellery worth more than Rs80 lakh in the last month alone, he says, and just through Instagram.
Jewellers are well aware now that a website or app typically is the first brand touchpoint for a consumer, and that the influence of social media on brand discovery and development is growing dramatically. It is no surprise that they are increasingly eager to have social media influencers endorse their brands. They are learning that using the new media effectively can drive business to their brand, even at the cost of brands that are much bigger and better-known offline.
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) can rightly be proud of what it has achieved for the industry. More or less singlehandedly the council has, over the decades, built up a rock-solid ecosystem of manufacturers for the export markets. No amount of credit is too much, given the scale of the GJEPC's contributions. To take the crudest measures, the industry is now responsible for fully 7 per cent of India's GDP and over 5 million jobs.
As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, this year the GJEPC chose to capture and frame itself. The black-and-white photographs by the renowned photographer Santosh Verma offered glimpses of the innumerable people that constitute the vast, well-knit family of the gems and jewellery sector.
The GJEPC's aim for the photography session was to bringing this contribution to public knowledge. The session showcased how the gems and jewellery industry has contributed to the nation's growth, while nurturing millions of craftsmen and their families through their lives.
The campaign is part of GJEPC's larger objective to rescue the image of industry. This was felt necessary because of the reputational damage caused by the gigantic bank frauds allegedly perpetrated by jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. The scams came to light in February this year and badly dented consumer as well as banking goodwill towards the industry.
The GJEPC swung into action early, soon after the media frenzy began dying down. The industry had been left to cope with the stress of falling demand and tightened liquidity. The council's publicity campaign sought, therefore, to rebuild a positive narrative, underscore how well the industry has stood the test of time and show that Modi–Choksi were no more than a terrible exception.
The response within the industry has not been universally appreciative. Considering the lacklustre domestic business environment, some insiders would have liked to see other priorities addressed first. They view this CSR campaign as resources wasted on image-building when what retailers really need is a campaign to pull customers into stores.
As an export promotion body, the GJEPC organises two of the largest jewellery trade shows in the country. So, according to a top retail industry spokesperson, what the council needs is to focus on growth for retail jewellers.
That said, every bit helps when times are bad. Given the GJEPC campaign's focused approach, supporters can hope that it will soften the banks' currently rigid and blinkered approach to the industry, and draw some sympathetic attention from policymakers in government.
Renowned high-street jewellery retailers and chains in India, including many revered names, have felt themselves reduced to observers, — bystanders powerless to address the slow, sustained rise of a new genre of jewellers. Jewellers, that is, who promise diamonds at half the prevailing market price of diamond.
Their official website publishes explanations of why the stones they sell are, in fact, true gems. These gems are real, they say, in the same way that a test-tube baby conceived in a laboratory is real and unquestionably human. Lab-grown diamonds, they say, are grown from the same carbon seed as natural diamonds, by the same process, just not in the womb of Mother Nature.
Fiona Diamonds started out at the business-to-business (B2B) end of the market in 2010. In 2017, it got access to steady supply of various shapes, sizes and qualities of grown diamonds, and the company ventured into jewellery. Its stones now have an average carat size of 50 points.
The retailer has organised itself, strengthened its merchandising team and begun creating collections for consumers. It pitches grown as an alternative to the mighty natural diamond.
The category has received a major boost recently with the launch of De Beers' Lightbox line of grown diamond jewellery. Fiona's production and demand, Agarwal says, are also increasing at a breathtaking speed. Business, he says, has grown by 150 per cent from the time he started in the third quarter of 2017. It helps that Fiona grown diamonds come with a consumer-friendly 100 per cent buyback and exchange offer, as well as an EMI plan in which a 1-carat stone can be had for Rs9,000 a month.
The company is using its first-mover advantage to drive the expansion plan. There are four company-owned stores at present, and six franchisee-owned outlets. Next year, there will be four more.
Grown diamonds are, without a doubt, well suited to today's marketplace. They make a strong appeal to contemporary consumers, they don't break the bank, they offer the impeccable look and flawless finish of good natural stones, and they are here to stay.
It is heartening to see Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Suresh Prabhu echo the industry need for a national domestic jewellery council. To expedite its formation, in August this year, the ministry formed a working committee with representatives of 14 jewellery associations from across the country; and Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, joint secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, was finalised to head the committee. Despite initial momentum, however, the drive fizzled out.
According to Nitin Khandelwal, chairman, GJC, the move was stalled by an explosion of demands. "Every jewellery association, no matter how remote," he says, "insisted on equal representation on the council." This was not practical.
The domestic industry is already well served by a plethora of associations. Unlike in the export sector, though, domestic groupings are not all organised or equipped with a specific mandate and procedures.
Nor could the government immediately give a mandate to an organisation whose electoral policies and breadth of industry representation were, at the time, still to be established.
Sabyasachi Ray, executive director, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), says it is too soon to decide whether the Domestic Council will be an association of associations. "Suresh Prabhu, minister of commerce and industry, suggested an electoral college similar to that used to elect presidents of the USA," he says.
This is why the government formed the original ad hoc committee of 14 major jewellery associations, and asked it for advice on constituting an electoral college for the domestic council. This committee has met with the government twice, and a third meeting is expected soon.
The planned working committee, Ray says, will help organise the mammoth unorganised side of India's jewellery industry, in order to boost its potential. The committee will also act, he says, as the chief lobbying body through which the industry can voice its concerns to government, just as the GJEPC does for the export sector.
No date is fixed yet to announce this working committee, but it's becoming clear that industry as well as government are on track for its formation.
Natural diamonds need a champion. In today's constrained market, consumers are ready and willing to appreciate jewellery that features lab-grown diamonds. The natural diamond industry, therefore, is looking for ways to reassure consumers about the enduring value of natural diamonds, and remind them why these gems remain priceless.
The Diamond Producers Association (DPA) is on the job. This industry body, representing eight of the world's largest miners, is working hard to reinforce consumer awareness of natural diamonds as grown diamonds begin to compete seriously for a share of demand.
The DPA's standout intervention has been the "Real Is Rare, Real Is a Diamond" campaign, in which thought-provoking video advertisements were launched across India, and across cultural barriers. The ads have reached as much as 75 per cent of the target audience in India.
The campaign draws inspiration and insight from recent, in-depth research into modern Indian relationships. This research included interviews with multiple young couples, which revealed a successful connect in their minds between the perceived worth of real diamonds and unique moments of their own happiness and celebration.
The DPA is reaching out to Indians organically, for instance through its YouTube channel, which has over 20 million views.
The organisation is not in a hurry. India accounts for a mere 7 per cent of global diamond consumption, which the DPA reads as a huge growth opportunity. It knows that opinion formation takes time, especially in a market where the natural diamond faces tough and unfair competition from CVDs, or grown diamonds.
After five months of concerted activity on social media in India, the DPA campaign has bagged an engaged audience of 30,000. This comprises individuals who are genuinely interested in diamond facts, stories, and education. It is also faring well with the target group of married couples in the 26–40 age bracket.
The DPA plugged a glaring gap in diamond industry education by publishing the Blue Book. This is a thorough compilation of diamond-related terminology, used to train sales staff and keep them up to date so that they can serve their customers better. A confident, well-informed sales team does no harm to consumer confidence.
During the final quarter of 2018, the DPA has begun to connect with retail partners across the country. It means to set up a strong network that can act as a force-multiplier for its category-building efforts. For instance, the organisation is developing communication pieces that can be placed in-store with its retail partners, through the network. This content may be released from early 2019 onwards.
In short, the DPA is well on track to reach out to all its key stakeholders in India, bringing them useful content and tools. This looks like the right way to go. After all, it is the retailers who handle the crucial last mile, taking the message of diamond right to the consumers.
Exchanging old jewellery for new is an opportunity, not an impediment — particularly in a business climate where more frequent and indulgent consumer purchases are eagerly to be welcomed.
Tanishq is leading the way. The major retailer has picked up and renewed this old Indian tradition, by responding to a felt need among consumers and demonstrating that it reposes trust in the inherent value of jewellery. It is doing the industry a favour by investing its own brand capital to encourage consumers to buy more.
Accordingly, in summer this year Tanishq ran a high-profile, 15-day-long mega-campaign, in 11 metro and Tier-1 cities, to publicise its generous new-for-old exchange offer. The focus was on old gold jewellery of purity greater than 14k, with a promise of no loss of karatage. It was a good deal, and consumers responded well.
Buoyed, the retailer moved quickly on to Tanishq Promise, the next stage of its exchange campaign. Its advertisement film shows a doubtful-looking mother handing over pieces of old jewellery (evidently purchased from the family jeweller) at a Tanishq showroom for evaluation, with her daughter reassuring her through the process. In the end, the salesperson quotes an exchange price that is clearly higher than the elderly lady expected and the price it as originally bought for.
The video certainly "breaks the myth that jewellery exchange is only possible through a family jeweller", as Tiwari says. That's not all it does. It also shows a generation gap being bridged, gently and without hard-sell. It brings in the aspect of relationships of trust. It is an admirable achievement.
What's more, Tanishq shows its awareness of what it takes to win consumers over. One of the retailer's sharpest moves this year was making it possible to melt down old gold jewellery right in front of the customer, to present an exchange price that cannot reasonably be doubted.
The Exchange at Tanishq ad video has 80,000-plus views on YouTube alone. Looking ahead, exchange transactions could become a terrific, industry-wide tool for boosting business.
Until not so very long ago, De Beers meant diamonds and diamonds meant De Beers. So when this torchbearer for the diamond industry announced the launch of Lightbox, its collection of lab-grown diamonds, jewellers around the world sat up in surprise.
The move earned more reactions than can be described in this article. According to one popular hypothesis, De Beers' real plan is to crowd out all other synthetics players and capture the market by quoting staggeringly low rates for its own synthetics. Other observers choose to see the move as De Beers bowing to the inevitable and confirming that the time of synthetics has come.
Some retailers are pivoting with alacrity. Vardhman Jewellers of Delhi, a family jeweller with a proud legacy of many years, is for the first time launching synthetics alongside natural diamonds. "It's time consumers knew their options," says Namo Jain, Managing Director who plans gradually to introduce a range of lab-grown diamonds in the 15 small-format stores his company will soon launch in malls in Delhi.
He has no qualms. Customers deserve a choice, he says, and De Beers simply is paving the way for jewellers to foray into the category with honest pride. It is time to set aside the stigma associated with synthetics, especially among retailers of natural diamond jewellery, who are conditioned to view the sale of synthetics almost as an act of betrayal.
The Nirav Modi–Mehul Choksi bank frauds, news of which broke in February this year, caught the gems and jewellery industry totally unawares. The double scandal delivered a double blow, to the industry and to banks.
The first blow was reputational, and it hit the government as well as jewellers and banks. Both the disgraced jewellers had already left India, and they have stayed out of reach ever since. Their fraud was on such a scale that it has not been possible for any agency to soften its impact significantly.
The second blow was financial. To save face, the banking sector — already on the back foot because of its growing burden of bad loans — imposed a hurtful collateral requirement of 100–150 per cent on lending to jewellers. This new rule has made it almost impossible for smaller players in the gems and jewellery sector even to think of surviving the competition.
One industry veteran called the move "unintelligible" and counterproductive, because it drives even honest businesspeople to corruption, to keep their enterprise afloat.
At a recent seminar, a senior government official admitted that gems and jewellery is the only sector currently facing a liquidity crisis, presumably because its bankers feel they cannot accurately assess risk.
Banks continue to hold back lending to the sector, hurting exports and the domestic business. A number of diamond manufacturing companies have already gone under, but there is little likelihood of a reversal in the risk perception.
Finally, on the retail front, diamond sales have nose-dived, hitting their lowest ebb this calendar year. In conversation with the <i>Retail Jeweller</i>, jewellers claim a minimum 20 per cent drop in diamond jewellery sales.
There is no way yet to assess whether this is because of the short-term paranoia among consumers in the aftermath of the scam revelations — which sent them scurrying to their jewellers to demand re-examination of high-ticket items — or whether it reflects a larger disenchantment with diamond, partly due to frequent coverage of the threat of undeclared grown-diamonds. .
Anecdotally, it sounds as if buyers are hesitant to invest in diamonds because they feel less "real".


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British American port cities were an important part of the social, economic, cultural, and political fabric of North America and the West Indies in the early modern period. Although relatively small by today's standards—no North American port city had a population greater than 25,000 by 1776—these multilayered maritime communities were essential cogs in the wheels of coastal and transatlantic commerce. Merchants, retailers, wholesalers, agents, shopkeepers, manual laborers, and seamen all formed part of the population of these port cities. These populations differed in their ethnic and racial composition, in social status and income, and in residential patterns and living standards. The port cities themselves varied considerably: some were extensive sites for shipbuilding and its associated trades, some mainly served as shipping points, and some were connected to thriving agricultural hinterlands. Most North American regions were dominated by one particular port. Boston was the leading port in Massachusetts and throughout New England, New York City was the hub of New York's trade, Philadelphia dominated the Delaware Valley's seaborne commerce, Baltimore emerged by the time of the American Revolution as the chief port on the Chesapeake Bay, and Charleston was the focal point for ships and trade throughout the Lower South. These ports were situated where transaction and distribution costs could be concentrated in one trading center. The West Indian sugar islands were not sufficiently large to have more than one main port each. Apart from Kingston, Jamaica, and Bridgetown, Barbados, these island ports were little more than small towns before 1800. The main published studies dealing directly with these ports are cited in this article. Few scholars specialize in the history of British American ports, however, and even fewer publish works on colonial urban history. Therefore, interesting work on port cities is often done by scholars primarily concerned with other analytical questions, such as social structure, race, and consumption.
There is no satisfactory, up-to-date overview of British American port cities, either using original sources or synthesizing secondary literature. Instead, one has to sample a handful of books and articles that provide varied introductions to the development of these urban centers. Nearly all of the main studies of this sort exclusively cover North America rather than the Caribbean. Bridenbaugh 1971a and Bridenbaugh 1971b are written by the first academic historian in the 20th century to attempt broad studies of North American port cities. Carl Bridenbaugh's books include much descriptive and illustrative material drawn from newspapers and town records, but they lacked a quantitative dimension. His interpretations have now been superseded in more-specialized studies, but they are still worth mining for information. The major modern book to provide an overall assessment is Nash 1979. Gary B. Nash is especially concerned with economic fluctuations in the urban economies of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, paying close attention to the working and living conditions of servants, slaves, and other poor people. His book could be read as an economically determinist tome linking material conditions to the growth of political consciousness immediately before the American Revolution, but the author would deny this and would claim that he was not influenced by Marxist ideas. Carp 2007 has individual essays on political mobilization in British American port cities in the 1760s and early 1770s. Fries 1977 discusses the original plans and designs of North American cities. Price 1974 is the best study of the occupational structure of North American ports. Earle and Hoffman 1976 links the urban system of the South, such as it was, to the growth of staple crops. Crane 1998 is the main study of the role of women in British American port cities. Rockman 2007 is a review article on the main themes covered by historians of early North American cities.
Bridenbaugh, Carl. Cities in Revolt: Urban Life in America, 1743–1776. New York: Knopf, 1971a.
Continues the approach to North American cities found in Bridenbaugh 1971b. Has a good bibliography. Bridenbaugh is concerned with the social and institutional history of cities rather than the sources of their growth or their relationship to one another. An evaluation of this and of Bridenbaugh 1971b is in Benjamin Carp, "Cities in Review," Common-Place: The Interactive Journal of Early American Life. Originally published in 1955.
Bridenbaugh, Carl. Cities in the Wilderness: The First Century of Urban Life in America, 1625–1742. New York: Ronald, 1971b.
Bridenbaugh spent a quarter of a century researching town life in colonial British North America. This pioneering study is historiographically important but based on qualitative rather than quantitative sources. It is still useful as a reference source for information on Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. Originally published in 1938.
Carp, Benjamin. Rebels Rising: Cities and the American Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Considers how city dwellers in British North America dealt with matters of home rule, independence, and social change in the context of mobilization for the American Revolution. Individual chapters analyze different locations where political mobilization occurred: Boston's waterfront, New York's taverns, Newport's religious meetinghouses, Philadelphia's statehouse, and Charleston's town houses.
Crane, Elaine F. Ebb Tide in New England: Women, Seaports, and Social Change, 1630–1800. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998.
An investigation of the changing status of women in four New England port towns in which women outnumbered men: Boston, Salem, Newport, and Portsmouth. Argues that women became more dependent and less autonomous over time in terms of their legal, educational, economic, and religious roles. Influenced by present-day notions of the feminization of poverty.
Earle, Carville, and Ronald Hoffman. "Staple Crops and Urban Development in the Eighteenth-Century South." Perspectives in American History 10 (1976): 7–78.
Considers the variable progress of urban centers in North America south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Places each city within its economic context, especially in relation to tobacco, wheat, and the Atlantic economy. Argues that new urban networks in the South were directly connected to the growth of commodity exports.
Examines the goals and expectations associated with the founding of colonial North American cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, and Savannah. The design concepts, the city plans, and the forms these cities took are discussed.
Nash, Gary B. The Urban Crucible: Social Change, Political Consciousness, and the Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1979.
The best monograph on the history of three major North American port cities—Boston, New York, and Philadelphia—from the early 18th century through the American Revolution. Argues that these seaports were at the cutting edge of change and that socioeconomic inequality directly affected political consciousness. A reevaluation of the book, thirty years after its publication, appears in a roundtable discussion in the October 2009 edition of Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 133 (October 2009).
Price, Jacob M. "Economic Function and the Growth of American Port Towns in the Eighteenth Century." Perspectives in American History 8 (1974): 123–186.
Classic article that discusses the occupational structure of Boston, Newport, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston and the marketing conditions of the trades that dominated those port cities. It also considers the retardation of town and port growth around the Chesapeake Bay.
Rockman, Seth. "Work in the Cities of Colonial British North America." Journal of Urban History 33.6 (September 2007): 1021–1032.
A recent review article that covers urban workers, the diversity of the urban laboring population, and the importance of slavery to the functioning of the urban economies of British North America.


Deeply shocked at the killing of Boris Nemtsov, which is the most significant political assassination in recent Russian history, who was shot dead during his walk near the Kremlin, in an area staffed with video cameras, police and security services.
Pays tribute to Boris Nemtsov, a prominent opposition leader, a founder and leader of the political movement Solidarnost, a leading critic of President Vladimir Putin and of the war in Ukraine, a man of courage and conviction, who stayed honest and sincere throughout his political career. Boris Nemtsov has been a friend, appreciated partner and interlocutor of the EPP for many years.
Expresses its deepest condolences to Boris Nemtsov's family, friends, members of the opposition and the Russian people.
Requests an independent international investigation of the murder.
Asks the EU to take this murder into account while stepping up the EU sanctions against Russia.
Calls on the Russian authorities to stop the shameful propaganda and information war against its neighbours, the Western world and its own people; the propaganda, which turns Russia into the state of terror and fear; where nationalist euphoria is built on the annexation of Crimea and an escalating war in Ukraine; where the Kremlin is cultivating and provoking hatred and fighting.
Voices with deep concern about the murders and the systematic intimidation and harassment of the members of the opposition, journalists and people critical of the authorities, as well as about the continuous wave of attacks against independent human rights organisations and civil society groups in Russia.
Is deeply worried by Russia's failure to observe its international legal obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, together with fundamental human rights and the rule of law.
9. Calls on the Russian authorities to immediately release all political prisoners, among them Alexey Navalny, a prominent opposition leader of Russia, his brother Oleg Navalny, and Nadia Savchenko (MP and PACE member), kidnaped in the territory of Ukraine and illegally detained in Russian jail.


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Hello guys! I just wanted to blog about a day I got to spend with a portland photographer ( and my asked about fur coat). I basically entered a Portland based Giveaway and won an awesome package which was hosted by Lacecollectivpdx. It is a Portland bloggers association on Instagram. It entailed a prize that had $150 worth of hair products, a hair treatment and blow out. A stylist meet (which I never got but am not upset about it since we tried to meet up a few times and it just never happened) and a photography session. We decided to meet up after I got back from vacation in January. It was early for me since I am a mom and usually stay up late but that was the time agreed, it does show up on the pictures that I look tired but I like a few of them and decided to do a blog post my most favorite.
We met up and clicked instantly. She is a very sweet, friendly lady named Shauna Dullanty, that does photography on the side. I thought she did a fantastic job! You can find her on instagram under the feed @littlephotofox she has an amazing feed. Now about my outfit details.
What is a piece of clothing that you wore that isn't typically your style or an everyday piece that you had to have? Mine was this cute Pink Fur Coat!


Brunswick, Maine - Joseph Arthur "Morris" Lavallee, age 63, of Dilios Drive, passed away at home on Wednesday, February 17. He was born in Brunswick on September 1, 1952, the son of Joseph Arthur Francis Lavallee and Juliette Rose Thierrien. He attended schools in Brunswick and Bath, leaving Morse High School to enlist in the Navy in 1970. He was transferred to the Marine Corps, and was a sniper in a force recon unit in the Southeast Asian theater. After being discharged in 1973, he worked at Bath Iron Works and the Harding Plant. He honed his craft at fabrication, welding and engineering, and spent many years as a self employed metal fabricator and craftsman.
He was a loving father, a devoted husband, a cherished brother, uncle and cousin. He was a talented musician and a gifted writer. His two published works, "Cracks In the Wall" and "The Broken" were reviewed by the Maine Sunday Telegram, the Coastal Journal and The Cryer. Morris also hosted discussion sessions at local libraries and other venues, where he encouraged readers to discuss some of the themes raised in his books. He was especially concerned with young veterans returning home and "falling through the cracks" in the Veterans Administration system. He understood combat-related P.T.S.D. from his personal experiences in Southeast Asia. His heart was as big as his personality, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He leaves behind his wife, Alison Bane, his beloved daughter, Rebecca Carabajal Lavallee, his beloved sons, Albin Lee Lavallee, and Mark Luro, two sisters, Connie Monroe and her husband Jimmy, Priscilla Barber and her husband Erle, his brother, Roger Lavallee and his wife Sheila, and many, many beloved nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews, cousins and great cousins.
Visiting hours will be held Sunday, February 21 from 4-7 PM at Stetson's Funeral Home, 12 Federal St., Brunswick. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Maine Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 3415, Augusta, ME 04330.


Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of onions, and when combined with some fresh thyme, smoky bacon and maple syrup, they make a versatile, delicious side dish. Serve alongside roast beef or pork, ham, turkey or chicken.
We've roasted a trio of onion varieties and tossed with them crispy bacon, fresh thyme and a drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet-savory side dish to serve with roast beef, pork or turkey.
Preheat the oven to 375°F, line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray.
Fry the bacon until moderately crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat and set aside.
Place the pearl onions, red onions and sweet onions in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the reserved bacon fat and olive oil. Toss again to coat lightly and season with salt and pepper.
Scatter the onions as evenly as possible on the baking sheet and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.
Remove the onions from the oven and place in a bowl. Drizzle with the maple syrup and add the thyme leaves and bacon. Combine well and place back on the baking sheet. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl.
To peel pearl onions easily, immerse them in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then plunge them into ice water for an additional 2 minutes. Drain and cut off the root end of the onion and squeeze gently from the opposite end. The onion should slip out of its skin fairly easily.


I like using Visual Studio Code for my Angular development, because it is TypeScript-friendly, supports in-editor Chrome Debugging, and has numerous extensions for boosting productivity. In this post I'd like to show how you can turbocharge VS Code to make it an even more powerful tool for developing Angular applications.
Nowadays the best way to build an Angular app is using Angular CLI. Not only can you use it to scaffold a new app and to generate modules, components and services, but there are commands you use all the time for linting, building, and serving the app, as well as running unit and end-to-end tests. That usually means having to toggle back and forth between Visual Studio Code and the Terminal.
The integrated terminal in Visual Studio Code allows you do this from within the editor, but you still have to type all your commands into the terminal window and manually create new windows to run multiple commands simulataneously.
It would be a big time-saver if you could use keyboard shortcuts to execute the npm scripts for Angular in package.json. Here are scripts added by Angular CLI when you create a new application.
You should generally run "npm start" rather than "ng serve," because the npm script will use the version of @angular/cli that is exactly specified in project.json, whereas "ng serve" uses the CLI version that is installed globally and is frequently updated. If you use the local CLI version, then your app should be insulated from dependencies may change when the global CLI is updated.
The way to do this is first to create tasks in VS Code that execute these scripts. Then you can assign keyboard shortcuts to run each task. Version 2.0.0 of the tasks.json schema is more flexible and powerful than the prior version. For example, you can define tasks that natively run npm scripts. The "build" and "test" scripts are good candidates for this because they are natively mapped by VS Code to standard key bindings (Shift+Cmd+B and Shift+Cmd+T respectively).
However, to assign keyboard shortcuts to other tasks, you need to use the "shell" type to specify a task name, which is required in order to assign a keyboard shortcut. Note that "args" has been deprecated, so you need to concatenate arguments to the "command" string. NPM scripts accept parameters if you preceed them with a double hyphens. For example, you can use this approach to pass an "-o" argument, so that the app is opened in a browser when it is served.
Here are shortcuts you can paste into your keybindings.json file. Note the shortcut to terminate a running task by pressing Shift+Cmd+X. If you run multiple tasks at the same time, you will be prompted to select which task you want to end. Also note I assigned Shift+Cmd+O to opening the app, so the shortcut for "Go to Symbol" needs to be assigned to another shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+O).
The first extension I'll recommend for Angular development with VS Code is a file icon theme called vs-code-icons. Its bright colors make working with the Explorer pane a pleasure.
There are certain chores that are tedious and error-prone. One of those is adding and managing imports. While VS Code can add imports via the "quick fix" (a.k.a. light bulb) menu, it will use double quotes, which will have to be changed later to single quotes (in compliance with the default Typescript linting rules), and it won't care about the order of the import statements, or clean up imports that are no longer used.
The best way out of this quagmire is to install a VC Code extension called TypeScript Hero. When you install it, you'll get commands on the quick fix menu for adding imports, as well as keyboard shorcuts for managing imports. My favorite is Ctrl+Opt+O, which organizes imports by sorting them according to convention and removing imports that are unused. You can see which commands and shortcuts are available by opening the Command Palette (Shift+Cmd+P) and entering "TS Hero." All the commands are documented on the project home page.
Two more essential extensions are TSLint, which provides real-time linting of TypeScript files in VS Code, and the Angular Language Service, which give you things like intellisense and Cmd+click go-to-definition inside of HTML template files.
There are a few other miscellaneous extensions that I like. If you're editing markdown a lot, I recommend Markdown Shortcuts, which lets you create a code block by pressing Ctrl+M, Ctrl+C. You also get an icon to open markdown preview to the side.
For enhanced version control in the Editor, I recommend the Git History extension for comparing different file version in the git log, and Open in GitHub for jumping to a file in a remote repository — Bitbucket, Gitlab and VisualStudio.com are also supported.
Last but not least, one of the killer features of VS Code is support for debugging, and the Debugger for Chrome extension lets you set breakpoints and step through code in an Angular app without having to leave the comfort of the VS Code editor. Start by adding the following configurations to your launch.json file.
Select the "ng serve" debug config, press Shift+Cmd+S to serve the app, then press F5 to hit your breakpoint.
To debug unit tests, start the tests be pressing Shift+Cmd+T, select the "ng test" debug config, and press F5. You should hit your breakpoint and be able to add watches, view the call stack, and step through your code.
I wrote a VS Code recipe for Angular CLI debugging, which contains further information, including installation instructions, gotchas and workarounds.
It's a great time to be an Angular developer, and VS Code can help you be more productive — if you know how to bend it to your will. Enjoy!
This entry was posted in Technical and tagged Angular, VSCode. Bookmark the permalink.
Thanks for sharing these tips for VS Code. It is really helpful.
Just want to let you know that the GitHub URL for this blog post isn't working anymore.
The link is working fine for me. What sort of error are you getting?


Sally Morris is speaking at the Legalwise Seminars "10 CPD points in one day" conference on 9 March 2016. Sally's topic is "Challenging Wills". She will cover common issues in estate litigation – issues relating to the validity of wills including applications under s 14 of the Wills Act 2007, claims made under the Family Protection Act 1955 and the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949 and the equitable claims that may be brought such as claims under constructive trust.


text:
WHO Ebola Response Running Out Of Money, Organization Warns, Urges Caution Over Decline In Outbreak Indicators
CIDRAP News: WHO urges caution amid Ebola decline in DRC
"Ebola outbreak indicators show promising signs of decline, but it's too soon to tell if the pattern will persist, the World Health Organization (WHO) said [Thursday] in its weekly overview of developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Meanwhile, 14 new confirmed cases were reported today, lifting the outbreak's overall total to 3,113, according to numbers reflected on the WHO's online Ebola dashboard…" (Schnirring, 9/13).
The Hill: WHO warns it's running out of money to fight Ebola
"The largest force against the yearlong outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Congo says it only has enough money for the fight to last through the end of the month. The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that it has received about $55 million from governments around the world since Aug. 1, just one-fifth of the amount it needs to implement a strategic response plan meant to contain the virus through the end of the year…" (Wilson, 9/13).
UPI: WHO: Ebola funds not enough to fight virus through end of 2019
"…The organization said it needs $287 million to help affiliate groups curtail the virus and at least $120 million to keep its own operations going. The money it has received so far is projected to run out by the start of October. 'Further resources are needed to fund the response through to December 2019, and WHO is appealing to donors to provide generous support,' it said in a statement…" (Hughes, 9/13).
Disease Diagnosis/Detection
Programs, Funding & Financing
Treatment and Prevention Strategies
80% Of Africans Would Take Coronavirus Vaccine, Survey Shows, As Case Counts Rise Across West, Central Regions
WHO-Led Team Investigating Coronavirus Origins To Arrive In China In January; China Blames Frozen Foods For New Cases, Contradicting International Guidance

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You can visit our websites without giving any personal information. Each time a web page is called up, the web server merely automatically stores a so-called server log file which contains, for example, the name of the requested file, your IP address, date and time of retrieval, transferred data volume and the requesting provider (access data) and documents the retrieval.
We collect personal data if you voluntarily provide us with this information as part of your order, when contacting us (eg via contact form or e-mail) or when opening a customer account. Obligatory fields are marked as such, since in these cases we need the data for contract execution, or to process your contact or opening the customer account and you can not complete the order and / or opening the account without their information, or can not send the contact , Which data are collected, can be seen from the respective input forms. We use the data communicated by you in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b DSGVO for contract handling and processing of your inquiries. After completion of the contract or deletion of your customer account, your data will be restricted for further processing and deleted after expiry of the tax and commercial retention periods, unless you have expressly consented to a further use of your data or we reserve the right to further data use, the is legally permitted and about which we inform you in this statement. The deletion of your customer account is possible at any time and can be done either by a message to the contact option described below or via a designated function in the customer account.
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When the Trustbadge is called, the web server automatically saves a so-called server log file, which contains, for example, your IP address, date and time of the call, amount of data transmitted and the requesting provider (access data) and documents the call. These access data will not be evaluated and automatically overwritten within seven days after the end of your page visit.
Insofar as you consent to this pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a DSGVO, this website uses Google (Universal) Analytics, a web analytics service of Google LLC (www.google.com), for the purpose of website analysis. Google (Universal) Analytics uses methods that allow you to analyze the use of the website, such as cookies. The automatically collected information about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. By activating the IP anonymization on this website, the IP address will be shortened prior to transmission within the member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the US and shortened there. The anonymized IP address provided by Google Analytics within the framework of Google Analytics will generally not be merged with other data provided by Google. After purpose and end of the use of Google Analytics by us, the data collected in this context will be deleted.
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Additional processing will only take place if you have agreed with Google that your web and app browsing history will be linked to your Google Account by Google and information from your Google Account will be used to personalize your ads on the web see. In this case, when you log in to Google during the page visit of our website, Google uses your data with Google Analytics data to create and define audience lists for cross-device remarketing. To do this, Google will temporarily associate your personal information with Google Analytics data to create audiences.
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This consent can be withdrawn at any time by sending a message to the contact option described below or directly to Trusted Shops.


On Tuesday, (for those who have yet to vote) you'll make the decision as to who should represent you in the Minnesota State Senate for the next four years. It won't surprise you that I believe I'm the best candidate, and worthy of your vote.
But why? That's a legitimate question. Why should you fire the incumbent Democrat Senator Kevin Dahle and hire me?
If you are a regular Republican voter, the easier is likely easier. I'm the endorsed Republican candidate and represent our mainstream Republican values of hard work, respect for country, giving back to community and fiscal conservatism.
But what about if you are an independent/swing voter; a person doesn't vote for the political party, but for the person; a moderate or disaffected Democrat? Why choose Draheim over Dahle? How do I differ from my opponent in ways that translate into me being a better state senator?
Here are some reasons why I believe I'm a better choice.
I'm a lifelong Minnesotan with a historical understanding of the challenges facing our communities. I was born here, raised here, went to school here and own and operate businesses here. I believe my longevity in Senate District 20 gives me a familiarity with what families in our region experience on a day-to-day basis. That's an important understanding to bring to the Capitol.
I'm a local small business owner. I own and operate a realty office and an event center where I employ dozens of hard working employees.
My opponent is a teacher. Both small business owner and teacher are honorable and needed professions. However, the legislature has many teachers, and very few active small business owners. That's because state law protects the jobs, seniority and benefits of teachers who are legislators. Small business owners have no such protections. A local small business owner has to set aside his or her business – or find someone to run it at significant expense – in order to serve.
That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, and what I believe the founding fathers had in mind when they set up our system of government as one in which people would serve for a time, then return back home to their chosen occupations.
On a daily basis I have to meet payroll, balance budgets, separate wants from needs, negotiate contracts and provide superior customer service. These are all skills sets I believe I could put to use for the people of Le Sueur, Rice and Scott counties in the State Senate.
I know agriculture, an industry that is a significant economic force not only in our district, but throughout our state. Before becoming a small business owner, I worked as a Manager at John Deere implement dealerships throughout southern Minnesota. It was here I learned much about agriculture and how the cost of inputs such as equipment, seed, fertilizer, repairs, drought and floods could make the difference between profit and loss in any given year. I also saw first-hand how government-imposed taxes, fees and regulations made farming challenging in a good year, but even more burdensome in a year when weather conditions were tough.
I'll be an independent voice not beholden to the powerful special interests or political party. I know how to compromise, reach conclusions where both sides make progress and set a tone for working together in the future. That's a skill sorely lacking in the legislature today.
I'm a fiscal conservative who knows how to do more with less. I'll approach every issue, every program or state agency with an eye on efficiency.
I'll listen, learn, listen some more and then act in a way that reflects our district's values. That means making tough decisions – decisions that won't please all the people all the time. That's what leaders do. We may not always agree, but I'll always let you know how I arrived at my decision.
If I make a mistake, I'll tell you. And then I'll work to fix the problem. Case in point. MNsure is a mess. It needs drastic overhaul. Even Gov. Dayton says it's no longer affordable. Kevin Dahle won't admit MNsure is bankrupting Minnesotans. Instead, he points fingers at his political opponents. We don't have time for that. If I'm elected, I'll get to work – with Republicans and Democrats – to fix our ailing healthcare system.
I invite you to compare the candidates. Call us. Discuss the issues important to you, make an informed decision, and then cast your vote.
The Senate District 20 seat in the Minnesota legislature is your voice at the Capitol. I would be honored to serve on your behalf.
I have been an active participant at the state capitol and have tried to work with Senator Dahle on issues.
I look forward to working with you in the future as a representative of the Minnesota Propane Association along with other members of our association.
I live in Northfield and am employed be Central Farm Service which serves most, if not all, of the area that you represent.


text:
United News and Media to buy out ITEL
United News & Media, which owns stakes in U.K. networks ITV and Channel 5, is poised to take a controlling stake in U.K.-based distributor ITEL. Currently UN&M owns itel 50-50 with Time Warner's HBO....
By Andy Fry
United News & Media, which owns stakes in U.K. networks ITV and Channel 5, is poised to take a controlling stake in U.K.-based distributor ITEL. Currently UN&M owns itel 50-50 with Time Warner's HBO.
The move follows HBO's decision to sell its stake in ITEL and concentrate more resources on funding North American-originated shows. UN&M's eagerness to take control of ITEL reflects an ambition to grow its business internationally. The split is described as amicable – with HBO planning to keep its documentary portfolio in the ITEL catalog.
ITEL chief executive Andrew Macbean says the trigger for the shake-up 'was a proposed five-year business plan which underlined our ambition to invest more in European programming. That didn't suit HBO. [However,] United recognizes that if it owns ITEL, it will be able to green-light investments quicker and have more control over its international strategy.'
Macbean does not expect the loss of HBO to impact adversely on ITEL's U.S. business – even though it was HBO contacts that helped win it representation of the Court TV catalog. 'We have strong and independent links with the likes of A&E, PBS and Discovery which I expect to continue,' he says.
Following United's takeover, ITEL's emphasis on kids, drama and factual is not likely to change. But Macbean expects that itel will be more closely integrated within the United family – and have an earlier involvement in international financing negotiations. United Film & Television Productions chief John Willis, a renowned documentary-producer himself, is also chairman of ITEL – and is keen to grow links between the two.
Judging by United's previous re-branding exercises, it's safe to assume that the distributor will be renamed United International shortly after acquisition.
Macbean's five-year business plan also expressed a desire to concentrate on 'fewer big properties – rather than lots of one-offs. We spend a great deal of time trying to sell single docs but get a much greater return on brands like Survival and Partridge Films, which are part of the United family, and BBC's Timewatch which we represent. If we are going to grow this business from £40 million to £60-£65 million a year then we need a shift in emphasis.'
Macbean has started introducing a new tier of senior management at ITEL, and will now also have to replace managing director Paul Sowerbutts, who recently made the jump to United. McBean has poached fellow Swansea-native Ian Jones from Scottish Television Enterprises' Cascade to be head of sales. The move will free up Macbean to spend more time working on pre-production investment strategy with United and animation studio Cosgrove Hall – in which ITEL has a 75% controlling stake.
Macbean is also interviewing for a heavyweight head of licensing to beef up the company's in-house team. He expects the new licensing chief to oversee a bigger in-house resource than predecessor Rachel Bark, who recently left itel to join C4 International. Although most of ITEL's activities to date have centered on kids, there are opportunities to develop the Survival and Partridge marquees.
For Cascade, the loss of Jones is a severe blow, coming so soon after the departure of Teleri Roberts to Southern Star. Both Jones and Roberts were brought in from S4C International 18 months ago to build STE's presence on the international stage.


By modern standards, the Astoria is a very wet martini. I was telling the owner/bartender of the Three Lions Pub that the Astoria was my current favorite take on the martini, and he nearly fainted when I told him it was a 2:1 gin to vermouth ratio. He makes his martinis by rinsing the glass with vermouth and then shaking the gin separately over ice.
I've been experimenting with different gins in the Astoria. I had been using Vya extra dry vermouth, although I find it a little too spicy and, well, dry. Using Citadelle gin, the Vya made the drink too spicy, while lacking depth. I added some simple syrup, and came up with a variant I really enjoyed. It also works well with Magellan gin. I call it the sweet Astoria.
stir over ice for at least 30 seconds, strain into cocktail glass.
When I took my first taste of Martini and Rossi Bianco, I new immediately I had to try it in the Astoria. The Bianco is a sweeter white vermouth. I'm really excited to experiment with it in other drinks.
In this case, I thought it would pair well with the Junipero gin I was trying out. The initial nose on the Junipero is remarkably clean. I detect the slightest hint of juniper, and not much else. In the glass, I was very surprised by the taste. Instead of being very forward, to my palate most of the flavors come through on a time delay. In that sense, it pairs well with the bianco and orange bitters.
Together, the ingredients fill out the taste profile, making for one nice smooth taste experience. My immediate response was, "Now THAT is a drink." This is going to go into high rotation in my home bar.
stir over ice for at least 30 seconds, strain into cocktail glass. garnish with lemon twist.
I would like to try this with Junipero gin, just wonder how i shall find it.I wish we had more varietes of gin here.
Interesting how different perceptions are. I'd have thought so close to Holland you'd have more access to interesting gin than me all the way over here in the Pacific Northwest of the US!
I bet the Bianco would not pair will with a Dutch style genever at all, since they're sweeter already.


The story then becomes more elaborate. During the Japanese colonial era, Wu's motives went from protecting his people to "civilizing the savages." The purpose was manifold: to discourage Han Chinese from fighting against other races, to show that Aborigines can be civilized through kindness and also serve as an example for colonial officials. The tale was made into movies, plays and entered elementary school textbooks.
The KMT adopted wholesale the Japanese version of the legend into its textbooks, promoting Wu as a beacon of Chinese virtues that people should look up to.
But to Aborigines, it brought feelings of shame.
"As a half Aborigine, I felt angry when I read this story. I was angry that I had the blood of such an uncivilized people in me," writes Huang Hsiao-chiao (黃筱喬) in the study Sense of Identity Beginning from Wu Feng (身分認同從吳鳳說起). Others spoke in various reports of being looked down upon because of the story and even attacked by Han Chinese children who wanted to take revenge for Wu Feng.
Wu's downfall began in 1980, when anthropologist Chen Chi-nan (陳其南) wrote an article for the Minsheng Daily (民生報) titled A Fabricated Legend: Wu Feng (一個捏造的神話: 吳鳳).
The rectification of Wu Feng's story became a focus of Aboriginal protests, and in 1988, local pastor Lin Tsung-cheng (林宗正) led a group of Aborigines and destroyed the Wu Feng statue in front of Chiayi train station with a chainsaw.
At least one of Wu's descendants, ninth-generation descendant Wu Liao-shan (吳廖善), didn't seem to mind.


text:
Second MARVEL FIRST Teaser Reveals a Bit More
By Newsarama Staff February 25, 2013 06:28am ET
Update March 4, 2013: A second "First" teaser hit today, and while it still doesn't tell us what exactly it is, it tells us more about when we'll know.
On Sunday, March 10 at 1pm Central time, all will be revealed, at the South by Southwest event that celebrates everything from music to digital innovation. And therein lies the key: digital innovation is what a company like Marvel Comics might be at SXSW for. In 2012, Marvel launched their "ReEvolution" campaign with the announcement of Marvel Infinite Comics: comics designed and created explicitly for digital viewing, with a new style of panel and dialogue reveal.
So it stands to reason that Marvel First is something to do with the digital space, but what exactly remains to be seen. We'll find out next Sunday!
Original Story: We all know Marvel loves their teasers, but this one has us stumped.
Dropped into the Newsarama inbox Monday morning, a teaser with a large #1 composed entirely of names of Marvel characters, along with the word "First." Now, in the comic book internet world (and indeed beyond just comics to message boards of all stripes), "First" is something people used to (and sometimes still do) say as the first comment on a new story or post. We hope Marvel's not just staking their claim in that bizarre way, though.
Along with the image, Marvel had only this text in the email:
"Begin with the best super heroes in comics--Marvel does it FIRST!! HUGE story coming soon to fans, worldwide."
Marvel recently began a series of relaunches and new books under the "Marvel NOW!" banner, which once again appears on the top of the teaser. Indeed, many of the characters that make up the #1 star in those new first issues. Hazmat in Avengers Arena, Namor in New Avengers, Psylocke in both Uncanny X-Force and the upcoming X-Men, Legion in X-Men Legacy are just a few of the characters and their new #1s.
So, could this just be teasing the already-announced massive omnibus featuring all the first issues from the Marvel NOW! relaunch? DC Comics did an omnibus of all 52 #1s after their New 52 relaunch in 2011, and had enough success to repeat it with all the zero issues of their titles in 2012. It would certainly fit the "HUGE" noted in the text that came with the teaser. Of course, it would be a bit odd to tease something over two months after its announcement, so it's likely this is something else entirely.
Another possibility that occurs would be, believe it or not, new #1s once again. After the world-changing "unguessable" ending to the upcoming epic Age of Ultron, there may be a need for first issues to reflect a new status quo.
Or, perhaps Marvel is taking our open advice to DC from the start of the New 52, saying they should adopt a yearly #1 "Seasons model."
Or could it be... is this the first hint at a Marvelman #1? Could the character finally be making his way into the Marvel pantheon, alongside (or even raised above) the other characters listed?
More on "Marvel First" soon.
Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!


Rope access is a form of work positioning that applies practical rope work to difficult access scenarios for a large range of industrial needs. The course is run to any of the three levels, in full accordance with the IRATA procedures for certification of industrial rope access personnel -3rd edition January 2001. These procedures have gained acceptance around the world including England, France, Canada, Australia and Malaysia and allow for the safe positioning of an operator in difficult situations without the need for scaffolding etc. The course covers applicable legislation, the theory of fall factors, shock-loads and damages caused in the event of a fall and care and inspection techniques of Personal Protective Equipment.
(c) 2015 Alpinist Safety Consultants (Pty) Ltd.


Perfect for parties and special occasions this season, our bright and fresh-looking yellow spot dress will ensure your little one is the centre of attention.
... the bright yellow design of this adorable dress.
Your little girl will feel like a princess in our gorgeous yellow polka dot dress. Frills at the shoulders of this summer dress add extra style, and the yellow spot print lends a playful but trendy retro look. This yellow spot dress features a button-opening back for easier dressing, and is machine washable for your convenience.
... to take a look at our gorgeous crawler and first walker children's shoes to complete your child's outfit.


Automating routine IT tasks has taken on new urgency as staff levels drop and other resources dwindle. If you've ever performed a computing task several times and wished you had time to write a program to do the task for you, you'll like the premise behind Automation Anywhere (AA). AA lets you build scripts that perform repetitive tasks without writing code. Instead, you either pantomime your task or create a step-by-step procedure using AA's point-and-click task builder. AA has several versions, ranging from the entry-level Automation Anywhere Standard edition through the multi-user Server edition. This review looks at the midrange Enterprise edition, which lets you create and distribute automation packages to other users even if they don't have AA installed.
AA can automate a wide range of chores, from basic Windows configuration steps, through scripting desktop applications like Microsoft Excel and Word, to the ultimate: remote database and networking processes. You can access and interact with web pages, securely copy files via SFTP, and deploy tasks without an agent to other computers in a domain. Tasks can be scheduled for repeated execution, integrated into a workflow comprised of multiple tasks, or saved as a stand-alone .exe file, executable on any Windows box without any additional software.
The core of AA is its Task Editor, which you can open directly to begin composing a task script, or indirectly via AA's Watch mode. Then you perform the chore you want to automate while AA records the steps and builds a script for you. AA sports hundreds of standardized task actions, such as running an Excel macro or executing an SQL query. Or you can create your own. While building a script you can execute steps incrementally, which greatly simplifies task streamlining. Also during editing, a visualization feature lets you flag individual steps with a Snap Point icon, which captures a storyboard of screenshots of the script at those points when you run it in development mode. This is a terrific feature for documenting the steps a script performs. Alas, you can't save Snap Points in the Enterprise edition; only the Server edition has that capability. And, inexplicably, you can't print the storyboard, which limits its utility.
AA includes a few dozen pre-built task templates that automate common tasks, such as website data extraction and scheduled file transfers. You can purchase an optional Integration Pack with advanced functions, such as optical character recognition (OCR) and the ability to integrate with Java, to integrate with a wider range of external applications.
One level up from the Task Editor is AA's Workflow Designer, which lets you assemble multiple tasks into a series, with alternate paths available should a step fail or other conditions occur. Although Workflow Designer's capabilities are rudimentary (it doesn't support variables or iterations, for example), it's useful for automating processes consisting of multiple tasks.
Alongside Workflow Designer is Report Designer, which lets you generate and print reports showing the execution history of tasks over time. A return-on-investment (ROI) calculator lets you assign financial values to tasks and compute the savings achieved through automation. However, Report Designer can't print the scripts contained in a task, or the storyboard created by Snap Points, although you can export scripts as plain text files one at a time.
Two other wizards round out AA's feature set. Deployment Designer lets you select an individual task (but not a workflow) for deployment to a list of machines in the Windows domain, with flexible scheduling and runtime options. Trigger Manager can execute tasks or workflows based on external events, such as a folder or file change, a service or process starting or stopping, or various system performance changes, such as disk space or CPU consumption.
Despite a robust feature set, AA has room for improvement. Its inability to print scripts or storyboards is surprising in a product costing $2,500.
Automation Anywhere Enterprise is a powerful tool that can simplify life for IT across multiple realms. In particular, the ability to encapsulate tasks and send them to users via email or web download is a boon to Help desk administrators.
RECOMMENDATION: Automation Anywhere Enterprise is a full-featured, multi-environment workflow automation tool with an extensive set of task templates. It can automate web and network tasks, database manipulations, testing, and data collection processes, as well as desktop applications like Microsoft Excel. It's a powerful tool that can simplify life for IT across multiple realms.


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The Gist: Game 16 (Cubs ∞, Reds ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
April 22, 2016 | Comments (0) | by Rich Funk
When you think about truly special seasons in any sport, these are always images and moments that immediately come to mind. The more magical the season, the more of these moments you have to look back on. Take the 2015 Cubs season for example. Remember Rizzo's tarp catch? Bryant's home run that almost cleared the scoreboard? Addison's flip to second? Rondon's fist pump after closing out the sweep of the Giants at Wrigley? Schwarber's bomb in the NLDS that landed on top of the scoreboard in right? There's a pretty good chance that with just those quick descriptions, your mind conjured up vivid images of each and every one of those moments. Those are the moments that you remember where you were when they happened. They define the seasons that stick with you forever.
We're only three weeks into the baseball season and the Cubs have already delivered two of those moments. The first was Addison Russell's go-ahead home run during last Monday's home opener. It's pretty hard to have a playoff-like atmosphere in the first of 81 home games against a terrible team, but that's exactly what happened, and replays of Russell doing his airplane impression are going to be in so many hype videos this season.
And just 10 days later, we already have another:
I don't need to give you all the stats and trivia about how amazing it is that Arrieta threw 2 no-no's so close to each other because if your phone is anything like mine, it threw all of them at you all night last night. Let's just all let the greatness of this Cubs team and the best pitcher in baseball wash over us and keep in mind that it's only been 16 out of 162 games and we have a whole summer of excitement to come.
MVP: Jake Arrieta, obviously. He may not have been the most dominant we've seen him as far as strikeouts go, but he was in complete control the entire game and there wasn't much doubt that he was going to finish off the no-no when things got to the 7th inning or so. He was locked in. And this Reds lineup isn't full of a bunch of stiffs either. I mean, they're no Murderer's Row, but Votto and Bruce and Suarez and Phillips are all legitimate bats. Speaking of legit bats, Arrieta had two more base hits and a walk, bringing his average up to .273, higher than Rizzo, Heyward, Soler, Zobrist and Russell. Dude can rake.
Greg Vaughn MVP: Remember Greg Vaughn? If that name sounds familiar, it's because he's the guy that hit the quietest 50 home runs in MLB history. No one remembers that he hit 50 dingers because he did it in 1998 when Sosa and McGwire did their whole steroid fueled run into the record books. But like, 50 home runs is a lot! Way to pick a time to get overshadowed, guy.
There are actually a ton of Greg Vaughn MVP awards to go around last night. On any other night, we'd be talking about Bryant's monster game, with 2 homers (including a grand slam) and 6 RBI. Or Zobrist's first home run as a Cub. Or David Ross' awesome old man home run and subsequent dugout hip thrusting. But no, this was no ordinary night, so all of you take a backseat to the reigning Cy Young winner.
Ok Fine, One Stat: This blew my mind:
Last 24 starts Arrieta: 178 IP, 0.86 ERA, 0.70 WHIP
HIS ERA IS ALMOST LOWER THAN HIS WHIP.
HAHAHA LOOK AT YOU: Now I wasn't there, so this could be off by a bit, but from what I saw on television it looked like there were about 60 people a the game last night. Way to go, Cincy!
We get to play the Reds for 3 more games in a row??? Really??? HAHAHAHAHAHA awesome. The Cubs are back at it at 6:10 CST with Jon Lester vs something called a Jon Moscot. JON v JON! NO H'S ALLOWED IN THIS CAGE MATCH!
God, I wish we could play the Reds forever.
Posted in: Chicago Cubs, Rich, The Gist
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text:
Oxyphencyclimine is a muscarinic receptor antagonist, given orally to treat peptic ulcer disease and gastrointestinal spasms. It has antispasmodic and antimotility properties.

Synthesis
The reaction of chloroacetonitrile (1) with methanol and hydrogen chloride leads to the corresponding iminoether (Pinner reaction). Condensation of 2 with 3-methylaminopropylamine gives (3) gives the corresponding tetrahydropyrimidine (4). Displacement of the halogen with the sodium salt 5 affords oxyphencyclimine (6).

References

Muscarinic antagonists
Pyrimidines

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's that time again...time to recommend your favorite bands to other Workers.
too, not just the lyrics, or it's pointless.

It's that time again...time to recommend your favorite bands to other Workers.

I love music with good lyrics - intelligent, soulful, original, relevent, creative poetic lyrics. Unfortunately I know very few bands who live up to these standards. (namely MO and New Model Army...maybe a couple of others) Can anyone recommend something? Of course, the music itself has to be good too, not just the lyrics, or it's pointless.


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Images Map
On Yas Marina Circuit
Close to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
World-class spa
W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
All hotels in Abu Dhabi
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
Radisson Blu Hotel, Yas Island
Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri
Choose time period Offers up to 01/01/2020
Child Discount Offers
The first child aged 2 to 2 years old inclusive when sharing with at least 2 adults is free.
Valid to 01JAN.
A complimentary cake by in-room dining delivered to the room. A marriage certificate may be required at check-in.
Valid to 01JAN on all meal plans and in all rooms.
This offer applies to each room and to each day of the stay and is applicable once.
Not valid with single saver offers or child discount offers.
General Anniversary Offer
A complimentary cake by in-room dining delivered to the room. A marriage certificate may be requested at check-in.
Not valid with single saver offers.
*Offers are subject to change and special discounts may replace the above Kuoni Plus offers. For confirmation of the offers valid for your holiday, please use our online booking process (valid offers are shown below 'what's included' or by clicking the 'K+ offers' button) or call us on 01306 747 002.
Request a quote or appointment about this holiday today
Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi 5
This grandiose palace evokes a sense of space, style and sophistication throughout. As you make your way along the sweeping driveway, the dancing water fountains in the distance guide you to a marble-domed lobby decorated with palm trees, Rolex clock faces and doors with Swarovski crystal-encrusted handles. There's waterskiing and stand-up paddleboarding at the watersports centre and a lazy river to keep younger guests entertained, while the expansive grounds create plenty of seclusion and privacy for couples at spots like the award-winning Emirates Palace Spa. There's a real passion for cuisine, with a choice of 14 restaurants serving everything from al fresco barbecue and contemporary Chinese to Lebanese fare. Dining at Mezlai is highly recommended – it's the UAE's first Emirati restaurant. Simple yet elegant, the Coral Rooms have all the superior facilities you would expect from a luxury hotel, with pretty views over the gardens and out across the Abu Dhabi skyline. Pearl Rooms have partial Gulf views while Diamond Rooms provide uninterrupted views over the Arabian Gulf. The Khaleej Suites are truly indulgent with extensive living space.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri 5
Part of the acclaimed Qaryat Al Beri complex, this impeccably stylish hotel's grand Arabian architecture sits on a private seafront. It's an ideal base for combining a beach stay and Emirati culture; visit the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, or board an abra, a traditional wooden boat, and float along the waterways, or visit the nearby Qaryat Al Beri souk. At Sofra Bld, the hotel's main restaurant, enjoy fine buffet dining from across the globe, with award-winning cuisines from South-East Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The focal point within the complex is the splendid CHI, The Spa, where you can relax with a Signature Asian Blend Massage that combines techniques like Chinese energy flow and Thai pressure points. After your treatment, take advantage of the spa facilities for ultimate relaxation. Feel at home in the traditionally decorated Deluxe Rooms, with a private balcony overlooking the sweeping canal. For extra space, book an Executive Suite which features a separate living area and complimentary access to the Horizon Club.
Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri 4
Part of the expansive Qaryat Al Beri complex and the Shangri-La group, Traders is a contemporary hotel. The hotel's private beachfront is home to plush cabanas that fringe one of Abu Dhabi's many canals. The urban-chic Afyä restaurant and bar serves a variety of international buffet and à la carte meals. As well as a fitness centre and outdoor swimming pool on site, there's the fantastic CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, at the neighbouring Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri (at extra cost). The cuisine here is international, meaning all guests are catered for. If you wish for a change of scene, reserve a table at one of the restaurants at Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri (payable locally). The rooms have views of the canal or the city with Superior Rooms generously sized and Deluxe Rooms providing additional living space. If you choose a Traders Superior Room, you'll have free access to the exclusive Traders Club Lounge with benefits including express check-in/out, a range of complimentary refreshments throughout the day and cocktails in the evenings.
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas 5
A sprawling complex set on five miles of private beach in Abu Dhabi's hottest new beach destination, this stylish and sophisticated luxury resort hotel is surrounded by wide expanses of prime sandy shores and golf fairways. At the Atarmia Spa, Arabian interiors blend with indulgent treatments to provide a relaxing and rejuvenating environment that soothes the soul. There are three restaurants to be found here, offering a choice of international cuisine including Asian, Mediterranean, and elegant Time Out award-winning seafood. If you're looking for a vibrant place that provides the opportunity to socialise while sampling an array of fine wines or an after dinner aperitif, there are two chic bars to choose from. The Beach House Rooftop Bar and The Park Bar both feature superb views while The Library serves delicious handmade chocolates and pastries. Feel at home in the hotel's guest rooms, where floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies overlook the Arabian Gulf, the hotel pools or the perfectly manicured gardens. The sizeable rooms feature a bathroom with a deep-soaking bath tub and a rainfall shower, while the suites are lavishly spacious and have superior views and a separate living room. For the ultimate indulgence, opt for one of the decadent villas where a spacious living area and luxurious furnishings make these the ideal home-away-from-home for families and long-staying guests.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Yas Island 4
Just minutes away from Yas Links Golf Course, the white sands of Yas Beach and thrilling Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, this chic hotel has easy access to some of the island's most popular highlights. The pool area is calm and relaxing, making it the perfect spot to take a break from the lively F1 atmosphere of the island. Shams Pool Bar is a great place to enjoy the sunset, while Assymetri offers cuisine from around the globe, with chefs displaying their culinary skills at live cooking stations. Filini also has a lively show kitchen, serving up delicious Italian fare, while the Belgian Beer Café takes on a cosy 1920s setting. Standard Rooms are welcoming and comfortable, with views of either the glittering Arabian Gulf, famous Yas Marina Circuit or the lush greens of Yas Links Golf Course. Upgrade to a Superior Room for a balcony from which to enjoy your splendid view of the Arabian Gulf.
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi 5
Contemporary interior design and thoughtful Mediterranean architecture characterise this luxurious hotel that's filled with natural light. Found on Saadiyat Island, this is the perfect retreat for those that want to laze on pristine white sands while enjoying convenient access tothe city's numerous attractions. Modern touches add to the pristine feel of the hotel and elegant traditional Arabic elements offer a subtle reminder that you're in Abu Dhabi. The cuisine available here is spectacular, with a range of flavours from around the world on offer. In keeping with the decor, Oléa presents a Mediterranean menu in a panoramic ocean view setting, while Sontaya is set among a series of floating pavilions, serving indulgent Asian-fusion dishes, and The Drawing Room offers up irresistible sweet treats. Buddha-Bar Beach follows the same concept as the seasonal Buddha Bars found on glamorous Greek islands, Santorini and Mykonos. Dine on delicious Asian dishes in the day and enjoy the unique night brunch concept which starts at 7pm on Fridays. Heading back to your room, you'll find a comfortable and luxurious retreat where the hotel's sense of Mediterranean ease continues.
LIVKIT-WWW01A


Is an excellent way to engage the enthusiasm of our students!
The AATSP-IA Poster Contest is open to all Iowa K-12 Spanish and Portuguese students. Review the AATSP Poster Contest Rules here. State entries are due by February 28th. Teachers of winning students for the Iowa contest will be notified by the end of March. Teachers must be a current AATSP member to advance to the national Poster Contest.
Prizes and certificates will be awarded to the winning posters in each category.
Fill out this Information Form for each entry.
Be sure to follow follow all of the requirements for poster size, content, criteria, etc.
Contact AATSP-IA Poster Contest Coordinator, Jason Noble (noblej@pceagles.org), for more information.