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Abbott all over again? Coalition ramps up attack on renewables
Coalition campaign against state-based renewables targets – and the deployment of its most potent weapon, policy uncertainty – has reached new heights over the past couple of months. Could Turnbull trump Abbott?
Giles Parkinson Posted on 18 October 2016 19 October 2016 28 Comments
The Coalition attacks against renewable energy in the last few weeks have reached their highest peak since the early days of the Abbott government, when the former prime minister hired a climate denying corporate leader to "review" the renewable energy target and try to have it scrapped.
It managed "only" to reduce the target by around a third, but the uncertainty it created still succeeded in bringing the industry to a halt: so much so that since Abbott's election in September 2013, only one large-scale project has escaped the snare – the 175MW White Rock wind farm that is being built by the deep-pocketed Chinese turbine manufacturer Goldwind.
All other projects that have been, or are being built, with finance or grants from institutions that the Coalition has spent much of the past three years trying to dismantle, such as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, or thanks to state-and territory-based targets (such as the ACT's) that the federal government is now trying to destroy.
The new campaign against state-based renewable energy targets – and the deployment of its most potent weapon, policy uncertainty – has reached a new intensity since the blackout in South Australia and the release of an independent report into Queensland's 50 per cent renewable energy target for 2030.
The Murdoch media have dutifully switched into relentless attack mode. The Courier-Mail ran three opinion pieces demonising the renewable target over the weekend, and The Advertiser in Adelaide and other Murdoch media have been full of anti-renewable commentary. The Australian mothership has followed suit, quoting the usual assortment of vested interests and Coalition politicians about what a disaster high levels of renewables would be.
Chief among them is energy and environment minister Josh Frydenberg, who told The Australian there was an "increased chance of blackouts" if the states did not "harmonise" their renewable energy targets – i.e. abandon them and conform to the national target, which expires in a little over three years.
Indeed, Coalition politicians at state and federal level have been in lockstep with vested fossil fuel interests in pushing the line of "reliability and affordability", despite a Queensland panel's own findings that the state's target would actually reduce costs to consumers and would not impact on system security.
Stanwell Corp, the state-owned company that owns coal- and gas-fired generators, blamed renewable energy for shifting Australia from one of the lowest-cost electricity countries to one of the highest.
That's not the fault of renewables, though, it is the result of a more than doubling in wholesale prices driven largely by the energy oligopolies, huge but avoidable network investments, soaring gas costs, and the bidding patterns of companies such as Stanwell.
Stanwell was joined in The Australian's front page story by the usual suspects – former Labor treasurer and coal company chairman Keith de Lacy, who repeated his oft-spoken line that renewables would be the "end of manufacturing" in Australia, and former Business Council of Australia president Graham Bradley, who now chairs EnergyAustralia, the owner of the Yallourn brown coal generator in Victoria.
Bradley said "as we move towards more renewables we are by definition reducing out comparative competitive advantage."
But Australia's "comparative advantage" was lost well before the cost of shovelling dirt into a brown coal generator (about $10/MWh) was translated into a consumer end cost of more than $300/MWh. Or, if you live in Queensland and you don't use much electricity, into an end cost of more than $700/MWh.
That does not leave much to the imagination on the possibilities of rooftop solar (less than $100/MWh now) and battery storage, and of course large-scale renewables that are cleaner than coal and cheaper than gas.
Which is possibly why the Murdoch media is shouting so loudly. In the Courier Mail on Saturday, the paper ran an anti-renewable rant from Peta Credlin (we'll go into that in more detail later this week), a piece by columnist Des Houghton hooraying the LNG boom and CSG exploitation ("renewables just don't cut it)", and another piece by Peter Cameron along the same lines.
The impact of these attacks was revealed on Tuesday by representatives of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, who told a Senate Estimates hearing that uncertainty in the renewable energy sector has led to more than half of their projects becoming focused on energy efficiency rather than renewable energy.
Labor climate spokesman Mark Butler says the country has lost almost 3,000 renewable energy jobs since the Coalition came to power, while renewable jobs globally have grown by almost 65 per cent over the same period.
"Just two weeks ago Malcolm Turnbull attacked state governments' renewable energy targets saying they are 'extremely aggressive, and extremely unrealistic'," he said.
"But today, the CEFC confirmed that when it comes to new investment in renewable energy the main activity is driven by state programs. Investors' lack of confidence is a mirror of this government's unwillingness to consider any renewable energy investment post 2020."
That's a point that is lost in the current debate but it underscores one big reality, that the Coalition is determined to remove any longer lasting policies that could inspire a concerted re-boot of the renewable energy industry. That wasn't supposed to happen under Turnbull. But like so much else, nothing much has changed.
Apple Car dies after deciding it can't compete with Tesla
Blackout sparks demand boost as consumers seek reliability in solar and battery storage
MikeH 3 years ago
Meanwhile an Essential Poll finds that 59% of Australians approve of Labor's plans for 50% renewables by 2030 even after being told an "independent report has said this policy would require about $48 billion of new private sector (not Government) investment"
Only 19% opposed.
70% of Labor voters, 48% of L/NP voters and 86% of Greens voters approve.
http://www.essentialvision.com.au/renewable-energy-target-5
howardpatr 3 years ago
Day by day Turnbull's sycophantic behavior towards the right wing religious conservatives in the LNP destroys the little credibility he has left.
I also did not know Turnbull had credibility… what an oxymoron for the average politician.
Ant.. 3 years ago
He is yet to learn the art that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
So it's up to the rest of us to counter this rubbish at every opportunity: Dispel the wind farm myths re noise and embodied energy. Point out the uptake of domestic PV and give your own experiences. Explain the employment opportunities that waste recycling and biodiesel production bring.
The more intelligent media is full of stories of falling battery prices, new solar farms, energy efficient building design and innovations in waste reduction and recycling. The anti-renewables reporting in the Murdoch media and the reasons behind it are becoming so blatant that eventually even the dimmest reader will stop swallowing it.
A number of years ago a read a story published by the Rocky Mountains Institute about a renewable energy technology which did not gain any traction simply because the owners of high-rise buildings in parts of the USA were the suppliers/resellers of the heating, cooling and energy and a loss of that income would have a significant impacted on their ROI. A similar fight is going on between coal and renewables including distribution here in Australia. Where money and investment is involved you bring out the worst in people.
Rob G 3 years ago
Renewables have wide public support, coal does not. Media that speaks against the popular opinion are in danger of losing what remains of their credibility and risk further anger against the government. It's pretty simple for most people to understand – many have felt immediate benefits of roof top solar and many understand the rapid improvements in battery storage (namely through power tools and vacuum cleaners already in the market). This misleading on renewables is a dangerous game, wrongly assuming the public don't understand renewables.
I wasn't aware that the media had any credibility left. Media is corporate, as such, it only publishes what does not hurt their revenue stream = advertising. They will not go against the biggest corporations in town — it is simply a fact.
While people may like or support renewables, they clearly fall short in voting with with their 'belief' in mind.
Mark Roest 3 years ago
If that's all there is to it, you're lucky. Here in the USA, the dominant media are owned by the corporations they are supposed to expose for doing bad things, just so they won't (report them, that is), and so they can shift the overall pattern of discussion away from substantive issues and toward Trump's outbursts, or whatever follows after he goes down in ignominy.
The media itself is not beholden to corporate interests and advertising dollars (at least with renewables). What's more concerning are the owners of these media organisations being connected to political parties and vested interests.
A survey done for the ABC, about a year ago, studied the trustworthiness of various Australian papers. Fairfax papers scored the highest with about 50% of readers trusting them. The lowest scoring was the Daily Telegraph and The Australian (plus a couple of other Newscorp papers). The study found only 1 in 6 readers trusted them.
Murdoch's papers world wide have a reputation for taking sides in politics, Namely the side Rupert likes (conservative and corporate "friendly parties). The problem here is, is that owners interests conflict with public interests (most of us love renewables) so you cannot have a paper go against the public without some consequence – namely trust in this case. And that is bad news in the news industry.
When the coalition went to the last election with the policy of 28% reduction in emmissions by 2030 it was serious.
In practical terms this of course means it must curtail, obstruct and white ant renewable energy that would otherwise be greater. Some will of course also come from economic destruction or lost opportunities.
It is simple: the LNP is in power because an Australian majority has put them there. We had a follow-up election, and the Australian majority gave them the nod. There is a difference between polling and electing… and it goes hand in hand with education, thinking for oneself, understanding, and not laziness and wilful ignorance. Until the latter two change, this story of dumb politics will continue.
Ken Dyer 3 years ago
Perhaps it is best to just ignore the COALition Government and get on with the 20th Century. This do nothing government is going down in the polls, and no amount of hot air on their part is going to retrieve the situation for their coal cronies. Renewable energy is on the move as we all know.
So their target expires in 3 years; suppose they succeed in bullying (a la Trump) the State governments into going along with it. The question should be, if that happens, do we need subsidies beyond that time, if we get another 30% to 60% reduction in capital costs for solar and wind, and a 60% to 90% cut in battery costs, by then?
If the answer is no, then there should be serious strategic discussions about precisely what relatively inexpensive actions could build industry strength between now and then, to a point at which you can tell all the people in a massive cross-industry ad and 'test drive' style campaign that you are below the effective price you would have been at with the subsidies, even though they've been pulled. No tax dollars went into it, or only ___ program tax dollars went into it, and they worked just like we said they would, and here we are, with no reason to listen to coal-burners screaming bloody murder that they can't keep extracting 'rent' (corruption money) from customers if you sell all the solar and storage that people will want, at those prices. (Think price elasticity!)
And because of the learning curve, those sales will help you pull the price even further below what the bad guys can survive on. Put the coal-supporting politicos out of office and the coal and oil and gas companies out of business, through price competition and appeals to people's care for the natural world around us.
The focus of the discussion has to include how renewables can reduce household energy cost as well as climate change. A reduction in your energy bill is real whereas for some climate change is less personal and perhaps even imaginary.
Mike Ives 3 years ago
The real lesson to be learned from the likes of the SA blackout surely is the fickle nature of VRE without adequate dispatchable power. Just prior to the storm the turbines were producing 46% of the state's energy but shutt down automatically when the wind strength got too high. Sure they were back on line after the storm but in between the supply via the Heywood line from Victoria caused it to become overloaded and also shut down. Pylon damage and stupid talk from Turnbull et al aside, shouldn't this tell us we have to have the RE mix right?
Giles 3 years ago
The AEMO report makes it quite clear that wind strength had nothing to do with it.
Yes Giles I have a copy of the report too. So why did the Heywood line shut down in your opinion?
You have a copy of the latest report? It says quite clearly that "intermittency" and wind speeds had nothing to do with it. They are looking at the settings of some wind turbines, which caused them to wind down after multiple faults in a short period of time. When these are rectified, as they have already in most, then there should be no issue. They also looking at the faults which prevented the thermal generators to provide contracted back up power to restart system, and another three diesel generators that failed in Port Lincoln, leaving that area in the dark for an extra day.
Mike Dill 3 years ago
If the 'black-start' generators had come on-line as they had been contracted to do, the outage would have been sever, but a lot shorter. Who is going (or is supposed) to fine the generators for not fulfilling their contracts?
9 of 13 dropped out due to network falling over. This totalled 450mw.
Interconnector couldn't handle+ 450mega watts?
And no one could find a lighter at gas generators?
The question is of course what is an appropriate threshold for a generator to disconnect, is it any different between generator types and are the megawatt scale batteries on the ship?
David Osmond 3 years ago
Hi Mike, it appears you have been mislead by misinformation. The turbines did not shut down when the wind strength got to high – they shut down immediately after faults on the transmission lines removed those lines from service. See the timeline on the AEMO report: https://www.aemo.com.au/Media-Centre/-/media/BE174B1732CB4B3ABB74BD507664B270.ashx
Thanks David I will take another look but my point remains. If you have large chunks of VRE in the mix and the sun isn't shining because its night time or something and the wind gets to 100km/hr plus what do we call on for backup? Australia has very limited hydro reserves and the if Geodynamic's 1MWE Habanero EGS plant cost figures are anything of a guide we won't have much commercially viable geothermal for a while yet. So where do we turn for dispatchables?
Hi Mike, have a look at the UNSW or AEMO 100% renewable studies, links below. They use existing hydro, biofuels and some storage associated with solar thermal technology to provide electricity during those times when wind and solar production is reduced. As you say, geothermal hasn't progressed well recently, so you probably want to look at scenario 2 in the AEMO study.
http://ceem.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/LeastCostElectricityScenariosInPress2013.pdf
https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/d67797b7-d563-427f-84eb-c3bb69e34073/files/100-percent-renewables-study-modelling-outcomes-report.pdf
David I will check these two references out once again and get back once I have some chores attended to. Meanwhile as helpful as it may be all computer modelling is just that; 'modelling'. Have we ever put these suggested mixes into real world practice, even on a small scale? I seriously doubt it.
Has the impact of thousands of tonnes of biomass on Australian land, water and EROI been seriously studied? The three Drax 660Mwe biomass units in the UK would consume far more than the whole UK timber industry so it imports 2.3 million tonnes per year of biomass pellets from North America for each unit. So when all 3 are fired up it will take something like 12,000 sq km of woodland to maintain supply.
And have you read Roger Andrews' take on the Spanish CSPs performance record. Even with up to 15% natural gas backup the plants rarely run 24/7 and never 24/7/365.
Shall we get real about the huge problem we are facing?
David McKay 3 years ago
I agree Mike. Even though I have been involved with building renewable projects for the past 10 years, I do realise the need for a transition plan. This can be executed rapidly, but not rushed. This is a 15 to 20 year programme. I believe optimum would be something like gas (CCGTs) + renewables + improved interconnection across the states.. Unfortunately it seems we are being held to ransom on gas prices.
When I worked in the US, I saw small GT peakers located in industrial areas. These are back up, & sure you pay a peak rate, but with their fast ramp they can keep the lights on when needed.
With larger CCGT plants we could be putting solar generated steam across the turbine during the day & running gas combined cycle at night.
Eventually you build sufficient renewable capacity with low cost storage to power the grid. This takes time & has to be attractive to the proponents.
Renewables need to be viable without subsidies, however, so does fossil fuel generation.
Thanks David. You sound like an engineer too. I concur we could take intermediate paths such as CCGT but do we really have time to ponce around? Even if the CCA does a back-flip and reintroduces its suggested 2013 carbon budget to 10.1 Gt CO2 eq by 2050 at the present rate of emissions Australia will be there by 2035
Peter G 3 years ago
I so agree David but the incentives seem to be all wrong.
Here in WA we are closing down a children's hospital which has a co-gen gas plant in it. Not only does the replacement hospital have no embedded co-gen (or renewables) the increase in load is now a pretext to spend a half a billion dollars doubling the regional transmission voltages!
As a result of this policy genius the States now wants to sell the local utility because of too much debt…


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Home » Potter Acquires Valcom
Potter Acquires Valcom
KEYWORDS acquisitions in security / Potter Electric Signal Company / Valcom
Potter Electric Signal Company, LLC announced that Valcom Inc., a paging, intercom and mass notification communications systems provider, has become a new division within Potter. Potter's strategic investment in Valcom will allow the business to expand its engineering, marketing, and sales initiatives to drive growth in new applications.
With this acquisition, Potter now offers a portfolio that covers the broadest range of emergency communication systems used in commercial projects. Valcom's range of mass notification systems complements Potter's fire and life safety offering, including their voice evacuation and emergency responder communication systems.
"We have had a longstanding respect for Valcom's products and culture," Potter CEO Gerry Connolly said. "With more building owners and facility managers looking to manufacturers to provide better platform and system integration across their mission-critical life safety and communication systems, we see the potential for additional strategic growth given our complementary products and channels. Both companies have invested in IP and cloud-connected platforms, while maintaining intense focus on quality and reliability in the digital era. We are excited to welcome Valcom to the Potter family."
For more than 40 years, Roanoke, Va.-based Valcom has developed communications products that relay information rapidly, enabling individuals in various locations throughout an organization to receive relevant instructions in emergency situations. Valcom enterprise communication systems are especially well suited for educational, retail, and government facilities. From simple voice paging and intercom to expansive mass notification for emergency situations, Valcom products and software technology are currently used in thousands of businesses, government agencies, school districts, college campuses, and transportation hubs around the world. Valcom's management team will continue to lead the company.
"Valcom's long tradition of communication leadership, innovation, and customer care is what has driven us for over 40 years," said Jack Mason, CEO of Valcom. "We are thrilled to join the Potter organization as our cultures and strategies closely align. Being part of a company with the longevity and reputation of Potter will allow us to drive our business even further."
Potter Acquires Product Lines
Potter Electric Appoints Gerald Connolly as CEO
Potter Electric Signal Company to Be Acquired by Gryphon Investors
Potter Electric Implements New ERP System

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


SkyView users may now generate images using the public UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) data. While UKIDSS data is available in only a fraction (14%) of the sky, it goes much deeper and has higher resolution than the 2MASS data in the same wavebands. E.g., here is a comparison of 3-color images of the Galactic Center region (1000 pixels with a 0.1 degree field of view) in 2MASS and UKIDSS generated by straightforward SkyView requests (using a Clip resampler is the only non-default).
It's easy to see how much deeper the UKIDSS data goes. SkyView uses the latest public release for the UKIDSS data. This is the DR8 release for most of the sky, and the DR7 for the UKIDSS Galactic Plane Survey. Many thanks to the UKIDSS team including Mike Read and Mark Holliman in setting up access for us. UKIDSS coverage is different in the different bands while the survey is ongoing and the Y band coverage will always be limited.
UKIDSS data is served by the Wide Field Astronomy Unit (WFAU) at the Institute for Astronomy in the University of Edinburgh. SkyView accesses the data using the Virtual Observation Simple Image Access protocol and caches images as users request them. As the cache of images at SkyView grows the time to generate images will diminish.
Internally UKIDSS data required that SkyView add support for the ZPN, zenithal polynomial, projection which is what UKIDSS uses. Another article will discuss use of the ZPN projection.
This entry was posted in Announce and tagged Galactic Center, Projection, UKIDSS, WFAU, ZPN. Bookmark the permalink.
I have been working with Skyview for several years and I would like to share bak, with the people responsible for the site, some of my multi wave length composites. DSS2 WISE, Mellinger + IRAS + CO + Ha.
to whom and where can I send some emails with screen shots of this?
Thanks. We'll get in touch by E-mail shortly.


I am always sourcing the internet, magazines, cook books, etc for recipe inspiration. A while back I bookmarked the recipe here with plans to make it eventually. Well last night was the night. I am never one to follow a recipe exactly so I changed it up a bit. It turned out delicious and was super easy for a weeknight meal. The best part? I only used one pan! I served it up with some Spanish rice and it was a perfect hearty meal for a cold and rainy night like yesterday.
In a mixing bowl combine the chicken with the 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil, thyme, both paprika, cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss until the chicken is coated.
Lower the heat to low and pour in the sherry, using a wooden spoon scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and then let the sherry reduce by half. Once reduced take the pan of the heat.
Add the tomatoes, peppers, onion, chorizo, garlic and a sprinkling of salt to the pan lightly stir to combine and then place the chicken pieces on top. Place the skillet into the oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove from the oven, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with Spanish rice.
Check out these cupcakes I made for my nephews 1st birthday this past weekend!
I got the idea from here but altered it a little bit. I used half of a vanilla wafer for each of the ears instead of a whole one and instead of piping on the face and eyes with icing I used a black food marker.
I may be Canadian but this past week every time I turned on the television someone was talking about or making Thanksgiving dinner. The thoughts of turkey and stuffing were filling my head so the other night I caved and made a full out thanksgiving dinner just for Jordan and I!!! You must think I am crazy but it was actually a lot easier than you think. I obviously didn't go and make a 30 lb. turkey but instead bought just a turkey breast. I used some stale hamburger buns to make the stuffing, made a quick pan gravy, microwaved some frozen peas and mashed up some taters and in just over an hour Jordan and I were eating like we were American!!!!
Place the turkey breast on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet.
In a small bowl combine the butter with the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
Using your hands spread the butter all over the turkey breast, including under the skin.
Place the turkey in the oven and roast until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165 degrees C), about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest before slicing.
Once the turkey is in the oven, start preparing the stuffing.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the oil and the onions. Saute until softened and starting to brown then add the celery and garlic, continue to cook until celery is starting to soften, about 5 minutes then stir in the bread cubes.
Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the stock until the bread is just wet, stirring to combine. Place the skillet in the oven and let bake along with the turkey. Remove when the turkey is done, the stuffing should be nice and crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt. Once melted stir in the flour to form a roux (a paste).
Cook the roux while stirring for one minute then whisk in 2 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil and let thicken then stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Take off the heat until the turkey is done cooking.
Once the turkey is done and resting, place the gravy over low heat and stir in the turkey drippings. Adjust the consistency with some more stock if necessary then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with the rest of your meal.


text:
Q: 12factor way of logging to logstash 12factor says,

A twelve-factor app never concerns itself with routing or storage of
  its output stream. It should not attempt to write to or manage
  logfiles. Instead, each running process writes its event stream,
  unbuffered, to stdout.

Advantage would be, we don't have to configure different logging endpoints for different environment(dev/prod), unhandled exception written to stderr won't be missed.
I have some scripts in Python and Node.js which already logs to stdout/stderr and I don't want to modify those scripts for centralised logging.
So, how do I make these logs parsed into structured data and collected by logstash(including multiline errors).
In AWS stdout/stderr from Lambda or Beanstalk are captured by CloudWatch. So, if that's possible then there should be a way to do the same with logstash.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The pointing device was "a major selling point of the Macintosh" when personal computing went mainstream.
If it had been up to Douglas Engelbart, his invention would have been called the "X-Y position indicator for a display system." That's how the man who designed the mouse described what he'd made in his 1967 patent filing.
But "mouse" became early shorthand for the beige box with the wire tail, and the cutesy term stuck. "I don't know why we call it a mouse," Engelbart said in his now-famous public demonstration of the technology on December 9, 1968. "Sometimes I apologize it started that way and we never did change it."
Of course, the way people talk about technology evolves along with their technological habits. Like how, long before Google became a verb, "computers" were humans, and the way movies were "motion pictures." In 1980, when The New York Times wrote about the brand-new Sony Walkman, it was a "stereo-to-go—and only you can hear it." In 2001, the iPod was explained in tape-era terms, described as "the size of a cassette." And in 2002, when the development of the first iPhone was still a rumor, it was "a telephone with personal digital assistant features."
Engelbart caused a sensation in the computing world with his 1968 demonstration of the mouse, but it was more than a decade later that the general public began to use the device. In the 1980s, newspaper writers described "a computer attachment called a mouse" and "a handheld device called a mouse—a major selling point of the Macintosh."
Instead of typing instructions, one points to pictures on the screen by sliding a handheld device called a mouse along the top of the desk next to the computer. As the mouse moves, the cursor - the arrow that points to particular places on the screen - moves accordingly.
You find either a word or an icon or pictogram on the screen representing what you want the computer to do, then slide the mouse on your desk to move the cursor into position over that screen object, then press the button on the mouse to activate that particular part of the program... To print what is in a file, all you do, essentially, is bring the cursor down to ''print,'' press the mouse button and release.
But the handheld mouse was and is something special. It was the essential tool for millions of people as they first interacted with computers—and a remarkably tactile and simple device at that.
What will become of the mouse now that computing has long since left the desktop? Increasingly, we live in a world of trackpads and touch screens. And though the mouse may stick around for a time, like so much once-ubiquitous tech, it will likely disappear in plain sight.


That's exactly what I was feeling while trekking through that difficult path towards my destination of Tikona Fort Top. It was surely worth each and every step I took to reach there. And now its time to go back to daily boring routine.
I have already shared my trekking journey till the Top in previous installments as to how I had one great group, my journey towards the top, experience after reaching the top. As we have reached the destination, enjoyed the beautiful serene nature around. So now it's time to head back to base station. But obviously not without camera on my neck strap and me ready to click some nice images of risky and steep the path that we were about to take.
Before we start the journey I have to share the incident when I was about to slip while clicking the very first image on the way back. For simple reason that I was more concerned about the image than myself. So did not put my foot firmly on the stairs which were slippery due to rain. And I was about to loose my footing to stumble on those steep stairs (I still get shivers recalling the moment). But somehow I managed to hold wall/stairs (cant recall exactly what) and survived.
So I got an instruction from someone behind to put my camera in the bag, which was worst thing to do for a person like me. Who trekked all the way to the top just to click images. So I still carried on but more carefully all the time while coming down. And clicked all these pictures while walking behind my friend (girl in yellow jacket) and my only acquaintance on the trip.
I can still feel the fear I had back then while walking through the trails. All the path from top to bottom was very narrow, stony and risky. And it took a lot courage for me to keep on clicking despite the risk.
Still think I should have been much more careful while walking and clicking. I was literally saved by God's grace on the very first instance of slipping on the stairs. And got a lesson for lifetime to be patient, careful whenever on such treks.
Apart from the risky trails I also took some nice beautiful pictures of the objects and nature there.
This Old Grinding Stone which was used to grind the material which then was used to to stick stones while building the fort. It was not any normal Grinder but a Giant one.
On the way I also met one mother daughter duo and this little girl was so ecstatic to reach the top soon. I could't resist myself asking her mom permission to click her. And she gave me this brimming smile and beautiful eyes.
I clicked these 2 pictures at same place but in opposite direction.
Finally we are back to Earth. Yes earth cause what I felt on the Top was pure Heavenly experience which I can never forget. And as soon as we reached this unique beautiful flower caught my eye. I never saw any flower like this in my life so decided to click it.
And below click is to finally marking the Trip as Complete.
Tikona Fort – how mighty it looks from the earth.
Hope you enjoyed this journey with my blog post and photos I clicked.
Have you ever had any such difficult and risky trekking experience do share with me in comments.
Titan Raga – The Most Beautiful Wrist watch I own.
Yes the path was indeed very scary. And most of my friends who went for this trek told me its "beginner level trek" which i couldn't believe being on this path myself. But i managed to be extra careful all the time except the very first instance of steep stairs where i was about to slip.


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Facebook's revolutionary Blenderbot 2.0 uses a Bing backend
Facebook AI Research has announced a new generation of their Blenderbot chatbot, Blenderbot 2.0. The main new feature is the addition of long term memory and the ability to search the internet for more information. It's a sign...
Microsoft wants your blood, but only to help others
Microsoft is launching a chatbot to help convince survivors of a COVID-19 infection to donate blood help other worse affected patients. Convalescent plasma therapy delivers antibodies from those who have recovered to those who are...
Microsoft helps CDC build a coronavirus self-check chatbot
by Anmol
The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has caused a lot of problems to the tech industry but has also pushed companies to use technologies to help those in need. We have seen companies help out in different ways like Razer's decisio...
Yes Bank partners with Microsoft to develop advanced banking chatbot
YES ROBOT is a personal banking chat assistant from Yes Bank. You can chat with YES ROBOT to check your bank balance, recent transactions, send money, recharge your phone, pay your bills, book FD/RD, check loan eligibility, manage...
Microsoft's Xiaobing chatbot banished to Chinese re-education camp for insufficient patriotism
Being a chatbot is rather hard, but after Tay's untimely demise we had thought Microsoft's Xiaobing, who lives on messaging networks in China, was a bit better at navigating the vagaries and social mores of modern lif...
Another Microsoft AI goes to the dark side, apparently prefers Linux over Windows
Chatbots powered by artificial intelligence always get into some sort of trouble. Microsoft's Tay chatbot, for example, got in a huge amount of trouble for racist comments and a lot more. The company's latest AI chatbo...
Bing will use Chatbots powered by Skype for restaurant inquiries
by Greg Jordan
Microsoft's Bing search engine has been upgraded with a Skype-powered chatbot to help its users find local restaurants. A reader tipped website Search Engine Land, saying that Bing has been given a special chatbot that sho...
Microsoft's latest AI chatbot is aimed towards its Indian customers
Microsoft has a new chatbot powered by artificial intelligence: Ruuh. This is the company's fourth AI chatbot, one of which actually never saw the light of the day. The latest one, Ruuh, is actually aimed at Indian users and...
Microsoft's Chinese chatbot filters certain topics
by Sean Chan
Microsoft's Chinese chatbot, Xiaoice has been a huge in China with more than 40 million users. The chatbot, introduced back in early 2014, uses artificial intelligence to intelligently answer questions about almost anything...
Unlike Tay, Microsoft's Chinese AI bot knows how to deal with racist comments
Recently, Microsoft introduced, and quickly pulled its new AI chatbot called Tay. The company's AI chatbot was able to learn new things from its users, and as you may expect, some users use that to turn Tay into a racist. No...
Microsoft is making adjustments to Tay to avoid inappropriate responses
Few hours back, we reported that Microsoft has already stopped its new chatbot service, Tay. Yesterday, Microsoft launched Tay, a machine learning project to know more about human interaction. It went viral online and thousands of...
Microsoft's A.I. chatbot, Tay goes live on Twitter, GroupMe, and Kik
Microsoft is introducing a new chatbot based on artificial intelligence called Tay. The company's new A.I. chatbot is similar to its Xiaoice chatbot, which was introduced recently in Japan. Microsoft says Tay is an "A...


What started out as… what we referred to as 'a lemonade' stand, initially meaning taking a break from Corporate America, but it quickly became much more. We noticed a void in the industry – the marketplace was lacking honest, hardworking, professionals that simply did what they promised to do in the greater Austin area…at least when it comes to window coverings.
Our goal, then and now, is to make a commitment to our clients to deliver the best products, service, and experience. We became experts in motorization, through both Somfy and Hunter Douglas. Then, in 2014, we opened our showroom. As a Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer, our clients have the chance to fully engage and experience our products. Later, we took our business a step further and became a Hunter Douglas Authorized Service Center, allowing us to add service and repair to our growing repertoire.


The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Duane Buck's appeal for a new sentencing, meaning an execution date can be set if the Harris County District Attorney's Office chooses to seek an execution date.
Buck was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 1997 for the murders of his ex-girlfriend, Debra Gardner, and the man who was with her, Kenneth Butler. He also shot his stepsister, Phyllis Taylor, but Taylor survived. The big question has never been on Buck's guilt, but on why he was sentenced to death.
During his Harris County murder trial, a psychologist testified that Buck was more of a danger to society because he is African American. A few years after Buck was convicted, the psychologist, Walter Quijano, was cited by then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn for giving racially influenced testimony to juries. Cornyn, now a U.S. senator, identified seven cases that needed to be reviewed for sentencing and Buck's was one of them. All of the other cases have been allowed new sentencing hearings, but Buck's has been denied.
His legal team took the matter to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, but the decision handed down in a six to three ruling on Wednesday denied Buck a new sentencing hearing. While Gardner's daughter has stated she doesn't feel like Buck needs a new hearing, the only surviving victim, Taylor, and one of the trial prosecutors, Linda Geffin, have asked for a new sentencing, along with more than 100 civil rights leaders, elected officials, former prosecutors, former Gov. Mark White and faith leaders.
"With today's decision, Texas has once again reneged on its promise to ensure that Mr. Buck would not be executed pursuant to a death sentence that was the unfair product of a prosecutorial appeal to racial bias and stereotype," Kate Black, attorney, Christina Swarnis, director of the Criminal Defense Project at the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, and Kathryn Kase, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, said in a joint statement.
Buck's team is urging the Harris County DA's Office not to seek an execution date for Buck. They plan on asking the U.S. Supreme Court to look into Buck's case with an eye toward due process and equal protection issues.
"We're deeply disappointed. I think that there's just no question that it's not right to seek to use racial bias to obtain a death sentence. Certainly we were hopeful the court would recognize that and take action," Kase said.
Buck's team is still looking at the legal options in the wake of the ruling. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest court in the state to rule on criminal cases, but there are still options in federal court. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear Buck's case back in 2011, but his lawyers are hoping to get a review of the case based on due process and equal protection issues.
Jeff McShan with the Harris County District Attorney's Office said they are still looking at the ruling and discussing what the next step will be on their side.


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Cops Who Slap Homeless Women, Rape Prisoners, Assault Children, and Keep their Jobs … and Other Unseen News from The World's Most Carceral State
Shaun King Nov 07, 2017
We live a deeply problematic era in American history. As I type this, the nation is reeling from yet another mass shooting in which 26 people were shot and killed in a rural Texas church. Federal prosecutors are currently investigating and indicting members of Donald Trump's campaign team for various levels of corruption. And while all of this, and so much more, goes on, police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, and other problems within America's criminal justice system continue with less and less scrutiny.
Here, we cover many incidents of injustice from the past week that you likely have not heard about, but deserve our time and attention.
A Washington D.C. Police Lieutenant Arrested for Child Abuse
Lieutenant David Hutchinson, 55, a longtime veteran of the Washington D.C. Police Department, was arrested and charged with cruelty to a child. According to the Washington Post,
"Police said Hutchinson's abuse on Oct. 30 left the child's face, ears, eyes, neck and mouth bruised and swollen. Hutchinson told police he didn't assault the child and didn't know how the child was injured, according to the charging document. The child initially reported being injured from falling down the stairs but later said it was from Hutchinson, according to the charging documents."
This should come as no surprise. Police officers have a rate of domestic violence 400% higher than the average American.
This Georgia officer was also just charged with cruelty to children.
A Bakersfield, California Police Officer Caught with Stolen Guns and Steroids
Officer Kevin Schindler, of the troubled Bakersfield Police Department, was caught with injectable steroids and guns he had stolen from the police department. How were these things discovered? Police were called to his house for a domestic disturbance. That makes sense — because, as we established above, police officers have a disturbing rate of domestic violence. Not only that, but steroid abuse is regularly linked to police officers and domestic violence. I bet he keeps his job.
Cop Suddenly Retires after News Investigation Reveals His History of Sexual Harassment
Lieutenant Jimmy Cunningham had been an officer in Middletown, Ohio for 28 years. As it turns out, throughout his tenure, seven different fellow officers, both men and women, regularly took the brave step of reporting him for sexual harassment, but the city and his supervisors went out of their way to sweep it under the rug. This is clearly a trend that cuts across all industries.
According to the local investigation, "The Middletown officers claimed they were regularly the target of Cunningham's crude sexual comments. Male officers were praised for their size of their penises. Female officers were invited to wear a bikini to an upcoming training class or send Cunningham a picture of their breasts."
While investigating these claims, it was also revealed that Cunningham had previously been cited for slapping a homeless woman across the face.
Minnesota Police Officer Under Investigation Abruptly Resigns Due to "Work Related Injury"
Mike Shephard, a veteran police officer in Mendota Heights, Minnesota has been disciplined for misconduct at least five times since 2010. This last time, though, was particularly troubling. Shephard was illegally using police department databases to get personal information on at least a dozen different people including his girlfriend, a local female firefighter, local city council members, and other members of local law enforcement and their families. He was suspended this past March for 30 days after it was discovered that he was using the databases. Then, this past August, he was placed on leave again for yet another internal investigation.
All of this gets to one essential challenge in American policing — bad apples are rarely fired — even when investigations determine, over and over again, that they have poor character or have broken the law.
Then, when a bad police officer is finally fired, like Charles Foley in Tucson, who committed a felony when he forged his ex-wife's signature on a large check that did not belong to him, he finds a way to win an appeal to miraculously get his job back. People are in jail for this right now.
New Jersey Police Officer Indicted on Multiple Sexual Assault Charges
Wilfredo Guzman, a 40 year old veteran police officer in Rockaway Township in New Jersey was just indicted on over a dozen felony charges of sexual assault against several different teenage girls as young as 15 years old. According to the report,
"The first indictment charges Guzman with two counts of Sexual Assault, four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and eight counts of Official Misconduct. The second indictment charges Guzman with two counts of Official Misconduct and Possession of Child Pornography.
The Sexual Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child charges relate to alleged conduct between Guzman and two minor females, one of whom was between the ages of 16–17, and another who was 15 years-old during the time in question.
It is alleged that Mr. Guzman engaged in acts of sexual penetration with the two females on various dates in 2014 and 2015, and that Mr. Guzman provided both females alcohol and prescription medication during the same time frame."
This incident is not unique. A Wisconsin officer was just arrested for sending sexually explicit text messages to a 15 year old girl.
Two NYPD cops are facing charges for raping a teenage girl they had in police custody.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy has now been charged with sexually assaulting at least three different women in custody.
Policing Criminal Justice Misconduct Police Brutality
More in Policing
Meg O'Connor Jan 14, 2021
The Cops at the Capitol
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jan 13, 2021
What Traffic Enforcement Without Police Could Look Like
What Public Safety Without Police Looks Like
Jerry Iannelli, Joshua Vaughn Jan 08, 2021


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Our core belief is in holistic and effective facials that enhance your natural beauty. With us you can look forward to experiencing unparalleled service in a tranquil, refined environment that invokes total relaxation. The products used at our spa are professional grade, plant-based and formulated with the latest technology, maximum delivery systems and highest quality ingredients to provide optimal results. We may also incorporate esthetic devices, such as microcurrent, ultrasonic and light therapy, to enhance your treatment outcome.
Feel free to inquire for more detailed information or any questions you may have.
Tiffany has been a licensed esthetician for 20 years. A passion for all things beauty and a struggle with teenage acne inspired her to choose skincare as her lifelong career. After graduating from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising and Communications, Tiffany attended the prestigious Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, where she graduated with honors in Esthiology Science in 1999. There she also developed an enthusiasm for eyebrows and trained as a brow artist. Tiffany's dedication to holistic wellness, yoga and meditation began during this time in the Ayurveda-based educational program.
Tiffany initially worked at a salon/spa in Geneva for 6 years. In the spring of 2005 she opened her boutique spa with the goal of providing exceptional facial and eyebrow services for her clients. Throughout her many years in the esthetics industry, Tiffany has continued her education and honed her craft, focusing on cosmeceutical treatments, holistic/natural skincare remedies, product formulations and ingredients, and eyebrow design modalities.
Due to her knowledge and reputation, Tiffany has been asked to be a contributor to a number of media publications (see below), and in 2017 was featured in the highly regarded professional esthetics magazine Les Nouvelles Esthetiques.
In 2014 Tiffany worked with a specialty skincare manufacturing company to design her own skincare line. The small line of natural face and body sundries has been a runaway success and is sold exclusively at the spa under the brand name Bountiful.
Tiffany wished to expand on wellness remedies for her clients, so in the spring of 2018 she became a certified Reiki Practitioner and brings this ancient, energetic healing method to her facial services.
Tiffany has built a reputation as a distinguished esthetician and created long-standing relationships with her many clients. She is a compassionate, fun-loving soul who delights in helping her clients look and feel their most beautiful.
While in esthetics school in 2005, Michelle apprenticed under Tiffany, and they quickly became friends. She has practiced esthetics for 11 years and believes the best results in skincare treatments are achieved with an integrative approach. For over two decades Michelle has upheld a holistic lifestyle, regularly practicing yoga, meditation, energy healing and mindfulness techniques.
Michelle brings with her a wealth of knowledge beyond esthetics. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Health Education with a minor in Nutrition. She is a certified Holistic Nutrition Coach and a certified Reiki Master. Michelle has a unique approach to her facials, with the qualification to educate her clients not only on their skincare, but on how to improve one's nutrition, energy and overall wellness to effect positive change in the skin.
Michelle is a gracious, winsome soul, whose passion lies in helping her clients thrive in conscious beauty and a healthy way of life.


On July 26, 1956 the big news in Philadelphia was that the mayor, Richardson Dilworth, was on the Italian liner Andrea Doria which had collided with the SS Stockholm the previous night. It was the first big TV media event as the local outlets scrambled to cover the tragedy. Among the less well known persons aboard the Andrea Doria were Giuseppe Della Valle and his son Lorenzo who had boarded in Naples on their way to Philadelphia.
Five years later Lorenzo made history in opening his own barber shop in Frankford. Now, 50 years later Lorenzo continues to watch the parade of activity from his window on Frankford Avenue near Harrison Street. Read the piece here by John Loftus in the Northeast Times for an update on Lorenzo.
Happy anniversary and many more to come.
3 Comments on "Lorenzo Della Valle"
A good man, always helping people in the community. Congratulations Lorenzo for 50 years of service to Frankford.
I love that guy, he is and old world gentleman. Not many left.
Many kind thanks to the "Frankford Gazzette" and "The Times" for paying tribute to such a remarkable man. But then again, I'm partial as he's my Dad!


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Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity (GERES) is an international development NGO set up in Marseille in 1976.

Background
The Groupement pour l'Exploitation Rationnelle de l'Energie Soldaire (Group for the Rational Use of Solar Energy) was founded on 14 September 1976, following the first oil crisis, at the initiative of teachers/researchers working with Georges Peri. Its aim was to put researchers and professionals in touch in order to develop solar energy solutions.

GERES changed its name first in 1986 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables / Renewable Energies Group), again in 1994 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables et Environnement / Renewable Energies and Environment Group), and then finally in 2008 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités / Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity) as it broadened its areas of intervention.

In 2004, GERES launched CO2Solidaire, the first French carbon offsetting programme.

Activities

As an organisation specialising in sustainable and renewable energies, climate change and environmental protection, GERES works for an energy transition, along with natural resource conservation and improved living conditions for local people, both in Europe and in the developing world.

As lead agency for the Climate and Development Committee of Coordination SUD, for the period 2013 - 2016, GERES is working with other NGOs to engage in advocacy with authorities aimed at guiding national and international climate change policy.

GERES promotes renewable energy use and local economic development in four broad geographic areas: Europe and the Mediterranean, West Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

It is present in a dozen or so countries working alongside local development actors around five core themes:
 clean energy production
 energy efficiency and energy saving
 economic development
 local policy and land use
 climate change

References

External links

Organizations established in 1976
Environmental organizations based in France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Bibliography of Pragmatics Online
The Bibliography of Pragmatics Online is an annotated bibliography of the field of linguistic pragmatics, conceived as the interdisciplinary (cognitive, social, and cultural) science of natural language use.
https://www.benjamins.com/online/bop/
Duden Office-Bibliothek
Miscellaneous • Reference Work
Provides access to the e-resources: * Duden - Die deutsche Rechtschreibung * Duden - Fremdwörterbuch * Duden - Synonymwörterbuch
https://intrawiki.mpicc.de/it/apps/terminalserver
Edmond Huguet Dictionnaire
Online version of the standard lexicon for sixteenth-century French by Edmond Huguet, which restores many obsolete words and connotations for modern readers. The dictionary lists about 100,000 keywords and has been published in 7 volumes between 1925 and 1967.
http://www.classiques-garnier.com/numerique-bases/index.php?module=App&action=Fr...
Frédéric Godefroy Dictionnaire
Online version of the classical Old French dictionary by Frédéric Godefroy, giving the grammatical category, variant forms, and range of meanings for each word listed. The dictionary includes about 160,000 entries and has been published in 10 volumes between 1881 and 1902.
Handbook of Pragmatics Online
The Handbook of Pragmatics provides up-to-date information on research in the field of linguistic pragmatics, conceived as the interdisciplinary (cognitive, social, and cultural) science of natural language use. This electronic encyclopaedia of one of the major fields of language studies is a continuously updatable source of state-of-the-art information for anyone interested in language use.
https://www.benjamins.com/online/hop/
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, IESBS
The International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences offers a source of social and behavioral sciences reference material. It comprises over 3,900 articles, commissioned by 71 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/referenceworks/9780080970875
Linguistic Bibliography Online (Brill)
The Linguistic Bibliography Online is an essential linguistic reference tool and provides over 300.000 bibliographical references to scholarly publications in linguistics. The database covers all disciplines of theoretical linguistics, both general and language specific. Material is included concerning all geographical areas. Particular attention is given to endangered and extinct languages as well as lesser known Indo-European and non-Indo-European languages. These latter areas are not usually covered by other bibliographies. Up-to-date information is guaranteed by the collaboration of some forty contributing specialists from all over the world. With annually over 20.000 records added, arranged according to a state-of-the-art system of subject and language descriptors, the Linguistic Bibliography remains the standard reference work for every scholar of linguistics.
http://bibliographies.brillonline.com/browse/linguistic-bibliography
Merriam Webster's Dictionary
American English dictionary, encyclopedia, etymologies, Spanish-English dictionary
http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/
Oxford Bibliographies Online (OUP) Trial
Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides across a variety of subject areas. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/
Oxford Dictionaries Premium
Book Collection • Reference Work
These popular and reliable resources from Oxford provide expert recommendations on grammar, spelling, and usage; essential guides to the written word; and specialist dictionaries for writers, editors, proofreaders, and other professionals. Premium resources * New Hart's Rules: The Oxford Style Guide * Garner's Dictionary of Legal Usage * New Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors * Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage
https://premium.oxforddictionaries.com/de/zusatzinhalte/
The Oxford English Dictionary is a guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
http://www.oed.com/
Oxford Handbooks Online (OUP) Trial
Oxford Handbooks Online is a collection of handbooks in 17 subject areas, bringing together the world's leading scholars to write review essays that evaluate the current thinking on a field or topic, and make an original argument about the future direction of the debate. For the first time, all Handbooks are available online as well is in print across the subject areas. Monthly updates introduce articles in advance of print publication and beyond the book, online-only content ensures the most current, authoritative coverage anywhere.
https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/
The International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, edited by Neil J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes, is the first attempt in a generation to map the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. Not since the publication in 1968 of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, has there been such an ambitious project to describe the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences.
Resource Type: Reference Work Subject: Linguistics
3 Anthropology 3 Archaeology 1 Business 4 Economics 3 Education 1 Environmental Studies more ... 4 History 5 Law Linguistics 4 Literature 1 Multidisciplinary 2 Music 4 Philosophy 5 Political Science 4 Psychology 2 Religion 1 Social Work 4 Sociology less ...
2 Book Collection 1 Miscellaneous Reference Work
2 DFG Nationallizenz 1 Max Planck Society
14 Subscription
11 English 3 French 2 German 1 Arabic 1 Spanish


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Man applying to be Mount Vernon cop admits to viewing child porn, documents say
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. -- An Arlington man applying to be a Mount Vernon police officer admitted during a polygraph test to having viewed child porn on his home computers.
According to court documents from the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, Daniel Salata, of Arlington, was testing to become a police officer back in May and disclosed that he has viewed child porn.
The documents say he told a polygraph examiner that he has viewed the images of children between 2 and 15-years-old since 2006. He also told them that he has viewed children being assaulted.
Detectives served a search warrant on Aug. 27 and took three computers into evidence.
Prosecutors said during an interview, Salata told investigators that there were likely more than 500 images of naked children on his computers.
Detectives said they found images and a video on the computers.
Arlington police arrested and booked Salata into the Snohomish County Jail on Monday. He's being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Prosecutors have charged Salata with four counts of Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Explicit Conduct.


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We need to listen to the workers: WIEGO partners conduct COVID-19 Global Impact Study
Sarah Orleans Reed, Ana Carolina Ogando
This crisis has opened my eyes to the abuses I suffered. I always put up with the mistreatment of the lady I work for, but at least I had a salary which allowed me to live and pay for my daughter's education. I started working [for her] to take care of her son when he was 6 months old and now in July he will turn 26. Not even for all of this did they consider me. For the entire month of April, they didn't pay me a single sol. -- Domestic Worker, Lima, Peru
We had to face great difficulties. Our work/businesses were closed, hence we had no income. We couldn't go outside the house. If we went outside then we got afraid. Food grains and grocery were costly. It seemed as if businessmen were trying to rob us. -- Street Vendor, Ahmedabad, India
There are no economic indicators so important or revealing as the words of workers. Today, the voices of informal economy workers, who constitute 60 per cent of the world's workforce, are helping us unpack the hardship, injustice, and possibility for transformation within our economic system, laid bare by COVID-19.
WIEGO and our partners are listening long and hard to informal economy workers through our study: COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy.
In 2008-2010, WIEGO was one of the few organizations documenting the impact of the global financial crisis-turned-recession on informal economy workers. Now, in the midst of the current crisis, the world knows considerably more about COVID-19's impact on the majority of the world's workforce that is informal. Phone surveys and media reports demonstrate the devastating scale of income loss and food insecurity. WIEGO's own Rapid Assessment in March showed how issues like police violence, increased care and household responsibilities, and supply chain breaks compound the crisis of income.
Nevertheless, in April, WIEGO and our institutional members and other partners—organizations representing informal economy workers in a variety of occupations—began planning further research to sharpen our understanding of the crisis. With support from the International Development Research Center, we are asking: How are homeworkers managing unprecedented disruptions in global supply chains? How are workers in public spaces and private homes protecting themselves from COVID-19? What kinds of relief measures are actually reaching them, if any, and what support do workers need to really restart and secure their livelihoods? These questions are as relevant for informal workers in New York City in the Global North as in Delhi, Accra, or Lima in the South.
COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy aims to fill these gaps. Conducted in two rounds, it will capture changes across the different stages of the crisis during the second and third quarters of 2020, and how workers are adapting by the first quarter of 2021. The study creates a platform for the experience and voices of informal workers to rise to the top of the policy agenda, for those who create policy to see, hear, and feel what is going wrong at the base of the economic pyramid—and what we could start doing right.
COVID-19 and the Informal Economy: WIEGO-led 12-City Study
Cities: Accra, Ahmedabad, Bangkok, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Durban, Lima, Mexico City, Pleven (Bulgaria), New York City, Tiruppur
Partner and collaborating organizations: Asiye eTafaleni; Conservation, Hotels, Domestic, Social Services and Consultancy Workers Union (CHODAWU); HomeNet Thailand; Federation of Informal Workers Thailand; the Bulgarian Trade Union of Self-Employed and Informal Workers (UNITY); Street Vendor Project; Sure We Can; Social Awareness and Voluntary Education (SAVE); Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) ; Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras del Hogar (SINACTRAHO); - Trabajadores Voluntarios y Desempleados de la Ciudad de México (TVDCM); Unión de Aseadores de Calzado de la Ciudad de México (UACCM); Greater Accra Markets Association (GAMA): Kpone Landfill Waste Pickers Association; Informal Hawkers and Vendors of Ghana (IHVAG); Kayayei Youth Association; Jan Pahal; Delhi Roundtable of Waste Pickers (DRT); SEWA Delhi; Bokk Diom; SINTTRAHOL - Sindicato de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras del Hogar de Lima; SINTRAHOGARP - Sindicato de Trabajadoras del Hogar del Perú; IPROFOTH - Instituto de Promoción y Formación de Trabajadoras del Hogar; FENVENDRELP - Federación Nacional de Vendedores de Diarios, Revistas y Loterías del Perú; RENATTA - Red Nacional de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Autoempleados; CETRAFOR - Central Única de Autoempleados de La Victoria, Rumbo a la Formalización; Asociación La Parada; CONFIAR - Confederación de Instituciones de Ambulantes y Afines de la Región Lima y Callao; FENAREP - Federación Nacional de Recicladores del Perú; Frente Nacional de Recicladores Ambientalistas del Perú.
Occupational Sectors: Domestic Workers, Home-based Workers, Street Vendors, Waste Pickers, Newspaper vendors, Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Non-Salaried workers (Mexico), and Massage workers
Funder: International Development Research Center, Canada
From vulnerability to prospects for recovery
"COVID-19 and the Informal Economy" interrogates four central themes:
The crisis of income, health, food and care: The WIEGO study documents key impediments to work during and after COVID-19 restrictions, loss of working days and income, and how workers are adapting, including through negative coping strategies like high interest loans. We identify COVID-19 health impacts (including mental health impacts), how restrictions are changing household composition and care responsibilities for informal workers, and how these impacts vary particularly by gender and occupation.
Essential goods and services: Informal workers provide essential services—from food, to care, to transportation and waste management. We examine which of these functions are recognised as such, and which workers must carry on their essential tasks under the threat of penalty or state violence. The study also captures how workers themselves are accessing essential goods and services.
Role of the state and other institutions: Governments play a contradictory role for informal workers, on one hand providing limited social protections, while offering little (if any) legal protection or economic support—and frequently penalizing their livelihoods via local law enforcement. Through the COVID-19 Study, we are probing the role of state and non-state institutions during the pandemic. Importantly, we assess the role of the organizations that represent informal workers, and how they are adapting to a transformed economic and political landscape.
Relief and social protection: The COVID-19 era has seen a broad but incomplete extension of social protection measures and development of new relief measures to reach informal workers. Through the COVID-19 Crisis Study and other research by WIEGO's Social Protection Program, our research assesses which measures are actually reaching workers, the reasons why not, and how and why they are having an impact.
Capturing intersections and narratives, through a mixed methods approach
To say the least, the global pandemic has challenged the way we traditionally do research. In-person, qualitative focus groups are out, and phone-based questionnaires are in.
Yet, capturing the complexity and diversity of informal worker experiences during the pandemic, and the policy responses to it, requires a mixed method approach. Research tools must allow interrogation of intersectional vulnerabilities, related to workers' status in employment, place of work, race, ethnicity, and caste, migration status and gender.
A detailed questionnaire conducted in 12 languages, along with over 100 semi-structured interviews with worker leaders and other key informants, are allowing WIEGO and our institutional members and partners to unpack these themes. Our survey comprises questions on the topics described above, with open-ended questions at the end that allow time for free reflection on challenges faced, support received, and future needs. Because the surveys are tailored by sector, we can also zero in on how COVID-19 disrupts or changes the nature of domestic work, street vending, waste picking, and home-based work, among other occupations.
Semi-structured interviews permit local research teams to clarify what is happening at the level of city or neighbourhood economies. More importantly, they unearth the crucial, personal narratives of individual workers and their families, which make the "hard" data come to life.
The disease has caused us a lot of difficulties because in Mbeubeuss [Dumpsite] there is plastic but we can no longer export it so we are having difficulty selling the product, and the intermediaries are taking advantage to lower the prices. So we are obliged to sell at this price because we need it to support our family. -- Waste Picker, Dakar
My body is ok, but my emotional wellbeing is vulnerable. I got COVID and had to think of my elderly parents. I'm still recovering mentally. -- Canner, New York, New York
Creating spaces for learning, reflection and mutual care
Requesting such detailed, personal information over the phone is difficult under any circumstance, much less amid an acute crisis. The WIEGO-led research is possible only because of its close relationship with its members, and between workers and their membership-based organizations, who conducted or coordinated all questionnaires and interviews.
What we did not predict was the extent to which these interactions would also create vital new spaces of communication and reflection for the MBOs and their members. At a time of severe isolation, many workers were willing to spend an hour or more on the phone with a trusted MBO ally, to share details of this troubling period. For MBOs, these calls often helped clarify needs for immediate support and for broader organizing strategies. For the workers who were interviewed, these calls helped remind them that they are not alone.
This is crucial: Much has been said about the need for a just recovery, one that addresses pre-existing inequities and injustices. Yet how we define this "just recovery" must start with how those at the bottom of the economic pyramid define it.
Research for building movements and power
For WIEGO and organizations of informal economy workers, the generation of data is never an end in itself. It is a pathway for organizing and advocacy: for increasing the visibility of informal workers, their needs and demands; and for raising the voices of workers, their leaders, and their organizations. The history of the global movement of informal workers has shown that "knowledge and statistics in the hands of informal economy workers is power."
For this reason, our work plan prioritizes the advocacy needs of local worker organizations in the 12 cities. The first output from the global study is 12 City Fact Sheets, written in local languages, which provide workers and local policy makers with a snapshot of key data points for each city and sector. Later this year, WIEGO will also release a global version of the fact sheets.
We hope you will join us in listening and learning from the voices of informal workers around the world, and will stand up alongside them to demand a just recovery from COVID-19.
Find more information on the COVID-19 and the Informal Economy study here.
Feature photo: Market vendors and customers use masks and incorporate other safety measures while shopping at the Villa María del Triunfo in Lima, Peru. Credit: WIEGO
Informal Economy Theme
Informal Workers and the Social Protection Response to COVID-19: Who got relief? How? And did it make a difference?
Laura Alfers, Ghida Ismail, Marcela Valdivia
Note d'information de WIEGO sur la violence au travail
Nota informativa de WIEGO sobre la violencia en el mundo del trabajo
Domestic Workers, Risk and Social Protection in Nepal
WIEGO, IDWF, Home Workers Union of Nepal, GEFONT
WIEGO Briefing Note on Violence at Work


text:
Mesquinhata ist ein Ort und eine ehemalige Gemeinde im Norden Portugals.

Mesquinhata gehört zum Kreis Baião im Distrikt Porto. Die Gemeinde hatte eine Fläche von 3,4 km² und 302 Einwohner (Stand 30. Juni 2011).

Am 29. September 2013 wurden die Gemeinden Mesquinhata und Baião (Santa Leocádia) zur neuen Gemeinde União das Freguesias de Baião (Santa Leocádia) e Mesquinhata zusammengefasst.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

Baião (Portugal)
Ort in der Região Norte (Portugal)
Ehemalige Freguesia in Portugal


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text:
Reducing Electricity Use and Energy Costs and Gaining a Reliable Power Supply From a Gaia Wind Small Wind Turbine
Middlepart Farm is a working farm with stables and holiday cottage based in Ayrshire, Scotland.
The owner of Middlepart Farm, Mr Bronte-Stewart, wanted to reduce his energy bills by generating electricity from a renewable source to supply the main house, holiday cottage and stable yard. The Gaia Wind 133-11kw Turbine was chosen based on its performance credentials from a shortlist of 3 other small wind turbines.
The site is a moderate wind speed site in open farmland. The turbine is sited next to the farm on a gentle slope facing the prevailing south westerly winds.
The turbine produced an impressive 36,042 kWh (units) over the first year, giving a daily average of around 100 kWh. At this level of production Mr. Bronte-Stewart was able to substantially reduce his energy bills, as well as sell surplus electricity to the grid and benefit from an income through the government carbon credits scheme (ROCs).
Gaia Wind (Green Energy Solutions) Limited. (2017, July 24). Reducing Electricity Use and Energy Costs and Gaining a Reliable Power Supply From a Gaia Wind Small Wind Turbine. AZoCleantech. Retrieved on January 22, 2020 from https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=187.
Gaia Wind (Green Energy Solutions) Limited. "Reducing Electricity Use and Energy Costs and Gaining a Reliable Power Supply From a Gaia Wind Small Wind Turbine". AZoCleantech. 22 January 2020. <https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=187>.
Gaia Wind (Green Energy Solutions) Limited. "Reducing Electricity Use and Energy Costs and Gaining a Reliable Power Supply From a Gaia Wind Small Wind Turbine". AZoCleantech. https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=187. (accessed January 22, 2020).
Gaia Wind (Green Energy Solutions) Limited. 2017. Reducing Electricity Use and Energy Costs and Gaining a Reliable Power Supply From a Gaia Wind Small Wind Turbine. AZoCleantech, viewed 22 January 2020, https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=187.


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Parksprings provides care for 70 residents over 3 units with a variety of differing care requirements. Each unit provides the highest quality care in a warm and welcoming setting.
Parksprings Care Home has the facilities and expertise to meet your needs for residential care, supported nursing care, specialist dementia care, respite or end of life care.


Here in Canton, our dental team makes every effort to ensure that your experience with us is as smooth, enjoyable, and fulfilling as possible from beginning to end. When you call to schedule your first appointment, you'll speak with our new patient coordinator, who will discuss your chief concerns and expectations for treatment with you while gathering the necessary information and scheduling an appointment. Once you arrive at Legacy Dental Group, you'll be warmly greeted and given a tour of the office, meeting the clinical team. Next, a comprehensive examination will follow that takes into account the information unique to you we learned during your initial call; we want to address your concerns right away! Once we've discussed potential treatment options and formulated a strong plan of action that fits your needs, you'll finally meet with our patient coordinator once more to discuss financial arrangements and schedule upcoming services. As you leave, we want you to feel excited about your smile's bright future!
Paying for you and your family's dental care through insurance shouldn't have to be a frustrating process. Our office is an in-network provider for several plans, and any necessary paperwork will be filled out by us to ensure that you receive the maximum benefits available. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us!


text:
Q: Does each Unix file description have its own read/write buffers? In reference to this question about read() and write(), I'm wondering if each open file description has its own read and write buffers or if perhaps there's a single read and write buffer for a file when it has been opened multiple times at once. I'm curious because this would have an effect on what exactly happens with overlapping writes to the same file. Perhaps this is something that varies among Unixes?
(To my understanding, "file description" refers to the info/options about an open file, such as the current marker position. "File descriptor", in contrast, refers to just the number used in a process to refer to a description.)

A: This depends a bit on whether you are talking about sockets or actual files.
Strictly speaking, a descriptor never has its own buffers; it's just a handle to a deeper abstraction.
File system objects have their "own" buffers, at least when they are required. That is, if a program writes less than the file system block size, the kernel has no choice but to read a FS block and merge the write with the existing data.
This buffer is attached to the vnode and at a lower level, possibly an inode. It's owned by the file and not the descriptor. It may be kept around for a long time if memory is available.
In the case of a socket, then a stream, but not specifically a single descriptor, does actually have buffers that it owns.

A: If the files were open in blocking mode then yes there should only be one buffer.  I would bet the default is non blocking for performance reasons.


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Interview with Aseem Chawla, author of 'Finding a Straight Line between Twists and Turns'
Aseem Chawla is the Practice Leader at ASC Legal, Solicitors & Advocates in New Delhi. Aseem is a Member of the Bar Council of India, and Fellow Chartered Accountant, and certificate holder of Comparative Tax Policy & Administration from Harvard Kennedy School & "Vienna Certificate in Double Tax Treaties" from WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. He is a certificate holder from National Insurance Academy, Pune for participation in the Orientation Programme for Independent Directors for General Insurance Companies in February 2020.
Aseem is the Vice President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF). Recently, he has been nominated as Co-Chairman of the Corporate Affairs Committee of Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHD). Aseem is the Former Regional President & currently the Chairman of the Audit & Finance Supervisory Committee of the Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). He has been nominated as the Co-Chair of the Sub Committee of Taxation constituted under the Task Force for Legal Services of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Here is the Interview with Mr. Aseem Chawla –
Ques 1. How did you come up with the idea of writing this book?
Ans: Since the advent of my professional practice over two decades, I have been regularly dealing with tax and broader fiscal issues, and with the passage of time, having sufficient international exposure and after completing specialized formal courses in "Comparative Tax Policy & Administration" from Harvard University and "Vienna Certificate in Double Tax Treaties" from Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. I felt that I was rightly placed to be able to put my thoughts together in the form of this book. Not very many tax policy-related books had broad coverage and I felt the need to fill this vacuum. The wide exposure to various facets of taxation (both domestic and International), fiscal policy, corporate affairs, and active participation at a Board level, as an advisor also and very recently, shepherding the affairs of State-Owned Enterprise, in the capacity of Independent Director, has enabled me in being able to appreciate business situations/realistic challenges in a holistic & realistic manner.
Ques 2. Share something about your latest book – 'Finding a Straight Line between Twists and Turns'?
Ans: The outstanding feature of the book is catalogue of a variety of contemporary themes relating to the Indian tax landscape tampered with an international flavor and provides a narrative of key milestones of the last 10 years of Indian tax policy and regime.
Ques 3. How did the Indian Tax System change after the global financial crisis due to pandemic?
Ans: The silver lining of the pandemic was the Government initiative to look at the entire fiscal landscape afresh. Realizing the need and acknowledging that tax policy, which can act as a catalyst in sprucing the business sentiments, significant reforms have been announced, including the bold move of rolling back the retrospective tax amendment, which was introduced to tax indirect transfer of assets viz. Vodafone, Cairn, et al.
Ques 4. What taxation issues have you discussed in your book?
Ans: The book is an easy-to-read narrative highlighting the key milestones and notable events, which have influenced and have had an indelible impression on the Indian tax landscape. The book simultaneously also traces the dynamic evolvement of the international tax landscape. The layout of the book is a thematic representation of other topical subjects viz. Money Laundering laws, Exchange of Information and the contentious discussions surrounding cryptocurrency.
Ques 5. Do you really think readers will be influenced by the Indian tax landscape that is addressed in this Book?
Ans: I am quite confident that the book should have a persuasive influence on the readers, considering the lucid language employed in explaining complex topics. The book comprises 17 Sections and each Section is a theme in itself, which makes reference to the book very handy.
Ques 6. Why did you choose Matrix Publishers as your Publisher?
Ans: Matrix Publishers, a known name & lately emerged, have had a good catalogue of books showcasing the legal fraternity.
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text:
Meet Paul Rodgers
All you need to know about IWA's new chairman, Paul Rodgers, and his aspirations for the charity...
He's a spring chicken!
Paul jokes that he's probably IWA's "first nonretired, non-pensioned national chair". But while youth is on his side, free time isn't quite so much. "I've basically got two other jobs, so there will inevitably be challenges. However, as the saying goes, if you want something done, ask a busy person! Thankfully, I've also got fantastic support in my new role – a good set of Trustees, members and volunteers and, of course, our staff team. And I've appointed three deputies [previously the chairman only had two], who are already proving invaluable."
He's had a 'hire' education
Paul and his wife, Amanda, started hiring boats in 2012 – and haven't looked back since. Their first trip was inspired by a team-building exercise for their staff. "We wanted something away from London and that would reinforce the importance of good communication. Hiring a narrowboat came to mind. Obviously, we had to try it ourselves first (we didn't want to show ourselves up in front of the team!) so we took out a day-boat in Guildford. It was lucky we had this trial run, in fact, as we ended up getting swept towards the edge of a weir and completely stuck! It was bad enough that there were witnesses in the nearby beer garden, but at least we were spared our employees seeing us making a hash of it. We had such a fun time and the realisation that there was still so much to learn spurred us to book another 'proper' holiday – a long weekend on the Llangollen. Since then we've tried to hire at least once a year."
He was gifted a canal camp
Paul joined IWA in 2014 after Amanda booked him on a WRG camp for his birthday. "Once we'd done the camp and found out more about IWA's work, we thought it made sense to sign up. It's been a fairly fast track through the organisation since then. Almost straightaway I happened to mention that my background was in marketing, and was subsequently enlisted to fill a vacancy on the marketing committee in early 2016. Then I was asked to join the Trustees. We're still very heavily involved with WRG and and have led camps in the recent past."
He thinks the organisation is in great shape going into its 75th year
For this, Paul credits the charity's unique position in the waterways arena. "Firstly, our independence allows us to be quite flexible – we don't have to stay within statutory objectives or focus on short-term interests. We can operate beyond that and help bring together different interests. IWA's second USP is its heritage – we've been there and done that. We've got a 75-year proven track record. That engenders trust, and it's important we maintain this trust across the waterway community. None of this should make us self-aggrandising, however. We should be humble and working for the common aim of the good of the waterways."
His vision is to 'get back to basics'
According to Paul, IWA's future is signposted largely by what's been achieved in the past. "In many ways it's about getting back to the basics. IWA was set up to be an association to campaign for the regeneration of the waterways. There are four key words here, which have been and should remain absolutely fundamental to who we are. We need to reevaluate what those four principles mean as we look forward to the rest of the 21st century – not just the next three or five or 10 years.
1) Association: For Paul this means 'engagement'. "It means being welcoming, stimulating, participating across the waterways, building relationships and connections and a sense of community, reaching out to all users. Now this might sound very over-arching, and perhaps idealistic. Maybe even a bit naive. But I really think getting back to this will be essential."
2) Campaigning: There are two strands to Paul's thinking here. First, to make a strong distinction between 'campaigning' and 'complaining'. Second: "We need to be much more focused on the effects of campaigning – we need structure and clear programmes. I think we've got that in some areas, but we need to do more to distinguish between effort and effect. It's not all about wheel-spinning and looking busy. There's already too much for us to be doing in the waterways world without us just grandstanding around the efforts we're making. The effect we're making needs to be evidenced."
3) Regeneration: Paul makes the point that in the early days of the organisation, 'regeneration' could easily be interpreted as restoration. "We were making sure canals didn't fall into dereliction, we were having to reassess what the future use of the waterways would be (largely for leisure). As we've moved through the last 75 years, restoration continues to be as important as it ever was. But there are other risks surrounding the waterways. We're seeing a great many more people using them, increased threats around urbanisation, planning issues, climate change etc. One of IWA's key roles should be to constantly reassess what that word 'regeneration' means. We need to be reinterpreting it for today, and every 10, 50 years, and even to the end of the century."
4) Waterways: Obviously, says Paul, the focus here is on navigable rivers and canals. However, he insists IWA also needs to understand what the waterways mean to other users (i.e. people on the towpath) as well as encompassing brand new or planned waterways. "With that in mind, IWA is getting behind what's going on with the proposed Boston to Peterborough link, for example."
While a lot of Paul's attention will be around internal activities and how he can strengthen and bring the Association together, his other core interest is to make sure IWA reaches out and works more collaboratively with other organisations. "We can help them, they can help us. There's way too much for only one organisation to do by itself. Our respective stakeholders and members, supporters, volunteers and so on actually expect us to be working well with others, often because they're members of multiple organisations themselves. I want to see that as a strength."
He plans to use his business background to his advantage
"I perhaps bring more of a change-minded approach and dynamism to the role. What I do in my main line of work, which is all about building a community, runs neatly in parallel with running a membership organisation of fairly diverse interests. I'm driven by creating collaborative communities. This isn't all about me, this is about how we see the strengths of everyone, play to them and motivate those passions. There's a home for everyone within IWA, no matter what their interests or their geographic focus. They can all add value. Or, equally, they can explore new opportunities and challenges, and we'll support them with those. I think the main thing is for me to give people the opportunity to thrive and share their experience and information across the organisation."
2020 – our year in photos
2020 IWA Photography Competition Winners
IWA Volunteer Awards 2020
IWA appoints new trustees
A tale of love and a generous gift
Meet IWA's new chief executive
IWA Festival of Water, Worcester will take place in 2021
IWA Canalway Cavalcade 2020 cancelled
New Chair appointed by the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways
IWA Chief Executive Announces Retirement
New waterway campaigning resource
IWA Trustee election results
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