text:
Cultural, Political, Economic, and Legal Aspects of Doing Business in Germany
Germany is a thriving EU state with a buoyant economy, vibrant political system, and population of over 80 million people. The country's economy was rapidly developing throughout the 20th century. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and subsequent reunification of the country gave a powerful impetus to German economy, which henceforth grew at an exponential rate, reaching a comfortable 4th slot in the list of the world's largest economies on the cusp of the new millennium (Audretsch & Lehman, 2015). Today, the UK is poised to overcome Germany as the largest European economy in the nearest future, but that does not vitiate Germany's business potential and its appeal to entrepreneurs and investors. In fact, businesses in Germany have grown commensurately to the overall economic growth. As of 2015, Germany occupies the 15th slot in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business report, being surpassed only by the US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and a handful of European states (World Bank Group, 2015). Tucked in between Ireland and Georgia in this ranking, Germany boasts transparent rules and absence of byzantine bureaucracies. However, while companies eyeing expansion into Germany do not have to navigate through the thickets of suffocating bureaucracy, they need to take cognizance of some other particularities of doing business in Germany. This paper seeks to explore cultural, political, economic, and legal aspects of doing business in Germany. Overall, doing business in Germany is rewarding, but not very easy; it requires proper spadework on the part of those unfamiliar with its culture, as well as political, economic and legal systems.
Cultural Aspects
When discussing cultural peculiarities of doing business in Germany, emphasis should be put on the psyche of a typical German citizen. Indeed, Germans are noted for their unparalleled punctuality. A quick scan of the Internet, combined with personal observations, shows that Germans plan their business projects with pinpoint accuracy. Respecting schedules and agendas is something of a hollowed tradition for Germans. This timeliness can be witnessed everywhere: trains arrive on time, bills are paid on time, and people turn up for their appointments early. When a train in Germany is late, this train is most certainly an international one and the delay is most certainly caused by irregularities beyond the ken of Germans themselves. The Germans have a nice word to describe their excessive punctuality: uberpunktlichkeit (Micheloud, 2008). It cannot be translated into English without impoverishing its meaning, but its very existence in the German language attests to the exactitude and precision characteristic of this culture. In European business quarters, "German punctuality" is an oxymoron.
Most importantly, German punctuality invariably manifests itself in business environments. Turning up for appointments late is a sure recipe for offending susceptibilities of a typical German businessperson and, hence, for failing to strike a deal with them. Taken to extremes, German punctuality means that residents of this country are often antipathetic even to positive changes in business transactions. Business is a serious thing that does not tolerate humor, surprises, or other unrelated matters (Schroll-Machl, 2013). It is also rigidly separated from personal life.
Dress-code is yet another crucial aspect of doing business in Germany. Unlike many Americans, who do not fret too much over their clothes even when attending an official levee, Germans treat dress-codes seriously. No matter what position a German employee holds or what meeting he or she is attending, Germans like to dress neatly. In business settings, appearance of the counterpart can exercise substantial influence over German entrepreneurs. Even when clad in informal attires, Germans strive to look tidy and conservative, avoiding ostentatiousness like the plague. Formal dress-codes should be observed even in warm weather (Schroll-Machl, 2013). The overarching advice for entrepreneurs trying to make a positive impression on their German counterparts is to eschew what is called "a fashion statement".
Political aspects of prosecuting business in Germany are legion. However, German's perception of corruption is, perhaps, the most noticeable of them. According to the report by Transparency International, Germany is the 12th least corrupt country in the world as well as one of the doughtiest fighters against bribery in the EU (Transparency International, 2014). Interpreted loosely, this means that Germany is not entirely clean and some degree of tolerance for corruption persists. For example, public procurement and construction sectors are the most susceptible to corruption in Germany (Schroll-Machl, 2013). This information should not be taken as a guideline for action by guileful readers of this paper because the German government takes consistent steps to eradicate both domestic and foreign corruption. Overall, nonetheless, Germans frown upon graft and bribery.
Vigorously enforced anti-corruption legislation applies to economic activity of all kinds on the German soil. However, until the end of the 20th century, a reunified Germany was a European center of legal corruption. Even before that time, Germany was not awash in systemic corruption, but, as the Bloomberg journalist put it, "fuzzy lines were crossed in the routine of doing business" ("Germany, where bribery is tax deductible," 1995, p. 1). The thing is that bribes in private business, ranging from air tickets and hotel rooms for business counterparts to construction work on their homes, were tax deductible up until 1999 ("Germany, where bribery is tax deductible," 1995, p. 1). By ratifying the 1998 Convention on Combatting Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, Germany further tightened its grip of venal entrepreneurs, thereby contributing to the establishment of a truly transparent and level playing field for all companies conducting business in its territory. Signing several other important international anti-corruption conventions and initiating a thorough overhaul of its domestic tax legislation, Germany successfully abolished the tax write-off of kickbacks. It also took embarked on a "crackdown on tax evasion and insider trading" and on a campaign to "boost shareholders rights, disentangle banks from large corporate shareholdings, and slash the jungle of regulations governing even store hours" ("Germany, where bribery is tax deductible," 1995, p. 1). With the benefit of hindsight, the Bloomberg journalist's prediction that the "payoff from clearer rules and aggressive enforcement" would tally up fast proved correct as Germany now reaps benefits of its low tolerance for corruption (Germany, where bribery is tax deductible", 1995, p. 1).
On the positive side, Germany's stabs at strengthening corporate oversight, increasing penalties for bribery and eliminating cartel-like pricing of contracts, have indeed leveled the playing field for overseas businesses. The crackdown on price-fixing by firms vying to win public contracts means that foreign companies seeking to enter the market will have greater chances to succeed. The crackdown on bribery means that these foreign companies will be unfettered in their freedom to choose contractors in Germany. Likewise, low tolerance for corruption acts as a magnet dragging foreign business into the country. At the same time, Germany's sophisticated anti-corruption legislation presumes tightening of rules for public tenders. Even so, honest foreign contractors will certainly find it beneficial that Germany does not tolerate corruption. The advice is that firms and individual entrepreneurs entering the German market should beware of graft and other similarly venal practices in their commercial endeavors.
This low-to-nonexistent tolerance for corruption, which is a political aspect per se, is so deeply-entrenched in the German society that it has already metamorphosed into a cultural aspect. Indeed, the public generally condemns the practice of gift giving in business settings. Government officials are at a particular risk when they decide to accept a bribe or gratuity. Overall, however, both public figures and private businesspersons are cautioned against accepting bribes in the form of gifts because prosecution is inevitable.
From the economic standpoint, doing business in Germany is not much different from doing it in other developed countries, but there are several important peculiarities, of course. Germany's free market economy is generally characterized by the laissez-faire principles, but the government still retains and, for that matter, commonly uses the right to regulate the workings of the market. This relative abstention of the German government from interfering with businesses, which at the same time guarantees legal protection, allures foreign contractors. Similarly, Germany's enormous consumer market and even huger volumes of trade make it an even more appealing destination for foreign firms.
Like everywhere else in the developed world, there is a rich choice of corporate forms for companies that do not yet have any presence in Germany: limited liability company, joint stock company, general partnership, limited partnership, limited partnership with limited liability, multifarious subsidiaries, and branches (Lubinski, Fear, & Fernandez Perez, 2013). Determining which kind of corporate entity to establish is an important decision that lies within the bounds of law.
One important thing to remember is that small and medium-sized firms rather than large corporations form the linchpin of Germany's business. According to the report made by Lex Mundi (2014), "more than 99% of all businesses subject to VAT are small or medium-sized, which makes German industry very flexible, multifaceted and competitive" (p. 5). Employing usually no more than 500 workers and having an "annual turnover of no more than €50 million", the Mittlestand firms operating in Germany account for about 40% of the country's GDP (Lubinski et al., 2013, p. 74). Referred to in German as the Mittlestand, these small to medium-sized firms are often owned by a single family with a dominant leader. Such firms take pride in the exceptional quality of their goods and treat their employees with dignity, if not benevolence. Germans' continued concern about the quality of their products, best exemplified in the workings of the Mittlestand, explains why the brand "Assembled in Germany" is the best hallmark of quality. The German government extends substantial protection to its small and medium-sized companies, cushioning them against the buffetings of the world market competition. Some critics, including Adam Posen, suggest that this pampering will impair the German economy in the long run (Schettkat & Langkau, 2008), but their predictions have proved invalid so far.
Hence, when contemplating expansion into Germany, businesses should carefully think about the best possible corporate structure of their new outlets.
Moving to the market challenges and market opportunities that Germany offers, it is necessary to note that opportunities outweigh challenges. Still, there are several inherent challenges that overseas businesses would encounter in Germany. For example, restrictions imposed on biotechnological agricultural products imposed by Germany in conformity with the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy may prove inconvenient for a business based in non-EU states, including the US (Audretsch & Lehmann, 2015). Other bureaucratic procedures can be sometimes complex in Germany, making it more difficult for the business to set in. Although not discriminatory in nature, Germany's regulations may put well-established local firms at a preferential position. Likewise, strict and rigorously applied environmental and safety standards often prevent foreign firms from entering the German market.
Despite these and other untoward economic factors, including a higher cost of transacting business in this country, Germany nonetheless remains one of the most alluring destinations for overseas companies. The reasons do not require explanation: skilled manpower, high quality of products, envious productivity, cutting-edge infrastructure, and the country's advantageous geo-economic location at the crossroads of Europe.
Being one of the founders of the European Coal and Steel Community, that is, the first harbinger of today's EU, Germany adheres to the body of the European Community law "either directly or by incorporation" (Lex Mundi, 2014, p. 5). Likewise, Germany abides by "a number of international treaties and conventions, including more than 130 bilateral investment treaties and the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods" (Lex Mundi, 2014, p. 5). Put together, this means that companies operating within EU member-states and other states that have concluded bilateral deals with Germany are better equipped – from the standpoint of law, at least – to conduct business in Germany or with German contractors.
However, even for firms based in the EU doing business in Germany may be a tricky task. While Germany is one of the most favorable places on the planet for doing business, starting a business in this country is not actually easy. Indeed, while it occupies leading positions on the World Bank's list in terms of enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency, getting credit, trading across borders, and obtaining construction permits, it lags behind on the same list in terms of starting a business, registering property, and protecting investors (World Bank Group, 2015). For example, it occupies only the 107th slot in the list of countries by ease of starting a business. The reason for this is a set of several complex legal procedures that the new companies are required to complete. For example, it is incumbent on new legal entities to constantly report to local chambers of commerce, commercial registers, office of business, standards, and other pertinent agencies (Audretsch & Lehmann, 2015).
Overall, while some of the legal procedures in Germany are efficient, others are laden with bureaucracy and may take a lengthy period of time. To streamline the procedures, it is imperative to hire a legal adviser who is thoroughly enlightened on Germany's business law.
Germany is a developed economy that boasts the highest GDP in Europe, vast consumer market, and an unfathomable bounty of resources lying under its terrains. Most important, however, Germany's skilled labor force has earned the country an international reputation of a reliable manufacturer. Indeed, the brand "Assembled in Germany" is a well-recognized hallmark of quality. Ranking in the top-20 of the world's countries by ease of doing business, Germany opens up a cornucopia of opportunities for overseas business and attracts them in droves. Nonetheless, to be able to set in, these overseas firms need to take cognizance of some crucial, cultural, political, economic, and legal aspects of this country. Thus, Germany is a culture of punctilious pedants, described best by the German term uberpunktlichkeit. For Germans, planning is a serious matter. Politically, Germany is a country that has passed all the way from tolerating bribery deductions on a legal level as recently as in the late 1990s to eradicating corruption in most of its forms in the early 21st century. This poses both challenges and opportunities to overseas companies eyeing expansion into Germany. Economically, Germany has some restrictions that can militate against non-EU-based companies, but as long as they observe the rules, no problems should occur. Apropos legal aspects, Germany does not impose too many obstacles on new businesses, but some bureaucratic restrictions, such as those connected to starting a business and registering property, can be annoying.


We are proud to announce that Stepping Out has now been cast!!! We had a wealth of talent to choose from so decisions were not easy. Nonetheless they were made, nobody fell out or hit anyone else, and we are extremely happy with what has turned out to be a good mix of existing and new performers.
Rehearsals have now begun and the cast are putting in a lot of effort and attention to detail… even the tap is coming on 'leaps and bounds'!
For all those unfamiliar with the show we are performing the play version, not the musical. The story follows Mavis and her class of amateur tap enthusiasts, from a few harmless tap routines, for a bit of fun, to putting on a rehearsed and glitzy show.
From the get-go we were looking to cast the show based on acting ability and characterisation and the capacity to make decisions, whilst taking on board direction. We have certainly achieved this whilst also managing to cast accomplished dancers/tappers. All in all everyone involved is jolly….. not just the thespy 'suffer for your art!' types!
Book now for this bright, sparkling show, the high-kick of the Sedos season.


text:
Fifth Book of Lessons for the Use of the Irish National Schools
THE DIGESTION.
During the action of chewing, the food is mixed with the saliva or spittle. The food is then carried backwards into the pharynx, which is a sort of pouch at the back part of the mouth, from which it immediately descends, into the œsophagus, or gullet, at the extremity of which is the stomach, into which the food is. deposited.
We may here mark a wonderful contrivance. The passage from the mouth, to the windpipe, lies immediately before the passage to the stomach: we might suppose that the food would pass into the first opening, viz. the passage to the windpipe, before it reached its own proper passage. And this would be the case, were it not that there is a little valve standing erect before the passage to the windpipe, which the food in its way to the gullet, presses down, and thus closes the anterior opening of the gullet. Were this passage left open, we would be in danger of being choked by every morsel we endeavoured to swallow.
The stomach is a kind of membraneous bag, not very unlike the bag of a bag-pipe, lying across the body, and having two openings: the upper, towards the left side, by which it receives food from the gullet, called the cardia; and the lower, on the left side, called the pylorus or janitor, by which the food passes into the intestines. Its inner surface consists of a soft membrane, called the mucous, or villous coat, which is carried through the whole alimentary canal; its middle coat is muscular, and, by means of this coat, the stomach has the power of emptying its contents; its outer is a membraneous covering, common to the stomach, intestines, and all the other organs contained in the cavity of the abdomen. At the pylorus is a contraction, which prevents the too ready passage of the food downwards. Between its coats are various small glands which secrete, and pour into the stomach, a fluid called the gastric juice, which dissolves the substances taken into the stomach, converts them into a uniform, greyish,
pulpy mass, called chyme, and thus fits them for becoming nourishment. Digestion is totally independent of any pressure which is exercised by the coats of the stomach, for it has been found that if portions of food were placed in silver balls, and these swallowed, such portions would be dissolved.
When food has undergone the change which it is meant to suffer in the stomach, it passes through the pylorus or lower orifice, into the intestines. When the food has passed into the intestines, it receives the bile, which is a secretion from the liver; and the pancreatic juice, which is the secretion of the pancreas, or sweetbread. By the mixture of these substances, the food is so far altered in its nature as to be capable of affording chyle, which is a fluid like milk. This fluid is taken up by small vessels, called lacteals, spread upon the surface of the intestines. These lacteals, uniting together, convey their contents into one of the large blood-vessels of the body, and thus supply the means of nourishment to the whole system. That part of the food which cannot afford nourishment, is carried off as excrementitious matter.
All carnivorous animals have stomachs of the same kind: and in them the digestive organs are of the more simple kind, as animal food is more easily converted into chyle. Many birds not only take in portions of gravel to assist their digestion; but, as they have no teeth, and can divide their food in but a very imperfect manner with their bills, the gizzard is given them for the purpose of doing so. The gizzard is a muscle in the stomach with two bodies, called therefore the digastric, calculated to press any substance very strongly between the two parts of which it consists. But as the gizzard could not perform the whole of the duty at once, there is a bag, or enlargement of the gullet given to many birds, called the crop, which is situated in the front of the chest, at some distance from the gizzard. In this the hard and dry food is macerated; it is then let into the gizzard, where it is bruised and divided, and mixed with the gastric juice, which is secreted by glands near the entrance of the
gizzard; and thus the changes are produced upon the food, which fit it for nourishment.
The crop, in such birds as have it, is principally to be viewed as a repository, in which the food is first softened, and then transferred to the gizzard. But in all birds of the dove kind, and it is supposed in parrots, macaws, and cocatoos, the crop, both in the male and female, is endowed with the power of secreting a fluid, which coagulates into a whitish curd, and is employed to feed the young for two or three days after hatching. It is then found to be mixed with some of the common food; and as the pigeon grows older, the proportion of common food is increased; so that by the time it is eight or nine days old, and able to digest common food, the secretion of the food in the old bird ceases.
In some of the crustaceous animals, as the lobster and crab, the division of the food is accomplished by means of teeth placed in the stomach. These teeth are of the molaris or grinding shape, and are one on each side. Immediately behind them, is a single projecting tooth, which answers the purpose of preventing the food from passing on till it is sufficiently divided. The stomach of these animals is also lined with a hard substance, similar to the external coat, so that it is never collapsed: and it is a curious circumstance, that this coat, as well as the hard covering of the teeth, are parted with, when these animals cast their shells. The tooth-like processes at the entrance of the mouth, which are sometimes represented as teeth, are nothing more than a kind of pincers, to grasp the food, and convey it into the mouth.
Teeth are likewise met with in some of the worm tribe; and such is also the case with various insects, particularly the Cape grasshopper, and mole cricket.
'The most curious apparatus for the conversion of vegetable food into nourishment, is that which belongs to the cow, the sheep, the deer, the camel, and other animals which usually chew their cud. In these animals there are four stomachs, which are concerned in digestion. The first stomach receives the food after a slight mastication; thence it goes into the second,
called the honey-comb; and when it has been macerated for some time, it is carried up into the mouth. It is then chewed, and passes into the third stomach, or many-plies, whence it goes into the fourth, or read, the proper digesting stomach, where its conversion into chyme is completed. The animal seems to have the power of sending the food at once into the second, thi or fourth; and this they do according to the facility with which the different kinds of food may be digested.. For instance, cows in the north of Scotland, and the Hebrides, are occasionally fed on fish, which does not require a second mastication, and is therefore received at once into the third stomach; and calves, when fed on milk, receive it into the fourth stomach. In the camel, the second stomach consists of cells, and is solely appropriated to the reception of water. By means of a curious muscular structure the orifices of these cells are closed, and the water preserved from being mixed with the food. It is this peculiar structure, which in the camel, dromedary, and lama, fits them to live in sandy deserts, where the supplies of water are so precarious. Bruce mentions that four gallons were taken out of the stomach of a camel, during one of his journeys in the desert, when there was much distress for want of water.
THE HEART.
The heart is the grand reservoir of the blood, whence it flows through the arteries to the utmost extremities of the body, and is conveyed back again by the veins. This organ is situated in the thorax, or chest, between the two lobes of the lungs. In man it is placed almost cross-wise.-The base, or broad part, is directed towards the right side, and the point towards the left. It is securely enclosed in a membraneous sac, or pouch, which contains a fluid that gives smoothness to its surface, and ease to its motions.
The substance of the heart is entirely fleshy or muscular. Its basis, from which the great blood vessels originate, is covered with fat, and it has two hollow appendages, called auricles. Within, it is divided into two cavities, or ventricles, separated from each other by a fleshy partition. The use of these ventricles and auricles is to circulate the blood through the whole body, by means of the power of contraction and enlargement which the heart possesses from its numerous fibres, that surround it in a spiral direction. When these fibres are contracted, the sides of the muscular cavities are necessarily squeezed together, so as to force out of them any fluid which they may contain. By the relaxation of the same fibres, the cavities become dilated, and of course prepared to admit any fluid which may be poured into them. The great trunks, both of the arteries, which carry out the blood, and of the veins, which bring it back, are inserted in these cavities. By dilating the fibres, which anatomists call diastole, the cavity of the ventricles is opened to receive the blood from the auricles: on the contrary, when the ventricles are contracted, which is called systole, the auricles are expanded; and by this alternate action, they carry on the wonderful operation of supplying with blood the most distant parts of the body.
The blood, which has been ejected from the auricles and ventricles, is prevented from returning, by valves, or little doors, placed between the auricles and ventricles, and at the mouths of the great arteries. These valves open inwards, but not in the contrary direction; of course when the blood has passed through them the valves close, and a return is thus rendered impossible.
You may perceive, by this account, that there is a continual exchange of the blood that fills the heart. It is no sooner emptied into the arteries, than it is filled again from the veins; and this contraction and dilatation succeed each other with great rapidity; and by its re-action causes that beating at the wrist, and other parts, that is called the pulse.
It is supposed that the quantity of blood contained

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This here is a demo from the upcoming still untitled railcars long player. Prepare yourself for some distorted noisy goodness. Listen.
Also check out railcars other ongoing project Let's recreate the 1985 Kate Bush album "Hounds of Love". More on that later.


text:
WTE
What circular economy proponents can learn from lead batteries
Kevin Moran and Woodrow Clark highlight why they view circular economy plans as the key resilience solution for California's climate goals, with the nation's most highly recycled product as a model.
Ben Chun
By Kevin Moran and Woodrow Clark
The following is a contributed piece and does not reflect an editorial position by Waste Dive. Information on what that entails and how you can submit is available here.
The state of California leads the world in setting ambitious climate goals. But to attain those goals, the state must be deliberate in its decision to promote renewable energy sources, products and technologies through government public policies on the local, county and state levels.
That will require only looking at solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Long-term as well as short-term solutions need to be based on creating a circular economy.
The circular economy is a proven system that practices sustainability in each stage of a product's life cycle. Sustainable practices of the circular economics approach include:
Responsible sourcing of raw materials
Minimizing life cycle environmental impacts
Designing products for reuse and/or recycling
Maximizing recycling
Reusing secondary materials to make new products which reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop waste, produce new products and eliminate pollution in the air, water and land
Danilo Bonato
Promoting the circular economy is not just environmentally beneficial, it is also good business. A study by the consulting firm McKinsey found that the circular economy increases profitability by "using and reusing natural capital as efficiently as possible and finding value throughout the life cycles of finished products."
Take California as an example. Policymakers are currently considering the next steps in blending climate, energy and environmental goals through the principles of a circular economy so the state and local communities can enact their own blueprints for smart policies. Through the circular economy paradigm, the use of life cycle processes for lead batteries has provided one of the first opportunities to put these principles into action.
Lead batteries are an example of a high-functioning circular economy model that should be emulated by other battery chemistries. From the manufacturing stage to the end of their life cycle, lead batteries yield reduced raw material consumption, energy efficient usage and create positive environmental impacts. Moreover, lead batteries boost the economy through in-state manufacturing and jobs for more than 3,000 Californians. No other industry has achieved the same level of success with circular economics.
Newer battery technologies such as lithium-ion are recycled at a rate of less than 5%. By contrast, lead batteries have developed one of the most successful closed-loop systems in the circular economy with a national recycling rate of 99.1% in 2017. The new batteries contain 80% recycled materials and their lead can be infinitely recycled for reuse in safe, and sometimes renewable, energy technologies without loss of performance.
This high recycling rate can be attributed to the economic incentive of reusing lead infinitely, uniformity of the battery components (plastic, acid and lead) and the industry's investment in a state-of-the-art closed-loop collection and recycling system. The battery industry has also worked to create state laws that require recycling, which exist in at least 38 states.
Lead batteries have proven to be a reliable and essential energy technology for many industries that now, due to circular economics, will be seen as a key part of resilience to climate change. The technology is widely used for sustainable energy applications such as low and zero-emission vehicles, charging stations, renewable energy storage systems and emergency backup power systems. They are also used in more than 90% of telecommunications systems and deliver an uninterrupted power supply to data storage centers, malls, building complexes and life-saving equipment in hospitals. Additionally, lead batteries are needed for virtually all electric vehicles, cars and trucks.
Continued innovation in the performance of lead batteries, in a variety of applications, has allowed the technology to demonstrate its value in providing cost-effective and environmentally sustainable pathways to a more energy efficient present – not just the future.
Various entities, including industry, universities and science technology groups such as the Consortium for Battery Innovation, the Department of Energy's National Laboratory system and others continue to invest in improving the technology's overall performance, breadth of application and safety.
The emerging lead battery technology for electric vehicle applications has offered an additional means through which to reduce emissions in transition and future technologies. One case in point are start-stop technologies for 48V hybrid vehicles, along with backup power for 5G networks that is needed for autonomous vehicles, as well as increased ridesharing and reduced vehicle miles traveled. In fact, start-stop technologies utilizing lead batteries currently eliminates 4.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually in the United States.
As the world endeavors to align environmental efforts with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, every sector of society must contribute to achieve long-term results. California legislators can do their part as environmental leaders through the pursuit and implementation of public policies such as SB 100, which raises the state's renewable energy requirement to 60% by 2030 and makes a commitment to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.
In addition to legislation, regulators should encourage reuse and recycling, and assess the "end of use" for all products, as they develop strategic approaches to clean energy — through the California Energy Commission's Integrated Energy Policy Report and state Environmental Protection Agency's carbon neutrality studies, among others. The circular economy model as government policy will lead battery makers and their recycling business partners to offer an opportunity for new businesses, industry leaders, and decision-makers to make impactful progress toward achieving their desired climate goals.
Kevin Moran is executive vice president of Battery Council International. Woodrow Clark, Ph.D., is the founder of Clark Strategic Partners and served as an advisor to former California Governor Gray Davis. His upcoming book on circular economics will be published in spring 2020.
Filed Under: Recycling Policy
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text:
Q: Visual Studio 2017 .Net Core 2.0 Angular Publish Fails I am running a Windows 7 Professional PC, using Visual Studio 2017 version 15.4.5. When I created a .Net Core 2.0 project and selected the type of Angular, it ran fine out of the box.
Then I added font awesome and primeng (https://www.primefaces.org/primeng/#/) in what I think is the standard way, i.e., adding references to the package.json file, then to the nonTreeShakableModules section of the webpack.config.vendor.js file, then adding modules to app.module.shared.ts. This was primeng version 5.0.2 and font-awesome version 4.7.0.
In development, all is good - everything is running fine. However, when I try to publish, I see the following lines in the Output window:

npm install
removed 3 packages in 3.389s
node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod

What? Why would it remove 3 packages?
And then the publish attempt fails. After the failure, I see that 3 of my npm packages have been UNINSTALLED:
1) @types/jquery
2) font-awesome
3) primeng
And I see a bunch of "Module not found" errors - of course they are not found, because they were just removed!
I looked at the .csproj file, and I see the following:
<Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
    <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
    <Exec Command="npm install" />
    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --env.prod" />

So, as far as I can tell, the "npm install" command, or something triggered by that command, is removing these modules. I have to re-install them after every Publish attempt.
So, my question: Why are these packages being removed, and what can I do about it?
My package.json file:
{
    "name": "CaseManagementReporting",
    "private": true,
    "version": "0.0.0",
    "scripts": {
        "test": "karma start ClientApp/test/karma.conf.js"
    },
    "dependencies": {
        "@angular/animations": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/common": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/compiler": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/compiler-cli": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/core": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/forms": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/http": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/platform-browser": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/platform-server": "4.2.5",
        "@angular/router": "4.2.5",
        "@ngtools/webpack": "1.5.0",
        "@types/webpack-env": "1.13.0",
        "angular2-template-loader": "0.6.2",
        "aspnet-prerendering": "^3.0.1",
        "aspnet-webpack": "^2.0.1",
        "awesome-typescript-loader": "3.2.1",
        "bootstrap": "3.3.7",
        "css": "2.2.1",
        "css-loader": "0.28.4",
        "es6-shim": "0.35.3",
        "event-source-polyfill": "0.0.9",
        "expose-loader": "0.7.3",
        "extract-text-webpack-plugin": "2.1.2",
        "file-loader": "0.11.2",
        "font-awesome": "4.7.0",
        "html-loader": "0.4.5",
        "isomorphic-fetch": "2.2.1",
        "jquery": "3.2.1",
        "json-loader": "0.5.4",
        "preboot": "4.5.2",
        "primeng": "5.0.2",
        "raw-loader": "0.5.1",
        "reflect-metadata": "0.1.10",
        "rxjs": "5.4.2",
        "style-loader": "0.18.2",
        "to-string-loader": "1.1.5",
        "typescript": "2.4.1",
        "url-loader": "0.5.9",
        "webpack": "2.5.1",
        "webpack-hot-middleware": "2.18.2",
        "webpack-merge": "4.1.0",
        "zone.js": "0.8.12"
    },
    "devDependencies": {
        "@types/chai": "4.0.1",
        "@types/jasmine": "2.5.53",
        "@types/jquery": "3.2.1",
        "chai": "4.0.2",
        "jasmine-core": "2.6.4",
        "karma": "1.7.0",
        "karma-chai": "0.1.0",
        "karma-chrome-launcher": "2.2.0",
        "karma-cli": "1.0.1",
        "karma-jasmine": "1.1.0",
        "karma-webpack": "2.0.3"
    }
}

My tsconfig.json file:
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "module": "es2015",
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "target": "es5",
    "sourceMap": true,
    "experimentalDecorators": true,
    "emitDecoratorMetadata": true,
    "skipDefaultLibCheck": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true, // Workaround for https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/17863. Remove this if you upgrade to a fixed version of Angular.
    "strict": true,
    "lib": [ "es6", "dom" ],
    "types": [ "webpack-env", "jquery" ]
  },
  "exclude": [ "bin", "node_modules" ],
  "atom": { "rewriteTsconfig": false }
}

My webpack.config.vendor.js file:
const path = require('path');
const webpack = require('webpack');
const ExtractTextPlugin = require('extract-text-webpack-plugin');
const merge = require('webpack-merge');
const treeShakableModules = [
    '@angular/animations',
    '@angular/common',
    '@angular/compiler',
    '@angular/core',
    '@angular/forms',
    '@angular/http',
    '@angular/platform-browser',
    '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic',
    '@angular/router',
    'zone.js'
];

const nonTreeShakableModules = [
    'bootstrap',
    'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css',
    'es6-promise',
    'es6-shim',
    'event-source-polyfill',
    'jquery',
    'font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css',
    'primeng/resources/themes/bootstrap/theme.css',
    'primeng/resources/primeng.min.css',
    'primeng/primeng'
];
const allModules = treeShakableModules.concat(nonTreeShakableModules);

module.exports = (env) => {
    const extractCSS = new ExtractTextPlugin('vendor.css');
    const isDevBuild = !(env && env.prod);
    const sharedConfig = {
        stats: { modules: false },
        resolve: { extensions: [ '.js' ] },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.(png|woff|woff2|eot|ttf|svg|jpg|jpeg|gif)(\?|$)/, use: 'url-loader?limit=100000' }
            ]
        },
        output: {
            publicPath: 'dist/',
            filename: '[name].js',
            library: '[name]_[hash]'
        },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.ProvidePlugin({ $: 'jquery', jQuery: 'jquery' }), // Maps these identifiers to the jQuery package (because Bootstrap expects it to be a global variable)
            new webpack.ContextReplacementPlugin(/\@angular\b.*\b(bundles|linker)/, path.join(__dirname, './ClientApp')), // Workaround for https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/11580
            new webpack.ContextReplacementPlugin(/angular(\\|\/)core(\\|\/)@angular/, path.join(__dirname, './ClientApp')), // Workaround for https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/14898
            new webpack.IgnorePlugin(/^vertx$/) // Workaround for https://github.com/stefanpenner/es6-promise/issues/100
        ]
    };

    const clientBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        entry: {
            // To keep development builds fast, include all vendor dependencies in the vendor bundle.
            // But for production builds, leave the tree-shakable ones out so the AOT compiler can produce a smaller bundle.
            vendor: isDevBuild ? allModules : nonTreeShakableModules
        },
        output: { path: path.join(__dirname, 'wwwroot', 'dist') },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.css(\?|$)/, use: extractCSS.extract({ use: isDevBuild ? 'css-loader' : 'css-loader?minimize' }) }
            ]
        },
        plugins: [
            extractCSS,
            new webpack.DllPlugin({
                path: path.join(__dirname, 'wwwroot', 'dist', '[name]-manifest.json'),
                name: '[name]_[hash]'
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [] : [
            new webpack.optimize.UglifyJsPlugin()
        ])
    });

    const serverBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        target: 'node',
        resolve: { mainFields: ['main'] },
        entry: { vendor: allModules.concat(['aspnet-prerendering']) },
        output: {
            path: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp', 'dist'),
            libraryTarget: 'commonjs2',
        },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.css(\?|$)/, use: ['to-string-loader', isDevBuild ? 'css-loader' : 'css-loader?minimize'] }
            ]
        },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllPlugin({
                path: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp', 'dist', '[name]-manifest.json'),
                name: '[name]_[hash]'
            })
        ]
    });

    return [clientBundleConfig, serverBundleConfig];
}

My webpack.config.js file:
const path = require('path');
const webpack = require('webpack');
const merge = require('webpack-merge');
const AotPlugin = require('@ngtools/webpack').AotPlugin;
const CheckerPlugin = require('awesome-typescript-loader').CheckerPlugin;

module.exports = (env) => {
    // Configuration in common to both client-side and server-side bundles
    const isDevBuild = !(env && env.prod);
    const sharedConfig = {
        stats: { modules: false },
        context: __dirname,
        resolve: { extensions: [ '.js', '.ts' ] },
        output: {
            filename: '[name].js',
            publicPath: 'dist/' // Webpack dev middleware, if enabled, handles requests for this URL prefix
        },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.ts$/, include: /ClientApp/, use: isDevBuild ? ['awesome-typescript-loader?silent=true', 'angular2-template-loader'] : '@ngtools/webpack' },
                { test: /\.html$/, use: 'html-loader?minimize=false' },
                { test: /\.css$/, use: [ 'to-string-loader', isDevBuild ? 'css-loader' : 'css-loader?minimize' ] },
                { test: /\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|svg)$/, use: 'url-loader?limit=25000' }
            ]
        },
        plugins: [new CheckerPlugin()]
    };

    // Configuration for client-side bundle suitable for running in browsers
    const clientBundleOutputDir = './wwwroot/dist';
    const clientBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        entry: { 'main-client': './ClientApp/boot.browser.ts' },
        output: { path: path.join(__dirname, clientBundleOutputDir) },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./wwwroot/dist/vendor-manifest.json')
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [
            // Plugins that apply in development builds only
            new webpack.SourceMapDevToolPlugin({
                filename: '[file].map', // Remove this line if you prefer inline source maps
                moduleFilenameTemplate: path.relative(clientBundleOutputDir, '[resourcePath]') // Point sourcemap entries to the original file locations on disk
            })
        ] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new webpack.optimize.UglifyJsPlugin(),
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.module.browser#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.server.ts']
            })
        ])
    });

    // Configuration for server-side (prerendering) bundle suitable for running in Node
    const serverBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        resolve: { mainFields: ['main'] },
        entry: { 'main-server': './ClientApp/boot.server.ts' },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./ClientApp/dist/vendor-manifest.json'),
                sourceType: 'commonjs2',
                name: './vendor'
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.module.server#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.browser.ts']
            })
        ]),
        output: {
            libraryTarget: 'commonjs',
            path: path.join(__dirname, './ClientApp/dist')
        },
        target: 'node',
        devtool: 'inline-source-map'
    });

    return [clientBundleConfig, serverBundleConfig];
};

A: I found a solution for this problem (which sadly just led to another, but...).
I believe that this was/is a bug in the version of NPM which I was using. I had npm version 5.0.3 installed. After hours of searching, I came across this GitHub discussion: here in which many people complained about the npm install command actually removing modules. I downgraded my npm instance from 5.0.3 to 3.10.3 (which is what my home environment was using), and I found that the packages were no longer removed. (Why anybody would write something that would remove packages with a command like "npm install" is utterly beyond me, but read the linked article and you will see the frustration this has caused!)
As a .Net developer, of course, I did not even know how to downgrade my npm instance, so I had to look that up. For those who might be helped, the command is: npm install -g npm@3.10.3. I found that here
So, now my publish process runs without deleting packages, which is what I asked about in my question. That issue is resolved, so I am treating this as an answer.
But this is not to say that the downgrade solved all of my problems. When I attempted to publish, I got new errors, which I think are unrelated to the npm version:
Can't resolve './../$$_gendir/ClientApp/app/app.module.browser.ngfactory' in 'C:\Projects\ForthrightProjects\CaseManagementReporting\CaseManagementReporting\ClientApp' CaseManagementReporting Module not found    0
Can't resolve './../$$_gendir/ClientApp/app/app.module.server.ngfactory' in 'C:\Projects\ForthrightProjects\CaseManagementReporting\CaseManagementReporting\ClientApp'  CaseManagementReporting Module not found    0
Yet more Googling found this article: here
which suggests commenting out this line in the webpack.config.js file:
// { test: /.ts$/, include: /ClientApp/, use: isDevBuild ? ['awesome-typescript-loader?silent=true', 'angular2-template-loader'] : '@ngtools/webpack' },
Or, alternatively, changing it to this:
{ test: /.ts$/, include: /ClientApp/, use: ['awesome-typescript-loader?silent=true', 'angular2-template-loader'] },
I tried both options, and both of them worked to get past the errors above. HOWEVER, I now am faced with yet another error in attempting to publish:
ERROR in Metadata version mismatch for module: C:/Projects/ForthrightProjects/CaseManagementReporting/CaseManagementReporting/node_modules/primeng/components/dom/domhandler.d.ts, found version 4, expected 3
So, after some additional searching and trials and errors, I came across this link: here
One of the suggestions there was to change the primeng entry in the project.json file to this: "primeng": "^4.2.4"
Amazingly enough, this actually worked. I am now able to publish. Hopefully successful deployment of the published files will not be so terribly painful.
To .Net developers: Remember back when you just added a package with NuGet, and everything just worked? Sigh...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Надежда Абрамовић Станојевић (28. децембар 1946 — 14. април 2017) била је српска и југословенска рукометашица. Са репрезентацијом Југославијом освојила је златну медаљу на Светском првенству 1973, и пета места на Светском првенству 1975. и 1978. Добитник је националног признања Републике Србије.

Референце

Рођени 1946.
Умрли 2017.
Српске рукометашице
Југословенске рукометашице
Светски прваци у рукомету

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This Paneer and Jeera Pulao, I tasted in my friends house. In this recipe, she used the crumbled paneer and it tastes great when combined with the smell of jeera (cumin seeds). So I tried the same at home last Saturday and prepared the mushroom matar curry as the side dish to go with it and the crispy mushroom pakora as snack. Everything goes very well together. So let's see the preparation of easy crumbled paneer and jeera pulao recipe.
You can check some of the tasty pulao recipes in the blog here.. Below given some links..
1. Start soaking the basmati rice now or soak it for 20minutes and filter the water and keep ready. Now in the cooker, add oil. When hot, add the ingredients mentioned in To Temper. Also add the cumin seeds.
2. When the seeds splutter, add the onions, ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell of ginger goes off. Then add the green chillies.
3. Meanwhile crumble the paneer and add to the pan.
4. Now add the soaked rice and the 1tbsp ghee and fry for a while. ( around 2 minutes in medium flame).
5. Now add the water and when it starts boiling, check for the seasoning and close the lid and cool at low flame for 10 minutes exactly. Switch off the switch off the stove. After a while open the lid and add the remaining ghee and slightly mix the pulao without breaking the rice.
6. Close the lid again for another 5 min and then serve the Paneer and Jeera Pulao with the yummy Mushroom Matar Curry.
1. Here i didn't add bay leaf, as I don't have that time. So don't get confused seeing the Ingredients and the picture.
2. Since we need the rice to be our white color, I haven't added the coriander and mint leaves. If you want you can add after sauting the onions.
3. My daughter crumbled the paneer very nicely, so it's hard to see in the picture. Try to crumble it slightly.
4. Cooking time depends on the pressure cooker. So check your pressure pan or pressure cooker instructions accordingly. Mine always takes 10 minutes, in low flame.
Looks simple yet very tasty rice..


Goudier Island (64°50′S 63°30′W / 64.833°S 63.500°W / -64.833; -63.500Coordinates: 64°50′S 63°30′W / 64.833°S 63.500°W / -64.833; -63.500) is a small island with an appearance of bare, polished rock, lying 0.05 nautical miles (0.1 km) north of Jougla Point in the harbor of Port Lockroy, Wiencke Island, in the Palmer Archipelago. It was discovered by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1903–05, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, and named after E. Goudier, chief engineer of the expedition ship Français.
Operation Tabarin established a research base, station A, on the island in 1944. Research continued until 1962 when operations were transferred to Station F (Faraday station) on the Argentine Islands. It was restored in 1996 and is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Antarctica.
^ "Goudier Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
^ "Port Lockroy (A)". British Antarctic Survey.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Goudier Island" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).
This page was last edited on 4 February 2016, at 07:18 (UTC).


text:
Акуловский сельсовет

 Акуловский сельсовет — в Первомайском районе Алтайского края
 Акуловский сельсовет — в Лотошинском районе Московской области (1924—1939)
 Акуловский сельсовет — в Одинцовском районе Московской области (упразднён в 1968)
 Акуловский сельсовет — в Пушкинском районе Московской области (упразднён в 1937)
 Акуловский сельсовет — в Сергиевском уезде Московской губернии (до 1922)


I've been working a lot lately (off and on) on our wedding scrapbook. I bought a photo printer on clearance at Target back before Christmas, and I printed and cut-out the 200-something photos to work on the scrapbook with, and they all ended up being the wrong size! Luckily right now, Shutterfly has all of their 4x6 and 4x4 prints for free- just pay shipping. So I ordered all the photos in the correct size and I'm waiting for them to all arrive.
Luckily, however, I've got the layout of the photos completed, so when I receive my prints, I just have to curve the edges with my handy-dandy curved edge punch and I'm good to go. I do need to purchase a few more photo sleeves, but the layout is obviously the most tedious thing.
Working on this major scrapbook project has had me thinking of all the fun ways to customize scrapbooks, and I wanted to share the ideas I've had with you, my readers!
I use a 3-ring scrapbook with photo pages/protectors with pre-sized slots, so when it comes to putting memories together, I may not have extra photos to fill those one or two extra squares with, so the below ideas are some to be used to fill those extra slots.
1, Watercolor, paint, markers, etc.- Using a piece of cardstock and painting/coloring it with a fun design, or even just a scribble and word can add some fun color to the page.
2. Notes- Notes can come in a variety of ways, It can be a note jotted down about a memory, a note from a friend or your hubby, or even song lyrics. Words on the page break up the monotony.
3. Trinkets, keepsakes, etc.- Tickets to a movie or a show, buttons, or even a coffee sleeve. This is a great place to keep those fun keepsakes in a place where you will look at them again.
4. Confetti- Why not? Just make sure to seal off the slot so you don't end up with a mess later!
5. Stickers, stamps, and cut-outs- Similar to the "watercolor, paint, markers, etc." suggestion, this is something fun that just adds to the page.
What extras do you use when scrapbooking?
These are really fun ideas to make a scrapbook unique!
Thank you, Christine! I appreciate that.


Metal Trimmings are semi-finished metal products integrating XILION Chatons and XILION Flat Backs. They can be sewn by hand or machine, and mechanically applied onot different fabrics or other materials. Metal Trimmings are bestsellers among the textile, shoe and accessories segment because they can be used in a multitude of different ways and feature a whole range of different application possibilities.


I was very excited to have the opportunity to speak at WordCamp Hamilton last weekend. I know a number of folks from the Toronto and Buffalo WordPress communities, so Hamilton was a great opportunity to see those folks plus meet some new faces.
My talk, "The WordPress-Powered Startup," was about developing a startup software product/app with WordPress. It's not necessarily the right long-term solution, but makes it easy to get your minimum-viable product up and running without hiring a dev team.
The slides from the talk are embedded below. Please feel free to send me questions, comments, and notes.
Thanks and was great to have you out!
Thanks for having me Brian! Hope to see you in NYC soon!


Accessories for watching of three-dimensional movie. 3D glasses, ticket and cinema program. Modern entertainment technology. Round detailed flat color style vector icon.
Euro banking business and service tools icons. These flat bicolor icons use blue and gray colors. Images are isolated on a white background. Angles are rounded.


My work concerns itself with origins: my personal background, origins of knowledge, language, culture, identity and systems of power. I am interested in the language of print as it relates to multiplicity, the dissemination of ideas and the use of mechanical reproduction as a form of critique. Kind\ness is a visual representation of historical violence. The victims are unidentified and unquantifiable but reference the other with the letter x, which was once used as a kind of legal anonymity.


text:
Events 2017 Dec 20 / Comments
Wine on the harbour
The HKTDC International Wine & Spirits Fair turned ten this year. It's been a remarkable decade. Felicity Carter reports.
Source: Hong Kong Trade Statistics, Census and Statistics Department
Ten years ago, Hong Kong was a wine backwater. Today, it is one of the world's most dynamic wine auction hubs, where valuable wines are traded. Its wine stores are full of fine wines, restaurants have glorious wine lists, and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses are full, thanks to a new generation of wine professionals and enthusiasts seeking to improve their knowledge.
In the years after February 2008, when Hong Kong dropped its duty on wine, the excitement was palpable. Despite the global financial crisis, the prices of super premium wines from Bordeaux continued to climb to dizzying heights, particularly in China. Getting the wine into China was difficult and expensive, however, not least because customs officials would take a bottle or two out of every shipment to check its bona fides, even if the shipment consisted of three bottles of the world's rarest wines.
The pro-business Hong Kong government saw a major opportunity. The harbour city had been a maritime super power for a long time, but it had been smacked by two forces: first, China had liberalised trade rules, causing container ships to divert to the mainland. Then came the global financial crisis, which saw the overall volume of shipping trade decline dramatically. The volume of goods passing through the harbour are a barometer of the autonomous region's financial health, so the government went looking for ways to increase its shipping trade. It identified wine as a potential cash cow. Not only that, but much of Hong Kong's population was wealthy and sophisticated, and becoming interested in wine. There were also its many Chinese visitors to consider, who expected Hong Kong to act as a shop window for everything that was worth having or knowing about.
Not only did the government drop all duty on wine, but it also embraced the wine industry. As Yvonne Choi Ying-pik, the then permanent secretary for commerce and economic development, told a press conference in 2009, Hong Kong had "also introduced a number of supportive measures in area such as customs facilitation, forging closer cooperation with our wine trading partners and counteracting wine counterfeits," adding, "To strengthen enforcement capacity, the department has set up a specialised investigation team and has stepped up cooperation with overseas enforcement agents, to promote an exchange of intelligence on faked wines." A wine certification program was devised, to ensure that Hong Kong's wine storage facilities met the best international standards. And the Hong Kong University Space signed an agreement with the Bordeaux Management School to offer local Wine MBAs, to ensure there was a ready supply of experts on hand.
While other, wilder, plans – such as a Hong Kong Wine Centre that was to run over 13 floors – have not come to fruition, the logistics, storage and educational initiatives have.
"The fair turns ten this year, a decade of success in building the wine business for Hong Kong and Asia as a whole," said Paul Chan, Financial Secretary, at the opening ceremony. "A decade of achievement in celebrating a culture and the many passions surrounding wine." Hong Kong is a business friendly city, he went on, remarking that it was the home of the world's first wine storage certification scheme. "Last year alone, we imported more than 16m litres of wine from over 50 countries and regions, a record value exceeding $1.5bn. This is equivalent to more than 18 million bottles of wine. With a population of just about 7.3 million people, about half the wine imported into Hong Kong was re-exported."
He also announced that the customs clearance arrangement with five mainland districts of China would now be extended immediately to all 42 custom districts. This means that pre-registered Hong Kong wine traders can submit advance wine consignment information online and have instant customs clearance when the consignments arrive at mainland ports.
It was an auspicious start to the fair that, as always, offered professional and educational tastings, along with seminars aimed at the wine trade. One such was "Trends to watch in 2018 – the business of bubbles and beyond," moderated by Hong Kong's noted wine expert, Debra Meiburg MW, where presenters discussed the wine categories that tend to do less well in Chinese markets, such as sparkling and rosé. First up to the podium was Chuan Zhou, from Wine Intelligence.
He suggested that sparkling wine will be the driving force for wine consumption globally, given that the consumption of still wine is dropping in key markets. There are two fundamental cultural shifts driving this change, he suggested. "The increasing value of social interaction and experience over material goods," he said. "In Asia, younger consumers are going beyond luxury goods. In the West, we see the experiential products are gaining popularity. Sparkling wine is about memory and experience. It reflects the 'celebrate because we're together' feeling." Sparkling wine also has a recognition factor.
"Consumers can understand that when they see the foil and packaging" it comes with the name 'cava' or 'Prosecco' or 'Champagne', so "they don't have to understand the varietals, or the difference between Pinot Noir from Burgundy or New Zealand."
He noted that Chinese consumers still prefer red wines and, while Japan is the number one Asian market for sparkling, it only consumes one-tenth the amount as Germany. Zhou believes that will change, however. "What we see is that sparkling wine is following the same path as red wine," he said. "It was also used as a luxury product and for gifting and formal banquets. It's mainly consumed in night clubs and five star hotels, but that may change as consumers get to know more." He noted that in Wine Intelligence studies, Chinese consumers had said that drinking sparkling wine makes them feel elegant and sophisticated. "Sparkling dessert wine is popular in China at the moment, with more residual sugar or more floral or fruitier notes."
Patrick Schmitt MW, editor-in-chief of The Drinks Business, noted that "China represents about 1% of the global market for sparkling wines – 1.2m bottles of Champagne. Sparkling wine is less than 2% of imported wine in China." He made the suggestion that Champagne might not be the best ambassador for the sparkling category in China, and suggested that riper styles, such as sparkling wines from California or Franciacorta, might have a better chance.
Debra Meiburg MW suggested there was no reason that Hong Kong residents shouldn't learn to love rosé and that the greatest barrier was rosé producers themselves. "They talk about dining outdoors in summer – but we don't dine outdoors in Hong Kong," she noted. "Then they say 'it's a woman's drink'." Her message was that tired stereotypes don't work in Asia any better than they work anywhere else.
Snapshot of the world
Walking around the HKTDC fair gives a good insight into which countries are on the way up. The Japanese were out in force, pouring their Koshu to passersby and running master classes. The Azerbaijanis also had a large stand, while Slovenia's deputy prime minister made an appearance, to help promote Slovenian wines. There was even a small Mexican stand showcasing a sweet blue wine, along with bottles of tequila.
Karla Loyo Quintero, general manager of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, explained that her country – worried as it is about President Trump's threats to roll back trade agreements with Mexico – is looking for opportunities in China. "We know that Hong Kong is the gateway, not only to China, but also the rest of Asia, and this fair is one of the most important in the region," she said, explaining why they were there.
Over in the Russian section, Igor Serdyuk, deputy director of Alma Valley winery in Crimea, held an impromptu tasting of his wine range, whose quality has skyrocketed since the tasting Meininger's attended two years ago. He said the winery had come to the fair to "compare ourselves with the level of the international wineries present on the market. We would like to know where we fit in the world." He also noted that since Crimean products were under European sanctions, they needed Asia as an export destination. "This fair is very professional and people are interested," he said, contrasting it with other fairs he had attended in China.
However, it was notable that there weren't many exhibitors from Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong's neighbours. Either it's because they already have distribution – or because they know that Hong Kong is now a hard market to enter.
"I have ten or so enquiries a day from companies trying to get into the market," said Elizabeth Dorrough, an Australian marketing and event consultant based in Hong Kong. She says there is an ever-growing number of wine producers keen to enter the market, as it's seen as the doorway to China. Unfortunately, she says, the bias is still towards French wines. Not only that, but "the market is downsizing. A lot of distributors want to reduce their portfolio, not increase it."
She noted that distributors are reporting downturns in on premise sales, but upticks in volumes sold, "so the market is mature. People have the confidence and education to make their own decision about wine and they're buying more in retail."
Although Hong Kong's business friendly environment makes it easy to import and set up an independent wine store – which means that brands or regions can act as their own distributor – Dorrough thinks this is rarely a good way to get into the market, and not just because the city's rents are some of the highest in the world. "Hong Kong is very relationship driven and quite complicated, and if you were just to enter the market, it would be hard to make contacts and meet people."
Dorrough says that to break into this very competitive market, brands need to think beyond master classes and wine dinners. One surprising trend that she mentioned was selling via satellite television. "Selling via the television and accumulating orders via WeChat is a great way to reach lots of customers," she said.
As the HKTDC fair celebrates its tenth birthday, it is worth remembering that it is the same age as the iPhone. When it was launched, there was no such thing as WeChat or smartphone commerce, or a booming online market for wine in China. One thing is certain: in a vibrant place like Hong Kong, the next decade is sure to bring a lot more of those kinds of surprises.


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Nel 2011 ha ricevuto il premio AMAS per il miglior suonatore di cornamusa asturiana, dato dalla Anuario de la Música en Asturias (Annuario della Musica nelle Asturie), per la sua carriera.

Carriera
Ha iniziato a suonare la cornamusa nel 1994, in Suares scuole (Asturie), con Eugenio Otero. Nel 1997 entra a far parte della Banda Gaites Noreña. Con questa band suona in gran parte delle Asturie e della Spagna. Suona anche in Portogallo.

Nel 2000 ha vinto il primo premio nella finale regionale del concorso per bambini "Veo-Veo", presentato da Teresa Rabal, insieme con un gruppo di ginnastica ritmica delle Gijon.

Nel marzo 2000 ha ricevuto lezioni da Xuacu Amieva, fino al 2003.

Egli combina attualmente la cornamusa con gli studi di Geometra presso l'Università di Oviedo

Con suo fratello Carlos suona la cornamusa per diversi gruppi di danza regionali di Asturie, come ad esempio la Asociación Folklórica "Onis".

Nel 2003 si è classificato terzo nel Trofeo Macallan de Gaita al Festival Interceltique de Lorient. Il 18 giugno 2004 vince la finale del Memorial Remis Ovalle in Oviedo.

Nel 2006 si è classificato secondo nel Trofeo MacCrimmon al Festival Interceltique de Lorient, essendo superata solo dal suonatore di cornamusa asturiana Ruben Alba. Jorge ottenuto la prima posizione in repertorio tradizionale della Bretagna (è obbligatoria dal 2003).

Altri premi

Note

Collegamenti esterni


The Easter Bunny is returning to Sanders on March 10-11 from noon – 2p.m. Sanders will be all set for the Easter Bunny to take photos with your little ones in front of an adorable Easter scene. You just have to bring your own camera. While you're here, you can also enter for a chance to win a giant 5-pound chocolate bunny!
Note: we ask that you arrive to be in line before 2 p.m. so we can make our best efforts to be sure the Easter Bunny has time to take a picture with your family before he has to leave for the day.


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Adrien Broom
Adrien Broom creates visions of women poised between reality and dreams, inspired by figures ranging from the dramatic character of Shakespeare's Ophelia to the images of saints in ecstatic adoration before the divine, typical of Baroque art.
Just Above, 2010 - C-Print - 102 x 153 cm - Courtesy Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme
Rapture, 2010 - C-Print - 91 x 76 cm - Courtesy Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme
Trust, 2010 - C-Print - 92 x 72,3 cm - Courtesy Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme
Exhibition view "American Dreamers", CCC Strozzina, Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze - Adrien Broom, Various works, Courtesy the artist and Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme (photo: Martino Margheri)
Adrien Broom's work fits within a current trend in contemporary art that emphasizes impulses of fantasy. The artist employs a vocabulary of gestures and emotions that are instantly recognizable and strongly effective.
In the series represented in the show, Broom focuses on the lyrical images of women who seem to be floating or descending in space, making reference to specific art historical traditions. With their heavy, sculptural robes and ecstatic facial expressions her women recall the voluptuous forms of Baroque female figures. A key historical reference are the theatrical and dramatic sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, most notably his Ecstasy of Santa Teresa d'Avila. The protagonists in Broom's work also bring to mind Pre-Raphaelite iconography of the sleeping woman, as well as the image of the drowned Ophelia, symbol for female melancholia, who was driven to madness and suicide by Hamlet.
Broom's images of women encircled by white robes seem lost in a sort of "dreaming reverie". On one hand, these figures appear as visual metaphors floating in a state of grace, suspended in a world with no time or space. On the other, they become solipsistic and isolated, threatened to be drown by deep waters. Just at the moment one perceives them as having the potential to transcend their current condition, the heavy folds and layers of the fabrics create a weighted, sculptural effect that leaves the protagonist in an ambiguous state of suspension. Broom uses this state to suggest the slowing down of time, charging her figures with meaning and power that transcend any physical reality. When regarded in the context of a psychological phenomenon, suspension becomes the expression of a shift towards an alternate realm where notions of reality seem to lose their relevancy.
Adrien Broom (1980, USA; lives and works in New Haven, CT, USA) is a self-taught photographer whose images tell stories exploring connections between natural world and Western culture. Through a cinematographic approach to photography, Broom creates illusions that plays between reality and fantasy. She graduated in 2002 in Computer Animation and in 2006 she lived in Florence, studying at the SACI University, and in London, where she attended a course in Fine and Decorative Art History at Christie's. Thanks to these experiences the artist has been exposed to different fields, like music, fashion and publishing. Broom also collaborated with magazines like Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, The New York Sun and others. Recent collective exhibitions include: (2009) Portraits, Vermont Center for Photography, Burlington, VT; Images 2009, Juried Show, Shoreline Arts Alliance Guilford, CT; Portaits in-fashion – solo show, Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme, CT; (2010) Ambient Light – solo show, Diane Birdsall Gallery, Old Lyme, CT; Images 2010, Juried Show, Shoreline Arts Alliance, Guilford, CT; Spring Salon, 3D Gallery – Elwa Productions, New York; (2011) Fashion, Hans de Castellane Gallery, New York; Blurred Lines – solo show, Hans de Castellane Gallery, New York; 116 Crown, New Haven, CT; D&D Building, Lorin Marsh, New York.
Laura Ball
Will Cotton
Adam Cvijanovic
Richard Deon
Mandy Greer
Kirsten Hassenfeld
Patrick Jacobs
Christy Rupp
CATALOGUE AUTHORS
Bartholomew Bland
Robert Borosage / Katrina vanden Heuvel
Sandra L. Hanson / John Kenneth White
Franziska Nori


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2018 Round-Up: Our 5 Most Read Design Stories
Exploring Movement Through Stasis, Paul Phung And Bruce Usher's Ode To Muybridge
Linehouse
Jonathan Leijonhufvud
Along Hong Kong's luxury Causeway Bay strip, Shanghai and Hong Kong-based architecture studio Linehouse has designed 'John Anthony': a contemporary, colorful dim sum restaurant that is part Chinese canteen, and part British tea hall.
In Causeway Bay's fine dining scene, over 60 Michelin-starred restaurants exist. Yet despite this rivalrous, aspiring food scene, 'John Anthony' stands out by exploring what gastronomic experiences can be. The restaurant aims to be a "melting pot of influences" by conceptually blending elements of East and West—incorporating sustainable initiatives, colonial architecture, and chinoiserie design details. The concept for the restaurant is drawn from the historical figure, John Anthony: the first Chinese immigrant to be naturalized as a British citizen in 1805; an act so rare it required legislation by Parliament. Anthony "The design drew on John Anthony's journey, exploring the fusion… between East and West"embarked on the voyage from China to England and then worked for the East India Company in London, providing food, lodging, and care to arriving Chinese sailors. He became affectionately known as the father of Europe's first Chinatown, and played an influential part in helping the Chinese community first ingratiate into life in London. The architects wanted to give the venue an aesthetic that authentically represented Anthony's lived experience—with Chinese and British motifs shown through the use of color and material. "The design drew on John Anthony's journey, exploring the fusion of architectural styles and materiality between East and West", explains Linehouse lead architect Alex Mok to IGNANT. "We explored the materials John Anthony would have encountered on his journey: hand glazed tiles, reclaimed terracotta, hand dyed fabrics and hand woven wickers. The result is a rich palette of textures".
This fusing of textures and materials is continued in detailing throughout the restaurant: in the curved arches in greens and pinks, in the floors paved with tiles from abandoned houses in rural China, in the wicker furniture with gold and maroon floral fabrics, and in the walls furnished with railed curtains and hand-painted illustrations of exotic animals. Further to this East-meets-West design scheme, a point of difference for the owners was to set a new standard of "The overall effect is more holistic and impactful" environmental consciousness in an industry otherwise known for being wasteful. "By seeking out and demanding sustainable materials and construction processes, we can encourage our peers to consider and develop more eco-friendly choices", explains Mok. When taking Hong Kong's ecological footprint into consideration, "the overall effect is more holistic and impactful". In the kitchen, executive chef Saito Chu creates diverse Cantonese delicacies with influences from regions along the spice routes.
Basement One
1 Sunning Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Mon – Sun 11.30 – 15.00, 17.30 – 12.00
All images © Jonathan Leijonhufvud
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