The River Corrib flows southwards from Lough Corrib, through Galway City and into Galway Bay. Historically, people have always chosen to live beside rivers, lakes and the sea, as they provided sources of food and water, as well as the means to travel from one location to the next. Artefacts recovered from the River Corrib and the area surrounding Galway City indicate the presence of people as early as 6000 BC, some 2,000 years after the first humans arrived into Ireland.
Recent archaeological excavations carried out in advance of the M6 road construction have provided further insights into the lives of people during the prehistoric period in Galway. Excavated sites dating from the earliest farmers of the Neolithic period (4000 BC – 2500 BC) to the burial grounds of Bronze Age people (2500 BC – 500 BC) help piece together their story and provide us with an understanding of their everyday lives.
The first settlers to Ireland, known as 'hunter-gatherers' arrived approximately 10,000 years ago during the Mesolithic period (8000 BC – 4000 BC). With the end of the ice age the climate had improved, resulting in dense woodland cover and increasing populations of birds, fish and animals such as pigs and deer. The first settlers hunted animals and gathered or foraged food such as nuts and fruit to survive. As they moved from place to place, they built temporary huts with wood and animal skins, close to rivers or lakes. Tools made from stone were used for hunting, preparing food and skins and wood-working.
Around 4000 BC, there was a transition from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a farming one, with the advent of the first farmers of the Neolithic period (4000 BC – 2500 BC). People began to settle in one place, cultivate cereals such as wheat and barley, rear livestock including cattle, sheep, pig and goat and build wooden houses. Pottery, for both domestic and ritual purposes, began to be made for the first time. Stone continued to be used to make tools and weapons. Forests were cleared for cultivation and grazing using the archetypal tool of the period, the polished stone axe.
The early farmers constructed burial monuments using large stones. These megalithic tombs generally consisted of a burial chamber, covered with a mound of earth or stone, and an entrance at one end. Four types of tombs are recognised: passage tombs, portal tombs, court tombs and wedge tombs (which were used into the Bronze Age). The cremated burials were often accompanied by pottery and stone implements. In Galway City at Menlo there is a collapsed megalithic tomb, while, in north-western Connemara, a concentration of 38 megaliths (court, portal and tombs wedge) reflects intense settlement in the area.
Changes in the material culture and burial traditions marked the beginning of the Bronze Age (2500 BC-500 BC) in Ireland. Whilst copper was used initially to make tools, it was discovered that by melting copper with tin, that a harder metal, bronze was produced. Copper was mined within Ireland, but the tin was most likely imported from south-western England. Various types of tools and weapons were produced including axeheads, spearheads, swords, daggers and halberds. Bronze Age Ireland is also renowned for its ornamental gold-work. Ireland's rich copper and gold resources made it an important metal producing area in early prehistoric Europe.
During the Early Bronze Age the megalithic tomb tradition remained in use for a transitional period but burial practices then changed to single burials in a stone-lined cist or pit grave. Beaker pots, a style of pottery used in Britain and Europe, were used for both ritual and domestic purposes. Other vessels such as vases and bowls, possibly containing food or drink, and goods such as flint knives and beads also accompanied burials. With cremations, the burnt bone was placed within or beside the vessel. The graves, which were frequently marked with a mound of earth or stone, occurred in groups or cemeteries. In Galway two concentrations of cairns, cists and barrows have been identified along the east side of Lough Corrib and north of Clifden.
The Bronze Age is also synonymous with new forms of megalithic monuments such as stone circles, stone rows and standing stones, all of which seemed to have had a ceremonial function (some of which may be Late Neolithic in date). Single standing stones and a stone pair have been identified east of Lough Corrib, while in north-western Connemara, a concentration of stone rows, stone pairs and single standing stone has been identified as the third largest group of free-standing megaliths in Ireland.
The Iron Age (500 BC – 500 AD) marks the emergence and development of an iron technology in Ireland, leading up to the introduction of Christianity. Iron had been in use in Europe since 1000 BC. Much of the metalwork produced in Iron Age Ireland was decorated with an art style in use throughout Europe, known as 'La Tène'. Various types of metal objects were produced including spearheads, swords, horse harnesses, trumpets and personal ornaments such as pins and brooches. The La Tène decoration executed on the renowned Turoe Stone, near Loughrea, Co. Galway also shows exceptional stone-working skills.
The Iron Age population lived in rural homesteads, many of which were defended by earthen or stone ramparts, and some of which were located within hilltop enclosures. Pottery seems to have been abandoned in favour of wooden or metal containers. A network of wooden trackways discovered in the Midlands indicates that wheeled transport such as horses and carts was in use during the Iron Age. Important developments in this period included the appearance of the first Irish script called Ogham, which was carved on stone pillars, and the use of a Celtic language.
Very few burial sites are known from the Iron Age. Burials, both inhumations (where the body is placed in the grave) and cremations, were interred in pre-existing mounds or pits and were occasionally provided with grave goods.
Dotted around the country there are a number of so-called 'Royal' sites associated with the period including Tara, Co. Meath, Navan Fort, Co. Armagh and Cruachain in Co. Roscommon which was the royal site in Connacht. Such 'Royal' sites indicate a hierarchical structure within society. Legends and folklore from later centuries, together with archaeological evidence from key Iron Age sites such as Navan Fort and the Black Pig's Dyke, Co. Monaghan recall a time of cattle-raiding and warfare. One such legend, the Táin Bó Cúailgne, tells the story of Queen Maeve of Connacht and her attempt to steal a prized bull from an Ulster chieftain.


Zhuhai is located at the southern end of the Pearl River delta and borders the Macau SAR. It has excellent transport links to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and other hubs in the region. A high speed train connects Zhuhai and Guangzhou in just 49mn.
Zhuhai enjoys a mild climate and is a major touristic destination. It also known as one of the best places to live in China by both expatriates and Chinese citizens.
Zhuhai became the first Special Economic Zone in China in 1978. It is home to the Zhuhai. According to the central government planning, it is set to have a focus on manufacturing and research and development. Its major industrial zones include the Zhuhai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone and the Harbour Industrial Zone.
Sinovantage has direct connections in the local government and can assist in setting up consulting, trading, manufacturing, catering (foods&beverages) and other types of wholly owned foreign companies in Zhuhai. We also have experience in setting up joint ventures and representative offices in Zhuhai.


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Генерал-лейтенант сэр Джеймс Лейт GCB (8 августа 1763 — 16 октября 1816) был шотландским военнослужащим британской армии, командующим 5-й дивизией в англо-португальской армии герцога Веллингтона во время основных битв Пиренейской войны между 1810 и 1813 годами.

Семья и образование
Джеймс Лейт родился в Лейт Холле и был третьим сыном Джона Лейта и его жены Хэрриот (в девичестве Стюарт). Его отец был застрелен во время пьяного спора, когда Джеймсу было всего четыре месяца. Он получил домашнее образование у частного репетитора, а после этого посещал гимназию в Элгине и Маришальский колледж в Абердине. После принятия решения о поступлении в армию был отправлен в военную академию в Лилле.

Начало карьеры
Лейт поступил в армию в 1780 году, поначалу служа прапорщиком в 21-м пехотном полку. Вскоре он стал лейтенантом в 81-м пехотном полку (Абердинширский горный полк), а 3 декабря 1782 года был произведён в капитаны.

После окончания в 1783 году американской войны за независимость его полк был расформирован, и его перевели в 50-й пехотный полк, дислоцированный в Гибралтаре. Там он служил адъютантом губернатора сэра Роберта Бойда, а затем адъютантом генерала Чарльза О'Хара, которого он сопровождал в Тулон во время британской оккупации 1793 года. После того, как О'Хара был взят в плен, Лейт служил в штабе генерал-майора сэра Дэвида Дандаса, пока британские войска не покинули город в декабре, после чего он вернулся в Гибралтар. 15 марта 1794 года Лейт был назначен мэром Гибралтара, а 19 марта командующим независимого пехотного полка.

Вскоре Лейт вернулся домой, где 25 октября 1794 года он был уполномочен сформировать новый полк. 22 июля 1795 года полку было вручено знамя, и на следующий день он был добавлен в армейские списки как Пехотный полк Абердина, но позднее в том же году был переименован в пехотный полк Принцессы Уэльской, или Абердинского нагорья. В августе 1795 Лейт был временно повышен до полковника, имея звание подполковника. Его полк был размещен в Ирландии, участвуя в подавлении восстания 1798 года. 1 января 1801 года Лейт был произведен в полковники, а его полк был окончательно расформирован в Нейсе в апреле 1803 года. Затем он был назначен полковником 13-го батальона запаса, а с 1804 года служил бригадным генералом в штабе в Ирландии.

В 1808 году он был произведен в генерал-майоры, и после победы Испании над французами в Байлене, в июле государственный секретарь по вопросам войны и колоний виконт Каслри отправил Лейта во главе второй делегации (первая, состоящий из трёх офицеров британской армии во главе с подполковником, прибыла в Хихон 27 июня 1808 года для оценки положения дел с военной точки зрения) в генеральную хунту Астурии, чтобы выяснить, как лучше укрепить север Испанию, чтобы не дать Наполеону вводить войска через Ирун и изолировать его в Мадриде или Бургосе. Лейт прибыл в Хихон 30 августа и в ноябре присоединился к войскам сэра Дэвида Бэйрда.

В 1808—1809 годах Лейт служил под руководством Джона Мура в северной Испании. Он командовал бригадой в дивизии Джона Хоупа, которая состояла из 51-го, 2/59-го и 2/76-го полков. 7 января в Луго бригада Лейта участвовала в успешной штыковой атаке, в результате которой преследующие их войска маршала Николя Сульта потеряли 300 человек; сам Лейт потерял только только 50 человек. В битве при Ла-Корунье 16 января бригада Лейта из 2400 человек удерживала позицию в центре против атак Сульта.

По возвращении в Англию Лейт служил в штабе, участвовал в Голландской экспедиции, а затем вернулся в конце года, страдая от «вальхеренской лихорадки».

Под руководством Веллингтона
Когда Веллингтон 8 августа 1810 года создал 5-ю пехотную дивизию, Лейт стал её командиром. Британские батальоны, впервые назначенные в дивизию, 3/1, 1/9-й и 2/38-й пехотные полки, также участвовали в провальной Голландской экспедиции. Эти три подразделения стали 1-й бригадой под командованием подполковника Джеймса С. Барнса. К ним присоединились две португальские бригады во главе с полковником Уильямом Ф. Спраем и бароном фон Эбеном. 5-я дивизия хорошо сражалась в битве при Бусаку в сентябре 1810 года, помогая отразить атаки французских солдат 2-го корпуса Жана Ренье.

Бригадный генерал Эндрю Хэй принял командование 1-й бригадой вскоре после Бусаку. 6 октября бригада фон Эбена была отделена, и к дивизии Лейта присоединилась 2-я бригада генерал-майора Джеймса Данлопа. 2-я бригада первоначально состояла из 1/4-го полка от Англии, а 2/30-го и 2/44-го из Кадиса. До самого своего расформирования 5-я дивизия будет включать одну португальскую и две британские бригады. Зимой 1810—1811 гг. солдаты Лейта служили на линиях Торрес-Ведрас, не давая французской армии маршала Андре Массены захватить Лиссабон. 1 февраля Лейт ушел в отпуск, во время которого дивизией командовали сначала Уильям Эрскин, а затем Джеймс Данлоп. В сентябре 1811 года Лейт был повышен до звания генерал-лейтенанта, а 1 декабря 1811 года вернулся в свою дивизию.

В апреле 1812 года дивизия Лейта сыграла ключевую роль в штурме Бадахоса. В то время как 4-я и Лёгкая дивизии атаковали проломы, а 3-я дивизия замок, 5-я дивизия штурмовала городскую стену у бастиона Сан-Винсенте при помощи эскалады. Атака брешей была неудачной и повлекла ужасные потери. Тем не менее, на оборону других участков французский гарнизон выставил слишком мало солдат, и 5-й и 3-й дивизиям удалось перебраться через стены. В то время 3-я дивизия застряла в замке, солдаты Лейта проникли в город. Изо всех сил сигналя в горны и сея панику среди французов, 5-я дивизия привела оставшихся в живых французов в такое замешательство, что последним усилем 4-я и Лёгкой дивизии прорвали оборону противника. Дивизия Лейта потеряла более 500 человек, а командир 2-й бригады генерал-бригадир Джордж Таунсенд Уокер был ранен.

В июле 1812 года 5-я дивизия Лейта сыграла важную роль в битве при Саламанке. Продвигаясь шеренгой глубиной в два человека (британские бригады шли впереди), дивизия мушкетным огнём разгромила плохо выстроенную французскую дивизию Антуана Луи Попона. Лейт был ранен в бою и отправлен домой для лечения.

В знак признания его заслуг в Испании 1 февраля 1813 года Лейт был произедён в рыцари-компаньоны ордена Бани, а также пожалован аугментацией своего герба. Инвеститура была проведена в Карлтон Хаусе 4 марта 1813 года. (2 января 1815 года орден Бани был реорганизован, и звание Рыцаря-компаньона стало званием Рыцаря Большого Креста.)

Он вернулся к командованию 5-й дивизии 30 августа 1813 года и был немедленно снова тяжело ранен во время кровавой, но победоносной атаки при осаде Сан-Себастьяна 31 августа. За свои заслуги на полуострове Лейт был награждён Армейским золотым крестом с накладками за Корунью, Бусаку, Бадахос, Саламанку и Сан-Себастьян. 2 февраля 1814 года он получил разрешение принять и носить знак Почетного рыцаря-командора Ордена Башни и Меча, вручённый ему принцем-регентом Португалии.

На Подветренных Островах
15 февраля 1814 года он был назначен губернатором и главнокомандующим Подветренных островов. Когда пришло известие о возвращении Бонапарта, гарнизон французского острова Мартиника выказал признаки поддержки бывшего императора. Генерал-капитан Мартиники Пьер Рене Мари, граф де Вожро, собрал войска, сообщив им, что любой из них может покинуть остров, но любая попытка восстать против власти короля будет пресечена и наказана как акт мятежа. Тем временем Лейт собрал свои силы в бухте Грос-Айлет в Сент-Люсии и высадился на Мартинике 5 июля при добровольном сотрудничестве де Вожро, чтобы занять стратегические опорные пункты острова.

8 августа войска Лейта высадились в Гваделупе, где генерал-губернатор адмирал Шарль Линуа объявил о своей верности Бонапарту. Заместителем Лейта в этом нападении был Томас Муди, который также был его адъютантом. Силы Лейта заставили противника полностью капитулировать в течение 48 часов после их прибытия на остров. В знак признания его усилий по обеспечению порядка во французский владениях в Вест-Индии 20 ноября 1816 года Лейту было предоставлено разрешение принять и носить Орден Военных заслуг Франции первого класса, присвоенный ему Людовиком XVIII; Муди, адъютант Лейта и его заместитель во время этих конфликтов был удостоен рыцарского звания того же ордена. Однако ко времени награждения этим орденом Лейт был уже мёртв: 10 октября он заболел на Барбадосе жёлтой лихорадкой и 16 октября скончался. Тело Лейта было возвращено в Англию и похоронено в нефе Вестминстерского аббатства 15 марта 1817 года.

Томас Муди, адъютант Лейта времён наполеоновских войн, назвал одного из своих сыновей, Джеймса Лейта Муди (р. 25 июня 1816 года), который позднее стал священником в британских вооруженных силах, в честь сэра Джеймса Лейта.

Бумаги сэра Джеймса Лейта хранятся в библиотеке Джона Райландса в Манчестере.

Личная жизнь
В 1798 году он женился на леди Августе Форбс, дочери Джорджа Форбса, 5-го графа Гранарда. Его наследником был его племянник Эндрю Лейт Хэй.

Примечания

Литература

Внешние ссылки

Умершие от жёлтой лихорадки
Рыцари Большого креста ордена Бани
Выпускники Университета Абердина
Умершие в 1816 году
Родившиеся в 1763 году

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The XP-3D Shaper addresses the shortcomings of traditional NiTi instrumentation and ushers in a new biologic standard of care in endodontic instrumentation.
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After sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Thailand accounts for approximately 9%1 of cases in Asia Pacific, making it one of the most impacted countries in the region. The first case of HIV/AIDS was reported in 1984 and the incidence of infection had climbed steadily until the early 1990s, when the government stepped in with new policies. Although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has declined in recent years, the epidemic continues.
The Sem Pringpuangkeo Foundation (SPF) support children impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the northern provinces of Thailand. The foundation seeks to break cycles of poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, crime and prostitution by providing scholarships and keeping children in school. SPF conducts regular school and home visits to mentor the children and protect them from harm. It also provides integrated psychosocial support to orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/ AIDs and to vulnerable children, to help them cope with their circumstances.
Wiyada's father passed away from the illness when she was seven years old. She was raised by her mother, the remaining sole breadwinner of the household. From a young age, Wiyada enjoyed meeting new people and learning about different cultures. Despite her circumstances, she was a happy child and grew up to love her country. She wanted to welcome tourists and show them what Thailand has to offer. Encouraged by SPF, she applied for a degree in Tourism and Hotel Management at the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University and was accepted.
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Sem Pringpuangkeo Foundation was founded in 1995 by Dr. Sem Pringpuangkeo, the Minister of Public Health for Thailand from 1980 to 1983.
Dr. Pringpuangkeo was a pioneer in rural healthcare and was instrumental in fostering medical and public health administration that paved the way for the country's further development. In 1995, after working for years in the system, he saw a gap. A large number of those infected by AIDS are of working age and have young children. Once the parent loses his or her life to HIV/AIDS, the burden of raising these children usually falls on the grandparents or other relatives who often already live below the poverty line. The standard of living for everyone then falls, trapping families in a vicious cycle.
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CD Review: Galanu Sabar ci Ngéwël
Moustapha Faye CD cover
Galanu Sabar ci Ngéwël, is Moustapha Faye's first recording under his name. It was released in November 2009 during his residency as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Suffolk University in Boston, MA and is a true representation of his skills.
Moustapha Faye is truly Géwël. Growing up in his family's compound he learned directly from his father, Sing Sing Faye and other géwëls of his father's generation. At the age of 15 he took part in the Tournée de la Chief de Géwël, a month and a half tour of Senegal. During that tour he played with Ma Chiekh Mbaye, Lama Gueye Bouna Bas, Idrissa Ndiaye, Mboula Seck and Massur Mbaye – the major géwëls in Senegal. Studying and performing his whole life has given him a depth of knowledge about the géwël tradition that is unequaled among those of his generation. (excerpt from the liner notes, Robert Sipho Faye Bellinger, May 16, 2009)
His knowledge of the géwël tradition and his abilities as a musician is evident on this CD. All of the pieces are traditional but the arrangements are all Tapha's. The musicality and distinctiveness of each rhythm is clear yet their connectedness to a larger whole is always in evidence. Beginning with Tagumbar, "the first rhythm to be played," the eight selections on the CD also serve as a document of the géwël tradition. The significance of each rhythm and arrangement is wonderfully explained by Moustapha in the liner notes.
Moustapha pulled together an amazingly talented group of musicians to play on this CD. Some of the musicians were from his generation, but many of them were his nephews, members of Sing Sing Juniors, who Moustapha trained as they were growing up. The familiarity of the musicians with one another (they are all family) enabled them to play the arrangements flawlessly, with a powerful elegance and musicality. The results, captured on this CD, are amazing.
The CD is presently available at CDBaby.com (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MoustaphaFaye), in CD or digital form. Also available from the Géwël Tradition Project ($15.00), which can be reached by leaving a message at this blog site or at siphob@singsingjuniors.com.
These are as few photos from the recording session in Dakar.
Moustapha Faye plays nder.
Abdoulaye Bâll and Pa Ousmane Faye
Malick Ngom
El Hadj Faye and Abdou Salam Faye
Magor Mbaye
Mbaye Gueye Mbaye
Amdy Diom
Mamadou Faye
Ndow Adama Faye
Moustapha Faye leads musicians.
In addition to the talented musicians who appear on the CD there were some other amazingly talented folks who helped make this project possible. First of all there is Moussa Diagne, the engineer who recorded and mixed the tracks at Studio Mobil.Sound in Dakar, Senegal. His knowledge of the studio and his calm demeanor created a wonderful atmosphere for the music. On the US side Dan Cantor of Notable Sound in Watertown, MA mastered the tracks to bring out the full sound and beauty of the drums. The visual beauty of the CD is the result of the talents of Steve Hoey who has been the webmaster and design person for the Géwël Tradition Project from the beginning.
Moussa Diagne at Studio Mobil.Sound in Dakar, Senegal.
Steve Hoey, Moustapha Faye and Sipho Bellinger. (Photo by Ken Martin)
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Atlantic Connections: Senegal and Haiti
The Géwël Tradition Project stands with Haiti during this time of tragedy.
Since the news of the earthquake the project has been working with JANBE: Bridges to Haiti to raise funds, educate people about Haiti, and provide direct aid to people in Haiti. Please visit the JANBE website for information on this significant non-profit arts organization and for information on ways that you can support Haiti (www.janbe.org ).
Although the focus of the Géwël Tradition Project is Senegal, there are connections between Senegal and Haiti. A current example that points to this connection is the offer of land to Haitians by the president of Senegal. This following was reported by BBC News on January 18, 2010:
Senegal offers land to Haitians
Senegal's president says he will offer free land and "repatriation" to people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
President Abdoulaye Wade said Haitians were sons and daughters of Africa since Haiti was founded by slaves, including some thought to be from Senegal.
Haitian that wants to return to their origin," said Mr Wade's spokesman, Mamadou Bemba Ndiaye.
Tuesday's earthquake killed tens of thousands and left many more homeless.
Buildings have been reduced to rubble, the distribution of aid is slow, and people have been flooding out of the devastated capital, Port-au-Prince.
"Senegal is ready to offer them parcels of land – even an entire region. It all depends on how many Haitians come," Mr Bemba Ndiaye said.
"If it's just a few individuals, then we will likely offer them housing or small pieces of land. If they come en masse we are ready to give them a region."
The spokesman emphasised that if a region was given, it would be in a fertile part of the country rather than in its parched deserts, the Associated Press news agency reported.
In the above article President Abdoulaye Wade refers to a connection between the people of the two nations when he identifies Haitians as "sons and daughters of Africa." He further explains that this is an historic connection "since Haiti was founded by slaves, including some thought to be from Senegal."
An enduring example of the relationship between Senegal and Haiti that gives meaning to President Wades comment is the striking historic portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley, painted in 1797 by Anne-Louis Girodet.
Jean-Baptiste Belley, by Anne-Louis Girodet, 1797.
Jean-Baptiste Belley was born on Gorée Island, Senegal about 1747. However, his birth island, located just off the coast, would not be his home for long. At the age of two he was sold into slavery and transported to St. Domingue. Little is known of his early life there, but he was eventually able to purchase his freedom. He is to have once declared:
"Brought as a child onto tyranny's soil, through hard labor and sweat I conquered liberty."
He joined the military and was one of the 545 "Colored: Volunteer Chasseurs, Mulattos, and Negroes, newly raised at St. Dominguo" that served in the American Revolutionary War and fought in the siege of Savannah in the fall of 1779.
When the revolution began in Haiti in 1791 he joined the fight for the end of slavery. When French official Sothonax arrived in St. Domingue in 1793 and proclaimed an end to slavery on the island, elections were held to determine representation for the French assembly. Jean-Baptiste Belley was elected one of the representatives.
On the trip to Paris from Haiti the ship first stopped in Philadelphia, a city that had become home to a significant number of refugees from St. Domingue. There the delegates were attacked and treated very roughly. They were particularly rude to Jean-Baptiste Belley, taking his sword, watch, money and papers. They also issued insulting comments about him daring to wear the uniform of an officer and commanding whites. Belley responded that if he could save and defend whites, as he had done in Georgia, he had the right to command them.
In 1797, as a result of a system for the rotation of elected officials he gave up his seat and returned to St. Domingue. The portrait of him was painted before he left France. It is believed that he was involved with the independence battles in Haiti, especially after Napoleon's attempt to reinstitute slavery on the island. But after his return to St. Domingue he is lost from the historical records. However, in the late 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Belley, a Haitian of Senegalese birth, stepped into the spotlight of the world stage and made an important contribution towards the free nation of Haiti.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Doing our part – however small – to save the environment is a step in the right direction. And earth-loving brides everywhere are choosing to tie the knot in a more eco-friendly way. The push for recycled, organic, do-it-yourself green wedding fetes is growing in popularity as more couples want to do their part for the environment. And for couples on a budget, an eco-friendly wedding helps you save a little cash in the process.
Many couples erroneously believe that a green wedding equates to tacky, bohemian, and an overall sacrifice of quality. If done properly, your own green wedding will be just as elegant or upscale as you want it to be, though more environmentally conscious of course. Many bakeries are now experts at whipping up organic, eco-friendly wedding cakes that are just as beautiful as their non-organic counterparts, while locally grown flowers are likely even fresher than exotic arrangements that have been flown or trucked in.
So, when it comes time to plan your big day, consider some of these eco-friendly wedding ideas to help the earth in your own way.
Invitations: Many stationary and bridal supply companies now offer green wedding invitations and save the date cards on 100% recycled paper or tree-free paper products. Some of the more gung-ho green wedding experts recommend getting rid of the paper altogether by using electronic invitation programs. This is probably not the best idea; your guests will enjoy receiving something in the mail that informs them of your wedding day. And as far as etiquette goes, electronic invitations are a little impersonal. For a dual purpose invitation that encourages your guests to put their green thumbs to work, select stationary companies sell invitations with seeds imbedded into the paper, so guests just plant your green wedding invite and wait for it to grow! Another option is to send pretty postcards (made from recycled paper of course), which will cost you a lot less in postage prices.
Flowers: Those pretty flowers you see at every wedding are, in fact, likely quite toxic. Sprayed with dozens of chemicals to prevent insects from eating their beautiful blooms, these flowers are that not great for the environment, and even the workers who handle them on a daily basis have fallen ill. And if you order birds of paradise, gardenias, or other exotic flowers that must be shipped from abroad, youapostrophere permitting yet another truck, loaded with diesel fuel, to get on the road. Instead, choose seasonal flowers that are homegrown, thereby supporting your local farm subsidiary. Another great green wedding idea is to grow your own flowers, though youapostrophell have to start months in advance. If you choose this method, you can keep the flowers in the pots, leaving them just as they are – simplistic, but elegant centerpieces.
Dress: A quick search online for apostrophegreen wedding dressesapostrophe will turn up dozens of websites offering eco-friendly wedding gown material, and if youapostrophere willing, you can have your green wedding dress made from hemp, cotton, or silk – organic of course – just for you. You can also re-fashion a vintage wedding dress, taking it to an alterations specialist so it fits perfectly, or purchase a simple, white cotton dress while holding your own homegrown bouquet of tulips. Some designers, such as Adele Wechslerapostrophes Eco Couture and Tara Lynn Studios, are finally catching on and creating whole lines of eco-friendly wedding dresses with one thing in mind – helping the environment and using earth-nurturing materials.
Refreshments: The food is perhaps the easiest part, and many guests will appreciate the fresh taste of organically made dishes at your eco-friendly wedding! Many catering companies can usually comply with your request to make the food wholly organic. You can also opt to make the food for your green wedding yourself (with the help of some trusty friends who know their way around the kitchen). Organic wines and beverages are also available on the market at many stores around the country. And if you want to go all the way, you can set up tables with tablecloths made from eco-friendly material.
Reception Venue: Choose a location close to the wedding ceremony. Not only will your guests appreciate a spot that limits driving to the nether regions, but youapostrophell also avoid the extra pollution of 200 cars on the road for 15 to 20 minutes. One estimate puts this amount of travel at 6,014 pounds of carbon dioxide . To calculate the carbon footprint of your wedding for various modes of travel, try http://www.terrapass.com/wedding/ and plug in the required information to find out the impact your own eco-friendly wedding has on the environment. If you elect not to register for gifts, many couples decide to place a donation jar in a strategic place asking guests to contribute to an environmental charity or cause thatapostrophes close to the coupleapostrophes hearts.
Other options, such as candle centerpieces (which double as lighting) and weddings bands recycled from older jewelry pieces, are just a few additional ideas that add a unique twist to your eco-friendly wedding bash. From purchasing a secondhand wedding dress to using tree-free, green wedding invitations, there are limitless ways to celebrate your love the green way. And whether you choose to infuse your eco-friendly wedding day with just one or two green elements or host an entire day in honor of the earth, make sure itapostrophes a special day between you and your loved one that youapostrophell remember forever.
Cherie Johnson is the founder and owner of Creative Bride, a one-stop shop for personalized, unique baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, anniversary, and wedding favors, helping countless couples and families make their big events a success. Before she launched the company in 2006, Cherie worked as a professional wedding photographer, capturing the most special moments of the bride and groomapostrophes big day. For more information on Creative Bride or to find a variety of colorful, customizable gifts and favors, please visit www.Creative-Bride.com.


Take control of this high-value modern machine! Chrysler prioritized practicality, efficiency, and style by including: a power rear cargo door, a roof rack, and a blind spot monitoring system. It features an automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, and a refined 6 cylinder engine.


text:
Business|Once the W.T.O.'s Biggest Supporter, U.S. Is Its Biggest Skeptic
https://nyti.ms/2kP29CU
Once the W.T.O.'s Biggest Supporter, U.S. Is Its Biggest Skeptic
The World Trade Organization's first major meeting in two years will take place this week in Buenos Aires. Even the organization's biggest supporters, particularly the United States, have been critical of it.Credit...Eitan Abramovich/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By Ana Swanson
WASHINGTON — As officials from the 164 countries in the World Trade Organization gather in Buenos Aires this week for their first major meeting in two years, they will be watching to see whether the United States, once the group's biggest advocate, is seeking to subvert it.
The World Trade Organization knits together countries around the world by working to reduce trade barriers and resolve disputes among its members but it has come under criticism not just from globalization's critics. Its supporters have said it has fallen short of its ambitious goals to create trade agreements among scores of countries with different economies, cultures and income levels.
But it has never faced such uncertainty as it does now, when its longtime leader and champion, the United States, has turned into a skeptic — putting the future of the group and the kind of broad trade agreements it is aimed at forging in doubt.
In recent months, the Trump administration has led the United States in stepping back from its traditional role at the head of global institutions like the World Trade Organization, creating a vacuum in leadership and throwing their future into question.
The change reflects a philosophy, shared by the president and his top trade advisers, that the current global structure of rules and organizations compromises the United States' sovereignty and cheats American workers. In his first year in office, Mr. Trump has criticized international agreements like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, pulled out of the Paris climate change accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and began renegotiating trade deals with Canada, Mexico and South Korea.
Like many of the administration's positions, its view of the World Trade Organization represents a historic shift, said Douglas Irwin, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College.
"The Reagan and Bush administrations wanted to create it," he said. "The Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations tried to strengthen it. Now we have an administration that is very skeptical of it, and some would say has tried to undermine it."
Mr. Trump and his trade advisers criticize the World Trade Organization for failing to police what they describe as China's infractions of global trade rules. China's entry into the organization in 2001 accelerated the hollowing out of American manufacturing jobs, as imports of cheap Chinese products boomed. But the Trump administration has argued that China never held up its end of the bargain by curtailing the role of its Communist government in the economy.
Late last month, the United States said it would join the European Union in an action involving China about that very matter. In discussing that dispute, a senior White House official said that it was unclear whether the World Trade Organization could work when China, the world's second-largest economy, clearly did not share the goal of moving toward a market-based system.
But what the Trump administration intends to do about the organization's perceived shortcomings is less clear. Some of the measures proposed under Mr. Trump's "America First" economic policy appear to make use of the World Trade Organization, while others could violate its rules and undermine its very existence.
Most notably, the United States could run afoul of international convention with actions it might take as a result of investigations into imports of cheap solar products and washing machines. In the past, the World Trade Organization has decided that tariffs imposed as a result of these kind of "safeguard" investigations, which aim to protect domestic industries from a surge of imports, violate its rules.
In a separate investigation into China's infringement of American intellectual property, administration officials are currently debating whether to use existing global rules (by filing trade cases through the World Trade Organization) or break them (by erecting the kind of across-the-board tariff on Chinese imports that President Trump often pledged during the campaign).
Some of the tax policies the United States is considering might also run afoul of the organization's guidelines. In a report published Thursday, a group of lawyers and academics argued that a proposal intended to exempt the foreign income of domestic corporations from American taxes might not comply with the World Trade Organization or bilateral tax treaties.
The question, trade analysts say, is what the Trump administration would do if the World Trade Organization rules against these policies. Several administration officials have suggested that they might respond by ignoring the trade organization or withdrawing from it altogether — two options that might weaken the organization enough to serve as a death blow.
"On China, there's lots that can be done using our current trade laws," said Dan DiMicco, a trade adviser to the Trump administration. "We can go to the W.T.O. and file more trade cases. And if they don't work with us, we can leave the W.T.O."
Proponents of the trade group are also concerned by what they describe as the Trump administration's effort to undermine the organization's system for settling trade disputes among its members.
Since President Trump came into office, the White House has blocked the appointments of new judges to a body that considers appeals, slowing the pace at which the World Trade Organization can process trade cases. As more judges see their terms expire in the coming months, experts fear the dispute settlement system could be paralyzed.
In a letter this week, farm groups said "the current actions by this administration to block appointments indefinitely" could prevent the resolution of cases that might benefit American agriculture.
Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that the trend may be intentional. Mr. Trump's top trade negotiator, United States trade representative Robert Lighthizer, has been critical of the appellate body for passing judgments outside the scope of the original World Trade Organization agreement — akin to what some in the United States term "judicial activism."
In a speech in Washington in September, Mr. Lighthizer said that Americans tended to view the trade group as a contract with clearly defined rights. "Others — Europeans, but others also — tend to think they're sort of evolving kinds of governance," he said. "And there's a very different idea between these two things."
The Trump administration has also been slower than its predecessors to bring trade cases against other countries at the World Trade Organization — cases that the United States frequently wins, Mr. Bown said. That could soon result in a situation where the United States is losing cases, but not winning many — a set of circumstances that could fuel opposition to the World Trade Organization in the White House, he said.
In other matters, however, the Trump administration is making use of the organization's rules. That includes the decision to join the European Union in arguing its case before the World Trade Organization for not labeling China a "market economy" — a distinction that would entitle China to preferential economic treatment that the United States feels it does not deserve.
So far, the Trump administration's "America First" policy does not appear to be greatly dampening international trade.
The World Trade Organization is projecting that global trade in goods will grow 3.6 percent this year, more than double the rate last year, as economies around the world continue to strengthen. On Monday, the organization announced that its members introduced fewer measures to restrict trade between October 2016 and October 2017 than they had the previous year.
New trade pacts are also moving forward. On Friday, the European Union and Japan announced that they had finalized a deal to create a sweeping new free trade agreement. During President Trump's trip to Asia, in which he proclaimed that the United States was no longer entering into multinational trade agreements, the 11 remaining countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership pushed ahead with forming the pact.
Few trade experts expect much progress out of the meeting in Buenos Aires, which runs through December 13. It's unclear whether the members will reach a consensus on new rules on global fishing. Other recent efforts toward reforming digital trade and services that were formerly pushed by the Obama administration now appear to be bogged down.
"Every country in the world hates the W.T.O., they just hate all the other alternatives worse," said Rufus Yerxa, the president of the National Foreign Trade Council and the World Trade Organization's former deputy director general. "That's really the lesson that the U.S. has to draw. It's easy to hate some system of rules. The question is, what's the alternative?"


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E3: Microsoft Announces Xbox SmartGlass, 35 New Content Partners, Xbox Music
June 5, 2012 millpub
Of the three major console manufacturers, Microsoft is the Johnny-come-lately, but somehow the company has managed to stake out the first slot on the first day of E3 for their keynote over the last few years. For this year's keynote, all ears were perked lest Microsoft let a detail slip about the Xbox 360's successor. In the end, no details slipped and Microsoft showed off a solid line-up of hardcore and casual games, all backed by a big bet on Kinect, but `round these parts, the most interesting announcements related to how Microsoft plans to continue to push the Xbox 360 as the living room media hub.
The big news on this front was Xbox SmartGlass. Details first started leaking a couple of days before E3, but no one was exactly sure what to expect until Microsoft took the wraps off of Xbox SmartGlass on stage. Xbox SmartGlass is an app that will be available on Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android devices this fall that offers Xbox remote control, media hand-off and play-to functions, and supplemental experiences for games and media. The first two functions appear to be a refined and slightly enhanced version of what the Xbox Companion App currently provides, except cross-platform. It's the last feature that offers the most intriguing opportunities for the future. During the keynote, Microsoft demonstrated an example of the Xbox playing back an episode of Game of Thrones while, on a tablet, Xbox SmartGlass showed a map of the character's off-screen journey through the realm, as well as an example of the Xbox playing Halo 4 while Xbox SmartGlass was displaying Halo WayPoint updates on a mobile device.
While gaming pundits seem to be quick to characterize Xbox SmartGlass as a response to the Wii U GamePad's auxiliary screen functionality for gaming, this is only part of what Xbox SmartGlass brings to the table. The real target here actually appears to be Apple. With the Xbox, Kinect and Xbox SmartGlass, Microsoft is positioned to offer the streaming media functionality of the Apple TV, Siri-like interaction with the home theater and a credible Apple AirPlay competitor, all wrapped up in a high-quality video gaming system and support for your choice of mobile devices, including ones you probably already own. The ribbon on the package was the announcement that Internet Explorer is also coming to the Xbox and that Xbox SmartGlass will offer an option for controlling the experience in lieu of a mouse and keyboard.
While Xbox SmartGlass hogged the spotlight, Microsoft was also making announcements about the next wave of content partners that will be bringing apps to the Xbox 360 this year. Microsoft is currently listing 35 new partners, including Nickelodeon, NBA Game Time and NHL GameCenter, WatchESPN, and the one I am embarrassed to admit that I will probably use the most, The Weather Channel. The least surprising announcement was the unveiling of Xbox Music, Microsoft's replacement for the Zune Music service. Other than incorporating some of the Zune Music service features into the Xbox Dashboard and maybe a larger music catalog, Xbox Music looks largely to be a rebranding effort. The real surprise is that Xbox Music will not launch until this fall.
To kick-start the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a bold new vision for enjoying entertainment at home and on the go with Xbox SmartGlass. Launching this year, Xbox SmartGlass is an application for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and other portable devices that connects phones, PCs and tablets with your Xbox 360 console to make your entertainment smarter, more interactive and more fun.1 The intelligence of Xbox SmartGlass makes your entertainment more engaging, Web surfing more effortless, and playing games more immersive by delivering companion content and control to enhance your TV experience.
Major Nelson
tagged with Apps, E3 2012, Microsoft, Streaming Media, Streaming Music, Xbox Music, Xbox SmartGlass, Xbox TV
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"Increased demand for luxury and performance vehicles (including SUVs, crossovers, and off-highway vehicles) to boost the growth of the torque vectoring market for automotive."
The torque vectoring market for automotive is primarily driven by the increasing demand for luxury and performance vehicles (including SUVs, crossovers, and off-highway vehicles). The torque vectoring market for automotive is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20.01% from 2018 to 2025. From a market size of USD 4.48 billion in 2017, it is projected to reach a market size of USD 18.70 billion by 2025. Major factors driving the growth of this market include the increase in demand for technologically advanced features that enhance vehicle safety and dynamics. However, a major restraint for the torque vectoring market is the growing mobility services in major countries.
"AWD/4WD segment is estimated to be the fastest growing segment in the torque vectoring market for automotive, by propulsion."
AWD/4WD is estimated to be the largest as well as the fastest growing segment of the torque vectoring market during the forecast period. The AWD/4WD segment is mainly driven by growing demand for SUVs, increasing demand for improved vehicle safety, stability, and enhanced driving dynamics. The AWD/4WD systems find their application mostly in the premium car segment and SUVs. Improving economic conditions, increasing industrialization, and the improving living standards of consumers around the world has increased the demand for premium segment cars and SUVs.
"Passenger car segment is estimated to be the largest segment in the torque vectoring market for automotive"
Passenger car segment is estimated to be the largest as well as the fastest growing market for torque vectoring during the forecast period. Thepassenger car torque vectoring system market is mainly driven by continues growing demand for luxury passenger cars. Also as the demand for passenger cars is significantly more than the demand for other vehicles. Passenger cars constitute the largest market for torque vectoring.
"Europe to be the largest growing market for torque vectoring market for automotive"
Europe is projected to be the largest torque vectoring market for automotive, owing to the presence of many developed countries such as Germany, the UK, France, and Spain, which account for a considerable share of the European automotive industry. The market is dominated by established OEMs such as BMW AG (Germany), Daimler AG (Germany), Fiat (Italy), PSA/Peugeot-Citroen (France), and the Volkswagen Group (Germany). Asia Pacific is projected to be the second fastest growing region in the torque vectoring market. Asia Pacific is projected to lead owing to the large vehicle production compared to other regions. Asia Pacific contributed about 50-55% of the global vehicle production in 2017. As per International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), vehicle production in Asia Pacific grew from 45.6 million units in 2012 to 53.4 million units in 2017, at a CAGR of 3.18% over that period. With the increase in vehicle production, the demand for torque vectoring is projected to grow at a significant rate.
Market Development: The report provides comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets. The report analyzes the torque vectoring market for automotive across regions.
Product Development/Innovation: The report offers detailed insights into R&D activities, upcoming technologies, and new product launches in the torque vectoring market for automotive.
Market Diversification: The report provides detailed information about untapped markets, investments, new products, and recent developments in the torque vectoring market for automotive.
Competitive Assessment: The report provides an in-depth assessment of strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the torque vectoring market for automotive.


All makeup application is traditional and/or airbrush foundation.
Additional fee of $15/person for false lashes application to Bridesmaids.
A non-refundable of 50% down payment & completion of signed contract is required to reserve the date and time for your event (Wedding).
No additional charge for locations within first 10 miles of makeup artist's hometown. Each additional mile will be $1/mile round trip.
Touch-ups: Remaining for touch-ups after the wedding for the bride is an additional $100 per hour. There will be a minimum of 1 hour charged no matter how long the touch up is.
The client has the responsibility to pay any parking fees, valet fees and toll fees to the artist in cash on the day of service.


The son of Thomas Gilbert Sr. is accused of killing the 70-year-old New York hedge fund manager in a dispute over his allowance, police said.
Thomas Gilbert Jr., 30, was arrested Monday on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police told The Associated Press.
The elder Gilbert was a pedigreed Wall Street veteran who spent years as a private equity investor, the CEO of an online teacher education company and, most recently, a hedge fund manager.
The son, who graduated Princeton in 2011 but had no recent work experience, was in debt and had argued with his father over his allowance, police said.
He had gone to his parents apartment on Sunday and asked his mother to go out for some food, police said. When she returned, "she found Senior on the floor with a bullet hole in the head," Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told the AP. "She also found a gun resting on his chest with his left hand covering it."
But Boyce said the son made it seem his father had committed suicide.
At the son's West Side apartment, investigators found magazines, bullets and a shell that matched the gun found at the scene, police told the AP.
The law office representing Gilbert Jr. had no comment, AP reported.
The father's latest venture, Wainscott Capital Partners, was founded in 2011 to focus on investing in the stocks of biotechnology and health-care companies.
Wainscott—which shares the name of the area in the Hamptons where Gilbert had owned a home—is small by industry standards. The firm managed about $10 million as of September, according to marketing materials for a hedge fund conference. A person familiar with the fund confirmed that assets were likely about the same today, far less than the $200 million that has been widely reported.
Regardless of the hedge fund's size, Gilbert was excited about his new act.
"The long-term future for healthcare investing continues to be bright, and we are seeing more asset allocators approaching us to participate in an actively managed healthcare fund with risk minimization. We believe that Wainscott offers that vehicle," Gilbert wrote in a November email.
The fund produced strong returns in its first few years of existence, according to materials posted on the firm's website. It also was up more than 10 percent in 2014 through October, according to an email sent to clients and prospects.
The elder Gilbert was remembered as a good person and a savvy investor.
"He was very smart and knew his space well," said Jaeson Dubrovay, a hedge fund consultant who had strategized with Gilbert on helping Wainscott attract capital.
That sentiment was echoed by others who came in contact with Gilbert.
"Tom impressed me as being very intelligent, thoughtful, and nonaggressive. This last trait is rare in the hedge fund world," said Don Sussis, a former hedge fund marketing and communications executive who said he knew Gilbert for about 15 years.
The two met when Gilbert asked Sussis to look at a project to revitalize the way history was taught by using multimedia.
"Losing Tom now is shocking and takes away a good man who tried to conduct himself and his business with high standards—including a concern for others," Sussis said.
Gilbert Sr. enjoyed an elite education, graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Princeton University and Harvard Business School.
Reached at Wainscott Capital's New York City office, Clay LeConey, the fund's vice president for sales and marketing, said, "We're not issuing a statement" at this point on the death of the fund's founder, but that business operations at Wainscott are "on hold" for the moment.
—The Associated Press and CNBC's Kate Kelly contributed to this story.


The Astros have inked free-agent righty Hector Rondon to a two-year, $8.5MM pact. Rondon, an Octagon client, was non-tendered by the Cubs earlier this month. Now, he's lined up for successive $4MM and $4.5MM salaries in Houston, where he'll represent an arm with closing experience to help fortify the back of the bullpen.
Rondon, 30 in February, saved 77 games with a 2.44 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 with the Cubs fro 2014-16. He initially lost the closer's role in Chicago through little fault of his own, as he was bumped from that spot when Chicago acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees prior to the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline.
The 2017 season was Rondon's worst since the 2013 campaign (when he was a Rule 5 pick out of the Indians organization), as he turned in a 4.24 ERA with a 3.1 BB/9 mark — both his highest levels since that rookie season. However, Rondon also logged a career-high 10.8 K/9 and 29.1 percent overall strikeout rate in 2017 while maintaining excellent fastball velocity (average of 96.4 mph) and an above-average ground-ball rate (48.3 percent).
Like many pitchers throughout the league, Rondon has become increasingly susceptible to home runs across the past two seasons, averaging 1.5 HR/9 despite being extremely stingy in that regard throughout the first three seasons of his career. His increased vulnerability to the long ball obviously made the uptick in walks this past season all the more damning, though metrics like xFIP (3.43) and SIERA (3.20) remained generally bullish on his abilities.
Houston has already reportedly added to its supply of late-inning arms by striking a deal for sidearm righty Joe Smith, and Rondon will give them another option to pair with the likes of Ken Giles, Chris Devenski and Will Harris in the late innings. Giles, who served as the team's closer throughout the season, struggled in the playoffs, though the addition of Rondon wouldn't seem to supplant him from that ninth-inning role. If Giles' struggles carry over into the 2018 campaign, though, Rondon would certainly be a plausible alternative for manager A.J. Hinch to get the final few outs of a game, given his extensive experience in Chicago.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the signing on Twitter. Rosenthal (in a tweet), SB Nation's Chris Cotillo (via Twitter), and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) had contract details.
A variety of organizations are still looking at versatile infielder Eduardo Nunez. Jon Heyman of FanRag tweets that the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and "possibly" the Yankees are among the suitors. Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged the interest, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe was among those to tweet. The Giants have some ongoing involvement, too, but Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco is "a longshot" to make a deal.
In addition to a host of other teams, the Astros have some interest in outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, according to Heyman (Twitter links). The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have checked in not only on Gonzalez but also fellow free agent oufielder Carlos Gomez.
The Nationals are interested in reliever Hector Rondon, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets. Washington isn't the favorite to land Rondon, according to Castillo, though he does note that the former Cub is familiar with manager Dave Martinez and bullpen coach Henry Blanco. Both men were on Chicago's staff through last season.
The Rangers and Red Sox each have some degree of interest in free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds, SB Nation's Chris Cotillo tweets. They join a few other clubs with interest, as we covered recently.
The Orioles have made offers to several free agent pitchers, per Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. It's unclear whether longtime Oriole Chris Tillman is among that group, but the team did make an unsuccessful bid to re-sign him toward the end of last season, Ghiroli reports (Twitter link).
With a pair of relief signings being wrapped up, the Phillies seem to feel good about that aspect of their roster. Per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, via Twitter, the team will turn its gaze to improving the rotation. Both they and the Yankees checked in with the Diamondbacks regarding right-hander Zack Greinke, Robert Murray of FanRag writes. Greinke ending up with either club is unlikely, however, sources informed Murray. With the Rangers also having shown interest in Greinke, we now know at least three teams have inquired about the expensive 34-year-old this offseason.
Greinke is the latest hurler to land on the radar of the Yankees, who have also eyed Pirates righty Gerrit Cole. Consequently, the Bucs "are gathering names of young, controllable" Yankees they could acquire in a Cole deal, though there's "nothing close," Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (on Twitter). Notably, Brink adds that the Yankees are also "looking at" Rays righty Chris Archer. The 29-year-old has drawn significant interest this winter, but it's unclear whether the Rays will move him.
The Royals are giving serious consideration to dealing southpaw Danny Duffy, who's "extremely popular" on the trade market, Jon Heyman of FanRag tweets. Duffy suggested on Twitter that he doesn't want to go anywhere, for what it's worth. "Bury me a Royal," he declared.
As the Blue Jays look for pitching reinforcements, they are giving real consideration to veteran CC Sabathia, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. Though manager John Gibbons suggested his own priority is to add bats, he also said he'd welcome the addition of the veteran Sabathia — who has a lengthy history with the Jays' current front office leadership stemming from their time in Cleveland together.
Teams have given up on trying to acquire Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, Heyman reports on Twitter. The Reds understandably want an enormous haul back for the 27-year-old star, who's under affordable control for the foreseeable future.
The Twins and Rays have chatted about veteran righty Jake Odorizzi, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter), who adds that Tampa Bay was not interested in Minnesota's initial offer.
Although they're at the beginning of a full, cost-cutting rebuild, the Marlins aren't feeling any urgency to deal righty Dan Straily, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (Twitter link). Miami's de facto ace will play his first of three arbitration-eligible seasons in 2018. He's projected to earn a $4.6MM salary, which even the Marlins can afford.
The Mets are not likely to sign another free agent reliever, at least in the near term, according to GM Sandy Alderson and as MLB.com's Anthony DiComo tweets. Instead, after landing Anthony Swarzak, the organization expects to begin looking to fill its other needs.
Before the Astros agreed to a deal with Joe Smith on Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com hinted on Twitter that the team could have interest in free agent righty Hector Rondon. Whether that still stands remains to be seen, but the Astros are already chock-full of righty relievers as it is.
The open market welcomed 26 additional free agents Friday when various major league teams chose not to tender contracts to certain arbitration-eligible players. While no one is going to confuse the new members of this winter's unsigned class with any of the top free agents, there are at least a few who could boost teams' chances in 2018 and beyond. As Tyler Flowers, Steve Cishek and Welington Castillo have shown over the past couple years, a non-tender doesn't have to be a career death knell.
Hector Rondon, RP: The hard-throwing, right-handed Rondon isn't that far removed from a two-year showing in which he was among baseball's premier relievers. The former closer pitched to a minuscule 2.03 ERA with 8.91 K/9, 2.03 BB/9 and a 50.8 percent groundball rate across 133 1/3 innings from 2014-15, during which he combined for 59 saves on 68 attempts. However, Rondon's effectiveness began fading during the Cubs' World Series-winning 2016 campaign – thanks in part to an arm injury, perhaps – and he's now fresh off a year in which he posted a 4.24 ERA. But Rondon managed at least 50 innings (57, to be exact) for the fourth straight season in 2017, when he also continued his groundballing ways (48.3 percent) and logged a career-high swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent). Further, even during his disappointing 2016-17 stretch, he saw his K/9 rise to an impressive 10.55 (against 2.33 walks per nine). While neither the Cubs nor any other team thought Rondon would be worth a projected $6.2MM in 2018, the 29-year-old still figures to intrigue a host of clubs – some of which may not be in the mood to pay high prices for established relievers this winter.
Mike Fiers, RHP: An estimated $5.7MM for Fiers was too rich for the Astros and other teams, but it wouldn't have been an unreasonable amount relative to what the 32-year-old has done during his career. Since debuting as a starter with the Brewers in 2012, Fiers has racked up 694 1/3 innings from the rotation and compiled a respectable 4.15 ERA, also notching 8.64 K/9 against 2.79 BB/9. Fiers was one of the few members of the World Series champion Astros who endured a miserable 2017 (5.22 ERA, 5.43 FIP in 153 1/3 frames), but if the personal-worst 19.5 percent home run-to-fly ball rate he put up more closely resembles his career mark of 13.6 going forward, he could return to being a decent innings eater.
Matt Adams, 1B: Lefty-swinging first basemen who struggle against same-handed pitchers aren't exactly rare, so it wasn't that surprising when the Braves jettisoned Adams in lieu of potentially paying him around $4.6MM in 2018. That said, Adams has been quite useful versus right-handed pitchers, having slashed .286/.333/.495 against them in 1,510 plate appearances, and has typically been adept at first base (14 Defensive Runs Saved, 8.3 Ultimate Zone Rating). Those skills should make the 29-year-old Adams a worthwhile pickup for someone, though he's a small fish in a big free agent pond that includes other proven first base types in Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana, Logan Morrison, Yonder Alonso and Adam Lind.
Jared Hughes, RP: As a groundball specialist who has generated excellent results despite a dearth of strikeouts, Hughes isn't all that dissimilar to more hyped free agent Brandon Kintzler. But even though he has a good track record and was projected to earn a very reasonable $2.2MM in 2018, the 32-year-old Hughes is now on the unemployment line. Based on Hughes' history, Milwaukee's loss could be a big gain for another club. Since 2014, his first of four consecutive solid years, the ex-Pirates righty has thrown no fewer than 59 1/3 innings in any individual season and ridden a 62.1 percent grounder rate to a 2.55 ERA. Hughes ranks eighth among qualified relievers in GB rate and 18th in ERA over the past four seasons, despite having registered only 5.54 K/9 against 3.02 BB/9 during that span (notably, though, his K/9 rose to a career-high 7.24 in 2017).
Drew Smyly, LHP: With his estimated $6.85MM salary, Smyly was a non-tender waiting to happen the moment he underwent Tommy John surgery in June, officially ending a season in which he was unable to take the mound for Seattle. The Mariners acquired Smyly 10 months ago with the hope that he'd serve as a capable mid-rotation starter – something he had been at times with the Rays from 2014-16. Smyly combined for 395 innings of 3.94 ERA ball during those seasons and recorded 8.59 K/9 against 2.53 BB/9, and offset a paltry grounder rate (34.2 percent) with a league-best infield fly mark (15.3 percent). It's anyone's guess whether Smyly will resemble his old form when he returns (perhaps not until 2019), but he's still just 28 and looks worthy of taking a flyer on at an affordable cost this offseason.
The Cubs will not tender a contract to reliever Hector Rondon, according to ESPN.com's Jesse Rogers (via Twitter). MLBTR had projected Rondon to earn $6.2MM via arbitration — a price that was too high for Chicago and, evidently, other teams around the league.
Rondon, 29, made quite an impact as a former Rule 5 pick, turning in a quality three-year run for the organization between 2014 and 2016. Over 184 1/3 innings in that span, he turned in a 2.44 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. Though he ceded his closer role to Aroldis Chapman in the midst of the team's World Series run, Rondon remained a major piece of the club's late-inning mix.
That did not hold up in 2017, however, as Rondon ended the year with a 4.24 ERA in 57 1/3 frames. He struck out 10.8 batters per nine but also issued 3.1 free passes per nine innings and allowed ten long balls. Rondon did still deliver his average fastball in the 96 to 97 mph range, and turned in a personal-best 11.9% swinging-strike rate to go with a 48.3% groundball rate.
Rondon seemingly lost the confidence of skipper Joe Maddon, to the point that he did not factor in the late-inning mix during the team's postseason run. While the Cubs' decision to move on is not terribly surprising at this point, it's a bit of a surprise to learn that the organization was not able to find a suitable trade partner. The one-year price tag is hardly cheap, but falls in the range of contracts that often go to somewhat less-accomplished pitchers. There's plenty of reason to think that Rondon will catch on elsewhere, perhaps even earning consideration for high-leverage innings, but it seems he'll need to settle for less money than the $6.2MM or so he might have expected through arbitration.
Red Sox skipper John Farrell says that DH/first baseman Hanley Ramirez underwent an MRI on his left biceps, as Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. A diagnosis and anticipated course of treatment aren't yet available, but Abraham suggests the team is anticipating some absence from the veteran. The 33-year-old Ramirez has fallen off at the plate this year, slashing just .238/.320/.423 over his 522 plate appearances, with a shoulder problem seemingly bothering him throughout. The club surely hoped for a turnaround for the long-time slugger, but now there's increasing uncertainty with this new injury.
Cubs righty Hector Rondon is in need of some rest but doesn't have anything more than a sore elbow, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com tweets. He's expected to miss about a week after getting a cortisone shot. Rondon has scuffled a bit this year, working to a 4.50 ERA in his 54 frames, due in no small part to coughing up ten long balls. That said, Rondon has also managed 10.8 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 and remains an important part of the Cubs pen down the stretch and (the team hopes) into the postseason.
As the Nationals continue to consider their options for the postseason roster, young outfielder Victor Robles is receiving real consideration, manager Dusty Baker tells reporters including Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was something of an unexpected call-up, but is off to a hot start … in just ten plate appearances. There's a long way to go until the Nats will feel comfortable entrusting a significant role to him when the stakes are highest, but it's interesting to see that there's real internal consideration given the team's rather lengthy list of possible bench pieces. One major factor, of course, will be whether Bryce Harper can make it back; recent indications are that the team is cautiously optimistic.
There's little more than an "outside" shot for Brewers outfielder Lewis Brinson to make it back to health in time to impact the current season, per GM David Stearns (via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, on Twitter). He has been down with a hamstring strain. The 23-year-old struggled upon reaching the majors for the first time this year, but had put up a monster season at Triple-A — where he batted .331/.400/.562 across 340 plate appearances. Brinson will surely be a big part of Milwaukee's plans next year even if he can't make it back on the field in 2017.
The Cubs have already added Wade Davis and Brian Duensing to their bullpen, but they're still trying to add depth, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Ideally, they'd like to add another lefty, and they've been in touch with Travis Wood about returning.
But Wood's agent, Darek Braunecker, says his client has attracted interest from seven NL teams, as ESPN's Jesse Rogers noted today. Those clubs value Wood's versatility and hitting ability (Wood has a career .182/.208/.314 line, strong for a pitcher), and Wood would also like another shot at starting, a chance he's unlikely to get with the Cubs. So a return to Chicago is far from a certainty.
Another possibility for a left-handed addition to the Cubs' bullpen is Jerry Blevins, who posted a 2.79 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 42 innings in a specialist role for the Mets last season, Wittenmyer writes. And the Cubs remain interested in righty Greg Holland, the former Royals closer who's returning from Tommy John surgery and should be fully healthy for Spring Training. The team could also consider adding a bullpen piece in tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft.
In the meantime, the Cubs' addition of Davis will bump Hector Rondon back into a setup role, even though Rondon has had success as a closer in parts of each of the last three seasons. Manager Joe Maddon, though, says Rondon understands the move.


text:
Behold; the single parent school fees struggle
PBM_Admin
Ujuh Reporter
Many South African single parents will be watching closely the case of Hilde Kern who has approached the Western Cape High Court to secure School Fee Exemption.
Represented by the Equal Education Law Centre (ELLC), Kern is asking the court to review and set aside the decision of the Parel Vallei School Governing Body and the Western Cape Education Department to dismiss her application for a School Fee Exemption. Her application was rejected on the bases that she submitted incomplete information. Her information was deemed incomplete because she could not provide the financial information of her former husband.
Captured in the court papers, Ms Kerns' story is one of a divorcee with a largely uncooperative former husband who is located in Germany. Her daughter was born while living in Germany with the former husband. In an arrangement enforced by the Schleswig Holstein High Court, the former husband pays maintenance of €390. This translates to R6 435 when using an exchange rate of (€1 = R16.50). She has declared this amount to the school but the husband refuses to provide further personal financial information as required by the school. She explains that "in terms of German law, education is free and there is therefore not an equivalent responsibility on a parent to pay towards the cost of school fees as in the South African law."
The authorities are insisting on a rule, under South African Schools Act (SASA), that applications for a School Fee Exemption must be accompanied by the financial information of both biological parents if they are still alive. Failure to do so results in rejection of the application.
Kern has submitted that her former husband who lives in Germany is not playing ball. As such; her application for a School Fee Exemption deserves to be treated as one from a single parent household.
The ELLC says Kerns' case is symptomatic of a general struggle of single parents who deserve to get a School Fee Exemption but are denied this right by "errant school governing bodies".
The ELLC is handling another similar matter of Ms Saffer.
At the centre of this struggle is the refusal of school governing bodies to understand that it can sometimes be extremely difficult if not impossible for some single parents to obtain financial information of both biological parents.
After the Parel Vallei School Governing Body rejected her application Kerns approached the Western Cape Education Department to appeal her case but was also rejected.
The ELLC said "with the Saffer matter set to be heard in May 2016, this is a further case in which the Western Cape Education Department's failure to hold errant school governing bodies to account."
This, said the ELLC, makes it prohibitively difficult for parents in financial difficulty (especially those who cannot provide the financial information of both biological parents) to obtain school fee exemptions.
The ELLC added that its application centers on the failure by the Parel Vallei School Governing Body and the WCED to purposefully interpret the legislative framework governing school fee exemptions and its application to single parent households.


text:
Posted on September 20, 2011 February 20, 2012 by Andy Sternberg
Photos & Interviews from FYF Fest 2011: Dead Milkmen, Fool's Gold, Future Islands, Explosions in the Sky, OFF! and More
I took photos and interviewed several bands at FYF Fest earlier this month at Los Angeles State Historic Park. These interviews and photos originally appeared in LAist.
Click photos to embiggen / view as slideshow or click here to view all the photos on a single page.
Rayani on stage with Explosions in the Sky at FYF Fest 2011 (photo by Andy Sternberg)
I caught up with Explosions in the Sky guitarist Munaf Rayani before the band took the stage at FYF Fest last weekend and got the lowdown on surviving the deadly storm at Pukkelpop Music Fest in Belgium, how an art installation at Hollywood Forever Cemetery to debut the band's latest album, "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care," came to pass last April, and why they love Umami Burger.
AS: What did you guys think of the art installation at the cemetery? How did that come about?
Munaf Rayani: We only saw it through pictures and video but we heard it was a smash hit…. It was kind of a collective idea between us and some people that we'd worked with. We got in cahoots with the cemetery and they were cool with running it the week prior. A few creative minds, a few phone calls and it went through! What'd you think of it?
AS: I thought it was a great concept to have this walking tour of unique physical installations as a way to present the album as a first listen.
MR: That's why I was most pleased that it was a true individual interpretation of these artists and the way we found them — a few we knew their names, others we looked at their work and were curious as to what they'd make of the six pieces. So it was exciting for us to see what these artists see in the songs. And if we picked six different artists it would have been completely different too and that's the beauty of music and the visual interpretations thereof — to each his own. And it was exciting for us to experience what others "see" or "think" when they hear our songs.
AS: How's summer tour been? Any notable stories?
MR: We just did a string of festivals in Europe and… a more troubling story — we were at Pukkelpop [music festival in Belgium, where five people died after a stage collapsed] and the storm came through and just kind of blew the whole festival away and shut it down. That was really strange and surreal because we had just finished our set and the storm came through about ten minutes later. When we went on stage, the sun was shining, we played a 45-50 minute set and it darkened up. We loaded pretty quickly into the trailer, locked the doors, and the rain started. We went underneath a tent and boy, it just blew everything away. The timing for us was crazy — how did we just miss that? But the collective experience of what other people went through was devastating, just disastrous. So, that happened.
But on the flipside we played the David Letterman show and that was very exciting. We felt very lucky that whoever was choosing the music there and whoever was pushing us made it work out. because there's only two talk shows that we really wanted to ever be on and Letterman was #1 and Conan was #2. On our last record we got to play Conan when he was in New York.
Explosions in the Sky perform "Postcard from 1952" on Letterman:
AS: Did you have any directive to keep it under four-and-a-half minutes or anything?
MR: That was exactly it we had to edit a song to three-and-a-half minutes but to tell you the truth, Biff, the stage manager who's in a lot of the bits and all the crew guys said that in the 20-30 years that they'd been working for CBS of this program they had never seen an instrumental rock band on the show. So it felt really good that, man, we made some sort of impression on someone to allow us that venue.
AS: You guys are based in Austin. Do you have any crazy LA stories?
MR: We just discovered the Umami Burger a couple trips ago and that's really tasty so we try to make our way there. LA's a cool place for us to come visit. Growing up in Texas, anything outside of Texas was almost make believe so even when we went to New York for the first time it felt really good. We've celebrity sighted a few people — saw Tim Allen get some coffee one morning that was pretty funny. The crowds in L.A. have been so good to us that it's one of those checkpoints on the tour that we have a good feeling the shows going to go really well. The cemetery, Palladium, and even starting at the Knitting Factory and working our way up.
AS: How would you feel about doing the Hollywood Bowl with the Philharmonic?
MR: We used to want to play it but not anymore. We've heard enough about it that we kinda lost our interest. But I know it's a beautiful place but if the opportunity came up it's something we'd consider.
AS: Have you considered collaborating with an orchestra?
MR: We've batted around the idea of making an orchestral composition of the album — without us. Just a symphony playing it. It's something we've talked about for a while but the execution is tough to pull off. We're talking to a great orchestral transcriber right now out of San Francisco and if we all stay on course than it might be something that could happen in a few months or a year.
Metallica did it already where the band played with the symphony… this band we love — Mono, out of Japan, played with a symphony a couple times. If we could do it we'd like to do it a little bit differently. We'll see what happens.
CategoriesLos Angeles, musica, video Tagsconcert, fyf fest, interviews, live, Los Angeles, music, photos, video
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


My day started early at the Cleveland International Film Festival. This time I wasn't a spectator, but a volunteer, introducing films to high schools students coming to the Film Slam.
Tri-C is a major supporter of this effort to get students involved in watching, thinking about, and maybe making films, so we do a quick sales pitch at the start of each film.
I stayed to watch a few of the short films, but wasn't impressed. Plus I had other things to do.
I'm not all that interested in philosophy, but a poster for an upcoming meeting of Tri-C's Philosophy Club caught my eye.
A little humor goes a long way. In this case, it makes me almost want to attend the lecture on "The Value of Being Stoic."
Ben Woods, Senior Designer at Eaton Corp., makes a point about the current state of web design during a talk about Web Usability.
This was the third in a series of discussions I've been coordinating called Web Work / Web Wisdom.
You can get a taste of this and other events in the series by clicking on the link above. The next meeting, on April 27th, is You Can Do It! Starting a (Web) Business.


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