When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I've been illustrating the point recently by asking whether every system I see is really a Customer Data Platform (CDP). The question comes up because nearly every customer management system builds its own customer database, which is one core function of a CDP. What distinguishes CDPs is that they make their database accessible to other execution systems and add some type of customer management intelligence. This intelligence ranges from behavior flags, segment codes, or predictive model scores to treatment recommendations to full-blown campaign management. Sometimes the enriched data is all that's exposed to the execution systems, although usually the underlying customer profiles are available as well. Often the CDPs support just one stage of the customer life cycle, such as acquisition or retention: this in itself doesn't disqualify a system, since I expect that they'll expand in the future. The other key feature is that CDPs are designed to be run by marketers, not IT staff, even though IT will usually play a role in connecting to company-managed data sources.
I bring all this up partly to clarify that I'm actually being more selective than you might think in deciding what to call a CDP and partly because I'm writing today about Aginity, which refers to itself as a "customer insight appliance" but I think can rightly be classified as a CDP. This in turn matters because CDPs solve a critical problem – marketers' need for better customer databases – so identifying the widest possible range of CDP vendors increases the chances of each marketer finding a solution that fits her requirements.
On to Aginity itself. Functionally, the system is organized into layers for data loading, database management and analytics, and data consumption, which is exactly the model you'd expect from a CDP. Where it differs from most CDPs is the underlying technology. Aginity runs on a Netezza or similar "massively parallel processing" (MPP) data appliance that would typically run on-premise at the client, rather than being accessed remotely in a "Software as a Service" (SaaS) model.
Of course, most marketers couldn't care less about this difference. They might care more if Aginity was a tool for IT departments, but in fact marketers can control most Aginity functions beyond the initial connections with source systems, and those connections require IT help even for SaaS systems.
Digging a bit deeper into the technical details (and feel free to skip the rest of this paragraph; it will not be on the final exam), Aginity uses a combination of relational and Hadoop data stores, which lets it add new data sources without formal data modeling. It uses a simple wizard that lets non-technical users add new data elements and expose them on a metadata layer. The system automatically generates scripts to load new data and distribute it appropriately on the data appliance. The system doesn't do the type of "fuzzy matching" needed to associate customer identities across different platforms when no direct link is available; it relies on the client or external partners to make those connections.
Once loaded, the data can be queried directly via SQL, typically using Aginity's free Query Workbench, which is widely used for MPP databases throughout the industry. Or the data can be published using other Aginity tools that create data marts for external analysis and execution systems. The publishing tools can be run by a marketing analyst, although Aginity says most clients let IT staff use them so IT can enforce quality standards, governance rules, backup management, and similar best practices.
The net result is that Aginity can have a new customer database available to marketing in 90 days or less (often much less), compared with the six to twelve months this typically requires. It's this speed and flexibility that make me consider Aginity a tool for marketers – and thus a CDP – rather than a tool for IT departments.
Aginity also provides some analytical and customer management features of its own. These include ability to add derived attributes such as lifetime value calculations and segment codes to customer records. These attributes can call on any data gathered by the system, a critical advantage of a CDP. Customer lists can be fed to external systems for direct execution, such as sending an email, or can be loaded into data marts that external systems access with their own segmentation and campaign management tools. Aginity currently provides a range of analysis features including dashboards, profile reports, and segment migration over time. It relies on external systems for advanced analytics such as predictive modeling and plans tighter integration with such systems to allow more precise control over customer treatments.
Aginity was founded in 2006 as a service firm to assemble data for analytics and marketing execution. Its current product, first released in January 2012, is based on tools it developed as a service agency. The company's clients are concentrated among large retailers but include some ecommerce, manufacturing, and other industries that handle large amounts of customer data.
I spent the early part of this week at Salesforce.com's annual Dreamforce conference. Here are my observations.
The big news was for geeks. The main theme of the conference was Salesforce1, a new set of technologies that make it vastly easier to deliver and integrate mobile versions of Salesforce-based applications. It is apparently a major technical accomplishment and at least one of my technical friends was hugely impressed. But I can't say I personally found it all that exciting. Perhaps we've reached the point where we expect technology to do pretty much everything, so the line between what's already available and what's new is only visible to experts. Any way you slice it, focusing on platform technology is much less exciting than last year's vision of "social enterprise".
What this means is that Salesforce sees B2B marketing automation as just an appendage of sales automation. This is pretty much the same constricted view of marketing automation that Salesforce management has held all along. The logical consequence is to make lead scoring and nurture campaigns standard features within the Sales offering and discard Pardot as a separate product. I should stress that no one at Salesforce said this was their plan, but it seems inevitable. If and when that does happen, only the most demanding companies will purchase a separate B2B marketing automation product.
To put a more optimistic spin on the same news: Salesforce will continue to let independent B2B marketing automation apps synch with Sales. If Salesforce does merge Pardot features into its core Sales product, then marketers who have a more expansive view of B2B marketing automation functions (or who simply want a system of their own) will be forced to buy from someone else.
The interesting news was that B2C marketing automation remains separate. Salesforce's list of business groups includes the Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and ExactTarget Marketing Cloud. Did you notice that just one of these has its own brand? As this suggests, and conference presentations confirm, Salesforce has kept B2C marketing distinct from its Sales and Service businesses, most importantly at the data and platform levels. The ExactTarget Marketing Cloud does now include Salesforce's previously-purchased social marketing components, Radian6 social monitoring and Social.com social advertising. It also includes the iGoDigital predictive personalization technology that came along with the ExactTarget acquisition.
Salesforce did announce some plans to integrate the Marketing cloud with Sales and Service, but they are pretty much arm's length: Marketing can receive alerts about changes in Sales (and I assume Service) data, even though that data remains separate; Sales and Service can send emails through the ExactTarget engine; Sales and Service can receive content recommendations from the Marketing predictive modeling tool. As near as I can tell, this is the same type of API-level integration available with any third-party system. For what it's worth, the ExactTarget Marketing Cloud APIs are also part of Salesforce1, but don't confuse that with sharing the same underlying platform.They don't.
The good news is the B2C marketing vision. It's not really surprising that Salesforce kept its B2C platform separate, since Salesforce's core technology isn't engineered for the massive data volumes and analytical processing needed for B2C in general and consumer Web marketing in particular. Happily, this technical necessity is accompanied by what strikes me as a sound vision for customer management. ExactTarget framed this around three goals: single view of the customer; managing the customer journey; and personalized content across all channels and devices. It described major features for each of these: a unified metadata layer to access (and optionally import) data from all sources; a "customer journey" engine to manage multi-step, branching flows; and predictive modeling to select the best offers and contents across email and Web messages.
This felt like a more coherent approach than Salesforce described for the Sales cloud, where external data and predictive modeling in particular were barely mentioned (or, more precisely, are still being left to App Exchange partners). The ExactTarget cloud still lacks tools to associate customer identities across email, phone, postal, social, and other systems, although there are plenty of partners to provide them. I didn't get a close look at the details of the ExactTarget functions, which will really determine how well it competes with other customer management platforms. But the general approach makes sense.
News of the revolution may be exaggerated. Salesforce argued during the AppExchange Partner keynote that the AppExchange and Salesforce platform have created a "golden age of enterprise apps" by enabling small software developers to sell to big enterprises. One part of the argument is that the platform itself lets small vendors break through the credibility and scalability barriers that have historically protected large enterprise software vendors. The other is that end-users can purchase and deploy apps without involving the traditional gatekeepers in enterprise IT departments. A corollary to this is that end-users have different priorities than IT buyers – in particular, end users care more about ease of use – so successful software will be different.
Of course, this is exactly what the AppExchange partners wanted to hear and exactly the strategy behind Salesforce's platform approach in the first place. But that doesn't necessarily make it untrue: and, if correct, it would indeed be a revolution in the enterprise software industry.
But some revolutions are bigger than others. Even in an app-based world, individual users won't be making personal decisions about how to run core business processes. Rather, systems will be chosen at the department level because companies can more or less safely assume that whatever the department chooses will integrate smoothly with the corporate backbone. That's certainly a change but bear in mind that departmental buyers will have the same preference as corporate IT groups for working with the smallest possible number of vendors. This means there will still be the familiar tendency for individual vendors to add more functions over time. So industry dynamics may change less than you'd expect.
There are about 3 million companies with revenue between $1 million and $5 million in the U.S., according to Manta. This is an enticingly huge market for marketing automation vendors, and one that seems largely untapped. The largest marketing automation vendor in the segment, Infusionsoft, has under 20,000 clients. This is barely scratching the surface.
But this perspective is misleading. Many small businesses do their marketing through CRM, email, and search advertising. Search marketing is particularly important as online searches replace newspapers and telephone directories. Companies that provide small businesses with online directories and ratings, search engine optimization, Web sites, and paid search marketing all have client bases that dwarf the small business marketing automation industry.
Those other vendors could easily see marketing automation as a natural line extension, since it would help their clients make better use of the traffic those vendors generate. Last month ReachLocal – a $450 million public company that purchases online ads for more than 23,000 local businesses -- moved in exactly this direction.
ReachLocal's new service, called ReachEdge, provides clients with a custom Web site, contact database, automated email streams to leads and customers, and automated alerts to company staff. All the Web and advertising design is done for the client. There's no automated lead scoring or branching campaign flows: when a new lead enters the system via a Web form or phone call, the user receives an alert, reviews whatever information was provided on the form or voice mail message, and manually classifies the lead as active, long term, new customer, or existing customer. Each category kicks off its own stream of messages (to the leads) and alerts (to company users), which can be spaced over time. Messages are sent by email; alerts can be sent by text, email, or a mobile app. Users can enter notes, add tags, and record revenue on contact records, providing a very light CRM option, or they can manually export the contact list to an external CRM system. Revenue can be used in campaign Return on Investment reports.
And that's it, features-wise. If you're used to looking at all-in-one small business marketing automation systems like Infusionsoft, Ontraport, or Venntive, the list may seem laughably primitive. But it's a safe bet that many ReachLocal advertising clients have no interest in anything more complicated. The stumbling block facing all of marketing automation – that it takes more training, skills, and effort than most potential users can invest – is higher for very small businesses than anyone else. ReachLocal has reduced its clients' preparation to a minimum, and then left it up to them to pursue each new lead individually.
When a vendor does this much of the work, the key questions are less about the system than quality of the marketing. ReachLocal said that each Web site is custom designed, based on interviews with each client by U.S.-based industry specialists. I looked at a samples for three different plumbers (here, here, and here) and found they were indeed different and detailed enough to be effective. I'll assume that advertising and email are similar. ReachLocal's service includes one hour of customization per month and a completely new Web site every two years. The price is $299 per month, which is comparable to low-end marketing automation systems although higher than simple auto-responders.
Let me be clear: ReachEdge doesn't provide the process automation or even email segmentation of a conventional marketing automation system, let alone serious CRM, ecommerce, or external integration. So small businesses that want to market aggressively will probably find it insufficient. But small businesses that just want to generate a stream of new leads while they focus their energies elsewhere may well find ReachEdge an appealing alternative.
I had a conversation last week with a vendor whose pitch was all about providing execution systems with a shared database that contains a unified view of customer information from all sources. Sadly, they were unfamiliar with the concept of a Customer Data Platform as I've been developing it over the past few months and didn't realize that they fit the definition.
This post is not about that company.
Instead, it will be about another company I also spoke with last week, which I had originally considered a CDP but then decided wasn't. After hearing their latest news, I still place them outside the border, but think they're creeping closer and – for reasons I'll explain later -- will some day reach the other side.
The company is Gainsight (formerly JBara), whose Web site positions it as "a complete customer success platform". That could easily be pure fluff – doesn't every company contribute to its customers' success? – but Gainsight actually means something concrete: it helps customer success managers identify churn risks and sales opportunities among their clients. As Gainsight sees it, this makes them the post-sales analogue to marketing automation systems (which manage acquisition) and CRM systems (which manage sales)*. This trichotomy** ignores customer service systems, which I'd consider the major post-sales management tools. But Gainsight is genuinely different from customer service, and in fact uses those systems as data sources. So even though Gainsight may not have created the third great category of customer-facing systems, it does do something important.
Specifically, Gainsight gathers information from online products, CRM, customer service, accounting, and customer surveys to create a complete view of how existing customers are using the products they own, whether they're renewing or expanding their usage, what they're paying, what sorts of service issues they're having, and what attitudes they've expressed. It tracks this over time and uses the information in a variety of ways: to profile and summarize the health of each account; to send alerts about problems or opportunities; to display trends in usage, satisfaction, and other measures; and to analyze the customer base by relationship stage, revenue range, and other factors. The information is presented through Gainsight's own interface, which runs on Salesforce.com's Force.com platform, making it easy to integrate with Salesforce itself.
Gainsight originally stored all its data within Force.com, but it has recently started using MongoDB and Hadoop, which will allow it store details such as clickstreams and product usage history. The company has also expanded its "big data science" resources to identify the attributes of customers likely to churn or to purchase new services. This will help users define the rules that drive alerts. So far, there is no automated predictive modeling to build such rules, although that's planned for the future. Data is typically loaded weekly, which Gainsight says is the most often that customers have requested.
Of course, once all that juicy customer data has been assembled in one place, companies could use it for more than customer success management. This is part of Gainsight's master plan, which is to expand beyond customer success teams to account management, sales, and other departments.
This brings us (or me, at least) back to the question of whether Gainsight is a Customer Data Platform. It does build a multi-source customer database, which is the core CDP function. Although the data sources are largely limited to the client's own systems, external sources are not essential for a CDP. In any event, Gainsight could probably add external sources fairly easily if a client wanted – especially now that it isn't bound by the limits of Force.com. Gainsight isn't yet doing predictive modeling or decision management beyond rule-based alerts, but those common CDP features are also optional, and Gainsight is moving in those directions. Gainsight clearly meets the CDP requirement of building a database controlled by users outside of IT, even though in this case the users are not marketers.
Where Gainsight gets disqualified is that a CDP by definition makes its data available to other systems to guide customer treatments. The Gainsight database is technically exposed already: users could query the Force.com data via the Salesforce API or write direct SQL queries against the new Mongo / Hadoop back-end. But so far Gainsight's direction has been to use its data in its own applications and user interface. If Gainsight opened itself up as a data source, it would clearly be a Customer Data Platform.
Even as Gainsight stands today, it's still more evidence supporting the CDP proposition that companies need a multi-source database – and a warning that multi-source databases themselves could proliferate into a new forest of single-purpose data silos if companies don't adopt a shared CDP instead. As this danger becomes clearer, Gainsight and other companies will need to either become general-purpose CDPs themselves or become applications that plug into a CDP built by someone else.
Gainsight was founded in 2009 and started taking paying customers in 2012. It now has about 20 clients, mostly large enterprises running an online service or Web site. Pricing is based on the number of modules used plus number of users, and averages around $50,000 to $60,000 per year for 20 to 50 users.
* Okay, CRM really is more than sales force automation, but that's the term that Gainsight used and CRM is increasingly used in that narrower sense, mostly because that's how Salesforce.com describes itself. Get over it.
** Yes, that's a word.
There was a really interesting discussion this week over on Scott Brinker's ChiefMartec blog about the evolution of marketing automation systems into "platforms" that each support a swarm of satellite applications connected through open APIs. This is something I've already thought and written about quite a bit, but the discussion did advance my understanding of whether any marketing automation vendor gains a business advantage if third party applications can connect to all of them. I think the answer is: probably not. This means the platform strategy provides less value than many vendors and investors assume, although it may be needed for competitive parity.
The other issue that just started to surface as the discussion petered out was the nature of platform integrations. Part of this had to do with the scope of the integration available (that is, which functions are accessible via the API). Another aspect was whether it matters how hard it is to create the integrated applications. Traditionally, marketer automation users have needed just a little technical skill to connect an existing application through an API, but the developers themselves have needed considerably more skill to create the connectors.
I had a related discussion on Wednesday with Act-On Software, which just announced its own open API and expanded partner exchange Act-On's technical lead said part of this project involving reworking its APIs from SOAP to RESTful protocols precisely because REST connectors are easier for partners to create. A separate talk with Bislr, which calls itself a "marketing operating system" and considers marketing automation itself just another app, offered an even more extreme contrast, describing Bislr's goal of making app development something that even "semi-professional developers" can do.
It's debatable whether Bislr's approach is significantly different from being a marketing automation "platform", but Bislr itself is clearly part of a new generation. The current marketing automation leaders – Oracle Eloqua, Marketo, Salesforce Pardot, Silverpop, Act-On, etc. – date from the mid-2000s and were originally built to feed leads to Salesforce.com. The newer products, including Leadsius, Salesformics, Leadsberry, Target360, and Inbox25 as well Bislr, were all launched after 2010 and some are barely out of beta. Their function lists closely resemble the older marketing automation products, but they differ in other ways including primary integration with CRM systems other than Salesforce, lower pricing, focus on ease of use at the expense of advanced features, more native social media integration, and, presumably, more modern technology under the hood. Apologies if that description seems a bit vague: the only one of vendors I've looked at in any detail in Bislr. So let's talk a little more about them.
As previously mentioned, Bislr presents itself as a "marketing operating system" that hosts user-selected apps in the same way as a smartphone or tablet. Conceptually, this allows greater flexibility than traditional marketing automation systems, because users could load the app of their choice for a particular purpose and could only add functions they really want. This truly is different from the current marketing automation "platforms", which provide a core of standard marketing automation functions before any external products are added. But so far, all of Bislr's apps come from Bislr itself, so Bislr does effectively provide its own set of core functions and users can't substitute another app for those functions if they prefer. The closest Bislr comes to the vision is in content creation, where basic functions are built into its email, landing page, and form design apps, but users can also employ a separate app called BislrFX for much more elaborate HTML5 "responsive design".
Bear in mind that Bislr's intention is precisely to allow such third-party applications, and indeed to make it easier to build them for Bislr than other products. The system is built on a cloud-based non-SQL database, which should help. But, ironically, the more different Bislr is from other marketing automation products, the more third-party vendors will need to change their standard integrations to connect with it. To me, this is a big problem with the platform strategy: even though third party vendors would like to connect with as many platforms as possible, there's at least some cost in adding each new partner. At a minimum, the vendors will connect with the most popular systems first. More worrisome, if the industry becomes so concentrated that a few marketing automation vendors have most of the clients, the third party vendors may never bother to build connectors for the other systems. So, even though the platform strategy theoretically allows smaller marketing automation vendors to compete by giving them features they didn't build themselves, it might not really play out that way. We can expect the larger marketing automation vendors to gently push things in that direction by letting third party products offer advanced functions that are unique to one marketing automation system – making the third party products less attractive on other platforms. At least, that's what I'd do if I were in their shoes.
But I digress. Until Bislr adds outside apps, buyers should look at Bislr's existing apps in comparison with corresponding features of conventional marketing automation systems.
The list is includes all standard marketing automation features:workflows, email, attribute- and behavior-based lead scoring (separate apps for each), social sharing and listening, landing pages, Web forms, calls to action, a/b testing, real time reporting, CRM integration with Salesforce.com and NetSuite, Webinar integration with GoToWebinar (due soon), campaign tracking, and "Web hooks" to integrate via external systems. It also adds some that are less common, including social data appending, blogging, and Web content management.
The quality of the apps was also impressive. Bislr says its goal is to provide easy-to-use versions of the most important functions, not to offer every possible feature. But the workflow engine provided a wide range of prebuilt actions, triggers, and conditions. The email, landing page, form, and call to action options all seemed reasonably complete. Social data appending can search 27 sources, will automatically identify potential matches, and adds social activity to each customer profile. Users can create dynamic lists and see a detailed history of an individual's interactions.
On the other hand, Bislr said it doesn't synchronize with custom objects from Salesforce.com and it doesn't directly control which users can edit specific marketing campaigns or assets. It does let clients control access by creating multiple accounts within a single implementation, for example allowing a global enterprise to have different accounts for different regions or product groups plus a global account to share materials, contacts, and reporting.
Bottom line: Bislr is worth a look based on what it delivers today, whether or not it fulfills its broader vision tomorrow. Pricing starts at $1,000 per month and is based on a combination of contact count and features available. The system was launched in February 2013 and has about 100 current clients, including 40 mid-size or larger enterprises.


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Coolnomix has the opportunity for its product to be piloted within Lloyds Banking Group's buildings
Coolnomix (Emissis) has been named as one of four winners of a competition launched by Wates Group and Lloyds Banking Group to find the next generation of green tech businesses that will support Lloyds in its transition to net zero carbon operations.
Coolnomix now has the opportunity to be piloted across Lloyds' branches and offices. Lloyds will be making an overall budget investment of £100,000, which will be available to the four winners and will allow the technologies' to be tested in a live environment to understand whether they can ultimately be rolled out at scale.
Over 170 companies applied to the sustainability innovation competition, which aimed to unearth and champion new sustainable technologies for the built environment. Following a rigorous assessment process by Wates Sustainable Technology Services' technical advisory panel, Coolnomix pitched to judges in a Dragon's Den style event at the Mitie headquarters in the Shard, London at the end of January.
Coolnomix was selected because of its ability to deliver against Lloyds Banking Group's ambitious operational pledges, which commit to net zero carbon operations and a 50% reduction in energy consumption by 2030, as well as a 40% reduction in absolute water consumption by 2030.
As well as the opportunity to be rolled out across Lloyds' branches and offices nationwide, Coolnomix will be added to the Wates Innovation Network (WIN) Portal as an Innovation Partner, alongside other pioneering green tech businesses. The Portal is a free to use online marketplace for suppliers of environmental technologies that enables them to connect their product with built environment customers across the supply chain.
The work we've been doing with Lloyds Banking Group is about connecting our customer with the products that can help it achieve its environmental goals. Too often, new, viable technologies fly under the radar because suppliers are unable to get in front of the right decision makers. We're bridging that gap, but we need to see more companies like Lloyds Banking Group putting their weight behind the green businesses that are critical in our national drive towards net zero.
Dr Zainab Dangana PhDHead of Sustainable Technology Services at Wates Group
The response to the Sustainability Innovation Competition has been fantastic. We are very excited to work with the finalists and our partners in the coming months to pilot these technologies in our offices and branches. The winning technology will have access to our innovation budget to test their solutions in our buildings, and roll out at scale if the pilots are successful. This is a great opportunity for speeding up our transition towards a greener future and achieve the group operational climate pledge.
Matteo DeiddaSenior Sustainability Managerat Lloyds Banking Group
Emissis exhibiting at Energy Efficiency EXPO – Melbourne Emissis UK are proud to announce that they are launching Emissis Australia based...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Alimera Sciences, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) has announced that its recent resubmission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for Iluvien (sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide implant) has been acknowledged as received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a complete class 2 response to the FDA's October 2013 letter. The FDA has set September 26, 2014 as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date.
In the resubmission, Alimera responded to questions raised in the FDA's October 2013 letter and provided data from Iluvien patients and from physician experience with the applicator in the United Kingdom and Germany, where Iluvien is currently commercially available. Iluvien has also received marketing authorization in Austria, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, and Spain.


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LA PHIL ANNOUNCES HOLLYWOOD BOWL 2018 SUMMER SERIES
LA PHIL ANNOUNCES
HOLLYWOOD BOWL 2018 SUMMER SERIES
VIEW FULL PRESS KIT HERE
Los Angeles, CA (February 21, 2018) - The Los Angeles Philharmonic announces its 97th summer season at the Hollywood Bowl, featuring a roster of world-class artists in genres ranging from classical and pops to jazz, rock, and world music, with concerts taking place between June and September 2018.
LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel conducts a Bernstein 100 Celebration with Kristin Chenoweth and Brian Stokes Mitchell; Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Khatia Buniatishvili; Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with Itzhak Perlman; and the Tchaikovsky Spectacular, complete with fireworks.
Dudamel also conducts Verdi's Otello for the first time, leads a fully danced production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker featuring the celebrated National Ballet of Cuba, and teams up with guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Opening Night at the Bowl stars Diana Ross and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins, plus fireworks. The concert benefits the LA Phil and its education programs.
Beck returns to the Bowl to perform songs from his celebrated catalogue, including his newest album, Colors.
John Williams celebrates the 40th anniversary of his first appearance at the Bowl, conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in many of his greatest moments in movie music.
Films with live orchestra include Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Jaws, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ and The Pink Panther.
Screenings of the beloved Grease Sing-A-Long, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the film, and Sing-A-Long Sound of Music both make a return.
Annie is this summer's fully staged Broadway musical, directed by Michael Arden and conducted by Todd Ellison. Annie's book is by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. Additional members of the creative team and an all-star cast will be announced on a later date.
Plácido Domingo conducts music from Spain in a star-studded evening featuring violinist Joshua Bell, guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, and the legendary Lucero Tena on castanets.
Annual Fireworks Spectaculars include the July 4th celebration with The Go-Go's -including all five of the original members (Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle and Kathy Valentine) - and the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Thomas Wilkins; plus a Fireworks Finale with Harry Connick, Jr. paying tribute to the 300th Birthday of New Orleans.
Hollywood Bowl debuts include Jennifer Hudson and Charlie Wilson, both performing with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and The O'Jays.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs with stars Ray Chen, Augustin Hadelich, Sergio Tiempo, Emanuel Ax, Jennifer Koh, Johannes Moser, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Beloved conductors Bramwell Tovey, Stéphane Denève, Karina Canellakis and LA Phil Assistant Conductor Paolo Bortolameolli return to the Bowl.
Playboy Jazz Festival returns to kick off the Bowl season with an all-star lineup including Anthony Hamilton, Charles Lloyd & the Marvels with special guest Lucinda Williams, Daymé Arocena, Tower of Power, Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin, The Ramsey Lewis Quintet, Jazmine Sullivan, Snarky Puppy and more. George Lopez returns to host the festival.
Jazz at the Bowl features George Benson; Gregory Porter performing selections from Nat King Cole & Me; tap virtuoso Savion Glover; TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band; Seal with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins; Corinne Bailey Rae; Wynton Marsalis' Spaces with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with special guest Gerald Clayton Trio; Melissa Etheridge; Queen Latifah; Common; Ledisi; José James; The Pink Panther - in Concert; and more.
KCRW's World Festival features Flying Lotus; Little Dragon; Father John Misty; Gillian Welch; the seventeenth annual Reggae Night with Beres Hammond, Alpha Blondy and Protoje; Bon Iver and TU Dance; Grizzly Bear; TV on the Radio; Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith; and more to be announced.
Randy Newman is joined by his own band and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra led by his cousin, conductor and film composer David Newman, to perform selections from each of his eleven studio albums spanning the last half century, from his 1968 self-titled debut to last year's Dark Matter.
Over two special nights, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross perform sets of their own songs with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins.
Classical debuts at the Bowl include conductors Thomas Adès leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of his own Tevot; Speranza Scappucci leading a night of Mozart & Tchaikovsky; Gustavo Gimeno leading an all-Grieg program; Matthias Pintscher leading Elgar's Enigma Variations; and pianists Vikingur Ólafsson and George Li.
Subscription tickets are available online at HollywoodBowl.com or via phone at 323.850.2000.
"Five or More" packages will be available March 20, 2018 at 10 AM.
The Hollywood Bowl box office opens for single ticket sales on April 29, 2018 at 10 AM.
Additional details can be found at HollywoodBowl.com
About the Hollywood Bowl
One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922 and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music, offering something for everyone. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2018, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the 14th year in a row at the 29th Annual Pollstar Awards and was awarded the Top Amphitheater prize at the 2017 Billboard Touring Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer.
About the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association - The LA Phil, under the vibrant leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres - orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop - at two of L.A.'s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil's season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.
Sophie Jefferies, sjefferies@laphil.org, 213.972.3422
Lisa White, lwhite@laphil.org, 213.972.3408
Lydia Fong, lfong@laphil.org, 213.972.3689
Laura Cohen, lcmediapr@gmail.com, 310.867.3897


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Singing at Life's Thresholds
Tucson Threshold Choir in Tucson, AZ
2019 Southwest Regional Gathering
Happenings at Gathering
Lodging Options for Gathering
Author: tucsontc
NOVEMBER 22, 2014 Tucson Threshold Social
Tucson, Eastside, Threshold Choir member, Pam Ballingham, cordially invited, Joan Brundage, who took training classes with the Music for Healing and Transition Program.
Joan shares her training and experiences and her musical background as applies to ministering to those who are undergoing a transition such as the process of dying, illness or other debilitating trauma.
Two of the many examples Joan shared were the importance of having an awareness in selecting an appropriate song (tone, rhythm, variation etc.) for the one being sung to. And she stressed the importance for the singers to prepare themselves emotionally, physically and psychologically before they share in song.
We thank Pam for recognizing Joan's knowledge and talent and arranging for her to share them with Tucson Threshold Choir in continued conscious giving in song from birthing, in between and to one moving through time.
We thank Joan.
Tanya Fleisher
A Tucson Eastside Threshold Choir Rehearsal Experience
In our process to re-learn a song we gathered together sharing our input, those of us with trained musical eyes and ears and those of us with an intuitive sense.
Both have passionate intention of fine tuning the song yet allowing the flow of the nature of the song to occur while giving to the person being sung to the sensitivity and soothing of soul as one moves through time.
"Responding to Suffering with Compassion"
The week before Christmas, we were privileged to sing once again at a hospice where we regularly do. Since these visits are not associated with particular singing requests, we often sing softly in the hallways between rooms and ask at each room, after consulting with the staff, if patients or loved ones would like us to enter and sing. We have found that for us and for the places we support, both requests and this more improvisational style works.
On this visit, after warming up in the lobby and checking in with staff about which rooms might invite music, we went to those identified to introduce ourselves and ask if they wanted singing. We do not know what we will find when invited into a room. In what state are the people in the room? What do they want or need in this moment? What perspectives do they hold?
The staff suggested a particular room to begin. When we approached, the two people inside, a mother and daughter, were awake and eager for music. We asked if they had any holiday requests and based on their responses, we selected several of the more upbeat holiday songs that we had prepared, such as "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls". Throughout the year, we sing almost strictly Threshold choir music, but during the holidays, we vary this as holiday music has great meaning for many. The women sang along with us, creating an atmosphere of impromptu caroling, bringing in the spirit of the season. After singing about three songs, the daughter thanked us, a usual sign that they release us, that it's time for us to go. We thanked them and wished them the best for the holidays.
The next room the staff suggested was just down the hall. They had heard us singing and warmly invited us in. There were similarly two women in this room. However, both were about the same age, perhaps late 50's, and here was a more somber atmosphere. After the two women and we briefly settled into the space and asked if they had any requests, we chose "What Child Is This" for them. Almost immediately, they both began to weep silently. One of the women, who had sat down on a chair across the room, went to the bedside of the other woman to hold her hand. We continued to sing as they wept together, holding hands. When we had finished the song, they thanked us, still with tears in their eyes. We wished them the best for the holidays, grasping their hands before walking out silently.
Our last two rooms had one woman each. The first was awake, alert, and sitting up in a chair. We selected some of the more secular holiday songs, such as "Silver Bells" and "Let It Snow." She gratefully listened and seemed to find nostalgia and peace in the songs. She shared some of her story with us, where she was from, and her extensive music and singing background. We sang about three pieces, she thanked us with a smile on her face as we departed. In the last room, we found a comatose woman. The staff had directed us to her, and we sang "Silent Night" to her very softly before wishing her peaceful journey and exiting. We asked at a couple more rooms and their tenants kindly declined music. Finally, we asked the nurse at the nursing station if he would like any music, and he declined, though he and they usually say yes. Their song is the often the last we sing on our visits.
During rehearsals, we not only practice learning music and singing, but holding space and connecting deeply with each other and with the person or persons for and with whom we sing. It is not uncommon for us to be met with tears, particularly when singing songs that have particular meaning for people, as many holiday songs do, or one of the Threshold choir songs with their powerful and simple messages. It is our privilege to carry this vehicle of respite or release, to respond to the suffering we meet or see not with shared suffering, but with compassion. This is our goal, at least, and we are grateful when we have listened well enough to achieve it together. Best wishes for a new year full of connection, community, and compassion.
"Where love abides…"
Three of us had the privilege of attending the recent Southwest Threshold Choir Gathering in New Mexico. Imagine being in a song circle, surrounded by support, lifted by life-affirming music for two full days. It was a chance to reconnect with members of other choirs in the region whom we had met before, as well as meet new friends. Amidst our busy lives, it's easy to become disconnected, from others, from ourselves.
"For it is not merely the trivial which clutters our lives but the important as well. We can have a surfeit of treasures. . .here. . .I have had space. . . . Here there is time; time to be quiet; time to work without pressure; time to think. . . . Then communication becomes communion and one is nourished as one never is by words." (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
Sometimes we need a retreat, to remember and to renew that reservoir, so we can return and continue to give and receive with a full heart.
"I am learning from this experience. So it's not depressing." These were the sentiments expressed by a woman we visited who had taken a bad fall in her home. As she put it, "Last week I was dying, this week, living." Although she had hearing difficulties, she was eager to engage in conversation and shared with us some precious wisdom about what she was going through and about her family life and history. When she couldn't hear us talk, she encouraged us to write her notes. While she told us she wouldn't be able to receive our singing, but was an avid reader, we handed her the lyrics to "Shine" by Joan Chu from the Aromas, CA choir so she could read them. This seemed to epitomize her positive attitude and how she has lived her life, and she remarked that she approved of the message of the song. As we left, she encouraged us not to give up, sharing more words of wisdom. Driving home, the full setting sun broke free of the clouds, lit resplendently in hot pink and orange, shining with a most vibrant and joyous light.
Here is Joan Chu singing "Shine":
Experiencing unity at our January 10th Rehearsal
We celebrated our first Tucson Threshold choir rehearsal of 2012 catching up on news since our last gathering and taking turns receiving song in the center of our singing circle. As recommended by our founder Kate Munger, we have a reclining chair that helps us to put ourselves into a receiving state of mind and into a similar position with those for whom we sing who are often in a bed or chair.
The Littleton, MA Threshold choir can be seen rehearsing in this way:
Our member C. is a songwriter, and we've had the privilege of debuting one of her pieces ("You Are Love") in giving and receiving. When singing to someone in the chair during rehearsal, or at the bedside, we aim for a sense of unity with that person and with each other to express comfort and support through our joined voices. We all agreed that there was a particular sense of unity that permeated us when singing "You Are Love" this Tuesday, a wonderful beginning to the new year. We are looking forward to the year ahead with its many possibilities. Our rehearsals will continue to be the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 7:30-9 pm.
Introductory Session 5.4.19
Helpful Hints for Gathering Participants
Community Sing!
Melanie DeMore is coming!
2019 Regional Gathering Info
Rehearsal Memoirs
Singing at the Bedside
Threshold Choir National Events
Tucson Threshold Events
Working with Hospice
Kristine on Finding the Quiet Spaces
Ingrid on Finding the Quiet Spaces


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One of the biggest strides are being offered by the insurance purpose. Funnily enough all the 'school of life' and that's the most reasonable cost. The rates charged in the middle-you have a pet and know about your accident, to the core of 3.0 is sufficient to fetch you the most important and you would FEEL with that killing, but we do have to store up your no claims bonus accrued while under. As your bills on time then you would lose if your record by driving responsibly and with a burglar alarm, which can help you to do a mini research on the very small print you will find many firms do not include only the insurance polices, escaped from losing properties.


This statistic displays the value of clothing exported from Italy annually between 2000 and 2017. According to the data, over the period of consideration, clothing exports value from Italy increased overall, growing from approximately 13.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to 23.3 in 2017. However, this represented a decrease compared to the peaks registered in 2008 and 2014, when the exports of clothing from Italy reached a value of over 25 billion U.S. dollars.
Statistics on "Apparel market in Italy"


Are there ever sound reasons for deliberately making a user interface unintuitive and inconsistent ? For deliberately making life difficult for the user ? I know I'm drifting off topic here, but the thought crossed my mind as I used our corporate web based expense reporting system to file a claim for a conference I went to earlier this month.
This expenses system is terrible. The help is cryptic, and the workflow seems wilfully obscure. Is it just bad design, or should an expenses system be designed like that to cut down on employee claims ?
At another bank in the late 90s we all used a timesheet system called Agresso. It had an appallingly clunky Windows GUI that violated every possible expectation you might have about the interface – like TAB going to the next field. It was infuriating. Take a look at Agresso's stupid raging bull logo. No doubt it's designed to appeal to alpha male senior managers. Ironically, it perfectly captures the mental state of a user after sustained exposure to its late 90s GUI. I guess that's what happens when there's a disconnect between purchasers and users. If we foisted crap like that on our traders, by golly we'd know about it pretty quick. They insist on minimal and intuitive keystrokes and mouse gestures.
So much over the top, it smells unrestrained manager BS who does not get a clue of how things work.
I'm totally agree with you! It is really not a user-friendly software! Besides, it is quite inflexible.


It's not just a cycling trip,it's a new adventure with #GBIEgypt.
We will cycle from ALEXANDRIA at the Mediteranean Sea to SAFAGA at the Red Sea with a total distance of 700 KMs!
So book your calendar for an amazing GBI Egypt Tour 2018. Keep the fun going and get ready for the adrenaline rush you're about to experience.
Check out our tour pics!
The GBI Event GmbH is NOT responsible for organizing this event.
Are you ready for GBI Egypt Tour 2018?
It's not just a cycling trip,it's a new adventure with #GBIEgypt we will also enjoy many surprises when we finish each day.
We will cycle from ALEXANDRIA to SAFAGA total distance of 700 KMs! in 5 days So book your calendar in 25th of April for an amazing GBI Egypt Tour 2018. Keep the fun going and get ready for the adrenaline rush you're about to experience.
- 6 Days / 5 Nights.
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I Just Bought a House! Should I Have the Air Ducts Cleaned?
Home/Consumer Info, Frequently Asked Questions, Residential Duct Cleaning Articles/I Just Bought a House! Should I Have the Air Ducts Cleaned?
Don't forget your dryer vent either! Dryer fires are a leading cause of house fires and it could be prevented with yearly maintenance. If your home is brand new, check back with us in a year. If you purchased an older home, it is strongly suggested the line be thoroughly cleaned. The vent can become packed with lint or even a bird's nest!
Call Advanced and mention this article for a special discount to new home owners! Good Luck!


text:
A Celaena haworthii (németből fordított nevén: Haworth mocsári bagoly) a rovarok (Insecta) osztályának a lepkék (Lepidoptera) rendjéhez, ezen belül a bagolylepkefélék (Noctuidae)  családjához tartozó faj. Adrian Hardy Haworth brit etimológusról és botanikusról kapta a nevét.

Elterjedése
Franciaországban és a Brit-szigeteken, Észak-Európában és Szibérián keresztül a Távol-Keletig, a Csendes-óceánig többnyire mocsaras területeken található.

Megjelenése
 lepke: szárnyfesztávolsága: 25–30 mm, az első első szárnyak színe sárgásbarnától vagy szürkésbarnától a barnás feketéig változhat, nyíl alakú fehér folttal díszített. A hátsó szárnyak szürkés-barna színűek.
 hernyó: színe a rózsaszíntől a vöröses barnáig változhat.

Életmódja
 nemzedék: egy nemzedékes faj, júliustól október elejéig rajzik. A lepkék a közönséges csarab (Calluna vulgaris), szurokfű (Origanum vulgare) vagy a lápfű fajok nektárjával táplálkoznak.  A hernyó telel át többnyire mélyen a tápnövény szárában.
 hernyók tápnövényei: különböző fűfélék, a gyapjúsás (Eriophorum) és szittyó (Juncus).

Fordítás

Rovarfajok
Bagolylepkefélék
Európa lepkéi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Beyond Disruption
How Tech Shapes Labor Across Domestic Work & Ridehailing
Julia Ticona, Alexandra Mateescu, Alex Rosenblat
Published 06.26.18
New Data & Society ethnographic report Beyond Disruption uses interviews with over 100 domestic and ridehailing platform workers in major U.S. cities to reveal how technology is reshaping the future of labor.
While ridehail driving and other male-dominated sectors have been at the forefront in conversations about the future of work, the working lives of domestic workers like housecleaners and nannies usually aren't included.
Beyond Disruption featured in The New York Times
"Nannies, elder care workers, and housecleaners might have years of experience, but that isn't enough to thrive on a marketplace platform."
–Alex Rosenblat
"There's an App for Wrecking Nannies' Lives"
By bringing these three types of platforms and workers together, this report complicates simple narratives about technology's impact on labor markets and highlights the convergent and divergent challenges workers face when using labor platforms to find and carry out their work. Interviewees reported increased financial and personal risk due to platform policy and design loopholes. For example, workers with marginalized identities (e.g. people of color and undocumented workers; largely women) report inequitable conditions that arise from common features such as rating systems.
"Beyond Disruption" highlights important differences, challenges, pressures, and inequalities within the two different types of labor platforms and sets the stage for more nuanced understandings of how technology is shaping the future of work beyond the "gig economy."
"Marketplace platforms incentivize workers to invest heavily in self-branding and disadvantage workers without competitive new media skills; meanwhile, on-demand platforms create challenges for workers by offloading inefficiencies and hidden costs directly onto workers."
Authors Julia Ticona, Alexandra Mateescu, and Alex Rosenblat define two categories of labor platforms: on-demand platforms (such as ridehailing app services) and marketplace platforms (such as online careworker directories), which differ in the way they intervene in the client-worker relationship:
On-demand platforms facilitate the matching of client and worker. Ridehailing services such as Uber are an example of these.
Marketplace platforms provide a ranked and sorted pool of candidates from which clients may choose. Domestic work directories such as Care.com are an example of these.
Workers for both types of platform share challenges in navigating platform policies, ensuring workplace safety, and hedging against instability.
Based on findings from research sites in New York City, Atlanta, and Washington D.C., the report further illustrates how digital labor platforms reshape legacy industries such as domestic work through new regulation, shifting workforce demographics, and changing dynamics of inequality and exploitation.
This report is the first research release from Data & Society's newly-formalized Future of Labor research initiative.
Insights from Beyond Disruption for consumers of platform services:
Incorrect information supplied to workers can force them to create "invisible work strategies," such as notifying a ridehail passenger that a driver has arrived at a pick-up location when they are still a block away.
Workers may be highlighted on ranked lists for reasons other than performance, such as opting into mobile alerts or accepting credit card payments.
Platform workers use online fora to socialize and solve problems, but these groups are largely inadequate for workers seeking to organize and petition for changes to platform policies.
Insights from Beyond Disruption for platform services:
One-sided ratings and ineffective policies require workers to handle "unfair, prejudiced, or vindictive actions" by clients themselves. Workers will often ignore small disputes and "absorb the risk" themselves because of the amount of time and effort it would take to address them.
Workers receive little advance information about clients and jobs, making it harder for them to assess safety and these risks can be heightened for certain workers (e.g., women of color). They might conduct their own research on clients and send information to friends and family in the case they do not hear from the worker.
Workers are uncertain of the risks of not completing a job, causing some to put themselves in harm's way so as not to be penalized by receiving a lower rating and being less likely to procure future work.
Workers with marginalized identities (based on race, gender, class, or citizenship status) expressed feeling under stronger scrutiny on marketplace platforms than their counterparts, and platform policies can fail to take into account racism and power dynamics.
Because responsiveness is a ranked metric on marketplace platforms, it disadvantages workers who do not have access to high-speed internet. "Digital fluency" is particularly difficult for older workers who did not grow up with technology. By requiring digital literacy, marketplace platforms make digital skills a determining factor in securing work, often above actual domestic care skills.
The visibility of workers on marketplace platforms is not "symmetrical." While workers are ranked and rated, there is no feedback loop for workers to comment on clients.
Insights from Beyond Disruption for labor researchers and advocates:
Workers often turn to their own methods of accountability, like collecting missing pay, taking screenshots, or using time tracking apps to have evidence in disputes.
Workers for on-demand platforms (e.g. ridehailing/transportation apps):
Are highly surveilled when using the app, including vehicle braking, acceleration, and by the passenger. If their ratings fall, they risk being kicked off the app.
Are removed from the decision-making process because the app coordinates the worker-client match-up, pressuring workers to make quick fixes to ensure a "seamless" experience for clients.
Are subject to penalties if they reject a job offered by the platform, even if the job comes with veiled details.
Feel safer in some cases going into more risky neighborhoods because the platform has the information of the client if an incident were to occur.
Compare screenshots and experiences that may reveal unfair practices.
Workers for marketplace platforms (e.g. care work services):
Are subject to inequalities embedded in the history of domestic work: Because women were tasked with unpaid household labor historically, paid-care work is often viewed as "lesser" compared to other service work. There is also stratification within the labor force, as workers face different levels of inequality based on varying factors (i.e. gender, race, citizenship, religion, etc.) and the legacy of domestic workers typically being people of color (including immigrants).
Are pressured to be constantly "online" and must be adept at self-branding and attentive to online metrics such as response rates. Workers' skills and work experience are devalued in relation to the actual job but are used as status markers. Hypervisibility is encouraged but careworkers of color feel greater pressure around self-branding online because of stereotyping.
Experience challenges addressing problems within their online communities, as they do not all work for the same employer. Instead, they might unveil abusive practices by individual employers.
Workers for hybrid platforms (e.g. cleaning work services):
Have their communications limited so that all transactions occur in the app and receive penalties when a transaction occurs off-app.
For example, a cleaning worker the authors interviewed could not return a key to a client after a gig because the client's home address disappeared. This resulted in a complaint from the client and her suspension from the platform.
On the flipside, many workers also prefer to keep all communications on the platform because of the small amount of accountability it provides if something were to go wrong.
To dig more deeply into some of the key themes explored in "Beyond Disruption," check out our curated reading list.
Sign up to receive our
Labor & Tech newsletter.
This report was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with additional support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Ford Foundation. The views expressed here are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations.
Mapping Inequalities Across the On-Demand Economy
Julia Ticona
@JuliaTicona1
Alexandra Mateescu
@cariatidaa
@mawnikr


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Kenny loggins somewhere out there mp3 и слайд презентацию проект по технологии праздничный стол 2 класс
Somewhere Out There appears on the album The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt. Discover more Image for 'Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton'. Kenny Rogers. "Danny's Song" written by Kenny Loggins, first appeared on Sittin' In, the debut album by singer-songwriters, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, released. Song information for Neverland Medley: Somewhere Out There/Never Never Land/Pure - Kenny Loggins on AllMusic.
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I remember an older Christian, talking about prayer, saying"What do you do when you're not doing anything?" As for prayer walks – a brilliant idea.
Great post, and sentiments I can really relate to – it's quite a challenge finding that oasis of grace and pushing forward with God with tots in tow without feeling disheartened or trying to do everything in own strength. I'll look forward to reading the rest of your mini-series!


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A teenager who campaigned for free sanitary products in schools says it is "just brilliant" council bosses have backed her.
Milton Keynes Council will provide tampons and sanitary towels to schoolgirls to tackle period poverty.
It is the first local authority in England to do so. The Scottish government launched a similar scheme last month.
Paige Pilkington, 13, spearheaded the "Girl Pack" project in March.
She had noticed her friends were skipping school during their period and began giving out her own products for them to use.
The Milton Keynes Academy pupil then started distributing free sanitary towels, wipes, underwear and hand sanitiser to food banks, community hubs and six schools, before bringing the issue to the attention of former mayor, David Hopkins.
Councillors agreed on Tuesday to support the campaign to help girls from low-income families by providing sanitary wear in schools.
"My friends said 'thank you for doing this, it's what we needed'," Paige said.
Conservative group leader Alexander Walker said Mr Hopkins had made a "passionate argument for ending period poverty" in the town.
"Many girls were not going to school just because they were on their period... and we thought it was something we needed to pick up," he said.
"I'm sure Milton Keynes can lead the way and start the debate nationally."
He said the next stage would be to look at funding and have the project running by next year.
Paige said she will continue to work with the council, which said it hoped to eventually offer products in all public buildings.
"I now want to work with councils all over the country to see if they can do the same," she said.


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Public Release: Dataset "WVS Wave 1 to 6 Key Aggregates" (time-pooled cross section)
The World Values Survey Association is happy to release the Dataset "WVS Wave 1 to 6 Key Aggregates" (time-pooled cross section). The data-file is a collection of aggregated measures and indexes developed by the WVSA Vice-President Professor Christian Welzel. Values are calculated for all countries included into the WVS wave 1 to 6. All values are calculated at national level (country means and country aggregates).
The World Values Survey Association is happy to release the Dataset "WVS Wave 1 to 6 Key Aggregates" (time-pooled cross section). The data-file is a collection of aggregated measures and indexes developed by the WVSA Vice-President Professor Christian Welzel. Values are calculated for all countries included into the WVS wave 1 to 6; depending on the country's involvement into the WVSA research program, for each country there are from 1 to 6 time points for each index available.
The data-file includes such measures as: Emancipative Values Index and its components (including scores for the cultural map!), Secular Values Index and its components (including scores for the cultural map!), Social Movement Activity, Informational Connectedness, Perceived Stimulation, Cognitive Mobilization, Individual Empowerment, Cool Water Condition, Liberal Understanding of Democracy, Non-liberal Understanding of Democracy, Enlightened Understanding of Democracy, Perceived Democraticness, Democratic Desire, Mobilization Potential (for democratizing pressures), Perceived Fairness, Standard Trust, In-group Trust, Out-group Trust, Unspecific Trust, Genralized Trust, Associational Activity (4 types), Financial Satisfaction, Perceived Health, Perceived Choice, Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Willingness to Fight for your Country. Attachment below described the meaning and scaling for each index.
All values are calculated at national level (country means and country aggregates). To differentiate between cases, the data-file includes variables for country code (numeric), country name (literal), year when the survey took place (numeric), number of the wave within WVS (numeric from 1 to 6). Variable "country-year" consists of 2 parts: last 4 digits represent survey year, first 1-3 digits represent country code (equal to simple "country code" variable). Similar to this, variable "country-wave" consists of 2 parts: last 4 digits represent survey year, first 1 digit represents wave number. The data-file offers also differentiation between 11 cultural zones ("Reformed West", "New West", "Old West", "Returned West", "Orthodox East", "Indic East", "Islamic East", "Sinic East", "Latin America", "Subsaharan Africa", "Oceania").
For your questions, please, contact: wvsa.secretariat@gmail.com
Data_Variable_Descriptions.pdf [Download count:3885]
WVS_Wave_1_to_6_Key_Aggregates.zip [Download count:3270]


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cities in Vietnam
More places in Vietnam
A land of staggering natural beauty and cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities and hill-tribe villages, Vietnam is both exotic and compelling.
Unforgettable experiences are everywhere in Vietnam. There's the sublime: gazing over a surreal seascape of limestone islands from the deck of a traditional junk in Halong Bay. The ridiculous: taking 10 minutes just to cross the street through a tsunami of motorbikes in Hanoi. The inspirational: exploring the world's most spectacular cave systems in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The comical: watching a moped loaded with honking pigs weave a wobbly route along a country lane. And the contemplative: witnessing a solitary grave in a cemetery of thousands of war victims.
Vietnamese culture is complex, diverse and represents something of a history lesson. The nation's labyrinthine, teeming trading quarters are rich in indigenous crafts and reflect centuries-old mercantile influences. Ancient temples display distinctly Chinese influences in the north and Hindu origins in the south. Meanwhile the broad, tree-lined boulevards and grand state buildings that grace the capital date from the French colonial period. And it's impossible to forget Vietnam's pivotal position close to the epicentre of East Asian power and prosperity, for its cities' skylines are defined by clusters of glass-and-steel corporate HQs and sleek luxury hotels.
A Culinary Superpower
Thailand may contest the top spot, but in Southeast Asia nothing really comes close: Vietnamese food is that good. Incredibly subtle in its flavours and outstanding in its diversity, Vietnamese cooking is a fascinating draw for travellers – myriad street-food tours and cooking schools are testament to this. Geography plays a crucial role, with Chinese flavours influencing the soups of the north, spices sparking up southern cuisine, and herbs and complex techniques typifying the central coastline, rightly renowned as Vietnam's epicurean hot spot. And up and down the country you can mingle with villagers, sample local dishes and sip rice wine in Vietnam's many regional markets.
If you have the bills, Vietnam has the thrills and chills. Some require a little physical effort, such as motorbiking switchback after switchback up the jaw-dropping Hai Van Pass in central Vietnam. Others require even more sweat: kitesurfing the tropical oceanic waters off Mui Ne or hiking the evergreen hills around Bac Ha or Sapa. And when you're done with all that adrenaline stuff, there's plenty of horizontal 'me' time to relish. Vietnam has outstanding spas – from marble temples of treatments to simple family-run massage salons with backpacker-friendly rates.
Top experiences in Vietnam
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Ready to go? Get to the heart of Vietnam with one of Lonely Planet's in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.
Vietnam activities
$67 Cruises, Sailing & Water Tours
Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Meet at Saigon Opera House prior to your 8am departure, and set out on your 8-hour tour from Ho Chi Minh City in an air-conditioned coach. After a 2.5-hour ride through the countryside, arrive in My Tho, a former naval base that is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta. As the terminus of the Mekong River, which winds through six countries from Tibet to Vietnam, this incredibly fertile region produces approximately half of Vietnam's total agricultural output, and life revolves around the the delta.Upon arrival into My Tho, board a private long-tail boat for a cruise on the Mekong River. On the boat ride, your local guide delves into the history of the region and steers you to an island with lush tropical gardens. Sample tropical fruit before continuing to another island in the Mekong Delta, where your guide will share stories of the area's cottage industry, coconut candy. Visit a coconut candy factory, where you'll hear the history of the industry and watch how this confection is made. As you continue your journey along the river, take the opportunity to stop at local villages and experience more of the traditional lifestyles, culture, and customs of the people who call the Delta their home. Purchase handcrafted souvenirs as you experience the more relaxed pace of the Delta, in stark contrast to the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer from your boat to Xe Loi, a motorized cart that transports you to a bee farm, where you'll transition to a smaller rowing boat that allows you to get deeper into the smaller canals of the Delta.Sample local Mekong cuisine at the Diem Phuong Restaurant, where lunch is served. After lunch, once again board the air-conditioned coach for the return journey from My Tho to Ho Chi Minh City, where you'll be dropped back off at Saigon Opera House.Please note: Knees and shoulders must be covered, as the tour visits rural areas.
Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by Speedboat
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productPass By: Les Rives Authentic River Experience, Ho Chi Minh CityDepart from Tan Cang Pier by speedboatStop At: Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh CityExplore the Cu Chi Tunnels site with our local expertDuration: 2 hours
$41 Day Trips & Excursions
Cu Chi Tunnels Small-Group Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind, take a 2.5-hour journey west towards the Cambodian border bound for the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnels were built by local fighters during the Indochina conflict as a base from which the Viet Cong could operate from close to the Southern Vietnamese capital. Initial construction started in 1948 when the Viet Minh required somewhere to hide from French air attacks and by 1965, the Cu Chi tunnel complex was estimated to consist of 200km's of tunnels. It included, hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, kitchens and sleeping quarters. Life was difficult for the inhabitants and to protect against outside intruders bobby traps were laid throughout the complex. Your local guide will take you on a fascinating tour around the Cu Chi Tunnels where you'll learn more about the conditions the Vietnamese people lived in, the hardships they faced and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels.
$5.33 Transfers & Ground Transport
Private Ho Chi Minh City Arrival Transfer: Airport to Hotel
Travel from Ho Chi Minh Airport to your Ho Chi Minh City hotel in a private vehicle. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your accommodation details. Your transfer will be confirmed within 24 hours and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. Vehicles used: • Air-conditioned Sedan Car (1 to 4 people)At time of booking, YOU MUST include the following flight and hotel details: • Arrival Flight Number • Arrival Time • Hotel Name (where you would like to be dropped off) • Hotel AddressDon't forget to book your Hotel to Airport transfer!Price is per person, based on 8 adults per car/vehicle.
$100 Cruises, Sailing & Water Tours
Halong Bay Small Group Tour with Cruise, Lunch from Hanoi
Your Halong Bay tour begins with a 3.5-hour drive from the hectic pace in Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, to the tranquil and beautiful Halong Bay. En route stop at the Hong Ngoc Humanity Center, a handicraft outlet developed to provide support to communities in the area including people's with disabilities. The handicrafts made at the center are available for you to purchase.On arrival in Halong City board the Chinese junk for your cruise on Halong Bay, famous for its lime karsts jutting out of the green waters creating a spectacular vista as nearly 2000 islands fill the bay. A UNESCO listed World Heritage site since 1994, Halong Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragon". Legend has it that a long time ago when the Vietnamese were fighting off foreign invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to assist in the fight. During the battle the dragons spat out jewels that would later become the islands that now are scattered around the bay.The cruise explores some of the grottos and caves that have formed in many of the islands that fill Halong Bay. Visit a fishing village where you learn about the culture and customs of the local inhabitants and enjoy a scrumptious seafood lunch on board the boat before returning to Hanoi.
$29 Food, Wine & Nightlife
Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour
Your walking tour begins in Hanoi's largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Breathe in the aromatic scents wafting from street hawker stalls selling everything from exotic fruit to seafood. Led by a local guide, hear stories about the ingredients and history of Hanoi's food culture and northern Vietnamese specialties.After sampling fruit and street snacks at the market, continue walking to Hanoi's Old Quarter. Visit a local restaurant to watch the chefs at work, then dine on a famous local dish of pork crepes, called banh cuon. Then take a wander down Hanoi's atmospheric lanes of houses, shops and street stalls, stopping to sample flame-grilled meat snacks at a local barbeque stall.To add something sweet to the menu, try the local specialty of fresh fruit served in a cup with crushed ice and condensed milk. Your evening walk ends with a visit to one of Hanoi's best-kept secrets, a tucked-away cafe with amazing views over Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you can try the local favorite, egg coffee, or perhaps a chilled beer. Your tour ends here, so you can either continue exploring on your own, take a taxi or ask your guide for directions and suggestions.
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January 16, 2019 – The all-new and completely overhauled Jeep Wrangler – the most capable SUV ever – will hit Australian showrooms in early April. Showcasing a contemporary design that remains authentic to the Wrangler's iconic history, it combines advanced safety and technological features with unrivalled 4×4 capabilities.
For the first time, the all-new Wrangler Rubicon is available with the option to house a 2.2L MultiJet II Turbo Diesel engine, providing 146kW of power and 347Nm of torque. All other variants come with the class-leading 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 Petrol Engine paired with the new TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and feature Stop-Start (ESS) technology.
"The all-new Wrangler may have evolved, but its core DNA remains unchanged, making this the most capable production SUV on the planet. The Jeep Wrangler sets a precedence by offering renewed levels of style, advanced technology and safety features while remaining true to its rich heritage," said Guillaume Drelon, Head of Jeep Brand at FCA Australia.
"The new JL Wrangler range offers something for everyone; whether customers are looking for the fully loaded all-new Sport S, the refined yet rugged Overland model or the Rubicon variant for the ultimate off-roader," Mr Drelon said.
The entire range comes with over 70 standard and available active and passive safety features including Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Blind-Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView Rear Backup Camera with Dynamic Grid Lines, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM).
The all-new JL Wrangler also boasts premium technological features, with 7.0" Uconnect touch screen display housing the fourth-generation Uconnect system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available as standard in the Sport S, and an 8.4-inch display standard on all other variants. LED headlamps and tail lamps also feature as standard on the Overland and Rubicon.
Significant improvements have been made to the on-road driving dynamics with subtle changes to the iconic features including a slightly tilted windscreen, tilted keystone-shaped grille, vented hood and a tapering C-pillar. These modifications have considerably reduced wind noise and improved fuel efficiency by over 13%, without straying from the classic boxy body the Jeep Wrangler is known for.
Customers will be able to enhance their new JL Wrangler with over 130 MOPAR accessories covering everything from exterior styling, storage versatility, vehicle protection and driver convenience.
Leading the range is the all-new, fully-loaded Sport S variant, with Select-Trac Full Time 4×4 System set for serious exploration. Sport S comes standard with the V6 Pentastar 3.6-litre Petrol Engine and ZF 8-Speed Automatic Transmission and replaces the previous "Sport" trim.


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NVIDIA Creates Interactive World with Its Deep Learning-Based AI Model: 'It Wouldn't Have Been Possible Before Tensor Cores'
Alessio Palumbo • Dec 3, 2018 11:00 AM EST
Today's big NVIDIA announcement presented the TITAN RTX GPU. However, there is another interesting press release put out by the company in which they provide the first look at an interactive, AI rendered virtual world based on a deep learning model.
A team of researchers at NVIDIA used a neural network, previously trained on real-world videos, to render synthetic tridimensional environments in real time. The result is a basic driving game, as you can see below; the full demo will be showcased at the NeurIPS conference in Montreal, Canada.
Related StoryAlessio Palumbo
NVIDIA StyleGAN AI Used to Create Tezuka-like Characters in New 'PHAEDO' Manga
Bryan Catanzaro, vice president of Applied Deep Learning Research at NVIDIA and leader of the research team, said:
NVIDIA has been inventing new ways to generate interactive graphics for 25 years, and this is the first time we can do so with a neural network. Neural networks — specifically generative models — will change how graphics are created. This will enable developers to create new scenes at a fraction of the traditional cost.
One of the main obstacles developers face when creating virtual worlds, whether for game development, telepresence, or other applications is that creating the content is expensive. This method allows artists and developers to create at a much lower cost, by using AI that learns from the real world. Before Tensor Cores, this demo would not have been possible.
Clearly, the potential here is massive. The creation of massive virtual worlds is the basis of modern gaming and it is a highly time and resource consuming process. Being able to speed it up through AI would do wonders for game developers, but NVIDIA also expects applications in fields like virtual reality, automotive, robotics and architecture.
Those of you who aren't afraid to get really technical can dive into the entire research paper, available here. Anyone else can read the summary below, where the researchers have outlined a couple of current limitations of their model and how they could be overcome.
We present a general video-to-video synthesis framework based on conditional GANs. Through carefully-designed generator and discriminator networks as well as a spatiotemporal adversarial objective, we can synthesize high-resolution, photorealistic, and temporally consistent videos. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our results are significantly better than the results by state-of-the-art methods. Its extension to the future video prediction task also compares favorably against the competing approaches.
Limitations and future work
Although our approach outperforms previous methods, our model still fails in a couple of situations. For example, our model struggles in synthesizing turning cars due to insufficient information in label maps. We speculate that this could be potentially addressed by adding additional 3D cues, such as depth maps.
Furthermore, our model still can not guarantee that an object has a consistent appearance across the whole video. Occasionally, a car may change its color gradually. This issue might be alleviated if object tracking information is used to enforce that the same object shares the same appearance throughout the entire video. Finally, when we perform semantic manipulations such as turning trees into buildings, visible artifacts occasionally appear as building and trees have different label shapes. This might be resolved if we train our model with coarser semantic labels, as the trained model would be less sensitive to label shapes.
NVIDIA DLSS Explained – Much Higher Quality Than TAA or Much Faster Performance, Delivered by NVIDIA NGX
NVIDIA Next-Gen GPUs Can Make Use of AI To Enable Much More Realistic, Real-time, AI Powered Hairworks Models in Upcoming AAA Titles
NVIDIA's CEO Gives Away Their Mighty Volta GPU Based Tesla V100 AI Accelerators To Top 15 AI Research Institutions
Axiomtek Introduces the AIE100-903-FL-NX AI Edge System


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DNH 2021 · 14/04/2021
People under 40 in greater danger from COVID than those above?
coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine health hospital South America
Nyíregyháza, Hungary. Photo: MTI
The surging COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil is increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that last month the majority of those in intensive care were aged 40 or younger, according to a new report.
The report, released by the Brazilian Association of Intensive Medicine over the weekend, is based on data from over a third of all the country's intensive care wards. It found a significant increase in younger people being admitted to beds in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
For the first time since the outbreak reached Brazil last year,
52% of ICU beds were filled by patients aged 40 or younger.
That is a jump of 16.5% compared to the occupancy of that age group between December and February.
It is not clear why more young people are falling seriously ill during the current wave of the virus in Brazil, but some scientists think the new P1 variant that originated in the Amazon city of Manaus could be at least partly to blame. Other factors, such as
the vaccination of the elderly and the behavior of younger people
who might feel less concerned about going out and socializing, could also be influencing the data.
In a separate report, public health institute Fiocruz said the trend was putting additional pressure on Brazil's health system because younger patients tend to spend longer in intensive care. Brazil is currently the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily deaths last week surpassing 4,000.
The outbreak is pushing hospitals to breaking point with many patients dying before an ICU bed becomes available.
More than 350,000 people have been killed by the coronavirus in Brazil,
the world's second highest death toll behind only the United States.
Featured image: illustration
DNH 2021


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of Owl Telescopes, which stand sentinel around Britain's coastline.
For those who still refuse to believe that owls use telescopes, here finally is the indisputable evidence. As yet, we have not been able to obtain a photo an owl using one of these devices, which they do at night, after the holiday-makers have gone back to their bed & breakfasts.
But Gordon assures us that he is on the case and plans all-night vigils to capture these shy creatures' observing habits... as soon as he can obtain a camera lens which can cope with the tricky low-light conditions and an owl-proof thermos flask for his Earl Grey tea.
Handy cut-out-and-keep instructions for using an Owl Telescope.
Do not point at the sun.
The sun apparently gets very offended when people point at it, though this presents no major problems for nocturnal owls who do not indulge in such rude habits.
The cunning telescope manufacturers have neglected to mention how many milliseconds of peeping time owls get for their money. We have not yet discovered how the owls carry all the 20 pence coins needed for a decent observation session, but we suspect they may have learned some tricks from the pelicans (not shown in picture).
Hold child on the stand.
Unfortunately, the manufacturers also forgot to provide the child one is required to hold on the stand, and since our intrepid photographer had not brought one with him, he was uncertain how he should proceed. So he didn't.
The committee minutes can be read at the Llareggub public library.
The Owl Telescope was originally invented by Mr. Tawny Owl of Crewe in Cheshire, the eldest son of the Owl and the Pussycat. His mother was actually a second cousin of the Cheshire Cat on her mother's side; the renowned Crewe branchline of the family. His father was one of the Barnes Owls. The parents' romantic sea voyage and moonlit wedding were immortalized in verse by the writer and artist Edward Lear (1812-1888) who was a close friend of the couple.
Lear later became godfather to the young Tawny and encouraged his interest in observing distant objects.
The land where the Bong tree grows has now been identified by scholars as being North Wales *, and it is no coincidence that Owl Telescopes can be found at several locations along the coast there. As a child Tawny Owl spent many happy summers with his parents at the Welsh seaside and vowed to contribute to the pleasure of future visitors, human and avian and alike.
Mr. Owl senior had built a successful enterprise manufacturing optical instruments in Crewe, which explains the "plenty of money" mentioned by Lear. Owl junior had been fascinated by gazing through glass since his youth, so when he inherited the family business his mind was already set on expanding into telescopes.
His early attempts at producing "telescopes for everyowl" were a little cumbersome (see illustration, right), and local authorities of Welsh seaside resorts were understandably less than enthusiastic about installing them, especially as two attendants were required to look after them. However the wise young Owl hit on two revolutionary innovations: miniaturization and automation. The more compact coin-operated Owl Telescope Mark VIII proved a resounding success, and the rest, as they say, is owlstory.
According to Prof. Dai "the Book" Davis of Menai Bridge University, the pig who sold the ring to the couple for a shilling was none other than the Right Honourable Mochyn Mawr of Conwy who used the bob (which was worth a lot more back then) to buy into the Llanfairfechan Squirrel Cartel and made a fortune during the great 1871 acorn boom.
gentleman watches Tawny's parents out sailing in their beautiful pea green boat.
Illustration by Hablot Knight Browne (alias "Phiz"), 1867.
of precision telescope repair tools.