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Wilderness, experience, and commodity.
Posted on July 29, 2015 by cheapskateintellectual
The Internet's aflame with outrage over the killing of a male lion in Zimbabwe – a park favorite named "Cecil" – by a dentist from Minnesota. The lion was baited outside of park boundaries by the hunter's guides so he could be shot, which is not only immoral but illegal. I mourn the death of this animal. And amid the welter of issues to ponder here, I'm thinking of one: what does Cecil's death say about our lives, and our pursuit of meaning through purchased "experiences" — particularly in wilderness?
Big-game hunting in Africa — like all the other historical depredations of Africa's natural resources, from Congo rubber to diamonds — is very big business. (On the radio this morning, I heard that a hunt like this can cost $45,000 or more.) And it's an uncomfortable reminder that the last frontier (pun intended) of purchaseable commodities is experiences. Wealth and capital are being concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, and those hands are getting very full. When all your material needs are more than met, when you've fought for and won an Hermes Birkin bag or rare Swiss watch, what is left to want? What's unique? What's authentic? What's real? What can break the skin of habit that grows like mold over the surface of even the most privileged life? As Russian critic Victor Shklovsky famously wrote: "If someone compares his sensation at holding a pen for the first time and then holding the same pen for the ten thousandth time, he will agree with us…. Habit removes works, clothes, furniture, one's wife, and the fear of war."
One answer to these questions is experience: meaningful contact with something not yourself that expands the self and continues doing so in memory, Wordsworth-style. And the richer you are, the bigger the experience you can buy. You could become a Manhattan socialite summitting Mount Everest with her Dean & DeLuca espresso machine in tow (memorably described by Jon Krakauer in Into Thin Air.) You could become the star of a splashy, tacky pseudo-Tolkein wedding among towering redwoods. Or you could stalk and shoot a rare animal and bring its head home to hang on your wall as a reminder — once habit starts to reform over the surface of your life, like a skin on stale pudding — that once you felt something. (Never mind what the animal felt.)
Notice that all these "experiences" have one thing in common: contact with the natural world, even though they are still mediated by guides and tools (and espresso machines.) We still seek that world, as humans; it still nourishes us in ways we can't anticipate until we experience it. Craig Childs' great book The Animal Dialogues describes how encounters with animals — from grizzlies to mountain lions to owls to even our own housecats — can shake us up and open our eyes, knocking us off our self-appointed position at the center of the world in a way we need. We seek the wild, and what lives there. Yet as an impoverished, and impoverishing, landscape of asphalt and big-box stores covers more of our environment, we feel trapped, anxious, eager for contact with nonhuman animals and soil and sky and something that just feels real even if we have little idea of how to get there.
Wilderness hiking is one remedy. Rafting, biking, or even just walking down the street on a late summer evening, with the outrageously gorgeous mellow light of oncoming sunset in the sky, are others. So is horseback riding, and farming. So is hunting. I'm not suggesting all these are equivalent in every way, just that in my experience — and I have experienced all of them — they provide that burst of contact with reality we crave, the humbling and necessary and wondrous reminder that (to borrow from Matthew Crawford) there is a world beyond your head. An attentive encounter with the natural world — and the experience of deep interaction with it that hunters and hikers describe in varying forms — can rip the skin of habit away.
Yet this lion-shooting dentist should not call himself a hunter. He's a trophy-shooter. And even if you don't like hunting and don't participate in it, you might agree there is a difference between the two. Good hunters, like the ones I grew up with and deeply respect, would be the first to agree with you. One hunter friend distinguishes "shooting" from real hunting, which he describes a complex dance between hunter, dog [and sometimes horse], and environment, and in which the process of contact with a reality beyond yourself — not an object to hang on your wall — is the real goal. "Hunting," he writes, "is an honorable and noble venture that should be pursued with gear and guns that evidence knowledge of and respect for the sport's history, traditions and ethic." (Note: ethic.) The great Montana writer Rick Bass says of deer hunting, which feeds him and his family through the winter, "There's something up, out there in the woods, a thing that our scientists and atom-chasers and neutron-smashers will likely never be able to prove or discover — a braided spirit, is what it seems like to me — and sometimes a hunter finds him- or herself inside it, and other times outside it. It exists, though what to make of such knowledge, I am not quite sure, other than to try to remember, always, to say please and thank you." Another hunter I know speaks of mourning: "When I take an animal's life," he says, "I am taking a part of my own, as well." And like Bass, he always says thank you. The good hunter isn't seeking to buy an exceptional experience, including exceptions to human and natural law. S/he isn't after a trophy. S/h is seeking to submit himself or herself to the natural world and its laws, which will mean experiencing whatever that world decides is on offer that day. Fundamentally, this is a posture of humility, not arrogance.
Yet making the natural world available as a place of "authentic experience" also risks opening it up for economic exploitation as just another "resource" (one reason among many to resist the language of "natural resources.") What ethically grounds positive human-and-natural-world encounters, at least in my view, is the self-examination and humility involved, gratitude for one's place in a right relationship to the nonhuman, and the recognition that money is not the only measure of value in encounters with what's left of a wild world. Trophy-shooting is antithetical to population-balancing conservationism, self-sustenance, or meditative process (for the sake of which some hunters find but choose not to shoot their quarry, like a trout fisherman's catch-and-release.) And it's antithetical to wilderness ethics as many hunters know them: the quarry becomes mere commodity and the "value" in play is monetary, based on scarcity and capture and the degree of cash you shelled out to get that animal's head and show it off (again, think Birkin bag.) It makes very plain what critics of hunting in general will charge, not always unfairly: that in seeking their purchased "experience," these humans are subordinating other creatures unethically and carelessly to their own consumer desires.
And it does become a consumer desire, since money tends to focus every standard of value around itself. The Guardian writes, "Bryan Orford, a professional wildlife guide who has worked in Hwange and filmed Cecil many times, told National Geographic that the lion was the park's "biggest tourist attraction". Orford calculates that with tourists from just one nearby lodge collectively paying €8,000 per day, Zimbabwe would have brought in more in just five days by having Cecil's photograph taken rather than being shot by someone paying a one-off fee of €50,000." Yet even here, we're still insisting on money as a measure of Cecil's "value," rather than saying that Cecil, as an [increasingly rare] animal, has a right to exist, just because his presence on this earth contributes to the kind of wilderness human beings need for our own spiritual survival, whether we acknowledge it or not.
We can mourn Cecil, and we should. But let's not let Internet outrage substitute for real and difficult thinking about how we position ourselves on the continuum between exploitation of the nonhuman world and right relationship to it. This thinking can include developing the kinds of attention and humility that can foster non-consumerist experiences of the world and (as Father James Martin writes) can widen our view of of human and nonhuman suffering. Even though we may abuse it, we need to know that everything on this earth is not subordinate to us and our needs. And as humans, we need that to be the case, even as wilderness, in theory and in fact, gets increasingly rare, nibbled-away-at, and more in need of real defense.
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Looking for a space saving appliance? This Lec T50084W fridge freezer has been designed to fit perfectly underneath your kitchen counter. The doors are reversible so you can place it anywhere to suit your kitchen layout.
Fridge Compartment The shelves are made of durable safety glass which means they won't shatter in the event of an accident. They are also easy to wipe clean if any food or drink leakages should occur. The appliance has a removable door seal, allowing you to keep the unit squeaky clean in all the nooks and crannies.
Freezer Compartment The freezer compartment has a 4* rating, which means you can store your frozen goods for up to twelve months. The freezer section is located at the top for ease of access. It can even store your frozen goods for up to 15 hours in the event of a power failure.
Great Energy Rating The T50084 has an A+ energy rating, which will help look after the environment as well as saving you a few extra pennies.
Bought this fridge freezer to give extra fridge storage at Christmas and when people come to stay and needed a small freezer indoors for ice cubes, ice cream and similar instead of going out to chest freezer in garage. Freezer is quite a big space and separate door is ideal.
The Fridge Freezer is just as described. Class A+ energy saving, so thats good, The separate freezer compartment is large enough, and the fridge, although compact, is well designed.


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Q: How can I turn on the hotspot in Win11 in wifi settings? $connectionProfile = [Windows.Networking.Connectivity.NetworkInformation,Windows.Networking.Connectivity,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::GetInternetConnectionProfile()
$tetheringManager = [Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators.NetworkOperatorTetheringManager,Windows.Networking.NetworkOperators,ContentType=WindowsRuntime]::CreateFromConnectionProfile($connectionProfile)

#Start Mobile Hotspot
$tetheringManager.StartTetheringAsync()

I use this powershell script (and the task scheduler) to enable my hotspot at startup, and it works. Unfortunately it uses bluetooth rather than wifi, which is annoying as I have to open up the hotspot setting again to change it.
How do I start the hotspot with the wifi setting active instead of Bluetooth?

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This series of notes present artists' strategies for developing self-made public opportunities, with an emphasis on what is possible through autonomy and collaboration. In addition to these digital documents, a conversation was held between the featured artists as part of Open City/Art City, a day long free public symposium that seeks to leverage the role of artists in envisioning cities, produced by YBCA and The Institute for the Future. More details about the symposium are available at www.opencityartcity.tumblr.com.


Featuring engaging discussions and essays about women doing awesome work around the world, making a difference in their society, and contributing to a collective voice. See "Additional Information" for all of the featured women in this issue.
56 pages, full color, 100% recycled matte paper, perfect-bound.
Issue 08 features: drug reform advocate, graduate from Harvard Law, professor, mother of four, and author, Ayelet Waldman • American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics, Jane Jacobs • founder of Boss Babes ATX –– a Texas-based nonprofit that amplifies and connects women and non-binary creatives, entrepreneurs and organizers, Jane Claire Hervey • Farmer & founder of Soul Fire Farm, which is committed to ending racism and injustice in the food-system and raise life-giving food and act in solidarity with people marginalized by food apartheid, Leah Penniman • Founder & Executive Director of Electric Girls -- a program to engage young women in STEM through lessons on coding, web design, electronics, and robotics all led by women, Flor Serna • Founder of Safewordsociety a queer black woman owned & operated company launched to amplify the authentic narratives & experiences of LGBTQIA+ black and brown communities, Kristen McCallum • And 5 Women Intersecting Cannabis into their Business Practices: Nina Parks, Anja Charbonneau, Solonje Burnett-Loucas, Maya Shaw, & Victoria Ashley.
Edited by Meg Wachter // Contributing Creative Director Amanda Stosz // Cover Illustration by Lydia Ortiz // Printed by The Prolific Group // With contributors: Allison Plume, Amber Vittoria, Aubrey Edwards, Caitlin Crews, Emily Elliott, Fanny Luor, Leika Aguinaldo, Menlay Golokeh Aggrey, Molly Mendoza, Rachel Lee, Rhian Sasseen, S. Nicole Lane, Shawna X, Simone Noronha, Zai Aliyu.


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Metal alloys containing copper can destroy human norovirus, according to Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
"Human norovirus is an unusually infectious microbe that causes stomach flu, including copious vomiting and diarrhea. It is a major problem on cruise ships, in restaurants, and in elder care homes, where the disease is easily transmitted by environmental contamination," says Clyde Manuel, a doctoral student in the laboratory of Lee-Ann Jaykus, of North Carolina State University, Raleigh. "This is the first study to demonstrate copper's destructive powers against human norovirus."
Specifically, the copper surfaces destroyed both the virus' genome, and its capsid, or protein shell. "Perhaps these copper surfaces can be used on high touch surfaces, like door knobs, hand rails, and so forth, to prevent environmental transmission of the virus," says Manuel. He notes that a hospital intensive care unit that recently replaced other materials in high-touch surfaces with copper reduced the overall infection rate by half.
The cycle of virus destruction begins when copper ions generate free radicals from water and oxygen, and sometimes from certain sulfur-containing amino acids. Free radicals react energetically with molecules such as DNA and proteins, damaging and often destroying them.


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Funding boost for Liberties Learning Initiative
1 Apr 200470 Views
The Liberties Learning Initiative, the inner-city based education and training initiative based in the Digital Hub, is to receive renewed funding from its main corporate sponsor, Diageo Ireland, siliconrepublic.com has learned.
Diageo Ireland, whose headquarters are in St James's Gate, has been a leading supporter of the project since it began 18 months ago to the extent that the learning programme is now officially known as the Diageo Liberties Learning Initiative. The drinks company, which traditionally draws much of its workforce from the Liberties, provided funding of €1.3m during the first phase of the initiative and is now believed to be committing a further €1.3m for the 2004-2005 period.
As well as Diageo's sponsorship, the Liberties Learning Initiative also receives funding from the Department of Education & Science through the National Centre for Technology in Education, which funds professional development courses for teachers. It also supplies a seconded teacher to the project.
The thrust of the Liberties Learning Initiative is digital literacy – providing the local community with the opportunities to acquire the skills needed to live in a digital age and to work in the digital media industry, which will be located on their doorstep. It comprises four elements: school, community, enterprise learning and showcasing.
One of the early schools-related projects to get underway was Digital Storytelling, which aims to build on the Liberties' tradition of storytelling using digital audiovisual skills and production processes.
In all, over 210 students are participating in the project using technologies such as digital cameras, mini-disc recorders and laptops. The project will result in their stories being published on CD, DVD, the web and in print as well as a video documentary on the whole process.
The Digital Storytelling project has involved intensive teacher training over the past number of months in digital media skills. Twenty-five teachers are participating in the programme.
Another well-received project, 'Empowering Minds', uses lego to teach primary children a range of useful skills by drawing upon various subjects within the school curriculum including mathematics, art, English and history.
The Digital Hub catchment area consists of 16 primary and secondary schools, from St James Hospital to Synge St. All of them recently were kitted out with broadband, thanks to a €250,000 project funded by Smart Telecom. The system uses 34Mb point-to-multipoint wireless technology to deliver broadband internet from a transmitter on top of the Guinness Storehouse (the tallest building locally) to receivers positioned on the roof of each school. The service delivers broadband at speeds of 4.5mb, about ten times faster than standard 512mb DSL. In addition, in the first deployment of its kind in Ireland, Smart has installed Powerline Conversion Technology which uses the schools' own electrical wiring as the conduit for broadband. Schools are also equipped with special devices that are used to connect laptops to the mains.
According to Paul Lynch, business sales manager at Smart Telecom, the system is ideal for older buildings with thick walls and little modern cabling. "If you wanted to do wireless LAN you're talking about having equipment in every classroom because the signal won't translate between rooms so it gets prohibitively expensive. Similarly with a LAN based on Cat 5 cabling."
John Hurley, head of learning initiatives at the Digital Hub added: "From an education point of view we're trying to get broadband out of the computer room into the classroom. It's there that it will be much more effective."
Related: software, ed-tech, coding, Digital Hub, education, design, apps, gaming
Why this former Google lead is teaching kids the applications of AI
Exceptional young scientists examine deepfakes, quantum computing and more
Meet Ireland's Technovation World Summit winners

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Denis Verduga Zavala (ur. 14 marca 1953, zm. 9 grudnia 2014) – meksykański szachista i trener szachowy, reprezentant Ekwadoru do 1985, mistrz międzynarodowy od 1975 roku.

Kariera szachowa
W czasie swojej kariery dwukrotnie (1974, 1978) wystąpił w barach Ekwadoru na szachowych olimpiadach<. W 2000 był zgłoszony do olimpijskiej drużyny Meksyku, ale nie rozegrał żadnej partii. Oprócz tego, w 1971 r. reprezentował narodowe barwy na drużynowych mistrzostwach państw panamerykańskich.

W 1987 odniósł największy sukces w karierze, zwyciężając (wspólnie z Carlosem Garcia Palermo) w memoriale Jose Raula Capablanki w Camaguey. W 1988 zajął IV miejsce (za Wolfgangiem Unzickerem, Peterem Lukacsem i Julianem Hodgsonem) w kolejnym międzynarodowym turnieju, rozegranym w Almadzie.

Najwyższy ranking w karierze osiągnął 1 stycznia 1981 r., z wynikiem 2480 punktów zajmował wówczas 1. miejsce wśród ekwadorskich szachistów.

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 ChessBase Megabase 2008

Linki zewnętrzne

Ekwadorscy szachiści
Meksykańscy szachiści
Trenerzy szachowi
Urodzeni w 1953
Zmarli w 2014

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SORRY EVERYONE, BUT OUR GYM IS CLOSED TONIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT DUE TO POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS. SAFETY FIRST !
WE WILL RE-SCHEDULE THE LESSONS MISSED AND KEEP YOU POSTED VIA THE FACEBOOK PAGE AND THIS WEB PAGE FOR NEXT CLASSES.
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Yay it's October 1st!!! Fall has arrived and that means two things: less crowds and great weather. And a perfect time of year for a picnic! The leaves are starting to change color from green to orange/red/yellow which adds the dramatic backdrop. You have the location for your picnic all set: the perfect tree sitting in a nice meadow-perhaps on top of a hill-with lush green grass underneath. Not too hot and not too cold-in a word, perfect. Perhaps it's at your local park, lake, front lawn or even backyard. Picnics are all about the food, company, and of course, the perfect wine to pair with all of that. I have been trying a lot of affordable and picnic-friendly wines of late, and today I want to share my favorite picnic wine: Starborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017, New Zealand.
Day drinking is a delicate art; the wrong wine will have you napping under a tree before the fun day even begins. Most people at a picnic will like a white wine. They're often crisp and fresh and well-suited to sipping casually, outdoors. Sauvignon Blanc is a smart choice for any outdoor event, especially those held under the sun. And I highly recommend Starborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 . It pairs well with lighter dishes like salads, cold pasta, and "picnic food" such as sandwiches. Their light fruit flavors are ideal for outdoor food.
Evocative of New Zealand's iconic Marlborough region, Starborough Sauvignon Blanc has classic aromas of citrus fruit including lime and grapefruit accented by hints of stone fruit and fresh-cut grass. Passion fruit, guava and kiwi harmonize on the palate with hints of fresh green notes, complemented by crisp acidity and a juicy, refreshing finish!
As you may already know, picnic is all about the variety and ease. The food has to survive the time it takes to get to the picnic area, handle not being too cold for a long period of time. That's why crisp, delicious white wines are a must in these situations! And I think Sauvignon Blanc and crisp wines like it are always a good choice. They are bright, acidic, and loaded with crisp citrus fruit. Lighter white wines like Starborough Sauvignon Blanc make the food come to life while refreshing your palate.
There are many Sauvignon Blanc on the market but what sets Starborough Sauvignon Blanc apart is the way in which it evokes the subtle flavor of New Zealand's natural beauty. It's a sophisticated taste that's easy to like. Marlborough is on the east coast of New Zealand, with a ridge of mountains to the west, limiting rainfall and making it one of the sunniest areas in the country. They have plenty of time to soak up the heady atmosphere of sunlit mountains, fleecy clouds and pure blue skies. And that allows their wine to develop rich layers of character, so it can be as flavorful as it is crisp and refreshing.
So enjoy the next picnic you're on with friends and family. Pack your favorite foods with the confidence of knowing which white wine to bring with you now.
Thank you to Starborough Sauvignon Blanc for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.


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Overview of the past Half Year
Posted by psgels on 1 October 2013 with categories: Monthly Summaries
Inspiration can both be a blessing, and a curse. It's awesome to have, but often likes to strike at the most inconvenient moments. So hereby I present a list of my impressions of the series of the past half year. I've been feeling guilty for a while knowing that I can't write a full review for all of them, so hereby an overview, in order of how much I like them. With the ones that I finished I included their final rating. Also enjoy the big pictures.
And yes this is about the past half year. As in, the most recent six month, otherwise known as the series that aired in the spring and summer season. Not the winter season. Just the past six months.
Watamote, Blood Lad
These series started out as moderately fun comedies, but I did not expect them to become more than that so I did not watch more than two episodes. I've said this before: when I watch a comedy, I really want something with really good jokes and I want to laugh out loud, instead of just having to snicker occasionally.
Fantasista Doll
This one won the award of the OP song with the most chance of annoyingly getting stuck in your head. It had potential, but in he end it was just too childish. Those thingies that the lead character summoned were complete idiots, and I don't mean in a good way. Anime writers pay attention: there's a different being simple minded and stupid!
Free was a prime: finally there was a fanservice series for females that didn't have horrible production values or incredibly cheesy acting and it actually resembled something like an actual drama. It wasn't interesting enough for me to keep watching though.
Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
The first episode was really fun to watch, I dropped this after episode 2 though. Why? Because I did not think that the creators could match episode 1. I feared that it would be too much of the same thing over and over again with a few coming of age themes here and there. Was I right?
Servant X Service
This series actually did make me laugh out loud… in the first episode. I continued for five more episodes, but the wit of the first episode was just gone, and the characters descended into stereotypes. That otaku girl in particular. Dear god what happened to her? She used to be normal but devolved into this deranged fangirl.
Dagan Ronpa
Excellent premise, but Seiji Kishi. In the first two episodes I already saw hints that this would be a really lackluster adaptation and some stories I heard afterwards seemed to confirm this. Because of this I didn't watch past episode two.
Aiura
Beautifully made, but in the end it's just a random show about high school girls. Come on, someone put Ryouske Nakamura on a project that will actually put his talents to good use. I only watched four episodes of this one.
Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge
Crime Edge turned out to be a series that celebrated weird fetishes. Nice for a while, but after a few episodes it just got boring and formulaic, with every arc doing a different genre. It had its charming moments, but not enough and I dropped it after about 5 episodes.
Tamayura – More Aggressive – 75/100
I like series to be concise and to the point. A bit of lingering is okay of course, especially if it has interesting stuff to do, but Tamayura mostly just repeated itself in its second season and gave hardly any attention to the side cast. That's basically the reason for the low grade here: it was fine with just one season. Don't go and make it longer and harder to watch.
Hataraku Maou-Sama – 80/100
Oh, the promise that this series gave. For a while, it really was a lot of fun to watch, but alas: it couldn't keep up. It lost the spark that originally made it really funny, and the episodes, while still well written, started to become a bit of a chore to watch
Surprisingly, I didn't finish this show. I'm only something like five episodes away, but I can't think of a reason to finish it. I thought that it was good, but in the end none of the cast really made an impression on me, strangely enough. Even though the battles got good, and the characters were slightly fleshed out and developed, not to mention episode 19. I'm not sure what happened here… but I totally have no motivation to continue it.
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet – 81/100
Gargantia had a pretty interesting setting, but its plot had a few humps and bumps along the road, with characters that had strange motivations, or didn't really become engaging. Still, overall it was Enjoyable, and especially that AI was a great character in how it played off the rest of the cast.
Teekyu – 82,5/100
This show is just heaps of fun to watch with all of its energy and the creativity that the animators throw at the screen.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru – 82,5/100
Yahari Blahblah (yeah I'm still calling it that) started off rather mellow, and then something happened. Completely against my expectations, it turned into a very well written high school drama with relatable characters. The cast consists out of characters who look like stereotypes, yet aren't and the show actually made quite a few good points along its run.
Yondemasuyo, Azazel-San – 82,5/100
For me, this was the best comedy of the past half year. Utterly hilarious but also completely shameless. It often had me wondering what the heck the creators were thinking and smoking. Sometimes in bad ways, but when it was funny, it really was funny.
Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi – 84/100
This show really had a great premise, and I loved how it showed all of the characters coping with it. It had a strange sense of plot twists when it suddenly pulled random twists out of nowhere at the most random moments, but that did give it a unique spin. It's a melancholic but very engaging and thought-provoking series.
Gatchaman Crowds – 84/100
Gatchaman Crowds got a lot of flack for not making any sense, but in the end, I loved this series as a quirky action series with an imaginative premise. In fact, the summer season stood out in how its series had some really great ideas for their premises. At its core, this is a series that celebrates social media, and all of the chaos that comes along with it. It has absolutely nothing to do with the original Gatchaman, but if it used this title in order to get funded, then it is a sacrifice that had to be made. It was a bit weird sometimes, but it built up into a very satisfying climax.
Uchuu Kyoudai
I've mentioned this before: Uchuu Kyoudai has fallen. It used to be the best, incredibly well written and really engaging characters. It's still there, putting a lot of detail to its characters, but its sense of pacing is totally gone, and it feels like they're just randomly adapting the manga now without any soul left. It's a bloody shame because this show deserves some good treatment here.
Hunter X Hunter is really difficult to rate because my opinion of it just jumps all over the place. The Chimera Ant arc for a long while just took waaay too much time building up and too much time was spent on training arcs. Now that those are over though, this series has suddenly become amazing lately, with the main storyline and objectives having completely changed. These are the characters at their best for the entire remake's airtime.
Silver Spoon – 86/100
Silver Spoon, an anime about a farming school. It's got a lot of similarities to Moyashimon, but the big difference is that it's meticulously planned: everything is there for a reason, either for a good joke, or some sort of character-development, and that character-development is really good and well thought out. I really was surprised how this series did not shy away from the darker side of farming and it tackled that issue with a lot of respect.
Uchoten Kazoku – 86/100
Uchoten Kazoku for me stood out as the best non-sequel of the past summer season. It was chock full of cultural references, and with most of its characters being either Tanuki or Tengu, they actually acted like that. It's a fun and whimsical series, that still can be really intelligent when it wants to, and the dialogue in particular switches from really simple-minded to intelligent and well thought-out.
Rozen Maiden 2013 – 86/100
My only gripe with this show is the cliff-hanger at the end. Apart from that, this show gave a terrific new spin to the Rozen Maiden anime, and turned a to of characters completely upside down. I really have to praise the plot for taking risks, and trying out something different, and the themes of the series rock as well: every character here is trapped in some way. The creators also managed to make this a very varying series by cleverly putting characters on a bus in order to focus on others.
Shingeki no Kyojin – 87,5/100
This really was the epic of the past half year. No other series came close to its production values, or its sense of action. The pacing was slow, but it always gave us the impression that humanity is completely screwed, and that the titans are just inches away from wiping out humanity altogether. The creators put so much detail into this series, and it looks gorgeous, and the great thing is that it's also really quite smart: the battles are full of tactics and people trying their best to think straight. This really is just one of those series that deserves the praise that it gets.
Aku no Hana – 89/100
I spent a long time thinking about my favorite series of the past half year. I mean it was obvious for me that it would be one of these two. Both shows were just fantastic, though unfortunately unfinished. However in the end I gave Aku no Hana the edge. Yes, it's completely unlike any other series that we've seen before, but what really won me over was the sheer atmosphere of this thing. This is filled to the brim with emotions, The rotoscoping will push a lot of people away, but that's not the only thing about this series that's controversial. The incredibly slow pacing also was an incredibly risky move, but it works oh so well. The series is so chockfull of details that it allows us to get to know the characters on a deeply personal level.
KaZuHiRo says:
psgels, Majestic Prince's ending was spectacular! Trust me on that!
Kurini says:
I was about to comment on that! I serisouly love Majestic Prince! I had so much fun while watching it and the ending was really satisfying!!
IKR! The ending was the best part of the sereies! Best ending of the entire year – makes the ending of Shingeki/Gargantia/Shinsekai/Aku seem like cookie cutter shows.
imredjimmy says:
I originally dropped Majestic Prince after 3 episodes because I wasn't that impressed, it was just fine. But I've been hearing great things about it so I'll probably marathon it sometime later this year :)
brianwuzhere says:
While I will agree that it was quite an action-packed finale, it's held back by how abruptly it ends due to the lack of a proper epilogue. Also, it sounds a little weird to hear unconventional shows like Aku no Hana and Shinsekai Yori being described as cookie cutter.
DmonHiro says:
Dude… SERIOUSLY? You watch 19 episodes of Majestic Prince… and stop RIGHT BEFORE THE BUG PAYOFF?! That's like running a marathon, stopping before the finish line and saying "Ah, screw it, I don't feel like crossing it". The last episodes are fantastic. The last episode, in particular, was amazing. Sono Gyaku played at the beginning was fantastic, and really gave it the do-or-die feeling. Seeing them all charge into battle… WOW.
Andmeuths says:
In many ways, Stella C3 Bu's second half subverts the coming of age story. In attempting to become "strong", the protagonist overshoots and descends into being an asshole. No, it's not a cliche coming of age story. So, yes. I'm afraid you were wrong.
Deadlights says:
Psgels, Stella C3-Bu had a fantastic second half in my opinion. It went down a slightly darker direction than I anticipated.
Glad to see Aku no Hana as number one. 89/100 is too low of a score :P
ronbb says:
You know what, I actually quite like this post. It's clean, quick, and straight to the point — it's a good alternative to your monthly summaries.
I'd rank some of the shows differently, but in general I agree to your list, and apparently, this summer season turns out to be pretty good — if not better than spring, in my view. I agree that Uchouten is the best non-sequal. One thing though, Watamote isn't just a comedy. It gets darker and more heart-wrenching. Most importantly, it is trying to tell what it's like for someone suffering from social anxiety disorder, and the comedy is simply to lighten up the tone on the subject matter.
mezzoguitar says:
The only reason I watched Fantasista Doll was because of your positive first impression post of it. Ultimately, I finished and enjoyed the show. It has a weird brand of tongue-in-cheek humor (like the first Macross series) in which the characters take their situation very seriously, but the things that happen on screen look absurd and silly. For example, the main dolls defeat another group of dolls by cutting onions in their faces and making them cry, and their ultimate attack is a giant cannon which shoots Sasara out of the barrel.
Fantasista Doll is a light-hearted and charming imitation of a children's cartoon. I'm sad the show didn't turn out the way you wanted, but it was a very pleasant anime to watch for me. Thanks for introducing me to it, Psgels.
Flawfinder says:
I actually liked Danganronpa whilst not really liking Uchouten or Silver Spoon (director's fault). Yes it's stupid, but it's my kind of stupid.
I don't really agree that Summer > Spring because of the existence of Aku no Hana and that maligned Eva 3.0 movie (which I loved). Still, it was pretty decent. Even the stuff I don't like, I can see why you would. Great list.
I'm glad you rated Aku no Hana high. It's horribly underrated.
kazid says:
Aku no hana first????
o well is expected in this blog, for me one of the worst series in the year and is reflected in his current ratings. Not underated for me.
The best in the past season was wattamote and servant x service, really well done comedic series. The rest of the season was meehh.
From the last two court series titan and majestic and the best overall hunter x hunter for me.
petitorenji says:
Yes. Aku no Hana is golden. But it could have done what it wanted to achieve in 1/2 the episodes. Slow pacing is great but it has to be done subtly and sparingly. At times, it just became "angsty teens doing angsty things". But perhaps the OST made up for everything.
You should have continued Servant X Service; you would have liked it! The character-into-stereotype is really not a problem after you fall in love with the characters. There's a sweetness to it that is not often present in other series. And the humor doesn't decrease! If you have time or are bored one day, you should follow up on it!
My fav by far was Uchoten Kazoku. That show was brilliant.
You really should watch Watamote it's quite amazing.
Mazz says:
Aku no Hana was one of my favorites, as was Silver Spoon. I like Rozen Maiden, but I just wasn't feeling it as much as the first 2 seasons (It was much darker, which was cool, but didn't have enough hinaichigo or desu). I didn't like Titan as much as you, I probably would have rated it below silver spoon (I will admit, the OST was golden). I havent seen Uchoten Kazoku yet (only 1st episode, will catch up today) so I can't comment but I agree with you about Kamisama. Watamote was a very big disappointment for me, as the first episode was pretty good imo. shame it turned out so bad.
And from the comments it looks like I'll have to watch majestic prince.
Ebisu says:
About c3-bu. Nope, you were not right. It's true part of the cast doesn't get too much fleshed out, but they did a great job with Yura through all the series (it had some dark side chapters masterly done in my opinion).
You should have seen at least until 4th chapter before cutting it off :3
Majestic prince was great too. I hope to see a second season.
About Blood Lad, it felt incomplete the ending (like cutting it when it starts to get awesome). It's more shounen than comedy too.
dp says:
"This really was the epic of the past half year. No other series came close to its production values, or its sense of action."
I think Yamato 2199 blew everything else out of the water in terms of epic drama, action, and production values.
Blood Lad is not a comedy series, nor a fighting series, is about love.


Pseudogout, also called calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD), is a form of arthritis that commonly affects the knees. It is characterized by the sudden and painful onset of swelling in one or more joints and is similar to gout. Symptoms can occur very quickly, sometimes over a few hours, and remain for approximately three to 10 days.
Gout is a condition that more commonly affects men, and can sometimes run in families. It is caused by small crystals forming in and around the joint due to an accumulation of uric acid in the blood.
Uric acid is a waste product that is created when the body breaks down purines, chemicals that are present in the nuclei of plant and animal cells. In humans, purines are categorized as endogenous purines, which are made by the body, and exogenous purines, which enter the body through food. As such, foods that are high in purines (such as alcohol, meat, and shellfish) should be avoided if a person has gout to limit the amount of uric acid the body produces.
Pseudogout is so named because of its clinical similarity to gout. However, pseudogout is caused by a different kind of crystal, called calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Additionally, it is not connected with diet or alcohol consumption, as is the case with gout.
It is not clear why the calcium pyrophosphate crystals form, and not everyone who develops crystals in their joints will experience pain or swelling. Painful 'attacks' of pseudogout may be due to the release of calcium pyrophosphate crystals into the joint fluid attracting white blood cells.
A mutant ANKH gene located in chromosome 5 has been studied for its link to familial cases of pseudogout. The ANKH gene is responsible for encoding a transmembrane transport protein that generates extracellular inorganic phosphate, which facilitates the growth of pseudogout crystals.
Accumulation of iron in the joints has also been identified as a possible contributor to pseudogout development from reports of the condition in patients with iron overload from transfusion hemosiderosis and hemophilia.
Pseudogout onset is characterized by hot, red, and swollen joints that are painful to move. Symptoms will usually develop suddenly.
Although gout can produce tophi, white bumps under the skin caused by the crystals themselves, bumps caused by pseudogout crystals can usually only been seen by X-ray.
To diagnose pseudogout, the doctor must be able to rule out other conditions such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and joint infections. A discussion of the patient's symptoms will begin the diagnosis. Blood tests, tests of the joint fluid, and imaging of the joint itself (ultrasound, X-ray, CT, or MRI scan) will show whether calcium pyrophosphate crystals are present in the joint.
Increasing age is thought to be a main risk factor for pseudogout. Approximately 3% of people in their 60s and 50% of people in their 90s will be affected by calcium pyrophosphate crystals.
A history of injury to the affected joint or a family history of the condition can also contribute to a person's risk of developing pseudogout. It can occur after a person has had pneumonia, heart attack, stroke, or surgery. Pseudogout has also been seen in people with thyroid problems, with high levels of calcium and iron, and in people with problems with the parathyroid glands.
There are no treatments available for eradicating crystals in the joints. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed to ease pain and swelling in acute attacks.
For patients who cannot take NSAIDs, such as those with impaired kidney function, a history of stomach ulcers, or patients who are taking blood thinners, the joint fluid may be drained. Corticosteroids may be injected into the joint instead of using NSAIDs to treat pain and swelling.
In rare and severe cases of pseudogout, surgery can be carried out to repair or replace joints damaged by the condition.
Studies have shown that transmembrane-transport inhibitors have reduced the production of extracellular inorganic phosphate in vitro, but there has been no evidence of the same effect occurring in humans. Treatments that directly target transmembrane transport, and treatments that directly target calcification in the joints may have the potential to treat pseudogout.
Additionally, an interleukin 1 beta antagonist has been used to reduce inflammation.
Psuedogout is clinically similar to gout with respect to symptoms. However, the type of crystals that form in the joints in pseudogout are different from those seen in gout. The risk of developing pseudogout increases with age and is it thought that incidence rates of pseudogout will increase with an increasing ageing population. Treatments generally focus on symptom management over disease eradication as it is currently not possible to remove pseudogout crystals from the joints.


A lovely antique tribal kilim from Southwest Iran, by the Qashqai, a Turkic speaking confederation of tribes, who are very prolific weavers. This is one of the classical designs in Qashqai kilims, executed in a great range of colors.
This is a very fine and soft weaving. It would benefit from being used in a low traffic area.


This gorgeous panel paperweight was made by Michael Hunter for Twists Glass in 2016. In the centre is a Marilyn Monroe picture cane that is surrounded by 10 triangular panels comprising purple rose murrine canes, large murrine canes of white and pink daisies and red hearts, and numerous multi-coloured complex murrine canes. The base is scratch signed "M Hunter Twists 16 1 of 1" with Mike's personal "MH" signature cane and a Twists Glass studio label. Boxed.


We'll move right along, but, if you've landed here and don't know what the heck is going on, it might help to check the first part of our tutorial at Windows XP Media Center and Xbox360.
Locating the individual files for each episode can be a challenge. DVD Shrink lists them under "Main Movie." If you have to you can resort to selecting each one and use the "Crop" feature to get a quick preview. When you're backing up a single movie from a DVD, you won't face this added challenge. The "Crop" function is a great way to remove content that you don't want in the movie.
The "Compression Settings" tab will allow you to disable compression. Don't forget to uncheck unwanted soundtracks or subtitles. You won't get DTS streaming to the Xbox360 so forget about it. The audio will be provided by Dolby Digital, unless you can email me a way to do something different. I'll update this tutorial if someone can explain to me how.
This directory's content is great for a DVD, but we don't want it. It'll play back on Media Center as a DVD, but will not stream to Xbox360, even after renaming the .VOB file .MPG.
Get rid of everything that isn't our .VOB. Now, rename the .VOB file something more descriptive. For this we'll just name it after the Sin City episode. Change the extension from .VOB to .MPG.
The result should be a Media Connect compatible MPG file ready to stream to Xbox360.
Find an image you want to represent the movie or episode. Name the image "folder.jpg," and place it alongside your MPG file in a directory.
Upon completion of these steps each episode will reside in a separate folder. Each episode will be located in a "Sin City Recut" folder and placed along side the other movies and videos in your media collection.
On Xbox360 bring up Windows Media Center and use the remote (or wireless game controller) to select Videos.
Here is what a typical video collection might look like. No more waiting for Beastmaster to show up on HBO. With DVD Shrink, I can cut out all the parts of Beastmaster that don't have Tanya Roberts and NIN videos previously hidden on a concert DVD by cryptic combinations are now easy to access.
Making thumbnails of the graphic novel's cover art is easy to do and gives the menus a nice touch.
Your Xbox360 and Windows Media Center will now stream DVD video, so you can live happily ever after in entertainment bliss. Next, we'll take a look at the sticky issue of wireless networking in our final installment: Xbox360 Wireless Extender.


text:
UK Economy Expands 0.3% QoQ in Q1
In Q1 of 2013, UK gross domestic product increased 0.3 percent qoq, unrevised from the previous publication. GDP growth between Q4 2011 and Q1 2012 was revised from a fall of 0.1 percent to flat meaning Britain's economy did not suffer a double-dip recession as previously reported. GDP is estimated to be 3.9 percent lower than the pre-financial crisis peak in Q1 of 2008.
Quarterly growth in mining and quarrying (3.2 percent) and electricity, gas, steam and air production (1.4 percent) were largely offset by quarterly falls in manufacturing (-0.2 percent) and water supply and sewerage output (-0.4 percent). Construction output fell by 1.8 percent in Q1 2013, revised up from a 2.4 percent fall following an increase of 1.7 percent in the previous quarter. Output of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries fell by 6.3 percent.
Growth in the service industries resumed in Q1 2013, increasing by 0.5 percent, following no growth in Q4 2012 as the majority of the service industries experienced positive growth in the first quarter.
Output of the distribution, hotels and restaurants industries increased by 1.2 percent in Q1 2013 following a decrease of 0.5 percent in Q4 2012. Output of the transport, storage and communication industries rose by 1.4 percent in Q1 2013 due to increases in computer programming, consultancy and related activities, land transport and telecommunications.
Business services and finance industries output fell by 0.1 percent in Q1 2013. In Q4 2012 output rose by 0.4 percent. The decrease in Q1 2013 was mainly due to financial services. Output of government and other services increased by 0.4 percent in Q1 2013.
ONS | Nuno Fontes | nuno@tradingeconomics.com
UK Q1 GDP Growth Confirmed at 0.5%
Britain's quarterly economic growth was confirmed at 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019, above the previous three-month period's figure of 0.2 percent. Household expenditure, government consumption and investment contributed positively to GDP growth, while net trade contributed negatively.
UK GDP Growth Accelerates to 0.5% in Q1
The UK economy grew by 0.5 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2019, accelerating from a 0.2 percent expansion in the previous period and matching market expectations, a preliminary estimate showed. Private consumption, government spending and gross capital formation contributed positively, while net trade contributed negatively to GDP growth.
Britain's quarterly economic growth was confirmed at 0.2 percent in the three months to December 2018, below the previous three-month period's revised figure of 0.7 percent. Household consumption and government spending supported the expansion, while gross capital formation and net trade contributed negatively to GDP growth.
UK GDP Growth Slows to 0.2% in Q4
The UK economy grew by 0.2 percent on quarter in the three months to December 2018, easing from a 0.6 percent expansion in the previous period and matching market expectations, a preliminary estimate showed.
UK Q3 GDP Growth Confirmed at Near 2-Year High
Britain's quarterly economic growth was confirmed at 0.6 percent in the three months to September 2018, the strongest expansion since the last quarter of 2016 and compared to a 0.4 percent advance in the previous period. Household spending and exports were the main drivers of growth while business investment has fallen for three consecutive quarters, which has not been seen since the global financial crisis, in part due to Brexit-related economic and political uncertainty.
UK Economy Grows at Fastest Pace in Nearly 2 Years
The British economy grew by 0.6 percent on quarter in the three months to September 2018, following a 0.4 percent expansion in the previous period and matching market expectations, a preliminary estimate showed. It was the strongest growth rate since the last quarter of 2016 as household spending and exports rose firmly while business investment contracted at the fastest pace since early 2016 in part due to Brexit-related economic and political uncertainty.
The British economy grew by 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to June 2018, unrevised from the first estimate and above the previous period's figure of 0.1 percent. Household consumption rose faster than initially thought while business investment unexpectedly contracted amid uncertainty around Brexit.
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in Q2
The British economy grew by 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to June 2018, following a 0.2 percent expansion in the previous period and matching market expectations, a preliminary estimate showed. Household consumption rose further and fixed investment rebounded firmly, while net trade subtracted from growth.
UK Q1 GDP Growth Revised Higher to 0.2%
The British economy grew by 0.2 percent on quarter in the three months to March 2018, slightly above the second estimate of 0.1 percent and following a 0.4 percent expansion in the previous period.
UK GDP Growth Confirmed at 0.1% in Q1
The British economy expanded 0.1 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2018, in line with the preliminary estimate and well below 0.4 percent in the previous period. It is the lowest growth rate since a 0.1 percent contraction in Q4 2012, the second estimate showed.
UK Q1 GDP Growth Slows to Weakest in 5 Years
The British economy grew by 0.1 percent on quarter in the three months to March 2018, easing from a 0.4 percent expansion in the previous period and missing market expectations of 0.3 percent, a preliminary estimate showed. It was the weakest growth rate since a 0.1 percent contraction recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The British economy grew by 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to December of 2017, unrevised from the second estimate and following a 0.5 percent expansion in the previous period. Fixed investment increased firmly despite a slowdown in business investment, while net trade contributed negatively to growth.
UK Q4 GDP Growth Revised Down to 0.4%
The British economy grew by 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to December of 2017, below the preliminary estimate of 0.5 percent and following an upwardly revised 0.5 percent expansion in the previous period. Production output rose less than initially thought. On the expenditure side, there was a slowdown in growth of household spending and business investment.
UK Q4 GDP Growth Beats Expectations
The British economy grew by 0.5 percent on quarter in the three months to December 2017, beating market expectations of 0.4 percent, the preliminary estimate showed. The expansion was mainly driven by services and manufacturing while construction contracted for the third quarter in a row.
The British economy advanced 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2017, unrevised from the second estimate and following a 0.3 percent expansion in the previous period. Household consumption rose at stronger pace while fixed investment growth softened.
The British economy advanced 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2017, unrevised from the preliminary estimate and following a 0.3 percent expansion in the previous period. Household consumption rose at stronger pace, with car purchases recovering somewhat from a low Q2, while business investment growth softened.
The British economy advanced 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to September 2017, beating market expectations of 0.3 percent, the preliminary estimate showed. The expansion was mainly driven by services boosted by computer programming, motor trades and retail trade. Also, manufacturing returned to growth after a weak performance in the previous period while construction contracted for the second quarter in a row.
The UK economy expanded 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to June of 2017, unrevised from the second estimate of GDP and following an upwardly revised 0.3 percent expansion in the previous period. Fixed investment was the main driver of growth while household expenditure rose at a slower pace. From the production side, the services industries were the only positive contributor to output GDP growth.
UK Q2 GDP Growth Rate Confirmed at 0.3%
The UK economy advanced 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to June of 2017, unrevised from the preliminary estimate and following a 0.2 percent expansion in the previous period. There was relatively strong growth in government spending and investment, while household consumption rose at softer pace and business investment stalled.
UK Economy Grows 0.3% in Q2
The British economy advanced 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to June 2017, in line with market expectations and following a 0.2 percent expansion in the previous period, a preliminary estimate showed. The growth was driven by services mainly boosted by retail trade and film production and distribution, while construction and manufacturing contracted.
UK Q1 GDP Growth Rate Weakest In 1 Year
The UK economy advanced 0.2 percent on quarter in the three months to March of 2017, unchanged from the previous estimate, and following a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period. It was the weakest growth rate in one year, as household spending slowed while business investment rebounded. On the production side, growth was driven by output from the business services and finance, and construction industries, partially offset by declines in some consumer-focused industries.
The UK economy advanced 0.2 percent on quarter in the three months to March of 2017, below the preliminary estimate of 0.3 percent, mainly due to broad-based downward revisions within the services sector. On the expenditure side, household spending slowed while business investment rebounded.
UK Q1 GDP Growth Weaker Than Expected
The British economy advanced 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to March 2017, easing from a 0.7 percent growth in the previous period and below market expectations of a 0.4 percent expansion, a preliminary estimate showed. It was the slowest rate of growth since the first quarter of 2016, as services output expanded at a slower pace.
The British economy advanced 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to December of 2016, following a downwardly revised 0.5 percent expansion in the previous period and in line with a second estimate. Net trade and consumer spending boosted growth while business investment contracted.
UK Q4 GDP Growth Revised Up To 0.7%
The British economy advanced 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to December of 2016, following a 0.6 percent expansion in the previous period and above the preliminary estimate of 0.6 percent, due to upward revisions within the manufacturing industries. On the expenditure side, exports rebounded sharply while household expenditure rose at a slower pace and business investment contracted.
UK GDP Growth Beats Expectations In Q4
The UK economy advanced 0.6 percent on quarter in the three months to December of 2016, the same pace as in the previous period and better than market expectations of a 0.5 percent expansion, preliminary estimates showed. Services industries were the main drivers of growth, with a strong contribution from retail sales and travel agency services. Meanwhile, construction recovered slightly and production industries showed no growth, as a sharp contraction in mining and oil production offset a rebound in manufacturing and utilities.
The British economy advanced 0.6 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2016, the same as in the previous period and better than the second estimate of 0.5 percent expansion. Household expenditure continued to grow while fixed investment rose at a slower pace and net external demand contributed negatively. Compared with the same period of 2015, the economy advanced 2.2 percent following a downwardly revised 2 percent expansion in the precedent quarter and missing the second estimate of 2.3 percent gain.
The British economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2016, slowing from a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period and in line with the preliminary estimate. Net external demand was the main driver of growth, while household expenditure and fixed investment rose at a slower pace.
UK GDP Growth Beats Expectations
The UK economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2016, slowing from a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period but better than market expectations of 0.3 percent, preliminary estimates showed. It is the first GDP figure covering a full quarter following the EU referendum, suggesting growth continues to be broadly unaffected with a strong performance in the services industries offsetting falls in other industrial groups.
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.7% in Q2
UK's gross domestic product expanded 0.7 percent quarter-on-quarter in the three months to June of 2016, revised up from 0.6 percent previously estimated and higher than a 0.4 percent gain in the previous period. It was the 14th consecutive quarter of expansion, as household spending and fixed investment were the main drivers of growth, final figures showed.
Consumer Spending Boosts UK GDP Growth in Q2
The British economy expanded 0.6 percent on quarter in the three months to June of 2016, higher than a 0.4 percent growth in the previous quarter and in line with the preliminary reading. Household spending boosted growth and investment rebounded, figures from the second estimate showed.
The UK's economy advanced 0.6 percent on quarter in the three months to June of 2016, higher than a 0.4 percent expansion in the previous period and better than market expectations of 0.4 percent. Industrial production rebounded and posted the biggest gain since 1999, boosted by mining, quarrying and manufacturing while services growth slowed and construction shrank for the second quarter, preliminary estimates showed.
UK GDP Grows 0.4% in Q1 ahead of Brexit Vote
The UK's economy expanded 0.4 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2016, in line with preliminary estimates and slowing from an upwardly revised 0.7 percent expansion in the last quarter of 2015. Consumer spending was the main driver of growth while business investment shrank more than expected and exports declined the most in six quarters, final figures showed.
UK GDP Growth Confirmed at 0.4% QoQ in Q1
The British economy expanded 0.4 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2016, slowing from a 0.6 percent growth in the previous period and matching preliminary estimates. Household spending continued to support growth while exports shrank and business investment contracted for the second straight quarter amid uncertain results for the EU Membership referendum.
The British economy expanded 0.4 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2016, slowing from a 0.6 percent growth in the previous period and in line with market expectations, preliminary figures showed. The services sector led the expansion industrial production, construction and agriculture shrank.
UK GDP Growth Revised Up
The British economy advanced 0.6 percent on quarter in the last three months of 2015, higher than a 0.5 percent estimate earlier released and compared to a 0.4 percent growth in the previous quarter. Consumer demand remained the main driver of growth and the negative impact from trade came lower than expected while the drag from business investment was larger.
Household Spending Drives UK GDP Growth in Q4
The British economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the last three months of 2015, in line with the preliminary estimate. Growth was mainly driven by household spending while gross fixed capital formation and exports decreased, figures from ONS second estimate showed.
UK GDP Expands 0.5% in Q4
The British economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the last three months of 2015, accelerating from a 0.4 percent growth in the previous period and in line with market expectations, preliminary estimates showed. Services contributed 0.52 percentage point to the expansion while industry subtracted 0.03 percentage point.
UK GDP Growth Revised Down to 0.4%
The UK economy advanced 0.4 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2015, lower than preliminary estimates of a 0.5 percent gain and slowing from a downwardly revised 0.5 percent expansion in the previous period. Gross capital formation and public spending grew less than anticipated while the drag from net external trade was smaller than expected, final figures showed.
Net Trade Drags UK GDP Growth Down to 0.5%
The UK economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2015, slowing from a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period and in line with the preliminary estimate. Gross capital formation rebounded while net external proved a drag of 1.5 percentage points on overall growth in the quarter, figures from the ONS second estimate showed.
UK GDP Growth Below Expectations
The British economy advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the three months to September of 2015, slowing from a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period, according to preliminary estimates. Figures came lower than expected, as construction declined the most in three years and manufacturing remained depressed.
UK GDP Growth Confirmed at 0.7%
The British economy expanded 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to June of 2015, higher than a 0.4 percent increase in the previous period and in line with preliminary estimates. It is the tenth consecutive quarter of growth, driven by a surge in business investment and exports.
UK GDP Growth Accelerates in Q2
The British economy expanded 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to June 2015, in line with market expectations and boosted by business services and finance and gas and oil production, preliminary estimates showed.
The British economy expanded 0.4 percent in the first three months of 2015, better than an initial estimate of 0.3 percent and boosted by household consumption and investment. Still, it is the lowest growth rate since the last quarter of 2013.
The British economy expanded 0.3 percent in the first three months of 2015 matching preliminary estimates but slowing from a 0.6 percent rise in the previous period. Second estimates released by the Office for National Statistics showed a drop in exports and higher imports weighted down on growth.
UK Q1 GDP Growth Disappoints
The British economy expanded a weaker-than-expected 0.3 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2015, hurt by a slowdown in business, financial services and manufacturing and decline in mining and construction.
The British economy advanced 0.6 percent on quarter in the last three months of 2014, higher than 0.5 percent estimate released last month and driven by rise in exports.
The British economy grew 0.5 percent in the last three months of 2014, slowing from a 0.7 percent rise in the previous period, second estimates released by the Office for National Statistics showed.
UK Economy Slows More than Expected
British GDP advanced 0.5 percent on quarter in the last three months of 2014, below market expectations and compared with a 0.7 percent expansion in the previous period. Preliminary estimates showed services were the main driver of growth while construction and mining shrank.
The British economy expanded 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to September, in line with previous estimates but down from a revised 0.8 percent increase in the previous period. Household and government consumption were the main drivers of growth.
The British economy grew 0.7 percent in the three months to September, according to the second estimate released by the statistical office. Private consumption and government spending were the main drivers of expansion while business investment and exports shrank.
UK GDP Growth Slows in Q3
The UK economy expanded 0.7 percent on quarter in the three months to September, slowing from a 0.9 percent increase in the second quarter. Preliminary estimates showed services were the biggest contributor to the growth while mining and quarrying shrank for the second consecutive quarter and manufacturing posted the lowest gain in six quarters.
UK GDP Grows Stronger Than Expected
The UK economy expanded 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2014, up 0.1 percentage points from the second estimate, mainly due to changes in the GDP calculating methods. Figures for the first quarter were also revised to a 0.7 percent expansion, from a 0.8 percent increase previously reported.
UK economy expanded by 0.8 percent in Q2 2014, the second consecutive quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.8 percent, unrevised from the preliminary estimate published on July 25th.
The UK economy advanced 0.8 percent on quarter in the three months to June, the same growth rate recorded in the previous period, driven by the services sector. Preliminary estimates showed the economy is now 0.2 percent bigger than in the first quarter of 2008, its previous peak.
Investment Drives UK GDP Growth in Q1
The British economy expanded 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014, according to final figures and unchanged from the previous estimates, driven by business investment. Year-on-year, the GDP advanced 3 percent, slightly down from a preliminary 3.1 percent estimate.
UK GDP Growth Unrevised at 0.8% in Q1
UK GDP advanced 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014, unrevised from last month's preliminary estimate. While production, construction and services expanded on the quarter, agriculture shrank by 0.7 percent.
UK Economy Grows Below Expectations in Q1
UK's GDP advanced 0.8 percent in the first three months of 2014, marking a fifth straight quarter of economic expansion. While manufacturing and services climbed 1.3 percent and 0.9 percent respectively, agriculture and mining were down.
UK economy advanced 0.7 percent quarter on quarter in the last three months of 2013, in line with previous estimates. Full-year GDP growth in 2013 was revised down to 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent recorded earlier.
UK's GDP rose 0.7 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis in the last three months of 2013, matching initial estimates and recording its fourth consecutive quarter of growth. Compared with the same quarter of 2012, the GDP expanded 2.7 percent, revised down 0.1 percentage points from the previously estimated 2.8 percent increase.
UK GDP Growth Matches Expectations in Q4 2013
In the fourth quarter of 2013, UK's GDP grew 0.7 percent over the previous quarter, boosted by the services sector. Though matching market expectations, preliminary estimates showed the economy slowed in the last three months of 2013 from a 0.8 percent growth rate recorded in the previous two quarters.
UK Q3 Final GDP Growth at 0.8% QoQ
In the third quarter of 2013, the final reading for the UK quarter-on-quarter GDP growth was confirmed at 0.8 percent. Second quarter growth was revised up to 0.8 percent and the third quarter annual rate was also revised upwards, from 1.5 percent to 1.9 percent.
In Q3, United Kingdom GDP growth accelerated to 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter, up from 0.7 percent in the previous three-month period and matching the initial estimate. While production in manufacturing, construction and services boosted the expansion, electricity and agriculture shrank.
In Q3, United Kingdom GDP growth accelerated to 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter, up from 0.6 percent in the second quarter of 2013 and in line with expectations. Output increased in all main industrial groups and at its fastest pace in more than three years.
UK's gross domestic product increased by 0.7 percent between Q1 2013 and Q2 2013, unrevised from the previous estimate. The increase was broad based, with all three major industry groups, services, production and construction making positive contributions.
United Kingdom GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.7% in Q2
In Q2, UK's Gross Domestic Product grew by 0.7 percent, an upward revision of 0.1 percentage points from the previous estimate, and following growth of 0.3 percent in Q1 2013. The service sector continued to support growth, rising 0.6 percent and contributing 0.5 percentage points to GDP growth.
UK Economic Growth Accelerates in Q2
UK GDP grew by 0.6 percent in the second quarter from the previous three months, in line with expectations and double the 0.3 percent expansion in Q1. While services were the biggest contributor to the growth; agriculture, production and construction also expanded during the period.
United Kingdom GDP Expands 0.3% QoQ in Q1
UK gross domestic product in volume terms was estimated to have increased by 0.3 percent between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, unrevised from the previous publication.
United Kingdom Economy Expands 0.3% Quarter-on-Quarter in Q1
United Kingdom GDP increased by 0.3 percent in Q1 2013 compared with Q4 2012. GDP was 0.4 percent higher in Q1 2013 than in Q3 2011 and therefore has been broadly flat over the last 18 months.
U.K. GDP Contracts 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q4
The U.K. economy contracted 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, unrevised from the previous estimate, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed.
UK GDP Contracts 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q4
United Kingdom GDP Growth Contracts 0.3% in Q4
GDP was estimated to have decreased by 0.3 percent in Q4 2012 compared with Q3 2012 and to have been flat in Q4 2012, when compared with Q4 2011. GDP is estimated to have been flat between 2011 and 2012.
U.K. GDP Growth Revised Down to 0.9 Percent In Q3
The UK economy grew by 0.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2012, following three consecutive quarters of negative growth. Despite being revised down by 0.1 percentage points from the previous estimate, the latest quarterly growth rate remains the strongest since the third quarter of 2007.
U.K. GDP Expands by 1 Percent in Q3
After three consecutive periods of falling gross domestic product (GDP), the UK's economy grew by 1 per cent during the third quarter of 2012.
UK GDP Revised Up in Q2
UK gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms decreased by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2012, revised from the previously estimated 0.7 per cent decline.
U.K. GDP Contracts 0.7% in Q2
U.K. Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2012. The most significant contribution to this fall came from the construction sector; there was, however, also weakness in both the production and services sectors.
U.K. Economy Contracts 0.2% in Q1
U.K. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, driven by weakness in the construction sector and the production sector.
UK GDP Contracts 0.3% in Q4
UK gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms decreased by 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011, revised from a decline of 0.2 per cent previously estimated. For the year 2011, GDP in volume terms increased by 0.7 per cent.
UK GDP for the fourth quarter of 2011 dropped by 0.2%, a worse than expected figure that will heighten fears of a double-dip recession.
The UK economy bounced back between July and September with stronger than expected growth of 0.6% after it ground to a halt in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics said on December 22.
UK Gross Domestic Product rose by 0.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2011, driven by strength in the Services sector and the Production sector. The Construction sector showed a small decline.
UK GDP Growth Revised Down to 0.1% in Q2
UK gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms increased by 0.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2011.
UK Growth Remains Stagnant in Q2
The chained volume measure of gross domestic product increased 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, following positive growth of 0.5 per cent in the previous quarter.
UK Economy Expands by 0.5% in Q1
United Kingdom GDP rose by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2011, following a fall of 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010. GDP increased 1.8 per cent in 2011 Q1 compared with 2010 Q1.
UK Economy Contracts by 0.5% in Q4
UK GDP growth contracted by 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010, revised from a fall of 0.6 per cent previously published. GDP in the fourth quarter of 2010 is now 1.5 per cent higher than the fourth quarter of 2009.
UK Gross domestic product contracted by 0.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010, revised down from the previously estimated fall of 0.5 per cent. GDP in the fourth quarter of 2010 is now 1.5 per cent higher than the fourth quarter of 2009.
UK GDP Falls 0.5% in the Fourth Quarter
UK Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with an increase of 0.7 per cent in the previous quarter.
UK Third Quarter GDP Revised Down to 0.7%
UK gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms rose by 0.7 per cent compared with the previous quarter, revised down from the 0.8 per cent rise published in November. GDP in volume terms fell by 4.9 per cent during 2009, revised up from the 5.0 per cent fall previously published.
UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 0.8% in the third quarter of 2010, according to the Office for National Statistics, compared with an increase of 1.2% in the previous quarter.
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 1.2%
The UK economy grew slightly faster than initially thought in the second quarter, expanding by 1.2 per cent rather than the 1.1 per cent first estimated.
U.K. Economy Grows 1.1% in Q2
Britain's economy grew by 1.1 percent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics said, surprising markets that had expected more modest expansion.
UK Recovery Still Fragile
This week, UK GDP growth for the first quarter of 2010 was revised up to 0.3%. And although this number may look encouraging it is very unlikely that this year British economy will record any significant recovery.
UK Economy Grows More Than Estimated
The U.K. economy grew more than previously estimated in the first quarter as rebounding investment and the biggest jump in manufacturing for four years strengthened the recovery.
British Economy Grows Half as Much as Forecast
The U.K. economy grew half as much as forecast in the first quarter, underscoring the fragility of the recovery as Prime Minister Gordon Brown struggles to convince voters that his party deserves a fourth term.
U.K. GDP Grows at Faster-Than-Estimated Pace in Fourth Quarter
The U.K. economy emerged from recession in the fourth quarter at a faster pace than previously estimated, handing a boost for Prime Minister Gordon Brown with a general election weeks away.
U.K. Emerges From Recession at Faster Than Estimated Pace
Britain emerged from recession at a faster pace than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, providing a boost for Prime Minister Gordon Brown as he prepares for a general election within weeks.
British Economy is Recovering But is Not Out of the Woods
In the fourth quarter of 2009, the United Kingdom economy expanded 0.1% qoq, finally emerging from the longest and deepest recession since the mid-1940s. Yet, the recent wave of optimism may be way exaggerated since recent growth is mainly supported by fiscal and monetary stimulus.
British Economy Exits Recession
The U.K. economy crept back to growth in the fourth quarter of 2009, narrowly emerging from a deep recession that began in the second quarter of 2008.
U.K. GDP Revised Up to Show 0.2% Drop
The U.K. economy shrank less than previously estimated in the third quarter as a jump in construction and fixed investment brought the longest recession on record closer to ending.
USDINR 68.5450 0.0150 0.02%
ASX 200 6,662 10 0.15%
Rice 11.8304 0.05 -0.42%
Lumber 360.00 0.00 0.00%
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You can never have too many vintage suitcases.
Jim, what a beautiful lamp. I love the look of the antique corbels with a hint of color in between. Your best lamp ever!
Wow, did you ever do a great job!
OMG! I think YOU just won first place...buddy boy.
Do I ever love that dog food thingy. You have assembled a beautiful fall diplay.
Oh do I love that cart...beautiful.
I found an old wheelbarrow and loved your idea so much I copied it.
The whole look is wonderful. Good job!
I love the look of this place.
It's not the twelve best, it's THE best clock. You did a wonderful job with this Jim.
I think we would all love to have this in our kitchen. It truly is a masterpiece.
I love everything about these...beautiful.
Oh my my! This is the most amazing kitchen pantry ever. I would love to peek in your brain to see where all this comes from.
Rust and junk at its best...I love, love it!
WOW! I go away for a couple of weeks and you come up with my favorite project ever! This is such a beautiful industrial/chic table.
Jim, I love the end result. Keep up the inspiring projects.
Beautiful, beautiful display! The old shopping cart is just the best.
Thanks Jim for another clever and inspiring project.
I must say this is one of the most brilliant pieces of pop art / furniture I have ever seen.


text:
4 Sep, 2022 (Sun)
Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. The group temporarily disbanded in 2012 after 14 years of success and later reunited in 2018.
The group has released twelve studio albums: four as a five-piece and eight as a four-piece. They rose to fame with their debut international self-titled studio album, Westlife (1999). It was followed by Coast to Coast (2000), World of Our Own (2001), Unbreakable – The Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (2002), and Turnaround (2003), which continued the group's success worldwide. The group released their cover albums Allow Us to Be Frank (2004) and The Love Album (2006) and the studio albums Face to Face (2005) and Back Home (2007). After a hiatus of studio recording for almost one year in 2008, they released the studio albums Where We Are (2009), and Gravity (2010), and the compilation album Greatest Hits (2011). After eight years, the quartet group released their eleventh studio album, Spectrum, in 2019, followed by their twelfth studio album, Wild Dreams, in 2021.
Westlife is the act with the most Number 1 debuts on the UK Singles Chart, with all 14 of their chart-toppers landing there in their first week. They have the most singles certifications for a pop band on the UK number one singles artists chart since The Beatles. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Westlife has been certified for 13.2 million albums, 1.3 million video albums, and 10.6 million singles, with a total of more than 25 million combined sales in the UK. They are also currently ranked 19th with the most number-one albums of all time and sixth-highest band in the list. The group has accumulated 14 number-one singles as a lead artist as well as having eight number-one albums in the United Kingdom, making them Ireland's and non-British act's (since Elvis Presley) most prolific chart-toppers. In 2012, the Official Charts Company listed Westlife 34th among the biggest-selling singles artist, 16th amongst the biggest selling groups, and 14th with most top ten hits—all the highest for a boy band and a pop group in British music history. They are also the biggest selling album group of the 2000s, and three of their studio albums were part of the 50 fastest-selling albums of all time in the UK.
The group has the most consecutive number-one studio albums in a decade in the UK and Ireland for a band, since the Beatles, and for a pop band and act since ABBA. Also in Ireland, they have 11 number-one albums with a total of 13 top two albums, 16 number-one singles, as well as 34 top-fifty singles. They have sold over 55 million records. and are holders of the following Guinness World Records: first to achieve seven consecutive number-one singles in the UK; most public appearances in 36 hours by a pop group; most singles to debut at number one on the UK chart; and top-selling album group in the United Kingdom in the 21st century. Westlife is one of the most successful music groups of all time, among the highest-profile acts in 2000s popular culture in most territories worldwide, and one of the few boy bands to have continued success after their commercial peak. On the best-selling boy bands of all time list, they are currently tenth worldwide along with the biggest-selling boy band from Ireland in history globally. They have received numerous accolades including one World Music Award, two Brit Awards, four MTV Awards, and four Record of the Year Awards. As a live act, Westlife has sold 5.5 million concert tickets worldwide from their fourteen concert tours so far. They hold the record for the most shows played at The SSE Arena, Belfast and SSE Arena, Wembley; this makes them the biggest arena act of all-time in the United Kingdom. They sold out Croke Park Stadium in their home country in a record-breaking five minutes. Their fourteenth, and latest concert tour is called The Wild Dreams Tour.
Origin: Byrne, Egan, Feehily, Filan and McFadden's beginnings
Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan, all schoolmates in Summerhill College in Sligo, Ireland, participated in a school production of Grease with fellow Sligo men Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael Garrett. They considered it as the start of Westlife. The sextet formed a pop vocal group called Six as One in 1997, which they later renamed IOYOU. Before this, Egan was part of a punk-rock bands called Skrod, and Pyromania. The group, managed by choreographer Mary McDonagh and two other informal managers, released a single titled "Together Girl Forever" under Sound Records which was written by Feehily and Filan with fellow Irish Those Nervous Animals and The Strong are Lonely band members Padraig Meehan and Daragh Connolly. Another song "Everlasting Love" included in the single was written by Feehily, Keighron, Meehan, and Connolly. There is also an unreleased song called "Good Thing". McDonagh first encountered Egan as a six-year-old student at her weekly dance classes, and came to know Filan and Feehily in their early teens as they starred in shows such as Oliver! and Godspell for Sligo Fun Company.
Louis Walsh, the manager of fellow Irish boy band Boyzone, came to know the group after Filan's mother Mae contacted him, but the group failed to secure a BMG record deal with Simon Cowell. Cowell told Walsh: "You are going to have to fire at least three of them. They have great voices, but they are the ugliest band I have ever seen in my life." Lacey, Keighron, and Garrett were told they would not be part of the new group, and auditions were held in Dublin where Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden were recruited. McFadden was part of an R&B group called Cartel before this.
The new group, formed on 3 July 1998, was originally named Westside, but as another band was already using that name, the group was renamed Westlife. It was revealed that Walsh was already calling them Westlife before the Westside name came along. In Westlife – Our Story, Byrne revealed that, unlike the others in the group, he was keen to change the name to West High. McFadden also changed the spelling of his name to Bryan to facilitate signing autographs. They managed to secure a major record deal the second time around under BMG with all other record labels competed. They signed a four million pound record deal with RCA Records. Westlife's first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone and Backstreet Boys' concerts in Dublin. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating was brought in to co-manage the group with Walsh. Later, they won a special Smash Hits Roadshow award at that year's Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. Their first live television performance as a group in Ireland and worldwide was on the Irish TV series and the world's second longest-running late-night talk show, The Late Late Show that had its broadcast on 13 November 1998. They performed "Flying Without Wings". The band then released an EP titled Swear It Again afterwards. Both recorded songs under Westside were produced by Steve Mac and written by Mac and Wayne Hector. Cowell chose the debut extended play and single with the guidance of his father, Eric Cowell, who stated then, "I think they will be big".
Great CHEyeCK 4 September 2022 at 23:28
I do love their songs..