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Is SharePoint Online a Document Management System?
Sharon Sumner - Office 365 / Power Platform Evangelist & Speaker 20th April 2020 23rd July 2020 Interesting Stuff
I am often asked if SharePoint can be used as a document management system – this is quite an odd question as that is exactly what SharePoint is…so how did we get to the point where that is questionable?
SharePoint has been through quite a revolutionary journey from petty file share to modern Intranet in a box. However, we seem to have got to a point where the visual has overtaken the reputation of the functional. So, let us clarify and answer the question asked:
What do we need from a Document Management system?
Version control is usually the first requirement. However, a great deal of a solutions functionality is being able to handle major and minor versions alone. In SharePoint we can review and re-instate any previous version, major or minor. We also can determine who sees which version, allowing a published version to remain live while contributors edit it in private.
With modern SharePoint pages, where news and information display alongside many other modern and clever webparts, we can now schedule when content is published from draft for general availability.
Approval Processes
While older versions of SharePoint, installed on premise rather than in Office365, had in built publishing and workflow, SharePoint Online uses the new Power Automate (formerly flow) functionality. Approval can now be triggered or approved simply on a mobile phone or notifications sent to Microsoft Teams adaptive cards for approval.
One of the key features of SharePoint is the fine-grained control of permissions that can be applied to sites, document libraries, documents, and lists. Every location in SharePoint looks different to every user – you can only see the documents you have permissions to see and therefore some pages may show you 2 document libraries while other users can see all 4 libraries that are there.
The permission levels are totally customisable: out of the box each SharePoint site gives Owners full control, Members have contribution access and Visitors, read only access. Permissions can be inherited from a parent site in a hierarchy structure or in the more modern structure where sites belong to a hub in more of a wheel and spoke relationship model.
Controlling the permissions in SharePoint has always needed, and still does, a governance plan. SharePoint groups instead of users should be assigned permissions and it is important to understand that the delegation of the assignment of permissions can easily become a full-time role for a site owner without sufficient training. Given the risk of traditional "SharePoint Sprawl" (a phenomenon where unplanned site structures become huge and unwieldly) a well-considered Information Architecture, when moving to SharePoint Online, is imperative.
Searchability
Since the inception of SharePoint content types: meta data has been at the forefront of the offering. Meta data allows you to adorn documents with additional facts about the context of the document without changing the document itself. The associated information allows the inbuilt search engine to easily find similar documents which can then be further refined by the data created and other associated facts.
Content types are the SharePoint tool that allows you to create multiple document libraries or lists, using the same pattern of additional columns and the meta data without having to set it up each time.
Intranet too
Today, SharePoint's advanced hub structure is such a great tool for news; with its attractive and informative pages and the ability to make any reference material available throughout companies, it has naturally become the Intranet of choice for most organisations. With its modern look and new easy way to configure, publish and edit pages, we are now at the point where "Intranet in a Box" (a breed of installable solutions that developed a market place of their own) no longer has the same standing in the market that it once did. The focus that the Microsoft team have made to making sure SharePoint sites are so easy to configure and have a great look has, of course, contributed to the confusion of the products main use – it's now known more for its use as an Intranet that it is for its internal collaboration and document management system features.
Speaking of Teams…
Yes, Microsoft Teams and of course, OneDrive are SharePoint under the hood – making SharePoint the document management layer of the whole Microsoft 365 or Office 365 product set.
The difference, however, with Microsoft Teams is that these document libraries (one document library per team) are pre-set with permissions that are more binary than native SharePoint. So, all members of a Microsoft Team can contribute (and yes that means create, edit, and delete) to all documents in the team. Owners can also contribute, add additional channels, users etc.
This is great for a quick set up where your use case is that all team members are equal. However in larger teams where there is a need for additional, finer grained permissions, we find a blend of both Teams and SharePoint work best, with the SharePoint site already configured with the full Visitors, Members and Owners and simply shown as a tab in Teams – not by simply adding a tab and pointing at the SharePoint site you need. Security trimming, as described above, makes sure you see only what you should even though this is surfaced through Microsoft Teams – the best of both worlds.
SharePoint Online is more than a comprehensive Document Management system, more than an Intranet – it is a super flexible and saleable collaboration platform that underpins the whole Office 365 product set.
Thanks for listening – don't forget to leave comments below or get in touch with me directly if you'd like to chat about the content posted here or anything to do with the Power Platform – I'm a Business Applications speaker and evangelist with a clear focus on delivering real business value from technology. I speak at least once a month so please find me at an event and #LetsGetCoffee
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Published by Sharon Sumner - Office 365 / Power Platform Evangelist & Speaker
SharePoint Sharon as she is affectionately known has been an office 365, SharePoint Online Business Applications advocate since its inception. She is passionate about community events and runs the Cambridge Power Platform user group as well as speaking at Power Platform events across the world, online and being a blogger on all things PowerApps and Flow on both the Microsoft Power Automate Blog and her own blog found at http://power-full.blog	View all posts by Sharon Sumner - Office 365 / Power Platform Evangelist & Speaker
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Actions are predefined methods that are called from openHAB rules and scripts. They are automatically imported and can be used to execute openHAB-specific operations or to send commands or data to external hardware or services. There are a set of built in core Actions and optional installable Actions.
The following Actions are a core part of openHAB and do not need to be separately installed.
sendCommand(String itemName, String commandString): Sends the given command to the specified Item to the event bus.
postUpdate(String itemName, String commandString): Sends the given status update to the specified Item to the event bus.
When the result of the commandString is to cause some action (e.g. turn on a light, change a thermostat to a new temperature, etc.) then use sendCommand. When interacting with widgets on the user interfaces commands are sent to the Items.
When the result of the commandString is to change the state of an Item without causing some action (i.e. to make the state of an Item match the state of a device without commanding the device to change).
As a general rule, is better to call MyItem.sendCommand(command) and MyItem.postUpdate(command) where possible because the Item methods are able to handle a wider variety of commands appropriately. The Actions are best reserved for use in cases where the Item's name is determined at runtime.
Map<Item, State> storeStates(Item item1, Item item2, ... Item itemn): Returns a Map<Item, State> with the current state of each Item. All members of Groups are put into the Map but not the Group's state itself.
restoreStates(Map<Item, State> statesMap): Restores the items' states from the map. If the saved state can be interpreted as a command (ON/OFF/etc.), a command is sent to the Item. Otherwise an update is sent to the Item.
say(String text, String voice, String device): Says the given text through the given voice to the given output device (Mac OSX only).
To get a list of available voices use say -v ? and to get a list of devices uses say -a ?.
logText can be a compete String, constructed through concatination, or through arguments.
One can configure whether specific log entries are logged out and where they get logged to (e.g. to a separate file) by editing the logger configuration.
instant is usually a DateTime calculated using the built in variable now.
reschedule(AbstractInstant instant): reschedules the timer to execute at the new time. If the Timer has terminated this method does nothing.
getThingStatusInfo(String thingUID): Gets status information of the given thing identified by thingUID.
The result is of type ThingStatusInfo. It contains Thing Status, Status Details and Status Description. Refer to Thing Status API for how to get those information. If you just want to know the status, you can use thingStatusInfo.getStatus().toString() and the result will be one of the values in Thing Status.
If the thing is removed or it's not added yet, it'll return null.
Some openHAB 1 actions have not yet completed validation for inclusion in the distribution; however, they may indeed work properly under openHAB 2. All openHAB 1 addons can be downloaded in a zip file. We need your help testing them so that they may be easily installed in a future distribution. Please see the compatibility layer documentation and also search the openHAB community forum for the latest information and steps for manual installation.
With the Astro actions, you can calculate sunrise and sunset DataTime values in rules.
Cisco Spark can be used to message individuals are rooms when certain events take place in openHAB.
This bundle exposes openHAB rule extensions to be used with the DSC Alarm Binding (1.x binding). It allows the sending of DSC Alarm specific commands from within rules.
The Ecobee Action bundle provides actions such as setting and clearing program holds, sending a text message to the thermostat's display, renaming a remote wireless sensor, and other functions that cannot be performed by setting object properties.
The Homematic action lets you send messages to a Homematic remote control with a display, currently the HM-RC-19-B (Radio remote control 19 button).
This add-on provides SMTP services so your rules and scripts can send e-mails. The to paremeter can contain a semicolon-separated list of email addresses.
This bundle exposes openHAB Rule extensions to be used with the MiOS Binding (1.x).
Publish a message to a topic on an MQTT broker.
Sends push messages to your Android devices.
The OpenWebIf action allows you to send a message to enigma2-based Linux satellite receivers (Dreambox, VU+, Clarke-Tech, …) with the installed OpenWebIf plugin.
The Pebble action service allows you to send pins and notifications directly to your Pebble watch.
The Pushbullet action allows you to notify iOS, Android & Windows 10 Phone & Desktop devices of a message using the Pushbullet API web service.
The Pushover action service allows you to notify mobile devices of a message using the Pushover API web service.
The Pushsafer action allows you to notify iOS, Android & Windows 10 Phone & Desktop devices of a message using the Pushsafer API web service.
The Satel Action bundle provides actions to read the event log of the connected alarm system, check current connection status and override configured user code.
Interact directly with your Squeezebox devices from within rules and scripts.
The Telegram Action service allows sending formatted messages to Telegram clients (https://telegram.org), by using the Telegram Bot API.
The TinkerForge Action service provides direct interaction with some of the TinkerForge devices.
Twitter can be used to 'tweet' notifications when certain events take place in openHAB.
The Weather Action service provides meteorological information to your scripts and rules.
Sends notifications to the Kodi open source home theater software (formerly known as XBMC).
This set of actions allows you to send a message to an XMPP user or multi-user chat, or send a message with an attachment to an XMPP user.
This add-on provides xPL message sending on the network.


Independent Financial Advice and Independent Mortgage Advice now available at SWPC. Please contact us for more information.
PLEASE NOTE: Our office will close at 5pm on 18th of April 2019 and re-open on Tuesday 23rd of April 2019..


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HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK, January 21, 2021 — Widex Inc. today announced that it has been recognized by Digital Trends Media Group with a Tech for Change Award at CES 2021 for its WIDEX MOMENT™ hearing aids. Recipients were selected based on innovations intended to make the world a better place, as displayed during CES.
Digital Trends is one of the world's most well-respected consumer technology publications, and is widely viewed as the authoritative voice promoting the technologies influencing and impacting consumers across the globe.
WIDEX MOMENT was selected for having pioneered the first digital hearing aid to incorporate dual artificial intelligence engines to improve real-time listening. Furthermore, the WIDEX MOMENT leverages ZeroDelay™ technology to reduce the standard sound delay from 7-10 milliseconds seconds to just 0.5 milliseconds to give people with hearing loss the most natural hearing experience available.
"Hearing aids have historically delivered a 'tinny', tube-like sound due to the delay in digital sound processing; as the leader in natural sound, Widex could not stand for this," stated Søren Hvidberg Nielsen, President of Widex US. "Our engineers have worked tirelessly for five years to overcome this technical challenge, and with our breakthrough WIDEX MOMENT hearing aids we've now succeeded."
Continued Nielsen, "These intelligent devices go far beyond simply boosting speech perception, offering wearers a true-to-life sound experience that's been elusive until now. We are honored that Digital Trends Media Group recognized WIDEX MOMENT as an innovative, class-leading wearable and wellness device designed to make the world a better place through natural sound for all."
Widex has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to create a more personalized sound experience, which in turn leads to higher wearer acceptance and usage. WIDEX MOMENT leverages SoundSense Learn, an AI-based technology, to personalize hearing aid settings in two ways.
First, WIDEX MOMENT learns how users prefer to hear their surroundings by analyzing settings and guiding them through a series of A-B comparisons. Second, an advanced AI-algorithm draws from millions of user settings stored in the cloud to help personalize the listening experience.
Furthermore, WIDEX MOMENT also includes the PureSound™ ZeroDelay™ technology, a groundbreaking parallel processing path that all but eliminates latency, resulting in a more natural sound without the "tinny" distortions associated with other hearing aids.
The net result of these two breakthrough technologies is a more perfect, natural sound that's uniquely and automatically tailored to each wearer's listening preferences and profile.
Digital Trends Media Group's Tech for Change Awards are part of the company's Tech for Change Series that focuses on innovations in technology that directly impact well-being to make the world a better place.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Zoe Saldana gives us some great tips about relationships!
Star Trek star, Zoe Saldana has opened up about married life, as well as some of the lessons she's learnt from love in the latest issue of Marie Claire.
Zoe who secretly married her partner Marco Perego in England last year said the decision made perfect sense to her.
"I don't do the ABCs. I do what my heart says, what my heart feels. So from the moment I met my husband, we were together. We knew."
The 36-year-old then went on to share some lessons that she's learnt from past relationships, and says when it comes to love, you should never settle.
"Not to settle. If you're not happy with a person, leave. And wait until you find that one person who makes you feel good about yourself every single day and is not expecting you to change, but to grow."
Without naming names, Zoe reveals for good reasons why she doesn't keep in touch with her exes!
"I have been in relationships where a man has disrespected me, and I don't need to be friends with that man anymore. I don't want to be the one going, 'I'm cool, because I'm friends with all my exes.' There's a reason why you're called an ex. I crossed you off my list. Moving on. You cross a line, you need to know that you're going to walk this earth knowing that there's an individual who has no respect for you."
Makes sense to us, we think Zoe should become our relationship guru from now on!
Marco Perego


Atelier Aquatic is a Community Interest Company that uses creative solutions to engage communities in marine life education and conservation.
The Ocean covers over 70% of the surface of planet Earth.
The Ocean produces 50% of the air we breathe.
The Ocean is home to up to 80% of species on Earth.
10 % of the Ocean is explored by humans.
We need the Ocean and the Ocean needs us !
Anywhere! We have a range of downloadable resources that can enable anyone to run projects from anywhere! We can also offer FREE online ongoing support. We are currently running projects in Bristol, UK, and the Philippines.We are open to partner with other projects, if you are interested please get in touch.
The Atelier Aquatic Team consists of Artists, Community workers, Marine biologists, Tourism specialists and Conservation professionals from all over the world.
We work with a range of stakeholders from local communities, business, governments, NGO's,....We welcome new partnerships, please get in touch.
Inspiration- Marine life in all its weird and wonderful forms. Our interconnectivity and symbiotic relationships.
Creative Education - Learning about marine life, and the human effect on the marine environment through creative participation.
Action- Creativity to bring public and personal awareness to marine conservation issues and bring about positive change.


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — "Portal 2" leapt over the competition to win the most trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
The witty sci-fi puzzler developed by Valve Corporation topped the 12th annual extravaganza Wednesday with three awards, but it was Bethesda Softworks' role-playing saga "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" that took home the night's top prize. "Portal 2" won trophies for best game design, narrative and audio, while "Skyrim" was honored as game of the year.
Other winners at the Moscone Convention Center ceremony included DICE's "Battlefield 3" for best technology, Naughty Dog's "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" for best visual arts and Capy Games' "Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP" for best mobile game.


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BuyDig is fundamentally a retail company that specializes in the business of consumer electronics. Located in Edison, New Jersey -United States, Buydig was founded way back in 1983. However, the company did not rise into the limelight until the 1990's when it played a significant role in the digital imaging revolution.
BuyDig has successfully established itself as a well-renowned authority in the sphere of consumer electronics. The company excels in offering heavily discounted electronics.
The agents at BuyDig work tirelessly with electronics suppliers to get the lowest prices possible. This is how they're able to provide top quality devices and products at surprisingly affordable prices.
As earlier mentioned, BuyDig.com offers arguably the lowest rates in the electronics retail industry. In spite of this already existing advantage, these rates can go even lower when you use promo codes. Keeping up with these codes is a specific art on his own.
An email subscription can easily take care of that. Email subscriptions also inform you on available deals and giveaways. These codes offer bonuses ranging from $5 to $10 off $100 purchases.
The codes are sometimes specific to certain shopping categories or items. During special seasons, limited-time offers are also made available.
When you have the promo code you need, redeeming it is easy. When you're done adding all your items to your cart, you will need to find the "My Cart" icon which is located at the top right corner of the webpage. On this page, the next thing to do is click on the "coupon code" box right beneath the shipping calculator.
You may then want to enter your coupon code in this box and click "Apply" afterwards. Once this is done, it means that the coupon code has been successfully used and all the prices change correspondingly.
There may come a time when you need to reach out to BuyDig. As with most companies today, the easiest way to contact them is to visit the company's official website. BuyDig delivers its services under the domain name, "buydig.com".
On their website, the top right corner has a 'call' button. On pressing this icon, you will be redirected to your dialer where a company hotline has already been pasted.
In case these options do not resolve your issue, the company also possesses social media pages: on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, through the respective social media pages. One can find help on any of these media platforms by simply searching using the keyword "BuyDig".
BuyDig's return policy is very concise and comprehensive. Unlike most companies, this policy is actually followed diligently in reality.
Within a window of forty-five (45) days, if the customer is not satisfied with their purchase, they can return the item and get a full refund. However, there are certain conditions that also pertain to returning a purchase.
The item must be returned in its original state alongside all the included accessories at the time of purchase.
If there happens to be missing accessories, the amount to be refunded will also reduce accordingly.
Product serial numbering must match the one in BuyDig's database.
When an item is satisfactorily cleared for returns, every form of password protection is to be removed. The gadget is then reset to system defaults.
In most cases, it is always easier to carry out an item's return by contacting the customer service department. Returns are normally shipped back to Edison. In the case where the return is not due to the company's error, the cost of the return shipping is incurred by the buyer.


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A new project has just started in Madagascar!
ECES is proud to announce the start of a new project in Madagascar: "Project to support the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Madagascar" (PADEM).
Entirely financed by the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the project will run for 3 months (15 September - 15 December 2021) with the overall objective of contributing to the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Madagascar.
Indeed, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has identified the need for support in the context of consolidating democratic achievements in order to strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights, which is an essential condition for the establishment of lasting peace and stability and the promotion of development.
The role of women and young people in the process of consolidating democratic achievements and strengthening the rule of law is fundamental. It is therefore essential to ensure that these categories of the population have a greater presence in the preparatory processes for decision-making, as well as in the decision-making itself, within the institutions and competent bodies, in accordance with the principles of the Bamako Declaration.
The project also assumes that the challenges related to the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law deserve efforts from everyone, both at the institutional and non-state actor levels. It is also crucial that in these efforts, the different actors interact and create links of collaboration, exchange and expertise.
The project therefore aims to follow up on previous OIF interventions in Madagascar and builds on the experience of ECES and its partners in supporting the consolidation of democracy, the rule of law and the strengthening of the capacities of women and young people to take an active part in decision-making processes. The aim is to strengthen existing dynamics and identify future lines of action. The project also seeks to create synergies between the different ongoing dynamics by encouraging exchanges among actors in terms of sharing experiences and ideas for the implementation of joint actions.
The specific objectives are:
To contribute to the capacity building of young citizens and women in the fields of democracy and governance;
To promote the consolidation of existing democratisation processes by strengthening the institutional capacities of stakeholders.
The expected results include:
● The publication of a compendium of lessons learned and recommendations, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the electoral process and democratisation
● The publication of a guide on promoting women's political participation
● Leadership development, networking and sharing of experience and expertise among key actors from civil society, the media and representatives of elected institutions and those responsible for the rule of law, democracy, governance and human rights. The focus will be on young people in these different structures and the action will be guided by the principles of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
ECES at the Annual General Conference of the ECF-SADC in Namibia
ECES PANEL AT THE EU COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE 2022
ECES PANEL AT THE EU COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE ON PEACE MEDIATION


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Die Spitzschnecken (Cochlicellidae) sind eine relativ kleine Familie aus der Unterordnung der Landlungenschnecken (Stylommatophora). Die Familie beinhaltet etwa 25 Arten. Die Eigenständigkeit der Familie wird von manchen Autoren bezweifelt. In MolluscaBase werden sie nur noch als Tribus Cochlicellini akzeptiert.

Merkmale
Die Gehäuse sind abgeflacht-konisch bis hochkonisch. Es handelt sich um relativ kleine Gehäuse mit einem Durchmesser von bis zu zwölf Millimeter und einer Höhe bis zu neun Millimeter. Die Mündung ist meist einfach. Der Nabel ist eng bis geschlossen. Die Mündung ist bis auf den Spindelbereich meist einfach, weder verdickt noch umgeschlagen, die Skulptierung gering. Ausgenommen sind einige Obelus-Arten mit stark modifizierter Mündung und kräftiger Skulptierung. Im Geschlechtsapparat ist der Penis relativ kurz, der Epiphallus meist deutlich länger. Die Grenze zwischen Penis und Epiphallus ist durch den Ansatz des Penisretraktormuskel markiert. Die Penispapilla ist perforiert und z. T. mit einem Rand. Das Flagellum ist immer vorhanden, kann aber unterschiedlich lang sein. Das Atrium oder die Vagina besitzt einen Anhang, der wahrscheinlich als modifizierter Liebespfeilsack zu interpretieren ist. Es sind keine Liebespfeile vorhanden. In den Apex des Anhangs öffnen sich ein bis drei röhrenförmige, einfache oder sich verzweigende Schleimdrüsen.

Vorkommen, Lebensweise und Verbreitung
Die Arten der Familie leben in Südeuropa und Nordafrika, an der Atlantikküste von Frankreich, Belgien, Großbritannien und Irland sowie auf den Kanarischen Inseln. Einige Arten sind inzwischen auch in andere Regionen der Welt verschleppt worden (z. B. nach Australien).

Systematik
Die Familie Cochlicellidae wird nicht (mehr) von allen Autoren als selbständige Familie anerkannt. Nach Schileyko (2004), mit Ergänzungen von Bank et al. (2002) enthält die Familie folgende Gattungen und Arten:
 Familie Cochlicellidae Schileyko, 1973
 Gattung Cochlicella Férussac, 1821
 Schlanke Spitzschnecke (Cochlicella acuta (O. F. Müller, 1774))
 Kegelige Spitzschnecke (Cochlicella conoidea (Draparnaud, 1801))

Cochlicella

 Gattung Monilearia Mousson, 1872 (mit den Untergattungen Monilearia (Monilearia) Mousson, 1872 und Monilearia (Lyrula) Wollaston, 1878 (Die Untergattung wird von Schileyko nicht erwähnt))
 Monilearia caementitia (Shuttleworth, 1852)
 Monilearia granostriata (Mousson, 1857)
 Monilearia loweana (Wollaston, 1878)
 Monilearia monilifera (Webb & Berthelot, 1833)
 Monilearia montigena Bank, Groh & Ripken, 2002
 Monilearia multipunctata (Mousson, 1872)
 Monilearia oleacea (Shuttleworth, 1852)
 Monilearia persimilis (Shuttleworth, 1852)
 Monilearia phalerata (Webb & Berthelot, 1833)
 Monilearia praeposita (Mousson, 1872)
 Monilearia tubaeformis Ibáñez, Groh, Alonso, Castillo & Yanes, 2006
 Monilearia tumulorum (Webb & Berthelot, 1833)
 Monilearia watsoniana (Wollaston, 1878)
 Monilearia woodwardia (Mousson, 1872)

Monilearia

 Gattung Obelus Harmann, 1842
 Obelus cyclodon (d´Orbigny, 1836)
 Obelus despreauxii (d´Orbigny, 1839)
 Obelus discogranulatus  Alonso & Groh, 2003
 Obelus mirandae (Lowe, 1861)
 Obelus moderatus (Mousson, 1857)
 Obelus moratus (Mousson, 1872)
 Obelus pumilio (Dillwyn, 1817)

Obelus

 Gattung Prietocella Schileyko & Menkhorst, 1997
 Mittlere Spitzschnecke (Prietocella barbara (Linné, 1758))
 ?Gattung Ripkeniella Hutterer & Gittenberger, 1998 (Schileyko (2005) stellt die Gattung mit Fragezeichen zur Unterfamilie Helicellinae (Fam. Hygromiidae))
 Ripkeniella petrophila Hutterer & Gittenberger, 1998

Phylogenie
Nach der auf molekularen Daten beruhenden kladistischen Analyse von Steinke, Albrecht & Pfenninger (2004) ist die Gattung Cochlicella sehr nahe mit Sphincterochila verwandt. Beide Gattungen stehen innerhalb der anderen Unterfamilien bzw. Gattungen der Laubschnecken (Hygromiidae). Auch im Kladogramm von Koene & Schulenburg (2005) wird Cochlicella innerhalb der Hygromiidae systematisiert. Sollten sich die Befunde bestätigen, können die Cochlicellidae und Spincterochilidae sicher nicht mehr im Rang von Familien aufrechterhalten werden (vgl.).

MolluscaBase wertet die Gruppe zur Tribus ab und stellt sie zur Unterfamilie Geometrinae in der Familie Geometridae.

Quellen

Literatur
 Ruud A. Bank, Klaus Groh und Theo E. J. Ripken: Catalogue and Bibliography of the non-marine Mollusca of Macaronesia. Collectanea Malacologica (Festschrift für Gerhard Falkner), S. 89–235, ConchBooks, Hackenheim 2002 ISBN 3-925919-61-9
 Philippe Bouchet & Jean-Pierre Rocroi: Part 2. Working classification of the Gastropoda. Malacologia, 47: 239–283, Ann Arbor 2005
 Joris M. Koene und Hinrich Schulenburg: Shooting darts: co-evolution and counter-adaptation in hermaphroditic snails. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 5: 25, 13 Seiten, 2005
 Hartmut Nordsieck: Higher classification of the Helicoidea and the molecular analyses of their phylogeny. 2006 PDF (Server derzeit nicht zugänglich)
 Anatolij A. Schileyko: Treatise on Recent terrestrial pulmonate molluscs, Part 12 Bradybaenidae, Monadeniidae, Xanthonychidae, Epiphragmophoridae, Helminthoglyptidae, Elonidae, Humboldtianidae, Sphincterochilidae, Cochlicellidae. Ruthenica, Supplement 2(12): 1627–1763, Moskau 2005
 Dirk Steinke, Christian Albrecht und Markus Pfenninger: Molecular phylogeny and character evolution in the Western Palaearctic Helicidae s.l. (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 32: 724–734, San Diego 2004 .

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

 [ Fauna Europaea]
 BioLib

Lungenschnecken
Pulmonata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Fast learner Connor Syme takes a step up
ST ANDREWS, September 28, 2017 – Scotland's newest professional Connor Syme describes the opportunity to play in next week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as a "dream come true".
The last time Connor, now 22, played it was in 2014 as an amateur, but now he is in the field as a fully fledged professional and eagerly looking forward to following up on his outstanding debut performance in last week's Portugal Masters, where he finished joint 12th.
Connor said: "I will never forget playing as a 19-year-old amateur. It gave me a real taste of the big time and made me even more determined to become a professional. So to be able to return to the Dunhill three years on, as a pro, is a dream come true.
"I was delighted with how my first tournament went in Portugal last week and I hope I can do as well at St Andrews. It's the place everyone wants to do well."
He qualified to play in the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links through the Scottish Golf Union – both the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship support the belief that amateur golf development is of paramount importance to the future of the game and that support of the amateur bodies in developing top golfers and ensuring they receive the appropriate support so that they do not turn professional too early in their careers is important for the future of professional golf.
Connor, from Drumoig, said at the time: "It's the perfect opportunity to study the top players and find out more about what I have to do to reach the top. In the long run this is where you want to be." He is obviously a fast learner!


It was Crich again! So happy to be back at one of my favourite shows of the year in such a fantastic place.
May Bank Holiday meant only one thing; the return of the Tutbury Institute Beer Festival and 1940s weekend. I performed here last year on the Saturday night but had passed that baton on to Johnny Victory who was to perform instead.
I was honoured to be asked back to Operation Neptune in Belgium having first performed there 2 years ago. This small but perfectly formed event is one of our favourites; jam packed full of living history and some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet!
Well at least it didn't rain! For the 3rd year in a row I had the honour of performing at the Nottingham 1940s Knees-Up on the band stand at Nottingham Castle alongside the wonderful Kalamazoo Dance Band. The 1940s Knees-up is organised by Nottingham City Council and has been part of their events calendar for well over 10 years.


text:
EXCLUSIVE: Prince Royce Talks New Album, Selena Gomez & His Dream Date
by Cristina ArreolaOctober 11, 2013
Prince Royce is on fire!
In the past week, the bachata singer earned an AMA nomination for Best Latin Artist, and released his third studio album Soy El Mismo. Fans across the U.S. and Latin America are going loca for romantic tracks like "Darte un Beso," profound ballads like "Invisible," and upbeat dance numbers like "Already Missing You" featuring Selena Gomez.
We met up with Prince Royce at his album release on Tuesday. A native New Yorker, Royce chose to debut Soy El Mismo at a Target in Harlem, drawing in crowds of screaming fans from across the five boroughs. It's easy to see why girls go crazy over the bilingual singer: The adorable, dimpled 24-year-old is charming, handsome, and undeniably sweet. Before debuting the album, the heartthrob took the time to hug each and every fan -- some of whom had been waiting outdoors since the night before for a chance to meet their favorite singer.
We sat down with the Latino hottie to discuss Soy El Mismo, his collaboration with Selena Gomez, and where he would take a girl on a dream date in NYC.
A few years ago, you told us that you had a crush on Selena Gomez. How was it collaborating with her on the track Already Missing You?
I did?! You know the story got changed up, just to make that clear! They asked who was a girl that was doing her thing. Anyways, let's not get into that mix up there! But it's all good, because let me tell you: this song is great! I'm working a lot with Toby Gad, who's done songs and produced songs for Selena. I'm working on my new English album, which comes out next year. You know, it was his idea. He showed me a track. We wrote some parts to it. We sent it to her. She liked it. That's how the whole thing started.
Prince Royce discusses future collaborations on page 2 >>>
Soy El Mismo
15 Celebs Who Got Inked For Love
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber: Their Relationship In 19 Clicks!
Rumor Has It: Selena Gomez And Zayn Malik Link Up For An Aladdin Collabo
40 Latino Stars at Disney Parks!


text:
Q: How to iterate through dictionary passed from Python/Tornado handler to Tornado's template? How to iterate through dictionary passed from Python/Tornado handler to Tornado's template ?
I tried like

            {% for key, value in statistics %}
            {{key}} : {{value['number']}}
            {% end %}

but it doesn't work, where statistics is dictionary
statistics = { 1 : {'number' : 2},  2 : {'number' : 8}}

A: >>> from tornado import template
>>> t = template.Template('''
...

...     {% for key, value in statistics.items() %}
...     {{key}} : {{value['number']}}
...     {% end %}
...

... ''')
>>> statistics = { 1 : {'number' : 2},  2 : {'number' : 8}}
>>> print(t.generate(statistics=statistics))

    1 : 2

    2 : 8

Alternative:

    {% for key in statistics %}
    {{key}} : {{statistics[key]['number']}}
    {% end %}

A: Here is another way you can do it :
//Let's suppose dico is the dictionary object you passed as a parameter in the handler's render method
{% autoescape None %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Los Angeles Curbed Comparisons
For Sale in Los Angeles
Here's what $1.1M buys around LA
We've got five options, from Los Feliz to Venice
By Elijah Chiland Sep 18, 2018, 12:11pm PDT
Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, where we explore what you can rent or buy for a certain dollar amount in various LA 'hoods. We've found five homes and condos within $10,000 of today's price: $1.1 million.
Alex Zarour/Virtually Here Studios, courtesy Dominique Madden, ACME Real Estate
This 1920s bungalow in Highland Park sold last summer (for $590,000), and has been thoroughly transformed since then. Renovated by ResetLA and Vein Design, it's got new wood floors, light fixtures, appliances, countertops, and cabinetry. The house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and skylights and French doors keep it light and airy. Sitting on a 6,743-square-foot lot, the home is asking $1.099 million.
Via Rachel Hsieh, Jodi Barmash, Keller Williams
Here's a cozy two-bedroom residence in Palms with one bathroom and 928 square feet of floor space. Built in 1941, it's got original hardwood floors, but plumbing and electrical have been upgraded. Behind the house is a pergola-shaded patio and a detached garage that's been converted into a studio or office space. Sitting on a 4,997-square-foot lot, the house is asking $1.099 million.
Via Penny Muck, Tami Pardee, Halton Pardee and Partners
Blocks from the boardwalk in Venice is this two-bedroom condo with a pair of bathrooms and 1,188 square feet of living space. Featuring tile floors and sliding glass doors, the unit also has a step-down living room equipped with a fireplace. A spacious deck has room for open-air seating and a garden. The building has a swimming pool and a parking garage. Asking price is $1.115 million, with HOA dues of $442 per month.
Via Roderick McDaniel, Rodney L. Walker, Huntington Browne
This View Park home needs some TLC, but boasts some lovely original details, from the hardwood floors to the tile bathrooms. Built in 1933, the Spanish-style house has two bedrooms and three bathrooms. Other interior features include beamed ceilings, built-in shelving, and a dramatic winding staircase with wrought iron railings. The house sits on a 8,293-square-foot lot with a large front lawn and a backyard with a detached garage. Asking price is $1.099 million.
Via Peter Lorimer, PLG Estates
This traditional-style home sits on a compact 3,312-square-foot lot on the eastern edge of Los Feliz. Inside are two bedrooms and two bathroooms, with 1,250 square feet of floor space. The property may be small, but there's plenty of outdoor space, including a long wooden deck, a tile patio, and a strip of yard below. Asking price is $1.095 million.
Which home or condo around $1.1 million would you choose?
View Park
Los Angeles Curbed Comparisons [Curbed LA]
Next Up In For Sale in Los Angeles
Koreatown Craftsman With Lots of Hand-Carved Woodwork Asks $1.5M
Tiny 1920s Bungalow Near Dodger Stadium Asks $699K
Sun-Dappled Mid-Century Bungalow Asks $899K in Highland Park
Mid-Century Lodge With Ocean and Canyon Views Asks $4.8M in Topanga
1930s Spanish-Style Home With Original Tile Asks $1.4M in Los Feliz
Hilltop home made of redwood and glass asking $2.4M in Sherman Oaks


text:
Q: VHDL internal timer not consistent time I'm having inconsistent times on my timer, can be anywhere from 300ms - 4 seconds, what could be causing this?
The code logic looks good to me but the oscope shows different times almost everytime I run it. Here's how I set up the code for the timer. I'm using an arduino as a clock at about 256Hz. The timer should go off at 4 seconds not any sooner like it is.
library ieee;
USE ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
USE ieee.numeric_std.all;
USE ieee.std_logic_arith.all;
USE ieee.std_logic_unsigned.all;

constant C_2SEC_TC : integer := 1023;
signal tmr_cnt  : std_logic_vector(11 downto 0) := (others => '0');
signal tc_2sec  : std_logic;

begin
   -- counter for internal timer
   second_cntr_proc: process(CLK)
   begin
      if (rising_edge(CLK)) then
            tmr_cnt <= tmr_cnt + 1;
            if (tc_2sec='1') then
               tmr_cnt <= (others => '0');
            end if;
      end if;
   end process second_cntr_proc;

   tc_2sec <= '1' when tmr_cnt = C_2SEC_TC else '0';

I initialize a pin high and when tc_2sec goes high I set that pin low. The high time of that pin isn't always the same.

A: You should know that the kind of initialization you are using for tmr_cnt may not be synthesizable. If you don't explicitly reset this counter it could power up with an unknown value. If that value happens to be greater than C_2SEC_TC then your 12-bit counter will have to count up until it rolls over and reaches 1023 before tc_2sec will go low.
If the problem is occurring on the first pulse after power up then I would suspect this kind of problem. You will need to add a reset signal to your design and use it to clear the counter. It would be helpful if you included a link to the manufacturer's datasheet for your CPLD.

A: SOLVED: Updated the proc as follows appeared to fix my issue
`
   library ieee;
   USE ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
   USE ieee.numeric_std.all;
   USE ieee.std_logic_arith.all;
   USE ieee.std_logic_unsigned.all;

   constant C_2SEC_TC : integer := 1023;
   signal tmr_cnt  : std_logic_vector(11 downto 0);
   signal tc_2sec  : std_logic : = '0';

   begin
   -- counter for internal timer
   second_cntr_proc: process(CLK)
        begin
        if (RST = '0') then
            tmr_cnt  <= (others => '0');
        elsif (clk'event and clk = '1') then
           tmr_cnt <= tmr_cnt + 1;
           if (tc_2sec='1') then
                tmr_cnt <= (others => '0');
           end if;
         end if;
      end process second_cntr_proc;

    tc_2sec <= '1' when tmr_cnt = C_2SEC_TC else '0';`


This is a fascinating book whose depth and dark turns have only been hinted at in previous novels by the author, and it is precisely the sort of book that one would want to see in film as a deep, thoughtful film that relates spiritual and historical themes to contemporary concerns about privacy and free will. Without a doubt, this book is both relevant in that it deals with serious questions about cover-ups by political authorities as well as the desire of companies to profit from understanding one's personal motivations  and the book is also compelling in that it tells a fascinating tale of people that one cares about dealing with issues of language and communication that this reader at least cares a lot about. With a discussion of linguistics as well as a look into news articles about the behavior of businesses and political consultants who wish to compromise one's freedom of thought and choice through targeted appeals that bypass the filters of reason, this book presents a very scary face for the way that people wish to work together and cooperate for common ends and how these desires are easily turned into something dark and twisted by others.
The plot of this book is really a double plot that keeps the reader guessing, perhaps correctly and perhaps not, about where it is going to go looking at two connected people with a complicated sense of identity. On the one hand we have Emily Ruff, a young runaway who makes her money on a three card monte scam until she gains admission into a school that seeks to train people as "poets" to use their minds as a weapon and to seek to understand how to use language to control ordinary sheeple. Meanwhile, in the other plot a young man is found that is immune to the control words of others and finds himself in danger as people want to kill him for this immunity to control. The two plots are connected by love and by mysterious events that occurred in a fictional Australian town called Broken Hill where the use of a "bareword" led to the death of more than three thousand people and the specter of a massive effort to control and destroy humanity on biblical levels, which obviously causes a lot of people to be interested in such matters and drives the plot to its satisfying and surprising conclusion.
What makes this novel so enjoyable is that it brings pleasure on several different levels. For one, the book has as compelling plot and characters that we care about, all of which makes this novel one worth reading and an easy book to enjoy. In addition to this pleasure, though, the author has clearly thought seriously about issues of language and communication and how we simultaneously long for and fear love and intimacy and want to influence others while remaining beyond the influence of those who we do not trust. This book takes that schizoid tendency of our times, along with some very insightful thoughts about language and the workings of the mind, and turns it into a compelling book that even makes a humorous reference to the game based on Jennifer Government. Readers who enjoy a tale whose importance and whose enjoyment level are both high will find much to appreciate and ponder here and may wonder why it is that the author felt it necessary to thank those people willing to read a book like this in its closing acknowledgements section. Some thanks are due to the author for having crafted such a thoughtful and excellent book as this one.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged business, education, language, literature, novel. Bookmark the permalink.


The Chapter 64 motion for DNA testing has been denied. In Texas, a person facing execution is not allowed to have his DNA compared against the DNA claimed by Texas to be the killer's DNA.
Awaiting responses on two civil suits.
Been preparing an appeal to the CCA of the trial court's denial for DNA testing. It should be filed within the hour (3 PM local).
I wrote the governor. I hope a stay is granted.
Can the Chap. 64 motion be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in the short time we now have left?
I don't understand!A law was voted especially for Hank SKINNER,to allow DNA testing even after a conviction!
What was the actual denial on the petition?
The problem is that the defense asked for DNA testing earlier and they got it, but they asked for the wrong things and the results they got they didn't like. Did the defense ask for and get denied access to DNS testing on these other objects?
I am not all too familiar with the Skinner case, but I'm sure something similar happened whereby some exhibits were previously tested and others were not. Furthermore, Chap. 64 allows for items NOT PREVIOUSLY tested so logically, I can find no rational reason for the CCA's decision.
It is so frustrating when our system fails. And it has clearly failed. Again..
BAD news: Gloria (execution watch/radio show)said that they will execute him!!!!!!!!!!!!WRONG!!


Humanity has been to both poles, climbed to the peak of Everest, reached the depths of the oceans and even landed a man on the moon. There is little left for us to explore – but China's West remains an undiscovered region, devoid of precedents.
Among many of the explorers utilising the last opportunity to stamp their names in the history books are Hongkongers Adrian Bottomley and China-based Kyle Obermann.
The pair are forging new routes in Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan.
But once you are there, the challenge is just beginning.
China has a rich history of pioneers and explorers treading foot in unknown areas, said Bottomley.
"It's a fascinating aspect of it, that pioneering, that sense you are the first there. It makes you feel completely out there, embracing that feeling of the unknown and getting the idea of how those first pioneers felt when so much of the world was not mapped," he said.
Bottomley and Obermann are now trying to share that feeling with others and have founded Whistling Arrow – a company designed to bring foreigners to the remote west.
The pair have used a combination of local knowledge and some pilgrimage routes to forge new trails. They have created three new routes in Yading around three sacred 6,000-metre peaks.
"If any area deserves the accolade 'Shangri-La' it is these peaks, with their sacred, significant, stunning mountains and beautiful lakes," said Bottomley, who is hosting a talk at the Hong Kong Royal Geographical Society on April 17.
Whistling Arrow will lead an expedition to Yading's three sacred peaks in September, with the aim of forging a new route to the mountains from the South.
But first they are taking a group to Eastern Tibet in July not only to explore the sacred peaks of Golok, but to collaborate with grassroots conservation efforts.


← How important is it for countries and wine producing regions to have 'signature wines'?
Here's another Masters of Wine question I have decided to take on for my blog. I will define "international brand" as a singular idea or concept that creates name recognition, perceived quality, and a strong mental and emotional connection with a large percentage of customers (in this case wine drinkers) around the world. So if we consider those attributes, what factors would need to be required for grape varieties to become an international brand? I will argue that potential to make high quality wine, availability in the international market place, sensory appeal (generous texture while having a solid backbone of structure), heritage, and a variety that is just easy to pronounce for most people around the world are all factors that are necessary. Also, I will consider if it is better to be an identifiable or unidentifiable variety, and if it is better to be a variety that is ideal for blending or as a single variety. If you have a different way you would define international brand or you think I missed some factors that would be required for grape varieties then please let me know! But for now here I go with brainstorming this idea.
The first variety that comes to mind is Chardonnay. Yes, I have had my own conflicted feelings about this chameleon grape variety. But according to the Wine Institute in California Chardonnay is the most popular grape variety in the US, and China Briefing Reports states that Chardonnay is the preferred white grape variety in China. Practically every wine growing region grows it to some degree and it has not only an affinity for expressing terroir but also can be easily transformed by wine making techniques. There is no doubt that it is capable of producing high quality wines… Would anyone like some Montrachet?! Or what about Chardonnay from Adelaide Hills or Walker Bay? They can knock you off your feet! And no problem with availability….like I said before it is almost grown everywhere. It can make a great blending partner adding body and/or acidity, or it is certainly fine as a single varietal wine. As previously mentioned, yes, it is capable of great sensory appeal with a generous texture (lots of body) and good structure from acidity. It can be unidentifiable as a neutral variety or distinctively definable with wine making techniques, and so easily manipulated to suit the needs of the market.
I recently wrote about a dinner I attended at the new Antinori winery last May. We were served some of the best wines in Italy, but I have to say the wine I constantly think about is the 2006 Cervallo della Sala from Antinori themselves. It comes from Umbria and is 85% Chardonnay and 15% Grechetto. This wine was showing beautifully and everyone at the table was talking about it. It had lots of mouthwatering acidity, complexity of spice, white floral and mineral notes, and an extraordinary length. A little over a month ago, the marketing director of Antinori, Enrico Chiavacci, came into our store to give us a staff tasting. There were many stunning wines: Solaia, Tignanello, ect.
But the wine he kept going back to was the 2011 Cervaro della Sala he poured for us at the beginning of the tasting.
And one can be jaded and say that he was trying to really sell this wine since it was lesser known. But when I think about how many people in the trade who were extremely impressed by this wine at that dinner back in May, I have to think there is something remarkable about that wine. Plus, I think its remarkable! The wine seemed unique in its sense of place but undeniably Chardonnay at the same time. That is what great Chardonnay can do… it will show the skill of the winemaker while expressing sense of place. The similarities and differences of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault are great examples.
What other grape varieties have the factors required to become international brands?
How about my favorite grape variety Pinot Noir? And no, I'm not saying that because of Sideways… I have already gone on a rant of how I can't stand that movie in a previous post. The main area where Pinot Noir cannot compete with Chardonnay is the access to moderate quality at entry level prices. Try to find moderate quality at mid-market prices! Pinot Noir is a very difficult grape to grow and it can easily suffer from Brett, VA, or just plain mildew aromas and flavors. And finding high quality Pinot Noir will cost a small fortune. If we consider that most of the world drinks entry level and/or mid-market priced wine then Pinot Noir cannot always deliver high quality to most consumers.
Well, let's consider an even more wine nerdy variety than Pinot Noir. Riesling. Every wine nerd in New York City loves Riesling. They get fake tattoos of it, they go out of their way to try to learn the complicated German classification system, they drink it dry, semi-sweet, and sweet- sweet, and they will spend significant amounts of money on it even though they are only living check to check. Yes, Riesling is a very high quality wine, and just on its ridiculous ageability some have argued that it is one of the greatest varieties in the world. But it is only made in a limited amount of countries and hence it is only sold in limited quantities around the world. It does not have the availability that Chardonnay has globally.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gone head to head for the spot of most popular red grape variety. And they both are loved and hated for their structure. Cabernet Sauvignon is traditionally a harder single variety to sell to the masses than Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon has those firm tannins. Merlot was always easy drinking with its lush texture, and hence, it had higher mass appeal. But a lot of cheap Merlot made in the 1990s created an image of a flabby, low quality wine. What is interesting is that they are both capable of having a generous texture combined with a good backbone of structure under the right viticultural and winery conditions. These varieties, under ideal conditions are on the same level as Chardonnay as powerful international brands. Merlot certainly has an upper hand when it comes to a variety that is easy to pronounce.
And talking about trying to pronounce varieties' names, what about Gruner Veltliner; a grape variety that cannot be considered as an international brand because of the difficulty of pronouncing the name.
This leads me to a variety that has gained a lot of recent popularity and it is very easy to pronounce. Malbec. It is an international brand, but it is not on the level of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Main reason is heritage. All of these varieties originate from France. But Malbec is not considered a high quality variety by its own home. I remember taking a class with Denis Dubourdieu in Bordeaux a few years back and he said at one point, "Malbec is a wine for peasants." Also, you need to consider that English is not his first language, and he may have not meant it so harshly. But he was basically saying it is not a high quality variety. This point was actually confirmed by head winemaker of Clerc Milon, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, a week ago at my retail store. He gave us a staff tasting and he mentioned having a small percentage of Carménèrein the blend. One of my co-workers asked about Malbec, and he said that in Bordeaux they do not consider it to be a high quality variety. There are many winemakers I know in Argentina who would disagree. Also, there may be other motives for Bordeaux not considering it a high quality variety, but the simple fact is historically it is being portrayed as lower quality. Unfortunately, sometimes perception is more important than reality when trying to become an international brand.
Sauvignon Blanc is a identifiable variety but may be too identifiable. Its distinctive herbaceous aroma is not easily altered to conform to market trends like Chardonnay. Yes, it is an international brand but it does not rival the international brand status of Chardonnay. Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is known for being neutral. But it does not take to wine making as well as Chardonnay and its lack of acidity makes it difficult to manage high quality wine in moderate to warm climates. It is unidentifiable but incapable of being distinctive when it needs to be, and hence, does not have the range of Chardonnay. It is important to have both traits to become an ideal international brand that satisfies various types of palates.
Chardonnay can be easily seamless in a blend, and add various qualities such as body, structure or impart wine making notes that it absorbs brilliantly. And it stands alone as a single variety in warm, moderate, and cool climates, with oak aging, 100% stainless steel, partial MLF, full MLF, no MLF, lots of lees aging or only a touch. It really is a chameleon and a great example of an international brand by its capability to be a great single variety and great blending partner.
Wow, you would think by this blog that I am crazy about Chardonnay. It would not have been the variety that I would have picked if I was going on personal preference. But I tried to analyze this question as a professional. I thought about those factors that are required for an international brand, argued it in my head and on paper, and Chardonnay seemed the ultimate choice with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot vying for a close second.
I told you what I think; please feel free to let me know if you would argue another point.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Antinori, Chardonnay, Grape Varieties, Masters of Wine. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Trotwood residents, council look to continue post-tornado momentum in 2020
By Breaking News Staff
Trotwood residents and city officials are confident they will rebuild their city, ripped apart in the outbreak of tornadoes in 2019, better than it was before the storms.
The city council met Monday night, for the first time in 2020, to discuss new plans for a new year. Residents and politicians are having to regroup after one of the 21 Memorial Day tornadoes did enough damage to displace more than 800 families.
RELATED: Miami Valley Tornadoes 2019: Complete Coverage
A new library, courthouse and Goodwill Easter Seals facility are among the projects on the board for this year.
"We had a lot of momentum, then we had a tornado," Mayor Mary McDonald told News Center 7's Ronnell Hunt on Monday night. "So, the tornado really kind of slowed things down. But what we are doing now is going back and we are bring able to get those folks that are engaged."
Council member Rhonda Finley said the council wants to be able to bring the city's citizens home.
Resident Rap Hankins, one of dozens of residents who attended Monday's meeting, said, "We would have not made this progress without this council, without the help of this great region and ODOT as far as the state of Ohio" is concerned.
Residents are looking to continue the progress that began the city's post-tornado period.
"I can see the optimism everywhere and so when you feel good about the community you come home to that community and remind them of the good efforts that are being done," Hankins said.


On Wednesday 9 March the High Court handed down two long awaited decisions concerning redundancy and transmission of business. We're still assessing the decisions but, as always, the High Court's clarifications of the legal positions are of great benefit. To keep you up to date, here are brief summaries. Both of these cases will have significant impacts on the industrial landscape.
The High Court relieved Amcor of the obligation to pay redundancy to employees who had been moved from one employer to another within the Amcor group as part of a restructure. The employees were doing the same jobs with the same conditions, but the Federal Court had decided, and again on appeal, that the terms of the certified agreement were to be applied literally and that redundancy payments were due upon the loss of "a position with Amcor".
In the High Court's view industrial awards and agreements are not to be read so literally and have to be considered against their industrial background, the relevant legislation and the rough and tumble of industrial negotiations. Given that all the employees retained their position, although not with the original employer, they were not redundant within the meaning of the certified agreement and there was no entitlement to a severance payment.
This argument went all the way to the High Court because the disputing parties had different interpretations of the wording of the certified agreement. In the end the High Court cleared the air but a lot of lawyers were involved along the way. Perhaps the lesson is to make use of a few lawyers up front to avoid the need to use more of them down the track.
The High Court decided that Gribbles, a provider of radiology services, was not, in the terms of the legislation, the successor to the business of MDIG and was not therefore bound by the Federal award that had applied to MDIG. Gribbles had become the new licensee to Region Dell in place of MDIG. There were no dealings between Gribbles and MDIG nor any transfer of business, although Gribbles offered employment to those who had worked for MDIG.
In explaining its decision the High Court told a story of a business who sold a car, one of its assets. The buyer would not become a successor to the business merely because it had purchased the car. And even if the buyer used the car for the same purpose and offered work to the employees of the business, those facts on their own would not be enough to say that the buyer was a successor and thereby become covered by the Federal award.
Just because a new employer performs the same activities as a previous company covered by a Federal award it does not follow that it is the successor to the business and bound by that Federal award. It's all about analysing the "work in a business" rather than just the "work".


Things are going really well with the newly launched History Pin. I will created an individual page, on this website, for it later, that way you can keep up to date with news about the project, find out how to use it and see some info on some of the entries I have made to the site. What is fantastic about History Pin is that is is completely FREE, you don't have to join any group to be a part of it, you can just log onto the site and add your own pictures or stories. Even better why not get talking to someone from another generation and get their pictures and stories added.
But you needn't feel alone whilst getting involved in History Pin because we have a fantastic group in Cambs which you can go to for advice, help and support in adding you items to History Pin. Cambridgeshire Association for Local History is the umbrella group for history groups, village societies and likeminded groups covering the whole of Cambridgeshire. We are working in association with History Pin and we are more than happy to help get you started and to support you will your contributions to History Pin. We have some great plans for Cambridgeshire and I'll update you on all this as it happens.


Mission statement: To inspire confidence and style with every dress made with love just for you.
Designed and sewn with love in California, Nikki Marie embodies a playful spirit with an exquisite eye for women's apparel. Each season takes you to a world of feminine silhouettes enhanced by bold original prints, colors and textures.
Raised in a very colorful background of Greek American culture, Nikki Marie grew up surrounded by two generations of ambitious entrepreneurs. Growing up with the family mentality of "working hard for what you want", shaped her into the self-driven, passionate and optimistic designer she is today. After graduating from West Valley College with a degree in Apparel Design in 2012, Nikki Marie set her sights on building her label. She launched her e-commerce store in 2013 and now offers alteration and bespoke services throughout Sonoma County.


Rating: R Running Time: 2 hr 43 min.
On this trip to the movies I was joined by my brother, Andrew. We both loved the original Blade Runner movie and were cautiously optimistic about the sequel.
I was (we all were right?) skeptical when I heard they were making a sequel to Blade Runner. I mean come on, that's an impossible act to follow. Right? The original film was way ahead of its time and it took several decades for people to wrap their heads around its awesomeness. It redefined the modern dystopian vision on-screen and was frequently emulated. Ever since the original hit our theaters, movies depicting a bleak future were often compared the Blade Runner, and a lot of them were left wanting.
However, when I heard Denis Villeneuve was directing this, I started to hope. Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival, were all really impressive films. I was convinced he was the right director for the replicant killing sequel and I was happy to be proven right. If time travel were possible, I'd send him back to direct the last two alien films!
Blade Runner 2049 is beautiful, thoughtful, tragic, weird, and moving. One screening will not be enough to fully appreciate how good this film is. It's every bit as good as the original, and perhaps (certainly in some key ways) even better. What it lacks in showy scene stealing performances, it easily makes up with incredible production design, and a thoughtful approach to the main character's motivations and actions.
This is a very clever film with many layers to explore, and it's made all the more watchable by the great performances from Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, and Harrison Ford. Sylvia Hoeks also turns in a memorable performance as Luv, as cold an assistant/hit-woman you're ever going to see at the movies.
Fans of the original should not be disappointed. It's every bit a Blade Runner movie, but also stands alone as a thoughtful well written and designed piece of science fiction film-making.
I was really impressed with Sylvia Hoeks. Her moment with Robin Wright was one of my favorite scenes in the entire film.


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Asia Pacific|Removing Fuel Rods, Japan Hits Milestone in Fukushima Nuclear Cleanup
The third reactor at the ruined Fukushima nuclear power plant, where workers began removing radioactive fuel rods on Monday.CreditCreditKimimasa Mayama/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The operator of Japan's ruined Fukushima nuclear power plant began removing radioactive fuel rods on Monday at one of three reactors that melted down after an earthquake and a tsunami in 2011, a major milestone in the long-delayed cleanup effort.
Thousands of former residents have been barred from the area around the plant for years as crews carried out a large-scale radioactive waste cleanup in the aftermath of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The process of removing the fuel rods from a storage pool had been delayed since 2014 amid technical mishaps and high radiation levels.
The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power, said in a statement that workers on Monday morning began removing the first of 566 spent and unspent fuel rods stored in a pool at the plant's third reactor. A radiation-hardened robot had first located the melted uranium fuel inside the reactor in 2017.
"Thanks to their training, the work has been going smoothly," Tomohiko Isogai, the director of the nuclear plant, was quoted as saying by the Japanese broadcaster NHK, referring to workers involved in the fuel cleanup. He added that plant officials were "very sorry" over the delays in the process.
There are 1,573 fuel rods still inside the storage pools of the three reactors that melted down in 2011, the Kyodo News agency reported on Monday. Tokyo Electric said that the cleanup at the third reactor would take just under two years, and that it planned to eventually remove uranium from all three reactors.
Workers at the third reactor are using a remotely operated crane to remove the fuel rods, in a process that occurs underwater to prevent radiation leaks. The rods are dangerous partly because the pools are not enclosed, and they could be vulnerable in the event of another major earthquake.
Tokyo Electric's announcement comes a few days after people began moving back to Okuma, a town near the ruined plant, after the authorities said that radiation levels there had fallen to a safe level.
Last year, Japan acknowledged for the first time that exposure to radiation at the site had caused a death. The announcement came after a man who had worked mostly at the plant over 28 years died of lung cancer.
The authorities had previously acknowledged that three other Fukushima workers developed leukemia and thyroid cancer after working on the plant cleanup. But experts are divided on whether exposure to radiation can be linked to illnesses among children who lived near the plant.
Makiko Inoue contributed reporting from Tokyo.
removing fuel rods japan hits milestone fukushima nuclear cleanup
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The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
An interactive tragic novel.
The Darkest Tales
An interactive tragic novel on the difficult life of a single person set in the world of dark fantasy. Having been born a commoner, Sir Brante, you shall experience in full the injustice of the existing cosmic order.
Every imperial citizen's life is predetermined by their estate. The deities known as the Twin Gods have bestowed this truth to the world, dividing mortals into Lots. The nobles lead and rule over others, while the clergy guides people on the one true path, and the lowborn suffer, toiling away for the glory of the Empire.
Divided into chapters, the game keeps track of the player's deeds, the skills they acquired, as well as other overlapping circumstances that shape a unique plotline for each playthrough. Every decision has its consequences and you will be held accountable throughout the entire journey. To protect your family and loved ones, to impose the rule of the Emperor and make a fortune, or to try and change the world as you see fit.
Watch over Sir Brante and make him into a person who can endure whichever trials and tribulations fate throws his way! Develop and train your character, leveling up such traits as determination, sensitivity, and endurance.
The first complete walkthrough can take you upwards of 20 hours! Numerous branching paths that affect the unfolding story will make every playthrough a unique experience: become a noble judge, learn the ways of the inquisition, plot a revolution as a member of a secret society, or embrace an entirely different purpose. Be brave and fate itself shall bend to your will!
Resurrection system allows the character to keep his experience upon death, letting the player reevaluate past steps and make adjustments to their strategy going forward.
Go to 101XP.com
© 2023 101XP All rights reserved


My pictures do not do this incredible piece of artwork justice. The horse stands tall and demands second and third looks. The giant horse resembles drift wood but was actually a time-consuming, labor of love, crafted from bronze.
A bill board hangs off to the side, waiting for your reaction.
Exhibited, on loan, at the Columbus Museum of Art. If you make it to Columbus, do check out German Village and the incredible restaurants.


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namespace Biplane\YandexDirect\Api\V5\Contract;

/**
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class AdTypeEnum
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    public const TEXT_AD = 'TEXT_AD';

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    public const DYNAMIC_TEXT_AD = 'DYNAMIC_TEXT_AD';

    public const IMAGE_AD = 'IMAGE_AD';

    public const CPC_VIDEO_AD = 'CPC_VIDEO_AD';

    public const CPM_BANNER_AD = 'CPM_BANNER_AD';

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This digital article describes the use of a film as a textbook in undergraduate curricula. Based on the premise that digital technologies endow films with the same infinite patience that books possess—their segments, like pages, are constant and so can be analyzed in a sustained fashion—Filmic Texts maintains that in a highly mediated world, facility with all of the available semiotic resources is integral to the type of large scale literacy necessary for a flourishing democracy. This argument gains strength as its concepts are also enacted; it is created in Scalar, a platform that allows one to speak with rich media in addition to words.
The project contains three main paths which the reader may take. The first, Filmic Texts, is an overview of the background theory and the attendant pedagogy of IML340: The Praxis of New Media. The second, Digital Pedagogy, is a more praxis-based path, describing the nuts and bolts of enacting this type of progressive pedagogy and, in many cases, displaying student projects and interviews created in response to the course. The third path, The Structure of Filmic Texts and the Rise of the Fifth Estate, is an overview of the piece that includes details about the affordances of this exciting new platform, Scalar, the content choices that it enabled, and the ways that I chose to negotiate its functionality.
As you move from one path to another, you will notice that some pages appear in more than one path. This recursive structure is meant to illustrate the capacity of digital media to create overlapping arguments and is a unique feature of Scalar as an authoring platform. For more help with features of Scalar, please click on the help icon in the sidebar (or stripe) which displays throughout this piece.
Discussion of "Introduction to Filmic Texts and the Rise of the Fifth Estate"
Version 6 id 44048 of this page, updated 09 June 2013 by Virginia Kuhn. Created by Virginia Kuhn.


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Q: Merging of Two DataTables in Large Volumes I have a Datatable with Multiple rows with Repeated Primary Keys...
It looks like this...
----------------------------------------------------
`PrimaryKey CostPrice  SellingPrice   Profit   Address
----------------------------------------------------
101          1000                      100%
101                                             USA
101                      3000
102                                             Africa
102          200         300
102                                    200%
------------------------------------------------------

What should be C# code that will Merge the data into 2 Single Rows. I have researched the net but it is not that relevant. I am sure that there will be no Double Data. I mean for a single column, we will have one cell data.
Is it possible to get the output as follows...
----------------------------------------------------
`PrimaryKey  CostPrice   SellingPrice  Profit   Address
------------------------------------------------------
101          1000        3000          100%     USA

102          200         300           200%     Africa
------------------------------------------------------

What would be the best possible way because I have to deal with Excel data that populates the DataTable with some Thousands of Records..


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A Q&A with Patrick Ehlen, VP of AI at Uniphore
Home > Life at Uniphore > A Q&A with Patrick Ehlen, VP of AI at Uniphore
By Jody Glaser, Director of Content, Campaigns & Brand, Uniphore
There's an intense renewed interest in artificial intelligence. Although having The Jetson's "Rosie" in every home is still a dream, the reality of artificial intelligence might look a little different from what we imagined generations ago. AI won't replace humans, but it is on the precipice of becoming our greatest ally. Contact center agents will work with these smart machines just as human colleagues and customers will receive new levels of care.
Uniphore is pushing the boundaries of conversational AI, using the talents, expertise and creativity of experts in the field like Vice President of AI Patrick Ehlen. He was kind enough to sit down for some questions about his background and interest in artificial intelligence and offer some advice for those interested in the field. Here's what he had to say.
What is your role at Uniphore? And what do you spend most of your time doing?
I am the VP of AI at Uniphore. I spend most of my time doing two things: Coming up with ways to improve our existing technologies using state-of-the-art AI methods and thinking about how this company will use AI in the future to forge new paths and do things other companies are not yet doing. In general, this involves a lot of brainstorming among our talented scientists and engineers and also trying to recruit new talent in these areas to strengthen our company's position in the AI field.
What skill sets are needed to build next-generation AI and automation systems and platforms?
Certainly, strong math and programming skills are important—especially the capacity to think statistically. But there are skills beyond that which are more important. Our company develops technologies that attempt to understand human conversation, which demands an entirely different set of abilities.
While we all feel like we're pretty skilled at communicating in at least a language or two, our intuitions about how exactly we do that are often surprisingly misleading. Even AI practitioners who are very accomplished at doing "natural language processing" on text documents like news articles get snagged in traps when they start working with human-to-human dialogues. So when we hire new people in our group, we look for scientists who are not just good at machine learning and AI algorithms but also have knowledge of linguistics and conversation analysis, and preferably some experience doing machine learning on human-human conversations—or at least on dialogues between humans and machines, like chatbots.
To build a next-generation machine that will understand human conversation, you need to have a good balance between these two knowledge sets. Even then, there have been very talented people working on these problems for a long time. And you've probably noticed that a conversation with Siri or Alexa is nowhere close to the kinds of conversational AI we see imagined in science fiction, where a machine just talks to you as if it were another person. Why is that? The fact is we don't even know what elements are missing to get us down that road to truly conversational AI.
So the most important skill of all is creativity and an impulse to think outside the box and learn and borrow from different disciplines because our current set of tools in AI is not getting us where we want to be.
How did you get interested in AI? And what has been your career path?
Career path? It never felt like I had a career path. In third grade at the library, I came across a paperback novel that had some color pictures of spaceships in the middle, and I wanted to know what it was all about. It wasn't really a book for kids, and my teacher was impressed that I had it, so she let me read that instead of the stuff she assigned to other kids. It took the whole year. The novel was about some astronauts headed to Saturn on a spaceship equipped with an AI computer they could talk to, who then goes crazy and starts killing everybody. Maybe you saw the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
At the time, my dad was a self-employed econometrician and early computer enthusiast who bought a DEC PDP-11 before most people had computers in their homes, so we had this big computer in our basement that was the size of a refrigerator with blinking lights and reel-to-reel tapes whizzing back and forth like you saw in movies. No one else I knew had one of these, and after reading the novel, I thought, "There must be a way I can get this thing to have a conversation with me!" I taught myself to program in the process of trying. I was lucky to have that opportunity, though, at the time, this was not the start of any viable career path.
When I started college, I was good at programming and interested in AI, but it was the middle of an "AI winter," and not much was going on except a seminar course where we did some LISP programming. I also stumbled across a pair of books called Parallel Distributed Processing which introduced me to the concepts of neural networks and distributed representations. This was very different from the symbolic AI going on at the time, and to me, much more exciting, so I played around with programming neural networks a little.
But "AI as a career path" was not a thing as far as I could tell, so I studied psychology to learn about the brain. In particular, I was interested in "connectionist" theories of cognition and in cognitive processing of language. I started hanging around the psycholinguistics lab in grad school and then seized an opportunity for a summer internship at Dragon Systems—one of the first speech recognition companies—followed by an internship and consulting gig at AT&T Labs working on natural language and multimodal understanding systems.
AT&T Labs was full of brilliant people talking about very complicated things I didn't understand at the time but who were also gracious enough to spend time explaining everything to me. It was the first place I came across the nascent field of machine learning, so I guess you could say the "official" career path started there. During those few years at AT&T and then a three-year post-doc at CSLI at Stanford, the whole idea of "Wow, maybe I could actually do AI for a living!" just sort of hit me, and then it was off to the races.
Overall, I guess you could say that if there is a theme to my career path, it's to just follow the things you find interesting and don't worry about whether a so-called "career path" really exists (yet).
Who are the top three AI thought leaders or publications you follow?
Coming from psychology, I may be biased, but I still feel like AI can learn more from the brain than from anywhere else. One of the editors of the PDP books I mentioned above was Jay McClelland, whose papers on connectionist theories of language processing influenced me a lot as a grad student. He turned up at Stanford when I got there, along with Dan Jurafsky, Chris Manning, Herb Clark, Ivan Sag, Barbara Tversky, Chris Potts, Stanley Peters whose lab I worked in, and so many others whose work I followed.
The publications I read now are still Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Discourse Processes, Cognition, Cognitive Science, and then a slew of conferences in the ML/NLP area where I serve on program committees. Then I read a lot of online sources, like Quanta, about fun science-y stuff like quantum computing and physics and astronomy and health and medicine.
What is one thing that is not automated today that you wish was?
Going to meetings! Wouldn't it be great if we had a digital surrogate who could attend and then report back on only the important stuff? Of course, then everyone would do that, and you'd end up with meetings of only surrogates… like at the end of Real Genius, where all the student desks are just occupied by tape recorders, and the professor's desk has a tape recorder playing the lecture. Oh, and dusting! I think some smart person should be able to invent an autonomous drone that flies around your house sucking up dust. But I'm too busy to do it!
When I have some spare time, I'm either messing around with music or reading or practicing my tennis serve, which is still horrible.
What is one book you would recommend to others? What about a movie? TV show?
I would not recommend for anyone to read "one" book. You should read as many as possible.
Do you have a special motto or advice you like to impart to others?
I'll punt on this one and offer these words from Emerson's "Self-Reliance": "In every work of genius we find our own rejected thoughts, returned to us with a certain alienated majesty." Something along those lines.
Pushing the Boundaries of AI Language
Uniphore is bridging the gap between humans and machines by pushing the boundaries of conversational artificial intelligence. We're exploring what makes human language so challenging and delivering next-generation conversational services powered by artificial intelligence. Thanks to people like Patrick Ehlen, Uniphore can provide the most advanced conversational automation on the planet, harnessing the power of language and the human voice.
Learn more about the state of conversational AI for the contact center in the ebook "The Future of AI for Contact Centers."


There comes a time when everyone must simply leave the cares and worries behind to find solace in the beauty of a distant destination that can provide all the desired luxuries along with unique vacation experiences. There is no such thing as a 9-5 workday for the talented entrepreneurs and innovators of today, so with all the dedication that is placed on their work; an equal amount of passion is placed on discovering the ultimate escape. When Founders find a rare escape from running their companies, they refuse to settle on the ordinary, which is a specialty of these destinations.
Offering some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, the Turks & Caicos is a dream-come-true for the entrepreneur searching for an escape from work, and the opportunity to explore the abundance of ocean activities. After all, all work and no play is never the solution.
Beyond just the chic accommodations, the Gansevoort Turks & Caicos has all the elements of an urban fashionable getaway. With a welcoming infinity pool, white sand beaches, turquoise water and the Exhale Spa; Gansevoort provides all the luxurious of home in a sensational resort atmosphere. If you can pull away from the people-watching at the pool for long enough to brush up on your water sports, Gansevoort offers a miniature Hobie Cat, kayaks and paddle boards to their guests, and within only a few minutes, horseback riding, golf, fishing and more can be arranged.
The pool provides the quintessential Turks and Caicos experience, but be warned, the pool is a very busy place both day and night. Well worth the fee, consider reserving one of the private island pods complete with lounges, chairs and umbrella. Just knowing you have a place to kick back and relax is priceless, and for when you need to keep up with some work, Wi-Fi is available property-wide. Similarly, the round Beach Beds are available, so make a reservation early when you want to savor a day of people watching at this heavenly beach.
Several days being completely removed from the rat race of everyday life is absolutely vital, and the Maldives delivers beauty and relaxation each and every time. With so many of today's entrepreneurs and innovators supporting the many environmental causes facing the world today, many certainly get behind the Maldives, as they've pledged to be a carbon-neutral country by 2019.
When it comes to environmental innovations, this country has been impressive to say the least. In order to preserve the coral reefs that had started to deteriorate, scientists placed electrified cones below the water's surface to provide a substrate for larval coral attachment. It worked, and experts say that the coral reefs have seen a growth five times the normal growth rate because of these localized innovations.
To take full advantage of this sunny paradise, take the 30-minute seaplane flight to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and become embraced by their hospitality and an elite level of services spread over these two islands. A brilliant compromise by having the adventure of the diving, snorkeling, or even a ride in their very own mini-submarine among the vibrant coral reef; combined with the highest level of luxury at their spa and wellness retreat, over water spa treatments, the famous ITHAA Undersea Restaurant where you dine 16-feet below the surface, and finally their exclusive collection of amazing villas either beachside or over water.
With so many islands to explore and endless excursion possibilities to be planned during a stay on Rangali Island, there's still one localized escape that is perfect for when it's necessary to completely unwind. Mandhoo Island is a fantastic getaway for just this sort of occasion. Conrad has fairly close ties to this island, considering they own a large portion, and have an area where they grow much of what is served at the resort, as well as additional facilities for Conrad staff. The tour portion is great to drink from a coconut, experience the freshness of the herbs and fruit and learn more of the farming innovations practiced here, but the real treasure is to simply walk and explore the other portion of the island. Here, the locals are usually eager to chat with the tourists, and beyond simply seeing "island life" as a local, they speak freely about island life, religion and politics; where it's quickly understood that these locals are a true testament of survival.
Known to be extremely welcoming to guests and keen to share their customs, cuisine and history, Marrakech provides a picturesque backdrop for an authentically original getaway. A beloved property to escape any stress left at home and work, the Sofitel Marrakech Lounge and Spa delivers every time.
If you're able to pull yourself away from this hotel oasis, the area offers high-flying hot air balloon rides, challenging golf courses and the opportunity to spend some time at the Royal Polo Club. The Junior Suite overlooking the pool and out onto the Atlas Mountains is a perfect setting when not making the most of the spa and wellness programs offered to guests as a way to appeal to all the senses.
Just don't forget to explore the city and visit the Semmarine Souk for a collection of local gifts, and for those addicted to the localized spicy cuisine, the Spice Market in the Mellah neighborhood will blow your mind. The old and new worlds come together at Jemma el-Fnaa in the Medina Quarter, and is a must-visit in hopes to see the snake charmers eager to pose for the tourists by day and crowds of locals and tourists coming together to enjoy some food and drink by night.
What better place to escape than the amazing city of Sydney. Located on the beautiful Tasman Sea, this cultural treasure is a true big city getaway, but the friendly locals, boutique hotels and overall zest for life make Sydney a true escape for most hard-working entrepreneurs, who live and breath work 24/7.
For most, a Sydney getaway often begins with a Qantas flight, which is always an escape in its own right. The first class cabins and the level of service from the moment you check-in is simply perfection. The First Lounge provides full business services to take care of those last-minute emails, while also having fine dining and complimentary treatments at the day spa available before being personally escorted to the plane. Once boarded, the suites provide all the comforts needed for a restful flight, regardless if you're working or watching television in the reclined chair with ottoman, or have the fully flat bed made up with its sheepskin mattress and plush duvet. Tasting menus and a full wine list are available thanks to the insane talents of celebrity chef Neil Perry, and his long-term collaboration with Qantas.
With so much to do in Sydney, a uniquely boutique experience can be enjoyed at the Diamant Hotel in Kings Cross. A short walk east opens the doors to an entirely new adventure, where the Royal Botanical Garden and Domain becomes your own expansive playground. With so many great restaurants and cafes in the immediate area of the hotel and having access to the peaceful serenity of the Botanical Gardens, Sydney is a special place to take the time to relax and rejuvenate. A short walk north from the hotel leads to the water's edge in only minutes, complete with views out to the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. When enjoying some time in the Botanical Gardens, consider visiting The Pavilion for breakfast or lunch, nestled in the Domain, just across from the Art Gallery of NSW, as it's a perfect escape within the park.
Sitting at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, this Colorado town has certainly had a colorful past – transforming from the choice destination for the hippies in the 1960's, to being one of the chic getaways of today's affluent traveler simply looking for an escape. When necessary to "unplug" from work, then take to the trails galore, or even stick with an urban walk by taking advantage of the pedestrian area of the Pearl Street Mall. Take advantage the opportunity to blend in with the locals Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays at the Farmers Market at 13th and Canyon, where the passion that many in Colorado have for organic farming and farm-to-table is seen firsthand.
Perfectly located close to this downtown area and historic Boulder is the St. Julien Hotel & Spa, which provides the ideal city retreat. With a mission to encourage guests to take advantage of "me time," as it's time well spent, the staff certainly goes above and beyond to make certain it's possible to simply leave work behind and unwind. However, for the entrepreneur who must bring some work with them, the hotel is even able to provide access to local corporate centers, including the high-tech corridor of Interlocken.
When simply looking to escape work and the stress of being your own boss, the spa offers numerous treatments, full locker room, gym, hair salon and more. Jill's Restaurant is a modern take on the classic bistro, and for those loving the farm-to-table movement, Jill's is sure to be a hit. The tableside service is always in demand here, so seriously consider the Steak Diane and then top it off with the amazing Bananas Foster.