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Eurovision 2012: Sweden Are Crowned Winners
The lead up to the 2012 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest has surely been one of the most significant ones in recent years especially due to the fact that there is a lot of national interest with Malta competing in the finals for the very first time since 2009 when Chiara had taken to the stage for the third time leading her to achieve her lowest showing in the competition. Nevertheless, this evening might be about change because there has been a lot of talk in recent hours that Malta might actually be the country to look out for during the voting with betting odds shortening and improving putting up into a better mid-table position at this stage. At the end of the day, passing the first hurdle has already been a tough cookie to crack and tonight, we are sure that Kurt Calleja and the rest of his band will definitely give the best performances of their entry This Is The Night.
Good Evening Europe! Welcome to this years' Eurovision Song Contest brought to you from Baku, Azerbaijan. It has been quite an exhilarating competition this year noting that we have taken you throughout the two weeks with the best possible coverage noting that our team has always been on the alert to make sure that you are updated with the latest interviews, predictions and other tidbits. This evening is going to be special because escflashmalta.com will be leading you throughout the competition with four commentators, the first one being none other than former Junior Eurovision Song Contest representative Sophie who last year made her debut in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, Swedish songwriter Magnus Kaxe who has written tracks for the likes of Celine Dion and Clay Aiken amongst others, Local recording artist and Bay Radio charting sensation Christabelle who has also tried to represent Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in the past and of course, Marc Calleja Bayliss, our very own Chief Editor.
The Show (Part 1)
Many people are somewhat gasping at how good the opening of this years' Eurovision Song Contest it and it does feature a lot of traditional elements with drums, flutes and everything traditional and it is the strongest that this could actually be. Once more, we listen to the reigning winning entry of the Eurovision Song Contest as Ell & Nikki take to the stage with the song Running Scared. The female hosts are clad in white dresses and are on their own due to the fact that Ell had just been performed. In the meantime, a video clip of the arena being built is also being shown on screens.
Sophie: A very simple song and performance! The style is a bit old fashioned for me, but I'm sure people will warm to it! It's a lovely little ballad, but will everyone remember it after 25 more songs, probably not.
Magnus Kaxe: Nice track and Engelbert sings really great! The chorus is amazing! Though the ending wasn't that good. But all in all, a good performance.
Christabelle: Not my fav song but my predictions are that he will do well because he has a huge fan base .. Love the melody of the song though.
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Engelbert Humperdinck is the first act of the evening and he is clad in black attire as he has been throughout all of the rehearsals this week. Despite his old age, he seems to be holding well onto his vocals singing clearly and distinctively/. He is joined on stage by a guitarist and also a couple who are dancing a mixture of waltz and ballet. I must say that I am impressed with his rendition this evening and the people are definitely enjoying this because they are really getting into the performance. Unfortunately I still cannot see this in the top ten because he murdered the song during the Jury Rehearsal and will definitely not hit the top ten but that was a good opener.
Sophie: This song sounds like something I've heard before, It's not very original.. Could tonight be Hungary's night, I'm not too sure! Also the diction isn't very clear, would have liked to understand the words more, but at least it's in English!
Magnus Kaxe: Electro vibes - in my taste. :) Unfortunately the singers voice is a little bit weak. Power production, love the bass and kick drum. Good punch! One of my favourites.
Christabelle: Loved this song in the semifinal Aswell!!! Great interpretation but it's not a Eurovision song in my opinion but it's one great track still.
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Well there has been a change in costume from the semi-final with an orange and black leather jacket. This is the most modern track in the competition and would definitely be played on the radio wherever actually. The vocals today are unfortunately very much over the place and it seems that the dreaded number #2 position has hit once more. This was one of those songs that has been stated to have been saved by the jury but I must say that they might have not made the right choice. A very poor performance of what was in my opinion a very good song.
Sophie: Not too sure about the snake-like hair round her neck! This song is a bit too much for me, it starts off so lovely and peaceful and then goes down hill in the chorus as it's a bit too shouty for my liking! But most people think shouting is good singing, so this will probably do well, it's pretty memorable!
Magnus Kaxe: Cool singer. She reminds a littke bit of Björk. The song is beautiful and has advanced buildup. Demanding to sing. The melody range must at least over 2 and half octaves. The longer higher notes were unfortunately not that nice to hear...saldy enough.
Christabelle: What a great voice! I wish that I could understand what she s saying hehe but I guess I have to just look at her and her snake around her neck.
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Rona has to be one of the most decadent performers in this years' Eurovision Song Contest as she brings to the stage powerhouse vocals as she has always done within each and every performance. The early draw though is definitely not helping and I just cannot imagine this finishing in the top three even though she will most likely finish in the left hand side of the scoreboard. The stage is bathed in black, white and red for most of the performance and she has been saving up her voice as much as possible throughout the day to make sure that she gives a stellar performance. Well done Albania, you should be proud of that performance.
Sophie: A good vocal performance from Donny however he isn't as strong as he was in the semi-finals, he's actually going off pitch on a couple of notes! Very musical theatre in the beginning then changes to a more funky beat! Liked the song on the whole, however his nerves got the better of him.
Magnus Kaxe: This is just silly. Don't understand this ridiculous "song" at all. Love is blind and I wish I was deaf. At least for these three loooooooong boring minutes. Hope it gets zero points tonight.
Christabelle: What's up with the blind fold hehehe I know it's meant to be love is blind but hehe.. The song is quite good and he has a great voice ... The only thing I don't like about him are his dance moves hahha
Marc Calleja Bayliss: This had to be one of the surprise qualifiers during the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest and wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black glittery blindfold, he takes to the stage and performs what seems to be a ballad earlier on but then mid-way through the performance he changed the tempo completely and turns this into a dance song. His beautiful eyes might be distracting for some but tonight I am definitely listening to his voice crack unfortunately which is quite disappointing. I do not think that this will do well this evening.
Sophie: Such a beautifully sung ballad by Maya, her voice is so pure and has a lovely tone to it! The setting on stage is also really outstanding! The only thing I don't like is that she stops playing the piano at the end however the piano in the track keeps going... But a good performance on the whole.
Magnus Kaxe: I love these kinds of songs. Not a typical Eurovision song. The arrangement and production is huge. She sings beautifully. Unfortunately I don't think the song will get that many votes tonight. I keep my fingers crossed that i will though! It deserves to be in the top ten. Easily.
Christabelle: Again I wish she was singing in English!!! She has such a beautiful voice :) loveee the dress!!! And her hair too! :) this is a great ballad!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Honestly enough, when this song was previewed for the very first time, I believe that it would be a contender for this years' competition but then again, things changed and this song somewhat became slightly boring at times and this is due to the fact that one cannot understand the lyrics. The stage is completely black in the beginning but changes to red and blue to show what seems to be a sunset like atmosphere. The vocal performance is stunning as always and the wind machine effect in the end is just beautiful. Could this surprise this evening or will it be forgotten? We will see!
Sophie: I absolutely adore these women, I'm not sure if the beginning is supposed to sound off tune, but makes the rest of the song seem even better! Such a feel good song and performance, I can't get over how cute they are! This will probably do really well.
Magnus Kaxe: In opposite to many I don't find this amusing at all. Suddenly there's a cirus on stage. It has nothing to do with talent or professionalism at all. The old women are cute. That's all.
Christabelle: So simple!! Love russia this year.. Their voices aren't as strong as the others but it is a really catchy song!!! I won't be surprised if this song will be the winner the nannas are too cute!! Party people, come on and dance!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: There we go, the first real contender for the evening is Russia as their lovely grannies take to the stage. The vocal performance does not really need to be flawless but I believe that they are doing the best that they can. The performance is just lovely and the colour scheme featuring blue, red, yellow and green looks so great on stage. The people in the hall have gone crazy and everyone is up on their seats and dancing away with the ladies. Mid-way through the song they just start mumbling in Russian and then, here come the freshly baked goods. This is just amazing and will be one of the songs to beat.
Sophie: This is quite a strong song, however I feel that something is missing! Greta & Jonsi's harmonies are perfectly pitched, and I love the violin break, but the song doesn't really go anywhere, it just has a couple of nice moments, but that's it!
Magnus Kaxe: A touch of scandinavian and irish folk tune. Song sounds to be good song, especially the chours. But i'm not convinced by the singers and their perfomance. Boring. Easy to forget.
Christabelle: Loved their voices in the first semi final. Loving the fact that she uses the violin :)
Marc Calleja Bayliss: This is one of the most successful songs in Malta apparently being bought through the digital iTunes store and here they are this evening clad in black attire in a musical like atmosphere. It seems that Jonsi has managed to bring out the very best vocal this evening noting that the beginning was pitch perfect and then when Greta joins, it is just beautiful. I mean this melodramatic ballad has always been tipped to do well and I believe that Iceland will be making their return back into the top ten this year having last been there with Yohanna in 2009. Well done!
Sophie: Love the staging of this! The dancers are outstanding.. The vocal performance is really strong considering the amount of energy Ivi is putting into the dance movements! Such a typical infectious Eurovision song, very memorable, and energectic! I'll be surprised if this doesn't place high tonight.
Magnus Kaxe: Yeah! This is going to be the big summer hit this year! The beach bars in Malta and Ibiza will play thison repeat. Simple, effecient and a tempting sing-along chorus. On my personal top three list tonight!
Christabelle: Cyprus was my favorite song from the first semi final . I think it's very similar to Greece though! Another Helena paparizou in my opinion but this is one of my favorites for sure!!! Such a catchy song too!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: The beginning of the song is much better than it was during the semi-final and it seems that Ivi has patched up a lot of elements which were not working then to make them work this evening. The backdrop does feature a lot of architecture and the colour scheme is mostly blue, white and grey. The choreography for this one is just superb and one of the elements that she is mostly using is her sex appeal but mid-way through the performance she seems to have lost her voice but hey, she just starts to ramble something to get the people going. This is a good performance though and Cyprus might be getting their best result in ages because she also got a very huge applause.
Sophie: Anggun's voice is a bit shakey, it's probably due to nerves, however she pulled it off nicely! Very original having gymnastics in the rountine, loved the costume too (maybe she should have covered her pants a bit more) hehe..
Magnus Kaxe: Whistle! Good song. Like the chord progression. Nice synth sounds with a 80's touch. Unfortunately too anonymous to make a lasting impression tonight. It's a tough competition!
Christabelle: Anngun has a very distinctive voice! She s 40 years old omg!!! I can't believe it what a great body! Love the whole concept of the song!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: The performance of France was always going to be extremely eye catching especially due to the fact that she is joined on stage by a pair of backing vocalists and also three gymnasts who carry out what seems to be a very elaborate choreography, maybe promoting the Olympics. Anggun in the meantime is wearing a silver, golden dress with a train and she is carried on the stage at times. Her vocals are flat almost through the performance and why has to remember that she is a star in her native Indonesia and adopted France. This will not do well this evening.
Sophie: Love the style of this song, you wouldn't expect this sort of song for the Italian entry.. But I think it will do well, just think she could have done with a couple of male dancers around her like on her music video and it would have made me love it even more.
Magnus Kaxe: Has Amy Winehouse risen from the dead? No, but her musical heritage has come alive again. Is it as as good as Amy? No... Good, but a really strange harmonic modulation from the verse into the chorus. But I believe is going to well tonight. In its own genre it stands out. People will notice. And remember when the recap of all the tracks comes. I believe it's going to be in the top five.
Christabelle: What a fantastic song!!! Italians never disappoint!!! Great jazz tune!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Well Nina Zilli is definitely rocking the stage this evening with a beautiful silver dress and that Ammy Winehouse type of hairstyle. The mixture of English and Italian does work well and she is definitely toying with the track at times in order to show just how strong she is vocally. She is joined on stage by three backing vocalists who just carry out their part exceptionally well. This is just an incredible performance and I do still believe that Italy can pull off the victory this evening. She interacts with the crowd well, what a performance!
Sophie: Wish I could understand the words to this song, I would imagine it to be a love song! The vocal delivery is really good and strong. Very simple staging, but a song as strong as this doesn't need anything fancy going on.. Hope it is memorable enough for people to vote for after they've heard all the songs!
Magnus Kaxe: So what's the name is song? Yes I heard it. Approx a million times. Kula kula kula kula. Nicely written tune. But so so so so slooooooooow.... No. Doesn't work for me.
Christabelle: Great voice!!! but all I can understand is Kuula :) and he's easy on the eye too!! Such a simple performance just showcasing his wonderful voice.. I wonder what kula means in his language
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Time and time again, I have said that this is the performance that I voted for within our semi-final and I have maintained my stance that it is a beautiful entry, a charming ballad which is performed extremely well by a performer who is well known in his native country. He is still clad in the same outfit he had during the semi-final and of course, the complimentary vocals of the backing is just stunning. He is definitely enjoying this performance on stage and will most likely see a lot of votes from the jury coming forward this evening. I am not sure this will appeal to the tele-voters though.
Sophie: Such a great, catchy song! Makes me want to get up and dance along, the whole thing is staged perfectly! He's a very good mover and keeps his vocal at a good level while bouncing around the stage. Hope this one does well!
Magnus Kaxe: Wow is Eric Saade back for Sweden this year again?! No, it's a Norwegian copycat. Tooji. Trying to be modern with a Ben Benessi synth sound. And some arabic rymth sounds. But this was modern...five years ago. The chorus is simple and Simplicity is good if it's done in a good way. But this is not good. But the dancing is tempting and the track will probably get a lot votes tonight. But not from me.
Christabelle: Stay Norway !!! How cool !!! He doesn't have an amazing voice but wow what a performance and what confidence on stage!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: So you think you can sing? I am not so sure because Tooji is definitely not performing well this evening starting off on a very bad note and does not really recover. The colour scheme is a mixture of orange, red and yellow and this does look very well on the cameras. He is joined on stage by four dancers, two of which are male and two of which are female. The choreography is extremely tight and does look very good on the screens but many people are comparing the song to the one of Sweden last year. The difference is that he could actually perform well! Quite the disappointing performance on the whole.
Sophie: Wow! What a strong ballad, Sabina has such a great voice.. Her diction isn't perfect, but that's understandable as English is probably not her first language! I think this would have been better without backing vocals, frankly she didn't really need them! Staging was beautiful!
Magnus Kaxe: Love the the piano arpeggio in the background. Predictable song that definately won't give Azerbajan a victory this year. But maybe that's the purpose - not too win. It's a very expensive happening to arrange for the winner country.
Christabelle: Sabina is one beautiful girl! She has a beautiful voice!!! And wow look at her dress !! She really deserves to be there she has the whole package!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Azerbaijan are hosting this years' edition and they will surely be receiving a lot of support this evening because Sabina Babayeva who is clad in a beautiful outfit which changes colour according to the backdrop is joined by a well known Azeri performer and also three backing vocalists. She is performing a very melodramatic ballad which will surely go down well across the board with a number of countries. This is just a beautiful performance and I am almost convinced that this will make the top give this evening. Huge applause in the hall and it seems that everyone is enjoying this entry. A huge well done to Azerbaijan for this evenings' showcase and for this performance.
Sophie: I love this song! It's so catchy and fun! Love the 'band' in white, they make the song so lively! Mandinga's vocals are much better tonight, this song reminds me of Shakira's 'Waka Waka' song, in a good way! I really hope people love this song as much as I do, and vote for it..
Magnus Kaxe: Next summer hit makes an entrance. Love the beat. Accordion used in a clever way Chorus fits well with the production. This is going to one of the top tracks tonight.
Christabelle: Loving the fact that she included orange in her colour scheme! In the semi final she had some technical difficulties so she was playing with her microphone and ear set but she makes up for it with such a great Eurovision song!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Huge applause from the crowd for Romania as Elena Ionescu takes to the stage clad in a short red dress with just minor black touches. She is joined on stage by the rest of the members of the group Mandinga and is clearly enjoying her performance but it seems that this has not been her week following trouble with her earpiece during the first semi-final and then also forgetting a line during the jury dress rehearsal. This evening despite trying to give her all, I believe that the vocals were very much off key throughout most of the performance and what is really making this song special is the backdrop and the shots. I still believe that they could scrape a top ten performance though.
Sophie: Love the style of this song, it's not very Eurovision, so I'm doubtful how well it will do! It's a very pleasant song, and quite catchy too.. I remembered it from the semi-finals, so that's a good thing.
Magnus Kaxe: The singer reminds a little bit of Alanis Morisette. Though the song isn't even close to be an Alanis track. Though it doesn't mean that this is bad. Effecient chorus. Though I would love to have heard more varity in the song composition and production. Becomes boring after a while.
Christabelle: She is so cool!!!! Love the sailor hat!!! And she is an inspiration to all her country ... I love her and her unique voice!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Soluna Samay is back on stage and this was also one of the acts which was very much successful with the Maltese followers noting that it managed to climb up to number #3 in the local iTunes charts. The track in itself is very middle of the road as has been quite successful for Denmark in recent years but I do not believe that this track will really be setting the scoreboard on fire as they have done in the past two years. It seems that Soluna Samay also started on a very bad note by being out of breathe and it has not improved actually.
Sophie: Another high enegry performance, don't really understand what message this song is trying to put across, and the singer is a bit over the top with her movements and facial expressions, but otherwise I quite like it! Another catchy one, should do well.
Magnus Kaxe: A typical song from Greece. Heard it thousand times before. In comperence to similar tracks from Romania and Cyprus this is falls out of my interest. And the singers don't manage to sing it...mostly out of tune.
Christabelle: She's making all the boys go crazy no wonder everyone is saying what a gorgeous figure she has! Greece always send fantastic songs to the final :) great tune!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: I must say that the traditional Greek element in the beginning is still just wonderful and clad in the same white, red, and black sparkling dress which does wonders for her body, she performs the song with some style. There had been talk that she could not really carry this song live but it seems that despite having much stronger vocals, she is still using her sex appeal to get some more extra votes. The choreography is very traditional and they have really thrown everything into this performance. Greece will have yet another top ten result at the end of the evening.
Sophie: This is one of the favourites, you can tell by the reaction of the audience! I love the song, it's quite 'David Guetta' style. What's interesting is that you would expect a completely different performance to what Loreen is giving, but it totally works... It's very out of the ordinary, love it!
Magnus Kaxe: Now it's time for my native country Sweden! This is by far the best track has sent to Eurovision in years! This is suggestive, tempting and sensual at the same time. Ok, I'm Swedish but this is my favourite track this year. By far. I hope the rest of Europe sees the same what I'm seeing. And hearing.
Christabelle: I have no words for the Swedish song except Simply AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: The strobe lights in the beginning of the performance are still there and what a beautiful start by Loreen who performs this pop/dance number to the best possible this evening. The backdrop for this one is kept completely black actually with the lighting being a mixture of purple and blue. I must say that she has gone from strength to strength during the rehearsals but this evening is definitely her best performance to date. Vocally, she is just brilliant and I believe that this will be the song to beat this evening especially after such an an exceptional performance.
Sophie: This is a very different song, do not know how well it will be recieved. Personally it's not really for me, but that's just my opinion! He looks like quite a fun guy, and his personality comes out through his performance, but that's as far as it goes!
Magnus Kaxe: Now we are sailing out on the seven seas. Silly stage show. I like the balkan beat and vibe of the track but the guy sings with terrible English pronunciation. And what a vibrato he has! Though the audience seems to be cheering a lot. Maybe they see and hear something I'm missing.
Christabelle: Not my fav but everyone loves it ! I love the pirate theme and the song is catchy but not my fav.. He's a fantastic performer though!!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Huge applause from the people in hall as expected considering that Turkey and Azerbaijan are very close neighbours. Can Bonomo is wearing a leather jacket, a striped shirt and matching pants. He is joined on stage by a set of men who are clad very similar to him. The backdrop is one of the most intriguing featuring a cartoon based seascape. The vocals this evening are as good as they have been all week and the choreography is exceptionally strong but what makes this song special is the very endearing camera work which seems to have been personally tailored very closely. This will be one of the tracks to look out for this evening and will surprise.
Sophie: Another strong ballad! Love the dress, not too sure on the harsh eye make up and pulled back hair, it's a bit too much for such a pure song! Would love to hear the English version, as I would be able to connect with it much more, but this song builds nicely to a great climax at the end. Should do very well!
Magnus Kaxe: So what has happened? This sounds amazing! So beautiful! Builds slowly and majestic in background. The spanish words sings great with the Celine Dion-ish melody.Together with Serbia and Bosnia this is the best ballads this year. Top five!
Christabelle: What a goddess!!! Her voice is simply amazing and I love this song!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Pastora Soler is clad in a white floor length gown and she is wearing her hair in an up style. She decides to front the stage on her own this evening or rather during the beginning of the song. This is a beautiful ballad which has been getting a lot of attention in the past couple of days. The staging of the song is kept rather simple with simple blue lighting in terms of spotlights on the performance. The vocals are just stunning and despite the reports that she has been asked not to win this years' competition, it seems that she might actually do especially considering that she gave two great performances both this evening and also last night. She is joined by a choir of backing vocals towards the end of the performance this might just be the one to beat.
Sophie: Love this one! Roman delivers this song perfectly, it's got 'Cold Play' written all over it! Really suits his voice, one of my favourites..
Magnus Kaxe: Time for the country where I'm living for the moment. Germany! First of all - lose that hat! A Ronan Keating look-a-like. A typical british song that works well on radio. Unfortunately I've heard it a million times before and this version is not one of the best.
Christabelle: Germany!!! One of the top contenders this year! Stunning man stunning voice excellent song!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Roman Lob looks very much like a bad boy actually with that tattoo on his chest and he is as always clad in casual attire and also a hat which has become somewhat his signature. The vocals this evening are off key almost at the very start and this is quite a disappointing performance from someone who had been receiving a lot of attention in the lead up to tonight. The staging is also kept very simple throughout with just a band present on stage but then again the lights are just wonderful and he does interact well with the camera-work. He does manage to pick it up near the end though and it seems that it could actually do well tonight. I do have a clue.
Sophie: Great performance by Kurt and the Malta crew, lots of energy and really got the crowd going! Not sure if he should have changed his improvisation at the end, prefered it on the semi-finals.. So happy to finally have Malta back in the final! Great job guys!
Magnus Kaxe: You have a really good song this! Kurt makes a great job with his charisma, great vocals and funny, tempting dance. :) I keeping my fingers crossed! Should be in the top ten.
Christabelle: This was another great performance from Kurt and his team! Well Done!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: There has been a lot of buzz for the Maltese entry in the past couple of hours actually and it seems that this is a dark horse to do well this evening with a thumping beat which clearly makes Germany forgettable. It seems that he has decided to change a number of aspects in the vocal performance including the falsetto which has vanished during the performance. One has to add that it was a good performance but I believe that he could have even done better but nevertheless, that was just amazing and it is great to have Malta back in the finals.
Sophie: This a rather random song, featuring lots of different styles! Although it is placed towards the end I don't think it's got that special something to urge people to vote for it. Not for me I'm afraid
Magnus Kaxe: Great song. But I have a really hard time to hear it beacause of the bad vocals. And the production is terrible. Can't believe this made it to the finals! Just as Lithuania this should have zero points.
Christabelle: At first I thought she was hoarse but now I realized that she has such a unique voice!!! Such a cool tone in her voice!! And I love the song too.
Marc Calleja Bayliss: This was a remarkable performance from Kaliopi this evening because she used heart and emotion to make sure that FYR Macedonia would get hear and made sure to impress her country once more this evening.
Sophie: Aaaah Jedward! Didn't like these boys to begin with but they've grown on me, and I love them now! Such a fun song, another catchy one! Love the fountain, and the ending is awesome! Their energy and movements are amazing, loved their performance.. Well done boys!
Magnus Kaxe: Typicalwritten song from Sweden that you could hear ten years ago. Predictable and boring. Last years' song was much better!
Christabelle: They're great performance, their voices aren't so strong but love the song and the whole staging and concept!! I can't believe they wet their hair!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Jedward have already represented Ireland last year where they managed to achieve to achieve a very strong position by managing eighth place. This year, they have decided to return with a fountain on stage and an even stronger song. It seems that they have decided to drop their entry by just a couple of keys but this is sounding very strong nevertheless. Mid-way through the performance, they enter the fountain and have some great shots on them from the cameras. I must say that this evening has not really been the evening for everyone but this will definitely be in the top ten as their fans will be calling like crazy.
Sophie: This song begins so peaceful, the music sounds like a something out of Mulan! Such a strong male vocal, really confident.. I wouldn't usually like something like this but it was a great performance.
Magnus Kaxe: The longest intro tonight. 45 seconds! Beautiful song with echos from The Lord Of The Rings. I'm happy to hear the song sung in the Serbian language. The singer is doing a great job! Top five!
Christabelle: Serbia. Beautiful voice. Though, wish he were performing in English.
Marc Calleja Bayliss: The late draw is definitely helping Serbia secure a top placing this evening and this will be the song to rack up a lot of votes from the Balkan block actually. The initial instrumental is too beautiful and as soon as he opens his mouth, he just calms the individual down and makes one want to listen. The lighting during this song is just wonderful and it works so well with the performance. The vocals this evening are just wonderful and I honestly believe that we might be going to Serbia next year.
Sophie: This song is a bit puzzling for me, I love the music and melody to this song however the lyrics don't make much sense to me! They're a bit repetative! Sounds really similar to Kelly Rowland's 'When Love Takes Over', but I like the presentation over all.
Magnus Kaxe: Chord progression stolen from David Guetta's "When the love takes over". Sounds like a cheap copy of that track. The melody of the song is anonymous with no flow. And the singer mostly screams.
Christabelle: Great way to end the evening! Loving this performance! Makes me want to get up and dance ! What fantastic diaphragm control!!
Marc Calleja Bayliss: One of the main reasons why Ukraine picked this song is due to the fact that it is also the one which is being used as the official song for the European Championships. The vocals are as always spot on and on key and it seems that she is giving a masterclass performance this evening. She is joined on stage by a number of dancers who also play the trumpets but the screens being used are the ones which draw a lot of attention because there is an army of people all of whom are doing to the song. I must say that I do love the performance but not sure where this will place.
Sophie: I like this song, if I heard it on the radio I wouldn't change over to another station, however I don't think the stage performancedoes it any justice! The choreography is a bit weird and the singer looks a bit weird too, but I think it should be recieved well by the audience!
Magnus Kaxe: Like the brass arrangement of the song. Though the song a little to simple to stand out in the tough competition. He sings great! But why do they have to wear clothes that look like a circus?
Christabelle: Reminds me of Colin Farell ! Very entertaining performance. Unique choreography for sure! The dresses are fantastic .
Marc Calleja Bayliss: Colin Farrell seems to be representing Moldova this year and he does so in impressive fashion because this has to be one of the catchiest songs of the evening with a very upbeat message in the lyrics. The choreography is just amazing still and I just cannot imagine this doing badly especially having been awarded the late draw. The backdrop also works very well with the overall staging and I must say that this it the first time in years where Moldova would definitely garner my vote.
The hosts are back on stage is much more formal clothing than they were in the beginning. They open up the voting of course and the recap is currently being shown to the viewers across Europe. In order to vote from Malta, you would have to call 522020XX or send a text to 505157XX. We would like to wish Kurt Calleja the very best of luck with the result!
1st - Sweden
2nd - Russia
3rd - Serbia
4th - Azerbaijan
5th - Albania
Last modified on Saturday, 26 May 2012 22:24
JESC 2018: Get to Know Everything about the Final
JESC 2018: A Sit Down with Malta's Ela
More in this category: « Sweden: Euphoria Dominates European iTunes Charts Eurovision 2012: Order for Voting Established »


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Ailsa Hart is Director of St Mark's Hospital Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit and Consultant Gastroenterologist. She is Sub-Dean of St Mark's Hospital Academic Institute. In 2016, she achieved academic promotion with Imperial College and is now Professor of Practice.
Ailsa Hart studied medicine at Oxford University and was awarded a First Class Honours Degree in 1992, together with the George Pickering Prize for Medicine and Surgery proxime accessit in 1995 and additional prizes for outstanding achievements. She achieved Membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 1998 and subsequently Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians. She trained in Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine in London and also received training at the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam. She achieved her PhD with Imperial College in 2005.
Her clinical work covers the spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases, with a particular interest in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Her research interests focus on intestinal immunology and bacteriology, aiming to further our understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory intestinal disorders via clinical trials and translational research. She has links with laboratories within Imperial College, particularly metabolic profiling, bacteriology and mucosal immunology. She has piloted faecal transplantation as a treatment for refractory pouchitis, funded by the Eli and Edyth Broad Foundation and has an ongoing research interest in the gut microbiome. Other particular research interests include pathogenesis of IBD, role of vitamin D, perianal Crohn's disease, pouchitis and surveillance of IBD patients for dysplasia or colorectal cancer. She has supervised/ co-supervised over 20 higher degree students and lectures widely nationally and internationally.
She is currently Chair of the British Society of Gastroenterology Gut Microbiota for Health Group. She has been a member of the Clinical Committee of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO); is on the IBD Clinical Research Group Committee for the British Society of Gastroenterology; UK Patient and Public Involvement Lead for Gastroenterology; on the Research Committee for the Crohn's and Colitis UK charity; collaborates widely across the UK particularly within the UK IBD Genetics Consortium; and is a member of the International Organisation for IBD (IOIBD), which is a group of approximately 50 top clinicians globally involved in IBD – she is only one of three members from the UK and the only UK woman involved.
She is Associate Editor of the popular gastroenterology journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, has published two books, with "Inflammatory Bowel Disease – an Evidence-based Practical Guide" selling over 2500 copies, and more than 130 papers and book chapters.
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Linia kolejowa Split-Sinj – nieistniejąca już wąskotorowa linia kolejowa w Chorwacji. Łączyła położony nad Morzem Adriatyckim Split z leżącym w głębi lądu Sinjem. Została oddana do użytku 12 września 1903 roku. Podróż pociągiem osobowym z Sinja do Splitu trwała dwie i pół godziny, podróż w przeciwnym kierunku - pół godziny dłużej. Na początku lat 60., w związku z rozwojem transportu kołowego, nastąpił gwałtowny spadek przewozów osobowych (w 1961 spadek o 51% w porównaniu z 1959). W tym samym czasie spadek przewozów towarowych wyniósł 49%. Wszystko to przesądziło o likwidacji linii - ostatni pociąg osobowy wyjechał na trasę 30 września 1962. Niedługo potem zakończono też ruch towarowy. W następnych latach linia została zlikwidowana, tabor kolejowy przeniesiono na inne jugosłowiańskie koleje wąskotorowe.
Linia miała długość 39,972 km, największe nachylenie wynosiło 26,7 promila. Najniższym punktem linii była stacja w Splicie - 2,43 m n.p.m. Najwyższy punkt był położony na wysokości 386,19 m n.p.m. Na trasie były trzy tunele o długości 400, 123 i 118 m, oraz kamienny wiadukt o długości 76,81 m.

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As the Big Three U.S. automakers sputter in debt, automobile makers worldwide are speeding into the Chinese market in a race to win profits in the world's fastest growing economy for cars. "You have to be here, and you have to be here in a serious way," Dieter Zetsche, Daimler Chrysler CEO, told CNN. The auto world has descended on the Shanghai Auto Show this week. More than 600,000 visitors are expected to attend the six-day event, which includes 1500 automotive manufacturers and the announcement of 13 new models, including Porsche's first four-door sedan, the Panamera. General Motors may be teetering on bankruptcy, but the one bright spot has been sales in China. Sales "are currently up 17 percent quarter on quarter, so we think we'll do a little bit better than the market (average) this year," said Kevin Wale, GM China chief executive officer. Though global car sales are expected to fall eight percent this year, sales in China are expected to grow 10 percent — and sales in the luxury market could be double that, according to industry analysts. Auto sales in China eclipsed the U.S. — traditionally the world's biggest market — this year, selling 2.7 million passenger cars compared to U.S. sales of 2.2 million during the first quarter of the year. Last month alone, Chinese consumers bought more than a million new cars.
It's a far cry from China's traditional image of a land of bicycles a generation ago. As more first-time drivers hit the roads, there are more carmakers from which to choose — China has more than 100 car manufacturers competing with Western companies, although industry analysts expect the Chinese automotive industry to consolidate as it expands.
But for now, China is an open road for global carmakers.


Gorgeous 27.84 acres with creek frontage and a custom 4BR, 2.5BA home. Spacious house with large living room, great family room, tile, wood floors, new roof, deck, and large attached garage. This amazing property has a pond, shop, trees, and some usable land. Rare find for only $359,000.


Buying a home can be an expensive business and First2Protect are offering free Home Buyers Protection Insurance. Sometimes buying a home doesn't go completely smoothly. Occasionally due to circumstances beyond your control, a home purchase doesn't proceed.
Fees for mortgages, surveyors and solicitors can be many hundreds of pounds. We will do everything possible to make sure your purchase goes through without any problems, but in the event that it falls through, Home Buyers Protection Insurance will cover you.
This policy will let you claim some of the costs you have incurred in the event that your purchase does not complete. To qualify for this offer, let First2Protect provide you with contents and buildings insurance with no obligation. They have access to many exclusive options which are not available to the general public on comparison websites. You are under no obligation to take out the buildings or contents insurance – the free Home Buyers Protection Insurance will be yours either way.


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Wieland North America acquires the business of specialty metals reroller Scott Brass
Wieland widens its customer network in North America
Acquisition is latest move in Wieland's North American expansion
Wieland North America announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the business of specialty metals reroller Scott Brass (House of Stainless, Inc., d/b/a Scott Brass) through an asset purchase transaction.
The transaction will broaden the customer base served by Wieland's global distribution network (consisting of over 90 facilities and 9,000 employees) and further strengthen Wieland's position in the North American market.
Scott Brass, based in Cranston, Rhode Island offers a range of specialty metals products to its customers in the northeast and across the United States. Wieland is a 200-year old, family-owned global technology and service leader in the brass and copper industry, known for excellent customer service and innovative solutions.
The move stems from Wieland's pursuit of growth opportunities across North America, Europe, and Asia. The deal also builds on recent momentum from its merger with Global Brass and Copper Holdings, Inc. (Schaumburg, IL) less than a year ago.
Scott Brass customers can expect Wieland to continue to meet their needs for high quality copper, copper alloy, and specialty metals products in North America and across the world through expanded access to Wieland's world-class manufacturing capabilities, reliable distribution network, and excellent customer service. The Wieland-Scott Brass transaction is expected to close in approximately 60 days.
About Wieland
Wieland is one of the world's leading suppliers of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products. With a global network of production sites, service and trading companies, the company offers a broad product, technology and service portfolio. From prototype to series production, Wieland develops solutions for automotive, electronics, refrigeration, air conditioning and other industries. Wieland uses high-performance copper materials to drive the success of its B2B customers in future-oriented fields such as electromobility, connectivity and urbanisation. High technical competence, customer-oriented thinking and sustainability determine their actions and have been the basis of the company's success since 1820.
Wieland in brief
Graf-Arco-Straße 36 | 89079 Ulm | Germany
*1820 in Ulm, Germany | Sales: approx. 522 kt | Turnover: approx. 3,34 bn. € |
| Employees appr. 9.000 [FY 2018/19]
Dr. Erwin Mayr, CEO | Ulrich Altstetter, CTO | Dr. Jörg Nübling, CFO
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Fritz-Jürgen Heckmann
Wieland Group | Marketing & Communications
Christine Schossig | VP Marketing & Communications
P +49 731 944 2980 | christine.schossig@wieland.com
Wieland Metal Services is a leading value-added metal service center in North America. As part of the Wieland Group since July 2019, Wieland Metal Services continues to focus on safety, quality and customer service. Learn more at Wieland.com
Wieland Metal Services Headquarters
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Copyright 2020 © Wieland
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Woops! Different Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies Hours After Being Struck Down
The contradictory rulings make it even more likely that the Affordable Care Act will go before the Supreme Court once again.
Jessica Huseman
Only two hours after the federal appeals court in D.C. ruled that the subsidies under Obamacare were unconstitutional, the Fourth Circuit issued a unanimous opinion upholding the same subsidies.
So where's the confusion?
Both cases hinge on what Think Progress calls "a glorified typo" in the Affordable Care Act. The ACA indicates that states may set up their own insurance exchanges or rely on the federal government to do it for them. If you read only that bit of the text, the law seems to imply that only "an Exchange established by the State" can offer subsidies to off-set the cost of healthcare. This is what the D.C. court relied on to write their 2-1 opinion.
But, in a unanimous decision, the Fourth Circuit said taking a single line out of context was a terrible idea. More specifically: "A reviewing court should not confine itself to examining a particular statutory provision in isolation" given that the "meaning—or ambiguity—of certain words or phrases may only become evident when placed in context."
The dissenting judge on the D.C. court, Judge Harry Edwards, offered similar language in his dissent:
"Appellants contend that the phrase "Exchange established by the State" in § 36B unambiguously bars subsidies to individuals who purchase insurance in States in which HHS created the Exchange on the State's behalf. This argument fails because 'the words of a statute must be read in their context and with a view to their place in the overall statutory scheme.' … When the language of § 36B is viewed in context – i.e., in conjunction with other provisions of the ACA – it is quite clear that the statute does not reveal the plain meaning that Appellants would like to find."
The disagreement is an interesting one, and essentially hinges on who gets to decide what the law means when the law is ambiguous. Traditionally, the Supreme Court has given this power to the executive branch. In 1984, the Supreme Court came up with the "Chevron Two-Step Test" which held that in the event the language of the law is ambiguous, the Supreme Court defers to the executive power's interpretation so long as that interpretation is not unreasonable.
As Judge Roger Gregory concludes:
We cannot discern whether Congress intended one way or the other to make tax credits available on the HHS-facilitated exchanges. The relevant statutory sections appear to conflict with one another, yielding different possible interpretations. In light of this uncertainty, this is a suitable case in which to apply the principals of deference called for by Chevron."
So then the Court must decide if the deference is warranted given how the IRS interpreted the law. In other words, is what the IRS decided to do reasonable? Judge Gregory writes:
With only sixteen state-run Exchanges currently in place, the economic framework supporting the Act would crumble if the credits were unavailable on federal Exchanges. Furthermore, without an exception to the individual mandate, millions more Americans unable to purchase insurance without the credits would be forced to pay a penalty that Congress never envisioned imposing on them. The IRS Rule avoids both these unforeseen and undesirable consequences and thereby advances the true purpose and means of the Act."
Given that, he calls the IRS decision "entirely reasonable" and chooses to defer to their decision based on Chevron. Chevron is a useful law. It leaves the power to interpret and carry out a law to the agency tasked with enforcing the law, which means that people who have specific expertise will be making difficult decisions as opposed to judges in black robes who sit on benches.
The disagreement falls clearly along party lines. The two judges who ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the D.C. case were appointed by Republicans, while the dissenting judge and all three judges on the Fourth Circuit court were appointed by Democrats.
The contradictory rulings make it even more likely that the case will be heard by the Supreme Court, and the Obama Administration will still call for "en banc" ruling by the full 11-judge panel from the D.C. court. The D.C. ruling has no immediate effect, as the judges stayed their decision to give the administration time to appeal.
Originally posted on Politically Inclined
Health insuranceACAObamacare
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Banter Newsletter
A Federal Appeals Court Just Dealt a Huge Setback To Obamacare
By Jessica Huseman
The Supreme Court Is Playing Politics With the Affordable Care Act
By Bob Cesca
Obamacare Is 'Unpopular,' But Not For the Reason You Might Think
By Tommy Christopher
How Obamacare Changed My Life
By Simon Owens
Another Obamacare 'Horror Story' Debunked; And, No, the President Didn't Lie About the Law
The President's Fix and How Insurance Companies Will Still Be Able to Screw People
Yes, Sean Hannity, Most of Obamacare IS 'Wildly Popular' -- Among Republicans
Good News: Obamacare Enrollment 'Surge' Via State Exchanges
© 2021 Banter Media Group LLC


Note: This is the second in a series of six articles about improving your business' customer service.
In the last installment of this series, we talked about treating your employees well in order to improve customer service. We talked about breeding a company culture that rewards the team with parties, field trips — and every once in awhile — free food.
Today, we shift the focus to encouraging your employees to become consultants. Perception can be a powerful tool, and the more that you empower your employees to be independent and in charge of tasks, the less tethered to their supervisor they feel. Customer service will improve as a result.
According to job design theories, increased autonomy should make employees feel a greater responsibility for the outcomes of their work, and therefore, have increased work motivation. Research indicates that when employees have greater levels of autonomy, their personality traits (specifically conscientiousness and extroversion) have a stronger impact on job performance. Thus, by giving employees more autonomy, they are better able to use their personal attributes to contribute to job performance.
There is such a thing as too much autonomy, however, as some workers prefer more direction and don't want to take sole responsibility for a task or project. Also, if they're not equipped with the proper skills to take the reigns, it could result in poor performance.


By presenting content in a format that you're comfortable with, it makes the reading experience much more enjoyable and quite a bit faster.
Consequently, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Readable actually makes you smarter — reading faster and more comfortably will probably result in you reading more.
You'd like to suggest a new predefined style or color theme.
You'd like to tell me about a page where Readable isn't working as it should.
You've found some other type of error.
You just wanna' say Hi.
I first had the idea for Readable while reading one of Paul Graham's essays. You see, I love the man's writing, but I kinda' hate the typography on his website.
It's not you, Paul; it's me. After all, you're actually using some very decent settings: black 13px Verdana, on a white background, with the entire page aligned to the left. But those aren't the settings I want.
So I set about building an app that reformats text to my exact specifications. Hence, that's Readable's target audience: people who have a particular — even quirky — preference for the way they want their text to look.


French automaker PSA Group may start assembling Opel cars at its Russian plant located in Kaluga, the company stated on Tuesday, as it reintroduces the brand to the nation.
As part of a strategy to address its dependency on Europe, PSA stated before that it would also introduce its Peugeot brand in the U.S. and its Citroen brand in India.
The Opel brand was withdrawn from Russia by General Motors in 2015, which owned the brand in those times. It was due to the height of a crisis in the country's car market because of a sharp depreciation in the rouble. PSA purchased the Opel and Vauxhall brands from GM in 2017.
PSA is thinking about the possibility of assembling Opel cars at its plant in Russia, a company spokesperson told Reuters, without providing dates, production volume or models.
"Local production is among the priorities and the main tool of a successful automotive business in Russia," the representative stated.
PSA owns a 70 percent stake in the Kaluga plant, that has a total capacity of 125,000 cars annually, while Mitsubishi owns the rest of 30 percent.
In last year, the plant produced just 38,108 Peugeot, Citroen and Mitsubishi cars.
PSA released the Opel brand in Ukraine last year and, with its comeback to Russia, hopes to triple sales in the Eurasia area by 2021.


As a Real Estate Professional, you will be responsible for facilitating interaction between buyers and sellers of Real Estate. This requires not only good administrative skills, but also a charismatic personality.
Real Estate organizations are searching for proactive, self-managing, individuals who have a desire to provide the best possible experience for the customer. The Real Estate Professional position is geared to people who are driven by personal achievement, able to self-manage, and able to manage large networks of customers and prospects.
Educate customers on real estate market trends.
Answer questions regarding paperwork associated with real estate.
Utilize computer technology to manage a large network of prospects.
Assist potential clients with decisions concerning real estate.
Connect with customers to provide the best possible experience.
Regulatory Notice. To work as a real estate agent (and be qualified for this position) you must have (or obtain) a real estate license.
Like getting a driver's license, state authorized training/testing is required to get certified. Third-party educational institutions provide this fee-based training to the general public.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach is the dominant market leader in training up top-notch real estate agents. We'll guide you through the steps needed to get your license.
Taught by an instructor who is also a full-time agent, we offer special classes for new licensees that meet weekly at offices throughout the region. Our agents are also devoted members of the community and our culture reflects the value we place on our family, friends and neighborhoods.


Paige McDaniel's Blog: Four Favorite Things I LOVE Right Now!
I'm going to try something new-ish this week.
Although I have written about my Oprah-style favorite things before (seems to come around closer to Christmas for some reason – hmmmmmm?), I thought I'd tell you about my Four Favs every so often. Today's the day!
I read Kim Whitman's blog (check it out here: http://kimberlyschlegelwhitman.blogspot.com) all the time and she has the cutest thing up in the corner that says "currently obsessed" with a photo of the thing she loves.
Room: A Novel – I read this book by Emma Donoghue almost two years ago and I still think about it all the time. Amazing and surreal and beautiful and wild. Highly recommended.
Trapp Number 2 Candle – This is the exotic spice smell and it is heaven to me. I usually order them from Amazon, but you can get them at the Sample House. I always have one at the ready.
White Orchid Plant – I must have one in my den at all times. Tom Thumb and Whole Foods sell them, but the best ones (that usually last for 3-4 months) are from Nicholson Hardie. Of course, expect to pay more at NH.
City Café To Go Slushie – City Café To Go on Lovers Lane sells this mixture of tea and lemonade, then freezes it into a concoction of icy deliciousness. My mom and I both want one every afternoon. OMG Goodness!
P.S. My #FundraisingFriday gift is going to Highland Park United Methodist Church. It is certainly one of my favorite things!
Hmmmmm... 1)The blue candles from The Market. 2)a new recipe for Lemon Ice Box Pie ice cream I found on Pinterest. YUMM! 3)being able to work occasionally from home - those are known as "No Pants Days" and last but not least 4)I am currently obsessed with quinoa. Ok, half of my current obsessions are food items. What is up with that?
Oh, and are you talking about the Rigaud Blue Candle? I used to love the yellow one.
I think that slushie is going to be my favorite thing. Must go check it out.
I love my school. Hard but learning.
Chocolate marscopone toffee bars. Disgustingly good!
My Mini Cooper Countryman. I can park anywhere!
You always have fun stuff, CJ -- you need to write a 4 fav makeup items blog!
1) quinoa from central market - already prepared. i go there almost everyday to pick some up for a snack. very high in protein. i swear it is why i have lost some weight..finally!
2) quiet....my husband and daughter are out of town...just leaves me and the boy...the lack of noise in my home makes me realize just how much i enjoy being alone and quiet...ahhhhh...so nice.
3) la croix water - i have been trying to be healthier and drink more water and less tea (have not been sleeping well). this water is naturally flavored and calorie-less...i drink a ton of it every day.
4) reading - i have been reading more and more lately. i realize just how much i have missed the "escape" of reading.
I have to try that quinoa, Emily! I also have been turned on to La Criox water. I like the berry flavor and grapefruit. It really quinches my thirst. I also love quiet and being alone. Tend to lean toward that more the older I get. A bath feels like heaven when I get home from work.


On Thursday 13th December, students studying GCSE Spanish had the opportunity to immerse themselves in authentic Spanish culture with a trip to the popular, Spanish restaurant, Amantia in Birmingham.
The group tasted various tapas dishes from 'patatas bravas' and 'chorizo' to 'albondigas' and 'croquetas de jamon'. After lining their stomachs, the group took to the dance floor with a workshop delivered by the restaurant's owner in the 'Sevillana' style of dance, one similar to Flamenco, often performed during 'La Feria' in Seville.


Prince of Peace—Jesus, or Pope Francis?
Here are some words of exhortation that have special application to the events and conditions of our present tumultuous age: ... But whence, in this eventful day, can we draw the principles of caution, prudence and wisdom, if not from the Gospel of Jesus Christ? And can we with diligence seek these principles, and with confidence exercise them, unless we have firm faith in the truth of our Holy Religion?


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Fast Food Brands Improving Packaging Recycling Efforts
Major Food Chains Agree to Waste Diversion Planning
For years, businesses have been looking for ways to portray themselves as being environmentally responsible. Many food companies have started using buzzwords such as "organic" and "all-natural" on product labels while others have chosen to use "green" packaging for goods. A lot of the changes have been made by manufacturers of prepackaged items. But now, it seems fast food brands are hopping on the eco-friendly bandwagon as well.
This week, As You Sow announced that a handful of fast-food chains, including Chipotle, Dunkin' Brands and YUM! Brands, have decided to make a commitment to increase their efforts for recycling and composting the packaging of their food and beverage products. In response to this declarative action, the environmental advocacy and advisory group will be withdrawing its shareholder proposals previously filed at the businesses.
"We are pleased to see positive momentum at large fast food brands," As You Sow Senior Vice President Conrad MacKerron said in the statement. "As packaging is recycled in greater volumes, its market value as a reusable raw material is more likely to increase."
The biggest initiative came from Chipotle, which announced that, by 2020, it plans to achieve 50 percent in waste diversion for its food and packaging. According to the press release, this move is similar to the one made two years ago by McDonalds. The plan is to have half of its restaurants' waste that is accumulated from food and packaging be rerouted through recycling and composting, rather than sent to landfills. In addition, Chipotle claims that approximately half, or about 875, of its restaurants currently have recycling alternatives on the customer-facing side and the majority, or 80 percent, of locations use cardboard packaging in the back-of-house operations.
The press release also revealed that Dunkin' will be offering a report that details the potential for implementing a recycling policy for the packaging of its products. One area of the brand that has been of particular concern is its foam coffee cups. Two years ago, the company said the beverage holders would be replaced soon with a more environmentally friendly alternative. However, it failed to implement a new cup by the end of last year, as it originally said it would be aiming for. The source also added that the fast food giant wants to switch the foam products with ones made of the recyclable material polypropylene. It will not be able to do this, though, until it finds a suitable lid.
Demonstrating Environmental Responsibility Through Better Packaging Practices
These attempts at adopting more sustainable solutions for packaging are understandable, if not entirely necessary. The growing issue of recycling in the United States, or lack thereof, was recently elaborated on by Rosemary Holmes in an article for the Lompoc Record.
The rate of recycling among Americans, Holmes reported, is only 34.5 percent. And for plastic packaging, it is even less, at 14 percent.
For fast food companies, this is a problem. Holmes explained that "Major product brands are wasting about $11.4 billion a year in potential savings by failing to incorporate recycling into their packaging choices."
The source went on to explain that it is an issue that organizations today will hand out packaged items, yet have no place on location to dispose of the empty containers to ensure that they are recycled.
As consumers become more environmentally aware and responsible, they are likely going to continue to expect the same from the businesses they purchase food and other products from. In an effort to stand apart from competitors and appeal to the eco-friendly market, it would be wise for companies to make the move toward more sustainable practices, in both the creation and disposal of products.


After being diagnosed with breast cancer, you may wonder "Why me?" or "What caused this?" These are common questions that, for many women, go unanswered.
According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 8 American women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Certain genes, small pieces of your DNA, can cause breast cancer to grow when they have a mutation , or error.
Most breast cancers are caused by somatic mutations. These are not passed on to you from your parents and can't be passed on to your children, meaning they are not hereditary . Somatic mutations form on their own during your lifetime and what triggers them is not always known. Breast cancers caused by somatic mutations are not hereditary breast cancers.
A small group of women will be diagnosed each year with breast cancer considered to be hereditary. Mutations that cause hereditary cancer may be passed on to you from your parents in the same way that traits like height or eye color are.
NOTE: Throughout this section, "gene mutation" is used to mean "hereditary gene mutation," for which testing is available.
Researchers have identified some mutations associated with increased risk for breast cancer, located on different genes that exist in every human body. Some of these mutations, like BRCA1 and BRCA2 , increase your risk significantly, while others increase it only slightly.
A genetic counselor will be able to tell you which mutations you test positive for. He or she can also suggest whether to take any medical action to help lower your risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer . Not all mutations will require preventive measures like surgery or risk-reducing medicine .
Researchers know of several inherited gene mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer . Some are more likely than others to lead to cancer. You may have heard of mutations to BRCA1 and BRCA2 , the two genes most commonly linked to hereditary breast cancer. Only a small percentage of all breast cancers are thought to be caused by BRCA mutations.
For most of these genes, researchers don't quite know by how much mutations impact the risk of developing breast cancer. But recent studies showed that women who have a mutation in one, PALB2, may have a 33 to 58 percent chance of getting breast cancer by age 70. Women who have BRCA mutations have a 45 to 85 percent chance. Women with no mutations have about a 12 percent chance of developing breast cancer over the course of their lifetime.


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By William Mathieson
Inauguration of 4000t Amico & Co. ShipLift
Its opening puts the Genoese company at the forefront of global refit infrastructure…
Italian refit behemoth, Amico & Co. has cemented its position at the top of the superyacht refit sector, with the inauguration of its new 4000t ShipLift.
The symbolic opening of the lift, which in practice has already lifted three yachts at the time of writing, confirms the Genoese company's accession to a level alongside MB92, with Genova and Barcelona now representing and elite axis of specialist refit infrastructure without compare.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the occasion, Chairman Alberto Amico said: "This is a particularly significant development [in the national context] because it is the largest lift in Italy...but also as an international infrastructure landmark.
"It is particularly interesting to note that the engineering side of the realisation of the ShipLift was totally bespoke and the involvement of the Amico & Co. team in its design was [pivotal]."
This development rockets the yard's haul-out capability from 65m and 835t to, "95 metres and the capacity to work on five or six very large vessels at the same time on the hard standing", Mr Amico said. He added the yard now has nine projects won thanks to the ShipLift, whereas before, the number would be limited to two because of haul-out restrictions.
"This is a particularly significant development [in the national context] because it is the largest lift in Italy"
Indeed, the custom-designed construction was delivered as one unit, by sea from Treviso, where it had been constructed by Scandiuzzi.
What is particularly notable about this system is the track and trestle system which allows yachts to be moved around a grid system across the hard standing area, ensuring large yachts can be completely lifted in the space of two hours, while capacity can be managed acutely.
Even this system required the reconstruction and reinforcement of 25,000sqm of hard-standing, at a depth of 25m, and all while the shipyard remained operative. Somewhat remarkably, it was only in July and August 2019 that the yard had to cease operations.
Fabrizio Scardigno, project manager for the ShipLift project, explained: "We built a series of [underground] technical tunnels to provide services to these rather large yachts...such as shore power, fresh water, grey water... these had to be built underground, so we did not create any problems with the facilities above ground."
The construction of the lift has taken just 16 months, and allows six yachts up to 95m to be worked on at any one time - bolstering the yard's capacity to c. 35 vessels simultaneously. The investment has totalled €27 million, including a €4 million grant from the national government, as well as a €13 million subsidised loan, with the company financing the remainder.
Managing Director, Bruno Guglielmini, said the fund application process had been complex, but ultimately fruitful. "These are normally the sort of investments made by port authorities, but this is being done by a private company.
"When you reach a milestone like this, it is always important to look around and acknowledge those who have helped you. In particular, we acknowledge the Port Authority, who have shown us ever more trust in the projects we have realised. These are build projects that are destined to stand the test of time and come with [future] concessions. Here, we have created a [public-private] model that is unusual, but a virtuous model."
The project is a working example of the efforts made by Amico, as part of Genova For Yachting, to forge a mutually beneficial public-private strategy for capitalising on the economic impact of visiting yachts and their crew.
For the ShipLift alone, a total of 83 Italian companies were contracted at various points of the project. "The investments you see are based on a model where we can offer to clients, not just the infrastructure, but a skilled workforce", Mr Amico said. "Consider on a 40- or 50-metre, you have 20 people on board, when you go to 80- or 90-metres you have 100 [or more]... In total there are 100 people directly employed by the company, with another 50 working for other companies within the shipyard and exclusively for Amico & Co. at the height of the refit season, this figure can double, but it doubles in a very stable way."
"When you reach a milestone like this, it is always important to look around and acknowledge those who have helped you."
In a compelling development, Guglielmini went on to reveal that the public-private collaboration will continue, with Amico & Co. awarded the concession to develop the adjacent Darsena Nautica marina space, which is already home to the Genoa boat show, and represents a gateway to the shipyard.
The industry appears alive to the emergent marina-shipyard business model, which increasingly appears to usurp the 'marina as a destination' concept of yore.
This completely new development, "is necessary to provide a whole host of services to owners, crews and managers of large superyachts when they are in the Genova area", Guglielmini explained. "Not just in terms of their refit activities, but their marina activities, and this is an activity that benefits the entire economic prosperity of the city, with a spend ratio of one to three in the territory while they are here, while the economic relationship between refit activity and spend is actually one to 10."
Amico & Co. will invest €6 million in the space, pending final approval from the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, and works will take place from January 2020, in six-month phases that can accommodate the ongoing September boat show. The result will be 35 berths for yachts up to 110m, as well as rejuvenated shoreside services and power provisions.
"It's a matter of hosting large yachts in Genova", Mr Amico explained. "Its all part of a strategy of establishing Genova as a referenced superyacht hub around the world. It's particularly important to have this relationship with other companies operating in this territory, in this very specialised sector, so we can create a critical mass that makes Genova a very attractive destination for large yachts."
Amico & Co
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One Big Break Winner will win Rs 50,000 and open for the headlining Act.
Original performances by the bands at Zee Educare will be streamed on Zee5.
**Kindly note: In order to have your performances on Zee5, you have to make sure that your songs are original and do not belong to any other entity.
This is a nationwide talent hunt wherein interested candidates can submit videos of their performance online till midnight of April 12, 2019 extended to April 15, 2019.
A panel of jury will select a list of candidates who will then be auditioned.
In the auditions, the participants will be judged by a panel of judges and minimum of 6 entries will be selected for the final performance at Zee Educare on April 20 and 21, 2019.
The singer/band can use instruments but they must be seen playing it in the video.
Participants can choose to upload a pre-recorded video. No other means of participation will be entertained.
Participants will be intimated about their selection via e-mail and SMS. Hence, it is required to provide a correct email ID and Mobile No.
Any person who is under any contractual or other obligation that would prohibit her / him from allowing Zee Educare to license the entry, in perpetuity on an exclusive, worldwide, residual-free and royalty-free basis, in all media formats and uses, in accordance with the terms above, are also ineligible to enter this contest.


Klayton is Celldweller. Personifying the sound of the iPod generation, Klayton creates a hybrid fusion of digital and organic elements: intricately designed soundscapes that take cues from electronic genres like drum 'n bass, electro, and dustep, woven together with aggressive rock/metal and orchestral elements. Celldweller ignores genre boundaries and stylistic confinement and the end result is a pioneering vision of the future of electronic music.
In 2012, the Detroit based multi-instrumentalist artist, producer, songwriter, performer, programmer, and re-mixer Klayton brings the latest evolution of the Celldweller live show to the world. Featuring custom filmed & edited video synchornized with music that blends today's established styles with tomorrow's revolutions in sound, Celldweller is more than just another DJ set.


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World Class Golf, Hundreds of Shops, Beautiful White Sandy Beaches and over 400 Tennis courts are the main attractions on Hilton Head Island, but many locals and vacationers alike will attest that Hilton Head boasts some of the best food in the country, right in there with all those temptations is the fabulous variety of Restaurants all over the Island.
When asked about the island's best known feature, some will say it is the beautiful and pristine 12 miles of beach. Others insist it is the extraordinary beauty and variety of its numerous challenging golf courses, or for its tip notch tennis facilities. But right in there with all of those temptations is the fabulous variety of restaurants all over the island.
One of the most delightful aspects of living or vacationing on Hilton Head is the large selection of places where one may dine. The choices are endless. With more than approximately 300 restaurants, pubs, cafes, bistros, steak and seafood houses from which to choose, the island boasts a truly remarkable variety of restaurants for an island only 12 miles long and five miles wide. Specialties range from Italian and continental cuisine rivaling that of New York, Chicago and Washington DC to American favorites.
Choose a restaurant by location, perhaps overlooking the water, Boathouse Grill overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway and Skull Creek, with new menu and updated Restaurant, has some of the freshest seafood ever. As might be expected of a barrier island, Hilton Head has excellent seafood restaurants. While many of the restaurants offer truly outstanding seafood on their menu, whether or not they actually "specialize" in seafood, most of the seafood restaurants also offer alternative, scrumptious entrees, such as chicken or steak as well.
Choose an ethnic specialty magnificently prepared by a regional chef. Pop in a local spot for appetizers and a beer or a tropical drink. The only problem with dining in Hilton Head is finding someone in your party to make the difficult decision of where to go.
Many of the pubs and restaurants also offer entertainment of some sort. After dinner, relax at one of Hilton Head's night spots with a cigar and an after dinner drink. Or, if you are looking for a little more excitement, check out one of the many music or dance clubs.
Whether you're looking for Low Country dishes capturing the flavor of the region, such as Frogmore Stew, a savory South Carolina blend of shrimp, hot sausage, potatoes, and corn, or seafood dishes featuring local clams, mussels and oysters, or a juicy filet mignon, or even a burger - you won't be disappointed with the bountiful culinary offering of Hilton Head Island.
Located in Park Plaza, the Alligator Grille & Seafood Restaurant serves an attractive mosaic of contemporary regional cuisine. Try the Brick Oven for casual elegant dining featuring an appetizer-style menu. Next door, Piano Bar features the island's favorite musicians, and dance music with a friendly bar tender. Enjoy Makoto's Japanese entertaining dinner, or Kingfishers nightly live music in Shelter Cover.
In Hilton Head Plaza, One Hot Mamas. offers delicious family-style dining - specializing in baby-back ribs, char-grilled steaks and burgers. Reilley's is always an islander favorite, serving everything from sandwiches to prime rib and steaks. If you're looking for real home-cooking, try Remy's on Arrow Road.
For great pizza and pasta, try Giuseppi's at Shelter Cove Plaza. Real Italians know where to go, Antonios in Village at Wexford. For take-out after a day on the beach or golf course, or after shopping at the Mall at Shelter Cove, Chick-fil-A has a great selection of sandwiches and salads. Or pick up some take-out barbeque at the Smokehouse Bar and don't forget the napkins.
While in Sea Pines, stop by the Sea Pines Center on a hot day to enjoy an ice cream cone at Ice Cream & Coffee Beans.
Recognized for its sports memorabilia as well as its casual fare is Casey's Sports Bar & Grille. For authentic Mexican fare, try Aunt Chiladas Easy Street Cafe. The upstairs, family-oriented dining room at the Quarterdeck in Harbour Town serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch and boasts one of Hilton Head's very finest water views and live music as well. For more breathtaking views, visit the Old Oyster Factory on Marshland Road. South Seaport Cafe at the South Beach Marina Village invites you to have a cocktail on the waterfront deck and watch the sun go down. Want true southern cuisine, try Charleston's restaurant where the in-house chef prepares homemade desserts.
And probably most frequently asked about advice of all - is where to get good seafood when you come to the island. For the freshest, most succulent seafood, try the Crazy Crab at Harbour Town or Kingfishers at Shelter Cove. You can't go wrong. Enjoy!
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