Curtain Call: The Curtain is Still Up on Smooch!
A randomly selected participant in the Smooch challenge will be awarded a $25 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store, while the LEAD of the challenge will be invited as a guest designer for a future challenge!
LOVE YOUR BLOG ALL YOUR CARD ARE BEAUTIFUL!


Do you buy Contec Wipers, Contec Wipes, or Contec Prosat?
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For over 15 years, Ecolink Inc. ranks as a top tier Contec cleanroom distributor of Contec Wipers, Contec Wipes, and Contec Prosat. We value our long-standing supply agreements with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney and eager to expand the number of Contec customers we can save $ and time. Unlike other wipe, wiper and cleanroom distributors, we deliver multiple products and services so you have fewer calls, emails to make and take; dramatically reduce accounting burden with different PO's, payment terms, financial accounting systems; save $ on the product and delivery costs.
We specialize in hassle-free, rapid response service and guarantee a FREE quote within 24 hours + always provide tracking information so there is no guessing when or if you will receive your Contec Wipers, Contec Wipes or Contec Prosat. Scan all of the on-line catalogs and call us when you are ready to shop & save. Time is money; you will save both buying from us. Paul Effler Jr. is your Contec product specialist.
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I've used this style cleat for approximately 25 years and like it. With the purchae of new shoes I thought also time to buy new cleats.
The release is a bit tighter than I am used to with my old well worn cleats...guess that's to be expected. Hope for a short break in period to ease the effort necessary for release.


2017 opening weekend is here and it's set to be a cracker!
With a good mix of natural snow falls and perfect conditions for snow making, this opening weekend is set to be a cracker! For the low down on what's happening, read on.
Falls Creek is not called the 'snow farm' for nothing. True to form, they've accumulated plenty of fresh this week, especially on the south side and the staff have been cranking the snow guns at every opportunity. While its not certain exactly how much terrain will open, a little birdie tells us the team have been working hard on Towers, Main St, Nastar, Wombat's & Mouse Trap. Expect an official announcement in the morning 😉 For the full schedule of events and further announcements keep an eye on their website by clicking the image below.
Hotham has also enjoyed a cracking start to the season. Yesterday Hotham announced the Summit Quad, Big D and Summit Trainer will all be spinning this opening weekend! Consistent snowfalls together with cold conditions have set the scene perfectly. Cooler temperatures have allowed the snow guns to work their magic and the resort has never looked so good so early in the season!
And there's more!! Hotham are set to bring in the 2017 snow season with a cracking fireworks display from 7pm. Otherwise check out the action in the bars and retail outlets, from bubble wine and cheese at One-Tree Sports Boutique & Ski Shop, quality food and live music (Chill Bar & Café, Swindlers, The General and Zirky's). You can also practice your skills at Hotham 360, Hotham's newest indoor ski slope. Click on the image below for the latest news.
Buller this year invested $1.6 million in new snowmaking facilities, including its new Snowfactory technology which can make snow in any temperature. This clearly paid off with the opening of Bourke Street last Friday for night skiing. Buller has also done well this week receiving a healthy mix of natural snow and ideal temperatures for further snow making. Today Buller announced that in addition to Blue Bullet, which has been operating since last week, Skyline, Express and ABOM are scheduled to open tomorrow. Keep an eye on their website for further announcements.
As is tradition, there will be lots of festivities right across the mountain with lots of free entertainment over the long weekend. The program is packed with fun activities for the kids like face painting and hula hooping, complimentary hot chocolate, gluhwein, roasted chestnuts and toasted marshmallows for everyone. Plus they have a fantastic live act performing on the village stage and of course their season opening fireworks display at 6:00pm. For the latest news click on the image below.
Thanks to consistent natural snow falls, snow making and lots of hard work by the grooming team, Perisher announced today it is opening nine (yes NINE) lifts this weekend, commencing Friday. Enjoy some turns on Goats Gully or shredding down Escapade. Perisher are planning to open the Happy Valley T-Bar, the Village 8 Express, Sturt and Mitchell T-Bars as well as the ski conveyor for beginners. The Perisher Kids area will also make its debut including the 2 ski conveyors and Tom Thumb! To top it all off Perisher are also celebrating with a huge fireworks display on Saturday night at 7pm over Perisher's Front Valley! For more information click on the image below.
Expect big celebrations at Thredbo this weekend as it celebrates it 60th birthday. On the snow front, the long weekend is shaping up to be awesome with Cruiser, High Noon and Friday Flat all expected to open. But its not all about the snow! On Saturday there will be five hours of tunes in the outdoor Village Square. Headlining is rising pop powerhouse Montaigne, her album Glorious Heights.
Did someone say fireworks? The region's biggest fireworks display will light up Kosciuszko at 6pm while the king of carving Kenji Ogawa, fires up the chainsaw to create an icy village sculpture that will becomes the centrepiece of the popular GH Mumm Village Long Lunch on Sunday (now sold out).
The kids will be entertained too with lots to do including a village wide treasure hunt, face painting and art sessions. Keep an eye out for the roving mischievous Magician who is sure to amaze all ages with his sleight of hand bag of tricks. The village bars and restaurants will be open, the party program big and with activities galore, this is set to be a lot of fun. Get the latest by clicking on the image below.
Snowriders Australia is an on-line community group for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. It serves as a meeting point for fellow riders and as a source of snow related information. Through our website, we regularly publish reviews, original articles (opinion and research), athlete profiles and news about upcoming social events including skiing and snowboarding trips. We also post links to relevant images, video clips and industry related news through our Social Media and Snow Forum pages, which together have roughly 20,000 followers.


As part of this meeting we will be electing the club executive for the season ahead. There are three elected roles: chair, treasurer and secretary (currently held by David Ferguson, Ian Michael and Cindy Poole-Reeves). Nominations for the posts should be passed on to the club secretary. Only full, paid up club members over the age of 18 will be considered and must be nominated and seconded (again, by full members).
Anyone with an interest in the club is free to attend the meeting but only members can vote.
If you would like to become a member speak to any member of the committee. The cost is £10 for waged adults and £5 for concessions.


Etisalat Digital and Ericsson demonstrate unified traffic management IoT platform capabilities, and locally develop and promote use cases for the UAE urban transportation sector.
The use cases are built on the unified IoT platform for smart traffic management.
Under the GITEX 2018 theme: Experience Future Urbanism, Etisalat Digital and Ericsson will showcase efficient traffic management solutions that includes Secure Vehicle Tracking, Automotive Surveillance and eCall Accident Simulation Alert to improve response and reaction to road accidents.
Etisalat Digital and Ericsson (NASDAQ:) will jointly showcase smart traffic management solutions at GITEX Technology Week 2018. Under the GITEX theme: Experience Future Urbanism, the two Digital giants will demonstrate IoT Accelerator capabilities, as well as locally develop and promote use cases for the UAE transportation sector.
Using Ericsson's and Etisalat Digital's IoT capabilities and Mobility Solutions, this unified IoT Platform offers advanced traffic management through intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces. All software is configured and updated remotely from the Etisalat Digital cloud, meaning software updates are done without any interruptions in operational processes, and without significant changes in staffing requirements.


>> variables in the query pattern?."""
>> 	theme emerges or they get broken into separate issues.
I'd rather not, especially on short notice like this.
to anything on our plate for this *entire round of standardization*.
I believe not if the bug is repaired a la Enrico's post.
of issues, and, frankly, the best way is to start good email threads.
Next message: Kendall Clark: "agenda, 10 October, 14:30 UTC"
Previous message: Eric Prud'hommeaux: "Re: Agenda request: characterize the diffs between subgraph-matching and E-entailment"


Farm Wife Devotions: Focus On Jesus!
Peter began to sink because he lost sight of the Lord and was distracted by the waves of his surroundings. Like Peter, we too can transfer our focus to our surroundings, and lose sight of Jesus. We can allow what we think is important, chores, wheat prices, social events, family issues, seeding, calving and the list goes on, to overwhelm us.


If you happened to catch the hilariously spiky new series of Catastrophe on Channel 4, you may have subliminally spotted the bright colours of yours truly translation services flash by in a mock ad on the side of a bus. Yes, finally at Brightlines Translation we got our 1.5 seconds of fame in collaboration with TV's carnivorous comedy duo Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney.
But we won't let it go to our (oh so very bright) heads. Instead, here are some inspired insights on how you can avoid catastrophe when it comes to marketing translation.
And look at Ford, when they translated "Every car has a high quality body". It ended up meaning "every car has a high quality corpse" in Belgium. And Schweppes messed up in Italian, when "Schweppes Tonic Water" became "Schweppes Toilet Water".
These are all too disturbing, so I'm going to move on to what you need to do to avoid making translation mistakes. But if you're still hungry for schadenfreude, here's a list of The 11 Worst Foreign Ad Translation Fails from Business Insider.
So here are our top tips on how to avoid catastrophe in your marketing translations – whether they're ecommerce advertisements translation, technical translations, website translations, subtitle translations or multilingual voice-over translations. Whatever translation project you're working on, there are a few simple but critical rules you should follow.
Anyone considering using an automated translation service such as Google Translate is just asking for trouble. Sure, it might be useful for rough drafts, but machine translation software is still not sophisticated enough (will it ever be?) to understand the nuances of language in the same way a native-speaking human can. You could end up doing your marketing campaign more harm than good, with high quality corpses, toilet water and who knows what else.
Instead, for a high quality translation choose a translation service that provides an holistic, transcreative approach to translation. That way your marketing message is not only accurately translated, but it will stand head and shoulders above your in-country competitors.
Do your research. Make sure you really understand your audience and the language that resonates with them. Memorable puns and colloquialisms that work brilliantly in the source language won't necessarily translate easily, so be confident that your translation service can maintain the same style and level of writing as the source language.
It's a common misconception that a translation can be completed as quickly as the words can be typed. This is not the case. A high quality translation, legal or technical translation can take as long to translate as the original work itself.
When considering ad copy, for example, you're basically employing a copywriter to review the entire concept from their native language. Effectively, that means starting from scratch. And when it comes to long copy translation, the maximum a professional translation service can translate in a day is 2,000 to 3,000 words, depending on the content. So make sure you plan thoroughly and factor these considerations into your time-planning and budget.
It's the old adage: if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for translation services offering purely per-word rates – and low ones at that. You could find that you're risking your campaign and business with poor, machine translations. Or that you get stung at the end of the project with additional costs for setup, management, technology, for fast-tracked urgent work or extra copy changes.
Do your homework on translation service providers. Check out their clients and case studies. How long have they been going as a business? Do their clients speak highly of them? Do they retain their clients over the years? Check out this blog from last year: How to choose a translation agency.
I can't stress how important a good brief is. And it's entirely up to your translation service provider to question your brief and discuss it at length so everyone is confident that everyone else understands exactly what is required, when, how and who from.
As a client, it's important that you invest time and thought in this and include all relevant stakeholders, so the project is a success from the start and you avoid ending up with any unpleasant surprises.
Your translation service provider should use native translators who are aware of local cultural sensitivities such as those relating to religion, politics and so on.
If you'd like to find out more from us, drop us a line or give us a call – we're happy to chat through any questions or go into more detail for your specific project.


text:
Home Faza Azharashid
Faza Azharashid
3rd-year student, Bachelor of Health Science in Case Management
Her 10-week work placement at Lifewise Health & Disability Services was an eyeopener, says Faza Azharashid who is about to graduate with a Bachelor of Health Science in Case Management.
"During my placement, I learned how Lifewise delivers care to support vulnerable adults and people with disabilities. I also watched and learned how a case manager supports clients' physical activity, and found out what types of programmes or referrals are most likely to be effective. Another thing I was tasked with was to identify the cultural diversity in the organisation's clients, which contributed to my professional understanding of how to build rapport with diverse clients and the long lasting healthy impact it has on them.
"I'm grateful that a non-profit organisation like Lifewise has given novice students like me this priceless work opportunity. I'd also like to say a special thank you to my lecturer Dr Caroline Stretton who helped me navigate the system, and provided guidance and reassurance every step of the way."
She says the career of a case manager resonates with her because she believes in lending a hand to turn lives around for good.
"A case manager's role is to evaluate and coordinate treatment visits, medication and overall care. However, my favourite task is motivating the patient and their whānau to be active participants in their own health. We're aging not just as a community, but as a world. Hence, working with the elderly is an important job in our society. As a case manager, I'd like to address the root cause of social issues, so that individuals, families and communities can have a better future."
Inspired to make a difference
She has always wanted to work in healthcare to help the community, says Faza who is originally from Singapore but went to high school in Christchurch.
"I was diagnosed with a bilateral hearing impairment at the age of three, but I was fortunate to be blessed with such kind caregivers and health practitioners that I aimed to become one too. Both my parents are my idols. Dad is a paediatric dentist and mum runs her own charity foundation. Being a case manager fulfils my ambitions of working in healthcare like my dad and helping the less-abled in the community like my mum."
However, Faza initially came to AUT with a different health career in mind.
"As an international student, I was over the moon when I was offered a spot in one of AUT's coveted clinical degrees. Regretfully, I didn't read about the programme thoroughly and the programme wasn't a good fit for me.
"Fortunately, I had AUT guardian angels like Dr Caroline Stretton and the AUT International team who offered educational advice and motivated me. I was encouraged to speak to AUT's non-clinical health science team who put together a list of degrees that would suit my strengths. They were also very positive and encouraged me to explore a few general courses before I made the decision to stick with a major in case management. After that, my motivation soared as did my grades. I was no longer 'just passing' but scoring A's."
Advice for other students
Faza's advice to other students is simple: never give up.
"There is no right or wrong timeline for when one needs to finish a degree. What is best for someone else may not be the best for you. Be patient when things don't go your way. Most importantly, seize every opportunity that comes. The right moment will be revealed to you at the right time."
She wouldn't hesitate to recommend AUT's case management degree.
"It's a good programme for healthcare students who are interested in a managerial role. Not every student can be a doctor, but I believe all doctors need a case manager to help them organise patients and treatments. If you enjoy meeting others, have a knack for motivating and educating people, and are willing to take charge, then this is the healthcare degree to pursue."
More health sciences students and alumni
Millicent Oriene C. Sy Tan
Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science
Maia Wharekura
Bachelor of Health Science (Midwifery)
Aleisha Patard
Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing)
Anna Erwood
Bachelor of Health Science
Public and Environmental Health Major
View more profiles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
De Straubing Tigers is een ijshockeyteam uit het Duitse Straubing, deelstaat Beieren. De Straubing Tigers komen uit in de DEL. De club speelt in het ijsstadion 'Am Pulverturm'. Het team werd in 1941 opgericht.

Namen
 Bann Straubing (1941-1943)
 TSV Straubing (1947-1981)
 EHC Straubing (1981-2002)
 Straubing Tigers (vanaf 2002)

Selectie 2020-2021
Bijgewerkt tot 28 december 2020

Externe link
 Officiële website

Duitse ijshockeyclub
Sportvereniging in Beieren
Straubing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


New York has the Hamptons. We have Boca Grande. A day trip to Boca Grande becomes a one-of-a-kind luxury experience with a private charter plane and personal fishing guide.
A few hundred feet in the air, Captain Mark Futch cranes his neck back and gives me a thumbs up. I nod, smiling. It was my first time on a seaplane, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect; but with a longtime pilot behind the controls, our hour-long flight to Boca Grande for a day of fishing is shaping up to be quite the scenic adventure.
My friend Rey is in the seat behind me. To her, this is nothing new. She grew up in Boca Grande and has been fishing there since she was a kid. She also happens to be the pilot's daughter.
I've fished before. And I've flown before. But we're barely at our cruising altitude of 2,600 feet, and already it's an experience unlike any other, one that started before I even boarded the plane.
At Signature Flight Support, the parking was just a stone's throw away from the front door of the airport, and there were no lines, no random security screenings and no crowds. With its plush seating and complimentary beverages, it felt more like a hotel lobby. And when Futch arrived to pick us up, he didn't linger in the cockpit and wait for us to board. He parked the plane, walked inside to greet us and escorted us to the aircraft. We were able to take off right away, and now here we are, soaring toward our destination.
A view of Boca Grande's coastline as seen from a seaplane. The photograph was taken shortly before landing. Located on Gasparilla Island, Boca is known as the tarpon fishing capital of the world and lies approximately 100 miles south of Downtown Tampa. It has fast become a luxury retreat for fishermen, wealthy Bay-area residents and celebrities. It has managed to retain its Old Florida charm, despite the many luxury homes and condos that make up many of its neighborhoods.
The wings of the five-passenger Maule seaplane shudder ever so slightly, and a steady hum drowns out any other sound. I watch the toy-like scene below unfold. Raymond James Stadium. The Howard Frankland Bridge. Tropicana Field. Staring down at the snaking bodies of blue-jade water beneath us, it's not hard to understand why Bay-area residents are so smitten with their habitat. With so many enticing destinations just a short stretch of ocean away, island hopping has long been a leisurely pursuit of choice among Florida's pleasure-seeking residents. And Boca Grande, with its close proximity, throwback charm and laid-back lifestyle, is top of mind for those craving a rustic-inspired luxury getaway.
Located on Gasparilla Island, Boca Grande (Spanish for "big mouth") lies halfway between Fort Myers and Sarasota. Famous for offering some of the best fishing in the country, Boca is also recognized as the tarpon fishing capital of the world, but you don't have to be a reel enthusiast to get baited into falling in love with its storybook appearance and discreet demeanor.
To wander the quaint "fishing and resort" village is to take a step back into undisturbed Old Florida. Residents and visitors walk, bike or drive golf carts to get around, and not a single chain restaurant exists within the town's limits. Years ago, when word that a Subway restaurant location might be opening there, residents and county officials quickly banded together to create a community plan prohibiting the eatery. Naturally, they succeeded. Parking meters are noticeably absent from its downtown streets, and iguanas are about as common as squirrels are in Tampa.
Over the years, Boca has become a premier destination for well-to-do Bay-area residents and fishing aficionados, while celebrities seem to be lured by the anonymity it permits them. Actress Katharine Hepburn was a regular visitor there for years, and the Bush family has vacationed there as well. Hollywood has taken advantage of its picturesque backdrop more than once, using it as the backdrop for several movies, including "Out of Time," starring Denzel Washington.
Growing up, Futch spent summers in Boca with his grandparents. In 1972, he made it his home for the next 28 years before making the move to nearby Shell Creek. Since starting his business in 1987, he has carved out quite a niche among Boca enthusiasts.
The island's draw has helped his business flourish, and he's thankful for that.
Futch began flying at the age of 17. He's logged more than 18,000 flight hours in seaplanes.
And by "freedom" he means that he can land, well, just about anywhere he wants — given, of course, that he has the necessary clearance. While Futch offers the more conventional airport pick-up and drop-off option, he often picks his clients up at their private docks. It's a list of clients that includes members of the Busch and Steinbrenner families, as well as other locally and internationally known celebrities, but Futch isn't one to fly and tell. He also happens to be a third-generation tarpon guide — in 1995, he won first place in the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament with a 123.6-pound tarpon, and from 1997-2001 he held the pass tourney record by catching a 200-pound tarpon. Futch has managed to establish an enviable career centered around three of his greatest passions: fishin', flyin' and Boca. Today promises to be a day filled with exactly that.
The drive from Tampa to Boca Grande usually takes two hours. But less than an hour later, our seaplane is hugging the coastline of the 7-mile long Gasparilla Island, circling above it like a bird seeking a spot on which to perch. Waterfront luxury homes and condos dot the perimeter of the island.
As we step off the plane, fourth-generation fishing guide Captain Rob Hayes awaits.
"Nice to meet you," he says in his Southern drawl as he smiles and shakes my hand. He wears Crocs on his feet and his profession on his face — even when he removes his sunglasses, their outline is still there, perfectly marked by his frequent exposure to Florida's beaming sun.
After a lunch of fried grouper fingers at downtown Boca's famous Temptation restaurant (which Futch tells me is where he proposed his wife more than 30 years ago), Hayes helps Rey and I onto his 20-foot-long flats boat, Last Buffalo — a name he chose because there are only a handful of fourth-generation guides still around.
Hayes has been a guide for more than a decade, but he's been fishing Boca's waters much of his life. Specializing in tarpon fishing and back bay fishing, he could probably navigate the winding waterways blindfolded, and a day of fishing with him almost always leads to more bites than you can reel in, whether it's snook, redfish, trout or tarpon, if the season's right (April to July, sometimes longer).
A member of the Boca Grande Fishing Guide Association, Hayes offers daily fishing trips year-round for up to three people at a time. He supplied everything — rods, reels, a variety of bait, ice and water. All guests need to bring is sunscreen.
Whether you're an experienced fisherman or you've never cast a line in your life, with Boca's ecologically sensitive, hard-to-access areas, enlisting an experienced guide who's familiar with the land has its advantages. Plus, it's a surefire way to enjoy the serene scene and the almost-always-perfect weather.
Last Buffalo's bait tank is filled with shrimp and white bait, writhing and glittering in the afternoon sun. The weather has cooled as the day has progressed, and the tide is a little lower than usual, which Hayes says could affect how much the fish are biting. Generally, early November is a great time to catch some snook, he says, but when it gets a little chilly like this they tend to bite less frequently.
"We'll still catch some fish though," he says.
The team starts reeling them in.
Whether or not they'll be "keeper snook" is another story. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, in order to harvest a snook that's caught during season in the gulf, it must measure between 28 and 33 inches from the lip to the top of the tail. Only one per person can be harvested — fishing speak for kept, cooked and eaten.
Over the next couple of hours, Hayes guides us from location to location, zipping past mangroves and mansions with private docks. The juxtaposition of these stately homes, standing amid such a naturally rustic environment appears to be part of Boca's draw. I imagine residents stepping out onto their docks and boarding their boats for a day of fishing, then returning home to enjoy their catch in lavish outdoor kitchens, sipping on the finest of wines and sleeping on sheets sewn with the highest of thread counts.
Hayes baits my hook when necessary and casts my line toward areas he think will warrant a nibble from an unsuspecting snook or redfish. As I gain confidence, I begin to cast the line myself, though admittedly it ends up tangled in mangroves more often than not. Nonetheless, between Rey and I we manage to wrestle up a ladyfish and several snook, one of which I even get to hold for a moment with my bare hands. None of our fish end up being large enough to keep, but we're glad that, despite the challenging weather, Hayes has found a few spots where fish are taking the bait.
There's a peace and quiet out here that is nearly impossible to come by in everyday life. When I look around at one of the bluest skies I've ever seen and a row of homes that belong on the front page of Architectural Digest, I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.
And suddenly, Boca's appeal becomes even more apparent. I have no idea what time it is. And I couldn't care less.
Boca Grande has done it again. One more fish caught on its hook.
Million-dollar Mediterranean-style homes make up much of Boca Grande's residential areas. It is arguably some of the most sought-after property in the state. While Boca has its fair share of permanent residents, it is also a popular choice for a second home.
Captain Mark Futch offers charter service from Tampa Bay to Boca, with pickup and drop-off available from almost any Bay-area airport or waterway. To book, call (941) 964-0234.
Fourth-generation fishing guide Captain Rob Hayes offers daily fishing trips year-round, plus tarpon fishing during the season (April through July). Four, six and eight-hour trips available. For more information or to book, call (941) 697-5247 or (941) 815-6120 or visit hayesbocagrandefishing.com.


text:
Understanding the 'Expropriation without Compensation' drive – part 3 - Newsi
10 June 2021 - The constitutional amendment was pushed along through a highly visible campaign of public and parliamentary hearings, along with invitations for written submissions. These were nominally held to gauge whether or not such an amendment was required, and what the public thought of it. Hundreds of thousands of submissions were made on the issue, with all indications that the bulk of these opposed the amendment.
Terence Corrigan
The constitutional amendment was pushed along through a highly visible campaign of public and parliamentary hearings, along with invitations for written submissions. These were nominally held to gauge whether or not such an amendment was required, and what the public thought of it. Hundreds of thousands of submissions were made on the issue, with all indications that the bulk of these opposed the amendment.
The ANC and EFF, however, made clear that the idea of EWC – an issue of seminal importance for South Africa's future – was not up for debate. This was effectively policy and would be implemented. The constitutional amendment was merely about method – would a constitutional amendment be necessary to do so. In the event, even this more modest issue was treated as having been decided independently of the official process. In July 2018, President Ramaphosa announced, while public hearings were ongoing: 'It has become patently clear that our people want the Constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation, as demonstrated in the public hearings.'
Subsequently, when it became clear that written submissions on the issue were substantively opposed to the amendment (and outnumbered the oral presentations at public events which tended to favour the amendment), ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule said that the views expressed at public hearings 'outweigh' written ones. 'That's why emphatically without any doubt we must amend Section 25.'
These were empirically questionable and constitutionally derelict positions to take but they illustrated that the issue had to all intents and purposed been decided by the political priorities of South Africa's ruling party rather than by the outcomes of the constitutionally mandated participation process.
The committee duly recommended the amendment of the constitution, and a draft amendment was produced. It retained the final say in EWC with the courts ('a court may, where land and any improvements thereon are expropriated for the purposes of land reform, determine that the amount of compensation is nil' – note too that improvements are included here), and specified that legislation would set out the circumstances in which the courts could do this.
These changes might well have been able to pass themselves as minor and clarificatory, but in early 2020, the ANC indicated that it would seek changes to the amendment. The goal would be to place the process squarely in the hands of the executive, with the courts having very limited powers of review. The judiciary, the party believed, was not placed to implement policy and it moved to slowly for the sort of action South Africa required.
In parallel, in 2020, new draft expropriation legislation was introduced. This would replace the obsolete and constitutionally non-compliant 70s-era law. Much commentary noted that the Bill made provision for the expropriation of land at 'nil' compensation, but some succour was drawn from the fact that a list of applicable circumstances was supplied. This ignored (or misunderstood) the reality that the list was itself an open-ended one, but also that the process set out for expropriation was heavily weighted in favour of the state, which – even if compensation was offered – would create pressures on the expropriated owner to accept what was on the table rather than attempting to fight it.
Most concerning, however, was the definition of expropriation. The Bill states that this was 'the compulsory acquisition of property by an expropriating authority or an organ of state upon request to an expropriating authority'. In other words, it required that property would need to be transferred to the ownership of the state; deprivation of an owner was insufficient.
Why was this important? In 2013, a ruling in a case before the Constitutional Court (Agri South Africa v Minister for Minerals and Energy) – which revolved around the loss of mineral rights under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act – held that expropriation required both that one party lose property and another acquire it. Since the MPRDA had assumed custodianship of minerals om behalf of the people of South Africa, and not ownership of them for the state, no expropriation had taken place and no compensation was owing. Property rights would simply evaporate.
Breathtakingly, in the decision it declined to define the terms 'custodian', merely stating: 'Whatever "custodian" means, it does not mean that the state has acquired and thus has become owner of the mineral rights concerned.' Although the judgement limited itself to the facts before it, the implications of the legal reasoning were profound – and are, as things stand, to be codified in law.
Another notable development concerns the regulations gazetted in late 2018 to guide the Valuer General in determining valuations in cases of land reform. The formula, as described to Parliament, was that 'value = current use value + market value, divided by two'. This meant that values for land reform would reflect half of the combined value of what the property would sell for, along with what it produces (current use value has been defined as cash inflows and outflows on the day of the valuation.) Beyond this, various other sums, such as historical state subsidies, might be subtracted from this. In effect, unless a property is producing a substantial income, the starting point for valuation is likely to be well below (at around half of) market value. Residential properties would be particularly vulnerable.
Each of these processes would have the intention and effect of increasing state latitude to intervene in private property and to abridge property rights. While EWC was an important motif, it is important to note that the impact of this agenda would not only manifest itself in 'nil' compensation, but also in the ability of the government to take property at structurally discounted rates, and in the pressure that could be brought to bear on property owners to concede their assets.
Moving into the future
As the government pushed for a new constitutional and legal dispensation to enhance its powers over private property, developments in real-time and in the real world gave a strong indication of the future that officialdom envisaged.
To the extent that this drive is expressed as land reform, it is important to remember that it does not mean that it will confer ownership on its beneficiaries, even if this has been implied from time to time. As noted above, the dominant policy framework has been one of state ownership of redistributed property (properties transferred through restitution – i.e. where historical claims on particular piece of property are actualised – are somewhat different). But during the Parliamentary debate that kicked off the constitutional amendment process former land minister Gugile Nkwinti was unequivocal, title deeds would not be given to beneficiaries; rather the state would hold it and make it available to 'our people'.
A highly publicised case illustrating this principle – and a great deal that was wrong with land politics in the country – involved a successful back farmer named David Rakgase. In the early 1990s, he had been able to lease a farm from the erstwhile Bophuthatswana homeland, and had by all accounts done well on it. In 2002, he made an offer to but the property, which the government accepted.
But the wheels of state turn slowly, and this was not concluded. In 2011, the government changed its mind, declaring that he could have a long-term lease, but not ownership. As it turned out, he was given five years, after which he would have had to reapply. By now he was in his 70s.
In the meantime, Rakgase's farm had been subject to a land invasion, and he encountered difficulties having the unwelcome residents removed, since he was not the owner.
In frustration, he resorted to the courts; the judgement handed down in September 2019 was utterly damning of the state's position. 'There is no explanation why,' the judgement read, 'when the well-motivated occasion for conversion of a right presented itself, it was shied away from and the elderly Applicant was presented with a much lesser right, being a long-term lease, the end of which he will not see in his lifetime. The argument on behalf of the Minister that the Applicant has security of tenure and that there are no imminent eviction prospects on his horizon smacks of callousness and cynicism, particularly given our country's historical deficiencies in dealing with land reform.'
For its part, the government made its position clear in its court papers: policy rested in 'principle that black farming households and communities may obtain 30-year leases, renewable for a further 20 years, before the state will consider transferring ownership to them'. (Incidentally, in terms of existing policy, not all 'black farming households and communities' would be so eligible, with eligibility limited to those able to produce on a substantial commercial scale.)
This approach has not changed, and neither – unfortunately – have the consequences. In 2020, the government announced that it would 'release' 700 000 hectares of land for cultivation. That it had so much 'underutilised' land on hand was itself darkly interesting. But it also turned out that far from all of the land was unoccupied, and that the plan envisaged removing some productive black farmers.
Indeed, over the next few months it was revealed that this was a threat facing a number of black farmers working state-owned land. Having built up farming operations, they would find their leases cancelled, and be required to vacate the farms they had been operating. This was invariably linked to some form of malfeasance, with bribe-demanding officials and politically connected businesspeople standing in the shadows. The exact extent of this is unclear, but it once again points to severe pathologies in the country's land governance systems.
Indeed, addressing, among other things, the abuse of these farmers and the poor state of land management, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza has said: 'It's clear what we have in large measure are individuals who may not have the requisite skills to undertake this task.'
And a recent in the Daily Maverick pointed to the findings of the Auditor General: 'The latest assessment of the department's financials shows that its internal financial record-keeping displays minimal regard for accuracy, its supply chain controls are woeful and the conduct of its officials is worrisome. Overall, things have gone from bad to worse in the past five years.'
Indeed, the poor condition of state administration goes some way to explain the poor results of land reform. Land reform – particularly in its rural, agrarian expression – has failed to live up to its developmental promise. Former Minister of Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform once commented that 90% of land reform projects had failed. This was (correctly) criticised as a 'thumbsuck' figure. But Professor Ben Cousins of the Institute Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies – hardly a land reform opponent – has pointed to that research indicating 'around 50% of the projects have improved the livelihoods of beneficiaries to a degree'. This is not a result to celebrate.
It's difficult to imagine the EWC push doing anything other than exacerbating these problems. Despite President Ramaphosa's commitment to a 'capable state', there is little indication of it materialising – and achieving it will be a long-term, fraught project. And without such institutions, even a far more modest land reform plan would be inconceivable.
Yet if rhetoric is to be believed, the ambitions are extensive indeed. More to the point, so are the responsibilities that the state envisages itself undertaking.
Indeed, in May 2021, the committee processing the constitutional amendment heard arguments from state departments that echoed the ANC's earlier suggestions that the amendment should place the executive, rather than the courts, in charge of expropriation. This would remove a key safeguard against abuse.
More than this, idea of custodianship has come up repeatedly. The EFF has been the chief political proponent here, but it is by no means confined to it. Given the commitment to state landholding, this would not be a great ideological leap to make. Indeed, it has been endorsed by numerous voices within the ANC and by state officials. The idea of a mass custodial taking actually made an appearance in an early iteration of the 2014 Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Framework Bill. It was recommended in the 2017 state land audit and was presented as the government's plans to an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2019.
The EFF has sought to introduce this idea into the constitutional amendment, and it is unclear where the ANC places itself in this respect, although it does not appear to be intrinsically opposed. Perhaps its position is best captured by its MP Vuzumusi Xaba that the imperative is 'achieving the objective of having land without paying a cent'.
A custodial taking might well be attractive for the government as a means to achieve an ideological goal while having a chance at maintaining a functioning agricultural economy, and expanding the reach of its patronage network.
President Ramaphosa was being sincere when he has called on farmers to continue investing. There is also some realisation that while economic damage is inevitable (it has already endured a deal of damage for the 'debate' around EWC), it will seek to contain this.
The goals might therefore not be to seize control of commercial operations – which the state has no prospect of running properly – but to 'to regulate those means' to the advantage of the State and the party, as the IRR's president Russell Lamberti has put it.
How would this play out? Having undertaken a compensation-free custodial seizure of land, the government might then offer productive farmers (or some subset, say the country's largest operators who contribute a disproportionate share to output) leases to continue their operations. These would be renewable, and probably contingent on meeting empowerment goals. The state develops regulatory power over an economic sector and uses that power to force businesses in that sector to surrender some of the value they produce.
This would appear to be a pragmatic choice to those who are able to continue – at least the dreaded 'uncertainty' would be over, although even this would be a mirage. Over time, the conditions for operating would be made ever more onerous, with increasing demands to cede ever more equity, or to alter operations operate in accordance with official diktat. Perhaps the final outcome is that farmers would eventually be turned into civil servants, perhaps as an adjunct to the ruling party's patronage system, or perhaps the industry would simply wither away as demands and burdens became overwhelming. (For a glimpse of this, see the not dissimilar path has been followed by the mining industry.)
Meanwhile, the focus on land as the target of EWC has led to the regrettable misunderstanding that this is the only asset under consideration. This is the fallacy of the phrase so often used in the media 'land expropriation without compensation' – word of the year in 2018, as noted above. The expansion of state power to deprive people and institutions of their property will not be limited to land.
Among the changes recommended to the constitutional amendment by the Department of Public Works recently as to make explicit that EWC can be undertaken in respect of all property, and not only land (which is currently the import of the wording). Explicit constitutional sanction of seizures at 'nil' compensation of all manner of property is now in play.
This is not a purely intellectual point. The statist drift of much economic thinking in recent years opens up numerous possibilities for intrusion into and confiscation of property. In fact, they make it inevitable.
The proposed National Health Insurance, for example, is premised on effectively placing all health funding in the hands of a state-controlled fund. Professor Simon Nemutandani of the Health Professions Council of South Africa recently recommended to Parliament that reserves held by medical aid schemes should be requisitioned to capitalise the scheme: 'all assets under the control of the medical schemes must be taken by over the NHI'. It is difficult to see this as anything other than an act of expropriation, worth something in the region of R90 billion.
While it is quite possible that there might be some pushback from those affected, their prospects of success would be significantly reduced if the constitutional and legal changes described above are enacted. Besides, if land may be taken for policy reasons, and for purposes – nominally – of the upliftment of the country as a whole, surely similar argument might be made in respect of other assets?
Given the ambitions of the ruling party – both ideological and venal – medical funds will not be the only subject of such a demand. Look too at such things as pension funds and intellectual properties.
Certainty would, of course, be welcome. As we at the IRR have argued before, South Africa has managed the not inconsiderable feat of establishing just enough certainty that bad policy is on the way, but not enough to allow any planning around it.
In a sense, then, EWC is about land, but not solely or exclusively so. It is rather about the ideological currents of a liberation movement, the failure to resolve socio-economic stresses, and the crises besetting the country.
Giving the state enormous power over citizens' property would mean reviving many of the restrictions on freedom rightly decried as being central to colonialism and apartheid, and which have persisted into the present. The costs – in failed policy, lost growth and stalled upliftment – have been extensive indeed.
Perhaps one might fruitfully bear in mind Prof Asmal's words: 'Where there are conflicts between the rights of individuals, the objective of government will be to promote the rights to a basic quality of life for all citizens, particularly the poor.' This is sage advice, and one that has been recognised in the breach over the course of the property rights debate.
Terence Corrigan is a project manager at the Institute of Race Relations.
This is the last of a three-part analysis of the history and notion of Expropriation without Compensation (EWC)
https://www.newsi.co.za/opinion/understanding-the-expropriation-without-compensation-drive-part-3


Dancehall crooner, Sean Paul hooks up with Colombian singer, J Balvin in this new music joint "Contra La Pared".
The Andy Hines-directed cut saw the dancehall legend and the Latin pop singer heads Utah's Lake Powell with their army of girls driving ATVs.
It's unclear if the track will appear on Sean Paul's upcoming album, due sometime this year. Hines noted that he enjoyed working with the two artists in a behind the scenes clip.


text:
Liaodong Bay () is largest and longest of the three main bays (along with Laizhou Bay to the south and the Bohai Bay to the southwest) of the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea.

Although named after the Liaodong Peninsula (which forms its eastern shore), the bay is located directly south of the Liaoxi region, almost entirely west of the Liao River.  It is bounded by the coastline of cities from southern Liaoning province (Dalian, Yingkou, Panjin, Jinzhou and Huludao) and eastern Hebei province (Qinhuangdao and Tangshan), between the Laotieshan Cape at Dalian's Lüshunkou District in the east, and the Daqing River estuary (which is an old southern mouth of Luan River) at Tangshan's Laoting County in the west.

The major rivers that drain into the Liaodong Bay include Luan River, Daling River, Xiaoling River, Liao River and Daliao River.

See also
 Geography of China
 Bijia Mountain - an island-mountain in the bay

Bays of China
Bohai Sea
Bodies of water of the Yellow Sea


text:
namespace luhn {

}  // namespace luhn

#endif // LUHN_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The 3 Biggest Disasters in iphone 11 caracteristicas History
blog May 6, 2022 by Radhe
This is a list of the most important iPhone 11 features. I've included the most important ones and will be updating it as I discover new ones.
– The new Apple Pencil has a built in stylus, so I have to use it, and – The new Apple Pencil comes with a pen and pencil accessory, so you can still use the pen and pencil for drawing.
This is another list of the most important iPhone 11 features. Ive included the most important ones and will be updating it as I discover new ones.- The new Apple Pencil has a built in stylus, so I have to use it, and – The new Apple Pencil comes with a pen and pencil accessory, so you can still use the pen and pencil for drawing.
This is also another list of the most important iPhone 11 features. Ive included the most important ones and will be updating it as I discover new ones.- The new Apple Pencil has a built in stylus, so I have to use it, and – The new Apple Pencil comes with a pen and pencil accessory, so you can still use the pen and pencil for drawing.
It's nice to take a break from using the pen and pencil for writing when using the phone instead of a stylus. The phone's built-in stylus is not the best choice for drawing because the pen and pencil feels like more of a typing tool. This is one of the main reasons to take a break and switch to a stylus.
There are two stylus options for the Apple Pencil: a pen model or a traditional stylus. The pen model has the same functionality as most of the models with the same size of stylus. The traditional stylus is a mechanical pen that is not compatible with the new Apple Pencil.
The new Apple Pencil can easily get the job done, but it's not a replacement for a stylus. The new Apple Pencil and Apple Pencils are the same size as most of the styluses, so you can still use a pen with the traditional stylus. The reason why the Apple Pencil has the same function as most styluses is because the styluses are already mechanical pen-like devices.
The stylus is a mechanical pen. It is the pen that you use to write on paper, but it's not the pen itself. The stylus is the part that writes on the paper.
In the video above, Apple shows off a new feature of the Apple Pencil called "characteristicas." It allows you to create a "character" by drawing a line then pressing the pen and it will automatically fill in whatever shape you've drawn.
characteristicas is a new feature coming to the Apple Pencil. It can be used to create characters, animals, and other shapes in the new multi-touch interface that Apple is debuting with the iPhone 11. The feature will allow you to draw on the screen of an iPhone or iPad. And it can also be used to show you how much ink has been used when you see a black line appear on the screen.


text:
04/21/2009 Meteor Trails
The Lyrid Meteors, or "Lyrids," are associated with Comet Thatcher first discovered in 1861. As this comet revolves around the Sun every 415 years, it gives off gases and dust particles due to the heat of the Sun. While the gases eventually are dispersed throughout space, the dust particles remain as a trail of debris in the path of the comet long after the comet has gone.
The Lyrids meteor shower starts April 16th and will be most active after midnight to dawn on Wednesday April 22, 2009.
No matter where you are globally, the majority of Lyrids meteors are likely to soar across the sky in the dark hour before dawn.
Sky watchers are in for a treat when the Lyrids meteor shower, the oldest known meteor shower, becomes visible on April 22, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday.
Dario dela Cruz, chief of PAGASA's astronomical observation unit, said Lyrids will present up to 15 showers (or streaks) an hour in the eastern sky between midnight of April 22 and dawn of April 23.
Besides the spectacular Quadrantids Meteor Shower that occurred in the first week of 2009, meteor shower activity for the first three months of the year is usually uneventful. April kicks off the second quarter of the year and also the start of better meteor shower viewing activity. The Lyrids meteor shower is the oldest documented meteor shower known to astronomers.
Astronomers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) remind the public of the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower in April. The Lyrids are predicted to reach a peak of about 20 meteors per hour at midnight EDT the night of Monday-Tuesday, April 21-22.
The Lyrids meteor shower may not be as visible to stargazers when it passes over the earth on April 22, which is also Earth Day.
A bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday a waning moon on the fourth week of the month would make it difficult for observers to fully enjoy the annual sky spectacle.
See flashing lights in the sky Friday night?
You might see more.
There were numerous reports of a meteorite near the Air Force Academy around 11 p.m.
"It kept lasting and lasting and lasting. All of a sudden there was a big green ball and it changed to a red colour and looked fiery. It seemed to shoot off some kinds of sparks and turned bright white. The sky lit up and then it went right into the mountains. It was frightening but at the same time amazing" - Jody Wolkensdorfer of northern Colorado Springs, who was driving in the area.
No need to panic.
"It was a meteor breaking up in the atmosphere" - Alan Gorski, Colorado Springs Astronomical Society spokesman.
The sky will be dark and moonless for at least three hours before the first light of dawn on Sunday morning, when the annual Lyrid meteor shower is due to reach its peak.
The shower remains above one-half of its peak strength for about a day or two, centred on the showers maximum.


I have always been interested in the surreal, the things that are just beyond our sight. As I draw, hidden figures come to the surface and reveal themselves. I never know what I will end up with, which makes each painting feel like a journey. I draw my inspiration from the natural world. She inspires, moves and surrounds me. I love the fine detail of pencil mixed with the translucent way watercolors move on the page. In my work I hope to spark a love for the natural world mixed with the mystery of the surreal.
Alli MacC is a photographer and published painter living and creating in the east bay. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alli received her Bachelor's of Arts from Humboldt State university in 2003.
Copyright © 2018 Alli MacC Studios - All Rights Reserved.


text:
package com.johnsnowlabs.ml.crf

import com.johnsnowlabs.tags.FastTest
import org.scalatest.flatspec.AnyFlatSpec

import java.io._

class SerializationSpec extends AnyFlatSpec {
  val dataset = TestDatasets.small
  val metadata = dataset.metadata
  val weights = (0 until 8).map(i => 1f / i).toArray

  val model = new LinearChainCrfModel(weights, dataset.metadata)

  "LinearChainCrfModel" should "serialize and deserialize correctly" taggedAs FastTest in {
    val memory = new ByteArrayOutputStream()

    val oos = new ObjectOutputStream(memory)
    oos.writeObject(model)
    oos.close

    val input = new ObjectInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(memory.toByteArray))
    val deserialized = input.readObject().asInstanceOf[LinearChainCrfModel]

    assert(deserialized.weights.toSeq == model.weights.toSeq)

    val newMeta = deserialized.metadata
    assert(newMeta.labels.toSeq == metadata.labels.toSeq)
    assert(newMeta.attrs.toSeq == metadata.attrs.toSeq)
    assert(newMeta.attrFeatures.toSeq == metadata.attrFeatures.toSeq)
    assert(newMeta.transitions.toSeq == metadata.transitions.toSeq)
    assert(newMeta.featuresStat.toSeq == metadata.featuresStat.toSeq)
  }
}


went out about 6:25 pm up the hill from North Wyoming by Harding. Anyone else?
Sheena Collin has posted on Facebook an outage at a substation that seems to be in your area. No estimate yet when power will be restore.
Football is a barbaric sport anyway. You're better off.
I'd be a bit more concerned about the falling temps. Hope you all get power back soon.
wasn't it online, apparently you have internet access (even if you have to sit in your car to plug in and recharge)!
or could you have gotten to a sports bar?


OTTAWA — The Reddick Mansion will host its first-ever painting party from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8. Lori McCarter, local artist and experienced party host, will instruct attendees as they complete their "Tree of Love" painting.
McCarter has been "hosting" painting parties for almost five years at a variety of local venues including the Lone Buffalo, the Pink Chihuahua, Pine Hills Golf Club and Starved Rock Lodge. She has also done several fundraising parties for local non-profit organizations including Marquette Academy and Camp Tuckabatchee.
Everything will be provided to complete the paintings that evening. Participants are urged to bring a friend and their adult beverage of choice. Snacks and soda will be provided and the artists may bring a treat to share, if they like. McCarter also recommends that old clothes or a paint shirt be worn.
The Tree of Love is an adult class for men or women of any skill level. Limited spaces are available and early registration is suggested. The cost is $35 per person and pre-payment is required. Call the Reddick Mansion at 815-433-6100 or register online at www.reddickmansion.org.
The Reddick Mansion, located at 100 W. Lafayette St., was built in 1858, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites. It is open to the public for tours and also has meeting/reception rooms available for rent for special events.


CryoCare Foundation was established in 1993 to provide state-of-the-art human cryopreservation with assistance from two separate, independent businesses: BioPreservation, which provided our remote standby, transport, perfusion, and cooldown capability, and CryoSpan, which managed the long- term maintenance of patients at liquid-nitrogen temperature.
Ultimately we hoped that growth in cryonics would encourage the formation of additional service providers. We envisaged a future in which our members would benefit as BioPreservation and CryoSpan found themselves in a free market, bidding against competitors.
Unfortunately, we overestimated the potential growth and profitability of cryonics. Also we underestimated the tendency of volunteers and enthusiasts to burn out, especially in a high-stress occupation such as remote standby work. BioPreservation opted not to renew its contract with us in 1999, and no longer provides any cryonics services. CryoSpan still exists, but its majority shareholder wants to wind down the company and transfer the patients elsewhere.
Consequently, CryoCare now finds itself without any service providers.
We received ample advance warning of this situation, and attempted to find other ways to maintain service. These attempts were unsuccessful. Consequently, in 1999 we notified our members that we could not continue to provide cryonics coverage.
The directors and officers of CryoCare wish to express their deep appreciation to everyone who placed their trust in us, and assisted us, during the past seven years. At no time did any of our members suffer a health emergency in which we failed to respond; and our two human patients are still being cared for, with their maintenance costs fully covered for the indefinite future.


text:
Academic & Professional Books Reference Collections Management Museology
The Whipple Museum of the History of Science Instruments and Interpretations, to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of R. S. Whipple's Gift to the University of Cambridge
By: L Taub and F Willmoth
ISBN: 9780521866095 Hardback Sep 2006 Out of Print #164124
About this book Contents Biography Related titles
The Whipple Museum in Cambridge contains one of the most important existing collections in the history and philosophy of science and has played a key role in teaching and research within those subjects. Founded in 1944 with funding from Robert Stewart Whipple, formerly of the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, the Museum aims to preserve the material culture of science through its collections, to document and provide access to those collections, and to interpret and research the material culture and associated practices of past science. This volume brings together 23 essays and 85 illustrations which chart the Museum's history; examine its role and influence within the University of Cambridge and the study of the subject more widely; and focus on a range of particular scientific instruments in the collection, drawing out their broader historical significance and associations.
Acknowledgements; List of illustrations; Contributors; Introduction Liba Taub and Frances Willmoth; Part I: 1. Documents from the founding and early history of the Whipple Museum, compiled by Frances Willmoth; 2. The first decade of the Whipple Museum Rupert Hall; 3. A collection to be preserved Alex Keller; 4. The opening of a new gallery at the Whipple Museum David W. Dewhirst; Part II: 5. 'Braggers that by showe of their instrument win credit': the errours of Edward Worsop Jim Bennett; 6. A 'hidden' Cambridge jewel David J. Bryden; 7. Models and understanding David Chart; 8. Made to measure: some thoughts on the design of scientific instruments Richard Dunn; 9. Pictures at an exhibition: or what ivory sundials can teach an intellectual historian Penelope Gouk; 10. Making waves: a history of the wave machine Christopher Haley; 11. Nineteenth-century wave motion machines Graham Hart; 12. The legacy of Elias Allen Hester Higton; 13. An early Italian globe? A critical study of a terrestrial globe in the Whipple Museum Robert A. Jenks; 14. Reading rules: artefactual evidence for mathematics and craft in early-modern England Stephen Johnston; 15. Instruments of translation Latin Therapy Group; 16. Precision electrical instruments, 1870-1900 Kenneth Lyall; 17. Spheres and texts on spheres: the book-instrument relationship and an armillary sphere in the Whipple Museum of the History of Science Adam Mosley; 18. Representing Euclid in the eighteenth century Mike Rich; 19. Time machines Simon Schaffer; 20. Napier Shaw and the invention of the cloud chamber Richard Staley; 21. Are orreries 'Newtonian'? A consideration of the material, textual and pictorial evidence Liba Taub; 22. 'The ingenious and unwearied Mr Abraham Sharp': a transitional figure in the making of precision instruments Frances Willmoth.
Liba Taub was formerly Curator of History of Astronomy at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Since 1995 she has been Curator of the Whipple Museum and is Reader in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. Frances Willmoth edited John Flamsteed's correspondence (3 vols, IOP Publishing, 1995-2001). She is currently Archivist at Jesus College, Cambridge, where she directs studies in History and Philosophy of Science.
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The Natural History Museum [Vienna]
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text:
Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945
Entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan
Entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan 1
1. See also the paper entitled "Political and Military Situation in China in the Event the U. S. S. R. Enters the War in the Far East", ante, pp. 351– 352.
[248] The President to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
[Washington,] 4 October 1944.
Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
[249] President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill
[250] The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the President
Moscow, 10 October 1944.
[Washington,] 11 October 1944.
[254] The Commanding General, United States Military Mission in the Soviet Union (Deane), to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
[Received 16 October.]
[Received 18 October—6:50 a. m.]
[258] The Commanding General of the Army Air Forces (Arnold) to the Secretary of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (McFarland)
[Washington,] 5 December 1944.
J, C. S. Files
[259] Memorandum by the Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet (King)
[Washington,] 11 December 1944.
J. C. S. Files
Moscow, December 15, 1944.
761.93/12–1544: Telegram
[261] Memorandum of the Division of Territorial Studies
[Washington,] December 28, 1944.
FEC Files
[262] The Commanding General, Manhattan District Project (Groves), to the Chief of Staff, United States Army (Marshall)
War Department,
Washington, December 30, 1944.
Defense Files
[Washington,] January 10, 1945.
[264] Report by the Joint Staff Planners
[Washington,] 18 January 1945.1
[265] The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commanding General, United States Military Mission in the Soviet Union (Deane)
[266] Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff
[Washington,] 22 January 1945.
[267] The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President
The text here printed is as amended and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on January 24.↩
Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945
List of illustrations and maps
List of abbreviations, symbols, and code names
List of persons mentioned
I. Pre-conference documents (Documents 1-288)
2. Negotiations and recommendations on principal subjects (Documents 68-285)
Entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan (Documents 248-267)
II. The Malta Conference: January 30–February 2, 1945 (Documents 289-321)
III. The Yalta Conference: February 4–11, 1945 (Documents 322-512)


I utterly loathed the final years of school. This wasn't because of any social ineptness – I made lots of wonderful friends, many of whom I'm still close with today. Secondary school gradually dissolved my intrinsic creativity. The learning experience (or lack thereof) was frustrating and painfully mind-numbing. Learning became focused on the regurgitation of material for seemingly endless assessment. The extent of my creative experience was conjuring up evil and outlandish pranks to torment humdrum geography teachers. In stark contrast, primary school provided a perpetual banquet of creative opportunities. There was art, music and writing, and the freedom to ask absurd questions about the world. Since starting a PhD I feel as if I've returned to childhood – rediscovering my creative freedom in an endeavour to answer intriguing questions. But unfortunately most people don't get this opportunity.
So why does creative and enquiry based learning suddenly disappear from the education system? Why does the learning environment suddenly change from warm and nurturing to cold, competitive and assessment focused? Is this why the intrinsic compulsion to learn, that all humans have, disappears in so many people?
I think Sir Ken Robinson has the answer. Sir Ken's recent book Creative Schools (you should all read it and watch his Ted Talk!) draws some fascinating parallels between industrialisation, modern agriculture and the education system. I found this analogy particularly captivating given my learning experiences at school and my research interests around the impacts of agricultural intensification on ecosystems.
So the story goes: industrialisation facilitated the intensification of agriculture, which dramatically increased food yields, fueling growth of the human population. However, this has had massive implications for natural ecosystems, resulting in widespread biodiversity loss and decline of critical ecological functions and services (e.g. Cardinale et al., 2012). Key industrial principles are conformity and compliance. In industrial systems, processes are linear and production is driven by market demand. The ultimate objective is to produce large quantities of identical versions of the same product. Like industrialised agriculture, modern education is constructed around these industrial principles and focuses on output and yield. This is despite the fact that, like ecosystems, human intelligence is profoundly diverse and dynamic. By its very nature the industrial model rejects diversity and creative freedom.
Simple ecological concepts span both biological and education systems. The loss of diversity reduces productivity and resilience (e.g. Naeem & Li, 1997). Agricultural and educational industrialisation has benefited a select few people/species with particular traits, that allow them to thrive under such conditions. But this is at the expense of diversity. If we continue down this path, we lose adaptability and resilience to societal and environmental perturbations.
In a rapidly changing world, where demand on natural and human resources is increasing faster than ever, it is critical that we promote and cultivate diversity and creativity. As Sir Ken puts it "education is only really improved when we understand it is a living system too". Perhaps the only way to combat the daunting environmental challenges caused by industrialisation is to reject the industrial model itself, at least in our education system.
Jamie Stavert is a PhD candidate in the Centre for Biodiversity & Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. He is investigating how functional traits drive the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship and response to environmental change in pollination systems. He is supervised by Jacqueline Beggs, Anne Gaskett, David Pattemore and Nacho Bartomeus.
Over the course of this year I have been undertaking intense field work across some of Auckland Councils public parks. Urban ecology is inherently strange; emerging sweat-soaked from a long day's work, and carrying a small colony of beetles in your hair onto a main road whilst startling local dog walkers and being serenaded by Auckland Zoo's primates. While not as idyllic as disappearing to the mountains for a week, urban ecology is incredibly important when most of our human population is urban. Connecting with nature is undeniably important for our wellbeing.
Auckland has hundreds of public parks of all sizes, both without and without maintained walking tracks as I have discovered. They are refuges for native species in the middle of our manicured city, but how well do we really look after these spaces? During my field work my volunteers and I have found a range of debris: backyard clippings spreading weeds, Victorian inkwells, a year's supply of newspapers courtesy of a lazy paperboy, shelters built by those with nowhere else to turn (a growing issue in Auckland) and a pile of books featuring a bunny not often seen during pest control.
As Auckland city grows, more pressure is being placed on these biodiversity refuges and how we value and care for them becomes more important as was noted last month. Will we value and nurture these green spaces, or will they fail under the pressure? Will we continue to use them as personal rubbish dumps, or will we take interest in the other species that use these spaces? I will be a science advocate – we can all lend our voices. To me nothing beats the feeling of following a fantail nest from first cheeps to first awkward flight, as I make my daily visit to the rat trap at the tree's base.
Sam Lincoln is an MSc student in the Centre for Biodiversity & Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. She is trying to disentangle interactions between domestic cats and rats in urban environments. She is supervised by Margaret Stanley, John Innes and Al Glen.
This August, whilst those back in Auckland endured the worst of winter, I popped over to Portal, Arizona, to participate in the one and only Ant Course. The 10 day course, run by Dr Brian Fisher from the California Academy of Sciences, is a workshop designed for those researching various aspects of ant biology. Run at the Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains, the area boasts the richest ant fauna in North America. Although Ant Course focuses on the evolution, classification and identification of ant genera, a broad range of ant biology was taught, meaning I came back home with a new myrmecologist skill-set.
One of the first tasks we were given was to dissect an ant, which is, well, about just as difficult as dissecting an ant sounds. Fortunately microscope work was broken up with collecting trips in the field which also demonstrated various sampling methods as well as a seminar series covering topics from systematics to ant behaviour and invasive ant research. As such, we covered many different aspects of ant research and were introduced to some amazing people conducting exciting research in the ant world. Some of the attending students even worked together under the guidance of Dr Adrian Smith to create videos on various research areas of ant biology, which you can view here.
Although the work at Ant Course was hardly tiresome (I do wish every day was Ant Course), we had time to relax in the pool and were even fortunate enough one night to visit a local rodeo and meet up with some real-life cowboys. And ants aside, the area is host to a diverse range of animals (native mammals!, snakes and other neat reptiles, birds the size of moths, bats all over the place), which I took great delight in spotting. Perhaps my favourite activity was turning over rocks at night looking for vinegaroons.
I'm back in Auckland now and waiting for the weather to buck up a bit, so I can putwhat I learnt to practise with my upcoming field season!
Oh, and I'm now signing off as Anna the Antbassador. Cheerio!
One day we click, the next I have lost my wick thinking you are a complete…well you get the picture.
The above poem is a more measured example of my current love/hate relationship with the statistical software programme called R.
R began its development in the early 1990's right here at the University of Auckland. This programme is incredibly powerful, with the ability to compute huge datasets, administer an astonishing range of analyses and it is free! The community surrounding R continue to develop new packages that you can easily install for basically any type of data analysis, manipulation and mining that you could imagine. And this is fantastic!
However, with a heavy head I have to now insert the ominous 'BUT". For a layperson like myself, with mediocre statistical understanding it can be a daunting undertaking to feed in your painstakingly gathered data, ascertain what statistical analysis to do and then make that happen in R. Further, the all-important, "do you want graphs with that?" is a whole other story.
R is run using programming language, specifically text-based 'S' language, thus you need to write exactly what you want it to do in the language that it 'understands', and like learning any new language, this is a relatively slow process, especially when some of the language terms seem counter-intuitive.
This is not a story of failure however, this is a story of redemption, as I had never used the program before and now I can. For someone that was not 'bright enough' to sit School Certificate maths (now NCEA Level 1), who cried at my math tutor's house once a week and vehemently declared that "I will never be good at maths"! I can now run a range of tests, understand (mostly) the output and have a fair idea of what to do when the dreaded red error writing is returned. I have achieved this through the help of my peers, excellent sites such as Stackoverflow, Statmethods and a range of journal articles, books and just good old Google.
The moral of the story here is: don't be scared off by R, it is worth the initial, and at times reoccurring frustration, and if I can do it anyone can.
De Vries, A., & Meys, J. (2012). R for dummies. John Wiley & Sons.
I arrived in Auckland on the 25th of October 2014 on a beautiful, sunny spring day carrying 53 kg luggage, after a total travel time of 30 hours. My first real experience of the kiwi culture was seeing someone barefoot at the airport, "that is weird" – I thought, but eventually found out it is something quite common. What it is also common is rain. It rains a lot. A LOT. You cannot of course trust the weather forecast and you do need to have a raincoat with you and an umbrella, just in case (this I would say has been the best advice I received before coming here). The duration of the PhD programme is three years, but I was advised to consider it to be four years which will make it the longest period being away from home, despite the fact this is not my first time living abroad. But it always feels like the first time.
I am part of the cohort of approximate 30,000 Mexican students doing a postgraduate programme abroad, the United States being the preferred destination, followed by Spain and other European countries. Of those, it has been estimated that 5-7% of students never return to live in Mexico. The number of international students coming to New Zealand has increased in the past few years, for example, PhD student numbers have increased from 1,665 in 2008 to 3,838 in 2014. The main sources of NZ international students are China and India, with South Korea occupying the third place.
So far my experience living in NZ has been quite good. I will not lie, being away from my family, friends and dogs might be something I could never get used to. And although I have made good friends here, the dogs… It is not all bad here though! I am lucky enough to be part of an amazing lab group and research team and of course and I have learnt many new things and done other things for the first time. From funding applications that would take me a week to get ready – including hundreds of corrections from my supervisor, presenting my research in front of a big audience (and not being able to understand one of the questions because of the language barrier), be immersed in the urban ecology field along with all the new bird and plant species that I am still learning and getting to know, dealing with Mexican and Kiwi bureaucracy (at the same time) and last but not least, acknowledging that everything takes quite a bit time to be resolved in New Zealand, but usually with a satisfactory outcome.
This has been a great year out of three still to go and my first field season is waiting for me! That and the many adventures and experiences yet to come.


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Young people and families (17)
Health and welfare (10)
Youth labour participation recovered partially in Q3-Q4 2020
The upward trend in youth labour participation which started in 2016 came to an abrupt end last year as the coronavirus crisis set in. In Q2 2020, the youth labour participation rate fell from 65.9 to 60.3 percent, returning to the level of Q1 2016. Labour participation rose again in the third and fourth quarters, to 62.7 percent. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this in the CBS Youth Monitor.
Fewer young volunteers in 2019
In 2019, fewer young people in the Netherlands aged 12 to 24 years were volunteering compared to previous years. While girls are more likely to volunteer in the field of care, boys prefer activities in a sports association. The most important reason for young people to volunteer is that they enjoy it. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this in the latest edition of the National Youth Monitor, based on new figures taken from a survey on social cohesion and well-being.
70 thousand unskilled young people are out of work
Of the 181 thousand young people aged 15 to 26 years who dropped out of education without obtaining a basic qualification, there were 70 thousand who were out of work in 2019. This is a relatively high share compared to those who did obtain a basic qualification. Common reasons for not working are illness and disability. Among the unskilled, those in employment often work at lower occupational skill levels than their peers with basic qualifications. Of the 625 thousand young people who are not in education but who do have a basic qualification, 66 thousand are out of work.
Girls more likely to be harassed, stalked online
5.3 percent of 12 to 24-year-old internet users report that they were bullied, stalked or threatened online in 2018. Over 140 thousand young people were affected. Girls were almost twice as likely to be a victim as boys (7.1 versus 3.6 percent). Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on a survey on cybersecurity and cybercrime.
Youth unemployment at all-time low this century
For eight months now, unemployment among youth has fallen below the lowest point before the economic crisis in 2008. At European level, the Netherlands is in the top three of countries with the lowest youth unemployment rate.
Rude behaviour mainly experienced by young women
In 2017, disrespectful behaviour was encountered relatively most often by women between the ages of 18 and 24 years; 33 percent experienced such behaviour on the street and 22 percent did so in public transport.
4% of youth not in employment, education or training
In 2017, 4 percent of young people in the Netherlands aged 15 to 24 years were neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET). This is equivalent to 84 thousand young people.
Three-quarters of young Bonairians not in education are working
In 2016, most young people in the Caribbean Netherlands between the ages of 15 and 24 were enrolled in education. This share was highest on Saba: 72 percent. On Bonaire, one-third of this age group are no longer enrolled in education but are in work. They are often full-time workers, similar to the group aged 25 and over.
Strong decline in young crime suspects
In 2014, 73 thousand young people between the ages of 12 and 25 (2.4 percent of the total youth population) were registered as suspects of a criminal offence. This is a decline of 43 percent since 2007. One third of all registered suspects in 2014 were young, down from 39 percent in 2007.
Low labour participation among young people in Groningen
Many municipalities in Groningen province have a very low employment rate among young people aged 15 to 27. Likewise, many young people in the larger cities in the provinces of South and North Holland are unemployed. Labour participation rates among young people in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam are 59 percent, 52 percent and 53 percent respectively, considerably lower than the national average of over 62 percent.


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Outlaws Notebook: Lima trade affects Outlaws
PUBLISHED: August 1, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 14, 2018 at 12:00 a.m.
CHICO — Jose Lima was scheduled to appear as the starter for the Long Beach Armada in Friday night"s series opener against the Chico Outlaws until finding out he was being traded to the Edmonton Capitals about five hours before the first pitch.
The news stunned his Armada teammates, who have been reveling all season in the opportunity to share a clubhouse with the popular former major leaguer famous for his electric personality. A few players wore distraught looks outside the visitor"s clubhouse an hour before the game, apparently moved by Lima"s tearful reaction to the announcement at the team"s hotel in north Chico.
"I was called and told a deal was done, and to let Lima know (about the trade)," Long Beach manager Garry Templeton said about the instructions he received through a representative from the Golden Baseball League, which owns both the Armada and Outlaws.
They are the only teams controlled solely by the league.
"It was a decision that they made, one they felt had to be made," Templeton said. "There"s nothing we can do about it, so we"ll move on."
"He will be sorely missed, I can tell you that much. As a pitcher and a person."
The development also affects the Outlaws substantially. They are chasing Edmonton in the race for the North Division"s second playoff spot and Lima will join a Capitals" pitching staff that is regarded as one of the most talented in the league.
Their efforts to bring the 36-year-old former American League All-Star illustrate how hungry the organization remains to get back to the North Division playoffs, where the Capitals were beaten by the rival Calgary Vipers.
"Their owner came and got me," Lima said while watching Friday"s game, referring to spirited Capitals owner Daryl Katz. "That makes you feel good inside.
"They want to win really bad. There is signs all over the stadium, in the downtown area. He wants the championship. That"s pretty exciting."
PERSONAL REACTION: Like many of his Long Beach teammates, Lima did express some frustration about the frenetic nature of Friday"s trade.
"It"s the first time in my whole career I"ve ever been traded in this sort of fashion," Lima said. "It"s unusual for me to leave a team this quickly and be somewhere else tomorrow."
Templeton said initially Lima was allowed to pitch Friday at Nettleton — just as the Outlaws promotions staff had advertised profusely all week to local fans. Templeton said later instructions came to renege that schedule because the Capitals wanted Lima to start in tonight"s home game against the Tucson Toros.
In 11 starts for the Armada, Lima constructed a 5-5 record, 2.93 earned-run average, 51-11 strikeout-walk ratio and .293 opponent batting average. In exchange for Lima, Long Beach will receive Kris Honel. In 10 starts for Edmonton this year, Honel is 4-4 with a 4.30 ERA.
Notes: Edmonton lost to Tucson on Friday. Coupled with the Outlaws" loss, however, the Capitals still have a .150 advantage in second-half winning percentage, the decisive factor because of the league"s unbalanced schedule this year. … Dan Luyben didn"t play in Friday"s game for the Armada fresh off his trade from the Outlaws last Sunday.