On the one hand, I'm finally able to focus on my passion projects, including deep, well-researched books on what it means to be creative and make work that matters. On the other hand, the books I'm reading, collectively, are generating a massive mindset shift – possibly because they reconfirm or sometimes challenge my base instincts.
One of my new favorites is Body of Work by Pamela Slim (of "Escape From Cubicle Nation" fame). I've had the privilege of meeting Pamela a few times, but her message never really resonated with me – I've been a digital nomad without a real job for almost two decades. I've never had the cubicle experience.
Great… "autonomy, mastery and purpose" are pretty close to my personal values, so I've got a strong start. Of course this definition isn't nearly enough. In my view, we need to do creative work that matters, which means focusing on our audience and creating things they need or want.
A lot of books on art or creativity disagree with me on this one critical point, so I was curious to see Pam's views on what KIND of work was most valuable.
Why does it need to be accomplished?
How are you going to structure the project?
When does it need to be finished?
I love this simple framework for creating work that matters.
Start with your desire, but figure out WHO it's for and WHY they should buy it? If you can broaden your intended audience or perfect your sales hook, you can increase the VALUE of your work by upping the emotional and cultural relevance to your intended audience.
After that, structure is most important, because if you don't know what you're making, you won't know when it's finished – structure is something you learn with research and analysis; look at people who have created similar things, and reverse-engineer.
This isn't about stealing or copying, it's about creating the best possible thing in the shortest amount of time, by studying the greats and finding inspiration. Creativity is about blending familiar things in surprising new ways.
Finally, WHEN = set a hard deadline. This is something I don't do enough of, which is why I flounder and procrastinate. Pick a project, set a deadline, FINISH it.
It doesn't matter if it's perfect.
I'm guilty of this, even now. Even though I've spent years putting out "good enough" projects. I still work on things and don't feel comfortable sharing them or talking about them. I just finish and release.
#1 great art deserves and audience.
#2 nobody is going to market except for me.
#3 one "launch" is not enough.
Pam offers some very useful exercises to find the body of work right for you, which I'm going to complete for myself – I recommend you try them at home too (share your results in the comments).
Not all creative work has value. Value comes from others.
Most artists are taught NOT to focus on value, which makes it hard to sell things, or build an audience.
The "starving artist" mentality cannot be fixed by mindset and courage alone; artists can succeed much faster by addressing the core limitations inherent in their work.
Why do you believe them? (key life experiences).
I've seen it happen, thousands of times. It's not an incidental thing, it's the reason why the vast majority of creative people never find success: they don't know what to make for whom – they only follow their limited inspiration, create sporadically when the mood hits them, and rarely finish things. When they do, they have no idea how to sell or market them.
Whom do you care deeply about serving?
Creative people with big ideas, who are having trouble translating their vision into words other people get excited about. I've learned that how you talk about the art is as important, or more important (especially online) than the art itself.
Luckily, these issues can be very quickly addressed and fixed by researching audience and finding the intersection between what they want and need, and what you're excited about producing.
Who are the people you want to impact?
Writers, artists, creative entrepreneurs, coaches, speakers, visionaries and mystics. Anyone having trouble getting their voice heard. Every story deserves to be told.
What will happen in their lives as a result of your support?
With my support, creatives can quickly avoid the frustration, self-doubt, and repeated exposure to failure and criticism that can force them to give up too early. Sometimes you just need someone else to get what you're trying to do and stand behind you. I can help them make their work MATTER, by finding the core value of the project and communicating the benefits in a way that will resonate.
Which problems do you want to solve? What do you want to fix?
Having no market or audience. Not being able to make any sales. Not being able to finish the work (due to lack of clear vision). Structural or content weaknesses in the work. Fear or uncertainty, which manifests as procrastination or lack of confidence.
Right now, the struggles to get your creative work seen are overwhelming: building a website and email list; figuring out social media; design and branding; publishing or posting invisible content; a weak funnel that leads nowhere; focusing on the work without telling the story.
Altogether, the barriers to success can seem insurmountable and take years to learn all the skills you need. I try to make some of those steps easier, with coaching, tutorials, templates or tools.
What could be made better in the world with your help?
Creative empowerment and motivation, by shifting the focus to great work that matters.
A book design tool so anyone can make beautiful covers without technical skills.
A creative writing retreat and respite, to do your best work in a supportive and encouraging environment.
Freedom, for me and others, which includes the ability to follow your passion and create what you enjoy.
Pulling drowning people out of a river is compassion. Justice is walking upstream to solve the reasons they are falling in.
This really hit me, because I've always been a bit of a justice warrior. I hate following arbitrary rules unless I can see exactly why they were made (if rules have no logic, I'm not bound to obey them).
It's a nice story, but the contrast between Pam's example made me realize, I'm done with all that. I don't want to save people one by one, I want to change the conversation and dialogue, I want to influence the industry, so they know the dangers and are more careful. Then they won't need saving.
This exercise is to figure out your strengths, but it's also good brainstorming to start putting together your story (more on that later).
Boy Scout in Oregon, Gaucho in argentina, philosopher in Malta, grad student in Taiwan, National representative for Amnesty international, CNN feature for writing in castles, sold 4000 books to Russian publisher, international student body president.
Freedom, creativity, adventure, artistic expression, revolutionary integrity (fighting to find a better or easier way, to reduce pain and suffering).
Many teenage heartbreaks, tendency to love too much, too deeply and the feel sting of rejection.
Several small scars from stupid accidents: carelessness and risky behavior.
This section hit me hard as well.
"You look at the content you have created and realize that many more people could use it than the market you are currently serving.
You are a bit fatigued at putting all your energy into the "build it and they will come" model of content marketing and are ready for some bigger moves.
You have built significant visibility and trust in your market or workplace.
All of these points more of less fit me, although I'm still struggling a bit with that last one.
But I do feel ready, on the cusp of big and exciting things; also a little terrified of stepping up, because it's more comfortable not to act.
Pam says there are four steps to actually making the work.
(get specific – a WORKING business model). Test by selling something short – an hour class instead of a six weeks program.
#4 Flex your creative muscles.
In other words, and I think this is the path most creatives take: make what you want, until you're good enough to offer value, then create a product for a specific market and see if they'll buy it. Make something easy and quick to validate the idea. Gain confidence and security and feedback. Once you're sure who your audience is and what they need or want, then focus on making something great.
In other words, don't Make Something Great by yourself without testing the market. EVEN if you're excited about it, and EVEN if it's technically high quality, doesn't mean anyone will actually buy it.
I have friends who have lots of ideas but never execute on anything. Earlier today I was complaining to my wife about how other people are selling programs and courses for WAY more money, and they don't offer refunds OR any personal help or feedback (my courses offer a ton… which is partially why I'm resisting launching them, because I already know that's not what I want to do, even though it's what people need).
But the truth is, my course isn't selling because I'm not telling anyone about it! A few months ago in Bali I was complaining about this course not selling. I checked my funnel and found only 3 people had even seen the sales page. (1% is the average conversion rate, which means I need to get 100 people on the page for every one sale).
But, and here's the important stuff: you can only improve with repetition. You can't make an online course, launch one and quit to go work on something else. See if you can make it better. See if you can increase value and conversion. Query your audience and find out how to make the course more appealing.
If you reach out to influencers, or anybody, make sure to check back 3 times. Launch a product 3x before making choices about what to do next. But that's not all.
Pam introduces the 20X rule.
So for example, if I have a 1% conversion rate and need 100 people on my sales page, how can I 20X it and get 2000 on the page?
Instead of 3 new products a year, test SIXTY. To be a full time creator, you need to test more ideas, more quickly. A lot of them will fail. Instead of perfecting one thing, launch fast, make stuff, don't focus on being perfect.
The enemy of the entrepreneur is endless planning and perfection.
Since I don't set deadlines and already feel like I'm doing "pretty well" I don't have the motivation I need to make more stuff, but that's bad – one of the cool things I discovered in an ancient philosophy manual is the idea of "drifting" (we still use the term, like "drifting through life" but I plan to write a book about the concept and trace it's history).
The point is, creativity is a thrilling risk – there is freedom only when we sacrifice our comfort and strive for more. But to succeed, we must be all in.
I need to think about the things I've done, and the things I haven't done yet. Which has the most potential impact. I have some Big Ideas that could be gamechangers – I need to work on those, not on services to help other people with their big ideas (unless that's what I'm being called to do: I'm uniquely qualified to help people turn their Big Ideas into real businesses, and it doesn't take me long, and I enjoy it).
Other things though, I'm less excited about, to the point of avoidance. If I have something I'm dreading, I'll procrastinate with Netflix ALL DAY and squeeze in a little work before bed. If I'm excited about my projects, I'll work for 12 hours straight. This is why passion is so important, because passion is a procrastination killer.
If you don't feel joy in the goals you have set for yourself, try changing your goals.
Ask yourself, what am I thoroughly grateful for today? What can I count on to make me happy, regardless of what is going on in my life. Focus on what you WANT (not what you don't have). See the pictures of your ideal life, enthuse it. With the right motivation, and drive, people can make astounding, unexpected, nearly miraculous change.
Even so, fear is part of the process – not something to avoid.
Fear is an essential part of the creative process. Work with it, and you will create a powerful, full-color, full-contact body of work.
You can help offset the fear by using Pam's five step model, while also building your tribe and network.


text:
October 6, 2020 December 2, 2021 Matthew Dixon
Star Citizen vs Elite Dangerous: Daydreams vs Reality
I've recently gone back to playing Elite Dangerous and I've honestly had a lot of trouble describing it to people that haven't heard of it. My two go-to options are A) It's like if EuroTruck Simulator had space battles or B) It's like Star Citizen but it is actually out and functional.
Elite Dangerous – Image Credit: Frontier Developments
Cast your mind back to 2012 when the world wasn't ending and my back didn't hurt as much. I was ecstatic when the Kickstarter for Star Citizen was announced. The game sounded almost impossible to even by today's video game standards. Fly around space in your own ship that you can get out of and run around planets shooting people? It's pretty much been a lot of people's fantasy since Star Wars Galaxy including mine. Move over Emma Stone! There's a galaxy to conquer!
But even back then I was a little cynical of the promises laid before us. The game promised to make all of its goals by 2014. That's two years for those not doing the maths. For reference, the game had entered pre-production in 2010. So that's 4 years (at a push) of continued development to create probably the most ambitious game design ever. The reason I call this ambitious is because of two primary things. The first is because it is. The second is because they also wanted it to look graphically impressive. Games like SC have existed long before graphics were even a thing in the form of Ascii RPGs. Games that used letters and numbers to create basic pictures and the rest was done with your imagination and text descriptions.
I'm sure my editor will have sprinkled in a picture of SC at this point since I am a very lazy writer (editors note: have a trailer it's lots of pictures that move). Imagine trying to make an entire game look like this that has such a vast spectrum of things for the player to do. The last time a game this ambitious was promised that I can remember is every single one of the Fable games by Lionhead Studios. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Fable games but if you read the things that were promised by its Director Peter Molyneux. You would laugh. "Trees that grow in real-time." "Have a family and watch them grow old." Keep in mind this was a game to be released on the Xbox in 2004! Star Citizen is a game starting pre-production only six years later and is promising the Milky Way. Literally!
So anyway. This article isn't just about ragging on SC and its ludicrous ambitions. This is about the fact that there is a game that is promising the same things as SC but is actually delivering on those promises and isn't demanding ludicrous sums of money to purchase a single ship!
Star Citizen Image credit: Cloud Imperium Games
You might have guessed it by the title and first paragraph but for those of you also listening to J-Pop while reading this article that game is Elite: Dangerous! (Queue fireworks)
Elite Dangerous is, as I said, a game that promises basically everything SC has promised but is actually available for anyone to buy in and play as much as they want. The difference between these two games is one is made purely on ambition alone and the other is made with common sense in mind.
If you were to buy the basic edition of Elite Dangerous after only reading up to this point of the article you would immediately come back and comment "This is a lie, Elite Dangerous doesn't even have half of the features Star Citizen will have" and you'd be right. But let me remind you of a single fact, Star Citizen, in its current and playable barely an alpha. You can visit four planets, nine moons a planetoid and look at a gas giant. In Elite Dangerous, just the basic version not the expansion you can visit 19,811 systems each with their own planets and space stations and work to be done within.
So it's not just about numbers right? Of course not. Elite Dangerous on release had fully functional ship flight, multiple ships to earn, fly and get blown up by a surprise outlaw. There were ships for different jobs including exploration, trade and combat and each ship was fully customisable to your whims. The ship combat was fleshed out and balanced and there was a whole slew of weapons to use. On top of that, there was a fleshed-out and functioning economy that changed based on player actions even if you chose to play in solo-mode your actions had a direct (if minute) effect on the galaxy at large.
Now you must be wondering "How much must that cost though? Surely an arm and a leg right?" And I say nay! Right now. "Now?" Yes now! You can get all of that for £20. Just twenty of the queen's good currency to play all of that and more. Furthermore, you must be asking "Surely there's a subscription or microtransactions right?" Again I say nay! There is and never will be a subscription for Elite Dangerous and there is (currently) no way to buy ships with real money. Everything you fly is earned with your gameplay and bought with in-game currency. Right now in Star Citizen ships cost anything from $20 to $3000. That's. Not. Morally. Acceptable. (Editors note: I swear we weren't paid or affiliated with Elite Dangerous).
Some Star Citizen fans have taken to various forums to defend this practice saying that buying ships is a way for Cloud Imperium Games to fund the development of the game. Which isn't all that unfair to say. If Elite Dangerous didn't exist. In fact, even with it existing that is plain morally repugnant. You might say that these people are adults and know what they're spending their money on but I'd like to introduce you to a concept called 'the sunk cost fallacy' which is a behavioural psychology term usually used in reference to gamblers. It basically means "I've already put £100 into this game so I might as well spend another £200." It's the reason people keep playing bad MOBAs instead of new and interesting ones because they've already spent hundreds on skins. (This has nothing to do with a previous article I wrote and I'm sure my editor would back me up on this. Editors note: yeah he's right I played League years after I stopped enjoying it because of this very thing).
If you paid money to help Star Citizen reach its kickstarter goal then you have already put X amount of money into the pot. That money is gone. That money is a "sunk cost." So if Star Citizen never comes out or turns out to be a big old hunk of buggy garbage then you've wasted money. So you've got to keep spending otherwise you're an idiot. That's the long and the short of the sunk cost fallacy in regards to Star Citizen. A large portion of these people spending ludicrous amounts of money on in game ships are suffering from the same problem gamblers suffer. They have to make their investment back or they 'lose.'
Another thing I want to point out is that Star Citizen a video game that is NOT OUT YET has received $63.25 million as of March 2020. Now I'm not a conspiracy nut that's going to say all of that money has gone into Chris Roberts' pocket. That money has clearly gone into paying developers, office space, assets, sound design and more. What I will say is that money is, theoretically, being wasted.
Let's use another example of two products competing that resulted in consumers wasting money. BetaMax vs VHS, now in business circles this is all pretty famous but I'll explain it for those that don't know. BetaMax and VHS were the first ways for people to watch movies at home and to also record TV shows with their own home recorders. Arguably BetaMax was the superior product. It had larger storage space and was smaller than the VHS. However, just out of sheer happenstance and better advertising VHS won the race and became the surviving product. It's the same as how DVDs still make money even though BluRay is now roughly the same price and far superior.
In this analogy Star Citizen is BetaMax. If Star Citizen were to release, feature-complete, all the bells and whistles. It would be the superior product to Elite Dangerous and this article would be moot. However, here in the real world, Star Citizen isn't even close to finished and it's barely functional as it currently stands.
So why am I saying that the money spent on Star Citizen is being wasted? Because they've already lost the race. Their game has already been made and is being developed better and with more business sense. By the time SC finally comes out Elite Dangerous will have already delivered everything they promised and at a fraction of the time/cost. The people that spent thousands on in-game items are going to feel cheated and hurt when they realise they could have spent 1% of their investment on a product that is just as good if not better.
Early next year Elite Dangerous plan to release their next expansion "Odyssey" Which will allow players to finally take their first steps off their ship and into an FPS world of adventure on the surface of thousands of different worlds. Beyond a few smaller details this will mean that Elite Dangerous has all of the features of Star Citizen at a fraction of the development cost and is fully available to play to your heart's content for less than £100.
About every year or so another story comes out about a user filing a small claims suit in order to get refunds varying from $4,000 to $16,700 because of the games endless delays (six years and counting) and reductions in scope and I am willing to put money down and say there are plenty more of these suits going on that don't receive media attention.
Cloud Imperium Games are, in my eyes, in a no-win situation. Unless the game releases feature complete before Christmas, they will have lost the race against Elite Dangerous. If they don't act now and abandon the project and work to refund the money wasted by thousands of people on the promise given by Chris Roberts and others. Then every single one of those staff members will have a permanent black mark on their CV for being part of, probably, the biggest broken promise in gaming history.
Previous Frontier To Give Away Elite Dangerous' First Expansion Permanently
Next Vaporum: Lockdown: Like Wandering Around A Maze But More Boring

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Property for sale for $299,900. UPDATED 1 OWNER HOME ON LUSH .75 ACRE WITH IN-GROUND POOL. 4 BEDROOMS & 3 BATHS W/ TWO MASTER SUITES, PERFECT FOR TEENAGER OR MOTHER IN LAW. UPDATED KITCHEN W/ LARGE KEEPING ROOM WITH FP. WOOD FLOORS THROUGHOUT MAIN LIVING AREAS. FORMAL LIVING ROOM W/ FP & WALL OF WINDOWS LOOKING OVER BACK YARD. SEPARATE DINING ROOM. LARGE MASTER SUITE W/ DBL VANITY, GARDEN TUB, SEP SHOWER. JACK AN JILL BATH. SEPARATE MASTER SUITE W/ PRIVATE BATH. NEW WINDOWS, SPRINKLER SYSTEM, CUSTOM GUTTERS.


text:
Q: Select top 1 result using JPA I need to bring from DB only one single result. How can I do that with JPA?
Select top 1 * from table

I tried

"select t from table t"

query.setMaxResults(1);

query.getSingleResult();

but didn't work. Any other ideas?

A: The easiest way is by using @Query with NativeQuery option like below:
@Query(value="SELECT 1 * FROM table ORDER BY anyField DESC LIMIT 1", nativeQuery = true)

A: Try like this
String sql = "SELECT t FROM table t";
Query query = em.createQuery(sql);
query.setFirstResult(firstPosition);
query.setMaxResults(numberOfRecords);
List result = query.getResultList();

It should work
UPDATE*
You can also try like this
query.setMaxResults(1).getResultList();

A: To use getSingleResult on a TypedQuery you can use
query.setFirstResult(0);
query.setMaxResults(1);
result = query.getSingleResult();

A: Use a native SQL query by specifying a @NamedNativeQuery annotation on the entity class, or by using the EntityManager.createNativeQuery method. You will need to specify the type of the ResultSet using an appropriate class, or use a ResultSet mapping.

A: 2021 att: you can use TOP or FIRST in Spring Data JPA
example:
User findFirstByOrderByLastnameAsc();

User findTopByOrderByAgeDesc();

Page<User> queryFirst10ByLastname(String lastname, Pageable pageable);

Slice<User> findTop3ByLastname(String lastname, Pageable pageable);

List<User> findFirst10ByLastname(String lastname, Sort sort);

List<User> findTop10ByLastname(String lastname, Pageable pageable);

doc: https://docs.spring.io/spring-data/jpa/docs/2.5.4/reference/html/#repositories.limit-query-result

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
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MIKEY's OP-ED – David Barton's latest lunacy: "I've decided that Mikey Weinstein is now the new Secretary of the Air Force"
Published On: May 24, 2012|Categories: Mikey's Op-Eds, News|0 Comments|
Click here to see Mikey's video response
Selected Article Excerpts:
We at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) are used to baseless, slanderous attacks.
Sometimes, though, we can only sit back and chuckle in amusement at the ignorant calumnies and insinuations tossed about by our Christian fundamentalist foes.Case in point: David Barton's recent rant about yours truly. According to this foolish moron, in addition to being Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, I am now the new Secretary of the United States Air Force (USAF). Why is that? As Barton explains, "Every stinkin' case he files against the Air Force, the Air Force says 'oh my Gosh, we didn't realize we were doing that, we'll stop that!'"
For those who may be unaware, Barton has served as vice chair of the Texas GOP and is a skilled, veteran propagandist operating under the guise of his phony self-designation as a "historian." Barton's "craft" consists of surpassing historical revision of the most pernicious kind.
The confession from Barton that he believes me to be the Head of the Department of the United States Air Force shows the extent to which this man has been bewitched by his own Dominionist hocus-pocus. To paraphrase the great English scientist and critic Sir Peter Medawar, Barton "can be excused of dishonesty only on the grounds that before deceiving others he has taken great pains to deceive himself."… (continued, click below to read article)
Click to read article
Also published on Truthout


Mercury is one of the most unusual planets in our Solar System, at least by the standards of us privileged Earthlings. Despite being the closest planet to our Sun, it is not the hottest (that honor goes to Venus). And because of its virtually non-existence atmosphere and slow rotation, temperatures on its surface range from being extremely hot to extremely cold.
Equally unusual is the diurnal cycle on Mercury – i.e. the cycle of day and night. A single year lasts only 88 days on Mercury, but thanks again to its slow rotation, a day lasts twice as long! That means that if you could stand on the surface of Mercury, it would take a staggering 176 Earth days for the Sun to rise, set and rise again to the same place in the sky just once!
Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun, but it also has the most eccentric orbit (0.2056) of any of the Solar Planets. This means that while its average distance (semi-major axis) from the Sun is 57,909,050 km (35,983,015 mi) or 0.387 AUs, this ranges considerably – from 46,001,200 km (2,8583,820 mi) at perihelion (closet) to 69,816,900 km (43,382,210mi) at aphelion (farthest).
Because of this proximity, Mercury has a rapid orbital period, which varies depending on where it is in its orbit. Naturally, it moves fastest when it is at its closest to the Sun, and slowest when it is farthest. On average, its orbital velocity is 47.362 km/s (29.43 mi/s), which means it takes only 88 days to complete a single orbit of the Sun.
Astronomers used to suspect that Mercury was tidally locked to the Sun, meaning that it always showed the same face to the Sun – similar to how the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth. But radar-Doppler measurements obtained in 1965 demonstrated that Mercury is actually rotating very slowly compared to the Sun.
Based on data obtained by these radar measurements, Mercury is now known to be in 3:2 orbital resonance with the Sun. This means that the planet completes three rotations on its axis for every two orbits it makes around the Sun. At it's current rotational velocity – 3.026 m/s, or 10.892 km/h (6.77 mph) – it takes Mercury 58.646 days to complete a single rotation on its axis.
While this might lead some to conclude that a single day on Mercury is about 58 Earth days – thus making the length of a day and year correspond to the same 3:2 ratio – this would be inaccurate. Due to its rapid orbital velocity and slow sidereal rotation, a Solar Day on Mercury (the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same place in the sky) is actually 176 days.
In that respect, the ratio of days to years on Mercury is actually 1:2. The only places that are exempt to this day and night cycle are the polar regions. The cratered northern polar region, for example, exists in a state of perpetual shadow. Temperatures in these craters are also cool enough that significant concentrations of water ice can exist in stable form.
For over 20 years, scientists believed that radar-bright images from Mercury's northern polar regions might indicate the presence of water ice there. In November of 2012, NASA's MESSENGER probe examined the northern polar region using its neutron spectrometer and laser altimeter and confirmed the presence of both water ice and organic molecules.
Yes, as if Mercury weren't strange enough, it turns out that a single day on Mercury lasts as long as two years! Just another oddity for a planet that likes to keep things really hot, really cold, and is really eccentric.
We've written many articles about Mercury for Universe Today. Here's How Long is Day on the Other Planets?, Which Planet has the Longest Day?, How Long is a Day on Venus?, How Long is a Day on Earth?, How Long is a Day on the Moon?, How Long is a Day on Mars?, How Long is a Day on Jupiter?, How Long is a Day on Saturn?, How Long is a Day on Uranus?, How Long is a Day on Neptune?, and How Long is a Day on Pluto?


Open-source intelligence is a vital tool for governments—and for checking them.
Open-source intelligence, in its simplest form, refers to sources of data that are open; anyone can see and read them if they choose to. The internet, for example, is the greatest collection of open-source data that has ever existed. This vast repository is not only useful for intelligence agencies and private companies; it has also become a vital source for civil society groups to track conflict, fight corruption, and investigate crimes. Open-source intelligence is, in fact, potentially far more reliable and checkable by a democratic public than traditional closed sources.
Since the advent of the internet, social media, and smartphones, open-source intelligence has undergone a revolution as people willingly and publicly post vast amounts of information about themselves online. Actors outside of the traditional intelligence community have begun to sit up and take notice. One study found that in 2014, about 80 percent of federal, state, and local law enforcement in the United States were using social media platforms as intelligence-gathering tools.
Commercial intelligence companies have started to crawl through the vast reservoirs of online data and turn them into threat intelligence for businesses. Civil society has also begun to embrace open-source investigation, using it to track the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons, to monitor conflict, and to inform investigative journalism.
One of the primary strengths of open-source investigation is that the sources and methodology are exactly that—open. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can follow the reasoning of analysts, interrogate the same sources, and critique the techniques used. This does not prevent open-source analysts from carrying out the same rigorous analysis that would be expected of closed sources. However, it does mean that mistakes and errors in reasoning can be identified and called out with far more ease by others.
Some, such as Thornberry, may call into question the sources that are used: Surely they are unknown quantities and cannot be trusted? This is a valid question, and it is why open sources are analyzed and verified before they are included. Does a video show what it claims to show? Has it been taken at the claimed location? What time was it taken? Is old media being repurposed for a new event?
All of these questions, and others, can often be answered using techniques that have been developed by the open-source community. The process of geolocation has become central to this verification process: using details in images or videos to identify the precise location that events took place, sometimes with an accuracy of an inch or so. Once you know the location, you can use shadows to judge the time. Other details—such as historical weather data, daily satellite imagery, and the rate of building construction—can be consulted to test if a piece of media is consistent with what it claims to be. Even the sudden increase in posts on social media alone can be used to establish whether an event has occurred, resulting in an ad hoc reporting system that can be far faster than traditional methods.
These are just some of the techniques used by the open-source community, which constantly innovates to ensure it can verify data. The culmination of this kind of verification process can be seen in the investigation into a Libyan warlord named Werfalli by Bellingcat, an open-source investigation group of which I am a member. The video below (which contains graphic elements) details how it verified media of a mass execution, using satellite imagery, shadows, and geolocation.
Simply identifying exactly where an event took place can lead to significant discoveries. Geolocation of videos depicting strikes in Syria released by the Russian Defense Ministry identified that, despite claiming to be targeting the Islamic State, it was actually bombing civilian infrastructure in rebel-held areas. The total number of verifiable Russian airstrikes that hit Islamic State targets in the first 25 days of the country's air campaign? One.
This ability to publicly verify sources stands in stark contrast to the secretive nature of most other kinds of intelligence, which protect their sources and methods with a veil of secrecy lest they be compromised. Though essential to covert intelligence operations, this secrecy has sometimes been used to hide mistakes and poor judgment. The "dodgy dossier" that helped justify the second Gulf War is an obvious example. The open nature of these kinds of investigations, and the rigorous verification process that open-source analysts use, in fact makes them more reliable than investigations using many other techniques.
Thornberry's remarks not only showed a remarkable lack of knowledge about the power and respectability of open-source investigation, but they also displayed a worrying misunderstanding about information emerging from Syria. Although not a rich country, Syria has workable internet infrastructure, and the percentage of its citizens using the internet has actually increased during the conflict, from 21 percent in 2010 to nearly 30 percent in 2016. During the conflict, this infrastructure has been complimented by enterprising groups and citizens, who have realized that an internet connection is one of the most important tools a citizen could have. By taking videos and images of air raids and artillery bombardments, they could refute the smears of a regime that painted entire populations as terrorists, the same slanders that Thornberry repeated in Parliament two weeks ago.
Don't let the reporting on the suspected Skripal attackers fool you: Moscow got what it wanted.
The reality is that the vast majority of open-source information emerging from Syria comes from normal citizens and local civil society. The traumatic videos from Khan Sheikhoun showing children choking to death after a sarin gas attack by the Syrian regime were taken by first responders, doctors, local journalists, and activists. A multitude of civil society actors across rebel-held areas has documented war crimes perpetrated by the regime, including chemical and incendiary attacks and cluster bombings, in incredible detail. The Syria Civil Defence, colloquially known as the White Helmets, has been so effective at providing consistent and verifiable media of this kind that it has become the bête noire of Russia and the regime, subjected to a huge smear campaign and actively targeted by airstrikes.
A proportion of open-source information does, of course, come from the rebels, as indeed a proportion comes from the regime and its allies. This is why the process of verification that groups such as Bellingcat has pioneered is so important. As well as accidentally giving away vital details that can directly uncover operations or secrets, these partisan sources have been used to track casualties from the obituaries of dead fighters, understand the development of car bombs, and uncover the extent of the Islamic State's drone program. All these investigations were done mostly using partisan sources, but the information was verified and treated in such a way that it still produced a useful product.
That these partisan sources still contain useful information has been recognized by international and respected bodies, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Last year, the ICC released its first arrest warrant based primarily on videos of mass executions posted on social media. The OPCW, while investigating chemical attacks in Syria, used open-source videos and images from the incidents, which it verified and used to fact-check the testimony of witnesses. The joint investigation team examining the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, in which 298 people were killed, has used video and images to track the Buk missile system that fired the weapon traveling from Russia into Ukraine. Although, as with all investigatory techniques, it is not perfect, open-source investigation is not a wishy-washy so-called technique: It is a potent, accepted, and verifiable tool to hold power to account.
That Thornberry chooses to label civil society actors as "terrorists" and discount their testimony and verifiable evidence is not only lamentable; it is also inhumane and wrong. "So-called open-source intelligence" has developed into a powerful and respected tool, capable of uncovering secrets hidden in plain view. In the case of Syria, the vast majority of this information comes from civil society and regular citizens. They are simply ordinary people who are recording the industrial-scale slaughter around them in the hope that somewhere, someone is watching.
Nick Waters is an ex-British Army officer and open source analyst. He has a special interest in the conflicts in Syria, as well as social media, civil society, intelligence and security.


0888 Charles III, the Fat One, King of Franconia/Roman emperor, dies on January - 13.
0888 Duke Odo becomes king of West-France on this day in history.
1099 Crusaders set fire to Mara Syria on this day in history.
1406 Matteo Palmieri, Italian writer (Della vita civile) on this day in history.
1547 Earl Henry Howard of Surrey sentenced to death on January - 13.
1596 Jan J Goyen, Dutch landscape painter on this day in history.
1599 Edmund Spenser, poet (Faerie Queene), dies at about 46 on this day in history.
1605 The controversial play Eastward Hoe by Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston is performed, landing two of the authors in prison on this day in history.
1607 On January - 13 the Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain.
1616 Antoinette Bourignon, Flemish mystic/French religious fanatic on January - 13.
1621 Jan Pieterszoon Coen's fleet sets sail to Moluccas (from Jacarta) on January - 13.
1630 Patent to Plymouth Colony issued on January - 13.
1651 Abraham C Bloemaert, painter/cartoonist/engraver, dies at 86 on this day in history.
1673 Jean Racine's "Mithridate," premieres in Paris on January - 13.
1683 Johann Christoph Graupner, German composer on this day in history.
1702 Peter Rabus, Dutch poet/translator (Great Name Book), dies at 41 on January - 13.
1733 James Oglethorpe &130 English colonists arrive at Charleston, SC on this day in history.
1151 Death of Abbot Suger, French statesman and historian (b. 1081) on this day in history.
1177 Hendrik Jasomirgott Babenberg, Duke of Austria, dies on January - 13.


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text:
Travel and City Information
Travel and Hotel
From Isolation to Integration in the C-Suite: Consolidating Our Gains in Strategic Leadership Research
At its heart, strategic management is concerned with explaining firm heterogeneity. Scholars within the strategic leadership paradigm view the firm as a reflection of its top managers, and thus build upon the premise that firms vary because their strategists vary. Although this research stream extends back decades, its popularity has risen of late with field-wide interest in behavioral strategy and micro-foundations of strategic management. Scholars have identified the influence of an increasing range of dispositions, cognitions, experiences, and values on CEO behavior, the CEO-TMT and CEO-board interfaces, and broader corporate outcomes while taking advantage of wider and more comprehensive access to promising data sources.
However, when viewed collectively, this work is often fragmented. Executive characteristics are studied in isolation, context is often neglected, and little work is done to develop a more systematic or configurational perspective on executive characteristics. Moreover, strategic leadership research often pays insufficient heed to both its psychological underpinnings and its implications for non-academic audiences. We believe now is an especially opportune time to both integrate isolated gains in strategic leadership research and also identify – in conjunction with micro/OB scholars and practicing managers – meaningful new directions for this stream. The goal of this SMS special conference is to provide a forum for sharing insights with scholars as well as practitioners and to move closer to an integrated view of strategic leadership phenomena.
A number of developments in executive research and practice make it pertinent to address these topics:
The proliferation of research on executive traits and values creates a need to aggregate knowledge and craft a path for future research before the field becomes too fragmented.
Scholars and practitioners alike are under scrutiny about how executive compensation is detrimental to organizations and society; reconciling the theory and practical implications is therefore critical.
Given mounting pressures to perform, executive tenure is increasingly short. Concomitantly, executive turnover has important implications for organizations. Balancing this dichotomy presents a challenge, particularly with demands for increased diversity in the C-Suite.
Executives affect external stakeholders' views of organizations. The interpretation of executives' actions/intentions as well as the subsequent status, reputation, or stigma stakeholders assign to an organization are widely consequential, and not yet well understood.
Accessing executives for the purpose of academic study has long been a challenge, and various approaches offer avenues to advance our understanding of this unique population. At the same time, practicing executives can offer insights into the issues they deem important and ways to better work in concert with academics. Moreover, promising new research methods offering configurational and holistic approaches have emerged.
The conference will provide opportunities for strategy (macro) scholars, micro scholars, and executives to interact, with the purpose of generating interesting and novel research questions and locating possible data sources and field sites that will facilitate their testing. Opportunities include prominent keynote speakers, integrative panel discussions, and specific within-track activities as well as social events for informal interactions.
Theme Tracks
Theme A : Executive Traits and Values.
Track Chairs:
Steven Boivie, Texas A&M University
Cuili Qian, University of Texas at Dallas
This track will explore the role of executive demographics (e.g., gender), psychology, and values as sources of action and performance differentials across organizations. We especially encourage work that seeks to integrate multiple executive characteristics and adopts a person-centric (as opposed to a variable-centric) perspective on executives. In what ways can we aggregate what we know and advance understanding in new ways?
Steven Boivie
Cuili Qian
Theme B : Executive Motivations and Compensation.
Rhonda Reger, University of North Texas
Karen Schnatterly, Virginia Tech
Executive compensation and other non-pecuniary benefits, such as the use of corporate jets and country club memberships, help explain executive behavior and firm actions/performance, and have important practical implications. Executives are also motivated by intrinsic rewards. This track represents a deep dive into understanding the myriad implications of executive motivations and total rewards they receive from their firms, such as how rewards differentially appeal to and affect the behavior for various types of CEOs. We particularly welcome work that considers multiple types of rewards and how they combine and interact.
Karen Schnatterly
Theme C : Executive Evaluation and Mobility.
Amy Hillman, Arizona State University
Christine Shropshire, Arizona State University
The movement of executives into and out of organizations has important implications for firm strategy and performance. This track will focus attention on how organizations hire, evaluate, and fire the individuals in CEO and TMT roles, as well as in what ways these decisions affect organizations. As the role of the Board of Directors is to select, evaluate, and reward the CEO in particular, questions relating the Board to issues with CEO selection, TMT coordination, and settling up will also be of interest to this track.
Amy Hillman
Christine Shropshire
Theme D : External Influences.
Daniel Gamache, University of Georgia
Scott Graffin, University of Georgia
The theme of this track will focus on external influences, including both firm stakeholders and different national systems/institutions. Accordingly, work will touch on the many ways that stakeholders' views of executives matter. Issues such as how executive relationships (e.g., social capital), acquired characteristics (e.g., celebrity, reputation, status, etc.), and behaviors (e.g., statements in earnings calls) affect stakeholders' views of, and responses to, the firm will be addressed. In addition, the various roles national systems, cultural differences, and legal environments play in the degree to which executives affect firms will be a focus of this track.
Daniel Gamache
Scott Graffin
Theme E : Research Methodology.
Brian Boyd, Northern Arizona University
Michael Withers, Texas A&M University
This track will focus on empirical challenges and creative methods to improve both measurement and analysis in executive research. Work that offers holistic and configurational approaches and that seeks to import methodology from other disciplines and subfields of management is especially welcome.
Brian Boyd
Michael Withers


Miller, I. Austin; Hussey, J. J.. Building Permit, W. B. Sherrouse - Front. October 15, 1901. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. University of Houston Digital Library. Web. April 25, 2019. https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/1970_001/item/882/show/880.
Miller, I. Austin; Hussey, J. J., Building Permit, W. B. Sherrouse - Front, October 15, 1901, City of Houston, Its Development and Evolution, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries, accessed April 25, 2019, https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/1970_001/item/882/show/880.
Description A building permit authorizing W. B. Sherrouse to build an iron shed on property on lots 9 and 10, block 41 of Preston Avenue. On the back of this permit, a letter from Fire Chief J. J. Hussey to City Engineer I. Austin Miller is also included, which states that anyone in violation of the ordinance regarding building repairs will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.


The Old Stone Age,* the New Stone Age,** the Iron Age, the Age of Electricity, the hearts of people are bright white.
There are many gaps in the Neon Age.
Many gaps in the Neon Age.
We arose from where? From where?
Why were we born? Why? As it seems we must be born, we must eat?
Why were we born? Why?
***It actually says 100s of rai of cilantro (1 acre is about 2.5 rai). There is a saying "Throw some cilantro on top [of the food]" which means to make something look good, at least superficially, when it may or may not actually be high quality. So the planting of 100's of rai of cilantro may be about superficiality.
Previous Postหลงวัฒน์ Long Wat (Obsessed with [Another] Culture)Next Postเพื่อชีวิตติดล้อ Peua Cheewit Dit Lor (For Life on Wheels) [The Motorcycle Song] English version วอร์ชั่นภาษาอังกฤษ]!!!!


Radiolabelled somatostatin (SST) analogues have proven useful in diagnosing tumours positive for SST receptor (SSTR). As different subtypes of SSTR are expressed on the tumour cell surface, the choice of appropriate therapeutic SST analogue is crucial. We evaluated the SSTR status of thyroid cancer patients who had signs of progressive disease comparing different SSTR ligands for PET imaging to evaluate possible further therapeutic options.
PET with 68Ga-radiolabelled SSTR ligands DOTA lanreotide (DOTA-LAN), DOTA-Tyr3 octreotide (DOTA-TOC) and 18F-FDG was performed in 31 patients with thyroid cancer (TC). These 31 patients comprised 18 with radioiodine non-avid differentiated TC (DTC) including 6 papillary TC (PTC), 8 follicular TC (FTC) and 4 oxyphilic TC (oxyTC), 5 with anaplastic TC (ATC), and 8 with medullary TC (MTC). The PET results were compared in a region-based evaluation.
All patients underwent a PET study with 68Ga-DOTA-LAN, 28 patients with 68Ga-DOTA-TOC and 28 patients with 18F-FDG. A lack of SSTR expression was found in 13 of the 31 patients (42 %) with negative results with both SSTR tracers in 12 patients. Ambiguous results with both SSTR tracers were observed in one patient. High tracer uptake in SSTR PET images was seen in seven DTC patients (39 %; two PTC, three FTC, two oxyTC), in four ATC patients (80 %) and in six MTC patients (75 %). Lesions showing aerobic glycolysis on 18F-FDG PET were found in 24 of 28 patients (86 %) with corresponding positive results with 68Ga-DOTA-LAN in 35 % and with 68Ga-DOTA-TOC in 29 %.
The heterogeneous SSTR profile of TC tumour lesions needs to be evaluated using different SSTR PET tracers to characterize more closely the SSTR subtype affinities in patients with progressive TC in order to further stratify therapy with SSTR therapeutics.
This study was retrospective in nature and formal consent was not required. All patients gave written informed consent before undergoing each of the imaging modalities according to institutional guidelines.


Jonathan Chandler's comic 'The Hitcher' is an excerpted story from the forthcoming vanta black comedy collection Wet Shape In The Dark, which will be published by Breakdown Press in Summer 2018, the home of his ongoing crime and body-horror comic John's Worth. Chandler has just made available a two-edition archive collection—Be Careful What You Read—a collection spanning a decade of comics and drawings from 2006-2016. The book is available from him directly: see his blog for details at jonathanchandler.tumblr.com and follow him @newmancruise. Hotel published Chandler's comic 'The Racer' in the Autumn months of 2017; his work will also feature as epigram to the forthcoming Hotel #4; available now for pre-order.


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Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv
Small-Group Day-Trip Along Israel's Mediterranean Coast
Top sights in Akko
1. Citadel of Acre
Our most recommended things to do in Akko
1. Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv
Spend a day exploring Israel's beautiful Mediterranean coast on this full-day tour departing from Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Netanya. An expert guide will take you in a climate-controlled bus to visit ancient cities and monuments along the coast. To begin, your guide will take you to discover the splendid harbor city of Caesarea. This ancient Roman city boasts impressive Roman ruins, including one of the largest amphitheaters built in the Roman era. Next, you will journey to Haifa to visit the Baha'i Gardens. The Baha'i gardens feature stunning terraces and are one of Israel's top attractions. Your guide will make sure that you have the opportunity to photograph the terrific UNESCO-protected gardens before continuing on to Rosh Hanikra. In Rosh Hanikra, you can explore the area's limestone grottoes. Rosh Hanikra also features beautiful white-chalk cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea. From the cliffs, you can peek over the border into Lebanon before continuing to Acre, in the north. The Old City of Acre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and features impressive city walls, a charming port, and an oriental bazaar. Your guide will detail the ancient city's fascinating history, as you wander the historic streets that were known to the Greeks, Byzantines, and, Ottomans.
5. Small-Group Day-Trip Along Israel's Mediterranean Coast
After the pick up from your hotel in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, you will drive northwards along the coastal Mediterranean plain. The begins with the city of Caesarea, which was constructed under Herod and named after the Roman Emperor, Caesar. From what remains of the ancient city you can see that it was a prosperous and luxurious city. Among the archaeological excavations you can see gateways, a moat and well preserved walls and rooms. There is a perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater which is still used today for performances by Israeli and international artists. The Roman remains were preserved for centuries by the sea sand which covered and protected the stones. Next to the amphitheater is part of what was once a hippodrome. We can see the remains of a Roman Temple which stood above the port overlooking the busy commercial ships which carried treasures from the east and the Nabatean caravans which were on route to Rome. Following the Romans the city stood neglected for centuries until the Crusaders arrived but in the years after the Crusaders the city once again sank into oblivion. The tour continues with a drive north, passing through Haifa where you will stop to see the breathtaking Baha'i Shrine and gardens. Please note, the tour does not include entry to the gardens, but instead you will view them from above. The terraced gardens cascade down the mountain towards the city below, each of the 19 terraces bursts with colorful flowers and landscaped designs. The next stop is at Rosh Hanikra, the most northerly point along Israel's Mediterranean coast. You will descend by cable car into the network of limestone grottoes created by the constant bombardment of waves against the rocks. On the return journey south the tour stops at Acre (Acco), the largest Crusader city in the country. The city is extremely well preserved and you can't help being impressed by the incredible architecture and how it has survived. Part of the city is alive with markets and people still living in the ancient buildings. You will see the walls and moat which was reconstructed and repaired by El Jazzar at the end of the 1900s. The mighty walls prevented even Napoleon conquering the city. You can see the Crusader remains, the prison used under Turkish rule and the gallows which were later used under the British Mandate to hang Jews who broke the British law limiting Jewish immigration following World War II.
Frequently asked questions about Akko
What top attractions are a must-see in Akko?
The must-see attractions in Akko are:
Templar Tunnel
Old City of Akko
Citadel of Acre
Acre Market
See all must-see sights in Akko
Top Attractions in Akko
1 Templar Tunnel
2 Old City of Akko
3 Citadel of Acre
4 Acre Market
Things to Do in Akko
1 Akko Tours
2 Akko Walking Tours
3 Akko Culture & History
4 Akko Day Trips
5 Akko Nature & Adventure
6 Akko Day Trips To
7 Akko Activities
8 Akko Cave Exploration
9 Akko In 1 week
10 Akko Cave Tours
11 Akko Extreme Sports & Adrenaline
12 Akko In 2 days
13 Akko Garden & Park Tours
14 Akko Educational Activities
15 Akko Art & Museums
16 Akko Architecture
17 Akko History & Heritage
18 Akko Nature & Panorama
Other Sightseeing Options in Akko
Want to discover all there is to do in Akko? Click here for a full list.
What people are saying about Akko
Good value for the money. Able to visit and see interesting locations in a short span of time. Guide was knowledgeable, a bit gruff, had a nice humorous style and his accent at times was a bit thick making it difficult to hear his remarks clearly. He was generous in offering his jacket to my wife who found the weather more cool than expected. Driver was skilled, these two gentleman worked hard and provided a good service. Excellent lunch!
Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv Reviewed by Murdock Joseph, 2/16/2020
Highly recommend this tour for an organized & excellent historical overview of these sights. Norbert was the guide & driver for the day and I was extremely impressed at how he was able to do both simultaneously with enthusiasm. Free time per location is limited but enough time to snap a couple of photos before heading to the next destination. Bring 50 shekels cash for the Arabian lunch during the tour & enjoy!
Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv Reviewed by Madelaine, 3/2/2020
Exceptional trip along the Israeli coast. Caesarea, Haifa, Akko, HaNikra provide a nice snapshot of the long history of this region. Hava is superior guide - so interesting, funny, accommodating, and informative. World class!
Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv Reviewed by Todd, 2/14/2020
The tour was well organized and the guide (Amir Call Or) was very well prepared and efficient. Great day trip!
Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Day Trip from Tel Aviv Reviewed by Silvia, 2/8/2020


Competition can promote market growth and lead to better products supplied to the consumer market, but it can also lead to an exhausting workload and immense financial strain for the companies invested in competing, which can cause further problems. The issue is a complex one that encompasses capitalist economics and influences, based on the performance of the marketplace and other market forces.
Competition is meant to drive the market to improve and, in many instances, it does so. When multiple producers are made to compete, they must provide better services and goods in order to stand out from their competition so long as that competition remains ethical and legal.
Competition necessitates that companies spend money. They must purchase market reports, make projections and improve their product lines while also engaging in advertising. This process can be very expensive and can even damage a company's profitability in time. This can lead to the destruction of livelihoods through intense competition and the attendant costs.
Where competition is seen as onerous, trusts and cartels may also form as a way of defraying the necessity of the competitive process. This is a common result of competition between organizations in that it can lead to the stagnation of progress and quality.


text:
Volunteers Install Oyster Gardens In Inner Harbor In Effort To Clean Water
By Rachael Cardin September 28, 2019 at 11:55 pm
Filed Under:Baltimore, Baltimore News, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Healthy Harbor Initiative, Local TV, Oysters, Talkers, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A group of volunteers is hoping their efforts planting oyster gardens can make Baltimore's Inner Harbor swimmable and fishable.
Volunteers with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore spent part of Saturday building oyster cages for around 50,000 baby oysters off a pier at the Baltimore Marine Center in Canton.
The oysters can make a big difference in the health of the harbor, with one adult oyster filtering up to 50 gallons of water, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Baltimore program manager Carmera Thomas said.
"The misconception that the harbor is dead is not true," she said. "There are things living here, we are growing them to improve the water quality and we're growing them to create habitat for years to come for other animals."
Forty volunteers lined up along the waterfront to drop the cages into the harbor.
Oysters naturally filter the water, plus their mere existence creates a habitat for other fish and species needed for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
"There's a lot more to it the actual quality of the water. You can see the fish in there, and when the water is clear enough you can see crabs at the bottom. There is life in there now but I think it could be better," said Canton resident Sam Roberts.
While they taste good with a cocktail, oysters are more than a good appetizer choice; they're a small-shelled step toward a cleaner Charm City.
"We can do all the work we want to cleaning and greening the waterfront area, but no one is going to enjoy the waterfront without also cleaning up the harbor," said Tiffany Kim with the Healthy Harbor Initiative.
The cages will be removed in the spring, at which time the oysters will be moved to a sanctuary reef.
Rachael Cardin
More from Rachael Cardin


Simply put, the HAWK initiative is hoping that people buying their first home will have a better understanding of the overall process thanks to the counseling and will be in a better position to make wise financial decisions in the future not only in regards to their housing but also to their other needs.
Once the customer has completed the necessary classes their upfront mortgage insurance premium will be reduced along with the monthly premium that is paid as part of the mortgage payments. In addition, if the customer has no delinquent mortgage payments within the first 2 years of the loan the monthly premium will be reduced again.
Since this is a new program with no history to review the FHA is rolling this out with limits. The program is currently scheduled to only last for 4 years. In addition, not all FHA loans are going to be accepted under this program. At this time there is no news about how many loans will be allowed to use HAWK but FHA has stated that there will be a maximum number each year.
For the class completed before the contract signing the prospective buyers will need to finish at least 6 hours of counseling and education.
The class that is conducted after the contract signing is a one hour class as well as the class that comes after the loan is closed.
Each class will issue a certificate to the students indicating that the course has been successfully completed. These certificates will be necessary in order to get the reduction in mortgage insurance premium.
In general, this is a great program that FHA is offering. It provides critical information to potential home buyers in order to better prepare them for a prosperous future and it rewards them by reducing the amount paid on their mortgage.
Take a look at --> Madison, WI Homes for Sale or browse through --> Janesville, WI Real Estate Listings!


A type of black tea, Assam tea is known for its sultry, malty flavor, vigorous body and bright color. It is more commonly known as breakfast tea, or Irish breakfast tea. If you've ever sipped an English black tea, the chances are good that it was made with Assam leaves.
The broadest definition of Assam tea includes all teas crafted with the assamica variety of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. Assam tea is named for the region where it comes from in India, Assam, close to the borders of Bangladesh and Burma, along the Brahmaputra River. The Assam region is known as the largest tea growing region in the world, with a very long season. Our Assam tea is pure and unblended, see how to steep our tea below.
Tea Select a high grade Assam tea for your first cup and add a tablespoon of tea per 8 ounces of water. Avoid constraining vessels, like tea balls or small infuser baskets, to allow the leaves to fully develop flavor during steeping.
Time Over-infusing an Assam can lend your tea an unpleasant bitterness that eclipses its spectrum of malty flavors. Take care not to over-steep and begin with an experimental time of 3 minutes, increasing if you find you're not extracting enough character from the leaves.
Besides breakfast time, Assam teas are also an excellent base for chai, as its intense flavors can hold its own with the chai spices. For these same reasons, Assam makes an ideal companion to milk and sugar, for those who take them. Experiment with your own taste preferences as you explore one of the tea world's most historically significant plants.


text:
package org.springframework.vault.authentication;

import org.springframework.util.Assert;

/**
 * A static UserId.
 *
 * @author Mark Paluch
 * @see AppIdUserIdMechanism
 */
public class StaticUserId implements AppIdUserIdMechanism {

	private final String userId;

	/**
	 * Create a new {@link StaticUserId} for a given {@code userId}.
	 *
	 * @param userId must not be empty or {@literal null}.
	 */
	public StaticUserId(String userId) {

		Assert.hasText(userId, "UserId must not be empty");
		this.userId = userId;
	}

	@Override
	public String createUserId() {
		return userId;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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While beach front parties are entertaining but throwing a person is rather a pesky task. Currently, the operation has been operate from one locale about the "brute force, enjoy and electricity of the kids who ran it," Connolly told the Belmar Council at a recent meeting.
Additionally, different fabrics secure shades much more strongly than others. But simply because Glen Raven has been a leader within the manufacture of performance materials for forty five yrs, people assume additionally they make umbrella. If you are going towards the seaside, make certain that you choose to provide a waterproof sunscreen with sunlight security variable (SPF) of at minimum 70. For city use, a sun block with 30-50 SPF is acceptable.


Yellowstone Blvd is a strange thoroughfare. On the end towards the Woodhaven Blvd split, it has your typical gritty major intersection vibe, and on the north end by Austin Street/Queens Blvd, it is busy and bustling with cars and tons of apartment buildings. In the middle however, Yellowstone Blvd offers about 5 consecutive tree lined blocks of detached homes - a rare sight in the city, but very common in this part of Forest Hills, Queens. While Yellowstone does form the northwestern boundary of Forest Hills, the street as a whole is somewhat removed from the community and vibe of that neighborhood. The core of Forest Hills (along Austin Street) is certainly accessible by foot within 10-15 minutes depending on what end of Yellowstone you live on, but you still feel that you are on the perimeter of the area and not a part of the neighborhood. Train options can be very limited depending on what end of the street you live on. The south terminus by Woodhaven Blvd for example, is quite a haul from the nearest subway. If you live on the north end by Austin St., you are about 10 minutes from the 71st Ave EFRV stop or the LIRR Forest Hills stop. If you have a car, the semi urban remoteness of this street probably won't bother you that much, but if you don't, plan on getting fed up pretty quickly as the immediate area offers very little in terms of amenities.


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The Case for More Transparency on AngelList
Last week, AngelList, the hugely popular platform that connects entrepreneurs with accredited investors, introduced what many have heralded as a game-changing new twist to its business. Called its Syndicate program, AngelList now allows angel investors to syndicate investments themselves, work for which they will receive carry. (An angel who syndicates a deal will earn 15 percent of any upside, while AngelList will collect 5 percent.)
If some of these syndicates involve the same groups of investors, and those groups morph into venture funds, don't be surprised. As some angels have said on social media since AngelList announced its new program, it might allow many of the "best" angels to strengthen their brands and, potentially, move up the investing food chain.
And there's no reason why angels shouldn't be able to extract more leverage from their investments, particularly if they're willing to manage a big syndicate or serve on a company's board.
Still, while the syndicate program seems like a well-considered start, AngelList might think about providing some public accounting of the track records of its various syndicate leaders. As the gossip site Valleywag pointed out in its inimitable way yesterday, without a structure that manages to disclose something about the investors' IRRs, the program seems likely to degenerate into a popularity contest. Much of AngelList's matchmaking still rests on "social proof," which isn't quite the same thing as cash on cash returns.
Last week, for example, author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss raised $350,000 for a logistics startup called Shyp in 53 minutes. Ferriss' fundraising prowess is impressive, and nobody is prejudging Shyp, but it's hard not to be skeptical about investments that are closed in less than an hour.
Most VCs wouldn't wish their fundraising process on their worst enemy, but it does help them demonstrate their qualifications and commitment to the investment process to both their investors and their fellow partners. Through vetting their PPMs with Cambridge Associates, undergoing lengthy and arduous roadshows with family offices and pension funds, and sacrificing a large amount of their own capital – typically 3 percent – in order to launch their funds, venture investors let it all hang out. (Yes, there are top-tier funds that are able to raise funds by picking up the phone a few times, but that's the exception not the norm.) By the time a firm has raised a fund, they have left a trail of evidence testifying to the work they will put into an investment. Can the same be said of Ferriss?
Obviously, AngelList doesn't need to replicate the venture business – it's large enough as it is. But in the interests of both entrepreneurs and the syndicates themselves, it might be time for AngelList to adopt an objective ratings process, one that would provide everyone with more insight into an investor's qualifications than just his or her Klout score. No doubt it would make an already promising initiative even better.
How AngelList Syndicates could actually hurt some angels, help some VCs
Fred Wilson's predictions for AngelList come true | PandoDaily
AngelList syndicates are changing seed investing, whether VCs like it or not
Filed Under: Angels, Entrepreneurs, Morning Summary Tagged With: AngelList


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List of Santa Monica florists, local flower shops and flower delivery services in Santa Monica California. Florist included – Ann's Flowers, Santa Monica Florist, Farrah's Florist, Dellarobbia Design Studio & Flower Market, Ezai Floral Design, Millefleur, The Flower Lab, Fleur santa monica, Martha's Flowers, Edelweiss Flower Boutique, Lilla Bello Fine Florals and more. Buy flower bouquets online and send locally and save.
A trusted name and the oldest flower store in Santa Monica serving since 1937. Provides flower delivery service to 90408, 90401, 90406, 90405, 90404, 90410, 90407, 90272, 90411, 90403, 90402, 90409. Order flowers online or in-store.
One of the leading flower shops in Santa Monica, California. Offers affordable budget flowers and gifts for any occasion including birthday, wedding, valentine's day, sympathy, mother's day etc.
One of the leading Santa Monica florist offers plants, gift baskets and hand arranged floral bouquet delivery in and around Santa Monica CA area.
Established in 2001, Dellarobbia Design Studio premier floral design studio in Santa Monica, CA. Specializing in corporate and professional events. Serving the greater Los Angeles area.
Florist and flower shop in Santa Monica, California. Offers flower arrangements for weddings and other events.
Popular florist in Santa Monica CA. Millefleur florist in Santa Monica offering fresh flowers, roses, orchid plants and unique flower arrangements for weddings, events, parties, funerals. Also offers weekly flower delivery to restaurants, businesses, homes and individuals.
Founded in 2007, Santa Monica florist specializing in wedding and event floristry. No everyday bouquets, arrangements, or deliveries. Available by appointment only.


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Political News » World News
Resolution Condemning Human Rights Violations in J&K and Supporting Kashmiri Self-determination Introduced in US Congress
December 8, 2019	| By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Washington: A resolution condemning the human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir and supporting Kashmiri self-determination is introduced in US House of representatives.
The resolution is introduced by U.S. representative Rashida Tlaib on 21 November 2019. It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the very day of its introduction. And on December 6 this resolution was referred to the subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation.
Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib is US Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district.
Image used for representational purpose only
As per information available on the US Congress website, the official title of the resolution (H.Res.724) is "Condemning the human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir and supporting Kashmiri self-determination".
Notably, the term 'Kashmiri self-determination' is used only in the title of the resolution and the term is not used anywhere in rest of the text of the resolution.
Silence is not an option when the innocent and oppressed call out for help. That's why I introduced H.Res. 724 to condemn the inhumane abuses in #Jammu and #Kashmir. Read more about it here: https://t.co/yXqftf4Wfs. pic.twitter.com/mmsfcxZPGQ
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) November 22, 2019
Full Text Of H.RES. 724 (As Introduced in US House of Representatives by Rashida Tlaib on 21 November 2019, and as avail on website Congress.gov on 8 December,2 019 at 11:04 am Amritsar Time):-
RES. 724
Condemning the human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir and supporting Kashmiri self-determination.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Ms. Tlaib submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Whereas the United States Government seeks friendly relations and has long shared an important relationship with the Republic of India;
Whereas the United States Government seeks to preserve peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir;
Whereas the United States Government seeks to promote the human rights and liberties of all people, including the freedom to practice, worship, or observe one's own religion;
Whereas the Government of India has unilaterally changed the status of Jammu and Kashmir without a direct consultation or the consent of the Kashmiri people;
Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported gross human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir;
Whereas the Government of India has enforced a strict curfew in Jammu and Kashmir that has restricted freedom of expression, assembly, and movement;
Whereas, on August 5, 2019, the Government of India enacted a communications blockade in Jammu and Kashmir that includes the suspension of landlines and shutdown of mobile phone networks and internet access, and service has only been partially restored as of October 14, 2019;
Whereas Kashmiri Americans and Kashmiris around the world have had difficulty or been unable to contact their family members since the imposition of the communications blockade on August 5, 2019;
Whereas press accounts and human rights observers have documented that the actions of the Government of India in imposing a communications blockade have inhibited access to life-saving medical care;
Whereas international human rights observers have documented the security services of the Government of India's excessive use of force against civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, including the use of pellet shotguns, tear gas, and rubber bullets against protestors, as reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
Whereas the Government of India has used the arrest and indefinite detention of thousands of people to control civilians of all ages, including minors as young as nine, in Jammu and Kashmir using the Public Safety Act, which violates article 9(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
Whereas the Government of India has detained Kashmiri civil society leaders of all political perspectives without charge or trial and, as of September 25, 2019, prominent political and business leaders remain in detention;
Whereas detentions and harassment of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir has been reported by independent observers and journalistic organizations;
Whereas the right to religious expression has been severely curtailed, including the closures of mosques and religious buildings;
Whereas the Government of India has barred senior United States Government officials and foreign journalists from traveling to Jammu and Kashmir since August 5;
Whereas the actions of the Government of India are not reflective of the shared democratic norms and values between the United States and India;
Whereas the actions of the Government of India constitute violations of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas the Government of India has failed to hold its military accountable and perpetuated a state of impunity for members of the Indian Armed Forces and related security services, in part through the Armed Forces Special Powers Act;
Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued reports in 2018 and 2019 calling for the Governments of India and Pakistan to implement policy recommendations to safeguard human rights; and
Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights "Update on the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir from May 2018 to April 2019", the militant groups Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Harakat Ul-Mujahidin have contributed to the harsh conditions and dire human rights situation faced by civilians in Jammu and Kashmir: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) opposes any use of force against civilian populations by governmental and nongovernmental actors alike;
(2) opposes and condemns the use of pellet shotguns and rubber bullets as a crowd-control method in any case;
(3) affirms that any changes to the status of Jammu and Kashmir must be made with the direct consultation of the Kashmiri people, who must play a central role in the determination of their future;
(4) urges the Government of India to immediately lift all remaining elements of the communications blockade imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, including restoring phone and internet access and refraining from any interference with the provision of medical treatment;
(5) urges the Department of State to facilitate contact between Kashmiri Americans and their family members in Jammu and Kashmir;
(6) reaffirms its strongly held belief that freedom of religion is a central and inalienable right of all people as promulgated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urges the Government of India to ensure compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir;
(7) urges the Government of India to exercise restraint when performing security and policing operations and denounces the widespread use of threats and excessive force against civilians, protestors, and detainees;
(8) urges the Government of India to immediately release unjustly and indefinitely detained people in Jammu and Kashmir and to cease arbitrary and politically motivated detentions;
(9) urges the Governments of India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue to deescalate tensions and protect human rights;
(10) urges the Governments of India and Pakistan to renounce the use of force to settle the status of all disputed territories between them;
(11) urges the Governments of India and Pakistan to grant representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights full and unfettered access to their respective sides of the Line of Control; and
(12) urges the Governments of India and Pakistan to implement the policy recommendations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights contained in its 2018 and 2019 reports.
Source of Text of Resolution: congress.gov
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Salk mourns the loss of postgrad alumnus
Home - Salk News - Salk mourns the loss of postgrad alumnus
Daniel Lackner, a former Salk postdoctoral fellow who worked in the lab of Jan Karlseder from 2008 to 2014, passed away August 31 from complications related to a rare teratoid tumor.
"Sometimes we have the privilege to meet extraordinary people in our careers. Daniel was one of those. He was an amazingly creative scientist, a wonderfully generous person, a loving father to his sons and husband to his wife and a true friend. I am honored to have known Dan and miss him greatly," Karlseder says.
Daniel Lackner
Lackner received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, focusing on transcriptional and translational analysis of the S. pombe (a yeast) genome.
He came to Salk for his postdoctoral fellowship in 2008, where he studied telomere biology and aging as a postdoc in the Karlseder Lab. He made several achievements of note during this time, including:
– Engineering a Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworm) strain that survives without telomerase, thereby demonstrating that a multicellular organism can exist, where telomeres are only maintained by recombination
– Defining genome-wide signatures to distinguish between replicative senescence, damage induced senescence, the acute and sustained DNA damage response
– Establishing the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as model for telomere biology
"Daniel was one of the most fun-loving, kind-hearted and warm people I've had the good fortune to call a friend," says Robert Radford, Research Associate in the Karlseder lab. "His bright outlook on everything spread to everyone who came in contact with him. His friendship meant a lot to many of us here at the Salk Institute and his memory will stay with us."
After Salk, Lackner worked at Horizon Discovery in Vienna, Austria, where he led a team that generated haploid knockout cell lines for research, using CRISPR/Cas9 approaches.
He then became independent scientific project manager at the Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, working directly with the director of that institution. He used his widespread scientific knowledge and remarkable interpersonal skills to successfully coordinate thirteen EU-wide partnerships between academics and industry to connect scientists with very different backgrounds.
Lackner is survived by his wife, Sofia, also a Salk alumnus, who worked with former Assistant Professor Leanne Jones in the Laboratory of Genetics, and their two, young sons, Leonidas and Odysseas.
What other former colleagues say about Daniel Lackner:
"Daniel was a top guy with a great sense of fun and humor. We spent several late, late nights out in Pacific Beach, at Aero Club, or just visiting after dinner and discussed all sorts of local and worldly things. In his approach to science he was thoughtful and always asked the dreaded challenging questions in lab meeting, always looking for another angle. But more than anything, he was such a proud and wonderful father – he really thrived in the roll. He will be sorely missed, but remembered fondly." – Roddy O'Sullivan, former Salk postdoc, current assistant professor, Pittsburgh Cancer Center
"I only know Daniel from my 3-month internship in 2012. However, even in this short period of time, he made a lasting impression on me. I remember his positive energy, creativity and his general deep curiosity. I was especially intrigued by his attempt to establish a sea anemone as a model system for aging. It is all very sad." – Tobias Schmidt, Salk postdoctoral fellow, Karlseder Lab
"I don't have enough words to describe how wonderful he was. I just would like to say that his cute character and his big heart made him a great lab mate but also a very special friend. We are all very thankful for having crossed paths with him. We will always remember his optimism and positive energy and all the good times we shared at his side." – Teresa Rivera, former Salk postdoc, and current staff scientist, Allele Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, San Diego
"You will be greatly missed, Daniel. I cannot thank you enough your help and kindness when I first arrived in San Diego. Your positive energy and drive are inspiring to all of us. All my love to you." – Javier Miralles Fusté, Salk postdoctoral fellow, Karlseder Lab
"I feel blessed to have known Daniel. We sat side-by-side for five years; we shared a bay together, witnessed each other's life-changing moments—marriage and children. He made science fun, and there wasn't a day we didn't laugh together. He was an adoring husband and father, an amazing photographer (I will cherish some of his photography forever!), a wonderful human and a dear friend. He was well-liked and saw the good in everyone. He was a silver lining kind of guy. I will miss him dearly and miss our boys playing together. My heart goes out to Sofia and the boys; what a gut-wrenching loss…May they find solace in each other and in knowing how loved Daniel was by all who were lucky enough to have come across him." – Liana Oganesian, former Salk postdoc


L'Entrecote is a small rustic French Bistro restaurant located in the pub district at the Duxton Tangong Pagar neighborhood. The neighborhood in the Tanjong Pagar area comprises of rows of five foot walkway styled shop houses. Tenants here range at night comprise mostly of Food and Beverage outlets, such as Pub, Italian, French, and Japanese restaurants.
The outside the store front with a combination of indoor and outdoor seating.
The restaurant sits along a long alley way with the Pinnacle Duxton HDB estate in view. The ambience of the restaurant is reminiscent of small European eateries. The restaurant is not overly crowded, has mostly an expat crowd and has available seating even on Saturday evenings.
Moreover, inside it has very closely packed tables in a tight small space, very European indeed. Also, there is a combination of indoor and outdoor seating. You are served a complimentary glass of sparking juice upon seated.
Being a French restaurant, L'Entrecote does offer quite comprehensive selection. It is run by the local Déliciae Hospitality Management group who runs the &made burger distro and Sabio tapas bar.
Entrecote Foie Gras Terrine at $21. It is great for sharing as an appetizer before your main course. It is essentially whole duck raw liver and served with bread.
Their appetizers comprise of typical European selections such as smoke salmon, herring, as well as cold cut platters (like fish platters). Notably, there is duck too. Prices for appetizers can be pricey and can cost as much as main course. Soups start at $10 and up to $24 for homemade Duck Foie Gras Terrine.
A recommendation will be their Foie Gras Terrine ($21). It is essentially whole duck raw liver. The preparation process is quite painstaking, which can take up to 2-3 days. The dish is packed into a porcelain pot and slowly steam cooked at low temperature.
The Foie Gras is paste-like looks like a bland pinkish salmon spread in colour. It is traditionally served cold on bread. Their Foie Gras very smooth and has a very mild and consistent creamy taste. So if you are one who is usually afraid or disgusted by the earthy flavor of offal and gizzards. Entrecôte Foie Gras might change your mind.
Furthermore, no Eurpoean restaurant is complete without sharing platters. On offer are three different types of platters, comprising of an assortment of classic cheese and Duck Rillette platters. Selections in their cheese (La Planche De Fromages) platter includes Comte, Sainte-Marie, Camembert and Roquefort. They are served with Walnuts, Dried Apricot and consumed with staple Baguette bread. Prices range from $22 to 38 a pop.
The most sellable dish in the French Bistro is their steak and fries main course. Called the Entrecôte Steak. The dish is the staple on the restaurant main course offerings. You guessed it right; it is essentially heaps of Steak and Fries.
The steak and fries set in all its glory. It is the restaurant primary main course which patrons go for.
You will love Entrecote steaks if you are a meat lover. Their steaks are pretty good. On my visit, I was pleased to find their steaks cooked well to a doneness you specified. A recommendation is to have your steaks prepared medium-rare. The slab is pretty thin; you get a pinkish-red center core with little blood after cutting through the meat. The steak is chewy at the center though tad hard on the outer edges.
For the dinner menu, your steak and fries set comes in two servings' sizes depending on your appetite. It starts at $34.90 first and their up-sized XXL portions costs $54.90. Both options come with a small bowl of walnut green salad as a starter. With fries being free-flow, the only difference you are paying for this the amount of Steaks you get. I will recommend the cheaper $34.90 option for more value unless you really crave their steaks.
Moreover, notably when browsing their promotional signs, the establishment offers "lite-sized" variants of their steak and fries meals as day0time set lunches for an affordable $20. Also, it also comes with a side drink.
Furthermore, if you order their up-sized beef platter, you will be served a regular sized plate, but the servers will top up your plate with excess steak when you are done with your initial servings. Free-flow of fries is available on request and the servers will come out routine with large pots of freshly fried fries to top up your plates.
However, I found the combination of just steak and fries being pretty oddly strange and quite monotonous, not to mention in variety. After finishing your portion of steak, it is just heaps of oily fries, fries and fries. Notably, I it will be good if vegetables or a salad can be served together, instead of a starter. Alternatively, you can always order an additional salad out of their menus.
Additionally, to top up the offering, their desserts offerings are much limited in varieties. If you are still able to stomach any more food after your buffet of fries, you could consider the Tarte tatin and tartlets. Prices range from $12 to $15 a piece. Also, their signature dessert comprises of Coulant carmel Au Beurre Sale at $16. Also, wine corkage fee starts from $35 per bottle and $55 per bottle of spirit.
If you crave steaks and a nice quiet chill-out at an authentically themed French restaurant, I would think no further and recommend L'Entrecote at Duxton. It has the quirky minor imperfections which just makes the restaurant feed more authentically European, such a cramped seating, well-dressed severs in contrast to their faded dinner plates. For everyone else, there are many other better options around for steaks at a much lower price point, such as the Mariners Corner around the block.
Entrance to the L'Entrecote restaurant. It is located in an old shophouse row.
In conclusion, L'Entrecote at Duxton is not a bad establishment tucked in a quiet corner of the Central business district otherwise known for their night life. The place is not packed and offers good steaks at a reasonable above-average price point. Though the option to pair steaks with fries does seem to cheapen the deal abit, I find it hard to recommend the place given several alternatives in Singapore with more value and quality. It is nothing to scream home about, though it is still a fairly reasonable offering as a whole, considering good service and portions of food offered.