[SE25-DRR] Low-cost ICTs for flood and drought risk management and development?
Dr. Feng Mao is a research fellow and project manager in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham. His research examines the challenges and opportunities of emerging open and low-cost information and communication technologies in supporting socio-hydrological resilience building, adaptive water governance and sustainable development goals. In addition, he has been involved in designing and developing low-cost wireless sensor networks, visualisations, and decision support systems for citizen science based water management in the Global South.
Dr. Bhusal has Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, Master in Hydrology and Training on River and Dam Engineering, Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping. He has working experiences of more than 32 years in the hydrological science related to water resources development; 3 years as the Chairman of Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission of Nepal; 6 years as the Chairman of SOHAM-Nepal; 3 years as an Investigator in the Mountain EVO research program in Nepal. He has published 38 papers in proceedings, magazines and journals. Currently, he is one of Co-Investigators in the Landslide EVO research program in Nepal.
The emerging open and low-cost ICTs such as environmental sensing, wireless communications, visualisations and data processing tools play an increasingly important role in supporting hydrological monitoring and data collection. It raises a question about how the implementation of these technologies can be transformed into applications that meet the social needs, such as disaster management and sustainable development. For these purposes, successful ICT applications rely on not only good technical design, but also well considerations of non-technical factors, such as partnership and stakeholder collaboration, pathways to achieve social impact, institutional arrangement, operational mechanism, and physical and social contexts. This session calls for papers that provide examples, demonstrations, reviews or insights in how open and low-cost ICT applications support human well-being and sustainable development goals through monitoring and managing water-related disasters (e.g. flooding and drought). The following topics will be focused: (1) Challenges, opportunities and pathways of environmental ICTs in creating social impacts for disaster early warning and reduction, and sustainable development. (2) Innovations of low-cost and open ICT applications to create resilience to flood and drought, and to reduce their damages to basic and critical services. (3) Best practices, strategies and methods that are transferrable and applicable across regions and contexts.
Biography of Presenting Author: Francisco Ceballos is a Senior Research Analyst at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). His professional interest includes the design, development, and evaluation of innovative agricultural insurance projects, in particular those focused on smallholder farmers. He has worked on development projects in numerous developing countries across Africa, South-Asia, and Latin America, and his work has been published in international journals, book chapters, and other outlets. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Göttingen, Germany.
This paper describes and tests the feasibility of Picture-Based Crop Insurance (PBI), a new way to deliver affordable and easy-to-understand insurance. Under PBI, loss assessments are based on damage visible in a time-series of pictures taken by the farmer using regular smartphones. PBI aims at boosting uptake by reducing basis risk and relying on direct farmer participation and the tangibility of their own pictures to improve trust and understanding. By relying on smartphone pictures on which automated loss assessment procedures can be applied, farmers can receive timely compensation without expensive loss assessments. Results from a pilot implementation in the rice-wheat belt of India speak to PBI being a feasible and valuable alternative to existing insurance products, with very limited moral hazard.
Biography of Presenting Author: Miguel Arestegui is a DRR practitioner with a background in civil engineering and physics. He works for Practical Action Latin America and is responsible of research & development within the Disaster Risk Reduction program.
Early Warning Systems (EWS) face similar challenges throughout different contexts in developing countries, for example high costs for monitoring equipment and adaptability to local particularities, affecting their sustainability, efficiency and community ownership. Unfamiliar precipitation patterns due to a changing climate in data-scarce regions makes the situation even more complex. New technologies such as open source electronics and 3D printing provide a set of tools that can contribute to address those challenges. These can complement scientific approaches.
As part of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, Practical Action is developing and testing monitoring stations based on those technologies. In 2017, extreme rains and water-related disasters occurred throughout Perú. These events tested our yet experimental EWS. Initial results provide evidence that those technologies can indeed tackle common EWS challenges and improve climate & technology justice.
Critical knowledge gaps seriously hinder efforts for building disaster resilience. Information deficiency is most serious at local levels, especially in terms of spatial information on risk, resources and capacities of communities. We develop a general approach that integrates community-based participatory mapping processes with emerging collaborative digital mapping techniques using low-cost ICTs. We demonstrate the value and potential of this integrated approach in flood-prone lower Karnali river basin, Western Nepal. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders and non-stakeholder citizens we quickly mapped 74 communities in 2017. The new digital community maps are richer in content, more accurate, and easier to update and share than those produced by conventional Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments. This approach provides an effective link between coordinating and implementing local DRR and resilience building interventions to designing and informing regional development plans, but limitations on technological barrier, map ownership, and empowerment potential also exist.
Biography of Presenting Author: Mr Santosh Regmi from Nepal, have Master's degree in Meteorology and Hydrology from Tribhuvan University of Nepal. He has ten years of experiences in hydrological and meteorological monitoring, data analysis for water resources management and, climate and climatic variation study over Nepal. For last three years, he worked as a researcher in Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologist Nepal for Mountain EVO research project lead by Imperial College, London. He has worked in impelemnting low cost technologies on participatory approach in Mountain Evo research sites in Nepal. He has published one peer reviewed scientific paper, one under review process as lead author, and is co-author in two papers published in peer reviewed journals.
The study evaluated the potential of participatory monitoring of hydrological variables to improve utilization of scarce water to reduce risk on agriculture during droughts. Occurrences of droughts are also likely in the high altitude Himalayan region due to climate change. The weakening precipitation is one facet of the change taking place whereas there is evidence of an increasing intensity of rainfall that often leads to snow avalanche and deadly debris flows. Low cost sensors were used to measure stream flow and precipitation. Participatory monitoring allowed communities to understand the use and management of local water resources and at the same time developed a sense of ownership of hydro-meteorological information around them. The participatory monitoring of stream flow and rainfall generate evidences by which local people experience the effect of climate change and stresses on water resources, which will also support economic development; livelihood improvement and made aware of disaster risks.
Biography of Presenting Author: Dr. Chao Wu received a PhD degree from Zhejiang University, China. From 2011, he was a Research Associate in the Discovery Science Group working on Elastic Sensor Network, and now an associate Professor in Zhejiang University. His main research focus on data analysis and modelling, mobile privacy and social network (especially semantic social network), etc.
The impacts of climate change and responses to climate change, will usher in the restructuring of energy economies, bring in new finance and aid, affect supply chains, resource transfers, migration of people, animals and pathogens. Despite such a rapidly changing reality, tools are not in place for rapid assessment and adaptive policy response. Hence, there is a need for quantitative tools that can, rapidly, organise and/or collate big data to produce knowledge on the impacts disruptions in urban life occurring from infrastructure failure, a changing climate and security threats could have on urban systems and its population.


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OPPO Launches R17 Series In Saudi Arabia
by Kristofer Brozio • February 5, 2019
How will people access the smartphones?
Features of the OPPO R17 series
A leading global smartphone brand OPPO has finally arrived in Saudi Arabia bringing products with breakthrough technology in an artistic design. In parallel to this, they also launched their hero smartphone series; the OPPO R Series. They come in two types, OPPO R17, and OPPO R17 Pro.
OPPO announced its expansion to Saudi Arabia in a high-profile launch event dubbed "Seize the Night" which was held in Riyadh. The company said it would maintain its KSA headquarters. Company executives, during this launch, showcased the company's technology vision.
OPPO, ever since getting into the global smartphone market in 2011, has grown tremendously to become among the world's most popular smartphones. There are over 200 million consumers globally who use OPPO smartphones.
In 2016, OPPO was the top smartphone brand in China. OPPO has made an intentional aggressive expansion plan. The plan has included expanding into Western Europe.
The company has increased their global Research and Development (R&D) spending. For 2019 alone, they spent a total of $1.43 billion.
In 2018, OPPO became the first company globally to complete an internet access test on a smartphone. They were the first globally to have 5G signaling and data connection on a smartphone.
In a bid for expansion, OPPO started adjusting its product line to offer mid and high-end products. Earlier this month, OPPO opened a new hub for the Middle East and Africa regions to head its continued expansion.
Andy Shi, the President of OPPO Middle East and Africa, said that they believe the crucial thing is giving consumers access to premium technology. He insisted that they have been doing so for years as the company values exploration.
Shi added that OPPO's journey had brought them to Saudi Arabia, and they were incredibly excited by the opportunities in the Kingdom as it is a country with a thriving young population, a diversifying economy and one with consumers having embraced creative technologies. She went on to say that they were confident that OPPO would bring a new dynamic to the Kingdom's consumer electronics space.
The truth is, sometimes, you'll have issues installing some programs on your PC as explained here https://techloris.com/msvcr120-dll-is-missing/, but just like the phone industry, each company tries to ensure that both software and hardware problems can be easily solved.
Clients in Saudi Arabia will be able to purchase their preferred OPPO phone soon through various online and offline channels.
FMP is OPPO's national distributor, and the OPPO products will be distributed across Saudi Arabia by the distributor.
There are plans by OPPO to extend its business throughout Saudi Arabia with the support of additional partners.
The first entry smartphones will be the OPPO R17 and OPPO R17 Pro. The R Series is among the most popular smartphone lineups with excellent features.
Some research firms; Counterpoint and Strategy Analytics declared OPPO R9 2016's bestselling smartphones in 2016. Later on, in 2017, the R11 was the bestselling Android phone of the year.
1. OPPO R17 lets you seize the night
We all get that one of the biggest challenges in the smartphone industry is night shooting. The OPPO R17 comes with an Ultra-Night Mode feature which contains noise cancellation, long exposure stabilization and a broader dynamic that helps one take a clear shot.
Its AI Ultra-clear Engine is an image-enhancing tool which enables pixel-level color restoration to show your favorite shots the way they actually look.
2. VOOC flash charging
We all want a phone that can charge fast. The VOOC flash charge feature accompanied by its 3500mAh battery allows the phone to charge fast. The five-core protection lets people use the phone safely while charging.
The R17 Pro has the SuperVOOC flash charging tech which uses up to 2.5 times the charging power than that of a regular VOOC adaptor.
The R17 Pro uses a total of 10 minutes to charge a flat battery to 40% and 35 minutes to full charge.
3. Reinventing the selfie camera
The AI Beauty Camera with the 25MP front camera makes it easy to define yourself depending on your preference. It lets you decide how to take your own perfect shot.
It has a natural layering feature that is made possible by the dual rear camera.
4. A leading industrial design and gradient colors
OPPO R17 has a new three-color gradient design. It contains a light-condensing layer which allows light to flow on the device's surface which demonstrates an original color aesthetic. It is fingerprint-resistant and durable.
The R17 Pro comes in Emerald Green and Radiant Mist while R17 comes in Nero-Purple and Ambient Blue.
The OPPO R17 comes with an amazing 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM and priced at SAR 1,799. On the other hand, the R17 Pro comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM and priced at SAR 2,599.
Tags: Android Article Articles Cell Phone cellphone OPPO oppo r17 phone
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Apra Greater Houston
Apra GH Scholarship
Brittani Williams, President
Manager, Development Research and Operations, Houston Zoo
Brittani Williams is currently the manager of development research and operations at the Houston Zoo. Over the past 15 years, she has held various fundraising roles for the University of Houston, ACLU of Texas and numerous local, state and national political campaigns. She graduated from the University of Houston in 2006 with a B.S. in both Political Science and Psychology and in 2018 with a MBA with specializations in Global Management and Business Modeling and Decision Making. She also serves on the Nominations Committee with Apra International and the AASP best practices in Prospect Development committee. She has served on the Apra Greater Houston Board since 2016.
Amanda Whiteside, Treasurer
Development Research Officer, Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Amanda Whiteside is currently the Development Research Officer at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously she was the Prospect Researcher at Holocaust Museum Houston where she had been an intern during college. In her current role, she is responsible for identifying prospects, compiling research on prospects, and integrating data analytics into the prospecting process. She graduated Cum Laude from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Anthropology and History. Amanda is currently working on a graduate-level certificate program in Applied Statistics from A&M University.
Ashley Estes, Secretary
Prospect Development Manager, Houston Food Bank
Ashley Estes currently serves as the Prospect Development Manager at the Houston Food Bank. She has 11 years of fundraising experience in the Houston non-profit community. She began her development career at the Houston Food Bank in 2008 as the organization's first ever Manager of Corporate Partnerships. Here, she developed a strategic corporate partnership program and managed the Community Events Coordinator who was responsible for 8 major, annual events. In 2013, she moved to Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) where she served as the Assistant Director of Resource Development, soliciting and managing private foundation and government grants. After a year and a half at LSLA, Ashley was recruited to South Texas College of Law Houston (STCLH) as the Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations. In her four years at STCLH, she grew the grant program more than 350% and implemented a formalized corporate partnership program. In February 2019, Ashley returned to the Food Bank to work with the major gifts team as the Prospect Development Manager. In her current role, she works closely with the gift officers to manage their donor portfolios, conducts regular screenings to identify new prospects, provides in-depth prospect research, and compiles analytical reports to help guide the work of the major gifts team. Ashley is a native Houstonian. She earned a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Baylor University and a law degree from the University of Houston. She currently lives in the Near Northside with her husband, Andrew, and their dog, June.
Natasha Jesudason, Marketing & Communications Director
Development Research Analyst, Houston Methodist Hospital
Natasha Jesudason is a Development Research Analyst at the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, joining the organization in 2017. As a member of the prospect research and strategic analysis team, she is responsible for prospect management and strategic development related to research and database functions. Prior to Houston Methodist, she spent 10 years at Incarnate Word Academy, serving in a number of capacities including being an Education Edge super user (maintained the student information database and provided technical support to staff, parents, and students) and database liaison between the academic office and advancement office. Natasha is a graduate of Houston Baptist University and earned a BS degree (double majoring in Computer Information Systems Management and English) and an MLA degree.
Brian Lacy, At Large
President, Brian Lacy & Associates
Brian Lacy has provided fundraising expertise for more than 30 years, with emphasis on annual giving and data services. Hailing from Texas, he is invited to speak and counsel across the country and internationally about effective and efficient data-driven fundraising systems. He is somewhat unique in believing that solicitations are one of the very best ways to continuously engage constituents. Brian's work is highly regarded by colleagues and customers, providing measurable impact that wins the favor of 60 public and 85 private colleges and universities and innumerable other nonprofits that he has advanced. As president of Brian Lacy and Associates, he brings frontline experience and technical knowledge to solutions including data-mining research, modeling, matching gift services, and annual giving program consultation. His fundraising efforts have been awarded recognition by the Council in Support of Education and several regional organizations. Brian is proudest of his ability to make almost all annual giving programs stronger.
Victoria Walsh, At Large
Prospect Research Analyst, Memorial Hermann Foundation
Victoria Walsh has more than 20 years of experience in non-profit development as a writer, annual fund officer, volunteer coordinator and prospect researcher. Prior to joining Memorial Hermann Foundation, she spent seven years at St. Luke's Foundation. Originally from New England, Victoria holds a master's degree in library science from Simmons University in Boston, where she worked for ten years before relocating to Houston.
Are you interested in growing your professional development network? Do you want to present at one of our chapter meetings? Are you interested in joining the board, a committee or just becoming more involved with Apra?
Please complete this form we will get in touch with you.
APRA Greater Houston is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.
Houston skyline by Katie Haugland Bowen with modifications by Apra GH under CC BY 2.0.


Yeah, I'm going on another hiatus for a little bit, mainly because I've got a lot of other stuff going on and I'm kind of tired of RPG World, so I don't want to keep doing the comic if my heart and mind are not in it. But check back here every update day for new art and stuff.
AND- Don't Forget to visit FOGClub today! It's started up it's new "season".


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Because You Watched The Kids Are Alright 24 Available Shows
Classic Albums: Who's Next
A mix of old favorites and buried treasures makes this edition of Who's Next a definite must. One of the defining albums of 70s hard rock from one of the 60s most successful bands, the original album includes some of The Who's best-known work, such as the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", the by turns sorrowful and angry "Behind Blue Eyes", and perennial favorite "My Wife". The new tracks on this album are equally worth hearing, including "Pure and Easy" (an alternate edition of which is available on Odds & Sods) and the original version of "Behind Blue Eyes". A hard rock classic, Who's Next is required listening for rock fans of all ages.
Sensation - The Story of Tommy
The Who's seminal double album "Tommy", released in 1969, is a milestone in rock history. It revitalised the band's career and established Pete Townshend as a composer and Roger Daltrey as one of rock's foremost frontmen. The first album to be overtly billed as a "rock opera", "Tommy" has gone on to sell over 20 million copies around the world and has been reimagined as both a film by Ken Russell in the mid-seventies and a touring stage production in the early nineties. This new film explores the background, creation and impact of "Tommy" through new interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, archive interviews with the late John Entwistle, and contributions from engineer Bob Pridden, artwork creator Mike McInnerney plus others involved in the creation of the album and journalists who assess the album's historic and cultural impact.
Quadrophenia: Can You See The Real Me?
In his home studio and revisiting old haunts in Shepherds Bush and Battersea, Pete Townshend opens his heart and his personal archive to revisit the "last great album The Who ever made". An album that took the Who full circle back to their earliest mod days and the adventures of a pill-popping Mod on an epic journey of self-discovery. But in 1973 it was an album that almost never was. Beset by money problems, a studio in construction, heroin-taking managers, a lunatic drummer and a culture of really heavy drinking, Pete took on an album that nearly broke him and an album that within a year the band had turned their back on and would ignore for nearly three decades. With unseen archive and in depth interviews from Pete, Roger, Keith, John and those in the studio and behind the lens who made the album and thirty page photo booklet.
Down The Tracks - The Music That Influenced Bob Dylan
This fascinating documentary tells the story of the music and artists that have influenced Bob Dylan throughout his career. Although his reputation as a songwriter stands supreme, Dylan has often covered tracks from vintage blues, folk and country performers or incorporated elements from them into his own material. "Down the Tracks" explores the lives and work of many of these artists and how Dylan interacted with them through archive performance and interview footage alongside new interviews and documentary material.
Here, in Jimi Hendrix - The Last 24 Hours the producers explore and explain the reasons why Jimis demise became shrouded in rumour, gossip and falsehoods. The authorities and media quickly dismissed the death of Hendrix as just another drugged rock star casualty; however for the first time, the circumstances leading to Jimi's tragic death can be examined as the producers present new and compelling evidence. Evidence, which may reopen the inquiry into what may have been for certain parties, a convenient death. Viewers will have to decide for themselves just what happened on September 18th 1970 in a small, private hotel situated in the Notting Hill area of London.
Maximum R&B Live
Live highlights from The Who, spanning 25 years of life on the road. Also included is early documentary footage, exclusive new interviews.
Classic Albums: Transformers
This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series takes a track-by-track look at the making of the record with both Reed and his engineer Ken Scott poring over the original multi-tracks for the album. Additionally, there is archival footage of the Velvet Underground, an interview with the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and a discussion with bassist Herbie Flowers about the origins of the famous bassline for "Walk on the Wild Side."
From his hardcore '50s Memphis rockabilly start to his symphonic 1960s pop masterpieces and his stunning 1980s comeback, Roy Orbison's uniformly extraordinary recordings still rank today as some of American music's finest. Gifted with a soaring voice that conjured vulnerability and loss with acute precision, the Texas-born singer-songwriter-guitarist wasted no time-- he had his own radio show at age ten and formed his first rock 'n' roll band, The Teen Kings, in 1955. Recording at Sam Phillips' legendary Sun Studios alongside Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, Orbison was still seeking his ideal sound and, after parting ways with Sun, finally found it, with 1960's ""Only The Lonely."" Orbison's creativity gave birth to a unique, highly individualized, orchestral pop-rock style that resulted in a series of masterpieces and made him an international star. By 1988, Orbison was enjoying a dream comeback: topping the charts with songs that once again cemented his reputation as a pop genius; but ultimately, death claimed him too soon. In Dreams (which marks this legend's 70th Anniversary) is a definitive 90-minute documentary that charts the entire grand trajectory of his unrivaled career and includes in-depth interviews with Roy as well as many of his admirers.
An Ox's Tale
In 1964, The Who became one of the key figures of the British Invasion, taking the American music scene by storm. While Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and Keith Moon took the spotlight with their on stage antics, John Entwistle, dubbed "The Quiet One," stood in the shadows... poised to become the biggest bass player in rock and roll. With his arena-rock days behind him, Entwistle continued down his own path, finding great musical freedom with the John Entwistle Band. In 2002, after years of touring his solo project, Entwistle couldn't resist the lure of bringing back one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history. Tragically, plans for The Who's North American Reunion Tour were cut short when on the eve of the first show John was found dead in his Las Vegas hotel room. "The Ox," as Entwistle was affectionately known, left behind many fans and several unfinished projects. With his passing, the world lost a musical legend, dubbed Guitar Magazine's "Bassist of the Millennium." Narrated by Peter Frampton, John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale covers the life of John Entwistle, from his first public performance at the age of 14 to his feelings about The Who's most recent reunion. This film contains the last footage and interviews ever shot with Entwistle, offering the one chance for fans to discover the real life behind the man who far exceeded his greatest aspirations.
Mystery Girl: Unraveled
In the words of Ben Fong-Torres:
What was not to love about Roy Orbison? He was humble, he was friendly, and he had one of the greatest voices in popular music. With songs like "In Dreams" and "Running Scared," he turned pop tunes into opera, and was called "the Pavarotti of rock and roll."
The discography of Roy Orbison (1936-1988) - which yielded some of the most heartfelt, passionate classics of the rock 'n' roll era - shined even brighter with the release of Mystery Girl, the last album Orbison recorded, in 1989. The commercial success of Mystery Girl was nothing short of impressive: the album was a Top 5 hit, eventually earning Orbison his first platinum award for over 1 million sales, and featured the worldwide Top 10 smash "You Got It." Mystery Girl: Unraveled features a new hour-long documentary on the making of the album, executive produced by Roy's sons. The documentary includes new interviews with those behind the album including Steve Cropper, Tom Petty, Mick Campbell and Jeff Lynne. In addition there are eight wonderful music videos, including an unreleased alternate video for "She's a Mystery to Me" and three new videos for "The Way Is Love," "You Got It" and "California Blue.
A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia
In 1987, after 100 shows around the world on The Bridge Tour, Billy Joel accepted the Kremlin's invitation to the U.S.S.R. for six fully-staged rock shows in Moscow and Leningrad, fulfilling a long-time desire to perform in Russia. During their stay, Billy and his family, along with musicians, staff, and a huge press entourage spent their days interacting with the Russian people, forging true bonds of friendship wherever they went. For the first time A Matter Of Trust – The Bridge To Russia: A Documentary presents an expanded version of what fans saw and heard over a quarter-century ago. This film takes a fresh look at the groundbreaking trip, painstakingly incorporating some of the documentary material from 1988, both released and unreleased. But the heart and soul of this new film comprises up-to-date interviews with nearly 20 U.S. and Russian participants, including Billy, Christie Brinkley, band musicians, crew, and many others. There is a passion and intimacy to their interviews that underscores the historical significance of what these fellow travelers all witnessed, and the warmth that the Russian people showered on them. Billy has always considered that going to Russia was the most important thing he'd ever done as a performer.
Live in Texas '75
Filmed at The Summit in Houston, Texas on November 20th, 1975, this film captures a typically incendiary live performance by The Who at the start of the US leg of their tour in support of "The Who By Numbers" album which had been released earlier that year. The original video footage has been cleaned and the sound remixed by longtime Who collaborator Jon Astley but the show still retains a rawness that encapsulates the energy of The Who's performance. The set list stretches across the band's career from classic early singles such as "My Generation" and "Substitute" through an extensive "Tommy" section and up to tracks from the then newly released "By Numbers".
No One Here Gets Out Alive: A Tribute to Jim Morrison
A full exploration of the controversial and quixotic singer, Jim Morrison, delving into his fascination with cinema and psychology, mysticism and sexuality, poetry and power. In addition to performance clips of the band in action, it features interviews with Ray Manzarek plus the surviving members of the Doors and many others who were instrumental in creating and maintaining the legend. Enjoy No One Here Gets Out Alive along with many more documentaries and full-length Doors concerts during The Doors Digital Festival on Qello Concerts: www.QelloConcerts.com/vip/TheDoorsDigitalFestival
Classic Albums: The Doors
The Classic Albums series, through interviews and video footage, uncovers the making of some of the most influential albums in music's history. The Doors eponymous first album is universally regarded as their finest achievement and as one of the greatest debut albums in the history of rock music making it a worthy addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series. Ray Manzarek, plus the two surviving members of The Doors, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore are all featured in new interviews along with original engineer Bruce Botnick, musicians Henry Rollins and Perry Farrell and executives Billy James (Columbia Records) and Jac Holzman (Elektra Records) plus many more. What emerges is the extraordinary story of the creation of a masterpiece. This documentary, almong with many others, is part of The Doors Digital Festival on Qello Concerts: www.QelloConcerts.com/vip/TheDoorsDigitalFestival
The Love We Make
The Love We Make, a film directed by Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan, follows Paul McCartney as he journeys through the streets of New York City in the aftermath of the World Trade Centre's destruction. Chronicling the planning and performance of "The Concert for New York City," the benefit concert that took place less than six weeks after the attacks, the film also features performances and backstage moments with other performers and actors including David Bowie, Steve Buscemi, Eric Clapton, President Bill Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Mick Jagger, Jay Z, Billy Joel, Elton John, Stella McCartney and Keith Richards.
Classic Albums: Machine Head
Deep Purples Machine Head is one of the definitive rock albums of the 70s. Recorded in 1972 it features the classic Deep Purple line up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice at the very peak of their creative powers and became their most commercially successful album worldwide.The story of the albums creation, in the rooms and corridors of the Grand Hotel in Montreux following a fire which burnt down the Casino where they were planning to record, was immortalized in their all time classic track Smoke On The Water.This latest addition to the Classic Albums series features exclusive interviews with all the members of the band plus Martin Birch, the albums engineer, and renowned rock journalist Chris Welch. Alongside the interviews there is archive footage of the band performing tracks from the album in concert. Bonus features include very rare American footage of the band performing Smoke On The Water and the original 1972 promo film for Never Before.
Bob Marley and the Wailers
He was and is, without doubt, Jamaica's finest export and in this film we can reveal for the first time the behind the scenes Bob Marley that only his closest confidantes could know. To help us understand a little more about this iconic Jamaican is his long time girlfriend and Oscar nominated actress Esther Anderson who describes in detail their life together at home in Hope Road as well as in London. Of all the people considered closest to him, Esther was probably the person who knew more about the man's innermost thoughts and fears than any; so much was she in tune with him she even helped to write some of his hit records. Also featured is the last interview he would ever give in the UK where journalist Kris Needs questions him about his foot injury (the injury that would eventually lead to the diagnosis of terminal cancer) and many other topics about which Marley held strong views. The DVD also reveals previously unseen home footage plus live performances including 'Lively Up Yourself' which was last seen performed in the 70's.
When You Were Young
Live From The Royal Albert Hall


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Dropbox (DBX) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
Dropbox (DBX) closed the most recent trading day at $24.98, moving +0.64% from the previous trading session.
By Zacks Equity Research December 24, 2021
This story originally appeared on Zacks
Dropbox (DBX) closed at $24.98 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.64% move from the prior day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.62%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.55%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.03%.
- Zacks
Coming into today, shares of the online file-sharing company had gained 1.83% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector gained 0.29%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.87%.
Dropbox will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.37, up 32.14% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $557.66 million, up 10.62% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.49 per share and revenue of $2.15 billion, which would represent changes of +60.22% and +12.34%, respectively, from the prior year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Dropbox. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Dropbox is holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) right now.
In terms of valuation, Dropbox is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 16.76. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 26.34.
The Internet - Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 168, putting it in the bottom 34% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow DBX in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America
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text:
China's inflation rebounds to 10-month high
| Beijing, March 9 | Updated on: Mar 09, 2013
China's new President to hold talks with Manmohan
China's tea exports down 2.8% last year
China's Defence budget spend is 'nothing to fuss about'
China ready to issue 4G licences this year
Yuan very close to equilibrium: China
China's annual consumer inflation rebounded to a 10-month high of 3.2 per cent in February fuelled by 6 per cent rise in food prices.
On a month-on-month basis, February's Consumer Price Index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, gained 1.1 per cent from the previous month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Saturday.
Food prices, which account for nearly one-third of the weight in China's CPI, remained a key driver of inflation in February, as the Spring Festival season, which fell within that month, pushed up demand, a report by the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
NBS said food prices jumped 6 per cent last month from the same period last year, pushing the CPI up by 1.98 percentage points.
Taking the holiday effect and the increase in fuel prices in February into account, the rebound is largely in line with market expectations.
CPI growth
Yu Qiumei, a senior statistician with the bureau, forecast that CPI growth will ease this month as the holiday effect fades and warmer weather starts to bolster food supplies. But inflationary pressures will remain in the long term as China's economic recovery gains traction, analysts said.
In Tuesday's government report, Premier Wen Jiabao said China aims to hold this year's consumer price growth at around 3.5 per cent, lower than the 4 per cent target for 2012 but higher than last year's actual inflation rate of 2.6 per cent.
Property curbs
Wang Yuwen, a researcher with Bank of Communications, warned that China's new property curbs, which impose a capital gains tax of 20 per cent on home transactions, may further drive up housing costs this year.
Meanwhile, China's planned reforms in the resources pricing system may lift oil and natural gas prices, creating inflationary pressures in the long term, Wang said.
To complicate matters, the recent quantitative easing implemented in the United States, Europe and Japan, together with rising momentum in the Chinese economy, have combined to fuel concerns over possible imported inflation.
Forex reserves
In January, Chinese financial institutions saw their yuan funds outstanding for foreign exchange increase by 683.7 billion yuan ($108.9 billion), the highest monthly increase on record, data from the central bank show.
To drain liquidity in the market, China's central bank resumed the issuance of repurchase agreements last month.
prices, inflation and deflation
Australia's Blackmores announce distribution partnership with Udaan
Viacom18 to launch FullyFaltoo NFT marketplace
Omicron impact: Domestic air traffic nosedives week-on-week in January
Apollo Tyres invests ₹9.3 crore in CSE Deccan Solar


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"My husband recently traveled out of town for work. The first night he was gone, four cops pounded on my door at 9:30 (like crazy pounding). They said a woman in distress called 911, and it pinged to my address. They wanted to know if I knew anything about it, or if I had heard anything. I'd been blow drying my hair and hadn't heard a thing.
After the cops left, I got nervous and unsettled thinking a woman in distress had recently been on my property. So I checked all my doors and windows and told my two kids to come sleep in my room. I then moved our gun to my side of the bed and eventually fell asleep.
The next day, I mentioned the incident to my neighbor, and a weird look came over her face. I asked what was wrong, and she said she hadn't wanted to say anything, but that a man had murdered his wife in our home several years before. I did some research online, and sure enough, she was right.
Have a true ghost story to share? Click here to submit it, then read more creepy tales of calls from the dead.


It's a beautiful day here in the mountains. We woke up to a crisp 59 degrees F. that has me feeling #allthefallfeels and digging out my boots and scarves. I know it will be short lived but I took advantage of the weather and updated my shop with three Autumn themed sets! Then I thought, why not share the joy a little and throw in an added shopping bonus!
Order ANY physical set from my shop (valued at $4.99 or higher) and you'll receive a FREE 10ct. set of my tiny hearts.


text:
Q: Masonry and Bootstrap 3 - 3 columns of different sizes I've been fighting with Bootstrap and Masonry for over 3-4 hours now and searched tons of articles but couldn't find the solution.
Here's the thing:
I have Bootstrap Grid that looks like this:

In total there are 12 columns and without Masonry it works just perfect.
But as soon as I include Masonry, the third column drops down.
If I make it 6-6 columns or 4-4-4 columns and 3-3-3-3 they work fine, but 6-3-3 doesn't work.
Does anyone have a solution for it? Any ideas how to have this cool layout? Do I have to implement my fluid grid? Why does Masonry break with Bootstrap?
This is a JS fiddle to illustrate https://jsfiddle.net/bePolite/52VtD/11921/embedded/result/

A: need to include an
 will work, like you want...

A: bootstrap Grid Example

Divs with same col's

 i'm div col-xs-4

 i'm div col-xs-4

 i'm div col-xs-4

Divs with differents col's

 i'm div col-xs-6

 i'm div col-xs-3

 i'm div col-xs-3

this will show you like this:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Northern France: Fraud Press Review (January 2021)
Main fraud news in the North of France in January: a huge VAT fraud with luxury cars in Lille, a case of embezzlement in a private high school near Boulogne-Sur-Mer, and a former bailiff judged for serious fraud and breach of trust near Dunkirk.
Lille: an important VAT fraud involving luxury cars resellers, a prejudice of 7 million euros for the French tax authorities
Fifteen people have been arrested in Lille as they are suspected of an important VAT fraud. They would have imported around 1 000 luxury cars from the European Union during five years. They were buying the cars without VAT in the other EU member states, and producing fake documents regarding the payment of VAT in these countries. The prejudice is estimated around 7 million euros of VAT rights. The vehicles were then sold in the north of France. Around 2 million euros have been seized by the authorities, and four people have been held in prison while six others have been placed under judicial supervision.
See on France 3 Hauts-de-France
Boulogne-sur-Mer: around 70 000 euros embezzled in a private high school
A former employee of a private high school in Saint-Martin-Boulogne has been judged for breach of trust in January. The former treasurer of the employee representative committee has recognized having embezzled a total amount of 70 000 euros between 2015 and 2019. He has been sentenced to ten months of suspended prison and the reimbursement of the prejudice to its former employer.
See on La Voix du Nord
Gravelines: a former bailiff judged for serious fraud and breach of trust
A former bailiff in Gravelines, near Dunkirk, has been judged for breach of trust, serious fraud and forgery. She had sold her office to another bailiff in 2005. The buyer had discovered many fraudulent activities which caused the increase of the purchase price by 100 000 euros. The former bailiff had invoiced abusive or fake services, and her fees were sometimes higher than the regulated prices. The public prosecutor has required a sentences of 2 years of prison, the reimbursement of the prejudice to the buyer, and the definitive prohibition from exercising bailiff's activities. The decision will be known in March 2021.
Northern France: Fraud Press Review (September 2020) This month in the northern France: a former union leader at Ascoval suspected of misappropriation for 500 000 euros, a pharmacist in Lille judged for high-level social security fraud, and...
Northern France: Fraud Press Review (December 2020) This month in the North of France: the bitcoins dispenser in Lille suspected to be used for money-laundering, the President of Lille Metropole will be judged in the next future,...
Northern France: Fraud Press Review (January 2020) This month around the North of France: a former mayor sentenced for misuse of public funds, a factory blocked by a ransomware attack in Belgium, and a case of fraudulent...


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text:
Jan van Beers may refer to:
 Jan van Beers (poet)
 Jan van Beers (artist)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
One-day teachers' strike will close London District Catholic schools
Search the St Thomas Times Journal
More than 50 schools in the London District Catholic school board will be closed Jan. 21 when teachers leave classrooms for the picket line.
Heather Rivers
Published on: January 13, 2020 | Last Updated: January 13, 2020 8:19 PM EST
Oakridge Secondary School teachers carry picket signs outside the London school as public high school teachers across Ontario held a one-day strike. Photo taken on Wednesday Dec. 4, 2019. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
The board's 1,300 teachers will join their counterparts across the province in a one-day strike announced Monday by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA).
"We understand this may have an enormous impact on families. These decisions were made in the interest of student and staff safety, security and well-being," the board said in a statement posted on its website.
Along with closing 43 elementary and nine high schools, the board is cancelling sports and other after-school activities. Before- and after-school programs also will be cancelled, but child-care and family centres in schools will remain open.
Schools will remain open if a deal is reached before the evening of Jan. 20, but talks between the union and government broke off last week and no new dates have been scheduled.
Liz Stuart said the government appears only to "do the right thing" when it is under pressure, so teachers have little choice but to take the next step in the bargaining process.
Ontario's English Catholic school teachers plan work-to-rule campaign
One-day teacher strike to close schools in Stratford area, seven other regions
Ontario teachers unions launch charter challenges of wage increase cap
London area teachers join provincewide strike 'to move the needle'
High school teachers' union hopes for deal on eve of one-day walkout
Education minister offers mediation as teacher strikes edge closer
"We have not taken this decision lightly," she said. "It should go without saying that teachers would rather be in the classroom with our students. We also appreciate the difficulties that strike action presents for parents and guardians."
Stuart announced the latest job action the same day the union started a work-to-rule campaign that includes not participating in standardized testing, preparing report cards or participating in Ministry of Education initiatives.
The latest round of talks with Premier Doug Ford's government broke down last week after just two hours, the union said. Stuart said the province's team has shown no willingness to budge on key issues such as mandatory e-learning or class sizes, or make any pledge to maintain full-day kindergarten.
"The reality is, teachers are the last line of defence when it comes to stopping this government's reckless education agenda," she said. "We will not stand by and let this government continue on a path that will have such devastating long-term consequences for our students and our schools."
Meanwhile, public elementary teachers stepped up their work-to-rule campaign on Monday and are planning rotating strikes starting next week, while public high school teachers are set to stage the latest in a series of one-day, rotating strikes on Wednesday.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario is planning rotating strikes starting Jan. 20 unless there is significant progress in contract talks.
Sports, clubs and other after-school activities at elementary schools in the Thames Valley District school board are cancelled as a result of the new phase of the teachers' work-to-rule campaign.
Both the Thames Valley and London District Catholic boards have postponed a standardized math test for Grade 9 students that was supposed to written this week because teachers have not prepared students prepare for the test as part of work-to-rule campaigns.
NOON NEWS ROUNDUP
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The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation has staged a series of rotating strikes and have been on a work-to-rule campaign since November.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Saturday teachers in the French system also have announced a work-to-rule campaign, but the union would say only that it will talk about the next steps in the bargaining process at a news conference on Tuesday.
All of Ontario's major teachers' unions have expressed frustration with a lack of progress in talks with the government. They have been without contracts since Aug. 31.
On Monday, Lecce said teachers' unions must stop further escalation, which he said is hurting students.
"We've seen this story before," he said. "I really hope the teachers' unions will better reflect on a pathway forward that is constructive (and) that does not adversely impact learning for students."
with files from Canadian Press
HRivers@postmedia.com
Eric Bunnell's People: Elgin roots feed new organization to inspire women...	 Community calendar: Jan. 21-29
© 2020 St Thomas Times Journal. All rights reserved.


Longtime Beijingers are well aware that the independent bookstore (slash-cafe-slash-bar-slash-event-space) The Bookworm — a local institution if ever there was one — was the first place in town to host weekly pub quizzes. Well, we're bringing it back. Next Monday, July 24 at 8 pm, there will be a special (loosely) China-themed pub quiz at The Bookworm, hosted by yours truly.
– What city was the first to receive the designation "Special Economic Zone" in China?
You got these? Good. Bring a team and compete next Monday. Limit up to 6 people per team, please. Top three teams will win prizes, and we'll pass out some shots along the way if we're feeling good.
Questions/comments, get in touch: anthony@radiichina.com.


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These two! Talk about a fun couple! Here we were on a damp, chilly Sunday morning in Hanover for their engagement session. As I'm driving up- the sky starts sprinkling. "Grrr…" I thought to myself because we already rescheduled their session once because of rain. Rescheduling can be challenging for a couple as busy as these two. You see- Jillian works full time as an RN in the Emergency Department but she is also in school working towards becoming a Nurse Practitioner, while Christian is a 5th-year Resident as an Orthopedic Surgeon at Dartmouth. Not only do these two have incredibly challenging and impressive careers, but they are the sweetest couple!
Typically engagement sessions with me start with dinner and drinks- but being that it was a Sunday Morning… I didn't think that would go over well. HAHA So- instead we warmed up at a local coffee shop. It was a nice break from the chilly wind that just so happened to be with us that day. However, despite the chilly temps- these two totally rocked their session!
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text:
\section{Introduction}

In~\cite{Deutsch-italy} we find the following variation of ordered trees: Each
rightmost edge might be marked or not, if it does not lead to an endnode (leaf).
They were introduced to model skew Dyck paths using trees.

We depict a marked edge by the red colour and draw all of them of size 4 (4
nodes) in a table at the end of this introductory section.

Now we move to a symbolic equation for the marked ordered trees:
\begin{figure}[h]\small
	\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.0,
		s1/.style={circle=10pt,draw=black!90,thick},
		s2/.style={rectangle,draw=black!50,thick},scale=0.5]

		\node at ( 0.0,0) { $\mathscr{A}$};

		\node at (1.5,0) { $=$};

		\node(d) at (5,1)[s1]{};
		\node(e) at (3,-1){ $\mathscr{A}$};
		\node(ee) at (5,-1){$\cdots$};
		\node(f) at (7,-1){ $\mathscr{A}$};
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (e) node{}
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (f) node{}

		\node[xshift=4cm] at (0.7,0) {$+$};

		\node[xshift=4cm](d) at (5,1)[s1]{};
		\node[xshift=4cm](e) at (3,-1){ $\mathscr{A}$};
		\node[xshift=4cm](ee) at (5,-1){$\cdots$};
		\node[xshift=4cm](f) at (7,-1){ $\mathscr{A}$};
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (e) node{}
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (f) node{}
		\node[xshift=4cm](g) at (9,-1){ $\mathscr{A}\setminus\{\circ\}$};
		\path [draw,-,black,red,ultra thick] (d) -- (8.8+8,-0.5) node {}

	\end{tikzpicture}
    \caption{Symbolic equation for marked ordered trees.\\
             $\mathscr{A}\cdots\mathscr{A}$ refers to $\ge0$ copies of
             $\mathscr{A}$.}
\end{figure}

Recall that ordered (plane, planted plane) trees are simpler and are given by
deleting the last component with the red edge.

We also bring the notion of height into the game (length of longest chain of the
root to a leaf, measured in the number of nodes). Let $\mathscr{A}_h$ denote the
family of  marked ordered trees with height $\le h$. Then
\begin{figure}[h]\small
	\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.0,
		s1/.style={circle=10pt,draw=black!90,thick},
		s2/.style={rectangle,draw=black!50,thick},scale=0.5]

		\node at ( 0.0,0) {$\mathscr{A}_{h+1}$};

		\node at (1.5,0) {$=$};

		\node(d) at (5,1)[s1]{};
		\node(e) at (3,-1){$\mathscr{A}_h$};
		\node(ee) at (5,-1){$\cdots$};
		\node(f) at (7,-1){$\mathscr{A}_h$};
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (e) node{}
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (f) node{}

		\node[xshift=4cm] at (0.7,0) {$+$};

		\node[xshift=4cm](d) at (5,1)[s1]{};
		\node[xshift=4cm](e) at (3,-1){$\mathscr{A}_h$};
		\node[xshift=4cm](ee) at (5,-1){$\cdots$};
		\node[xshift=4cm](f) at (7,-1){$\mathscr{A}_h$};
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (e) node{}
		\path [draw,-,black!90] (d) -- (f) node{}
		\node[xshift=4cm](g) at (9,-1){$\mathscr{A}_h \setminus\{\circ\}$};
		\path [draw,-,black,red,ultra thick] (d) -- (8.8+8,-0.5) node {}

	\end{tikzpicture}
    \caption{Symbolic equation for marked ordered trees of bounded height for
             height $h\ge2$.}
\end{figure}

\def\bigtree{\bn{\bn{\bn{\bn{}\bn{}}\rn{\bn{}}}
             \bn{\bn{}\bn{}}\rn{\bn{}\bn{\bn{}\rn{\bn{}}}}}}
\begin{figure}[h]\small
    \setnodedistances{50,20,10,8,4,2,1}
    \begin{tree}\bigtree\end{tree}
    \setnodedistances{30,20,10,8,4,2,1}
    \caption{Example of a marked ordered tree.}\label{fig:bigtree}
\end{figure}
The classical bijection between ordered trees and Dyck paths consists of walking
around the tree, and recording an up-step when walking down and recording a
down-step when walking up. This can be adapted to marked ordered trees to
produce decorated Dyck paths. The additional rule is to record a red down-step
when walking up a red (marked) edge.

\begin{figure}[h]\small
    \begin{dyck}{}\bigtree\end{dyck}
    \caption{The decorated Dyck path corresponding to Figure~\ref{fig:bigtree}.}\label{fig:bigtree2}
\end{figure}

Decorated Dyck paths are in (simple) bijection to skew Dyck path, by replacing
each red down-step by a south-west (= $(-1,-1)$) step.
The next tables show all marked treed of size 4 (4 nodes) and the corresponding
objects.
\begin{figure}[h]\small
    \begin{dyck}{skew}\bigtree\end{dyck}
    \caption{The skew Dyck path corresponding to Figure~\ref{fig:bigtree2}.}\label{fig:bigtree3}
\end{figure}

A representative example of trees and corresponding paths is in Figures \ref{fig:bigtree}, \ref{fig:bigtree2}, \ref{fig:bigtree3}.\footnote{Thanks are due to G. Feierabend for
the drawings.}

The main object of this paper is the analysis of the number of \emph{deepest
nodes}, i.e.\, the nodes defining the height of the tree.

For ordered trees, this was investigated by Rainer Kemp \cite{Kemp-deepest},
with important contributions provided by Volker Strehl \cite{Strehl-deepest}.

A complete list of all 10 marked ordered trees with 4 nodes is provided for the
benefit of the reader:\footnote{G. Feierabend has
compiled lists for all trees with up to 6 nodes\\ https://www.math.tugraz.at/~prodinger/pdffiles/gregg.pdf. }

\settreetablepadding{6pt}

\begin{treetable}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{\bn{\bn{}}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\rn{\bn{\bn{}}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{\rn{\bn{}}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\rn{\rn{\bn{}}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{}\bn{\bn{}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{}\rn{\bn{}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{\bn{}}\bn{}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{\bn{}\bn{}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\rn{\bn{}\bn{}}}}
    \treerow{\bn{\bn{}\bn{}\bn{}}}
\end{treetable}

For completeness, it is mentioned that the average height of such marked ordered trees was already identified to be asymptotic to $\frac2{\sqrt5}\sqrt{\pi n}$ \cite{garden}, which is
slightly smaller than $\sqrt{\pi n}$ in the classical case \cite{BrKnRi72}.

\section{Enumeration}

We start by the enumerating the marked trees according to the number of nodes.
Translating the symbolic equation,
\begin{equation*}
    A = \frac{z}{1-A}+\frac{z(A-z)}{1-A}=-z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-A},
\end{equation*}
with the relevant solution
\begin{align*}
    A(z) &= \frac{1-z-\sqrt{1-6z+5z^2}}{2}\\&
         = z+{z}^{2}+3{z}^{3}+10{z}^{4}+36{z}^{5}
           +137{z}^{6}+543{z}^{7}+2219{z}^{8}+\cdots,
\end{align*}
and the sequence $1,1,3,10,36,\dots$ of coefficients  is sequence A002212 in~\cite{OEIS}.
Next we enumerate the classes $\mathscr{A}_h$ according to the size.
The treatment of deepest nodes will come a bit later. The enumerating sequence
of $\mathscr{A}_h$ is defined to be $A_h=A_h(z)=\frac{f_h}{g_h}$. The
recursion is
\begin{equation*}
    A_{h+1}=-z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-A_h},\quad A_1=z.
\end{equation*}
We may set  $f_1=z$, $g_1=1$, $f_2=z$, $g_2=1-z$. Then
\begin{equation*}
    f_{h+1}=zf_h+z(1-z)g_h,\quad g_{h+1}=g_h-f_h.
\end{equation*}
From this
\begin{equation*}
	g_{h+1}-g_{h+2}=zg_h-zg_{h+1}+z(1-z)g_h.
\end{equation*}
Solving the characteristic equation $X-X^2=z-zX+z(1-z)$, we find the two roots
\begin{equation*}
    \lambda=\frac{1+z+\sqrt{1-6z+5z^2}}{2},
    \quad \mu=\frac{1+z-\sqrt{1-6z+5z^2}}{2}.
\end{equation*}
The solution must be of the form
\begin{equation*}
    A_h=\frac{C_1\lambda^h-C_2\mu^h}{C_3\lambda^h-C_4\mu^h},
\end{equation*}
and an attractive form could be written using the substitution
$z=\frac{v}{1+3v+v^2}$, since then $\frac\lambda z=2+v^{-1}$ and $\frac \mu
z=2+v$.
Then
\begin{equation*}
    A_h = z(1+v)\frac{{(1+2v)}^{h-1}-v^h{(v+2)}^{h-1}}
                     {{(1+2v)}^{h-1}-v^{h+1}{(v+2)}^{h-1}},
\end{equation*}
which could be proved by induction as well.\footnote{G. Feierabend has worked
out the details of such a proof \\ https://www.math.tugraz.at/~prodinger/pdffiles/gregg.pdf.} It is also worthwhile to write
\begin{equation*}
v=\frac{1-3z-\sqrt{1-6z+5z^2}}{2z}.
\end{equation*}
Note that $\frac\mu z=2+v$
and $\frac\lambda z=2+v^{-1}$. Further
\begin{equation*}
	\frac\mu\lambda =\frac{(1+z)}{(2-z)z}\mu-1=\frac{v(2+v)}{1+2v}=:q.
\end{equation*}
All these equivalent forms are useful somehow.

Now we count the deepest nodes, using a second variable $t$. We write
$p_h=p_h(z,t)$, and $[z^{n}t^{i}]p_{h}(z,t)$ is the number of marked ordered
trees with $n$ nodes, height $\le h$, and $i$ nodes on level $h$. For $i=0$,
this means that the tree has height $<h$, so $p_h(z,0)=p_{h-1}(z,1)$. The
symbolic equation is used, but with a twist, since the recursion does not allow
to compute $p_2$. We have
\begin{equation*}
    p_1 = zt,\quad p_2=\frac{z}{1-p_1}
        = \frac{z}{1-zt},\quad p_{h+1}
        = -z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-p_{h}},\text{ for } h\ge2.
\end{equation*}
Therefore
\begin{equation*}
    p_3=-z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-p_2}=-z+\cfrac{z(2-z)}{1-\cfrac{z}{1-zt}},
\end{equation*}
\begin{equation*}
    p_4 = -z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-p_3}
        = -z+\cfrac{z(2-z)}{1+z-\cfrac{z(2-z)}{1-\cfrac{z}{1-zt}}},
\end{equation*}
\begin{equation*}
    p_5=-z+\frac{z(2-z)}{1-p_4}=-z+\cfrac{z(2-z)}{1+z-
    \cfrac{z(2-z)}{1+z-\cfrac{z(2-z)}{1-\cfrac{z}{1-zt}}}}, \quad \&c.
\end{equation*}
Expanding
\begin{align*}
    p_2&=z+t z^2+t^2 z^3+t^3 z^4+\cdots,\\
    p_3&=z+z^2+(1+2 t) z^3+(1+3 t+2 t^2) z^4+\cdots,\\
    p_4&=z+z^2+3z^3+(6+4t)z^4+\cdots,\\
    p_5&=z+z^2+3z^3+10z^4+\cdots.
\end{align*}
We look at the coefficient of $z^4$ and think about the list of 10 trees
drawn earlier. For height $\le2$, one such tree appears, and it has 3
deepest nodes.
Next, 3 trees appear with one deepest node, and 2 with two deepest nodes. For
height $\le 4$, four further trees appear, with one deepest node each.

With a lot of help from \textsc{Gfun}~\cite{SaZi94}, we get for $h\ge2$
\begin{align*}
    p_h &= z(1+v)\\
        &  \times\frac{(v^2t-v^2+vt-3v-1){(1+2v)}^{h-2}
           -(-v^2+vt-3v+t-1)v^{h-1}{(2+v)}^{h-2}}{(v^2t-v^2+vt-3v-1)
           {(1+2v)}^{h-2}-(-v^2+vt-3v+t-1)v^{h}{(2+v)}^{h-2}}\\
        &= z(1+v)\frac{(v^2t-v^2+vt-3v-1)\lambda^{h-2}-(-v^2+vt-3v+t-1)
           v\mu^{h-2}}{(v^2t-v^2+vt-3v-1)\lambda^{h-2}-(-v^2+vt-3v+t-1)
           v^{2}\mu^{h-2}}\\
        &= z(1+v)\frac{1-Rvq^{h-2}}{1-Rv^{2}q^{h-2}}
\end{align*}
with
\begin{equation*}
	R = \frac{-v^2+vt-3v+t-1}{v^2t-v^2+vt-3v-1}=1
        +\frac{v-1}{v}\sum_{k\ge1}{(1+v)}^{k}t^{k}z^{k}.
\end{equation*}
The representation
\begin{equation*}
	R=1+\frac{v-1}{v}\frac{t(1+v)z}{1-t(1+v)z}
\end{equation*}
might be the most attractive.
The reader can compare this for $t=1$ with $A_h$ given earlier.

The most interesting generating function is
\begin{equation*}
G(z,t):=zt+\sum_{h\ge2}\Big(p_h(z,t)-p_h(z,0)\Big);
\end{equation*}
the coefficient of $z^{n}t^{i}$ in  $G(z,t)$ for $n,i\ge1$ is the number of
marked ordered trees with $n$ nodes and $i$ deepest nodes.

\section{Continuing with exact analysis}

First, note that $R|_{t=0}=\dfrac{-v^2-3v-1}{-v^2-3v-1}=1$. Then
\begin{align*}
    \frac{p_h(z,t)-p_h(z,0)}
    {z(1+v)}&=\frac{1-Rvq^{h-2}}{1-Rv^{2}q^{h-2}}
    -\frac{1-vq^{h-2}}{1-v^{2}q^{h-2}}\\
    &= \frac{(1-Rvq^{h-2})(1-v^{2}q^{h-2})-(1-vq^{h-2})(1-Rv^{2}q^{h-2})}
            {(1-Rv^{2}q^{h-2})(1-v^{2}q^{h-2})}\\
    &= \frac{(1-v)v(1-R)q^{h-2}}{(1-Rv^{2}q^{h-2})(1-v^{2}q^{h-2})}\\
    &= (1-v)v     \bigg[\frac{q^{h-2}}{1-v^2q^{h-2}}-
       \frac{Rq^{h-2}}{1-Rv^2q^{h-2}}\bigg],
 \end{align*}
or
\begin{align*}
    p_{h}(z,t)-p_{h}(z,0)&= \frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}
    \bigg[\frac{v^2q^{h-2}}{1-v^2q^{h-2}}-
    \frac{Rv^2q^{h-2}}{1-Rv^2q^{h-2}}\bigg].
\end{align*}
Summing,
 \begin{align*}
     \sum_{h\ge1}\Big(p_{h+1}(z,t)-p_{h+1}(z,0)\Big)&= \frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}
     \sum_{h\ge1}  \bigg[\frac{v^2q^{h-1}}{1-v^2q^{h-1}}-
     \frac{Rv^2q^{h-1}}{1-Rv^2q^{h-1}}\bigg]\\
     &= \frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}  \sum_{h\ge1}  \bigg[\frac{\delta q^{h}}{1-\delta
        q^{h}}- \frac{R\delta q^{h}}{1-R\delta q^{h}}\bigg]\\
     &= \frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}  \sum_{k\ge1}  \bigg[\frac{\delta^k q^{k}}{1-
        q^{k}}- \frac{R^k\delta^k q^{k}}{1-  q^{k}}\bigg]\\
     &= \frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}  \sum_{k\ge1}   \frac{\delta^k q^{k}(1-R^k)}{1-
        q^{k}}
\end{align*}
 with
 \begin{equation*}
 	\delta =\frac{v(2v+1)}{v+2}.
 \end{equation*}
Using the binomial theorem,
\begin{equation*}
	R^k-1
    =\sum_{i=1}^k\binom ki{\bigg(\frac{v-1}{v}\frac{t(1+v)z}{1-t(1+v)z}\bigg)}^i.
\end{equation*}
Putting things together,
\begin{align*}
	G(z,t)-zt &= \sum_{h\ge1}\Big(p_{h+1}(z,t)-p_{h+1}(z,0)\Big)\\*
              &= \frac{z(v^2-1)}{v}  \sum_{1\le i\le k}  \binom
                 ki{\bigg(\frac{v-1}{v}\frac{t(1+v)z}{1-t(1+v)z}\bigg)}^i
                 \frac{\delta^k q^{k}}{1-  q^{k}}.
\end{align*}
The generating function is now fully explicit.
\begin{theorem}
	The generating function $G(z,t)$ where the coefficient of $z^nt^i$ refers to the number of marked ordered trees with $n$ nodes and $i$ deepest nodes, has the explicit form
	\begin{equation*}
	G(z,t)=zt+ \frac{z(v^2-1)}{v}  \sum_{1\le i\le k}  \binom
ki{\bigg(\frac{v-1}{v}\frac{t(1+v)z}{1-t(1+v)z}\bigg)}^i
\frac{\delta^k q^{k}}{1-  q^{k}},
	\end{equation*}
with $z=\dfrac{v}{1+3v+v^2}$, $q=\dfrac{v(v+2)}{2v+1}$, and $\delta =\dfrac{v(2v+1)}{v+2}$.\qed
\end{theorem}

Now we are interested in the average number of deepest nodes, assuming all trees of size $n$ to be equally likely. For that, we have to differentiate $G(z,t)$ w.r.t. $t$, followed by
$t=1$. We ignore the tree with one node and one deepest node. Only the quantity $R$ contains the variable $t$:
\begin{align*}
    \frac{d}{dt}(1-R^h)\Big|_{t=1}
    = \frac{(1-v^2)(1+3v+v^2)h{(v+2)}^{h-1}v^{h-1}}{{(2v+1)}^{h+1}}
    = \frac{(1-v^2)(1+3v+v^2)}{(v+2)v(2v+1)}hq^h.
\end{align*}
Therefore
\begin{align*}
\frac{d}{dt}\sum_{h\ge1}\Big(p_{h+1}(z,t)-p_{h+1}(z,0)\Big)\bigg|_{t=1}&=\frac{z(1-v^2)}{v}  \sum_{k\ge1}   \frac{\delta^k q^{k}\frac{(1-v^2)(1+3v+v^2)}{(v+2)v(2v+1)}kq^k}{1-
	q^{k}}\\*
&=    \frac{{(1-v^2)}^2}{(v+2)v(2v+1)} \sum_{k\ge1}
    \frac{k\delta^k q^{2k}}{1-q^{k}}.
\end{align*}

\section{Asymptotics}

For the following, we refer to \cite{FGD} and use a hybrid approach, first the Mellin transform, to establish to local behaviour, and then singularity analysis to switch to
the behaviour of the coefficients. The book \cite{FS} is of course also relevant here.

The goal is to find the behaviour of
\begin{equation*}
\sum_{k\ge1}\frac{k\delta^k q^{2k}}{1-q^{k}}=\sum_{k\ge1}\frac{kv^{2k} q^{k}}{1-q^{k}}
=\sum_{k,j\ge1}kv^{2k} q^{jk}
\end{equation*}
as $z\to\frac15$, or $v\to1$. First, we start with the simpler sum
\begin{equation*}
\sum_{k\ge1}\frac{k q^{3k}}{1-q^{k}}
\end{equation*}
and discuss later that the difference is negligible. We set $q=e^{-w}$.   Then we deal with
\begin{equation*}
\sum_{k\ge1}\frac{ke^{-3kw}}{1-e^{-kw}}=\sum_{k\ge1}\sum_{j\ge 3}ke^{-kjw}.
\end{equation*}
The Mellin transform of this is then $\Gamma(s)\zeta(s-1)\bigl(\zeta(s)-1-\frac1{2^s}\bigr)$, and the next step is to find the residues of
$\Gamma(s)\zeta(s-1)(\zeta(s)-1-\frac1{2^s})w^{-s}$ left to the line $\Re s=\frac32$, say. We compute these residues at $s=1$
and $s=0$ (with a computer), with the (cumulative) result $-\frac{1}{2w}+\frac{5}{24}$. But $w=-\log(q)$, and we expand
\begin{equation*}
 \frac{{(1-v^2)}^2}{(v+2)v(2v+1)}\Big(\frac{1}{2\log(q)}+\frac{5}{24}\Big)
\end{equation*}
around $v=1$, with the result
\begin{equation*}
-\frac13(1-v)-\frac{2}{27}(1-v)^2+\cdots.
\end{equation*}
 One could from this translate to an expansion about $1- 5z$, but it is not necessary, since the generating function of the
marked ordered trees, established to be  $z(1+v)$, which we need for normalization, is $\sim \frac 25-\frac15(1-v)+\cdots$, and the quotient $(-\frac 13)/(-\frac15)=\frac{5}{3}$ is the average number of deepest nodes (leading term), when all trees of size $n$ are considered to be equally likely and $n$ gets large.
\begin{theorem}
	The average number of deepest nodes, when all marked ordered trees with $n$ nodes are considered to be equally likely, approaches $\frac{5}{3}$ as $n\to\infty$.\qed
\end{theorem}

\tiny
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}
\begin{longtable}{llll
	\bfseries Nodes & \bfseries Deepest nodes &
	\bfseries Trees & \bfseries Ratios
	\csvreader[head to column names]{ratios.csv}{}
	{\\\hline\csvcoli&\csvcolii&\csvcoliii&\csvcoliv}
\end{longtable}

\normalsize

It remains to discuss that replacing $v$ by $q$ leads to the same main term. We have
\begin{equation*}
	v-q=\frac{v(v-1)}{1+2v},\quad v^2-q^2=\frac{3v^2(v-1)(1+v)}{(1+2v)^2},\quad v^3-q^3=\frac {{v}^{3} \left( v-1 \right)  \left( 7{v}^{2}+13v+7 \right)
	}{ \left( 1+2v \right) ^{3}}
\end{equation*}
and so on; there is always a factor $v-1$ present, so the asymptotics of the difference of the two sums has an extra factor $v-1$, which means one order of magnitude smaller.
This is perhaps easier to see when switching to the $z$-world: $1-v\sim\sqrt5\sqrt{1-5z}$, and for instance $(1-5z)^{3/2}$ leads already to coefficients that are smaller by a factor $\frac 1n$. The necessary background information can be found in \cite{FO}.

\section{Conclusion}

The continued fraction expression for $p_h=p_h(z,t)$ contains the variable $t$ only at the bottom level. It would be desirable to have an equivalent representation
where $t$ appears only near the top of the continued fraction. This should then lead to an identity of the Kemp/Strehl type \cite{Kemp-deepest,Strehl-deepest}.
Flajolet's paper \cite{Flajolet-aspects} does not seem to be immediately applicable.

So far, we were not successful with this.

\bibliographystyle{plain}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Article Words : Lyn Hughes | 06 February 2018
The ultimate city guide to Kyoto, Japan
From fresh seafood market stalls and cherry blossom canal strolls to mesmerising temples and traditional inns, make the most of your trip to Kyoto with our ultimate guide...
It was such a cliché it could have been a scene from a film. Across the narrow and fast-flowing river was a brightly lit restaurant. In the window sat a group of wealthy looking Japanese men with two immaculately made-up maiko – apprentice geisha – joining them in an age-old tradition.
Meanwhile, a geiko (as geisha are called in Kyoto) scurried purposefully past me, a white parasol protecting her from the light rain shower. Ahead, the little wooden Tatsumi Bridge, recognisable from the film Memoirs of a Geisha, was thronged with a group of British tourists, listening to their guide.
The geiko, avoiding eye contact, somehow made her way silently through them and carried on past the secretive teahouse in which, so it's rumoured, the Pearl Harbour attack was planned.
In truth, Kyoto can be a bit of an anticlimax when you first arrive at the station, fresh off the shinkansen bullet train. The wide streets could be almost anywhere. The branches of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Starbucks and Gap are packed with hip young professionals. There is little sign of the 2,000 or so temples and shrines that are a legacy of the city's glorious past, including over 1,000 years as Japan's capital.
But then you find there is a surprise around every corner, from fortune-telling machines (I got told to avoid travel) to a tiny local shrine covered in offerings and a small woodblock museum with idiosyncratic hours ("Open when I wake up and close when I must go to sleep").
Secret worlds
As you wander off the main thoroughfares, you find the other, older Japan of folklore. This may be the country that has led the world in developing new technology, but there are plenty of traditional family-owned shops that still don't take credit cards.
The street-corner vending machines may spew out cold beers and cans of hot coffee, but the simplest restaurants will painstakingly prepare aesthetically pleasing dishes with the freshest of ingredients. At the shrines and temples, suited businessmen make offerings, praying for success and prosperity.
Walking around, it can sometimes feel like an impenetrable world, with secrets behind every door. But give Kyoto time and, like the mysterious geiko, she will gradually reveal herself and reward you accordingly with her charms.
Top 5 experiences
Sushi restaurant, Kyoto (Dreamstime)
1: Learn to make sushi and tempura in the kitchen of a local home with WAK, the Women's Association of Kyoto, who also offer calligraphy, tea-ceremony, sake-tasting and kimono-wearing classes.
2: Take a guided walk through Gion after dark to gain an insight into the world of geiko (Kyoto's name for geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha).
3: Walk through the 5,000-plus orange-red torii (shrine gates) of Fushimi Inari Taisha. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, god of rice and business. Companies and individuals buy torii of various sizes in a quest for riches and good fortune.
4: Wander around Nishiki Market to purvey a bewildering array of foodstuffs, to marvel at the world's most expensive mushrooms (matsutake) and sample more affordable takeaway treats, such as tofu doughnuts.
5: Make tea, something the Japanese have turned into a Zen-influenced spiritual ritual. Partake in a traditional tea ceremony at the Fukujuen tea store, before buying some leaves to take home.
Top 5 excursions
Path to bamboo forest, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan (Dreamstime)
1: The attractive riverside resort town of Arashiyama is deservedly popular. Photograph the iconic wooden bridge, take a boat, train or rickshaw ride, visit Tenryu-ji temple, a World Heritage site, and stroll through a bamboo forest that looks very much like it came from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Make the steep walk up to the Monkey Park to come face to face with Japanese macaques. They're in the wild, you're in the cage.
2: Out in the northern hills, Kurama is famous for its Fire Festival (October) but is otherwise a sleepy little town, with a huge temple complex and an onsen (open-air hot-spring bath). You can hike to and from neighbouring Kibune village, known for its restaurants, in around 90 minutes.
3: Step back in time in Ohara, 10km north of Kyoto. The rural village is surrounded by paddy fields and forested hills, and is known for its historic Buddhist temples, notably the 1,200-year-old Sanzen-in and Jikko-in (founded in 1013AD). Try the local speciality: cucumbers pickled in ice water, served on a stick. There are a couple of ryokans (traditional inns) where you can have lunch and use the onsen.
4: A former capital of Japan, Nara (37km south of Kyoto) has numerous temples, including the Todai-ji, home to the largest wooden structure in the world, which houses a 500-tonne Buddha. Get mobbed by cheeky deer (you can buy biscuits to feed them), once believed to be messengers of the gods.
5: Japanese green tea is said to have originated in Uji, 14km south of Kyoto. Enjoy a civilised cuppa in what may be the oldest teahouse in world, the Tsuen, and pick-up a sample of the local wares from one of the many stalls lining the route to the lovely Byodo-in temple and superb museum.
Top 5 places to stay
Traditional ryokan room in Japan (Dreamstime)
1: Stay in a ryokan for at least one night. In these traditional-style inns, you sleep on futons, and you're encouraged to wear a yukata (light cotton kimono) and eat kaiseki cuisine. The most famous are Tawaraya and Hiiragiya, age-old institutions facing each other in central Kyoto. The Gion Hatanaka Ryokan, near the Yasaka Shrine, is more modern. Shiraume in Gion is highly rated.
2: In a quiet location close to the Imperial Palace, Kyoto's first boutique pad, The Screen, is luxurious and intimate, with just 13 rooms. Hotel Mume in a quiet corner of Gion, is another stylish and highly rated place in similar vein.
3: Tour Club is a friendly hostel close to Kyoto Station. It's Japanese-run but English-speaking. Private en-suite rooms are available as well as dorms.
4: For something different, stay in a Buddhist temple: at Shunkoin Temple, which has just five affordable rooms. Here, you can learn Zen meditation from the English-speaking vice-abbot.
5: The Mitsui Garden Kyoto Sanjo is a reliable mid-priced option. What it lacks in character, it makes up for in convenient location in the centre. It has its own onsen (Japanese bath), and breakfast is a mix of Japanese and western dishes.
Top 5 foodie flavours
A kaiseki ryori multi-course meal, Japan (Dreamstime)
1: Forget the cellophane-wrapped over-chilled stuff from your local supermarket. Instead, eat sushi as it's meant to be. Head to Iyomata in Nishiki Market (daytime only).
2: Kyoto is known for kaiseki ryori, Japan's refined and subtle multi-course cuisine. Whether Michelin-starred or not, prices can be sky high. For a modern and affordable take on kaiseki, try Grotto on Imadegawa-dori.
3: Tofu simmered in dashi soup (yudofu) might not sound exciting, but it's transformed in Kyoto. Yudofu restaurants are usually found at or near temples. Try Yudofuya at Ryoan-ji temple, having contemplated the world's finest Zen rock garden first.
4: Teppanyaki beef, seafood or vegetables cooked on a griddle in front of the customer is more popular with visitors than locals. Try Itoh Dining in the heart of Gion, which has windows overlooking the Shirakawa River.
5: Sukiyaki or shabu shabu are thinly cut strips of tender beef and vegetables, boiled in different types of broth, served with dipping sauce. Mishima-tei on Sakurano-cho is one of the most famous places to indulge.
Top 5 temples and shrines
Kiyomizu-dera temple (Dreamstime)
1: Built in 798AD, Kiyomizu-dera is known for bestowing good fortune. It has a path that guarantees success in love, if you can navigate it with your eyes shut. Keep your peepers open though to admire the massive hall and Noh stage, and gaze from the large terrace, which offers lovely views over Kyoto.
2: Beautifully set, Kinkaku-ji – the Golden Pavilion – is a three-storey pavilion covered in gold leaf. Iconic and a must-see, it's also but horribly popular. Get there as soon as it opens in the morning (9am).
3: Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Temple, does not live up to its name, but the modest wooden building is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has its own quiet charm.
4: The huge, brooding Rinzai Zen temple of Nanzen-ji houses a number of sub-temples and gardens. One monumental gate here is famed for being the hiding place of a notorious 16th-century outlaw who, when tracked down, was boiled alive.
5: The 120m-long main hall of Sanjusangen-do is the longest wooden building in Japan. It doesn't look that special from the outside, but enter and you will be awed by 1,001 statues, each subtly different, of the Buddhist Bodhavista Kannon, goddess of mercy.
Top 5 places for a stroll
Philosopher's Walk with cherry blossoms in bloom (Dreamstime)
1: Philosopher's Walk
Saunter from Ginkaku-ji to Nanzen-ji along this pretty canal-side path, so-named because influential 20th-century philosopher Nishida Kitaro used to walk this way each day. It's especially beautiful in April, when the cherry blossom is in bloom. The walk takes 30 minutes.
2: Pontocho
A centuries-old atmospheric alley that runs parallel to the Kamo River and is lined with restaurants and teahouses. Visit after dark when it's beautifully lit with lanterns. You may see a geisha or maiko on their way to an engagement.
3: Kiyomizu Temple to Yasaka Shrine
To get a flavour of old Kyoto, admire the views from Kiyomizu before heading down through the charming streets of eastern Gion to Yasaka, a seventh-century shrine famed for its New Year celebrations and for hosting one of Kyoto's top annual festivals, the Gion Matsuri (July).
4: Maruyama Park to Heian Shrine
If visiting in cherry blossom season, this is a must-do route north through the streets of Higashiyama, as both the start and end points are known for their glorious cherry trees. The shrine is worth a visit at any time of year, though, to admire its huge vermillion gate and lovely gardens, designed specifically for strolling.
5: Katsura Rikyu
Kyoto has some wonderful gardens, designed to replicate the sensory qualities of the natural world and to be enjoyed by walking their pathways. This garden, belonging to an imperial villa, has a lake and several tea pavilions. You will need permission to enter from the Imperial Household Agency.
Top 5 souvenirs
Chopsticks on display in Japan (Dreamstime)
1: A kimono or yukata (the informal cotton version)
Visit the Nishijin Textile Center, an alliance of weavers, to learn about kimonos, rent one for the day or buy one to take home. The Kikuya market (on Manjuji-dori) is recommended for quality second-hand kimonos.
2: Chef's knife
Knife-maker Aritsugu was founded in 1560, when it provided swords to the imperial household. Visit the shop in Nishiki Market, where you can have your name engraved onto your knife and learn how to sharpen it.
3: Washi (paper)
Traditional Japanese paper, handmade from a range of trees and shrubs, has many uses, from folding screens to origami and stationery. Buy souvenirs from stationery store Kyukyo-do (on Teramachi), which dates back to 1663.
4: Woodblock prints
This art form goes back centuries. See prints being made, or make your own, at the Kyoto Handicraft Center. You can buy yourself an antique original from lovely Daishodo (Teramachi Shopping Arcade).
5: Chopsticks
Japanese chopsticks are shorter than Chinese ones and you'll be amazed at the variety of styles and prices. Visit the Ohashi-no-Ohshita shop and workshop in Gion, near Kiyomizu, for a splendid range and to see them being made.
Geishas in Gion district, Kyoto, Japan (Dreamstime)
Gion's geisha glory
There are still a thousand or so geisha in Japan, with Kyoto a stronghold for these accomplished 'performing artists'. Much of the entertaining still takes place in ochaya, traditional tea-houses, where you will not be allowed entry. But you are likely to see them making their way between appointments in Gion and in Pontocho Alley.
Kyoto geisha start their training at 15 with the shikomi and minarai stages (look and learn, the lowest rung on the ladder). Later, they become maiko (apprentices) and at 21 they 'graduate' to geiko. Maikos are easily identified as they have their own hair, rather than a wig, and the nape of the neck is left without the famous white makeup.
Many geiko go on to make good marriages. After all, they get to meet Japan's most eligible bachelors.
The author travelled with Audley Travel
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This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to link your SoftChalk Cloud lessons in Moodle and include scores from the lessons in your Moodle gradebook.
See how to set-up a SoftChalk Cloud account, create a lesson, save your lesson to the Cloud and add the link to your LMS.
Cloud and place it into Moodle using a hyperlink.
include scores from SoftChalk lessons in your Moodle gradebook.
Cloud and place it into Moodle using the embed code.