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Lowestoft 1942 - WW2 Civil Defence and Home Guard - Suffolk
At the start of 1942 the issue of the "danger", or "Alarm", signal occupied the Committee. The Mayor was in correspondence with the Regional Commissioner about using the sirens to sound the "danger warning". The Regional Commissioner considered that this would not be allowed in any circumstances as he considered there were enough stream whistles to cover the town. The Committee considered the use of steam whistles, locomotive whistles and claxon horns to sound the "danger warning" but thought it impractical. Subsequently the Commissioner considered that there may be the possibility of using sirens to sound the "danger warning" between 7 a.m and 10.30 p.m but not during the night. There was also the possibility of installing the "Cuckoo" note but this would take at least a month. "Cuckoo" referred to a note sounded on an air raid siren – certain towns on or near the South and East coasts that were liable to "Hit and Run" raids were permitted to sound a local alarm signal publicly in addition to the national "Alert" warning.
The issue became more urgent when on Feb 4th when the Mayor reported that a number of workers in Lowestoft had threatened to go on strike if the "danger warning" was not given. The Regional Commissioner finally ruled out any possibility of using the sirens to sound the "danger warning" so the Committee resolved to use steam whistles until the "Cuckoo" system could be introduced. The "Cuckoo" warning system came into operation on Feb 20th.
The matter of the "danger warning" came up again in June following the raid of Jun 4th when not enough warning of the raid was given on the "Alert". The Committee wanted the "Alert" speeded up to give people at least four minutes warning of the approach of enemy aircraft. Various workers delegations also wanted the "danger warning" to be given throughout the 24 hours of the day as an interim measure until the "Alert" could be speeded up. It was resolved to sound the "danger warning" on Cuckoo after 10.30 p.m and not to clear it until the public "Alert" had been cleared or if there was no following "Alert" then until 6.00 am when the public "danger warning" was resumed. The Regional Commissioner agreed to the interim measure for a trial period of one month (which was subsequently extended by another three months) but urged the Committee to consider the effect on the health of women and children in going to and from shelters on giving the "danger warning". The Commissioner also stated it was a priority of his to speed up the "Alert".
The Committee decided to establish a separate Emergency Committee to consider Invasion plans. Prior to this setting up of an independent committee, the matters of the Emergency Committee were dealt with as part of the Town Council's meetings. The new independent committee was to be delegated the Council's powers under the Civil Defence Duties (Compulsory Enrollment) Act 1941, the administration of the Fire Guard and Fire Prevention (Business Premises) Order.
The issue of food stocks in the event of Invasion was of some concern. This had been considered a year ago but in connection with compulsory evacuation which was now unlikely to take place. It was estimated there was sufficient flour held for 11 days bread supply (assuming a population of 20,000 and a ½ lb daily ration). Tinned meat rations were sufficient for 14 days at a ½ lb daily ration per person. The Food Officer resolved to increase the stock by 20,000 12 oz tins. It was also agreed to increase the stock of milk by 5,000 tins.
Fire watching issues also regularly featured during 1942. The Chief Warden reported that Fire Watchers were using Wardens Posts and he stressed the need to obtain meeting points for the Watchers. Premises at 85 Norwich Road and 122 St Peter's Street were obtained for use of the Fire Watchers. The Town Clerk was authorized to take action against firms who had not complied with the Fire Prevention Order. In May the need for additional posts for Watches in Normanston Drive and Fir Lane districts was addressed. The Fire Guard Staff Officer reported that 581 stirrup pumps had been received. By June 277 had been issued on loan and 194 sold to residents. Alongside other equipment held at business premises it was estimated that 700 stirrup pumps were in the Borough in June.
On May 15th "Wakeful Watch" was relaxed with Fire Watchers under the Business Premises Order no longer needing to be on duty during daylight except in the case of an "Alert". Arrangements should be made for someone to be on call if the premises was closed and that access to the property was available without delay.
On Jun 25th the Fire Guard Staff Officer was able to report that 890 persons were performing Fire Watch duties as prescribed. These Watchers were controlled from Report Centers (mainly vacant lock-up shops loaned by the owners to the Local Authority)where they signed on and off duty with the exception of some 49 who were acting as volunteers and were formed as far as possible into stirrup pump teams of three. These volunteers were operating in five sectors, i.e. only three teams per sector which was considered a low coverage. The situation was helped in two of the sectors which had a good cover of business premises acting under the Block Scheme and Naval ratings billed in the area who could play a part.
The Fire Guard Staff officer pointed out the difficulties in maintaining a satisfactory organization in a relatively small Borough which was subject to frequent raids. One successful "Hit and Run" raid could completely shatter an area that had been working well and there was also the continual loss to the Home Guard. The Fire Guard Staff Officer was able to report in September that the Street Fire Parties had been reduced from 890 to 677 persons and the Business Premises from 2031 to 1686 persons due to being called up for Home Guard duties. However should compulsory evacuation be ordered, the 54th Infantry Division had agreed with the Ministry of Home Security that the Home Guard could assist in fire watching prior to "Action Stations" being issued. Arrangements were also subsequently made for a number of Home Guard pickets to be engaged on fire watching duties.
On Sept 3rd a letter dated Aug 7th from the Ministry of Home Security was read to the Committee regarding the compulsion of women with reference to Fire Prevention. By October some 4,194 women had been registered.
Training of Fire Watchers was regularly carried out particularly with practice incendiary bombs in a smoke control hut. The Regional Commissioner noted that the present shortage of labour and materials would cause a delay in the construction of further fire huts and the Committee was authorized to use shelters or any other suitable building in lieu of fire huts for Fire Guard training.
The only mention of air raid shelters in the minutes during 1942 was in regard to bunks for Anderson Shelters. The Council had put in a requisition for 16,000 of which it had received 11,000. On 9th June the Borough Surveyor reported that further supply had been stopped and that the Regional Commissioner had stated that it had proved difficult to obtain the supply of bunks.
Lowestoft Emergency Committee minutes, SRO


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Mom Years
By Jen Singer
My neighbor didn't believe me. "She's 42?" she asked, incredulously. Yes, my sister-in-law is 42, even though she doesn't look much different than when she was 32. "Well," my neighbor said as we headed home from the school bus stop. "Women without children don't age like we do." I laughed – and then tripped over a beach bucket my kids had dumped near the hedges.
She's right. And so, perhaps, is my father, who's always telling me that my children are trying to push me off the face of the earth. The evidence is in the lines around my eyes and the way I wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, wondering, Did I remember to sign Chris up for basketball before the deadline?
Certainly when my kids were little, I aged in dog years. All that colic, sleep deprivation, potty training and temper tantrums in the middle of Story Time at the library while the other mommies give you the evil eye is enough to turn your hair gray. And surely my kids' light-up sneaker years aged me a few decades.
But even now that I don't have to hoist them onto diaper changing tables or chase after them before they hit the lake, face-first, my kids, indeed, age me. It's just more subtle than it used to be, but each episode adds up:
Child traipses mud across the new kitchen floor: 5 days.
Child loses personalized lunchbox, a gift from Grandma: 2 weeks.
Child complains that brother is "coughing, and so I can't do my homework": 1 month.
Child required mid-day trip to pediatrician, who declares, "It's just a virus": 6 weeks.
Child's virus keeps him – and me – up all night: 2 months.
Child breaks his glasses (again): 3 months
Child gets on school bus, even though I told him I was picking him up at school, leaving me to frantically chase down the school bus before piano lessons*: 4 months
Actual time: 10 hours, 35 minutes.
Mom time: 12 months, 5 days.
And that was just for November. We all know that the holiday season accelerates Mom Years exponentially. By New Year's, I'll be another two-and-a-half years older. And I'll look it, too.
When my birthday arrives next month, my neighbor will probably think, "She's only 41?" I may be younger than my sister-in-law, but thanks to my kids, I look and feel older. But hey, in Mom Years, I look fantastic for my age.
*See "The Parenting Gods" for the harrowing details.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Doug MacDonald "Califournia Quartet"
Attention, jazz guitar enthusiasts! You'd be well advised to check out the underappreciated southern California guitar maven Doug MacDonald. He and his quartet take us on a ten song tour, split nicely between familiar fare and snappy, fresh originals. Along for the ride are the versatile So Cal alto man Kim Richmond; solid bass vet Harvey Newmark; and much in demand drummer Paul Kreibich. The opening tune, "Beautiful Friendship", informs us that we're in for a swingin' ride down the mainstream boulevard. Other standards examined most artfully include "If You Could See Me Now", "The Things We Did Last Summer", and "Tenderly". Several well crafted straight ahead MacDonald creations complete this highly enjoyable session. MacDonald is, as you will discover, a first cabin musician. The same may be said for his quartet mates, especially Richmond who has spent a career as an extraordinarily creative presence.
dmacmusic; 2019; appx. 40 min.
Carlos Franzetti "Ricordare"
I have been aware of Carlos Franzetti as a pianist of depth and beauty. He has long been an admirer of European film music, especially that of celebrated composer Ennio Morricone who is responsible for the very impressionistic title tune of this session. Franzetti is in superb trio company here, working with highly regarded David Finck on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums. In addition to the Morricone opener, Franzetti, with unerring taste and lyricism, examines other film music plus five of his own silvery, full-of-feeling originals. The three standards on the album are well loved: "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Danny Boy", and "Over The Rainbow". This is music to make you sigh in appreciation that some things in life can still be beautiful and full of wonderment.
Sunnyside Communications; 2019; appx. 60 min.
Al Hood "Jazz Muses"
To be very clear right off the bat, Al Hood is a monster trumpet player. Because he's not based in New York (Denver is his home), he may be a new name to you. He has gorgeous tone, complete control and fluidity rarely heard. On this exceptional CD, Hood and his quintet present ten tunes, nine of which were composed by trumpet heroes of years gone by. How about names like Clark Terry, Blue Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard and more. The only exception is Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" which is often attributed to another trumpet player by the name of Miles Davis. Among my personal faves are two luscious ballads: Bobby Shew's "Nadalin" and Clifford Brown's "LaRue" are both standout melodies and both deserve to be wider known. Hood's masterful Mile High City colleagues include Dave Hanson, piano; Peter Sommer, tenor sax; Will Swindler, alto sax; Ken Walker, bass; and Paul Romaine, drums. This is nothing less than a stunning and beautiful bebop feast. If I were to submit a top ten list of jazz CD'd of 2019, this sterling session would most assuredly be there.
Aquarian Records; 2019; appx. 66 min.
George's Briefs!
Stories Told; Dave Zinno, bass
Bassist Dave Zinno leads a standard quintet of trumpet, tenor and rhythm section on a pallet of mostly original tunes conveying more than a tip of the hat to a Latin-Brazilian spiciness. The two familiar selections are big hits "Michelle" and "Triste". This group packs a punch and the Latin influence is only subtly present. Solid playing here.
Whaling City Sound; 2019; appx. 66 min.
The Lonely Sailor; James Fernando, solo piano
Here's some solo piano music, mostly slow and expressive original music. There's a mysterious and sad quality to much of it, as if it could have had a soundtrack to an arty European film. This may not be everyone's cup of tea. But regardless of the emotions it may bring on, it's effectively done.
Self-produced; 2018; times not indicated.
What's New: Reimagining Benny Goodman; Oran Etkin, clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone
Are you brave enough to hear some Benny Goodman classics turned upside down and inside out? 'Cause that's what happens here, and it mostly works! Etkin demonstrates a boatload of creativity on Goodman fare like "Dinah", "Running Wild", "King Porter Stomp", "After You've Gone" and more. Considering that Goodman's heyday was some eight decades ago, this may be a bit odd, but it's accessible.
Motema Music; 2015; appx. 51 min.
To And From The Heart; Steve Kuhn, piano
If you love sophisticated piano trios (and who doesn't!), three New York veterans offer some highly recommended artful music on this lovely session. Along with Steve Swallow on bass and Joey Baron on drums, Steve Kuhn's delicate touch and winning melodic beauty are found in abundance on "Never Let Me Go", "Pure Imagination", and some impressive original music as well.
But Beautiful; Darren Barrett, Trumpet and Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI), Vocals, Keyboards
As the title indicates, Barrett's trumpet sound is truly beautiful. Too bad he had to ruin each and every track with a truckload of electronic effects. It's an insult to otherwise great tunes like "Con Alma", "Nica's Dream", "Invitation", "Everything Happens To Me", and other classics. Filet mignon and Alpo should never be combined.
DB Studios; 2018; times not indicated
Jump Up; Brad Turner, trumpet and flugelhorn
A new name to me, Brad Turner demonstrates a vitality and wide variety of feeling on no less than nine original compositions. Tenor man Seamus Blake is an ideal partner in this quintet as they present material to make you sit up and take notice. Perhaps the most accessible piece was "The Enthusiast", a boppy opportunity for the two to indulge in some high powered and jovial interplay.
Cellar Live [Cellar Music?] ; 2019; appx. 70 min.
Nicki Parrott "From New York To Paris"
Over the last decade or more, Nicki Parrott has distinguished herself as a gifted bassist and a perky singer as well. Now I guess if half of your fourteen-song menu deals with Paris, you'd be hard pressed not to include an accordion on the gig. But take a deep breath---it's pretty subtle. On a further instrumental note, Harry Allen's brilliant tenor sax reigns supreme here, and the arrangements on both vocals and instrumentals are well crafted. Among the New York tunes are "There's A Boat That's Leavin' Soon For New York", "Broadway", "The Brooklyn Bridge", and Dave Frishberg's wonderful "Do You Miss New York", among others. The Parisian bill brings us "I Love Paris", "I Will Wait For You", "Under Paris Skies", "If You Love Me", and more. Nicki Parrott and colleagues are in fine form on an album of standards we always enjoy hearing.
Yoko Miwa "Keep Talkin'"
Born In Japan, but now Boston based and a faculty member at Berklee College of Music, Yoko Miwa gives us a tour de force of big time chops, melodic sensibility, and impressive communication with her trio colleagues. Six of the eleven tunes are her own creations. I must say that it's a breath of fresh air to hear clearly stated melody lines and imaginative but controlled improvisation. Just the way it should be, one might say. I thought the outstanding cuts included Miwa's title tune and opener, a slick, fast paced blues, "Keep Talkin'". Other winners here were Monk's classic "In Walked Bud" and a rather rare Mingus creation called "Boogie Stop Shuffle". On all these and more, Yoko Miwa is definitely in the big leagues.
Self-produced; 2019; appx. 73 min.


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LegalTech in 2020: Solving Industry Challenges in a Pandemic
Published: December 9, 2020 (Updated: December 16, 2020)
After years of discussion and debate over the state of digital transformation in the legal field, 2020 delivered something of an ultimatum to an industry that has proven historically resistant to drastic change. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly altered the way many law firms do business, forcing them to seek out a variety of LegalTech solutions to survive in a new environment. Many of these changes are likely to remain firmly entrenched in the coming years, so it's worth taking a look back at the factors driving them.
COVID-19 and Change in the Legal Industry
From an outsider's perspective, the legal industry might have appeared to be uniquely well-suited to adapt to the pandemic. Lawyers are high-skill workers with an extensive range of technology solutions at their fingertips to facilitate remote work. It's easy to imagine a scenario in which many aspects of the legal process, from client intake to discovery to filing documents with the court, are handled virtually, without anyone needing to step foot outside their home office.
The reality, unfortunately, isn't so simple. While it's true that there are several innovative tools available that could support remote work, the legal industry has long struggled to adopt them at scale. Part of that has to do with the culture of law firms themselves, which tend to be driven by a traditional business model that hasn't changed much since the 20th century.
Although the legal industry has benefited from technology throughout its history, the use of that technology has typically fallen not to the lawyers themselves, but to their support staff. From printing out reams and reams of documents to manually tracking time in minute-based increments, many lawyers cling to outdated and inefficient practices out of habit and aversion to change.
Although the Great Recession caused some disruption to the legal industry, the impact was not significant or lasting enough to make firms fundamentally rethink their billing and technology usage. That has changed in 2020. As the industry struggles to adapt to the realities of the pandemic, firms have been forced to engage in what Jennifer Leonard, Chief Innovation Officer for University of Pennsylvania's Carey Law School, describes as "forced experimentation." This includes implementing technologies already quite common in other industries, such as video conferencing tools and cloud-based collaboration software, as well as taking a more customer-centric approach to delivering legal services.
Key LegalTech Trends in 2020
The rapid transition to the remote workplace has forced legal firms to implement several years' worth of technological change into the span of a few short months. Here are a few key LegalTech trends and needs that defined the industry in 2020.
Secure Online Communication
Successful transition to a remote work environment requires the right software tools to facilitate secure communication and collaboration. Lawyers not only need to be able to stay in direct contact with clients and colleagues, but also with the court system itself. With many judicial offices shuttered during the early months of the pandemic, courts have greatly expanded their use of e-filing, e-service, and online dispute resolution software. Various video conferencing platforms have also made it possible to conduct court hearings remotely. In a historic move, even the US Supreme Court chose to hear arguments over telephone.
With so many lawyers working remotely, however, security has become more important than ever. That's because home networks and personal devices can present a variety of security risks. Sharing documents over unencrypted email rather than through more secure LegalTech applications could potentially compromise secure client information or legal strategies. That has driven firms to implement digital solutions that they might have been hesitant to adopt as recently as a year ago.
Online Legal Research
The research and discovery process has gradually been moving online for quite some time. According to research by the American Bar Association (ABA), nearly 70% of lawyers begin their legal research with a general search engine or paid online resource. All of that online research means that lawyers need to be able to securely access and convert multiple different file types. While many legal documents can be found in various online databases, they often exist in poorly scanned formats that are difficult to read or otherwise manipulate. In order to manage these documents effectively, firms need LegalTech applications with imaging and conversion tools that can perform image cleanup and then convert files into formats that are easier to work with.
Virtual Document Review
Whether they're negotiating contracts or reviewing information as part of discovery, lawyers need to be able to annotate and redact documents without creating confusion over which edits are the most up-to-date. Version control has long been a challenge for the industry, whether it was multiple people working from different printed copies of a document or everyone having their own copy downloaded to a separate device. It's no surprise, then, that LegalTech startups specializing in contract review software have had no difficulty finding investors during the pandemic. To meet the growing needs of remote legal firms, these platforms will need to deliver powerful editing and access control features that allow users to collaborate more efficiently.
Innovative Billing Strategies
Although law firms have historically weathered economic downturns better than the rest of the economy, the unique nature of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the industry hard in the first half of 2020. According to data gathered by Clio, billing and case volumes plunged in March and April before starting a slow recovery in May. That recovery has been uneven, however, punctuated by a few sharp declines even as overall caseloads return to baseline levels. Firms frequently responded by laying off staff, with 20% of firms having done so or expecting to as recently as July.
The pandemic has forced many firms to implement timekeeping and billing software to help improve efficiency and deliver more value-based services to their clients. Traditional billable hour approaches tended to discourage efficiency, so shifting to a more flexible and transparent system driven by digital tools can help provide firms with the flexibility they need to meet client needs under adverse conditions. Automating billing also allows legal teams to focus more on acquiring new clients and retaining existing clients.
More Changes Coming in 2021
Several legal industry trends from 2020 are expected to continue, or even accelerate, in 2021. Here are just a few areas that will likely remain key priorities for LegalTech developers seeking to meet the industry's needs.
Improving the Client Experience: With so much of the attorney-client relationship going remote, legal firms will need to continue investing in tools that allow them to communicate and interact with their customers more easily.
More Cloud Adoption: Legal firms have been slow to adopt cloud-based LegalTech applications, but the pandemic has demonstrated the value of being able to access essential data and tools from anywhere at any time.
Organizational Innovation: As LegalTech becomes more essential, law firms will likely continue to rethink their organizational structure by adding non-legal staff to drive digital transformation.
Unlock Your LegalTech Potential with Accusoft
Developing robust LegalTech platforms that help firms overcome the challenges of the remote workplace is a major challenge. Accusoft's collection of content processing and conversion solutions allow development teams to easily integrate the collaboration and information-sharing tools lawyers require into your applications. Whether you're incorporating our REST APIs or powerful SDKs, we provide the functionality your software needs so your team can focus on the innovative features that will set you apart in the crowded LegalTech market in 2021 and beyond.
To learn more about how our content solutions can enhance your legal applications, talk to one of our integration experts today.
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… I got myself an Americano and found an empty table by the window where I could start 'Hope of a Tree' while drinking my coffee. The day was sunny and the Fulham Road was thronged with people doing their Saturday things. With my book and my coffee I felt as if I was in a little island of no hurry and no bother where I could let my mind be quiet for a while.
I opened the book […] and there's Cynthia on Clifton Bridge thinking about jumping and here comes Sam to talk her out of it. OK, I thought, you can get a good love story out of a beginning like that. Then I noticed a woman who'd just sat down at the next table watching me. She was about my age, not bad looking, maybe a little too much jaw, dark brown hair in a Louise Brooks cut. Black polo neck, little pink leather jacket, black trousers and Birkenstocks. Very sleek, very cool and sure of herself.
She gave me a sort of knowing leer and said, 'Enjoying it?'
'Just started it,' I said. 'Have you read it?'
'Had to,' she said. 'I was married to the author.'
'Oh,' I said.
'Do you know him?' she said.
'Sort of,' I said. 'I'm his girlfriend.'
I was surprised to hear myself say that but I tend to take against sleek women on sight.
'Really!' she said. 'He usually goes for the intellectual type. Which you don't, at first glance, appear to be.'
'It could be that he's looking to change his luck,' I said.
'Which way?' she said. I stood up and took half a step towards her. She suddenly looked less sure of herself.
'Maybe,' I said. 'You'd like to continue this discussion outside?'
'Oh dear,' she said. 'Phil has come a long way down the female evolutionary ladder. This conversation would seem to be at an end. I suggest that you go back to your book and I to my cappuccino.'
'While you still have your teeth,' I said. She stayed quiet then, and when she picked up her cup it rattled in the saucer. I was amazed at my behaviour and quite pleased with it. Ms Ex-Wife finished her cappuccino quickly and left, avoiding eye contact the whole time […].
Sam talks Cynthia down off the bridge and they go to the camera obscura. 'It's a dark chamber,' says Sam, 'but you get a clear bright view of things from here.'
I imagined him saying that in the kind of film where you can see what's coming long before it arrives. Sam – he's American – would be played by Jim Carrey without his usual gurning and pretty soon we'd find out in a flashback that he'd been contemplating suicide after being dumped by Jennifer, played by Emily Watson. Cynthia would be Kate Winslet. An American film shot on location here.
'Another dark chamber?' says Cynthia as they start taking their clothes off at Sam's place on page 17. They get through the sex pretty quickly because that part is only foreplay for a whole lot of talk about books and music and painting and movies. With quotes from here and there in italics. Italics always tire me out. I had a second Americano because I was getting sleepy. Then I got up and walked down to the New King's Road and over to the river. I found myself a bench in Bishop's Park and sat there in the sunshine watching a crew rowing down the
river with the cox yelling at them. For a while I just sat there trying to let my mind go blank but the book was in my hands and I kept thinking, Am I this guy's girlfriend? It's always a bad sign when you start thinking in italics. I read a little more but by then I knew I wasn't sure I could finish the book, it was too boring ...
My Tango with Barbara Strozzi (Novel, 2007)
Chosen partly because it's very funny and partly because of its reference to Bristol UK, where I did my SA4Qation.
Filed under Bristol UK United Kingdom My Tango with Barbara Strozzi
Swamped with end-of-term chores as always at this time of year, I nevertheless enjoyed doing a bit of "fork-you-ating" in the morning. This time my quotations went to a few colleagues at my school who had been in a reading group with me last year and who were game when I invited them to read and discuss Riddley Walker with me. Mind you, they weren't English teachers but teachers of German, French, Italian, Latin and History! Some received a quotation from the book we'd read together, others were given a quotation from The Mouse and His Child, which I love very much too. Although there wasn't much time during the break when I presented the quotations to the colleagues I met in the staff room, we had nice little chats that weren't about students or marks as most other conversations now are.
The quotations for colleagues I didn't meet were placed in their pigeonholes (actually pigeon-drawers...) in the staff room (see picture). I hope they enjoyed the little surprise as much as I enjoyed "fork-you-ating" them in the morning.
…this time I fealt a Power in me what circelt with it. Membering when the thot come to me: THE ONLYES POWER IS NO POWER. Wel now I sust that wernt qwite it. It aint that its no Power. Its the not sturgling for Power that's where the Power is. Its in jus letting your self behynt and letting your self be where it says in Eusa 5:
… in tu the hart uv the stoan hart uv the dans. Evere thing blippin & bleapin & movin in the shiftin uv thay Nos. Sum tyms bytin sum tyms bit.
Riddley Walker (Novel, 1980)
'That's it,' said Serpentina. 'Nothing is the ultimate truth.'
'Nothing?' said the child.
'Nothing,' repeated Serpentina. ...
'I don't believe it,' said the mouse child. ... 'I wonder what's on the other side of nothing?' he said.
'Tiny upstart!' said Serpentina. 'Who are you to seek the other side of nothing?'
'If I'm big enough to stand in the mud all this time and contemplate infinity,' said the child, 'I'm big enough to look at the other side of nothing.' ...
'Ah,' he said, 'there's nothing on the other side of nothing but us.'
The Mouse and his Child (Novel, 1967)
I hope everyone has felt on the other side of nothing today and immersed in the heart of the dance!
Happy Russ's Birthday!
Filed under Zürich Switzerland Riddley Walker The Mouse and his Child
SA4QE 2016 - Cindy Harper - Twitter/Facebook/Dundee, United States
My Facebook post:
What is there to tell you? he said to an unknown audience in his mind. What's the difference who I am or if I am? The audience shifted in their seats, yawned. All right, said Kleinzeit, let me put it this way: you read a book, and in the book there's this man sitting in his room all alone. Right? The audience nodded. Right, said Kleinzeit. But he isn't really alone, you see. The writer is there to tell about it, you're there to read about it. He's not alone the way I'm alone. You're not alone when there's somebody there to see it and tell about it. Me, I'm alone. What else is new? said the audience. Possibility of nothing this evening, clearing towards morning, said a weather report. Let me put it this way, said Kleinzeit. This will bring us down to fundamentals: I have a Gillette Techmatic razor. The blade is a continuous band of steel, and after every five shaves I wind it to the next number. Number one is the last, which is of course significant, yes? Then I stay on number one for ten, fifteen shaves maybe, before I get a new cartridge. I ask myself why. There you have it, eh? The audience had left, the empty seats yawned at him. Kleinzeit got out of the train, poured into the morning rush in the corridor. Among the feet he saw a sheet of yellow paper, A4 size, on the floor, unstepped-on. He picked it up. Clean on both sides. He put it in his attaché case. He rode up on the escalator, looking up the skirt of the girl nine steps above him. Bottom of the morning, he said to himself.
Hoban, Russell (2015-05-12). Kleinzeit (Valancourt 20th Century Classics) (p. 8). Valancourt Books. Kindle Edition.
http://Russellhoban.org
The Slickman A4 Quotation Event ("SA4QE") began in 2002 as a fun way for Russell Hoban fans to share their favourite quotes with the world. Since then over 400 quotations have been posted in phone boxes, on park benches, on lion monuments, in bookshops and museums, as well as on social media.. Read more about SA4QE: ttp://russellhoban.org/sa4qe
Kleinzeit (Novel, 1974)
Filed under Twitter/Facebook/Dundee United States Kleinzeit
SA4QE 2019 - Thoughtcat - Colchester, United Kingdom
Having taken part in SA4QE since it first started, and used a great number of quotes from Russell Hoban's books, this year I thought I'd share a passage from an interview that Russ gave in 1995 and which has only recently come to light. James Carter interviewed Hoban for his masters dissertation on The Mouse and His Child, and it lay dormant until it was submitted to russellhoban.org last November. It's one of the best Hoban interviews I've read. The passage I quoted today struck home with me in particular because I've recently started writing in earnest again after many years of not-writing. When I first discovered Hoban, via the brilliant 1987 novella The Medusa Frequency, I was a teenage poet with aspirations to a literary life. Now nearly 30 years later, my writing career didn't quite work out as I'd hoped, although inbetween times I variously wrote a couple of unpublished novels, a handful of published poems and met Russell Hoban a number of times. My first encounter with him was at a reading he gave at the Richmond literary festival in 1999 to promote his novel Angelica's Grotto. I wrote to him after that with a poem I'd written and he wrote back almost immediately on his trademark yellow paper. I don't have the letter to hand but he said words to the effect of "I remember you well from the reading - you had the pale, determined face of someone who sticks with things and gets things done". This was very good of him, although I didn't stick with the writing quite tenaciously enough. Having recently rediscovered my love of writing though, I realise it's not going too far to say that this is always what I was meant to be doing, and that I probably needn't have struggled with style and subject so much in those early years since what turns out to interest me most is, unsurprisingly now, "the unwordable that happens off the page" as Russ once put it. That's not to say that it's not possible to write it, but rather to look at the world in a different way and write what you see and what interests you, whatever it is and even if it's not the straight reality that most of our lives inhabit. So at the same time as I was rediscovering my writing mojo, this wonderful interview emerged, with this passage.
Don't worry about the form, and don't worry about beginnings, middles and endings, take hold of the thing, wherever you can, whatever of an idea presents itself to you, whether it's the foot or the elbow, grab it, and work out from there. Don't expect too much of yourself, but – just as people who are thrifty, and who save money – and don't wait until they've got fifty pounds to put in the bank, but put in a pound, or five pounds, or ten pounds, and it accumulates that way, do something every day. If you can only write a paragraph, do a paragraph. If you can write a page, do a page. A whole story, okay, an idea, okay, notes, whatever – just get into the habit of doing something every day. And, let the ideas develop as they will – don't require of yourself that you do a whole story or a whole novel, just do whatever you can – every day.
Uncollected (Miscellaneous, n/a)
This is some of the best creative writing advice I've ever read. I may not, actually, manage to do some writing every day, but it makes writing seem a possible thing to do, which is exactly what you need when you're trying to get your head around a creative project as well as juggle the rest of life's demands.
Read the full interview: http://russellhoban.org/essay/nutrition-for-the-eyes-an-interview-with-r...
As last year I took my yellow paper out to the river with my girlfriend Katy, who also took part, although she outdid me on the quote quantity. I stuck my quotation on the local village notice board underneath a notice advertising a local "pre-Valentine's Day market". On the other side of the notice board were more signs of village activity, including a splendid one advertising "East Anglia Potato Day". I think Russ would have liked something about that.
sa4qe 2016 potato lr.jpg
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SA4QE 2013 - Thoughtcat - Rugby, United Kingdom


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In 2011, China surpassed Japan to become the world's #2 economy based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), second only to the United States. That was a very significant event for America, since it means that we now need to shift the focus of our international trade to China, and significantly increase our export to this emerging and largest market in the world as well.
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Q: Two threads one uses stream Api and other thread CreateFile fails with error ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION In my current work, we have several threads running simultaneously,
Through one of the thread we have open a file:
std::ofstream fs;
fs.open(filename.c_str(), std::ofstream::out);
if( fs.is_open() ){
   // do some file operation and write
   fs.close();
}

while a separate thread also access the same file:
HANDLE handle = CreateFileW(filename.c_str(), GENERIC_READ,0, NULL,OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, NULL);

it fails and gives error ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION.
I know, we can overcome the issue using synchronisation mechanism,
But can we handle it using file sharing mechanism while opening the file, since one thread is using stream API to open the file, while other uses createFile.
Any input is appreciable.

A: Your CreateFile() call is setting the dwShareMode parameter to 0, so it is trying to open the file for exclusive access, which will fail if the file is already open.
You need to specify sharing rights that are compatible with how the ofstream opens the file, eg:
HANDLE handle = CreateFileW(filename.c_str(), GENERIC_READ, FILE_SHARE_WRITE, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, NULL);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Review | The City of Mirrors (The Passage #3), Justin Cronin
I loved Justin Cronin's The Passage when I first read it years ago, so I was thrilled to receive a Binge Box from Penguin Random House Canada a few months ago with the rest of the trilogy, including an advance reading copy of the conclusion, The City of Mirrors.
I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first, since I re-read The Passage to remind myself of the story, and found it didn't quite hold up to my memory of the experience. Whereas I loved it so much at first read that I lugged the almost-1000-page tome around on the subway to and from work, I found the second read interesting but not quite as gripping anymore. It may have been my mood or just the lack of novelty the second time around, but for whatever reason, I was afraid the magic was gone.
This fear intensified with the second book, The Twelve, which to be honest, I struggled to finish. I think my main problem with it is that much of it felt very much like the same events of The Passage, only from a different perspective. I already knew how that turned out, and I was impatient to get on with the story of Peter, Sara, Amy and Alicia.
But then I read The City of Mirrors and my fears were allayed. Here was some of that old magic I remember from my first read of The Passage. The Twelve have been destroyed, and human survivors are beginning to settle down and rebuild their lives. Peter, wanting nothing more than a quiet life after years of battling virals, is pulled back into a leadership role by the president, who wants his charisma and respected status in the community to help her rally the survivors into a working, sustainable society. Unfortunately, they're wrong to think the threat is over. The ultimate viral Zero is still undead and well, and he wants to use Alicia, now a viral/human hybrid, to hunt down and destroy Amy, the one person who can defeat him.
City of Mirrors recaptures the wonderful blend of action-packed scenes and quiet moments of despair that had made Passage so compelling. The cast of characters has grown so large that I honestly couldn't keep track of who all of them were anymore, but the sense of tragedy when the settlement is attacked still had an emotional impact. There's a moment where children and their mothers are ordered to hide in a particular building while other able bodied adults are conscripted to fight, and Sara and her colleagues are armed with guns to protect them. When Sara points out that the guns won't be much use against virals, she is told that they aren't for virals but rather humans who would stop at nothing to find refuge. The moment is both chilling and tragic, a fraught reminder of how far we would go to survive, and how much those in charge must do to keep us from surviving at the cost of those more vulnerable.
I also enjoyed the love story between Peter's son and a deaf woman raised by Sara. I love how he taught himself to sign for her, and I especially love the scene where she tells him she was going to introduce herself to the woman next door. He asks if he should go with her to interpret, particularly since the woman's husband earlier had been a bit uncomfortable communicating with a deaf person, and she waves him off, signing that women will have no problem communicating with each other. I love that confidence, and I love that it turns out to be true and that the women do strike a friendship. It's a moment of humanity and connection in the eye of the storm so to speak, as no one is yet aware of the impending war, and it made the characters real for me just like a casual conversation about a classic children's book made the characters real for me in The Passage.
I'm not sure how I feel about the ending other than it feels fitting. The climax was messy and spiritual and brought to fore the full powers of Amy and Alicia and Peter all working together. Not all of the characters got quite the happily ever after I was hoping for, which quite frankly I think they deserved after almost 3000 pages of battling virals, but that's pretty much in line with the rest of the series. Cronin gave Amy almost godlike powers, yet throughout the series has resister deux ex machina easy solutions. The author has never held back from leaving beloved characters scarred by their experiences, and true to form, the ending is bittersweet.
I do like that Cronin gives us an epilogue — a glimpse far into humanity's future as evidenced by the reports and lectures scattered throughout the series, where the stories of Peter and Amy and their friends are now part of history or possibly even of mythology. No one is sure of how real these stories are anymore, and scholars speak of their significance much like contemporary scholars speak of religious texts and ancient mythology. An upcoming landmark event sparks a return to the past, and what these characters in the future discover provides the bittersweet taste that Cronin leaves us with.
I don't know if I'll read these books again, as I think much of their magic is in the initial experience, but I'm glad I read them. And certainly, if you've read and enjoyed The Passage, it's worth reading through to make it to the end.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for an advance reading copy of City of Mirrors and for the rest of the awesome Binge Box. It may have taken me longer than a long weekend to binge through the entire library, but I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the treat.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged Fiction, Horror, Penguin Random House, Science Fiction by Jaclyn. Bookmark the permalink.


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Пряма́я (также непосре́дственная) демокра́тия — форма политической организации и устройства общества, при которой основные решения инициируются, принимаются и/или исполняются непосредственно гражданами; прямое осуществление принятия решений самим населением общего и местного характера; непосредственное правотворчество народа.

Кроме формы для коллективного принятия и исполнения решений существует и ещё одна ветвь проявлений прямой демократии.

Imperare sibi maximum imperium est (Власть над собой — высшая власть) по словам Сенеки. Принятие, исполнение и личная ответственность за результаты принятых решений, которые не относятся к сфере совместно-принимаемых решений и используются как функция частного бытового назначения.

Непосредственная (прямая) демократия может существовать как отдельная целостная форма (Древняя Греция V и IV веков до н. э., Великий Новгород в XII—XV веках, современная Швейцария), так и в виде самостоятельно-встроенного элемента в другие демократические системы. В своём развитии прямая демократия проходит путь от общинно-вечевой самоорганизации до электронной демократии. Концепция прямой демократии стоит в центре информационной теории демократии.

Характеристика непосредственной демократии
По формулировке, данной профессором М. Ф. Чудаковым:
Непосредственная демократия — это совокупность способов и форм, при помощи которых личность или коллектив могут самостоятельно включаться в процесс принятия общеобязательных решений, либо участвовать в формировании и функционировании представительной системы, либо оказывать влияние на выработку государственной политики.

Характерной чертой прямой демократии является использование гражданского населения (граждан государства), которое несёт прямую ответственность за принятие и исполнение принимаемых решений.

Варианты и направления для инициирования вопросов могут исходить как от отдельных граждан, так и целых групп (партии, общественные или хозяйственные объединения, органы местного и государственного управления).

Преимуществом прямой демократии является быстрая постановка и принятие конкретных решений на уровне отдельных небольших групп общества (вопросы местного и частного характера).

Недостатком прямой демократии является сложность её применения на больших территориях (сложность формирования вопросов, увеличение сроков на согласование вопросов и проведения голосования) без использования компьютерной техники и средств мобильной связи.

Соотношение прямой демократии и представительской
Прямую демократию отличают от представительской демократии, где осуществление законодательных и контрольных функций производится через избранные народом представительные органы и специальные институты.

Главными особенностями представительской демократии является передача определённых функций (полных или частичных) законотворчества и контроля со стороны граждан — представительным органам. В отличие от прямой демократии это позволяет наиболее быстро решать глобальные стратегические вопросы общего характера.

Главными недостатками выборной представительской демократии по сравнению с прямой — подверженность коррупции, борьба за власть и контроль за финансовыми потоками, манипуляции общественным мнением и частым нарушением прав и свобод человека при недостаточной защите их в законодательстве государств.

В политической истории встречались ситуации использования институтов непосредственной демократии в ущерб представительской и наоборот.

В идеальной форме представительская демократия существует только в ограниченном круге развивающихся государств, современная тенденция построения наиболее развитых обществ предполагает встроенный в неё институт прямой демократии, уровень которой в каждом отдельном случае имеет специфические особенности.

На базе политического опыта Пятой республики во Франции была разработана политико-правовая теория плебисцитарной демократии. Согласно ей условия существования высокоразвитого индустриального общества требуют концентрации всей политической и административной власти в руках динамичного общенационального лидера («сильного» президента) и подчинённого ему высокопрофессионального бюрократического аппарата. В интересах обеспечения полной политической стабильности президент должен опираться не на «деградирующие» парламентские учреждения, а непосредственно на волеизъявление нации, выражаемое через плебисциты (посредством которых избирается президент и проводятся предложенные им важнейшие решения).

Институты прямой демократии
По определению Руденко В.Н., к институтам прямой демократии можно отнести лишь те институты, которые связаны с непосредственным принятием самими гражданами публично-властных решений, т.е. с прямым властвованием». Согласно В.В. Комаровой, непосредственное властное волеизъявление должно подлежать всеобщему исполнению (в масштабах решаемого вопроса) и не нуждается в каком-либо утверждении. Этим требованиям соответствуют институты

 референдума,
 народной правотворческой инициативы,
 народного вето (аброгативного референдума),
 институт общих собраний (сходов) граждан по месту жительства,
 прямое волеизъявление граждан на выборах,
 отзыв депутатов и выборных должностных лиц, роспуск выборных органов власти.

Народное голосование
Народное голосование (референдум) — принятие постановлений путём голосования граждан. Данные постановления носят обязательный характер, но в последнее время в самых разных странах народом могут приниматься постановления не имеющие обязательный силы (консультативный референдум). В некоторых государствах низшие местные единицы могут не иметь представительного органа, а управление данной местной единицей может осуществлять общее собрание её жителей (сход граждан). В данный момент в большинстве государств (в том числе и в Российской Федерации) народ не может принимать или отклонять бюджет, вводить или отменять налоги и сборы, ратифицировать и денонсировать международные договоры, объявление войны и заключение мира, объявление амнистии. При этом в ряде государств на референдум может быть вынесен вопрос (в Российской Федерации не может) о роспуске парламента или отзыве президента.

Императивный мандат
Императивный мандат — право народа принимать наказы, обязательные для отдельных депутатов или судей, право народа отзывать отдельных депутатов или судей, обязанность отдельных депутатов или судей регулярно отчитывать перед народом и право народа требовать внеочередной отчёт от них. В данный момент в большинстве государств народ не может отзывать отдельных депутатов, принимать обязательные наказы для отдельных депутатов, а отдельные депутаты не должны давать отчёты народу (в Российской Федерации императивный мандат не запрещён, но и не прописан). Не все исследователи относят императивный мандат к институтам прямой демократии.

Инициативное бюджетирование

Инициативное бюджетирование и прямая адресация налогов — непосредственное участие граждан в распределении части регионального (муниципального) бюджета.

К непосредственной демократии тесно примыкают иные методы политического участия, которые не дают права прямого решения вопросов государственной жизни, но позволяют оказывать влияние на процесс принятия таких решений: шествия, митинги и демонстрации, пикетирования, заявления общественных организаций, петиции и другие институты. В том числе:

народное обсуждение — право группы избирателей вносить предложения об изменении и дополнении отдельных пунктов или разделов постановлений парламента. В данный момент большинстве государств (в том числе и в Российской Федерации) народное обсуждение не прописано в конституции и законах. В России для сбора законотворческих предложений существует портал "Российская общественная инициатива".
 народная инициатива — право группы избирателей вносить проекты постановлений с обязательством парламента его принять, изменить, дополнить или отклонить. Частный случай народной инициативы — встречное предложение — право определённого количества граждан выдвигать альтернативное предложение в контексте процедуры законодательной инициативы или референдума, при этом в некоторых государствах принятие такого предложения народом может влечь роспуск парламента. Часто высказывается мнение, что процедура общенародного голосования, которая может быть инициирована не гражданами, а исключительно властными институтами, не имеет отношения к прямой демократии.

Исторические формы прямой демократии
В древности, средние века и раннем новом времени общие собрания граждан с правом принятия обязательных постановлений по политическим вопросам существовали во многих государствах (синод, экклесия в греческих государствах, комиции, консилии, аренго — в италийских, пухру — у восточно-семитских, тинги, маллы — в германских, вече — в славянских), как в демократических республиках, так в аристократических республиках и монархиях, при этом в зависимости от государственного строя они играли разную роль, при этом вместе с этими общими собраниями граждан существовали и представительные органы (булевты, эфоры в греческих государствах, трибуны, дефензоры в италийских).

Почётный член АН СССР Николай Иванович Кареев (1850—1931) так описывал проявление непосредственной демократии:Самый замечательный опыт организации свободного демократического государства сделан был Афинами V и IV вв. до н. э., и этот опыт может считаться вообще характеристичным для античного народовластия. Во-первых, демократия в древнем мире, как было уже сказано, была непосредственной, то есть в политической власти участвовал весь народ лично, так как граждане для решения государственных вопросов сами сходились на общее вече.

Народные веча были одной из исторических форм прямой демократии на территории славянских государств. В. И. Сергеевич считает народоправства, или веча, не только принадлежностью северных торговых республик, но общераспространённой формой быта всех русских земель.

Интересны также Спарта с её апеллой (ежемесячное народное собрание, в котором участвовали все полноправные спартиаты мужского пола, достигшие 30-летнего возраста), ранняя Флорентийская республика с её общим собранием горожан, созываемым четыре раза в год, Венецианская республика с её общим народным собранием (с конца VII века по 1423 год) или Рагуза (Дубровницкая республика с её Veliko vijeće).

В 1762 году в трактате «Об общественном договоре» Жан-Жак Руссо обосновал концепцию народного суверенитета, доказал, что он неотчуждаем и неделим, непогрешим и абсолютен. Эта доктрина начала вытеснять из общественного сознания догму о божественном происхождении власти. Руссо предложил принципы проведения референдумов: «Каждый, подавая свой голос, высказывает своё мнение ... и из счета голосов вытекает объявление общей воли».

Конституция Французской Республики 1793 года вводила прямое народное законодательство — законы принимались первичными собраниями, состоящих из всех жителей данного кантона, но Конституция 1795 года лишила их этого права. Право народа на референдум и народную инициативу по стратегическим вопросам было закреплено Конституцией Швейцарии 1874 года, по социально-культурным вопросам — Конституциями Германии 1919 года, Конституцией Австрии 1921 года, Конституцией Латвии 1922 года, Конституцией Эстонии 1920 года, из послевоенных конституций — Конституцией Италии 1947 г. и Конституцией ГДР 1949 г.

Прямая демократия в современных государствах
В большинстве государств референдум может быть назначен по собственной инициативе парламентом, либо также и главой государства. В США, Польше и Чехии референдум вообще не предусмотрен в конституции. Народная инициатива существует в Венгрии, Латвии, Лихтенштейне и Италии, при этом референдум может проводиться только по социально-культурным вопросам. Народная инициатива существует также и в Швейцарии, но референдум в ней может проводиться как по социально-культурным, так и по стратегическим вопросам. Императивный мандат существует в Китайской Народной Республике, Социалистической Республике Вьетнам, Народно-Демократической Республике Лаос и Корейской Народно-Демократической Республике, а также в некоторых штатах США. В Исландии, Австрии и Латвии народ может через референдум потребовать назначение досрочных парламентских выборов. Уставы некоторых партий в государствах Европы предусматривают возможность проведения внутрипартийного референдума и прямых выборов делегатов центральных и местных партийных съездов, уставы некоторых церквей Европы — прямые выборы епархиальных собраний.

Шайхуллин М. С. считает, что формы непосредственного волеизъявления получают развитие благодаря созданию соответствующих материальных и финансовых условий для их реализации. При этом следует принять во внимание различие юридически санкционированных и социальнообусловленных форм волеизъявления. Для первых условия должны быть созданы обязательно, для вторых обеспечение материальными и финансовыми компонентами является факультативным (необязательным).

Классической страной прямой демократии считается Швейцария. Референдумы в Швейцарии проводятся очень часто по самым разным вопросам. Народные собрания (сходы) являются высшим органом власти не только на уровне общин, но также в кантоне Гларус и полукантоне Аппенцелль-Иннерроден.

Прямая демократия в России
02.04.2013 г. Фонд информационной демократии запустил платформу "Российская общественная инициатива" . На этой платформе граждане, авторизованные через ЕСИА, могут выдвигать различные гражданские инициативы и голосовать за них. В 2016 представителями Госдумы и ФСО было подписано соглашение о том, что петиции, поддержанные на сайте "Российской общественной инициативы" (РОИ) 35 тысячами, а не 100 тысячами подписей, будут направляться в Госдуму для ознакомления депутатов. Тем не менее по состоянию на сентябрь 2021 на портале заявлен минимум в 100 000 голосов для рассмотрения инициативы властями. Отмечается также, что инициативы, набравшие требуемые 100 000 голосов, не были реализованы, тогда как были приняты множество других, менее популярных, инициатив.

С 2018 г. под кураторством Минфина РФ практикуется инициативное бюджетирование.

С декабря 2020 года по поручению президента во всех субъектах РФ были созданы Центры управления регионами (ЦУР), задачей которых является получение исполнительными органами власти непосредственной обратной связи с населением:

 сбор и обработка поступающих от жителей жалоб в разных сферах жизни региона;
 координация работ по мониторингу и обработке всех видов обращений и сообщений, поступающих в органы и организации (по любым каналам), а также публикуемых в социальных сетях, мессенджерах и других средствах электронной массовой коммуникации (ЭМК);
 взаимодействие с гражданами через соцсети, мессенджеры и иные средства ЭМК по направлениям и тематикам деятельности ЦУР;
 оперативное реагирование на обращения;
 предоставление дополнительной информации в целях территориального и стратегического планирования развития регионов

С 2021 г. в рамках федерального проекта «Цифровое государственное управление» нацпроекта «Цифровая экономика» работает цифровая платформа обратной связи (ПОС) «Госуслуги. Решаем вместе» (пилотный проект запущен в 2019 г. в 9 регионах). Платформа обратной связи «Госуслуги. Решаем вместе» позволяет:

 отслеживать работу с обращениями граждан и оперативно решать различные вопросы;
 проводить онлайн-опросы и общественные обсуждения по социально значимым для населения темам;
 вести органам власти госпаблики и отслеживать жалобы жителей в социальных сетях и месседжерах.

Примечания

Литература

 Руденко В. Н. Методология изучения институтов прямой демократии в современном обществе // Правоведение.- 2003 г. — N.4.- С. 38-51.

См. также
 Демократия
Коллективный интеллект
Парламент благотворителей
 Референдум
 Электронная демократия
Электронное правительство

Ссылки
 Институт инициатив и референдумов в Европе
 Сопоставление процедур прямой и представительной демократии
 Обзор законодательства России, регулирующего законодательную инициативу граждан
 Движение за прямую демократию

Демократия
Левые

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
F1: Paffett hoping to stay in McLaren test role
Long-time McLaren tester Gary Paffett is hoping to be confirmed in his role for 2010, as well as continuing his successful DTM career with Mercedes.
Bromley-born Paffett told his local paper Kent News that he is actively looking for a 2010 race drive, and that he is yet to be confirmed for next year with the team he has worked with since 2003.
But he added: "Working with both Jenson and Lewis in an entirely British team will be a great opportunity. The hype that will be around the British Grand Prix being a completely British team is something I want to experience.
"It's difficult to say how the pair will work with each other. They are different types of drivers and they have both won the world championship, but I think they are professionals and will be fine."
He said that DTM was his most realistic race option after he came a close second in last year's championship to Audi's Timo Scheider: "I am looking at my options, but to be honest another year in the DTM championship seems to be the most likely.
"There are more Formula One teams in the paddock, but it is just as difficult to get drives. With manufacturers leaving, there are still as many drivers looking to earn deals."
Categorised under F1, tagged under DTM, Formula One, Gary Paffett, McLaren, Mercedes.
« F1: Turvey cashes in BRDC prize at Jerez
British drivers line up for David Brabham's Celebrity Karting Challenge »
F1: Paffett says testers need more hands-on experience
Paffett: fans get more from DTM than from F1
DTM: Di Resta misses title – but what does his future hold?


text:
Ptecticus evansi är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Mcfadden 1982. Ptecticus evansi ingår i släktet Ptecticus och familjen vapenflugor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Vapenflugor
evansi


How to edit read/write permission for candidate application fields when using multi stage application?
Recruiters don't have write permission for candidate application fields.
First, check provisioning if you are using multi stage application.
<application-status-config> should be configured in job requisition template.
The application-status-config element defines the applicant status set for requisitions created from this XML template. The applicant status set is used to manage the steps through which applicants are routed during the hiring process, and manages the interaction between statuses and feature permissions (and, in multi-stage application environments, it also manages the interaction between statuses and application field-permissions). When configuring multi-stage application, all statuses in the status set should be defined in the candidate permissions model, or else the candidate will be able to view all fields.
*Note this is just an example for reference, not a recommended set of configuration.
Specify the applicant status set name to use on requisitions created with this Requisition XML template.
Field permission elements should only be declared within the application-status-set element if the instance is set up with [Provisioning >Company Settings >Recruiting V2 Application >Enable Multi Stage Application checked]. If this setting is unchecked, the permissions will be read out of the Application XML instead. If this setting is checked, all field-permissions in the Application XML should be commented out or removed except for the write permissions to the statusId, resume, and application comments permissions fields. If contradicting field permissions are specified in both the Application XML and Requisition XML, the permissions may not be rendered correctly for recruiting users. When configuring multi-stage application, all statuses in the status set should be defined in the candidate permissions model, or else the candidate will be able to view all fields.
The role-name element defines which operators are affected by the permission block. Each permission block supports multiple role elements. The role-name CDATA content must contain only valid roles and relational roles such as O, R, RM, GH, etc.
You can use the <field application-field-id="*"> to configure a field permission block for all fields.
In a multi-stage application environment, field permissions can be adjusted based on whether the applicant is in Interview, Offer, etc. There is no way to change field permissioning or hide/display fields based on application or requisition data.
Specify all field IDs that should be affected by the permission block. The asterisk is also supported to indicate "all" fields.
Certain fields may need to be made unrequired and available in most statuses, but then become required at a certain point in the status workflow. The required attribute can be added to the field application-field-id element to specify that the ordinarily non-required field should be required in that status.
Feature permissions define operator access to certain special functionalities. An unlimited number of feature-permission elements can be included in the Requisition XML.
The application template name element defines which Application XML template will be presented to candidates and recruiting users when managing applications on requisitions created from this Requisition XML template. After the Requisition XML is created, this should not be changed or it may cause errors on existing and/or new records.
By default all operators can access the Email button on the application record. If the client wishes to restrict certain operators from accessing the email button, this element can be added to the Requisition XML and only permissioned users with access to the Email button. This can only be declared once in the Requisition XML template and cannot be permissioned by status.


I assigned homework for our "The Circle Maker" class last week, and thought it'd be responsible to do the homework as well. The task was simple, and incredibly difficult: Write out the start of your life goal list. I'm posting below what I have so far. Some goals are selfish, some goals seem impossible, but every goal was thought out and prayed over. These goals are fluid too; as in they can always change. Just because it's on the list now, doesn't mean it stays. If the desires or direction of my life change in the future, I'm not opposed to deleting a line item, even if unfulfilled. Do you have life goals? What are they?
Wow – I will not be bringing this much information or planning to the class tonight… I'm just saying….


A soft breeze blows past his face; uplifting air lightly caresses his hair, his eyes misty with emotion. Qin Yu has only got himself now.
He knows, the final treasure left by Uncle Lan has to be at the end of Ni Yang's Realm. He must persevere through all the obstacles. And soon after leaving Ni Yang's Realm, Qin Yu must complete his Stellar Transformation Technique Set so he could also ascend to the upper realms.
Qin Yu's heart is not in Ni Yang's Realm with his body, but rather elsewhere with his closest companions.
In reality, these words are for himself as well as to reply to Man Gan's words.
If……….he is unable to create the next step of his Battle Technique, then how can he ascend to the upper realms?
He's hands clench into fist.
Seeing Qin Yu's helpless expression, Man Gan chooses to step aside and allow Qin Yu to regain his cool down.
There were nine people left within White Jade Plaza: Hua Yan, Xue Yu Yang, Du Zhong Jun, Ao Feng, Fang Tian, Ao Xu, Zong Jue, Man Gan and lastly Qin Yu. Other than Qin Yu, everybody else waits for Yu Liang's results – will he pass the Blue Cloud Road or won't he?
No one could perceive the results.
"Brother Du Zhong, Yu Liang is the most powerful out all of his predecessors, how long do you think he will survive? Do you think he will last as long as the Dragon Clan Elder Yan Shan?" Hua Yan smirks, his intention was clearly to taunt Man Gan.
Du Zhong Jun considers this for a moment and replies: "He should be able to survive as long as the Dragon Elder Yan Shan, if not longer, but most likely over 4 hours.
Hua Yan, Xue Yu Yang, Du Zhong Jun, Ao Feng, Fang Tian, Ao Xu, Zong Jue and other experts all cried out with shock and astonishment. Even Qin Yu, who was at the far end of the Plaza, was surprised by the development.
"Impossible! It has only being a half hour, how can he be that fast?" Hua Yan quickly refutes.
"Brother Hua Yan, you not very impartial at all." Zong Jue interrupts.
At this everyone starts to reminiscent that previous scene.
Of the two pathfinders, one survived ––––––––– Xue Yu Yang and Dragon Clan's Elder eyes flickered with understanding. Labelling these two as pathfinders was not wrong at all, they were sacrificial lambs to test the 'waters' of this Blue Cloud Road.
From Man Gan's perspective the only ones, with the abilities to compete for the treasure, are: Yua Han, Fang Tian, Zong Jue and himself. All others are labelled as cannon fodder, sacrificial pathfinders or individuals with equal or less skills.
The Dragon Clan's Emissary nods and in accordance to the agreement, the next entrant should be the Dragon Clan's Elder Ao Xu.
"Halt!" Hua Yan shouts with brows wrinkled with annoyance.
"Do you have a problem, Brother Hua Yan?" Everyone around looks at Hua Yan.
Near the entrance, Qin Yu observes the group of people arguing in the plaza's square. Instantly, Qin Yu understands that these super experts do not even consider an expert like him, who was at the Dacheng Stage, as a threat. Despite this, Qin Yu was content with this situation, because he would gain the element of surprise when he struck.
With this in Mind, Qin knows that Man Gan and the other all understand this as well.
At the very moment, all eyes look towards Hua Yan and questioned why he barred the Dragon Clan, elder's entry to the Blue Cloud Road.
Du Zhong Jun and the Dragon Emissary both are surprised at this revelation.
They then recall the rules of this Blue Cloud Road –––––––––– Only one person may enter at any one time; if two enter, they will both suffer death.
"Hmm…..Yu Liang's Soul Jade slip did not break." Man Gan walks towards the Blue Cloud Road with a belly full of unexpressed anger. "Brother Man Gan, you do not need to enter." The Dragon Emissary immediately bars entry for Man Gan, and will not allow entry to him under any circumstances. The Emissary is afraid that the treasured Reel will fall into Man Gan's hands, if he were to enter now.
Clearly, the Dragon Clan's Emissary truly thinks little of the Dragon Elder. Obviously, everyone in the plaza understand this. Despite this, Dragon Elder is an expert who has cultivated for over ten thousand years, and is not a bit slighted by the remark and remained taciturn. The Elder has already deduced that, Yu Liang has indeed succeeded to pass through.
But it seems that speed is still very effective.
With an idea already in the mind, the Dragon Clan's Emissary is positive on the success of passing through the Blue Cloud Road.
"Respectful Dragon Clan Emissary, this subject will enter now." Elder humbly replies. Without hesitation, he steps on the Blue Cloud Road, the instant he does, his body also vanishes from sight.
It is understandable…….the Elder also wishes to use his speed to rush to pass through.
If it could be said, who is most focused to hear the sounds from the Elder's journey within the Blue Cloud Road, is the next person after him – Xue Xu Yang.
A ferocious and maniacal roar is clearly heard throughout the plaza, but it is quickly answered by a dragon's guttural cry.
The Dragon Clan sent three Elders to Ni Yang's Realm, but of the three only one is alive, but if he were to die as well, the Dragon Clan would suffer a devastating blow to its top level forces. Meaning that all of its top level practitioners have been cleanly wiped out.
But this blow is not restricted to the Dragon Clan, but it also includes the Xiumoist's, Xiuxianist's and the Demonic forces of the Wilderness, all have top level practitioners dead.
It can be said that within one journey to Ni Yang's Realm has led to the death of more than half of the top experts of the Mortal Plane.
Time slowly trickles by; minute by minute.
Half an hour later……..and soon an hour later. Still there is no response.
Over two hours has passed, but there hasn't been any news of the Elder's success, however his Soul Jade slip has not split apart.
In the quiet afterglow of everyone's expectant expressions…….
"Peng", quickly a sharp and crisp sound breaks the tense in the air like a crackle from a whip. The Dragon Elder's Soul Jade slip splits apart.
The last Dragon Clan Elder is now dead as well.
Xue Xu Yang's face also darkens, his mood suddenly drops. Noted that he also wanted to use his speed to rush towards the end of the Blue Cloud Road.
But from the Elder's results, solely relying on speed is not enough, after all seeing is believing.
"Xue Xu Yang, it's all up to you now." Hua Yan announces.
At this moment, Hua Yan also has little confidence in Xue Xu Yang, even though the latter is quite powerful and also has unique arts. Compared to the Elder – only the strongest of the Dragon Clan can be the elders, there is still a gap between their capabilities.
Elder Yan Shan has died; how can Xue Xu Yang succeed to pass through?
Xue Xu Yang gives his regards to Hua Yan, then steps towards the Blue Cloud Road, but as he is about to step onto the road, he hesitates. How should he proceed? With speed? Or slowly and cautiously?
Hesitantly stepping onto the Blue Cloud Road, Xue Xu Yang transforms into a blurry mist charging towards the other end. He has made his decision ––––––––– to follow in Yu Liang's footsteps.
Within two hours' time, the sound of breaking a Soul Jade slip disrupts the silence. Simply with this sound meant that all the, supposedly, cannon fodder have died but excluding Yu Liang. Now it is on to the 6 giants ––––––– Man Gan, Hua Yan, Du Zhong Jun, Zong Jue, Fang Tian, Ao Feng, to journey into the Blue Cloud Road.
It may be true that Qin Yu………..is unmistakeably the weakest, but when Ao Feng and the other all committed to allow Qin Yu to be the last one to set foot on Blue Cloud Road.
"6 Giants; 4 of the upper Immortal Realms, Descended Emissaries of the upper planes are bound to have powerful trump cards, can presumably succeed……but recalling what Immortal Emperor Ni Yang dictated that all upper realm's immortals will face extreme difficulty. Hua Yan will, most definitely, suffer severe punishments.
Qin Yu suddenly comes to realisation.
According to the original agreement, Sword Immortal Hua Yan is next to step onto the road.
"Hua Yan, if you pass, you must tell us immediately. You aren't allowed to reach the end without informing us, and let us wait painfully for your news." Man Gan warns with an edge in his voice.
If we don't turn a blind eye and he passed, and he did not notify everyone, would that mean everyone would waiting for nothing? He would then take all the treasures and indirectly force Man Gan and the others to walk the fine line between life and death unjustly.
"Agreed, all six people must swear it." Man Gan says.
Zong Jue, Fang Tian and the others all glare at Hua Yan.
Hua Yan becomes taciturn, clearly he has gain an upper hand – a natural advantage, however all five people would also have it as well.
All six super experts takes the oath.
From afar, Qin Yu ponders: "An oath between those six people, they did not even mention my participation; have they not even consider me as a fellow competitor?" Qin Yu's face wears a trace of a smile, and simply look at the six leaders.
As soon as it passed, Hua Yan took the lead to step onto the Blue Cloud Road.
An explosion resounds like thunder in everyone's ears, even Qin Yu was taken aback.
A great shockwave expands from the Blue Cloud Road, the wave front scatters the surrounding clouds hanging around the road. But in almost the same moment, these blue clouds quickly gather back near the road.
"What strong explosive power, I fear it could be nearing the strength of a Level 2 Golden Immortal" Man Gan and the other all wear aghast looks.
Hua Yan most definitely used his trump card, but Man Gan and the other would also have used their trump cards.
At this, the five remain in the plaza openly laughs.
Qin Yu's entire body suddenly pauses, then looking in another direction, various emotions flickers through his eye ––––––– doubt, surprise, disbelief and excitement. But almost at the same moment, Qin Yu resumes his taciturn expression.
Man Gan and others previously did not take notice of Qin Yu afar. Fortunately, they did not notice the sudden changes in Qin Yu's expression and fleeting looks reflected in his eyes.


Andrew Quartaro is a Shareholder in the firm's Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group. He focuses his practice on worker's compensation litigation on behalf of employers and insurance carriers throughout Wisconsin. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Workers' Compensation and he is recognized as their "Lawyer of the Year" in Workers' Compensation Law - Employers (2019, 2017, 2014). He has been listed in Wisconsin Super Lawyers® and was awarded an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating possible.
Andy is a frequent author and presenter on worker's compensation issues including for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, National Business Institute and Lorman Educational Service.
He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Attorneys Practicing Workers Compensation (WAWCA).


The 2016 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir is suave, supple and engaging, with fabulous interplay of texture, aromatics and depth. Apricot, orange peel, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes abound. Mon Plaisir is dense and oily, but that natural opulence is tempered by the freshness of the vintage. What a gorgeous wine this is.


Not only did the building go up in flames, so did almost every paper trail the 20 year-old organization had. We think it won't happen to us. We say it's a slim chance. We disregard anything that seems outlandish.
Or like someone driving their car through your home or office. Never gonna happen to me, right?
Am I prepared for that? Can I handle a home or business interruption like that? There's business interruption insurance, and temporary living assistance from my home insurance policy, but the coverage doesn't take away the issue. It's helps break the fall. But we still fall.
We have to retain some of the risk. Meaning we must prepare for that type of situation. Maybe we can't completely defect the repercussions, but we can roll with the punch and keep on keeping on.
Our church couldn't. They've recovered, but it wasn't easy, even with a big insurance claim check. Even with a temporary admin office free of charge (courtesy of their business insurance policy).
I don't have alot of contents in my office. We're an insurance agency... what do we need besides some desks, a couple laptops, and a good scanner?
You'd be surprised. Let a car run through your office and you'll know exactly what you've lost.
Yes, that's The Gann Agency, and that's a GMC Jimmy parked in the lobby, and partially inside one of the agents' office.
Don't ask me how it happened. I wasn't driving and have no idea. Gas pedal instead of break, maybe? No clue.
What I do know is our office is inoperable. Office, not operations. We've built the business to operate from any location as long as we have cell service.
That's not necessarily to keep customers away, it's there to inform. Once you show a customer the convenience of never stepping foot in an office, they'll never step foot in your office. They love it.
With the front of our office wide open (it's now boarded up) one might think "how will we notify customers not to come by" - we've been doing that for years. Not a problem.
The electricity is off due to exposed wiring. How will the phones and internet work? Our phones are internet based (VOIP) and work regardless of electricity. They may not ring at the office, but they'll ring our cell phones.
We all have a data plan, and our phones work as mobile hotspot (wifi). Sure, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Chick Fil A, and many others have free internet, but it's not secure and super slow. So we have our own.
We can even print. Rarely do we need to, but we can if needed.
Our phones take pics in PDF and upload to a web-based storage. Speaking of web-based storage, every file we have is online, only online, and available from anywhere at anytime.
The Gann Agency office will eventually recover from the drive-thru. But our operations were never affected.
Why? Because we prepare. Not just with insurance coverage, but with a vision.
Because where there is no vision, your operations will perish, at least temporarily. And a temporary close of business will set you back, even with insurance.


A U.S. District judge ruled Tuesday that the Kansas Second Amendment Protection Act does not shield Kansans from being prosecuted under federal gun control laws.
Judge J. Thomas Marten handed down the decision, which upholds federal charges against Shane Cox and Jeremy Kettler and will allow their sentencing to take place on Monday.
Last November, a jury found Cox guilty of violating federal law for manufacturing and selling suppressors. Cox reportedly did not have the proper licenses, pay the necessary tax or register the items in accordance with the National Firearms Act. Kettler was found guilty of purchasing an illegal suppressor from Cox.
The Kansas Second Amendment Protection Act, signed into law by Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in 2013, was enacted to exempt all guns, ammunition and accessories from federal gun control regulations in the state. Similar exemptions have been signed into law in eight other states, which may come under further scrutiny after Judge Marten's ruling.
This oath requires a judge to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Where there is a decision on any point of law from the Supreme Court or the Tenth Circuit, or both, I am bound to follow those decisions. This is true whether the decision is absolutely identical, or whether it sets out a principle of law that applies equally to different facts. As a district court judge, I am not empowered to do what I think is most fair – I am bound to follow the law.
Marten went on to state that silencers are included in the National Firearms Act as items that must be registered and taxed.
Defense attorneys had argued that the National Firearms Act violates the Second and Tenth Amendments, the Lawrence Journal World reports. The attorneys said the NFA, enacted by Congress as a part of the Internal Revenue code, is unconstitutional because it imposes "regulatory punishment" rather than a valid federal tax.
Marten also shot down the Second Amendment arguments, citing the case Dist. of Columbia v. Heller, in which the Supreme Court ruled that laws "imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms" are not in violation of the Second Amendment.
The Lawrence Journal World reports that Kettler's attorney, Ian Clark, has asked the judge for a lenient sentencing, saying the two men thought the Kansas Second Amendment Protection Act would protect them from federal prosecution.
"Now that this prosecution has taken place and received fairly wide media attention, any need for deterrence has been satisfied simply by making the community aware that the federal government will prosecute possession of firearm accessories like these regardless of the Kansas law," Clark said.


text:
Q: Javascript FileAPI XSLT file object to string? I have in a way a two part question. The first part, is it possible to use the new FileAPI to retrieve the full path of an item? So far I have this:
var file;
  function handleFileSelect(evt) {
    var files = evt.target.files; // FileList object
    file = files[0];
}

The file variable then needs to go into this function:
function displayResult()
{
xml = loadXMLDoc(file);
xsl = loadXMLDoc("linkto.xsl");
// code for IE
if (window.ActiveXObject || xhttp.responseType == "msxml-document")
  {
  ex = xml.transformNode(xsl);
  document.getElementById("list").innerHTML = ex;
  }
// code for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.
else if (document.implementation && document.implementation.createDocument)
  {
  xsltProcessor = new XSLTProcessor();
  xsltProcessor.importStylesheet(xsl);
  resultDocument = xsltProcessor.transformToFragment(xml, document);
  document.getElementById("list").appendChild(resultDocument);
  }
}

But unfortunately doing this passes it as a file object and according to the documentation all I can find is file.name. But, this is not the full path which is what needs to go in there. So is there a way to get the full path?
If not, is there a way to adapt this function to accept a file object instead of a string?


Symbol Test Chart - 10 Foot, 9" x 14"
House, Apple and Umbrella visual single-sided acuity test is used for children. Ranges from 10/100 to 10/10 in size and measures 9" x 14". Should be viewed from 10 feet. Manufactured by Bernell. Comes as singles.


Lionel Messi did what he's done his entire career, scoring two quick goals on Tuesday night to help Barcelona to an easy win over Man United.
Here are the moves and matchups to watch in Raptors-Magic and Nuggets-Spurs.
Jeremy Fowler joins SportsCenter to explain what's next for Antonio Brown after his tweet directed toward Steelers Nation.
What's next for Thomas after release from Texans?
Jeff Darlington says the Texans are releasing Demaryius Thomas to give him a head start on talking with other teams in free agency.
Could this be the last year for Joe Maddon with the Cubs?
Pedro Gomez looks ahead to the start of the Cubs' season and what they'll need to do to reach the postseason for the fifth straight year.
ESPN Thunder reporter Royce Young describes the emotion Russell Westbrook felt in the locker room following his 10th consecutive triple-double.
Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg explain why 'vintage Duke defense' is contributing to the Blue Devils' success this season.
Miss the last show? Find the ESPN Audio Vault! Updated daily.


Founded by Ashish Goel and Rajiv Srivatsa in July 2012, Urban Ladder is India's leading online furniture company that aims to provide a curated destination for home solutions, to help the Urban Indian build well-furnished, beautiful homes.
It offers over 5,000 products and 35 categories such as wardrobes, sofas, beds, dining tables, storage shelves, etc. The furniture is curated with design inputs from Urban Ladder's in-house team of experienced designers.
Urban Ladder is backed by top-tier venture capital firms Steadview Capital, SAIF Partners and Kalaari Capital and Sequoia Capital. In February 2014, the company bagged the "Best Digital Start-up" Award.
The Urban Ladder team aims to provide shoppers with a wide range of contemporary designs and high quality, handcrafted furniture that blends beauty with functionality along with easy accessibility. The website's seamless user interface and easy navigation enhance the virtual showroom experience.
The company is working on several tech innovations to solve complex furniture e-commerce problems. Some of the key focus areas for Urban Ladder are mobile, data and analytics and product visualization.
Urban Ladder differentiates from other online furniture sellers by being "highly design focused" and offering a "very curated range." Therefore its tech, including its mobile products, should enhance its competetive advantage.
In 2015 the startup raised $77 million from Silicon Valley-based investors and top-tier VCs. Technology was believed to be a key driver in Urban Ladder's growth. Some of this funds were spent on the migration of its e-commerce platform from Magento to Spree.
Developing core e-commerce features around searching, sorting, discoverability in the context of high-touch, high-feel and high-ticket home decor products such as sofas, beds and dining etc.
Urban Ladder is a design-led, omnichannel brand which offers furniture and home decor. With over 5000 designs across 35 categories such as living, dining, bedroom, study etc. After securing $77 million funding, a decision was made to invest heavily in technology, as it was believed to be a key driver in Urban Ladder's growth. Spree proved to be the right choice thanks to its flexibility, scalability and reliability.