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About PassionArt
Keep in Touch/Shop
About BE STILL
Julian Stair
Adam Buick
Ghislaine Howard
Norman Adams
GF Watts
Micah Purnell
Rachel Ho
Makoto Hatori
Lesley Sutton
How Did it Get so Dark? Lent 2019
BE WELCOME
The Stations
Tracing Presence
PassionArt Trail 2014
Return of the Prodigal
Stories of Cloth
A BELONGING PROJECT
ART & JUSTICE PROJECTS
TRACING PRESENCE by Elizabeth Kwant
Tracing Presence are a series of acrylic and charcoal paintings created from 2012- 2013 when Kwant was Artist in Resident at The Boaz Trust and The Mustard Tree, both Christian charities serving destitute asylum seekers and refugees across Greater Manchester. As part of the daily flow of the community, Beth produced this life size series of portraits over the course of the year in response to the stories she heard from female asylum seekers.
Tracing Presence was produced in partnership with The Boaz Trust & The Mustard Tree: charities working on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester.
From 2012-2013 Kwant participated in an Artist in Residence at The Mustard Tree. Being part of the daily flow of the community, she produced these large scale portraits in response to the stories she heard from female asylum seekers. The series is comprised of ten portraits; representing the countries of Sudan, Iran, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Zimbabwe. Each portrait is the product of an initial photo shoot with the women, then continued discussion over the course of the residency.
It is important to note that the residency arose organically, after Kwant had facilitated a number of community art workshops with female clients as part of The Boaz Trust's Five Ways to Wellbeing. "As the workshops ended I approached the Trust to ask if any of the female clients would like their portrait painted. I asked women who had attended the community arts workshops, women who I knew by name. I wanted to tell their story visually. To honour them and give them dignity through the paintings." Each of the portraits are comprised of an empty chair, which was significant symbolically for Kwant:
"To me, the chair is a symbol of community. The table is the place where we eat together, we laugh, we talk, we partake in community around the table. To be seated in community is to be part of society. At that time, the women were failed asylum seekers, meaning their asylum claims (and their stories) had been rejected. They were literally standing, waiting to be seated."
The paintings open up a space to question stereotypes, consider displacement and provide agency to the women represented. Installed in an urban context or here at St Ann's Church, the women become a "presence" in a society which denies their existence and questions the authenticity of their claims.
"Kwant's work is an ongoing exploration of the politics of representation. A multi- disciplinary artist she frequently employs layering techniques; screen-printing and collage into her paintings alongside her own photography, challenging dominant stereotypes by re-presenting and re-interpreting the narrative. For the past five years her work has focused upon migration, and the socio-political effects of displacement. Working directly with asylum seekers and with appropriated media images, a visual journalist, she has become increasingly interested in the relationship between the built environment, communities and our personal migration stories."
Kwant, a talented visual artist received an MFA with distinction from Edinburgh College of Art/ Edinburgh University in 2006. She lives and works in Manchester, and is a member of Rogue Artist Studios and an Associate Member of The Castlefield Gallery.
http://www.elizabethkwant.com/
PassionArt is a registered charity no 1160894
www.passionart.org.uk
PassionArt explores the way art and faith impact our everyday lives: recovering beauty and stillness at the heart of our communities through collective acts of creativity.
Contact us: admin@passionartmcr.co.uk
Director Lesley Sutton phone: 07904581375
Twitter @PassionArtTrail
Thank you to our Funders


All upgrades are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE.
NO REFUNDS will be given under any circumstances except in the case of show or upgrade cancellation. NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted under any circumstances. You will need to bring a photo ID on show day to collect the contents of your upgrade. You will be contacted in the week prior to show date with detailed collection instructions.


Trinity Robertson Pitched a 1 hit shout out as the Lady Mustangs as they defeated Owen Valley 13-0. The Mustangs jumped on the Patriots with a 4 run 4th inning thanks to Taylor Acuff's grand slam. Taylor Acuff, Grace Bretveld, Loren Carter and Jenna LaRoche each had 2 hits on the night. Grace and Kierstin Schooling each had 3 RBIs. The team meets Brown County on Wednesday night at 5:30. If you are unable to attend the game it is available to be seen live on your computer through the use of periscope.


We provide a huge range of printed products in a range of excellent finishes such as matt and gloss lamination, spot uv, silk and gloss to name just a few. If you need a more bespoke product then just let our team know and we'd be delighted to help.
Flyers are perfect for promoting an event or getting your companies name out to local residents.
Perfect for adding more information than flyers while taking up less space in a table top stand than an equivalent flyer.
Newsletters enable your business to promote your new products, services and create a stronger bond with your customers than other forms of printed documents.
If you have a new range of products or want to promote your services in more detail, then a printed brochure is the way to go.
When taking notes at meetings, you'll look much more professional with a custom designed and printed notepad vs arriving with a generic off the shelve equivalent.
Keeping track of those important dates and meetings couldn't be easier than with a custom designed and printed desk diary.
An essential for any business meeting, It's important to get your contact details in the hands of your clients. Make it even more impressive with a reflective UV gloss coating.
It's great to thank the customers who help your business stay active. Compliment slips are key when sending out invoices to clients or simply to say thank you.
When you send out office documentation, letters or anything that needs to be on headed paper for legal reasons, then you really cannot live without high quality printed letterhead paper.
If you have lots of information to get across, but don't have the space, then Zcards are an absolutely ingenious product for space saving marketing that clients can keep on them.
A great, cost effective product that can be posted out to your target audience to get your products and services in the hands of intrigued clients.
If you're promoting an event or have something you just have to share with potential clients in order to attract more sales or footfall to either a business location of website then you'll love our posters.
Keeping track of those customer jobs, or shipments is tricky unless you have our carbon copy NCR pads to duplicate your written information.
Mobile pavement based aboard signs are brilliant if your business is set back from the main road, and would otherwise be unnoticed. These are also great for builders, roofers, driveway installers and window fitters.
When getting your printed documents, product or spec sheets in front of clients in the most professional and complete form, then capacity and non capacity folders are the product you need.
If you're holding an event at a show or a stand at an exhibition, roller 'popup' banners are a brilliant, easy to transport marketing tool with lots of visual real estate to catch your potential customers eye.
Display Stands are made up of two main components — a strong, lightweight, tubular aluminium frame and a printed fabric cover. The 260gsm 'stretch' fabric cover is printed on the front and reverse as standard.
As well as creating a consistently branded office space for your employees, printed mouse pads are great for marketing your company to your clients, keeping you in the forefront of their mind 24/7 365.
Driving your staff to keep on target is a doddle when you have a custom designed and printed whiteboard, they're mobile or wall mounted, hard wearing and look great in the office!
From professional workwear to promotional tshirts for events and street promotions, this makes your employees look the part and be trusted more by clients.


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Q: Linking CSS Navbar WIth Wordpress Pages I am using wordpress as a full on CMS on a site I am building. One thing I cant seem to figure out is how to link up my navigation bar to the pages I am creating in wordpress. I am using a sprite image hover navbar that is defined in the header.php file.
Does anyone have any idea how I can take a typical CSS sprite navbar and link it up with the pages I am creating within wordpress?

A: Typically when developing a WordPress theme you will want to use the wp_list_pages() function to display a list of the published WordPress pages. It spits it out in a unordered list already hyper linked and ready to go. You can then integrate your CSS with it as needed. If you need further customization to the navigation, like excluding certain pages, reordering, them etc.. check out this plugin here.
Another alternative would be to get your hands dirty with some PHP and other WordPress functions and create the navigation lists you need in your functions.php file.

A: Does this help any? I'm only marginally familiar with Wordpress interaction but it sounds like this should allow you to execute PHP code, and thus pull your navigation somehow.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/php-execution-plugin/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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btwhitlock@gct.law
Brian develops and implements wealth transfer strategies for high-net-worth individuals, provides strategy for business succession planning and the administration and tax compliance of trusts, estates and exempt organizations. Brian is adept at tailoring estate tax deferral and wealth transfer strategies that fulfill the personal and non-tax objectives of his clients.
He received his B.A. from Northwestern University in 1976, his J.D. with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1979 and his L.L.M. (Taxation) with high honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1989. He is licensed to practice in Illinois as both an attorney and a Certified Public Accountant.
Brian served as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the Masters of Science in Taxation Program at the Chicago Campus, where he taught both "Taxation Closely Held Business Entities and their Stakeholders" and "Fiduciary Income Taxation" for over twelve years. Brian was voted the Faculty MVP in 2009, 2010 and 2015 by the graduating classes.
Brian is a Past Chairman of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) and is the current Chair of the Illinois Board of Examiners which oversees the administrate of the CPA Examination in Illinois. In 2014, Brian received the ICPAS Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, Brian received the Chicago Estate Planning Council's Austin Fleming Distinguished Service Award.
In addition to his continued active involvement in professional associations of Certified Public Accountants, Brian is a member of the American Bar Association, including its Tax Section and the Real Property and Probate Section; the Illinois State Bar Association; the Chicago Bar Association, including participation in the Federal Estate and Gift Tax Committee. Brian is a frequent speaker of tax and wealth transfer planning topics. He writes a bi-month column under the by-line "Untaxingly Yours" for Taxes – The Tax Magazine, published by the CCH division of Wolters Kluwer's.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, LL.M, Taxation, with High Honors, 1989
Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D. with Honors, 1979
Northwestern University, B.A., 1976
Illinois Certified Public Accountant
Section of Taxation
Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
Federal Estate and Gift Tax Committee
United States Tax Court
Chicago Estate Planning Council's Austin Fleming Distinguished Service Award, 2018
ICPAS Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014
Chair of the Illinois Board of Examiners
"The Tax Impact of Repaying a Signing Bonus," Taxes - The Tax Magazine, Wolters Kluwer (April 2022)
"One Hundred Years of Tax Planning," Taxes - The Tax Magazine, Wolters Kluwer (February 2022)
"Making a Gift Tax Return (Check) List and Checking it Twice," Taxes - The Tax Magazine, Wolters Kluwer (August 2021)
"What Every Tax Professional Needs to Remember About Fiduciary Income Tax," Taxes - The Tax Magazine, Wolters Kluwer (April 2021)
"Working From Home During a Pandemic: Income Tax Implications," Taxes - The Tax Magazine, Wolters Kluwer (December 2020)
LATEST NEWS & INSIGHTS FROM Brian T. Whitlock
January 4, 2023 News
LEYNEE CRUZ FLORES AND BRIAN T. WHITLOCK DISCUSS CORRECTING MISTAKES IN TAX ELECTIONS IN CNA ARTICLE
Golan Christie Taglia attorneys Leynee Cruz FLorez and Brian T. Whitlock co-authored an article for CNA where they discuss available avenues for correcting errors made when filing tax elections and best practices for reporting errors to clients as well as accounting and legal malpractice carriers.
August 9, 2022 News
ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY BRIAN T. WHITLOCK JOINS GOLAN CHRISTIE TAGLIA
GCT welcomes Brian T. Whitlock as counsel in the firm's Estate Planning & Taxation Group.
All News & Insights From Brian T. Whitlock >>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Netflix for Comics? We Break Down Comixology, Scribd, Comic Blitz and More
Every service has its quirks.
By Brady Dale • 10/13/16 11:24am
An Indonesian boy reads a copy of The 99, by Naif Al-Mutawa.
UPDATE: Scribd has cancelled its comics service, as The Digital Reader reported. February 8, 2017 11:59 AM.
If you like comics, it's easy to go on a binge session. A few years ago I had a subscription to Marvel Unlimited and I thought: "What was Brian Michael Bendis' run on Daredevil like?" I was three hours late to a party that night. Whoops.
Paper comics have gotten ridiculously expensive, and it's hard to find them outside specialty stores. Anyone who has been into the medium for a while has half their bedroom filled boxes of the floppy pamphlets. Digital theoretically presented an opportunity to keep up with the storylines more conveniently, though this hasn't worked out spectacularly in practice.
What about a sort of Netflix for digital comics? There are a few options for readers that want to pay a fixed price to borrow from an online library. Comparing them is not straightforward and what's on offer keeps changing.
Today, one binge-reading venture, a startup out of Los Angeles called Comic Blitz, announced that IDW Publishing had added many of its titles to its inventory. The publisher puts out books featuring some globally recognized characters, such as the Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Red Sonja.
IDW COO Greg Goldstein said in a release, "ComicBlitz's business model is a smart, easy way to discover your new favorite comic and we hope that their subscribers will enjoy what we have to offer."
Comics Blitz co-founders Jordan Plosky and Greg Weiss.
Along with the news, the service updated its pricing structure. As long as a publisher remains in the Comic Blitz system, every book they add stays in it for good, so that readers never feel like they are only getting part of a storyline or teased into buying the rest of the books, Jordan Plosky, its CEO, explained in a phone call with the Observer.
The company has lowered its price on its completely unlimited package from $9.99 per month to $7.99, for a limited time. It also announced a new tier: $3.99 for 10 digital comics, each month, that's the same price as one online issue of IDW's Transformers: Till All Are One on Comixology.
Comic Blitz's pitches publishers that it gives them a way to monetize their back catalog and perhaps attract new fans. "Realistically, there's not an after market for comics. Yes, you can sell your comics through Comixology, but you're still competing with those first run comics every month," Plosky said. "A venture like us is really just found money on content they've already created."
It's worth noting that most new comics won't show up on Comic Blitz for several months.
The Comic Blitz app.
In print, publishers monetized their old books with collected editions. That trick really only worked once or twice for most comics. By putting them in a sort of Netflix for comics, even not very popular work can contribute a bit to a publishing company's long tail, if fans buy in.
Comic Blitz went live at New York Comic-Con in 2015, for iPad only. It added iPhones in February and created a mobile responsive website in July. Plosky said it hopes to release an Android app in 2017. Only the apps give readers offline access to the comics.
The Observer got a look inside the web app. The experience is not bad, though it does feel like a beta release. Every time you switch to a new part of the site, it gets pretty slow, but once a book is loaded, reading through it isn't bad.
Comic Blitz is not the only option for borrowing digital comics. Here are some others:
• Comixology Unlimited. No one disputes that the company pioneered putting comics on mobile. John D. Roberts, a co-founder of the now Amazon-owned site, has said that the iPhone was the device digital comics had been waiting for. Since May, the company has offered its own unlimited borrowing service for $5.99 per month, though it's a pretty limited pool. Books come in and out of the system, and a reader might never find a complete run.
IDW titles on Comixology that are at least somewhat loaded in unlimited.
For example, Valiant Comics' Imperium is in Comixology Unlimited, but only the first four of the title's 16 issues available on the site. Similarly, Image's Invincible has 134 digital issues available, but only the first 13 are available through Unlimited. Once looked at in this light, Comixology Unlimited becomes a lot harder to justify. It's comparable to the free-to-play-pay-to-win model of mobile video games.
Additionally, this reporter has had a very hard time using Comixology. Ever since connecting my account to Amazon, payments haven't worked no matter how much I mess with my profile. I have reported the issue both directly to the site and Amazon, to no avail.
• Comics Fix offers an unlimited service for $8.99 with a mix of titles that look pretty comparable to Comic Blitz, but the site may be discontinued or on its way there. It hasn't updated its social feeds in months. The company also has not responded to a request for comment from the Observer.
• Marvel Unlimited. Truly the O.G. of digital comics, Marvel offers truly unlimited access to the books it puts in, and it adds more all the time. You can really get lost in here, for $9.99 a month or $69 each year. Obvious limitation? It's only Marvel titles, but some fans would argue you don't need any other titles.
• Scribd is not a comics service, but it has a lot of comics—over 9,000 from major publishers like Marvel Comics and BOOM! Studios, for $8.99 per month. A quick skim suggests that Scribd focuses on digital trade paperbacks, collected editions of four or so pamphlet comic books. Scribd is not unlimited, however. Readers only get three books and one audiobook each month.
Except it's only partly limited. As if the differences here aren't confusing enough, Scribd does offer a bunch of comics that don't count against your three books. There's some really good stuff in there, too. Scribd might be a good option for an avid reader who wants to try comics out.
Comics in Scribd don't necessarily stay there forever, according to a spokesperson, but it doesn't have any incentive to try to sell titles, as Comixology does. On the other hand, comics aren't its central business either.
The user experience of these services needs to evolve. One major problem I have: even when I buy digital comics, I often forget I have them. No app I've ever seen does a good job of helping you keep track of what you want to read and knocking those things off the list when you're done. They mostly seem to emphasize getting you to buy or look at other stuff, whereas the services should really worry about whether or not readers are actually reading. If they don't, they will quit opening the app and end their subscription.
That's one of several sacrifices in the switch from paper to digital, but on balance they are sacrifices I am happy to make if the experience just gets a bit better and if digital costs less, as it should.
Sadly, legacy comic book makers have been loathe to offer digital comics at a low enough price to make them attractive (just like legacy book publishers). For me, that's mostly meant that I just haven't been buying comics at all. Hopefully, one of these subscription services can find a good enough business model to bring readers like me back.
Filed Under: Business, Digital Publishing, comic books, Amazon


Kyle Cameron hasn't been good. Surprisingly got a start on Saturday after his glaring mistake for the first goal vs. Falkirk last Tuesday night.
I thought he was very good in the 3-2 win at Tannadice but would have to agree that he hasn`t really impressed overall.
Glad the end of the season is coming up and if we pick up anything for today is a bonus.
Hoping to see Dobbie & Lyle score to help both with their goal targets as the team looks like they finish for the season but we can still hope to stay 7th and finish above Falkirk.
Come on Queens - Dobbie & Lyle!
Anyone want to talk me through Alan Martins injury time wonder save ?
Half decent highlights from a young Morton vlogger. Misses the only goal mind you.


This is one of the more obvious things to shoot when in Rome, but it's totally worth it. Go either at dawn or dusk to get the best light. Bring a wide-angle to 50mm to be able to capture the whole scenery as well as some portraits of people.
These are probably the two top tourist attractions of Rome, however I would absolutely recommend that you book a tour. The tour-guides can get you fast access to the biggest sights, otherwise you'll spend hours in the line, potentially in 30 degree heat. For the Vatican, make sure you're dressed appropriately (cover shoulders/knees) and be aware that you're camera backpack might get searched by security. Even if you show up early in the morning it's going to be busy, also the Colosseum is regularly covered in scaffolding for restorations so make sure you check in advance if you're desperately after some exteriors.
Tip: For an extra 7€ you can climb up St Peters Basilica which is quite a hike but worth the effort. (There's a water fountain on the way down, you'll need it) In terms of lens I found that I mostly used my wide angle, If you're shooting outside during midday a graduated ND-Filter won't hurt.
If you're tired from the city and looking for a place to relax that this will definitely put your mind at rest. And most importantly you should visit multiple times, have a breezy walk through the gardens, rest you feet in one of the many fountains and take some great panoramas at sunset at Pincio Hill by the North-West side of the park. It'll offer you one of the best views over the city totally stress free.
Rome's a busy place and streets and alleys become really crowded, so make sure you have an eye on your bag and belongings. Leave everything you know you won't need at home or in the hotel-safe.
The city heats up quite a lot during the day and even in Rome light's not gonna be great at 1pm in the afternoon so make sure you safe your energy for the late afternoons and nights, that's when Rome reveals its real Beauty. And don't worry, shops and restaurants are open till late you won't miss out on that pasta.
An empty bottle can be refilled for free at one of the hundreds of fountains scattered all over Rome. That's pretty neat, and you will need it.


Surrounded by 250 acres of beautiful grounds, Carlton Towers is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture which will set an atmospheric backdrop for your perfect day.
Heaton Mount is a fantastic wedding venue to the North of Bradford with wonderful facilities. They are an extremely experienced and high-quality events venue where you can have your special day.
The stunning facade of this sumptuous Stately Home is a gorgeous venue for the special day!
Once a Monastery, our 19th Century Priory will provide you with everything from beautiful reception spaces, 35 stylish bedrooms, 18 acres of idyllic gardens, and your very own chapel!
Cookridge Hall in North Leeds is a beautiful grade II listed old hall that was built in 1721, set amongst an 18 hole golf course the spectacular grounds make for the perfect backdrop to your big day.


Hotel Restaurant Lamy is using Secure Internet Booking Engine, provided by SabeeApp - Cloud Hotel Management System.
Return to Hotel Restaurant Lamy official website.
Hotel Restaurant Lamy using SabeeApp Professional Management system to accept direct bookings.


This country report on the status of biosafety in Bhutan is prepared for submission to the Asia Regional workshop on Risk Assessment and Risk Management to implement the Cartagena Protocol, in New Delhi, India, 22-24 May 2002.
The Cartagena Protocol, which was adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 29th January 2002, is a guiding framework for activities on biosafety. The main focus is on transboundary movement of living modified organism (LMO) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have an adverse effect on the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity. The protocol aims to derive the maximum benefits from biotechnology while minimizing the risks to natural environment and to human health. In accordance with Article 36, the Protocol was open for signature at the UN Headquarters in New York until 4th June 2001 and thereafter the Protocol has been left open for ratification only.
As the Cartagena Protocol was developed under the Convention of Biological Diversity, the next section deals with Bhutan and our position with regards to the CBD, followed by Bhutan and the Cartagena Protocol.
Recognizing the importance and concerns associated with biological diversity at both the national and international arenas Bhutan became a Party and signed the CBD in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, which was later ratified by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) in 1995. Since the ratification of the CBD, Bhutan has taken many steps in trying to fulfill its obligations under this international undertaking and is continually in the process of complying with the objectives and conditions set out under the different articles of the convention.
In line with Article 1 of the CBD, the RGoB has made the 'conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components" a priority during both its 8th Five Year and 9th Five Year Plan periods focusing on national strategies and programs to achieve this goal. During the 9th FYP period (i.e. July 1992- June 1997), the RGoB's interests has also been directed towards the field of bioprospecting to address issues such as the appropriate access to genetic resources and technologies and the equitable sharing of the benefits as outlined in Article 1.
In accordance with Article 6, required to address the needs for national strategies, plans and programs towards the conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity, Bhutan has taken many initiatives. One main step has been the development of a document titled "The Middle Path" in 1999, outlining the National Environment Strategy for Bhutan. The document was produced by the National Environment Commission (NEC), mandated to be the RGoB's main instrument to the undertakings of the CBD.
Additionally, to address the concerns, policies and action plans towards the nations biological diversity the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) developed the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) document for Bhutan in 1998. The 2nd edition of this document was presented in April 2002 to the COP-6 at The Hague in Netherlands thus fulfilling Bhutan's obligations to the CBD under Article 26. Further the RGoB has established a National Biodiversity Center (NBC) within the MoA, mandated to coordinate and facilitate all the nations activities with regards to biodiversity and to integrate the conservation and the sustainable use of the biological diversity into the nations plans and programs. Further a "National Biodiversity Management Board" has been established with cross-sectorial representation. It is to be the executive and policy decision making body for all biodiversity issues in Bhutan.
In line with Article 8, towards the conservation of biological diversity in-situ, the RGoB has established the Nature Conservation Division (NCD) under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). The NCD manages the nations protected area systems, which currently covers a total area of about 36%. Additionally, the RGoB has set out numerous policies, legislation and acts to protect the country's natural ecosystems and resources.
More recently in compliance with Article 9 towards ex-situ conservation, the NBC has taken many initiatives; a national seed gene bank is being constructed at Serbithang, near the capital city Thimphu. Additionally the construction of a National herbarium has been completed to house more than 20,000 specimen and a Royal Botanical Garden for the ex-situ conservation of the flora of Bhutan has also been established, the development of the garden is underway at Serbithang.
For the 9th FYP period of the RGoB which commences in July 2002 many provisions have been made under different externally funded donor assisted projects to address the RGoB's commitments made under the CBD, specially with regards to Articles 7 (identification and monitoring), 10 (sustainable use), 12 (research and training), 13 (public education and awareness), and 14 (impact assessment). To cater to the needs above, and in line with Article 17 addressing information exchange, the RGoB through the NBC has developed a multi-stakeholder project to establish an integrated biodiversity Information web-based system in Bhutan. The project titled "Bhutan Integrated Biodiversity Information Systems (BIBIS) is in the pipeline awaiting implementation at the start of the RGoB's 9th Five year Plan (FYP) period.
With the RGoB planning on embarking on Bioprospecting during the 9th FYP issues under Article 15 (access to genetic resources), 16 (access and transfer of technology), 18 (technical and scientific cooperation) and 19 (use and benefits of biotechnology) will to be addressed. New establishments within the MoA such as the Quality Control and Regulatory Services (QCRS) and the NBC will be making initiatives towards addressing such issues. Given that Bhutan will be embarking on programs such as bioprospecting, we need to be aware of issues such as biosafety, LMO's and the Cartagena Protocol.
As Party to the CBD and on the positive recommendations by participants to the 1st and subsequent meetings of the "Inter-governmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (ICCP), the RGoB decided to sign the Protocol on Biosafety, but unfortunately missed the deadline for signature. Although the RGoB is keen to ratify the Cartagena Protocol, we are aware of the drawbacks with in-house technical and financial capability to implement its requirements. Furthermore, the Bhutanese government currently does not have adequate legal and policy frameworks and institutions with the required mandates to successfully implement such an undertaking. In spite of all these shortfalls, the RGoB attaches a huge importance to the Cartagena Protocol and the principles and objectives outlined. With inherent globalization and technological advancement, Bhutan is not in a position to be isolated from the emerging issues associated with biosafety.
The Cartagena Protocol on biosafety is very pertinent to Bhutan given that we have a large biodiversity resource base and is considered as one of the prominent biological hotspots and ecological wonders in the world. While aiming towards the conservation and the sustainable utilization of our biological resources we are aware of the need to exercise caution and control when allowing the import and use of LMO's and their products into our country, while at the same time we do appreciate the benefits that biotechnology can have on the sustainable economical and environmental development of the nation.
3. Monitoring and Enforcement capabilities.
With these points in mind and with the opportunity provided by UNEP/GEF on the possibility of financial assistance, Bhutan is in the process of developing a project proposal titled "Development of National Biosafety Frameworks". This is being done following set guidelines that address building the institutional and technical national capacity in the field of biosafety to meet the obligations under the Cartagena Protocol. On the successful completion of the national activities foreseen in the project we have the provision of becoming a Party to the Cartagena protocol.
The Asia regional workshop to address issues on the 'risk assessment and risk management to implement the Cartagena protocol" in Delhi will be a timely contribution in our endeavors to develop a biosafety project for Bhutan, which will also take into consideration regional and global concerns.
Bhutan's track record with respect to biotechnology has been almost non-existent. Till now the RGoB has not identified the need to use biotechnology as a tool for the sustainable environment and economic development of the nation. The RGoB has invested in establishing two tissue culture labs, one for the commercial propagation of selected crop specimens and the other for research and development of agro-biodiversity. However in both the labs only propagation work has been initiated to date. One of the major drawbacks for the slow adoption of biotechnology has been the poor development of infrastructure and facilities compounded by the lack of trained specialized human resource capacity.
As biotechnology is an important aspect that has been referred to in the CBD Article 8, subparagraph (g) Article 16 and Article 19 and the resulting Cartagena Protocol the remaining sections of this paper will specifically address biotechnology and related issues focusing at the national and regional levels. Starting with the implementation of Article 19 of the CBD, "Handling of Biotechnology and Distribution of its Benefits", followed with the current institutions in Bhutan to handle biotechnology and its aspects and emphasizing the capacity building needs. The last section covers the regional mechanisms and some recommendations from our side.
Article 19 of the CBD focuses on the "Handling of Biotechnology and Distribution of its Benefits", within four subparagraphs. The subparagraphs focus on Contracting Parties to establish appropriate policy and legislative measures for biotechnology research, establish access and benefit sharing mechanisms resulting from biotechnology, develop protocols associated with LMO's resulting from biotechnology and provide information for the safe use and handling of such organisms, respectively.
This section of the paper attempts to address the steps undertaken by Bhutan to address such issues and identifies the focal points and competent authorities involved.
With regards to Article 19, subparagraph 1 on legislative and policy measures, Bhutan does not have any existing policies or legislation on biosafety. Bhutan is yet to develop concise and appropriate national legislative and policy measures on biosafety that would guide us on embarking in future biotechnology associated research.
Although Bhutan does not have the appropriate legislation in place there have been instances we have provided genetic material for use in breeding and biotechnology for research purposes. For example we have contributed hundreds of local rice germplasm to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines and have developed institutional linkages with them for further research activities. The MoA within the RGoB has four Renewable Natural Resources Research Centers (RNRRC's) established in the country to undertake possible research-orientated activities in biotechnology.
Additional to the CBD and to meet the obligations under the Cartagena protocol Bhutan needs to enact national biosafety legislation. This will have the force of law and its implementation can be backed by corrective measure. Comprehensive national legislation will also ensure that the unique risks and hazards of LMO's are fully taken into account and regulated specifically and appropriately. The formulation of national biosafety legislation must benefit from an open and participatory process. Given the volume and strength of worldwide public concern and consumer opposition towards genetic engineering and biotechnology, a national process that is transparent, accountable and one, which involves all levels of public participation, will be crucial.
The legal section under the NEC will have to take the critical role to implement the process. Currently under the MoA there are adhock projects dealing with different conditions of access and benefit sharing mechanisms and legal framework for biological diversity. The NBC under the MoA with external technical assistance is in the process of developing a legal and policy frameworks for Plant Genetic Resources. Another section facilitated by the MoA is dealing with food safety and concerns of LMO's in this aspect have been highlighted. The QCRS dealing with import permits have developed formats for monitoring the transboundary movement of biological resources but are yet to include LMO's in their quest.
With respect to subparagraph 2, access and benefit sharing resulting from biotechnologies, it is apparent that given the present technological capacity in Bhutan that we would be a contracting party permitting access to our rich biological and would gain benefits from biotechnological activities undertaken in collaboration efforts. With this in mind the NBC has developed the first draft of the National access legislation for Plant Genetic Resources in Bhutan, which is in the nations best interests and suitable to the national and international conditions. The conditions for benefit sharing have also been outlined where the transfer of technology and capacity building for partners has been emphasized. This document however needs to be formally presented to and approved by the RGoB.
Regarding subparagraphs 3 and 4, associated with LMO's resulting from biotechnology, we would like to state that so far Bhutan has not had the provision to develop any LMO's using biotechnology in the country and hence we have not adversely affected the biological diversity of any nation. There have also been no instances or reports of any LMO's being imported in the country, in the future the QCRS will be the focal point and authority that will monitor the movement of LMO's. The procedures and protocols are yet to be developed, which will address the safety measures in transfer and handling and advance inform agreement contracts highlighting potentially adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Such concerns will probably be addressed through the "Biosafety Project" being initiated by the NEC to implement the Cartagena protocol.
In order for Bhutan to ratify the Cartagena Protocol, National level capacity needs to be developed including the institutional capacity to deal with the various aspects of the protocol. Since ratifying the CBD, the RGoB of Bhutan has established additional organizations to deal with the conservation, management and the sustainable utilization of the nations biological resources. However none of the organizations have had mandates directly linked to biotechnology. These organizations will play a different role with regards to the biotechnology activities in the country. Given the current situation and programs being implemented it is apparent that strong institutional linkages and an integrated approach needs to be taken into consideration.
This section thus provides brief details of the ministries and agencies involved with biotechnology activities in Bhutan, including their roles responsibilities.
The NEC is an autonomous agency of the RGoB and the national focal point for the environment policies. NEC is also the RGoB's instrument to the undertakings under the CBD. With regards to biosafety and biotechnology, NEC has taken the initiative to develop a project proposal for support under UNEP/GEF for the development of Bhutan's Biosafety Frameworks. It will be the national executing agency and the legal entity responsible for the biosafety project. Within its internal staff structure, Legal personnel are recruited in the NEC. Other staff include the environment impact assessment officers who will probably play an important role in the future in assessing and advising the RGoB on the impact of externally introduced or internally created LMO's in the country.
1. The Druk Seed Corporation: Attached to the MoA also deals with biotechnologies for small-scale commercial purposes where to date the main focus has been on tissue culture of some economically important crop plants.
The role of the private sector in Bhutan with regards to the sustainable utilizing of biotechnological applications for commercial gain is in its infancy.
2. The Food Corporation of Bhutan: Established in 1974 deals with the procurement and distribution of essential food items in the nation. One of its mandates is to maintain Food reserves and undertake business in agriculture and related products.
Under the MoA the institutional setup to deal with biotechnology activities are mainly centered with the NBC, RNRRC's and the QCRS.
The NBC was formally established as the non-departmental agency under the MoA to oversee and ensure the implementation of Biodiversity Action Plan, 1998; to promote biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources on equitable terms of benefit sharing. The NBC was established as the RGoB recognized the need for organizing and coordinating the national biodiversity activities under a single administrative and management structure to establish the foundation for local, regional and global efforts in biodiversity conservation and sustainable uses of its components.
It is mandated to be a framework for organizing Bhutan's biodiversity related activities; be a mechanism for national decision-making on biodiversity concerns, cutting across sectors, divisions and institutions; be a mechanism to guarantee a better national balance between conservation and sustainable utilization of biological resources in general, and between in situ and ex situ conservation in particular; be a mechanism to facilitate sub-regional, regional and international cooperation; and assure the continuity of biodiversity related activities over time.
Within its framework the NBC has sections to deal with the conservation and the sustainable utilization of Agrobiodiversity. With assistance of the Netherlands government a National Gene bank is under construction, which will be completed by the end of 2002, with the provisions of a biotechnology lab attached to its premises. Through the same project there is a provision to train a technical staff for a six months course in biotechnology. The NBC is in the process of identifying a donor to assist in the development and implementation of a bioprospecting program in Bhutan. Where the need for a biotechnologist will be emphasized. Bhutan currently lacks trained specialists in this field although many individuals would have been partially exposed to biotechnological applications and procedures during their studies abroad.
There are four RNRRC's in the country under the Department of Research and Development Services of the MoA. Each of these integrated centers has a national mandate to coordinating research in one of the four major fields of research i.e. Forestry (Yusipang in western Bhutan), field crops (Bajo in Wangdue, located in the western central part of the country), livestock (Jakar in Bhumthang, central Bhutan) and horticulture (Khangma in the far Eastern region of Bhutan). Each of these centers has a multi-disciplinary team of scientists.
The QCRS is a non-departmental agency within the MoA and mandated to promote and regulate the quality of goods and products in Bhutan; to ensure that the quality of food is safe for consumption; to check the flow of diseases in agriculture and livestock in collaboration with the Department of Health and Services. Other mandates include implementation of acts and bylaws of the RGoB related to RNR sector and to initiate amendments where necessary. Application and Permit forms for the import and export of agricultural goods, livestock etc have been developed by the analytical and certification division within QCRS. Phytosanitary certificates are also issued by QCRS depending on the importing country's regulations to facilitate trade.
The other Ministries that would probably have institutional setups for biotechnology applications in the country would include the Ministry of Health and Education in Bhutan and the Ministry of Trade and Industries for license permits and trade negotiations for biotechnology industries. The former in its relationship with the scientific capacity and infrastructure to perform tests related to the affects of LMO's to human health, the facilities and infrastructure for primary health care in the country is relatively well established. Additionally the institute of traditional medicine and services under the Health department, involved with the processing of raw materials into medicinal products has well established laboratories and processing units, with the potential of expanding to biotechnological applications.
The table below provides an overview of the existing capacities including the specific capacities needed to implement Biosafety procedures in the country.
1 Development of a legal framework and the instruments to implement biosafety procedures in the nation. (through multi-stakeholder involvement) Lawyers addressing concerns and issues for environment exist but less than 5 in the whole country Legal external Technical Expertise and training of the national existing lawyers in biosafety issues to develop an appropriate framework.
2 Development of the institutional capacity and defining specific roles and responsibilities to implement the frameworks for biosafety Institutions such as NEC, NBC, QCRS in place. Technical Assistance required for Institutional Development, to determine specific roles and responsibilities related to biosafety.
4 Build a national scientific and technical capacity to deal with biotechnological research RGoB personnel available but lack specific training in biotechnology.Basic lab facilities for biotechnological based activities available in the country Specialized training in biotechnological required for selected RGoB staffEstablishment of biotechnology labs around the country and purchase of appropriate equipment for laboratory work.
7 Development of risk management protocols for LMO's Not yet developed Need TA and relevant training in this field.
8 Establish appropriate emergency measures for accidental movements of LMO's (including isolation and control chambers) Not yet developed Need TA to assist in developing appropriate measures. Need to build the required infrastructure.
9 Training of field staff in the implementation of specialized biosafety activities in the country No specialists trained in this field TA required to develop training manuals for set protocols on biosafety.Specialized training and exchange programs with other regional centers involved in biotechnology and biosafety.
The following are the capacities required urgently for the development, management and implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks in Bhutan.
· Assessment of existing laws and regulations pertinent to Protocol on biosafety to identify major gaps and weaknesses to develop appropriate legal and policy frameworks for biosafety and transboundary movement of LMO's.
· Building capacities in monitoring compliance.
Bhutan is a developing country that does not have the infrastructure or know-how and experience in handling modern biotechnology. These gaps create difficulties in evaluating the risks of process and products of modern biotechnology. Access to biological resources, intellectual property rights to the products and biosafety are three inseparable issues, and capacity building in biosafety must take all these into account. The success of the Biosafety protocol depends on the indigenous capacities of the developing countries to fulfill the obligations under it. Human and financial resources, information exchange, technical assistance, capacity-building in various areas, and the creation of appropriate infrastructures will be essential elements to achieve the objectives of the protocol.
Bhutan is exploring the possibilities of requesting UNEP/GEF to support the NEC in meeting some of the obligations of the Convention on Biological Diversity and in building capacity to strengthen implementation of Biodiversity activities and development of the National Biosafety Framework. The activities will be carried out in close consultation and coordination with the National Biodiversity Center, the Nature Conservation Division and other relevant institutions and stakeholders of the RGoB.
This section identifies some of the types of regional cooperation mechanisms that would be beneficial to Bhutan's biosafety program.
· Sharing of experiences through regional workshops and visits.
· Identification of national biosafety experts in respective countries to exchange and share relevant information, meet regularly as well as function as an informal multinational technical backstopping team.
· Development of "best practices" in Asia and sharing.
· Establishment of on the job training/ exchange programs among the countries in the region.
· Development and publication of a regular regional biosafety journal that documents experiences as well as the status of the implementation of biosafety procedures in the member countries.
· Nationally, need to secure funding to develop biosafety regulations, to develop the scientific capacity and to establish the monitoring and enforcement capability for biosafety.
· Regional Scientific committee to be established to provide technical assistance to countries requiring such services.
9 Contact Details for Biotechnology Issues in the Country.
9.2 Corporations and Autonomous Agencies.


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Climate in Mangghystau
(Kazakhstan)
All climate diagrams on this site result from the collected data from two measuring weather stations in Mangghystau.
All data correspond to the average monthly values of the last 20 years.
Back to overview: Kazakhstan
Mangghystau is one of the warmest regions in Kazakhstan with an average daily high temperature of 19 degrees. The climate is varied and offers seasons with strong winters and warm summers. It rarely gets really warm up here. Due to the warmer temperatures, the best time for traveling is from May to September. Less attractive are the cold months from November to March.
› Overview: Climate in Kazakhstan
› Daylengths and sun positions in Kazakhstan
› Compare climate with other regions or countries
Rain days per month
A rain day is a day on which at least 0.1 mm precipitation (=0.1 liter) per square meter falls. This can be rain, snow, hail or even dew. So it does not have to rain the whole day. With 4 rain days, November offers the most rain days, while August has the fewest.
Precipitation amount in mm/day
The amount of precipitation is measured in millimeters per square meter. Thus, at two mm/day, two liters of water fall on one square meter within 24 hours. With only 0.1 mm, the least amount of rain falls in June. March, on the other hand, has the most rain.
Climate charts for other regions in Kazakhstan
Almaty OblysyMangghystauBatys QazaqstanOngtüstik QazaqstanQyzylordaQostanayEast KazakhstanPavlodarAqtöbeAqmolaAtyrauAlmaty QalasySoltüstik QazaqstanQaraghandyZhambylAstana Qalasy
Most important cities in the region »Mangghystau«
The region has a west-east extension of about 400 km and over 240 km from north to south.
Geo position
Aktau 204,701 43° 38' 53"N 51° 10' 20"E
Zhanaozen 81,604 43° 20' 28"N 52° 51' 43"E
Beyneu 14,245 45° 19' 0"N 55° 12' 0"E
Kuryk 11,836 43° 12' 0"N 51° 38' 60"E
Shetpe 11,836 44° 10' 0"N 52° 7' 0"E
Zhetibay 11,731 43° 35' 39"N 52° 4' 44"E
Fort-Shevchenko 5,213 44° 30' 24"N 50° 15' 50"E
Munayshy 4,085 43° 29' 28"N 52° 6' 31"E
Bautino 3,247 44° 32' 41"N 50° 14' 47"E
Taushyq 2,600 44° 20' 48"N 51° 20' 58"E
Ömirzaq 1,885 43° 35' 52"N 51° 14' 30"E
Sayötesh 1,571 44° 19' 40"N 53° 31' 57"E
Data basis: German Weather Service, individual values averaged and supplemented by own elements. Data on cities and inhabitants: geonames.org, United Nations Statistics Division and own research.
The 41 most popular travel countriesA ranking of international tourism over 41 countries. USA ranks 3rd.
Public holidays in Sweden 2023-2027Statutory and inofficial holidays in Sweden for 2023 to 2027
Climate and temperature development in AustriaA climate analysis for Austria incl. temperatures, humidity, rain days per month, hours of sunshine, water temperature, rainfalls
You are here: Home › Asia › Kazakhstan › Climate › Mangghystau


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gigabyte g1 gaming ga-z170mx-gaming 5
christmas market, advent market, fair @ Pixabay
Gigabyte GA-Z170MX Gaming 5 is a high-end processor from China, which uses a dual-core Z170XE CPU. The CPU features 16 MB L3 cache, 1 MB L2 cache, and 8 MB RAM. This CPU is known for its high-performance gaming and is priced around $100.
The CPU is based on a Z170XE CPU and is known for its high-performance gaming. It's not the fastest CPU out there, but it should be able to handle the heavy workloads a high-end PC can.
Gigabyte GA-Z170MX Gaming 5 is a high-end processor from China, which uses a dual-core Z170XE CPU. The CPU features 16 MB L3 cache, 1 MB L2 cache, and 8 MB RAM. This CPU is known for its high-performance gaming and is priced around 100.The CPU is based on a Z170XE CPU and is known for its high-performance gaming.
Gigabyte GA-Z170MX Gaming 5 is a high-end processor from China, which uses a dual-core Z170XE CPU. The CPU features 16 MB L3 cache, 1 MB L2 cache, and 8 MB RAM. This CPU is known for its high-performance gaming and is priced around 100.
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The Gigabyte ga-z170mx-gaming controller is a really tiny little controller that is very similar to the Gigabyte Z170MX. Theyre both single-button joysticks and they both have an 8-inch touch screen. They both have a 5 mega-pixel rear-facing camera, and they both have a 3.
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Not exactly a proud father
Son (again) brings shame on PLA general
Battle stations: General Li in action
Parents often refer to wastrel offspring as the 'black sheep' of the family. Li Tianyi, the son of two of China's better known singers, seems to be a blacker sheep than most.
A little less than two years ago Li (who confusingly is also known as Li Guanfeng) was sent to a juvenile correctional facility for beating up a couple after their cars collided in an an affluent Beijing suburb (see WiC123).
Now, the son of the famous military singer Li Shuangjiang has been arrested in connection with the gang rape of a woman in a hotel in the capital city's Haidian district.
Li's alleged crime has reignited a debate about the behaviour and treatment of children born into privileged and well-connected families known as the 'second-generation of officials' (fu'er dai) in China.
Li's name was changed to Guanfeng after he was released from the correctional facility last year, presumably to give him the chance of a fresh start untainted by his former record. His parents also seem to have intended to send him abroad to study this year, reports the Zhengzhou Evening News.
But on February 19 he was detained with four others. The police formally arrested him this week.
Meanwhile netizens outraged by Li's behaviour have been carrying out investigations of their own.
One story doing the rounds is that the victim has already been offered various incentives such as an apartment and Beijing hukou (a residency permit granting access to educational and health services) if she drops the charges.
Other speculation among netizens – potentially corroborated by a clip of a television interview with Li's parents in the past – is that Li is no longer a juvenile (officially heis 17) and so should be tried as an adult. This is important, as adult status will greatly impact the severity of any potential punishment.
Li's mother Meng Ge – another famous military singer – then added to the general sense of opprobrium when she asked the public and the media to be more forgiving in their response to his case.
"Li's mother should let the court judge the deeds of her son rather than stand up to beg for tolerance," rapped one commentary on the People's Daily website.
Individual netizens posted similar reactions, usually lamenting the privileges of the fu'er dai lifestyle. "Rich people can always roam outside the law. Laws and regulations are for poor people only," complained one. Another wrote: " Let's face it this kid is never going to come of age. His parents will still be protecting him and saying he is a minor when he is 50."
Li's parents must be wondering where they went wrong with his upbringing. Given that both his father and his mother have lifelong military backgrounds, their household might have been expected to exude a stronger sense of discipline. But as netizens have also been discussing, the evident lack of a firmer hand looks bad for the People's Liberation Army too.
China and the WorldBeijing frets as Pyongyang blusters
EnvironmentSoil survey results classed as 'state secret'
HealthcareA major hospital reform falls through
Rail & InfrastructureRailway ministry on verge of break up, as Li Keqiang reforms bureaucracies
CartoonsVote of approval


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For several months now, solar panels and other equipment have been sitting in a warehouse owned by the City of Milwaukee.
The idea was to add solar power to seven city buildings, saving money while moving a step closer toward meeting the city's long-term environmental goals.
The project, set to begin last fall, was put on hold after We Energies refused to connect it to the utility's system, contending that the project is illegal under state law.
The dispute is an example of how state policy could spur or hinder the development of solar power — and determine the future reach of We Energies and other utilities' existing monopolies.
The dispute is an example of how state policy could spur or hinder the development of solar power — and determine the future reach of We Energies and other utilities' existing monopolies. Read the full story here.


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Home / News / Sports Cars
Nissan Green Lights Front-Wheel Drive Compact Sports Car: Report
Viknesh Vijayenthiran July 18, 2012 Comment Now!
The future is looking bright for sports car fans, with news coming out this week that Nissan has given the green light for a new compact sports car positioned below the Z line and targeted at the likes of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ.
But while its intended rivals are lightweight rear-wheel drive coupes, the new Nissan will reportedly feature a more unconventional sports car design and come with standard front-wheel drive.
An all-wheel drive version is said to be possible, borrowing the 4x4 i-system with torque vectoring from the Nissan Juke crossover, though right now all the talk is speculation as Nissan is yet to confirm the news.
The latest info comes via Motor Trend, which reports that the new model was hinted at with the Nissan Compact Sport Concept, a hot hatch concept unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show featuring Nismo badging and the Juke's turbocharged 1.6-liter engine--you may recall Nissan has also been testing a special high-performance version of the Juke's engine that it used in the DeltaWing race car at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans.
An inside source reportedly said the new model from Nissan will be about the same size as a Honda CR-Z and would be developed for worldwide markets. First sales are tipped to start around the end of 2013.
The news does tie in with previous comments made by Nissan design boss Shiro Nakamura, who said his employer was looking at downsizing its sports models and considering a new sports car positioned below the Z, which itself is likely to become lighter and more efficient with the next generation.
This had sparked hopes that the new sports car would be a spiritual successor to the 240SX, or Silvia as it's known in other markets, but now it appears that Nissan will be going in a very different direction for its next sports car endeavor.
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This link will take you to videos with wrestling situations.
A handbook developed for the official new to Greco and Freestyle officiating.
22 APR 19. Rules Question of the Day. GRECO-ROMAN.
You are the REFEREE. Red executes a throw and does not accompany Blue to the mat. What is your call?
18 Apr 19. Rules Question of the Day.
Yes or No. During a competition which has a formally designated video review and challenge process, a coach challenges an action. During the video review, the Jury and Chairman review the action in question. After the review and decision has been rendered, the coach states he wants to protest the bout as the Chairman was part of the review and assisted in reaching a decision. He states the chairman should not have been involved. Is this a protestable situation?
ANSWER. Article 32. No. The Refereeing Delegate (Jury) AND the Mat Chairman can review the video and render a decision.
Richard Chamberlain · No, The chairman and head official or chairman and jury are involved in the review process.
Joel Sturtevant · No - The chairman and the jury of appeals are allowed to be involved in the review process.
17 APR 19. Rules Question of the Day.
You are the REFEREE. In the standing position, Red initiates an attack, you see Red step into the protection area during the attack. What should you do? Interrupt the bout and award B1 or let the action continue allowing Red to complete the scoring action?
Joel Sturtevant Point at the foot that steps out of bounds with the Left Hand (red) and allow the action to continue - Red is allowed to step into the protection area to score. If Red completes a scoring action award the appropriate points and restart in the center. If Red does not complete a scoring action, Award B1 and restart in the center.
16 APR 19. Rules Question of the Day. GRECO-ROMAN.
Yes or No. During the first period, Red is the offensive wrestler and pushes Blue into the protection area. The Referee gives Red an Attention for Offensive Pushing into the protection area. Approximately 30 seconds later, near the edge, Red openly straight arm pushes Blue into the protection area. Referee immediately offers Red Caution (O) and Blue two (2) points. The Chairman confirms the call. Is this correct?
ANSWER: No. Article 39. A rule change for 2019, When a wrestler deliberately pushes his opponent into the protection area with no meaningful action he shall no longer be awarded 1 point (only verbal warning – Attention)..
Richard Chamberlain · In my opinion, this is negative wrestling and should be scored as such. Red has already been warned so the caution and two is correct.
15 APR 19. Rules Question of the Day.
You are the REFEREE. The wrestlers are in parterre. Red is on top and Blue is underneath. The action has taken both wrestlers to the edge. Blue is lying across the boundary line, his chest, shoulders and head are in the protection area. What is your call?
ANSWER: Article 46. Out of Bounds. Stop the bout, restart standing.
Dennis Thorson · Your command is "BLUE PLACE". If "in", means haven't touched.


Given the quality of the microphone in the bundled controller, you are probably better off using the Android TV Remote app with your existing smartphone, but the feature does work. It is slightly unclear how Assistant support is added—the feature is introduced on first boot after installing the November security update for Oreo, though it could also require the latest Google app version.
The Nexus Player was launched in November 2014 with 5.0 as the first Android TV device. It has continued to receive platform updates, and received a completely new interface in September with the launch of Oreo, though it has been excluded from the Developer Preview for 8.1. Conspicuously, the Nexus Player is completely absent from Google's list of support dates for Nexus and Pixel products.
Note: All four of you who own a Nexus Q can put your hands down.


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Gaming crackdown jeopardises China's esports dominance, warn players
in Technology News
Chinese politics & policy updates
Sign up to myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about Chinese politics & policy news.
China's clampdown on gaming will blunt the nation's competitive edge just as its professional esports teams gear up for international tournaments, including next year's Asian Games, players and experts have warned.
Beijing introduced sweeping gaming regulations last week that stipulated that players under 18 could only play online for three hours a week. Professional esports players said the restrictions handed rivals in the US, South Korea and Europe a big advantage.
"China has the most top teams in the world," Maurice "Amazing" Stückenschneider, a German professional League of Legends player and coach, told the Financial Times. "[Now] it's impossible [for China] to continue any esports development."
Esports is big business in China and wildly popular. The world's biggest video gaming market has an estimated 720m gamers generating revenues of $44bn in 2020, according to Newzoo, a market research group.
The country is set to host the sport's first appearance as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and set up a stadium dedicated entirely to competitive video gaming in Chongqing with more than 7,000 seats.
Universities are even offering esports subjects as niche as in-game set design, while Chinese teams have won multiple international competitions.
But Stückenschneider warned that the latest restrictions risked undermining China's standing.
"You have to see it [esports] as similar to another sport," he said. "Players can train 70 hours a week or potentially more, so that could mean a discrepancy of 67 hours. It's just going to be impossible [for Chinese youth players] to maintain a high level."
He added that players in South Korea and China often trained six days a week with two three-hour blocks and a third two-hour block later at night.
Ding, a 24-year-old professional gamer in Shanghai, started playing when he was 15. "I'd play three to four hours every day after school, and all day during weekends. It's a matter of practice makes perfect," he told the FT.
"The restrictions will have a big impact on China's esport performance. Because other countries don't have [the restrictions] their players ultimately have more time to practice."
Game developers, such as China's most valuable company Tencent, dominate the industry by running tournaments and teams. Revenues are boosted by live events, streaming, apps, advertising, merchandise sales and media rights.
In Shenzhen, the buzzy southern centre of China's technology boom, Sarah, the owner of a top esports club, said the new rules came "out of the blue".
"The best age for professional players is from 16 to 21. But you have to start training from [at least] 16," said Sarah, who declined to provide her real name.
"If you play professionally, all the opponents you face will be extremely good, you have to be familiar with all the heroes, all the different versions, different teams. All this depends on endless training and you can't do it at home by yourself."
While she admitted that there were workarounds, such as finding adult accounts for the under-18 players to practise on, the local industry was worried about attracting investors in the wake of the restrictions.
Charlie Moseley, founder of the Chengdu Gaming Federation, said the esports industry would take a "catastrophic hit" from the new regulations on young players. "China has prioritised cultural control over competitiveness in esports."
Additional reporting by Nian Liu in Beijing
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Atlantic Stage
The Grand Strand's Professional Theatre Company
Waiting for Godot
A Tuna Christmas
New Voices PlayFest
November 22-December, 2017
by Craig Lucas
At home on Christmas Eve, Rachel is informed by her guilty husband that he has hired a hitman to kill her, and she must flee for her life—which she does by scrambling out the kitchen window and into the snowy night. She meets and joins up with Lloyd Bophtelophti, a true "original" who has changed his name to avoid alimony payments and who now lives with a paraplegic named Pootie (who also pretends to be deaf in order to get double disability). Rachel then wins $100,000 on a TV game show and begins a series of picaresque escapades involving numerous psychiatrists and, eventually, an ill-fated reunion with her husband. In the end, Rachel becomes a therapist herself, treating her own child (who fails to recognize her) and is led more and more to ponder whether the modern world might not be a vast conspiracy designed to systematically undermine her own increasingly shaky sanity.
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Boom! Studios has been teasing the launch of a Regular Show comic for a few weeks, and now, we finally know what's in store for Mordecai, Rigby and the rest of the crew from the park: An ongoing series launching this April with the creative team of KC Green and Allison Strejlau.
While Boom! describes Strejlau as a newcomer, webcomics fans will probably already know Green from his work as the creator of Gunshow. As he gears up for the launch of the series, Green answered a few questions we had about his favorite episodes, his approach to writing characters that are already established on TV, and what he hopes to do with the series. ComicsAlliance: What was it that drew you to writing Regular Show? Were you already familiar with it before Boom started putting the comic together?
KC Green: Yes, I was actually asked to do a storyboard test for the show before it became a real show on Cartoon Network. It did not pan out for whatever reason, but I was intrigued in the show enough to try, and once it came out I fell in love with it.
CA: Was there a particular episode or moment that grabbed you, or that you'd call a favorite?
KCG: There's too many good ones to name. I liked the first couple of episodes the show did, "The Power" and "Just Set Up the Chairs." They are good with the build up to the craziness and the action of "JSUTC" is so fun. "Trucker Hall of Fame" really stood out to me. "Yes, Dude, Yes" really shows Mordecai to be a flawed dude when he screws up royally with CJ, and "Diary" is another real good one.
CA: Your work on Gunshow has a really distinctive voice, as does Regular Show. Is there a challenge there in terms of making sure it feels like the show, or do you feel like it's a natural fit for the way you've been working online?
KCG: There's a bit more of a challenge there than just doing what I do normally. It may be a natural fit in the way the weirdness of the show overlaps in reality and no one really questions anything about it, but Regular Show has some well defined characters I gotta stick with.
CA: The thing I really like about Regular Show is that it takes these really commonplace situations, like buying a crappy video game or having to take care of a lost animal (in their case, a bunch of baby ducks) and then expands it into this kind of magical realism. There's a real similarity in that respect to what you do in a lot of the Gunshow strips, although they tend to make that transition in a really compressed fashion. Is that just how you approach comedy in general?
KCG: There is definitely a set up to the weird stuff that happens in Regular Show compared to Gunshow, when it just is. The weirdness in Regular Show just is too, and that's what I like about it and how I write for myself. The magical realism isn't questioned in either one of them, it just is. Which gives it more of a dream-like quality, makes it more absurd in that everyone just sort of goes with whatever is happening. There's no need for someone to stop and point out how weird it all is, YOU already know that. I'm not gonna waste your time.
CA: Along those same lines, are there any comics that influence you on that front? I know you're a big fan of Herbie, which often did that same kind of setup.
KCG: Herbie has that same kind of fun to it, Herbie JUST IS this powerful being that everyone and every animal seems to know about. He gets his powers from his lollipops and that's enough, let's have some fun. There was an old webcomic called Minus by Ryan Armand that did a similar thing where the titular character, a little girl named Minus, had these amazing god-like powers and just did. People knew of it and went on their way. With comedy you can skirt around why these things happen, 'cus it's not important. What's important is if it's funny and fits within the "laws" of the world you are writing.
CA: When the Scott Pilgrim movie came out, there was a tagline about how it was like a musical that broke into fights instead of songs, and I feel like Regular Show does the same thing, except when their emotions get out of hand, they start breaking down the laws of reality. Is the balance between trying to get those emotions that people can relate to and the big weird comedy tough? Does it come naturally to how you write?
KCG: Yeah, when people get emotional for one reason or another, it seems like the biggest, worst thing ever. You can take that feeling and blow it way out of proportion for comedic effect, and that's how I sort of deal with any issues I am having too. Comedy has always been kind of the way I deal with things, so yeah, it all comes very naturally, I think.
CA: How do you approach the different characters? What defines the cast for you?
KCG: I approach them like they are these real people and what they would do in any given scenario. Writing 101. They are already pretty well defined too, with four seasons of Regular Show already goin'.
CA: Does that make it easier because you have that template established, or is it more of a challenge because you have to stick to what's already there?
KCG: I think a little easier, 'cause, like you said, the template is already there. And if you start to deviate, you can always step back and go "is this really how they would handle this situation" and go from there.
CA: How much pressure is there to stay in line with the show? How tempting is it to do stories that you might not be able to get away with because they haven't been explored on TV yet, like, say, Margaret and Mordecai's first real date?
KCG: I guess I need to feel out what JG and Boom might let me dive into, but they seem to want to keep it similar to the show in tone, adventures of Mordecai and Rigby, which is also fine. The show has been known to reach out into secondary characters from time to time, with Benson, Skips, Muscle Man, etc. I'm completely down to try out smaller arcs with the other friends, but we are still early in the writing stages and I need to feel out what they are down with.
CA: Are there any specific stories you can tell us about?
KCG: All of the ideas I have right now are subject to be changed by anyone at Cartoon Network or Boom, so it would be just speculation right now. So what the heck, lets go for it: First idea I had was Mordecai and Rigby going on a drink run to get into a cool party, but everything that could go wrong does on their way back. Then a couple of ideas about a Rigby getting a sinus infection and an unstoppable mosh pit. I don't know how much they would want me to divulge, so there is a bit for ya.


The growth in online jewelry and watch sales may slow over the next three years, according to a new survey of more than 3,000 Americans conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Just 3 percent of respondents said they plan to spend much more on jewelry online, 7 percent said they plan to spend somewhat more, 55 percent said they will spend about the same, 7 percent said they plan to spend somewhat less, and 28 percent plan to spend much less, the survey found.
The numbers were similar for watches: 3 percent said they plan to spend much more on watches online, 6 percent said they plan to spend somewhat more, 55 percent said they will spend about the same, 6 percent said they plan to spend somewhat less, and 29 percent said they spend to plan much less.
The survey found some differences among the generations: 14 percent of milllenials plan to spend more on jewelry online, compared to 10 percent of Gen-Xers, and 5 percent of baby boomers.
The jewelry and watch businesses were not alone; in a variety of categories, respondents said they don't plan to increase online spending in the next few years—a notable difference from past polls.
BCG senior partner Michael J. Silverstein admitted that while consumers' spending patterns can be "hard to predict," these findings dampen expectations for continually rising e-commerce sales.
"Right now, online shopping growth is similar to the growth experienced in the 1970s and 1980s by catalog merchants," he said. "E-commerce is a channel, like any form of distribution: Growth does not continue at a rapid, double-digit rate forever.