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the crime segments
...the crime fiction & mystery portion of reading avidly dot com: a casual reader's journal
The Pale Horse, by Agatha Christie
HarperCollins, 2008
originally published by Dodd, Mead in 1962
"Evil is not something superhuman, it's something less than human."
And Agatha Christie should know, since she spent her illustrious career writing stories about the evil that men (and women) do. In this later book, there is no Poirot, there is no Marple, no Tommy or Tuppence, but there is still a decent mystery at the core of this tale.
A priest takes a confession from a dying woman in a boarding house, and walks out of there wondering exactly how much of what he's just heard is true and how much is to the delirium brought on by high fever. He also knows that he must write down a list of names the woman has given him before he forgets them. He does this at a small cafe (with terrible coffee) then puts the strip of paper in his shoe, due to a torn pocket lining in his cassock. On his way home, he is most cruelly murdered. The only clue the police have is the list of names and a witness statement from someone who says he saw the murderer on the night in question.
Mark Easterbrook, who is working on a book about the Moguls, finds himself involved rather peripherally at first, then after a few mysterious coincidences is drawn fully into the case. His part of the story begins in a Chelsea coffeehouse with a fight between two women and then a chance meeting with a friend of his, a forensics specialist who has given up private research to make a living; and then it moves on to a mysterious inn known as The Pale Horse, which is run by a trio of Macbeth witch-like women who run the place. His narrative parallels and then joins that of the police until a cruel murdering maniac is brought to justice. And the person who provides him with the missing link -- that oh so critical bit of information that is needed to piece it all together -- is none other than Ariadne Oliver, friend to Hercule Poirot, often-scatterbrained mystery writer and probably Agatha Christie's tongue-in-cheek fictional alter ego.
The reader clearly gets a feel for place and time here -- you can just imagine the coffee houses of Chelsea in the 1960s complete with their "cool" clientele: the "teddy boys;" the young girls who wear birdsnest-type hairdos and sweaters even though it's warm inside, and the young of both sexes who seem rather "dirty" in their overall appearance. Many of the characters are well imagined and developed, and the plotline is better than just okay. The best compliment I can give for this book is that I did NOT guess the identity of the killer. At one point I thought I had it figured out -- the who and the how, but I was dead wrong, which is always a good thing. There were also a few nice red herrings for the reader to become temporarily sidetracked. And while The Pale Horse may not one of the better examples of Christie's work, it is still quite good, and it will keep you entertained trying to figure out the who and the how of the crimes. It's a bit different than any of the other Christie novels in terms of a few members of the dramatis personae involved, and the end came a bit too quickly, but if you're a fan, you'll definitely want to read it.
Posted by NancyO at 4:56 PM No comments:
Labels: 1960s crime fiction and mysteries, Agatha Christie, British mysteries/UK crime fiction
*Here Comes a Candle, by Fredric Brown
Millipede Press, 2006
Originally published 1950, by E.P. Dutton
"Here comes a candle to light you to bed
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head"
The above couplet is taken from the rhyme called "Oranges and Lemons," and serves as a centerpiece of this awesome noir crime novel written in 1950. The main character of Here Comes a Candle is young Joe Bailey, who has a phobia of candles and axes based on an early childhood trauma associated with that rhyme.
Joe worked as a numbers runner in Milwaukee for a thug named Mitch until a police investigation put that racket on hold for a while, and now just kind of hangs out, supported by handouts from Mitch. He's kept on the payroll because Mitch might need him later, and everything moves along as normal until he meets Ellie, the niece of the owner of a local diner. Ellie is a nice girl, who has moved to the area to work for her uncle, and she and Joe hit it off. But there's another dame in the picture: Francine, Mitch's girlfriend. She's the kind of woman Joe can only aspire to, but it doesn't matter...he wants her, or at least someone like her, but it takes the kind of money that buys a robin's-egg blue convertible and Joe doesn't have it. But he may get his chance when Mitch comes up with a proposition for him that might put him up in the big time.
The story itself is good, but what makes this book unique (well, at least for the 50s anyway) are the various techniques used by Brown throughout the novel in telling Joe's backstory. Flashbacks and dreams that enter in Joe's psyche are experienced via different "media": a radio broadcast of "The Adventures of Joe Bailey" starts off these odd chapters, and from there we get a glimpse into Joe's earliest childhood traumas. Then there's "the screen," composed as a screenplay complete with fade ins, dissolve tos, cut tos, etc. A sportscasts of a game of cops and robbers is the next format, and a telecast of one of Joe's dreams is also presented. In between each one is straight narrative so that the story continues. It was probably very unusual for its time, but it works.
The book has a nice little twist at the end and is a bit on the pulpy side. The characters are rather stereotypical but it hardly matters. Brown also offers the reader a look at prevailing attitudes of the time (life in the shadow of the atomic bomb, for example) and his experimental cuts into Joe's psyche are incredibly well done. Here Comes a Candle is really a lot of fun as well as a good story. There are also (in my edition) two added entries: a short story entitled "The Joke," which reads like an episode from the old Twilight Zone series, and what Brown calls a "bitch piece," about the foibles of Christianity and religion.
I'm looking forward to more of Fredric Brown's work. If you like noir or like your crime fiction with a doosey of a twist at the end, you may enjoy this one.
sidebar:
After finishing this book very early this morning, I trotted on over to the website for Millipede Press, only to discover that they no longer are in business. According to the fans who keep the website going, Millipede is now Centipede. So off I went to the 100-legged site and discovered that they do reprints of "out of print classics of the horror, crime, and science fiction genres." I've already got my eye on Brown's The Far Cry as a possible splurge purchase in the near future.
Posted by NancyO at 10:12 AM 6 comments:
Labels: 1950s crime fiction and mysteries, American crime fiction, Millipede press
*Needle in a Haystack, by Ernesto Mallo
Bitter Lemon Press, 2010
Original Spanish title: La aguja en el pajar, 2006
translated by Jethro Soutar
Needle in a Haystack is set in the late 1970s during Argentina's "dirty war," when a military junta has seized power and the regime is constantly on the lookout for anyone opposed to its rule. Anyone the government considers subversive is picked up and is either killed, imprisoned, or simply disappears. As the book notes prior to the beginning of the novel, Ernesto Mallo was one of these "anti-Junta activists" who was "pursued by the dictatorship," so I realized right away this was going to be a readworthy novel: it is factually based from someone who actually lived through the terrors of the time. And I was not disappointed -- considering this is the first in a planned series, it's a definite winner.
As the story opens, detective Superintendent Lascano is assigned to look into a case of two bodies found on the riverside. When he arrives, he actually finds three bodies, two of which he immediately ascertains are the victims of the military death squads, leaving the mystery of what happened to the third. Eventually the body is identified as one Elias Biterman, a Jewish moneylender who survived Auschwitz and eventually arrived in Argentina, toughened by his life experiences. But this book is not really a mystery; the reader knows who Biterman's killer is -- the author explains who and why as he moves backward and forward through time up through the 1970s present. The death of Biterman and the who and the whys really serve as a vehicle to explore this time in Argentina's history. This is not to say that the book is not an intense novel of crime fiction, because it is -- but it's also much much more.
What really strikes me about this book is the characters and the well-evoked sense of place and time. Mallo has created an incredible conglomeration of people in this book whose stories come together to form the whole of this novel:
Lascano, whose wife recently died in a car accident, and who believes in justice and yet knows when to look the other way; Eva, a political dissident accustomed to danger who survives a raid only to be found and taken in by Lascano, who is taken aback by her resemblance to his dead wife; callous Giribaldi, a major in the army who believes in helping out his old friends yet at the same time won't let anyone or anything such as the law get in his way, creating his own justifications for getting rid of those who do; Amancio, who grew up rich, spent his childhood on the family's 20,000-acre ranch or on vacation in Europe, now living on his family's prestigious name but without a penny in his pocket as a result of a dwindling fortune and living the life of a playboy; Lara, his wife, who married into the family but is now looking for escape and more money no matter what it takes; the Biterman brothers -- Elias, the tough moneylender whose life has left him bitter toward the moneyed classes and Horacio, who grew up in Argentina and never really knew hardship.
And always running through the background of this novel, the author never lets the reader forget that a) it's difficult to know who to trust under these conditions, b) the power over life and death lies in the hands of the military, and c) anyone, at any time, can become a victim:
In the street below, the army has just set up one of its checkpoints. A jeep blocks the entrance to the street. Two soldiers with machine guns are positioned on each corner in the shadows. Three others have placed themselves a few feet further back and three more stop any car that happens by. The soldiers search the vehicle thoroughly, demand to see the identification papers of the passengers, split them up and bombard them with questions. The officers hunt for inconsistencies in their stories, for firearms, documents, evidence of something whatever. The slightest grounds for suspicion means being thrown in the back of a van and driven to one of many clandestine military prisons spread across the city, to undergo a deeper, more pressing interrogation....Time passes by, ...the streets are empty, the soldiers, trained for action, grow bored and distracted, until at last the approach of a car brings them to attention. They aim their guns at the heads of the civilians in the car, their trigger fingers twitching as they feel their own fear levels rise, fear being the food that nourishes the soldier.
Although the book is not lengthy, it is extremely compelling and one you won't soon forget. Mallo's writing is excellent and more to the point, realistic: he is able to communicate this brief episode in a horrible period of Argentine history succinctly yet powerfully. I'd recommend it to people interested in this time period, or readers of translated crime fiction or translated fiction in general.
fiction from Argentina
Labels: Bitter Lemon Press, Latin American crime fiction
the crime fiction collection (so far)
my crime-fiction shelf:
thought of the day:
The Overnight Kidnapper, by Andrea Camilleri
What I've read this year in crime fiction and mystery, a split off of my regular reading journal
Hands down, crime fiction is my favorite genre. I am a wee bit picky, though, and I trend toward the darker side of crime. My focus in reading in this genre is to explore what makes people do what they do -- whether it's the bad guy or the good guy. I truly believe that the best crime fiction should explore human nature and how one's actions are determined by both outward and internal influences.
The crime segments is part of my overall online book journal -- it's neither a literary nor expert take on crime fiction/mysteries, but rather a way to keep a record of my reading as I explore different authors, different subgenres and currently works from obscure writers. Have fun and do feel free to comment!
back to the home blog
the rest of the books for the year, if you're interested
1920s crime fiction and mysteries (4)
1930s crime fiction and mysteries (25)
19th century mystery/crime fiction (28)
African crime fiction/mystery (3)
Algeria crime fiction (1)
American crime fiction (64)
American crime fiction/mystery (8)
Australia crime fiction (7)
Austria crime fiction (8)
Belgian crime fiction (3)
Belgium crime fiction (3)
Bitter Lemon Press (20)
Black Curtain Press (1)
Black Mask (1)
Blue Rider Press (3)
book reviews - British fiction (1)
British fiction (2)
British Library Crime Classics (8)
British mysteries/UK crime fiction (99)
Canadian crime fiction (1)
Caribbean crime fiction (1)
Cassava Republic Press (1)
Chinese crime fiction (1)
crime fiction from Mexico (1)
crime fiction from Scotland (1)
crime fiction reference (1)
Crime Wave press (2)
Czech crime fiction (1)
Dean Street Press (2)
Doubleday Crime Club (1)
Dutch crime fiction (1)
ecfp (1)
Feminist Press (1)
Forgotten Books (3)
French crime fiction (32)
German crime fiction (7)
German fiction (1)
Glagoslav Publications (1)
Greek crime fiction (1)
Hard Case Crime (1)
Hersilia Press (1)
Hesperus Press (3)
Hesperus Worldwide (1)
Hillman-Curl Clue Club (1)
historical crime fiction (31)
historical mystery series (1)
historical true crime (11)
history of mystery (27)
House of Stratus (4)
Hungarian crime fiction (1)
in love with this book! (1)
Irish crime fiction (7)
Irish fiction (2)
Israel crime fiction (1)
Italian crime fiction (43)
Japanese crime fiction/mysteries (13)
just me talkin' (2)
Korean crime fiction (1)
Latin American crime fiction (9)
Legend Press (1)
Leonaur (2)
locked-room/imossible crime (1)
locked-room/impossible crime (1)
MacLehose Press (12)
Maigret (2)
Masterpiece Mystery (2)
Mexico crime fiction (2)
Millipede press (1)
Minotaur Books (1)
Molotov Editions (1)
Mysterious Press (4)
mystery series opener (31)
New Zealand crime fiction (1)
Nigerian crime fiction (1)
NYRB books (4)
NYRB Classics series (1)
obscure women writers (12)
obscure writer project (21)
obscure writers (2)
page to screen (18)
Patricia Highsmith (6)
Peepal Tree Press (1)
Pegasus Crime (1)
Penzler Publishers American Mystery Classics (1)
Philippines - crime fiction (1)
Poland crime fiction (6)
Portuguese crime fiction (1)
psychic detectives (1)
Pushkin Vertigo (12)
Quercus publishing (3)
Rue Morgue Press (1)
Russia crime fiction (1)
Russia/USSR crime fiction (4)
Scandinavian crime fiction (71)
sci-fi edged crime (1)
sensation fiction (1)
Serpent's Tail Publishing (2)
Seventh Street Books (2)
sherlockian (1)
Simenon (1)
Soho Crime (13)
Spanish Crime Fiction (7)
spy fiction (1)
Stark House (4)
Stork Press (1)
supernatural-tinged crime fiction (4)
Switzerland crime fiction (1)
thriller/suspense (22)
Turkey crime fiction (1)
UK fiction (2)
Unnamed Press (1)
Wildside books (4)
woman detective (1)


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Home Business Sikh Community comes up with E-Commerce Platform – www.WSCCKart.com
Sikh Community comes up with E-Commerce Platform – www.WSCCKart.com
World Sikh Chamber of Commerce (WSCC), a non-profit organization that comprises a cross-section of Sikh Entrepreneurs, Professionals, Business Owners, and youth start-ups comes up with one of its kind e-Commerce platforms.
New Delhi, [India] : Delhi-based non-profit organization, World Sikh Chamber of Commerce (WSCC) has launched an e-commerce website –WSCCKart, aimed at helping and supporting the community in difficult pandemic hit times.
Exclusively for the close-knit community of Sikhs and people who are associated with WSCC, the www.WSCCKart.com is an online platform that helps you sell products and buy for your requirements.
To help its members overcome the challenges of marketing, WSCC launched its e-commerce platform where they can list their range of products and services to grow their business in the SME sector. The objective behind this new venture is to help its members build successful business and joint venture networks. It also helps its members to find suitable business partners, establish contact, and makes their Joint Venture Project start for expansion.
WSCC has been established in 2020 with an aim to bring together Sikh businesses and professionals in the spirit of an enterprise and provide them an effective and efficient platform for business networking which will assist them in the growth of their business and professional careers.
"We stand today at the crossroads between transforming and fading, so let's transform together," says Dr.Parmeet Singh Chadha, Founder of WSCC.
The key feature of the venture is, only the members of the WSCC community can list their products and services on the website which can be bought by anyone within or outside the organization. The categories of the product listed are: Home & Kitchen, Clothing, Stationery, Beauty & Personal Care, Food, Electronics and Groceries; and the categories of the services offered are: Insurance, Business Consultants & Coach, Visa & Immigration Consultants, Matrimonial Services, Health Lab Testing, Financial Services & Rehab & Healing Services and many more.
"With limited access to resources, not everyone can work on their digital presence. WSCC has decided to hold hands and support a fellow Sikh's business, to support a dream," says Dr.Parmeet Singh Chadha.
The non-profit organization works on the belief of 'Sarbat Da Bhala', which means "may everyone prosper" or "blessing for everyone" therefore they consider small businesses as the lifeblood of their community and aim to take it to the ladder of success.
The community stands on the vision that young members of WSCC do not have to look for jobs outside as they have ample opportunities within the community which inspires them to become business owners, sportsmen, work on their creative skills, or whatever they like, the community will back them.
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Watch Jaime's Interview Now!
www.Fit15.com
Get Lean in 15
15 Days to a Leaner, Healthier You!
Jaime Brenkus: Fit in 15
Courtesy of Jaime Brenkus
CBN.com – Known as "the 8 Minute Abs Guy ", Jaime designed and was featured in the commercial for the famous 8 Minute Abs workout videos which have sold over one million units.
In February 2007, Jaime will release his new book, Get Lean In 15. This 280-page book is filled with his expertise in nutrition, exercise and motivation. There is a PR campaign surrounding the release.
Jaime is the lead visionary on a new web site called Fit15.com that will teach its members how to become Healthy, Wealth and Wise. Members who join this viral network, will "get paid to lose weight and get in shape".
Brenkus is designing the Slim-Fast Virtual Fitness Trainer program that will be featured on the Slim-Fast on-line community that has over 250,000 members.
In 2006, Jaime was awarded a partner in the 50th Anniversary of the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. This endeavor celebrates 50 years of physical activity, sports, and fitness and advocates the new slogan, "Get America Moving!"
Brenkus formed and developed Doctor's Weigh, a comprehensive weight loss clinic, featuring Registered Dietitians and Physician referrals. In November 2005, Jaime sold the first franchise facility. The Clinic is now in six locations in Northeast Ohio.
Jaime designed the exercise video for Freeda Foreman's Family Fitness Plan, a healthy weight loss plan based on overweight children and families. Freeda is George Foreman's daughter.
March 2004, Salton, the company responsible for the George Foreman Grill success, started marketing the Perfect Portions Diet Dish.
He co-designed the Perfect Proportions Diet Dish, a patented weight loss program based on portion control. The Dish was featured on QVC, Home Shopping Network, Prevention Magazine and Avon products. To date, there have been approximately 200,000 units sold. The Dish was approved, by former Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop's Shape Up America organization.
Jaime designed super model Kathy Ireland's videos - Bodyspecifics and Reach. Bodyspecifics was named Health and Fitness video of the year by the VSDA.
Mr. Brenkus has over 50 appearances on various home shopping channels, including QVC, HSN, Canadian Home Shopping and Value Vision.
Jaime has hosted various commercials and infomercials: 8 Minute Abs, 15 Minutes to Fitness, Backstroke, 5 Minute Miracle, and the Perfect Buns Plus.
Jaime's resume features his impressive success as a Personal Trainer in Los Angeles, Tampa and Cleveland with live TV appearances in these markets.
Jaime was featured in the Body by Jake "Energize Yourself" fitness video filmed in Los Angeles. He also appeared with Cher, in a Bally's national fitness commercial.
Mr. Brenkus maintains certification as a Health and Fitness Instructor from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Jaime's highly effective and inspiring presentation of pertinent health and fitness issues springs out of substantial natural style and formal study in obtaining his BA Degree in Communication from the University of South Florida in 1983.


MVPDays was founded by Cristal and Dave Kawula back in 2013. It started as a simple idea; "There's got to be a good way for Microsoft MVPs to reach the IT community and share their vast knowledge and experience in a fun and engaging way" I mean, what is the point in recognizing these bright and inspiring individuals, and not leveraging them to inspire the community that they are a part of. Who should attend MVPDays? Anyone that has an interest in technology, is eager to learn, and wants to meet other like minded individuals. This Roadshow is not just for Microsoft MVP's it is for anyone in the IT Community. New in 2017 MVPDays is going to have our first series of Online Events. These live events will be held via Goto Webinar and Session will be available on You Tube. Now you can attend MVPDays from the comfort of your office and participate online and chat with our speakers as sessions take place.


Beyond Makambako town the region becomes green and mountainous to the south, and the landscape all around Mbeya is rucked and pitted with a staggering variety of strange and fabulous formations. Here the eastern arc of the Great Rift Valley almost meets the Mbeya range, which extends in a north-westerly arc, rising up beyond Mbeya town and crowned by the glittering quartz-crystalline silhouette of Mbeya Peak. South of the town, the Uporoto Mountains form a dense and fertile region punctuated with volcano-top villages, waterfalls and blue circles of crater lakes that range all the way down to the shores of Lake Malawi. To the east of the town is Mbeya Plain, stretching out to the Safwa scarp and the great flat-topped mountain of Ishinga, all shaped by time from a vast expanse of sandstone layers. In the midst of all lies Mbeya town, the third largest town after Dar and Tanga, a sleepy but still thriving metropolis that has grown from a now abandoned government gold mining station established in 1927. The town has developed in industrial pursuits, and although not the prettiest place in itself, the surrounding area is very peaceful, with exciting natural landscapes and interesting homesteads and coffee farms to discover by car or on foot.
The most recent serious volcanic activity to shape the Mbeya-Iringa region occurred between 20 and 4 million years ago as a result of the rift action between underlying tectonic plates. As a result, this region presents a wide spread of moutains, crater lakes and lava or ash plains, with a mass of natural interest throughout. The open plain between the Eastern Arc mountains and the Mbeya range was converted into a research station in 1927 to assess the potential for mining gold in the area. The rifting faults of the surrounding mountains certainly appear to contain a wealth of riches, but what glitters here is less often gold, as most of the exposed strata of these mountains are composed of quartz crystals sparkling in sunlight. The Lupa goldfields north of the town became a goldrush region in the 1930s, but were then closed a couple of decades later. Panning continues here today on a very small scale, in the form of local backyard industry, and is occasionally rewarded by a small granule of gold. A continual growth of small industries has supported the expansion of the town since, especially commissioned work on the road and railways.
Much of the information for this chapter has been researched on the basis of an excellent old publication entitled Welcome to Mbeya, a collection of detailed walks and excursions recorded around the Mbeya region, rewritten and compiled mainly by Father Phillip Leedal of the White Fathers.
While it is possible to arrange guides for walks and days out in this region with the more upmarket hotels in the region, (Utengule Country Hotel is probably the best), there is an extremely well recommended and worthwhile organisation in town who provide reliably informative and friendly guiding and assistance. Sisi Kwa Sisi, PO Box 1562 or 2869, is a locally run initiative managed by Nico Ntinda and Felix Amndo, who have a shared reputation for being 'lovely'. They will meet travellers from the train or bus station, and arrange and accompany on walks and excursions around Mbeya for a very reasonable price and their travel expenses. They speak good English themselves and are teaching other local guides as their enterprise expands, and you can find their offices at the bottom of the hill near the bus station, beside the roundabout with the rhino sculpture. Even if the following directions are so good that you feel a guide might be superfluous, they are worthwhile to have around for the benefit of translating more interesting Swahili exchanges as you explore – they can arrange for you to visit local traditional healers or to visit rural villages. There have also been security concerns for tourists wandering the outskirts of Mbeya unaccompanied.
There are an endless number and combination of walks in all these surrounding mountains, with landscapes and unusual attractions to suit all time schedules and energy levels.
A couple of spare hours can be well spent on the outskirts of town, enjoying a good circular walking route that leads into the forests to the north of the town and provides panoramic views back over Mbeya along the way. Head northwards all the way to the top of Lupa Way until it crosses over Kaunda Avenue, turn right and almost immediately left onto a cul-de-sac and follow the pathway at the end to the top of the hill. This leads through a forest of eucalyptus and wends its way along a ridge at the base of Loleza Peak, which stands 2,656 metres high above. Half way along the side of the ridge, fork right and head for a mature pine forest, crossing the stream as you go. Continue through the pine trees to the track, turn right and then right again when the path divides. This will lead you back onto Kaunda Avenue and finally Lupa Way via Nzowa Road.
This whole region is awash with hundreds of species of bird, even in Mbeya town where Fiscal shrikes, Robin chats and Tropical Boubous can often be spotted or heard, or various different hornbills such as the black and white Silvery Cheeked and smaller Crowned hornbills.
Paradise Whyder, or Beautiful Sunbirds.
An amazing array of waterbirds can be found on the crater lakes around town, such as the Ngosi Crater lake, or Ndwati Lake. These are always home to small water birds such as the yellow billed duck, the little grebe and more curiously, the Red-knobbed coot. Around Lake Nyasa the Fish eagle, open billed stork and amazing balancing African Jacana can often be seen, and swift flying Grey-headed gulls and Darters. The mountain forests, such as those around Ngosi and Rungwe craters provide an entirely different environment in which to find birds, although the density of the undergrowth does make them much harder to spot. One of the most popular and colourful is the small and delicate Bar-tailed trogon, or perhaps you might glimpse another brilliantly coloured bird with a shining blue head and green back and a distinctive yellow belly – the white-starred forest robin. Both of these are quiet little bough hoppers, but can sometimes be seen if not heard when the watcher is patient and still.
The most magnificent peak towering above the many around the town is Mbeya Peak, which stands at 2,826 m high. There is more than one way to climb this mountain, and the easiest of these begins with a fantastically scenic drive along the road towards the old, now near-desolate goldrush town of Chunya. This town was the centre of the last gold rush during the 1920s and 1930s, and a 3,000-gram carat of gold was reportedly found here at the height of its fame. Remains of the old mines can still be seen, and occasionally this dusty old town receives a brief revival of gold-panners interest. For the mountain, follow the road for about 13 kilometres out of Mbeya, until you reach the sign to Kawetire Farm, after which a left turn heads west through the forest plantations. Follow this road under Loleza Peak past two villages until you reach the end of the driving road and a mature pine plantation. Ensure the vehicle is safe, even guarded, and then follow this track on foot to the ridge, where you head right then across the saddle to the peak. Low-grade garnets can be found along this way, and fantastic views are afforded from the top if the weather is good. Continuing northwards along the Chunya Road brings you to excellent hidden picnic spots, such as the World's End Viewpoint at the end of the track leading to Chunya forest, with stunning views overlooking the Usanga Plain beyond Mbeya. Follow the track to the right and all the way to the end. The second route to Mbeya Peak goes via the coffee-growing stronghold of Lunji Farm, near Mbalizi around 10km west of Mbeya and 7km from Utengule Country Hotel, from where there are four different possible paths to follow up to the summit.
Walks up Mbeya Peak and through the surrounding area can be arranged through Utengule Country Hotel. Although the route up is said to be steeper than the ascent of Kilimanjaro, it presents excellent photographic opportunities across the wide African savannah on one side and a patchwork of fields on the other, especially at dawn. The walk takes around three hours up and two hours down, by the steepest route, and if arranged with Utengule they will often combine a trip to Lungi Farm and the peak with a visit to the Songwe Bat caves on route, and Malonde Hot Springs nearby. This area is incredibly scenic, but also prone to hidden crevices and unusual rock formations, such as those that form the 'bat cave', and it is recommended that walkers take a guide.
The driving route south from Mbeya is green and fertile and full of interesting off-road diversions. The tarmac route connecting with the Malawi and Mbamba Bay ferry service is excellently smooth and well finished, weirdly reminiscent of the Riviera scenery in 'The Italian Job', as the road neatly curves around the mountain edge with occasional impressive drops to either side. This is an enjoyable driving route through constantly changing and impressive scenery – past volcanic mountains, crater lakes and waterfalls flowing over basalt rock, wending though bouncy tea plantations coloured a striking new-born green, and on down to the perennially lush and bountiful forests of the Livingstone Mountains – land of the Nyakusa people.
Ngosi Crater and Lake, just a short distance south of Mbeya, is the remains of an old volcano that has now collapsed to form a wide caldera filled with a shining alkaline 'soda' waters. The waters of the lake are said to have magical medicinal powers. Ngosi means 'the big one'; it stands at 2,621m. Dedicated climbers are well rewarded with excellent views from the top of the sharp crater rim, from where the lake gleams below with an overwhelming tranquil air, and beyond the land is pocked with the points of smaller volcanic peaks. The walk to the rim leads through upland grasslands and tropical forests where families of Colobus monkeys chatter and play, and a miasma of birds take refuge, and take about an hour ascending.
To reach Ngosi, take a right turn about 2km past the village of Isongole (Idweli), which lies about 33km from Mbeya on the Tukuyu Road. After 2km take the right hand road when the road forks, and after almost 1km further it will be necessary to leave the car and walk. It is well advised to leave someone with the car here, as a guard against break-ins. The path leads into the forest for about 2.5km and then begins the climb to the crater top, just opposite a large, single tree. Just before the top, the path branches in two; the right hand path leads swiftly to the peak, and the left leads down to the water's edge, taking about half an hour to descend.
Unlike Ngosi Crater, the volcanic cone of Mount Rungwe still stands, dominating the landscape to a height of 2,960m. The forests around Rungwe are still wild and unkempt, and almost entirely uninhabited by people, although there is a healthy population of colobus monkeys and other forest creatures. It can be climbed from the Kagera Estates timber camp, (turn left at Isongole onto the Kiwira Forest Station Road, and then right after 11kms, just before the Forest Station), but this is only recommended during the dry months between June and November, or during a clear spell in February. Follow the old road up on foot, and head right at the foot of the volcano – even though this path slants downwards initially. An alternative climb is possible from the Rungwe Moravian Mission, from where it is worthwhile to take guide to follow the complicated route from there to the top. Rungwe volcano remains active in parts, and hardened basalt lava flow is frequently passed along the way – estimate on a full day to climb.
The market town of Kiwira, (also called Mwankenja…), is 50 km from Mbeya on the Tukuyu road, and lies close to the Kiwira river. The undulating land around this valley has formed a number of waterfalls close to the town, and scenic watery rock formations. The most accessible waterfall is just 4.3 km from the main road, (leave Kiwira on the road signposted to Igogwe Hospital, and follow the road over a bridge over the river. Turn left and cross the Igogwe stream, and then park and ask directions to the Marasusa Falls. It is necessary to follow a thin path along a line of trees between the cassava plantations.) The Marasusa falls are an impressive basalt drop, with a number of consecutive pools. They are popular for family washing sessions, and provide a scenic rural setting for a picnic.
To reach the Ndulilo Falls requires a less complicated driving route, but a more adventurous walking route, through a dark, bat filled cave. To get there, park at the Igogwe Hospital and walk for 10 minutes to the river, where there is a sink hole on the top of the south bank, where the river used to flow before it changed its path.
IF you follow the sink hole down you are liable to disturb a few sleepy bats, but eventually reach the base of the falls.
Unfortunately the most impressive of the water and rock phenomena in this region has evolved rather too close to a temperamental military-run Prison College for complete comfort. The wonderfully named Daraja ya Mungu (Bridge of God) is an inspiring stretch of rock arching over the rushing river, which has eked its stoic pathway beneath. The rock over which the lava flows is estimated to date from the Pre-Cambrian period, approximately 1800 million years ago…The view is especially pretty as the sun sets, and the land around is mainly picturesque, until you reach the college. The proximity of this erstwhile school of learning means that the road closest to the bridge has been iron-fenced and covered in signs prohibiting photography, and beware the wrath of ranting officials who find you bending the rules! To get there, turn right at a tiny village (that seems to be called KKK), just before Tukuyu, on a corner approximately 7km from Kiwira. The road is pretty good, as a hydro-electric power station was planned here, and of course, there is the college. It is best to follow the road around until the bridge can be seen, then to park and walk down the incline from there. There are a number of interesting features around this region, but it is now harder to access the nearby hole where the river falls into a rock 'cauldron', known as Kijungu (Cooking Pot) because the Prison College insists that you must acquire a permit.
The small town of Tukuyu perches on top of Ntukuyu volcano, almost halfway between Mbeya and Lake Malawi (formerly Lake Nyasa) at an altitude of 5,300ft. Its elegant vantage point makes it most worthwhile for the views that it affords of the surrounding countryside, and if you are planning a leisurely foray through the mountains it is probably worth fixing up some accommodation, either at Tukuyu, or on the shores of Matema Beach on Lake Malawi, as a round trip including walks and diversions will take at least two days. The accommodation possibilities in each of these are very basic, although slightly nicer on Matema Beach.
The town flourished in importance for a while during the German era, and earned the name Neu-Langenberg for a short period after 1901, when it became the centre for German administration in the region. This followed the demise of their previous headquarters on the Lake, Alt-Langenberg, after the doctor died of malaria there. They have left in their stead an Old German Boma, which is in a fairly poor state of repair, but worth a visit if you are in town. You can see lines of basalt lava flowing down the hillsides nearby.
Good walking and swimming possibilities are found close to here (but requiring a 2km walk!) at Kaporogwe Falls. To find them, turn right at Ushirika following signposts to Kaporogwe, and then follow signs to the Leprosarium – where it is possible to get permission to park vehicles – then walk past the buildings and head down the hill beyond, continuing straight on for about 2kms. This brings you to the top of the falls, where a precarious bridge crosses behind a pretty Gardenia tree to a good picnic area and vantage point over the falls, sheltered beneath an impressive overhanging slab of basalt. It is also possible to climb down the falls, with care, and to find routes into caves behind the curtain of water plummeting down before you, and to swim in the pool beneath.
Continuing southwards, 44km from Tukuyu and just before Kyela, a signpost points left to Kilambo Hot Springs. These are definitely springs and not pools – entertain no illusions of therapeutic bathing! – but the track leads right to the springs at the base of the hillside, and the surrounding woodlands are a haven for orchids.
Kyela is a small town 56km south of Tukuyu with little to recommend it to visitors, unless here for reasons of commercial trade or seeking a bus to Itungi Port for the lake steamer to Mbamba Bay on the southern border of Tanzania, or Nkhata Bay in Malawi. But for relaxation and peace and quiet, it is better to abandon Kyela for Matema Beach, where there is fine accommodation almost at the water's edge, plenty of fresh fish and wide open views. The thick, golden, granular bay of Matema is lapped by the fresh waters of Lake Malawi, and provides a refreshing point for quiet contemplation in the lea of the Livingstone Mountains, which run down to the eastern shore of the lake. It is a rural region where the focus of activity is fishing and the chores of daily life – mending fishing nets, repairing local dug-out canoes, preparing for night-time excursions – yet it seems that most people along the beach have time for a chat. The land here is hot, a strong contrast from the volcanic mountains behind you, and to the east and west, and much life on Matema is spent seeking shade after mid-day. Sunburn is a regional hazard for pale skins.
But Matema provides a good central base for exploring the local countryside and mountains, which give a cool cover from the sun. The beach is approached through stunning forested regions, where dense greenery and thickets conceal clusters of Nyakusa houses, many of which demonstrate inspired building methods involving complex palm weaves and raised platform storage huts for pots, chickens, water and grain. A number of these have also been painted and decorated with unique designs and images, apparently drawn with local dyes. There are also plenty of fine earthenware pots in evidence in every household and fireplace, generally the product of the Kisi people who also live in this area, and who are famed throughout Tanzania for their clay-working skills. These pots are sold wholesale from Ikombe, south of the of Matema, where you may also have the chance to see them being made, and in Matema itself on the Saturday morning market, for which they are shipped from Ikombe by canoe. The are also often found sold for extremely good value at morning roadside stalls between Matema and Mbeya. From here they are exported to Arusha, Iringa and Dar es Salaam, and increase in price with distance!


Carsten Feilberg introduced the papers form Bach brothers on session-based test management. He explained that he tried to introduce session-based test management, but at the company he was hired for, the managers didn't know anything about. Feilberg showed that by re-arranging the terms, selling session-based test management as Managing Testing Based On Sessions works better for managers, since it involves the word "manage" first. Feilberg explained that session-based test management is about coverage.
Feilberg continued to show the elements of session-based test management. He showed overall missions, charters and sessions, and a debrief in the end.
Feilberg explained that the overall missions seem to be like an elephant. He divided a picture of an elements into chunks, and explained that these are the charters for our testing. Once testing starts, the perfect picture of our software gets some shape. Based on the feedback you get from actually tested charters we may have to change some things in our charters yet to come. He explained that charters might be added, or changed according to the overall mission.
Feilberg explained charters. He showed an example, the most important things consisting of a mission and the assigned time. These assigned times of uninterrupted testing are a guide. He explained that testing for more than three hours straight was impossible. Feilberg proposed timeframes for uninterrupted testing of 60, 90, and 120 minutes at most.
Challenged by Rob Sabbourin Feilberg explained that missions rarely fit into 90 minutes of uninterrupted testing. He said that in the beginning the mission is likely to be too broad. Over time the missions get more narrow. For missions Feilberg proposed to use the format "Test X because Y". This focuses the testing activities to the underlying business goal.
Feilberg showed different types of sessions. Sessions can consist of discovery or touring the application. Sessions may consist of investigating bugs, and narrow down bugs in order to provide enough information to fix them. Another type for a test session is to retest earlier bug reports. There may also be test sessions specific to the particular test object.
During testing Feilberg explained testers crate a session log file. It should give answers to the question of Who, What, When, What I did and saw, Link to screen recording like screenshots or videos, Issues in the project as well as the process, and of cause bugs in the product. Any identifiers for data files also belong into the session log file. Feilberg mentioned that tools like Session Tester and Rapid Reporter help to keep these session notes.
Feilberg explained in the end that during the debrief any problems, and ideas are discussed between the manager and the tester according to the articles from a decade ago. Feilberg likes to put every tester in one room for the debrief. Every tester gets five minutes to share what happened during the last day. This helps to share knowledge, and generate new ideas about the big picture. This debrief format reminded me on daily stand-up meetings as they exist within Agile methodologies to align everyone to the common target. Feilberg continued to explain that he brings in plain charters to the debrief, since charters might change during the debrief just as for the picture of the elephant from earlier.
On metrics Feilberg explained that the debrief is about the testing time, bug reporting time, and setup time. AS a test manager he is interested in how many time can be spent actually testing, how many time is spent on setting up the product. Finally bug reporting time distracts the tester from actually testing. These three figures provide meaningful information. If the setup time is too long, then a new data input mechanism might help to improve testing overall. Maybe some tools for automating some process can help, too.
Feilberg discussed what happens in between sessions. Within session-based test management there will be time to discuss bugs, to clear up bugs, to visit the meetings. This time between sessions should be spend on the project, but not interacting too much with the product.
On the dangers of session-based test management, Feilberg explained it still can go wrong. There might be resistance to session-based test management. Especially setting aside time to define proper charters may be one problem found in this category. Another dysfunction is to break the time box of the uninterrupted time set aside for testing. Last, skipping the debriefing is a problem, as you loose the information form the test session, and therefore from the overall product, process, and project.


The first track to be made available from the album is Arcana Imperii, whichfeatures a guitar solo by Opeth's Fredrik Åkesson. The accompanying music video (created by Richard Oakes of Dark Fable Media) can be seen here.
Drawing from a rich pool of influences and utilising a wide range of instruments, IHSAHN has created a dark and brooding masterpiece of an album. Àmr possesses its own unique atmosphere; a palpable sense of tension and unease that infuses even the album's most melodic moments with heightened drama and otherworldly menace. Although as dark and intense as anything he has conjured before, both the depth of sonic texture and the clarity of his overarching vision are more impressive than ever.
Opting to eschew string arrangements and orchestration in favour of synthesisers, Àmr strides boldly into uncharted territory yet retainsIHSAHN's signature high level skill and off-the-scale quality. Drenched in evocative synths and brimming with skewed but irresistible riffs, Àmr is both IHSAHN's most accessible record to date and his most extreme departure from his black metal roots.
Àmr was recorded at IHSAHN's own Mnemosyne Studio, except for drum recordings which were done at Sonic Attic Studios. Mixing was handled by Fascination Street Studios, in the capable hands of the talented Linus Corneliusson. Mastering was once again done by Jens Bogren.
True living legends are few and far between, but Ihsahn has long since earned the right to be regarded as one of metal's all-time greats. As frontman and chief songwriter with legendary Norwegian black metal pioneers Emperor, he swiftly cemented a formidable reputation as one of the underground's most idiosyncratic creative forces. Classic albums like 1995's In The Nightside Eclipse and 1997's epoch-shattering Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk ensured that the young band were among the most respected the most popular of Norway's many black-hearted exports. Their imperious rise to prominence came to an unexpected end after the release of 2001's wildly intricate and grandiose Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire & Demise, but it was an album that suggested that Ihsahn's compositional journey was far from over.
Reincarnated as a solo artist for 2006's The Adversary, Ihsahn has spent the last 12 years forging a second path through artistry's darkest shadows; one that is making more and deeper connections than any of his past endeavours. With a sound that still retains strong links to his black metal roots while embracing everything from skewed art rock and avant-garde jazz to experimental electronica and dark ambient, each successive album has presented a brand new manifestation of the Norwegian's unique craft: from the muscular and haughty riff sculptures of Angl and After's haunting, saxophone-driven mirage to the tech-metal explorations of Eremita and on to the wild, avant-metal splurge of Das Seelenbrechen, Ihsahn's catalogue speaks of a restless creative spirit with ideas to burn.


Home » Information » What is abuse?
Both boys and girls are sexually abused. This may happen many times or just once, but leaves a lasting impression. Children naturally trust adults. Sometimes adults betray that trust by making the child insecure and depressed and this may lead to many other problems later in life.


text:
Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Y. Wang, K. Lam, Marie Harder, W. Ma, Q. Yu
Values and Sustainability Research and Enterprise Group
This paper reports how the use of a new integrated theoretical framework underlain by the concept of sustainability to establish an indicator system for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can effectively address the quest for urban sustainability of Chinese cities. The usefulness of the new framework was justified by a trial implementation of the framework in an SEA of development in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, in which the indicator system was capable of providing both retrospective and prospective insights of the environmental challenges created by economic and social development in qualitative and highly legible terms. The study affirms the constructive role of SEA on National Economic and Social Development Planning in both the socio-economic and environmental sustainability and underlines the importance of carefully-crafted indicator systems to promote the SEA practices in China.
Ecological Indicators
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.007
© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
National Economic and Social Development
Planning (NESDP)
Indicator system
ESE-DSPR model
10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.007Licence: Unspecified
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X13000265Licence: Unspecified
Dive into the research topics of 'Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
strategic environmental assessment Earth & Environmental Sciences 100%
sustainability Earth & Environmental Sciences 54%
indicator Earth & Environmental Sciences 42%
social development Earth & Environmental Sciences 41%
economic development Earth & Environmental Sciences 32%
development planning Earth & Environmental Sciences 21%
environmental sustainability Earth & Environmental Sciences 19%
Wang, Y., Lam, K., Harder, M., Ma, W., & Yu, Q. (2013). Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Ecological Indicators, 29, 376-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.007
Wang, Y. ; Lam, K. ; Harder, Marie et al. / Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. In: Ecological Indicators. 2013 ; Vol. 29. pp. 376-389.
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title = "Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai",
abstract = "This paper reports how the use of a new integrated theoretical framework underlain by the concept of sustainability to establish an indicator system for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can effectively address the quest for urban sustainability of Chinese cities. The usefulness of the new framework was justified by a trial implementation of the framework in an SEA of development in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, in which the indicator system was capable of providing both retrospective and prospective insights of the environmental challenges created by economic and social development in qualitative and highly legible terms. The study affirms the constructive role of SEA on National Economic and Social Development Planning in both the socio-economic and environmental sustainability and underlines the importance of carefully-crafted indicator systems to promote the SEA practices in China.",
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author = "Y. Wang and K. Lam and Marie Harder and W. Ma and Q. Yu",
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journal = "Ecological Indicators",
Wang, Y, Lam, K, Harder, M, Ma, W & Yu, Q 2013, 'Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai', Ecological Indicators, vol. 29, pp. 376-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.007
Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. / Wang, Y.; Lam, K.; Harder, Marie et al.
In: Ecological Indicators, Vol. 29, 01.03.2013, p. 376-389.
T1 - Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai
AU - Lam, K.
AU - Harder, Marie
AU - Ma, W.
AU - Yu, Q.
N1 - © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
N2 - This paper reports how the use of a new integrated theoretical framework underlain by the concept of sustainability to establish an indicator system for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can effectively address the quest for urban sustainability of Chinese cities. The usefulness of the new framework was justified by a trial implementation of the framework in an SEA of development in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, in which the indicator system was capable of providing both retrospective and prospective insights of the environmental challenges created by economic and social development in qualitative and highly legible terms. The study affirms the constructive role of SEA on National Economic and Social Development Planning in both the socio-economic and environmental sustainability and underlines the importance of carefully-crafted indicator systems to promote the SEA practices in China.
AB - This paper reports how the use of a new integrated theoretical framework underlain by the concept of sustainability to establish an indicator system for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can effectively address the quest for urban sustainability of Chinese cities. The usefulness of the new framework was justified by a trial implementation of the framework in an SEA of development in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, in which the indicator system was capable of providing both retrospective and prospective insights of the environmental challenges created by economic and social development in qualitative and highly legible terms. The study affirms the constructive role of SEA on National Economic and Social Development Planning in both the socio-economic and environmental sustainability and underlines the importance of carefully-crafted indicator systems to promote the SEA practices in China.
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KW - Planning (NESDP)
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JO - Ecological Indicators
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Wang Y, Lam K, Harder M, Ma W, Yu Q. Developing an indicator system to foster sustainability in strategic planning in China: a case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Ecological Indicators. 2013 Mar 1;29:376-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.01.007


Ever wonder how some of today's top startups became so successful in such a short amount of time? Aside from having a brilliant idea, the majority of these companies hired remote teams for their product development.
All organizations have limited resources in the beginning stages, especially money and staffing. There are also significant challenges when it comes to finding highly qualified engineers in their area.
What's the best way to handle these challenges? Hiring dedicated teams! Here are three specific problems a startup will face that can all be solved by outstaffing.
Successful startups all have one thing in common when they first started out: a very limited budget. Before they can generate any type of "buzz," they have to develop a product that wows their user base and attracts attention from the venture capital world. This is hard to do when you can't afford to hire a full staff of technical, sales and marketing professionals.
Using an outstaffing company gives you access to the highest level of talent without the additional expenses of traditional in-house hiring, such as benefits packages, office space, and equipment costs.
Another cost-saving benefit of dedicated teams is that you can hire developers for a specific period of time rather than having to enter into long-term employment contracts. For example, if you need an engineer with a very specific skill set for one area of development, you can hire someone just for the amount of time it takes to get that particular portion completed, rather than hiring someone full-time whose skills might go to waste after their portion of the development phase is completed.
With startup accelerator and business incubator programs becoming more and more popular, we've seen an uptick in the number of clients contacting us here at iTechArt. The best startup accelerators require a company to have a minimally viable product (MVP) in place in order to apply for their program.
For example, NextCaller trusted us their app development because they needed a minimally viable product in order to secure funding. We were able to provide them with a stable team of senior-level developers and QA engineers that helped them quickly deliver their first MVP. Now NextCaller is among the most successful Y Combinator graduates.
Not only does a dedicated team perform the actual development work that saves a startup time and money when developing the MVP, they can also provide extremely helpful advice on what features are really needed and those that should be left for future development.
In order for any startup to be truly successful, they must be prepared to scale. Scaling applies to both the product itself and the company as well. The ability to scale-on-demand is one of the most important benefits that outstaffing offers.
Our client Etouches faced a problem with scalability when their previous vendor wasn't able to keep up with the expanding skill set and experience required for the growing application. We were able to quickly provide them with two senior engineers and further scale up to 14 developers over eight months. iTechArt is now the only development center for the client.
Having a dedicated team on-demand can provide an enormously high level of peace-of-mind and confidence to a young startup. Knowing that you have access to the most highly qualified developers whenever you need them and that you can control the costs gives founders and CTOs more time to focus on innovation.
While there is no such thing as an "overnight success" in the startup world, going remote certainly helps speed up the process of achieving development goals and milestones.
When time and money are both in limited supply, working with a highly-qualified outstaffing agency can be the best decision a startup can make and can determine whether it succeeds or fails.
If you are looking to hire web developers or need an experienced custom software development company, we can help! Get in touch with us today and we'll be happy to show you how outstaffing can work for your organization.


Remember back in 2008 when construction began on the new FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek and many people were up in arms about a gambling establishment in the community? I said relax you're all jumping to conclusions. Remember when it opened in August of 2009 and everybody's hair was on fire (no pun intended) that the casino would raise crime levels and bring in drugs and prostitution and anything else they could think of? And I said you people are reacting out of ignorance and not the facts. This could be great for people who get to work there and great for the community. I was right again.
All FireKeepers has done since then is employ hundreds of people, create more jobs in it's periphery, provide one of the best all-around food/entertainment packages in the Midwest, oh, and given millions and millions of dollars back to the community. That alone would allow many businesses to rest on their laurels. But no... FireKeepers was just named Best and Brightest company to work for in the nation! I always say when we stay, they think of everything. That's for the guests. Now it looks as though they think of every thing for their employees too. We should all be proud. Oh, and, I was right again!!!! Get the whole story by clicking HERE.


text:
Le bouvier bernois est une race de chien dont la Fédération cynologique internationale attribue l'origine à la Suisse. Chien de ferme originellement conçu pour la garde des bâtiments, des bovins et le transport du lait, il est aujourd'hui un chien d'utilité polyvalent et chien de famille, mais reste sportif et peut être gardien même si ce n'est pas sa spécialité. Il est de catégorie 2 mais n'est pas considéré par la loi comme chien dangereux.

Origine

 Appartenant à la famille des bouviers suisses, son nom provient du nom allemand Berner Sennenhund, signifiant « chien alpin de vacher de Berne ». La race très ancienne émane des villages de Dürrbach et Berthoud près de Berne. Deux origines sont attribuées à l'ancêtre du bouvier bernois, soit un croisement avec le dogue du Tibet utilisé par les armées romaines comme chien de guerre et de garde de troupeaux, soit un chien de ferme transportant les charrettes de lait et gardant les troupeaux bovins depuis plusieurs millénaires.

 En 1899 : création de l'association La Berna, regroupant les éleveurs de chiens de race. Celle-ci présentera en 1902 les chiens de Dürrbach lors d'une exposition.
 En 1907 : création du club suisse de Dürrbachler pour promouvoir l'élevage des bouviers bernois (c'est pourquoi les bouviers bernois ont été appelés les dürrbach jusqu'en 1913).
 Longtemps appelé « cheval du pauvre », surnom dû à sa tâche consistant à transporter les bidons de lait sur une charrette, certaines associations en ont fait un chien guide d'aveugle, et il est également utilisé en Suisse comme chien de recherche pour retrouver les skieurs enfouis sous la neige. À l'heure actuelle son principal rôle est d'être un chien de compagnie.
 La rumeur veut que le bouvier fut croisé en 1949 avec un terre-neuve pour adoucir son caractère.

Descriptif
 Le bouvier bernois a une taille comprise entre 64 et  pour le mâle, contre 58 et  pour la femelle.

 Il peut peser de 50 à 70 kg pour le mâle, contre 40 à 50 kg pour la femelle.
 Le bouvier bernois a une longévité de sept à dix ans.

 Cette race de chien est de couleur tricolore et possède une robe noire. Le bouvier bernois possède un plastron blanc en fohkijookde (croix suisse), une ligne blanche sur le front, sur le museau et entre les yeux, le bout des pattes et le bout de la queue blancs, ainsi que des taches rousses au-dessus des yeux (appelées pastilles), sur les membres et les joues.

 Le bouvier bernois possède une tête puissante, avec un crâne de face et de profil peu bombé. Ses oreilles sont de forme triangulaire, arrondies à l'extrémité, attachées haut, tombantes et bien accolées à la tête. Il possède un stop bien accusé. Son sillon frontal est peu marqué. Ses pattes sont courtes, arrondies avec des doigts serrés et bien cambrés. Son poil est long, lisse ou légèrement ondulé. Sa truffe est de couleur noire. Son museau est puissant, droit, et de longueur moyenne. Ses lèvres sont peu développées, bien appliquées, et de couleur noire. Ses yeux sont brun foncé, en forme d'amande, avec des paupières qui épousent bien la forme du globe oculaire.

 Plusieurs défauts peuvent empêcher sa confirmation au LOF (Livre des Origines Françaises) :
 Chien peureux
 Fond de robe autre que noir ou non tricolore
 Absence de plus de deux prémolaires, entropion, ectropion,
 Ligne supérieure fortement inclinée, queue enroulée, queue cassée,
 Ossature fine, poil bouclé, nez fendu, œil bleu, poil court,
 Absence de blanc en tête, liste trop large. Sur le museau, blanc qui dépasse la commissure des lèvres. Balzanes blanches remontant trop haut. Marques en tête, au cou et au poitrail d'une asymétrie frappante.
 Monorchidie, Chryptorchidie (un seul testicule ou absence totale) pour les mâles.

 Pour faire concourir un bouvier bernois, celui-ci ne doit porter la queue ni trop haute, ni trop basse. Son poil doit être lisse ou légèrement ondulé. Le crâne du chien doit être légèrement bombé.

Caractère
 Le bouvier bernois est calme, affectueux, très gourmand et fidèle. Cette race a en effet grand besoin de croquettes et de contact humain, il est même surnommé par certains « pot de colle », en raison de son grand attachement à ses maîtres. Sa nature de gardien fait en sorte qu'il fera preuve de méfiance à l'arrivée d'un nouveau venu.  Cette méfiance se dissipera dès qu'il aura eu le temps d'évaluer la personne.  Dès lors, il deviendra très agréable avec ce nouveau venu. Bien qu'appartenant aux molossoïdes, il fait partie du groupe II sans obligation de port de la muselière en public.

 Tranquille et peu sportif, il nécessite tout de même de longues promenades. D'un naturel peu fuyard, il ne s'écartera jamais hors de portée de vue de ses maîtres ; il reste néanmoins d'un naturel très curieux.

 L'éducation doit être effectuée à l'aide de renforcement positif car l'utilisation d'un étrangleur le fera fuir sous la pression, d'où sa réputation d'être têtu. Quelques cas de morsures ont même été relatés chez des bernois en réaction à un dressage sévère. Le bernois ne passera à l'action que s'il ressent que sa vie est en danger. Néanmoins, son éducation se fera rapidement grâce à ses facultés d'adaptation et à son intelligence.
Même s'il n'est pas un chien de garde au sens populaire du terme, ses origines de gardien de ferme refont surface en présence de toutes activités suspectes. Il saura avertir ses maîtres et dissuader tout intrus par ses aboiements. La plupart du temps, le bouvier n'aboie que s'il entend du bruit, mais lorsqu'il le fait, c'est avec beaucoup de conviction.

Problèmes de santé courants

 Dysplasie : Problème lié à une nourriture pauvre en vitamines et nutriments. Selon Marc Torel et Klaus Dieter Kammerer, la dysplasie ne serait pas un problème génétique . Moins connue car beaucoup moins subjective, la méthode PENNHIP mesure le degré de laxité, indice de la probabilité d'apparition de la dysplasie. Les résultats sont exprimés sur une échelle de 0 à 100, 100 étant une dysplasie sévère. En date du , le meilleur bouvier bernois avait obtenu un pointage de 23, le pire totalisant 116 avec une moyenne de 52 pour l'ensemble des  bouviers bernois observés.
 Cancer : le cancer touche très souvent le bouvier bernois, environ 9,7 % de la population selon une étude du  Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America. Le bouvier bernois est d'ailleurs particulièrement affecté par l'histiocytose maligne (20 % selon le CNRS), cancer d'origine génétique et non soignable. La maladie se déclare généralement entre les 3 et 6 ans du chien. Le CNRS de Rennes effectue une étude spécifique de la maladie sur le bouvier bernois.
 Otite et gale auriculaire : comme tous les chiens à oreilles tombantes, le bouvier bernois est sujet aux otites et aux gales auriculaires, un traitement préventif est conseillé.
 Retournement de l'estomac : courant chez les gros chiens, il nécessite une intervention chirurgicale de toute urgence pour éviter la mort de l'animal.
 Problèmes urinaires : Les problèmes urinaires sont souvent présents chez les femelles de cette race puisqu'elles sont de grande taille. À cause de celle-ci et de leur poids, les femelles ont un espace restreint entre les pattes pour uriner et cela peut causer des mycoses, surtout en été à cause de la chaleur. Malheureusement, ce n'est pas quelque chose que le maître du chien peut voir facilement, donc cela se transforme couramment en problème urinaire. Il est très important que les chiennes gardent un poids contenu afin d'éviter que cette situation ne se répète d'année en année.

Notes et références

Bibliographie
 Margret Bärtschi et Hansjoachim Spengler, Hunde, sehen, züchten, erleben, Haupt, 1994
 De Brigitte HARTER Le Bernois selon Saint-Roc - Éditions Saint Roch 2010 -

Voir aussi

Liens externes

  Le standard de la race sur le site de la SCC
 Le guide détaillé du bouvier bernois

Race de chien originaire de Suisse
Race de chien molossoïde
Chien de montagne
Chien guide d'aveugle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Teyana Taylor's 24-minute-long album mirrors Kanye's newest project in length and purpose. (Image via Album of the Year)
Sounds x June 26, 2018
Teyana Taylor Makes Her Sophomore Studio Album Short and Sweet
The eight-track 'K.T.S.E.' sees Taylor in gloss, with priceless production behind her and a voice like Noname.
By Remington Jensen, University of Idaho
Amongst the slew of the to-be produced albums by Kanye West — announced alongside Nas and Pusha-T — was a name that stood in a comparative shadow: Teyana Taylor. Besides being a signee to Ye's G.O.O.D. Music record label since 2010, the Harlem-born artist has written for the likes of Chris Brown and Usher, in addition to working as an exclusive choreographer for Beyoncé and her music videos.
Her new album, "K.T.S.E" — which stands for "Keep That Same Energy" — runs just shy of 24 minutes, ultimately helping the overall flow of the record. West's practice in restricting these exclusively produced albums to just seven tracks nearly comes to fruition on this eight-song album, ending up with plenty of substance without overwhelming the listener with too much to digest.
Takeoff Left a Permanent Imprint on Hip-Hop
Teyana Taylor got her start in an impromptu music session with Kanye West. (Image via Hypebeast)
"Gonna Love Me" lays her heart out on the operating table, accompanied by beautiful guitar licks and a bluesy sample from the late '60s soul group, the Delfonics. The song certainly has a beat that would normally end up with a check signed to West traveling out of a mail room along with a 100K gap in the pocketbook. Although there are fantastic blends between a late '90s boom-bap sounding hip-hop song and the gorgeous singing of Taylor, the cut ends up sounding like something Q-Tip — of A Tribe Called Quest fame — would churn out in time for the New York dawn to rise.
With styles on the record ranging from deep house to funk to trap, Taylor's versatility is nothing short of impressive. Although slapping any genre on an album could find the effected songs sounding like someone imitating the genre itself, "K.T.S.E." runs red with creative virtuosity.
The RAP Act Is Fighting for the Right To Write
West first incorporated Teyana Taylor into his own music back in 2010, when a surprise visit to his studio resulted in her hums and vocalizations appearing on multiple tracks on the gregarious "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." Taylor has spent the eight years that changed her from surprise-feature to center-focus intelligently, and it shows: an impromptu chemistry has turned into a mentorship with one of the most influential musicians of the century.
Kanye's 'Trash Bag Display' Is Just One of Many Strange Fashion Marketing Strategies
Although the start of Taylor's career was nominally the MTV show "My Super Sweet Sixteen," her age certainly shows more than ever on "K.T.S.E.," ranging from the blistering "WTP" to the solemn "Rose In Harlem." The album's sonic thread is spun finely, with an interesting texture and even a few wincing artistic embellishments showing.
Remington Jensen
Fans Need To Stop Instigating Conflict Between Rap Artists
Why Do We Care so Much About the Kardashians?
Drake's New Hairstyle Means More Than You Think
Does Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' Sabotage Her Current Business Model?
Surfaces Is the Positive Band You Should Be Listening to This Summer
The Undeniable Impact and Relevance of Aaliyah
8 of the Best Animated Hip-Hop Music Videos of All Time
'Eazy' Is Yet Another Example of Kanye's Questionable Creative Choices
Dissecting the Grammy Nominees for Best Rap Album 2022
'Luv 4 Rent' Brings Smino Back Into the Spotlight
Kanye West's Antisemitism Finally Crossed the Line
'KISS THE RING' by Streetz Is the Best Album You Haven't Heard


text:
Tricatel est un label indépendant français créé par Bertrand Burgalat en 1995. Outre les productions de son fondateur, le label a publié des artistes tels que Valérie Lemercier, April March, Michel Houellebecq, A.S. Dragon, Helena Noguerra, David Whitaker, The High Llamas, André Popp, Chassol, Les Shades ou encore le collectif Catastrophe. Le label tire son nom de l'industriel fictif Jacques Tricatel, PDG d'une chaîne de restauration de nourriture industrielle dans le film de Claude Zidi, L'Aile ou la Cuisse (1976). En 2015 le label fête ses vingt années d'existence et publie une compilation baptisée RSVP.

Artistes du label

A.S Dragon
 Allegra
André Popp
April March
Bertrand Burgalat
 Catastrophe
Chassol
 Count Indigo
David Whitaker
 DJ Me Dj You
 Donna Regina
Eggstone
Étienne Charry
Héléna Noguerra
Ingrid Caven
 Jef Barbara
 Jonathan Coe
 La Classe
Ladytron
 Laure Briard
Les Shades
 Louis Philippe
 Major Deluxe
Michel Houellebecq
 Showgirls
The High Llamas
Valérie Lemercier
 Winney

Notes et références

Bibliographie
 Bertrand Burgalat, avec Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, préface de Philippe Manœuvre, Tricatel Universalis, Huginn & Muninn, 2018, 240 p.

Annexe

Articles connexes
 Liste des labels indépendants
 Label indépendant

Liens externes

Label discographique indépendant ayant son siège en France


First, I'd like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to those individuals who've liked, commented on, or followed this blog. You guys rock!
In other news, it's somehow Sunday evening again, meaning that the entire weekend has vanished into a sad little puff of smoke and Monday morning looms all too near.
Anyway, aside from trekking out to the pet store and buying a mighty tower of cat food for Benny, I also used today to get some writing done. I'm taking a little break from the editing of Chosen so I can come back to it with fresh eyes, so today, I did some work on Queer Investigations, also known as The Story Where Lesbians in Chicago Solve Paranormal Mysteries and Thus the "Queer" In the Title Has Two Meanings If You See What I Did There (working title).
It's a fun little story, and I managed to get quite a bit of new stuff written today, though I find myself getting impatient re: finishing the bloody thing and getting it out into the world where people can read it. The problem is that I've set up a fairly complicated plot in the opening chapters, because I apparently hate myself and want my brain to shrivel up and die.
But I'll keep pushing on through, trusting (as I always do) that Future Me will figure out how to tie up all the loose ends and make this the best paranormal lesbians story ever…!
But instead of succumbing to temptation, sweet reader, I made a reasonably healthy dinner and quelled my desserty cravings with a protein shake and a bowl of grapes. HOW TOUGH AM I?
I shall celebrate this victory of the human spirit with a pizza topped with chocolate and french fries and donuts and ice cream and steak, because dammit, I earned it.


text:
Alexander Khalifman
Title: Alexander Khalifman
Subject: World Chess Championship, Kasparov versus the World, Judit Polgár, Ruslan Ponomariov, World Team Chess Championship
Collection: 1966 Births, Chess Grandmasters, Chess Olympiad Competitors, Jewish Chess Players, Living People, National Team Coaches, People from Saint Petersburg, Russian Chess Players, Russian Chess Writers, Russian Jews, Soviet Chess Players, Sportspeople from Saint Petersburg, World Chess Champions
Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman
(Александр Валерьевич Халифман)
(1966-01-18) 18 January 1966
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
1999–2000 (FIDE)
FIDE rating
2623 (July 2016)
Peak rating
2702 (October 2001)
Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman (Russian: Алекса́ндр Вале́рьевич Халифма́н; born 18 January 1966 in Leningrad) is a Russian chess Grandmaster. He was FIDE World Chess Champion in 1999.
Early life 1
Tournament career 2
Trainer 3
Khalifman is of Jewish descent.[1] When he was six years old, his father taught him chess.
Tournament career
Khalifman won the 1982 Soviet Union Youth Championship,[2] the 1984 Soviet Union Youth championship,[3] the 1985 European Under-20 Championship in Groningen, the 1985 and 1987 Moscow championships, 1990 Groningen, 1993 Ter Apel, 1994 Chess Open of Eupen, 1995 Chess Open St. Petersburg, the Russian Championship in 1996, the Saint Petersburg Championship in 1996 and 1997, 1997 Chess Grand Master Tournament St. Petersburg, 1997 Aarhus, 1997 and 1998 Bad Wiessee,[4] 2000 Hoogeveen.
He was a member of the gold medal-winning Russian team at the Chess Olympiads in 1992, 2000 and 2002, and at the 1997 World Team Chess Championship.
Khalifman gained the Grandmaster title in 1990 with one particularly good early result being his first place in the 1990 [6] Khalifman played in the Linares chess tournament next year, and performed credibly (though placing below joint winner Kasparov).[7]
With his trainer Gennady Nesis he runs a chess academy in St. Petersburg, called "The Grandmaster Chess School", since November 1998.[8] There he trains players worldwide following the motto: "chess = intellect + character".
Khalifman has been coaching the Azerbaijani national team since 2013[9] and is its captain.[10][11][12] He was one of Anna Ushenina's seconds in the Women's World Chess Championship 2013.[13]
Alexander Khalifman; Sergei Soloviev; Olga Krylova (1994). Mikhail Tal Games 1949-1962. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman; Leonid Yudasin (1997). Jose Raul Capablanca - Games 1901-1926. Chess Stars.
Sergei Soloviev; Alexander Khalifman (1998). Emanuel Lasker 1 - Games 1889-1903. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman; Sergei Soloviov (1999). Mikhail Chigorin - The First Russian Grandmaster. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman; Sergei Soloviov (2000). Mikhail Botvinnik - Games 1924-1948. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman; Sergei Soloviov (2002). Alexander Alekhine - Games 1902-1923. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman (2002). Opening for Black according to Karpov. Chess Stars.
Alexander Khalifman (2000-2002). Opening for White according to Kramnik 1.♘f3 (5 volumes). Chess Stars
Alexander Khalifman (2003-2012). Opening for White according to Anand 1. e4 (14 volumes). Chess Stars
Alexander Khalifman (2006-2011). Opening for White according to Kramnik 1.♘f3 (revised edition, 5 volumes). Chess Stars
^ "Russian Jewish Encyclopedia". JewishGen.org. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
^ "31st Soviet Union Junior Chess Championship, Yurmala, January 4–17, 1982". RusBase. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
^ "33rd Soviet Union Junior Chess Championship, Kirovabad, January 1984". RusBase. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
^ Crowther, Mark (2002-11-04). "TWIC 417: Forthcoming Events and Links - 6th Open International Bavarian Masters". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
^ Crowther, Mark (1999-07-05). "The Week in Chess: FIDE July Rating list". London Chess Center. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
^ Luchan, Jason; Aird, Ian. "Las Vegas World Championship, July 30 – August 29, 1999". ChessScotland.com. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
^ "The Week in Chess 273 – 13 March 2000".
^ About GMChess School
^ "The Members of Azerbaijani Team Will Train With Alexander Khalifman for Ten days". chess-news.ru. 2013-03-12. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ """Alexander Khalifman: "I don't set sporting goals, but I strive to win. Voronezh Chess festival. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ "Success but no medals". regionplus.az. 2014-08-26. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ "Shahriyar Mammadyarov: "Rauf is my friend, but I had to win him"". Shamkir Chess. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ Schipkov, Boris. "Women's World Chess Championship 2013 Match". Chess Siberia. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
Alexander Khalifman games at 365Chess.com
Alexander Khalifman player profile and games at Chessgames.com
Chess puzzles from the games of Alexander Khalifman
Interview with Alexander Khalifman (2005)
Two part interview with Alexander Khalifman (2010) Part 1 Part 2
Anatoly Karpov FIDE World Chess Champion
Peter Svidler Russian Chess Champion
Peter Svidler
World Chess Championships
List of World Chess Championships
Candidates Tournament
Chess World Cup
FIDE Grand Prix
Interzonal
Interregnum
Knockout format (1998–2004)
pre-FIDE
1886, 1889, 1891, 1892 (Steinitz)
1894, 1897, 1907, 1908, 1910 (Jan–Feb), 1910 (Nov–Dec) (Lasker)
1921 (Capablanca)
1927, 1929, 1934 (Alekhine)
1935 (Euwe)
1937 (Alekhine)
1948, 1951, 1954 (Botvinnik)
1957 (Smyslov)
1958 (Botvinnik)
1960 (Tal)
1963, 1966 (Petrosian)
1969 (Spassky)
1972 (Fischer)
1975, 1978, 1981, 1984 (Karpov)
1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 (Kasparov)
Split title
PCA/Classical
1993, 1995 (Kasparov)
2000, 2004 (Kramnik)
1993, 1996, 1998 (Karpov)
1999 (Khalifman)
2000 (Anand)
2002 (Ponomariov)
2004 (Kasimdzhanov)
2005 (Topalov)
2006 (Kramnik)
2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 (Anand)
2013, 2014 (Carlsen)
World chess champions
Chess grandmasters
Chess Olympiad competitors
Russian chess players
Soviet chess players
Jewish chess players
Russian chess writers
National team coaches
Russian Jews
Sportspeople from Saint Petersburg
Chess, Olympic Games, Anatoly Karpov, Max Euwe, Psychiatry
Soviet Union, Russia, France, Chess, Fide
Kasparov versus the World
Chess, Internet, Daniel J. King, Garry Kasparov, Profanity
Judit Polgár
Bobby Fischer, Fide, Authority control, Grandmaster (chess), Garry Kasparov
Ruslan Ponomariov
Ukraine, Chess, Fide, Horlivka, Soviet Union
World Team Chess Championship
Russia, Ukraine, China, Armenia, Switzerland


text:
Q: How to change the color of CALayer during animation? I want the layer to start from green, then slowly to yellow, orange and finally red. How do I do this?
CAShapeLayer *layer = [CAShapeLayer layer];
[layer setStrokeColor:[UIColor greenColor].CGColor];
[layer setLineWidth:5.0f];
[layer setFillColor:[UIColor clearColor].CGColor];

UIBezierPath *path = [UIBezierPath bezierPathWithRoundedRect:button.bounds cornerRadius:10.0f];
layer.path = path.CGPath;

CABasicAnimation *animation = [CABasicAnimation animationWithKeyPath:@"strokeEnd"];
animation.fromValue = [NSNumber numberWithFloat:0.0f];
animation.toValue = [NSNumber numberWithFloat:1.0f];
animation.duration = 4.0f;

[layer addAnimation:animation forKey:@"myStroke"];
[button.layer addSublayer:layer];

A: I just wrote up this code for you. I used a CAKeyframeAnimation both because it allows for multiple toValues and because it allows more control over the animation.
//Set up layer and add it to view
CALayer *layer = [CALayer layer];
layer.frame = self.view.bounds;
[self.view.layer addSublayer:layer];

//Create animation
CAKeyframeAnimation *colorsAnimation = [CAKeyframeAnimation animationWithKeyPath:@"backgroundColor"];
colorsAnimation.values = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: (id)[UIColor greenColor].CGColor,
                          (id)[UIColor yellowColor].CGColor, (id)[UIColor orangeColor].CGColor, (id)[UIColor redColor].CGColor, nil];
colorsAnimation.keyTimes = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:[NSNumber numberWithFloat:0.25], [NSNumber numberWithFloat:0.5], [NSNumber numberWithFloat:0.75],[NSNumber numberWithFloat:1.0], nil];
colorsAnimation.calculationMode = kCAAnimationPaced;
colorsAnimation.removedOnCompletion = NO;
colorsAnimation.fillMode = kCAFillModeForwards;
colorsAnimation.duration = 3.0f;

//Add animation
[layer addAnimation:colorsAnimation forKey:nil];

A: Using CAKeyframeAnimation is OK but sometimes you need something simpler. Here is how to do it using CABasicAnimation and 3 lines of code.
CABasicAnimation *colorAnimation = [CABasicAnimation animationWithKeyPath:@"backgroundColor"];
colorAnimation.toValue = (id)[UIColor redColor].CGColor;

[layer addAnimation:colorAnimation forKey:nil];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
@implementation FTWAppDelegate

@synthesize window, nameField, localizedNameField, systemVersionField,systemNameField, MACAddressField, platformField, hardwareModelField, CPUCountField, CPUFrequencyField, busFrequencyField, totalMemoryField, userMemoryField, totalDiskSpaceField, freeDiskSpaceField, serialNumberField, isRetinaField;

- (void)applicationDidFinishLaunching:(NSNotification *)aNotification
{
	// Insert code here to initialize your application
}

- (void) awakeFromNib {

	self.window.minSize = self.window.frame.size;

	FTWDevice *currentDevice = [FTWDevice currentDevice];
	nameField.stringValue = [currentDevice name];
	localizedNameField.stringValue = [currentDevice localizedName];
	systemNameField.stringValue = [currentDevice systemName];
	systemVersionField.stringValue = [currentDevice systemVersion];
	MACAddressField.stringValue = [currentDevice MACAddress];
	platformField.stringValue = [currentDevice platform];
	hardwareModelField.stringValue = [currentDevice hardwareModel];

	NSUInteger CPUFrequency = [currentDevice CPUFrequency];
	CPUFrequencyField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%0.2f Ghz",
							   (CPUFrequency/1024/1024)/((float)1024)];

	CPUCountField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu",[currentDevice CPUCount]];
	busFrequencyField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu",[currentDevice busFrequency]];
	totalMemoryField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu",[currentDevice totalMemory]];
	userMemoryField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu",[currentDevice userMemory]];
	totalDiskSpaceField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[currentDevice totalDiskSpace]];
	freeDiskSpaceField.stringValue = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[currentDevice freeDiskSpace]];
	serialNumberField.stringValue = [currentDevice serialNumber];
	isRetinaField.stringValue = ([currentDevice isRetina] ? @"Yes" : @"No");
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ethic Bowl Team Headed to Nationals
Campus, News
17 Feb 2021 17 Feb 2021
Image of the Ethic Bowl Team members from their Instagram page (@Epic_ethics).
Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor
On Feb. 27 and 28, the University of Lynchburg Ethics Bowl Team will be competing in the national Ethics Bowl competition.
They will be competing in a competition sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE). The team worked their way through 15 competitions to become one of the top Ethics Bowl Teams in the nation. They placed third in their regional competition, allowing them to participate in nationals.
Dr. Kicklighter, coach of the Ethics Bowl Team and a professor at the university, explained that the Ethics Bowl Team is a "group activity in which students research, develop positions, and debate on a multitude of ethical issues. We participate in three to four events throughout the academic year. For most of these, we are given a case packet about two months before the competition, and we spend practice researching, discussing approaches, and practicing debating our stance on these topics. Students take and defend whatever their stance is, rather than being assigned a position."
The cases for these debates are chosen by a specific committee and are dependent on who is sponsoring or hosting the meeting. Kicklighter added that, "the regional and national competitions that we are doing have cases on almost every ethical topic you can think of! We also do one competition that is focused on bioethics specifically, but even there the cases are wide ranging."
For the national competition, Kicklighter revealed that the team has been given "a packet of 17 cases on a huge variety of topics including business ethics, bioethics, social media and privacy, politics, ethics in higher education, environmental ethics, and more" to choose from for the virtual debate.
In preparation for nationals, the students who are going to the national debate, Bea Kelly-Russo, Jack Schroeder, Jackie Wilson, Julianna Cameron, Maddie Miller, Becca Owens, Beth Roti, came back from break two weeks early for "ethics camp" since the competition is so close to the beginning of the semester" in addition to their typical practice for regionals.
Kicklighter expressed a large amount of praise for her team, she said she is, "so proud of this team! They are excelling in one of the most difficult years to be a college student and they have done so well. I cannot say enough good things about them!"
She expressed high hopes for them and hoped in the future "to be a regular contender at nationals, which means consistently placing in the top three at our regional competition. I would also love to see Ethics Bowl reach out to the campus more and hold panel discussions and mock debates for the campus community. This is something we did before COVID that I look forward to getting back to post-COVID. I would also love to expand the team so that we can include more people and perspectives. I also talked about starting an ethics bowl podcast with some of the team members, which I think would be a different way to promote the team and think through ethical issues."
Maddie Miller, a sophmore, said " Although I will not necessarily pursue this professionally, it will most certainly help me professionally, as it has helped me craft my own sense of morality based on actual ethical theories and given me critical thinking skills in a fast-paced environment."
Miller is the secretary of the team now in her second year as a team member. She shared that some of her favorite topics in her time at the club were "the decriminalization/legalization of prostitution… the ethics of a law professor acting as a lawyer for another professor in a Title IX investigation…" and a topic on "the show Tiger King. I actually wrote a letter to Joe Exotic in prison and received a response. It was about as whack job as you can imagine."
Miller revealed that the team practices by doing research for the cases we are presented… We find as much information as we can on all of the topics within the case. Then…come up with some basic theories and stances based on that information. After that, [Dr. Kicklighter] will ask us a question about the case, and we have to use our research and ethical theories to defend our answer.
She added that there is typically,"two to three weeks of research and then the rest of the time leading up to the competition is defending our stances to [Dr. Kicklighter's] questions."
Bea-Kelly Russo who is a senior and has been a member of the Ethics Bowl Team since her freshman year explained, "I never knew I would stick with it all these years, and I really just joined it for a challenging academic opportunity. I like to argue and I like to explore new topics, so it ended up being the perfect thing."
Russo remarked, "Ethics Bowl has taught me that anything and everything can be an ethical issue. We have debated whether or not rivers can have personhood, what to do if aliens crash land on our planet, or whether or not someone can identify as "transracial.""
She said, "That had to be one of my favorite cases, about Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who managed to become president of a chapter of the NAACP and self-identified as black. "
Russo explained that there aside from more meetings and practices, the team has "reach[ed] out to people that the case talks about. For Nationals, we had a Skype call with a famous German artist, Simon Weckert who did "Google Maps Hack."
She stated, "These [sorts] of interactions really give us a leg up on the competition."
To read up on more details of the Ethics Bowl Team's activity, check out this article: https://www.lynchburg.edu/news/2020/11/university-of-lynchburg-ethics-bowl-team-headed-to-nationals/, or look through their Instagram, @Epic_Ethics. For interest in joining or other questions, contact Dr. Kicklighter or the club members for more information.
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