text:
Q: Load multiple files with Modernizr I am trying to load touch screen specific js files using modernizr.
I am testing Modernizr.touch. If that returns true I want to load 2 files (Hammer.js and FastClick.js) but I am having trouble loading the two files without getting an error. Loading 1 file works fine but when I add 2 it doesnt load the 2nd one. Does anyone know what is wrong here?
here is my code:
Modernizr.load([{
    test: Modernizr.touch,
    yep: [
        fastClickUrl,
        hammerUrl
    ],
    callback: function(){
        ...
    }
}]);

A: You need to return js files for yep. When true, use a callback to initialize the functions.
Modernizr.load([{
  test    : Modernizr.touch,
  yep     : ['FastClick.js', 'Hammer.js'],
  callback: function(){
    // yepnope creates a key of the basename resource loaded
    'FastClick.js': function() {
      fastClickURL();
    },
    'Hammer.js': function() {
      hammerURL();
    },
  }
}]);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: My scrapy code is not working but everything seems okey Hello i tried to scrape some info from www.soccerstats.com.My code below isnot scrape anything from that website.The output is:
{'BOT_NAME': 'superlig',
 'NEWSPIDER_MODULE': 'superlig.spiders',
 'REQUEST_FINGERPRINTER_IMPLEMENTATION': '2.7',
 'SPIDER_MODULES': ['superlig.spiders'],
 'TWISTED_REACTOR': 'twisted.internet.asyncioreactor.AsyncioSelectorReactor',
 'USER_AGENT': 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 '
               '(KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/106.0.0.0 Safari/537.36'}
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [asyncio] DEBUG: Using selector: SelectSelector
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.utils.log] DEBUG: Using reactor: twisted.internet.asyncioreactor.AsyncioSelectorReactor
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.utils.log] DEBUG: Using asyncio event loop: asyncio.windows_events._WindowsSelectorEventLoop
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.extensions.telnet] INFO: Telnet Password: d7ca26fc46152e7d
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.middleware] INFO: Enabled extensions:
['scrapy.extensions.corestats.CoreStats',
 'scrapy.extensions.telnet.TelnetConsole',
 'scrapy.extensions.logstats.LogStats']
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.middleware] INFO: Enabled downloader middlewares:
['scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.httpauth.HttpAuthMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.downloadtimeout.DownloadTimeoutMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.defaultheaders.DefaultHeadersMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.useragent.UserAgentMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.retry.RetryMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.redirect.MetaRefreshMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.httpcompression.HttpCompressionMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.redirect.RedirectMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.cookies.CookiesMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.httpproxy.HttpProxyMiddleware',
 'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.stats.DownloaderStats']
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.middleware] INFO: Enabled spider middlewares:
['scrapy.spidermiddlewares.httperror.HttpErrorMiddleware',
 'scrapy.spidermiddlewares.offsite.OffsiteMiddleware',
 'scrapy.spidermiddlewares.referer.RefererMiddleware',
 'scrapy.spidermiddlewares.urllength.UrlLengthMiddleware',
 'scrapy.spidermiddlewares.depth.DepthMiddleware']
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.middleware] INFO: Enabled item pipelines:
[]
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.core.engine] INFO: Spider opened
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.extensions.logstats] INFO: Crawled 0 pages (at 0 pages/min), scraped 0 items (at 0 items/min)
2022-11-01 19:55:49 [scrapy.extensions.telnet] INFO: Telnet console listening on 127.0.0.1:6023
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [filelock] DEBUG: Attempting to acquire lock 1903475372576 on C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\tldextract\.suffix_cache/publicsuffix.org-tlds\de84b5ca2167d4c83e38fb162f2e8738.tldextract.json.lock
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [filelock] DEBUG: Lock 1903475372576 acquired on C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\tldextract\.suffix_cache/publicsuffix.org-tlds\de84b5ca2167d4c83e38fb162f2e8738.tldextract.json.lock
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [filelock] DEBUG: Attempting to release lock 1903475372576 on C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\tldextract\.suffix_cache/publicsuffix.org-tlds\de84b5ca2167d4c83e38fb162f2e8738.tldextract.json.lock
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [filelock] DEBUG: Lock 1903475372576 released on C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\tldextract\.suffix_cache/publicsuffix.org-tlds\de84b5ca2167d4c83e38fb162f2e8738.tldextract.json.lock
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [scrapy.core.engine] DEBUG: Crawled (200) <GET https://www.soccerstats.com/latest.asp?league=turkey> (referer: None)
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [scrapy.core.engine] INFO: Closing spider (finished)
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [scrapy.statscollectors] INFO: Dumping Scrapy stats:
{'downloader/request_bytes': 320,
 'downloader/request_count': 1,
 'downloader/request_method_count/GET': 1,
 'downloader/response_bytes': 43248,
 'downloader/response_count': 1,
 'downloader/response_status_count/200': 1,
 'elapsed_time_seconds': 1.018966,
 'finish_reason': 'finished',
 'finish_time': datetime.datetime(2022, 11, 1, 16, 55, 50, 519778),
 'httpcompression/response_bytes': 279559,
 'httpcompression/response_count': 1,
 'log_count/DEBUG': 8,
 'log_count/INFO': 10,
 'response_received_count': 1,
 'scheduler/dequeued': 1,
 'scheduler/dequeued/memory': 1,
 'scheduler/enqueued': 1,
 'scheduler/enqueued/memory': 1,
 'start_time': datetime.datetime(2022, 11, 1, 16, 55, 49, 500812)}
2022-11-01 19:55:50 [scrapy.core.engine] INFO: Spider closed (finished)

I set a user_agent at settings.py and add time.sleep to my code.And also my code is getting right output when im debugging.My code is below:
import scrapy
from scrapy.linkextractors import LinkExtractor
from scrapy.spiders import CrawlSpider, Rule
import time

class SoccerstatsSpider(CrawlSpider):
    name = 'soccerstats'
    allowed_domains = ['soccerstats.com']
    start_urls =['https://www.soccerstats.com/latest.asp?league=turkey']

    #user_agent = 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/106.0.0.0 Safari/537.36'

    rules = (
        Rule(LinkExtractor(restrict_xpaths="//div[@style='width:644px;margin-left:10px;padding-left:4px;margin-right:0px;margin-top:3px;float:left;']/table[3]/tbody/tr[@class='odd']/td[2]/a"), callback='parse_item', follow=True),
    )
    #def set_user_agent(self,request):
        #request.headers['User-Agent']=self.user_agent

    time.sleep(0.5)
    def parse_item(self, response):
        yield{
            'Team' : response.xpath(".//div[@id='content']/div[1]/div[2]/font/text()").get(),
        }

Please help me and explain what i am doing wrong.
I tried add a user-agent and time.sleep()

A: The issue is in the LinkExtractor xpath selector. That xpath although highlights elements on the website. When I perform a scrapy shell command to get the resultant elements against that selector, I get nothing.
You could simplify the selector to something like the one below, which worked for me and scraped items from the website.
...

rules = (
    Rule(LinkExtractor(restrict_xpaths='//td/a[@itemprop="url"]'), callback='parse_item', follow=True),
)

...

This should work for you. Let me know if it helped.


Judging from the stock market's reaction, banks should become more profitable with Donald Trump's election. Bank stocks have surged with the index of financials rising about 18 percent since the election.1 The narrative is that Trump's election will result in a profitable combination of a steeper yield curve for interest rates and a reduction in regulation accompanying a roll-back of the post-Dodd-Frank-get-tough approach to bank regulation. Bankers themselves are more cautious, with good reason, seeing a lot of uncertainty ahead. Donald Trump's position on bank regulation while running for office was contradictory and contained elements of the anti-bank populist sentiment that rose in the wake of the financial crisis.
As a candidate, Trump veered between arguing, on the one hand, that banks were over-regulated while, on the other hand, calling for the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall regulation (an idea that was inserted into the Republican party platform at his request). His nominee for Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, has been critical of certain elements of Dodd-Frank, namely the Volcker Rule, but has stopped short of calling for repeal, which is the position of the Republican Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Jeb Hensarling (R-TX). Another of Trump's early White House appointments, Steve Bannon, has been sharply critical of large banks, expressing support for substantially increasing the leverage ratio, which would require the banks to hold more capital,2 and openly discussed breaking up the largest banks.
Repealing the Dodd-Frank Act completely could be difficult even if Congressional Republicans decide to try, as Democrats in the Senate would almost certainly filibuster such a move. But even without major legislative changes, Trump can have a big impact based on the people he appoints, because the Dodd-Frank legislation left regulators with a lot of discretion. The top financial regulatory post currently vacant is that of Federal Reserve Vice-Chairman for Bank Supervision and Regulation. The Chair of the SEC has announced her resignation and in April, the term of the CFTC Chairman will expire.3 Later this year, the terms of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Chairman of the FDIC will also expire. Trump's choices for these positions will define his financial regulatory policy agenda for the first-year as these agencies will be where the rubber meets the road.
There are two main camps of people from whom Trump is likely to draw in filling these appointments. In one camp are those who believe that bank regulation and capital standards have swung too far in the wake of the financial crisis and the result has been a drag on bank lending. They will likely work to reduce total regulation, roll back rules, and relax requirements. The second camp does not necessarily disagree with the first camp on the premise that Dodd-Frank was too complex, but they judge that the answer is to require higher levels of capital (possibly much higher levels) and then let the banks decide how they should operate. Both camps view detailed regulations like the Volcker rule as being too burdensome. But those in the first camp would likely ease the capital surcharge currently being imposed on the largest banks, while those in the second camp might raise the leverage ratio high enough to reduce bank profitability, and perhaps force some large banks to sell off parts of their businesses, essentially breaking themselves up. Both camps agree that regulations should be eased on the smallest banks, something Trump has also supported.
Glass Steagall was passed in in 1933 following the wave of bank failures in the Great Depression, and it forced the separation of retail banks from investment banks and the business of insurance. It was effectively repealed in 1999 by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley legislation, signed by President Clinton, that allowed the formation of large banking groups such as Citi and JPMorgan Chase. If Trump wanted to force the issue of reinstatement as a way of breaking up the biggest banks, he could get support from some Democrats and Republicans. But neither his own economic team nor Congressional leaders appear to be in favor. We do not expect a successful push to reinstate Glass-Steagall.
One area where both camps may agree is a retrenchment from global coordination on financial regulation. Trump campaigned on the premise that America had entered into many global agreements which were not in our own best interest. Although global financial regulatory agreements, such as the Basel bank capital accords or the Financial Stability Board, were not expressly discussed, the same skepticism of those institutions may well apply. If institutions as fundamental as NATO for defense or trade agreements that have lasted multiple decades such as NAFTA are on the chopping block, there is no reason to think that financial regulatory deals would be spared.
We would love to see a broad bipartisan consensus to build on the existing system; make logical adjustments to the rules based on experience since Dodd-Frank was passed, and end up with a financial system that is both safer and more efficient. Unfortunately, we do not expect this to happen.
It is too soon to tell which road Trump will go down with his nominations. He could even go down both roads, by appointing individuals from differing camps to head different agencies. Meanwhile, the Republican Congress will likely explore ways to roll back Dodd-Frank, with some seeking to compromise with moderate Democrats while others deciding to force through changes with small majorities whenever legislatively possible.
In the meantime, the financial markets have spoken. Interest rates are higher, the yield curve is steeper, and bank equity value has risen sharply However, a single tweet from Trump could cause bank stocks to tumble, especially if he were reacting to a future Wells Fargo-like scandal.
Either repealing Dodd-Frank or reinstating Glass Steagall would be a tough sell. Instead, the best way to predict how financial regulation will unfold over the next four years, is to look at the people Trump nominates to head the important financial regulatory agencies.
The leverage ratio is the amount of regulatory capital relative to a bank's total liabilities. The leverage ratio is seen as simple and easy to understand and some academics have found that the leverage ratio was the best predictor of bank failure in the crisis. The problem with the leverage ratio is that it gives an incentive for banks to boost their profitability by holding risky assets and minimizing their holdings of risk-free assets such as Treasury securities. Today, bank regulatory capital is determined by both but many view the binding constraint as the risk-weighted quantity of bank assets.


text:
Home PMR News Steve Jobs resigns from Apple, Cook becomes CEO
Steve Jobs resigns from Apple, Cook becomes CEO
Ali Abbas Chaudhry
Silicon Valley legend Steve Jobs on Wednesday resigned as chief executive of Apple Inc in a stunning move that ended his 14-year reign at the technology giant he co-founded in a garage.
Apple shares dived as much as 7 percent in after-hours trade after the pancreatic cancer survivor and industry icon, who has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since January 17, announced he will be replaced by COO and longtime heir apparent Tim Cook.
Analysts do not expect Jobs' resignation — which had long been foreseen — to derail the company's fabled product-launch roadmap, including possibly a new iPhone in September and a third iteration of the iPad tablet in 2012.
"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," he said in a brief letter announcing his resignation.
The 55-year-old CEO had briefly emerged from his medical leave in March to unveil the latest version of the iPad and later to attend a dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for technology leaders in Silicon Valley.
Jobs' often-gaunt appearance has sparked questions about his health and his ability to continue at Apple.
"I will say to investors: don't panic and remain calm, it's the right thing to do. Steve will be chairman and Cook is CEO," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.
Apple shares slid to $357.40 in extended trading after a brief halt. They had gained 0.7 percent to close at $376.18 on the Nasdaq.
Analysts again expressed confidence in the Apple bench, headed by longtime company No. 2 and supply-chain maven Cook.
"Investors are very comfortable with Tim Cook even though Jobs has been a driver of innovation and clearly an Apple success. Tim has shown Apple can still outperform extremely well when he's been acting as CEO," said Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross.
"I don't know if it's a health issue. I don't know if it is a shock. Most likely it was going to happen at some point. Why today versus another day? I don't know."
apple without steve jobs
Cook becomes CEO
cook becomes new ceo of apple
steve abd apple contoversy
steve and apple fight
steve job better than cook
Steve jobs left apple
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Clean the artichokes, leaving the tender inner leaves attached to the hearts, and halved. Rub with 1/2 lemon.
Cook artichokes until tender, about 10 minutes.
In a saute pan over low heat, saute onions and garlic together in olive oil. Add rice and toast to harden the outer starch. Add wine and slowly add chicken stock, only adding as much as will evaporate in 1 minute, until rice is cooked and creamy.
When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and allow it to set for a few minutes to absorb any remaining liquid. Just before serving, mix in the artichokes, cheese, chopped parsley, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper, to taste.


text:
You are here: Posts > Newsletters > General Insurance Newsletter Friday 1st March 2019
General Insurance Newsletter Friday 1st March 2019
Broker, Complete Cover Group is believed to be exploring sale options. It is thought that boutique financial services investment bank and Broker dealer Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) and 'big four' accountancy firm Deloitte are helping with the process. Several sources suggested that the business is on the market.
Legal proceedings between PIB Group and its former employee David Wagstaff were settled last week. The consolidator initially began formal court proceedings against Wagstaff, previously a Director of PIB-owned Cooke & Mason, in November 2018 for alleged breach of his duties whilst on gardening leave. However, the case was settled before it went to court.
Ipswich-based Call Connection's joint Administrators have stated that they intend to apply to court to extend the firm's administration period for another year. The Broker lead generator went into liquidation in July 2017 and the administration period had previously been extended to 13 July 2019. Joint Administrators Martha Thompson and Colin Haig of accountancy firm BDO said in a document filed on Companies House that they intend to apply for another extension, likely of one year, before the current period expires.
The German legislator has adopted preliminary provisions to authorise the regulator to temporarily extend passporting rights of UK financial institutions including Insurers in the event of a no-deal Brexit. These measures allow the extension of passporting rights post-Brexit for up to 21 months. Henning Schaloske, Partner at Clyde & Co in Dusseldorf, said: "This is a welcome move by the German legislator to remove some of the uncertainty for both Insurers and policyholders in the event of a no-deal Brexit, which is increasingly being seen as a very real possibility.
Two former Chief Executives of Markel CATCo Investment Management Ltd are suing the insurance-linked securities fund manager and its parent firm for wrongful termination. In January 2019 it was reported that the abrupt exit of Markel CATCo CEO Anthony Belisle and Bermuda Chief Executive Alissa Fredricks following what Markel Corporation described as company violations relating to an undisclosed personal relationship between the two. Now Belisle and Fredricks have hit back, claiming in lawsuits filed separately at the US District Courts for New Hampshire and Massachusetts, respectively, that Markel's policies were recently revised – without notification – essentially to justify their sacking.
QBE has published its 2018 full year results with the insurance giant announcing a US$390 million (around £298.3 million) net profit after tax – a significant improvement on the US$1.249 billion (around £955.4 million) loss it recorded in 2017. Its cash profit after tax rebounded to US$715 million (around £546.9 million) compared to a loss of US$262 million (around £200.4 million) in the prior year. The firm's GWP was up 3% to US$13.66 billion (around £10.449 billion) but net investment yield was down 2.2% to US$547 million (around £418.4 million) due to "significant market volatility during the final quarter of 2018."
In other news... Business insurance specialist QBE has added it Business Combined insurance product to Open GI's Powerplace SME and Mobius platforms. Open GI detailed that the product is the first Commercial Combined offering available to its commercial Brokers and confirmed plans to add further products during 2019.
PartnerRe has published its results for the fourth quarter of 2018, reporting a net loss attributable to common shareholder of US$32 million (around £24.5 million). The company explained in its report that the figure was driven by losses related to Hurricane Michael and the California wildfires. The catastrophe events led to a hit worth US$282 million (around £216.1 million). By comparison, PartnerRe saw a net income of US$72 million (around £55.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2017.
Thomas Miller-managed UK P&I Club is off to a good start. Announcing its renewal results for 2019, the shipping protection and indemnity mutual Insurer said it saw a net increase of 5.4 million gross tons of mutual business. This translates to mutual tonnage at the start of the new policy year at 144.3 million gross tons. In addition, a further 3.3 million gross tons have been committed to the club as part of renewal negotiations. Chartered tonnage, meanwhile, stands at around 100 million gross tons.
Ascent Underwriting has added physical damage cover to its CyberPro product, with additional backing from Munich Re. The managing general agent (MGA) noted that the product, which is part of its professional and non-tangible risks portfolio, now covers physical and property damage plus debris removal following an insured event.
Stabilis, a managing general agent focused on the private car market, has been launched by Broker Sure Thing! The MGA has partnered with Accredited (Europe) to provide capacity which is an A- rated European subsidiary of Randall and Quilter Investment Holdings (R&Q) as well as partnering with a panel of reinsurers and excess of loss providers. It has also collaborated with Davies Group who will handle an end to end claims solution.
Software house SSP has signed up to integrate InsurTech start-up Honcho's reverse auction marketplace platform into its systems. According to SSP, connecting the two will give over 700 of its Partner Insurers and Broker customers access to Honcho's platform. Honcho has previously stated it will disrupt the car insurance sector, particularly price comparison websites, by allowing car Insurers to bid for business from customers.
Staysure has developed an online tool aimed at helping disabled people find winter sports resorts that cater to their conditions. It has been designed to support and overcome the common misconception that people with conditions like Down's Syndrome, visual impairment, amputations and paraplegia can't do winter activities like skiing and snowboarding.
Jardine Lloyd Thompson has revealed a drop in pre-tax profit to £88.1m for 2018, compared to £177.1m in 2017. According to its preliminary results statement, published on the London Stock Exchange, this reflected £145.4m of exceptional items consisting primarily of costs related to the acquisition by Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), regulatory costs and restructuring charges. Costs related to the takeover by MMC reached £77.2m, mainly made up of staff costs.
Coversure Insurance Services Group has rebranded to the Jensten Group. Jensten Group comprises of online wholesaler Policyfast, specialist insurance Underwriters City Underwriters and franchise operation Coversure. It noted that the Jensten Group brand would allow each of the businesses to "further build their own identity".
The Association of British Insurers has issued its harshest caution on Brexit and warned that any future arrangement with the EU that required the UK to comply with rules it had no say over could be "weaponised". Huw Evans, Director general of the ABI, stated at its annual dinner that a no-deal Brexit "would be an unforgivable act of economic and social self-harm that the UK would live to regret".
Four people have been sentenced for their part in a scam which saw 100 pieces of data a week stolen from AXA Insurance between July and December in 2015. The City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), which worked closely with AXA during the investigation, discovered that between 15 July 2015 and 30 December 2015, employee Shane Jerman stole customer data and passed it onto ex-employee Stuart McGill, who in turn sold it onto Jack Greenwood and Andrew Franks for their claims management company (CMC).
Hiscox has reported increased GWP of $3.8bn (£2.9bn) for the full year 2018 compared to $3.3bn in 2017. Profit before tax also improved dramatically, rising from $40m to $137.4m while COR went from 98.8% to 94.9%. In the UK GWP shot up 11.5% to $799.5m (2017: $717.1m).
The ARAG Group continues to move ahead with the internationalisation of its legal insurance business and is now about to launch operations in the Republic of Ireland. To that end, the family-owned enterprise based in Düsseldorf has agreed to acquire the Irish business operations of DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited in the Republic of Ireland which is part of the ERGO Group. ARAG and the DAS UK Group reached agreement on the business transfer and retention of the present staff in February 2019.
Direct Commercial Ltd, 2018 CIR Insurer of the year is now shortlisted in 3 categories for 2019 awards. After the fantastic win in the 2018 CIR Commercial Insurance awards DCL have now been confirmed as shortlisted for 3 awards at the 2019 event to be held on 7th March in London. This year, in addition to being up once again as Insurer of the Year, the business is also being considered for the 'Insurer Claims Team of the Year' and 'Initiative of the year', again for the claims team who continue to work on delivering excellent customer service.
Sixty-three InsurTech deals with a total value of $1.59 billion were announced world-wide in Q4, 2018, up 24% and 155% respectively over Q4, 2017. The total, including all-stage investments in property/casualty and life & health ventures, is the second-highest ever behind the exceptional second quarter of 2015, according to the new Quarterly InsurTech Briefing from Willis Towers Watson.
RSA UK has posted an underwriting loss of £106m in 2018, along with a combined operating ratio of 104% (2017: 104.3%). This follows its shock warning last year that it had suffered a loss of £70m in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, net written premiums decreased slightly for the UK business to £2.59bn in 2018 from £2.69bn in the preceding year, which the provider noted was due to exiting parts of its portfolio in its London Market international business.
The Financial Conduct Authority has urged all general insurance organisations to make the necessary changes to protect customers from the negative impacts of leaving the EU. It has published updated guidance for general insurance firms in finalising their preparations to assist with as smooth a transition as possible when the UK leaves the EU. A key focus for the sector is minimising the disruption for European Economic Area (EEA) based customers and risks, in a no-deal Brexit. There may also be implications for travel and motor insurance (e.g. the need to obtain a Green Card when driving in the EEA).
Market Movers and Shakers
Keith Curling, formerly Managing Director at Carmichaels – a Davies company – has joined QuestGates. Keith joined Carmichaels as a Partner in 1993 and was then Managing Director for a number of years before the business was acquired by Davies in 2015. He continued to lead the Carmichaels team following the acquisition.
CFC, a specialist insurance provider and pioneer in emerging risk, today announced the appointment of Jonathan Fletcher as Chief Technology Officer. Fletcher, formerly Group CTO at Hiscox, will oversee CFC's technology and infrastructure strategy and lead the company's fast-growing development and application support teams.
Aon has confirmed that Joe Henderson has decided to leave the firm effective immediately. Aon bought Leeds-headquartered Henderson Insurance Brokers in October 2017, after the possibility of the deal. According to Aon, Henderson left the business after a "successful year of integrating" the Broker with Aon.
All information provided in this Market Digest has been gathered from multiple General Insurance Media sources and individual company press releases.
Meet our specialist General Insurance team here.


What do I do if animals are attracting rodents?
If you have a complaint regarding rodents being attracted to a property because of the improper storing of food or waste associated with the keeping of an animal, you can contact the Gloucester Health Department. An inspector will be sent to the site to investigate and if an issue if found to exist, an enforcement order to remediate the problem will be sent.
What if I think animals are making too much noise?
If your complaint is related to the noise made by animals, please contact the Gloucester Building Department to file a complaint. The Building Department will investigate nuisance noises based on sound limits set in the City Code of Ordinances. If the Building Department issues a determination that the limits for the levels and duration of a noise do not constitute a violation of the Code of Ordinances, then you can file an appeal with the Gloucester Board of Health. The Health Department will investigate and provide its results to the Board at the next available public meeting of the Board.
Applicable Regulations: Gloucester City Code of Ordinances Section 13-9 - "Public nuisance noises" and Section 13-15 - "Notice of violation; hearing; appeals" and Gloucester Zoning Ordinance Section 4.4 - "Noise, Litter and Smoke Standards"
An animal got loose and was killed, or injured. Who should I report this to?


text:
Juanulloa ochracea är en potatisväxtart som beskrevs av José Cuatrecasas. Juanulloa ochracea ingår i släktet Juanulloa och familjen potatisväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Potatisväxter
ochracea

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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W.Request = W.Class.extend({

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            var loc = document.location;
            url = loc.protocol + '//' + loc.hostname + (loc.port.length ? ':' + loc.port : '');
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    _receiveMessage: function(evt) {
        var data = {error: -1};
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                /* jshint evil: true */
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                W.logger('warn', 'Invalid JSON');
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            return;
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        if (!data.id) {
            this._frameReady = true;
            this._frameLoaded();
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                    // restart timer
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                    // async call
                    if (this._io.contentWindow) {
                        setTimeout(W.bind(function(request) {
                            this._io.contentWindow.postMessage(request, this._url);
                        }, this, callback[2]), Math.random() * 1000);
                        return;
                    }
                }
                if (callback[data.error]) {
                    callback[data.error](data.text);
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    _frameLoaded: function () {
        if (!this._frameReady) {
            this._io.contentWindow.postMessage('{id: 0, source:"' + this._id + '"}', this._url);
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                this._io.contentWindow.postMessage(this._requests.pop(), this._url);
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    _timeout: function (id) {
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    _urlEncodeData: function (data) {
        var arr = [];
        if (typeof data === 'object') {
            for (var n in data) {
                if (typeof data[n] === 'object') {
                    arr.push(n + '=' + encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(data[n])));
                } else {
                    arr.push(n + '=' + encodeURIComponent(data[n]));
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            return arr.join('&');
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        return '';
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});

W.request = function (url, options) {
    return new W.Request(url, options);
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Recently my love of all things coconut-scented has become all-consuming; I love it. I don't have these weird, 'oh I imagine myself on the beach, drinking cocktails on a sun lounger' thoughts, as I hate the beach, I don't drink and sunbathing and my pale skin don't mix well. But give me something that smells of coconut and my frown will turn upside down, for sure.
I was sent three items from *Lee Stafford's CoCo LoCo range to review and I've tested them out for a month - I guess to could say I'm loco for coco-nut. That was my attempt at humour, anyway, swiftly moving on.
I've used coconut oil and coconut shampoos in the past but they always seems to give my hair far too much moisture and I have to wash my hair the next day. I'm someone who used to wash my hair every other day but for the last two years, I wash my hair every 3-5 days, it's so much better for your hair (and it's really good for my chronic illness, as washing/drying hair is effort). So, when a product is making it greasy and no amount of dry shampoo can save me, I'm not a fan.
Lee Stafford's CoCo LoCo Shampoo and Conditioner don't do that at all, I haven't had to switch up my hair washing routine (praise whatever deity you wish), and although coconut oil is one of the main ingredients to help nourish and repair damaged hair, it doesn't nourish it to the point that it needs washing a day later. My hair feels clean and so incredibly soft after it's dried and I've received loads of compliments on how shiny and healthy it looks. Not only that but it smells delicious, my whole house (we have a tiny little bungalow) smells like a tropical island once I've showered with these glorious products. I've already bought more because I can't be without it.
This is a pretty unique product as it's a solid balm that melts into an oil once warmed up in your hands - it's practically perfect for travelling. It's an 'everything' product as it can be used on wet or dry hair, and it moisturises, protects and adds shine to hair. I've used it when my hair was both wet and dry; I like to run it through the ends of my hair as they can get quite damaged. It's great to add a glossy shine to your hair when it's perfectly straight and to flatten out or control any fly-away wispy hairs that won't stay in place. I haven't repurchased this as I've hardly made a dent in it but I probably will.
I pretty much loved these products before I tried them, the coconut won me over. But then after testing them out, I really loved them. They're so good, my hair has never felt healthier or looked better, it's just constantly got an intense shine to it and I'm a fan.
*Warning* Whilst showering you will end up singing the Pina Colada song.
Have you tried anything from Lee Stafford's CoCo LoCo range? * Disclaimer: I was sent these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I received no payment for this post and all opinions are 100% my own.
My dry, wavy hair tends to frizz in damp, wet or humid weather. I've spent a fortune lately on salon hair products and cheaper shampoos and conditioners, after discarding the contents after one session. However I saw Coco Loco in Boots this week, used the shampoo and conditioner this morning and I'm amazed. My hair feels as soft as when I've come away from the hairdresser after spending extra on a treatment. Keeping my fingers crossed that it feel the same after a night's sleep.


There is no entrance examinations. Applicants' materials will be assessed by an admissions committee. The application process is online only.
for admission criteria please follow this link.
The early admissions deadline for academic year 2019/20 is 28th February 2019. The early admissions deadline is strongly recommended for students from non-EU or non-EFTA countries who will need a student visa in order to study in the Czech Republic.
The regular deadline for academic year 2019/20 is 30th April 2019.
The application fee CZK 640 (approx. EUR 24-27) must be paid in full either by card or via bank transfer. No cash payments are possible.
Detailed information about the admission process for BEF programme are available at this link.


text:
YONDER: THE CLOUD CATCHER CHRONICLES (PS4)
Publisher: Merge Games.
Developer: Prideful Sloth.
Released: July 2017.
Genre: Adventure.
Other versions: PC; SWI.
Posted 26th January 2019.
For as long as I can remember, the axiom violence doesn't pay has been unable to entirely reconcile itself with adventure gaming. Half the time, the period or setting has merely acted as a means of diversifying the weaponry with which the player may bosh their hapless foes. But the times they are a-changin', and Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is one of the most compelling advocates of adventuring in its pure form, and a lovely surprise to boot.
It can best be described either as a combat-free Breath of the Wild or an open-world Harvest Moon, though neither summary quite does the game justice. Yonder unfolds amidst the bright, lush world of Gemea, where exploration and resource-collecting are your chief goals. The map branches out in all directions and you'll discover lakes, mountains, caves, mines and settlements along the way. The player's umbrella task is to free the land of the 'murk', a malevolent miasma that prevents access to certain structures and routes until it is cleared by the collective resources of the land's sprites. The rub is, you'll need to find and free these sprites if you're to make progress, and this is achieved through completing puzzles and missions, or just by having a keen eye.
Yonder is chocked full of pretty sights, and seasonal-dependent wildlife and weather ensure it creates a tangible, evolving game world.
In the early stages, you're left somewhat to your own devices, as beyond the opening few, tutorial-style tasks, there's no clear indicators of where some of the initial sprites may be tucked away. At this point, Yonder feels in danger of petering out, of losing the player's thread. Stick with it though, as once you've managed to secure a couple of the illusive sprites, it really gets its teeth into you.
Whilst the character models are conspicuously basic, Miiverse-looking creations, the landscapes suffer no such issues, and are positively idyllic. Yonder is resplendent in its bright, lush, natural surrounds. It captures the simple joys of exploration, and gets the small things right. Hauling your way through a labyrinth of caves to discover a village, tucked snugly within. Seeing the sun rise from a mountain top. Surviving a storm as you fish for an illusive freshwater catch, or seeing nightfall descend amidst the charming, lantern-lit villages. Moreover, it garners moments of real satisfaction, such as spotting unusual trees growing where earlier you had planted their seeds. Or seeing a farm develop around the troughs, pens and cotton spinners crafted from the materials found over the course of your journey.
Without combat, there was a very real possibility that Yonder might seem lightweight, or insubstantial. If anything, the opposite proves to be the case. Complimenting the myriad of find-and-fetch quests, there's a superbly in-depth crafting system, an enjoyable fishing game (catching the monstrous Gigalev is quite an achievement), and even the option to grow crops and rear animals on your farms. Managing your materials is an art unto itself, and the bartering system, which simply requires a swap of equivalent value, is a terrific idea. Depending on the needs of a particular village, the value of certain goods can fluctuate, though you're given plenty of hints from the inhabitants of Gemea.
Environments are inviting to explore and the map a clear and useful tool, with a reasonably accessible inventory system. Yonder also enjoys its lighter side, with a number of touches that raise a smile. Every autumn season, Halloween decends on one particular village, where you'll find a trick-or-treat mini-game complete with spooky costumes, ominous lighting and ghoulish effects. For those who like a spot of customisation, there's a marvellous array of clothing and bonkers hair-dyes, as well as a quirky mission that sees you assembling seasonal-specific outfits for a fashionita scarecrow. There's even a collection quest that sees you helping to return a lady's cats from around Gemea. All 55 of them.
FOCAL POINT: FEEDING THE TROLLS
Prideful Sloth have adopted a novel means of tackling the issue of internet trolls: they've all been sent to live together on a rock, by the sea. It takes a fair bit of finding, as the player must assemble two bridges on the west coast of the map in order to access it, but it's worth the effort for the laughs. You'll encounter a group of 'Interlade Trolls', each armed with their own scathing put-down for Yonder, addressing such hot topics as the game's perceived lack of challenge, and the similarity its opening bears with that of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's. Though you're encouraged not to feed the trolls, they can be put to good use in helping look after your farms. See? There's always a silver lining.
It's incredibly moreish, and very rewarding. With tonnes of quests to undertake in every village, there's always a sense of purpose to your trekking. It's perhaps marginally smaller in scope than some other open-world adventures, though this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yonder doesn't pad too much, avoiding for the most-part instances of having you walk from one side of the map to the other in consecutive missions, a common folly of the genre that can lead to boredom. There's a fast travel function linking all the farms the player has discovered, which is increasingly handy as the playing area expands, as well as eight connected sage stones typically positioned around the outsides of the map. Whilst the latter can be a rather convoluted means of moving from place to place, the two systems works relatively well in-tandem.
There's little to fault with Yonder, with the only real gripe being that the farming aspect, which is actually fairly strong unto itself, is never really capitalised on. Near the beginning, you'll establish your first farm, and it appears that there'll be plenty of scope for quests involving tracking down rare animals or seeds, or establishing and building your enterprise. Curiously however, the farming has very little involvement in any of the main or side missions, and nearly all of the items that can be produced on the farm, can be bought from traders at far less hassle. With farmhands available for hire, hours can pass without the farming aspect even crossing your mind, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Don't mention the 'Z' word! Yonder may have borrowed some of its themes and ideas, but the end result is a uniquely pleasant, and satisfying, adventure.
This is by no means a deal-breaker however, and for the roughly 25 hours it took me to see all that the game had to offer, I was enthralled. Yes, it borrows liberally from other titles, but Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles makes for a charming amalgam of modern adventuring tropes, without the necessity for combat. Those turned away from gaming by a perceived reliance on confrontation and testosterone-filled aggression, will discover a vibrant, satisfying world within which to lose themselves here.
"It borrows liberally from other titles, but Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles makes for a charming amalgam of modern adventuring tropes, without the necessity for combat... It's incredibly moreish, and very rewarding."


text:
Q: Javascript conditionals not working on correct button combination I have 5 if else conditions under function getRadioButtonValue. The function does not go through all the conditions even after clicking the right button combinations.
I have tried to debug the script using Chrome Developer tools but the problem still exists. Where is the code breaking?
Some information regarding the page, I am using Javascript to hide the div's and headers so that at any one time there is only one question seen.
Only the first if conditions work, but nothing else
The results are seen after Get Result button is clicked on the last page which should redirect to the appropriate page.
[DELETED CODE]
[UPDATED CODE]
I am unable to auto hide my div's based on the response given below by Keith.
FYI: His code works as expected.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<title></title>

How?

abc

def

  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-one" id="quiz-question-one-yes" value="yes" />
  Yes
  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-one" id="quiz-question-one-no" value="no" />
  No

To

  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-two" id="quiz-question-two-yes" value="yes" />
  Yes
  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-two" id="quiz-question-two-no" value="no" />
  No

Make

  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-three" id="quiz-question-three-yes" value="yes" />
  Yes
  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-three" id="quiz-question-three-no" value="no" />
  No

This

  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-four" id="quiz-question-four-yes" value="yes" />
  Yes
  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-four" id="quiz-question-four-no" value="no" />
  No

Work?

  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-five-yes" id="quiz-question-five-yes" value="yes" />
  Yes
  <input type="radio" name="quiz-question-five-no" id="quiz-question-five-no" value="no" />
  No

    Results

A: I've created an example below that I think you can work from.  The values from the radio I don't think get updated until you submit, instead I've captured the results in the onclick.  You can now add back you CSS styling etc.  Hope that helps.

var results = {};

function updateResult() {
  var r = results,
      rt = $('#result');
  if (r.q1 && r.q2 && r.q3) {
     rt.text('All Yes');
  } else if (!r.q1 && !r.q2 && !r.q3) {
     rt.text('All No');
  } else {
     rt.text('We have a mixed response');
  }
}

$(function () {
  $('body').on('click', '[name]', function () {
     var $this = $(this),
         page = $this.closest('.page'),
         next_page = $(page.next());
     results[$this.attr('name')] = $(this).val() === 'yes';
     page.removeClass('active');
     next_page.addClass('active');
     if (next_page.hasClass('result')) updateResult();
  });
});
.page {
  display: none;
}

.page.active {
  display: block;
}

Question 1

  Yes
  <input id="q1yes" type="radio" name="q1" value="yes">
  No
  <input id="q1no" type="radio" name="q1" value="no">

Question 2

  Yes
  <input id="q2yes" type="radio" name="q2" value="yes">
  No
  <input id="q2no" type="radio" name="q2" value="no">

Question 3

  Yes
  <input id="q3yes" type="radio" name="q3" value="yes">
  No
  <input id="q3no" type="radio" name="q3" value="no">

   Results

<input type="radio" id="quiz-question-one-yes" value="yes" />
Yes
<input type="radio" id="quiz-question-one-no" value="no" />
No

In the above you are using type="radio", that means all type="radio" with the same name will group together, and not just these two.  To group together just give them a name on the input.  eg.
<input type="radio" name="quiz-question-one" id="quiz-question-one-yes" value="yes" />
Yes
<input type="radio" name="quiz-question-one" id="quiz-question-one-no" value="no" />
No

Above you can see I've given the 2 inputs the name="quiz-question-one", and then for the next question maybe give them a name="quiz-question-two" etc..
On another note, there are lots of places where your code could be simplified, but hopefully this will solve your current problem.


With Paramount Pictures and AMC Theaters looking to begin experimenting with a much shorter than usual window between theatrical and VOD releases, there's been a surprising groundswell of support for the idea that could be seen as a threat to theatrical releasing as we know it. Up until this moment, there have been no real opponents to have spoken out against this somewhat revolutionary idea. But, as with any attempt at changing the way things are done, a challenger has appeared in the form of the competition. In this case, that competitor is none other than major theater chain Regal Cinemas.
It's easy to see why Regal Cinemas would be afraid of a deal that would not only shorten their earning potential from theatrical exhibitions, but also offer them a smaller piece of the money making pie. With ticket prices going up, and audiences failing to turn out as willingly as they used to for a night at the movies, movie theaters are finding it difficult enough to keep people walking through the doors in the current, traditional model. To add a shortened theatrical window, followed by a video on demand distribution that wouldn't offer multiple admission opportunities for the same film, is kind of insulting to the exhibitors if you think about it a certain way.


What was? What will be?
Home → Miscellaneous → What was? What will be?
2014 was a busy year. Lots of things happened.
I am feeling so free, never felt so free in my life!
I have grown a beard. I love it! Others love it! So it will stay for a while.
I found out that I am not allergic to strawberries after 15 years of avoiding them. It is such a great feeling being able to eat the most delicious fruit in the world again.
After a long time of not being able to move I am totally into exercise and sports now. I haven't felt fitter than before and this changed a lot.
In terms of photography I tried out some things in the background not publishing it. My approach in landscape photography changed. I would call myself a nature photographer at the moment.
There have been some fantastic travels in 2014. It was a great time moving. But than there was "The End of the World – Finistère"!
And nothing was as it was before. So turning around and finding new adventures is sometimes the best idea to keep having fun in life.
What will be in 2015?
Of course lots of traveling and outdoor adventures will be on my todo list for 2015. But that is nothing new.
My plans are also to improve my english to start a podcast in english language. This makes me afraid! It is a big thing! But what is life without challenge.
Some other plans are in my head but nothing worth to be told now. So stay tuned there will be more happening in 2015.
Wishing you a joyous, peaceful and prosperous new year ahead.
A tip for learning english: Listen to english (native speaker!) audiobooks and podcasts. Listening to the language helps a lot for speaking it.


A selection of prototyping examples that demo interaction behaviours and animation.
Some are simply hi-fidelity animated versions of the UX wireframes, others are original UI design concepts that were subsequently adopted into the product. These quick demos can help the project team to visualise the real product and anticipate challenging aspects such as shifting user focus and multiple scroll areas.
All content except that of third parties © Lightpetal Ltd. All rights reserved.


SAROUKOS HOMES is a family-owned and operated residential building business in Northern Territory for almost a decade now. Established and run by partners Sackellarios Saroukos, Nikolaos Saroukos, Theodoros Saroukos and Stefanos Saroukos, who started in subcontracting as tilers.
Each of our designs have been created keeping in mind the necessity for storage space, comfortability for tropical territory lifestyle and stylish functional features.
Despite the number of our designs, we believe that each customer has divergent needs and wants for a home. Hence, we are more than happy to accommodate custom designs, may it be a revision of your existing plan or a completely new design.
With our best endeavours and dedication to build Territorians and investors their dream home with an array of flexible options available, we are proud to showcase our workmanship at our display home and office in Muirhead, the Alyssum Grand.
With many years of building expertise behind us, we are dedicated to providing customers with the best quality homes at the lowest possible prices.
Designed by our very own team, we have already garnered multiple awards from the Master Builders Association of Northern Territory through the years.
Our team is always delightful to cater your needs and likes to ensure that customers' expectations are met.
We would like you to know more about us and our work. So feel free to browse our website, visit us and our work at our display homes, call and or pop us an email or follow us on Facebook.
looks forward to seeing and hearing from you soon!


The softest, easiest to care blanket is reserved for the babies! Faribault's superfine Merino Wool is woven whisper soft in trapper stripes with rounded edges. This washable blanket makes a keepsake that is also quite practical for the future.
Size: Baby 45" x 45"


text:
Cable TV Hong Kong, également connue sous le nom de CTVHK, CAT-TV et Hong Kong Cable, est un réseau de télévision présent à Hong Kong et exploité par i-CABLE Communications. Avant le , il s'appelait Wharf Cable Television. Il est le  diffuseur de télévision par câble analogique et le deuxième service de télévision payant basé sur l'abonnement à Hong Kong (le  est RTV). Il a été incorporé le  et a été inauguré officiellement le  et exploité par ATV et TVB. Il propose une gamme d'informations et de divertissement à ses téléspectateurs à travers plus de 100 chaînes de télévision payante, dont 54 sont produites par HKCTV.

Liens externes
 Hong Kong Cable Enterprises
 Hong Kong Cable Television
 i-Cable Satellite TV
 Wharf Holdings

Télévision à Hong Kong


Our private dining package brings the restaurant to your place. A delicious 4 course restaurant quality meal prepared, cooked and served to you by our professional team. Hassle free entertaining in the comfort of your own home – ideal for smaller gatherings of up to 20 guests.


text:
Lars Osberg
myweb.dal.ca/osberg/
Economic Inequality, Political Economy
Lars Osberg began life in Ottawa, Ontario. As an undergraduate, he attended Queen's University, Kingston and the London School of Economics and Political Science. After two years working for the Tanzania Sisal Corporation as a CUSO volunteer, he went to Yale University for his Ph.D. He has had visiting positions at Cambridge, New York University, the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Essex, Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) and the Indira Ghandi Institute for Development Research. Mumbai, India.
His first book was Economic Inequality in Canada, and the most recent is The Economic Implications of Social Cohesion. In between there have been eight others and five editions of an introductory economics textbook. He is also the author of numerous refereed articles in professional journals, book chapters, reviews, reports and miscellaneous publications.
His major fields of research interest have been the extent and causes of poverty and economic inequality, with particular emphasis on economic insecurity and the implications of working time, unemployment and structural change in labour markets. Among other professional responsibilities, he was President of the Canadian Economics Association in 1999-2000.
Harkirat Singh
Gemma Smyth
joanna quinn
Amneet Singh
Roberta Lexier
Jon Weier
David McGrane
Mariana Mazzucato
Val Napoleon
Rhonda Hinther
Patrick Turmel
Margot Young
Jeffery Ansloos
Ethel Tungohan
Cindy Blackstock
Akwasi Owusu-Bempah
Frances Abele
Bill Blaikie
Jennifer Clapp


text:
Our Dark Places
Mike Davis offers a grim preview of the planet's political future.
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro
Planet of Slums
By Mike Davis
THOUGH WE SCARCELY NOTICED, our descendants will look back on 2005 as the year the planet crossed into a new epoch: for the first time in history, more of the earth's inhabitants lived in cities than outside them. From this point onward, all future growth in the earth's population—which is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050—will take place in cities. Of this growth, the overwhelming majority will occur in the cities of developing countries, where the bidonvilles, favelas,and villas miserias of the very poor—characterized by astonishing density, decrepit housing, disease-laden water, horrid sanitation, minimal or nonexistent social services, and unemployment upwards of 50%—will continue their inexorable expansion.
In Planet of Slums, Mike Davis begins in these dark places, offering the reader a sharply drawn sketch of the growing urban anti-world, but what distinguishes his essay is his determined attempt to explain how it came to be. Davis offers a concise analysis of this global ghetto's past half-century, in typically kinetic prose. But what the reader ultimately takes away from his account is a persistent tone of apocalypse, and a grim preview of what an ever-swelling, billion-strong slum population portends for the political future of the planet.
From Brazil to New Guinea, Senegal to Pakistan, farmers, sheepherders, and other rural people have been abandoning centuries-old ways of life and streaming toward their nations' crowded cities. In Africa and Latin America, many are driven to cities by war or famine; in China and Southeast Asia, many are drawn by the lure of jobs in the factories that produce the world's sneakers, t-shirts, and toothbrushes. This mass movement from countryside to city is of course not new; it has been ongoing since at least the first Industrial Revolution. What is new today—aside from its sheer magnitude—is how often such migration appears not to depend on economic growth in the cities. Unlike the industrial pilgrims who once flocked to Manchester, Chicago, Tokyo and the other great capitalist centers of the 19th and 20th centuries, country-dwellers in the developing world today stream toward cities that hold little promise of real jobs. They arrive with everything they have; they settle in the city's slums, or the squatter camps and shantytowns that ring its perimeter, and survive, in a line Davis takes from the Martinican novelist Patrick Chamoiseau, by "[holding] onto the city 'by its thousand survival-cracks.'"
In Planet of Slums, Davis's first concern is to explain this puzzle of "urbanization without growth," which has baffled development economists for years—especially those working in sub-Saharan African, where mega-cities like Lagos, Kinshasa, and Dar Es Salaam go on attracting tens of thousands of new arrivals each year even as their formal economies stagnate or even contract. Davis finds the answer to this puzzle in the imposition of neoliberal economic policies on the Third World—policies dating, in particular, from the debt crises of the 1970s and 80s, and the subsequent restructuring of Third World economies in the 1980s and 90s, led by the International Monetary Fund.
For Davis, the so-called "Structural Adjustment Programs" of the IMF—designed to help poor countries both pay down foreign debt and attract foreign investment—are the single most important factor in the dramatic exodus from the countryside and consequent spike in urban poverty in the developing world since the 1970s. Under the IMF's tutelage, governments were forced to cut spending and limit regulation: to slash funding for hospitals and schools; privatize public utilities; lay off civil servants; eliminate agricultural subsidies; slash their tariffs and throw open their borders to foreign imports. In Davis's account, it was these policies (especially eliminating subsidies that support farmers and the tariffs that protect them from competition from cheaply grown foreign food) that destroyed rural livelihoods and drove country-dwellers to the cities—where, at precisely that moment, the government, under pressure to slash public spending, was ceasing to build the public infrastructure that might have housed and transported them, and ceasing to fund the basic social services that might have kept them healthy. Rural economies, in other words, were decimated at the very moment when cities were being made unable to incorporate new arrivals.
DAVIS'S ANALYSIS MIGHT SEEM like predictable leftist critique, which locates the source of all evil in the IMF and the other demonic acronyms of the "Washington Consensus." And one can certainly quibble with his causal history: the harshness of Structural Adjustment varied greatly from country to country; other factors, ranging from drought to corruption, played a larger role in many. What is inarguable, however, is that, over the last few decades, the governments of many the world's poor countries, saddled with unpayable debts, have been forced to abdicate the promise of providing for the common good in the societies they govern. The United Nations, in its landmark habitat survey Challenge of the Slums (2003), concludes with precisely this point: "the main single cause of increases in poverty and inequality during 1980s and 1990s was the retreat of the state." What is also inarguable is that the scope and nature of urban poverty everywhere has dramatically changed. In cities lacking both industry and public services, an astonishing number of persons subsist beyond the surveil of state authorities and economic planners—through scavenging, illicit trade, prostitution, domestic servitude, sweatshop manufacturing. "Informal survivalism," as Davis writes, "is the new primary mode of livelihood in the majority of Third World cities."
It is when Davis turns from analysis of causes to the prospect for political change that his vision of these new slums reaches its most incisive, and its darkest. How do we understand – understand politically – these tens of millions of city-dwellers almost wholly excluded from the formal economy? They certainly cannot be seen as a traditional proletariat. In the absence of organized industry, building the labor unions and the worker's parties that have traditionally emerged from them is impossible. And a Maoist or Guevarist guerilla uprising is designed for the rural peasants of the Third World's past, not the urban poor of its present. The grim fact is, that in these new urban milieus, none of the Left's traditional strategies for organizing the economically oppressed are of much use.
Without formal work, and without the entry into secular politics that such work has traditionally provided, how do the poorest of the urban poor organize their social and political life? What offers them a "communal structure"? To this critical question, Davis offers a one-word answer: religion. "If God died in the cities of the industrial revolution," Davis writes, "he has risen again in the postindustrial cities of the developing world."
Today, religious organizations—Islamist, Hindu, Evangelical—are the single most important source of social cohesion among citydwellers in the developing world. Beyond spiritual sustenance and community, religious organizations offer social services no longer provided by the state, laws for virtuous conduct in chaotic environs, and membership in a global polity that transcends the corrupt nation-state that has excluded them. Political Islam continues to spread in power and influence from Cairo to Jakarta; the ascendance of its political parties—and their grassroots appeal—has received nervous attention from the Western media. Hindu fundamentalism, if remarked upon less often, has had an analogous trajectory in the bustees of Delhi and Mumbai. Pentecostal sects attract new adherents at astonishing rates from Brasilia to Johannesburg, altering political and community life in ways as yet not understood.
Religious groups, however, don't have the slums entirely to themselves. Non-Governmental Organizations have also stepped into the breach vacated by the state; they direct an ever-greater portion of social welfare programs and development projects in Third World cities. Major international funders—the World Bank, the UN Development Program, USAID—"have," as Davis notes, "increasingly bypassed governments to work directly with regional and neighborhood NGOs." Tens of thousands of such organizations are now active in developing countries—from global giants like Oxfam down to neighborhood food banks; they vary greatly in their ideologies, methods, and effectiveness. Yet for Davis, the essential significance of the "NGO revolution" is to shift responsibility for social welfare further from the government (the only entity capable of redistributing wealth or enacting systemic change), and to an often uncoordinated panoply of local charities and international partners, each with their own distinct program for "empowering the poor."
Davis is unpersuaded by those who offer a more sanguine view of such programs, or by those, such as the celebrated Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, who see in the "informal sector" an untapped stirring of entrepreneurial dynamism that needs only a formal process of "titling" to take flight. De Soto argues that granting squatters legal title to their shacks and meager possessions could allow such persons to borrow on credit, build businesses, and join the formal economy. For Davis, this "bootstrap capitalism" is little more than a fantasy cure-all, a romantic vision that fails to account for the great number of slum residents (especially children and women) who are neither squatters nor self-employed entrepreneurs, but rather street-dwellers, low-level renters, or destitute laborers. The "informal sector," in Davis's view, is not a prospective component of the formal economy, but rather its permanent outside—the garbage can into which a "surplus humanity" can be tossed and discarded, abandoned to a life of bare subsistence.
PLANET OF SLUMS, LIKE much of Davis's work—Late Victorian Holocausts, The Monster at Our Door, Dead Cities—is shot through with apocalyptic foreboding, and the book's concision and intensity—it runs to barely two hundred short pages of text—only compounds the sense of doom. Davis presents an ambitious account of urban poverty that, while global in scope, rarely expends more than a paragraph or two on any single locale. Reading this book, one imagines Francis Ford Coppola's operatic adaptation: a helicopter-borne camera racing over the surface of the earth, swooping down into one demonic concrete jungle after another, ominous chords suggesting an epic end-of-days battle to come.
By taking this chopper-eye view, Davis rarely ventures close enough to take account of local nuance, or to notice successful urban reform when it is achieved, be it by Chavista misiones in Caracas, or micro-financers among the women of Dhaka. He also ignores the views of the many urbanists toiling at earth-level —planners, anthropologists, activists—who remain stubbornly if cautiously hopeful about the new politics emerging in cities, particularly in those places where the grip of clientelist regimes has waned. Davis's more serious failing is his tendency to ignore the will and desires—the so-called "agency"—of the slum-dwellers themselves; in his effort to indict the global structures that oppress them, Davis too often portrays the people that are (after all) his subject only in the abstract, as insurrectionary mass whose future "depends upon [their] militant refusal to accept their terminal marginality within global capitalism." The quote is revealing: he sees their power as, essentially, one of refusal.
The question is: in what will such "refusal" consist? Though it never becomes explicit, an air of eventual but inevitable violence hangs over this account. A "planet of the slums," in the long view, is a planet doomed to violent encounters between those living in the slums and those outside them; Davis is hardly alone in this appraisal. Inside the Pentagon, strategists "now assert," as Davis writes, "that the 'feral, failed cities' of the Third World will be the distinctive battlespace of the twenty-first century." Spurred by the recent travails of their forces in the blighted alleyways of Mogadishu, Fallujah, and Sadr City, the military's sharpest minds—who a short time ago were devising counter-insurgency tactics for the jungles of South East Asia or Central America—have turned to the challenges of "Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain" – MOUT, in Pentagonese. Davis concludes Planet of Slums with the war planners; he leaves us with a Blade Runner vision of the dystopic urban future: "hornetlike helicopter gunships [stalking] enigmatic enemies in the narrow streets of the slum districts, pouring hellfire into the shanties night after night, the slums [replying each morning] with suicide bombers and eloquent explosions."
Such melodramatic flights aside, Davis is a synthesist and rhetorician of rare abilities. In Planet of Slums he has written an important, necessary book. Already these dark places occupy the center of our politics. They will be the stage on which our history will play, whether or not we can bring ourselves to look.
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We have greater access to music than we've ever had before, but somehow it's harder to find exciting new songs. The FM Show is here to break down those barriers, and help you discover your new favorites.
On our show, the focus is on songs from 2000 onward. Why the year 2000? Because that's when traditional radio stations started to lose their clout, as Pandora, Spotify, Napster et al. changed the game.
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Kimura says the aim is to present a powerful united front in the retail space.
Sony Middle East and Africa (MEA) has unveiled a new business strategy that aims to increase its regional presence and grow business by 20% in 2017.
According to the Japanese consumer electronics giant, Saudi Arabia will be the biggest contributor to the company's growth strategy in the region and the business in the Gulf state is expected to grow by 27%.
Driving Sony MEA's strategy, managing director Taro Kimura, outlined his vision that will help him achieve this vision through new product launches and a refreshed business development strategy that will place the company and its business partners in a strong position to gain market share in the company's focus categories, which are television, digital imaging and audio products.
Sony said it is looking to grow television sales in Saudi Arabia by 26%, audio product sales by 32% and achieve a 57% sales growth in its full frame camera business in 2017.
"To achieve our ambitious plans, Sony MEA and Modern Electronics Company Limited (MECL) are re-engineering our operations and evolving strategies based on data and facts. We are aligning priorities, KPIs, processes and in-market execution plans," said Kimura. "Our aim is to present a powerful united front in the retail space. This will enable us to offer our customers the best experiences with our innovative products and encourage them to appreciate their unique value."
MECL has been associated with Sony since it was founded in 1970 and markets all of the vendor's range of consumer electronics that include televisions, audio products, cameras, headphones, PlayStation and XPERIA phones.
Trevor Bish Jones, CEO, MECL said: "Sony has an extraordinarily powerful line-up of products this year. We are working on new strategies to market these products with the Sony regional office. We are renovating MECL showrooms to focus on Sony and best expose the Saudi customer to the many technological innovations Sony products have to offer."


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Time for Joe Lopes to Be Heard on Hugh Dunn Case [OPINION]
Barry Richard Published: May 10, 2021
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell will present his budget for the new fiscal year this week. Given the pandemic, the public demand to restore public safety cuts, and the ever-increasing cost of fixed expenses such as employee health care, it ought to be an interesting budget address for FY22 on Wednesday night.
To complicate things even further for Mitchell's administration, the city's chief bean counter Ari Sky's last day on the job is Friday. He will be sorely missed. We don't know yet who the new chief financial officer will be.
Once the budget is delivered this week, the New Bedford City Council's Finance Committee will begin the process of reviewing the documents and considering reductions that might be proposed by committee members.
Ward 3 City Councilor Hugh Dunn needs to recuse himself from the budget process, at least as it pertains to the police department's budget. Council President Joe Lopes should have already insisted that Dunn recuse himself. But like Dunn, Lopes has been mighty quiet these days.
It's time to show leadership on the Dunn controversy, President Lopes. Leadership means more than holding a gavel and conducting meetings. Leaders need to be heard and not just seen.
Councilor Dunn was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in a downtown parking lot just more than a week ago. The incident and the resulting police investigation were so questionable they have drawn the attention of Acting Police Chief Paul Oliveira, Mayor Mitchell, District Attorney Thomas Quinn, and the Massachusetts State Police. But not Lopes, whose only public comment to date has been, "The matter is between the NBPD and Mr. Hugh Dunn."
Under the circumstance, Councilor Dunn should have no role in reviewing the police department's budget. That would indeed be a conflict. Dunn has lost his voice since the crash occurred. Lopes needs to find his voice and call on Dunn to recuse himself from discussions concerning police funding. President Lopes' loyalty must be to the people of New Bedford and not a fellow councilor.
Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Filed Under: hugh dunn, joe lopes, Jon Mitchell, New Bedford, Paul Oliveira
Categories: Articles, Commentary, Politics
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