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The State of Arizona has long been known for extra terrestrial sightings. Extra Terrestrial took interest in a football game happening in Scottsdale Arizona. Even the coaches of the football game seemed to be interested in this phenomenon.
"I did see it during the game," Horizon head coach Steve Casey told Maxpreps.com. "I said to one of my assistant coaches that the aliens came to watch us play."


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Q: Pandas: removing everything in a column after first value above threshold I'm interested in the first time a random process crosses a threshold. I am storing the results from observing the process in a dataframe, and have plotted how many times several realisations of that process cross 0.9 after I observe it a the end of 14 rounds.

This image was created with this code
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.style.use('ggplot')
fin = pd.DataFrame(data=np.random.uniform(size=(100, 13))).T
pos = (fin>0.9).astype(float)
ax=fin.loc[:, pos.loc[12, :] != 1.0].plot(figsize=(12, 6), color='silver', legend=False)
fin.loc[:, pos.loc[12, :] == 1.0].plot(figsize=(12, 6), color='indianred', legend=False, ax=ax)

where fin contained the random numbers, and pos was 1 every time that process crossed 0.9.
I would like to now plot the first time the process in fin crosses 0.9 for each realisation (columns represent realisations, rows represent observation times)
I can find the first occurence of a value above 0.9 with idxmax() but I'm stumped about how to remove everything in the dataframe after that in each column.
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame(data=np.random.uniform(size=(100, 10)))
maxes = df.idxmax()

It's just that I'm having real difficulty thinking through this.

A: If I understand correctly, you can use
df = df[df.index < maxes[0]]

A: IIUC, we can use a boolean matrix with cumprod:
df.where((df < .9).cumprod().astype(bool)).plot()

Output:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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S2G Ventures Wants to Professionalize AgriFood Tech Investing with $180m Fund, New Hires
Louisa Burwood-Taylor
"It's amazing that food and agriculture is probably the largest industry in the world but that the amount of capital, innovation, and entrepreneurship is relatively small compared to what we see in other industries; that was my first takeaway on entering this space," says Aaron Rudberg, the recent high profile hire by S2G Ventures, the agrifood tech venture capital firm.
S2G recently closed its second fund on $180 million and is the most active dedicated agrifood tech venture capital firm today with 30 investments under its belt.
Rudberg is S2G's chief operating officer and joined the Chicago-based firm from the $3.3 billion private equity and venture capital business Baird Capital where he spent nearly 10 years as a partner overseeing global strategy, investor relations, marketing and business development. The agrifood industry is fairly new to Rudberg who says his experience is mostly in technology and software.
Rudberg's role will focus on building out the firm's infrastructure so it can continue to scale. This will involve introducing best practices on how to manage funds, providing more structured support to portfolio companies, particularly in hiring talent, structuring their sales processes, and interacting with industry corporates.
"While this sector has not been a focus before, I'm familiar with the business model, characteristics, and best practices that bring both successes and failures, so I hope to bring that experience to bear at S2G," he says.
AgriFood Tech VCs Behind Operationally
Operationally, Rudberg believes the agrifood tech venture industry has some catching up to do with other startup industries such as healthcare and software.
"I have seen few, if any, [agrifood tech investment] firms that have extensive resources to help portfolio companies on the operating side," he says. "Looking at our 30 portfolio companies, they are all going through growing pains and often have more opportunity than resources, so that's an opportunity for us to offer them more support around sales or human capital, performance assessment, and corporate relationships to help accelerate their growth."
By building this "operational toolkit," Rudberg hopes S2G will differentiate itself from others, and become a better partner for startups.
"We want to be more than just capital," he says. "We will provide capital to get into the game, then offer advice and counsel based on pattern recognition and experience."
S2G will focus on building out support for its portfolio companies in three core areas: sales, human capital, and corporate development.
Key Support: Sales, Human Capital, Corporates
In sales, Rudberg says the firm aims to help companies leverage online channels, digital content, and data to build a sales process that's repeatable.
For human capital, it's about building the right culture internally to find the right talent. This is likely to involve S2G making direct recommendations for hires based on the build-out of its own CRM system of top executives. Rudberg references Baird, which had two people working full time to support its portfolio companies in hiring talent.
For corporate development, Rudberg wants S2G to continue to build relationships with strategic industry players; he says half of the firm's 80 co-investors are strategics.
"All startups are looking for relationships with large corporates; the more we can be engrained in those relationships and bring startups insights from top strategics, the more we can provide better insight on tactics and strategy, as we well as potential exit opportunities," he says.
Building Virtual Vertical Integration in the Portfolio
S2G invests in startups from farm-to-fork with the aim of assembling a "virtual" vertically-integrated portfolio of agrifood tech companies, Sanjeev Krishnan, managing partner of the firm, tells AgFunderNews.
The firm's first $125 million fund invested in companies spanning farmer-focused tools, inputs, procurement and logistics, processing, brands, retail and restaurants, and consumers.
S2G's portfolio to-date
The firm aims to use this virtual vertical integration to create connections across the supply chain and link consumer trends to decisions made on the farm. Clusters of portfolio companies around certain issues can then form, presenting opportunities for the companies to work together, thereby creating efficiencies in the supply chain.
For example, two portfolio companies — MycoTechnology and Blue Prairie Foods — are working on ingredients (or "inputs") that reduce sugar use in food products, while another five are producing low-sugar foods — Back to the Roots, Maple Hill Creamery, Froozer, Ripple, and Once Upon a Farm.
"One portfolio company's issue can be a purchase order for another," says Krishnan.
The other food system issues these startups are working on include climate change, human health, sugar consumption, food waste, the democratization of organic food, farmer profitability, food access, the future of proteins, nutrition, traceability, water, transparency, and soil health.
What's Next for Fund II?
Fund II will largely follow a similar strategy to Fund I, investing across the food ecosystem, but may make larger investments, says Krishnan adding that it will invest between $250k and $25 million per company, syndicating larger investments too.
Finding other investors for agrifood tech deals is not without its challenges, however.
"While the US food system is a $1.2 trillion industry, there is not enough dedicated risk capital available to support entrepreneurs during their critical growth stage," says Krishnan. "We spend significant time syndicating our investments and ensuring that our entrepreneurs work with trusted financial and strategic partners."
Fund II also attracted commitments from a similar subset of investors — predominantly family offices, some of which are associated with the food industry.
The team will be hiring at least three new members of staff in the near future.
fund, Investor Insight, investors, sugar
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Graduate study at TCU has a decentralized structure. That means you will apply directly and be admitted to one of the eight school/colleges that make up TCU.
The Graduate Studies Office, located in suite 3101 in Sadler Hall, is responsible for programs and policies that support all graduate students.
You can contact us for general information or about University level programs and events for graduate students.
8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday- Friday.
See the College/School Contacts page for links to the admitting school and colleges.


Many people would love to travel more but are afraid of leaving the comfort of their own homes and facing the scary world outside. There are a lot of things that cause fear and that can make some people put off a trip indefinitely. For example, you may wish to go to an exotic place, but you may also be afraid of snakes. What if you come across an anaconda or a python? What is the difference between these two anyway?
the Bolivian anaconda (Eunectes beniensis).
A regular sized anaconda is 12 inches in diameter, can grow up to 30 feet long, and weighs about 550 pounds. It lives in swamps, marshes, and rivers. The anaconda has eyes and nostrils on top of its head. This allows it to see above water while the rest of its body remains submerged.
The anaconda can eat any animal it manages to subdue. As animals come to the water to quench their thirst, the anaconda watches them from beneath and launches a swift attack. Before the animal can struggle and get free, it is pulled into the water and drowned. The anaconda then swallows it.
An interesting fact about anacondas is that they lay eggs and give birth! How is this possible? The eggs are laid inside the body and then the baby snake comes out of the body when the egg hatches. One good explanation for this would be that anacondas spend a lot of time in the water and this is not a good environment for eggs.
The lifespan of an anaconda in the wild is 10 years. In captivity, however, they can live up to 30 years.
A python is a snake belonging to the Pythonidae family and the Python genus. There are 41 species of snakes in the Pythonidae family and they all live in Asia, Africa, or Australia. Their sizes vary from 24 inches in length – the smallest python snake being the anthill python (Antaresia perthensis), to 30 feet in length – the reticulated python (Python reticulatus). The pattern on the python differs from one species to another and it varies according to the type of environment it needs to blend into.
Pythons are terrestrial or arboreal creatures. They crawl on the ground or they spend their days curled around the branches of trees. For their prey, they prefer small mammals and birds. They lure the prey in by staying perfectly still, then they pounce, grab it with their long, sharp teeth, and draw it in. The prey is then killed by constriction as the python wraps around it and squeezes tighter and tighter.
Females will lay eggs in nests they build on the ground or in abandoned burrows. Once the eggs hatch, the mother does not look after the babies. The natural lifespan of a python in the wild is 25 years. In captivity, it can live up to 35 years. Some people keep pythons as pets.
So what is the difference between an anaconda and a python?
The anaconda and the python are both giant snakes. However, the anaconda is the heaviest snake, while the python is the longest. Therefore, even a smaller anaconda will weigh more than a longer python. Also, there are 4 species of anacondas and 41 species of pythons.
As far as distribution is concerned, the anaconda lives in South America, while the python lives in Africa, Asia, and Australia. The first prefers an aquatic environment – swamps, marshes, and wetlands, while the later is a terrestrial or arboreal creature.
Their methods of attack and subduing their prey differ. The anaconda stalks its prey from bellow the water, attacks, and drags it in to drown. The python lays perfectly still, attacks, draws the prey in, then wraps itself around it and crushes it. Their choice of prey differs also. An anaconda will eat almost anything it can subdue – even crocodiles – while the python will mainly go for small mammals and birds.
Another important difference between the two, one dictated by each snake's environment, consists of the way they reproduce. Anaconda females will lay eggs inside themselves then give birth to the hatched snakes. Pythons will make a nest, lay eggs, and only stay with them until they hatch.
The lifespan of an anaconda in the wild is 10 years. A python, however, can live up to 25 years. In captivity, an anaconda can live up to 30 years, whereas a python can live for 35.


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'China Has Conquered Kenya': Inside Beijing's New Strategy to Win African Hearts and Minds
Jonathan Kaiman
It took the StarTimes satellite TV salesman about 30 minutes to install a pipeline for Chinese propaganda into Francis Gitonga's squat, cinder-block home here in southern Kenya, near Africa's Great Rift Valley.
Missile Row Drives Korean Culture Underground in China
Adam Jourdan and Joyce Lee
The mainland chill on Korean content that follows Seoul's decision to deploy a missile defense system is driving Chinese fans to get their "K-culture" fixes on peer-to-peer platforms instead of mainstream sites.
WWE's China Hopes Rest on Bin Wang's Big Shoulders
Jessica Toonkel
Wang will be joined by seven other Chinese athletes hand-picked by WWE Inc, in the hope that one of them will become the first Chinese WWE "superstar"...
China's 'Walter White' Sold $600k of Illegal Drugs Every Month to the US and Europe
A chemistry professor in China has been convicted in a case that has drawn comparisons with the hit TV show "Breaking Bad"...
With Odes to Military March, China Puts Nationalism into Overdrive
President Xi has been making the case for a "new long march," using the anniversary to rally the public and warn against creeping complacency
China Long March Film: US Glamour Model's Role Draws Ire
Jeff Li
State broadcasters touched a nerve among its viewers by casting an actress and model seen as "anti-China" in a documentary about the Long March...
And the Award for 'Best Corruption Apology by a Chinese Official' Goes To…
The winner so far is Li Chuncheng, former deputy party chief of Sichuan province, who is now serving 13 years' jail time for abusing power and bribery
Breakfast Cereal Prices Surge in China Following Appearance on Soap Opera
Huileng Tan
A shrewd product placement on a popular soap opera has propelled a Western breakfast cereal to frenzied popularity in China, sending prices up almost ten times in the gray market
China's Real 'House of Cards': TV Series Unveils Graft Excess
Ting Shi
The eight-episode series, called "Always On the Road," is being beamed daily to hundreds of millions of Chinese homes through Oct. 25 on CCTV's Channel 1
Chinese Corruption Gets House of Cards Treatment with Communist Mini-Series
State-sanctioned TV drama will focus on the Communist Party's resolve to eradicate corruption.
Xi Jinping: A Cult of Personality?
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By some accounts, Chinese Presdient Xi Jinping is the most powerful leader the country has  had since Mao Zedong. One arrow in his quiver that echoes Mao's armory is Xi's embrace of popular song, listened to these days not on the radio or...
China Bars Anastasia Lin, Miss World Canada (and Rights Advocate)
A Chinese who moved to Canada as a kid, the charismatic Lin is a practitioner of Falun Gong, the spiritual movement China calls an "evil cult."
China Gets the 2022 Winter Olympics
Beijing will stage the winter games in the desert.
Hong Kong Police Detain 9 After Finding Materials for Explosives
Alan Wong and Austin Ramzy
Police linked the arrests to the most strident local voices against the Chinese government.
Alibaba to Invest in China Business News
Wei Gu and Gillian Wong
E-commerce giant to pay about $200 million for a 30% stake.
Chubby Blue Cat Hints at Thaw in Ties Between China and Japan
Vanessa Piao
In September, three Sichuan newspapers attacked the animated cat Doraemon as a tool of Japan's "cultural invasion."
In China, 'Breaking Bad' is Real
Chinese police have arrested a Chinese college chemistry professor for joining forces with a drug kingpin.
China's Feminists Stand up Against 'Misogynistic' TV Gala
Simon Denyer and Xu Yangjingjing
The most widely watched television show on earth was peppered with jokes at the expense of women.
Chinese Corruption, Now Officially Hilarious
Rachel Lu
Corruption is finally funny—at least, according to the Chinese Communist Party. That's because comedic performances in the upcoming February 18 performance of China's annual New Year Gala, a variety show on China Central Television (CCTV) expected...
China to Limit Foreign TV Shows on Video-Streaming Sites
Lillian Lin
Regulators expected to cap amount of imported television content at 30 percent.
Everybody Hates Rui
He may be widely reviled in his home country, but oh, what a resume: The son of an author and screenwriter; a graduate of the prestigious China Foreign Affairs University; a Yale World Fellow; and state-run China Central Television (CCTV)'s best-...
China's Censors Take Aim at Popular Internet TV Operators That Offer Foreign Shows
Wu Nan
Seven companies told 'unauthorized' content will be taken down in seven days and they could see license revoked if breach is found.
Yang Lan, the 'Oprah of China,' Expands Her Reach
Lily Rothman
Yang Lan is partnering with MAKERS to bring the women's-stories platform to China...
"The Big Bang Theory" and Our Future with China
The United States has never faced a rival whose ordinary people lead lives that have so much in common with ours in America. (The Soviets did not get Carson.)
Why China is Censoring 'The Big Bang Theory' but not 'Game of Thrones'
Lily Kuo
While authorities speak of "cleaning the web" of offensive content, they may be more worried about reminding the country's flourishing private internet firms that the government is still in charge.
China Forces Four U.S. TV Shows Off Web
Paul Mozur
'Big Bang Theory' and 'Good Wife' are among programs taken down from popular video streaming sites Sohu, Youku Tudou, and Tencent, as government control of the Internet and over foreign entertainment content intensifies...
Sex, Spies, and Videotape: Why 'House of Cards' Has Nothing on 'The Americans'
J. Dana Stuster
While House of Cards is obsessed with high office and overt power, The Americans succeeds by intimately focusing on the personal.
Rendezvous with Power
Wang Kaihao
Apart from providing a glimpse into politics in the United States, the popular drama series depicts a shift in stereotypes of China.
'House of Cards' in China: Surprisingly Available and Popular
Steven Jiang
Some analysts are surprised by the government's largely hands-off approach to video streaming sites, but caution that it may not last...
'House of Cards' Breaks Barriers in China
Wayne Ma
Although the second season paints an unflattering picture of Chinese diplomacy and officials, "House of Cards" wasn't prescreened by Chinese regulators and airs uncensored...
China in 'House of Cards'
Steven Jiang, Donald Clarke & more
China figures heavily in the second season of the Netflix series House of Cards, but how accurately does the show portray U.S.-China relations? Steven Jiang, a journalist for CNN in Beijing, binged-watched all thirteen recently-released web-only...
Chinese Netizens (Still) Love 'House of Cards'
"Everyone in China who works on this level pays who they need to pay." Mild spoiler alert: These are the words of the fictitious Xander Feng, an influential Chinese billionaire on the Netflix series "House of Cards," a show that follows...
Dissecting the 2014 Spring Festival Gala
Kaiser Kuo, David Moser & more from Sinica Podcast
A casual survey suggests that ninety-eight percent of Sinica listeners have at some point joined Chinese friends or family in watching the annual television spectacular known as the "Spring Festival Gala." Sadly, whether from excessive pork...
China T.V. Expose on Sex Workers Sparks Angry Backlash
Julie Makinen
A salacious investigative report on state-run C.C.T.V., detailing widespread prostitution in the southern city of Dongguan, boomeranged on the broadcaster as a vocal contingent of citizens rallied to the defense of the city's sex workers. ...
Why It Matters That Ellen is the First U.S. Talk Show in China
The show may be a spark for change in attitudes toward LGBT Chinese.
The People's Republic of Television Portraits from 1980's China
"Soon, photographs of people and their televisions began appearing around China."
White House Responds to Jimmy Kimmel's China Controversy
A joke concerning the killing of Chinese people to avoid paying down U.S. debt was said live on ABC.
Gay Love Theory as Fans Relish Sherlock in China
"Curly Fu" and "Peanut" are the names given by Chinese fans to Sherlock and his sidekick, Dr Watson, men who many Chinese fans like to think of as being in love...
How Jimmy Kimmel's Joke Became an Issue for the White House
Earlier this week, Kimmel aired a segment of his Kids Table, where he asks small children to address complex issues. When asked how the U.S. could solve the $1.3 trillion trade imbalance, one 6-year-old answered "Kill everyone in China."...
Chinese Censors Crack Down on Cartoon Violence
Simon Denyer
In May, two young brothers from Jiangsu province were badly burned after being tied to a tree by a third boy and set alight – allegedly imitating a scene from the popular cartoon "Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf."
China Watches "Breaking Bad"
Why do millions of Chinese care about a fictitious New Mexico meth cook? The soon-to-be-concluded television drama series Breaking Bad, which depicts embattled high school chemistry teacher Walter White's transformation into a crystal...
David Moser Interviews Mark Rowswell
David Moser & Mark Rowswell from Sinica Podcast
If you are a long-timer in China, this is a show that needs no introduction. One of the most famous foreigners in China, Mark Rowswell (a.k.a. Dashan), shot to fame in the early 1990s after a fortuitous break on Chinese television. In this live...
Five Years On
Jonathan Landreth
On August 8, 2008, I was in Beijing reporting on the media aspects of China's first Olympic Games, and I am still amazed that the four-hour opening ceremony, as designed by film director Zhang Yimou, was seen by sixty-nine percent of China's...
Former China State TV Director Bemoans Anti-Japanese Propaganda: "Where's the Creativity?"
Are Chinese audiences growing weary of anti-Japanese propaganda? It would seem that some, at least, are growing sick of the pathetic villains, superhuman heroes, and lame endings that many Chinese movies and television series about World War II, or...
CCTV Airs "V for Vendetta"
Anne Henochowicz
When CCTV aired, uncut V for Vendetta about an anti-totalitarian masked crusader, viewers couldn't believe their eyes.
China, Are You Ready for Some American Football?
The NFL is hoping that American football's flash could someday give basketball and soccer a run for their money in China.
In China, 'Mad Men' Reflects Reality of Modern Life
The 1960s-driven TV drama resonates with ambitious young Chinese professionals.
What's Really Trending on China's Twitter: The Voice of China
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Coverage of China in Western media tilts toward the political and economic, so it might surprise some to learn that the top trending terms this summer on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, have mostly related to the season's top television hit: ...
Hit TV Show Sings Song of Media Model Success
A reality-talent TV songfest popular in more than forty countries around the world has become an instant hit in China, underpinning enthusiasm for an experimental business model linked to media sector reform.The Voice of China's debut show in July...
SARFT Finishes Plan for National Cable Operator
Tan Min
The broadcasting regulator has submitted a proposal to the State Council for the establishment of a national company to lead the integration of China cable networks. The move is the latest step toward long-planned integration of media networks.&...
China Bans Foreign TV Remakes and Calls For Fewer Jokes in History Dramas
Chinese television may get more boring after the country's top broadcasting regulator issued six new guidelines banning remakes of foreign shows and demanding serials cut back on excessive family conflict and jokes in historical dramas.&...
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It's a good time to be a Manchu on television. Costume dramas such as "Palace" and "Bu Bu Jing Xin", which feature modern-day protagonists flung back in time to the days of the Qing emperors, rank among the most-watched programmes on China's...
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Bo Wang
The gameshow Fei Ni Mo Shu (Only You) has a pretty straightforward premise: a contestant steps onto a stage next to the host and introduces him/herself to a panel of twelve bosses of major companies who sit in highly extravagant throne-like chairs...
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Jonathan Mirsky from New York Review of Books
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Hu Yong
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USA wins gold
By Andrew Feingold in Basketball, Misc. Sports | Comments Off on USA wins gold
Dream Team 4.0 redeemed themselves in the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing by defeating Spain 118-107 for the gold medal. It marked the 13th gold medal for USA men's basketball. The U.S has not won a gold medal or a major international title in the last eight years. They finished Olympic play with an 8-0 record and averaged 106.3 points per game. Their margin of victory in those games was over 28 points with 40% shooting beyond the arc.
Spain, the reigning World Champions, did not have starting point guard, Jose Calderon in the lineup due to injury. However, they played U.S tough staying within reach most of the game. Spain's zone and man-to-man defense was much more aggressive in this game than their previous match against the U.S. in these Beijing Games, which they lost by 37 points. Spain hit seven of their first nine shots and were leading throughout a majority of the first quarter. In their previous loss …
Best Closer of All-Time?
By Jeff Freier in Baseball, Yankees Rumors & News | 1 Comment
Mariano Rivera is going to the Hall of Fame. There's no doubt about that. And everybody everywhere says he's the greatest closer of all-time. There's only one problem with that, though. Closers haven't existed for "all-time." What we think of today as the closer has really only been around for about 20 years. This kind of specialist, only pitching one inning, really started with Dennis Eckersley when he was on the A's. It was a Tony LaRussa invention.
Way back when, they were just relief pitchers, old washed-up starters thrown to the scrapheap of the bullpen. Sure, there was a Hoyt Wilhelm here and there, but they weren't valued as specialists with any specific role. Then in the late '60s and early '70s, Rollie Fingers and Sparky Lyle created what was then called the fireman, followed by guys like Goose Gossage and Bruce Sutter. They would …
Without Umenyiora, Giants can't repeat
By Ted Mero in Football, Giants Rumors & News | Comments Off on Without Umenyiora, Giants can't repeat
The fat bellies and big heads of defending champions. The loss of Michael Strahan to retirement. The likelihood of David Tyree catching another pass with his helmet.
The New York Giants were going to have a hard enough time defending their Super Bowl crown as it was. Now Big Blue has lost arguably its best player to a knee injury. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora is gone for the season, and with it, so are the hopes of the Giants repeating.
To win a Super Bowl, a team must be dominant in at least one regard. For the Giants, the pass rush was their only dominant unit last year — and Umenyiora was at the center of it. The 26-year-old had a team-best 13 sacks on a squad that led the league with 53. Take those away, along with Strahan (nine sacks last season), and the sack attack starts to look very average. The Giants also lost Kawika Mitchell (4.5 sacks in 2007) to free agency.
Justin Tuck (10 sacks in …


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Video Wine Course: Episode 6 Riesling • Jancis Robinson's James Beard Award Winning Series
Jancis Robinson's Wine Course
This wonderful series was produced by the BBC in 1995. You can still acquire the series on DVD from Amazon. In 2009, the entire series was uploaded to YouTube. We share the 10 episodes over the next few weeks for your education and enjoyment. Our wine list is ever changing and evolving for your dining pleasure. Also remember every Monday from 5-10pm is 1/2 price Bottle Wine.
The series was one of the last BBC series to be shot on film rather than video. Obviously there are aspects of it that are dated. We all look so much younger, mostly because we were. Conceptually, the most dated thing is probably my concern that the entire world was about to be planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. How delightful it is that the pendulum has now swung so definitively in the opposite direction.
About Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com. She also provides advice for the wine cellar of Queen Elizabeth II.
Robinson was born in Cumbria, studied mathematics and philosophy at St Anne's College, University of Oxford, and worked for a travel company after leaving university. Robinson started her wine writing career on 1 December 1975 when she became assistant editor for the trade magazine Wine & Spirit. In 1984 she became the first person outside the wine trade to become a Master of Wine. She also served as British Airways' wine consultant, and supervised the BA Concorde cellar luxury selection.
As a wine writer, she has become one of the world's leading writers of educational and encyclopedic material on wine. The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Robinson, is widely considered to be the most comprehensive wine encyclopedia in the world. The first edition was published in 1994, and took five years to write after she was signed on as editor in 1988.[5] In addition, The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Robinson is one of the world's leading wine atlases.
In 1995, Jancis Robinson appeared in a 10-episode wine course on BBC 2 television. This series was later reissued on DVD. A book titled Jancis Robinson's Wine Course was written to accompany the series and has gone through several editions. She has an honorary doctorate from the Open University, and was made an OBE in 2003, among numerous other awards for her writing. Her accolades include multiple Glenfiddich Awards and André Simon Memorial Awards, and a selection as the Decanter "1999 Woman of the Year".
Following a difference of opinion with Robert Parker over the 2003 vintage of Château Pavie, the following media coverage frequently described a "war of words" between the two critics. Less dramatic than the predominant press view, Robinson and Parker currently have a cordial relationship.
In 2012, Penguin in the UK and Ecco in the US published a 1,200-page book called Wine Grapes co-authored by Robinson with Julia Harding MW and Jose Vouillamoz. The book provides comprehensive details on 1,368 vine varieties and won six major wine book awards.
Robinson is married to the food writer Nick Lander, author of The Art of the Restaurateur; they have three children, Julia, William and Rose.
Source: https://youtu.be/FDY-W2cB_RU?list=PLiliZQO0r8tu1j5-n8G8Bf4yNg0kNg78s
Tagged: Jancis Robinson, 1995 BBC Wine Course on Video
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Wagaman Mill, also known as the Old Mill, was constructed in 1848. It has been used as a saw mill, carding mill, flour mill, feed mill, and as a generating station for electricity. The mill is located on the north edge of Lynnville. To get to Lynnville, take exit 179 off I-80 and travel south on T-38. Complete interior restoration and interior interpretation of the wheel house has been done, and is available for public viewing during the summer months. A picnic shelter and foot bridge across the North Skunk River are found on this historic site, and allows the visitor to enjoy the mill exterior and dam on the North Skunk River when the mill is not open for visitors. The mill is open each Sunday, Memorial Day to Labor Day from 1 to 4 p.m. Wagaman Mill is part of the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
Enjoy a virtual tour of the Mill.


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Kims have been teaching people to drive in Dalston and its surrounding areas since 1950. We are the oldest established family run driving school in East London, and are proud to offer excellent driving tuition that is custom fit to your needs. Kims have been teaching people to drive since 1950.
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100% Pinot Noir. From vineyards near the village of Tonnerre to the north and east of Chablis. Clay and limestone soil. Average vine age 30 yrs old. Grapes are hand harvested, crushed, and left to macerate on the skins for a few hours only in order to take on a bit of color and fresh red fruit aromas.
Val de Mer is the latest project of Chablis' newest star, Patrick Piuze. After more than a decade making wine in Chablis for the likes of Olivier Leflaive, Verget, and Jean-Marc Brocard, Patrick Piuze began his own label in 2008, sourcing top quality fruit by using the many connections he had made in the region over the years. The wines were immediately praised by critics and a new star was born. By the time he released his second vintage, the demand had already surpassed the small supply, and Patrick had no plans on increasing his production. Around this time, Patrick received a phone call from François Moutard, who has a sizeable estate in Champagne and had recently purchased a winery and some vineyards in the Chablis region. François knew Champagne, but was finding his new project in burgundy more difficult so he sought Patrick's help. Soon the two were partners in a new venture they called Val de Mer which was to be made from their own estate vineyards as well as purchased fruit from Patrick's many sources in Chablis.
Although it is a partnership, all of the wines at Val de Mer are made by Patrick Piuze and the vineyards are under his watch as well. For the fruit that is purchased, Patrick chooses the date of harvest and takes his own team into the vineyards to pick by hand, just the same as he does for his own label. At the Val de Mer winery there is a complete range of wines produced including Bourgogne Blanc, Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and 3 Grand Crus. There are also white and rosé sparkling wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir respectively. Patrick is quick to point out that although he is making the wines in the same manner as the wines under his own name, that Val de Mer has its own identity and personality. It is a separate winery located 20 minutes from Chablis and the wines ferment, and age differently here due to the winery's location in a cool valley and the fact that the wines are made at ground level rather than underground as they are at his own winery. The change in ambiance results in wines that are uniquely their own. Often more classically styled in character than the Patrick Piuze wines which are richly textured and layered, the wines of Val de Mer exhibit pronounced minerality and racy acidity that one expects from Chablis.


Before you organise your event, speak to Cameron Presentations to find out how they can help save your company time and money.
Before you organise your event, speak to Cameron Presentations to find out how they can help save your company time and money. www.cameronpres.co.uk or call 0141 420 6500 or 0131 652 6007 Events Diary..
Tuesday, September 8 Law Society of Scotland business development seminar at Apex International, Edinburgh. Glasgow event at Hilton Grosvenor on September 15. Book online at www.lawscot.co.uk/update/events.aspx Networking and wine tasting at 21 Dunedin Street, Edinburgh. Andy Ferguson from The 9 Rules is guest speaker. Places at www.6degreesnetworking.
co.uk Wednesday, September 9 Falkirk Business Panel conference in Falkirk Town Hall from 10am. The theme is aspirations, challenges and opportunities with details from www.falkirkforbusiness.
org Wednesday, September 16 Getting Scotland Back on Track. Insider business breakfast at Glasgow Hilton Hotel. Details from www.insiderbusinessbreakfasts.
co.uk Law Society of Scotland employment law conference at Radisson SAS, Edinburgh.
Information from update@lawscot.org.uk Thursday, September 17 Gillespie MacAndrew golf and networking day at Cardrona Hotel, Peebles, in aid of the Scottish SPCA. Details from sarah-jane.friedman@scottishspca.org IoD Scotland Women into the Boardroom at The Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh.


HOW did it get to be the end of JUNE? Oh, wow.
Well, this week is going to look much better than last week, but really, we still did not do a whole lot of reading aloud. Mostly read to the little two. William slept a lot this week, making up for last week no doubt.
Most of our reading this week was for the Master Books Summer Reading Program. Richard and Trina both did their three books for June. William and Thomas are going to read three in July. Thomas loses credit for the one he did in June, but that is okay.
Answers for Kids, Volume 1. I read this to Richard and Trina over a couple of days. This was one of Richard's books for the summer reading program. Various older kids listened to parts of it too. It was fun... Richard and Trina insisted on giving the answers before I could read them, and they did a pretty good job of it.
Noah's Floating Animal Park. This one was as fun (actually even moreso) than the one we read last week about The Fall. The rhyming text is so much fun, and it really does a fabulous job of drawing you in. This one counted for Trina for the reading program. Cute, cute, cute.
Answers for Kids, Volume 2. Connor read this whole book to all his siblings in one sitting. I love the format of the book... small (maybe 5"x5") questions from kids, with ages listed, and an answer that includes a Bible verse. We have owned these two books for quite a while, and Connor has read them himself, but I never sat down to read them. And I don't know why, but I assumed Richard and Trina were too young. Anyway, this was Richard's third book for the Master Book program for June... and he wants to get Volumes 3 and 4.
We also started working through our summer science. Living Fossils. This is a review book, so I'll have more about it soon. Connor, William and Thomas are doing this. So far, I'm not loving it, but I know that will change. We have the first book in the series, and liked that. I've flipped ahead, and I know we'll enjoy it. Just not yet.
I love old books. And I'm finding I really do like books that just have an appearance of age. This "new" series of biographies by Attic Books is one that is designed with the appearance of age. Distressed cover, funky & uneven pages (I'll try to get a picture of that below).
And of course, the fact that it was originally published in 1833 and includes fairly extensive quotes of a guy born in 1505 means that the language most assuredly adds to that antique feel.
Life of John Knox is a biography of a man I really didn't know. Given the language being used in the book, I wish I had found even a Wikipedia article and read a little bit about him before diving into the book.
This isn't a long book... 140 pages in all. But it isn't light reading. This is one of those books I ought to keep next to me for the next time one of those little Facebook games comes along. You know, "Grab the nearest book. Turn to page 58. Type the 2nd complete sentence as your status."
The affairs of the protestants, however, soon after took an unfavourable turn ; and after several reverses and disasters, they were at length compelled to leave Edinburgh, and retire in great confusion to Stirling ; but during their calamities, Knox spared no exertions to revive the languid spirit of his countrymen.
At least in this example sentence (which is random), I did understand each individual word!
The point here is that this book is definitely written in the style prevalent in the early 19th century, with plenty of lengthy quotes from the 16th century as well. That means modern readers need to be paying attention, or you'll be like me... finishing a sentence and wondering what in the world I just read. And it also means that the biographer doesn't try to make it look like he is being objective (like any biographer could achieve that anyway!) which "sounds" funny to modern ears.
It is fascinating. But definitely to be read when you are actually able to be paying full attention!
I just finished reading Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer. It wasn't until I had finished the book that I realized I had reviewed another of Sawyer's books in the past, In Every Heartbeat. One of the things I really liked about that book was how well-researched it felt, and the flawed, believable characters. This was certainly true of Courting Miss Amsel as well.
Courting Miss Amsel occurs in a totally different time and place -- Nebraska in 1882. I'm drawn to fiction in the plains states, and this one did not disappoint. Sawyer writes as though she has experienced a serious blizzard or two (but why does every story set in this part of the country involve a blizzard? Hmmm...). That is another way of saying, she certainly seems to have captured the spirit of this part of the country.
The basic plot line is that Edythe Amsel comes to this little town in Nebraska to teach school. She's escaping her emotionally abusive father, and although she isn't terribly religious, she clearly feels called to teach. And she's good at it.
Two of her eighteen students are being raised by their bachelor uncle, Joel, and it doesn't take long for Joel to be attracted to the new teacher, and for her to be attracted to him. She doesn't want to be courted, and he doesn't want to be yoked to an unbeliever. So there are definitely some issues.
This was a pleasant read, relaxing, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I truly enjoyed it.
The one where Debra confesses that she mostly forgot to read aloud to anyone.
I spent Friday in the car away from my kids, stressing out. I spent Saturday mostly in the car with my kids, stressing out. I spent Sunday taking William to Boy Scout camp. And he has been there since. So... the list is SHORT this week.
I read aloud from the Astronomy Merit Badge book. To William. Have I ever mentioned that astronomy is one aspect of science that I just don't care for?
I read to Trina and Richard. Part of the Master Books summer reading program. The Day the World Went Wacky. This is a CUTE book, and I'm glad we bought it. Rhyming text, going through the story of Creation and the Fall. The illustrations took a bit of getting used to, but once we were about halfway through, we were all enjoying them.
Plans for this coming week? Yeah, right. I don't know.
I have to be honest. I have no idea what compelled me to fill out the interest form for the opportunity to read and review Branded: Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture by Tim Sinclair.
From reading the description, this is the kind of book I'm trying to avoid reviewing. Any of the Christian How-To books. I want to read other people's reviews and see what is worth reading. Then I want to go find those books and read them on my own, without the pressure of a review.
For some reason, though, I signed up for this Blog Tour.
The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute. What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.
What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products--sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.
While I really hated my marketing class back in college (mostly the Yuppie types of people in that class), I did find a lot of the marketing concepts interesting, and even with my accounting positions over the years, I seemed to lean towards actually using those facts and figures to determine how to reach people with a product or service.
So really, this book is right up my alley. I loved Tim's flair for describing various marketing techniques. His description of shopping at Best Buy and Circuit City 10-15 years ago was spot on. I laughed so hard I cried. And then I read that part aloud to my husband, gasping to get the words out at points. Hysterically funny. And spot on. Okay, so it is funny because it is spot on. If you weren't shopping these stores back then, you probably won't be laughing quite so hard, but Tim does still make his point clear.
So. I laughed. I cried. It moved me Bob... but did I come away learning anything about how to market my Savior?
Initially, I was disappointed. At the beginning of the book, I was reading Tim's insightful thoughts on marketing using very up-to-date examples in the business world. And Tim would compare that to how we "market Jesus" and Christians are definitely found falling short... and I kept thinking, "This is great, he's right on. But what do I do?"
In fact, I nearly finished the book (it is a very quick and enjoyable read) before I started to "get it" in any way, shape or form. The last chapter, read the night before my review was due, was what got my mind spinning. I had to write and ask for an extension on my review, something I really strive to not do. Because last week, I just couldn't write anything coherent. Believe me, I tried.
This book has been on my mind ever since I finished it. I looked at the little WWJD bracelets at Mardel on Saturday in a totally different light. I'm reading things on Facebook with a different perspective. I'm talking to my kids about faith and life, and in the back of my mind, there is a different conversation going on. I'm looking at posts written by atheists who attended a Christian homeschool conference, and I'm cringing. I'm looking at a recent experience with a group "witnessing" to my baby brother at Mount Rushmore... and while I agreed with almost everything they said, and while I pray my brother truly heard them... I am pondering the approach now.
I get so excited about showing my parents how FaceTime works and hoping they will upgrade their iPod Touch so that the kids (and I) can make use of the technology and talk to them via our gadgets. I rave about my Nook. I don't bombard everyone I know with information about how much I prefer my Mac to the PCs I used for decades, but if someone expresses any hint of interest, I certainly will. I'll tell anyone and everyone how important it is to read aloud to their children.
Why don't I have the same enthusiasm for sharing about the absolute greatest service I've ever experienced? A savior who loves ME enough to pay the price for all the screwing up I've done.
This isn't a book to quickly read and then move on to the next title to check off a list. This is a book to read and enjoy. And then, probably, to read again and think. Or at least to think. I am quite certain this book is changing me. But it is still way too early for me to truly say how.
Read this book. Here's the link again to go buy it at Amazon. Less than $10. Well worth it.
We've had a pretty horrible week. Wonderful vacation last weekend. Returned home Monday night. Decided to take Tuesday "off" from things like laundry and dishes, and woke up Wednesday to no water. Two nights of working with the well made us all hot, sticky and miserable. And we finally got water again on Friday afternoon.
So sitting down last night, as a family, to watch a pre-release version of Field of Vision was a very welcome break from reality. And you can watch it too. Tonight. On NBC at 7:00 or 8:00, depending on where you are. Since this is part of Family Movie Night, brought to you by Wal-Mart and Proctor & Gamble, you can watch it knowing that it is family-friendly.
My family loved it. The general topic of the movie is bullying. Specifically, it dealt with the decision to do the right thing even when it will most likely cost you a lot.
My kids really identified with many of the characters, particularly the little girl -- a voracious reader, who befriends the older foster kid (the one being bullied). The best part for Dale and I was the opportunity to talk about issues like being a friend to people who need one, and about doing what is right.
Check out their Facebook page, or Moms for Family TV. Think about watching the movie tonight.
Quality family programming is something worth supporting.
Okay, I can't focus! I keep getting sidetracked trying to keep track of the various summer reading programs the kids will be participating in. Decided if I don't blog about it, I'll never be able to accomplish anything.
Master Books just announced a summer reading program this morning. Since I review for them, I need to see if we will be eligible or not. But my hope is that Richard and Trina can do the ages 5-7 program (prizes including The Answer Book for Kids, or a Noah's Big Adventure set.) I'd love to have Thomas do this and get the Complete Zoo Adventure book. I probably won't have the older two participate (we already own the prizes, and, well, they are busy!) Read three books (from the list) in June, or in July, and be eligible for a prize.
Borders is again doing their Double Dog Dare Challenge. Everyone but Connor is eligible (ages 12 and under). Read ten books, get one free. The decision needs to be made based on the books available though. I thought Trina might like Ramona the Brave, maybe I could convince Richard to get Danny and the Dinosaur (the first book I remember owning), and Thomas maybe could get Hungry, Hungry Sharks. Not sure that there is anything for William though. The nice thing with this one is that it goes through September 5.
Barnes & Noble is sponsoring Imagination's Destination this summer, where kids read 8 books to earn a free one. This goes through September 6, and is good for kids in grades 1-6. I don't remember whether it is kids going INTO 1st-6th, or kids who completed 1st-6th. Either way, I have three eligible. However, I'm not totally convinced we are going to bother. I just don't see anything on the list I care enough about to go through the effort. I mean, the 3rd-4th grade prize selections are SO incredibly GIRL... an American Girl book, a Nancy Drew book, Mercy Watson doesn't *sound* boyish... I don't know that I can excite my boys about these choices at all.
So... we could have a busy summer of reading.


No guided tour through the Iron Library without having a look in the machine books from the 16th-18th centuries. They show and explain the whole range of machines known in the early modern period. The spectrum ranges from rather exotic automatons to water mills of which hundreds of thousands were built. What makes these machine books so attractive and what attracted me are the illustrations they contain.
I have selected some of the most impressive copperplates to be found in the nine volumes of the Theatrum Machinarum.
Soon after taking up my post as librarian in the Iron Library a row of green spine lables attracted my attention. These are the spine lables on several volumes of Leupold's Theatrum Machinarum - just as they are shelved in Iron Library. They caught my eye even though they hide in a corner of the room where our rare books are shelved - as if they wanted to show that the Theatrum Machinarum is not a book like any other.
"Iron, as a material for ship-building"
"History of Mechanism and Machine Science"


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Devon park to harvest sunbeams in £300k green energy drive
Ladram Bay was once a farm, and director Zoe House says that sustainability is part of her family's culture
LADRAM BAY Holiday Park is set to sink around £300,000 into an ambitious new green energy project – with the benefits being felt by both guests and the environment.
The family-owned park in Budleigh Salterton will install a state-of-the-art solar energy system across various buildings in its grounds this winter.
Energy experts forecast that after the work is completed, Ladram Bay will be preventing a massive 171 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from entering the atmosphere.
The super-efficient solar panels will work even on overcast days, providing energy and hot water which will see a huge reduction in the park's carbon footprint.
Non-polluting energy will help keep the park's pool warm and welcoming
This latest move joins a raft of other recent eco-friendly measures taken by Ladram Bay, and which are already benefitting the environment.
They include a solar-powered litter bin which crushes waste by up to 90%, new energy-efficient boilers, and an extension of the park's ban on single-use plastics.
New plantings of native trees and shrubs have also taken place, and the park's brochure size has been halved to A5 in order to minimise paper waste.
Director Zoe House, who is a member of the park-owning Carter family, said that caring for the natural world has long been a key element of the park's philosophy:
"We first started welcoming holiday guests to Ladram Bay Holiday Park more than seventy years ago when it was a farm owned by my parents," she said.
"Our agricultural roots have remained very important to us, and which is why our family tries to make sustainability a key factor in all of our business decisions.
"Helping us achieve this is our amazing ground team who work year-round on our various projects, and who often contribute great ideas of their own," added Zoe.
News of the new green energy investment came as the park was named this autumn as a winner of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.
A long-time holder of the annually presented accolade, is was given following an in-depth survey of the park and its policies by Professor Bellamy's assessment team.
They praised the park's large areas of wild flower plantings which provide vital foraging for honey bees and butterflies, and the many wildlife habitats created in the grounds.
Ladram Bay offers holiday caravans and lodges to rent or to own, plus glamping pods, and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents.
There is more about the park, and its many family-friendly attractions and entertainment facilities, at www.ladrambay.co.uk
New lodges recently unveiled by Ladram Bay provide energy-saving features and high levels of insulation


American Institute of Physics career network for physics, engineering and related physical sciences.
The American Physical Society Jobs/careers page.
Advice and resources from the UK Institute of Physics.
The EPO is an international authority whose task is to examine and grant patents on behalf of its 20 member states.
Links to career planning and job hunting information as well as to listings of available positions.
Search a database kept by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Job site for Physics Professionals. Fee required to post vacancies.
Listings of physics openings for all degree levels.
Search a database of jobs maintained by Science magazine.
Maintained by the International Society for Optical Engineering. Includes job listings for related science and engineering posts, with a search function, as well as a list of conferences and some tips.
Bulletin-board for posting, searching, and finding physics job openings.


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Biden urges nation to 'forgo family traditions' on Thanksgiving
Nov 25, 2020 covid19
President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Americans not to gather with extended families for Thanksgiving, saying it was a "patriotic duty" to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Biden said during an at times campaign-like speech in Wilmington, Del., that he and his family were setting an example by not celebrating the holiday as a large group.
"This year we are asking Americans to forgo so many of the traditions that we've long made this holiday," Biden said.
"This year, because we care so much for each other, we're going to be having a separate Thanksgiving for Jill and I, who will be at our home in Delaware with our daughter and our son-in-law. The rest of the family will be doing the same thing in small groups," Biden said.
"I know how hard it is to forgo family traditions. But it is so very important. Our country's in the middle of a dramatic spike in cases. We are now averaging 160,000 new cases a day."
The former vice president said that the stakes are high if people flout health guidance.
"Many local health systems are at risk of being overwhelmed. That's the plain and simple truth. … I believe you always deserve to hear the truth, hear the truth from your president," Biden said.
"We have to try to slow the growth of this virus. We owe it to the doctors and nurses and other front-line workers — care workers who risked their lives, some lost their lives, put so much on the line in the heroic battle against this virus … We owe that to our fellow citizens who need access to hospital beds and care. We owe it to one another. It's literally our patriotic duty as Americans. It means wearing a mask, keeping social distance, limiting the size of any group we're in until we have a vaccine. These are the most effective tools to combat the virus."
Joe Biden delivers a Thanksgiving address at the Queen Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware, today.Getty Images
Biden reprised a campaign line that was frequently bashed by President Trump's campaign, warning, "We find ourselves again facing a long, hard winter," which he likened to starvation among Revolutionary War troops in the 1700s.
Biden will take office on Jan. 20 during the early stages of vaccine distribution. The Food and Drug Administration meets on Dec. 10 to review a vaccine candidate application filed last week by Pfizer, which clinical trials data indicates is about 95 percent effective.
Biden, who turned 78 last week, has pursued a starkly different approach than Trump toward avoiding personal exposure to the virus. Whereas Trump held large rallies and was infected with the virus in October, Biden relegated supporters to socially distant vehicles for "drive-in" rallies and put reporters in spaced-out bubbles during rare press conferences.
In his 17-minute minute pre-Thanksgiving address, Biden insisted that "none of these steps we're asking people to take are political statements. Every one is based on science."
He said "the federal government can't do this alone. Each of us has a responsibility in our own lives to do what we can do to slow the virus. Every decision we make matters."
Biden said that "life is going to return to normal" and that "I still believe we have much to be thankful for."
"First, let's be thankful for democracy itself," Biden said, referring to his own election victory.
Biden said that a "this grim season of demonization and division" under Trump "is going to give way to a year of light" and a "more compassionate chapter in the life of our nation."
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Government must act to support threatened communities
Friends of the Earth media release. June 8, 2013
June 8 marks World Oceans Day. The theme this year is "Oceans and People". Friends of the Earth sees this as an opportune moment to highlight the way in which carbon pollution is undermining the life-supporting capacities of our oceans and magnifying their destructive potential. These changes are bringing dramatic impacts to communities who are reliant on the oceans for their livelihood.
Ocean warming, acidification and sea level rise, as well as ocean-related extreme weather events, are well documented, as are the negative impacts of this warming on coral reefs, fish migration patterns and local fish stocks.
"Changes in ocean dynamics and threats to ocean health are already having profound impacts on many vulnerable communities around the world. Any rise in sea level is ultimately catastrophic for people living on low-lying small islands and atolls" said Friends of the Earth spokesperson Wendy Flannery.
"The world's best scientists tell us that this is the critical decade for cutting carbon emissions if we are to have any chance of preventing runaway climate change and its devastating consequences. With no possibility of a global agreement taking effect before 2020, all Australian political parties must show that they are willing to show leadership on this issue."
"As one of the highest per capita carbon emitting countries on the planet, fulfilling our global obligations will require the kind of leadership which resists appeals to short-term tax payer interests and which is capable of mobilising all sectors of society in a common goal. It will require comprehensive policies to transform our pollution dependent economy into one based on clean, renewable energy".
Australia also has a special obligation to its island neighbours in the Pacific Ocean. On current estimates, around 800,000 people in the region are already under threat of forced climate-change-related displacement, and several communities have already had to relocate.
"Sadly, no amount of adaptation or resilience building will be adequate to deal with the damage already caused by highly industrialised countries like Australia to communities living in small, low-lying islands in the Pacific," said Ms Flannery. "With limited land availability, internal migration becomes less and less of an option."
"Any Party wishing to be the next Australian government must be actively involved in efforts already underway to develop new legal and policy frameworks for the resettlement of people forced to migrate by climate-related factors."
"For Australia this will mean developing clear, appropriate and generous resettlement options, in consultation with affected communities and their leaders, and expressing public support for such Pacific Island initiatives as the Kiribati government's 'migration with dignity' project." In the words of Kiribati's President, "To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful but I think we have to do that."
Wendy Flannery, FoE Climate Frontlines 0439 771 692
Claire van Herpen, FoE Climate Frontlines 0448 956 255


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Brown leather corset by Vivienne Westwood, c. 1991
'I believe in copying if you can, there's nothing better.'
(Vivienne Westwood, 1996)
Although Vivienne Westwood said this in the late twentieth century, the desire to copy older styles of dress for contemporary fashions stretches back many centuries. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries' masques, sophisticated staged entertainment for royalty and aristocrats, required the participants to dress in costume all'antica; the dress of the ancient past. Elements from these fanciful masque costumes, loosely based on Roman dress, began to seep into contemporary dress.
The mantle, an embroidered shawl worn across the body and tied at the shoulder, was part of such a masque costume but became fashionable dress, as can be seen in many early seventeenth century portraits.
The eighteenth century was to see an increase in the adoption of historical dress elements into contemporary fashion. The influence of masquerades, popular and fashionable events attended by the elite in costume, on fashionable dress can be seen in the adoption of the Medici collar and masquerade caps. This blurring of the boundaries between fancy dress costume and fashion prompted social commentator Frederick Robinson to say on women's fashions of the 1770s, 'a few years ago they would have been thought fantastick [sic] for a Masquerade'.
If art hoped to create timeless images for posterity, dress was looking to evoke past times for renewed glories. Le style troubadour of the 1770s brought back late sixteenth century fashions of the French king Henry IV. It hoped, rather inauspiciously, to bestow Henry's successes onto the newly crowned King Louis XVI. After the French Revolution a revival of dress from the ancient democracies based on classical art swept Europe, reflecting Napoleon's new republic. The ever increasing pace of fashion in the nineteenth century demanded the rapid adoption of 'new' styles. Historical styles provided abundant inspiration with Victorian dress reflecting costume from ancient Greece to the eighteenth century.
Women's fashions of the twentieth century would reflect their growing emancipation. Dress broke away from the conventions of the past with corsets falling out of fashion and clothing becoming less fussy in design and decoration. Twentieth-century dress was nevertheless still influenced by the clothing of the past. Poiret's 'Directoire' designs of 1906 to 1911 took their inspiration from the 1790s and Dior's 1947 collection, although known as the 'New Look', harked back to the mid-Victorian period. One of the twenty-first century's greatest couturiers, John Galliano, based his first collection 'Les Incroyables' (1984) on the clothing of the French Revolution. This began a career defined by the obsessive plundering of the dress of the past for new design ideas.
Revivals and rebirths have characterised the arts from the Renaissance onwards with art, architecture and the decorative arts all being influenced by past styles. Historicism is a romantic and wistful looking back to the past, and it reached its height in the nineteenth century. The industrialisation of Britain brought criticism from social reformers. They believed that along with industry, workers' lives had also been mechanised. Artistic revivals, most notably the Gothic Revival, illustrated lost worlds in the hope of regaining them once more. The work of the architect Pugin, the artist Rossetti and designer William Morris all re-created a gothic idyll, in opposition to Victorian mass production and consumption.
Fashion was more easily placed to adopt and adapt ideas from the past. Whilst classical dress was to dominate the Regency period, a multitude of other historical styles appeared later. Women's fashions saw gothic dress in the 1820s, the 'Grecian bend' in the 1860s, and a plethora of historical styles influenced the aesthetic movement's ideas on dress from the 1870s. The English Women's Domestic Magazine declared in 1868 that, 'Parisian couturiers study historical costumes of the period and think far more of copying than inventing.' So popular was the demand for dress of a historical nature that Liberty & Co., which opened in 1875, launched a dress department nine years later which sold fashions from their 'Artistic and Historic Costume Studio'.
The twentieth century fashion historian James Laver proposed a timeline outlining the aesthetic trajectory of fashionable dress. Laver's Law states that a year after an item was fashionable it would be dowdy, twenty years would render it ridiculous and only after one hundred and fifty years would it again be considered beautiful.
Woman's bodice by Doucet, c. 1900-19
Throughout modern history the adoption of dress from foreign countries, earlier historical periods or the opposite sex has been used in fashion in a deliberate attempt to make statements.
In 1660 King Charles II introduced a new form of men's dress based on Middle Eastern clothing in an attempt to distance his newly restored monarchy from the frivolous French court. The French would adopt English country clothing in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, a period known as Anglomania, displaying their loyalties to the republic and not the ancien regime, the recently destroyed French monarchy.
The Victorian Pre-Raphaelite artists, who were as the name suggests trying to re-create the style of art of Raphael and before, dressed their sitters in recreated period costume. This influenced the later aesthetic movement, which directly inspired contemporary fashion. The large gigot sleeves of the 1890s are a re-invention of the late Elizabethan sleeves of the 1590s. Aesthetic dress also influenced Mary Elizabeth Haweis who, in the 1870s, was an advocate of reformed dress for women based on aesthetic lines.
Sexual inequalities have also been expressed through dress. Dress's increasing function, from the seventeenth century onwards, to display gender meant that women adopted elements of men's dress, from the riding habit in the eighteenth century to trousers in the twentieth. This aspect of dress reflecting social equality has still to come full circle. Although many designers in the twentieth century, such as Gaultier and Westwood, have tried to introduce men to 'skirts' men have yet to embrace their wider sartorial world.
Silk chiffon dress by Ossie Clark, print design by Celia Birtwell, c.1970
Yesterday's Tomorrows
The term retro has, since the 1970s, been used to describe artistic revivals from the not-so-distant past. Unlike historicism, which took the past and used it as a building block for further successes, retro revives styles in order to re-asses their meaning for a modern audience. The early 1960s saw a revival of art nouveau, an art movement which had become unfashionable just over half a century earlier. This relatively quick turnaround in an artistic style's reassessment would herald a wave of similar retro 'reviews' in art exhibitions, film and fashion.
The late 1960s saw retro fashions become a driving force of the fashion industry. The Biba 'empire' (1964-1975) reworked art deco, with other designers such as Anthony Price and Mary Quant reinterpreting the glamour of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s for a young and modern audience. Vivienne Westwood began her career opening a shop, Let it Rock, with Malcolm McClaren in 1971. They sold original and replica 1950s clothes made by Westwood, together with original records and memorabilia from the era.
Clothes designers also worked with film makers, helping to create an illusion of the past. Westwood and McClaren would assist with the costumes for That'll be the Day (1973), set in the 1950s. Cabaret (1972), set in the late 1930s, saw Ossie Clark dress the central character played by Liza Minnelli not in costumes but in his contemporary fashion designs.
If Laver's Law spans 150 years, retro's turnaround is considerably quicker. The graphic artist Paula Scher proposed her own retro timeline, with ideas and images going from the 'ugly' to the 'great' in just fifteen years.


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Q: BI Publisher Interactive Template no data found Version 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.7)
I have created the data sources in BIP with seperate single data set using a simple select * SQL for each data source.
The view sample data works fine.
The issue comes when trying to create a report template using BIP interactive format (xpt).
I create the data table and when I drag the column from left pane in to data table, a No Data Found error is all I get.
It is random since it works fine for other data sources with select * from same database and since the view sample data works in the data source the the chance the SQL is causing this error is nil.
I have recreated these data sources and error still occurs.
Think this is a bug with BIP?
edit: including SQL and generated xml for a data source, I can't share any names though.
SQL:
SELECT
*
FROM
view;
XML:
<output rootName="DATA_DS" uniqueRowName="false">
<nodeList name="data-structure">
<dataStructure tagName="DATA_DS">
<group name="G_1" label="G_1" source="zzz">
<element name="xxx" value="xxx" label="xxx" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="1"/>
<element name="mmm" value="mmm" label="mmm" dataType="xsd:string"
breakOrder="" fieldOrder="2"/>
<element name="yyy" value="yyy" label="yyy" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="3"/>
<element name="aaa" value="aaa" label="aaa" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="4"/>
<element name="bbb" value="bbb" label="bbb" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="5"/>
<element name="ccc" value="ccc" label="ccc" dataType="xsd:long" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="6"/>
<element name="ddd" value="ddd" label="ddd" dataType="xsd:double" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="7"/>
<element name="eee" value="eee" label="eee" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="8"/>
<element name="fff" value="fff" label="fff" dataType="xsd:long" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="9"/>
<element name="ggg" value="ggg" label="ggg" dataType="xsd:long" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="10"/>
<element name="ggg" value="ggg" label="ggg" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="11"/>
<element name="hhh" value="hhh" label="hhh" dataType="xsd:long" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="12"/>
<element name="iii" value="iii" label="iii" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="13"/>
<element name="jjj" value="jjj" label="jjj" dataType="xsd:string" breakOrder=""
fieldOrder="14"/>
</group>
</dataStructure>
</nodeList>
</output>

error message when dragging a data column into data table:
xxx
"No data found: /DATA_DS/G_1/xxx"

A: Thanks to Chandan Vidwani for the help,
The data types in the data set have to be changed from long to double and the error magically goes away. Long can still be used for RTF format.


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Home / Articles / 5 more historical stays in Southern Queensland Country
5 more historical stays in Southern Queensland Country
"If these walls could talk", you would easily hear stories of Southern Queensland Country's history within them on an overnight adventure.
From a converted convent dating back to the late 1800s to a homestead built by one of Chinchilla's early settlers – learn more about the region you're exploring by checking in for a night (or two).
If you've already ticked off these six historical stays in Southern Queensland Country, here's five more to put on your accommodation list.
1. Banksia Cottage, Toowoomba
For a historical stay that lists over 20 VIPs as previous guests on its website since converting into a two-bedroom self-contained property, book into Banksia Cottage.
Of course, by "VIP", we mean Very Important Pets. Offering a fully fenced yard and kennel with bowls, this pet-friendly accommodation welcomes the whole family to Toowoomba.
A renovated and restored cottage dating back to 1898, Banksia Cottage offers a historical stay paired with creature comforts – from a fireplace, air-conditioning and a fully contained country kitchen.
While you're exploring the Garden City, make sure you add these pet-friendly activities to your itinerary during your stay.
A: 5 Norwood Street, Toowoomba City Q 4350
2. Abbey Boutique Hotel, Warwick
Looking for an adult's only escape? Book Abbey Boutique Hotel, Warwick.
This heritage-listed bed and breakfast packs a punch when it comes to history – dating back to 1891, built as a convent for the Sisters of Mercy.
Immerse yourself looking at the original stain-glass windows (which originate from the same company who made glass for the Vatican) as you wander the gardens or from the comfort of your room.
Choose from one of 10 rooms – from an original Nuns Cell measuring just 10 sqm with shared facilities to a modest West Wing measuring over 60 sqm with a king bed, private ensuite complete with rain shower and electric fireplace.
While you can spoil yourself with a private meal at the Abbey, it would be remiss not to plan a meal at one of Warwick's best restaurants following this guide.
A: 8 Locke Street, Warwick QLD
3. The Laurels of Chinchilla, Chinchilla
Image: @mediamortar
Learn about Chinchilla's pioneering history with a stay at the Laurels of Chinchilla.
Soak up the history of Charley's Creek, which provided a reliable water source to European explorer Ludwig Leichhardt and his party during their 1844 expedition through the region.
While the creek plays a significant role in the town's history, the homestead was also built by one of Chinchilla's earliest settlers.
Stay creek-side in a waterfront cabin, bungalow or family suite or book a garden view room to soak up landscape gardens of the property.
With private access to the creek – make sure you plan your visit during the warmer months to make the most of this waterfront location.
A: 15 Warrego Highway, Chinchilla Q 4413
4. Rachel's Cottage, Texas
Combine a historical stay with good ol' country hospitality in the town of Texas, 100 kilometres south-east of Goondiwindi.
Originally built in 1898 and passed down through four generations, Rachel's Cottage now offers visitors a rustic escape with a High Street (aka the main street) location.
While the cottage has been renovated, original furniture and furnishings have been kept, offering visitors a taste of yesteryear, including an open fireplace and clawfoot bath.
Given its position in town, you don't have to face travel once checked in.
If you're looking to chew the fat with the locals, you'll find them at Stockman Hotel or Texas Treats café, both within 300 metres from the cottage.
For more history, take the short five-minute drive to the banks of the Dumaresq River or visit local Goondiwindi attractions with this guide.
A: 70 High Street, Texas (Goondiwindi Area) 4385
5. Hillview Cottages, Booie Range
If soaking in a double spa bath with uninterrupted views across a 57-acre property sounds like your type of escape, book Hillview Cottages.
Located 10 kilometres from Kingaroy, this Booie Range property offers couples a historical connection while staying in one of its three cottages.
Choose from 'The Church' a studio with French doors leading to a private courtyard that once served as the All Saints Church until 1990s; 'The Cottage', a one-bedroom cottage with three-metre wide balcony overlooking the property which was once the local Golf Club's Caretaker's cottage from 1940; or 'The Dairy', a two-bedroom cottage that was once the original dairy at Hillview during its days as a dairy farm.
With the South Burnett wineries close by, makes sure you stop by the local cellar doors to uncork back at your property.
A: 297 Birt Rd, Kingaroy QLD
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I'm originally from Michigan and I have family there. I was researching Michigan insurance law, and discovered that in Michigan, the award of punitive damages to policyholders who have been treated badly by insurance companies is not common – in fact, Michigan courts discourage it.
The word "punitive" means "intended as punishment." Punitive damages are the monies that a court (or jury) awards to a plaintiff (the person who brought the lawsuit) when the court wants to send a message to the defendant that they need to stop their bad behavior. When you hear reports of large court awards, such as in the tens of millions of dollars, that is probably due to the punitive damages.
There is a lot of controversy about punitive damages, because when the court punishes a large corporation by imposing a large money judgment, that money goes to the plaintiff for that one case. People don't know how they feel about "punishment money" meant to deter future bad behavior being awarded to that one person who filed a lawsuit. There are arguments that this motivates plaintiffs to be greedy and file unsubstantiated or frivolous lawsuits. For more on this debate, see the famous McDonald's hot coffee case.
You are probably already aware that the current American civil justice system is VERY expensive. If you are injured by a corporation and are looking to be compensated for your injury, the odds are severely stacked against you right from the beginning. Corporations have all the resources they need at their disposal to make sure you give up and just go away. They will offer you a ridiculously small amount of settlement money (or nothing) and force you to either give up or find a lawyer willing to take on your case for an amount you can afford.
This significant power imbalance is supposed to be kept in check by the laws of the United States – a combination of American civil court decisions and the laws written by legislatures. Do you feel like the laws of the U.S. are prioritizing your rights? Do you feel like you are treated with equal respect as the wishes of a large corporate entity? In the current United States climate, the answer is a resounding NO, and unfortunately our citizens have just "gotten used to it." But it doesn't need to be that way.
The Creation of Punitive Damages – Why?
The monetary reward of punitive damages creates motivation for your attorney (called a plaintiff's or Consumer's attorney) to take on an incredible, crazy amount of financial risk.
The corporation who acted badly will think twice about their bad actions if they are facing a punishment of tens of millions of dollars.
In the current climate, if you want to be fully compensated for an injury caused by a corporation, you have to locate a lawyer who is willing to take on your case and then file a lawsuit. This is problematic because the American legal system is incredibly time-consuming and very, very expensive. Why? Mostly because 1) our American courts are severely underfunded and overburdened (and therefore VERY slow – the full lifecycle of a court case from filing to end of appeals, is 7-10 years) and 2) when you are suing a large corporation, it is common strategy for them to drag the process out as long as possible with the hope that it becomes too expensive and burdensome for you, and you will be forced to either give up or settle for pennies on the dollar. Also, if you don't have a stellar lawyer in your corner, the very clever corporate lawyers will crush you. Feeling intimidated yet?
As a result, unless you are independently wealthy and can pay the hourly rate of a lawyer for years of work (amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars), you need to find a contingency lawyer who is willing to take your case on and only be paid if they win. There are not that many contingency lawyers with those kind of resources and that level of confidence. They need to be very careful to select only the cases they really believe they can win, and those cases must be worth enough for them to gamble away 7-10 years of their lives. Choose the wrong case and you'll be bankrupt.
Punitive damages equal the playing field by creating an incentive for you and your lawyer to commit to the case for the long haul – even knowing that the odds are significantly stacked against you. If one thing goes wrong, the entire value of the case can be lost in an instant. And those clever corporate lawyers spend all the time and resources available to find that one thing.
The other reasoning behind punitive damages – and the primary reason cited by courts, is to punish the bad corporate actor so they are deterred from doing it again. This is why punitive damages can be so large. The Supreme Court allows punitives to be about 10 times the award granted to compensate you for what the bad action actually cost you over the years. So for example, if the bad action cost you $1million in losses over the years, a court can award an additional $10million in punitive damages.
The problem with these punishment awards is that modern American corporations are so large and profitable that a $10million punishment is easily absorbed into their multi-billion dollar budget. For example, in the famous McDonald's coffee case, even if the $2.7million in punitive damages had actually been upheld (it wasn't), this was only meant to represent two days of coffee sales. Why would McDonalds be concerned about a mere two days of coffee sales, considering that coffee is only one item on their extensive menus and there are 365 days in a year? That "punishment" was a very tiny slap on the wrist, and definitely not enough to stop them from doing whatever they please – including hurting more and more people just to make extra profit.
So, Do Punitive Damages Work?
While punitive damages are a great idea thought up by clever judges, they are not having the effects they are meant to have. American consumers do not have an equal playing field against giant corporations – not even remotely close. Court created remedies like punitive damages are only helpful after the damage is done. To really help the consumer, American lawmakers need to write stronger laws, and those laws need to be enforced. Right now, there are not enough protective laws, and those that do exist are not being enforced by government agencies. The task of enforcement falls to the occasional brave plaintiff who files a claim and does not give up, and his crazy, risk-taking lawyer who cares enough about justice that they will face bankruptcy and ruin. The result? Consumers continue to be mistreated on a daily basis, and there is almost nothing they can do about it.
As you can see from the picture painted above, while punitive damages create incentive for consumers who have been hurt to find a lawyer able to stand up to giant, wealthy corporations (and creates incentive for that lawyer to do so), the consumer is still statistically bound to fail somewhere along the course of the claim, long before punitive damages can ever be awarded.
The noble creation of punitive damages cannot fully compensate for the lack of strong laws written by our elected senators and representatives, and then the actual enforcement of those laws.
See Peisner v. Detroit Free Press Inc., 104 Mich.App. 59, 304 N.W. 2d 814.
For the punitive damages rules in your state, see "Limits on Punitive Damages" – they provide a table listing every state.
Next How Much Money do Insurance Companies Spend so the Laws Keep Them Rich (and Make Them Richer)?


As the name itself suggests, under the approach the finance manager does not undertake risk. As a result, all the working capital needs are primarily financed by long term sources and the use of short term sources may be restricted to unexpected and emergency situation only. The working capital policy of a firm is called a conservative policy when all or most of the working capital needs are met by the long term sources and thus the firm avoids the risk of insolvency.
So, under the conservative approach, the working capital is primarily financed by long term sources. The larger the portion of long term sources used for financing the working capital, the more conservative is said to be the working capital policy of the firm. In case, the firm has no temporary working capital need then the idle long term funds can be invested in marketable securities. This will help the firm to earn some income. The firm uses a small amount of short term sources to meet its peak level working capital needs. It also stores liquidity in the form of marketable securities in slack season.


text:
Architecture and Art
Prague in the Reign of Rudolph II
your price 450,00 Kè
Eliška Fuèíková
Prague in the Reign of Rudolph II takes readers back to the days of the Habsburg Emperor Rudolph II (1576–1611) when Prague became the metropolis of the Holy Roman Empire, and when the imperial court was a much sought-after milieu for scholars and artists, as well as magicians and adventurers. As the author notes, almost anyone of importance from inside and even outside the empire had to spend some time in Prague if they wanted to make their name.
After an introduction in the form of an historical outline, the reader is guided on an engaging and informative stroll through Rudolphine Prague, which to this day remains full of mystery and legend. On this tour through the period and its monuments, including a peek into the famous imperial collection, the reader is guided by Eliška Fuèíková, an outstanding and internationally reknowned expert on Rudolphine art. Her lively and authoritative account is accompanied by about a hundred colour plates of buildings and historic monuments dating from the late Renaissance, together with other graphic documentation, an index of locations with a map of Rudolphine monuments, and an overview of prominent figures.
The Prague of Rudolph II
A guide to the Prague of Rudolph II
Monarchs, courtiers, and would-be courtiers of the period
Architecture map, Prague
Architecture map, Prague Castle
List of Places
Karolinum, Prague 2015, 200 pages, 200 x 260 mm, ISBN 978-80-246-2263-7