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FundingView in App
Fidelity invests in beauty etailer Nykaa
The investment comes nine months after Nykaa raised Rs 166 crore in a primary transaction from Steadview Capital at a valuation of $1.2 billion.
By ETtech | Updated: Nov 26, 2020, 05:29 PM IST
ETtech
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi
Boston-based asset management firm Fidelity Management & Research Company has invested an undisclosed amount in Indian fashion and beauty marketplace Nykaa through a secondary transaction, providing a partial exit to early investors and employees.
The investment comes nine months after Nykaa raised Rs 166 crore in a primary transaction from Steadview Capital at a valuation of $1.2 billion, which catapulted the eight-year-old company into the coveted Unicorn club.
"We are very excited to have Fidelity, one of the largest asset managers in the world, to join as partner in our growth journey," said Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO of Nykaa. "Nykaa's focus on business sustainability and corporate governance further supports such strong investor confidence."
The company said it had benefitted from the tailwinds caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with consumers preferring to shop online from the safety of their homes.
This has allowed Nykaa to increase its share in the beauty market, the company said, without disclosing specifics.
Nykaa added that it had clocked revenue of Rs 1,860 crore for the year ended March 31, 2020 and is expecting a 40% growth in consolidated revenue in the ongoing fiscal.
Last month, Nykaa told ET that it expects its new fashion business to top Rs 500 crore in sales in the current fiscal year, a 5X growth over sales in the previous year.
Growth is also being driven by a strong revival of fashion sales during the festive period, it said.
Nykaa has a portfolio of over 300,000 products and partners with more than 1,500 brands.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Beauty startup Nykaa plans $3 billion IPO this yearJan 05, 2021, 05.39 PM IST
Nykaa says new fashion category to top sales of Rs 500 croreOct 08, 2020, 03.26 PM IST
nykaa |Revenue |omnichannel |investment |fidelity
Business News › Tech › Funding › Fidelity invests in beauty etailer Nykaa
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<?php

use Hyperized\Hostfact\Types\PriceQuote;
use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class PriceQuoteTest extends TestCase
{
    protected $object;

    public function testProductInstanceOf(): void
    {
        self::assertInstanceOf(PriceQuote::class, $this->object);
    }

    // Test if product initiates

    public function testClassHasAllowed(): void
    {
        self::assertClassHasAttribute('allowed', PriceQuote::class);
    }

    // Testing availability of public class attributes

    public function testClassHasParentName(): void
    {
        self::assertClassHasAttribute('parentName', PriceQuote::class);
    }

    public function testClassHasNotResponse(): void
    {
        self::assertClassNotHasAttribute('response', PriceQuote::class);
    }

    public function testClassHasNotMode(): void
    {
        self::assertClassNotHasAttribute('mode', PriceQuote::class);
    }

    public function testObjectHasAllowed(): void
    {
        self::assertObjectHasAttribute('allowed', $this->object);
    }

    // Test if after initiating the Object has the following attributes:

    public function testObjectHasResponse(): void
    {
        self::assertObjectNotHasAttribute('response', $this->object);
    }

    protected function setUp(): void
    {
        $this->object = new PriceQuote();
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
What is qEEG / Brain Mapping?
EEG – Lessons From A Half-Million Brains
Listen to the full podcast here Jay Gunkelman Podcast
This week we're joined by QEEG Diplomate (yes, that's a term!) and founder of Brain Science International Jay Gunkelman, to talk Electroencephalography. After analyzing over a half-million EEG scans, Jay has a pretty robust set of human brain data at his disposal… And he uses that body of knowledge to guide the work of psychiatric and other health professionals who make proscriptive recommendations about patients' brains.
Pharmaco-EEG: A Study of Individualized Medicine in Clinical Practice
Ronald J. Swatzyna, Gerald P. Kozlowski, and Jay D. Tarnow
Pharmaco-electroencephalography (Pharmaco-EEG) studies using clinical EEG and quantitative EEG (qEEG) technologies have existed for more than 4 decades. This is a promising area that could improve psychotropic intervention using neurological data. One of the objectives in our clinical practice has been to collect EEG and quantitative EEG (qEEG) data. In the past 5 years, we have identified a subset of refractory cases (n = 386) found to contain commonalities of a small number of electrophysiological features in the following diagnostic categories: mood, anxiety, autistic spectrum, and attention deficit disorders, Four abnormalities were noted in the majority of medication failure cases and these abnormalities did not appear to significantly align with their diagnoses. Those were the following: encephalopathy, focal slowing, beta spindles, and transient discharges. To analyze the relationship noted, they were tested for association with the assigned diagnoses. Fisher's exact test and binary logistics regression found very little (6%) association between particular EEG/qEEG abnormalities and diagnoses. Findings from studies of this type suggest that EEG/qEEG provides individualized understanding of pharmacotherapy failures and has the potential to improve medication selection.
Medication Failure: EEG/qEEG Findings Provide Evidence
This is the PowerPoint "Medication Failure: EEG/qEEG Findings Provide Evidence" as presented at ISNR Conference Workshop 20September 21, 2013
Ronald J. Swatzyna, Ph.D., L.C.S.W.
The Tarnow Center for Self-Management
drron@tarnowcenter.com
Vijayan K. Pillai, Ph.D.
The University of Texas at Arlington
pillai@uta.edu
Clinical Policy Bulletin: Quantitative EEG (Brain Mapping) from Aetna
Recently Released Clinical Policy Bulletin: Quantitative EEG (Brain Mapping) from Aetna
It is no surprise when insurance companies find ways to restrict what they will cover as a service for their clients, whether flood insurance liability insurance, or any other branch of this financial industry. This is especially true for medical insurance companies, which are always finding reasons to restrict payments.
This decision restricts the payment for a qEEG to be an extension of the analysis of an EEG analysis, which makes the qEEG a medical procedure requiring licensure adequate to provide credentials to do a medical EEG interpretation. If further restricts the payments to applications that match the American Academy of Neurology position paper, which approves the technique in vascular cases, encephalopathies such as dementia cases, or for epilepsy, as well as longer term EEG monitoring, where quantitative analysis allows the selection of segments for review visually, assisting the electroencephalographer in eliminating long time segments from detailed analysis.
Specifically restricted from payment are these applications:
Houston's Tarnow Center offers solution for service members with PTSD
A friend of qEEGsupport.com ( Dr. Ron Swatzyna) was recently featured on a local news station in the Houston area.
HOUSTON – A Houston doctor is working on something that could help the many service members who return from the battle field suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder.
By its own admission, The Veterans Administration has had little success treating people who are suffering from both traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder.
"They end up not having any cognitive strategies to manage the therapy, and they'll either get out of therapy, or end their lives and that's what's happening," said Dr. Ron Swatzyna, a psychotherapist, neuro-therapist, and biofeedback therapist for Houston's Tarnow Center. "I've been working on this issue for about four years now."
He said resetting the brain, lining it back up through stimulation, is the key. And by mapping the brain, he believes he can tell when the patient is ready for therapy.
"Not at the beginning. If you push them too quick that's a problem. If they are pushed into therapy too quick," he said.
Swatzyna said the defense department and the VA both realize more research is needed, and if he can get funding, and cooperation from a group in the Texas Medical Center, he would like to open up a research center in Houston.
Vietnam veteran Billy Miller, who one of Swatzyna's patients, is now helping him pull it off.
"Everyone I had been to before, all 25 doctors had never had military experience, they didn't know what I was going through," Miller said.
Swatzyna was a captain in the Air Force, and now many believe he is the best in the country at understanding veterans.
Army soldier Joel Brasier, who suffers from TBI and PTSD, believes Swatzyna is on the right track and is hoping research will lead to better, faster treatment.
"It's an ongoing process, but eventually they are going to make a breakthrough and get us the help we need," Brasier said.
Full story from khou.com
The Art of Aging: Limitless Potential of the Brain
This is an excellent video talking about how seniors can help keep their brains young.
How can we live a fuller and healthier lifestyle as we get older? Perhaps keeping our body and brain engaged can help. That seems to be the case in Japan where the number of centegenarians is greater than 20,000.
THE ART OF AGING:THE LIMITLESS POTENTIAL OF THE BRAIN introduces a number of these "super-seniors" who lead healthy lives at nearly 100-years-old and, through them,searches for the "keys" to living a healthy and vital life regardless of age.
[veoh]http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/lifestyle/watch/v19832384XKk8wQ5m[/veoh]
Related article from BBC July 3,2013 Active brain 'keeps dementia at bay'
Three Sets of Data from the Same EEG
This is three sets of data from the same underlying EEG, all with varying coherence results, and with the weighted average showing the alpha hypercoherent pattern with better fidelity than any other for this data.
Concern Regarding the Mitsar Amplifier
The concern regarding the Mitsar amplifier expressed with so much vigor by those with competing interests has met the reality test of actual recorded data. The concern expressed was over a theoretical time skewing error due to the data sampling of an older version of the Mitsar amplifier.
I suggested at the time that all the emotion was merely an example of someone yelling "the sky is falling", like Chicken Little. There was no real problem, just lots of crying out and hand wringing.
I requested in an open international forum for anyone to send me a sample of the problem, and none could be produced. I suspected there was no real problem, as the sample issue was concerning a 500 sample/second device having a time skew… though this was in comparison to a database collected on a 100 sample per second device, with the waveforms interpolated from these samples.
Neurofeedback Demonstrated on "The Doctors"
On this episode of the Doctors Dr Michael Linden helps "Noah" with his ADD. Part 1 of this story give a bit of information about what Noahs parents have been dealing with and the struggle they face with deciding whether or not to medicate their young child.
In Part 2 you see how Noah parents learn there are alternatives to Ritalin and other drugs that may be given to their child. Learn about how Neurofeedback and EEG Brain Mapping may be able to help without the use of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs.
Dr. Linden is a Clinical Psychologist and Nationally Certified in Neurofeedback and Biofeedback. He is the director of The Attention Learning Center, which has offices located in San Juan Capistrano, Irvine and Carlsbad, California.
Dr. Linden is a regular contributor to the Journal of Neurotherapy and has been a speaker in many seminars and conferences related to ADD/ADHD and neurotherapy.
Thalamic Involvement in the Generation of the Alpha Rhythms
Alpha… it's not a simple idling rhythm… let's look at alpha generators:
The thalamic involvement in the generation of the alpha rhythm is being under-valued when looking at the LORETA images of alpha current source generators. The alpha power may come from the sources that LORETA identifies, but the thalamus is intimately involved in alpha rhythm generation, and this is not part of the LORETA image of the sources.
The polarization within the thalamus sets the base frequency of the alpha, but the cortical rhythm requires a complex multi-layer feedback loop from the thalamus to the cortex, and back to the thalamus. Without the cortex, there is a total disruption of the normal spatio-temporal distribution of the alpha wave's spike trains within the thalamus, and cortical damage often disturbs coherence due to this mechanism.
The thalamus distributes the alpha posteriorly via specific sensory relays, which have a simple return circuit. Like the white matter relay from the lateral geniculate of the thalamus to the occipital lobe's primary visual areas, and directly back. This thalamo-cortical-thalamic loop is relatively faster than the loop seen frontally. The frontal return circuitry is not simple, but the descending routes are complex and somewhat circuitous, taking more time, and thus it is common for the frontal lobe's alpha to be at the slower end of the individual's alpha frequency range. The frontal lobe has a return path through the striatum.
Search qEEGsupport
Alzheimers/Dementia
Autsim
qEEG
qEEG in the media
bio-medical.com Neurofeedback & Biofeedback Equipment, Supplies, and Support
Adjunctive Therapies for Use with Clinical Biofeedback and Neurofeedback
NRBS Present "The Gunkelmentary"
Neuromodulation and Interventions for Trauma in the Time of Coronavirus
Distance HRV Training Strategies for Coronavirus
Working with Screen Dependence, Obsession, and Addiction: Effects on Health, Wellness, and Development with Mari Swingle, PhD
WEBINAR AAPB
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The Impact of Brain Health on Lifestyle and Neurofeedback
AAPB 2021 Annual Meeting
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BrainClinics Diagnostic B.V.
Sponsored by bio-medical.com - © 2021 qEEGsupport.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A better solution would be to detect the presence of 'fallocate' and use this if available. This will preserve data ordering and completely eliminate the excess I/O on database creation.
is much faster than creating a file by filling it with zeros.
Python support is available in linux-ftools. On a side note, this python package also adds POSIX FADVISE support, which is also useful; ie. POSIX_FADV_RANDOM to disable read-ahead, which can reduce trashing of the page cache and therefore boost I/O performance by only keeping useful metrics in the cache). POSIX_FADV_WILLNEED can also be used to prefetch only the metrics that will be needed (start, end file offset).


my games keep shutting down and i dont know why!!!
I have downloaded godus on my lg and it keeps going off its getting quite irritating and seen some other posts on here about webview and i dont even have it so i dont know what to do!!!
Re: my games keep shutting down and i dont know why!!!


Click the Register online button and follow the prompts.
You should receive your account number automatically after registering.
The new employer rate for unemployment tax is generally 3.689% (except for construction businesses which are assigned 10.2238%). You can enter this rate as you wait to receive an unemployment account number, but make to update Gusto with the correct unemployment tax rate once you receive your official rate statement from the agency.
If you do not yet have a City ID or will be paying an employee in Pittsburgh for the first time, you must register your business with the City of Pittsburgh and select the option for Payroll Expense Tax (ET-1) and Local Services Tax (LS-1). You should receive your number 1-2 days after registering. You will also need to register for Earned Income Tax with Jordan Tax Service. You can register online here.
If you do not yet have a tax account number or will be paying an employee in Philadelphia for the first time, you will need to register with the City of Philadelphia Dept. of Revenue online. You should receive your number instantly after registering online.
Visit the PA UC Management System and login using the green box on the right side of the screen.
Click the Employer Profile tab on the top left corner of the screen.
Click the Manage Representatives tab on the left side of the screen.
Click the Add New Representative link in the middle of the page.
Enter: 2272162774 in as the Representative Identifier field. Enter today's date for the Effective Date, and select Filing Quarterly Reports and Adjustments for the Service Function. Then click Submit.
You should now see "ZenPayroll, Inc" (Gusto) listed as a representative that has been requested.
To contact the UC Employer Contact Center call: (866) 403-6163, or if within the Harrisburg area: (717) 787-7679.


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UAE cricket needs a deep clean if it's ever going to erase the stain of corruption
Shell of a team out of the World T20, charges against players, they have been 'punched too often'. What now is the route to recovery?
The remaining UAE players, none of them involved in the corruption issues, faced a tough task in the World T20 Qualifiers and events of the past few weeks took their toll as they failed to qualify. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Paul Radley
What next for UAE cricket? Now, there is a question.
On the macro scale, things are likely to get worse yet, before they get better.
The ICC's sanctions for the three banned players are expected imminently.
It is difficult to believe any of Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar or Qadeer Ahmed will ever play for UAE again.
Even if they are able to prove their innocence on any of the charges they are faced with of breaching cricket's anti-corruption code, Naveed and Qadeer have both acknowledged a failure to report suspicious approaches.
That was the charge that saw Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan banned for two years this week. A similar penalty would likely cost the UAE trio their employment visas, and therefore their careers.
Emirates cricket tackles corruption scandals by appointing new head of security
UAE World Cup Twenty20 dreams are over after thrashing by Scotland
In the absence of any professional legal advice, they have been left to argue their own cases to the ICC.
Qadeer, for example, is unable to afford the phone bill on the number he had confiscated by the ICC's anti-corruption officers as part of their investigation, let alone pay for a lawyer.
Ashfaq Ahmed and Ghulam Shabber are also suspended by the Emirates Cricket Board. The governing body have said both are part of the corruption probe, although no formal charges have yet been made.
It is a sorry state. The game here needs a deep clean if it is ever going to erase the stain of corruption.
They have already acted, by creating a new position to oversee security and anti-corruption. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Azam Khan's job is not going to be easy.
And what of the national team itself? With five of their best players missing by the end of the T20 World Cup Qualifier, it was no surprise they looked a shell of a team.
Gutted by suspensions, and having invested so much emotional energy in making it through the pool, they were no match for either Netherlands or Scotland in the eliminator play-offs. They had been "punched once too often," as coach Dougie Brown put it.
How to rebuild? Usually in the aftermath to defeat, it is kneejerk to call for wholesale changes, and to suggest calling up a load of kids.
But with six players – fast-bowler Amir Hayat was a curiously unexplained absentee from the Qualifier squad, too – now missing, wholesale change is all that really can happen. There are few options left, other than the kids.
The silver lining is that those kids are alright. UAE's senior players might not have a World Cup to look forward to next year, but their age-group colleagues do.
The Under 19 side will play at the World Cup in South Africa in February. They were the first U19 side from this country to achieve qualification for that event by means other than hosting it, as was the case in 2014.
In the past, UAE cricket has suffered from a chronic unwillingness to back young players.
The national team has routinely had one of the oldest average ages in the international game.
This has been due to a reliance on players who have arrived from abroad in adulthood, then taken a minimum of three years to qualify on residency grounds.
Of the current team, Chirag Suri is the most recent to have played age-group cricket for UAE. He is 24 now.
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, and Rameez Shahzad all did, too. They are now 30-somethings.
Maybe it is a coincidence those four have been the backbone of the side during the recent troubles. Does it mean more to them than the others? Possibly.
Either way, it would be remiss not to take a chance on youngsters now.
Raza, the captain, even said as much after the loss to Scotland, reasoning that it would help the U19 side's prospects, too, if they were called in for the senior team's next official engagement.
"There are very exciting young players coming through the ranks," Raza said, looking ahead to the new one-day international league, starting with a series involving Scotland and United States in December.
"We have one in the squad [Vriitya Aravind], and there is Ansh Tandon, who got a hundred in the U19 Asia Cup, and Karthik [Meiyappan].
"There are talented players. If we get them in the dressing room now, I'm sure that will help them in the U19 World Cup.
"After that, they can be part of our squad as regular members of the team."
There are others, too. Yodhin Punja and Jonathan Figy are the sort of cricketers who have fallen through the cracks in the UAE system too often in the past.
Each went to the UK for education. In the past, they might have been forgotten about, as they are out of sight, out of mind.
But they are outstanding young talents. UAE cricket needs as many of those as they can get if they are going to weather this storm.
SportCricket
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Australia crush England in final Test to complete Ashes humiliation
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Quality Hotel in Katowice is an economy class hotel of a two-star standard, created for the Guests who value not only high standard of offered services, but also an affordable price. The hotel is situated in a modern hotel complex, where it is connected to a hotel of PREMIUM brand by common conference centre.
The hotel is located in the nearest neighbourhood of Górnośląska Street (highway A4 Wrocław – Kraków), Shopping Centre "Trzy Stawy", but at the same time near the city centre, which facilitates access to all the strategic places of silesian agglomeration. For the motorised Guests the hotel offers a monitored car park.
The hotel offers 88 comfortable rooms (including rooms for disabled) with modern and functional design, including 11 single rooms and 77 double rooms. Every room is equipped with television, phone and bathroom with shower.
Moreover there is a computer stations with free Internet access in the hotel lobby. Wireless Internet is available for free in the whole building.
The hotel provides professional service of conferences, seminars and business meetings. The modern conference center located in a separate floor has 7 multifunctional rooms (of 260 m2 in total and able to accommodate at the same time approx. 230 people) and spacious lobby with TV bar.
High quality conference equipment, possibility to join the rooms together, blackout system and free access to wireless Internet are only some of many advantages of the hotel centre, which make realization of Customers' individul needs possible. The hotel restaurant provides professional catering.


I made mac and cheese for dinner tonight, but it wasn't very kid friendly … It was made with beer, and you could definitely taste the beer.
Jess – this one is super easy, honestly. Give it a try!
Thanks Amanda – and thanks for the inspiration – we LOVE this dish!
I love this recipe. My son likes boxed and my daughter will only eat homemade but I think they both will love this. Happy weekend!
Yay, Lisa – hope it works out that they both like it. A one-pot family meal is always a dream.
ooh mac and cheese is totally my weakness.. and this recipe looks all creamy and delicious!
Stephanie – it is super creamy and VERY delicious – not to mention easy.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. We loved it-perfect for a cold winter evening.
Mom, I'm so glad you liked it! Love you!
This looks creamy, and super easy. I love an easy dinner the whole family will love.


text:
Fall TV update: dramas
Just in time for the midseason stuff to get rolling.
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
I've been slowly losing interest in this show, which had a real jump-the-shark moment last season when it was revealed that Rebecca wasn't actually the long-lost Walker half-sibling, merely so that she could then get it on with her heretofore assumed half-brother Justin (as absurd as this sounds if you've never watched the show, it was nearly as absurd to longtime viewers). This show has always straddled a line between earnest family drama and lifestyle-porn soap opera, and it seems to be trending further and further in the soap direction. This season has brought a search for a new long-lost half-sibling, a paternity crisis and a little baby in peril. Now rumor has it that Balthazar Getty has been dumped from the show, and while his character is indeed useless, I don't know that I can sit through some drawn-out grieving process if they kill him off. A bunch of returning shows (Lost, Friday Night Lights, Damages, The Closer) that I want to watch are about to come back, and there are a few new ones I want to check out as well, so this may just end up being sacrificed to clear up the schedule a bit.
Chuck (NBC)
Although a lot of people seem to find the current second season of this show a great improvement, I think it's about as amusing and insubstantial as the first, which is to say that I thoroughly enjoy it but rarely get excited about it. That's about right for a show like this - it's pure fun entertainment, with a handful of nice emotional moments. The plots often don't make sense, the character development is minimal, and the dialogue can be hokey, but there is enough in the way of rousing action, funny one-liners, appealing eye-candy and romantic entanglements to hold my attention.
Fringe (Fox)
This is another show that is never quite at the top of my to-watch list, but still has enough going for it that I come back every week. It has yet to transcend its X-Files-meets-Alias origins; virtually every cold open could double as an X-Files teaser, and the vast conspiracy is so vague and all-consuming that I worry it will turn out to be as convoluted and nonsensical as the ones on those other two shows became. Still, a lot of the mysteries are pretty creepy, there are some interesting background nuggets being doled out about the various characters, and John Noble is always entertaining as the addled-yet-mysterious Walter Bishop. I remain hopeful that, with patience, this will turn into a great show rather than just a decent pastiche.
Gossip Girl (The CW)
I think I've been beating the drum for this show pretty incessantly, but every week reminds me of just how good it is. Along with 30 Rock and Pushing Daisies, it's been the thing I most look forward to watching each week, and it's easily surpassed Josh Schwartz's last rich-teens drama, The O.C. There's been no similar second-season decline in quality; if anything, the show's only gotten better, with richer character development, juicier plot twists and stronger dialogue. The interplay between Chuck and Blair is masterful, and Leighton Meester constantly impresses me with her portrayal of Blair. I know for some people the notion of a teen soap is too much to get past, but if you're open to it, this really is one of the best shows on TV.
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
This show is about to depart the airwaves (the final three episodes are currently TBA on ABC's schedule, although they've been produced, so even if the network axes them altogether they'll at least end up on DVD), and I'm really sad to see it go. It took me a while to warm up to Bryan Fuller's quirky, cutesy vision, but this season has been consistently excellent, with nearly as much clever quippery as 30 Rock, plus an intriguing ongoing mystery and engaging standalone stories. In short, it's unique, great TV, which means I probably shouldn't be surprised it got canceled. There's really no point in trying to jump on board now, but this is absolutely something to look for on DVD (and it will end up with only 22 episodes total, making it easy to plow through the whole series quickly).
Posted by Josh at Tuesday, December 30, 2008 No comments:
Bedtime Stories (Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, dir. Adam Shankman)
I've never been a Sandler fan, but even people who love his style of humor will probably be bored with this neutered kiddie flick. Sandler sleepwalks through the whole thing like he's just waiting to cash a check, the effects work is lazily uncreative, and there is a disturbing CGI guinea pig with giant eyes who has no reason to exist. At least You Don't Mess With the Zohan had a point, of sorts. Wide release
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, dir. David Fincher)
This one seems to have lost its Oscar-frontrunner status to Slumdog Millionaire, although I think it will probably still end up getting plenty of attention come nomination time. It's also been subject to a bit of a backlash, which I think is interesting in the context of Fincher's career. Last year, Zodiac was neglected by the studios and shunned by audiences, and it was taken up by many critics (myself included) as a rallying point. This year, Fincher's new movie is being derided as a cliched Hollywood product by some (although most reviews have been positive), and thoroughly embraced by the studio system. And while it may be warmer and more accessible, I still think Benjamin Button is very much in line thematically and stylistically with Fincher's other work. Its epic love story is surrounded by the constant spectre of mortality, and Fincher's expert craftsmanship is always on display. I found Zodiac more complex, more challenging and ultimately more rewarding, but I still think this is another triumph for Fincher. Wide release
Doubt (Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, dir. John Patrick Shanley)
I'm sure this works much better on stage, where its boldface allegory can be viewed as symbolism rather than realism. Set in an actual place and an actual time period, this schematic story of a Catholic priest who may or may not have molested a young boy and the nun determined to bring him down comes off as clumsy and artificial. The actors give it their all, and occasionally manage to make the characters seem close to human, but most of the time they speak and act as if they ought to be walking around with big signs labeled "Doubt," "Faith" and "Certainty." Opened limited December 12; in Las Vegas this week
Frost/Nixon (Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, dir. Ron Howard)
This movie is about 90 minutes of setup for one great 15-minute showdown, when Frost actually engages Nixon seriously about the Watergate crimes, and Nixon responds with anger and regret. In those moments, Langella and Sheen live up to the promise of a monumental face-off, but the rest of the movie is just another bland Ron Howard's Great Moments in American History project, as competent and dull as a book report. Opened limited December 5; in Las Vegas this week
I've Loved You So Long (Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein, Serge Hazanavicius, dir. Philippe Claudel)
Thomas gets as much mileage as she can out of her performance here, but otherwise this is the slightly arty French version of a Lifetime "stalwart mother endures injustice" movie. She'll probably get an Oscar nomination and then not win, and then everyone will deservedly cease caring about this thoroughly mediocre movie. Opened limited October 24; in Las Vegas this week
The Spirit (Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, dir. Frank Miller)
I've never really followed Miller's comics career, although I have of course read The Dark Knight Returns, and I read 300 before seeing the movie. His reputation as a comics creator has taken quite the beating in recent years, and this movie seems to be an extension of that descent into self-parody, with its emphasis on absurd hard-boiled dialogue, bizarre non sequiturs and extreme objectification of women. I liked the Sin City movie, but it featured a style very particular to its subject matter, and slapping that same aesthetic on something else doesn't really work. Miller seems determined to carve out a career as a filmmaker (he's already attached to a proposed Buck Rogers movie), but this is not exactly a promising start. Wide release
Valkyrie (Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, dir. Bryan Singer)
The hype on this movie has been so negative for so long that people may be dismissing it before giving it much consideration, but it's actually a pretty good thriller with a surprising amount of suspense. Cruise is miscast, sure, but not egregiously, and Singer's choice to let the actors all use their natural voices is smart. They're not speaking German anyway, so why bother with distracting accents? That always bugs me in movies like this, so I was happy to see at least one director take the pragmatic route. This is well-crafted entertainment; it's not particularly profound despite its subject matter, but it's definitely worth seeing. Wide release
Posted by Josh at Thursday, December 25, 2008 No comments:
The alternate top 10
I'll have the requisite top 10 list of this year's movies in Las Vegas Weekly this coming week, and will probably do a post here elaborating a bit on it. But in the meantime I thought I'd steal an idea from an AV Club commenter and make an alternate list, of the top 10 movies from other years that I saw for the first time this year.
1. Quiet City (Aaron Katz, 2007) Okay, so this is only from last year, but I didn't get around to it in time to put it on my 2007 top 10, where it certainly would have found a place. I haven't seen that many mumblecore movies (and the Duplass brothers' 2008 effort, Baghead, disappointed me), but this is easily my favorite of the movement, a lovely, touching story of emotional connection in New York City. More thoughts in my original post.
2. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940) As I noted in my post about this movie, I sometimes have a tough time with the ingrained sexism of old screwball comedies, even more so than melodramas or musicals or various other genres. I think it's easier to view outdated moral codes as interesting curiosities when you're not meant to be laughing along with them. It didn't bother me much in this film, or at least it was greatly outweighed by the wonderful writing and acting, which make things go down much easier.
3. Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi, 2007) Yes, another one from last year, but damn there were so many good movies last year, and I just didn't get to all of them in time. This is such a lovely coming-of-age story, a beautifully animated film that preserves the look of the graphic novel it's based on while also carving out its own identity. I love seeing a story about conflicts in the Middle East filtered through one person's specific experiences, which somehow makes it all seem more real than a meticulously researched journalistic documentary.
4. Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941) This is the rare movie that almost constantly surprised me from start to finish; even though it was fairly obvious where it was all going to end up, the road getting there was not at all what I expected. It's sort of amazing that Sturges was able to get this kind of multi-level satire into a Hollywood movie in the 1940s. He brilliantly has it both ways by making a movie about how social realism is worthless, and filmmakers should just make comedies instead, and then filling the movie with plenty of unflinching social realism amidst the comedy. Veronica Lake is mesmerizing as the love interest/sidekick, and the writing is constantly razor-sharp. It's no surprise that the Coen brothers used an allusion to this movie as the title to O Brother, Where Art Thou?; it's exactly the kind of audacious genre mash-up that they're known for making.
5. Original Sin (Michael Cristofer, 2001) "The Wild Things of 19th-century Cuba," I called this movie when I posted about it, and you should know that Wild Things is one of my very favorite movies. Angelina Jolie tried for sexy and dangerous again this year in Wanted (before going back to dour and serious for Changeling), but she lacked the verve and abandon she exhibits in this movie, a luxuriously lurid and campy tale of sex and betrayal. It's gloriously over-the-top and start-to-finish entertaining, and seriously deserves to build a cult following.
6. I Walked With a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) I watched this just after writing up my post on the two versions of Cat People for the Val Lewton blogathon; this is another Lewton movie directed by Jacques Tourneur, who made Cat People, and like Cat People, it's a subtle, atmospheric take on a familiar horror idea. What we think of as zombies are not exactly what show up in this movie; this is more about voodoo priests taking control of people, as in the underrated Wes Craven movie The Serpent and the Rainbow. Tourneur uses zombification as a way to explore colonialism and white guilt, and manages a number of understated and unsettling moments along the way.
7. Meet Me in St. Louis (Vincente Minelli, 1944) I'm working on gaining a better appreciation of old musicals, and I think Judy Garland may just singlehandedly bring me around. I watched the entirely superfluous Garland musical The Harvey Girls a year or two ago, and had plenty of fun with it even though it was consistently mediocre, thanks to Garland's radiant charisma and lovely singing (also Angela Lansbury as an evil showgirl). And I liked the spectacle of Minnelli's Gigi, even if I didn't really connect with it. But this one works on all levels, as a colorful spectacle and as a showcase for Garland's singing and as a melancholy story of growing up and apart. It's a movie that envelops you and sometimes even overwhelms you, and I imagine it's a magical experience on a big screen.
8. Bad Day at Black Rock (John Sturges, 1955) A sort of anti-Western, with Spencer Tracy as the lone-gunman hero, only he's past middle age and crippled and more interested in legal documents than gunfights. He walks into a typically corrupt frontier town and for most of the movie just has a lot of tense conversations with people. Sturges builds suspense over these exchanges and the mystery of what horrible secret the townspeople are hiding, and even though the reveal hinges on a bit of clumsy social commentary, the final showdown manages to be both exciting and a bit hollow, leaving you with as much bitterness as hope.
9. Pride & Prejudice (Joe Wright, 2005) I had this sitting around for months and finally got up the motivation to watch it after seeing Wright's Atonement, a marvelously directed, visually stunning movie whose parts don't necessarily add up to a satisfying whole. Pride is less visually showy than Atonement, but it still looks wonderful, and it's not as gauzy and fluttery as some Jane Austen adaptations. A former college classmate of mine who is an Austen scholar absolutely hates this movie, I think partially for the way it adds excessive "grit" to the novel's story, but it's been so long since I read the book that I doubt I noticed the differences or the similarities. I can only compare it to other movies that come from similar source material, and in that sense I appreciated the bit of grit, the way that the story is about country life during that time period and not just about romance. Romance is key, too, but it's the intersection of love and the practical demands of life that this movie really highlights.
10. The Divorcee (Robert Z. Leonard, 1930) I did a freelance project that required me to watch a bunch of pre-Hays Code melodramas, and this was the best of the lot, a vehicle for the underrated Norma Shearer (of whom Dan Callahan wrote an excellent appreciation). Shearer plays a refreshingly independent (y'know, for the 1930s) woman who divorces her cheating husband and then goes on to live it up on her own terms. There's quite a bit of racy material here (which of course seems pretty tame from our perspective), and Shearer gives an assured, saucy performance, radiating confidence both socially and sexually. Of course, even a pre-Code movie puts the independent woman back in her place by the end, but until then this movie is progressive and exciting.
Posted by Josh at Monday, December 22, 2008 1 comment:
Hear me chat about these movies (as well as a number of upcoming Christmas releases, since next week's show will be a year-end wrap-up) with Jeffrey K. Howard of Vegas Film Critic in this week's Josh Bell Hates Everything podcast.
Seven Pounds (Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Michael Ealy, dir. Gabriele Muccino)
This is one of those movies that about 10 minutes in I knew I was going to absolutely hate. It's so insufferably self-important and phony, and makes use of the intolerable device of holding back information for no reason other than to fuck with the audience. If you laid all the events in this movie out end to end, it would be so laughable that no one could take it seriously. But shrouded in mystery and bathed with that low, ominous score, it takes on all sorts of false importance. I overheard someone at a screening recently say that a friend of theirs found this movie life-changing, but I feel sorry for anyone whose life is so empty that this movie could give it meaning (although obviously the movie has its passionate fans, several of whom have left nasty comments on my review). Wide release
Slumdog Millionaire (Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Irfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, dir. Danny Boyle)
I liked this movie, although not as much as a lot of people did (it's getting plenty of Best Picture awards from critics' groups), but certain things about it did nag me a little and strike me as false. Boyle keeps the movie visually inventive and fast-paced, and the depictions of poverty in Mumbai often feel quite authentic. But I don't know if they jibe with the grandiose movie-movie story, which is unrealistic and corny and even a little repetitive at times. Patel is kind of bland as the older Jamal, but the kid actors are great, and the flashbacks work well, especially if you block out some of the cheesier contrivances in the game-show stuff. It's a flawed movie, but overall I think it got to me, and while it won't be on my list of the best movies of the year, I wouldn't be upset to see it win big at the Oscars. Opened limited November 12; in Las Vegas this week
Yes Man (Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, dir. Peyton Reed)
I root for Jim Carrey, I really do. I think he can be an excellent dramatic actor - The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are two of my favorite movies. And I also think he can be quite funny at times. But like Mike Myers, he seems to be desperately holding on to the same old schtick, which is no longer nearly as funny as it once was (and seems sort of hollow the more he trots it out). There's only a minimum of mugging Carrey in this movie, though, and it's less grating than I would have expected. The laughs are only occasional, but if you have a soft spot for old Carrey comedies like Liar, Liar (which has a similar premise), then you might get some enjoyment out of this one. Wide release
Posted by Josh at Friday, December 19, 2008 No comments:
The LVW web people have the day off, so the podcast, with Roger Erik Tinch of CineVegas, should be up on Monday.
Dark Streets (Gabriel Mann, Bijou Phillips, Izabella Miko, dir. Rachel Samuels)
I saw this movie almost six months ago, back at CineVegas, and to be honest I was very tired at the time. I may have briefly dozed off at certain points during the movie. However, it probably didn't hurt, since the best you can say about this movie is that it has a pleasing dreamlike quality. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense as a narrative, but I did like the visual style, the music, the costumes and the set design, enough at least to make it stand out from the deluge of poorly made films that one encounters at a festival. Critics have been pretty brutal, and maybe I would have been less forgiving had I not seen it at a festival, but I think this movie deserves a little better. Limited release
The Day the Earth Stood Still (Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, dir. Scott Derrickson)
I actually liked Derrickson's last movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, quite a lot, even though most critics didn't, but this one is a complete failure. It loses the intelligence of the original (whose subject of nuclear disarmament was timely in 1951 but wouldn't really be so now) and replaces it with some so-so special effects and lots of pointless explosions. The message about the environment is vague and noncommittal, and Klaatu's reversal on the point of whether humanity ought to be exterminated is seriously undermotivated. The movie's emotional core ought to come from the connection between Connelly's scientist character and her stepson (Smith), but he comes off mostly as a brat, and I never cared about what happened to them. Connelly gave an excellent and underrated performance in an effects-heavy blockbuster (Ang Lee's Hulk) a few years ago, but here she just coasts (Reeves does play to his strengths as an alien who doesn't understand human behavior, though). Wide release
JCVD (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Francois Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, dir. Mabrouk El Mechri)
I was a huge Van Damme fan back in middle school, although it's probably been close to 15 years since I actually watched one of his movies. Still, I was looking forward to this being a great movie that perpetrates his redemption, and it's only about half that. Sure, Van Damme does a pretty good job, helped mostly, I think, by the chance to act in his native language for once (after 20 years he still doesn't quite have a grasp on English). And the moments where he talks openly about the things he has to deal with in his life are fascinating. But they're all wrapped up in this thoroughly uninteresting hostage thriller, which is just like the plot of a lame Van Damme movie, and not in a clever way. Watching Van Damme's much-hyped fourth-wall-breaking monologue, I couldn't help think that a documentary about the guy would have been more interesting than this pretentious, hit-and-miss movie. Opened limited November 7; in Las Vegas this week
TV premiering tonight: Leverage
TNT's quest to compete with the broadcast networks in volume of original programming has led to plenty of generic crap over the last few years, but Leverage ends up being a cut above. Some reviews have compared it to USA's Burn Notice, and that's a good benchmark, although Burn Notice is much more entertaining. This show likewise has a group of slightly shady characters doing good deeds via nefarious means, although it's more of an ensemble show than Burn Notice is, and it doesn't have that added conspiracy element. Timothy Hutton plays an ex-insurance investigator with a boo-hoo back story (the company he worked for denied his son an experimental medical treatment, and his son died) who now has it out for evil corporations and anyone exploiting the little people. He and his team of thieves, con artists and thugs do good by doing bad.
The show has a zippy tone and an occasionally overbearing score that screams "this is whimsical," and its plots are pretty well divorced from reality. But I had fun watching the first two episodes in a sort of turn-off-your-brain kind of way, which is exactly how I felt about Burn Notice at first. That show has done some pretty impressive character development and put together an interesting overarching plot, so maybe this show will get there as well. Even with the crowded schedule at the moment (it'd be much easier watching this during the summer), I'll probably continue to give it a chance. TNT, Tuesdays, 10 p.m.; special premiere tonight at 10 p.m.
Posted by Josh at Sunday, December 07, 2008 No comments:
Hear me chat about these movies with my good friend Jason Harris of the Frat Boys of Comedy in the triumphant return of the Josh Bell Hates Everything podcast. (Actually, maybe not so triumphant - the second half appears to be missing. Should be fixed by Monday.)
Cadillac Records (Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, Beyoncé Knowles, dir. Darnell Martin)
Not knowing a whole lot (read: knowing nothing) about pioneering R&B record label Chess, I came into this movie hoping to learn something and gain a little insight. But the film is perfunctory and apparently not very historically accurate, so all I really got out of it was the chance to hear some decent music, albeit not sung by the original performers. I'm not sure what the best way would be for filmmakers to make movies about real-life people without falling into biopic formula, but combining several movies' worth of the same clichés into one certainly isn't the answer. Wide release
Milk (Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, dir. Gus Van Sant)
And speaking of biopic formula, here's our requisite critically overpraised Important Biopic just in time for Oscar season. This is a better movie than Cadillac Records, certainly, generally well-acted and solidly constructed, but it still hits all the expected beats in a pretty generic way. Van Sant has spent the last several years making ponderous, arty, sometimes interesting movies in a style that embraces long takes and minimal dialogue, but here he's in full-on mainstream mode, and aside from a handful of stylistic flourishes, this is a pretty anonymous Hollywood product. Unlike Cadillac Records, this movie does actually provide some interesting historical insight, although certain moments are clearly engineered for filmic convenience. I wouldn't object to seeing Penn get an Oscar nomination for this, but I wouldn't call it anything close to one of the best movies of the year. Opened limited November 26; in Las Vegas this week
Punisher: War Zone (Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, dir. Lexi Alexander)
Under no circumstances would I call this a good movie, but I did laugh several times at the absurd, campy violence. I am the kind of person who can definitely find the humor in someone getting their face punched off, so your mileage may vary. But as far as dumb, heavily stylized action goes, this was in fact sort of entertaining at times. Wide release


text:
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/126698/Freddie-Gibbs:-oul-old-eparately-plus-autographed-booklet
Hip Hop CD Freddie Gibbs
Freddie Gibbs
$oul $old $eparately (plus autographed booklet)
CD (Item 126698) Warner, 2022 — Condition: New Copy
$9.99 ...
Warner (label)
Hip Hop (CD, LP)
Freddie Gibbs had been riding a creative peak for a few years in the run up to his high stakes move to Warner – and he comes out with a winning hand! His smart, charismatic, densely packed lyrics are as smart and slyly soul searching as ever on an album that almost serves as a concept album on the hollowness of fame – but with so many standout tracks with varied guests and producers, there's a little something for everyone here. Guests vocalists and producers include Madlib, Pusha T, Kelly Price, DJ Paul and others. Includes "Couldn't Be Done" with Kelly Price, "Blackest In The Room", "Pain & Strife" feat Offset, "Zipper Bags", "Rabbit Vision", "Dark Hearted", "Gold Rings", "Grandma's Stove" with Musiq Soulchild, "CIA" and more. © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.
(Initial copies come with a booklet autographed by Freddie Gibbs.)
Jazz Codes
Anti, 2022. New Copy
CD...$12.99 13.99 (LP...$23.99)
Moor Mother's an artist who just keeps on getting more and more interesting with each new release – definitely in a genre that's completely her own – one that lives up to the spirit of west coast underground pioneers in recent decades – and, as with those artists, seemingly finds ... CD
King's Disease II
Mass Appeal, 2021. New Copy
CD...$12.99 13.98
With the initial King's Disease album, there was no doubt that Nas was firmly back on top – yet he somehow seems to have raised the bar even further here – working with sharp production from Hit Boy, at a level that really cuts to the core of the tunes, and delivers the kind of urgent, ... CD
Tribe Called Quest
Beats, Rhymes & Life
Jive, 1996. New Copy
CD...$4.99 6.99 (LP...$30.99)
Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with ... CD
Raising Hell (expanded edition – with bonus tracks)
Profile, 1986. New Copy
The massive third album from Run DMC – a set that was done at a time when the duo were totally at the top of their game – and broke out big to a much wider audience than the usual hip hop crowd! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – ... CD
Fantastic Vol 2
Barak, 2000. New Copy
CD...$8.99 19.98
An instant classic from Slum Village – one of those records that kind of snuck out into the world, then became legendary as the years went on! Of course, with work from Jay Dee, there's no surprise that the album's got plenty of staying power – as he does a killer job here, throughout, ... CD
Long Player/Ne'Astra, 1997. New Copy
CD...$8.99 19.99 (LP...$25.99)
Slum Village's legendary Fantastic Vol 1 – one of the most sought-after hip hop albums of the era – with the most rugged-and-raw Jay Dee production on record! Honestly, we're left pretty close to speechless by how tightly these tracks hold up. This is indeed the template for so many ... CD
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Priority, 1990. New Copy
The solo debut masterpiece from Ice Cube – who links with Bomb Squad for the incredible production! When Ice Cube left NWA he took a lot of the more sobering lyrical aspects of that landmark crew with him, and with the addition of the Bomb Squad's cut & paste rhythms and jackhammer funk, ... CD
Man & His Music
B-Boy/Traffic, 1988. New Copy
The classic Scott La Rock tribute album – with BDP classics and remixes – originally issued as a 2LP set that was put together following the South Bronx-repping hip hop pioneer's shooting death. Alternate versions, remixes and BDP medley's from their most classic late 80s period. 15 ... CD
Criminal Minded - Hot Club Version Instrumentals (remastered version)
The instrumental/dub versions of all the tracks from the Criminal Minded LP – one of the most important albums in the history of hip hop – the first full LP from KRS One, and a landmark batch of tracks recorded with the late Scott La Rock! The track list alone is a full chapter in the ... CD
Daisy Age
Ace (UK), Early 90s. New Copy
A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many ... CD
Madlib & Others
Madlib's Medicine Show Number 11 – Low Budget Hi Fi Music
Madlib Invazion, 2010. New Copy
Low Budget Hi Fi Music from Madlib – the eleventh entry in his epic Madlib's Medicine Show series – 28 tracks of hip hop unofficially dubbed the Dirty Demos! The set feature sample enriched instrumentals by Madlib as Loop Digga and collaborations with Strong Arm Steady, J Rocc, Madlib ... CD
Just-Ice
Back To The Old School
Fresh/Traffic, 1986. New Copy
Just-Ice wasn't actually part of the old school – although to some, the 1986 release might seem pretty darn close – but he definitely does a good job here of keeping things nice and clean on his classic debut! Production is from Mantronik, but there's also a harder edge than most of ... CD


GamesTracker Get On Da Mic PS2 overview page. We track games news, reviews, previews and prices around the web. Select a sub-section below or from the menu on the right.
Live the fantasy of rap superstardom, embracing the famous excesses of the hip hop lifestyle along the way. You must wow the crowds with your 'dope' rapping style as you go from the street, play "da clubs," record at the studio, and shoot the video. Finally you must perform in front of thousands of fans in order to acquire the fantastic material wealth that comes with success. Powerful producers, shady agents, and innumerable groupies line the road to fame.


Beidh mé istigh sa seomra sin oíche amárach (17/05/06) ar 10.00in.(am na hÉireann)...má thig liom cuimhniú air!
Bígí ann más mian libh comhrá beo a dhéanamh!
Sin smaoineamh maith. Caithfear amanntaí cinnte a shocrú le bualadh ann. Níl go leor daoine ar an eolas faoin áit, le bualadh le chéile trí thimpiste.
An bhfuil an rud seo marbh anois?


Behind smart Georgian facades in prime West End addresses a little-known industry that serves the growing numbers of the global super-rich in London is booming.
Boasting marble foyers and plushly carpeted meeting rooms, some of these companies might be mistaken for luxury hotels. In fact, they are private offices that manage family wealth that can compare with the assets of FTSE 250 companies such as Tate & Lyle and Debenhams.
Family offices have their roots in the sixth century when a king's steward held responsibility for managing royal wealth, a model later adopted by many aristocrats, according to accountancy firm EY. But the modern concept of the family office – an organisation that manages private wealth and other family affairs – was developed by the financier JP Morgan and the Rockefellers in the 19th century.
The number of single-family offices in the UK has more than doubled to around 1,000 since the 2008 financial crash, and they manage more than $1,000bn (£700bn) in assets, with London now the premier global hub for the secretive organisations. The figures come as researchers from Goldsmiths, University of London and Newcastle University claim the proliferation of family offices is entrenching the rise of inherited wealth and income inequality in Britain.
They conclude that the industry has promoted "entrenched elitism", with a growing butler class of financiers and lawyers handsomely rewarded to preserve the wealth and social position of the super-rich.
The number of single-family offices worldwide is estimated to have risen by up to 40% since 2008 to 10,000-11,000, with combined investable assets of up to several trillion dollars, according to industry experts. The exact total is difficult to calculate because they are structured in different ways and they are so secretive that some families may have two offices that are not aware of one another.
In the UK, those that only manage a single family's wealth are unlikely to require registration with the Financial Conduct Authority. Therefore, they are subject to far less scrutiny than private banks and hedge funds, despite the size of their assets making family offices influential players in the global economy.
These offices serve individual families with investable assets of at least $100m but typically more than $250m, with the top tier managing fortunes of several billion. There are 44,900 individuals with fortunes of at least $100m and 4,500 worth more than $500m, according to Credit Suisse. The average assets under management of 157 single-family offices surveyed by Campden Wealth in 2015 was $662m. The uber-wealthy known to have family offices include Bill Gates, former Google boss Eric Schmidt, Oprah Winfrey, the Duke of Westminster, the Sainsbury and Goldsmiths families, and inventor James Dyson. There are now about 1,000 single-family offices in the UK, compared with 400 in 2008, according to Sebastian Dovey of wealth consultancy Scorpio Partnership.
Keith Johnston, chief executive of the Family Office Council, which represents 100 single-family offices with combined assets of $100bn, estimated the total assets under management by all offices in the UK was $1,000bn. He added the figure could be higher as there could be as many as 1,800 offices in the country.
Johnston said the rise was spurred by the 2008 financial crisis because super-wealthy families were "very cheesed off with their private banks" because of the poor performance of their investments. "They decided to take more control and create a structure which they felt was … entirely doing their bidding," he added.
Karen Clark, managing director of the Family Office Exchange, which represents 450 single-family offices worldwide with median assets of just more than $500m, said the rise was also spurred by the subsequent spike in the number of ultra-high net worth individuals, especially since the economic upturn from 2011-12. Over the next 30 years, they will transfer $16tn in assets, which will increase the need for family offices, according to analysts Wealth-X.
Clark added that London had become the prime location for family offices, not only because of the high concentration of financial and luxury lifestyle services available to meet the needs of the global super-rich but also because it offered a safe haven for those from Russia, China and the Middle East, and a more favourable tax and regulatory environment than its chief rival, New York.
The surge in family offices has also led to exponential growth in a wealthy butler class as the organisations employ three-to-12 core staff, including chief executives and chief investment officers, who are usually senior bankers and investment analysts. Major banks, accountancy and legal firms, and estate agents have also established dedicated teams for super-rich families.
Single-family office CEOs typically earn $330,000, according to Campden Wealth's 2015 Global Family Office report. But Mark Somers, founder of wealth management recruitment firm Somers Partnership, said those employed by the largest family offices, with assets of several billion, could earn "easily double or triple that". They may also receive bonuses of up to $400,000, according to the Family Office Club. Other rewards include use of the family's properties or private jets.
The study aims to illuminate how family offices create dynasties by maintaining the wealth and lifestyles of the global super-rich. Co-author Luna Glucksberg attended a family-offices conference in a hotel in a converted castle in the Swiss Alps, which heard that only 10% of super-rich families manage to retain their wealth over three generations.
Family office associations said children could be incentivised to generate their own wealth by match-funding: giving them a sum from the family's assets equivalent to their independent earning. Johnston said some family offices encouraged entrepreneurship by enabling the offspring of the super-wealthy to turn their hobbies into businesses. For example, he said the son of a Middle East magnate, who had no interest in the family business, was given funding to set up a gallery because he collected art.


As the war on single-use plastic gathers pace, UK consumers have given their support to the Government's deposit recycle scheme. Consumer alsosay cutting plastic waste is as big a national issue as Brexit.
delineate carried out a nationally representative online study of UK adults to measure their attitudes towards recycling schemes. The study covers domestic recycling, plastic bag use, grocery packaging and bottles. To download the research, click here.
More than eight out of 10 of respondents (82 percent) say they support the plastic bottle deposit scheme, and over half (53 percent) say they are actively trying to buy groceries that are not sold in plastic packaging.
Plastic waste is as big a concern in the public's view as Brexit (Brexit 34 percent, plastic waste 35 percent, neither 23 percent).
73 percent have heard about the plastic bottle deposit scheme and 82 percent are in favour of it.
53 percent say the bottle deposit scheme is their preference, while 35 percent prefer council kerbside collection.
Awareness of campaigns such as International Plastic Bag Day and other causes to eradicate the use of plastic straws however remains low.
Just one in 10 people say they have heard of such programmes, which suggests more needs to be done by Government and businesses to put their support behind both causes.
delineate founder and CEO James 'JT' Turner, said: "There is a real willingness from the UK public to change their relationship with plastic, so it is upon the supermarkets, retailers and food industry to help make that change.


2 Shows at Dia de Los Muertos…CD RELEASE!
"Curandera" by the Los Angeles band Alarma narrates the tale of a medicine woman whose spirit weaves through an assortment of cultures and time periods. When we have lost our way, the Curandera is one of those great healers and teachers who has been known to come find us, re-connecting us with nature and our inner potential. With fast-paced percussion, melodic flamenco rock-inspired riffs, and a pulsating dance beat, the song pays homage to a universal feminine energy and wisdom. Look closely, Las Curanderas are all around us.
© 2019 Alarma – Official Website. All Rights Reserved.


In honour of both International Women's Day (Thursday 8th March), and the centenary of women's right to vote, the publishing house Penguin will be opening a pop-up bookshop that will stock works by over 240 female writers, including Kate Atkinson, Anne Frank, Jacqueline Wilson and Simone de Beauvoir.
It's an initiative that they've described as a celebration of the 'way that women contribute, often under the radar, to every facet of society' and recognises female figures who have 'made a difference or fought for change' in such areas as politics, art, science, sports and culture.
The shop, which is called 'Like A Woman', will open on East London's trendy Rivington Street from 5th-9th March. And instead of classic bookshop categorising, the titles will be organised in a new browsing system, 'by impact the author has had on culture, history or society'. Categories will include 'essential feminist reads', 'inspiring young readers' and 'women to watch', among others. Shoppers will also have the chance to purchase books to be donated to Solace Women's Aid, a charity providing practical and emotional support to over 11,000 survivors of domestic violence in London each year.
'Like A Woman' will also be offering a full itinerary of events and talks alongside shelves heaving with the very best in female literature, with such participants as Booker-Prize shortlisted writer Deborah Levy included in an evening of essays and stories from the female perspective, while food writer Melissa Hemsley will present a live recording of the Live.Life.Better podcast with Holly Branson.
And if you can't make it down to the shop in person, you can follow all the action online and on social media by following the hashtag #LikeAWoman.
Find 'Like a Woman' at 1-3 Rivington Street EC2A, March 5-9.


The Big Red Looks to push Michigan in the Legends Division.
Optimism about the offense begins with quarterback Taylor Martinez, a fourth-year starter. He has been risk-reward throughout his career, however. Last season, for example, he set school records with 3,890 yards of total offense and 33 touchdowns passing and rushing. His passing yardage and TD passes were both the third-most in Husker history, and he was only the fourth Nebraska quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. On the negative side, he was turnover-prone, losing 8-of-16 fumbles and throwing 12 interceptions.
Ameer Abdullah was technically the No. 2 tailback but stepped up when the departed Rex Burkhead battled a knee injury, starting seven games and rushing for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns. Imani Cross, the only other experienced I-back, is trying to prove that he's more than a third-down back.
The top three receivers return: Kenny Bell, Quincy Enunwa and Jamal Turner. But Jake Long is the only experienced tight end, a position at which the Huskers have traditionally been solid.
The line again is built around first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America guard Spencer Long, an aggressive run-blocker, as well as three veteran tackles.
Coach Bo Pelini is spending more time with the defense, his area of expertise, a change that began a year ago. In addition, the defensive staff has a year's worth experience working with second-year coordinator John Papuchis. Line coach Rick Kaczenski and secondary coach Terry Joseph were new last season; linebackers coach Ross Els was new the year before.
There's experience and depth in the secondary. Cornerbacks Ciante Evans, Andrew Green, Josh Mitchell and Stanley Jean-Baptiste all have been starters.
In contrast, the defensive line has only two players with significant experience — end Jason Ankrah and tackle Thad Randle, who battled injuries last season. The plan is to utilize several players up front, some of whom could play both inside and outside.
The starting linebackers are new, with Zaire Anderson, a former junior college transfer who started one game in 2012 before undergoing knee surgery, and David Santos leading the way. True freshman Courtney Love might make an immediate impact.
Taylor Martinez, QB – Has a Nebraska-record 39 starts at quarterback and ranks eighth all-time in rushing with 2,858 yards and 31 rushing TDs.
Ameer Abdullah, IB – Rushed for 1,137 yards and eight TDs, earning coaches' second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Kenny Bell, WR – Second-team All-Big Ten pick caught 50 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kicking hasn't been a concern under for Nebraska under Pelini, with Alex Henery for three seasons and then Brett Maher the last two seasons. Mauro Bondi backed up Maher two seasons ago then redshirted in 2012. Unlike Maher or Henery, Bondi was a scholarship recruit, with an impressive résumé out of high school. He has kicked only one extra point at Nebraska, however, so he's an unknown quantity. Henery and Maher punted as well, and Bondi could follow them. But redshirt freshman walk-on Sam Foltz appears to have the edge there. The loss of long-snapper P.J. Mangieri also is significant.
Entering his sixth season at Nebraska, Pelini has gotten the program back on track, winning at least nine games in each of his five seasons and playing for a conference title three times. But the Huskers have yet to win a conference championship, and they've lost their last three bowls.
The offense is championship caliber and is directed by a veteran quarterback. The main concern is the development of a line with two new starters. And the defense is inexperienced everywhere except at cornerback, and a question mark coming off a season in which it allowed a staggering 214 points and 2,380 yards in four losses.
The schedule sets up well, with eight home games and no Ohio State or Wisconsin in Big Ten interdivisional play. The Huskers could well be 8–0 going to Michigan in early November.
Which College Football Conference Has the Best Quarterbacks in 2013?


Color information hex 9ceeaa: RGB percentage, decimal and hexa, CMYK, HSL proportion, color gradient, tints, shades, tons, palettes color and other inspirations!
The color hexa 9ceeaa is equivalent in RGB decimal 156, 238, 170 is 156 of red, 238 of green and 170 of blue. It can also be represented by the HSL (hue, saturation and lightness) parameters, which are 0.362 of hue (36), 0.707 of saturation (70) and 0.773 of lightness (77).


It has been a while since we have put up something here. Hence, we are pleased to announce that Visio Insights is back. You will see lots of posts coming from Visio team such as tips and tricks, know how etc. We will also collaborate with our partners to reach out to you through blogs here. Meanwhile you will continue to see release announcements on Office Visio blog while here we will have focused deep dive articles on Visio.


text:
NSW Premier Mike Baird should have mentioned counter-terrorism changes at Sydney meeting, Muslim leaders say
By state political reporter Sarah Gerathy
Posted TueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 6:26amTueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 6:26am , updated TueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 7:32amTueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 7:32am
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has been criticised for not mentioning tough new counter-terrorism laws at a meeting with Muslim community leaders held in Sydney, hours before the announcement.
Mr Baird and NSW Police Minister Troy Grant announced on Monday night they had written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pushing for tougher national security laws in the wake of the fatal shooting at NSW Police Headquarters at Parramatta on October 2.
Teenage gunman Farhad Jabar shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng soon after attending the Parramatta Mosque a few blocks away.
But Silma Ihram from the Muslim Women's Association said community leaders, including the Grand Mufti of Australia and the chairman of Parramatta Mosque, should have been briefed about the plan when they attended a meeting at the Premier's office in Sydney just hours earlier.
"I think it's very unfortunate. When you go to consultation, you expect there's going to be the opportunity to hear what the Government's going to do before they do it," Ms Ihram said.
"It certainly took us by surprise, especially since they were announced shortly after the meeting.
"We don't believe they are going to be beneficial to Australian society as a whole and it certainly is going to feed straight into the narrative of Daesh (another name for Islamic State)... so it's really a major problem and it's going to make things worse, unfortunately."
Attendees at the meeting discussed countering violent extremism. (Fairfax Media)
Ms Ihram said the proposals would not have been well received by Muslim leaders at the meeting.
"I think if they'd bought it up... there would have been such a reaction that the meeting would have gone into absolute chaos, because we were already stating how the securitisation is already having such a negative effect on the community," she said.
The proposed measures include subjecting teenagers as young as 14 to control orders and increasing the length of time that terror suspects can be detained without charge.
Reform needs 'firm legal and logical basis'
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley, who attended the meeting, also questioned why the new proposals were not mentioned.
"I do have to say I'm surprised that it was raised after yesterday's meeting, not at the meeting or before it," Mr Foley said.
Mr Foley said he supported lowering the age for control order but had reservations about extending the period that people could be held without charge.
"I don't think governments should simply enact new measures just to be seen to be doing something," he said.
"There has to be a firm legal and logical basis for such a reform – and I'm yet to hear it," he said.
Former NSW director of public prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery went further, questioning the need for new terrorism laws at all.
"We don't need more laws. We already have more in this area than any other developed western country," Mr Cowdery said.
"We need to be very careful to balance appropriately the measures adopted for public protection and the human rights of members of the community in the laws enacted and in the way they are enforced."
Mr Baird said the events in Parramatta 11 days ago showed the changes to the legislation are necessary.
"Our police must have the powers they need to hunt down those that are determined to take away our values and freedoms, that are determined to take away innocent lives," he said.
"They can't have that. And that's why we need to respond to our police and the request for these powers."
Mr Grant also defended the timing of the announcement.
"Yesterday wasn't the time or place to have that conversation," he said.
Teen arrested in Sydney terror raids held for further 68 hours
Baird meets with police, Muslim leaders to discuss radicalisation
PM's plea for mutual respect after 'brutal murder' in Parramatta
'We refuse and reject any form of terrorist activities': Grand Mufti
Parramatta a 'hot spot' for extremism, terrorism expert says
Posted 13 OctOctober 2015TueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 6:26am , updated 13 OctOctober 2015TueTuesday 13 OctOctober 2015 at 7:32am
Gunman behind 'cold-blooded murder' in Parramatta identified
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W-League's next generation already showing Matildas credentials


text:
Q: StreamWriter.WriteLine not writing in new line I am using the following code to write a DataTable to text file.
Using sbData As New StreamWriter(fileName, False, Encoding.UTF32)
    sbData.Write(String.Join("\t", dataTable.Columns.Cast(Of DataColumn)().Select(Function(arg) arg.ColumnName.Trim())))
    sbData.WriteLine()
    For Each dataRow As DataRow In dataTable.Rows
        sbData.Write(String.Join("\t", dataRow.ItemArray.Select(Function(arg) arg.ToString().Trim())))
        sbData.WriteLine()
    Next
    sbData.Flush()
    sbData.Close()
End Using

Data is getting written to the text file but neither \t (tab) is working nor WriteLine.
Instead of tab I am getting "\ t" in the text file and everything is in continuation.
Any one having any idea whats wrong here?

A: "\t" only works in the curly brace languages, like C#, you have to use vbTab in VB.NET.
Using utf32 is just plain weird and the reason that WriteLine() doesn't seem to work. Whatever program you use to look at the file does not expect it and will guess at the wrong encoding.  Also the reason you saw a space in "\ t".  Writing a BOM is not optional when you use unusual encodings. Do strongly consider using Encoding.UTF8 instead, the default for StreamWriter.

A: Problem solved:
For tab I used ControlChars.Tab and it works perfectly.
For WriteLine I guess it has something to do with Encoding. I switched from UTF32 to Unicode and it started working.
Will try to find what exactly was the issue but for now problem is solved :-)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Showing recent results 2236 - 2250 of 4486 products found.
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This Centre zero instruments help to read the voltage irrespective of polarity.


text:
Q: ajax call that returns json file im trying to figure out what the easiest way would be. i have a to do an api call for data i get a json file in return but im trying to parse the data to php so that my website would just pull from the database. do i have to create all the same fields that the api call is using for instance name gender age height. and then do i name it something else so i can call from my webpage. because in order to get a nfl player it gives me a 16 digit code and i want it just to be say tom brady
i have used javascript to pull the data but dont know what to do from there
"players": [{
        "name": "Kyle Rudolph",
        "jersey": "82",
        "last_name": "Rudolph",
        "first_name": "Kyle",
        "abbr_name": "K.Rudolph",
        "preferred_name": "Kyle",
        "birth_date": "1989-11-09",
        "weight": 265.0,
        "height": 78,
        "status": "A01",
        "id": "1059e9dc-97df-4643-9116-883a0573d8b1",
        "position": "TE",
        "birth_place": "Cincinnati, OH, USA",
        "high_school": "Elder (OH)",
        "college": "Notre Dame",
        "college_conf": "Independent",
        "rookie_year": 2011,
        "draft": {
            "year": 2011,
            "round": 2,
            "number": 43,
            "team": {
                "name": "Vikings",
                "market": "Minnesota",
                "alias": "MIN",
                "id": "33405046-04ee-4058-a950-d606f8c30852"
            }
        },

A: John, you don't have to use the same names.  Once your PHP receives data from the API, parse it into whatever names you want, ignore the values you don't need etc... For example, suppose the API gives you a first and last name, but in your database you only care about full name. As another example, if the API gives you player weight in pounds but you need it in kilograms:
$api_result = file_get_contents($url);
$api_data = json_decode($api_result);
$name = "$api_data->last, $api_data->first"
$weight = $api_data->weight * 0.454; //convert pounds to kg for storage

Now you can store $name and $weight in your DB as you like. When your website pulls data from your backend, the shape of the data produced by the API doesn't matter because you stored it in the shape that is most helpful to your application