text:
Q: This Python Tkinter calculator I made isn't working properly This Tkinter Calculator I made isn't working properly.
This is the code for it:
from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
root.geometry("350x200")
root.title("Calculator")

e1 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e1.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e1.insert(0, "0")

e2 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e2.grid(row=1, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e2.insert(0, "0")

First_number = float(e1.get())
Second_number = float(e2.get())

add = Button(root, text="Add", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda: add(First_number, Second_number))
add.grid(row=3, column=0)

sub = Button(root, text="Subtract", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda: sub(First_number, Second_number))
sub.grid(row=3, column=1)

mul = Button(root, text="Multiply", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda: mul(First_number, Second_number))
mul.grid(row=3, column=2)

div = Button(root, text="Divide", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda: div(First_number, Second_number))
div.grid(row=3, column=3)

e3 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5, font=("Arial", 10))
e3.grid(row=4, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=20)
e3.insert(0, "0")

def add(First_number, Second_number):
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number + Second_number)

def sub(First_number, Second_number):
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number - Second_number)

def mul(First_number, Second_number):
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number * Second_number)

def div(First_number, Second_number):
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number / Second_number)

root.mainloop()

When the program is run, The widgets show up correctly and the input boxes work, but After I input the first and second numbers and click on an operation (add, subtract, multiply, or divide) the input box for the answer shows 0.0
What should I do?

A: This is because you set values of First_number and  Second_number before entering the value in entry the default value of entry is 0 which is set as the First_number and  Second_number values. Then you get the 0 in all the situations and ZeroDivisionError in division.
One more suggestion is your function and button names are the same. Which is not a good practice. You can change the name add to add_btn and sub to sub_btn etc.
This is the formatted code.
from tkinter import *

def add():

    First_number = float(e1.get())
    Second_number = float(e2.get())
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number + Second_number)

def sub():

    First_number = float(e1.get())
    Second_number = float(e2.get())
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number - Second_number)

def mul():

    First_number = float(e1.get())
    Second_number = float(e2.get())
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number * Second_number)

def div():

    First_number = float(e1.get())
    Second_number = float(e2.get())
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number / Second_number)

root = Tk()
root.geometry("350x200")
root.title("Calculator")

e1 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e1.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e1.insert(0, "0")

e2 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e2.grid(row=1, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e2.insert(0, "0")

add_btn = Button(root, text="Add", padx=10, pady=10, command=add)
add_btn.grid(row=3, column=0)

sub_btn = Button(root, text="Subtract", padx=10, pady=10, command=sub)
sub_btn.grid(row=3, column=1)

mul_btn = Button(root, text="Multiply", padx=10, pady=10, command=mul)
mul_btn.grid(row=3, column=2)

div_btn = Button(root, text="Divide", padx=10, pady=10, command=div)
div_btn.grid(row=3, column=3)

e3 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5, font=("Arial", 10))
e3.grid(row=4, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=20)
e3.insert(0, "0")

root.mainloop()

One more way is using global. I suggest you use the above case because using the global keyword is not a good practice.
from tkinter import *
First_number = 0
Second_number = 0
def first_second():
    global First_number,Second_number
    First_number = float(e1.get())
    Second_number = float(e2.get())
def add():
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number + Second_number)

def sub():
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number - Second_number)

def mul():
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number * Second_number)

def div():
    e3.delete(0, END)
    e3.insert(0, First_number / Second_number)

root = Tk()
root.geometry("350x200")
root.title("Calculator")

e1 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e1.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e1.insert(0, "0")

e2 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5)
e2.grid(row=1, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=10)
e2.insert(0, "0")

add_btn = Button(root, text="Add", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda :[first_second(),add()])
add_btn.grid(row=3, column=0)

sub_btn = Button(root, text="Subtract", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda :[first_second(),sub()])
sub_btn.grid(row=3, column=1)

mul_btn = Button(root, text="Multiply", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda :[first_second(),mul()])
mul_btn.grid(row=3, column=2)

div_btn = Button(root, text="Divide", padx=10, pady=10, command=lambda :[first_second(),div()])
div_btn.grid(row=3, column=3)

e3 = Entry(root, width=35, borderwidth=5, font=("Arial", 10))
e3.grid(row=4, column=0, columnspan=3, padx=10, pady=20)
e3.insert(0, "0")


Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins on Tuesday made a 'bold' claim that Indian skipper Virat Kohli will not be able to score a century when India visit the country later this year. India are set to play a four-Test series Down Under from November, and Cummins, who hopes to be a part of the Australia squad, said that Australia will win the series. Speaking to reporters at a Channel 7 event in Sydney, the 25-year old said, "My brave, bold prediction; I'd say I think Virat Kohli is not going to get a hundred and we're going to knock them off over here," he said.
Kohli enjoys a terrific record in Australia, with five Test centuries under his name. The 29-year old averages 62 in the eight Tests he has played in the country, which is more than his career average of 53.40.
Former Australia seamer Glenn McGrath further went on to predict that Australia will win the series 4-0. "I want to see Australians put pressure on Kohli and just see how he handles it. It's going to be a good, hard, tough series. Kohli has got a bit of an aggressive attitude, but showed last time he was out here he's not going to take a backward step," he said.
He further added that Australia will look to target Kohli. "The Windies of the late 70s, early 80s were an incredible team and they used to target the captain of the opposition team and get on top of him and have a big impact. I tried to bring that in by targeting players when I played.
"If you get on top of them, the No.1 player and their captain, it makes the job so much easier. If they can get on top of Kohli I think it can have a big effect on the game," he said.
India will be touring Australia for the 12th time this summer. They are yet to win a Test series in 11 attempts, having drawn in 1981, 1985 and 2003. India have won just five out of the 44 Tests.


text:
The TRADE > News > Regulation > EC proposes respite for derivatives clearing
Regulation, TheTRADE Derivatives November 24, 2016 6:48 AM GMT
EC proposes respite for derivatives clearing
The EC has set out a series of proposals to ease the capital rules for banks and the clearing requirements for some buy-side firms.
By Joe Parsons
The European Commission (EC) has proposed an easing of clearing and collateral requirements for smaller buy-side firms, as well as changes to implementing stricter capital rules for banks.
The EC published its review of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) conceding there should be a review of the clearing and margining requirements for non-financial companies, pension funds and smaller financial institutions.
The review comes after the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) recommended a further two year delay of the clearing mandate for pension funds.
Most notably for the banking industry is the EC's decision to ease implementation of the leverage ratio by proposing an offset for client collateral when calculating exposures for clearing banks.
The primary concern for clearing banks is how the Basel III leverage ratio framework treats collateral, in which client segregated margin is treated as part of the total leverage ratio calculation, requiring more capital from banks.
"The primary concern for clearing banks is how the Basel III framework treats collateral, in which client segregated margin is treated as part of the total leverage ratio calculation, requiring more capital from banks," said Walt Lukken, president and CEO of the Futures Industry Association (FIA).
"We're looking forward to reviewing this proposal in more detail and considering its impact on the listed and cleared derivatives industry."
The EC has also proposed a new framework allowing additional time for recognising qualifying central counterparties (QCCPs), a new method for calculating the exposure value of derivatives transactions, and changes to the capitalisation exposures for CCPs.
"Today, we have put forward new risk reduction proposals that build on the agreed global standards while taking into account the specificities of the European banking sector," stated Valdis Dombrovskis, the EC's vice president for financial stability, financial services and capital markets union.
Tagged: clearing, EMIR, European Commission, leverage ratio
« Eris snaps up former NLX sales veteran Helps

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Selenium css selectors on element with huge list of classes I've been working on automation of a product that uses Dojo. The html I'm working with is very messy.. I need to click on div that has following css selector

div.dijit.dijitReset.dijitInline.dijitLeft.dijitTextBox.dijitComboBox.dijitDateTextBox.dijitValidationTextBox.dijitTextBoxError.dijitComboBoxError.dijitDateTextBoxError.dijitValidationTextBoxError.dijitError

I'm using firefinder plugin in Firefox and it can see the element all the time, out of 2 chrome plugins I have (CSS selector tester and CSS and Xpath checker) only the first one can find the element.
When I run my selenium code I get org.openqa.selenium.NoSuchElementException.
I tried selecting classes with . and with [class=".."] as well and both failed.
Is there some selenium limitation on how many classes you can have assigned to your element before it stops seeing an element? What stable approach can I use to make my tests work?

A: Use FirePath plugin in firefox and look for unique classes so you only have 1 unique selector. Also look up CSS selectors, they will help you in the long run
http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_selectors.asp

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
If you see a very tall, rock feature that looks like a jagged, rectangular block sticking out of the ground, you're probably observing a _____. lava dome, geyser, volcanic neck, or flood basalt plateau
If you see a very tall, rock feature that looks like a jagged, rectangular block sticking out of the ground, you're probably observing a volcanic neck.
Lenicia is a waitress and just received $12.45 for a tip for a meal that cost $56.75. Is the percentage of her tip above or below the standard 15%? above 15% below 15%
mroz
Lenicia is a waitress and just received $12.45 for a tip for a meal that cost $56.75. The percentage of her tip is above the standard 15%.
15% of $56.75 = 0.15 * 56.75= $8.50 ; 8.50< 12.45.
Lenicia is a waitress and just received $12.45 for a tip for a meal that cost $56.75. the tip percentage is above the standard 15%.
$56.75×0.15=$8.51 which would be a 15% tip.
In the sixth century, an outbreak of killed forty percent of Constantinople's population. Ebola SARS bubonic plague cholera
Updated 265 days ago|4/30/2020 12:38:44 PM
In the sixth century, an outbreak of bubonic plague killed forty percent of Constantinople's population.
Added 265 days ago|4/30/2020 12:38:44 PM
As the principal Federal official for domestic incident management, the Secretary of Homeland Security coordinates the Federal resources utilized in the prevention of, preparation for, response to, or recovery from terrorist attacks, major disasters, or other emergencies. true or false
As the principal Federal official for domestic incident management, the Secretary of Homeland Security coordinates the Federal resources utilized in the prevention of, preparation for, response to, or recovery from terrorist attacks, major disasters, or other emergencies. TRUE.
Dee Joy
Added 169 days ago|8/5/2020 6:19:51 AM


Purpose: An award given to a GWNC stakeholder(s) that honors a wide range of service, dedication or commitment to enhancing and/or improving the Greater Wilshire neighborhood.
The nominee performed, created or developed an activity and/or public service (volunteer or other) that positively enhanced and/or impacted the Greater Wilshire neighborhood.
The nominee contributed to the community through an act, achievement or service that directly or indirectly advanced the opportunities and/or benefited others in the Greater Wilshire neighborhood.
The nominee has demonstrated a clear commitment and/or civic pride by performing an outstanding act or achievement or by rendering distinguished service to the improvement of the Greater Wilshire neighborhood.
The nominee must be a stakeholder, child/dependent of a stakeholder, college‐enrolled child /dependent of a stakeholder or a student enrolled in a school within the boundaries of the GWNC.


text:
Home News Light at end of tunnel for Czech services as government drops COVID pass
Light at end of tunnel for Czech services as government drops COVID pass
by jcp February 10, 2022
By Jiri Skacel
PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech restaurant and hotel operators saw light at the end of the tunnel on Thursday as the government cancelled rules requiring vaccination certificates to enter restaurants and events as Omicron infections started to ebb.
Hotels and restaurants in Prague, a prime tourist destination, have suffered badly throughout the pandemic and now hope restrictions will not come back.
"The relaxation means guests can come without any restriction or persecution, that's of course welcome… This has been long for everyone, not just us in gastronomy but the entire society," said Tomas Lachman, a manager at Oblaca Restaurant at Prague's TV tower, 66 metres above the city.
The Czech Republic is the latest European country to ease restrictions, as the government hopes the peak of the Omicron wave is over. Sweden lifted most restrictions on Wednesday.
The country of 10.7 million has suffered one of the world's highest death tolls per capita with 37,660 victims to date. Daily infections peaked at 57,232 on Feb. 1, falling to 29,059 on Wednesday.
Enforcement of the vaccination certificate requirement has been weak and many pubs did not require guests to show them. Some actively refused to follow the rules.
"We were in a perverse situation where those who followed the rules suffered while those who didn't give a damn and even declared it openly were making money," said Tomas Prouza, head of a lobby group for commerce and tourism, welcoming the end of the system.
"The numbers are going down, hospitals are not full, this is a time when we have to start living normally."
The number of people in hospital has still been going up, to 3,784 on Tuesday, but is far below peaks of over 9,000 in March last year. The number of patients in serious condition was at just over 10% of the peak.
The government maintained a mask mandate indoors and on public transport, as well as limits to the size of audiences at culture and sports events.
Mandatory regular testing at schools and workplaces will end on Feb 18.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday that most remaining restrictions would be lifted from March.
Katerina Joklova, general manager at Vienna House Andel's Prague Hotel, said it had an occupancy rate of 10-15% and any relaxation was welcome.
"It is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel, a sign that we are getting back to normal life."
(Reporting by Jiri Skacel, writng by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Nick Macfie)
COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world
UPDATE: The growth and shares of large corporations are at their highest, despite the pandemic
Exclusive: Volvo readies EV blitz in biggest product...


text: A generic boilerplate for Cordova/Phonegap (5.1.1 or greater)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Arsenal Line-ups
Arsenal: We Won the League at Ayresome Park – 1935
by Mark Andrews
Arsenal League Champions 1934-35
In the 1930's Arsenal won the league three times in a row: 1932-33, 1933-34 and 1934-35.
The first two of these triumphs were gained at the home of Chelsea, Stamford Bridge. The third and final triumph was also won away, at the home of Middlesbrough.
Alex James leads out the team in 1934-35
Date: Monday 22 April 1935
Competition: Football League Division One
Location: Ayresome Park
Referee: Albert Fogg (Bolton)
Middlesbrough 0
Arsenal 1 Drake 6 mins
Line-ups:
Middlesbrough: F Gibson, J Jennings, B Stuart, W Brown, B Baxter, J Martin, J Williams, B Yorston, G Camsell, T Coleman, F Warren.
Arsenal: A Wilson, G Male, B John, J Crayston, N Sidey, F Hill, T Rogers, R Bowden, T Drake, A James, P Beasley.
Undefeated in their previous twelve league games, and having led the First Division since the New Year, a win for Arsenal, along with Sunderland failing to win, would make The Gunners champions.
A heavy schedule had taken its toll and they would have to do without the services of Eddie Hapgood, Herbie Roberts and Cliff Bastin who were all injured. Middlesbrough goalkeeper Joe Hillier missed his first game of the season having been made the fall guy for the 0-8 loss at Highbury three days earlier, a game in which Ted Drake hit four.
Although the two teams were at opposite ends of the table, the opening exchanges were very even. Ray Bowden tested Fred Gibson early on whilst Bob Baxter earned the crowd's appreciation after cutting out a pass from Alex James that would have put Drake through on goal. At the other end Joey Williams twice tested Alex Wilson in quick succession.
After just six minutes Arsenal got the goal they so desperately wanted. This time James managed to thread the perfect through ball for Drake who left the Middlesbrough defence in his wake. From just outside the penalty area he lashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net despite the efforts of the advancing Gibson.
Goalscrorer Ted Drake and architect Alex James
Following the goal it looked like Arsenal were going to hand out another thrashing with Pat Beasley, Tim Rogers and Ray Bowden giving the Boro' defence a torrid time.
The home team then composed themselves and managed to push forward. Unfortunately their forwards had left their shooting boots at home as George Camsell, Tim Coleman and Freddie Warren all managed shots but none proved effective.
The second half saw Middlesbrough play some scintillating football, defiant of their league position. At times they swarmed around the Arsenal goalmouth, the forwards lining up to take shots. However, Arsenal had the meanest defence in the First Division for good reason and held fast.
Middlesbrough didn't have it all their own way, though. Arsenal's midfield played the perfect game, aiding the defence and providing the attack with ammunition for James to display his wizardry.
Neither team managed to find the net in the remainder of this exhilarating game, and the final score was 1-0 to The Arsenal.
At Preston, Sunderland could only draw and, so, Arsenal were crowned champions for the third successive season, a feat that would not be repeated for 50 years.
No one was happier than George Allison, born close to Middlesbrough he was for a brief time before moving to London the 'Boro assistant secretary manager, and he had managed the Arsenal to win the league in his first full season in charge
Post-match comments:
Arsenal chairman Sir Samuel Hill-Wood: "Next season we shall try to surpass the record we now hold with Huddersfield of three consecutive championships."
"Without doubt it was team spirit which brought us the championship this season. We had to play many reserves, but that did not matter, for every player did his best. Every man played splendidly."
For this match at Middlesbrough the following injuries were apparent, which explains the Chairman's comments:
Wilf Copping had been injured during the game versus Everton in mid March. He did not play in the rest of the season and in mid April was recommended for a cartilage operation by a specialist. Consequently he missed all of the Championship run in and was replaced by Frank Hill
Cliff Bastin was out for a number of games at the end of the season after the initial home game against 'Boro. He was replaced by Pat Beasley.
Eddie Hapgood was out of this game with a septic knee. He was replaced by Bob John
Herbie Roberts too was missing. He was replaced by Norman Sidey
Joe Hulme and his deputy Alf Kirchen were both out injured, so Ehud Rogers took their place on the wing.
Links to the match or players:
Not only did referee Albert Fogg preside over the championship winning game, the following week he was the man in the middle for the FA Cup final.
Two Middlesbrough players, Joey Williams and 'Tim' Coleman had both previously played for Arsenal.
Ted Drake's goal was his 42nd in the League this season, breaking Jack Lambert's previous club record of 38. Ted's record still stands today.
The rest of the season:
Arsenal's last two games saw them beat Leicester 5-3 followed by an uncharacteristic home defeat by Derby. The latter game saw the Highbury crowd swarm on to the pitch after the final whistle, calling for the winners.
This defeat left Middlesbrough in the relegation places along with Tottenham. A win and a draw in their final two games saw them climb above Leicester who dropped into the Second Division with the Middlesex club.
Arsenal were invited to a number of post season tours to many places including Moscow and Brazil, but instead the triple champions only close season game was at Norwich. On 6 May, two days after the season ended, they won the Norfolk And Norwich Hospital Cup by beating Norwich City 1-0.
Other 1934-35 Facts:
In March, 73,295 had watched Arsenal draw with Sunderland at Highbury, the biggest ever crowd at Arsenal's old home. This was one of three attendances over 70,000 at an Arsenal game this season.
Arsenal conceded just 46 league goals, their fewest since football resumed after World War One.
The 74 goals scored at Highbury is the most ever registered by the club for a home League campaign. Overall Arsenal scored 115 goals in the league, and 124 if both FA Cup and Charity Shield are taken into account
In a never since repeated quirk, there was an ABCD of champions: Arsenal (First Division), Brentford (Second Division), Charlton (Third Division South) and Doncaster (Third Division North).
Andy's original article
Don't forget to subscribe to the blog (top right).
Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal's early years
The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal – crowd behaviour at the early matches
Categories Select Category Dial Square (5) Directors (19) Games (94) Grounds (37) Kits (8) Managers (129) Arsene Wenger (22) Arthur Kennedy (3) Bertie Mee (14) Billy Wright (2) Bruce Rioch (4) Don Howe (2) George Allison (12) George Graham (11) George Morrell (2) Harry Bradshaw (4) Herbert Chapman (20) Jack Crayston (2) James McEwen (1) Joe Shaw (1) Leslie Knighton (6) Pat Rice (1) Phil Kelso (35) Terry Neill (8) Thomas Mitchell (2) Tom Whittaker (8) Unai Emery (1) William Elcoat (2) Players (93) Players – A (8) Players – B (13) Players – C (8) Players – D (8) Players – F (2) Players – G (5) Players – H (7) Players – J (8) Players – K (2) Players – L (7) Players – M (11) Players – N (1) Players – O (3) Players – P (3) Players – R (9) Players – S (14) Players – V (1) Players – W (8) Royal Arsenal (12) The Arsenal (68) Uncategorized (56) Woolwich Arsenal (61)
Angry of Islington
Arsenal On This Day
Arsenal One Two Five
Puma Arsenal News
She Wore (A Yellow Ribbon)
The AFC Podcast
The Hot Stepanovs
The Life of Henry Norris
Follow Andy on Twitter
Follow Mark on Twitter
© Copyright 2020 - The Arsenal History


text:
Аеропорт Ноатак (),  — державний цивільний аеропорт, розташований в 1,85 кілометрах на південний захід від району Ноатак (Аляска), США.

Операційна діяльність
Аеропорт Ноатак розташований на висоті 27 метрів над рівнем моря і експлуатує одну злітно-посадкову смугу:
 1/19 розмірами 1219 x 18 метрів з гравійним покриттям.

Авіакомпанії і пункти призначення

Примітки

Посилання
 FAA Alaska airport diagram (GIF)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Chinese tiremaker picks North Carolina site for major plant
By Associated Press | Tuesday, December 19, 2017, 11 a.m.
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Chinese tiremaker is moving more aggressively into the U.S. market, announcing plans Tuesday for a North Carolina factory that is to eventually employ 800 and produce six million tires a year.
A state committee that administers large corporate tax breaks approved plans to coax Triangle Tire to rural Edgecombe County, about 65 miles (100 kilometers) east of the state capital of Raleigh. The $580 million plant is the first in the United States for the Weihai, a China-based maker of tires for passenger vehicles, trucks and buses and heavy equipment.
"We expect that this will provide a huge boost in brand awareness and interest in our products as we continue to expand our presence in the U.S.," Manny Cicero, CEO of the company's Triangle Tire USA subsidiary, said in a statement.
Triangle Tire could get up to $152 million in state and local tax breaks, worker training and other incentives if it meets hiring targets. The jobs are projected to pay an average wage of $56,450 a year, well above a county average of $32,642.
The company said in a disclosure to the Shanghai Stock Market last month that construction would start next year on a two-phase plan to first build a factory producing 5 million passenger cars a year. That would be followed by production lines churning out 1 million commercial vehicle tires a year. The company added that construction is expected to take two to three years for each project.
The Triangle factory marks at least the third Chinese tiremaker to build production plants in the U.S.
Wanli Tire Corp. said in June it plans to build a factory employing at least 400 people and later rising to 1,200 in South Carolina, America's tire-producing capital. Sentury Tire announced plans in 2016 to develop a $530 million factory in LaGrange, Ga.
Triangle was the third-largest tire Chinese manufacturer based on 2015 global sales, according to Tire Business, an Akron, Ohio-based trade newspaper. Triangle ranked 17th among tire companies in worldwide sales, the newspaper estimated.
The plant is to be located on a nearly 1,500-acre (600-hectare) site between Rocky Mount and Tarboro, which was offered as a location to potential manufacturers needing lots of space by the economic development groups that assembled it. The site is near the major Interstate 95 road corridor and borders a CSX Transportation rail line. Triangle's operation would use about 400 acres (160 hectares) of that site, state Commerce Department spokesman David Rhodes said.
Triangle Tire has exported to the U.S. market for more than two decades and established its U.S. subsidiary in Franklin, Tennessee, nearly two years ago, the company's web site said.
Its parent company, Triangle Tyre Co. Ltd., manufactures more than 25 million tires a year that are sold in more than 180 countries. The company's manufacturing systems are highly automated and the company is working on tires with built-in chips that monitor and collect information about road conditions, temperature and tire wear and damage.
Follow Emery P. Dalesio at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery .
Associated Press writer Joe McDonald contributed to this report from Bejing.
Honolulu high-rise developer pulls plan for 'poor door'
Official: Feds look at whether train engineer was distracted


text:
7 job scams that target millennials
David P. Willis
@dpwillis732
You can't even look for a job without having to dodge scammers.
The lure? Job ads on the web that tout the ability to work from home, a sought-after detail in today's job market.
FlexJobs estimates that there are 60 to 70 scams for every one legitimate job posting. And a recent survey of 2,600 job seekers found that 17 percent reported being the victim of a job scam at least once. Of those, 20 percent were millennials ages 20 to 29, the highest percentage of those being victimized.
Millennials "are really active in the online job market," said Brie Reynolds, director of online content for FlexJobs.com. "They are kind of putting themselves out there and therefore they are running into these things more often."
The goal? Get millennials to turn over their key personal information, such as a Social Security number, for identity fraud, or send money.
FlexJobs says watch out for these seven scams.
Copycat websites. Scammers may fake a company's website, including logos and brands. They'll try get to think you're talking with company employees and even put you through an interview. "You feel like you know the company," Reynolds said. For instance, GE has warned people about job scams, also called recruitment fraud.
Paying for a job. Don't pay money for startup fees, work-at-home kits or to get hired. It's a scam, FlexJobs said.
Envelope stuffing. Sorry, legitimate businesses don't ask you to sit and home and stuff envelopes all day.
Job offers via text messages. Real employers don't recruit via text message or instant message.
Generic job ads. Warning signs include advertisements that don't have details or contact information, or list contacts with personal email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo or AOL mail. Legitimate companies have a web presence with verifiable information, such as phone number, location, web address, employee or social media channels.
Package assembly jobs. The scams may promise a list of companies looking for people to assemble various products, but after you pay, work disappears.
Phishing scams. Be careful of jobs that require you to click on a link or asks for personal or financial information. Never share your personal information online.
So what should you do? Research, research, research. See if you can find the job listing on the company's own website, Reynolds said. Use search engines to find out whether the job has been associated with scams. (Try typing in the company name and the word "scam," Reynolds said.)
Talk to people in your network who have worked for the company, said William Hill, assistant dean of career services at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. Ask the company for details such as how long it's been in business, its location or whether it's hired for the position before, he said. "If a business doesn't have a website, to me that would be a flag," Hill said. "If they are not willing to interview you in person, that would be a flag."
"Use your gut feelings," he said.
Do you have a consumer problem that needs solving? Contact David P. Willis at 732-643-4042, pressonyourside@gannettnj.com or facebook.com/dpwillis732.


text:
Профессор Роберт Лэнгдон () — персонаж, созданный Дэном Брауном, являющийся главным героем его конспирологических романов: «Ангелы и демоны» (2001), «Код да Винчи» (2003), «Утраченный символ» (2009), «Инферно» (2013) и «Происхождение» (2017).

Лэнгдон — профессор истории искусств и религиозной «символогии» (вымышленная область, связанная с изучением исторических символов, методологически не связанной с существующей в реальности семиотики) в Гарвардском университете.

В экранизациях Рона Ховарда от студии Columbia Pictures роль профессора исполнил американский актёр Том Хэнкс. В телесериале «Утраченный символ» молодого Лэнгдона сыграл Эшли Цукерман.

Создание персонажа
Дэн Браун создал персонажа в качестве вымышленного альтер эго самого себя, рассматривая Лэнгдона как «человека, которым он хотел бы быть». Автор родился 22 июня 1964 года в Эксетере, штат Нью-Гэмпшир, в то время как Лэнгдон аналогичным образом появился на свет 22 июня и являлся уроженцем того же города, а также посещал ту же школу, что и Браун, — Академию Филлипса в Эксетере. Персонаж представлен как выдающийся исследователь, которого Браун назвал в честь Джона Лэнгдона, профессора книгопечатания из Дрексельского университета, известного благодаря созданию амбиграмм. Пример амбиграмм Лэнгдона фигурировал на обложке первого издания романа Брауна «Ангелы и демоны». Другие амбиграммы, представленные в романе, также были разработаны Лэнгдоном. На странице благодарностей Браун называет Лэнгдона «одним из самых гениальных и одарённых художников из ныне живущих... который блестяще справился с моей невыполнимой задачей и создал амбиграммы для этого романа». Кроме того, Джон Лэнгдон создал логотип для вымышленного Депозитарного банка Цюриха, который появляется в фильме «Код да Винчи».

В интервью для The New York Times Браун признался, что Джозеф Кэмпбелл послужил прототипом персонажа Лэнгдона:

Его труды по семиотике, сравнительному религиоведению и мифологии, в частности «Сила мифа» и «Тысячеликий герой», помогли мне создать основу для моего персонажа, Роберта Лэнгдона... Я помню, как восхищался обоснованными ответами Кэмпбелла и хотел, чтобы мой собственный персонаж Лэнгдон с уважением и пониманием относился к непростым духовным проблемам.

Кастинг и исполнение
В фильмах «Код да Винчи» 2006 года, «Ангелы и демоны» 2009 года и «Инферно» 2016 года роль Роберта Лэнгдона исполнил Том Хэнкс. Первоначальным выбором режиссёра Рона Ховарда на роль Лэнгдона был Билл Пэкстон, однако актёр отказался от участия в проекте сославшись на съёмки в сериале «Большая любовь». Лэнгдон — один из двух персонажей Хэнкса, наряду с шерифом Вуди, которых он сыграл несколько раз. Сам Хэнкс отметил, что возвращается к франшизе лишь в том случае, если ему и Ховарду кажется реальным адаптировать роман Брауна на большом экране.

В сериале «Утраченный символ» 2021 года профессора сыграл Эшли Цукерман, ранее не знакомым с творчеством Брауна, который вдохновлялся игрой Хэнкса и хотел изобразить персонажа в начале своего пути: «он не контролирует свои способности и не понимает точки зрения других людей, что делает его агрессивным, невнимательным, а его высокомерие и заносчивость не делают его благородным».

Биография вымышленного персонажа
Лэнгдон родился в городе Эксетер, штат Нью-Гэмпшир. Он описывается как «Харрисон Форд в твидовом костюме». От случая к случаю, будь то лекция или светское мероприятие, профессор носит водолазку, пиджак цвета хаки и лоферы из кордованской кожи. Постоянным элементом его имиджа являются часы с Микки Маусом, которые были подарены ему родителями на 10-й день рождения. Машина Лэнгдона — Saab 900 с автоматической КПП.

В старших классах учился в престижной школе — Академии Филлипса в Эксетере, где увлекался прыжками в воду. В студенческие годы, которые он провёл в Принстонском университете, Лэнгдон играл в водное поло. С 12 лет Лэнгдон страдает от клаустрофобии после падения в колодец в возрасте 7 лет. После смерти отца наставником Роберта стал Питер Соломон, председатель Смитсоновского института.

Будучи известным своими блестящим умением решать проблемы и гениальностью, Роберт обладает эйдетизмической памятью. В качестве профессора Гарвардского университета, Лэнгдон преподаёт иконологию и вымышленную науку под названием «симвология». Профессор — отличный пловец, который ежедневно плавает около 50 кругов и может длительное время не дышать под водой. По словам самого Роберта, он был воспитан католиком, но так и не смог понять Бога. В романе «Ангелы и демоны», в разговоре с камерарием он называет веру даром, который ему ещё предстоит получить.

Ангелы и демоны

Роберта Лэнгдона отправляется в штаб-квартиру ЦЕРН в Швейцарии в качестве специалиста по символогии, чтобы проконсультировать руководство организации на тему религиозно-символических последствий смерти их лучшего сотрудника Леонардо Ветры, католического священника, на теле которого было обнаружено клеймо иллюминатов. Позже к расследованию Лэнгдона присоединяется Виттория Ветра (приёмная дочь Леонардо), вместе с которой он прибывает в Ватикан, чтобы раскрыть тайну иллюминатов, антикатолического тайного общества, глубоко проникшего во многие мировые институты, — политические, экономические и религиозные. Лэнгдон и Ветра разгадывают тайну Иллюминатов, следуя Пути Просветления и, тем самым, раскрывают обстоятельства исчезновения четырёх кардиналов во время папского конклава, убийства Леонардо Ветры и кражу антиматерии (используемого для массового уничтожения вещества). В конце романа у Лэнгдона завязываются отношения с Витторией, однако, согласно «Коду да Винчи», какое-то время спустя они расстаются.

Код да Винчи

Роберт Лэнгдон приезжает в Париж, чтобы прочесть лекцию. Назначив встречу с Жаком Соньером, куратором Лувра, он с удивлением обнаруживает французскую полицию у дверей своего гостиничного номера. Они сообщают ему, что Соньер был убит, и просят его немедленно поехать с ними в Лувр и оказать помощь в расследовании. Лэнгдон не осознаёт, что на самом деле является главным подозреваемым в убийстве. Находясь в Лувре, он знакомится с молодым криптографом Софи Невё. Когда Лэнгдон и Софи получают возможность поговорить наедине, он узнаёт, что Жак Соньер был её дедушкой. Соньер поручил Софи «найти Роберта Лэнгдона», обозначив свою волю в оставленном на полу сообщении. Таким образом, Софи понимает, что Лэнгдон не был виновен в убийстве её деда. В дальнейшем Роберт и Софи сбегают от полиции и пытаются разгадать тайну древнего тайного общества, Приората Сиона, которое когда-то возглавлял Леонардо да Винчи. В конце романа Лэнгдон раскрывает тайну Марии Магдалины и Святого Грааля.

Утраченный символ

Роберт Лэнгдон прибывает в Вашингтон по просьбе своего друга и наставника Питера Соломона, с целью прочтения лекции. В Капитолии он обнаруживает отрубленную руку Соломона, который, как оказалось, был похищен таинственным Малахом, как и Питер являющимся масоном. Для того, чтобы стать совершенным, Малаху необходимо некое Утраченное слово, поэтому он поручает Лэнгдону раскрыть местоположение этого недостающего элемента. Ко всему прочему, Роберт становится мишенью ЦРУ во главе с Иноуэ Сато, но благодаря помощи Кэтрин Соломон, сестры Питера, в конечном итоге разгадывает тайну, содержащуюся в масонском храме Вашингтона.

Инферно

Лэнгдон просыпается в итальянской больнице, будучи лишённым воспоминаний о последних днях, которые привели его в Италию. Вскоре он понимает, что кто-то пытается его убить. Лэнгдон путешествует из Флоренции в Венецию и Стамбул с доктором Сиенной Брукс, чтобы предотвратить биологическую катастрофу, заключающуюся в распылении смертельного вируса, который был заложен клиентом теневой консалтинговой группы под названием Консорциум. В процессе своего путешествия Лэнгдон раскрывает загадки, используя аллюзии на работы Сандро Боттичелли, Джорджио Вазари и Данте Алигьери, автора эпической поэмы «Божественная комедия», вокруг которой вращается большая часть сюжета.

Происхождение

Роберт Лэнгдон посещает ультрасовременный Музей Гуггенхейма в Бильбао, будучи гостем на важном мероприятии — обнародовании открытия, которое «навсегда изменит представление о науке». Ведущий вечера — Эдмонд Кирш, сорокалетний миллиардер и футурист, чьи невероятные изобретения в области высоких технологий и смелые прогнозы сделали его всемирно известной фигурой. Кирш, который два десятилетия назад был одним из первых студентов Лэнгдона в Гарварде, вот-вот совершит поразительный прорыв, который ответит на два фундаментальных вопроса человеческого существования. Тем не менее, тщательно организованный вечер внезапно погружается в хаос, и драгоценное открытие Кирша балансирует на грани того, чтобы быть потерянным навсегда. Столкнувшись с неминуемой угрозой, Лэнгдон объединяет усилия с Амброй Видаль, директором музея, чтобы защитить наследие Кирша.

Библиография
Между романами «Код да Винчи», «Утраченный символ» и «Инферно» Лэнгдон написал 7 книг:

 «Символика тайных сект»
 «Искусство иллюминатов: Часть 1»
 «Забытый язык идеограмм»
 «Религиозная иконология»
 «Символы утраченного священного женского начала»
 «Христианские символы в мусульманском мире».
 «Христианство и священное женское начало»

В «Утраченном символе» упомянинается, что после публикации книга «Символы утраченного священного женского начала» вызвала «настоящий скандал». В «Происхождении» ИИ Уинстон упоминает, что книга «Христианство и священное женское начало» была осуждена Ватиканом и «быстро стала бестселлером».

Другие появления
Роберт Лэнгдон, озвученный Робертом Клотуорти, является главным героем игры The Da Vinci Code, основанной на одноимённом романе.

В 2022 году состоялась премьера пьесы «Код да Винчи», где роль Роберта Лэнгдона исполнил Найджел Харман.

Примечания

Ссылки
Официальный сайт, посвящённый Роберту Лэнгдону

Литературные герои
Вымышленные профессора
Вымышленные сыщики-любители
Дэн Браун
Вымышленные мужчины


text:
Current & Past Issues
Subscribe to VBR
e-Brief Sign-Up
Recreation & Tourism
Submit Your Event Photos
Technology Archive
TaskUs To Create Hundreds of Local Jobs
Featured News Technology Comments
A leading tech-enabled business services company, TaskUs, will be opening a new location in 2021 in Harlingen, bringing with it hundreds of jobs. The San Antonio-based company delivers CX, AI operations and content security to companies. "We are very excited for TaskUs to finally land and join our business community in Harlingen," said Mayor Chris Boswell. "TaskUs's award-winning, people-first culture, and their great employee perks and benefits are groundbreaking. We…
UTRGV Offers Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity
e-Brief Features Education News Technology Comments
UTRGV will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity starting Sept. 1. The program will teach students about information assurance, network and computer security, digital forensics, operating systems security and more. Students in the 120-hour program will study the security aspects of computing and cyberspace. This is central to the rapidly expanding security concerns in an ever-changing technological world. The program requires 50 advanced hours of instruction for core,…
STC Students to Earn Google IT Certificates
Education Featured News Technology Comments
South Texas College students pursuing a bachelor's degree in the Computer and Information Technologies Program will soon have the opportunity to improve their ability for employment in the IT industry with a Google IT Support Professional Certificate. A $10,000 grant by Jobs for the Future allows those pursing a bachelor's degree in the CITP program the opportunity to also complete a the certificate program. "The certificate impacts students by creating…
Hidalgo Website Offers Recovery Assistance
Business Advice Community Featured News Technology Comments
Hidalgo County's Hidalgo Cares website HidalgoCares.org is live to respond, recover and rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new community-based website provides recovery assistance information to businesses and individuals. It includes a guide to local restaurants, as well as utility assistance and housing information. There is also the latest information on economic recovery, and available resources for food, health, safety and education. Other helpful resources for bolstering…
Pointing a Business Skyward
Ricardo Cavazos, VBR content editor
News Technology Comments
Esteban Mejia Jr. has the restless energy of an Air Force veteran who once worked long shifts as a nuclear cruise technician. Returning home, the Mercedes native built an information technology business from scratch. He's now working to extend his brand. "My dad would tell me, growing up, 'Never back down from work,'' he said. "So I'm always thinking, 'what else, what else can I do?'" Mejia is the founder…
Partnership Provides Free Wi-Fi Hot Spots in McAllen
Community Featured News Technology Comments
The City of McAllen has recently made free Wi-Fi hot spots available throughout the city. The McAllen Independent School District made available equipment necessary for the connection points to provide the Wi-Fi spots. With public schools across the Rio Grande Valley going virtual through April, many families who do not have internet service in their homes are struggling to find a way to fulfill these assignments. "These are just some…
New Dual Credit Program Readies For Cybersecurity
The first cohort of students are now making their way through South Texas College's Dual Credit Cybersecurity Program. The program provides students from partnering area high schools the opportunity to pursue a certificate in the field of cybersecurity. Students participating in the Career and Technical Education pathway are on track to complete their Cybersecurity Specialist Certificate. Completion will come by the end of their senior years in high school.…
Rio Sports Broadens Sports Broadcasting
Joe Bowling grew up a Midwest kid listening to his heroes. It was the voices of legendary baseball broadcasters Jack Buck and Harry Carey that carried into Bowling's home in southeast Missouri. He was a baseball-crazed kid following his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. "It got into my blood," Bowling said of his love for sports and broadcasting. Those influences play out today as Bowling calls Rio Grande Valley sporting events…
Qualfon Continues Growth in Harlingen
e-Brief Features News Technology Comments
Qualfon Data Services LLC is already producing more than $8 million annually into the local economy in wages and now, it is expanding its footprint in Harlingen. According to the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, the business providing contact center services, integrated marketing solutions, big data analytics, and back-office processing is receiving a $200,000 job creation grant from the EDC. This comes after Qualfon extended their lease on a 40,000-square-foot office…
TSTC to Offer Evening Drafting and Design Course
For the first time, TSTC's Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology will expand its offerings with evening classes beginning Spring 2020. Department Chair Samuel Pizano says the change comes at a time when students are seeking flexibility. Evening and online courses are growing in popularity. In fact, the program has already seen its first registrants for evening classes. "We've recently seen a lot more interest in our program from students…
Signup for e-Brief
Sign up for our weekly VBR e‑Brief newsletter to receive the latest business news, opinion, and updates from across the Rio Grande Valley.
SPI Celebrates "Cook Your Catch" Day Jan. 23
Start the New Year off with Charming Picnics!
Keep McAllen Beautiful Seeks Homes to Beautify
Edinburg Honors Man & Woman of the Year
Valley Organic Produce Feeds Texans
Brownsville Native's Giving Forms a Jewel
Hike & Bike Trail Connects Communities
RGV Gaining New Ecotourism Center
McAllen | Brownsville | Harlingen | Weslaco | Edinburg | Mission | South Texas College | South Padre Island | Pharr | McAllen Chamber of Commerce | SBA | UTRGV | Port of Brownsville | Brownsville Chamber of Commerce | STC | Texas Workforce Commission | San Benito | COVID-19 | Mercedes | Hidalgo County |
SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE 12 PRINT ISSUES MAILED TO YOU FOR ONLY $30
Sign Up for e-Brief
Welcome to Valley Business Report! The editorial philosophy of this publication is to provide local pro-business news for Rio Grande Valley business executives, professionals and community leaders.
Mercedes, TX 78570
info@valleybusinessreport.com
Copyright © 2021, Powered by Amplify media + marketing


text:
Рейд на Алжир () — специальная операция боевых пловцов 10-й флотилии MAS по уничтожению и выводу из строя британских, американских и норвежских кораблей и судов на рейде французского морского порта Алжир в ходе битвы на Средиземном море во время Второй мировой войны.

11 декабря 1942 года в результате проникновения в акваторию военно-морской базы на малой лодке «Амбра» типа «Перла» итальянские боевые пловцы установили на суда союзников магнитные мины и впоследствии их взорвали. Результатом рейда стало уничтожение двух и выведение из строя ещё двух судов, а также десантного корабля.

Содержание
В конце 1942 года воздушная разведка стран Оси доложила результаты наблюдения за транспортными коммуникациями в западной части Средиземноморья, в частности, огласила свои выводы о том, что в морском порту Алжира наблюдается значительное насыщение союзных грузовых и транспортных судов, которые практически забили весь порт. Итальянское командование приняло решение провести специальную операцию комбинированным путем, с одновременным применением человеко-торпед и боевых пловцов с магнитными минами, для вывода из строя важнейших транспортных судов врага.

4 декабря 1942 года итальянская сверхмалая подводная лодка «Амбра» вышла с военно-морской базы в Ла-Специи, имея на борту 3 человеко-торпеды и 10 командос.

Вечером 10 декабря подводная лодка достигла рейда Алжира на глубине 18 метров и постепенно с помощью одного из боевых пловцов, незаметно продвинулась вглубь морского порта на расстояние 2000 м от входа в акваторию бухты. В 21:35 разведчики обнаружили на рейде Алжира 6 больших целей и по специальному телефону проинформировали командира лодки. В 23:45 группа боевых пловцов вместе с человеко-торпедами оставили лодку и вынырнули на поверхность, через какое-то время наблюдатели на «Амбре» увидели, что охрана союзных кораблей что-то заметила и началась тревога. Командир подводной лодки ждал до 03:00 ночи возвращения боевых пловцов на борт корабля, но после определённого времени ПЧ покинул акваторию алжирского порта и отправился в направлении Специи.

В 5:00 на союзных транспортных и десантных кораблях раздались мощные взрывы. Британское судно «Ocean Vanquisher» (водоизмещением 7174 тонны) и норвежское «Berta» (1493 тонны) быстро затонули, а «Empire Centaur» (7041 тонна) и «Armatan» (4587 тонн) были тяжело повреждены. Американский десантный корабль «LSM-59» выбросило на берег. 16 боевых пловцов и коммандос были захвачены в плен.

См. также
 10-я флотилия MAS
 Человеко-торпеда
 Рейд на Александрию
 Атака в бухте Суда
 Операции британских коммандос времен Второй мировой войны
 Операция «Альбумен»

Примечания

Ссылки
 The Raid on Alexandria 1941

Литература
 «"Frogmen First Battles"» William Schofield and P. J. Carisella. 1987. Avon Books, 185 стр. ISBN 0-8283-2088-8
 «"The Black Prince and the Sea Devils: The Story of Valerio Borghese and the Elite Units of the Decima Mas"», Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani, Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2004, 284 pages, hardcover. ISBN 0-306-81311-4
 Borghese, Junio Valerio, Decima Flottiglia MAS, Milano, Garzanti, 1950
 The Italian Navy in World War II by Marc'Antonio Bragadin, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1957.
 The Italian Navy in World War II by Sadkovich, James, Greenwood Press, Westport, 1994.

Средиземноморский театр военных действий Второй мировой войны
Морские сражения Великобритании
Морские сражения Италии
Сражения в Алжире
Специальные операции Италии
Морские сражения Второй мировой войны
Конфликты 1942 года
Декабрь 1942 года


text:
Asia's pollution exodus: Firms struggle to woo top talent
From Thailand, to South Korea and India, polluted air has suffocated some of Asia's largest cities, pushing authorities to step up measures to fight smog and protect their people from harmful particles entering the human body
Prof. Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled
In a desperate bid to lure executives to the Asian region where toxic air engulfs major cities for much of the year, the region's businesses are promising increasingly inventive perks – from smog breaks to pollution bonuses. Health concerns are putting off those initially attracted by Asia's growing economic opportunities.
So the firms are struggling to recruit – and retain – people with the expertise they need. Some 92 percent of people in the Asia-Pacific region are exposed to levels of air pollution that pose a significant risk to health. This means that on top of large salaries, businesses have to offer extra incentives, said the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Asia director for consultancy Employment Conditions Abroad International (ECAI) Lee Quane, said the incentives include paying for smog breaks every few months, or allowing non-traditional working arrangements so that people can commute from less polluted areas.
Quane says that at "a location with a higher level of pollution, you're likely to see us recommend allowances of anywhere between 10 to 20 percent of the person's base salary". This estimate would also incorporate factors such as crime rates and access to services. The estimate was derived from a rating system his firm uses to help companies decide appropriate financial compensation for relocation. Other provisions include better insulated apartments, air purifiers for home and office, breathing masks and regular medical check-ups that employees could expect for moving to a highly polluted area. Quane said that "If you look at the cost associated with even those smaller things…you're probably looking at a minimum cost, on an annual basis, of maybe US $5,000 to US $10,000 a year", with location allowances an additional expense.
Panasonic confirmed that it offered in 2014 a "pollution premium" for those working for the company in China, while Coca Cola was offering an environmental hardship allowance of around 15 percent for employees moving there. China has since taken measures to improve its air quality. But Beijing – along with other key urban centres in South Asia including New Delhi and Dhaka – routinely exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) safe limits for air pollution. In consequence, these places are seeing a "reduction in calibre" of employees. As per Quane, this is because there firms are forced to opt for people who are less qualified. From Shanghai, Patrick Behar-Courtois, who ran an organisational behaviour consulting firm for more than a decade, agrees.
Behar-Courtois said that "generous financial offers" were not enough to offset the pollution concerns of the highly skilled people he wanted to recruit. He basically had to revise his hiring policies and look for people locally available. So obviously it means that he got profiles that were less experienced and he had to spend more time training them. However attractive the job offer may be the executives with families are often unwilling to put their children's health at risk. WHO experts have repeatedly warned that the very young are particularly vulnerable to air pollution; and they could face a lifetime of illness because of it. In China Eddy Tiftik built his career and held a senior position at one of the world's largest real-estate developers. Afterwards felt that he had to leave the place for his family's wellbeing. Because of Beijing's very high levels of pollution, Tiftik's then-five-year-old son was constantly unwell with asthma. He tells that he literally would spend three weeks out of a month going back and forth from the hospital.
Making India an appealing career option, the country has one of the world's fastest growing economies. But as per a recent report by Greenpeace and IQ Air Visual, India is also home to seven of the most polluted cities. All senior executives want to have India experience on their CVs. However, the managing partner of Transearch, a global recruitment firm there, Atul Vohra, said that there is a fear of pollution related health issues. Such concerns are not just an issue for experts, but Indians are also turning down work in areas of the country with severe smog. For many the rewards are simply not worth the risks. Behar-Courtois recently left Shanghai, which has seen its air quality deteriorate in the past few years, after his wife developed thyroid issues he believes are linked to the smog. He reveals that in the last three to five years, he has seen a lot of people, especially with kids, who basically chose to put an end to their career here and move. He now works as a professor in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, where the air is cleaner. Tiftik says his son's symptoms abruptly stopped after the family moved to Bangkok. True Bangkok also has air quality problems of its own, but it is far less severe than Beijing. If pollution worsens, he said, he would consider leaving the continent altogether, even though his Mandarin skills give him an edge in the Asian market. He considers that although his career is very important, but his family's health is more important. It is also mentionable that air pollution in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is also becoming unbearably worse day by day and as a result the city dwellers are falling ill because of that.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre
From Thailand, to South Korea and India, polluted air has suffocated some of Asias largest cities, pushing authorities to step up measures to fight smog and protect their people from harmful particles entering the human body
In a desperate bid to lure executives to the Asian region where toxic air engulfs major cities for much of the year, the regions businesses are promising increasingly inventive perks from smog breaks to pollution bonuses. Health concerns are putting off those initially attracted by Asias growing economic opportunities. So the firms are struggling to recruit and retain people with the expertise they need. Some 92 percent of people in the Asia-Pacific region are exposed to levels of air pollution that pose a significant risk to health. This means that on top of large salaries, businesses have to offer extra incentives, said the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Asia director for consultancy Employment Conditions Abroad International (ECAI) Lee Quane, said the incentives include paying for smog breaks every few months, or allowing non-traditional working arrangements so that people can commute from less polluted areas. Quane says that at a location with a higher level of pollution, youre likely to see us recommend allowances of anywhere between 10 to 20 percent of the persons base salary. This estimate would also incorporate factors such as crime rates and access to services. The estimate was derived from a rating system his firm uses to help companies decide appropriate financial compensation for relocation. Other provisions include better insulated apartments, air purifiers for home and office, breathing masks and regular medical check-ups that employees could expect for moving to a highly polluted area. Quane said that If you look at the cost associated with even those smaller thingsyoure probably looking at a minimum cost, on an annual basis, of maybe US $5,000 to US $10,000 a year, with location allowances an additional expense. Panasonic confirmed that it offered in 2014 a pollution premium for those working for the company in China, while Coca Cola was offering an environmental hardship allowance of around 15 percent for employees moving there. China has since taken measures to improve its air quality. But Beijing along with other key urban centres in South Asia including New Delhi and Dhaka routinely exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) safe limits for air pollution. In consequence, these places are seeing a reduction in calibre of employees. As per Quane, this is because there firms are forced to opt for people who are less qualified. From Shanghai, Patrick Behar-Courtois, who ran an organisational behaviour consulting firm for more than a decade, agrees. Behar-Courtois said that generous financial offers were not enough to offset the pollution concerns of the highly skilled people he wanted to recruit. He basically had to revise his hiring policies and look for people locally available. So obviously it means that he got profiles that were less experienced and he had to spend more time training them. However attractive the job offer may be the executives with families are often unwilling to put their childrens health at risk. WHO experts have repeatedly warned that the very young are particularly vulnerable to air pollution; and they could face a lifetime of illness because of it. In China Eddy Tiftik built his career and held a senior position at one of the worlds largest real-estate developers. Afterwards felt that he had to leave the place for his familys wellbeing. Because of Beijings very high levels of pollution, Tiftiks then-five-year-old son was constantly unwell with asthma. He tells that he literally would spend three weeks out of a month going back and forth from the hospital. Making India an appealing career option, the country has one of the worlds fastest growing economies. But as per a recent report by Greenpeace and IQ Air Visual, India is also home to seven of the most polluted cities. All senior executives want to have India experience on their CVs. However, the managing partner of Transearch, a global recruitment firm there, Atul Vohra, said that there is a fear of pollution related health issues. Such concerns are not just an issue for experts, but Indians are also turning down work in areas of the country with severe smog. For many the rewards are simply not worth the risks. Behar-Courtois recently left Shanghai, which has seen its air quality deteriorate in the past few years, after his wife developed thyroid issues he believes are linked to the smog. He reveals that in the last three to five years, he has seen a lot of people, especially with kids, who basically chose to put an end to their career here and move. He now works as a professor in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, where the air is cleaner. Tiftik says his sons symptoms abruptly stopped after the family moved to Bangkok. True Bangkok also has air quality problems of its own, but it is far less severe than Beijing. If pollution worsens, he said, he would consider leaving the continent altogether, even though his Mandarin skills give him an edge in the Asian market. He considers that although his career is very important, but his familys health is more important. It is also mentionable that air pollution in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is also becoming unbearably worse day by day and as a result the city dwellers are falling ill because of that. The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre
On Opinion
China's BRI, debt trap diplomacy and Bangladesh
Is yoga really that great?
Effective technology to cope with scarcity of irrigation water
Most of the vehicles on the roads run berserk
Luxury item expenditures are keys to societal corruption
More Opinion Stories
Rising temperatures may continually reduce productivity
The global rising temperature is going to affect workers' occupational safety and health and thus their economic productivity to a significant extent in some world countries. Rising temperature increases incidence of heat stress…
River— the mother and saviour
Will BJP walk the talk?
Nursing professionals and the health sector
Sheikh Hasina's balancing act
An Indian budget in the Indian way


text:
Home News Share family stories to preserve memories
Share family stories to preserve memories
Asa and Zanap Matthews in front of their sink huisie - a heritage structure, in First Avenue, Grassy Park.
If you're interested in sharing your local history, heritage, culture and traditions, the Grassy Park Community-Heritage Council (GPCHC) are waiting to hear from you.
Robin Oakes, chairperson of the GPCHC, which was established in 2017, said they wanted to create a digital storehouse of local history with all its influences, adaptations and manifestations.
Mr Oakes said they established the community-based council to preserve the spaces, structures and most importantly the collective stories of the immediate communities.
"We record and track our diverse storylines, back through our historical experiences to our lost heritage," he said.
"Our current lack of cultural identity is, largely, linked to the dispossession of our people – ancient and modern.
"Locally this is reflected in the San artefacts in Rondevlei, legend and slave history in Princess Vlei, Cape Dutch farmhouse influence and intermingling, wood and iron Cape Cottage fortitude, township and squatter camp forced legacy, protected nature reserves, vast commons and more which bears a portion of the story of the consciousness of our people and the forging of community."
Mr Oakes said the heritage resource will be preserved online and in a building in Grassy Park.
"A site has been earmarked and discussions are under way," he said.
The GPCHC covers areas including Grassy Park, Lotus River, Zeekoevlei, Goolhurst Estate, Parkwood, Montagues Gift, Fairways, Eagle Park, Pelican Park, Schaapkraal and portions of Ottery.
"I know many of the families in these areas personally after doing research. Communities from areas such as Constantia moved to Grassy Park after the forced removals of the Group Areas Act."
He said there are four generations of families living in Grassy Park.
Mr Oakes said he would like to invite all those who had lived in the area to come forward and share their history.
He said they can bring old photographs of their family members who used to live in the area.
"We will record their stories to the archives," said Mr Oakes.
He said they have identified a few Cape cottages made from wood and iron in Grassy Park.
He introduced Southern Mail to a family living in one of these homes in First Avenue.
Seventy-seven-year old twin sisters, Zainap Matthews and Asa Moltie (nee Matthews), their brother Yusuf Matthews and Asa's daughter Shamiela Moltie are occupying the house their father built during the 1940s.
The Matthews family were forced to move out of Spaanschemat River Road, in Constantia. Asa remembers settling in Grassy Park with their parents Dawood and Asa, 60 years ago.
They were one of the few people at the time to have built "sink huisies" made from iron and wood.
Asa said she moved with her children to Retreat 48 years ago but when her father died last year they moved back.
She said they live on one of four plots where they used to have farm animals. Asa said they used to have a fence around their properties, but vandals destroyed all of it.
"They also used to break in a lot at our place due to a family member working on many cars in the backyard." Eventually they never replaced the fence and their house stayed exposed to the traffic in the road.
Asa and her family said they will probably stay in their "sink huisie" forever. If you want to share your heritage information contact Mr Oakes on 021 705 5 705 or email grassyparkheritage@gmail.com
Previous articleTears for slain teen
Next articleOutrage at violence


This was originally available as a voting incentive for a limited time. I've decided to backpost it, since I've changed the voting incentive.
So Tails isn't a vampire, as someone suggested.
Apparently, he IS Victor Frieze.
Under the EMP Cannon? Oooopppps…….


Photos from 'Children in Need' organiser, Marie Phillips.
The photos are from the 1996 'Children in Need' Toddle through Centenary Square in Birmingham, outside the Hyatt hotel. Included are 'Midlands Today' presenters Sue Beardsmore, David Davies, Shefali Oza and Gary Hudson, as well as director Merrick Simmonds, and cameraman Jamie Knights.
Marie Phillips is pictured with Aston Villa player, Shaun Teale, in the third photo. Apparently she had her photo taken with Shaun to make her Villa supporting son, jealous!


We are so glad you recently visited Great Lakes Aquarium to engage your students in aquatics education. Your feedback and stories are greatly valued - we look forward to hearing about your experience. Feel free to connect with us at education@glaquarium.org or (218) 740 - 2000 at any time.
Have a photo or student work example you'd love to share?
Accepted file types: jpg, gif, pdf, doc, pub, .
We love to highlight the incredible work being done by educators and students when they engage with us!


text:
// Package resourcequota provides Registry interface and it's REST
// implementation for storing ResourceQuota api objects.
package resourcequota // import "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/registry/core/resourcequota"


Beautiful town home located in coveted Wonderland Hills area. Elegantly updated with custom cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors on the main floor. Classic home has a taste of modern conveniences with spacious walk in master closet, garage trek storage system, and home automation system. Plenty of features enhance home - upper and lower decks, with private area for soaking in hot tub. Serene location with trails, amenities nearby and close to downtown.
Listing provided courtesy of Maureen Mccarthy of Re/Max Of Boulder, Inc.


text:
Film , Television
Michael B. Jordan Launches Production Company, Enters Exclusive 1st-Look Agreement for TV and Film with Skydance, Sets Up First Project
Michael B. Jordan in Los Angeles
Skydance, a diversified media company behind hits films like "Star Trek Beyond," "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation," "Terminator Genisys," "World War Z," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," "Jack Reacher," and much more, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive, multi-year first-look agreement for both television and feature film production with Michael B. Jordan and his newly formed production company Outlier Productions.
The first project under the agreement between Skydance and Outlier is an original scripted television series titled "Apollo Park," which tells the story of a young basketball player's rapid rise to professional fame, and the effects of his success on his family and community back in inner-city Detroit.
Eric Amadio, whose new series "Snowfall" (set during the 1980s crack epidemic, which John Singleton is also involved in) just received a 10-episode order at FX, co-created "Apollo Park" together with Jordan. Amadio is also set to write the series. Michael B. Jordan will serve as executive producer alongside Amadio, Evan Silverberg, Kenny Goodman, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross.
Jordan has named Wynn Wygal as his Vice President at Outlier. Wynn comes from Mad Chance Productions, where she served as Director of Development.
"Michael is an incredibly gifted actor and storyteller whose proven track record on both the big and small screen together with his boundless ambitions make him an ideal partner for us at Skydance," said David Ellison, Chief Executive Officer of Skydance Media. "We are so excited to team up with Michael and Eric on 'Apollo Park,' a riveting sports drama about courage, perseverance, and family."
"I love telling true, modern stories and 'Apollo Park' – an underdog tale about a very real and very heroic hustler who defies stereotypes and thrives against great odds – has long been a passion project of mine. Eric and I are excited to join forces with the incredible creative team at Skydance to share it with the world," added Jordan.
"I'm also very eager to start this new chapter in my career by launching my production company and I am thrilled to have Wynn join my team."
Jordan will next star as the villain Erik Killmonger in Marvel Studios' 2018 film "Black Panther," which Ryan Coogler is directing.
Skydance has produced 11 feature films, which have cumulatively grossed approximately $4.2 billion in worldwide box office receipts. The Company's current film slate includes "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" with Paramount, out this Friday, October 21, 2016, "Life" with Sony on May 26, 2017, and "Geostorm" with Warner Brothers set for October 20, 2017. Skydance Television was launched in 2013 and is currently slated to produce six original series across multiple networks.
Jordan and Outlier Productions are repped by WME, MGMT, and Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman, LLP.


Pro Silva Ireland's next Forest Open day is in Baronscourt, Co. Tyrone, Friday 3 Oct 2014, with guest forester Phil Morgan. The focus of the day will be primarily in conifer woodland where a range of different treatments have been carried out.
In September 2001 Baronscourt Estate started a management conversion of its forest to "Continuous Cover Forestry" (CCF). The aim of this conversion is to enhance the stability within the forest structure from wind, soil erosion, and climate mitigation. Also that a multi-age (uneven) and multi-specie forest structure has significant economic, environmental, and social benefits in comparison to standard plantation forestry.
In 2003 the Estate was awarded the prestigious Royal Forestry Society's 'Duke of Cornwall's Award' for their efforts toward forestry and conservation management.
Tending in Birch natural regeneration.
Current ProSilva Europe president Phil Morgan is a regular visitor, consultant and advisor to the Irish forest sector.
He is a past chair of ProSilva Great Britain (CCFG) and also translated the AFI handbook on continuous cover management.
Phil now combines consultancy work and the management of woodlands in Wales through his own company Sustainable Forest Management and through a trading co-operative called SelectFor. He is a specialist in continuous cover forest management and close to nature forestry.
ALL WELCOME Foresters, farmers, small and large woodland owners, forestry students welcome.
Please bring your own packed lunch, wet weather clothing and boots.
A €20 donation is appreciated to cover the cost of the visiting Pro Silva Europe forester.


text:
best customers birthday cake burger culliver's florida lone star mcdonald's Off the Menu olive garden orlando pt Off The Menu steak subway wisconsin wonkette off the menu
Stories of Restaurant Customers Who Were Just The Best (Yes, Really)
C.A. Pinkham
ByNorthamerica1000
Welcome back to Off The Menu, where we bring you the best and strangest food stories from my email inbox. This week, as a palate cleanser from the last two weeks, we've got a subject new to Wonkette: truly awesome restaurant customers. As always, these are real emails from real readers.
If you enjoy this series and would like to show your appreciation to this here fine website for hosting it, feel free to donate here or buy an "ad-fewer" subscription here. Yay munneyz!
Laura Belkin
At my generic chain restaurant in Orlando, the waitstaff is often racist -- and sometimes not quietly. Everyone gets suddenly "busy" when an African-American family comes in. I get a lot of those tables.
During off-peak hours on Saturday, an African-American father and daughter walked in. He was one of the most handsome men I have ever seen. Mid-30s, muscular, square jaw, nice suit. His adorable daughter was about 9, in a frilly dress. Everyone else ran for the hills, so I went over and took their drink order.
"Special occasion?" I asked.
"No, just a father-daughter date," he responded with a beautiful smile. God, his teeth were just perfect.
They were at an end booth, so I could hear their conversation from the coffee station. In between questions about school and friends, he would explain restaurant manners: be respectful, don't ever snap your fingers, make eye contact, don't make a mess, etc. The daughter was beaming.
After an hour of that, I gave him the check for $30. When I left, he explained tipping to his daughter. "They work so hard and depend on our tips to make money. This girl didn't have any other tables, so we will be the only people who pay her for this whole hour."
The daughter understood fractions, so they began by calculating 10 percent. He frowned. "I don't think $3 sounds like enough for her, do you?" he said. They started talking about how many times I refilled their sodas. So they calculated 20 percent.
By now, all the servers had congregated in the coffee station, watching this. "Six dollars is an acceptable tip," he explained, "but do you think she deserves a little bit more? Just because she was so good?"
Of course she said yes, so they decided on $10. He explained that 15-20 percent is standard, but that they should always add a few extra dollars if they can afford it. I swear to God, if the daughter hadn't been there, I would have let him take me right there on the table.
[Editor's Note: This story is not notable because an African-American customer tipped well; that happens all the time, regardless of what a lot of servers will tell you. It's notable, instead, because of the dumb other servers who didn't want a great table like this. Fuck them.]
Mona Holmes
I had a wonderful experience waiting tables in my 20s. I worked two jobs, and my dream gig paid pennies, so waiting tables was how I paid my rent. And while some people truly hated waiting tables, I loved going to work at this particular restaurant. The owners were amazing, management was supportive, the food was fantastic, and the money was great. This Los Angeles establishment was well-known, and weekend nights were known to be beyond busy. And on one particularly busy Saturday, I was sat an eight-top on a far end of the restaurant.
It was a birthday dinner. These eight women were really lovely, friendly and chatty, and were there to celebrate. The birthday girl didn't know that two of her friends came in early to drop off a birthday cake. I placed it in the fridge and we agreed to bring it out just after dinner. Another note: most of these women wore a ridiculous amount of hairspray.
When I brought out the candlelit cake, everyone sang happy birthday. As the birthday girl leaned in to blow out the candles, it was a tad too close, and I heard a "whoosh," followed by a flame. Her hair caught on fire.
One of the ladies screamed at the top of their lungs while I stood frozen. The flames seemed to get bigger. One of the bartenders ran over with his damp towel and promptly extinguished the flames. The birthday girl went to the bathroom to collect herself. I then looked up and saw the entire 140 seat restaurant staring at me in shock. I grabbed the cake and took it to a back station, only to see my manager laughing in tears while I removed the pieces of burnt hair from the white icing. We laughed for about five minutes. When I was finally able to deal, I brought the cake to their table.
The birthday girl now had an asymmetrical style, one side was missing about 2 inches.
I have to give it to her, she was a good sport. Every time I went back to the table, her friends were giving it to her. "You'll never forget this birthday, will you?" Or, "At least you don't have to worry about getting a haircut." She was laughing until she cried, and I couldn't help but join them.
My other tables were highly understanding. When I apologized for being a little absent, one said, "You clearly have your hands full."
All of my tables left a huge tip.
I spent about the first four years of my culinary career working back of house at an Olive Garden. At this particular OG, we received fresh produce and Breadstix (tm) four times a week, but everything else came on one giant order once a week. Thus, we would routinely run out of one or two items the day before our weekly delivery. Usually it wasn't a big deal ("I'm sorry, we're out of penne, can we substitute ziti?").
This 3-top came in about an hour before close the day before our weekly delivery. They put in their order and we didn't have the stuffed mushroom app they wanted. Not a huge deal: we told the server, they told the guest, the guest decided on a smoked mozzarella dip. Well, we were out of that, too.
At this point, the restaurant looked pretty stupid and the only manager on duty didn't want to deal with it, so it fell on me. My title was Culinary Professional, so something like a sous but more often a glorified expo, but I was semi-qualified to deal with it. I went to the table, explained how embarrassed I was, told them I'd comp whatever app they wanted, and made sure they got something we weren't out of. They were super cool about everything which was a total relief for me.
Then their mains came in, and lo and behold, they ordered the one entree we couldn't prepare (I think we were missing something to make a sauce). Right away, I went back out, let them know we didn't have it, but I'd do my best to get it as close as I could with what we had and their whole meal was going to be free. Again, they were super cool and understanding and in the end they said the dish was fine.
I told them dessert was on us, they said they were full, so I gave them something to go (also, we had 86'd two desserts so I chose for them). As I was letting the manager on duty know what happened, the mother from the table came up to me.
"I just wanted to let you know that we came in so late because our flight just got in from California. We were out there for a week because my mother just died. I wanted to thank you for giving us such a good experience after having had such a sad week."
A couple months later, the family came back and recognized me. They thanked me again and I got a chance to talk to them and make sure everything went smoothly on our second chance.
Casey Miller
I worked at a Subway for two years during high school. Overall it was a great place to work as a semi-irresponsible high school kid for a lot of reasons, but it was definitely my first exposure to people treating fast food workers as if they are lower than the scum of the Earth.
I was working the weekend day shift. We'd been steadily busy for about 3 hours. I saw two regulars come in separately, and end up one behind the other. The first one was a generally shitty 60-something lady who is always both unpleasant and ungrateful, and who always ordered a steak sandwich which she would then complain about. The second customer was a 40-something gentleman who was always nice enough, but a pretty shy, unassuming guy.
Steak Lady made it to the front of the line. I start to load up the sandwich with steak using tongs kept in a thing of hot water that we changed every hour or so. All of a sudden, she started wigging out, saying "YOU TOUCHED THE OTHER MEATS BEFORE YOU PUT THE STEAK ON." At this point, I kind of just stare at her. I can't calculate how to tell her I didn't without sounding like a prick, so for a few moments I am kind of frozen. She shouts it again: "I SAW YOU TOUCH THE OTHER MEAT BEFORE THE STEAK." I am trying to figure out what the hell she is talking about. I had put on fresh gloves before I started her shit sandwich, so I am at a loss. She turns to Shy Guy and says "DID YOU SEE THAT? DID YOU SEE HIM TOUCH THE OTHER MEAT."
Shy Guy: "No, ma'am."
Steak Lady: "I KNOW YOU SAW HIM TOUCH THE OTHER MEAT," Fingers are being pointed.
Shy Guy just shrugs.
Steak Lady: "HE'S TOUCHING THE OTHER MEATS BEFORE HE -- "
Shy Guy explodes: "Ma'am, he DID NOT TOUCH ANYTHING before he started your sandwich. He absolutely did NOT."
Steak Lady at this point looks at him and me, hands in the air, trying to process her next move. Apparently coming up empty, she has a little huff and puff session and just drops it. I finish her sandwich and she walks out (someone else rung her up so I can help Shy Guy). I quietly say "thanks" and shy guy just nods his head and orders his sandwich like nothing had happened.
Cherie Daniels
My partner and I were in the middle of nowhere (Nevada? Utah?) in the middle of the night (11?) and we stop at a truck stop food court. We're ordering at the Subway counter when we hear a screaming "WHAT THE FUCK?" behind us. Everyone in the truck stop (all 8 of us) stops what they're doing to turn to face the McDonald's counter, which is across the cafeteria seating area from where we're standing. There is silence. It's a customer and she's facing her husband, who is standing in front of the server taking his order. She's got silence from all the rest of us. She pauses, looks around at everyone, and screams "WHAT THE FUCK?" again. We're all on edge, waiting to see exactly, what the fuck.
She then launches in, still at the same volume: "YOU THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE HOLDING MONEY AND SHE WORKS AT McDONALD'S THAT YOU CAN TREAT HER LIKE THAT? SHE. IS. A. HUMAN. BEING. AND. YOU. WILL. APOLOGIZE. TO. HER. RIGHT. NOW." Our server is doubled over laughing. The McDonald's employee in question seems to not think this screaming is out of line -- she's got a half smile and her hand on her hip. The man being yelled at is clearly completely embarrassed -- he's hunched over and whispering to his wife. She continues at the same volume: "OH, YOU'RE EMBARRASSED? HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL, REALIZING THAT I'M MARRIED TO AN ASSHOLE WHO THINKS IT'S OKAY TO TREAT ANYONE THAT WAY?"
He mumbles something to the server and bolts for the door. She orders.
And no, I have no idea what he said that started this.
Kara Vellers
I spent 2+ years waiting tables at a Lone Star, which is just about as miserable as you can imagine. I come in for what promises to be a supremely slow lunch on a weekday in July, and towards the end of my shift I get a 3-top: a father and two small boys. The evening before was bananapants crazy, we had actually run out of salad. We were not expecting our next delivery for another couple of hours and, for whatever reason, no one thought it was a good idea to run across the street to the grocery store to buy lettuce.
So the father orders a lunch steak, which comes with option for soup/salad -- and as any sane human being in July would prefer, he asks for a salad. Sorry! We actually don't have any ... would you like a bowl of chili? Or some other ungodly hot option on this fine 100-degree day? I brace myself for a barrage of complaints, as all my previous tables were quick to scoff and demand some sort of free meal from the manager, because that's apparently how things work.
Instead, he declines and says it's OK to forego the option and then places the order for his kids. I get everything into the system and the kids' meals are out within 7 minutes. I had let their drinks lapse, hurried to get them refilled, managed to grab his meal as someone CAME IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR and smashed everything. Goddamnit.
I recovered, kind of, got the drinks again, profusely apologized to this table and had the cooks fire things up as quickly as they could. I have my manager go check on the table to cover my ass (no complaints!). His meal was done in 5 minutes, I even give him an additional baked sweet potato because no one expects this kind of shit from a weekday lunch. Drop things off, make sure the drinks are full, and leave them in peace to eat their meal. They're done, I drop the ~$20 check off, and return after I see him fiddle with it. There's cash in the fold, I tell him I'll get him his change, he tells me not to worry about it and to have a great day. I take it back to a service station and open it to find a $100 bill.
Bless that beautiful man.
Lindsay Fiorentino
I worked for six years at Culver's, a regional burger chain that wants so bad to be casual dining but instead is just a much more expensive McDonald's. It should not surprise you that this story takes place in Wisconsin.
I was often put on drive-thru during our busy shifts on Friday evenings, which I actually enjoyed. One of the "selling points" of Culver's is that everything is made when you order it, so we tended to have slightly longer wait times. This meant taking an order over the speaker, taking money at the window and handing out drinks/custard/shakes, and then asking the driver to pull forward to wait for the rest of their food.
So this one Friday mid-spring circa 2007-ish, a mid-size white SUV pulls up to the speaker and the woman inside begins to order, talking right over my greeting. We could not understand her. I asked her to please repeat her request, and my manager extracted the phrase "custard pints" from her mumble, so we had her pull up. We had just started offering pre-packed pints of various custard flavors at like 4 for $8.99, and we kept the flavor list up at the window.
As soon as I opened the window, I knew she was wasted. Her eyes were half-closed, she was struggling to hold her head up, she was slumped in her seat, and she was slurring her speech so badly I had to ask more than once for her to repeat herself. She picked out her four pints, and I closed the window and immediately went to my manager, telling her that we had an obviously drunk driver sitting in our drive-thru.
Her response? "Yeah, we can't do anything about that."
I think I argued with her for four minutes, but she was adamant that we weren't allowed to call the police. Eventually, she took over, giving the drunk woman her custard and taking her money and sending her off.
The following week, on a Saturday, I was back on drive-thru and taking orders during a very busy dinner rush, and who should pull in but the very same SUV. Again, the woman slurred out her order for pints, and before she had even left the speaker, I ran over to my (thankfully different from Friday) manager.
I told her that this woman had come through before drunk, and I didn't think it was right for us to just let her go when she was wasted. This manager agreed, and immediately called the police. The dispatcher said we were right to call, and asked if there was any way we could keep the drunk woman in the drive-thru until they could get a squad car over.
During all this, the drive-thru line had filled up and was now stretched literally down the block. Drunk SUV lady was one car away from the window, and the customer currently at the window was just about to be pulled forward. I think she could kind of sense our panic and had noticed something off about the SUV behind her, because she asked if everything was okay.
"Would you, maybe, mind just sitting here for a while?" I asked. "We think the person behind you is drunk, and we called the cops."
I will love this woman forever for how she slammed her car into park right then and there. "Oh, yeah, no problem!"
Even when her food came out, just a few minutes later, she didn't move. She said she was happy to hang out until the cops arrived. Unfortunately, people kept pulling into the drive-thru and ordering. In a panic, we started running out through the back kitchen door and serving people right at their cars. Everyone asked what was going on, of course, but once they found out about the drunk driver, they had no problem with our improvised service. Thankfully, our drive-thru lane was two cars wide, so we were able to serve the customers after the drunk driver and they could leave with ease. A few asked if we wanted them to stay and help box the SUV in, just in case, but the woman at the window was still happily parked, and the drunk driver hadn't figured out our ruse.
After about 15 minutes, a squad car showed up, and the cop came right into the restaurant. I quickly explained the situation. At one point, he actually approached the drive-thru window and looked out (the parked woman gave an adorable little wave). He told us to let the drunk driver come through the line, and that he would follow her out of the parking lot.
So finally, we had the drunk driver at the window. She looked even worse than the previous week, but ordered the same four pints. I gave her the total, and she held out a half-eaten cookie as payment. I said, "Ma'am, that is not money," and she dropped it on the ground. Her debit card was sitting on the dashboard, and eventually she figured out how to hand it to me.
She'd paid, her pints were ready, and we let her go. The cop waited until she's at the edge of the parking lot, and then he turned on his lights. Thus commenced the slowest police chase ever of all time.
The SUV crawled through the grocery store parking lot behind Culver's, then down the access road to the street. She never got faster than 10MPH, and everyone in the restaurant was transfixed by the spectacle. The drive-thru line miraculously dried up, and the entire kitchen staff joined us at the windows to watch.
The drunk driver went straight through a completely stopped intersection and up a block, then reappeared a moment later coming back down the same street. She pulled into the Taco Bell parking lot; she backed out and tried the car wash. She crossed the street to the gas station, where the attendant used their PA system to ask her to stop her car. Ignoring that, she tried the McDonald's kitty corner from us, circling the lot six or seven times.
At long last, it ended: the cop stopped and waited for her to circle around again, and someone leaving the McDonald's drive-thru stopped behind her, boxing the SUV in. She was given a field sobriety test and failed it, and I swear, as the cop was leading her towards his car (custard pints clutched firmly in hand), she actually turned back to look at Culver's and waved.
[Editor's Note: This story is incredible for a lot of reasons, but chief among them for me is the staggering number of categories it fits into. Aside from Bad Employees, is there a single category it DOESN'T work for? Dumb Customers, Worst Customers, Best Customers, Horrible Bosses, Great Bosses, WTF Stories, Employees on Point ... this one could've gone everywhere. As Abyss would say, this story had EVERYTHING.]
Send Moar Stories!
Do you have a restaurant, home-cooking, or any other food-adjacent story you'd like to see appear in Off the Menu (on ANY subject, not just this one)? Please e-mail WilyUbertrout@gmail.com with "Off the Menu" in the subject line (or you can find me on Twitter @EyePatchGuy). Submissions are always welcome!


Groomers specialize in maintaining a pet's appearance. Groomers typically work in kennels, veterinary clinics, or pet supply stores, where they groom mostly dogs, but some cats, too. In addition to cutting, trimming, and styling pets' fur, groomers clip nails, clean ears, and bathe pets. Groomers also schedule appointments, sell products to pet owners, and identify problems that may require veterinary attention.
Zookeepers care for animals in zoos. They plan diets, feed animals, and monitor the animals' eating patterns. They also clean the animals' enclosures, monitor their behavior, and watch for signs of illness or injury. Depending on the size of the zoo, they may work with one species or multiple species of animals. Keepers may help raise young animals, and they often spend time answering questions from the public.
Animal care and service workers are employed in a variety of settings. Many work at kennels; others work at zoos, stables, animal shelters, pet stores, veterinary clinics, and aquariums. Mobile groomers and pet sitters typically travel to customers' homes. Caretakers of show and sports animals must travel to competitions.
About 2 in 5 nonfarm animal caretakers work part time.
Animal trainers usually need a high school diploma or equivalent, although some positions may require a bachelor's degree. For example, marine mammal trainers usually need a bachelor's degree in marine biology, animal science, biology, or a related field.
Most zoos require keepers to have a bachelor's degree in biology, animal science, or a related field.
Customer-service skills. Animal care and service workers should understand pet owners' needs so they can provide services that leave the owners satisfied. Some workers may need to deal with distraught pet owners. For example, caretakers working in animal shelters may need to reassure owners looking for a lost pet.
Detail oriented. Animal care and service workers are often responsible for keeping animals on a strict diet, maintaining records, and monitoring changes in animals' behavior.
The median annual wage for animal trainers is $27,690. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,740, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $58,050.
The median annual wage for nonfarm animal caretakers is $21,990. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,550, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $35,860.
Overall employment of animal care and service workers is projected to grow 20 percent over the next ten years, much faster than the average for all occupations.


Built in 500 A.D., Galata Tower is one of the dominating landmarks of Istanbul. It was used as a watchtower to help defend the city.
At first I didn't think that it worth to go there but after I reach there I thank God that my friends made me go there! The view was amazing.
Istanbul is full of sites of historical importance and tales to be told. You can't get enough of it with one visit.
Especially if the weather is not clear, or the sun is in front of you. Some queuing to go up, so go early.
If you are into historic, this is going to be your tower. The tower offers a 360° view of that part of the city and is one of the oldest towers of the world. A must go if you're in Istanbul.
Get quick answers from Galata Tower staff and past visitors.
Hi! Can I take my stroller up to the tower? If not, is there a space at the entrance to keep it at?
Are there taxi stands and how much roughly to Sisli by taxi?
I didn't see the tado stand, but you can take the taxi easily. I recommend the Uber. The Sisli is around 15km from the bridge,maybe the cost is 50-60TL by Uber. Please check it.
No you cannot make any type of reservations as the restaurant is not that big and the tower is pretty busy most of the time, in relation to your second question if you go first thing in the morning it is not that busy especially during the week however at weekends it is busy until late afternoon. Regarding your third question, there is plenty of places to see, shops to buy from and an abundance of restaurants- have fun.


A band of musicians play aboard a cruise ship.
Warren and Kitty are on a two-week cruise. They are in Southhampton, England boarding the new cruise ship Quantum of the Seas for its maiden voyage. You can read about the Quantum in this article. Jacob has been hauling furniture in the depths of Vermont, where cell service is still something coveted and rare. Next week you can read about his experiences helping his grandmother move out of her home of 40 years.