text:
A week ago, a scientist warned that the world might end . . . a week ago. Which is why he wasn't celebrating with the rest of his colleagues in the scientific world over the brand new Large Hadron Collider that was unveiled beneath the grassy sod along the Swiss-French border. Billed "the world's largest atom smasher," this brand new particle accelerator is a seventeen mile underground circular tunnel. In the tunnel are two parallel tubes into which scientists last week first fired one beam of protons clockwise and then fired a second beam in the second tube counterclockwise. Traveling at nearly the speed of light, the two beams made 11,000 circuits of that 17-mile tunnel . . . in a single second! Cheers went up when computers revealed that the two beams had successfully circumnavigated the tunnels and crossed the finish line in opposite directions.
Why all the hoopla? Because scientists are hoping to recreate the conditions that might have been present in the birth of the universe long ago. Their plans are to gradually increase the two beams with protons, fire them in opposite directions, and then at four points in the tunneled circuit through giant magnets cause the beams to cross into each other. At that split second massive digital cameras weighing thousands of tons will record those collisions through millions of snapshots per second. Pouring over those "pictures," scientists hope to piece together clues that might unravel the mystery of our universe's origin.
And that party-pooper scientist? He fears that the underground collision of those protons will threaten this earth through the formation of micro black holes, ultra-tiny versions of the collapsed stars in the universe that are known to suck in all nearby light, planets and stars. Adios amigos, is his warning.
Let's leave to the scientists the debate over the perils of this fascinating new particle accelerator. But surely we who believe in the Creator God of the universe are not surprised at the unbridled power that science unleashes in these atom smashers. "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth" (Psalm 33:6 TNIV). We sprinkle the word "omnipotent" in our sentences, but truly the all-powerful reality of the divine is beyond our feeble human comprehension!
Let us remember—he is the God who poured out his life for a fallen race at Calvary. At the fulcrum of the cross, the energy of a trillion trillion galaxies was released, as into the black hole of Christ's death the sins of an entire planet were sucked into the divine heart, so that "whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). No wonder, as we noted in "Primetime"—III last week, it is so strategically essential that through prayer we bring our lost friends and family to him. What more powerful force could possibly be unleashed to save and rescue them than the redeeming love of the universe's Creator?
Forward on our knees indeed!


As graduate school degrees have become more necessary and expected, admission to top graduate programs has become increasingly competitive. At Entryway, we've worked with students from all over the world and we advise on a wide range of graduate schools—business school/MBA programs, law school, and masters programs in economics, public policy, education, etc. Our consulting service guides clients through each step of the application process, helping them strategically assess choices from both a short-term and a long-term perspective. Positioned to both "fit in and stand out" from other applicants, our clients enjoy greater success in the application process.


Star Trek debuted in 1966 and has been one of the most successful science fiction entertainment franchises. Created by Gene Roddenberry the core of Star Trek has been is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Voyager, and Enterprise and currently eleven feature films, dozens of games, hundreds of novels, and thousands of Star Trek collectibles and memorabilia. Star Trek has become a cult phenomenon, and has even initiated the creation of the fully functional constructed language Klingon and spawned many pop culture references.
Pictured right: STARSHIP ENTERPRISE-D – The hero visual effects miniature of the Starship Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation, fiber-reinforced cast resin construction with internal neon lighting [untested] on an aluminum armature with motion control mounts, with motion-control mounting hardware, power supply box [untested] marked "obsolete" and box marked "neon lights" — 78×59½x14½in. — built by the Industrial Light and Magic Model Shop for "Encounter At Farpoint," the pilot movie for Star Trek: The Next Generation, featured in the show's main title sequence and in many subsequent episodes, later refurbished for its starring role in Star Trek Generations, the first movie with the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, some lettering on the saucer has been restored subsequent to filming Star Trek Generations. Sold for $576,000 at Christies 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection, October 2006, Rockefeller Plaza, New York.
Top auction houses such as Christies and Bonhams regularly feature Star Trek items in their Film and Entertainment auctions and Christies itself featured a special 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction in October 2006 at Rockefeller Plaza, New York. This auction has featured some of the most expensive Star Trek memorabilia items including the $500,000 + Starship Enterprise D model.
Pictured left: A dress uniform tunic worn by James T. Kirk in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" Paramount, 1986. Red wool, silk lined dress uniform with all insignia for rank and service, with leather belt with Starfleet buckle. Label sewn in inscribed "Wm S. / 4″ for William Shatner. Sold at Bonhams, Los Angeles, Nov 2005 for $8,225.
For Star Trek collectors there are many themes and areas and genres that collector might concentrate on from a specific series to characters, and from original props to action figures.
THE KATHRYN JANEWAY COLLECTION – Six costumes made for Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, comprising: a Starfleet duty uniform jumpsuit with grey undershirt; a Starfleet dress uniform jacket; a Starfleet future uniform jumpsuit with future communicator from "Endgame"; a Starfleet black dress overcoat; a pair of peach pajamas and robe; and a five-piece "Jane Eyre" outfit consisting of brown and grey checked skirt and jacket, white vest, pink blouse, heavy grey knit cape and two bonnets from "Eye of the Needle"; majority with corresponding wardrobe tag. Sold for $8,400 at Christies 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection, October 2006, Rockefeller Plaza, New York.
It all started with the original Star Trek followed the interstellar adventures of James T. Kirk and the crew of an exploration vessel of a 23rd century galactic "United Federation of Planets" – the Starship Enterprise. This series debuted in 1966 and ran for three seasons on NBC, after the network rejected an initial pilot film "The Cage" with a mostly different cast, though this pilot is now routinely packaged with the original series. Following the release of other series in the franchise, the Kirk-led series was retroactively referred to as "Star Trek: The Original Series".
Pictured left: Autographs of the original cast of 'Star Trek', comprising William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley , Michelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig on album pages custom-mounted and framed together with colour still; together with a separate page signed and inscribed by Gene Roddenberry, Live long + prosper!, the frame 69 x 99cm (27 x 39in). Sold for £600 at Bonhams, London, Nov 2005.
These adventures were continued by the short-lived Star Trek: The Animated Series and six feature films. Four more television series were eventually produced, based in the same universe but following other characters: Star Trek: The Next Generation, following the crew of a new Starship Enterprise set a century after the original series; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, set contemporaneously with The Next Generation; and Star Trek: Enterprise, set before the original series, in the early days of human interstellar travel. Four additional feature films were produced, following the crew of The Next Generation, and, most recently, a 2009 movie reboot of the franchise featuring a young crew of the original Enterprise set in an alternate timeline.
Pictured right: Crew in Transporter Lighted Figurine – The Crew In Transporter Lighted Figurine shows Kirk, Spock, and McCoy ready to beam down to the planet surface. $49.99 avilable from the Star Trek Store.
Combine nearly 50 years of TV and Film history, hundreds of potential collecting themes, regular Star Trek conferences, tens of thousands of different collectables and you have a fantastic and varied collecting hobby. New items are still being produced and it is only a matter of time before we have a new series or new film to attract the 'Next Generation' of collectors.


Vegan double chocolate muffins are the perfect gluten and dairy free treat.
Usually, eggs are replaced in various ways in vegan desserts. Bananas and apples are excellent substitutes and, in addition, being very sweet, they can also replace sugar. The disadvantage is that some may not like the taste they release, especially with the combination of some ingredients.
The possibilities to make delicious egg-free alternatives have definitely widened since, for a few years, the so-called egg replacers arrived on the food market. They are ingenious single packs, strictly organic, made with all natural and simple ingredients such as turmeric; corn starch, carob seed flour (which gives the dough a silky and velvety texture).
This is the key ingredient of delicious muffins, perfect for breakfast or even as a soft dessert if covered with chocolate icing.
Look at other Vegan treat recipes!
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, vanilla, sugar and flake chocolates.
In another bowl, pour all the liquid ingredients and the egg replacer (for the latter, follow the instructions on the package.It is usually necessary to dissolve the sachets in lukewarm water and add it to the rest of the ingredients). Mix the liquid ingredients with an electric mixer.
Add the dry ingredients and mix for three minutes, until a creamy mixture is obtained.
Pour the mixture into paper muffin molds and cook at 180° (350°/Gas 4 ) for 15 minutes.


Left today with a group of guys who fish a lot with me. Headed up to the North about 24 miles, to some rocks I haven't fished since last year. Was rewarded with some fantastic fishing guys had their limit fairly quick of nice sized fish, and even a few monster blues in the mix. I thought I would give the Tog a try and dropped some crabs down there, but the sea bass just wouldn't let it happen. Starting to get lots of interest in Tog, yes we can catch them, but I wouldn't expect to see better sized fish till January the water is just to warm.


text:
Politics of Sindh Under Zia Government
Bookcover of Politics of Sindh Under Zia Government
An analysis
Pakistan emerged on the world map in 1947 as a federal state. Sindh is a southern province of Pakistan. Pakistan passed its more than half of its history under the rule of military regime. In this Book the politics of Sindh under Zia regime are deeply discussed. The impact of Martial Law and assassination of Bhutto on the politics of Sindh is the main chapter of this book. The people of Sindh launched the movement for the restoration of Democracy in 1983 under the banner of Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD). In the movement hundreds were killed and injured by the states forces. The thousands were sent to jail. The impact of this democratic movement on the politics of Sindh also analyzed. The formation and the politics of ethno nationalist organizations such as Muhajir Quomi movement, Punjabi Pakhtoon Ithad are the topic of this work. The politic of Jeay Sindh Tahreek and other separatist organizations of Sindh are the part of study. The impacts of the politics of those organizations on federations also thoroughly discussed. In this book the democratic movements and Ethno nationalist politics of Sindh are covered.
Amir Ali Chandio
Martial law, Nationalists, Federalists, ethnicity, Democracy, Government

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid First Drive: Inching Closer to the Future
A Fry Oil Fast Charger Has Made it Possible for EVs to Reach Australia's Most Remote Road
Corvette Plant Workers Willing To Strike as Union Rejects Contract
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Home » News & Features » RFID on PLUS highways – Malaysian consumer groups offer mixed reaction, say more clarification is needed – paultan.org
RFID on PLUS highways – Malaysian consumer groups offer mixed reaction, say more clarification is needed – paultan.org
The implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) toll payment on the main stretch of the North-South Highway (PLUS) from Juru in Penang to Skudai in Johor, effective January 15, has received mixed reactions from various groups, Bernama reports.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (FOMCA) says that the implementation is in line with the government's intention to modernise toll payments and reduce congestion at toll plazas and should be viewed positively. Its deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said that the negative reaction from some netizens over the government's move was similar to the situation that occurred during the transition from cash payment system to Touch 'n Go (TnG) at toll plazas.
"However, it did not take long for the public to accept the change (from cash payment to TnG). It shows our people are prepared to accept changes. As more and more people use the facility, the response will be more positive. Many people do not agree now because not many people use it," he told Bernama.
He said RFID would make life easier for users. "As many people say, to top-up Touch' n Go is a hassle. You have to stop at convenience stores or petrol stations, and you have to have cash because cashless top-up is not possible. So RFID provides an easier option because the top-up can be done on smartphones either using a debit or credit card, or online banking. It also has a direct top-up feature using e-Wallet," he said.
In relation to this point, it is worth noting that a PayDirect feature on TnG card and SmartTAG exists, and allows users to link up to three Touch n' Go cards to their eWallet app. Once a card is linked to the eWallet, the toll charge will automatically be deducted from the eWallet whenever a linked card is used at a toll booth (either by tapping it on a reader or by using a SmartTAG), without any deductions on the physical card itself. However, this feature is not available on PLUS.
Mohd Yusof welcomed the move to implement the RFID in stages. "The option given to motorists to use TnG and Smart Tag for a certain period of time is appropriate until everyone has access to RFID. Then, PLUS can gradually eliminate the existing payment methods and switch to RFID completely," he said, adding that PLUS should carry out more promotions on RFID for the benefit of consumers.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) activist leader Datuk Nadzim Johan questioned whether there was an urgent need for RFID to be implemented, given the difficulties faced by many due to the impact of Covid-19.
He said although PLUS had clarified that TnG and Smart Tag could still be used on its highways, it was still 'bad news' for some people. "Even though it is just an announcement and the existing payment method is still running, it is making some people to become more stressed," he told the national news agency.
He said the move would impact those in rural areas, as some may have problems installing RFID on the vehicles. "There must be a guarantee that there will be no additional costs on the users," he said, adding that PLUS should offer more clarification on the implementation of RFID.
Last month, the works ministry said it is targeting to achieve 60% RFID usage for toll collection by the end of 2022, and that the use of TnG and SmartTAG cards may be stopped by the end of 2023. According to the TnG RFID portal, there are currently 1,269,957 RFID users nationwide.
Find out more about RFID on PLUS highways and how the system works here.
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text:
"Vers la Flamme" / Portrait of Alexander Scriabin
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Horowitz, Mikhail Pletnev
Oliver Becker
LOFT, WDR
This documentary on the unconventional life and ground-breaking music of the Russian pianist and composer Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) sheds light on the mystical ideas which inspired him. He became consumed by a vision of a union of the arts, a coalescence of music, words, movement, light, colour and ideas, to create transcendent experiences. Contributors to his fascinating exploration of the composer's life and work are musicians Vladimir Ashkenazy and Vladimir Horowitz; conductor Mikhail Pletnev; and Scriabin's daughter, Marina. The programme draws on Scriabin's writings, archive photographs and documentation, and footage shot in Switzerland, Italy and Moscow. Among a wealth of musical extracts, Scriabin himself is heard playing his Poem Op.32 No.1, recorded in 1908 on a Welte Mignon player-piano.
Alexander Scriabin: Prometheus Op. 60, Etude Op. 65 No. 2, Symphony No. 3, Etude Op. 8 No. 12, Le Poème de l`extase, Sonata No. 9, Sonata No. 5, Guirlandes, Flammes Sombres, Vers la Flamme, Cinq Préludes "Très lent...", Poème Op. 32 No. 1


text:
Le mot « leak » est utilisé dans plusieurs contextes.

 L'anglicisme «  »  désigne plus spécifiquement une fuite d'information, par exemple :
 Offshore Leaks, depuis 2013 ;
 Luxembourg Leaks, en 2014 ;
 Football Leaks, en 2016 et 2018.

 En indonésien et en néerlandais, un Leak   est une créature surnaturelle du folklore de Bali.

 Leak Bros. est un groupe de hip-hop américain.

  , film néerlandais de Jean Van de Velde, sorti en 2000 ;
 , film d'horreur indonésien dont le titre se réfère au Leyak, sorti en 2007 ;
 , EP de Lil Wayne, sorti en 2007 ;
 , EP d'Atmosphere, sorti en 2009.

Voir aussi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As you continue further on Curetes Street, across from the Domitian Square, you see the Memmius Monument. This four sided victory arch was erected by Gaius Memmius, son of Caius and grandson of Sulla, as a memorial of Sulla's military victory over Mithridates. Mithridates, king of Pontus, had 90,000 troops, while Sulla's forces numbered only 30,000. The Battle of Chaeronea (in Greece) took place in 86 B.C. We include this info not because it is directly related to the Bible, but to remind us that numerous struggles and upheavals were occurring as God was working out the unfolding of His plan, as the "fullness of time" for Jesus to come was approaching (Gal. 4:4).
Memmius Monument. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Another structure of interest is the Trajan Fountain, dedicated to the emperor Trajan (reigned A.D. 98-117). The fountain was built A.D. 102-104. For what it's worth, Michael Grant writes, "Trajan was a tall and well-built man, with an air of serious dignity enhanced by early greyness" (The Roman Emperors, p.75).
Trajan Fountain. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
One more Ephesus photo for today is the Hadrian Temple. Emperor Hadrian reigned A.D. 117-138.
Hadrian Temple. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
For Hadrian, whose cosmopolitan outlook was unsympathetic to Jewish separatism, had established a Roman colony and temple in Jerusalem, now renamed Aelia Capitolina after his own Aelian family; and this foundation caused great anger among the Jews, who in 132 broke into open insurrection under an inspiring leader, Simeon Bar Kosiba (nicknamed Bar Kochba, 'son of a star'). The rebels took Jerusalem and issued their own coinage, and it took three years to overcome their uprising. During this period the emperor visited Judaea, once if not twice, and he is likely to have been present when Jerusalem finally fell in 134. The surviving militants were rounded up at Bethar the following year, and severe measures of reprisal included a total prohibition of circumcision. (ibid.79).
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 at 4:08 PM and is filed under Bible History and Geography.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
#include "regguts.h"

/* unknown-error explanation */
static char unk[] = "*** unknown regex error code 0x%x ***";

/* struct to map among codes, code names, and explanations */
static struct rerr {
	int code;
	char *name;
	char *explain;
} rerrs[] = {
	/* the actual table is built from regex.h */
#	include "regerrs.h"
	{ -1,	"",	"oops" },	/* explanation special-cased in code */
};

/*
 - regerror - the interface to error numbers
 */
/* ARGSUSED */
size_t				/* actual space needed (including NUL) */
wx_regerror(rxerrcode, preg, errbuf, errbuf_size)
int rxerrcode;			/* error code, or REG_ATOI or REG_ITOA */
CONST regex_t *preg;		/* associated regex_t (unused at present) */
char *errbuf;			/* result buffer (unless errbuf_size==0) */
size_t errbuf_size;		/* available space in errbuf, can be 0 */
{
	struct rerr *r;
	char *msg;
	char convbuf[sizeof(unk)+50];	/* 50 = plenty for int */
	size_t len;
	int icode;

	switch (rxerrcode) {
	case REG_ATOI:		/* convert name to number */
		for (r = rerrs; r->code >= 0; r++)
			if (strcmp(r->name, errbuf) == 0)
				break;
		sprintf(convbuf, "%d", r->code);	/* -1 for unknown */
		msg = convbuf;
		break;
	case REG_ITOA:		/* convert number to name */
		icode = atoi(errbuf);	/* not our problem if this fails */
		for (r = rerrs; r->code >= 0; r++)
			if (r->code == icode)
				break;
		if (r->code >= 0)
			msg = r->name;
		else {			/* unknown; tell him the number */
			sprintf(convbuf, "REG_%u", (unsigned)icode);
			msg = convbuf;
		}
		break;
	default:		/* a real, normal error code */
		for (r = rerrs; r->code >= 0; r++)
			if (r->code == rxerrcode)
				break;
		if (r->code >= 0)
			msg = r->explain;
		else {			/* unknown; say so */
			sprintf(convbuf, unk, rxerrcode);
			msg = convbuf;
		}
		break;
	}

	len = strlen(msg) + 1;		/* space needed, including NUL */
	if (errbuf_size > 0) {
		if (errbuf_size > len)
			strcpy(errbuf, msg);
		else {			/* truncate to fit */
			strncpy(errbuf, msg, errbuf_size-1);
			errbuf[errbuf_size-1] = '\0';
		}
	}

	return len;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mark Sartain moved to Vero Beach 11 years ago with his wife Kelly. They now have three amazing children, and are actively engaged in the community. He is the owner of Sartain and Associates, a landscape architecture firm that is passionate about personable projects. They maintain a focus on high quality residential design and garden refurbishment, but also love being engaged in commercial and institutional projects that bring excitement and energy to the community. One of the high points for Mark and his team was the award given to American Icon Brewery for "Restoration and Re-Use of Historic Property" by the IRC Chamber of Commerce. Mark loves the generous spirit of Vero Beach and has spent time volunteering with Whole Child of Indian River County, The Buggy Bunch, McKee Botanical Garden, The Jimmy Graves Foundation, and Main Street Vero Beach. He believes that healthy families help to create vibrant communities, that is why he is passionate about supporting Healthy Start and their amazing work.


MIT's Self-Assembly Lab has demonstrated its rapid liquid printing process at this year's Design Miami fair, using it to create products in front of visitors.
Together with Patrick Parrish Gallery, furniture brand Steelcase, Brazilian artist Marcelo Coelho and Swiss designer Christophe Guberan, the lab took over a booth at the collectible design fair last week to present applications for its revolutionary technique.
"The space serves as a manufacturing facility in which a robot instantly prints tote bags and art objects inside a glass tank of translucent gel," said the team. "This exhibit is the first public demonstration of MIT's rapid liquid printing technology."
Unveiled earlier this year, the new method of 3D printing involves extruding material from a computer-controlled nozzle into the gel.
The robotic arm moves quickly around the tank, depositing a rubbery filament that remains suspended in the gel. The filament bonds to itself but not its surroundings, so once set, the drawn object can be removed in one piece.
At Design Miami, visitors could see inside the transparent tank during the production process, then watch as the items were removed, cleaned up, and put on display.
The entire process took only a few minutes per-design, and all of the objects were available to purchase straight away.
The Self-Assembly Lab, co-directed by Skylar Tibbits and based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says that the process can also be used to print objects like furniture at a much larger scale – limited only by the size of the tank.
"Traditional 3D printing is restricted by slow speeds, scale constraints, and poor material quality, which makes it unreliable as a mainstream manufacturing process," the team said.
"With rapid liquid printing, manufacturing can be reimagined as an artistic experience unlimited by scale or gravity, asking us to rethink design, production, uniformity, and product life-cycles."
Design Miami took place from 6 to 10 December 2017 in Miami Beach, coinciding with the Art Basel fair and other events that make up the city's annual art week.
Highlights from the design fair included a door carved with cartoon aquatic creatures, a bronze oatmeal bowl, and a spherical room for peace and quiet.
MIT Self-Assembly Lab's Rapid Liquid Printing technology can "print furniture in minutes"


text:
MegaFon and VimpelCom to end Euroset retail joint venture
Posted by Total Telecom Staff | Jul 12, 2017 | TECHNOLOGY, 5G, FFTX, COMPANY NEWS, AI, Governance, Cloud, IoT, Open RAN, Europe, Security, News
Russian operator MegaFon is to acquire VimpelCom's 50% interest in electronics retail chain Euroset, ending the companies' joint venture as each pursues its own retail strategy independently.
Euroset is Russia's largest mobile and electronics retailer and had been co-owned by VimpelCom, the Russian subsidiary of Veon which trades under the Beeline brand in Russia, and MegaFon. As a result of the deal, MegaFon will take ownership of 100% of Euroset, which will continue to trade. VimpelCom will acquire half of Euroset's retail stores to create its own network of Beeline branded stores.
Sergey Soldatenkov, the chief executive of MegaFon, said: "We are grateful to Veon for our partnership in retail over the last five years. The transaction will allow MegaFon and Veon to pursue their independent retail strategies and optimise mobile distribution in Russia. MegaFon will be able to improve quality of service for our clients. Euroset will remain and continue to evolve as a mobile retailer."
Kjell Morten Johnsen, the chief executive of VimpelCom and the head of major markets at Veon, said: "The maturity of the Russian telecoms market is driving the operators' retail focus from SIM card sales to retention and better services for existing customers, which requires operators to develop their own high-performing retail chains. The transaction reinforces VimpelCom's monobrand strategy and will allow us to double our retail network in Russia. We look forward to welcoming customers to an even greater number of Beeline-branded stores."
The agreement, which is subject to regulatory approval, follows a deal in the US that saw mobile operator Sprint buy Dixons Carphone's 50% share of their US retail joint venture.
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Short lessons to help prepare the kids!
Review the short biography videos for each composer and listen to the songs. Try the short lesson ideas on each page.
Prepare the kids with a short lesson on concert etiquette, practice the customs in the class.
-Understanding how clapping at a concert bears no resemblance to cheering at a sports event.
for the ostinato in Ravel's Bolero and practice in class. Learn the differences between rhythm, beat and ostinato.


Until now, we've always had to learn how to use a computer, whether it'd be downloading apps, memorized bash commands, using software applications, etc. But the promise of AI is that computing will learn how to understand us. As we build the next generation of apps, we are actively evaluating the reality of adding intelligence to deliver a personalized experience for our users.
Join Vishesh from Microsoft to have a broader discussion on industry trends around AI, ML, chatbots, etc. and delivery of these solutions. He will also discuss Microsoft's approach to democratizing AI for developers and data scientists.
This talk is perfect for startups, developers, product managers and AI newbies.
Vishesh Oberoi is a Software Development Engineer at Microsoft focused solving engineering problems working with Startups and Large Companies across Australia and New Zealand. He currently leads all the developer effort across NZ around AI and IoT and often presents at various conferences.
Collider is your opportunity to converge with Wellington's innovation, tech and creative scene. Whether you're connecting to an event in our programme or you're collaborating with a human in the tech hub, Collider aims to help you and your business grow. Collider is a Wellington City Council initiative, delivered by BizDojo.
Collider 'Tech for Noobs Series': SEO - What even is it?


text:
Jasunari Kavabata (jap. 川端 康成, Osaka, 11. lipnja 1899. – Zushi kraj Kamakure 16. travnja 1972.), japanski književnik.

Godine 1968., za vrijeme proslavljanja restauracije Meiđi, Jasunari Kavabata je postao prvi japanski pisac koji je dobio Nobelovu nagradu za književnost. Obrazloženje je glasilo da mu je dodijeljena Nobelova nagrada »zbog pripovjedačkog majstorstva, koje s velikom osjećajnošću izražava suštinu japanskog duha«. Čovjek koji je cijenio usamljenost, koji je odista živio samotno i na odstojanju, čak i u najtežim trenutcima, Kawabata je još mnogo ranije govorio o ništavnosti i uzaludnosti slave. Ipak je nazočio svim ceremonijama, prijemima i počastima koje su održavane u njegovu čast. Pošto se vratio iz Stockholma, još je nekoliko puta putovao u inozemstvo držati predavanja ili nazočiti književnim simpozijima. Godine 1971. vodio je aktivnu kampanju za prijatelja koji se kandidirao za guvernera u Tokiju. Izvršio je samoubojstvo u svom studiju blizu Kamakure, u travnju 1972, ne ostavivši nikakvu bilješku ni objašnjenje.

Rani život
Yasunari Kawabata (1899. – 1972.) je rođen kod Osake 1899. godine. Izgubio je roditelje već u drugoj godini života; baka i jedina sestra umrle su mu ubrzo posle roditelja; kada mu je umro djed, s kojim je živio od svoje sedme godine, budući nobelovac je imao svega četrnaest godina. Smrt roditelja i bližih rođaka u doba ranog djetinjstva ostavila je neizbrisive tragove na Kawabatin život i njegovo književno stvaralaštvo.

Prvo zapaženo djelo budućeg nobelovca bio je dnevnik napisan u Kawabatinoj petnaestoj godini i nešto kasnije objavljen pod naslovom "Dnevnik petnaestogodišnjaka". U ovom djelu Kawabata pokazuje već razvijen književni smisao, potresno opisujući posljednje dane svoga djede. Opisi mu se odlikuju realizmom, gotovo neshvatljivim za tako rano životno doba. Dnevnik je otkrio njegovu izuzetnu obdarenost, pokazao njegovo duboko osećanje za ljepotu i ukazao na sposobnost ovog mladog pisca da stvara djela neprolazne vrijednosti.

Nakon djedine smrti živio je u internatu jedne srednje škole, sve dok nije napustio Osaku da bi se upisao u elitnu Prvu gimnaziju u Tokiju. Književnu karijeru počeo je još prije nego što je diplomirao na Tokijskom carskom sveučilištu 1924. godine. Ubrzo je postao poznat po malim sastavima koje je nazvao "Pregršti priča" i po autobiografskoj priči "Igračica s poluotoka Izu" (1926.). Ova pripovijetka donijela je Kawabati ranu slavu svojim izvanrednim stilom, uzdržanošću u izražavanju i nježnim osjećanjima. Kawabata u njoj oživljava događaje svoje rane mladosti s prizvukom tuge i profinjenom senzualnom osjećajnošću. Ovi kvaliteti prožimat će i njegova kasnija dijela.

Studij i prva objavljivanja
Za vrijeme studija japanske književnosti, od 1920., Kawabata je objavljivao svoje sastave u raznim časopisima: Šinšićo, Bungei šunđu i dr. Po diplomiranju 1924, pridružio se grupi mladih književnika koji su zagovarali novi književni pravac poznat pod nazivom "pneoirnpresionizam" ili "neosenzualizam" ili "neopercepcionizam". Glasilo ove grupe mladih i darovitih književnika bio je novoosnovani časopis Bungei đidai, oko kojeg su se okupili Riići Jokomicu, Tepei Kataoka, Kameo Ciga, Taramako Ito, Kanesaku Išihama, Šigesaku Sasaki, Micuzo Sasaki, Yasunari Kawabata i at. Glavni teoretičar ovog pravca bio je Riići Jokomicu, a izvor inspiracije ovog pokreta bilo je stvaralaštvo modernih evropskih književnika, naročito Paula Morana i njegovog poznatog djela "Noć se otvara". Ideje ovih mladih književnika izražene su u nekoliko teorijskih eseja, od kojih je jedan napisao i sam Kawabata, pod naslovom Nova stremljenja avangardnih pisaca, objavljen 1925. godine. U ovim esejima zastupaju se nova shvaćanja, preporučuje istančana osjećajnost, nova tehnika izražavanja i novi stil. Članovi grupe smatrali su da novi književni izraz treba biti svjež i da poetski obasjava suštinu izraženih osjećanja; da osjećanja trebaju biti izuzetno perceptivna i senzualna; da stvarnost treba izražavati suptilnim osjećanjima, sugestivnošću i profinjenim simbolima, i to na taj način da se umjetnički izrazi značaj unutrašnjeg života; da umjetnost mora imati neminovni karakter, a izrazi da moraju imati poetski ritam i živu osjećajnost; da percepcija mora biti istančana gotovo do morbidnog i dekadentnog stanja, ali da mora imati intelektualne elemente. Međutim, postojala je opasnost da se njihova nastojanja odvoje od osnovne životne snage i pretvore u neku vrstu dekadentne zabave. U svakom slučaju, oni su propovijedali »nov život« i »novu književnu umjetnost«. Njihove ideje su tijesno povezane i s pojavom dadaizma, ekspresionizma, nadrealizma i drugih avangardnih pravaca. U neku ruku, ovaj pokret je nastao i kao reakcijana realističke pravce u japanskoj književnosti, naročito na pojavu revolucionarne proleterske književnosti. Oni su zastupali dinamičnu umjetnost - s glavnim ciljem da razjašnjava osobnost samog pisca, a njihovo stvaralaštvo bilo je obojeno izvjesnim nihilizmom.

Kawabatin stil pisanja i predratni period
Kawabata se znatno razlikuje od glavnog toka ove grupe po svom naglasku na klasičnom stilu, po svojoj trezvenoj usamljenosti i elegičnom tonu, po tome što je istkao poseban svijet nježne i suptilne osjećajnosti, metaforične sugestivnosti, dubokih impresija i simbolizma. On se uglavnom usredotočuje na isticanje potrebe za rađanjem novog jezika, koji bi zamijenio postojeći, beživotno objektivan pripovjedački jezik. Kawabata smatra da umjesto gramatički savršenih rečenica pisac treba upotrebljavati nekada nedovršene, fragmentarne rečenice, čime bi potpunije dočarao opisani lik, njegov svijet i njegovo dinamično poimanje života. Drugim riječima, Kawabata se bori za jedinstvo subjekta i objekta, za integraciju svijeta, čovjeka i umjetnosti. U duhu »neopercepcionizma« Kawabata je pisao nekih desetak godina, a najzapaženija djela iz ovog razdoblja su mu: Junak Sahrane (1923.), Duh ruže (1927.), Grupa Kurenai iz Asakuse (1929.), Igla, staklo i žaba (1930.), Kristalna fantazija (1931.) i dr.

Međutim, najznačajnije djelo u predratnoj fazi Kawabatinog stvaralaštva je "Snježna zemlja", osim kojeg je do rata napisao i Ptice grabljivice i divlje zveri. U "Snježnoj zemlji" došla su do punog izraza Kawabatina shvaćanja o književnosti i umjetnosti. Ta shvaćanja je Kawabata pokušao da rezimira u svom eseju "Ljepota Japana i ja", napisanom prilikom prihvaćanja Nobelove nagrade za književnost, u kojem izlaže svoja osnovna načela o umjetnosti. Iako ovaj esej nije podrobna diskusija o umjetničkim vrijednostima, u njemu Kawabata izlaže izbor izvjesnih načela koja su mu bila izuzetno značajna, a mnoga od njih su povezana sa zen-budizmom.

Prvo od ovih načela je asimetrija. Kawabata navodi aranžiranje cvijeća i vrtlarstvo kao dvije umjetničke djelatnosti koje najbolje otkrivaju upotrebu sugestivnosti.
"U usporedbi sa zapadnjačkim vrtovima, koji su većinom zasađeni simetrično, japanski vrtovi su uglavnom asimetrični, jer asimetričnost više nego simetričnost ima moć da simbolično izrazi mnoštvo i prostranstvo. Naravno, ta asimetričnost nalazi svoju ravnotežu u delikatnoj osjećajnosti Japanaca."

Asimetrija, i sugestivnost koja proizlazi iz nje, omogućuju da se pomoću jedne male stvari evocira cio svijet. Zatvorene strukture, harmonično raspoređene, samo definiraju same sebe. Međutim Kawabata ističe da asimetrija nije prirodna i spontana, već da nastaje iz discipline stvorene putem »ravnoteže nametnute delikatnom osjećajnošću«. Na kraju eseja Kawabata navodi reci srednjovjekovnog japanskog pjesnika o njegovom, velikom suvremeniku Saigjou, jednom od najboljih japanskih pjesnika, čiji su književni i pjesnički ideali bili transcendentalni, a u neku ruku čak i religiozni.

"Saigjo je često dolazio da razgovara o poeziji. Njegovo viđenje poezije, rekao je, bilo je daleko od običnog. Trešnjini pupoljci, kukavica, mjesec, snijeg: suočene sa svim raznovrsnim oblicima prirode, njegove oči i uši bile su ispunjene prazninom. I zar nisu reći koje je izustio bile istinite reci? Kad je pjevao o pupoljcima, on nije razmišljao o pupoljcima; kad je pjevao o mjesecu, on nije mislio na mjesec. Kad je za to bila prilika, kad bi osjetio inspiraciju, tada je pisao poeziju. Crvena duga preko neba bila je poput cvijeta koji dobiva boju. Bijela sunčeva svjetlost bila je poput neba koje se osvjetljava. Ipak, prazno nebo, po svojoj prirodi, ne mora da se osvijetli. Ono ne može ni da se oboji. S duhom poput praznog neba on je davao boju svim prizorima, iako od toga u njemu ništa nije ostajalo. U takvoj poeziji nalazimo Budu, manifestaciju konačne istine."

Saigjoova umjetnost sastojala se iz sugeriranja opće istine, a ne njenog izjavljivanja. Kawabatina osjećajnost navela ga je da usvoji isti stav i mnoge iste metode u svojim sastavima umjetničke proze. Međutim, takva osjećajnost je rezultat upornog i strogog vježbanja. Kawabata se divio klasičnim književnim tekstovima iz japanske prošlosti i stalno se služio njima kao književnim uzorima.
Drugo Kawabatino glavno načelo je ljepota. U jednom drugom eseju, što je, zapravo, tekst predavanja održanog na havajskom sveučilištu 1969, a poslije objavljenom pod naslovom »Postojanje i otkriće ljepote«, Kawabata citira pesmu haiku pjesnika Kobajashi Ise (1763-1827):

Kakva ljepota!
Nebo u noći
svršene godine.

"Naučio sam ovu haiku pjesmu Kobajaši Ise pošto sam je našao u antikvarnici u Kamakuri, na svitku koji je napisao sam Isa. Još nisam ispitao kada i gdje je ova pjesma sastavljena, ali ako je napisana po njegovom povratku kući u Kašivabari na obali jezera Nođiri, koje se nalazi na granici između snježne provincije Ečigo i provincije Šinano, a u podnožju planina kao što su Togakuši, Izuna i Mjoko, onda je noćno nebo bilo visoko i izuzetno čisto, kao zamrznuto, i možemo zamisliti da je na nebu bio ogroman broj zvijezda koje kao da su pljuštale dole u blistavom sjaju. Moramo se, također, podsjetiti da je to njegov zavičaj, koji je opisao u onoj čuvenoj pjesmi:
Je li ovo, konačno,
moje krajnje prebivalište?
Pet stopa snijega.

Štoviše, bilo je to usred noći posljednjeg dana u godini. Prema tome, u običnim recima ,kakva ljepota' Isa je otkrio i stvorio veliku ljepotu."

Kawabatine primjedbe otkrivaju neophodan i blizak odnos između poetskog impulsa i atmosfere mesta koje potiče taj impuls. Prikladnost i jednostavnost Isinog odziva predstavljaju ishod njegovog sluha za poeziju mjesta. Njegov odziv je osoban i precizan.
Malo zatim, u istom predavanju, Kawabata navodi Bašoove slične stavove, spominjući dobro poznati događaj kada je Bašo hvalio Kjoraija, jednog od svojih sljedbenika, koji mu je rekao: "Kako je istinito da izvjestan prizor u neko vrijeme može da pobudi osjećanja ljudi."

Komentirajući Kjoraijevo vjerovanje da je "elegantno ono što proističe iz posebnih okolnosti", Kawabata zaključuje:
"Prilikom otkrivanja elegantnog, to jest ljepote koja postoji, prilikom osjećanja ljepote koju smo otkrili, pa čak i prilikom stvaranja ljepote koju smo osjetili, posebne okolnosti onoga što postoji prirodno u tim okolnostima zaista su važne, i može se reći da su one draž nebesa; Štoviše, ako možemo da znamo te posebne okolnosti kao stvarne okolnosti, onda možemo reći da je to dar boga ljepote."

Drugi svjetski rat i poslije

Nakon rata prvi roman kojeg je Kawabata napisao je bio "Tisuću ždralova". Za vrijeme rata pisao je vrlo malo, povukao se u privremenu šutnju i posvetio se uglavnom izučavanju klasične japanske književnosti. O svojoj ljubavi prema klasičnoj japanskoj književnosti govori na mnogim mjestima, a naročito se ističe sljedeća njegova napomena u eseju »Ljepota Japana i ja«:
"U poeziji, u ranom 10. stoljeću, javlja se prva od antologija koje su poručili carevi, Zbirka starih i novih pijesama (Kokinšiju), a u prozi 'Povijest o Iseu', nakon koje slijede izvanredna remekdjela klasične japanske proze - 'Povijest o Genđiju' spisateljice i dvorske dame Murasaki i 'Knjiga za uzglavlje' spisateljice Sei Šonagon. Obje spisateljice živjele su s kraja 10. do polovine 11. stoljeća. Tako je uspostavljena tradicija koja je uticala, čak i usmjeravala japansku književnost tokom osam stotina godina. Naročito 'Povijest o Genđiju' predstavlja najviše dostignuće u japanskoj književnosti. Ni do dana današnjeg u Japanu ne postoji djelo umjetničke proze koje bi se moglo usporediti s ovim. Pravo je čudo što je tako moderno djelo napisano još u 11. stoljeću, i kao takvo čudo ono je nadaleko poznato i u inozemstvu. Iako nisam siguran da sam, u to vrijeme, baš izuzetno dobro poznavao japanski klasični jezik, moja glavna lektira iz doba dječaštva bila su klasična djela iz razdoblja Heian, a čini mi se da mi je najznačajnija bila 'Povijest o Genđiju'. Stoljećima poslije toga kad je napisano, ljudi su se neprekidno divili ovom djelu, a odano mu je priznanje i time što su ga pisci neprestano imitirali i što je više puta prerađivano. 'Povijest o Genđiju' bila je širok i dubok izvor inspiracija za poeziju, što je razumljivo, kao i za lijepe umjetnosti i rukotvorine, pa čak i za umjetnost pejzažnog vrtlarstva."

Osim "Tisuću ždralova" (1949.), Kawabata je poslije rata napisao niz izvanrednih romana, od kojih se ističu: "Zvuk planine" (1953.), "Jezero" (1954.), "Proljetni dan" (1954.), "Sporedna ulica" (1954.), "Čovjek iz Tokija" (1954.) i "Razmišljanja jedne supruge" (1954.), "Usred rođenja jednog čovjeka" (1955.), "Domašaj tuge" (1955.), "Žena u kolima" (1955.). Ovo je period velike plodnosti iskusnog pisca, majstora književnog pera i stvaraoca snažnih misli.

Tijekom sljedećih nekoliko godina Kawabata nije ništa manje produktivan: objavljuje knjige priča i romane "Ona zemlja, ova zemlja" (1956.), "Lav i djevojčica" (1956.), "Biti žena" (1956.), "Večernja rumen" (1957.), "Jednog dana" (1957.), "Grad Hiura" (1958.), "Drvored" (1958.), "Evropa" (1958.), "Ono što muškarci ne rade" (1958.).

Vrijedno je spomenuti i to da je Kawabata napisao više od stotinu kratkih priča - od po nekoliko stranica - i jednom je rekao da su mu to najomiljenija djela. Većinu je napisao u dvadesetim godinama života. Bila je to njegova »mladenačka poezija«, o kojoj je rekao sljedeće: "Književnici u mladosti većinom pišu poeziju, a ja sam umjesto poezije pisao ove vinjete." Nastavio je pisati takve kratke priče sve do svojih najproduktivnijih godina poslije rata. U ovim kratkim bajkolikim pričama mogu se naći ne samo poznati elementi Kawabatinog književnog svijeta u širem smislu riječi - nepovezano sazviježđe ljudskih osjećanja i ljepote prirode - nego i ozbiljnije teme njegovih kasnih remekdjela, a to su svjesnost novog doba, pramena i poraza, i tiha, gorko-slatka pomirenost s usamljenošću, starošću i neminovnom smrću.

Posljednji period života
Posljednjih desetak godina svog života Kawabata je objavio niz priča i novela: "Veliki pjesnik koji stremi daljini" (1959.), "Uspavane ljepotice" (1960.), "Ljepota i tuga" (1961.), "Stari grad" (1961.), "Vodeni tok opalih latica" (1962.), "Među ljudima" (1963.), "Tamajura" (1965.), "Jedna ruka" (1965.) i dr. Biseri Kawabatinog stvaralaštva nižu se sve do njegove smrti 1972. godine. Kawabata je bio i vrstan kaligraf, što je veoma bitno za njegov stil i jezik, jer je vizualni element u japanskom ideogramskom pismu od posebnog značaja. Isto tako, stranice Kawabatinih djela obiluju slikarskim prikazima beznačajnih pojedinosti. Poput filmske kamere, Kawabatino oko zapaža detalje iz prirode i života, koji ispunjavaju njegova djela u kaleidoskopskom šarenilu, iako uzdržano i većinom usred-sređeno na po jedan izraziti detalj, kojim katkada dočarava sveukupnost poput haiku-pjesnika. U mnogim vidovima, najlepši elementi haiku poezije i klasične japanske prozne književnosti kao da su našli suvremeni odjek u Kawabatinom književnom stvaralaštvu. On je zadržao ono što je najbolje iz stare japanske književnosti, dajući nove oblike, obrađujući suvremenu tematiku i baveći se problemima modernog čovjeka. Estetski ideali klasične japanske književnosti također žive u Kawabatinom djelu. Pojmovi mono no avare ili »neizreciva, tužna ljepota«, vabi ili »uzdržana usamljenost«, sabi ili »skromno siromaštvo«, hosomi ili »tananost«, karumi "lakoća duha", okašimi ili  "trezvena komičnost" žive na stranicama Kawabatinih djela više negoli u stvaralaštvu bilo kog drugog suvremenog japanskog pisca.

Samoubojstvo
On je uvijek odbacivao samoubojstvo kao izlaz iz životnih problema. Na primjer u svom eseju "San na samrti" pisao je:
"Koliko god čovjek bio otuđen od svijeta, samoubojstvo nije oblik prosvjećenja. Koliko god vrijedan divljenja čovjek bio, ako izvrši samoubojstvo, on je daleko od stanja svetaca i mudraca."

Kawabata se dotiče iste teme i u svom eseju  »Ljepota Japana i ja«, gdje kaže:
"Ja se ne divim niti suosjećam s takvim samoubojicama kao što su Akutagawa, poslijeratni pisac Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) i drugi. Međutim, imao sam još jednog prijatelja koji je umro mlad, jednog od japanskih avangardnih slikara, koji je, također, dugo razmišljao o samoubojstvu, i o njemu sam u istom eseju napisao sljedeće:
'Čini mi se da mu je to već postala uzrečica,  pošto je neprestano ponavljao da nema veće umjetnosti od smrti, da umrijeti znači živjeti u pravom smislu te riječi'.
Ipak, pretpostavljao sam da je za njega, rođenog u budističkom hramu i obrazovanog u budističkoj školi, pojam smrti sasvim drugačiji od shvaćanja smrti na Zapadu. 'Od onih koji razmišljaju o stvarima, ima li ikoga ko još nije pomišljao na samoubojstvo?'"

Tako je svoj život i stvaralački put završio ovaj veliki majstor pera, ostavši nedokučiv kako u svojim izvanrednim djelima tako i u svom posljednjem činu, u činu samoubojstvo. U povijesti japanske književnosti, pak, ostat će lik velikog pisca, koji je gradio mostove između prošlosti i sadašnjosti, spajao tradiciju i suvremenost, i suočavao se sa svim akutnim problemima koji razdiru suvremenog čovjeka. Činjenica da je Kawabata izvršio samoubojstvo ostat će sporedna zamjerka u usporedbi s citadelom remekdjela koje je ovaj veliki književnik ostavio za sobom.

Japanski književnici
 Dobitnici Nobelove nagrade za književnost


text:
Helping more kids learn to ride a bike for life
Posted on Press Releases · July 25, 2017 8:46 AM
Transport Minister Simon Bridges and ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse have welcomed an initiative for the development of a national cycling education system aimed at getting more kids riding bikes safely.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced today that the Transport Agency and ACC have approved an initial $2.7 million of funding to establish the system by June 2018. The total investment including delivery of cycling education is expected to be around $24 million over four years.
"Cycling is an important life skill and we want to make sure that all kids in New Zealand have the opportunity to learn to ride a bike safely from an early age," Mr Bridges says.
"Cycling is a great way to get around, to stay active, or to just have fun with friends and family. Kids love to ride bikes but in recent years there has been a significant drop off in kids cycling. This new system is designed to help reverse that trend and establish a safe system approach to cycling that will see a return of more kids getting around by bike every day.
"The Government's $333 million Urban Cycleway Programme is creating safer and more connected shared paths and cycleways throughout New Zealand.
"As we improve our environment for people on bikes and more people start to cycle, we need to make sure they have the skills, experience and confidence required to enjoy the ride," Mr Bridges says.
"Over the last five years, bike related injury claims to ACC have increased by 25 per cent, so ensuring people have the skills to ride safely is paramount," Mr Woodhouse says.
"Many Councils around New Zealand are already delivering some cycling education. This new national approach, designed and delivered jointly by central and local government, and the community, will build on the great work already underway. This is all about making it more effective and reaching more people and being able to assess its impact on improving safety and encouraging more people to ride."
The system, aligned with the school curriculum, is focused on giving people the skills they need at the right time in their life – from learning bike handling skills in primary school through to learning road rules and how to ride on-road when they are ready. The system will also offer opportunities for adults who haven't ridden a bike for a while with programmes designed to help them improve their skills on both standard and e-bikes.
"We're developing this national programme using very best practice, some of it home grown right here in New Zealand. We are leading the world with our Bikes in Schools programme," Mr Bridges says.
"By 2021 our goal by is to double the number of children currently receiving on-road training and to double the number of schools running the Bikes in Schools programme."
www.nzta.govt.nz/national-cycling-education-system
Speech to RSE Conference
Good Morning and thank you for that introduction Mike.
Thank you to Horticulture NZ for the invitation to come and speak to you. It's fantastic to be here in Blenheim at this wonderful Convention Centre – what a great facility.
I would like to acknowledge Prime Minister Enele S Sopaga of Tuvalu and the Pacific Ministers from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands. It's nice to see you again.
It's a big year for the RSE scheme – 10 years since it was first introduced and what a difference it has made. To the horticulture and viticulture industries, to business growth, to Kiwis looking for work, and of course, to the Pacific communities.
As I stand here today, I can't help but think back to 2007 when the RSE scheme began, with around 65 RSE employers and a national cap of just 5,000. Today, there's more than 130 RSE employers and the national cap has more than doubled to 10,500.
That growth is a vote of confidence in the scheme. But it shouldn't come as a surprise that this ground-breaking policy has been such a success.
The RSE scheme has been regarded as one of the best circular migration schemes in the world, and without the dedication and willingness from employers to try something new back in 2007, we wouldn't be here today celebrating its 10th anniversary.
If we think back to 2007, I'm sure many of you here today will remember all too well the fruit that was left rotting on the ground because of the lack of workers available to do the work.
Not only has the RSE scheme helped prevent that, it's also led to better quality and more productive workers, as well as a more stable workforce for the horticulture and viticulture industries.
As a result, many businesses have been able to grow and expand. In fact, since 2007, 82 per cent of RSE employers have expanded their cultivation areas, with most agreeing that participation in the RSE scheme was a contributing factor to this expansion.
I'm also aware that participation in the RSE scheme has enabled employers to employ more New Zealand workers in addition to their RSE workers. As you will know, the Government is committed to getting more Kiwis into training, education or employment.
I'm sure Social Development Minister Anne Tolley will talk about that more later today, but let me just say that I'm encouraged by the fact that more than 170 unemployed New Zealanders have so far moved to the horticultural regions and taken part in the New Zealand Seasonal Work Scheme. I want to applaud you as employers for helping make this happen.
When we increased the cap, we also set you a challenge to tell a better story in terms of your recruitment, training and development of Kiwi workers and I'm encouraged to see the progress being made in this respect.
However, after 10 years, we need to be mindful of both the size and the management of the RSE scheme.
I understand the theme of this year's conference is "Resilient, Sustainable, Ethical" which is very fitting. The 10th anniversary provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the success of the scheme, as well as focus on what is needed in order to sustain the scheme's success into the future. And I think the 'Ethical' element has an important role to play in that.
While many RSE employers may represent the best of the best in terms of industry standards and employment conditions for their workers, there's no doubt that there are other employers who are letting the horticulture and viticulture industries down.
This has become particularly evident in Marlborough recently with a number of complaints being made to the Labour Inspectorate about employers not meeting their minimum employment standards obligations.
It is simply unacceptable that those employers who breach employment and/or immigration law are still able to recruit from the international labour market and disadvantage those employers who do the right thing.
That's why in February this year, the Government announced stand-down periods during which time employers who flout the law will be banned from recruiting further migrant workers.
Since we made those changes, 53 employers have been stood down from recruiting migrant workers. However, I'm pleased to learn that only four of those employers are in the horticulture and viticulture industries.
That, combined with the results of a recent joint agency operation undertaken by Immigration NZ, the Labour Inspectorate and IRD, which found that the level of non-compliance that was uncovered was a considerable improvement on past operations, tells me that we are heading in the right direction as far as compliance goes.
But it's equally important that RSE employers take responsibility for your supply chain. It's no longer sufficient to think your responsibilities end with your direct employees.
It is in everyone's interests to ensure poorer performers in the industry, beyond the RSE scheme, do not jeopardize the success of the scheme. Because that success is important, not just here in New Zealand, but in the Pacific communities as well.
The RSE scheme provides the mainly Pacific workers with an invaluable experience and the chance of being able to send money back to their communities at home.
RSE workers contribute more than $40 million per annum to the Pacific and recent surveys show that many workers are sending 40% of their wages home.
The benefit of this is highlighted in some of the stories from people who take part. Whether it be the Fijian woman who put herself through aviation school to become a pilot through the money she made working in New Zealand, or the Ni-Van worker who now owns rental properties and runs a cattle farm from the money he saved.
While it's only been 10 years, we're already hearing that one of the benefits to come out of the scheme is that the children of these workers are being educated. We cannot begin to measure the long-term benefits of outcomes like this.
However, it's not just the RSE workers that are giving back to the Pacific communities. I've heard a number of stories about New Zealand employers going the extra mile for their workers and their villages. I can't name all of them, but examples include employers such as Birdhurst and Pick Hawke's Bay, who have sent builders and building supplies in the wake of the destructive hurricanes in Fiji and Vanuatu.
Vinepower's connection to Ni-Van workers led it to opening an organic coffee and coconut oil business in Vanuatu for RSE workers to have opportunity at home. This shows the strength of the community that has been fostered between New Zealand and the Pacific as a result of the scheme.
So as the RSE scheme continues to grow and we hear more and more stories like these, it's equally important that we look to the future and the sustainability of the scheme.
The Government is aware that the horticulture and viticulture industries require high volumes of workers for seasonal work in order to continue growing and to increase exports to $10 billion by 2020.
Our decision to increase the national cap to 10,500 in December 2016 shows the Government's commitment to enabling the industry to continue to grow and maximise export returns, while ensuring New Zealanders also benefit from this growth.
With the number of RSE workers and employers both increasing, we have also seen a recent rise in the number of incidents involving RSE workers which has resulted in some negative publicity.
While these incidents are small when you look at the total number of workers arriving each year, which is equivalent to a town the size of Greymouth or Gore, there have already been over 40 incidents this year – more than the total number for last year and we are only at the 6 month mark.
I know that Immigration officials work with a number of key parties including employers, police and the community to investigate and follow up any incident as quickly as practicable. They also have a zero tolerance for the misbehaviour of workers and any who are found to have breached the conditions of their visas are usually returned home within a matter of days.
Education and information at the start of the process is absolutely vital. Preparing the RSE workers and educating them on their responsibilities for working in New Zealand is the most effective way to ensure they understand the importance of good behaviour and the repercussions of misconduct.
As you know, workers are already provided with a wealth of information before they leave home and on arrival in New Zealand, and an induction programme has also now been developed for RSE workers coming here.
But it's clear more needs to be done to ensure the message gets home. I know that INZ has contacted all RSE employers to emphasise the importance of pastoral care and ensuring their workers behave appropriately.
The same message has been given to the Governments of RSE-sending countries. I'm reassured by the measures many of them have already put in place such as the Fijian Government's recent announcement banning workers who damage the country's reputation from further seasonal work opportunities for four years.
It's crucial that we all take responsibility for the roles we play to ensure the sustainability of the RSE scheme. The scheme is a fantastic eco-system and is a credit to the strong relationships that have been built between employers, workers, government officials and our Pacific neighbours.
I look forward to seeing the continued to success of the RSE scheme for many years to come
FairWay change positive for staff and customers
Finance Minister Steven Joyce and ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse have today announced the sale of FairWay Resolution from Crown ownership to employee ownership with effect from July this year.
"Employee-ownership is a successful business model that will give staff a greater role in the future direction of the company," Mr Joyce says.
"The change in ownership will also reflect positively in the way staff work, which has a direct flow on for clients."
Fairway started in 1999 as the Dispute Resolution Service within ACC before becoming an independent Crown entity in 2011, and is New Zealand's largest specialist conflict management company with a team of over 200 people throughout New Zealand.
"An independent review of the ACC dispute resolution process in 2016 found that Crown ownership affected clients' perceptions of FairWay's independence and the report cited change of ownership as a possible solution," Mr Woodhouse says.
"With today's announcement, any doubts that clients may have had about the complete independence of FairWay can be laid to rest."
Independent advice was relied upon to identify and assess appropriate options for the long-term ownership of the company with the employee ownership model best for the crown and company. The agreed purchase price was $6.5 million
$15 million boost for Pacific labour mobility
The Government has today announced $10 million in new funding to expand Pacific labour mobility, as the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme celebrates ten years of success.
Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse say the RSE scheme is an innovative immigration policy that fulfils a labour need in New Zealand while giving Pacific workers the chance to earn an income and gain skills.
"Due to the scheme's success, the Government has approved $10 million over an initial five-year period to explore what other sectors of the economy – where there is continued high demand for labour – RSE workers are well placed to make a contribution to," Mr Brownlee says.
"In particular, the Government will be exploring employment opportunities for Pacific women and develop prospects in semi-skilled, higher-income occupations.
"The new funding is in addition to $5 million for the training of Pacific workers in New Zealand and forms a significant component of the recently-signed Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus," Mr Brownlee says.
Mr Woodhouse says 10 years on, the scheme is still regarded as ground-breaking and among the most effective development policies in the world.
"During its 10 years, the RSE scheme has more than doubled from 5,000 seasonal workers in 2007, to 10,500 in 2017, and has played a key role in supporting industry growth in New Zealand's horticulture and viticulture sectors," Mr Woodhouse says.
"It has also played an integral role in supporting economic growth, with RSE workers contributing more than $40 million every year to the Pacific.
"At the heart of the scheme's success are the strong relationships that have been forged over the last decade with government and industry, and with the highly valued Pacific workers who are welcomed into our communities each year," Mr Woodhouse says.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment partner on the delivery of the RSE scheme.
Ministers attend Five Country Ministerial
Posted on Press Releases · June 29, 2017 11:44 AM
Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse were in Ottawa, Canada this week to attend the annual Five Country Ministerial.
The Five Country Ministerial brings together Interior Ministers, Immigration Ministers and Attorneys General from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to discuss a range of common national security issues and identify areas for collaboration. This year topics included counter-terrorism, cyber-security and border security.
"New Zealand takes our partnership with our Five Country colleagues extremely seriously," Mr Woodhouse says.
"At a time when global terror threats are heightened, these meetings are an opportunity to share intelligence and ideas with our Five Country colleagues, particularly in relation to border security issues and the general movement of people."
While in Ottawa, Mr Finlayson also attended the Attorneys General Quintet, now in its eighth year. The Quintet brings together the Attorneys General of the same five countries to share approaches to a range of complex and trans-border legal issues.
This year's meeting included a session led by New Zealand to discuss current legal frameworks for intelligence and evidence in legal proceedings.
"Our countries are dealing with a number of common issues, many of them with cross-border aspects," Mr Finlayson says.
"These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to work with jurisdictions similar to our own on difficult challenges posed to security, law enforcement and the courts."
The Five County Ministerial Joint Communiqué issued at the conclusion of the meeting is available here: www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/fv-cntry-mnstrl-2017/index-en.aspx.
The Quintet of Attorneys General Joint Communiqué will be available shortly.
Ministers welcome OAG Border Sector report
Border sector Ministers have welcomed a new report by the Office of the Auditor-General published today on the use of information at New Zealand's ports, and say their agencies will continue to work closely to protect our borders.
"This is a positive report which recognises good collaboration between the three border agencies. It finds there are strong relationships and effective processing of passengers," says Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse.
"The agencies are already working on the report's recommendations, including briefings for new staff on the different agencies' roles and for an updated Border Sector strategy."
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says the report shows staff are working effectively and recently updated training programmes are a particular strength.
"Biosecurity is my number one priority as Minister so it is pleasing to see another good report card. This follows a positive Office of the Auditor General report in 2015 showing the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has made very good progress in biosecurity responses and preparedness.
"In this year's Budget we boosted biosecurity funding to nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. This has helped MPI employ 50 new biosecurity staff and 20 extra biosecurity detector dog teams, along with new x-ray machines, a border clearance levy and the Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement."
Customs Minister Tim Macindoe says it is pleasing to see Customs and MPI staff are working together effectively.
"The report acknowledges the recently updated frontline training programmes as a particular strength, and notes improved collaboration between Border Sector Agencies in recent years.
"Initial scoping is underway between Customs and MPI to look at opportunities for joint Border Sector training and recruitment. This will help to improve awareness of and understanding between frontline staff at the two agencies."
Minister celebrates World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is an opportunity to celebrate the strength, courage and tenacity of refugees around the world and acknowledge the contribution they make here in New Zealand, says Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse.
"It's important we take the time to recognise the difficult journey refugees have been on and the obstacles they have, and continue to, overcome," says Mr Woodhouse.
"The Government takes our responsibility to provide protection to refugees extremely seriously which is why last year we announced an increase to the annual refugee quota by a third to 1,000 from 2018/19.
"We are also committed to improving resettlement outcomes for the refugees we do take, which is why we introduced the Refugee Resettlement Strategy in 2012.
The Strategy aims to help refugees adapt to life in New Zealand as quickly as possible and support them to achieve better settlement outcomes and recent data shows it's working.
"More school leavers with a refugee background with five years or more in the New Zealand education system are gaining NCEA Level 2 and more refugee children are also receiving age-appropriate immunization, with 85 per cent of refugee children receiving one or more scheduled vaccinations within six months of their arrival in New Zealand.
"World Refugee Day is also a time to pay tribute to the scores of volunteers and organisations that play such a vital part in helping refugees feel welcome in their new communities and ensuring they have access to everything they need.
I am always encouraged by the number of volunteers and organisations involved in helping refugees adapt to life here in New Zealand and I have no doubt they will be integral to the success of the community sponsorship category pilot next year."
Appointment to ACC Board
ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced a new appointment to the ACC Board.
Leona Murphy joins the board from today for a three year term.
"Ms Murphy will bring valuable skills to the ACC board, she has a strong background in large scale business transformation, digital IT and insurance claims management," Mr Woodhouse says.
Ms Murphy's career has been in the Australian insurance industry and most recently as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at IAG where she worked across Australia, Asia and New Zealand markets.
Mr Woodhouse thanked departing board member, Professor Gregor Coster for his service and commitment.
ACC is a Crown agent and has an independent board with eight members appointed by the Minister for ACC.
Note for editors:
Leona Murphy:
Ms Murphy who is based in Australia has a background in the Australian insurance industry, most recently as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at IAG. She is a director of Liberty Financial Limited, Stone & Chalk Ltd and Chair of the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Foundation.
She was previously Chair of the Board for the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative's Principles for Sustainable Insurance.
New Toolkit to improve health and safety
ACC and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced a new Workplace Health and Safety Performance Improvement Toolkit (the Toolkit) to provide businesses with advice and guidance to improve health and safety performance.
"The Toolkit delivers a framework that defines what good health and safety looks like and encourages active involvement and engagement throughout the workplace, from workers and operational managers through to senior leaders and boards," Mr Woodhouse says.
"The Toolkit delivers a health and safety best practice standard that is nationally recognised, credible and aligned with the New Zealand regulatory framework beyond minimum compliance requirements.
"Businesses will be able to choose how the Toolkit best caters to their needs with access to resources on the WorkSafe website, an onsite assessment delivered by independent accredited assessors or a free online self-assessment."
The Toolkit will help improve workplace health and safety by:
aligning health and safety workforce professional development with best practice supporting behavioural and culture change by fostering more effective worker participation and engagement targeting system weaknesses identified by the Independent Taskforce
"Good health and safety is good for business and leads to a more productive workforce," Mr Woodhouse says.
"The Toolkit has an important role to play in this and is another step towards achieving the government's target of a 25 per cent reduction in workplace fatalities and serious injuries by 2020."
The Toolkit is the culmination of the Safety Star Rating Scheme work undertaken by WorkSafe, ACC and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
For more information, visit www.worksafe.govt.nz/health-and-safety-toolkit.
Budget 2017: $36.3 million for WorkSafe NZ
Budget 2017 provides $36.3 million of additional operating spending over the next four years for WorkSafe New Zealand to build its capability as an effective, risk-targeted regulator, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse.
$17.36 million has been reprioritised from within baseline and the remaining $18.97 million is new funding from the Health and Safety at Work Levy.
"Budget 2017 recognises the work required to lift health and safety performance in the workplace," Mr Woodhouse says.
The $36.3 million over four years will allow WorkSafe to:
maintain the High Hazard Unit's current inspectorate capability and capacity, enabling it to carry out both proactive and reactive activity to support business to manage catastrophic risk. continue to provide effective education, engagement and enforcement activity to manage health and safety issues around the high levels of construction activity in Christchurch and Auckland address operating cost pressures, ensuring WorkSafe can maintain an active presence across New Zealand.
"Budget 2017 also addresses higher regional inspectorate costs by providing WorkSafe with the necessary funding to maintain its local engagement.
"This will allow businesses and workers facing wide-ranging risks to continue to get support from their local WorkSafe office.
"WorkSafe has become a smarter, more targeted regulator and Budget 2017 will help maintain the progress WorkSafe's been making in improving our workplace health and safety record."


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Uber Technologies said on Thursday that the ride-hailing services company had completed 5 billion trips, as of May 20.
The news comes after a string of setbacks for the privately held firm, including the resignation of Chief Executive Travis Kalanick last week.
Uber, which was founded in 2010, said 156 trips started at the same time, helping the company cross the milestone.
Earlier this week, Australia's workplace regulator said it is investigating Uber over the way it recruits drivers, after a drivers group sought employee rather than subcontractor status.
The Fair Work Ombudsman plans to focus on whether the San Francisco-based startup, which makes apps that allow people to book journeys on their smartphones, is in breach of Australian workplace rules, a spokesman said.
The ombudsman is empowered to take legal action to force firms to comply with workplace laws and pay employees minimum wage and retirement benefits.
Uber defended the way it engages drivers, saying it allowed them more independence.
Also this week, Uber said it had won the right to appeal against a court decision in favour of plans by a London regulator to impose new English reading and writing standards in a move which could deprive it of thousands of drivers.
In March, the San Francisco-based firm, which allows people to book journeys on their smartphone, lost a court battle against Transport for London (TfL), the latest setback as the authorities crack down on the ride service.


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text:
How Gap Activated Its SXSW Presence
Jessica Gioglio
Follow @savvybostonian
Jessica Gioglio is a leading digital and social media strategist and co-author of The Power of Visual Storytelling.
Posted Under: Social Media Case Studies, Social Media Marketing
As the 2013 official SXSW t-shirt sponsor, Gap took to its social media channels to activate a series of free-spirited fashion and music themed content and events in Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. From launching the brand's official Tumblr site, to curating personalized content across Pinterest, Instagram and Vine, companies and brands can look to Gap's efforts as a way to rally their social communities around an event integration.
Featuring the brand's iconic logo and the phrase, "Be Bright," Gap's Tumblr site was created in conjunction with SXSW. The feed is a single column and features large, colorful images, the occasional GIF and SXSW event invitations. The content is centered around fashion and street style tips, plus images of parties and concerts you wish you went to.
In addition to Tumblr, Gap also curated a serious of personalized SXSW content across Pinterest, Instagram and Vine. On Pinterest, Gap has a Festival Style board dedicated to free-spirited fashion and music with more than 19,900 followers.
On Instagram, Gap mixed in SXSW photo collages from events and style spotting expeditions around Austin to its 95,000+ followers. The captions included a custom hashtag, #TumblrxGap, and asked followers to let them know if they would be in Austin, to which they generated a positive, enthusiastic response.
On Vine, Gap also shared a few SXSW videos to its 2,500+ followers, which included snippets of live music and behind-the-scenes footage at the TumblrxGap House.
Best way to end our #TumblrxGap #SXSW showcase is with @macklemore. vine.co/v/bdxXv9aMLlw
— Gap (@Gap) March 16, 2013
Key Takeaways for Rallying Social Communities Around an Event Activation:
Curate personalized content across platforms, but keep the theme consistent. Gap did a great job of this – all of the images and content have a consistent look and feel, but were strategically shared where they would be the most engaging to their social communities.
To brand or not to brand? Don't feel pressured to brand everything. Instead, look to how Gap focused their content strategy around the theme of free spirited music and festival fashion. Their highly visual content perfectly captured the spirit of SXSW and aligned their brand to the event without feeling commercial.
Go behind the scenes. While they directly engaged with fans at SXSW, Gap also reached a much broader audience by sharing videos from concerts they hosted on Vine, behind the scenes video of a party and photos of festival goers. Use your social media efforts to bring people to the event that can't physically travel there.
It's OK to multitask. During this timeframe, there were (gasp) other things going on besides SXSW. Meaning, despite playing an important role in SXSW, Gap still posted content not related to the event. It's smart to diversify your content strategy, as not all fans may be interested in an event or sponsorship.
Rely on real-time social listening and community management. Given the investment required to activate an integrated social campaign (people, creative, hours, dollars), social listening and real-time insights from your community manager are your ace in the hole. Be nimble and flexible to adapt content in line with fan feedback, as it could greatly impact the success of your campaign.


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Pearl Jam_artist page
"Worship the music, not the musicians." — Eddie Vedder
Members: Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder
Formed in 1990 in Seattle, Wash.
Seldom in rock and roll has a debut album achieved such influence, popularity and longevity as Pearl Jam's Ten. Released in 1991, Ten yielded three hit singles: "Alive," "Even Flow" and, "Jeremy," which launched the band into superstardom with help from the heavy rotation of the songs' music videos on MTV.
Three years after "Jeremy" earned the band their first career GRAMMY nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal at the 35th GRAMMY Awards, Pearl Jam won their first career GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Spin The Black Circle" from their sophomore album, Vitalogy, at the 38th GRAMMY Awards.
Nearly two decades later, the group's 10th studio album, 2013's Lightning Bolt, won the GRAMMY for Best Recording Package at the 57th GRAMMY Awards.
Over the course of their nearly 30-year career, Pearl Jam have released literally hundreds of official live concert bootleg albums in addition to their studio catalog. In all, the band has sold over 31 million albums in the U.S., according to the RIAA.
In 2017, Pearl Jam were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame by the band's longtime friend and television personality David Letterman. Letterman lauded not only the band's musical impact, but also their generosity and activism, calling them "something more than a band, a true living cultural organism, they would recognize injustice and stand up … and react."
Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready is a recipient of the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in recognition of his significant support of MusiCares and his commitment to helping others in the addiction recovery process. McCready was presented the award at their 2018 Concert For Recovery on May 10, 2018 at The Showbox in the band's hometown of Seattle.
GRAMMY Award Results for Pearl Jam
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Best Hard Rock Performance
Grievance (Track)
Do The Evolution (Track)
Best Recording Package
Yield (Album)
Do The Evolution (Video)
Spin The Black Circle
Vitalogy (Album)
Daughter (Track)
Go (Track)
Vs. (Album)
Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal
Jeremy (Single)
Latest News for Pearl Jam
See all news for Pearl Jam
Photo: Jeremy Danger
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Pat Monahan in 2002
Photo: Martin Philbey/Redferns/Getty Images
'Drops of Jupiter' At 20: Pat Monahan Looks Back
Photo by Danny Clinch
Pearl Jam Producer Josh Evans Unpacks 'Gigaton'
Maggie Rogers at the 2020 GRAMMYS
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Ohana Fest: Pearl Jam, Maggie Rogers, Yola, More


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