text:
In Full Swing: IndiEarth At The Park
"We weren't expecting such a rager of a night"!
While Imaad Shah – one half of nu disco/funk act Madboy/Mink – had heard good things about the burgeoning music scene in Chennai city, he didn't expect Chennai to party quite as hard as it did, or for the night to rage on as madly as it did. IndiEarth At The Park this past Saturday, May 10th proved to be an explosively potent elixir of good music, good vibes, and good people all united under the umbrella of music.
"We've been touring over the last month and had seen some fun and wild nights," says Imaad. "We'd also heard lots of good things about Chennai city — IndiEarth has a reputation for putting together good nights and good gigs. But the gig exceeded our expectations! For the last three or four songs, people were actually singing along, a lot of them had downloaded the EP before the gig. We really felt a sense of people digging the vibe of our music."
Madboy/Mink – comprising Imaad Shah on guitar/synths/production and vocalist Saba Azad – seeks inspiration from eras gone by, filtering these influences through an aesthetic that is distinctly 'Madboy/Mink', and unique to their individual tastes and sound. "We use guitars, synths, vocals, and a fair bit of samples — that forms the backbone of the set," Imaad told IndiEarth. "The productions are mine and we play all our elements live. Our sound is hard to describe – it's funk/disco from the 70's and 80's, there's also a Harlem swing vibe from the 20's and 30's (which is back when dance music was in its raw form). We're trying to go back to the roots of that. I'm also very inspired by 40's and 50's French swing, Django Reinhardt style – I mean these guys were geniuses. The kind of guitar sound this guy achieved with just two fingers – it's mind blowing"!
Madboy/Mink
This past gig at IndiEarth At The Park was part of the duo's tour to promote their latest EP "All Ball" – available for download here. "Our sound is essentially a mixture of the stuff that turns us on," Imaad continues, "We're both junkies of music from all sorts of genres – our musical vocabulary is huge, but when it comes down to songwriting, it's just us". Their electrically charged performance was as musically stimulating as it was dance floor friendly, and was met with a sweaty floor full of Chennai fans dancing into the wee hours of the morning.
Also on the line up for the evening was Chennai based singer/songwriter act The RJD Experience, featuring Ritesh John Dharmaraj, who opened the evening with a mesmerizing acoustic performance. "This gig was all about playing my stuff – my original material, for people. I wanted to finally get my originals out," says Ritesh. "My songs have a lot of harmonies and vocal melodies, groove and rhythm that stems from my drumming background. I'm actually a drummer, but it's not like I can play a drum beat and write my own music right? [laughs] So I had to pick up a guitar".
The RJD Experience
The crowd was highly receptive to Ritesh's soulful vocals and rich melodic textures — have a listen to his single 'Soldier' right here. "The show went really well!", he smiles, "The crowd liked it, it was absolutely brilliant. I want to thank IndiEarth for giving independent artists this opportunity. I've played a lot of shows, and most often the band is just on the side, or people come out just for the alcohol. This time at IndiEarth At The Park people came just for the music, they came to watch the artists. And the only guys who are making this happen are you guys. I really had a ball!"
Check out all the pictures from the night on the Facebook album here.
The next edition of IndiEarth At The Park in June will feature another unique line up of independent artists – watch this space for more details.
Categories: Events, Interviews
Tags: acoustic, Django Reinhardt, electronica, funk, gig, Harlem, Imaad Shah, independent, indie, IndiEarth, IndiEarth at The Park, Madboy/Mink, music, Ritesh John Dharmaraj, Saba Azad, singer/songwriter, soul, Swing, The Park Chennai, The RJD Experience
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Ouch! Grey Shack is back with a saucy little number - an ode…


Couscous is granular semolina (a coarse wheat often used to make pasta), which has been moistened with water, lightly covered in flour, and rolled into tiny beadlike pellets.
Available precooked in large supermarkets in bulk or boxes with other prepackaged side dishes.
Steam or combine with boiling liquid and let stand until the liquid has been absorbed. Typically served with stews in the Middle East and North Africa, and in salads in the United States.


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Recently FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb released a statement on a record year for device innovation. This press release highlights the FDA's efforts for advancement of medical devices that serve previously unmet medical need, improve quality of life, and in some cases save lives.
The FDA's efforts to continue the advancement of device innovation was highlighted in 2018 by a record number of novel device approvals (106), surpassing previous years and the approval of nine breakthrough devices.
During 2018 the FDA released several statements outlining their efforts to ensure safety while fostering innovation with their modernized approach to device safety, and most recently their plans to further modernize the 510(k) clearance pathway. As a result of the recent changes to modernize the 510(k) program the FDA recently released another guidance outlining an alternative to the 510(k) pathway with a focus on improved safety and performance of new products.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb emphasized that the FDA is committed to improving patient safety and fostering innovation in the coming year. This commitment includes the continued development of the National Evaluation System for Health Technology (NEST). NEST is a collaborative national evaluation system being built by the FDA to capture data throughout the lifecycle of medical devices. The aim is to improve the quality of information available for healthcare providers and patients to make more informed decisions, while making the medical device evaluation process more efficient.
The FDA also expects to release a plan for the "Safer Technologies Program (STeP)". This program will further analyze how the standards of the Breakthrough Device Program can be applied to improved products aimed to treat or diagnose non-life-threatening diseases and conditions.
As the FDA continues to improve safety and greater innovation; Scott Gottlieb recognizes that it's essential for the FDA to not only stay ahead of the product advancements to come but be willing to embrace and lead change.
What are your thoughts on the current plans to improve patient safety and foster medical device innovation?


GTL - Greek Transport and Logistic s.r.o.
We are a reliable logistics and transportation company. Effective logistics, optimal transportation and satisfied customers are our aim. Our warehouse is located near Prague and highway D1.
We have been specializing in transporting parcels to and from the Balkan peninsula. Groupage trucks depart several times a week to and from the Balkans. We have an international team in the Czech Republic speaking in Balkan languages. Our company is certified with the ISO 9001 norm.
GTL is a logistics company that offers services in international truck transportation, haulage and storage and specialized in shipping parcels (collection service) between the Czech Republic and the Balkans. It's a company with a long tradition – it has been transporting goods to the Balkan peninsula for the last 25 years. Our company is certified with the ISO 9001 norm.
The GTL company offers complete logistics services and arranges also additional services in customs clearance or property insurance for its customers, such as representation in customs clearance or property insurance of parcels for haulage. In its system of truck transportation, partial truck transportation and collection services (groupage), GTL offers the transportation of dangerous goods.
We offer logistics services, forwarding and transportation to/from Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYROM (North Macedonia), Moldova, and Cyprus.
"We want to win, but not at all costs." GTL preferred values are team work, flexibility, openness, loyalty, professionalism and close cooperation with our customers and with the Balkan partners.


text:
Q: How to change Navbar hamburger breakpoint in Bootstrap 3.3 I'd the Bootstrap 3 nav to collapse to hamburger menu at a different breakpoint to avoid it breaking onto a new line.
Currently:
Desired:
I've tried pasting in the CSS solutions recommended in various answers from: Change Navbar breakpoint in Bootstrap 3.3.2 and Change bootstrap navbar collapse breakpoint without using LESS.
The top answer from first link above results in this:
Issues:

*

*It looks like a deployed hamburger menu. I'm expecting a hamburger icon to click, like 'desired' image above.

*The .navbar-right items ('Marketplace, cart icon, etc.) are right aligned, and outside of the menu. (See bottom right in above image)

body {
  background: #f0f0f0;
}

.navbar {
  border: none;
}

.dropdown-menu {
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
}

.navbar-header {
  background-color: #3a7dbb;
}
.collapse.navbar-collapse.js-navbar-collapse {
  background-color: #3a7dbb;
}

.navbar-default .navbar-nav > li > a.dropdown-toggle {
  font-family: "Oswald",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;
  font-size: 18px;
  color: white;
}

.dropdown > .dropdown-menu > li > a {
  font-size: 16px;
}

.glyphicon-shopping-cart:before {
  color: white;
}

.navbar .navbar-brand {
  padding-top: 0px;
}

.navbar .navbar-brand > img{
  height: 100%;
}

.dropdown > .dropdown-menu > li > a:hover {
  background-color: white;
}

.navbar-nav > li > .dropdown-menu {
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
  margin-top: 20px;
  border-top-left-radius: 4px;
  border-top-right-radius: 4px;
}

.navbar-default .navbar-nav > li > a {
  /*   width: 8em; */
  font-weight: bold;
}

.mega-dropdown {
  position: static !important;
  width: 100%;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu {
  padding: 20px 0px;
  width: 100%;
  box-shadow: none;
  -webkit-box-shadow: none;
}

.center {
  margin: auto;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu > li > ul {
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu > li > ul > li {
  list-style: none;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu > li > ul > li > a {
  display: block;
  padding: 3px 20px;
  clear: both;
  font-weight: normal;
  line-height: 1.428571429;
  color: #262626;
  white-space: normal;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu > li ul > li > a {
  font-size: 16px;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu > li ul > li > a:hover,
.mega-dropdown-menu > li ul > li > a:focus {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #444;
  background-color: white;
}

li.dropdown:hover {
  background-color: #c3c1c1;
}

ul.dropdown-menu.mega-dropdown-menu.row {
  width: 80%;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  margin: 0 auto; /* Centers the element */
}

.mega-dropdown-menu .dropdown-header {
  color: #428bca;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: bold;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu .dropdown-header > a {
  color: #428bca;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: bold;
  padding-left: 0;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu form {
  margin: 3px 20px;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu .form-group {
  margin-bottom: 3px;
}

.navbar-default .navbar-nav .open .dropdown-menu > li > a {
  color: black !important;
}

/* .mega-dropdown-menu:before {
  content: "";
  border-bottom: 15px solid #fff;
  border-right: 17px solid transparent;
  border-left: 17px solid transparent;
  position: absolute;
  top: -15px;
  left: 285px;
  z-index: 10;
}

.mega-dropdown-menu:after {
  content: "";
  border-bottom: 17px solid #ccc;
  border-right: 19px solid transparent;
  border-left: 19px solid transparent;
  position: absolute;
  top: -17px;
  left: 283px;
  z-index: 8;
} */

.dropdown:hover .dropdown-menu {
  display: block;
  margin-top: 0; // remove the gap so it doesnt close
}
#main_pnlSiteTemplateHeader {
  background-color: white;
  padding-left: 0px;
  padding-right: 0px;
}
#main_content_Content {
  padding-top: 80px;
}
#main_content_TopBanner {
  padding-top: 80px;
}

ul.dropdown-menu.mega-dropdown-menu.row {
  top: 49px;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
  .dropdown:hover > .dropdown-menu {
    display: block;
  }

  .dropdown > .dropdown-toggle:active {
    pointer-events: none;
  }
}
<link href="//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.0/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" id="bootstrap-css">

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald|Open+Sans:400,400italic,600italic,600">

      <button class="navbar-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".js-navbar-collapse">
     Toggle navigation

      </button>

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A: The cleanest solution to your problem is to customize bootstrap library as per your requirement. In bootstrap 3.3, it is possible.
Refer this link https://getbootstrap.com/docs/3.4/customize/.
Refer variable "@grid-float-breakpoint"(Point at which the navbar becomes uncollapsed). The Default value set for it is "@screen-sm-min", modify it as per your requirement like  "@screen-lg-min".
Compile and download the bootstrap library and include it in your index.html.
It will solve your all issues in the cleanest way.

A: please try this code
<!DOCTYPE html>

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<link href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.0/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" id="bootstrap-css">

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald|Open+Sans:400,400italic,600italic,600">

      <button class="navbar-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".js-navbar-collapse">
          Toggle navigation

          </button>

          About

Business Relationship Management

Capability

Role

Discipline

Philosophy

Institute

Policies

Registered Providers

Strategic Alliances

Member-Based Leadership

Board of Directors

Knowledge Team

Executive Council

Council

Regional Ambassadors

          Resources

          Learning

          Programs

          Career

          Membership

Marketplace

Publications

Memberships

Events

Full Marketplace

FAQs

Intellectual Property Request

Contact BRM Institute

             Sign Up

             Login

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Parents are to purchase uniforms from Dennis Uniform Company. Slacks and shorts may be purchased from Kohl's/Sears/Lands End School Uniform Selections. Clothing purchased from other stores or companies is not allowed.
Navy blue walking shorts or skorts during designated months only.
Navy blue or khaki twill walking shorts or skorts during designated months only.
(5-8) Khaki twill dress pants (no patch pockets, dickies, pajama bottoms, or sagging pants).
(K-8) Navy blue walking shorts during designated months only.
(5-8) Khaki walking shorts during designated months only.
Navy blue, black, or white ankle socks. Socks must be pulled up & be clearly visible above shoes. No tubesocks.
8th grade Boys – Dennis Uniform Company or Sears/Lands End School Uniform Selection for white oxford shirt, short or long sleeves. Shirts must be clean and pressed with a solid Navy blue tie. Dress Shoes with socks.
October 15th. Students may also wear shorts and skorts from April 15th until the end of the school year.
San Francisco de Asis School Scout Troops may wear their Scout uniform on designated days only. All students may wear other school and parish shirts on Fridays; ex. Pentecost shirts, retreat shirts, You are loved shirts.
Shoelaces tied in a traditional manner on top of the shoe.
Boy's haircuts must be traditional style, cut above the top of the ears, eyes and collar.
Haircuts that are buzzed with designs shaved or cut into them are not permitted.
Girl's hair must be neat and not cover their faces.
What is not allowed on regular days also applies to special dress days. Responsibility for following the dress code lies with the students and parents.
Homeroom teachers have the responsibility to check and ensure that their students are in uniform compliance at the start of the school day. Students may be given a uniform warning by the homeroom teacher at this time. If a student is out of uniform for any other classes after the first check by the homeroom teacher, the student will receive a Uniform Disciplinary Referral Form and will be required to pay a $3.00 fine. This applies to all students in Grades 4-8. K-3 students will receive a note home. Please remember that for uniform violations that cannot be easily "fixed", the student will remain in the classroom until the parent arrives with the correct uniform. All fines are placed in a special uniform fund to help families with the cost of uniforms.
Note: For serious and/or repeated violations of the dress code, immediate consequences may be warranted. Further, if a student comes to school improperly dressed, a call will be made to the parent/guardian to bring uniform clothes so the student can get into uniform. Also every effort will be made by the school staff to find used uniforms in our uniform supplies that could help a situation when the uniform had been ripped or damaged.


text:
Американските гребенести змии (Helicops) са род влечуги от семейство Смокообразни (Colubridae).

Таксонът е описан за пръв път от Йохан Георг Ваглер през 1828 година.

Видове
 Helicops alleni
 Helicops angulatus
 Helicops apiaka
 Helicops bangweolicus
 Helicops carinicaudus
 Helicops danieli
 Helicops gomesi
 Helicops hagmanni
 Helicops infrataeniatus
 Helicops leopardinus
 Helicops modestus
 Helicops nentur
 Helicops pastazae
 Helicops petersi
 Helicops polylepis
 Helicops scalaris
 Helicops tapajonicus
 Helicops trivittatus
 Helicops yacu

Бележки

Дебелоглави змии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
RENOWNED COMPOSER JOHN WILLIAMS CONDUCTS LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC AT HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Award-Winning Composer/Conductor Returns to Bowl for Two "Weekend Spectacular" Dates
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, AT 8:30 PM and SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, AT 8:30 PM
Saturday, September 3 is a Lexus Passionate Performance.
Composer/conductor John Williams, one of the most respected and honored composers of film and concert music, conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program of his own music as well as his favorite film scores on Friday, September 2 and Saturday, September 3 at 8:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Bowl. Williams has conducted at the Bowl nearly every season since his debut there in 1978 and was one of the first inductees into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000. He last conducted at the Bowl in 2004.
With five Academy Awards, Williams is the most Oscar-nominated living person with 43, his most recent for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He also has three Golden Globes, four Emmys, three British Academy Awards and 18 Grammys, as well as numerous gold and platinum records. Williams most recently received accolades for his masterly score to Revenge of the Sith, concluding 30 years of collaborating on George Lucas' unprecedented Star Wars series.
JOHN WILLIAMS has composed the music and served as music director for more than 90 films. In January 1980, he was named 19th Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and currently holds the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor, which he assumed following his retirement in December 1993. Williams also holds the title of Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood. Williams has written many concert pieces, including two symphonies, a cello concerto premiered by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in 1994 (recorded for Sony Classical), concertos for flute and for violin, Tree Song for violinist Gil Shaham (recorded on DG with a revised version of the Violin Concerto), a bassoon concerto (The Five Sacred Trees) premiered by Judith LeClair and recorded for Sony Classical, and concertos for clarinet, tuba, and trumpet. In addition to leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood, he has appeared as a guest conductor with many major orchestras, including the London Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He led the Philharmonic in the world premiere of his work Soundings during the "Soundstage L.A." inaugural gala for Walt Disney Concert Hall in October 2003.
One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 37th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2005, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue at the 16th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; it is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, AT 8:30 PM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, AT 8:30 PM
JOHN WILLIAMS: "THE MASTER OF CINEMA"
JOHN WILLIAMS, conductor
CAL STATE FULLERTON UNIVERSITY SINGERS, JOHN ALEXANDER director
WILLIAMS Liberty Fanfare
WILLIAMS Selections from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
WILLIAMS Selections from War of the Worlds
GOLDSMITH Star Trek: The Motion Picture
RAKSIN Laura
BERNSTEIN Theme from The Magnificent Seven
ROSZA "Parade of the Charioteers" from Ben Hur
Arr. WILLIAMS "Monsters, Beauties, Heroes" (themes from King Kong - Jaws - Casablanca - An Affair to Remember - Robin Hood - Superman)
WILLIAMS Selections from Far and Away
WILLIAMS "Dry Your Tears, Afrika" from Amistad
WILLIAMS Theme from Schindler's List
WILLIAMS Selections from Star Wars
Saturday, September 3 is a Lexus "Passionate Performance"
Tickets ($4 - $110) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records, and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details.
For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.
LAURA STEGMAN, 310 470-6321: photos, 213.972.3034

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I wanting some samco coolent hoses for my 2.0 8v vento. Ive seen a pic of a set for a Golf mk3 Gti 2.0 8v and a couple of the hoses look the same.
Just wanted to know if anybody could help me out with a engine bay pic of a mk3 golf gti 8v or know if they would fit..


Red Pill is an online application for collecting and managing data on patients recruited to a clinical trial or other study. It also includes a contact section for managing data on trial sites and related personnel.
Note that all data shown in this help is fictional and for illustrative purposes only.
This documentation applies to version 9, released on 28th October 2014. The version number is shown in the footer of every page when logged into Red Pill.


Building a tradition of community.
Winthrop: Building a tradition of community.
In an age not long past, people lived in communities that connected them to the fabric of life, where they worked, learned, and relaxed. Where they shopped and went to dine were all located within short distances of their homes. Community and connection were strengthened by the intimacy of commerce set forth by the traditional marketplace.
Winthrop offers not only the shopping needs of daily life but all of the needs, such as medical, education, events, and housing of all types. Winthrop brings an urban sensibility and infuses community back to the suburban life.
Winthrop boasts ten delicious eateries!
A new block of apartments will be opening soon!
Winthrop is proud to put the arts front and center!


text:
Under the bill, according to a story by The Republic's Paul Giblin, a $3,000 line of credit could result in payments totaling $6,343 after the first year, with the borrower still owing more than half of the loan's principal. After three years, the borrower would have paid $11,623, but still owing 16 percent of the amount borrowed.
HB 2611 is sponsored by J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler. It is supported by the American Financial Choice Association, (read: the payday loan industry) and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, the dark-money group that spent $1.7 million in last year's elections.
Jason Rose, spokesman for the American Financial Choice Association, says the industry did not funnel money into any dark-money campaign in order to get the bill heart. He says it's needed to help middle-class consumers who've been squeezed by the Great Recession but can't get small loans to pay for health care or car repairs.
"People with lower credit scores cannot get loans from banks," Rose told me. "They cannot."
Rose is pitching the bill as "a reform that empowers those with lower credit scores to better manage their financial choices."
It also empowers them further into the poorhouse, but I imagine it will be quite profitable for the consumer finance companies that used to offered payday loans before voters outlawed them seven years ago.
The bill was scheduled to be heard by the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, where McCune-Davis says she had the votes lined up to the kill it.
Curiously, it was moved at the last minute to House Commerce, where it was approved on a 5-3 partyline vote.


To all fearless explorers, the journey to mysterious ancient Egypt begins right now.
Experience the power of ancient gods and mythical scarabs and discover the lost temple of the gods in Coins of Egypt slot game by NetEnt.
The 5-reel, 3-row, 20-payline Egyptian theme slot is available on all devices from $0.20 to $200 a spin and takes you on a quest where you can win up to 30,000 coins.
Coins of Egypt feature Wild Substitutions, Pharaoh Coins Win feature in the main game and chest seals collection during Free Spins feature. Start spinning the reels and taste the flavor of some hefty wins.
Graphically superb, the setting is within an ancient Egyptian temple, with dark and mystical feel, watched by two fearsome gods Horus, God of Sky, and Anubis, God of embalming and the dead.
Symbols on the reels include five different scarab beetles, where Isis is the most valuable one, rewarding you 75x your stake for 5 across a payline. The golden fly is a Wild, the most lucrative symbolon the reels, giving you 150x your stake for 5 across a payline.
The Wild can substitute all symbols except Scatter, chest seal and collect symbol.
When the collect symbol lands on the reel 5 in the main game, Pharaoh Coins Win feature is triggered and all coin values are added to your winning from the current round.
Free Spins feature is triggered when three Scatters appear on the reels 1, 3 and 5 simultaneously. At the beginning of Free Spins the total value of all coins present on the reels during the round that triggered the Free Spins is added to each chest.
Coins that appear during each spin in Free Spins are added to their respective chests. Coins from the reel one are added to the Golden Cat chest, from the second reel to the Emerald Snake and from the third reel to the Ruby Eagle chest. The feature is over when 3 identical chest seal symbols appear on the fifth reel.
NetEnt first released Coins of Egypt in March 2018 exclusively to the Betsson Group as a part of another joint collaboration between two giants of the gaming industry.
The game is now available to general public as of 8 October. NetEnt has made this practice a bit of a habit since the same thing happened with Twin Spin Deluxe, Witchcraft Academy and Moonshine Riches, currently exclusive also at Betsson casinos.
Since Coins of Egypt are now industry-wide released, buckle up and enjoy this historical slot, boasting with exciting features and rewarding outcomes.


text:
Information about League of Dragons, the final Temeraire novel!
No Comments on League of Dragons
Published by: Del Rey Books
Release Date: Jun 14, 2016
With the acclaimed Temeraire novels, New York Times bestselling author Naomi Novik has created a fantasy series like no other, combining the high-flying appeal of Anne McCaffrey's Pern saga and the swashbuckling derring-do of Patrick O'Brian's historical seafaring adventures. Now, with League of Dragons, Novik brings the imaginative tour de force that has captivated millions to an unforgettable finish.
Napoleon's invasion of Russia has been roundly thwarted. But even as Capt. William Laurence and the dragon Temeraire pursue the retreating enemy through an unforgiving winter, Napoleon is raising a new force, and he'll soon have enough men and dragons to resume the offensive. While the emperor regroups, the allies have an opportunity to strike first and defeat him once and for all—if internal struggles and petty squabbles don't tear them apart.
Aware of his weakened position, Napoleon has promised the dragons of every country—and the ferals, loyal only to themselves—vast new rights and powers if they fight under his banner. It is an offer eagerly embraced from Asia to Africa—and even by England, whose dragons have long rankled at their disrespectful treatment.
But Laurence and his faithful dragon soon discover that the wily Napoleon has one more gambit at the ready—one that that may win him the war, and the world.
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Tags league of dragons, temeraire, the end
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text:
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2022 posted in: counseling, finance, NRI, PMS, PMS Articles, Webinar
On 15th August '22, India celebrated its 75th Independence Day. In the last 75 years, India has come a long way… but there's still more to achieve. Let's look at the Indian economy & how far we've come.
The moment India gained its independence marked a turning point in economic history.
Historically, India has been the largest economy in the world for most of the two millennia from the 1st until the 19th century. But, due to Britain's ongoing deindustrialization, the nation was in an unsustainable state of poverty. Less than one in six Indians could read and write. India's survival as a single country had been called into question due to the extreme poverty and stark social divides.
Looking back upon history, we have come a long way & progressed exponentially as an economy. Once branded a "third world country," India is now among the biggest economies of the world. The Indian economy, which, a decade ago, didn't even make the cut in the list of Top 10 economies, is currently the 5th largest economy in the world this year (according to IMF, based on GDP estimates). There's still a long way to go for India, though.
Being the 3rd largest contributor to the world economic growth, despite unresolved & ongoing conflicts with its 2 neighbours, India is in friendly terms & positive relations with almost all other countries.
Here's a look at India's economic journey in 5 points:
1. Food Production: One of India's biggest achievement post-independence is attaining 'self-sufficiency.' From receiving food aid in the 1950s and 1960s to becoming a net exporter, India has seen a turnaround in food production. The total food production, which stood at 54.92 million tonnes in 1950, rose to 316.06 million tonnes in 2021-22.
2. Gross Domestic Product (GDP):From independence in 1947 until 1991, successive governments promoted protectionist economic policies, with extensive state intervention and economic regulation. An acute balance of payments crisis in 1991 led to the adoption of a broad economic liberalisation in India. Since the start of the 21st century, annual average GDP growth has been 6% to 7% and from 2013 to 2018, India was the world's fastest growing major economy, surpassing China. Today, India is the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP (Rs 236.6 lakh crore as of FY 21-22) and it has grown more than 10 times since reforms process started in 1991.
Top 5 world economies as per IMF's current estimates of nominal GDP are:
United States: ~Rs 2016 lakh crore
China: ~Rs 1584 lakh crore
Japan: ~Rs 390 lakh crore
Germany: ~Rs 338 lakh crore
India: Rs 236 lakh crore (recorded data)
3. US Dollar to Rupee & Forex Reserves: At the time of independence, a US dollar was equal to Rs 3.30 in 1947. As of August 2022, a US dollar is approximately equal to Rs 80.
India's foreign exchange reserves in 1950–51 were a pitiful Rs 1,029 crore (in foreign currencies and other assets including gold). In fact, India's low forex reserves played the catalytical role in kickstarting the economic reforms.
In 1991, India had barely $1.2 billion in foreign exchange reserves, or enough to cover imports for three weeks only. Three decades since the reform process began, India's foreign exchange reserves were placed at $ 573.9 billion as of July 29, 2022.
4. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): In 1948, the total foreign investment in India stood at Rs 256 crore. However, since the 1991 liberalisation, FDI has become the buzzword of India's economic story. Foreign direct investment in India is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. India has been a popular destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) since 1991. The country has been ranked among the top 10 FDI destinations in the world for eight consecutive years. The Indian government has taken various steps to make it easier for foreign investors to do business in India. Despite the ongoing pandemic and global developments, India received the highest annual FDI inflows of USD 84,835 million in FY 21-22 overtaking last year's FDI by USD 2.87 billion.
5. Sensex & Nifty: Having completed 40+ years into existence, the 30-share Sensex, India's oldest stock market index was launched in 1986, but 1 April 1979 is the base year when the index was set at 100. The Sensex touched the four-digit figure for the first time in 1990. On 25 July 1990, the Sensex closed at 1,001 and it has grown multi-fold since then. The Sensex is seen as the barometer of India's growth and reflects the changes in the economy over time. At the time of writing this in August 2022, the Sensex is currently trading at 58,700 levels, i.e. a CAGR of ~17% since inception (excluding dividends).
India has come a long way since its independence from the British rule 70 years ago, and so have the country's stock markets. In 1996, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) created and administered a settlement fund and launched Nifty 50 Index (a broader benchmark index as compared to Sensex) with a base value of 1000. At the time of writing this in August 2022, Nifty is currently trading at 17,500 levels, i.e. a CAGR of ~12% p.a. since inception (excluding dividends).
Why is Indian economy at the cusp of a massive growth cycle?
India is the world's sixth-largest consumer market and has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 1 January 1995. As of 2020, it ranks 63rd on the Ease of doing business index and 68th on the Global Competitiveness Report. With 50 crore workers, the Indian labour force is the world's second-largest. India has one of the world's highest number of billionaires. The country has free trade agreements with several nations, including ASEAN, SAFTA, Mercosur, South Korea, Japan, and several others which are in effect or under negotiating stage.
The service sector makes up 50% of GDP and remains the fastest growing sector, while the industrial sector and the agricultural sector employs a majority of the labour force. India is the world's sixth-largest manufacturer, representing 2.6% of global manufacturing output.
Nearly 66% of India's population is rural and contributes about 50% of India's GDP. India is the world's largest manufacturer of generic drugs, and its pharmaceutical sector fulfils over 50% of the global demand for vaccines. The Indian IT industry is a major exporter of IT services with $196 billion in revenue and employs over 4.47 million people. India's chemical industry is extremely diversified and estimated at $178 billion. The tourism industry contributes about 9.2% of India's GDP and employs over 4.2 crore (42 million) people. The construction and real estate sector ranks third among the 14 major sectors in terms of direct, indirect, and induced effects in all sectors of the economy. The Indian textiles industry is estimated at $100 billion and contributes 13% of industrial output and 2.3% of India's GDP while employs over 4.5 crore (45 million) people directly. India's telecommunication industry is the world's second largest by the number of mobile phone, smartphone, and internet users. It is the world's 24th-largest oil producer and the third-largest oil consumer. The Indian automobile industry is the world's fifth-largest by production.
India has a retail market worth $1.17 trillion, which contributes over 10% of India's GDP. It also has one of the world's fastest growing e-commerce markets. India has the world's fourth-largest natural resources, with the mining sector contributing 11% of the country's industrial GDP and 2.5% of total GDP. It is also the world's second-largest coal producer, the second-largest cement producer, the second-largest steel producer, and the third-largest electricity producer.
India has maintained a consistently higher growth rate since the process of reforms was introduced in 1990s. The government has undertaken several measures to make it easier for companies to do business in India. These include the liberalization of FDI norms, streamlining of tax regime, tax incentives to encourage investments, implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and so on.
The year 2022-23 is the 3rd Year of this decade and we see it Optimistically as well as Cautiously for India. The next quarter-century could mark India's rise as a nation, making it an Indian Century in a wholistic way.
The pace, ideology, and policies behind the economic and non-economic reforms adopted over the last decade are leading India to attaining higher ranks in the world economy over the ongoing decade. Having said that, enormous amount of Wealth can be created if one makes the right investments at the right time. Indian economy will only grow on the back of businesses that steer this economic growth for India. The eye to identify this businesses lies with very few professionals, and it is important that your investments are channelized towards these fund managers who can compound your wealth by 10x in the next 10 years.
We, at PMS AIF World are a responsible and long-term investment service provider in the space of Alternates and we are constantly striving to help investors make informed investment decisions. Book an appointment with our Experts and invest through us in the best quality products.
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PMS AIF World for investing in Best PMSs in India


text:
package org.orienteer.core.component.meta;

import org.apache.wicket.Component;
import org.apache.wicket.ajax.AjaxRequestTarget;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.basic.Label;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.basic.MultiLineLabel;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.DropDownChoice;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.TextArea;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.TextField;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.upload.FileUploadField;
import org.apache.wicket.model.IModel;
import org.apache.wicket.model.Model;
import org.apache.wicket.model.ResourceModel;
import org.orienteer.core.boot.loader.util.artifact.OArtifact;
import org.orienteer.core.boot.loader.util.artifact.OArtifactField;
import org.orienteer.core.component.property.AbstractFileUploadPanel;
import org.orienteer.core.component.property.BooleanEditPanel;
import org.orienteer.core.component.property.BooleanViewPanel;
import org.orienteer.core.component.property.DisplayMode;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Meta panel for {@link OArtifact}
 * @param <V> type of value
 */
public class OArtifactMetaPanel<V> extends AbstractComplexModeMetaPanel<OArtifact, DisplayMode, OArtifactField, V> {

    private static final String GROUP       = "widget.artifacts.group";
    private static final String ARTIFACT    = "widget.artifacts.artifact";
    private static final String VERSION     = "widget.artifacts.version";
    private static final String REPOSITORY  = "widget.artifacts.repository";
    private static final String DESCRIPTION = "widget.artifacts.description";
    private static final String FILE        = "widget.artifacts.file";
    private static final String LOAD        = "widget.artifacts.load";
    private static final String TRUSTED     = "widget.artifacts.trusted";

    private Component componentForUpdate;

    public OArtifactMetaPanel(String id, IModel<DisplayMode> modeModel,
                                         IModel<OArtifact> entityModel, IModel<OArtifactField> criteryModel) {
        super(id, modeModel, entityModel, criteryModel);
        setOutputMarkupId(true);
    }

    @Override
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    protected V getValue(OArtifact oArtifact, OArtifactField critery) {
        V value = null;
        switch (critery) {
            case GROUP:
                value = (V) oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getGroupId();
                break;
            case ARTIFACT:
                value = (V) oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getArtifactId();
                break;
            case VERSION:
                value = (V) oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getVersion();
                break;
            case DESCRIPTION:
                value = (V) oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getDescription();
                break;
            case DOWNLOADED:
                value = (V) Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isDownloaded());
                break;
            case LOAD:
                value = (V) Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isLoad());
                break;
            case TRUSTED:
                value = (V) Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isTrusted());
                break;
        }
        return value;
    }

    @Override
    protected void setValue(OArtifact oArtifact, OArtifactField critery, V value) {

        if (oArtifact.isDownloaded())
            return;
        switch (critery) {
            case GROUP:
                oArtifact.getArtifactReference().setGroupId((String) value);
                break;
            case ARTIFACT:
                oArtifact.getArtifactReference().setArtifactId((String) value);
                break;
            case VERSION:
                oArtifact.getArtifactReference().setVersion((String) value);
                break;
            case REPOSITORY:
                oArtifact.getArtifactReference().setRepository((String) value);
                break;
            case DESCRIPTION:
                oArtifact.getArtifactReference().setDescription((String) value);
                break;
            case LOAD:
                oArtifact.setLoad((Boolean) value);
                break;
            case TRUSTED:
                oArtifact.setTrusted((Boolean) value);
                break;
        }
    }

    @Override
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    protected Component resolveComponent(String id, DisplayMode mode, OArtifactField critery) {
        Component result = null;
        IModel<V> model = getModel();
        if (DisplayMode.EDIT.equals(mode)) {
            switch (critery) {
                case GROUP:
                    result = new TextField<>(id, model);
                    break;
                case ARTIFACT:
                    result = new TextField<>(id, model);
                    break;
                case VERSION:
                    List<String> versions = getEntityModel().getObject().getArtifactReference().getAvailableVersions();
                    if (versions != null && !versions.isEmpty()) {
                        DropDownChoice<String> choice = new DropDownChoice<>(id, (IModel<String>) model, versions);
                        choice.getModel().setObject(versions.get(0));
                        result = choice;
                    } else result = new TextField<>(id, model);
                    break;
                case REPOSITORY:
                    result = new TextField<>(id, model);
                    break;
                case DESCRIPTION:
                    result = new TextArea<>(id, model);
                    break;
                case DOWNLOADED:
                    result = new BooleanViewPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
                case LOAD:
                    result = new BooleanEditPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
                case TRUSTED:
                    result = new BooleanEditPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
                case FILE:
                    result = new AbstractFileUploadPanel(id) {
                        @Override
                        protected void configureFileUploadField(FileUploadField uploadField) {
                            configureJarFileUploadField(uploadField);
                        }
                    };
            }
        } else {
            switch (critery) {
                case GROUP:
                    result = new Label(id, model);
                    break;
                case ARTIFACT:
                    result = new Label(id, model);
                    break;
                case VERSION:
                    result = new Label(id, model);
                    break;
                case REPOSITORY:
                    result = new Label(id, model);
                    break;
                case DESCRIPTION:
                    result = new MultiLineLabel(id, model);
                    break;
                case DOWNLOADED:
                    result = new BooleanViewPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
                case LOAD:
                    result = new BooleanViewPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
                case TRUSTED:
                    result = new BooleanViewPanel(id, (IModel<Boolean>) model);
                    break;
            }
        }
        if (result != null) {
            result.setOutputMarkupId(true);
            componentForUpdate = result;
        }
        return result;
    }

    @Override
    protected IModel<String> newLabelModel() {
        IModel<String> label = Model.of("");
        switch (getPropertyObject()) {
            case GROUP:
                label = new ResourceModel(GROUP);
                break;
            case ARTIFACT:
                label = new ResourceModel(ARTIFACT);
                break;
            case VERSION:
                label = new ResourceModel(VERSION);
                break;
            case REPOSITORY:
                label = new ResourceModel(REPOSITORY);
                break;
            case DESCRIPTION:
                label = new ResourceModel(DESCRIPTION);
                break;
            case LOAD:
                label = new ResourceModel(LOAD);
                break;
            case TRUSTED:
                label = new ResourceModel(TRUSTED);
                break;
            case FILE:
                label = new ResourceModel(FILE);
                break;
        }
        return label;
    }

    @Override
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public void onAjaxUpdate(AjaxRequestTarget target) {
        OArtifactField criteria = getPropertyObject();
        if (DisplayMode.EDIT.equals(getModeObject()) && componentForUpdate != null && criteria != OArtifactField.FILE) {
            OArtifact oArtifact = getEntityObject();
            switch (criteria) {
                case GROUP:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getGroupId());
                    break;
                case ARTIFACT:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getArtifactId());
                    break;
                case VERSION:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getVersion());
                    break;
                case REPOSITORY:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getRepository());
                    break;
                case DESCRIPTION:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(oArtifact.getArtifactReference().getDescription());
                    break;
                case DOWNLOADED:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isDownloaded()));
                    break;
                case LOAD:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isLoad()));
                    break;
                case TRUSTED:
                    componentForUpdate.setDefaultModelObject(Boolean.valueOf(oArtifact.isTrusted()));
                    break;
            }

            target.add(componentForUpdate);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Config jar file upload field if its need
     * @param uploadField - jar file upload field
     */
    protected void configureJarFileUploadField(final FileUploadField uploadField) {

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
From Hitchwiki
Earth > Europe > Western Europe > Germany > North Rhine-Westphalia > Cologne
<map lat='50.93982519613568' lng='6.961555480957031' zoom='12' view='3' height='500' width='350'/>
1,024,346 (31 December 2008)
Licence plate:
Major roads:
A1, A3, A4, A57, A59
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots
Cologne, or Köln in German, is a big city in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Cars number plates starting with the letter K are registered in this locality. While the following are localities in the neighbourhood of Cologne: (LEV - GL - SU - BM) clockwise from the North
The whole Ruhr Area is a well-known pain in the ass for anyone crossing that region. If you observe the motorway system, you'll find out that they zig zag and cross each other in the Ruhr, specially right North of Cologne. There is no "belt" motorway around the city, just those zig zags. The flow of cars is highly difficult to predict because cars go from one motorway to another. There are generally 3-4 possible motorways one can take to travel North/South or East/West. It's the most densely populated zone in Germany, so a lot of transport is local or regional, making it even more difficult. Think about it - if you're passing by, avoid getting dropped there!
Hitching In
When you arrive Cologne via the A1, it's difficult to get into the town centre, because the motorway is very far outside. One option is to get off at the exit Köln-Niehl. There is a tram station, close to the motorway, in east direction, 15 minutes walking. At daytime, you can get to the town centre in like 15 minutes.
From the same motorway (A1), you may as well get out at Köln-Lövenich and catch Tram #1 on Aachener Straße direction down town at either Bahnstraße or Mohnweg stops.
You could as well try to catch a ride from the A1 onto the A3. And then get off for example at Köln-Dellbrück. There you walk 5min in direction west, catch the bus 159 to Wiener Platz, where can get a tram.
Coming from the South on the A555 or through the A4, you may as well as the driver to leave you at the Am Verteilerkreis roundabout situated just at the complete end of the A555, at the Kreuz Köln-Süd (Junction A555-A4). The driver can really leave you at a petrol station and gain the motorway back with complete ease. From there, you can walk along the Bonner Straße to catch a bus to the heart of Köln.
Hitchhiking out
South towards Bonn, Koblenz, Frankfurt am Main
Go to the Verteilerkreis Sü', a big roundabout where all vehicles that are heading for the motorway to the South or West are passing by. There is also a petrol station beside it and a traffic light where one can ask people for a lift.
If you're headed to Frankfurt am Main, take the train to the last stop Königsforst (tram U9), walk straight for about 15 min. Then after a right turn you are on a decent on ramp of the A3, most of the cars will go to Frankfurt am Main or can drop you at least on the Rasthof Siegburg (about 20 km South), which is it worth for long-distance rides.
File:Dariocraigmalaysia.jpg
Craig & Dario hit the road for Thumbing Asia West to East (Königsforst always a good option!)
Take the train RB 25 from the main station in the direction Marienheide or Overath for EUR 3.20. Leave at Stümpen and turn right and go up to the Kiefernweg and turn right. Follow the street that is later called Dammelsfurther Weg up to the Pestalozziweg for maybe 500 meters and turn right. Now you pass the Autobahn and turn right again in the Plantage. Follow this way a few hundred meters through the forest and you will see a Shell service station on the right side. Maybe you have to climb a fence. Now you are on the a station without oil station but much traffic and it's easy to get a ride there. It takes approximately 40 minutes to reach it from Cologne Hbf (main train station).
Traffic lights at the ramp Köln-Dellbrück (Mülheim/Buchheim) or at the ramp onto the 55a (Frankfurterstraße). Ask the driver to bring you at least on the Rasthof Siegburg. To Köln-Dellbrück you can catch the bus 159 in direction Buchheim to'Gronauerstraße for example at Wiener Platz (3 stops). To the ramp at Frankfurterstraße take bus 151, 152 or 153 to Beuthenerstraße
Petrol station in Koeln Muelheim. Take the tram 4 to "Muelheim Berlinerstr" (or any of the Busses to the same stop). Turn left, then the first right into "Rixdorfer Strasse". Follow to the end till you come to an Aral petrol station to your left. Not so much traffic on the petrol station, so better to stand next to the road with a sign. It`s a good spot for people who start in the north of Koeln. Most of the traffic will at least pass "Koenigsforst West", and probably the service station "Siegburg West" as well. Make sure to ask though, because people going to Siegburg often get off the junktion before "Siegburg West". Had an average waiting time of 10 to 15 min (2022).
North or East towards Berlin, Dortmund, Hannover and Münster
Hitching in that direction seems to be legendarily difficult unless you take a regional train and walk an hour. Several experienced hitchhikers got trapped countless hours and decided to take a train instead. Nevertheless it's of course possible to hitch out of Cologne, experiences about this vary extremely.
Close to the city, you may want to try one of the on-ramps in the North East of Cologne. On-ramp Köln-Dellbrück (exit 26 on the A3) seems to be good for hitchhiking in direction Remscheid or further along the A1. Also traffic North the A3 passes here. There's no hard shoulder but some green space to stop cars ~60m behind the Autobahn sign. Another possibility is to ask the drivers directly at the traffic light with an extra lane for the motorway. You can get there by taking the metro U18 to Holweide-Vischeringstrasse, cross the railways towards the main road and to the left you'll find the on-ramp. Or Follow the description for Köln-Dellbrück (see south towards). You just have to walk a bit more. Make sure to have a Remscheid or RS sign in case of going towards A1 because there is only one tiny resting area ahead of the A3/A1 crossing
It's also possible to hitch from the South East of the city because there is a petrol station on the A59. The closest bus stop is Eil Heumarer, bus #152. You can take it from Steinstr. S-Bahn, which is relatively close from the main station.
In case you try to use a ramp from Cologne, a good take-off sign is Remscheid, because the first service area on the A1 is Rasthof Remscheid, just before the exit for Remscheid. There are lots of commuters. You can also get there by train from Cologne Dom/Hbf for 6,50 Euros via Remscheid Hbf and walk 5 km to the area (map here). If you're lucky, catch the bus 672 or 673 (valid with your zone 4 ticket) to Talsperre/Mebusmühle or Talsperre/Raststätte (closer but only 673) and avoid the walk. These buses do not pass very often, though.
There is also the possibility to take the bus nr 260 from the central station towards Remscheid. Get off at the bus stop Kaltenherberg Ort, From there you just have to walk for about 2 minutes, the motorway is already visible. All drivers that pass can at least take you to the petrol station in Remscheid which is just about a few kilometres from there. Like that you avoid the ring and are straight on the A1.
Crossing of the A57 and the Parkgurtel ring road. Get there using the S-Bahn get off at station Nussbaumstrasse and walk direction east until you get to the traffic lights. All the people turning left are going on A57 and there's a good chance they're heading on the A1 later. Like mentioned above, ask for Remscheid service station. The spot is protected from the rain by the train bridge! The cars only stop at the red lights, so you will have to do some jumping around.
On the motorway ring before Cologne, to the west of the city, there is the motorway service area Autobahnparkplatz Frechen. You can reach it by catching a train to Frechen-Königsdorf (around 20 minutes). Turn right on the stairs at the station, walk through the car park, turn left on Augustinus Straße, walk straight for 2 minutes and then turn right on to Marienhöfer Weg. Keep walking up this path into the forest for 5 minutes. Eventually you will come to a crossroad, but take the tunnel under the Autobahn. After, take the first exit on the left. You will eventually reach the Frechen Tankstelle in the direction of Cologne. Many cars come from Aachen or Belgium. Regarding the location of this gas station, right before major different routes, you can basically get rides to everywhere in Germany. (November 2021: Thomi asked to a Belgian car to pick him up, and got a ride to the next main gas station close to Dortmund)
East towards Siegen or Gießen (A4)
Raststätte Aggertal Nord rest stop. Take Regionalbahn train 25 direction Marienheide Bf. Get off at Overath Bf and walk 4 km / or take bus 310 direction Gummersbach get off (2nd halt) at Klef/Hotel Lüdenbach and walk 20 minutes to the petrol staion. Check map before
North towards Düsseldorf or Nijmegen
Take the tram no. 5 or 13 to Nußbaumer Str.. There is an on-ramp. A lot of traffic goes in your direction, but it is very dangerous for drivers to stop there.
For direction Krefeld/Nijmegen riding the S-bahn to Worringen and try it from there, average waiting time around 30-60 minutes.
West towards Aachen, Maastricht, Eindhoven and Belgium
On the motorway ring around Cologne, to the west of the city, there's the motorway service area Autobahnparkplatz Frechen Ri. AK Kerpen. You can reach it by catching a train to Frechen-Königsdorf (around 20 minutes). Turn right on the stairs at the station, walk through the car park, turn left on Augustinus Straße, walk straight for 2 minutes and then turn right on to Marienhöfer Weg. Keep walking up this path into the forest for 5 minutes. Eventually you will come to a crossroad with the service station on the left.
There you can get lifts to the Netherlands, Belgium and United Kingdom from one of around 200. Trucks are going in the direction of Aachen or Maastricht, at least.
Go near the A4, Exit 11a Klettenberg and 11b Köln-Eifeltor. When at the latest, walking slightly North there is an extra lane that looks like an ideal place for people to stop, and slightly South of it is a big truck stop and petrol station where you can try and ask people. To reach these exits from the centre, take the tram U18 to Efferen (for 11a) or to Eifelwall and then bus 138 to Güterverkehrszentrum. This option is especially interesting to know if you get trapped in Cologne while trying to cross the Ruhr area.
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Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)
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Once you realize that most weight problems are related to bad habits you will understand that if you can eliminate these bad habits weight loss will follow.
The first step in the process is to determine what your bad habits are. Look at the times when you tend to overeat and see if you can understand what triggers these reactions.
If you can eliminate those triggers and you can only do that by determining what they are in the first place then you will find it a lot easier to sort out your eating problems.
You should also look at the types of food that you go for during these times as often they will be comfort foods and more often than not these comfort foods are of very low nutritional value and due to that fact they will stimulate overeating.
By simply changing your comfort foods, with those that are of a higher nutritional value you will still be satisfying your needs by eliminating the negative side effects that are associated with poor food.
As most things that we do in life are habitual we rarely think about the actions we take as we go about our daily routines on autopilot. Unfortunately everything we do throughout the day includes both good and bad habits and it is those bad habits that are causing the damage.
As we age, more and more aspects of our life become habitual and it becomes more difficult to realize we have these habits and even more so to get rid of them particularly if we have had them for a long time.
With a bit of personal analysis you will quickly become to notice the various different things that are leading up to your eating and weight problems.
If you only target one of these habits at a time it becomes a lot easier to make the changes and often changing one habit can have a positive affect on many other habits. The process certainly becomes easier the more you do it in and by concentrating more on that area rather than the food itself you will find that weight loss is not such an overwhelming part of your life.


Julia Soboleva is a Manchester based illustrator and educator. Through the naked form and portraiture she explores emotional vulnerability, sensitivity, and difficulties of inner connection and connectionbetween humans. She sees the actual process of making art itself as a way to connect to others and to herself; a universal language unbounded by time and space.
Her current postgraduate research focuses on a reader-response theory, and how through reading we find our own authenticity. At the moment Julia is a full time mum and a part time freelancer within editorial, book cover design and children book illustration.


Bishopston's councillors are backing a bid to save 32 of the city's police community support officers.
The roles, which are funded by the council, are under threat in the proposed £35 million budget cuts revealed by mayor George Ferguson. Bristol has another 80 PCSOs who are funded by the police.
Bristol Lib Dem leader Councillor Tim Kent is now urging the mayor to consider seeking support from police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens to fund 12 of the roles while the city council continues to fund 20.
This would mean the authority would have to find £300,000, which the Lib Dems suggest could come from the Housing Revenue Account, to recognise the positive contribution PCSOs make to life in the city's homes, as well as savings on energy use for street lighting and a service review in the council's neighbourhood and communities team.
Bishopston Liberal Democrat councillors Bev Knott and David Willingham said they support Mr Kent's proposal, adding that the party had supported the PCSO project from the beginning.
An online petition to save the PCSOs' roles has been created at www.saveourpcsos.com.


text:
Stories For Survival 2021 – Adult Shortlist
Congratulations to our six shortlisted writers. The winner will be announced at our Awards evening at the Royal Geographical Society on Thursday 18th November:
1. Caroline Blake
A really poignant account, captures that very familiar fleeting joy of an encounter on the road, told in a very intimate letter form.
A World Without You
I had already been there a week when we met. His opening line was something about if I showed him my tan marks, he would show me his. I was sat on the wall at the edge of the beach in Calpe, reading a book. I was going to tell him to do one and leave me alone, only in words that weren't so polite. But when I looked up, I saw this gorgeous boy with the deepest blue eyes you have ever seen. He had the cutest freckles over his nose. I don't think I have ever seen a boy with freckles before.
He sat down next to me. I didn't object.
We ended up sitting on that wall for hours, just talking and looking out to sea and watching people on the beach. You know how much I love to do that.
He asked whether I had any brothers or sisters. I could have just said no and changed the subject. But I told him that I had a sister, but that you weren't with us anymore. I told him all about you. It wasn't awkward at all. He didn't walk away. He just let me talk.
It felt nice to talk about you.
Then he bought us both an ice cream and, and a bottle of a Coke and we sat and watched the clouds racing across the sky, as though they were heading towards some beautiful place that we could only imagine. Heaven?
I kicked my legs against the wall and one of my flipflops fell down onto the beach. He jumped down, picked it up, shook the sand off it and put it back on my foot. "It fits!" he said.
I think that was the first time I had laughed since you went.
He told me I had cute feet. I tried to shake off the compliment and stop the blush from rising to the surface. If he noticed the pink in my cheeks, he didn't say. He jumped back onto the wall next to me and took hold of my hand for the first time.
I feel sad that you won't ever meet him. But I suppose I have to get used to that kind of thing happening.
A world without you.
On the first day we met, he walked me back to the villa when it was starting to go dark. He introduced himself to Mum and Dad. He even shook Dad's hand. It was like something out of a Jane Austen book.
I spent most of the next day with him on the beach. We ate watermelon and pineapple for lunch from a boy who was selling slices of it from a basket on the beach. What a great job, walking up and down the beach all day selling fruit.
He walked me back the villa again but just as we got to the gate, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me. The most gentle and delicious kiss ever. It was so romantic. He put one hand on the side of my face and the other hand on the back of my neck.
When we managed to break away from each other, I wanted to run back to the villa, find you, grab your arm, pull you into my bedroom, jump on the bed and tell you all about it. You weren't there.
But I know you can see him. Did you send him to me? Is that your job now? I wish I knew what you did up there.
I didn't see him the next day. He was going on a boat trip with his friends. One of those where they pour Sangria down your throat from a big brown jug and have party games and make everyone take shots. I wouldn't have wanted to go. Forced fun.
He sent messages and photos to me all day. He said there was no-one on the boat as pretty as me and he wished I was there. I told him to chill out and stop stalking me.
"Never," he said.
The day after, he said he wanted to take me to dinner; a proper date. We went to a Spanish place called El Toro Blano. He ordered his steak rare. I had a paella. I would have preferred a burger, but can you imagine eating a burger in front of a boy? Absolutely not.
I wore your pale blue dress. The one with the tiny straps, that you would never let me borrow. You don't mind do you?
He said I looked beautiful. No-one has ever said that to me before – apart from Mum and Dad, but that doesn't count. I didn't tell him that the dress was yours. I didn't want him to judge me or think it was weird that I am wearing some of your clothes.
After our meal, he held my hand and we walked down to the promenade. We sat on a bench facing the sea and talked and kissed and talked and kissed, for hours.
I put my head on his shoulder and could have stayed there all night.
I was late back.
Dad phoned me at ten past midnight. I had promised him I would be back by twelve.
In Spanish time, it wasn't late at all.
He ran with me all the way back to the villa and he said that when he is old and he looks back on his life, he will remember this night, running through the narrow streets, dodging people as they tumbled out of the bars, holding hands with the most gorgeous girl he had ever met.
We ran past a street vendor selling barbequed corn on the cob, dripping in butter and wrapped up in brown paper. The smell would have been enticing, in normal times. But I can't eat sweetcorn anymore. I can't help remembering that we had sweetcorn on the night you died.
Love Sophia x
2. Zoe Wilcken
A really thought-provoking piece with a clever, original angle, which feels particularly pertinent now as we begin to pine for some of the unexpected gifts bestowed by lockdown.
When the walls disappeared, we were in the kitchen making tea.
We were watching the kettle in the corner of the room when it stopped being a corner altogether. And instead of the place where two walls meet, it became the place through which we could see Mary from next door, standing up from the toilet in a hurry, pulling up her trousers and looking about with a strange expression on her face. Wondering if it was a dream, we thought. And then we looked around, and there was Mr Das, on the other side of us, wearing jeans and no shirt. And Rosie, still in bed, head poking out over the duvet. Her face was so red we could see it glowing from the kitchen, a whole house away.
The first few days after the walls disappeared we were quiet. We spoke in almost-whispers, so as not to be heard. And we held towels around each other when we needed to get changed, and hid under blankets when we didn't want to be seen. Which was often, in the first few days.
We glanced over at our neighbours, every now and then, after the walls had gone. Just to check that they were still there, or sometimes to see what they were doing. But mostly they were just doing Normal Things, like eating a bowl of cereal, or reading a book, or leaving for work.
And so it wasn't long, only a few weeks, before we stopped paying attention to them. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes we couldn't help ourselves. Like when Rosie proposed to Mr Das. We all watched that. And then we pretended not to know when Rosie came round to tell us the next day. Just like we pretended not to hear them arguing over where they should live. Louder and louder, across the table and then all through the house, until Rosie hissed at him and pointed at us with her eyes. After that, they whisper-argued, like snakes.
But the next time they fought, I think they forgot about the walls, and we tasted every word. It didn't matter by then, though. Everyone had done it at least once. So we just blocked our ears and turned the TV up, and tried not to listen.
It was around that time, after the walls had gone, that people started taking baths again. And we stopped bothering with the towel when we were getting dressed. I think we all just stopped caring. That invisible string that used to yank on the backs of our heads and tell us that Something was happening seemed to have gone. It wasn't that it had snapped, or faded away. I think we just gradually realised that it had never really been there, to begin with.
And when the walls disappeared, the creatures came in. They made little homes inside ours, all the mice and the crickets, and the spiders and the birds. There were screams, at first, every now and then. And you'd know someone had found a beetle in their sock, or that a family of rats had made a home beneath their bed. It was like that for a while. And then one day I think we must have forgotten that we were ever afraid of them, each of us, one by one. Or maybe we just realised we didn't actually mind sharing, not so much as we had supposed.
Anyway, there the creatures were, when the walls were gone. And there the screams weren't, after a while.
Then there was the night that was worse than the screams. A sort of choking, gasping, broken noise that came from across the way. Like something was clutching at air, scraping at the sides of it, just barely holding on. And so we looked. And there was old Mr Grey, in his house, on his own. And there was his back, heaving with sobs. And there were his lungs, clawing for air, and his hands trying to hide it.
We looked at each other, all of us, across the street, and for a moment none of us moved. And then Mrs Peabody, the lady with the cats, got up from her chair that had been rocking her to sleep. And she shuffled across the way, slowly, quietly, and she sat down next to him for a bit. Just sat there and didn't say a word.
A long time passed and nothing happened at all. And we watched. And then Mr Grey's throat stopped constricting, just a little. Just enough for him to whisper quietly to her, something that might have been,
And then he whimpered, and his back shook silently, and she pulled him to her and she held him.
The next day, long after the walls had gone, Mr Grey baked rhubarb pies. We smelt them gently browning, and watched them, one by one, come piping hot from the oven. And then he beckoned us, and over we all went.
We ate the pies together, with little bowls and spoons, and vanilla ice cream on top, and greedy mouths that couldn't wait for it to melt.
We stayed there into the night, playing games and eating food, and spilling out the edges of old Mr Grey's house because there weren't any walls to stop us. The next week we did it again, and the week after that. The pie-smell, and the house and the games and the night.
After the walls disappeared, Mary's piano sailed through the street, loud and clear. And we danced, every now and then, as her nimble fingers crafted the air into feeling. It was almost like we had no choice, once the walls had gone. She was our piper and we were her children. And we were happy.
When the walls disappeared, we almost forgot that they had ever been there at all.
And then one day the walls came back, and it was sort of strange.
I wished they'd go away again.
3. Lucy Chard
An electrifying description of Sub-Saharan Africa, made personal by a minute, vivid, detailed focus on its sights, sounds and smells.
There's something about it. The air. The sky. The animals. Even the dirt beneath your feet. There's something about it. Close your eyes and take a deep lungful. Scrunch your toes into the earth. Listen for the sounds of the creatures all around you, try and pin point their origins. Breathe out. Open your eyes.
It's the wilderness of Sub Saharan Africa. That's the key thing too, the wilderness. The wildness of it, the freedom and the space, the noise and the taste. It besieges your senses and gets deep into your bones; your soul. That's what the wilderness of Africa does.
So let's explore this world, let's take a walk through the wilderness.
It's hot, even though it's still early in the day, once the sun is up it's hot, if you are up early enough you see the birds lining the most exposed branches of the trees, puffing up their feathers, willing themselves to warm up. We're a few hours past that now but you can't yet see the mirages in the distance of heat waves rising off the baked earth. You can feel the warmth of it seeping into your skin, the energy it gives you is almost palpable. Taking a step, at first unsure – there's so much to explore, where to start? But your feet carry you forward, it doesn't matter where you go. Barefoot is the best way to walk in the wilderness, as you become absorbed in your surroundings you forget about any tiny little stones that dig into the soles of your feet, it's all apart of the experience, it connects you to everything around you, and you swear you can start to feel the thrum of life right there through the ground, resonating inside of you, mingling with the beat of your own heart.
Now we're covering some ground, moving across the open plain towards the edge of a cluster of trees, the shadows creating a contrast with the morning light slanting through the trunks looks inviting; interesting. As you get closer to the trees you start to hear a bird calling, wait, one bird? Or several birds? All different birds? At first it's difficult to distinguish but, as you concentrate, picking out each note you can define the patterns more clearly, and slowly you start to see the songsmiths themselves in amongst the branches, they've been there the whole time but it's only when you really look can you see them. You've got your eye in now though. You catch flashes of colour, a red face of a black-collared barbet and as you travel deeper into the trees the purple underbelly of a Knysna turaco, which swiftly disappears with a flick of a green wing, melting into the canopy. Staring up convinced you see it again you turn on the spot but nothing, just green leaves again. Suddenly a familiar smell hits you, but it's out of place, where would you find popcorn in the wilderness? Well, you see you've stumbled across a male leopard's morning route, scent marking – reinforcing his territory. You see the other signs now, scratch marks in the bark of a tree over there, new gouge marks cast over the scars of older ones; this is routinely trodden path.
Heart rate racing slightly more now you start to look around more intently as you walk, not blundering along with eyes lost in the canopy but searching between the trunks for anything more… surprising. The trees become more dense, thorny creepers sliding past your skin, catching slightly but you carry on, something drives you to get through the trees, to see what's on the other side.
You feel more at one with the wilderness now, you can identify the bird calls just on the whisper of a song, you've registered the call of a group of baboons, just starting to play up a little, but they're a way off.
Pushing through the trees now, eyes scanning for anything, your breath quickens and sweat starts to bead on your forehead as you become more aware that your field of vision is reducing, limited to just within a few trees in front of you, your senses are straining; heightened, this could be dangerous, you need to get out from these trees.
As quickly as the copse had surrounded you you're out the other side, bursting through, you pause, looking back and catching your breath, hearing the blood rush humming through your ears. Almost like a rumble. No, that's not you, the deep belly rumble feels like it could be coming from you though. You turn slowly to see what had been drawing through the trees and you're greeted with a large oasis, the water shining and glassy. You see where the rumble came from now. A small herd of elephants stand at the waters edge, the largest – she must be the Matriarch – has taken a drink, she's the one that is rumbling, encouraging the others to also quench their thirst. It's all you can do to stand stock still and watch them. You don't need to move closer, they are still unaware of you as you are blending into the background of the trees. You can see how they move, deliberately but with ease, they have a majesty that is both graceful and terrifying. You carefully sit down, you can watch them now, quietly, in their wilderness.
There's something about it, in fact there's a lot about it, and you don't want to live in a world without…
4. Glyn Matthews
A really beautiful, powerful evocation of place, its vivid, arresting phrases precisely, poetically evoking atmosphere and mood.
Earth Abides
When my turn comes
take me to the West, to "The Knoll",
Barclodiad y Gawres,
where we used to stroll
around the stones
fashioned by ancients
and burnished by time,
embraced by the tumbling waves
of a Celtic sea,
sliding silver into a sunlit bay,
chided by gulls, rising on updrafts,
white flecks
against a scudding sky.
For now….
Summer tourists
blunder across the mound,
taking selfies against the light,
squinting and listening to the sound
of thunder from the rocks below.
Afraid to fall, they lean
into the white-lipped wind,
hair whipped across
half-baked, grinning faces,
rigor-mortis faked
and pixelated,
then transported in an instant
to fair-weather friends.
Meanwhile.…
With Neolithic grace,
I'll nurse my bones and slow my pace,
feeling with blind eyes for ley-lines
that once played across the face
of this prehistoric land,
that stride between the stones,
waiting for silence
beneath the tumbling sky
and the yearning of the gulls,
soaring high
above lonely promenades
and abandoned summer homes….
After all….Earth abides.
5. Cherie Magnus
A captivating account, full of fresh, evocative imagery to conjure the magic of those butterflies, "soft as whispers".
A world without butterflies – The Monarch Milagro
Long before we see a glint of their orange wings, we hear them, hundreds of millions of them. What appear to be acres of trees in brilliant autumn foliage is instead the multitudes of butterflies roosting so thickly as to entirely hide the trees. Because it is warm and sunny at that moment, they are beginning to stir and fly and fill the air, thousands mating as they are mysteriously drawn here to do every year.
It was a cold and wet February in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, but the sidewalk sign under the arcade had announced MARIPOSAS! BUTTERFLIES! Curiosity made me climb the stairs to Tours Mexico Colonial to inquire, "What's with the sign about butterflies? It's the middle of winter. What butterflies?" As a fledgling expatriate in Mexico, I was curious about everything.
"That's why we have the Monarch Butterfly Tour—to see them in their winter home before their migration back north," Jaime the tour owner explained. "We can only visit from November to March."
I had heard about the Monarchs resting in a particular tree the same time every year in Monterey, Northern California, on their way to Mexico, but even though I was from Los Angeles, I had never seen the famous phenomenon. "Sign me up," I said.
That night a huge storm hit San Miguel and the neighboring highlands, the worst in many years. Streets flooded and the temperature dropped to below freezing.
When a few days later the morning dawned cold but bright, Jaime, a couple from Canada, and I set off on the three-hour drive to Michoacan and the butterfly sanctuary at 10,400 feet. As we climb up the Sierra Cinqua mountains, we pass through the old silver mining town of Angangeo, hung copiously with festive flags of laundry, since today is the first dry day in a long time.
No one really knows exactly why the Monarchs come to this part of the world every year to hibernate, but some people think that the butterflies are drawn to Sierra Cinqua because of programmed insect genetics. Others believe they are attracted by the magnetism of the minerals still in the earth, even after centuries of mining.
At last we arrive at the El Rosario Sanctuary, owned by indigenous groups with the mandate to protect and preserve. The biggest problem facing the conservation of the winter home of the Monarchs here in Mexico is the prevention of clandestine logging and deforestation. Felled trees are today's money for family food; butterfly conservation is tomorrow's lofty aspiration.
Jaime pays to park in what I suppose is a parking lot, but today it is just our one car in a field of mud after the torrential storms. As we get out and look around, a posse of horses and riders crests the hill—for rent in case we don't feel up to the long trek to the Monarchs' sanctuary way up in the pines.
Nevertheless we set off on foot with our guide, Maria Elena Mondragon Chavez, a tiny indigenous woman of 68, who leads us up the hill, through the piney woods, and over the snow for hours. A guide is necessary because the butterflies' refuge changes according to the sun and winds, and it takes a specialist to find them. The insects have their favorite trees and foods (milkweed) and are carried from area to area in the forests by warm thermals. Guides insure that visitors don't damage either the insects or any part of their haven.
The storm three days ago had wreaked havoc on the sanctuary—freezing cold and tree limbs breaking under the weight of heavy snow–and millions of Monarchs lie dead in the snow at our feet, creating a frozen carpet of orange and black. I see the butterflies everywhere, surrounding me below and above and filling the sky, and the world is a magical orange and black of movement. They light on us, on our faces, soft as whispers, cover our hair and gentle our breathing. Engulfed in swirling emotions and butterflies, I feel a wave of intense mutual love and connection to the infinite.
Our silence and awe and the quiet sound of millions and millions of wings beating turns the forest into a church, a holy mystic place of wonder, with tiny living fragments of stained glass knowing something that we don't. Here is a wonder no one really understands, a mystery taking place each year for millennia that even scientists can't figure out.
In another couple of months, the Monarchs will begin their annual 3,000 mile return flight north to their summer homes in Canada and the United States. For now they hang like clusters of Spanish moss from the fir trees high up in the mountains of Mexico, and then, when warmed by the sun, mate in the snow. As the males die, the females lay their eggs in the milkweed that sustains the Monarchs. Soon the caterpillars hatch to begin the cycle again with the flight north.
The ancient peoples of Mexico believe that each Monarch butterfly is the soul of a dead child. The butterfly is a Christian symbol for the Resurrection. There's no doubt that their yearly 6,000 mile roundtrip migration to the same forests in highest Mexico is a mystery—and a miracle.
The vaqueros with the horses again appear through the trees as we, drained and weary, begin our descent. Jaime hikes down on foot with Maria Elena, but the Canadians and I mount our horses and set off through the snow, surrounded and serenaded by beating wings.
6. Rajesh Radhakrishna Tikam
Almost written as a fable in how the story unfolds, it paints a vivid picture.
A World Without Leopards.
It was the early 1950's and my village in India was still surrounded by the dense jungle. The jungle had its music that always inspired me. Birds singing along with pattering rain, frogs interrupting sweet music with their offbeat noises, peacock stretching out his gorgeous dotted feathers to start a classical dance and mighty tigers roaring to remind everyone of their royal existence. It was a perfect pleasing surrounding until human greed gulped everything like a wildfire.
For all trees in the jungle, those were the frightening days. No one knew which tree would get sacrificed in the fire of human greed or which animal would drown in the ocean of human thirst. Enormous trees were not only cut down to create homes but few were burned because they were not beautiful enough to decorate pleasing gardens.
I can still listen to those silent screams of trees and the painful howling of animals. They believed that some miracle would save their forest, but nothing happened. Everything burned in the greed of human wildfire.
When this fire of human greed reached its peak and the jungle was disappearing like a river in drought, only one animal drew her sharp paws to challenge humans. She was a beautiful leopard with gorgeous dotted golden fur.
That gorgeous leopard was still there to show humans the stubbornness of the jungle. When there was not a single deer left in the forest to hunt, she wisely drew her paws on helpless dogs. No one knew when she was sneaking into a new town and where she was disappearing after hunting dogs. She was a ghost with frightening amber eyes and humans got scared to even step out in the darkness.
After a long game of hide and seek, finally, a battle sparked among human greed and helpless hunger. Each day a different trap was set to capture the rebellious leopard who denied human rules, but the result was the same, "She escaped again!" Disappointed humans used to shout like frustrated kids. "Oh! She is too fast." They used to admire her skills in amazement. But unfortunately, each intelligence has its limit, swiftness exhausts with distance and hunger has its mistakes.
When humans realized that it was impossible to compete with a predator's instinct of survival, they came up with a cowardly idea. Humans tried to poison her. I always wondered why she was risking her life to be around the nanny's garden. She could have escaped with other leopards but yet she decided to challenge the greed of humans.
That night when she arrived in the nanny's garden and jumped around the old mango branches, she discovered a dead goat lying beneath the old mango tree. The goat was poisoned. Her instinct knew there was something wrong but an irresistible hunger forced her to fall into a human trap.
With a few silent jumps, she quickly landed on the ground, grabbed the dead goat by the neck and returned among the mango branches. Coward humans were hiding behind bushes and were watching a dangerous yet honest animal satisfying her hunger.
As they predicted, soon her wild eyesight blurred and strong legs lost their strength. She was struggling to keep balance among the old mango branches. But before the humans could capture her, she again disappeared like a ghost and even death refused to help humans.
She was gone, the last soldier of this forest disappeared. Everyone was curious where the leopard went? For her golden fur, humans conducted several expeditions but failed. I was hoping for some miracle and wished to hear the good news of her safety, but Mother Nature was silent.
I asked clouds but they sneaked away without uttering a word. I asked the blowing wind to tell me about the brave leopard, but the wind was speechless too. She was so silent that I knew it's a silence of tears; instead of answering, the wind carried two old mango leaves with her and blew towards the deep jungle.
As I followed those leaves, I realized the jungle was changing. Half of a forest was already gulped by a concrete jungle and the other half was being transformed into an artificial garden to keep the green garland alive. But this garland had no space for animals. Birds were welcomed but they too preferred to escape.
When those old leaves crossed a buzzing river and entered into the last remaining narrow forest, they sensed a fear. As if all animals knew this concrete jungle will soon gulp their new homes too. Suddenly the silent wind whirled around a bush and threw those tired leaves into a cave. I silently followed them and stepped into the cave.
Inside, I saw a gorgeous leopard with beautiful dotted golden fur, lying on the ground, battling to grasp as many breaths as she could. She wanted to live, only for her little cubs. For those little cubs, it was a normal night to annoy their mother before sleeping. They wished their mother would whirl her tail and they would fight to catch it, but her tail never whirled, it was motionless, silent and dead.
It's been 11 years and the leopards around the world are still fighting for their existence. How the world would be without the beautiful leopards, I wonder again and again.
All entries will be published on our web site once the competition concludes.


text:
Muse – "Simulation Theory"
December 11, 2018 · by The Prog Mind · in Album Reviews. ·
In the prog community, I think we have a bad habit of ignoring or trashing mainstream prog acts who have achieved financial success. We try to eliminate them from our community, or write them off as sell-outs. Muse is one of these bands, and I've seen some pretty harsh things said about them, even recently. They released their new album, "Simulation Theory", on the 9th of November, and I've been happy with the experience that it offers.
My wife and I have been Muse fans for many years. I'm pretty sure that she introduced them to me, actually. I remember being friends with this kid once who said Muse was the only worthwhile band in the last 20 years. He literally listened to Muse exclusively, which was a bit weird. Now, I was a big fan of some of their earlier albums, like "Showbiz" and "Absolution", but lost track of them after "Black Holes and Revelations" (which I did like). The band, after all these years, still consists of Matthew Bellamy on guitars, vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, and string arrangements; Christopher Wolstenholme on bass, keyboards, and backing vocals; and Dominic James Howard on drums and percussion.
The band has always played an accessible, highly melodic version of alternative/progressive rock. Their sound is instantly recognizable and, to this day, their heightened sense of melody and rhythm are impressive. They know how to write a catchy chorus, but they also know how to compose a complex and technical climax. On this album specifically, the band explores a synth pop vibe with heavy 80s elements, and I would note that the music is definitely the star here, so do not expect anything intense lyrically.
"Simulation Theory" brings many things to mind, but one of those things is certainly not originality. This 80s revival has been going on, even in the prog community, for several years now; and so Muse are simply jumping on a bandwagon that has been rolling for many miles already. Their version is not the best or most inspired version of this sound, either. That said, the album is solid and quite enjoyable.
There are many good songs on this album, though I would point out that some of them are not long enough to mature or progress completely, meaning that some of the songs never reach their true potential. "Pressure", "Propaganda", "Break It to Me", and "Blockades" are examples of this.
Some of the songs stand head and shoulders above the rest, though. "Algorithm" may be the best track on the album: It offers synthetic brilliance coupled with some wonderful and very mature melodies. "The Dark Side" is incredibly catchy with possibly the best chorus on the album, and I really dig the highly melodic vibe of "Get Up and Fight" and the crowd singing and crazy beat of "Dig Down". "The Void" ends the album with some really cool sounds and atmosphere, though I would note that it could have been developed a little more than it is.
I'm glad that Muse are still writing good music. "Simulation Theory" offers some fantastic bursts of brilliance throughout the album, though I would have loved to see many of the songs taken a bit further. Still, the album is solid, and I'll probably be listening to it fairly often when I don't want something too complex or heavy. I expect most prog fans would use this album the same way.
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Tags: Muse, progressive pop, Simulation Theory
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