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Q: Scheduling a class/bean using quartz trigger? I am using Spring3. I have a bean which needs to be scheduled. My application produces Jar not war. Do i need to deploy the jar in tomcat to trigger the job?
Thanks!

A: Definitely not. If you are using Quartz to schedule and execute your job(s), then you can use it in standalone Java applications as well. In your Spring config you should have something like this (assuming your are using a JDBC job store to persist your jobs and triggers):
<!--
  QuartzDesk scheduler.
-->
<bean id="scheduler"
    class="org.springframework.scheduling.quartz.SchedulerFactoryBean">

  <property name="schedulerName" value="YourSchedulerName"/>

  <property name="autoStartup" value="true"/>

  <property name="waitForJobsToCompleteOnShutdown" value="true"/>

  <property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource"/>

  <property name="overwriteExistingJobs" value="true"/>

  <property name="quartzProperties">
    <props>
      <prop key="org.quartz.scheduler.instanceId">${scheduler.org.quartz.scheduler.instanceId}</prop>
      <prop key="org.quartz.scheduler.instanceIdGenerator.class">${scheduler.org.quartz.scheduler.instanceIdGenerator.class}</prop>
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.driverDelegateClass">${scheduler.org.quartz.jobStore.driverDelegateClass}</prop>

      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.tablePrefix">${scheduler.org.quartz.jobStore.tablePrefix}</prop>
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.isClustered">${scheduler.org.quartz.jobStore.isClustered}</prop>
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.selectWithLockSQL">${scheduler.org.quartz.jobStore.selectWithLockSQL}</prop>
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.lockHandler.class">${scheduler.org.quartz.jobStore.lockHandler.class}</prop>

      <!--
        The "use properties" flag instructs JDBCJobStore that all values in JobDataMaps will be Strings, and therefore can be stored as name-value pairs, rather than storing more complex objects in their serialized form in the BLOB column. This is can be handy, as you avoid the class versioning issues that can arise from serializing your non-String classes into a BLOB.
      -->
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.useProperties">true</prop>

      <!--
        The the number of milliseconds the scheduler will 'tolerate' a trigger to pass its next-fire-time by, before being considered "misfired". The default value (if you don't make an entry of this property in your configuration) is 60000 (60 seconds).
      -->
      <prop key="org.quartz.jobStore.misfireThreshold">60000</prop>

      <!--
        Configures Quartz to expose the scheduler through an MBean in the JMX MBeanServer.
      -->
      <prop key="org.quartz.scheduler.jmx.export">true</prop>

      <!--
        The scheduler thread will be marked as a daemon thread.
      -->
      <prop key="org.quartz.scheduler.makeSchedulerThreadDaemon">true</prop>
      <!--
        The scheduler thread pool threads will be marked as daemon threads.
      -->
      <prop key="org.quartz.threadPool.makeThreadsDaemons">true</prop>
    </props>
  </property>

  <property name="jobFactory">
    <bean class="org.springframework.scheduling.quartz.SpringBeanJobFactory"/>
  </property>

  <property name="jobDetails" ref="jobDetails"/>

  <property name="triggers" ref="jobTriggers"/>

  <!--
    Name of the property in the scheduler context the Spring application context
    will be exposed through.
  -->
  <property name="applicationContextSchedulerContextKey" value="applicationContext"/>
</bean>

<!--
  jobDetails list contains all jobs that will be added to the QuartzDesk scheduler.
-->
<bean id="jobDetails" class="java.util.ArrayList">
  <constructor-arg>
    <list>
      <ref bean="yourJob1"/>
    </list>
  </constructor-arg>
</bean>

<!--
  jobTriggers list contains all triggers that will be added to the QuartzDesk scheduler.
-->
<bean id="jobTriggers" class="java.util.ArrayList">
  <constructor-arg>
    <list>
      <ref bean="yourTrigger1"/>
      ...
    </list>
  </constructor-arg>
</bean>

<bean id="yourJob1" class="org.quartz.impl.JobDetailImpl">
  <property name="jobClass" value="your job fqcn"/>
  <property name="group" value="someJobGroup"/>
  <property name="name" value="YourJob1"/>

  <property name="description"
            value="Job that does this and that..."/>

  <property name="durability" value="true"/>

  <property name="jobDataMap">
    <bean class="org.quartz.JobDataMap">
        <constructor-arg>
          <map>
            <entry key="param1" value="value1"/>
            ...
          </map>
        </constructor-arg>
    </bean>
  </property>
</bean>

<bean id="yourTrigger1"
      class="org.quartz.impl.triggers.CronTriggerImpl">
  <property name="name" value="YourTrigger1"/>
  <property name="group" value="someTriggerGroup"/>
  <property name="jobName" value="YourJob1"/>
  <property name="jobGroup" value="someJobGroup"/>
  <property name="description" value="CRON trigger."/>
  <!-- ss mm hh day-of-month month day-of-week year -->
  <property name="cronExpression" value="some cron trigger expression"/>
</bean>

This will create a Quartz scheduler bean with the specified list of jobs and triggers. The scheduler will be started automatically upon your application startup.
You will notice that the above app context snippet uses property placeholders for certain values. You will need to expand these placeholders with valid values. Please refer to Quartz documentation for details. In most cases you can fall back on default values.


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Leaders hopeful after Main Street Hagerstown open house
mlewis@herald-mail.com
The people behind Main Street Hagerstown left an open house Wednesday with more volunteers and some optimism.
About 30 people attended the session at BuroBox on Washington Street in downtown Hagerstown. They heard a bit about the program's history and budget, asked questions and traded a few ideas.
"I'm very happy with all the questions that were asked and the turnout," Kaitlin Bell, an economic-development specialist for the city, said after the session. Bell also manages Main Street Hagerstown.
The next steps, she said, will be adding the new volunteers' names to the five Main Street committees that address topics from downtown design to business relations.
"Hopefully at least once a month, we can get all five committees together," she said.
Main Street America is a nationwide program that aims to create vibrant downtowns. Main Street Hagerstown has been behind a variety of activities, from the Adopt a Block cleanup effort to events such as Christkindl Markt and Sweets on the Streets.
Most Main Streets operate as independent entities, organizers said. But the Main Street Hagerstown program has operated under the city's umbrella since its inception.
During a presentation to the Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday, Bell said the city still will be a partner in the program. But city leaders want to take the next few months to bolster the organization into a volunteer-led nonprofit that can serve as a stronger force for downtown redevelopment.
She said the volunteer committees will guide things such as the program's social-media presence and projects.
Bell also overviewed the group's 2019 accomplishments, including the Spring Downtown Cleanup, holding 18 trivia night events in 18 weeks in downtown restaurants, the Adopt-A-Block program and hosting downtown business forums featuring various speakers.
The city budgets about $23,000 for Main Street programs, according to Jill Thompson, the city's director of community and economic development.
Paul Frey, president and CEO of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and a Main Street volunteer, referred to available resources, noting that "$23,000 is not insignificant."
Ted Reeder of Tiger's Eye Benefits Consulting was among those at the meeting. Reeder owns the business and the building it occupies at 147 W. Washington St.
"I would love to see our downtown thrive," Reeder said.
Staff Writer Alexis Fitzpatrick contributed to this story.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fall is a beautiful time for creating amazing imagery; the trees are awash in an array of vibrant colors. It's also the time of year for soft shadows and beautiful golden sunsets.
One unique way to capture this Autumn splendor is by looking to incorporate "bokeh" into some of your images. Bokeh is a Japanese word that translates into "blur," and among both professional and amateur enthusiast shooters, it's the way the lens renders out-of-focus areas in the background or foreground as "orb-shaped" areas of light. Using bokeh in your image compositions can produce unique images, especially this time of year, when many areas of North America are awash in seasonal color.
So as we continue the transition into the cooler Autumn weather, here are six tips to help you capture amazing images to share with friends and family.
You don't need a strong source of light to achieve great bokeh, in fact, even a simple strand of lights or a streetlamp can make for some amazing bokeh. However, you do need some light, and it does need to be backlighting, or, located behind your subject. For amazing bokeh, the spectacular light found in golden hour can make for some beautiful autumn bokeh. Since the light will be at an angle during this time of day, it'll be easier for you to position it behind your subject... Beautiful!
If you're hoping to capture the vibrant colors of autumn, consider heading out to a place where the changing foliage is in full swing. The sunlight filtering through the leaves makes a great opportunity for capturing bokeh, allowing you to create some classic autumn bokeh images. Heading out just after the rain can make for some striking images. Since the leaves will be damp they'll be more vibrant and the colors more saturated than they would otherwise be.
Bokeh can enhance almost any type of imagery. While the most common shots of autumn bokeh feature leaves or foliage, you can capture bokeh in a range of different situations. Consider photographing city lights after dark, or heading to a farmers' market to capture the good that are on display. Aim to capture bokeh in the background of your autumn portraits, or get up close to an insect, an acorn, or seeds for some beautiful macro shots. There's no shortage of opportunities for bokeh in the fall, so keep your eyes open! Any time you see some beautiful light reflecting off of something in the background or foreground, you know you have a great chance to capture bokeh.
While you can capture bokeh with a number of different lenses, some lenses are especially suited for rendering out-of-focus points of light as bokeh. Ideally, you'll want to use a very fast lens, and one that has a wide aperture (say f1.8 or f1.4, or even f1.2 if you can). Prime lenses are especially popular lenses for bokeh; since they're extremely fast, and have a wide aperture, they tend to produce great results.
If you have a fast lens, by all means use it, but if you don't have one – don't worry. You can still capture some great bokeh. Just increase the distance between your subject and the background, or zoom in closer to your subject to separate them from the background, resulting in more blur – and better bokeh. Keep in mind that the farther your subject is from the background, the more creamy and blurred the background will be.
In order to capture great bokeh, you'll want to set your camera to manual or aperture priority mode. Using a wide aperture of at least f/2.8 will help to draw your subject into focus, while throwing the background out of focus, creating the perfect opportunity for bokeh.
The next time you're out capturing some of those amazing fall colors, look for opportunities to incorporate some bokeh into your shots. Capturing bokeh isn't too difficult, and with a bit of practice, you'll be able to quickly and easily spot opportunities to include it in your shots, adding something extra to your images this season.


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The Late Bloomers
Many people who suffer from autism are first diagnosed as adults – or never. Why?
Iris Köppel often thought that her parents weren't her real parents and that her brothers weren't related to her. She felt strange. This feeling was with her all the time – at school, when she did her elementary school teacher training, at work and in her private life. Depression, suicide attempts, therapy, and countless diagnoses followed. The constant feeling of "not getting her bearings in life" remained. In 2008, Köppel attended an advanced training course on the subject of autism – and realized: That's me! At this point, Iris Köppel was 39 years old. A few months later, she was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
Many adults are going through the same thing as Iris Köppel. "We see an increase in the number of inquiries from adults who have had a lot of problems all their life, but have only recently linked their problems to an autism-spectrum disorder." This is how specialty centers like "Autismus-Hilfe Ostschweiz," an autism support office for eastern Switzerland, describe the current situation. Autism gets a lot of media attention. That's how people become aware of it and realize it's what they are going through. They recognize their problems in the symptoms. But how is it possible for people with autism to remain "undiagnosed" for half their life?
It is estimated that one percent of the population suffers from an autistic disorder. But where are the thousands of autistic persons?
In 1944, when Hans Asperger used the term "autistic psychopathy," he already described the symptoms of what later came to be known as Asperger's Syndrome. But it took a few decades before Asperger's work was taken up again, completed and finally included in two international diagnostic manuals in the early 1990s. Prior to this, for those affected, there was no medical explanation for "being different."
Today, experts use the term Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to cover all the different manifestations of autism: The spectrum includes serious disorders, some of which are associated with reduced intelligence (early childhood autism) to less severe impairments in people with average or above-average intelligence – for example, people with Asperger's Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism. It is estimated that one percent of the population suffers from an autistic disorder. For Zurich and its approximately 410,000 inhabitants, this would mean that over 4,000 people are affected with it; for Berlin's population of 3.5 million, it would mean 35,000! But where are the thousands of autistic persons?
Autistic persons often feel that they are different from most people.
There is the salesperson who doesn't look anyone in the eye, or the teacher who is unable to comfort a child. Affected persons often don't realize that these weaknesses might be an autistic disorder. "Many people with ASD have come to terms with their 'otherness' – in part, without a diagnosis," explains Florian Scherrer. The social pedagogue in St. Gallen supports and helps people with autism. "People like Iris Köppel often don't stand out. However, coping with daily life and adapting to it is very draining for these people. They spend years searching for an explanation for their 'difficulties' and only come across the topic of autism at a later point in their lives," says Scherrer.
"There are people with autism in every occupational group, in every age bracket, and in every social class."
Trying to create a clinical profile for people with "late-diagnosis autism" makes no sense. "There are people with autism in every occupational group, in every age bracket, and in every social class," says Scherrer. What they all have in common is usually a difficulty in showing emotions and in categorizing emotions. They also have trouble communicating spontaneously and mastering unusual situations. Everything that is dynamic or emotional – the small talk at an art opening or a colleague's surprise visit – often can't be "categorized" and creates difficulties.
Women are often better than men at compensating for these weaknesses. Reserved and highly observant, they try to copy behavioral patterns and cover up shortcomings. Men, on the other hand, are often "more awkward" in social situations. These gender-specific behavioral patterns are the reason why such a large number of women are among the "autistic late bloomers". But what's the point of getting diagnosed with autism once people have reached mature adulthood?
"It was very liberating for me to finally understand why I was offending people and unable to cope with life," recalls Iris Köppel. I wasn't afraid of being labeled an autistic person. I only hoped that I would now find the right form of support. On paper this means: Depending on the severity of the disability, disability insurance provides support in the form of a pension, coaching, job retraining, and a secure job.
"Oh, you have autism – what are your special abilities?" This question becomes absurd for people who don't even know how to take someone in their arms and embrace them.
However, being diagnosed with autism isn't just important for the affected person, but also for the people around them. "People now understand why I behave differently than expected," says Köppel, summarizing the situation. "That makes working together and life easier." Life is not free of conflict even with a diagnosis. The image of autism as having something to do with genius and brilliance is widespread among the public. Rain Man says hello. "Oh, you have autism – what are your special abilities?" This question becomes absurd for people who don't even know how to take someone in their arms and embrace them.
Getting a diagnosis isn't easy. Expect a wait of several months to get an "adult examination." Adult psychiatry urgently needs to adapt to the changed reality of autism. Because the "autistic late bloomers" will no longer disappear – on the contrary. Or as an autism expert provocatively notes: "One percent of the population is affected. Who can guarantee that you aren't a person with autism too?"
Published on April 4, 2017 in the newspaper, AZ Nordostschweiz.
ByChrista Wüthrich
After slow food, the slow family?
Bilingualism fights poverty
Don't send your kids to Harvard – go into the forest!
Christa Wüthrich is an independent journalist. She has worked as an author, teacher and IKRK delegate nationally as well as internationally.
Asia & Africa (12)
"Papa, look up into the clouds with me!"
Half of the parents in Switzerland punish their children physically. The awareness campaig
"A road that demands everything"
Locals called the route "La Carretera de la Muerte" – the death road. Travel guides
"Forgetting isn't an option"
1995 was supposed to be a lucky year for Viorica Capsa and her husband Nicolae. The police
"In Paradise"
Christa Wüthrich on The last eternal summer
Bala S Rajaratnam on The last eternal summer
Christa Wüthrich on "In Paradise"
Alexandra on "In Paradise"
Francoise Vulpe on Thick-skinned and no rights


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In India, the top 10% of the population controls 77% of the country's wealth. Who are these Top 10 Richest Indian 2022? In 2022, the richest 10 people in India as of 16th July-2022 are:
1. Gautam Adani
Net Worth: $112.6 Billion , makes him Top Richest Indian 2022
Gautam Adani is an Indian billionaire businessman who is the chairman and founder of the Adani Group. As of March 2019, his net worth was estimated to be $11.2 billion. By having $112.6 Billion he tops in the list of Top 10 Richest Indian in 2022 Adani was born in 1962 in Ahmedabad, India. He comes from a Gujarati family. His father, Shantilal Adani, was a diamond merchant. Adani started his own business in 1988 with a single cotton trading company. He later diversified his businesses into areas such as power generation, coal mining, and infrastructure development.
2. Mukesh Ambani
Net Worth: $87.1 Billion, makes him 2nd Top Richest Indian 2022
Mukesh Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, which is India's largest conglomerate. Ambani has a degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology. He started his career working for Reliance Industries, and he was instrumental in the company's expansion into textiles and petrochemicals. By having $112.6 Billion he is 2nd in the list of Top 10 Richest Indian in 2022 Ambani is also known for his philanthropic work. He has donated billions of dollars to various charities, including the Reliance Foundation, which supports education and health initiatives in India.
3. Shiva Nadar
Net Worth: $21.3 Billion
Shiva Nadar is an Indian billionaire business tycoon. He is the founder and chairman of HCL and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. As of March 2019, he has a net worth of $20.5 billion. Shiva Nadar was born in 1945 in Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his schooling from Chennai and then graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. After graduation, Nadar started his career as a systems engineer with DCM Limited. He later joined Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) as one of its founding members in 1976. HCL was established with a vision to provide quality computer hardware at affordable prices to the Indian market.
4. Cyrus Poonawalla
Cyrus Poonawalla is the chairman of the Poonawalla Group, which includes companies like the Serum Institute of India. He has a net worth of $8.9 billion, making him the richest person in India. Poonawalla was born in Mumbai to a Parsi family. His father was a doctor and his mother was a homemaker. He has three brothers, one of whom is also involved in the family business. Poonawalla has been married twice and has four children. He is currently based in Mumbai.
5. Radhakishan Damani
Radhakishan Damani is an Indian business tycoon and investor. He is the founder of Avenue Supermarts, which operates a chain of supermarkets under the D-Mart brand. As of March 2020, his net worth was estimated to be US$13.2 billion, making him the richest person in India. Damani began his career as a stockbroker and soon made a name for himself as a successful investor. He made his first major investment in 1987, when he bought shares in Vardhman Textiles at a price of Rs. 80 per share. The company's share price later surged to Rs. 4,000, giving Damani a return of 5,000%.
6. Dilip Shanghvi
Dilip Shanghvi is the richest person in India with a net worth of $32.1 billion. He is the founder and managing director of Sun Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Shanghvi started his career as a pharmacist in 1982 and then founded Sun Pharmaceuticals in 1983. The company went public in 1994 and has since grown to become one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world. In 2015, Forbes ranked Shanghvi as the 23rd richest person in the world. Shanghvi's wealth has largely been built on the success of Sun Pharmaceuticals. The company has operations in over 150 countries and employs over 20,000 people. It is also one of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the world.
7. Lakshmi Mittal – 7th Of Top 10 Richest Indian 2022
Lakshmi Mittal is an Indian steel magnate who has a net worth of $16.5 billion. Lakshmi is the chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaking company. Lakshmi started his career working in his family's steel business in India. He then moved to Indonesia where he founded his own steel company. In 1995, he acquired a failing steel mill in Romania and turned it into a successful business. In 2006, Lakshmi made a hostile takeover bid for Arcelor, a French steel company. The deal made him the richest man in India and the fifth richest man in the world at the time.
8. Uday Kotak – 8th Of Top 10 Richest Indian 2022
Uday Kotak is an Indian billionaire banker, and the founder, managing director, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Kotak Mahindra Bank. Kotak started his career working for ANZ Grindlays Bank in 1983. He later founded Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd, a non-banking financial company, in 1985. The company was later renamed Kotak Mahindra Bank. In 2014, Kotak was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
9. Savitri Jindal & Family – 9th Of Top 10 Richest Indian 2022
Savitri Jindal is an Indian business tycoon and a member of the Legislative Assembly. She is the chairperson of the OP Jindal Group, one of India's largest steel and power conglomerates. Savitri Jindal was born in 1951 into a family of industrialists. She studied metallurgical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. After her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, died in a helicopter crash in 2005, she took over as the chairperson of the OP Jindal Group. Under her leadership, the company has become one of the most successful businesses in India.
10. Kumar Birla – 10th Of Top 10 Richest Indian 2022
Kumar Birla is the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, one of the largest conglomerates in India. The group has interests in sectors such as aluminium, cement, textiles, and telecommunications. Birla also serves on the boards of several companies, including Grasim Industries and Hindalco Industries.
Check the list of Top 10 Richest Indian in 2021
Note: Net Worth figures has been taken from Forbes real time billionaires list on 16th July-2022
Gautam Adani was Top Richest Indian in 2022
$ - Net Worth
$ 150 Billions
Mukesh Ambani was 2nd Richest Indian in 2022
$ - 88 Billions
Radhakishan Damani
Radhakishan Damani was 3rd Richest Indian in 2022
$27.6 Billions
Cyrus Poonawalla was 4th Richest Indian in 2022
Shiv Nadar was 5th Richest Indian in 2022
Savitri Jindal
Savitri Jindal was 6th Richest Indian in 2022
Dilip Shanghvi
Dilip Shanghvi was 7th Richest Indian in 2022
Hinduja Brothers
Hinduja Brothers was 8th Richest Indian in 2022
Kumar Birla
Kumar Birla was 9th Richest Indian in 2022
Bajaj Family
Bajaj Family was 10th Richest Indian in 2022


So often, we let the fear of failure hold us back. We'll do almost anything to avoid it. It feels so miserable and can be humiliating. But how much do we miss out on by letting fear of failure win? By simply not trying or not striving. Is it better to not try and therefore not fail or to succeed in spite of failure? I surround myself with people who fail often, fail hard, and talk about it. Guess what? I admire them for it. I admire their courage to pursue things that challenge them. I admire them for talking about their failure. I admire where they are despite the failure they experience along the way.
There's so much truth in the wise words of the late Nelson Mandela. That's what the people I surround myself do, they share the opportunities they've had to learn. It encourages me to step outside of my comfort zone. It reminds me that failure isn't bad, it's a choice. It's choosing not to continue down a path. It's choosing to take a different direction. It's choosing to see it as a chance to learn. Seeing failure in this way makes it less intimidating. It makes me less afraid to do things that might not turn out the way I'd like the first time around. It makes me realize that it's a normal part of the process.
So true Nikki, and I'm constantly fighting trying versus not trying. Terribly frustrating and the result of low mood and overthinking. As always you make a great deal of sense and somehow I should be on your blog way more often methinks!!
I can shout out a huge positive on that one. Full first draft of Black Marsh and my beta readers have already given it a thumbs up. I'm also pretty sure the slump is fallout from writing 110k words in two and a half months too. Mindfulness says consider writing hangover as the reason for a few weeks in limbo. Then go back and list the positive outcomes.
hahaha yes, writing hangover! I'm so glad to hear the good news about your manuscript!!
Needed this today. Thanks, Nikki.
Totally been there and done that. No longer, I'm happy to say! Love and hugs to you, Niki!


I have been plagued with depression for most of my life, most of the time my practices were bent on "escapping the sadness" and escsaping the mental turture which is a part of this illness. What usually evokes my depression are worries about the future and a sense of unworthiness that comes from things that happened in the past. Fifteen hours ago, early in this day, I decided to just notice the world, to really see colors and to have a more conscious tactile experience of the world I was walking thrrough. Wow what a difference.


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Home / Eco Friendly / Why Is Bamboo Eco Friendly? Learn How It Grows & Its Everyday Uses
Why Is Bamboo Eco Friendly? Learn How It Grows & Its Everyday Uses
ByOur Eco Friendly Life January 24, 2023 January 19, 2023 January 19, 2023
Discover why bamboo is an eco-friendly choice and learn how it grows and its everyday uses. Find out why is bamboo eco-friendly and make the switch today!
What is Bamboo?
How Does Bamboo Grow?
The Growing Process:
Climate Requirements for Growth:
The Everyday Use of Bamboo Products
Why is Bamboo Eco-Friendly?
FAQs in Relation to Why is Bamboo Eco Friendly
Is bamboo really environmentally friendly?
Why is using bamboo good for the environment?
Is bamboo more eco-friendly than wood?
What makes bamboo sustainable?
Why Bamboo is Eco-Friendly & Sustainable
Bamboo is an incredibly versatile and eco-friendly material that can be used in a variety of everyday products. But what exactly is bamboo, how does it grow, and why should we use more of this sustainable resource? From furniture to toothbrushes, there are many ways that bamboo eco-friendly materials help us live a greener lifestyle.
In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of using bamboo in our daily lives by looking at its growth cycle, uses for different types of products, and environmental advantages. So join us as we uncover the fascinating world behind one of nature's most renewable resources – Bamboo Eco Friendly!
Bamboo is a type of grass that has been used for centuries as a sustainable resource. It is known for its strength, versatility, and durability. Bamboo grows quickly and can be harvested without damaging the environment or depleting natural resources.
Overview of Bamboo: Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, with some species growing up to four feet per day. It's also incredibly strong and durable; bamboo fibres are three times stronger than cotton fibres. Additionally, it's naturally pest-resistant and doesn't require any fertilizers or pesticides to grow.
Benefits of Bamboo: One of the biggest benefits of using bamboo products is that they are renewable resources. Unlike other materials, such as plastic or metal, which take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, bamboo breaks down relatively quickly when exposed to air and sunlight.
This makes it an ideal choice for eco-friendly products like furniture, clothing, kitchenware, and more. Additionally, because bamboo requires minimal water to grow compared to other crops like cotton or wheat it has a much lower carbon footprint than those materials do when produced on an industrial scale.
Bamboo is an eco-friendly and sustainable material that can be used for a variety of purposes. It has numerous benefits, comes in many different varieties, and requires specific climate conditions to grow properly. Now let's take a look at how bamboo grows.
Bamboo is an excellent eco-friendly resource due to its fast growth rate, strength, durability, and renewable nature. Benefits include low carbon footprint, pest-resistant, no fertilizers or pesticides needed, and quick decomposition when exposed to air and sunlight.
Bamboo is a grass that grows in temperate and tropical climates. It can grow up to 3 feet per day, making it one of the fastest-growing plants on earth. The bamboo plant has an extensive root system which helps it to absorb water and nutrients from the soil quickly. This allows for rapid growth and makes bamboo a great choice for eco-friendly building materials.
Bamboo thrives in warm climates with plenty of moisture but can also survive in cooler temperatures if given enough water. In order to ensure optimal growth, farmers often cultivate their crops near rivers or other sources of running water so they have access to ample amounts of both sunlight and hydration throughout the year.
Once harvested, bamboo must be processed before it can be used as a building material or fabric for clothing items. This process involves cutting down the stalks into smaller pieces which are then dried out before being treated with preservatives such as borax or waxes to make them more durable against weathering elements like rain or snowfall.
After this step is complete, the pieces are ready to be used in construction projects or turned into fabrics for clothing items like shirts, pants and jackets.
Bamboo is an incredibly sustainable resource that can be used in a variety of ways. By understanding how it grows and the climate requirements for growth, we can ensure its responsible use. Now let's explore the many uses of bamboo in everyday products.
Here is a quick video from Minute Earth showing you how natural bamboo can grow rapidly.
Home decor and furniture made from bamboo are becoming increasingly popular due to its strength, durability, and natural beauty. Bamboo furniture comes in a variety of styles, making it easy to find pieces that fit any home's aesthetic. It is also lightweight yet strong enough to support heavier items like bookshelves or cabinets.
Clothing and accessories made from bamboo fibers are soft, breathable, and moisture-wicking – perfect for those hot summer days. The fabric is also hypoallergenic which makes it great for people with sensitive skin. Plus, the natural antibacterial properties of bamboo make it resistant to odors so you don't have to worry about your clothes smelling after wearing them all day long.
Kitchenware and utensils made from bamboo are both practical and stylish additions to any kitchen. Bamboo cutting boards are durable enough for daily use while being gentle on knives; they won't dull blades like plastic or glass boards do. Utensils such as spoons, spatulas, ladles, whisks etc., crafted out of this renewable resource will last longer than their plastic counterparts without compromising on performance or safety when cooking with high temperatures.
Bamboo is a great resource for creating everyday products that are both sustainable and stylish. Its renewable nature, low carbon footprint, and biodegradable properties make it an ideal choice for eco-conscious consumers looking to reduce their environmental impact. Let's now explore why bamboo is so eco-friendly.
Bamboo is a sustainable and eco-friendly material that can be used for many everyday products, such as furniture, clothing, kitchenware and utensils. It's lightweight yet strong, hypoallergenic and antibacterial – perfect for creating stylish yet practical items that are built to last.
Bamboo is an eco-friendly resource due to its renewable nature, low carbon footprint, and biodegradable properties. It can be used in everyday products to help reduce our environmental impact.
Renewable Resource: Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource that grows quickly and can be harvested without damaging the environment. It regenerates itself naturally from its own roots, making it one of the most sustainable resources available. Additionally, bamboo does not require any pesticides or fertilizers for growth and requires minimal water compared to other crops.
Low Carbon Footprint: Bamboo has a much lower carbon footprint than traditional materials such as plastic or metal because it absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its growth cycle than it emits when processed into products like furniture or clothing. This makes bamboo an excellent choice for those looking to reduce their environmental impact by using sustainable materials in their daily lives.
Biodegradable Nature: Unlike many synthetic materials, bamboo is completely biodegradable which means that when disposed of properly it will break down naturally over time without releasing harmful chemicals into the environment. Additionally, since bamboo breaks down easily in soil it can be composted and used as fertilizer for plants instead of being sent to landfills where it takes up valuable space and contributes to pollution levels.
Using bamboo products in place of traditional materials helps reduce our environmental impact while also providing us with durable goods that are both stylish and functional. From home decor items like rugs or curtains made out of natural fibers such as jute or hemp, to kitchenware crafted from sustainably sourced wood – there are plenty of ways we can make eco-conscious choices without sacrificing style or quality.
Bamboo is an eco-friendly resource due to its renewable nature, low carbon footprint and biodegradable properties. It can be used in everyday products to reduce our environmental impact: 1) Renewable Resources. ; 2) Low Carbon Footprint; 3) Biodegradable Nature.
Yes, bamboo is an environmentally friendly material. It is a renewable resource that grows quickly and does not require the use of pesticides or fertilizers to grow. Bamboo also requires less water than other plants, making it more efficient in terms of its environmental impact.
Additionally, bamboo products are biodegradable and can be recycled easily at the end of their life cycle. All these factors make bamboo an excellent choice for eco-conscious consumers looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
Bamboo is an excellent choice for eco-conscious living as it is a highly renewable resource. It grows quickly and abundantly, making it one of the most sustainable materials available. Additionally, bamboo requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow, reducing its environmental impact even further.
Bamboo also sequesters more carbon dioxide than other plants and releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than trees, helping to reduce global warming effects. Finally, bamboo products are biodegradable and compostable at the end of their life cycle which makes them a great choice for those looking to reduce their environmental footprint.
Bamboo is generally considered to be more eco-friendly than wood, due to its fast growth rate and ability to regenerate quickly. Bamboo grows much faster than trees, meaning it can be harvested at a quicker rate without depleting natural resources.
Additionally, bamboo does not require the use of fertilizers or pesticides for cultivation, making it an environmentally friendly choice when compared with wood. Furthermore, bamboo releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than trees do, helping reduce carbon dioxide levels in the environment.
Bamboo is an incredibly sustainable material due to its fast growth rate, low water consumption and minimal environmental impact. It grows up to a meter per day without the need for pesticides or fertilizers, making it one of the most renewable resources available.
Additionally, bamboo requires much less water than other crops like cotton and timber, reducing strain on natural resources. Finally, bamboo has a very low carbon footprint as it absorbs more CO2 than it emits during production and decomposition. All these factors make bamboo an ideal choice for eco-conscious consumers looking to reduce their environmental impact.
In conclusion, bamboo is a sustainable and eco-friendly resource that can be used in many different ways. From furniture to clothing, its versatile nature makes it an ideal choice for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
Bamboo grows quickly and requires little maintenance, making it an excellent option for anyone wanting to make the switch from traditional materials. With its natural beauty and versatility, bamboo is sure to remain a popular choice among eco-conscious consumers for years to come!
Let's all take action to create a more sustainable future! Bamboo is an eco-friendly material that can help us reduce our carbon footprint. Not only is it renewable and easy to grow, but it also requires no fertilizers or pesticides during production.
It produces oxygen while growing, making bamboo the perfect choice for home décor and furniture. By switching to bamboo products in our everyday lives we can start living an eco friendly life today!
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Bachelor´s programme
Erasmus in Vienna (Incoming)
Exhibitions of Modern European Painting 1905-1915
Digital Research Archive for Byzantium
Laboratory for Cognitive Research in Art History (CReA)
Pächt Archive / Research Centre for Book Painting
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u:find Course / Staff search
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Department of Art History
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Bachelors´s programme
The duration of the bachelor's programme in History of Art and Architecture at the University of Vienna is six semesters. Graduates are awarded the academic degree "Bachelor of Arts" (BA).
Entry requirements for the bachelor's programme in History of Art and Architecture
Unless part of the upper secondary school curriculum, Latin language proficiency has to be demonstrated by taking a supplementary examination by the end of the bachelor's programme.
The exact wording of the curriculum for the bachelor's programme was published in the University Gazette on 11 May 2011 (in German only).
The consolidated version is available here (in German).
Duration and scope
The duration of the bachelor's programme is six semesters. This amounts to 180 ECTS credits. 120 ECTS credits thereof have to be part of the History of Art and Architecture curriculum, and the remaining 60 ECTS credits have to be part of other degree programmes (in the form of extension curricula). Extension curricula (Erweiterungscurricula, EC) enable students to acquire additional competences that are not part of their bachelor's programme (overview of all extension curricula). Information on alternative extensions (Alternative Erweiterungen) (15 ECTS credits in the entire programme) are available here.
Information on the various subject areas for some modules are available here (in German).
For students who are changing from the diploma programme in History of Art and Architecture (UG2002) to the bachelor's programme the equivalence list for extension curricula (in German) applies until further notice.
Curriculum structure of the bachelor's programme
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Rent our family cabin located on Oknö island 5 km from central Mönstrås in Småland Sweden.
Oknö is a beautiful island summer paradise with small cabins, large playgrounds and pleanty of swimming oportunities. The island was developed in the 1950s as a ideal summer reqreational area is perfect for peaceful walks around the island, biking and boating.
Open dining area with large table for family gatherings.
The kitchen is large and well planed with everything you need.
The large family room has two singel beds with two extra beds, closet and dresser.
The quest house has two singel beds and two extra beds.
The cabin has four bikes available for the renters. Boat rental and firewood can be added to the rent.
The cabin in 200m from the largest playground and swimming area.


If your interior design is lacking the level of happiness you desire, look no further than the color yellow. Yellow is associated with the joy of sunshine, sunlight and a direct link with the concept of happiness. This uplifting shade can energize every room of the house while providing a good feeling for everyone in the room. This is yellow mellow, one of the 2019 interior design trends.
Yellow Mellow, a sun-soaked nostalgic hue. It?s the eternal spring color but today with a different mood. Inspired in earth baked tones, this color brings a retro style to decorative accents, furnishings, and paints. There isn?t a compromise when using this color, its vibrancy and allure allows a variety of combinations with other colors.


On December 19, 2017, Congress passed the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Senate passed it early on December 20, 2017.
The final bill cuts the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent beginning in 2018. The top individual tax rate will drop to 37 percent. The tax bill cuts income tax rates, doubles the standard deduction, and eliminates personal exemptions. The corporate cuts are permanent, while the individual changes expire at the end of 2025.
The final tax bill keeps the seven income tax brackets but lowers tax rates.
These rates revert to the current rate in 2026. Until then, the plan creates the following chart.
The bill eliminates most itemized deductions. That includes moving expenses, except for members of the military. Those paying alimony will lose their deduction, but those receiving alimony will no longer be taxed on the income. This change begins in 2019 for divorces signed in 2018.
It keeps deductions for charitable contributions, property taxes, mortgage interest, and retirement savings. It limits the deduction on mortgage interest to the first $750,000 of the loan. Interest on home equity lines of credit can no longer be deducted. Current mortgage-holders aren't affected.
It keeps the deduction for student loan interest.
Taxpayers can deduct up to $10,000 in state and local taxes. They must choose between property taxes and income or sales taxes.
The bill expands the deduction for medical expenses for 2017 and 2018. It allows taxpayers to deduct medical expenses that are 7.5 percent or more of income. Currently, people can deduct medical expenses that are 10 percent or more. At least 8.8 million people used the deduction in 2015.
It doubles the standard deduction. A single filer's deduction increases from $6,350 to $12,000. The deduction for Married and Joint Filers increases from $12,700 to $24,000. It reverts back to the current level in 2026. As a result, 94 percent of taxpayers will take the standard deduction. The National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors opposed this. As more taxpayers take a standard deduction, fewer would take advantage of the mortgage interest deduction. That could lower housing prices. But this could be a good time to do that. Many people are concerned that the real estate market is in a bubble that could lead to another collapse.
The bill repeals the Obamacare tax on those without health insurance. Without the mandate, the Congressional Budget Office estimates 13 million people would drop their plans. The government would save $338 billion by not having to pay their subsidies.
It eliminates personal exemptions. Taxpayers currently subtract $4,150 from income for each person claimed. Families with many children would pay higher taxes under the bill despite the increased standard deductions.
The bill doubles the estate tax exemption to $11.2 million for singles and $22.4 million for couples. That would help the top 1 percent of the population who pay it. These top 4,918 tax returns contribute $17 billion in taxes. The exemption reverts to current levels in 2026.
It keeps the Alternative Minimum Tax. It increases the exemption from $54,300 to $70,300 for singles and from $84,500 to $109,400 for joint. The exemptions phase out at $500,000 for singles and $1 million for joint. The exemption reverts to current levels in 2026.
The final bill increases the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000. Credit is refundable up to $1,400. It increases the income level from $110,000 to $400,000 for married tax filers.
The bill allows parents to use 529 savings plans for tuition at private and religious K-12 schools. They can also use the funds for expenses for home-schooled students.
The final tax bill lowers the maximum corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, the lowest since 1939. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. But most corporations don't pay that much. On average, the effective rate is 18 percent.
It raises the standard deduction to 20 percent for pass-through businesses. The deductions are limited once the income reaches $157,500 for singles and $315,000 for joint. Pass-through businesses include sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S corporations. They also include real estate companies, hedge funds, and private equity funds.
The bill limits corporations' ability to deduct interest expense to 30 percent of income.
The bill eliminates the corporate AMT. The corporate AMT had a 20 percent tax rate that kicked in if tax credits pushed a firm's effective tax rate below that level.
It advocates a change from the current "worldwide" tax system to a territorial system. Under the worldwide system, multinationals are taxed on foreign income earned. They don't pay the tax until they bring the profits home. As a result, many corporations leave it parked overseas. Under the territorial system, they aren't taxed on that foreign profit. They would be more likely to reinvest it in the United States. This will benefit pharmaceutical and high-tech companies the most. The tax bill allows companies to repatriate the $2.6 trillion they hold in foreign cash stockpiles. They pay a one-time tax rate of 15.5 percent on cash and 8 percent on equipment.
The tax plan helps businesses more than individuals. Business tax cuts are permanent, while the individual cuts expire in 2025.
Among individuals, it would help higher income families the most. Everyone gets a tax cut in 2019. But in 2021, taxes will increase on those making $30,000 or less. The lower tax rate won't make up for the deductions and credits they lose. By 2023, costs will rise on everyone who makes less than $40,000 a year.
The increase in the standard deduction would benefit 6 million taxpayers. That's 47.5 percent of all tax filers, according to Evercore ISI. But for many income brackets, that won't offset lost deductions.
The bill ignores the lowest-income families. That's because more than 70 million Americans don't make enough to pay taxes. The plans also don't help the third of taxpayers who have incomes that fall below current standard deduction and personal exemptions.
It is estimated the bill increases the deficit by almost $448 billion over the next 10 years. The tax cuts themselves would cost $1.47 billion. But that's offset by $700 billion in growth and savings from eliminating the ACA mandate. The Tax Foundation said the plan would boost GDP by 1.7 percent a year. It would create 339,000 jobs and add 1.5 percent to wages.
The bill could help immigrants who were protected by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. One of Trump's immigration policies is to end the program in March 2018. Senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., got Senate leaders to agree to make the program permanent in exchange for his vote.
There are certainly a number of factors to consider and each individual or couple's situation will be different. However, there are a few key areas you might want to discuss with your CPA/ tax preparer to see if they make sense for your personal tax situation in order to take action on or before December 31st.
4th quarter 2017 estimated state and local income taxes (typically due Jan 15, 2018).
Again, we just want to thank you for affording all of us at Trinity the opportunity to serve you. We hope you have a great 2018!


Create fun-filled family memories at Drayton Manor Theme Park. Visit the 15-acre zoo & Thomas Land or experience the full throttle of Shockwave, or fly on Maelstrom & enjoy some adrenaline pumping fun, whilst family favourites such as The Carousel & The Bounty Pirate Ship are the perfect fun-filled family ride. Visit them today for the ultimate family day out!


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Exporters Vs. Importers: CEO Split Widens Over Border Tax Debate
Retail CEOs will urge lawmakers to kill an import tariff proposal, as tensions build ahead of the unveiling of Trump's "phenomenal" tax plan.
A rift is deepening in the business community over how America should tax its imports and exports, prompting many CEOs to consider a trip to Washington to press their case to lawmakers.
The stakes are high, with big exporters such as Boeing potentially benefiting from a proposed border tax, and retailers such as Target warning of inflation impacts that could sap demand for their products and ultimately hurt the economy.
CEOs may not have much time to press their case, given Donald Trump's announcement last Thursday that he would unveil his "phenomenal" tax plan in a few weeks' time. That said, it could still take many months to hammer out the details of any changes in Congress.
House Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, are pressing for a reduction in the corporate tax rate to 20% from 35%. To help pay for it, a 20% tax also would be imposed on imports. Revenue on exports, meanwhile, would be rendered tax deductible. Although Trump has labeled the plan "complicated", it's in the same spirit of his pledges to protect American jobs by slapping tariffs on goods made in Mexico and China.
"The border adjustment tax is harmful, untested and would put American retail jobs at risk and force companies to pay as much as 20% more for family essentials."
Supporters of the plan argue a resultant strengthening of the dollar would neutralize the negative impact on importers, though many aren't so sure. The Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents the interests of CEOs from 120 companies and trade organizations, including Wal-Mart Stores, this month formed a national campaign to stop the tax, dubbed Americans for Affordable Products.
"The border adjustment tax is harmful, untested and would put American retail jobs at risk and force companies to pay as much as 20% more for family essentials," the association said.
Now, a band of retailing CEOs, including Target's Brian Cornell, Best Buy's Hubert Joly, Gap's Art Peck and AutoZone's William Rhodes are heading to Washington to make a case for killing the proposal, Reuters reported last night, citing people familiar with the plan.
Their advocacy pits them against a group of major exporters, including Boeing, GE, Oracle and Pfizer that have formed a coalition of their own to support the tax, dubbed the American Made Coalition.
Leaders on both sides of the debate, including Wal-Mart's Doug McMillon and former Boeing CEO Jim McNerney sit on the president's 18-member economic advisory council.
The jury's still out on which elements of Trump's tax plans will get through Congress. Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius recently gave the border tax just a 20% chance of occurring. If it doesn't, he said, Republicans could afford only to cut the corporate tax rate to 25%.
A number of prominent market commentators, including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, have warned in recent days that Trump's tax plans may not come to fruition until at least next year as differences among Republicans are debated in Congress.
Ross Kelly is a London-based business journalist. He has been a staff correspondent or editor at The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance and the Australian Associated Press.
YouTube's CEO Reveals Her Favorite Interview Questions and a Few Other People-Management Techniques
Exxon CEO's Job-Creating Spending Spree is Hardly About Trump
Updated Travel Ban Seen as an Improvement, Though Some CEOs Remain Defiant
U.S. Railway Company Bets Heavily on Superstar CEO


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back to All Authors
Randal Maurice Jelks
Letters to Martin ›
February 3, 2022, 7:00pm
January 29, 2022, 2:00pm
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Letters to Martin contains twelve meditations on contemporary history and political struggles for our oxygen-deprived society. Evoking Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," these meditations, written in the form of letters to King, speak specifically to the many public issues we presently confront in the United States—economic inequality, freedom of assembly, police brutality, ongoing social class conflicts, and geopolitics. Award-winning author Randal Maurice Jelks invites readers to reflect on US history by centering on questions of democracy that we must grapple with as a society. Hearkening to the era when James Baldwin, Dorothy Day, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Richard Wright used their writing to address the internal and external conflicts that the United States faced, this book is a contemporary revival of a literary tradition of meditative social analysis. These meditations on democracy provide spiritual oxygen to help readers endure the struggles of rebranding, rebuilding, and reforming our democratic institutions so that we can all breathe.


These frames are crafted from weathered wood that has finished its service holding up fences, bunkhouses, and barns. This one has a Cowboy theme to it, complete with a pewter bucking horse and rider. "Cowboy" is burned into the lower long edge. It will accept a 4 X 6 Picture, and the overall dimensions of the frame are 8" X 10".
This frame has provisions for standing on a table.


This preschool weather theme and seasonal activities lesson plan cd, has a variety of printable weather worksheets, seasonal craft activities, printable games and fun seasonal recipes for use with teaching preschool children, toddlers and kindergarten kids.
Below are some weather related sample sheets and seasonal activities for kids to enjoy as found on the cd.
Listed below, are all the theme activities, weather crafts, games and recipes which relate to learning about the weather. It is important to teach children about the seasons and weather as it happens during the different months of the year. You can teach a seasonal and weather theme using these activities on this cd along with various books, songs and related seasonal craft activities.
The package below will add to your teaching resources and give you many great teaching tools and ideas for years to come. Your children will enjoy learning with this weather theme & seasonal activities for kids package. Check out the details below!
Below is a Full List of Every Seasonal Activity & Weather Worksheet On this Preschool Weather Theme & Seasonal Activities CD for Kids.


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Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)
Ethiopia's Developmental State: Dead or Alive?
Ethiopia: Govt Delays Referendum On New Independent Region
Photo: Global Panorama/Flickr
(File photo).
analysis By Belachew Mekuria, PhD, For Addis Standard
In the heart of Addis Abeba, a lineup of new buildings planned to serve as the headquarters of three private banks is nearing completion. The area is already dubbed as "Addis Abeba's Financial District."
Ethiopia, a country of over 100 million people, the second most populous country in Africa and with a long history of statehood, serves as a stabilizing force in the sub-region. It is the regional capital hosting two wider continental institutions: the African Union and the UN-Economic Commission for Africa. It is in many senses a country that legitimately is a focus in any discussions related to the sub-region's geopolitics.
It has been under an imperial rule with some indications of constitutional monarchy, a socialist state under military dictatorship and a federal democratic republic, all within the span of the past half a century. Over the years, what has not changed is the state of poverty standing as a constant reminder to every government that more needs to be done in terms of 'economic growth', if not an all-round 'development'.
The economic policy has also been in constant fluidity as the regimes change, except perhaps the land policy, which more or less continues to be used as an instrument of political coercion by the successive governments.
'Developmentalism' as an economic policy, where state activism in the economy is regarded as a must to bring structural economic transformation, has brought some concrete economic dividends (even in the face of brutal elite capture of resources for personal gains), making it one of the ten world's fastest growing economies with a steady increase in per capita income which at the moment stands at $783 (which is 4% of the world's average).
This is more than 50% increase over the past 10 years. Life expectancy has also reached 65 years, which means an Ethiopian born in 2018 lives 15 years longer than an Ethiopian born in the turn of the century. GDP expanded from $30B to $80.56B in a span of the past eight years. Over the years, series of development policies have been formulated and implemented.
Therefore, developmental state with strictly censored political environment has delivered on the economic front. The government resisted all the pressures from the IMF and the WB for liberalization. The position on the part of the government has been to patiently wait for the right time, particularly in areas like banking, telecom and power. When it comes to the power sector for instance, the position has been instead of allowing profit-seeking private operators to come in and sell power for profit, the government sought to step up its efforts of encouraging manufacturing industries that engage in value adding activities for export using the highly subsidized power that is being supplied by the government.
It has in consequence enabled the country incentivize and attract significant number of investments, largely Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). It hasn't however helped in enabling the domestic private sector to grow in a manner that is aligned to the overall economic direction. Significant amount of local investments tended to focus on trade in finished goods and services and these in turn have for long been areas that do not require huge capital, but have greater returns and relatively shorter payback period. The tendency of domestic industries to focus on trading and services also undermined the development of skilled workforce with the capabilities to engage in industrial production. This is particularly true when one looks at the difference between Ethiopian workers' relative efficiency managed by locals and those managed by foreigners on production floors.
The pathway towards industrial growth
The government has made good use of the late comers' advantage even though it may not necessarily be regarded as pathway dependency. The policies and strategies have largely been drawn from extensive learning exercises, with particular focus on Asia. China played a huge role, though by no means was able to dictate directions and pathways.
Structural economic transformation is accordingly regarded as the end game of eradicating extreme poverty, which continues to oppress a significant proportion of the country's population. Industrialization through the growth of manufacturing is the pathway to change the structures of vulnerability to poverty. Two elements of this pathway relate to growth in manufacturing and private sector's agency which initially to be led by the state.
Growth in Manufacturing
Until this day, manufacturing plays a marginal role in Ethiopia's economy despite efforts to change the course. The service sector dominates the economy by contributing over 37% to the country's GDP followed by agriculture which takes about 34%, industry 23% and a tiny contributor at 5.6% being manufacturing. The overall impact of the service sector in alleviating the country's problems of trade deficit, shortage of hard currency and rising cost of living is however minimal. Though the sector absorbs a significant number of work-force, unemployment which at the moment stands at 19.1%, remains yet another challenge.
Two main reasons make the manufacturing sector important from this perspective. First the sector, particularly light manufacturing, is able not only to hire larger number of workers, but it also improves technical capabilities in societies overall. Second, the agricultural sector's inefficiency partly emerges from its handling of excessive number of work-force. And releasing some of this surplus labor is expected to improve efficiency and yield of both the farm and farmers. Growth in the manufacturing sector is therefore regarded as the driver for industrialization, job creation and even agricultural transformation.
Private sector focused, but state-led
The position that the State should be an active player in the economy is in a sense founded on the idea that at the initial stage, the enablers for effective private sector growth must be put in place quickly and at a larger scale. These relate to power, road and railway infrastructure, industrial park spaces etc. These are not only expensive, but usually have a longer payback periods and thus less attractive for the private sector. In cases where they enthuse private sector investment, that only comes at the risk of higher profit margins, in other words exorbitant pricing to be shouldered by users.
That has been, whether right or wrong, the view of the government for its resolve to actively engage in substantial infrastructure projects and other less attractive sectors in the economy. That has also led to the growth of the national road network; power generation; development of power plants; and railway network. The economic dividends of such policy are specifically observed in the country's investment competitiveness enabling it to attract sizable number of FDI in the productive sectors focusing on export even in those difficult days where successive state of emergency declarations were in force.
China and the 'debt' myth
China has played a key role in the country's drive of building massive infrastructure involving as financier and through its giant State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), as contractor in a number of the projects. It is however blamed as putting Ethiopia and other African countries into a debt trap. While China's economic dominance is becoming a force to reckon with, it has implicitly inspired a number of initiatives by the West to counter this growing dominance. Just to mention some of these initiatives the UK government's Invest Africa program, the G20 Compact with Africa and its accompanying German government's Special Initiative for job creation, and the US government's BUILD Act (Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development) recently enacted by Congress.
All these initiatives approach the growth paradigm in the best way they know, and all have one thing in common: capitalizing the agency of the private sector. What they aim at is supporting reform initiatives in Africa and elsewhere in a manner that facilitate the crowding in of private investment through innovative financing instruments that embrace grants, loans, equity investments and other de-risking mechanisms.
China however continues to prove itself as stronger and long-term partner in financing large infrastructure projects initiated by governments with developmental vision, though by no means invariably without any problems. For cautious borrower like Ethiopia however, its benefits outweigh any of the negative pictures that its competitors would like to paint against. With the new administration's recent success in getting substantial concessions on its debts structures, Ethiopia remains in a good stand partnering with this global power.
Furthermore, public debt, so long as the money is strictly deployed for intended infrastructure and other legitimate purposes with long term developmental impact, should not be cause for alarm. Ethiopia's public debt to GDP is about 33% while that of Japan's, a country with the highest public debt in the world, is over 200% of its GDP. Similarly, that of China's stands at 47% and the US 105%.
What sets Ethiopia far apart from those rich countries is however, among other things, is the currency by which we borrow which is not, unlike those countries, our own currency. That would decidedly mean that the shock effect the debt has on their economies is minimal, if not nothing, considering they borrow in their own respective currencies. Under African standard, Ethiopia is ranked as the 35th in terms of debt public debt burden, meaning less burdened than countries like Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and other 31 countries.
Hurdles along the way
The structural economic transformation is still a distant dream and the paucity of infrastructure, particularly energy will continue to undermine all efforts on industrialization. Among the plethora of constraints, an attempt is made to point out to some that directly relate to industrialization and the growth in manufacturing.
1 - Industrial workforce development
With 100 million plus population and with 18 years as the median age Ethiopia has the largest workforce that however require skills upgrading to become fit for industrial level production.
Though education coverage is growing every year, it lacks the desperately needed linkage with industries and industrial culture. In a chicken and egg type of scenario, lack of industries is blamed for absence of industrial culture in the characters of the graduates, but the reverse could also be true. This is therefore one of the critical challenges that investors (home grown and foreign origin) experience and the claim that labor is 'cheap' becomes a myth because of the humongous expenditure that industrialists have to make to bring their workers (graduates and non-graduates alike) up to the required level of productivity. One should also add the notorious problems of absenteeism, tardiness and turnover that companies experience, almost all of which are attributable to lack of industrial culture.
2 - Lack of organic growth of the industries
The country's attempt to encourage home-grown, locally owned industries in the manufacturing sector hasn't materialised and for some, this even hasn't started. Unlike many other countries' experience of imposing a mandatory local content requirement on FDI, Ethiopia chose a different path, failing to exploit the learning possibility of locals by partnering with FDI.
We rather follow a strategy of segregating areas of investment permitted for FDI and those ring-fenced for domestic investors. Legally enforced joint venture arrangements (through local content requirement) would however have provided a better opportunity for strengthening local manufacturing capabilities, if not organic growth of industries.
In the longest history of handwork and craftsmanship, there have also been trends that rather discouraged any form of skilful work, at times even trade. Agriculture appeared to be the noblest. For instance, the blacksmiths were regarded as having the spell of the evil eye (ቡዳ); those who do handwoven traditional garment were given various derogatory names like thread cutters (ቁጢት በጣሽ); the same for traders (መጫኛ ነካሽ).
These forms of naming were felt so forcefully that it was claimed one of the early aspirants of modernity for Ethiopia, Emperor Menelik II, issued a stern warning legislation against anyone who gives derogatory names to 'his hardworking people' and advising to exercise restraint, otherwise it would be a cause for serious punishment. Though I haven't come across a survey, one may also find truth in this if an analysis is made on preferences of academic fields in our early educational development. Management, law and other social science fields attracted more students than the technical ones. It is within this context that the 70%/30% ratio of natural science (engineering and others) to social science has been adopted, with a view to have more graduates that 'make money and less of those that count it.'
Access to finance, complicated procedures for start-up businesses particularly the SMEs, lack of local inputs/heavy reliance on imported inputs which in turn is constrained by lack of foreign currency all have conspired to undermine the active engagement of domestic industrialists in the manufacturing activities.
3 - Trade logistics
Logistics is the key element that facilitate productive investment as inputs will have to be imported and products exported under the tight lead-time requirement of international and local market. Under the two drivers of logistics efficiency (cost and lead time), Ethiopia scores very low. The State monopoly on transnational movement of goods has partly contributed for some of the avoidable efficiency related challenges.
However, lack of access to major international water bodies for relatively cheaper and reliable means of transport is one singular cause of trade logistics inefficiency the country experienced over the years. Ethiopian Airlines as government owned flag carrier has done remarkable job in facilitating cross border movement of goods and people.
However, it may not come as a comparable alternative to sea transport, particularly in terms of cost efficiency. Other relatively easier constraints of our own making relate to cumbersome/unnecessary documentation requirements, lack of simplified and harmonized trade logistics procedures and failure to integrate the risk management systems. These are, as has repeatedly been indicated by many studies, easily avoidable and if addressed, profoundly improve trade logistics efficiency. A number of initiatives are underway which no doubt will cut both the cost and lead time by significant proportion once put into effect.
4 - Trade deficit
Excessive imports for the purposes of the mega projects together with higher reliance on imported commodities for local consumption (particularly due to the construction boom) has taken the country on a free-ride to excessive deficits in trade. Export is low both in volume and value. The country for instance doesn't still have champion product and its hopes are hinged on improved yield in agriculture.
Though sesame and coffee are the best candidates, the latter is affected by higher domestic consumption compared to export and when it comes to sesame our inability to capture some of the values within Ethiopia through some level of processing makes the earnings from exporting the raw product very minimal. Therefore, working on factors lying at the intersection of agricultural productivity and industrial processing would be critical to change course and correct the overall negative balance of trade. This needs to be done by focusing on particular champion product with traceability, collective effort to promote the product at global level with technologically supported branding and by doing some value adding processes locally along the value chain.
What of developmental state as most knew it?
At a fundamental level the challenges highlighted above have for long constrained the country's efforts to achieve structural economic transformation through the instrumentality of developmental state policy. However, what is being envisioned requires consistency, continuity and determination at all levels which at the moment appear to be experiencing some level of a shock in transition.
The country stands at cross roads tangled by tough choices to be made to either part ways with the past approach of developmental state or build on it, by picking the key success factors, and making adjustments in a manner that helps the new administration to meet the youth's high expectations to which the transition owes a great deal. Full and/or partial privatization of some of the SoEs must be done without forfeiting developmentalism. The state, both as regulator and, in some instances, as an active player in developmental projects is still needed with some adjustment on the highly centrist approach that for long and unhelpfully side-lined the regional governments. China's experience with respect of putting its Provinces at front and center of economic and social policy making/implementation in a manner that is suited to their circumstances should offer us a very useful lesson. AS
Editor's Note: Belachew Mekuria (PhD), was former commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission. He can be reached at belachewmekuria@gmail.com
Govt Delays Referendum On New Independent Region
Members of the Sidama ethnic group must now wait several months longer for a referendum which could lead to the setting… Read more »
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Brittany (French Bretagne, Breton Breizh) is a peninsula in north-west France, bordering the English Channel on the north and the Bay of Biscay on the south. It is an administrative region of France, comprising four départements: Ille-et-Vilaine, Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère and Morbihan.
The capital city of Brittany is Rennes.
The region was a part of Armorica, and conquered by the Romans. Around 500 AD, the area was settled by Britons, driven from the British Isles by the Anglo-Saxons. These Britons gave the name to the region. (The name Brittany means "Lesser Britain," by contrast with Great Britain). In the early Middle Ages, Brittany was divided into three kingdoms -- Domnonia[?], Cornouaille[?], and Bro Waroch[?] -- which eventually were incorporated into the Duchy of Brittany[?]. A Celtic language, Breton, is still spoken in some parts of Brittany.
Brittany is famous for its megalithic monuments, which are scattered over the penninsula[?], notably near Carnac[?]. The purpose of these monuments is still unknown, and the local people refuse to entertain speculation on the subject.
A number of small separatist groups exist, fighting for the independence of Brittany.


"Everything is bigger in Texas".
There are staples within this state that purposely try to continue to uphold the tradition. Giant cowboys overlooking theme parks, or even the giant theme parks themselves. We have bigger cuts of meat that you can get for free if you eat it all, and cows that produce said meat with giant "Longhorns" unseen to many regions of the country. Our high school football stadiums look like colleges, and pro stadiums that have been likened to famous sci-fi lore. Needless to say, Texas has not shied away from the "bigger" connotation and most of us are damn proud of that.
However, in the cigar world that same theme is not always as widely accepted. Bigger does not always resonate with great popularity. Many cigar enthusiast's, including myself, I tend to overlook or pass by some of the mega cigars that sit in humidors across the world. Large ring gauges and long lengths have a reputation of being solely made for aesthetic purposes. It's simply that "look at me" affect. Whether it is construed as less quality tobacco or diminished flavor, bigger cigars just don't get the same love most of the time.
I say, "don't knock it till you try it"! Not long ago I was aimlessly wandering through the humidor at my favorite local cigar shop, shout out to Industrial Cigar Co., and one of the employees, who knows my palate very well, led me to this cleverly named smoke called the Pistoff Kristoff. Naturally with a name like that I assumed that it would be a much bolder smoke and I honestly hadn't dipped into Kristoff's catalogue in quite some time. Long story short I was very impressed.
That first introduction to the Pistoff was the (7 x 50) Churchill and I enjoyed it so much in fact, that it wound up making its way into our Top 25 Cigars of 2018! Probably the most impressive trait of this Pistoff Kristoff is the gradual change from start to finish. The namesake hits like a ton of bricks initially with bold spice and a hint of nuttiness to balance it out, as to not overwhelm the palate. Along the journey I picked up notes of toasted bread to compliment the aforementioned flavors. Then just as I began to wonder if that was all there was to it, the finish was so smooth with hints of sweet cream and toffee, acting like a very pleasant dessert to cap off a great smoke.
Already impressed with the Pistoff, here comes the true nature of me writhing this review. Announced late in the calendar year for 2018 was the introduction of the "Extremely Pistoff Kristoff" featured in a daunting (8.5 x 60) vitola. Again, my immediate impression was one of timid uncertainty. How could something already so good retain its quality in something that was visually equal to that of a novelty item you might see at an adult toy shop.
I found the answer rather quickly during a round of golf not to be forgotten. With a cigar of this size I will tell you now you absolutely cannot expect to enjoy it when pressed for time. So, I decided to pick the ultimate activity in which I could get the most out of this smoke. The morning was crisp, enough to delay tee times a half hour with a frost delay. By the time I got nice and loose and wet my lips with my second cup of coffee, I hit the first tee box ready to go. With a bit of a crowd in front and behind us, all antsy to get their rounds going, I decided to delay the cut and light till the second hole. A short par three was the task at hand, I grabbed my 52-degree wedge, my Colibri dual sided cutter and xikar lighter and made my approach to the tee box. With a perfect straight cut clip, I toasted the foot nicely while I waited on the rest of my family to hit their shots. My turn to tee off, the placement of my shot, hit thin and long past the green, was excused because my head was immersed in sweet flavorful tobacco.
My golf game is nothing to brag outlandishly about, but I will put a few good shots in here and there. However, the real winner in this day's round was this Extremely Pistoff Kristoff. Hole after hole the cigar burned impeccably, with a nice ash that ranged from half inch to two-inch increments at a time. All the while my mind was blown by the fact that not once did I have to reach for my lighter. Whether setting down on the green to putt or placing it in my custom magnetic cigar holder attached to the cart, every single time I came pack for a puff it was still lit and burning like a champ. The turn has come and gone, and we approached the middle of the back nine, I am finally getting to that sweet toffee and cream that I remembered from the Churchill I had previously smoked. As we finished hole 11 the first signs of the end started to show. Still lit, the first little run began to emerge and a slight touch up was needed. With hole 12 now completed we approached the tee box on 13, and as I drew the cigar to my lips for another pull….bam! No smoke present and looked down to see just barely and inch of a brown nub placed between my fingers, that was it!
It was then that reality finally hit me, and I took the time to reflect on the magic that had just happened. Just over 3 hours and 10 straight holes of beautifully constructed mastery that never once had to be relit or even touched up until right at the end. Was this a one-time occurrence? Can I replicate this experience again? Only time will tell, but for at least this one moment, I no longer had the fear or uncertainty that I once associated with "Bigger" cigars.
The next time you walk into a humidor and see that one cigar that looks like it is more than you want to handle, don't judge it so quickly, as it may just turn out to be a once in a lifetime experience. And if you find yourself with the inkling to give a big cigar a try, the Extremely Pistoff Kristoff is a great cigar to dive into for that experience.
If I was absolutely pressed with giving this cigar a rating, which most people are robotically tuned to require. I would rate this an easy 4.5 out of 5 stars in my own personal sense, but due to factors of being the right place and right time, and the length of smoke I will ease back and give it 4.25 of 5-star rating.
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Seeing a superb performance of Romeo and Juliet directed by Aaron Posner at Washington DC's beautiful Folger Theatre took me back to summer days in Verona. Before I went there I really knew nothing about this city beyond its association with Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. Verona surprised me, charmed me, exceeded expectations in every way. I was anticipating a mini-Disneyland with Romeo & Juliet-themed rides. I found a city rich in history and and points of interest beyond the famed Juliet's balcony (which by the way is a tourist zoo).