Tamara Dearing & Jan Louden. Photo: Bill Brymer.
What does it take to live an extraordinary life? A young oboe player wistfully yearns for success as a composer with eagerness for things to fall into place even as they begin to unravel. A Feminine Ending melts music, harmony, and gender into a delicate yet sympathetic portrait of a young musician. Theater  has staged an intimate production about the passion needed when obstacles stand in the way of dreams and what matters most.
The play focuses on oboist Amanda Blue, played with gentle quirkiness by Tamara Dearing. Her monologue delivery is conversational with a touch of relatable awkwardness as she expresses career struggles with music terminology. Dearing carries the play through Amanda's personal highs and lows, from hooking up with a peer who is on the rise to stardom, returning to her hometown, or awaiting the results of a symphonic competition. With this performance, Dearing, who is a musician in her own right, has some fun teaching us a little bit about music theory as bits are interspersed throughout the piece; most notably, a playful explanation of harmony within an argument between her parents. Dearing absolutely shines as Amanda struggles to move forward in a male-dominated art form. Her delivery of Amanda's "Open Door" dream is honest and vulnerable as she begins to buckle under the pressure with doubts.
Although this play might seem like a one-woman show with supporting cast interspersed here and there, these supporting roles are very strong. As Jack, Amanda's star-on-the-rise fiancé, Cody Alexander proves he is not just a pretty face as he struggles with the reality of fame in contrast to his sheltered trust fund upbringing. As Billy, a lover from Amanda's past, Louis Robert Thompson presents a boy-next-door romantic air of possibility only to be crushed in moments of sobriety. Thompson plays well in the shift of Amanda's perspective as he moves from endearingly flirtatious with his knowledge of linguistic rules to cautiously awkward with next day realizations.
Jan Louden resonates as Kim, Amanda's mother. Unhappy and unsettled, Louden's portrayal of a woman who "never got what (she) wanted with just a smile" is spirited as she schemes for independence. Providing contrast as Amanda's father, David, Sean Childress is a man left behind and moving on. His subdued emotional processing and seeming acceptance of Kim's independence provide bold opposition moments later.
Nearly reaching a running time of two hours and billed with no intermission along with somewhat sluggish set changes, the action attempts to keep a steady pace nonetheless. This little play delightfully pops along as Amanda experiences her misadventures on the path to something extraordinary.


text:
Unemployed Hope Cobra Subsidy Gets Extended
Modified Dec 17, 2009
The NY Times looks at how the end of a federal subsidy to help the unemployed cover Cobra insurance costs may result in people dropping health insurance. For one Queens resident, who was laid off from her job last year, "it reduced her monthly insurance premium to $135.93 from $388.37," but now, paying the full amount, will force her to take out money from her 401K. The Times notes, "From March through November, the federal government picked up 65 percent of the cost. But the subsidy lasts for only nine months and will not be available to people who lose their jobs after Dec. 31, unless Congress extends it. On Wednesday, the House approved a six-month extension, and the bill now goes to the Senate."
federal subsidy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Turn on your printer and get ready to print fun! Yes, it's that time again – Faberdashery are launching a delicious new set of colours for Summer. And delicious is certainly what they are!
Inspired by candy flavours our pastel collection is pure, unadulterated printing fun. We've covered all the pastel shades from refreshing sky blue to warm buttery buff. So now with our original pastel pink – Cherry Blossom Pink – we have six terrific shades of pastel.
The five new colours to play with are: Peppermint Cream, Bubblegum Blue, Sugar Plum, Pistachio Pie and Vanilla Milk.
But that is not all! To celebrate the launch of our new range we created a set of beautiful, 3D printable containers available for download on Thingiverse and YouMagine. Each reflect bold shapes and patterns found in nature and are the perfect complement to our luscious pastels. There are three designs to enjoy: the Cactus Cup, the Ripple Bowl and the Armadillo Dish. The combination of these strong geometric designs with our fun new candy colours makes for some stunning prints.
So take a romp in our new pastel collection and add some playfulness to your prints!
Drum roll please ~ It's time to release our new Super Secret Crackers!
Yay! Spring is finally here and with it comes Easter. We've designed the perfect companions for the season of chocolate and candy goodness – Egg Pods. These happy little characters are perfect for delivering Easter treats and will make cute containers after all the goodies have gone!
There are three Egg Pods characters to print: Wilmut the Lamb, Beck the Bunny and Eno the Chick. You can download the files here. Print them out in spring colours and share with friends and family!


text:
Home/BUSINESS/Electricity Workers Sign MoU After FG's Intervention In Crisis
Electricity Workers Sign MoU After FG's Intervention In Crisis
Newsbeat Editor Send an email August 30, 2021
Aggrieved members of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to remain together.
The MoU, which was signed by 11 union members including the President General, Dr Chris Okonkwo and General Secretary, Mr Nnamdi Ajibothe on Aug. 26, and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.
The MoU was reached following the intervention of Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in the crisis that engulfed the union.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the national leadership announced at a news conference on Aug.16 that it had expelled some of the union's aggrieved members over antiunion activities.
It accused the aggrieved members of breaking the union's constitution with impunity.
Crisis engulfed the union following a misunderstanding of the proposal to change the venue of its next National Delegates Conference (NDC) from Kano State to Abuja.
The MoU states that the aggrieved members apologised to the union over their action since the crisis, if any.
It added that both sides of the crisis undertook to respect the sanctity of SSAEAC Constitution and those of the Central Executive Committee, the National Executive Council (NEC) and NDC decisions.
"The parties also agreed that all branches should submit their Financial Reports from 2016 to date without further delay.
"Both parties agreed to abide by the electoral guidelines as already published and in use. However, any observations can be reviewed by the NEC.
"Both parties gave irrevocable undertaking not to go back to actions that led to the expulsion, including writing letters outside the constitutionally authorised office of the General Secretary.
ALSO READ Wema Bank Listed On NGX 30 Index
"Consequently, on the instructions of the Registrar of Trade Unions, it was agreed that all actions and decisions taken as a result of the crisis including impeachment, expulsion and letters to banks should be reversed immediately.
"On the issue of emergency NEC of Aug. 16, 2021, the next NEC meeting scheduled for October 2021 shall have the opportunity of reviewing decisions on issues of concern taken at that NEC meeting.
"Both parties appealed to their members to remain loyal and trust that the association remains strong and united despite the challenges of the past few weeks.
"Both parties agreed that all elections should be free and fair without undue interference from any quarter,'' it stated.
Piracy Decline To End War Risk Insurance, Reduce Shipping Cost- NIMASA
Zenith Bank Grows Profit By 3% In H1 2021


text:
<?php

/**
 * Lightweight abstraction layer for common simple server based routines
 *
 * Standard: PSR-2
 * @link http://www.php-fig.org/psr/psr-2 Full Documentation
 *
 * @package SC\DUPX\Server
 *
 */
class DUPX_Server
{
	/**
	 * Returns true if safe mode is enabled
	 */
	public static $php_safe_mode_on = false;

	/**
	 * The servers current PHP version
	 */
	public static $php_version = 0;

	/**
	 * The minimum PHP version the installer will support
	 */
	public static $php_version_min = "5.2.7";

	/**
	 * Is the current servers version of PHP safe to use with the installer
	 */
	public static $php_version_safe = false;

	 /**
     * Is PHP 5.3 or better running
     */
    public static $php_version_53_plus;

	/**
	 *  Used to init the static properties
	 */
	public static function init()
	{
		self::$php_safe_mode_on		= in_array(strtolower(@ini_get('safe_mode')), array('on', 'yes', 'true', 1, "1"));
		self::$php_version			= phpversion();
		self::$php_version_safe		= (version_compare(phpversion(), self::$php_version_min) >= 0);
		self::$php_version_53_plus	= version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.3.0') >= 0;
	}

	/**
	 *  Is the directory provided writable by PHP
	 *
	 * 	@param string $path A physical directory path
	 *
	 *  @return bool Returns true if PHP can write to the path provided
	 */
	public static function isDirWritable($path)
	{
		if (!@is_writeable($path)) return false;

		if (is_dir($path)) {
			if ($dh = @opendir($path)) {
				closedir($dh);
			} else {
				return false;
			}
		}
		return true;
	}

	/**
	 *  Can this server process in shell_exec mode
	 *
	 *  @return bool	Returns true is the server can run shell_exec commands
	 */
	public static function hasShellExec()
	{
		if (array_intersect(array('shell_exec', 'escapeshellarg', 'escapeshellcmd', 'extension_loaded'), array_map('trim', explode(',', @ini_get('disable_functions'))))) return false;

		//Suhosin: http://www.hardened-php.net/suhosin/
		//Will cause PHP to silently fail.
		if (extension_loaded('suhosin')) return false;

		// Can we issue a simple echo command?
		if (!@shell_exec('echo duplicator')) return false;

		return true;
	}

	/**
	 *  Returns the path where the zip command can be called on this server
	 *
	 *  @return string	The path to where the zip command can be processed
	 */
	public static function getUnzipPath()
	{
		$filepath = null;
		if (self::hasShellExec()) {
			if (shell_exec('hash unzip 2>&1') == NULL) {
				$filepath = 'unzip';
			} else {
				$try_paths = array(
					'/usr/bin/unzip',
					'/opt/local/bin/unzip');
				foreach ($try_paths as $path) {
					if (file_exists($path)) {
						$filepath = $path;
						break;
					}
				}
			}
		}
		return $filepath;
	}

	/**
     *  A safe method used to copy larger files
     *
     *  @param string $source		The path to the file being copied
     *  @param string $destination	The path to the file being made
	 *
	 *	@return bool	True if the file was copied
     */
    public static function copyFile($source, $destination)
    {
		try {
			$sp = fopen($source, 'r');
			$op = fopen($destination, 'w');

			while (!feof($sp)) {
				$buffer = fread($sp, 512);  // use a buffer of 512 bytes
				fwrite($op, $buffer);
			}
			// close handles
			fclose($op);
			fclose($sp);
			return true;

		} catch (Exception $ex) {
			return false;
		}
    }

	/**
     *  Returns an array of zip files found in the current executing directory
     *
     *  @return array of zip files
     */
    public static function getZipFiles()
    {
        $files = array();
        foreach (glob("*.zip") as $name) {
            if (file_exists($name)) {
                $files[] = $name;
            }
        }

        if (count($files) > 0) {
            return $files;
        }

        //FALL BACK: Windows XP has bug with glob,
        //add secondary check for PHP lameness
        if ($dh = opendir('.')) {
            while (false !== ($name = readdir($dh))) {
                $ext = substr($name, strrpos($name, '.') + 1);
                if (in_array($ext, array("zip"))) {
                    $files[] = $name;
                }
            }
            closedir($dh);
        }

        return $files;
    }
}
//INIT Class Properties
DUPX_Server::init();
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
from How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb by Mr. SOS
Buy The CD @ UGHH.COM
from How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb, released June 2, 2009
Produced By: The BeatChefs
beatchefs hip-hop/rap mr. sos alternative electronic hip hop progressive New York
If you like How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb, you may also like:
Rose Azura Njano
by CunninLynguists
supported by 10 fans who also own "How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb"
I think this is the most Cunninlynguists' underrated project and glad to have this as a vinyl. Cunninlynguists are probably the most unique, exciting group in hip hop history.. cheers from Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 BLQLYTE
by Kno
supported by 9 fans who also own "How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb"
Enjoyable instrumentals by one of my favorite music producers. larcx13
Couple's Skate
by The Off Daze
This new LP from The Off Daze is a freewheeling blend of psych-soul and tongue-twisting rhymes. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 13, 2018
To Whom it may Concern... (30th anniversary remastered edition)
by Freestyle Fellowship
Still Motion
by Natti
That artwork though! Oowee! KDub Mods


text:
UK's coronavirus slump begins with 5.8% slide in March
An image of Florence Nightingale is projected on the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, on International Nurses Day and to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nurse, Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Historians have praised Florence Nightingale on the 200th anniversary of her birth, and said her legacy has "never been more relevant" amid the coronavirus pandemic. Staff at the Florence Nightingale Museum in Westminster said her key nursing values – which focused on maintaining good hygiene, regularly washing hands and carrying out evidence-based practices – have been widely echoed over the past months. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
By PAN PYLAS
LONDON —
The British economy shrank 2% in the first quarter of the year from the previous three-month period, the biggest quarterly decline since the global financial crisis of 2008 even though it included just one week of the coronavirus lockdown, official figures showed Wednesday.
The Office of National Statistics found that the slump was getting deeper as the quarter came to an end, with output down by 5.8% in March alone, the month when curbs on everyday life started being put in place by the British government. Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the U.K. into full lockdown on March 23, days after closing pubs and restaurants and schools.
The March figure illustrates the scale of the coronavirus slump to come, with the Bank of England, for example, warning of the biggest annual slump since 1706.
"With the arrival of the pandemic, nearly every aspect of the economy was hit in March, dragging growth to a record monthly fall," said statistician Jonathan Athow.
During March, the only sectors that did grow reflected the needs of a country dealing with a pandemic - IT support, soaps and cleaning products, and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.
The quarterly decline is the biggest recorded since the fourth quarter of 2008. Since 1955, when equivalent records began, there have only been four quarters worse.
Like others, the British economy is set for a recession of unprecedented proportions, with many economists predicting that the second quarter could see economic output shrink by a quarter, or even more.
Last week, the Bank of England warned that the British economy could fall by around 30% in the first half of the year, before a strong recovery in the second half of the year, leaving it 14% smaller by the end of 2020. Still, even with that predicted second-half recovery, the annual fall would be the biggest in over 300 years.
Much of the British economy has been mothballed over the past couple of months, with many sectors unlikely to open again for months.
In addition to the 2 million estimated to be unemployed, around 7.5 million people have become economically inactive since the lockdown via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which sees the government pay up to 80% of the salaries of workers retained, up to 2,500 pounds ($3,075) a month. On Tuesday, the Treasury chief extended the scheme for a further four months until October though suggested that firms will have to start paying a share.
Some of the lockdown measures are being relaxed in England on Wednesday, with those workers who are unable to work from home, such as those in construction and manufacturing, encouraged to return to work. And a number of recreational sports, such as golf and tennis clubs, can reopen. In all cases, social distancing rules have to be observed.
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
San Diego's Cue Health, maker of fast COVID-19 tests used by the military, NBA lands $200M in IPO


text:
Institute of financial analysis
Tim Kroencke
Finance seminars
Swiss Doctoral Program Network in Accounting Research
Master of Science in General Management
Chair of Finance
Tim A. Kroencke is Professor of Finance at the University of Neuchâtel. His research focuses on empirical asset pricing. His projects deal with the following: Why do stocks earn large average returns? Why are returns predictable over time and in the cross-section of firms; and how can investors benefit from predictability? How does monetary policy and macroeconomic news affect a firm`s value? Why do investors shift their portfolios from bonds to equities? How can investors benefit from investing internationally, in real estate or human capital? His work has been published in journals such as the Journal of Finance and the Review of Finance.
He studied at the Universities of Freiburg and Basel, and earned his Ph.D. in Finance at the University of Mannheim. Before joining the faculty in Neuchâtel, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Basel. In the past, he worked at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim and for the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB).
Empirical Asset Pricing (Macroeconomic Risks; Return Predictability: Time-Series & Firm Characteristics)
International Finance (Equity, Bond, Real Estate and FX Markets; Investment Styles and Asset Allocation)
Principles of Finance
Current Issues in Portfolio Management
Research in Financial Analysis
Asset Pricing without Garbage, Journal of Finance 2017, 72, 47-98
International Diversification Benefits with Foreign Exchange Investment Styles (with Felix Schindler and Andreas Schrimpf), Review of Finance 2014, 18, 1847-1883
International Diversification with Securitized Real Estate and the Veiling Glare from Currency Risk (with Felix Schindler), Journal of International Money and Finance 2012, 31, 1851-1866
tim.kroencke@unine.ch
Office: 1.264
Research homepage
IDEAS repec
Emanuele Guidotti, teaching assistant / PhD candidate
Loïc Maréchal, teaching assistant / PhD candidate
Institute of Financial Analysis - Rue A.-L. Breguet 2 - 2000 Neuchâtel - Tel. +41 (0)32 718 1350 - messagerie.iaf@unine.ch


In the lead up to Christmas designers and makers studios and small designer shops are opening up. In the past Hidden Art has organized every year the Hidden Art Open Studios Fair and has also coordinated and promoted individual studios and studio complexes opening up.
From the moment that we have stopped doing this because of lack of funding I have found it really difficult to get my head round who is opening up when. And in some cases I would miss an Open Studios that I really wanted to see.
So here is a list of Studios opening up. You can find more details on their own website and where a link has been provided.
Some studios are outside of London, but most are in London. They are organized by area and date. If you are opening up your studio and are not included, let us know and we will add you to the list.
Ticket includes entry all weekend and Prize Draw!
27 Studios. Work from including artists, illustrators, ceramicists, printmakers, lighting designers, painters, photographers, film makers and graphic designers.
Helen Rawlinson has been a Hidden Art member for a long time, so I really enjoy saying hello and seeing what the latest work is.
Includes work from Reiko Kaneko. Lovely atmosphere, including some street food stalls, children choir and a great atmosphere. I love the work from Reiko Kaneko. It was also the first time I saw the work from Parasite Ceramics 'in the flesh' which is selling so well at Hidden Art.
Tickets: £5 both venues / £3 Deptford only. Free Friday 6 Dec. Free under 15s.


We will be accepting canned good donations for the Light House Shelter. Don't forget to place your canned good in the box marked with the team that you think will win the Super Bowl. Please check expiration dates before bringing in the canned goods.


text:
Master Russian Impressionist: Konstantin Korovin
Konstantin Korovin – Landscapes
Konstantin Korovin: The First Russian Impressionist?
Konstantinos Korovin wanted to be remembered as the "First Russian Impressionist". Although he has as much right to that title as anyone, it was as a stage designer for the theatre and opera that he made his biggest contribution to art history. He was the first to use staging and costume as a way to express the mood and characters of the performance, not just as background to the action. Think of the "Star Wars" movie. The scenery props and costumes are as central to the experience as the plot or dialogue. Korovin is responsible for that way of thinking about stage design. So why would an artist base his reputation on being a follower of the impressionists rather than a leader in the art of stage design? For the answer you have to look to the nineteenth century art world in Russia, and in Paris.
Konstantin Korovin – Seascapes
Birth and Early Life
Konstantin Korovin was born in Moscow on 5 December 1861, except his family would record it as 23 November because Russia still used the Julien Calendar. Western Europe had adopted the more accurate Gregorian calendar in 1582. Russia in the 19th Century was quite literally, behind the times. Eighteen sixty one was also the year Tsar Alexander II emancipated the serfs. (Actually it was more complicated than that but 1861 is the iconic date.)
Serfdom in Russia can be distinguished from the chattel slavery that existed in the U.S. at the time (the U.S. Civil War also began in 1861), in that serfs were nominally bound to the land and could only be sold with it. There were exceptions, and in practice many serfs were landless. They were used by their landowners as household servants or, increasingly, as factory workers. When Konstantin was born, close to 40% of the Russian population were serfs. Some though had become prosperous and even held title to serfs of their own, and many had purchased their freedom. A few, such as the Korovins had become wealthy merchants.
The Tsars had to work hard to keep control of their people, and to that end had established a massive bureaucracy and record keeping system. Thus it was that the Korovin family, while living as prosperous merchants in Moscow, were registered as, "Peasants of the Vladimir Gubernia". A Gubernia was an administrative region. Vladimir is a city about 185 km east of Moscow. Registration status was hereditary and based on the status of the husband. Registration status often remained the same, despite changes in social status and residence. There was a bureaucratic procedure for updating one's registration, but it was expensive and time consuming. Especially after emancipation of the serfs, it really didn't matter and few people bothered.
Hard Times and Education
It was Konstantin's grandfather who started the business and allowed his father, Aleksey Mikhailovich Korovin to obtain a university degree and develop an interest in Art and Music. Konstantin also had an older brother, Sergei who shared their father's interest in Art, and became a noted realist painter. Unfortunately no one seemed to inherit grandfather Korovin's head for business and the family fell on hard times during Konstantin's childhood, and had to move to a rural suburb outside Moscow.
The family was still able to send the brothers to the "Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture", possibly helped by their relative Illarion Pryanishniker a painter and teacher at the school. Konstantin entered the school at the age of 14 in 1875 in the footsteps of his brother. Besides Prynishnikor, their teachers included Vasily Perot, Alex Saurasor and Vasily Polenov. They joined an illustrious group of fellow students including Valentin Saurasov, and Isaac Levitan. Konstantin kept in touch with these friends for the rest of his life.
The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was one of the two most prestigious art schools in Russia, The other was "The Imperial Academy of Arts" in St. Petersburg. Konstantin also attended there for a year when he was 20 in 1881-1882, but returned to Moscow where he continued his studies until 1886. That's eleven years of art education. The Descendent of the Imperial Academy still exists in St. Petersburg and maintains a daunting classical curriculum modeled after the 19th century version of the "École des Beaux Arts" in Paris. Jean Leon Gérôme would feel at home there.
Marriage and Tragedy
In 1886 he married Anna Yakovleyna Fidler. It has been suggested that the marriage was not a happy one. It was certainly marred by tragedy. Their first child died in childhood, and their surviving son Alexey (b. 1897) was injured at the age of 16 in a streetcar accident and lost both his feet. Alexey required continuing medical treatments for the rest of his life. He eventually build an art career of his own in imitation of his fathers style.
Konstantin Korovin – Townscapes
After He Saw Paris
It is impossible to understate the cultural impact of Paris in the 19th Century. If you were a cultured Russian; you read French literature, dressed in French fashions, ate French food, listened to French music, and in the upper levels of society spoke French at home. Russian was reserved for speaking with servants or tradesmen. In 1885 though Impressionism was not in the mainstream of the French art world. The Salon catalog for that year is full of academic paintings and sculpture with little evidence of Impressionism. Although Emile Zola had been writing about the Impressionists in a Russian magazine since 1871, the movement was not well known in Russia. Perhaps because Zola was not really a fan. He thought their ideas promising but not yet developed.
Konstantin visited Paris for the first time in 1885. By then the Impressionist movement was no longer young. Louis Leroy, the man who had coined the term "Impressionism" in a disparaging review of the "Salon des Refuses" died in that year and the last explicitly Impressionist exhibition was held in 1882. Manet had died the previous year. August Renoir said that by then (1885) "he had wrung Impressionism dry" and produced "Girl with a Hoop" in what he called his "Aigre" (sour) style e phasing clarity of form and expressive brushwork. The Impressionists were no longer the lead element of the Avant Guarde.
That is not to say that the Parisian art world was not still an exciting and vibrant place. The first "Salon Des Indépendants" had opened in December 1884, a landmark in the development of what would be known as "Post Impressionism". Seurat was working on "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte". Paul Gauguin had just returned from Copenhagen and was trying to reconcile with his wife. Cezanne exhibited "the Bather" Van Gogh was in town mourning the death of his father.
Impressionism, of course, was far from over. Monet was in Giverny painting haystacks, and if Konstantin had stopped in the Cafe Mirliton he would have seen Toulouse Lautrec's paintings on exhibit.
Moscow and the theatre
Cutting edge or not Konstantin was bowled over by the Impressionists. He first visited Paris in 1885. He said that, "Paris was a school for me." Speaking of the Impressionists he wrote, " …in them I found everything I was scolded for back home in Moscow." He enthusiastically began to incorporate Impressionist ideas into his own work and advocate for the style bank home. He was introduced to the Abrantsevo Colony. This was an artist's colony located on an estate in the suburbs of Moscow. By 1885 is was owned by Savva Mamontov,, a wealthy patron of the arts. Analogous to the English Arts and Crafts movement the Abraamtsevo artists emphasized Slavic themes, traditional craftsmanship and folklore. Mamontov also ran an opera house where he launched Konstantin's theatre career commissioning him to produce sets for Verdi's Aida, Bizet's Carmen and others.
Travels With Savva and Organization Man
In 1888 Konstantin traveled with Mamontov in Italy, Spain and extensively in Russia the Caucasus and Central Asia. All became subject matter for his paintings. He also exhibited with the artists known as the "Peredvuzniki". More formally "The Society for Itinerant Art Exhibits" this group, formed in 1870 shared with the Abramtsov Colony a passion for everyday subject matter; peasants, wheat fields, pine forests and steppes. It was a nationalist movement reacting against what they saw as the academy's European and classical bias. Their interests were not limited to art, they also agitated for political and social reforms. There were similarities with the French Realist movement that preceded Impressionism and lead Gustav Courbet to get in trouble with the government over his participation in the Paris commune of 1871. Surprisingly, given the Tsar's extensive security apparatus the Peredvuzniki continued their activities until the revolution.
By the turn of the century Konstantin was also active with the "Mir iskkusstva" (Art World) group. Associated with a magazine of the same name they advocated for traditional folk art and the Rococo art of the 18th century. Watteau and Matruschkas seem like strange bedfellows but they attracted a number of well known personages besides Korovin including, Leviton, Stravinsky, and Diaghilev. They seemed a lighthearted group and the produced some delightful work.
Snow and Show Business
Inn 1888 and again in 1894 Konstantin traveled in Northern Europe. Valentin Sérov accompanied him on the second trip which was facilitated by the completion of the Northern Railway. The subarctic landscape had a great impact on him and inspired a number of his paintings. His interest in the North led to design commissions for the "Far North" pavilion at the All Russia exhibit in Nizky Novgorod in 1896 and at the Paris exposition in 1900. In addition to gold medals he received the Legion of Honor for his work on the exposition.
The first decade of the Twentieth century saw him working in the theatre, producing memorable set designs for the Marinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and Stanislavsky productions in Moscow. In 1905 he was recognized as "Academician of Painting" and from 1909 to 1913 was a professor at his alma mater The Moscow School of Painting Sculpture and Architecture.
He had not forgotten Paris and continued to visit. Parisian themes appear frequently in his paintings at this time.
Konstantin Korovin – Snowscapes
The winter landscapes of Konstantin Korovin
War and Revolution
During the First World War Konstantin worked for the Russian Army as a camouflage consultant and frequently visited the front. He continued to paint though believing that after the horrors of war the world would have an even greater need for art. After the war he returned to the Moscow theatre and his easel. In the twenties he was holding successful exhibitions in Moscow. His health was beginning to fail and although he longed to remain at his country house, after the Russian Revolution he found himself involved in the politics of art. He was appointed to several bureaucratic positions including the Commission for the Preservation of Monuments. Perhaps he tried to preserve the wrong one, because in 1923 the commissar of education "suggested" that he best travel abroad for his health.
He decided to return once again to Paris and delivered his large inventory of paintings to his gallerist in anticipation of exhibitions and sales in France. The gallerist and the paintings disappeared though and Konstantin and his son found themselves close to penniless in Paris and unable to return home. He had been a popular success in Russia but tastes in Paris had moved on and Impressionism was not in fashion. He supported himself by producing picturesque Russian landscapes and Parisian street scenes for the tourist trade. Quite a comedown from his glory days in Moscow.
Sainte Geneviève des Bois
He lived ten more years in Paris so perhaps the Commissar was right. On 11 September 1934 he finally succumbed to his heart ailments. He was buried in a Parisien suburb in the Sainte Genevieve des Bois Russian Cemetery. He was survived by his son who had something of a painting career of his own but committed suicide in 1950.
Konstantin had lived an eventful life. A leader of the Russian art world, and a giant of the world theatre, he had survived war and revolution, the pandemic of 1918, poverty and family tragedy. But I prefer to think of him on his veranda in Okhotino, painting pretty women, drinking vodka and talking with his friends about politics, art, color and Paris.
Konstantin Korovin – Figures
Read more on Russian Impressionism
Wikipedia Konstatin Korovin


text:
Distributed ledger technology and the future of the mutual funds market ______
Blog / 27 Oct 2017
Ken Tregidgo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Old to new: Ken Tregidgo, deputy CEO, Calastone talks about making the move from analogue to digital distribution.
Retail banking today is unrecognisable compared to what it was like ten years ago, as banks have moved away from manual processes on a path towards digitisation. This decision has improved customer experience, allowing them to interact and consume products with their bank as and when they wish, whilst also having the advantage of driving down cost for the banks. By leveraging the lessons learnt from this, and other sectors that have similarly transformed, the mutual funds industry can begin to prosper in a digital age.
The funds world, however, has seemingly been isolated from the same level of technological innovation observed in other industries, meaning elements of the distribution model have remained unchanged for many years. The distribution ecosystem that operates today is a fragmented one, often involving a significant number of intermediaries to facilitate the buying and selling of funds. Each intermediary needs to undertake their own processing, checks and balances along the transaction chain.
While there has been significant progress across the industry in increasing transaction process automation, the frictional cost of trading remains high. This has contributed to inefficiencies in the industry, whilst generating unnecessary headwinds for consumers.
The historic lack of innovation in front-end digital channels leaves the market exposed in the face of changing investor requirements and demographics. Similar conditions in other market sectors have given rise to new sources of competition and disruption.
Regulation continues to have a significant impact on today's distribution. Both Retail Distribution Review (RDR) regulation in the UK and MiFID II across the EU ban inducements, forcing consumers to pay to receive investment advice that was previously perceived as free. Although the intention behind this new regulation is positive, a consequence of this change is anticipated to lead to significant client segments being left unadvised.
A further by-product of explicit pricing is the additional pressure being placed on the total cost of ownership throughout the value chain. Active managers are being challenged by low cost passive funds, whose performance is directly correlated to indices. Calastone research found that 57% of respondents felt passive funds would likely overtake active managers as the core investment product for retail clients. This is already evident in the US where, for the first time, passive fund sales are set to soon overtake 50% of US fund equity assets. Active managers need to identify a method by which they can compete with passives as the need to deliver alpha increases. Reducing the frictional cost of trading (operational alpha) will play a key role in allowing firms to achieve this.
The industry isn't standing still, with strategic investment being made in new direct to consumer (D2C) and robo-advisory services. This is a move to help address the needs of the growing unadvised client segments and younger investors. The new generation of investors expect immediacy of service, and will look to those platforms with the best end-to-end user experience. Recent Calastone research predicts significant growth in use of robo-advisory services, with 42% of respondents citing the technology would "become the main distribution channel for raising assets from the mass retail market".
Investors are beginning to identify more cost-conscious solutions for asset accumulation because of a lack of modernisation in the industry. It's important that the industry also looks to scale up their back office to align with any new front-end technologies being deployed. Without addressing both sides of the business, it will be difficult to have a seamless end-to-end customer experience.
There is an opportunity now for the funds industry to embrace change, and to modernise the traditional distribution model from the back to the front-end.
The consequences and the enablers
By brushing aside innovation or disregarding consumer and technological evolution, the funds community is at risk of becoming uncompetitive. Digitising the funds world will be central to ensuring that it can remain ahead.
Innovation in transactional processes from front-to-back is a good place to start, as automation allows for efficiencies and rationalisation of operations. More advanced D2C initiatives such as robo-advisory will likely also cause a significant increase in fund order flows, and greater levels of automation will ensure that the industry can support this.
The digitisation of transactional processes will help increase the fund industry's longevity but it will not be easy to achieve due to its fragmented nature and the volume of participants that participate across the chain. The fragmented fund distribution model is where Calastone believes distributed ledger technology (DLT) could have a lasting impact, through the development of Distributed Market Infrastructure (DMI) by which different parties (fund provider, administrator, regulator) could participate, a point made in our white paper.
A DMI could assist the industry in minimising frictional costs, scaling down charges, allaying financial services regulators and could support the new business models which are required to attract more investors in a low yield environment.
(First published in International Business Times 26/10/17 – http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/distributed-ledger-technology-future-mutual-funds-market-1644708)
Register for our blockchain special interest group
Calastone successfully completes first phase of blockchain distributed market infrastructure proof-of-concept for the global funds industry
A brave new world: Funds Europe interview with Ken Tregidgo


Great Persian poet and you must have a bigger archive on Hafiz, Rumi, Sa\'adi. these are the greater and more meaningful poets than Shakespeare. Only not known well to the Western world.
How Beautiful! Even nicer than Omar Khayyam!
I love hafiz's poems the most.


text:
Аморейская (Аморийская) династия или Фригийская династия состояла из трёх императоров, правивших Византийской империей с 820 по 867 годы. Название династии связано с её происхождением из города Амория. Весьма вероятно, что сменившая её Македонская династия является её побочной ветвью.

Представители династии

Генеалогия
 Михаил II Травл (770-829) Византийский император с 829
 X 1)Фекла (ок.785-820/21)
 X 2)Евфросиния (790/92-после 836), дочь Константина VI Слепого
 │
 ├─1>Феофил (804/06-842) Византийский император с 829
 │  X Феодора (805/808-после 867)
 │  │
 │  ├─>Константин (822/26-831/32)
 │  │
 │  ├─>Мария (822/26-838/39 до 842)
 │  │  X Алексей Муселе (ок.816-842 или после) магистр, цезарь 838
 │  │
 │  ├─>Фёкла (824/31-после 867)
 │  │  X(незак.)Василий I (813-886), Византийский император с 867
 │  │
 │  ├─>Анна (826/32-после 858)
 │  │
 │  ├─>Анастасия (828/33-после 858)
 │  │
 │  ├─>Пульхерия (836-после 858)
 │  │
 │  ├─>Михаил III (840-867), Византийский император с 842
 │     X 1)Евдокия Декаполитисса (838/42-после 867)
 │     X 2)(незак.) Евдокия Ингерина (ок.840-882), затем жена Василия I
 │     │
 │     ├─2>? Константин (866-879), соправитель Василия I с 869
 │     │
 │     ├─2>? Лев VI (867-912), Византийский император с 886
 │
 ├─1>Елена (804/08-после 842)
 │  X Феофоб (ум.839/40)
 │
 ├─1>? Варда  (умер ребенком 804/21)
 │
 ├─2>? Константин ? (822/25-до 829)

Примечания

Источники

 А. Азимов. «Константинополь. От легендарного Виза до династии Палеологов» — : ЗАО «Центрполиграф», 2007. ISBN 978-5-9524-3270-3

 Д. Е. Афиногенов. «Повесть о прощении императора Феофила и Торжество Православия».  «Индрик». 2004 г. ISBN 5857592607

Появились в 820 году
Исчезли в 867 году

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Segura de Toro – gmina w Hiszpanii, w prowincji Cáceres, w Estramadurze, o powierzchni 14,73 km². W 2011 roku gmina liczyła 191 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Gminy w Estremadurze
Cáceres (prowincja)


performanceoiltechnology.com will not rent, sell, or lease personally-identifiable information to third parties.
performanceoiltechnology.com respects the privacy of every individual who visits our web sites, responds to any of our mailings, or sends us e-mail. This Privacy Statement outlines the information performanceoiltechnology.com will collect and how we will use that information. This Statement will also instruct you on what to do if you do not want your personal information collected or shared when you visit our websites, respond to our web-based mailings or send us email.
performanceoiltechnology.com will not collect any personally-identifiable information about you (that is, your name, address, telephone number, email address, credit card billing information, etc.) unless you provide it to us voluntarily. If you do not want your personally-identifiable information collected, please do not submit it to us. If you have already submitted this information and would like for us to remove it from our records, please contact us at the address listed at the bottom of this Statement. We will use reasonable efforts to delete your information from our existing files.
We may contact you if we have questions about your account performanceoiltechnology.com will not rent, sell, or lease personally-identifiable information to third parties.
When required by law. performanceoiltechnology.com may access and/or disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with the law, to enforce our software licenses and other rights, or to protect the rights and safety of others. This may include exchanging information with law enforcement agencies, or with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk.
performanceoiltechnology.com will occasionally update this Statement of Privacy to reflect company and customer feedback. performanceoiltechnology.com encourages you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how we are protecting your information.


text:
Tag Archives: law and religion
Charter on death: Religious conscience, legislation
Barry W. Bussey | Dec. 18, 2019 | | law and religion, religious conscience
Should the law accommodate religious conscience in the definition of death? That question was the essence of the recent Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) McKitty decision (McKitty (Litigation guardian of) v. Hayani 2019 ONCA 805) written by Justice Bradley Miller on behalf of the unanimous court. Taquisha McKitty, 27, was on life support… More
Charter Values Are Not Charter Rights By Another Name
Barry W. Bussey | Oct. 11, 2019 | | Charter Values, constitutional law, freedom of religion, law and religion, religious freedom
"Charter values are not Charter rights by another name or in a different setting; they are a different juridical concept," wrote Justice Bradley Miller in the recent Ontario Court of Appeal's McKitty decision. This is but the latest criticism of the controversial use of "Charter values" in Canadian jurisprudence. "Charter… More
Watch Live: The Future of Freedom of Religion
Barry W. Bussey | Jun. 24, 2019 | | freedom of religion, law and religion
Barry W. Bussey will be presenting a public lecture at the Faculty of Law, Leiden University, Netherlands on Friday June 28, 2019 starting at 1:00 pm EST. It can be watched live over the internet. There are limited spaces for live streaming. Instructions are given below on how you may… More
Québec's New Secularism
Barry W. Bussey | Jun. 18, 2019 | | law and religion, Quebec, religious freedom, religious freedom in Canada, religious liberty
The Quebec government recently passed legislation that requires all government employees – from school teachers to police officers – not to wear any religious symbols. That means no Jewish men wearing the yarmulke; no Sikhs wearing a turban; no Muslims wearing the hijab; no Christians wearing a cross lapel pin. … More
Shifting Goal Posts
Barry W. Bussey | Sep. 11, 2018 | | Charter of Rights and Freedoms, law and religion, religious freedom, Supreme Court of Canada, Trinity Western University
So where does the goal stop? That was what we wanted to know when, as a child, I played hockey on Newfoundland's wind-swept frozen ponds. We used our old rubber boots as the goal posts, but the longer the game went on, the more we were guilty of moving the opposing team's posts further apart… More
Convivium: Judicial Idiosyncracy
Barry W. Bussey | Jun. 22, 2018 | | Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Charter Values, freedom, law and religion, religious freedom, Supreme Court of Canada, Trinity Western University
See Barry's Op-Ed published in today's Convivium Magazine: Last Friday's Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decisions on Trinity Western University call for freedom-loving Canadians to courageously stand up and demand change to legislation governing the law societies in this country. We need our legislatures to ensure that court decisions that… More
Barry W. Bussey | Jun. 20, 2018 | | Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Charter Values, law and religion, Law Society of British Columbia, Law Society of Ontario, Law Society of Upper Canada, LGBTQ Rights, religious freedom, Trinity Western University, TWU Law School
This entry is part 41 of 42 in the series Trinity Western University.
June 15, 2018, will go down in history as the day that the constitutional promise of religious freedom was betrayed. In the next few minutes I will explain why. The Supreme Court of Canada released two decisions against Trinity Western University's bid to have a law school, one involving the Law… More


text:
Mark Hamblin has been working as a freelance nature photographer since 1995. He was brought up in Warwickshire, where he developed an early interest in birdwatching and photography, winning the Young Ornithologist Club's photograph of the year in 1980! He later moved to Sheffield to study Microbiology, where he lived for 18 years, before heading north to his current home in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, in 2002.
Mark is a regular contributor to many of Britain's leading wildlife and photographic magazines, with over 100 published articles. His images are represented by a number of international photographic agencies including, Getty Images, Nature Picture Library, Nature in Stock and RSPB Images and his work is regularly used worldwide in magazines, books and calendars.
Mark's work has been recognised in several leading photographic competitions, including seven highly commended images in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Mark's first book, Wild Peak was published in 2003 and was followed by Wild Land - Images of nature from the Cairngorms, in 2005, in collaboration with Peter Cairns. This was followed by the highly acclaimed book Tooth & Claw - living alongside Britain's predators (2007), which reveals our complex relationship with predators. Mark was also a contributing photographer to Wild Wonders of Europe project working on stories in Lithuania and The Netherlands.
More recently he has teamed up with other conservation-minded photographers to form the Wild Media Foundation of which he is a director. This social enterprise aims to raise awareness about environmental issues through the use of innovative imagery and thought-provoking stories. Their latest project 2020VISION, aims to engage and enthuse the British public about the value of restoring our natural habitats. The 2020VISION book was published in 2012 and has been followed by a series of theatre shows and exhibitions around the UK.
Mark has traveled to many parts of the world both on self-assignments and as a tour leader for specialist photo-tour companies. He also offers personal guiding around Scotland for both willdife and landscape subjects.
All text and images © copyright Mark Hamblin. Web design by DancingDog


The Cam hardly ever floods but unbelievably it flooded twice in 2001, first in February and then again from 21-23 October, after around 3.5 inches of rain on the 21st. By midday on the 22nd the water had dropped about a foot from its peak. The October flood was slightly worse than the February flood, but was not as bad as the 1947 flood (e.g. see photo of marker at Trinity College below).


U. R. Sumaila, L. Teh, R. Watson, P. Tyedmers, D. Pauly, (2006). "Fuel Subsidies to Global Fisheries: Magnitude and Impacts on Resource Sustainability," Fisheries Centre Research Reports No. 14 (Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada).
It is generally accepted that global fisheries are grossly overcapitalized, resulting in overfishing in most of the world's fisheries. Fuel prices have recently seen significant increases. Given that fuel constitutes a significant component of fishing costs, it is obvious that, other things being equal, increasing fuel prices will reduce overcapacity and overfishing, because they will reduce the profits that can be made, thereby driving marginal fishers out of fishing. But, other things are hardly equal. Here, the willingness of governments to provide the fishing sector fuel subsidies reduce, if not completely negate, the conservation value of increasing fuel costs. The objective of this contribution is twofold. First, we explore the theoretical basis for the expectation that increasing fuel price faced by fishing enterprises will, everything being equal, reduce fishing pressure. Second, we estimate the amount of fuel subsidies (defined narrowly here as the price differential between what others and fishers pay in an economy) paid to the fishing sector by governments globally. Results from our study indicate that global fuel subsidies stand at between US$ 6±2 billion per year. This implies that, depending on how much of this subsidy existed before the fuel price increase, fishing enterprises can, in the aggregate, absorb as much as this amount of increase in their fuel budget before we begin to see any conservation benefits from fuel price increases.
This entry was posted in Report and tagged forage fish, fuel, global, subsidy on 2006/04/27 by Reg Watson.


SUN INSTITUTES HPTC ALLIANCE PARTNER PROGRAM TO BOLSTER HPTC SOLUTIONS AND OFFER CHOICE FOR CUSTOMERS | SPARC International, Inc.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – January 20, 2004 – Increasing its momentum and recent growth in the high performance and technical computing (HPTC) market, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) today added an array of interconnect technology companies as part of the newly established Sun HPTC Alliance Partner Program geared to advance grid performance for Sun customers. This alliance program aims to provide customers with a wide range of technologies covering data, compute, visualization and access to grid computing solutions. HPTC Alliance partners introduced by Sun today include Infinicon, Force10 Networks, Mellanox, Myrinet, Quadrics, Topspin Communications and Voltaire.
These new industry alliances can immediately benefit many performance-hungry HPTC customers using clusters and grids to support large-scale scientific and exploratory projects. These include many NSF-funded projects as well as global efforts like the TeraGrid and the current Mars rover explorations which use Sun systems including the Solaris platform and Java technology.
The HPTC business unit at Sun has attracted major customer wins in market segments including education, as customers look to maximize their existing resources through grid and cluster computing. To foster innovative learning, Sun is committed to bringing collaboration in the academic environment for both research and development, as well as high performance computing across the enterprise for intensive compute environments within academia. Many universities make extensive use of Sun and its partner's technologies advantageously to achieve their computing goals.
At Pennsylvania State University, Sun's systems are part of the Pleiades Cluster which analyzes data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Pleiades is one component of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Data Grid and a member of the International Virtual Data Grid Laboratory (iVDGL), an international computational laboratory that supports experimentation in grid-enabled, data-intensive scientific computing.
"A combination of clustered Sun Fire V60x servers and an InfiniBand interconnect from a Sun partner demonstrates how Sun and its HPTC partners create a total solution that gives us the performance we need in our HPC environment," said Vijay Agarwala, Director, High Performance Computing and Visualization at the Pennsylvania State University.
Force10 Networks – Force10 Networks is the pioneer in scalable resiliency for high performance switching and routing. Today, many of the world's largest Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks depend on Force10's Networks.
Infinicon – Leveraging the breakthrough advances of the InfiniBand architecture, Infinicon Systems offers a complete systems solution for enabling data centers to migrate to a fabric/grid model of computing, integrating seamlessly into today's Fibre Channel and Ethernet networks.
Mellanox – Mellanox is the leading supplier of InfiniBand semiconductors, providing complete solutions including switches, host channel adapters, and target channel adapters to the server, communications, data storage, and embedded markets. Mellanox InfiniBand interconnect solutions today provide over eight times the performance of Ethernet, and over three times the performance of proprietary interconnects.
Myricom – Myricom created Myrinet, the leading high-speed network for connecting computers to form clusters used for computationally demanding scientific and engineering applications, and for data-intensive web and database applications. There are thousands of Myrinet clusters in use world-wide, including several systems with more than 1000 processors.
Quadrics – Quadrics is a leading supplier and developer of high performance networking products and resource management software. Quadrics' product families are based on internally developed ASICs, firmware and software technologies, and offer customers high performance, scalability and flexibility, enabling large clusters of these processing units to be connected together.
Topspin Communications – Topspin is a leader in server virtualization, delivering the industry's first of data center infrastructure designed to allow virtual servers to be created by interconnecting server, storage, and networking resources on-demand.
Voltaire – Voltaire is a leading provider of high performance InfiniBand solutions that improve the performance and utilization of clusters and advanced computing grids. Voltaire's standards-based InfiniBand hardware and software solutions feature modular, advanced I/O capabilities for seamless connectivity to IP and storage networks and are used by prestigious national labs and universities to power HPC clusters and applications.


At some time or another, many people need to put a few belongings into storage. Perhaps you are in the process of moving your home, or maybe you need extra space to keep things you only use seasonally. Either way, you will want your belongings to be kept safe and secure.
If you choose a professional storage service, you can count on the safekeeping of your belongings. Ideally, your storage facility will prep your belongings in padding and shrink wrap to protect them while they are being moved into and out of storage. Additionally, the facility should offer a climate-controlled environment to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. A professional storage facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin, also provides better theft protection and security than self-storage facilities can offer.
Bluemound Express Moving & Storage offers top-notch professional storage services in Wisconsin. To learn how we keep your items looking as good as the day you left them in our hands, call (262) 650-1870.


text:
Top 9 Best Vlogging Mirrorless Cameras 2023
My favorite choice: Panasonic GH5
Mirrorless cameras are basically compact cameras that can record high-quality video just as well as a DSLR even in low light.
This makes them a popular choice between vloggers. For me, mirrorless is the future of photography. You wouldn't like to stay behind, would you?
This list of the best mirrorless cameras for vlogging will help you choose the right one for your needs.
Our Top 5 Choices
Are Mirrorless Cameras Good for Vlogging?
The 9 Best Mirrorless Cameras for Vlogging
1) Sony a7S III
2) Canon EOS M50 Mark II – The Best Budget Mirrorless Camera for Vlogging
3) Sony Alpha ZV-E10
4) Panasonic G100
5) Panasonic GH5: The Most Complete Youtube Camera
6) Panasonic G9 – Best Camera for Vlogging and Photography
7) Sony a6400
8) Panasonic G7: Another Affordable Vlogging Mirrorless
9) Panasonic G95
How to Save Money and Get the Most Out of Your Mirrorless
If you want to do vlogging for a really long time, then mirrorless cameras might be the best for you. The fact that you can upgrade the lens and keep improving your camera over the years makes them great investments in the long run.
However, there is another type of camera that is becoming really popular as of late between vloggers: point & shoots that are specifically made for vlogging.
I'm talking about cameras like the Canon G7X Mark III and the Sony ZV-1. They are basically compact cameras that can record high-quality video, are really easy to carry around, and are made to be used while recording a human being talking to the camera while walking and moving.
What vlogger wouldn't like this?
Mirrorless cameras still continue to be my favorite because of their largest sensor and upgradable lens. But for them to be a worthy investment, you should really look for something that has everything you need for vlogging: in-body stabilization, reliable autofocus, flip screen, and an external mic port.
If your mirrorless camera doesn't have all of this, a point-and-shoot made for video might be a better option.
I'll show you first the best "bang for your bucks". After that, we'll talk about the most expensive mirrorless cameras for people with a bigger budget.
Amazing for low light (Full-frame sensor)
Stunning 4k video at 120p
Great image stabilization
External mic input and flip screen
Heavier than most Mirrorless cameras
The Sony a7S III is everything a mirrorless made for shooting video should be, and that's why we call it the King of Mirrorless.
It's —almost— perfect for vlogging. The only downside is the weight. It's not the heaviest mirrorless, but it's far from being a lightweight camera with its 699g (1.54 lbs).
This is due to its massive full-frame sensor. It's one of the lightest cameras of this type out there.
The full-frame sensor can achieve absolutely stunning videos. It makes it possible to achieve a really strong and beautiful Bokeh effect —the blurry background— that everyone loves. And no matter what the lighting situation is, you'll end up with a useful video.
It can record 4k video up to 120 fps, which allows you to record super slow-motion videos in 4k.
Image stabilization is one of the most impressive features. It has in-body 5-axis IS that can be combined with certain Sony lenses to achieve the smoothest video. This level of stabilization can only be achieved by other cameras with a gimbal.
The downside? As we said, it's not the lightest and most comfortable camera to carry around. And, of course, it's not cheap at all. For most vloggers, this is definitely an overkill. But if you have the budget, this camera is just the best mirrorless for video out there.
Recommended lens to get: 28-70mm f/3.5-f/5.6
Recommended SD card: SanDisk 128GB SDXC Extreme Pro
4k recording
Latest vlog camera
Lots of vlog-friendly features
Cropped 4k recording
Relatively short battery life
No IS
This is the second of the M-series line of Canon mirrorless cameras to have a fully-articulating LCD touchscreen and the first one to use the company's new DIGIC 8 processor.
This upgrade allows the M50 Mark II to have a better and faster autofocusing system which covers a significantly wider area than other Canon cameras like the M6. For reference, the latter has only 99 AF points while the M50 has 143 AF points.
This camera truly hast it all for vlogging: flip-out screen, external mic port, APS-C sensor—which is the same size DSLRs use— and it's really light and easy to carry around.
Of course, there's also the fact that the Canon EOS M50 Mark II is the first M-series camera to have the capability to shoot 4K at 24/25p which is already a great deal considering its relatively affordable price point.
Just be warned that 4K shooting with the M50 Mark II entails an added crop factor further decreasing its field of view. This means that it's not the best for 4k recording.
Another thing to take into account is that it lacks image stabilization. However, this seems to be the norm with Canon cameras because most of their lenses already come with optical stabilization.
This seems to be Canon's approach: making their cameras lighter and smaller and have the stabilization in the lens. But this isn't the best approach for vloggers. We really need the in-body stabilization because it's simply better. We move way more than most filmmakers, so we need the extra stabilization.
Still, this is a good camera for vlogging. It won't have the best stabilization you can find, but its autofocus is one of the most reliable out there.
Recommended lens: 15-45mm kit lens
Recommended SD card: Lexar Professional 633x 128GB SDXC UHS-I Card
Previous version (still viable): Canon EOS M50.
Top quality 4k for a fair price
Great continuous autofocus
Flip Screen
Hot-shoe and mic port
No in-body stabilization
After releasing one of the best vlogging cameras in history, the ZV-1, Sony decided they had a good enough response to justify making a mirrorless version of the same camera.
In my opinion, it's not quite as good, but it does has its own advantage: a much larger sensor for low-light recording, and more intense Bokeh effect, and interchangeable lenses.
The main reason why I don't think it's better it's because it lacks the in-body stabilization that we need so much. Instead, they gave us electronic stabilization, which adds a crop to the image that nobody likes.
Thankfully, Sony has arguably the most reliable autofocus system out of all brands. Also, the built-in mic is good enough to record without needing an external mic — although you still have the option to use one.
Besides this, Sony has included some vlogger-friendly features like an easy background blur control button to activate the Bokeh effect we all love.
If it weren't for the lack of in-body stabilization, this would be my favorite vlogging mirrorless camera.
Made for video (mic. port, flip screen, hot-shoe)
Affordable and really small size
Not the best for low light (micro four thirds sensor)
No IBIS
Similar to Sony, Panasonic has recently started releasing vlogging-friendly mirrorless cameras. The Panasonic G100 is one of their first attempts to attack this market.
The best thing about the camera is the price. For less than $800, you can have a mirrorless that is almost as small as a point and shoot camera, and you can attach lenses to it.
However, I think Panasonic needs to work a bit more in getting to know vloggers and their needs. It's not a bad camera, but the autofocus is not nearly as reliable as Sony's and Canon's eye-tracking and dual-pixel systems. Also, the camera also lacks in-body image stabilization.
Sometimes external mic port and the flip screen are not enough to be a good mirrorless for vlogging.
We still like it because of how small it is, but we'd rather go for another camera that has either stabilization (impossible at this price point), or more reliable autofocus.
Also, the 4k recording is welcome, but it's almost unusable. If you want to vlog while walking around, you'll need to use the electronic stabilization, which adds a huge crop when in 4k mode.
Best 4k quality
Excellent stabilization
Really heavy for a mirrorless
The GH5 is the handy jack of all trades.
The problem is, that it's quite heavy.
So if you want exclusively a camera that you can take out with you and record your day, this one probably isn't the best option.
It has a flip-out touchscreen, all its controls are well placed, and changing settings is extremely fast and easy.
It also captures beautiful image quality in 4k and can record 1080p up to 180fps for extreme slow-mo.
In terms of dynamic range, it has little to envy to the Sony, and its image stabilization is even better if you use the dual IS 2.0, which is compatible with a handful of lenses.
This allows the camera in-body and in-lens stabilization to work together to achieve smooth videos while moving. This is an awesome feature for vloggers. But even if you don't have the compatible lenses, you can still use the 5-axis image stabilization.
You can't really use this camera the same way you'd use the Sony. It is still useful at night, but the image quality is not nearly as clean, and it's impossible to shoot in total darkness.
It features a Micro Four Thirds sensor, which cripples its capacities in low light. The sensor neither allows you to achieve a shallow depth of field as you would with an APS-C camera, and let's not say a full-frame.
But hey, it's cheaper, has a lot more battery life and it shoots just as well in normal light conditions. Both cameras don't have the best continuous autofocus, which is a shame for their price. But that's why they aren't the only two cameras on this list.
Recommended lens: 12-60MM, F3.5-5.6 ASPH
Read the full review: Panasonic GH5.
Made for video (IS, mic port and flip screen) and tons of features
4kp60
Great for both photo and video
A bit heavier than the rest (excluding the GH5)
The Panasonic Gh5 was considered the Panasonic king for video.
That was until November 2019, when Panasonic released a firmware update for its G9, and it made its focus incredibly reliable for video too.
Now we have two cameras that are basically just as good for video, but what's better is that the Panasonic G9 is also amazing for photography.
If you don't want a camera to use exclusively for video, and you feel a little artistic and want to also take amazing photographies, then the Panasonic G9 is a great choice.
This is the one I currently use for both my videos and photography, and I couldn't be happier with it.
It can record 4kp60 video and has a slow-motion mode of up to 180fps.
It has also a burst mode for photography up to 60fps, which makes it really useful for action, and wild photography.
The autofocus tracking is also reliable. And in fact, it's even good for sports and wild photography.
It's also reliable for Youtube videos when you use the face detection mode.
The only downside is that it is a micro four thirds, so it's not a good as an APS-C camera for low light, and the bokeh effect is a little harder to achieve.
But it has everything else that you need for video (Dual I.S., flip screen, mic and headphones jack, hot shoe…).
With 658g, it's still heavier than what I like, especially for handheld recording, but it's not as bad as the GH5.
For lighter options, the Sony a6400 might be better for you.
2160p30 (4k)
403g (1.45 lb)
External Mic Port
Top 4k quality
APS-C sensor
Mic jack, IS, hot shoe
If I had to mention the main thing that this camera does better than its competitors here, is its continuous autofocus. It honestly has no other like it. If you want a reliable autofocus, this camera is the go-to for vloggers.
It is an APS-C sensor camera, so you will also get good low-light performance, although not as close as its full-frame cousin, the A7 III.
I should also mention that it is a lot cheaper than the cameras you've seen up until this point. And still, it can record crisp 4k video, although only up to 30fps. It can also record 1080p up to 120fps for slow motion.
The last thing you will love is that it is a lot lighter and smaller than the others. This is especially good if you have weak arms. It's hard to carry a camera while recording vlogs for an entire day. The size of this Sony makes it a lot easier.
Still, it does has some downsides. It doesn't have in-body image stabilization. Ouch! It would've been perfect if it did.
It isn't a big deal, the problem is that you need to get a lens with optical stabilization if you want to record while walking around.
And of course, you won't achieve an image as smooth as the previous cameras featured here, especially like the Panasonic cameras with Dual I.S.
But it is a really high-quality camera for the price, and it is as light as a mirrorless can get.
You just need to get the right lens if you want to take it out with you, but this won't be a problem if you record on a tripod at home.
Recommended lens: 16-50mm Lens f/ 3.5-5.6
Read our full review of the Sony a6400.
Flip screen, hot shoe, mic jack
Good price
No in-body image stabilization
Smaller sensor (micro four thirds), which makes it worse than others for low light and bokeh effect
I like to think of the Panasonic G7 as the budget version of the GH4 or GH5.
This is a camera that was made for video recording, like the other latest releases from Panasonic. It has everything you'd want in a vlogging camera that can record in 4k.
The only exception is the lack of image stabilization, but as an interchangeable lens camera, you can get a lens with OIS. The included kit lens has it installed.
It is lighter than the A6500 without a lens, even though it's slightly bigger. It also features a hot-shoe mount that lets you use a shotgun microphone on it.
The autofocus feels a bit slow, but it does not do an excessive amount of hunting. It can't be compared to the a6500's autofocus, but we are talking about a camera that almost doubles its price.
Taking into account its price tag, this one is amazing for video blog recording. You can't have a good interchangeable lens camera that can record 4k25p for cheaper than this.
And it's extremely hard to find a camera that has all the features that make video recording easier for this price. Maybe the reason is its Micro Four Thirds sensor, which is not as big as Sony's sensors, but they do a pretty good job at taking advantage of this by adding more features.
Recommended SD card: Sandisk Extreme Pro – Flash Memory Card – 64 GB – SDXC UHS-I
Read our full review of the Panasonic G7.
4kp30
Lightweight
V-Log Profile for video
Smaller sensor (micro four thirds), which makes it worse than others for low light and bokeh effect
This camera is similar to the Panasonic G9, including its price, but it has some key differences.
For starters, it isn't as good for photography as the other model, and this allowed Panasonic to design it with a more compact and lighter body.
It also includes the V-Log profile that is only available for the G9 for an extra price.
This makes it obvious that this camera was made for video, unlike the G9.
If you're not familiar with it, the V-Log profile allows for better colors in video mode if you know a bit about color grading.
On the other hand, the slow-motion is only up to 120fps, instead of 180fps.
Since this one is not for photography, it doesn't include the 6k photo mode, no focus bracketing and other features (including fewer focus points), that make this a slightly less professional camera, but makes it more affordable and luggable for people that only want it for video.
Recommended lens: 12-60mm F3.5-5.6
Read the full review.
First, all these cameras have interchangeable lenses, meaning that you can upgrade the lens later on. For most of them you will have the option to buy the camera with a kit lens—a cheaper bundle, but with the most basic lenses—or get only the body and get a good lens from the start. The kit lens is the cheapest option in the short term, but I always recommend getting a good lens from the beginning. You will save money in the long run if you ignore the kit lens now and go straight for the better one. You will end up doing it anyway.
Some of the prices you'll see here are only for the camera body. I tried to organize all these by price without a lens, but some of these cameras don't have the option of buying only the body unless you buy used. Just make sure that you're taking into account the extra money you will need for the lens and—even more important—for a good microphone. You should be worrying more about audio than video right now.
You will always get more out of money if you learn a bit about the basics of photography and filmmaking. Knowing about the exposure triad—what lens aperture, shutter speed, and ISO do—will let you use your camera to its full potential. Honestly, it's not worth getting a $3000 camera if you don't know any of this. This will let you solve problems you will get while recording. Also, it will let you personalize your shooting and develop your own style.
Now, I think you're ready to make a decision.
Categories By Type, Vlogging Cameras Tags cameras Post navigation
The 7 Best Point and Shoot Cameras for Video 2023
The 6 Best Panasonic Vlogging Cameras for YouTube 2023
Top 5 Best Camcorders for YouTube Vlogging in 2023
Top 10 Best Webcams for YouTube and Twitch Streaming 2023
Top 8 Best Vlogging Cameras with Flip Screen 2023


text:
Skittles Reminds Fans to Keep Their Candy to Themselves After Harry Styles Injured by Flying Skittle
Larisha Paul
2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 2 - Day 1 - Credit: Getty Images for Coachella
Skittles wants to know what happened to treating people with kindness. The candy company took to social media to voice their support for Harry Styles, who was injured after a fan at one of his Los Angeles shows tossed a handful of Skittles on stage and at his face – landing in his eye.
"Didn't think I needed to say this: Please don't throw Skittles," the company wrote on Twitter. On Instagram, they shared a screenshot of the post, adding: "In case you didn't see."
More from Rolling Stone
Dita Von Teese Is Having a Main Girl Pop Moment
Did Gen Z Just Elect the First Pop Stan to Congress?
'Don't Worry Darling' Is Finally Here. Here's How to Stream the Florence Pugh and Harry Styles Movie Online
Styles himself was seeing at half-capacity following the candy tossing incident that had him singing the final song of the night, the high-energy room shaker "Kiwi," with his eyes mostly shut. During an Instagram Live stream, the singer's musical director and bandmate Pauli the PSM clarified his condition, saying: "H came through, confirming his eye is okay. But do me a favor, don't throw no more Skittles on stage."
Styles popped into the comments of the stream to joke about the matter, writing to Pauli: "See you tomorrow AVEC eye patch."
Still, fans sought to track down the culprit who injured Styles and interfered with "Kiwi" live being all they had ever imagined. "Whoever the fuck threw a solid object at his eye, u literally ruined kiwi bc he wouldn't open his eye for the whole song," one fan wrote – while others searched for a name. A popular concert update account on Twitter added: "Just fyi: since someone threw stuff at Harry last night you aren't allowed to bring in gifts, flowers, etc!"
Since he began touring as a solo artist, Styles has developed a playful relationship with his fans during his concerts, often splashing an entire bottle of water on certain sections at the show's end like a pop baptism. After a while, fans started getting him back, emptying their own water bottles on him before he could have a chance to soak them.
Now, the singer's ongoing Love on Tour stretch has recently become part concert, part impromptu dodgeball game. A few weeks ago, Styles nearly doubled over when a flying object landed straight on his groin mid-song. Before that, a shower of chicken nuggets graced the stage courtesy of fans in the audience.
Apple Music's Zane Lowe reacted to the incident on TikTok, saying: "Stop throwing things at artists on stage. Even if it's your way of saying 'I love you!' Stop."
Best of Rolling Stone
All 229 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The Who's 50 Greatest Songs
Fleetwood Mac's 50 Greatest Songs
Amazon slashed the prices on its hottest workout wear — starting at $13, today only
You don't want to miss out on theses deals — get up to nearly 60% off!
This Skims lookalike bodysuit — on sale for $17 — went viral on TikTok
'One of the best tummy control suits I've ever had,' said a shopper of this stunner, now 55% off.


text:
Q: Load data on Bower plugin for a progress bar I recently came across bower a web-tool to develop a progress bar. I have implemented a progress bar as series of radio buttons aligned next to each other. The concept is to load data from a .edf file to the browser upon clicking the radio buttons. All these work fine before I apply the Bower scripts. When I make a transition from one radio button to another I would like to have an effect which shows a transition while clicking on each button. Can I get some advice here if I can achieve this by applying any of the bootstrap classes or to modify the code existing? The snippet I have added is not loading the Bower libraries, otherwise it would look similar to this.

$('.radios').radiosToSlider({ animation: true, });
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"/>=
<script type="text/javascript" src="bower_components/radios-to-slider/dist/jquery.radios-to-slider.js"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="bower_components/radios-to-slider/dist/radios-to-slider.css"/>
<div class="radios">
    <label for="option1" class="btn">
     <input id="option1" name="options" type="radio" autocomplete="off" onchange="dataSegment(0)" checked>
    </label>
    <label for="option2" class="btn">
     <input id="option2" name="options" type="radio" autocomplete="off" onchange="dataSegment(1)">
    </label>
    <label for="option3" class="btn">
     <input id="option3" name="options" type="radio" autocomplete="off" onchange="dataSegment(2)">
    </label>
    <label for="option4" class="btn">
     <input id="option4" name="options" type="radio" autocomplete="off" onchange="dataSegment(3)">
    </label>
    <label for="option5" class="btn">
     <input id="option5" name="options" type="radio" autocomplete="off" onchange="dataSegment(4)">
    </label>
</div>

A: Your problem is that you are using a URL that is local to a website. Notice that you have no protocol in the URL (https://, http://, etc). I did a little digging, and the URL you should be using is http://rubentd.com/bower_components/radios-to-slider/dist/jquery.radios-to-slider.js

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


With today's rapidly changing markets, it is more important than ever for apartment owners and investors to be able to rely on the services of a commercial team that has specialized and concentrated soley on multi-family investing. A true commitment of specialized professionals to the multi-family business is a necessary requirement for "success".
With your success in mind, we have developed this site to meet the needs of this very specialized part of commercial real estate business; apartment brokerage. Our dedication and focus is on apartment investments. Ninety seven percent of all of our business is repeat and referral. Your success is our success!
Our approach to relationships is unique, and you can depend on us to always be available to answer your questions and assist you in your business transaction and our service will continue even after the deal is closed.
We have relationships with owners, investors, and affiliates in the multi-family business, which has contributed to the achievement of our valued client's investment objectives.
We have an extensive data base of market information and specifics on hundreds of apartment communities in our market areas. We pride ourselves in our ability to identify and assess multi-family opportunities in our emerging market. No matter what your goals are, whether to transfer some of your hard earned equity or strictly expand your portfolio, we are here to help you succeed.


Everyone is prone to making rookie mistakes – even investors. CREW Online chatted with seasoned vet Randy Bett of Better Real Estate Group to find out the top mistakes first-timers make on their first properties.
1. Chasing cash flow. Many first-timers are keen on the idea of quick cash flow, but that isn't tantamount to long-term financial success. Instead of aiming for a quick buck, Bett says, focus on winning low tenant turnover; the mortgage is still paid, the property is still earning appreciation and there are certain tax advantages.
2. Fearing the unknown. "Many first-time buyers wait too long start and tend to over-analyze the property," says Bett. "The market in good areas is pretty hot, and properties will sell relatively quickly in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver." Bett has seen many investors doing due diligence on a property before they even have it under contract – a mistake that could cost them the sale.
3. Going it alone. While many first-time investors may find "The Lone Ranger" style of investing appealing, Bett cautions against cutting corners to save money, as successful investing requires many helping hands. He advises reaching out to a mortgage broker, an investment Realtor, a good insurance broker, an accountant with experience in real estate, a contractor, a property manager and a real estate lawyer. Phew!
5. Winging it. Sinking between $250,000 and $500,000 into a property without an education in investment isn't necessarily a wise move. Bett advises investing in yourself before your first property: do your research, take a course or attend an investor forum to learn about the business.


text:
The Integrated School of Ocean Sciences is a platform for postgraduate education that serves the multi- and transdisciplinary research community in ocean sciences in Kiel, Germany. It is part of the Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean" at Kiel University.

General
More than 160 doctoral candidates and 160 supervisors take part in the programme (data from August 2017) and are supported alike through ISOS. Doctoral candidates access a community from all the natural science disciplines, law, economics, ethics, art and more. They are challenged to see their research in a wider context that includes complex problem-framing in a multidisciplinary environment. Research-based education involves partners from academia, industry, politics, NGOs, which allows a flexible, need-based programme; an active alumni network provides further input into the programme. In addition, doctoral candidates can apply for financial support for conferences and for so-called 'Miniproposals', i.e. small own projects.

References

Postgraduate schools in Germany
Oceanographic organizations
University of Kiel


Your average web application makes use of a lot of different protocols, most of them are quite old already.
It's a web app, so you use HTTP, which originates back to 1989. Sending Mails? SMTP is part of the game too. As you are also probably using a domain, DNS is as well.


text:
Special K | AIM Education & Training
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - 12:29
With a starting budget of $3000, Kristina Karlsson now runs an empire with annual revenue of $30 million. Amy Birchall reports
In 2001, 24-year-old Kristina Karlsson convinced her partner to sell his house to finance the opening of her boutique stationery store kikki.K in Melbourne. It was a risky move for Swedish-born Karlsson, who had no retail, design or business experience, and spoke English as a second language.
The gamble paid off - kikki.K now boasts more than 80 privately owned stores worldwide (the company doesn't offer domestic franchise opportunities), 500 staff during peak retail periods and annual revenue estimated at $30 million.
"I've always set high expectations. I'm very straight about that," says the company's founder Karlsson about the rapid success, which has earned her a swathe of Australian and international awards, including 2007 Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year.
"From day one I had a clear vision, and I used that to empower people around me. Everyone was always working towards the same goal."
Hiring for growth
Karlsson is credited with igniting Australia's fascination with high-end fashion stationery, but she says there is more to her success than "innovative products and world-class service".
She listed hiring for the growth she wanted to achieve as one of her smartest business decisions.
"We probably didn't need to hire a [chief financial officer] as capable as the one we did until much later, for example, but we knew that as we grew we would need someone with his skills. We're so grateful for that now," she says.
Importance of mentors
Gillian Franklin, entrepreneur and founder of cosmetic distributor Heat Group, says she was impressed by Karlsson's tenacity when they first met 11 years ago. Karlsson approached Franklin after watching her speak to a group of businesswomen and asked to meet to discuss her business ideas.
"She turned up to coffee with a huge folder under her arm and said, 'This is my dream. I want to own my own stationery business. Can you help me with it?'"
Franklin says Karlsson owes her success to curiosity, determination and willingness to learn.
"She's a sponge - she just absorbs everything that you tell her. I've watched her from when she started out, knowing very little, and now she's doing some incredible things. I'm very proud."
Karlsson says mentors played an important role in developing her business. In kikki.K's formative years, she tirelessly attended networking evenings and business events and asked people she met to be her mentors.
"It was important for me to have mentors across a range of areas. Gillian was my mentor when it came to distributing my products because she had experience with that.
"When I needed help with retailing, I approached Craig Kimberley (founder of Just Jeans). When I had cash flow issues I spoke to an old boss at a travel agency."
Rather than viewing her inexperience as a disadvantage, Karlsson saw it as a challenge.
"In some ways it was great to not know it all. I had to keep asking and learning all the time," she says.
"When you're young you don't have the knowledge, but you have the energy to find out."
While Karlsson lets others deal with managing staff (regional managers are responsible for looking after stores), she has a few ground rules when it comes to new hires.
"I'm attracted to people who are passionate for the product. You can't train for that. When you're passionate it's easier to sell. In the head office, while you need different skills, passion helps too," she says.
Karlsson says if she were to start a company from scratch again, she would hire a senior management team much earlier to give her time to focus on her strengths. She is "fortunate enough to have an amazing team" that frees her up to work on product design, but this hasn't always been the case.
"As a business owner you need to be so involved with every aspect of the business, and having a strong management team means you've got the time to step back and do what you're passionate about."
Economic pout
Unlike other Australian retailers, who are struggling because of the strong Australian dollar and gloomy economic forecasts, kikki.K "is thriving".
Karlsson says selling high quality products and introducing new items every three weeks is key, but the business is also buoyed by being in what she calls "the lipstick category" - most products have a low average sale value, but a high "feel-good" factor.
She says global markets or poor consumer confidence don't appear to be hitting the lipstick category as hard as they are affecting other sectors.
"It's a tough climate, but we're doing well," she says.
"Being in the 'lipstick' category means people can walk in, spend $40 and leave feeling great. You don't need to spend a lot of money with us to be happy."
Makings of a stationery empire
Before founding kikki.K, Karlsson dabbled in hospitality and worked for a travel agent but knew neither were long-term options.
"One night at 3am I woke up my partner (now husband and kikki.K CEO Paul Lacy, with whom she has two children) for what must have been the fifth time that night, and asked him 'What am I going to do with my life?' He suggested I make a list of everything I wanted from a career.
"I wrote that I wanted to love driving to work on a Monday. I wanted to own my own business, I wanted it to be Swedish, I wanted it to have something to do with design and I wanted to earn $500 a week."
With her career goals mapped out, Karlsson set out to furnish her home office. She discovered, unlike in Sweden where stylish office stationery and organisation tools were commonplace, Australia's options were limited.
"I thought, 'If I'm going to have a home office, I need to have a beautiful one', but I couldn't find any products. It was all price-driven. People were basically stealing from their work offices," she says. "I'd identified a gap in the market and found an opportunity to start my own business."
With a budget of $3000, kikki.K began life in Karlsson's one-bedroom apartment before opening her first store in 2001. A cash injection from an equity investor helped expand the range, employ more people and open more stores in 2005.


text:
Q: Memory management in objective-c I have this code in one of my classes:
- (void) processArray
{

   NSMutableArray* array = [self getArray];
   . . .
   [array release];
   array  = nil;
}

- (NSMutableArray*) getArray
{
   //NO 1:
   NSMutableArray* array = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];

   //NO 2:
   NSMutableArray* array = [NSMutableArray array];
   . . .
   return array;
}

NO 1: I create an array and return it. In the processArray method I release it.
NO 2: I get an array by simply calling array. As I'm not owner of this, I don't need to release it in the processArray method.
Which is the best alternative, NO 1 or NO 2? Or is there a better solution for this?

A: The method should return an autoreleased array, NO 2 is the better choice. The reason for this is that when you call the method with
   NSMutableArray* array = [self getArray];

you will expect as a matter of convention to not have to release the array. If you want to take ownership of it, you retain it, but otherwise you shouldn't have to care about it. In Cocoa, you only take ownership by explicitly sending alloc or retain or copy (or new). Since the processArray method doesn't do that, it shouldn't have to take care of releasing the array.
So you should use NO 2, and also you should remove these two lines:
[array release];
array  = nil;

A: If the array and its contents use a lot of memory or its used lots of times, you'll want to release them straight away, so use option 1.  According to the Objective-C guidelines, you'll want to prefix the word "new" to your subroutine name instead of "get" in that case.
If on the other hand, you want to reduce the number of lines of code that say simply [array release]; or similar then use option 2.
It is simply a balance between reducing lines of code, and reducing unnecessary temporary memory use.
Whilst the autorelease pool will help in reducing memory leaks and make your code smaller, sometimes you need to explicitly release everything as it goes out of use to keep the use of memory down.
HTH
EDIT
Ah - I stand corrected.  Reading the iPhone version of the Memory Management Programming Guide for Cocoa I see that the iPhone guidelines are to use a prefix of "new..." so for example "newArray" in this case, if the caller is supposed to manually release and NOT a prefix of "create...".  "Creating" can refer either to creation of manually released or of automatically released objects and so would be ambiguous.  Text corrected above.

A: - (void) processArray
{

   NSMutableArray* array = [[self getArray] retain];
   //Now you are the owner of array, so you take care to release it

   . . .

   [array release];
   array  = nil;
}

- (NSMutableArray*) getArray
{
   //create a new array
   //temporarily the method owns the array
   NSMutableArray* array = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];

   //fill in here with elements or what you want
   ..........

   [array autorelease];
   //autorelease here says "I don't own the result
   //if anyone cares about it, he should retain it himself

   return array;
}

So in short when you create new objects you should autorelease them before returning.
Because if the calling method wants to use the result, the calling method should take care
of retaining and releasing the result.
It's always good to run the Klang static analyzer for this issues, when you are not really sure in your retaining/releasing code : http://clang-analyzer.llvm.org/


The dutch connectome lab is a group of neuroscience enthusiasts with all kinds of backgrounds (biology, physics, math, medicine, artificial intelligence) working at the Complex Trait Genetics Lab and the center for neurogenomics and cognitive research, part of the Neurocience Campus Amsterdam, VU Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC.
Our focus: Integrative brain function depends on efficient functional communication within a massive web of billions to trillions of neuronal connections. All this is happening within what we call our 'brain'. Our research focus is to get a better understanding of the wiring architecture of the brain's network and to understand how abnormal connectivity may lead to neurological and psychiatric brain diseases. One of our recent pets is to map the communication hubs of the brain, examining how they 'rich club' together, at what price and, in particular, why... to keep our 1.5 kg of brain mush together?
These are the people of the Dutch Connetome Lab.
Appearances of Martijn van den Heuvel and the Dutch Connectome Lab in the media.
Please let us know if you are looking for other resources or data.
Right hemisphere anatomical DWI connectome data as used in Van den Heuvel and Sporns (An anatomical substrate for integration among functional networks in human cortex Martijn van den Heuvel, Olaf Sporns The Journal of Neuroscience 33 (36), 14489-14500) and by Avena-Koenigsberger et al. (Using Pareto optimality to explore the topology and dynamics of the human connectome Andrea Avena-Koenigsberger, Joaquin Goni, Richard F. Betzel, Martijn P. van den Heuvel, Alessandra Griffa, Patric Hagmann, Jean-Philippe Thiran, Olaf Sporns DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0530).
Send us an email if you are interested in the data of "Linking macroscale graph analytical organization to microscale neuroarchitectonics in the macaque connectome" Scholtens LH, Schmidt R, de Reus MA, van den Heuvel MP | J Neurosci. | 03-09-2014. [Respecting copyright reasons the data will be shared by email].
Group-averaged binary connectivity matrix based on 50 healthy subjects. Data as used in the paper "Edge-centric perspective on the human connectome: link communities in the brain", De Reus et al. 2014, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Oct 5;369(1653).
Internship positions are available for highly motivated students, who are as excited as us to explore the connectome.
If you are interested, please contact us through the contact form on this website.
Get in touch with the Dutch Connectome Lab. Send us an e-mail using this form.
Please, provide a valid e-mail address.
Sorry, those are not the first to decimals of Pi.
© Dutch Connectome Lab 2018. All rights reserved.


Pekänjo – Danish design for young ones.
Uninterrupted play. The small detail. Scandinavian warmth and natural charm. Pekänjo is children's wear which is easy to fall in love with.
Simple, plain and with small details – these are the keywords for Pekänjo's design line for children aged 2 to 10/12 years. Pekänjo is high-quality designer clothing, and all of Pekänjo's children's wear is produced exclusively for Pekänjo, thus making it unique compared to all other children's wear.
The two annual collections, spring/summer and fall/winter, are made with a clear red thread through style and colour composition so that the entire collection may be mixed criss-cross. And the clothes are of course made for children moving about – and for using again and again.
Originally, Pekänjo was only producing boys' wear, but as of spring/summer 2010, Pekänjo children's wear is now for boys as well as girls aged 2 to 10/12 years. However, we still focus on trendy clothes for boys.
The name Pekänjo is a Scandinavian rewriting of the Spanish/Portuguese word pequeño which means small. The Scandinavian touch manifests itself in the Danish rewriting, the Swedish and Finnish ä and in the Norwegian use of j.
The logo in the shape of a mouse is small, quick, bright and smart. And most importantly: It is lovable.