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TCR 2015: SEAT Dominates at Valencia…
May 17, 2015 Phil Kinch Uncategorized Leave a comment
The third weekend of the 2015 TCR International Series took place at Valencia in Spain for what was the start of the Championships European Season.
Heres the TCR News running up to the event…
MORBIDELLI GAINS WEIGHT…
Gianni Morbidelli was the most successful driver in Shanghai. Setting pole position, winning Race 1 and claiming third place in Race 2 brought the Italian a booty of 45 points.
This will result in 30 kilos of success ballast that Morbidelli has to carry on board his WestCoast Racing Honda Civic TCR during the next event of the TCR International Series that take place at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo next week.
The Target Competition SEAT León cars of Andrea Belicchi (35 points scored in China) and Stefano Comini (30 points) will be laden with 20 and 10 extra kilos respectively. The later had raced in Shanghai with the maximum 30-kilo ballast.
TWO NEW TEAMS JOIN TCR IN SPAIN
Two new teams have entered for the event in Valencia, facing their first appearance in the TCR International Series.
Dutch rising star Bas Schouten will race in a SEAT León run by Bas Koeten Racing / ST Motorsport. The 20-year old, is switching to touring cars after having competed in Formula Ford and with Wolf and Radical prototypes.
"Touring car racing is the right direction to take for me at this stage of my career and I want to be perfectly prepared for the TCR Benelux Series next year," he said. Schouten is coached by touring car legend Tom Coronel, who stated: "It's great to see that there is already a Dutch team that moves towards the international TCR field and I'm happy to be able to contribute to this initiative."
Two further SEAT cars have been entered by France-based JSB Compétition. One is for 18-year old Lucile Cypriano, the first lady driver to compete in the TCR International Series.
"It's a very high-level competition and everything will be new to me: the track, the tyres and the vast majority of my rivals…" she said. Despite her very young age, she has quite some racing experience. After ten years with go-karts, Lucile graduated to F4 single-seaters and in 2014 contested the very competitive VW Scirocco R Cup in Germany, where she finished 10th overall and 4th in the rookie class. That opened her the door of the SEAT León Eurocup, in the framework of the FIA-supported "Women in Motorsports" programme.
The second JSB Compétition SEAT at Valencia will be in the hands of another young driver, the 24-year old Spaniard David Cebrián Ariza, a former champion in the Spanish Peugeot 207 Cup (2010) and race winner in the French SEAT León Supercópa and the Spanish Renault Clio Cup.
CAMPOS RACING OPELS RETURN…
After skipping the event in China because of technical problems, the Opel Astra OPC returns to action in Spain, where Campos Racing will run two cars.
The Spanish outfit that completed a test in Barcelona last week, has not confirmed the drivers yet, although one of them should be Jordi Oriola.
For the event in Valencia, Igor Skuz will temporarily switch from Campos Racing to WestCoast Racing. The Ukrainian driver will replace René Münnich who will be forced to miss the Spanish event due to a clash with the FIA World Rallycross Championship round at Hockenheim.
SUBARU TO JOIN TCR AT SINGAPORE
Top Run Motorsport has announced plans to develop and build a Subaru WRX STi car to the TCR technical specifications.
Based in the North of Italy, Top Run Motorsport has built itself a solid reputation as both an advanced engineering company and a winning team in rallying and racing. Its most outstanding successes include four Group N titles in the World Rally Championship, two overall WRC victories and several titles in national and regional Touring Car and Rally championships.
Since the Eighties, Top Run has emerged as an efficient customer team with Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Nissan cars. Between 1996 and 2002 the outfit worked in close cooperation with Mitsubishi and, most recently, since 2003 has established a close relationship with Subaru Technical International.
Team principal Antonio Agnello revealed: "We are very excited about this new project. We believe in the TCR concept and are confident that the WRX is a suitable car to compete with great potential. We are very grateful to Subaru Technical International for the trust they put in allowing our team to launch this project and we are now working flat out to respect the goal of making our first appearance in the TCR International Series' event at Singapore."
VALENCIA QUALIFYING…
A Spanish driver and the Spanish cars dominated today's qualifying session at Valencia.
Pepe Oriola claimed his first pole position for Craft-Bamboo Lukoil, while the SEAT León cars filled the first six spots of the grid with Andrea Belicchi, Stefano Comini, Michel Nykjær, Sergey Afanasyev, and Jordi Gené who qualified from second to sixth.
Franz Engstler's Audi TT was the best of the rest, in seventh position, followed by the Opel Astra of Oscar Nogués that made impressive progress today, significantly reducing the gap from the leading pace.
Former championship leader Gianni Morbidelli, whose Honda Civic car is laden by BoP and success ballast, claimed his qualifying run was also affected by a loss of power and had to settle with ten position that will give him pole position on the top-ten reverse grid for the second race.
QUALIFYING ONE: Nogués qualifies his Opel Astra for Q2
With a last gasp improvement Sergey Afanasyev set the fastest lap in Q1 (1:42.238), demoting Kevin Gleason to second (1:42.448) by only 10 thousandths of a second.
It was a very close session, with six lead changes and fourteen drivers covered by seven tenths.
The biggest surprise was created by Oscar Nogués who put in a great performance to place his Campos Racing Opel Astra in 12th position (1:43.110), depriving Mikhail Grachev of a trip to Q2 by only 25 thousandths.
Nogués' team mate Jordi Oriola saw his chances vanishing when his Opel Astra suffered from a puncture.
The following drivers advanced to Q2: Afanasyev, Gleason, Comini, Gené, P. Oriola, Belicchi, Engstler, Morbidelli, Nykjær, Cebrián, Schouten and Nogués.
QUALIFYING 2: Oriola and Belicchi fill the front row
Two timed laps were enough to fix the front positions for the first race's grid. Pepe Oriola clocked the time of 1:42.068 on his first try and immediately improved to 1:42.045 that earned him pole position.
Andrea Belicchi qualified second, less than one tenth behind (1:42.143), ahead of Stefano Comini (1:42.183) and Michel Nykjær (1:42.300).
Gianni Morbidelli ranked tenth (1:42.971) and won pole position for Race 2, while his team-mate Kevin Gleason could not post a significant time because of a fuel pick-up issue.
What the drivers had to say
Pepe Oriola, pole sitter: "I am, of course, very happy of this pole position, because it is my home race and also one of my favorite tracks, together with Macau. It's a great satisfaction to see that we were consistently competitive through both qualifying sessions. The car performs very well and I think we will have an exciting show tomorrow in the races, although tyre consumption may play a key role."
Andrea Belicchi, qualified 2nd: "I am favourably surprised to be on the first row, because we had difficult free practice sessions and I wasn't expecting to be so fast in qualifying. It proved that we did a great job in setting up the car. Tomorrow may be a completely different story. I expect a close fight and preserving tyres will be crucial."
Stefano Comini, qualified 3rd: "It's a very good result, a little bit unexpected in light of previous sessions. The car was very fast and without a small mistake in my fastest run, I could have done much better. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day, and I am happy to be in a good position on the grid for both races, as here it is difficult to overtake and first corner is often a problem. I trained a lot on a simulator and we will see if that helps."
President of National Sporting Authority Gracia visits the TCR
On Saturday, the TCR paddock welcomed a distinguished guest: Carlos Gracia, FIA Vice President and President of the RFEA (Real Federación Española de Automovilismo) visited the series and met with Marcello Lotti, CEO of WSC Ltd., and other key people of the series. He obviously took special interest on Spanish drivers and teams, and spent time with Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport.
Balance of Performance was adjusted after Free Practice
The Technical Department of the TCR International Series further revised the Balance of Performance for the event at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Taking into account the results of the previous race meetings and of today's free practice sessions, it was decided to grant weight breaks of 35 kilos to the Opel Astra OPC cars and of 30 kilos to the Audi TT cars. This means that the Opel's weight is now 1225 kgs as opposed to the 1230 kgs of the Audi, the 1260 kgs of the SEAT León (the only model still running on the minimum weight as it is fixed by the Sporting Regulations) and the 1295 kgs of the Honda Civic, the only car fitted with a racing gearbox.
On top of this the Technical Department also decided to allow the Opel, SEAT and Audi cars to run with a 70-mm ride height, while the Honda cars are staying on 80 mm.
Campos Racing Opel cars in steep progress curve
There were smiles and cheers in the Campos Racing box at the end of Qualifying, as for the first time one of the Opel Astra OPC cars made it to Q2, thanks to Óscar Nogués, who later took a superb eighth position in the final qualifying session.
The result and consistently-improved pace throughout the sessions at Valencia, proved the significant progress made by the German cars after a difficult season debut in Asia.
"We worked a lot since the cars came back from Shanghai," explained Campos Racing team manager Fernando Monje, "There were a number of electronics problems to solve to get the engine working properly. Now that those seem to have been solved, we can start developing the car set-up, which we only achieved here in Valencia, after a shake-down in Barcelona."
Despite being a last-minute addition to the team, Óscar Nogués was able to contribute all his experience and speed to Campos Racing. "We have been bringing down lap times since the start of the weekend," said the 36-years-old Catalan driver,"despite still having some issues from time to time, like in Q1, when an oil spill provoked a huge smoke cloud in the pits. We feared the engine had blown but luckily it was a very small thing. I was fortunate to make it to Q2, by only 25 thousandths of a second, and in the final 10-minute session, everything went well and I could put on a time that leaves us 8 tenths from the pole."
This was for sure an unexpected but much-welcomed result, and the perfect boost for the morale of the entire squad, which is based a few kilometres from the circuit. Present in the boxes, team owner Adrián Campos was attending a TCR event for the first time: "I am very happy," admitted the former F.1 driver, "and I do believe a lot in the TCR concept, which seems particularly suited for the current times. This is why we wanted to be present since the very beginning, although the car clearly needed more time. Opel Motorsport has great plans for the future and we are happy to be associated with them."
In a warm mid-day Race 1 in Valencia, the Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil took a resounding success, posting a 1-2-3 with Pepe Oriola, Sergey Afanasyev and Jordi Gené in SEAT's home soil. This is also the first TCR win for Pepe Oriola, already one of the top-runners in the Asian rounds that opened the season.
The SEAT León cars of the British-Russian team proved their competitiveness since the practice session, but could pull away even more easily thanks a very bad start of Stefano Comini, who partly blocked the field. Behind the podium positions, Andrea Comini took fourth and Mikahil Grachev an excellent fifth with the Liqui Moly Team Engstler Audi TT.
Stefano Comini came in sixth, followed by team-mate Michel Nykjær. Gianni Morbidelli came in eighth, the first Honda Civic, in a race where the Japanese cars were not at the top. The last two point-scoring positions were for Dutch rookie Bas Schouten and Lorenzo Veglia.
KEY RACE ONE MOMENTS…
Grid – Jordi Oriola did not start with an apparent transmission problem
Start – Pepe Oriola sprinted from the pole, while Comini had a bad start, which forced Gené onto the grass on the inside line
Lap 1 – Oriola was leading ahead of Afanasyev, Gené, Belicchi, Grachev, Comini, Nykjær, Cebrián and Engstler who slipped down following a clash with Belicchi
Lap 2 – Comini passed Grachev for fifth
Lap 3 – Engstler pited for repairs
Lap 4 – Grachev repassed Comini in the hottest duel at this stage of the race
Lap 6 – Behind the top six, Nykjær was chased by Cebrián, Morbidelli, Veglia and Schouten; Nogués, who was running tenth, slowed down
Lap 7 – Cypriano passed Nogués for 14th
Lap 11 – Belicchi closed the gap from Gené
Lap 12 – Gené kept Belicchi at bay
Lap 13 – Schouten passed Veglia for 9th
Lap 15 – The Craft-Bamboo Lukoil team claimed a wonderful 1-2-3
RACE TWO…
Stefano Comini was the first driver to win a second TCR race in the inaugural year of the series: the Swiss claimed victory in a drama-packed Race 2 and jumped back on top of the overall standings. He managed beat his team-mate Michel Nykjær, who claimed his first TCR podium, with another Target Competition driver, Andrea Belicchi, crossing the line in third.
The race was rich in incidents from the very start, as Nogués and Morbidelli made contact at the end of the straight, causing an incident that eliminated the Campos Racing Opel and the SEAT of Jordi Gené.
Following a three-lap safety-car period, the race resumed with Comini as a strong leader and a great battle behind him. Nykjær had to fight hard to keep the position from the assaluts of Pepe Oriola and an amazing Bas Schouten. Schouten lost a well-deserved podium position on the last lap and Andrea Belicchi inherited the position, but he was later excluded as he did not observe a drive-through penalty.
Five other drivers received similar sanction, for overtaking during the safety-car intervention, which added further drama to the race. The WeastCoast Racing Honda cars of Morbidelli and Gleason were lucky, under the circumstances, to finish fourth and fifth.
KEY RACE TWO MOMENTS…
Start – Morbidelli did not start well, which allowed Nogués to get the inside line; they made contact and the Opel skidded sideways and collected Gené's car
Lap 1 – The safety-car was deployed and in the commotion Engstler and Grachev made contact; the Russian was forced to retire
Lap 5 – The race resumed with with Comini in the lead ahead of Nykjær, Afanasyev, P. Oriola, Belicchi and Schouten; Morbidelli was last after a quick pit stop for repairs
Lap 5 – Oriola passed Afanasyev for third; Cebrián passed Schouten for sixth; Skuz retired with a throttle failure
Lap 6 – There was a big fight between Nykjær and Oriola for second
Lap 7 – Nykjaer and Oriola made contact and Oriola lost third position to Schouten
Lap 8 – Comini was leading from Nykjaer, Schouten, Oriola, Belicchi, Cebrián and Veglia
Lap 11 – Gleason passed Engstler for ninth; Engstler retired claiming a loss of power
Lap 12 – Drive-through penalties were imposed to Afanasyev, P. Oriola, Belicchi, Cebrián and Veglia for overtaking during the safety car period
Lap 14 – Veglia, Afanasyev, Oriola and Cebrián observed their penalties
Lap 17 – Schouten lost third place due to a fuel issue; Comini won ahead of Nykjær and Belicchi
What the race winners had to say
Pepe Oriola, winner of Race 1: "It was a good weekend for the Team-Craft Bamboo Lukoil, although Race 2 could and should have been better. In Race 1, everything was perfect, I had a great start and then it was relatively easy. I was followed by my two team mates, so I could just focus on preserving the tyres. It's nice to win again after such a long time! We had the pace to do very well in Race-2, but the whole scenario changed with the incident at the start, the safety-car and then the sanctions, and we weren't that lucky…"
Stefano Comini, winner of Race 2: "We did a great job, especially, after a disappointing start of the weekend. In Race 1, I took a very bad start and there is not much more to say. Race 2 was much better, it was the first time I was using the launch control on the SEAT and it worked well. Clearly, I benefitted from all the confusion and all the incidents, but it has to be recognized that I was the only one with the guts to go full throttle during the entire race, as proven by my lap times. The car was really perfect, and I am also very happy to be again on top of the points standings."
The TCR International Series now heads to Portugal where it will race on the Portimao circuit 7 days after the Valencia weekend.
Phil!
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https://www.barrons.com/articles/centurylinks-stock-has-fallen-too-far-analyst-says-51561660514
CenturyLink's Stock Has Fallen Too Far, Analyst Says
CenturyLink Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
CenturyLink stock has been battered in the past year. An analyst at Wells Fargo now says the telecommunications company is "too cheap to ignore."
The back story. CenturyLink stock (ticker: CTL) has lost a quarter of its value this year.
Hard times in the wireline telecommunications industry, executive turnover, delays in regulatory filings, and a reduced dividend haven't given analysts much to be bullish about, though some have said a backlash against the stock went too far.
Top executives may have felt similarly. President and CEO Jeff Storey and Chief Financial Officer Neel Dev bought a total of $1.6 million in the company's stock in early March, as shares were trading near a 25-year low.
Only three of 16 analysts listed by FactSet recently had Buy or Overweight ratings on the stock. The rest were Neutral, aside from one analyst with a Sell.
What's new. Well Fargo analyst Jennifer M. Fritzsche joined the few CenturyLink bulls.
Fritzsche wrote in a note to clients Wednesday that CenturyLink appears poised to benefit from its 2017 acquisition of Level 3 Communications, a deal that strengthened its network of high-speed fiber-optic cable.
She says the fiber business remains a priority for management, noting that the company is halfway through a plan to install 4.7 million miles of fiber across 50 cities. The new fiber includes 216 fibers per cable, compared with 96 fibers in initial installations.
CenturyLink is making use of empty tubing, or conduit, acquired via prior deals, with capacity as high as 700 strands of fiber, according to Fritzsche. The company's core metro network is expected to include more than 850 strands, she said.
Having such a dense network will allow the company to lease out unused capacity, known as dark fiber, to users such as providers of 5G wireless services, she says.
CenturyLink stock was up more than 7% to $11.69 Thursday afternoon, while the S&P 500 was up 0.5%.
Looking ahead. Fritzsche upgraded her rating to Outperform from Market Perform and raised her price target to $14 from $12. The new target implies a gain of 28% from the closing price of $10.91 on Wednesday.
She wrote that while her estimate for second-quarter revenue is lower than the market consensus, Wall Street doesn't appear to have factored in a forecast by the company that revenue will improve sequentially in the second half of the year.
"We do not believe CTL will change the guidance about an improving performance," she wrote. "Given the somewhat spotty history CTL has in terms of revenue promises, we see any good news (or shall we say 'less bad') as a positive for the stock."
CenturyLink stock has been battered in the past year.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Reader Suggestions – What Should I Write About?
These next two weeks I'll be a BoardingArea "featured blogger". That means my posts will show up in the upper spots on the BA homepage.
However, I can't think of anything particularly piquing my interest that I want to write about right now. That's why I'm asking you!
Is there anything you want me to write or talk about? Let me know in the comments or feel free to contact me on Twitter or via email.
You could also write about CX to HKG and HKG Dimsum places.
Air miles best redemption strategies, or about Canadian money transfer services that can help with minimum spend requirements.
Aeroplan redemption availability. Routes with good availability, when reward seats typically become available with each partner, best time to book travel, etc.
I second this. Knowing when other partners allow booking of biz seats is important. The best option if you want more than 1 or 2 biz seats.
Stick to your focus on the Canadian Market, it's what sets you apart from the other bloggers.
Any new fuel dump strategies.
Perhaps a detailed look at how you personally go through a credit card churn. Similar to the amount of detail you provide on your trip reviews.
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dates, for many years the "standard" recommendation upon calling to change was "It will cost more paying the fee, rather than buying a new one-way one, and we can flag the unused leg of the original one, so you can use at a later date, within 12 months" …….
9-basically we lost over 12 tickets, last 3 years alone, not to mention, close to 20k ( yes, twenty ) … i used to be AC's fan #1 …. We thought, we were the only ones, but recently, i overheard someone whilst checking at yyz, talking about the same thing, since you are asking for suggestions on your blog, you might be able to reach lots of "stupid" [ that is how i was described by an agent, in yul, she assumed i didnt speak French ] like us, because it is not right ….. even if it was over 12 months ago, it is a lot of money, and im not only talking about yvr-yyz-yul circuit, im talking about fra, gru, scl, eze, lhr, yvr, ywl, yyz, yul .. mainly, but many others.
I would like to find out when the best time is to book award travel ie. how many weeks ahead is the best availability and what day of the week do they release new award space?
Please focus on Canadian content as that's why I have you bookmarked. AP fuel dumps and creative routings are always a good read.
1. Canadian Credit Card reviews and recommendations that can be leveraged to convert points into different frequent flier programs (American Express Rewards, RBC Avion and why this is valuable as the sign up bonuses in Canada are smaller.
2. Opportunities that exist for frequent fliers to convert from Air Canada to Westjet – huge amounts of frequent travellers are considering this.
3. Travel APPS (google, app store) that are actually of use to travellers.
4. Restaurant reviews and other experiences at Star Alliance and One World hub cities (Incheon, Hong Kong, Narita etc…). I'm always stuck in places like these for 23 hour connections.
Please talk about when is the best time to search for and book aeroplan reward tickets, and any other strategies.
Which credit card to use for paying the fee for aeroplan reward ticket in order to get the trip insurance covered?
Please talk about changes with Lifemiles and how the recent award changes affect Canadian routes to and from using LM. People say there are some routes where the mileage required for travel to and from Canada and Australia have actually seen a reduction? Thank you.
I'm still anxiously awaiting your First Air Aeroplan redemptions guide, which has apparently been "coming soon" for quite some time, now.
Stick with content that is Canadian-centred since this is probably your most unique feature, and take it easy on the affiliate links to credit cards. It's a turn off when you push it so hard – almost all your latest posts have referral links. You're in a bit of a harder position just because our credit card offers are pathetic, and travel is expensive. I did like your review of Northern Airlines despite thinking that you're telling our secrets to the world, but then again not many people want to come North. I don't remember seeing any recent posts on Air Miles – this could be helpful too. Perhaps something on the new Westjet program too. You could even talk about Canadian North's Aurora concierge haha what a joke. Some opinion posts on say Porter's lobbying to expand the Toronto city centre airport, or Air Canada's fleet renewal, or even info on charters and vacation packages for people who can't accumulate miles.
The Canadian angle to skyteam earning and redeeming after Jan 2015.For east coast flyers KLM and AirFrance offers the most competitive prices in a lot of contexts, but FlyingBlue is a very crappy program (fast expiry and very low earning rates on cheaper tickets) So far Delta Skymiles, despite its drawbacks, has been a stable option in the skyteam for Canadians. Come 2015, this is going to change big time, because Skymiles is transitioning to a price-based earning rather than mileage. What are some alternatives for Canadians that fly skyteam frequently?
Flying Blue for mileage-based earning is always an option but they charge fuel surcharges for most flights.


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'Local council is not third tier'
By EMMANUEL OLADESU On Oct 6, 2017
•Basorun
Second Republic Secretary to Lagos State Government Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on how restructuring can foster good governance and guarantee the welfare of the people.
What is your view on the agitation for restructuring?
The welfare of our people is the priority. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was talking about democratic socialism. His target was the welfare of our people. In the West and the East, they have forgotten about capitalism, socialism and communism. But, here, we are talking about federalism, true federalism, fiscal federalism. We should design a constitution that will seek the welfare of our people.
What are the core issues of restructuring?
I am not opposed to state police. When you look at the two sides of the coin, it is balanced. Give state police to Wike, you destroy everybody in that state. I used that as an example. But, in a fair-minded climate, the state should have a government and a state police to back it up. A driver was taking me in the United States, about 10 or 15 years ago. He detected that the federal police on the highway found out that he had not renewed his license. He asked whether I could drive. In said no. He surrendered himself to the police and called someone to come and drive the car. So, federal should have functions and state should have their functions. That should settle the issue of federalism. The other issues are revenue allocation and merger of states.
What about devolution of powers?
I believe that the time is ripe to take out some functions from the Exclusive List, which is federal, to the Concurrent List, so that the federal and states can be doing them together. On housing, the Federal Government should supervise and provide an all-embracing policy for housing and let the state do it. Bankruptcy and insolvency, for instance. Registration of voters should be done by the state, as Lagos State is doing with LASTRA. The generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The state should participate. Finger prints identification and records should be taken from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List. Labour, industrial relations, conditions, safety and welfare of labour; prescribing a minimum wage, should be moved from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List. Promotion and regulation of tourist traffic should be removed from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List.
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People talk about the devolution of powers. They have not told us what powers should be devolved. In doing so, funds should be sufficiently made available. The percentage of revenue due to the states should be increased.
Will you also advocate for regionalism?
To me, if regionalism is cooperation among or between states, there is nothing wrong. Oodua Group is an example. It is an economic matter. But, when states come under a region and then, you have a regional government, and you have state governments, the cost of governance will be high and it will nullify the gains. If we have 36 Houses of Assembly for 36 states and six regional Houses of Assembly, the total is 42 Assemblies. In the existing set up, we have 990 legislators. They are proposing 47 more. By the time you add that, it will be 1,047. Also, you will have more Speakers, deputy speakers, majority leaders and so on. Then, you come to the executive. Governors will be somewhere. Administrators will be somewhere. Then, there will be deputy administrators, ministers and commissioners, and permanent secretaries. So, they want to set up governments in each region to which states will report. The six geo-political zones have not been legalized. Reference is only made to regions for administrative purpose. If you want to recognize them, then, they should propose a law to the National Assembly to do that. But, then, you have seven states in the Northwest, six in the Southwest, Northcentral, Northeast and Southeast and five in the Southeast. Can you imagine asking somebody in Zamfara who reports in Gusau, the state capital, to come and report in Kaduna? Or somebody in Edo, who is now reporting in Benin City, to report in Port-Harcourt, as the headquarter of Southsouth? In the West, those of us in Lagos will go back and report in Ibadan? Somebody in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba, will now go and report in Maiduguri, or somebody from Ilorin, Kwara State, will now report in Jos. These are areas that were not properly looked into. All our people in their contributions were opposed to regionalism. I as a person, since 2000, have been making my contributions to the debate. Nothing has happened to change my position. I am opposed to regionalism. Regionalism should be cooperation between or among states. The Oodua Investment Company is an example of such cooperation.
Do you support the agitation for autonomy for local council?
The issue of local government is a serious one. There are two issues. The first one is the remission of the local government as put in Section 7(1) of the constitution, which is the ground norm of the local government administration in Nigeria. The creation, management, funding, which is not put there, has already put the local government under the control of the state. Some people are saying that the local government is a third tier. Nowhere in the constitution can you find it. It is an assumption. It is not a third tier. If it is the third tier, the federal is tier one, state is tier two. All that has to do with the two tiers are in the constitution. There is nothing like that for the local government. The current National Assembly Committee on the amendment of the constitution got stuck. They found out that there is no third tier in the constitution. The issue which I think is popular now is that the system of democratically elected local council is guaranteed under the constitution. The government of every state, shall, subject to Section 8…. Section 8(5) should be deleted from the constitution. There are many problems along the line. Local government creation should be left to the states. If a state decides to have 100, let it have it. The constitution already provides in Section 162 for JAC, which they condemn outrightly. Some states are not operating the JAC well. There are provisions in Section 162 that when the money comes to the state account, there should be a law on how to share it. I have not seen many state governments making the law. Two, that state governments, from their own finance, from their own revenue, should donate a percentage to the local government. They have not been doing so. The constitution does not specify the percentage. I am recommending that it should be 10 percent.
They should come to Lagos to learn. You cannot see local council staff being owed salaries in Lagos in the last 18 years. Not because Lagos is buoyant. In some states, state governments are owing primary school teachers. What is the trick? Once the money drops, and they go to JAC, Class A is local government staff salary, and teachers' salary. You first of all remove those ones before sharing. It is not only salary that they remove. They remove several things; LG Pension Fund, local Education Authority. Those are deducted before the balance is given to them. Local governments don't struggle to get the money. Other states may not be doing it. Whether the state governments in other state do not use the money for that is a question to be addressed. Remit local government to the state and the issue of autonomy follows. A state can create 100, if it wishes. The quantum of local government is not what determines what is given. Lagos State since July got six billion; Osun State three. The difference is there. If they have 100 local governments, that is what will be shared to them. Kano has 44 local governments. There are indices for the allocation. Population is number one. In IGR, Lagos is leading, with Kano trailing it. There are other indices, but population is the key one. Equality of state and local government, I think, is 40 per cent. But, there are other indices. Land mass. But, it is not the number of local governments that determines what they get as federal allocation. So, people talk about autonomy. I want to be less harsh now. It cannot be now. All along, I have said never. But, all we have seen around us and elsewhere does not support giving autonomy to local governments. That translate to the revenue allocation not going to JAC, but going directly to the local government. First, the executive capacity of the councils throughout the country is so poor. They call them council engineers; they are technical officers. They don't have qualified accountants working as treasurers. Then, the cankerworm, corruption, is worse in the local government. The state is being monitored by the House of Assembly. The councillors cannot monitor the chairmen. Once they give them part of the thing, that is the end of the matter. In the future, we can talk about autonomy. But, it cannot be now. I read that 36 Speakers of Houses of Assembly voted for the autonomy of council. They have not reasoned among themselves. I am not sure the Lagos Speaker is part of them. The memorandum of the state read at Ibadan opposed autonomy for councils. I don't believe the report. Now, remuneration and allowances. REMAC determines the salaries and allowances. They still include dress allowances, dress allowances. Talking seriousness, my first approach is that each state or council should cut its cloth according to its cloth. Somebody in City Hall should be earning N20 and somebody in Akodo should also be earning 20 because he is the chairman. It goes for state. The governors of Kano, with all the population and challenges, and the the governors of Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba should not earn the same salary. It is not right. I have taken a sample from US. In Alabama, with a population of 4.6 million, the salary of the governor is 185 dollars per annum. In California, with a population of 38.8 million, the salary is 212.2; 100 more than that of Alabama. In Alaska, it is 125,000. In Arizona, it is 195. In Arkansas, the country home of President Bill Cliton, it is 80,000. Colorado, 90,000. Connecticut 150, Maryland 150, far below California. New York 179. Texas 150. Washington, the headquarters of government, is 163. Florida, with a population of 19 million, 132. It varies. In some states, the Attorney-general earns more than the governor. It is an issue that must be looked into seriousness. In one of the conferences, it was suggested that each state should have revenue mobilization and sharing commission, instead of the almighty one determining for the entire country. It should be established in the state to look at the state and local government salaries, based on their resources, cutting their clothe according to their cloth. A governor is having 18 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) and another state which cannot afford what it takes is trying to have the same number. This thing should be decentralized. The federal legislature is to make the law, but they will not make it. Reason will prevail one day. What is spent on them should be reduced. The Speaker of US Parliament earn a different salary, but and the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader earn the same salary. Members earn different salaries. The Vice President is the Head of Senate. The Speaker extemporary has 193,400. Members earn 196,000.
How do we shore up the revenue base of the state and local government? I have a novel idea of what to do. Oil blocks are in the hands of very few Nigerians. A senator has said for one bloc, you make about four billion naira a day. If that is true, those who have more than one, should drop the excess of one with the Federal Government through the National economic Council. These should in turn be issue to all the states. The National Economic Council should supervise how it is used. The states should give 10 percent to local governments. Paris Fund will soon be over. This is the permanent bail out. The constitution says the wealth of the country belongs to us all. That is why the North is opposed to giving a large chunk of the money to the Niger Delta. If they belong to all of us, this is one approach. Where however, those holding the oil blocs refuse to voluntarily surrender them, the issuance should be withdrawn from them. We have a president who is ready to look at the welfare of all Nigerians. He should take them and redistribute to the states. But, there must be a legal framework guiding the proper surrender, the release to state and management of the fund. If this is done, no state will be broke again. Some states get six billions. Other states get N650 million. How do you expect that state not to owe salary? The state has over-borrowed. It has exceeded its credit worthiness. When you borrow, you must use it wisely.
third tier
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text:
U.S. Senior Women's Open a standout event for desert players
The Senior Women's Open in North Carolina was played for the second time with plenty of desert golfers in the field.
U.S. Senior Women's Open a standout event for desert players The Senior Women's Open in North Carolina was played for the second time with plenty of desert golfers in the field. Check out this story on desertsun.com: https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/golf/2019/05/21/desert-golfers-making-their-presence-felt-ncaas-senior-womens-open/3756429002/
Larry Bohannan, Palm Springs Desert Sun Published 3:00 p.m. PT May 21, 2019
A USGA qualifier for the second Senior Women's Open was played at Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage Tuesday, with eight golfers earning berths into the national championship Palm Springs Desert Sun
The second annual U.S. Senior Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina might have been overlooked by much of the golf world while the PGA Championship was being played at the same time in New York. But the national championship for women players over 50 had Coachella Valley roots throughout the field.
Even with a few exempt players from the desert choosing not to play – past Women's Open winners Sandra Palmer and Susie Berning – lots of players who call the desert home or at least part-time home were in the field.
That includes well-known players like part-timers Juli Inkster of La Quinta, who tied for second in the championship, and Lisa DePaulo of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, who tied for ninth. Hollis Stacy, a member at The Palms Club in La Quinta, tied for 33rd and Liselotte Neuman of Mission Hills tied for 40th.
A handful of players from the desert qualified for the event through a sectional qualifier at Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage last month. Of those, Amy Stubblefield of Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, Sherry Andonian-Smith of Mountain View Golf Club in La Quinta and amateur Kathy Kurata of Mission Hills Country Club missed the cut.
Look: LPGA Tour pros play in the final round of the ANA Inspiration
Jin Young Ko is doused with water by friends after winning the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee hits her second shot on the 18th hole of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee hits a tee shot on the 17th hole of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko is the winner of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko kisses the trophy after winning the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko hugs the trophy after winning the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko reacts to winning the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko, center, and caddie David Brooker, left, and manager Soo Jin Choi jump into Poppy's Pond after Ko won the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko and caddie David Brooker celebrate Ko's win at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko sinks a birdie putt on the 18th hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko high-fives the gallery one her way to the 18th green at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko sinks a birdie putt on the second hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko and her caddie David Brooker react after Ko hits a birdie putt to win the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jeongeun Lee and Soo Jin Choi pour water on Jin Young Ko after her win at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko reacts after hitting a birdie putt on the 18th hole of the Dinah Shore Course to win the the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko jumps into Poppie's Pond with her caddie, David Brooker, and manager, Soo Jin Choi, after winning the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko jumps into Poppie's Pond after winning the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee tees off on the first hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko tees off on the first hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
In-Kyung Kim tees off on the second hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko sinksa birdie putt on the second hole at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, April 7, 2019. Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun
In-Kyung Kim tees off on the first hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
In-Kyung Kim putts on the first hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Sung Hyun Park putts on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Sung Hyun Park prepares to putt on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jessica Korda putts on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Katherine Kirk hits out of a sand trap on the Dinah Shore Course at the at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Katherine Kirk reacts after hitting out of a sand trap on the Dinah Shore Course at the at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee prepares hit out of a sand trap on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee hits out of a sand trap on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Danielle Kang chips onto the green of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee talks to her caddie before hitting on the seventh hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Mi Hyang Lee plays on the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Lexi Thompson walks onto the 18th green of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Lexi Thompson misses a birdie putt on the 18th green of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko hits out of a sand trap on the 15th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
In-Kyung Kim tees off on the 16th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko tees off on the 16th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko prepares to putt on the 16th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
Jin Young Ko prepares to tee off on the 17th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
In-Kyung Kim reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole of the Dinah Shore Course at the ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, Calif., April 7, 2019. Zoë Meyers/The Desert Sun
More: Modern golf kicks aside artisty for brute strength, as Brooks Koepka shows
But Dede Cusimano of Rancho La Quinta Country Club did make the cut, finishing 44th. Cusimano barely missed the 2018 event, being the first alternate out of a sectional played in Colorado. This year she made the field and made the most of her chance, with rounds of 78, 79, 79 and 77. Those might seem like high scores for making the cut, but the par-71 Pine Needles course played difficult, with the cut for the senior women coming at 15-over par.
The Senior Women's Open, won by Helen Alfredsson, is in just its second year, and the tournament seemed to take a step forward this year with greater depth in the leader board and with some golfers who only wanted to play in that first event last year choosing not to compete in 2019. The championship was a good week for desert players.
Juli Inkster, who spend time in the winter at Tradition Club in La Quinta, finished second in the U.S. Senior Women's pen for the second consecutive year. (Photo: WILL POWERS, AP)
Here are some other players with local ties who have achieved notoriety at their level of golf in the last two weeks:
Casey Scott: A former Palm Desert High School star, Scott now plays at the University of Pacific in Stockton. Last week Scott paired with teammate Austin Fox to win the Northern California Golf Association's Four-Ball Championship at Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach. The team collected seven birdies over a stretch of eight holes in the final round to rally and win the title.
Just ending his junior year for the Tigers, Scott has played in all 22 of the UOP's tournaments in the last two years.
Former Palm Desert High School golfer Madison Walker was the freshman of the year in the MAAC for the University of Albany this year, (Photo: Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun)
Madison Walker: Another former Palm Desert Aztec, Madison Walker moved a long way from the desert after high school to play golf at the University of Albany in New York. That has turned out to be a good choice for Walker, who as a part of the Great Danes helped her team win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference by 17 shots. Walker finished sixth individually. Walker was named the conference's freshman of the year.
Walker and her Great Danes teammates played in the NCAA women's golf regional in Auburn, Ala., and while they didn't advance out of a strong field against much larger schools, it was still a strong accomplishment for the freshman and the school.
Dana Condon: In Division III, the University of Redlands women's golf team has become a national force, being a fixture in the top 10 in the country as a team under former Palm Desert High School coach Jack Stewart. That was true again this year, with the Bulldogs being ranked ninth going into the Division III championship. One of the players for the Bulldogs is Dana Condon, a former Palm Desert High golfer who moved on to Redlands in the footsteps of another former Aztecs star, Caroline Ordian, who won the 2016 Division II individual championship for Redlands. The Bulldogs and freshman Condon didn't play great in the finals, but they should be strong again next year.
Madinson Rincon of Palm Desert now plays golf for Cal State University, Monterey Bay. (Photo: Zoe Meyers/The Desert Sun)
Subscribe to the Desert Sun's free golf e-newsletter: desertsun.com/newsletters.
Madison Rincon: The third member of the 2017 Palm Desert High School girls' team to play college golf as a freshman this year, Rincon managed five finishes in the top-10 in tournaments for Cal State University Monterey Bay this spring. That included a tie for 10th in the California College Athletic Association championship.
The Otters worked their way into the NCAA Division II West regional in Amarillo, Texas, but did not advance to the finals. And unfortunately for Rincon, she missed the regional play with an injury.
Rincon and Condon are united in that they both played in the PGA Tour Champions Pure Insurance Open at Pebble Beach in 2017 through their association with the First Tee of the Coachella Valley.
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Just sit back relax and let the show begin. Everyone will be so impressed they'll want to jump into the bath with you. Or they can just buy their own.
Most of us like a good soak in the bath now and again and here's a way to add a bit more ambience to that bit of special time to help you unwind. The Underwater Light Show creates an incredible colour changing display which should add a spectacular mystical element to your bath.
It's basically a disco ball but a bit more soothing. It will phase through the colours whilst floating on the water or affixed underwater to the bottom or side of your bath. You can even choose between five settings and select the lighting sequence that suits you best.
The Underwater Light Show is waterproof (obviously), just turn it on and watch it revolve through the colours creating an amazing display in your bath.
Nowadays we tend to shower to clean and bathe to relax, well not you can do it in style by adding some underwater lighting and switching off the bathroom lights. Just check where the soap is before you get in.
You don't have to restrict the use of the Underwater Light Show to the bath. If you have a swimming pool then great, if not then find some friends that have.


text:
Out of State Visitors Organize March For Family Reunification
Posted: Jun 26, 2018 / 12:08 AM CDT / Updated: Jun 26, 2018 / 12:08 AM CDT
The separation of families along the border has caught the attention of thousands across the nation. Many of them traveling to McAllen for family reunification.
Julie Anne Chronister, march organizer says, "It is a moral crisis in our country. If we as citizens, as immigrants, as people… We have to come together to fight this, because our government is not doing it."
Creating that change they want to see is why Julie Chronister and other visitors from all over the U.S.
decided to organize a march outside of the Border Patrol's processing center in McAllen.
Sean Tanner, visitor, "What I came out to do, is come get an assessment of what is going on down here on the ground, and how we can bring more resources down here to show up for our children. There is no way that we can dare justify our children or any humans being resulted to these inhumane conditions."
All who were protesting this morning want the immigrant families who were separated to be unified again. There are some who also want a more transparent government, that can possibly lead to finding better solutions to the immigration problem.
Abigail Porth, Jewish Community Relations Council says, "We believe that all Americans deserve transparency. We believe that there should be congressional and independent oversight into what is happening in the detention facilities. There needs to be compassionate and sophisticated tracking system, and we need to know where are these facilities where people are being taken. We believe that there should be due process."
Along with unifying families, organizers of the march say they want the government to stop deporting families and individuals who only want work in the U.S.
"We do not have an immigration crisis, we have a moral crisis. We are a free country, and people who want to come in to this world, should be embraced and not embraced with violence, which is what's happening now." says Julie Anne Chronister
Some of those visitors will also be using their time here to volunteer at the Humanitarian Respite Center and other shelters.
Countdown to China 2022!
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Long tail, tapered head. Diamond pattern on top indicating it is a female.
First recorded in Singapore in 2012. Assumed to be imported around 2010 with the building of the garden and planting of imported plants.
Thank you Sequoia Spruce. Looks like this one is a guest in Singapore.
This is actually a type of Brown Anole with a diamond patterned back! Nice!


text:
/**
 * @file RFormatter.h
 *
 * @date 2015-10-25
 * @author Hong-She Liang <starofrainnight@gmail.com>
 */

#ifndef __INCLUDED_DB42F20C7AF911E5AA6EA088B4D1658C
#define __INCLUDED_DB42F20C7AF911E5AA6EA088B4D1658C

#include "RGlobal.h"
#include "RAbstractStringRef.h"
#include "RUniquePointer.h"
#include <Print.h>

/**
 * Provided a printf like method to directly output to Print objects.
 *
 * @code
 * RFormatter(&Serial).parse("There have %*%s people living .").arg(12);
 * @endcode
 *
 * The codes above output :
 *
 * @code
 * There have 12% people living.
 * @endcode
 *
 * The format rule is very simple:
 *
 * "%s" matched each arg()
 * "%%" eascpe the "%" character
 *
 * The last arg() is required to output rest text!
 *
 */
class RFormatter
{
public:
  RFormatter(Stream *stream);

  RFormatter &
  operator ()(const char *format);
  RFormatter &
  operator ()(const rfchar *format);
  RFormatter &
  operator ()(const String *format);

  template <class ... ParamTypes>
  RFormatter &
  arg(ParamTypes ... params)
  {
    if(printBeforeNextMark())
    {
      mStream->print(params ...);
      mFormatIndex += 2;
      printBeforeNextMark();
    }

    return *this;
  }

  bool
  isFinished();
  Stream *
  stream();

private:
  bool
  printBeforeNextMark();

private:
  Stream *mStream;

  RUniquePointer<RAbstractStringRef> mFormat;
  unsigned int mFormatIndex;

private:
  R_DISABLE_COPY(RFormatter)
};

#endif /* __INCLUDED_DB42F20C7AF911E5AA6EA088B4D1658C */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Nobel Prize-winning German author Günter Grass likened the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper to Nazi caricatures of Jews, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday. In an interview published in Portugal in the weekly news magazine Visão, Mr. Grass, right, whose novels include "The Tin Drum" and "Cat and Mouse," said: "I recommend that everyone have a look at the drawings: they remind one of those published in a famous German newspaper during the time of the Nazis, Der Stürmer. It published anti-Semitic caricatures of the same style." Julius Streicher, the publisher of Der Stürmer, was found guilty of crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg war crimes trial and executed in 1946. Mr. Grass said deliberate provocation lay behind the decision by the newspaper Jyllands-Posten to publish the cartoons, which touched off outrage and violent protests among many Muslims. He said the newspaper had been warned that the drawings would be found offensive. The newspaper has defended its decision, saying the cartoons were no different from those published previously that satirized Jesus, the Danish royal family and politicians.
The Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay, James Blunt and Green Day had a good night when the Brit Awards for popular music were handed out on Wednesday in London, the BBC reported. The Kaiser Chiefs led the way, with prizes that included best British group, best British rock act and best British live act. (The singer Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs is at right.) Trailing just behind were Coldplay, with the awards for best single ("Speed of Sound") and best album ("X&Y"). Other winners of two awards were Mr. Blunt, lauded as the best British male solo artist and pop act, and Green Day, for international group and international album ("American Idiot"). The Arctic Monkeys, chosen British breakthrough act, were unable to attend because they were on tour. Prince, performing "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy," made his first appearance at the awards since 1997. Kanye West was named international male solo artist, and Madonna was named international female solo artist. Her spokeswoman said she had been treated recently for a hernia, but is now "absolutely fine," Reuters reported.
What's a James Bond movie without a villain? Until recently, the latest production, "Casino Royale," filming at the Barrandov Studios in Prague, had none. But now, where once was a hole, stands Le Chiffre (the Cipher), in the person of the Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, left, the BBC reported. Although it has a bad guy, the film still lacks a Bond girl to captivate 007, being played for the first time by Daniel Craig. The latest candidates rumored for the role of Vesper Lynd are Eva Green ("Kingdom of Heaven") and Olivia Wilde ("The O.C.").
The Shubert Theater, home to the hit musical "Monty Python's Spamalot," has a new look. Gone from its facade, where it was flanked by images of a rabbit with a bloody mouth and a cow, is the image of a young woman in a low-cut dress, pursing her lips and playing with her hair. It was removed after a model sued, contending that it showed her in a foolish and undignified way without her permission, The Associated Press reported. The show's advertising and marketing agency, Serino Coyne, said in a statement, "After learning that the model objected to having her picture associated with 'Spamalot,' we decided to stop using her image, even though we firmly believe that we can legally use it." Susan Taylor, the employee who released the statement, said she would not comment on the status of the lawsuit, filed last month by Carla Collins. Ms. Collins said in court papers that the photograph was taken nearly two years ago after she finished a photo session in Cape Town.
In the darkest days of the London blitz, Edward R. Murrow (1908-65) made the horror of the Nazi onslaught audible in his broadcasts to America for CBS. Murrow, right, currently recalled for a new generation in George Clooney's film "Good Night, and Good Luck," was honored in central London on Wednesday, when the state-run English Heritage organization placed a plaque on the apartment house at 84 Hallam Street, where he lived in Flat 5 from 1938 to 1946. Murrow is the first broadcaster to be honored by English Heritage, which protects and preserves historic sites around England and has emplaced about 800 plaques in London. Richard C. Hottelet, now 88, who was hired by Murrow to cover the D-Day invasion, said Murrow was "never one to angle for applause or recognition." But, Mr. Hottelet added, "About this, I think he'd smile."


text:
Twitter 2010 Expectations: Better User and Customer Experiences
by Peter Chubb January 12, 2010, 10:39
Twitter are looking to hire 27 people in the hope of creating a range of new products, all designed to increase the security on this micro-blogging website. By doing this, Twitter hopes to be able to offer a better user and customer experience for 2010.
According to an article on V3.co.uk, the micro-blogging company currently employs 120 staff; this will increase numbers to 147. Although these are not a huge amount of jobs, it is an increase of around 40%. Twitter has already got 2010 off to a great start and has now begun to make a profit; this could have something to do with the recent Google and Microsoft deal.
The new staff will have their work cutout, as they try to make new front-end features as well as working advertising applications. This is all part of Twitter's new advertising strategy that is said to be a big part of their business this year.
Some of the new personnel will need to work with media companies, to help make the integration with Twitter go as smoothly as possible. This will be done with a host of new tools to help encourage media professionals. Seems like these new workers will be kept very busy.
The toughest job has to be for security team, a number of breeches happened last year, and Twitter does not want this to happen again. This is where the posting for a new "network and infrastructure security manager" comes in. A new system will be developed to prevent future hacks.
For more details on this visit V3.co.uk
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A whole lot has actually transformed in businesses throughout time. From data cabinets changed by computerized information storage space, to organisation letters now being sent out through the web, today's technical innovations have made organisation features less complicated to do. Affordable companies are doing their finest to stay on par with the times and use totally these advancements to achieve optimal performance. Today's modern technology has also opened brand-new opportunities for smaller companies to take on larger companies. Marketing has come to be less expensive and more accessible over the years with growths in social media, advertising and marketing has a bigger range and bigger protection since growths in transportation and communications has made areas become nearer and the globe a little less complicated to cover.
Payroll has actually also benefited from advancing innovation. As a result of much better and safe and secure lines of communication, Namely payroll can currently be properly and effectively outsourced to an exterior payroll company. With the most up to date software program, payroll outsourcing firms can provide fast and specific computations of payroll, taxes and various other repayments. Payroll provider additionally provide safe on the internet data storage for a risk-free yet accessible method to maintain records and details. Rapid and dependable interactions networks make sure that the payroll firm and the customer is constantly in each various other's reach and this makes it less complicated to set up or make modifications to service setups.
Payroll outsourcing is an excellent program to keep in mind in preparing for the future. Further innovations can just make payroll contracting out even more efficient and reputable than it is today and it would be of the best passion to capitalize and take advantage of this concept as very early as feasible. Keeping up with the moments to run a future-competitive firm can offer you a great deal to think of and outsourcing your payroll will certainly give you one much less point to fret because the company itself will additionally stay on par with the developing organisation globe to provide much better and reliable services.
Other than businesses delighting in timely and exact payroll services, they additionally widely gain from the rather especially smaller sized expenses than inner payroll. Some payroll companies use their services solely to one or two places. This makes them specialized and rather aware of payroll tax obligation regulations of their client is location and therefore makes them more effective in submitting tax obligation demands on schedule, sticking to tax laws, and makes adjustments to tax regulations much easier to adjust to. All these benefits of decreased cost, reduced issues and much easier handling of payroll taxes makes payroll contracting out a preferred organisation service in running a service.


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Q: javahome installer argument (PSSAV) Olá, boa noite!
Eu estou precisando instalar o PSSAV para um exercício da faculdade. Porém ele apresenta a caixa de diálogo abaixo:

Acontece que eu estou com a versão 8 do JDK. A informação que eu posso validar a localização do JDk também não me foi muito clara. Se alguém puder me ajudar agradeço.

A: Você vai precisar baixar o JDK 6 do site da Oracle e definir nas suas variáveis de ambiente uma variável chamada JDK_HOME com o caminho para a raiz da pasta que você salvou o JDK e adicionar a JDK_HOME\bin na sua PATH
Existe um tutorial no site da Oracle https://java.com/en/download/help/path.xml
Vai ficar algo como
JDK_HOME = c:\jdk_6
PATH = c:\system32;%JDK_HOME%\bin;

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