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MSC Cruises to develop private Bahamas island
Innovative dining and entertainment coming to MSC Seaside
MSC Cruises readying for expansion with new slogan
Home MSC Cruises
Ground broken on MSC Cruises' new Caribbean island paradise
Construction and restoration work has commenced to turn a former industrial wasteland just off the coast of Florida into a pristine natural habitat which will become the private island for the exclusive use of MSC Cruises guests from November next year.
To be known as Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the island features nearly 3,500 metres of coastline and six separate beaches which MSC Cruises guests will be able to enjoy on regular calls to the island by ships sailing in the Caribbean and surrounding areas. The facility is around a year behind its original schedule, with plans for the destination to welcome its first guests this coming December put back.
In addition to a natural welcome centre, MSC guests will have access to a variety of bars and restaurants (including a dedicated children's restaurant), retail offerings, an amphitheatre and a pavilion where weddings and special events can be hosted.
MSC guests will have access to a variety of beaches, each with plenty of seating to enjoy the sun.
Those booked in the line's high-end MSC Yacht Club will have an exclusive spa and wellness centre on the island at their disposal, which will consist of private massage huts. Like other islands in the area, MSC ships will be able to dock alongside at a purpose-built marina and boardwalk, allowing guests to walk directly off the ship and onto the shore.
Central to the island's operation will be the development of a marine reserve, using native plants & trees known to thrive in the region. The plan is for new coral life to be transplanted into the area which will attract marine life to make their homes in its waters. This will be achieved via a comprehensive landscaping program where more than 80 indigenous trees, grasses, flowers, shrubs and plants will be returned to native soils on the island.
Work now underway involves the clearing of the existing industrial infrastructure in order to prepare it to accept this native plant life once again.
MSC Cruises currently cruises in the Caribbean with MSC Divina based in Florida and two ships – MSC Armonia and MSC Opera – based seasonally in the Cuban capital of Havana. The line is currently in the midst of a period of enormous expansion with 11 new ships which will come into service from May this year through to 2026.
The line will take delivery of its first ship MSC Meraviglia in the middle of the year and MSC Seaside in November, which will immediately transfer to join MSC Divina in the Caribbean.
Marine Reserve
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Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan to sign dam agreement by end of February
Foreign ministers of three countries say they have reached an agreement on schedule to fill massive dam on Nile River.
Egyptian officials have raised concerns that filling the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt [Tiksa Negeri/Reuters]
Officials from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan announced they have cleared the way for the filling and operation of a disputed multibillion-dollar dam being built by the Ethiopian government on the Nile River.
In a joint statement issued after four days of talks in Washington, DC, the foreign ministers and water resources officials of the three Northeastern African countries said on Friday they had agreed on a schedule for filling the dam, dubbed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), among other key issues.
"The ministers have instructed their technical and legal teams to prepare the final agreement," the statement read, "for a signing of the three countries by the end of February 2020."
The three countries "reaffirmed the importance of transboundary cooperation in the development of the Blue Nile to improve the lives of the people of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan."
Ethiopia says the dam – which will be the largest in Africa and is located near its border with Sudan – is crucial for its growing economy. It began the massive project in 2010 as part of a plan to expand its power exports.
Egypt fears the project, now 70 percent complete, will disrupt the river that covers 90 percent of its needs for irrigation and drinking water.
The US Treasury Department has been leading the talks after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sought intervention from Donald Trump, his US counterpart and close ally.
The White House said Trump on Friday spoke by telephone about the negotiations with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Trump "expressed optimism that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was near and would benefit all parties involved", the White House said in a statement.
https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/saving-the-nile/index.html
The points agreed to on Friday provide mechanisms addressing some of Egypt's concerns, including how to fill the dam during periods of drought, and how to operate the power plant in the long term during droughts.
The ministers also discussed and agreed to finalise a mechanism for the annual and long-term operation of the dam, a coordination mechanism, and provisions for dispute resolution and information sharing.
Finally, they agreed to address dam safety and pending studies on the environmental and social impacts of the GERD.
Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


NEW DELHI: A special court on Wednesday pronounced former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and three others guilty of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the coal scam case.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar held that Koda, ex-coal secretary HC Gupta, former Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and another public servant had conspired to favour Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) in allocation of Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand.
The quantum of punishment for all four accused will be announced on Thursday.
The court, however, acquitted four persons -- VISUL's Director Vaibhav Tulsyan and two public servants Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh and chartered accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan -- of all charges.
The CBI had alleged that VISUL had applied for allocation of Rajhara North coal block on January 8, 2007. Although the Jharkhand government and Steel Ministry did not recommend VISUL's case for coal block allocation, the 36th Screening Committee recommended the block to the accused firm.
The CBI said that Gupta, who was chairman of the screening committee, had allegedly concealed facts from then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had been heading the Coal Ministry as well, that Jharkhand had not recommended VISUL for allocation of a coal block.
They were summoned as accused after the court took cognizance of alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants) of IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.


Travel recommendations between Rostock & Warnemünde and Nykøbing can be found here.
Users of a InterCombi-Ticket are booking the favored ferry departure. The journey to the Port of Rostock by bus and train ride is arbitrary and therefore individually.


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Home Press Releases ACI World announces the world's top airports for customer experience in 2017 Wave of new award winners reflecting increased competition amongst airports
ACI World announces the world's top airports for customer experience in 2017 Wave of new award winners reflecting increased competition amongst airports
Montreal, 6 March 2018 –Airports Council International (ACI) World announces the winners of the 2017 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards . In 2017, over half of the world's 7.7 billion travelers passed through an ASQ airport.
This year an unprecedented sixteen airports are first time winners, challenging best- in-class airports in the delivery of top-quality customer service. This phenomenon reflects the increasingly competitive airport industry operating environment, where continuous service improvement is a key ingredient in business performance. Airports make the customer experience a high priority.
First-time winners this year are: Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Newcastle (NCL), Athens (ATH), Zagreb (ZAG), Bandung (BDO), Indore (IDR), Ahmedabad (AMD), Casablanca (CMN), George (GRJ), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), San Jose (SJC), Cleveland (CLE), Los Cabos (SJD), Belo Horizonte (CNF) and Medina (MED).
Mumbai scoops first place for airports in Asia-Pacific serving over 40 million passengers a year. In North America, this top spot goes to Toronto Pearson and in Europe to Rome Fiumicino.
ASQ is the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. The programme measures passengers' views of 34 key performance indicators. 74% of the world's top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network which delivers 600,000 individual surveys per year in 42 languages in 84 countries. The programme served 343 airports in 2017.
"Objective measurement and benchmarking are critical in driving performance in any business especially in such a competitive and dynamic one as an airport," said Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World. "These winning airports have dedicated themselves to delivering a stellar customer experience. ACI World proudly recognizes the accomplishments of all airports in the global ASQ network. I look forward to celebrating with them in September."
The ASQ Awards Ceremony will be held during the inaugural ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit , to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from 10–13 September 2018, hosted by Halifax International Airport Authority.
Best Airport by Region (over 2 million passengers per year)
First place: Casablanca (CMN)
Second place: Mauritius (MRU)
Third place: Durban (DUR)
First place (tie): Delhi (DEL); Mumbai (BOM)
Second place (tie): Beijing (PEK); Denpasar (DPS); Haikou (HAK); Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
Third place: Sanya (SYX)
First place: Sochi (AER)
Second place (tie): Malta (MLA); Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO); Porto (OPO)
Third place (tie): Rome Fiumicino (FCO); Zurich (ZRH)
First place: Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Second place (tie): Amman (AMM); Medina (MED)
Third place: Dubai (DXB)
First place (tie): Indianapolis (IND); Jacksonville (JAX)
Second place (tie): El Paso (ELP); Ottawa (YOW); Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ)
Third place (tie): Austin (AUS); Columbus (CMH); Dallas Love Field (DAL); Halifax (YHZ); Pittsburgh (PIT); San Antonio (SAT); San Jose (SJC); Tampa (TPA)
First place: Guayaquil (GYE)
Second place: Los Cabos (SJD)
Third place (tie): Nassau (NAS); Punta Cana (PUJ)
Best Airport by Size
2–5 million passengers per year
First place: Lucknow (LKO)
Second place: Guayaquil (GYE)
Third place: Bandung (BDO)
5–15 million passengers per year
First place: Hyderabad (HYD)
Second place (tie): Balikpapan (BPN); Hohhot (HET)
Third place: Cochin (COK); Kolkata (CCU); Pune (PNQ)
15–25 million passengers per year
First place (tie): Denpasar (DPS); Haikou (HAK); Sanya (SYX)
Second place: Bangalore (BLR)
Third place (tie): Chennai (MAA); Surabaya (SUB)
First place: Chongqing (CKG)
Second place: Seoul Gimpo (GMP)
Third place: Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Over 40 million passengers per year
Second place (tie): Beijing (PEK); Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
Third place: Taipei Taoyuan (TPE)
Best Airport by Region (under 2 million passengers per year)
Africa: George (GRJ)
Europe: Murcia (MJV)
North America: Portland Maine (PWM)
Latin America-Caribbean: Mazatlan (MZT)
Asia-Pacific: Indore (IDR)
Best Airport by Size and Region
2–5 million passengers per year: Lucknow (LKO)
5–15 million passengers per year: Hyderabad (HYD)
15–25 million passengers per year: Denpasar (DPS)
25–40 million passengers per year: Chongqing (CKG)
Over 40 million passengers per year: Mumbai (BOM)
2–5 million passengers per year: Newcastle (NCL)
5–15 million passengers per year: Sochi (AER)
15–25 million passengers per year: Athens (ATH)
25–40 million passengers per year: Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO)
Over 40 million passengers per year: Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
2–5 million passengers per year: Guayaquil (GYE)
5–15 million passengers per year: Punta Cana (PUJ)
5–15 million passengers per year: Medina (MED)
2–5 million passengers per year: Ottawa (YOW)
5–15 million passengers per year: Indianapolis (IND)
15–25 million passengers per year: Tampa (TPA)
25–40 million passengers per year: Minneapolis (MSP)
Over 40 million passengers per year: Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
Most Improved Airport by Region
Africa: Nairobi (NBO)
Asia-Pacific: Ahmedabad (AMD)
Europe: Zagreb (ZAG)
Latin America-Caribbean: Belo Horizonte (CNF)
Middle East: Dubai (DXB)
North America: Cleveland (CLE)
Airports Council International (ACI),the trade association of the world's airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring the global air transport system is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2018, provisional figures show that ACI serves 641 members operating 1,953 airports in 176 countries.
2.Learn more about the ACI ASQ Programme which includes a full suite of customer experience solutions, including the employee and arrival surveys.
The ASQ Awards are presented to those airports whose customers have rated them the highest over the course of the year. The categories have been designated to recognize the achievements of airports of different sizes and in different regions.
ASQ is the only worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. It measures passengers' views of 34 key performance indicators, including airport access, check-in, security screening, restrooms, stores, restaurants, additionally capturing passenger comments of their best and worst experience at the airport. Each airport uses the same methodology, creating an industry database that allows airports to compare themselves to other airports around the world. The ASQ Programme also has a feature that facilitates sharing of best practices among airport operators.
All tie place winners are listed in alphabetical order.
4. Download a PDF version of this media release.
Hicham Ayoun
Manager, Communications
ACI World
Email: mediarelations@aci.aero
Email:mediarelations@aci.aero
Anita Berthier
Manager, External Relations and Special Events
ACI World appoints Véronique Demers as new Vice President of Communications and Marketing
Governments must coordinate and implement evidence-based travel measures
Statement regarding travel restrictions in response to Omicron COVID-19 variant
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The Davis Tennis Club is once again inviting area players and teams to participate in its third annual Yolo Team Tennis Tournament on September 29th. The tournament starts at 8 a.m. at the Davis High School Tennis/Community Park Complex.
There are two leagues, a 7.0 and an 8.0 combo. For those new to the team tennis format, each match consists of 5 abbreviated sets, women's singles and doubles, men's singles and doubles and mix doubles. It's all about the games. The team who has the most at the end of the match is the victor. There's no add scoring, lets are good and substitutions are allowed during sets. Sets are played one at a time so teams can cheer each other on.
The tournament fee is $50 per team. Lunch is included. DTC will supply tennis balls and a prize to the winning team in each league.
For more information and to sign up your team, visit the DTC's website at davistennisclub.org.


We ship USPS Priority Mail within the US. This includes tracking and insurance. We offer expedited shipping via USPS express mail and FedEx overnight.
We ship USPS First Class Mail outside of the US. If a package weighs over 4 lbs, the order will automatically be shipped via USPS Priority International Mail. Both services include tracking. Insurance for international orders comes with an additional fee.
We do not currently accept returns. If you are concerned about an item not fitting -get to know your measurements. We suggest referring to an article of clothing you already have in your closet and comparing the measurements with that which we provide. Please contact us with any questions about specific measurements/sizing.


The earliest known inhabitants of this province can be traced back to 3,500 BC during the time of the Stone Age. The Greeks founded the capital city of Naples in 9BC and all great powers since have aspired to control it.
The vibrant and exciting capital of Naples has most identified Italy with America. Not only did the highest percentage of the immigrants that came through Ellis Island originate from this area, but typical Italian dishes have originated here, such as pizza, spaghetti with tomato sauce and most recently, the popular buffalo mozzarella. Neapolitan music is easily recognizable as Italian music and today can even be heard on a serenaded gondola ride in Venice. Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the continent of Europe, is the most famous in the world and of course responsible for preserving the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneun that we visit almost 2,000 years later.


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Public Debates – Testing your Intellectual Abilities?
Matt Stichter
Engaging in public debate can be a scary thing. You make yourself vulnerable to criticism when you express your views in public – risking a critique not only of the specific beliefs you endorse, but also of your intellectual abilities more broadly. How might you respond to such critiques? Are you open to the possibility that you might have made mistakes in your reasoning? Do you view that possibility as inherently threatening to your intellectual abilities, or do you view it as a potential opportunity to learn and sharpen your intellectual skills?
In a previous post, I focused on debates that had moral content to them, but I also think that any public debate has the potential for an explicit, or implicit, critique of one's intelligence and intellectual skills (or epistemic virtues), and regardless of the specific content of the beliefs. This might also be threatening to one's identity, not in the sense of one's moral identity, but rather in one's intellectual identity.
Other work done on views of intelligence and responses to critique is relevant here, specifically Carol Dweck's work on intelligence. Dweck's work on intelligence, amongst other abilities, shows that people fall broadly into two camps with respect to how they view abilities – it is either a fixed entity that you cannot do much to change, or it is malleable such that you can train to improve it.[1] These two mindsets, 'fixed' versus 'growth', have consequences for what goals we set ourselves – performance goals that demonstrate (to others or ourselves) we have the level of ability (e.g. intelligence) we take ourselves to have; versus learning goals where we strive to improve our ability and thus take on challenges. With fixed mindsets and performance goals, ultimately the goal is that one wants to be judged positively and avoid being judged negatively. In respect to public debates, that would presumably translate into being motivated to defend one's initial position, rather than being open to changing one's views, in order to avoid being seen as wrong (and thus perhaps indicating a lack of intelligence).
The two mindsets also have different consequences for how we react to failure. A fixed mindset leads to maladaptive responses because of feelings of helplessness to do better (e.g. frustration because one just isn't smart enough); whereas a growth mindset leads to adaptive responses where a person puts forth effort to learn how to act better the next time (e.g. recognizing that they made a mistake, but also that they can put effort into improving and succeeding later).[2]
So what kind of mindset you have depends more on these two factors of goals and responses to failure, than on your stated beliefs. Mindset beliefs have been shown to be domain specific, so people could have different views of different abilities. But in the educational context, it looks like those who have a malleable view of their own intelligence achieve much better learning outcomes, because they seek goals challenging them to learn and because they have more adaptive responses to failure. Likely when it comes to defensiveness in public discourse, and whether people are truly open to learning from others, one factor that can affect this is one's views about intelligence.
Notice that this distinction in mindsets ties in well with the two senses of shame discussed in my previous article. The two senses of self-shame had these same sorts of patterns with regard to adaptive and maladaptive responses to moral failure, in terms of motivating either self-improvement or defensiveness. The first sense of shame was so distressing because it seems to be something one cannot fix, leading to feelings of inferiority and defensiveness. For example, Dweck and Leggett found in their studies on children's responses to intellectual challenges and failures, that:
helpless children viewed their difficulties as failures, as indicative of low ability, and as insurmountable. They appeared to view further effort as futile and, perhaps, as their defensive maneuvers suggest, as further documentation of their inadequate ability.[3]
This is strikingly similar to Gausel and Leach's descriptions of reactions to felt inferiority, which involve maladaptive responses that are also characteristic of having a fixed rather than malleable mindset.[4] The second sense of shame, by contrast, was not experienced as so distressing, because although there is a failure, it is something one can work on improving.
Insofar as people can approach public debates as an opportunity to learn something new, this should help to prevent people from viewing a public debate as a referendum on whether one is intelligent or not (and thus a potential threat to their self-esteem). Otherwise, fixed mindsets regarding one's intellectual abilities are likely to prompt defensive reactions that are linked to being resistant to change, as well as being biased in processing new information. In order to foster more effective public debates, these defensive reactions need to be curbed.[5] This is another area where self-affirmation techniques, which I discussed previously, such as writing about a value that is important to yourself, may also be of value.[6] People can be more open to accepting information that challenges their existing beliefs, and perhaps their intellectual abilities, after having another important aspect of their identity affirmed.
Image from Pixabay
[1] Dweck, Carol S. and Leggett, Ellen L. (1988) "A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality", Psychological Review 95 (2), 256-273. Mindsets are also referred to as implicit theories, in which case the contrast is between 'entity' (i.e. fixed) and 'incremental' (i.e. malleable) theories.
[2] It should be noted that these mindsets are domain specific – people can have fixed mindsets about some abilities, and malleable mindsets about others.
[3] Dweck, Carol S. and Leggett, Ellen L. (1988) "A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality", Psychological Review 95 (2), 256-273, 258.
[4] Gausel, L., & Leach, C. W. (2011). Concern for self-image and social image in the management of moral failure: Rethinking shame. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(4), 468-478.
[5] Sherman, David K. and Cohen, Geoffrey L. (2002) "Accepting Threatening Information: Self-Affirmation and the Reduction of Defensive Biases", Current Directions in Psychological Science 11 (4), 119-123.
[6] Sherman, D.K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 183-242.
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How Does The State Of California Define Domestic Violence?
PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT SAVES MY CLIENT A DECADE IN PRISON. MAJOR EMBEZZLEMENT CASE DISMISSED! HIGH PROFILE MURDER CASE – CLIENT FOUND NOT GUILTY BY A JURY. CLIENT CHARGED WITH A THREE STRIKES CASE FACING 25 TO LIFE GETS PROBATION. NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER. ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON CASE – CLIENT RECEIVES PROBATION AND DRUG TREATMENT. MAJOR THEFT FROM A LOCAL SAN FERNANDO MORTUARY. CSUN BASKETBALL PLAYER CHARGED WITH SERIOUS THEFT – NO JAIL TIME, MISDEMEANOR AND ULTIMATE DISMISSAL!. DUI CASE DISMISSED AFTER POLICE DECIDE TO CREATE THEIR OWN RULES FOR PULLING PEOPLE. VAN NUYS JUDGE FINDS CLIENT NOT GUILTY OF MURDER AFTER COURT TRIAL.
Over the past 25 years that I've been in practice, the criteria for domestic violence has expanded in many ways, especially in San Fernando Valley, California. Domestic violence occurs when one or both members of a domestic partnership or relationship cause physical harm to the other.
The harm has to be physical, so simply yelling at someone would not be considered domestic violence. It also has to be physical harm that is done in an unlawful manner, which means that a person who is being attacked and is exercising self-defense would not be charged with domestic violence.
How Does Police Determine The Aggressor In Domestic Violence?
When determining who the aggressor was in a domestic violence situation, police will be considering who caused the most damage, who is the larger party, and who won the fight.
Oftentimes, these determinations are made unfairly, because the police were not there and did not see what happened. When one party injures another while reasonably defending themselves, they are often arrested, which is simply not fair.
In determining who the aggressor was, the police are put in a very difficult position. This is because the people involved in these situations are often emotional and manipulate the facts in order to avoid getting into trouble.
It is not uncommon for the watch commander or sergeant to be called out to the scene in order to help determine which person was the aggressor. Even the prosecutors must sometimes second-guess the police when making their own determination as to which person was the aggressor.
Additional Charges A California Domestic Violence Arrest
There are a number of additional charges that may accompany a domestic violence arrest in LA County. If a couple is married and living together and acts of physical force occur between them, then Penal Code Section 273.5 would apply.
Another charge I see is Penal Code 243(e)(1) which is when physical force occurs between two people who are cohabitating, such as a boyfriend and girlfriend. I am often able to get these charges reduced to a 242 (simple battery) or 415 (disturbing the peace), even if the person was responsible for what they did.
It will depend on what happened, how bad the injuries were, and whether or not it is difficult to determine which person was the aggressor. In most cases, there will be some sort of battery charge, and the guilty party will have to take domestic violence courses, pay fines, and be on probation for three years. Depending on the gravity of what occurred, there may be other ramifications, including jail time.
Do Police Make An Arrest Regardless Of Circumstances?
When the police are called out to a domestic violence situation in San Fernando Valley, they will usually make an arrest unless it can be determined that no one was physically injured.
If it was just a couple of people shouting at each other and a neighbor called the police, then the police probably would not make an arrest. If the police are unable to determine which person was the aggressor, then they will just arrest and charge both parties.
This can actually work to the defense's benefit by creating a problem for the prosecutor. This is because when the case goes to trial or some sort of hearing and one party testifies, they may say something to incriminate themselves.
If a person is charged with domestic violence in the San Fernando Valley, then they would definitely want to obtain an criminal lawyer and be careful about what they say.
For more information on Domestic Violence Charges In California, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (213) 542-0940 today.
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Most communters would be happy with this density of traffic on the H-1 freeway passing through Kalihi. At least it's moving.
Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is currently President and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.
Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann describes how he became a proponent of elevated rail, and we look at the different kinds of cities created by elevated and street level systems.
(Reporter's note: In three separate recording sessions in the Fall of 2016, former Mayor Mufi Hannemann engaged in wide ranging discussion of his part in Honolulu's current rail project. Fast, reliable mass transit from east to west along Oahu's south shore has been under discussion for over forty years. Previous false starts reportedly had federal officials on guard, but Hannemann persuaded the state legislature to institute a .5% general excise tax to fund the project, tipping the scales in its favor. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) agreed to kick in $1.5 billion dollars, nearly a third of the projected cost at the time. Find a transcript of the third interview, which includes Transportation Planning Chief Toru Hamayasu, posted with the story, Really, Honolulu How Did We End Up With Elevated Rail? That interview contains the primary arguments against street level (at grade) rail.
You seem to have known a lot more about the options coming in. What was your prep finding out about our options.
Where did you see systems you liked?
I liked what I saw in Portland, I liked what I saw in Washington D.C., I liked what I saw in Salt Lake.
But those are all at grade systems, those are not elevated.
Well I went to Vancouver and I saw the elevated system and I said, That makes sense to me for Honolulu.
But the thing about Vancouver is that it is not elevated in the city, and getting to street level is what many in Honolulu would like to do. Anything through town will be costly, close to a nightmare, with its utility lines, cross streets and possible burials, but elevated transit and transit at street level, what's called "at grade," each result in different kinds of cities.
Transportation planner James Charlier is the founder of Charlier Associates, an international transportation planning company based in Boulder, Colorado.
Charlier: With trains at street level, you tend to have a much more intimate relationship between storefront businesses, the sidewalks, and the people who live in the area. When you have an elevated system, that's all sort if inside an elevated station. People are coming up and down escalators, taking overpasses over the street to get to other buildings, and so the development pattern that results from that is more vertical.
Charlier says in a vertical mix, typically, there is retail on the ground floor, followed by maybe ten floors of office, then residential above that.
Charlier: It's a debatable subject, but I certainly would never say that it was an inappropriate model for what Honolulu is trying to do.
Reliable, high speed travel from UH West Oahu into town and back is a big part of that plan.
Hannemann: I also felt that it would encourage visitors to take the train to see the west side of Oahu, to see Pearl Harbor, see the Ewa plains. You'll capture things you see above grade that you don't see at grade.
It's expected that current construction will get to middle street on the 'Ewa edge of town in about three years. What to do after that is currently under discussion, as state legislators consider whether to extend rail's GET. Hawai'i's Thousand Friends, in conjunction with a coalition of architects, planners, and others who have been critical of elevated rail, are pushing a street level option they say is cheaper and faster to build. Two planners asked about that option have stated it appears to be more "back of the envelope" ideas than a concrete proposal the city could base decisions on.
Before that, possibly coming to the neighborhood you're in, Transit Oriented Development, TOD. Waipahu and Pearl City have plans, Halawa, are you getting a new stadium as part of the deal? TOD is one area the public could get involved in, City government is encouraging that right now. We'll take a look at that next.


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Home / Opinion / Surge of Populism
Surge of Populism
This personality cult bred a style of leadership and administration that is centred on his person. Modi, compared to a weak and tentative Rahul, or a truculent Mamata, or a host of other worthies including Chandrababu Naidu, Akhilesh-Mayavati, rendered electorally worthless, was perceived as a 'doer', untrammelled by niceties of political correctness who can 'gets things done' and take tough decisions.
Prasenjit Chowdhury | Kolkata | June 4, 2019 12:00 am
A BJP supporter puts colour on a cut-out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he celebrates vote results at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on May 23, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
It is time to hail Brand Modi and say hallelujah to him unreservedly for the sweeping mandate that the nation has given him. Narendra Modi is surely the undisputed political leader riding on the crest of populism. Historian Ramachandra Guha once wrote how surging populism determined and conditioned the course of Indian politics after Nehru and following a brief tenure of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
In fact, authoritarian populism and the rise of rightwing populist movements throughout the world are subject to international scrutiny, particularly since the Brexit referendum in the UK, and the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 US election. Trump without either the well-articulated party apparatus, or the full-blown ideology of the Nazis, exemplifies the textbook phenomena of authoritarian populism or neofascism and loosely the rise of Modi.
His adherents might prompt one to liken them to Trump and his supporters. The electoral triumphs of Narendra Modi in India, Vladimir Putin in Russia and that of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey are suggestive of the rise of rightwing populist parties throughout Europe such as Haider's Freedom Party in Austria, Victor Orban's Fidesz Party in Hungary, and the Polish Law and Justice Party. The stunning victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 American presidential election and the triumph of the Leave Campaign led by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) inevitably point to an age of populism.
Podemos in Spain, Syriza in Greece, and the Mélenchon, Sanders, and Corbyn insurgencies ~ as well as the 'shape-shifting' Five-Star Movement in Italy ~ have demonstrated that resurgence of populism is far from restricted to the right. Before Modi, Indira Gandhi was the greatest populist leader sitting on the pedestal with leaders who made a virtue of populism like Juan Peron, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Sukarno, ZA Bhutto, and Srimavo Bandaranaike. Indira Gandhi was almost as paranoid and delusional as Mamata Banerjee is today.
Modi's arch challenger in West Bengal, now soundly rebuffed, was also one who resorted to unabashed populism since she was accorded the status of a virtual goddess for her ability to finally dislodge an entrenched Left in West Bengal buoyed by a groundswell of popular support. There is really no harm in being popular as long as we do not lapse into illiberal populism as in Argentina the populist trajectory of which first took to socialism/fascism and then into Peronism.
And what role did neoliberalism play in the rise of populist politics in the world? It has led to certain benefits to millions of people in countries as diverse as India, Brazil, and China, though the textbook pathogens of neoliberalism such as accumulation by dispossession, deregulation, privatization and an upward redistribution of wealth cannot be wished away.
It has increased both economic insecurity and cultural anxiety via three features in particular ~ the creation of surplus people, rising global inequality, and threats to identity. The anxiety wrought by neoliberal globalization has created a rich and fertile ground for populist politics of both right and left.
When centre-left and centre- right parties both pursue neoliberal policies and lose credibility and votes, it angers a sizeable minority of voters who take to the extreme politics of people like Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen, who promised to take on the corrupt power elites by cracking down on easy targets.
The financial consequences of neoliberalism being the ballooning of gross domestic product, national debt and profits for a tiny sector of the population with the unwholesome outcome of a small number of individuals becoming mega-wealthy, wages for the middle classes stagnating and wages for the poor declining, it is looked at askance. What is worse, the root cause of the majority's misery is concealed by the corporate and even state-owned mainstream media.
Phenomena like unemployment and high levels of welfare dependency are at best portrayed as the random workings of the world and at worst the fault of immigrants and scroungers. One may legitimately discover a dichotomy between neoliberalism and its discontent when we try to explain the rise of Modi by its parameters. His first tenure betrayed many aspects that bedevil a neoliberal regime.
But Modi was able to change the narrative, specifically after Balakot, cleverly linking the political establishment to the foreign 'Other', while reinforcing the assertion that the BJP and Modi are the true ambassadors of the Indian people and dissenting elements who 'conspire' with the enemy are anathema to people, then linking populist and nationalist logic, thereby playing on a Hindutva discourse that pits the people against a "pseudosecular" establishment guilty of perpetuating their vice-like grip on power through the 'appeasement' of minorities rather than representing the Indian people as a whole, and the Hindu majority community in particular.
The verdict reconfirms that populism is not about economics, politics or even, in the last resort, society. It is about personality in a moral sense. Populism claims that the individual should be a complete man. And Modi, to his worshippers loosely nicknamed as bhakts, was the King who can do no wrong. Chowkidar chor hai was therefore a personal assault on each of his worshippers.
On the national level, Modi and the BJP managed to create a populist electoral coalition by conjuring up a strong sense of crisis, economic anxieties and disillusionment with corrupt, inept and weak elites and presenting him as a political "outsider isolated from the elite class" who will rescue India from peril.
Taking a jibe at the intellectual elite and the political pundits while addressing party workers in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi during his Thanksgiving visit after his massive victory, Modi said: ''They will now realise that social chemistry is more powerful than arithmetic". In UP this time, this chemistry has defeated arithmetic.
This personality cult bred a style of leadership and administration that is centred on his person. Modi, compared to a weak and tentative Rahul, or a truculent Mamata, or a host of other worthies including Chandrababu Naidu, Akhilesh-Mayavati, rendered electorally worthless, was perceived as a "doer", untrammelled by niceties of political correctness who can 'gets things done' and take tough decisions even if this means waging a war or to overrule intermediary institutions (RBI, EC, the apex court et al), coursing through minor irritants like a riot here, a lynching there and the attendant noise thereof.
He can get his message, loud and clear, across to people be it through social media, conventional TV and radio addresses, be it from a Polo Ground stage in Asansol, or from New York's iconic Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium in London to an ululating diaspora. Right-wing populism is marked, according to Jeff Colgan and Robert O. Keohane Colgan ('The Liberal Order Is Rigged', Foreign Affairs, 2017), by the "belief that each country has an authentic 'people' who are held back by the collusion of foreign forces and self-serving elites at home".
One such populist leader "seeks to weaken or destroy institutions such as legislatures, the judiciary, and the press and to cast off external restraints in defence of national sovereignty". Fareed Zakaria ('Populism on the March: Why the West Is in Trouble', Foreign Affairs, 2016) lists Trump, Bernie Sanders, Syriza, and the Front National as examples of populism just to proclaim that "the West is in trouble".
No prize for sniffing out any symptomatic resemblance to any leader closer at home because Modi never fought shy of conflating the elite and the foreign 'Other' who must accept Hinduism as India's cultural foundation. Is it time to accept that the secular-pluralist idea of India associated with state founder Jawaharlal Nehru is a sham and assert that India's identity and nationhood are grounded in Hindu culture and religion?
There was a kind of protopopulism in the English Peasants' Revolt and the Jacqueries of the fourteenth century, or in the Bundschuh and the peasant wars of the Reformation. The history of populism often points to a bigot who loves to revel in a happy past: the happy slaves in the fields, the happy women in the kitchen, the happy white people with their picket fences, the happy Jews in the ghetto, the colonized happily learning the rubrics of civilization from the colonizer.
If he is sometimes seen to employ brutality to expunge the negative feelings of the malcontents, it is only natural and morally necessary. Utopia may exist in an ideal past as well as a new future, or can easily be both, where dreams can fly.
(The writer is a Kolkata based commentator on politics, development and cultural issues)
Chandrababu Naidu
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Ramachandra Guha
Mismatched Maths
A talk with Mr Trump
Congress expresses concern over Chinese incursion into Indian territory


According to recent data, roughly ten percent of pregnant women take an antidepressant. Numerous research studies have shown that antidepressants cross the placenta. What effect does this chemical exposure have on the developing fetus?
In this course, Dr. Adam Urato, a practicing OB-GYN at Tufts University School of Medicine, reviews what science has to say about that question. He details the role that serotonin plays in normal fetal development, and reviews the extensive literature, from both animal studies and human studies, that warns of potential harm to the fetus and newborn child from exposure to a drug that disrupts normal serotonin function. Dr. Urato also discusses the financial conflicts of interest that have led to a societal failure to warn pregnant women of this risk.


Over the past 48 hours, fans of Angry Birds have discovered a reveal within the game: by slinging one billion birds, fans had the chance to unlock the voice cast and get a sneak peek at the new look of the characters of the Angry Birds feature film.
Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, last year's comedy hit We're the Millers) will lead the cast as Red, a bird with a temper problem. Josh Gad, in his first animated role since the global smash hit Frozen, plays speedy Chuck, and Danny McBride (This is the End, Eastbound & Down) portrays the volatile Bomb. Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) has joined the pork side, Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, The Maya Rudolph Show) will play Matilda, and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, X-Men: Days of Future Past) will play the legendary Mighty Eagle.
In the supporting roles, Keegan-Michael Key (Comedy Central's Key & Peele), Kate McKinnon (Emmy nominee forSaturday Night Live), Tony Hale (Emmy winner for Veep, Arrested Development), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, The Mindy Project), Hannibal Buress (Broad City, Neighbors), Cristela Alonzo (ABC's upcoming Cristela), Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Grammy nominee and Latin music sensation Romeo Santos, and YouTube stars Smosh (Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla), who have over 30 million YouTube subscribers, will bring an extra kick to this angry flock.
"We heard limbs and dialogue were all the rage in modern animation so we went all in. Not just one, but all of our characters have legs and wings! Except for the pigs, that is," added Blanca Juti, Chief Marketing Officer of Rovio.
The upcoming movie marks Rovio's first foray into feature films, although fans have already been introduced to the Angry Birds world with the weekly Angry Birds Toons animated series. Rovio launched the series last year through its Angry Birds game, as well as on select video-on-demand channel providers, Smart TVs, connected devices, and on select TV networks around the world. Paving the way for a full-length feature film, Angry Birds Toons has been a massive success for Rovio and has surpassed more than three billion views in its first 18 months.
Set to debut in the US on July 1, 2016, Angry Birds is directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis, produced by John Cohen and Catherine Winder, and executive produced by Mikael Hed and David Maisel. The film is written by Jon Vitti. The film, which will be distributed globally by Sony Pictures, is produced by Rovio, and the Academy Award®-winning visual effects and animation company Sony Pictures Imageworks, headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., is the animation facility for the production.


The Garden Well was founded in October of 2017 by Melbourne based artist and animator Matthew Petrak. Matthew done freelance work in the Australian games scene for a few years, some notable project include additional art and animation for Mallow Drops (including a PAX Pinnny design!), the branding for Queerly Represent Me, and has also done a lot of contract art direction work for yet to be released games. The Garden Well was made to be a home to Matthew's games. The flagship game, Tala, is an explorational puzzle game that combines traditional animation techniques and nature photography.
There are far more images available for The Garden Well, but these are the ones we felt would be most useful to you. If you have specific requests, please do contact us!


If Baby becomes comfortable on his tummy, after some weeks he'll start to try to move around. He may first roll, push back, and then possibly pivot around his belly button. Then he tries to move forward. He becomes interested in things he can see that are out of his reach. As his arm reaches out, his foot on that side pushes. As he slides forward on his belly, his weight shifts to his opposite side allowing him to reach out his other arm which triggers the leg on that side to push.
Belly crawling is basic and simple, and is also amazing and complex. It never needs to be perfect yet most babies, from the healthiest to the challenged, benefit from a little assistance as they effort for successful belly crawling.
The whole family is watching, waiting and working for belly crawling to happen. It's a big step in Baby's development because he begins to make a flood of new connections between his brain halves when he does this movement. Sometimes Baby will be frustrated when he tries to move. This frustration is often the thing that opens the door for his first pushes forward.
In the first two videos, the viewer sees the typical efforts of belly crawling in a 5-month old who has been working at it for weeks. In the third video, we meet a 10-month old girl, who was born small and has some muscle spasticity; she's also working on belly crawling.
I hope you enjoy these beautiful children and their wonderful parents.


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By Deron Wagner | March 15, 2010
Stocks gapped higher on the open, sold off to parity shortly thereafter, then flat-lined through the rest of the day. It was a rather uneventful finish to a solid week of gains. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were unchanged, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher. The small-cap Russell 2000 slipped 0.1% and the S&P Midcap 400 gained 0.2%. All the major indices closed near the middle of their tight intraday ranges. For the week, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.8%, the S&P 500 1.0%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.6%.
Turnover was mixed. Total volume in the NYSE was 7% greater than the previous day's level. Trading in the Nasdaq eased 4%. In both exchanges, volume was below 50-day average levels. Across the board, declining volume fractionally exceeded advancing volume. Overall, the session was quite a snoozer.
For about the past eight months, the financial industry has generally shown relative weakness to the main stock market indexes. The laggard performance in financials has been one of the weakest points of the broad market's year-old rally. However, the sector really perked up last week, causing many financial ETFs to break out above long-standing levels of horizontal price resistance. If those breakouts in the financial ETFs hold up in the coming days, it could greatly benefit the S&P 500, which is heavily weighted by financial stocks. The S&P Financial SPDR (XLF), a popular ETF proxy for the overall financial arena, closed at its highest level of the past five months. On the weekly chart, XLF set its highest weekly close of the past eighteen months. The breakout is shown below:
With the KBW Capital Markets SPDR (KCE), which we bought on February 26, we already have one position in the financial sector. However, at the time of entry, we only bought a HALF position of KCE, as we wanted to see more price confirmation before assuming the standard risk. Since then, KCE has performed well, trending steadily higher since breaking out above resistance of its five-month downtrend line. As such, we're now looking to add to the position on a pullback to support. The 20 and 50-day moving averages, as well as the prior downtrend line, have now become new support, so a pullback to that area is an ideal point to buy additional shares (or start a new position if the original entry was missed). If the pullback doesn't come, the formation of a tight "bull flag" pattern would also be ideal. The pullback zone of support is shown on the daily chart of KCE below:
This week, we'll be paying attention to the price action of the euro, which has been in a steady decline against the U.S. dollar since December of 2009. On Friday, the euro gapped up to close above resistance of its 20-day exponential moving average. For short-term momentum traders, this could present a possible buying opportunity for a multi-day pop. However, we're more interested in the possibility of initiating a new, intermediate-term short position when the euro rallies into major resistance of its 50-day moving average. The action in the euro is represented in the daily chart of CurrencyShares Euro Trust (FXE), shown below:
If FXE rallies above last Friday's high, it will move above resistance of its three-month downtrend line, annotated by the dashed blue line on the chart above. Above that lies key resistance of its 50-day moving average (the teal line). If FXE makes it to the 50-day MA, it will be the first touch of that pivotal moving average since the current downtrend began. If the chart of FXE was flipped upside down, and it was now in the process of pulling back to support of its 50-day MA, it would provide an ideal buying opportunity because the first pullback to the 50-day MA of a strongly trending ETF usually leads to a resumption of the dominant uptrend. In a downtrend, it's the same situation, in that the first rally into the 50-day MA provides an ideal entry point for an intermediate-term short position. Of course, timing is the key, as FXE could easily probe several percent above its 50-day MA, running stops, before it sees the resumption of selling pressure. As such, we've now begun monitoring the price action of FXE, but it's too early to consider a detailed entry point right now.
Speaking of flipping the chart of FXE upside down, the inversely correlated ProShares UltraShort Euro (EUO) gives nearly that exact picture. Take a look:
Because of the daily rebalancing of their portfolio of derivatives, most of the leveraged "short ETFs" have the disadvantage of significantly underperforming their underlying benchmark indexes in the intermediate to long-term. As such, we're more inclined to sell short FXE, rather than buying EUO, if the trade meets our entry criteria. Nevertheless, traders who have a non-marginable cash account, such as an IRA, may be inclined to buy EUO if we sell short FXE. There's a slight disadvantage, but unlike other leveraged "short ETFs," there has not been a huge amount of portfolio underperformance with EUO. Notice, for example, that EUO closed at support of its uptrend line, just as FXE closed at resistance of its downtrend line. Over the next week, we'll keep subscribers updated regarding the possibility of a euro ETF short entry. We also continue to monitor iShares Xinhua China 25 (FXI) for potential re-entry if it breaks out above the downtrend line shown in our March 12 commentary.
With the broad market rather extended in the short-term, we're now in pullback buying mode for most domestic ETFs (such as KCE). However, we're also monitoring FXI for re-entry on a breakout above its four-month downtrend line. There may also be select opportunities in other emerging markets ETFs, such as iPath India Index (INP), which has been in a tight consolidation for the past week. If any ETFs on our radar screen trigger our criteria for entry, we'll promptly send an Intraday Trade Alert with details. Nevertheless, most ETFs are not presently trading at levels that provide a positive reward-risk ratio.
Daily Performance Report:
Below is an overview of all open positions, as well as a performance report on all positions that were closed only since the previous day's newsletter. Net P/L figures are based on the $50,000 Wagner Daily model account size. Changes to open positions since the previous report are listed in red text below. Please review the Wagner Daily Subscriber Guide for important, automatic rules on trigger and stop prices.
Having trouble seeing the position summary graphic above? Click here to view it directly on your Internet browser instead.
Since we currently have only a half position of KCE, we're now monitoring for a pullback to support. At that time, we will consider adding additional shares, ideally around the $36.25 to $36.50 area.
Reminder to subscribers – Intraday Trade Alerts to your e-mail and/or mobile phone are normally only sent to indicate a CHANGE to the pre-market plan that is detailed in each morning's Wagner Daily. We sometimes send a courtesy alert just to confirm action that was already detailed in the pre-market newsletter, but this is not always the case. If no alert is received to the contrary, one should always assume we're honoring all stops and trigger prices listed in each morning's Wagner Daily. But whenever CHANGES to the pre-market stops or trigger prices are necessary, alerts are sent on an AS-NEEDED basis. Just a reminder of the purpose of Intraday Trade Alerts.
For those of you whose ISPs occasionally deliver your e-mail with a delay, make sure you're signed up to receive our free text message alerts sent to your mobile phone. This provides a great way to have redundancy on all Intraday Trade Alerts. Send your request to [email protected] if not already set up for this value-added feature we provide to subscribers.
Click here for your free 1-month trial to Morpheus Trading Group's other trading newsletters.
MTG Founder and Head Trader


BEMERTON St John Primary School has become the first school in Wiltshire to be awarded the silver RE Quality Mark (REQM) for its teaching.
The award recognises quality teaching and learning in religious education.
The school took part in a number of RE projects through the year – working with Salisburybased Christian group Bridge and Salisbury Cathedral.
Art, drama and cookery were used to bring RE to life for pupils.
Special events were also organised, including a visit to Hilfield Friary near Dorchester, where the children built dens in the woods and learned about sacred spaces.
The school also took part in a project with Bishop Wordsworth School, where sixth form students taught RE lessons in local primary schools.
Headteacher Alun Richards said: "We are extremely pleased to be given this award. To us it is a bench mark to check if the quality of RE in our school is good or better.
The primary school was also the first school in the Diocese of Salisbury to be awarded the accolade.
RE co-ordinator at Bemerton St John Primary School Jane Kelly said: "The children loved working with puppets and playing parachute games, as well as being challenged to think more deeply about Christian beliefs.
The primary school has its sights set on obtaining the gold award.


New West Theatre goes country for an unusually timed February musical-revue show.
Director Jeremy Mason is excited to return to New West Theatre to direct Rockers Gone Country, Feb. 6-23 at the Yates Theatre.
" It's definitely a country show, but it's country with a rock influence. Everybody will find something to enjoy about this, even of they don"t classify themselves as a country fan," Mason said.
"Each of the artists have had some crossover success," Mason continued.
" A lot of country has a rock influence," he continued, adding musicians featured include Shania Twain, Alan Jackson, The Dixie Chicks and even Roy Orbison. Plus much more.
" We 're also doing things like "Blue Moon of Kentucky, but John Fogerty's version of it. And We're doing Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory," which was the theme of the western 'Young Guns,"mason said.
Newcomer Bryanna Rae joins New West mainstays Erica Hunt and Kathy Zaborsky on stage.
"There's great vocals and great costumes," Mason said adding he is excited to be back in the saddle, so to speak.
" It's exciting to come back and direct a show and look at it with fresh eyes and fun ideas," he said.
" It's a musical comedy revue, which we don't usually do in February," said Mason, noting everyone is sure to find something they like in the show.
As usual there will be a lot of comedy.
" We're at the stage where we have a glut of comedy to choose from," he continued.
Visually, they are moving away from the stereotypical hillbilly look and moving towards a more contemporary country look.
" We're staying away from rhinestones and going with costumes we think may play a little better with local audiences," he continued.
"The show is going to be a fun winter pick me up," he promised.
The show runs at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 6-9, 12-16 and 19-23.


Moments after holding the door to let three piano-toting movers into our apartment building, my piano, upright at a 45-degree angle, began a 40-stair ascent. As the movers rounded the first bend in the staircase, the silence was broken by shrill commands as they expertly moved my hefty antique upright to its new home.
Moving into a unit on the third floor of a building with no elevator meant finding piano movers who could safely deliver one of my most precious possessions — a gift from my parents on my 12th birthday. In the weeks after settling into the apartment, as I furnished my new digs, I never felt quite settled without my piano.
I can thank a decade's worth of piano lessons, a Saturday morning staple throughout my childhood, for that feeling of familiarity. I only ended the lessons when I entered university and no longer had the time for daily practice.
From a young age, playing the piano showed me the beauty of self-expression. An ability to create sounds that can capture the full gamut of emotions in the human experience is a gift, one that I enjoyed most when shared with others.
I'd play for family, for friends and even for my Siberian Husky, who'd cozy up next to me whenever I was banging out a tune.
Springtime as a piano student usually meant a series of competitions, most often solo but sometimes as part of a duet. I was a student of the Suzuki method of piano playing, a teaching style based on the premise that, in the same way children learn language, they can learn to play a musical instrument through listening, imitation and repetition. I felt most at ease playing a song once the piece was memorized.
Strange as it may sound, the night before a competition I would usually turn off all the lights, sit down at the piano and play in the dark to make sure I was really feeling the music.
Recently, feeling nostalgic during a practice session, I busted out some of the songbooks that I used years ago in competitions. Flipping through the pages, I got to thinking: Is the piano on the decline?
Enthusiasm for the piano seems to have waned in the era of the video game. But the instrument is still being sold in relatively large numbers, said Jamie Musselwhite of Paul Hahn & Co., a piano business established in Toronto more than 100 years ago. "Globally, the piano market is expanding. Every year, more are being built to service this growing market." Domestically, however, fewer pianos are being made.
After years of musical inactivity, I recently dived back into playing. My piano is the same as ever, but I was surprised to learn that you can now simply use Google to find an electronic metronome over the Internet in order to keep time while playing. But that discovery was far less unsettling than learning of the most recent piano-related innovation — the electronic, self-playing piano.
An article last month in the newspaper USA Today highlighted the popularity of a Steinway piano called the Spirio, which actually plays itself. Purchasers of this piano — which start at around $125,000 — get an iPad that comes with a mobile app loaded with about 1,700 songs. You just pick a song, sit back and watch the keyboard come to life as it plays the selection perfectly.
That's something my younger self would have given anything for in order to get through those Saturday morning piano lessons I hadn't always practised for. But my older self hardly sees this as progress.
As advancements go, I suppose this is novel, but launching a pre-programmed piano into a song will never beat the incredible feeling of mastering — and getting lost in — a piece of music. The piano is a work of art which has inspired the likes of Mozart and Beethoven to create music that has touched souls for generations. No matter what reinventions are dreamt up, there's just no replacing the original.
As the movers wheeled my piano safely into my new apartment, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I watched them reassemble some delicate parts that had been removed to protect them during the move. Then they reattached the lid that covers the keys. It was comforting to see my precious instrument whole again.
And comforting, too, to know that as I put down new roots I could bring some old ones with me.
Turmeric's main ingredient is curcumin. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
Like it or not, what we choose to put into our bodies on a daily basis has a direct impact on the quality of life we'll enjoy down the road. That is to say, it turns out your mom wasn't just trying to hassle you when she insisted you finish eating your spinach before you left the dinner table.
Having decided to take a more proactive approach to my health for these very reasons, I've drastically changed my diet over the past couple of months — striving to choose foods that offer optimal nutrition whenever possible.
Given that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, shifting our mindset to view the foods we eat as being meant to nourish us and fuel our health is good for body, mind and soul. Why? Because healthy foods provide us with the gift of well-being over the long-term — including increased energy and mood, which no doubt can affect the spiritual life — while processed foods laced with sugar and salt only give us satisfaction in the moment.
Hard as change may be, the good news is that we do have the power to alter our habits. After all, in this case, it can be as easy, or as hard, as a trip to the grocery store.
On a recent shopping excursion to pick up brown rice flour — instead of the usual white flour for baking — I was faced with a wall of 20 different types of flour at a local grocery store. "I've never seen this many different types of flour in my life," I remarked to a women scanning the copious selection beside me. "It's overwhelming, isn't it?" she responded.
In any case, healthy eating leaves lots of room for creativity — and a wide array of new flavours and new learnings. For example, kombucha, a fermented, somewhat sweetened tea, is not the same thing as kombu, an edible form of kelp often used to enhance the nutritional composition of broth.
• Write out a grocery list based on particular meals you want to cook so that you don't succumb to your every whim while shopping.
• Commit to being at peace with not eating meat every single day; opt for leaner meats.
• When snacking, consider goodies with nutritional value, not just reduced salt or sugar.
All in all, moderation is key. Food is a huge blessing and is meant to be enjoyed, so there's nothing wrong with indulging once in a while. As long as we're not metaphorically slaughtering the fatted calf on a continual basis, this investment in health is sure to pay dividends.
Being continually busy is the norm, and finding time to do absolutely nothing but sit back, relax and be still is a novel concept. But hard as it may be to find time for stillness, it's a practice that can be used to increase our focus and direction — and to build a deeper connection with God in our lives.
Travel writer Pico Iyer is an expert on staying busy and being still.
Iyer would know — he's made a life of travelling the world. It was through his habit of movement that he found himself a visitor at a Benedictine monastery in California, where he first engaged in the pursuit of stillness. He's since visited more than 80 times and has found a silence that has enriched his life.
Society's collective need for downtime has surfaced through a travel trend called "silence tourism." According to an article published last summer in Condé Naste Traveler, "being quiet is the newest adventure trend" as people flock to vacation destinations that promise a digital detox from the demands of a 24/7 culture.
There's science behind the claim that silence — a key to stillness — is beneficial to health. In 2011, a World Health Organization report called noise pollution the "modern plague." The report found overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population.
Aside from the myriad spiritual benefits, the Canadian Christian Meditation Community's website lists a wide array of associated health benefits, including: improved attention, lower blood pressure, a boosted immune system, reduced anxiety and depression and improvement in coping strategies and emotional processing.
To meditate, sit upright and breathe calmly. Then, close your eyes and in your mind and heart repeat the Aramaic word "Maranatha." It's an ancient Christian prayer word that means, "Come, Lord Jesus." While you do this, pay particular attention to your breathing and listen to the sound of the mantra (to be recited as four syllables).
It may sound easy — after all, you are kicking back and relaxing — but in practice it's not that straightforward. Even after multiple attempts, I still found it difficult. It feels counterintuitive to sit still in silence and let your thoughts pass by. But keeping up the practice has led me to moments of much-needed tranquility.
Christian meditation is essentially the discipline of finding time and training yourself to be still, which, in turn, helps focus your thoughts on God — even if it's just for a few minutes a day. Cutting through the external noise is the first step, but there is also internal noise and distractions that can be just as loud.
Praying the rosary is another tried and true method for becoming still and connecting with God. Praying the rosary in the silence of your home is one option, or you might try putting your rosary in your pocket and taking it on a walk with you, swapping your headphones for the decades of the rosary.
There are many ways to achieve stillness but they all require much self-control. But it's definitely a worthy pursuit as a means to counter the distractions and overstimulation that is part of daily living.
Spending more time with family, making forgiveness a habit and being less judgmental could help you make good on one of the most popular 2018 New Year's resolutions.
According to U.S.-based pollster Marist, "being a better person" was rated a top lifestyle change our American neighbours hope to make over the coming year. Among the many ways we can improve our behaviour — in order to be become a better citizen of the world while also showing some self-care — is to develop a healthier relationship with social media and, by extension, our distraction-inducing smartphones. Without a doubt, getting a handle on our collective addiction to social media will help on the journey to being the best versions of ourselves.At its best, social media helps us connect with our community, stay informed of current events, advance professional interests and affect change. For example, we've recently seen social media serving as a platform for social good through the ongoing #MeToo campaign. It has empowered victims of sexual harassment and violence to share their stories and hold predators to account.
But at its worst, social media can be a battleground for cyber-bullying, a constant distraction that can harm family life and work habits, a platform to encourage narcissism (the chronic selfie poser) and, in some cases, even cause depression and anxiety.
We can pretend that a compulsion to check our phones constantly is normal — but it's not. According to recent research, Americans check their phones for updates every 12 minutes. That's 80 times per day for someone who sleeps eight hours. I suspect I'm like many Canadians who match that statistic, reaching for my phone unconsciously throughout the day, every day.
This is no coincidence. Social media was created to be addictive. Former Facebook president Sean Parker admitted as much in an interview last November.
"The thought process that went into building these applications … was all about: How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?" he said. "And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post.
So how do we reap the benefits of social media and the convenience of smartphones without compromising our well-being and relationships? According to Yvan Mathieu, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, to better navigate the interwebs we need to apply principles of Christian life and keep in mind the first and second commandments — love of God and love of neighbour.
While it's valid to argue that social media lets us connect with family and friends who live far away, we need to be honest with ourselves and understand how this means of communication, instead of helping us get closer to loved ones, often makes us feel isolated, he adds.
As we establish our priorities in the new year, we should make sure social media takes a back seat. I know I will. And if I fail, I can always turn off my wi-fi.
Rome, the capital city of Italy, is a hub of history, culture and business. The fourth-most-populous city in the European Union, it boasts 2.87 million inhabitants, with its greater metropolitan area home to upward of 4.3 million.
The Eternal City's economy is diverse, with thriving technology, communications, commerce and service sectors, including tourism. Most of Rome's employers are part of the service sector. One of the biggest employers is the government, as many of its agencies and ministries are located in the city.
Tourism, however, is the leading industry in the city's economy, attracting millions of visitors annually. As well, Rome is a popular site for conferences and trade fairs; with venues capable of accommodating 40,000 visitors, it boasts the largest site of such events in Europe.
This year, the Italian economy will grow by 1.4% — its strongest performance in a decade. Rome's importance is further underscored by the fact that, in 2015, its labour productivity was 20% higher than in the rest of the country.
The following etiquette points have been taken from the Government of Canada website for the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.
1. Close encounters. Italians feel comfortable standing closer together than the normal North American distance of two feet. Don't back away.
2. Avoid controversial topics. Subjects to steer clear of include religion, politics and the Second World War.
As well, keep in mind that it can be considered insulting to ask someone you have just met at a social gathering about his or her profession.
3. Be aware of the Company's internal structure. Corporations in Italy often have a horizontal chain of authority. Italians call it a cordata (a team of mountain climbers on the same rope). To facilitate business, one should have a reliable contact who has full knowledge of the company's inner workings.
4. Take your time. Negotiating is often lengthy. A sense of urgency can weaken your bargaining position.
5. Business entertaining. Italian hospitality often means dining in a restaurant. No matter how you feel, refusing an invitation will offend.
6. Look the part. In the business world, good clothes are a badge of success. Women dress with quiet, expensive elegance while men stick to suits and ties.
1. On global data organization Numbeo's cost of living index, Rome ranked 147th out of 511 cities surveyed.
2. Amazon is currently investing heavily in Italy — with a 60,000-sq.-m. "fulfillment centre" underway near Rome, forecasted to create 1,200 permanent jobs within several years.
1. Know the lingo. Those at larger companies speak English, while local businesspeople and wholesalers will often need an interpreter.
2. City tax. All hotels in Italy now charge a city tax, which varies. The fee is added to your total and it ranges from three euros per night per person for one- or two-star hotels to seven euros per night for five-star establishments.
It is shocking to learn that $31 billion worth of food is wasted in Canada every year. Looked at another way, what Canadians throw away is enough to feed one quarter of the world's 800,000 hungry people, according to the United Nations.
We are a wasteful nation. About 40 per cent of food produced nationally is thrown into the garbage, according to the Toronto Food Policy Council. Half of this waste is due to shortsighted habits of consumers.
For instance, the baby spinach packaged in the too-big container I didn't get around to finishing, or the bananas that became slightly too ripe for my liking. That may not sound like much, but a little bit wasted every day adds up to a lot of waste over the weeks and months.
How much waste? Canadian households waste, on average, $28 worth of food each week. That's almost $1,500 per household, almost enough to feed eight starving people for an entire year, the U.N. tells us.
Pope Francis has said that "throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and hungry." He makes a sobering point as, locally, food bank usage is on the rise, helping more than 850,000 Canadians every month, according to a study from Food Banks Canada.
While food waste happens all along the food supply chain (from suppliers to retailers to consumers), it's important to be conscious of the waste that each of us is personally responsible for — and to work to reduce it. As Laudato Si' reminds us, we are called to be stewards of the Earth, not reckless consumers.
This tip can be modified easily to help reduce food waste whenever it looks as if you're going to have groceries that won't get used up. If you have too much food, make plans to share it with those less fortunate. Locally, the Good Shepherd Ministries runs a "Provide-a-Meal" program in which volunteers commit to donating one casserole per month. Over the course of the year, that adds up to more than 100,000 main course servings.
Given how organizations harvest data from our online activities like there's no tomorrow, you would think that privacy concerns are a thing of the past. That's not the case: how personal information is handled remains a contentious area that is far from resolved.
As an industry insider, Mitchell Merowitz says there's a way that this tension point can be eased, but only if organizations accept and address the bigger picture.
"People are talking about privacy and data but, at the same time, they either don't understand it or are not taking accountability for it," says Merowitz, vice-president of corporate affairs at LoyaltyOne, a firm that designs and implements coalition loyalty programs, customer analytics, and loyalty services for global clients.
Merowitz knows about privacy. In addition to being responsible for corporate reputation and regulatory and legislative affairs, he spends a good deal of time on global privacy practices, overseeing the company's database governance and international consumer privacy and data protection policies.
As far as Merowitz is concerned, organizations need to transform the way they think about privacy and data. "The way we do that is by focusing on culture," he told attendees at a culture of analytics conference organized by the Scotiabank Centre for Customer Analytics at Smith School of Business.
Privacy is not only a business imperative, Merowitz says, but a social imperative as well. He says data leadership should be vested in C-Suite executives who are directly accountable to internal and external stakeholders. His rationale is simple: this governance model would better resonate with individuals and marketplaces, and essentially re-frame data privacy in aspirational terms rather than a matter of compliance or risk.
"If we transitioned from a protective and defensive environment and we talked about data and privacy in such a way as to further individual interests, societal goals, and objectives, we'll take individual accountability and interest in data to the next level. We need to think proactively and positively." Merowitz outlines three additional principles that should be at the core of a new and sustainable approach to customer data privacy.
you have to walk alone, thanks to the support of bereavement ministries.
Through the Ministry of Consolation and Hope, bereavement ministers provide support by attending the vigil services and funeral and helping the family with the funeral reception. Post-funeral, the ministers — most often those who have also experienced the death of a loved one — send out cards, make phone calls, meet with individuals needing support, organize liturgies of remembrance and prayer services, offer bereavement support groups and even make referrals, when necessary.
The ministry is set up at the parish level, so programs will vary, said Amaral. The Office of Formation for Discipleship provides training to ministers based on the Order of Christian Funerals, which equips them with the tools and information to offer effective and compassionate support.
In addition to helping those grieving, these ministers also support pastors and priests.
Another source of support is New Beginnings, a ministry of Catholic Family Services (cfstoronto.com) that helps those dealing with loss because of death, separation or divorce. Its bereavement ministry encourages the formation of parish-based peer support groups by providing resources, training and ongoing support.
New Beginnings also offers retreats and hosts a series of seminars and inspirational talks. "This is a time to receive new insights and coping strategies to help live life more effectively," added Lopechuk.


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Home Actresses Edie Falco Biography, Husband, Kids and Net Worth: All You Need To...
Edie Falco Biography, Husband, Kids and Net Worth: All You Need To Know
If you have been following either The Sopranos or Nurse Jackie, the characters you have definitely loved are Carmela Soprano and Jackie Peyton, both played by Edie Falco. Falco is an American actress who has been acting since 1987 and has received many awards, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes. Here you can learn all about her.
Edie Falco Biography
Edie Falco, of Swedish and Italian descent, was born on July 5, 1963, in New York City, New York, as Edith Falco. Her parents were both active in the entertainment industry. While her mother, Judith Anderson, was an actress, her father, Frank Falco, was a jazz drummer. Furthermore, her uncle, Edward Falco, is a poet and playwright.
Falco grew up with three siblings in various places, including Long Island, Hicksville, and West Islip. For her education, she attended Northport High School, which she graduated from, and then went to the State University of New York at Purchase, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting.
Eddie Falco began acting in plays as a child, but professionally her first role was in Sweet Lorraine (1987), followed by The Unbelievable Truth and Sidewalk Stories (1989). She then starred in many films, including The Land of Steady Habits and Viper Club in 2018. Her first television production was in The Sunshine Boys (1996), followed by Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order. There are also a number of stage productions in which the versatile actress has starred, including This Wide Night (2010) and The House of Blue Leaves (2011).
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With a career that can easily be described as very successful, Edie has won a number of awards, including the Television Critics Association Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Satellite Awards.
Looking at her professional life, she seems to have found herself on a slippery slope, but also on the rough paths when it comes to her personal life. In the past, she struggled with alcohol, but more than that, she struggled with breast cancer after she was diagnosed in 2003.
Husband And Kids
In case you wonder who the star of the Sopranos is married to, she has never been married. As she revealed, even if this is not conventional, she is very happy with her life because she does not have to deal with the kind of arguments and problems that married couples have.
However, the actress said that she wants love in her life, but that she has had enough of it from her family. What seems to affect her perception of marriage is her experience with her parent's marriage, which had many problems before it later ended in divorce. Moreover, she hasn't seen many marriages that turned out to be great, so she hasn't seen any reason to get married. However, she has had several relationships in the past, including with Stanley Tucci from 2003 to 2004 and with Bill Sage in 2009.
Although she never had a husband, Falco has two adopted children. She adopted Anderson in 2005 and in 2008 she adopted Macy.
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Edie Falco Net Worth
A woman who has worked in Hollywood for many years and has won many awards both on screen and on stage, it will be very easy to say that Edie Falco has made her full contribution. She has an estimated net worth of $40 million for her hard work.
All You Need To Know About Edie Falco
As she grew up, her parents divorced, and this, coupled with other experiences, would lead her to not be a fan of marriage in her later life.
The most important things in her life are her children, her family, her friends, and her religion – Buddhism.
Eddie found herself a Buddhist after joining a class that had the message "Learn to Meditate". She joined the class, and with that began her journey as a Buddhist.
Her biggest surprise in life is to become a successful actress because she was a waitress and also had some smaller jobs.
She is vegan.
Falco is a bit political and believes strongly that Donald Trump will be removed from the office.
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In Pennsylvania on the East Coast of U.S. sits the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is home to much of the U.S.'s founding history and the foodie-famous Philly cheesesteak. Jet off to Philly on Aer Lingus's Manchester to Philadelphia flight. Running four times a week from Manchester Airport, the flight stops off in Dublin where you're cleared through US customs and then straight on to Philadelphia so you can get exploring as soon as you land.
Close to Macy's and the Liberty Bell, this 4-star hotel's central location makes it the perfect hub from which to explore the city on foot. Set inside Philadelphia's first skyscraper, the Loews Hotel is topped by a red neon sign saying 'PSFS' (Philadelphia Saving Fund Society), a reminder of the building's former days as a bank.
Come here for a slice of Philly's foodie history! For over 70 years, Campo's has been rustling up one of the best cheesesteaks in Philly. To us Mancs that's thinly sliced rib eye steak, sautéed onions and hot peppers topped with your choice of cheese.
This Mexican restaurant is an Insta-lovers paradise. With colourful tiles, plenty of plants and neon signs, as well as perfectly presented tacos and made-to-order tortillas, you're sure to come away with some envy-inducing snaps. Look out for Mission Taqueria's ticketed monthly TACOLAB – one-night-only menus from guest chefs based in Philly.
Combining country and cosmopolitan, Urban Farmer is a modern steakhouse that's popular with locals and tourists alike. Their breakfasts are great way to fuel up for a big day of exploring. We recommend their buttermilk pancakes with strawberry rhubarb preserve and Pennsylvania maple syrup.
Delve into North American political history and visit the room where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed. All visitors are taken on a guided tour of the first floor of Independence Hall. You need a ticket between March and December, but entry is always free. Tours operate roughly every 20 minutes so there's no need, so you can turn up anytime between 9am and 5pm.
Opposite Independence Hall stands this world-famous symbol of freedom. Today, the bronze bell is displayed in a glass chamber showcasing its iconic crack and inspiring inscription 'Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof'. Don't expect to hear this bell ring freely, no one living today has heard it but there are plenty of exhibits about its history and myths surrounding it, and best of all entry is free.
Made famous by the Rocky films when Rocky runs up the museum steps, this arty spot is a must-visit. Get a glimpse of world-famous paintings by Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh, including his legendary Sunflowers. Make sure to save time to check out the Rodin building dedicated entirely to the works of the famous sculpture best known for 'The Thinker'. Don't forgot to do your best Rocky impression and dash up the steps yourself!
We loved Philly's chilled out atmosphere but if you fancy experiencing the bustle of the Big Apple then Amtrak offers a speedy train service to New York City. A return ticket from 30th's Street Station to NCY costs around $80. Philadelphians often travel this route to head into the city for drinks or to catch a gig at Madison Square Garden.


Thor Announces Closing of The Acquisition of African Star | Thor Explorations Ltd.
Thor Explorations Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:THX) ("Thor" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced transaction (the "Transaction") of all of the issued and outstanding shares of African Star Resources Incorporated ("African Star") from the shareholders of African Star (the "Vendors"), through the issuance to the Vendors of 16,745,795 common shares of Thor. African Star is a party to an option agreement (as described below) pursuant to which it has the option to acquire a 70% interest in the Douta Gold Project, located in southeast Senegal.
Contemporaneously, the Company has issued 894,624 Thor common shares to the Lender of a bridge loan of US$520,000 between African Star and an undisclosed arm's length third party, as consideration for advancing the bridge loan. In addition, the Company issued 251,187 Thor common shares as a finder's fee to a finder on closing of the Transaction.
All of the securities issued on closing are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on December 13, 2011.
The Company is also pleased to announce that Mr. Olusegun Lawson has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, in place of Mr J. Stephen Barley, who has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of Thor effective as of the date hereof.
Mr. Lawson holds a Bachelor of Science from the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College (UK) with Honours in Geology, and has a Master of Business Administration (Business and Finance) from Cass Business School. Mr Lawson has most recently served as an officer of African Star Resources Incorporated assisting with financing, corporate and business development activities. Mr Lawson is also currently a director of Argento Exploration (UK) Limited. Prior to this, Mr Lawson had extensive transaction experience at Noble & Company, in the Oil and Gas corporate finance areas, and also experience at Premier Oil in identifying and negotiating new West African opportunities. Mr Lawson has also established a strong network in West Africa and in the City of London, United Kingdom.
The Company is also pleased to announce that Mr Gareth Northam has been appointed as director of the Company and as Chief Operating Officer.
Mr Northam holds a Master of Science (Honours), from the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College (UK) with Honours in Geology. Mr Northam has also gained significant mineral resources and exploration experience while working at Rio Tinto Exploration, Southern Africa, and has a record of high-quality exploration project selection through familiarity of the mineral terrain in West Africa.
Each of the Transaction and the director and officer appointments noted above remain subject to the final approval of the TSXV.
"We are pleased to have closed this transaction as it marks an exciting opportunity for Thor to be a party to the exploration for gold and other precious metals in southeast Senegal", commented Segun Lawson, incoming President and CEO of Thor.