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Canada's Pensions Bet on Industrial Innovation?
By Leo Kolivakis January 24, 2018
Benefits Canada reports, Ontario Teachers' invests in energy storage company:
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan participated in a round of financing for Stem, Inc., an artificial intelligence-powered energy storage company headquartered in California.
Activate Capital Ltd. led the $80-million investment alongside Ontario Teachers' and Singapore-based investment company Temasek Holdings. The amount put forward by Ontario Teachers' wasn't disclosed.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support the continued growth of an innovative company with a proven product like Stem," said Andrew Claerhout, Ontario Teachers' senior managing director for infrastructure and natural resources, in a press release.
"Ontario Teachers' foresees that more investment is needed in the transition to a low carbon electricity system and expects that batteries will play a key role in the transition and in making the electric grid more sustainable. Ontario Teachers' will support Stem's growth by leveraging our strategic partnerships globally."
Stem has more than 1,100 sites either operational or under construction with an average system size of 500 kilowatts. Using data, analytics and energy storage techniques, the company aims to make energy consumption more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable, according to Stem's website.
"Ontario Teachers' and Temasek have combined portfolios in excess of US$300 billion across the global commercial, industrial and real estate landscape," said John Carrington, chief executive officer of Stem. "In addition, these firms bring deep relationships, a long history of investment in innovative platforms and credibility with global financial institutions. These elements will be critical in advancing our next stage of growth as we continue to lead innovation in the distributed energy industry."
According to a release from Ontario Teachers', Stem has had a strong year in Ontario and is looking to move forward with its global adjustment offering, specifically designed for the region, for use in improving the control of energy costs in manufacturing plants and industrial operations.
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan put out a release, Stem, Inc. Closes $80 Million Growth Equity Financing Round, Achieves Portfolio of 200 MWh and Executes on Second International Market:
Stem, Inc., the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered energy storage, today announced the first close of its Series D financing with an $80 million investment from a group of leading technology investors. In 2017, the company had over 1,100 sites operational or in construction with an average system size of 500 kWh, having commissioned a new energy storage system on average every two days.
The Series D was led by Activate Capital, a growth equity firm exclusively focused on companies providing innovative products and solutions across the sustainable energy and industrial technology markets.
"Activate invests in fast growing companies with exceptional management teams that are transforming industries. Stem is clearly the leader in the energy storage market, offering a powerful AI and technology platform that creates significant value to those inside their network," said Activate Capital managing director, Anup Jacob.
Activate Capital was joined by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'"), Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, and Temasek, an investment company headquartered in Singapore. "Ontario Teachers' and Temasek have combined portfolios in excess of $300B across the global commercial, industrial and real estate landscape. In addition, these firms bring deep relationships, a long history of investment in innovative platforms, and credibility with global financial institutions. These elements will be critical in advancing our next stage of growth as we continue to lead innovation in the distributed energy industry," said John Carrington, CEO of Stem, Inc.
Stem has had a strong year in Ontario, Canada, and looks to continue its momentum with its Global Adjustment offering–specifically designed for Ontario–which is ideal for large manufacturing plants and other industrial operations that seek improved control over energy costs.
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Senior Managing Director Andrew Claerhout commented, "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support the continued growth of an innovative company with a proven product like Stem. Ontario Teachers' foresees that more investment is needed in the transition to a low carbon electricity system and expects that batteries will play a key role in the transition and in making the electric grid more sustainable. Ontario Teachers' will support Stem's growth by leveraging our strategic partnerships globally."
The equity raise caps a record 2017 for Stem's growth in system count, new market expansion, and partnerships, with more announcements to come in 2018. Stem now has hundreds of systems under management across five states and three countries (US, Japan, and Canada). These systems form networks for capacity and grid services with eight utilities across North America and Tokyo Electric Power in Japan. Of the company's over 1,100 sites, 330 locations are standalone PowerMonitor controls and software for utility use. These sites provide utility customers with additional grid edge visibility and control in areas with high rooftop solar penetration.
In 2017, Stem also announced innovative bundled customer service offerings with CPower, Constellation, and Sunpower for intelligent storage, traditional demand response, and solar+storage. Also in 2017, Stem's platform, AthenaTM, the first artificial intelligence for customer-sited energy storage, was called on over 600 times to dispatch in day-ahead and real-time (five-minute) responses to the California wholesale market, helping alleviate heat wave-induced grid stress through its innovative Virtual Power Plant software technology.
"We are excited to announce that international investors like Activate Capital, Ontario Teachers', and Temasek are joining us in transforming the way energy is distributed and consumed," said John Carrington, CEO of Stem, Inc. "Our investors recognize Stem's innovative value in energy superintelligenceTM and real-time energy optimization that benefits the customer, the utility, and the grid."
About Stem, Inc.
Stem creates innovative technology services that transform the way energy is distributed and consumed. AthenaTM by Stem is the first AI for energy storage and virtual power plants. It optimizes the timing of energy use and facilitates consumers' participation in energy markets, yielding economic and societal benefits while decarbonizing the grid. The company's mission is to build and operate the smartest and largest digitally-connected energy storage network for our customers. Headquartered in Millbrae, California, Stem is directly funded by a consortium of leading investors including Activate Capital, Angeleno Group, Constellation Technology Ventures, Iberdrola (Inversiones Financieras Perseo), GE Ventures, Mithril Capital Management, Mitsui & Co. LTD., Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, RWE Supply & Trading, Temasek, and Total Energy Ventures. Visit www.stem.com for more information.
About Activate Capital
Activate Capital was founded to be the leading growth equity partner to companies providing innovative solutions across the energy, transportation and industrial technology markets. The firm partners with management teams in high growth companies and provides them with the necessary capital, resources and support to achieve their highest potential to build meaningful scale and impact. Together the Activate Principals have successfully invested over $1 billion in its target sectors, resulting in 11 IPOs and 19 exits through acquisition.
About Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with C$180.5 billion in net assets at June 30, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annualized gross rate of return of 10.1% since the Plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers.
About Temasek
Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is an investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 11 offices internationally, Temasek owns a US$197 billion portfolio as at 31 March 2017, mainly in Singapore and the rest of Asia. Our portfolio covers a broad spectrum of industries: financial services; telecommunications, media & technology; transportation & industrials; consumer & real estate; life sciences & agriculture; as well as energy & resources. Our investment activities are guided by four investment themes and the long term trends they represent: Transforming Economies; Growing Middle Income Populations; Deepening Comparative Advantages; and Emerging Champions. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg.
From Stem's website, I note the following (click on image):
As stated, Stem is a leader in pairing artificial intelligence with energy storage to help organizations automate energy cost savings and protect against changing rates.
Ontario Teachers' and its partners see long-term growth potential in this company and that's why they invested (an undisclosed amount) alongside Activate Capital who brought them this $80 million deal.
This is the key passage in Teachers' press release:
This wasn't the only deal for Canada's large pensions looking for innovative technologies in the industrial area. A much bigger deal was announced right before Christmas when two of Canada's largest pension funds bought stakes in French engineering group Fives:
Canadian pension funds Caisse de depot et placement du Québec and PSP Investments said on Friday they have bought minority stakes in Fives, an industrial engineering group based in France.
Reuters had reported earlier this month that buyout group Ardian had received binding bids for its stake in Fives and that the Canadian pension fund and private equity firm TowerBrook had both handed in offers for the minority stake.
The bids valued the French engineering group at about 1.5 billion euros ($1.78 billion), according to the Reuters report.
Ardian will remain a part of the company's new shareholding structure as a minority co-investor, according to the statement.
The buyout group had bought its 45 percent stake in the company, which is majority-owned by its management, from investor Charterhouse in 2012.
Fives, which has annual sales of 1.8 billion euros, designs and supplies machines and ready-to-work factories for the metals, automotive, aerospace, logistics and energy industries.
Financial details of the investments were not disclosed.
Details of this deal weren't discosed but there was a press release, Canadian Institutional Investors CDPQ and PSP Investments Sign an Agreement with Management and Ardian to Acquire Significant Minority Stakes in Industrial Engineering Group Fives:
La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec ("CPDQ") and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), two of Canada's largest pension investment managers, today announced a joint investment in Fives, a global industrial engineering group headquartered in France, which designs and supplies engineered machines, process equipment and production lines for the world's largest industrial players. CDPQ and PSP Investments will each acquire a significant minority stake in Fives, which will remain controlled by its management, to support the next development phase. Ardian, a world-leading investment house, will continue to be part of the new shareholding structure, as a minority co-investor.
Founded in 1812, Fives has participated in the modernization of various global industries, including steel, aluminium, cement, energy, and more recently, the automotive and aerospace industries, as well as logistics. The group's rich history is grounded in constant innovation, development of proprietary technologies, international expansion and a pioneering spirit. This enables Fives to have a comprehensive global vision of the various industries in which it operates, as well as strong expertise in the design of critical equipment and solutions for industrial processes.
Today, Fives is at the forefront of innovation, taking a leading role in the "Industry of the Future" with a unique focus and expertise in digitalisation, automation and robotics to optimize industrial processes. With a network spanning four continents, the group possesses a balanced global footprint. For the year ending December 2017, the group is expected to generate over EUR1.8 billion (CAD$2.7 billion) in sales, across North America (30%), Europe (30%), Asia (22%) and the Middle-East and Africa (18%).
This transaction offers CDPQ and PSP Investments the opportunity to become important partners, contributing to the continued development of Fives' solutions, designed to improve the overall performance of industrial plants, including the optimisation of the energy and resource efficiency and environmental footprint. The partnership with CDPQ and PSP Investments will provide Fives with the necessary resources to finance its mid- and long-term expansion plans through major growth avenues, particularly in markets like Intralogistics, as well as leverage its recently developed breakthrough technologies.
Frédéric Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer of Fives Group, said: "In the past years, with the full support of Ardian, we have invested heavily in R&D and business development, both in terms of portfolio products and geographical reach - reinforcing our leadership in our core markets and expanding our offer in adjacent booming segments such as FAW (Fully Automated Warehouse), as well as establishing AddUp, a promising platform with Michelin in metal 3D printing (additive manufacturing). Today, we are very enthusiastic to enter a new phase of our development with CDPQ and PSP Investments. Their long-term approach to investment, their deep valuable industrial insights and their strategic vision aligned with that of the management team make them ideal partners for the group, allowing Fives to take advantage, at a global scale, of the full potential of our diversified operations."
"For over 200 years, Fives' technology has changed the way the industrial world operates", said Stephane Etroy, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity at CDPQ. "We are impressed by the company's ability to continuously adapt, innovate and expand worldwide within the context of rapidly changing technological landscapes. Alongside Frederic Sanchez, his management team, and our partner PSP Investments, we look forward to contributing to the industrial advancement and improved resource efficiency through Fives."
"We are excited to team up with Fives' talented management team, led by Frédéric Sanchez, a true visionary in this sector, alongside our partners at CDPQ and Ardian," said Simon Marc, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity at PSP Investments. "The transaction is a great example of partnership with successful entrepreneurs and like-minded, long-term investors. Fives has been at the forefront of innovation since its inception and we are looking forward to supporting its growth in the next industrial revolution."
"Fives is an excellent company with a rich, unparalleled heritage," added Dominique Gaillard, CEO of Ardian France and head of Ardian Direct Funds. "As a business, it continues to go from strength to strength and its focus on industry-leading innovation, combined with its pioneering spirit, positions it well for the years to come. We have achieved great things with Fives since we first invested. CDPQ and PSP Investments are ideal partners and, alongside Ardian, will contribute significantly to its continued development."
The completion of the transaction remains subject to approval by relevant regulatory authorities.
ABOUT FIVES
As an industrial engineering Group, Fives designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for the world's largest industrials including the logistics, aluminum, steel, automotive, aerospace, cement and energy sectors. Located in over 30 countries and with nearly 8,600 employees, Fives is known for its technological expertise and competence in executing international projects. Fives' multi-sector expertise gives it a global vision of the industry which provides a continuous source of innovation. The effectiveness of its R&D programs enables Fives to design forward-thinking industrial solutions that anticipate clients' needs in terms of profitability, performance, safety and compliance with environmental standards. This strategy is backed by a human resources policy that is focused on the individual, encourages initiative-taking, technical excellence and team spirit. For more information, visit steel.fivesgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @fivesgroup or consult our LinkedIn pages.
ABOUT CAISSE DE DÉPÔT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2017, it held C$286.5 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
ABOUT PSP INVESTMENTS
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board ("PSP Investments") is one of Canada's largest pension investment managers with C$139.2 billion of net assets under management as at September 30, 2017. It manages a diversified global portfolio composed of investments in public financial markets, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources and private debt. Established in 1999, PSP Investments manages net contributions to the pension funds of Canada's federal Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Reserve Force. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, PSP Investments has its principal business office in Montréal and offices in New York and London, its European hub. For more information, visit www.investpsp.com, Twitter @InvestPSP or LinkedIn.
ABOUT ARDIAN
Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$66bn managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base. Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian's activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world. Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 490 employees working from twelve offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), North America (New York, San Francisco) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore). It manages funds on behalf of 610 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt. Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian or www.ardian.com
The key passage here:
This is a huge deal for the Caisse and PSP and having Ardian, an investment firm with US$66bn under management, as a partner and co-investor was the key to this transaction.
It's important to remember these are all long-term deals investing in companies that are leaders in their field, offering their clients cutting-edge industrial innovation. Whether it's Stem with its AI technology for energy storage or Fives which has a long history and is a leader in industrial robotics, these are both great companies offering innovative solutions to their clients.
It's also worth noting these are private market deals. Terms weren't disclosed but the advantage is Ontario Teachers' and its partners and the Caisse, PSP and its partners are able to work internally and with top funds (their partners) to add value to these great companies over the long run.
Can you invest in industrial engineering, robotics or AI in public markets? Sure you can but then you're subjected to beta and volatility. For pensions with a long investment horizon, market swings don't really matter but it makes more sense to invest in private market deals where there are more inefficiencies and they can add value (through a value creation plan) over the long run. They also have more control over these investments than investing in public market alternatives.
Below, as an industrial engineering Group, Fives designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for the world's largest industrials including the aluminium, steel, glass, automotive, aerospace , logistics, cement, energy and sugar sectors.
Also, Fives advanced and innovative technologies to automate handling and sorting in postal terminals and express-courier hubs.
Third, using interparticle compressive crushing, Rhodax® 4D is the new generation of vibrating cone crusher designed for various mineral applications. It allows for the highest reduction ratio, the highest liberation ratio, the best quality product, and the lowest wear rate.
Lastly, Soka University of America's Tom Harkenrider (Chief of Operations) and Scott Collins (Director of Operations) share their experience working with Stem and why they chose intelligent energy storage to save on utility demand charges. Soka University is a leader in sustainable operations and a recipient of the APPA Award for Excellence. Watch this clip on Stem's site here (company needs a dedicated YouTube channel, all organizations need one!).
America's Pension Shithole?
CPPIB's Big Investment in Chinese Properties?
How Scary Is The Bond Market?
The Danger of Irrational Complacency?
Ray Dalio on the Dollar, Stocks and Bonds?
APG Pushing the Limits on Factor Investing?
The 2018 Treasury Bond Bear Market?
Why the 2018 Consensus is Wrong?
Canada's Hyper-Leveraged Economy?
CPPIB Investing in UK's Housing Shortage?
Time to Take a Closer Look at Hedge Funds?
The Great Market Melt-Up of 2018?
Outlook 2018: Return to Stability?
America's Pensionless New Year?


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Alberta Teachers' Association > News and Info > ATA News > Volume 54 2019-20 > Number 9 > Failing grade
Add / Edit Section Head Image
Failing grade: Poll shows growing disapproval of government's handling of K–12 education
February 25, 2020 Jen Janzen, ATA News Staff
Public opinion polling showing that Albertans are dissatisfied with the province's handling of K–12 education should be "a wake-up call" to government, said Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling.
"Our polling results show that Albertans are concerned about the funding of public education. They see class size as an issue; they see complexities as an issue," Schilling said at a news conference on Feb. 19.
"I'm hoping [the government] will listen to Albertans and put money back into schools."
Poll shows growing disapproval of government's handling of K–12 education
The poll, conducted by Environics in December 2019 on behalf of the Association, indicates that disapproval has risen 20 percentage points between February and December of last year. It also states that more than 75 per cent of Albertans would favour more funding to reduce class sizes and provide more supports for students with additional education needs.
"Students come with a variety of learning needs that need to be addressed in class," Schilling said.
"Some have special needs, some are struggling with English as a second language, some are struggling with writing, and having a smaller class allows me as a teacher to build relationships with more one-on-one support to help their success."
With two-thirds of Albertans believing class sizes are too large, and 58 per cent saying that education is underfunded (up 11 points from February 2019), the views expressed in this survey were shared across urban and rural areas.
Schilling says the poll results should be a major red flag to the provincial government.
"There is still ample opportunity for the government to regain the confidence of Albertans by putting into place effective policy, re-establishing relationships and making appropriate investments in schools," he said.
There were 805 responses to the Environics survey, which was conducted from Dec. 4 to 19, 2019. More data from the poll is available on www.teachers.ab.ca > News and Info > News Releases. ❚

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Theatre music
Theatre club
Theatre show
Manhattan Theater Club's Morning Sun ends December 19
By: Anthony L. Wilson
In: Theatre club
The world premiere of Morning sun, by Tony winner Simon Stephens, ends its Off-Broadway release on December 19. Originally scheduled to end on December 5, the Manhattan Theater Club's production has been extended for two weeks at New York City Center – Stage I, where it opened on November 3. Previews began on October 12.
Winner Tony Blair Brown (Copenhagen, the minutes), four-time Emmy winner and Tony Edie Falco nominee (Side Man, the house of blue leaves), and candidate Tony Marin Ireland (Reasons to be pretty) plays in the play, on the intricacy and mystery of a woman's life in Greenwich Village as 50 years pass. Lila Neugebauer (The Waverly Gallery) directed.
READ: What critics thought of Simon Stephens Morning sun?
The production includes stage point design, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, and sound design by Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger, with original music by Kluger. Laura Smith serves as production manager.
Previous works by Stephens include 2015 Best Play winner Tony The curious incident of the dog during the night and Sea wall / A life. Morning sun was commissioned by MTC as part of Bank of America's New Play program.
Previous Post: History of music in the making
Next Post: Manhattan Theater Club skeleton team delay Broadway debut
MSU Theater show continues – MSU Reporter
Jim Gaffigan Adds Second Auditorium Theater Show
Manhattan Theater Club skeleton team delay Broadway debut
History of music in the making


Battle Creek stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters in a drama about two mismatched law enforcement officers whose polar opposite views of the world and crime-solving breed frustration, disdain, humor and possibly a grudging respect as they clean up the hardscrabble streets of Battle Creek, Michigan.
watch Battle Creek online free. Battle Creek streaming tv show, Full Episode. tv series online.


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Ohio gov on postponing presidential primary: 'We didn't want to put Ohioans at risk'
By Victor Garcia | Fox News
Ohio Gov. DeWine: We didn't want residents to choose between exercising their constitutional right and their health
Ohio postpones primary over coronavirus concerns; Ohio Governor Mark DeWine speaks out.
Ohio Gov. Mark DeWine defended his decision to postpone in-person voting in his state's primary election Tuesday in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, telling Fox News he didn't want residents to choose between their health and their civic duty.
"We didn't want to put Ohioans at risk. We have 35,000 poll workers that it takes to put on an election," Dewine said on "Your World with Neil Cavuto" Tuesday. "Some are older, more at-risk individuals. So this is a disease or this is a, a virus that sometimes people can't tell they have it. And so they can be a spreader without even knowing that. So having our poll workers work for 13 straight hours there just made no sense."
CORONAVIRUS: WHAT TO KNOW
"It's also a risk to all those people who are voting. So the CDC came up with the regulations the day before yesterday that said no more than 50 people in a room," DeWine added. "We couldn't even, you know, we certainly cannot conduct an election that way."
The Ohio Supreme Court declined an 11th-hour request to force the state to move forward with Tuesday's primary.
DeWine expressed concern for voters who are elderly or dealing with health issues and promised that Ohioans will get their opportunity to vote.
"We didn't want to really challenge our voters, particularly our voters who have a medical problem or our voters who are over 65 to choose between exercising their constitutional right and their health. That just doesn't make sense," DeWine said. "We can have absentee balloting go on for an extended period of time. Everybody will have the opportunity to vote that wants to. And that's that's really what we should do."
Cavuto asked if Florida, Arizona and Illinois are making a mistake by continuing to hold their elections Tuesday. DeWine declined to criticize those states but emphasized the severity of the coronavirus' impact.
"What we've learned is if you don't intervene early in this, you're going to end up like Italy is today. And that's just very, very tragic. We had a whole meeting today, a discussion about our hospitals getting ready for this," DeWine said. "And, you know, we're going to run out of equipment. We're going to run out of personal protection gear for the doctors unless we slow this down and it can't be this curve that goes straight up like they have had in Italy."
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
"We've got to sort of, you know, shut it down a little bit, spread it out, or we're going to be in the same position Italy is and we don't want to be there," DeWine added.
Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.


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Q: How to convert grades into points using pandas? My code returns an error when I run it. Why might this be so?
import pandas as pd

df1 = pd.read_csv('sample.csv')

points = [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
bins = ['X','E','D-','D','D+','C-','C','C+','B-','B','B+','A-','A']
df1['DA'] = pd.cut(df1.AA,bins,labels=points)
df1['DE'] = pd.cut(df1['BB'],bins,labels=points)
df1['CDI'] = pd.cut(df1.CC,bins,labels=points)

The error
ValueError: could not convert string to float: 'X'

EDITS
Those are student grades that I want to convert to points. Like grade A is 12 points in that order...

A: You can try using replace instead. First create a dict with the conversion you want to apply, then you can create your columns
# Sample DataFrame
df = pd.DataFrame({'AA': ['X','E','D-','D','D+','C-','C','C+','B-','B','B+','A-','A']})

# conversion dict
points = [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
grades = ['X','E','D-','D','D+','C-','C','C+','B-','B','B+','A-','A']
conversion = dict(zip(grades, points))

# applying conversion
df['DA'] = df.AA.replace(conversion)

The DataFrame will now look like:
    AA  DA
0   X   0
1   E   1
2   D-  2
3   D   3
4   D+  4
5   C-  5
6   C   6
7   C+  7
8   B-  8
9   B   9
10  B+  10
11  A-  11
12  A   12

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Grand Swiss applying for an exemption from the new restrictions in Latvia
Following the introduction of a four-week lockdown which begins on Thursday, 21st October, an application has been made to the Latvian Government for the exemption of the 2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss from the restrictions.
The organisers of the 2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss are committed to ensuring the health and safety of players and participants at the forthcoming tournament and will closely follow the measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
FIDE and the organisers would like to assure players and participants that we are doing our best to host the event in Riga in a secure and still comfortable way.


text:
Granulina guanajatabey is a species of very small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Granulinidae.

References

Granulinidae
Gastropods described in 2003

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Hitler - The Rise of Evil
Hitler - The Rise of Evil:at our store, we stock over 2000 models, so if you see the manufacturer, but not the model, don't be shy - give us a call and we will be happy to check! This 2003 made for TV miniseries is a fantastic educational biopic for learning about Hitler's childhood, young adulthood, war experiences and rise as a fascist. It dramatizes his meeting with Ernst Röhm, the Beer Hall Putsch, writing Mein Kampf in prison and other big events in his life. In other words, this film is a great educational tool. It shows the play-by-play of Hitler's life from childhood to the Night of Long Knives.The film captures Hitler--and that's the point of view of the film. Hitler is in almost every scene. Therefore, the film does not do a good job in showing the German people falling in love with him. You get a clear sense of the man's sociopathology and political tenacity/genius--but you do not get a clear perspective of why the German people were so captivated with him.It's an important film for the obvious reason: we need to understand this man so that we can better learn how to stop fascism and genocide.los angeles mall,manufacturer regenerated product,los angeles mallHitler - The Rise of Evil
Featuring a star-studded cast, this epic mini-series traces the mind of a burgeoning madman as he begins his ruthless climb to power. From his emergence out of the ashes of World War I through the birth of the Nazi Party, acclaimed actor Robert Carlyle portrays Adolph Hitler in a performance that "conveys the depths of the tyrant's evil" (San Francisco Chronicle).
Includes the Bonus Documentaries:
"Hitler and I: Reflections of Evil" (directed by David Cherniack)
"Hitler: A Career" (written and directed by Joachim C. Fest)
Had the many folks who were outraged by the very existence of Hitler: The Rise of Evil seen it before it was aired by CBS-TV in 2003, they would have realized that their fears that this three-hour miniseries would somehow paint a sympathetic portrait of the man generally regarded as the 20th Century's most irredeemable monster were unfounded. There's very little shading here. By and large, this Adolf Hitler is a wicked, vengeful, paranoid, anti-Semitic lunatic pretty much from the get-go; indeed, the opening credits aren't even over before he is revealed as an angry boy who was beaten and belittled by his father and smothered by his mother, an aspiring artist embittered by repeated rejections of his work, and an impressionable young man who was convinced that Jews were the root of all that's wrong with the world. And that's all before the role is assumed by Robert Carlyle, who dominates the proceedings thereafter with a commanding, convincing performance. Hitler: The Rise of Evil chronicles the major events leading up to his assumption of power in the mid-1930s, including his time in the trenches in World War I and fury at Germany's signing of the Treaty of Versailles; his gradual emergence as a charismatic and powerful orator and eventual dominance of the National Socialist party; his first attempted takeover of the government, which resulted in failure (and a brief stay in prison, where he wrote "i"Mein Kampf); and his eventual emergence as the all-powerful Fuhrer who devised the Final Solution and led his country into a disastrous war (the film ends in '34, several years before World War II began). It all feels true to life, if sometimes overly dramatic (the scenes in which he perfects his moustache, practices his various poses and gestures, and adopts the swastika as his symbol are like something out of the first Spider-man movie). And while various other characters, friend and foe alike, occasionally share the spotlight (the cast also includes Matthew Modine, Liev Schreiber, Julianna Margulies, Jena Malone, and Peter O'Toole), it's all about Hitler, and this handsomely-mounted miniseries, directed by Christian Duguay, is at the very least a compelling, eminently watchable effort to capture the inexplicable. Weighing in at a hefty 200-plus minutes, the bonus features (included on a second disc) are longer than the miniseries itself. They consist of Hitler: a Career, an informative 1977 documentary with ample file footage of the real Fuhrer (as good as Carlyle is, there's no way any actor can fully portray how truly scary the guy was), and "i"Hitler and I: Reflections of Evil, an unusually thoughtful "making of" doc by David Cherniack that goes well beyond the typical puffery of such items. "i"--Sam Graham


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Waning Crescent on 16 June 2039 Thursday
Moon phase on 16 June 2039 Thursday is Waning Crescent, 24 days old Moon is in Aries.
Moon phase for 16 June 2039 Thursday 12:00 UTC
Lunar calendar 2039 | June 2039
Waning Crescent is the lunar phase on 16 June 2039, Thursday . Seen from Earth, illuminated fraction of the Moon surface is 23% and getting smaller. The 24 days old Moon is in ♈ Aries.
17 June Jun
Crescent ♉ Taurus
Crescent ♊ Gemini
21* June Jun17:21
Moon* ♊ Gemini
Moon ♋ Cancer
Previous main lunar phase is the Last Quarter before 2 days on 13 June 2039 at 14:16.
Moon in ♈ Aries
Moon is leaving the last ∠2° of ♈ Aries tropical zodiac sector and will enter ♉ Taurus later.
Buck Moon after 19 days
Next Full Moon is the Buck Moon of July 2039 after 19 days on 6 July 2039 at 02:03.
New Moon in Gemini ♊ after 5 days on 21 June 2039 at 17:21
First Quarter in Libra ♎ after 12 days on 29 June 2039 at 11:17
Full Moon in Capricorn ♑ after 19 days on 6 July 2039 at 02:03
Last Quarter in Aries ♈ after 26 days on 13 July 2039 at 03:38
The Moon is 24 days old. Earth's natural satellite is moving from the second to the final part of current synodic month. This is lunation 487 of Meeus index or 1440 from Brown series.
The length of the lunation is 29 days, 15 hours and 43 minutes. It is 1 hour and 10 minutes longer than the next lunation's length. The lengths of the following synodic months are going to decreasing with the true anomaly getting closer to the value it has at the point of New Moon at perigee (∠0° or ∠360°).
The length of the current synodic month is 2 hours and 59 minutes longer than the mean synodic month length. It is 4 hours and 4 minutes shorter compared to 21st century's longest synodic month length.
Lunar orbit position on 16 June 2039 Thursday 12:00 UTC
9 days after point of perigee on 6 June 2039 at 12:01 in ♐ Sagittarius. The lunar orbit is getting widen, while the Moon is moving away from the Earth. It will keep this direction over the next 3 days, until the Moon reaches the point of next apogee on 19 June 2039 at 15:56 in ♉ Taurus.
Moon before ascending node
9 days after descending node on 7 June 2039 at 04:24 in ♐ Sagittarius. The Moon is located south of the ecliptic over the following 4 days, until the lunar orbit crosses from South to North in ascending node on 21 June 2039 at 00:51 in ♊ Gemini.
8 days since the previous standstill on 8 June 2039 at 11:24 in ♑ Capricorn when the Moon has reached South declination of ∠-24.703°, the lunar orbit is extending northward over the next 6 days to face maximum declination of ∠24.701° at the point of next northern standstill on 22 June 2039 at 16:02 in ♋ Cancer.
In 5 days on 21 June 2039 at 17:21 in ♊ Gemini the Moon is going to be in a New Moon geocentric conjunction with the Sun and thus forming the next Sun-Moon-Earth syzygy alignment.


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Пер Ялмар Лудвиг Карлесон (, 11 июля 1917 — 8 июня 2004) — шведский фехтовальщик-шпажист, призёр Олимпийских игр и чемпионатов мира.

Биография
Родился в 1917 году в Стокгольме. Начинал как пловец, в конце 1930-х годов был чемпионом Швеции в плавании на спине на дистанции 100 м. Затем сосредоточился на фехтовании. В 1947 году стал обладателем серебряной медали чемпионата мира. В 1948 году завоевал бронзовую медаль на Олимпийских играх в Лондоне. В 1949 году стал обладателем серебряной и бронзовой медалей чемпионата мира. На чемпионатах мира 1950 и 1951 годов завоёвывал бронзовые медали. В 1952 году на Олимпийских играх в Хельсинки стал обладателем серебряной медали в командной шпаге, а в личном первенстве стал 7-м. В 1954 году стал обладателем серебряной медали чемпионата мира. В 1956 году принял участие в Олимпийских играх в Мельбурне, но медалей не завоевал.

Ссылки

Фехтовальщики Швеции
Фехтовальщики на летних Олимпийских играх 1948 года
Фехтовальщики на летних Олимпийских играх 1952 года
Бронзовые призёры летних Олимпийских игр 1948 года
Серебряные призёры летних Олимпийских игр 1952 года


In FP6 there were "Financial Guidelines". In FP7 this document is replaced with the "Guide to Financial Issues". Please note that this is only a draft with many sections missing or requiring modification. However, it is an excellent document and we highly recommend you read it.
To download please click here.
Any organisation can opt for a flat rate of 20% for its initial participation in FP7 if they wish.
The organisation can then decide to upgrade and choose either the "Simplified Method" or "Actual Indirect Costs" in future participations with no penalty for past projects.
Can be used if an organisation has multiple centres or departments or only one centre or department.
If an Organisation only has the ability to calculate their total overhead costs but cannot systematically allocate actual costs per project or department or person, then they may use the "Simplified Method" for working out their overheads.
The "Simplified Method" is a universal way of calculating overheads by percentages as per the organisation's normal practice.
If an Organisation has the ability to identify and allocate their overhead costs against different projects.
As always, this method has to be as per the organisation's normal practice.
The organisation is unable to identify with certainty their real overheads per project.
The type of project they are proposing for does not cap the overhead rate.
This is very important and has major implications for SMEs.
If an Organisation currently only has the ability to calculate their total overhead costs and in order to allocate overheads to specific projects they would have to introduce methods such as the "Simplified Method", then they could initially use the Transitional Flat Rate of 60% until such methods were in place and in line with their normal accounting methods.
According to the above; SMEs that have used FCF in the past may be able to use the 60% Derogation rate.
The key is the organisation having the ability to calculate and allocate overheads to specific projects.
We are currently in discussions with the Legal Department in the Commission about this and will keep you updated.


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Webb és una població dels Estats Units a l'estat d'Iowa. Segons el cens del 2000 tenia una població de 165 habitants.

Demografia
Segons el cens del 2000, Webb tenia 165 habitants, 73 habitatges, i 44 famílies. La densitat de població era de 127,4 habitants/km².

Dels 73 habitatges en un 26% hi vivien nens de menys de 18 anys, en un 50,7% hi vivien parelles casades, en un 4,1% dones solteres, i en un 38,4% no eren unitats familiars. En el 34,2% dels habitatges hi vivien persones soles el 20,5% de les quals corresponia a persones de 65 anys o més que vivien soles. El nombre mitjà de persones vivint en cada habitatge era de 2,26 i el nombre mitjà de persones que vivien en cada família era de 2,84.

Per edats la població es repartia de la següent manera: un 25,5% tenia menys de 18 anys, un 4,2% entre 18 i 24, un 24,2% entre 25 i 44, un 23,6% de 45 a 60 i un 22,4% 65 anys o més.

L'edat mediana era de 42 anys. Per cada 100 dones de 18 o més anys hi havia 86,4 homes.

La renda mediana per habitatge era de 27.500 $ i la renda mediana per família de 31.500 $. Els homes tenien una renda mediana de 30.000 $ mentre que les dones 21.528 $. La renda per capita de la població era de 13.087 $. Entorn del 10,4% de les famílies i el 9,8% de la població estaven per davall del llindar de pobresa.

Poblacions més properes
El següent diagrama mostra les poblacions més properes.

Referències

Entitats de població del comtat de Clay (Iowa)


Sue knows how much you love to play Tetris game. That's why she prepared a new version of Tetris for you. She's throwing Tetris lines to you from top to the bottom. These lines are formed of different colourful shapes. All you have to do is being fast and using the arrows on your keyboard!


text:
Showcasing my development work, healthcare strategy, and advocacy work.

#### Copyright and License

This project was started from the Start Bootstrap template created by and maintained by **[David Miller](http://davidmiller.io/)**, Owner of [Blackrock Digital](http://blackrockdigital.io/). Copyright 2013-2016 Blackrock Digital LLC. Code released under the [MIT](https://github.com/BlackrockDigital/startbootstrap-creative/blob/gh-pages/LICENSE) license.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The humble dung beetle navigates with the help of the stars.
People have used the constellations to navigate for thousands of years. Birds and seals have been shown to find their way by the stars, too. But who would've thought the humble dung beetle had celestial navigation figured out?
Zoologists in South Africa observed dung beetles rolling their dung balls in straight lines on clear nights, but not on cloudy ones, and wondered why. For a study published in Current Biology, the researchers brought dung beetles to the Johannesburg planetarium. To determine whether the beetles were using stars to orient themselves rather than other environmental cues, the scientists projected a starry night sky onto the planetarium's ceiling. The beetles were able to roll their dung balls in straight lines. When a plain black, starless sky was projected, they roamed aimlessly.


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Scott Barbour, New Zealand
2010 Sony World Photography Awards - Winner, Sport, Professional Competition
Scott Barbour is a multi-award winning photographer. He has a wealth of experience from shooting for the world's top photographic agencies all around the world.
Barbour was born in Christchurch, New Zealand where he started his career as a photographer on a daily newspaper in Taranaki in 1996, before moving to a sports photography agency in Auckland.
In 1999 he moved to Sydney, Australia to become a staff photographer for Allsport, which was to later become a part of Getty Images. From 2002 to 2008 he was based in London as a staff photographer for Getty Images where he covered a wide variety of news, sports and entertainment assignments such as terrorism in the UK, Turkey and Pakistan, the 2005 Asian Tsunami, the British Royal family and the Olympic Games in Sydney and Athens. Since 2008 he has been based in Melbourne freelancing for clients such as Getty Images and Australian Associated Press.
He has received numerous honours and awards including:
-World Press Photo
-Winner of the Sony World Photography Awards - Sport Photographer of the Year
-Pictures of the Year International POYi (x10)
-NPPA Best of Photojournalism (x4)
-Gold Prize in the China Press Photo Contest (x3)
-Winner of the Wisden and MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year
-Winner of British, New Zealand and Australian Sports Journalism Awards
-Runner-up for the British Press Photographer of the Year award while living in London
-Walkley Awards (x2)


Amber joins the Novitas team with a solid background in working with young adults ranging 18-25 at a transitional living program in Idaho where she served as an Internship Manager and Career Development Coordinator. Over the years Amber has been employed in many different fields of education. These include, Learning Center Director & Manager, Special Education, transitional living, experiential learning, and College Prep.
Amber grew up in Idaho and truly loves the people, surrounding mountains, and outdoor recreation opportunities. She holds close to her heart any time that she can spend with her wonderful husband, 3 talented children, 4 beautiful grandchildren and extended family. If she is not at work, with family or friends you will find her on a horse, with her dog, hiking, biking or just enjoying the great outdoors and being on the go!


May's Train Wreck: How The EU Outplayed The UK In Brexit.
Boris Johnson May Be Taking On British PM May…"Unlike The Prime Minister, I Believe In Brexit".
Poland Sees Real Chance Of Ugly Brexit, May Move To Protect Poles In UK.


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Calhoun es un lugar designado por el censo ubicado en la parroquia de Ouachita en el estado estadounidense de Luisiana. En el Censo de 2010 tenía una población de 679 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 110,99 personas por km².

Geografía
Calhoun se encuentra ubicado en las coordenadas . Según la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos, Calhoun tiene una superficie total de 6.12 km², de la cual 6.12 km² corresponden a tierra firme y (0%) 0 km² es agua.

Demografía
Según el censo de 2010, había 679 personas residiendo en Calhoun. La densidad de población era de 110,99 hab./km². De los 679 habitantes, Calhoun estaba compuesto por el 92.64% blancos, el 5.74% eran afroamericanos, el 0% eran amerindios, el 0.44% eran asiáticos, el 0% eran isleños del Pacífico, el 0.88% eran de otras razas y el 0.29% pertenecían a dos o más razas. Del total de la población el 1.03% eran hispanos o latinos de cualquier raza.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Lugares designados por el censo en Luisiana
Localidades de la parroquia de Ouachita


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text:
I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL
While it's undeniable that Eric B & Rakim crafted and concocted classic after classic back in the Golden Era of the late 80's and early 90's, very few of their records could ever be classified as 'dancefloor fillers'. But that's exactly what 'I Know You Got Soul' was.
The duo's third single was released at a time when their debut LP, 1987's 'Paid in Full' was already being hailed as a game changer. Rakim's smooth but sombre flow had introduced new phrases to the hip-hop lexicon, while the barrage of James Brown samples had declared open season on the Godfather of Soul's back catalogue.
There were already stirrings of a backlash from the more frequently sampled artists at the time this came out, and the fact that it took not just its main hook but also its title from Bobby Byrd's James Brown-produced 1971 single was almost like rubbing salt in the wound. The hip-hop fans and the dancefloor didn't care – this played all summer long in 1987, elevating the group to a Soul Train performance.
Only months after this dropped, the UK collective M|A|R|R|S turned Rakim's "Pump up the volume" line into the basis of their own hit. Pop will eat itself.
The original 7" was released in a no-frills generic sleeve – this re-release comes with a brand new cover utilising some of Dan Lish's trademark artwork.
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Eric B & Rakim I AIN'T NO JOKE / ERIC B IS ON THE CUT Mr Bongo 7"
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Eric B & Rakim Paid In Full UMC LP
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Eric B & Rakim I AIN'T NO JOKE / ERIC B IS ON THE CUT Mr Bongo
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Eric B & Rakim I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL
1.I Know You Got Soul
2.I Know You Got Soul (Dub)
Item code: MRB7162
Label: Mr Bongo
Info correct on: 11/5/2020


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Neighbourly Love
December 12, 2010 Harvie
Despite a few scares on the way to the ablution block, Chris Harvie finds Zimbabwe ready and willing for visitors
Leander Starr Jameson stood on the steps of Bulawayo's first hotel in 1874 and declared the town open. His speech – his entire speech – went like this:
"It is my job to declare this town open, gentlemen. I don't think we want any talk about it. I make the declaration now. There is plenty of whisky and soda inside, so come in."
That was it. And the good news is that, after years of chaos, the whole of Zimbabwe is open for business again and not only is there whisky and soda, there is also fuel at the pumps and food in the shops and restaurants. The electricity is on most of the time and there's water in the taps. The phoenix has risen from the ashes and is soaring in almost-full flight.
Crossing at the Beitbridge border has never been easy. It's still uneasy but if you follow the arrows, you won't need any help from the chancers who will stalk you. The roads are in reasonable nick and the $1 tolls every 200km are obviously being put to good use in patching up the few remaining potholes.
The most surprising aspect of our stay was the outstanding quality of the game viewing. Far from being poached out, the animals and birds seem to have reclaimed their territory from mankind during the past few quieter years and are more visible and relaxed than ever before.
Zimbabwe's national parks all have their individual appeal and each offers a range of accommodation, from well-equipped chalets to basic camping. It would be wrong to suggest that everything is perfect. Some of the buildings are inevitably a bit run down and the ablution blocks in the campsites are not in a great state of repair, but camping is about roughing it a bit, after all, so it's no great hardship to push a rock against a shower door where the bolt has broken. The water is hot and the toilets are clean and functional. Surely that's all you really need?
If you haven't been to Matopos (officially now known as Matobo), you haven't understood Zimbabwe. Standing on a giant koppie next to Cecil Rhodes's grave, you can look out over bright lichen and boulder-strewn peaks, with seemingly endless ridges rolling away towards the hazy horizon.
It is truly a majestic place, which brings home all the contrasts of this disrupted land. Everybody wants a bit of Zimbabwe and the issues and claims are real but despite numerous attempts by the powers-that-be to shift him, Cecil Rhodes still has his World's View, with Jameson, the whisky-drinker, alongside him.
We tried in vain to visit King Lobengula's nearby grave but nobody seemed to know exactly where it was, this missing link in history seeming somehow anomalous in a confident land, proud of its heritage and broadly tolerant of its past.
Its views aside, camped on the dam at Matopos at the end of two days filled with rock art and rhinos and looking into an unpolluted star-scattered sky, we reckoned it couldn't get much better – until we arrived in Hwange the next day.
After checking in at the main camp, we quickly pitched our tent next to the mangled fence. One of my co-voyagers had never been on safari so a quick drive in the late afternoon was called for.
"Oh look, there's a wild dog," announced the game virgin, and he was right.
In fact, at Hwange, he was to see three wild dogs and then two lionesses stalking a sable before he saw a kudu or an impala. A leopard brazenly dodged the potholes in the road in front of us and we photographed numerous idyllic borehole scenes with scatterings of antelope, zebra and giraffes. The bird life was equally rewarding, with sightings of crowned crane and frequent crimson-breasted shrikes.
A couple of days later, dragging reluctantly north towards Victoria Falls, I was filled with foreboding. On my previous visit, I had cycled across the bridge from Zambia for lunch at the Victoria Falls Hotel. Successfully fighting my way through the hordes of hawkers, I found myself alone on the hotel verandah, where I was offered a warm Coke and cheese sandwich, "If we can find some cheese."
This time? Transformed. I had one of the most delicious pieces of salmon I have ever eaten on the same stoep, which boasted a polished refurbishment and dozens of tables filled with revelling tourists.
Camping on the river's edge at the Zambezi National Park's Chundu camp, with a long-drop loo and washing in the river, we walked along its banks, startling close-up waterbuck, kudu, baboons and numerous smaller critters. And yes, we saw wild dog on the way in. Eleven of them. Hunting. Wow.
The drive to Mana Pools from Vic Falls requires a stopover and ours was at Binga – rather a sad spot on Kariba, littered with abandoned houseboats. But Mana Pools is one of the most beautiful places on earth (once you've reconstructed your shattered skeleton after the road). Nine wild dogs wandered through the Nyameni campsite as we put the tent up. Truly.
By day, we walked freely in the bush, scattering the baboons and walking up close to eland, waterbuck and zebra. The earth-quaking roars of a pride of lion over the river in Zambia kept us awake all night and the hippos pulled up on the banks next to our tent, lying like fat ticks in the sand. The animals are described as "habituated", which is an interesting term. They are not tame but they are used to human presence, which means a wide berth is still advisable. I had more than a few scares on the way to the ablution block.
Nyameni camp is truly astonishing. Next time, I shall stay for a week. Or maybe two.
Late one afternoon, we hired a kayak from a park official called Lovemore and a fishing rod from another called Trymore. Lovemore took us down the river gurgling with grunting hippos, stopping on an island or two to fish for bream in the pools. A pair of elephant tussled on the bank.
The sun dropped through an orange sky into the river as we headed back upstream with two fish bagged and the hippos erupting loudly around us. Safely ashore, we were greeted, unbelievably, by another member of the staff called Givemore. These names seemed to sum up the new Zimbabwe and all three of these Mores begged us to spread the word and send our friends. We promised we would.
A few last words of advice when visiting Zimbabwe: don't rush. Be appreciative of the Zimbabweans' enthusiasm for their new-found stability. Buy your supplies at TM supermarkets countrywide. Pay your fines with a good grace and get a receipt. Beware of wild dog everywhere.
And avoid Jack's Zimbabwean Whiskey – it tastes like meths, and is slightly purple in colour, so probably is meths. Even Leander Starr Jameson, however enthusiastic he might have felt for highland flavours, would have had to draw the line somewhere well above this tipple were it to fall to him to celebrate the reopening of Zimbabwe with a tot or two, but that reopening is nevertheless worthy of huge celebration.
HwangeMana PoolsMatoposVictoria FallsZambezi National ParkZimbabwe
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Beyoncé and JAY-Z Announce $1 Million Scholarship
4 years ago in CultureWords By Candice Nembhard
Getty Images / Isaac Brekken
Beyoncé and JAY-Z have announced a $1 million scholarship to help high school seniors continue with their studies. According to the couple's representatives, the scholarship will award $100,000 to "one exceptional senior high school student, with financial needs."
The award will operate via The BeyGOOD Initiative and The Shawn Carter Foundation. Applicants who wished to be considered must demonstrate "academic excellence and show financial needs that would make it hard for them to enter a college or university for the academic year 2018-2019." The total sum will be "put toward their enrollment in a college or university."
A total of 11 students across 11 cities will be selected by the non-profit organization, Boys and Girls Club of America. Those chosen must reside in one the of the following US cities where The Carters have performed stages for their On the Run II tour: Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Arlington, New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara, and Seattle.
Both Beyoncé and JAY-Z have awarded scholarships to students in the past. Bey, more recently, announced a $25,000 Homecoming Scholars Program for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
In other news, Azealia Banks sends an apology letter to Elon Musk.
Beyoncé
Candice NembhardStaff Writer
A Berlin-based gal from Brum.
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Rapper Tasha The Amazon Takes Tiger For A Stroll In Downtown Toronto
Michael Bolen The Huffington Post Canada
Hipsters and tigers and rappers. Oh my!
Toronto-based rapper Tasha The Amazon took an enormous Bengal tiger for a walk in Kensington Market early Thursday morning as part of a music video shoot for the song "Thru the Fire." Predictably, people noticed.
(CREDIT: Eric Zaworski)
While the animal from Bowmanville Zoo, which also provided the tiger for "Life of Pi" was trained and accompanied by a handler, not everyone was happy to see the massive cat out for a stroll.
Some questioned the ethics of using a wild animal for entertainment purposes, especially in an area of the city that contains more than its fair share of hippies and environmentalists.
I can't think of a neighborhood more potentially hostile to using a TIGER IN A MUSIC VIDEO than Kensington.
— Jon Robson (@Robsonian) August 7, 2014
Most people in the neighbourhood just seemed surprised to see a tiger walking around an urban area.
Tasha's manager Erikson Herman told Huffpost Canada that the shoot was authorized by the Toronto Film and Television Office as well as the Kensington Market BIA and business owners/residents along that stretch of Kensington Avenue.
"The area was closed off to the general public with paid duty police officers on hand to divert any potential pedestrian or vehicle traffic at carefully selected blockade points," he added. "Given the time of night, there are very few people in the area at this time which helped to provide a less stressful and safer environment for all crew including Robbie (the tiger)."
Tasha the Amazon has performed with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and The Roots. And it seems she has a thing for scary animals. In the video for "Cry of the Warrior" she hangs out with gators in the Florida Everglades.
Also on HuffPost:
Photo gallery Unlikely Animal Friends: Tiger Cubs, A Fawn, And Potbellied Pig See Gallery
Unlikely Animal Friends: Tiger Cubs, A Fawn, And Potbellied Pig
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2012 NFL Draft: Chiefs Most Likely To Select Brandon Weeden Of Any Quarterbacks, According To ESPN
By Matt Conner Feb 28, 2012, 12:22pm CST
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ESPN's Bill Williamson took a look at the various rookie quarterbacks available and making the most noise heading into the 2012 NFL Draft in a recent column to see where the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs might land on particular players. When it plays out, as much as Chiefs fans might want to see a high profile name land in KC, Williamson believes that a second round grab familiar to Big 12 fans might be the most likely.
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When WIlliamson gets to Oklahoma State's Branden Weeden, this is where he makes his strongest statement. He writes, "I think this is where we start to look for legitimate pairings for either Denver or Kansas City. If Weeden gets to the second round, I can see Kansas City grabbing him. If he gets to Denver's spot in the second round, I think he will be a favorite to be taken there. Weeden might not have a long NFL career, but it could be productive."
That's an interesting take, but the Chiefs have other holes to fill so early in the second round. If the team is also enamored with other mid-round quarterbacks (like Kirk Cousins even one round later), that second round choice would be a spot better served by a guard or defensive tackle (assuming they grab an OT in the first).
Weeden does make sense, however, if the Chiefs make it through free agency without the quarterback they predicted earlier this offseason. The upcoming FA period will say a lot about where the Chiefs will go.
NFL Draft 2012: 'No Big Difference' Between Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill Per Todd McShay
Washington Redskins Reportedly Ready To Pay The Piper For Robert Griffin III In 2012 NFL Draft


"Sidney" is composed of at least 1 distinct authors, divided by their works.
Sidney (3) is Sidney H. Schanberg, b.1934.
"Sidney" is composed of at least 1 distinct authors, divided by their works. You can edit the division.
Sidney is composed of 1 name.


The biggest tasks of every new team arriving in Laos is taking over the work of their predecessors. When Thomas Pelka, Anna-Sophia ten Brink and I, the members of Team VIII working at the Lao-German Technical College (LGTC), arrived in Vientiane in late February 2019, we soon discovered that Dilara, Patricia, and Nicole of Team VII had started work on a special project at the College: The "Movie Night".
While we had been familiarising ourselves with the work of Team VII beforehand (i.e. by reading their "Weekly Reports" or speaking with Nicole during our preparatory workshops), the thought had not occurred to us that the Movie Night was there to stay. Unlike other duties that the volunteers at the College have apart from tandem-teaching – e.g. taking care of the Didactics Room – the Movie Night is not among the "Special Tasks" volunteers can choose from prior to leaving for Laos.1 As Dilara explained to us, it all started as a one-time event for their BHS students back in November 2018, but due to its positive reception, it became tradition, and this way also a new "Special Task".
Of course, preparations for such an event start earlier than on the date it takes place. To properly set everything up, and more importantly, to inform the students about the next "Movie Night", we start planning the event around one week before the actual event. Normally, one week is enough time for the news to spread. This is done by both advertising the event in our evening English classes, and by setting up and inviting all students to an online event on Facebook within the BHS Facebook group – as soon as we decide on a date, we let the students know. The "Movie Nights" mostly take place in a two-week rhythm every Wednesday evening, but things like shifts in our volatile schedule3 or sickness can hardly be anticipated. Thus, it is always necessary to reassure students when the next "Movie Night" is due and that it is sure to take place.
After announcing the event, we decide what kind of movie we want to watch with our students. This question can prove difficult, as many considerations need to be considered. These questions range from the kind of genre the movie should be to the linguistic and cultural features of the movies themselves: Is the language of the movie intelligible enough for our students? Is the movie leaning (too) heavily on western pop-cultural references and assumptions? Can the plot be followed even if some students may have trouble following the language of the movie? We soon noticed that finding a balanced solution for these questions is not always easy. Fortunately, our students are eager to provide us with both direct and indirect feedback.
Direct feedback comes from students directly expressing wishes about what kind of movie they would like to watch (or not to watch), be it a specific genre or the sequel to a movie they watched in a previous Movie Night. On the other hand, indirect feedback is given by how the students respond to a movie while watching it. Are they invested in the viewing experience? Do they respond emotionally to what is happening on the screen? Do they seem entertained or bored? After carefully observing the students during the event and paying attention to their response, one can get a good impression rather quickly.
An observation Team VII made – which we can confirm – is that animated comedy movies are among the best liked movies. Since November 2018, the "Movie Night" featured six animated and three "live-action" movies, seven of them comedies.
With a movie selected, we can then turn our attention to the more practical matters of setting up the event. This includes shopping for snacks and organising both a room for the event and a projector so we can properly view the movie. In terms of snacks, we provide our students with a small variety of nibbles (i.e. crisps or seasoned nuts) and small bottles of drinking water.
… taking into consideration that many students like flavours like squid or seaweed.
Organising the projector is quite easy, as we can borrow one from the office in the Automotive Section of the College. For the room itself, we always use one of our classrooms in the Electrical Section building.4 They are well-lit, climatised and overall the best rooms for viewing movies for bigger groups at the LGTC. With all the snacks and drinks bought, a movie projector organized, and a viewing room selected, we can move on to the night of the event itself.
Going by regular schedule, we arrive at 5:30 p.m. to prepare. This leaves us with half an hour to set up and connect the technical equipment, run a last video-and sound-check and move tables and chairs in the right position. While it may seem unusal to leave all the tables where they are, the students actually prefer to have some extra space to put their snacks and drinks or to rest their arms. For our technical setup, we use a simple projector connected to a laptop, which is in turn connected to either a Bluetooth speaker or two speaker boxes, depending on what equipment is available for the evening.
… for the rare case we need to use the Internet, we also bring along our pocket-WiFi.
When our students arrive at 6 p.m., we always welcome them with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. The Movie Nights are not mandatory for our BHS students, so it is always interesting to see how many attendants show up. Many of our regular visitors live in the nearby student dormitory (only a short walk away from the LGTC), so they come quite often. After around ten minutes of waiting for late arrivals, we officially start the event. All present volunteer-teachers welcome the students and give them a short introduction of what kind of movie that we will watch together that night. At this point, the students already give feedback by cheering, acting excited, or not reacting at all, so we can quickly deduce if our choice of the movie aligns with the students' interests. Provided there are no technical issues, we dim the lights and finally start the show.
Last arrangements before starting the movie….
Even if everything up to this point – the planning, selecting, advertising, organising equipment and setting it all up – worked out without any hassle, we may still be surprised by hitches. During one "Movie Night", our projector started to act up and only projected the movie in still images and in black-and-white, so we had to find a replacement. On another occasion, workers started to flatten and asphalt the gravel road outside the building with heavy machinery at 8:30 p.m. Like with many other parts of life here in Laos, you are best advised to expect the unexpected and keep a good sense of humour. When things like this happen, our students patiently wait until we find a solution. And if they do not get annoyed by such surprises, why should we?
In most cases, we can show our selected movie without any problem. For a few hours, then, the distinction between us teachers and our students fades, and as we sit together watching the movie, we are equally happy to be able to relax together, lean back, and enjoy. These few hours every fortnight are something special not only for our students, but also for us.
For both sides, the Movie Night provides a different angle to learning English and to a wider sphere of English media. As we teach English language classes to our students on a regular basis , watching English movies with them is an entirely different approach. Doing listening, speaking, and writing exercises during lessons is augmented by the Movie Night because our students can then watch and listen to English in another, more "organic" context where the language is not necessarily the focus. The language serves as a means of communication in a wider context of visuals, sounds, and images, and students can understand how English is used outside the more "constructed" situations they usually find within textbooks and even in our more authentic communicative lessons. For us teachers, on the other hand, the "Movie Nights" enables us to reach our students in new ways, and seeing them enjoy the movies we watch together is the most welcome reward for the work we invested.
Volunteer-teachers and their students enjoy a movie together.
After the movie is finished and the credits roll (usually around 8 p.m.), we turn the lights back on and thank them for joining us, ask if they liked the movie – to which they always answer "yes"5 – and bid them goodbye. They always leave in orderly fashion and take with them all the empty plastic bottles and trash. When all students have left, we pack up our things, turn off the lights and head home – already anticipating the next "Movie Night" in two weeks' time.
Since our arrival almost two months ago, we were able to host three Movie Nights for our students, were we showed Madagascar 3 – Europe's Most Wanted, Mowgli – Legend of the Jungle and Spiderman – Homecoming. Interestingly enough, Spiderman – Homecoming was both the only movie that our students directly asked for and the movie which seemed to confuse them the most. While the students enjoyed watching the movie, they struggled quite often with understanding what was being said or what was going on sometimes.
For an explanation why this movie did not quite "work" for our students, one needs to examine the context in which it is situated: It is the 16th movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a (still-)growing circle of interconnected superhero movies, and it takes place in contemporary 21st century New York. Knowledge of the previous 15 MCU movies is not necessary to understand the plot and the world presented in the movie, but the movie itself relies heavily on references to the previous movies and characters, so it is only with this pre-knowledge that viewers could fully comprehend Spiderman – Homecoming.
Nonetheless, each one of these events proved to be a great success and was well-liked by all of us. The three of us are very glad to have taken up the reigns from Team VII, and we hope that – just like we did – our successors will continue the tradition of the Movie Night at the LGTC when they come here in the autumn.
After all, who does not like a good movie?
1 Alongside the teaching duties of 20 hours, volunteers also have a "Special Task", i.e. being responsible for collecting and storing the media produced (worksheets, photos, reports, etc.), running the "Lending Library", or maintaining the blog.
2 While we could not find clear guidelines regarding the legal side of showing copyrighted material in Laos, we always operate within the legal rules we know from home. All movies we show are therefore either purchased or legally streamed via Netflix/Amazon Prime, and the "Movie Night" is not open to the general public, but hosted within a private setting.
3 Shifts in schedule are quite common at the Lao-German Technical College: Meetings, student events, or holiday celebrations are often announced at very short notice.
4 The Electrical Section building at the College was partially financed and equipped by the German Government with support from the KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, "Credit Institute for Reconstruction").
5 In Lao culture, the highest emphasis is placed on maintaining "harmony" amongst groups of people. Openly disagreeing and creating discord is frowned upon – it is instead considered polite to keep up this sense of harmony and concord, also at the expense of one's own views.