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G20 Summits > G20 Seoul Summit
Annex II:
Multi-Year Action Plan on Development
Seoul, November 12, 2010
[English PDF]
Private Investment and Job Creation
Growth with Resilience
Domestic Resource Mobilization
The following sets out our concrete actions and outcomes to be delivered and developed over the medium term. Dates in parentheses denote deadlines to be met. The Development Working Group will continue its work and will monitor progress on the Multi-Year Action Plan by reporting to the Sherpas.
Gaps in infrastructure, including with respect to energy, transport, communications, water and regional infrastructure, are significant bottlenecks to increasing and maintaining growth in many developing countries. We are committed to overcoming obstacles to infrastructure investment, developing project pipelines, improving capacity and facilitating increased finance for infrastructure investment in developing countries, in particular low income countries (LICs).
Action 1: Develop Comprehensive Infrastructure Action Plans
We request the regional development banks (RDBs) and the World Bank Group (collectively, multilateral development banks, or MDBs) to work jointly to prepare action plans that increase public, semi-public and private finance and improve implementation of national and regional infrastructure projects, including in energy, transport, communications and water, in developing countries, LICs in particular. The MDBs will pursue actions in the following five areas:
Information and needs assessment
• Identify infrastructure gaps, needs and funding requirements, particularly with respect to regional and rural infrastructure, as well as opportunities to promote public-private and semi-public partnerships (June 2011); and
• Working with developing countries and regional agencies, deliver bankable growth-supporting regional connectivity projects, building on the momentum created by existing initiatives and facilities (e.g., Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPPF), New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), African Water Facility (AWF) and Asian Infrastructure Financing Initiative (AIFI)). (November 2011)
Internal practices
• Identify possible improvements in their lending guidelines, internal policies and practices with a view to overcoming bottlenecks that constrain infrastructure lending, disbursements and the speed of project implementation (June 2011); and
• Assess the sufficiency of internal resources for project preparation, institutional capacity development and risk mitigation. (June 2011)
Improving the domestic infrastructure investment climate
• Working with LICs on a demand driven basis, assess and diagnose institutional, regulatory, policy, and public sector capacity bottlenecks in LICs that hamper public, semi-public and private investment in infrastructure and assist LICs in developing action plans within the context of national development goals and strategies to:
(i) remove the bottlenecks to development, whole life costing and planning for investments in new infrastructure, operations and maintenance of existing infrastructure and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure;
(ii) improve internal resource mobilization and increase fiscal space; and
(iii) increase energy access, including by supporting more sustainable paths that make maximum use of cost effective renewable energy and resources, support energy conservation, and increase efficiency. (November 2011)
Special measures for regional integration
• Identify and make recommendations with respect to specific institutional, regulatory and policy changes needed for national policies and regional architecture to respond to the physical and economic needs of regional projects (November 2011);
• Identify a limited number of regional initiatives with a plan for action to reduce bottlenecks and deliver concrete outcomes in these initiatives (November 2011); and
• Identify MDBs' institutional bottlenecks that may impede investment in cross-border and regional infrastructure projects. (November 2011)
Transparency and sustainability
• Working with existing pilots, develop an initiative ready for implementation to significantly improve transparency in procurement, construction and infrastructure finance (November 2011); and
• Assess how best to integrate environmental safeguards into infrastructure development in an effective and cost efficient manner. (November 2011)
The final outcomes of these MDB action plans should be reported to the Summit in France and be accompanied by an endorsement and commentary by the HLP (see below). (June 2011 for preliminary report; November 2011 for final report)
Action 2: Establish a G20 High-Level Panel for Infrastructure Investment
We have created a High-Level Panel for Infrastructure Investment (HLP) to mobilize support for scaling up infrastructure financing. The HLP will last for one year, until the Summit in France.
• Approximately 12 members will be appointed in a non-executive capacity for their expertise and authority in developing country public infrastructure investment needs, public finance and economics, constraints in LICs, sovereign wealth fund investment criteria, public private partnerships, project finance, innovative finance, and risk management (February 2011; December 2010 for appointment of Chair); and
• Administrative and technical support and resources will be provided by a dedicated group of experts from the MDBs and the private sector.
The HLP will:
• Review MDB policy frameworks and identify and recommend concrete measures to scale up finance and diversify the sources of affordable financing for infrastructure needs, including from public, semi-public and private sector sources;
• Take into account the limitations of risk bearing capacity of private and semi-public finance, lessons of successes and failures from the past and ongoing programs, best practice, the importance of durability and whole life costing, and innovative ways to mitigate and intermediate risks to attract finance; and
• Review the MDB Action Plan and provide independent comment in an iterative process to ensure workability, the maximization of the outcomes and a focus on environmental sustainability and transparency.
• The final outcomes of the HLP should be reported to the Finance Ministers meeting and to the Leaders at the Summit in France. (June 2011 for preliminary report; November 2011 for final report)
Developing human capital is a critical component of any country's growth and poverty reduction strategy. Adding to education initiatives related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is important for developing countries, in particular LICs, to continue to develop employment-related skills that are better matched to employer and market needs in order to attract investment and decent jobs.
Action 1: Create Internationally Comparable Skill Indicators
We call upon the World Bank, ILO, OECD, and UNESCO to work together to develop internationally comparable and practical indicators of skills for employment and productivity in developing countries, particularly LICs, to assist them to:
• Better match training to employers' needs and future labor market opportunities in developing countries; • Identify gaps in the education system for basic level employable skills;
• Identify the links between education, health problems, gender gaps and life-long skills development; and
• Produce a comparable database across countries to serve as a monitoring tool for assessing employable skills development in LICs. The relevant institutions will submit an interim report at the Summit in France, a final report on the skills indicators by 2012, and a final report on the comparable database by late 2014. (2012; late 2014)
Action 2: Enhance National Employable Skills Strategies
The MDBs, ILO, OECD and UNESCO have agreed today to form a unified and coordinated team with the aim of supporting a pilot group of self-selected LICs to enhance their national strategies to develop skills, improve productivity in existing jobs, and promote investment in new jobs. This action should:
• Focus on strengthening national and regional vocational education and training institutions and programs;
• Build on the G20 Training Strategy submitted at the Toronto Summit and begin by identifying existing gaps that act as barriers to increasing investment in skills development and productivity, including through considering the impact of gender gaps and health problems such as non-communicable diseases; and
• Review the work done and, based on the results achieved, consider a wider roll-out of the program to LICs and middle income countries.
No country has grown and reduced poverty without access to and the ability to trade. Recognizing both the capacity and access to trade as key elements in economic growth and poverty reduction, we are committed to facilitating trade with and between developing countries, in particular LICs.
Action: Enhance Trade Capacity and Access to Markets
• We agree to make progress towards duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access for the least developed country (LDC) products in line with Hong Kong commitments without prejudice to other negotiations, including as regards preferential rules of origin. We will explore, in collaboration with the relevant international organizations, the scope for further improvement and cooperation among G20 members leading to the implementation of this commitment.
• We are committed to at least maintaining, beyond 2011, Aid for Trade levels that reflect the average of the last three years (2006 to 2008). We are also resolved to strengthen the role of South-South trade cooperation and to reinforce the involvement of the private sector in these measures. In parallel with the implementation of these commitments, we will ensure that aid flows to other sectors are sustained. (2011 and beyond)
• We will engage fully in the ongoing processes of relevant institutions, in particular the WTO, OECD, World Bank and other multilateral and regional development bodies, to monitor these commitments and evaluate their impact on LICs' capacity to trade. We will consider the outcome of the Global Aid for Trade Review of July 2011 and adjust our Multi-Year Action Plan on Development accordingly. (2011)
• To follow up on the Toronto Declaration, which asks international agencies, including the World Bank and other MDBs, to step up their capacity and support trade facilitation, we call on such institutions to coordinate a collective multilateral agency response by the time of the Global Aid for Trade Review in 2011. (July 2011)
• We ask the G20 Trade Finance Expert Group, together with the WTO Experts Group on Trade Finance and OECD Export Credit Group to further assess the current need for trade finance in LICs and, if a gap is identified, will develop and support measures to increase the availability of trade finance in LICs. We call on the WTO to review the effectiveness of existing trade finance programs for LICs and to report on actions and recommendations for consideration by the Sherpas through the G20 Development Working Group in February 2011. (February 2011)
• In order to develop practical measures that can be pursued nationally and regionally to support successful regional trade integration, in particular between African countries, we ask the African Development Bank, in collaboration with the WTO and MDBs, to identify before the Summit in France the existing obstacles and barriers to regional trade integration in Africa. (June 2011)
Domestic and foreign private investment are key sources of employment, wealth creation and innovation, which in turn contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries. The decisions and actions in this area are primarily those of investors themselves and those of developing countries in improving the policy environment for investment. Recognizing the centrality of private investment to development and job creation, we will support and assist investors, developing countries and key development partners, such as the International Finance Corporation and International Development Association, in their work to better leverage and maximize the economic value-added of private investment and to create globally competitive industries. We will work with successful existing initiatives such as the UN Global Compact, the Investment Climate Facility for Africa, the World Bank's Annual Doing Business Report and indicators, and the MDG Call to Action.
Action: Support Responsible Value-Adding Private Investment and Job Creation
• We will identify, enhance as needed, and promote the best existing standards (developmental, social and environmental) for responsible investment in value chains and voluntary investor compliance with these standards. (June 2011)
• We request UNCTAD, UNDP, ILO, OECD and the World Bank to review and, consistent with best practice of responsible investment, develop key quantifiable economic and financial indicators for measuring and maximizing economic value-added and job creation arising from private sector investment in value chains. Based on these indicators, these international organizations should make recommendations to assist developing countries to attract and negotiate the most value-adding investment to their economies. (June 2011; Summer 2012)
• We request the World Bank and relevant agencies, in association with the G20, to establish a G20 Challenge on Innovation to provide a platform for innovative solutions to be brought to scale and to showcase entrepreneurship aimed at solving social challenges (e.g. innovative services on business strategies focusing on youth unemployment). (November 2011)
Based on the outcome, we will recommend how to engage the private sector to find innovative business solutions that meet the needs of the poor in a sustainable way. (Summer 2012)
• The G20, MDBs, UNCTAD, UNDP, ILP and OECD will, based on the outcomes of this and other work, assist developing countries, in particular LICs, to develop action plans with the view to strengthen financial markets to boost small and medium enterprises (SMEs), improve the business investment climate, maximize the value-added of private investment and support the regulatory framework for foreign and domestic investment. Existing international investment arrangements between G20 countries and LICs will be strengthened to promote investment in LICs. (June 2012)
We emphasize the need for increased investment and financial support for agricultural development and welcome commitments made through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and other bilateral and multilateral channels. We encourage additional contributions by the private sector, the G20 and non-G20 actors to support country-led plans and ensure predictable financing. We endorse the Rome Principles for enhancing global policy coherence and mitigating risks to sustainable agricultural productivity, access to food, nutrition and crisis prevention.
Action 1: Enhance Policy Coherence and Coordination
• In order to strengthen existing agriculture research systems we request the FAO and the World Bank to examine and recommend potential innovative results-based mechanisms, such as those examined by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and advanced market commitments for enhanced agricultural productivity. (March 2011)
• We underline the need to fulfill our existing commitments on food security and sustainable agricultural development. We will review and monitor progress on G20 commitments and request the FAO, World Bank and OECD, in cooperation with the l'Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI), to monitor progress and report back at the Summit in France. (March 2011 for preliminary report; June 2011 for final report)
• We call for support to build capacity in tropical agriculture technologies and productive systems. (Medium-term)
• We request key international organizations, including the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), to identify bottlenecks and opportunities to increase policy coherence for food security consistent with the Rome Principles. The work should focus on harnessing the potential of the agriculture sector to advance sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, enhance engagement with the private sector and strengthen North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation. (March 2011 for preliminary report; June 2011 for final report )
Action 2: Mitigate Risk in Price Volatility and Enhance Protection for the Most Vulnerable
• We request that FAO, IFAD, IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, WFP, the World Bank and WTO work with key stakeholders to develop options for G20 consideration on how to better mitigate and manage the risks associated with the price volatility of food and other agriculture commodities without distorting market behavior, ultimately to protect the most vulnerable. We ask the World Bank to work with other relevant international agencies to develop measures to improve information on national and regional food stocks and food production projections, provide nutrition intervention for the most vulnerable, and ensure access to humanitarian supplies. (March 2011 for preliminary report; June 2011 for final report)
• We are committed to promoting increased procurement from smallholder producers and to strengthen their access to markets, in line with domestic and regional strategies. (Medium term)
• We encourage all countries and companies to uphold the principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment. We request UNCTAD, the World Bank, IFAD, FAO and other appropriate international organizations to develop options for promoting responsible investment in agriculture. (March 2011 for preliminary report; June 2011 for final report)
Social protection systems and international remittances, together with improved access to financial services, play an important role in providing income security for poor communities in developing countries, and in particular LICs, providing buffers to those communities from the impact of external shocks and contributing to the maintenance and enhancement of aggregate demand. Lessons can be learned from the performance of specific social protection mechanisms in developing countries during the recent crisis, and applied for the benefit of LICs, including through South-South cooperation. Measures can also be taken to facilitate and increase the efficiency of international remittances, building on existing work in this area.
Action 1: Support Developing Countries to Strengthen and Enhance Social Protection Programs
Recognizing the vulnerabilities exposed by the global financial crisis, we call upon the UNDP, in consultation with the ILO, MDBs and other relevant international organizations, to:
• Identify lessons learned from the implementation of social protection mechanisms in developing countries, in particular LICs, during and after the crisis;
• Prepare best practice guidelines based on this experience; and
• Make recommendations on how to surmount barriers inhibiting cross-country knowledge sharing and program replication or expansion. The primary focus of this work will be on social protection mechanisms that support resilient and inclusive growth by helping vulnerable communities to deal with external shocks. It should consider options for improving the timeliness and accuracy of poverty data, including through further implementation of the UN Global Pulse Initiative. The outcomes of this work, and of any relevant programs being taken forward by G20 members under North-South, South-South or triangular cooperation arrangements, will be reported to the Summit in France. (March 2011 for preliminary report; June 2011 for final report)
Action 2: Facilitate the Flow of International Remittances
We recognize the importance of facilitating international remittance flows and enhancing their efficiency to increase their contribution to growth with resilience and poverty reduction. We ask the World Bank, RDBs and other relevant organizations, including the Global Remittances Working Group, to work with individual G20 members and non-G20 members in order to progress further the implementation of the General Principles for International Remittance Services and related international initiatives aimed at a quantified reduction of the global average cost of transferring remittances. The outcomes of this work will be reported to the Summit in France. (November 2011)
Given that more than two billion adults are excluded from financial services and millions of micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face serious constraints in accessing finance, financial inclusion is fundamental for improving the livelihoods of the poor and in supporting MSMEs, and work as the engines of economic growth and job creation.
Action 1: Establish the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion
We will launch the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) to provide a systematic structure for implementing the G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan in close collaboration with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). (November 2010) The GPFI will (i) facilitate an efficient and effective information sharing mechanism; (ii) coordinate the various financial inclusion efforts (iii) provide systematic monitoring of progress over time (iv) mobilize financial support for activities as needed, and (v) launch and coordinate taskforces to address specific financial inclusion issues (e.g. financial inclusion data). The GPFI will coordinate its work with the APEC initiative and other financial inclusion initiatives. The progress and annual report of the GPFI will be submitted to the Summit in France.
Action 2: SME Finance Challenge and Finance Framework for Financial Inclusion
SME Finance Challenge We will announce the 14 winning proposals of the SME Finance Challenge that offer innovative models for catalyzing private capital for SME finance. (November 2010) Finance Framework for Financial Inclusion We commit to establishing a finance framework that mobilizes grant and risk capital for winning proposals from the SME Finance Challenge and for scaling up successful SME financing models. The framework will use existing funding mechanisms and the SME Finance Innovation Fund, a newly created multilateral trust fund.
Action 3: Implement the Action Plan for Financial Inclusion
We will adopt the G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan to promote the application of the Principles for Innovative Financial Inclusion (the Principles) and the lessons learned from the SME stocktaking exercise. (November 2010) The actions to be implemented include (i) advancing the implementation of the Principles through a commitment by each G20 member to implement at least one of the Principles; (ii) encourage the Standard Setting Bodies to further incorporate financial inclusion objectives into their work; (iii) encouraging further private sector activities to increase access to financial services; (iv) strengthening and expanding data availability for measuring financial inclusion and methodologies for countries that wish to set financial inclusion targets; (v) supporting peer-learning capacity building and training; (vi) improving coordination at the national and international levels; and (vii) integrating financial inclusion into financial assessment programs. The GPFI will submit a progress report on implementation at the next Summit in France (November 2011).
It is essential to continue to strengthen tax regimes and fiscal policies in developing countries to provide a sustainable revenue base for inclusive growth and social equity, as well as to enhance the transparency and accountability of public finances.
Action 1: Support the Development of More Effective Tax Systems
We ask the expanded OECD Task Force on Tax and Development, UN, IMF, World Bank and regional organizations such as the Inter-American Center for Tax Administration and African Tax Administration Forum and other relevant organizations to:
• Identify key capacity constraints faced by developing countries in their tax systems and make recommendations on capacity building to (i) improve efficiency and transparency of tax administrations and (ii) strengthen tax policies to broaden the tax base and combat tax avoidance and evasion (June 2011);
• Develop a knowledge management platform and promote South-South cooperation to support the capacity of developing countries in tax policy and administration systems (Medium-term);
• Survey and disseminate all G20 and international organizations' actions on supporting tax systems in developing countries (June 2011);
• Set up objective measures to track progress in the capacity improvement of LICs' tax administration systems (June 2011); and
• Identify ways to help developing countries' tax multinational enterprises (MNEs) through effective transfer pricing. (June 2011) The results will be reported at the Summit in France. (November 2011)
Action 2: Support Work to Prevent Erosion of Domestic Tax Revenues
We ask the Global Forum to enhance its work to counter the erosion of developing countries' tax bases and, in particular, to highlight in its report the relationship between the work on noncooperative jurisdiction and development. (Medium term)
The results will be reported at the Summit in France. (November 2011)
Sharing development experiences, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, contributes to the adoption and adaptation of the most relevant and effective development solutions. We encourage international organizations such as the UN, World Bank, OECD and RDBs that operate knowledge sharing platforms to strengthen and broaden sources of knowledge on growth and development. We agree that knowledge sharing initiatives should be mainstreamed in each pillar in this Multi-Year Action Plan.
Action: Enhance the Effectiveness and Reach of Knowledge Sharing
We request the Task Team on South-South Cooperation (TT-SSC) and UNDP to recommend how knowledge sharing activity, including North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation, can be scaled up. These recommendations should include measures to broaden knowledge sources, improve brokering functions, strengthen the dissemination of best practices and expand funding options. (June 2011)
Source: Seoul Summit official website


text:
package guitests;

import org.junit.Test;

import seedu.task.logic.commands.ExportCommand;

public class ExportCommandTest extends TaskManagerGuiTest {

    @Test
    public void export() {

        commandBox.runCommand("export invalid/path/name.ics");
        assertResultMessage(ExportCommand.MESSAGE_INVALID_FILE_PATH);

        String validFilePath = "test.ics";
        commandBox.runCommand("export " + validFilePath);
        assertResultMessage(String.format(ExportCommand.MESSAGE_SUCCESS, validFilePath));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If the Giants and Odell Beckham Jr.'s agent didn't make progress on an OBJ contract extension Thursday, they at least succeeded in making it look like they did.
Zeke Sandhu, Beckham's agent, flew in Thursday morning and spent 90 very public minutes talking with Giants VP of football operations Kevin Abrams as the pair watched the club's seventh training camp practice from a V.I.P. patio.
It's a safe bet Sandhu and Abrams weren't simply discussing their favorite dinner spots in East Rutherford. But whether this means the sides are anywhere closer to an agreement is another story.
Mara's refusal on the radio Wednesday to guarantee that a deal would be done by Week 1 had created uncertainty about just whether or not the team and Beckham remained on the same page. Mara's answer — "Depends on how reasonable they want to be" — even seemed to poke Sandhu a bit.
So maybe Thursday's ESPN report that negotiations actually had begun early this week — combined with the Abrams-Sandhu photo op at camp — settled down any public angst and put outside expectations back on track.
Except now that the two sides have met, the clock is ticking. The quiet won't last forever.
It may for Beckham, who reached his 302nd straight day without talking to the assembled New York media on Thursday. But for the Giants, who Mara says have no true deadline to get a deal done, there is most certainly a Week 1 deadline — if not an earlier drop-dead date — to pay their best player.
Unless the Giants are waiting to see where rookie D.J. Moore's extension comes in with the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
I mean honestly, that's how it feels right now, isn't it? Beckham's fellow 2014 first-rounder Brandin Cooks just got paid by the L.A. Rams, and 2015 Vikings fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs just cashed in with Minnesota.
Remember when the public thought it was 'fake news' that Beckham's behavior and the Giants' frustration was going to impact his ability to get a long-term deal easily, if at all? Those were the days. People believe what they want to.
No doubt, the relationship between Beckham and the Giants has rebounded dramatically from the spring — when the Giants discussed trading Beckham with the Rams. Now Beckham is in training camp, performing and behaving admirably and drawing praise from teammates and coaches daily.
Now, though, they can't squander this opportunity. The Giants and Beckham need each other.
Beckham needs, wants and deserves security. He wants to set a precedent for players after him with this contract, not just get his due. Antonio Brown's $17 million annual salary and Mike Evans' $55 million total in guarantees, both highs for receivers, are targets to eclipse. A fully guaranteed contract could be a goal, building off the momentum of QB Kirk Cousins' fully-guaranteed, three-year, $84 million free agent deal with the Vikings (though it is unlikely since Beckham is not a quarterback).
The Giants, meanwhile, need Beckham on the field to win. For while their offensive line may be slightly improved and Saquon Barkley should help their offense, Beckham is the X-factor that takes the top off of defenses, flummoxes defensive coordinators and, most importantly, consistently finds the end zone.
Plus, while the Giants have pushed big contracts to the 11th hour before — they extended Eli Manning only two days before the 2015 opener — they have been determined all offseason to dodge drama and distractions. They've postured more aggressively in Beckham's case, but the last thing Mara wants is for the negativity of a Beckham regular season holdout to darken the optimism of 2018 after last year's 3-13 season.
That is Beckham's greatest leverage.
The Giants' leverage, though, is that Beckham is coming-out-of-his-skin anxious to get back on the field and play in a game. Plus, the franchise could control him for three more years using franchise tags without giving him a new deal.
It's a good thing, then, that they're finally talking. And it's obvious why they want everyone to see them doing it.
The alternative would be much uglier for both.


The Lagos Gala Seller Who Gave Prisoners Free Gala, Now A Retail Store Owner | Welcome to Dare Lasisi's blog!
A few months ago, the internet was agog with the story of a gala hawker, who shared his gala freely to prisoners inside traffic, in a prison van. The warders never stopped him.
He even went an extra mile, he profusely ran after the van, when the van started moving due to green light, with both of his hands full of gala, forcing the gala through the tiny finger openings, as the prisoners struggled to receive it.
Excited motorists interviewed him on the spot, with much smile and happiness he said that he was just in a state of pity on their situation as human beings, gave them almost all the gala he was carrying, because they might be too hungry at that moment.
The news went all over the social media. Several TV stations visited the traffic and interviewed him, on his exceptional act.
Many Nigerians called on the federal govt for him be given a national merit award.
Others physically went and met him in the same traffic, and blessed him buoyantly. Instantly on the next day alone, two people went, met and gave him N50,000 and N100,000, respectively to prosper his business.
Now, he has a shop of his own, as a retailer/wholesale for gala and related products.
There is no loss in being plainly good, for God Almighty always has his own blessed ways of rewarding they who did good only for his sake.
This Gala hawker never bailed them, he never set them free on their suspected various crimes, he never begged for mercy or speedy trial on their behalf, he never knew them ab initio. He only freely fed them from the meager he too was even managing for his own survival.
So many good Nigerians out there.


4 ways to wear polka dots this summer!
First up we have one of my favourite ways to wear, which incorporates one of my favourite dresses of the season. This is the polka dot tea dress that you will buy and keep forever. It's a ladylike shape, fits and flatters and can born fifteen ways to Sunday. For this look, I mixed my dots with my stripes and added a cheeky embellished accessory.
For those looking for an accent only approach, invest in the Polka Dot Cardigan. This is a look that's easy to wear as a last minute fashion flare. It can add a little something special to any look or, in this case, can be used as a neutraliser for a print that's as loud as the sun!
It's the southern girl in me that just can't resist a twinset. I mean really, I can't. So this is my full on polka party. I'm polka on polka. It's all party on top and clean and crisp on the bottom.
For the fourth and final look, I went for a sweater with more of a loud dot! I mean these spots are huge. But, it's a statement in itself. Again, I paired it with a simple skirt to let the statement take all the style heat. But, this skirt is slamming. Just had to put that out there. And both pieces here can be worn now and carried through into winter months ahead.
Reminder: Fashion Foie Gras is an ambassador for Marks & Spencer and this is a paid partnership.


On January 20th, 2009, history was made as Barack Hussein Obama became the first African American to be elected to the United States' office of President. The reelection in 2012 continued to allow us the opportunity for impersonation for the sole purpose of entertainment. When his term comes to an end we expect to continue our business with an additional offering of an hour show highlighting the events of the first African American President. Stay tuned for more information!
At your event, corporate or private, I will provide entertainment tailored to your specific requests. This could include music, singing, comedy or a partisan or bi-partisan political speech.


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Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Picture: At Weingut A. Christmann in the Pfalz, with Owner (and VDP President) Steffen Christmann
The Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (September 14 – 20, 2014) was the second of two wine tours in Germany in 2014, both organized by Annette Schiller. This posting provides an overview.
For the first tour, see:
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
We visited a total of 17 wineries (12 members of the VDP, the German association of elite wine makers; 1 in Alsace) in 3 different wine regions where predominantly grapes other than Riesling are planted: Baden, the most southern German wine region and Germany's answer to Burgundy; Pfalz with its almost Mediterranean climate and voluptuous whites and reds; Southern Rheinhessen where a variety of white grapes and also Pinot-Noir grow.
Pictures: Tastings
Germany with its roughly 250,000 acres under vine belongs today to one of the smaller wine producing countries in the world. However, viticulture in Germany has a long tradition, going back to Roman times. In the 15th century, the area under vine was four times larger than it is today. Wars, subsequent loss of territory, diseases, overproduction, and competition from beer brewing resulted in land turned over to other agricultural uses.
In the 19th century, concentration on terroir and technological progress fostered a tremendous improvement of quality and of the prestige of German wines. In 1987 German red wine accounted for only 15 percent of German wine output. Today, close to 40 percent of German wine is red. Soil conditions in the South were always conducive to Pinot-Noir and other red grape varieties, and with the climate changing, more and more red varieties, in particular Pinot-Noir, were planted. Today Germany makes stunning Pinot-Noirs on par with the best of Burgundy.
Annette Schiller: Our way of traveling allows wine lovers to fully experience authentic Germany. Drawing on our love and deep knowledge of Germany and close personal ties to many personalities in the wine scene, our small group visits many of the hidden gems that other tours pass by, but which are essential to comprehend what German wine is all about.
DAY 1: Sunday, September 14
09:30 am Departure by coach from Frankfurt am Main.
11:30 am Vineyard tour and cellar tour at winery Schloss Neuweier (VDP) in Baden-Baden-Neuweier. We were hosted by owner and winemaker Robert Schätzle.
Wine has been produced at this impressive 13th century castle for more than 700 years. About 100 years ago Riesling became the dominant grape and passion. Still today, winemaking takes place in the vaulted cellars that date back to the 17th century. The Rieslings grown in the steep vineyards produce sumptuous, racy wines with delicate fruit.
In 2012 the Schätzle family bought the estate and continues to produce wines of uncompromising quality. Robert Schätzle, the winemaker, studied oenology and comes from a family with a long tradition of winemaking in the Kaiserstuhl region to the south.
01:00 pm Wine pairing lunch at Röttele's Restaurant – a 1-star Michelin restaurant - at Schloss Neuweier, with Robert Schätzle. Chef Armin Röttele greeted us after the lunch.
05:00 pm Arrival at Mercure Hotel in Freiburg im Breisgau.
06:30 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Zähringer in Heitersheim, Markgräflerland, Baden. We were hosted by winemaker Paulin Köpfer.
Since 1844 the Weingut Zähringer makes wine in the Markgräflerland, in southern Germany right across the Rhine River from the Alsace region. This area benefits from lots of sunshine, a good terroir, and a mild climate that favors varietals such as Chardonnay and Pinots.
In 1986 Walter Zähringer rigorously pursued quality control and was convinced that this can only be achieved through organic winemaking. In those days this philosophy was unimaginable, but as time went by Walter Zähringer and the estate manager Paulin Köpfer won recognition. Today their long experience has become an asset in marketing organic wines, and they count among the pioneers of organic wine in Germany.
DAY 2: Monday, September 15
09:45 am Estate tour and tasting at winery Freiherr von Gleichenstein in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden. We were hosted by Baron Johannes von Gleichenstein.
Since 1634, this estate has been in the hands of the family of the Baron von Gleichenstein. The estate comprises 75 acres of the finest vineyards exclusively planted with the classic Burgundy grapes.
Baron Johannes and Baroness Christina von Gleichenstein manage the estate in the 11th generation. They aimed at producing top level wines: through consistent yield reduction and other measures to optimize quality, they produce wines that have won several awards, in particular the spectacular Pinot Noir.
12:00 pm Tour and tasting at winery Franz Keller (VDP) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden. We were hosted by owner Fritz Keller.
With the Keller family, which can trace its roots as winemakers and hoteliers back to the Thirty Year War in the early 17-hundreds, everything started with producing and offering outstanding food. Franz and his wife Irma, parents of the current owner, were among the first generation of chefs to start the German revolution in the kitchen more than forty years ago. Well beyond the immediate post WWII era, the urge to simply have enough food on the table – quantity over quality- lingered on. In 1969 Franz and Irma Keller and their restaurant Schwarze Adler were awarded one Michelin star, which the restaurant defends until today. For Franz Keller, the central idea of winemaking was to produce top quality wines that perfectly accompanied the creations in the kitchen.
The current generation, Fritz and Bettina Keller have brought the winery to a new level. They just finished construction of a brand new winery that is an architectural landmark, beautifully integrated in the landscape. Their efforts to produce top wines, among them stunning Pinot Noirs, were acknowledged by their selection as new member of the VDP in 2013.
01:00 pm Wine paring lunch at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden. Fritz Keller brought us to the restaurant and Bettina Keller joined us later to greet us.
This 1-Michelin star traditional restaurant run by the Keller family of winegrowers offers a harmonious mix of Baden country charm and elegance. The menu is a successful marriage of French and German cuisine reflecting the frontier on the nearby Rhine River, which is the border between Germany and France. The impressive wine list boasts 2 600 different wines, including a good selection of bottles from both Baden and France.
04.15 pm Tasting at winery Huber (VDP) in Malterdingen, Breisgau, Baden.
The Huber Estate is located in Malterdingen in the Breisgau area. More than 700 years ago, Cistercian monks came to Malterdingen, and found the same terroir as in Burgundy and thus started to plant Pinot Noir grapes. Still today, in many reference books on grape varieties, "Malterdinger" is used as a synonym for Pinot Noir. In 1987 Bernhard Huber and his wife Barbara started their own estate, leaving the co-operative where they produced wine before. They now own 65 acres of vineyards of which 70% is planted with Pinot Noir and the rest with Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, a little bit of Muskateller, Riesling, and Müller-Thurgau. All Huber wines are dry.
Bernhard Huber does not produce any botrytised noble sweet wines or ice wines, nor does he chaptalize or add sweet reserve (Suessreserve) to generate sweetness in the finished wine. All his wines are fully fermented, dry and at around 13.5 percent alcohol. Bernhard regularly received the highest awards for his Pinot Noir and became something of a legend for producing top Pinot Noirs that can compete with the best of Burgundy. Bernhard Huber, only 53 years old, died in June 2014 after a battle with cancer. His wife Barbara wrote me in a moving email that she and their children try to keep Bernhard Huber's vision of wine making alive and that they will continue to produce top quality wines.
DAY 3: Tuesday, September 16
09:45 am Cellar tour and tasting at winery Dr. Heger (VDP) in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden.
This estate is also one of the young wineries by German standards. It was founded in 1935 by Dr. Max Heger, a country doctor. Today the winery is in the hands of the third generation. Joachim Heger and his wife Silvia are in charge of 50 acres planted primarily with Pinot Noir and the white Burgundy grapes. The winery lies in the Kaiserstuhl, a small volcanic group of hills in the Upper Rhine Valley in southwest Germany.
The town of Ihringen enjoys the highest average temperature in Germany. While some fine Riesling and Silvaner gets made here, it is really Pinot country. The wines are rich, very well-structured, compact, but nevertheless elegant and subtle.
11:55 am Lunch at restaurant Holzöfele in Ihringen, just across the street from Dr. Heger winery.
01:30 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Karl H. Johner in Bischoffingen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden. We were hosted by Karl-Heinz and Patrick Johner.
By German standards this is a very young winery. Karl-Heinz Johner, a graduate of the famous Geisenheim university of oenology and viticulture, founded the winery in 1985 after having worked for 12 years as a winemaker in England where he was one of the first to produce English sparklers. The soil and other conditions in the Kaiserstuhl area of the Baden wine region are conducive to the classic Burgundy grapes.
Karl H. Johner had the knowledge and experience with these grape varietals and building on this fundament he was able to produce high quality Pinot Noirs. Will Lyons of the WSJ said of the Johner 2010 Pinot Noir, "wonderful bright dark Burgundy color…..this is a perfumed complex wine". Son Patrick is now co-owner and manager/winemaker in Baden. Karl H. Johner's curiosity drove him to start a new winery in New Zealand, where he spends the better part of the year.
04:15 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Maison Trimbach, Alsace, France. Hubert Trimbach greeted us.
It will be very interesting to taste the Trimbach wines and compare them with the German wines. Even wines of the same grape variety are distinctively different. This is due to different terroir but in a large part to the different philosophy of winemaking in Germany and Alsace. In a nutshell: the modern German winemaking aims at elegant, fruity, crisp, perfectly balanced wines whereas the Alsatian winemaker wants body, boldness and strength for the wines to accompany the hearty Alsatian food.
Maison Trimbach is a family run winery and its winemaking history goes back to 1626. "All French 3 star Michelin Restaurants carry Trimbach wine" says Jean Trimbach. This says it all: Maison Trimbach produces wine of the highest quality!
07:00 pm Arrival at Hotel de la Tour in Ribeauvillé, Alsace.
We explore the small, picture-perfect, medieval Alsatian village and had a memorable dinner at a local brasserie, eating typical Alsatian food and drinking Alsatian wines.
DAY 4: Wednesday, September 17
We continue our journey north on the left side of the Rhine River and stayed on the French side to cross into the Pfalz region of Germany in Wissembourg.
10:00 am Tasting at winery Friedrich Becker (VDP) in Schweigen, Pfalz. Friedrich Becker and Friedrich Becker jun. greeted us.
This winery is unique. The vineyards are in two countries - Germany and France- due to the winery's location right on the German/French border. In this area the Rhine rift created many different soil types which presented favorable conditions for planting a wide variety of grapes. 60% of the vineyards are planted with the Burgundy grapes and Chardonnay; 22 % with Riesling and the rest with Silvaner, Muskateller, Traminer, Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, and Portugieser.
Friedrich Becker sees the wealth of nature as being the basis for his work, but more importantly, for him nature is an inspiration. He was the first of his family to distance himself from delivering the grapes to the local co-operative and decided to make his own wine. Right from the start he has been one of the best producers in the Pfalz and one of the best Pinot Noir producers in Germany. The Gault Millau 2010 Best Red Wine of the Year is a Friedrich Becker Pinot Noir. The same instincts seem to have been transferred to his son Friedrich jun., who has taken over more and more responsibilities.
12:00 pm Winery tour and wine pairing lunch at winery and wine tavern Jülg in Schweigen. We were hosted by Johannes Jülg, who is now in charge of winemaking. His father Werner and his 2 brothers also joined us.
Just down the street from winery Becker you find the winery Jülg. Like Becker their vineyards are also in Germany as well as in France. Karin Jülg runs the wine tavern which is known for outstanding traditional Pfälzer cuisine.
In the mid 80s Werner Jülg converted the family winery from a low-end mass producing winery -so typical for the Pfalz in those days-, into a wine estate that produces outstanding wines of the highest quality. He is also known for his excellent Sekt making: the Blanc de Noir produced in the Method Champenoise with traditional Champagner grapes is absolutely delicious.
Winery Jülg produces only dry wines mostly with traditional Burgundy grapes. After finishing his studies in oenology son Johannes is now also working in the winery to continue with the family tradition.
03:15 pm We took a short walk to the Deutsches Weintor (German Wine Gate), a landmark built in 1936 which greets the traveller when coming from France. It also marks the beginning of the German Wine Trail. We climbed 18 meters to the top and enjoyed the view over the breathtakingly beautiful landscape south towards the Alsace and north towards the Pfalz.
04:00 pm Tasting at winery Ökonomierat Rebholz (VDP) in Siebeldingen, Pfalz.
Hansjörg and Birgit Rebholz, the third generation of the Rebholz family continue what the founder, the Ökonomierat Eduard Rebholz began: producing highly individualistic wines by working as close as possible with nature. The Rebholz wines do not undergo any chaptalization, fining, or deacidifying nor will sweet reserve be added to underscore the individuality of the terroir, the climate, and the grape.
75% of the 47 acres under vine are planted with Riesling and the Burgundy grapes, 10% with Chardonnay and the rest with Silvaner, Sauvignon Blanc, Muskateller and Gewürztraminer. Due to the purity the wines have an enormous ageing potential. Hansjörg Rebholz was nominated as winemaker of the year 2013 by the Austrian lifestyle magazine Falstaff.
06:45 pm Arrival at Hotel Ritter von Böhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz.
We explored Deidesheim, a small, picturesque village with half-timbered houses and rustic wine taverns. The former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who lives close by, made Deidesheim famous, as he took his powerful guests, such as Margaret Thatcher, the King and Queen of Spain, Michail Gorbatschow, to Deidesheim to try the Saumagen, his favorite dish.
DAY 5: Thursday, September 18
09:40 am Cellar tour and tasting at winery Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan (VDP) in Deidesheim, Pfalz. We were hosted by General Manager Gunther Hauck.
The Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann Jordan estate was founded in 1718 by Andreas Jordan, who immigrated to the Pfalz from the Savoy region. In his footsteps came a long series of respected men: Ludwig Andreas Jordan (1811-1883), Representative of the Frankfurt Parliament and the Federal Parliament; Dr. Ludwig Bassermann-Jordan (1869 - 1914), who greatly influenced the first German wine regulations and who co-founded the Association of Natural Wine Producers (later VDP); Dr. Friedrich von Bassermann-Jordan (1872 - 1959) author of one of the most fundamental works on the history of wine; finally Dr. Ludwig von Bassermann-Jordan (1924-1995), who secured a firm position at the pinnacle of the international wine market for the Bassermann-Jordan wines.
The estate produces a broad range of wines that are rich in nuance and style with 85% stemming from Riesling grapes. These are terroir-based, spontaneously fermented Rieslings with mineral characteristics as well as crystal-clear, delicately fruity, vibrant and highly aromatic wines, which are modern and expressive.
02:20 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery A. Christmann (VDP) in Gimmeldingen, Pfalz. Steffen Christmann joined us in the cellar and discussed with us the new VDP classification. His father greeted us at the tasting.
Weingut A. Christmann is owned and run in the 7th generation by Steffen Christmann, who is the current President of the VDP. Since its founding in 1845 the estate has produced Riesling and Pinot Noir. Devotion to soil vitality and the preservation and individuality of the terroir has lead Steffen Christmann to practice organic agriculture, strict vineyard management, and severe yield reduction.
In the cellar, he employs long and gentle pressing with low pressure, clarification through natural sedimentation, and a slow, not too cool fermentation sometimes until as late as June with only one filtration. All of the wines are vinified in the dry style, because he feels that the conditions in his vineyards are ideal for producing dry wines.
04:30 pm Tasting at winery Weegmüller in Neustadt-Haardt, Pfalz. We were hosted by Stefanie and Gabriele Weegmüller.
The Weegmüller family can look back on more than 300 years of winemaking in the Pfalz. The origins of the Weegmüller family, an old dynasty of council members of the free town of Zürich, lies in Switzerland. In 1657 they came to the village of Haardt, today a part of the city of Neustadt and started to make wine in 1685. One of first women in the field, winemaker Stefanie Weegmüller-Scherr is at the helm of the estate assisted by her sister Gabriele, who takes care of sales, marketing and hospitality services.
They cultivate 35 acres of vineyards which are farmed organically to ensure sustainability and harmony with nature. Dominated by Riesling, the winery also grows Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer and Rieslander. The portfolio is complemented by the red grape varieties Pinot Noir, Merlot and Dornfelder.
06:30 pm Dinner at Netts Restaurant in Gimmeldingen.
The Pfalz has long been known for it's culinary tradition. During the last years a generation of young, ambitious chefs has brought the culinary scene in the Pfalz to a new level. One of those restaurants is the "Netts" of Susanne and Daniel Nett.
DAY 6: Friday, September 19
09:30 am Cellar tour, visit of the construction site of the winery extension and tasting at winery Markus Schneider in Ellerstadt, Pfalz. We were hosted by owner and winemaker Markus Schneider.
For centuries the Schneider family has been living in Ellerstadt and owned vineyards, but did not produce wine and instead sold the grapes. Markus Schneider founded the winery in 1994 and has made himself a name within a short period of time with innovative, non-traditional wines. He increasingly shifted to making blends, based on international grape varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Merlot, which were a novelty for Germany. At the same time, the wines were marketed with non-traditional, modern labels and wine names; these wines became increasingly appealing for young consumers and the hip crowd.
Markus Schneider markets all his wines as QbA, without any reference to the predicate level (that have been dominating the German wine classification for decades) and without any reference to the vineyard(s) were the grapes come from (moving away from the terroir principle that has become increasingly important for traditional German wine producers). In 2003, Markus Schneider was voted Newcomer of the Year by the Feinschmecker (the top German gourmet magazine), and in 2006, as Discovery of the Year. Within only a few years, Markus Schneider has shot to the upper echelons of the German wine world and established a solid position among the top. President Obama already savored Schneider wines at the luncheon given by Chancellor Merkel during Obama's visit to Berlin last year.
12:15 pm Lunch at restaurant Landgasthaus zur Linde in Westhofen, Rheinhessen.
02:15 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Wittmann (VDP) in Westhofen, Rheinhessen. Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann showed us the winery and Philipp Wittmann joined us for part of the tasting.
This winery in Westhofen has been in the hands of the Wittmann family since 1663. Attachment to the native soil runs deep and in order to leave a legacy of healthy soil and vines the vineyards are farmed biodynamically. The old vaulted underground cellar with its consistent temperature provides the perfect conditions for the wine to ferment spontaneously with its own natural yeast in wooden casks.
The 62 acres of vineyards are planted primarily with Riesling. Because of the almost mediterranean climate in southern Rheinhessen, the Burgundy grapes also have a long tradition in viticulture. Philipp Wittmann, the current owner, regularly gets awards for his wines.
04:30 pm Tasting at winery Wechsler in Westhofen, Rheinhessen. We were hosted by Katharina Wechsler.
Winemaker Katharina Wechsler belongs to the group of the "young and wild" new generation of ambitious winemakers in Rheinhessen. To understand her vision, I just quote her: "When I packed by bags and left Berlin in the summer of 2009 after 11 years of living a very different life in the big, wide world to go home to my family's winery in the tiny village of Westhofen, I only knew this: I want to make wine and I want to make a top quality wine in Rheinhessen.
For 2 years I trained with two outstanding winemakers (one of them was Klaus Peter Keller) who understood my passion and enforced my love for winemaking. To be a winemaker has a lot to do with intuition and trust: Directing the grape's development throughout the year until harvest, deciding on the optimal picking time, then slowly taking your hands off to let nature run its course in the cellar to finally look forward to the moment when the perfect result is in the glass".
07:15 pm Arrival at Hotel Merian in Oppenheim, Rheinhessen.
DAY 7: Saturday, September 20
09:30 am Guided sightseeing tour of labyrinth I in Oppenheim.
This small town with a population of about 7000 is a gem, and undiscovered by foreign tourists, despite its proximity to the airport in Frankfurt. First documented in 765, it survived wars and destruction and is beautifully preserved.
The Gothic Cathedral is the most important Gothic church between Cologne and Strassburg. In the ossuarium next to the church, the bones of more than 20,000 Oppenheim citizens are stacked from floor to ceiling. Extraordinary is the around 40 km long underground labyrinth, well preserved in its historical state.
10:45 am Tasting at winery Gunderloch (VDP) in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen. We were hosted by Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach.
It all started in 1890, when the banker Carl Gunderloch purchased the Gunderloch manor house and vineyards in Nackenheim. Today, the Estate is still in the hands of the Gunderloch family, with Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger, the great-great granddaughter of Carl Gunderloch, and her husband Fritz Hasselbach, a renowned winemaker, in charge. The Gunderloch Estate also has an interesting tie to Hollywood.
The German writer Carl Zuckmaier, who became a Hollywood screenwriter, was born in Nackenheim and a friend of Carl Gunderloch. Zuckmaier not only wrote the screenplay for the film "The Blue Angel", but also the plays "The Captain from Koepenick" and "The Devils General". He used the Gunderloch estate for the setting, and Carl Gunderloch as the main character for his very first play "Der froehliche Weinberg" (The Jolly Vineyard). In this play Zuckmaier renamed Carl Gunderloch "Jean Baptiste", which is where the brand name used on the Gunderloch "Jean Baptiste" Kabinett is borrowed from. Unusual for a German winery, the Gunderloch estate exports 50% of its wines. The "Jean Baptiste" is reportedly the bestselling German wine in New York City.
12:45 pm Lunch at Bootshaus in Mainz.
03:00 pm Arrival at Frankfurt airport.
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
American Whiskey Producers in Germany, 2013
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
Labels: 2014, Alsace, Baden, Germany, Ombiasy Wine Tours, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, wine and food
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On this episode of the podcast we talk about the five or so films we are MOST looking forward to in 2019 and the one or two that we could happily miss. Yup it's our 2019 preview show! We also briefly cover off the sad demise of HMV in the UK.


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Researchers studying gratitude have found that being thankful and expressing it to others is good for our health and happiness. Not only does it feel good, it also helps us build trust and closer bonds with the people around us.
These benefits have mostly been observed in a two-person exchange—someone saying thanks and someone receiving thanks. Now, a new study suggests the effects of expressing gratitude go beyond improving one-on-one relationships, they could bring entire groups together—inspiring a desire to help and connect in people who simply witness an act of gratitude.
In this extensive study, Sara Algoe of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her colleagues ran multiple experiments to investigate how witnessing gratitude affects people's feelings toward the grateful person and the benefactor (the person who is being thanked).
They came up with a few different ways for participants to observe gratitude. In one experiment, participants were tasked with reading a movie review draft and underlining eye-catching passages for the reviewer's benefit. Before they began, though, they saw an example (supposedly done by a previous participant). Several lines of text were underlined, as the assignment required, but many typos were also corrected, showing effort that went beyond the original assignment. In some cases, this help was acknowledged with a handwritten note from the reviewer saying, "Thank you so much for catching those typos!"
Afterward, participants underlined passages in another article by the reviewer, and researchers counted how many typos they corrected as a measure of their willingness to offer extra help. Then, people were asked how much they might like to be friends with the reviewer.
The results showed that people who had seen a note of gratitude were more willing to correct typos and help out, and more likely to want to become friends with the reviewer, than those who hadn't.
"When people witness an expression of gratitude, they see that the grateful person is the kind of person who notices when other people do kind things and actually takes the time to acknowledge them—meaning, they're a good social partner," says Algoe. "People who are responsive as social partners are really desirable people."
Based on other survey questions, Algoe and her team also discovered that participants wanted to help and affiliate with the person receiving the gratitude. That's because receiving gratitude marks you as a person who is effective at being supportive or helpful, says Algoe.
"It's helpful to know who the people in our environment are who will do nice things for other people, because they are attractive relationship partners," she says.
What was the exact cause of participants' reactions, though? It's possible that people are attracted to others who seem positive in general, like the reviewer, or they simply felt elevated by witnessing the other participant's generosity. To find out the active ingredient in gratitude and why it may have effects on bystanders, Algoe and her colleagues ran more experiments.
In one, they had participants watch videos where one member of a real-life couple expressed gratitude toward their partner. The videos varied in how much the grateful person praised their partner's fine qualities—e.g., admiring their partner's listening skills or their generous nature—and expressed how the partner's generosity had benefitted them—e.g., helping them work through a difficult problem or save money they would have spent on a cab. The videos also varied in how warm, positive, or competent the person in the video appeared.
The results showed that participants were more drawn to videotaped individuals who praised their partner than to those who focused on how they'd benefitted personally. True, they were also drawn to grateful people who seemed warm, competent, and positive—but those traits didn't matter nearly as much as praising another's fine qualities.
To Algoe, this points to a particularly important element of gratitude—its other-focused nature—which may be key to influencing witnesses of gratitude.
"When a grateful person actually takes the time to step outside of themselves and call attention to what was great about the other person's actions—that's what distinguishes gratitude from other kinds of positive emotional expressions," she says.
Interestingly, Algoe's findings weren't affected by the gender of the witnesses, grateful people, or benefactors. Although men might fear that gratitude makes them look weak or become indebted, even men who expressed gratitude were rated as more competent than those who didn't.
These findings build on prior research by showing that expressions of gratitude not only provide social glue for the people involved—the grateful person and the benefactor—but also spread beyond the dyad, affecting witnesses in ways that could reverberate throughout a group.
"It's easy to imagine how this might work in a workplace, where people are actually attending to and acknowledging other people's good deeds and kindnesses," says Algoe. "A whole group of people could be inspired to be kinder to one another, and, through this interwoven kindness, the group itself could become a higher-functioning group."
Does this mean we should all be expressing gratitude more frequently? Yes, says Algoe—though how it's expressed could differ by context and culture. For some situations, she says, it may be appropriate to be demonstrative rather than verbal—giving a hug, for example, or bringing a gift of flowers. In another context, a simple thank you—especially if it's sincere and not manipulative—will get the ball rolling.
Whatever the case, though, it's clear we can do more to increase social connection if we acknowledge the good in those around us.
"Gratitude expression seems to be a unique kind of emotional experience that is really well-suited for relationship building," says Algoe.
Jill Suttie, Psy.D., is Greater Good's book review editor and a frequent contributor to the magazine. This article was originally published on Greater Good's online magazine.
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Brain 'Closes Eyes' to Hear Music
0 Brain 'Closes Eyes' to Hear Music
CiCi
Our brains can turn down our ability to see to help them listen even harder to music and complex sounds, say experts.
A US study of 20 non-musicians and 20 musical conductors found both groups diverted brain activity away from visual areas during listening tasks.
Scans showed activity fell in these areas as it rose in auditory ones.
But during harder tasks the changes were less marked for conductors than for non-musicians, researchers told a Society for Neuroscience conference.
Imagine the difference between listening to someone talk in a quiet room, and that same discussion in a noisy room – you don't see as much of what's going on in the noisy room
Dr Jonathan Burdette
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
The researchers, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the University of North Carolina, used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which can measure real-time changes in brain activity based on the blood flow to different areas of the brain.
Previous research has identified various parts of the brain involved in vision and hearing.
The experiment involved 20 professional orchestral conductors or band leaders and 20 musically untrained students, all aged between 28 and 40.
While lying in the scanner, they were asked to listen to two different musical tones played a few thousandths of a second apart and identify which was played first.
The task was made harder for the professional musicians than for the non-musicians, to allow for the differences in their background.
What the scientists found was that while activity rose, as expected, in the auditory part of the brain, it correspondingly fell in the visual part.
As the task was made harder and harder, the non-musicians carried on diverting more and more activity away from the visual parts of the brain to the auditory side, as they struggled to concentrate.
However, after a certain point, the conductors did not suppress their brains, suggesting that their years of training had provided a distinct advantage in the way their brains were organised.
Finely-tuned brains
Dr Jonathan Burdette, who led the study, said: "This is like closing your eyes to listen to music.
"Imagine the difference between listening to someone talk in a quiet room and that same discussion in a noisy room – you don't see as much of what's going on in the noisy room."
Another researcher, Dr David Hairston, said that the study showed just how flexible this ability was.
"How this operates can change with highly specialised training and experience," he said.
Dr Bahador Bahrami, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said the study showed the difference in "brain organisation" between musicians and non-musicians.
"It demonstrates the mechanisms developed in the brain in the face of distraction. The brains of the conductors are highly tuned to tones."
Being A Supportive Piano Parent
Successful musicians from around the world have noted that their parents' encouragement and love of music to be the most important element in sparking their interest in music. Whet[...]
By CiCi
Website http://www.piano4u.com/


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The Progressive Era was a period of social activism and political reform in the United States between the 1890s and the 1920s.

Progressive Era may also refer to:

The Progressive Era, a newspaper published in Athens, Georgia
Pro Era, an American hip hop collective from New York

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Learn About Fundraising
Kisindizi Public Primary School Borehole Project
What We Built
Project Type: Borehole Well and Hand Pump
Program: Wells for Masindi / Jinga Uganda
Wells for Masindi / Jinga Uganda
Together with our partner, The Water Trust, we're currently developing sources of clean water, along with sanitation facilities and hygiene education in the rural parts of Masindi and Jinga Districts in Uganda.
Since starting work in April 2008, The Water Trust has completed over 60 projects serving near 20,000 people with clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene.
Impact: 500 Served
Project Phase: In Service - Oct 2015
Functionality Status: Functional
Functionality Data
Install Date: 10/23/2015
Current Status: Functional
Last Checkup: 12/07/2020
Checkup History:
05/20/2016 — Water Flowing - Needs Attention
06/14/2016 — Functional
09/16/2019 — Low/No Water or Mechanical Breakdown
Project Features
Borehole Well and Hand Pump
Girls and women walk long distances for water when safe water is very often right under their feet! Underground rivers, called aquifers, often contain a constant supply of safe water – but you have to get to it. No matter what machine or piece of equipment is used, all drilling is aiming for a borehole that reaches into an aquifer. If the aquifer has water - and after the well is developed - we are able to pull water to the surface utilizing a hand-pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around 5 gallons of water a minute through a hand-pump.
Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it's total community re-engagement.
There's only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing it because a project fell into disrepair.
Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing "the work" which makes up a rehabilitation.
Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct the well and install a hand pump.
Engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.
Local leadership is a lasting investment
Sustainable water projects only occur through the presence of local leaders. The Water Project identifies, develops, supports, and partners with local organizations who share our vision of reliable and verifiable clean water. Together, we build water programs that include responsible community development, lasting local solutions and ongoing monitoring and resolution.
Community engagement is at every step of a water project.
Our engagement is rooted in relationship and includes involving the community in implementation and ongoing support, setting expectations for water point management and ongoing costs, etc. All of this happens before a water project is installed.
We use a term called ABCD: "Asset Based Community Development". This means the community gets a leading seat at the table. Before we seek to bring anything into the community, we first seek to understand and utilize the assets that already exist within the community.
Hygiene and Sanitation Training
Community education and self-discovery about hygiene and sanitation concepts lead to improved health.
Improved health is always the goal. This is why all our projects include hygiene and sanitation training. We utilize many different methods for this training, depending on the community/institution, program and country. Training topics include disease transmission, personal hygiene and cleanliness, proper disposal of waste and proper water storage methods.
Monitoring and Resolution
Water isn't a pump. Water is a service. And, it must be reliable.
The known benefits of water are ONLY true if water can be counted on, over time. We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, the ongoing service of water - making water reliable - is how we know our true impact.
The Water Project continues to monitor our water projects, and we provide continued support to make sure water service continues for communities.
Past water projects and the communities they serve are just as important to us as anything else we might be doing in the future.
To learn more about how you can help with ongoing monitoring, evaluation and resolution, read about our awesome monthly members.
Project Timeline FAQ
We're working hard to make sure your gifts result in a lasting water project for the community it serves. Our engagement with a community begins many months before construction and lasts years after construction. The timeline here is focused on the physical construction of the water project. There is also training and engagement work that has already started.
Water project construction in the developing world is hard work. A lot of things can and do cause delays - which are normal. We attempt to make our best judgment of when construction will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.
Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and progress of community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes speed up) a project's completion.
We will always tell you if anything changes. And, if you get a notice like this – it's actually further proof your gifts are being carefully used towards a water project that lasts.
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This project is a part of our shared program with The Water Trust. Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).
Kisindizi Public Primary School is located in Kyakamese Parish, Pakanyi sub-county, Masindi district and it is one of the government aided primary schools in the sub-county. This school has an enrollment of 502 pupils of which 249 are girls and 253 boys. The school has a fairly good sanitation environment where both boys and girls have separate latrines in good working conditions. This school is challenged by lack of access to clean and safe water which affects the general sanitation of the school. Due to the prevailing water crisis, children do not wash their hand after visiting the latrine or before touching food which poses a big threat to their health. The introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), also known as free education for all, resulted in a rapid increase in the number of children in the primary schools from 5.3 million in 1997 to 7.3 million in 2002, a trend that has continued in subsequent years, straining hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools which already had low standards of sanitation and hygiene.
The Water Trust, in collaboration with Masindi District local government, is implementing a school sanitation and hygiene program through construction of ventilated improved lined latrines and provision of access to clean and safe water. The social team initiates and trains school health clubs for purpose of sustainability in its efforts to ensure quality education for boys and girls becomes a reality. This school has been selected among many that applied for support and we are going to drill a borehole for them in an effort to improve their sanitation.
Sanitation facilities prevent the transmission of diseases as it prevents human faecal contamination of water and soil. The lack of proper sanitation facilities are the cause for a significant proportion of the world's infectious disease burden. Moreover, waterborne illnesses predominantly affect the poor and the young. When basic water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions are applied, waterborne illnesses can be effectively reduced.
SANITATION AND HYGIENE STRATEGY
The main objectives of the Sanitation and Hygiene Program are the use of latrines and observing proper hygiene practices as these goals are inherently connected to the provision of clean water. Open defecation, water storage in unclean containers and the absence of hand washing at critical times are all possible contaminates to the water supply at the household level. We leverage this relationship by requiring each participating village to achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by one latrine per household) prior to the pump installation for a shallow hand dug well. Using the immediate gratification of clean water as an impetus, the team works toward sustainable, interdisciplinary WASH development.
The social program includes the assignment of one Community Development Officer (CDO) per village. The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that includes: a latrine with hand-washing facility, a rubbish pit, a separate structure for animals, and a drying rack for dishes.
Community Led Total Sanitation
We implement the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach with each of our village partners. The team facilitates a CLTS session in which we aim to improve the sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors of a village. During these sessions, village leaders naturally emerge and push the community to realize that current practices of individual households – particularly open defecation– are not only unhealthy, but affect the entire village. CLTS facilitates a process in which community members realize the negative consequences of their current water, sanitation and hygiene behaviors and are inspired to take action. Group interactions are frequent motivators for individual households to: build latrines, use the latrines, and demand that other households do the same.
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
An application letter from Ms. Nyamahunge Elizabeth, the head teacher, for a water source was received and our technical team visited the school for viability after ensuring there was no objection from the Chief administrative officer to allow work in this school.
ICON Projects, one of the borehole drilling companies in Uganda has been contracted to undertake drilling and installation of the borehole at this school.
A hydrological survey has been conducted and a suitable location has been identified. Drilling will soon commence and we shall keep you updated.
Drilling was done and concluded today. We now wait for pump testing whose results will be communicated soon.
Today the pump was tested and all is well. The project has been handed over for commissioning but it will remain under warranty cover by the contractor for a period of six months.
The school management has planned to construct a protective fence around the source. The well is functioning and already serving the students and surrounding community.
We're just getting started, check back soon!
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National Geographic Channel has set Live From Space, a two-hour television event to be broadcast live from the International Space Station (ISS) and Mission Control in Houston this March, coinciding with Seth MacFarlane's Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a Fox/Nat Geo reboot of the groundbreaking 1980s Carl Sagan series. The announcement comes on the heels of the news yesterday that NASA is extending the life of the ISS for four additional years beyond its current 2020 expiration date. Nat Geo had been making a push in live stunts following Discovery's successful special in which Nick Wallenda crossed the Little Colorado River Gorge. Last summer, Nat Geo announced two such specials that were to air this past fall — Volcano Dive: Live with Bob Ballard was to be telecast on November 17 as part of the celebration of the National Geographic Society's 125th anniversary, and rock climber Alex Honnold was to climb one of the world's highest skyscrapers. None of those seem to have panned out though the latter may have been pushed to 2014. Live From Space, from Arrow Media, plans to go into orbit with astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata from the ISS, while astronaut Mike Massimino (most notably known for fixing the Hubble Telescope) will be live in Houston. The special will air on NGC in 170 countries, and on Channel 4 in the UK. Viewers also will be able to chat via video with Mastracchio and Wakata. The Nat Geo special would go before NBC's planned space travel series from producer Mark Burnett, which is done in collaboration with Richard Branson's commercial spaceline. In 2012, Nat Geo aired a behind the scenes documentary about Felix Baumgartner's space dive after the free fall jump was streamed live online.


So I just finished watching it. I'm not writing a review cause I don't really know what I could say that hasn't been said before but it's a good movie, very good actually. I have to agree that Rushdie was a bit thick calling the Taj Mahal thing, either he didn't get something or he really was on a mission to bash the movie.
Thanks for finding the old thread, Eric, and I'm glad you liked it. Especially because what with director Danny Boyle being British, it having British actors and featuring a call centre servicing Britain... I think we've just found a British film you like!
By the way, I noticed you have The Wrestler in your banner. What did you think? I've finally ordered the Blu-Ray thanks to Northbloke finding HMV's bargains.
I think you got something wrong, it's not British movies I dislike, it's British movies from the 70's but I dislike them no more and no less than any other movies from the 70's. I have reviewed a few americam movies from that period and didn't like them much either. There's something in the style of the 70's that just doesn't work with me most of the time.
The Wrestler: I don't want to say too much not to spoil it for you but I think you're gonna like it. There's really not many wrestling scenes, the movie shows us the real life of a top wrestler at the end (of after) his career. On my version of DVD there's a discussion in the bonus material with Lex Luger, Randy Piper and 2 others I don't remember right now, if you have it it's worth watching.
We can talk about it more after you've watched it.
Good stuff. I'm hoping it arrives in time to be "W" in the alphathon.
The Hurt Locker is a powerful and tense thriller. And to be specific, an Action-Thriller before it's a War movie. Maybe that's why it has struggled to find an audience outside of critics, because it really isn't what you might expect. One popular criticism I have seen repeated is the naive statement, "it doesn't know what it wants to be". Oh, it does. It knows exactly.
It is important to note that Kathryn Bigelow, albeit with a short C.V. in this respect, is one of the action genres most important directors, not least because of her fascination with the male psyche; her characters are usually men addicted to danger, which makes her work a nice counter-point to her ex-husbands, whose speciality is strong women. Interesting that she released Point Break in the same summer as Cameron's Terminator 2 and now steals the Oscar from Avatar. And really, while T2 is utterly superb and Avatar is a heck of a ride, which director has grown? I question Avatar's distinction in the media as a "game-changer" because I see technology growing regardless, but it takes a different kind of talent and faith to change a genre. Cameron is happy making our eyeballs bleed and I thank him for it, but he is repeating what we already know. Bigelow has shown subtleties in The Hurt Locker that can only come from an inherent understanding of action cinema and what the audience is willing to accept (she may need a bit more time on that score, sadly!).
Acid test: I spent most of Avatar fiddling with my stupid 3D glasses and most of The Hurt Locker forgetting to breathe.
Much of the success is down to the superb Oscar winning screenplay by Mark Boan and Jeremy Renner's deservedly nominated role. Many action movies are ruined by trying to contrive set-pieces, but here, Renner's Sergeant James is the plot and Iraq is the perfect place for him to develop from a maverick rule-breaker to someone who accounts for and thrives in his unique environment of what is probably the most dangerous job you can have. Renner is marvellous in a role that could so easily have been 'Martin Riggs goes to war'. There is an especially fine moment where the team get embroiled in a sniper battle alongside British mercenaries, which ironically is where many people say it really failed!
Some are calling this one of the best war films ever made and that's difficult to call, but it's definitely one of the most interesting, at least since Tigerland, also a low-budget, gritty and realistic drama, that ironically has a very similar character to Renner, played by Colin Farrell.
If you are looking for an insightful commentary on Iraq, this is the wrong film (if that's the case, the excellent BBC drama Occupation covered some similar ground last year and is worth looking up instead). The Hurt Locker is an adrenaline rush, if you allow it. The only thing wrong with it is timing and hopefully it will eventually find an appreciative audience. For now, at least the Academy have recognised the sheer, extraordinary quality of this film.
I loved this film, and it did deserve Best Picture honors.
This reminded me of a film I saw back in the late 80's about the Vietnam war, called 84 Charlie Mopic. It was a low budget film about a company of soldiers being filmed for a documentary about the war. Told in documentary style, you are put right into the action and day to day struggles of this squad of soldiers. Just as you are beginning to get to know them, they start to get picked off in combat.
Thanks, Antares. I love it when everything you hear about a film tells you you'll probably like it and then when you see it, it's even better! I'm looking forward to seeing it again.
84 Charlie Mopic sounds great. I just saw a very brief clip on YouTube in the middle of another video and it looks clever. Wonder why no-ones picked it up for DVD? The director at least went on to do Courage Under Fire, which I always liked, again because it was trying something different.
It is important to note that Kathryn Bigelow, albeit with a short C.V. in this respect, is one of the action genres most important directors, not least because of her fascination with the male psyche; her characters are usually men addicted to danger, which makes her work a nice counter-point to her ex-husbands, whose speciality is strong women. Interesting that she released Point Break in the same summer as Cameron's Terminator 2 and now steals the Oscar from Avatar. And really, while T2 is utterly superb and Avatar is a heck of a ride, which director has grown?
Great point you make there. Although, it sounds like we're saying Cameron is stuck in a loop, which isn't exactly true either. Why "grow" if you like what you're doing and think you can still entertain people doing it. I mean, sometimes I wish Peter Jackson would "un-grow" a little and go back to his roots; same is true for others.
I have liked all of Bigelow's films I have seen. I haven't seen her first and I avoided K-19 like the plague. I am looking forward to see The Hurt Locker soon, will order the Blu-ray later today. But then I also liked every one of Cameron's films, only not having seen his first (Piranha II ) and his documenty(/ies).
It's not that I think he needs to grow, because you're absolutely right, his films are fantastic and he is one of the best mainstream directors around. Also, there is room for everyone and all sorts of different styles, but I think the real progress is made by smaller films that don't try to be liked. But the fact Cameron continues to push as hard as he does when he could get away with coasting along is fantastic. My problem is with media perception of where his work is positioned in relation to others like Bigelow. The blinkers are on and the general opinion seems to be we should worship him as the new cinema messiah!
But there can only be one poster boy (or girl) and that means that everyone else gets swept aside. I am so pleased she won the Oscars, because that is an important statement from the Academy. Of course, thanks to the media again, her achievement is getting slightly dismissed as being less important than the fact a girl won, which is interesting at best, but what she did with that film is personal to her and important for the genre. That should be what they are talking about and try to open peoples eyes to a film that was largely ignored.
It's a weird business. I named Tigerland in the review and that was made by Joel Schumacher after his Batman and Robin disaster. Possibly his most interesting work only happened because he imploded and it does make me think that Cameron and others, like Jackson, should try it themselves. Just switch all the computers off, cut up the credit cards, find an 16mm camera and sod off for two years. Lets see what they come back with!
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WON THAT!
Congratulations Jon, what are you going to buy us?