text:
Malaysia: Unicorn Nation
By Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah February 26, 2021
'Chicken feed' public venture funding does not help create unicorns
Mediocre talent leads to mediocre business and this doesn't attract venture funding
I know what you must be thinking – that Doc Siva must have lost his marbles – how can Malaysia even come close to being a Unicorn nation, when even the best prospect we had, Grab, is now considered a Singaporean company even though it's run by Malaysians and was founded in Malaysia.
I totally agree, Malaysia is not a nation that has created unicorns (which to the uninitiated means a company valued at US$1 billion and over) nor does it appear that it ever will in future. But surely there are some who wish it were otherwise and harbour a dream to build a unicorn and wish it was possible to make this dream come true? Even the government has this aspiration in its latest Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital), where it wants to create or attract 5 unicorns to set up in Malaysia by 2030.
The question is not whether it is possible but what it takes to make Malaysia a "Unicorn Nation", where it's possible to start and build a highly successful startup and make it a unicorn. I am going to consider this from two angles, firstly from the macro angle where we will look at the environment and ecosystem in Malaysia to see if it's possible to create an environment suitable for the creation of unicorns and secondly from a micro angle where I will look at entrepreneurs and their companies to explore if they have what it takes.
Let's start with the macro angle first.
1. Market Size and Opportunity
Most of the world's unicorns come from very large and homogeneous markets like the United States, China or India. Even in Europe we don't have as many unicorns though these are developed nations with high consumer and business spending on a GDP basis. Clearly, the first and most important criterion is this large market opportunity, which due to its homogeneity makes it easier to sell products and services.
When people speak the same language, have similar cultures and similar purchasing power it clearly makes it easier to serve them with a similar product and to extract sufficient revenues to build a large company. Often just their home market alone is sufficient to make them unicorns.
In Southeast Asia the only nation that comes close is Indonesia with its 275 million population and they have many unicorns like Gojek, Tokopedia, Traveloka and Bukalapak. These companies also essentially serve a single market – Indonesia – and have becomes single market unicorns.
Singapore has several unicorns like SEA Ltd, Grab, Razer and Lazada but they serve a wider Southeast Asian or global market while the Philippines and Vietnam have one each in Revolution Precrafted and VNG Corporation respectively.
Malaysia with its small 32.7 million population is far from sufficient to create a unicorn. Even larger nations like Thailand with a population of 70 million; Vietnam (100m) and Philippines (110m) struggle to create unicorns. It is highly unlikely we can create a single market unicorn in Malaysia.
Australia has a smaller population than Malaysia at 25 million but it has several unicorns like SEEK and Atlassian while New Zealand has Xero. The difference is that these are companies that built global products serving a global market or in the case of SEEK acquired global startups and built a global business via these investments and acquisitions.
It is therefore clear that with a small population it is almost impossible to create a unicorn unless you have a product that serves a global market.
2. Talent
The other issue that everyone brings up is the lack of talent in Malaysia. Firstly, this is a fallacy because we have good talent except that they may be working in MNCs or large corporations or they may be working overseas; especially Singapore which has been attracting smart Malaysians for decades thanks to a combination of big pay packets and low taxes. Secondly, why are we still thinking like it's the 1980's? Today the whole world is a village and you can source talent from anywhere. Even the CEOs of Google and Microsoft are naturalized Indians.
Malaysia is still a highly desirable place to work and we could easily attract talent from around Asia. We don't have to depend on just Malaysian talent. It's time we started thinking global in more ways than one. Patrick Grove of the Kuala Lumpur-based Catcha Group has been hiring Australians and other foreign talent for years.
The problem is not talent; the real issue is money to hire top talent. Most startups just don't have sufficient funding to hire the best, so they end up hiring mediocre talent and build mediocre startups that will never be unicorns. One of my ScaleUp Malaysia companies wants to hire a top talent but his asking salary was high as he was earning close to RM30,000 a month (S$10,000) in Singapore. A quick check on Jobstreet Singapore shows that it costs S$8,000 to S$20,000 to hire a CTO, S$10,000 for a sales director and S$8,000 for a channel sales manager. So this is the benchmark for top talent, but it will be rare to find a Malaysian company with funds to afford this.
They may even have a great business and technology but by hiring mediocrity they end up in mediocrity and this doesn't attract venture funding leading to a vicious cycle of low performing companies. If only investors had more faith in them to invest at the earlier stages to support their business ventures, then they could have hired top talent to grow the business and possibly achieve unicorn status.
3. Funding
This leads me to the issue of funding, another problem in our ecosystem that has strangled the startup economy for more than two decades. We did many things wrong from the start: we didn't have experienced venture capitalists (VCs) but instead of attracting experience to our shores we decided to pick corporate finance executives and accountants and got them to start VC firms. The learning curve was steep and we had many failures. Singapore did it right by providing government matching funds to attract the best VCs to set up in Singapore. They brought with them their expertise, experience and networks and led to far more success than we ever could.
Secondly the amount of funds the government provided was small in global terms and this was spread out over decades so on an annual basis there was very little money in the ecosystem so most companies couldn't get funded.
Thirdly, because the size of funds was small, for example some of the initial outsource partners that government fund Malaysian Venture Capital Management (Mavcap) created had a fund size of only RM25 million, which is really chicken feed, and isn't even equivalent to US$10 million. How can we expect such small funds to help build potential unicorns? Even Mavcap itself as the largest fund rarely invested large sums. Series B and C funding is anywhere from US$10 million to $50 million, which is bigger than the entire fund size of most Malaysian VCs.
So most funds invested only at the seed and Series A stage (on average between US$250,000 to US$1.5 million per investment) and this didn't help companies to grow sufficiently large enough to even have the potential to be a unicorn.
Without larger amounts of funding at best we are a breeding ground for Singapore VCs to pick the best from Malaysia and to take them to Singapore to make them Singapore companies ala Grab.
4. Market Access
Besides being a small market, even local companies including the government linked companies and public companies don't support local startups by buying their products. It is very different in places like Korea, China and Japan where the buy local mantra is very strong and they will support local startups ahead of foreign companies. Here, local startups have to compete with well funded foreign players and lose most of the time. This is highly damaging to startups who need local buyers to ensure they generate sufficient revenues to hire top talent and to continue innovating.
5. Back Them All The Way
My cofounder in Proficeo, Renuka Sena and I wrote a policy paper for Agensi Innovasi Malaysia (AIM) a decade ago proposing this initiative but it was never adopted. What does the "back them all the way" initiative mean?
While unicorns are private sector companies that need to innovate and scale regionally or globally, this doesn't mean the government and ecosystem doesn't play a role in helping them along. In China they have been doing this for a long time. Companies like Haier and Huawei were given significant support whether it was funding, market access or policy support to ensure they became global giants.
Likewise if we want to create unicorns all government ministries and agencies need to get together to support our home grown champions like Aerodyne, EasyParcel and Jom Parking. We need to understand what they need and provide all the support needed like market access, funding, regionalization or changes in policy (for companies like Aerodyne who are in the drone space). We need to "do a China" for our companies. If we select between 5 to 10 well managed, innovative companies and "back them all the way" then we will be able to create unicorns. But this MUST be done purely on merit and to support founders who have the potential to succeed. We must make sure only the truly deserving with high potential are supported in this way.
We do have such companies with the potential to be unicorns but instead of supporting them most of them time they face barriers to success within their own country and this is a real disservice to them. Let's back them instead and we may then see the creation of more than the 5 unicorns the government desires in the MyDigital initiative.
I could say a lot more but I think these five macro elements are already big roadblocks to creating unicorns in Malaysia. However, this is not the only problem or roadblock to unicorn creation because entrepreneurs themselves are also a problem and are not doing themselves any favours. I will explore this in part 2 of the article tomorrow.
Read also: Malaysia: Unicorn Nation
Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah has a Ph.D in Venture Capital from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the cofounder and Senior Partner of ScaleUp Malaysia Accelerator (www.scaleup.my) and cofounder of Proficeo Consultants (www.proficeo.com). He is the author of a book on business innovation - Blue Sky Innovation (available online at: https://amzn.to/34sefo2) and is currently writing a book on Startup Valuation. Visit his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsivapalan/
Dr V Sivapalan
Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah
Taiwan's GrandTech partners AC Ventures Malaysia, commits as limited partner in Southeast Asia Frontier Fund LP
MOSTI announces MYHackathon 2022 Cohort 1 winners
SEA firms that transformed outperformed peers during Covid: EY
Founders powered Internet Alliance, pulls its weight in Malaysia's tech ecosystem
By Azizul Rahman January 11, 2023
Cisco to equip Malaysians with digital skills over next ten years

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
icon/64x64/nature Nature
Field notes: Collaring the elusive snow leopard in Nepal
A young wildlife researcher narrates his experience of a research expedition to find and collar snow leopards in upper Dolpa, Nepal, and how the research aims to conserve the under-threat species
Ghangri Gapi Hyul, the first snow leopard collared during the expedition in Nisyal, Nepal (Image: DNPWC / WWF Nepal)
Rishi Ram Paudel
Mountains, pristine rivers and lush green forests characterise Nepal's Dolpa district. Concealed between the foothills of the majestic Himalayas and bordering Tibet to the north and northeast, Dolpa is home to Shey-Phoksundo National Park (SPNP), Nepal's largest national park. Here, one can find diverse and enigmatic wildlife such as the red panda, Himalayan wolf, blue sheep, Himalayan musk deer, and Himalayan tahr. It is also the haunt of the elusive snow leopard.
I had the privilege of joining Shey-Phoksundo National Park as an intern in February 2021. At the time, the national park was preparing to undertake a telemetry expedition in Nisyal, Dolpa, involving placing radio collars on snow leopards. The aim of the mission was to gather data on the animals' movements, which could tell scientists about their habitat preferences and travels across international borders, as well as to help prevent attacks on livestock. The programme was also designed to involve local people at every stage, including by training a committee of locals during the expedition who could help monitor the animals after they were collared.
The collaring expedition was led by the Government of Nepal in partnership with WWF Nepal, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and members of the Nisyal Snow Leopard Conservation Committee (SLCC), made up of local people who work on awareness campaigns, snow leopard monitoring and compensation schemes for livestock lost to snow leopards.
What is a telemetry expedition?
Telemetry is the science of collecting data from remote objects.
In the case of telemetry studies of snow leopards in Nepal, this data is derived from collars that have been attached to the animals, which transmit location data to researchers remotely.
The team was supposed to be joined by personnel from the Ministry of Forests and Environment, but just before the expedition launch, the ministry relayed that their staff couldn't make it due to difficulties brought about by the pandemic. The situation presented a golden opportunity for me to join the team along with three members of park staff.
The long journey to Nisyal
On 1 May we set off from Dunai, the headquarters of Dolpa district. Our team comprised 24 members, including officers from WWF Nepal, NTNC and the SLCC citizen scientists. More than 30 mules carried luggage and equipment on their backs as we marched towards our destination, Nisyal – a seven-day trek away – where the team intended to find, tranquilise and collar two snow leopards.
Navigating the rugged terrain and snowy mountain passes through the trek to Nisyal was a whole new challenge for me, having come from the plains of the Terai to this unfamiliar and unforgivingly rugged terrain. During the night, the temperature crept down to single digits and it started to snow, making our tents heavy and wet. I remember shivering in lieu of sleeping. But the journey was rewarding as with every passing day, it took us one step closer to our destination.
5125 metre high Jhyangla Pass, which the expedition team crossed on the way to Nisyal (Image: DNPWC / WWF Nepal)
Setting up the traps
A week after setting off from Dunai, we reached Nisyal, a small village of 38 households. The scientists started by collecting data from camera traps that had been installed a year ahead of the expedition. The pictures and videos from the cameras were studied to determine the trails used by the snow leopards, focusing on 'relic sites' where the animals urinate and scrape to mark their territory.
In order to capture and tranquilise the snow leopards, we would be using traps made of rope attached to a trigger, designed to trap a paw without harming the animal. A quick briefing session on how to set up and use the trap and the procedure for safe collaring of the animals was given by Samundra Subba, field research officer at WWF Nepal. A radio tower was then installed at a high point to receive signals from the traps and relay them to base camp.
The main base camp at Nisyal (Image: DNPWC / WWF Nepal)
We had to find signs that showed evidence of snow leopards to know exactly where to lay the traps – this was no walk in the park. We were constantly on the lookout for pugmarks, scrape marks, or a strong urine odour that would indicate the presence of a snow leopard.
The team eventually set up a total of 23 traps in different locations, based on the camera traps and signs and after considerable discussion with the members of the local Snow Leopard Conservation Committee. A transmitter was attached to every trap to send signals to the main camp via a radio tower to report if something was captured.
We informed local people of the location of the traps, and persuaded them not to go to those places for a few days to decrease the chances of false alarms. In any expedition, there is no absolute certainty that a snow leopard will be caught. We did all that we could, and then it was time to wait with hope and patience.
Eyes on the prize
The author checking radio signals transmitted from the traps, to find out whether a snow leopard has been captured (Image: DNPWC / WWF Nepal)
We would check the traps four times a day via the radio signals. After two days, at around 6 AM, the alarm was triggered in the base camp. We looked at the frequency and found that it was from the Rapka region, where we had laid out the trap two days ago.
Some locals, along with park staff, went to verify the trigger ahead of the telemetry team. After about half an hour, good news was relayed on the walkie-talkie: it wasn't a false alarm – a snow leopard had landed on the trap.
On arrival at the site 10 minutes later, the experts estimated the weight of the cat to prepare a tranquiliser dose. Within 10 minutes of administering the tranquiliser via a dart gun, the snow leopard was sedated. We lugged it onto a stretcher and moved it to a safe site with its face covered, because despite its sedated state, it could still hear and see, which risked it becoming distressed.
Examining the snow leopard
A veterinarian checked the snow leopard's overall health status and measured its body size and weight, while Samundra Subba placed a GPS collar on its neck. The entire process was pre-planned to ensure that the animal would be sedated for shortest possible time. The experts examined the animal and determined it was a male, aged six to seven years. Meanwhile I stood in awe, not being able to believe that I was seeing this beautiful creature with its long bushy tail and paws as big as my face, in the flesh!
Langyen, the second snow leopard collared during the telemetry expedition in Nisyal, Nepal (Image DNPWC / WWF Nepal)
After the collar was attached, the veterinarian administered an antidote and the animal awoke slowly. We all stood in in front of a river as a barrier, to prevent the drowsy snow leopard entering the water, and waited for more than an hour to ensure its safe return to its habitat.
Six days later, another snow leopard was collared. It was a male too, and of the same age. Later, the two collared snow leopards were named by local monks: Ghangri Gapi Hyul (meaning 'a stunning village surrounded by mountains' in Tibetan) and Langyen ('high Himalayas').
How the expedition can help snow leopards
The information obtained from these collars will be crucial in understanding the spatial ecology of the snow leopard as well as in bridging information gaps in the Western Himalayan landscape. Following the collaring, these snow leopards will be closely monitored by the government and conservation biologists, who will study their use of habitat and movement across borders. Launched in 2013, the programme in Nepal has collared eight snow leopards so far, and the team plan to do expeditions across the snow leopard range in Nepal
Despite conservation efforts from WWF, the Government of Nepal, the National Park, and local communities, retaliatory killing of snow leopards which prey on livestock is still prevalent in and around the region. To minimise this, the construction of safe corrals for livestock, better provision of relief funds, and livestock insurance schemes are in action.
The telemetry study can also help to prevent retaliatory killing: if a collared animals is recorded entering a village boundary, the SLCC group will share the information with the community so that they can protect their livestock.
The conservation efforts required in the Himalayan region cannot be overstated. The challenging geography and remote locations create a harsh working environment. But the collaring expedition was successful because of the dedication of SLCC members and the perception of locals towards conservation. Efforts like these should be continued to protect the snow leopards of the Himalayas and to ensure their survival for many years to come.
Rishi Ram Paudel is an early-career wildlife researcher and conservationist based in Nepal, with a particular interest in wild cats.
biodiversityconservationendangered speciesprotected areasScience
rilme ·
Thank you for the beautiful photographs and clear explanation.
Climate change threatens Pakistan's elusive snow leopard
Uttarakhand before climate tragedy: a mountaineer remembers
Concerns as snow and common leopards turn competitors
Peril and pachyderms: Memories from Nepal's rhino survey


text:
Burundi: Call to renew the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry
To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland
Ahead of the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council ("HRC" or "the Council"), we, the undersigned national, regional and international civil society organisations, write to urge your delegation to support a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Burundi.[1] Such a resolution should also ensure continuity for the work of the CoI through continued adequate resourcing of its secretariat, including its crucial investigative and evidence-gathering work.
The renewal of the CoI's mandate is critically important to improve the human rights situation in Burundi, and it offers the Council a number of practical and effective advantages. Among other things, it would allow the Council to:
Avoid a monitoring gap, which is all the more important given the Burundian Government's ongoing refusal to cooperate with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding regarding its presence in the country;[2]
Ensure the continued documentation of human rights violations and abuses ahead of the upcoming elections of 2020, through testimonies of victims, witnesses, human rights defenders, and other actors operating in and outside of the country;
Ensure ongoing public reporting and debates — while the African Union's observers continue to monitor the human rights situation in Burundi despite a number of limitations imposed by the authorities, its findings are not publicly reported. Interactive dialogues at the Council provide the only regular space for public reporting and debates on human rights developments in the country; and
Enable the CoI to continue to highlight under-addressed aspects of the crisis — for instance, the Commission has stressed the importance of dedicating more attention to violations of economic, social and cultural rights.
At the Council's 36th session (September 2017), the CoI informed the HRC that there were "reasonable grounds to believe that serious human rights violations and abuses have been committed in Burundi since 2015," and that some of the violations may constitute "crimes against humanity." At the 37th and 38th sessions of the Council (March and June-July 2018), the CoI described a political, security, economic, social and human rights situation that has not improved since September 2016. In March 2018, the Commission's Chairperson, Mr. Doudou Diène, stressed that the situation in the country continued to deserve the Council's "utmost attention." In October 2017, the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorised an investigation into crimes committed in Burundi since April 2015. A preliminary examination of the situation had been opened in April 2016.
The constitutional referendum that was held on 17 May 2018 was marred with violence and repression, with arbitrary arrests, beatings and intimidation of citizens campaigning for a "no" vote.[3] In the Commission's words, as of June 2018 "human rights violations, among which extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment […], facilitated by a continuing environment of threats and intimidation," continue unabated. The CoI added: "The fact that several missing people have not been found and that unidentified bodies continue to be discovered in various parts of the country gives reason to fear the continuation of practices consisting of getting rid of the bodies of people arrested sometimes by individuals in police uniform or identified as agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR) or the Imbonerakure."[4]
Since it became a member of the Council, on 1st January 2016, Burundi has delivered multiple statements that have made clear its refusal to cooperate with human rights monitoring and investigation bodies and mechanisms. The Government has repeatedly launched attacks, which have sometimes descended to a personal level, against the High Commissioner, UN officials, and independent experts. With no basis or evidence, it has publicly questioned the independence, competence, professionalism, integrity and legitimacy of High Commissioner Zeid and his Office, and has threatened, stigmatised, and exercised reprisals against human rights defenders and civil society organisations.[5] Burundians who have sought protection outside of Burundi have been subjected to harassment and persecution, including by members of the National Intelligence Service (SNR) and Imbonerakure.
Members of the CoI continue to be denied access to Burundi. Furthermore, at the time of writing, the Burundian authorities have withdrawn visas from the team of experts mandated by HRC resolution 36/2, despite the fact that the latter was adopted at Burundi's own initiative, with its support and the support of members of Burundi's own regional group. Burundi's action in this regard clearly violates its Council membership obligations.
Recalling the letter a group of civil society organisations wrote in September 2017,[6] we urge the Council, consistent with its mandate to address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, to pave the way for accountability by renewing the mandate of the CoI to enable it to continue monitoring human rights developments in the country, documenting violations and abuses, and publicly reporting on the situation.
We thank you for your attention to these pressing issues and stand ready to provide your delegation with further information as required.
Action des chrétiens pour l'abolition de la torture – Burundi (ACAT-Burundi)
Assistance Mission for Africa
Association Burundaise pour la Protection des Droits Humains et des Personnes Détenues (APRODH)
Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE)
Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Coalition burundaise pour la Cour pénale internationale (CB-CPI)
Coalition burundaise des défenseurs des droits de l'homme (CBDDH)
Collectif des avocats pour la défense des victimes de crimes de droit international commis au Burundi (CAVIB)
Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation South Sudan (CEPO)
DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
Eritrean Law Society (ELS)
Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR)
Forum pour la Conscience et le Développement (FOCODE)
Forum pour le renforcement de la société civile au Burundi (FORSC)
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)
Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)
Information Forum for Eritrea (IFE)
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
International Youth for Africa
Ligue Iteka
Mouvement des femmes et des filles pour la paix et la sécurité (MFFPS)
National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Kenya
National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Uganda
Pan Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
Réseau des citoyens probes (RCP)
SOS-Torture
Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)
The Ecumenical Network for Central Africa (ÖNZ)
Union burundaise des journalistes (UBJ)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
[1] See its webpage: www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIBurundi/Pages/CoIBurundi.aspx
[2] See the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights' statement at the Council's 37th session (OHCHR, "Introduction to country reports/briefings/updates of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner under item 2," 21-22 March 2018, www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22875&LangID=E, accessed 20 July 2018).
[3] FIDH and Ligue Iteka, "A forced march to a Constitutional Referendum," May 2018, www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/report_burundi_may2018_referendum_on_constitution.pdf (accessed 27 July 2018).
[4] OHCHR, "Oral briefing by the members of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to the Human Rights Council," 27 June 2018, www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23274&LangID=E (accessed 20 July 2018).
[5] See DefendDefenders, "Headlong Rush: Burundi's behaviour as a member of the UN Human Rights Council," www.defenddefenders.org/publication/headlong-rush-burundis-behaviour-as-a-member-of-the-un-human-rights-council/ (accessed 25 July 2018).
[6] "Renewing the Mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi and Ensuring Accountability for Serious Crimes," 19 September 2018, www.defenddefenders.org/press_release/hrc36-renewing-the-mandate-of-the-commission-of-inquiry-on-burundi-and-ensuring-accountability-for-serious-crimes/ (accessed 30 July 2018).
DRC: Seven years after the crimes, Lieutenant-Colonel Safari Kateatea Amos finally cond...
Despite the progress of justice in eastern RDC, few cases are of concern to senior army officers. © MONUSCO/Sylvain Liec...
In Burundi, relatives of the disappeared are also victimized
Unfortunately torture cases in Burundi are numerous. This new case is another proof of the widespread climate of impunit...
Swiss Federal Court upholds Erwin Sperisen's conviction
On 28 November 2019, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court (FSC) upheld Erwin Sperisen's sentence to 15 years in prison. In Ap...
Ousman Sonko was the Minister of Interior under the Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh from 2006 to 2016. During this period...
Shining verdict in the Kokodikoko case (DRC)
Three former militiamen, including the infamous warlord Kokodikoko, have been condemned for crimes against humanity. The...
Kavumu trial: High Military Court confirms all condemnations
Tonight, the High Military Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (HMC) has confirmed the condemnation of all 11...
Burundi: End impunity for crimes of torture
Miriam was held in police custody for about 10 days, during which her right to medical attention was systematically deni...
Army chief condemned for the Mirenzo crimes
In June 2013, three villages in the Kalehe territory (South Kivu) were attacked by soldiers of the Congolese army (FARDC...
Khaled Nezzar
Khaled Nezzar was the Minister of Defense in Algeria and a member of the High Council of State. In addition, he was cons...
Prashanta Pandey: tortured and unlawfully detained
Arrest, enforced disappearance and torture in April 2011 Mr. Pandey, a Nepalese citizen from Teraï, was arbitrarily arre...


text:
En curso, 48 números publicados
Inglés (Estados Unidos), Boom! Studios
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Comic Book) #47 Boom! Studios #47
Mairghread Scott (Guión), Kyle Higgins (Guión), Daniel Bayliss (Dibujo), Hendry Prasetya (Dibujo)
Walter Baiamonte (Color), Matt Herms, Daniele Di Nicuolo (Dibujo, Tinta), Ryan Parrott (Guión), Joana Lafuente, Marguerite Bennett (Guión), Simone Di Meo (Dibujo, Tinta), Jonas Scharf (Dibujo, Tinta), Francesco Mortarino (Tinta), French Carlomagno (Dibujo)...
What's to Love: The Power Rangers franchise is a true multi-generational, worldwide franchises. With its flashy costumes, mecha Zords, and-at its core-a story of superpowered teens who fight against evil alien forces, the Power Rangers are a pop-culture phenomenon that has continued to resonate with fans for over 20 years. As a new film gets ready for release in 2017, we, as huge Power Rangers fans ourselves, are excited to produce a modern Power Rangers comic featuring the characters of the original Mighty Morphin series.
What It Is: It's Morphin Time! The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers make their BOOM! Studios comic debut in this kick-off #0 issue that sets the stage for the rest of the series. After escaping Rita Repulsa's mind control, Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, joins up with the rest of the Power Rangers to combat her never-ending evil plans. Any semblance of a normal life is gone for Tommy now, but with his newfound family there lies hope for a brighter path. Includes the short story from the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Variant Cover)
Abierta, 20 cómics
the_unforgiven_too 4 01/10/2018
velismo 2 15/09/2018
dannydjesus162 5 27/06/2018
dannyver 5 27/06/2018
javipascual 3 26/10/2016


text:
Q: For loop syntax for ES6 when only length size available I have value X that's supposed to be the "length" of what my loop should be (for example):
length = 10

I need to run a for loop to run length times. there's no object/array/anything I run on, nothing beyond the reference value length. is there a better way or cleaner way to write a for loop or to create a loop that runs length times in ES6 than this?
for(let i = 0; i < length ; i++)

A: An elegant way would be a generator for the indices:
  function* range(from, to) {
    for(let i = from; i < to; i++)
       yield i;
  }

 for(const i of range(0, length)) /*...*/

But that's overengineering. A simple for loop is fine.

A: I don't think there is a strictly more elegant solution to that. You could write it like this
new Array(length).forEach(() => {
  // do something
})

but if that's a more elegant solution is a matter of opinion.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Zoe Crick-Tucker is Bristol Old Vic's Development Director, leading the team through the transition period of capital fundraising completion to revenue target delivery. Before joining Bristol Old Vic in April 2016, she was with the Royal Shakespeare Company developing and delivering a major gifts portfolio of c.150 donors supporting the strategic Development goals and targets, securing gifts in the range of £10,000 and above.
Prior to RSC, Zoe headed up fundraising at Rambert Dance Company as Development Director, managing a team of three and a dedicated Development Council of senior volunteers, achieving a £19.6m capital campaign and exceeding annual revenue targets year on year.


Menswear is all a buzz to see what Virgil Abloh will do with the menswear division of Louis Vuitton? The house got a cool revamp under the previous direction of Kim Jones. So with his verve for utility-inspired tech assembly-line graphic-laced mens sportswear, like this Off-White Low 3.0 Sneaker, will Abloh bring utility to the house of Vuitton? This sneaker embodies the classic framework that has made Off-White connect with its consumers with its cool leather paneling, contrast topstitching, sock-liner detail & fit, workwear nods and zip-tie & labeling that one may want to wear rather than remove. It's another example of how Abloh has brought a high-brow normalcy to the expression and realness that is everyday work life, consumerism and sportswear. Available now at EndClothing.com.


text:
Home › News › David Cantalejo, XXX SGAE Foundation Young Composers Award – CNDM
David Cantalejo, XXX SGAE Foundation Young Composers Award – CNDM
Posted on November, 2019 by Brioclasica	Posted in News
David Cantalejo Gómez (Bilbao, 1985) It is lifted winner XXX edición del Premio Jóvenes Compositores Fundación SGAE – CNDM 2019 jointly announce the SGAE Foundation and the National Broadcasting Music Center (CNDM), and whose final held yesterday in the auditorium 400 the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid. The Bilbao won the first "Xavier Montsalvatge" award, endowed with 6.000 euros, for his work The night of Walpurgis and it also becomes resident composer Network Music Musical Youthes of Spain during the season 2020-2021. "This award recognizes the fruit of much effort and work daily, I receive a boost as composers forces us to improve ourselves ", He said Cantalejo. On The night of Walpurgis, a work that has won the award, David Cantalejo explained: "I wanted to recreate the atmosphere of the fires, the witches, the movement of fire, which it is central to the piece, how it enlivens and how the flames disappear, avoiding the use of programmatic sounds ".
Pilar Jurado, president of SGAE, He handed over the first prize to the composer and recalled as she won this award in 1997, after being a finalist three years ago: "This event demonstrates the commitment of the SGAE with symphonic creation, some awards are of great importance in the sector and, for a young composer, the recital today represents the best cover letter and a boost to the development of their careers ".
full Honors
In this way, the complete palmares of the XXX edition of the SGAE Foundation Young Composers Award - CNDM 2019 It is configured as follows: Maria Pilar Castillo Miralles (Almería, 1997), He won the second "Carmelo Alonso Bernaola" award (3.000 euros) with his work Overthinking IC; mayor Anton (Rianxo, A Coruña, 1992), He won the third prize "Francisco Guerrero Marín" (1.5000 euros) with its part Firefly (after 'Tokio Blues'), while Bruno Angelo (Brazil, 1985) recibió la mención honorífica "Juan Crisostomo Arriaga" (1.200 euros) For his job Res cream. Ontological reflection on ornament. All of them have less than 35 year old.
The ensemble KOAN 2, under the direction of José Ramón Encinar, it released the four compositions yesterday, Series in the cycle 20/21 CNDM. further, and as in every edition, SGAE Foundation will release a promotional album which will bring together the four finalists of the contest, in order to contribute to its further promotion and dissemination. The judge, which it was composed by composers Carlos Fontcuberta Llavata, Junkal Guerrero Langara, Alejandro López Román, Jesus Torres Ruiz Y Ana Vazquez Silva, ha seleccionado estas obras de un total de 22 presented in competition.
Resident Composer Music Network
A first prize also adds Cantalejo designation as Resident Composer Music Network Jeunesses Musicales of Spain. The Bilbao and is commissioned three works of chamber music will be released and interpreted within the circuit Network Music during the season 2020 – 2021 and will be awarded 1.000 euros for each piece. "This is our bit to alleviate the difficulty of composers of contemporary music in general, and young people in particular ", Antonio Martin has expressed, Secretary General of Jeunesses Musicales of Spain after the delivery of the prize. Resident composer will choose three features of the selected Music Network that premiered by and construed in all recitals in this circuit offering more organized 200 concerts a year.
SGAE Foundation and CNDM this award held annually in order to stimulate the creation in the field of contemporary classical music among young creators up 35 years, contribute to social development and understanding of new languages, trends and modes of musical expression. Created in 1987 by SGAE, It has become one of the most important events of its kind, by their organization and thoroughness, the prestige of the performers and participants juries. Through its twenty editions, the award has served as a promotional showcase at the professional beginnings of some contemporary authors who now enjoy greater recognition, and whose works are common in international circuits dedicated to contemporary music.
Among the winners of previous editions include already established names in the panorama of the current composition, with international careers that show the good health of the Spanish musical creation: Charles Augustine, Mauricio Sotelo, José María Sánchez-Verdú, Jesús Rueda, Jesus Torres, Pilar Jurado, Gabriel Erkoreka, Ramon Humet, Juan Cruz Guevara, Jesus Navarro, Oliver Rappoport or Nuria Núñez, among many others, They have been involved in this indispensable appointment in the section of the ensemble composition nationally.
About the winner
David Cantalejo (Bilbao, 1985)
He studied composition at the Conservatorio Superior de Navarra Pablo Sarasate with Joseba Torre and piano at the Catalonia College of Music under the supervision of Eulàlia Solé. He has won first prize in several editions of the Composition Competition Durango City, among others, in addition to chamber music competitions as a member of the duo of flute and piano Iceberg. Part as composer and performer of the Center for Contemporary Music contemporary. In the year 2016, Navarra Symphony Orchestra Debuts Elegy of silence for accordion and orchestra, inside of the NAK Festival. Some of his works have been published by the publishing house Da_sh Editions and the association Silboberri.
About The night of Walpurgis
The inspiration of the work arises from the pagan festival of Walpurgis Night, held in regions of Central Europe on the night of the 30 April to 1 of May, where according to tradition witches conjured through dances and fire. Large bonfires formed from a spark, and it takes fan to not become extinct, They are generating me an image of a musical gesture that will being elaborated from different starting points along the seven sections of the piece, supported by a modal and rhythmic system, where the number 3 (and the aforementioned 7) They are constantly present. In my language show special interest in sudden changes of character, the insistence on the extreme registers of the instruments and so on opposite applied to different musical parameters as they are dynamic contrasts, the sound from the stillness collapse against the dissolution of a great texture, or against statism rhythmic maelstrom.
Photograph: SGAE Foundation
Tagged with: CNDM, David Cantalejo Gómez, Opera magazine, SGAE


HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutch Rec and the city parks department will host two meetings later this month to continue piecing together the look of the city's future recreational needs.
Green Play, an organization taken on by Hutch Rec, will complete a study of the city's park and rec facilities. The study is being funded through a grant from Blue Cross of Kansas.
Green Play and Hutch Rec will hold a public meeting Feb. 25 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Dillon Nature Center. That will be followed by a joint meeting with Hutch Rec and the City Council on Feb. 26. Green Play will then submit a final draft for the city and Hutch Rec to consider by late spring.


text:
The Marine Corps fielded its first tactical information system to come standard with Windows 10 in February. The Combat Operations Center software release 6.0.4 and accompanying hardware deliver improved security and efficiency to Marines in the fleet. The release refreshed computers and software used in Marine combat operations centers, which are tent facilities that serve as the hub for command and control for Marine Corps operations ashore. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Melissa Martens)
Photo by Lance Cpl. Melissa Martens
Marine Corps fields its first tactical platform standard with Windows 10
4 Apr 2017 | Mathuel Browne, MCSC Office of Public Affairs and Communication Marine Corps Systems Command
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. --
The Marine Corps fielded its first tactical command and control information system to come standard with Windows 10 in February. The Combat Operations Center software release 6.0.4 and accompanying Marine Expeditionary Force hardware delivery enhances security and efficiency for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
This upgrade is part of the Defense Department's January 2017 transition to the WIN10 operating system in order to improve cybersecurity and lower the cost of information technology throughout the military.
"The COC technical hardware and tactical data systems work as an integrated C2 platform used to produce a common tactical picture in the field," said Maj. Jon Mohler, team lead for the COC Project Office at Marine Corps Systems Command. "Standardized software across the four COC variants, from battalion to Marine Expeditionary Force, is especially helpful for Marines, so that no matter where they go in the MAGTF, they can work efficiently with consistent platforms at each echelon."
The 6.0.4 release refreshed client computers and tactical server software used in Marine combat operations centers. COCs are expeditionary tent facilities that serve as a hub for command and control for Marine Corps operations ashore. They enable Marines to collect, process and share tactical information in a secure, collaborative environment.
One feature of the system refresh is the Wide Area Voice Environment. The WAVE software works in conjunction with the COC Tactical Radio over Internet Protocol Inter-Communications System, or TRICS, allowing COC users to access tactical radio networks right from their client laptops. The TRICS radio gateway and WAVE software provide the RoIP capability that enables the integration and dissemination of tactical radio traffic on IP networks. Additional 6.0.4 updates include upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2, VMWare 5.5, MS Office and SharePoint 2013.
As part of the release, Marines were issued laptops operating WIN10 and equipped with a full suite of C2 applications ranging from common tactical picture and Microsoft Office to tactical chatting software. The standardized laptops deliver ease of use to Marines working in the field.
The COC software package, hardware and tent facility were originally fielded in 2004, as a turn-key solution to integrate and streamline C2 capabilities across the MAGTF.
"Before COCs, each unit took different software and hardware to the field that was not always interoperable," said Wally Sorensen, lead systems engineer for the COC Project Office. "Now each unit has the same system to ensure commanders have the best operational picture in battle."
The system can be scaled to meet the requirements of the unit's mission.
"This system allows units to only take the network infrastructure they need depending on a particular mission," said Sorensen. "For example, the largest COC tent facility can support up to 160 client computers intended for the MEF, but can be scaled down to 16 computers for battalions."
The upgrade is provided on a set of disks for easy installation, and a 24/7 COC Help Desk is available to assist Marines with any technical challenges they encounter.
"This upgrade will improve Marines' command and control, intelligence [sharing], force protection and logistics efforts," Sorensen said. "It helps ensure they maintain a fighting edge."
Photo by Maj. Jon Mohler
Marines , MCSC , Marine Corps Systems Command , MARCORSYSCOM , COC , Expeditionary , Combat Operations Center , command and control , C2 , TSOA , Windows 10 , JTCW , WIN 10 , virtual machines


The week started bizarrely for the Demons when new jerseys they had ordered arrived and found that they didn't fit. With the numbers already sewn on it was impossible to easily swap the jumpers over so a team of tailors had to be employed to unpick the numbers and swap them so everyone fitted their jumper in time for the match.
Back on field it was yet another Round 1 win, but this time there was a more subdued feeling in the rooms after the game. Perhaps everyone had finally learnt that a win in the first week meant nothing after numerous first-up wins in recent years had ended up going nowhere.
The Demons had fielded three debutants and the Lions four, but it was Melbourne's old stagers who won the game - Flower and Moore with three goals each. Fitzroy, preliminary finalists of 1986, were no match for a side who opened up a 41 point lead that they would not relinquish.
Best for Melbourne were Connolly, Johnson and Flower.
The win wasn't without casualties. Steven Stretch and Peter Giles both ankles while Alan Johnson and Bret Bailey were concussed. David Williams was reported for rough conduct for pushing Thornton of Fitzroy after he'd marked. He was cleared.


text:
Q: Unable to Curl-php into same server Electrum NOTE:
How to use basic authorization in PHP curl
Does not work for me.
Trying to Curl into Electrum, but it looks like my access is denied. Electrum is on the same server as the php script. I have purposefully left out any command for the wallet for simplification purpose. Focusing on connecting first.
When trying to CURL in terminal
curl --data-binary '{"id":"curltext","method":"addrequest","params":{"amount":"3.14","memo":"test"}}' http://user:pass@127.0.0.1:7777

Error Message
curl: (7) Failed to connect to 127.0.0.1 port 7777: Connection refused

EDIT: The above CURL Command in Terminal now works
PHP
$password = 'root';
$username = 'password';
$URL='http://127.0.0.1';   //Curl into own machine local ip is needed.
$port = 7777;

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL,$URL);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_PORT, $port);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERPWD, "$username:$password");

$result=curl_exec($ch);

if (curl_errno($ch)) { echo 'Error:' . curl_error($ch); }

$status_code = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);

curl_close ($ch);

echo "
";
var_dump($result);
echo "
";
var_dump($status_code);

Below is my error

Error:
bool(false)
int(0)

Below are my netstats. Port is open and listening.
Active Internet connections (only servers)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address           Foreign Address         State
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:22              0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:7777          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 :::22                   :::*                    LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 :::80                   :::*                    LISTEN

PHP7, PHP-CURL & CURL are installed on linux Fedora 27. Webserver type Apache 2.4 Electrum 3.1.2
curl -v 127.0.0.1 7777

Returns:
Rebuilt URL to: 127.0.0.1/
*   Trying 127.0.0.1...
* TCP_NODELAY set
* Connected to 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1) port 80 (#0)
> GET / HTTP/1.1
> Host: 127.0.0.1
> User-Agent: curl/7.55.1
> Accept: */*
>
< HTTP/1.1 200 OK
< Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:22:14 GMT
< Server: Apache/2.4.29 (Fedora)
< X-Powered-By: PHP/7.1.15
< Transfer-Encoding: chunked
< Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
<

/*index.php code*/

* Connection #0 to host 127.0.0.1 left intact
* Rebuilt URL to: 7777/
*   Trying 0.0.30.97...
* TCP_NODELAY set
* Immediate connect fail for 0.0.30.97: Invalid argument
* Closing connection 1
curl: (7) Couldn't connect to server

A: You need another curl option set:
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPAUTH, CURLAUTH_BASIC);

So the final sequence would be:
$password = 'root';
$username = 'password';
$URL='http://127.0.0.1';   //Curl into own machine local ip is needed.
$port = 7777;

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL,$URL);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_PORT, $port);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPAUTH, CURLAUTH_BASIC);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERPWD, "$username:$password");

$result=curl_exec($ch);

if (curl_errno($ch)) { echo 'Error:' . curl_error($ch); }

$status_code = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);

curl_close ($ch);

echo "
";
var_dump($result);
echo "
";
var_dump($status_code);


Make t shirts at zazzle.com.
Today, I'm designing some USA patriotic themed tshirts that my friends and family would enjoy wearing to see what designs that will yield – so far I've done two, this is the second. It is yielding some interesting vibrant designs. I'm excited to see where it will lead the designs . . .


We examined relationships between religiosity and Saudi cancer patients' beliefs about the spread of cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy through close physical contact. Surveyed were 64 patients seen in university oncology clinics. Assessed were beliefs about the spread of cancer and its treatments, along with religious, demographic, social, psychological, and cancer-related characteristics. Greater religiosity was related to older age, non-Saudi nationality, less anxiety, earlier cancer stage, and greater time since initial diagnosis. Non-significant trends suggested that religious practices were associated with less, but intrinsic religious beliefs with more concern about contagiousness, although the findings were limited by low statistical power.
The authors thank Alshima Dawod Al-Mahnaby and Masheal Taha Alsomali for their tireless efforts and assistance with this project.
Funding was provided by Interdepartmental Funds.
Snyder, J. (2018). Can your cancer treatment be hazardous to others? Cleveland clinic. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/01/can-your-cancer-treatment-be-hazardous-to-others/. Accessed Jan 10, 2018.


text:
Join QBConfidential Sign In
Sharing Hall of Fame Secrets
building better players, smarter coaches & more informed fans.
Confidential Files
Learn from NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, Hall of Fame QB, Kurt Warner.
QBConfidential is the most comprehensive learning platform for football Players, Coaches and Fans, told from the Quarterback's perspective. It focuses on the 5 most important elements of development: Football IQ, On-Field Technique, Play understanding and design, Mindset development and Film Study. QBConfidential is designed as a tool for those at any stage in their development, as it takes a building blocks approach to each element.
Each file is focused on one element and built as a 52-week (1 year) curriculum, starting with an easy-to-understand introduction to the basics and then gradually becoming more complex. EVERY day of your first year you will get a quick, concise lesson to increase your knowledge and understanding of the game. After one year you will have all the information you need to build your case as the BEST in the business! (But, the education never stops! You will continue to get weekly lessons as long as you're a part of the QBConfidential team!)
Join Now to Get Access
Lessons to unlock your football IQ, this classroom teaches all things football!
BB 1 - Identifying Defense
BB 2 - Ten Zones
BB 3 - Reading D
To view this content, log in or subscribe.
Want to throw like a HOFer? Go on the field with Kurt to learn his Arm, Body & Core secrets of throwing technique.
ABC 1 - Stationary
ABC 2 - Front Foot
ABC 3 - DROPS
QB, coach, play designer or fan? You won't want to miss KW cracking open the playbook.
PB 1 - Hitch
PB 2 - Hiss
PB 3 - Combo
Sharing experiences from Kurt's improbable journey—We'll build a Mindset of Excellence!
OTB 1 - Intro
OTB 2 - Who - SI
OTB 3 - What - Goals
You want to bring your A-game like the pros? Spending a little time in StudyBall is the answer!
SB 1 - BRADY FAVORITE
SB 2 - TEN ZONES
SB 3 - RUSSELL RECOG
QBConfidential was created to impact as many coaches and players as possible. With this in mind, we have designed different levels of access and investment to the program, giving you everything you need, at an affordable price.
For those unable to afford any of QBConfidential's plans, check out our scholarships to see how you can still be a part of our team.
Coach's Zone
Ask Coach Your Question
Here's your chance to interact with QBConfidential's Coach, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Is there a question you've always wanted to ask? What's the most memorable play of Kurt's career? What's his favorite play? What was his offseason training regimen? What's his favorite food? Something specific to one of the above lessons/segments? Submit your question and maybe you'll score a video answer here in the Coach's Zone.
Sign up as a Free Agent to receive access to all five of our Confidential Files (Blackboard Breakdowns, ABCs, Playbook, Outside the Box, StudyBall). As a Free Agent you will start your own QBConfidential course, following a set lesson plan. You will receive weekly releases of new course segments, with full access to your back catalog of previously-viewed material. Free Agents will follow the course's sequential weekly release schedule and will not have the ability to skip ahead to other segments in the full QBConfidential catalog. (This plan is charged on a monthly basis.)
Franchise Tag
Sign a Franchise Tag to receive access to the FULL "Season One" catalogue of our Confidential Files (52 weeks of episodes), giving you on-demand access to all content released to date on the QBConfidential platform. As a Franchise player you will receive all the benefits of a Free Agent, but you will also have the ability to navigate ahead to future segments in the course, outside of the set weekly lesson plan. (This plan will be charged on a yearly basis.)
Team Captain
If you are a Coach looking to purchase QBConfidential for multiple members of your coaching staff/organization, becoming a Team Captain is the best option for you. As a Team Captain you can share Franchise Tag access with up to ten members of your team, making it the perfect individual teaching curriculum or something you and your staff can work through together.
Copyright 2022 QB Confidential. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service.
The website has been set up in view of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. If you have any issues accessing or experiencing the content on the site, please contact us.


text:
Q: SQL Aggregation With Condtion on aggregated value I want to take aggregate of NetQuatity from table BillDetails where this aggregated value should non-zero. I wrote a query as given below. But feels like it is not optimized. Is there anyone can refract this one. Any attempt will be appreciated.
SELECT * FROM
(
    SELECT DISTINCT CustId, Name, SUM(NetQuantity) OVER(PARTITION BY CustId, Name) AS Quantity
        FROM BillDetails
) T WHERE Quantity <> 0

A: There is no way to optimize this query, it's the only way to getting these results. If you have appropriate indices on your table, there will be no performance issues.
UPDATED
for pre filtering zero value rows you can use this Query:
SELECT * FROM(
SELECT DISTINCT CustId, Name, SUM(NetQuantity) OVER(PARTITION BY CustId, Name) AS Quantity
    FROM BillDetails
    WHERE NetQuantity <> 0) T WHERE Quantity <> 0


Ken Hong Seng Pte. Ltd. started off in 1988 as a trading enterprise that specialised in salt.
To meet the demand and growth, they set up our first overseas manufacturing plant in 1994.
Throughout these years, they remain unwavering in our goals to serve our customers with quality products at best possible value. They expanded their manufacturing and production lines to create more products that are highly demanded by established companies in Singapore and internationally.
Their products are well recognised by their house brands: THREE EAGLES BRAND®, SUGARI® and RoRa®.
With over two decades of experience and success stories, they have pride themselves as a reputable importer, manufacturer, exporter and trader around the globe.
We were approached by Ken Hong Seng Pte. Ltd. to help build their online presence in Singapore.
Ken Hong Seng Pte. Ltd. being a reputable importer, manufacturer, exporter and trader around the globe. They are already well known with their brand however we suggested to the client focus long tail keyword that they trade. We quickly firm up the keywords to target and work with the client to come out the website's meta title and description for each page. Once the ground work is done, we start promoting the website across various websites.
With 6 months of SEO effort, we have increase all targeted keywords to the first few spot in Google Search.


text:
Torontoist visits SciNet
In July, Torontoist reporter Steve Kupferman and photographer Michael Chrisman took a tour of the super secret SciNet data centre in Vaughan. Take a look at their article, Unseen City: The SciNet Supercomputer.
One of the earliest innovators in the realm of high-performance computing was Gaspard Clair François Marie Riche de Prony. In 1791―as David Alan Grier tells it in his book, When Computers Were Human―de Prony, a middle-aged civil engineer, was asked by the newly instated revolutionary government of France to create a detailed set of trigonometric tables (which are good for making the types of precise angle measurements necessary for large engineering projects). De Prony realized that the computational demands of the task at hand were too great for him to handle on his own; he was going to need help, and lots of it. Taking a cue from Adam Smith, he hired a staff of around ninety workers to do the arithmetic, many of them former wig-makers left jobless after the revolution. (Members of the aristocratic classes were about to lose their heads and were therefore in less need of fashionable things to put on top of them.) The work was finished after about a decade, by which point it was too late: de Prony's government had grown indifferent to the project, and his publisher had gone bankrupt.
This has been a roundabout way of establishing the following: if de Prony had possessed a computer as brawny as the one operated by Toronto's SciNet consortium,he would have finished his decade-long computation in seconds. SciNet's machine can do the work of trillions of wig-makers.
← Supercomputer Helps Telescope See Echos From the Big Bang
Vaughan Citizen visits SciNet →


ulrike reinhard has successfully raised funds & reached the goal amount. We thank all the 26 generous supporters for their kindness.
I've been with the rural changemakers over the last three years. What I started as an experiment – Janwaar Castle – has meanwhile become a (small) movement and we have many beautiful stories of change to tell. Janwaar Castle was the first skatepark in a rural area – currently, we are working in three more Indian villages – and we try to figure out if the model is replicable. Janwaar itself has changed – we've created sources of income for families, the village now is welcoming visitors from all over the world and many of our kids are among the finest skateboarders in India. Three of them have been to Europe to become even better skateboarders.
Just two days ago, Asha and Arun (see photo above) have been selected to represent India at the World Skatepark World Championship to be held in China from the 29 Oct - 4 Nov., 2018. One crucial reason was that Ash aand Arun already have their passports so they are ready for international travels. We never realized how big of an advantage this would be ... but here we go. This will be the first time, someone will officially represent India at an International Skateboarding Championship.
That's the first sighting in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where skateboarding is for the first time an Olympic discipline! And it is a very important step for the kids because now Olympia has really come within their grasp! This is BIG NEWS !!!
Unfortunately, the Indian government has not yet budgeted for this sport (it's currently under the care of Naresh Sharma, General Secretary of the Roller Skating Federation of India) – that's all only in the beginning, and so it is on us to raise the 1,50,000 INR per child ... the kids fly out on October 27. Yes, this is next week! The will stay for a week. These costs will take care of their flights, visa, accommodation, and food.
We're in the middle of the preparations, but we've made it clear that we give this great opportunity to Asha and Arun.
Currently we are 1,00,000 INR (one Lakh) short.
That's why this emergency call. Every rupee helps us. If you would like to see them both in China, then please donate – 100% go directly in favor of this trip, we have NO overhead costs.
Feel free to ask ulrike reinhard for a new update on this Fundraiser.
Yesterday evening the kids returned to Delhi – and they really got a very warm welcome from the Skatepark in Saket. Almost at the same time we achieved our goal here at Ketto.
A huge, huge THANK YOU from all of us to YOU, who made this trip possible! Truly incredible!
Asha's first run in at an international competition which is nothing less than the World Skate World Championship in skateboarding! She is the first Indian girl to represent India on such a level.
Even though there is a long, long way to go - she did a great job. And the entire audience was with her! Asha didn't make it to the semifinals - only 23 out of the 50 girls made it!
Your message will be directly emailed to ulrike reinhard and you will receive his/her response on the email address entered below.
Your message will be directly emailed to The We Consultants and you will receive his/her response on the email address entered below.


text:
AMRPL has established an impartiality committee to safe guard the impartiality of the certification activities of AMRPL to obtain and maintain confidence; AMRPL's decisions are based on objective evidence of conformity and are not influenced by other interests or other parties.
Managing Director, as per the competence criteria defined in document FT-21; nominates the members of the committee. While selecting the members AMRPL ensures that these members represent AMRPL's clients, customers of certified clients, industry and trade organizations, Government regulatory bodies or government organizations and non-government organizations. Note: (As per ISO/IEC 17021-1: 2015 requirement of Impartiality Committee is not identified)
Impartiality Policy
AMRPL its Directors, staff and others involved in the certification process understand the importance of risks associated to impartiality. AMRPL will identify and assess risks in all relationships which may result in a conflict of interest or pose a threat to impartiality. Threats to impartiality include, but are not limited to, the following: a) Self-interest threats: threats that arise from a person or body acting in their own interest. A concern related to certification, as a threat to impartiality, is financial self-interest. b) Self-review threats: threats that arise from a person or body reviewing the work done by themselves. Auditing the management systems of a client to whom the certification body provided management systems consultancy would be a self-review threat. c) Familiarity (or trust) threats: threats that arise from a person or body being too familiar with or trusting of another person instead of seeking audit evidence. d) Intimidation threats: threats that arise from a person or body having a perception of being coerced openly or secretively, such as a threat to be replaced or reported to a supervisor. e) Financial threats: the source of revenue for a certification body can be a threat to impartiality f) Subjectivity threats: threats that arise when personal bias overrules objective evidence
AMRPL aims to inspire confidence in its certification to its clients and the public at large by:
Being impartial.
Employing competent personnel,
Being responsive to complaints,
Being open,
Providing access to relevant information gathered,
Transparency of processes, and Maintaining confidentiality.
Establishing an independent committee for safeguarding impartiality (Management Impartiality Committee).
Procedure for Appeal, Complaint & Disputes
A-Mark ratings Pvt. Ltd. documented, established, implemented and maintain the system for addressing Appeal, Complaints and Disputes received as per requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO 17021-2:2012, ISO 17021-3:2013 and other applicable international standards for certification bodies offering management system certifications
Procedure for Use of Logos
A-Mark ratings has documented, established, implemented and maintain the system for the correct use of certification mark as per requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 ISO 17021-2:2012, ISO 17021-3:2013, MD-5: 2015
Procedure for Granting or Refusing, Expanding or Reducing, Suspending or restoring, Withdrawing or Renewing of Certification
A-Mark Ratings has documented, established, implemented and maintain the system for granting or refusing certification, expanding or reducing the scope of certification, suspending or restoring certification, withdrawing certification or renewing certification against management system standards referenced in section MSM-04 of the Management System Manual as per requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO 17021-2:2012, ISO 17021-3:2013 and other applicable international standards for certification bodies providing management system certification.


SHABLOW ASSOCIATES, INC. is a business entity registered in the state of California under the legal form of DOMESTIC STOCK. It can be found in the register by the DOS ID C1591190. The company was established and set into the register at 29th June 1987 and its current status is DISSOLVED. Location address of this company is at 17798 AZUCAR WAY, DIEGO SAN, 92127, CA.
Entity Name SHABLOW ASSOCIATES, INC.
The company and its activities are actually managed by 1 person with the responsibility of its market actions. Person written in the register is KEN ROSENE, who's seat is at 10100 WOODMAN AVE., HILLS MISSION, 91345, CA.
DRY DOCK & DEPOT STORAGE, INC.
SPARKLE, SHIMMER & SHINE, INC.
GREATER TAHOE BASIN MEDICAL GROUP, INC.
J. M. B. MATERIALS, INC.
SOUTHWEST PROPERTIES LTD., WHICH WILL DO BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA AS CPA PROPERTIES, INC.
INTERCOMMUNITY FAMILY MEDICAL ASSOCIATES, INC.
S.M.A.R.T (SERVING AND MOBILIZING ASSISTANCE, RESOURCES, AND TRAINING)CENTER, INC.
ORDNANCE TECHNOLOGIES (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
LES HANSON PLUMBING COMPANY, INC.
AFINITI.NET, INC., WHICH WILL DO BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS META-AFINITI.NET, INC.
D & D TRUCKING, INC.
GENERAL YELLOW PAGES CONSULTANTS, INC.
ONE WAY BOOKS & GIFTS, LTD.
GLINERT REAL ESTATE GROUP, INC.
WEST COAST METAL ERECTORS, INC.
LODI INFERNO GIRLS BASKETBALL CLUB, INC.
MAN IN THE MACHINE, INC.
BRENTWOOD ALLIANCE FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE SERVICES, INC.
EARL L. DURYEA & ASSOCIATES, LTD.


TORONTO — Knowlton Nash, a veteran CBC broadcaster best known as long-time anchor of "The National," died Saturday night at the age of 86, around the time he once was getting ready to go on the air.
May. 25, 2014 8:55 p.m.
"Oddly enough it was shortly before 10 o'clock," said Peter Mansbridge, his successor in the anchor chair.
"10 o'clock was his hour…he was Mister 10 o'clock to us," Mansbridge said in a phone interview late Saturday.
Nash died in his Toronto home. He had been battling Parkinson's for some years, the CBC reported.
Nash had a 37-year career with Canada's public broadcaster, including spending a decade behind the anchor desk of "The National," CBC's flagship news program.
It was there that the broadcaster whose warm eyes appeared magnified behind his oversized glasses earned the unofficial title Uncle Knowlty. It was a reflection of his steady, easy-going style and earnest, scholarly delivery.
"He felt like family to his audience," Mansbridge said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was saddened to learn that Nash had died.
"During his time as anchor of 'The National,' he became one of the country's most trusted and respected broadcast journalists, delivering the news every night to thousands of Canadian homes with insight, warmth and integrity. To many, he was a household figure," Harper said in a statement Sunday.
Tributes started pouring in from those who he worked with and those he covered as soon as word of Nash's death spread.
"Had the privilege of working many times with Knowlton Nash. The integrity, intelligence and kindness we aspire to. Thinking of you," anchor and reporter Ian Hanomansing tweeted.
There were also tributes from some of the political leaders who Nash interviewed and covered during his long career.
"Arlene and I mourn the passing of Knowlton Nash, who was a friend and mentor over many years," former Ontario premier Bob Rae tweeted.
Ironically, his dedication to the craft led Nash to walk away from perhaps the most influential spot in Canadian television news in April of 1988.
It was the strongest enticement Nash could offer Mansbridge, then a national correspondent for CBC-TV, to stay in Canada.
Mansbridge had reportedly been offered a $1-million salary to co-anchor a morning show on the U.S. network CBS.
But he agreed to stay over a late-night cup of hot chocolate after Nash volunteered to move to 'The National"s weekend desk.
"He was a mentor, you were going through whatever kind of work crisis you might be going through or career crisis, you'd talk to Knowlton, he'd give you fantastic advice," said Mansbridge.
His departure — marked by a telephone call by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney — signified the end of one of the most important decades in the history of the CBC's television news division.
Nash had been a key player in transforming an ailing news show into a major ratings success. From 1969 when he retired his correspondent's trenchcoat to 1978 when he took over anchoring 'The National,' Nash was director of news and current affairs for the English network of the CBC.
He was also at the forefront of changes like going from black and white to colour television and shifting from film to electronic newsgathering, Mansbridge said.
Born Nov. 18, 1927, Nash was the son of a promotions manager. His mother, 20 years his father's junior, was the first woman to fly over Hamilton, he once bragged in an interview.
Except for a brief spell when Nash wanted to be a jockey, he always said he would be a newsman.
As a lad of less than 10, he put out several editions of his own weekly newspaper — six laboriously typed pages — which he sold for less than a nickel. He understood the business well enough to sell ad space in exchange for bubble gum and chocolate to local merchants.
By the Second World War, Nash was hawking the Toronto Star and Telegram on a Toronto street corner.
And before leaving his Forest Hill high school he was selling stories about collegiate football to the Globe and Mail.
After attending the University of Toronto, Nash was hired in 1947 for $18-a-week by the wire service British United Press. But before that he tried his hand writing for the magazine True Confessions and edited prisoners' letters for True Crime.
In 1951, he began a handful of years in Washington as head of public relations for the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, representing about 35 million farmers in some 40 countries.
Later, during a lengthy stint as a freelancer for the CBC, MacLean's magazine and anyone else who would pay him, Nash covered everything from police courts to presidents. He followed John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, and got the last lengthy interview given by Robert Kennedy before he was assassinated.
He has written books about his career: "History on the Run" in 1984 and "Prime Time At Ten" in 1987. He is also the author of "Kennedy and Diefenbaker" (1990) and "Visions of Canada" (1991).
"He was right there at the front line of history, and there is no question about that it," Mansbridge said.


Thank you for your interest in Humans of SOMA! Please fill out the form below, and a member of our photography team will find you in your committee, and will take your photo. The photos will then be posted on Facebook. We will strive to respond to every request, but please understand that our team is limited in size.


text:
The Rosebuds, The Silos, Benjamin Booker, The Districts, Prairie Dog
Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 08:00 AM
J MASCIS and Fred Armisen join a cult in "Every Morning" from Tied To A Star.
THE ROSEBUDS perform on WNYC Soundcheck.
THE SILOS played a mini-set in KUTX's Studio 1A.
BENJAMIN BOOKER stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.
THE DISTRICTS play a mini-set at World Cafe Live.
CASS McCOMBS & MEAT PUPPETS dropped a split single ahead of a co-headlining tour.
CHRISTOPHER OWENS dropped "Never Wanna See That Look Again" ahead of A New Testament.
SAM AMIDON fropped "Walkin' Boss" ahead of Lily-O.
ALICE COOPER topped the UK singles chart on this date in 1972 with "School's Out."
INTERPOL: Daniel Kessler talks to BrooklynVegan about the new album, Arctic Monkeys, The Jam, social media and more.
BOB MOULD talks to Marc Maron about becoming a writer for pro-wrestling, composing The Daily Show theme song and coming to terms with his true identity.
THE 50 BEST ALT ALBUMS of the 90s, according to Metro Weekly. (Thx, LHB.)
AC/DC, ranked by Stereogum.
IS TONY SOPRANO DEAD? Vox reported that The Sopranos creator David Chase said, No." Chase's rep claims the comment was misconstrued. And while Chases says the search fro an answer is fruitless, I always bought the analysis at Masters of Sopranos.
JENNIFER ANISTON says her womanhood should not be defined by motherhood. Fair enough.
KRISTEN STEWART covers Vanity Fair France and explains her acting method and her two-year break from the biz.
BRADGELINA share some "crazy sex scenes" in their upcoming movie, written and directed by Jolie.
NATASHA LYONNE & FRED ARMISEN are dating.
JESSICA CHASTAIN wants a Scarlett Johansson superhero movie? Who doesn't?
SHERLOCK: Season 4 is devastating, according to creator Steven Moffat.
ENGLAND: in Rotherham, approximately 1400 cases of child rape, exploitation and violencewere dismissed for years by local leaders who feared they would be branded as racist for pursuing the perpetrators — the majority of whom were men of Pakistani origin.
UKRAINE said Russian forces had crossed the border and were supporting separatist attacks. The word they're looking for is "war."
LIBYA: In recent days, armed battles, inflamed by airstrikes and fueled by deep divisions among Libyan political factions have been "unprecedented in their gravity and very alarming," the outgoing United Nations envoy to that country told the Security Council today.
THE UNITED STATES has begun to mobilize a broad coalition of allies behind potential American military action in Syria and is moving toward expanded airstrikes in northern Iraq, administration officials said on Tuesday. Don't call it a coalition of the willing, y'all.
A CHUBBY PRAIRIE DOG is freed from his hole.
A GIANT PANDA faked pregnancy to get better teatment.
SPIDERS force a recall of 19000 Suzukis.
A MOOSE ON THE LOOSE in the eastern German city of Dresden evaded capture before getting stuck inside an office building, tantalizingly close to the canteen.
Interpol, Half Japanese, Ryan Adams, All Songs, Piglet
Wednesday, August 27, 2014 - 08:00 AM
PINK MOUNTAINTOPS drop a video for the new-wavey "Shakedown," which includes a ripping solo from J Mascis.
INTERPOL advance streams El Pintor.
HALF JAPANESE advance streams Overjoyed.
RYAN ADAMS: His 1984 EP has been ripped from vinyl to the Tube. And it rawks.
ALL SONGS CONSIDERED: New tracks from Lucinda Williams, Weezer, Sufjan Stevens and more highlight the current edition.
THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE may have ultimately divorced, but here's "Love Will Keep Us Together" for Daryl Dragon's birthday.
BOB DYLAN is releasing The Basement Tapes Complete. Garth Hudson of the Band is helping to compile the set.
MERCHANDISE gets a meaty profile at Stereogum.
NEIL YOUNG has filed for divorce from Pegi Young, his wife of 36 years and frequent musical collaborator.
THE NEW PR0NOGRAPHERS are going to play Brill Bruisers in the Brill Building. Brill idea!
THE PSYCHO SISTERS: Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) and Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) talk to Magnet about finally making an album after 20 years.
JUSTIN BIEBER is under investigation for several crimes — including attempted robbery — for lunging at a fan at an arcade and sports bar.
SOFIA VERGARA slams critics of a supposedly "sexist" stunt at the Emmys. Some people missed the entire point of the joke.
MILEY CYRUS let a homeless dude accept her VMA; it turns out the guy is wanted by Oregon police.
SUGE KNIGHT is not talking to police after being shot six times at Chris Brown's pre-VMAs party.
SARAH SILVERMAN seemed stoned at the Emmys, for good reason.
JUSTIN THEROUX turned up at an Emmys afterparty with a big ring on his left hand.
FULL HOUSE could be retruning to TV, with some of the original cast.
UKRAINE: Russian Pres Putin held inconclusive talks late Tuesday with the president of Ukraine, extending a reluctant hand to a new leadership vilified in Russia's state-run news media as the fruit of a fascist putsch. Just hours earlier, Ukraine released videos of captured Russian soldiers that directly challenged Mr. Putin's longstanding claim that his country has nothing to do with the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
ISRAEL: A long-term ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
SYRIA: US citizen Douglas McArthur McCain, 33, of San Diego, Cal., was killed while fighting for the Islamic State in Syria. The US has begun flying surveillance missions over Syria to gather intelligence on the Islamic State.
LIBYA: Air strikes by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Libyan Islamists - affirmed by Washington on Tuesday despite denials from Cairo and the Gulf state - would mark an escalation of a regional struggle over the future of the Arab world.
A TINY PIGLET: Be sure to turn the sound on.
A CRAZY CAT terrorizes a Houston neighborhood. No comment from Ignatz.
A FLATULENT HIPPO leads to a lawsuit involving CBS.
LOBSTER CAM is back online in Halifax harbour.
Afghan Whigs, CYHSY, Phil & Dave Alvin, Magic Numbers, Lions vs Croc
Tuesday, August 26, 2014 - 08:00 AM
KING KHAN & THE BBQ SHOW, n/k/a The Bad News Boys, drop a video for "We Are The Champion": "This was the first song we wrote for the album. Not the best song on the record, and not a single, but where our heads were at during the recording."
THE AFGHAN WHIGS stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH performed live in the KEXP Studio.
PHIL & DAVE ALVIN play a mini-set of Big Bill Broonzy covers at KUTX.
THE MAGIC NUMBERS share three songs off their upcoming LP, Alias.
REAL ESTATE covers the Nerves' "Paper Dolls."
THE WHO: "I'm One" and "Dr. Jimmy" at the Cow Palace in 1973 provide your Twofer Tuesday
THE KINKS: Esquire essays The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, dubbed "the best rock album you've never heard."
HENRY ROLLINS writes the inevitable apology for his column on depression.
SINKANE talks to Stereogum about his new album and his other endeavors.
PETE BEST talked to PopMatters about a lifetime of incredulous "What If's."
ZOOEY DESCHANEL was caught canoodling on camera with rumored new boyfriend Jacob Pechenik.
THE EMMYS --in a rare Monday appearance--went to these folks.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE is expecting a baby girl.
AMANDA PEET is expecting her third child with her husband David Benioff.
LENA DUNHAM excerpted her book at The New Yorker.
SHUTTER ISLAND may spawn a series on HBO.
UKRAINE: Amid reports of a surge in fighting between government forces and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Moscow will be sending a second humanitarian convoy into the war-torn region as early as this week. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has dissolved Ukraine's parliament and announced an election on October 26.
NORWAY: Some 5,000 people protested in Oslo against the Islamic State, in a demonstration organized by Norwegian Muslim groups.
LIBYA: Islamist militias said Sunday they have consolidated their hold on Tripoli and its international airport, driving out rival militias to the outskirts of the capital following a weekslong battle for control of the strategic hub.
SYRIA: The United States is preparing military options, including surveillance flights, to pressure Islamic State in Syria, U.S. officials said on Monday, but they cautioned no decision had been made to expand U.S. action beyond the limited airstrikes under way in Iraq. The White House, however, refused to commit to asking for congressional authority for airstrikes in Syria.
LIONS vs CROCODILE: Who You Got?
A HARBOR SEAL napping on a Jet Ski.
CAMBODIAN RAT MEAT: A growing export market.
WAS A DOG run over by Google Street View?
Buster Poindexter, Blonde Redhead, The Gotobeds, Zammuto, Sinkane, Squirrel
Monday, August 25, 2014 - 08:00 AM
BUSTER POINDEXTER joins ARCADE FIRE in Brooklyn for "Hot Hot Hot" after the band syncs David Johanssen's "Personality Crisis." And there was a conga line.
BLONDE REDHEAD advance streams Barragán.
THE GOTOBEDS advance stream Poor People Are Revolting.
ZAMMUTO advance streams Anchor.
SINKANE advance streams Mean Love.
THE KNACK: "My Sharona" topped the chart at this time in 1979 and would remain there for five weeks.
CRAIG FINN: The Hold Steady frontman talks to The Rumpus about his writing process, the purpose and function of songs, and the relationship of songs to other forms of writing.
TY SEGALL Guest DJs All Songs Considered, mixinng his new material withclassic songs that inspired him.
PAST MTV VMA WINNERS, ranked by Stereogum. REM beaten by Katy Perry. Sigh.
20 CONTOVERSIAL MUSIC VIDEOS, listed by NME.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Guardians of the Galaxy retakes the top of the chart with 17.6 million, as all of the new competition fell short. Marvel's 251.9 million domestic take officially pushes GotG past Transformers 4 to become the top grosser of the summer.And it will soon pass Captain America: The Winter Soldier to become the biggest grossing movie of the year. Worldwide, Guardians is just short of the roughly 500 million it needs to profit...but has yet to open in China or Japan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shows (if the estimates hold up) with 16.8 million, and is on track to wind up in the black. If IStay, which most gurus picked for the top slot, showed with 16.4 million, as a strong Friday petered out over the weekend proper. Nevertheless, the teen weeper has a mere 11 million production budget. Let's Be Cops takes the fourth slot with a fairly leggy 11 million and is near profitability on domestic receipts alone. The debut of When The Game Stands Tall rounds out the Top 5 with 9 million; it may need some help from the faith-based community to recoup a 15 million budget plus marketing costs. Normally, this is the spot where I'd note that Expendables 3 is flopping, but Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For did even worse in its debut, coming in eighth with 6.5 million, mostly bad reviews and bad word of mouth against a rumored 60-70 million budget. Ouch.
FRANK MILLER'S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR, btw, pretty much deserved the bad reviews and bad word of mouth. Most of the reviews note the sequel is more explicit--both in nudity and violence--than the original, yet more boring. On the last point, I tend to disagree. The problem with A Dame To Kill For is not necessarily that it's boring; it's certainly as visually stylish (and stylized) as the first one. Rather, the problem is that this one is much more joyless. Granted, it seems Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez set out to tell a more grim set of stories this time around, but there's even less sense of comic relie, let alone outright fun this time. Moreover, the original tended to focus on the classic noir theme of the ambigous antihero rising to some level of heroism and --while other noir tropes abound here, there's much less heroic in these tales.
SUGE KNIGHT: The famed music producer (and jailbird) was shot six tiimes at a pre-VMAs party in a Los Angeles nightclub hosted by singer Chris Brown.
NICKI MANAJ: One of the singer's backup dancers was bit by a boa constrictor during a VMAs rehearsal of "Anaconda."
IGGY ALZALEA is so Fancy that she fell offstage at a pre-VMAs benefit show.
THE MTV VMAs went to these folks; there's also video of the perfomances at the link.
GWYNETH PALTROW is very happy that Chris Martin is dating Jennifer Lawrence. No, really, she is totally happy. Totally.
IAN SOMERHALDER & NIKKI REED are already living together after three weeks of dating.
JOSH CHARLES and his wife Sophie Flack are expecting their first child together.
LORD RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH, the actor (The Great Escape, Ghandi, Jurassic Park) and film director (Cry Feedom, Chaplain), has died just days before his 91st birthday. At various times he was chairman of the British Film Institute, Channel 4, Goldcrest Films, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and Capital Radio and a director of the Young Vic and the British Film Institute.
CHINA broadcast an andless loop of James Foley's execution on a giant video screen in downtown Beijing.
UKRAINE: The Russian military has moved artillery units manned by Russian personnel inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and is using them to fire at Ukrainian forces, NATO officials said on Friday. Don't call it an invasion, y'all. Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have marched dozens of captured government soldiers through the city of Donetsk.
LIBYA: Tripoli Airport is reportedly in flames, after its capture by Islamist forces following weeks of fighting.
EGYPT: The top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, launched an Internet-based campaign Sunday challenging an extremist group in Syria and Iraq by saying it should not be called an "Islamic State."
SYRIA: The Islamic State captured a major airport, reportedly beheaded a number of captured Syrian soldiers and put their severed heads on display in the city of Raqqa. An American held hostage for two years by the Jabhat al-Nusrah terrorist group has been released. British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 have identified 23-year-old Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary as the man suspected of the horrific beheading of American journalist James Foley. Bary is the son of an Egyptian-born militant who is awaiting trial on terrorism charges in Manhattan, due to his alleged involvement in the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
THE SQUIRREL THREAT, fought with Vaseline.
PUPPIES, Photographed Underwater.
A STRAY KITTEN named Alfonso won a cat casting call, pouncing on a role in the upcoming Broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You.
THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER: Peter Mbulu is on a mission to save Kenya's orphaned baby elephants.
Sly & the Family Stone, Strand of Oaks, Tune-Yards, jenny Lewis, Woods, Cutout B
Friday, August 22, 2014 - 08:00 AM
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE rip through a medley of "Everyday People" and "Dance to the Music," plus "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey," and "I Want to Take You Higher" on network TV, circa 1969.
STRAND OF OAKS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set.
TUNE-YARDS stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.
JENNY LEWIS plays WFUV Live.
WOODS features new songs at KEXP.
KING TUFF drops the gnarly title track from Black Moon Spell.
THE DRUMS drop "I Can't Pretend" ahead of Encyclopedia.
BECK & JENNY LEWIS cover Rod Stewart's "D'ya Think I'm Sexy."
THE NEW PR0NOGRAPHERS' A.C. Newman reviewstracks bridging his career at Stereogum.
HENRY ROLLINS criticized Robin Williams for killing himself, having learned nothing from Gene Simmons.
SWANS drummer Thor Harris talks about his own depression.
THE 50 BEST VIDEOS of the Decade So Far, according to Pitchfork.
CUTOUT BIN: From the Sweet to Spoon, from Alex Chilton to Led Zeppelin, from Billy Idol to the Beatles, plus the Clash, Fleshtones, Jon Auer, Nick Gilder and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM.
NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases inclide: If I Stay, which is currently scoring 40 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, which is scoring 42 percent (but considerably lower with top critics); and When The Game Stands Tall, scoring 25 percent.
MARIAH CAREY & NICK CANNON separated back in May and hope to beat Jay Z & Beyonce to divorce court.
BEYONCE & JAY Z aren't splitting, according to Beyonce's mom
JENNIFER LAWRENCE & CHRIS MARTIN were caught canoodling at the Wolffer Estate Vineyard in New York.
MEG RYAN & JOHN MELLENCAMP split recently after dating for more than three years, due to the long-distance relationship stuff. They presumably will not reunite atop the Empire State Building.
PAMELA ANDERSON & CAREY HART aren't fans of the Ice Bucket Challenge, unlike Kristen Stewart and Anna Wintour.
ISRAELI warplanes killed three top Hamas commanders in southern Gaza on Thursday.
SAUDI ARABIA has executed at least 19 people since August 4, 2014. Local news reports indicate that eight of those executed were convicted of nonviolent offenses, seven for drug smuggling and one for sorcery.
LIBYA is coming apart at the seams, not that many seem to notice.
THE ISLAMIC STATE in Iraq and Syria cannot be defeated unless the United States or its allies take on the Sunni militancy in Syria, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday afternoon. A senior American official said the Pentagon now estimated the number of fighters affiliated with ISIS to be about 17,000. Ben Rhodes, President Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the United States would not be restricted by geographic boundaries when it comes to the core mission of U.S. foreign policy which is the protection of its people.
A GROUPER swallows a shark whole. What say you, Police Chief Brody?
CITY SPIDERS get big, fat and fertile. So maybe Annie Hall was onto something.
THE MOOSE SEX CORRIDOR is getting much larger.
SEA PLANKTON has been discovered living on the outside of the International Space Station, Russian cosmonauts have claimed. We know how this turns out.


text:
FeaturedWest Africa
Ghana: Daughter of late President Rawlings warns of funeral scam
Africa Feeds Staff writers are group of African journalists focused on reporting news about the continent and the rest of the world.
The eldest daughter of Ghana's former President Jerry Rawlings has warned against online fraudsters who claim to be raising money for her father's funeral.
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, in a statement posted on her Facebook account on Thursday, said fake social media accounts had been created in her name to solicit funds.
She said the fraudsters are targeting people who are sending their condolences.
Ms Agyeman-Rawlings is the MP for the Klottey Korle constituency in Ghana's parliament.
Former leader Jerry Rawlings died on 12 November aged 73.
The government declared seven days of mourning ahead of a state funeral.
Ghana's former President Rawlings is dead
Previous articleEthiopia PM meets AU envoys over Tigray crisis
Next articleGhana: Ex-graft prosecutor says president is 'mother serpent of corruption'
Malawi's local government minister dies after Covid-19 infection
Malawi's Local Government Minister Lingson Belekanyama has died after getting Covid-19, according to government officials. Government officials have confirmed the death of Belekanyama who was...


text:
Cheshire Events ›
The Forum Theatre ›
MAMA Performing the music of Genesis
The Forum Theatre, Cheshire, SK6 4EA
Sat 16th February 2019
An evening of Genesis music at The Romiley Forum
Genesis fans are in for a great night as top tribute band Mama make their Second appearance at the Romiley Forum on February 16th 2019.
Describing themselves as an 'all era' tribute, Mama will take you on a journey from Genesis' early Peter Gabriel years, through the Phil Collins' era of the 70's and 80's - right up to their final studio album, 'We Can't Dance'.
Lead singer, John Wilkinson, delivers the Phil Collins vocal sound with power, passion and precision. On keyboards, the band benefits from the technical wizardry of John Comish. Stunning guitars are provided by Eddie Devlin, backed up with the rock solid technical playing of Tim Rothwell on drums and Dave Jones on bass, 12 string and bass pedals.
Formed in 2011 the band has already established itself as one of the top Genesis tribute bands in the UK. From their debut show at The Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead in March 2012 the band has captivated their audiences playing tribute to the music of Genesis to the highest of standards.
Talking about the band's first show, Alan Hewitt author of The Waiting Room the longest established Genesis webzine comments, "The performance at the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead rates as one of the most impressive debuts I have ever seen. Musically spot on the money. Vocally, uncannily like Genesis and visually, convincing enough for me to suspend my disbelief. At times it was as if Genesis themselves were on stage. Either that or they had been cloned - impressive stuff!"
Mama will perform songs from Genesis' 40 year history including the well known Mama, Turn it on Again, Invisible Touch and No Son of Mine along with album tracks such as In the Cage, Los Endos and Ripples.


text:
Best Big Island Hawaii
Your guide to enjoying the best of Hawaii's Big Island
Kona Coffee
Big Island Restaurants
Hilo Restaurants
Restaurants aren't as super-abudant in Hilo as they they are in Kona but there are still a lot of great dining options around on the east side of the Big Island. The main reason there aren't as many choices as there are in Kona is quite simply that, even though Hilo is a bigger city, Kona is the tourism center of the Big Island and with lots of tourists comes more restaurants, shops, activities, etc. Hilo has a quieter feel than Kona but it has a lot of great charms and some excellent places to eat.
The upside of attracting less tourists is that Hilo's restaurants have to cater to the locals and that means they have to be good. Okay, that doesn't mean that all Hilo restaurants are good, but the general principle holds up. In Kona, a restaurant that looks good and has a good location downtown will pull in hordes of tourists, sell them expensive drinks where they can "keep the glass" and just keep doing that whether they are really great places to eat or not.
Without the major flocks of tourists in Hilo, local restaurants have to do a better job of keeping their local diners happy. Over on the Kona side, it's not the locals who are packing out the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. night after night. There's no better way to dine when traveling than to eat what the locals eat, so the best Hilo restaurants are tried and true local favorites that offer visitors some very good dining options.
Ken's House of Pancakes
Ken's is the go to diner in Hilo and serves up great local food and diner favorites 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ocean Sushi Deli
A hole in the wall in downtown Hilo that will satisfy any sushi lover's tastes. A very good value for very good sushi.
© Best-Big-Island-Hawaii.com — All rights reserved.
Contact • Privacy Policy • Disclaimer • Disclosure


Pictures 1, 2 and 3 show the 10'6"x12'8" greenhouse in silver finish with optional additional double doors. Picture 4 shows a 10'6"x12'8" in silver finish with with optional staging, shelving and additional double doors. Picture 5 shows the optional painted finish colours. Picture 6 shows one of the box section glazing bars.
These premium quality greenhouses are 10'6" wide. The lengths are 6'7", 8'8", 10'8", 12'8", 14'9", 16'9", 18'10", 20'10", 22'10" or 24'11". Features include a choice of silver finish aluminium frames or powder coated in a choice of colours. The clever asymmetrical design gives an eaves height of 5'6" on the low side and 6'6" on the high side. Luxury features include heavy duty box section aluminium and full height toughened safety glass. The locking double doors can be positioned in the gable wall or the higher of the two side walls. Roof vents with automatic openers are included as standard. A wide range of staging, shelving and other quality accessories are available to complete your greenhouse. Detailed instructions are supplied for DIY self assembly. We offer fitting as a low cost option in many areas.