For the RHESSI satellite we develop an algorithm to reconstruct X-ray images of solar flares.
Development of image reconstruction algorithms which take noisy X-ray measurements of a solar flare as an input, and output an image of the original X-ray emission of the solar flare.
Results have been shown at several international conferences. A working version of our new algorithm is currently being published, with above average reconstruction quality and speed. A scientific publication is in the making.


text:
Swaffham youngsters to have say online
PUBLISHED: 09:00 17 December 2008 | UPDATED: 11:08 08 July 2010
AN online vote is set to give youngsters in Swaffham a big say in the activities planned for them over the next two years.
A raft of organisations in Swaffham, including the police, the town council and the Iceni Development Partnership, have met to draw up a skeleton plan of events to ensure young people have things to do.
And now they are looking for young people to help fill in the gaps and put their own distinctive mark on the plans.
Early in the New Year an
online vote will take place where every young person in Swaffham will be invited to choose from a range of events they would like to see happen during two "away days" due to take place next August.
A "youth action planning committee" will also be formed
to help co-ordinate events, including a big family day to
be held in February, a school
ball and a summer camp.
Dennis Tallon from the Iceni Partnership said: "It was a very productive meeting and we looked at all the dates for the next two years.
"We have planned at lot of specific events, such as four discos which will be hosted by the community police, football training during half term, and many more.
"In August we will be
holding two away days where
we will be taking the
youngsters on a trip and we are going to be setting up an online poll so they can choose the activities they do."
Mr Tallon said that now a calendar of events had been put in place it would be a lot easier to seek funding for the packed programme.
He said: "We have the dates,
and the new youth action
planning committee will play a key role in shaping and running the events."
The internet poll will be launched in January. For more information contact the Iceni Partnership on 01760 722800.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Team of the Week | Round six
It's Team of the Week time and this week the honours were shared pretty evenly with Heart, Glory, Adelaide and the Mariners featuring prominently.
It-s Team of the Week time and this week the honours were shared pretty evenly with Heart, Glory, Adelaide and the Mariners featuring prominently.
Goalkeeper: Mark Birighitti (Jets) Two outstanding saves from the stopper who isn-t even the Jets No.1. The youngster has been highly rated for some time but is only now getting his chance at a regular first-team place, and he-s taking it with both hands. Which is what you-d want from a goalkeeper, to be honest.
Defender: Pascal Bosschaart (SFC) The big Dutchman marked his return to the Sydney backline with a commanding performance topped off by his first senior goal. Granted, Sydney let three goals in the last 15 minutes, which does take the sheen of it - but he still stood out as a huge figure for Sydney.
Defender: Aziz Behich (Heart) Called up to the Qantas Socceroos Behich has the potential to be the long-term solution at left-back, his marauding runs down the flank give him great scope for improvement and his defence is always dogged.
Defender: Patrick Gerhardt (Heart) Own goals one week, a first A-League goal the next… Gerhardt kick-started the Heart against the Roar and then they never looked back, he was also strong in defence and didn-t try to clear a ball with the outside of his boot this week… wonder of John Aloisi had a word in his ear?
Defender: Scott Jamieson (Glory) Is there a more in-form defender in the Hyundai A-League right now? We doubt it. Since moving to Perth Jamieson has become the gun he always threatened to be, it seems he is revelling in his environment and why wouldn-t he be, it-s hot all year round and he-s playing in a side who have a real chance of taking out the entire competition, give the man a green and gold jersey Holger!
Midfielder: Shinji Ono (WSW) After a slow start, the Japanese genius is finally starting to show his worth. He didn-t quite get the goal he deserved but the vision, the passes, the close control, the cheeky chips here and there - Ono-s getting better as he reaches full fitness. He will yet prove his worth to the Wanderers.
Midfielder: Dario Vidosic (ADU) Another week, another goal for the Reds marquee man, it-s hard to believe he didn-t impress enough to earn a Socceroos call-up for the battle with South Korea, though it-s likely Adelaide coach John Kosmina is rapt he-s not going anywhere. Dario is delightful to watch right now and if he keeps up the current form he like Jamieson should be kicking in the door to the Socceroos- dressing sheds.
Midfielder: Tom Rogic (CCM) He may have spurned a golden chance to put the Mariners ahead in Wellington… next time put your boot through it young man! But it was his vision that set up Danny McBreen once again and allowed the Mariners to win in Wellington and in a dour match he was by far the most impressive player on the pitch.
Midfielder: Marcelo Carrusca (ADU) Mmmm Churrasco, while Brazilian BBQ is delicious so was Carrusca-s game against the Glory, he was arguably the most dangerous player on the park and created several opportunities for the Reds and even gave Vidosic the assists for his goal. The only South American who hasn-t made the headlines in Adelaide in recent times he has now and if he continues to play in the vein he did this weekend, he could be anything.
Attacker: Billy Mehmet (Glory) The big striker had a point to prove today, trying to keep his starting spot with Shane Smeltz returning made him switch on to the task and he netted his only real chance with precision, but what he also brings to the Glory is a tireless work ethic and a high football IQ, that again allowed him to frequently get in behind the line.
Attacker: Archie Thompson (Victory) Has any player given more to his team in the history of the A-League than Archie Thompson? Seriously, how much doe Victory fans love him? And well they should, the 34-year-old is just as athletic and dangerous as he-s ever been, and his tireless energy upfront pulled Victory to a famous win.
Coach: Graham Arnold (CCM) He might just be the most underrated coach in the league, a tag that probably suits Arnie fine, since he loves his team being the underdogs in every match. Reality is right now they sit top of the table and are doing what has become synonymous with their club, winning. Arnold is a huge part of that.


text:
Premiere: At Pavillon – 'All Eyes on You' Video
At Pavillon's rapid ascent into musical notoriety continues with the release of their new single "All Eyes on You" and it's a combination of their commitment to playing live gigs as well as their innate songwriting skills that's helped bring them to this place today. They bring a two guitar attack to their songs without ever allowing the six string to assume a dominant role in the band's music. Instead, the guitars in At Pavillon's "All Eyes on You" are orchestral in nature and recorded with nuance and just the right amount of physicality. This four piece is poised to take their music onto a global stage and make an impact outside of continental Europe thanks to a blend of their first class songwriting talents, performing charisma, and knowledge of what modern fans want. At Pavillon's songs are powerful and viscerally connected to what modern audiences are hoping to hear.
http://www.atpavillon.com/
The musical qualities of the song are undisputable. The band has a, perhaps, unlikely two guitar configuration despite its pop song inclinations and lead guitarist Bernhard Melchart has a noticeable spark with rhythm guitarist and lead singer Mwita Mataro. Melchart doesn't take a traditional guitar solo at any point in the release, but he does lay in some compelling licks later in the song that brings a lot of added drama to the song's home stretch. The rhythm section performance of bassist Tobias Kobl and drummer Paul Majdzadeh-Ameli gives "All Eyes on You" much of its pop and the near rambunctious feel that helps make the song so memorable. There's a good vocal presentation as well that's not limited to just Mataro's singing, but instead At Pavillon has four quality singers at work throughout the song. The presence of backing vocals on this song isn't omnipresent, but it gives flight to the song particularly during its chorus.
The lyrics definitely aren't making any attempts to remake the wheel or serve up performed poetry, but there's also no question that At Pavillon's lyrical content is every bit as intelligent as their musical content while still remaining quite accessible to a wide audience. The presence of Mataro's singing comes in early and the lyrics give him some fine percussive material to build his phrasing around. The writing definitely serves the needs of the song while still making a statement that's all their own. There is a distinctly European feel to the songwriting and it has a bright mood effortlessly sustained throughout the course of the tune, but the appealing nature of this tune isn't confined by geography and At Pavillon's new single "All Eyes on You" will likely bust them wide open in a whole new way. Vienna, Austria's music scene has produced a real winner with this band and they deserve every bit of the prominence they've achieved up to this point while being poised to stand among the best pop rock bands today.
I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-eyes-on-you-single/1352326390
William Elgin
← Where and how to buy books on the Internet
New Video By Last Gasp Collective "Small Town" →
Women Eyeglasses That You Can Consider
Best 510 Thread Batteries for Live Resin
What is mine reclamation?
Revolutionary technologies that are making in-person businesses available online
As a woman, you have many eyeglasses that you can pick from your online store. But the problem for you may be choosing the perfect one. If you are having a difficult time in selecting your eyeglasses, you can consider yourselves covered. You have a list here of eyeglasses designs like cat eye glass frames…
If you're looking for an easy and convenient way to enjoy your favorite live resin, then look no further than the D8 Super Store. We offer a wide selection of 510 thread batteries designed to work with all types of live resin types. Whether you're just getting started or have extensive knowledge of the vaping…
Introduction Reclamation mining is a process that recovers valuable metals from landfills or other waste materials, such as tailings. The reclaimed material can then be used for new purposes or recycled into other products. The mining process Mining is a process that involves extracting mineral resources from the earth. There are three main types of…
The business world has remained largely the same for nearly a century after the industrial revolution. The exponential rate of technological evolution, change and adaptation, especially in 2022, is so rapid that whether you are ready or not, you cannot help but be swept away by the tide of progress. You may not think you've…


text:
Q&F: Christmas App Roundup, Part 2
Michael (Admin) | Nov 28, 2008 Games, Quick & Free
Christmas Rock'n'Roll is the lite holiday version of Tag Games Limited's Rock'n'Roll app. Your job is to guide a psychotic-looking thing named "Roll" through a series of mazes where he needs to collect musical notes and ultimately rescue his buddy "Rock" who has been kidnapped by an evil Christmas-hating bastard.
Maze navigation is done by rotating the map with finger movements along the edge of the iPhone screen and tilting will also affect Roll's movement. It's hard at first, but if you play enough you'll get the hang of it.
Despite being very colorful and Christmasy, I wonder if Christmas Rock'n'Roll will do more to piss your kids off than entertain them. It's a high-quality game but, between the semi-difficult controls and the big maps filled with obstacles and bad guys, this app might be better suited for grownups and older children who can focus their attention for more than 30 seconds at a time… aww what the hell, let the kids play it. Tell them they HAVE TO rescue Rock or Santa won't be coming this year! That'll shut them up.
The full, non-themed Rock'n'Roll is $1.99.
My eyes would be bugging out too if I were stuck in this frozen-hell of a maze
Trivial Memory Christmas is your standard photo-matching game. Tap squares on a board to reveal images and find pairs.
Overall this app's pretty good. It has a two-player option, three difficulty settings that produce photo grids laid out in 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 formats, and it plays Christmas music which can be turned off. The game design isn't the greatest, but hey whatever… it's free, it's mildly entertaining, and you'll probably be deleting it on December 26th. Get it if you like this kind of game.
Trivial Technology also sells the non-themed Trivial Memory for $.99.
This game isn't pretty, but it's very playable
Xmas-a-Mass Free is the very "lite" version of Xmas-a-Mass which Powerhouse Games sells for $2.99.
It's really a pretty cool game… hold your finger on the iPhone screen to produce a nicely wrapped gift that grows in size the longer you hold it. Let go of the gift before it touches one of the satanic goblins crowding the screen, and keep adding gifts until you clear the level. Meanwhile, an orchestra plays a Christmas showtune soundtrack in the background.
Lite apps are supposed to give you a chance to test-drive the real thing before you buy so, in that sense, I really shouldn't bitch about Xmas-a-Mass Free… but it's such a short trial of the game!! Five levels is probably enough for you to decide whether you like it or not, but come on man! Geeeezzz!!!!
Ok, I'm done ranting. It's a good game, just be prepared for your free trial to end abruptly.
Christmas just isn't Christmas without evil goblin heads among your gifts
Quick & Free (Q&F) is a new review category. Comments and suggestions can be posted here.


UK Parliament Education Service The union was an incorporating onethe Scottish Parliament was ended and frække voksne beskeder the Westminster Parliament increased by 45 commoners and 16 peers representing Scotland.
The referendum, to be held in September 2014, was to pose a single simple question: Should Scotland be an independent country?
On the death of Malcolm III on his last English raid in 1093, sustained attempts were made to prevent the application of the southern custom of succession by primogeniture.
James lived through the usual disrupted minority to become one of Scotlands most successful kings.War was increasingly expensive, and taxation was increased drastically to pay David IIs ransom.In 1452 he stabbed William Douglas, 8th earl of Douglas, to death, and in 1455 James Douglas, 9th earl of Douglas, was attainted.Nevertheless, Cromwells administration of Scotland was efficient, and his judges, some of them Englishmen, achieved an admired impartiality.If James had been inspired during his captivity by the English House of Commons, he was unable to transplant that institution to Scotland.Daily life and social customs, although bagpipes have ancient origins elsewhere and are found throughout the world, they are one of the most recognized symbols of Scottish culture.A Norwegian expedition of 1263 under King Haakon IV failed to maintain the Norse presence in the Hebrides, and three years later they were ceded to Scotland by the Treaty of Perth.The Labour governments (194551) sought to ensure full employment, and though the Conservatives initially opposed Labours widespread nationalization of industriessuch as the coal mines, the Bank of England, the railroads, and electric powerthey eventually accepted the mixed economy and the expanded welfare state.
Augustinian canons might also serve as the clergy of a cathedral, as they did.Curling is another traditional sport, although temperatures are seldom low enough for it to be other than an indoor activity played on man-made ice.By 1610 the civil and ecclesiastical status of the bishops was secure.Through the Anglo-Scottish conflict, Scotland developed a basic tendencyto seek self-sufficiency and also to look to continental Europe for alliances and inspirationthat persisted at least until 1560.In 1493 he eliminated a potential rival by carrying out the forfeiture of the last Lord of the Isles, and he also dealt severely with unrest on the English border and elsewhere.
Cameron The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Learn More in these related Britannica articles: coin: Scotland Coinage began by following English usage in regard to types and weights: the earliest silver pennies were those of David I (112453) and copied Stephens, though the use of profile.
Part of the overall increase was the result of improved medical care that had lessened the ravages of epidemic diseases by the mid-19th century.


text:
Wayne Brouwer Author Site
Happy Birthday Heidelberg!
By Wayne on July 2, 2013 in Heidelberg Catechism
In the 1980's, members of Calgary, Alberta's, First Christian Reformed Church led monthly worship services at the city's correctional facility. It was a time of liturgical change, with new songs emerging weekly, and the language of historic confessions updated into contemporary vocabulary. Inmates at the prison appreciated the great music brought by the church team, and asked if they might keep several of the church's self-published collections in order to practice these new songs.
Returning a month later, the church volunteers were rushed by excited inmates. But it wasn't the songs that they gushed about. Instead, these prisoners were wildly intrigued by that strange document at the back of the songbooks, something with an unpronounceable name. It was the recently retranslated Heidelberg Catechism. To those who found themselves the outcasts of society, it was the best expression of Christian faith they had ever read.
Robbing Paul
There is good reason for that, of course. Zachary Ursinus and Caspar Oleveanus, the Catechism's authors, stole their method from the Apostle Paul. In his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul outlined Christianity in terms of three key ideas: (1) that humanity is irreconcilably estranged from its Creator (Romans 1-3); (2) that God's love is wonderfully expressed in the transforming salvation brought to us through Jesus (Romans 4-8); and (3) that our lives are best lived in service to God and others (Romans 12-15). These themes became the familiar structure of the Heidelberg Catechism, summarized often as Sin/Salvation/Service or Guilt/Grace/Gratitude or "I Can't!"/"God Can!"/"Thanks!"
While many other catechisms have appeared in history, few became as popular and enduring as this one. The word "catechism" originated as a Greek term meaning "to hand down." The term jumped from language to language as the Christian Church expanded from culture to culture. Its idea is as old as God's work among us. When the Israelites were released from Egypt during the night of the Tenth Plague, they rose from the Passover table with the command to use this symbolic meal as a yearly opportunity to teach their children the meaning of life (Exodus 12:25-26). When forty years later the nation passed through the miraculously damned Jordan River to new hopes in the Promised Land, stones were taken from the river bottom and shaped into the first recorded children's playground, so that parents could get their offspring to ask the big questions (Joshua 4). These are visible catechisms, symbolic representations that help people ask the right questions in order to get the right answers.
In every age the church has produced catechisms, training tools for the young and the newly converted. The best of these usually included explanations about the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, the foundational statements of Christian identity and expression. Some went on to expand almost without limits, seeking to explore every facet of theology or church life. Others were temporally fixated in their current issues, and recited only for a time until replaced by more useful teaching tools.
Why did the Heidelberg Catechism retain its power and punch throughout these four-and-a-half centuries? For one thing, it has a captivating perspective. It actually speaks with our individual voices echoing our deepest concerns. Although it addresses the head (Q&A2—"What must you know …"), it begins with the heart: "What is your only comfort…" In a world of distress, in every age of crisis, in the psychological disquiet of our inner selves, the Heidelberg Catechism begins where we are. We are all troubled. We are all seeking comfort. And we are all religious, knowing that forces larger than ourselves are at play in our destinies.
I regularly teach the "Standards" course at Western Theological Seminary, a Senior Class review of the Reformed Confessions. Invariably it becomes a time of rediscovery of the Heidelberg Catechism for some, and for others a joyfully unexpected courtship with a new lifelong love. Particularly interesting for me are those who emerge from Presbyterian backgrounds where the Westminster Catechism was a religion staple. Patterned in part after the Heidelberg Catechism, and birthed a century later, the Westminster Catechism is similar in length and covers many of the same themes. But its users are often overwhelmed by their perceptions of a much more personal and cohesive testimony resident in the older Heidelberg Catechism. One student told me last October that he was "blown away" by the Heidelberg Catechism, and that it has immediately replaced his cherished Westminster Catechism as his personal devotional favorite. While there is great nobleness in the Westminster's beginning Q&A ("What is the chief end of man? To know God and enjoy him forever"), the warmth and personableness of the Heidelberg easily trumps such abstractions.
Resident Aliens
Second, the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism did a most marvelous thing in the first main division. When probing issues of "Sin and Misery," they kept it short and to the point, refusing to get mired in a litany of bad things we do. In fact, the genius of the Heidelberg Catechism is mirrored in the title they gave to this section. In German it is Das Elend, which has the connotations of alienation, or living in a land that is not one's own. While much of our talk about sins and sinfulness is often couched in terms of specific nasty deeds, the Catechism instead takes us on a journey of alienation. We are miserable because we are at a distance from God. It is not just that we do wrong acts but that we live in a world of dissonance where nothing reflects its original right relationships.
This helps us understand even more powerfully the need for "comfort". It is precisely because we are "miserable" that we long for home and help and healing and "comfort". And because we are unable to find the way home by ourselves, our misery is only deepened. There is an urgency in the Catechism's message that makes us desperate to receive God's good grace. Even though we cannot gain it on our own or earn it, we are not ourselves without it. We are barely alive in an alien environment with no way out. Misery. Desperation.
Third, there is a wonderful simplicity about the Heidelberg Catechism. It takes the familiar standards of our Christian faith (Jesus' Law Summary of Matthew 22, the Apostles Creed, the sacraments, the Keys of the Kingdom, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer), and weaves marvelous reflections on each into a seamless garment which is so integrated and psychologically fluid that we are drawn along into affirmations jumping out of our hearts long before they are charted in our heads. The Heidelberg Catechism never feels clunky or chunky, even as it moves from topic to topic, and document to document. It has the same flow as a fine multi-course meal which is fully savored at every course and yet unfolds as an unbroken feast from salad to dessert.
Fourth, the Heidelberg Catechism remains delightfully autobiographical and personal throughout. It keeps speaking in the first person, so that all of its theology and faith reflection is given voice by my own heart and my wrestling spirit. Not only that, but at many points, where profound doctrines are explored deeply and thoughtfully, the Catechism next asks the question, "And what does it mean to you…" Theology and testimony are constantly wed in the Heidelberg; doctrine and doing are inseparable partners. Christianity is never a theological construct for the Catechism; it is a confession and a lifestyle.
This is expressed particularly well in the opening conversations about the Apostles Creed. What does it mean that God is creator? Few reflections could be more gripping than the answers of Lord's Days 9-10, speaking to the hearts of all who have gone through disease, disaster, discouragement and doom. "How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us? We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from his love" (Q&A 28).
Fifth, there is the irenic tone of the Catechism. There are few clues in it of the turbulent times which birthed it. The Reformation had ripped Germany apart, the second generation Reformers were battling each other, the poor masses were physically attacking the landed classes, and theologians were picking at each other with increasing venom. And Heidelberg was at the heart of everything, with primary connections to the Holy Roman Empire (Elector Frederick chaired the emperor selection committee of seven), outspoken Lutherans creating the Augsburg Confession, Reformed refugees shouting the Belgic Confession in honor of its author martyred only a year before, arguments in the city about the "ubiquity" question (whether Jesus' physical nature was everywhere present along with his spiritual nature, thus allowing for it to be present in the elements of Communion), and riots from the displaced poor who had had enough of wealthy power plays. The Heidelberg Catechism chooses few sides (only briefly aligning with the Calvinists over against the Lutherans on the "ubiquity" issue in Q&A 76, and only arguing with the Roman Catholics about the Mass in a later-added Q&A 80), while consistently speaking for all Christians in a voice of humble confidence and faithful service.
Sixth, in one of its most beautiful expressions, the Heidelberg Catechism displays the powerful genius of Calvin's "third use of the Law." Martin Luther, because of his major psychological issues with the burden of "law" and the grace release of grace that he experienced in his faith journey, clearly articulated that there were two reasons for God's Law. First came the regulation of creation (e.g., natural law). Second, the Law taught us our sinfulness, as Paul so eloquently wrote in Romans 6-7. Through Christ (as Paul exulted in Romans 8, echoing the opening verses of Romans 5), the condemnation of the Law was excised, and we experience spiritual freedom.
John Calvin, writing a half-generation later, did not disagree with Luther, but he thought that Luther's excitement about freedom in Christ missed one important dimension of the Law as noted by Paul in Galatians 5-6. Once we have learned about our sinfulness, the Law does not simply vanish. Rather it begins to help us understand the mind of Christ and the desires that lie in the heart of God. Using Jesus' revisioning of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Calvin proclaimed that the Law was a guide to Christian gratitude.
Prayerful Gratitude
This is how the Ten Commandments find their way into the third section of the Catechism, exploring "Gratitude". While our world sees "commands" as restrictive and repressive (with the Ten Commandments often used as examples of the most outmoded religious bullies of all), the Heidelberg Catechism explains them as guardians against dehumanizing evils, opportunities to live joyfully, and expressions of the best in us who were made in the image of God. In this the Heidelberg Catechism is more "Reformed" than many "Reformed" liturgies which consistently deploy the Ten Commandments in the second rather than the third use of the Law (which is, by the way, the manner in which they are expressed in their original declarations, both in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5).
Finally, the Heidelberg Catechism reaches for heaven while remaining firmly grounded on earth, in its concluding beautiful exploration of the Lord's Prayer. Every answer is a powerful prayer. Every thought is a testimony to God. Every statement is a confession of faith.
These are not words to read merely for right theology; they are living witnesses of thoughtful faith and joyful Christian pilgrimage. Four hundred fifty years from now, whether or not Jesus has returned, those who come after us will still be celebrating with these beautiful testimonies.
Wayne Brouwer teaches at Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland, Michigan
View all posts by Wayne →
Maturing Gracefully
© 2013 Wayne Brouwer. All Rights Reserved.
Designed and Developed by Harris Internet


Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company that was founded in 1837. The company has a market capitalization of $247 billion, as of Feb. 28, 2019, with total revenue of $66.8 billion for its fiscal year 2018, a slight increase from FY 2017 when it brought in $65 in sales. The company is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and employs over 95,000 workers worldwide.
The company has paid a dividend to stock holders for 128 consecutive years, increasing it in each of the past 62 years.
Pampers & Pampers Kandoo disposable diapers and moist towelettes.
Who Are P&G's Main Competitors?
In beauty care products, Avon is a major competitor to Procter & Gamble as are Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL), Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL), Revlon (NYSE: REV), Coty (NASDAQ: COTY), Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN), Inter Parfums Inc (NASDAQ: IPAR), and Unilever. This segment accounted for 19% of Procter & Gamble's net sales, according to the company's 2018 annual report.
In the grooming segment, Procter & Gamble's Gillette brand is the dominant market player. Bic is a major competitor with a large international presence. Some recent startups in the shaving space, like Dollar Shave Club (now owned by Unilever), Harry's, and Billie are also providing competition, and have also resulted in several patent-related lawsuits levied by P&G. This segment accounted for 10% of Procter & Gamble's net sales.
In the health care segment, major competitors include CCA Industries, Colgate-Palmolive, Church and Dwight Co. (NYSE: CHD), Ecolab (NYSE: ECL), Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL), and United Guardian (NYSE: UG). This segment accounted for 12% of net sales.
In the fabric care and home care segment, major competitors include Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever (NYSE: UL), and Church and Dwight Co. Fabric care and home care sales represented about 32% of 2018 net sales.
In the baby, feminine, and family care segment, major competitors include Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, and Church and Dwight Co. The segment accounted for 27% of Procter & Gamble's net sales.
Procter & Gamble also competes with countless smaller companies in the international segments in which it reports revenue.
P&G gets nearly 45% of its revenue from North America and some 24% from Europe. Nearly 65% of its total revenue is from developed markets. In contrast, rival Unilever reports almost 58% of its income coming from emerging markets, and 43% coming from developed markets. That is P&G's most significant problem: It is concentrated in the slow-growth markets.


text:
New Tech Economy
Technology of Business
CEO Secrets
Global Car Industry
Business of Sport
The race to build a flying electric taxi
By Ben Morris
Technology of Business editor
duration 22 October 2019
media captionVolocopter's air taxi
For any commuter the prospect of being whisked to and from work in a fraction of the time it usually takes is pretty irresistible.
No traffic jams, no train delays and no cold platforms - what's not to love?
This is the promise of more than a hundred companies developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Like helicopters they don't need a runway, but unlike helicopters they promise to be quiet and cheap.
Yet the dream seems to be some way off. Industry experts say that taxi services using such aircraft won't be a mass-market phenomenon until the 2030s.
So what is the hold up?
Can they fly far enough?
There are good reasons why the eVTOL industry is focussing on short hops in and out of cities.
Firstly, there are plenty of potential customers in cities; secondly, eVTOL aircraft can't fly very far.
Most have batteries that can allow them to fly for around half an hour. In the case of Germany's Volocopter this amounts to a range of about 22 miles (35km) with a maximum speed of around 68mph (110km/h).
On Tuesday it made a test flight over Singapore's Marina Bay.
image copyrightLilium
image captionAn artist's impression of the Lilium aircraft flying near New York
Other companies have boosted range by adding wings. So companies like Germany's Lilium have an aircraft which can take off vertically but can also tilt its wings and engines and fly more like a regular plane. Lilium expects its aircraft to have a range of 185 miles (300km).
Vertical Aerospace in the UK is also working on eVTOL with wings that it hopes will fly more than 100 miles.
But the industry would still dearly love to see a breakthrough in battery technology which would make all these prototypes much more useful aircraft.
More Technology of Business
Shooting drones out of the sky with Phasers
Holy tech! Churches try new ways to connect
The ski slope on the incinerator
Jet fuel from thin air: Aviation's hype or hope?
Podcasts: From unlistenable to unmissable
Where will you take off or land?
If you are planning an air taxi service then you are going to need somewhere convenient for your aircraft to take off or land, and also charge or swap their batteries - what the industry likes to call vertiports.
That presents several challenges.
In big cities space is already limited. Heliports already exist but might not be ideally located or able to cope with extra traffic.
Some buildings might have suitable rooftops, but they are likely to be expensive to use.
Even if sites are identified, they would still need to comply with planning regulations, which don't even exist yet.
image captionThe vision is for many landing pads in big cities
One of the big selling points of eVTOL aircraft is that they are relatively quiet. While hovering they should make just a quarter of the noise of a helicopter, according to Michael Cervenka, a senior executive at Vertical Aerospace.
And while flying forward "you wouldn't hear them at all", he says.
So that might ease the concerns of those living near a vertiport, but you could still imagine people objecting to a continuous stream of air traffic.
And just one accident might create widespread opposition to having landing zones in heavily populated areas.
How safe is safe?
Aviation regulators in Europe and the US are currently working out the standards they want these new aircraft to meet.
Once agreed an eVTOL aircraft is likely to go through years of testing before it meets them, a process likely to cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
"Most eVTOL manufacturers I have been talking to are trying to get certification by 2023," says Darrell Swanson, who runs his own consultancy specialising in the eVTOL industry.
In their favour, electric aircraft are much simpler than helicopters or passenger jets, so mechanically there is much less to go wrong.
"We don't need great big gear boxes and things like that," says Steve Wright, an avionics expert, at the University of the West of England.
Several aircraft designs have multiple motors, so they can fly even if one motor fails.
image copyrightVertical Aerospace
image captionMultiple rotors add an extra level of safety to eVTOL aircraft
Uber, which has an eVTOL project called Uber Air, says that flying taxi services only need to be safer than driving a car, perhaps twice as safe.
But the public and regulators might expect safety standards closer to those of airlines.
Another question that has not really been answered is how eVTOL aircraft will perform in bad weather.
To save weight they will be very light, which could make flying in windy conditions bumpy or dangerous.
Yet a taxi service that has to shut down on a windy day would not be much use in many places in the world.
Who will monitor these aircraft?
Air traffic control systems already monitor the activities of helicopters over cities and experts says those systems could probably cope with hundreds more eVTOL aircraft.
Many big cities have rivers running through the middle which - with no residents below - make ideal flight paths.
But if eVTOL is going to become a mass market transport system, with thousands of aircraft, then new airspace management systems will have to be put in place.
image copyrightSteve Wright
image captionAvionics expert Steve Wright says simplicity is the big advantage of electric aircraft
That will definitely be the case if the industry meets its eventual goal - aircraft without pilots.
Those aircraft themselves will need be able to sense what is going on around them and identify other aircraft.
"It's not like all of a sudden we are going to get 5,000 vehicles flying over London on 1 January 2023," says Mr Swanson.
"There's going to be a slow build up of traffic over time and that will allow us to prove these systems work properly."
The business model of a flying taxi service is yet to be worked out. But it is likely that they will serve short, well-defined routes in and out of cities.
image captionUber promises a flying taxi that is less expensive than owning a car
Uber Air believes that such services will become "an affordable form of daily transportation for the masses, even less expensive than owning a car."
However, to begin with, such services will target richer customers who are prepared to pay a premium.
"It's the same old story, there will be early adopters with lots of money who will pay over the odds," says Mr Wright.
"The hop from the top of an expensive area in the City of London out to Heathrow or something like that would be incredibly valuable."
Follow Technology of Business editor Ben Morris on Twitter


Thanks for visiting our site with tips and household remedies to remove urine scale in a toilet and limescale as well. A frequent cause for smelly drains and dirty toilets are urine sediments. We'll show you how to effectively remove urine scale and dissolve urine sediments in your toilet.
You should try to remove urine scale in toilet bowls right away once you notice sediments in your toilet. They don't only look unpleasant but are also an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, getting rid of urine scale is also important in terms of bathroom hygiene. So if you are looking for answers to "How to remove urine scale / limescale from toilets?" or "Urine scale, what to do?", look no further. Here, you will find plenty of household remedies that will help you to get rid of urine sediments.
Removing tenacious urine scale in a toilet? First, let's find out what causes it to develop in the first place.
Tenacious urine sediments can put toilets and urinals out of order.
But how does urine scale develop?
In general, urine scale in a toilet arises from a chemical reaction. Urine scale in a toilet forms when urine + water with high quantities of lime reacting chemically with one another.
Once this reaction is in full progress it will lead to a yellow-brownish sediment in toilets or urinals – usually in a rather solid form. The lime contained in the toilet water forms a chemical bond with the uric acid and the urine, more precisely a lime and magnesium compound. The solid substances can then be recognized as so-called urine scale sediments. Furthermore, bacteria play a role in the formation of urine scale in a toilet. The longer urine scale remains inside the toilet, the more difficult it will be to dissolve and remove it.
Caution: You should always wear rubber grooming gloves when using household remedies / cleaning toilet bowls and urinals.
A cheap and effective method for dissolving sediments from your toilet, is using vinegar. Vinegar also efficiently removes urine scale in a toilet. Another advantage: vinegar isn't only effective against urine scale, but also limescale deposits. You may know this method from cleaning electric kettles. But it also works out well with toilets (and is also a great household remedy for smelly drains).
Apply a sufficient amount of vinegar onto a cleaning cloth. You may also coat the toilet brush with it.
Spread the vinegar extensively onto the affected area inside the toilet.
Allow it to work for a sufficient amount of time. For instance, apply the vinegar onto the urine scale in the evening and let it sit there until the next morning. With this it can take effect and break up the urine sediments. If possible, use another toilet while the vinegar does its job.
Then, flush the toilet a couple times and use the toilet brush to remove very stubborn sediments.
Often times, urine scale settles in areas that are hard to reach, such as the toilet rim. What you can do to remove the sediments in such difficult areas, is to soak a paper towel or toilet paper with vinegar and stick it under the rim. This way, the vinegar can take effect and break up the urine scale in these areas. Afterwards you can easily remove it. You can also use the toilet brush to get in there. Or go for an old toothbrush or wire brush.
It is not a secret that combining Coke with baking soda makes for a strong effect. But please do not mix up this hack with the "Coke and Mentos" experiment! Please do NOT try this as it can cause serious trouble. Here, we only use Coke in combination with baking soda in order to break up and remove urine scale.
First, flush the toilet / urinal with water and remove the most severe dirt particles.
Then add several spoons of baking soda to the toilet and let it sit there for at least an hour. If the urine scale sediments are very severe please increase the amount of baking soda accordingly.
Baking soda contains acids and sodium bicarbonate. Due to this the urine scale slowly starts to dissolve and can be removed quite easily.
First, pour some Coke into the toilet / urinal.
Then add baking soda (1 to 3 spoons).
Foam arises driven by the chemical reaction of Coke and baking soda. This can speed up the process of removing the urine scale from a toilet / urinal.
Leave it there for about 1 to 2 hours.
Then add some Coke and baking soda onto the toilet brush and scrub the toilet with it.
Wait for a couple of minutes. Then flush several times and look forward to the result.
An alternative to household remedies for removing urine scale, are chemical solutions (find drain cleaners here). To protect our environment we recommend to always try the eco-friendly options first. However, if you end up being unsuccessful removing urine scale in a toilet with the help of household remedies: There are plenty of cleaning products that might help.
You can purchase chemical cleaning products for removing urine scale in every supermarket, DIY store or drug store. You can also try using denture cleanser tablets or dishwasher tabs. Just let them sit in the toilet water over night. Then use the toilet brush to remove the surviving stains.
Caution: Most chemical cleaning products for removing urine scale contain chlorine. So please make sure to always wear rubber gloves. And: Don't allow the product to come in contact with your clothes as it might bleach them.
How to prevent urine scale from forming in your toilet or urinal?
Flush often! Don't let urine sit in the toilet. The longer urine stays inside the toilet bowl or urinal the quicker urine scale starts to arise.
Clean your toilet frequently. This is the only way to remove sediments right away and with almost no effort.
Clean underneath the rim. This is a tricky spot where urine scale starts to develop. Use the toilet brush or even an old toothbrush to regularly clean the rim.
Pipes / drains should be cleaned regularly with vinegar or by using special toilet cleaning tabs. They dissolve limescale and also help removing urine scale in a toilet.
So always give your best to keep your toilet fresh and clean.
The above list of household remedies for removing urine scale and other tips assumes no liability for completeness. In case of doubt, always consult a professional to not risk damaging your toilet.
Will useing chemical cleaners in my RV toilet damage my sensors?


Yes, Barack Obama loves America. To suggest that he (or any American president) doesn't is cheap and ugly, and says more about the person making the remark than it does about the president. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who hasn't been a Republican politician of consequence for at least six years, did not cover himself in glory by impugning the president's patriotism the other day, nor have GOP presidential aspirants who have endorsed Giuliani's statement.
Was it news? Well, sure! But review the timing: the week before the Giuliani hubbub, the White House introduced a version of an authorization of military force against ISIS. Next week, Congress is looking at a deadline on a must-pass Homeland Security funding bill, with Republicans expected to include riders that will prompt a presidential veto. If you thought it was strange to spend the week in between discussing whether a former New York Mayor was disrespectful to the president, you're not alone.
In two sentences, it's, one, a problem to question the president's patriotism, and, two, a responsibility to question the patriotism of people who say this about Obama. There is no escape from this logic hole. Actually, it's shaped like the hole conservatives dive into when they claim that Obama revealed his true radicalism when he said that his election would "fundamentally transform America," as if every politician doesn't run on transforming his state or country or city, and as if—to pick a name entirely at random—Walker's popularity with Republicans surged when he started transforming decades of labor rights and entitlement spending norms in Wisconsin.
The other day I was at my mom and dad's, and Fox News was griping on and on about how someone, I think the White House press secretary, had insulted Fox. They even had Karl Rove on to offer his perspective on the anti-Fox horribleness. It's just so vain and stupid, all of it.
Posted in Politics, Media. Tagged GOP, Barack Obama, media, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani.
They both believe in American exceptionalism. The Bush/Giuliani wing of the GOP believes that if you establish the forms of a liberal democracy amongst [Arabs, Haitians, Mexicans] you'll get something resembling Marin or Sugarland.
The Obama wing..scratch that… the entire ..Democratic party believes if [ Somalis, Haitians, Guatemalans] are just inside the borders of this thing called the US of A, they will behave like the residents of Marin or Sugarland.
Both worldviews suffer from some serious magical thinking as well as denial of empirical facts.
Guiliani was promoting his Crank(TM) Brand. Cranks sell well in many circles. Media are amplifying his promotion. It's only about $$$.
Giuliani's racist dog whistle was so loud it was heard by M_Young all the way out in California.
Bush certainly wasn't raised like your average American.
He's a blue-blood aristocrat. He went to Phillips Academy and was a member of the Skull and Bones at Yale. His dad was the CIA Director, and his grandfather was a senator.
When did he ever have to rob from Peter to pay Paul, or worry about his retirement?
I imagine Obama, like many of my fellow citizens, loves America but doesn't care for 'Merica.
Scott Alexander seems to be under the impression that the way you prove you're pro-America is by believing (or at least pretending) it's the best at everything and can't learn from any other country's experiences.
Why? Seems like a rule you just have for no particular reason.
When Giuliani says that Obama doesn't "love America," what he means is that Obama doesn't bask in the glory of the American state often and enthusiastically enough for Giuliani's liking. Occasionally, the President even, *gasp*, half-assedly acknowledges some atrocity we committed in the past, all the while committing fresh new atrocities for future liberal presidents to half-assedly acknowledge. And so it goes.
Barack Obama wants to replace the historic American nation by essentially ignoring all immigration laws and by giving people who are here illegally various "refundable tax credits" (i.e. welfare) and other benefits at the expense of those who live here.
Of course he doesn't love America. At least, he hates the majority white population with a passion. Virtually everything he does signals this.
How you can still be blind to this astounds me.
Yeah, because only people with perfect pronunciation are real Americans.
Your comment drips with condescension.
It's the hyper-nationalistic AMERICA F-YEAH! stereotype I'm making light of. You misunderstand my comment.
'Merica (or 'Murica) is a very popular meme.
I assure you it was only sarcasm. Have some fun, okay?
Yeah, loud enough to hear over the din of La Raza.
I don't think its that extreme. I do think he sees white Americans at best as inheritors of 'unearned privilege', and associates them (us) in general with a system unfair to blacks and other 'people of color'. Further, he probably doesn't think of the accomplishments he approves of as being the product of, by and large, a white, European derived society. He certainly doesn't care much for the main current of US history up to 1965 or so, except for a few isolated moments (freeing the slaves, etc).
So can a man love something when he has a distaste for so much of its history — perhaps only if it changes beyond recognition. Perhaps only if it is a characterless 'hodge podge'.
It is different when applied to Obama, because the subtext and inference is that he is not an American at all. In this case, the patriot canard is is a code word for the same discredited birther animus. Recall how there was once an inquisition as to why he wasn't wearing a US flag lapel pin.
I'm not interested in loyalty oaths and tests, I'd prefer competency and good policy – attributes lacking in the governance of both parties, and absent especially from the profligate flag wavers. Like the crooked car dealer who styles himself, "Honest John," they're hiding out behind slogans.
In 1428 the English exhumed Wycliffe, burned his corpse and cast the ashes into the river.
The Lord is lucky all he's losing is a window.
Nothing like America's Mayor and the current crop of Republican presidential frontrunners reminding everyone in this country who isn't a white Christian yet again why they shouldn't bother consider voting for a Republican. Every time they make an issue of reminding the nation that people like Obama are essentially unAmerican interlopers who fail to love, appreciate, and understand America as well as they do they hammer another nail in the coffin of ever receiving the majority of Asian votes, Jewish votes, Latino votes, the Black vote. People are stupid but most aren't that stupid.
Of course Obama hates America's historic ethnic and Christian core. That ain't news. From they're bitter and cling to their guns and religion, to my grandmother is a typical white person, to evil has been done in the name of Christ, that man has never been shy about admitting his hatred of America's traditional core when given the chance.
Guiliani is telling more of the truth these days now that he doesn't have to worry about getting elected.
Giuliani wasn't thinking of making a serious comment. It was just a cheap throw away line given to make people who think the President should get us deeper into war good about their contempt for him. More Republicans should stand up and say how contemptuous we are of politicians who want to get us into more wars and question whether they love America. I'd start with everyone who goes to Netanyahu's speech before Congress and stands up to cheer for him.
Sorry. I've been having conservative friends posting a jpeg of Rudy with the quote in bold lettering on Facebook.
Conservatives are jumping on this as a battle cry. It only makes sense for the media to cover it.
Those four groups vote Democratic, and have been voting Democratic for decades (except "Asians," which isn't so much a category as a miscellaneous catch-all), because they are liberal on most issues and perceive the Democrats as a better deal on things which each group cares about most. It is not because the Republicans are meanie racist old white men. Republicans have taken significant substantive steps over the decades — consequential legislation and executive actions — to woo these groups, and have not been rewarded at the ballot box.
And Democrats do the mirror image of what you accuse the Republicans of doing: disparaging whites, Christians, men, heterosexuals, the South, and rural areas to gin up the Democratic base.
Well, GWB certainly tried to Latinize the GOP, with the 2000 convention being esp. egregious. And yet, not even close to a majority of 'Latino' votes. It's sort of a two to tango deal — 'minorities' getting to promote their interests and project their identities, often times accompanied by a tale of woe or two in which evil whitey is the villain. And when there is the slightest pushback, whenever an isolated GOP figure goes of message, there are the A.K's of the world to say –see, told you so, they hate us!
It really is a very clever strategy; probably bad for the polity known as the USA in the long run, but good for Democrats as a political party and, for the time being, 'Progressives' as ideologists.
Quite frankly I think the only course for the GOP is to embrace the historical American core — the 'minority' people I know would actually respect that.
BTW weren't these remarks at a meeting of Italian American capos? I though they weren't "white".
Actually, yes, many of them are that stupid. The Democrats love their culture war; their partisans and pundits can't get enough of sounding the alarm about the white Christian menace.
I mean, what do you imagine ordinary people in those demographics gain by voting Democrat for president? The Democrats offer what exactly? They offer a pro-big business, pro-military agenda served with a thick coating of left-wing culture war. The leading Democrats, and their donors in particular, have figured out that is the best way to get the dupes in Blue America to mindlessly support a pro-big business, pro-military agenda. Just serve it up with plenty of nonsense about a war on women, blacks, the white menace, etc. Just as a the Republicans of old did a good job convincing stupid Southerners welfare queens were the problem, rather than big business, the Democrats today do a good job convincing their dupes the problem is not democrat support for the TPP, etc. but old geezers who watch Fox.
Except for the fact that the majority of Democratic voters are White, and that the biggest Democratic policy initiative- the ACA, and especially the Medicaid expansion, ended up disproportionately benefiting white lower-middle class people, you might have a point.
For people like you about 80 years ago, not so much, no. Luckily, they got better.
I agree with that. I don't agree that it is simply impossible for Republicans to skim enough votes off the top that they could seriously undermine Democrat Senate and Presidential candidates if they were less insulting, among other things. Who the _ wants to take a day off work to go vote for someone who dismisses people who you can see yourself in as macaca, unAmerican, less than, etc? Damn near nobody. Not insulting people you hope to get to vote for you or at least not hate you so much they don't feel TOO pressed to go out and vote for the other guy is kinda basic.
He didn't get the majority of the Latino vote but he got more than McCain and more than Romney – and he got to be president and they didn't.
But are there enough people who think like you to get the GOP the Presidency again? I think that as a method that works fine for holding the House (at least for now) and for holding the Senate for brief periods and some governor's houses and legislatures but will it be enough in the long run to get the GOP where it wants to be?
So what the R's have to offer except replacing "left wing culture war" with "right wing culture war"? If two groups are offering the same thing in many respects, but at least one of them doesn't insult you personally, chances are you're not gonna opt for the group that makes you feel like an unwelcome interloper.
I'm pretty sure I can find folks commenting, on this blog, within the last year, who claim 'Italians' are not 'white', or what is the same thing, that there are 'Italians' and 'Irish' and 'Germans' but not whites..
You ask: Who cares? It's the people who have been putting up with the "media obsession" with topics from Birth certificates to Benghazi, that have been playing on the TV channel in your parent's house. That's who.
One can be "unpatriotic" and still "love America." The comments cited here were specific criticisms of individual acts and commitments. If Giuliani explained, with any specificity, his reasons for a broad characterization, I missed what they were.
Maybe whites are more law abiding, thus signed up for insurance they perhaps didn't want. Maybe if the Democrats weren't in favor of open borders, those 'southern rural whites' would have migrated to states like Arizona and California like their okie and arkie predecessors and found good paying jobs waiting for them–instead of poorly paying jobs monopolized by ethnic networks.
Um, the majority of people who vote for Democrats are white, Christian and heterosexual. I'm not sure what the gender break down is, but given that the majority of Democratic candidates are male I doubt they are much into man-bashing. You are confusing the huff-and-puffery of women's studies (and gay studies) departments with a mainstream party on that much.
Wrong again. The vast majority of the people who got health insurance in KY and AR are on Medicaid, and therefore earn too little to be mandated to have health insurance.
You talking about me? Among others? Let's be real: there ARE people who CHOOSE TO THINK OF THEMSELVES AS "white." Whether they get away with it depends, in part, on whether other people who already have an established pattern of calling themselves "white" choose to admit this new kids on the block into the club.
But no, there is no such thing as "being white" in any objective sense.
It is true that the Anglos who owned the "white" franchise refused for a time to admit the Irish, the Italians, if you go way back, even the Germans (Cf. Benjamin Franklin on "the Palatine boors), although it is true that Angles and Saxons originally came from what is now Germany, more or less (borders having shifted in several more recent wars).
There was a genteel black school teacher who was beloved of the Italian immigrant community in Cleveland. She was an erudite, socially respectable American who helped the newcomers assimilate. Decades later, third generation Italians living in the neighborhood rallied as "whites" to keep "the blacks" from moving in. And no, all of those blacks seeking to move in were not genteel and erudite — but not all of them weren't.
So if a bunch of Italians are calling themselves "white," maybe they can be taken as an example of what "white" means in the time and place where they are calling themselves that. Or maybe not. But what it really means don't amount to a hill of beans.


text:
Black Residents Matter
by Aaron M. Renn 05/05/2016
Black lives matter, we're told—but in many American cities, black residents are either scarce or dwindling in number, chased away by misguided progressive policies that hinder working- and middle-class people. Such policies more severely affect blacks than whites because blacks start from further behind economically. Black median household income is only $35,481 per year, compared with $57,355 for whites. The wealth gap is even wider, with median black household wealth at only $7,133, compared with $111,146 for whites, according to a study by Demos and the Institute on Assets and Social Policy.
How, then, are cities faring in meeting the aspirations of their black residents, judged especially by the ultimate barometer: whether blacks choose to move to these cities, or stay in them? Among major American cities, three main typologies emerge: the high-flying progressive enclaves of the West, the historically large cities of the Northeast and the Midwest, and the fast-growing boomtowns of the South. Though results vary to some extent, the broad trend is clear: the most progressive-minded cities are either seeing a significant exodus of blacks or, never having had substantial black populations, are failing to attract them. These same cities, home to some of the loudest voices alleging conservative insensitivity to blacks, are failing to provide economic environments where blacks can prosper.
In theory, prosperous, growing western cities—the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, and Denver—should find it easier to provide upward mobility, as they have fewer disadvantaged people. Far from the South and not part of the Rust Belt industrial complex, they attracted far fewer blacks during the twentieth century's Great Migration, when millions of blacks moved north. As a result, their black populations are small, compared with those of eastern cities—just 5.6 percent in the city of Portland, for example, compared with 53.4 percent in Cleveland and 46.9 percent in St. Louis. And many western cities are driving their small number of black residents out.
Portland is part of the fifth-whitest major metropolitan area in America. Almost 75 percent of the region is white, and it has the third-lowest percentage of blacks, at only 3.1 percent. (America as a whole is 13.2 percent black.) Portland proper is often portrayed as a boomtown, but the city's tiny (and shrinking) black population doesn't seem to think so. The city has lost more than 11.5 percent of its black residents in just four years. Metro Portland's black population share grew by 0.3 percentage points from 2000, but that trailed the nation's 0.5 percentage-point growth. This implies that some of Portland's blacks are being displaced from the transit- and amenity-rich city to the suburbs that progressives themselves insist are inferior.
The San Francisco Bay metro area has lost black residents since 2000, though recent estimates suggest that it may have halted the exodus since 2010. The Los Angeles metro area, too, has fewer black residents today than in 2000. The performance in the central cities is even worse. America's most liberal city, San Francisco, is only 5.4 percent black, and the rate is falling. It's a similar tale in Seattle—"one of the most progressive cities in the United States," as a Black Lives Matter protester noted. One city bucking the western trend is Denver. Though the Rocky Mountain city has a small black population—6.1 percent in the region and 9.5 percent in the city proper—that population is growing in both areas, if slowly.
These figures might not be important if they merely reflected a choice by blacks to move to more auspicious locations, but the evidence suggests that specific public policies in these cities have effectively excluded and even driven out blacks. Primary among them are restrictive planning regulations that make it hard to expand the supply of housing. In a market with rising demand and static supply, prices go up. As a rule, a household should spend no more than three times its annual income on a home. But in West Coast markets, housing-price levels far exceed that benchmark. According to the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, the "median multiple"—the median home price divided by the median household income—should average about 3.0. But the median multiple is 5.1 in Portland, 5.1 in Denver, 5.2 in Seattle, 8.1 in Los Angeles and San Diego, 9.4 in San Francisco, and 9.7 in San Jose. As the Demos/IASP report found, differences in homeownership rates between whites and blacks account for a large share of the racial wealth gap. Policies that put the price of homeownership out of reach for black families exacerbate the problem.
Even some on the left recognize how development restrictions hurt lower- and middle-income people. Liberal commentator Matt Yglesias has called housing affordability "Blue America's greatest failing." Yglesias and others criticize zoning policies that mandate single-family homes, or approval processes, like that in San Francisco, that prohibit as-of-right development and allow NIMBYism to keep out unwanted construction—and, by implication, unwanted people. They don't mention the role of environmental policy in creating these high housing prices. Portland, for example, has drawn a so-called urban-growth boundary that severely restricts land development and drives up prices inside the approved perimeter. The development-stifling effects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are notorious. California also imposes some of the nation's toughest energy regulations, putting a huge financial burden on lower-income (and disproportionately black) households. Nearly 1 million households in the Golden State spend 10 percent or more of their income on energy bills, according to a Manhattan Institute report by Jonathan Lesser. While liberals are quick to point out that in suburban communities, land-use restrictions that appear race-neutral can be functionally discriminatory, they don't acknowledge that their own environmental-based restrictions on housing and energy are similarly exclusionary.
The Windy City's black population loss accounted for the lion's share of the city's total shrinkage during the 2000s.
In some cases, western cities' support for gentrification has come at the expense of long-standing black communities. In Portland, residents of the historically black Albina neighborhood complained about bike lanes—a progressive fetish—being built in their neighborhood. In Oakland, recent upscale arrivals got the government to cite Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, a fixture in the city for 65 years, for creating a public nuisance—because its gospel-choir practice was disturbing the newcomers.
During the Great Migration, cities of the Midwest and the Northeast were industrial magnets, sucking in vast quantities of labor not just from the American South but also from Europe. As northern industry declined during the Rust Belt era, the great northern cities fell on trying times, and black residents, who had struggled to gain equal opportunity in factory jobs and in housing, were hit hard. Racial turbulence, often including riots, intensified, and helped drive a white exodus. Suburb-bound whites left behind an often-impoverished black underclass in segregated neighborhoods that, in many cases, remain so today.
The most distressed cities in this region are the usual suspects: Detroit, Cleveland, Flint, and Youngstown. All have declining black populations, both in their urban cores and region-wide. Others, like St. Louis, have maintained their black populations only through natural increase (births outnumbering deaths). They are losing black residents to migration.
The greatest demographic transition is taking place in Chicago. The Windy City's black population loss of 177,000 accounted for the lion's share of the city's total shrinkage during the 2000s. Another 53,000 blacks have fled the city since 2010. In fact, the entire metro Chicago area lost nearly 23,000 blacks in aggregate, the biggest decline in the United States.
By contrast, in northern cities with more robust middle-class economies—even if job growth doesn't match Sunbelt levels—black populations are expanding. Since 2010, for example, metro Indianapolis added more than 19,000 blacks (6.9 percent growth), Columbus more than 25,000 (9 percent), and Boston nearly 40,000 (10.2 percent). New York's and Philadelphia's black population growth rates are low but positive, in line with slow overall regional growth. Washington, D.C., a traditional hub of black American life, is seeing declining black population share in the district itself, but the overall D.C. region continues to show solid black population growth.
The somewhat unlikely champion for northern black population growth is Minneapolis–St. Paul. Though its black population makes up a much smaller proportion than many of its midwestern peers—at only 8 percent in the region and 19.5 percent in the city—Minneapolis's black population has grown at a strong rate. Since 2010, the black population in the city has grown by 15,000 people, or 23 percent. The region added 30,400 black residents, growing by 12.1 percent. Part of the Minneapolis story (and that of Columbus as well) involves an influx of Somali immigrants—the metropolitan area has more Somalis than anywhere else in the United States. But immigration doesn't explain everything. Minneapolis is also the third-leading destination for blacks leaving Chicago (behind Atlanta and Davenport, Iowa). About 1,000 black Chicagoans make the move north every year.
Obviously, many blacks like what they see in places like Minneapolis, Indianapolis, and Columbus. One key is a development environment that keeps housing affordable. This is dramatically clear in Minneapolis, a liberal, historically white city often likened to western cities like Seattle and Denver. But being more housing-development-friendly, and also perhaps in part because of its famously brutal winters, Minneapolis is much more affordable than those cities, with a home-price median multiple of only 3.2. Similarly, in Columbus (with a median multiple of 2.9) and Indianapolis (also 2.9), black families can afford the American dream. When cities get the basics (planning policy, job growth, and reasonable taxation levels) right, even tough winters are no obstacle to a growing population—of whites and blacks.
Where else do blacks go when they leave declining Rust Belt cities? Some seek opportunity in better-off regional cities, but others head to smaller regional communities that, if anything, are even worse off. Census Bureau data suggest that a significant number of blacks leaving Chicago are ending up in struggling downstate Illinois communities like Danville or Carbondale, where they're unlikely to find economic opportunity. Why move to these places? One answer: they're dirt cheap. But there's a particular reason for that—demand has collapsed along with local economies. This creates a false allure. Harvard economist Edward Glaeser noted that some failing cities become so cheap that they turn into "magnets for poor people." This left-behind population of blacks in places with low opportunity will prove challenging for these regions. The North also remains racially stratified. Milwaukee, New York, and Chicago are the three most segregated regions in the country. The maps of where black and white residents live in cities like Detroit shock the conscience. Urban school districts tasked with educating predominantly black students are failing miserably. Powerful public-employee unions make reform a difficult prospect.
But for those blacks leaving the West, Midwest, and Northeast, one destination dominates: the South. A century ago, in search of economic and social opportunity, blacks were leaving the South to go north and west; today, they are reversing that journey, in what the Manhattan Institute's Daniel DiSalvo dubbed "The Great Remigration" (Autumn 2012). DiSalvo found that blacks now choose the South in pursuit of jobs, lower costs and taxes, better public services (notably, schools), and sunny weather for retirement. The new arrivals aren't solely working-class, either. Even better-off blacks, with household incomes over $100,000, are heading south from cities like Chicago.
Historically, Southern blacks lived in rural areas. A large rural black population remains in the South today, often living in the same types of conditions as rural whites, which is to say, under significant economic strain. But the new black migrants to the South are increasingly flocking to the same metro areas that white people are—especially Atlanta, the new cultural and economic capital of black America, with a black population of nearly 2 million. The Atlanta metro area, one-third black, continues to add more black residents (150,000 since 2010 alone) than any other region.
In Texas, Dallas has drawn 110,000 black residents (11.3 percent growth) and Houston just under 100,000 (9.2 percent) since 2010. Austin, a rare liberal city in the South, remains, at 53.4 percent, the whitest major Texas metro—Dallas and Houston double its black population share—but it, too, has seen strong black population growth. Miami, with its powerful Latino presence that includes both historically American as well as Afro-Latinos, also added about 100,000 blacks (8.3 percent). Today, Dallas, Houston, and Miami are all home to more than 1 million black residents.
Many smaller southern cities—including Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa, and Nashville—are also seeing robust black population growth. Even New Orleans has seen a rebound in its black population since 2010. Not surprisingly, these southern cities are extremely affordable. A combination of pro-business policies combined with a development regime that permits housing supply to expand as needed has proved a winner. Among these southern cities, only Miami, with its massive influx of Latin American wealth, is rated as unaffordable, with a median multiple of 5.6. In addition to their sensible policies, many of these southern cities have also viewed their black communities not as a problem to be solved but as a potential civic asset and engine of growth. Atlanta embraced its emerging status as the capital of black America. Houston famously opened its doors and offered temporary shelter to thousands of poor black residents of New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Many of those refugees stayed in Houston, attracted by its job opportunities and quality of life.
Blacks are returning to southern cities, like Atlanta, drawn by economic opportunity and lower costs, especially compared with progressive cities like San Francisco, where restrictive housing policies have made living unaffordable for many. JIM WILSON/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX
These regional trends reveal two basic patterns. First, like whites, blacks are attracted by strong, broad-based economies. Pro-growth polices that allow workaday, not just elite, businesses to flourish are foundational to inclusive success. Second, with lower household incomes, black families are vulnerable to high housing costs. A few high-cost cities attract black residents; but for the most part, blacks are flocking to cities that are not only economically vibrant but generally affordable. Even strong urban economies can't keep blacks from being displaced from cities, such as many on the West Coast, where housing costs remain stratospheric.
Another conclusion revealed by the data: when it comes to how state and local policies affect black residents, the track record of the most liberal cities in the United States is truly dismal. These results should be troubling to progressives touting blue-state planning, economic, and energy policies as models for the nation. After all, if wealthy cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle—where progressives have near-total political control—can't produce positive outcomes for working-class and middle-class blacks, why should we expect their urban approach to succeed anywhere else?
This piece first appeared at The City Journal.
Aaron M. Renn is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and an economic development columnist for Governing magazine. He focuses on ways to help America's cities thrive in an ever more complex, competitive, globalized, and diverse twenty-first century. During Renn's 15-year career in management and technology consulting, he was a partner at Accenture and held several technology strategy roles and directed multimillion-dollar global technology implementations. He has contributed to The Guardian, Forbes.com, and numerous other publications. Renn holds a B.S. from Indiana University, where he coauthored an early social-networking platform in 1991.
The White City
Why Are There So Many Murders in Chicago?
Detroit: Urban Laboratory and the New American Frontier
Why Gentrification?


Do you want your car should be stand out from other cars? Make custom wheels with Protek Automotive and improve your experience. Protek Automotive is the perfect auto mechanic near you. Protek Automotive provides all repair, periodical maintenance, and mechanical solutions of your car. We cater all the issues of the vehicle and provide end to end solutions.
Protek Automotive is one of the leading auto repair mechanic shop and Performance Vehicle Shop of West Palm Beach. Protek Automotive works on almost all the vehicles whether it is a minivan or a truck or a passenger car or picks up vehicle etc. The aim of Protek Automotive is to ensure that our customers leave with the great satisfaction for the best performance of the vehicle.
While you bring a vehicle to us, our team of professional auto mechanics shall study the above factors and shall suggest the best possible custom wheels within the client's budget. Proteck Automotive also assist all of our customers who have highly technical questions.
The above list is indicative only. Due to technological advancement, there are many types of custom wheels available in the market. For all the above types, we have the large selection of wheels from the best and popular brands.
Custom wheels can be of aluminum alloy or custom steels. Aluminum wheel is light in weight and strong which helps in improving the mileage and performance of the car. On the other side, Custom steel wheels are heavy compared to aluminum and it is perfect for the heavy job and off-road driving conditions.
Protek Automotive, West Palm Beach is not only dealing with the sale of custom wheels. However, we also provide the installation service of the wheels. Our professional team can help you in finding the right customized wheel based on your questions and choices.
Protek Automotive ensures that our customers get the most accurate fitment of the wheels in all the aspects such as spacing, the pattern of the bolt, offset, diameter etc.
Make customization the car wheels with Protek Automotive and change the look of your car entirely.
Why custom wheel service at Protek Automotive?
Protek Automotive delivers the service that our customer can trust upon. It is not easy for the customer to buy the custom wheels. The customers have to understand which wheel is suitable and which shall not, what are the types of wheels, understands the problems of change of wheels without change of wheels and much more.
So, while considering all the issues, trust becomes one of the important factors in delivering the service.
One of the very important factors that our customers keep in mind is that the car is being worked upon by a highly professional mechanics. We have mechanics who have decades of experience in the field of automotive not only in custom wheels but all the mechanical problems of the car.
The custom wheel can be considered as one of the premium segment services. Protek Automotive make sure that the customer shall get the right advice from our professional mechanics.
We provide the best brand products only. There are numerous custom wheel manufacturing companies in the market. However, Protek Automotive deals only with the best brands. We aim to achieve the best customer experience ever. Protek Automotives' superior standards guide our professional team to work in the best interest of the vehicle owners.
After sale service is highly important. When the car wheel has been customized, the wheels are under warranty depending on the manufacturer. Hence, when there is a technical issue with the customized wheel, we Protek Automotive is always there for you to serve promptly.
The aim of the Protek Automotive is to help our customers for sort-out any problem of the car. We want to give the best customer experience which leads our customers to continue to come to us for all the automotive solutions. In nutshell, Protek Automotive, West Palm Beach is a one-stop auto mechanic shop near you.


text:
Fisher Delivers During Live Recording
There's no pretense here, just solid songwriting. In sickness and in health, Fisher delivers.
By Amy Kenny
Jeremy Fisher
Jeremy Fisher is sick, but you wouldn't know it from his live show on October 3.
"I was going to sit down and read the paper, maybe smoke a pipe for a while before I started playing," he jokes, in reference to his cozy surroundings.
The Catherine North Studios, an old church on Park Street that's been converted to recording space, is painted in warm, jewel shades of wine and eggplant. The walls are lined with Masterpiece Theatre-style armchairs, settees and love seats.
The venue barely accommodates the 40-odd guests at this intimate, last-minute live show/recording.
Even plagued by a cold, Fisher puts on the same high-energy performance he's so well known for. It's a one-man show, but he fills the stage by strumming guitar, switching between handfuls of harmonicas, looping vocals on the fly, and taking a seat in front of the studio piano.
He plays over a dozen songs from his catalogue, including hits like "High School", "Lemon Meringue Pie" and "Cigarette", as well covers of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" and Greg Brown's "Canned Goods".
He also test drives a few as-yet-unrecorded songs, but not before issuing the disclaimer that he's still fuzzy on most of his new material.
This proves unproblematic. The charm of a Jeremy Fisher show is its laidback style. His casual, relaxed approach, his lengthy between-songs banter, his willingness to fail in front of you (during a show, he once asked a fan to read him the lyrics to a new song from the liner notes), and his genuine love of entertaining, combine to offer his audiences a concert experience that is refreshing for its lack of artifice.
Fisher might be on stage, but he might as well be in your basement. There's no pretense here, just solid songwriting. In sickness and in health, Fisher delivers.
Amy Kenny graduated from Ryerson University's journalism program in 2004. She is currently a Hamilton-based freelance writer who loves the arts and the outdoors. In addition to Raise the Hammer, she writes for H Magazine, The Corktown Crier and TorontoPlus. She cycles everywhere, all the time and urges you to do the same.


text:
Дзеркало Ята (, ята но каґамі, «велике дзеркало») або Дзеркало Мафуцу (, мафуцу но каґамі) — один з трьох божественних скарбів Імператора Японії. Втілення синтоїстської богині сонця Аматерасу Омікамі. Згадується в письмових джерелах за правління Імператорів Кейко та Юряку. У японських міфах виготовлено легендарним ковалем-божеством Ісікоторібе для виманювання богині сонця Аматерасу Омікамі з гроту. Передане богинею її онуку Нініґі під час сходження на землю, із заповітом вшановувати дзеркало як її саму. Початково зберігалося у святилищі Ісудзу. Згодом перенесене до Святилища Ісе. В міфах поєднані синтоїстькі вірування про дзеркало як уособленням божественного сонця та даосистька легенда про дзеркало як символ влади найвищого божества всесвіту.

Примітки

Джерела та література

Імператорський дім Японії
Дзеркала

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Tachytrechus varus är en tvåvingeart som först beskrevs av Becker 1922.  Tachytrechus varus ingår i släktet Tachytrechus och familjen styltflugor.

Artens utbredningsområde är Colombia. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Styltflugor
varus


Hello, my name is Hoa Hien Bui and I'm 38 years old and currently living in Viet Nam. I am a native Vietnamese speaker and teach Chinese Mandarin, Vietnamese. I have been an online Chinese Mandarin teacher with Verbalplanet.com since March 2015. I can speak the following languages fluently: Vietnamese, Chinese Mandarin, English. I am currently offering a discounted initial trial lesson at 50% of my normal lesson price for new students.


Kylie Jenner: Summer beach hair: Kylie Jenner in mint green mermaid hair color….
Summer beach hair: Kylie Jenner in mint green mermaid hair color.
Who made Kourtney Kardashian's white coat, ripped blue jeans, coat, clear sandals, and tank top?


Journey through the Highlands to the magical and misty island of Skye, famous for its wild coastal scenery and the spectacular Cuillin mountain range. The 3 day itinerary includes stops at Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Loch Ness and a full day tour around Skye, with two nights in the picturesque harbour town of Portree.
This Private Tour is also available as a Scheduled Departure - check our Tour Timetable. View Tour 8 - Isle of Skye 3 Day Tour.
Perhaps the most iconic image of Highland Scotland, the castle has been used as the backdrop for countless famous movies. It is perfectly situated on a small island, surrounded by water and fabulous scenery - a 'must-see' Scottish castle.
From here we drive across the Skye Bridge and under the shadow of the Cuillin Mountains to Portree, the island's tiny capital where you will be dropped off at your accommodation. (Occasionally we will base the tour elsewhere on Skye if accommodation in Portree is scarce. You will be informed if this is necessary).
Today is spent touring the Isle of Skye and, depending on weather conditions, the itinerary is flexible and at the discretion of your driver/guide.
One of our favourite stops is the Fairy Glen, a delightful miniature Highland landscape and legendary home of the 'wee people'!
Other highlights of the island include a drive to the most westerly point on Skye and a walk to Neist Point lighthouse for spectacular views to the Western Isles. Another popular stop is the emerald green valley of Glen Brittle, nestled under the mighty Cuillin Mountains.
Here you can enjoy a walk to the enchanting Fairy Pools or stroll on the beautiful sandy beach. The 13th century home of the Clan McLeod, Dunvegan Castle, is also a popular attraction and Talisker malt whisky distillery offers tours and a chance to taste the famous 'water of life'. Both Dunvegan and Talisker are primarily wet-weather options, useful because of Skye's famously changeable weather!


While some criticize the Paris climate target as impracticable, a team of scholars argues that it is – on the contrary – a triumph of realism. First, and most importantly, adhering to the Paris target of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius is necessary in view of the massive risks that unchecked climate change would pose to society. A crucial type of threats, associated with the crossing of tipping points in the Earth system, is summarized in a landmark map for the first time.
Second, implementing the Paris target is feasible through the controlled implosion of the fossil industry, instigated by a technological explosion related to renewable energy systems and other innovations. Third, the target is simple enough to create worldwide political momentum, the scientists say in their comment published in Nature Climate Change.
Based on the advances made by climate research as a whole over the past two decades, the scientists provide a defining diagram of tipping elements in the context of the global temperature evolution. "We illustrate that for the Earth system, half a degree really matters," Winkelmann says. Warming of only 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels will have major consequences, such as threatening the survival of coral reefs worldwide. But the difference to 2 degrees is substantial. In a 1.5-degree warmer world, for example, global sea-level rise could be limited to 1.5 meters by the year 2300, whereas at 2 degrees, 2-3 meters rise by 2300 have been projected, and the Greenland ice sheet may well pass its tipping point.
"While the latest IPCC assessment has shattered the infeasibility myth, showing that the 2 degrees guardrail can be respected at relatively low cost with the proper political resolve," says co-author Stefan Rahmstorf, head of Earth System Analysis at PIK, "almost all IPCC scenarios assume so-called negative emissions – taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and storing it. That is a very long shot. However, the price decrease and the efficiency increase of wind and solar power have been beyond the most optimistic predictions." A technical explosion of renewables would, once the new technologies reach a market penetration of 15-20 percent, lead to an implosion of the fossil industry, the scientists argue. Currently, India appears to be very serious about implementing its colossal renewables target – an example of self-amplifying developments that have the potential to tip the global market scales.
In addition, a strong climate agreement paves the way towards carbon pricing instruments that will be adopted in more and more countries, the authors say. Last but not least, issues of morality are going to interfere with economics – one case in point is the divestment campaign which aims at pulling assets out of fossil businesses. Already today, key financial market players like the German Allianz insurance, the French company AXA or the legendary US oil dynasty Rockefeller are moving in that direction.
"Beyond necessity and feasibility, the 2 degrees C guardrail has a comparative advantage over competing targets that cannot be overrated in the world of 'realpolitik': it is easy to grasp and communicate," says lead author Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of PIK. "In fact, the target strikes the optimal balance between concreteness and intelligibility. Now the world of climate action turns around one single number!" In the days and nights of the Paris negotiations, the 2 degrees concept – originating from a 1995 report by the German government advisory council for environmental issues (WBGU) – proved its worth since every national delegation could take a stance for the temperature limit of its choice. This would have been hard to imagine with the more complicated target suggestions made recently – ocean heat content, CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas atmospheric concentrations, or temperature change rate.