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2008 New England Cross Schedule Question
danwerle
An earlier version of the NE Verge Series had races listed on 12/6 and 12/7 in Warwick, RI. The current UCI schedule (http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template1/layout.asp?MenuId=MTUxNjc) doesn't have them listed. Are there going to be NE UCI races anywhere else that weekend? I'm trying to plan my race schedule and had planned on traveling to Warwick.
The NEBRA web site has the Warwick races as UCI. Maybe the UCI website is not updated. Or the race has not been designated as such yet. It's still May. Give it time.
Thanks for the response, Derf.
UCI race requests were due between 6 and 8 weeks ago. The Warwick races were listed on the preliminary UCI schedule, but they've since disappeared. I've e-mailed Adam (Myerson), NEBRA, and last year's Warwick race coordinator. Adam was surprised that the Warwick races weren't listed, whereas all other NE Verge (and US) UCI races were on the schedule. I'm waiting to hear from the NEBRA rep and/or last year's race coordinator.
I think you're right. It'll work out, it will just take a little while. I'm a little uneasy because I jumped through all the hoops last year (requesting time off from work, making hotel arrangements, planning to meet up with friends, setting up dog sitters, etc.) to head up to Vermont and New Hampshire for their early-season UCI races, and both fell through. Those races are going to happen this year, which is great, but I learned my lesson on waiting until August or September to make plans for travel like that.
I will confess, I do need to be more patient. If I find out an update, I'll post. In the meantime, if someone hears something earlier, I'd love to find out more.
You have pretty solid reasons for looking ahead. If I hear anything, I will let you know.
December Rhode Island UCI races are on
I got an e-mail from the race coordinator earlier today. The December 6-7 races in Rhode Island are on.
I'm really excited. It looks like a great course - very, very different from what we see in the Southeast.
myette10
· check out the podium
you won't regret making the trip to RI
for the Warwick races. That venue is fantastic.
http://legolord.blogspot.com/
early registration is worth hundreds of hours of training
-avatar photo courtesy of hup united
gewilli
· eat live sleep cross
Like Gloucester, but more of a cross race and less of a grass crit... (not to take anything away from G-ster - it's a freaking kickass course too... different, just as cool)
"People who don't do it, don't quite understand it.
People who do, know, intrinsically, as soon as you try it you are hooked on it.
Once you race cross, it is hard not to."
-Pure Sweet Hell
colinr
· raging results nerd
gewilli said:
(not to take anything away from G-ster - it's a freaking kickass course too... different, just as cool)
No course with one dismount per lap and zero variation on the 2nd day should be described as kickass.
Blog | Race History | crossresults.com.
it ain't an easy course - even done exactly the same way - it hurts...
sure would be nice to pick it to bits...
damn FnF's wacked out Promoter love must have rubbed off on me being all nice and "positive" about G-ster...
Rhode Island bound
Oddly enough, if something fell through and the Warwick races weren't going to happen, I was planning on coming up the weekend of Gloucester. We've only got one course that I know of that has anywhere near as much sand (Fort Yargo, GA) in the Southeast, and with the terrain changes and climbing that Warwick has, I'm sure it's a blast. Plus, it'll give me another shot to beat Myette (who I beat the first day at last year's Portland UCI race largely due to a very unsettling, early race crash, but lost to - badly - the second day). I'm actually all for a few grass crits thrown in to the mix throughout the year. Hendersonville, North Carolina races last season were held at a different-than-usual venue that had one pair of planks, a sand section that was kind of rideable, and a hill that most of the the A women, B men, and better riders could climb (thanks in part to an unusually dry spring and summer). This year's Hendersonville races are expected to be at their "old" location, which is much more varied; however, the grass crits that weekend made me a better bike racer and taught me much more about carrying speed through corners, pack dynamics, strategy, and, you know, cyclo-cross racing. Would I race that every weekend? Not if had a choice, but racing that and then, say, Amesbury, a week or two afterwards, makes for a more complete 'cross racer, in my view.
danwerle said:
Yeah, that was some crash. I still have to fix the hole in my skinsuit. I'm so glad I went out there to experience that and equally glad (in hindsight... it sucked at the time) that the PNW lived up to it's rainy reputation.
If I lived down south like you I'd plan the trip for the RI weekend in early December. That way you give yourself a chance at racing in the snow. There wasn't any of that up here last year (just a dusting of it at RI day one that melted pretty quickly and that silly natz schmatz thing) but the year before there were a few races in the white.
sidsport
danwerle, where are you in the SE? I'm in Asheville, NC. I've been toying with the idea of going up north for some races, especially since the season startes earlier up there and I've friends and family I need to visit. But I've found myself with the race promotor clipboard and will be putting on 4 mid-week races in Sept and Oct at Jackson Park (the "usual" Hendersonville UCI location). Otherwise, the calendar is pretty full between NC and eastern TN races. Those are probably not of the NE quality, but they sure are closer.
Myette, you're right. I'd love another shot in the snow. I can't think of many more venues that offer up the potential to race on snow-covered sand!
Sidsport, I'm in Nashville. Jackson Park is one of my favorite places to race. It's fun to return year after year to see how well I can get up "the wall". It's kind of a measure of fitness and training. I can't wait to return this November. The tri-cities area in East Tennessee has their dates set, and it sounds like it's going to be an exciting season out there.
danwerle May 23, 2008


This show was rescheduled from last year and a good job too, as I couldn't get accredited before that one got cancelled. Shooting a major Who show has been on my bucket list for a great many years, since 2008 in fact when I shot Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend performing an acoustic show together at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Yes that was still The Who, but this really was The Who!
Daltrey doesn't sing like a pensioner. His voice is still incredibly powerful, and it was great to capture some cartwheeling guitar playing by Pete Townshend. The banter with each other and the crowd made them sound like an old married couple who pretend to detest one another whilst quietly actually getting on just fine.
Rumours are that the Hyde Park show in June will be one of their last ever big shows, so it was fabulous to be able to shoot tonight.
From cheesy metal one day to cheesy 80s classics the next. I couldn't miss a Spandau Ballet reunion show. What can I say really? They were on fine form and sounded fantastic so this one was lots of fun to shoot.
Steel Panther are always a ridiculous amount of fun to shoot. As they play to bigger venues, their shows are getting more and more outrageous. The last time I saw them here they opened for Motley Crue and promptly blew them off the stage.
With an ego ramp, tons of posing and great light it is impossible to shoot a Steel Panther show without coming away with a card full of great images and a very big smile on your face. Long may they rein!


possiblity of finding some releases, at the expense of additional processing overhead.
irrelevant now that timezones have to be specified for PHP and the database.
* Removed some obsolete sources for IRCScraper settings.
* Added a check in the connection detection code, to only display "No connection configured"


Multaja has lost her unbeaten record but the talented filly gets the chance to bounce back to winning ways in the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes at Flemington.
Trainer James Cummings has given Multaja three weeks between races and has elected to drop the filly back from 1200m to 1100m for Saturday's straight-track race against her own age.
It will be Multaja's first chance to earn black-type and Cummings indicated the race would prove telling in determining spring goals for the filly who still holds a Thousand Guineas nomination.
"I'm satisfied that it's the right thing to bring her back to 1100-metres," Cummings said.
"The Flemington straight should suit her. She has the action, the style and the depth.
"The Moonee Valley race was a real speed battle and the rider said she might have preferred being ridden more conservatively.


text:
Research & Discovery
X-Ray Crystallography Gets Zapped with New Funding, Big Automation Advances
Amidst a flurry of quarterly earnings reports and Lab Automation product releases (see table, p. 6), structural proteomics has graced the newswires in the past several weeks with its own set of announcements in the area of X-ray crystallography automation. Last week, a pair of California scientists published a paper describing a computer program that entirely automates X-ray diffraction image analysis, then Stanford unveiled its newest synchrotron light source for X-ray analysis, the SPEAR3. These events were sandwiched between an announcement from the NSF that it had provided another $30 million over the next five years to support the Protein Data Bank, which currently contains the 3D structures of 24,000 proteins; and an announcement this week that Fluidigm, a crystallization-on-a-chip company, had licensed patented submicroliter crystallization technology from San Diego-based Syrrx.
ProteoMonitor talked this week with some of the players behind last week's X-ray crystallography technology developments — and some of the leaders of the large structural proteomics initiatives that will likely put the technology to use — about how these developments might help reach the goal of making X-ray crystallography a truly high-throughput proteomic technique, and what challenges remain.
Calling Santa's Little Helpers
X-ray crystallography is a notoriously slow and expensive process — even the best high-throughput centers can currently hope to solve at most about 100 structures per year, and the Protein Structure Initiative, sponsored by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, estimates the current average cost per structure to be about $240,000. There are several widely acknowledged bottlenecks: producing enough of the desired protein, producing viable crystals from that protein, arranging for time at one of a few powerful light sources such as the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, and doing back-end analyses of diffraction data and final structure validation. None of these processes are as fast as other types of proteomics techniques, so automation is key.
James Holton, who now operates the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, thinks he has found an automation solution to much of the back-end backlog in Elves. The software, which Holton and his University of California Berkeley colleague Thomas Alber described in a PNAS paper published online last week, "is the first expert system for protein crystallography that can do everything from image processing to model building all by itself," Holton said. "It's got enough of the rules right that it can actually succeed in the whole process without human intervention." Holton said that the sample structure he described in the PNAS paper took him six months to solve going through all the data processing, while "Elves can do it in under an hour." This speed increase, Holton said, was due entirely to the Elves automation. He acknowledged, however, that this rate was not exactly typical: although speed varied from structure to structure depending on parameters like unit cell volume, the average time period required to complete the process is about 3 to 4 days. To date, Holton's record for fastest time is 19 minutes.
Elves works by combining existing data analysis programs such as Wedger and Scaler, which use various parameters to help build a model, and essentially automating the steps in between with the help of an English-language user interface. "It's running the exact same programs and doing it in the exact same way: it's just not making any mistakes," he said.
Holton believes that when it comes to crystal structure determination, human mistakes are the biggest problem holding up the march to high-throughput capabilities. "I've found that the preponderance of delays in modern structure determination is because of human error — that's where the bottleneck comes in," he said. By eliminating that error, he said, speed of analysis would be limited only by the algorithms and computer speed.
Two companies have already bought into his idea: Plexxikon, which announced a deal in May to co-crystallize targets and inhibitors for Genentech (see PM 5-26-03), and Sugen, now part of Pfizer, have already licensed the software for an undisclosed fee, Holton said. Now that the PNAS paper has been published, Elves will be made freely available to non-commercial groups, while companies will still pay a licensing fee. Holton said he has been unofficially distributing the software for free for "the last couple of years," but that soon it will be available for official web download once the setup "meets the requirements of Berkeley's lawyers."
Funding for Elves came from the TB Structural Genomics Consortium, one of the nine centers funded by the NIGMS PSI.
Shining a Brighter, Faster Light
Now that Holton has worked out the back-end, he has turned his attention to the data collection bottleneck — the point at which the light is shone on the protein crystal to get an X-ray diffraction pattern for analysis. "I think the bottleneck for [the] data collection part of things is that synchrotron visits are too long and too infrequent. You have to wait about a year to get time, and then you have 24 hours to do everthing," he said. Holton's proposed solution: a system he called "FedEx crystallography," in which someone can send in a small 10 micron crystal sample for a "micro-shift," get a result back, and then have time to think before proceeding to the lengthy and costly step of producing a larger crystal. "Once you've got these crystals, you need to know if they're any good. And you need to know if they're good sooner rather than later," he said, noting that small sample crystals make it hard to obtain coveted synchrotron time. "You can burn close to $1 million turning a 10 micron crystal into 300. So if it turns out to be salt — well, everyone has a story."
Holton pointed to Fluidigm's technology as another potential solution to the problem of large crystal requirements. "I think technologies like these nano-drops that Fluidigm is doing where you can do experiments with less material are probably going to be important," he said.
Until FedEx takes an interest in crystallography, or Fluidigm's nano-vision comes to fruition, more time and faster processing can help ease the long synchrotron lines, says Keith Hodgson, director of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. Hodgson thinks that his lab's newest offering — the SPEAR3 synchrotron — will improve throughput significantly.
This system, an upgrade on the SPEAR2, "puts SPEAR in the class of being competitive with the brightest light sources in the world," such as Berkeley's ALS and Argonne's APS, according to Hodgson. "The number of photons that we can deliver to a sample … goes up on beamlines from a factor of 5 to a factor of 200," he said. "That means we can collect data faster, and the average throughput will go up." Hodgson said that the first of the beamlines to be set up on the new machine would be for macromolecular crystallography — an activity that he said takes up 30 to 50 percent of beamline time in the US. The synchrotron is jointly funded by the NIH and US Department of Energy to the tune of $28 million for each system.
Faster structures are not the only advantage the new machine will bring to crystallographers, according to Hodgson. The stronger beams help solve "complex molecular assemblies at increasingly high resolution … of 3 angstroms or below," he said. In addition, the beamlines are integrated with software and hardware control accessible from remote locations, as well as a lot of automation — the combination of which Hodgson believes "will herald a new area of accessibility of macromolecular crystallography to a broader range of scientists." He said the automated process will ultimately take about 3.5 minutes per sample screened.
In addition to operating the synchrotron, Hodgson is also deeply involved with the Joint Center for Structural Genomics based at the Scripps Research Institute, another one of the nine pilot centers funded by the NIGMS PSI pilot phase. The stated long-range goal of the PSI is "to make the three-dimensional atomic-level structures of most proteins easily available from knowledge of their corresponding DNA sequences." The goals of the pilot phase are somewhat less ambitious. "The idea of pilots is, of course, we don't quite know how to put it all together, and there need to be different things tried," said John Norvell of NIGMS, who directs the program.
The PSI pilot phase, which began in 1999, is funded with $65 million per year and will run through the end of this year. The production phase, set to begin in 2005, will likely boost annual funding to $75 million per year — although existing centers will have to reapply to be considered for continued participation, Norvell said. Regardless of the status of JCSG in the production phase, however, both Norvell and Hodgson predicted that the new synchrotron would play a significant role. "That's part of the reason the NIH was willing to spend $28 million of its valuable funds," Hodgson said. "They are looking to the future to see that the PSI will increasingly demand synchrotron resources, and the better they are, the more successful the science will be that comes from that initiative."
Said Norvell, "Certainly synchrotrons like the upgrade at Stanford are crucial to this process — if you're going to automate the process you have to have a devoted instrument."
Hodgson said that the first SPEAR3 beamline will be up and running within a month, with 30 more beamlines going up over the next several months.
The Final Bottleneck: Getting the Crystal
As much as automation in the middle and back-ends of the X-ray structure determination process may help things, the ultimate bottleneck for many proteins is forming a crystal in the first place. X-ray crystallography by nature "is tedious and it's kind of a black box," Cheryl Arrowsmith, chief scientist of the Canadian branch of the Structural Genomics Consortium said (see pioneer, p. 7). Norvell, Hodgson, and Holton all named membrane proteins as particular challenges. Norvell also noted that the PSI production phase would include a focus on this obstacle, and that the NIH Roadmap initiative to form Protein Production Facilities (see PM 10-3-03) would focus on overcoming obstacles to production of these proteins. Such obstacles must be overcome, the scientists said, before X-ray crystallography can truly be a high-throughput proteomic technique. "Today, if we wanted to feed this pipeline with membrane-bound proteins, the trickle would be silence at the end of the pipeline," said Hodgson. "We're very well-poised to take advantage of the methodologies. … [but] this is an example of where the front-end has to develop new technologies to feed that pipeline."
See next week's issue for a sneak peak at the PSI's upcoming production phase.
— KAM
AGBT: New Weill Cornell Spatial Atlas Project Aims to Discover New Cell Types
Quantum-Si Laying off 12 Percent of Workforce
JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Day 2: Thermo Fisher, Agilent, Roche, Seer, More
New 3D Spatial Proteomics Workflow Promises an Earlier Look at Disease Development
Thermo Fisher Scientific Clinical Research Business Delivers Strong Results in First Full Year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Visit Cittadellarte
Third Paradise
Pacefuturo, when hospitality originates generative welfare
In Biella the island that does / doesn't exist: interview with Andrea Trivero, director of the association Pacefuturo in charge of the project "Pettinengo, a welcoming town", who has been talking to us about the organization, revealing how the inclusion processes have been activated involving the whole local community. Let's find out all the details of this virtuous reality.
Can the island that doesn't exist exist? No, it can't, you would think. It's an imaginary island, as its name says. The way Peter Pan and other animated characters don't exist. The one we are presenting now is not even washed by the sea. What sort of island is it, then? Allow the metaphor, because even if it's not an island in a physical and territorial sense, it is definitely a fairy tale. Like in the stories reminding us of our childhood, there are main characters, obstacles to overcome, a moral, antagonists; the latter doubting its existence:
"E a pensarci, che pazzia / è una favola, è solo fantasia / e chi è saggio, chi è maturo lo sa / non può esistere nella realtà" (To think about it, how crazy / it's a fairy tale, it's only a fantasy / and who's wise, who's mature knows it / it can't exist in reality"). The beginning of Bennato's timeless song would be the basis of their argument. Modern Captains Hook are more and more numerous, ready to incite their crews. Whose fault is it if the ship is struggling to ride the waves? Always of the last damn passenger (not a sailor!) rescued from the sea, who climbed onto the ship to avoid drowning in the abyss. And it doesn't matter if he has made himself available to the crew: he will be the scapegoat for any inconvenience in the course of the sailing.
The reference to the ship has a double meaning: it represents both the whole of Italy and the micro/macro-realities embracing hospitality as a virtuous opportunity for the good of the receiving communities. The ship we are about to present to you is sailing at full wind, in spite of the difficulties created by some of the 'antagonists'. We are talking about the association Pacefuturo, and specifically of "Pettinengo, a welcoming town", a project of spread hospitality started in Pettinengo and in some of the neighbouring towns (all in the Biella province). Here, refugees are not seen or treated like invaders, but like travelling companions who make themselves available to the community receiving them. Andrea Trivero – director of Pacefuturo in charge of the hospitality project (in the second cover photo) – told us about the stages of the community process characterising the project, in a journey between solidarity and integration.
Pacefuturo's logo.
Let's start with the premises of the project: when did the first asylum seekers arrive?
Pacefuturo started managing Villa Piazzo in 2006, thanks to a free loan for use granted by Pettinengo's town administration. Villa Piazzo is a historical residence from the middle of the 19th century with a large park. Throughout the years, we have organized cultural activities on the theme of peace and hospitality, but also practical activities like farming, beekeeping, upkeeping of the park and the local paths. It all started with a collaboration with social services: subjects in difficult situations would offer their contribution carrying out this type of work. In 2011, don Giovanni Perini (director of the local Caritas and vice-director of Pacefuturo) asked if we could house about 50 refugees, as these youths were in a structure running out of space in Muzzano (BI). In agreement with the priest, we put them up in two beautiful buildings in town for two months: Villa Piazzo and Villa Pasini, owned by the diocese. That was our first experience, in collaboration with the association Filo da Tessere. The actual hospitality project in Villa Piazzo entirely run by us started in 2014, with 15 guests (then become 25… and now 120).
Andrea Trivero.
How did the town react to the news? Did the arrival of the immigrants in Pettinengo raise concern?
At first people were afraid, the presence of these refugees made them uncomfortable. In time, this fear has completely disappeared though. Beside turning into volunteers and collaborators, many citizens have also leased buildings free of charge to us: we are now managing 13 houses. The people who were concerned with their arrival have in fact changed their attitude after meeting them: when you establish personal relationships everything is easier. A local resident even accommodated one of the young refugees in his home when he reached the end of his stay. In general, I think that for a close-minded culture like ours coming face to face with a different world means opening to the present, meeting the other. It is a process leading to society taking responsibility for the planet. We have only tried to put the principles of the Third Paradise into practice…
Photographic credits: Pacefuturo.
"Pettinengo, a welcoming town", the name of your project speaks for itself. Can you tell us about its guidelines?
The main objective is always to involve the receiving community at 360 degrees, from its resources to the individuals composing it. Hospitality must be an opportunity for everybody, on both a cultural and occupational level. It can also become a process of generative welfare aiming at helping socialisation and the territory. Moreover, on the subject of creating a connection with the receiving town, any activity must be organized and be free also for the local community. In this perspective, we want to promote work and artisan and educational activities: we devise initiatives and workshops in which anybody can take part, from migrants to citizens. The activities relate to different areas of interest, like beekeeping – with the production of the organic Honey of the Third Paradise -, natural cosmetics from the Garden of the Third Paradise or knitting / weaving workshops (Pettinengo is the town where Italian knitwear was born). These last are formative courses and our challenge is to eventually be in a position to sell the items we produce. Two youths have already been hired by an important organization in the textile sector in Biella after attending one of our workshops.
Through your project, hospitality has generated work opportunities for local people too. How did you manage to activate inclusion processes involving everybody, from migrants to residents?
This is the crucial point. Inclusion occurs first of all through work: we create employment opportunities, it's all in favour of the local community. In this regard, we have employed about 20 people from the town in order to provide the services formerly requested by the prefecture. In collaboration with the administration and the parish, we have hired many subjects in fragile conditions, who were struggling to find work due to personal problems. Through our workshops, both asylum seekers and subjects in difficulties bring back old skilled professions typical of our territory and can integrate themselves in society as productive members.
Can you talk us through one of your guests' average day? How do they make themselves useful to society?
Numerous are the solutions for people who want to step up. A few volunteers, together with our collaborators, come to Villa Piazzo in the morning to maintain and keep clean the lawn, the playground, roads and paths; jobs that need to be done almost on a daily basis, planned together with the town administration. Our guests can take part in Italian courses and workshops. Some favour working outside, others prefer dealing with handcraft activities. At La Caffetteria di Villa Piazzo, which we run, we also have three apprentices following a training course to work in bars and restaurants. They are all processes of mutual familiarisation and generative welfare.
Villa Piazzo. Photographic credits: Pacefuturo.
Let's be clear about the political propaganda: what support have you had from the government so far? Are things going to change?
The current political plan is to create even more chaos and confusion to demonstrate that ports should be closed, all this to veto the question of hospitality. Let's consider the "Safety Decree", actually aiming at the opposite of what you would think from its name: the new rules allow for only one operator every 50 migrants. This way, it's very difficult to both generate something positive and facilitate an exchange between migrant and community. Consider that our ratio operators / guests was 1 to 4… it's all going to become a responsibility of society and the designated social services. The intent of the current government is clear, and changing the contribution per subject from 35 to 18 euros is another indicator. The basic problem is that where the projects were working well, the money would reach the local communities through jobs and the impact on the territory! Migrants in fact had and will still have only 2,5 euros of 'pocket money'. Those 35 euros were mainly destined to the Italians.
What are the consequences going to be?
Besides damaging the territory, this paradoxically damages the Italians: reducing the 35 euros to 18 led us to have to let half of our staff go, while the guests will keep receiving 70 euros a month. In the Biellese area, at least 100 jobs linked to migrant hospitality will be lost. It is a vicious circle: who will end up unemployed will apply for Basic Income… The solution was very simple and achievable, they should have had the humbleness and far-sightedness to verify what organizations had been working fairly and make sure that all the money poured into them was actually used to benefit integration and local development. Politicians are using as propaganda only the examples of projects run by criminals, who have turned migrant hospitality into a business, instead of drawing attention to the good practices activated throughout the years.
When words make a difference: you see these youths as guests, not refugees. Is there a link between politics and individual responsibility?
Each of us, according to our principles and experience, can and should do something. We find ourselves in a situation in which political choices are a hindrance though: there's a lot of misinformation – or incorrect information – which turns into social anger. We have to see migrants as our similar, people who are going through difficulties. Hospitality is not a gift, but a right that we should guarantee as a country. Italy is among the signatories of the Geneva Convention from 1951, with which we gave ourselves the privilege to welcome people in difficulty. It is a signed right, but some people often forget about that.
What do you think about Mimmo Lucano's story? Can Pettinengo be considered another Riace?
I've known Domenico Lucano since 2006. I was just back from Africa and I met him in Riace itself because I wanted to see what he had created. In some ways, we simply copied the model of Riace adapting it to our context. The delicate situation the Calabria town is facing is clearly a targeted political attack, disproportionate to possible bureaucratic mistakes by the management of Riace's SPRAR. I am convinced we will soon hear again about Riace as a positive model of hospitality: their initiative is a project for all of us.
You know, last May a class from the University of Tiffin in the USA contacted us to ask for the opportunity to spend a week in a campus here at Villa Piazzo to study, understand and debate on the Pacefuturo model of hospitality.
In Villa Piazzo's garden there is a Third Paradise, and you also are a Rebirth ambassador. How have you applied the principles of Michelangelo Pistoletto's sign-symbol?
First of all, I want to remind everybody that at Villa Piazzo we have the first installation of the Third Paradise in the world: the Garden of the Third Paradise was in fact created in 2008! Developing our model of hospitality, we've tried to follow the philosophy of the trinamic symbol. As I mentioned at the beginning of the interview, Pacefuturo has always believed in the 'us' of the Third Paradise, between the 'I' and the 'you', in the beauty of coming together, in diversity as a resource and in the truth of listening. Since 2008, the whole ideological path of Pacefuturo has been based on the principles of Pistoletto's sign-symbol, and the hospitality carried out since 2014 is nothing other than an example of their practical activation. In what terms? We have set up a laboratory transforming spontaneous herbs into natural cosmetic products: we gather the herbs growing around the installation and macerate them in oil which we use to produce the cosmetics of the Third Paradise. We also make the Honey of the Third Paradise with the refugees. These organic products are concrete examples of the application of the concepts represented by Michelangelo's sign-symbol.
Photographic credits: Cittadellarte.
What are the perspectives and dreams of these young people?
Our guests, like all migrants, dream to be able to go back to where they come from and to their loved ones, when the situation will make it possible. We think of them as young, but many of them, even if only 25, already have wives and children, or a family to help at home anyway. They want to build a future for themselves for the good of their loved ones, that's what animates them. I think we share this objective: I myself, just after university, moved to Africa for a few years – around the year 2000 – in order to support development projects. I eventually felt the desire to come back home, though, where I embarked in the project in Pettinengo. Basically, all our guests are after a respectable future. Why are people still discriminated because of the colour of their skin? We still have long to go along the sign traced by Michelangelo…
Here is the island that does / doesn't exist. It exists, in Pettinengo, what many consider a utopia has already happened. "Second star on the right / this is the path / and then straight on, till the morning / then you'll find the road on your own / and it takes to the island that doesn't exist. And they'll tease you / if you keep looking for it / but don't give up because / who has already quit / and laughs at you behind your back / might be crazier than you".
The Third Paradise between the "Ecolint – International School" in Geneva and the Palace of Nations
On Thursday 14th June, Michelangelo Pistoletto is back in Geneva for a day dedicated to the Third Paradise. Protagonists of the occasion will be the students from the Ecolint Foundation, Campus des Nations, who will physically carry the artist's message to the Palace of Nations, into the Rebirth, the monumental work of art representing the […]
Horifune, Tokyo, Japan. A Third Paradise workshop.
"Just a little workshop on Third Paradise", with these words Professor Takuya Kaneda presented the incredible work done in the Horifune Primary School in Tokyo! A special day where, in a seminar, Kaneda explained the Rebirth/Terzo Paradiso Project to the school students. A particular workshop made possible due to the strong links between Rebirth/Terzo Paradiso […]
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Buying a candy apple red Ferrari Testarosa may be just about the ultimate dream of every red-blooded American boy who has ever wanted a sports car. Paying the car insurance tab for this world-class automobile on the other hand, does not usually occupy a young man's thoughts.
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Just having the kind of money in the bank to afford to buy a Ferrari is a dream come true for most car enthusiasts. The cost of a new Ferrari model runs between $175,000 and $350,000! Those prices will afford you a marvelous high performance sports car that is more or less suited to highway driving. A Formula One Ferrari racecar on the other hand will set you back a cool $20 million!
Bottom line, once you've invested in your new Italian classic Ferrari, you may well have to shell out dollar amounts for insurance that could equal the purchase price of your vehicle. That's correct! If you spent a couple hundred thousand dollars for the car, the insurance policy alone could cost you an equal amount, each year! Of course, that assumes that you are going to keep your Ferrari on the road and drive it year round as you would a regular car.
Most classic car owners only take their cars out at certain times of the year, during particular seasons or for car shows or other special events.
As an example, in 2009 as reported by the London Daily mail, British tennis star Andy Murray bought as secondhand Ferrari F430 for the equivalent of $160,000 US. At the age of 22 and just having passed his driver's test, British specialty auto insurers took him to task, charging him the same $160,000 to insure his next-to-new red 196 mph beauty!
The F430, which boasts a 4.3-liter engine, can accelerate from a dead stop to 60 mph in less than four seconds. That's a lot of power and a lot of sports car for a new young driver. Perhaps by the time Andy reaches middle age and the car is 20 years older, his insurance premiums will drop to say, only $50,000 per year?
As for insuring your new Ferrari, to quote financier J.P. Morgan, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." Ferrari is a brand that stands apart from other mass produced automobiles. Primarily because of its racing lineage, Ferrari would qualify for insurance as a specialty vehicle.
To insure a very fast and very expensive car like Ferrari would require the services of a specialty insurer. The traditional car insurance giants like Allstate, GEICO et al, would generally have to pass up the opportunity to insure a vehicle whose top speeds reach or exceed 200 miles per hour!
That's not to say that an older and tamer Ferrari, such as a 1980's model that might only fetch $60,000 or $80,000 on the open market, can't be insured for a mere $5,000 or $6,000. Of course, rating and pricing any auto insurance product would depend in part on who is driving and how often the car will be driven.
For those motorists with cash in their pockets, but more mundane tastes in road worthy vehicles, Forbes magazine listed its top ten most expensive vehicles to insure. This group of cars has a price range of between $80,000 and $135,000.
Of course, if you have the means to buy a $100,000 car, you may not care that the insurance cost can be as much as 20% of the car's value, and in some cases, that price could double for the top ranked models. The top five cars on the Forbes list all come from Mercedes and BMW followed by entries from two more German automakers, Porsche and Audi.
Only one American made car made Forbes' top ten list, the Cadillac XLR, while two British automobile manufacturers were represented, Jaguar and Range Rover. The Rover in tenth place will cost about $16,000 to insure each year.
Number one on the Forbes top ten list is the Mercedes SL and S class sedans with an average sticker price of $128,000 and costing an estimated $20,942 to $22,536 to insure. The highest priced BMW sedan, the souped up Alpina B7 is next with a sticker price of $115,000 and an insurance cost of $20,100.
The BMW M5 and M6 models follow with annual insurance costs of between $16,000 and $18,000 per year. Next come the Audi S8 and A8 sedans, both costing more than $17,000 per year to insure. The Cadillac XLR comes in at number seven on the Forbes list with a price tag of $88,000 and an annual insurance cost of $16,973.
The classic $90,000 Porsche 911 is eighth on the list at $16,955. The Jaguar XK models cost just over $16,000 to insure, while the Land Rover Range Rover, one of only two SUV models to make the list will also cost its owner a little more than $16,000 per year to insure.
Most consumers know that car insurance rates will vary widely across the United States. According to a study recently published by CBS News, the cost of insuring an average car in the United States ranges between $889 in Maine, and $2,536 in Louisiana, almost three times as much!
In three other states, Oklahoma, Michigan, and West Virginia, motorists will pay in excess of $2,000 to insure their cars. Washington, DC is the fifth most expensive area in the country for car insurance, averaging $1,866 per year.
At the other end of the scale, after Maine, comes Iowa and Wisconsin where car insurance can still be purchased for less than $1,000 per year. Idaho and North Carolina are the first states on the list to break the $1,000 mark, with Idaho coming in at $1,011 and North Carolina tipping the scales at $1,022.
Forbes Magazine discusses factors that help determine insurance rates in the article.
Insurance companies base rates on a number of important factors. The first is the kind of car, the year, make, and model that you drive. After reviewing statistical data, each model car is assigned an indicated risk factor by a group-rating panel. Group ratings allow insurance carriers to set standard premium rates and provide some consistency in the industry.
The next important factor is the cost to repair a damaged vehicle. The more expensive a car is to purchase the more expensive it will be to repair. Foreign cars or older vehicles with hard to find parts will cost more to insure than newer more popular cars.
Specialty vehicles like the Ferrari and other high performance cars, classic automobiles and antiques are also going to be consistently rated as higher risks with correspondingly higher insurance premiums.
As foreign cars and other specialty vehicles can be much more expensive to repair, they can also be problematic from a parts standpoint. Specialty cars with parts that are expensive and hard to replace will have higher insurance rates. Adjusters know that these cars will spend more time in the service bay waiting for parts, and will be more expensive to fix in general.
Cars that have high safety ratings will be cheaper to insure than less safer vehicles.
Insurance rates can be expected to drop for vehicles with factory-installed safety equipment such as anti-lock brakes and additional side and rear airbags. Anti-theft devices will help protect your vehicle as well as reduce the cost of your insurance.
MSN Autos publishes a survey each year on the average insurance costs for typical family cars on the highways and byways of America today. The five least expensive cars to insure for 2012 include two minivans, two SUVs, and one utility pickup truck. The best insurance value on the market for 2012 is the Toyota Sienna LE minivan that will cost an average driver $1,111 to insure. Its mate, the basic Sienna model will cost just $3 more or $1,114 per year.
Next on the MSN survey are two Jeep SUV models, the Patriot Sport at $1,116 and the Compass Sport at $1,118. Finally, we find one of America's favorite vehicles, the GMC Sierra K1500 pickup truck rated at just $1,121 for a year's worth of insurance.
The last important factor taken into consideration when rating your vehicle is the size of the engine and performance. Bigger engines present a higher risk as does increased performance, which brings us back to Ferrari, one of the absolutely most powerful vehicles on the road.
Car thieves also often target expensive, high performance cars like the Ferrari. Anyone who has ever watched the Fast and the Furious film series can attest to this. If you can afford to buy and maintain a Ferrari enjoy it, but don't expect your insurance premiums to come down any time soon.
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The C.A.M.P. (Character, Education, Mindset, Preparedness) program gives middle school students the opportunity to work on academics as well as their own social-emotional needs during the summer months.
Housed at Accompsett Middle School in July, students in grades 7-9 focus on positive actions including self-care and the science behind it, self-regulation and nutrition. Students learn about how their actions and reactions effect their academic performance.
Working in small groups, students rotate to different workshops throughout the day which vary by week. Students work on their creativity during Genius Hour, a project-based learning initiative that allows students to explore their passions. To help make a mind-body connection, students participate in yoga, meditation and other mindfulness activities.
Accompsett Middle School Principal Paul McNeil shared a passion and his personal "why" on being a firefighter and EMT. During the demonstrations, the students saw how a patient is treated after a traumatic injury. Afterwards, Mr. McNeil shared why he is chose to become a firefighter and EMT with the students.


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Sony Xperia XZ In-Depth Review: Specs And Features
By Jiran , Sep 06, 2016 03:00 AM EDT
Sony's X-Series smartphones have rapidly expanded this year. Today, it's already a clan of five with the arrival of the new Xperia XZ flagship device. Xperia XZ is the finest phone of the group, bagging Sony's best camera technology now as well as some striking specifications.
The Sony Xperia XZ is the new headliner with superior hardware, a larger display, a new and enhanced camera, stunning design, and, of course, water-proofing.
In this review, we're going to find out if the new Sony Xperia XZ will be a top-notcher and this will be a good deal on its price.
5.2" 1080p IPS display, 428ppi
Snapdragon 820 chipset: quad-core (2x2.15 + 2x1.6 GHz) Kryo processor, Adreno 530 GPU
Up to 32GB of built-in storage, expandable through microSD card slot by up to 200GB
IP65/IP68 certified - dust and water proof up to 1.5-meter and 30 minutes
23MP Sony IMX300 camera, 24mm-equiv. f/2.0 lens, laser-assisted and phase-detection autofocus, SteadyShot, LED flash, dedicated hardware shutter key
2160p video recording, SteadyShot
13MP selfie camera with noise reduction, SteadyShot
2,900mAh battery
Qualcomm Quick charge certified, smart charging at night
Flapless USB Type-C port design in waterproof phones
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor in the power button
According to Sony, the Xperia XZ is made up of new metallic material known as Alkaleido which boasts an impressive natural brightness and purity.
The Sony Xperia XZ is a nice-looking smartphone. It houses a 5.2" display sheathed in a metal body which is remarkably curvier than with earlier Xperia smartphones. Sony calls this Loop Surface and is designed to make the phone appear unified while at the same time making it more comfortable to hold.
Sony also returned the reassuring water-resistant design for the XZ, which is missing in the Xperia X and the Xperia X Performance. Thus, users can once again use their phone in the bath or even take a selfie in the shower.
The new design is awesome and the phone is a pleasure to grip, but one thing that would have been better thought out is the back strip at the bottom that shelters the antennas. By some means, it disturbs the whole design and takes away the perfection.
At the front of the device, on top of the display, sits the front-facing camera, earpiece, as well as the proximity and light ambient sensors.
Below the screen is the loudspeaker of the phone, which has the same cases with the previous Xperia devices. Unfortunately, it can be covered by the palm when it is used in landscape mode.
The right side of the phone is quite populated with buttons - from the topmost is the power button, embedded on it is the fingerprint scanner for security, going down is the volume rocker which is quite hard to reach in a single-handed operation and last in line is the dedicated camera shooter key which is very useful when taking a photo especially when the device is wet. On the left side, the device features the flap covering the SIM card slot and the microSD card slot.
The top of the phone holds the 3.5mm audio jack and a microphone and in the bottom resides the USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. A microphone is also at the bottom.
The left top corner of the back of the phone has the 23-megapixel camera and the LED flash. In the center of the back of the phone lies the phone's insignia.
Sony put a bigger 5.2" IPS display on the Xperia XZ, which still features 1080p resolution. The screen looks good with wide viewing angles, high contrast and succinct colors, particularly when it comes to browsing multimedia.
The device gets Sony's X-Reality engine too, which artificially tinkers with movies and photos when activated. Otherwise, you can also toggle on the Super Vivid mode which enhances colors to make them really pop off the screen.
With regardsto software, the Sony Xperia XZ runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow topped with slight touches of Sony. It is expected that the XZ will get the latest Android update at some point in the future. SO far, the date of the update's rollout is still unsure.
The smartphone also feature Xperia XZ intelligence, which the company asserts can learn your habits and get smarter as you use it. However, the company is yet to offer a precise explanation on how this improves your smartphone experience.
The Xperia XZ is powered by a 2,900 mAh battery. It is a subtle upgrade over the X Performance's battery. It is capable of Quick Charge 3.0, but you will probably need to buy a Sony fast charger which is not bundled inside the box. The battery supports also adaptive charging called Battery Care for prolonging its life cycle. It learns when you are charging your battery overnight. It stops fast charging around 90% and continues to gently charge your battery up to 100% until the morning. Sounds awesome, right?
Just like the Xperia X Performance, the Xperia XZ runs on the Snapdragon 820 processor, mixed with 3GB of RAM, so, expect the device performs smoothly at all times, especially as the phone can habitually improve its running rates by separating and closing down unused apps.
Alongside with the 64-bit processor and 3 GB of RAM, users can find a base storage of 32GB but if not enought for all your mobile needs, be happy to know that it can extended by a whopping 256GB via the included MicroSD card slot.
According to Sony, the Xperia XZ comes loaded with advanced photography technologies that can be recognized from other Xperia smartphones. They also added triple image sensing technology to analyze, adapt and capture perfect shots in challenging conditions.
The Xperia XZ is all about the cameras. Sony is famous for doing advanced camera technology for its flagship Xperia line, and the Xperia XZ is no an exemption. The device packs a 23 MP camera at the back with triple image sensing technology. These sensing technology includes three sensors - an imaging sensor for movement, a laser autofocus sensor for measuring distance and an RGBC-IR sensor for accurate color reproduction. These help users take accurate and in-focus shots efficiently.
The front-facing 13 MP shooter is not to be scoffed at either. It is improved by introducing a wide-angle lens for more extraordinary selfies.
However, while the camera takes photos exceptionally quickly and the photos are generally crisp, zooming into images exposes slightly over-the-top noise reduction, making the photos look slightly soft and blurry. Though it's not the only smartphone that is guilty of this, it is an expectation for a company like Sony, especially with its emphasis on the camera capabilities of the Xperia XZ.
Sony's Xperia XZ is an attention-grabbing flagship for it break the standards with respects to its design and colour options instead of going curvy like Apple and Samsung. Sony was fixed to its angular design and has always been producing something that feels good in the hand and appears like a premium flagship smartphone with a gorgeous, glistening varnish. The 23 MP camera at the back offers an impressive technology, but the aggressive noise cancellation lets it down a bit.
The Xperia XZ will be launched in early October this year and is placed over the Xperia X Performance. This also means you could expect a price tag north of €700.
TAG Sony Xperia XZ, sony, Xperia, Xperia XZ, features
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Optumhealth, Inc., the health and wellness business of United Health Group, this month entered the personal health record (PHR) fray, which until now has been dominated by Google Health and Microsoft's Health Vault.
The new online site, myOptumHealth.com, is both an encyclopedia of health conditions and diseases, with a feel similar to WebMd.com, as well a PHR.
Consumers can store health records in what United Health says is a secure, central location. What's more the site content as well as the PHR is free and open to anyone.
For now, Untied Health Group appears to be down playing the PHR aspects of the site. Instead, it is focusing on its content and on wellness coaching programs and incentive and communications services.
United is still outstripped by Aetna, Inc, according to the Wall Street Journal. That health-insurance giant has gone a step further than United Health by linking patients' personal information and claims data with a search engine to provide tailored information on medical conditions and treatments.
"What's fascinating about the United development is the possibility that in the future, either United or some other company will cross-breed the consumer health expertise of a WebMD or a Revolution Health with the health promotion and disease management savvy of an Aetna. Now that would be a real revolution."
What does it mean for corporate wellness programs? Make sure you're leveraging whatever self-management and health information tools your insurer makes available--either to support your own initiatives or as a way to make sure the motivated employees know what's available to them.


By following the oil change and fluid replacement schedules Ford recommends, you can avoid problems in the years ahead.
All of the fluids perform functions that your car really can't live without. Engine oil, brake fluid, and transmission fluid regulate the processes in your car, and manages everything from how much power your engine gets to how it's cooling itself.
What are the Benefits of Oil & Fluid Changes?
When you use the right oil in your car, you lessen the amount of friction in your car which can help you save gas and avoid overheating. The coolant also helps to keep your engine at the perfect temperature, while the transmission fluid lubricates the shifting process at all times. Brakes that feel spongy may start to function like new again by simply replacing the brake fluid.
Always follow the schedule recommended for your car. The more you keep up with your maintenance, the less you'll have expensive repairs later on down the road. Let Palm Bay Ford keep track of your timetable, so you don't have to!


Before you even start making appointments with different Interior Designers, you should have some ideas of the style you want your home to look like. Take time to surf through the web, look through Interior Design magazines, etc, to gather ideas, styles that might interest you. Save down these pictures and bring them along when meeting potential Interior Designers during discussion. It is very important to do some "homework" prior to this as it will be clearer for potential Interior Designers to visualize and understand your style.
By planning your financial and setting a renovation budget, you will know your min-max comfort range. Be mindful though that Renovation Budget only means the actual renovation works cost. It does not include buying of Electrical Appliances, Furniture, Household Accessories, etc. Do plan and set aside budget for these items. With your ideal budget, you will then be able to decide between the quotations received from Interior Designers and narrow down your options.
Now it is time to meet Interior Designers for a discussion and let them assist you in your house design layout planning and quote you accordingly. A normal Renovation Process from planning stage to handing over may take about 3-6 months, the Interior Designer that you should be looking for has to be a partner that you are both comfortable and confident to work with. Renovating your home is a very personal experience. Also, do make sure he/she will be the only person in-charge and handling your renovation project from first appointment to handover. This is to prevent any miscommunication during this whole journey.
You should learn and gain valuable knowledge on materials used in your house renovation.
You will be able to judge whether the Interior Designer has enough knowledge about renovation to advise you.
You should able to understand the difference between the various quotations that you will receive.
You will able to compare "Apple to Apple" with the quotations you received. Not all quotations are crafted equally. Being able to see what is similar or not makes al whole lot of difference.
You will then be able to understand and decide which materials quoted suit your family lifestyle the most.
There will be times when you realize that Designers are sharing different designs/layouts which may not be to your liking. Learn to be open to design/layout options. Each design proposed by an Interior Designer will definitely has its advantages according to your lifestyle of your requirements. But of course, if an Interior Designer is too pushy toward his own designs/ideas, this is where you should voice out and let him/her know. Do however, give very proposal a chance to be explained as you might be surprised some proposed designs might solve your biggest restrictions face in your home.
In simple, the cheapest quote might not be the best deal. Chances are high that the significant difference in pricing may be due to missing details or the quoted materials. With the knowledge you gained through asking questions and understanding of materials, now you can put it in use. Do keep in mind that design concepts used may not be similar as well.
Signing of a renovation contract can be tricky.
Once these details are clear, you are good to go!


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Wanted in Nigeria: Politics for development
By Tonnie Iredia
Political scientists offer varying definitions for the term, 'politics' making it easy for everyone to latch-on to what validates his disposition. In Nigeria, the definition which seems to have gained ground over the years is that which sees politics as the struggle for power for the purpose of controlling government resources.
The definition is however simplistic because it is silent on how power should be used when attained. If political power is used solely for primitive accumulation of wealth, as is the current practice in developing societies such as Nigeria, then the ideal purpose of politics is lost.
Even during the classical days of the Social Contract Theory, the polity rested on a two-sided principle in which the general public, on the one hand, were to perform civic duties such as voting at elections while on the other hand, those voted into power were expected to develop society and improve the living conditions of the people. It is therefore the duty of those who attain power in a polity to identify nagging societal issues and address them.
That is politics for development which is hardly done in Nigeria thereby compelling analysts like this writer to function permanently as adversarial journalists.
Many of our leaders would have preferred that media professionals operated as patriots with ample focus on development communication positively throwing light on what the political class does in the interest of society. This preference which is not in itself a bad wish would have made sense if the political class also recognizes that the ideal goal of politics is development and not personal aggrandizement.
It is against this backdrop that we salute Kaduna state governor, Nasir el Rufai, for taking the lead in the abolition of the infamous 'almajiri' system prevalent in Northern Nigeria. Almajiri for those who may not know, is the title given to out-of-school children in the North who usually engage in street begging.
It is heartwarming to note the huge steps Nasir has taken so far on the subject, the most central, being his decision to prosecute parents who enroll their children and wards into almajiri type of schools in the state which he has since formally declared illegal. As a point of departure, Kaduna state has already expanded its school capacity to integrate the freshly transferred Almajiris from other states into formal schools.
We also commend other state governors in the North who as members of the Northern Governors Forum have collectively agreed to end the system. The governors have done well because their position tallies with section 42 of our Constitution which provides that no child shall be discriminated against simply because of the circumstances of his birth.
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In truth, governors have a duty to take over children of irresponsible parents and ensure that they are given the status of first-class citizens of Nigeria. It is certainly not their fault that they fell into the hands of people who are reckless about the duty of care owed to their children. But then, except the governors develop a high degree of uniformity in dealing with the subject, the policy may be driven underground and become intractable.
READ ALSO: Our Governors, Corona Politics and Naked Folly
To this end, ideological differences in the disposition of governors should not be brought into the handling of the project. Instead, the coordinating official in charge of the activities of the governors forum should be mandated to apply proactive peer review mechanism to ensure faithful implementation.
Another aspect that needs to be prioritized is public education. Quite often in Nigeria we roll out laws which prohibit certain actions while forgetting that law enforcement is not our area of strength. Here, the unpatriotic posture of law enforcement agents who have become notorious in collecting bribes to aid law defaulters is instructive.
Only a few weeks back, we saw how they served as the major hindrance to the current lockdown policy developed in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. This is why, the main thrust of ending the almajiri system must not be premised simply on law, breaches and sanctions. Instead, a lot of attention should be directed at public enlightenment which must include a focus on the gains of the policy as well as the role which the public must play in ensuring its success.
The enlightenment scheme must be comprehensive and capable of resolving our population control dilemma rather than grumbling about the stance of Bill Gates etc. Even the so-called elite requires a purposeful public education which discourages a supposedly top politician from showing off his achievement of having "4 wives and 27 children and still counting."
Indeed, public education about a nation's viability goes beyond almajiri and the North. The Nigerian political class nationwide needs a comprehensive attitudinal change. The other day, an old schoolmate was in his elements trying to convince me that a particular governorship aspirant who was the best among others because the aspirant "knows how to look after politicians."
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Unfortunately, he was not as eloquent in answering who could best look after non-politicians like myself. What this suggests is that strategic civil society groups and opinion moulders must redouble their efforts in denouncing the politicisation of everything in Nigeria. Our nation cannot develop if politicians continue to divert resources meant for societal development to the private pockets of political gladiators.
While preparing this piece, my attention was drawn to reports of exposures of political leaders who have over the years shared the budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC. Obviously, the Niger Delta cannot be developed if funds running into billions of naira meant to redress the impact of the hard terrains of the region are embezzled. Instead of development, stories coming out of there would always be: NDDC Board constituted; NDDC Board dissolved; NDDC gets Interim Management Committee (IMC); Audit Review approved for NDDC, then IMC comes under investigation by legislators etc.
But if on the other hand we had tried to follow what happens in the western world, we would have by now entrenched the politics of development which takes care of everyone and not just some insatiable political leaders.
We certainly would not have been involved in current malpractices such as illegal and bogus pension and gratuities for political appointees who serve for only 8 years when the average worker gets little or nothing after 35 years. We would probably not have had a system which allows leaders to take huge funds every year from our treasury ostensibly to ensure security of life and property yet insecurity in the nation increases by the day.
The high level of discrimination in the polity such as secret employments in public organizations would probably have been avoided. In fact, we may have since established a social security system which identifies and cares for the vulnerable instead of the diversion of palliatives meant for them during the current pandemic to the homes of members of the ruling party everywhere.
We would have long ago rehabilitated groups like the almajiri thereby practicing true democracy which is premised on the politics of equality. Nigeria is no doubt in dire need of politics for development.
The post Wanted in Nigeria: Politics for development appeared first on Vanguard News.
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On Special Moments in Orthodoxy, Fr. Spiro Bobotas tells the story and significance of St. Basil, whose Feast Day is January 1st.
In honor of the Sunday of the First Council Fathers, Fr. William Chiganos will discuss the 318 Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council on Special Moments in Orthodoxy.
On Special Moments in Orthodoxy, Fr. Chris and Frederica Matthewes Greene discuss Mary and Martha, whose feast day is celebrated on June 4th.
On Special Moments in Orthodoxy, we recall that Jesus hallowed the intimate bond between man and woman by his ministry and miracle at the Wedding of Cana. Fr. William Chiganos explores the Church's esteem for marriage in the words of the Wedding Liturgy and Scripture.


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INVITATION TO BID FOR PROCUREMENT OF ONE (1) BRAND NEW MINI DUMPTRUCK
Invitation to Bid ›
Republic of the Philippines Province of Laguna Municipality of Paete OFFICE OF THE BAC CHAIRMAN (049) 557-0001 (049) 501-6490-101
Invitation to Bid for
procurement of one (1) Brand new mini dumptruck
The Municipality of Paete, Laguna, through the General Fund [1] intends to apply the sum of two million pesos only (Php 2,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Procurement of one (1) unit Brand newMini Dump Truck to be used for the Collection and Disposal of Garbage/General Purposes. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
The Municipality of Paete, Laguna now invites bids for Procurement of one (1) unit Brand new Mini-Dump Truck to be used for the Collection and Disposal of garbage/General Purposes .[2] Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty calendar days (60CD) from the received of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within three(3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary "pass/fail" criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the "Government Procurement Reform Act".
Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Municipality f Paete, Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on March 6-26, [email protected] 9:00 amfrom the address below Municipal Building J.V. Quesada St Brgy 1 Paete, Laguna, and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of five Thousand pesos only (Php 5,000.00) It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.
The Municipality of Paete, Lagunawill hold a Pre-Bid Conference[3] on March 13, 2020 @10:30 am at J.V. Quesada St., Brgy 1 , Municipal Building, Paete, Lagunawhich shall beopen to prospective bidders.
Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 am, March 26, 2020. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.
Bid opening shall be on March 26, 2020 @ 10:30 am at J.V. Quesada St., Barangay 1, Municipal Building, Paete, Laguna. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders' representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The schedule of BAC activities is as follows:
BAC Activities Schedule
1. Advertisement/Issuance of Bidding Documents March 6-26, 2020
2. Pre-bid Conference February 13, 2020 @10:00 am
3.Deadline of Submission of Bids March 26, [email protected] 9:00 am
4. Opening of Bids March 26, 2020 @ 10:30 am
5. Bid Evaluation March 27, 2020
6. Post-qualification March 30-31, 2020
7. Notice of Award April 2, 2020
8. Contract Agreement April 13, 2020
9. Notice to Proceed April 14, 2020
The Municipality of Paete, Laguna reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
Christine M. Cainto
Office of the Bac Secretariat
J.V. Quesada St. Brgy 1, Paete,Laguna
(049)501-6490-101
ANTONIO C. DELA ROSA
BAC Chairman
[1] In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184)
[2] A brief description of the type(s) of Goods should be provided, including quantities, location of project, and other information necessary to enable potential bidders to decide whether or not to respond to the invitation.
[3]May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a Pre-Bid Conference.
PBD-for-Goods_5thEdition-dumptruckmini2ndpost2020Download


Park Güell is a sprawling public park with gardens and architectural elements on the southern slope of Mount Carmel in the foothills of the Collserola range.
Park Güell is a sprawling public park with gardens and architectural elements on the southern slope of Mount Carmel in the foothills of the Collserola range. Originally conceived by Gaudi and Count Eusebi Güell as a housing complex, the 17 hectare plot had 2 houses built before it was developed into a park. One of the houses – Torre Rosa, where Gaudi lived from 1906 to 1925, is now the Gaudí House-Museum that showcases a collection of furniture and objects designed by the renowned architect. Heavily influenced by the distinct and colorful style of Gaudi, Park Guell Güell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the 'Works of Antoni Gaudi'.
The entrance pavilions, made of stone masonry with hyperbolic paraboloid vaults, feature striking trencadís (mosaic tiles) on their roofs. The monumental stairway that leads to the Hypostyle is split in the middle by 3 elements – a trapezoidal area with vegetation, a torch-shaped medallion with the coat-of-arms of Catalonia and a serpent, and Gaudí's famous multicolored mosaic salamander, popularly known as "el drac" (the dragon).
The Sala Hipóstila (Hipóstyle Room), also known as 'Hall of 100 Columns' or 'Doric Temple', is a square hall with 86 striated Doric columns, 6.16 metres high and 1.20 metres in diameter, supporting a roof of convex semi-spherical vaults covered in white trencadís.
The focal point of the park is the main terrace above the Hypostyle, which has a 110 metre long bench along the outer edge in the form of a sea serpent, the Banc de Trencadís. The ledge has lion's head gargoyles to drain rain water. The central area, also known as the Plaza de la Naturaleza, is an oval shaped space that was originally called the Greek Theater as it was intended to host community events and celebrations. To the east of the plaza is an iron door that leads to Casa Larrard via a colonnaded Romanesque portico nicknamed 'La Lavandera' or 'The Washerwoman' for its caryatid column with a sculpted washerwoman.
Gaudí constructed a series of viaducts in different architectural styles to move around the park - the lower Viaduct of the Museum or Pont de Baix in Gothic style, the middle Algarrobo Viaduct or Pont del Mig in Baroque, and the upper Viaduct of the Jardineras or Pont de Dalt in Romanesque style. They lead to the top of the former hill of the iron mines which today has the Calvary Monument featuring 3 Crosses, oriented in the 4 cardinal directions and ending in arrows pointing skywards. You can get magnificent views of Barcelona from here.
As one of Barcelona's most popular attractions, it has long lines at the entrance. Pre-book your tickets for a quick entry to the park.


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Rotellenzia lampra is a species of extremely small deep water sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Seguenziidae.

Description
(Original description by Watson) The height of the shell attains 7.6 mm. The thin, white, opalescent, smooth shell is faintly reticulated. It has a high concave spire, a sharp apex, an acute carina, an angulated umbilicus, and a rhomboidal aperture.

Sculpture: The shell is smooth, glossy, and iridescent. It has ten to twenty faint spiral threads on the upperside of the body whorl. The last of these which joins the lip is much stronger than the others. A little remote and below is a thread forming the keel, below which, and nearer, are two other strong threads. Round the umbilicus are also two strong threads. The intermediate space on the base is marked with eight to ten impressed spiral striae. The interstices of the spirals are crossed by longitudinals, which are regular, fine, hair-like, but distinct and well parted. Their curve on the surface below the suture shows the old sinus. On the base they are radiating and are crowded and irregular, except round the umbilicus, where in the first two or three striae they are very sharp and distinct. On the upper whorls both the spirals and longitudinals are finer, but sharper, than on the last.

Colour:  a greyish, horny, translucent, opalescent white.

The spire is raised, with a concave outline. The apex, which consists of the single minute embryonic whorl, is  sharp and slightly extends out. It is quite smooth, but the spirals and longitudinals begin sharply immediately below it. The 6½ whorls show a slow and regular increase except the last, which widens rapidly. They are depressed, quite flat, except the last, which is slightly rounded above, and still more slightly concave on the base, with an acute, but still rounded keel. The suture is impressed on the body whorl, but on the upper whorls sharply, though slightly, marginated below. The aperture is a little oblique, rhomboidal, the basal and palatal lines being nearly parallel, while the outer and inner lip diverge downwards. The outer lip is thin, not patulous, not descending, advancing at its junction with the body whorl, and then retreating so as to form a shallow, broad, open sinus a little below the suture, acutely, but roundedly, angulate at the periphery, nearly flat on the base, with a very slight nick at the point of the columella, where it joins the inner lip at a slightly obtuse angle. The pcolumellar lip is straight. It is a very little thickened, and is slightly porcellanous. It advances a little on the edge of the umbilicus. Below this it is hollowed out by a receding curve, but advances again into a slight rounded projection just above its junction with the outer lip. In its whole direction it inclines slightly to the left. The umbilicus is oblique edged, funnel-shaped, being wide in the mouth and deep, with straight converging sides. It is slightly marked with lines of gi'owtli and a few faint spirals. While all the rest of the shell without and within is brightly opalescent, it is scarcely so at all.

Distribution
This species occurs in the mid Pacific Ocean, east of Japan.

References

External links
 To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication)
 To Encyclopedia of Life
 To World Register of Marine Species

lampra
Gastropods described in 1879

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Zero drying time - its amazing!
Professional removal is always recommended to maintain a healthy nail.
Our salon has recommended Nailtiques to clients for 12 years now, it's a really successful way of growing your own strong nails. We have seen may clients achieve beautiful nails by following the Nailtique programme recommended by our therapist.
Whether you have problems with soft peeling nails or strong nails that ping-off Naitiques has the answer, also useful as a way of keeping your nails in tip top condition.
Our therapist will assess your nails and prescribe which Protein formula offers the special ingredients to bind the nail layers together.
The formulas build a strong yet flexible foundation resistant to peeling, chipping & splitting.
A Nailtiques manicure will provide you with the information and encouragement to get you started with your Nailtique regime, all products recommended are available in salon.
Exceptional results in the improvement of the natural nails after removal of artificial enhancements.


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Never mind the Missing Link these are the five Gloucestershire roads you want revamped
The biggest 'problem' roads in the county according to you
Zasha Whiteway-WilkinsonContent Editor
Road quality and quantity is a topic close to basically everyone in Gloucestershire, and the country if we're honest, but more so the county.
With Transport Secretary Grant Shapps giving the go ahead for the 'crucial' A417 Missing Link project to move to the next stage of the development process - we put the question to the Gloucestershire Live audience, where next?
The A417 Missing Link, hopes to connect the M4 at Swindon with the M5 in Gloucestershire. But on a smaller scale with perhaps an equally big impact, where else is in desperate need of some government funded road love?
The biggest one mentioned was the current connection, or lack thereof of roads between the Forest of Dean and Gloucester, although it wasn't the only one that gets peoples goat.
We've put together a list of the five biggest road bothers, which will hopefully be next in improving the traffic flow in Gloucestershire.
A40/A48
"There has to be another route from the Forest into Gloucester." (Image: Google Maps)
Running from Minsterworth to the A40 just before the B4215 junction to Highnam, was a massive focal point for the roadusers.
Agreeing that there "has to be another route from the Forest into Gloucester", it seems this a travel issue close to many people's hearts.
Here is what you had to say:
"There has to be another route from the Forest into Gloucester."
"A48 from forest to Over. Need a new road and bridge over the Severn to Gloucester, A48 and A40 just can't cope," another wrote.
They continued, "Hempstead bypass from Quedgeley to Over, needs to be duel carriageway all the way. Over to Longford roundabout needs to be duel carriageway."
Another said, "I agree with all the comments in regard to the A40/A38 from the Forest of Dean towards Gloucester, totally impossible situation, I moved so I didn't have to face that every single day.
"Ashchurch Road in and out of Tewkesbury is also a big problem, way too much traffic, the Motorway slip road backs up for over a mile onto the motorway. Also Innsworth Lane traffic lights, no filter in either direction, very dangerous."
"Remove crosshatching outside house by Highnam junction to open both lanes, make A40 entry lane on Highnam roundabout dedicated, install on-demand lights for the house owners, then allow peak-time-only use of (the largely unused) bus lane to Over roundabout," posted another.
They continued, "Watch as the daily congestion disappears. Better for stressed commuters and better for the environment."
Police helicopter deployed to help find missing person in Gloucester
Are you affected by this junction? (Image: Google Maps)
Comments on A48/A40 continued:
"The Highnam Court roundabout all you need to do is open up the inside lane instead of having a filter lane there."
"A40 from Highnam roundabout to Gloucester, should be two lanes, only one lane because of exit from Highnam lodge bungalow."
"Need to make the A48 and A40 into Gloucester better or make another way over the river into Gloucester."
"Another Bridge linking Gloucester and the Forest. And get rid of the bus lane on the A40 at Over."
"A new bridge across the Severn around Westbury on Severn or a flyover/under pass at the over roundabout."
"Bridge over the Severn - Lydney/Sharpness areas to connect to the M5."
"People leave the Forest in droves most mornings for school and work. It needs acknowledging as I don't see the daily exodus declining any time soon."
"A40 towards Oxford."
When a tidal surge and more rain could cause flooding along the River Severn and A417 in Gloucestershire
Junction 10
M5 Junction 10 (Image: Gloucestershire Highways)
Many commuters travelling southbound towards the M5 via Junction 10 believe it should be on the list of roads to improve.
One person wrote, "A southbound junction at Junction 10! Might help with some of the congestion by GCHQ!"
Another said, "J10 M5 open both directions to relieve Lansdown road and PE way."
It may come as a relief however, that Gloucestershire County Council have actually put in a bid for funding to upgrade this junction to "an all movements junction".
On the Gov website a statement explains, "Gloucestershire County Council is bidding to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), for funding to upgrade M5 Junction 10 to an all movements junction, along with junction and road improvements on the local network and an expansion of Arle Court park and ride."
It continues, "The new motorway junction will support planned housing and employment growth, as proposed by Cheltenham Borough, Tewkesbury Borough and Gloucester City councils in the adopted Joint Core Strategy (JCS) . The new junction will also stop traffic rat-running through residential areas to gain access to the M5 at junction 11."
The application was put in in March 2019 and a result is expected by autumn 2019. If successful the upgraded motorway junction will be open by March 2024.
For more information on the bid click here.
Evesham Road
Evesham Road (Image: Google Maps)
The A435, otherwise known as Evesham Road, runs from Pittville Park up towards the racecourse, and locals are saying that it 'was not built for all the new developments'.
They wrote, "Evesham Road. It wasn't built to cope with the numerous new developments that keep erupting.
"Then there are the idiots that jump the lights and then cut back in front of you!"
Currently the Swindon Lane roundabout has five exits, but people believe there should be more efforts into looking at a way to join or leave the roundabout more safely.
Couple cut out of motorhome and man seriously injured after crash in Gloucestershire village
Shurdington Road
The A46, or Shurdington Road - was another one that cropped up a few times in the road improvement discussion.
One person joked that it "needed to be made into a 14 lane super highway".
But another said in a more serious tone that "in rush hour it takes the bus an hour to do a journey that should take 35 minutes maximum because of the volume of traffic," and that the "entire length" should be looked at.
Shurdington Road (Image: Google Maps)
Another agreed, writing, "[Shurdington Road] Could do with being a bit longer ad well in my opinion. Could use the same money to stretch out the M5 between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury as well."
Top Gloucestershire news stories today
M5 and traffic updates on Tuesday
Coronavirus updates on Tuesday
Aquajardin owner in tears
Cheltenham Festival day one LIVE
Kingsway Bypass
More of a local gripe but nonetheless prevalent for Gloucestershire Live's readers, the 'Kingsway Bypass' in Kingsway, Quedgeley.
In red - Kingsway Bypass (Image: Google Maps)
One person wrote, "Kingsway bypass needs an arrow pointing to the left hand lane so drivers know they can use that one also."
Another said, "Road from Tuffley straight onto Kingsway bypass."
Are there any more roads in Gloucestershire that you think could do with looking at? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media channels.
Gloucestershire County Council
Tewkesbury
Quedgeley


A new law was introduced in June this year requiring horse, pony and donkey owners to microchip their animals to prevent abuse and improve welfare. This law will come into force on 1 October 2018.
Previous to this law only horses born since July 2005 had to be microchipped. The new law will require all horses to be microchipped irrespective of age.
Earlier this year RSCPA released figures that showed that they rescued around 1,000 horses in 2017, to highlight the issue of horses being fly-tipped or dumped, often in horrific conditions. A huge majority were not microchipped making it virtually impossible to trace the owners.
From October 2020 it will be mandatory for all owners to microchip their horses, ponies, and donkeys. The new Central Equine Database will then allow local authorities and police to track down the owners of dumped horses and make sure they are punished and the animals are given the care they deserve. It will also mean lost or stolen horses will be reunited with their owners more easily.
The Central Equine Database logs all domesticated horses, including those required to be microchipped by October 2020. This will offer a practical solution to the pressing animal welfare issues which arise when horses are abandoned, making it easier to rehome the animals more quickly and effectively.
Horse owners have until October 2020 to make sure that all horses are microchipped. This extra time will allow horse owners to combine microchipping with a routine visit to, or from, their vet with the procedure costing around £24 including VAT.
If horse owners do not microchip their horses by October 2020 they could face sanctions from their local authority including a compliance notice and, as a last resort, a fine of up to £200.
This is a huge advance for the UK's horses, ponies, and donkeys. It will not only enable irresponsible owners to be held properly accountable for the treatment of their animal, it will also aid in reuniting owners with lost or stolen horses and significantly supports the UK's efforts to protect our equines from disease outbreaks.
If you are unsure if your horse, pony or donkey is microchipped, please do not hesitate to contact our equine administrators who will be very happy to help on 01963 350307 ext 3.
…when you join the Healthy Horse Plan.
Save money and spread the cost of the routine preventative veterinary care for your horse!


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Lawmaker Model for bin Laden
Spaniard's Photo Used for bin Laden Poster
Lawmaker upset his face was model for new FBI image on al-Qaida leader
Gaspar Llamazares, a member of the Spanish parliament, looks at his picture published on a newspaper next to a picture of how Osama bin Laden might look like today, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010. (Photo credit: Javier Lizon / EPA)
MADRIDÂ — A Spanish lawmaker was horrified to learn that the FBI used an online photograph of him to create an image showing what Osama bin Laden might look like today.
The image using Gaspar Llamazares' photo appeared on a wanted poster updating the U.S. government's 1998 photo of the al-Qaida leader. …
The wanted poster appeared on the State Department Web site rewardsforjustice.net, listing a reward of up to $25 million. The FBI said the photo of bin Laden would be removed from the Web site.
Llamazares, former leader of the United Left party, was elected to Spain's parliament in 2000. The photograph of him used to make the wanted poster originally appeared on posters for his 2004 general-election campaign. …
A composite image shows Osama bin Laden in April 1998, left, and two digitally enhanced and aged images released Jan. 14, 2010 on the U.S. State Department's Web site rewardsforjustice.net showing what bin-Laden could look like today with a full beard and with his hair trimmed.
Llamazares said he has "no similarity, physically or ideologically" to bin Laden. They do share one trait — both are 52. …
Bin Laden, who is wanted in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, is believed to be hiding in the lawless Pakistan frontier bordering Afghanistan. His exact whereabouts have been unknown since late 2001, when he and some bodyguards slipped out of the Tora Bora mountains after evading air strikes, special forces and Afghan militias.
Related report on this site
Osama bin Laden Personality Profile
FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 16, 2009
Bachmann Sullies Minnesota
One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), talking about the recount in the Coleman-Franken U.S. Senate race in an interview on Fox News Channel's "FOX & Friends," besmirched the integrity of Minnesota's election system by alleging that "a lot of irregularities occurred during the voting process."
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One Response to "Lawmaker Model for bin Laden"
Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Tea Party Credibility Test Says:
January 17th, 2011 at 4:54 am
[…] Spanish Lawmaker Model for bin Laden […]


Of course it did. Of course.
In Namco's PlayStation VR title Summer Lesson, you interact with a schoolgirl as her summer tutor. The 12-years-old-and-up rated title is not an adults-only game. VR Kanojo, however, is.
The folks at adult PC game company Illusion are releasing a VR demo called VR Kanojo (VR Girlfriend) that looks kinda like Summer Lesson, but with freakishly big hands.
To see how they compare, here is Summer Lesson.
And here is VR Kanojo.
VR Kanojo even has Summer Lesson's head shaking mechanic!
Besides the obvious gap in graphics and hand size, the important difference is that VR Kanojo will have adults-only content. Oh, there's one more key difference: VR Kanojo is for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Noted!
VR Kanojo will be released in January 2017, while Summer Lesson was released today in Japan.