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Interview of Eric Weaver, Executive Director, Lenders for Community Development of San Jose, CA
Interviewed by Steve Dubb, Senior Research Associate, The Democracy Collaborative March 2008
Eric Weaver is the Founding Executive Director of Lenders for Community Development (which will be renamed "Opportunity Fund" in June 2008). The organization is based in San Jose, California, in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Lenders for Community Development (LCD) began in 1993 as a for-profit, multi-bank community development corporation. It was certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) by the US Department of Treasury in 1996. In 2000, LCD converted to a 501(c)(3) non-profit in order to facilitate partnerships with philanthropic investors. LCD operates programs in four areas: micro-lending, individual development accounts, affordable housing finance, and nonprofit community facilities finance. To date, LCD has made over 600 loans worth more than $8 million to support local microenterprise, 74 percent of which are to minority-business, 57 percent of which are to women-owned businesses and 88 percent of which are to low-income-owned businesses. LCD has also directed over $115 million in community investment into affordable housing and community facilities, and disbursed over $5.6 million to over 2,300 savers in individual development account matched savings funds.
Could you explain briefly the origins of Lenders for Community Development?
It came out of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), when Bill Clinton was first elected to office and CRA was starting to be enforced more strongly than it had been. Local banks were looking for ways to invest in low-income communities. The local community foundation, which is now the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, convened the local banks to discuss whether they could do something collaboratively. They put together a loose group. I was hired just out of business school to put together a lending consortium.
We initially created a for-profit multi-bank CDC with a focus on loans to small business and affordable housing. The goal was for banks to be able to make some (CRA-qualifying) loans that they might not be able to make on their own.
So I guess that answers where you got your initial capital from.
Our loan capital came from banks. And most of the operating dollars initially came from banks. Then we started to get funding from other funders, mainly for the micro-lending. We really launched the programs in 1995 and five years later we converted the organization into to a nonprofit. We did this for a couple of reasons. We realized that micro-lending would require continuing subsidy and the IDA program we launched in 1999 was entirely grant dependent. So we decided to convert it to a nonprofit.
What are some of the unique challenges of working in the Bay Area?
In many ways, we are very fortunate to be working in a place where there is a strong funding community and interest in the issues we work in. But there are challenges being in an area with such really high cost of living, especially housing, and pretty poor public transit. It is a difficult place to be poor. So it is a "good news, bad news" situation. We have a stronger employment base, but if you're in low wage employment or not employed, it's an extremely hard place to get by.
Another challenge is that it is a very multiethnic place with a lot of different cultures. You have to be pretty creative about who you partner with and be able to offer services in multiple languages. It can also be a challenge in terms of our cost structure. It's a more expensive place to do business. You pay more for rent and salaries, so it's hard to run as efficient an operation as you might in other parts of the country.
Your background as a community organizer with a Stanford MBA is a little unusual. Can you explain how this has background contributed to your work?
The background in community organizing turned out to be surprisingly helpful at the beginning of this process. We started out with 15 different banks that were all part of this effort who we were asking to cooperate with each other, even though they were all competing with each other in the market. My experience as a community organizer was as helpful if not more helpful than my MBA background. I had worked with low-income tenants and as a relief worker in El Salvador. This background was beneficial to help me figure out what partnerships made sense for us to bridge that gap between mainstream financial institutions and people who had not been comfortable with using those institutions.
You mentioned that you converted to a nonprofit to be able to accept grant money, but did this shift from for-profit to non-profit status bring any challenges?
Surprisingly few. There were a couple of reasons we started out as a for-profit. The main one was that the banks providing the capital understandably wanted to have a lot of control. They were really new at doing community investing. They weren't sure what they were getting into. As a shareholder, you own it. You have a lot of control. At that time, there was less familiarity with the concept of social enterprise and hybrid organizations. If we started out as a nonprofit it was feared that we might be seen as not caring if these loans didn't need to be repaid or that what we were doing wasn't a real business.
When we got a handle on what this was and when we got an IDA (Individual Development Account) program, it made sense to convert. By then the bank investors had more comfort that if you were a nonprofit you could still run a business-like operation. The banks gave up a little control. We did set ourselves up so that the banks are the members of the nonprofit. Major decisions need their approval and they also elect the board. But they were very comfortable with the transition. There was obviously an approval process with the Internal Revenue Service, but nothing that we weren't able to work out.
One of your organization's largest programs is your Individual Development Account (IDA) program. Am I correct that it is the nation's largest?
We have more enrollees and more graduates cumulatively than any other IDA program in the country. EARN in San Francisco has a similar number of active accounts and they are growing fast. We helped them get off the ground, and they are sort of a sister organization. We have the most historical information on savings patterns.
How has IDA program been funded?
It started out as a collaboration with the Center for Venture Philanthropy, which is part of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. They did most of the fundraising for the first 1,000 accounts. They raised private money and county money. Catholic charities help us get funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. And there was money from the federal program, AFIA (Assets for Independence Act). Once the Center for Venture Philanthropy finished its engagement, which we had anticipated from the beginning, we took over the lead role in fundraising. We have had a large grant from the Knight Foundation. We get an AFIA award every couple of years. We are working with United Way Silicon Valley to fund IDAs for single moms. We've also been able to use our earned income through the New Markets Tax Credit to generate matching funds for the IDA program, which is pretty unusual for an IDA program. Once people understand this, they really get invested in it. For instance, we are working with a person who on her own organized a donor circle to help raise money for the IDA program in San Mateo County.
What do you see as the role of advocacy for IDAs? What is needed in terms of funding to meet the demand?
To meet the demand, a lot would be needed. We're not an advocacy organization ourselves but we work very closely with groups working for that like CFED, New America, and the Asset Policy Initiative of California. We view our role as generating the outcomes and data to show why this is good public policy. We're involved in advocacy, but I wouldn't say we're leading the charge. I would say what is going to be needed is expansion of AFIA (Asset For Independence Act), changes to the rules (experiment to broader uses of matching funds, not just the three traditional uses – children's education, retirement accounts. Allow people to save for a family emergency fund. There is going to be an ongoing role for some kind of on-line vehicle for smaller donors to match the savings of IDA savers. I think that has a lot of promise.
Are there broader challenges, beyond needing more money, that the IDA field faces?
There is definitely an infrastructure challenge. It's a relatively complex program to operate. With no disrespect, the average social service agency might find it pretty daunting. If you have 1,000 active accounts and hundreds more open every year, and many withdrawals for asset purchases, and having controls to verify the money is going to where it is supposed to, it's pretty complicated. – CDFIs might have a bigger role to play as the field grows. Citibank is the only large bank playing a major role. There are others, but more need to jump in. As people in low- income communities have more access to technology, there can also be more use of technology in terms of getting statements, etc. I don't want to push the education to an on-line platform. That may be needed in some places, but I think face-to-face is more powerful.
At the end of the day, there is also an issue around trusting people to use the money wisely. This gets back to AFIA (Assets for Independence Act), where the money can only be used for three purposes (education, homeownership, or starting a small business). There are other things people need savings for – after receiving financial education and having saved dutifully for 2-3 years, we ought to trust them.
In Great Britain, their Child Savings Accounts have no restrictions on how you spend the money. We ought to look in that direction.
When Child Savings Accounts were proposed earlier this year in the presidential campaign, the concept developed a high level of opposition.
Part of this is due to a mistake in a speech by Senator Clinton where she overstated the cost of the program. But it's fascinating to see the kinds of things that emerge in opposition to this idea. Obviously, the cost is something we are concerned about. But the Federal government is subsidizing asset accumulation for 401k, preferential capital gains, mortgage deductions to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. AFIA is just a few million dollars. I find that argument hard to understand.
There was a bipartisan effort in California to introduce child savings accounts. What shot it down right out of the box was anti-immigration concern, that this would encourage people to come to California and have children. The Republican cosponsor backed off immediately. I thought this was crazy.
Your organization also operates a large micro-lending program. What do you see as the impact of these loans on community development?
We really look at that in a quite systematic way. We're using the Aspen Institute's "Microtest" methodology.
On an annual basis we do surveys of our customers. We look at what's happening at the business level and the individual level. We look at changes in revenue and net income, employment, whether or not health care is being provided, business retention, household income and wealth.
Do you target your lending for specific neighborhoods?
We have to feel it's a business that is not going to be eligible for conventional financing. We either lend to a family that is low or moderate income or to a business in a neighborhood that is low or moderate income that would provide services needed by that neighborhood. Sometimes, in partnership with a city or community-based effort we might target a certain neighborhood in our marketing, for instance. This might happen, for example, if someone is putting up a loan loss reserve for loans made in a particularly low-income neighborhood.
You've been known to say that micro-lending in the United States requires subsidy. What is a reasonable level of subsidy that should be expected?
We're not aware of a mission-based micro-lender in the United States that is able to cover all of their costs through income in the program. There are many reasons why it's more difficult here than in the developing world. First, it is either impossible because of legal barriers or frowned upon to charge the kind of interest rates that international microfinance charges. Right out of the box you have less income. Also, if you're willing to pay those kinds of interest rates, there is credit available in this country. So if I'm charging 40-50 percent interest, there are other ways people can get the money without having to spend time getting technical assistance from us and answering all of the questions we have.
Also, it typically has not worked in this country to do peer lending. I think that is cultural. I think that peer lending works in villages where there is deep knowledge of your neighbors. Here people move around and keep to themselves more. When you can't use peer lending you have to do old-fashioned underwriting. That drives up your costs.
Another issue is concentration of borrowers. In a lot of developing countries, you have a higher percentage of people who are self-employed. You can quickly sign up borrowers. Here you have got to market. There is a lot of noise – a lot of other kinds of credit available. It's costly to get to the customers.
Doing business in this country is also more complicated and more regulated than in the developing world. So there is a higher need for technical assistance, which can also drive up costs.
So, it is more challenging economically to scale it and make it pay for itself. We see the same kinds of positive impacts on household wellbeing, wealth and income. The argument I make is that maybe it is not appropriate to measure U.S. micro-lenders by comparing them with international micro-lenders, but instead we should compare micro-lending to other things we do to help people improve their economic circumstances, such as job training, affordable housing, and community colleges. I'm not denigrating any of these things. I'm just saying maybe it's a better comparison point. What we run into all of the time is someone who knows international micro-lending and thinks it's so cool that it can make a profit and then declares that since micro- lending doesn't make a profit in the United States, U.S. micro-lending doesn't work. If profitability is the only criterion, then job training doesn't work, affordable housing doesn't work. All of these things require philanthropic or governmental subsidy to do what they do.
What amount of subsidy is required to make micro-lending in the United States work?
If you're lending in a high-cost area, you're going to need more subsidy than in a low-cost area. There are two measures that get used a lot. One is called the "cost" rate – the dollars you spend per dollar under management. So if you have a portfolio of $1 million, how many dollars do you spend in a year to manage that? Rates in this country range – ours is between 30 and 40 cents. You might have a small number that have a more efficient cost rate than us, such as Acción Texas and Acción New York. They focus less on technical assistance. But you need to look at a lot of variables such as where are you lending, how much add on service (or technical assistance) you are providing and, how much risk you're taking on.
The other measure is the self-sufficiency ratio–that is, what percentage do you generate through earned income? We're not aware of a program that is at 100 percent. Some would claim to be up in the 70s and 80s. You need to be careful and look under the hood and see what costs are being included. There isn't a magic number there.
Someday there may be an organization with franchisees that provide the exact same services throughout the country. Then you could compare apples to apples.
Your organization also operates an affordable housing and community facilities lending program and has used New Markets Tax Credit to support some of your larger projects. Could you explain briefly how you were able to access New Markets monies and how they have assisted with financing specific projects?
The New Market Tax Credit provides a tax credit to investors that provide funds for loans or equity investments in business that are working in low-income communities, it could be for- profit or nonprofit businesses. We've focused on nonprofit community facility projects. It's new. It's got a lot of regulations. It's pretty complex. The cost in terms of legal and accounting fees you need to pay to do a deal tend to drive practitioners to do larger projects. Because of the baseline fixed costs for lawyer and accountants, if you tried to do a $500,000 project, you would eat up the subsidy in fees. It has also tended to be used more for real estate than working capital type loans. It's a place-based program. If you make a loan to a business, there is a concern that it could move. A building can't move, so that gives people more comfort. It's tended to be used mostly for commercial real estate, either for-profit or nonprofit.
It has certainly allowed us to do some larger projects that have had a transformative effect on neighborhoods.
Could you discuss an example, such as the National Hispanic University project?
The NHU was the first NM project in the Bay Area. We provided a loan to finance a new campus building for a nonprofit community based university whose mission is to educate low- income Latino students. It was operating out of an old elementary school and bursting at the seams. It was not able to provide a quality experience from a facilities point of view. They were able to fundraise quite a bit of grant money but not enough. But we were able to provide a low- interest loan over seven years. It gives them seven years to raise the rest of the money. Once they do refinance there will be money left over at the end. We will share some of that with the university in the form of a grant. So this will help them build the endowment and strengthen their financial bottom line.
More broadly, could you comment on how Lenders for Community Development seeks to coordinate its IDA, micro-lending, and community development finance activities so that they support each other?
We feel it all coheres from a mission standpoint – to improve the economic wellbeing of working people by giving them the means and the know-how to invest in their own future. So that really starts with affordable housing and other services that people might need to stabilize themselves economically. That's why we do the real estate lending and community facilities such as child care. We provide access to financial education and a place to save. We work so that it doesn't cost you money to save and through the IDA program give low-income people an incentive to save. Low-income people, since they pay little income tax, they don't have much of an incentive to save. They don't have the same incentive that upper income people have. We also provide access to appropriate credit – appropriate versus predatory credit – so they can use it productively.
How much do the programs work in tandem? We have had a good bit of overlap with IDA savers using IDA savings plus a loan to start a business. There are certainly been some neighborhoods such as in east San Jose where we provided all three types of service and feel we've had some impacts.
What are your priorities going forward?
We're in the middle of that discussion. The big tension for us is achieving greater scale without sacrificing impact. And to what extent we want to place priority on one or other. We're leaning on the side of impact. So if you have to choose between doubling the number of people we serve versus really having a transformational impact, we would go towards the latter. It's hard to talk about an overall organizational goal, but by programs: with IDAs we want to expand the uses so it is something that brings the opportunity to save to a broader universe of people as well as broadening the universe of people who support it by donating through an online platform.
With micro-loans, there we are focused on scale. There are real efficiencies that can be gained by going to 500 loans a year versus the 200 we are at.
If you had to choose three accomplishments of your work that you are most proud of, what would be?
I would say being part of proving that low wage workers can save and use money responsibly, whether it is saved or borrowed, use money in a productive way. I would say pioneering a model that relies on private sector dollars to do microfinance in the US. The last one is having created a healthy high performing organization where people with high ideals can put them into action and have a satisfying career.
Shifting gears and thinking nationally, obviously there has been tremendous growth in CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) since Lenders for Community Development was founded in 1993. What do you see as most important changes brought about by the growth CDFIs?
It's a whole new way to invest in working communities. Prior to the dawn of the CDFI you were going to have a purely private sector approach and start businesses and hopefully that would trickle down to everybody or government income supports. The CDFI is kind of a hybrid where you are providing financing but it is very much targeted at benefiting the low-income sector of the community. It's not waiting for the trickle-down. Using business principles. It opens up a lot more avenues – try to bring more economic opportunity and economic justice. It doesn't replace the traditional means. It's just another vehicle.
CDFIs have grown in strength even during this decade, in a period of generally declining federal support for community development. How? What impact has declining federal support had for your work?
Federal support is not the only driver. As the industry develops more capacity, you may have faster growth, independent. In our case, federal CDFI funds had a really transformational effect in terms of our confidence to invest in growth and our capacity to take on more growth. I think CDFIs can keep growing with or without, but they will grow a lot faster with it. I think it's a good investment in resources.
I think it should also be noted that CDFI funding hasn't declined as much as some areas. That reflects a bipartisan agreement that this is a good way to use federal dollars.
Another area, which involves not declining federal support, but rather federal financial deregulation, has led to the rise of a predatory lending industry that strips away the assets and wealth that community development groups try to build. How has Lenders for Community Development and the communities you serve been affected by the foreclosure crisis? At the level of policy, what do you think can be accomplished in this area?
Payday lending, the big thing is that they found a way to get around usury laws. They got all of their interest charges considered to be fees, which is unfortunate. The credit card industry is a great example. There is more and more creative financial wizardry. Now credit card companies can make money off of customers who don't pay all of their bills because they have assessed them so may fees that by the time the customer declares bankruptcy, the company has already made money off of them.
In terms of policy, I am not one who feels that credit is inherently a good thing. A lot of these predatory lenders hide behind you're giving people access to credit, but if it's a bad loan that they foreclose on, that's not a good deal.
Re-introducing usury laws and capping the fees payday lenders charge is definitely in order. We definitely need to extend safety and soundness regulations to non-bank mortgage lenders. The idea they could make loans without documenting whether people have the ability to repay is crazy.
I see no downside to dramatically regulating the credit industry. Not that it will happen. Banks are also getting into this with overdraft charges.
Are there specific areas where CDFIs need to focus their efforts to better develop capacity?
Mortgage lending. CDFIs are going to be less likely to go down the same road again, which the private sector, after a few years of caution, will. I'd love to see especially community development credit unions grow – they are the best suited to provide alternative credit loans and combat predatory consumer lending.
What do you see as the most important challenges or opportunities facing CDFIs today? Where should the CDFI movement be focusing its energies over the next 5-10 years?
We're in the midst of what is going to be one of the biggest periods of stripping away of wealth from low- and moderate-income households in a long time. CDFIs need to rededicate themselves to programs and products that can begin to turn that around. That includes financial education so that people learn not to do that again. It's alternative products. It's advocacy. One of the soapboxes I'm on these days is that we really need to rethink and revisit our national obsession with home ownership. Certainly a lot of what has happened recently has to do with a lot of bad actors. I think what made it easy for these bad actors to take things as far as they did is this notion that home ownership is the Holy Grail and something everybody should have. I'd love for everyone to own a home if it was beneficial to them, but the reality is homeownership is quite risky even in the best of times. The real estate market is far more volatile than other markets. Given the effects that low-income people don't really enjoy the home mortgage interest deduction, it's not clear that this is best for them. CDFIs have been supporter of permanently affordable rental housing. It is much more efficient use of public dollars to provide safe and decent housing. Some of us have lost site of this. This whole asset building movement is too fixated on home ownership. That's the single most important asset building opportunity you can give somebody – housing is your biggest expense, then they can save enough to do homeownership responsibly. We need to be doing that debate.
What about shared equity such as land trusts or limited-equity cooperatives?
Land trusts are certainly worthwhile, but I am less supportive of limited equity cooperatives. I used to develop limited equity cooperatives. I never saw what the big deal was. I see it as all of the responsibilities of homeownership with none of the potential upside. Rental housing run by a mission driven nonprofit that is well organized and capitalized is actually a better opportunity for most people. With limited equity cooperatives, do people do better than having their money in a security deposit? I hear a lot of talk about it these days, but I want to see models that show they really provide significant economic benefit for people to justify the complexity.
interview-weaver.pdf


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Abdul Fakir
singer, R&B, hall of fame
Abdul "Duke" Fakir
84, 23 days after his birthday
Capricorn ♑ - the Sea-Goat - people born December 23 through January 20
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Tenor, group The Four Tops Hit Parade Hall of Fame 2009 as a member of The Four Tops.
NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame 1992 as a member of The Four Tops.
Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame 2013 as a member of The Four Tops.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1990 as a member of The Four Tops.
SoulMusic Hall of Fame 2013 as a member of The Four Tops.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame 1999 as a member of The Four Tops.
Hollywood Walk of Fame:
A star at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard as a member of The Four Tops for contributions to the recording industry; ceremony: 23 April 1997.
See the page at Hollywood Walk of Fame for more information.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Bed and Breakfast on two levels with view to the seafront of Stintino. All four rooms are double/twin rooms and have the possibility of adding a child´s bed. The common area where breakfast is served is located on the first floor while the rooms on the street level.
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Issue 4 of The Merseysider magazine has an article by Lee Ruddin on Eleanor Roosevelt's historic visit to the city of Liverpool during World War Two. Here is an extended version of the article.
The Normandy Landings were arguably one of the great turning points of World War Two. Merseyside played a significant role in the success of Operation Overlord, yet it remains a region often overlooked in the historical record. Jules Hudson's recent BBC series could have put right this wrong when illuminating the extraordinary things ordinary folks did, but How We Won the War underwhelmed as Hudson likewise overlooked events surrounding the First Lady's visit to inspect American GIs in the "Second City of Empire".
When it comes to morale-boosting acts, ordinary Americans did extraordinary things on Merseyside, which led one extraordinary American – Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of war-time President, Franklin – to do a very ordinary thing and tour the area on an inspirational trip in November 1942. The significance of the US presence on Merseyside, and its concomitant effect on the morale of Merseysiders, cannot be overstated. As such, it is the aim of this article to illuminate Americans' unique contribution to the war effort and, in a very small way, honour the debt we Brits owe our transatlantic cousins.
Let us start with the Blitz.
Thanks to its seven miles of quays and 130 individual docks, the port of Liverpool was able to provide a vital link in the Allied supply chain in the war against the Axis Powers. While it was inevitable that Merseysiders would pay a price for this role, none could have predicted the events of 1941 and the "May Week" Blitz when the Luftwaffe did its inhumane best: four boroughs of Merseyside were bombed for seven successive nights, resulting in 3,966 deaths.
The number of places of entertainment, such as cinemas and pubs, formerly so numerous, was dramatically reduced; the only increase came in the amount of dispossessed persons as well as the number of scavenging cats and rats. This was, to be sure, the city's darkest hour: never before in Liverpool's then 650-year history had the morale of its inhabitants been so sorely tested. It was no surprise the authors of a Home Intelligence Report concluded that the city had 'a depressed and sordid atmosphere'.
Readers would be forgiven for thinking it was the havoc wrought by the Blitz that caused morale to sap; one author did, after all, compare the aerial assaults with the 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Yet, as bad as being 'Guerniced' was, the neglect of anonymity had a far greater demoralising effect. Local folk, in truth, felt more aggrieved by newspapers and radio broadcasters taking little notice of their plight, referring to Merseyside under the general heading of the "North West" and preferring instead to dedicate column inches and airtime to Metropolitan affairs.
The gap between leaders and the led had widened to such an extent that a member of the public was overheard by a Mass Observation reporter arguing in favour of surrendering to the Nazi juggernaut. A stimulus to recovery was desperately needed in 1942, given that 'there was no power [or] drive left in Liverpool to counterattack the Luftwaffe' at the close of 1941.
The stimulus came in the form of short visits from US officials and long ones from American GIs, which culminated in Eleanor Roosevelt's in November 1942. The turning point in Anglo-American relations, when these transformed into the "special relationship", occurred when John Winant replaced the isolationist Joseph Kennedy as American Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Committed to establishing the closest possible relationship between Whitehall and Washington, Winant toured Britain and received the warmest of welcomes in Liverpool, which he visited on 26 November 1941. Like Republican presidential nominee Wendell Wilkie earlier in the year, Winant went out and about, viewing the working docks and inspecting the damage done to the dockside. Wilkie's visit to an East End air raid shelter caused those sheltering to sing "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow"; it is not beyond the realms of possibility that dockers likewise broke into song when Winant reassured them that they would 'soon be seeing the Old Stars and Stripes coming across,' courtesy of the Lend-Lease Agreement.
Talking of the Lend-Lease Agreement, perhaps the most significant visitors were a detachment of the US Army Engineer Corps. The first American troops to be seen in the city since World War I, they were a sight for sore eyes – not only for those living through exceptionally heavy bombing raids but also for Royal Engineer personnel – when, on Sunday 4 May 1941, they manned huge mechanical excavators to clear away the rubble onto waiting trucks and assisted in getting the city back up and running ahead of the working week.
The war seemed particularly grim in early 1942: German bombers continued to batter British cities and U-Boats continued to sink Allied shipping at the rate of half a million tons a month. The Minister of Information, Brendan Bracken, told one newspaper editor in March that 'the Government is very disturbed about the low morale in the country, and particularly in the Army, but has no idea what to do.' Bracken had little to worry about, though, since American GIs were Britain-bound. The Japanese had attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 and by Spring '42 Merseysiders, in the throes of depression and austerity, welcomed this friendly invasion from across the Atlantic as a breath of much-needed hope.
From the moment when the train bearing Mrs Roosevelt pulled into Paddington Station on 23 October 1942, the news of her arrival spread rapidly across the land. Vast swathes of Britain rejoiced as out of the coach stepped America's First Lady, but it would be another fortnight before she set foot in the "Second City of Empire".
Churchill recognised Roosevelt's role in raising the morale of the troops based on Merseyside yet even he could not have foreseen that civilian men would be so taken with her boundless energy and inexhaustible interest when visiting the vast Stanley Dock. The Tobacco Warehouse was the largest brick building in the world at the time and was used throughout the war as a storage depot by the US Army. Dockers who worked under the supervision of American officers remember fondly her touring the huge floors in a jeep and stopping to learn all that she could about the "Home Front".
Upholding morale on Merseyside was important since it helped to maintain full-scale war production and there is little doubt that the US presence in Liverpool, a highpoint of which was Eleanor Roosevelt's visit of seventy years ago, assisted Merseysiders in their ability to prosecute the war and play a key role, especially in relation to Pluto (the fuel-pipe project) and Mulberries (artificial harbours), in the Normandy Landings.
I wish to dedicate this article to my grandmother and "pal", Dorothy Flanagan, who never fails to boost my own morale.


text:
O padrão do governo local na Inglaterra é complexo, com a distribuição das funções variando de acordo com as modalidades locais. A legislação relativa à administração local, na Inglaterra, é decidido pelo Parlamento e Governo do Reino Unido, porque a Inglaterra não tem um parlamento descentralizado.

Subdivisões

Funções e poderes

† = na prática, algumas funções têm lugar a um nível estratégico por comissões conjuntas

eo:Loka regado kaj administrado en Britio
es:Organización territorial del Reino Unido

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We'll say it: Fabric's Cell Elite Saddle doesn't look much like most of the saddles on Competitive Cyclist. It it gel Is it squishy Both were questions we had when we first took a look at it, and we can answer that yes, it is somewhat squishy, but no, it's not made of gel. We can also say that like everything newcomer Fabric has given us thus far, the Cell Elite delivers striking modern aesthetics and simple functionality that belies its accessible price. Grab one now if your commuter saddle isn't cutting it and see what we're so excited about. Fabric built the Cell Elite for commuters, correctly assuming that their needs are different than those of recreational and competitive cyclists. Commuters generally occupy a more upright position, so Fabric shaped the Cell Elite to a more forgiving 155mm width to accommodate that distinction. Cell cushioning that squishy material that so surprises cyclists long accustomed to rigid race shelves uses air spring technology to add support and relief without absorbing every last bit of energy you're trying to put in the pedals. Fabric borrowed the tech from the running industry, so if you pound pavement when you're not on your bike, you'll understand the springy feeling Fabric hopes to achieve in the Cell Elite. Solid steel rails, a durable nylon shell, and a waterproof rubber cover round out this worthwhile investment in your commuting setup.
Your browser isn't supported for displaying eBay items. Go to eBay to search for Fabric Cell Elite Saddle.


text:
The 2017 World's Best Awards
By Melanie Lieberman July 11, 2017
Coron, Busuanga island, Palawan province, Philippines
It's a big world out there — so many destinations to visit, so many ways to get there, so many places to stay. How to choose?
Answering that question is the aim of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards, the annual survey where we invite you, our trusted, globetrotting readers, to rate your recent trips to identify the leaders shaping travel today.
This is the 22nd edition of World's Best, with more than 300,000 respondents submitting ratings in categories ranging from cities and hotels to airlines, cruise ships, and destination spas.
Readers shared their opinions on various characteristics. When it came to cities, for example, they could rate characteristics like sites/landmarks, food, shopping, and the friendliness of locals. And when it came time to domestic and international airports, they were asked to rate access, check-in/security, restaurants/bars, shopping, and design.
As always, the results surprise, delight, and inspire. (For more details about how the survey was conducted, check out our methodology.)
Thanks to everyone who took the time to participate, and congratulations to all the 2017 winners, who are listed below.
Top 15 Cities Overall
Top 15 Cities in the United States
Top Cities in Canada
Top 15 Cities in Europe
Top 10 Cities in Asia
Top Cities in Africa and the Middle East
Top 10 Cities in Mexico and Central and South America
Top Cities in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
10 Best Islands in the World
10 Best Islands in the Continental US
15 Best Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and The Bahamas
10 Best Islands in Asia
10 Best Islands in Europe
Best Islands in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Best Islands in Canada
Best Islands in Hawaii
Best Islands in Mexico and Central and South America
Best Islands in Africa and the Middle East
Top 15 Hotel Brands
100 Best Hotels in the World
Top 15 City Hotels in the United States
Top 15 Resort Hotels in the United States
Top 10 Resort Hotels in the Northeast
Top 10 City Hotels in Chicago
Top Resort Hotels in Midwest
Top 10 City Hotels in Washington D.C.
Top 10 Hotels in New York City
Top 10 Hotels in Greater L.A.
Top 10 Hotels in Charleston
Top 10 Resort Hotels in the South
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Florida
Top 10 Resort Hotels in California
Top 10 Resort Hotels in the West
Top 15 Resort Hotels in Hawaii
Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas
Top 25 Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and The Bahamas
Top City Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Top Resort Hotels in the South Pacific
Top Resort Hotels in Australia and New Zealand
Top 10 City Hotels in Asia
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Asia
Top Hotels in Beijing
Top Hotels in Hong Kong
Top Hotels in Shanghai
Top Hotels in Tokyo
Top Hotels in Singapore
Top Resort Hotels in India
Top Resort Hotels in Indonesia
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Southeast Asia
Top 10 City Hotels in North Africa and the Middle East
Top Resort Hotels in North Africa and the Middle East
Top 10 Safari Lodges in Africa
Top Resort Hotels in Africa
Top City Hotels in Africa
Top 15 City Hotels in Europe
Top 15 Resort Hotels in Europe
Top 10 Hotels in Paris
Top Hotels in Rome
Top Hotels in Venice
Top Hotels in Florence
Top 10 Hotels in London
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Italy
Top 10 Resort Hotels in France
Top Resort Hotels in Greece
Top Resort Hotels in the UK and Ireland
Top Resort Hotels in Spain and Portugal
Top 10 City Hotels in Canada
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Canada
Mexico, Central and South America
Top City Hotels in Mexico
Top 10 City Hotels in Central and South America
Top 10 Resort Hotels in Mexico
Top Resort Hotels in Central America
Top Resort Hotels in South America
Top 10 International Airlines
Top Rental Car Companies
Top 10 International Airports
Top 10 Domestic Airports
Top 10 Best Tour Operators
Top 10 Best Safari Outfitters
Top River Cruise Lines
Top Small-ship Ocean Cruise Lines
Top Midsize-ship Ocean Cruise Lines
Top 10 Large-ship Ocean Cruise Lines
Top 10 Mega-ship Ocean Cruise Lines
Destination Spas
Top 10 Domestic Destination Spas
Top 10 International Destination Spas


FireEye is improving its ability to detect unknown malware and attacks with the new MalwareGuard machine learning technology that is integrated in its Endpoint Security 4.5 release.
FireEye announced the addition of its new MalwareGuard machine learning capability for endpoint threat detection to the FireEye Endpoint Security 4.5 update on July 31.
The MalwareGuard feature provides organizations with a new method to autonomously detect and classify malware. MalwareGuard complements behavior-based ExploitGuard, signature-based MalwareProtection and intelligence-based IOC detection capabilities in FireEye Endpoint Security.
"MalwareGuard really provides another added level of protection against both known and unknown attacks, and it's a result of a multiyear research project where we've trained the system on unique real-world public and private data," John Laliberte, senior vice president of engineering at FireEye, told eWEEK.
The machine learning behind MalwareGuard is able to make predictions on potential malware without the need for human involvement, he said.
"The way we think about MalwareGuard technology is that it automates and reduces the time from when a new threat is discovered and it eliminates the human component of the analysis, allowing for automatic protection," Laliberte said.
The use of machine learning to help detect malware is not a new idea, though Laliberte said the approach that FireEye took in building the MalwareGuard engine is different.
"We focused on building autonomous mechanisms that really identify and predict what the actual intent of the adversary behavior is," he said. "Through our research project, we proved that we can train machines to identify attacks on a large majority of cases, when using our unique data that predicts the intent of the adversary tools, as well or better than our human experts."
During the research phase to build the MalwareGuard engine, FireEye used between 3,000 and 5,000 systems in parallel, with over 20,000 compute cores, to produce the model. The data that the model trained on was also highlighted by Laliberte, as it was taken from FireEye sensors as well from incident response investigations.
"Our people have been on the front lines discovering the new threats and figuring out how other technologies were bypassed," he said. "In addition, we have managed services and what they do is label a lot of the data for us, which is actually one of the hardest problems to solve."
Many modern attacks are not just simple malware payloads; they often involve multiple steps in an attack chain. The combination of detection engines and the various points at which FireEye examines process on the endpoint helps to detect multistage attacks, Laliberte said. He added that the MalwareGuard machine learning engine is invoked at various points on an endpoint, including initial execution as well as post-execution actions.
Part of the FireEye Endpoint Security 4.5 suite is the Helix security operations platform, which will also benefit from the MalwareGuard model. With Helix, an organization can identify that a given piece of malware is present in different parts of an organization, and distributed remediation actions can be executed.
Looking forward, Laliberte said FireEye will continue to build out capabilities on the Endpoint Security platform.
"You'll see significant improvements in prevention, investigation, detection and response across the board," he said. "We're really looking to enable the Helix platform to make it very simple for customers to go from alert to fix, tying together all the information."


The IMF's in its 'World Economic Outlook' have identified Emerging Market and Developing Country GDP growth rates at more than 5% over the next 2-3 years, while at the same time projecting 3% for the US and Europe at almost flat.
In sub-Sahara Africa (excluding South Africa), the challenges and opportunities for payments services and implementation can be equally challenging. The market is ripe for those who seek a non-saturated market as less than a quarter of the population have a bank account. SMS and other mobile payments are very attractive as the same population has a very high penetration rate of mobile phones.
The same risk/reward paradigm exists in Latin America, and not only in Brasil, which has climbed to the sixth largest economy in the world. Cash and bank transfers account for 70% of e-commerce payments and card penetration rates are less than 10% for the region as a whole. Interesting work is being undertaken in the mobile space and 'host to host' services for corporate payments processing. SMS payments still pose a risk to many providers because of security in these countries. However, advances are coming with the development of smartphone applications and accessories that allow even the smallest merchants to forgo needing secondary dataphone devices. EMV and other cardless methods are also taking hold as well, as originally reported by Payment Magnates.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria and Zambia, which are two of the fastest growing economies in the African region, check processing is becoming easier with the adoption of imaging solutions. The blending of these new and old methods are showing that the emerging markets can breathe new life into fading payment methods, and at the same time help them teach mature markets a few new tricks.


When considering the dangers associated with your average principal, the most significant threats are most probable to manifest themselves while in transit. Additionally, if you were to research incidents on protected individuals, you will find the majority of attacks occur in or within close proximity to their vehicle. This being the case, vehicle security is paramount and should be heavily reflected in your training hours, research, protective intelligence, etc.
In order to justify the case further and use published statistics, let's consider the most commonly ambushed demographic on US soil, our Law Enforcement. The DOJ, FBI and IACP provide data on violent ambushes on law enforcement officers, in which the average encounter lasts about three seconds. However, the average response to the threat is over five seconds. Keep in mind this is the average response of trained law enforcement officers. As you may be able to conclude, the rest of us who are limited by having to pay out of pocket for training should spend our time and training dollars effectively in order to be more prepared for such a probable attack methodology.
So the next question is, "How can we train in order to reduce that reactionary gap?" By training awareness, and more appropriately how to be aware, what to be aware of and the need to avoid complacency. To that end, in our training programs, we cover topics such as Behavioral Analysis, Human Factors and Counter-Surveillance. These topics are a critical component to employing awareness and proactive measures to reduce these risks and reduce reaction time. We discuss things such as identifying armed individuals through body language and clothing indicators as well as "Pre-Attack" indicators, like assaultive body language, biometrics and kinesics. Knowing these can make the difference of a two second reaction time, to a 3 second reaction time which will keep you off of the 'X' and ensure you and your principal go home that night.
If you find yourself in a vehicle ambush, you should look no further than to the U.S. Military for an answer. While vehicle ambushes are relatively rare in CONUS+, they are most commonly experienced by our military forces who therefore have the strongest reason for developing a solution to this problem. Their training and equipment has been designed to meet and exceed this challenge, so let's try to learn from their experiential knowledge and skip learning it the hard way. "Get off the X" or "Driving out of the Kill Zone" is as simple as it can be. An ambush will always put you at the disadvantage; you will not have a say in where you get attacked. Exiting your vehicle to counter the ambush is not preferred as you remain in the kill zone. Driving off the X or even using your car as a weapon is going to be a much more effective solution in most cases.
A very vulnerable time of being in transit is when you are staged, standing by or waiting for your principal. Not only could an attack occur directed at you or because of simple association with the vehicle but this is where the plan of an impending attack can be developed. When selecting a staging area, ideally you should select a secure location where unknowns cannot approach your vehicle. At least, you should select a location in which you can be vigilant of the immediate area, scanning for potential threats and aware of any surveillance or intel gathering activities. Scan parking lots and intersections as you enter them and always have an escape plan, parking your vehicle for a rapid exit.
Try to avoid using the same routes to and from a destination, particularly if this is a daily commute. This effort should be stressed while driving home or back to where you came from after a public event or any time when your principal's location was published.
Remember to leave space between your vehicle and those around you. (a good rule of thumb is to ensure you can see where the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you contact the road) Whenever it is possible to do so, avoid letting someone approach you while you are sitting in your vehicle. This is tricky in some regions where drivers can be less courteous, such as NYC or Boston, etc. Be especially cautious when cars stop suddenly in front of you. When someone exits their vehicle, pay attention to the first thing they look at as well as if they leave their door open. These be behavioral cues could be assist in identifying their intentions, whether they are planning on attacking you and running back to their car or just shaking off a spider.
Lastly, and on a side note: Use Your Seatbelt!


text:
class UNIX_SecurityServiceUsesAccountFixture :
	public CIMFixtureBase
{
public:
	UNIX_SecurityServiceUsesAccountFixture();
	~UNIX_SecurityServiceUsesAccountFixture();
	virtual void Run();

};


On 22 May the first JETAA Midlands Japanese-Themed Board Gaming Social took place at Ludorati in Nottingham.
It was conceived as a joint event including both JETAA Midlands and students of the Japanese Society from Nottingham University to promote participation in the JET Programme. The idea was to create an informal atmosphere where the participants could mix, play some games and the students would also be able to ask about what it's actually like to participate in the programme.
Ludorati is a fantastic, modern board gaming café in the centre of Nottingham that has a library of over 800 games for customers to play. A special selection of these were recommended to the group, including games called Hanabi, Takenoko and Machi Koro, to add a strong Japanese theme to the whole evening.
For those who had never played anything beyond Monopoly it was an eye-opening introduction to a whole new world of games. Luckily, help was on hand teach people how to play and get everybody involved.
JETAA members were also joined by some of the regular gamers from the café who had an interest in Japan and it proved a great chance for a two-way exchange of knowledge as the regulars showed off the games and JETs provided some Japanese context. Soon everybody was having fun and playing some great games.
"During my time in Shiga Prefecture as an ALT I frequently used games in my classes to help teach my students and I also organised board gaming socials for the JETs in my block. For me, board games and the JET experience became inextricably linked."
"So, when I got into a conversation with Rob Gorton about Midlands JETAA events and promoting the JET Programme, it looked like a perfect chance to combine two of my biggest passions again – board games and Japan."
Acting as the main representative of the Japanese Society students, Akiharu Kitagawa, came armed with a selection of questions about the JET Programme which Rob Gorton did a fantastic job of fielding. Hopefully, this will have inspired some of the students to join the program and proudly represent the UK on the JET Programme in the coming years.
Following strong feedback from this first Board Games Social there are already plans to run more events with Ludorati in the future. Akiharu also expressed a strong interest in linking in the Japanese society again as well.


Negative Supercharging ignition timing uses a revolutionary new advance curve that produces the following performance improvements in street engines from standard, performance to towing.
The unique feature of the Negative Supercharging advance curve is that it gradually increases the ignition timing to maximum advance from idle to peak rpm compared to conventional advance curves that immediately increase the ignition timing to maximum advance from idle.
We developed the Negative Supercharging advance curve to maximise power and prevent pre-ignition (pinging) with the faster burn produced by Negative Pressure Supercharging. After extensive testing with low and high octane fuel we determined the maximum ignition advance our supercharged 6 and V8 engines will tolerate before pre-ignition (pinging) at full throttle from idle to peak rpm with 35°C (95°F) outside air temperatures. We also finely tuned this unique advance curve on the dyno by determining the optimum ignition advance that produced the maximum power from idle to peak rpm. We discovered that more or less than 25° advance from idle to midrange reduced power and the more ignition advance produced by conventional advance curves from midrange to peak rpm also reduced power even if pre-ignition (pinging) was not audible.
We developed the Negative Supercharging advance curve in 1993 to maximise power and prevent pre-ignition (pinging) with the faster burn produced by Negative Pressure Supercharging. However, we found this new advance curve also improves power and eliminates pre-ignition (pinging) in street engines from standard, performance to towing. We introduced the Negative Supercharging advance curve as a new product in 2004. Our History explains why we waited 11 years.


text:
Q: Weird Symbols when connecting to windows througth SSH on java (Jsch) I am trying to execute a command in windows XP with Jsch Shell channel, but for some reason i get weird symbols in my System.out stream and the commands cannot be executed, the code that i use  for connect is this:
this.session = jsch.getSession(this.login, this.host);

Properties properties = new Properties();
properties.put("StrictHostKeyChecking", "no");
session.setPassword(this.password);
session.setConfig(properties);

session.connect(30000);

channel =(ChannelShell) session.openChannel("shell");

PipedInputStream pip = new PipedInputStream(40);
channel.setInputStream(pip);
channel.setOutputStream(System.out);

PipedOutputStream pop = new PipedOutputStream(pip);
print = new PrintStream(pop);
channel.connect();

Then i get The following message:
[1;1HMicrosoft Windows XP [Versi�n 5.1.2600][2;1H(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.[4;1HC:\Documents and Settings\diego\Escritorio>[4;44H

And when i try to call a cd C:\MyFolder\ then another command (all tested from a ssh client and works) i gen more weird symbols and dont get the results of my commands, What can be the problem? Following is the commands that i send and the result:
exec.print.println("cd C:\\MyFolder\\");
exec.print.println("some other command");

result:
[1;1HMicrosoft Windows XP [Versi�n 5.1.2600][2;1H(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.[4;1HC:\Documents and Settings\diego\Escritorio>[4;44H[4;1HC:\Documents and Settings\diego\Escritorio>c[4;58H[4;1HC:\Documents and Settings\diego\Escritorio>cd C:\MyFolder\[4;58H[4;46H[4;58H[4;47H[4;58H[4;48H[4;58H[4;49H[4;58H[4;50H[4;58H[4;51H[4;58H[4;52H[4;58H[4;53H[4;58H[4;54H[4;58H[4;55H[4;58H[4;56H[4;58H[4;57H[4;58H

I am using a FreeSShd in windows xp and the program runs on Ubuntu, i use ssh in my console and works with the windows XP, i am trying to implement it in my java program, thanks for any help.

A: This is an encoding problem plus a lack of terminal emulation.
The SSH daemon expects to talk to a device that understands terminal control sequences (the [1;1H string, which is actually preceded by an ESC character).  Your program does not provide terminal emulation, so you see the raw escape sequences.
The diamond/question-mark character indicates that the font you are using doesn't contain the character sent by the server.  In this case it may be an accented character.

A: Have you tried direct ssh? If direct ssh works, then its jsch. Try jsch with a linux based ssh server. If jsch works then it is FreeSshd issue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Veda in the news
$33.5 Million in Business Development Financing Approved by VEDA
May 25, 2010 5:31:35 AM
MONTPELIER, VT – The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has approved $33.5 million in financing assistance to Vermont businesses undertaking commercial and manufacturing expansion projects throughout the state. Also included is financing to support agricultural, real estate development, and business technology projects.
"VEDA is pleased to offer financing support to these projects," said VEDA Chief Executive Officer Jo Bradley. "Jobs are being retained or created in a variety of economic sectors, and that is good news for Vermont."
Projects approved by the Authority for financing assistance are:
Central Vermont Public Service Corporation, Rutland –A total of $30 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bond (RZFB) financing was given final approval by the Authority to support the $48.7 million in planned infrastructure upgrades by Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS). The low-interest, tax-exempt federal bond financing was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (a.k.a. the Stimulus Act). In May of this year, VEDA gave inducement approval for $25 million in bond financing for the CVPS project; an additional $5 million in eligible project costs have been approved since then. Vermont's largest utility, CVPS operates in 13 of the state's counties and employs 530 people. Over the next two years, CVPS plans to install and upgrade distribution and transmission lines. Improvements and upgrades are also planned to distribution and transmission substations and hydro systems, telecommunication infrastructure and a Smart Grid investment is anticipated.
Swan Valley of Vermont and Jonergin Realty, LLC, Swanton – A $5.6 million project to purchase a former cheese manufacturing facility and bring it back to productive use will receive $1.3 million in VEDA financing assistance. Through a newly-formed partnership between Jonergin Realty, LLC and Swan Valley of Vermont, LLC, the former VIA (Lucille Farms) cheese facility in Swanton will be purchased and upgraded with new equipment and machinery. Swan Valley of Vermont will gear up to produce a variety of specialty artisan cheeses for wholesale to various institutional buyers. It is estimated that within three years of the project, more than 50 new jobs will be created. Bank of America is also participating in the project.
Rock Art Brewery, Inc., Morrisville – Financing was approved to help Rock Art Brewery buy land and build a new brewing facility, more than doubling their current leased production and retail space in Morrisville. The project also includes financing participation by Merchants Bank. The brewing company, started as a home business in 1997, will move from their current leased facility to property which they will purchase on Route 100. The company will build a new structure and purchase machinery and equipment to be used in the brewing process. Rock Art Brewery employs eight people, a number expected to grow to ten within three years of the expansion project.
Mad River Park Corporation, Waitsfield – Financing of $210,000 was approved to Mad River Park Corporation to fund its purchase of a 14,000 square foot industrial building on 3.47 acres of land in Waitsfield.
In addition, VEDA approved:
$1.05 million in financing to Vermont farmers through the Authority's agricultural loan program, the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC);
$100,000 in financing through the Authority's Technology Loan Program, designed to assist smaller technology-related firms; and
$350,000 in small business project financing through the Authority's Small Business Loan Program.
VEDA's mission is to promote economic prosperity in Vermont by providing financial assistance to eligible businesses, including manufacturing, agricultural, and travel and tourism enterprises. Since its inception in 1974, VEDA has made financing commitments totaling over $1.5 billion. For more information about VEDA, visit www.veda.org or call 802-828-5627.
Topics: Press Releases


With its soda-bottle shape and copper-vacuum interior, this versatile bottle keeps liquids hot for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Matching contrast bottom and threaded lid. Stainless steel. Holds 17 oz. Neon Blue. Screened Dell logo center front.


text:
Q: Open cart currency change function not working on mobile device The currency change function in Open cart on Category page is not working on mobile device but same function working fine on other pages on mobile device:
only problem with category page
https://sportsgearmart.com/en/Apparel-c67.html
My currency.tpl file :
<?php if (count($currencies) > 0) { ?>

<form action="<?php echo $action; ?>" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="currency">

    <button class="btn btn-nostyle font-small dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">
    <?php foreach ($currencies as $currency) { ?>
    <?php if ($currency['symbol_left'] && $currency['code'] == $code) { ?>
    <?php echo $currency['symbol_left']; ?>
    <?php } elseif ($currency['symbol_right'] && $currency['code'] == $code) { ?>
    <?php echo $currency['symbol_right']; ?>
    <?php } ?>
    <?php } ?>
    <?php echo $text_currency; ?> </button>

      <?php foreach ($currencies as $currency) { ?>
      <?php if ($currency['symbol_left']) { ?>

<a class="currency-select btn btn-link" data-name="<?php echo $currency['code']; ?>"><?php echo $currency['symbol_left']; ?> <?php echo $currency['title']; ?>

      <?php } else { ?>

<a class="currency-select btn btn-link" data-name="<?php echo $currency['code']; ?>"><?php echo $currency['symbol_right']; ?> <?php echo $currency['title']; ?>

      <?php } ?>
      <?php } ?>

  <input type="hidden" name="code" value="" />
  <input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="<?php echo $redirect; ?>" />
</form>

<?php } ?>


text:
Not to be confused with Atreyu.
Atyrau (Kazakh: Атырау, Atyraý, اتىراۋ, pronounced [ɑtəˈrɑw]; Russian: Атырау, pronounced [ɐtɨˈraʊ]), known as Guryev (Russian: Гурьев, pronounced [ˈɡurʲjɪf]) until 1991, is a city in Kazakhstan, and the capital of Atyrau Region. It is located at the mouth of the Ural River on the Caspian Sea, 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) west of Almaty and 351 kilometres (218 miles) east of the Russian city of Astrakhan.
Atyraý
Clockwise from top: Central Bridge which connects Europe and Asia during the evening; Stand marking the European side of the city; Orthodox Church; Isatay and Makhambet Monument; Manjali Mosque; Ural River at night; Pedestrian Bridge over the Ural River.
Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 47°07′0″N 51°53′0″E / 47.11667°N 51.88333°E / 47.11667; 51.88333
Atyrau Region
City status
• Akim (mayor)
Nurlybek Ozhaev (Нурлыбек Ожаев)
-20 m (−70 ft)
• Metro
(+7) 7122
E, 06
atyrau.gov.kz/index.php/en/
Modern Atyrau is famous for its oil and fish industries. It has 154,100 inhabitants (2007), up from 142,500 (1999 census), 90% ethnic Kazakhs (up from 80%), the rest being mostly Russians and other ethnic groups such as Tatars and Ukrainians.
The wooden fort at the mouth of the Yaik River was founded in 1645 as Nizhny Yaitzky gorodok (literally, Lower Yaik Fort) by the Russian trader Gury Nazarov, a native of Yaroslavl, who specialized in trade with Khiva and Bukhara. The fort was plundered by the Yaik Cossacks, leading the Guriev family to rebuild it in stone (1647–62). Tsar Alexis sent a garrison of Streltsy to protect the fort from Cossack incursions. Despite these efforts, the Cossack rebel Stepan Razin held the town in 1667 and 1668. The fort gradually lost its strategic significance and was demolished in 1810. Between 1708 and 1992 the city was known as Guriev. The Kazakh name Atyraý means 'river delta'.
GeographyEdit
Atyrau (together with Aktau) is Kazakhstan's main harbour city on the Caspian Sea, Atyrau at the delta of the Ural River. Atyrau city is approximately 20 metres (66 feet) below sea level. The city is considered to be located both in Asia and Europe, as it is divided by the Ural River.
The city is a hub for the oil-rich Caspian Depression; because of this, many oil wells have been drilled in the Tengiz Field and Kashagan Field areas. An oil pipeline runs from Atyrau to Samara, where it joins the Russian pipeline system. A separate oil pipeline runs from the Tengiz field to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.
Origin of the name AtyrauEdit
Murzaev E. Dictionary of popular geographical terms. 1984
"The branched coast of a large lake or sea, on which appeared the bay and islands, the estuaries of rivers and capes. The north-eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, including its alyp, the locals still call Atyrau. "
A. Nurmaganbetov and M. Khobdabayev
"The word atyrau, which earlier means" island ", also grasps the concept of the word saga -" the mouth of the river, "and this is natural, whatever the river, at the point where it enters the ocean or the sea, its mouth branches out, and between each branch appears dry We think that this is the main reason for joint use of Atyrau together with the "mouth of the river".
Ecological Kazakh-Russian dictionary. 2001
Atyrau is a tract, a cane shoal in the mouth of the Urals.
ClimateEdit
Atyrau's climate is semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSk), just shy of being classified as arid (Köppen climate classification BWk), with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is low throughout the year. Snow is common, though light in winter. The lowest temperature on record is −37.9 °C (−36.2 °F), recorded in 1909, and the highest temperature is 42.7 °C (108.9 °F), recorded in 1984.[1] It is much more continental than areas further west on the European continent, with summers characterized by temperatures averaging 33 °C (91 °F) and lack of precipitation, resembling continental hot-summer mediterranean climates, and subarctic winters with little snow but with chilling temperatures. These vast temperature swings are more comparable to Siberia and the North American plains.
Climate data for Atyrau
4 4 6 8 9 7 6 5 5 8 10 6 78
14 11 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 11 50
98 138 167 245 311 330 343 323 267 196 105 75 2,598
Source #1: Pogoda.ru.net[1]
Source #2: NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)[2]
IndustryEdit
Oil industryEdit
The third biggest refinery in Kazakhstan is located in Atyrau.[3] Atyrau Refinery is operated by KazMunayGas and has a capacity of 16,600 m³/day (2012). A deep oil refining complex is under construction which is the final stage of complete reconstruction of Atyrau Oil Refinery. This project is designed to process 2.4 million tons/year of raw materials (oil and vacuum gas oil). The project will increase the depth of the oil processing at the refinery by 2016 to 85%. The volume of oil refining will reach 5.5 million tons per year.[4]
Atyrau is located near Tengiz field, which is operated in part by Chevron.[5] Most families of Chevron employees live in Dostyk village, a compound that includes housing, recreational facilities, and an international school.[6] Atyrau also has expatriate populations working for Agip, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and ConocoPhillips.[7]
SportsEdit
The city is home to the basketball team BC Barsy Atyrau, the country's reigning basketball champion. The team competes in the international FIBA Asia Champions Cup and the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship. It plays its home games at the Sports and Recreation complex Atyrau.
EducationEdit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2017)
There is an international school for foreign expatriates: QSI International School of Atyrau.
International relationsEdit
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Kazakhstan
Twin towns — Sister citiesEdit
Atyrau is twinned with:
Aktau, Kazakhstan
Oral, Kazakhstan
Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Shirvan, Azerbaijan
Astrakhan, Russia
Syktyvkar, Russia
Ashdod, Israel
Bridges of Atyrau[8]Edit
On August 28, 1965, the first real reinforced concrete bridge in the city, passing through the Ural River, was built and put into operation. The bridge is 259 meters (847.9 feet) long and 10 meters (32.8 feet) high. The bridge connects Satpayev Avenue and Abay Street. On the right European coast on Satpayev Avenue, the akimat (mayor's office) of the city and akimat (governor) of the Atyrau region adjoin the bridge.
In 2001, a unique pedestrian suspension bridge was built. The 551-meter (1807.7 feet)-long bridge is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. From the middle of the bridge over the Urals there is a magnificent view of Azattyk Avenue and its surroundings.
In 2009, the Sultan Beibars was opened - a four-lane bridge with a throughput capacity of 5–7 thousand cars a day, 800 meters (2624.6 feet) long with access roads, 380.74 meters (1249.1 feet) long and 22 meters (72.17 feet) wide. The width of the roadway is 16 meters (52.49 feet), plus two walking paths of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) each.
Beibarys Atyrau
Tengiz Field
Atyrau Football Club
Atyrau Airport
Radio Tandem
^ a b "pogoda.ru.net Погода и Климат". Retrieved January 10, 2012.
^ "Atyrary (Atyrau) Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ Company Overview of Atyrau Refinery LLP
^ "Japanese Banks Provide $297.5 million Loan to Atyrau Oil Refinery". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 15 August 2012.
^ Affairs, Chevron Policy, Government and Public. "Kazakhstan". chevron.com. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^ "DAIS | Touching Hearts Strengthening Minds". www.daiskz.org. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^ "General Information". atyrau.globaloutpostservices.com. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^ Атырау, Википедия (in Russian), 2018-12-01, retrieved 2018-12-01
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Atyrau.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atyrau.
City administration website
Information site on Kazakhstan
Photos Atyrau ‹See Tfd›(in Russian)
Coordinates: 47°07′N 51°53′E / 47.117°N 51.883°E / 47.117; 51.883
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atyrau&oldid=901433395"


A Dundee man was fined for a motoring offence. Aaron Bell, 28, admitted that on September 27, at Brown Constable Street, he drove a car with an illegal registration plate, in that the registration mark was the incorrect size. Bell, of Balmerino Road, was fined £100.
A thug who left a fellow party-goer permanently scarred after smashing a bottle of vodka in his face has been jailed.
A number of bus services are delayed this morning due to the closure of a major Dundee road.
Part of a busy Stobswell street is to close while the local authority carries out repair work.
The mum of a Dutch artist murdered in Dundee for £10 wants to find a home for his final piece of art.
A beggar has been jailed for life after admitting the drug-fuelled murder of a Dutch artist in Dundee.
Alexander Binnie, 23, of Fairbairn Street, was placed on a community payback order with unpaid work.
A man who breached his bail conditions on two occasions was remanded in custody by Sheriff James McDonald at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Dundee residents have spoken of their shock after a man was charged with murder following the discovery of a body in a property in Dundee.
A 21-year-old has been charged with the murder of a man in Dundee.
A man has been arrested in connection with the suspicious death of a man in Dundee.
Police have been carrying out forensic inquiries at a property in which a man was found dead.
The death of a man found lying on a Dundee street is being treated as "unexplained" according to police.
Residents have today expressed their shock after a man was found dead on a street in Dundee.


Cardiff is the capital city of Wales. It's also the largest city in Wales, Great Britain. Drive around the city with your rental car and visit all the main attractions.
Do you have questions left about your car hire in Cardiff? Please have a look at our FAQ, you may find your answer there. If you don't find the answers you're looking for, please contact us.
With a one way reservation you can pick up your car in Cardiff and return your rental car in another city in Great Britain. This way you can fully enjoy your vacation. Please contact us to receive rates for car hire in Great-Britain.
2. What are the rental conditions in Cardiff?
Please download the rental conditions in Great Britain here as PDF file. Book your car hire in Cardiff.
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text:
Citing student safety, school board opposes Expo Line rail route
June 24, 2009 | 10:18 am
Citing safety concerns for students, the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously decided to oppose the design of the Expo Light Rail Line, which would pass at street level near Overland Avenue and Charnock Road elementary schools.
Board members said they would not support the Expo Line unless the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority could eliminate all the safety hazards of operating light-rail trains near schools. They also directed the district's superintendent to exhaust all legal options while trying to resolve the Expo Line's safety issues.
The board resolution relates to the second phase of the project, which would run from Culver City to Santa Monica. Phase 1 from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City has already generated considerable controversy about street-level crossings near schools. That segment is under construction.
The resolution notes that MTA's Blue Line from Long Beach to Los Angeles, which has street-level crossings, has become the nation's deadliest light-rail line. It also states that the Expo Line should not be built near the two schools because it could violate the district's 128-foot distance requirement for active rail lines.
-- Dan Weikel


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We have 25 (12mx12m) seasonal pitches available on site. They have a gravel hardstanding surface to allow for easy surface water drainage with a chalk base so awning pegs can penetrate. They are fully serviced with a fresh water tap, with heated coil in case of frost, individual light, EHU socket & great water drain (no black/foul water or chemical toilet emptying under any circumstances). They are screened from one another by fences and immature hedges and have a small grass area. They are let on a first come first served basis and we operate a waiting list once they are full.
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Everything is negotiable until it's not. That's a cute way of saying that it's ok to ask for the things you need to be content and productive. If the answer is "no," you'll just have to ask yourself if it's a deal breaker. If you're juggling multiple offers, you might want to make a spreadsheet or table listing out the various components of the deal. Get every component of the deal in writing. If you don't have it in the formal offer letter, or in an email from the person who can make it happen, don't assume that you've come to an agreement.
Focus on salary, just not too much. Salaries vary, and there's always a chance that the first offer isn't the best offer you can get. However, do your homework first. Salary information for public school employees is posted online in most if not all states (usually by a newspaper website). Look to see what others are making at the same rank and experience in the department. If it's not, try to find aggregate data on a website like the Chronicle of Higher Education. Be careful about comparing salaries across disciplines or schools since some garner higher salaries than others (eg, schools like medicine where you generate a portion of your salary from grants pay better). If you do your homework and the salary seems on par with others at a similar rank, you might still counter with a slightly higher offer, but be polite and try to use data to support your position. The easiest way to negotiate is with a formal offer from another university. A simple, "I really want to accept your offer, but I have another one with a better salary. Can you match it?" Only use this strategy if you, a) have another offer, and b) you will accept the position if they match the salary. Don't use two institutions against each other to get them in a bidding war. You're not buying a used car.
Definitely focus on your start-up package. Institutions with a research expectation will offer a startup package. Think of these as infrastructure or pilot grant funds to support you as you get your research program off the ground. If you need equipment or supplies, staff support, or anything else (eg, publication fees), they'll come out of these funds until you get external funding. I would suggest having an itemized list of things you'll need, and deliverables that you'll produce if you get the funds. For example, you could ask for research supplies, incentives, graduate student support, travel funds, and summer salary support to run a pilot project that will support a grant application you'll submit in your second year. The key here is to tie something you need/want (research funds) with something they want (external funds).
Ask about office space, computing, furniture, supplies, etc. If you need a computer that is better than the standard issue desktop computer (and can justify it), an additional laptop, a tablet, a standing desk, file cabinets, an ergonomic chair, or anything else to make your office inhabitable, ask for it during the negotiation. Do not assume that you will get anything that you don't specifically ask for during negotiations. This goes for any space that you'll need outside of your office, such as a laboratory and/or offices for staff or students.
Ask for student support (if applicable). If you're heading to a doctoral granting institution, ask about student support. It's completely reasonable to ask for support for a doctoral student as part of your start-up package.
Inquire about recurring travel funds. Be sure to ask if you will be getting travel funds on an annual basis. If not, ask for them, at least for a few years until you can secure external funds. Conferences are very expensive these days.
Ask for a teaching load reduction. Unless the teaching load is zero, ask for a reduction. If you're expected to teach one or more classes per semester, ask to get that cut in half for the first year (or reduced to zero in the first semester). You can easily justify this for course preparation or research initiation reasons.
Request funds to cover your salary. A research-intensive position with a salary coverage expectation (aka, a "soft money" position) will come with a period of "protected time" during which you'll seek salary support from external grants. Get that protected time in writing. Even if you have a nine-month, hard money position, you'll likely be working over the summer on your research. As such, it's completely acceptable to ask for salary support for the first year or two while you get your research funding in place.
Ask about relocation funds. Moving is amazingly expensive. Ask if the university will be paying for the move. If not, ask if they can pay you mileage to relocate to campus. The fifty-something cents they'll pay per mile might cover the cost of a U-Haul and the beer/pizza to lure your friends to help.
Ask for help for your partner/spouse if you need it. If you have a partner in your life, often their career will take a hit in order to relocate for your position. Many institutions have offices or programs that can help place them in partner organizations or other departments in the institution. Be sure to inquire about this possibility during the interview or after an offer is made.
In the end, most things you ask for will be considered if you ask for them politely and justify them in the context of mutual benefit for you and the university. Even a healthy starting salary can benefit the university, since it will delay the amount of time it takes for your salary to become compressed. Ultimately, you must decide what you can live with, and what is necessary for you to be happy and productive. Be prepared for the fact that you can't always get what you want, but if you negotiate well, you'll get what you need. Good luck!


Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR discusses how we must prepare for life after death. Though our bodies may be left behind, our souls move on to Purgatory and ultimately in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this series, Father Benedict aids us in purifying our souls so that we may be ready when the Lord comes to call us.