text:
The Big Issue Shop has Christmas all wrapped up with exclusive designer paper from leading artists
The Big Issue Shop has Christmas all wrapped up with exclusive designer paper from leading artists. Wrapping paper designed by Pure Evil, Charming Baker, Jake and Dinos Chapman, amongst many, are on sale now
by: Cello Dutton-David
Image: Christmas wrapping paper designs together
Wrap up Christmas in style and create a social echo at the same time by snapping up some exclusive wrapping paper, designed by a collection of renowned artists, including Pure Evil, Charming Baker and Jake and Dinos Chapman from online shop, bigissueshop.com.
In celebration of The Big Issue's 30th birthday, The Big Issue Shop has launched this unique collection of wrapping papers in collaboration with Jealous and Enter Galleries.
Leading the way is Charming Baker's arresting "Christmasaurus Rex" design. He was the Guest Editor for The Big Issue's Art Special and continues to be committed to creating work to raise money for many important causes.
Next up is one of the world's most renowned graffiti artists, Pure Evil with his highly collectable "Ideas Wheel for Lazy Designers" design. It is the 6th time that he has designed wrapping paper for The Big Issue Shop.
Our third visual artist is Dave Buonaguidi. His arresting and colourful "Ta!" design will look as good under the tree as it will framed as a showpiece in your home.
Delphine Lebourgeois's work is shown internationally including in Europe, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Her unique design "Snow Amazonian" will make your gifts truly stand out this Christmas.
Florence Blanchard, painter, muralist and screenprinter's scientific take on the classic image of the snowflake "Nebula" is not one to be missed.
Frea Buckler, is a multidisciplinary artist and her "Brightly" design will ensure your gifts are the most stylishly wrapped this festive season.
Magnus Gjoen's dazzling design entitled "Eye Spy" will grab the attention of your presents lucky recipients.
Last but not least are notorious artistic duo, Jake and Dinos Chapman with their bold and bright design "D'You Wanna Be In My Gang". To purchase a piece of collectors' art or to simply make your presents pop, buy a sheet or five.
There are 300 signed limited-edition single image sheets of each artist's design, priced at £49.99 each. You can also buy a pack of five sheets of regular wrapping paper for £7.99.
Pure Evil, Artist, said: "After a mammoth brainstorming effort at the Hard Rock Cafe bar in Las Vegas I ended up with a list on a napkin of various design ideas and combined them to make this the 'ideas wheel for lazy designers' an innovative tool to aid the imagination when inspiration is needed.
"The Impossible IS possible ! Mount the 3 wheels onto thin card, pin them together into 3 concentric circles and come up with thousands of different idea possibilities for your art project."
Magnus Gjoen, Artist, said: "My Mother worked most of her life in psychiatry, specifically rehabilitating people with drug and drink addictions so the work that The Big Issue does has always been important to me. Psychologically not working and not contributing to society has a great impact on a person's mental health, therefore, the work that The Big Issue does not only give people an income but also a sense of purpose."
Russell Blackman, MD of The Big Issue, said: "In recent years we've had many brilliant artists work with us and it's raised thousands of pounds for The Big Issue in supporting our mission of giving those who are experiencing poverty and social exclusion a hand up.
"Now, to mark our 30th birthday, we're delighted to unveil this year's unique collection, which is bigger and better than ever before. By buying your wrapping paper from us this Christmas you are directly helping to better the lives of people who, now more than ever before, need our support."
Every purchase through The Big Issue Shop puts people and planet first. The wrap is printed on recycled paper and packed in recyclable plastic.
Socially- conscious shoppers can browse and buy the designs now at www.bigissueshop.com.
"I want to use my platform, while everyone is looking at me, to reflect that attention onto the whole deaf community" Rose Ayling-Ellis speaks to The Big Issue
"It's taught me to be who I am now. It keeps me grounded and humble." Ex-Big Issue vendor who now owns a multi-million pound company fighting fast fashion calls for support for organisation
The Big Issue launches Winter Appeal for vendors in the face of ongoing restrictions, severe weather warnings and predictions of 25% absenteeism at workplaces
Regeneration of iconic London building to provide affordable and sustainable workspace for 'green' startups in the city

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In the 1970s, Claive Vidiz, a whisky enthusiast in Sao Paulo, Brazil and founding member of the Brazilian Association of Whisky Collectors, started to seek out and purchase Scotch whisky of varying type, cost and rarity. For nearly four decades, Claive Vidiz was dedicated to collecting as many Scotch whisky bottlings as humanly possible, from the ultra-rare to the everyday dram. He amassed almost 3,500 bottles over 35 years.
In October 2006, the collection was purchased by Diageo. When Diageo brought the Claive Vidiz Collection home to Scotland, it was with a commitment to preserve the legacy, the passion with which it was collected and to share it with an international audience. It was decided that this would be best achieved by locating it at The Scotch Whisky Experience in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city.


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David Lindsay-Abaire
David Lindsay-Abaire is a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, screenwriter, lyricist and librettist. His play GOOD PEOPLE premiered on Broadway, was awarded the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play, The Horton Foote Prize, The Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, and two Tony nominations. His previous play RABBIT HOLE received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, five Tony nominations, and the Spirit of America Award. David also wrote the book and lyrics for SHREK THE MUSICAL (Jeanine Tesori, composer), which was nominated for eight Tonys, four Oliviers, a Grammy, and earned David the Ed Kleban Award as America's most promising musical theatre lyricist. David's other plays include RIPCORD, FUDDY MEERS, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, WONDER OF THE WORLD, and A DEVIL INSIDE, among others. In addition to his work in theatre, David's screen credits include his film adaptation of "Rabbit Hole," Dreamworks' "Rise of the Guardians," and "The Family Fang," starring Nicole Kidman, Christopher Walken, and Jason Bateman. He is also, along with Marsha Norman, co-chair of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School.
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text:
Options of Berlin, Seoul, or Tokyo for 4-5 months
Kelent
I'm considering the possibility of going abroad for a semester for a study abroad type of thing. I have the choices of Tokyo, Berlin, and Seoul. Three cities I would love to live in on paper. As you can imagine I'm a little conflicted on where to go. I'd like to learn more about them outside of preconceptions (ie Tokyo is a metropolis, Berlin has a huge art scene, Seoul is bleak but neon lights make it fun).
Given that accommodation is provided, I'm looking at spending maybe $5,000 over 4-5 months, which I'll have at minimum saved from spring and summer. Is this reasonable?
How are these cities in terms of getting around without a car? I know they all have extensive metro systems but the fact is not every metro is made equal. If there's any information from people who've lived long term (or longer than a few weeks) in any of the cities I'd love to see the datasheets/relevant posts, haven't come across many.
In terms of Seoul and Tokyo, I'm very interested in learning the languages and culture, but don't really know how receptive they are to foreigners. I've heard everything from Seoul clubs banning foreigners on the level that Japan's "no gaijin allowed" shops do, to student areas in Seoul being great for foreigners (is Itaewon a student area or just foreigners?).
Similar things have been said about Tokyo, but in Toyko's defense it is the biggest metropolis in the world and I don't think can be generalized that heavily.
Advice, datasheets, constructive criticism is very appreciated.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I tend to lean towards night game and have a preference for Middle Eastern and East Asian women.
I've never been to Souel or Tokyo, so I can't compare them. However I think Berlin is probably the least risky for a 4-5 month time period. If you aren't a huge fan of Tokyo/Seoul after a few weeks and are stuck there, it could be disappointing for the remainder of the time.
Berlin has plenty of nightlife options (although it's fairly spread-out), is easy for English speakers, and is culturally very similar to the Anglo-sphere. It should also be very easy to meet your classmates as well as other young expats and travelers.
Berlin is a godforsaken shithole.
Que enspastic
Timing of 4-5 month Period is important. Berlin Oct-Feb is shit vs May-Sep
Eh, I kinda like the winter, but I can definitely imagine it's not the best for picking up from summer tourists.
@Cam Newton
I do see Berlin more as the "safe" option. I've been to Central Europe and my family has some event around the same time so, were I to choose Berlin, it wouldn't be the worst of times.
But at the same time I kind of feel like Tokyo and Seoul have a "time limit" for entering without being an English teacher. It could just be in my head but I feel it's a lot easier to touchdown in Europe with work or for travel after university than it is East Asia or even SEA to some degree.
With regard to how I mentioned money, would $5000 USD/5 months be enough considering I won't be paying for rent?
EEnomad
@Kelent: Tokyo will be pricey, you have to watch your budget. Seoul you will have more flexibility in spending. Berlin is no problem on that budget.
@EEnomad thanks for the info! Is it still possible to go to Tokyo as a working professional (basically 23+) without being an English teacher? I went for a week and absolutely loved my time there but can't really afford it at the moment :/. Would be fine as an English teacher but other options are preferable
Male Feminist
Please, don't go to Berlin! It's a shit place.
The best German citys are Munich, Cologne and Dusseldorf.
Unfortunately I've no experiences with Seoul or Tokyo.
But I would choose Tokyo because the Japanese are more open to foreigners than the Koreans.
zamfir112
Tokyo is really expensive.Berlin is the cheapest of the 3.Japan is very hard for gaming unless you have golden hair and look exotic
semibaron
In my opinion, all 3 options are shit.
Tokyo has the most pleasant winter, but is also the most expensive. As long as accommodation is provided, it doesn't matter that much were you go financially. Berlin is a fully international city with lots of English Speakers. It's as Western as it gets. So, choose Berlin if you want something familiar, or Seoul / Tokyo if you want something new.
Now pick your poison.
JWLZG
Quote: (09-20-2018 10:05 PM)Kelent Wrote:
In Berlin, you'll be living very comfortably on US$1k per month excluding accommodation. Might struggle in Tokyo though.
I relied heavily on a car back in my hometown but didn't lack for one after moving to Berlin. Practically everyone rides a bike and the tube is extremely reliable for a Western city. Tokyo is slightly less cycleable but the metro is almost futuristic in quality.
Never came across such shops in Tokyo.
In Berlin you can literally go out 7 nights a week, non-stop. The mood takes a nosedive in winter but it doesn't stop people from hitting the clubs. I found Tokyo's winter to be less depressing for some reason.
Don't bother coming to Berlin for East Asian women. There are a handful here but their quality (specifically) sucks dogs balls.
Quote: (09-23-2018 05:17 AM)JWLZG Wrote:
So what kind of women would you say generally go to Berlin? I know East Asian women in Berlin might not be the best quality, but there are exceptions to that rule right?
Glad to know that 1k/mo would be living comfortably. There's also an option I've been mulling to go to Shanghai but tbh I don't know how I'd deal with pollution, so I'm not seriously considering it.
What would you say surprised you about Berlin?
In terms of background, comers of literally evey colour and race, plus a few you'd never heard of, move to Berlin, some more than others. EA's are more than one might think — more than Edinburgh, but less than NYC. Don't get me wrong, I've seen a few WB's, but I don't recall seeing many of them in the 8-9 range; probably try a uni campus.
LOL. You'd eventually end up feeding off scraps trying to get by on US$1K p/m in Shanghai.
Probably the fact that there's something for almost every niche over here. I was amazed at how many twentysomething-looking attractive mums there are here, pushing prams.
Nice, glad to know there's some pretty good variety in Berlin, even things others might not know about or consider! I'm very partial to East Asians but would be fine to have a girl from most backgrounds, just haven't had the best experiences with American girlfriends in the past so thought I'd make the preference known.
I figured as much, Shanghai seems to be extremely expensive, I had thought though that being a student some things might be cheaper or more reliably underpriced than in the West.
Berlin's art scene and general vibe does seem attractive. I've wondered though and am not sure if you could really give me a read but how is Seoul in comparison? I've heard Seoul has a decent underground art scene/club scene provided you know where to look in the city. I'm big into different varieties of metal, and house music/"EDM".
EmilErlenmeyer
Well if your preference is towards East Asian women the simple advice would be go to East Asia.
However, as a German I can tell you that Berlin might be a shithole - but a pretty diverse and big one. So you'll find plenty of girls from every race.
Also you have to see how you want to live. Learning Korean or Japanese is rather impossible in a short period of time. German might be a difficult language but far easier for you as an English speaker.
The metro should do okay for all three cities; outside of the US almost all 1st world countries have decent public transporation in cities with more than a million ppl
Last concern would be money: Tokyo is ridiculously expensive as you know, Seoul I can't really tell but Berlin is fairly cheap for a city of its size. Just think about it.
Davoer
I think u can't live in tokio for 1000 USD a month.
I don't know. About Seoul but Berlin is international fair priced and many girls from everywhere to Game and because it's huge city much to do and see.
Soy Jooce
If you're into Asian girls, then Tokyo or Seoul (either one is fine). Otherwise, Berlin.
Coke Zero Addict
Game Denialist
You can't live off $1000 in Tokyo. I believe even the shitty capsule hostels are $1000 a month now. Doing it in Seoul is kind of doable, but it's a stretch. You'll still be miserable, and can't really meet up with girls to go out on dates.
I would say go with Berlin.
TwinTurbo
> "I'm looking at spending maybe $5,000 over 4-5 months"
With that budget, I think Berlin would be your best option. Its relatively affordable and a lot of people there are
of the starving artist type so you will be able to have fun without spending a ton. Plus it is more international which is a plus in my opinion, game-wise and also for meeting new people.
Vincent Chase
Seoul - much cheaper than tokyo but you'll get bored out of your fucking mind there unless you do a lot of travelling elsewhere. I was bored after a week. Girls are some of the hottest in asia but are hard (unless you want to bang bottom of the barrel 5s/6s). Culture of extreme hypergamy, many of them are not into white guys at all. Many clubs such as Burning Sun just won't allow you in whatever you say.
Tokyo - A bit more lively, great food. Expensive as hell. Logistical nightmare for nightgame for people to get back home after midnight. Tinder not so great. Far from the best place for game.
Berlin is just a shithole.
Do you have any other options?
PremiumBeefCut
I lived in Berlin for a year and it's one of the best cities I've seen as far as nightlife goes. There are rundown power houses turned into clubs (Tresor, Berghain) as well as higher-end places (Watergate, Monkey Bar...), so there's something for everyone. As far as gaming goes, the locals aren't the greatest catch and the most approachable club-goers, but there are a lot of exchange students/foreign girls who want nothing but the D, so it's really not that bad. I'd recommend to try out Warschauer Strasse first, where you can find Watergate, the Matrix (shitty little club but easy to bring a foreign girl home), Suicide Circus and lots of bars.


Designers often pride themselves on their creative ingenuity and ability to translate complex abstract thoughts into real objects. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more pervasive, designers are becoming nervous – for good reason. Fortune predicts the value of AI to grow to US$70 billion by 2020. We are living in an AI boom, where machines mimic the human brain and, in many cases, outperform it.
Human-centred innovation with true competitive value begins with developing an understanding of customers' unmet or unarticulated needs. One of the greatest struggles for designers has long been creating objects that work well for individuals, all of the time. Enter AI.
AI stretches innovation by allowing designers to cater to, and anticipate, individual users' needs. Emotion-sensing AI technology built into products detects users' emotions and drives positive behaviour change. A brilliant example is Emospark, a cube-shaped AI home device that uses language analysis and facial recognition to assess human emotions and map an emotional profile to deliver selected music, video and images to enhance the mood.
Products are no longer just performing basic functions, but are aware of their surroundings and users' emotions, and can act upon them.
The future of design will be very much affected by the use of artificial intelligence, and it's causing a lot of undue fear and stress in our profession. People are asking questions like "Where will AI lead us?" and "Who will survive this seismic shift in our profession?"
In fact, AI will speed up the design process by solving problems faster, producing more options to choose from. It will focus on a more solution-driven or context-specific way of designing, and it give us the chance to remove all historical clichés. AI will really enhance the human ability to design and not diminish it in any way – we just have to learn how to adapt ourselves as we go along and make the most of this new technology. So being frightened of AI is not the way forward – we cannot be Luddites!
This new technology will also indirectly include more people outside the design industry; they'll have a real say in "designing for the future", particularly through findings from big data. AI could also learn from – and predict – human behaviour, and aid the process of design evolution through the collection of big data at each stage of the design process. New technology will also accelerate the exchange of ideas by connecting everything globally on the net.
AI streamlines the design process by removing undue complexities from designers' everyday lives, so we as a profession can spend more time experiencing our own designs or those by others which will in turn improve the quality of our design thinking.
This is an excerpt from the "AI: Friend or foe?" article from the October 2017 issue of Perspective magazine.


Transported owner to sunken tri on pole mooring with the intention of pumping out. Vessel to far under water to have enough freeboard to attempt pumping. Returned to base, contacted commercial salvage company and left with owner and insurance company. Owner will work with Trevor Farmer to make a donation.
10:00 to 11:00 Master CoC assesment - Pelorus acted as the vessel in distress requiring a tow from Onehunga bay.
11:00 to 13:00 Fit 3 x mooring lines to pile moorings Onepoto arm of Porirua Hbr as directed by T Burgess - Tow trimaran from Mana marina and moor at pile moorings Onepoto arm Porirua Hbr.
BoatMaster course facilitated by Wgtn CG.
Plotting chart positions for masters training waypoints on chart and plotting common Routes for Masters Training.
MR1 taken to the outer approaches where we boxed the compass to set a deviation card for our records.
Paper chart exercise to find safe route onto leads if visibility poor and nav system down.
Took Pelorus out over the bar in 25-30 kt NW winds to practice boat handling in large waves.
Also did close-quarters maneuvering in marina in the strong winds.
Berthing practice, Area fam, plimerton to Te Rewa Rewa Point.
Close quarter and MOB helm work.
inshore navigation, depth finding, transit points, helm orders, course to steer, angle of turn.


BCL Limited has sued the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) at the Federal High Court, Lagos, for N1billion over its continued occupation of a property at No. 13B Reeves Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, belonging to BCL Limited.
Aside from NAF, other defendants in the suit include the Chief of Air Staff, NAF Investment Limited, Commander 107 NAF Camp, Victoria Island Lagos, Federal Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary, Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed Property.
BCL, in its statement of claim attached to the suit No: HC/LC/CS/1769/14, filed by its counsel, Abubakar Sheidu, before Justice Mohammed Idris, alleged that NAF ejected its employees and prevented its agents from continuing with re-development of the property which it had already commenced.
The firm alleged that armed personnel of the Nigerian Air Force have continued to occupy the said property in total violation of the rights of the lawful owner.
BCL claimed that it obtained the property in 2008 without encumbrances based on a memorandum of understanding and developmental lease signed between the company and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, acting for the Federal Government.
The firm further claimed to have paid N176,925,000 for the leasehold.
"Despite several written proofs from the Presidential Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the Alienation of Federal Government Landed Property, which handled the lease of the property on behalf of the Federal Government to support BCL's claim, the NAF forcefully ejected BCL and stopped its agents from re-development of the property, which it had already commenced," the company alleged.
The claimant sought several declarations and orders against the defendants.
The firm through its counsel, Sheidu prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants collectively or severally by themselves or their agents from meddling with or purporting to sell, alienate or transfer the plaintiff's title, rights or interest in No. 13B Reeve Road, Ikoyi-Lagos whether to themselves (jointly or severally) or any other person or persons.
They also asked for N500 million as special damages and another N500million being general damages suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the NAF, the Chief of Air Staff, NAF Investment Limited, Commander 107 NAF Camp, Victoria Island Lagos trespass, invasion and illegal seizure of the plaintiff's property known as No. 13B Reeve Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
In its statement of defence, NAF through its officers, Flying Officer Oluwaseun Afolabi and B. R. Ashiru, urged the court to dismiss the suit.
NAF also denied all the claims made by the claimant, BCL limited insisting that there was no truth in them.
NAF claimed that they are not aware of any development regarding the lease agreement between BCL Limited and the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
It also claimed that they were not aware of any sum paid and put the plaintiffs to the proof if any such payment was made.
The NAF, insisting on having been in possession, said in 2004, it indicated interest in buying the Federal Government's properties at Nos. 13A and 13B Reeve Road in Ikoyi Lagos during the Federal Government's monetisation policy implementation.
The organisation maintained that the plaintiff is not entitled to any of the prayers sought for and urged the court to discountenance such prayers as frivolous and baseless.
Counsel to the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary, Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed Property, Chijioke Dike, in their response, stated that the said property was formally in the occupation of the NAF by its personnel and same was not at any time classified as an institutional property.
According to him, the property was initially slated for redevelopment under the Public-private partnership of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, but due to frustration and failure of redevelopment, the Federal Government cancelled the programme and the Secretary, Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed Property was authorised to sell the property and since the property was not an institutional property it was never at any time offered to the NAF.
He further said the property was not among those exempted from lease in the guidelines for the disposal or sale of Federal Government properties.
Justice Idris has adjourned the case till October 24, this year for continuation of trial.


Hot water drumming on Parker's shoulders helped to melt away the thick fog of jet lag, but the pelting shower didn't dissolve the truth that needled at him.
Two truths, if he was going to be honest with himself, which he always tried to be.
The first was that Juliet was definitely hiding something from him. He'd discerned that fact from her body language and the skittishness that laced through her words. Her campaign—and the party she'd dragged him here to orchestrate—had an underbelly. One that she wasn't owning up to.
But the second truth was harder to admit.
Somehow, sometime since he'd last seen Juliet, the attraction he'd felt for her during the Sommelier shoot had morphed into something more, something unfamiliar. A more powerful fascination. He'd be a fool to ignore the warning signs.
He was no stranger to love, knew the power of attraction. But when Rachael had walked out of his life, he'd sworn he'd never again fall prey to delusions—his or anyone else's. If he hadn't been so smitten, he might've detected earlier that she didn't truly love him. Out-of-control attraction could blind a man. Skew the truth and blur reality. It could lead to mistakes and pain. And he'd be damned if he was going to be duped by its power ever again.
He'd help Juliet with her party. Not only did he owe her, but he had a hell of a soft spot for ocean animals. He'd work with Juliet's team and put together the best possible event. And the day after the party, he'd head back to California. End of story.
He shook the water from his hair and stepped out of the shower. A breeze blew in through the open doors of the balcony; he wrapped the towel around his waist and stood at the doorway. Blue. So much blue with sky and sea stretching to the curving horizon. He stared at the crescent of white beach, a ribbon of sand that was about to be the focus of a heated battle if the talk he'd heard on the ferry was true.
Juliet called up from the lobby. He dressed and met her at the front entrance. She didn't protest when he insisted on driving the rental car he'd had brought over to the hotel, which was a plus. The last thing he needed if he was going to keep a cool head and careful guard was to wrap his arms around her and ride off into a balmy, sultry evening.


text:
Q: Confusion with Graphics2d, canvas and shapes I am learning the basics of java games programming and I am confused about a few things.
I know you use the "canvas" class to create a blank canvas and then use the paint method to create stuff.
But what does Graphics2D? I have seen people using the grahpics2d class to create a canvas for example
Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
g2d.setColor(Color.BLACK);

Now why did they use the grahpics2d and not the canvas?
Also I have seen people creating shapes like a rectangle by using:
Rectangle r = new Rectangle();

but some people have created them like:
Shape shape = new Rectangle2D.Double(value1,valu2,valu3,valu4);

What's the difference between these two?
Thanks in advance.
regards,

A: First, no I wouldn't use a Canvas object but rather a JPanel, and I'd draw in the paintComponent method override, not the paint method. Think of the JPanel as if it were a paint canvas and the Graphics or Graphics2D as if it were the brush that you were using to paint with. So in other words, you would need them both to create your drawing.
As for Rectangle vs. Rectangle2D, the 2D shapes are part of a newer addition to Graphics, when Graphics2D came about. These are based on the Shape interface, one that allows you a little more flexibility and OOPs to your drawing.
For greater detail, please have a look at:

*

*Lesson: Performing Custom Painting

*Trail: 2D Graphics

*Painting in AWT and Swing

Edit
Re your questions:

Q: So you would use JPanel as my empty canvas and the Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g; create a brush kind of thing that you can use to change the JPanel. Hence this g2d.setColor(Color.BLACK); changes the background colour of our JPanel canvas. Is this right?

Yes. And you can even change the Graphics2D object's Stroke via
g2d.setStroke(new BasicStroke(...));

Q: Also can you explain to me what is "Shape" and what do you use it for?

Please look at the 2nd tutorial that I've linked to above as it will go into a fair bit of detail on what Shape represents and how to use it. It is in sum an interface used by all of the Xxxxx2D classes such as Rectangle2D and Ellipse2D. And it allows them all to share certain properties including being fillable, drawable, transormable, and more.

Edit 2
For example:
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import java.awt.RenderingHints;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.awt.geom.AffineTransform;
import java.awt.geom.Path2D;

import javax.swing.*;

@SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class RotateFoo extends JPanel {

   private static final int PREF_WIDTH = 800;
   private static final int PREF_HEIGHT = 600;
   private static final Color STAR_COLOR = Color.red;
   private static final int ROTATE_TIMER_DELAY = 20;
   private static final int POINTS = 5;
   private static final int RADIUS = 50;
   private static final String TITLE = "Press \"r\" to rotate";
   private static final float TITLE_POINTS = 52f;

   private Path2D star = new Path2D.Double();
   private Timer rotateTimer = new Timer(ROTATE_TIMER_DELAY, new RotateTimerListener());

   public RotateFoo() {
      double x = 0.0;
      double y = 0.0;
      double theta = 0.0;
      for (int i = 0; i <= POINTS; i++) {
         x = RADIUS + RADIUS * Math.cos(theta);
         y = RADIUS + RADIUS * Math.sin(theta);
         if (i == 0) {
            star.moveTo(x, y);
         } else {
            star.lineTo(x, y);
         }
         theta += 4 * Math.PI / POINTS;
      }

      double tx = (getPreferredSize().getWidth() - star.getBounds().getWidth()) / 2;
      double ty = (getPreferredSize().getHeight() - star.getBounds().getHeight()) / 2;
      AffineTransform at = AffineTransform.getTranslateInstance(tx, ty);
      star.transform(at );

      int condition = JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW;
      InputMap inputMap = getInputMap(condition);
      ActionMap actionMap = getActionMap();
      String rotateOn = "rotate on";
      String rotateOff = "rotate off";
      inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_R, 0, false), rotateOn);
      actionMap.put(rotateOn, new AbstractAction() {

         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
            if (rotateTimer != null && !rotateTimer.isRunning()) {
               rotateTimer.start();
            }
         }
      });
      inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_R, 0, true), rotateOff);
      actionMap.put(rotateOff, new AbstractAction() {

         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
            if (rotateTimer != null && rotateTimer.isRunning()) {
               rotateTimer.stop();
            }
         }
      });
      //rotateTimer.start();

      JLabel titleLabel = new JLabel(TITLE, SwingConstants.CENTER);
      titleLabel.setFont(titleLabel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, TITLE_POINTS));
      add(titleLabel);
   }

   @Override
   public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
      return new Dimension(PREF_WIDTH, PREF_HEIGHT);
   }

   @Override
   protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
      super.paintComponent(g);
      Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D)g;
      g2.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_ANTIALIASING, RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON);
      g2.setColor(STAR_COLOR);

      if (star != null) {
         g2.draw(star);
      }
   }

   private class RotateTimerListener implements ActionListener {
      private static final double BASE_THETA = Math.PI / 90;

      @Override
      public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
         double anchorx = getPreferredSize().getWidth() / 2;
         double anchory = getPreferredSize().getHeight() / 2;
         AffineTransform at = AffineTransform.getRotateInstance(BASE_THETA, anchorx, anchory);
         star.transform(at);
         repaint();
      }
   }

   private static void createAndShowGui() {
      RotateFoo mainPanel = new RotateFoo();

      JFrame frame = new JFrame("RotateFoo");
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.getContentPane().add(mainPanel);
      frame.pack();
      frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
      frame.setVisible(true);
   }

   public static void main(String[] args) {
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
         public void run() {
            createAndShowGui();
         }
      });
   }
}

A: you have to make a certain difference:

*

*a Canvas (or maybe a Panel or a JPanel or a Frame) are Objects that represent an GUI-Object! such an object is required to capture Input Events, or maybe used to be layouted. it can be set active and disabled, all that stuff.

*a Graphics Objects is that thing, that is inside of the canvas. it is responsible for the pure drawing! it can use special drawing features, having strokes and fonts and colors...

so - you have two different classes for different purpose! it took me a while to understand that...
excuse my puny english...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Church Starts Holy War On Da Vinci Code
Written by James MacGregor on 23 April 2006 . Posted in Film industry
According to reports in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper, the Catholic Church in Scotland has launched into a holy war, with a crusade against the Da Vinci Code. The church is sending DVDs to parishes and schools lambasting what it calls the "nonsense" of the book and film. A leading church intellectual, Professor Emeritus Patrick Reilly, appears in Debunking the Da Vinci Myths DVD, saying its inaccuracies are equivalent to claiming John Knox was a child abuser.
Reilly's assault on the "monumentally inexcusable nonsense" of Dan Brown's book is to be sent to all 60 Catholic secondary schools and 500 parishes and is timed to coincide with the movie release.
The Da Vinci Code book has so far sold 40 million copies worldwide. The movie, which stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, is expected to bring dark tales of alleged misdeeds by the Catholic Church to an even wider audience.
In the book, two code-breakers try to track down the truth behind the Holy Grail. Central to the story, and most controversial, is the claim that the Holy Grail is really the bloodline descended from Jesus and Mary Magdalene, a fact which the Church is alleged to have covered up.
"HISTORICALLY BASELESS"
Reilly, Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Glasgow University, told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper: "Brown's story is completely baseless historically: it's monumentally inexcusable nonsense. Dan Brown flouts the facts. A three-year-old's letter to Santa is better-written."
Reilly has vowed to use the release of the film as an opportunity to re-educate people about Catholicism.
Professor Reilly is quoted in the newspaper as saying, "We must correct the inaccuracy that the book suggests. The debate and controversy will grow even further upon the film's release. And while it may seem like picking a quarrel with Balamory or the Teletubbies, because of the book's pop culture appeal it's about setting the record straight.
"When dealing with a historical figure in a fictional context, writers have to be very careful. It's like someone producing a book or a film saying that John Knox was a child abuser."
DEBUNKING DA VINCI MYTHS
Reilly has joined forces with the Catholic Church to release a DVD de-bunking the Da Vinci "myths". The DVD's contents will include a talk Reilly gave to the University of Glasgow's Catholic Chaplaincy last Wednesday.
Church spokesman Peter Kearney said: "Dan Brown's story is a flawed work of fiction. This DVD will go through the book's flaws and failings and explain things perhaps lost in the stoked-up publicity machine Sony Pictures have so far managed to generate."
In the DVD, Reilly also attacks Brown for:
• Wrongly accusing the Christian Church of being opposed to sex, and of being misogynistic;
• Potentially misleading people who are unaware of the story of the Holy Grail and the history of Christianity who may read the book as truth;
• Referring to himself as a Holy Grail expert;
• Showing no respect for Catholic beliefs in Jesus.
The Catholic Church's official silence on the controversial book was broken by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Archbishop of Genoa, last month when he told an Italian newspaper: "It astonishes and worries me that so many people believe these lies."
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, apparently joined in the controversy last week, when as part of his Easter Sunday sermon he said : "Conspiracy theories will not weaken the Gospel."
Ripples of concern have also been felt in other parts of the world. The Christian Council of Korea this month applied for a provisional injunction to stop the release of the film.
WORK OF FANTASY
Opus Dei, the deeply devout Catholic sect, has also voiced concern, asking for a disclaimer to be placed on the film. The US branch of Opus Dei said it had written to the film's distributors, Sony Pictures, asking the studio to emphasise that the film was a work of fantasy.
The group is pressing for "references that hurt Catholics" to be removed from the film version. The book portrays Opus Dei to be a power-hungry movement, determinedly concealing the truth about Christ's bloodline.
Jack Valero, UK director of Opus Dei, told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper: "Our response is not to fight, but to inform people. This is a teaching not a fighting moment in time. The real Jesus Christ is far more exciting than the pathetic little man that Brown depicts."
The Opus Dei community are planning on hosting talks and seminars the length and breadth of the UK, as a backdrop to the film's cinema release next month.
" LOOKS PRETTY HORRIBLE"
Valero also told Scotland on Sunday: "Having seen the trailer to the film it looks pretty horrible, especially the depiction of the Opus Dei monk. I hope the film as a whole is mature enough not to offend anyone. The movie makers are like King Kong and we [the Catholics] are like the young girl screaming: 'Don't squash me.'"
The Da Vinci Code movie opens Cannes on May 17, two days before it is released worldwide. The Da Vinci Code book is still in the UK's top 10 bestsellers chart.
Sony Pictures was unavailable for comment, Scotland on Sunday says.


Oh my friend. I know what you mean. I wish I was there to hug you and cry with you. I love you. Sending you virtual hugs and lots of love today.
Thank you for the prayers, friend…blessings and hugs.
Praying friend…so wish I was closer and we could celebrate your girl together…remembering with you today!!
Hugs back to you, friend…thank you.


Our reporters here at The Venue Report feel so grateful for the incredible pre-launch press we have received. In case you missed it, we were featured in Rue Magazine with the amazing photo shoot that we styled with Jose Villa behind the lens, our dear friend Summer of Grey Likes Wedding Blog who did wardrobe, and then our team of reporters jumped in to conceptualize and style it.
This photo shoot was our coming out party.. There will be lots more of these coming your way soon.
From Rue Magazine: "Say hello to the best new thing in event planning. The Venue Report uncovers the coolest places in all the land. Imagine a hidden tucked away forest to host a Midsummer's Night Dream bash - decked with glittering fireworks and over-flowing glasses of chardonnay, of course. They've scouted rustic old barns overlooking the ocean, perfect for a country hoedown. For the coffee house couple that wants to host their wedding at a cafe with mismatched chairs? The Venue Report has the scoop on the cutest spot. And the girls who want to go "glamping" with a s'mores specialist standing by? They've found that too"
From Rue Magazine - "The Venue Reporters & Correspondents will find the celebration location of your dreams, get you amazing deals, and report on the "inside info for each one. They only draft reports on venues that they deem have a cool or unique factor. They'll report on the "up and comers", the venues that are brand new and have never been seen before... EVER. To the celebrators and party planners that want something one-of-a-kind and never been seen before, you'll find it at The Venue Report.
Because they strive to be out-of-the-box, edgy, innovative and zany in their approach to venue nominations, they are not afraid to travel to the low valleys and high mountain peaks, isolated gaps within sprawling city life, hidden villages in foreign lands, or even your backyard (if you promise not to arrest them for trespassing) in order to find great venues. They crave the abyss, the esoteric, and the underdog all while acknowledging the merits of established venues.
A venue is that place where memories are created. It's a place that you'll revisit again and again to capture nostalgic feelings. Without a celebration location, all of your DIY party decorations, pinatas, Shetland ponies, and guests have nowhere to go. Where Will You Celebrate?"
To read the full story and see all of the images you must hop over to Rue Magazine and check it out. We also have to thank thethe insanely talented team that helped us pull this shoot together.
A Barn Wedding Amongst The Towering California Redwoods!


text:
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On Tuesday, We Wear Red: How to Make a Silent Statement of Solidarity this Equal Pay Day
Maiysha Kai
As a pay gap remains persistent for women—and even more so for most women of color—making a fashion statement may feel as if it should be the furthest thing from our minds. But as millions of women (and hopefully, not only women) rally against pay inequality on Tuesday, April 2, we'll be seeing red—lots of it.
Caribbean and Black Twitter Unite To Protect... Oxtail
A Look Back At Tupac Shakur's "Keep Ya Head Up" On Its 30th Anniversary
How Black Non-Profit Leaders are Empowering the Next Generation (Sponsored)
As a show of solidarity, the color of Equal Pay Day is red—to show how "in the red" women and minorities are when it comes to garnering equal pay for equal work. Current research generally indicates women make approximately $.80 to every dollar made by their white, male counterparts (h/t U.S. News & World Report); a gap that widens depending on occupation and ethnicity, currently leaving Hispanic women of indiscriminate race at the bottom tier of earners.
While wearing red may not seem like much, on the day that signifies how long it takes women to "catch up," it is a visual demonstration of our presence in the world—and our collective commitment to earning our worth—which at the current rate won't happen for over 200 years.
Essentiel by Adele
Skincare from head-to-toe (literally)
Essentiel by Adele is an all-purpose moisturizer, suitable for body, face, and even the under eye area.
Buy at Essentiel by Adele
Use the promo code GO20
So, if the fight for pay equity understandably feels futile, never underestimate the power of small gestures. On Equal Pay Day, #WeWearRed—to the office, to the protests, and, if you're a Chicagoan like me, to the polls to vote for the city's first black woman mayor.
Beauty/StyleThe Glow Up


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World Bank Helps Bangladesh Modernize Cash Transfer Programs for Poor
The government of Bangladesh today signed a $300 million financing agreement with the World Bank to improve the transparency and efficiency of its major cash transfer programs for the poorest and vulnerable, including the elderly, widows, and people with disabilities.
The Cash Transfer Modernization Project will help the Department of Social Services (DSS) modernize the country's four major social protection programs using cash transfers by improving beneficiary targeting, program administration, and benefit payments. The programs are the Old Age Allowance; Allowances for the Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women; Allowances for the Financially Insolvent Disabled; and Stipends for Disabled Students. These programs collectively reach about six and a half million of the country's poorest people.
"An efficient, automated and transparent social protection service delivery system is critical to build resilience and create opportunities for the poorest people," said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. "The World Bank is helping the government build common digital platforms to better administer safety net programs. This will help reduce administrative costs and errors by identifying the most vulnerable people with greater accuracy and transferring cash in a timely manner."
In the fiscal year 2018, Bangladesh spent about $5.8 billion on social protection or about 2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product and improving the efficiency of these programs will help Bangladesh to use public resources more effectively.
The DSS has already started digitizing beneficiary records of its cash transfer programs, and the project will help further strengthen case management and payment processes. To accurately identify recipients of cash transfers, the project will help integrate DSS's management information system with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' National Household Database. For more secure and accessible payments to beneficiaries, the system will be linked to the Finance Division's centralized payment platform, and use a network of banking agents, among others. Such actions—utilizing existing or emerging systems—will help further develop an integrated social protection service delivery system in the country.
"The government is committed to developing a digitized modern social protection service delivery system," said Mahmuda Begum, Additional Secretary, Economic Relations Division. "This project is a critical step forward towards this vision and aligned with the National Social Security Strategy, 2015."
The agreement was signed at the Economic Relations Division by Mahmuda Begum and Qimiao Fan on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank, respectively.
The credit is provided by the International Development Association, the World Bank's concessional lending arm, which provides grants or zero-interest loans. The credit has a 38-year term, including a six-year grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 percent.
The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence. The World Bank has since committed more than $29 billion in grants and interest-free credits to the country. Bangladesh currently has the largest IDA -program totaling $11.3 billion.
by ICE Business Times
World Bank Provides $425 Million to Improve Rural Bridges
The World Bank today approved $425 million to improve road connections in Bangladesh through building, maintaining and improving rural bridges in a program that will benefit two-thirds of the country's people.
The Operation For Supporting Rural Bridges Program will maintain 85,000 meters of bridges, widen or rehabilitate 29,000 meters of bridges and build another 20,000 meters of new bridges. The program will also create jobs for local people by generating about 5.5 million person-days of employment, including long-term maintenance work. The program will support the government's existing program for developing and maintaining rural bridges.
"By bridging the missing links in Bangladesh's rural road network, the program will enable rural communities living in remote areas to have better road connections," said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. "This will help millions of rural people access markets, hospitals, and schools as well as create new opportunities for livelihoods."
Bangladesh has a higher road density—that is the ratio of the total road length to the country's land area—than any other South Asian country, including India and Sri Lanka. As Bangladesh's flat terrain is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, bridges play a critical part in the country's road system. For every 4.5 km of roads in unions or upazilas, a bridge is needed to connect two disjointed road sections. While Bangladesh enjoys an extensive rural road network, one-fifth of the rural bridges needed are not built yet. This project will build, widen, and maintain rural bridges in 61 districts. In 19 coastal districts, the project will construct or rebuild bridges to include climate resilient features.
"The program will support government efforts to improve institutional capacity to plan, design, quality control and manage rural bridges, including to ensure they are climate resilient along coastal areas," said Farhad Ahmed, World Bank Senior Transport Specialist and Team Leader for the program. "The program will promote citizen's participation, including women, ensure construction quality and will develop a mobile phone-based application for citizens to report quality issues."
The credit from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) has a 30-year term, including a five-year grace period. The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence. The World Bank has since committed more than $29 billion in grants and interest-free credits to the country. Bangladesh currently has the largest IDA -program totaling $11.3 billion.
World Bank Helps Improve Coastal and Marine Fisheries
The government of Bangladesh today signed a $240 million financing agreement with the World Bank to help improve management and production in marine and coastal fisheries and aquaculture.
The Sustainable and Marine Fisheries Project will help improve fisheries management systems, infrastructure, value chain investments, and encourage private sector investment to increase the availability and quality of sea fish. It will also support reforms in fisheries policies and regulations.
"In the last decade, the fisheries sector accounted for around 4 percent of Bangladesh's economy and is the country's second-largest export earning sector after garments," said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. "World Bank financing will aim to expand coastal and marine fisheries with the goal of further increasing the fisheries sector's contribution to the economy."
In 16 coastal districts, the project will set up community co-management associations with fishing communities, enabling them to adopt supplementary and alternative livelihoods. While empowering fishing communities, especially women through skills development and nutrition awareness, the project will also establish 100 model fishing villages.
The current fisher identity card system will be expanded under the project and linked with the geographic information system platform. Vessel registration and licensing for fishing will also be improved. In addition, the project will help the government conduct stock surveys and assessments for shrimp and sea fish stocks and strengthen monitoring systems for industrial and artisanal fisheries.
"For Bangladesh, the fisheries sector is a major driver for growth. The marine and coastal fisheries have significant potential for sustainable and higher production," said Kazi Shofiqul Azam, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division. "The project will directly contribute to Bangladesh's Blue Economy initiatives."
The agreement was signed at the Economic Relations Division by Kazi Shofiqul Azam on behalf of the government and Zahid Hussain, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh.
The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence. The World Bank has since committed more than $29 billion in grants and interest-free credits to the country. In recent years, Bangladesh has been among the largest recipients of the World Bank's interest-free credits.
Creating Sustainable Communities: JCI Dhaka West in the Business of Empowerment
By Marjiya Baktyer Ahmed
Junior Chamber International (JCI) made its landmark debut in Bangladesh in the year 1972, in recognition of the country's liberation the year before. However, it was in 1998 that JCI Bangladesh started their operations to bring about systemic change within the society by empowering the youth with leadership skills. The organization is a platform for building leadership skills. It instills values in its members and strives by their vision of empowering the youth by equipping them with leadership skills to make a significant contribution to society.
JCI Bangladesh began its operations with two initial chapters – JCI Dhaka East and JCI Dhaka West. As of now, JCI has 14 chapters in the country, 12 of which are in Dhaka with 1 in Chittagong and another one in Sylhet. Mehedi Hossain presides over JCI Dhaka West. The young president started his career in 2014 as a Training Commissioner, rising steadily through the ranks until he secured the presidency.
JCI has won numerous competitions on debate and public speaking. In the first step of his induction, Mehedi found his niche in the debating arena, becoming the National Debate Champion in 2014. He went on to become the National Public Speaking Champion and National Debate Champion in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Mehedi describes JCI as a platform for leadership development saying, "Leadership development can be encouraged through sustainable projects in communities or through events – there are multiple ways to foster leadership."
At JCI, leadership skills are taught through training workshops, competitions, and projects. Under Mehedi's guidance, JCI Dhaka West launched an international training platform called 'Convince' in 2014. Since then the platform has hosted three training sessions with a focus on communication skills, management, and transformational leadership skills, moderated by international trainers.
Mehedi Hossain
Looking to engage local corporate leaders as trainers, JCI Dhaka West spearheaded the platform 'Expedite'. Industry giants like Unilever and BUP dispensed training focused on the transition from academic life to the corporate/work life. Using Neuro-Linguistic Programming, local trainers taught the importance of living with a purpose and the need to prioritize.
Between the years 2014-2015, the platform 'Voice' was initiated. Rebranded and renamed 'Steps', the platform promotes English debate beyond the periphery of Dhaka. 'Steps' is focused on encouraging logical thinking and foster English-speaking fluency through debate. Mehedi stresses the importance of debate saying, "The more you debate them more your thoughts become logical, cohesive and coherent."
With the intention to stimulate open discussions within the corporate sphere, Mehedi came up with a debating platform – Corporate Open. The platform allowed, Bangladesh Debating Council to participate and emerge as the victor last year. Corporate Open made its debut as a corporate debating platform which encouraged the inclusion of men, women and transgender people. Mehedi reiterates, "When you debate and discuss, you become more accepting of perspectives that don't necessarily resonate with yours."
While JCI Dhaka West offers training, they also create impactful projects with a more long-term goal in mind. Two of their flagship projects include 'Embrace the Difference' and 'JCI Suburb Community'. Embrace the Difference is a brilliant initiative which caters to the differently-abled children of society. Trying to do away with the stigma surrounding differently-abled children, Embrace the Difference hosted an art competition where participants comprised both normally-abled and differently-abled children. The venture began humbly in 2016 with a small number of participants. Now it has bloomed into a large scale project which hosted an impressive 700 normally-abled and 100 differently-abled children from the Autism Foundation in 2018. Mehedi explains, "We plan on continuing with this as long as it continues to yield positive results. The promising aspect of this project is that it encouraged normally-abled and differently-abled children to develop a friendship with each other."
JCI Suburb Community, on the other hand, has its sights set on building a community through sustainable means. Currently running five projects within a small suburban community called Kolakia located on the outskirts of the city. JCI has zeroed in on four key issues which need resolving. Firstly, a health camp which provides information and care on critical illnesses like cervical cancer has been set up. In Ramadan, JCI Dhaka West partnered with Arla and campaigned for healthy living by providing 2400 liters of milk in the community for free. They even began a campaign to raise awareness around menstrual hygiene management by engaging the children of the community to put on a play and educate their peers and other members within Kolakia.
And lastly, another notable issue within the community was the harassment of school-going girls faced. In order to mitigate this issue, 'Na Bola Kotha' was established, which became a safe space for the girls to voice their grievances and ultimately have them resolved.
One progressive solution JCI Dhaka West was to come up with is creating an interactive virtual reality game. The game is an immersive experience where the players get the chance to become a member of the community and explore it to unearth issues which need to be addressed. Mehedi expounds, "When you play the game you have to buy certain things and spending this money becomes part of the solution making process. Different players come with different solutions for the same issue. Thus it only stands to reason, that when multiple people play it then we have multiple solutions and we can pick the most ideal one." This game generates revenue while coming up with solutions to tackle pressing matters.
Mehedi envisions using JCI's influence to tackle more serious problems within our society and coming up with further sustainable plans and projects. With his tenure, as local president, at its end, Mehedi talks about his future plans. "The plan is to climb up the national ladder, then move on to international JCI platform. I have 12 years left to be in JCI so if I have the ability I can become the global president for JCI."
Bangladesh: Access to Clean Water Will Reduce Poverty Faster
Bangladesh can reduce poverty and accelerate growth faster by taking urgent actions to improve the quality of water and sanitation, says a new World Bank report. Despite the country's remarkable progress in improving access to water and sanitation, 41 percent of all improved water sources are contaminated with E. Coli bacteria, which suggests a high prevalence of fecal contamination.
The report 'Promising Progress: A Diagnostic of Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Poverty in Bangladesh,' launched today, finds that poor drinking water quality affects the rich and poor and the rural and urban population alike. But, the poorest quintile of the population suffers three times more from water and sanitation related gastro-intestinal diseases.
Today, 98 percent of Bangladesh's population have access to water from technologically improved water sources. However, the water quality is poor. E. coli bacteria was present in 80 percent of private piped-water taps sampled across the country, a similar rate to water retrieved from ponds.
"Poor water quality and sanitation can hold back a country's potential because unsafe water and poor sanitation are linked to nutritional disadvantages in early-childhood." said Sereen Juma, Acting Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. "In Bangladesh, more than one-third of children under five are stunted, limiting their ability to grow and learn. Bangladesh has made great strides in expanding access to water and can build on that progress by focusing on improving the quality of water and sanitation."
Further, naturally occurring arsenic in ground water also affects people: about 13 percent of the country's water sources contain arsenic levels above Bangladesh's threshold. The Chittagong and Sylhet divisions suffer most from arsenic contamination. Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of natural disasters that disrupt water and sanitation services. During times of disaster, about a third of households in the country's high-risk areas switch to contaminated, unimproved water sources. The coastal areas are increasingly suffering from salinity-intrusion, which is affecting the poor more.
Bangladesh has successfully eliminated the practice of open defecation. Still, about 50 million people use shared, rudimentary toilets, and only 28 percent of toilets are equipped with soap and water. In urban areas, slums have poor access to clean water and safe sanitation. Large-city slums have five times less access to improved sanitation and have the highest rates of childhood under-nutrition in the country.
"There is scope for Bangladesh to improve access to sanitation beyond the household level to public places, schools, health facilities, and workplaces," says George Joseph, report co-author and World Bank Senior Economist. "Only about half of manufacturing enterprises in Bangladesh have toilets. Only half of the primary schools have separate toilets for girls, and 1 in 4 adolescent girls miss school during menstruation. A safe water and sanitation environment will encourage more women to participate in the work force."
This research is part of the World Bank's WASH Poverty Diagnostics initiative in 18 countries, including Bangladesh.
World Bank Launches the 'Bangladesh Development Update, October 2018'
The World Bank released the Bangladesh Development Update on 2nd October 2018. The event was held in the World Bank office in Agargaon and was presented by Dr. Zahid Hussain, World Bank Lead Economist, with an introductory speech from Dr. Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. Dr. Ahsan Mansur of PRI, Bangladesh and Hossain Zillur Rahman also provided comments on the report.
The key message of the event centered around the much-debated topic of Bangladesh efforts of moving into the middle-income country status. Dr. Hussain reported that in order to fulfill this dream the country needs refueling (reforms) and sharper shock absorbers (stabilizers). Moreover, the report has been broken the policy challenges into the three-time frame: short-term, medium-term and long-term.
The Bangladeshi economy has been experiencing domestic demand-driven growth in recent years, hugely accelerated by the manufacturing and constructing growth. But the macroeconomic stability is being challenged by increasing non-food inflation, external financing shortfall, tightening liquidity and increased fiscal deficit. The report predicts that private investment has been robust in recent years and export and remittance will continue to support the growth rate of Bangladesh.
But stressors include the widening current account deficit slowdown of the major export markets, weak effort to improve economic governance, high non-performing loans in state-controlled banks and the burgeoning Rohingya situation. Thus a policy and institutional reform are imperative to protect Bangladesh from these risks.
Short-term policy challenges have been identified as controlling the non-food inflation, implementing tax policy reforms and modernizing the tax administration and finally improving the quality of public spending.
Medium-term policy challenges were diversifying the countries export, boosting private investment, generating greater electric power supply and more efficient pricing and usage of gas. While all the factors contributed to the growth levels in Bangladesh, special emphasis was placed on the energy needs. WB has called for smarter pricing of electricity, improving the load management and boosting the gas generation efficiency.
Long-term policy challenges were listed as avoiding the middle-income traps addressing the long-term priorities. The middle-income country trap is when a country clings too long to past successful policies or exit premature the policies that could have served as the basis to further development. Some of the suggestions put forward by WB include promoting structural transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation. While the long-term priority recommendations include building the existing human capital through investment in education, health, and nutrition, creating better jobs to support these skilled workforces, addressing the congestion and messiness of the major cities and lastly environmental and preservation and climate change adaptation.
The report also forecast that that output growth in the fiscal year of 2019 to be at 7% and driven by the industry and services on the supply side and private consumption and investment on the demand side.
by Nasirra Ahsan
World Bank Finances Fisheries, Roads, and Forests for Bangladesh
$515 million includes help for community hosting Rohingya in Cox's Bazar
The World Bank today approved $515 million for three projects in Bangladesh to improve coastal and marine fisheries, forest management, and rural roads. These financings will help rural people by reducing poverty and creating new livelihood opportunities, including for local communities in the Cox's Bazar district hosting Rohingya people who fled violence in Myanmar.
"These three projects will create opportunities for the rural population and especially help the vulnerable people come out of poverty," said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. "At the same time, they will improve the country's resilience to climate change."
The $175 million Sustainable Forests & Livelihoods Project will help improve forest cover through a collaborative forest management approach involving local communities. The project will plant trees in about 79,000 hectares of forest, including a coastal green belt that will also help increase climate change resilience.
"The project will support increasing income through alternative income generation activities for about 40,000 households in the coastal, hill and central districts of the country," said Madhavi Pillai, World Bank Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist and Task Team Leader for the project. This will include Cox's Bazar where nearly one million Rohingya took shelter. The project will particularly help the host communities through its income generation activities, improving the availability of wood for fuel in a sustainable way and reducing human-wild elephant conflict which has affected parts of the district.
The project will develop and implement Protected Area management plans for about 10 Protected Forest Areas with the involvement of community members.
The $240 million Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project will help improve fisheries management, expand mariculture and strengthen aquaculture biosecurity and productivity. In 10 coastal districts, the project will set up community co-management associations with the fishing communities, enabling them to adopt supplementary and alternative livelihoods. It also empowers female workers through alternative livelihoods support, skills development, and nutrition awareness.
"Fisheries are vital to the country's food security and the sector employs more than 18 million people. After garments, a fishery is the country's second-largest export earning sector," said Milen Dyoulgerov, World Bank Senior Environment Specialist and Task Team Leader for the project. "The project will help improve fisheries management systems, infrastructure, and other value chain investments. This will result in better productivity and availability of fish."
The project will also help expand the current fisher ID card system, which will be linked with the geographic information system platform. It will also improve vessel registration and licensing for fishing.
The $100 million additional financing to the Second Rural Transport Improvement Project will help rehabilitate rural roads in 26 districts that were damaged from last year's heavy rainfall and floods. The ongoing project has improved and repaired more than 5,000 km rural roads that helped millions of people access markets, hospitals, and schools. The financing will factor in climate-resilience in planning, technical design, implementation and maintenance of the roads.
"The financing will continue a road safety program to ensure traffic safety as the rural roads are facing increased motorized traffic," said Dung Anh Hoang, World Bank Senior Transport Specialist and Task Team Leader for the project.
Archive, Archive 2018
The Tech Lane
Maliha M Quadir
Shohoz
Creating Ride Solutions Through Tech
It was a wonderful Saturday morning and the commute to Shohoz's Gulshan office from Bashundhara was easy; there was almost no traffic. I was going to meet Maliha M Quadir, the founder and CEO of Shohoz, a web-portal that started its journey four years ago with digital ticketing services for interdistrict travel by bus in Bangladesh. The country that has always made the headlines for road traffic accidents and the sorry state of the public transport system is now being recognized for a tech-based company that aims to solve these problems. The start-up was able to execute the mammoth task of getting a bus and launch companies to affiliate with their ticket services; proving that innovation thrives when there is a necessity.
Last week Shohoz unveiled details of the $15 million in funding they received for Shohozrides, the ride-sharing wing of the company. This service aims at making life easier for commuters in a city where everyone grapples with an insurmountable traffic gridlock every day.
An Out and Out Tech Company
As I entered the office, a big table tennis board welcomed me. On the ride hand side, was a room painted with white and orange stripes, reminding me of their old logos. "Think Digital" is written in the emboldened font on the backdrop of a meeting table. Upon entrance, you realize that tech is the life-blood of this company. They recently launched a new logo, from which one can easily consider Shohoz to be an aficionado of everything young and digital. They opted for a primary color, green, associated with the youth and chose a minimalist font, matching with the slogan beneath – "jibontake shohoz korun" – calling out to people with a promise to make their lives easier.
The Big Leap
Our dialogue began with how she approached Golden Gate. Maliha politely corrected me, "It was not the only firm that has stakes in this huge investment. Of the $15 million raised during the pre-series B investment, Singapore's Golden Gate Ventures is the lead investor. Other investors participating in this round include Linear VC, 500 Startups and Singaporean angel investor Koh Boon Hwee. This was our fourth round of fundraising." Maliha, who has always taken a great interest in economics, is grateful to the network she harnessed ever since her Harvard days. Before starting Shohoz, this corporate-turned-technopreneur had a remarkable stint at Morgan Stanley in New York, Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, Vistaprint, and Nokia. The exposure has certainly helped Maliha identify her holy grail – do something tech-related that can solve a problem in her country and create revenue at the same time.
Building & Branding a Digital Bangladesh
Shohoz paved its own way in a new market and plays a crucial role in developing Digital Bangladesh. So it comes as a no-brainer that angel investors from Europe and the US had no qualms backing the company. However, she feels that the demand for a local angel network is immense. "It takes a long time to reach the profitability of a tech company. Furthermore, local investors should have a thorough understanding of that fact that procuring funding is difficult." Maliha is a tale of success in a space that was not expected and she wants this story to show Bangladesh in a positive light. "The country has been maintaining a steady 6%+ GDP for decades and that's a feat that would be highly commendable in foreign investment circles, but not many of them know about it."
Maliha believes that collaboration and partnerships are a necessity in order to grow. It is this dynamic that has put Shohozrides on the road to success. "It is high time we collaborate with global expertise and brand our country with proper storytelling. The digital advancements that we have made here in Bangladesh are phenomenal. In many cases, we are way ahead of our neighboring countries. But have we represented those facts properly?" She particularly praises the recent decisions made by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) to attract more foreign direct investment. Like all her contemporaries, she praises the private-sector led growth. Nevertheless, Maliha admits that bureaucratic tangles and delays in implementation of projects exist, but she thinks these issues are not only endemic to our country. In this connection, she mentions the annual report that charts down the Ease of Doing Business in countries. "I think we should get in touch with the authority behind these kinds of publications and support them with more facts and figures. This will put Bangladesh on a higher ranking."
The "Mobile-first" Strategy
As our discussion took a more focused turn, I inquired about the inception of Shohozrides. "The idea of launching the ride-sharing app came to me in early 2016; but at that time, it was illegal in our country, which is why we didn't pursue that goal. We launched Shohozrides on the same day the government approved ride-sharing, which proves the idea was already in the works." She differentiates between Shohoz's maiden portfolio and now, saying it stands apart for a number of reasons: "The bus ticket booking service is doing well. We have come a long way in the last five years. However, this is not a frequently used product, whereas the ride-sharing service is. The former is web-centric, while the latter is mobile-based. This is also in line with our "mobile-first" strategy. We are happy that as of April 2018's data, Shohozrides have offered around 1 million rides."
The company is now eyeing other popular app-based delivery services, i.e. food delivery. "We are executing on a grander "super-app" strategy. To help Shohoz finance this growth, Shohoz has brought onboard a great lineup of experienced international and regional investors that bring tremendous consumer technology experience, strategic foresight on technology trends in the region, and deep networks which will help us expedite the evolution of our Shohoz super app," she elaborates. Maliha has some ideas to share when it comes to the progress of the booming tech business: "The bandwidth cost is very high here. This has to come down, which will eventually encourage more people to use the internet. At the same time, payment gateway and credit card fees are something that needs to go down too." She affirms that a digital nation is not possible without a meticulous plan. "If we really want to build a Digital Bangladesh, we have to come up with a vision and execution plan that ensures inclusivity and mass awareness about the products that we have to offer."
Maliha does not believe in charity. "When you empower people with the necessary tools, they have the license to build their own future." This is why she thinks every business should consider itself from the point of view of a social business, creating values, while generating revenues and giving back to society. And with tech businesses, this is possible even more because it can bring a huge pool of consumers under one umbrella with the help of a digital platform. Speaking of outsourcing business, which a big number of youths in our country are looking forward to, Maliha thinks it's important to have a holistic idea and knowledge of developing a product. "Many freelancers are happy getting small works from multiple employers that earn them good money. However, in the long run, it doesn't empower them with the skill of developing their own products." She points out that product development is a precursor to putting anything into the market. "Learning product development is so damn important. I think this has to be mandatory for everyone to do one-year of hands-on training in coding and programming willing to build their career in tech. Without the right technical skill set, we cannot dream bigger, let alone execution."
Maliha takes notes from her past as she speeds into the future. She received her best advice as she emerged into her vocational life at Morgan Stanley. "My mentors emphasized the importance of flexibility. Of course, we all have that five-year plan at the beginning of our career," but that should not be set in stone according to her. " As we grow, we must know how to adapt to the changing scenario. You never know where life will take you."
As I was winding up the interview, another slogan on the wall of her room caught my eye. "We can and we will." I asked one last question, "Will you try your luck in businesses other than tech?" She looks at me with a winning smile and quips, "Tech is my area; tech is my business and tech is changing the world, period."
by Tawhidur Rashid
The Coding of a Tech Visionary
Sheikh Galib Rahman
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Sheikh Galib Rahman is a man of two fortes. He juggles people and tasks with the utmost ease. Engaging in conversation with peers and like-minded people, one could never tell that his vacation home would include attending multiple networking events. One day he is delivering a keynote before hundreds of youth dreaming to make money with outsourcing business; the next day, he is meeting the who's who of the ICT sector of Bangladesh. Names like Mostofa Jabbar (the Minister of ICT), Sonia Bashir Kabir (the country director of Microsoft Bangladesh), and Shamim Ahsan (Former BASIS President), are his immediate orbit. Nevertheless, his solar system, bigger mentors, wellwishers and former recruiters from IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Cap Gemini, and Disneyland.
Galib spins memories into allegory with the same ease as everything else he does, making his rags to riches story just as opulent as the man behind it. Galib was only 17 when his life would take a most unexpected turn; a diversity visa to the US offered him not only newer opportunities and a novel way of life. His parents wanted him to become a lawyer but upon entering the US, like many other Bangladeshis, he had to join a $9/hour job at the Dunkin Donuts where the owner highly demotivated him to pursue his parents' dream. Galib instantly knew he had to leave the place as soon as possible. After working there for six months, Galib finally found a new opportunity. This time he would be a waiter at Trump Tower; the job opened a new network for him. He was accepted LaGuardia Community College under the City University of New York. His stint at the college was a mixed bag: both fun and challenging at the same time. "There were even nights when I slept in the car or at the subway. But I was happy in a way that I knew one day I will have a better condition than this. It took me three years to complete my two years of college," he looks nostalgic as we carry on with the interview.
By then, Galib had a different bend of mind and wanted to study something, which at that time, was even impossible to dream about: he chose computer science as a subject of his further studies. "I had nothing against becoming a lawyer but computer science compelled me more. Luckily, with the connections, I had been harnessing for the last two years, I landed a job in a high-end bar. I was earning $700-800 as tips per night." He wanted to purchase a Lexus IS-250 with the money he had saved. "I was criticized for my purchase because people believed that I did not earn the stature for the car."
It was 2008 when Galib graduated and was looking for a decent job that would enrich his resume with expertise in the field of his incumbent studies. He applied for a job at FINRA-Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in their Document Management System. The first round of interview went so well that he was right away. Though he was successfully finished the next couple of rounds. Unfortunately, he fell severely ill and ultimately, couldn't prove his mettle to obtain the job which has an offer of $110,000. Galib never lost hope; he kept trying and finally managed to get the job of an Analyst at IBM, at a lower remuneration, $80,000 a year. He had to shift to Ohio. "Life was different there. The posh and pomp lifestyle that one can enjoy at the Big Apple was not readily palpable at the Buckeye State," he reminisced. Besides the job, Galib put his people-person skill to test and eventually managed to gather 20 Bangladeshi students whom all were living together.
During this time, Galib decided to hone his skills further. In two years of time, he finished six courses which helped him get an offer from Capital One Bank, Virginia, as Software Specialist. "My life changed while working there, as I met Rama Krishnan, a great mentor who taught me many lessons about personal and professional life. I also met Pradip, who was my recruiter; we eventually became friends and started a new company called Transfotech. Like many startups in NYC, it was started in a garage. Paradip and I used to create free tutorials for those willing to build careers in computer science." It was 2011 and their courses became popular among the non-resident Bangladeshi students who needed training in soft skill development, career management, and specialized training in the field of software development, software quality insurance et al.
Eventually, they started making full stack courses and became the support system for every Ghalib who has faced negativity and demotivation that had met them in their new found home. Transfotech, which started in 2011, now has become a very popular website and garners 20,000 hits per day worldwide. Many programmers who took up classes at Transfotech are now successfully employed in companies like Google, Homeland Security, etc.
Galib's next big break came when he joined JP Morgan Chase in the position of a Manager for Management of Software Development. He was at the help of six different teams stationed in six different states in the USA. " The job required a lot of traveling and for the first time, I got on-the-job 'training' on how to run a global team. Before starting that job, we worked for Microsoft and NetJet on various software projects." While juggling all of this, Galib strongly felt the need to hone his skill as a manager. "The importance of skills in managing a team. It is when one is responsible for big projects worth millions of dollars. The specialization in the tech area alone wouldn't enable me to excel as a manager." In 2015, Galib got his next big break and this time in Homeland Security in the Software division for the $75 million projects of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration management. Galib boasted about his stay at the project which also recruited more than 30 Bangladeshi engineers. His team won several accolades and awards from the government for being the most professional and timely delivery of work. Galib also worked for Central Medical and Medicaid services, a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, until he joined his current position at the Federal Reserve Bank two months ago in the Software Quality assurance department.
While doing all things data, Galib never forgot his country and its rich heritage. The data geek is also a foodie and set up his own restaurant called Mirch, at New York, his second home. Simultaneously, he wanted to promote more Bangladeshis to the policy-making position; Galib recently worked at the IT advisor of Mizan Chowdhury, the first Bangladeshi who was a 2018 Democratic candidate seeking election to the U.S. House to represent the 5th Congressional District of New York. "I wanted the Bangladeshi youth to be empowered and politically active; I want them to have a life which is full of dreams, purpose and success stories."
Galib has been closely monitoring the development of the IT and ITes scenario in Bangladesh. Terming the growth "phenomenal", he said that, "while working for USCIS, I have got to gather experience about immigration and I can disseminate that information, which will be helpful to anyone willing to try for US Immigrant Visa." With so many different experiences in data and software management, it is easy to assume that Galib would be an expert in cybersecurity issues. He helped the government of Bangladesh while putting together the Cyber Security Act. "This will raise many eyebrows but is a fact that 78% of women of 18-30 years are victims of cyber crimes, and 69% of them never get to tell anyone about that violence. This is why we need to be careful about this issue." Nevertheless, he is highly optimistic that the youth of Bangladesh has finally set their eyes on the global outsourcing market in a serious way. "The entire market is worth $600 billion, of which 62% comes from the US and 20% from the UK. Of this huge pie, Bangladesh earns only something around $700 million. So the scope is huge. But our youth badly needs to brush up their soft skills and more technical knowledge to go up the value chain and do bigger projects. In addition, corporate training is a cry of the moment as outsourcing companies need people who are good at handling international clients." During this vacation, he attended a seminar at the DC office of Comilla, where hundreds of youth who look forward to breaking a leg in outsourcing came to hear from him. He was all praise about the initiative taken by Badal Fazal Mir. honorable commissioner of the district. "This kind of initiatives will empower the grassroots people to dream higher and with their participation, the desired IT revolution in Bangladesh can truly happen."
When asked where he sees himself in ten years, Galib looked relaxed. "One of the best advice I ever received was from a primary school teacher in Barisal, who said, 'Sometimes the situation will demand to go one step backward in order to go one step forward into the future. Never hesitate to make that move backward.' I am a person who always likes to go with the flow. Maybe I will join politics or set up a bigger business. I don't know yet," he answers with his signature-charming smile. With so many gems on his crown already, there is no doubt that whatever he becomes; he would put the welfare of the people first and eventually develop a tech empire that will empower the millions of youth tomorrow.
ICE Business Times (IBT) is the leading premier business monthly magazine in Bangladesh at present.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR BANGLADESH BANK
THE QUANTUM METHOD
DR. S. KARUNAKARAN, Director- Global Spine Institute & Senior Consultant Spinal Surgery Gleneagles Global Hospital, Chennai
THE GREAT STREAMING WAR
Copyright @ ICE BUSINESS TIMES 2020
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WEST PALM BEACH, FL--(Marketwired - August 18, 2014) - Medytox Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: MMMS) announced today its financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2014 (the "2014 Quarter"), and the six-month period ended June 30, 2014 (the "2014 Period"). For the 2014 Quarter, the Company reported revenues of approximately $20.1 million, which represented an increase of approximately $12.2 million, or 142%, from the approximately $8.6 million in revenues reported for the same period of the prior year (the "2013 Quarter"). For the 2014 Period, the Company reported revenues of approximately $41.8 million, which represented an increase of approximately $25.2 million, or 152, from the approximately $16.6 million in revenues reported for the same period of the prior year (the "2013 Period"). For the 2014 Quarter, the Company reported income from operations of approximately $5.8 million, compared to income from operations of approximately $0.9 million for the 2013 Quarter. For the 2014 Period, the Company reported income from operations of approximately $12.7 million, as compared to income from operations of approximately $2.2 million for the 2013 Period.
"Our results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014 are due to our continued commitment to all our customers," stated William Forhan, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "We also appreciate all our employees, who work hard to deliver excellent customer service."
The Company is a holding company that owns and operates businesses in the medical services sector. Our principal line of business is clinical laboratory blood and urine testing services, with a particular emphasis in the provision of urine drug toxicology and comprehensive pain medication monitoring programs to physicians, clinics and rehabilitation facilities in the United States.
This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Any such statements are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that may be anticipated by or from the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such a difference are set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and include, but are not limited to the ability to consummate acquisitions and the ability to integrate such acquisitions.


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Fire in the Interface Field Trips
More than 40 invited Australian, New Zealand and United States researchers, practitioners and policy-makers gathered in Melbourne and Canberra from 14-18 June 2010 for the research symposium. The group visited the areas devastated in the 2009 February Black Saturday fires in Victoria and the suburbs of Canberra burnt in 2003.
Taskforce News: May 2009
The Bushfire CRC multi-agency Research Taskforce has ended its data collection phase with the last teams completing their field tours in the final week of April.
Taskforce News: April 2009
The Bushfire CRC multi-agency research taskforce has completed an intensive five weeks of gathering information about the fires of February 2009 in Victoria.
Wildfire in the High Country - stories from a high country fire
The communities around Mansfield in central Victoria have produced a book Wildfire in the High Country.In stories, poems and personal photographs the communities have remembered the bushfires that dominated their summer of 2006-7.
Community Bushfire Safety book - launch
Australia is at the forefront of research on community bushfire safety and resilience according to a new book. "Community Bushfire Safety" brings together in one comprehensive volume the results of the most important community safety research being undertaken within the Australian Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.
Taskforce News: March 2009
The Bushfire CRC multi-agency research taskforce is now into the fifth week of gathering as much information as possible about the fires of February 2009 in Victoria.
A better outlook on bushfires
Fire managers around Australia are increasingly arming themselves with a new research product as they provide advice to government and policy makers on the severity of upcoming bushfire seasons. The National Seasonal Bushfire Outlook Report, a new product of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, has become an essential resource in the preparation for bushfire seasons.
A new breed of fire researchers
The need to develop the next generation of fire researchers was one of the key reasons for the establishment of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre in 2003. Now, four years on, there are 31 student researchers working on Bushfire CRC projects around Australia and in New Zealand, including 27 PhDs and four masters students.
The Bushfire CRC scholarship program has so far produced 45 PhD graduates—with more to graduate in the next few years—ensuring the future of Australian fire research.
Warning fatigue is not a myth
This completed PhD research examined the role that warning fatigue plays in the risk perceptions, warning response and decision-making processes of people living in bushfire-prone areas. The study showed that warning fatigue reduced attention to bushfire warnings, changing the way those surveyed thought about their bushfire risk and affecting their response to warnings.
Success spreads for first ebook
Use and sharing of the Bushfire CRC's first ebook, Making a bushfire plan? Involve you kids! is growing, with a number of organisations distributing and promoting the ebook when talking about making bushfire plans with communities.
Bringing fire science to you
Australia's leading fire researchers are bringing their knowledge direct to you with the Bushfire CRC seminar series, with free webinars scheduled throughout the next few months.
Exciting new features for Fire Notes
If you have noticed that Fire Notes now look a bit different, you would be correct. To assist you to organise, share and act, Fire Notes now have new features. These features will be included in all future editions, beginning with Fire Note 121.


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Google Contacts now comes with 'trash' feature!
basithrahmanpp
Google Contacts is one of the most common services which we use to store our contacts. The backup & restore process of contacts is one of the most hassle-free processes out there. There will be some occasions where we accidentally delete our contacts. Unlike File Manager & Gallery which has an in-built recycle bin, the Contact app doesn't get the same. In order to overcome this, Google has started rolling out a new update which comes with an option to retrieve those contacts. In this article, we will explain how to use that feature. We know that most of you guys may be waiting for Google to release this feature.
Trash; Recover deleted contacts!
The new feature will work similarly to a 'trash' in File Manager & Gallery. Google will allow you guys to recover the contacts which you have deleted accidentally or intentionally. The contacts which you have deleted will be there for almost 30 days. Unfortunately, the trash feature is only available in the Google Contact's website. Interestingly, even if you have deleted the contacts from the app or web, it will be shown in the trash. So, the thing is that in order to retrieve deleted contacts, you've to visit the web.
For accessing the trash feature, you can head over to the Google Contact Website. You can find the "Trash" feature under the "Other Contacts" folder. If you can't see that, it means that it isn't activated for you guys. For me, it isn't activated, will update once it gets activated. I've also checked with my G-suite account, no 'trash' feature there as well. If you have the trash feature, you can see it over there, and it will show if the contact was deleted from the web or the app.
Further, it will show an option for either 'deleting' or 'recovering' the contact. GSuite Blog has also added that the new, feature will be rolling out for the Gsuite & normal users in the coming weeks. In clarification with the trash feature for the app, Google says that as of now it is not available. Google may or may not release it for the app in the near future. The rollout of the trash feature will be finished within 15 days starting from July 16, 2020.
GoogleGoogle Contacts
This CA student is a tech evangelist and a gadget devotee who works with and talks about latest technologies. Basith, being a techie since childhood is a traveller, foodie and an art enthusiast.