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UKTourism
ASVA to host Great Expectations conference
By Jill Sayles	 On Nov 1, 2017
The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), which represents the interests of the visitor attractions sector in Scotland, will be holding its annual two-day autumn conference at The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort, Cumbernauld from 9 – 10 November 2017.
Cumbernauld, Scotland
This year's conference, themed around 'Great Expectations' will bring together worldwide industry speakers.
Keynote speakers include: Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for International Development and Europe; Lisa Månsson, Director of Scandinavia's biggest museum, the Vasa, who will outline how the Vasa engages with its visitors and encourages them to return; Willie Cameron, Business Development Director of Cobbs Group, who will provide insights into the company's success with the Chinese market; Liz Hoskins of hospitality academy 'Positive Qualities', who will share tips on how to increase customer satisfaction and sales by motivating staff; Tom Campbell, Chief Executive, North Coast 500, who will talk about overcoming the challenges presented by the popularity of Scotland's newest long distance touring route; and Brigadier David Allfrey MBE, Chief Executive and Producer of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo, who will share his strategy for taking the event to new heights since taking over the post in 2011.
Interactive breakout sessions will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of digital marketing with Scottish travel blogger Neil Robertson, or to find out more about how one of the key attractions in the Highlands, Nevis Range, worked with Rare Management to deliver an award-winning world class event.
There will also be a series of 'pop up' breakout sessions, featuring a range of speakers all involved in Scottish attractions who have achieved or developed something new, interesting and inspirational.
New for 2017 will be a session called 'Question Time', when delegates will be invited to put questions to a panel of experts and take part in a discussion on the key issues facing Scottish tourism today. Following the Breakout Sessions, an Awards Ceremony will celebrate the best of the visitor attractions sector in Scotland.
Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for International Development and Europe said: "Scotland has a wide range of unique attractions and excellent heritage and museum collections and it's fitting that they are recognised for the excellent experiences that they offer visitors.
"In our current themed Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, the success of our leading visitor attractions will continue to play a vital role in making Scotland a destination of first choice for visitors from the UK and across the world."
"And looking forward to 2018, Scotland will lead a global first by having a year-long celebration of Scotland and its young people. A programme of cultural and educational events and activities, co-designed with children and young people, will be held right across the whole of the country."
Willie Cameron, Business Development Director of Cobbs Group said: "After another year of sustained growth in the visitor attraction sector, this year's ASVA conference will be particularly important in helping delegates to develop a forward thinking strategy that meets the challenge of creating the sustainable infrastructure required by Scottish tourism in the future".
Douglas Walker, Chair of ASVA added: "The indications are that 2017 has been an extremely positive year for the visitor attractions sector and the wider Scottish tourism industry, but we cannot rest on our laurels.
"This year's conference will bring delegates lots of insights into how we can promise, deliver and exceed expectations, from welcoming visitors from one of Scotland's key growth markets, China, to using volunteers to enhance the visitor experience".
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text:
Adam and Eve and the Serpent: Breaking the Bonds to Free Africa's Women (Ghana Universities Press, 1995, 141 p.)
DATA CARD
LECTURE 1: Be fruitful and multiply
LECTURE 2: In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children
LECTURE 3: Socio-economic development and gender equity
LECTURE 4: Social, cultural and legal practices and gender equity
LECTURE 5: Gender, sexual and reproductive rights and equity
I have had so much assistance from so many people and institutions in the preparation of these lectures that it would be impossible to mention them all by name, give them due credit and to thank them adequately. To all those who gave advice and help in any shape or form but who are not mentioned specifically I say a sincere thank you. My former research associates, Karen Newman of IPPF and Janet Nassim of the World Bank, gave me much valuable advice on the arrangement of the material and helped point me to important basic material.
Those without whose help the lectures could not have been written include the Population Council, especially Judith Bruce and George Brown, Family Care International, particularly Ann Starrs and Jill Sheffied and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The Secretary General of IPPF and Angela Davies made it possible for me to have excellent research and drafting assistance from Jeremy Hamand and Morag Humble. Jeremy Hamand and Christine Hawkins guided the editing of the final text and prepared the material for publication and Dr Ronald Kleinman kindly read the proofs and made a number of valuable suggestions. I am extremely grateful to all of these, and to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which has provided grant support for this publication as an input to policy and programme discussions following the IPCD Programme of Action, particularly with respect to the improvement in the status, well-being and reproductive health care of African women.
I am also indebted to my wife and daughters who read and gave insightful advice on the text and whose legal friends and colleagues gave invaluable assistance on the sections touching on Ghana laws and customs.
While acknowledging with gratitude the contributions of all of these people I wish to make it clear that I am solely responsible for any errors of fact, omissions and misinterpretations that may appear.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Dougal Robertson (1924-1992) was een Schotse zeiler en auteur uit Edinburgh. In 1972 overleefde hij na een schipbreuk gedurende 38 dagen samen met zijn bemanning op zee in een reddingsvlot.

De schipbreuk
Robertsons verliet de haven in januari 1971 in een dertien meter lange schoener genaamd de Lucette. De bemanning van de schoener bestond op dat moment uit Dougal Robertson, zijn vrouw Lyn, hun 18-jarige zoon Douglas en de 12-jarige tweeling Neil en Sandy.

Na meer dan een jaar varen in het Atlantische zeegebied, namen ze in het Panamakanaal 'lifter' Robin Williams aan boord. Dit onervaren bemanningslid zou hun vergezellen op hun reis naar de Galapagoseilanden en de Stille Zuidzee.

Na zeventien maanden op zee, op 15 juni 1972, werd de Lucette door een aanval van walvissen tot zinken gebracht, 200 mijl ten westen van de Galapagoseilanden. Doordat de houten romp van de zeilboot barstte, zonk ze in minder dan een minuut tijd.

De zeskoppige bemanning werd hierdoor gedwongen om zonder kaarten of kompas en met slechts een noodrantsoen voor drie dagen in een opblaasbaar reddingsvlot, een polyester dinghy, op de Stille Oceaan rond te dobberen.

Gedurende 38 dagen overleefden Dougal Robertson en zijn gezelschap in hun reddingsvlot op de Stille Oceaan, onderhevig aan hitte, koude, haaien, storm en watergebrek, door het vangen van schildpadden, vliegende vissen en goudmakreel en het opvangen van regen als drinkwater.
Na zich 38 dagen op deze manier in leven te houden, werden ze opgemerkt door een Japanse vissersboot (Toka Maru II).

Robertson had een logboek bijgehouden gedurende zijn tijd op het vlot en bracht dit in 1973 uit in de vorm van een boek, genaamd Survive the savage sea. Dit boek werd door J.F. Brongers vertaald in het Nederlands naar 'De Woeste Zee'.

In 1991 werd zijn verhaal verfilmd en in 2005 schreef zijn zoon Douglas het boek The Last Voyage of the Lucette (de laatste reis van de Lucette).
Dougal schreef ten slotte ook nog het boek Sea Survival: A Manual en zeilde nog tot aan zijn dood in 1992.

Schots schrijver

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
How locum tenens physicians compare to staff physicians in quality of care
Jen Hunter
Patients should receive the same quality of care whether they're being seen by a staff physician or a locum tenens provider, and reputable locums agencies like Weatherby Healthcare go to great lengths to ensure the quality of their locum tenens providers. These efforts were reflected in two recent studies that compared patient outcomes for locum tenens and employed physicians. Researchers found that patient outcomes were similar for both provider types, and — according to one study — costs to the healthcare facility were actually lower for those patients being seen by locum tenens providers.
Comparing patient outcomes
"The lack of significant overall difference in mortality rates between patients treated by locum tenens and non-locum tenens physicians is reassuring, and it argues against the presence of systematic differences in the quality of care administered by these two groups of physicians," concluded the authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This study, led by Harvard Medical School researchers, examined almost two million Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between 2009 and 2014. They found that treatment by locum tenens physicians overall was not associated with increased mortality rates compared to staff physicians.
Dr. Roseann Freundel
These results should foster confidence in hospital systems and individual facilities that use locum tenens to fill in for gaps in coverage. Locum tenens physicians are as knowledgeable, skilled, and concerned about the quality of patient care they deliver as employed physicians.
"You still bring the same skillset wherever you go," says OB/GYN Dr. Roseann Freundel. "You still bring the human compassion component, the love of the work you do."
She explains that mindset doesn't change because she's a locums, and her patients still get the benefit of that. "Even though you may be a new provider someplace, you still approach your patients with that level of sensitivity and acceptance."
The researchers also analyzed secondary outcomes, including readmission rates, costs of care and length of stay. Patients cared for by locum tenens physicians had lower 30-day readmissions, which was an additional positive finding.
Costs and quality of locum tenens
A second study conducted by researchers with the University of Toledo College of Medicine/ProMedica found that patients treated by locums had shorter hospital stays and decreased hospital costs — but no increase in readmissions or mortality. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries treated by locum physicians had similar mortality rates compared to those treated by non-locum internists.
Researchers also found that patients seen only by locum tenens were associated with an adjusted length of stay of one day shorter — with an adjusted average hospital cost-saving of $1,339 per hospitalization. Locum physician care resulted in a 23% lower cost compared to staff hospitalists.
Debunking misperceptions
Dr. Carlos Garcia
The University of Toledo study also found a prevalent misconception among employed physicians that locum physicians provided lower patient safety and quality of care.
Locum tenens cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Carlos Garcia mentioned in an interview with Weatherby Healthcare that he feels some doctors view him as a novice when he is introduced as a locums, despite the fact that he graduated from medical school in 1978.
"This may sound terrible, but most places I've gone I'm either one of the most qualified or the most qualified guy in town," he says.
Surprised by the findings
The University of Toledo researchers indicated they were surprised that the results showed similar readmission and mortality rates for patients seen by locum tenens and employed hospitalists.
Lead author Moaath K. Mustafa Ali, MD, MPH, shared one theory with Medscape Medical News: "Locums have a lot of competition. They want to do well so they get called for additional shifts, and that could play a role."
Even with competition for jobs in the back of their minds, locum tenens physicians are as committed to their patients as their staff physician counterparts. Part of this may be that they can focus more on patient care, without the distraction of administrative responsibilities.
Dr. Lee Green
"Even if you have a heavy load, you know you're going to be with your patients. You're not going to be pulled out for some meeting or something like that," Dr. Freundel says. "That's what I went into medicine for — to be with my patients."
Locums have also reported that — even though their stay is temporary — they generally feel connected to their patients and are able to spend more time with them.
"People will say you can't establish relationships, but I've found that's totally untrue," says hospitalist Dr. Lee Green. "I've established a lot of strong relationships. I think being a locums makes me a better patient advocate because I know the only thing that really matters to me is the quality of patient care."
Weatherby Healthcare can provide you with quality locum tenens physicians, PAs, and NPs to provide coverage at your healthcare facility. Give us a call at 954.343.3050 to learn more.
Tagsclient hiring locum tenens providers patient care patient experience patient safety physician recruiter quality of care
Jen Hunter has been a marketing writer for over 20 years. She enjoys telling the stories of healthcare providers and sharing new, relevant, and the most up-to-date information on the healthcare front. Jen lives in Salt Lake City, UT, with her husband, two kids, and their geriatric black Lab. She enjoys all things outdoors-y, but most of all she loves rock climbing in the Wasatch mountains.
5 ways to increase clinician job satisfaction and improve retention
Keeping healthcare local and part of a larger health system


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All units are individually tested with a particle counter to ensure that every air cleaner system sold meets or exceeds the HEPA efficiency standard for particle removal.
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Metal housing construction with baked on powder coat finish.
Amaircare designs and manufactures all components except the German made energy efficient motors. They manufacture their HEPA filters "in-house" to assure they meet high quality standards.
Portable air cleaners available to the consumer use different technologies, filter components, fan systems and construction details. These variations in design have an impact on air cleaner performance and your health and safety. 90% of all particles in the air are smaller than 0.3 microns, the level at which HEPA filter efficiencies are measured. These particles stay suspended in the air, include allergens, viruses and bacteria and can be the most troublesome, especially for persons suffering from allergies and asthma. It is very important to have a high performance air cleaner that can provide clean air in your home.
Many companies use a HEPA filter and claim to have HEPA performance. These claims are based on the theoretical efficiency of the HEPA filter material and not the clean air produced by the air cleaner. Other Air cleaners use the word HEPA in their product descriptions or "HEPA-type" filters, but the filter does not meet the industry standard definition of HEPA efficiency. Unfortunately, inferior design prevents most air cleaner systems from reaching true HEPA performance.
Many manufacturers mislead the public about their clean air flow rate (cfm). The air delivery of many products can be over stated by 100%. The reason is that some manufacturers publish performance data on their fan motors based on a "free flow" rate. This means the maximum rate of flow possible and not in a unit with the filters installed. Air filters provide a substantial amount of air resistance and reduces the flow of any fan motor. Amaircare air cleaners provide flow rate performance data with air filters installed just as you would purchase the unit. This assures you will get the performance you expect with every Amaircare air cleaner system.
Many air cleaners start out with poor performance and rapidly decline with use. The reason is a combination of the air cleaning technology used and system design. Other HEPA type air cleaners start out with efficiency levels of 70-80%. These devices are not sealed and gasketed systems that keep the integrity of the HEPA filter performance. Many air systems that do have gaskets use foam based seals that shrink or become brittle over time. As the HEPA filter material gets loaded with particles, static pressure builds up behind the filter and it becomes harder for the air to move through the filter. As a result, air will move in the path of least resistance and will flow around the ungasketed or poorly gasketed HEPA filter to release incoming particles back into the room air.
Many filter systems may utilize electrostastic filters, electrically charged plates or a combination of ionization (charged particles) and charged filter media. As the trapped particles cover the charged filter media or plates, the electrostatic attractive force of the filter media or charged plates decreases because of the build-up of particles over them. As a result, charged particles escape these devices and cling to the walls of the room where they can build up or they may be inhaled by people and make it difficult to expel these charged particles from the lungs. These units need constant cleaning and maintenance and can release dangerous ozone into the air.
Amaircare units, with their sealed construction and high efficient filter design, maintain their efficiency over time. In fact, Amaircare units improve efficiency with time because as the HEPA filter traps particles, the openings within the filter media get smaller and therefore will trap smaller particles. The sealed system design of the Amaircare product prevents filter bypass particle escape thereby gaining filter efficiency improvement. Amaircare units are Guaranteed to provide HEPA efficiency of 99.97% removal of particles 0.3 microns and larger in the air returning into the room from the air cleaner.
First, an activated carbon mesh pre-filter traps large particle mass and helps with odors and gasses. This has the benefit of prolonging the life of the motor and filters that follow. Additionally, this filter reduces maintenance costs by having the ability to be changed separately from the other filters.
Second, a certified HEPA filter traps ultra small particles including bacteria, viruses, allergens and sub-micron size dust.
The Amaircare 3 stage HEPA filtration process employs dedicated filters, specifically designed to remove different types and sizes of contaminants. The pre-filter removes larger particles and assists with gas and odor removal, the HEPA filter removes sub-micron particulates and the final filter further reduces odor and gasses.
Activated Carbon Pre-Filter is 3/16" thick, 150% carbon impregnated, non woven, fire retardant, polyester filter media. This stage screens out large particles and provides some odor and gas adsorption. This stage extends the life of the HEPA filter by trapping larger particles.
The Amaircare Air Cleaner Systems utilize true HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter media and each finished filter is tested for the removal of 99.97% of all particulates down to 0.3 microns in size with a laser particle counter. HEPA filters also remove particles smaller than 0.3 microns and are 95% efficient at removing particles as small as 0.1 microns. Amaircare HEPA filters are made from borosilicate fibers, feature top and bottom seals, rigid construction and exceptionally large surface area for long-life and low operation costs.
After all particulates are removed from Stage #1 and Stage #2, the final stage is dedicated to odor and gas removal through the process of adsorption. Standard model includes a 1/2" thick, non woven polyester Activated Carbon Inner Blanket that is 200% impregnated with carbon. These carbon impregnated mesh filters are larger and thicker than similar filters used by other manufacturers. Optional solid pelletized 100% Activated Carbon media drop-in cartridges are available for higher odor and gas adsorption requirements.
Electric Voltage: 115V, 60 Hz.
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Dimensions: Height 23" x width 16"


text:
Yaśodharapura (en khmer យសោធរបុរៈ) fou la primera capital de l'Imperi Khmer construïda a Angkor. La ciutat fou construïda durant el regnat de Yasovarman I (899-917 aC) després que el palau de l'anterior capital de Roluos resultés cremat durant els seus intents de consolidar el poder després de la mort del rei anterior, el seu pare.

Les capitals posteriors que foren construïdes en la mateixa àrea també s'anomenaren Yasodharapura. Aquest mot, d'origen sànscrit, significa «Ciutat santa» o, per extensió, «Ciutat capital». La primera Yasodharapura fou construïda al voltant de Phnom Bakheng, encara que també s'han trobat referències que l'anomenen Phnom Kandal («Muntanya central»).

Història de Cambodja


The Kingdom Hearts 3 release date has been announced for January 2019. Earlier in the year, A Real Dorkie Hero expressed with certainty that Kingdom Hearts 3 would not be released in 2018. He was right… But, he's happy the game has a release date.


Rent a motorhome for all your favorite hobbies like antique shopping, fishing, bicycling, climbing, running, collecting, horseback riding, and more! Hobbies provide a wonderful outlet.
What is your favorite hobby? Do you fish, shop, ride, race, swim, carve, make, climb, collect? Whatever it is you like to do, you can rent a motorhome to make your experiences more comfortable and fun.
Hobbies provide a wonderful outlet. Throughout the year many groups of climbers, racers, fishermen, hunters, etc. rent motorhomes from us to pursue their hobbies. One of the most interesting groups is the shoppers. Many people like to rent motorhomes to go shopping at outlet malls or to hunt for antiques.
Whatever your passion El Monte RV Rentals will be here to help with a motorhome that will fit your needs.


text:
Q: what is the better approach in sharing session of asp classic and asp.net? I have an asp classic and asp.net application. I want to share the session from asp classic to asp.net back and forth. I made a solution to share the session by iterating the session names and put it in the hidden objects. This works fine , but I don't know if it is a better approach to share the session. iread some articles some of them using xml and pass it through form posting, some using cookies, and the other are using database.From this approach, what is the best to impleemnt with, or is there any other best solution?

A: Unfortunately your description of what you've already done is not very clear:

I made a solution to share the session by iterating the session names and put it in the hidden objects.

So, I'm going to go back one step and approach it from there.  Before that, however, I should say that I don't think integrating two systems on this level is a good idea at all; you are trying to make two systems work together by replacing some of the piping that they run on, in such a way that they don't really notice.  This might open you up for errors later on, when something changes and the relevant change is not made in the other system.  I also would advise against the heavy use of sessions in general, although many ASP systems did abuse it.
Basically, both the classic ASP and ASP.Net's session works similarly, they use a session identifier (either stored automatically as a cookie - usually the default, or passed via the URL), and allow you to store key / value pairs of objects against this session identifier.
If you want to share the objects in session, you can either pass the information directly between the two applications when they interact (this would be the "form posting" approach), or store it in an external place, such as the database.  I have some issues with the form posting approach, namely:

*

*It is passing data which should be strictly on the server to the browser and back again, which has both security and bandwidth implications (you would probably want to at least encrypt the data);

*It assumes that you have a clear handover or boundary between the two applications.  This may or may not be the case.

I don't really see too many benefits to this approach, apart from the fact that it's probably the simplest, as long as you have limited interactions (say, a few fields, and only one or two pages that interact).  The same argument goes for any other approach that passes all of the session info to the browser and back to the server (e.g. storing everything in cookies).
Other approaches will assume that you have a place to store your session, let's assume a database for now.  With a database, we have a single place where the data exists, and each application can simply read and write to this single place.  If you have a large number of different interactions, and / or the systems don't have a clear handover to each other, this is clearly an easier approach.
What remains is a question of how to encode the different types of data and how to store it.  This is essentially a question of encoding, and you would need to be fairly clear on the different data types being used on each side (you should make sure that the ASP.Net code uses types that are at least logically equivalent to the ASP data types).
To go about implementing this, I would create a database implementation which supports how I want to store my session data.  It could be a simple key / value pair table, along with data type information, or it could be more normalised than that, it's your decision.  After this, I would create a new implementation of Session for each application, which makes use of this database.  All that is left is to replace all references to the standard Session objects with the new Session that you've created, and everything should work.  This is probably similar to what you've done, but I am specifically mentioning the use of a database as a data store.
Performance issues and the cleaning of old sessions should be relatively easy to work out, although this implementation will definitely be slower than an in-memory implementation.

A: I know its not exactly an answer to your question but I have worked on and integrated my self a few .net and classic asp applications, just wanted to give you some comments from my experience:
it can be confusing if its not well documented..
on some of the systems that were not properly documented when we re-deployed we missed out a .net app that handled part of the functionality
the most solid and best to work with (in my experience) were the ones where we picked one application to be the "core" with other parts making calls to this core to get work done.
for example creating .net applications (desktop, web, handheld) that called classic asp web pages that were effectively providing a simple xml web service - seeing as the classic asp apps tended to be the legacy "core" part of the system. (xml web services are fun to write in classic asp - seriously they are fast and easy to code - no type casting issues ;-) )
I don't know what you are doing here specifically but i found that this approach made the structure of the code more intuitive and actually simplified many odd associated issues beyond sessions e.g. on one app had an access DB used as part of it and only having classic asp access it removed concurrency issues.
May not be of any use but its based experience working with around 10 operational management systems that integrated .net and classic asp in various ways.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Whether flying at daring heights or on the ground, it is necessary to have sufficient spinal extension and hip flexor flexibility, as well as balance and stability to maintain the pose.
Utilizing elastic resistance training, combined with unparalleled durability makes the Flexistretcher the professional's choice to incorporate into your daily routine. Allowing one to simulate functional dance or sport specific movements, such as the Scorpion, improves execution and mobility. Adjusting the level of resistance, varying the number of repetitions, and changing the pace of the exercise, a strengthening program can be created to improve the necessary skills required to get you flying high with ease!
Step 5) As you progress with flexibility and strength try to hold onto the right foot while pressing into the strap. Make sure your weight is securely over the ball of the standing foot, and stretch up into the strap with equal effort on both hands and feet.


text:
Q: what is similar to layout_weight in relativelyout In LinearLayout we can populate elements horizontally by using Layout_Weight which makes them occupy all the width and the width each take depends on their Layout_Weight value(or ratio). My question is how can I do the same in case of RelativeLayout. There is no attribute like Layout_Weight.
I am using a RelativeLayout in my project and it contains 4 buttons which need to be at the bottom of the screen and must fill the whole width. If I use hardcode Layout_Width="20dp" or something like that. It created a problem when I change the orientation from Portrait to Landscape or vice versa.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/feed_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:text="@string/feed"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/iwant_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/feed_button"
            android:text="@string/iwant"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/share_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/iwant_button"
            android:text="@string/share"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/profile_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/share_button"
            android:text="@string/profile"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

</RelativeLayout>

A: for making relative layout to take full width
android:layout_width="fill_parent"

to add it at the bottom
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"

A: I think that there is no attribute like layout_weight in Relative layout .
But android has given functionality with Linear Layout . In that case, why would you want to go with Relative layout?
I think you know how to use layout_weight in Linear Layout.
<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="bottom" >

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/feed_button"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="0.5"
        android:text="feed"
        android:textColor="#FF000000" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/iwant_button"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="0.5"
        android:text="iwant"
        android:textColor="#FF000000" />

</LinearLayout>

I know you have compulsory use Relative Layout But if you put above code in your activity it show all buttons at bottom of display and If want to show those button layout at below of any other layout then use android:layout_below attributte in <LinearLayout > tag and use outer most layout as Relative Layout
Thanks

A: The only way to ensure the buttons are all equal with would be to put them in a LinearLayout that fills the area you want the buttons to cover like so:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >

   <LinearLayout
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
      android:orientation="vertical" >
        <Button
            android:id="@+id/feed_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:text="@string/feed"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/iwant_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/feed_button"
            android:text="@string/iwant"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/share_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:text="@string/share"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/profile_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:text="@string/profile"
            android:textColor="#FF000000" />
  </LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

The LinearLayout will fill the entire width of the parent layout and will divide the buttons evenly based on their weight.
There is a very nifty trick if you have two layouts that you want to divide evenly in RelativeLayout.  Create an "invisible" layout of 0x0 pixels, align it to the center of the parent view, then align the two layouts to the invisible layout relative to where you want them.

A: in relative layout we can achieve this dynamically.
DisplayMetrics metrics = new DisplayMetrics();
getWindowManager().getDefaultDisplay().getMetrics(metrics);

int height = metrics.heightPixels;
int width = metrics.widthPixels;

Button1.setWidth(width / 2);
Button2.setWidth(width / 2);


text:
Turtle Bay: For Ban Ki-moon, there's a first time for everything For Ban Ki-moon, there's a first time fo...
For Ban Ki-moon, there's a first time for everything
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Reuters this week that a recent U.N. declaration to slash global poverty by 50 percent by 2015 enjoyed "unprecedented" international support. It's true that the 31-page anti-poverty pact — calling on countries to recommit themselves to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals — was supported by all of the U.N.'s ...
564523_100915_Ban2.jpg
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Reuters this week that a recent U.N. declaration to slash global poverty by 50 percent by 2015 enjoyed "unprecedented" international support.
It's true that the 31-page anti-poverty pact -- calling on countries to recommit themselves to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals -- was supported by all of the U.N.'s 192 members. But that's hardly unprecedented. Virtually every major agreement in the U.N. General Assembly is adopted by consensus, meaning that each of the U.N.'s 192 members have to sign on.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Reuters this week that a recent U.N. declaration to slash global poverty by 50 percent by 2015 enjoyed "unprecedented" international support.
It's true that the 31-page anti-poverty pact — calling on countries to recommit themselves to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals — was supported by all of the U.N.'s 192 members. But that's hardly unprecedented. Virtually every major agreement in the U.N. General Assembly is adopted by consensus, meaning that each of the U.N.'s 192 members have to sign on.
What's really unprecedented, it seems, is the world's top diplomat's increasing reliance on the word "unprecedented" to underscore his achievements and challenges.
Surveying the devastation in Pakistan last month Ban said "the unprecedented floods demand unprecedented assistance." Fine, in this case, Ban's claim had merit. The monsoon waters coursing through Pakistan's heartland wreaked untold destruction. When the final tally is taken, it may well turn out to be the most devastating flood in Pakistan's modern history.
But can his forays into mediation between Israel and Turkey be considered equally extraordinary? Or his efforts to push nuclear disarmament, or to advance the cause of women?
Ban has made a habit of portraying his achievements in exceptional terms at a time when his beleaguered leadership is coming under attack from other U.N. officials. Last month, Ban trumpeted as "unprecedented" a pact he secured between Israel and Turkey to set up a panel to review Israel's May 31 commando raid on a Turkish flotilla, in which nine aid activists were killed. Few observers expected Ban to convince Israel to submit to a U.N. review of its troops' conduct. But that, too, was not actually unprecedented. The U.N. had previously secured Israeli cooperation in conducting examinations of Israel's military conduct, including an inquiry into 2008 Israeli strikes on U.N. facilities in Gaza and a 1999 probe into an attack on the U.N. peacekeeping base in Qana, southern Lebanon.
In a press conference last month, Ban used "unprecedented" five times to characterize events from the Middle East to East Asia. In response to a single question about his personal role in promoting nuclear disarmament, Ban used some variation of the word — "landmark," "historic," and "first time" — 11 times. If you throw in a slightly less exclusive phrase like "one of the most," it brings the figure up to 13.
"I was the first U.N. secretary general after 65 years to attend that ceremony," Ban told reporters, following a visit to Hiroshima for a memorial on the anniversary of the dropping of the U.S. nuclear bomb. "It was one of my most profoundly moving experience[s] personally and as well as secretary general."
Ban added that his decision to participate in the nuclear commemoration set off an unprecedented wave of appearances at the event by other foreign dignitaries, encouraging even "nuclear weapons states to participate, again for the first time."
"U.S. ambassador to Tokyo, Ambassador [John V.] Roos, participated for the first time as the U.S representative" at the Hiroshima commemoration, Ban said after the event. "There were 74 countries who were represented at the ambassadorial level. That was again for the first time, again, unprecedented."
Ban is not taking all the credit for himself. In the same press conference, Ban lauded President Barack Obama for bringing the issue of nuclear disarmament to the forefront of the international agenda. "President Obama has made [a] landmark, historic speech on nuclear disarmament in Prague, April, last year, and he convened again, [an] unprecedented historic Security Council summit meeting."
That's not all. "There was [the] Washington nuclear security summit meeting,. For the first time they agreed to have a second summit meeting to continue their discussions, in Seoul, Korea" in 2012. "That is again very historic," Ban noted.
All this historic activity has inspired Ban to organize a summit of world leaders in New York next week September 24, to promote efforts to ban the production of weapons grade fuel. "We have to seize this moment…That's what I'm trying to do. But this Sept 24 high-level meeting is again…" Yes, you guessed it, "unprecedented."
Follow me on Twitter @columlynch
Tag: United Nations
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text:
You are at:Home»Startups»New Intitiative Offers Boost to Mekong Region Travel Startups
New Intitiative Offers Boost to Mekong Region Travel Startups
By representasia on 21 November 2016 Startups
A new initiative to catalyse tourism sector growth in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam has been launched at Echelon Vietnam 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City.
(L-R) DNES Deputy CEO Nguyen Tran, ADB MBI Head Dominic Mellor, and MTCO Executive Director Jens Thraenhart launch MIST in Ho Chi Minh City at Echelon Viet Nam 2016.
The Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism (MIST) initiative invites startups, particularly those led by local men and women, to participate in a contest to develop solutions for identified tourism market opportunities. Winners will be matched with suitable investors.
The first MIST reverse hackathon and tourism startup competition will take place in Danang in early 2017.
The official organizers of MIST are the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and the Mekong Business Initiative (MBI). MTCO receives funding from the governments of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. MBI receives funding from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia.
In Vietnam, MIST is co-organized with the Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES). Partners include the Seoul Global Startup Center and the Swiss Government funded SECO Entrepreneurship Program.
"Tourism is a major industry in Da Nang and the Startup Council is committed to foster startups and promote innovative approaches for sustainable growth of the industry." said Mr. Vo Duy Khuong, Chairman of the Danang Startup Network Coordinating Council and Da Nang Business Incubator.
"Innovation and technologies are transforming the world's tourism sector, but the Mekong region has lagged behind. We are eager to see the region's startups innovate and create new avenues for tourism growth." said Dominic Mellor, head of the MBI at the Asian Development Bank.
"The Greater Mekong Subregion is a magnet for tourism, but accelerating tourist volumes have also brought challenges to drive inclusive growth. The region will need to develop and innovate if it is to sustain today's growth over the long term." said Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the MTCO.
The MIST program works with with local tourism industry players to identify critical industry challenges and bottlenecks. The program then solicits global solutions from experienced innovators, encourage exchanges between global providers and startups led by local men and women, and structures competitions among startup teams.
The best startup teams from across the region's four countries will be invited to an intensive bootcamp and Demo Day at the 2017 Mekong Tourism Forum in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. The best Vietnamese startups will be further invited to a Demo Day at the APEC Investment Summit in November 2017 in Danang, Vietnam.
MTCO supports MIST as it is aligned with the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy 2016-2025, as well as the GMS Tourism Marketing Strategy 2015-2020, with the mandate to stimulate responsible tourism development to promote the GMS as a single tourism destination and drive inclusive growth to secondary destinations, supporting small and medium sized businesses.
For more information on MIST please contact Mr. Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the MTCO (jthraenhart@gmail.com) or Ms. Ngo Hong Diep, Viet Nam MBI Deputy Country Manager (diep@mekongbiz.org).
About the Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES) – DNES was established in early 2016 with a mission to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in Da Nang city. DNES has developed robust programs to provide startup support services, incubate potential projects and increase access for startups to funding sources. For more information, please visit www.dnes.vn and follow us on social media @danangstartup
About the Mekong Business Initiative (MBI) – MBI is an advisory facility supported by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that promotes private sector development in Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, and Vietnam. MBI fosters development of the innovation ecosystem by supporting angel investing, business incubation and technology commercialization. For more information, please visit www.mekongbiz.org, and follow us on facebook at mekongbusinessinitiative.
About SECO Entrepreneurship Program Vietnam (SECO EP) – A Swiss Government-funded program aiming to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Vietnam. The Program focuses on "supply side" players including mentors, accelerators, incubators, and angel investors. For more information, please follow us on social media @SECOEPVietnam.
About the Seoul Global Startup Center – The Seoul Global Startup Center is an incubator program for startups, funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and operated by a private enterprise with 18 years of experience, Rehoboth Business Incubator. For more information, please visit www.seoulgsc.com.
See more at: http://www.mekongtourism.org/new-initiative-boost-tourism-investment-innovation
2017 to See Growth in Asia Travel Startup Funding, Say Amadeus Next
Tineri Wins Coveted Space at Travel Technology Launchpad 2017


The logistics went over the century, as noted by Gonçalves (2007), from a fragmented and diluted within and value of organizations profile to a critical role in the strategy of the networks and chains of international business. For the twenty-first century, as will be seen in this article, logistics goes beyond these functions going to represent a social and political role in international relations between countries. The installation of a port located in East Africa near the Red Sea, the critical incident will be reviewed during a technical mission undertaken by a researcher in 2009. This research field, in the form of checklist, appoint the main barriers in infrastructure, information, rules and norms. The results indicate critical constraints of infrastructure and institutional opportunities that impact the implementation of new developments there. We will show that the progressive development of organizational arrangement to a complex undertaking, such as ports, can be key role in reversing the condition of misery and poverty in African countries.


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Letters to the Editor for Oct. 3
Oct. 2, 2012 Updated: Aug. 28, 2017 1:09 p.m.
Washington Depot's Norway Maples in danger
Almost 20 years ago, my spouse and I drove down from Sharon where we were looking for a second home, when we arrived in Washington Depot, and our very first impression of the town was its graceful Norway Maple trees in Bryan Memorial Plaza.
Unfortunately Norway Maples tend to get a bad rap these days, and while the Depot Norways' survived last October's snow storm in perfect form, that didn't stop a cabal of good-deed doers from cutting them down last week in order to Greenwich-ize the Depot. And to add insult to injury Washington is in the midst of its Plan of Development, a state mandated and somewhat democratic process that allows its citizens to say what they want the town to look like over the next ten years. What was this cabal thinking?
Last week the Norway's were massacred, but so was first rate journalism, when the New Milford Spectrum ran a fluff piece on their destruction complete with a photo of the massacre and caption about Washington's beautification plans. I kid you not!
In conclusion, Washington is also graced by many wise elders, but no one is suggesting that we make a preemptive strike on them, and put them in assisted living communities, just because they may or may not fall from a broken hip. May our Depot Norways rest in peace.
- Joseph A. Mustich, Washington
Postal Service union says Congress needs to act
I appreciate your newspaper's efforts to examine the situation at the U.S. Postal Service (news story, Sept. 28, "Connecticut's small post offices trying to survive in a poor economy"). The quotes that the Postal Service "is an integral part of our country's fabric and continues to bind the nation together" and is "the nation's most trusted government agency" are spot on.
However, your readers might benefit from a fuller explanation of the financial situation. It is not accurate that "The financial crisis the Postal Service is facing stemmed from a decline in mail volume due to electronic diversion and the economy," as reported. Nor is it the case that the Postal Service has a plan that would rectify the situation.
Here are some facts, all easily verifiable.
Most of the Postal Service's red ink is unrelated to mail volume, the Internet, e-mail or anything else to do with the mail. Instead, 80 percent of the red ink stems from an external political factor - the 2006 congressional mandate that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health benefits.
This is something that no other public agency or private company in the county is required to do, and it means an annual payment of $5.5 billion. Until this unfair mandate began in 2007, the Postal Service was making annual profits in the billions, well into the Internet age. Since then, it's used its operational profits, bank accounts and borrowing authority to pay costs required of no other institution.
Beyond leading the Postal Service to the financial brink, pre-funding also has diverted the time, energy and attention of the USPS away from doing what it's done for 200 years - adapt to the needs of an evolving society. Technological change is nothing new for the Postal Service, which successfully met the challenges posed by the telephone, the telegraph, the fax machine and more. It can do so once again, if Congress will fix the pre-funding mess it created, so the Postal Service can focus on developing a business plan for the future. The Internet offers both challenges and opportunities. While it's led to a substantial loss of mail, it's also led many people to order goods online that need to be delivered. And that rapidly growing e-commerce market has created much business for the Postal Service, auguring well for the future.
Degrading services and dismantling the network - whether ending Saturday delivery or reducing services to Connecticut's small towns - is not a business plan. Rather, it's a step toward destroying the world's most and efficient delivery system, one that is based in the Constitution and that remains the country's only truly universal communications network.
Ending Saturday delivery or otherwise degrading services would raise costs for small businesses (and their customers) that are open Saturday, need to send and receive financial customers, and would have to contract with expensive private carriers. That could affect the 734,564 small-business employees in Connecticut. It would also make it harder for the Postal Service to play its full role in e-commerce, because the best day to deliver packages is when people are home: Saturday.
Further, the $1.3 trillion mailing industry, which depends on a robust Postal Service, employs 7.5 million Americans in the private sector - including 121,519 Connecticut residents.
Your readers can have an impact, by asking their congressional representatives in Washington to address the pre-funding situation and do the right thing for Connecticut and the country.
- Fredric Rolando, President,
National Association of Letter
Carriers, Washington D.C.


When talking about being able to organize a crowd in public places, opting for a Retractable Queue Barrier is the right way to go. At the same time, Concrete Bollards can guard a specific area where cars or pedestrians are not allowed.
There are all sorts of advantages that you can benefit from when you choose such a retractable barrier, one of them being the fact that they are incredibly durable. This means that you would be able to rely on this product for years to come and not worry about it getting damaged. That is due to the fact that the materials used for this kind of barrier are resistant to constant use. You can usually see such a barrier in public places such as airports or institutions.
An important fact that you should keep in mind regarding crowds is that they need to be organized. People tend to not do well when they have to wait in line to talk to someone or benefit from some sort of service. Some of them try to get in front of others while other individuals just make the line follow a chaotic direction. People who want to pass through so that they can exit the building or get to another office have to find a way to go around the queue or go right through it with the individuals waiting in line mumbling about the fact that they were disturbed.
It would be so much easier if you used a Retractable Queue Barrier. This is actually one of the easiest ways to organize a line. You can connect the retractable parts as you desire so that a specific area can be closed, depending on your needs at a specific moment. Another advantage associated with this product is its portability. You can place it wherever you need, regardless if we are talking about a wet floor or an area that must stay closed for other reasons. You just put the metal post with the retractable belt there and secure the perimeter. It's that simple.
While investing in products that will help people learn what they are allowed to do and what not, you should also take a closer look at Concrete Bollards. These can be placed in smaller or larger areas, depending on your needs. For instance, if you would like to secure a pedestrian path where cars are not allowed, you can place these bollards along it. Also, when you want to make sure that cars that might be out of control are prevented from entering a building, the bollards can definitely help. Before making any investments, do a bit of research and find a provider that can offer you all of the advantages mentioned above!
Resource Box:Would you like to learn what other great advantages you can benefit from if you were to invest in a Retractable Queue Barrier or even Concrete Bollards ? Click on the right link and visit our website for more information regarding our top notch products!
Would you like to learn what other great advantages you can benefit from if you were to invest in a Retractable Queue Barrier or even Concrete Bollards ? Click on the right link and visit our website for more information regarding our top notch products!


Spatial extend of the wards within local government areas. Wards are used in some local government areas for election of councillors. Not all LGA's have wards. The local governing body periodically reviews the ward boundaries through a process of electoral redistribution.


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Comic Review: Conan The Barbarian #16
By PS Hayes | @ | May 14th, 2013 at 11:30 am
Conan the Barbarian #16
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover art by Massimo Carnevale
In Conan the Barbarian #16, Conan and Belit get a much needed rest from all the troubles they've been having as of late. Disease, war, angry fathers, are all left behind as they take shelter in Ophir for some well deserved rest. Or so they think.
I wish writer Brian Wood would stop being so insanely good on this title. No, I don't wish that, but I hope he at least stays on this book for the rest of his life. This issue starts as a really nice character piece on Conan and Belit and the romance that's blossomed between the two, takes a left turn and ends up being a classic Conan type tale..with a very interesting twist. I really can't get over how much I enjoyed this issue. Wood's writing and feel for this character has just kept getting better and better with each issue of this series.
Leave a comment: 6 Comments »
Topics: Comic Reviews, Comics, Reviews
Tags: Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, David Stewart, Davide Gianfelice, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
By PS Hayes | @ | April 17th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Pencils by Andrea Mutti
Inks by Pierluigi Bladassini
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Conan the Barbarian #15 is, unfortunately, the first issue in quite some time that I haven't enjoyed more than the previous installment. I wish I could explain why, but I really can't.
Brian Wood does a fantastic job, as usual, writing this issue, but there's just something lacking from previous issues. I think it's just the rare issue wherein it's a pretty boring chapter of a good story. And when the rest of the story has been so good and exciting, this slow act, really grinds to a halt. It's Belit's origin story, which again, should be really good, but it's not. Don't get me wrong, this issue isn't awful, it's just not aweSOME. I'm sure Wood will be back on track with the next issue.
Tags: Andrea Mutti, Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, Massimo Carnevale, Pierluigi Baldassini, Richard Starkings
Exclusive: First Look At 5 Upcoming Covers From Dark Horse Comics
By Waerloga69 | @ | March 9th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Once again, Dark Horse Comics has given Geeks of Doom exclusive access to five great new comics coming in May and June. And you know what? We want to give you a sneak peek, too! Because trust me, these are some great books here. Check out all five covers here below!
First off, releasing on May 29, is King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #2 (of 6). This second installment in the adaptation of Robert E. Howard's only actual Conan novel is sure to please. I know the cover by Gerald Parel definitely gets you interested with that vicious claw reaching forth towards our hero. Then, just in case you didn't get your Cimmerian fix with that one, we have Conan the Barbarian #17 arriving on June 19 with a wonderful aquatic cover by Massimo Carnevale (I loved his Orchid covers, too).
But the big release day is June 26! Showing off the Shu Yan cover to Akaneiro #2 (of 3), I find myself really interested in this set. Look how kickass she looks! Remember, this is based upon the new release from Spicy Horse Games (be sure to check that out, too). Next up is a comic that originally debuted in Dark Horse Presents: Amala's Blade #3 (of 4) has a very eye-catching cover from Michael Dialynas. Although I know next to nothing about this miniseries, the sheer quantity of skulls in the art gets my attention. And last, but certainly not least, we get to show you Mind MGMT #12. MTV Geek named this comic one of the top ten comics in 2012. I'm impressed with this series across the board, especially since Matt Kindt is the only person working on this book…yeah, that's right, he does it all!
A big thanks to Dark Horse for letting us have first crack at these wonderful comics. But enough from me, here is YOUR first look:
Topics: Comics, Features
Tags: Amala's Blade, Brian Wood, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dark Horse Presents, Dave Stewart, Davide Gianfelice, Gerald Parel, Hour of the Dragon, Jose Villarrubia, Justin Aclin, King Conan, Massimo Carnevale, Matt Kindt, Michael Atiyeh, Michael Dialynas, Mind MGMT, Robert E. Howard, Sanjulian, Shu Yan, Steve Horton, Timothy Truman, Tomas Giorello, Vasilis Lolos
By PS Hayes | @ | January 16th, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Conan the Barbarian #3 is the last chapter of the excellent "The Death" storyline. This whole three-issue story has been fantastic, running the gambit from emotional to action-packed. This last issue is no exception.
Brian Wood continues to surprise me with each issue that he writes. On the surface, you'd think that Conan would be a pretty easy job, and maybe it was back in the 70s or 80s. But now, you've got to not only turn in a compelling and entertaining story, but you've also got to pour over a bunch of Conan books, as not to jumble up any other Conan continuity written by his creator, Robert E. Howard. This last chapter in "The Death" story is full of emotion, and a little bit of mystery. FINALLY things start to turn around for Conan and company, only to be hit by a huge shock that none of us ever saw coming. It's got some great classic Conan moments, and it's as entertaining as you'd expect it to be.
Tags: Brian Wood, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, Declan Shalvey, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
By PS Hayes | @ | December 11th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Script by Brian Wood
Conan the Barbarian #11 is the second part of "The Death" story line. For my money, this has been THE best arc of Brian Wood's 11 issues. When we last left Conan, things were grim. Both his lover, Belit, and the crew of their ship, had taken ill with some kind of plague or sickness that was killing them off one by one at a pretty fast rate.
Brian Wood does, in my opinion, his best writing of his Conan career in this issue. As Conan reluctantly leaves Belit and his shipmates to go out and find a cure for what's ailing them, Belit and the crew continue to get worse. Conan must go through a bunch of locals to get to a healer, and then, things just get worse from there. I will say, this issue gives us Conan, not as a barbarian, but as a HUMAN BEING. It's really quite jarring and emotional…and I LOVED IT!
Tags: Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, Declan Shalvey, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
Exclusive: First Look At 5 Upcoming Dark Horse Comics Covers
By Hunter Camp | September 9th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Dark Horse Comics has provided Geeks of Doom with an exclusive first look at four amazing covers that are set to be released in the month of December, and one coming in February.
In these comics is House of Fun (one-shot) a comic that I've been looking forward to for some time now, from Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dwyer. Collected in this one-shot are several entries from the House of Fun run in Dark Horse Presents including new Milk and Cheese comics and some of the most hilarious comic strips that have ever been printed. Also listed below are the comics for Michael Avon Oeming's The Victories #5, John Ostrander's Star Wars mini-series Agent of the Empire: Hard Targets #3 (of 5), the final issue of Tom Morello's Orchid, and the cover to the new Trigun Omnibus, which is set for February.
Each one of these covers is great, and based on what I've previously read and the creators attached, these are all great picks for December, so make sure to get your pre-order sheets ready, because you won't want to miss any of these comics.
Tags: Agents of the Empire, Dark Horse Comics, Evan Dorkin, Hard Targets, House of Fun, John Ostrander, Massimo Carnevale, Michael Avon Oeming, Milk and Cheese, Orchid, Sarah Dwyer, Star Wars, Stéphane Roux, The Victories, Tom Morello, Trigun, Yashuhiro Nightrow
Comic Review: Conan the Barbarian #7
By PS Hayes | @ | August 8th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
Art by Becky Cloonan
Conan the Barbarian #7 features a tale as old as time. Man takes girlfriend home to meet his mother, only, it's Conan the Barbarian and his girlfriend is Belit. So, you can imagine that things get a little sticky when the meeting goes down.
Author Brian Wood, who has been absolutely KILLING it on this series, turns out another fantastic issue! I've been reading Conan comics since the mid 80s, and I've never read a story quite like this one. Conan brings Belit home to meet his mother, and things… well, they don't go as expected, I'll just leave it at that.
Tags: Becky Cloonan, Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
By PS Hayes | @ | May 15th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Art by James Harren
Colors by Dave Steward
Conan the Barbarian #4 kicks off a brand new story arc, The Argos Deception. Conan is in a weird place in his young life. Used to the life of a barbarian, he now find himself young and in love and… a pirate. Can the barbarian be tamed? Has he found the love of his life? I have no clue, but right now, all signs point to "yes."
Brian Wood's writing this issue is fantastic! The issue is a wonderful character study on Conan, and that was one thing that I never knew I wanted or needed, but after reading it, I'm sure glad that I got it.
Tags: Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Steward, James Harren, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
By PS Hayes | @ | April 10th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Cover Art by Massimo Carnevale and John Paul Leon with Dave Stewart
Conan The Barbarian #3 features the third part of the eagerly anticipated, by many Conan fans, Queen of the Black Coast. One of the most beloved Conan short stories that Robert E. Howard ever wrote about the world's favorite barbarian. Conan's first meeting with the Pirate Queen Belit is epic in every sense of the word, and thankfully, this comic is too.
Brian Wood creates, with help from Robert E. Howard, a very bittersweet tale in this issue. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is SO unlike any other Conan comics before it. Totally different storytelling style, totally different art, and a totally different feel to the book. While I won't go into story details for spoiler reasons, this is NOT your typical Conan story. This is more about Conan the MAN than Conan the BARBARIAN. In fact, there's little to no sword play or action at all, and that's OK. Very well done, all in all.
Tags: Becky Cloonan, Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, John Paul Leon, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings
By PS Hayes | @ | February 8th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Covers by Massimo Carnevale and Becky Cloonan
I've been looking forward to Conan the Barbarian #1 ever since it was announced. Why? Because with the announcement of the book's creative team, it promised something different for a Conan comic, and happily, it delivers. Big time.
Fans have been begging for Dark Horse to adapt the classic Robert E. Howard Conan story Queen of the Black Coast for quite a while now, and that has to be tricky for writer Brian Wood. Thankfully, he more than delivers on this fan's expectations.
Tags: Becky Cloonan, Brian Wood, Comicraft, Conan the Barbarian, Dark Horse Comics, Dave Stewart, Massimo Carnevale, Richard Starkings, Robert E. Howard


Tyson Foods said that it will launch several new products this year and modernize its $1bn brands as part of its transformation into a modern food company.
Speaking at the 2018 Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference, Tyson Foods president and CEO Tom Hayes and members of the company's enterprise leadership team shared with investors that the company is delivering on its strategy and driving growth across its portfolio of protein from its chicken, beef and pork segments to prepared foods.
The US food giant is particularly looking at consolidating the growth of its prepared foods segment.
In May 2018, the company is set to launch a new range of frozen breakfast sandwiches, dubbedEgg'wiches, under the Jimmy Dean brand. This new range of sandwiches will not have bread but will contain egg white scrambles.
Tyson Foods has scheduled the launch of a new range of snacking, salads and wraps made from all-natural meats under the Hillshire Farm. The launch of this new product in the company's lunchmeat section will be during the spring.
The US food company will also launch a new brand Green Street to meet consumers' growing interest in ready-to-eat meals. The first launch in this brand will be protein-rich grab-and-go bowls that are completely plant-based.
Tyson Foods has also entered into a partnership with Mexican spice brand Tajin. The partnership will work on new products like Tajin spiced meatballs, smoked sausage with mango and boneless chicken bites.
Tyson Foods said that it is making investments in companies that are bringing in innovations in the food industry through its venture arm Tyson Ventures.
Launched in December 2016 as a $150m venture capital fund, Tyson Ventures has made investments in food startups such as Beyond Meat, Memphis Meats and Tovala.
Hayes said: "Tyson Foods is transforming from a company with a strong heritage in chicken to a modern food company that is challenging the industry status quo.


■ SCREENSHOT 2. The work we performed in Screenshot 1 produces fruit here. We obviously now have support for our target hardware: the WeMos D1 Mini.
■ SCHEMATIC 1. The ESP8266 is supported by a USB-to-serial IC and a linear power supply. All we need is a USB connection to a host PC to load code into the ESP8266.
■ PHOTO 2. This is the flip side of the WeMos Mini that hosts the programming and power supply components.


Israël Quellet was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1972, and this is his first recorded release. At 16, he discovered on his own some different sound-worlds, such as Miles Davis' electric era, Sun Ra, dub, German cosmic music, Magma, Zappa and many more. In 1997, he stepped into the musical fray and, following the advice of a sound engineer friend, bought microphones, a digital mixing board, and studio monitors, turning part of his basement into a soundsmithing studio. That is when he started to create, out of his immediate surroundings, soundworks that have little to do with what is "normally" being done. Appreciated by Ecuadoran electro-acoustic composer Jorge E. Campos, Quellet is supported by the Centre Pierre Schaeffer in Paris. In 2003, he contacted Sub Rosa. Now, three years later, he is releasing his first public recording. Quellet's music is not really outsider sound art, but it shares strong similarities with it. It explores a debarred universe almost impossible to escape. Oppressum is a minute -- albeit extreme -- exploration of sound (particularly through saturation), mystical discourse and excesses. However, the composer is also pictured as a regular guy living in a Swiss town, a guy who likes to toy with the local church's organ, accompanied by his wife. Sound materials come from a number of sources: the local church's organ, rented or borrowed percussion instruments (bass-drum, timbales, gong, djembe), various objects being struck (his oil tank at home struck with hammers and iron rods), pipes, faucets, telephone touch pads, power tools, sound-producing toys, voice, mouth sounds, throat sounds, and wheelbarrows. You get the picture. Of his work Quellet says: "The diverse sounds and the diverse means used to capture them give each piece a different overall sound and stereo image. Therefore, the pieces are not standardized or calibrated systematically; they do not all sound the same."


Chemical Guys V34 Optical Grade Hybrid Compound is designed to remove light to moderate swirls, scratches, oxidation and other paintwork blemishes from hard, scratch resistant paint finishes.
Containing fast cutting optical grade diminishing abrasives in a water-based medium, V34 is a mid-grade compound that works on scratch-resistant and ceramic clear coats, removing 1500-2000 grit wet sanding scratches.
Using a lot of the Chemical Guys range I have often been pleased with their products. This product I have used before as a Stage 1 Polish and had great results. Can become dusty at times. Black & White finishes with great results even for 90's car paint from Japan!


Could the outstanding Frankel race in France after York test?
The suggestion by Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Prince Khaled Abdullah, the owner of Frankel, that the great horse may race in France in September after running in the Juddmonte International at York later this month has raised plenty of eyebrows within the Betfair Tips Horse Racing community.
Grimthorpe put the idea forward at an interview following Frankel's latest demolition job, his six-length defeat of the smart Farhh in the Group 1 Qipco Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, suggesting that the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in mid-September might serve as an ideal stepping stone between the two top British races.
The surprise element is that the 10 furlong Juddmonte International represents the horse's first attempt beyond a mile that may necessitate a change in plan by connections, whilst the Champion Stakes is also run at a mile-and-a-quarter.
Dropping back to a mile for the Prix du Moulin has been suggested by some commentators as a potentially muddling move when the horse is being primed to stay further in what had been expected to be his last two races this season and possibly for good.
The Sir Henry Cecil-trained superstar, who will surely feature heavily in York Ebor 2012 odds markets, is likely to be every bit as good at the longer trip and it appears that all connected with the great horse believe he would not be inconvenienced by going up and down in distance and seem prepared to keep him racing at regular monthly intervals.
The outstanding Frankel has become a racing sensation over the last three seasons in which he is unbeaten in all 12 starts, eight of them at Group 1 level. The son of Galileo appears to be getting better with every run and his presence on course invariably adds many thousands of race goers to the gate to see the horse many believe could well be the very best we have ever seen.


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> Possession: Settlers, Aborigines and Land in Australia
Possession: Settlers, Aborigines and Land in Australia
Bain Attwood
Possession: Contemporary life in remote Aboriginal Australia tells the fascinating story of the only treaties ever made between settlers and Aboriginal people in Australia. It contemplates why whites forged these agreements, how the Aboriginal people understood their terms, why the government repudiated them, and how whites claimed to be the rightful owners of the land.
Possession compares the ways settler society has endeavoured to make good its possession by repeatedly creating histories that have recalled or repressed the memory of Batman, the treaties, and the destruction and dispossession of Aboriginal people. It charts how Aboriginal people have unsettled this history through their remembering.
Alternative title: Possession: Batman's Treaty and the Matter of History.
Bain Attwood is an associate professor in the School of Historical Studies at Monash University and an adjunct professor in the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research at Australian National University. He is also the author of The Making of the Aborigines, Rights for Aborigines, and Telling the Truth about Aboriginal History.
Buy at BooktopiaBuy at Amazon USABuy at Fishpond
Other books by (or with) Bain Attwood
Telling the Truth About Aboriginal History
The 1967 Referendum
The Good Country: The Djadja Wurrung, the Settlers and the Protectors
Korff, J 2019, Possession: Settlers, Aborigines and Land in Australia, <https://www.creativespirits.info/resources/books/possession-settlers-aborigines-and-land-in-australia>, retrieved 20 January 2022


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HOME > Economics & Markets > All electric self-driving flying cars for all!
All electric self-driving flying cars for all!
By Victor Hill 01 December 2020
14 mins. to read
What is a car? We knew the electrification of motoring was upon us. What we didn't realise was that AI-enabled flying cars are just around the corner too. Everything we knew about the automotive sector is about to be transformed, writes Victor Hill.
The automotive industry is in terminal decline – electrification or not
In 1885 Karl Benz gave the world the Benz Patent Motorwagen (top speed 10 miles per hour). 135 years later the company he founded, Daimler-Benz (ETR:DAI), announced that it would never produce another internal combustion engine. And just as the internal combustion engine enters oblivion, driving itself becomes optional, as self-driving or, as I prefer, robot-driven cars, come into view. Oh yes, and shortly some cars will be able to fly. We should expect the coming decade to deliver more change in motoring than any before.
At the beginning of this century, General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford (NYSE:F), Toyota (LON:TYT) and Volkswagen (ETR:VOW) all produced more than four million cars each annually. In 2000, Toyota had a market capitalisation of nearly $300 billion. Today it is worth around $23 billion as against Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) $555 billion (30 November). General Motors was then worth $56 billion – today it is worth $65 billion.
In terms of global car production, we may well be – regardless of the coronavirus pandemic – on a downward curve. Global car production peaked in 2017 at about 73 million units. In 2019 the figure was 67 million units. Car production figures appear to be in decline – no doubt exacerbated by the Plague Year of 2020 – because car ownership is no longer perceived as a necessity, particularly amongst millennials (that's people born between 1981 and 1996 who are now between the ages of 24 and 39).
Certainly, sales of electric cars are on the up: 2.1 million units were sold in the USA last year. There are now about 7.2 million EVs on the world's roads and that figure is growing fast – but that is only about one percent of total cars in operation. The world's biggest car manufacturer today is, of course, China which produces over 21 million vehicles annually. In the UK, sales of internal combustion engine-powered cars have fallen precipitously this year but only five percent of cars purchased are electric.
But will the upcoming Generation Z (that's young people born between 1997 and 2012 who are now aged between 8 and 23), who in most cases have owned mobile phones and been on Facebook since early childhood, want to drive cars at all? They might well prefer to catch ride-hailing taxis – be they automotive or VTOL air taxis. They are already using apps like Jelbi which is available in Berlin offering 12 types of low-carbon transport. Car ownership may soon be thought to be so last century. That would not be good news for the likes of Daimler and VW which have been pouring billions into electrification.
Tesla, the world's foremost maker of electric cars is of course named after the Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer and futurist, Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). It is appropriate then that a leading company in the field of electric-powered trucks is called Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA). If heavy transport vehicles could be electrified and powered with renewable energy, then we really could take a big stride towards a net carbon neutral economy.
In September, the company unveiled a 1,000 horsepower zero-emission machine that was seen powering downhill. The only problem was that, as the company later admitted, it had been towed up the hill and allowed to roll down powered only by gravity. The company's share price suffered grievously and the chairman and founder, Trevor Milton, was persuaded to resign – even though General Motors had just agreed to invest $2 billion in the company.
There are numerous EV companies based in Silicon Valley these days. There is Rivian which makes off-road adventure vehicles and which was expected to go public this year before the coronavirus pandemic hit home. Nio (NYSE:NIO), sometimes called the Chinese Tesla has had an amazing run this year. Year-to-date (end of November) it is up by around 1,200 percent on the back of impressive revenue growth and promising battery technology. Fisker Automotive(which plans to go public soon), Polestar, Lordstown Motors (NASDAQ:RIDE) and XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) are also to be noted.
Saudi Arabia-backed Lucid Motors in early September unveiled an EV as a competitor to Tesla's Model 3 which will retail at around $80,000. The important point is that taking an EV from conception to market is prodigiously expensive.
Meanwhile back at Tesla…
Tesla has been described by analysts as an emotional stock by Vincent Deluard of StoneX Group. In British terms it is Marmite – true believers love it and hail it as the future of transportation; but others despise it as an overhyped, overpriced play which is not really a tech stock at all, and best favoured by Robin Hood investors. These are day traders who prefer to buy options rather than holding the underlying shares. Whether they are driving the share price or not, the fact is that Tesla's shares have increased six-fold this year.
In late November Tesla's share price surged again. As a result, Mr Musk leapfrogged Mr Gates to become the world's second-richest man (after Mr Bezos, of course). Tesla now enters the S&P 500 Index with a market capitalisation of around $550 billion. This massive valuation gives the company the financial clout to buy out both rivals and suppliers.
September 22 this year was Battery Day when Tesla's founder articulated his new dream. He wants Tesla to make affordable electric cars and in huge volumes. His target is to make a basic EV available for $25,000 and he thinks this will be possible thanks to rapidly falling battery costs, which currently account for about one third of every EV. This arises by producing larger cylindrical battery cells with new alloys that produce much more energy for their size and permit a longer driving range.
The battery pack average price per kilowatt hour has fallen by 85 percent since 2010, but batteries still account for approximately 30 percent of the cost of an EV. Battey costs were roughly $1,000 per kilowatt hour in 2010; now they are around $147. As a very crude rule of thumb, EVs will need to attain a battery price of $100 per kilowatt hour before they can compete like-for-like with ICE vehicles on price without subsidy.
Mr Musk's target is to produce 20 million vehicles per year by 2030 – up from around 500,000 this year. That would be more than double VW's output today and about one quarter of all cars manufactured globally last year. Is that realistic? Many investors apparently think so.
If 20 million vehicles a year is in in prospect, where are all the raw materials going to come from? Mr Musk says that he wants to reduce cobalt in EV batteries to almost zero. That is one of the rare earth metals that are often mined in developing countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which produces three quarters of the world's supply, with highly questionable labour practices. Even so, Tesla signed a deal with Glencore (LON:GLEN) in June to source the metal. In the summer, cobalt prices spiked because South Africa's seaports, from where the cobalt mined in the DRC and Zambia is exported, were closed due to the coronavirus lockdowns.
We later learnt that Tesla is going to source some lithium itself further to the purchase of a 100,000-acre lithium clay deposit in Nevada. That might help to simplify Tesla's highly extended supply chain. But the mining of lithium requires huge quantities of water – another resource which is becoming scarcer. China, which has now pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, will be a fierce competitor for all resources.
Some commentators have observed that removing cobalt from EV batteries would make vehicles more at risk from catching fire. Major battery manufacturers such as LG Chem, Panasonic and SK Innovation have repeatedly promised to phase out cobalt in their batteries but have failed in this target. Cobalt-mining projects are still going ahead, including those of KoBold Metals which is reportedly partially financed by Bill Gates. But some miners are predicting an acute shortage of cobalt within the next five years. Tesla battery cells will continue to be manufactured at its plants in Berlin and Fremont, California.
Nickel and lithium, on the other hand, are in short supply. Nickel is found in quantity in British Columbia, Canada, Indonesia and in northern Russia (NB Norilsk Nickel (MCX:GMKN)). There are also mines in Madagascar and the Philippines. But only refined nickel can be converted into nickel sulphate, which is needed for EV batteries. Investors should be wary further to the near-bankruptcy last year of Nemaska Lithium in Quebec which burned CAD$411 million before filing for protection from its creditors. Mineral mining, unlike technology, is a very slow-moving business sector.
Just to put Tesla's market position in perspective for a moment, this year French car giant Renault (EPA:RNO) will sell more EVs than Tesla. And Volkswagen reckons that 45 precent if its sales will be EVs by 2028.
Fly me home, Nestor…
Flying cars have been the stuff of fantastical sci-fi movies like Blade Runner 2049 or Back to the Future 3. Until now, that is. Last month Hyundai unveiled plans to launch a flying car by 2028. The company thinks that the market for flying cars will be worth $1.5 trillion within 20 years. And Toyota has invested $400 million in the US flying vehicle outfit Joby Aviation. Joby is working on a six-seater aircraft with six rotors in which Uber has expressed interest. Nissan and Uber have also invested in this space. Flying cars, or at least flying taxis, may be available in major city centres sooner than we think.
In the UK, Michael Cervenka, an engineer who worked at Rolls Royce for 22 years, is the CEO of Vertical Aerospace. The Bristol-based company, founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, who previously founded OVO Energy, has been working on its VA-1X air taxi. This craft has a wingspan of 15 metres and a V-shaped tail. With its eight electric motors it will be able to take off and land vertically (VTOL) and will have a speed of 150 miles per hour and a range of 100 miles. So, it could fly from London to Brighton in 30 minutes. The VA-1X will be able to carry four passengers in addition to the human pilot or a payload of up to 450 kilos. Production is scheduled to begin in 2024. It will run on lithium-ion batteries – the same technology that powers the new generation of electric cars such as Tesla's models.
Mr Cervenka anticipates that there will be huge demand for his flying taxis. The only competition for craft such as these is the helicopter. But helicopters are noisy and expensive – and not very safe. Helicopters, according to Mr Cervenka, cost roughly £10 per passenger mile whereas the VA-1X will cost as little as £3 per passenger mile. That is about the same price as taking an Uber Black cab.
Bristol is now an aerospace hub with about 270 companies active in the sector. Vertical Aerospace employs 80 people in Bristol plus another 25 engineers in Oxford. The company is currently undertaking a £150 million funding round which it hopes to complete by the end of this year. Mr Cervenka thinks that while many VTOL craft will be sold to high net worth individuals, they will be available as taxis to the general public before the end of the decade.
Another start-up working in this space is Lilium, based in Munich, Germany. Lilium's five-seater air taxi uses 36 electric motors which are built into a hinged wing. The company has reportedly raised $375 million in funding to date. The company is targeting the nascent air-taxi sector and has developed its own ride-hailing app – a kind of Uber of the skies. In contrast, Vertical Aerospace is negotiating with an established ride-hailing app – they will not say whom.
It took just 66 years – a shortish human lifespan – to get from the Wright brothers' first powered flight (Kittyhawk, North Carolina, December 1903) to the first moon landing (Apollo 11, July 1969). And humankind has not set foot on the moon since 1972 – though we are likely to return there within the space of this decade. In a sense, flying cars – first envisioned long ago – are long overdue. And the coronavirus pandemic may even be shown in future to have accelerated this immensely useful technology.
It is true that air travel – as measured by passenger kilometres travelled – in May this year was over 90 percent down as compared to May 2019. At present, air travel is not expected to recover to 2019 levels until 2024 (though I suspect that may be optimistic). Many airlines will not survive until 2024 – Norwegian is one of many that will have collapsed. But if long-haul jet travel is one thing, short-haul electric-powered flight is quite another.
Prospectively, if one could make these electric air-taxis self-flying, that would open up a huge cost advantage as it would free up one of the seats for an additional fare-paying passenger. Uber has projected that costs could be reduced to just £1.50 per passenger mile travelled.
The main obstacles to the roll-out of ubiquitous air taxis are not technical but regulatory and related to infrastructure (i.e. secure landing pads). London-based Skyports designs and operates so-called vertiports that will be needed for VTOL electric air taxis. German rail giant Deutsche Bahn is just one investor, having expressed interest in constructing vertiports above its major urban train stations.
From flying cars to electric aircraft
From an environmental point of view, the move towards short-haul electric flight is welcome. The burning of jet fuel (kerosene) is estimated to account for about two percent of total global carbon emissions, even given the move towards small, fuel-efficient point-to-point aircraft such as the Airbus 321neo and the now-relaunched Boeing 737 Max. In an ordinary year about half of the world's 4 billion flights cover less than 500 miles. If those flights could be made with electric motors powered by renewable energy, then the reduction in CO2 emissions would be significant.
The ultimate solution may be to have hybrid aircraft which could eliminate the need to carry heavy batteries. In May this year, a Cessna Caravan became the world's largest all-electric aircraft after completing a 30-minute test flight. It can carry nine passengers. British start-up Faradair Aerospace is developing both a hybrid and an 18-seat all-electric aircraft which it hopes with be flying by 2030. Another British start-up, ZeroAvia is aiming for an all-electric plane but without the batteries. It uses a hydrogen fuel cell to create the current that powers the motors. The only residue from this process is water. ZeroAvia claims that its current 10-20 seat prototype will facilitate 50-100 seaters by the end of the decade. Its current model has a range of 500 miles.
A major risk for high voltage electric motors at altitude is fire. An experimental aircraft developed through a joint venture of Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Siemens – the E-Fan X – encountered this problem. I wonder if Tesla will diversify by 2030 into supplying batteries for electric planes.
There will be financial incentives for carbon-neutral aircraft. Last month Manchester Airports Group (MAG) (state-owned) which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, announced that it would waive landing fees for electric-powered flights. And MAG has pledged that its airports will become net zero by 2038 – well ahead of the national target of 2050, even though it is not at all clear that long-haul flights will be electrified by then.
The cost of electrification
Yes, Greta, of course we want to save the planet – but beware of unforeseen consequences. A report published last month, commissioned by Honda, McLaren, Aston Martin and Bosch estimated that EVs might need to be driven for 48,000 miles before their carbon footprint was less than petrol-powered cars.
That is because of the CO2 emitted in the manufacture of EVs and their toxic batteries. The report – I cannot vouch for its accuracy – claims that the manufacture of a Polestar 2 electric car produces 24 tonnes of CO2 – as compared with 14 tonnes for a Volvo XC40. What's more, road deaths will very probably rise once EVs take over. The number of EVs stranded with flat batteries this year has surged, according to the AA. More than 600 EVs ran out of juice on Britain's road this year out of a total of 164,000. If an EV breaks down on a motorway it causes a dangerous obstruction – and it cannot be removed without a specialist vehicle to hoist it, as EVs cannot be towed away.
The politicians – especially Mr Johnson and the coterie of green fundamentalists who surround him – seem to be entirely oblivious of these concerns.
Ultimately, the best thing that could happen to the ecology of this planet would be a massive reduction, probably a halving, of the number of human beings who live on it – obviously preferably by managed birth control rather than by some terrible cataclysm. But even discussing this topic has now become a minefield, thanks to wokery. So I won't bother.
I Basford says:
1st December 2020 at 5:52 pm
what about companies partnering with Directa' nanoplatelets to produce a 400 watt hours battery compared to teslas 260 watt hours now – is this a game changer?
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It's been a year since ECRM acquired the product discovery platform RangeMe, and for suppliers, the combination of regular in-persom meetings at ECRM sessions and the 24/7/365 exposure to buyers on RangeMe is a great way of getting their products discovered by retailers and foodservice operators.
In the fireside chat video below, I speak with Vir Satyan, RangeMe's Director of Supplier Success, on the benefits RangeMe delivers to suppliers, and why every ECRM supplier should at a minimum have a free basic RangeMe profile. (This was filmed outside in Vegas during ECRM's Beauty Week, so please excuse the background noise and wind).
Vir also outlines some of the benefits of becoming a premium member, such as the opportunity to become RangeMe Verified (which increases a supplier's exposure to buyers), access to the RangeMe Premium team to help optimize their profiles, and insights on buyer engagement with their brands.
So at the very least, you should visit the RangeMe site to set up a basic profile, and if you are interested in becoming a RangeMe Premium member, you can email Vir Satyan.