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China's Health Silk Road and the BRI Agenda in the Middle East
This piece is part of the series "All About China"—a journey into the history and diverse culture of China through short articles that shed light on the lasting imprint of China's past encounters with the Islamic world as well as an exploration of the increasingly vibrant and complex dynamics of contemporary Sino-Middle Eastern relations. Read more ...
Health diplomacy, which entails the use of diplomatic and other tools of statecraft for the dual purpose of improving health and enhancing relations among nations,[1] has long been an instrument of China's international engagement.[2] Beginning in the early 1960s, China deployed teams of doctors, nurses, and health workers to provide clinical care in developing countries, mainly in Africa,[3] with the explicitly articulated aim of furthering political solidarity.[4]
The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which highlighted weaknesses in China's ability to detect and respond to public health threats, catalyzed the development of the country's modern health system.[5] It also set China on a path toward a more proactive stance in global health diplomacy and a scaling up of its provision of development assistance for health (DAH).[6] This trend has accelerated since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 and especially since the COVID-19 outbreak.
The BRI, whose remit is primarily economic, has expanded to encompass the health as well as the space and digital domains.[7] In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with great-power competition stiffening, the Belt and Road facing challenges, and a reputation damaged by the early handling of the Coronavirus, Beijing has placed global health diplomacy at the service of recasting China's image as that of a responsible and resourceful leader.
During the pandemic era, the Health Silk Road (HSR), interlinked with the Digital Silk Road (DSR), has emerged as a vehicle for powering the nascent third phase of the BRI, which has retained its prominence as a "major platform" for international development cooperation.[8] This development is evident in China's involvement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
China's Health Silk Road (HSR) and the BRI Agenda
Prior to the onset of the COVID-10 pandemic, the BRI had evolved in two phases: an initiation phase focused on publicly financed physical infrastructure projects; and a readjustment phase begun in 2019, which promised "high quality development cooperation" and an upgrading of corridor connectivity through an expansion into technology.[9] The development of the Health Silk Road has roughly followed the arc of the BRI's evolution.
The HSR, first mentioned in a speech delivered by President Xi Jinping in 2016 in Uzbekistan,[10] can be traced back to the framework document "Vision And Actions On Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt And 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" issued in March 2015, which listed eight priority areas for health cooperation with BRI countries:
Securing political support for health cooperation
Epidemic information sharing
Exchange of prevention and treatment technologies
Training of medical professionals
Capacity-building to address public health emergencies
Institutionalization of the provision of medical assistance and emergency medical aid
Expansion of cooperation on traditional medicine.
Exploring the potential of healthcare industry collaboration[11]
Nine months after the release of this document, China's then-National Health and Family Planning Commission (now the National Health Commission, or NHC) rolled out a three-stage implementation plan (2015-2017, 2017/2020-2022, and 2020-2030) featuring a wide range of projects and activities to promote the development of health and safeguard health security on the Silk Road.[12]
The Chinese government subsequently took various steps to broaden and invigorate health diplomacy. Among them, in January 2017 China and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Health Sector Cooperation under the BRI.[13] Later that year, China hosted a high-profile conference of senior health officials from 30 countries and representatives from a number of international health organizations that culminated in the adoption of a joint communiqué laying out the lines of effort to strengthen health cooperation under the BRI.[14] Seeking to institutionalize health cooperation within the HSR framework, Beijing also organized and sponsored numerous health-themed plurilateral forums.[15]
Here it is important to mention that the Health Silk Road, like the BRI to which it is tied, is a highly adaptive endeavor — an overarching concept rather than a detailed blueprint. Activities branded as HSR initiatives have built upon China's existing health diplomacy practices and have been merged with domestic health policy measures, notably the Healthy China 2030 campaign.[16] However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing's health diplomacy acquired a prominence and urgency that it had not previously achieved, in turn, elevating the importance of the HSR as a vehicle for pursuing health cooperation along the Belt and Road.
China's Health Silk Road and the Covid-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 era constitutes a nascent third phase in the development of the BRI featuring a revitalized Health Silk Road. Since the COVID outbreak, the Chinese response to the pandemic has proceeded along several tracks, beginning in March 2020 with a massive medical aid operation designed to assist countries struggling to deal with the disease.[17] Nearly every country in the world received some form of assistance from China to combat COVID-19.[18] However, the scope of the Chinese response to the pandemic expanded well beyond so-called "mask diplomacy" as Beijing moved to convert the crisis into an opportunity to reframe the BRI and to enhance the role of health diplomacy in advancing China's place in the world.
The pandemic has ushered in new aspirational slogans, such as the expression "community of common health for mankind," which has come to enjoy wider currency than "Health Silk Road" in Chinese officials' public statements and in official documents. Claiming the spotlight at the 73rd World Health Assembly video conference in May 2020, Xi Jinping deployed his concept of a "shared future for the people of the world to work as one."[19] A white paper on China's fight against COVID-19 issued by the State Council the next month contains an entire chapter on "Building a Global Community of Health for All."[20]
The pandemic has also led to a shift away from the BRI's singular focus on capital-intensive infrastructure projects towards a heightened emphasis on the management and operation of medical facilities; the production of medical equipment for diagnoses and treatments; the provision of healthcare services; and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and vaccines. In this way the nascent BRI 3.0 incorporates measures aimed at interlinking the Health Silk Road (HSR) and the Digital Silk Road (DSR).
In addition, the pandemic has presented an opportunity whereby Beijing, through practicing "vaccine diplomacy," has sought to advance its long-term diplomatic as well as economic interests. Having cast vaccines as international public goods (IPGs) and stepped in to fill the 'leadership vacuum,' [21] China has taken steps to localize production in developing countries as a means of 'bridging the immunization gap.' [22] Here, it is important to emphasize that China has undertaken this effort at a time when outbound investment and contract activities along the BRI have declined.[23] It has also come at a time when Beijing has sought to boost the commercial prospects of the biotech sector, which is identified as a "strategic emerging industry" in the 14th Five Year Plan covering the years 2021-2025.[24] Thus, China's vaccine diplomacy can best be described as a "mixed model of business and politics"[25] that is employed in accordance with Beijing's "Going Out" strategy and links overseas aid with investment opportunity.
China's Health Silk Road and the MENA Region in the COVID-19 Era
Chinese health diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which has deep historical roots,[26] has broadened and deepened since the inception of the BRI. Plurilateral dialogues with MENA countries on health-related issues, for example, are now staple features of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) and the Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC).[27] Indeed, health cooperation has become a strategic element of China's engagement with MENA countries, as Beijing has sought to employ the Health Silk Road for the purpose of adapting the BRI to the COVID-19 pandemic and thereby strengthening China's foothold in the region.
Much as elsewhere across the Global South, China has deployed "mask diplomacy" and "vaccine diplomacy" throughout the MENA region during the pandemic.[28] Having been the first country to be struck by the virus, China was well positioned to dispatch medical teams, and provide shipments of medical supplies — some as donations (e.g., to Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine[29]) and others for purchase (e.g., to Saudi Arabia and UAE[30]) — to MENA countries.
It is worth noting that the commercial exports of Chinese medical supplies to the region during the pandemic have included not simply hospital masks and gowns but various medical devices, thermal cameras, diagnostic imaging systems, drones, and video teleconferencing (VTC) systems. China's use, repurposing, and sale of such technology to MENA and other partners might well pay off as Chinese companies seek to grow their market share.
But it is vaccine diplomacy that perhaps best exemplifies China's effort to link health cooperation to broader economic cooperation in the MENA region under the BRI framework. China, the world's leading exporter of vaccines[31] — provided through donations and commercial partnerships — has found the MENA region to be a welcoming market for its vaccine supply and licensing campaign.[32] In December 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain were the first countries to approve a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Turkey, Iran, and Morocco have emerged among the top takers of the 110 countries where Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines have been administered since then.[33]
Building on the success of its vaccine exports, China has established four joint vaccine production hubs in the MENA region: in Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, and the UAE.[34] It is not a coincidence that all four are critical nodes along the BRI. Neither is it surprising that Chinese biotech companies have their sights set on building their vaccine portfolios and expanding their market reach in, and from these very locations. In Morocco, for example, China's Walvax Biotech Co. is selling a vaccine against childhood pneumonia. In Egypt, Sinovac is developing a portfolio of vaccines including for polio and chicken pox.[35]
The joint vaccine production operations underway in the MENA region, it should be emphasized, represent a marriage of commercial ambitions between China and its regional partners. In the longer term, Morocco intends to produce and develop vaccines for pathologies other than COVID-19.[36] Algeria's partnership with Sinovac aims at meeting domestic vaccine demand and exporting the surplus.[37] Egypt's state-run Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA), keen to tap into the African market, has ramped up production of the Sinovac vaccine.[38]
Similarly, the collaboration between Sinopharm and Abu Dhabi's G42 to produce the Hayat-Vax COVID-19 vaccine has paved the way for more ambitious undertakings. With the production facility currently under construction in the Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi (KIZAD),[39] the cornerstone is being laid for Dubai's Vaccine Logistics Alliance (VLA) — composed of Emirates SkyCargo, Dubai Airports, DP World, and International Humanitarian City — for expedited global vaccine distribution to developing countries.[40]
The Belt and Road is an infrastructure ecosystem within which health diplomacy has become a more salient feature since the COVID-19 outbreak. Beijing's efforts to invigorate the Health Silk Road during the pandemic have been driven by political and economic considerations. In political terms, they have served to repair and enhance China's reputation as a responsible and resourceful member of the international community; to reaffirm the importance of and showcase its commitment to South-South cooperation; and to capitalize on the shortcomings of Western countries' covid responses for the purpose of cementing its position as a global health leader.[41] In addition, China's health diplomacy during the pandemic has functioned as a vehicle for generating commercial gains and providing market access for Chinese firms along the BRI.[42]
China's health diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa during the pandemic has reflected these two sets of considerations and has been grafted onto its multifaceted and extensive relationships in the region. Beijing's soft-power campaign of copious Arabic-language messaging[43] and aid deliveries to MENA countries appears to have inoculated it against heightened scrutiny and public criticism associated with its initial mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak. And Beijing's promotion of the Health Silk Road through mask and vaccine diplomacy has filled a gap left by Western countries and donors. As a result, Chinese med-tech and biotech companies are well positioned to forge partnerships that could enable them to expand their presence within and beyond the MENA region in the post-pandemic era.
[1] Vincanne Adams, Thomas E. Novotny and Hannah Leslie, "Global Health Diplomacy," Medical Anthropology 27, 4 (2008): 315-23, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740802427067#.VAoWGPmwLQA.
[2] Xu Jing, Liu Peilong, and Guo Yan, "Health diplomacy in China," Global Health Governance Blog, June 21, 2011, http://blogs.shu.edu/ghg/2011/06/21/health-diplomacy-in-china/; and Peilong Liu, Yan Guo, Xu Qian, Shenglan Tang, Zhihui Li, Lincoln Chen, "China's distinctive engagement in global health," The Lancet 384, August 30, 2014, https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2814%2960725-X.
[3] Olivia Killeen, Alissa Davis, Joseph Tucker, and Benjamin Mason Meier, "Chinese Global Health Diplomacy in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges," Glob Health Gov 12, 2 (2018): 4-29, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6447313/; Li Anshan, "Chinese Medical Cooperation in Africa With Special Emphasis on the Medical Teams and Anti-Malaria Campaign," Discussion paper 52, Nordiska Afrika Institute, Uppsala (2011), https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:399727/FULLTEXT02.pdf; Song Wang and Joshua Bateman, "China's Medical Aid in Africa: China is doing more than building roads in Africa. It's also curing patients," The Diplomat, March 14, 2018, https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/chinas-medical-aid-in-africa/.
[4] Ted Alcorn, "New orientation for China's health assistance to Africa," The Lancet, December 12, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01232-5.
[5] See Lai-Ha Chan, Lucy Chen, and Jin Xu, "China's Engagement with Global Health Diplomacy: Was SARS a Watershed?" PLoS Medicine 7, 4 (2010), https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000266&type=printable;
[6] In 2011, China became a net provider of foreign assistance. Since then, DAH has become an increasingly important element of China's foreign assistance and diplomatic engagement. See Liu et al., "China's distinctive engagement in global health"; Takaaki Kobayashi, "China: From an Aid Recipient to an Emerging Major Donor," in Nissanke M., Shimomura Y. (eds.) Aid as Handmaiden for the Development of Institutions (London: Palgrave Macmillan). https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137023483_8. https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/geographical-distribution-of-financial-flows-to-developing-countries-2014_fin_flows_dev-2014-en-fr#page130; and Elanah Uretsky, Jennifer Bouey, and Rebecca Katz, "China's Emerging Role in Global Health," Health Affairs, January 17, 2018, https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20180109.759800/full/.
[7] Moritz Rudolf, "China's Health Diplomacy during Covid-19: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Action," Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Comment (September 2021), https://doi.org/10.18449/2021C09; Kun Tang, Zhihui Li, Wenkai Li, and Lincoln Chen, "China's Silk Road and Global Health," The Lancet, December 9, 2017, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32898-2/fulltext; and "'Healthy Silk Road' escorts life," ["健康丝绸之路"为生命护航], CPC News, March 24, 2020, http://theory.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0324/c40531-31645276.html.
[8] For the full text of the January 2021 State Council white paper on "China's International Development Cooperation in the New Era," see China Daily, January 11, 2021, https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202101/11/WS5ffb954aa31024ad0baa19e3.html.
[9] David Arase, "The Belt and Road Initiative Enters a Second Phase," Asia Global Online, April 15, 2021, https://www.asiaglobalonline.hku.hk/belt-and-road-initiative-enters-second-phase.
[10] "Xi Jinping: Join hands to build a green, healthy, intellectual and peaceful Silk Road," Xinhua, June 22, 2016, http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2016-06/22/c_1119094645.htm.
[11] "Vision And Actions On Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt And 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road," Belt and Road Portal, Xinhua, March 30, 2015, https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/qwyw/qwfb/1084.htm.
[12] National Health and Planning Commission of the PRC, "Major health exchange and cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative," China Daily, December 18, 2015, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/chinahealth/2015-12/18/content_22774412.htm. See also Elanah Uretsky, Jennifer Bouey, and Rebecca Katz, "China's Emerging Role in Global Health," Health Affairs, January 17, 2018, https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20180109.759800/full/.
[13] Guoxiu Wu, "Building the Silk Road with health," CGTN, January 19, 2017, updated June 28, 2018, https://news.cgtn.com/news/7a556a4d35457a6333566d54/index.html.
[14] National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, "Beijing Communiqué of The Belt and Road Health Cooperation & Health Silk Road," August 18, 2017, http://en.nhc.gov.cn/2017-08/18/c_72257.htm.
[15] These gatherings included the Silk Road Health Forum, China-Central and Eastern European Countries Health Ministers Forum, China-ASEAN Health Forum, and the China-Arab States Health Forum.
[16] National Health and Planning Commission of the PRC, "Major health exchange and cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative," China Daily, December 18, 2015, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/chinahealth/2015-12/18/content_22774412.htm; and National Health Commission of the PRC, "Healthy China Action Plan (2019-2030)," http://en.nhc.gov.cn/HealthyChinaActionPlan.html. See also Ngeow Chow-Bing, "COVID-19, Belt and Road Initiative and the Health Silk Road: Implications for Southeast Asia," Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (October 2020): 7-14, http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/indonesien/16537.pdf; and Uretsky et al., "China's Emerging Role in Global Health."
[17] This operation included dispatching medical teams and personal protective equipment (PPE) through multiple channels, including embassies, local associations, and major companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, and ZTE.
[18] Moritz Rudolf, "China's Health Diplomacy during Covid-19: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Action," Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Comment (September 2021): 7, https://doi.org/10.18449/2021C09.
[19] "Speech by President Xi Jinping at opening of 73rd World Health Assembly," May 18, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/18/c_139067018.htm.
[20] The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China, "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action," June 7, 2020, http://english.scio.gov.cn/whitepapers/2020-06/07/content_76135269.htm.
[21] "IntelBrief: The Future of the U.S.-China Relationship in a Post-COVID World," The Soufan Center, May 20, 2020, https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-the-future-of-the-u-s-china-relationship-in-a-post-covid-world/.
[22] Yang Jian, Henry Tillman, Zheng Jie, and Ye Yu, "Addressing the Vaccine Gap: Goal-based Governance and Health Silk Road," China Investment Research (CIR) Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), September 28, 2021, https://www.silkroadbriefing.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Envision-a-World-Taming-COVID-19_0928_final.pdf.
[23] Alvin Zhou, "'Health Silk Road' Gives the BRI a Rebranding," The China Guys, March 25, 2021, https://thechinaguys.com/health-silk-road-gives-the-bri-a-rebranding/.
[24] "Competing in China's Booming Biopharma Market," BCG, November 12, 2021, https://www.bcg.com/enca/publications/2020/competing-in-chinas-biopharma-market; "Chinese infectious disease venture financing receives a booster from Covid-19," Pharmaceutical Technology, November 21, 2021, updated November 29, 2021, https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/chinese-infectious-disease/; Scott Moore, "China's Growing Role in the Global Biotechnology Sector and Implications for U.S. Policy," Brookings Institution, April 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/FP_20200427_china_biotechnology_moore.pdf.
[25] Seow Ting Lee, "Vaccine diplomacy: nation branding and China's COVID-19 soft power play," Place Branding and Diplomacy, July 6, 2021, https://rdcu.be/cC5Ml.
[26] Yahia H. Zoubir, "China's 'Health Silk Road' Diplomacy in the MENA," Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Med Dialogue Series 27 (July 2020): 1-14, https://www.kas.de/documents/282499/282548/MDS_China+Health+Silk+Road+Diplomacy.pdf/.
[27] See, for example, Fen Hui, "China-Arab States Health Cooperation Forum Declaration," National Health Commission of the PRC, September 18, 2015, http://en.nhc.gov.cn/2015-09/18/c_45733.htm.
[28] Jemima Baar, "The Health Silk Road: China's Engagement With the Middle East During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Manara Magazine, August 19, 2020, https://manaramagazine.org/2020/08/19/the-health-silk-road-chinas-engagement-with-the-middle-east-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/; Sabena Siddiqui, 'Covid-19 diplomacy: Mapping China's Health Silk Road in the Middle East', Alaraby, May 19, 2020, accessed July 23, 2020, https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/19/mapping-chinas-health-silk-road-in-the-middle-east; Mordechai Chaziza, "Coronavirus, China, and the Middle East," BESA Mideast Security and Policy Studies Paper 174 (June 2, 2020): 22-23, https://besacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/174-Coronavirus-China-and-the-Middle-East-Chaziza-FINAL.pdf; Mordechai Chaziza, "Chinese Health Diplomacy and the Maghreb in the COVID-19 Era," Middle East Institute, February 23, 2021, https://www.mei.edu/publications/chinese-health-diplomacy-and-maghreb-covid-19-era.
[29] "Egypt receives 3rd batch of anti-coronavirus medical aid from China," Xinhua, May 16, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/16/c_139062216.htm; "Chinese military sends anti-epidemic medical supplies to Iranian armed forces," Xinhua, March 19, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/19/c_138895352.htm; "Jordan receives medical supplies from China worth $750,000," Arab News, June 1, 2020, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1683006/middle-east; "China willing to offer more donations to Lebanon for fighting COVID-19: ambassador," Xinhua, March 16, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/16/c_138881051.htm; and "China delivers 10,000 coronavirus kits to Palestine," Middle East Monitor, March 31, 2020, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200331-china-delivers-10000-coronavirus-kits-to-palestine/.
[30] "China's medical supply exports to UAE surge 357% in Q2-20," Mubasher, August 27, 2020, https://english.mubasher.info/news/3688462/China-s-medical-supply-exports-to-UAE-surge-357-in-Q2-20/; and "Saudi Arabia Cuts $265 Million Deal With China to Fight Virus," Bloomberg News, April 26, 2020.
[31] Wanyuan Song, "Covid-19 vaccines: Has China made more than other countries combined?" BBC, October 10, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/58808889.
[32] Eckart Woertz and Roie Yellinek, "Vaccine diplomacy in the MENA region," Middle East Institute, April 14, 2021, https://www.mei.edu/publications/vaccine-diplomacy-mena-region.
[33] Smriti Mallapaly, "China's COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning," Nature, October 14, 2021, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02796-w
[34] "China picks UAE for Sinopharm vaccine's Middle East production hub," South China Morning Post, March 28, 2021, https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3127359/china-picks-uae-sinopharms-middle-east-production-hub.
[35] "China Is Leveraging Its Vaccine Diplomacy Beyond Covid Shots," Bloomberg Business Week, November 3, 2021, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-03/made-in-china-covid-vaccines-go-global-so-do-its-shots-for-pneumonia-hepatitis.
[36] Álvaro Escalonilla, "Morocco will produce Chinese vaccine Sinopharm," Atalayar, July 6, 2021, https://atalayar.com/en/content/morocco-will-produce-chinese-vaccine-sinopharm.
[37] "In partnership with China, Algeria to start Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine production," Alarabiya, September 28, 2021, https://english.alarabiya.net/coronavirus/2021/09/28/In-partnership-with-China-Algeria-to-start-Sinovac-COVID-19-vaccine-production.
[38] "Egypt ramps up local vaccine production with eye on exports," Reuters, August 31, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-ramps-up-local-vaccine-production-with-eye-exports-2021-08-31/.
[39] Ahmed El Sherif, "UAE first country in Arab world to begin manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine," Mobihealthnews, April 1, 2021, https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/emea/uae-first-country-arab-world-begin-manufacturing-covid-19-vaccine
[40] "Dubai forms Vaccine Logistics Alliance to expedite global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through the emirate to developing countries," Emirates Sky Cargo, January 31, 2021, https://www.skycargo.com/media-centre/dubai-forms-vaccine-logistics-alliance-to-expedite-global-distribution-of-covid-19-vaccines-through-the-emirate-to-developing-countries/.
[41] See for example, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, quoted in Embassy of the PRC to the United States, "Wang Yi: China Makes Five 'Firsts' in Global COVID-19 Response," September 14, 2021, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/ceus/eng/zgyw/t1907111.htm. See also Elizabeth Chen, "China's Vaccine Diplomacy Revamps the Health Silk Road Amid Covid-19," China Brief 20, 20 (November 12, 2020), https://jamestown.org/program/chinas-vaccine-diplomacy-revamps-the-health-silk-road-amid-covid-19/; and Yahia H. Zoubir and Emilie Tran, "China's Health Silk Road in the Middle East and North Africa Amidst COVID-19 and a Contested World Order," Journal of Contemporary China (August 21, 2021), DOI: 10.1080/10670564.2021.1966894.
[42] Yixiang Xu, "Reviving China's Health Silk Road Initiative? Battle of Narratives and Challenges for Transatlantic Leadership," American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), March 30, 2020, https://www.aicgs.org/2020/03/reviving-chinas-health-silk-road-initiative-battle-of-narratives-and-challenges-for-transatlantic-leadership/.
[43] Lucille Greer, "Solidarity and Strain: China and the Middle East During COVID-19," Wilson Center Viewpoints, April 21, 2020, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/solidarity-and-strain-china-and-middle-east-during-covid-19-0.
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Graham and Nathalie are guest teaching the Improvers & Intermediates class at Learn to Tango Kent in Tunbridge Wells, from 8.45pm-9.45pm.
Modern music... no traditions... just dancing!
Get ready to think about music for tango in a whole new way - sometimes challenging, sometimes familiar, and sometimes completely unexpected. Graham's DJ sets will take your tango experience in completely new directions, with all modern music, no tandas, and no cortinas, just dancing from the beginning to the end of the evening.
£12 on the door or £10 if you pre-book at one of our classes or via our website. Free tea, coffee, water, squash, and nibbles. Cheap soft drinks. Bring your own alcohol if you want.
For all information about our Argentine Tango Neolongas, please visit tangounderground.dance.
Tango milongas / freestyles without the tradition. All modern music.
Here is a random selection of links we like, taken from our Links Page where you will find many more.


text:
Electric Vehicles News
London's trial of rental e-scooters begins
June 8, 2021 June 8, 2021 admin 429 ViewsDott, e-scooter, electric vehicles, Lime, TFL, TIER
Transport for London (TfL), London Councils, participating boroughs and e-scooter operators Dott, Lime and TIER have launched the trial of rental e-scooters in the capital, which will last for up to 12 months.
Following the government's announcement to legalise rental trials of e-scooters run by local authorities, TfL and London Councils launched an open and competitive procurement process for the planned trial of an e-scooter rental scheme in London.
Operators Dott, Lime and TIER were appointed to take part in the trial following the process, where their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards was considered.
The trial is initially launching in Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Richmond, with Tower Hamlets acting as a 'ride through' area.  The trial will begin with this core group of boroughs, with more expected to join throughout the summer.
E-scooters will be priced at between £3.25 and £3.40 for a 15-minute ride – and are only allowed to be ridden on roads, not pavements. Each operator will charge a fee to unlock as well as a per-minute fee for each ride.
Rental e-scooters offer a number of benefits over private e-scooters which make them more suitable for a trial on London's streets, including always-on lights, GPS controlled parking and no-go zones (they can only be parked in specified locations not obstructing the pavement), and cannot be taken into certain areas, such as tunnels.
The safety standards required will go further than those set out at a national level, by requiring:
A lower maximum speed of 12.5mph, compared to the 15.5mph set nationally
Lights at the front and the rear of the vehicles that are always on throughout any rental
Larger wheels at least 12 inches in diameter, meaning they can navigate road surfaces more easily.
The operators will also have additional safety mechanisms in place, including 'first ride policies', meaning riders must take an e-learning safety course before they hire for the first time, and lower maximum speeds in place for their first ride.
Will Norman, London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner, said: "As we look to our capital's future, we want to ensure a green and sustainable recovery from the pandemic. We know that a huge portion of car journeys in London are for very short distances, and we want to explore how e-scooters can act as an innovative alternative. E-scooters have been on our streets for some time now but with very little regulation."
Mayor Philip Glanville, Chair of London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee, said: "The rental e-scooter trial has the potential to support our city-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic and boost London's green recovery. It will be important to see how this new service impacts London's existing transport network and carbon emissions and how inclusive it is of the travel needs of all Londoners – especially those on lower incomes."
Image: TfL Press Office
← Autonomous electric shuttle trial launches at Harwell Campus
Merthyr Tydfil's new bus station first in Wales to allow for charging of EVs →
SES Water boosts green credentials by adding more electric vehicles to its fleet
Car industry calls for VAT fairness on charging as February market gets electric boost
Greener Transport Council publishes manifesto for decarbonising transport

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Day 01: Arrive at Kathmandu airport (1345meters)and Drive to the Hotel.
Day 04: Trek to Lama Hotel (2380m) 5/6 hrs.
Day 05: Trek to Langtang village (3,430m) 5/6 hrs.
Day 06: Trek to Kyanjin Gompa (3870m): 3/4 hrs.
Day 08: Trek to Yala peak Base camp (4400m) 5/6 hrs.
Day 10: Trek back to Lama Hotel. 5/6 hrs.
Day 11: Trek to Thulo Syabru: 5/6 hrs.
Day 12: Trek to Dhunche 2020m 4/5 hrs.
Day 14: Drive to International Airport and final Departure.


Join us for an annual winter festival held on President's Day Weekend in the Western Adirondack community of Clifton-Fine with free, fun for the whole family! Including outdoor recreation, music and arts, food, crafts, interactive presentations, kids activities, snowmobile-accessible events, and so much more!
We boast a true wilderness area with a friendly, small-town feel. Come out & have a snow day (or two) with us! This event is put on by 100% volunteer efforts and the generosity of sponsors, donations & fundraising proceeds.


Public Option Goes Monty Python: I'm NOT Dead Yet!
December 11, 2009	/ Comments Off on Public Option Goes Monty Python: I'm NOT Dead Yet!
"All right then, we'll call it a Draw!"
But honestly, it takes no great insight to see through Harry Reid's Medicare ploy. By expanding Medicare coverage to those 55-64, Libs know that Single Payer will become pretty much inevitable. Sooner rather than later. The Gang of 10 in the Senate are the carpenters who built the Trojan Horse. Pancy Nelosi and Rarry Heid are now busy rolling it up to the Gates of Troy in time for Christmas.
"We leap out of the Wooden Rabbit and take Congress by surprise"
And how does this odyssey end?
Is this how our DC epic for Public Option will end? I dunno I'm just saying….


Late last week, rumors began to circulate, suggesting that Gal Gadot would not return for Wonder Woman 2 unless Brett Ratner was removed from the project. In a new interview, Gadot did not say if she was the main person responsible for the firing were true, but instead explained that the entire cast and crew "echoed the same sentiment," in regard to having Ratner's name attached to the project. The reports fired up immediately after Gal Gadot decided to not attend a celebration in honor of Brett Ratner earlier this month.
While speaking with The Today Show, Gal Gadot revealed that everybody knows her stance on the situation because she has been so outspoken about the sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood. In the end, it seems that the entire cast and crew of Wonder Woman 2 felt the same way that she did. Patty Jenkins has even come forward saying that Brett Ratner's RatPac-Dune Entertainment were removed weeks ago. Gadot explains.
"At the end of the day, a lot has been written about my views and the way that I feel, and everyone knows the way that I feel because I'm not hiding anything. But the truth is, there's so many people making this movie - it's not just me - and they all echoed the same sentiments."
Gal Gadot implies that a decision about Brett Ratner had already been made before news of her alleged holdout broke. Gadot goes on to say this.
"Everyone knew what was the right thing to do. But there was nothing for me to actually come and say because it was already done before this article came out."
Earlier this month, six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, detailed their experiences with Brett Ratner in a Los Angeles Times article. Ratner has denied all allegations through his lawyer, but the damage had already been done. Warner Bros. will honor the financing deal through the end of its contract in March, as RatPac-Dune Entertainment is financing several projects on the studio's upcoming slate, including Justice League, the Tomb Raider reboot and Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One.
In other Gal Gadot news, aside from critics praising her performance as Wonder Woman in the clunky Justice League, GQ Magazine has named her Woman of the Year. As Woman of the Year, Gadot will appear on the cover of the men's magazine. The article will be published this week, but the publication has already posted a teaser on its website, touting Gal Gadot as a former Miss Israel and soldier in that nation's army, and a "real-life badass."
Gal Gadot did not have to specifically mention Brett Ratner by name while speaking out about the sexual misconduct in Hollywood since Warner Bros. had already made the decision to cease working with the producer, but there is no way that she would have agreed to sign on for Wonder Woman 2 had he been on board. Warner Bros. and DC Comics had to recently also cut ties with a long-time editor for sexual misconduct as well and the two companies are setting a precedent that they will not support those who have been accused of sexual misconduct in any way. In the wake of all this, Wonder Woman 2 got an earlier than expected release date change, and will now be here in November 2019, instead of December of that year. You can watch Gal Gadot talk about the Brett Ratner situation below, courtesy of The Today Show Twitter account.


text:
What Are the Customs & Beliefs of Egypt Today?
Abu Dhabi Business Etiquette
The Culture of Egypt
Amelia Allonsy, Leaf Group Updated April 16, 2018
The Culture of Egypt (Photo: )
Saudi Arabia Culture & Protocol
Things to See Around the Theatre District in NYC
Egypt's culture and history date back thousands of years to the times of the ancient Pharaohs. While some of these ancient traditions remain evident, modern Egypt has evolved greatly due to influences of immigrants from other Arab nations. Visitors to Egypt will notice that Egyptian people are mild-mannered and very polite, as a result of their religious principles. Understanding Egyptian customs and culture is essential to a successful trip to Egypt.
Egyptian Cultural Attitudes
Egyptian people are generally very helpful, so tourists rarely have trouble finding assistance with directions or recommendations. It is not unusual for an entire crowd of Egyptians to surround you trying to answer a query. They stand very close when speaking, requiring very little personal space. Egyptians are accustomed to refusing every invitation the first time it was offered, so if your offer is genuine, repeat it a second time. The same goes with invitations from Egyptian people. They will offer something once out of politeness, but you know the offer is sincere if it is repeated. If you accept an invitation into an Egyptian home, such as for a meal, and you do not show, the hosts would be humiliated.
Egyptian Ethnicity
Egypt has a population of about 67 million people. The official language is Arabic and about 99 percent of the Egyptian population comes from Eastern Hamitic backgrounds. This includes ancient Egyptian descendants, Bedouins and Berbers. The remaining 1 percent is comprised of Greek, Nubian, Armenian, Italian and French ethnicity. The majority of the Egyptian population is concentrated around the Nile River Valley and the Nile Delta. A good estimate is that about half the population is from peasantry, while the other half are rich or socially elite. Citizens living in rural areas are mostly peasants earning a living through farming. Egypt's prime location, straddling from North Africa across the Suez Canal into Asia, makes it the center of the Arab world. It is often thought to be the intellectual leader of the Middle East, having been the first to open up to communications with the Western world.
Religion in Egypt
About 90 percent of the Egyptian population are Sunni Muslims, 8 percent are Coptic Christians and the remaining 2 percent are Jewish or of other Christian denominations. Islamic values are fundamental in personal and political aspects for all citizens, including Christians. Egyptians have strong family values and are expected to be faithful to members of their nuclear and extended families. Most businesses are closed on Fridays, the Muslim holy day, with some also closed on Thursdays. Egyptian Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan and are only allowed to work for six hours each day. While not required to fast during Ramadan, Christians are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public. The major mosques are open to tourists, except during religious services. All guests are expected to remove their shoes before entering any religious building.
Mass Media in Egypt
Egypt is the most progressive country in the Middle East is the field of media. Journalism, film, television, music and the arts are of supreme importance in Egyptian culture. Egypt has a press that is basically free, especially when compared to the censorship applied in other Arab nations. The biggest newspaper in the country is called "Al Ahram," but other papers are also distributed. Egypt's radio broadcasting system transmits programs throughout the Arab world in Arabic, English, French and other languages. Egyptian television is controlled by the government, with five national television channels. Egypt is the only Arab country with a movie industry and has been making movies since the 1930s. Egypt is also home to live entertainment venues, such as the Cairo Opera House, National Puppet Theater, Pocket Theater and National Symphony. The country has several museums that boast the ancient art traditions and has produced a Nobel prize winner in literature.
Women and Clothing
Women in Egypt are expected to be conservative and modest, in following with the Islamic principles for women. Unknown men should never approach an Egyptian woman; instead questions and concerns should be addressed toward other men. A large percentage of Egyptian women maintain their virginity until marriage, because virginity is seen as a sign of morality and men prefer to marry virgin women. Women are widely present within the professional workforce, working as doctors, lawyers, college professors and diplomats. A head scarf is often worn as a symbol of modesty and to discourage male advances in the professional field. Women are expected to keep their arms and legs covered, especially in religious arenas.
Every Culture: Egyptians
Ask Aladdin: Egypt Culture and Traditions
Kwintessential: Egypt-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette
Sharm Club: Media and Arts in Egypt, Newspapers, TV, Radio
A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.
About the Culture of Zimbabwe, Africa
What are the Culture Traits for Egypt?
Customs of Southeast Asia
Landmarks in Caracas, Venezuela
Egypt Famous Art
Middle East Travel»


text:
Alpha & Omega RP discussion
Moon Pack > Forest
message 1: by Pierce Withers, I snarl at you. ~MoonPack Leader~ (new)
Hunt here
Shadowstar crept around a rock an elk stood there in a small meadow.She walked closer to it she signaled for Alue to go for its legs and slow it down.
message 3: by [♔] .queen's armor. (new)
Alue cralled over to it,soon she was a few inches away and the elk dident even notice, Alue jumped snaching its back leg.
Shadowstar whent for the neck she bit ard the elk callapsed .
Alue keped her jaw gripped on the elks back and the she tour of a chunck of skin.
Shadowstar tour a nice chunk of meat and skin off its ribs.She howled her song.
Alue licked the blood off her lips. "lets bring this back to camp" she said.
"Good Idea Buck need to get some strength for tommoro
Alue helped bring the elk pack to camp.
message 10: by Misfit #1, Do you dare challenge me? Oo0oO (new)
Scythe sat down in a pile of dainty purple flowers. "Ooooh, baby..." he started to sing.
((hahaha))
message 11: by ali ᵏᵉᵉᵖ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵐᵒᵘᵗʰ ˢʰᵘᵗ (new)
Dawn swayed back and forth to the beat. "Like we said, to much twoleg t.v."
Scythe ignored her.
"Ooh...baby baby baby, I love you! Do you love me, too? You are my whole heart. Please don't make me fart. We can watch fireworks in the sky. Don't leave me. Baby, why? Ilove youuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" :)
Several birds flew up out of the trees as Scythe hit that last, high note.
((Do you ever write songs?))
((Or at least attempt to?))
Dawn giggled. "Did you make that up??"
((Yeah sometimes.))
((Sometime can you check out my pics??? they are funny))
((Sure!))
"Uh... yeah. I'm still working on it." he said.
Dawn nodded. "It was beautiful."
"Thanks." Scythe said.
Dawn swayed to the beat and started humming.
"Do you feel the beat of my heart?
No, nothing can ever take our loving apart.
Whoa!
Hold on, hold,
it's going to be alright.
Wait a minute,
look at the stars shine.
In the night sky.
Whoa-oa, baby you and I.
Whoa-oa, baby you.
I!!!!!
:)"
Scythe bowed. "Yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you very much." he joked.
Dawn smiled. "Bravo!!!! Bravo!!!!"
"You mean brava" he teased.
"Either way." she said.
Scythe's smile suddenly faded. His ears pricked up. Silently, slowly, he crept forward like he was stalking something. Then, he leapt and pounced on the unsuspecting prey, capturing it in both paws. He swiftly did a sharp scratch to the neck and the creature hung limply in his jaws.
"Ey Yawn. I gut a abbit."
Dawn smiled and looked at the creature. "Great."
(("Shhh!! be very quiet. I'm hunting Wabbits." says Elmer Fudd))
((Hahahaha!!! I love Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes!!!))
"It's a bunny!" he said as he dropped it.
Dawn smiled. "Smells good." she said.
"Let's eat it." he said.
message 31: by Pierce Withers, I snarl at you. ~MoonPack Leader~ (new)
Bluestar shook his paws and ran to the kill he pushed everyone out of the way and tor at its flesh.
Dawn growled. "Hey we caught that. It's our." she bared her teeth so mad that she could lung at him.
Scythe was taken aback. "Bluestar!" he exclaimed. "That was OURS. Have you been snooping on us the whole time?"
Dawn took her whole will to hold herself back.
Bluestars stomace growled "I'm hungry can't you guys share "he asked angry from hunger
"Um, excuse me. We caught it you find your own."
Scythe barred his teeth. "Oh, we CAN share, we just WON'T when someone takes something without asking. It was a special rabbit I caught for Dawn!!!"
Bluestar look upset "Sorrrry ill catch one for Dawn and give to u to give to her!"he ran of and caught a rabbit."Here"he looked
Scythe felt a wave of sympathy rush over him. Then he shook it off. Bluestar was the one who stole their prey. But he WAS sorry. Wasn't he?
Bluestar shook the bunny and trowed it to Scythe"Here"
"Thanks." he replied.
"I am sorry about the rabbit "he said
Dawn smiled half-heartedly.
he ran away his head hung low
Scythe looked at him. "I forgive you."
Thanks"he started to dance the hyper dance http://youtu.be/q6aBPkH2Nl8
Scythe looked at him, his face getting redder and redder, trying not to laugh. Finally, he couldn't hold in in anymore. "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA." he was crying hysterically.
((I know!!! XD))
Alpha & Omega RP


Practical motherhood,, by Helen Y. Campbell ..
The Resource Practical motherhood,, by Helen Y. Campbell ..
The item Practical motherhood,, by Helen Y. Campbell .. represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
by Helen Y. Campbell ..
Data Citation of the Item Practical motherhood,, by Helen Y. Campbell ..


Inchora helps your business grow.
Inchora brings together a combination of home, financial protection, health and well-being solutions for the rental and wider home home mover markets.
From distribution development and expansion, through to innovative product creation; development of cutting edge technology or provision of first class customer servicing, we are here to help.
Our unique platform focuses on creating and delivering best-in-class, relevant, products and services, provided at the right time, for home movers and home owners.
In particular we have a market leading proposition for the rental sector, the fastest growing component of the UK housing market.
With 'Generation Rent' demanding new, more flexible and innovative propositions, we are able to utilise our distribution and product capabilities to respond to these needs quickly and effectively, providing you with access to a customer segment that has been historically under served.
And the crucial bit is that, unlike other companies, we are able to support our clients in a way that means customer ownership is fully retained by them. Whilst we also offer our own products, our goal is always to enhance our clients' offering, and act as the driving force behind our clients business.
We have a strong proven track record of success, helping us develop and maintain long term partnerships with leading brands such as Sky, Virgin, ScottishPower and HSBC.
Inchora continues to win public recognition and industry awards from its customers, partners and key stakeholders. We have a strong proven track record of success working in partnership with some of the UK's leading brands.
Inchora's strategy for growth is underpinned by six core pillars.
What makes Inchora stand out?


text:
Поющая бюргерия () — вид бесхвостых земноводных из семейства веслоногих лягушек. Родовое и видовое латинские названия даны в честь немецкого учёного  (1804—1854).

Общая длина достигает 3,5—6,9 см. Наблюдается половой диморфизм — самки крупнее самцов. Голова небольшая с выпуклыми глазами. Имеет 6—10 зубов. Туловище стройное. Кожа бугристая. Кончики пальцев имеют диски-присоски. У самцов брачные мозоли серовато-жёлтого цвета и 1—2 щелевидных отверстий-резонаторов. Окраска серая или серо-коричневая с разбросанными тёмными пятнышками.

Любит горную местность вблизи рек, ручьёв и озёр. Активна ночью. Голос напоминает пение птиц. Поэтому этих лягушек часто держат в качестве домашних животных. Хорошо передвигается по скалам и камням. Питается насекомыми и пауками.

Размножение происходит в апреле—августе. За сезон самка делает несколько кладок, количество в целом составляет 500 яиц диаметром 2 мм. Головастики вылупляются через 2 недели.

Вид обитает на островах Хонсю, Сикоку, Кюсю (Япония).

Примечания

Литература
 Maeda, N. and Matsui, M. (1990). Frogs and Toads of Japan, 2nd edition. Bun-Ichi Sogo Shuppan Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Веслоногие лягушки
Животные, описанные в 1838 году
Земноводные Азии
Эндемики Японии
Бюргер
Таксоны, описанные Конрадом Якобом Темминком
Таксоны, описанные Германом Шлегелем

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
One woman missing and disaster alert sounded amid storms across Germany
floodingweatherrain
Water levels rise in Hildesheim. Photo: DPA
As storms continue to batter much of the country on Wednesday, one woman has gone missing, one town has raised the official disaster alert, and another town is considering partial evacuation due to the weather.
A 69-year-old woman in Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt has disappeared amid heavy rains near a river by her home, police reported on Wednesday. Authorities said it could be possible that she fell into the river on Tuesday, as the water level there has greatly increased.
The district of Goslar in the Harz mountain region of Lower Saxony also on Wednesday officially sounded the disaster alert due to flooding caused by rainstorms in the area.
In the small town of Bad Harzburg, the train station has been blocked off due to the tracks being underwater. The water level on many streets there also reached at least 20 centimetres high. Around 350 firefighters have been working there, and police are calling for more backup.
In the city of Goslar, serious flooding in the streets - as pictured below - has also largely blocked off the city centre, and a hotel as well as a senior centre have been evacuated.
Sandsäcke stapeln sich vor der Gaststätte "Die Butterhanne" #goslar #hochwasser @NDRreporter pic.twitter.com/yhPZkJ62Ox
— Jennifer Lange (@jenniferilange) July 26, 2017
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the amount of rain so far this week in the Harz area has in some places reached or even surpassed the level of precipitation typical for the whole month of July.
Meanwhile on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen, two vacationers sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident, which police suspect was caused by the heavy rain.
North German town considers partial evacuation
Fire crews in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, have said that they are preparing for the worst case scenario of evacuating areas of the town, as water levels continue to rise in the rain.
"At the moment our barricades are holding. But we are prepared for everything, including an evacuation," a spokesman for the fire services said on Wednesday morning.
With a whole residential area of town under threat from the rising river level, 1,100 people could be told to leave their homes.
"The doors of an emergency shelter are already open," a spokesman for the city authorities said.
Thirteen people have so far moved into the emergency accommodation, where they have been given basic provisions.
Drohende Überschwemmungen: Hildesheim rüstet sich für Evakuierung https://t.co/f2TRWij12b pic.twitter.com/178E0yuwna
— SPIEGEL ONLINE (@SPIEGELONLINE) July 26, 2017
More than 200 fire crew members worked through the night on Tuesday to try to secure the town against flooding.
"We are building up sandbags and we'll keep an eye on whether they withstand the pressure," said the fire services spokesman.
Water has been seen seeping through the sandbag barrier, but only in green areas along the Innerste, a tributary river to the town's main river, the Leine.
"The Innerste reached a record level last night," a city spokesman confirmed on Wednesday, adding that the level beat a previous record set in 2007.
Flooding has hit several other regions of Lower Saxony over the past two days, including Holzminden and Hameln-Pyrmont. But by Wednesday morning the rain had let up.
Fire crews were also building up sandbags to secure residents of Göllingen, Thuringia, on Wednesday, as the Wipper River swelled to dangerous levels.
DWD has predicted more rain for Lower Saxony and Thuringia throughout Wednesday and has issued a weather warning for large parts of the east of the country.
Rainstorms set to subside, but not end
DWD said on Wednesday that the low pressure area dubbed Alfred that has been pouring down on Germany this week will move further east, and thus bring some relief to at least the western and central parts of the country.
But that doesn't mean the wet weather is over. Regions including northeast Brandenburg, eastern Saxony and southeast Bavaria can still expect long-lasting and forceful rainfall on Thursday. The west and southwest will have some lighter showers, with sunshine peeking through here and there.
Saturday is expected to be more sunny and warm in the west and south, with highs up between 25C and 27C, while the northeast still faces the prospect of more rain. By Sunday the west should also get its share of more storm clouds along with the east, while the south will get sunshine during the day before storms are predicted to come back by the evening.
SEE ALSO: Summer of rain continues with flooding and heavy storms
Heatwave in Germany: Row breaks out over topless sunbathing in Munich
Photo of the Day: The naked moped rider stopped by German police


text:
package com.yanzhenjie.nohttp.download;

import com.yanzhenjie.nohttp.Delivery;
import com.yanzhenjie.nohttp.HandlerDelivery;
import com.yanzhenjie.nohttp.Logger;

import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingDeque;
import java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;

/**
 * <p>
 * Download queue.
 * </p>
 * Created in Oct 21, 2015 2:44:19 PM.
 *
 * @author Yan Zhenjie.
 */
public class DownloadQueue {

    private AtomicInteger mInteger = new AtomicInteger();
    /**
     * Save un finish task.
     */
    private final BlockingQueue<DownloadRequest> mUnFinishQueue = new LinkedBlockingDeque<>();
    /**
     * Save download task.
     */
    private final BlockingQueue<DownloadRequest> mDownloadQueue = new PriorityBlockingQueue<>();
    /**
     * Delivery.
     */
    private Delivery mDelivery;
    /**
     * Download queue polling thread array.
     */
    private DownloadDispatcher[] mDispatchers;

    /**
     * Create download queue manager.
     *
     * @param threadPoolSize number of thread pool.
     */
    public DownloadQueue(int threadPoolSize) {
        mDispatchers = new DownloadDispatcher[threadPoolSize];
        mDelivery = HandlerDelivery.newInstance();
    }

    /**
     * Start polling the download queue, a one of the implementation of the download task, if you have started to
     * poll the download queue, then it will stop all the threads, to re create thread
     * execution.
     */
    public void start() {
        stop();
        for (int i = 0; i < mDispatchers.length; i++) {
            DownloadDispatcher networkDispatcher = new DownloadDispatcher(mUnFinishQueue, mDownloadQueue, mDelivery);
            mDispatchers[i] = networkDispatcher;
            networkDispatcher.start();
        }
    }

    /**
     * Add a download task to download queue, waiting for execution, if there is no task in the queue or the number
     * of tasks is less than the number of thread pool, will be executed immediately.
     *
     * @param what             used to distinguish Download.
     * @param downloadRequest  download request object.
     * @param downloadListener download results monitor.
     */
    public void add(int what, DownloadRequest downloadRequest, DownloadListener downloadListener) {
        if (downloadRequest.inQueue())
            Logger.w("This request has been in the queue");
        else {
            downloadRequest.setQueue(mUnFinishQueue);
            downloadRequest.onPreResponse(what, downloadListener);
            downloadRequest.setSequence(mInteger.incrementAndGet());
            mUnFinishQueue.add(downloadRequest);
            mDownloadQueue.add(downloadRequest);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Don't start return request queue size.
     *
     * @return size.
     */
    public int unStartSize() {
        return mDownloadQueue.size();
    }

    /**
     * Returns have started but not the end of the request queue size.
     *
     * @return size.
     */
    public int unFinishSize() {
        return mUnFinishQueue.size();
    }

    /**
     * Polling the queue will not be executed, and this will not be canceled.
     */
    public void stop() {
        for (DownloadDispatcher dispatcher : mDispatchers) {
            if (dispatcher != null)
                dispatcher.quit();
        }
    }

    /**
     * All requests for the sign specified in the queue, if you are executing, will interrupt the download task.
     *
     * @param sign this sign will be the same as sign's DownloadRequest, and if it is the same, then cancel the task.
     */
    public void cancelBySign(Object sign) {
        synchronized (mUnFinishQueue) {
            for (DownloadRequest downloadRequest : mUnFinishQueue)
                downloadRequest.cancelBySign(sign);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Cancel all requests, Already in the execution of the request can't use this method.
     */
    public void cancelAll() {
        synchronized (mUnFinishQueue) {
            for (DownloadRequest downloadRequest : mUnFinishQueue)
                downloadRequest.cancel();
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Hangelbach ist ein Gewässername im Stadtgebiet von Erbach (Donau), Alb-Donau-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg:

 Hangelbach, zwei Zuflüsse des Hangelenbachs, Unterlaufname der Schleiche (Fluss) (zum Erlenbach oder Erlbach, zur Donau) im Erbacher Stadtgebiet; flussabwärts:
 Hinterer Hangelbach, rechter Zufluss gegenüber Erbach
 Vorderer Hangelbach, rechter Zufluss gegenüber Erbach

Siehe auch:
 Hängelbach, rechter Zufluss der Sulm (zum Neckar) bei Neckarsulm, Landkreis Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg


I'm happy to announce the winner of my one year blogaversary giveaway.
Congrats to Vicki Floyd !!!
Vicki, please contact me with your shipping info at bocafrau@bocafrau.com in the next 48 hours.
Woohoo, for all of you that played along but didn't win this time stay tuned. I'm thinking this will be a yearly thing!!!
And also working on some other giveaways with goodies for you!!!
One year ago today I hit publish on my first ever blog post. Go ahead, its a short one, take some time to read it! Done? Great. I still love all things Pumpkin Spice and I want to share some of my favorite pumpkin spice flavored products with you. One lucky reader will be able to win this gift basket I made up.
I learned so much this past year and it seems like a whole new world opened up to me. I've learned more about the ins and outs of web design and HTML than I ever thought I would. I found a new passion besides blogging — photography. You will always find me snapping pictures on my phone or my nifty new(ish) camera.
Social media is one of my good friends. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ … I love it all and check in for a bit each day. My fave by far is Instagram. I love seeing what everyone is up to.
I wouldn't be here without a few special people… My hubby for suggesting I start blogging, for supporting me, and letting me work away late at night on the couch next to him. Hilary for showing me the ropes and helping me get my blog out there and meeting my first few special bloggy friends. Leslie for opening up her corner of the blogosphere and letting me write my first guest post and for being a friend. BethAnn for being the sweetest, nicest person I have "met" in the blogosphere and for that awesome tea you sent me! The list goes on, I've met many wonderful people on and offline, but these 3 especially have been there since the beginning and they are still here… so Thanks to all of you!!! Luv ya.
I could go on and on but I'll stop here for now and continue my gushing another time.
I really just want to say "Thank You!!!" to each and every one of you who read my blog, who follow me on any of the social networks and who embraced me here in the interwebs.
I tried keeping the rafflecopter easy and simple. Good luck to all of you. I can't wait to find out who the winner will be!
After reading Stasha's post I don't feel quite so bad about being late to the party. It seems I'm not the only one who feels a time crunch lately. I'm going, going, going. Where? Not exactly sure.
Let's continue and list ten things Fall.
K-cups from Green Mountain coffee. I cannot wait for these to show up on the store shelves and have my first cup of the season. Yum!!!
2. Pumpkin Spice rooibus tea. Because I cannot get enough of Pumpkin Spice and this tea is caffeine free. Perfect for night time.
3. Baking – Pumpkin Spice cupcakes, anyone? Oh my, these are heavenly and the kitchen smelled just delicious while they were baking. I will add these to my Thanksgiving menu for sure. Recipe on Thursday!!!
4. Cooler mornings. Yes, it does cool down a little and most mornings and evenings it's just gorgeous out. Enjoying those walks a lot more now.
5. Less humidity. We are not quite there, yet. But it's coming and I will enjoy it tremendously. I never mind the heat of Summer but the humidity I can live without.
6. Baked chicken with German potato dumplings. Those heavier meals that we just don't feel like eating during the hottest months of the year are making a comeback to our table.
7. Costumes. My kids still adore dressing up and buying the costumes for Halloween are just a part of fall.
8. Pictures of leaves changing. I miss that, watching the leaves change color, fall to the ground and walking through them. Crunch!!!
Thanks, Stasha for this great topic.
This week will be Fall themed here on my blog. Can you believe my 1 year blogaversary is coming up on Saturday?
I can't. It seems just like yesterday when I opened my WordPress for Dummies book.
I'm thinking about a Fall themed, actually, a Pumpkin Spice flavored giveaway as a way to say "Thank you." to all my friends and readers in my little space. What to you think?


16A. The proper current value can be selected according to different customer's requirements.
pole have the dual lightning protection function.
site to know its working data (selectable).
5. The protection class is IP65, which meets the outdoor installation and usage requirements.
6. Easy and convenient installation and maintenance, long-term service life.


text:
Panyola is een plaats (község) en gemeente in het Hongaarse comitaat Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. Panyola telt 642 inwoners (2001).

Plaats in Hongarije


text:
Norwich State Hospital
From Asylum Projects
(Redirected from Norwich State Asylum)
Postcard showing the Administration building
Construction Began
Cottage Plan
Peak Patient Population
3,186 in 1955
Norwich Insane Asylum
Norwich State Asylum
2 Images of Norwich State Hospital
3 Videos of Norwich
4 Norwich on Television
5 Related News Articles
6 Links & Additional Information
Experts in the psychological field would never have predicted we would medicate people rather than have them in controlled environments. The Norwich State Hospital opened its doors in 1904 to the insane with ninety-five patients in one building on over 100 acres.
One of the hospital's first superintendents believed that mechanical restraint of patients was preferable to medication and believed in hydrotherapy as a treatment measure. The Board of the hospital quickly realized the population was exceeding what was safe. In 1905, two patient buildings were built with a third opening in 1907.
Thirteen buildings were erected for patients during the next eight years and in 1913 with a population of 998, an administration building, three cottages for physicians, a carpenter and maintenance shop, a main kitchen, garage, laboratory, staff house, and an employees' club house had been erected and the inebriate farm and the Colony had been established.
Seven new buildings were built between 1920 and 1930 and another building was purchased for patients' use. In 1929, the hospital peaked with 1,115 patients while in 1930 the average daily census reached 2,422. At this point, in addition to new patient facilities, two more cottages were erected for physicians, a female employees' home, a paint shop, a greenhouse, a superintendent's residence, and two garages were built.
Tubercular patients were housed between 1931 and 1939 in one patient building called Seymour which led to the closure of the "Pines" buildings. Two more cottages for physicians, male employees' home, and a nurse's home were also built. World War II had impact on the staff at Norwich State Hospital with the nursing staff being reduced by more than 57 percent, a loss of 30 nurses, and 146 aides. Nursing employees for the first time only made up 44 percent of the total staff.
Non-nursing staff increased by more than 32 percent while the daily census fluctuated slightly and increased to 2,574 by 1945. In 1941, affiliations for occupational therapy students lead to the increase of the number of occupational therapists to 28 by 1945. The average daily census climbed to 2,799 by the end of 1950 while many new buildings were added to the complex hospital between 1950 and 1962, including a powerhouse, laundry, pump house, fifteen cottages for physicians, an incinerator, an Occupational Therapy Building, and employees' building, a chapel, and a research and clinical laboratory building. The Kettle Building, which is seen by those traveling from Foxwoods to Mohegan Sun using Route 2A, was built in 1959. At this point, the hospital sprawled to over 900 acres.
During this era, each time a new patient building was constructed, an old building was closed. It is important to realize all the buildings currently standing at Norwich State Hospital were never fully occupied at the same time and many of them left abandoned even before the hospital officially closed. In 1956, the Lodge building was completed which resulted in patients from Butler, Cutter, and Dix were transferred and these buildings no longer used for patients.
In 1966, Dr. Martin was appointed Superintendent and his mission was to direct quality care for patients and he met his mission by creating diversified programs. Martin wanted to increase freedom for patients and supported and encouraged a democratic administration and meeting needs of patients and staff. The hospital slowly decreased in population at the end of 1972 with only seven of the original buildings and one former employees' resident in use for an average of 1,148 patients. The total staff decreased to 1,248 at this point.
The population decreases occurred as a result of increasing admissions and discharges, shorter period of hospitalization, the development of special programs for alcohol and drug dependent and geriatric patients and increasing emphasis on crisis intervention. Administration operations moved to a section of the Kettle building with a small monumental like "Norwich Hospital" sign with a blue cross sitting on the grassy field. The frame of the sign still sits there today.
In the late 1990's the hospital closed and housed only the Southeastern Connecticut Mental Health Authority in the Kettle and Lodge buildings. Later this closed down when those offices moved to the Uncas on Thames Hospital Campus.
An elderly housing complex which existed in the late 1980's when the hospital slowly downsized moved into the old male employee building near the Pond View building on the east side of Route 12. It is important to note that Norwich Hospital was the first state psychiatric hospital to initiate a referral program to Public Health Nursing Agencies for services to patients. [1]
Images of Norwich State Hospital[edit]
Main Image Gallery: Norwich State Hospital
Videos of Norwich[edit]
The following is a two part video history of Norwich State Hospital produced by Norwich Free Academy seniors Kyle Johnson and Michael Grant, and hosted by Josh Cingranelli:
Norwich on Television[edit]
Norwich on GHOST HUNTERS
The Norwich episode will air May 5, 2010 @ 9:00pm.[2] According to a news article they filmed in the Administration Building as well as the seldom seen morgue.[3]
Norwich on Life After People
Norwich State Hospital was featured on the SyFy series Life After People in the episode Crypt of Civilization which aired on January 19, 2010. The Norwich scene takes place about half way through the one hour show when, like in every episode, they visit an abandoned location that reflects the amount of time that has passed in relation to the show. The show re-airs quite often so check your local listing for the episode.
More info on the Crypt of Civilization episode: http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/?p=4707
Related News Articles[edit]
Preston takes over at hospital site - March 13, 2010
Links & Additional Information[edit]
Norwich State Hospital @ Opacity
Norwich State Hospital @ Forbidden Places
Norwich State Hospital @ JulianneMangin.com
↑ History of Norwich State Hospital, Population Ebbed and Flowed Throughout Its Life, by Corey Sipe, published Nov 02, 2006 by Associated Content
↑ http://www.syfy.com/schedule/index.php?search_text=Ghost%20Hunters
↑ http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1664754853/-Ghost-Hunters-going-home
Retrieved from "http://asylumprojects.org/index.php?title=Norwich_State_Hospital&oldid=34941"
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text:
Save the Pyramid effort nears reality
Jim Krajewski
jkrajewski@rgj.com
The attempt to Save the Pyramid is close to becoming a reality.
The Pyramid is a concrete structure that was built in 1969 as part of the athletic field complex near Swope Middle School in southwest Reno. The concrete is falling apart and the structure needs a major upgrade.
A fund-raising effort has been underway for about a year to save the structure.
The group got the original bid to save the structure down to $1 million, from the original $1.5 million. The group has raised about $800,000 so far, from foundations, community members and donations.
Opening day for Little League is scheduled for Saturday.
Group organizer Cindy Watland said if the remaining $200,000 is raised over the next several weeks, construction can begin this summer on refurbishing the pyramid.
The drawing for the Toyota Tacoma that the Dolan Auto Group donated will be held Saturday. Tickets will be available for $100 up to the drawing, which will be around 11 a.m.
The Save the Pyramid group will hold one more major fundraising party on June 3. The event last year raised $100,000 in one day. That adults-only event includes food, drinks and entertainment.
Plans for the pyramid call for a re-cast of all exterior concrete seating, new concrete walkways, adding hand rails for safety and renovation of the interior structure, including a new snack bar, meeting room, storage facility and ADA compliant restrooms.
The campaign officially kicked off in April 2016 at Swope Ballpark during the opening day of the Reno National Little League season.
You can email the group at savethepyramidreno@gmail.com. They also have a website and Facebook page.
How you can help: Make a donation by going to savethepyramid.com; Buy a brick - information on savethepyramid.com; purchase tickets for the "Bottom of the 9th" Save the Pyramid event on June 3; buy raffle tickets for the truck giveaway on opening day, Saturday.


TSUCHIURA, Ibaraki Pref. — Two men were acquitted Tuesday after serving nearly 30 years in prison for a 1967 murder and robbery.
Final justice: Shoji Sakurai (right) and Takao Sugiyama, who served nearly 30 years in prison, enter the Tsuchiura branch of the Mito District Court in Ibaraki Prefecture on Tuesday before the court acquitted the pair of robbery and murder charges.
The Tsuchiura branch of the Mito District Court delivered the verdicts of not guilty to Shoji Sakurai and Takao Sugiyama, both 64, who were sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for the robbery and murder of Shoten Tamamura, a 62-year-old carpenter.
Sakurai and Sugiyama were freed on parole in 1996.
Read the rest of the story: Court acquits pair after serving decades in jail.


Questions about example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "Alienating"
Now, more and more foreign tourists are visiting Japan, and last year saw the largest number of v... does this sound natural?
Please show me how to pronounce alienating.
Thank you very much ! .
Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "sightseeing"
Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "spots"
Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "trample"
Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "alight"
Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "align"


text:
Q: Condition not working with PHP and mysqli I have two tables in my database: students and teachers. I am trying to assign each teacher with 4 students that are writing their essay on that teacher's subject. For that, I have created a third table: assignment. I made two conditions: if the student is assigned (his or her assigned table value is 1), then the code should skip that student AND if the teacher has more than 3 assigned students (his or her assigned table value is less than 4), then the code should skip that teacher. This is the code that I have tried:
<?php

    require('config_teachers.php');
    require('config_students.php');

    // We get all the info as associative arrays: $students_info and $teachers_info.

    $serverName = "localhost";
    $user = "root";
    $password = "";
    $dbName = "yerkindb";

    foreach($students_info as $student_info){
        foreach($teachers_info as $teacher_info){
            if($student_info['assigned'] == 0 && $student_info['ee_subject'] == $teacher_info['ee_subject_1_choice'] && $teacher_info['assigned'] < 4 ){

                $conn = mysqli_connect($serverName, $user, $password, $dbName);

                if(mysqli_connect_errno()){

                    echo "Failed to connect to mysqli.".mysqli_connect_errno();

                } else {

                    $name_student = $student_info['name'];
                    $name_teacher = $teacher_info['name'];
                    $subject = $student_info['ee_subject'];

                    $query = "INSERT INTO assignment(student_name, advisor_name, subject) values('$name_student', '$name_teacher', '$subject')";

                    mysqli_query($conn, $query);

                    $assigned_teacher = $teacher_info['assigned'];

                    $assigned_teacher = $assigned_teacher + 1;

                    $query = "UPDATE teachers SET assigned = $assigned_teacher WHERE name = '$name_teacher'";

                    mysqli_query($conn, $query);

                    $query = "UPDATE students SET assigned = 1 WHERE name = '$name_student'";

                    mysqli_query($conn, $query);

                    mysqli_close($conn);
                }
            }
        }
    }

?>

The line
if($student_info['assigned'] == 0 && $student_info['ee_subject'] == $teacher_info['ee_subject_1_choice'] && $teacher_info['assigned'] < 4 ){

has the conditions that I want to assign, however, when I run the code, I get each student getting assigned to every single teacher that has the same subject as the subject he or she is writing her essay on.
Can someone explain why are those conditions getting skipped, even though the
$student_info['ee_subject'] == $teacher_info['ee_subject_1_choice']

condition is not getting overlooked.

A: Once you've assigned a student to a teacher, you should break out of the teacher loop, so you don't try to assign the student to another teacher.
When you assign a student to a teacher, you need to increment $teacher_info['assigned']. And in order to do this, your iteration variable needs to be a reference to the array element; otherwise you get a copy of the array, which won't affect future iterations.
In the code below, I've converted all the queries to prepared statements.
$conn = mysqli_connect($serverName, $user, $password, $dbName);
if(mysqli_connect_errno()){
    echo "Failed to connect to mysqli.".mysqli_connect_errno();
} else {
    $insert_assignment_stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO assignment(student_name, advisor_name, subject) values(?, ?, ?)");
    $insert_assignment_stmt->bind_param("sss", $name_student, $name_teacher, $subject);
    $update_teacher_stmt = $conn->prepare("UPDATE teachers SET assigned = assigned + 1 WHERE name = ?");
    $update_teacher_stmt->bind_param("s", $name_teacher);
    $update_student_stmt = $conn->prepare("UPDATE students SET assigned = 1 WHERE name = ?");
    $update_student_stmt->bind_param("s", $name_student);

    foreach($students_info as &$student_info){
        foreach($teachers_info as &$teacher_info){
            if($student_info['assigned'] == 0 && $student_info['ee_subject'] == $teacher_info['ee_subject_1_choice'] && $teacher_info['assigned'] < 4 ){
                $name_student = $student_info['name'];
                $name_teacher = $teacher_info['name'];
                $subject = $student_info['ee_subject'];

                $insert_assignment_stmt->execute();
                $update_teacher_stmt->execute();
                $update_student_stmt->execute();

                $teacher_info['assigned']++;

                break;
            }
        }
    }
}
mysqli_close($conn);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It's a sad mess. Tony Rosado's recent blog highlights the latest episode in the saga of U.S. federal court interpreter certification.
To refresh your memory, the U.S. federal court interpreter exam (English-Spanish only), is the toughest certification in this country for interpreters. The annual official pass rate is between 4 and 5 percent.
But last year interpreters who paid good money to take the exam, and even traveled across the country or from abroad, have yet to see the results. Why? The U.S. government contracted the testing process to an agency called Paradigm. They compromised the test.
To this date, we do not know the validity of the exam. The qualifications of the raters. Or the integrity of the examination process. What we know is that no one who took the exam last year has their score yet, nor have they been reimbursed for their exam, far less their travel expenses.
In fact, the "update" email the candidates recently received does not even mention an apology. We extend our sympathy to the many candidates who took what was once—and may be again—the most respected interpreter certification in the nation.
For more info on this topic, see UMTIA's earlier blog post from June titled "Is It a Scandal? Federal Court Certification Takes a Hit" here.
Article originally found in INTERSECT weekly update from July 20, 2018.


"Divination is to clear doubt, why bother if there is none?"
Ever making any decisions in your life? Every day. Would they make you superstitious? Not really, especially when you understand this Chinese wisdom. Divination is simply a second opinion. What is doubt? There exist doubt when people said otherwise. Why bother is not just a reflection of your mental state, but your readiness of taking on challenge.
Chinese people have developed and been practicing a specialized divination technique using hexagrams to clear doubt thousands of years ago. The hexagrams are the early binary presentation in a set of 6-parallel-line symbols first introduced in "Yi-Jing" 《易經》, the book of divination as described by ancient historians. Since then, Wen-Wang Gua 文王卦 has evolved and become popular since the Song Dynasty 宋朝 (960CE to 1279CE). People find it incredibly amazing in its ability to predict and yet wonder how it works.
"The Secret of Wen-Wang Gua", draws on the expertise of an author who is a successful practitioner of Chinese Metaphysics, reveals this divination secrets and takes you to master this ancient Chinese wisdom step by step in the most logical and explainable approaches.
A basic introduction of Wen-Wang Gua – what is it and where did it come from. Supplemented with the basic of "Yi" and how it relates to the law of universe. Included also an astonishing interpretation of "Zhou-Yi" using the concept of Seasonal Strength of Ba-gua.
Casting is what you need as a first step of finding the representing hexagram for a meaningful divination. This chapter walks you through the process and gives you the details of how it works.
A step-by-step approach which walks you through the complexity of Setting – being the second step of a meaningful divination. The Eight Chamber Theory, the Adoption of Earthly Branches, the Six Relatives, the mounting of the Six Celestial Figures. All that you need to ensure a right Setting.
Deciphering unveils the back engine of Wen-Wang Gua – the final step of a meaningful and powerful divination. Revealing the interaction of every change with a set of consistent and repeatable rules and guidelines.
Demonstrates with real life examples of using Wen-Wang Gua covering different aspects of life. Explains in details how the deciphering rules are applied.
This book is written for those who do not have any prior knowledge of Wen-Wang Gua, and even any other Chinese Metaphysics. Part IV: Deciphering and Part V: Wen-Wang Gua in Real Life are specially written for those who had learned but confused of how Wen-Wang Gua works.
I have read this book and I can highly recommend it. I've been looking for other WWG books since a long time, but found none apart from this here. Fortunately this here is complete and very well.
The book was published in March 2010 and it is exactly the book I was waited for. Jack Chiu did a very good job here because he wasn't too lazy to write it all in pinyin, in Chinese and in English. So this is probably the book all WWG interested people have been waited for.
Of course he also explains how to adapt it all to the lines and the hexagrams and he explains all the relationships and effects of all forces among each other and so it is actually a book which teaches WWG entirely, because everybody can learn it by reading this book. It is complete. Nothing is missing and the only thing one has to do is to learn, to understand and to practice. Also the rules are explained in a way everybody is able to understand easily!!!
Apart from that he also gives us a lot of information about the Yijing (Zhou Yi/周易) in general, he explains all very detailed and even the ones of you who are dealing with the Yijing since a longer time will probably get some new and/or additional information from this book. He also reports about historical persons who were connected with the Yijing and WWG and you get a lot of detailed historical information concerning the Yijing in addition.
For making it perfect he gives us a lot of graphics, tables and drawings for to help us understanding all as easy as possible and for having great overviews when it comes to the part of six line analysis.
Many, many thanks to Jack Chiu for this great and helpful book and many thanks to all others who helped him and make this project possible.
As an inquisitive WWG student I would wish a complete rules collection of all ancient and valid rules. There seem to be more than the ones which are written down in the book already. Probably we got the main rules or most important rules here and probably it is enough for to answer the most questions, but I wish to learn as much as possible about WWG and so I hope that Jack Chiu will go on writing such good books in English too.
Well, I am a very recent fan of weng-wang, My first contact was with Raymond Lo's book and the second was our friend's Jack's. Jack, I have to congratulate you on the excellent work you have done. I consider it as a masterjob, because, although addressed mainly to english speaking people you lead your reader step by step in understanding the whole procedure, I liked the ancient quotations translated into english. Besides I found quite enough answers to some of my questions in common use with the four pillars Like the Five Tigers chasing the year, "The Rats chasing the hour " etc etc I have but to give you my warmest congratulations.
So I tried to put things into practice. As a beginner of course I followed all the steps one by one browsing the pages of the book and amazing the results were immediate. The first was the match between Greece and Argentina for the world cup in S.Africa. It was predicted that the winner would be Argentina, although I knew the hour of the game I did not know how to use it because it has not been reffered neither to Lo's book nor to yours. Is rather that David wants to exceed it and experiment further using the hour as well. Moreover I had to ask three different questions for my son, in relation with his job and again I had the answers exactly as the facts happened a few days later. And having in mind that i didn't make any use of the celestial animals or the guas, as i am not familiar yet I am really enthusiastic and of course Now i begin to work more and more with Weng-Wang Gua.


Introducing Hidehook by Vallure. Fish where other's can't! Hidehook's patented design allows it to slip through the weeds without getting caught – except by the trophy pike on its tail!
Check out the Video tab to see Hidehook in action.
It uses an innovative design keeps its hooks hidden inside the lure in the right position when a fish strikes. Once a fish makes its move, the hooks release from the hook holders and the fish isn't able to give any pressure thanks to the rolling hook.
At EFTTEX 2017, Hidehook was chosen as runner-up for Best New Soft Lures.
The result is a lure that can fly through the weeds, has an improved hookset, enables better lure action and does less damage to your catch.


There's nothing more terrifying than getting into a serious accident.
As your vehicle collides with another car, the feeling of being out of control turns your stomach and you're left bracing for the impact that you can't stop.
If you're lucky enough to walk away from the accident without any broken bones or bruises, you can start to worry about your vehicle that didn't fare so well.
After you get past the initial shock of it all, you realize that the worst of it isn't over. When you have full coverage insurance on a financed vehicle that's totaled in an accident, there's no guarantee that your loan will be paid off.
Why is GAP insurance only available for leased or financed vehicles?
Why do many borrowers owe more on their loan than their vehicle is worth?
Before you dive in and find out how GAP insurance works, it's helpful if you know just what turns a physical damage loss into a total loss.
If your company sends you a letter or contacts you by phone to notify you that the vehicle is deemed totaled, it means that the insurer has predicted that it will cost more to repair your car than it's worth.
Companies will send an estimator to you to take pictures of your vehicle and to give the adjuster repair estimates.
Once the adjuster reviews the repair estimates, they will then assess the vehicle's value at the time of the loss.
This is referred to the Actual Cash Value, which is the replacement cost minus depreciation. Since the Actual Cash Value of your car is the maximum that your carrier will pay, the car will be labeled a write-off.
You can't and shouldn't buy GAP insurance on just any vehicle.
This supplemental form of protection is only available when you drive a vehicle that's currently financed or leased.
That's because the entire purpose of Guaranteed Auto Protection is to fill in the gap that's present between your auto insurance policy and what's due on your contract.
When you finance a car, you pay principal and interest each month in the form of a car payment.
While some of the payment pays down the balance of the principal that was financed, another portion of the payment goes to interest charges.
As your car depreciates in value, the gap between the balance of your loan and the value of your car grows.
A huge reason that borrowers are often upside down on their loans is when they roll negative equity over into a new car purchase. This equity will work against you if you ever have a serious loss.
It can also affect you if you don't put down money to buy the car and you take out a long loan term. In these scenarios, having GAP is a must.
After you have a loss where your vehicle sustains damage, it's your duty to get to safety before doing anything else.
Once you are safe, you can worry about calling the insurance company to start the claims process.
Your own insurer will investigate the loss, contact the other parties involved, and determine the value of your car.
As long as the total loss threshold is exceeded, you'll receive a settlement offer that includes an amount for the Actual Cash Value, projected titling fees, projected registration fees, and projected sales tax fees for a new vehicle.
The insurance adjuster doesn't look at your loan balance when negotiating how much the carrier will pay under the comprehensive or collision coverage.
You're required to list the lender that's financing the vehicle as an additional insured and loss payee. This requirement protects the lender from borrowers running off with insurance settlement checks after the collateral on the loan is inoperable.
When your check for the total loss value is issued, it will be made out to you and the lender.
You need to take this settlement check to the lender to have it applied to the balance of your loan.
If the value of your car is higher than the loan balance, you'll get the difference in a refund. If there is still money due on your loan after the check is applied, you are responsible for paying it unless you have GAP coverage.
When you have GAP insurance, that GAP between the loan balance and the amount of your total loss check is covered.
How you file your claim for the benefit depends on where you purchased your coverage.
If you purchased your coverage through your auto insurance provider, you will submit proof of the balance of your loan to your claims adjuster.
If you bought coverage through your lender or the dealer, you need to get your paperwork out so that you can find your policy number.
Then, you can contact the carrier that offers the standalone coverage to file a separate claim.
The check for the payoff balance will then be issued to the finance company.
No one wants to total their vehicle, but if you have a total loss in a financed car you want to be sure that you have GAP insurance.
If you don't have GAP coverage, it's time to get quotes from insurance carriers. Log on to an online rate comparison site and start comparing today.
Enter your zip code below to find gap coverage that works for you!


Face Products | Soulful Sister Aromatherapy – Tagged "What It's For_Stress"
Geranium Essential Oil is a Female Specific, meaning for almost everything that ails you as a women, you can turn to Geranium for dramatic help.
Our Geranium Pure Essential Oil (Pelargonium graveolens) is Rose Geranium, which means the oil is steam distilled from the leaves and stems of the geranium plant to produce a gorgeous rose-scented oil. This differs 'Rose Geranium' from the more earthy Pelargonium bourbon variety.
Rose Geranium is amazing for the skin. This oil promotes cell growth, is a wrinkle reducer and slows down aging. It is also an effective aid to help with burns, wounds, ulcers and other skin problems.
It also has a balancing effect on the nervous system and relieves depression, anxiety, and stress.
This oil also works with the hormonal system so that the body is corrected and aligned.
It has a stimulating effect on the lymphatic system which helps to detoxify the body and reduce nerve pain.
This makes this oil ideal for female health for treating PMS as well as balancing heavy periods. It has a general diuretic effect on the body and balances the water systems in the body, so it can help in correcting any poor elimination of water and waste material.
A few essential oils that Geranium blends well with are bergamot (and other citrus oils), clove, juniper berry, lavender, neroli, patchouli, rosemary.