Many believe motivation to learn is the key to successful language learning. However, if we take a look at research on motivation, it is hard to say what motivation is. This section begins with a brief introduction to the field followed by a discussion of the definitions of motivation. Various theories and models proposed for L2 motivation are presented. First, the researcher discusses various definitions of motivation proposed by several scholars and discusses the integrative and instrumental motivation distinction. Then, other influential psychological theories of motivation and some motivational components relevant to L2 learning which emerged after the educational shift in the 1990s will also be discussed.
Dörnyei (2006) argues that L2 motivation research have undergone three stages of development: the social psychological period (1959-1990, the cognitive situated period (during the 1990s), and other new approaches in the past decade characterised by an interest in motivational change and the relationship between motivation and identity/self. The social psychological period (1959-1990) began with the studies which were conducted by the social psychologist Robert Gardner and his students and colleagues in Canada. Gardner was interested in L2 motivation because he believed that the motivation to learn the other community's language might be the key to the reconciliation of the Francophone and Anglophone communities. The main idea of Gardner's theory is that success in language learning depends on the learner's attitudes towards the community of the target language. The most important motivational dimension in Gardner's theory is the interpersonal/affective dimension. Language learning is motivated by the positive attitudes towards the target language community and by the desire to communicate with its members, and maybe even to become like them. This dimension is described by other terms as 'integrative orientation', 'integrativeness' or 'integrative motivation'.
During the 1990's researchers such as Dörnyei realised that there is more to motivation than what is defined by Gardner's theory. The L2 motivation research mainly focused on motives related to the classroom, and it also concentrated on the main components of the learning situation such as the teacher, the curriculum and the learner group.
With the emergence of the 'process-oriented' approach which attempts to explain the variation of the degree of motivation over time, motivation came to be not seen as a static characteristic but rather as a dynamic factor that exhibits continuous fluctuation, (Dörnyei, 2001).
Dörnyei (2005) has proposed an alternative approach to the understanding of L2 motivation which attempts to integrate a number of influential L2 theories with findings of self research in psychology. In this approach 'integrativeness/integrative motivation' is associated with the 'Ideal L2 Self' which refers to the L2-specific feature of one's 'ideal self', represented by all the characteristics that a person would like to possess, for example, hopes, aspirations, desires and so on. If one's ideal self is seen as proficient in the L2, he/she can be described as having an 'integrative' disposition. If the person we would like to become speaks an L2, the 'ideal L2 self' is a powerful motivator to learn the L2 because we would like to reduce the difference between our actual and ideal selves. Here integrativeness/integrative motivation is equated with the ideal L2 self.
The expansion of the model of motivation developed by Gardner and associates in Canada in the 1960s as well as the proposal of several cognitive psychological theories of motivation has motivated language researchers to expand Gardner's model according to these theories so as to enhance our understanding of L2 motivation.
A definition of the term motivation seems rather difficult, because it is not a clearly given object but a scientific construct upon which there is disagreement among researchers about the precise nature of its meaning (Dörnyei, 2001). When looking for more precise scientific definitions, however, one finds a large variety. Some definitions offered by several scholars are discussed below with the aim of reaching a working definition of motivation.
According to Gardner (1985: 10) the term motivation refers "to the extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in this activity". Here motivation encompasses four aspects: a goal, an effort, a desire to achieve the goal, and a favourable attitude towards the activity in question.
Likewise, Gardner and Tremblay (1994: 361) stated that motivation "refers to the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favourable attitudes towards the language". They contend that these three elements are indivisible because in total they will provide an explanation for second language achievement.
Brown (1987: 114) defines motivation "as an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to a particular action. More specifically, human beings universally have needs or drives that are more or less innate, yet their intensity is environmentally conditioned". Thus, motivation is seen as consisting of a desire to perform an activity, but the strength of this desire or drive is dependent on external circumstances (environmentally conditioned). In fact, Brown's (19870) definition resembles the previous one's in that it replicates the same elements mentioned in the preceding definitions in a synonymous way. The only different element added to Gardner's (1985) and Gardner's and Tremblay's (1987) definitions is the condition that desire to perform an action is innate and that its strength is contingent on external circumstances.
Keller (1983, cited by Crookes and Schmidt, 1991:481) gives a simple definition of what motivation is by saying: "the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect". Motivation in this way is a matter of choice and effort.
Deci and Ryan (1985) differentiate between two kinds of motivation, namely, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and they (Ryan and Deci, 2000: 54) argue that "To be motivated means to be moved to do something. A person who feels no impetus or inspiration to act is thus unmotivated, whereas someone who is energized or activated toward an end is considered motivated". Ryan and Deci (2000: 56) define intrinsic motivation as "the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable consequence". Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, "refers to doing something because it leads to a separable outcome" (Ryan and Deci, 2000: 55). Intrinsically motivated learners are those who willingly engage in an activity because that activity is enjoyable and satisfying to do. In contrast, extrinsically motivated students are those who perform actions to achieve some instrumental end, such as earning a reward, good grades or avoiding a punishment. Deci and Ryan (1985, 2000) claim that learners who are interested in learning tasks and outcomes for their own sake (Intrinsic motivation) rather than for rewards (Extrinsic motivation) are likely to become more effective learners.
In fact, Deci's and Ryan's (1985, 2000) account of motivation is comparable to Gardner's. Their explication of what motivation is includes certain elements which are also found in Gardner' definition. For example 'feeling an impetus or inspiration to act' is parallel to 'desire to learn the language' repeatedly mentioned in Gardner's explanations. Moreover, the terms 'intrinsic' and 'extrinsic' in Ryan's and Deci's (2000) account are related to the terms 'integrative and 'instrumental" in Gardner's descriptions of motivation. Here the integrative orientation resembles intrinsic motivation because both are a result of a desire or an impetus to do an activity, but the source of the desire or impetus initiating the performance is different. Intrinsically motivated individuals learn a language because they are satisfied by doing the activity of learning that language and are enjoyed by doing so (Ryan and Deci, 2000). In contrast, learners with integrative orientation are interested in learning a certain language because they want to integrate with the target language community (Gardner, 2001a: 5). Thus, the goals of exercising the same action (learning a language) are distinct. Finally, it seems that extrinsically and instrumentally motivated students are more or less the same because both are individuals who perform certain actions according to external regulations or in order to achieve some instrumental end such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment.
Similarly, Daft (1997: 526) defined motivation as "the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action". Daft's (1997) definition of motivation highlights the internal-external drives which make an individual choose to perform a particular action as well as how long he/she will sustain it.
Ames and Ames (1989) regard motivation as the impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking acts. Motivation in this respect is the drive generating a certain action which is dependent on a previously set goal and the effort exerted to achieve that goal.
"as the dynamically changing cumulative arousal in a person that initiates, directs, coordinates, amplifies, terminates, and evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalized and (successfully or unsuccessfully) acted out".
What makes Dörnyei and Otto's (1998) definition different is the dynamic changing aspect of motivation. Here motivation is not seen as static state, but rather as dynamic and it changes according to circumstances and over time.
"Perhaps the only thing about motivation most researchers agree on is that it, by definition, concerns the direction and magnitude of human behaviour, that is: the choice of a particular action, the persistence with it, the effort expended on it. In other words, motivation is responsible for why people decide to do something, how long they are willing to sustain the activity, and how hard they are going to pursue it".
From the discussion above, one can conclude that almost all the definitions agree that motivation involves the following: a desire, a goal, a favourable attitude towards the activity, favourable attitudes towards the language, choice, effort, persistence. Moreover, motivation is dependent on the environment, it changes over time, and that it can arise from within the individual or from outside (i.e. intrinsic or extrinsic) or both as place on a continuum.
A distinction between instrumental and integrative motivation is usually found in the motivation literature. Instrumental motivation refers to motivation to learn a language as a way for achieving certain goals such as obtaining a job, understanding scientific information, translation, and so on (Brown 1987:115). Integrative motivation on the other hand is "when learners wish to integrate themselves within the culture of the second language group" (Brown 1987: 116). Integrative motivation is believed to be a prerequisite for successful language learning. Even within the integrative/instrumental motivation there is an intrinsic and extrinsic distinction. The former being whether the motivation emanates from within the learner and the latter whether it comes from others (Brown 1987).
Gardner (2001b: 9) argues that the variables "Integrativeness, Attitudes toward the learning Situation, and Motivation form "Integrative Motivation"". The first component of integrative motivation, 'Integrativeness', involves "a genuine interest in learning the second language in order to come closer psychologically to the other language community" (Gardner, 2001b: 7). Gardner (2001b: 7-8) argues that integrativeness concerns the "willingness to open up to other cultural influences" and "involves emotional identification with another cultural group". Gardner (2001b: 8) also claims that integrativeness is "reflected in an integrative orientation toward learning the language, a favourable attitude toward the language community, and an openness to other groups in general (i.e. an absence of ethnocentrism)".
According to Gardner (2001b: 8), the second element of integrative motivation, that is 'Attitudes toward the Learning Situation', "involves attitudes toward any aspect of the situation in which the language is learnt". In classroom settings, "these attitudes could be directed toward the teacher, the course in general, one's classmates, the course materials, extra-curricular activities associated with the course, etc…" (Gardner, 2001b: 8).
The last component of integrative motivation is 'Motivation' which Gardner (2001b: 8) views as having three elements: effort to learn the language, desire and positive affect. In addition to these three elements motivated learners have goals, experience positive reinforcement from their successes and dissatisfaction for their failures, make attributions about their successes and failures and make use of language learning strategies, but it is enough according to Gardner (2001b: 9) to operationalise motivation "in terms of effort, desire, and attitudes" because, as he argues, by these three elements "we can adequately distinguish differing levels of motivation".
Gardner (2001b: 9) maintains that the integratively motivated learner is the "one who is motivated to learn the second language, has a desire or willingness to identify with the other language community, and tends to evaluate the learning situation positively". He moreover contends that "There is no reason to argue that motivation is driven only by integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning situation" (Gardner, 2001b: 9). He further asserts that there are additional instrumental variables that support motivation. Together with motivation, he labelled these factors as Instrumental Motivation which he described as "an interest in learning the second language for pragmatic reasons" (Gardner, 2001b: 10-11).
Although Gardner and Lambert's studies have indicated that integrative motivation has the greatest influence in language learning, other researchers have argued that learners might feel that both integrative and instrumental apply to them or that instrumental orientation is superior or possibly that there are other potential reasons. For example, Noels et al (2000: 60) argued that there are four learning goals which seem to sustain motivation. These four goals refer to 'travel', 'friendship', 'knowledge', and 'instrumental motivation'.
Oxford and Shearin (1994: 12) studying American high school students learning Japanese found that besides integrative and instrumental orientations, the students gave other reasons for learning Japanese such as "enjoying the elitism of taking a difficult language" and "having a private code that parents would not know".
"Meeting with westerners, using computers, understanding pop songs, studying or traveling abroad, pursuing a desirable career- all these aspirations are associated with each other and with English as an integral part of the globalization processes that are transforming their society and will profoundly affect their own lives".
In a paper reviewing the research on motivation in Japan, Irie (2003: 91) asserts that although Japanese university students have a favourable attitude towards native speakers and the target language community, researchers avoid using the label integrative motivation because they believe that this factor is not compatible with the original definition which mirrors a desire to assimilate into the target language community. Irie (2003: 91) also argues that "Another possible reason for avoiding the label is that in many studies the positive disposition factor included items on utilitarian interests, such as traveling, which blurred the distinction between integrative and instrumental motivation as pointed out by Dörnyei (1990, 1994)".
Clement and Kruidenier (1983) and Dörnyei (1994) suggest that the emergence of orientations seems to be determined by the learners, the sociocultural setting and the language being learned. Following this path, Yashima (2002) and Yashima, Zenuke-Nishide, and Shimizu (2004) have identified a variable labelled "International Posture" which has an effect on motivation. They defined this factor "as a general attitude toward the international community that influences English learning and communication among Japanese learners" (Yashima, 2002: 62-63) and is measured in terms of intercultural friendship, approach tendencies (to interact with foreigners), interest in international activities, and interest in foreign affairs. In brief, it is what Gardner (2001b: 7-8) called an openness to other groups in general or "willingness to open up to other cultural influences".
Kraemer (1993) investigated Israeli students learning Arabic and identified a variable which she labelled as 'Social/Political Attitudes'. She found that this variable had an indirect effect on motivation, and that social and political attitudes reflected close social distance, equal civil rights, and optimism about peace in the future. Again, similar to Gardner's integrativeness, these attitudes indicate an openness to other communities\cultures.
Gardner (2005: 4) argues that studies which claim "to have identified other orientations" "serve a very useful role in identifying how reasons group together [Travel, Educational, Dominance, Friendship, etc…], which might well reflect cultural and even contextual differences". He maintains that "these other orientations can be further classified as being in the integrative or instrumental camp" (Gardner, 2005: 4). He contends that "these studies may or may not be studying motivation. Without some indication of the relationship between the choice of reasons and the other features of the motivated individual, we will never know" (Gardner, 2005: 4) . He insists that "Without an association with the other attributes that characterize the motivated individual, a reason is just a reason, not a motive" (Gardner, 2005: 4).
Dörnyei (1990) and Oxford and Shearin (1994) argued that because integrative motivation involves positive attitudes towards the L2 community, it is more relevant for ESL learners rather than for EFL learners. Mihaljević's (1998) study also pointed out that attitudes towards native speakers of the target language are more important if the learners are learning English as a second language than if they are learning it in an EFL context, because students learning ESL usually can meet and communicate interactively with native speakers of the target language. Since Canada is a country where French and English are both official languages and hence both can be considered second languages, the emergence of integrative motivation in Gardner and his colleagues' studies is justified.
Although Gardner (2001a: 5) stated that integrativeness "reflects a genuine interest in learning the second language in order to come closer to the other language community", this factor has also been found in contexts where learners have no opportunity to integrate with the target language community. For instance, Dörnyei and Csizér's (2002: 453) longitudinal study in Hungary found that an "'integrativeness'-related factor typically emerges in empirical studies on L2 motivation, regardless of the characteristics of the learners and the learning situations examined". Dörnyei and Csizér (2002: 453) also believe that "it may be timely to reexamine the term 'integrativeness' and its standard definition".
Dörnyei's (2005) theory of 'L2 Motivational Self System' seems to provide a better explanation of this contradiction than does Gardner's traditional account of 'integrativeness'. Moreover, Dörnyei's (2005) theory offers a persuasive argument for the emergence of integrative factors in L2 motivation studies in various learning situations. According to the results of their study, Dörnyei and Csizér's (2002: 453) have maintained that 'integrativeness' might be related to "some more basic identification process within the individual's self-concept".
Dörnyei (2005: 99-102) has suggested another approach to the understanding of L2 motivation which attempts to incorporate a number of influential L2 theories with findings of self research in psychology. In this approach 'integrativeness/integrative motivation' is associated with the 'Ideal L2 Self' which refers to the L2-specific aspect of one's ideal self represented by all the characteristics that a person would like to possess (e.g. hopes, aspirations, desires, etc). If one's ideal self is seen as proficient in the L2, he/she "can be described as having an integrative disposition".
This 'L2 Motivational Self System' is in harmony with the Gardnerian factor of 'Attitudes towards L2 Speakers' because if the person we would like to become speaks an L2, the ideal L2 self is a powerful motivator to learn the L2 as we would like to reduce the difference between our actual and ideal selves. Dörnyei (2005: 104) concludes that he "does not think that the term 'integrativeness' does justice to the broader interpretation of the concept described here"; but rather he prefers to re-label it as the Ideal L2 Self.
* This is a copy of Chapter 2 from my book: Important Topics In Applied Linguistics: Selected Essays.


In this Resource Page, the costs associated with necessary security measures are discussed as they relate to standoff distance. Security issues considered herein are those required by application of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) Security Design Criteria that applies to all new construction and major modernization of federal properties.
Security-related costs arise from ISC requirements that influence the design of structural components and non-structural components. For example, the requirements for consideration of blast threats to the facility impact the design, and thus cost, of the structural frame and façade elements including walls, roof, and windows.
The impact of design explosive threat level on cost is reflected in the increased requirements of structural components, e.g., thicker walls, additional reinforcement, blast-resistant glazing and frames, etc. The two primary blast-related factors that influence the design of a structural component are the design threat magnitude (e.g., lbs TNT) and the distance between the potential explosion and the structural component, i.e., the standoff. Note that standoff is the distance to the structure from a defended perimeter, i.e., the closest distance to the design threat.
An increase in explosive weight or a decrease in standoff generally increases structural requirements. Since the ISC Security Criteria impose the design explosive weight magnitude for each level of protection, the building design is influenced by the amount of standoff available. For the defined threat level in the criteria for a particular facility, the designer must balance the effect of available standoff by incorporating blast-resistant design and/or hazard mitigation measures.
The effects of standoff on various structural and non-structural components are illustrated in Fig. 1. This figure generally illustrates, at no particular scale, the general trends and relationships between standoff and cost of protection. A number of the various components of incremental security cost are shown, including structural and non-structural component contributors.
Fig. 1. Impact of standoff distance on component costs. The relative magnitude and scale of these relationships vary from project to project.
For example, the cost associated with hardening the mailroom, loading dock, and lobby to meet the ISC requirements is usually relatively small, and does not vary with the available standoff. The cost associated with progressive collapse considerations is also constant with standoff, since it is normally treated as threat-independent. There is a point at smaller standoffs where the framing design is further impacted by the blast loading on the frame, resulting in larger framing members and additional cost. This region is illustrated in the close-in regions, particularly within about 50 ft. As the standoff gets very small, costs increase dramatically.
The requirements for walls and windows are a function of standoff, as indicated for larger standoff. However, the ISC Security Criteria places limits on the maximum levels for which various components must be designed. The limits placed on the design blast pressure and impulse for the medium and higher levels of protection cap the cost at a particular standoff (limit) such that cost for walls and windows does not increase within this limit. It must be noted that this limitation in blast resistance in this region increases the inherent risk accepted with decreasing standoff.
The sum of the varying costs of hardening for the various components results in the "cost of hardening" curve indicated on Fig. 1. This function generally has a plateau between about 50 ft. standoff and the limit value for the relevant level of protection. At closer standoff, costs usually increase rapidly due to increased framing requirements. At larger standoff values, costs decrease to a plateau where conventional design requirements may govern.
One cost component that increases with increasing standoff is that for land (site area) and perimeter protection. For example, to provide increased standoff, the distance to the defended perimeter must increase, thereby increasing the area of the site and the length of the perimeter that must be protected.
Finally, adding the cost of hardening and the cost of land and perimeter protection results in the general function indicated as "Total Protection Cost". The characteristics of this function, with an increase at small standoff and increasing with larger standoff, indicate that a minimal cost may lie in a moderate range of standoff. At standoff values within the limit inherent in the blast design loads limits, the risk continues to increase with decreasing standoff. Nominal workable standoff values in the range of 20 ft. to 100 ft. are generally acceptable and achievable for GSA facilities. The risk and cost for standoff values less than 20 ft. generally are unacceptably high. Providing standoff values greater than 50 ft. can reduce risk further. A standoff distance of at least 50 ft. is generally preferred.
The figure and discussion above illustrate general characteristics of the cost and risk functions. Actual relative magnitudes and significance of individual cost components vary for each case considered, i.e., these relationships will be different for each building and site considered.
For information about physical security strategies, see WBDG Secure / Safe Branch, Designing Buildings to Resist Explosive Threats, and Retrofitting Existing Buildings to Resist Explosive Threats.
Most fatalities in bombings result from collapse of the building.
Many deaths and severe injuries occur due to wall and window debris.
Progressive and/or widespread collapse should be avoided.
It is important to have sustainable, attractive, and functional facilities.
Some risk must be accepted if windows and other components are to be affordable and functional. See WBDG Threat/Vulnerability Assessments and Risk Analysis.
Take reasonable steps to prevent any collapse, if possible.
Minimize the potential for progressive collapse, regardless of threats.
Accept some additional risk by limiting design requirements for windows and walls.
In addition to typical exterior windows, glazing affected by security considerations includes skylights, curtain walls, and ballistic-glazed windows. For information on mitigating glazing hazards, see WBDG Glazing Hazard Mitigation. Hardening of special areas such as underground parking levels beneath the building and loading docks and mailrooms add to security cost. Site-related security costs include vehicle barriers, perimeter barriers, and added site lighting. For additional information about site-related security see WBDG resource pages Effective Site Security Design, Site Security Design Process and Landscape Architecture and the Site Security Design Process.
Interagency Security Committee Policies, Standards, and Best Practices—ISC standards and best practices can be used to help federal security professionals implement security policies and mandatory standards.
Applicable to most building types especially typical federal building types like Federal Courthouse, Health Care Facilities, Land Port of Entry, Office Building, and Research Facilities.
Applicable to most space types.
Anti-Terrorism: Criteria, Tools & Technology by Joseph L. Smith, Applied Research Associates, Inc. 2003.
Building Security: Handbook For Architectural Planning And Design by Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA, Editor-in-Chief, 2004.


text:
Bill: Southern State Superannuation [Parental Leave] Amendment Bill (2nd Reading)
Adjourned debate on second reading.
(Continued from 11 February 2016.)
Mr GARDNER ( Morialta ) ( 15:53 ): I am pleased to speak on the Southern State Superannuation (Parental Leave) Amendment Bill, and I do not intend to take an enormous amount of the house's time. However, I do want to put a couple of things on the record in regard to the second reading speech which perhaps the Attorney might consider responding to in his answer, or perhaps more likely between the houses through the Hon. Rob Lucas who will be representing the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council and is, indeed, the lead shadow minister in this portfolio area which, I assume, is industrial relations.
The Southern State Superannuation (Parental Leave) Amendment Bill relates to parental leave and superannuation matters—unsurprisingly, given the title. Up until 2012 when we passed in this place the Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Superannuation) Bill for which the Hon. Michael O'Brien, of blessed memory, was the relevant minister and Iain Evans was the shadow minister, superannuation had been payable to members of Triple-S on parental leave payments.
In 2012, the government introduced that bill, which amended the definition of salary so that superannuation did not have to be paid on parental leave payments. The government argued that that was to bring us in line with the requirements of the commonwealth Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992. The bill passed the parliament and has been the law for 3½ years.
This bill seeks to reverse that 2012 decision in relation to parental leave by reinstating superannuation to members of Triple S on parental leave payments. In his second reading explanation, it was the Attorney's suggestion that some states—Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia—have continued to pay superannuation on parental leave despite the federal legislation, and we would like some clarity as to what in fact has been occurring in South Australia's departments.
The government also claims that various enterprise agreements that existed at the time of the 2012 bill included provisions that 'existing conditions of employment' would not be reduced. If this bill were to pass, as to the commencement in clause 2, this act will be taken to have come into operation on 19 November 2012 immediately after section 13 of the Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Superannuation) Act came into operation, effectively making it retrospective, so that the aspects of this bill apply to the act as if the previous bill had never taken effect.
Again, we are keen to find out whether that means that, in effect, the previous bill has never been put into operation in terms of those aspects relating to superannuation on parental leave. Has superannuation continued to be paid to those members of Triple S on parental leave payments? Are superannuation contributions still being made? This question is particularly pertinent because the government claims that there will be no budget impact as no budget reductions were made to agencies in 2012.
If that is the case, and I have no reason to think that it is not, some agencies may have used the budget saving to meet the general budget savings target for the agency; they may have used the money for other things; or they may have continued to make these payments. We would like to know the situation for each agency: whether the application has been consistent across agencies and what has been happening with the money. If the superannuation was not payable to members on Triple S on parental leave payments, then surely there is a budget impact. If so, how much is that budget impact? How much is this going to cost, and what is the relevant cost to be applied?
I am certain the Attorney can answer some of those questions between the houses if he wishes. He can answer as much of it as he likes or is able to now, if he has the figures or the answers at hand. The Public Service Association is on the record as being strongly in support of the bill and the Liberal Party will also be supporting this bill, albeit with the request for that information, which may be pertinent to the debate in the Legislative Council.
The Hon. J.R. RAU ( Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:58): I thank the member for Morialta for his contribution and his indication of support for the bill. I have an understanding that there have been no payments withheld, but I will check that between the houses and, if that understanding turns out to be incorrect, I will correct it in writing to the honourable member. As I said, I appreciate the fact that the opposition will be supporting this measure which, really, when you think about it, is just fixing up what was an unattended potential anomaly in the otherwise intended scheme. With those few words, I look forward to the passage of the bill.
Bill read a second time.
Third Reading
The Hon. J.R. RAU ( Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:59): I move:
That this bill be now read a third time.
Bill read a third time and passed.
Mr GARDNER: I draw your attention to the state of the house.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There not being a quorum present, ring the bells.
A quorum having been formed:
speeches parliament

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Antique cufflinks in 18 carat gold. Double sided with a vibrant coloured bright green enamel face, a red enamel border and an old cut brilliant diamond centre.
Measures 11mm in width x 17mm in height.
Antique (over 100 years old).
Late 19th century, English circa 1880-90.


Quinn will not be appalled and will tell Shauna and Flo to zip it. But, of course, Quinn is going to be gunning for Flyatt. Pretty little Flo can't go to jail - no matter how reprehensible the crime.
I also have to say, Flo seemed pretty committed to finally telling Hope the truth.
She doesn't have to listen to her mother, but Shauna has put up a very convincing argument now to keep the secret.
I want the Logans to throw Florence, Reece, Zoé and Shauna in jail!
I must say, I'm intrigued by the Hope/Thomas spoilers.
Ridge is suppose to remind Thomas that Hope is a married woman. Which can only make Ridge like the hypocrite he is.
Ridge did remind Thomas of that.
So bash him for doing the right thing? I guess he should just tell Tom to go for it instead.
Thomas and Hope, now THAT is queasy and vomit-inducing!!
Sally is hardly dating, but he wants to respect her relationship. But he doesn't mind loving a married woman who just had a baby? Not to mention Hope is his father's step-daughter. It is nearly incestuous! If this is the alternative, I still prefer Hope with Liam, as BORING as they are. I would rather see Flo with Wyatt and THomas with Sally.
Thomas reminds Ridge of Caroline's deception re her health...they were just co-parenting, that's it. Thomas says that maybe he hasn't got over his feelings for Hope.
Thanks! I don't blame Thomas for the way he feels about Hope. I'm sure his feelings for her were genuine at the time, she simply didn't return them. Much like Liam with Sally. Thomas moved on with his life because Hope turned him down flat. It's also the first time Thomas and Hope are on the show at the same time, since AG left in 2013. I see a lot of potential for a Liam-Hope-Thomas triangle. But only if he plays fair game. If he starts lying, keeping things from her or using his mother to his advantage, it will be too one-sided.
Wyatt has another secret meeting with a woman he loves, in her own hotel room? I feel bad for Sally. Please Quinn, do something and free her from this mess.
Oh so Pierson never shared scenes with Matula? It would make for a better triangle than the same old Hope/Liam/Steffy triangle I am sure most of us are done to death with.
Wyatt's bored with Sally out of town...I don't object to a triangle that for once doesn't include Liam. As good an actor SC is, I just can't stand Liam. He's treated those two women like absolute dirt. And they're both stupid enough to accept his back and forth.
PF came when Aly died, which was more than 6 months after KM left. I believe PF had a few episodes when he took Sally back to NY, but he never shared scenes with this Hope.
I don't think Liam has treated Hope like dirt at all. They have both cheated, loved other people and made mistakes. That was years ago and they've moved on. The writing for Lope has been great. I do think Steffy has treated all her men like dirt, on the other hand. Banging her father-in-law and needing a test was the worstest betrayal. She needs to find a new love interest, one who will accept being her second choice. I simply don't like her character. She can stay in Paris with her mom for all I care.
I know, past is past. I've always felt both girls should kick him to the kerb though as he has treated them both pretty shabbily over the years, not knowing who to be with aka Ridge 2.0.
The new Tom looks good with Annika.
Hell, anyone looks good with Annika. She's drop-dead gorgeous.
Honestly, they have treated him just as bad, if not worse. He has already kicked one to the curb. Hopefully he will kick Hope to the curb as well, if she crosses a line with Thomas.
I feel bad for Sally too. What is Wyatt thinking?
I loved Liam today. Hope told him to go to Paris, spend time with Steffy and the girls, his family but he told her you are my family and I want to be here. Hope said not to worry about her, and he said he's not, he just wants to be with her, that he loves her. He was everything you would want a husband to be today.
I can't bear Flo and Shauna playing the victims! Either they do, or they don't! Thomas' shirtless scenes was the best part of the episode! He is really yummy! I'm probably in the minority, but I think it's a great recast and I hope Bell keeps him for a long time!
Thomas is very handsome! But he has nothing to do with Hope! He needs to leave her alone!
Not interested in the least bit for a Thomas Hope pairing. Hope is where she belongs, with Liam. Besides, Sally is going to be free soon. She can be Douglas's new mommy.
I think I misread it. Sorry... However, I think that this baby switch is something that Quinn would do without a problem if she would be in Reese's shoes.
Quinn is so going to regret not asking more questions.
I heard that Flo has a connection with Thomas as well? He tells Ridge that her name sounds familiar. It gets more and more ridiculous. She already has a connection with Zoe, with Liam and Hope, with the Logan sisters, with Quinn, with Wyatt and with Bill. Now with Thomas. Give me a break.
And Thomas never got over Hope? Please. What a load of idiocies! As for Shauna, it looks like she is as deceitful as Flo. She taught her well!
I thought Bell jumped the shark with having Thorne come back for Brooke. Now another Forrester hasn't gotten over a Logan? GMAB. Bell is so desperate for ideas that he can;t tell a good one from a bad one.
Is anyone else sick of this merry go round? Can't they just give this poor baby back to her parents and move on?????
I don't even understand why Flo is so desperate to keep this secret. What is she gaining? Her 50000 dollars are already gone, and Nobody goes to jail. Bill certainly didn't, and his craziness went A LOT further than Flo's. Just say the truth and get over it, put an end to our misery!!
Exactly. Send a note if you can't say it in person even.
In defence of Quinn, she has zero idea that Flo's "bad things" in the past include a baby swap.
I still think she'd keep the secret if she was told, though. She likes Flo and Shauna too much, and in her mind the damage is done anyway, if we know Quinn well. Besides, she's rooting for Flyatt.
It would be most ironic (and unexpected) if Quinn becomes the heroine of the decade and reveals all, should she find out and have a big problem with it.
Flo, Shauna and Quinn are all gold diggers!
Thanks for the recap. Flo is an adult and should be able to think for herself. She is clearly putting her own well being ahead of everyone else's and is terrified of being held accountable for her actions. All secrets come out eventually and the longer it takes the more painful it will be.
If she was serious about telling the truth she already would have. Everything else is just an excuse. What Shauna says should not matter at all.
Anyway, it is clear this reveal will not happen until JMW returns. Not sure if anyone knows when that will be.
Nobody knows. Maternity leave is 12 months, but she can extend it if she wants. She gave birth on March 4. Add 6 weeks between the moment she is back taping and the moment she is back on canvas. We won't see her until July. And I doubt the reveal happens as soon as she returns anyway.
12 months? Do you live in the U.S.?
12 weeks*, sorry. No, I don't. But I know it. The average is between 12 and 16 weeks in most countries. But she can obviously ask to have more if she wants.
Thanks! I had a feeling you meant weeks.
Why would flo tell unless she's so stupid she doesn't think she can get jail? She should take the fifty grand and run ..it's ridiculous she's staying and now she's a logan..
I thought I read that she quit taping/stops filming back in February. If so, then her maternity leave starts when she stops working in February. Therefore, we could see her on screen in June..possibly?
Sometimes the show goes dark, no filming, for weeks at a time. I wonder if those weeks are factored into the maternity leave, which would make it longer. Gawd, I hope not.
Well, the July sweeps start June 27..end on July 24. Unless, JMW takes extra time off, my guess is the big reveal will be around the end of July sweeps. Too many people know about Beth already, and I just don't see Bell drag this all the way to November sweeps.
Shauna is no better than Florence! Very disappointed!
You have to have bad characters though so you can cheer on your heroes and heroines?
Not everyone can be squeaky clean on soaps.
And villains are more interesting to watch IMO (and play).
Exactly. If I want to watch nice people, I'll watch The Brady Bunch.


Change has become the 'buzzword' over the last year as the global economic downturn as unfolded. The effects have impacted on individuals and businesses alike. However, what seemed to catch people out was the speed of the change, particularly in the financial, housing and automotive sectors.
Many businesses found that their financial assumptions changed almost overnight as customers disappeared or financial facilities dried up without warning.
This has prompted panic reaction in some cases as businesses have struggled and sometimes failed to survive.
Helen Astill, Managing Director of Cherington HR believes that if businesses are to succeed in these circumstances, they are dependent on the ability of their staff to adapt.
"Employees need to understand the challenges faced by their employer and the implications of not embracing change, The willingness of staff to adopt the new order and be flexible will be a deciding factor in the race to survive," she said.
The sort of changes that businesses may need to consider include restructuring, introducing new technology or new processes. They might also mean reviewing the sort of work that the business wishes to undertake and possible retraining.
This means that employers need to work with their employees in partnership to achieve success.
In the following articles we look at ways to help you and your staff work together on changes required to ensure the success of your business and ensure that your employees are better equipped to handle the new ways of working.


How to do a P2V? You can use Windows Server Backup to restore to virtual machine from a backup of your Windows Server host.
As we know, Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC) can help you to convert a physical computer to Hyper-V virtual machines, and vice versa. If you want to be able to convert to more kinds of virtual machines, like VirtualBox, VMware, you can also use Windows Server backup to restore to virtual machine. Windows Server Backup supports restoring a bare metal backup of Windows Server 2008/2012/2016 to any virtual machines. In this way, you do not need to worry about the volume size limitation, and using the restoration process the physical server system will better fit the virtual machine, which leads to better performance.
To do this, first you need to create a bare metal backup of your source server with Windows Server Backup, which is not pre-installed and you can install it in Server Manager. After completing the bare metal backup, move the image backup of the source server to the virtual disk of the virtual machine you want to restore to. Windows Server bare metal recovery has to be performed in WinPE environment, therefore, you need ti boot your virtual machine form a Windows installation disc or ISO file.
1. When the Windows Setup is loaded, Select"Repair your computer" instead of "Install now".
2. Follow the instructions and select "Restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier".
3. In the next screen, locate the source server image backup and select it. You can also use the image backup on network location.
4. You can specify additional recovery options if need be.
5. Lastly, at the confirmation screen, click "Yes" to start this restore and wait for it to complete.
As mentioned above, you can also use this method to restore hyper v virtual machine to a physical server. However, you may also get an error or cannot locate the image backup while configuring the restore, resulting in failure of creating virtual machine from a physical server. If you happens to have such problem or you think these steps are too complicated, then you can use another simpler and more reliable server backup tool to do this job.
Unlike Windows Server Backup, AOMEI Backupper will give you a totally different expierence regarding backup and recovery, which is absolutely easy and fast. You can do hyper-v restore virtual machine form backup as well as restore physical machine effortlessly with this program. As with Windows Server Backup, you will also need to create a system backup of the source server. You don't nessaccarily need a bootable media to perform the restore.
1. Download and run the AOMEI Backupper Server on your virtual machine. You can also boot your destination server from the bootable media if needed.
2. From the main interface, click the "Restore" button.
3. In the next screen, select the prepared backup image by clicking "Path".
4. After that, click "Next" to continue, and click "Start Restore" at the final screen to begin the restore.
It takes much less than Windows Server Backup to complete the restore. Therefore, besides Windows Server Backup restore to virtual machine, you can also choose AOMEI Backupper Server to do it. What's more, it provides "Disk Clone" function besides backup and restore.


According to independent consumer surveys of satellite TV providers and cable companies in Renton, WA, DIRECTV has earned the title of best TV service provider in Renton.
When you use the information that CableTV.com has compiled on the cable companies and subscription television services available in your area, you can easily determine which service providers are the most popular. This data—compiled from independent consumer surveys—allows you to choose the provider that's right for you. Of the satellite TV and cable companies in Renton, WA our research shows us that the best TV service provider is DIRECTV.
You no doubt expect a lot from the best cable company in Renton, WA. In order to be the best, a company needs to do much more than offer the cheapest deal. When choosing from TV packages in Renton, it's important to consider things like how many channels you'll have to choose from, which smaller channels are available in your city, and whether you'll have direct access to every or Seattle Seahawks game. We make it easy to compare offerings from the highest rated providers available in Renton so you have the facts you need to make an informed decision.
If you're looking for a cable company in Renton, WA, start your search at CableTV.com. When compiling our TV provider ratings, customer service and reliability are just two of the factors we consider. These scores make it easy for you to choose a provider that offers both the TV channels and customer service you need to have a positive home entertainment experience.
When it comes to Internet service providers available in Renton, WA, CenturyLink Internet ranks as number one. When you're searching for an Internet provider that meets your needs, there are many important factors to consider, but among the most important is speed. In Washington, the average download speed is 34 Mbps. So, in order for a provider in Renton, WA to be competitive, they need to offer not only good prices, but also speeds that match or exceed this average. It's important to remember, though, that while our Internet rankings do factor in the download speeds of various Internet providers, each provider's speed can still vary depending on your specific location, so be sure to double check the speeds offered in your neighborhood before making your decision.
Want to save $100 per year or more? You can do just that when you bundle your Internet service and cable TV package with the same provider! Plus, TV and Internet bundles make monthly payments more convenient, as they group your services together on a single statement. There's no shortage of deals on Internet and TV bundles available in Renton, so don't wait. Use CableTV.com to find a great deal today!
Visit CableTV.com today to find the best TV and Internet providers in Renton. We consolidate all the information you need in one place, so you can find Internet and TV service that will suit your budget and your personal preferences. Visit CableTV.com today to read product reviews, look up prices, contrast packages, and evaluate TV provider options in Renton, WA.
Sorry, no stores were found near zip code 98055 for the provider selected.


The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports for Boset-Bericha.
The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Boset-Bericha.
The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Boset-Bericha.
Boset (Boseti-Gudda) and Bericha (Boseti-Bericcia, also known as Bariccia) are composite dominantly rhyolitic-to-trachytic volcanoes rising above the floor of the Ethiopian Rift valley. Initial basaltic-to-trachytic activity at Boset followed by rhyolitic effusive and explosive eruptions resulted in the formation of a caldera, a remnant of whose rim is found on the NW flank. Elsewhere, post-caldera activity produced very recent pantelleritic obsidian fissure-fed lava domes and flows that buried the caldera wall. Flank eruptions from fissures parallel to the rift produced voluminous pantelleritic lava flows. Bericha has produced similar very recent obsidian flows and associated pumice flows. Fissures connecting Boset and Bericha have erupted youthful, prehistorical basaltic lava flows.
Brotzu P, Morbidelli L, Piccirillo E M, Traversa G, 1980. Volcanological and magmatological evidence of the Boseti volcanic complex (Main Eithiopian Rift). In: Geodynamic Evolution of the Afro-Arabian Rift System, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, p 317-365.
The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Boset-Bericha. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 10,000 years ago, information might be found on the Boset-Bericha page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).
There is no Deformation History data available for Boset-Bericha.
There is no Emissions History data available for Boset-Bericha.
Two closely spaced volcanic centers, Boset (Boseti-Gudda) and Bericha (Boseti-Bericcia) are composite dominantly rhyolitic-to-trachytic volcanoes rising above the floor of the Ethiopian Rift valley. Boset, the SSW center (also known as Gudda), is below and to the left of the center of this Landsat image, while the NNE center, Bericha, lies just above the center of the image. Fissures connecting Boset and Bericha have erupted youthful, prehistorical basaltic lava flows.
There are no samples for Boset-Bericha in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.
Large Eruptions of Boset-Bericha Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).


Pumice called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light colored. Pumice stones are using for the production process of stone-washed jeans.
Search for pumice stone suppliers.
Blokbims: pumice stone manufacturer in Turkey.
California Lightweight Pumice, Inc. California Lightweight Pumice, Inc The fashion industry has placed a great demand for stone-washed garments. The garment finishers have come to rely on CLP to provide the highest quality pumice stones for the processing of stone-washed jeans. Regardless of the specifications for the weight or fashion texture of mostly demin fabric.California Lightweight Pumice, Inc., a family owned business, has been in operation since 1977. Dedicated solely to supplying quality pumice stones to its growing customer list, CLP has become an invaluable resource to those who recognize quality pumice whether produced from their own California deposits or imported from our exclusive supply sources from Turkey. Unlike synthetic rocks that have been found to be harder on equipment and are unable to soak up chemicals as well, pumice stones give fabric a natural, high quality finish for today's fashion. CLP stones last longer and offer more flexibility than synthetic stones and chemicals. They breakdown naturally creating a comfortable, natural look while protecting expensive machinery from constant abuse. This allows for higher productivity with less down time less maintenance expense and lower municipality sewer costs due to more durable and longer lasting stone produced from quality California pits. In addition, they are more environmentally friendly than chemicals or enzymes and the stonewash look and feel is more acceptable to the entire fashion garment and denim industries.
Dyadic: Utilizing its proprietary technology, Dyadic has manufactured and sold enzymes for the textiles, animal feed, starch, pulp and paper and food industries, since 1994. Dyadic's global market reach and manufacturing capabilities, paired with its large scale 150,000 liter fermenters in the USA and Europe, enable it to market and sell over 50 products to customers in more than 35 countries. Dyadic's core business was initially focused on the textiles industry, providing jean manufacturers with the pumice stones needed for stonewashing denim garments. Building on the company's success with pumice, Dyadic added several chemical auxiliaries to its product line. Enzyme manufacturing filled a need within the textiles industry by providing high quality acid and neutral cellulase enzymes at competitive prices. Today, Dyadic discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a full range of products to meet your enzyme needs for the manufacturing of textiles.
Microgenix: Manufacturers & Exporters of Garment Processsing Enzymes & Chemicals Address: B-104, Premium House, B/h Handloom House, Off Ashram Road, Ahmedabad 380 006 India Phone: 91-79-6585107-6586612/3-6586706/7 Fax: 91-79-6578425 Email: info@microgenix.org Contact: Dinkar Uppal Mr.
Üçler Mining (Turkey) Üçler Mining is a firm which was established in 1978 for producing the construction of pumice stone but later in 1986 because of so many desire for the textile pumice we produce for both of them. Üçler becomes Turkey's big producer and exporter of NEVŞEHİR Pumice stone which is used in industrial washing and the building sector as a light construction material, holding the largest reserves of Pumice in Turkey and export its production to many European, African and American, Asian countries by degrees quantities. Üçler's production Pumice Stones are send to it's customers quickly and on time prefered by the jeans manufacturers well-known in the world and by the textile washing factories, getting from Turkey's largest and most quality quarries production capacity of 50.000 tons/year and reserve capacity of 50 years. In addition to this, our firm also has the capacity of 750.000 ton/year bims which is the smallest calibration of pumice used for construction to make wall blocks.


Scientists have long counseled against interpreting animal behavior in terms of human emotions, warning that such anthropomorphizing limits our ability to understand animals as they really are. Yet what are we to make of a female gorilla in a German zoo who spent days mourning the death of her baby? Or a wild female elephant who cared for a younger one after she was injured by a rambunctious teenage male? Or a rat who refused to push a lever for food when he saw that doing so caused another rat to be shocked? Aren't these clear signs that animals have recognizable emotions and moral intelligence? With Wild Justice Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce unequivocally answer yes.
Marrying years of behavioral and cognitive research with compelling and moving anecdotes, Bekoff and Pierce reveal that animals exhibit a broad repertoire of moral behaviors, including fairness, empathy, trust, and reciprocity. Underlying these behaviors is a complex and nuanced range of emotions, backed by a high degree of intelligence and surprising behavioral flexibility. Animals, in short, are incredibly adept social beings, relying on rules of conduct to navigate intricate social networks that are essential to their survival. Ultimately, Bekoff and Pierce draw the astonishing conclusion that there is no moral gap between humans and other species: morality is an evolved trait that we unquestionably share with other social mammals.
Sure to be controversial, Wild Justice offers not just cutting-edge science, but a provocative call to rethink our relationship with—and our responsibilities toward—our fellow animals.
"As a child I learned that behaving fairly, during play with others, was a very important social rule. As a mother, I learned that treating my child fairly was key in building his trust and cooperation. And we find that fairness plays an important role in the social interactions of many different animals and is key in developing and maintaining friendships. Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce's ideas about the moral lives of animals stress the significance of fairness, cooperation, empathy, and justice, aspects of behavior desperately needed in the world today. Read this book, share it widely, and incorporate its lessons into your classroom, family room or board room."
"Humans think of themselves as the only moral animals. But what about the elephant who sets a group of captive antelope free, the rat who refuses to shock another to earn a reward, and the magpie who grieves for her young? Cognitive animal behaviorist Bekoff and philosopher Pierce argue that nonhuman animals also are moral beings—with not just building blocks or precursors of morality but the real deal. The research gathered here makes a compelling case that it is time to reconsider yet another of the traits we have claimed as uniquely our own."
"Cognitive ethologist Bekoff and philosopher Pierce explore the moral lives of such commonly studied animals as primates, wolves, household rodents, elephants, dolphins—and a few more uncommon critters as well. . . . The authors contend that, in order to understand the moral compass by which animals live, we must first expand our definition of morality to include moral behavior unique to each species. Studies done by the authors, as well as experts in the fields of psychology, human social intelligent, zoology, and other branches of relevant science excellently bolster their claim."
"Focusing here on the gentler side of animal natures, animal behaviorist Bekoff and philosopher Pierce discuss recent scientific studies documenting that great apes, monkeys, wolves, coyotes, hyenas, dolphins, whales, elephants, rats, and mice are capable of a wide range of moral behavior. They strongly urge the scientific and philosophical communities to recognize that these animals can act as moral agents within the context of their own social groups. This provocative and well-argued view of animal morality may surprise some readers as it challenges outdated assumptions about animals. The authors' intention, however, is not to unseat humans from their moral pinnacle but to uplift our animal kin into the moral realm. Written as much for other academics as for interested lay readers, this lucid book is highly recommended for animal behavior collections in university and large public libraries."
"Do animals feel empathy for each other, treat one another fairly, cooperate toward common goals, and help each other out of trouble? In short, do animals demonstrate morality? Bekoff and Pierce answer with an emphatic 'yes!' in this fusion of animal behavior, animal cognition, and philosophy. The authors discuss the sense of fair play and justice in nonhuman animals. Social animals form networks of relationships, and these relationships rely on trust, reciprocity, and flexibility—just as they do in humans. Calling these behaviors morality, the authors present evidence that morality is an adaptive strategy that has evolved in multiple animal groups. Basing their argument for animal morality on published research (listed in the generous bibliography) and anecdotal evidence, the authors group moral behaviors into three clusters: cooperation, empathy, and justice, each of which is discussed in turn. A final chapter is a synthesis of moral behavior and philosophy, suggesting areas for further study and discussion. The conversational tone and numerous illustrative examples make this an excellent introduction to a new science."
"One of the most fascinating--and readable--academic books of the year, this groundbreaking study gathers together some remarkable research about the way animals can show compassion and empathy and even have a sense of fair play."
"As dense with information as this book is, it remains readable by nonscientists, and its philosophical implications reach far beyond scientific confines."
"The authors write as though they are having a conversation with the reader. . . . This well-thought-out, provocative work will give scientific and lay readers plenty of examples to rethink and open new paths of research into the lives and minds of animals."


text:
2022 Elections Texas 12th Congressional District
Meet Trey Hunt – Candidate For Texas' Congressional District 12
September 15, 2021 September 15, 2021 Michelle H. Davis
The Republican incumbent has held on to TX12 for 24 years. It's time for a change.
Trey Hunt is a Fort Worth resident and a lifelong Texan. Like many others running for office, Trey decided to run when it became clear that many Republican elected officials attempted to undermine democracy.
TX12's incumbent was not one of the seditious Republicans who attempted to overturn the election. However, she later said in an interview that it was only because she was absent that day, and if she had been there, Texas would have had 17 traitorous Congresspeople instead of 16.
One thing that TX12 has been lacking is transparency. The incumbent consistently racks up big stacks of change and votes with the far-right crowd 90% of the time. From the beginning of our conversation, Trey made it clear that transparency was essential to him.
We didn't speak about the incumbent any further during our conversation. Although I have known Trey since he decided to run (which he announced on Living Blue in Texas last November), I wanted everyone else to get to know him as well.
Transportation.
One of Trey Hunt's top priorities is public transportation. He wants to get some of the federal funding that we spend on military contractors and focus it back into the communities, and public transportation is one of the ways to do this.
He has a great point.
The United States spends $725 billion on our military each year; roughly $404 billion per year goes to military contracts. So of that, money is blown on waste, greed, and fraud. One report uncovered how the military budget included $4.6 million on crab and lobster.
However, there are plenty of economic benefits to public transportation, including:
Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in economic return.
Every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates and supports 50,000 jobs.
Aside from that, public transportation is safer than cars and saves American people money.
Public transportation has long been a problem in DFW.
While Dallas has a fairly good public transportation system, the rest of the metroplex is falling behind. And if you live in one metroplex city and work in another, public transportation is nearly impossible.
Healthcare.
Currently, in Texas, 20% of our population is uninsured. So, I asked Trey, "what can we do about this?"
He said that unless we elect people to the State House who will care more about their constituents and less about their pockets, the Federal government will have to step in.
Truer words were never spoken.
Countless studies have shown that expanding Medicaid in Texas would fiscally benefit the Lone Star State, yet Republicans have refused to do it.
Why? Because the Insurance Industry spends about $150 million on Texas each campaign cycle. The benefactors of this money are the same people who are keeping 6 million Texans from having access to healthcare.
Because it's a hot-button issue, I had to get Trey Hunt's thoughts on voting rights.
Trey believes that passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is essential and enforcing the voting laws that are already in place.
Currently, it looks like the Senate has made a deal with voting rights legislation. Schumer said he'll push for a vote next week. So, hopefully, by the time the 2022 elections are here, our voting rights will already be secure.
What about the environment?
"There are laws on the books that say this (pollution) is not okay. But, unfortunately, I think there has been an erosion of the courts over the last few years, which has allowed environmental racism to continue. Employers and manufacturers are not being challenged as they should be. As I said, there are laws on the books, but the courts are not working in our favor. We even feel that in different aspects, for example, abortion." – Trey Hunt.
Separation of powers.
Depending on who you ask, whether it Republican or Democrat, you'll get two different answers about government powers and overreach. Republicans might say the federal government is too overreaching in the State of Texas. In contrast, Democrats might say the federal government isn't doing enough to protect our constitutional rights, which are currently being stripped away by the state legislature. Where is the balance?
Trey said that because he believes in full transparency, he thinks when someone does something wrong, they should own up to it. Therefore, there is no reason to keep the federal government out of your affairs, unless you know you're doing something wrong. (If there is nothing to hide, then why are you hiding it?)
"Yes, we are Texans, but we're also Americans." – Trey Hunt.
What about women's rights?
"The Supreme Court of the United States needs to take a hard stance on the draconian abortion law in Texas. We will not accept a workaround because we know what the intent is, and it's wrong. It's morally egregious. I haven't seen any other proactive ways that they (Republicans) have tried to detour abortions." – Trey Hunt.
The abortion issue has been discussed and studied since Roe v. Wade became law in the 1970s. Supporting pro-choice policies, like free and easy access to birth control, drastically reduces the abortion rate. However, over the years that we have been studying the abortion issue, we know that banning the procedure doesn't reduce abortion rates; it just makes it more dangerous.
Cannabis?
Trey Hunt is in favor of legalizing and taxing cannabis. It would bring in much-needed revenue for schools, roads, public transportation, and healthcare.
We spoke a lot about programs that would help the people, especially those on the lower economic end of the scale. So, I had to ask Trey, the Republican's favorite question: How do we pay for these programs?
Trey said there are two ways—one, legalizing cannabis. Countless studies have shown that when Texas legalizes cannabis, it will bring in billions of dollars of revenue. Two, tax the rich. By now, we all know that the wealthy use loopholes and other tax-dodging methods to avoid paying taxes. One study recently released determined that the wealthiest 1% avoided paying $163 billion in taxes per year.
How does America stop the partisan divide currently plaguing our nation?
"We need to step up and say that we are not going to accept lies. We're not going to accept any fallacies. And we're not going to take news networks that aren't promoting true news. We need to fact-check, and we need to have consequences. We shouldn't accept it when people try to weaponize politics for their benefit.
"This may be controversial, but I come from a Conservative household. So, I am very Liberal compared to them. But I think they're hurt. The far-right is hurt because they were promised these things under Reagan, under Nixon, that their children would have the opportunities to buy a house and get an education. But, those things continuously don't show up. It's complex, but I think that's where a lot of the pain comes from, and they don't know how to direct that pain, except to the person they see immediately. But, unfortunately, a lot of times, that's the person that's trying to help." – Trey Hunt.
Watch the full interview. Trey Hunt is a strong candidate for TX12.
Where can you find Trey Hunt online?
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2022 Elections, Don't Forget To Vote, Elections, End Voter Supression, Turn Out The Vote, Turn Texas Blue, Vote For Change, Voting Rights
Interview With Cody Grace – Candidate For Texas State House District 6
A Hangman's Account of Killing a Little Boy
Abbott Pledges To Destroy 411,000 Tarrant County Residents; Spouts Racist Rhetoric
Analysis And Endorsements: Will Democrats Flip The Texas House In 2022? (Part 2)
Interview With Sheena King – Candidate For Texas House District 61


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Managing Director, CIO and Global Head of Credit for BlackRock Alternatives; Chairman and interim CEO of BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation
James E. Keenan, CFA, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of Credit for BlackRock Alternatives and Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer of the BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation.
Mr. Keenan has led BlackRock's Credit platform since 2006, overseeing investment strategy, processes, performance, risk management, platform strategic planning and growth initiatives, and partnerships with BlackRock's distribution channels. Under Mr. Keenan's leadership, the platform has significantly expanded to offer clients a full range of investment strategies and solutions in leveraged finance, hedge fund and liquid alternative strategies, multi-strategy credit solutions and private credit opportunities in middle market direct lending and opportunistic credit. Since 2004, he has managed investment portfolios at BlackRock across a range of strategies including high yield credit, opportunistic and distressed lending and long/short hedge funds.
Mr. Keenan is a member of BlackRock's Global Operating Committee, the Executive Committee of BlackRock Alternatives, and Investment Committees for BlackRock Private Equity Partners, Long-Term Private Capital and Alternative Solutions Group.
Mr. Keenan began his career in credit research and trading with UBS Global Asset Management and Columbia Management Group. He earned a BBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1998. He is a member of Notre Dame's Wall Street Committee, its Athletic Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Services, a service and advocacy partnership in New York City.
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text:
Almost 64-Bit Interactive Multimedia Nonsense
Vid Grid
The Jaguar CD originally came with two CD games packed in the box along with the system. The first of these was Blue Lightning, a fairly playable and enjoyable After Burner clone which had it's roots on the Atari Lynx. The second game was Vid Grid...and I use the term 'game' in the loosest possible sense, but that isn't to say that it isn't a fun and highly impressive showcase for the Jaguar CD's technical abilities.
As you may expect from the title, Vid Grid's main play mode presents the player with a music video that has been scrambled and it's up to you to unscramble the video in the fastest possible time (or before the video ends) in order to accrue points. Sounds stupidly simple - and it is - but I was also surprised at just how much fun it actually is. It helps that all of the music videos featured in the game are from genuine artists and bands (Ozzy Osborne, Guns 'N' Roses, Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith amongst others) and are some of their most well-known songs so you'll find yourself humming (or - God forbid in my case - singing) along with the tracks as you battle to unscramble them before they end.
There's a practice mode where you can get familiar with the videos if you've never seen them before, but the main meat of Vid Grid is the 'Standard' game where you are presented with a selection screen of videos and the stipulations are given - this includes the size of the grid (eg 3x3, 4x4, 5x5 etc) and whether the game has decided to flip or mirror any of the tiles. Sometimes, a stage will have multiple challenges, so that once you've unscrambled a 3x3 grid, it will instantly re-scramble into a 5x5 grid with some tiles that have the video on them mirrored. It's a bastard when that happens, I can tell you. There's little else to Vid Grid in all honesty, and it's probably a good thing that Atari chose to bundle the game with the system for free as I doubt many people who could potentially have paid £40 for it would have been impressed with that. What they most certainly would have been impressed with however, is the Jaguar CD's ability to handle all this video footage, at a fairly respectable resolution (OK, it's hardly HD but come on - this was 1995!) and then scramble it all up and still have it running at full speed with zero glitching or freezing. Ever since I first saw the quality of the Jaguar CD's FMV I've been impressed with how stable and clear it is - without exception - and Vid Grid only strengthens my stance that the Jag CD has the best video output (as in 'full motion video') of all the CD-based systems of the era. The 3DO's video is nowhere near as clear and the Mega CD's video playback looks atrocious due to the limited colour palette of the hardware. It's hardly something to shout from the rooftops, but at a time when other CD-based systems were awash with FMV games, the Jaguar CD was bereft of them even though it clearly matched a Video Cartridge-enhanced Philips CD-i for clarity and quality.
As a technical demo of the abilities of the Jag CD then, Vid Grid cannot be faulted...and as a tool for entertainment it also holds up fairly well. It has some great videos from some brilliant musicians and there are enough variations in the challenges to make you want to play on for longer than you probably thought you would. And I really wasn't expecting that at all.
Posted by Tom Charnock No comments:
Labels: Games
Hover Strike
One of the first things I published here at Do The Math was a gameplay video of Hover Strike. I also wrote a little bit of blurb about how it was one of the 'better looking' games on the Jaguar, what with its fully textured environments and basic light-sourcing effects.
But I wrote that back in another time - a time before Battlemorph (which I like to call TBB. Not to be confused with Tuberculosis), and since Battlemorph entered my life, it has only served to show me the error of my ways when I described Hover Strike with such positive prose. But before I launch into a scathing attack on the game, let me fill you in on the background story.
On some distant planet or another, colonists have gone missing; Pirates have taken over; deadly machines patrolling the surface; you are sent in to clear a path for the Federation forces...blah, waffle, drone. Yep - it's a story you've heard in a quidzillion and one (eh?!) other similar games (it even crops up in the aforementioned Battlemorph and it's prequel), so you know the drill. Choose a mission from the initial five which are spread across the planet in different environments such as the ice cap, deserts, 'industrial' zones etc., and once you've selected a location you're given an objective to destroy. In the case of Hover Strike it'll either be a strategic object or structure such as a gun turret or a missile silo, or a guarded convoy of some description - and then you're dropped into the gameplay level to start waging war. It is actually extremely similar to the set up used in both Cybermorph and Battlemorph (and pretty much every other mission based shooter on the Jag) and shows a complete lack of originality on the part of the developers.
Originality aside though, I guess it was a tried and trusted method of setting up the story, the location and the reason for the game existing in the first place, so I totally 'get' why this structure was employed. Standard stuff so far. The issues begin once you start playing Hover strike though. Your heavily armed hovercraft (why is a hovercraft?!) is dropped on the planet's surface and then you careen around pinging off walls and hills, without any sort of idea where you're meant to be going or what you should be looking for. The controls are pretty horrid and the inertia-based handling of your craft, while probably intended to be 'realistic,' in fact make the game very difficult to actually play. The field of view is limited too, so you'll constantly find yourself facing the sky, the floor, the sky again, the wall, maybe catch a glimpse of an enemy as it takes pot-shots at you, and then the wall again as you furiously hit the 'shoot' button and try desperately to get away from whatever's firing at you with the accuracy of that sniper in Saving Private Ryan. Once you do find yourself in a quiet area of the map and have time to get to grip with the controls (you can drive forward and slide around as you would imagine a hovercraft can), you'll notice that the game can look quite impressive at times.
As I stated previously, the whole game world is fully texture-mapped, as are the enemies and items that are littered throughout. The draw distance is quite short, but that's probably to be expected on this system. It's a shame then that the game handles so badly. The environments are full of divots and angled rises that will throw your craft all over the place and the way you have to move your target reticle up and down to fire at airborne enemies (whilst being chucked around and shot at) will drive you up the wall (yes - pun intended). As an early glimpse at what the Jag could do with fully textured 3D environments, Hover Strike is an interesting showcase, but the real problems come from the controls and the inertia engine employed. The graphics are actually quite good when it's not doing an impression of a flipbook animation, and you can see that the game does run quite well when you're in the external view (although it does have DOOM 32X style borders, and then some!), but as a pure gaming experience? Hmm. Hover Strike is hard to recommend. The music is alright though. And that's all I have to say about that, M'lud. On that note though, I wonder how the Jaguar CD version compares?
Only one way to find out...!
Oh, and apologies for the over-use of (here I go again!) brackets, grammar-fans!
Posted by Tom Charnock 2 comments:
Oh dear...it appears that the Amiga community have grown jealous of the Jaguar's superior processing power and all-round brilliance!
Well, imitation in the best form of flattery I guess...
Amiga CD64?! Hahaha! Capable of running Gloom in a window that only has 6" borders instead of 12"...
Labels: Media, Misc
Rule The Jungle!
I always wondered why Atari never capitalised on the Jaguar name by advertising the system as some kind of powerful, sleek and deadly jungle predator. Christ...it was called the Jaguar! It's become apparent that I must eat a massive, highly calorific slab of humble pie though, as it appears that somebody at Atari temporarily awoke from the semi-permanent brain fart that the entire management division was hit with in the late 1990s:
Yes...an advert involving the Jaguar (well, the Jaguar CD) in a jungle setting does infact exist. Thanks to Clint Thompson (@mindthreat on Twitter) for bringing this to my attention. The question remains though...why wasn't there more of this jungle-themed advertising? The potential for an amazing advertising campaign is unparalleled...even eclipsing SEGA's amazing 'Buoy' campaign. Erm...
On that bombshell, here's my own version of Jaguar hunting:
Labels: Media
Battlemorph
It's odd that Cybermorph is still a bit of a running joke whenever anyone mentions the Jaguar. Odd, because it is actually a very playable game, with tight controls and fairly decent graphics for the time it was was released. Yes, the continual mocking of the infamous green-faced AI companion grates somewhat...but you know what? If you don't crash into everything you can see, you won't hear her!
Battlemorph is the sequel to Cybermorph and it appears that the developers took a lot of notice of the reviews and opinions of the first game, because it's a massive improvement over the prequel in almost every area. For starters, there is a coherent storyline that is played out from the very beginning of the game via some impressive pre-rendered FMV (along with a Sean Connery impression courtesy of comedian/actor Rob Brydon), and lots of briefing and weapons selection screens that are much, much better than those seen in Cybermorph.
The story (if you care), is that the antagonists from the first game - the Pernitians - have been pushed out of the human worlds of the Galaxy back to their own little shit hole. In order to stop them coming back for more, the Earth Defense Council sends a load of battle cruisers to the more remote planet clusters to patrol, but slowly (and rather predictably), the Pernitians return and start destroying these cruisers and taking over again. Enter the Sutherland - Earth's last remaining heavy cruiser. The Sutherland is sent to find the homeworld of the Pernitians and destroy them once and for all, and is armed with a secret weapon: the top secret War Griffon, which is an upgrade of Cybermorph's T-Griffon. So you jump into the cockpit of the War Griffon and jet down to the surface of various Pernitian-controlled planets in order to basically blow the crap out of everything you see, steal plans, destroy bases and even detonate entire planets.
If you've played Cybermorph, you'll feel instantly at home with Battlemorph as everything is pretty much the same...but better. The controls are virtually identical, and the game looks quite similar but it's the small improvements that will, weirdly, make the most impact on you. The onboard AI Skylar is now much less vocal (and has a blue face now!) and will only pop up to announce mission-specific stuff or if your shields are low/you've picked up a new weapon etc., and the music has been improved dramatically (in fact, I don't even think there was any in the first game if memory serves). The graphics have been improved slightly with lots more texture mapping, enemy types and benign indigenous lifeforms roaming around; and the draw distance and backgrounds have really been given a boost thanks to the extra storage on the CD format.
Perhaps the biggest new feature in Battlemorph though, is the new environments. Thanks to the War Griffon being much more advanced than the crappy old T-Griffon, you can now dive beneath the surface of any bodies of water you might spot and this adds a whole new dimension to the game as certain mission objectives or items can be hidden under the waves. The graphical effects used are really quite good, as everything goes 'wavy' as if it's being viewed through water currents. Other new environments include some first-person-shooter style bits where you travel through tunnels or go inside buildings to collect power ups.
Really, what you get with Battlemorph is more of what made Cybermorph a great game, but with a whole lot more added. CD-quality music and sound effects, more missions, great presentation and upgraded graphics. This is a perfect example of what could be achieved with the Jaguar CD and only makes it more painful that either the Jag didn't launch with a CD drive as standard, or that the add-on was launched earlier so developers had more time to make more games for it. A great game, with a lot going for it and if you own a Jag CD you should really own Battlemorph too.
Memory Track
Jaguar Hunting at Play Blackpool 2014
Top 10 Jag Games
Tempest 2000
Super Burnout
Power Drive Rally
Iron Soldier
Cannon Fodder
Retro Collect
Retro Video Gamer
Retro Asylum
Retro Gamer Magazine
Atari Mania
Atari Age
Telegames
Jagware
Jagu-Dome
JustClaws
Jaguar Sector II
Jeff's Jaguar Jungle
Jaguar Homebrew Games
Jag Cube
Jaguar64's Tail
Jag Corner
Virtual Jaguar
There was a time when it was pretty difficult to get emulators to run on anything but the most hi-spec of rigs, but these days most mobile...
Jaguar Vs PlayStation: Rayman
I've been wanting to a video on this subject for a while - which version of Rayman looks the best? Jag or PlayStation? To be honest, t...
Red Screen Of Death
Oddly, if you try to turn an Atari Jaguar on without having a cartridge inserted, the system will not power up. I'm guessing that the ...
DOOM II never came to the Jaguar, which - as stated in the video below - is a bit of a surprise when you think about it. DOOM is easily on...
It seems that the entire planet is going crazy for Titanfall at the moment, which is understandable as any game featuring first person com...
Club Drive
Wow. Just wow. Club Drive is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the strangest, weirdest, most bat-shit insane games I've ever played...
Guest Article: Why Did The Jaguar Fail?
In this second guest article, freelance games journalist Kieren Hawken looks at some of the reasons the Jaguar failed to take the marke...
Nostalgia Nerd Tackles The Atari Jaguar Story
Well, this left me lost for words. I was a fan of Nostalgia Nerd's videos and channel anyway, but the recent retrospective investigation...
Seasoned Jaguar gamers and collectors will know exactly what 'Do The Math' means. Those not so au fait with Atari's (sort of) 64...
The game that the Jaguar is famous for, and one of my favourite games of all time - Alien Vs Predator. I'm something of an aficionado ...
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Below is the overall SkyTeam MegaDo schedule. Additional events and activities may be scheduled – expect a few surprises!
Registration at the ALOFT Seattle Sea-Tac Airport, the MegaDo official host hotel. Please bring your passport in order to pick up your badge.
Overnight at the ALOFT Seattle Sea-Tac Airport, the MegaDo official host hotel.
Please make every effort to register on Thursday as we will have very limited time on Friday. If you need to register on Friday, please come as early as possible.
8 AM: Bus transportation from the ALOFT Seattle Sea-Tac Airport, the MegaDo official host hotel.
9 AM: An exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Boeing Customer Experience Center. Bring your passport.
10:30 AM: Transportation to Seattle-Tacoma international airport.
A special MegaDo fare is available in all classes of service.
The October 12 events in Seattle are optional, capped at 100 participants, and come at no additional charge.
DL 144 SEA/AMS arrives at 12:45 PM.
Registration opens at 4 PM at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, the MegaDo official host hotel, which is attached to the terminal. Please bring your passport in order to pick up your badge.
Business Class passengers are invited to register at the MegaDo Business Class lounge in suite 756 from 3 to 5 PM.
Experience an authentic Indonesian Rice Table. Dinner includes starter, Rijsttafel, and dessert.
Bring your ticket with your bar code.
This optional activity is not included in your MegaDo ticket. The cost is USD $57 per person, and excludes transportation to the restaurant and drinks. Capacity is limited to 75 participants; priority will be given to Business Class passengers.
Overnight at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, the MegaDo official host hotel.
We offer a special MegaDo rate.
6 AM – 11 AM: Breakfast at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport, Stripes Restaurant (included in group rate) Please note that the Club Lounge is too small to accommodate our group; as a courtesy to the hotel staff and other guests please have breakfast at the restaurant.
9 AM: pick up at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, the MegaDo official host hotel. 45 minute drive. Bring your ticket with your bar code.
Spend the morning with Henry Harteveldt, airline industry analyst, and representatives from SkyTeam.
Visit the Lelystad Aviodrome museum: the collection includes many retired KLM planes, including a Lockheed Constellation, a DC2, a DC3, and a Boeing 747-200.
Three-course lunch at Flantuas outside at the Lelystad Airport.
Bus transportation to the W Amsterdam.
This optional activity is not included in your MegaDo ticket. The cost is USD $115 per person, and includes transportation to the restaurant, entrance to the museum, and lunch including two drinks. Capacity is limited to 100 participants; priority will be given to Business Class passengers.
Registration opens at 11 AM at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center, the MegaDo official host hotel, which is attached to the terminal. Please bring your passport in order to pick up your badge.
Business Class passengers are invited to register at the MegaDo Business Class lounge in suite 756.
Bus transportation to the W Amsterdam, for attendees who have booked a seat.
If you are planning on making your own way to the W Amsterdam, please be there at 2:45 PM at the latest.
Opening remarks from Kristin Colvile, CEO and managing director of SkyTeam and Mauro Oretti, vice president of sales and marketing of SkyTeam.
MegaDo welcome party (cocktails and food) hosted by Marriott Rewards.
Last bus to the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport at 9 PM, for attendees who have booked a seat.
Meet at 6 AM on the ground floor of the Sheraton. BRING YOUR PASSPORT. Please wear comfortable shoes, and bring layers. Some of the activities will be outside.
7 AM: Guided tours of Floraholland – follow the flowers!
9:15 AM: Bus to Schiphol Airport.
10:00 AM: Backstage tours, including KLM Engineering and Maintenance program and Schiphol Oost.
12:15 PM: Lunch at KLM hangar.
1:30 PM: Behind the scenes at Schiphol Airport – you will discover what happens behind the scenes at the airport, from cargo through to fire demonstrations. The first two hours will be on the bus and no one will be permitted off the bus while airside. Everyone will be able to disembark at the fire-fighting demo and for pictures.
4:30 PM Return to the Sheraton.
An evening with SkyTeam and Flying Blue at the Fortune Bar, World Trade Center, 500 meters from The Sheraton entrance.
No airport lounge access. Priority Pass members may use the Aspire Lounge 26.
The first ever SkyTeam MegaDo party flight takes off from Amsterdam airport. Our aircraft will be an Airbus A319 operated by Czech Airlines.
Land at Václav Havel Airport Prague.
A visit to Czech Airlines in celebration of the airline's 95th anniversary.
Tour of the airline kitchen.
We continue on to Mallorca.
MegaDo returns to Palma de Mallorca!
An afternoon with Air Europa.
We depart for Barcelona on a short 45 minute flight.
Bus transportation to the AC Barcelona Forum Hotel.
Brief welcome party upon arrival.
Overnight at the AC Hotel Barcelona Forum, the MegaDo official host hotel.
The official MegaDo program concludes at 3 PM.
The schedule is subject to change. A detailed schedule will be provided on the first day of the event and will show where to meet on a daily basis. Participants will also receive email updates and notifications should any change occur. Participants are expected to meet on time – we are unable to delay our flight schedule in order to wait for latecomers. Participants who miss scheduled transportation to an event will need to arrange their own transportation to the event at their own cost.