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text:
Last Man Standing (Lone Wolf, 1996)
A true Western
I've been meaning to review this movie for some time as it is one of my favorites. There are some dolts who say it isn't a Western but they know nothing.
On the surface, yes, this is a gangster film of classic proportions. Set in Prohibition West Texas, it tells of rival bootlegging gangs and a lone gunman who plays one mob off against the other. Sound familiar? It should. It's A Fistful of Dollars remade, and of course Fistful was Yojimbo remade and anyway they are all based on Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest (also made into a gangster movie), if not, indeed, Goldoni's A Servant of Two Masters (1743). This story has been around.
However, this is ten times better than A Fistful of Dollars. The Chandleresque first-person voiceover of the hero gives a depth to the character that Leone never managed with Eastwood. And Bruce Willis is superb, a true Western hero. He is tough and outwardly just a cynical gun for hire but we come to see the integrity beneath as he cleans up the town. Actually, he cleans it out rather than cleaning it up. This is one of Willis's best roles. He is of course a man with no name – well, he goes by 'John Smith' but that's pretty much the same thing.
The man with not much of a name
Then there is outstanding support acting. We might mention in particular my hero Bruce Dern as the corrupt sheriff. Dern did heavies supremely well for many years but he was rarely better than the complex character he portrays here.
It's rude to point
In a very short part, Ken Jenkins also takes honors for his Ranger captain, icy in the torrid heat. Ted Markland as the silent Deputy Bob, RD Call as the dumb Irish heavy, William Sanderson (always excellent, Lippy in Lonesome Dove and EB Farnum in Deadwood) as the saloon keeper Joe, these are all first class.
Christopher Walken is positively psychopathic as the chief Doyle shooter. We are told that at 15 he burned down an orphanage and enjoyed watching the "little kids go up like candles." Oo, that's bad. The Italians are very good too: Ned Eisenberg doesn't sound too Italian but he has the gestures and style pat as chief mobster Strozzi and Michael Imperioli, who does sound Italian alright, later to appear in The Sopranos, is first class as Strozzi's cousin Giorgio. You have to check the credits to see they are Strozzi, though, because they are always referred to by Bruce as Strasi.
Smiling psycopath
Those haircuts! Weren't they hideous? But very realistic. Nice cars too. Bruce rides into the town of Jericho (which looks very Western) in a 1928 Model A Ford, a twentieth century equivalent of Clint's mule.
The picture has an orange tint, or perhaps blood-red. This has got redder and redder as my VHS tape ages but that's fine. It suits it. The heat and dust permeate through the screen at you. There's very fine Lloyd Ahern photography of El Paso and New Mexico locations. Ahern had shot both Geronimo and Wild Bill for Walter Hill so has the credentials.
The music is by Ry Cooder and manages to give us menace, gangsterism, Mexico and a Western all in a modern key. I must get that soundtrack on my iPod. Elmer Bernstein had been hired but was fired for not getting the tone right. Ry is perfect.
This film is sometimes over the top. When Bruce shoots mobsters with his twin Colt 1911 45s the shot badmen fly through the air and into the street in Desperado fashion. It verges on a cartoon. But boy, do they stay shot.
Blam! Blam!
It's funny, isn't it, how critics can vary so much in their opinions. The late, respected Roger Ebert called this movie "a mannered, juiceless, excruciatingly repetitive exercise in style." Oh well, other critics than I have a right to their opinions. Anyone has the right to be wrong.
The dark scenes where Bruce gets beaten up and recovers with help to get his revenge reminded me of Unforgiven. It's a Western alright. Walter Hill, the director, did Westerns (he once said that all his films were Westerns and when you watch this one you see his point) and he wrote this one as well, giving due credit – unlike Fistful - to Kikushima and Kurosawa. There is something son-of-Sam about Mr. Hill and the Peckinpah influence is there alright.
It's a great title. And the pictures of Hickok on the hotel wall and a print of Custer's Last Stand aren't an accident.
Four revolvers, pards. Outstanding.
Clementine reference
Posted by Jeff Arnold's West at 9:08 AM
Labels: Bruce Dern, Bruce Willis, Walter Hill
Just read that Christopher Walken was the studio's choice when Hill wanted the excellent Jacques Remar - Dutch Schutz in Coppola's Cotton Club -, one of his favorite actors (48 Hours, The Warriors...). Walken - always brilliant - was probably more bankable but the film was a quasi flop before becoming a quasi cult, happy the simple minded... JM
Jeff Arnold's West 2/21/20, 8:52 AM
The whole subject of director v studio casting choices is an interesting one.
Quasi-flop or quasi-cult, this quasi-reviewer quasi-likes it.
Dances With Wolves (MGM, 1990)
River of No Return (Fox, 1954)
High Vermilion by Luke Short
¡Three Amigos! (Warner Bros, 1986)
The Restless Breed (Fox, 1957)
Avenging Angel (RHI/Alpine Medien/Hallmark, 2007)
Joshua (Po' Boy/Lone Star, 1976)
Chato's Land (UA, 1972)
Judge Priest (Fox, 1934)
Joe Pepper by Elmer Kelton
Kid Vengeance aka Vengeance (Golan-Gobus, 1977)
God's Gun aka Diamante Lobo, A Bullet from God, et...
Seminole (UA, 1953)
Hell Bent for Leather (Universal, 1960)
El kárate, el Colt y el impostor aka Blood Money (...
Cloudy in the West by Elmer Kelton
Six Reasons Why (Campagna Brothers, Internext, etc...
The Good, The Bad, The Weird aka Joheunnom nabbeun...
Comanche Territory (Universal, 1950)
Man of the East aka E poi lo chiamarono il magnifi...
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (HBO, 2007)
Savage Journey (American Television Productions, 1...
Mohawk (Fox, 1956)
Hondo by Louis L'Amour
Paradise Canyon (Lone Star/Monogram, 1935)
Comanche Moon (CBS TV mini-series, 2008)
Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry
The Dawn Rider (Lone Star/Monogram, 1935)
Desperado (Columbia, 1995)
Desperado (NBC, 1987)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We all know we should. We all want the health benefits. Most of us find it hard to integrate exercise into our lives. To those of you who do, good for you, it does take effort.
We often forget that people who keep in shape are making a choice and doing the work. We say things to make excuses for ourselves, 'It's easy for them!' 'They enjoy it' 'They were born skinny!' as if we are exempt because it's not for us, we don't and we weren't. Staying healthy and in shape, especially after the age of 30, requires daily choice and action. It's not easy for anyone.
The reason I wanted to write about this is that I noticed of friends, clients and yes, me too, talking about exercising and then delivering excuse after excuse and finally beating ourselves up for not doing it, or not doing enough. From a mental/emotional health point of view, I have one really important message for all of us. If you can't fit exercise into your life, or choose not to, at least don't beat yourself up for it. This only compounds a less healthy physical choice with an unhealthy mental/emotional choice. Making it even less likely you will.
How to deal with exercise depends (like EVERYTHING) on knowing what you want, remaining conscious of this on a daily basis and knowing what strategies will work for you. You find out what works for you by trying things you think might work, and keeping up the ones that do.
If you take advice from 'experts' be aware that everyone who has a plan or a model to sell you (the honest ones) is telling you what worked for them. It may or may not work for you. Try it and see. Don't start with anything extreme. Balance is the key and working up your fitness level. Set targets that are right for you (big huge ones if you respond to a challenge, tiny baby steps if you get overwhelmed easily) there is no right and wrong way. The only way is the way that works for you.
Take charge of your own health, create the healthiest habits you can in your life and never beat yourself up for falling off the wagon. Just smile at yourself in the mirror for being fabulous and climb back up there tomorrow!
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A mother has been banned from her local playgroup, for being 'too Australian'.
Tara Coverdale, was asked to leave her local playgroup after being told she was not multicultural enough to participate.
According to Newscorp, the mother of two was over the moon when she realised there was a local playgroup within walking distance of their inner-city Sydney home.
"Can I ask what your cultural background is?" the staff member asked.
Thinking the woman was just personally curious the blonde haired and blue eyed Tara happily answered "I'm Australian".
"I'm sorry you can't come here. It's for multicultural families and people who speak languages other than English at home," the woman responded.
Shocked by the response, Tara stood her ground saying "I'm not leaving".
But the woman insisted, stating that if Tara wanted to join a playgroup, she'd be best looking elsewhere – the closest of which was more than a 30 minute walk away.
Local Education Minister Rob Stokes said he was disappointed about the events and encouraged equality regardless of background.
"I was disappointed to hear that a mum and her young child felt they were not welcome... This is not acceptable," he said.
Do you think it was out of line?


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Close Encounters Doc, 'Who Are You People?' Now Available To Pre-order
By welshslider May 20, 2016
'Who Are You People?' is a wonderful documentary that tells the story of Close Encounters of The Third Kind and how the movie came to be made in the small town of Mobile, Alabama. The documentary is now available to pre-order. Details are below. You can read our review of this excellent documentary here.
Well this is the moment most of you have been waiting for. "Who Are You People?" is now available for preorder or later for rent. Please follow the link to find out more: http://wayp.vhx.tv/
"Who are You People?" is the story of a small, southern town on the brink of economic disaster saved by an extraordinary encounter with Hollywood. This unique behind the scenes documentary showcases the making of the science fiction blockbuster "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as told not by the filmmakers, but the local extras, actors, and crew involved.
Featuring NEVER BEFORE SEEN images and stories behind one of Hollywood's greatest films!
Our Twitter handle is @frame29films
Thank you again to all that have supported us in this endeavor and may you find the payoff for your patience rewarding with this documentary.
The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and John Williams
Close encounters of the Third Kind who are you people
Labels: Close encounters of the Third Kind who are you people


text:
Trieste United States Troops (dobesedno Enote Združenih držav Trst; kratica TRUST) je bilo poveljstvo Kopenske vojske ZDA, ki je bilo odgovorno za ameriško zasedbeno garnizijo v Svobodnem tržaškem ozemlju med letoma 1947 in 1954. Skupaj z britanskimi zasedbenimi enotami je predstavljala vojaško silo Zavezniške vojaške vlade.

Zgodovina
Na podlagi pariškega mirovnega sporazuma iz leta 1948 med Italijo in Zavezniškimi in pridruženimi državami (Sovjetska zveza, Združeno kraljestvo, ZDA, Kitajska, Francija, Avstralija, Belgija, Beloruska sovjetska socialistična republika, Brazilija, Kanada, Češkoslovaška, Etiopija, Grčija, Indija, Nizozemska, Nova Zelandija, Poljska, Ukrajinska sovjetska socialistična republika, Zveza Južne Afrike, Socialistična federativna republika Jugoslavija) je bilo ustanovljeno Svobodno tržaško ozemlje (STO).

V zahodni coni A je bila tako ustanovljena Zavezniška vojaška vlada in posledično so ustanovili dva kontingenta (ameriškega in britanskega) za varovanje cone, vsak v moči 5.000 mož. Kopenska vojska ZDA je nalogo za zagotovitev ameriškega kontingenta dodelila 88. pehotni diviziji in z ukazom generalmajorja Bryanta E. Moora, poveljnika divizije, je bil 1. maja 1947 ustanovljen TRUST. Osnovo TRUST-a je tako predstavljal divizijski 351. pehotni polk. Osnovna naloga TRUST-a je bila zagotavljanja javnega reda in miru znotraj same cone in (so)varovanje meje med cono A in B. Štab se je nahajal v gradu Miramar, medtem ko so bile enote razporejene na območju Trst-Opčine-Devin.

Z podpisom sporazuma med Italijo in Jugoslavijo o stalni razmejitvi 4. oktobra 1954 so se še isti mesec pričeli umikati vojaki v Livorno. Zadnji vojaki so zapustili cono A 26. oktobra 1954, s čimer je bil tudi dokončno razpuščen TRUST.

Organizacija
 1953
 Štab (Grad Miramar)
 351. pehotni polk
 Štab in prištabna četa (Opčine)
 Tankovska četa
 Težko-minometna četa
 Logistična četa
 3x Pehotni bataljon (2 na področju Občin in 1 v Trstu)
 Štab in prištabna četa
 3x Pehotna četa
 Težka četa
 88. izvidniška četa
 12. poljsko-artilerijska baterija
 517. bojno-inženirska četa
 281. vojaško-policijska četa
 7106. inženirska logistična četa
 23. četa za oskrbo s strelivom
 508. komunikacijska četa
 23. zaledna četa
 9. transportna četa
 7. bolnišnica
 98. vojaški band
 701. štabna četa splošnega skladišča

Pripadniki
 Poveljstvo
 generalmajor Bryant E. Moore: maj 1947 - junij 1948
 generalmajor William H. Hoge: junij 1948 - marec 1951
 generalmajor Edmund B. Seebree: marec 1951 - julij 1952
 generalmajor William B. Bradford: julij 1952 - februar 1953
 generalmajor Bernice M. McFayden: februar 1953 - julij 1954
 generalmajor John A. Dabney: julij 1954 - september 1954

 Znameniti pripadniki
Eden izmed poveljnikov 351. pehotnega polka v času TRUST-a (1951-52) je bil tudi polkovnik Earle Gilmore Wheeler, poznejši general in načelnik Generalštaba Kopenske vojske ZDA ter načelnik Združenega štaba Oboroženih sil ZDA med vietnamsko vojno.

Opombe

Glej tudi

 British Element Trieste Forces

Poveljstva Kopenske vojske ZDA
Svobodno tržaško ozemlje
Vojaške enote, ustanovljene leta 1947
Vojaške enote, ukinjene leta 1954
Vojaške enote, garnizirane v Trstu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Euscorpiidae es una familia de escorpiones. Fue descrita por Laurie en 1896.

Género
 Subfamilia Euscorpiinae
 Euscorpius Thorell, 1876
 Subfamilia Megacorminae
 Megacormus Karsch, 1881
 Plesiochactas Pocock, 1900
 Chactopsis Kraepelin, 1912
 Subfamilia Scorpiopinae
 Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980
 Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974
 Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980
 Neoscorpiops Vachon, 1980
 Paracorpiops Banks, 1928
 Scorpiops Peters, 1861
 Troglocormus Francke, 1981

Referencias


Located on the ground floor,??with a total size of 102.3 m2 this elegant 2-bedroom suite faces the entrance garden. It has a separate sitting room, fully functional and equipped kitchenette, cable television, individually controlled air conditioning, a direct-dial telephone and LAN / Wi-Fi.


text:
Five Nights at Freddy's Movie Updated by Jason Blum
Among Us comes to a number twenty 22 Roadmap
Monster Hunter Rise sold over 8 million copies worldwide
Shadow Warrior 3s Microsoft Store page hints at March 1st release date
Games Done Quick have raised over 3 million dollars For Charity
A roadmap for Among Us 2022 reveals plans for new roles and collaborations in the future
Star Wars: The Windows PC server for the II Battlefront will be fixed, according to DICE
Call to Duty: Warzones demon pistols have arrived in vanguard and are resorted
The dual-sense controller combines deep rock galactics and combat with the plethora of other tools
In season 2's full trailer for The Witcher will be available in the air
News RPG The Witcher
This December 17th, Henry Cavil's Geralt will appear in the House of Representatives.
The witching season is approaching. To prepare for Geralt's return to Netflix, The Witcher has released a new, full trailer for season 2, which is even bigger – and stranger – than the first.
It looks like the Continent has been engulfed in all-out war after the first season left off, and monsters are afoot in huge numbers. This is a difficult task for our Man Geralt, and the trailer provides us plenty of excellent shots of him fighting men, gargoyles, vampires. With Ciri and Geralt reunited at the end of season one, the pair now want to open a shop in Kaer Morhen's ancestral Witcher fortress.
I expect the same kind of time-skipping, long-form plot to be used in this second season of the show, and it is apparent that Yennefer and her fellow sorceresses are out to recover following the bloodbath in which they were last seen. But that doesn't mean that there is time for one-off stories. The first episode of season 2 will be a retelling of A Grain of Truth, a Beauty and the Beast inspired tale from Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski'sThe Last Wish anthology.
We even see Jaskier at the end of the trailer, which may be bad news for those who want to stay away from getting "Toss a Coin to your Witcher" stuck in their head this winter. The Witcher, a new film, will be released on December 17th. Later today, Netflix will host a live Twitter Q&A with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich.
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Jason Blum recently gave fans an impromptu Q&A session on Twitter. Within one minute of his reply asking for questions,...
In fact, 2022 is the beginning of the future of Among us. Today, the developer released a roadmap for this...
Capcom announced today that a monster Hunter Rise for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam) has shipped 8 million units worldwide....
Microsoft Store may have leaked the date of the release of Shadow Warrior 3. According to its official MS store...
2022 Awesome Games Done Quick, which ended on Sunday, raised 3,4 million dollars. It is the biggest single-event total that...
It seems to be suspicious of how much Among Us keeps reloading its attention. While the social deduction game is...
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text:
Mets Morning News: Mets add Zack Scott to front office
Your Christmas Eve dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
By Linda Surovich@LindaSurovich Dec 24, 2020, 8:30am EST
Share All sharing options for: Mets Morning News: Mets add Zack Scott to front office
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
The Mets hired Zack Scott as their senior vice president and assistant general manager. Scott was originally a finalist for the GM position but accepted this job to help round out the retooled front office.
Pete Alonso is ready for a bounce back season and thinks analytics will help him improve upon his disappointing 2020 season.
Darryl Strawberry reflected on his time playing in New York and what it takes to be successful in the City That Never Sleeps.
Is now the time to trade Noah Syndergaard?
Steve Cohen chatted with Howie Rose and answered fan questions. He is hopeful fans will be back at Citi Field in 2021 and he is very much concerned with the fan experience at the ballpark.
Former Marlin Jose Urena signed with the Tigers for one year after being released by Miami earlier this offseason.
The Phillies have reportedly made an offer to J.T. Realmuto but there are still other teams interested in the catcher.
How do you solve a problem like Carter Kieboom? The Nationals need to decide whether he is a part of their contention window after not showing much at the major league level.
Reliever Tommy Kahnle signed a two-year deal with the Dodgers but will likely miss all of next season after undergoing Tommy John in August.
Outside of the Mets, it's been a relatively quiet offseason so of course there is only more speculation about where the biggest names wind up.
The Padres could be a potential match for acquiring Yu Darvish from the Cubs.
Despite being a wacky season players still put up some impressive numbers in 2020.
Who has the best broadcast booth in the league?
On episode 68 of A Pod of Their Own, James McCann, Jared Porter, and the Cleveland Baseball Team were all discussed.
In a surprising move, the Mets signed Dellin Betances on this date last year. It didn't quite work out but he has a chance to redeem himself in 2021 after he exercised his player option in November.


text:
Land Law — Court allows mentally incapacitated person's next friend to obtain order for sale under the Partition Ordinance without making prior application under the Mental Health Ordinance
The Court accepted that the question of whether a party is required to act through a next friend should ordinarily be determined by the party himself or by those caring for him (perhaps with the advice of a solicitor), without the need for inquiry by the Court.
Chin Ling Wah by her son and next friend Shum Lui v Shum Chau
Reference: [2022] HKCFI 1800; [2022] 3 HKLRD 372
Court: Court of First Instance
Before: Deputy High Court Judge Jonathan Chang SC in Court
Appearance: Ross Yuen, instructed by Kwok Ng & Chan assigned by the Director of Legal Aid, acted for the successful Plaintiff
Date of Judgment: 24 June 2022
To deal with the property and affairs of a mentally incapacitated person ("MIP"), it is conventional to apply under the Mental Health Ordinance (Cap 136) ("MHO"). In a special situation where such application is yet to be made, can a next friend apply to the Court for an order for sale of the MIP's property under the Partition Ordinance (Cap 352) to raise funds for maintenance and support of the MIP?
In this case, the Court answered the question in the affirmative and gave guidance on the procedural steps. More importantly, in the present case where the property was held in joint tenancy, the Court held that an order for sale must be in the obvious benefit of the MIP, even though obvious benefit is not usually featured as a consideration in applications under the Partition Ordinance.
The subject property is co-owned as joint tenants by the plaintiff and her daughter, the defendant. In 2015, the Director of Social Welfare was appointed as the guardian of the plaintiff on the basis that she was an MIP in need of protection.
In 2017, the guardianship order was not renewed because the Director was satisfied that the plaintiff's best interest and welfare needs could be met by leaving her under the care of her son.
In 2018, the son as the next friend of the plaintiff commenced the action under the Partition Ordinance for an order for sale of the plaintiff's jointly-owned property with the defendant. The purpose is to raise funds for the maintenance of the plaintiff.
The Court's Analysis
Standing of the next friend without an order under the Mental Health Ordinance
The Court found that there is no pre-requisite to appoint a committee under the MHO to manage an MIP's financial affairs before a next friend of the MIP can commence legal proceedings.
The starting point is Order 80 rule 2(1) of the Rules of the High Court (Cap 4A) which provides that a person under disability may not bring or make a claim in any proceedings except by his next friend. Under Order 80 rule 1, a person under disability includes an MIP within the meaning of the MHO who, by reason of mental disorder or mental handicap (as the case may be), is incapable of managing and administering his property and affairs.
The Court however accepted that although Order 80 refers to the MHO, it operates separately from the MHO; hence, an inquiry under Part II of the MHO is not required to establish the mental incapacity of the person under disability. In general, a person can sue, without leave, as a next friend for a person under disability by filing the documents listed under Order 80 rule 3(8).
Therefore, the Court accepted that the question of whether a party is required to act through a next friend should, in the ordinary case, be determined by the party himself or by those caring for him, perhaps with the advice of a solicitor (who has to file a certificate under Order 80 rule 3(8)(c) to certify that he knows or believes the party is one under disability with supporting grounds), without the need for inquiry by the Court.
Nonetheless, the Court noted that the opposite party is entitled to challenge the next friend's authority by applying for a stay or dismissal of the proceedings. Such dispute of authority should not be raised only in defence let alone at trial, but should first be resolved before the action is allowed to proceed. This is to avoid a total waste of time and resources on the substantive issues at trial if the point on lack of authority should be upheld at the end of the day.
Sale in the "obvious benefit" of the mentally incapacitated person
In considering whether an order for sale is appropriate, it is well established that a co-owner has a basic right to rid him/herself of the shackles of co-ownership. However, it was less straightforward here in that the subject property is held in joint tenancy and it involved dealing with the MIP's assets when the application under the MHO is yet to be made.
The Court considered where the co-owners are joint tenants (as in the present case), the sale of the property has the effect of limiting a joint tenant's share to half (or such other portion as the Court may determine), and the joint tenant is effectively forgoing the chance of becoming a sole owner by operation of the doctrine of survivorship in the event of being pre-deceased by the other co-owner. This potential loss, so to speak, might be something against the interest of the MIP as the Court was unable to ascertain the MIP's wish.
The Court held that a sale in such circumstances has to be in the obvious benefit of the MIP in the overall circumstances by adopting the observation of Bowen LJ in Porter v Porter (1888) LR 37 Ch D 420 at 430:
"It is obvious that, in the absence of the principal person who is concerned, his property ought to be left as far as possible, and so far as his interest does not render the opposite thing necessary to be done – in the condition in which it was, quieta non movere. But still if it is for his protection and for his obvious benefit then the Court ought to interfere to give him, while his senses are sleeping, the same sort of protection to which he would be entitled if his senses were awake, and he could act for himself."
The Court was satisfied that an order for sale is in the plaintiff's obvious benefit. In particular, the Court has taken the following factors into consideration: –
1. The current financial status of the MIP: The Court found that the plaintiff has no other meaningful assets available for free disposal apart from her interest in the subject property.
2. The financial need of the MIP: The Court accepted the evidence that the next friend has to pay about RMB 8,000 monthly to an elderly home in Shenzhen for the plaintiff.
3. Other alternative source of funds: The Court found that there is no guarantee that the next friend can, and certainly no legal obligation that he should, financially support the plaintiff permanently; and given the plaintiff's physical condition, it is unrealistic to relocate her back to Hong Kong to enjoy the social welfare.
The Court found that liquidating the subject property is the only certain and feasible way to provide the plaintiff with funds to maintain her well-being. In balancing the expense of her losing out her half share in the subject property, the Court was satisfied that the plaintiff's present needs outweigh the mere hope of a future benefit.
1. A claim can be brought for an MIP without filing medical evidence to prove the his/her disability under Order 80. Nonetheless, under Order 80 rule 3(8)(c), the solicitor is required to file a certificate stating the grounds of knowledge or belief that the party is a MIP. It is therefore prudent for the solicitor acting for an MIP to have sight of at least certain medical evidence in this regard and to make sufficient enquiries.
2. If a defendant desires to challenge the standing of the next friend or the medical condition of the MIP, he/she should apply for a stay or dismissal of the proceedings and should not raise the challenge only by defence let alone at trial.
3. The simple procedures of Order 80 allow a next friend to kick-start an action for an MIP. It is particularly apt in a case where the cause of action may soon be time barred, or where the MIP is not in Hong Kong and cannot access the medical officers recognized under the MHO.
4. It is advisable to make the application for setting up a committee to manage the property and affairs of the MIP under the MHO as soon as practicable. Without the committee, the sale proceeds pursuant to the order for sale cannot be applied to the maintenance of the plaintiff.
5. The requirement of "obvious benefit" is relevant not only in a case of joint tenancy but also tenancy in common. Porter (supra) in fact involved the partition of a property held in tenancy in common. It would however appear that the consideration is less complicated in a case of tenancy in common.
Ross Yuen
Called to the Bar in 2008, Ross has developed a general civil practice with particular emphasis on land and commercial law.
• Lead Harvest Group Ltd & Ors v Cheong Wing Electric Limited & Ors LDCS 6000/2018 [2022], HKLdT 8, 7 Feb 2022 (the Tribunal set record breaking reserve price of over HK$5 Billion in compulsory sale application)
• Hung Yip (HK) Engineering Co Ltd v. Kinli Civil Engineering Ltd[2021] 1 HKLRD 860 (applicant of injunction to restrain presentation of winding-up petition to demonstrate presentation would be abuse of process which is not the same as demonstrating bona fide defence on substantial grounds)
• Gain Wealth Global Credit & Investment Ltd v Chan Suk Fong [2020] 4 HKLRD 831 (calculation of effective rate of interest to determine if maximum permitted under Money Lenders Ordinance had been exceeded and exercise of discretion under s.25(1), (2)(b) of the Ordinance)
• Monat Investment Ltd v. All Person(s) in Occupation of Part of the Remaining Portion of Lot No 591 in Mui Wo D.D. 4 No.16 Ma Po Tsuen, Mui Wo, Lantau Island and Another [2020] 4 HKLRD 330, [2020] HKCFI 1970 (whether a squatter's unlawful actions preclude his adverse possession claim from succeeding).
Visit Ross' profile for more details.
This article was first published on 9 August 2022.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute legal advice and seeks to set out the general principles of the law. Detailed advice should therefore be sought from a legal professional relating to the individual merits and facts of a particular case. The photograph which appears in this article is included for decorative purposes only and should not be taken as a depiction of any matter to which the case is related.


Dismayed by the prospect of Hamas reaching a separate accord with Israel, the PA president issued threats that were reported in the Arab media.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to cut off all relations with Israel, including security cooperation, if it goes ahead with the cease-fire agreement that is supposedly in the works with Hamas, according to an Al-Hayyat report Friday.
Egypt has been the main mediator between Israel and Hamas, facilitating indirect talks between the two sides that have led to reports of understandings being reached, though neither party has signed onto anything as yet. Although there has been a significant reduction of violence emanating from Gaza in recent weeks, balloon-arson attacks have only slowed from a barrage to a thin stream that still threatens Israeli farmland and communities.
In addition, the Erez crossing from Gaza was the scene of rioting and vandalism just this past Tuesday, leading Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to order the pedestrian crossing to be closed for a week in retaliation, except for humanitarian cases.
The London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayyat quoted Palestinian sources as saying that Hamas was more interested in making a truce deal with Israel to attain calm in Gaza rather than working to implement the reconciliation agreement that it signed with the PA months ago.
It was "the least evil" option, they said, considering the "intransigence of Fatah" in insisting on conditions for reconciliation that the Hamas rulers find unacceptable – such as handing over their weapons to a PA government that would take over administration of the coastal enclave.
The report said that Abbas' threat seems to have worked with Egypt, which "decided to postpone the option of 'calm first,' and replace it with … 'reconciliation first,'" and will invite delegations of both sides to Cairo to once again discuss the reunification of the Palestinian factions.
It may be hard for Israel's government to take this threat seriously, however, as Abbas has made it several times in the past without carrying through on it. The most recent threat was issued in May, when the PA reportedly warned that it would cut security ties if Israel lifted its blockade on Gaza, since Abbas wants to keep up the pressure on Hamas to hand over control of the Strip to him.
At other times, Abbas has made the threat as a way to pressure Israel, as he did in 2015 to try to force Prime Minister Netanyahu into releasing tax revenue that was being withheld after the PA joined the International Criminal Court. He did it again in 2014 when trying to influence the UN Security Council to pass a draft resolution setting a 12-month deadline to complete a peace agreement with Israel.
Notwithstanding Abbas' threats, it is widely believed that without the PA's ongoing intelligence and security cooperation with Israel, it would fall and Hamas would take over all of Areas A and B in Judea and Samaria, a scenario that the PA president fears perhaps more than Israel does.


Over the years, we've built long-term relationships with a select group of clients who we love working with (and who love working with us!).
It means we spend way less time marketing our services and actively pitching clients… because we simply don't need to do that anymore.
Lesson 2: What if a client doesn't like your work?
To be honest, we're both introverts -- and that means we have low reserves of energy available for marketing our business.
We've gotten around this issue by holding onto clients when we get them! Having long-term relationships with clients means we spend way less time actively finding new clients, and a whole lot more energy for the important things in life.
It's truly not difficult to keep clients. It's actually pretty straightforward! With our techniques, you'll be empowered to have long-term retainer clients, making scheduling your life that much easier.
We can't wait to show you how to do it in Keep Your Clients.
Ready to make that your reality?
All the materials are in there so you can get started as soon as you join! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
Is this all just theory, or is it action-oriented?
We are ALL about the action! In fact, each lesson includes a corresponding action item so that you're not just learning what you need to know… but taking ACTION on it, every step along the way!


text:
Q: undefined method `empty?' for nil:NilClass how to avoid it Hi Together I've got this code:
 @coursesFound = @user.available_courses
@courses = []

for course in @coursesFound do
  @courseInGroups = course.user_groups
  for group in @courseInGroups do
    @group = UserGroup.find group.id
    if @group.users.map { |u| u.id }.include? @user.id
      @courses << course
      break
    end
  end
end

# Wenn ein Kurs keiner Gruppe hinzugefügt wurde
if @courseInGroups.empty?
  @courses << course
end

on my debian vm it works fine but on my live system I got this error:
undefined method `empty?' for nil:NilClass

How can I avoid this?

A: You can use the try method to Avoid this error:
@courseInGroups.try(:empty?)

This won't throw an error if @courseInGroups was nil.

A: You need to properly initialize your object as well.
@courseInGroups = course.user_groups || []

You won't get nil:NilClass error any more if you initialize properly.
To get rid of nil:NilClass error you can use other answer. like try etc.

A: And don't forget blank? when using rails. Here you find a good overview of all methods with or without rails.
I did not analyze your code, it's just for you, me and others that do not use this methods often, mix them up and then come here - just to remember: empty? is not blank?.

A: If this @coursesFound = @user.available_courses returns an empty activerecord relation.
Then this won't execute
for course in @coursesFound do
  @courseInGroups = course.user_groups
  for group in @courseInGroups do
    @group = UserGroup.find group.id
    if @group.users.map { |u| u.id }.include? @user.id
      @courses << course
      break
    end
  end
end

Which means when you get here @courseInGroups is nil
if @courseInGroups.empty?
  @courses << course
end

So your quick fix would be
if @courseInGroups && @courseInGroups.empty?
  @courses << course
end

A: You can put the ? before the dot of the empty:
if @courseInGroups?.empty

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Council had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided information to allow the setting of the rent level for the financial year 2018/19 as well as provisional rents for the financial years 2019/20 to 2022/23, which in turn would allow a capital programme for 2018/19 to be set as well as a provisional programme for 2019/20 to 2022/23.
(j) instruct the Director of Resources to finalise the Housing Business Plan on completion of the Asset Management Plan and present to the relevant future committee.
(12) instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the City Growth and Resources Committee on 19 June 2018 with business cases for the delivery of 2,000 Council houses in conjunction with private developers, as appropriate, working within an affordable capital investment sum of £250million and that each business case must demonstrate the long term affordability and sustainability of the Council's Housing Revenue Account.
Charges - Services Admin & Management.
(14) instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the City Growth and Resources Committee on 19 June 2018 with business cases for the delivery of 2,000 Council houses in conjunction with private developers, as appropriate, working within an affordable capital investment sum of £250million and that each business case must demonstrate the long term affordability and sustainability of the Council's Housing Revenue Account, and the Council continue the good practice of consulting our tenants as we currently do in regard to any significant change in rent policy or strategy, which is in line with national guidance of involving tenants in the major decision process and with consultation with the Housing Performance and Budget Group and the Tenant Participation Group.
(11) instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the relevant future committee with a business case for the acquisition of ex-Council properties in buildings where the Council is the majority owner and the income stream generated would cover the cost of acquisition as well as any other properties that were previously Council owned.
During the course of summing up, Councillor Laing agreed to accept part (13) of Councillor Jackie Dunbar's amendment on a case by case basis.
There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar and the amendment by Councillor Delaney.
For the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar (19) - Councillors Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, Catriona MacKenzie, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart and Townson.
For the amendment by Councillor Delaney (3) - Councillors Delaney, Greig and Yuill.
Declined to vote (23) - Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Bell, Boulton, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Houghton, Hunt, Imrie, John, Laing, Lumsden, Macdonald, Avril MacKenzie, Malik, Mason MSP, Reynolds, Sellar, Jennifer Stewart and Wheeler.
The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar.
For the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar (22) - Councillors Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, Catriona MacKenzie, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart,Townson and Yuill.
to adopt the motion and part (13) of Councillor Jackie Dunbar's amendment on a case by case basis.


Ethiopia's Muktar Edris, left, celebrates after winning the Men's 5000 meters final at the World Athletics Championships in London.
Britain's Mo Farah, left, celebrates after winning the Men's 10,000 meters final during the World Athletics Championships in London.
Britain's Mo Farah, center, asks the crowd for support on his way to winning the gold medal in the Men's 10,000m final during the World Athletics Championships in London.


Favorite Movie: Almost Famous is by far my favorite movie! It has an amazing cast and awesome soundtrack. If I ever need life quotes or inspiration I watch this movie!
Song that's constantly on repeat on my iPod: Mac Miller's "Best Day Ever" has been what I play the most lately.
Future career goals: I want to work for the medical industry or open up a consulting firm in Austin, Texas.
What I look for in a girl: she has to have a sense of humor and be strong-willed and caring. I like to know that at the end of the day she will be beside me no matter what.
Why I chose Sam: It had a good music program which is why I first came here, and my best friend also attended the school.


text:
// g2o - General Graph Optimization
// Copyright (C) 2011 R. Kuemmerle, G. Grisetti, W. Burgard
// All rights reserved.
//
// Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
// modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
// met:
//
// * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
//   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
// * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
//   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
//   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
//
// THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS
// IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
// TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
// PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
// HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
// SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
// TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
// PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
// NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
// SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

#ifndef G2O_EDGE_PROJECT_DEPTH_H_
#define G2O_EDGE_PROJECT_DEPTH_H_

#include "g2o/core/base_binary_edge.h"

#include "vertex_se3.h"
#include "vertex_pointxyz.h"
#include "parameter_camera.h"
#include "g2o_types_slam3d_api.h"

namespace g2o {

  /*! \class EdgeProjectDepth
   * \brief g2o edge from a track to a depth camera node using a depth measurement (true distance, not disparity)
   */
  class G2O_TYPES_SLAM3D_API EdgeSE3PointXYZDepth : public BaseBinaryEdge<3, Vector3D, VertexSE3, VertexPointXYZ> {
  public:
    EIGEN_MAKE_ALIGNED_OPERATOR_NEW
    EdgeSE3PointXYZDepth();
    virtual bool read(std::istream& is);
    virtual bool write(std::ostream& os) const;

    // return the error estimate as a 3-vector
    void computeError();
    // jacobian
    virtual void linearizeOplus();

    virtual void setMeasurement(const Vector3D& m){
      _measurement = m;
    }

    virtual bool setMeasurementData(const double* d){
      Eigen::Map<const Vector3D> v(d);
      _measurement = v;
      return true;
    }

    virtual bool getMeasurementData(double* d) const{
      Eigen::Map<Vector3D> v(d);
      v=_measurement;
      return true;
    }

    virtual int measurementDimension() const {return 3;}

    virtual bool setMeasurementFromState() ;

    virtual double initialEstimatePossible(const OptimizableGraph::VertexSet& from,
             OptimizableGraph::Vertex* to) {
      (void) to;
      return (from.count(_vertices[0]) == 1 ? 1.0 : -1.0);
    }

    virtual void initialEstimate(const OptimizableGraph::VertexSet& from, OptimizableGraph::Vertex* to);

  private:
    Eigen::Matrix<double,3,9,Eigen::ColMajor> J; // jacobian before projection

    virtual bool resolveCaches();
    ParameterCamera* params;
    CacheCamera* cache;
  };

}
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: How do I architecture and implement custom membership provider? I am trying to learn ASP.NET MVC. After reading through many articles on the web, I have put together a crude sample application that authenticates against an existing SQL database using custom membership provider.
My models class library project is structured as shown below.

*

*Sigma.Models

*

*Implementations

*

*FormsAuthenticationService.cs

*MembershipService.cs

*Interfaces

*

*IFormsAuthenticationService.cs

*IMembershipRepository.cs

*IMembershipService.cs

*Providers

*

*SigmaMembersipProvider.cs

*Repository

*

*SqlMembershipRepository.cs

*MembershipModel.cs

My questions are as follows:

*

*Should I have to create another class library project like Sigma.DataAccess to keep the providers and repositories separately? Is this an acceptable way to do MVC solution architecture? This is only a proof of concept that I am working on and the actual project can get really huge. I want to make sure that I don't do anything stupid to begin with.

*IMembershipRepository and IMembershipService contain mostly the same functionalities except that IMembershipRepository returns data using the custom developed MembershipModel object; whereas IMembershipService is an interface of the standard ASP.NET MembershipProvider and returns MembershipUser and MembershipCollection. Should I have the interface IMembershipRepository inherit from IMembershipService?

*I would like to have models project reusable so I can use it against any other UI applications like WebForms or WinForms. Is that possible with the way project is structured?

*Also, I don't want to use the ASP.NET out-of-the-box membership provider because I need a solution that can work against an existing database. I assume that would mean I have to customize the features available in the ASP.NET membership provider to work against my custom database. Please correct me if my assumption is incorrect.
Thanks in advance.

A:
Should I have to create another class library project like Sigma.DataAccess to keep the providers and repositories separately? Is this an acceptable way to do MVC solution architecture? This is only a proof of concept that I am working on and the actual project can get really huge. I want to make sure that I don't do anything stupid to begin with.

Yes - keep them separate in case your implementation changes you have less impact.

IMembershipRepository and IMembershipService contain mostly the same functionalities except that IMembershipRepository returns data using the custom developed MembershipModel object; whereas IMembershipService is an interface of the standard ASP.NET MembershipProvider and returns MembershipUser and MembershipCollection. Should I have the interface IMembershipRepository inherit from IMembershipService?

Actually in the samples provided - there actually seems to be no difference in the implementation - both methods are bool ValidateUser() which is definitely a repeat but because they each have an end use that could 'potentially' change they are abstracted into two separate interfaces, so I would not have one inherit from the other.

I would like to have models project reusable so I can use it against any other UI applications like WebForms or WinForms. Is that possible with the way project is structured?

Yes - but I would break out and keep only the models in that project. Anything that is not a model - should not be in that project.

Also, I don't want to use the ASP.NET out-of-the-box membership provider because I need a solution that can work against an existing database. I assume that would mean I have to customize the features available in the ASP.NET membership provider to work against my custom database. Please correct me if my assumption is incorrect.

That is correct - you need a custom SQL membership provider


text:
Meppershall
[Transcribed and edited information from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868]
"MEPPERSHALL, (or Mepshall), a parish in the hundred of Clifton, county Bedford, 3 miles south of Shefford, its post town, 6 south by west of Biggleswade, and 12 south east of Bedford. The village is small, and chiefly agricultural. The plaiting of straw is carried on to some extent. Here are the remains of an ancient chapel, with an enriched Norman doorway, now converted into a barn. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £500, in the patronage of St. John's College, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, is a cruciform structure, with a tower. The charities consist of a share with Ampthill The church has brasses of J. Mepertyshale in armour, bearing date 1440. There is a National school. The trustees of Mrs. Barbara Kane and Mrs. Pen Woodburn are lords of the manor.
[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013
The 1851 Census Index for Meppershall can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 3, Book 5 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
There are photographs and a description of St Mary's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.
The following Churches have their own websites:
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Meppershall
The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a small cruciform building of stone, partly of Norman date, with Early English and Perpendicular additions and insertions, consisting of chancel, transepts, nave, aisles,, and a central tower containing 5 bells : both transepts have recesses for altars and piscine : there is a brass effigy of a knight in plate armour, with an inscription, below to John Meptyshale esq. 1440, and Katherine his wife ; the effigy of the latter, two shields and some scrolls, are lost: there is a similar, but mutilated knightly effigy, one of a female, and an inscription below to John Boteler esq. 1441, and Elizabeth (Kymbell), his wife: the whole church was restored, the nave rebuilt, and aisles added, in 1875-6, at a cost of £3,000. The register dates from the year 1653. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
The parish record transcripts for St Mary Magdalene are available on microfiche for the period 1653-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
A CDrom containing the Parish Records for Meppershall is available from the Meppershall Parochial Church Council.
St. Thomas' chapel, now used as a barn of the Chapel farm, is supposed to have been connected with Chicksands Priory, and contains a very fine Norman doorway; there are also, near the church, the remains of an ancient fortification, called "The Hills." Here are extensive steam brick and tile works, capable of turning out 80,000 bricks per week. A siding, in connection with Henlow station affords facilities for sending away any quantity of the manufactured material; Mr. Eli Plowman, proprietor. There is a coprolite pit here, owned by Mr. Frederick Smith, of Royston, Cambridgeshire. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
A transcript of the Meppershall parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England,
A transcript of the Meppershall parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9
Ask for a calculation of the distance from Meppershall to another place.
You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TL136363 (Lat/Lon: 52.01351, -0.346148), Meppershall which are provided by:
English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
The BFHS Project in conjunction with Roll of Honour contains the Meppershall War Memorial transcription for WW1 with details of the men found on it and Meppershall St Mary's War Memorial transcription for WW1 with details of the men found on it
If you have any suggestions for links to other sites that may be useful to other researchers, please use this User Links page
[Last updated at 11.56 on Sunday, 04 October 2020, by Colin Hinson]
Last updated Sun, 04/10/2020 - 12:00 - maintained by Colin Hinson


Fragments of rat C-peptide conjugated to a carrier protein.
Mouse anti Rat C-Peptide antibody, clone CII-11 recognizes rat C-peptide. C-peptide is a 31 amino acid peptide released when proinsulin is split into insulin and C-peptide. In rats, two isoforms of proinsulin exists, the difference is two amino acid residues in the C-peptide, termed C-peptide I and C-peptide II. Proinsulin is split when it is released from the pancreas into the blood in response to a rise in serum glucose levels. C-peptide function is not fully understood, it binds to cell membranes which leads to increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration and subsequent stimulation of N+, K+-ATPase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activities. C-peptide also functions in repair of the muscular layer of arteries. Mouse anti Rat C-Peptide antibody, clone CII-11 recognizes an epitope in the N-terminal region of rat and mouse C-peptide I and II with almost equal affinity. It reacts very weakly with rat proinsulin.
Anti Rat C-Peptide Antibody, clone CII-11 is for research use only and not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.


text:
MPC Hires William O'Donnell to Lead the Development of Company's Digital Twins Offering
The VFX studio is investing in its Digital Twins capability, to service future-facing brands wishing to explore their footprint in the evolving digital media landscape
Today MPC, a Technicolor creative studio, announced a senior hire as part of the company's strategy to evolve its capabilities within VFX space.
William O'Donnell, previously of Accenture, joins the studio as head of Digital Twins, spearheading an evolving offering focused on servicing high-end brands across the Automotive, Fashion, Electronics, Architecture, CPG, and Beverages industries.
Digital Twins are photo-realistic digital iterations of a brand's assets such as products or brand mascots. These digital assets, unlike traditional CGI assets for commercial advertising, have limitless render possibilities across multiple media platforms including augmented and virtual reality, desktop retail, social media, game environments, broadcast and print. By creating a digital asset once in 3D virtual space, a brand can then use it to generate content across any media platform in any format across their growing digital eco-system, saving time, money, and environmental impact.
Brands will be able to re-create all their existing, and potential products in 3D space, hosting them in a 'Virtual Workshop' to be used for any media platform or asset at any time without re-shoots, ensuring continuity at scale.
Newly appointed head of Digital Twins, William O'Donnell. brings twenty years of digital experience to MPC, the last ten focused on 3D asset creation at scale. He spent five years at Mackevision as account director overseeing the Mercedes Benz 3D Fleet production for North American. When Mackevision was acquired by Accenture, William served as a 3D content creation SME for a variety of clients in the retail, automotive, fashion, QSR and beverage verticals.
William comments: "I joined MPC because of their unparalleled reputation for visual excellence. By investing in expanding our Digital Twins offering, we are providing a premium service, at scale, powered by over 40 years of best-in-class VFX artists. Many creators of Digital Twins either lack the capacity to produce at scale, or the capability to maintain top quality visuals; MPC can provide both.
"As the digital content market evolves and brands explore the next generation of the internet, we will look to collaborate with other Technicolor Creative Studios to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation and exploration within The Metaverse, of which Digital Twins play a key part."
William O'Donnell will be based between London and New York studios supporting the capability globally.
Mill London, Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:02:26 GMT
Mill London
Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:02:26 GMT
News from Mill London
Katy Perry, Iron Man and an X-Wing Build a Beautiful Holiday with LEGO's Christmas Spot
How Can Brands Use Immersive Experience to Engage Consumers?
The Directors: Rauri Cantelo
Technicolor Creative Studios Becomes Independent, Publicly Traded Company on the Paris Euronext Stock Exchange
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A Hebrew holy well? The mysterious Synagogue Well of Frodsham, Cheshire
Lying in a public park in a small town in Cheshire is a curiously named holy well. My first attempt to find the site in the 1990s was unsuccessful but it is reassuring that a return in 2014 not only found the park it lies in being much improved but now there were signposts to the well.
The Synagogue Well is perhaps uniquely named in the country a point I shall refer to later. Charles Hope in his 1893 "notes:
"The Synagogue Well, evidently one of great antiquity, and, before an attempt was made to improve it, of most picturesque appearance, is in the grounds of Park Place, Frodsham, late belonging to Joseph Stubs, Esq."
Hope's claim that it was of great antiquity however does not appear to easy to substantiate. However it certainly attracted antiquarian interest, William Beaumont in his 1888 An Account of the Ancient Town of Frodsham in Cheshire records in comparison to a similar site in the county:
"Such a fount there is at Frodsham, called 'The Synagogue Well,' which sends forth waters as copious and as limpid as that once frequented by Numa. It seems as if such a fount was necessary near an ancient castle; for as this fount rises close to the site of Frodsham Castle, so at the foot of Beeston Castle there is a similar spring. They both spring from the living rock, and both have a large square stone basin to receive the surplus water as it flows away."
A poet's romantic origin
In an unusual feature for a holy well, the site was immortalized in a poem which records:
"THE SYNAGOGUE WELL
The Roman, in his toilsome march, Disdainful viewed this humble spot, And thought not of Egeria's fount And Numa's grot.
No altar crowned the margin green, No dedication marked the stone; The warrior quaffed the living stream And hasten'd on.
Then was upreared the Norman keep, Where from the vale the uplands swell But, unobserved, in crystal jets The waters fell.
In conquering Edward's reign of pride, Gay streamed his flag from Frodsham's tower, But saw no step approach the wild And sylvan bower ;
Till once, when Mersey's silvery tides Were reddening with the beams of morn, There stood beside the fountain clear A man forlorn;
And, as his weary limbs he lav'd In its cool waters, you might trace That he was of the wand'ring tribe Of Israel's race.
With pious care, to guard the spring, A masonry compact he made, And all around its glistening verge Fresh flowers he laid.
"God of my fathers!" he exclaimed, Beheld of old in Horeb's mount, Who gav'st my sires Bethesda's pool And Siloa's fount,
Whose welcome streams, as erst of yore, To Judah's pilgrims never fail, Tho' exil'd far from Jordan's banks And Kedron's Vale
Grant that when yonder frowning walls, With tower and keep are crush'd and gone; The stones the Hebrew raised may last, And from his Well the strengthening spring May still flow on! "
A Jewish Mikveh, consonantal drift or folly bath?
Despite the poet's assertion that "he was of the wand'ring tribe, Of Israel's race." and that: "The stones the Hebrew raised may last" relics of Britain's Jewish heritage are scant and any site associated with them historically is of course of great interest and importance. But is Frodsham Castle's an example? Such baths have been uncovered which were originally ritual baths called Mikveh or Mikvah was this site one? It might be convenient to associate the site with a Jewish community attached to Frodsham Castle. However, there no evidence of a community ever being located there or in the more likely medieval Chester.
So where does the name come from? Beaumont (1888) records that:
"Some have suggested that Saint Agnes was its' patron, and that thence it won its name."
This belief is recorded on the current sign beside the well but the name itself is problematic. The majority of St. Agnes dedications appear to associated with late or spurious holy wells such as St. Agnes at Cothelstone where legends of love-lorn visits are linked – all Victorian romantic stuff. The clue to the origin of the well is again recorded by Beumont who states:
"The basin of that at Horsley is called a bath, and, as might be expected, the Synagogue well was also called, for once there was a curate at Frodsham who was an inveterate bather, and he resorted thither every morning and bathed in the well even when it was frozen over, and he had to break the ice before he could have his invigorating bath. But he was of a swimming family, and his father, Sir Lancelot Shadwell, Master of the Rolls, might often be seen leading his seven sons in a swim down the Thames."
This suggests that the site was probably a plunge pool or cold bath folly. Indeed the steps down in one corner suggest this and the sandstone fabric does not look old enough to be anything of antiquity. Perhaps one of the bathers was Jewish at some point and a local joke developed? Unlikely.
Another option may be that the chamber was the water supply for the castle or great houses. Similar basins exist associated with castles such as Wollaton Hall's, coincidentally called the Admiral's Bath due a local resident bathing in it, despite it being a water supply at the time!
Perhaps now the site is no longer being used a receptacle for garden waste, more research may be done to reveal the details.
Posted in Cheshire, Favourite site, Folklore, Folly, Hebrew, Jewish
Tags: antiquarian, archeology, Cheshire, folklore, Frodsham, healing wells, Holy well blog, Holy wells blog, Holy wells healing springs Spas folklore local history antiquarian, Holywell blog, Jewish, legends, Local history, Saints
The veneration of water in 12 objects ….number two Lindow Man and the Bog People
Not sure it is wise describing the remains of people as objects…although some would argue many museums do…indeed, the display of such objects has caused some controversy and that one of these bog relics has understandably now been removed from exhibit.
A mistaken murder
Lindow Museum in the London Museum
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).
On the 13th May 1983, commercial peat cutters on Lindow Moss near Wilmslow, Cheshire made a grim discovery, parts of a human skull with hair! Bizarrely, overhearing this discovery was Peter Reyn-Barn, who had long be suspected of murdering his wife in the 1950s but no evidence was ever found. He thought that the 'jig was up' and confessed, stating that he had buried her in his back garden which backed onto the bog! The remains were later to be dated to 250AD. He was charged even though this evidence was revealed before the trial, he had confessed after all. Significant perhaps over a year later 1st August 1984, these peat cutters found an even grimmer discovery: the remains of another body, strangled, throat cut and head beaten in. Again not Beyn-Fern wife, her body was never found, but a man of his mid 20s, the most complete bog person found in the UK. The evidence of two bodies in this area of peat bog was strong evidence of a ritual significance to the peoples in the area over 2000 years ago.
Why peat bogs?
Compared to springs, peat bogs and marshes provide an interesting contrast. They provide water but it would have been generally inaccessible to prehistoric peoples as a source of drinking water, yet they emphasized the very mystery of watery areas; the giving of water by the mother earth. Thus it is perhaps understandable that ritual activities would focus here where the water was less utile but still as unwordly.
Lindow Moss
copyright Roger Gittins
Why was he sacrificed?
Sadly although the majority of authorities agree these are the remains of sacrifices, little supporting evidence survives beyond them. Was he a significant member of the group This is more due to the fragmentary nature of such cultural survivals. One view is that it may be linked to the Celtic head cult, a cult I shall return to again in this blog. Date wise this would be concurrent with the Celtic period when this was undertaken. Who they were sacrificed to is unclear. Anne Ross quoted in Joy's 2009 book on Lindow Man suggests that the three forms of execution, may suggest different offerings to different gods. Glob (1969) in The Bog People notes:
"the rope nooses which several of the bog people carry round their necks, and which caused their deaths, are a further sign of sacrifice to the goddess Nerthus. They are perhaps replicas of the twisted neck-rings which are the mark of honour of the goddess, and a sign of consecration to her. The neck-ring is expressly the sign of the fertility goddesses of the period."
It was Roman Tacitus who recorded that she was celebrated by remote Suebi tribes in Germania. Nerthus was an Anglo-Norse Goddess of fertility which it would be likely transferred to England in the early pagan period of the colonisation, but evidence is scant I believe. Some have suggested it was an opportunist murder. But of course we really may never know. Joy notes:
"The jury really is still out on these bodies, whether they were aristocrats, priests, criminals, outsiders, whether they went willingly to their deaths or whether they were executed – but Lindow was a very remote place in those days, an unlikely place for an ambush or a murder."
However, again as Glob (1969) notes murder and ritual sacrifice are not so far apart: often murderers would be sacrificed to atone for their guilt and again Tacitus notes:
"cowards, poor fighters and notorious evillivers are plunged in the mud of marshes with a hurdle on their heads."
Dieck (1963) in The Problem with Bog People has recorded 690 bog bodies, the majority in North-western Europe, the stronghold of the Celts. Glob (1969) in The Bog People records 41 bodies recovered across England and Wales. 15 Scotland, as well as 19 Ireland in bogs, although few are as well preserved as Lindow Man found after his work of course. Less well known is the fact that over 20 years early in August 1958, a severed head was found. This again was thought be a recent murder but primitive chemical tests and X rays suggested at least 100 years. Post Lindow analysis showed him too to show evidence of a ritual killing with remains of a garrotte, although some believed it to be a necklace, from the late Iron Age-Romano British period and was again around 20-30 years old. The English remains which exist from a window of 1st to 4th centuries is interesting. Indeed The 150 years between the death of Lindow and Worsley man, is a period spanning the late Iron-Age to Roman occupation. What is interesting is that pre-Roman rituals were still clearly being undertaken in a period of occupation, after of course the Romans had outlawed it. It gives support to the survival of any pre-Christian ritual into Christianized times perhaps. What is fascinating about the Lindow Man and his other 'bog people' is that they provide a real tangible link to ancient water worship even if we never find out the true reasons for his murder.
Posted in Cheshire, Folklore, Gazatteer, Lancashire, Pagan gods
Tags: Bog people, Celtic, Cheshire, Holy Well, Holy well blog, Iron Age, Lindow Man, Manchester Museum, Romano-British, sacrifice
A secluded well and chapel: Chadkirk's St Chad's Well and Chapel
Nestling in a quiet valley beneath the suburban overspill of Stockport is Chadkirk chapel and its well, protected in this cocoon in a country park.
A picturesque chapel
The first record of the Chapel is around 1306, but by the early 16th century it was referred to as a Chantry Chapel with a Chaplain, Ralph Green, in Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535. This suggests a pre-Reformation chapel on the site perhaps nearer the well. However by 1621 when William Webb wrote about the Macclesfield Hundred he noted:
"At the foot of Werneth Low, towards the merzey, lies an old dearn and deavly chappell, so people call desert places out of company and resort: called Chad Chappell where seems to have been a monkish cell."
An archaeological survey undertaken in 1994 showed that there was a previous chapel on the site which was the same size. The present chapel is aligned east west and is a simple two cell building much in keeping with an Anglo-Saxon style. The oldest part was revealed to be the north and east walls of the chancel. Upon these stone walls is a wooden frame in traditional Cheshire black and white style.
Is it an ancient well?
Middleton (1939):
"A picturesque well near the chapel – its walls built of rubble stone, covered with moss and ferns – bears the name of St Chad's Well, or the Holy Well, and is traditionally said to have been the scene of miraculous cures."
Despite this it is a problematic well, as it is first named in 1872 on the first Ordnance Survey. A stone found in a garden nearby at Romiley is mentioned on the information display board at the well is linked to the ancient British head cult, it shows three heads and its tentatively linked to the well…very I would say.
The guide, A Short history of Chadkirk Chapel says:
"The well was probably here before that time but these small details were sometimes missed off the maps."
The well house was probably built around 18th -19th century and is built of sandstone blocks having a doorway with a flat lintel where there is evidence of both inner and outer door. It was probably roofed protecting it. Three steps step down into a rectangular well chamber, with a chamber measuring 1.8m x 1.6m. The wells seem to have been repaired or renovated several times in the past.
Every year since 1998 at the end of July a well dressing of the Derbyshire style has been produced and it is opened by the Mayor and is associated with the very popular festival.
What about St. Chad?
The earliest reference to the saint is possibly in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Cedde' although some believe that this refers to Cheadle. There is a tradition that the saint visited the area, but there is no direct evidence. Sadly, this is a trend quite common in wells associated with this saint.
Posted in Cheshire, Favourite site, Folklore, Pilgrimage, Saints, Well dressing
Tags: Chantry Chapel, Cheshire, Holy well blog, Local history, st chad, well dressing, William Webb


Didn't think you had anything in common with a bear? Think again.
Rudely awakened in the Canadian Rockies by the sound of the Grizzly's Growl? It was probably the bear cub's stomach. Share your maple syrup flavoured sunflower seeds to quell the growls and please mama bear too!


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Learners must complete a portfolio of evidence to show how they have met the assessment criteria for each unit.
There may be pieces of assessment evidence in a learner's portfolio that cover criteria for more than one unit, but teachers must assess each unit independently.
Teachers assess the outcomes for each unit and CCEA will moderate a sample of the centre's marking.
Assessment can take place as and when the learner is ready.
Centres may submit assessment outcomes to us for external moderation in Summer each year, beginning in Summer 2016.
We will make the first unit award and first full qualification award based on this specification in Summer 2016.
The specification contains more detailed information on the assessment and moderation requirements.


text:
Standex Reports Third-Quarter 2016 Financial Results
SALEM, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Standex International Corporation (NYSE:SXI) today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2016.
Third-Quarter Fiscal 2016 Results from Continuing Operations
Net sales decreased 2.0% to $177.5 million from $181.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Organic sales decreased 2.0%, foreign exchange had a negative effect of 1.4%, and acquisitions contributed positive 1.4% year over year.
Income from operations was $17.2 million, compared with $17.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015.Net income from continuing operations was $11.6 million, or $0.91 per diluted share, including tax-effected $0.3 million of restructuring charges. This compares with third-quarter fiscal 2015 net income from continuing operations of $12.8 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, including tax-effected $0.3 million of restructuring charges. Excluding the aforementioned items from both periods, non-GAAP net income from continuing operations was $11.9 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, compared with $13.1 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2015.
EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) was $21.6 million, compared with $22.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding the previously mentioned restructuring charges from both periods, adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of fiscal 2016 was $21.9 million, compared with $22.6 million in the year-earlier quarter.
Net working capital (defined as accounts receivable plus inventories less accounts payable) was $144.6 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2016, compared with $149.5 million a year earlier. Working capital turns were 4.9 in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and 4.8 in the prior year.
The Company closed the quarter with a net cash position of $7.4 million, compared with a net debt position of $44.4 million a year ago.
"We continued to make good progress operationally during the quarter as we faced challenges to the top line in certain of our end markets," said President and CEO David Dunbar. "Third-quarter non-GAAP operating income was down 3.7% year-over-year on a 2.0% revenue decline. Significant operating income gains in the Food Service Equipment Group did not fully offset a decline in Engineering Technologies operating income as a result of the oil and gas downturn and the impact of planned growth investments in Engraving. We generated a 9.6% Food Service operating margin in Q3, up from 7.0% last year, despite a 3.4% decline in sales. Engraving had another great quarter on the top line as we invested in technology to drive future growth, and Electronics and Hydraulics continued to perform well. The repositioning of Engineering Technologies is progressing well as we ramp up capacity to capitalize on aviation growth opportunities."
Food Service Equipment Group sales decreased 3.4% year-over-year, and operating income was up 32.0%.
"Our focus on margin improvement resulted in a significant increase in year-over-year Food Service Equipment operating income," said Dunbar. "Operating income margins increased 260 basis points to 9.6% on a sales decrease of 3.4% from Q3 last year. The decrease in sales was driven primarily by lower Refrigeration sales as well as ongoing actions to eliminate less profitable products. With our operational excellence initiatives in place and demonstrating positive early results, the team is advancing its commercial strategic initiatives -- focusing on technological enhancements to our product lines, expansion into attractive market adjacencies and improving sales force structure and incentives. However, we anticipate top-line performance challenges to continue in the Refrigeration group in the near term."
Engraving Group sales increased 6.2% year-over-year, with 11.6% organic growth partially offset by a 5.4% negative effect from foreign exchange. Operating income was down 7.9% compared with last year due to planned growth investments.
"Engraving Group sales increases were primarily driven by our Mold-Tech locations in Europe and China, as demand for automotive molds remain strong," said Dunbar. "As a result of our planned investments in laser and nickel shell technologies and design services to meet demand and market trends, operating income margins declined 280 basis points to 18.6%. While we have begun to see softness in some of our Asian markets, we remain optimistic about our near term potential for global Mold-Tech sales growth."
Engineering Technologies Group sales declined 21.3% year-over-year, and operating income decreased 52.3%.
"Organic sales were down 20.7% year-over-year, primarily due to significantly lower demand in the oil and gas markets, as well as contract timing in the space industry," said Dunbar. "This was partially offset by increased sales in aviation. Demand in aviation continues to grow and we are creating the capacity to fulfill customer needs. Construction of our Aluminum Center of Excellence in Wisconsin is on track and we expect to be in production at that facility in June.
We anticipate improvement in year-over-year fourth-quarter margins due to improvements from higher sales and margin growth in aviation and an easier year-over-year comparison in the oil and gas market."
Electronics Products Group sales were up 6.8% year-over-year. Acquisitions contributed 8.9%, partially offset by a negative currency effect of 2.3%. Operating income was down 0.7%.
"Electronics sales increased 6.8% due to the Q2 2016 acquisition of Northlake as well as program launches in Europe, partially offset by softness in Asia and North America and the effect of foreign exchange rate," said Dunbar. "Operating income was nearly flat to prior year results. We continue to see increasing opportunities in sensors and expect our new sensor programs will drive growth in fiscal year 2017."
The Hydraulics Products Group reported a 12.0% year-over-year sales increase, while operating income rose 16.5%.
"Sales were up 12.0% year-over-year, primarily due to the continued strengthening in our traditional North American dump truck and trailer markets, which is tied to the strong North American construction environment," said Dunbar. "Our customers are optimistic that the passage of the new five-year highway bill could provide further growth opportunities. We continue to capture new OEM platforms in the refuse space and we are focused on entering new markets, such as airline support equipment. March was a record month for cylinder production and we are enhancing our capacity in China in order to meet increased demand in the fourth quarter and into fiscal 2017."
"Our fourth-quarter focus will be to continue our operational excellence and top-line initiatives, as we seek to finish the year strong. Across the organization we will be aggressively executing on the four pillars of the Standex Value Creation System to drive performance in the business. These include the balanced performance plan process, the growth disciplines, operational excellence, and talent management."
Stock Repurchase
The Company today also is announcing that its Board of Directors has authorized a revision to its share repurchase program under which the Company may now repurchase up to an aggregate of $100 million of its outstanding common stock. Commenting on the Board's authorization, Mr. Dunbar stated, "To date, we have used our stock repurchase program primarily to offset dilution caused by employee stock issuances. This revision provides the Company with the ability to make opportunistic share repurchases, is consistent with our disciplined capital allocation strategy and reflects the Board's confidence in Standex's ability to enhance shareholder value." Under the program, purchases may be made from time to time on the open market, including through 10b5-1 trading plans, or through privately negotiated transactions, block transactions, or other techniques in accordance with prevailing market conditions and the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Board's authorization is open-ended and does not establish a timeframe for the purchases. The Company is not obligated to acquire a particular number of shares, and the program may be discontinued at any time at the Company's discretion.
Standex will host a conference call for investors today, May 3, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. ET. On the call, David Dunbar, President and CEO, and Thomas DeByle, CFO, will review the Company's financial results and business and operating highlights. Investors interested in listening to the webcast and viewing the slide presentation should log on to the "Investors" section of Standex's website under the subheading, "Webcasts and Presentations", located at www.standex.com. A replay of the webcast will also be available on the Company's web site shortly after the conclusion of the presentation. To listen to the playback, please dial (800) 585-8367 in the U.S. or (404) 537-3406 internationally; the passcode is 87927611. The webcast replay also can be accessed in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website, located at www.standex.com.
EBITDA, which is "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization," non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net income from continuing operations and free cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures and are intended to serve as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Standex believes that such information provides an additional measurement and consistent historical comparison of the Company's performance. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is available in this news release.
Standex International Corporation is a multi-industry manufacturer in five broad business segments: Food Service Equipment Group, Engineering Technologies Group, Engraving Group, Electronics Products Group, and Hydraulics Products Group with operations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa, India, South Korea and China. For additional information, visit the Company's website at http://standex.com/.
1 Safe Harbor Language
Statements in this news release include, or may be based upon, management's current expectations, estimates and/or projections about Standex's markets and industries. These statements are forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may materially differ from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ are the impact of implementation of government regulations and programs affecting our businesses, unforeseen legal judgments, fines or settlements, uncertainty in conditions in the financial and banking markets, general domestic and international economy including more specifically economic conditions in the oil and gas market, aerospace market, retail food and beverage market, and automotive and heavy construction vehicle markets, the impact of foreign exchange, increases in raw material costs, the ability to substitute less expensive alternative raw materials, the ability to continue to successfully implement productivity improvements, increase market share, access new markets, introduce new products, enhance our presence in strategic channels, the successful expansion and automation of manufacturing capabilities and diversification efforts in emerging markets, the ability to continue to achieve cost savings through lean manufacturing, cost reduction activities, and low cost sourcing, effective completion of plant consolidations, successful completion and integration of acquisitions and the other factors discussed in the Annual Report of Standex on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and any subsequent periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent management's estimates only as of the day made and should not be relied upon as representing management's estimates as of any subsequent date. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company and management specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if management's estimates change.


WHO ARE THE BACCHUS DANCERS?
The Bacchus Dance Company was formed in 1990 by Ginny King to provide work for Atlanta's professional Dancers in the special event field. A repertoire of Themed Dances was choreographed to meet the unique demands of party performance, and a dazzling wardrobe of costumes has also been created to add glamour and visual excitement to our shows. A client can book a single costumed character to an hour- long show, and our Company's Professional dancers complete the job with courtesy and Pizzazz. Award-winning new works have also been created to fit into very unique themes. We have performed hundreds of times in the last 12 years, entertaining at the South's Gala balls, trade shows and conventions and we enjoy a reputation for Quality, Service, and Value.
WHERE HAVE THE BACCHUS DANCERS PERFORMED?
Emory Hospital Ball, the Red Cross, Wellstar, and the League of Women Voters. We have also performed at many private social functions and awards ceremonies. These shows take place mostly in Hotel Ballrooms. We especially enjoy working at the Tabernacle and at the Fox Theatre.


Through its biannual world benchmark studies, UBI Global reveals in their latest edition that the 259 participating incubation programs from 53 countries accepted over 10,000 new client startups in the year of 2016. Their current client and recent alumni startups have over 72,000 employees on the payroll today. Furthermore, over the past five years, these same ventures generated over $3.2billion in sales revenue and raised a combined total of over $4.7billion in funding.