Croatia Airlines is expected to launch flights from Zagreb to Prague as part of its 2016 network expansion. According to the Czech "Centaurea" and "Planes.cz" portals, services will begin on May 21 and operate four times per week with its Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The airline itself has not confirmed the service launch. If the flights do go ahead, the carrier will compete directly against Czech Airlines, which will resume the route following a four year hiatus on April 27. Croatia Airlines has already announced a number of new seasonal services from Pula and Dubrovnik, while officials from the Croatia Tourist Board have also confirmed the carrier's intent to introduce flights from Zagreb to Milan, which would run three times per week starting in May as well.
Croatia Airlines and Czech Airlines are members of rival alliances SkyTeam and Star Alliance respectively. Zagreb was Czech Airlines' first international destination, launched in 1930. The route was suspended in 2012 due to the carrier's restructuring. Czech Airlines will maintain four weekly flights between the two cities with a mix of ATR 42 and 72 aircraft. It is primarily targeting transfer passengers on the route. The Czech carrier recently expanded its codeshare agreement with Delta Airlines which will see the latter place its flight numbers and "DL" designator code on services from Prague to the Croatian capital. Prague has recently become a popular destination for EX-YU carriers, with Air Serbia introducing flights to the city in 2013, followed by Adria Airways in 2014. Montenegro Airlines has said it is considering introducing charters to the Czech capital this summer.
Croatia Airlines is expected to announce a handful of new routes from Zagreb in the coming period, all of which are tipped to launch in late May or early June. So far, the carrier has announced the introduction of seasonal flights from Pula to Zurich and Dubrovnik and from Dubrovnik to Tel Aviv. Croatia Airlines has confirmed it will wet lease regional 100-seat aircraft this summer but says a final decision on the type is yet to be made. This is despite an Embraer E195 jet being tentatively scheduled on select routes on select days from Zagreb starting May 20. However, the carrier said last week, "Negotiations regarding the completion of the process of introducing 100-seat aircraft in Croatia Airlines' fleet, according to the wet lease principle, are still in progress".
Interesting indeed. Potentially risky too.
My guess is that if they start these flights they will be going for two different markets. OU for Czech holidaymakers who will transfer onto domestic flights in Zagreb and P2P passengers while CSA is going for transfers.
Don't understand why they would do this and go against CSA.
Going against competition is not forbidden. If all airlines went by that theory then there would be very little choice for customers.
But going from no flights to two direct flights might be over-kill. And the result may be two flights with low load factors. And then we know what happens next when the pie gets cut in to many pieces. Get my drift?
Makes me wonder where they are getting all this capacity from. Was their fleet underutilized to such an extent that they can launch all these destinations without a problem?
Ah, yes. I forgot about that. Do we know how many new aircraft they will be receiving?
Will be interesting to see what they do with their fleet and how many of the Airbuses end up flying from the coast.
It's still not confirmed whether it's just 1 or 2.
Cool, thanks. Let's hope that it's at least 2 as a single aircraft won't make much sense.
As usual, reactive rather than proactive. OU is so predictable.
They have to start from somewhere. Prague is a nice addition.
So if we now have 2 destinations - Milan and Prague. What are the other two?
Hopefully Stockholm or Oslo, but who knows?
ATH would be a good addition, go for at least 3-4 times a week and establish itself before Aegean starts the route.
Large Star alliance airport in a large city (I think 4 million population).
And all of the Greek destinations. This could be a good way to keep Aegean away from Zagreb. I mean look at what they are doing in Belgrade to Air Serbia.
How is JU's flight to ATH doing? Have they been affected by A3's increase of capacity or is the market getting bigger?
Also could OU offer connections to other places apart from the coast to ATH originating passengers?
Malta too could work via ATH. If the connection bank allows it of course on the side of the Greeks.
I don't know the exact numbers but the loads seem to be good, I know a few people who take the route a few times per month and they told me that the loads are never below 70%. They also noticed that it's usually full with Greeks coming to Belgrade. This is not surprising given their great no-luggage fares. If I remember well they start at €85! Air Serbia is rarely below €130.
In a week there is a large ophthalmological congress in Athens and 90% of the Serbian doctors will be flying with Aegean. I guess it was cheaper. Our company is sending several doctors down there an JU charged us 27.000 RSD which is not cheap.
Actually, OU has little to offer not only because of Aegean's growing European network but also because ATH is a Star Alliance fortress and they will have to compete against Austrian, Turkish Airlines, Swiss, SAS and Lufthansa. Furthermore, Aegean will have their own flights to Split and Dubrovnik reducing the need of transferring in Zagreb.
Because of all this it would be much wiser for OU to team up with Aegean and to feed their network.
Just to specify, 27.000 RSD per passenger.
How much is that in Euros?
Great info Nemjee, thanks a lot!
In August I flew JU from ATH to BEG on the A320 which was full to the last seat. Alot of transit pax to CDG and BRU was the 2 I noticed. JU was then on 2 daily flights.
I think ATH does well as Greece is a very popular destination for Serbs, which on its own has a large O&D. Put together that both A3 and JU are also taking on transit pax... I would be surprised if both airlines could not average an 80% CLF.
OT: JU je iskusno drzala promociju citavih jedan dan, od danas je vec nemoguce naci kartu za 399 eur.
Naravno da je moguće, samo ne krajem juna i početkom septembra... I suludo je očekivati da ima više od 20tak karata u ovom fare bucket po letu, prema tome, sledeći put budite brži.
Mozda je po toj ceni bilo 5 do 10% sedista, sto bi to bilo problem prodati za dan?
Just a remark. Don't use the word OK in the same sentence as 'Prague' and 'Czech Airlines', since OK is the IATA code for Czech Airlines.
But for the purposes of this blog everyone knows what AS refers to. So cool it tough guy.
Just trying to add a little humour. No harm was intended.
odakle OU novac za nove linije odnosno avione.jasno je da (kao i ostali ex yu operatori) imaju problema sa profitabilnoscu i iskazivanjem dobiti. jel to upumpavanje sa zabranjene adrese ili je u pitanju nesto drugo.
G Adim sigurno mislite sa gore u tekstu sa Delta Airlines .
Odlicno je ovo za CTN da se malo odvoje od Star hubova.
OT - Why Wizz Air didn't open BEG-KUT, is there some legal obstacle? I would see it coming before Sofia.
My guess is that they would need a Serbian AOC, same as with Israel and Russia.
OU flights to Prague will operate Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Alo is a shi*ty newspaper/tabloid but it was mentioned there that JU is looking into Kiev and LED. Third destination is Pristina. So I guess that is answer to yesterdays comments of other 3 routes.Your thoughts?
I told you so yesterday which are the three new routes, and stand by it.
Alo is a very reliable source.
The three routes you mentioned are not correct. Only one that will go ahead is Kiev. There are another three routes planned and all are regional.
KIV konacno i jos dve Regionalne sa Atr su barem koliko ja znam.
People can't you just wait for April until they announce them. It's not like anyones life depends on it.
"People can't you just wait for April until they announce them. It's not like anyones life depends on it."
Of course not lol, but what is wrong with being curious? I thought the point of this site was to discuss and speculate and just enjoy aviation topics, but it seems many people would rather see a political discussion.
Speak for yourself Anon @ 16:31. let me be cristal clear; the three new routes are MUC, LED, CAI and KBP, Pishtina is new reional route.
Don't you see something wrong with your statement?
I am also very curious of new routes in the Yugosphere. And enjoy reading various speculative projections, only to find out weeks or months later who was correct in their assessment.
So jolly good and carry on lads.
The following have been mentioned so far: LED,KPB,PRN,MUC,CAI, plus there was talk of secondary destination in Romania before. Now its wait and see game I guess but if its true that 3 destinations are in game I think the best options would be PRN, secondary Romanian city like Cluj and CAI. LED would take away some Moscow route pax, MUC is plain dumb really, and KPB had Ukranine International and their prices are too cheap even for ASL standards in 2014.
My guess is MUC, either MAD or BCN (more MAD), PRN and possibly a Romanian destination.
I have mentioned before that JU could be quite competative in the Romanian market as all cities are reachable on the ATR, making them lower risk compared to the A319. Top that with a Spanish destination and Im sure all will be good.
KBP I dont see happening with the problems in Ukraine, and CAI being in an unstable country with a falling tourism industry.
MUC would be a good addition, as is ESB. PRN is something that isnt secret and is just a matter of when they will finally announce it.
Will some old 737 return back to fleet?
OT. am I the only one that thinks a two weekly stop in ZAG on the new BEG-JFK route would make sense? Increase LF, draw in new pax from SLO and region. Just a thought.
And what happens with your passengers from ATH, SOF, SKG..?
They can fly on the days when the flight is direct from BEG. Besides, pax would not disembark in ZAG. It would be about a 45 minute stop. Plus it would be great if Croatia would give Serbia 5th freedom rights.
Yeah, that's not how civil aviation works these days. What you are describing is aviation in the 1970s and 1980s.
Maybe so, but there must be similar examples of this elsewhere.
That's impractical and it rarely happens this day in age. Airlines do it when the distance is too great or when the city of origin has enough demand to fill the plane to both destinations. You even have some examples like Air China which flies between Munich and Athens but that's mostly because it gets to feed Lufthansa's hub. I highly doubt they carry almost any passengers between Athens and Beijing.
Look at Emirates and their Dubai-Larnaca-Malta flight. They immediately tried to find a way to de-link LCA and MLA when one of the other Persian Gulf carriers announced Malta flights- I forgot which one it was.
Same would happen with Air Serbia. If they added a Zagreb stop it would destroy any chance they might have at becoming attractive for connecting passengers. Furthermore, for O&D passengers flying with a stop in Zagreb, it would not be that different than connecting at one of the European airports.
So all in all, I think that it would be a catastrophic move. That said, they should be quite aggressive in Zagreb in terms of offering connecting flights via BEG to JFK.
and so on and so forth. When an airline works on establishing a hub, offering direct flights is one of its biggest priorities.
You make some good points Nemjee. Thanks for the explanation.
I think that ZAG have more O&D to New York or I'm mistaking?
The point of my comment was not to evaluate the potential of a certain market but to explain to the poster why two stops don't work anymore.
So we find Milano (west) and Prague (north). There is still route to far west and east, or better to say northeast. Those two routes no airline from exYu flies.
As I said two routes are very good (one is Milano), one is not good (Prague), and one is strange (northeast) but could be good choice.
I feel like by far west you are referring to Lisbon and northeast as either LED or HEL.
I would guess the (far) west destionation is LIS. As an *A hub it should offer onward connections by TP under the exciting management of David Neeleman (think JetBlue and Azul) covering the Iberian peninsula, South America and western Africa. How big is that market is another question.
The northeastern destination should probably be either LED (linking up with Rossiya?) or DME.
I also hope for more frequencies at PRN, not the mere 2-3 weekly flights currently on offer.
Purgeru, hoće li biti povećanje broja rotacija samo na Parizu ili i na nekim drugim linijama?
I think ZAG needs routes to the east. There a lot of potential in OTP, SOF, KBP, LED. It will attract a lot of tourists to Croatia.
Upravo sam skočio do Novog Sada. Bio tamo na sastanku sa predsjednicom Skupštine, odjurio do Vinkovaca tamo imao sastanak sa gradonačelnikom, obišao dva objekta, odradio ručak i vratio se u Zagreb. Dakle 4 sastanka, dvije lokacije sve ukupno u 14 sati putovanja, sa troškom od 600 kn (80 EUR).
Samo usporedbe radi sa Air Serbijom sa kojom to ne bih mogao ostvariti u 14 sati (čak i da sam imao lokalne transporte), nije mi odgovarao red letenja (u Novom Sadu sastanak je bio u 10.00 sati), a i priča za nas troje bi bila bitno skuplja. Dakle Air Serbija ne bi bila opcija čak ni da nisam neplanirano "skočio" do Vinkovaca, nego da je prvotni plan bio Novi Sad-Pančevo.
So nobody opts for BEG-OHD as a possible new JU flight?
Prague is becoming a huge hub for flights to China (and from there further on).
Many Asians (China,S.Korea,Japan etc.) are enjoying to fly for leisure to the tourist destination Prague and further on. Some are scared to fly to Middle East, many to Turkey or Western Europe.
Can Croatia take some of them?
This is why Prague makes sense to me. Don't forget the hundreds of thousands of Korean tourist which visit Croatia and this number is only increasing.
Prague is just another easy option for Koreans to Croatia now.


A podiatrist is a health professional who specialises in looking after feet and lower limbs. They help prevent, treat and diagnose foot conditions.
Podiatrists can help you to manage foot, ankle and lower limb problems related to injury, illness, disease or a disability.
Podiatrists will see you in individual on-site consultations, but may also refer you to a footcare assistant if you require ongoing nail cutting.
Staff: Jack & Brandon are our Podiatrists. Fay & Simonie are our footcare assistants.
- Nail Surgery: $40 or 90-120 min appointment, consumables and follow up appointment.


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IDC Announces Richard Ghazal as New Executive Director
Email: sarah@indefenseofchristians.org
Washington, DC- In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation's leading advocacy organization for Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa, is pleased to announce Richard Ghazal as its new Executive Director.
"I am incredibly honored to be afforded the opportunity to lead an organization like IDC, whose mission to preserve Christianity in the Middle East resonates with me so deeply," said Ghazal. I look forward to continuing IDC's record of success, and further developing its capacity for positive impact in the world."
Before joining IDC, Richard Ghazal was a U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate and legal advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Inspector General. Prior to his Pentagon assignment, he served as a federal criminal prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA. As an intelligence officer, Richard was the U.S. Air Force in Europe's Chief of Levant political-military intelligence, with special focus on Hezbollah. As Mission Operations Commander, he commanded over 1,500 hours of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
Richard began his career in advocacy for Middle Eastern Christians in 2003, as a Syriac Universal Alliance delegate at the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland. He completed his bachelor of arts degree in political science and philosophy at Rhode Island College, and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer School. As an active duty airman, Richard earned a master of arts degree in organizational leadership at Regent University, and Juris Doctorate at New England School of Law. Richard is an ordained reader in the Syriac Orthodox Church, and speaks the Turoyo dialect of Aramaic.
As Executive Director, Ghazal will lead the IDC team in strategic planning, drive the implementation of policy priorities, and direct advocacy initiatives in the legislative and executive branches of government.
"I am very delighted to welcome Richard Ghazal as IDC's new Executive Director. For quite some time, Richard has served as an IDC Senior Advisor, and his leadership and contribution to our mission has been exemplary. We are fortunate to have him continue with IDC as Executive Director," said IDC President Toufic Baaklini.
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So you are contemplating a laser skin resurfacing session in Bangalore and you are about to start your journey down the rabbit hole called Google but before you do so here is a closer look at some of the key things that you should know about laser skin resurfacing.
First things first – Laser skin resurfacing is a proven method to get rid of wrinkles, acne scars, age spots, other blemishes and also tighten the skin and balance tone. But the common dilemma that faces one is because lasers tend to do a lot it is very easy to lose sight of your original goals and succumb to marketing pressures of things that you don't even really need. Instead, focus on your goals – what are the skin problems you want to address and what results are you hoping for? Don't get caught up in different brand names and competing devices and methods.
Did you know that autumn is considered "laser season"? Because laser-treated skin is hypersensitive to sun exposure for up to a year after undergoing certain procedures, many cosmetic surgeons recommend undergoing laser resurfacing during fall or winter months when daytime hours are shorter and most of the time is spent indoors.
Irrespective of the time you do the resurfacing, wear a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen daily and reapply as needed. This not only helps to keep your results looking their best, it also provides protection against skin cancer and helps prevent additional premature aging.
How does laser resurfacing feel like? It depends on the laser, the area and depth of treatment, and an individual's tolerance for pain.
Depending on the procedure, if some layers of skin are removed, those laser treatments may require local anesthetic injections or intravenous sedation to keep a patient comfortable.
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Before starting any treatment, you need to be honest with your plastic surgeon in Bangalore about your medical history and medications. For example, people who use medicines for acne can suffer from poor healing or scarring from laser resurfacing while people who use aspirin are at increased risk of post-procedure bleeding.


Registration for the summer and fall semesters at UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) is now open. Early registration is encouraged. Registering prior to the beginning of the semester allows students to secure positions in high demand classes, as well as providing more flexibility in course selection and scheduling.
UNM-LA offers traditional face-to-face classes and also online and hybrid classes (a combination of face-to-face and online) to help meet the various scheduling needs and learning style preferences of students.
Summer classes begin on June 3, and fall classes begin on August 19. Prior to the summer semester, UNM-LA is offering a three-credit-hour intersession class, Intro to Communications, CJ 101, which will meet online May 12 – May 31. In addition to classes that meet for the full semester, UNM-LA offers short-term classes that meet for only part of the semester. To view the complete schedule of classes, visit losalamos.unm.edu/academics/class-schedule.html. For information about registering for classes, call 662-5919 or visit Student Services in Building 1 on the UNM-LA campus.
For students seeking a degree or training for a career, UNM-LA offers 18 Associate Degrees and eight Certificate Programs. Certificates in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Personal Care Attendant (PCA) may be completed in one semester. These programs prepare students for certification testing for the State of New Mexico to work in fields that have a very high employment potential. Students interested in pursuing a degree or certificate at UNM-LA should schedule an appointment with an academic advisor prior to registering for classes.
UNM-LA, a branch campus for The University of New Mexico, has an open admissions policy. UNM-LA student profiles range from high school students and traditional degree-seeking young adults to working adults, veterans, and life-long learners.
New students to the college must complete an application form which is available online at losalamos.unm.edu/admissions/ or on the UNM-LA campus with Student Services in Building 1. A financial aid advisor is also available to assist students.
Non-resident students have the opportunity to take classes at resident tuition rates during the summer session.
UNM-LA students who are 65 or older can take advantage of a reduced tuition rate of $5 per credit hour for classes that have open seats once the semester begins. To qualify for this rate, seniors must be New Mexico residents. Registration for this reduced tuition opens on the first day of the semester.
UNM-Los Alamos is an innovative, rigorous, and affordable comprehensive branch community college that provides foundations for transfer, leading-edge career programs, and lifelong learning opportunities. More information about UNM – Los Alamos is available at losalamos.unm.edu.


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Lucy Barlow - Delicate Boundaries
23 Apr 2009 – 30 May 2009
First Floor Projects
5 Redcliffe Gardens
SW10 9BG
www.firstfloorprojects.com
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Lucy Barlow, Delicate Boundaries
23 April ' 16 May 2009
'For a long time I've been the girl who does the drawings of birds and cakes'.
First Floor Projects are delighted to present Delicate Boundaries, a solo show of work by Lucy Barlow. Shedding a formal narrative, Lucy Barlow's new collection of abstract watercolour, gouache landscapes and fine art drawings reveal a significant departure from her previous work, 'I am still in control, but it is less controlling than my previous work. It is expansive. I am still a spectator, still questioning, but without the questions impeding on the natural progression of the work itself.'
The fine art drawings are reminiscent of her previous whimsical illustrations, which she describes as 'contained, formal compositions…very controlled, very fine, lyrical line drawings'. But this control, she indicates was a metaphorical boundary. Her new drawings have evolved; by using coloured or lead pencils on paper, dip pens and inks filled in with watercolour, she creates wonderfully witty, tongue in cheek drawings such as Bears Say No that participate in the negative space around them, and that still exhibit some of her old humour; 'there is a childish part of me that doesn't want to give up the ghost, or stop being silly'.
Intuitive colour placement ensures Barlow's abstracts remain anti-formulaic, creating a tense sense of push and pull between the background and foreground. This way of working with colour, Barlow believes, was inspired by Helen Frankenthaler's unprimed canvases, 'vast vistas and sea, so alive they breathe'. Moments in time are captured but remain fluid through the depth of tension between Barlow's colours; paintings such as Fire Ladders fizz with freshness and light. Lucy Barlow's work possesses an intentional sense of the unresolved ' 'there are questions that have no answers, and I am trying to reflect this without the ends being tied up perfectly in a bow'.
The work of Louise Bourgeois encouraged Barlow to experiment with materials and engage in a constant monologue with herself, while using her work as therapy. 'I used to feel guilty and selfish, so self-indulgent, being an artist' she says, 'but the Bourgeois show really reminded me of the importance of creativity and the arts in the world. There is a wonderful freedom of expression.' Time, not frozen but physically 'gestural', creates a moment for dialogue between the visual work and the viewer ' the paintings encourage an accessing, even an embracing of the dormant parts of oneself. 'The communication of the visual bypasses words' says Barlow, something she experiences first-hand when encountering work by Louise Bourgeois. In response to this lesson she has learnt from Bourgeois, Barlow's work searches for 'chaos and imperfection, while finding comfort within that formless, liberating way of working'.
Lucy Barlow studied at Central St. Martins, and her work featured in group shows at the Modern Art Oxford (2004) and the Institute of Contemporary Art (2005). Since graduating from Oxford Brookes University in 2006, Lucy Barlow has participated in several collaborative shows, including Obsessions at Modern Art Oxford (2008) and Sarah Brown and Lucy Barlow, Oxford Town Hall (2009). This is her first solo show.
This is the inaugural exhibition of First Floor Projects. From his London home, James Tregaskes will host a variety of exhibitions by new contemporary artists. The gallery heralds a return to the salon, presenting and dealing art in a residential space.
For further information please contact Hannah Magor
hannah@firstfloorprojects.com
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Nutritional regulation of the placental lactogen receptor in fetal liver: implications for fetal metabolism and growth.
We have recently identified and purified from fetal liver a distinct receptor that mediates the effects of placental lactogen (PL) on amino acid transport, glycogen synthesis, and somatomedin production in fetal tissues. At present, the factors that regulate the number and affinity of PL receptors in the fetus are unknown. Since maternal nutrition plays a critical role in fetal metabolism and growth, we have examined the role of nutrition in the regulation of the PL receptor in fetal lambs. Pregnant ewes at 123-126 days gestation were fed ad libitum (FED), fasted for 3 days (FASTED), or fasted for 3 days and then refed for an additional 3 days (REFED). The ewes were then killed, and the binding of [125I]ovine (o) PL to hepatic microsomes from the fetal lambs was examined. Maternal fasting caused a 60-75% reduction in the specific binding of oPL to fetal liver; the effect of fasting was reversed in part by refeeding [specific binding per mg protein: FED, 11.8 +/- 2.2% (n = 8); FASTED, 2.8 +/- 0.4% (n = 7); REFED, 7.2 +/- 2.6% (n = 3)]. The decrease in oPL binding resulted from an 80% reduction in the number of fetal oPL-binding sites (Scatchard analysis); there were no changes in the affinity of the oPL receptor (Kd, 0.6 nM), the subunit structure of the receptor, or the degree of occupancy of the receptor in vivo by endogenous fetal hormones. The specific bindings of GH (0.6%), PRL (0.3%), and insulin (35%) to fetal liver were not affected by maternal fasting, indicating that caloric restriction exerted a specific effect on oPL binding in the fetus. The number of fetal oPL-binding sites was positively correlated with the fetal liver glycogen content (r = 0.69; P less than 0.01) and the fetal plasma concentrations of glucose (r = 0.68; P less than 0.01) and insulin-like growth factor-I (r = 0.74; P less than 0.001), suggesting a role for the PL receptor in the regulation of fetal carbohydrate metabolism and growth. The number of fetal PL receptors was inversely correlated with the fetal plasma oPL concentration (r = 0.47; P less than 0.05). These studies demonstrate that fasting of the pregnant ewe reduces the number of PL receptors in ovine fetal liver. The reduction in fetal hepatic PL receptors may contribute to the mobilization and depletion of fetal liver glycogen stores and may play a role in the pathogenesis of the fetal growth retardation that accompanies maternal caloric deprivation.


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Shares of Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI) and XM Satellite Radio (XMSR) are getting hammered after a Goldman Sachs analyst cut his price targets for both and argued that young people would really rather have an iPod or an iPhone.
Analyst Mark Wienkes dropped his price target 43% for XMSR from $11.50 to $6.50 and 32% for SIRI from $2.25 to $1.75. Sirius shares are down 13% in morning trading, to $2.12 a share; XM is down 17% to $8.54. Thanks to Goldman, both are trading at multi-year lows.
With core demand for satellite radio falling amongst the younger demographics, vs. rapid increases for MP3 players and other new technologies (3G iPhone streaming audio), and declining core ARPU, we see long-term risk to the outlook. Our analysis is based on continued retail channel weakness, 2H08 OEM production cuts, rising churn and our assumption that a' la carte pricing will not materially impact demand.
Sounds right to us. As we argued on Monday, satellite radio is only going to find itself finding more and more competition — like AOL's streaming radio app for the new iPhone.


Heritage campaigners have called on architects to re-think their proposals for the new cinema and restaurants complex on Preston Markets.
Twentieth Century Society have written to planning officers to table their objections to the £50m revamp of the Markets Quarter.
The current indoor market is due to be demolished, along with the Market Hall car park, and the majority of Lancastria House.
But the heritage group say Lancastria House is a 'dignified building' and should be kept in its entirety.
Plans from Muse Developments who are co-ordinating the Markets plan explain how the south and eastern art deco frontage of Lancastria House would be kept and incorporated into the new cinema building.
But Tess Pinto, a conservation adviser for the London-based organisation, says the 'bright orange cladding' will jar with the current Lancastria House building.
The offices block is no longer used by the city council who were forced to move from the building due to concerns about its structural stability and asbestos fears.
Ms Pinto writes: "The application involves the redevelopment of Lancastria House, a 1938 retail building by W.A. Johnson for the Co-operative Wholesale Society.
"We consider that despite alterations, Lancastria House is of architectural and historical significance, and that it should be regarded as a non-designated heritage asset.
"W.A. Johnson was a leading co-operative architect, designing several of their most prestigious emporiums in northern city centres.
"Lancastria House is a dignified building in the art-deco style. Each facade is articulated with bronze, with a strong vertical emphasis accentuated by thick mullions and slender transoms.
"A gently recessed tower rises from both corners of the Lancaster Road frontage. Roaring lion heads are set into the bronze spandrel panels and balconettes of each tower. It is an elegant expression of Preston's twentieth century heritage.
The Market plans include an 11-screen cinema, a number of chain restaurants and a new multi-storey car park facing the Ringway.
City council planning officers have recommended the Markets scheme for approval by its planning committee – with 26 conditions attached.
Where do you stand on the plans? Let us know in the poll below.
Where do you stand on Lancastria House?
Work on the city's Covered Market has already begun, with major restoration work to the canopy of the market – which is a listed structure. The Fish Market canopy has already undergone major work with £400,000 spent on bringing it up to scratch.
Councillors will meet on Thursday 10 November to consider the proposals for the Markets at the planning committee from 1.30pm.


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Q: What's the meaning of the joint feature function in structured prediction? When describing the algorithm of structured perceptron (it's used in structured SVM as well), the inference rule used is:
y_hat = argmax_y (w * fee(x,y) )

What is the meaning of this joint feature function fee(x,y)? Sometimes it's expressed as: fee(x,y) = 0.5*y*x - why?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Су́мська́ — українське прізвище. Чоловіча форма — Сумський, утворена від назви міста Суми.

Відомі носії
 Сумська Ганна Іванівна (1933-2022) — українська актриса, заслужена артистка УРСР.
 Сумська Наталія В'ячеславівна (нар. 1956) — українська акторка та телеведуча, провідна акторка Національного академічного драматичного театру імені Івана Франка, Народна артистка України, лауреат Шевченківської премії (2008).
 Сумська Ольга В'ячеславівна (нар. 1966) — українська акторка. Народна артистка України. Лауреат Національної премії України імені Тараса Шевченка (1996).

Див. також
 Волошка сумська
 Сумська агломерація
 Сумська альтанка
 Сумська вулиця
 Сумська волость
 Сумська дирекція залізничних перевезень
 Сумська єпархія:
 Сумська єпархія УПЦ КП
 Сумська єпархія УПЦ (МП)
 Сумська міська рада
 Сумська муніципальна галерея
 Сумська обласна державна адміністрація
 Сумська обласна державна телерадіокомпанія
 Сумська обласна організація НСПУ
 Сумська обласна універсальна наукова бібліотека
 Сумська обласна філармонія
 Сумська область
 Сумська округа
 Сумська фортеця
 Сумська ТЕЦ

Жіночі форми прізвищ

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Markets Asia The top Southeast Asian esports business developments in June 2020
The top Southeast Asian esports business developments in June 2020
AFK Gaming
Mobile esports titles continue to top the headlines in Southeast Asia in the month of June while the launch of VALORANT has also thrown up new opportunities for the region.
These are the big stories for the month of June, in collaboration with AFK Gaming.
Indonesia's Bigetron Esports announces partnership with Xiaomi
Credit: Bigetron Esports
Bigetron Esports announced a sponsorship deal with smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. Bigetron is one of the region's most popular organisations and is the current PUBG Mobile world champion.
The organisation has presence in other countries such as Thailand as well and fields rosters in PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Call of Duty: Mobile.
ONE Esports announces partnership with Toyota Motors for online racing tournament
Credit: ONE Esports
Southeast Asian tournament organiser ONE Esports announced a partnership with Toyota Motors Asia Pacific to present the GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020.
The initiative will see the region's top competitors take part in a Gran Turismo tournament series. The competition will be open to a number of Asian countries, which will be handled by regional Toyota distributors which will then roll up to the Regional Final. The tournament will see active participation from Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is the company's motorsports arm. In the past years, data from these competitions has been used to enhance the actual car, GR Supra.
MESF announces partnership with Dynasty Esports to create official national esports platform
Credit: Malaysian Electronic Sports Federation
The Malaysian Electronic Sports Federation announced a five-year strategic partnership with Dynasty Esports Private Limited.
The objective of the cooperation will be to provide a platform for effective management and regulation of the esports ecosystem within Malaysia. The platform will contain free open source esports event management, player engagement, tournament registration, players' security guidelines, esports club registration, local esports news, national esports athlete registration, and more. It will also feature the country's first esports leaderboard and ranking system for respective titles for Malaysians, and the national esports calendar for esports-related activities within the nation as well as international events that feature Malaysian athletes.
Additionally, MESF will soon be rolling out a national esports league plan that includes esports game titles on platforms such as PC, console, mobile, racing simulator, and virtual reality (VR) for Malaysia. This initiative is in alignment with the 'Strategic Plan for eSports Development' that was launched by the Ministry of Youth and Sports last year.
Riot Games and CTBC Bank partner for the League of Legends Pacific Championship Series
Image credit: Riot Games
Riot Games and CTBC Bank announced a partnership in support of the League of Legends Pacific Championship Series (PCS).The three-year deal will see upgrades to production volume and quantity and allow the operations to expand beyond Taiwan, with integration of broadcast facilities in Bangkok and Singapore. The aim of the partnership is to enhance player and fan experience and to fuel large scale engagement and outreach.
Speaking about the partnership, Chris Tran, Head of Esports at Riot Games Southeast Asia, said: "CTBC Bank's commitments to integrity, innovation and care for their customers directly echo the driving principles of the PCS. We're thrilled to team up with them on this groundbreaking partnership, which will provide meaningful and long-term value to our fans. We couldn't be more excited to build the future of League of Legends esports in the region together."
Thai PUBG MOBILE champion roster Illuminate transferred to new owner
Credit: Valdus Esports
The reigning Thai PUBG Mobile champions, Illuminate the Murder, moved to a new home after their previous owner transferred the organisation to a new owner. The new team is known as Valdus Esports and is owned by private investor Pongsakorn Phromthet. Illuminate is a well-known team in Thailand, having built its reputation through the PC version of PUBG. It's one of the few teams that continues to support the scene, despite many organisations having pulled out of the title.
AFK Gaming is an India-based esports media and content company that aims to provide quality and consistent coverage about teams, players, tournaments and competitive video games with a primary focus on the Asian region.
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G2 Esports reveals adidas partnership, PGL announces CS:GO Major | ESI Digest #25
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Esports Insider - January 15, 2021


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@Freaky @Hazed I would play it with promod because there are no perks and so on. It's even for all and it only depends on skill.
Quote from Hazed: "Here are the teams (both teams were automatically, impartially and arbitrarily split by a tool): (Attack) TEAM A: @SHADOW_, @felix97, @Hazed (Defence) TEAM B: @Freaky, @DoMaxiHa, @dejayruski The server data you get by private message. Wish you all a lot of fun and happiness. " I was thinking that there will be no teams?
I think shipment is a little bit to small for 5/6 players. Will the maps be played with promod or normal mode?
Hmm ok. Because if I remember it right, it wasn't disabled in the 1st event and even in the 2nd event.
If S&D will be played (I'm sure it will) plz don`t forget to disable the killcam wink.png .
@fgt Why do you have this black box in the top left corner? It make`s not sense for me.
Job for Speedy or another "TheBrain"


This entry was posted on Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 11:48 pm	and is filed under Vacancy rates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


According to this blog post on the NY Times, Modern Healthcare recently released its list of the 100 most influential people in the health care system. The top 3 people on the list, which should come as no surprise, are Barack Obama; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; and Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform.
Who are some other very important people in the health care system that should be part of this list?
It doesn't seem to me as healthcare cant be made to feel luxurious. My experience with the elite health care services defines a very different story. Right now, I am engaged in Elitehealth.com concierge wellness program which is designed for healthcare at concierge level. They are providing me medication with care at the highest level of comfort. Their wellness program allows me to have a direct access to my personal physician via phone and email, but also in the emergency situation which I had because of having a heart attack, physician came home and also were present in the emergency room to expedite my care. They provided me a patient care concierge who managed all my transportation and accommodation. All this meant a lot to me when it comes to health. So, a concierge level hospitalization is a boon to me, and many other who are desiring to experience.


I'm sure somebody has come up with a solution here but I searched and can't find it. I have seven two-wire dimmers. In two rooms, I have replaced all but one bulb with LEDs. I am happy with their performance. I have not changed over the other five rooms because I don't want to leave in the one incandescent bulb that would be required to supply the voltage for the dimmers. I'm thinking that if I put a resistor from the output of the dimmer to neutral that it would supply the needed voltage for the dimmer to function and allow all the build to be changed to LEDs. If I keep the resistor size to 1 watt, my math says that a 15k ohm will work even at full brilliance without burning up.
Will a 1 watt 15k ohm do the trick? How about 2 watt 7.5k?
Is there another better solution or will I have to just change out all my dimmers to three wire?
My bad. I hadn't played with this in years and made some bad assumptions. I decided to answer my own question by replacing the incandescent bulb with a string of Christmas lights and then unscrewing them until I found the minimum number. The two rooms are probably 3-wire dimmer and I left the incandescent just so I could dim them more. The two wire dimmer rooms I need at least two incandescent bulbs to prevent problems.
So what is the wattage of the Christmas bulbs? I'm guessing 4 watts, as I get the two wire WS465s to work well with a 7 watt night light in circuit with the 13 watt (dimmable) LED bulb. BTW using the string of Christmas lights to determine minimum load needed, was pretty smart.
I developed a small wire-in module that allows 2-wire X10 dimmer switches to work with CFL or LED bulbs. I handed off the design to X10 with the hope of their manufacturing it, but it looks like the factory has declined just like it did with the XTB-IIR and XTB-ANR I offered them several years ago. I do have a few prototypes available. Just contact me privately for more info.
If you ever decide to go into production, I will buy at least two.
Sorry. While it was feasible to produce a handful of prototypes, assembling a bunch of these by hand with surface mount devices is not something I want to do. I haven't heard a peep from X10 about it since I gave them the design and PCB layout months ago.
It does look very nice Jeff.
I just spent most of the day on work arounds for this problem.
I had a bunch of x10 stuff that I moved to my new house 10 years ago and have pretty much ignored it since then. What got me interested again was this deal on par30, 11w LEDs for 17 cents each. I bought 50 and installed them in all the easy places. Today I decided to try them on the dimmer circuits. It turned out that most of my dimmers are WS12a. This was a big job because most lights are in 15 foot ceilings. After much trial, I found that if I have 6 bulbs on each dimmer, there are no issues. In the process of combining circuits, I eliminated the need for two dimmers. I now only have two circuits with an incandescent bulb and they are not conspicuous so I'm pretty happy. I've replaced about 50, mostly 65w and 75w bulbs with 11w bulbs.
If you would like one of the prototypes just contact me privately.


Tickets for the Military History Walk – Out Now!
Tickets for A Walk in Eton – Out now!
Tickets for Victoria 200 – Out Now!
Tickets for the Windsor Boxing Day Walk – Tickets not till later in 2019. This is only for a limited time period.
You can buy tickets over the counter at the Windsor Information Centre They are a very friendly team and you can also get information about other attractions in Windsor.
Royal Windsor Information Centre. Accept major credit and debit cards except American Express and Diners Club. Card payments will appear on customers' statements as Windsor Information centre. Cheque payments made payable to Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. Cheque must clear prior to event. Allow 6 working days.


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LOCAL FARE
New Burlington Island Creek a great catch
By Naomi Kooker Globe Correspondent,November 18, 2016, 12:00 p.m.
The scene at Island Creek Oyster Bar in Burlington. Island Creek Oyster Bar
WHO'S IN CHARGE A week to the day after Island Creek Oyster Bar opened in Burlington (on Nov. 3), we had to check it out. The place was packed. The welcoming hostess took our name; then, when our table was ready, we were too settled in the cushy stools at the bar to want to leave.
This is the essence of ICOB in Burlington, an upscale seafood restaurant that feels like it's been open longer than it has.
"We had a little bit of a road map," said chef and partner Jeremy Sewall, referring to the first ICOB in Boston's Kenmore Square. That space was designed by Bentel & Bentel of New York, which also built Burlington. "[It] feels like it just fits."
It does, like a well-tailored suit.
Top restaurateur Garrett Harker, renowned oyster farmer Skip Bennett of Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, project management guru Shore Gregory, and Sewall — whose specialty is New England seafood — are the quartet behind the upscale oyster-focused restaurant.
They also operate the oyster-and-craft beers eatery Row 34 in South Boston and in Portsmouth, N.H. A fifth restaurant is in the works for Harvard Square.
THE LOCALE ICOB occupies a warehouse-like building in The District, a new office and retail development in Burlington.
The cavernous space is made intimate with ceiling panels (You can really have a conversation here) and flickering candles. A floor-to-ceiling display of stemware divides an area of high-tops from one with tables and banquettes. A hallmark wall made of thousands of oyster shells behind a gabion cage nods to Bennett's oyster farm.
Retro tunes (Jackson Five, Barry White) lend a classy party vibe.
Our bartender kept us watered and guided us through the menu. "I love what I do," she said. We could tell.
A spread of oysters, shrimp, and lobster. Island Creek Oyster Bar
ON THE MENU If a review needs to find fault, you'll be disappointed in this one. Each dish — from the bread with honey-cayenne butter to dessert, all made in-house — shows a balance of creativity and comfort. The menu changes daily to capture the best of what's available.
The raw bar, smaller than the wet bar but just as packed, has a wide variety of shellfish and crudo, but the oysters — eight varieties, most locally sourced, including the restaurant namesake farm — are the stars.
The appetizer of smoked bluefish pâté ($10) was rich yet easy to polish off with thick rye bread triangles that were fried and accompanied by pickled vegetables. The locally caught halibut ($32) was a gorgeous, perfectly cooked pan-seared filet, a tad crisp on the outside, flaky inside. It sat atop sautéed parsnip, Swiss chard, and maitake mushrooms with a truffle aroma.
My wine, the Wimmer Czerny St. Laurent ($14), was a light earthy red from Austria and carried the meal nicely.
Dessert was Banoffee pie ($9), a graham cracker-crusted sophisticated banana-whipped cream pie dusted with cocoa and with just enough dulce de leche to bring it home (some of it, we did).
We left happy into the night.
Island Creek Oyster Bar, 300 District Ave., Burlington. 781-761-6500; islandcreekoysterbar.com.
Naomi Kooker can be reached at naomikooker@gmail.com.


16. About half of the village of Trub, viewed from a nearby ridge.
— but with a large total land area, it is actually one of the larger municipalities in the area. In architectural terms, the Emmental is a gem. It is saturated with examples of the unique and instantly recognizable Lower Bernese building style, also found with lesser frequency in the western Oberland, as we saw in the Diemtigtal. Emmentaler buildings can be Blockbau but are more often post-and-beam. An almost universal feature of the style is a hipped roof; another quite common element is the Ründi, a kind of semicircular soffit under the front gable (see below for an example of both).
19. Note the convex roof of the left gable. Langnau, Emmental.
21. Skylit eave. Lauperswil, Emmental.
22. Glass roof tiles. Near Ramsei, Emmental.
One typically finds a grouping of three main buildings on an Emmentaler farm: the large Bauernhof (farmhouse, 23), which comprises the primary living quarters and barn; the Stöckli (24), a smaller house where, traditionally, the grandparents of the family would live, basically staying out of the way of the daily farm operations but being around when needed; and the Speicher (granary: a few examples in picture 25), where backup supplies of grain and other essentials would be kept in case of a disaster such as fire in the Bauernhof.
25. Speicher from (top to bottom) Bärau, Trub, and Langnau, Emmental.
The Speicher would be built upwind of the Bauernhof to keep it safe. See below for a view of the whole family of buildings.
26. Left to right: Bauernhof, Speicher, Stöckli. Trub, Emmental.
27. Three very different apiaries. Top to bottom: Trub, Fankhaus, and Langnau, Emmental.
28. This ramp (its roof at the top of the picture) is so high above ground that it makes room for two walk-under levels. Emmenmatt, Emmental.
29. This barn, much smaller than a Bauernhof, still has a ramp on the right side. Trub, Emmental.
One Bernese Bauernhof at Ballenberg had such a ramp; it was the first one I'd ever seen and especially its interior framing (below) blew my mind. Even after seeing ramps on most Bauernhöfe in the Emmental, I never tired of them.
30. The complex structure of a typical Bernese barn ramp, with multiple diagonals to contend with. Ballenberg Museum.
As one might expect, although there is strong architectural unity in the Emmental, exceptions do exist. The picture below shows a house in Langnau that is Blockbau and looks almost entirely non-Emmentaler. It appears to be very old, given the condition (dark and slightly graying) of the wood. I would love to know about this house's origins. I'd never guess without prior knowledge that it was an Emmentaler building.
31. A mysterious Blockbau house, Langnau, Emmental.
With such an array (hip roof, Ründi, ramp, complex framing — see below) of unusual architectural elements, plus its massive proportions, the Emmentaler farmhouse is a strange and wondrous creature, accompanied by often whimsical Stöckli and Speicher.
33. Although in the middle of the old section of the urban center Burgdorf, this building has wide boarded eaves that recall those of a Ründi building in a smaller Emmental town.


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Features Emergency & disaster management Hot topics
It's every first responder and dispatcher's nightmare – a 911 call for help from a visitor to the area, on a cell phone and not able to provide to provide accurate location information. Now, imagine that the call is from an elite team of military divers, somewhere on B.C.'s Fraser River.
November 14, 2008 By Paul Dixon
Divers prepare to enter the Fraser River above the New Westminster train bridge.
Photos by Paul Dixon
Exercise identifies locations, response routes for police, fire, EMS to large-scale incident in B.C.
With that in mind, the task was to create a pre-plan that would identify locations and response routes, enabling emergency medical response, both land-based and helicopter, in support of the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment dive team, who would be conducting a series of high-risk dives in the Fraser River in August 2007.
Mike Andrews, regional manager with B.C.'s Provincial Emergency Program (PEP), explains the presence of the dive team.
"For the past three years, as part of the ongoing planning and preparation co-operation between the federal and provincial governments, the dive team from 1st Combat Engineer Regiment stationed in Edmonton, has come down to the Greater Vancouver region to assist us with several of our ongoing projects, in particular those dealing with assessing disaster response routes. Our working groups are looking at ways of expediting movement of first responders – police, firefighters and paramedics especially – if the bridges are impacted across the region. It may not be possible to move them by helicopter in the first hours following an incident, so that is why we are identifying the key points on the local rivers that would enable us to use marine transportation to fill that gap.
The bridges over the Fraser River at New Westminster are (left) Skytrain (rapid transit), Patullo and the New Westminster train bridge. Surrey is at the bottom of the picture, looking southwest over New Westminster, the mountains of Vancouver Island are visible in the distance.
"Ultimately, we would be able to move response vehicles and heavy equipment around the region by tug and barge as needed. This is what the army divers have been doing for the past three years, diving on various bridges, docks and privately owned facilities in the rivers and Vancouver harbour to assess the soundness of various structures and familiarize themselves with the region.
"It's a great experience for the dive team, because they see it as a real contribution to the community at large. The work is challenging and outside their normal scope of operations. The property owners gain by having an underwater inspection of their facilities at no cost. It's a win-win situation."
The plan called for the divers to conduct underwater inspections of three critically important railway mainline bridges spanning the Fraser in the Greater Vancouver area: the Canadian Pacific bridge at Mission; the Canadian National New Westminster bridge; and CP's Pitt River bridge. These bridges are critical to the ongoing operation of CN and CP mainline operations serving central Canada and the U.S. through the port of Vancouver and would be critical to any post-disaster response and recovery in south-west British Columbia.
Diving in the Fraser River is dangerous at any time. It's a big, fast-moving river, full of silt that reduces visibility to zero. The piers of the bridges are magnets for debris carried along by the current and large buildups of debris can accumulate. The Mission bridge is built on a series of wooden pilings, which are especially prone to debris buildup and can trap unseen debris underwater, creating additional deadly hazards. While the Pitt River and New Westminster bridges are larger and are built on stone and concrete piers, the river is tidal in those areas, which creates another set of safety issues. This can result in tremendous backflow forces when the tide is rising and increased outflow when the tide is falling. Even at periods of apparent slack water, there are tremendous underwater back eddies and currents that are not readily discernible from the surface.
A B.C. Ambulance Service air ambulance, a Sikorsky S76, on the tarmac at its base at Vancouver International Airport.
In pre-planning emergency medical support to the dive missions, organizers took the approach of identifying hazards and determining risk to the patient after something had happened and then developed response protocols to minimize response times and provide the most appropriate level of response. Initially, Derek McClure, superintendent of B.C. Ambulance's Lower Mainland Regional Communications Centre, and a group including a B.C. Ambulance air operations supervisor did a reconnaissance of the areas around the three proposed bridge dives on foot and by vehicle to determine how to best approach the sites from the air and by road. Even more important was identifying places along the river's edge where a small boat could be brought to shore and a patient removed. To the uninitiated, it seems a simple process, nothing more than making some dots on a map of the most likely spots. The reality is much more complicated because of the fast-moving water. Given the steep banks or dikes and the accumulated debris clinging to them, there are few spots at which a boat could be landed. It is equally as challenging to find a landing spot for an air ambulance that is also accessible by road. The choices were extremely limited.
For the Mission bridge, it was determined that the best spot for an air ambulance landing zone was in the regional park across the river and downstream from where the boat launch was located. The irony was that the boat launch is located beside the north side of the bridge, but it's not suitable for a helicopter landing zone. The park site had a large sandy beach on the lee side of the river and good road access for land ambulance and first responders.
For the Pitt River bridge, even after close inspection of the area, it was determined that it would be necessary to return to the boat launch site at the confluence of the Pitt and Fraser rivers, as there are very limited landing opportunities in the area.
For the New Westminster bridge, it was determined that air ambulance was not to be employed, as this area is in the built-up urban core of Greater Vancouver, there are several decent docks adjacent to the bridge and the local trauma centre, Royal Columbian Hospital, is just a kilometre from the bridge site.
McClure explains how the location information works within the computer-aided design (CAD) system. "We create a location of interest within the addressing function of our CAD system using GPS co-ordinates. For practical purposes, that means we create a street address for a location that has no actual address. This allows our call takers to enter the information into the CAD system and generate an incident without having to guess at where the call is. It also allows us to associate information to that address, such as contact information that would be specific to this one event. We do an information sheet for our dispatch supervisors, as well as the dispatcher(s) working the channel responsible for that area. The same information goes out to the street supervisor of the ambulances working in that region. By giving our call takers, dispatchers and street crews the information in advance, it gives them a heads up if and when a call does come from one of these special events."
Two divers enter the Fraser River, with the third acting as the rescue diver.
The B.C. Ambulance Service's Vancouver communications centre is responsible for an area of more than 13,000 square kilometres on the mainland of south-west British Columbia, from the urban core of Greater Vancouver through the Fraser Valley delta and an arc of more than 200 kilometres from beyond Whistler in the north across the rugged coastal mountains to Manning Park in the south east. Within this area, BCAS is also responsible for initiating first responder dispatch from more than 45 departments. In a program developed by McClure several years ago, the various fire dispatch centres in the region are directly linked to the BCAS CAD system. This is the First Responder Notification program; those departments that are first responders are automatically notified at the moment the BCAS call taker enters the call type and location into their CAD.
In a situation where the patient is mobile (in only the most catastrophic scenario would the response be out onto the river itself) and capable of being delivered to any one of several points, it is vitally important that the callers and responders be on the same page, literally. Dispatching responders to one side of the river and arriving to find the patient on the other side would be more than just inconvenient. While there is a highway bridge at Mission, the next bridge is more than 40 kilometres downstream. It's not just a matter of driving to the other side.
Working from the hazard and risk, we developed three levels of response. One was an air response in situations of critical injury, where immediate evacuation to a trauma centre was required. The second would be a scenario that was within the scope of local ambulance and first responders. And the third would be a minor injury that could be addressed by the army medic(s) attached to the team and in which the injured party would be transported to a local hospital by military personnel.
For each of the three proposed dive sites, three spots were identified to where an injured diver could be transported by boat, to be met by land-based or air resources. These were identified by GPS co-ordinates, to be inserted into the BCAS CAD system, so that physical locations would be properly identified for responders. The GPS information and digital maps were forwarded to the military to be included in its dive plans.
The dive team was given a simple protocol to follow to maximize response effectiveness by giving them a script to follow. By alerting the BCAS communications centre each morning before starting their dives, BCAS staff were put on notice. If something did happen, one phone call through 911 to BCAS would initiate the most appropriate response based on need. At the client end, the dive team had only to refer to its map and state which of the pre-identified sites the patient would be taken to, allowing the responding ambulance crew to respond directly to the right place.
Last year was a record year for runoff on the Fraser. For several weeks, the level of the river in the upper Fraser Valley was described by provincial hydrologists as being "bank to bank", meaning the river was as high as it could be without flooding. The speed and flow rate of the river were too far above the safety margins for the divers. Instead, they dove on a number of other structures in the river that were out of the main channel, as well as sites in Vancouver Harbour. Even though these dives did not approach the risk level of the bridge dives, the same concept of operations was used. Dive sites were identified to B.C. Ambulance and a phone call was made to its communications supervisor each day advising when the divers were about to enter the water; a second call was made at the end of the working day. A local liaison from the B.C. Provincial Emergency Program accompanied the dive team to expedite contact with local authorities and property owners.
Co-operation among all levels of government in planning for events ranging from disaster response to the 2010 Olympics is becoming more common. This is just one example of how a thorough pre-plan can solve problems well before they have a chance to happen.
For more information on utilizing GIS and GPS information within a CAD system, contact Superintendent Derek McClure – Derek.Mcclure@gov.bc
Paul Dixon (pd.dixon@shaw.ca) is a freelance writer and consultant focusing on emergency preparedness and emergency management. In 2007 he worked for the BC Provincial Emergency Program in the Freshet Planning Unit, doing advanced planning for the anticipated record runoff on the Fraser River. He worked with the military in this role and later served as the liaison for the dive team operations detailed in this article.
Back to Basics: Hose line advancement tips
Trainer's Corner: A study of dangerous tactics


" In his recent column "The Religious Wars" (NY Times, November 26), Nicholas D Kristoff promotes as "more thoughtful" books written by Robert Wright and Karen Armstrong that advocate for liberal theism and religious belief. He expresses hopes that these books mark "an armistice in the religious wars, a move away from both religious intolerance and irreligious intolerance". However, the arguments for theism and religion made by Robert Wright and Karen Armstrong are actually less thoughtful than the competing arguments by the New Atheists. Furthermore, it is counterproductive to assert that such dubious beliefs are necessary for peace and tolerance.
Liberal theists are like "sunday only" christians most of the time.
Basically, the people who don't find religion terribly important, since they are okay with other people living how they want to rather than living how they think they should live.
So yeah, I would agree if all theists were liberal theists it would be a lot more peaceful. It would eliminate a lot of religious wars anyway.
Kristoff makes no distinction here between non-liberal religionists and atheists. Do you also agree with Kristoff that if vocal atheists were all liberal theists like him it would be more peaceful?


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New York|Brian Moore, New York Police Officer Shot in the Head, Dies
Brian Moore, New York Police Officer Shot in the Head, Dies
Hundreds of police officers paid their respects to Officer Brian Moore outside Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on Monday as the officer's body was carried away by ambulance.CreditCreditUli Seit for The New York Times
By J. David Goodman and Al Baker
Officer Brian Moore followed his father into the New York Police Department, rose to the ranks of an elite plainclothes unit tasked with confronting the city's most dangerous street crime and died on Monday, two days after a gunman opened fire on him in Queens.
At the time that Officer Moore, 25, was shot on Saturday evening, he was still young enough to be living in the Long Island home of his father, Raymond. Yet he was seasoned enough in the job he had been drawn to since childhood to have earned accolades from superiors and departmental medals for "meritorious" police work. He had made over 150 arrests since joining the department in July 2010.
"In his very brief career, he already proved himself to be an exceptional young officer," the police commissioner, William J. Bratton, said in announcing Officer Moore's death, outside Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on Monday.
"I did not know this officer in person in life," Mr. Bratton added. "I've only come to know him in death."
Officer Moore's death plunged the nation's largest police force into mourning for the second time in six months. Though his wounds were grave from the moment the gunman's bullet struck his face, officials had held out hope that he might survive. But on Monday his family made the decision to remove him from life support, prompting an outpouring of grief.
Shortly after Officer Moore's death, the Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, said the charges against the man accused of opening fire, Demetrius Blackwell, 35, would be elevated to include first-degree murder.
Officer Brian MooreCreditNew York Police Department
"We lost one of the best amongst us, a young man who was called to do good for others," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference at Police Headquarters. "This was his dream because he had seen such extraordinary examples in his own family."
At a time of low crime in the city and a national debate over deadly police actions, officials said Officer Moore's death was as a reminder of the dangers inherent in everyday situations officers encounter. The shooting erupted in an instant as the officers tried to question a man they deemed suspicious.
It differed, in that respect, from the targeted killing of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in December by a man who linked his actions to protests over police killings of unarmed black men in Missouri and on Staten Island. The police have said that no such political motive existed for Mr. Blackwell, whom they described as a "professional criminal."
"Policing is never easy," Mr. Bratton said at the news conference. "At this time in America, it's even more difficult."
For city officers, the story of the Moores was the story of many police families. Not only Officer Moore's father but also his uncle and his cousin were New York City officers. Officer Moore grew up on Long Island, in a middle-class neighborhood filled with city workers. He attended a public high school, Plainedge, whose athletic field was named for Edward R. Byrne, another alumnus who followed his father into the city's Police Department and was fatally shot on duty in Queens as a 22-year-old rookie in 1988.
"Officer Moore was very proud of his father and uncle, and they were very proud of him," said Lawrence Byrne, the deputy commissioner of legal matters and the brother of Edward Byrne.
Leaving items in memory of Officer Brian Moore outside the home he shared with his father in North Massapequa, on Long Island.CreditChristopher Gregory for The New York Times
Officer Moore worked in a department where his family name preceded him in some of the highest ranks. Mr. Byrne knew Raymond Moore as a high school classmate at Plainedge High School, in North Massapequa; James P. O'Neill, the chief of department, worked with him in the warrants squad in the 1990s and on Monday called the Moores a "terrific family."
On Monday, about 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil on the athletic field to honor Officer Moore, the local schools superintendent said, and "remember the dedicated, courageous and kind young man he was."
The crowd — including officers, friends, family and classmates of Officer Moore — filled two sets of metal bleachers and overflowed onto the field. Most were dressed in blue to support the police.
Speakers referred to the Moore family's strong ties to law enforcement, and there were calls to toughen laws regarding violent parolees.
Among those who attended was Mike Cerullo, a New York police detective who grew up three blocks from Officer Moore and helped to pull him out of the unmarked police car after he was shot. "It was devastating," he said. Detective Cerullo said Officer Moore had wanted to be a plainclothes officer and that he had assisted him in becoming one.
"He was a great kid," the detective said. "I can't say a bad thing about him. He always had a smile on his face."
Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said Officer Moore's death was "a great loss to this profession and to this city."CreditUli Seit for The New York Times
It was about 6:15 p.m. on Saturday when Officer Moore steered his unmarked police sedan toward a man whom he and his partner observed walking on a quiet street in Queens Village and adjusting his waistband in what the police said was a suspicious manner.
They pulled up behind him and as they began talking to him, the police said, the man turned and fired at the car. Officer Moore was struck in the cheek and had trauma to his brain, officials said. Officer Moore's partner, Officer Erik Jansen, was not hit.
Ninety minutes after the shooting, officers arrested Mr. Blackwell at a house within view of the scene of the gunfire, near the corner of 212th Street and 104th Road. He had discarded the weapon, the police said, and tried to mix into a crowd of curious neighbors as heavily armed officers went house to house.
For more than a day, officers searched the backyards and rooftops for the gun used in the shooting. It was found by detectives on Monday morning under a box near a grill in a backyard that officials said was along the short route they suspected Mr. Blackwell took after the shooting. The gun, a silver .38-caliber, five-shot revolver, had two live rounds and three expended rounds.
The police said three .38-caliber rounds were fired at the officers, two striking their car and one hitting Officer Moore.
The gun was among 23 reported stolen in October 2011 from Little's Bait & Tackle Pawn Shop in Perry, Ga., the police said. Nine of those weapons, including the revolver, have been recovered in New York City, and another in Rhode Island.
On Monday afternoon, hundreds of officers looked on as an ambulance carrying Officer Moore's body left the hospital and headed to the morgue. Distraught relatives placed their hands on the vehicle. Along the route, firefighters at every station stood and saluted. At the morgue, a sea of blue formed.
Still others converged on the gray Cape Cod-style home where Officer Moore lived in North Massapequa. This week, thousands will gather for the familiar rituals of a police goodbye.
John Surico and Rebecca White contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 18 of the New York edition with the headline: 'Exceptional' Officer Dies From a Gunshot Wound . Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
Queens Man Charged With Assault and Attempted Murder in Shooting of Officer
Police Officer Is Shot and Critically Wounded in Queens


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Awakening the Chakras (The Seven Energy Centers in Your Daily Life) $19.95
Victor Daniels, Kooch N. Daniels, Pieter Weltevrede, Pieter Weltevrede
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (February 26, 2017)
Brahman (A Study of the Solar Rituals of the Indo-Europeans) $49.00
Georg Olms Verlag (January 1, 2012)
6" x 8.5" x 0.8"
Chakras (Energy Centers of Transformation) $19.95
Harish Johari
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (September 1, 2000)
Dharma Deck (Wisdom From the Vedas) (Miniature Edition) $16.95
Mandala Publishing (May 14, 2002)
Dharma Deck (Wisdom of the Vedas) (Miniature Edition) $16.95
Shawn Laksmi
Mandala Publishing (December 30, 2008)
El árbol del yoga $17.95
B. K. S. Iyengar, José Manuel Abeleira
Editorial Kairos (April 1, 2008)
Encounters with Divinity $19.95
Mandala Publishing (October 14, 2008)
Inside the Yoga Sutras (A Comprehensive Sourcebook for the Study & Practice of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras) $19.95
Jaganath Carrera
Integral Yoga Publications (November 3, 2005)
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Instant Presence (Allow Natural Meditation to Happen) $16.95
Enza Vita, Lama Surya Das
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Ajit Mookerjee
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (March 1, 1988)
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Khumba Mela (The World's Largest Act of Faith) $24.95
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Kundalini (The Arousal of the Inner Energy) $19.95
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (December 1, 1981)
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Krishna Gopi
Shambhala (February 4, 1997)
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Living Hinduism (Scriptures. Philosophy. Practices) $10.00
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Los chakras (Centros energéticos de la transformación) $19.95
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (August 1, 1995)
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Mahamantra Yoga (Chanting to Anchor the Mind and Access the Divine) $14.95
Richard Whitehurst
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Mehndi (The Art of Henna Body Painting) $12.00
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5" x 7.6" x 0.31"
Original Gospel of Ramakrishna (Based in M's English Text, Abridged) $22.95
Joseph A. Fitzgerald, Alexander Lipski, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Abhedananda
World Wisdom (November 17, 2011)
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Sadhus (Holy Men of India) $19.95
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Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (October 9, 2014)
Science and Spiritual Practices (Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health) $26.00
Counterpoint (August 28, 2018)
Tantra (Path of Ecstasy) $19.95
Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D.
Shambhala (July 28, 1998)
Tantric Kali (Secret Practices and Rituals) $14.95
Daniel Odier
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company (October 24, 2016)
Teachings of the Hindu Mystics $18.95
Andrew Harvey
Shambhala (December 26, 2001)
Teachings of the Hindu Mystics - 9781611806953 $12.95
Shambhala Pocket Library
The Bhagavad Gita - 9780140449181 $11.00
Anonymous, Juan Mascaro, Simon Brodbeck
Penguin Publishing Group (February 25, 2003)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, 2nd Edition (A New Look at the World s Oldest Religion) $21.95
Linda Johnsen
DK (May 5, 2009)
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The Complete Life of Krishna (Based on the Earliest Oral Traditions and the Sacred Scriptures) $24.95
The Essence of Yoga (Essays on the Development of Yogic Philosophy from the Vedas to Modern Times) $14.95
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The Goddess in India (The Five Faces of the Eternal Feminine) $19.95
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The Heart of Krishna $14.95
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The Hindu Tradition (Readings in Oriental Thought) $10.36
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Yoga for the Three Stages of Life (Developing Your Practice As an Art Form, a Physical Therapy, and a Guiding Philosophy) $24.95
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Yoga Meditation (The Supreme Guide to Self-Realization) $17.95
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Iowans are proud of where we come from, and we have good reason to be. But for too long we have been deprived of what makes us Iowans: our story. Show your support for Teaching Iowa History by visiting iowamuseums.org or uni-foundation.org.


Online ordering menu for A Asia Restaurant. At A Asia Restaurant we have an eclectic menu specializing in Chinese, Thai, Japanese cuisine and creative sushi rolls with freshest ingredients daily served here om Frederick. The menu includes familiar favorites, and creative twists to the ordinary. Order online for carryout or delivery today! We are located on Prospect Blvd and Willow Ave, just a few minutes from Harry Grove Stadium and Carrollton Park.


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Banff National Park Animal Bridges
Alberta Trans-Canada Highway
Banff & Alberta Rockies
Since 1987, when the first animal bridge was completed, six overhead bridges have been completed in the park. Along with quite a few more under-the-highway tunnels and pathways, and animal fencing on both sides of the highway.
In 1980, the entire stretch of the Trans-Canada through Banff National Park was a 2-lane highway. The government was looking at improving safety for the ever-increasing vehicle traffic, to reduce head on collisions, as well as making the highway safer for the wide range of wild animals residing in the park.
Since the 1980s, the Canadian government has allotted more than $400 million to upgrade and twin the four-lane highway, and it has allocated a quarter of the budget set aside for projects that would reduce wildlife collisions, a growing concern as the traffic is projected to keep increasing. Banff National Park gets about 6 million visitors a year.
Parks Canada has fenced the entire 180 kilometres of highway through the park and built several dozen wildlife crossing structures to lower the mortality rate. Before the fencing and structures, wildlife would wander onto and cross the highway, and were hit, wounded, or killed by the fast-moving automobile and truck traffic to and through the park. There were 100 elk-vehicle collisions per year in the mid-1990s before the fencing was completed.
While the animal bridges are the most visible, and the preferred crossing routes for deer, elk, and grizzlies, there are 38 tunnels and culverts under the highway that seem to be preferred by black bears and by mountain lions.
There are also 6 animal bridges (and one more is planned east of the park, near Canmore) that cost $2-3 million each to build. These structures also have motion-detector activated cameras and have tracked over 200,000 animal crossings by both large mammals and animals as small as toads. Some species took as long as 5 years to feel safe and secure on the animal bridges.
To build the bridges, the surface needs to be prepared, then an upside-down culvert is installed over the traffic lanes, then then area between and beside the culverts is built up from stone and earth to create the gentle slope and sightlines that animals need to cross the highway. Animal fencing is installed on the sides of the bridge, to keep animals on the bridge. Then, to blend them with the surrounding wilderness, the animal bridge surface is planted with trees, shrubs, grasses, and mosses. Finally, the animal fencing on both sides of the highway is opened and connected with the animal bridge fencing, so animals can learn to cross safely.
Here is a map of animal bridge locations in Banff National Park. Most of these are double-culvert structures, with one culvert crossing over each direction's two lanes. The bridge west of Lake Louise is a large one, that crosses all four lanes of traffic with a single culvert.
TCH- Animal Bridge Locations in Banff National Park


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AOP > Explore > Local Content Policies that Reflect the Market
Local Content Policies that Reflect the Market
In the final panel of day two of the Africa Oil & Power 2018 conference, panelists discussed local content policy and implementation on the African continent in driving economic development.
Moderated by the CEO of Tsavo Oilfield Services Elizabeth Rogo, the Public Private Partnerships panel discussed institutional support for local content development, local content legislation, private sector relationships with government and the participation of the private sector in public projects.
Joining the panel was Florizelle Liser, President and CEO of Corporate Counsel of Africa, Jude Kearney, Managing Director at Kearney Africa, Pablo Memba, Director General of GML Group, Centurion CEO, NJ Ayuk, Frank Ene, CEO of RoyalGate Energy and Akin Odumakinde, CEO of Deltatek Group
Providing a legal perspective on the panel, Jude Kearney said local content policy implementation was key in driving the advancement of the sector, with it not only benefitting the sector and key players but also the development skills which contribute greatly to securing key investments. But, he said "there needs to be attention between the need and goal for government to create more opportunity for its citizens to give input."
The panel expressed the need for an environment that is open to collaboration. "Africa has not learned how to work together. Words like 'strategic alliances' are not used in Africa," said Frank Ene. In creating these alliances and local content policies that work, the panel agreed that countries have to be realistic and implement policies that reflect the current state of the market. "There must be interesting targets set for local content. If you set a target in year one, you must be able to adjust them in year three, four or seven," said Liser
Another key mention on the panel was the perception of local content by foreign companies, "Sometimes people confuse local content as something only for Africa. And a lot of companies do not consider it because they assume it will reduce their output," said Pablo Memba. Frank Ene described local content as a better way of engaging with locals and communities.
Countries investing in their local content policy and skills development plays a significant role in creating environments that are attractive to private players looking to enter new environments and fostering lasting relationships with government. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for African countries to market themselves and transform the sector, said the panel.


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Adrienne Raquel
Home · Entertainment
Da'Vine Joy Randolph Is The Breakout Star Of 'Dolemite Is My Name'
By Regina R. Robertson	· Updated December 6, 2020
Since Dolemite is My Name hit theaters and began streaming on Netflix earlier this month, Eddie Murphy has been the talk of the town. Not surprisingly, he received a standing ovation at the film's Toronto International Film Festival premiere in September too. He nodded, smiled and waved, like the pro he is. When Da'Vine Joy Randolph's name was called, the audience roared again and she seemed shocked. That was a moment…and clearly, there shall be many more to come.
Randolph portrays the legendary Lady Reed, creative collaborator of the late Rudy Ray Moore, also known as Dolemite. It's fair to say that she's a woman who has no time for games. In fact, when we first meet her in the film, she's just had it out with her cheating husband.
"She's a woman who, in 1972, chooses to be a single mother," notes the Yale School of Drama alum. "She loves herself enough to know that she'd rather be alone than be with someone who doesn't value her or see her worth. And even though she doesn't know where she'll lay her head or how she'll feed her child, she's going to make it work."
Before reading the script, Randolph–whose credits include This Is Us, Empire and her Tony Award-nominated turn in Ghost, the Musical–was intrigued by the character breakdown.
"Lady Reed was described as a beautiful Black woman who is met at a time of struggle; she's not broken, but trying to figure things out. Her size is not to be played with and yet, it's something that compliments her," she adds. "It was so flattering and I remember thinking, 'Whoever's going to play this role, she's cute!'"
After an intense audition process, complete with many callbacks, she landed the part. About teaming with Murphy, whom she was initially unaware was attached to the project, she's still beaming.
"It's amazing…surreal," Randolph, 33, says. "When I found out that he was cast, I was like, 'I'm glad they didn't tell me in the beginning. Eddie is genius, with such a wealth of knowledge, and he was so generous with his time. Even when I wasn't filming, I was there, on set, just watching and absorbing. As a newbie, working with him was like taking a master class."
Many have marveled at Lady Reed's "glow up," mainly her coif, her beat and of course, her wardrobe. For that, she credits intense research on the part of the film's hair and make-up team, as well as Oscar-winning costume designer, Ruth E. Carter. In fact, she recalls the moment she learned that she'd be working with Carter.
"When I first met her, I cried," she admits. "As a curvy Black woman, I knew I was going to be taken care of and Ruth made me feel like I was being celebrated. Every, single one of my pieces were custom-made."
About her character's transformation, Randolph can relate.
"When you first see her, she's in a muumuu and a headscarf, but [then, her look] gets a little bit better and a little bit better, but it's not about money," she says. "As Black women, when we put that time into ourselves, it shows up on us in such a way that it is literally like a mini-internal makeover. That's what I wanted to capture with Lady Reed and now, when people tell me that I'm glowing, I say [it's because] I'm good…I'm good."
TOPICS: Entertainment Black Hollywood Da'Vine Joy Randolph dolemite is my name Entertainment Essence News Film Jordan Peele keegan-micheal kay key and peele new jack city sydney scott warner bros wesley snipes


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OCBC says Hotel Properties could possibly be the next general offer candidate
By PC Lee / The Edge Singapore | October 16, 2018 11:21 AM SGT
SINGAPORE (Oct 15): OCBC Investment Research says Hotel Properties (HPL) could be the next candidate of a general offer.
Following the general offer for Hotel Properties (HPL) led by Ong Beng Seng and Wheelock Properties (Singapore) (WPS) in 2014, OCBC noted the potential for HPL and WPS to redevelop their neglected assets along the so-called "western end" of Orchard Road which stretches from Far East Shopping Center to Tanglin Mall into a mega-development.
"The western end of the Orchard district is known to be a less active shopping area comprising generally dated assets, which attract less foot traffic versus the vibrant retail areas to the east of Orchard Ion," says OCBC analyst Deborah Ong in a Monday report.
Read more on The Edge Singapore.
https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/ocbc-says-hotel-properties-could-possibly-be-next-general-offer-candidate