WooCommerce Mobile App | How it works?
MageNative App converts WooCommerce store/website to mobile shopping app, fully synchronized with WooCommerce platform to provide realtime data with best user experience. MageNative App will boost your revenue exponentially. This manual will explain step by step process to build and configure the app.
Once you buy the MageNative app you can download connector module from "My Purchased Extension" tab in customer account section on our site MageNative. There you will see a list of all purchased modules. In order to download modules first you have to create license for your domain. You can create license by clicking on "Generate License For One Domain".
On clicking "Generate License For One Domain" you will see a popup as shown in image below. There you have to enter your domain name.
Once you successfully generate the license you will be able to download your extension. You can get license information and download link on the same screen and also you will receiv an e-mail on registered email id containing license information. The license key you received will be needed in order to activate your module. We will discuss that process later in this documentation.Screen containing license information and download link will look as in image below.
This module will help your WooCommerce shop to integrate with app. Once you install connector plugin and do little setup on plugin. Your app is now ready to receive Api feeds from your WooCommerce shop.
Step 2: Navigate to the Plugins menu.
Step 3: and click Add New.
Step 5: Install it by simply clicking "Install Now".
Step 4: Enable "Enable MageNative Woo App"
Step 5: In the "Enter API ID" section fill the unique Header Hash Key or any random combination of atleast 10 alphabets and numbers.
Step 6: Click "Save changes" and your MageNative WooCommerce APP plugin is activated.
You can build your app from "My Apps" tab in customer account section on our site MageNative. Building an app is a 3 step process. We will discuss each step one by one.
This step will decide the look and feel of your app. So in this step you need to provide basic information of your shopping app. Please fill in all the fields and click save to move to next step.
App Name: The name of your WooCommerce App.
Domain Name: The domain of the store of which you want to generate app. If you purchased license for more than one domain then it will be select field otherwise the domain appear only as a label.
Base URL: The base url of the store of which you want to generate app. You can get your base url from store->configuration->general->web->Base URL from magento 2 admin.
Header Hash Key/API ID: This is a autogenerated secret key.Make a note of it. You need it during configuraing module, Without it your app will not receive API feeds.
Category Image: This is the image which will be showed on category list page in app.
Placeholder Image: This is the image which will be showed untill your image does not loads.
Theme Color: This field will let you to decide the background-color of your splash screen. You can easily select any color from color picker.
Once, you are done with building app and plugin installation, you can configure various features of your app in connector. This section will explain you various ways to configure app using connector.
MageNative app converts your WooCommerce eCommerce website to a WooCommerce mobile app very easily.
To activate your module you have to enter the License Key which you will find in "My Purchased Extension".
It is a Checkbox field which is used to enable or disable MageNative Woo App plugin.
To enable/disable module please go to your WooCommerce dashboard -> MageNative Woo App. In the General tab enable checkbox for the field "Enable MageNative Woo App".
Enter Header Hash Key that you will get from "Create Your App" section. Copy/Paste the key into "Enter API ID" field and click SAVE.
Note: If it is not enabled then your app will not receive API feeds from WooCommerce website.
This feature enables you to upload promotional banner for your app home page. For managing and uploading banner image go to MageNative Woo App -> Home Page.
To upload new banner image go to WooCommerce dashboard -> MageNative Woo App -> Navigate to the Home Page tab -> Click on "Add New" button located on the right side of Banners text.
Title: The title for your banner image.
Enable: To enable or disable the banner.
Choose Image: You can upload banner image from your disk by clicking on browse button.
Product in-app: To redirect the user to the Products page available in the Front-end view of the app.
Category in-app: To redirect the user to the Category page available in the Front-end view of the app.
Website Page: To redirect the user to the specific link provided.
Note: Banner will not show on app home page untill you assign it to banner widget.
This feature enables you to upload Notifications for your app. For managing and uploading Notifications go to MageNative Woo App -> Notification.
To upload new notification go to WooCommerce dashboard -> MageNative Woo App -> Navigate to the Notification tab -> Click on "Add New" button located on the right side of Notifications text.
Title: The title for your Notification.
Message: Enter the message for notification.
Enable: Check the box to enable or disable the notification.
Choose Image: You can upload notification image from your disk by clicking on browse button.


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text:
echo "Инсталятор и обновлятор шаблона разработки"
echo "Vanessa Bootstrap Install or Upgrade"
echo "подключает bootstrap к текущему репозиторию и обновляет его из ветки master"

# Переходим в каталог GIT если он указан в параметре, если запускать скрипт из каталога git, при получении этого файла возникает ошибка.
if [ "$1" ]; then
    cd $1
fi

if git rev-parse --git-dir > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "Текущий каталог находится под управлением GIT - доступна возможность инсталяции и обновления"
else
  echo "Текущий каталог не является GIT репозиторием - необходимо выполнить команду git init для инициалиации"
  echo "дальнейшая работа невозможна"
  exit 42 # "код возврата - пасхальное яйцо, для понимающих"
fi

if [ ! -f ./README.md ]; then
    echo "Основной файл README не найден - создаю заглушку"
    echo "TODO - описать репозиторий" > ./README.md
    git add ./README.md
    git commit -m "автоматически добавлена заглушка файла README"
fi

if [ ! -f ./LICENSE.txt ]; then
    echo "Основной файл LICENSE не найден - создаю заглушку"
    echo "TODO - описать лицензию" > ./LICENSE.txt
    git add ./LICENSE.txt
    git commit -m "автоматически добавлена заглушка файла LICENSE"
fi

if [ ! -f ./.gitignore ]; then
    echo "Основной файл игнорирования не найден - создаю минимальный"
    echo "*.exe" > ./.gitignore
    git add ./.gitignore
    git commit -m "автоматически добавлена заглушка файла игнорирования"
fi

if [ ! -f ./.gitattributes ]; then
    echo "Основной файл атрибутов не найден - создаю атрибуты защиты"
    echo "" > ./.gitattributes
    echo "README.md merge=ours" >> ./.gitattributes
    echo ".gitmodules merge=ours" >> ./.gitattributes
    echo ".gitignore merge=ours" >> ./.gitattributes
    echo ".gitattributes merge=ours" >> ./.gitattributes
    echo "LICENSE.txt merge=ours" >> ./.gitattributes
    git add ./.gitattributes
    git commit -m "автоматически добавлена заглушка файла атрибутов репозитория"
fi

echo "Включаю поддержку русских имен файлов (всегда и принудительно)"
git config --local core.quotepath false

if git ls-remote --quiet --exit-code vanessa-bootstrap > /dev/null; then
    echo "Подписка на обновления шаблона vanessa-bootstrap установлена корректно"
else
    echo "Не обнаружена подписка на обновления шаблона - добавляю подписку"
    git remote add vanessa-bootstrap https://github.com/silverbulleters/vanessa-bootstrap.git
fi

echo "Устанавливаю настройки объединения"
git config --local merge.ours.driver true

echo "Получаю последние измененения шаблона"
git fetch --no-tags vanessa-bootstrap

echo "Получаю изменения шаблона - без помещения"
echo "(Для отката используйте команду 'git checkout .')"

# Добавляем параметр --allow-unrelated-histories чтобы учесть новое поведение git (воспроизводилось на 2.9.3.windows.1) при слиянии репозиториев
GIT_VER=$(git --version)
if [[ "$GIT_VER" > "2.9" ]]; then
    AUH_PARAM="--allow-unrelated-histories"
else
    AUH_PARAM=""
fi

git pull --no-tags --no-commit "$AUH_PARAM" vanessa-bootstrap master

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Looks great, highly customizable team.
Monotonous gameplay that goes on way too long, no tips for first timers.
Not a bad game, but not really great either.
The bigger they are, the bigger the sword it takes.
You want bigger? Yes, this will do nicely.
These boars look so pathetic when they die that I felt bad killing them.
This scene comes late in the game and convinced me that WKC should have been an anime series.
"I didn't discover the gameplay's biggest flaw, however, until the final boss battle."
Last September, I took on a unique personal challenge: to play a direct sequel without playing the first game in the series. I dove into White Knight Chronicles 2 with gusto, and nine months' worth of weekend playtime later, I've finally reached its end.
Sadly, even after all of those hours with WKC2, I really can't tell you much about its story. This game really expects you to have played the first, and makes no allowances for those who haven't. Who are these characters I'm playing as? Why do they talk about that random NPC like I should know him? What are we really trying to accomplish? All of these questions (and more) ran through my head as I played the game, but they were apparently unworthy of even one sentence of recap in the eyes of the developers.
Here's what I can tell you, though. In WKC2, you play as a group of characters who are trying to help their kingdoms fight back against the invading Yshrenian Empire. When the game begins, two members of your team have access to giant, mech-like suits of armor, and by the game's end, they can get up to two more such suits. The invaders have armor of their own, and would really like to get their hands on yours. This may be the real reason behind the war... but I'm not sure.
Aside from the main quest, you can easily spend at least 20 hours tackling a few varieties of sidequests that may involve killing something, getting an item for an NPC, or sometimes even just talking to a set of people. Ridiculous as it sounds, several sidequests had me simply passing messages between two or three people who were standing right next to each other. They were friends, but apparently not the kind of friends who tell each other things. As part of the main quest, you are sent back in time on a few occasions and, oddly enough, you can continue your sidequests even during those journeys back into the years before your characters (or the questgivers) were even born.
Of course, the game's not all about running around talking to people. WKC2's combat uses an active time battle system – that is, each character has a meter that fills up over time, and once it fills they can take an action. Meters fill at different rates based on how you've equipped your characters, so the archer clad in leather will attack more quickly than the sledgehammer-wielding tank in a suit of plate armor. There are three different types of physical attacks as well as a number of types of magic, and learning your enemies' weaknesses can be crucial to success, especially in battles against larger beasts. Most of the time you can switch between characters at will, but I tended to play primarily as my main damage-dealer and leave the healing to my team.
When you defeat an enemy, you don't typically get equipment as a reward. Instead, you get items that you can use to craft new equipment or consumables, some more rarely than others. Frustratingly, several of the sidequests require you to obtain items dropped only by specific enemies at a very low drop rate. Were you to try to grind for all of these items, it could easily add another 10 to 20 hours of unsatisfying gameplay to your WKC2 experience.
With a system like this, it is essentially mandatory that enemies respawn over time, even if you haven't left an area. The problem is that this game over-delivers in the respawn department. In fact, there were times when I started a fight by taking out a set of low-level enemies around a larger boss-type, and by the time I had finished off the larger enemy, the low-level jerks were already back.
As your team levels up, they earn skill points that can be used to learn skills from eight trees: six that relate to a type of weapon and two for magic. The game begins with a team that's already at level 30, so your characters have a pretty firm basis in one tree, but by the end of the game, they have earned enough skill points that you can safely divide your efforts between two trees and still get to (or close to) the top of both. You can't use every skill you've learned in battle, but must instead choose the skills you want to fill up three sets, of seven menu slots each, with. This system is definitely generous and I rarely strayed from the skills I had put in the first set of slots. When I chose to pick something else, though, it worked well within the battle system, because I had just enough time to find the skill I wanted while my ATB meter filled up.
All of this means that you have a lot of potential to tailor characters the way you want them... but it somehow still manages to be very monotonous. The same kinds of enemies level up and appear throughout the game, so once I knew that a certain enemy was vulnerable to a certain attack, that's what I always used against it. I didn't discover the gameplay's biggest flaw, however, until the final boss battle. In that fight, I learned that I'd be watching the game's ending scenes on YouTube, because I hadn't built my team the right way. Without certain specific abilities (and the MP to use them over and over), it appears that I had no chance against the end boss, despite mopping the floor with everyone who preceded him. It was very disappointing, and it definitely discouraged me from going back and trying to level up my team "just a bit more" to see if I could take him down.
Sadly, the controls mainly serve to enhance the feeling of monotony. Nearly everything is bogged down by at least one layer of menus too many, so you spend a lot more time in the menus than you'd really like. For example, the menu where you learn skills is separated by several button presses from the menu where you select the skills you want to use in battle. The same is true for navigating the menu where you see the items you're carrying and the menu where you equip things. Fortunately, the only time that the controls really cause trouble in combat is when you choose to switch characters, which may have contributed to my choice to play as the same character as much as possible. Other than that, the controls do a fine job of handling the demands of vanquishing your foes. It's easy to pick the attack or skill you want to use each turn, easy to move around your enemies, and easy to change your teammates' tactics. You automatically lock onto an enemy when you initiate combat, and as long as other enemies are visible on screen, it's easy to switch to a new target. If someone is shooting you from off-screen, however, you'll have to move around until he's visible before you can switch your lock to him.
White Knight Chronicles 2 certainly has its flaws, but it is not without merit. Specifically, this game looks great. The environments are varied and you are hit with probably the best looking area right at the outset, which creates quite a first impression. As the game begins, you find yourself in a forest area that somehow includes sectors that are experiencing all four seasons. It might not make much sense, but it's a great showcase for the game's graphics. The flora is gorgeous, and the fauna is convincing – I actually felt bad for the wild boars when they trembled as I knocked them out. As you progress through the game, you find yourself in a number of areas with views of huge chasms or wide open plains, and they never fail to impress. The cities in the game each have their own architectural style, from small rural villages to medieval castles to steampunk, and they're all worth seeing. The only complaint I could lobby is that the lip-syncing rarely matches up with the dialogue, but that's absolutely nit-picking.
The sound isn't as good as the graphics, but it's still one of WKC2's better qualities. The music fits well with the game, and the voice acting is high-quality. It's not all good, though. While you're walking, your party members sometimes talk to you and each other, which is intended to help immersion, but gets annoying when they say things like "Haven't we been this way already?" "Yes, we absolutely have been this way, 800 times or so. I wasn't really thrilled about coming here again either, but I've got to find a Fire Giant Eye, so we don't really have a choice."
In the final analysis, I will freely admit that I had an OK time with White Knight Chronicles 2. I've certainly sunk time into worse games, but I'd rather put my time into something better. It looks great and sounds pretty good, but is so repetitive and drawn out that it becomes hard to focus on the game's merits. If you enjoyed the first game, you'll certainly enjoy this one. If you didn't play the first and you don't mind grinding, you can have fun with White Knight Chronicles 2, but I'd strongly advise that you play its predecessor if you're interested in knowing what's going on.
© 2012 Sony Computer Entertainment (Japan, EU), D3 Publisher (NA), Level-5. All rights reserved.


The human being is designed to move, yet some 86% of Full Time American workers spend most of their days sitting. Add sitting and sleeping and you have a day spent mostly inactive.
It's pretty horrifying when you realize that excessive sitting alone can make you a poorly functioning human being. The video below is a 30 second routine that can greatly improve your quality of movement and living.
Visit Max Shank and TNation for more great mobility and training tips.


text:
Lenovo Yoga 900 Review
Joe Roberts, December 4, 2015 5:13 pm GMT
Page 1 Lenovo Yoga 900 Review
Page 2 Screen and Ports Review
Page 3 Software, Performance and Fan Review
Page 4 Camera, Battery, Audio and Verdict Review
Upgraded performance
Good battery life
Build quality doesn't match high price
Issues with screen flickering
Loud fan
Up to 6th-generation Intel Core i7 Processor
Up to 16GB RAM
1-megapixel 720p HD CMOS camera
Up to 512GB Samsung SSD
JBL Stereo Speakers with Dolby DS 1.0 Home Theatre Certification
13.3-inch QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) screen
Wi-Fi 2 x 2 802.11 a/c
What is the Lenovo Yoga 900?
Lenovo, a leader in the laptop-tablet hybrid market, impressed with last year's Yoga 3 Pro. With its "watchband" hinge that rotated 360 degrees, the laptop combined innovative design with decent performance, making it one of 2014's most intriguing Ultrabooks.
The Yoga 3 Pro did suffer from mediocre battery life, however, and its Core M processor meant that it wasn't the fastest laptop on the market. This year, Lenovo has tried to address those concerns with the Yoga 900, the successor to the Yoga 3 Pro.
It isn't only the naming convention that's changed. The company has beefed up the internals with the latest Intel Core Skylake i5 and i7 processors, and a bigger battery that Lenovo claims will provide up to nine hours' battery life.
Like its predecessor, the Yoga 900 can be used as both a laptop and tablet thanks to its rotating screen, with four different modes: Laptop, Stand, Tent, and Tablet.
With the added performance upgrades and continuing commitment to innovative design, the Yoga 900 certainly looks like it does enough to justify its £1,200+ price on paper. But can it really compete with other laptops at this level? What's more, will another iteration of the Yoga design be enough to keep Lenovo at the forefront of the hybrid Ultrabook market, at a time when several other solid options – including the Surface Pro 4 – are available?
Lenovo Yoga 900 – Design
Considering the laptop's high price (options start at £1,199.95), you'd expect a pretty well-built product for your money. But whether or not the Yoga 900 delivers in this department could well be determined by what you've become accustomed to.
Related: Best laptops 2015
Starting with the positives. The "watchband" hinge, previously seen on the Yoga 3 Pro, makes a reappearance on the 900 and really does lend the device a premium feel. Lenovo claims that more than 800 pieces are used to make the hinge, slightly fewer than on the 3 Pro, which allows easy manipulation of the 360-degree rotating screen.
In my opinion, detachable screens have always been the best method by which to integrate tablet and laptop. But the ease with which the watchband hinge allows you to put the Yoga 900 into its different positions makes a strong case for the folding design.
Add to this the new auto-lock feature, which allows the keyboard and screen to snap together when they're in close proximity, and the reworked hinge arguably makes the 900 the best foldable hybrid available at a time when 360-degree folding screens are no longer a novelty.
Elsewhere, the laptop has been bulked up in comparison to its predecessor. At 1.3kg, the Yoga 900 remains light – but, due to the bigger battery, it's almost 0.1 inches thicker than the Yoga 3 Pro. Still, the 0.59-inch thickness remains impressive, putting the Yoga 900 close to the Microsoft Surface Pro 4's 0.53-inches.
The metal finish lends the Yoga 900 a MacBook-esque feel. You can choose between a range of somewhat redundantly named metallic finishes: Clementine Orange, Platinum Silver, and Champagne Gold.
While the metallic finish does plenty to enhance the high-end aesthetic of the Yoga 900, like most laptops that try to emulate the MacBook design, this ultimately works as a disadvantage, enhancing the areas where the Yoga 900 can't match Apple's build quality.
Related: iPad Pro vs Surface Pro 4
The same can be said of the screen, which, while decent, does have some
flex to it. When opening and closing the laptop, if you pull or push the
screen too hard from the corner, the casing will bend, which in some
instances will make the screen distort on the edges. Once again, this is
a small issue but when combined with other aspects of the overall
design, detracts from the premium feel of the Yoga 900.
bezel around the outside of the screen doesn't do much to uphold the
high-end aesthetic either. When compared with the Dell XPS 13 for
instance, the overbearing bezel manages to make the screen section of the laptop seem
positively archaic.
By no means does the Yoga 900 feel cheap, but for anything over £1,000
you expect quality, and Apple has simply managed to consistently set
the bar for design at this price point. In other words, if you're paying
this much, there's no reason why Lenovo couldn't match the sturdiness
and premium feel of a MacBook.
Lenovo Yoga 900 – Keyboard and Trackpad
In a small but noticeable change to last year's rubber finish, Lenovo has added a faux-leather finish to the area surrounding the keyboard. It may seem pointless at first, but the material serves a useful purpose by stopping the 900 sliding around on a table when being used in Tablet mode. It also feels fairly premium, and reportedly helps with heat dissipation.
The backlit keyboard itself improves on the Yoga 3 Pro by adding a dedicated row of function keys such as brightness and volume. The keys, with their rounded bottom edges, use Lenovo's standard U-shaped design. Overall I found the keyboard felt solid and responsive, unlike lower-end laptops of a similar type. However, I did find the travel to be a touch shallow, but this didn't detract too much from what is otherwise a robust keyboard.
Once you flip the screen 360 degrees and use the device in Tablet mode, the keyboard locks so you don't accidentally start typing or using the trackpad unintentionally. It does feel slightly strange using the laptop in this way, since the hand you're holding it with will inevitably hit various keys. This can be distracting as first, as you instinctively feel as though you're turning on all manner of functions with your unintentional keystrokes.
The buttonless trackpad is an area where the 900 falls short. It works well enough, but there was a very slight rattle to the pad on our review model and it would often force me to click twice as the first click wasn't registered, which became irritating. While not major issues, these elements again undermine the premium feel initially established by the hinge and metallic finish. You can't help but want a little more for your money.
Screen and Ports Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
About Investigative Reporting Denmark
Investigative Reporting Denmark -
Investigative Reporting Denmark (https://www.ir-d.dk/2017/05/citizens-pay-for-eu-ghost-offices/)
Citizens pay for EU ghost offices – not used and not on the map
By: journalists of The MEPs Project | 31/05/2017
Each member of the European Parliament gets 4 342 euros every month, mainly to fund an office in their own country. But offices for 249 MEPs do not exist or seem nowhere to be found. So far 133 out of the 748 current parliamentarians told what they pay in office rent, an investigation shows.
Photo: © European Union 2017 – EP
Each MEP receives a so-called General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), costing the EU around €40 million annually. It is intended to provide for national offices, but following research by journalists at 'The MEPs Project,' it seems the funds are potentially being misused.
A series of investigations across the 28 member states found at least 41 cases where MEPs pay rent to national political parties or even to their own personal accounts.
In 249 cases, MEPs either said they have no offices, refused to reveal their addresses, or the location of the offices could not otherwise be tracked.
As the EU parliament does not audit the use of these expense payments, there is no documentation available for how the funding is used. And, according to the research, neither the existence of MEPs' national offices, nor certain conditions of their funding are monitored by the parliament.
In this unprecedented EU-wide collaborative effort, our journalists in every member state looked into the way in which the 748 current MEPs (three seats are vacant) make use of the general expenses payments received from the parliament.
Our reporters requested information from all current 748 MEPs and analysed documents from the parliament, land registries and other sources.
So far, just 134 answered what they pay in office rent, while only 53 said that they were willing to share documents on their public spending.
MEP allowances
MEPs receive a monthly pay of €8,484, a generous budget of up to €24,164 for office staff, and a daily subsistence allowance for personal expenses during sessions of €307 per day, the latter one tax-free. On top of all that, the parliament pays each MEP a lump sum of €4,342 per month – again, tax-free.
The latter amount is the so-called General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), which is intended to cover the cost of national offices that, among other things, facilitate contact with EU citizens.
According to the investigation, the parliamentarians themselves have a rather varied understanding of how the GEA may be used.
Many of them claimed to use the whole sum every month on office equipment, internet subscriptions and other work-related costs. Some also included travel expenses for visitors, charity donations and payments to their national party as a "general expenditure".
Questions also arise with respect to the beneficiaries of the rent payments for the national offices. According to our research, in Germany alone eight MEPs from different political parties are themselves the owners of the buildings where their national offices are located.
Among them is Manfred Weber, the chairman of the centre-right EPP group, the biggest group in the EU parliament.
His local office sits in an annex to his private home in a small village in the Bavarian country side, far away from the more populated areas of his region. Weber left questions on this issue unanswered.
Frequently, MEPs seem to be sub-renting offices from their own local political party branches. Some 38 MEPs confirmed rent payments to a local or national party branch. Others did not answer questions on that, whereas some insisted there is a proper separation and that no subsidies were given to the party.
Some MEPs also transfer all of their GEA payments to their national party.
(Un)intended purpose
However, in a considerable number of cases, it seems to be unclear what use the MEPs make of their expense payments. And it is equally uncertain as to whether they are actually used for their intended purpose.
The investigation revealed that MEPs – in member states from Belgium to Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain – do not seem to maintain any national office at all.
A number of MEPs refused to tell where their office is situated. Neither the EU parliament nor its national offices in at least three countries were able to provide any information about where these offices are located, whereas, in one, all the addresses provided were not up-to-date.
This seems to contradict the long-held claim of the EU parliament – that MEPs should attempt to bridge the gap between Brussels and EU citizens.
In the parliament's calendar for 2017, nine weeks are set aside for external parliamentary activities, meaning political work outside Brussels and Strasbourg. Four weeks a year "MEPs concentrate exclusively on constituency work", says the parliament on its website.
Our journalists were unable to independently verify that all MEPs actually held at least one national office where they can "concentrate exclusively on constituency work".
Some 19 MEPs said that they do office work from their private homes.
In several member states, MEPs refused to reply to the inquiries, even though our journalists had sent repeated emails, followed up by phone calls.
The worst case of MEPs unwilling to answer questions about their public spending was found in Poland, where all 51 MEPs failed to reply to our journalists' questions.
According to the EU parliament, MEPs may rent space for their national offices from themselves or from their political party – as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are not part of internal rules or regulations, but seem to be mere informal guidelines, and their fulfilment is not monitored in any way.
Under the rules in place, the MEPs may not use the money to finance their national party or for any private purposes. Rather, the allowance is only "intended to cover expenses directly linked to the exercise of a Member's [MEP's] parliamentary mandate".
Rough guidelines
On paper, there are also guidelines for the use of national offices, which are financed with the parliament's money: "The premises must be used solely for the parliamentary activities of the Member [MEP]."
"Renting an office is one of the expenditures covered by the General Expenditure Allowance. This is a lump sum that – as a principle – is not controlled by the European Parliament," EU parliament spokesperson Marjory Van Den Broeke explained.
"An MEP may indeed rent an office from a national political party, provided certain conditions are respected and the rent is at market price, in order to prevent an indirect financing of the national party", she said.
"Moreover, the office should be used solely for the exercise of the European mandate. As such, the office should be separate from other offices and clearly marked as one for European Parliament work. It can also not be used by other people or for other purposes. Those are all the conditions that have to be respected," she added.
However, the parliament has no way of knowing if and how these conditions are being respected, Van Den Broeke admitted: "The fact that it's a lump sum means that MEPs do not need to hand in any invoices or other bills. This also means that the European Parliament administration does not have any information on any offices used by MEPs."
There are no controls in place to ensure that MEPs return expense payments, which remain unused for parliamentary work.
Only a small number of MEPs return funds to the parliament's administration due to them remaining unused. To illustrate, according to the parliament, since 2010 as few as five to 20 MEPs have reimbursed the institution for a total amount of €100,000 to €600,000 – depending on the year.
For many years, critics have pointed to the fact that there are no controls in place to verify whether the payments are being abused or not.
No controls
Only in April, the parliament voted down amendments asking for more transparency and at least random checks on the use of the GEA.
Wouter Wolfs – a researcher in European politics at Leuven University with a special interest in political financing – is critical of the handling of these expense payments.
"In general it is problematic because there is no transparency for the public," he said, adding that: "It would not be a problem, if we were sure that there was rigorous internal control in the parliament. But as we know that is not the case, either."
In a time with low public trust in politics and the EU institutions in particular, "this is very damaging for the image of the European Parliament and of the politicians," Wolfs said. "So, in that perspective, it will be good to go for full transparency to make sure that everything is following the rules."
When asked how the lack of control of the GEA can be seen in view of usual auditing demands for public bodies and private enterprises, Wolfs said: "Considering the fact that the expenditure from the EU budget is subjected to strict controls and audits, it is remarkable that the MEPs do not uphold the same standards for their own finances."
"Of course all controls must be proportionate, but if you consider that it is an annual amount of €40 million and there is reason for suspicion since we have seen misuse in the past, a stricter audit of the GEA is justified," Wolfs added.
Nick Aiossa, EU policy officer at Transparency International, commented our findings: "I could never imagine MEPs giving out 40 million a year to member states for cohesion policy, without one receipt. There is a level of hypocrisy on the financial management score that we find is quite astounding."
"We talk about the rise of the eurosceptic nationalist forces, the narrative that has been put around Europe on this. And yet here we see such small but symbolic problem with the parliament that can be fixed, literally, almost immediately," said Aiossa.
"Frankly, they are doing a disservice to themselves, particularly in the run up to the 2019 elections, and some of the national elections. I think that the sooner they fix this, the better they'll be," he argued.
The Green/EFA group in the EU parliament recently adopted a declaration, according to which members of the group have to commit themselves to stricter rules on the use of the GEA from July 2017 onward.
"After the end of each mandate, Greens/EFA MEPs should return any unspent GEA funds to the European Parliament accounts", the text says.
MEPs in the Green group will be obliged in the future to keep all of their receipts until the end of the mandate and publish overviews of the headline expenditure by category, or at least have them available upon request.
The investigation into MEPs' national offices was conducted over several months by a group of 48 journalists, representing all 28 EU member states, with financial support from Journalismfund.eu.
In 2015, the group formally asked the European Parliament for access to documents, showing how MEPs conduct their public spending. The requests were denied. The journalist then brought the case to the European Court of Justice, where it is still pending.
Background information on the legal case and more about the journalists' initiative – including names of the participants – can be found here.
The MEPs Project
#Officespotting
Members of the European Parliament
Billions of euros, millions of faulty masks, and no answers
Romanian firefighters unload a first batch of 30 ventilators from rescEU - the common European reserve of medical equipment set up earlier this year to help countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic, at the Hospital in Bulovka. EC - Audiovisual Service, photographer Michal Cizek If truth is the first casualty in war, transparency was lost first in the fight against Covid-19, closely followed by lack of control and oversight.
Unclear exit from G4S by two Danish business people
Who executed the sick people in a school - and why?
View all Investigations Posts →
The non-accountable MEPs
Out of 748 MEPs at the time of our investigation in 2017, only 53 were prepared to show documentation for actual spending (Photo: European Parliament) A case lost by a group of journalists representing the 28 EU-member countries in the European Court of Justice last September will cast a shadow over upcoming European Parliament elections. In our view, we actually were among close to 500 million people who lost when the court decided that no EU citizen has a right to access documents about expenditures claimed by the members of the European parliament (MEPs).
Does your MEP run a ghost office?
European Parliament under pressure
View all MEP Posts →
Is your member of the European Parliament a rent payer or a subsidy player? Last week the journalists of The MEPs Project revealed that one out of three MEPs across the EU does not maintain a national office or has declined to disclose its location.
View all #Officespotting Posts →
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In 2004, two Danish businessmen, Lars Nørby Johansen and Jørgen Philip-Sørensen, were the main forces behind the establishment of the world's largest security company, G4S. Just a year later, both disappeared from the company in a vague way.
Who executed the sick people in a school – and why?
"I observed a group of about 12 soldiers arriving on foot along the road. I could not identify to which party they belonged.
Et skrantende Falck skabte sikrings-giganten G4S – hvorefter danskerne forsvandt og firmaet blev et monster
To danske erhvervsfolk, Lars Nørby Johansen og Jørgen Philip-Sørensen, var hovedkræfterne bag den storstilede oprettelse af verdens største sikringsfirma, G4S, i 2004. Men blot et år efter forsvandt begge fra selskabet på meget uklar vis.
The European market for pesticides (plant protection products) is worth € 11b per year and equals 350 000 tons. 48 300 tons (13,8 percent) are believed to be illegal, counterfeited or substandard products.
Investigative Reporting Denmark
Investigative journalism under pressure
Quality in-depth and investigative journalism are under threat in large parts of the Western world, and, unfortunately, Denmark is no exception. Established media which traditionally had the commitment and organizational power to undertake such reporting is under withering financial pressure.
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Navigation Laws
Navigation Laws, the name usually given to those enactments by which commercial states have endeavored to regulate the navigation which left or visited their ports, seeking always to favor and promote the commerce of the state enacting them. Such laws have existed in some form among all the maritime states of Europe for many centuries. The first systematic effort of this kind was probably that of Spain, about three centuries ago, to preserve the exclusive possession of her very profitable commerce with her American colonies. In England, so far back as 137!), in the reign of Richard II., a statute was passed prohibiting the king's subjects from importing or exporting merchandise except in English ships. After this time sundry enactments were passed for a similar purpose. But the navigation laws of England, so called, properly began in Cromwell's time. Then the long pending conflict between Holland and England for the suprem-aey of the seas came to a crisis. The contest continued after the restoration of Charles II. But the fatal blow was given to Holland, and the superiority of England made certain, not so much by her naval victories as by the navigation laws, which, originating in the sagacity of Cromwell, and receiving then the form they nave preserved until recent times, secured to England, first, the building of all her ships and their navigation by English seamen; next, the absolute monopoly of her colonial commerce; and finally, her full share of the general carrying trade of the world.
For these purposes it was provided that no ship should be deemed a British ship that was not wholly built within the dominions of Great Britain, and wholly owned by British subjects, and navigated by a British commander and a crew of which at least three fourths were British subjects; next, that only British ships should carry any merchandise from any port of the British empire to any other; and thirdly, that no goods which were the growth, product, or manufacture of Asia, Africa, or America, should be imported into any of the ports of Great Britain except in British ships, or in ships of the countries of which the goods were the production. The rigorous execution of these laws, and the consistent adherence to these principles, are supposed by many to have done more than any other one cause in giving to Great Britain her enormous commerce. In order to ascertain what were British ships, and secure the execution of these laws, an admirable system of registry was adopted and remained in force in England during almost two centuries, with no substantial change. But in 1849 the principle of free trade was permitted to break down this monopoly to some extent.
By the act of that year and the subsequent amendments it is enacted, first, that ships which are not of British build may become British ships by registry, if wholly owned by British subjects; and next, that any ship may bring to the United Kingdom any merchandise, excepting, however, that the king or queen, by order in council, may interpose such changes, restrictions, or prohibitions upon ships of any country as will put the ships of that country when in British ports on the same footing on which British ships stand in the ports of that country. - This subject was one of the earliest to which the American congress, under the present constitution, turned its attention; and in the winter of 1792-3 acts were passed which were substantially the same as the English acts then in force, but, so far as they differ, may be considered as more rigorous. These statutes are still in force, having never been materially altered. The maritime nations of continental Europe have their own systems of navigation laws, but these are not in any case quite so stringent as those of England and the United States. During the years which immediately followed the adoption of the federal constitution, England and France being constantly at war, the United States had almost the whole carrying trade of the world; and its vast profits laid the foundation of the wealth of the country, and built up its commercial marine with a rapidity unexampled in the history of the world.
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Photo exhibit at Santa Ana Art Walk gives glimpse into homeless life
BY ANTONIE BOESSENKOOL
There will be something special at the Santa Ana Art Walk this Saturday: works by photographers whose view of the world isn't usually on display.
In February, Newport Beach resident Susan Menning gave disposable cameras to homeless people who live around the Santa Ana Civic Center. The idea was two-fold: to raise visibility for the Heart of Delight Foundation, a Irvine-based homeless services nonprofit, and to show the lives of people who live on the street, from the inside.
"Inside / Out" is the name of the exhibit that opens at the Santora Arts Building in downtown Santa Ana this Saturday and will continue through the end of August. The two dozen photos from three homeless men – Jimi Fellows, James Carroll and Lorenzo Benitez – show a view few of us see, Menning said.
"The attention they get from the outside world, let's say, that is primarily very negative," Menning said.
Through art, she hopes to give them the chance at positive attention instead.
The project began when Menning met Ian Daelucian, a UC Irvine fine arts graduate student at the time and the founder of the Heart of Delight.
"We were talking about how can we humanize this population for people who basically see them out of the window of a passing car," Menning recalled.
So Menning, who retired as the head of communications at UC Irvine several years ago, provided disposable cameras for about 10 people. She had already met Benitez and hired him to hand out the cameras and collect them. In addition to paying Benitez to organize the project on the street, she gave $25 to each photographer for each camera returned as an incentive.
"There was some stuff of an artistic nature that I wasn't expecting. … There's just kind of a haunting beauty to a lot of them. There's a vision of life that you and I would probably not see."
One photo by Benitez is a colorful composition of orange walls contrasting with green bushes and blue sky, but it also shows homeless life: a dingy mattress tucked into the corner of a back alley. Some are sobering, like a photo of a memorial scrawled on a doorstep for a 31-year-old woman.
Fellows said he's known in the homeless community as "the artist." Putting his work out to the public is a first, and he said he's both excited and nervous.
"When people see homeless, they automatically think negative," Fellows said.
Fellows is from Costa Mesa and spent several years in and out of prison for burglary and theft, which was to support his drug habit, he said. He's been clean for 17 years, he said, and out of prison for the last three. He's hopeful his art and the photography project will be the start of something that can get him off the street.
"I have a good feeling about this" he said of the art show. "It's going to be good. … I do have faith it's going to happen for me."
Contact the writer: aboessenkool@ocregister.com
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/homeless-675271-menning-art.html


Osteoporosis Risk in Men and Women.
Did you know there are different types of osteoporosis? While white women are at the greatest risk, the disease does not discriminate. Men and women of all ethnic groups can develop osteoporosis. So can children and teenagers.
Women experience more rapid bone loss in their 50s than men do. By the time they're both in their late 60s, though, men and women lose bone mass at the same rate. Statistics show that 2 million men have osteoporosis today. Another 12 million are at risk. And one out of every four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
A woman's risk of osteoporosis rises sharply after menopause. This is especially true for white women and Asian women. It's also especially true for women who have small, thin frames.
Teens and college-age women who are thin and who exercise excessively are at a high risk of not having menstrual periods. This is a condition called amenorrhea. Loss of menstrual periods is linked to decreased estrogen levels. Decreased levels of estrogen may cause osteoporosis. A diet low in calcium and other bone-boosting nutrients can also contribute to low bone density.
Teenage girls who restrict their eating and who lack menstrual periods are at risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Young female athletes who try to reach a low body weight for running or dancing are more likely to not have periods. So are those who compete in scoring sports such as gymnastics and figure skating.
A young female athlete who appears to be in top physical condition often has the highest risk of low bone density -- osteoporosis -- and fracture, especially if she has an eating disorder and lacks periods. In fact, a fracture may be the sign that first alerts the doctor there is a problem. Up to 30% of ballet dancers suffer from repeated stress fractures, which can be a sign of eating disorders and low body weight.
There are two kinds of osteoporosis in children: secondary and idiopathic.
Some osteoporosis in children is a direct result of disease itself. With rheumatoid arthritis, for example, children may have lower than expected bone mass, especially near arthritic joints. Certain drugs can also lead to juvenile osteoporosis. These can include chemotherapy for cancer, anticonvulsants for seizures, or steroids for arthritis. If your child has one of these conditions, ask your child's health care provider about testing and monitoring bone density.
Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis means that there is no known cause of the disease. This type of juvenile osteoporosis is rare. It develops most often just before the onset of puberty. Although most of the bone density may return during puberty, children with juvenile osteoporosis usually have lower peak bone mass as adults.
No matter what the cause, juvenile osteoporosis is a very serious condition. You build about 90% of your bone mass by the time you're ages 18 to 20. Losing bone mass during prime bone-building years can put a child at serious risk for long-term complications such as fractures.
Do weight-bearing exercise. Just like your muscles, your bones need to be worked regularly to stay strong. Studies show that young women who participate in athletics have the highest bone density. They also show that postmenopausal women who take part in regular exercise can prevent or reverse bone loss by almost 1% a year.
Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Adults (men and women) under age 50 need 1,000 mg (milligrams) of calcium each day. All women over age 50 should get 1,200 mg of calcium daily. Men ages 51 to 70 should get 1,000 mg of calcium a day and 1,200 mg after they reach age 70. Men and women under age 70 need 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily. That increases to 800 IU of vitamin D after age 70. Experts feel that it is best to get your calcium and vitamin D from your diet. Good natural sources of these nutrients include milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals and juices. Three and a half ounces of cooked salmon contains 90% of your daily dose of Vitamin D. If you can't get enough calcium and Vitamin D in your diet, talk to your health care provider.
Don't smoke. The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the greater risk you have of fracture in old age. Quitting smoking appears to lower this risk over time.
If you are concerned about your bone health, talk to your health care provider. Screening tests are available to check your bone health.
National Osteoporosis Foundation: "Frequently Asked Questions" and "Osteoporosis in Children and Adolescents."


It is hardly a surprise that Baroness Thatcher was careless over the soup being poured over Lord Howe, given that she was perfectly prepared to send him out to the wicket with a broken bat.
When I made my maiden speech in this Chamber, a little over two decades ago, Margaret Thatcher had been elevated to the other place but Thatcherism was still wreaking, and had wrought for the previous decade, the most heinous social, economic and spiritual damage upon this country, upon my constituency and upon my constituents. Our local hospitals were running on empty. Patients were staying on trolleys in corridors. I tremble to think what the death rate among pensioners would have been this winter if that version of Thatcherism had been fully up and running this year. Our schools, parents, teachers, governors, even pupils, seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time fundraising in order to be able to provide basic materials such as paper and pencils. The plaster on our classroom walls was kept in place by pupils' art work and miles and miles of sellotape. Our school libraries were dominated by empty shelves and very few books; the books that were there were held together by the ubiquitous sellotape and off-cuts from teachers' wallpaper were used to bind those volumes so that they could at least hang together.
By far the most dramatic and heinous demonstration of Thatcherism was certainly seen not only in London, but across the whole country in metropolitan areas where every single night, every single shop doorway became the bedroom, the living room and the bathroom for the homeless. They grew in their thousands, and many of those homeless people had been thrown out on to the streets as a result of the closure of the long-term mental hospitals. We were told it was going to be called —it was called—"care in the community", but what it was in effect was no care in the community at all.
I was interested to hear about Baroness Thatcher's willingness to invite those who had nowhere to go for Christmas; it is a pity that she did not start building more and more social housing, after she entered into the right to buy, so that there might have been fewer homeless people than there were. As a friend of mine said, during her era, London became a city that Hogarth would have recognised—and, indeed, he would.
In coming to the basis of Thatcherism, I come to the spiritual part of what I regard as the desperately wrong track down which Thatcherism took this country. We were told that everything I had been taught to regard as a vice—and I still regard them as vices—was, in fact, under Thatcherism, a virtue: greed, selfishness, no care for the weaker, sharp elbows, sharp knees, all these were the way forward. We have heard much, and will continue to hear over next week, about the barriers that were broken down by Thatcherism, the establishment that was destroyed.
What we have heard, with the words circling around like stars, is that Thatcher created an aspirational society. It aspired for things. One former Prime Minister who had himself been elevated to the House of Lords, spoke about selling off the family silver and people knowing in those years the price of everything and the value of nothing. What concerns me is that I am beginning to see what might be the re-emergence of that total traducing of what I regard as the spiritual basis of this country where we do care about society, where we do believe in communities, where we do not leave people and walk by on the other side. That is not happening now, but if we go back to the heyday of that era, I fear that we will see replicated yet again the extraordinary human damage from which we as a nation have suffered and the talent that has been totally wasted because of the inability genuinely to see the individual value of every single human being.
My hon. Friend Ms Abbott referred to the fact that although she had differed from Lady Thatcher in her policies, she felt duty bound to come here to pay tribute to the first woman Prime Minister this country had produced. I am of a generation that was raised by women, as the men had all gone to war to defend our freedoms. They did not just run a Government; they ran a country. The women whom I knew, who raised me and millions of people like me, who ran our factories and our businesses, and who put out the fires when the bombs dropped, would not have recognised their definition of womanliness as incorporating an iconic model of Margaret Thatcher. To pay tribute to the first Prime Minister denoted by female gender, okay; but a woman? Not on my terms.
On 10th April, 2013, the UK Parliament was recalled for debate following the death of Margaret Thatcher.
Glenda Jackson told it as it was for millions of families who had not benefitted from Thatcherite policies.


Last edited by Ironclad on Sun May 20, 2018 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Recruitment for Classical Antiquity is now open!
Last edited by Peterabb on Thu May 17, 2018 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Count me in please Pete.
Please add me to the list Pete.
There are 10 places left.
Thanks Pete just signed on so I can throw my hat into the ring.
Hi there count me in.
Do you consider Romano-Brits a "Roman" list? I mean I guess all 3 can be considered Romans to some extent. I'll change it if you feel its an issue.
Re: Season 2 recruitment is now open!
So far we have 58 players signed up for Season 2 of the tournament and I am still working hard sending out PM's to attract more players. I think it is likely that we will have a few players less than we did in Season 1 (where we had 82) because a number of players are mentioning summer commitments (holidays) and indicating that they will return for Season 3.
The numbers of players in each section at the moment is as follows . . .
The section that I am a bit concerned about is the Themed Event where we are still quite a way off the 32 players we require for two pools of 16. So please sign up for it if you think you will be able to fit a few extra matches in.
Not the biggest fan of the Persians but sign me up as it would be nice to get the section filled.
Players are quite welcome to modify their various army choices at this stage, but can you please edit your original post rather than posting for a second time in the recruitment thread. This is because a second post can throw my numbers out and render incorrect any messages I leave about places remaining. Thanks.
MikeC_81 wrote: Do you consider Romano-Brits a "Roman" list?
I assumed not, as it bears absolutely no resemblance to any of the Roman lists. Kingdom of Soissons is more dodgy as it really is a sort of Roman list, albeit of the "wall of crap" persuasion.
But obviously it is up to Pete.
...........4. German Afrika Corps........ok maybe not..


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Swing Into Action With Spider-Man: No Way Home Funko Pops!
Posted by Hunter Bolding | Nov 22, 2022 | Collectibles, Comic Book Films, Comic Books, Funko, Marvel, Movie News | 0 |
We've waited for this moment for so long. If you were hyped about Spider-Man: No Way Home, you knew that the Funko Pop! Vinyl figures were coming at some point. Of course, the first wave wasn't going to include Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men, but now that wait is over. Funko announced today that the second wave of figures is coming and includes all three Spider-Men from the movie.
Starting off, we have an absolutely MASSIVE 8-pack of figures featuring the heroes and villains of the film. Lizard and Sandman are exclusive to this 8-pack, so that's the only place you'll be able to get them. The rest of the figures in this are available as singles from wherever you get your Pop figures.
This 3-pack of the various Spider-Men in action is exclusive to Amazon. It features Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man in various poses. These are just the three single Pops in a 3-pack, so you can grab this and get the exclusive sticker or just buy all three separately.
Target Con 2023 has this exclusive with a Diamond Collection version of the finale suit for Peter and a t-shirt with the character on it. It's a nice package for the Spider-Man fan in your life.
Outside of those, these are the various retailer exclusives including Tom Holland's Peter during the final fight of the film (Funko Shop Exclusive), Andrew Garfield's first appearance in the film (Previews Exclusive), a metallic Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man (Hot Topic Exclusive), the Green Goblin in his suit (Box Lunch Exclusive), and finally Ned with the Doctor Strange cloak (Walmart Exclusive).
This is an incredibly exciting group of figures on offer, they should be released sometime in February 2023, so be on the lookout for them! Pre-order these Funko Pop! Figures from Spider-Man: No Way Home wherever you get your Pops from!
For more on Collectibles, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.
Ranking The 5 Best Horror Movie Funko Pops [Fright-A-Thon]
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Hunter Bolding
Wrestling fan since Sting vs. Hogan at Starrcade. Video game fanatic since I played Wario Land on the Game Boy. Music nerd, Magic: the Gathering player, and any other fandom you can think of under the sun.
The Black Phone – Eerie, Evil, Throwback [Review]
Review: Wonder Woman 777 – You Knew It Wouldn't Be That Easy
Disney's Strange World Cast On What To Expect From The Film
West Side Story Now Streaming On Disney+


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Home News Environment Climate Change
VW begins to curb its environmental pollution at sea
in Climate Change, News
Getting consumers used to the idea of driving electric vehicles came first. With EVs getting better and more affordable every day – that 'path' to the future has already been laid. Commercial road vehicles will follow close behind, especially as the various emissions regulations start to bite. That still leaves a huge pollution problem with the global transportation of goods. WhichEV takes a look at the work being done by Volkswagen Group Logistics and others.
Xiamen is a port city, on the Chinese mainland, almost directly opposite Taiwan. It was from this location that a pair of next-gen freight ships have just been launched. Named Aristotle and Confucius they are expected to be the first of a new series of carriers with much more attractive environmental credentials.
Powered by liquified natural gas, they were built by Siem Car Carriers AS, specifically for Volkswagen Group Logistics (VGL). Each has the capacity to carry almost 5,000 cars across major oceans. They will begin on routes between the USA and Europe.
So just how clean are these new ships?
The biggest drop is in the production of sulphur oxides, which have been all but eliminated. Soot (impure carbon particles) is down by almost 60% and nitrogen oxides are down by 30%. Carbon dioxide has been cut by a quarter.
Overall pollution creation is nowhere the levels you would achieve with an electrical solution, but when you consider that these vessels are generally running 24/7 throughout the year, the small savings will quickly start to rack up.
VGL uses 11 large scale car carriers every day, so the introduction of the first two 'clean' ships will make an impact and we can only hope that Volkswagen has budgeted for a fleet-replacement.
Christiane Eckert, Head of Strategy and Environmental at Volkswagen Group
Thomas Zernechel, Head of VGL, said that the move to LNG seaborne transport was vital: "We are entering a new field here to reduce emissions. These ships are the first overseas car freighters in the world to be LNG-powered. In addition to the increasing use of LNG trucks, conversion of our many rail transports to green electricity and the use of biofuel in the short sea segment, the two new LNG ships represent an important building block for our strategic goal of climate-neutral logistics".
He went on to say, "we believe that the switch to Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as marine fuel is the most important basis for a maritime energy revolution," said Uwe Lauber, CEO MAN Energy Solutions. "In a second step, gas-capable ships can be operated with synthetically produced, climate-neutral fuels and are therefore future-proof. With this project, Volkswagen is pioneering the decarbonisation of global trade flows".
With a top speed of almost 32km/h Aristotle and Confucius are described as 'advanced', with the capacity to carry a mixed load of up to 7,500 cars each. They are both 200 metres long, 38 metres wide with 14 car decks and state-of-the-art navigation. When we saw that the ships use a 12,600kw engine, it did make us wonder: would there be a possibility of electrifying cargo ships in the future?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.
Tags: Climate ChangeVolkswagen
Lotus Evija track footage released – 200mph UK hypercar
GM Endurance follows Tesla Cybertruck into electric truck market


One of the most effective and cost-effective ways to fight climate change is to stop deforestation, a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. That is why Green Century is working to protect tropical forests by moving companies to adopt and implement zero deforestation policies that seek to decouple corporate supply chains from deforestation.
In the last four years, Green Century has worked with over 15 companies to secure sustainable sourcing policies for forest commodities like palm oil, the most widely used vegetable oil in the world.
These policies benefit the endangered species and local and indigenous communities that depend on these forested areas, improve worker conditions, and protect the environment through decreasing carbon emissions and preserving water quality, while safeguarding companies from risk and potentially positioning them to enjoy competitive advantages.
Consumer facing companies that you might find in the Green Century Funds, like Starbucks* and Kellogg's,* source the majority of their palm oil from growers and traders in Indonesia and Malaysia, where 85% of the world's palm oil comes from.
Shareholder Advocate Kate Kroll with Wilmar workers planting young palm trees in Sumatra.
Through our seat on the United Nations Principles on Responsible Investment (UN PRI) advisory board on palm oil, we have worked with nearly all levels of the palm value chain, from end users to the suppliers themselves.One of the most transformational zero deforestation commitments Green Century pressed for is from Wilmar International Limited,* the largest palm oil processor in the world, Asia's leading agribusiness, and an employer of 92,000 people globally. The company's zero deforestation commitment, which was the first from a major processing company to cover all their third-party suppliers as well as their own managed lands, inspired many others in the industry to make similar commitments. This collective commitment is estimated to have helped prevent deforestation of 6.1 million hectares of land in Indonesia,1 which is more than twice the size of Belgium.
But we know that adopting a policy is just the first step and that implementation is critical. Green Century's award winning shareholder advocacy program does more than just engage with companies on a surface level, we seek to drive real impact on the ground. That is why our shareholder advocate, Kate Kroll, went back to Indonesia last month to make sure the groundbreaking commitments we helped secure are being implemented.
Green Century's Kate Kroll with Jeremy Goon, Wilmar's Chief Sustainability officer, and Perpetua George, Assistant Sustainability Manager, in Jakarta.
Kate Kroll with Wilmar's Plantation Manager learning about the practices the company adopted to replace burning.
In Jakarta, Kate met with Jeremy Goon, Wilmar's Chief Sustainability Officer, to learn more about how the company is making a difference for the environment, the communities it operates in, and for its investors.Because of Wilmar's direct influence on tropical forests and its scale of business, complete palm industry change cannot happen without effective implementation of the company's commitment. Through conversations with company representatives in both meeting rooms in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and on site on the plantations of Sumatra where Wilmar's policy comes to life, Kate provided investor accountability and received valuable information on the difference a leader's commitment can make.
Kate touring one of Wilmar's palm plantations in Sumatra.
Kate with two fresh palm fruit bunches taken from the trees behind her.
Wilmar's progress towards deforestation-free palm oil is an example both to other growers and consumers that change is possible, and an example of the impact that investors can make through Green Century.
Sign up here to stay up to date on all our work to protect forests and to learn more about how your investments are making an impact.
*As of June 30, 2017, no securities mentioned were held in the portfolios of any of the Green Century Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to the ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.
Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic or political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation. The Funds' environmental criteria limit the investments available to the Funds compared to mutual funds that do not use environmental criteria.


text:
Broadband tax credits reportedly stripped from stimulus bill
While the latest version of the economic stimulus package provides $7 billion in broadband grants, it no longer provides broadband tax credits.
February 12, 2009 3:38 PM PST
Correction at 2:50 p.m. PST: This story was initially posted with an inaccurate headline. Tax credits, not tax cuts, were reportedly stripped from the bill.
Congress is still working on the language of the latest version of its economic stimulus package, but it appears the bill will not include tax credits for broadband deployment.
The House of Representatives and the Senate came to a compromise Wednesday night, agreeing to a $789 billion economic package that is aimed at reinvigorating the economy through government spending and tax cuts. The bill includes $7 billion in grants for extending broadband services to underserved communities, according to a fact sheet (PDF) from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.
A portion of the funds will be distributed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service, according to various reports, while the bulk of the funds will go through the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The New York Times reported about $4 billion would be distributed by the NTIA.
"We're very pleased Congress has made this commitment, and we think it's a great stimulus package," said Derek Turner, research director for the public policy group Free Press.
However, he said it would be wiser to channel all of the money for broadband through the NTIA.
"With a program this massive you need it to be overseen by a single agency," Turner said, "and the NTIA is essentially the policy adviser for the president on telecommunications."
While the broadband grants remain in the bill, the tax credits for broadband deployment proposed in the Senate version of the bill were removed Wednesday, Dow Jones reported. Critics of the tax credits have said they would disproportionately benefit large companies like Verizon that are taxed heavily and ready to deploy faster broadband networks.
"While in theory (tax credits) could be a good way to entice some new deployment, in practice they're very problematic," Turner said. "You don't want to create a situation where a carrier would get a subsidy for something they would do without a subsidy."
The latest version of the bill also provides $19 billion to promote the use of health information technology systems.
It also includes more than $15 billion for basic scientific research, including $3 billion for the National Science Foundation and $1.6 billion for the Energy Department's Office of Science.
"This is really important for us because the NSF supports almost all of university computer research," said Peter Harsha, director of government affairs for the Computing Research Association. "These are the ideas that industry really relies on, that end up in products 5, 10, 20 years out."
The exact provisions of the bill were still in question as of Thursday afternoon, when some Republican congressmen were complaining that they have yet to see a full copy of the legislation. The House is expected to vote on the bill Friday.
Discuss: Broadband tax credits reportedly stripped from stimulus bill


text:
REACH 2018 Communicators' Network
How to find information about chemicals
Photos of ECHA and chemistry
Corporate and visual Identity
Granules and mulches on sports pitches and playgrounds
Lead in shot, bullets and fishing weights
Act and prepare for 'no deal Brexit' to stay on the market and keep supplies
ECHA/NR/19/30
As the deadline for the UK's withdrawal from the EU on 31 October 2019 is approaching, ECHA urges companies to act and prepare for a 'no deal' scenario.
Helsinki, 12 September 2019 - ECHA is reminding companies that they need to prepare for a 'no deal' scenario ahead of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, which is to take place on 31 October 2019. As of 1 November 2019, the UK will be a "third country".
ECHA also urges downstream users located in the EU-27/EEA to act now to avoid disruptions in supply. Registrations made by UK manufacturers, importers and Only Representatives will become void if they are not transferred to EU-27/EEA before the UK withdraws from the EU.
Downstream users in the EU-27/EEA can check the 'List of substances registered only by UK companies' on ECHA's website to see if they will be affected and need to take action. If they plan to get their supply from the UK after the withdrawal, they should register the substance themselves as an importer, unless an Only Representative has been appointed for that registration in the EU-27/EEA.
UK-based manufacturers and formulators that want to keep substances registered under REACH legally on the EU-27/EEA market, can either transfer their business to, or appoint an Only Representative in one of the EU-27/EEA countries.
Step-by-step instructions on how to transfer REACH registrations are available on ECHA's web pages for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
The manual form to notify exports of PIC substances has been reactivated. This form is part of a temporary procedure that ensures that EU-27 companies, which are planning to export PIC chemicals to the UK as of 1 November 2019, can comply with their obligations to notify their exports 35 days before the expected date of import.
The withdrawal of the UK from the EU
Questions and answers for companies
Q&As on PIC and the UK's withdrawal from the EU
How to notify PIC exports to the UK after the UK's withdrawal from the EU [PDF] [EN]
Manual export notification form [EN] [DOCX]
Advice to companies
How to transfer your UK REACH registrations prior to the UK withdrawal from the EU [PDF] [EN]
List of substances registered only by UK companies [XLSX]
Ready for Brexit? (video)
Commission's "Brexit preparedness checklist for businesses" [PDF] [EN]


Shop Denon DJ MC4000 Professional DJ Controller from AMS with 0% Interest Payment Plans and Free Shipping.
A peerless combination of features and build quality for professionals! The MC4000 is an exciting addition to Denon DJ's distinguished line of professional DJ products. Featuring a sleek new design and inviting appearance, the MC4000 continues Denon DJ's reputation for innovative features, dependability, unrivaled sound quality and peerless value.
With a well-deserved reputation for their emphasis on sound quality, Denon DJ includes a premium 24-bit audio output path for noticeably clearer mixes. Denon DJ's highly regarded dual microphone inputs are complemented by a studio-grade echo effect, and 'ducking' feature—effortlessly moving vocals to the top of the mix without riding faders.
Denon DJ's Controller line has always represented premium features for discerning DJs. The MC4000 punches well above its weight by including the tools that professional DJs need to drive a memorable event. The layout, solid construction, portability, audio quality, the multiple inputs and outputs—it all adds up to a spot-on performance for the demanding mobile entertainer.
This was an upgrade from an older model dj workstation. I am using for hobby reasons and occasional themed parties. It's easy to control. Downside for me, I lost my 50% off of the FULL SERATO software.
I LOVE this control, unbelievable price for all it can do , If you're looking for a high end controller at a great price this one is for you. AMS is one of the top online stores out there. Customer service is very professional AAAAA ++++. Pay as you play at great low monthly payments that you will not find anywhere else. Keep up the GREAT work AMS My favorite online DJ store !!
I downgraded to this board from a $1200 controller. I have to say this board matches up well with it. I have enjoyed using this controller and will recommend it to anyone.
Works great, perfect layout, price is right!
Love it. Wish it had replaceable crossfader, mine broke after about 6 months. Was the only problem I had and simply bought a new unit after about 1 year. I love the long throw pitch faders on the outside edges, it helps keep my big hands from accidentally hitting them. It's small enough to travel light but gives me everything I need to DJ weddings and dances. Lots of compliments from other DJ's about how 'Good' my system sounds, gotta be the Denon 24 bit A/D.


Both Durham City and the wider area of County Durham, with castles, cathedral, stately homes and industrial heritage has a number of hauntings.
In Durham Cathedral it is said that a secret passage runs from the cathedral to Finchale Abbey, though the journey is so terrifying no person can survive it. In Durham Prison a ground floor cell is haunted by the scene of one prisoner murdering another with a knife. In Durham Castle the wife of one of the former Prince Bishops of Durham haunts the black staircase where she fell down and broke her neck.
In Lumley Castle ghostly monks are sometimes seen walking in file around the area of the castle, while Lady Lumley walks within the castle's corridors and grounds. An Australian cricket player reported seeing the monks in 2005.
For ghost tours in Durham contact us.
This 3 story building below Elvet Bridge is a former house of correction with what were dungeons & a mortuary created in 1632. Horrific conditions of the prison cells were regarded as the country's worst & many inmates never left alive. The most famous was a piper named Jimmy Allen. It's believed his eerie pipe music can still be heard here some nights. People have also heard a whispery female voice & seen shadowy figures. Some have felt as though they've been scratched, pushed or even punched by unseen hands.
Created in 1878 to help educate the local miner's children. It's been the setting of happy memories, tragic loss and untimely death. Today there is believed to be a mischievous entity in this building with objects being found out of place for no apparent reason. In every room people often hear what sounds like children running around and playing. Strange figures are seen moving from one room to another with sounds of talking, shouting and slamming doors.
A former school which dates back to 1875 has been host to some horrifying experiences since reopening as a community centre. Some have experienced a sense of dread with an awful feeling of being watched. People have been pushed or even scratched by something that they cannot see. Sounds of footsteps have been heard walking up and down and the apparition of a lady dressed in white has been seen in different parts of the building.


text:
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SWK3400 - Critical social work 1: Individuals and families (context and practice)
Dr Uschi Bay
First semester 2016 (Off-campus)
This unit covers child, adolescent and adult development with an emphasis on the development of resilience across the life course. A particular focus is on relevant contextual factors at individual, family, community and societal levels that impede or enhance development. The unit includes a social work practice theory section that provides an orientation to the theory of direct social work practice with individuals and families focusing on one to one work with individuals and on working with family groups. The unit has a skills component that includes assessment, engagement and the development of intervention strategies through the use of role plays, case studies.
Explain the specific developmental needs that arise in childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Outline the biopsychosocial model of child, adolescent and adult development in relation to relevant contextual factors.
Analyse the values and assumptions underpinning various theoretical approaches to working with individuals and families.
Summarize the key evidence in relation to the effectiveness of different approaches to social work practice (with individuals and families).
Demonstrate the basic elements of the social work process including assessment, the worker/client relationship.
Recognise and articulate practice implications for working with individuals, children and families from different cultural groups.
Demonstrate basic skills in engaging with assessment of and intervention with clients.
Demonstrate the ability to show self-awareness and critically reflective on your own social work practice.
Critical reflection on the life-span (1,000 words)
Case study analysis that asks student to apply the theoretical knowledge learned to a typical social work client situation (2,000 words)
A biopsychosocial assessment of a child, adolescent or adult (2,000 words)
Completion of a role play assessment activity (1,000 words)
On-campus students will attend five hours of face to face contact per week that will include three hours of lecturers and two hours of tutorials. Fours hours will be spent on online activities and eleven hours will be spent on private study.
Off-campus students participate in 20 hours residential workshops, four hours per week on online activities and 18 hours per week on private study. Off-campus students are required to attend a compulsory on-campus workshop for successful completion of this unit, where social work practice skills will be facilitated and practiced. Mandatory attendance is required by off-campus students for a 3 day workshop which is held at the Caulfield campus in the first week of June.
Must be enrolled in Bachelor of Social Work or the Human Services stream of the Bachelor of Health Sciences.
SWK3240.
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/
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text:
Q: Inline boxes: alternative to pifont's non-filled-but-shadowed box? I often need to draw inline boxes in specific rgb-colors.

I really like how easy to use the pifont package is for this purpose. But just the filled boxes look as desired. The shadowish look of the other boxes does not really fit.
Is there any easy alternative to get "empty boxes" with the same dimensions (scaling with textsize)? If I could keep my syntax (e.g. \sqboxEmpty{predefined-color}) more or less would be perfect.

minimal example:
\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}%
\usepackage{pifont}
\usepackage{xcolor}

% some color definitions
\definecolor{cblue}{RGB}{16,78,139}
\definecolor{cred}{RGB}{139,37,0}
\definecolor{cgreen}{RGB}{0,139,0}

% normal box
\newcommand{\sqbox}[1]{\textcolor{#1}{\ding{110}}}%
% empty box
\newcommand{\sqboxEmpty}[1]{\textcolor{#1}{\ding{111}}}%

\begin{document}
I like these.
\sqbox{cred}  \sqbox{cgreen} \sqbox{cblue}

I don't like these too much.
\sqboxEmpty{cred}  \sqboxEmpty{cgreen}  \sqboxEmpty{cblue}
\end{document}

A: You don't need special fonts for drawing squares.
\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}%
\usepackage{xcolor}

% some color definitions
\definecolor{cblue}{RGB}{16,78,139}
\definecolor{cred}{RGB}{139,37,0}
\definecolor{cgreen}{RGB}{0,139,0}

% normal box
\newcommand{\sqboxs}{1.2ex}% the square size
\newcommand{\sqboxf}{0.6pt}% the border in \sqboxEmpty
\newcommand{\sqbox}[1]{\textcolor{#1}{\rule{\sqboxs}{\sqboxs}}}
% empty box
\newcommand{\sqboxEmpty}[1]{%
  \begingroup
  \setlength{\fboxrule}{\sqboxf}%
  \setlength{\fboxsep}{-\fboxrule}%
  \textcolor{#1}{\fbox{\rule{0pt}{\sqboxs}\rule{\sqboxs}{0pt}}}%
  \endgroup
}

\begin{document}
I like these.
\sqbox{cred}  \sqbox{cgreen} \sqbox{cblue}

And also these.
\sqboxEmpty{cred}  \sqboxEmpty{cgreen}  \sqboxEmpty{cblue}
\end{document}

Modify \sqboxs and \sqboxf to suit.

A: I don't know how to deal with pifont symbols for empty boxes (there are none, as far as I know), so switched to the bbding package, using its \SquareSolid and \Square
commands.
However, those symbols seem to be a little bit larger than \ding{110} from pifont package.
\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}%
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{bbding}%

% some color definitions
\definecolor{cblue}{RGB}{16,78,139}
\definecolor{cred}{RGB}{139,37,0}
\definecolor{cgreen}{RGB}{0,139,0}

% normal box
\newcommand{\sqbox}[1]{\textcolor{#1}{\SquareSolid}}
% empty box
\newcommand{\sqboxEmpty}[1]{%
\textcolor{#1}{\Square}%
}%

\begin{document}
I like these.
\sqbox{cred}  \sqbox{cgreen} \sqbox{cblue}

You will perhaps like these ones:
\sqboxEmpty{cred} \sqbox{cred}  \sqboxEmpty{cgreen}  \sqboxEmpty{cblue}
\end{document}

A: My example shows how to create desired boxes by primitive commands. This is an elementary exercise of usage of \vrule, \hrule, \hbox and \vbox.
\def\boxemptyO{1.1ex} \def\boxemptyI{\dimexpr\boxemptyO-.8pt\relax}
\def\boxempty{\leavevmode
   \vbox{\hrule\hbox to\boxemptyO{\vrule height\boxemptyI\hfil\vrule}\hrule}}

Now, you can type: \boxempty, and you get, what you want.

If you want to colorize this box, you can define \boxemtycolored which depends on used color system in your document. For example, in LaTeX with xcolor package, you can define
\def\boxemptycolor#1{{\textcolor{#1}\boxempty}}

Now, you can type \boxemptycolor{red}.

Edit If you need to control the rule thickness (for example in the macro \boxemtyT), then you can define \hruleA and \vruleA and use them instead \hrule, \vrule. It is simple exercise still.
\def\boxemptyA{1.1ex} \def\boxemptyT{0.6pt}
\def\boxemptyI{\dimexpr\boxemptyA-2\dimexpr\boxemptyT\relax\relax}
\def\hruleA{\hrule height\boxemptyT}
\def\vruleA{\vrule width\boxemptyT}
\def\boxempty{\leavevmode \message{:::\the\boxemptyI}
   \vbox{\hruleA\hbox to\boxemptyA{\vruleA height\boxemptyI\hfil\vruleA}\hruleA}}

A: No tikz?????
\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}%
\usepackage{tikz}

% some color definitions
\definecolor{cblue}{RGB}{16,78,139}
\definecolor{cred}{RGB}{139,37,0}
\definecolor{cgreen}{RGB}{0,139,0}

% normal box
\newcommand{\sqbox}[1]{%
  \begin{tikzpicture}%[baseline={(a.base)}]
     \fill[#1] (0,0) rectangle (1.2ex,1.2ex);
  \end{tikzpicture}%
  }
% empty box
\newcommand{\sqboxEmpty}[1]{%
  \begin{tikzpicture}%[baseline={(a.base)}]
    \draw[line width=0.6pt,#1] (0.5\pgflinewidth,0.5\pgflinewidth) rectangle (1.2ex-0.5\pgflinewidth,1.2ex-0.5\pgflinewidth);
  \end{tikzpicture}%
}%

\begin{document}
I like these.
\sqbox{cred}  \sqbox{cgreen} \sqbox{cblue}

And also these.
\sqboxEmpty{cred}  \sqboxEmpty{cgreen} \sqboxEmpty{cgreen}  \sqbox{cblue}

And also these.
\sqboxEmpty{cred}  \sqboxEmpty{cgreen} \sqbox{cgreen}  \sqboxEmpty{cblue}
\end{document}

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TYLER CAULEY OF TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY, a sophomore first baseman from Baytown, Texas, has been named the SCAC Baseball Offensive Player of the Week for games played through Sunday, April 8th.
Cauley posted at least .500 batting averages in all four games play this week. Overall, he was 10-for-16 with a total of five runs scores and three RBI.
In non-conference play against University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Wednesday, Cauley was 2-for-4 with a solo home run. He produced a 1.250 slugging percentage against the Cru. In the three-game conference series sweep over University of Dallas, Cauley went a combined 8-for-12 with four runs scores, a double, two triples and three RBI.
Cauley ended the week with a .625 overall batting average, and a .667 batting average in conference play. He added a 1.083 slugging percentage in conference, and overall 1.125 percentage.
Junior infielder Brett Taff of Austin College batted .500 with a .611 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage, scoring five runs and driving in three more. Freshman infielder Jeffrey Williams of Schreiner University hit .500 last week and slugged 1.286 after hitting three home runs in the Mountaineers second game against Austin College. Sophomore outfielder Byron Dowdell II of Southwestern University hit .333 with five RBI and three runs scored to lead the Pirates last week. Senior outfielder Blake Frampton of Trinity University hit .550 (11-20) for the week, driving in three runs and scoring seven more as the top-ranked Tigers went 4-0.


Yesterday in Brussels, Rural Area Information Technology Broadband Network RAIN-2 project won the Social and economic impact and affordability award at a Europe-wide competition for a European Broadband Award launched by the European Commission. The Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania, Rimantas Sinkevičius, was also present at the ceremony.
"For some autumn is the time of harvesting, for others it is the time of evaluation of the achieved results. Project RAIN-2 extended the broadband network of its predecessor project RAIN by 5775 kilometers. The length of cables built in Lithuania can be considered to be equal to the distance from Vilnius to Barcelona and back. However, rather than placing importance to the length of the cables, we stress the fact that already 982 villages are connected to the network and can now use the Internet" said Rimantas Sinkevičius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.
The infrastructure developed during the implementation of the project reached around 700,000 of the population. And in terms of co-implementation of the first RAIN project, it reaches around 1,000,000 people. RAIN infrastructure allows 51 communications operators to provide network services to their clients.
According to the data provided by Lithuanian Department of Statistics, the number of country's households that have a computer and broadband Internet access in the rural areas increased more than 12 times in the last decade. During that time, the average Internet speed increased by 45 times. Leading to the fact that Lithuania was ranked 8th globally and leader in Europe in terms of the fiber-optic (FTTH) Internet network penetration.
17 European countries participated in the competition and have shared their experience. 48 projects were submitted for the 5 nominations.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania together with public institution "Plačiajuostis internetas" (Broadband Internet) started to implement the project RAIN-2 in December 2009. The project was completed this fall.


text:
Blowing in the Wind is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Cadet label in 1966 and performed by Donaldson with pianist Herman Foster, bassist  Sam Jones, drummer Idris Muhammad and percussionist Richard Landrum.

Reception
The album was awarded 3 stars in an Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny who states "Blowing in the Wind is perhaps the most curious and oddly compelling of the dates Lou Donaldson cut for Cadet during his mid-'60s exile from the Blue Note stable — a mish-mash of contemporary pop hits, stage favorites, and standards all packaged in a bizarrely Picasso-like cover, the record's inconsistencies and contradictions make for an experience that's unique even in the context of Esmond Edwards erratic and eclectic oeuvre".

Track listing
All compositions by Lou Donaldson except as indicated
 "Herman's Mambo" (Herman Foster)
 "Hello, Dolly!" (Jerry Herman)
 "Blowin' in the Wind" (Bob Dylan)
 "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley)
 "The Wheeler Dealer"
 "Passing Zone"
 "Relaxing in Blue"
Recorded at RCA Studios NYC on August 30, 1966

Personnel
 Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone
 Herman Foster - piano
 Sam Jones - bass
 Leo Morris - drums
 Richard Landrum - congas

Production
 Esmond Edwards - producer

References

Lou Donaldson albums
1966 albums
Cadet Records albums
Albums produced by Esmond Edwards

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